In a vast underground cavern, a stone tablet over a hundred meters tall stood at the center, surrounded by a group of humans and exotic beasts.
Among the humans, Shui Qianchou, the top genius of the Divine Academy, frowned slightly.
He had anticipated that someone might have arrived first before entering, but he hadn't expected so many to have gotten in.
He looked at the Empress and Lin Yu's full armor clone, mistaking the clone for the Empress's soldier.
Upon seeing the Empress there, he suddenly understood. No wonder they couldn't find any trace of her; she was here.
It seemed the Empress had received news beforehand and intended to claim the divine artifact before anyone else, preventing it from falling into their hands.
He looked towards the Soul Suppressing Stele.
The little Flood Dragon also wore a look of confusion, its thoughts mirroring Shui Qianchou's.
With so many humans here, it was best to retreat a step. It thought to itself.
It quietly backed away, fearing being targeted as an outsider.
Seeing their leader retreat, the other exotic beasts also began to move back.
After retreating only a few dozen meters, they suddenly stopped.
Lin Yu and the other two were approaching from behind, about to collide with them.
The little Flood Dragon looked behind, then ahead, and was greatly alarmed.
The humans were attacking from both sides. Did they intend to eliminate them here?
"Humans, you are so despicable!" it roared.
Shui Qianchou also looked at Lin Yu and the other two in astonishment. He had some impression of them, seeming to be famous internet personalities.
Thinking this, he dismissed them, considering them mere internet celebrities who had stumbled upon this place by sheer luck.
However, the next moment, something unexpected happened.
The little Flood Dragon transformed, becoming a massive Flood Dragon over ten meters long. With a flick of its tail, it launched a counterattack, charging towards Shui Qianchou and the other seven.
Furthermore, the other exotic beasts also joined the fray, attacking Shui Qianchou and his group.
"Wicked beast, what are you doing? Seeking death!"
In an instant, Shui Qianchou's expression shifted from confusion to surprise, and finally to anger.
The others were also geniuses. Despite being ambushed, they reacted quickly and defended themselves.
Rumble!!!
The attack from the little Flood Dragon and the other exotic beasts pierced the ground, creating a deep pit over three meters wide.
Seeing this, Shui Qianchou and the others were greatly alarmed. After sustaining minor injuries, they counterattacked.
"Kill!"
Suddenly, the two sides that had paused fighting resumed their battle.
At this moment, Xiao Qian Yuan suddenly leaped out of the skirmish, pointed at Lin Yu, and shouted, "Lin Yu, I didn't expect to see you here."
Lin Yu was also surprised to see Xiao Qian Yuan. He had injured Xiao Qian Yuan before but had spared his life, leaving him to drift away in the water.
He hadn't expected the fellow to be so resilient and survive.
And it seemed he had grown stronger.
Lin Yu chuckled, "Do you still want to fight me?"
Having experienced setbacks, Xiao Qian Yuan was no longer as arrogant and condescending as before. He fell silent for a moment.
His saber glowed redder. He suddenly turned and struck at an exotic beast that was ambushing him from behind, saying, "Today, with the exotic beasts as the enemy, I will not fight you. We shall settle our score another day!"
Lin Yu chuckled inwardly. This fellow understood the bigger picture; perhaps he wasn't entirely beyond redemption.
In that case, as a member of the human race, it would be improper for him to stand by and do nothing.
He took a few steps forward, reaching the edge of the battlefield, and conjured a spear in his hand.
"Wicked beast, die!" The spear left his hand, piercing towards an exotic beast.
This exotic beast dodged the attack with a sudden flick of its body, then turned its fierce gaze towards Lin Yu.
"Human, you are seeking death!"
Before the words could fully register, Lin Yu vanished from his original spot and reappeared behind the exotic beast.
He conjured a saber in his hand, a smile playing on his lips. "You're about to die!"
As his words fell, his hand moved, and with a flash of the saber, the exotic beast's head fell to the ground with a thud, its eyes wide with shock.
The next moment, Lin Yu disappeared again, only to reappear at his original position. To onlookers, it seemed as if he hadn't moved at all, yet the dead exotic beast was a stark and undeniable testament to his actions.
The exotic beasts and humans present were all stunned.
The ability to silently kill a sixth-tier genius exotic beast meant his strength was not inferior to any human genius present, and perhaps even superior.
Xiao Qian Yuan's heart pounded with shock. He had been watching Lin Yu intently and had seen him vanish and instantly reappear behind the exotic beast.
Was this a spatial ability?
Spatial abilities were extremely rare. He had encountered them before, but they were usually low-level skills, rarely high-level ones.
The spatial teleportation Lin Yu had just displayed was clearly a high-level skill, which filled him with dread.
After all, when Lin Yu fought him previously, he hadn't used such a move.
If he had used teleportation back then, I would have had almost no power to resist, Xiao Qian Yuan thought to himself.
Looking at Lin Yu's upright posture, he felt a strong sense of defeat.
Shui Qianchou and the little Flood Dragon also watched this scene with astonishment.
Shui Qianchou had initially believed Lin Yu was just there to fill a spot, but he hadn't expected him to be so powerful!
It was unexpected and shocking.
After his initial shock, the little Flood Dragon roared in fury. With a sweep of its tail, it pushed Shui Qianchou back and opened its maw, unleashing a breath of dragon fire towards Lin Yu.
Lin Yu willed it, and he vanished from his spot again. The dragon's breath struck the ground with a boom, and the next second, he appeared behind the little Flood Dragon.
He remained silent, his hand moving with his saber.
Boom!
The little Flood Dragon was greatly alarmed. It chanted a defensive incantation, and its internal energy instantly formed a massive shield, protecting it.
Crack!
Crack!
Crack!
Three consecutive cracks sounded as the shield shattered. Lin Yu's attack also ceased.
He looked at Shui Qianchou and said, "Your opponent, back to you!"
The next second, he had vanished from his spot, returning to his original position.
Shui Qianchou looked at Lin Yu with a complex expression, while the little Flood Dragon was filled with horror.
It had been a close call; it had almost died. If Lin Yu and Shui Qianchou had cooperated and attacked it together, it would have certainly perished.
No!
I cannot die!
The little Flood Dragon scanned its surroundings, its gaze finally settling on the Soul Suppressing Stele.
"Roar!"
With a dragon's roar, it forced Shui Qianchou back.
Suddenly, a brilliant light emanated from its body, and it grew rapidly, becoming over a hundred meters in size in moments.
Shui Qianchou thought it was going to attack him and shouted, "Bring it on!"
However, the little Flood Dragon ignored him, turned, and charged towards the Soul Suppressing Stele.
Its speed was tremendous, the wind seemingly aiding its momentum. It was already not far from the Soul Suppressing Stele, and now it was upon it in an instant.
Under the shocked gazes of everyone present, a hundred-meter-long Flood Dragon slammed into the hundred-meter-tall Soul Suppressing Stele.
The collision of two colossal entities resulted in a deafening roar that shook the heavens.
The next moment, a cracking sound filled everyone's ears, and it grew louder and louder.
Crack!
Boom!
The Soul Suppressing Stele shattered!
Following this, a massive Flood Dragon, taking advantage of everyone's momentary stupor, fled towards the cave entrance it had come from.
It intended to escape the encirclement!