"Master, allow me to go in first."

The stone gate shattered, revealing the passageway behind it. A cold wind blew, sending shivers down everyone's spine. Who knew what dangers lay hidden beyond this passageway.

"There's no need."

Lin Mu shook his head and walked straight into the passage. Behind him, Li Xiaotian and the others hurriedly followed.

As expected, the passageway was riddled with traps. But before Lin Mu, they were all useless; he disarmed every single one. The group once again witnessed Lin Mu's immense strength.

The passage continued upwards, and it seemed like it would take a long time to reach the end.

"You all follow slowly. I'll go on ahead."

The longer he delayed, the greater the chance the High Priest had to escape. Lin Mu didn't want to waste any more time. He increased his speed, dashing toward the depths of the passageway. His speed was so immense that no one behind him could keep up. Moving at his top speed, Lin Mu emerged from the tunnel in just a few minutes.

The end of the passageway opened out onto a mountaintop. Here, vegetation was sparse and boulders were strewn about. The ground was littered with countless ominous white bones. In the center of the mountaintop was a deep Cold Pool.

At this moment, the High Priest stood beside the Cold Pool. Seeing Lin Mu had caught up so quickly, the High Priest's expression changed drastically.

"How did you get in?"

After all, that gate was made of cast iron. Even if Lin Mu is a Martial Arts Grandmaster, it should have taken him a considerable amount of time to break it down and disable all the traps along the way.

"High Priest, it doesn't matter how many tricks you have. I can break them all with pure force," Lin Mu said, shaking his head. "Now, if you have any schemes left, feel free to use them."

The High Priest's expression flickered, and finally, he gritted his teeth. "You forced my hand!"

Then, he knelt by the Cold Pool and cried out, "Divine Dragon, I beg you to act and save my life!"

Divine Dragon? So this Cold Pool is the so-called Dragon Lair of Heimiao Village. Lin Mu now understood.

"ROAR!"

Following the High Priest's cry, a roar filled with brutality and cruelty emanated from the depths of the Cold Pool.

The High Priest was overjoyed. "Divine Dragon, I beg you to save me!"

After speaking, he gritted his teeth, snapped off his own arm, and tossed it into the Cold Pool.

"ROAR!"

Another roar echoed from within the Cold Pool as a massive figure, more than twenty meters long, burst from the water's surface. It was a giant python covered in dark scales. Clutched in its massive jaws was the severed arm. It towered in the Cold Pool, its body exuding a terrifying, cold, and bloody aura.

Li Xiaotian and the others, who had just emerged from the passageway, were so shocked by the scene they were rendered speechless. Some of the tribespeople collapsed to the ground, overwhelmed with terror.

This is the Divine Dragon that Heimiao Village faithfully worships? Even if Mr. Li is that powerful, can he really defeat this thing?

"Divine Dragon, this man killed my people, and now he wants to kill you! Kill him! Kill him quickly!" the High Priest yelled, looking at the giant python with an adoring expression, his tone incredibly respectful.

"ROAR!"

As if it understood the High Priest, the giant python fixed its fierce gaze on Lin Mu. Its lantern-like eyes flickered with a bone-chilling killing intent.

"Heh, just a mere beast, and you dare call yourself a Divine Dragon?" Lin Mu scoffed. "Today, I will slay you myself and stop you from harming anyone else!"

The giant python reeked of blood, and judging by the white bones scattered on the ground, it had clearly devoured many people.

"Impudence! How dare a commoner like you insult the Divine Dragon?" the High Priest raged, pointing at Lin Mu. "Divine Dragon, please, strike down this faithless man!"

"ROAR!"

The giant python, apparently provoked by Lin Mu's words, roared and spat out a cloud of foul, poisonous mist.

"Hmph!"

Lin Mu waved his hand, and a sudden gust of wind scattered the mist completely.

"Godslayer Finger!"

Lin Mu's assault didn't stop there. He extended a finger, gathering spiritual energy at its tip.

"HISS!"

A sound sharp enough to pierce eardrums rang out. The spiritual energy on Lin Mu's finger whistled forth, instantly transforming into a colossal finger that jabbed toward the giant python.

Witnessing this, Li Xuan and the others were once again speechless.

So, Li Zhou and the others weren't lying. Mr. Lin really did kill Li Yin with a single finger. But will it be useful against the Divine Dragon?

"ROAR!"

The giant python bellowed, opened its cavernous mouth, and swallowed the finger of condensed spiritual energy in one gulp. As soon as the finger was swallowed, it exploded into pure energy, rampaging wildly inside the giant python's body.

"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"

The giant python's body thrashed violently, causing the very ground to tremble.

"Hahaha! Lin Wudi, it's useless!" the High Priest laughed maniacally. "The Divine Dragon's power is immense; you are no match for it!" He knew the Divine Dragon's capabilities all too well.

"Is that so?" Lin Mu said with a faint smile. "Even if you were a real Divine Dragon, I would still slay you today!"

As his words fell, everyone gasped in shock, their mouths hanging open.

Slay a dragon?

"Mr. Lin, you mustn't!" Li Xuan's face paled. "This Divine Dragon is too powerful! You can't defeat it!"

However, Lin Mu was unmoved.

"He's gone mad! Completely mad!" Li Xuan trembled, wanting to flee.

The High Priest, however, looked at Lin Mu with a venomous expression, as if staring at a dead man.

Just as Li Xuan grabbed Li Lai, about to turn and flee, she suddenly heard a crisp sound. It was the sound of a blade being drawn from its sheath.

"CLANG!"

The Heavenly Punishment Blade on Li Xiaotian's back flew from its scabbard and landed firmly in Lin Mu's palm.

"BOOM!"

Then, a scene unfolded that stunned everyone. Holding the Heavenly Punishment Blade, Lin Mu took a step forward. His foot didn't land on the ground but in mid-air, as if he were climbing an invisible staircase.

"Treading the Heavens?!" Li Xuan screamed, then quickly covered her mouth, her body trembling with excitement.

The High Priest looked as if he had seen a ghost.

Lin Mu ascended step by step, his figure slowly rising higher. At the same time, a powerful might erupted from his body like a volcano. The red glow of the Heavenly Punishment Blade in his hand grew increasingly brilliant, overshadowing all other colors.

"Heavenly Emperor Nine Steps—Four Steps Stars Tremble!"

The world shook. Within the Starry Sea, countless stars quivered, altering their courses. Lin Mu seemed to be walking on a path of stars, finally coming to a stop high in the air, less than two meters from the giant python.

He gripped the Heavenly Punishment Blade tightly. The blade's aura instantly swelled by dozens of feet, becoming a blade of tyranny, a blade of a Demon Slayer! An astonishing blade intent condensed on the Heavenly Punishment Blade, which let out a roar as if quivering with excitement.

The giant python seemed to sense the danger as well. The overwhelming killing aura caused its scales to stand on end. Its body thrashed violently, and amid the trembling ground, the python tried to retreat back into the Cold Pool.

"Slash!"

Lin Mu's expression was icy. The Heavenly Punishment Blade in his hand erupted with a world-shaking light that spanned across heaven and earth. Everyone instinctively shut their eyes, feeling as if that single strike could tear the very fabric of reality.

The next second.

The blade light sliced through the giant python standing in the Cold Pool. An agonizing, despairing roar echoed across the land.

"SPLASH!"

A shower of blood rained down as the giant python was cleaved in two.

The python's corpse crashed into the Cold Pool with a THUD, sending water splashing everywhere.

Everyone's eyes snapped open just in time to witness the python being slain and falling into the water. For a moment, they all stared blankly, the only image in their minds that of Lin Mu standing aloft in the air.

Tread the Heavens, One Strike, Slay the Dragon

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