Lincon, now freed from Prince Heng's body, moved more agilely. His lips moved silently as if he were speaking to himself, but his voice was too faint for me and Bajun to hear from our distance.
After mumbling the last word, Lincon’s pores emitted a grayish-black aura that spread outward, while his face turned ashen. From my perspective, there was no life left in him; he could no longer be considered alive. This should be the technique depicted on the Heavenly Dao Scroll where yin and yang were reversed.
Lincon's wounds started to heal rapidly before our eyes. Bajun looked at Lincon’s transformation expressionlessly, then turned to me and said: "Chile, whether dead or alive, your weapon suppresses him. Even if we both die today, we must take him with us."
The scene had left me resigned to my fate. I laughed cynically at Bajun before gritting my teeth and saying, "I never intended to survive! Let's go down together!"
Following the example from our first encounter in the Deadman’s Pantheon, I drew blood by slicing my finger with a short sword and smeared it on the blade.
Even this lifeless Lincon stopped. He coldly watched as I did this. Suddenly, he opened his mouth wide and expelled a blast of grayish-black aura that hit me like an arrow. Just as I was about to confront him, a series of thuds came from behind Lincon.
We paused and looked at each other. The Bureau of Investigation must have arrived; this was my first thought. But I quickly dismissed it. If the Bureau of Investigation had come, it would be Yang Xiao or Yang Jun. With their skills, they could easily dispel the soul-devouring smoke through the cave entrance and enter without any tricks. However, with things changing suddenly, Bajun and I decided not to rush into battle; maybe there was a sudden chance for us.
Lincon’s attention was drawn by these unexpected sounds. Unlike me and Bajun, he seemed to know where they were coming from. The frequency of the thuds increased, accompanied by growls that grew louder.
It was clear Lincon was uneasy about these growls. He frequently glanced behind him, planning to take advantage when we distracted. Just as I was about to strike, Bajun stopped me and said: "Let's see what happens; it looks like the Lin family is in trouble..."
As Bajun spoke, Lincon suddenly refocused on us, turning sharply. A faint aura of death spread from his body, indicating his growing impatience. He seemed to prioritize something over dealing with us first.
Lincon growled and gathered the surrounding grayish-black aura inward before sending it outward in an instant. The entire cave was filled with blood mist and the aura of death. Bajun and I retreated to the entrance where the air was less thick, allowing us to hold out a bit longer until he made a mistake.
Lincon stared at Bajun and me with his pale eyes, suddenly reaching out with both hands as if to grab us. My neck tightened; it felt like something was grasping me. I struggled to break free but the tighter I fought, the closer my throat became to being choked. In moments, my airway was completely blocked.
Ignoring the aura of death in the cave, I opened my mouth and gasped for breath, but no air entered my lungs. Bajun fared little better; his face had turned a dark color, and his tongue hung out. His hands frantically clawed at his neck, but to no avail.
It was too late to fight Lincon now. I staggered a few steps before falling to the ground. As we were about to meet our end, a loud rumble echoed from within the cave chamber. A thick cloud of smoke erupted, enveloping Lincon. The fear that Lincon had anticipated finally came true; he let go, and Bajun and I narrowly escaped with our lives.