"Did I not come here specifically to kill?" Lin Hui glanced at him, his expression inscrutable. "Like it or not, willing or not... none of this was my choice."

"In that case... Temple Master Lin, I wonder, could this man be handed over to my Golden Goose Gate?" Wu Shinan of the New Martial Alliance, who had been watching from the sidelines, braced himself and stepped forward.

He could see that Bai Feihan’s spirit was broken; if the man continued to fight, he would undoubtedly die. This was a rare opportunity.

“If I can recruit an expert from Xingdao as an insider, it would surely…”

Wu Shinan’s voice grew softer and softer. Under Lin Hui's gaze, he finally felt the crushing pressure the other four had experienced just moments ago.

It was a creeping horror—merely being looked at made his hair stand on end, as if he had to constantly guard against a fatal strike from an unseen angle.

From the moment Wu Shinan planned to intervene, to his stunned silence, and finally to his trembling fear, less than two minutes had passed.

In other words, within two minutes, four Internal Force experts had been slaughtered, leaving only Bai Feihan.

Such an exaggerated battle record left not only Wang Hongshi, Chen Sui, and the others, but even a man of Wu Shinan's extensive experience and knowledge, dry-mouthed and afraid to breathe.

Was this the terror of a supreme speed-type expert?

"My apologies," Lin Hui finally replied. "When I stepped out this time, I said I would kill enough—kill until no one dares to casually provoke Clear Wind Temple again. So, I’m afraid I cannot oblige."

"I... I wouldn't dare. Please, do as you wish..." Wu Shinan’s scalp went numb. He didn't dare utter another word and hastily retreated.

Bai Feihan seemed to realize his future, his fate.

He gave a miserable smile. "I chose the wrong person, chose the wrong place... However, if you want to kill me... be prepared to trade your li—"

Pfft!

In the next instant, a thin slit tore through the Internal Force protecting his throat.

Immediately after, his Internal Force dissipated, and a line of blood appeared on his neck. He never had the chance to speak the rest of his words.

"I don't want to kill people either. Every strike of my sword negates decades of someone's bitter cultivation."

Lin Hui sheathed his sword and wiped the blood on his opponent's clothes.

"So, all of this is your fault."

Passing through the corpses, his white robe seemed to merge with the snowy ground, remaining as spotless as ever.

It wasn't until he left that Wang Hongshi and the others woke as if from a dream.

Chen Sui slapped Wang Hongshi hard, signaling him to keep up.

Huang Shan and Qiu Yiren reacted quickly, grabbing the corpses. This was Lin Hui's order on the way here.

Looting was one thing, but the key was that the corpses were needed to deter foreign enemies. This sortie by Clear Wind Temple was intended to carve out a bright and peaceful territory through slaughter.

They had to kill until anyone thinking of moving against Clear Wind Temple would immediately recall today's battle.

"Good lord...!" Huang Shan lowered his voice as he dragged a corpse by the head, glancing at Qiu Yiren, who was dragging the legs. His face was filled with irrepressible shock. "Four Internal Force Realm experts... All the experts of the old Clear Wind Temple put together only amounted to this level... And this time, in just a few minutes, they're all gone!?"

"That is to say, the Temple Master annihilated a force equivalent to the entire old Clear Wind Temple within a few minutes," Qiu Yiren said gravely. She looked ahead at Lin Hui, who was examining new traces in the wind and snow, her eyes full of reverence.

At this moment, the image of Lin Hui’s frantic, day-and-night cultivation involuntarily surfaced in her mind.

No matter the time, the Temple Master seemed immersed in cultivation, without a shred of entertainment, without a moment wasted.

Even for geniuses like them who enjoyed training, excessive cultivation would eventually lead to boredom and restlessness. But the Temple Master seemed to endure it all.

"Let's go," Huang Shan urged.

"Mm." Qiu Yiren snapped back to reality and continued carrying the corpse forward.

Chen Sui and Wang Hongshi had also gathered the remaining bodies, piling them up in front of the Black Dragon Apothecary.

The people from the yamen (local government office) arrived only now, belatedly. They were currently talking to Wang Hongshi, asking about the situation.

Clearly, they didn't want to handle this mess either. Leaving aside the fact that Fu'an Town was remote and neglected, the exaggerated strength displayed by top factions like the Flying Stone Sect and Clear Wind Temple was far beyond their pay grade.

When encountering cases like this, they mostly turned a blind eye.

"Is that so... You discovered these bodies by chance in a corner? And you don't know their identities? I see. Alright, the statement is recorded. Sorry to take up your time."

"It doesn't matter. It is our honor to cooperate with the government in investigating cases," Wang Hongshi replied with a smile.

On the other side, Lin Hui had followed the traces of the fight left by Xue Meng earlier, tracking all the way to the edge of Fu'an Town, outside the fence of a pig farm.

The pig farm was covered by a large shed, surrounded by hanging transparent curtains made of an unknown material similar to plastic.

There was a large hole in this curtain. The domestic pigs raised inside were all gone, leaving only messy, frozen, muddy footprints.

Lin Hui carried his sword inside, his figure flashing past as he crossed the pig farm through the large hole and arrived at the rear.

The first thing that caught his eye was the massive wall of mist towering into the clouds.

"In other words, it's very likely he entered the Mist Zone? That makes sense. Aside from the Mist Zone, there's nowhere else he could shake off the Flying Stone Sect's pursuit."

Right up until his death, Bai Feihan hadn't thought to threaten him with Xue Meng. Clearly, they hadn't caught Xue Meng, so the idea hadn't even crossed his mind.

Thus, Lin Hui deduced that the Flying Stone Sect had likely lost track of him. Following the traces here confirmed his suspicions.

Looking at the profound, grayish-white mist wall, Lin Hui stood in silence for a while before turning to leave.

He couldn't find Xue Meng by rashly entering. The Mist Zone was too vast and held too many variables; it was far different from the mist-free zone.

Although people categorized the monsters in the Mist Zone into several tiers, in reality, there were many more monsters that people might never have encountered, appearing from time to time. Precisely because new types of monsters constantly emerged, it was impossible to record every species; they could only be classified by danger level.

He returned to the Black Dragon Apothecary.

Wang Hongshi and the others had finished their preparations.

"Temple Master, we've interrogated them for the specific location of the Flying Stone Sect. We've also hired a bold guide. Additionally, Senior Wu Shinan left earlier, saying he would visit Clear Wind Temple to pay his respects when he has time, though I suspect he might still be observing from the shadows," Wang Hongshi reported.

"Well done." Lin Hui nodded. Just as he was about to ask someone to lead the way, he suddenly noticed a sturdy pre-teen boy following behind Wang Hongshi.

The child was about ten years old, with spirited eyes. He wore brown cotton clothes and trousers, with a black wind-blocking robe featuring a rat-fur collar draped over them. His gaze toward Lin Hui was full of worship.

"Who is he?"

"Answering the Temple Master, I was just about to tell you," Chen Sui, standing to the side, said with a cupped-fist salute. Having witnessed Lin Hui slaughter four Internal Force experts with his own eyes, he no longer dared to be as familiar as before; there was now more fear than respect. "This child is named Zhao Zunli. He says that after seeing the Temple Master fight just now, he was inspired and hopes to bow to you as his master to learn swordsmanship."

"I do not take disciples. If he wants to learn the sword, go to Clear Wind Temple and enter the sect. Start from the basics," Lin Hui said coldly.

He didn't have enough time to cultivate his own Body Tempering and Internal Force; where would he find the time to teach others? Occasionally, sparing a bit of energy to give pointers to the disciples within the sect was already his limit.

"But I'm a genius!" the child blurted out anxiously.

But just as he finished speaking, he saw that Wang Hongshi and Lin Hui were gone. Perhaps they had left the moment he uttered the first word.

"Geniuses don't get left behind in the Outer City instead of going to the Inner City," Chen Sui said, patting him on the shoulder. "Your courage is commendable, but you still have to start from the basics. Zhao Zunli, I know of you. The town's famous martial arts fanatic."

"Sigh... but I really am a genius." Zhao Zunli looked at Chen Sui, and seeing that he didn't take it seriously either, he suddenly felt a bit discouraged.

"Don't worry. If you really are a genius, it will show quickly once you enter Clear Wind Temple. By the way, since you're a genius, why didn't you join the Three Sects and Six Gangs before?" Chen Sui asked curiously.

"I have no aptitude for Internal Force... My talent is entirely in understanding moves..." Zhao Zunli said helplessly.

"Then what kind of genius is that?" Chen Sui laughed. "You have to be like our Temple Master to be called a true genius. Entering the sect for only a few years, not yet twenty, he broke through the limit from External Style to step into Internal Force. He even self-realized secret methods, perfected the sect's swordsmanship, and elevated it to an unprecedented height. Now serving as the Temple Master, we all firmly believe he will surely lead Clear Wind Temple to a level never reached before!"

As he spoke, he revealed a look of yearning himself.

Beside him, Zhao Zunli listened, a similar expression appearing on his face.

At the same time, the White Fatty in the dry goods shop across the street was watching this scene, clenching his fists tightly.

"Did you see that?! Formless Sword! He truly lives up to the name Formless Sword!! Good heavens. Just a few minutes, and four people—not a single one left. All gone!?"

Following the great battle, the people from Clear Wind Temple took the lead in hunting down and arresting the remaining minions of the Flying Stone Sect to interrogate them for intelligence.

They killed immediately after questioning; their methods were ruthlessly decisive.

If other passersby saw this scene, they might have felt fear, but the White Fatty knew the truth from beginning to end. Knowing that Clear Wind Temple was taking an eye for an eye, he felt no fear, only a sense of satisfaction!

"The Flying Stone Sect took a huge loss this time!" The martial artist carrying the strange weapon ran to the shop entrance again to watch the excitement.

"With four Internal Force experts dead in a row, it'd be strange if the loss wasn't huge. That old scoundrel Li Chi is probably going to be jumping in anger," said a woman wearing a conical hat with a white veil on the other side. She carried double blades on her back and had a graceful figure. Her voice was grave.

Clearly, the two knew each other.

"Everyone was drawn here to watch the show, thinking Clear Wind Temple would suffer, but unexpectedly, it was a massive reversal. I wonder what this Temple Master Lin plans to do next," the odd-weapon martial artist speculated.

"That goes without saying—they'll definitely strike at the Flying Stone Sect!" a passerby couldn't help but chime in.

"But Li Chi of the Flying Stone Sect is a Circulation Realm powerhouse from Xingdao. If an Internal Force expert wants to make a move on him, it'll be difficult... It's like an ordinary person fighting a Called One; the gap is too large." The odd-weapon martial artist shook his head.

"Circulation Realm? What realm is that?" the White Fatty asked curiously.

"Above Internal Force lies the Circulation Realm," the odd-weapon martial artist answered. "In the Outer City, this is the strongest. Even in the Inner City, they count as mid-tier."

"Does being in the Circulation Realm mean one will definitely win against Internal Force?" the White Fatty asked again.

"Not necessarily. Circulation is just a level above Internal Force. In a real fight, the one with the higher realm doesn't win simply by default. It also depends on comprehensive strength—like experience, martial art characteristics, strategy, environment, and so on. It's just that the Circulation Realm is naturally a large cut above Internal Force," the veiled woman interjected.

"Have there been cases of turning the tables?" someone asked.

"Yes, but very, very few." The woman in the conical hat nodded. "I heard my master say that the most recent one was over forty years ago—an Illusion Art Saber named Shangguan Chong. He was able to reverse-kill a Circulation Realm expert while at the Internal Force Realm. He was a saber user with terrifying explosive power. Later, he founded the Illusion Art Sect, but afterwards, it seems that due to excessive explosive exertion, his body suffered too many hidden injuries, and he passed away before fifty. After his death, the Illusion Art Sect was wiped out overnight, likely by former enemies."

"Let's see if Clear Wind Temple will be the next Illusion Art Sect..." the odd-weapon martial artist said softly.