The Heavenly Emperor's Palace.
Lin Wudi arrived in a hurry with a large contingent of men.
"Lin Wudi, you've arrived!"
The Heavenly Emperor's tone was ice-cold. He was no longer as constrained and threatened by Lin Wudi as before, finding himself restricted in every move.
Now that his daughter was out of danger, he no longer needed to fear Lin Wudi.
Lin Wudi spoke, "Heavenly Emperor, you must have heard the news of your daughter's escape!"
"That's right, Lin Wudi. This time, you can't threaten me!"
The Heavenly Emperor said furiously.
A single misstep could lead to eternal regret. If his daughter hadn't escaped and he continued to aid the wicked, his reputation would be ruined.
Not only would he be ruined, but China would also suffer. However, now, there was nothing to worry about.
"Is that so?"
Lin Wudi said calmly, "Although your daughter is free, don't forget that you are not. You are still in my control!"
"So, what do you intend to do?"
The Heavenly Emperor pressed.
"It's quite simple. You, Heavenly Emperor, should abdicate immediately! Hand over this position to me!"
Lin Wudi stated directly, his objective laid bare at this moment.
Upon hearing this, the Heavenly Emperor scoffed, "Lin Wudi, don't delude yourself. When I was willing to give you this position, you insisted on causing so much irreparable damage. Now, you can't covet this position anymore!"
That's right, he had decided not to give the position to Lin Wudi, even though there was no suitable candidate at the moment.
But once this matter was resolved, he would have plenty of time to choose slowly.
"Hahahahaha!"
Lin Wudi roared with laughter, "That might not be up to you. If you don't hand over this position, I'll have to resort to force!"
Facing Lin Wudi's threat, the Heavenly Emperor said coldly, "Do you think I'm afraid of you?"
"I naturally know you're not afraid of me. After all, for you to say so, you must have already disregarded life and death!"
"But that's not important. What's important is that even if you don't give up this position, it's fine. I will deal with you myself. As for who will take the blame, I've already thought of that!"
"Is it Yun Fan?"
The Heavenly Emperor retorted.
"Precisely. Soon, news will spread throughout the land that Yun Fan, the successor of Ghost Valley, harbored malicious intentions and assassinated the Heavenly Emperor. I have already brought him to justice on the spot!"
Lin Wudi was so confident because Yun Fan was still in his custody.
Once Yun Fan was killed, there would be no evidence. In any case, he would be the ultimate winner.
The Heavenly Emperor did not expect Lin Wudi to be so deranged.
"Alas!"
He sighed, then said to Lin Wudi, "Lin Wudi, allow me to give you an opportunity!"
"If you surrender now and admit your mistakes, I will spare your life, how about that?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Wudi scoffed, "My Heavenly Emperor, I never expected that even at this point, you're still dreaming. Do you think it's possible?"
"As long as I take one more step, I will succeed. You actually ask me to surrender. You are truly foolish!"
Facing such a persistent Lin Wudi, the Heavenly Emperor gave up. He said to Lin Wudi, "Precisely this last step, it is a hurdle you cannot overcome!"
"May I ask what other means you have?"
In Lin Wudi's view, the Heavenly Emperor's greatest means was the military, but unfortunately, he had already taken control of the military.
Therefore, the Heavenly Emperor had no chance of a comeback.
"Look!"
As soon as the Heavenly Emperor finished speaking, a large force appeared outside the grand hall, surrounding Lin Wudi and his men.
"Lin Wudi, and my Ye family!"
The one who arrived was Ye Qingcheng. Previously, the entire Ye family had mysteriously disappeared. Lin Wudi had thought they had fled.
Unexpectedly, they had been lurking in Jinling all along.
Her appearance now proved that Lin Wudi's large contingent of men had been cut off.
Although Qin Tian and the others were greatly worried, Lin Wudi remained calm.
Because Ye Qingcheng alone could not change the situation. As long as he defeated Ye Qingcheng, the matter would be settled.
"You are still no match for me!"
Lin Wudi, certain that Ye Ji was not among the crowd, breathed a sigh of relief.
For such a major event, Ye Ji would definitely have appeared according to her past behavior. But now, Ye Ji was absent.
What did this mean? It meant that Ye Ji was critically ill, unable to come out and control such a situation.
Lin Wudi instantly felt relieved because his greatest enemy had not appeared. It seemed fate intended for him to become the Heavenly Emperor!
Ye Qingcheng said, "That's right, I am indeed no match for you. But don't forget, there's still my mother!"
"Then, where is your mother?"
Lin Wudi sneered, "In this situation, I'm afraid even your mother can't protect herself!"
In fact, when he had previously attacked the Ye family, and they had fled without a fight, he had guessed that Ye Ji was not doing well.
Otherwise, Ye Ji would have stayed to fight.
Let's go back a bit further. When he killed Ouyang Mingyue, Ye Ji had fought him. He was not Ye Ji's match.
But Ye Ji did not pursue him, so all these signs indicated that Ye Ji was not well.
Ye Qingcheng said, "You are too weak, you don't even need my mother to make a move!"
"Is that so?"
A hint of disdain flickered in Lin Wudi's eyes. Although the situation was now favorable to him, there was still one drawback.
That was, he had not obtained the treasures of the three great families.
"Lin Wudi, don't be smug, I'm still here!"
As these words were spoken, Lin Wudi felt a powerful aura approaching.
He turned and saw Yun Fan. He was puzzled, Yun Fan hadn't been this strong before.
How had he become so powerful all of a sudden?
Of course, that wasn't the main point. The main point was, how had Yun Fan gotten out? Logically, Yun Fan should have been executed by now.
Unexpectedly, Yun Fan appeared here, completely unharmed.
"How are you still alive?"
He asked Yun Fan coldly.
Yun Fan did not reveal his identity as the successor of Ghost Valley and said, "Your prison is suitable for holding others, but it's useless against me!"
"How is that possible?"
Lin Wudi couldn't believe it.
"Why not?"
Yun Fan said, "Don't forget, I am the successor of Ghost Valley. Your biggest failure was underestimating the Ghost Valley sect!"
"The Ghost Valley sect controls the world's balance. You cannot contend with them!"
"Hmph! That's just your Ghost Valley sect being self-important!"
Lin Wudi said coldly, "Now, my ascension to Heavenly Emperor is inevitable. It's the trend of the times, and your Ghost Valley sect cannot stop it!"
Yun Fan was speechless, realizing this fellow had become obsessed.
At this moment, Lin Wudi gave an order.
"Guards, attack!"
But the people behind him hesitated.
"What are you all standing around for?"
Lin Wudi roared, surprised that his subordinates were showing fear at such a critical moment. This was no joke!
In fact, they feared the Heavenly Emperor. After all, the Heavenly Emperor had reigned for twenty years, and his imposing image was deeply ingrained in their minds.
The Heavenly Emperor said, "Everyone, I know that you are not intentionally rebelling, but Lin Wudi is forcing you!"
"Therefore, I have decided that if you lay down your weapons and surrender, I will not pursue your past transgressions. I will only kill Lin Wudi and his few major generals!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the hearts of the men began to waver, and some even prepared to drop their weapons.
But at this critical moment, Lin Wudi immediately took action, eliminating the wavering subordinate beside him with a single move.
The crowd was startled by his ferocity.
Lin Wudi said coldly, "Everyone, at this point, I hope you don't have any regrets. Follow me, and I promise you a bright future!"
"Conversely, whoever dares to defy my will will suffer this fate!"
These words brought the focus of the crowd back.
However, before they could fully recover, Yun Fan said, "Everyone, don't listen to this old man's nonsense! If I'm not mistaken, the person he just killed has followed him for many years, right? He killed a brother who followed him for so many years so easily. You aren't even his brothers. What good outcome can you expect if you follow him!"
As these words were spoken, the hearts of the men wavered once more. And this time, their wavering was beyond even Lin Wudi's ability to salvage.
"Let's see who dares!"
Lin Wudi unleashed his aura, intending to shake the heavens and earth.
But someone in the crowd said, "I surrender, I lay down my weapons!"
This initiated a chain reaction, and the surrounding men followed suit.
"Marshal Lin, we have families, children, and parents to care for. We won't join you in rebellion!"
It had to be said that this sentence resonated with many people present. These men put down their weapons one after another.
Lin Wudi was furious. He had never imagined that his own side would be dismantled from within before the battle even began.
At this moment, Yun Fan said, "To show our sincerity, everyone step back. This battle will begin and end with the decisive duel between myself and Lin Wudi!"
As these words were spoken, everyone retreated, clearing the space for the two of them.
Lin Wudi glared fiercely at Yun Fan.
"Kid, you've ruined my plans!"
Yun Fan said nonchalantly, "I haven't ruined your plans. Apart from your dealings with me, as the sect leader of Ghost Valley, this is my duty and responsibility!"
"Good, very good!"
Lin Wudi said angrily, "Today, I will make sure you, this meddlesome brat, perish without a burial place!"
In an instant, he moved, charging towards Yun Fan.
At this moment, no one intervened, because this battle was between Yun Fan and Lin Wudi. Whoever won would decide the fundamental balance.
"Boom!"
Lin Wudi unleashed a palm strike, aimed directly at Yun Fan's head.
Yun Fan easily dodged it. The palm strike landed on a stone pillar, instantly shattering it into pieces.
The two Innate masters engaged in a fierce confrontation. Everyone was awestruck by their strength.
Because at this moment, their strength had reached a peak beyond human capability.
Just like last time, after more than ten exchanges, both were at an average level, neither able to gain the upper hand.
Just as Lin Wudi thought this would be a protracted battle, Yun Fan suddenly made his move, his aura rapidly escalating.
"Bang!"
With a single blow, Lin Wudi was forced back.
"How is that possible?"
Even Lin Wudi hadn't expected Yun Fan's strength to suddenly become so formidable.
In fact, during the decisive battle in the training camp, Yun Fan's potential had not been fully unleashed.
This time, Yun Fan had unleashed his full potential. Even if Lin Wudi were at the same realm, he would not be his match.
"Old man, let me show you my might!"
With that said, Yun Fan transformed into a ferocious tiger and charged at Lin Wudi. At this moment, he was growing stronger with every battle, becoming invincible.
Under his powerful and swift assault, Lin Wudi was forced to retreat steadily. Although he was not defeated, his situation was not good.
At this moment, Lin Wudi roared, "Brat, today I will let you know the consequences of meddling!"
Instantly, his body trembled, and his clothes were torn apart.
Yun Fan was puzzled. Was this old man going to resort to brute force?
In the next moment, Lin Wudi swallowed a pill, and his aura was amplified infinitely.
To some extent, a stronger aura indicated more terrifying strength. It seemed he was using his ultimate means.
"Be careful!"
Ye Qingcheng warned Yun Fan.
In an instant, Lin Wudi had already arrived before Yun Fan.
"Bang!"
They exchanged a blow. Yun Fan felt his internal organs churning, while Lin Wudi seemed unaffected. It was clear that the gap between them was significant.
"Brat, do you know my might now!"
Lin Wudi smiled playfully. He had even used his ultimate means, and his objective was to kill Yun Fan.
Yun Fan calmly replied, "Just so-so!"
"You're seeking death!"
Lin Wudi was enraged and charged at Yun Fan again.
The two engaged in another deadly confrontation.
"Withdraw from the grand hall!"
The Heavenly Emperor commanded. The crowd quickly evacuated the hall, knowing that after this battle, the hall would surely be destroyed.
"Why isn't this guy using his killing moves?"
Ye Qingcheng was puzzled. Lin Wudi had a method to temporarily boost his strength. She didn't believe Yun Fan didn't have one.
After all, the heritage of the Ghost Valley sect was far greater than that of the Lin family.
What made her doubt was, why wasn't her mother making a move?
If her mother had intervened, this would have been resolved instantly.
Could it be that her mother was truly incapacitated?
Thinking of this, Ye Qingcheng increasingly believed it was possible. After all, her mother hadn't made a move on so many occasions.
If her injuries weren't critical, she would have intervened long ago.
At this moment, the grand hall was collapsing, but neither of them showed any intention of leaving.
Under Lin Wudi's assault, Yun Fan crashed into a stone pillar, which was instantly cut in half.
It then fell, burying Yun Fan beneath it.
"Hahahaha!"
Lin Wudi laughed like a peerless demon king. Although using these methods came at a great cost, as long as he succeeded, it was worth it.
After all, these sacrifices were worth it.
However, at this very moment, Yun Fan, looking rather disheveled, crawled out from the rubble.
"Old man, you're incredibly noisy!"
Yun Fan showed his displeasure. All he had heard throughout was this old man's incessant laughter.
"You're still alive?"
Lin Wudi was shocked. He had already dealt Yun Fan several heavy blows, yet Yun Fan was still alive.
It was completely beyond his expectations.
Yun Fan said, "Then you might be disappointed. Not only am I not dead, but I'm also not seriously injured!"
"Impossible!"
Disbelief flickered in Lin Wudi's eyes.
Yun Fan said, "Do you think you're the only one with such methods? I don't mind telling you, I have them too, but I disdained to use them! You must know the cost involved!"
That's right, the cost was too high. Let alone Lin Wudi not succeeding, even if he did, Lin Wudi would be half-crippled.
What was the meaning of such a victory?
"If you don't use it, you die!"
As quick as lightning, Lin Wudi wasted no time and charged at Yun Fan. For him, this was a good opportunity.
In fact, Yun Fan was not brainless. The reason he didn't use it was that it was the best form of tempering for him.
Only by disregarding life and death could he further improve. For him, after this battle, he would break through that barrier.
Because that barrier had already cracked, and once he broke through completely, he could do whatever he wanted. Su Dan Novel Network
"Boom!"
Two powerful forces began to vie for supremacy.
Yun Fan endured Lin Wudi's repeated killing moves. In the end, even Lin Wudi grew numb.
Because he discovered a pattern: Yun Fan was getting stronger and stronger, which was not good news for him.
If Yun Fan became any stronger, he would no longer be Yun Fan's opponent.
"Slap!"
Yun Fan sent him flying with a single slap.
"Kid, you're seeking death!"
Lin Wudi, getting up in a sorry state, charged at Yun Fan desperately. His killing moves were truly earth-shattering.
The two fought like two ravenous wolves, their eyes red with blood, within the collapsing grand hall, fighting tirelessly.
No one knew who would fall first, because they had no choice. This battle was destined to be a fight to the death.
The battle had long surpassed the white-hot stage.
Outside, Ye Qingcheng and the Heavenly Emperor were intently watching the battlefield. They could only hear the sounds of fighting but could not see the figures of the two.
"Damn it, why would I be worried about him?"
Ye Qingcheng wanted to slap herself. At this moment, she actually started to worry about Yun Fan.
This was too abnormal! She knew that she and Yun Fan were destined to be enemies, yet what was she doing now?
Actually caring so much about an enemy.
"No, what is there to care about this despicable fellow!"
Ye Qingcheng quickly regained her composure. But the more she did this, the more she cared about Yun Fan. Yun Fan's image lingered in her mind, refusing to leave.
It was driving Ye Qingcheng to the brink of collapse.
It was simply too shameful.
"Bang!"
With a loud crash, Yun Fan kicked Lin Wudi out of the grand hall.
Everyone was stunned. They hadn't expected Lin Wudi, who had used his ultimate means, to not be Yun Fan's opponent.
Then, how monstrous was Yun Fan? At this moment, all they felt was shock and trepidation.
In fact, it wasn't that Yun Fan had become stronger, but that Lin Wudi's condition was deteriorating. If this continued, Lin Wudi's defeat was inevitable.
After all, strength boosted by external forces was never one's own. Only inherent strength was king.
"Lin Wudi, aren't you going to surrender?"
Yun Fan stood not far from Lin Wudi, looking at him coldly. Once the medicinal effect wore off, Lin Wudi would be half-crippled.
Therefore, Lin Wudi's defeat seemed impossible but had actually become a foregone conclusion.
"No!"
Lin Wudi roared. He was unwilling. He had paid the price of half his life, only to be no match for Yun Fan in the end.
At this moment, it was impossible for him not to be angry. Only hatred filled his eyes; he was already consumed by rage.
Yun Fan remained indifferent, as he had expected this outcome.
He said to Lin Wudi, "Are you still going to resist? Fine! Then I'll play with you!"
His objective had been achieved. He only needed another day or two of tempering to break through.
Unexpectedly, this decisive battle had brought him such a pleasant surprise.
"Hmph!"
Lin Wudi snorted, "Even in defeat, I will die with pride. Today, I will fight you to the death!"
"Alright!"
Yun Fan said calmly, "Just come at me!"
At this very moment, Lin Wudi moved, charging directly at Yun Fan.
Yun Fan had prepared himself for battle.
But at this critical juncture, Lin Wudi suddenly changed direction.
"Not good!"
In an instant, Lin Wudi attacked. This time, he was aiming for the Heavenly Emperor.
"Be careful!"
Yun Fan rushed to the rescue, but it was too late. Lin Wudi had already reached the Heavenly Emperor.
His objective was simple. Although his defeat was inevitable, he believed there was still a glimmer of hope.
That was to hold the Heavenly Emperor hostage and force Yun Fan to yield. Now, his fear of Yun Fan was deeply ingrained in his bones.
Just as everyone thought he was about to succeed, his palm strike was calmly blocked by the Heavenly Emperor.
"What?"
Everyone was shocked. Didn't the Heavenly Emperor not know martial arts? How could he be so strong? Moreover, the way he casually blocked it seemed incredibly simple.
It appeared the Heavenly Emperor was even stronger than Yun Fan. In fact, the word "appeared" could be omitted. He was indeed stronger than Yun Fan.
He had simply been holding back his strength all along. To outsiders, he just didn't know martial arts.
Yun Fan stopped in his tracks, a hint of helplessness appearing at the corner of his mouth. He should have intervened earlier, given how strong he was. Instead, he let Yun Fan and Lin Wudi fight to the death.
Although he might not be able to break through that barrier temporarily, it wouldn't take many more days before he could successfully step through.
Ye Qingcheng's heart trembled. In this case, the Heavenly Emperor's strength was probably second only to her mother's. Too strong.
Although this power was low-key, it couldn't hide its immense strength.
"You know martial arts?"
He asked the Heavenly Emperor in shock. Lin Wudi had originally thought he could easily control the Heavenly Emperor, but he never expected that he himself was the ultimate clown.
"What do you think?"
The Heavenly Emperor's eyes turned cold, and with a palm strike, he sent Lin Wudi flying.
"Pfft!"
Lin Wudi coughed up a mouthful of blood, looking utterly pathetic. At this moment, Yun Fan made an estimate.
His combat power was six thousand, the Heavenly Emperor's was at least ten thousand, and Ye Ji, whom he had never met, was at least fifteen thousand.
"You..."
Lin Wudi's heart churned. With such a simple palm strike, his entire combat power had been nullified. It was truly terrifying.
Of course, this comparison was unfair, as he was already very weak when he launched a sneak attack on the Heavenly Emperor.
But it was enough to prove the Heavenly Emperor's strength.
At this moment, the Heavenly Emperor said, "If my daughter hadn't been held hostage by you, you would have died when you threatened me earlier!"
At that time, the Heavenly Emperor dared not act because Suzaku was in Lin Wudi's hands. Although he had considered directly capturing Lin Wudi and forcing him to hand over Suzaku,
He still didn't dare to gamble. After all, he had lost a gamble once before. His wife, Qing'er, that time, he had gambled that Rong Hua would not act.
But in the end, he gambled wrongly, and it was because of that mistake that he lived in regret for the rest of his life.
"I underestimated you!"
Lin Wudi sighed, "My defeat is not unjust!"
With that said, his qi and blood surged, and he slowly closed his eyes, awaiting death.
"Marshal Lin!"
Lin Wudi's few subordinates all knelt down, while the crowd remained silent.
"Guards, take them away!"
"Yes!"
Then, the Heavenly Emperor's guard team rushed forward and took away all of Marshal Lin's subordinates.
"Heavenly Emperor, spare me! I was just confused and made a mistake. Please, Heavenly Emperor, give me another chance!"
Qin Tian begged frantically, but the Heavenly Emperor gave him no chance, and he was also taken away.
A generation of ambitious figures had fallen. Yun Fan withdrew his gaze from Lin Wudi.
"Young friend Yun, are you alright?"
The Heavenly Emperor asked with concern.
Yun Fan complained, "If you're this strong, why didn't you help earlier!"
"Wasn't this a good practice for you!"
The Heavenly Emperor chuckled, "Don't look at how strong I am, but compared to your master, the Old Heavenly Master, I'm nothing. There's at least a hundred thousand miles difference!"
"My master is that strong?"
Yun Fan was stunned. He thought that by breaking through this realm, he would be close to the old man. But from the current perspective, the gap seemed still very large, an immeasurable distance.
"Of course!"
The Heavenly Emperor said to Yun Fan, "You should go and rest first. I still have many things to handle!"
Now that Lin Wudi had fallen, the Heavenly Emperor had to clean up the mess again.
Yun Fan understood, as this ordeal had also been a significant blow to the Heavenly Emperor.
At this moment, he said to the Heavenly Emperor, "Heavenly Emperor, I'm here to ask for a favor!"
"For whom are you asking a favor?"
The Heavenly Emperor asked doubtfully.
Yun Fan replied, "For Lin Wushuang. Although he is Lin Wudi's grandson, he is innocent. I hope the Heavenly Emperor will spare him!"
"Since you're asking for a favor, I'll give you face!"
"Thank you!"
Yun Fan nodded.
"No need to be so formal. We're family, no need to be so reserved!"
With that said, the Heavenly Emperor left with his men.
Yun Fan, however, remained in place, questioning his life.
"What kind of family!?"
Yun Fan was truly speechless. Who was family with the Heavenly Emperor? He had no idea what the Heavenly Emperor meant.
Most likely, it meant that the Ghost Valley sect and the ruling powers were as close as family.
At this moment, Ye Qingcheng came up to support Yun Fan and complained, "Why did you have to push yourself so hard, becoming the Heavenly Emperor's free lackey? If something had happened to you, what would I have done!"
"What?"
Yun Fan was stunned again. The Heavenly Emperor was acting strangely, and now Ye Qingcheng was also acting strangely! If something had happened to him, Ye Qingcheng would have had no loss, right?
Not only would she have no loss, but Ye Qingcheng would have eliminated an enemy. Shouldn't she be celebrating with firecrackers?
Ye Qingcheng also seemed to realize she had said the wrong thing and quickly changed her words, "If you died, wouldn't I lose a stepping stone for my training!"
"Understood, completely understood!"