As the flying boat left the mountain range behind, Lin Yan and the others intensified their attacks.
However, the beast's strength was too great, and Lin Yan had to conceal her own power, making their fight incredibly arduous.
Gradually, wounds began to appear on their bodies. Even more so, they resorted to trading blows, inflicting damage on themselves to injure the giant beast.
Since Lin Yan was the main force, she bore the brunt of the injuries. Finally, at the cost of severe wounds, Lin Yan thrust her sword into the beast's vital point.
In its violent struggle, the beast directly sent Lin Yan flying, crashing into the mountain wall.
"Senior Sister!" a junior disciple behind her called out anxiously.
A disciple quickly flew over, attempting to block Lin Yan's momentum as she hit the mountain, but failed.
The other disciples subdued the beast until its struggles weakened and it finally fell from the sky.
As she collided with the mountain wall, Lin Yan deactivated her protective true qi. Under the immense impact, she coughed up a mouthful of blood and lost consciousness.
The disciple who had flown over rushed to support Lin Yan, calling her name with great concern.
Their spiritual roots were incompatible, and the spiritual energy of sword cultivators was sharp. He dared not easily examine Lin Yan's body for fear of worsening her injuries.
As the battle here subsided, a disciple from the flying boat flew back. Seeing the beast dead and their Senior Sister in a coma, he immediately sent a telepathic message for the flying boat to return.
After the flying boat returned, Lin Yan was carried to her room.
Someone produced a high-grade healing pill and placed it directly into Lin Yan's mouth. This was his last remaining pill, but seeing how gravely injured Lin Yan was, it was unlikely to fully restore her.
Disciples went down to retrieve the beast's carcass. Afterward, they gathered outside Lin Yan's room, concerned about her condition.
"Uncle-Master Chang Yuan is back!"
As the voice rang out, the disciples parted to allow Elder Chang Yuan to pass.
Elder Chang Yuan was somewhat disheveled but unharmed. He walked to Lin Yan's bedside.
After examining Lin Yan's body, he told the other disciples, "Your Senior Sister is severely injured. She will likely require a long period of recuperation, or it might affect her foundation."
Though Lin Yan's apparent injuries were severe, her internal condition was not as dire. She simply needed a reason, a reason to withdraw from the grand competition.
"Is Senior Sister this badly hurt?"
"It's all my fault. If only my strength were greater..."
"Blame me. That blow was meant for me. If Senior Sister hadn't blocked it, I would have been the one injured!"
The Golden Core disciples lowered their heads, filled with regret.
"Enough. Return and recover from your injuries. Since you regret it, then cultivate diligently. Improving your strength is paramount!" Chang Yuan could not stand their self-pity.
He then threw them a bottle of pills and sent them away.
"I need to heal your Senior Sister. Don't get in the way here!"
"Yes, Uncle-Master Chang Yuan." Hearing Elder Chang Yuan's words, they glanced at Lin Yan on the bed with concern before leaving together.
Once everyone had departed, Lin Yan opened her eyes.
"You're done acting?" Chang Yuan used his spiritual power to pull over a chair and sat down opposite the bed.
Lin Yan weakly sat up. "Thank you, Uncle-Master, for fulfilling my wish!"
"Alright, although your injuries are not as severe as they appear, you still need to be careful. That Violet Flame Beast had tough skin and iron bones. When it injured you, it left internal energy."
Lin Yan detected the concern in Elder Chang Yuan's voice. "Uncle-Master, I will recuperate properly."
Although being injured by the Violet Flame Beast would leave internal energy, for Lin Yan, who was already at the Nascent Soul stage, it was merely a minor inconvenience.
"Good, as long as you know what you're doing." Elder Chang Yuan felt that this Xiao Wangshu was quite mad.
He had expected her to choose other demonic beasts, but never did he imagine she would choose a pair of Violet Flame Beasts. After all, the moment he made his move, he realized one Violet Flame Beast had already reached level eight and was close to level nine.
The other Violet Flame Beast was also level eight, equivalent to the late Nascent Soul stage. He couldn't end his fight with that beast quickly, which meant he couldn't return to provide immediate assistance.
And Lin Yan and the others facing the other Violet Flame Beast were in mortal danger if they were not careful.
A Violet Flame Beast at the late Nascent Soul stage was an impossible opponent for a Golden Core sword cultivator. That was why he thought Lin Yan was "mad"!