With the He Family taken care of, the remaining matters were naturally handed over to Li Tian, as Lin Yun still had to head for Jincheng. The next day, Lin Yun prepared to leave Wind City and set off once more.

"Young Master Lin, leaving so soon?" In the Bai Family Main Hall, Bai Ling smiled at Lin Yun, who had come to bid his farewells.

"I’m on a mission, so I shouldn’t linger. I will be sure to visit the Bai Family personally next time," Lin Yun replied.

Looking at Lin Yun, the clever Bai Ling had already guessed a few things about him and the He Family. But she never would have imagined that the He Family had actually submitted to him; all this time, she had assumed Lin Yun had merely reached some sort of agreement with them.

If Bai Ling knew that Lin Yun had brought the entire He Family under his control, she would have had to re-evaluate him completely. After all, the He Family and the Bai Family were on equal footing; even her own family couldn’t claim to be much stronger.

"Young Master Lin, the doors of the Bai Family will always be open to you. If you need anything in the future, please don’t hesitate to ask. We will do everything in our power to help," Bai Ling said.

"Then I thank you in advance, Patriarch Bai," Lin Yun said with a slight bow.

After bidding farewell to Bai Ling, Lin Yun left the Bai Family with Little Ape and Li Tian. Walking on the streets of Wind City, Lin Yun said to Li Tian, "I’m on a tight schedule for this trip. I’m leaving matters in Wind City to you."

Hearing this, Li Tian chuckled. "Rest assured, Young Master Lin. By the time you return to Wind City, I’ll definitely have a surprise waiting for you."

He clapped Li Tian on the shoulder. Without any lengthy goodbyes, they walked a short distance together before parting ways. Lin Yun headed for Beast City, and Li Tian for the He Family.

As soon as Lin Yun arrived at Beast City, the guards were already prepared for him, presumably because the Bai Family had sent word ahead.

Without lingering, Lin Yun mounted the Firebird. With a single beat of its massive wings, it soared into the sky, carrying him away.

"I’m bored to death! This place isn’t nearly as fun as Demon Beast Ridge," the Firebird grumbled, annoyed at being left in Beast City for three days.

"Alright, alright. We’re on a mission. Once it’s over, I’ll take you out to have some proper fun, how does that sound?" Lin Yun replied.

"Fine. You’d better keep your word," the Firebird said.

The most direct route to Jincheng passed through Fire City, the territory of Taiqing Academy. With time running short, Lin Yun made his way there directly, making no stops along the way.

Fire City was an affiliated city of Taiqing Academy, a place where his status as a Flawless Palace Disciple wouldn’t do him any favors. Still, he had no known enemies there, so he didn’t bother to deliberately conceal his identity.

The distance was vast. Even at the Firebird’s top speed, it took Lin Yun half a month of travel to reach Fire City.

He didn’t enter Fire City itself. After all, Mo Qingshui’s birthday celebration was just over half a month away, and the journey from Fire City to Jincheng would take at least another half a month. Therefore, Lin Yun didn’t stop in Fire City.

The Firebird’s speed was truly incredible. If Lin Yun had to fly to Jincheng on his own, the journey would have taken at least four or five months. Aboard the Firebird, however, he could make it in just one.

He flew directly past the outskirts of Fire City. This city looked completely different from Wind City; from a distance, the entire city resembled a churning ball of Flame.

As far as the eye could see, the city walls and buildings were all a fiery red.

’What a pity. If I get the chance, I’ll have to pay Fire City a proper visit,’ Lin Yun murmured to himself, glancing at the distant city from the Firebird’s back.

As he flew around Fire City, Lin Yun was unaware that he was already being watched.

Five disciples of Taiqing Academy stood on the walls of Fire City, watching the Firebird fly past in the distance. One of them said, "Senior Brother, it’s a Flawless Palace Disciple."

"Anyone who can ride a Firebird must have a high status in Flawless Palace," said the leader of the five.

After he spoke, he watched the Firebird’s retreating form, then paused before ordering the four beside him, "Go after him and see. If it’s a Main Seat Elder, say we’ve come to pay our respects. If it’s a Flawless Palace Disciple, just kill him. Flawless Palace’s current generation has no real Demon Fiends anyway, so there’s nothing to be afraid of."

As disciples of Taiqing Academy, these five had no love for those from Flawless Palace. Whenever disciples of the Five Great Forces met outside their sects, a bloody battle was guaranteed to break out eighty percent of the time—a practice tacitly approved by the leadership of the Five Great Forces.

As long as the older generation of experts didn’t interfere, matters among the youth were left for them to resolve on their own. This was precisely why Flawless Palace’s position among the Six Great Forces of the Eastern Domain was so precarious: among its younger generation, there was no one who could truly hold their own.

"Senior Brother, anyone who can ride a Firebird has to be a Core Disciple of Flawless Palace," one of the Taiqing Academy disciples pointed out.

"What’s to fear? Our Senior Brother is one of the Ten Core Disciples of Taiqing Academy. Why should we be afraid of a Core Disciple from Flawless Palace? Their disciples get worse with every generation," another retorted.

Hearing this, the leader said calmly, "Master would be very pleased if we could kill a Core Disciple from Flawless Palace. Let’s go. We’ll catch up and see. If it is a Disciple, then Fire City will be his grave today."

Despite the apparent peace among the Five Great Forces, the fights between their disciples were exceptionally vicious. An encounter inevitably led to a bloody clash, if not an outright slaughter.

Having chanced upon Lin Yun, these five Taiqing Academy disciples quickly gave chase.

Sitting calmly on the Firebird’s back, Lin Yun flew for several dozen miles past Fire City before slowly opening his eyes, which had been closed the entire time. He patted the Firebird gently, signaling it to stop.

He rose to his feet and called out to the empty air, "Since you’ve already come, what’s the point of hiding?"

Just a moment ago, Lin Yun had sensed people hiding nearby. His perception was so keen that no one below the Celestial Spirit Realm could possibly escape his notice.

The moment Lin Yun finished speaking, an Immortal Crane suddenly emerged from the clouds above. The crane was also immense, though still a bit smaller than Lin Yun’s Pure-blooded Firebird. After all, this crane was not a pure-blooded Tier Four Demon Beast.

"A Cyan Cloud Crane," Lin Yun murmured, watching it emerge from the clouds. He naturally recognized it as the signature mount of Taiqing Academy.

"I wonder what you friends from Taiqing Academy mean by stopping me?" he called out. He already knew they had ill intentions. Five young men stood on the Cyan Cloud Crane’s back. The leader’s aura was immense—his cultivation had already reached the Ninth Layer of the Primordial Ocean Realm, just one step shy of the Celestial Spirit Realm.