202: Chapter 202 Sun Lin's Fall, and the Price!

"Hold on... hold on a little longer..."

Sun Lin stood before her, his internal spiritual power already burning to its limit.

But the attacks came one after another, endless and inexhaustible.

Having just repelled one wave of attacks, they saw the Taiqing Sect's fire spirit puppet arrive on the battlefield, charging toward this location!

Although Shi Mo and Shi Pan had high cultivation levels, they had only managed to delay it for a little more than half an incense stick of time. After all, this thing was infused with the Ziyang True Fire of a Golden Core Master; its combat power far exceeded the Foundation Establishment level and was comparable to the False Core realm.

Shi Mo's left shoulder had been blasted through by a fire fist, dripping with blood. Shi Pan's rocky outer shell was mostly shattered, revealing the scorched, blackened flesh beneath.

The two giant bears blocked the final strike with their lives, only to be swatted away by the fire spirit puppet's palm, eventually crashing into the water and withdrawing from the battle...

With no one to block it, the fire spirit puppet strode toward Sun Yao.

Sun Lin turned his head and glanced at Sun Yao, who was in the midst of gathering heaven and earth qi. He did not hesitate.

"Disciple!" he roared. "Protect your Junior Martial Uncle Yao well!"

Sun Lin turned around and charged straight at the fire spirit puppet.

He had no extraordinary trump card Magic Treasure in his hand, but he still rushed forward, forming Dao seals with his hands, his spiritual power surging out recklessly.

The ground cracked open once again. This time, it was not a wooden wall, but a giant tree!

The giant tree rose from beneath the stony ground, its canopy like a cover, its branches as thick as city pillars. This was a secret technique called: Spirit Wood Incarnation!

Using his own blood essence as a catalyst, he birthed the Spirit Wood, connecting it to the caster's spiritual power, sharing the same life and death.

The giant tree's branches, like arms, wrapped around the fire spirit puppet.

The fire spirit puppet slammed its fist into the trunk, sending wood splinters flying and charring the trunk black. Yet the giant tree was endless; it grew as soon as it broke, wrapped as soon as it was loosened, tightly binding the fire spirit puppet's torso, refusing to let go.

"Burn then... burn for as long as you can!"

Sun Lin gritted his teeth, his hands continuously forming seals. His blood essence turned into a blood mist, merging into the giant tree's roots. The tree grew thicker and thicker, and cyan patterns appeared on its bark.

He was overdrawing his Lifespan. A Wood Dao Cultivator driving the Spirit Wood Incarnation already had to pay the price of blood essence; now, he was even sacrificing his Lifespan. For every extra breath he held on, he lived one year less.

The fire spirit puppet struggled more and more violently, its purple-red flames burning the giant tree's branches and leaves into flying ashes... Yet as the ashes fell, new branches and leaves grew wildly from the breaks. Burning and growing, withering and flourishing.

Sun Lin's hair was visibly turning white. Just a moment ago, there were only a few white hairs at his temples, but in the blink of an eye, half his head had turned white, and wrinkles emerged one after another on his face.

"Master!" Lu Xun, watching from behind, felt his eyes redden.

"Don't worry about me!" Sun Lin roared without looking back, "Protect your Junior Martial Uncle Yao for me; that is what you should be doing!"

But the fire spirit puppet was, after all, a Golden Core level tool. The giant tree held on for about half an incense stick of time before finally reaching its limit. With a loud explosion, the fire spirit puppet's arms surged, and the Ziyang True Fire transformed into a fire lotus, blowing the giant tree apart from the inside!

The trunk shattered into pieces, and charred wood splinters flew in all directions. Sun Lin coughed up a large mouthful of blood. The Spirit Wood Incarnation collapsed, and the backlash of power poured into his body along the spiritual power bond, shattering his internal organs inch by inch.

He knelt on the ground, supporting himself with his sword hilt, refusing to fall. His gaze was still fixed behind him. The beam of heaven and earth qi was rapidly shrinking; clearly, Sun Yao had successfully collected the heaven and earth qi. It was all worth it!

It's done... Sun Lin grinned, revealing an ugly smile.

The fire spirit puppet had walked up to him, its raised fire fist about to smash down!

"Is this the end..." Sun Lin whispered. He did not close his eyes. When a Cultivator faces death, they should do so with eyes open; it would be living up to this life...

At that moment, the fire fist descended. A black shadow charged across and knocked the fire spirit puppet away. It was Sun Qiyan who had arrived!

Sun Qiyan's entire body was covered in thick earth armor, but by now, the armor was mostly shattered, revealing the bloody, mangled body beneath. He had just been on the other side, resisting the attacks of the Haoran Sect Disciples. Though covered in wounds, he had still risked his life to rush over.

"Third Master, let's retreat first!" Sun Qiyan hoisted Sun Lin onto his shoulder and retreated toward the rear.

But the fire spirit puppet did not care about that. Seeing the targets trying to run, it pursued them directly, wanting to smash them both to death right there! The next instant, it smashed a fist toward Sun Qiyan's back.

Sun Lin gave a miserable laugh, used his last ounce of strength to push Sun Qiyan away, and turned back to block the blow head-on.

In an instant, the fire fist shattered his Magic Treasure sword and pierced through his chest cavity! The Ziyang True Fire exploded inside him, burning his internal organs to ash.

Sun Lin was pinned in place, his feet off the ground, suspended on the fire spirit puppet's fist. He looked down at the large, charred hole in his chest, then looked up at the sky—the sky of this Secret Realm... for some reason, it was bluer than the one outside.

"This life... it wasn't too bad..." His mouth twitched, but no sound could come out. Thus—Sun Lin, died!

Sun Lin had fallen, his body suspended above the fire fist. His gradually dimming eyes reflected the azure firmament of the Secret Realm, and also reflected Sun Yao's face, twisted with grief.

Time seemed to be gripped by an invisible hand at this moment. The clamor of the battlefield, the roar of Spells, and the dying wails all faded away. In Sun Yao's ears, only the heavy, drum-like beating of her own heart remained.

The heaven and earth qi had entered her Qi Sea. The gentle Cloud Dao Origin, however, was now like a red-hot branding iron, scorching every inch of her meridians.

"Sun Lin—!" Sun Yao's mournful cry pierced the battlefield. In her fury, she gripped her sword with both hands, condensing the myriad phenomena of the cloud sea onto the blade, and swung the most unwilling sword strike of her life!

One strike. Just one strike. The Cloud Dao rhyme poured out, transforming into a hundred-foot sword radiance that slashed horizontally, cutting through the firmament and the sea of clouds, striking at all the invading enemies!

In the distance, Fang Zeyuan's expression changed drastically. He held his emerald bamboo flute horizontally to block, and more than a dozen water curtains layered themselves in front of him. This female Cultivator had clearly decided to risk her life!

"This female Cultivator cannot be underestimated!"