But Xue Qianzhong might have been thinking too much.
Lin Yi had already merged with the strand of Infinite Sword Intent from the Wuji Sword Saint. Among the younger generation, who could surpass him in Sword Intent without overreaching?
Lin Yi narrowed his eyes and showed no mercy as he released his full Infinite Sword Intent!
Wrapped in an extremely pure Sword Qi, it shot out like a shooting star!
When they collided, there was no suspense. Xue Qianzhong was utterly crushed and was defeated miserably!
Another mouthful of blood gushed out, and this time, Xue Qianzhong’s Sword Intent shattered, directly wounding his soul, causing him to faint on the spot.
He could not stand up again.
"Brother Xue Qianzhong!"
Looking at Xue Qianzhong, who had fainted on the ground, silence fell at the entrance of the cave dwelling, leaving only the sound of shocked gasps.
A sense of fear filled their eyes when they looked at Lin Yi.
Half-Saint Disciple Xue Qianzhong, a well-known figure in the Inner Sect, was far from an ordinary opponent. Yet he had been defeated by Lin Yi!
Moreover, it wasn’t just a defeat in combat against Lin Yi; even when Xue Qianzhong attempted to regain some face through a competition of Sword Intent, he lost to Lin Yi, utterly humiliated and completely crushed.
A Half-Saint Disciple had lost so miserably; if word got out, few would believe it.
Lin Yi had just been promoted to an Inner Sect Saint and had already reached heights many Inner Sect Saints would not achieve in their lifetime.
Such strength was not something they were qualified to question.
"You there, come here."
At that moment, Lin Yi’s gaze fell on several Inner Sect Saints, and he beckoned them over.
"Xu... Brother Xu Qing..."
The faces of the several Inner Sect Saints fluctuated with uncertainty.
They had been skeptical of Lin Yi and even thought he was overly arrogant. Lin Yi must have heard their earlier discussions. If he intended to teach them a lesson, they had no power to resist.
However, Lin Yi did not strike them. Instead, he commanded, "You, help carry Xue Qianzhong back. Make sure no one sees."
"We will take him immediately."
Believing that Lin Yi was about to discipline them, the relieved Inner Sect Saints nodded repeatedly, lifted Xue Qianzhong’s body, and began to leave.
But before they had taken a few steps, Lin Yi called out to them again.
The Saints inwardly groaned with bitterness, but they dared not defy Lin Yi. They stopped and turned around, forcing smiles as they asked, "Brother Xu Qing, is there anything else?"
Lin Yi spoke, "Remember, keep today’s events to yourselves. Otherwise, bear the consequences."
Hearing Lin Yi’s warning, the color drained from the faces of the Inner Sect Saints. They promptly cupped their hands towards Lin Yi, "Brother Xu Qing, rest assured, we will keep our lips sealed about today’s events and will not leak a single word."
Only then did Lin Yi nod satisfactorily, "Go on."
The Inner Sect Saints felt as if they had been freed from shackles, lifting Xue Qianzhong’s body, they hurried away.
After the Inner Sect Saints had left, Lin Yi turned and continued his journey towards the Sword Realm.
The location of the Sword Realm was deep within the Heavenly Sword Holy Land, behind the mountains, in the midst of Wanjian Mountain.
When Lin Yi arrived at the entrance of the Sword Realm, he was briefly amazed by the spectacular scene before him. The large, dense mass of people was all Inner Sect Saints who had come to venture into the Sword Realm; their numbers possibly exceeding a thousand.
Nearly half of the Saints had chosen this time to enter the Sword Realm to cultivate.
But Lin Yi understood; the grand swordsmanship competition hosted by the Heavenly Sword Holy Land was about to begin. These Inner Sect Saints undoubtedly wanted to make a final push inside the Sword Realm before the event, hoping to rise higher in the competition.
Even if they could improve their strength a little bit, their rankings in the competition could move up.
The Heavenly Sword Holy Land was a Middle Ancient power, secluded within the Ancient Saint Mountain Range, yet its influence extended over the entire Eastern Domain. Many ancient families from the domain sent their most outstanding successors to train in the Heavenly Sword Holy Land.
In the eyes of these ancient families, the East Domain Five Great Forces and the three Demon Sects were inconsequential. Only a Holy Land-level force like the Heavenly Sword Holy Land was worthy of their successors’ training.
Lu Qingcheng’s destination, the Central Province Luo Family, was one such powerful Middle Ancient Family that had produced Saint-level figures.
Thus, the Inner Sect of the Heavenly Sword Holy Land naturally thrived with Heavenly Prides and a gathering of stars.
Just then, a graceful figure suddenly flew from the distance, riding the wind with a sword, landing atop a mountain peak.
The figure wore a scholarly robe, exuding an elegant and outstanding vibe, like both a swordsman and a scholar, giving off a charismatic aura.
"Unparalleled in both literature and swordsmanship, Shangguan Tiance!"
At the moment this graceful figure landed, someone called out in surprise, revealing the identity of the young man in the scholarly robe.
"Shangguan Tiance, hasn’t he been training outside all this time? It’s been half a year since he returned to the Holy Land. This return must be for the swordsmanship competition."
"Shangguan Tiance, he’s a prominent figure among the Inner Sect Saints, easily ranking in the top three in terms of strength."
"I wonder to what extent his strength has reached upon his return from this experience?"
A look of anticipation appeared on the faces of the surrounding Inner Sect Saints.