Chapter 125: You Are Too Weak

"Let's just force our way in."

Bi Deming licked his lips, a glimmer of bloodlust radiating from his eyes. As a genius within the Red Skull organization, even he didn't possess such a treasure-filled sanctuary. Why should a rogue cultivator like Lin Yi have one?

"Agreed," Liao Mei replied with a nod.

The two charged straight inside, but the moment they stepped across the threshold, the scene before them shifted, transforming into a vast desert.

"What is going on?" Liao Mei’s delicate brows furrowed slightly.

Bi Deming remained silent for a few seconds before saying, "We must have entered an illusion array. However, this is the first time I've encountered such a lifelike formation."

He scanned his surroundings; not only the temperature but even the tactile sensation of the sand beneath his feet felt entirely authentic. It did not seem like a fabrication at all. Unless one was a master of arrays, it would be impossible to set up such an exquisite illusion.

Liao Mei said, "Old Bi, aren't you an array genius? Hurry up and find a way to break it."

Bi Deming replied, "There are three ways: use brute force, find the eye of the array, or have the person who set it up deactivate it."

"Then hurry up and break it. Just tell me what you need," Liao Mei said with a charming, captivating smile.

Bi Deming scooped up a handful of sand, but he couldn't help a wry smile in his heart. With ordinary illusion arrays, he could identify the eye within a few glances, but this one was completely impenetrable to his perception.

"I will give it a try."

Bi Deming pulled a compass from his storage bag and scanned the area, only to find the needle spinning wildly, offering no direction. He then took out over a hundred spirit stones and arranged an offensive formation, attempting to shatter the illusion. Yet, no matter what methods he employed, the array remained unscathed.

"It's been ten minutes. Why isn't it working yet?" Liao Mei asked, growing impatient.

"Breaking an array isn't as simple as you imagine," Bi Deming retorted, his own temper rising.

At that moment, their vision blurred, and they found themselves back in front of the villa.

"We're back!" Liao Mei exclaimed with joy, instinctively moving to run toward the villa again.

Bi Deming grabbed her arm, whispering, "Don't be rash. The array hasn't been broken; if you step back in, you'll be affected again."

Liao Mei’s pretty face darkened, and she complained, "Where did this guy Lin get such an array? What a nuisance. Why don't we just attack and level this villa to the ground?"

Bi Deming sighed, "Enough complaining. We are here to negotiate, not to blow up someone's house. Let's call out to him from here."

"As you wish."

Liao Mei composed herself and called out in a sweet, alluring voice, "Mr. Lin, Liao Mei of the Red Skull has come to pay a visit. Please, come out and meet us."

...

Inside the living room, Yu Xiaoyu grew anxious at the mention of the Red Skull. "Mr. Lin, the Red Skull really did come as expected."

"Indeed," Lin Yi replied, acting as if nothing were the matter, continuing to sip his tea calmly.

"Should we go out and meet them?" Yu Xiaoyu asked.

"They will come in on their own," Lin Yi said, shaking his head.

As he spoke, the illusion array outside the villa automatically deactivated, and the fog-like spiritual energy parted to create a path.

Liao Mei and Bi Deming exchanged a glance. Bi Deming said, "It seems this Lin fellow is quite sensible. To be safe, I'll go check if the illusion array is truly gone."

It was no wonder they were so cautious; the illusion array Lin Yi had set up was invisible and intangible. One would only know they had fallen into it once they were already trapped inside.

"Very well," Liao Mei nodded.

Bi Deming reached out to test the path and walked into the area where the illusion had been. Seeing that the scene remained unchanged, he realized the array had been lifted.

He waved his hand and said, "It's safe."

***

As the two arrived at the villa's entrance, they were stunned to see that the entire courtyard had been turned into spirit fields. Inside the fields, a tiny figure was busy carrying a hoe—looking closely, it was actually a ginseng spirit.

Since Lin Yi was not short on spirit stones, he had long since expanded the spirit fields into the courtyard.

"My god, am I seeing things? There are so many spirit fields here, and... is that a ginseng spirit?" Liao Mei rubbed her eyes, doubting her reality.

"No, I see it too," Bi Deming’s eyes burned with even greater intensity. He was now more eager than ever to meet this Mr. Lin.

The two walked into the villa and saw a man and a woman sitting in the living room. The woman was young and beautiful, while the man appeared exceptionally ordinary—the kind of person one might forget the moment they looked away.

"You must be Mr. Lin?" Liao Mei asked, looking at Lin Yi.

"Yes. Sit," Lin Yi said, gesturing to the sofa nearby.

Yu Xiaoyu felt nervous; after all, a famous name carries a heavy shadow. The Red Skull was one of the five great powers in Yanxia, and its strength and background were immense. While Snake Valley might be a transcendent power in the North Province, in the eyes of the Red Skull, they were no bigger than an ant.

Liao Mei shook her head, her tone arrogant. "No need to sit. Mr. Lin, I'll get straight to the point. You crippled a genius of our Red Skull organization. Do you intend to offer compensation, or will you pay with your life?"

Lin Yi twirled his cup and chuckled, "If I choose compensation, how do you intend to be compensated?"

Liao Mei said, "It's simple. First, you join our Red Skull. Second, pay us 500 billion. Third," she paused, a look of greed flashing in her eyes as she licked her scarlet lips, "you hand over this villa."

The first two were the conditions set by the Red Skull, but the last was fueled by her own covetousness.

Lin Yi couldn't help but smile upon hearing this. He was not short on money; 500 billion sounded like a lot, but for someone of Lin Yi’s stature, it was easily attainable. For instance, Snake Valley alone, through a single contract, was funneling at least 600 billion in profits from the Wei family over time. Moreover, Lin Yi possessed a massive quantity of low-grade spirit stones, any one of which could be sold for hundreds of millions.

However, Lin Yi was no fat lamb waiting to be slaughtered. He asked, "And if I refuse?"

Liao Mei replied with a smile, "Then you have no choice but to pay with your life."

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the living room grew tense.

Bi Deming acted as the peacemaker on the side, "Mr. Lin, you should know that the Red Skull is one of the five great powers. Countless people dream of joining us. With your strength, you would certainly gain access to far more cultivation resources."

Lin Yi said coldly, "Not interested."

"Don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit," Bi Deming said, his eyes darkening.

His aura surged, causing the furniture in the living room to tremble slightly. Yu Xiaoyu, sitting on the sofa, felt as if a heavy stone were pressing down on her chest, making it difficult to breathe.

"I've heard that Mr. Lin is capable of slaying a Spirit Venerable. I wonder if it's true? I, Bi Deming, am not talented, but I would like to challenge you here," Bi Deming said, cupping his hands with an arrogant expression.

He was a genius of array formations, capable of inscribing arrays onto his own body to unleash immense power. Liao Mei stood to the side, arms crossed, watching the show. She, too, wanted to see what Lin Yi was truly capable of.

"Why should I fight you?" Lin Yi asked.

"What? Are you afraid?" Bi Deming raised an eyebrow, a hint of mockery in his eyes.

He had never believed that Lin Yi could kill a Spirit Venerable. Now that Lin Yi wouldn't even accept the challenge, it only confirmed his suspicions. The talk of slaying a Spirit Venerable was clearly just the work of a coward who didn't even dare to raise a hand.

"That's not it. It's just that you are too weak," Lin Yi said matter-of-factly.

***

Veins bulged on Bi Deming’s forehead. His strength was ranked 89th on the Heaven and Earth Rankings; to be called weak was an insult he could not bear.

"Brat, I wonder if your strength matches the sharpness of your tongue."

Bi Deming gave a sinister grin, dropping the "Mr. Lin" honorific. He stepped forward, and beams of blue light rose behind his back—each beam representing an array. By the time he reached Lin Yi, seven beams of light were circling him, signifying seven arrays.

"Don't think that just because you killed that waste Wei Jun, you are something special. Let me tell you, the world is vast, and there are many people with real power," Bi Deming said with a vicious glint in his eyes.

"On that point, I agree," Lin Yi nodded.

"In that case, die!"

Bi Deming threw a punch, and the beams of light converged rapidly onto his arm, forming a Seven-Star Array.

*Boom!*

The punch struck out, causing the air to emit a muffled thud. The sharp, cutting wind blew away the nearby chairs and tables.

Lin Yi’s expression remained unchanged. He suddenly reached out his palm and, the moment Bi Deming’s fist arrived, gripped his wrist.

*Crack!*

Lin Yi applied pressure, and before Bi Deming could react, he shattered the bones in his wrist. Lin Yi then kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying four meters away.

Liao Mei’s pupils shrank. She hadn't expected Bi Deming to be defeated in a single move without even the chance to resist.

Bi Deming landed on the ground, furious and humiliated. He didn't care about the pain; the real issue was that Liao Mei was watching. Lin Yi had made him lose face so thoroughly that Bi Deming wanted nothing more than to tear him to shreds.

Bi Deming stood up, looking at Lin Yi with a cold, sinister gaze. Liao Mei ran over and asked, "Hey, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. The brat has immense strength; I was just caught off guard."

Bi Deming made an excuse for himself and took a bone-mending pill from his storage bag.

"Why were you so careless? Rest for a moment, let me test his weight," Liao Mei said.

"No need. This is a battle between men. Such minor injuries are something I'm long accustomed to."

Bi Deming finished speaking, raised his palm, and the seven beams of light behind him floated into the air.

"Interception Array!"

Though these seven beams formed individual arrays, they could also be combined into others. The Interception Array was a killing formation of infinite power; even a Spirit Venerable would be trapped within it for at least a few seconds. While a few seconds might not seem like long, in a duel between masters, a single instant could determine life or death.

As the Interception Array activated, the temperature in the entire living room plummeted, and strands of killing intent began to condense. An ordinary person touched by a sliver of this intent would feel as if they had fallen into an icy abyss, and those with a weak will would be scared into unconsciousness on the spot.

*Whoosh!*

Suddenly, a beam of white light, condensed from pure killing intent, slashed toward Lin Yi’s neck.

Lin Yi did not dodge or evade. Before the white light could touch him, it was completely neutralized by a faint layer of protective true essence.

"You have some skill. Too bad, the true power of the Interception Array has only just begun," Bi Deming sneered.

As the words left his lips, white light began to manifest throughout the entire living room—dense and overwhelming, as if ten thousand swords were suspended in the air.