Chapter 112: This Is a Deal

Lin Yang disdainfully flicked his right hand, tossing Yan Yan into the nearby magma. His charred face, devoid of readable expression, radiated a hint of coldness.

"You all! You all deserve to die!" Lin Yang looked down at his own hands and body; even on his scorched face, one could perceive his burgeoning, hideous rage.

With that, he retrieved a talisman from his storage bag. Fortunately, having survived the subterranean magma by consuming large quantities of mysterious ice stones, he had kept his storage bag protected by spiritual energy, preventing any damage.

Lin Yang looked at this talisman with extreme reluctance and regret before pressing it to his forehead. Once he activated it with his spiritual energy, he became as if invisible, even his aura completely concealed.

He pursed his charred lips, glancing at the passage on the far shore, then at Yu Yunfan and Xuan Xin not far away, his mind caught in a constant struggle.

In the end, driven by unwillingness—for if he could send them to the underworld a moment sooner, he would not let them continue living—he pulled a dagger from his storage bag. The blade gleamed with a cold, sharp light, clearly a formidable magical artifact.

Gripping the dagger, Lin Yang watched the two in the distance, his anger surging. These people wanted to watch him make a fool of himself. And that Lin He—ignoring him completely, disregarding his orders simply because he was a branch family member.

They all deserved to die! Once they were dead, the inheritance here would belong to him alone.

With the talisman, Lin Yang felt emboldened and strode forward. Neither the piles of dead Scorching Flame Beasts nor the Black Tortoise Flame Spirit seemed to notice him. The Flame Spirit continued to toy with the unconscious Yu Yunfan.

In the distance, Xuan Xin remained expressionless as the Scorching Flame Beasts approached, ignoring them entirely. He kept his head bowed, gazing into a silver mirror, continuously nourishing it with spiritual energy in hopes of repairing a crack; the mirror appeared vital to him.

Whether by accident or coincidence, as the mirror was nourished by his energy, it seemed to respond to something. The once-blurred surface gradually sharpened, revealing a faint, dark figure sprinting toward Yu Yunfan, a cold glint visible in its hand.

Xuan Xin stared at the image in the mirror, stunned. He hurriedly poured more spiritual energy into it. The image cleared, showing Lin Yang approaching Yu Yunfan with the dagger. He glanced at the empty space in the distance and suddenly understood.

Xuan Xin fixed his gaze on Yu Yunfan, his brow furrowed in deep thought. Finally, he steeled his heart, his face—previously twisted in rage and helplessness—slowly smoothing out.

As the Scorching Flame Beasts crept cautiously toward him, Xuan Xin began to chuckle softly, then burst into hearty, unrestrained laughter.

"Master, your disciple has been unfilial. I will never see you again, but for your sake, I am willing to make one last stand." After the laughter died down, he whispered to himself.

Xuan Xin took a nearby boulder and smashed it against his injured right knee. As the leg convulsed from the impact, he wrapped it in spiritual energy and struggled to his feet, staring toward Yu Yunfan.

The surrounding Scorching Flame Beasts, confused by his reaction, halted their advance.

Xuan Xin leaped up, as if exhausting the last of his life force, moving with astonishing speed. The Black Tortoise Flame Spirit was caught off guard, failing to attack immediately, evidently surprised that Xuan Xin, having survived a direct hit, could still stand.

Taking the initiative, Xuan Xin snatched Yu Yunfan away. Lin Yang, watching from afar, was startled, sensing vaguely that Xuan Xin’s actions were directed at him.

He touched the talisman on his forehead. Having used his spiritual sense to probe himself and finding nothing, he dismissed it as coincidence. This top-tier first-grade invisibility talisman had been hard to acquire; unless one possessed a special artifact or Foundation Establishment cultivation, it should be impossible to detect.

The Black Tortoise Flame Spirit finally reacted. Seeing the ant in his eyes acting so defiantly, it roared, causing the space to crack as if it were on the verge of collapse.

"Wake up! Do you want to die?" Xuan Xin stopped on a rock, raising his hand to strike Yu Yunfan awake.

"What are you doing?" Before Xuan Xin could land the blow, Yu Yunfan opened his eyes, his gaze still calm.

"You weren't unconscious?" Xuan Xin exclaimed, but realizing this was not the time, he formed a seal to manipulate the silver mirror. "Look! Lin Yang isn't dead! He wants to kill us!"

"So? Is that your reason for saving me?" Yu Yunfan asked calmly. Even severely wounded, he showed no panic; nothing here could shake him, save for Yu Daoyi.

"Yu Yunfan! Can you still move?" After a long pause, Xuan Xin asked, looking intently at him.

"What do you mean?" Yu Yunfan asked, puzzled.

"I am not as capable as you, nor can I remain as calm. I have no choice left. My leg is ruined; even with spiritual energy, it's only a matter of time before I lose the ability to fight. But you are different! You must have a way! Based on your secret techniques and your state, I know you have a trump card! You just need an opportunity!"

"I only ask for one thing! In return, I will block the Black Tortoise Flame Spirit for you! I will create that opportunity!"

"I am making a desperate gamble. I only ask that if you escape, you save my master. He shouldn't die like this—he shouldn't die because of me. I beg you."

Xuan Xin pleaded, indifferent to his own life. The only person he cared for was outside, but he himself would never make it out.

"No need to beg," Yu Yunfan said softly.

"I see. Was I being arrogant?" Xuan Xin hung his head, his expression unreadable. These words seemed to crush him.

"This is a transaction. So, no need to beg," Yu Yunfan turned his head and added, "You hold off the Black Tortoise Flame Spirit. If I make it out, I will save him if it is within my power."

"Heh, you really are something." Xuan Xin choked back a sob. The silver mirror displayed the image of a man—a Taoist—whose expression gradually softened. "That old man... he's obsessed with wine. Always carries a gourd. I tell him to drink less, but he never listens."

"Yu Yunfan, his name is Yinxuanzi. Help me save him. And tell him his disciple didn't disgrace him."

Drawing a deep breath, Xuan Xin’s face was filled with resolve and gravity. "This is my final act! Yu Yunfan, just run for that passage! Leave everything else to me!"

"Whether it's the Scorching Flame Beasts, the Black Tortoise Flame Spirit, or that Lin Yang! I will hold them all back for you! Just run! And don't look back!"

"Fine!" After a silence, Yu Yunfan looked at Xuan Xin and nodded, his eyes revealing a rare flicker of emotion.

"Lin Yang! You think I can't see you!"

Seeing Yu Yunfan agree, Xuan Xin smiled faintly. With a roar, he formed a seal, and the silver mirror behind him swelled in size, the image of Lin Yang displayed clearly upon it.

Yu Yunfan bolted toward the passage. This was his chance. A thin wisp of spiritual energy surfaced on his body—the final drop squeezed from his exhausted frame. It was enough. He was at his limit, but this bit of energy was all he needed to escape!

He did not look back. He chose to trust him. He entrusted his back to him. All that mattered now was escaping this magma.

"Bastard!" Lin Yang watched as the silver mirror shone brilliantly. Its light fell upon him, and the talisman on his forehead drifted away like a failed spell, turning into ash.