Lin Yun was truly speechless. He had searched many places and found absolutely nothing—never mind any Cultivation and Martial Skills. It was clear that in the thousand years that had passed, the Thunder God Hall had long been picked clean.

’Do I really have no choice but to take the death path?’ Lin Yun wondered as he left one of the rooms.

The biggest problem with taking the death path was that he would certainly run into Zhang Qingtian and Jiang Changlin. Lin Yun didn’t want any contact with them right now. After all, there was no telling if they were friend or foe. One careless mistake could cost him his life, and that would be a tragedy. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Two paths lay before Lin Yun: he could either return the way he came, pretending he had never been here, or he could go check out the death path. Maybe he would find some unexpected gains.

’I’ll risk it. Since I’m already here, I have to try my luck. The worst that can happen is I’ll have to escape if there’s danger.’ Gritting his teeth, Lin Yun finally decided to go take a look at the death path.

Tearing a strip of cloth from his robes, Lin Yun masked his face. It wouldn’t be good to reveal his identity right now.

He cautiously headed in the direction of the death path. The death path was the only place in the Thunder God Hall that hadn’t been plundered. The reason was simple: no one had ever been able to walk the entire path and survive, not even experts at the Primordial Ocean Realm.

The Primordial Ocean Realm was a realm beyond the Qi Sea Realm. In the Southeast Domain, every Primordial Ocean Realm expert was a regional overlord. To think that even they had failed to traverse the death path.

He crept quietly into the main hall. Zhang Qingtian, Jiang Changlin, and their followers were all present. In the center of the hall, the entrance to an Array floated in mid-air.

’A Spatial Array?’ Lin Yun thought, hiding in the shadows.

Spatial Arrays were considered extremely High Tier. The main reason for their advanced status was their ability to create a small, independent space within themselves—a very powerful feat.

"Jiang Changlin, isn’t your Wind Forest Sect sending anyone into the death path?" Zhang Qingtian asked with a smile.

At these words, Jiang Changlin snorted. Faced with the death path, his previous ease had vanished. Every year, their two nations sent the younger generation to explore the death path, but each time, they returned in failure.

Over time, the death path had become a nightmare for many students and disciples. Entering it meant certain death.

As Jiang Changlin’s gaze swept over them, the faces of the twenty-some disciples from the Wind Forest Sect turned pale. To be chosen by him right now meant death.

His gaze swept across the crowd, but in the end, Jiang Changlin made no decision. These were his junior martial brothers who had accompanied him. He was reluctant to send any of them to their doom.

Jiang Changlin was conflicted, as was Zhang Qingtian. Just then, Lin Yun, who was captivated by the Spatial Array, carelessly kicked a small pebble.

A sharp sound echoed through the hall. In an instant, Zhang Qingtian and Jiang Changlin blurred into motion, appearing together right where Lin Yun was hidden.

"Heh, I didn’t think anyone else would dare come to the Thunder God Hall. Perfect. Let’s make him explore the death path," Jiang Changlin sneered.

Zhang Qingtian voiced no objection. He didn’t care which nation Lin Yun belonged to. All that mattered was completing the Academy’s mission.

Surrounded by the two men, Lin Yun knew this was bad. He had been so engrossed in his secret observation of the complex Spatial Array that he hadn’t expected them to discover him.

"Kid, I don’t care who you are. Get into the death path for me, right now," Jiang Changlin said in a cold voice.

The reason the Wind Forest Sect and Yanhuang Academy sent people to the Thunder God Hall each year was to explore the death path. Though it was synonymous with death, the two major powers believed the Thunder God Hall’s true inheritance lay at its very end.

That was why, year after year, the two powers sent people to investigate the death path. But without exception, every single one of them died inside.

Hearing Jiang Changlin’s command, Lin Yun frowned and retorted coldly, "Exploring the death path is your business. Why should I have to go?"

Jiang Changlin chuckled at Lin Yun’s response. "Why? You have two choices. Either you go explore the death path for us, or I kill you right here, right now."

As he spoke, killing intent radiated from Jiang Changlin. To the side, Zhang Qingtian continued to watch with indifference. As long as the Academy’s mission was completed, he couldn’t care less whether Lin Yun lived or died.

’I’ve really messed up this time.’ Now that the two had found him, Lin Yun had no power to resist. If either of them made a move, he would be killed in an instant.

’His heart grew heavy. There were only two choices. Refuse, and he would die immediately—there was no other outcome. But even Primordial Ocean Realm experts had perished on the death path, and Lin Yun certainly didn’t think he was more powerful than them.’

"Kid, I’ll give you three breaths. If you don’t enter the death path by then, I’ll destroy you," Jiang Changlin threatened again.

With Lin Yun’s appearance, both the Yanhuang Academy and Wind Forest Sect groups breathed a collective sigh of relief. At least none of them would have to be the one to explore the death path.

"Fine, I’ll go." After weighing his options, Lin Yun finally chose the death path. At least there was a chance of survival in there. Refusing meant certain death.

Seeing Lin Yun agree, Jiang Changlin gave a faint smile. Having a scapegoat was certainly a good thing. At least now, no one from his side would need to explore the death path.

"Since you’ve decided, then go," Zhang Qingtian said impassively.

Since Lin Yun’s face was masked, neither of them could see what he looked like. But they clearly didn’t care about the appearance of a man who was about to die.

As he walked to the Array’s entrance, Jiang Changlin told Lin Yun this was the way into the death path. The Wind Forest Sect and Yanhuang Academy had sent powerful experts to explore it in the past, but after losing several Primordial Ocean Realm masters in succession, both sects had given up on that approach.

In the years that followed, they resorted to sending their disciples into the death path instead. After all, the death of a few disciples was no great loss. If one got lucky and actually managed to clear the path, the reward would be enormous.

After explaining this, Zhang Qingtian and Jiang Changlin each injected a thread of their Elemental Power into Lin Yun’s body. The power had no side effects; its sole purpose was to allow them to determine whether he was alive or dead.

If Lin Yun died on the death path, they would know instantly, signifying that this year’s exploration had failed once again.

"Alright, get in." With that done, Zhang Qingtian spoke to Lin Yun impassively. From his expression and tone, Lin Yun could sense Zhang Qingtian’s indifference toward life. In his eyes, Lin Yun’s life meant nothing at all.

Hearing this, Lin Yun hesitated no longer. He took a single step forward, and his entire body vanished into the Array.

"Zhang Qingtian, how long do you think he’ll last?" Jiang Changlin asked after Lin Yun had vanished.

"He’s at the First Layer of the Opening Realm. Just another fledgling kid, I’m afraid. Any veteran Martial Artist from our two nations knows not to come to the Thunder God Hall with us. He’ll last two hours, at most," Zhang Qingtian replied.