Completely surrounded, Lin Yun racked his brain for a countermeasure. The battle so far had shown he was at an absolute disadvantage; a head-on fight was clearly unwise.

His opponents outnumbered him and outclassed him in strength. His only option now was to find a chance to escape.

Just as Lin Yun was pondering, two figures rushed out of the Mysterious Forest. When he saw them, Lin Yun’s eyes lit up. ’The merciful Buddha has arrived to save me!’

The two figures were none other than the Monk and the Daoist, who had been recuperating in the Mysterious Forest. Thanks to the effects of the Spring Breeze Soft Rain Pill, their injuries were mostly healed. While not a full recovery, they were most of the way there.

Just as Lin Yun saw them, the Monk and Daoist also spotted him. Seeing Lin Yun cornered by four Ghost-faced Masked People, the two of them burst out laughing.

They naturally knew about the Ghost-faced Masked People—the mysterious organization that had slaughtered hundreds of thousands of civilians in the Southeast Domain. Furthermore, judging by the auras of the four surrounding Lin Yun, all of them were experts at the Third Level of the Primordial Ocean Realm.

"Haha, Lin Yun, you’re finally getting what you deserve! The Buddha has opened his eyes!" the Monk laughed heartily.

"Boundless Celestial Venerable. Lin Yun, you reap what you sow," the Daoist added.

The two of them were inwardly ecstatic. Facing four experts at the Third Level of the Primordial Ocean Realm, they didn’t think Lin Yun had any chance of escape.

At the same time, hearing the Monk and Daoist call out Lin Yun’s name, the woman who had been fighting him earlier spoke up. "You’re Lin Yun? Could you be the Lin Yun who obtained the inheritance of the Thunder God Hall?"

Lin Yun didn’t answer her question. The Monk and Daoist were laughing off to the side, but they didn’t dare get any closer. Are you kidding? Lin Yun was in mortal danger. There was no way they were going to get involved. As long as they could watch these four kill Lin Yun, the Monk and Daoist would be satisfied.

The two of them cackled and mocked Lin Yun, but they failed to notice the wicked smile that appeared on his face as he looked at them.

Whenever Lin Yun wore that smile, it meant someone was about to have a very bad day. As for who, that went without saying.

"Monk! Daoist! Catch! Run! This can’t fall into their hands!" Lin Yun roared, throwing the fragment directly at them.

Seeing this, the Monk and Daoist were still trying to figure out what was happening when the Daoist subconsciously caught the flying fragment.

Seeing the fragment now in the Daoist’s hands, the four Ghost-faced Masked People turned to look at the duo in unison, their eyes filled with an icy chill.

Feeling four gazes filled with killing intent, the Monk and Daoist turned and fled. Even then, they didn’t realize that the four were after the fragment Lin Yun had tossed them.

"Dammit, why’d they suddenly switch targets?" the Daoist cursed. He hadn’t paid any mind to the fragment in his hand; it looked far too ordinary, neither a Spirit Soldier nor any kind of treasure.

"They have the fragment! We cannot lose it!" the woman among the four shouted to the other three. For this mission, killing Lin Yun was secondary; the fragment was what was truly important.

Hearing this, three of the Ghost-faced Masked People quickly gave chase after the Monk and Daoist.

As they sprinted for their lives, the Monk and Daoist saw the three Ghost-faced Masked People chasing them and couldn’t help but curse. "Dammit, why are they coming after us? Don’t they have a grudge against that kid Lin Yun?"

"How should I know? Just run!" the Daoist replied.

The two of them couldn’t understand it. What was with these people? One second they were trying to kill Lin Yun, and the next, three of them were chasing the two of them.

"Hand over the item, and we can spare you. Otherwise, you will both surely die," one of the Ghost-faced Masked People shouted as the distance between them shrank.

"Hand over what item?" the Monk and Daoist wondered, confused. They didn’t have anything on them—or, if anything, just the Spirit Fruits and Spirit Grass they had gathered in the Mysterious Forest.

They sprinted for nearly a hundred li before the Monk happened to glance at the fragment in the Daoist’s hand. "What’s that?"

"It’s the thing that kid Lin Yun threw at us," the Daoist replied.

"Damn it, are you a pig? This is why they’re chasing us! What are you still holding it for?" Hearing the Daoist’s answer, the Monk couldn’t help but curse furiously.

Only now did the two of them finally understand why the Ghost-faced Masked People were chasing them.

Hearing the Monk’s cursing, the Daoist looked closely at the fragment in his hand. It wasn’t a treasure at all; it didn’t even have a trace of spiritual energy.

Survival was what mattered most. The Daoist flung the fragment away.

Seeing the Daoist throw the fragment, the three Ghost-faced Masked People did indeed give up their pursuit of the Monk and Daoist and chased after the fragment instead.

Having finally escaped their pursuers, the Monk and Daoist didn’t stop, continuing to sprint onward. Who knew if those three would turn around and come after them again?

"Damn it! We fell for that kid Lin Yun’s trick again! He used us again!" the Daoist cursed. Having been screwed over by Lin Yun time and time again, the Daoist was filled with resentment. He wished he could string Lin Yun up and give him a good, hard beating.

While the Monk and Daoist made their successful escape, on the other side, Lin Yun had launched his attack the moment the three Ghost-faced Masked People gave chase.

With three of the four gone and only one remaining, the pressure on Lin Yun was greatly reduced. Working with Little Ape and the Black-striped Tiger, he instantly suppressed the woman.

The Black-striped Tiger, whose strength was comparable to the Fourth Level of the Primordial Ocean Realm, was no weaker than the woman in a one-on-one fight. With Little Ape and Lin Yun added to the mix, the woman was forced into a constant retreat.

Knowing she was outmatched, the woman was also decisive and chose to flee. To her, the fragment was more valuable. If they failed to retrieve it, their entire group would be punished upon their return.

"Lin Yun, I never expected you to have hidden yourself so well. But I wonder what will happen when your identity is exposed in Yanhuang Country?" As the woman left, her ethereal voice drifted into Lin Yun’s ears.

"Damn it," Lin Yun cursed under his breath. He didn’t dare to linger, either. He had to find a safe place first.

He had successfully escaped by using the Monk and Daoist, but in doing so, they had exposed his identity. Based on what that woman had said, it wouldn’t be long before his identity was revealed throughout Yanhuang Country.

’I have to come up with a plan before then.’ Lin Yun wasn’t worried about anything else; his main concern was his parents. If the Royal Family found out he was not only alive but had also become a disciple in the Academy’s Genius Class and one of the top ten talents on the Yanhuang List, they would surely use his parents to force him out into the open.

’I must get a good ranking on the Green Talent List. As long as a major power takes an interest in me, the Yanhuang Royal Family won’t dare to act so openly,’ Lin Yun thought to himself as he ran.

After running for several hundred li, Lin Yun finally stopped once he confirmed no one was pursuing him. He gasped for breath, panting heavily.

"Damn that Monk and Daoist! If anything happens to my parents, I’ll tear down your temples!" Finding a hidden place to recover his Elemental Power, Lin Yun couldn’t help but curse as he thought about the consequences of his identity being exposed. That Monk and Daoist...

(Fourth update of the day! Please add to your library, subscribe, donate, vote with your Monthly Passes, and leave a recommendation!)