The air above the Lin family's courtyard froze completely.
The masked leader of the Black Blood Clan stood in the blood-red mist, his cultivation at the Golden Core Great Circle—a level only half a step away from the Nascent Soul realm. Every breath he took caused the spiritual energy between heaven and earth to tremble.
All the Lin family disciples below paled in terror. Even the elders felt their souls shake. This kind of pressure was enough to make the entire clan despair.
"Lin Yan, hand over the ancestral token, and I will spare the Lin family," the masked man said coldly. "Otherwise, I will turn this place into a sea of blood."
Lin Yan stood alone in the air, his white robe fluttering in the wind. He held the Supreme Sky Halberd in one hand and the ancestral token in the other, his golden aura rising steadily.
"Threaten the Lin family? You don't have the right," he said calmly.
The masked man's eyes turned cold. "Arrogant brat. You're only at Mid Golden Core. Do you think you can stop me?"
He raised one hand, and the blood-red mist in the sky condensed into a giant blood claw hundreds of feet long. It tore through the air, carrying a destructive aura that aimed to crush Lin Yan into paste.
"Die!"
Lin Yan's gaze sharpened.
Domain Expansion!
A 100-meter golden domain instantly unfolded, wrapping around him and the masked man.
- His strength increased by 50%
- The enemy's strength decreased by 30%
The power gap between them instantly narrowed.
"Domain ability? Interesting." The masked man sneered, but his expression changed slightly. He could clearly feel his strength being suppressed.
Lin Yan gripped the Supreme Sky Halberd and charged forward without hesitation.
"Divine Halberd Technique — Golden Light Severing Heaven!"
A blazing golden halberd beam cut through the sky, colliding with the giant blood claw.
BOOM!
The earth-shaking explosion swept across the entire courtyard. The blood claw shattered, and the golden light continued forward, slashing at the masked man.
The masked man's face changed. He quickly formed a seal, and a blood shield appeared in front of him.
Crack!
The shield split open, and he was forced back dozens of steps, his blood energy churning violently.
The entire Lin family was stunned.
"Mid Golden Core… actually forced the Golden Core Great Circle expert back?"
"Young Master Yan is… a monster!"
The masked man stared at Lin Yan in disbelief, his voice filled with shock.
"How can you be so strong? That's not normal Mid Golden Core power!"
Lin Yan floated in the air, the Supreme Sky Halberd in his hand shining brightly.
"I've already told you — you're not qualified to judge me."
He stepped forward again, his aura rising once more. The ancestral token in his hand released a faint divine glow, merging with his body and strengthening his domain.
[Ding! Ancestral token's divine power detected! Domain temporarily upgraded!
Host strength increased by an additional 20%!]
Lin Yan could feel a terrifying power surging through his body. His combat strength had reached a level close to Late Golden Core Great Circle.
"Next move — I won't hold back," Lin Yan said.
The masked man's face turned completely gloomy. He knew he could no longer test Lin Yan. He had to use his ultimate killing move.
"Blood Demon Secret Technique — Thousand Soul Devouring!"
He roared, and the blood-red mist in the sky turned into countless grimacing ghost heads. They let out shrill screams and charged at Lin Yan like a tidal wave.
This was a forbidden demonic technique that refined the souls of thousands of living creatures. Once infected, even Golden Core cultivators would have their souls torn apart.
Lin Yan's eyes remained cold.
He raised the Supreme Sky Halberd high, and the divine artifact's power exploded to its limit.
"Divine Skill — Supreme Halberd Break!"
The golden light that blotted out the sky descended.
Wherever the light passed, the ghost heads melted like snow under the sun. The blood-red mist was completely dispersed, revealing the horrified face of the masked man.
"No—!!"
The golden halberd beam hit him directly.
BOOM!
His protective demonic energy shattered. His chest was pierced through, and he fell from the sky like a broken kite, crashing heavily into the ground.
The Lin family's courtyard was dead silent.
Everyone stared blankly at the scene.
Mid Golden Core Lin Yan… had defeated a Golden Core Great Circle expert with one move?
Lin Yan slowly descended from the air, his clothes spotless. He walked step by step toward the dying masked man.
"Who are you? Why do you want to open the Ancient God's Tomb?"
The masked man coughed up blood, his eyes filled with unwillingness.
"The tomb… contains the power of the Ancient God… Once I obtain it… I can rule the Xuanwu Domain…"
Lin Yan's gaze turned cold.
"Just for this, you slaughtered innocent people and destroyed clans?"
He raised the halberd.
"Wait—" The masked man screamed in terror, "The Black Blood Clan is not the only one! There are others! The Shadow Hall! The Demon Sect! They're all coming for the tomb—"
Before he could finish, Lin Yan swung the halberd down.
The masked man's head rolled to the ground.
The remaining Black Blood Clan cultivators were so scared that their legs went weak. They turned to run, but the Lin family's elders had already surrounded them.
"Leave no one alive," Lin Yan said indifferently.
A massacre ended quickly.
As the last Black Blood Clan cultivator fell, the Supreme God System's voice resounded in Lin Yan's mind.
[Ding! Mission completed: Defeat the Black Blood Clan leader and protect the ancestral token!]
[Mission rewards:
1. Cultivation base upgraded to Late Golden Core!
2. Supreme Sky Halberd upgraded to Mid-grade Divine Artifact!
3. Domain expanded to 300 meters!
4. 3000 system points!
5. Unlocked new ability: Divine Soul Detection!]
Terrifying spiritual energy surged into Lin Yan's body. The bottleneck of Mid Golden Core broke instantly, and he stepped into the Late Golden Core realm.
His aura became deeper, more terrifying, and more divine.
The Lin family's grandfather and elders rushed over, looking at Lin Yan as if he were a god.
"Yan'er… you've broken through again!"
Lin Yan nodded slightly, his gaze looking into the distance.
The Black Blood Clan was destroyed, but the masked man's last words echoed in his mind.
Shadow Hall. Demon Sect.
More powerful forces were already eyeing the Ancient God's Tomb.
The real storm had only just begun.
"Grandfather," Lin Yan said calmly, "The Lin family must enter a state of full alert. From today on, I will guard the ancestral land personally."
"The storm sweeping the Xuanwu Domain is coming."