Wang Lin calmly retracted his long sword.
At this moment, more than half of Tuiyun Valley had already collapsed, and the silence once again returned to this land.
He had said it himself: the chance was only given once. For evil cultivators, reasoning with them was the greatest absurdity in the world.
If it weren't for a strict requirement from the Tianyan Sect, he might not have even said that one sentence.
The evil cultivators who had resisted before him had all been slain. Although some had surrendered midway, Wang Lin gave them no second chance.
However, he did not kill them all.
An evil cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage who had been struck by the long-range Divine Manifestation Supreme Pure Sword at the start of the battle had not died, only heavily wounded. Wang Lin could still sense him breathing with his divine sense.
Wang Lin sheathed his sword and raised a hand to control his spiritual energy, directly pulling the still-breathing evil cultivator over. He then thrust his sword straight through the evil cultivator's Qi Sea.
The evil cultivator's chest had already been sliced open. The lingering power of the Divine Manifestation Supreme Pure Sword was still destroying the body's attempts to heal itself.
Wang Lin's tone was calm, as if it had nothing to do with him: "There is only one chance. I ask, you answer."
The evil cultivator slightly raised his eyes to look at Wang Lin, feeling his Qi Sea being wildly stirred and wantonly destroyed within his body. He said nothing, only giving a sneer.
To the victor go the spoils, and to the vanquished, defeat. Rather than beg for his life and die in utter disgrace, what good days could he possibly have left if he were taken back to the Tianyan Sect alive?
It was better to seek a quick end, to be done with it all.
Wang Lin was very accommodating. He raised the spiritual sword in his hand, preparing to grant this evil cultivator his wish.
"Wait a moment!"
Li Yingling had been watching for a moment, thinking that the Tianyan Sect disciple had some unique interrogation technique. To her surprise, he had no intention of interrogating at all.
It was as if he were just going through the motions.
Wang Lin stopped his movements and looked at Li Yingling, asking with a hint of confusion, "Is there something wrong?"
Li Yingling stepped forward and asked, "Aren't you going to interrogate him? What if there's some important information? Meng Jun still hasn't been found, has he?"
Wang Lin explained, "I've never learned any interrogation techniques, and it's difficult for me to tell if what he says is true or false. I can't very well bring him back to the Tianyan Sect for questioning, can I?"
"Then you could have asked if my junior brother and I could."
Li Yingling was speechless. How could a disciple of the Tianyan Sect seem so dim-witted?
Wang Lin's face showed a look of realization, and his gaze then fell on Li Xingtian, who was searching the corpses nearby.
If all went according to plan, this quasi-evil cultivator should be quite skilled in interrogation, or at least in the art of torture.
Li Xingtian, who had casually stuffed the unclaimed spatial ring into his pocket, noticed the gaze and said helplessly, "I'm really not an evil cultivator, nor do I know any interrogation techniques."
Wang Lin's gaze calmly returned to Li Yingling—your junior brother doesn't intend to perform, can I get on with it now?
However, his expression changed in an instant.
Because Li Yingling had pulled a certain type of pill from the spatial ring that he found somewhat familiar...
Wang Lin pursed his lips, his expression slightly losing its composure. He really hadn't expected to see something like this here.
He asked in disbelief, "You... is that a Perfect Great Tonic Pill?"
Li Yingling looked slightly puzzled: "Hmm? You know it?"
Wang Lin rephrased his words, his tone serious as he asked, "Is this Elder Bai's version of the Perfect Great Tonic Pill?"
This unusual act caused Li Xingtian to stop as well, his gaze filled with confusion.
Li Yingling didn't hesitate, giving a firm nod.
Her master had indeed sold the Perfect Great Tonic Pill to Bai Xuanling. It was correct to call it Bai Xuanling's version if a Tianyan Sect disciple recognized it.
Wang Lin glanced at Li Xingtian, who had claimed almost all the spoils of war. Someone who could use a Perfect Great Tonic Pill to interrogate an evil cultivator shouldn't look so impoverished.
However, he still kindly advised, "This item is priceless and hard to come by even in the Tianyan Sect. It's extremely precious. Is it a waste to use it on an evil cultivator?"
Precious?
Li Yingling thought of the dozen or so bottles still in her spatial ring...
The ones she had eaten while her master was refining pills, plus the two a day that Yuan Kong took...
Given her master's current cultivation level, refining this stuff probably had to be done by the basinful. With so many pills from her master, Li Yingling hadn't dared to eat a single one.
Hmm... or rather, the people who dared to eat it were truly precious.
And so, under Wang Lin's astonished and regretful gaze, Li Yingling directly used her spiritual energy to force the Perfect Great Tonic Pill into the mouth of the still-living evil cultivator.
"Just one Perfect Great Tonic Pill. If we can extract information and resolve this dangerous matter safely, it's worth it."
Wang Lin didn't comment. After all, it was their choice. For the first time, he looked at the evil cultivator with a hint of sympathy.
After all, as someone who had eaten Elder Bai's version of the Perfect Great Tonic Pill, the memory was still fresh in Wang Lin's mind.
Previously, when Wang Lin acted, he never said anything like "surrender and you will be spared."
But ever since he disdainfully ate a Perfect Great Tonic Pill in the Punishment Hall...
When he was out and about, the rules of the Tianyan Sect were his code of conduct.
The requirements of the Tianyan Sect were ironclad commands!
Soon, as Wang Lin had predicted, a miserable scream echoed throughout Tuiyun Valley.
Just by listening to this scream, Wang Lin felt goosebumps all over his body.
This Perfect Great Tonic Pill was truly unforgettable...
The evil cultivator's eyes widened with rage as he loudly cursed and roared, "What kind of technique is this?! What kind of technique is this! You are the evil cultivators! You are the evil cultivators!"
Li Yingling took out another pill, her face ice-cold as she said, "You're right. We are evil cultivators. I have plenty of pills to play with you here. The question is whether you have the ability to last."
Wang Lin shook his head slightly—how could a mere evil cultivator possibly last? The effects of this pill were something even their own Sect Leader had not been able to withstand.
Li Xingtian saw this scene and also silently shook his head—he was someone who had eaten his master's pills three times.
Once, it was even a flour pill.
It could be said that no one understood the terrifying nature of his master's pills better than he did.
But just as Wang Lin and Li Xingtian thought it would take some time, two auras of the Divine Manifestation Supreme Pure Sword suddenly erupted from deep within Tuiyun Valley.
No one paid any attention to the evil cultivator as they all turned to look.
They saw a purple, bewitching flower bud's phantom rapidly expand, blotting out the sky.
Li Xingtian instantly recognized it and exclaimed, "It's the Flower of Dreams!"
As his voice fell, the purple flower bud slowly opened, and pale-purple energy ripples spread out in all directions.
Without hesitation, Wang Lin first sent the still-screaming evil cultivator away on the spot.
After all, the Flower of Dreams had already bloomed. The interrogation was no longer necessary. Now, with an enemy barely clinging to life, it could introduce variables.
Wang Lin's gaze fell on the Tianyan Sect disciple and he instructed:
"You stay and protect them. At the same time, contact the Sect to send reinforcements. If the situation changes and the scope is about to engulf you, do not come to my aid. Retreat directly."
"Squad leader! I..."
"Obey my order. Or do you want to eat a Perfect Great Tonic Pill too?"
"Yes..."
Li Xingtian reached out and stopped Wang Lin, who was about to leave.
"I'm going too."
"Don't take this as an offense, but you are only at the Golden Core stage. Going would be of no help. I have already memorized your method for breaking dreams in the dream realm, and time is of the essence..."
Li Xingtian interrupted, "Take me with you. It will be far more useful than you think. With something this sinister, a higher cultivation level isn't always what matters."
Wang Lin took a deep breath and said, "The situation is wrong. I might not be able to protect you."
"You might be the one saving me." Li Xingtian summoned his Spirit Treasure and then looked at his senior sister, saying, "Senior sister, this time, you really have to listen to your junior brother."
Li Yingling took a deep breath, understanding the situation. At critical moments, sometimes the only thing to do is not to be a burden.
She patted her junior brother and said seriously, "Don't get too cocky. Be careful. Remember what Master gave you."
Li Xingtian gave a slight nod, then rose and went with Wang Lin toward the Flower of Dreams.
Li Yingling watched the two of them leave and silently took out a summoning talisman from her spatial ring—Master's summoning talisman.
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