The Legend of the Netherworld

Chapter 216 Tianyuan City Prefect

After returning to Tianyuan City, Lin Xiao carefully hid his presence, avoiding anyone's attention. However, fate seemed to always play tricks on him. As Lin Xiao quietly walked down a dim alley, he suddenly sensed a familiar presence. Looking back, he saw Shangguan Qingqing.

Shangguan Qingqing was wearing a light blue dress, with a gentle smile and a hint of mischief in her eyes. She walked up to Lin Xiao and whispered, "You came back so quietly. I didn't expect you to be able to hide from me."

A hint of surprise flashed across Lin Xiao's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. He smiled faintly: "It seems that you have a good eye."

Shangguan winked playfully, "Do you think I'm just a pretty face? But since you're back, come to the Shangguan home. I know you need strength right now, and you have nowhere to go. Come stay at the Shangguan home, and let me take you somewhere."

Lin Xiao had originally planned to act alone, but Shangguan Qingqing's suggestion made him waver. He knew the Shangguan family was prominent, and Shangguan Qingqing had always been friendly to him. If he could use the Shangguan family's resources, he might be able to improve his strength more quickly.

"Okay, in that case, I'll go with you." Lin Xiao agreed.

Shangguan smiled gently, took Lin Xiao's hand, and led him lightly out of the alley, through several streets, and finally arrived at Shangguan's house. The Shangguan family mansion was magnificent and the atmosphere was solemn. There was a faint aristocratic atmosphere around it.

After entering the mansion, Lin Xiao followed Shangguan Qingqing into a secluded inner courtyard. The layout here was different from the outside, with a tranquil environment and abundant spiritual energy. Shangguan Qingqing led Lin Xiao to a heavily restricted door and said with a smile, "This is our Shangguan family's treasure house. It contains countless spiritual medicines and precious resources, all prepared by my father for our family. I brought you here today in the hope that you can use these spiritual medicines to enhance your strength."

Lin Xiao was slightly stunned, thinking to himself: The Shangguan family is indeed very rich, even the treasure house is so mysterious. At this moment, he did not move immediately, but first looked around carefully, making sure that no one was paying attention, and then he thanked Shangguan softly.

"Thank you, Qingqing." Lin Xiao's voice was low and sincere.

Shangguan nodded gently, "Don't be polite, come in quickly. The spiritual medicines here will be very helpful to you. By using them, your strength will definitely be greatly improved."

Lin Xiao's heart moved, and he immediately entered the treasure house.

The treasure house was incredibly spacious, its shelves filled with a variety of medicinal herbs and spiritual plants. The scent alone was enough to instill a rich spiritual energy. He slowly walked over to a row of exquisite medicine bottles, casually picking up a bottle of spiritual medicine. Upon opening it, a powerful spiritual energy instantly filled the air. Lin Xiao concentrated and sensed the powerful medicinal properties of these spiritual herbs, discovering they were extremely potent and would greatly aid in elevating his realm.

Lin Xiao didn't hesitate and immediately began to refine the elixirs. He completely immersed himself in the medicinal power and began to absorb the essence of each herb with all his might. The power of the elixirs surged into his body like a tide. Lin Xiao felt his internal energy surge, his internal strength continuously increasing, and the aura of a breakthrough became stronger and stronger.

A few days passed, and Lin Xiao continued to refine the spiritual medicine in the treasure house. His realm finally broke through and successfully reached the fourth level of Jiachen. The magnificent power filled his body, as if his whole body was rejuvenated with new vitality.

"Breakthrough..." Lin Xiao felt the infinite power in his body. He took a deep breath, his eyes flashing with brilliance.

At this point, his strength was already strong enough to handle more challenges. Lin Xiao didn't waste any time and decided to take advantage of this opportunity. He knew that Tianyuan City was still filled with countless enemies and conspiracies, and he needed to find a stronger force to ensure his own safety.

Overnight, Lin Xiao quietly left the Shangguan residence and arrived at the prefectural mansion in Tianyuan City. He stood beneath the high walls of the mansion, his eyes as sharp as a knife, scanning the surrounding guards and buildings.

Li Zhenguo, the prefect of Tianyuan City, is an extremely powerful figure and a key target for Lin Xiao. Ever since Lin Xiao exterminated the Li family, Li Zhenguo has viewed him as a thorn in his side, eager to eliminate him as soon as possible. Now, Lin Xiao has arrived to destroy Li Zhenguo's power and clear the way for himself.

"Today, I'm here to give you a gift." Lin Xiao sneered, and his figure disappeared into the night as quickly as a ghost.

He quietly sneaked into the prefect's residence under the cover of darkness. Along the way, he evaded the layers of guards, his movements as light and agile as a ghost, making his presence almost unnoticed. Finally, he arrived in front of Li Zhenguo's bedroom.

He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that everything was within his grasp.

However, the moment Lin Xiao pushed open the door, he discovered that Li Zhenguo, lying on the bed, was not sleeping soundly as he had expected. The lights in the room were dim, and Li Zhenguo had his back to him, seemingly unaware of Lin Xiao's arrival. But the moment Lin Xiao stepped through the threshold, his heart skipped a beat.

Suddenly, Li Zhenguo turned around with a cold murderous look in his eyes. At that moment, Lin Xiao understood that all this was not as simple as he had imagined.

"Hehe, Lin Xiao, do you think I will die so easily?" Li Zhenguo's voice was as cold as the biting wind, full of sarcasm.

Lin Xiao's expression changed, and a premonition of danger suddenly rose in his heart. He turned around suddenly, but found that the air around him suddenly became heavy, and there was a strong sense of oppression all around.

"You, you actually..." Lin Xiao instantly realized that Li Zhenguo had already noticed his arrival and had placed him under surveillance from the very beginning. What shocked him even more was that the aura Li Zhenguo displayed at this moment was actually comparable to his own.

"Jiachen Fourth Realm..." Lin Xiao's eyes were solemn, and he secretly thought that something was wrong. Li Zhenguo's realm was comparable to his own. This battle would no longer be an easy victory for him.

"It seems you're not incompetent." Li Zhenguo sneered, then slowly stood up, his every move exuding a calm and steady aura like a mountain. "However, since you've chosen to take action, be prepared to pay the price."

Before he could finish his words, Li Zhenguo struck with lightning speed. The palm strike was like a mountain, unstoppable. Startled, Lin Xiao quickly unleashed his "Dragon Swimming Across the Seas" technique, dodging with incredible speed. But Li Zhenguo's attack continued, practically following closely behind him.

"boom!"

The two men collided fiercely, and the air seemed to be filled with thunder. Lin Xiao tried his best to defend himself, but the opponent's strength was too strong. Every collision made him feel a sharp pain, and he was almost pushed to his limit.

"You are only at the fourth level of Jiachen. Do you think you can compete with me?" Li Zhenguo's voice was full of provocation, and his eyes revealed endless confidence and coldness.

"Not necessarily." Lin Xiao took a deep breath, a strong killing intent suddenly rising in his heart. He could no longer endure it. In this battle, there was no turning back.

Instantly, he unleashed all his strength, his spiritual energy surging out like a flood, every meridian in his body vibrating violently. He no longer held back any strength, instead unleashing his two ultimate skills, "Sword Dance Spin" and "Shadow Spirit Sword Stab."

"Sword Qi Strike!"

Lin Xiao's figure passed by like a ghost, carrying sharp sword energy, piercing Li Zhenguo's vital points. A trace of surprise flashed in Li Zhenguo's eyes, but he was not afraid at all. The power in his hands suddenly condensed into a powerful airflow, trying to block Lin Xiao's sword energy.

"boom!"

A violent explosion resounded throughout the mansion, the ground cracking and sending dust flying. The two men separated instantly, each keeping their distance, standing there breathlessly.

"You're stronger than I thought." A serious look flashed in Li Zhenguo's eyes. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and whispered, "But there's no way you'll leave alive today."

Lin Xiao looked at Li Zhenguo with a cold glint in his eyes, but he didn't relax at all. He knew that Li Zhenguo was extremely powerful. If he couldn't defeat him in one fell swoop, he would probably have a hard time surviving.

"Today, either you die or I die." Lin Xiao said coldly.

"Then let's give it a try." Li Zhenguo stopped talking nonsense and suddenly burst out with an even more violent momentum, rushing towards Lin Xiao.

In this battle, neither side held back. Two powerful currents intertwined, the air seemed to tremble, cracks began to appear throughout the mansion, and the surrounding walls and ground continued to collapse.

Every strike of Lin Xiao's sword energy, every attack, was filled with murderous intent, like the coming of the Grim Reaper. Li Zhenguo, on the other hand, was like an indestructible mountain, unshaken by any attack. The two were evenly matched, and the battle intensified.

After a night of fierce fighting, Lin Xiao was exhausted, but his killing intent was even stronger. Finally, his sword energy burst out again, piercing Li Zhenguo's heart fiercely.

"Ahem..." Li Zhenguo suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, a trace of fear finally appearing in his eyes. He looked down at the bloody hole in his heart, and finally realized that he could no longer break free from the shackles of fate.

"You...you...how is it possible..." Li Zhenguo's voice trembled a little, with unwillingness and shock in his eyes, as if he couldn't believe his own ending.

"You have no chance." A cold light flashed in Lin Xiao's eyes, and then the sword in his hand pierced Li Zhenguo's chest mercilessly.

"Puff!" With a muffled sound, Li Zhenguo's body fell down, blood spurted out, dyeing the entire ground red.

Lin Xiao stood before Li Zhenguo's body, his eyes icy. After this life-or-death struggle, he finally confirmed his own strength, knowing that he had now taken a more solid step forward.

"All this should end eventually." Lin Xiao took a deep breath, turned around and left, disappearing into the darkness before dawn.

The moment Li Zhenguo fell, the entire Tianyuan City prefectural residence seemed to tremble. The remaining buildings crumbled under the strong air currents and the shattering fluctuations of spiritual energy, while Lin Xiao's figure vanished into the night like a ghost. However, the aftermath of this fatal battle did not subside.

"Who's here!" A low angry roar suddenly came from a distance, followed by a powerful aura sweeping over.

Lin Xiao's eyes froze slightly, and he felt a surge of alarm. He knew that such a fierce fight would surely attract other powerful figures, perhaps even those lurking in the shadows. He suppressed his fatigue and quickly retreated into the darkness.

However, his movements were still a little slow. Several powerful figures had already appeared outside the gate of the mansion. These people walked lightly, and their auras surged like a torrent. They were obviously masters who had achieved great success in cultivation.

"Lin Xiao!" a middle-aged man shouted coldly, his eyes flashing with a cold light. His aura was extremely powerful, reaching the peak of the Jiachen Fifth Realm. He had clearly come specifically to hunt down Lin Xiao. Several masters with extraordinary auras stood beside him, clearly fellow practitioners.

"Who are you?" Lin Xiao calmly emerged from the shadows, sword already in hand. He glanced around at these newly emerged enemies, his eyes flashing with vigilance and calculation.

"We are the supervisors of Tianyuan City." The middle-aged man smiled coldly, with a hint of mockery in his eyes. "Do you think you can easily kill Li Zhenguo and then get away with it? Tianyuan City is our place. No matter how strong you are, you can't escape capture."

A cold glint flashed in Lin Xiao's eyes. He knew that his risky attempt to kill Li Zhenguo had undoubtedly attracted the attention of various factions. Especially the Tianyuan City Supervisors, a powerful force that controlled the city's security. If they discovered his true identity, he would probably have no chance of escape.

"In that case, you should be prepared to face my sword." Lin Xiao said coldly, without any fear in his tone.

"Do you think you, a Jiachen Fourth Realm cultivator, can fight against us?" The middle-aged man smiled contemptuously and waved his hand, "Attack!"

Following his command, several masters attacked one after another, and in an instant, two of them rushed towards Lin Xiao. The two men's auras were like tides, their figures were like thunder, and their attacks were extremely fierce.

Lin Xiao's eyes focused, and he quickly unleashed the "Dragon Swimming Across the Seas" technique, spinning through the air like the wind, dodging the attacks of the two masters. At the same time, he quickly counterattacked, the long sword in his hand transforming into a streak of cold light, striking directly at the chest of an enemy.

"Keng!" The sword energy collided with the enemy's magic power, making a deafening sound. The enemy felt a huge force coming, and retreated repeatedly, blood flowing from the corner of his mouth, and a flash of surprise in his eyes.

"It seems you're not strong enough." Lin Xiao smiled faintly, his eyes flashing with cold murderous intent. He moved swiftly, attacking in succession, each sword carrying a deadly aura.

However, although Lin Xiao relied on his agile movements and powerful swordsmanship to put immense pressure on his enemies, he was also well aware that these enemies were no pushovers. This was especially true of the middle-aged man in the Jiachen Fifth Realm, who was constantly watching him from behind, a hint of menace in his eyes.

"It seems that you don't intend to surrender." The middle-aged man smiled slightly, with a cold flash in his eyes. "In that case, let me show you my true strength!"

He suddenly raised his hand and shouted, "Dark clouds cover the sky!"

A thick black aura erupted from his body, quickly spreading and enveloping the surrounding space. Lin Xiao felt a strong sense of oppression, as if the entire world had fallen into darkness. His body was suddenly trapped, almost unable to move.

"This is..." Lin Xiao was startled, realizing he had encountered an extremely powerful enemy. The oppressive force of the dark clouds covering the sky made it almost impossible for him to breathe, and the flexibility of his sword energy was instantly suppressed.

"This is the 'Black Cloud Breaking' formation, capable of suppressing the attack power and speed of all opponents to the lowest level," the middle-aged man's voice rang out coldly. "You cannot escape. You will surely die today!"

A flicker of determination flashed in Lin Xiao's eyes. He knew he couldn't be trapped by this formation and had to break it as soon as possible. Instantly, his entire body burst forth with all his might, and the spiritual energy within him surged like a torrent, condensing into a powerful airflow that attempted to tear through the dark cloud.

"Illusionary Skill: Imitating Phantom Moves!"

Lin Xiao suddenly burst out with all his strength, and the power in his body condensed into a series of illusory figures. Each phantom carried a terrifying murderous aura and quickly rushed towards where the middle-aged man was.

"Hmph!" The middle-aged man snorted coldly, a trace of contempt flashed in his eyes, and then he used a move called "Black Cloud Shocking the Sky" in an attempt to shatter all of Lin Xiao's illusions.

However, each of Lin Xiao's moves was as unpredictable as a phantom, instantly attacking the middle-aged man from different angles. In the moment when the middle-aged man was stunned, Lin Xiao's sword had already cut through the air and was heading straight for his heart.

"boom!"

A violent explosion resounded through the sky. The middle-aged man's body shook violently, blood spurted out of his mouth, and a trace of panic finally appeared in his eyes.

"You can actually..." Before he could finish his words, Lin Xiao's sword had completely pierced through his chest.

As the middle-aged man fell, the remaining masters also hesitated due to Lin Xiao's powerful performance. Although they were the supervisors of Tianyuan City, Lin Xiao before them was obviously not an opponent they could easily deal with.

"You, don't even think about leaving alive today." Lin Xiao said coldly, his aura had exploded to the extreme.