"Who is it?"
The same question flashed through the minds of both Xiao Lin and Ying Changkong. The newcomer made no effort to hide their presence; a powerful, surging Dou Qi signature was cutting through the atmosphere like a hot knife through butter.
Xiao Lin's initial tension relaxed. If it was another Luo Yan Dou Huang, he'd just have two graves to dig. But if it was a Jia Ma protector, he could stay in character as a "weak" One-Star Dou Wang and save himself the trouble of revealing his true strength.
Ying Changkong, however, looked like he had swallowed a fly. As a rogue with a foul reputation, even a fellow Luo Yan Sovereign might try to snatch his loot. If it was a Jia Ma Sovereign, his "Golden Goose" was as good as gone.
Ying Changkong considered a "quick kill"—snapping Xiao Lin's neck and fleeing before the newcomer arrived. But the universe had other plans. Before he could raise a hand, a spiraling arrow of cyan wind shrieked through the air, aimed directly at his face.
WHOOSH!
Ying Changkong twisted mid-air, the projectile missing his temple by an inch.
BOOM!
The arrow cratered the stone where he had stood a second before. The delay was enough. By the time the dust settled, the newcomer had landed.
Xiao Lin blinked in genuine shock. Yun Shan? What is the Sect Leader of the Yun Lan Sect doing here?
According to the strategic layout, Yun Shan—a Nine-Star Dou Huang—should have been locked in a stalemate with Yan Luotian at the Central Sovereign Hall. They were the two strongest pieces on the board; for Yun Shan to abandon the main prize to come to a side-path ruin was statistically illogical.
This was Xiao Lin's first direct contact with the legendary Yun Shan. Because of his knowledge of the original plot, Xiao Lin had planned to keep his distance from the man who would eventually become a "demonized" puppet of the Soul Hall. But today, the "Villain of the Future" was acting as the "Guardian of the Present."
"Ying Changkong, leader of the Black Eagle Bandits," Yun Shan began, his voice carrying the natural authority of a sect leader. "A Dou Huang bullying a junior Dou Wang of my empire... have you truly no shame left? Ah, I forgot. You're a professional thief. 'Shame' is likely a concept you sold for gold long ago."
Ying Changkong's face turned a shade of purple that looked like bruised plum. In the Luo Yan Empire, even the Royal Family walked on eggshells around him because he was a Two-Star Dou Huang who was notoriously difficult to kill and prone to petty revenge. But Yun Shan didn't care about "eggshells."
"YUN! SHAN!" Ying Changkong hissed, his Dou Qi flaring. "Don't think that just because we share the same rank, I fear you!"
Yun Shan didn't even flinch. "Share the same rank? You are a Two-Star scavenger. I am a Nine-Star Sovereign. If you don't run, I can turn you into ash before the sun sets."
It was a cold reality. While both were Dou Huangs, the gap between Two-Star and Nine-Star was a vertical cliff. The only reason Ying Changkong was still alive was his speed; a Nine-Star could defeat a Two-Star easily, but catching one who was determined to flee was a different matter entirely.
"If you want to trade blows, I am ready," Yun Shan said, his eyes narrowing. "If not, then get out of my sight. Your presence is an eyesore."
Ying Changkong's aura flickered, his face pale with rage and humiliation. He looked at Xiao Lin, then at the towering presence of Yun Shan, and realized the "Golden Goose" had flown away. He couldn't win this.
Xiao Lin watched from the side, hidden by his "exhausted" pose. For the first time, he found Yun Shan... actually quite likable. There was something satisfying about seeing a lawless bully get bullied by a bigger, more sophisticated "Lion."
"Fine, very well! Yun Shan, you just wait. I hope your Yun Lan Sect disciples never step a single foot outside the Jia Ma Empire, or I'll show you the true methods of the Black Eagle Bandits!"
Ying Changkong suppressed his boiling rage, his voice vibrating with homicidal promise. He turned his glare toward Xiao Lin. "And you, boy. Don't think you got lucky today. I'll be watching you and your clan. You can't hide behind a Dou Huang forever."
With a violent snap of his wings, the bandit king spiraled into the clouds and vanished. He didn't realize that Yun Shan's arrival hadn't "saved" Xiao Lin—it had saved him. If Yun Shan hadn't interfered, Xiao Lin would have risked the Soul Hall's attention just to make sure Ying Changkong never drew breath again.
Xiao Lin watched the retreating silhouette, his eyes cold. In his mind, Ying Changkong was already a marked man. By letting him leave now, Xiao Lin had actually created a perfect alibi. If the bandit died "mysteriously" months later in a dark alley, no one would link it back to a "One-Star Dou Wang" from a border auction.
"Cough... cough!"
As soon as the bandit was gone, Yun Shan's regal posture crumbled. He doubled over, coughing violently into his sleeve. When he pulled his hand away, a thick glob of blood-stained phlegm was visible.
"Sect Leader Yun Shan, are you alright?" Xiao Lin asked, stepping forward with genuine concern.
Regardless of the future, Yun Shan had just stood up for him and the empire. In the world of the strong, this was a massive "favor" that Xiao Lin had to acknowledge.
"It's... nothing fatal," Yun Shan gasped, wiping his mouth with a wry smile. "I traded blows with Yan Luotian of the Jin Yan Sect earlier. The old bird is crafty; I took a bit of internal damage, but I promise you, he's feeling much worse than I am."
Xiao Lin realized then why Yun Shan hadn't chased Ying Changkong. A Nine-Star Dou Huang normally wouldn't let a bandit threaten him and walk away; Yun Shan was bluffing his strength to scare the bandit off because he wasn't in a condition to fight another Sovereign.
"Sect Leader," Xiao Lin asked, "how did the struggle at the Central Hall end so quickly? I thought the main treasures were still being contested."
Yun Shan's expression turned from weary to utterly frustrated. "Hmph. Don't even mention it. We split the pills, the herbs, and the monster cores fairly enough between our two nations. But when it came to the most precious items—the Earth Tier Qi Methods and Techniques—that madman Yan Luotian went insane."
Xiao Lin listened, stunned, as Yun Shan recounted the climax of the expedition.
The Jin Yan Sect already possessed Earth Tier inheritances. Yan Luotian realized that if the Jia Ma Empire or the other Luo Yan factions gained an Earth Tier method from this ruin, the Jin Yan Sect's dominance would be threatened.
His solution? Scorched Earth.
Just as the Dou Huangs reached the library, Yan Luotian triggered a massive explosion, vaporizing the entire collection of ancient scrolls. He would rather destroy the knowledge of an era than allow his neighbors to close the power gap.
"He's a lunatic," Yun Shan spat. "He took the brunt of our combined fury for it. We beat him into a near-death state, but his speed is too high; he managed to escape the ruins with his life. After the library was gone, there was no point in staying. The 'Main Prize' was ash."
This explained why Yun Shan was passing by this side path. The expedition had ended in a stalemate of spite. While everyone left with bags of gold and Grade 5 pills, the "World-Changing" treasures were gone.
"I saw that bandit chasing you and figured I'd at least save one of our empire's rising stars," Yun Shan said, looking at Xiao Lin with a faint hint of approval. "You've got guts, kid. Not many Dou Wangs would lead a Dou Huang on a ten-minute chase."
Xiao Lin maintained his humble facade, bowing low. "I was just trying to survive, Sect Leader. I am in your debt."
So the 'Main Loot' is gone, Xiao Lin thought. Which means the 'Formation Pavilion' I found... is likely the single most valuable thing left standing in this entire province. And nobody knows but me.