"Sword Prince, this matter has nothing to do with you, don't meddle in other people's business." Shi Nian said with an extremely unpleasant expression.
Tian Lin raised his sword. "And what if I insist on meddling?"
"This Tang San has defeated three of your Emperor Battle team members, which has already made your Emperor Battle team lose face, hasn't it? Besides, I just overheard your conversation with Tang San. There seems to be some discord between you two. If I kill him, it can only be good for you." Shi Nian spoke while approaching Tian Lin, all the while gathering power with his hands behind his back. If possible, he truly didn't want to become enemies with Tian Lin. Compared to the seemingly powerless Tang San, he couldn't afford to offend the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
Even if he could destroy the body and evidence after killing Tian Lin, as long as the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan investigated Tian Lin's whereabouts today, it would easily lead back to him. At that point, even if the clan had no evidence, it wouldn't matter.
They just wouldn't be able to judge him by the law, but couldn't they carry out an assassination? For these great sects, suspicion alone was enough for a death sentence. After all, this wasn't the law-abiding society like in Tian Lin's previous life—evidence didn't matter at all.
But if Tian Lin was determined to meddle today, then he would have to use deadly force. At worst, after killing him, he could immediately escape, whether to the City of Slaughter or join Spirit Hall. With his Soul Sage strength, he didn't believe he couldn't find a way to survive.
"Hehe, I've long heard that Mr. Shi Nian bears grudges and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. Meeting you today, it's indeed true." Tian Lin sensed his minor movements and said with a faint smile, "You're just like me."
After speaking, the fire flickered in Tian Lin's eyes. The other party was gathering power, and so was he. At this moment, the powerful killing intent radiating from Tian Lin was chilling.
He used Tang San as bait precisely for Shi Nian's soul bone. At this moment, how could he possibly let him go?
"Seventh Soul Skill, Nightmare!" Sensing the sudden surge of Tian Lin's murderous intent, Shi Nian instinctively released his Martial Soul True Body.
A vast illusion enveloped Tian Lin. Shi Nian spat, "Sword Prince since you don't know what's good for you, I'll just have to show no mercy. Repent in despair!"
"Despair? Let's see who's truly in despair. Golden Flame Soul Burn!" Light flashed in Tian Lin's eyes, and the entire illusion space was instantly engulfed in raging flames.
"What—what is this fire? Why can it even burn my illusion space?"
"Ah!!!" Shi Nian screamed in agony. If Tang San's earlier screams were full of despair, then Shi Nian's now were simply blood-curdling.
"First Soul Skill, Frozen Snow!" Tian Lin seized the opportunity to move forward, preparing to behead him.
Just then, Shi Nian lifted his fierce face, a light flashed on his forehead, and suddenly his spiritual power surged. Tian Lin also felt his spiritual power being somewhat weakened.
"Fifth Soul Skill, Illusion Body!"
By leveraging the difference in spiritual power, Shi Nian barely escaped the burning flames, using his fifth soul skill to evade Tian Lin's attack. The figure Tian Lin killed was just a dream avatar.
"Oh, so this is the ten-thousand-year Illusion Skull you seized after killing people at the Heaven Dou Grand Auction?" Tian Lin said with satisfaction. "Not bad at all. That move just now was Illusion Space, right? It not only increases your spiritual power but also weakens your opponent's, even inducing hallucinations."
"You—you even know about this?" Shi Nian was shocked, then suddenly realized. "I understand now. Tang San was your bait all along. In the last match, he saw through illusions and defeated the three Emperor Battle members—that was all your script, just to attract my attention, lure me out of the city to assassinate him, and then you would come to kill me, right?"
"Correct. It's just a pity you realized it too late. Brother Skydream, let's do it." Tian Lin called out.
Skydream Ice Silkworm instantly understood. "Got it, Xiao Tian. Just a ten-thousand-year skull dares show off in front of you and me? Let's show him the might of my million-year spiritual skull—Mental Interference Domain!"
A domain much larger than the Illusion Space spread out with Tian Lin at the center. The effect was similar to Illusion Space, but the power was on a completely different level, given the difference between a ten-thousand-year and a million-year soul bone.
The Illusion Space was suppressed. Suddenly, Tian Lin's forehead emitted a massive suction force, and Shi Nian's spirit was sucked in without resistance. This was a special space, and before him was a gigantic snow-white silkworm.
"W-what is this thing?" Shi Nian was terrified, never expecting such a monster to reside in the Sword Prince's spiritual sea.
"Dare to use your Martial Soul True Body to bully Xiao Tian? I'll slaughter you!" Skydream Ice Silkworm sent out a spiritual wave, instantly shattering Shi Nian's spirit into countless black particles. While it wasn't strong in combat, in terms of spiritual power, even many gods couldn't compare.
"How many people did Shi Nian torture and kill while alive? His soul particles are as black as ink." Skydream Ice Silkworm commented.
"Who knows? But Brother Skydream, he could never bully me. Illusion-type Martial Soul True Bodies are useless against me." Tian Lin said he only had Skydream Ice Silkworm act to save trouble; the other party was never a real threat to him—he had to keep up appearances.
After destroying Shi Nian's soul, Tian Lin walked up to his body. At this point, Shi Nian was just like the Deadly Tyrannosaurus last time: his heart was still beating, blood still flowing, but all consciousness had vanished.
"Shi Nian, you, a bad guy, met me, who's no good either—just your bad luck." Tian Lin drew his longsword, and the powerful ultimate fire instantly incinerated Shi Nian's body completely, causing a soul bone to fall to the ground.
That was the Illusion Skull. Tian Lin picked it up and put it in his soul guide, then turned to Tang San, first tearing off Tang San's Twenty-Four Bridges Bright Moon Night.
His poison-type soul bone was still inside—there was no way he'd leave it for Tang San. He took it back; Tang San, when he woke up, would only think Shi Nian had stolen it.
Looking at Tang San, who even in unconsciousness frowned deeply in pain, Tian Lin rarely felt a trace of guilt.
With the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and the Man-Faced Demon Spider soul ring before, he could be guilt-free; the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well belonged to Dugu Bo's family, and Dugu Bo could give it to whomever he wanted, while the Man-Faced Demon Spider was first hunted by Grandpa Dragon, and Meng Yiran was qualified to get it—those things were never Tang San's by right.
But today, he had used Tang San for his benefit, and it was fair to say he had harmed him.
Tian Lin sent a surge of spiritual energy to repair Tang San's damaged soul and even used soul-reading to erase all the unbearable memories Tang San had seen in Shi Nian's illusion.
Tang San's expression visibly improved.
Tian Lin whispered, "Tang San, consider this spiritual energy compensation. Use it well; you should be able to comprehend something from it. From now on, I hope you won't provoke me again, or I won't show mercy next time."
PS: Read atleast 170 advanced chapters at patreon.com/AbsoluteCode