The clash of blades sent shockwaves ripping through the air. The Ghost Blade Triad's leader, Lu Chen, skidded backward, his twin black blades trembling from the impact. His silver-veined skin pulsed with dark energy as he steadied himself, his earlier amusement now replaced by wary calculation.
Yun Lintian didn't give him time to recover.
With a flick of his wrist, the Heaven Sunderer blurred again, its crimson edge carving a deadly arc toward Lu Chen's neck. The leader barely managed to deflect, but the sheer force sent him crashing into the ground, his blades screeching against the stone.
"Pathetic," Yun Lintian said coldly. "You dare ambush me, yet you can't even withstand a single strike?"
Lu Chen coughed up blood, but his lips curled into a grin. "Heh… you're strong, I'll give you that. But do you really think this is over?"
Before Yun Lintian could respond, a choked gasp came from behind.
Yue Zhihe's body convulsed violently, her veins blackening as the poison spread. The bandaged man—Hua Zhentian—had already staggered to his feet, his severed arms regenerating unnaturally, tendrils of dark energy knitting flesh and bone back together.
"Tsk, tsk," he sneered. "Your little friend won't last much longer. My poison dissolves meridians. Even a True God would be crippled by now."
Yun Lintian's gaze flicked to Yue Zhihe. Her face was deathly pale, her breathing shallow.
A cold fury settled in his chest.
Without hesitation, he raised his left hand. A surge of emerald light erupted from his palm, wrapping around Yue Zhihe in a cocoon of healing energy. The power of the Tree of Life flooded her system, purging the venom in seconds.
Her eyes fluttered open, dazed but alive.
Hua Zhentian's smirk vanished. "Impossible! That poison—"
Yun Lintian didn't let him finish.
In the span of a breath, he crossed the distance, the Heaven Sunderer descending like divine retribution. Hua Zhentian barely had time to scream before the blade split him from shoulder to hip, his body exploding into a shower of black mist.
But no blood spilled.
The mist recoiled, reforming into Hua Zhentian's figure a dozen paces away, though his aura was noticeably weaker.
Yun Lintian raised his brow slightly in surprise.
The woman, Mo Yan, had also recovered, her shattered arms now wreathed in ghostfire. She bared her teeth. "You're strong, brat. But we don't die so easily."
Lu Chen chuckled, wiping blood from his lips. "That's right. We've lived for millennia. You think a whelp like you can end us?"
Yun Lintian's eyes narrowed.
These three weren't just powerful—they were unnatural. Their bodies regenerated too fast, their techniques reeked of something beyond ordinary cultivation.
Qian Jinglei's voice rang out from the sidelines. "They're not human!"
Nie Tong's frost energy coiled around her like a serpent. "They're puppets. Or projections. Their real bodies aren't here!"
Yun Lintian's grip tightened on the Heaven Sunderer.
These three weren't truly present. They were manifestations, controlled from elsewhere. No wonder they dared provoke him so recklessly.
Lu Chen grinned, as if reading his thoughts. "Figured it out, eh? Smart boy. But it doesn't matter."
He raised a hand, and the space around the trio distorted, rippling like disturbed water.
"This was fun," he said, his voice already fading. "But we'll meet again, Yun Lintian. Next time… we won't hold back."
Mo Yan licked her lips. "I look forward to peeling the flesh from your bones."
Hua Zhentian's bandages writhed. "Your death will be exquisite."
The trio vanished, their figures dissolving into the air as if they had never been there. Only their mocking laughter lingered, echoing unnaturally before fading into silence.
Yun Lintian stood still, his expression unreadable.
These three people actually knew his name. Clearly, they came to him on purpose… But who was behind them? Nian Shi?
Qian Jinglei hurried to his side, her sword still drawn. "They escaped?"
"Not escaped," Yun Lintian said quietly. "They were never truly here to begin with."
Nie Tong's gaze swept the area. "Projections with that much power… whoever controls them must be at least at the Primordial God realm."
Xiong Yu, for once, didn't sneer. His face was grim. "This complicates things."
Yun Lintian didn't respond. His attention had shifted back to Mirror Lake, its surface now eerily calm.
The Ghost Blade Triad's interruption had been a distraction.
"Can you truly crack the lake's formation?" Xiong Yu sudddenly asked. "My nephew got swallowed by it."
Yun Lintian glanced at him and said nothing.
"My disciple as well." Nie Tong spoke up. "Please help her. I am willing to pay any price."
Her tone clearly changed after witnessing Yun Lintian's strength.
"You don't have to put yourself in danger. There has never been anyone who could truly challenge the Mirror Lake before. Although you have made a progress, it almost took your life." Qian Jinglei said calmly. Unlike the other two, she didn't ask Yun Lintian to save her disciple.
Yun Lintian had a good impression of Qian Jinglei. First, this woman gave him a warning about the lake despite she didn't have to. Secondly, she tried to help him earlier. Clearly, her true nature wasn't bad.
"How did your disciple get pulled in by the lake?" he asked.
"We fought above the lake and the lake somehow reacted." Qian Jinglei didn't hide anything. "However, for some reason, I could see that the lake didn't harm them. At least, they didn't die on the spot."
"Oh?" Yun Lintian raised his brow slightly. "It's quite strange, huh?"
He just took a step onto the lake and it immediately attacked him. However, it didn't harm Long Chen and the others. What was the mechanism behind it?
"We also attacked the lake but it didn't respond until the very end." Nie Tong added and glanced at Xiong Yu, whose injuries were still visible.
Yun Lintian glanced at Xiong Yu and felt that Xiong Yu was probably lucky to survive the attack.
Xiong Yu's face darkened as he suppressed the anger in his heart. Right now, rescuing his nephew was a top priority and Yun Lintian was the only hope he got.
"So, there's no other information about this lake?" Yun Lintian asked further.
"No," Qian Jinglei shook her head. "Among the four mysteries in the ruins, no one has ever unravelled the secret behind the Mirror Lake. Not even a clue about its origin."
"This is the first time we saw the lake having such a reaction." Nie Tong added.
Yun Lintian nodded slowly and said. "Well, let me try again."