《Martial Law God Emperor》 Chapter 1: Did I Transverse Through Time? "Uh, where am I?" Shaking his groggy head, Li Lin felt his surroundings were damp, and his entire body ached to the point of numbness. A cold wind was blowing, causing him to shiver uncontrollably. Thinking of this, Li Lin felt a chill on his scalp and hurriedly opened his eyes, only to find darkness all around. In the sky above, there was a crescent moon. Moments later, with the faint moonlight, he saw that he was in a pond, and it seemed to be deep into the night. "Ah..." A scream induced by a headache ensued. Li Lin felt as if an inexplicable force was colliding with his mind, and then he passed out again. As the sky slightly brightened, Li Lin slowly woke up, contemplating the piece of news he had just received in his mind, almost passing out again! "I must be incredibly lucky to have traversed through time. Is this a dream?" Li Lin widened his eyes and looked around. From the information in his mind and having read countless transmigration novels, Li Lin was certain that he had traveled through time. This opportunity was even rarer than winning a billion-dollar lottery, yet he had encountered it. Li Lin recalled that he had just graduated from a third-rate university and found a menial office job. While helping the offices old lady photocopy documents, who knew the photocopier would leak electricity, and his luck would make him travel through time. With no attachments or prospects in his previous life, maybe transversing was a good thing. Perhaps he could make a name for himself in this new world. Based on the transmigration novels he read, those who transversed never fared badly; they either had numerous wives and concubines or were unparalleled in a different world. At the very least, they were rich and powerful. He hoped he wouldn''t be too unlucky. Having confirmed his transmigration, Li Lin felt no reluctance, but rather a sense of liberation. In his previous life, he was neither a government official''s nor a rich person''s child, nor a celebrity''s child. His future was utterly bleak. "Where is this place, and why did I transverse to such a dreadful location?" Li Lin looked around, thinking about the memories in his mind that weren''t his own. Moments later, Li Lin felt a suicidal urge, wondering if he could transverse again. Others would transverse into a young master or a prince, or at least a handsome and elegant scion of a powerful family. However, in his transversed life, he was indeed a young master, surprisingly also named Li Lin, only sixteen this year. But this young master was an illegitimate child, his status in the family lower than even the servants. He had a mother who was originally a slave in the family. After giving birth to the young master, she suffered even more oppression from the legitimate wife and led a life worse than a slave. This mother and son were often bullied by people in the family, even the servants didn''t take them seriously, especially a few maids and servants around the legitimate wife, who had been humiliating them since childhood. Just yesterday, after the young master talked back a few words, he was brutally beaten and accidentally killed. In panic, those people probably didn''t know where they had thrown the young master''s body, which ended up in the pond under a cliff. Now, Li Lin, with his extraordinary luck, had transversed into this young master''s body. Thinking of his pitiable situation after transversing, Li Lin felt like crying without tears. Was his luck good or bad? He hadn''t done anything particularly good in his previous life, so his luck probably wasn''t great either. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Since he was here, Li Lin had no choice. He had narrowly escaped death and couldn''t just die again. Anyway, surviving was a blessing, and hopefully, surviving a great disaster would bring great fortune. "Considering we share the name Li Lin, and I''m using your body, I''ll help you avenge your grievances if I get a chance. I''ll take care of your mother from now on," Li Lin murmured to himself. As soon as Li Lin finished speaking, his mind suddenly cleared, as if a turbid air had instantly dispersed from his mind. "It seems your grievances are deep. I, Li Lin, will find an opportunity to avenge you," Li Lin said, looking up at the sky. After speaking, Li Lin had to face a realistic problem. He was still lying diagonally in the pond, seemingly leaning against a dead tree. The pond was freezing, probably due to the severe winter weather. Perhaps he was already numb from the cold, as he felt little sensation while soaking in the pond. Struggling to swim to the edge of the pond, Li Lin couldn''t help but curse inwardly. His legs seemed to be broken, and his arms, initially fine, now felt fractured after exerting a little effort. He couldn''t use any strength in his upper body. Moving to the edge of the pond was impossible, let alone moving a little bit. "Oh heavens, don''t do this to me." Li Lin cursed helplessly at the sky, completely unable to move and seemingly destined to freeze to death. "Swoosh..." A swishing sound entered Li Lin''s ears, resembling the movement of an animal swimming rapidly in the water. "Could it be a demonic beast?" A terrifying thought flashed through Li Lin''s mind. From the information left in his mind, he knew that this world was entirely different from his original one. It was a world where martial arts were revered, vast and boundless, inhabited by demonic and spiritual beasts, as well as warriors and spirit masters. Warriors and spirit masters held extremely high status in this world, especially spirit masters, whose status was supremely exalted. However, the young master he had transversed into was incapable of becoming a warrior or a spirit master, which is why his status in the family was so pitiful, even lower than that of a servant. "Screech..." Just as Li Lin was pondering whether a demonic beast was approaching him, a screeching sound came from above, followed by what seemed like a passing cloud of darkness, and a gigantic bird, hundreds of meters in size, appeared in the sky. The giant bird, with its wings spread wide, circled directly above Li Lin. It resembled an eagle, with blue feathers and white down on its belly. Its curved talons gleamed coldly, and it was staring intently at Li Lin. "A demonic beast. Have I just transversed only to become the meal of this creature?" Li Lin was incredibly surprised, never having seen such a giant eagle in his previous life. He could only helplessly smile in despair, unable to move while the demonic beast was about to devour him. "Swoosh, swoosh..." Li Lin felt something rapidly moving and jumping behind him, with the sensation of wings flapping against the water surface, creating waves and causing him to drift forward. "Screech, screech..." The giant eagle in the sky let out a shriek, its eyes flashing fiercely. With a flap of its wings, it created a strong gust of wind and dove down, its talons contracting and then extending swiftly, striking down like lightning. "I am doomed." Li Lin''s heart sank, resigned to becoming the meal of a demonic beast just after transversing. Such bad luck! "Swoosh..." Just as Li Lin was in despair, suddenly, a black flash passed in front of his eyes. A shadow leaped from behind him, moving too fast for him to see clearly. It was a gigantic flying demonic beast, hundreds of meters in size, resembling a bat, with pure white fur. As it faced Li Lin, it appeared to have a massive gash on its belly, bleeding profusely, likely injured. "Bang! Bang!" In that instant, the two gigantic demonic beasts collided in the sky. Continuous screeching and squawking filled the air. Li Lin, lying helplessly in the pond and swaying with the water, was unable to move. After several collisions, Li Lin saw the giant eagle retract its talons and flap its wings, creating a huge gust of wind and fiercely attacking the bat-like demonic beast. "Squeak, squeak." The bat-like demonic beast let out a squeal, and to Li Lin''s astonishment, it exhaled a white mist from its mouth. As the white mist sprayed out, a bone-chilling coldness spread through the air, rapidly freezing the entire pond into ice. The giant eagle was instantly frozen mid-air, then its huge body plummeted straight down. "Bang..." The giant eagle crashed onto the ice surface ahead, shattering it and creating cracks. The bat-like demonic beast, now appearing extremely weak, slowly moved towards the fallen giant eagle on the ice. "Crack." Li Lin saw the bat-like demonic beast open its sharp mouth, revealing rows of sharp fangs, and tore open the giant eagle''s belly. A baby fist-sized, translucent blue orb, stained with a trace of blood, rolled out onto the ice. Chapter 2: The Bat Demonic Beast "A demon core, only a fourth-order demonic beast would possess a demon core." From the memories in his mind, Li Lin knew that a demon core would only appear in a demonic beast of at least the fourth order. Beasts of the third order or lower would not produce a demon core, and these cores seemed to be particularly valuable. "Screech..." Just as the giant eagle revealed its demon core after being torn open by the bat demonic beast, the giant eagle suddenly burst into flames all over its body. In an instant, its body thawed from the ice. Then, with its sharp beak, it pecked at the bat demonic beast''s wounded abdomen. Blood gushed out, and another blood-stained, softly glowing orb, the size of a baby''s fist, also fell onto the ice. "Another demon core?" Li Lin was amazed. It was extremely rare to encounter demonic beasts of the fourth order or above, yet he had stumbled upon two under this cliff. "Whimper." Under the pain, the bat demonic beast let out a mournful cry and fiercely bit the neck of the giant eagle, breaking it. A gush of fresh blood spurted out, and the giant eagle was now completely dead. At this point, the icy surface of the surrounding water began to melt again. Li Lin was shivering from the cold, his lips pale, and his face ashen. His body was almost rigid. Watching the two gigantic demonic beasts battle had been like watching a 3D movie, utterly astonishing. "Squeak, squeak..." On the water surface, the huge bat demonic beast, holding both demon cores in its mouth, flapped its wings and slowly approached Li Lin. "This is trouble," Li Lin thought as he saw the bat-like demonic beast approaching him, despair filling his heart. The beast''s eyes, fixed on him, showed no malice but rather a hint of pleading. "Do you need my help?" Li Lin ventured, knowing that high-order demonic beasts like this one were sentient and possessed a certain level of intelligence. "Squeak, squeak!" Hearing Li Lin''s words, the bat demonic beast made a joyful squeaking sound from its throat and nodded slightly, as if responding to Li Lin. It really understands me, Li Lin thought, stunned. In the past, such an encounter would have scared him, but now, having transversed to another world, what was there to be surprised about? "Look at me, demonic beast brother. I can hardly save myself, how can I help you?" Li Lin said to the bat demonic beast with a bitter smile. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. "Squeak, squeak." As if understanding Li Lin''s words, the bat demonic beast lowered its head and looked at him, then emitted a deep sound and leaped onto the water surface. With one of its claws, it pressed a paw print onto Li Lin''s abdomen, causing him to involuntarily open his mouth. "Gulp, gulp..." Before Li Lin could react, two orbs entered his mouth and dissolved into a hot and a cold liquid. The hot liquid burned like fire as it entered his body, making him feel as though he was on fire from within. The cold liquid instantly turned half of his body into ice. "Squeak, squeak..." After another squeak, the bat demonic beast''s eyes appeared more listless. Then, with another flap of its right wing, a dark yellow small snake, about ten centimeters long, wriggled out from under its feathers. "Squeak, squeak!" The bat demonic beast squeaked again, and the dark yellow snake, as if understanding, crawled onto Li Lin''s body and wriggled into his clothes through his neck. Seeing the dark yellow snake enter his clothes, the bat demonic beast seemed to have let go of a burden. It looked at Li Lin again, its eyes filled with a pleading gaze. At this moment, Li Lin was too overwhelmed to speak. Inside his body, the hot and cold energies were constantly colliding, causing him immense agony, like being trapped between ice and fire. He couldn''t even scream. Moments later, the already weak Li Lin could no longer endure and passed out on the water surface. He didn''t see that the edges of his body were emitting steam on one side and cold air on the other, his face half pale and half flushed. "Am I not dead yet?" When Li Lin woke up again, he opened his eyes to find himself still lying in the pond, leaning against a dead tree. "Ah, it''s healed." Li Lin moved his limbs slightly and found that his broken legs and hands had recovered completely, as if they were never injured. "Are you dead, demonic beast brother? Thank you." Li Lin then noticed the pure white bat demonic beast floating on the surface of the pond. Its massive, hundred-meter body was like a huge ship. Feeling the recovery of his body, Li Lin surmised that it was related to the two demon cores the bat demonic beast had fed him. These cores were said to be extremely precious and naturally had miraculous effects. "Your huge body, I cannot bury you, so let this cold pond be your tomb," Li Lin said as he climbed ashore, speaking to the corpse of the bat demonic beast in the pond. Then, he looked around, thinking of a way to leave the cliff. The Li family was definitely a major family in Qingyun Town. Mentioning the Li family, everyone in Qingyun Town knew them. The old master of the Li family was a powerful warrior, one of the most prominent figures in the entire Qingyun Town. Not only was the Li family a martial arts family, but they also ran many businesses in Qingyun Town and reportedly had branches in other towns. As night fell and the cold intensified, snowflakes began to drift down from the sky. A young figure emerged from the night, slender and wearing somewhat ragged clothes, with several torn edges fluttering in the cold wind, adding to his desolate appearance. "Is this the Li family?" the youth muttered as he approached a large mansion in Qingyun Town. The youth was none other than Li Lin, who had transversed to this world. Chapter 3: A Mothers Sole Dependence After climbing up the cliff, it took Li Lin three whole days. The cliff turned out to be a sheer drop outside the town. When he climbed up, Li Lin found himself unusually strong, as if he had endless energy. Otherwise, he probably couldnt have climbed it. The Li family mansion, with its high walls and extensive courtyards, reminded Li Lin of the architectural style of Suzhou gardens from his previous life. "Thud, thud..." Li Lin knocked on the Li family''s main gate, his stomach growling with hunger. With a "creak", the gate opened, and two servants in grey clothes and felt hats appeared. They seemed surprised to see Li Lin. "You should use the back entrance. The mistress has ordered that you cannot enter through the front gate," the servants said, glancing at Li Lin without much regard, and then closed the gate. "Those dog servants, still treating me like the old Li Lin. You''ll see," Li Lin spat in front of the Li family gate and reluctantly headed towards the back entrance. According to his memory, this Li Lin had never used the main entrance. Although he was a young master of the Li family, his mother was a lowly maid in the household. After his birth, she faced even more discrimination from his fathers first wife. His father dared not speak up, and his mother suffered endless humiliation. "Young Master Lin, youre finally back. You''ve been missing for five days. The second mistress was almost frantic with worry. Please go back quickly," an old, frail servant greeted Li Lin with a mix of concern and pity at the back door. "I know, Uncle Jiang," Li Lin responded, recognizing the old servant from his memory as Uncle Jiang, who had been kind to him besides his mother, caring for him since he was a child. "Eh, did I see wrong?" The old servant watched Li Lin''s departing figure, his grey eyes flashing with a rare sharpness, then returning to their usual dullness as he slowly closed the door. Li Lin walked through several long corridors to a low-lying courtyard, where the servants of the Li family lived. The Li family was one of the most prominent families in town, with two to three hundred servants and a total of about seven hundred direct and collateral family members. In front of a somewhat dilapidated courtyard, Li Lin hesitated for a moment before pushing open the door. "Lin, where have you been? Mother was so worried," a woman in her mid-thirties, wearing a light green silk shirt, appeared in the room. She was pretty, with a sharp face and long eyebrows, but her eyes were slightly swollen, seemingly from crying. The woman immediately approached Li Lin with concern, her eyes moistening again at the sight of his ragged appearance. "Mother, Im fine," Li Lin said, looking at the kind woman before him. Her son had died, but he couldnt reveal the truth. From now on, he would be her son. "Lin, tell mother where you''ve been these days. Why didnt you say anything before leaving?" the woman asked, holding Li Lin''s arms, relieved to see he was unharmed. "I had something to take care of, sorry for making you worry," Li Lin replied, unable to say that her son had been beaten to death and thrown into a ravine. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. "You must be hungry. Mother saved some delicious food for you." The kind and beautiful woman hurriedly brought over a few steamed buns and a bowl of meat dish. Li Lin could tell at a glance that the food was leftovers, but it was still decent. "This is clean. Uncle Jiang secretly took it from the kitchen. Eat up, it''s your favorite," the beautiful woman said to Li Lin, her eyes filled with kindness and a hint of apology. She whispered in a low voice, "It''s all because I''m useless, making you suffer since you were born. If I had known, I wouldn''t have brought you into this world." "Mother, it''s not your fault. From now on, your son will not let you suffer anymore." Seeing the eyes of this beautiful woman, Li Lin''s own eyes became moist. In his previous life, he grew up in an orphanage, deprived of maternal love. Perhaps his transmigration was a compensation from the heavens, giving him this rare maternal love. At this moment, Li Lin silently swore in his heart that from now on, she would be his mother, and he would not let her suffer again. "Good child, eat up. When you''re done, take off your clothes, and mother will mend them for you," the beautiful woman said, smiling happily at Li Lin. Li Lin was indeed quite hungry. He hurriedly devoured the steamed buns, consuming five in no time, and then returned to his room. "Having transmigrated, I should plan for myself," Li Lin murmured to himself, looking around the dilapidated room. He had a bleak future in his previous life, but now that he had the chance to start over, how could he settle for mediocrity? This was his second chance at life, a gift. If he didn''t accomplish something significant, he would be letting down the heavens. He had no power to change his previous life, but in this life, he was determined to achieve great things C to lie in the lap of beauties and to wield immense power. These were his desires. Thinking so, Li Lin felt as if the blood in his veins was boiling with ambition. "It seems, though you''ve lived a mediocre sixteen years, there''s a spirit of discontent buried in your blood. Don''t worry, I will fulfill it for you," Li Lin said softly. "I''m younger now." Sitting in front of an old, tarnished copper mirror in his room, Li Lin looked at his current appearance. He was supposed to be in his mid-twenties, but now he was just a sixteen-year-old C a gain indeed. "Although you lived an ordinary life and are not exceptionally handsome, you still have a certain charm," Li Lin observed his tall and lean figure, wheat-colored skin, and well-defined features, especially his star-like eyes. "Not bad, I quite like it," Li Lin smiled narcissistically, his thin lips curling up lazily, a hint of ambition lurking in his smile. "Now, it''s time to understand this world better." Li Lin lay on his bed, searching his memory for everything about this world. This was the Ling Wu Continent, vastly different from his previous world, a land where martial strength was revered, and spiritual power was esteemed, home to warriors and spirit practitioners. Warriors possessed immense strength, capable of moving mountains and shattering the void at a certain level. Their ranks were divided into several levels: Martial Disciple, Martial Warrior, Martial Master, Martial Soul, Martial General, Martial Commander, Martial King, Martial Venerable, and Martial Emperor. Spirit practitioners were enigmatic and powerful, capable of controlling the weather at a certain level. Their ranks were also divided into Spirit Disciple, Spirit Warrior, Spirit Master, Spirit Soul, Spirit General, Spirit Commander, Spirit King, Spirit Venerable, and Spirit Emperor. On this continent, reaching the level of Martial Commander or Spirit Commander meant absolute strength. The patriarch of the Li family, Li Lin''s grandfather whom he had never met, was said to be a Martial General. Besides warriors and spirit practitioners, the continent was home to demonic beasts and spirit beasts, formidable creatures that humans dared not provoke. Only the strongest warriors and spirit practitioners would dare to confront them, elevating their status on the Ling Wu Continent. "It seems I have to become a warrior or spirit practitioner. But why can''t I become one?" Li Lin pondered, recalling from his memory that his body had some issues with its meridians, making it impossible for him to become a warrior or spirit practitioner. If he could become a warrior or spirit practitioner, his and his mother''s status would not be lower than that of servants. "I must find a way to become a warrior or spirit practitioner. That''s the only way out," Li Lin thought to himself, determined to make a mark in this world through one of these two paths. "Ah, I almost forgot about you, little one." As Li Lin took off his tattered clothes to give them to his mother for cleaning, he noticed a pale yellow little snake coiled around his arm. Chapter 4: The Unfortunate Young Master "Hiss, hiss..." This pale yellow snake, about ten centimeters long, gazed at Li Lin with its round, beady eyes, flicking its tongue in and out. It then continued to coil around Li Lin''s arm, seemingly falling asleep. Li Lin carefully examined the pale yellow snake. Its body was covered with densely packed scales, shining with a smooth sheen. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that this snake seemed different from ordinary ones; it wasn''t entirely a common snake. "Beast Brother, you saved my life. I suppose I should take care of this little snake for you. I owe you a favor and will take good care of it," Li Lin said. If it hadn''t been for the bat-like beast that gave him two demonic pills at the cliff base, he might have frozen to death in the pond. After delivering his changed clothes to his mother, Li Lin returned to his room. As the young master of the Li family, the only thing that set him apart from the servants was that he and his mother lived alone in this rundown small courtyard, rather than sharing a room with three or four servants. He slept soundly through the night, not having slept for several days. That night, he slept deeply, even dreaming of several beauties, almost causing a nosebleed. "Master Lin, wake up, Master Lin." Li Lin was sleeping soundly when he heard a voice calling him. "Li XiaoBai, I''m dreaming," Li Lin recognized the voice as Li XiaoBai, a servant of the Li family who had the best relationship with him. Opening his eyes, Li Lin saw a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old boy standing before him, dressed as a servant. His attire was not much different from Li XiaoBai''s. The boy had a somewhat cunning look; to describe him positively, he was shrewd. "Master Lin, where have you been these past few days? Are you alright?" Li XiaoBai looked at Li Lin, eyeing him carefully and whispering, "I heard that Steward Zhao and others beat you up, then you disappeared. Did something happen? They didnt hurt you, did they?" Li Lin could tell that Li XiaoBai genuinely cared for him and replied, "Im fine. I''ll deal with them later." "Master Lin, you must be delirious. Youre okay, thats good, but dont think about confronting them. Are you seeking death?" Li XiaoBai said with concern. "Master..." Li Lin suddenly remembered that in his previous life, some places had the profession of ''young master'' and quickly said to Li XiaoBai, "Stop, dont call me ''master'' anymore." "If I don''t call you ''master,'' then what should I call you? In the entire Li family, only I and Uncle Jiang call you ''master.'' Have you grown too proud? Come on, eat. I brought you breakfast," Li XiaoBai glanced at Li Lin and then handed him a fried dough cake. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. "Don''t call me ''master,'' call me ''young master''," Li Lin said, feeling touched by Li XiaoBai''s concern. It seemed the previous Li Lin had such a brother, which was quite good. "Young master it is then. Eat up, we have to move some goods. Otherwise, Steward Zhao will definitely give us trouble," Li XiaoBai told Li Lin. "What goods are we moving?" Li Lin asked, puzzled. Li XiaoBai glanced at Li Lin and said, "Do you think you''re a real young master who doesn''t have to work? Today, the shop received a lot of goods, and we need to move them to the warehouse." "I was never really a young master," Li Lin said, realizing how hard his life as a ''young master'' had been. "Yes, young master, lets go," Li XiaoBai told Li Lin. Leaving the courtyard, the two headed towards the back door of the Li family residence, where the Li family''s business goods were stored. Not seeing his mother in the courtyard, Li Lin knew she must have gone to the laundry room in the backyard. Despite being the mother of a young master, his mother had no official status and continued to do the same tasks as a maid, suffering even more due to bullying. Li Lin knew he couldnt change anything yet, but he clenched his teeth, vowing in his heart to change everything as soon as possible. To do that, he must become a warrior or a spirit practitioner. According to the Li family''s rules, even a servant who officially becomes a Martial Disciple could immediately improve their status. Spirit practitioners were extremely rare; the Li family had only two or three, each treasured like a gem. "Quick, there''s Steward Zhao," Li XiaoBai suddenly said as they crossed several corridors. Near the back door, three figures stood C two dressed as servants, one as a steward. Li Lin observed the trio, remembering they were the ones who accidentally killed the original Li Lin and then secretly threw him off the cliff. Normally, they bullied him, but they wouldn''t dare kill him, as he still had the Li family''s blood. These three, two high-ranking servants and Steward Zhao, were brought from the first wife''s family. They had sinister eyes and were always against Li Lin and his mother. Li Lin glanced at them coldly, thinking that he must get rid of these three, a significant threat to him. They had frequently bullied him and his mother. However, the two high-ranking servants were Martial Disciples, and Steward Zhao was a Martial Warrior, against whom ten ordinary men wouldn''t stand a chance. Removing these three would be difficult. Li XiaoBai hurried Li Lin out the back, where over a thousand bags of goods were piled up, each looking quite heavy. Seeing Li Lin, Steward Zhao and the two servants were shocked. They exchanged looks, their faces paling. "Steward Zhao, how can this kid... He was clearly...," one of the three, a man in his thirties, whispered in surprise. "Don''t make a fuss; we might have been hasty and seen wrong. This kid has a strong life, surviving even after being thrown off a cliff. It''s good he''s not dead. The old master seems to be investigating these days, so lets not bother this kid for now. Let him have a few days of comfort," Steward Zhao whispered to the others. "Hey, why didn''t Steward Zhao give us trouble today?" Li XiaoBai remarked as he picked up a bag, seeming puzzled. Usually, Steward Zhao always looked for opportunities to trouble them. At this moment, next to the pile of goods, there were already dozens of servants carrying them together. When these servants saw Li Lin, they glanced at him briefly but didn''t pay much attention or bother with him. It was as if they treated Li Lin as if he were invisible. Nobody wanted to deal with Li Lin, for paying attention to him could lead to being ostracized by Steward Zhao. "It''s our luck," Li Lin said, thinking that the three must have been frightened by his apparent resurrection. Chapter 5: The Secret Chamber Lifting a bag of goods, Li Lin felt that it seemed to contain salt. Looking back at Li XiaoBai, who was struggling to lift a bag, he asked, "Is it very heavy?" "Young master, no, young sir, how come you suddenly got so strong? Each bag of salt weighs about 120 jin. You couldn''t lift them before," Li XiaoBai said in surprise, watching Li Lin effortlessly carry a bag of salt. "Is that so? I didn''t feel it was heavy," Li Lin was puzzled himself, remembering that he used to be unable to lift it, but now, this bag of salt felt like it only weighed thirty or forty jin on his shoulder and didn''t require much effort. "Your strength has really grown fast," Li XiaoBai said to Li Lin, and then the two followed the group of servants carrying salt to the warehouse. The warehouse was quite a distance from the back door. Walking along, Li Lin hadn''t carefully observed the Li family residence the night before. Now, as he looked around, he realized that the Li family''s compound was indeed large. The courtyards were connected, with glimmering glazed tiles. The area where he lived was just the backyard, while the direct members of the Li family resided in the front courtyard area, which looked luxurious and vast from a distance. At the back door, the elderly servant Uncle Jiang, who had always been quietly sitting by the door, watched Li Lin carry a few bags of salt back and forth, his expression emotionless. However, if one looked closely, they could see a fleeting sharpness in Uncle Jiang''s eyes. Old servant Uncle Jiang had been in the Li family for decades and held a high position among the senior servants. His real name was unknown; everyone just called him Uncle Jiang. Even Steward Zhao had to give him some respect. Usually, Uncle Jiang just guarded the back door and occasionally trimmed the flowers and plants in the backyard. It took more than twenty trips per person for dozens of servants to carry all the thousands of bags of salt to the warehouse, taking up the entire morning. By the time they carried the last bag, everyone was exhausted, except for Li Lin, who still felt energetic, as if the more he moved, the more energy he had. "Cough..." As Li Lin carried the last bag of salt through the back door, old servant Uncle Jiang slowly stood up and bumped into Li Lin, seemingly hit by him, and suddenly started coughing. "Uncle Jiang, are you alright?" Li Lin quickly supported Uncle Jiang''s hands. "Young Master Lin, I''m fine," the old servant Uncle Jiang said, steadying himself with Li Lin''s help. "Then I''ll go first. Be careful, Uncle Jiang," Li Lin said, feeling Uncle Jiang''s hand was warm. When he touched him, a warm current seemed to flow through his body. Li Lin didn''t think much of it and continued towards the warehouse. Li XiaoBai said there was nothing much to do in the afternoon. "Strange, how can this be? The technique has been activated, yet he still has the Yin-Yang Body," Uncle Jiang muttered to himself, watching Li Lin''s retreating figure. "You can''t become a warrior, so why do you want martial techniques?" After lunch, in Li Lin''s room, Li XiaoBai looked at Li Lin and asked. "I want to see if there''s a way to get it," Li Lin said. "I''m just a servant. How could I possibly get martial techniques? However, I do have an external martial technique book left by someone I share a room with. He has gone home for a family visit these days," Li XiaoBai said. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. "Bring it to me, let me have a look. An external martial technique is still a martial technique, after all," Li Lin said. "Alright, I''ll bring it to you later," Li XiaoBai replied. Li Lin had nothing to do that afternoon. To everyone in the Li family, he was invisible. He wandered around the backyard, but of course, this was only the backyard. He, as the young master of the Li family, couldn''t enter the front courtyard area where the direct members of the Li family lived. In the evening, Li XiaoBai brought a small booklet, which was the external martial technique. His mother also came back, looking tired. Seeing his mother''s weary face, Li Lin''s heart ached. It seemed she had a hard day. He knew he had to change everything as soon as possible. After talking with his mother for a while, Li Lin returned to his room and began to flip through the martial arts technique that Li XiaoBai had brought him. After perusing it, Li Lin couldn''t help but feel greatly disappointed. This external martial art technique was just like those two-yuan "Buddha''s Palm" books from his previous life, absolutely impossible to cultivate into an unparalleled divine skill. It contained only some simple moves, and was of no use. "How exactly can I become a martial artist?" Li Lin muttered to himself. To change his fate, he first needed to become a martial artist at the very least. "How come, you''re about to die, and you still want to be a martial artist?" Just then, a voice as faint as a mosquito''s buzz sounded in Li Lin''s ear. "Who''s there...?" Li Lin was startled and looked around his room, but he was the only one there. "If you don''t want to die, come to the firewood shed. Don''t alert anyone else," the voice continued in Li Lin''s ear, then disappeared. Li Lin felt this voice was somewhat familiar. Hesitating for a moment, he decided to go to the firewood shed. It concerned his life and death. Regardless of its authenticity, he had to check it out. The person who could speak into his ear undetected must be someone with great abilities. Taking advantage of the night, Li Lin quietly made his way to the firewood shed, which wasn''t far from where he lived. In the dead of night, no one was around. When Li Lin arrived at the firewood shed, he carefully checked his surroundings and saw no one outside. "Stop looking, come in quickly," the voice said again in Li Lin''s ear. "Who is it, a ghost?" Li Lin mustered his courage and pushed open the door of the firewood shed, then saw a familiar figure in the dim night light: "Uncle Jiang, is it you?" At this moment, Li Lin looked at the old servant Uncle Jiang, who didn''t appear as aged and frail as he had during the day. His eyes were bright, and he radiated an imposing aura, though his face was slightly pale. "Surprised, aren''t you? If it weren''t for the fact that I''ve watched you grow up and you have a kind heart, I wouldn''t bother saving you," the old servant Uncle Jiang said, looking at Li Lin. "Uncle Jiang, what do you mean by saving me? Why do you seem different than before?" Li Lin asked. "You''re on the brink of death, and you don''t even know it," the old servant said, looking at Li Lin. Li Lin, puzzled, looked at himself and said, "No way, I''m fine, Uncle Jiang, stop joking." Old servant Uncle Jiang chuckled and said, "I''m joking? Five, four, three, two, one..." As Uncle Jiang counted down, Li Lin was still confused when suddenly, a cold and hot current surged violently within his body, as if they were going to destroy his internal organs. "Ah..." Just as Li Lin was about to scream, his voice was not yet out when Uncle Jiang incredibly appeared in front of him. With a few taps on Li Lin''s chest and abdomen, the two massive currents inside his body quieted down and disappeared. "I wasn''t lying to you, was I?" Uncle Jiang said. "Uncle Jiang, what''s going on? You have to save me," Li Lin said, now convinced that Uncle Jiang was a legendary strongman, seemingly hiding his true capabilities in the Li family. The cold and hot currents in his body must have been caused by the two demonic pills. "Come with me," Uncle Jiang said, glancing at Li Lin. He then walked to a corner in the firewood shed, pressed somewhere, and suddenly a secret underground chamber appeared beneath the corner. Uncle Jiang walked into the secret chamber without paying attention to Li Lin''s surprised expression. Li Lin, still in shock, also entered the chamber. With a "swoosh," the door to the secret chamber closed. Inside the chamber, apart from a stone bed, there was nothing else in Li Lin''s view. Chapter 6: The Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique "Uncle Jiang, this place..." Seeing the secret chamber, Li Lin was astonished. In his memory, there was no such secret chamber in the firewood shed. "This place has always been under my supervision, so I created this secret chamber here for emergency use. Tell me honestly, what has happened these past few days? What''s with the cold and hot energies inside your body?" Uncle Jiang looked at Li Lin, his usual respectful demeanor towards Li Lin now replaced with more concern. "Well..." At this point, Li Lin didn''t dare to hide anything and recounted the entire incident at the cliff, naturally omitting the part about his transmigration, only mentioning that he miraculously survived. "A blue giant eagle that breathes fire, a white bat that emits cold air, could it be..." After hearing Li Lin''s story, Uncle Jiang fell into a state of confusion, then said to Li Lin, "What about that small snake you mentioned? Show it to me." "Here it is." Li Lin rolled up the sleeve of his right hand, revealing the pale yellow snake raising its head, and said to Uncle Jiang. "This, could it be..." Upon seeing the pale yellow snake, Uncle Jiang was immediately surprised, with an incredulous expression in his eyes. "I really didn''t expect this." Uncle Jiang looked at Li Lin with astonishment and said, "I''ve watched you since you were born and grow up in the Li family. But you''ve had a lowly life, and unexpectedly, you''ve got such good luck, encountering such a fortunate event." "Uncle Jiang, please be clearer. I don''t understand," Li Lin said. However, the original Li Lin''s life was indeed lowly, even worse than a servant''s. "You naturally wouldn''t understand," Uncle Jiang said. "I ask you, do you want to die, or do you want to make a name for yourself and stand tall in the world?" After speaking, a sharp glint flickered in Uncle Jiang''s eyes. "I naturally don''t want to die. I ask Uncle Jiang to help me," Li Lin immediately knelt in front of Uncle Jiang, eager to change his current situation. Uncle Jiang was clearly no ordinary person. If he helped Li Lin, he might be able to change his situation immediately. "You''re quite clever. But although I want to help you, I''m not sure if it''s right, not knowing if I''ll end up helping or harming you," Uncle Jiang said hesitantly. "Uncle Jiang, if you want to help me, it surely won''t harm me," Li Lin said. "Get up. I''ve watched you grow up and know you''re kind-hearted and filial to your mother. Otherwise, I wouldn''t help you or reveal my identity to you. Remember, you must not tell anyone about me," Uncle Jiang said, helping Li Lin up and continuing, "You''ve had blocked meridians since you were young, unable to practice martial arts or become a spirit practitioner. In my view, it''s just because someone used a clever technique on you, which ordinary people can''t detect. Unexpectedly, you survived a great disaster and obtained two spirit pills, which actually broke the technique. As you have never cultivated any skill before, under the influence of these fire and water elemental spirit pills, you have become a rare Yin-Yang Body." "Yin-Yang Body? Uncle Jiang, didn''t you just say I was about to die? And weren''t the pills I took demonic pills? How are they spirit pills?" Li Lin asked. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. "You thought that giant eagle and white bat were demonic beasts? They are spirit beasts. The giant eagle is likely a fourth-order Fire Spirit Eagle, and the white bat is a fifth-order Frost White Bat. Spirit pills are treasures. You took them directly, which is a bit of a waste, but it''ll have many benefits for you later. However, as an ordinary person who consumed the spirit pills of the Fire Spirit Eagle and Frost White Bat, you would eventually die from your body exploding. Just now, if I hadn''t suppressed it for you, you wouldn''t be talking to me here," Uncle Jiang told Li Lin. "Uncle Jiang, what should I do?" Li Lin asked, having just transmigrated; he certainly didn''t want to die. "Whether you live or die, whether you want to make a name for yourself and stand tall in the world, depends on you," the old servant said. "I do, of course, I do. A man should strive to achieve something in life. Even if I can''t be renowned for ages, it''s better than living a mediocre and insignificant life," Li Lin asserted firmly. "I didn''t expect you to have such ambition. Well, seeing as I''ve watched you grow up, and now that you''ve become this Yin-Yang Body, I will help you today," Uncle Jiang said, looking at Li Lin with some surprise. The Li Lin he saw today seemed somewhat different from the one he had watched grow up. "Disciple pays respect to the master," Li Lin immediately knelt on the ground. "Hold on, I never said I''d take you as my disciple. I''m just lending you a hand," Uncle Jiang said, a hint of melancholy flashing in his eyes. "Even if Uncle Jiang doesnt take me as a disciple, I still owe you this gesture of respect," Li Lin replied, then solemnly kowtowed three times. By doing so, he hoped Uncle Jiang wouldn''t go back on his decision to teach him something genuine. "Alright, you always seemed so honest, but today you''ve become quite shrewd, afraid that I''ll go back on my word and not teach you the real deal, huh?" Uncle Jiang said with a slight smile, showing some appreciation in his eyes. "Heh heh..." Li Lin gave an embarrassed smile, realizing that Uncle Jiang really knew him well. "Sit down," Uncle Jiang gestured for Li Lin to sit and handed him a white jade slip, saying, "Remember, I can only help you so much, otherwise, I wouldn''t be in this situation. The path ahead is for you to choose." "Uncle Jiang, what is this?" Li Lin asked, taking the jade slip from Uncle Jiang. "This is the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique. I obtained it by chance in the past. It can only be cultivated by someone with the Yin-Yang Body. It''s miraculous indeed. I ended up like this because I forcibly cultivated this Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique. You''re lucky. Because you''ve never cultivated any technique before, and someone has set up a scheme in your body, consuming the spirit pills of the Fire Spirit Eagle and Frost White Bat didn''t kill you immediately. Instead, it miraculously turned you into a rare Yin-Yang Body, perfectly suitable for cultivating this Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique," Uncle Jiang said with a hint of melancholy. If he had been born with the Yin-Yang Body, he wouldn''t be in his current state. "Uncle Jiang, then you must know who set up this scheme in me, preventing me from cultivating?" Li Lin asked, realizing that someone had been plotting against him from a young age, making him constantly wary of a hidden threat. "Can''t you guess?" Uncle Jiang asked. "Uncle Jiang, is it her..." Li Lin suddenly understood. It was probably the doing of the first wife, a ruthless person indeed. A chill spread in Li Lin''s eyes; he definitely wouldn''t let this woman off in the future. "Be cautious and conceal your intentions. It''s enough that you understand it in your heart. Don''t act rashly before you have the strength to confront her. Your father may not know about your situation, but do you think your grandfather is unaware? He just has considerations and allows her to do as she pleases as long as your life is spared," Uncle Jiang said, sensing the coldness emanating from Li Lin, and continued, "Dab your blood on this jade slip and start cultivating the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique. When you''ve mastered it, this small Li family won''t be worth mentioning in your eyes. The sky is vast for birds to fly, the sea is wide for fish to swim. Your future depends on your own destiny." Chapter 7: Refining the Spirit Pills Hearing this, Li Lin took a deep breath, realizing from Uncle Jiang''s words that the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique was indeed extraordinary. He then bit his finger and let a drop of blood fall onto the white jade slip in his hand. "Sizzle..." Immediately, a blinding light from the jade slip pierced into Li Lin''s forehead, transforming into a vast amount of information in his mind. "Quickly memorize the mantra, and then use it to refine the hot and cold energies in your body. Otherwise, you''re going to be in big trouble," Uncle Jiang instructed beside Li Lin. "The unity of Yin and Yang is the Way; imbalance of Yin and Yang is defective. Pure Yang manifests as the Azure Dragon, and Pure Yin as the White Tiger. For those lacking in essence, supplement with flavor; for those lacking in form, supplement with Qi. Preserve the essence internally, generate Qi externally. Supplement Yin with Yang, supplement Yang with Yin. The mysterious aperture of Yin and Yang, the mystic womb of the Dantian, every breath returns to the root, imitating Heaven and Earth, treading in celestial light. With the heart as the sun and moon, like the beating of a drum, rise and open, descend and close, enter the mystic and return to the womb, secure the stem and deepen the roots. Heaven bestows rain and dew, Earth brings forth life. Wait for the Qi of the initial Yang at dawn, gather it in the Dantian with the fetal breathing technique, fill the five viscera, disperse through the limbs, Qi strikes the three barriers, practice the cycle of Heaven. Those who supplement Yin and Yang without strife or attachment, the enlightened see only emptiness, vaguely in the profound darkness, occasionally there is the Qi of the initial Yang at dawn. The true heart is clear and tranquil, the principle is supreme, like the precious moon in the mid-sky, sweeping away the clouds without a spot, a full round of light fills the vast void..." One by one, these arcane mantras appeared in Li Lin''s mind. With Uncle Jiang''s guidance and explanations, Li Lin quickly began to practice on his own. Following the mantra, Li Lin immediately felt the hot and cold energies in his body come to life, slowly beginning to flow. These energies moved uncontrollably inside his body, colliding everywhere. Following Uncle Jiang''s instructions, Li Lin used the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique to guide these energies into his meridians. The hot stream entered the sea of Qi in his Dantian, while the cold stream transformed into a warm flow and entered his brain, bringing an exceptionally comfortable feeling. Under this slow guidance, the two energies in his body began to be gradually consumed, flowing into his Dantian''s sea of Qi and his brain. These energies in his meridians expanded and contracted. Li Lin felt his entire body''s meridians widening, causing pain, but then his whole body felt indescribably comfortable. "That''s enough for tonight," Uncle Jiang said after some time. Li Lin stopped reciting the mantra. "Phew..." Li Lin stopped the mantra and exhaled a breath from his sea of Qi, like a huge gust, filling the secret chamber with a foul smell, which surprised Li Lin himself. At this moment, Li Lin felt that he had refined less than one-tenth of the two energies in his body. In his Dantian''s sea of Qi, there seemed to be a stream of heat, which could only be described as pure. In his brain, Li Lin felt something extra, a mysterious sensation as if his senses and consciousness had become much clearer. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "Not bad. It''s almost dawn; you should go back now. Remember, don''t tell anyone about this. Come back tomorrow night and continue until I say it''s enough," Uncle Jiang told Li Lin. "Yes, Uncle Jiang," Li Lin replied and then left the secret chamber. It was probably almost dawn. Taking advantage of the darkness, Li Lin stealthily returned to his room. Despite not sleeping all night, he felt energetic, contemplating the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique he was practicing. It seemed he would soon become a true martial artist. In the night, Uncle Jiang resumed his frail and aged appearance, watching Li Lin and murmuring, "A Yin-Yang Body, indeed a remarkable talent, even stronger than that ungrateful disciple. I couldn''t help but teach him, hoping he wont become another ungrateful one. And that Spirit Emperor Beast, this boy with his lowly life has such incredible luck. Well, I''ll help him to the end." After speaking to himself, Uncle Jiang slowly disappeared into the night. In the following days, Li Lin continued his usual tasks during the day, working like any other servant, doing everything that was required. At night, he went to Uncle Jiangs secret chamber to refine the two energies in his body according to the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique. Over these days, Li Lin gained a deeper understanding of spirit practitioners and martial artists from Uncle Jiang. Both had nine realms in each level. Before becoming a martial artist, there were levels like Martial Student, Martial Warrior, Martial Master, Martial Spirit, Martial General, Martial Marshal, Martial King, Martial Revered, and Martial Emperor. Before the Martial Student level, there was the Martial Qi realm. Only by reaching the peak of the ninth layer of Martial Qi could one break through to become a Martial Student and be considered a true martial artist. Similarly, for spirit practitioners, there were nine layers of Spirit Qi before becoming a Spirit Student and officially entering the ranks of spirit practitioners. Refining the energies in his body every day, Li Lin seemed to have endless strength while working during the day, astonishing Li XiaoBai, who wondered if Li Lin was taking some special medicine. Li Lin was very aware of the benefits he was receiving. After four days of refinement, according to Uncle Jiang, he had reached the eighth layer of Martial Qi. Tonight, he was likely to break through to become a Martial Student and officially a martial artist. On the fifth night, as soon as it got dark, Li Lin prepared to go to the secret chamber. After tonight, he would be an official Martial Student, achieving his first goal. "You''re quite early," Uncle Jiang, who was even earlier, looked at Li Lin, secretly astonished. This child with the Yin-Yang Body had terrifying talent. "Uncle Jiang, can we start now?" Li Lin asked, eager to break through to become a Martial Student and officially a martial artist. "Look at you, so anxious. Let''s begin," Uncle Jiang said with a slight smile, only in this secret chamber would he let go of his old and frail appearance. Li Lin sat cross-legged on the stone bed, overlapped his hands, and placed them in front of him, forming a hand seal. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and continued to refine the hot and cold energies in his body. Soon, Li Lin''s eyes were tightly closed, and his breathing was steady and strong. Gradually, a faint mist started to emanate from the pores of Li Lin''s skin. On closer inspection, this mist was both hot and cold, appearing very mystical. Witnessing all this, Uncle Jiang showed a satisfied smile. As time passed, the mist around Li Lin began to thicken. "Nine layers of Martial Qi, nine layers of Spirit Qi, the Yin-Yang Body is truly as remarkable as they say," Uncle Jiang said in amazement. Time passed again, and about four hours later, the mist around Li Lin became so dense that it enveloped his body, then clung to him, emitting a luster like white jade. Inside Li Lin, he felt his small Dantian''s sea of Qi expanding as if a balloon being inflated with air, while in his brain, a warm current of heat kept pulsating. "I''m about to break through, continue," Li Lin thought, feeling this change. After these days of explanation from Uncle Jiang, he had gained an understanding of cultivation. This situation indicated he was on the verge of a breakthrough. Chapter 8: Breakthrough Li Lin, feeling delighted inwardly, continued to concentrate and maintain the best state for cultivation, refining the hot and cold energies within his body. The energies in the sea of Qi in his Dantian and his brain continued to increase steadily. The energy refined from his meridians, permeating through his skin pores, tempered his bones and muscles, making him feel indescribably comfortable. Time passed again, and Li Lin felt changes beginning to occur within his body. "I''m about to break through," Li Lin realized in his heart. After five days of cultivation, he was finally on the verge of a breakthrough. Knowing his situation in the Li family, Li Lin knew he must become a martial artist to gradually solve everything. If he had enough strength now, no one would dare to bully him or his mother, both in his past and present life. Strength is just as important. In this world, martial artists and spirit practitioners are the absolute measures of strength. Regarding the breakthrough to Martial Student in just five days, Li Lin didn''t feel it was too quick, unaware that for most people, even five years might not be enough to progress from an ordinary person to an official Martial Student. If Li Lin''s thoughts were known to the countless people striving towards the Martial Student level, it would undoubtedly cause an uproar. Even in Uncle Jiang''s mind, although Li Lin''s progress was so fast because of refining the two spirit pills in his body, it was still incredibly astonishing. Time passed again, and gradually, two mysterious auras burst out around Li Lin''s body, one near the sea of Qi in his Dantian, and the other near the center of his forehead. A faint halo surrounded Li Lin, and with these two auras as the center, a Taiji Yin-Yang pattern formed, seemingly stirring the surrounding spatial airflow, causing waves of wind. Li Lin seemed to be immersed in a profound state. "Hu hu..." After these two mysterious auras lingered outside Li Lin''s body for a moment, they then dissipated and retracted back into his body. At the same time, an invisible aura formed around Li Lin, significantly strengthening his presence. Inside Li Lin, he could feel his Dantian''s sea of Qi suddenly expanding, then seeming to be compressed by a tremendous force, enlarging significantly. At the same time, in his brain, it felt like an energy was also elevating. Li Lin felt his vision and consciousness become clearer, a mystical sensation. "Breakthrough, unbelievable," Uncle Jiang watched in amazement. Five days from an ordinary person to this stage was unbelievable. "Hu hu..." After exhaling a breath from the sea of Qi in his Dantian, Li Lin looked at Uncle Jiang and said, "Uncle Jiang, Ive broken through." "So youve broken through, whats there to be happy about? You still have a long way to go," Uncle Jiang said with a stern face. "Uncle Jiang, am I now officially a martial artist?" Li Lin asked, sticking out his tongue, wondering if Uncle Jiang thought his breakthrough wasnt quick enough. "You can be considered as one, and also a spirit practitioner," Uncle Jiang replied lightly. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. "A spirit practitioner too? Isn''t it extremely difficult to become a spirit practitioner?" Li Lin was surprised. Being both a martial artist and a spirit practitioner was incredible, as there seemed to be no one like that in the world according to his memory. "Hmph! Of course, it''s difficult, much harder than you can imagine. I had secretly checked your physique before. Your original talent was average, and becoming a martial artist wouldnt have been difficult if it werent for the schemes set against you. But to become a spirit practitioner, that was just a daydream." Uncle Jiang glared at Li Lin and then continued, "But you''re lucky. Both the Fire Spirit Eagle and the Frost White Bat are spirit beasts, precisely fire and water elemental spirit beasts. Water and fire counteract each other, balancing Yin and Yang. Plus, someone had set up a scheme in your body, which just became the catalyst to break the scheme, accidentally granting you the Yin-Yang Body. Both spirit beasts being fourth and fifth order, respectively, the spiritual power contained in their spirit pills greatly enhanced your spiritual power. Combined with the Yin-Yang Body and the intricacies of the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique, youve now become both a spirit practitioner and a martial artist. Without any of these elements, you wouldnt have had any chance." "So thats how it is," Li Lin thought to himself, realizing that surviving a great disaster truly brings great fortune. "Alright, now that youve become both a martial artist and a spirit practitioner, and you''ve passed the first step of the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique, I should tell you about the advantages and disadvantages of this technique," Uncle Jiang said to Li Lin. "The Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique has disadvantages?" Li Lin asked. "Where there are advantages, there are disadvantages. This Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique, which I obtained unintentionally, has three major benefits," Uncle Jiang said, looking at Li Lin. "The first benefit is that it''s a dual cultivation technique for both spirit and martial arts, which is why you can cultivate both. In the future, your strength will be stronger than others at the same level. In the same realm, barring unexpected events, you will be invincible." "The Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique also has one major disadvantage," Uncle Jiang continued. Li Lin interrupted, asking, "Didnt you say there are three benefits? What about the others?" "Are you going to talk, or should I?" Uncle Jiang glared at Li Lin and continued, "There are two disadvantages to this technique. The biggest one is that the cultivation progress is extremely slow, at least ten times slower than ordinary techniques. That is to say, if you cultivate normally, it would be a miracle to break through to Martial Master in a hundred years." "What, I need a hundred years to cultivate to Martial Master?" Li Lin, who was just feeling high-spirited, suddenly felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, chilling his heart. "Whats the rush? Aren''t there still two benefits?" Uncle Jiang looked at Li Lin and said, "The Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique has two more benefits, and youve already used one of them, which is directly devouring spirit and demonic pills to break through your cultivation." Taking a deep breath, Uncle Jiang spoke solemnly, "Even more so, the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique can directly devour the spiritual Qi of spirit practitioners and the true Qi of martial artists for breakthroughs." "Directly devour the spiritual Qi of spirit practitioners and the true Qi of martial artists for breakthroughs..." Li Lin was astounded. The Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique was incredibly overpowered, almost like the Star Absorbing Technique from martial arts novels. After his surprise, Li Lin calmed down and asked, "Uncle Jiang, is the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique an evil technique?" "What evil technique? Theres no distinction of good or evil in techniques; it''s people who are good or evil. Spirit practitioners and martial artists can take demonic and spirit pills from demonic beasts and spirit beasts, refine them into pills to enhance their strength. Isnt that ''righteous''? The Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique is just more advanced, directly absorbing energy from spirit and demonic pills without the need for refining, and it can even directly absorb energy from spirit practitioners and martial artists," Uncle Jiang explained. "Thats right, a technique capable of killing cannot be labeled as good or evil. If the heart is righteous, then the technique is righteous. If the heart is evil, any technique in such hands is an evil technique," Li Lin said. Chapter 9: Choosing Martial Techniques "Hmm..." Listening to Li Lin''s words, Uncle Jiang nodded slightly, then said, "But remember, you must never use the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique to devour others in public..." "Why not? Can''t I even devour the evil ones?" Li Lin asked. "You can try, unless you dont fear being hunted by all the martial artists and spirit practitioners in the world," Uncle Jiang replied. Li Lin showed a wry smile, understanding that if other spirit practitioners and martial artists, regardless of their morality, knew of such an abnormal technique, they would definitely covet it and seek to eliminate him swiftly. Possessing such a technique would undoubtedly make him the common enemy and threat to all spirit practitioners and martial artists in the world. "What about the other advantage?" Li Lin inquired. "Theres another advantage..." Uncle Jiang took a deep breath and continued, "As a Yin-Yang Body practicing the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique, you can become an all-element martial artist." "What is an all-element martial artist?" Li Lin asked. "Well discuss that later; you cant digest so much information at once. Anyway, although an all-element martial artist might not be as powerful as a dual cultivator of spirit and martial arts, the difference is not far off. Youll realize the benefits later. Your luck is enviable even to me," Uncle Jiang stated. "Uncle Jiang, what about the other disadvantage?" Li Lin remembered Uncle Jiang mentioning two disadvantages of the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique, one being the extremely slow normal cultivation speed, and he braced himself for the second. "The other disadvantage is that to break through, you must simultaneously break through in both spirit and martial arts. The Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique requires a balance of spirit and martial arts for simultaneous breakthroughs; otherwise, you wont be able to progress," Uncle Jiang explained. "Thats quite strict," Li Lin said, feeling dejected, then asked, "So how should I cultivate?" "To enhance your strength, considering your current situation, your only option is to find and devour demonic and spirit pills," Uncle Jiang said with a smile. "Uncle Jiang, are you joking? Demonic and spirit pills are only produced by fourth-order demonic beasts and spirit beasts. Even the entire Li family probably cant afford many of them. How am I supposed to find them to devour?" Li Lin exclaimed in disbelief. As a ''useless young master'', he had no money to buy such pills. "You figure it out yourself. Youre not my disciple, so why should I come up with a solution for you?" Uncle Jiang retorted. "Uncle Jiang, how about lending me some gold coins?" Li Lin hesitated, then smiled slyly at Uncle Jiang. Uncle Jiang was definitely not an ordinary person and must have some wealth. "Do you think an old man like me has gold coins to lend you?" Uncle Jiang replied, firmly indicating to Li Lin that there were no gold coins to be had. "Uncle Jiang, I kowtowed to you; are you just going to leave me to fend for myself?" Li Lin pressed, having no other options but to pester Uncle Jiang. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Are you trying to take an inch and gain a mile?" Uncle Jiang looked at Li Lin, then said, "I cant help you, but I can think of a way." "Thats good enough," Li Lin immediately smiled. Having a plan was a good thing. He had just become a dual cultivator of spirit and martial arts, hoping for limitless prospects. But if his progress was as slow as a snail, what future would he have? "Remember, you are not only a martial artist now but also a spirit practitioner. Spirit practitioners can do many things to earn gold coins, like refining pills, cultivating spirit herbs, and even the weapons crafted by a spirit practitioner fetch a higher price," Uncle Jiang said. "I am a spirit practitioner, but I don''t know any of these skills," Li Lin said, feeling downcast. Although he was a spirit practitioner, he was only a novice, knowing nothing about refining pills, cultivating spirit herbs, or crafting weapons. "You might not know, but that doesn''t mean I don''t," Uncle Jiang said, a bit irritably. "Uncle Jiang, do you mean you''ll refine pills and weapons for me to sell?" Li Lin said excitedly, but before he could finish, he was knocked on the head, covering it with his hands, looking at Uncle Jiang with a hint of grievance, "Why did you hit me?" "Don''t get your hopes up. You think this old man will refine pills and weapons for you?" Uncle Jiang looked at Li Lin and said, "I can teach you. Back in the day, many Spirit Kings and Spirit Reverends begged me, but I couldn''t be bothered. You''re getting a good deal." "That''s good," Li Lin smiled slyly, with a hint of mischief in his smile. "Also, even though you''ve become a martial artist, you don''t have any martial techniques yet. At most, you''re just a strong bull without skills. Tell me, what kind of martial techniques do you want to learn?" Uncle Jiang asked Li Lin. "Uncle Jiang, didn''t you say martial techniques are classified as Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, Yellow, Star, and Celestial? Do you have any Heaven-grade techniques?" Li Lin thought to himself that higher-grade techniques were naturally better. "Heaven-grade techniques, I want them too. Do you think they''re as common as cabbages?" Uncle Jiang glared at Li Lin. Li Lin blinked, then said, "Then, how about Earth-grade? I can make do with that." "Earth-grade? With your current strength as a Martial Student, can you even learn it?" Uncle Jiang retorted. "Then Mysterious-grade should be okay, right? Anything lower, and even you, Uncle Jiang, wouldn''t be able to take it out with pride," Li Lin said. "You wish. Alright, I do have a set of techniques. Do you want it?" Uncle Jiang offered. "Uncle Jiang''s technique must be a good thing. Of course, I want it," Li Lin laughed. "What level is this technique, Uncle Jiang?" "It has no level," Uncle Jiang replied. "What do you mean by ''no level''?" Li Lin felt like he had fallen from heaven to hell, thinking Uncle Jiang was teasing him. "It means I dont know its level. I''ve never fully understood it myself. I hope you can make sense of it. Besides, based on your current strength, I will give you two sets of techniques: one offensive and one defensive. The offensive technique is only of the Star grade, but it suits you best for now. Anything higher, and you wouldn''t be able to cultivate it. As for the defensive technique, it was given to me by someone who sought my help. It''s quite mysterious, and you''re lucky to have a Spirit Emperor Beast with you," Uncle Jiang explained. "Uncle Jiang, are you talking about that little snake? What kind of Spirit Emperor Beast is it?" Li Lin asked. "That little snake, you dont know your good fortune. If the Martial Reverends and Spirit Reverends knew its origin, they definitely wouldnt spare you. But fortunately, there arent many who recognize this Spirit Emperor Beast," Uncle Jiang said, his eyes gleaming with pride. Having lived in the Li family for decades incognito, discussing his past skills and cultivation in front of this youngster brought him a different kind of satisfaction. "Its that powerful?" Li Lin was also surprised. The ten-centimeter-long snake turned out to have such a significant background. "Concentrate and dont move," Uncle Jiang said suddenly. Then, a faint light seemed to sparkle in his hand, and he pressed two fingers on Li Lin''s forehead. Li Lin immediately felt as if a long thread had been pulled from his mind, and a glowing gas landed in Uncle Jiangs hand. At the same time, a drop of blood from his forehead also fell into Uncle Jiang''s hand. "Rise," Li Lin saw Uncle Jiang muttering something, his hands forming strange and mystical hand signs. The pale yellow snake on his right hand then appeared in Uncle Jiangs hand. Chapter 10: Defensive Martial Technique "Hisss..." The pale yellow snake suddenly flashed a fierce light in its eyes, its tongue flickering rapidly as if it was about to bite Uncle Jiang, its body strangely enveloped in a faint golden glow. "It''s quite fierce," Uncle Jiang said with a light smile. With a flash of light in his hand, a drop of fresh red blood appeared from the snake''s forehead into Uncle Jiangs hand. As Uncle Jiang changed the hand signs, Li Lin was astonished to see a mysterious light fill the entire room. "Hisss..." Li Lin watched as the light and blood from his own forehead merged with the snakes blood, then transformed into two beams of light. One was infused into his forehead by Uncle Jiang, and the other into the snake''s forehead. "Huh..." Li Lin immediately felt an odd sensation, as if an invisible connection had been formed between him and the pale yellow snake, like brothers, as if they were blood-related. This feeling was mysterious and indescribable. "Uncle Jiang, what kind of technique is this? It''s quite magical," Li Lin asked in amazement. "It''s magical, huh? You have a lot to learn. Study well," Uncle Jiang said with a slight smile, somewhat proudly. "Alright, you and it have now formed a blood pact, which is a type of equal contract between a Spirit Master and a Spirit Beast. You can only form an equal contract with it. Otherwise, if its kin finds out you have enslaved it, they will not spare you, and your death will be gruesome." After speaking, Uncle Jiang once again extracted a drop of blood from the pale yellow snake and handed it back to Li Lin. The snake became much gentler in Li Lin''s hand and affectionately bonded with him. "Take good care of it. It can help you a lot in the future. Feed it meat, preferably demon beast or spirit beast meat, so it can grow quickly," Uncle Jiang advised. "Demon and spirit beast meat" Li Lin sighed internally, realizing it would be another expensive undertaking. "This is a defensive martial technique called Qingling Armor. I used the blood of this Spirit Emperor Beast to guide you. The Qingling Armor''s usefulness to you will become clear in time," Uncle Jiang explained, handing Li Lin a jade slip with the Spirit Emperor Beast''s blood on it. "Heres also a Star-grade offensive technique called Mountain Opener Palm. Its power is decent, so practice it for self-defense. And this other technique, I dont know its rank, but youre lucky to have it. Hopefully, you can understand it," Uncle Jiang handed two more jade slips to Li Lin. "Uncle Jiang, when will you teach me to refine pills and weapons?" Li Lin asked, holding the jade slips. Having practiced the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique, he knew it would be costly. As a powerless young master, he had no financial resources. "Youre quite greedy. It''s almost dawn; come back tomorrow. Remember, keep a low profile. It''s not time to reveal your martial artist and spirit practitioner identities yet. The two spirit pills inside you haven''t been fully refined yet, but they should be enough to advance you to the ninth level of Spirit Disciple. As for breaking through to the Spirit Warrior level, that depends on luck. And for your martial energy, you must rely on demon pills for advancement. Without them, even if your spirit energy is strong, you can''t break through without matching martial energy," Uncle Jiang said with a smile. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. "Ah" Li Lin sighed lightly, realizing he needed to start earning money to continue cultivating the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique. Under the cover of night, Li Lin returned to the courtyard gate. It was almost dawn. Back in his room, Li Lin smiled slightly. Regardless, he was now a martial artist, and also an exceedingly rare spirit practitioner. Although the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique was expensive to practice, once he had enough capital, his progress would be much faster than others. "Lucky kid, practicing both spirit and martial arts, and with a Spirit Emperor Beast too. Your future is up to you," Uncle Jiang murmured in the night. "Lin''er, how have you been these days? Is there something pleasant happening?" Early in the morning, Li Lin''s mother, Lady Luo Lan, asked in the courtyard. She hadn''t seen her son so radiant and cheerful in a long time. "Mother, we won''t have to live like this for much longer. I''ll take good care of you," Li Lin said, his heart aching as he watched his mother heading to the laundry room to work. Uncle Jiang had said it wasnt yet time to reveal his identity as a martial artist. The original Li Lin had been sabotaged by the main wife of the Li family, who didn''t want him to become a martial artist. If she knew he had become one now, it would probably be the end of him. So, until he had the ability to protect himself, he couldn''t reveal anything, or it would be like signing his own death warrant. For now, he needed to focus on training and earning money. "As long as you are safe and sound, that''s all I ask for," Luo Lan said before heading to the laundry room. "Earning money, training, gold coins..." Li Lin muttered to himself, gazing up at the sky. "Young Master, why are you up so early?" Li Xiao Bai asked as he entered the courtyard. "Whats on the agenda today?" Li Lin inquired. "There''s not much to do today. I heard important guests are coming, and the stewards are already busy in the front hall," Li Xiao Bai replied. "Who are the guests? Why are they so important?" Li Lin casually asked. "It''s said to be guests from the Du Gu family. The master is personally going to receive them," Li Xiao Bai shared. "Du Gu family..." Li Lin immediately knew the significance of the Du Gu family. Their single business in Qingyun Town was even bigger than all of the Li family''s businesses. "I heard a Miss Du Gu from their family is coming. I overheard people from the front courtyard saying shes stunningly beautiful. Do you want to take a look?" Li Xiao Bai suggested sneakily. "Never mind. If theres nothing to do today, Ill go back to sleep," Li Lin said, dismissing the idea of the Du Gu Miss. It had nothing to do with him. Today was perfect for practicing the martial techniques. "Alright then, I''ll sneak a peek and tell you about it later," Li Xiao Bai said, leaving the courtyard. Back in his room, with no one likely to visit the courtyard, Li Lin prepared to practice martial techniques. Without any techniques, being just a martial artist was like being a strong but clueless ox. Li Lin took out a jade slip, the Star-grade Mountain Opener Palm technique. Forming hand signs, he infused a faint stream of energy into it, and a light burst forth from the slip, entering his forehead. This light transformed into information in Li Lins mind. Concentrating, Li Lin committed the technique of the Mountain Opener Palm to memory, starting to gesture in front of him. Invisible energy began to form in his palms, appearing and disappearing intermittently, seemingly uncontrollable. "It''s still not right; this technique is hard to learn," Li Lin practiced in his room. Two hours passed without success. The Mountain Opener Palm, a Star-grade technique, wasn''t as profound as Earth or Mysterious-grade techniques, but it was still complex for someone new to martial techniques like Li Lin. Li Lin continued to practice in his room, surrounded by a faint aura. Occasionally, streams of energy appeared in his hands but then vanished just as quickly. Chapter 11: The Extraordinary Qingling Armor "Forget it, lets take it slow. Being too hasty isnt good," Li Lin said lightly, deciding to practice the defensive martial technique first. He took out another jade slip, the Qingling Armor defensive technique. Li Lin wasnt sure of its level, and Uncle Jiang hadnt specified. With a gesture, he channeled a faint stream of energy into the jade slip, and a light entered his forehead from it. Information flowed into his mind, and following the technique, Li Lin activated the defensive skill. He immediately felt his true qi in the dantian qi sea rapidly deplete. Around his body, bizarrely, scales like those of a serpent formed into an armor that shone with a pale yellow light, identical to the color of the Spirit Emperor Beast on his hand. Observing this change, Li Lin guessed it might be related to the Spirit Emperor Beast. The Qingling Armor was indeed mystical, but it seemed to consume a significant amount of qi. Moreover, the armor formed around his body felt fragile, as if it could disperse at any moment. "What an incredible effect; it''s unbelievable," Li Lin thought, learning from the information in his mind that the Qingling Armor was somewhat aberrant. The Qingling Armor had two levels: the Human Form, which he just activated, forming a beast-like armor outside his body, and the Beast Form, which would manifest a complete beastly defensive form with even stronger defense. The most surprising aspect to Li Lin was that extracting essence blood from spirit or demonic beasts could transform the Qingling Armor into the shape of those beasts. However, its only flaw was the enormous consumption of true qi. Beast and demonic beasts naturally had stronger defenses than martial artists. If the Qingling Armor could manifest in a pure beast form, its defense would significantly increase. "This defensive technique is truly profound. What kind of person is Uncle Jiang? Everything he provides is extraordinary," Li Lin marveled. Though the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique and Qingling Armor had some disadvantages, they were undoubtedly treasures. Activating the first form of the Qingling Armor, Li Lin felt his true qi rapidly depleting and promptly deactivated it. As for the second form, he dared not even consider it with his current weak strength. "I now have both attack and defense techniques," Li Lin smiled slightly, finding his fate peculiar. He had inadvertently traversed to this world, and just as unwittingly, he had become both a martial artist and a spirit practitioner. "Lets go out for a walk. Tonight, Ill learn to concoct pills and forge weapons with Uncle Jiang," Li Lin mused. He stepped out of the courtyard in the afternoon. The backyard was unusually quiet, and not a single servant was in sight. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Having explored the backyard these past days, Li Lin walked towards a garden that separated the back and front courtyards. After a moment''s hesitation, he decided to enter the garden. According to his original memories, it was a place not just anyone could enter; only senior servants of the Li family had access. However, as a young master, he could go in. Walking through the garden, despite it being deep winter, Li Lin was impressed by the lush greenery of cold-resistant plants and some that even bloomed in winter. He marveled at the wealth of the Li family, knowing such a garden must be costly to maintain. As he strolled through the tranquil garden, guessing that the servants might have gone to see the Miss from the Du Gu family, he suddenly heard laughter ahead, indicating that several people were approaching. "Better not to encounter the people from the Li family," Li Lin guessed that the visitors were probably from the front courtyard of the Li family. From his memories, he knew there were a few people in the front courtyard who always made things difficult for him. At that moment, Li Lin did not wish to meet those people. Looking around, he spotted a four to five-meter-tall green tree nearby. Its dense leaves could provide a good hiding spot. Swiftly, he used his true qi to climb up the tree, concealing himself behind the foliage. Peering through the gaps in the leaves, Li Lin saw a group of about a dozen people entering from the main gate of the front courtyard. Observing closely, among the group, Li Lin frowned slightly. Among them were seven young men, aged around fifteen to twenty. He recognized these seven; the one in the front, wearing brocade and luxurious robes, was his half-brother from the same father, Li Shaohu, who was a year younger than Li Lin and had never regarded him highly. Next to him was a twenty-year-old in blue brocade, Zhou Haiming, the son of Li Lin''s second aunt, who lived permanently at the Li family residence. Close by was another young man in white luxurious attire, with long hair, about sixteen years old, named Li Shaoxiong, the son of Li Lin''s fourth uncle. Li Lin also recognized the other youths; they were relatives from the Li family''s side branches. As a martial family, the Li family would usually select children with good potential for training after they turned eight, but Li Lin never had this opportunity. Among the girls, Li Lin focused on one particular girl. She was about eighteen or nineteen, with black hair flowing down her back and strands framing her face. She wore a red long dress that accentuated her figure and a beautiful bracelet on her fair wrist. Her simple yet elegant attire exuded grace and nobility. This girl was Li Wushuang, an adopted daughter taken in by Li Lin''s eldest uncle. She was the only one in the Li family''s front courtyard who treated Li Lin well, occasionally bringing him food and clothes. Another girl, around seventeen or eighteen, with partly gold hair gathered at the back with a small band wrapped in three striking colors, appeared very noble. Wearing a gold-bordered, gem-studded hairpin, she had an air of arrogance. She was Li Mei, the daughter of a foster son of the Li family''s old master. She was not a blood relative but still bore the Li surname. Li Mei never paid much attention to Li Lin. As Li Lin surveyed these people from the Li family, his only positive impression was of Li Wushuang. His attention involuntarily shifted to a beautifully dressed and noble-looking young girl surrounded by the Li family members. This girl exuded a high-class aura, and her luxurious attire, combined with her delicate beauty, captivated the young men of the Li family. Chapter 12: A Poetry Duel However, at this moment, Li Lin''s attention was fixed on a girl beside the young lady, dressed like a maid. This girl, around seventeen or eighteen, had a slightly flushed face, like a newly blossomed peach flower, with long eyebrows framing a pair of pure blue eyes. Her fair and tender face was adorned with a straight, delicate nose, and her black hair was tied up in a high bun at the back of her head. Her understated long dress outlined her well-proportioned figure. Li Lin couldn''t help but feel a bit regretful; this girl could have been a stunning beauty, yet a red birthmark the size of a baby''s fist on the right side of her face marred her appearance. Still, Li Lin couldn''t help but keep looking at her. Though dressed as a maid, she exuded an intangible aura, and her eyes held a gaze not typical of a maid. Li Lin felt certain that this girl was no ordinary servant. "Miss Du Gu, how do you like our back garden?" Li Shaohu, leading the group, asked the girl in the center with a slight smile. "Not bad, these must be the Cold Willows, rare in these parts, originating from the extreme northern plains," the young lady identified as Miss Du Gu replied with a light smile, looking at the row of willow trees ahead. "Miss Du Gu has a keen eye," Li Shaohu, Li Shaoxiong, and Zhou Haiming all praised immediately. "Miss Du Gu, I''ve heard of your extraordinary literary talents. Now, in the depth of winter, let me humbly offer a poem for your guidance," Zhou Haiming seized the opportunity to show off in front of the young lady. "Guidance is too much to ask for, but I would love to hear Mr. Zhou''s composition," Miss Du Gu replied with a twinkling smile. With that, Zhou Haiming straightened his clothes and took a deep breath, gazing at the garden before reciting, "The garden''s beauty is meticulously crafted, where winter brings a spring-like charm. Beyond green trees and red flowers, high towers await the arrival of guests." After finishing, Zhou Haiming smiled proudly, seemingly very satisfied with his own creation. Li Lin, hiding in the tree, nearly burst out laughing at this, thinking to himself how ridiculous some people could be. Among the group of young men and women, Li Wushuang''s expression also subtly showed a hint of helplessness. "Well done, Mr. Zhou. I didn''t expect you to be so talented," praised Miss Du Gu, causing Zhou Haiming to puff up with pride. The group continued walking, drawing nearer to Li Lin''s hiding spot, chatting and laughing along the way. Li Lin, observing from above, noticed the special-aura maid seemed preoccupied, her face expressionless and her eyes reflecting a faint sadness. "In the depths of winter, beauty fades; as time sweeps by, the years grow old. In this chaotic world, tranquility runs deep; songs of life echo, destiny incomplete..." At that moment, the maid walked softly, her gaze lost in the winter scene, and she began to recite quietly. Her voice was melodious, like a refreshing breeze. The boisterous young men and women suddenly turned their attention to her. Continuing in her soft voice, she said, "In a life of ink and brush, amidst the fiery smoke of battlefields, I wish not to be a damsel of the past era, as the world crumbles, time drifts away..." Green gauze gracefully sways, stirring the entire era''s prosperity. Half a life adrift, embellishing a lifetime of incomplete sorrow, through countless lifetimes and autumns, reincarnating a bright, charming smile... This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Listening to the maid''s soft chant, Li Lin realized that her words revealed a longing not to be born in a woman''s body, yearning for the battlefield''s fierce fires, unwilling to be a woman of the loom in a chaotic world, as time drifts away. Had she been a man, she would surely be a hero of her time. Li Lin admired the maid''s talent and ambition. If he ever had the chance, he too would aspire to stir the battlefield, unafraid of sacrifices C a true man''s ambition. The maid continued softly: "At the ferry''s end, desolate battlefields, arrows raining in the sky, luxurious silks and satins, pouring affection to the world, dew and cream, butterflies longing for the horizon. Preferring to listen to the bustling tune, rather than being the master of it, quietly maintaining beauty in the mirror like fleeting dreams and illusions. Three thousand strands of hair, for whom do I dream and dote? Amidst the vast, bustling red dust, who chases after beauty and power?..." Hearing her chant again, blending masculine ambition with feminine sentiment, Li Lin felt as if he entered a state of clarity. His past life was aimless, and having survived a great disaster, he was now in this different world. What he sought was exactly this C to stir the battlefield, unafraid of sacrificing everything for glory, and who would chase after power and beauty in the bustling world, drunk in love and awake to power. This was the voice hidden deep within his soul. The maid went on to recite: "A tune on the zheng, entwining the world''s grief, a lute enveloping eternal sentiments, holding a broken flute, deeply in love with the Qingming rain. The glamour all lost, who can promise me a love that endures through lifetimes? Who can plant an eternal, alluring love for me?" At this moment, everyone was mesmerized by the maid, her talent and depth of sentiment unparalleled. Even the previously arrogant Zhou Haiming felt ashamed of himself. But then, the maid''s brows slightly furrowed as she recited about planting an eternal, alluring love, seemingly unable to continue, and sighed softly. At this moment, a voice gently emerged: "An ethereal rainy night, penetrating a lifetime of reincarnations. The heart''s strings stir the endless worldly dust. Memories burn past wounds, bearing a lifetime of grief, playing a song of fading life. That era, with horses and swords, swallowing thousands of miles, smoke of war rising, lords contending for the world. Preparing horses and soldiers, banners fluttering, flying sand and rolling stones, golden bells ringing in the heavens, battles shaking the world. The city shrouded in smoke and sand, tears and blood falling, broken cavalry and armor, spreading red across the horizon, hoping for a reincarnation to return to the old nest, bringing you the flowers of February. I can only dance the weapons for a moment for you, for I need a lifetime to fight for the world for you. That era, with a paradise of three thousand, petals scattering across the horizon. The endless zither, a beauty overturning nations and cities, an unparalleled grace. I can only play half a tune for you in a moment, for I need a lifetime to traverse the world with you. That era, with pure white snow, illusionary innocence, cherry blossoms fluttering in all seasons, a beautiful dance by the sand, carrying several lifetimes of suffering, lightly touching a face, leaving behind a fragrance. I can only get drunk with you under the moon for a moment, for I need the time in an hourglass to accompany you through storms and snow. That era, with a half-lit green lamp, Buddha by my side, moonlit jade, wind shielding the pavilion, a life of songs and dances, the first makeup by the warm smoke, three thousand strands of hair, crazily painted for you. Who can I entrust my lifetime of madness to? How many heroes bathed in blood, many loyal souls buried in foreign lands, one''s achievement leading to countless deaths, many white hairs sent off by black hair. It''s said that once you enter the realm of jianghu, it hastens us, ruins and walls broken, soldiers at the pond, the city filled with sand and bitterness, who''s waiting with a foolish heart! Not fearing the vicissitudes of beauty, only fearing that the flower''s fall and broken strings go unheard..." Li Lin, unable to restrain himself, thought of his past life wasted, loveless and achievement-less. Now in this different world, what he desired was just these two things. Unconsciously, he followed the maid''s words, speaking out loud. "Sir, such talent and ambition, would you come down and let this young lady see you?" Hearing this, the men and women below were astonished. This verse, no less brilliant than the maid''s, even more so reflected pride and tender feelings. It''s said that once you enter the realm of jianghu, it hastens us, ruins and walls broken, soldiers at the pond, the city filled with sand and bitterness, who''s waiting with a foolish heart! Not fearing the vicissitudes of beauty, only fearing that the flower''s fall and broken strings go unheard... These were truly timeless lines. Chapter 13: Look at What Little Accomplishment You Have At this moment, everyone''s gaze was fixated on the tree, curious about the person on it. Among the young ladies, Li Wushuang at the forefront was also looking up in surprise. As far as she knew, there was no one of such talent among the younger generation of the Li family. "Sorry, I couldn''t help but interrupt the young lady''s enjoyment. Please forgive me." Li Lin, up in the tree, couldn''t help but give a wry smile. He hadn''t expected this impulsive action to expose himself. Reluctantly, he clambered down the tree using a clumsy method. His awkward descent appeared quite embarrassing. Li Lin wanted to jump down gracefully, but since he couldn''t reveal his martial artist status yet, he had to feign clumsiness. As he knew, these young men and women from the Li family were all well-trained. Li Lin was aware that showing off his martial prowess would immediately make others suspect his newly acquired status as a martial artist, which wouldn''t bode well for him. "Li Lin, it''s you. What are you doing here? This isn''t a place for you," said Li Shaohu with a sinking face and a scornful look in his eyes when he saw Li Lin. He was annoyed since Li Lin had just stolen much of the limelight. "Lin''er, what are you doing here?" Seeing that it was Li Lin, Li Wushuang was also greatly surprised. She approached Li Lin with a composed demeanor. "Wushuang sister, I saw a bird in the tree and went to look. I didn''t expect you all to be here," Li Lin said helplessly. Among all the people present, he only cared about Li Wushuang. Li Lin then casually observed the people around him. His appearance seemed to have startled everyone. Li Mei''s expression turned sour when she saw him. To Li Lin, all this didn''t matter much. In his heart, he had no attachment to the Li family and planned to leave with his mother once he was capable enough. "What a joke, there are no birds in the trees during winter," scoffed Zhou Haiming, who was quite displeased with Li Lin. He would have liked to beat Li Lin up if not for the presence of Miss Du Gu and her entourage. "There was a bird, but you scared it away," Li Lin replied lightly. Hearing Li Lin''s words, everyone, except for the maid with the red birthmark, laughed quietly, including Li Wushuang. She looked at Li Lin with a bit of confusion, sensing that he seemed different from before. "Sorry for disrupting the young lady''s pleasure, I''ll take my leave now." Li Lin didn''t bother with Zhou Haiming anymore. After apologizing to the maid again, he walked away with a faint smirk that was either mocking or disdainful towards Zhou Haiming. At that moment, the maid watched Li Lin with a faintly bewildered look in her eyes. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. "Who was that person just now?" the maid asked softly, watching Li Lin''s retreating figure. "He''s just a servant, can''t cultivate, just a waste," replied Li Shaohu immediately. "Shaohu, how can you talk like that about your brother? Lin''er is your brother after all," Li Wushuang frowned slightly at Li Shaohu''s words, then smiled at the maid. "He is the son of my third uncle, named Li Lin. Due to some special reasons, well... let''s continue our tour." "Hmph," Li Shaohu could do nothing but snort softly at Li Wushuang''s gentle reprimand. Although Li Wushuang was not a blood relative of the Li family, she held a high status in the family, even doted on by the old master, so he dared not oppose her. "Li Lin..." The maid looked once more in the direction where Li Lin had disappeared. Li Lin returned to his courtyard, where he met Li Xiaobai, who came excitedly. "Master, I saw Miss Du Gu, she''s really pretty, almost as much as Miss Wushuang," Li Xiaobai excitedly told Li Lin. "Um, she''s just average," Li Lin replied with a slight smile. Although Miss Du Gu was quite attractive, she couldn''t compare to Li Wushuang in terms of temperament and elegance. In that aspect, Miss Du Gu was no match for Li Wushuang. "Did you see her? I think she''s really nice," chuckled Li Xiaobai. "Sadly, a lady like her wouldn''t notice me. If only I were like you or Young Master Shaohu, following you would surely make Xiao Cui pay attention to me." "Look at your petty aspirations..." Li Lin glanced at Li Xiaobai, then with a flash of brilliance in his eyes, he said, "Stick with me and I''ll make sure you live comfortably, even get you a lady from a wealthy family to marry. No, I''ll get you seven, one for each day of the week, and no repeats." "Master, what''s a week?" asked Li Xiaobai, puzzled. "It means seven days," Li Lin replied, realizing that the concept of a week didn''t exist in this world. "Easy to say, but if that day ever comes, I''ll do whatever you ask," sighed Li Xiaobai. With the young master struggling to keep himself safe, and being a lowly servant sold to the Li family since childhood, he didn''t see much hope for his future. Li Lin gave a slight smile, observing Li Xiaobai. He knew he was alone and vulnerable, but Li Xiaobai was clever and could become a valuable ally if nurtured properly. Li Xiaobai''s loyalty was unquestionable. At this moment, Li Xiaobai couldn''t imagine that his fate would soon change, and in the coming years, everyone on the Lingwu Continent would know him as one of Li Lin''s most trusted people. The events in the back garden were just an interlude. After nightfall, Li Lin quietly went to the secret room in the firewood shed, where the old servant Uncle Jiang had already arrived. In the following nights, Li Lin learned to concoct pills, forge weapons, and cultivate spiritual plants under Uncle Jiangs guidance. However, he only gained theoretical knowledge, without any practical experience. Li Lin also gained a complete understanding of both martial artists and spiritual practitioners. Martial artists cultivated their internal strength, including muscles, bones, and organs, storing the cultivated Qi in their Dantian Qi Sea. As the Qi filled up, they would break through to higher levels. Spiritual practitioners, on the other hand, didn''t focus on physical training but on cultivating spiritual power, which is the power of the soul or mind. They relied on strong spiritual power to confront enemies. Due to the stringent conditions required for cultivating as a spiritual practitioner, such as needing twice the normal mental strength, many were deterred from this path, making it unattainable for most. Given the rarity of spiritual practitioners and their utility, their status was even higher than that of martial artists. Chapter 14: Li Wushuang As for whether it is in terms of strength, at the same level, each has its own strengths and weaknesses. Both Spirit and Martial artists have their respective advantages and disadvantages. As for dual cultivation of Spirit and Martial arts, although countless people desire it, it remains just a wish. Dual cultivation of Spirit and Martial arts is simply impossible. Among Martial artists, there are five elements: Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, and Wind. Martial techniques are also divided into these five elemental categories. After Li Lin learned about all these, he also found out that the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art he practiced allows him to become an all-element Martial artist. What is an all-element Martial artist? It means being able to cultivate in all five elements: Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, and Wind. Knowing all this, Li Lin was incredibly surprised. The more he learned about Martial artists, the more he understood that most Martial artists only specialize in one element. Those who can cultivate two elements are already considered geniuses, and those who cultivate three are geniuses among geniuses. On the Spirit Martial Continent, dual-element Martial artists are occasionally encountered, but triple-element Martial artists seem almost unheard of. But he himself is an all-element Martial artist. Thinking of this, Li Lin often smiles. Uncle Jiang is truly talented. This Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art is simply defying the heavens. By directly absorbing demon pills, spirit pills, or the energies of Martial and Spirit artists, one can break through and use it for oneself. Also, being an all-element Martial artist, although the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art is somewhat expensive, its benefits far outweigh its costs. During this time, Li Lin often found small animals like mice to feed the pale yellow snake he had. Whenever the snake was hungry, it would crawl out of Li Lin''s sleeve. The two seemed to have an inexplicable connection. At the same time, during this period, Li Lin did not forget to use the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art to refine the energy of the two spirit pills inside his body. On the eighth night, Li Lin sat cross-legged, surrounded by a faint mist, with occasional flashes of light. Invisibly, an aura seemed to emanate around Li Lin. Old servant Uncle Jiang watched all this, nodding continuously, with a smile in his eyes. "Hu" After an unknown amount of time, the mist-like aura around Li Lin was completely absorbed back into his body through the pores of his skin, followed by exhaling a turbid breath. "Uncle Jiang, I have fully refined them. Why do I feel like Ive reached the pinnacle of the ninth level of Spirit disciples, but for Martial artists, Im only at the first level?" Li Lin opened his eyes and immediately asked Uncle Jiang. "It''s normal because the two pills you got were spirit pills, which mainly enhance your spirit energy. It''s already quite an achievement for you to break through to the first level of Martial disciples with your true energy," explained old servant Uncle Jiang. "What should I do now?" asked Li Lin. "This is also a downside of the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art. You can only seek demon pills to swallow now. Demon pills mainly enhance your true energy. If you want to break through, youll have to wait until your Martial level also reaches the pinnacle of the ninth level. Ive said before, unless both your Spirit and Martial levels break through together, if you continue to swallow spirit pills to enhance your spirit energy while your Martial level hasnt caught up, you might explode and die, with your meridians reversing," Uncle Jiang seriously warned Li Lin. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Li Lin stuck out his tongue. It seems he can only work on improving his Martial level now. Demon pills are so expensive, and he definitely can''t afford them now. "Buy all these materials on the list tomorrow. Tomorrow night, I will teach you how to personally refine pills, and at the same time help you enhance your true energy," Uncle Jiang handed Li Lin a piece of paper with more than a dozen materials written on it, which seemed to be names of herbs. "Buying materials." Li Lin took the list and, after a glance, tentatively asked, "Uncle Jiang, how many gold coins will this require?" "These are all cheap items, just for refining first-grade pills. It should be about twenty gold coins," replied old servant Uncle Jiang. "Twenty gold coins." Li Lin suddenly gasped in shock. Having arrived in the Spirit Martial Continent, Li Lin had already understood the value of money. What does twenty gold coins mean? A low-level servant in the Li family only earns half a gold coin a year, and a high-level servant earns one gold coin a year. Twenty gold coins equal the annual salary of forty low-level servants. Moreover, with twenty gold coins, an ordinary family could afford to marry twenty wives. "Uncle Jiang, twenty gold coins, you must have them. Could you lend them to me first?" Li Lin said with a troubled expression. He was penniless now, not even having half a gold coin. "You spineless thing. I don''t care whether you steal or rob, but if you don''t gather all the materials by tomorrow night, I won''t bother teaching you anymore," scolded old servant Uncle Jiang, giving Li Lin a stern look before saying, "That''s enough for today, go back." Li Lin returned with a gloomy expression, shaking his head and sighing along the way. No wonder it''s said that money can stop even the bravest of men; this is about twenty gold coins. He couldn''t possibly gather that much by stealing or robbing. Not long after returning to his room, the sky was already brightening. Li Lin hadnt slept at all during this time because refining the spirit pills in his body kept him full of energy. "Third Aunt, are you there?" A sweet voice came from outside the courtyard. "It''s Wushuang. Why are you up so early? Come in, it''s cold outside," Luo Lan''s voice came from the small hall. "It''s not cold. I am a cultivator and don''t feel the cold. Third Aunt, this is a robe I bought for you. It''s cold in winter; put it on and see if it fits," Li Wushuang''s voice came from outside. "You shouldn''t have. This is expensive. You always bring things every time you come. You''re such a sweet child." "Li Wushuang, why is she here?" Li Lin thought to himself. "Is Lin''er not up yet?" asked Li Wushuang. "Good morning, Wushuang Sister," said Li Lin, pushing open the door. He saw Li Wushuang wearing a red brocade robe, her black hair like ink trailing behind her, with a few strands falling beside her ears, exuding elegance and nobility, inviting closeness. "Lin''er, I also bought you a robe. Try it on and see if it fits," Li Wushuang said, her eyes lingering on him more intentionally than usual. "Thank you, Wushuang Sister." Li Lin took the robe, a blue one that seemed to be made of animal fur. It was very soft and warm, apparently quite valuable. "No need to thank me. I''m your sister, and it''s my duty to take care of you," Li Wushuang said with a light smile, revealing two small dimples. Li Lin''s heart skipped a beat at her smile. She really was beautiful, and he couldn''t help but take a few more glances. "Good, it fits well." Li Lin then put on the robe, finding it very comfortable. He suddenly realized that, apart from the people at the orphanage, Li Wushuang was the first woman to buy him clothes in this life or the previous one. "It fits well. I brought breakfast. Let''s eat together?" Li Wushuang brought out a food basket, from which a delicious aroma wafted, surely containing delicacies. "Wushuang, I just ate. There''s a lot to do in the laundry room today. You and Lin''er go ahead; I''ll start working," said Luo Lan. "Third Aunt, you work too hard. I will find a way to talk to the old master..." Li Wushuang spoke softly, her expression showing helplessness. She had no power to change the orders of the big lady of the third uncle''s family, despite her status in the Li family. "Silly child, I''m fine. After all, I was born a maid; it''s my fate," Luo Lan said with a gentle smile before leaving the courtyard. Li Lin watched all this, feeling increasingly troubled. "Mother, please bear with it a little longer. Soon, your son will not let you suffer anymore." "Lin''er, let''s have breakfast," Li Wushuang said softly, opening the basket and placing several exquisite pastries and other delicacies on the table. Chapter 15: Purchasing Medicinal Materials "Okay." Li Lin responded softly and sat down. Although the pastries and delicacies were delicious, Li Lin found them tasteless, his mind preoccupied with the thought of his mother still suffering and having no lead on today''s twenty gold coins, filling him with gloom. "Lin''er, you seem preoccupied." Noticing Li Lin''s demeanor, Li Wushuang asked. "It''s nothing, just random thoughts," Li Lin replied, coming back to his senses. "Lin''er, about yesterday in the back garden, what do you think of Cuiyu''s talent?" Li Wushuang gently inquired. "She is talented and seems not like an ordinary maid," Li Lin responded without much thought, realizing that the maid''s name was Cuiyu. He felt that she was not an ordinary maid. "It seems you''ve noticed it too. But your talent seems to be even greater than hers. Entering the world of rivers and lakes urges us forward, amidst ruined walls and besieged ponds, a city filled with smoke and sand, bitter is the heart waiting in vain! Not fearing the changes in a beautiful face, only afraid that the fallen flowers and broken strings will go unheard... You really opened my eyes yesterday," Li Wushuang said, looking intently at Li Lin. "I just spoke impulsively in a moment of exhilaration; it was nothing special," Li Lin said modestly. "Lin''er, have you ever thought about your future, and your third aunt''s future?" Li Wushuang softly asked. "Do you think I have a future?" Li Lin asked with a light smile in return. "From what I saw yesterday, I know you''re not content with just this. But you can''t become a Martial artist, let alone a Spirit artist. Lin''er, if youve made up your mind and need my help, come to me," Li Wushuang said, looking at Li Lin. "Wushuang Sister, I actually do have an urgent matter for which I need your help," Li Lin hesitated slightly, looking somewhat embarrassed. This was the first time in his life, and in his previous life, that he had asked a woman for money. Deep down, Li Lin was very traditional and asking a woman for money was extremely embarrassing for him. "Twenty gold coins, it''s not too much, but not too little either. Can you tell me what you need it for?" Li Wushuang asked gently. "Can I tell you later? I can''t say right now," Li Lin replied. "Here''s fifty gold coins. I trust you. If it''s not enough, come find me," Li Wushuang said, handing Li Lin a purse emitting a faint fragrance, containing fifty gold coins. "Wushuang Sister, thank you." Li Lin took the gold coins and looked at Li Wushuang, silently vowing to repay this kindness a thousandfold in the future. "I have to go now. If you need anything, come to me," Li Wushuang said, then stood up and left. As she looked at Li Lin, a moment of bewilderment crossed her face. Since yesterday in the back garden, she felt Li Lin was different. She had come today specifically for that reason, sensing that the Li Lin she had watched grow up had changed. From a daughter''s sixth sense, she could feel that this usually meek cousin had something more inside him, seemingly a newfound aura. "The problem resolves itself at the bridgehead. Fifty gold coins, all troubles are solved," Li Lin muttered, looking at the fifty gold coins in his hand. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Young Master, you''re eating quite a feast here. And here I was, bringing you breakfast," Li Xiaobai, not knowing when he had arrived in the courtyard, looked at the table full of exquisite pastries and delicacies. He quickly tossed aside his own oil cake and began to devour the food voraciously. "Eat quickly, then accompany me out for a bit," Li Lin said. "What are we going to do? I''m just a lowly servant; I can''t just leave whenever I want," Li Xiaobai said. "What''s there to be afraid of? Let''s go, we''ll leave through the back. No one will know," Li Lin suggested. "Alright, I want to go out for a stroll too," Li Xiaobai said. Then, the two of them left the Li residence through the back door. Seeing old servant Uncle Jiang at the back door, Li Lin couldn''t help but feel triumphant, humming to himself. With twenty gold coins now in his possession, it was as if he was telling Uncle Jiang that he was off to buy the materials. Walking down the street and relying on his memory, Li Lin was quite familiar with everything in Qingyun Town. The town was not small, so Li Lin and Li Xiaobai slowed their pace, leisurely wandering among the bustling crowds on the main street. Observing the shops lining the streets, Li Lin was amazed by the array of exotic items from this otherworldly place. This was his first time going out shopping since arriving on the Spirit Martial Continent. After strolling through several streets, Li Lin remembered the main purpose of his outing C to purchase the medicinal materials listed by Uncle Jiang. These materials, necessary for refining pills, were not sold in ordinary shops but required a visit to specialized ones. Based on his memory, Li Lin knew that such shops were few and far between in Qingyun Town and were controlled by several families, including the Li family. After traversing several streets and alleys, Li Lin and Li Xiaobai appeared on another street. This area was a gathering place for Martial artists, and if one looked closely enough and had keen eyesight, it was possible to spot one or two Spirit artists mingling in the crowd. This was a wide street, not overly crowded but still bustling with activity. The shops here mainly sold medicinal materials, pills, and weapons. The decoration of these shops was much more luxurious and grand compared to those on the neighboring streets. The majority of the people entering and leaving this street were Martial and Spirit artists, with few ordinary people in sight. Even a single herb from these shops might be worth half a year''s food supply for an ordinary family. Looking down the street, Li Lin spotted a shop called "Li Family Medicine Shop" in the distance. It was luxuriously decorated, and two Martial disciples stood at the entrance. Although this Li Family Medicine Shop also sold the listed materials, Li Lin did not plan to go there, instead surveying the surrounding streets. "Tianbao Gate." Li Lin saw a shop named Tianbao Gate. Remembering that Tianbao Gate was the trade name of the Du Gu family and one of the strongest in Qingyun Town, he decided to enter without much hesitation, expecting a more comprehensive selection of items. "Young Master, what are we doing here? Why are we going to Tianbao Gate?" Li Xiaobai followed Li Lin timidly. Tianbao Gate was a place frequented by Martial and Spirit artists, and as a lowly servant, he had never entered such a luxurious place before. "What does the young master wish to purchase?" As Li Lin entered Tianbao Gate, a voice came from behind him. Hearing the voice, Li Lin looked up to see two brawny men in uniform standing on either side of him, with the speaker being the one on the left. The two men looked at Li Lin with respect, mainly because he was wearing the blue robe given by Li Wushuang that morning, which clearly wasn''t something ordinary people could wear. With Li Xiaobai following in a servant''s attire, Li Lin was naturally mistaken for a real young master. "I wish to buy some materials for refining pills," Li Lin said. "Please follow me," the brawny man said respectfully, leading Li Lin forward. Li Xiaobai followed behind dumbfounded, unable to utter a word upon seeing the luxurious and grand interior of Tianbao Gate. Li Lin observed everything inside Tianbao Gate with a calm demeanor. The shop was enormous, possibly covering over a thousand square meters. The interior was filled with an array of items, and Li Lin could recognize some weapons and armor, all belongings of Martial and Spirit artists. At that moment, Tianbao Gate was also occupied by a dozen or so Martial artists selecting items. Chapter 16: Reencountering Du Gu Binglan "This is the place. Mr. Wu, this young master wishes to purchase materials for refining pills. Please assist him," the brawny man leading the way said after passing several long counters, handing Li Lin over to an old man about fifty years old, before stepping back. "Young Master, what kind of medicinal materials do you need?" asked Mr. Wu, the steward, who was wearing a long robe and had a sharp gleam in his eyes. He looked at Li Lin with interest. "I need these, two portions of each," Li Lin said, originally intending to buy just one portion but now opting for two since he had fifty gold coins. The additional portion was part of another plan in his mind. "Alright, Young Master, please wait a moment. I''ll gather the materials for you," Mr. Wu said, looking a bit surprised at Li Lin''s request. He treated Li Lin even more politely, suspecting that the young man might be a Spirit artist. "Okay," Li Lin responded lightly and leaned against a counter, observing the entire Tianbao Gate. "Young Master, why are you buying materials for refining pills? Where did you get the gold coins? I heard these materials are very expensive," Li Xiaobai whispered nervously to Li Lin. "Why worry? It''s not your money," Li Lin replied, his gaze shifting to the side where he recognized two familiar figures. They were none other than Miss Du Gu Binglan and her maid Cuiyu, whom he had seen yesterday in the Li family''s back garden. "Greetings, Miss," the staff of Tianbao Gate respectfully greeted the two women as they approached, their eyes also landing on Li Lin. Seeing Miss Du Gu again, Li Lin gave her a second look. He found her quite attractive, with a clever and spirited demeanor. He nodded slightly in acknowledgment and then shifted his gaze, paying more attention to the maid Cuiyu. The two women seemed a bit surprised, then lowered their heads and whispered to each other. "Li Young Master, I didn''t expect to see you here at Tianbao Gate," said Du Gu Binglan after a while, approaching Li Lin with a faint fragrance. The people inside Tianbao Gate were surprised to see Li Lin and Miss Du Gu acquainted. Behind Li Lin, Li Xiaobai trembled nervously as Miss Du Gu approached, wondering how Li Lin knew her. He thought, "No wonder the Young Master wasn''t interested in seeing Miss Du Gu yesterday; they already knew each other." "Greetings, Miss Du Gu. I needed some materials for refining pills, so I came here. I didn''t expect to see you, which is an honor," Li Lin replied politely. "It''s strange. Why didn''t Young Master Li go to his own family''s shop for the materials?" Miss Du Gu asked with a light smile, her beauty enhanced by her expression. "Would Miss Du Gu refuse to sell to me? Haha," Li Lin replied, hiding his true feelings behind a slight smile. "Of course not, you''re very welcome here," Miss Du Gu quickly replied with a smile. "Young Master Li, are you buying materials for refining pills? Are you a Spirit artist?" "This..." This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. "Young Master, your materials are ready," interrupted Mr. Wu, handing two palm-sized packages to Li Lin. "Greetings, Miss," Mr. Wu said upon seeing Du Gu Binglan, bowing respectfully. "Let''s settle the bill," Li Lin said, handing the packages to Li Xiaobai. "Young Master, that will be thirty-eight gold coins," Mr. Wu announced. "Mr. Wu, give Young Master Li a 20% discount. From now on, Li Lin is our valued guest here. Please take good care of him," Du Gu Binglan interjected. "Yes, Miss," Mr. Wu replied respectfully, then turned to Li Lin, "Since you''re the Miss''s friend, that will be thirty gold coins." "Thank you, Miss Du Gu," Li Lin said with a slight nod and a smile to Du Gu Binglan. He then took out thirty gold coins from the fragrant purse and handed them to Mr. Wu, saving eight gold coins. Since he was in need of money, Li Lin naturally did not hold back. "Young Master Li, this is our Tianbao Gate''s VIP card. Please keep it. In the future, if you need anything, with this card, Tianbao Gate will prioritize your requests. You will also receive discounts on prices. If Tianbao Gate is privy to any information, we can share it with you. Additionally, if Young Master Li has any pills or similar items to sell, Tianbao Gate will offer the highest price," Du Gu Binglan said, extending a white jade card with the words ''Tianbao Gate'' on it to Li Lin. "Thank you once again," Li Lin said, unreservedly accepting the jade card. Not taking advantage of benefits was not in his nature. As for why Du Gu Binglan was so keen to curry favor with him, Li Lin was somewhat suspicious but did not pay much heed to it. There''s an old saying, ''Unwarranted kindness is either a trap or a trick''. Currently, Li Lin had nothing worth stealing by Miss Du Gu, so it must be a trick. However, Li Lin was indifferent to this realization; in fact, he even showed a slight smirk. "I''ll take my leave now," Li Lin said with a slight nod, walking past the maid named Cuiyu, also nodding slightly to her before striding away. "Young Master, where did you get those gold coins, and how do you know Miss Du Gu?" Li Xiaobai asked Li Lin as they left Tianbao Gate. "Why ask so many questions? Let''s go back. And don''t tell anyone about me buying the medicinal materials," Li Lin instructed. "Miss, who is that person? He doesn''t seem very special. Are we overestimating him?" Inside Tianbao Gate, after Li Lin left, Mr. Wu, with a sharp gleam in his eyes, spoke to Du Gu Binglan. "He''s not a simple man. Send someone to investigate his background in detail and treat him well in the future," Du Gu Binglan instructed before leaving Tianbao Gate with the maid named Cuiyu. Crossing the streets, Li Lin and Li Xiaobai quietly returned to the Li residence through the back door. Their morning outing went unnoticed, as no one in the Li family cared much about a lowly servant and a useless young master. "This kid really has some skills," the old servant at the back door thought to himself, looking at the two packages in Li Xiaobai''s hands. In the afternoon, Li Lin and Li Xiaobai made a brief appearance in the Li family before returning to their respective quarters, as there wasn''t much to do in the cold winter. As night fell, Li Lin was well-prepared and headed to the secret room in the firewood house, where old servant Uncle Jiang was already waiting. "Uncle Jiang, I''ve bought all the medicinal materials you asked for," Li Lin said with a proud smile upon seeing Uncle Jiang. "Why did you buy two portions?" Uncle Jiang asked, opening the medicinal materials. "I was worried that you might fail, so I bought an extra portion. If it''s successful, we can refine an extra pill," Li Lin explained, thinking that the pills should be worth more than the materials. He planned to sell them later to make some profit. "If I''m here and you still fail to refine a first-grade pill, then you might as well go bang your head against the wall," Uncle Jiang said sternly, looking at Li Lin. "You''ve been practicing the Open Mountain Palm for a few days now. Show me how it''s going." "Yes," Li Lin replied, putting away his smile. He had been practicing Open Mountain Palm for several days and believed he had made some progress. Taking a moment to compose himself, he channeled the technique, forming a complex hand seal. Then, a wave of air seemed to ripple from his palms. "Chi" With a soft sound, Li Lin struck the stone wall of the secret room with his palm, causing the wall to tremble and dust to fall. Li Lin was somewhat surprised by his own power, not expecting his palm strike to be so formidable. He thought that if it were a bull, he could probably send it flying. Chapter 17: Refining the Crown Filling Pill "It''s passable, but it hasnt reached the full potential of the Open Mountain Palm yet. Remember, the Open Mountain Palm must have the momentum of splitting a mountain. The force should start from the ground, with feet and waist coordinated, combined with the true qi from the Dantian and Qi Hai. Only when you strike with full force, can you achieve its maximum power," old servant Uncle Jiang advised. "Yes, Uncle Jiang," Li Lin nodded in agreement. "Now, let me teach you how to refine pills," Uncle Jiang said, and with a slight flick of his sleeve, a large tripod about one meter high appeared out of nowhere. The tripod was covered in blue and red hues, emanating a strong scent of spiritual herbs. It was densely decorated with patterns, among which a fire dragon was coiled. The fire dragon''s mouth formed a bowl-sized opening at the top of the tripod, which also had a circular lid. The tripod had an ancient look and felt very solid. "This is called the Fire Dragon Cauldron. I''ll give it to you. But dont let others see it casually. If a Spirit General or Spirit Marshal sees it, they might kill you for it. The Fire Dragon Cauldron has some mysteries. For a beginner like you, it should help you familiarize yourself with pill refining quickly," Uncle Jiang said. "Thank you, Uncle Jiang," Li Lin replied, overjoyed. Everything Uncle Jiang gave was definitely a treasure. Li Lin even thought of extracting more treasures from Uncle Jiang, as each one would bring endless benefits in the future, even fetching a good price if sold. Of course, Li Lin dared not let Uncle Jiang know of this idea, or he would not be spared. "Uncle Jiang, how can I take this big thing with me? How did you bring it out just now?" Li Lin said helplessly, eagerly approaching the Fire Dragon Cauldron and bending down to lift it, which weighed at least two hundred kilograms. "I knew you would say that," Uncle Jiang glared at Li Lin, then took out a black ring and handed it to him, saying, "This is a storage ring. Drip your blood on it, wear it on your finger, and it will merge into your body. When you need it, just activate it with your true qi or spiritual energy. The space inside is enough for you." After explaining, Uncle Jiang continued, "Dont show this to outsiders. If someone with ill intentions sees it, they might kill you for it. There are only three of these storage rings in the world. Though not very expensive, they have some mysterious properties, allowing them to merge into the body. One ring alone is worth more than the entire Li family." "That expensive?" Li Lin was shocked. Just one storage ring was worth the whole Li family. He hurriedly took the ring, bit his finger, and let a drop of blood fall onto it. Then he wore it on the ring finger of his left hand, and the ring mysteriously merged into his finger and disappeared. "You can check everything inside the storage ring with your spiritual power. From now on, you can store things in it, but remember, you cant put living things inside," Uncle Jiang advised. Li Lin used his spiritual power, and the storage ring reappeared on his left ring finger, revealing a space of nearly a hundred square meters inside his mind. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. "What a treasure! I''m going to be rich," Li Lin thought to himself. He felt incredibly lucky to have met someone like Uncle Jiang, who gave him such treasures. Holding a storage ring worth an entire Li family, Li Lin felt a mix of nervousness and exhilaration. Everything was happening too fast. "What are you daydreaming about? Think it''s valuable? Spineless thing," Uncle Jiang scolded, seeing Li Lin''s daze. "The Li family might be something in Qingyun Town, but it''s nothing on the Spirit Martial Continent. You''re not my disciple, but you''d better aim higher and don''t embarrass me." "I understand, Uncle Jiang," Li Lin said. His earlier excitement was quickly doused by Uncle Jiang''s cold reality check. It seemed he really couldn''t compare to Uncle Jiang. He resolved that once he had the chance, he too must explore the world outside. "Alright, familiarize yourself with this Fire Dragon Cauldron. We''ll start refining the pill soon," Uncle Jiang instructed, signaling Li Lin to get acquainted with the Fire Dragon Cauldron. Li Lin approached the cauldron and carefully examined it. The craftsmanship was exquisitely detailed, akin to an antique. Gently touching it produced a faint buzzing sound. "Use your spiritual energy to channel into the dragon''s mouth, and it will produce flames. Give it a try," Uncle Jiang suggested. Following these instructions, Li Lin focused and sent a surge of spiritual energy into the dragon''s mouth. "Whoosh whoosh..." Instantly, a bluish-red flame roared to life inside the cauldron. "Slow down. If you were refining a pill, you would have destroyed all the ingredients," Uncle Jiang shouted, then added, "For a first attempt at generating flames, that''s not bad. Now let''s start with the pill refining. Pay attention and remember what I teach you." Li Lin was surprised by the force of his own action and nodded attentively, listening as Uncle Jiang began instructing, "The pill I''m teaching you to refine is a low-grade first-tier Crown Filling Pill. It can improve the cultivation level of Martial disciples. First, open the lid and put in Three-Star Grass and Five-Leaf Lotus into the Fire Dragon Cauldron for initial refinement. Control your spiritual energy; the flame should be small but not too weak. Too little fire wont refine the ingredients, but too much will damage their essence. This step is to purify the ingredients and retain only their most potent parts." "Don''t rush; stabilize yourself and control your spiritual energy. Otherwise, if you run out of spiritual energy, you won''t be able to complete the pill," he cautioned. "Next, add a stalk of Vitality Grass and a portion of Dew Crystal Powder" "You can''t see inside the cauldron, so use your spiritual energy to probe. This requires feeling, which cannot be taught by anyone," Uncle Jiang continued. Li Lin began using his spiritual energy to observe everything inside the Fire Dragon Cauldron. The process of refining the pill was both exciting and nerve-wracking for him, stirring a mix of emotions. Under Uncle Jiang''s guidance, Li Lin gradually got into the zone, with Uncle Jiang occasionally nodding in approval. "Be careful, steady now," Uncle Jiang suddenly warned. Li Lins heart sank as he realized he had lost control of his spiritual energy. The flames inside the cauldron suddenly burst forth fiercely. He quickly stabilized the flames, shocked at how difficult it was to control the spiritual energy despite its seeming simplicity. "Find the feel for it, stabilize yourself," Uncle Jiang continued to instruct from the side. In the secret chamber, the flames from the Fire Dragon Cauldron reflected off the stone walls, dancing and causing the temperature inside the chamber to rise steadily. Li Lin was now drenched in sweat. An hour later, Li Lin felt his spiritual energy in his mind depleting rapidly. Refining the pill was proving to be an incredibly draining task. At this point, he had only managed to refine all the ingredients into a spiritual liquid, and he already felt he couldnt go on. "Okay, you can rest for a while now," Uncle Jiang said just as Li Lin was about to inform him of his exhaustion. Li Lin immediately stopped channeling spiritual energy into the cauldron and collapsed onto the floor of the secret chamber, lying there limply, gasping for air as if he had just run a marathon, unable to move a muscle. Chapter 18: Triple Tier Martial Disciple "Quick, regulate your breath. This moment is very beneficial for your spirit power," the old servant Uncle Jiang sternly told Li Lin, showing no courtesy. Hearing this, Li Lin reluctantly got up and began to regulate his breath. Sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, he circulated the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique. Soon, a bright sheen appeared in his mind, and his spirit power began to slowly recover. Although the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique was notoriously slow in normal cultivation, it did not impede the speed of breath regulation and recovery. Watching Li Lin meditating with his eyes closed, Uncle Jiang''s expression softened from its usual severity, revealing a gentle and comforting gaze. Two hours later, Li Lin slowly opened his eyes. The soreness and weakness in his body had vanished unknowingly. He felt rejuvenated, with abundant spirit power in his mind, seemingly making significant progress compared to before. His entire body felt indescribably comfortable. "Breath regulation is complete, let''s continue," said Uncle Jiang. "Okay," Li Lin replied. He crossed his arms, making his joints crack crisply, and then shook his head before returning to the Fire Dragon Cauldron. He carefully controlled the flow of spiritual energy into the cauldron, reigniting the blue and red flames within. "Now, your task is to combine these medicinal powers into a pill. You can''t rest now. If you do, the medicinal pill will be ruined," Uncle Jiang advised. Taking a deep breath, Li Lin began using his spirit power to merge the refined spiritual liquids. Under the control of the blue and red flames, the liquids slowly combined. "Control it well. This step is the most difficult. Some herbs resist each other, and one mistake can ruin all the materials," Uncle Jiang warned. Li Lin was extremely cautious. With a theoretical knowledge of pill-making and guidance from Uncle Jiang, he managed to handle the process, albeit somewhat frantically. An hour later, the Fire Dragon Cauldron began to change. A rich aroma of medicinal herbs spread from within, calming Li Lin''s mind. "Clang" The lid of the cauldron opened, releasing a rich medicinal scent. Under the blue and red flames, a thumb-sized yellow pill emerged in the chamber. Uncle Jiang''s face showed a hint of a smile. With a flick of his hand, a ray of light enveloped the yellow pill, bringing it into his grasp. Looking at the pill, he commented, "The quality is barely passable, but considering it''s your first time making a pill, it''s not bad. Now, consume it and continue to regulate your breath. This Foundation Top Pill should elevate you from the first to the third tier of Martial Disciple." Hearing that the pill was only barely passable, Li Lin felt a bit downhearted, not realizing that what Uncle Jiang deemed passable would be considered good or even excellent by others. "Only advancing two tiers?" Li Lin was surprised. The Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique was indeed costly. "Aren''t you satisfied? Normally, it would take a year for an average person to achieve this progress. Be content," Uncle Jiang advised. "True, it''s costly, but the benefits outweigh the expense," Li Lin said, accepting the Foundation Top Pill he had just made. He was excited, knowing he would soon be a formal spiritualist. "Starting tomorrow, you''ll undergo a month of special training. Prepare yourself. I''m leaving now. Once you''ve finished regulating your breath, return on your own," said Uncle Jiang before leaving the chamber. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. "Special training, what kind?" Li Lin muttered to himself, then sat cross-legged and swallowed the Foundation Top Pill to begin regulating his breath. The pill turned into a warm current that spread through Li Lin''s meridians. Under the refinement of the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique, it transformed into wisps of Qi that flowed into his dantian. Li Lin felt comfortable as the Qi moved through his meridians, which occasionally expanded slightly, causing brief pain. After several hours, feeling his spirit energy rapidly replenishing, Li Lin sensed his spirit growing stronger, expanding and solidifying. When the time was up, Li Lin felt that he had absorbed the Foundation Top Pill''s power and advanced to the third tier of Martial Disciple. "It really is fast," Li Lin opened his eyes, exhaling deeply. Advancing two tiers immediately after consuming the pill was indeed extraordinary, though quite expensive. Advancing two tiers of Martial Disciple required one Foundation Top Pill. As he progressed to Martial Warrior or Martial Master, the costs would undoubtedly multiply. "Time to return. I have training tomorrow," Li Lin said, standing up. He channeled spiritual energy into his storage ring, storing the Fire Dragon Cauldron inside. He marveled at the wonders of the Lingwu Continent, anticipating even more extraordinary things in the future. After tidying up, Li Lin left the chamber and headed straight to his courtyard. He didn''t need to sleep that night. The next morning, Li Xiaobai arrived on time. Li Lin learned that in just over a month, it would be the New Year, when all members of the Li family, including distant relatives, would return home for ancestral worship. Starting now, the Li family residence, especially the front courtyard, needed thorough cleaning for a fresh look. Since Li Lin, as the young master, had no access to the front courtyard, no one bothered to inform him about cleaning it, so he was spared from the task. After Li Xiaobai and his mother left, Li Lin, alone and bored in the courtyard, decided to use the remaining Foundation Top Pill materials to make another pill to sell for more materials, maintaining a budget for future pill-making. Otherwise, he wouldn''t be able to afford the materials needed for higher cultivation levels, such as Martial Warrior or Martial Master, let alone think about Demon or Spirit Pills. As for selling his valuable storage ring and Fire Dragon Cauldron, Li Lin only toyed with the idea. Uncle Jiang would be furious if he found out, and Li Lin himself was reluctant to part with such treasures. Deciding his course of action, Li Lin took out the Fire Dragon Cauldron from the storage ring and began preparing to make another Foundation Top Pill. This time, without Uncle Jiang''s supervision, he felt more nervous. Taking a deep breath, Li Lin took out the remaining Foundation Top Pill materials. As spiritual energy entered the cauldron, a substantial blue and red flame appeared. Following the previous day''s steps, Li Lin first refined the Three-Star Grass and Five-Leaf Lotus, being extremely careful. As spiritual energy was consumed in his mind, Li Lin added the other herbs, sweating profusely from the heat of the cauldron''s flames. Controlling the spiritual energy, the refining process encountered several small accidents that frightened Li Lin, but fortunately, he managed to overcome them. After the refining, Li Lin left the chamber and headed back to his room, waiting for daylight. For the time being, he didn''t need to sleep. At dawn, Li Xiaobai arrived promptly, and Li Lin learned that the New Year was approaching. The entire Li family, including distant relatives, would gather for ancestral worship, so the Li household needed a thorough cleaning from inside out, especially the front courtyard. Since Li Lin couldn''t enter the front courtyard and no one informed him of the cleaning, he was spared the task and had no intention of volunteering. After Li Xiaobai and his mother went to the laundry, Li Lin, bored alone in the courtyard, decided to use his remaining time and materials to make another Foundation Top Pill to sell. This would allow him to continue purchasing materials and advancing his cultivation. Otherwise, he wouldn''t afford the materials needed for higher cultivation levels, including Demon and Spirit Pills. As for selling his valuable storage ring and Fire Dragon Cauldron, Li Lin only entertained the thought. Uncle Jiang would be furious if he found out, and Li Lin himself was reluctant to part with such treasures. Having decided, Li Lin took out the Fire Dragon Cauldron from his storage ring and began preparing to make another Foundation Top Pill. This time, without Uncle Jiang''s supervision, he felt more nervous. Taking a deep breath, Li Lin took out the remaining Foundation Top Pill materials. As spiritual energy entered the cauldron, a substantial blue and red flame appeared. Following the previous day''s steps, Li Lin first refined the Three-Star Grass and Five-Leaf Lotus, being extremely careful. As spiritual energy was consumed in his mind, Li Lin added the other herbs, sweating profusely from the heat of the cauldron''s flames. Controlling the spiritual energy, the refining process encountered several small accidents that frightened Li Lin, but fortunately, he managed to overcome them. Chapter 19: Selling Pills Two hours later, Li Lin finally refined all the ingredients for the Foundation Top Pill into spiritual liquids. At this point, he felt completely drained of spiritual energy and was extremely fatigued. Li Lin then began to recuperate, slowly restoring his spiritual energy and eliminating his fatigue. After recovering, Li Lin felt rejuvenated and sensed a slight increase in his spiritual energy. He then resumed the pill-making process. Injecting spiritual energy into the Fire Dragon Cauldron, the substantial blue and red flames reignited. Now, Li Lin''s task was to merge these spiritual liquids into a pill. This was the most challenging part. Each ingredient had some resistance, and the compatibility of the medicinal herbs also caused resistance. The suitable temperature for each herb varied, and all of these factors needed to be controlled with spiritual power, requiring a strong and sensitive soul. As the saying goes, "A miss is as good as a mile." Any mistake could ruin the pill. Without Uncle Jiang''s guidance, Li Lin knew he had to rely entirely on himself this time. "I can do it, I must," Li Lin encouraged himself. He had to face future challenges alone and succeed. Unaware that someone was approaching his usually deserted courtyard, Li Lin focused intently on making the Foundation Top Pill. The visitor, wearing a brocade robe that outlined her graceful figure, with long legs and black hair fluttering at her temples, exuding an aura of elegance, was Li Wushuang. Since sensing some invisible changes in Li Lin, Li Wushuang''s curiosity had been piqued, and she wanted to know more about her cousin. As she stepped into the courtyard, Li Wushuang noticed it was empty and was about to leave when she sensed a strong aroma of medicinal herbs and a fluctuation of energy from a room. At nineteen years old, already a first-tier Martial Master, her skills were considered strong in the Li family. Sensing something unusual, Li Wushuang cautiously approached the source of the energy fluctuations, readying her Qi. Reaching Li Lin''s door, she was shocked to see him making a pill. Having seen other spiritualists make pills before, she could tell that Li Lin, surrounded by spiritual energy, was a spiritualist capable of making pills C a formal one above the Lingtu level. Watching Li Lin''s hand movements and the energy he emitted, Li Wushuang could hardly believe what she was seeing. If she hadn''t witnessed it herself, who would have thought that Li Lin, seen as a useless member of the family, was actually a spiritualist? "Everyone was wrong about him; he''s a spiritualist. Why is he hiding his abilities?" Li Wushuang thought, surprised. "Looks like he was forced to hide his strength. It''s best not to let him know I''m aware. If he can hide his abilities, then he should be fine in the future," she thought, smiling softly and quietly leaving the courtyard, understanding why Li Lin chose to conceal his abilities. "This guy should be more careful. If others saw him, it could bring trouble," Li Wushuang muttered as she stood at the courtyard gate. Back in the room, Li Lin, completely focused on making the Foundation Top Pill, didn''t notice that someone had just been outside his door. Any experienced spiritualist would have detected Li Wushuang''s presence, but Li Lin, absorbed in his task and worried about the potential failure of the pill, was oblivious to the exposure of his spiritualist identity. "Clang" Two hours later, the lid of the cauldron opened, and a thumb-sized yellow pill emerged, enveloped in blue and red flames. "Success, finally!" Li Lin smiled wearily but excitedly, having made a pill entirely on his own. "Is it done? It must be successful," Li Wushuang thought, sensing the commotion in the courtyard. Smiling slightly, she glanced back at Li Lin''s room and then left. Packing away the Foundation Top Pill, Li Lin felt an urge to consume and refine it immediately, knowing it would advance his martial level. However, he realized that selling the pill could fetch a higher price than the materials cost. With the proceeds, he could buy more ingredients and continue the cycle, ensuring he had enough funds for future purchases. Deciding to sell the pill that afternoon, Li Lin tidied up and left the house, taking the back door to the market. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. "Miss, we''ve gathered information about Li Lin," reported a martial steward in an elegantly furnished room. Du Gu Binglan and her maid, Cuiyu, were discussing. "Let''s hear it," Du Gu Binglan said. The steward reported, "According to our investigation, Li Lin is the son of the Li family''s third son and a maid. He has been marginalized due to his original wife Zhao''s hostility and his inability to cultivate Qi and become a fighter. His status in the family is almost like that of a servant, and he''s often humiliated by Zhao''s side. The third son doesn''t dare speak up, and there''s nothing else noteworthy." "What about that Zhao family?" Cuiyu asked. "Yes, that Zhao family. The Li family seems afraid to offend them, hence Li Lin''s current situation," the steward replied. "From what I saw of Li Lin the other day, he doesnt seem ordinary. A mediocre person wouldn''t have such a demeanor, and he buys materials for pill-making, not relying on the Li family. Miss, we should keep an eye on Li Lin. If he comes again to buy materials, it proves that even if he''s not a spiritualist, there must be one behind him," Cuiyu suggested. Chapter 19: Selling Pills Two hours later, Li Lin finally refined all the ingredients for the Foundation Top Pill into spiritual liquids. At this point, he felt completely drained of spiritual energy and was extremely fatigued. Li Lin then began to recuperate, slowly restoring his spiritual energy and eliminating his fatigue. After recovering, Li Lin felt rejuvenated and sensed a slight increase in his spiritual energy. He then resumed the pill-making process. Injecting spiritual energy into the Fire Dragon Cauldron, the substantial blue and red flames reignited. Now, Li Lin''s task was to merge these spiritual liquids into a pill. This was the most challenging part. Each ingredient had some resistance, and the compatibility of the medicinal herbs also caused resistance. The suitable temperature for each herb varied, and all of these factors needed to be controlled with spiritual power, requiring a strong and sensitive soul. As the saying goes, "A miss is as good as a mile." Any mistake could ruin the pill. Without Uncle Jiang''s guidance, Li Lin knew he had to rely entirely on himself this time. "I can do it, I must," Li Lin encouraged himself. He had to face future challenges alone and succeed. Unaware that someone was approaching his usually deserted courtyard, Li Lin focused intently on making the Foundation Top Pill. The visitor, wearing a brocade robe that outlined her graceful figure, with long legs and black hair fluttering at her temples, exuding an aura of elegance, was Li Wushuang. Since sensing some invisible changes in Li Lin, Li Wushuang''s curiosity had been piqued, and she wanted to know more about her cousin. As she stepped into the courtyard, Li Wushuang noticed it was empty and was about to leave when she sensed a strong aroma of medicinal herbs and a fluctuation of energy from a room. At nineteen years old, already a first-tier Martial Master, her skills were considered strong in the Li family. Sensing something unusual, Li Wushuang cautiously approached the source of the energy fluctuations, readying her Qi. Reaching Li Lin''s door, she was shocked to see him making a pill. Having seen other spiritualists make pills before, she could tell that Li Lin, surrounded by spiritual energy, was a spiritualist capable of making pills C a formal one above the Lingtu level. Watching Li Lin''s hand movements and the energy he emitted, Li Wushuang could hardly believe what she was seeing. If she hadn''t witnessed it herself, who would have thought that Li Lin, seen as a useless member of the family, was actually a spiritualist? "Everyone was wrong about him; he''s a spiritualist. Why is he hiding his abilities?" Li Wushuang thought, surprised. "Looks like he was forced to hide his strength. It''s best not to let him know I''m aware. If he can hide his abilities, then he should be fine in the future," she thought, smiling softly and quietly leaving the courtyard, understanding why Li Lin chose to conceal his abilities. "This guy should be more careful. If others saw him, it could bring trouble," Li Wushuang muttered as she stood at the courtyard gate. Back in the room, Li Lin, completely focused on making the Foundation Top Pill, didn''t notice that someone had just been outside his door. Any experienced spiritualist would have detected Li Wushuang''s presence, but Li Lin, absorbed in his task and worried about the potential failure of the pill, was oblivious to the exposure of his spiritualist identity. "Clang" Two hours later, the lid of the cauldron opened, and a thumb-sized yellow pill emerged, enveloped in blue and red flames. "Success, finally!" Li Lin smiled wearily but excitedly, having made a pill entirely on his own. "Is it done? It must be successful," Li Wushuang thought, sensing the commotion in the courtyard. Smiling slightly, she glanced back at Li Lin''s room and then left. Packing away the Foundation Top Pill, Li Lin felt an urge to consume and refine it immediately, knowing it would advance his martial level. However, he realized that selling the pill could fetch a higher price than the materials cost. With the proceeds, he could buy more ingredients and continue the cycle, ensuring he had enough funds for future purchases. Deciding to sell the pill that afternoon, Li Lin tidied up and left the house, taking the back door to the market. "Miss, we''ve gathered information about Li Lin," reported a martial steward in an elegantly furnished room. Du Gu Binglan and her maid, Cuiyu, were discussing. "Let''s hear it," Du Gu Binglan said. The steward reported, "According to our investigation, Li Lin is the son of the Li family''s third son and a maid. He has been marginalized due to his original wife Zhao''s hostility and his inability to cultivate Qi and become a fighter. His status in the family is almost like that of a servant, and he''s often humiliated by Zhao''s side. The third son doesn''t dare speak up, and there''s nothing else noteworthy." "What about that Zhao family?" Cuiyu asked. "Yes, that Zhao family. The Li family seems afraid to offend them, hence Li Lin''s current situation," the steward replied. "From what I saw of Li Lin the other day, he doesnt seem ordinary. A mediocre person wouldn''t have such a demeanor, and he buys materials for pill-making, not relying on the Li family. Miss, we should keep an eye on Li Lin. If he comes again to buy materials, it proves that even if he''s not a spiritualist, there must be one behind him," Cuiyu suggested. Chapter 20: Beating "Mr. Wu, if Young Master Li comes again to buy materials for refining pills, please take good care of him. We are in need of people right now," Du Gu BingLan said. "Yes, Miss," Mr. Wu replied, and then he left the room. Li Lin went back to the street selling pills, weapons, and other materials. He looked around and without hesitation, continued to walk into Tianbao Gate. Now, he was considered a VIP here. Li Lin naturally wouldn''t miss this opportunity to save some gold coins. Moreover, Tianbao Gate also purchased pills. "Young Master Li, are you here again to buy materials for refining pills?" the two burly men at the entrance greeted Li Lin warmly, having noticed the previous day that Young Master Li knew their Miss. "Yes, and I also want to sell a pill," Li Lin said. "This way, Young Master Li," one of the burly men politely led Li Lin to the counter where Mr. Wu was. "Li Lin, what can I help you with today?" Mr. Wu greeted with a smile. "I want to sell this ZhongDing Pill and buy some of yesterday''s pill materials," Li Lin said, taking out the prepared ZhongDing Pill. "Ah, ZhongDing Pill," Mr. Wu''s eyes brightened as he carefully examined the pill. "Although it''s a first-grade pill, the formula is known to few and is almost second-grade in quality. Its effect on enhancing a martial artist''s qi is much stronger than other pills. This ZhongDing Pill is well-refined, top-notch. Young Master Li, you are a friend of our Miss, so we''ll buy this ZhongDing Pill for fifty gold coins." "Thank you, Mr. Wu, I feel a bit embarrassed," Li Lin said, thinking to himself that the cost was only fifteen gold coins, but he was selling it for fifty C a huge profit. He wouldn''t have to worry about gold coins in the future. "Since Young Master Li is our VIP, and the ZhongDing Pill is rare, if you have more in the future, please continue to sell them to us. We''ll buy them at full price for popularity. It''s a good deal," Mr. Wu said. "No problem, next time I have one, I''ll bring it to Tianbao Gate," Li Lin smiled. "Also, please help me buy four portions of yesterday''s pill materials." "Right away, Young Master Li," Mr. Wu said respectfully, then went to prepare. "Miss, Young Master Li of the Li family came again. He brought a ZhongDing Pill and wants to buy more pill materials, probably for the ZhongDing Pill," Mr. Wu reported to Du Gu BingLan in a room. "ZhongDing Pill," Du Gu BingLan examined the pill, then handed it to CuiYu. "CuiYu, take a look at this ZhongDing Pill." "Although it''s a first-grade pill, it''s close to second-grade. The person who knows the formula for the ZhongDing Pill is definitely not ordinary. It seems Young Master Li has some secrets," the maid named CuiYu said softly. "Mr. Wu, from now on, Young Master Li of the Li family will be our real VIP. You know what to do. Also, tell him that the Li family will never know about his visits to Tianbao Gate," Du Gu BingLan said. "I understand, Miss. I''ll arrange it right away," Mr. Wu replied, then left to prepare. In Tianbao Gate, Li Lin observed everything. He noticed that the price tags for first-grade pills were around forty gold coins. He thought to himself that Tianbao Gate wasn''t cheating him and seemed to be trying to win him over. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Young Master Li, your pill materials are ready, and here are the fifty gold coins," Mr. Wu said after a while, handing over several small bags to Li Lin. "Let''s calculate the cost of these pill materials," Li Lin said, estimating that the materials for four ZhongDing Pills would be around sixty gold coins. With the twenty he already had and the fifty from selling the pill, it should be enough. "No need to calculate now. Whenever you come to Tianbao Gate for materials, you can pay all at once. It''s troublesome to settle accounts each time. Besides, we''re waiting for you to bring more ZhongDing Pills," Mr. Wu said with a smile. "Really? Aren''t you afraid I''ll default on the payment?" Li Lin said, surprised by Tianbao Gate''s kindness. "You''re not that kind of person, Young Master Li," Mr. Wu replied with a smile. "Alright, thank you then." Li Lin accepted the offer without hesitation. "Take care, Young Master Li," Mr. Wu said, then whispered with a smile, "Your visits to Tianbao Gate will be kept secret from the Li family. Rest assured." As Li Lin was about to leave, he was startled by Mr. Wu''s words and casually replied, "Then, I''ll be leaving. Goodbye." After leaving Tianbao Gate, Li Lin found a secluded place to store his belongings in his mysterious storage ring, then headed back to the Li family. On the way, he became more cautious, realizing that if he frequented Tianbao Gate, the Li family might find out. It seemed Tianbao Gate was secretly investigating him. "Tianbao Gate" Li Lin murmured to himself, then continued back to the Li family. As a useless young master, unloved by his grandmother and uncles, Li Lin now found this identity somewhat useful. At least he had food and drink in the Li family and was not micromanaged, making his own affairs much easier. That night, Li Lin sneaked into the secret room in the firewood shed, where the old servant, Uncle Jiang, was already waiting. "Uncle Jiang, what are we training today?" Li Lin asked. Uncle Jiang had mentioned that today would start a month of training. "Simple, training you to take a beating," Uncle Jiang said with a sinister smile. "What, to take a beating?" Li Lin''s face fell, realizing this was not good news. "Of course, and also training your senses and the five elements within your body. If you can withstand a month, you''ll be able to escape with your life even when facing much stronger opponents. Otherwise, your life will be easily lost," Uncle Jiang said seriously. "Uncle Jiang, don''t worry, I can withstand it. Let''s begin," Li Lin said, knowing there must be a reason for Uncle Jiang''s method. For his future safety, he had to endure this month of training. "Now, the training is to take a beating. I will attack you with the strength of a first-level warrior. If you can last an hour, you pass," Uncle Jiang said. "That''s unfair, I''m only a third-level martial disciple. How can I stand against a first-level warrior?" Li Lin protested, realizing the huge disparity. "Fair? When someone wants to kill you and take your life, can you ask for fairness?" Uncle Jiang''s expression darkened, and without warning, he attacked Li Lin''s left shoulder with a punch. "I''m not ready yet," Li Lin exclaimed, retreating hastily. Despite being a genuine third-level martial disciple, he was inexperienced in real combat. "Bang!" Before Li Lin could finish, Uncle Jiang''s palm, like a shadow, struck him relentlessly. In an instant, a huge force hit his shoulder, and he fell to the ground, writhing in pain, feeling as if his bones were falling apart. "Get up!" Uncle Jiang shouted, showing no mercy. He kicked towards Li Lin, creating a gust of wind, his power not to be underestimated. "Mommy," Li Lin crawled forward in fear. If the kick hit him, his bones would surely break. "Bang!" But it was too fast. Before Li Lin could get away, the kick hit his abdomen, flipping him a meter high in the air before he fell to the ground again. Blood surged inside him, and a sweet taste filled his throat. "Remember, when someone wants your life, they won''t talk about fairness or rules, only about taking your life," Uncle Jiang continued to attack with punches, palm strikes, and kicks. The small room left Li Lin with nowhere to hide, and soon his ribs were broken. After half an hour, Li Lin lay swollen and bruised in the secret room, unable to fight back and completely exhausted. "Get up. Now is the best time to feel the five elements within your Yin-Yang body. In the future, when you practice other elemental martial techniques, you will achieve twice the results with half the effort," Uncle Jiang said. Exhausted, Li Lin sat cross-legged and began to feel the five elements within his body, following Uncle Jiang''s guidance. Chapter 21: Marrow-Cleansing Pill Sinking into tranquility, Li Lin slowly regulated his breath while sensing the five elements within him. Initially, he could only feel a faint yellow glow, the Earth element, which was also the element of his practiced Open Mountain Palm martial technique. "Relax and slowly feel the five elements within your body. Once you''re familiar with them, cultivating martial techniques of these five elements will be much easier," Uncle Jiang advised. Li Lin relaxed completely, feeling everything inside him. After some time, he gradually noticed a greenish glow, followed by a white and then an earthy yellow glow. These were the Wood, Wind, and Earth elements, respectively. Soon, Li Lin felt a blue-green and a fiery red glow, representing the Water and Fire elements. After a while, Li Lin was enveloped in the light of all five elements, with the earthy yellow being the most intense. Observing this, Uncle Jiang slightly smiled. A full-spectrum martial artist with dual cultivation in spiritual and martial arts, this child would surely astonish the entire Lingwu Continent in the future. "Alright, continue," Uncle Jiang said after about two hours. Li Lin opened his eyes, feeling much less sore after the recent breathing exercise, though the bruises on his skin remained. "Continue. When you can endure for an hour, you''ll be ready," Uncle Jiang instructed. This time, Li Lin was more cautious. As soon as Uncle Jiang spoke, he swiftly dodged. Having been beaten previously, Li Lin knew he couldn''t just keep taking hits; he needed to learn to evade. However, evasion seemed ineffective against Uncle Jiang. Even when Li Lin tried to counterattack, he couldn''t match Uncle Jiang''s speed. His moves hadn''t been fully executed before Uncle Jiang''s fists and palms had already landed on him. The night continued till dawn, with Li Lin resting twice. His body, except for his face, was bruised everywhere. It seemed Uncle Jiang intentionally avoided hitting the face, otherwise, it would have been worse. "Enough for today. Continue tomorrow. This is a Marrow-Cleansing Pill I''ve refined. Bathe in water infused with one pill for two hours every day," Uncle Jiang said, handing Li Lin a jade bottle. Li Lin opened the bottle to find nearly thirty blue pills, emanating a strong medicinal fragrance. He didn''t recognize the pills but knew they were much more powerful than the ZhongDing Pill. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Uncle Jiang, what grade is this pill? It seems quite high," Li Lin asked. "It''s a third-grade pill. Don''t waste it. Bathe for two hours daily, and in a month, you should be reborn," Uncle Jiang replied. "Third-grade pill, that must be valuable," Li Lin thought to himself. "Uncle Jiang, can Li XiaoBai become a martial artist?" Li Lin asked, planning to train Li XiaoBai, as he always needed help. "Li XiaoBai has average talent. Even if he becomes a martial artist, his prospects aren''t great," Uncle Jiang remarked. "Uncle Jiang, please help Li XiaoBai. He''s been good to me," Li Lin requested. "Here''s the Fire Wolf Technique. Li XiaoBai seems to have a Fire element, but his talent is indeed mediocre. This technique should help him become a martial artist. His future progress depends on him," Uncle Jiang said. "Thank you, Uncle Jiang," Li Lin said, receiving the jade slip. As long as Li XiaoBai could become a martial artist, the rest could be planned later. "Go and use the Marrow-Cleansing Pill for your bath. Remember, three hours. It will greatly benefit you," Uncle Jiang instructed. "Uncle Jiang, I''ll take my leave," Li Lin said, leaving the secret room for the courtyard. "Yin-Yang body, nurtured by me, another powerful figure will soon emerge in the Lingwu Continent," Uncle Jiang mused with a smile of pride after Li Lin left. Li Lin, back in his room at dawn, prepared a large wooden tub for bathing. He dissolved a Marrow-Cleansing Pill in the water. "Sizzle..." The pill dissolved upon contact with water, turning it a dark green color, emitting a fragrant medicinal aroma and steamy bubbles. "Third-grade pills for bathing, would fetch a good price if sold," Li Lin thought, smiling. He knew the pills were beneficial and not to be sold, then swiftly undressed. Looking at his bruised body, Li Lin felt sorry for himself. Uncle Jiang had been merciless. He then jumped into the tub. The warm water enveloped his bruised skin, bringing a tingling comfort. "So comfortable," Li Lin sighed, enjoying the sensation like soaking in a hot spring. The warm steam seemed to penetrate his skin, nourishing his muscles and bones. He knew this was the effect of the Marrow-Cleansing Pill. Li Lin closed his eyes, lying still in the tub, letting the steam seep into his body. After a night of painful training, he felt a release of tension and soon drifted into sleep, dreaming pleasantly. "Lin''er, are you awake?" Luo Lan called in the morning. "He must be asleep. He seems different since he came back," she murmured. Unaware in his deep sleep, Li Lin''s bruises started to fade in the dark green liquid, the surface shimmering mysteriously. Anyone with exceptional insight would be astonished to see a third-grade pill used for bathing, enhancing the body''s strength C an extravagance even for major families, let alone the Li family. As time passed, foul and noxious substances were expelled from Li Lin''s pores, turning the clear water as filthy as a sewage pit. "How smelly..." Waking up after a long sleep, Li Lin smelled an awful odor and opened his eyes in shock. "God, what happened?" He was startled by the sewage-like water. "Creak..." "Young Master, what happened? Did you soil the bath?" The door opened, and Li XiaoBai entered the room, glaring disdainfully at Li Lin in the tub, covering his nose in disgust. Chapter 22: Failure in Pill Refining "Nonsense, I''m expelling impurities from my body, not relieving myself. Don''t you understand?" Li Lin retorted. Unable to stay in the tub any longer, he quickly jumped out, saying, "Go and dump this water and bring me fresh water for a bath." "It''s too smelly, dump it yourself," Li XiaoBai replied, then, glancing at Li Lin''s naked body, he curiously commented, "How come yours is bigger than mine?" "What are you looking at? This is natural endowment, something you can''t envy. Now go and change the water. I have something good for you later," Li Lin said, wrapping a piece of clothing around his waist. "A reward? What could you possibly have for me?" Li XiaoBai muttered, but quickly changed the water. Li Lin quickly took another bath to wash off the foul odor. "Aren''t you cold, Young Master?" Li XiaoBai asked. It was winter, and the water seemed cold. "What''s there to be cold about?" Li Lin remarked. Ever since he started practicing the Yin-Yang Lingwu Technique, he seemed immune to cold and heat. After washing off the stench, Li Lin dressed and felt an indescribable vitality and fullness throughout his body. His bruises had disappeared, his skin was much fairer, almost like a baby''s, and had become more elastic. He knew all these improvements were thanks to the Marrow-Cleansing Pill. Then, Li Lin closed his eyes in content, sensing the condition of his internal qi, which seemed to have greatly improved. "You said you had a reward for me," Li XiaoBai bluntly reminded him. "You won''t miss out," Li Lin opened his eyes and mysteriously produced a jade slip, saying, "This is the Fire Wolf Technique. Once you practice it, you''ll become a martial artist. Stick with me, and you''ll live a good life." "Me, a martial artist? You must be joking, Young Master," Li XiaoBai scoffed, finding it hard to believe that a lowly servant like him could become a martial artist. "I''m not joking. Take this and activate it with your blood," Li Lin insisted seriously. Seeing Li Lin''s earnest expression, Li XiaoBai hesitated, then accepted the jade slip and activated it with his blood. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "Sss..." A red light from the jade slip entered Li XiaoBai''s forehead, conveying a vast amount of information into his mind. "Memorize the chant and start practicing. Whether you can become a martial artist depends on you. Remember, try to keep this a secret," Li Lin instructed. "Can this Fire Wolf Technique really make me a martial artist?" Li XiaoBai asked after a moment, standing dazed in the room. "That''s up to you," Li Lin replied. "Thank you for your guidance, Young Master," Li XiaoBai said, kneeling and kowtowing to Li Lin. "What are you doing? Get up. A man''s knees are precious; you shouldn''t kneel so easily," Li Lin said. "Young Master, where did you get this Fire Wolf Technique? If you give it to me, what about yourself? Are you already a martial artist?" Li XiaoBai asked, standing up. "Why ask so many questions? Just do what you need to do and become a proper martial artist as soon as possible," Li Lin replied, hoping to have a useful person by his side if Li XiaoBai became a martial artist. "Yes, Young Master," Li XiaoBai responded, sensing that the Young Master had changed and was destined for greatness. He hurried off to practice the Fire Wolf Technique in secret, dreaming of changing his fate and impressing Xiao Cui in the front yard. "Now, it''s time to refine the ZhongDing Pill," Li Lin thought in his room. He had materials for four more pills C two to consume and two to sell for profit and enhancement. Hesitating briefly, Li Lin decided to find a secluded place in the back mountains for safety. After preparing, he went to a hidden valley surrounded by towering trees and a large rock, deeming it safe for pill refining. He took out the Fire Dragon Cauldron and the ingredients for the ZhongDing Pill. Concentrating, Li Lin began the refining process. Executing a hand sign, a stable spiritual force flowed from the dragon''s mouth into the cauldron, igniting a real flame. One by one, he added the ingredients into the cauldron, fully engrossed in refining the ZhongDing Pill, aware of its value of fifty gold coins each. On a nearby peak, an aged figure observed Li Lin''s actions. It was Uncle Jiang, who then cast a protective spell over several mountains before leaving, ensuring Li Lin''s safety. Having previous experience, Li Lin refined the pills more adeptly. After processing all the ingredients and resting a bit, he felt less tired than before. Finally, after an hour and a half, he successfully produced a ZhongDing Pill. "Fifty gold coins in hand," Li Lin smiled, ready to continue. After another rest and preparation, Li Lin started refining another pill. However, despite his familiarity with the process, a tiny mistake during the fusion caused the pill to fail. With a loud "bang," the Fire Dragon Cauldron shook violently, its lid flipped open, releasing a burnt smell. Watching this, Li Lin felt heartbroken, his face blackened with soot. "Fifty gold coins, gone," he lamented, relieved that the cauldron wasn''t damaged, or he would have felt even worse. "Time to take a beating," he sighed, packing up. The failure taught him a lesson: even with familiarity, extreme caution was necessary in pill refining. Chapter 23: Strengthening Strength After tidying up, Li Lin returned to the courtyard where Luo Lan was already present. Seeing Li Lin covered in dirt and grime, she couldn''t help but nag him a bit. Li Lin took her words to heart, feeling a sense of happiness and secretly vowing to hasten his strength enhancement to eventually free his mother from their current situation in the Li family. As night fell, Li Lin headed back to the secret chamber, where he was once again subjected to a beating. This routine continued for some time, with Li Lin visiting the secret chamber at night to spar with Uncle Jiang and attune himself to the five elements in his body. On the third day, Li Lin consumed a ZhongDing Pill and advanced to the fifth level of martial disciple. He sold two more ZhongDing Pills at Tianbao Gate and bought materials for six more. Each morning, he bathed in water infused with a Marrow-Cleansing Pill, which enhanced his muscles, bones, and internal organs. In the afternoons, he went to the back mountains to refine more ZhongDing Pills. After failing once, he became more careful. Thankfully, subsequent refinings went smoothly, with Li Lin improving both speed and quality. By the fifteenth day, the bathwater showed no impurities after absorbing the Marrow-Cleansing Pill, becoming clear and transparent. Li Lin felt a transformation within, his body rejuvenating from the inside out, nearing perfection. During these fifteen days, Li Lin refined nearly thirty ZhongDing Pills. On the ninth day, after consuming another pill, he advanced to the sixth level of martial disciple. While initially, one pill could enhance two levels of qi, it later only boosted one level. In this period, he sold twenty-seven ZhongDing Pills to Tianbao Gate. The pill''s reputation spread through Qingyun Town. Though only a first-grade pill, its recipe was unknown to many spiritual practitioners. Due to its significant effects on martial disciples, wealthier families eagerly bought it for their talented youths. As Li Lin delivered ZhongDing Pills to Tianbao Gate every three or four days, their market price soared to sixty gold coins each, yet demand still exceeded supply. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. During this time, Li Lin also fed small animals to his pet snake, which, despite its small size, had a large appetite. After eating, it would sleep, seemingly never getting enough rest. As night descended again, Li Lin, under cover of darkness, went to the firewood shed''s secret chamber. As soon as he entered the chamber, he threw a dummy ahead as a decoy. "Bang!" The dummy was instantly smashed against the wall by a punch. "Old man, I knew you''d launch a surprise attack. Take my Open Mountain Palm!" Li Lin laughed, having prepared for this. With a hand sign, he unleashed a pale yellow palm strike, emitting rings of qi. "You''re still too green for tricks," Uncle Jiang''s voice said. He appeared and launched a punch, creating a wave of qi that collided fiercely with Li Lin''s palm strike. "Bang!" Li Lin staggered back several steps to steady himself. "Huh," Uncle Jiang expressed surprise. He had used the strength of a first-level warrior, albeit suppressed, but stronger than average. Li Lin''s ability to withstand the attack was indeed astonishing. "Old man, the fist fears the young and vigorous. I don''t believe I can''t hit you today," Li Lin declared, launching an offensive, no longer just on the receiving end of the beatings. In these half-month trainings, Li Lin started enjoying the sessions. Landing a hit on Uncle Jiang was a success, and he grew accustomed to the beatings, especially since the Marrow-Cleansing Pill baths helped him recover quickly. The pain from Uncle Jiang''s punches, once deeply agonizing, now felt just a dull ache. "Open Mountain Palm!" Seizing an opportunity, Li Lin launched a powerful palm strike. "You''re still no match for me," Uncle Jiang chuckled, countering with a punch. "Qingling Armor, defend!" Li Lin sneered, suddenly covered in a thick, dark yellow scale armor with a faint halo. "Bang!" Uncle Jiang''s punch hit Li Lin''s shoulder, causing him pain, but he endured it and struck Uncle Jiang''s waist. "Bang!" The impact felt like hitting stone, numbing Li Lin''s hand. The recoil sent him stumbling to the ground. "Kid, you''ve learned to be unexpected, but check for effectiveness first," Uncle Jiang commented with a smile, appreciating Li Lin''s rapid progress over the half month. "Hmph, you always have an excuse. Let''s go again," Li Lin grumbled, feeling the frustration of being weaker. He got up and resumed the attack. "Come on, then," Uncle Jiang replied, meeting Li Lin''s charge. Midway through the training, Li Lin was bruised all over, but these were merely superficial thanks to his Qingling Armor. During the break, Li Lin surrounded himself with the glows of the five elements, the pale yellow being the brightest. According to Uncle Jiang, Earth was his strongest element. After resting, Li Lin endured another round of intense training and returned to the courtyard for a bath under Uncle Jiang''s satisfied gaze. By noon, Li Lin went back to the mountains to refine pills. By the seventeenth day, he could successfully refine a ZhongDing Pill in one go. Now, in an afternoon, Li Lin could produce three ZhongDing Pills, bringing him great joy. Chapter 24: The Handsome Mans Bath On the eighteenth day, under the helpless gaze of Uncle Jiang, Li Lin persisted for an hour, and with a bruised nose and swollen face, he finally got up from the ground. Proudly, he said, "Old man, it''s been an hour, right? Have I passed?" "Hmph." Uncle Jiang, the old servant, glanced at Li Lin and said unceremoniously, "Training will be intensified tomorrow." Upon hearing this, Li Lin immediately collapsed on the ground, thinking to himself how suffocating it was to be less powerful than others. Around dawn, dragging his tired body, Li Lin returned to his room with joy in his heart. According to Uncle Jiang''s original estimate, it would take him a month to endure an hour, but he had achieved it in eighteen days. It seemed that he indeed had potential. He prepared a basin of water and dropped a Marrow-Cleansing Pill into it. Li Lin then stripped naked and continued to soak in the basin. Feeling the warm water envelop the bruises on his skin, a familiar tingling sensation spread across his entire body. "So comfortable." Li Lin closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and felt the power of the Marrow-Cleansing Pill seeping into his body through his skin, nourishing his muscles and bones. In this comfortable state, Li Lin lay stiffly in the wooden basin, motionless, allowing his body to relax. In this state of comfort, he soon fell into a deep sleep. "Lin''er" In the early morning, Luo Lan called out to Li Lin twice in the courtyard''s small hall. Receiving no response, she smiled slightly and then left the courtyard. Moments later, a beautiful figure slowly approached the courtyard. It was Li WuShuang. Today, she wore a light red tight-fitting long dress, which accentuated her stunning figure. Less elegant but more charming, her curvaceous body, slender waist, long legs, and beautiful facial features, along with her sparkling eyes, created a serene, pure, and gentle atmosphere. With graceful steps, Li WuShuang, carrying a basket of steaming and fragrant breakfast, entered the courtyard. She called out "Lin''er" twice, and seeing no response, she placed the basket down and went to Li Lin''s room. "Knock, knock" "Lin''er." She knocked and called out again, but receiving no response, she frowned slightly, wondering, "Did he go out so early?" Li Lin was too exhausted, lying in the wooden basin, unaware of anyone outside his room. He believed that no one would come to the courtyard unannounced, so he remained oblivious. Had he been more vigilant, his current cultivation would have alerted him to anyone approaching the courtyard. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. "Lin''er." Li WuShuang called out again, a hint of disappointment in her voice. She had planned to bring breakfast for Li Lin, but now that he wasn''t there, she felt a bit lost. Since the last encounter in the back garden, Li WuShuang''s view of her once-despised cousin had changed dramatically. Her heart grew curious about him, and she often wanted to visit whenever she had time. "Creak..." The door opened, and Li WuShuang inadvertently stepped back. What appeared before Li WuShuang was a scene of a handsome man bathing. His muscular chest, broad shoulders, smooth abdomen, and male features were all clearly visible to her. Stunned, Li WuShuang stared at the scene without blinking, as if she were shocked. Hearing the door, Li Lin woke up and opened his eyes, only to see Li WuShuang in his room, her eyes fixed on his naked body. "I came to bring you breakfast, I thought you weren''t here, so..." Li WuShuang didn''t scream but regained her composure as she looked into Li Lin''s eyes. Her face turned as red as a ripe peach, and she quickly left his room. "I was spied on." Li Lin was also startled, then quickly got out of the basin and dressed. Hesitating for a moment, he headed to the small hall. In the hall, Li Lin saw Li WuShuang with her head down, her face flushed, as she placed the breakfast from the basket onto the table, too shy to lift her head. "Let''s have breakfast." Sensing Li Lin''s approach, Li WuShuang said softly, her heart pounding. "Okay." Li Lin felt awkward too. Despite his past life experiences, the embarrassment was unavoidable. Sitting down, the delicious food lost its taste in his mouth. The two sat opposite each other in silence. Li Lin occasionally glanced at Li WuShuang, who kept her head down, her face flushed to her neck, eating absently. "WuShuang, I''m done eating," Li Lin finally broke the awkward silence. "I''m done too, I''ll clean up." Li WuShuang got up, still with her head down, and began to tidy up. "I have something to do, I''ll go first." Li Lin left, feeling unnatural in the awkward atmosphere. He thought to himself that it wasn''t a big deal to be seen naked. "I actually... what should I do..." Watching Li Lin''s retreating figure, Li WuShuang''s cheeks were flushed, her face showing a hint of shyness. She had never experienced such a scene before. After leaving the courtyard, Li Lin went to the back mountain for his daily task: concocting Infusion Pills. Since his initial failure, he hadn''t failed again and could now successfully produce one pill at a time. That day, he performed exceptionally well, creating four Infusion Pills by nightfall, lifting his spirits. During the pill-making process, Li Lin found his control over spiritual power improving, becoming more solid and familiar. Leaving the back mountain, Li Lin prepared to head to the secret chamber for training. These days were fulfilling, and he enjoyed every moment, an opportunity others could only dream of. Time passed in this routine. Notably, Li XiaoBai visited Li Lin less frequently, having almost no time to see him. After finishing his tasks, Li XiaoBai secretly practiced the Fire Wolf Art. On the ninth day, Li XiaoBai came to Li Lin once, having successfully practiced the Fire Wolf Art, but he was still far from becoming a true martial artist. In the following days, Li Lin visited the Tianbao Sect three times, each time bringing dozens of Infusion Pills. The demand for these pills was high among the families who bought them for their young disciples, leading to repeat purchases due to their excellent effects. On the thirtieth day, Li Lin was in his usual spot on the back mountain, sitting cross-legged on the ground with a smile on his face. Today, he aimed to break through to the martial warrior level, having already reached the peak of the ninth level of the martial disciple stage. Today, he was ready for a simultaneous breakthrough in both spiritual and martial realms. Chapter 25: Breakthrough Taking a deep breath, Li Lin took out a jade bottle from his bosom, and a Marrow-Cleansing Pill appeared in his hand. He knew that if his qi could make another breakthrough, he would be able to reach the level of a martial warrior, and his spirit level would surely follow. Looking at the Marrow-Cleansing Pill in his hand, Li Lin smiled slightly. Now, making these pills was easy for him. Smelling the refreshing fragrance, without any hesitation, he threw the pill into his mouth. As soon as the pill entered his mouth, Li Lin felt a warm and pure energy spread out within his body. Immediately, he began to circulate the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Art. He was used to this pure energy. Initially, this energy could help him break through two levels, but later, it could only enhance one level, and then only half a level. Including this pill, Li Lin remembered he had taken seven Marrow-Cleansing Pills in total to advance from the first to the ninth level of the martial disciple, costing 350 gold coins. Fortunately, he now had a way to earn gold coins, or else it would have been a disaster. 350 gold coins were a considerable sum. If other families knew that this amount could elevate their young disciples from martial disciple to martial warrior, they would probably be willing to spend it to upgrade all their young generation to the warrior level. Li Lin''s expression gradually calmed down. He overlapped his hands to form a seal and his breathing became steady. The qi inside his body began to refine the energy from the Marrow-Cleansing Pill. Atop a mountain peak nearby, Uncle Jiang, the old servant, appeared and watched Li Lin, murmuring, "In just one month, he''s about to break through to martial warrior again. The Yin Yang body truly is incredible." Time passed, maybe three or four hours. The calm air around suddenly started to fluctuate, with ripples of energy seeping out from the air and surrounding Li Lin. Li Lin felt that as he refined the pill''s energy, this energy turned into qi, which was visibly expanding the scale of qi within his body. Inside his dantian qi sea, subtle changes were occurring. The energy of the Marrow-Cleansing Pill continuously transformed into qi, flowing through his meridians and eventually entering his dantian qi sea. Finally, Li Lin felt that his dantian qi sea was filled to the brim with qi, and his entire body''s meridians were also full. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it The energy of the pill was not yet completely refined. As the refining continued, Li Lin found that his body''s qi had reached a peak. Li Lin''s face began to twitch as the expansion of qi caused his meridians to spasm slightly, bringing intense pain. Li Lin had experienced this when he officially became a martial artist. He took a deep breath, changed the hand seal, and activated the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Art. The abundant qi inside his body surged like a violent suction force, rapidly contracting towards the dantian qi sea. The qi rushed into the already full dantian qi sea, causing it to expand dramatically, and intense pain made Li Lin break out in a cold sweat. Enduring the pain, knowing this was the beginning of the breakthrough, he controlled all the qi in his meridians and compressed it forcefully. "Boom!" A muffled sound quietly echoed within his dantian qi sea. Simultaneously, Li Lin felt an indescribable comfort as a force, several times larger than the original qi, filled his meridians from the dantian qi sea. Feeling the qi inside, Li Lin smiled slightly. Under the extraordinary Yin Yang Spirit Martial Art, he finally broke through to the first level of martial warrior. "Is it time for a breakthrough?" At the same moment, Li Lin''s lips curled up, feeling the spiritual energy in his mind, which had been circling for a long time, beginning to fluctuate. Then, Li Lin slightly changed the hand seal, and the active spiritual energy in his mind began to transform, seeming to become more solid. Moments later, Li Lin could clearly feel that the spiritual energy in his mind and the surrounding space had an invisible and profound fluctuation. Invisible energy from the surrounding space started to pour into his mind. Li Lin felt this invisible force, seemingly a power of heaven and earth, rapidly expanding the spiritual energy in his mind. Under this expansion of spiritual energy, Li Lin felt a bit dizzy, but at the same time, his senses were undergoing a transformation, making everything around him clearly perceivable. "Click..." A clear sound rang in Li Lin''s mind, followed by an overwhelming spiritual force enveloping his body, eventually retracting back. At the same time, Li Lin felt the spiritual energy in his mind had expanded several times, and his whole body felt indescribably comfortable. "Whew..." Li Lin exhaled a long breath, feeling the abundant qi in his body and the spiritual energy in his mind, with a slight smile on his lips. "I''ve broken through, and it was quick." On a distant mountain peak, Uncle Jiang smiled slightly and then disappeared from the spot, unbeknownst to Li Lin. Li Lin continued to sit cross-legged, with his eyes closed, calming his mind and spirit, then examining the inside of his body. Inside his dantian qi sea, the area had greatly expanded, with a glowing gas slowly rotating inside C his internal qi. Upon examining his mind, Li Lin found a space similar to a qi sea in his brain, where a spiritual force, several times more majestic than before, was residing. Examining all this, Li Lin''s heart moved, and he controlled the qi in his dantian qi sea. A yellowish qi quickly condensed in his right palm, while in his left palm, spiritual energy formed a faint flame dancing. "Finally, I''ve broken through." Li Lin smiled slightly, a sharp light flashing in his dark pupils, which gradually dissipated after a few seconds. Chapter 26: The Path Ahead "Old man, let''s see what you have to say tonight." Li Lin glanced at the sky, showing a hint of a mischievous smile, then tidied up and left the back mountain. At night, in the secret chamber of the Li family''s firewood room, under the dim light, an old man and a young man were fiercely battling each other. In a month, Li Lin''s progress had exceeded Uncle Jiang''s expectations. His Open Mountain Palm had become proficient in Li Lin''s hands. Each move and posture was executed with precision and ease. "Old man, be careful," Li Lin said lightly, leaping with an agile twist and dodging Uncle Jiang''s punch. His Open Mountain Palm created a gust of wind, aiming straight for the waist. At this moment, Uncle Jiang''s eyes showed a hint of admiration. He unbelievably shifted to the left, changing his hand seal, and thunderously swung a punch. "Green Spirit Armor, old man, come on." Li Lin smiled, and a pale yellow scale armor appeared around him, directly resisting Uncle Jiang''s punch. His Green Spirit Armor, powered by his martial warrior level strength, had significantly improved in defense, with the scales becoming much more solid. "Good boy, did you think I wouldn''t know you''ve broken through to martial warrior?" Uncle Jiang''s eyes gleamed mockingly, his body incredibly turning into a residual image that disappeared in front of Li Lin''s Open Mountain Palm. "Bang!" Uncle Jiang then miraculously landed a punch on Li Lin''s palm from the side. The colliding forces caused a dull sound in the chamber, and Li Lin''s body was instantly shaken and staggered backward. "Old man, you''ve been tricked." At the same time, Li Lin''s left hand, unknown when, had gathered spiritual energy into a tangible flame and struck out. "Whoosh whoosh..." The flames roared, exploding several meters and enveloping Uncle Jiang in intense heat, but in the next instant, a layer of water materialized around him, extinguishing the flames. "Child''s play." Uncle Jiang glared at Li Lin, his face showing a hint of a black smudge, probably from the flame. "Remember, the strongest attack of spiritual power is a direct attack on the soul, not physical. In close combat, a spiritualist can be at a disadvantage if not careful. Be mindful of that in the future," Uncle Jiang advised seriously. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. "I understand, Uncle Jiang," Li Lin replied, aware of the disadvantages in close combat as a dual cultivator of spirit and martial arts. "However, sometimes a surprise attack can be effective. But remember, always hide your true strength. The moment you''re fully exposed is when you''re most vulnerable," Uncle Jiang continued. Li Lin nodded in agreement, understanding the importance of keeping some of his abilities hidden. "Today marks a month, and you''ve passed the test. From now on, you don''t need to come here anymore," Uncle Jiang said solemnly. "Uncle Jiang, I still have much to learn from you," Li Lin said. "Remember, a true strong person is forged through self-training, not taught. You''re now both a spiritual and martial warrior, officially stepping into their ranks. Your path ahead is long, and only you can walk it," Uncle Jiang imparted. "Uncle Jiang, I understand," Li Lin replied. "You''re not my disciple, but I''ll give you this book of alchemy, containing my life''s learning, pill recipes, and herb information. It should help you in the future," Uncle Jiang said, handing Li Lin a jade slip. "Thank you, Uncle Jiang," Li Lin said, storing the jade slip in his storage ring. "Be careful when making pills in the back mountain. There are a few capable people in the Li family. Your frequent visits might attract attention. It''s best to keep a low profile for now, especially with Tianbao Sect. They have a significant background, so be cautious in your dealings," Uncle Jiang advised further. Li Lin was startled, realizing that Uncle Jiang had been aware of all his actions. He nodded, already cautious about Tianbao Sect. "Alright, from now on, your matters are none of my concern. You play your role as the young master, and I''ll be the servant. Remember, don''t disturb me, or I''ll cripple your cultivation," Uncle Jiang warned sternly. "But Uncle Jiang..." Li Lin began to speak but was interrupted. "I''m leaving. From now on, you''re on your own," Uncle Jiang said and walked out of the chamber. "Bang! Bang! Bang!" Li Lin knelt and solemnly kowtowed three times, saying, "Old man, although you didn''t accept me as your disciple, in my heart, you are my master." Uncle Jiang''s seemingly aged figure paused slightly before leaving the chamber, his eyes showing a comforting look unseen by others. After staying a while in the chamber, Li Lin closed it and returned to the courtyard, coming back earlier than usual. Thinking about the events of the past month since his transmigration, Li Lin, now a martial artist and dual cultivator of spirit and martial arts, realized his future path relied solely on himself. "The Li family," he thought. A confrontation with them was inevitable. He planned to arrange his mother''s departure from all this but needed more time and careful planning. Li Lin then sat cross-legged and began cultivating. The profound Yin Yang Spirit Martial Art allowed simultaneous cultivation of qi and spiritual energy. Energy from the world entered his body, transforming into qi and spiritual energy. His self-cultivated qi and spiritual energy were significantly slower compared to refining Marrow-Cleansing Pills. Li Lin truly understood Uncle Jiang''s words that normal cultivation would take a hundred years to reach the martial master level. After cultivating until dawn, he stopped upon hearing his mother going to the laundry room. Exhaling slowly, he reflected on the night''s modest gains. "What should I do today?" Li Lin mused, realizing he had been struggling to find things to do recently. Chapter 27: Walking with a Beauty "Master." Li Xiaobai''s voice came in urgently, as if there was something pressing. "What''s the matter?" As Li Lin''s voice fell, Li Xiaobai had already hurried into the room from outside, panting. Li Lin looked at Li Xiaobai''s appearance and was somewhat surprised. At this moment, Li Xiaobai''s worn-out robe was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a new blue robe with a symbol on the shoulder, signifying his status as a minor steward in the Li family. "Master, I''ve been discovered, what should I do?" Li Xiaobai said in a rush as soon as he entered the room. "What''s been discovered?" Li Lin asked. Li Xiaobai replied, "Last night, when I was practicing the Fire Wolf Technique, I broke through to the Martial Disciple level, but it also caught the attention of the elder. He interrogated me all night." Li Lin knew that the elder Li Xiaobai referred to was his own uncle in this world, as well as Li Wushuang''s foster father, a decent man who often took care of him when he was young. "What did he interrogate you about" Li Lin asked anxiously, hoping not to expose himself too soon, as that could be troublesome. Li Xiaobai said, "The elder asked me how I became a Martial Disciple and who taught me. But I didn''t tell. I wouldn''t betray Master. I just said I accidentally encountered a noble person who taught me but insisted that I must not tell anyone." After speaking, Li Xiaobai smiled slightly, seemingly quite pleased with his own reaction. Li Lin also let out a sigh of relief. It wasn''t time for him to be exposed yet. If he were, it could lead to trouble. "What happened then?" Li Lin asked. A lowly servant suddenly becoming a Martial Disciple would surely raise questions in the Li family. "Later, the family head, the second uncle, and the fourth uncle all came. They all asked about my benefactor. Eventually, I had no choice but to say that he comes and goes without a trace, always seeking me out, so the elder and family head didn''t ask further. In the end, they even promoted me to a minor steward and asked me to move to the front courtyard, but I refused and said I''d rather stay in the back courtyard," Li Xiaobai explained. "Why not live in the front courtyard? Besides, isn''t your Little Cui also there?" Li Lin said with a slight smile. Now that Li Xiaobai had become a Martial Disciple, the Li family would naturally value him and promote him to a minor steward. Li Lin thought to himself that he would need to be more careful with his cultivation from now on. It wasn''t time for the Li family to know about him. "Master, you live in the back courtyard. How could I live in the front courtyard unless we move together? I just met Little Cui, and she even greeted me," Li Xiaobai said. Hearing this, Li Lin didn''t say much and then said, "Be careful in the future. Here are two Infusion Pills. Taking and refining them will benefit your cultivation. If anyone discovers these pills, don''t say I gave them to you, just say your benefactor did." Li Lin smiled inwardly. Giving Li Xiaobai two Infusion Pills was not only to genuinely help him progress but also because the Li family would surely pay more attention to him now. If they found out about the pills, they would be even more interested in Li Xiaobai, and less attention would be on Li Lin, making him safer. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. "Master, these pills must be expensive," Li Xiaobai said, taking the pills. "Fifty gold coins, priceless. Is that expensive?" Li Lin glanced at Li Xiaobai. He knew the current market price for the Infusion Pills he made, which had reached sixty to seventy gold coins each. Li Lin was considering asking Tianbao Sect to raise the price. "So expensive?" Fifty gold coins were astronomical for Li Xiaobai. "You better cultivate well and don''t be lazy," Li Lin said. "By the way, Master, the family head also told me to choose a martial technique from the Zangwu Pavilion, so I''ll go now," Li Xiaobai said. Although he had become a Martial Disciple, he still needed a martial technique. "Go ahead," Li Lin motioned. The family head of the Li family was his own father, but he had little memory of him. Li Lin was curious if someone could really be so indifferent to their own flesh and blood. After Li Xiaobai left, Li Lin spaced out for a while before getting ready. As he was about to visit the Tianbao Sect, he saw Li Wushuang coming to the courtyard. "Sister Wushuang, why are you here?" Li Lin was slightly startled. The embarrassment from their last encounter had been resolved, and he thought, as a man, what did it matter if a woman saw him? It wasn''t a loss. But Li Wushuang was different. Seeing Li Lin seemed to remind her of that day, her eyes reddening and her head lowering. "Lin''er, the New Year is in seven days. Do you have time to accompany me shopping?" Li Wushuang asked softly. "I''m free, let''s go." Li Lin remembered it was almost New Year and he should also buy some clothes and household items for his mother. As for gold coins, he wasn''t lacking, having earned a fair amount in the past month besides the materials from Tianbao Sect. "Okay," Li Wushuang replied softly, and they headed out of the Li residence, this time through the main gate. With Li Wushuang leading, the servants at the door dared not say anything. Li Lin didn''t care about the difference between the front and back gates of the Li family, nor the servants'' looks. Once they knew he was a Martial Disciple, they would surely fawn over him. He had seen such behavior in his previous life and wasn''t surprised. After leaving the Li residence, they reached the bustling streets of the town. The lively scene seemed to lighten Li Wushuang''s mood. Her elegant figure and exquisite features stood out in the crowd, attracting the attention of many men. Li Lin watched Li Wushuang, also taken aback. Each time he saw her, she seemed different. If she were in his previous world, she would outshine any beauty contest winner. "Lin''er, what do you think of these boots?" Inside a shop, Li Wushuang picked up a pair of black boots and asked Li Lin. Li Lin nodded, though the boots seemed to be for men. "Do you like them? They should fit you." Li Wushuang examined the boots and then said, "Shopkeeper, please pack these up and deliver them to the Li residence." "Yes, Miss Li," the shopkeeper replied, a slightly chubby middle-aged man who had been watching Li Lin with envy. Li Lin wanted to say something but remained silent. He realized he did indeed need a new pair of shoes. "Let''s go," Li Wushuang said to Li Lin, and after leaving the shop, they visited several more, buying clothes and items for Lady Luo Lan. Each time Li Lin tried to pay, Li W ushuang beat him to it, leaving him helpless. "Tianbao Sect, Lin''er, I was thinking of buying a weapon. Would you accompany me?" They found themselves at Tianbao Sect without realizing. "Sister Wushuang, doesn''t the Li family sell weapons?" Li Lin asked. "The Li family''s weapons can''t compare to Tianbao Sect''s. Let''s have a look," Li Wushuang said, and they entered Tianbao Sect. "What do you need?" The attendants at Tianbao Sect greeted Li Lin and Li Wushuang. When Li Lin had visited alone previously, they respectfully addressed him as Young Master Li, but today they pretended not to recognize him. Li Lin guessed that Tianbao Sect''s people had been instructed not to reveal his frequent visits. After a month, he knew Tianbao Sect wanted to win him over, subtly probing if he was a Spirit Practitioner and if there was one behind him. Familiar with Tianbao Sect, they went to the weapon section, and Li Wushuang picked up a pale blue longsword. "Clang..." Drawing the sword, a melodious sound echoed, and the three-foot-long sword shone brightly, reflecting a dazzling light towards the tip. "Not bad," Li Lin thought, having discussed weapons with Uncle Jiang. Although he hadn''t made any himself, he could tell this was a fine weapon. "I''ll take this sword," a sweet voice said, and a figure appeared in front of Li Lin and Li Wushuang. Seeing her, Li Wushuang''s expression changed slightly. Chapter 28: Spending 8,600 Gold Coins Li Lin also turned his gaze towards the woman who had spoken. She was a very beautiful woman, roughly the same age as Li Wushuang, with skin like creamy jade and a charming face. Beneath her brocade gown, her graceful and curvaceous figure was outlined, appearing charmingly mature and full of allure. Compared to Li Wushuang, she seemed more sensual and voluptuous, particularly with a hint of anger in her expression. Her upturned lips and plump, red lips exuded a seductive aura, her anger seemingly provoking a sense of desire in men. Li Lin was momentarily stunned by her appearance. Although she was not a beauty capable of toppling kingdoms, her sensuality was such that it would draw the attention of any man, inciting uncontrolled fantasies. She seemed like a woman created solely for the pleasure of men. Li Lin couldn''t help but take a second look, especially at her legs. They might not have been exceptionally long or slender, but they were round and smooth like a serpent, her full buttocks exceptionally perky, complementing her ample bosom and forming a fatally tempting sight. "Such a femme fatale," Li Lin thought to himself. The woman was only about eighteen or nineteen years old, yet she exuded such bewitching charm, a truly extraordinary woman. In a couple more years, she would probably be even more irresistible to men. Behind the woman was a well-dressed young man, about twenty-two or twenty-three years old, tall and slim with a fair complexion and somewhat handsome features. However, Li Lin got the impression that this man had the look of someone who relied on others for support. "Yang Man, I want this sword," Li Wushuang spoke upon seeing the woman, her expression darkening slightly, indicating some familiarity between them. "You might want it, but you haven''t bought it. I said I''d buy it first, so it''s mine. You should choose another," the charming woman, Yang Man, retorted, her eyes holding a mocking light, as if she relished the chance to trouble Li Wushuang. "The sword in my hand naturally means I want it," Li Wushuang stated. "Miss Wushuang seems to like this sword too. Then let''s see who can offer a higher price. The sword is, I believe, 160 gold coins? I''ll offer 200," the well-dressed young man, Wang Liang, interjected, his gaze lingering on Li Wushuang, full of lewdness. "Wang Liang, bid whatever you like. I no longer want the sword," Li Wushuang said, staring at the young man, teeth clenched. "Miss Li, Miss Yang, Master Wang, it''s you," a voice sounded. Li Lin knew without looking that it was the martial affairs officer from Tianbao Sect. The officer quickly arrived beside them, giving Li Lin an inconspicuous nod before focusing on the others. "Officer Wu, you''ve come at the right time. Pack up this sword for me; I''m buying it," Wang Liang said. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "This..." Officer Wu looked at everyone, having witnessed everything. He seemed unsure of how to proceed at the moment. "Lin''er, let''s go," Li Wushuang said softly, placing the sword she was holding back on the counter, her eyes showing a hint of disappointment. She didn''t wish to argue with Wang Liang and Yang Man. "Li Wushuang, good to see you know your place. Dream of competing with me? You won last time, but there won''t be a next time," Yang Man said with a light laugh, evidently feeling triumphant. She then glanced at Li Lin, "Isn''t this the Li family''s good-for-nothing young master? A foster daughter and a good-for-nothing, what a perfect match." "Yang Man, what did you say?" Li Wushuang''s face turned red as she glared at Yang Man. "What did I say wrong? A foster daughter and a good-for-nothing," Yang Man replied with a cold snort. "The affairs of the Li family are none of your concern, Miss Yang. You seem to like this sword, so take your ''cheapness'' and leave. No matter how ''cheap'' you are, we won''t bother with you," Li Lin said, stepping forward. He picked up the sword Li Wushuang had put down and threw it towards Yang Man, adding, "How cheap, really cheap." "Young man, what do you mean? How dare you insult me?" Yang Man caught the sword reflexively, then realizing the double meaning in Li Lin''s words, became furiously indignant. Li Lin''s play on words, especially the emphasis on ''cheap'', was clear to everyone. "How have I insulted you?" Li Lin asked, looking at Yang Man. His usually indifferent face now carried a chilling expression. "You called me cheap..." Yang Man started to say, then stopped, realizing she had been tricked. She glared furiously at Li Lin, her eyes involuntarily avoiding his gaze. "The sword is in your hands, so take your ''cheapness'' home," Li Lin said lightly. He then pointed to a green sword behind the counter, telling Officer Wu, "I''ll take that Qingyue Sword, put it on my account." "Yes, Young Master Li," Officer Wu responded, quickly taking the green treasure sword from the wall and handing it to Li Lin. The wall had a label reading: Qingyue Sword, crafted by a Linghun Lingzhe with thousand-year essence stone, priced at 8,600 gold coins. The sword that Li Wushuang had initially chosen, made from hundred-year cold iron by a Lingshi, was priced at only 160 gold coins. The difference in value between the two swords was more than fiftyfold. "Miss Wushuang, this is for you. That broken sword isn''t worthy of you," Li Lin handed the Qingyue Sword to Li Wushuang. Wang Liang and Yang Man''s faces turned sour at the sight. They were well aware of the Qingyue Sword''s price. While they could afford a few hundred or even a thousand gold coins, 8,600 gold coins were far beyond their reach. Li Wushuang was also surprised, having noticed the sword earlier but unable to afford it. In Qingyun Town, few were willing to buy such an expensive sword, mainly the heads of major families. However, even they would likely find it too expensive. For the younger generation like them, purchasing it was even more unrealistic. Although Li Wushuang, as one of the most favored younger members of the Li family, had access to about 300 gold coins, which was already a considerable amount, the price of this sword was equivalent to the annual wages of 600 servants. "Lin''er, let''s go back," Li Wushuang said, looking at Li Lin. She liked the Qingyue Sword, but it was unaffordable. As a martial artist, who wouldn''t love weapons? Moreover, she practiced sword techniques, making her even fonder of the Qingyue Sword, crafted by a Linghun Lingzhe, a rarity in Qingyun Town. "Miss Wushuang, take it," Li Lin insisted, placing the Qingyue Sword in her hands. He then turned to Officer Wu, "Officer Wu, can I settle this account in a few days?" "No problem, Young Master Li. You can come anytime," Officer Wu replied. "Miss Wushuang, let''s go," Li Lin said, feeling relieved. He had been nervous about the 8,600 gold coins. If Tianbao Sect hadn''t agreed to credit, it would have been quite embarrassing. Chapter 29: The Yunyang Sect Li Wushuang was momentarily stunned, holding the Qingyue Sword in her hand and watching Li Lin walk away. She followed him, filled with confusion. "Li Wushuang, next year I will show you who is stronger," Yang Man watched Li Wushuang, a coldness flashing in her eyes. "Lin''er, why did you buy the Qingyue Sword? It''s too expensive. How will you..." Once outside Tianbao Sect, Li Wushuang expressed her worry to Li Lin. The Qingyue Sword cost 8,600 gold coins, not a small amount, and even she couldn''t afford it. "Sister Wushuang, I will find a way. Last time you lent me fifty gold coins, now I''m giving you the Qingyue Sword, consider it a repayment. Don''t worry about me; if you like the Qingyue Sword, that''s good enough." Li Lin smiled faintly. He had vowed to repay the favor of the fifty gold coins Li Wushuang lent him, but although he appeared calm, he felt helpless inside, now in debt for over eight thousand gold coins. "But it''s too..." Li Wushuang looked at the Qingyue Sword in her hand, then at Li Lin, happy but unable to stop worrying about him. But Li Lin''s assurance that he had a way eased Li Wushuang''s worry somewhat, as she knew her cousin had become a spiritual practitioner, no longer the incompetent young master he used to be. "Sister Wushuang," Li Lin interrupted her, "Were those two just now from the Wang and Yang families?" In his memory, Li Lin recalled that Wang Liang and Yang Man were from the Wang and Yang families in Qingyun Town, families comparable to the Li family in terms of influence. "Yes, they are from the Wang and Yang families, and now they''re also disciples of the Yunyang Sect. After the New Year, I will return to Yunyang Sect, and it will be a long time before I can come back again," Li Wushuang said. "Yunyang Sect..." Li Lin pondered, with only a vague impression of Yunyang Sect in his mind. He knew it was the largest sect in the region, and even Qingyun Town was under its domain. Families like the Li, Wang, and Yang had to pay a substantial amount of gold coins to Yunyang Sect every year. "Lin''er, after the New Year, there will be a martial contest in the clan following the ancestral rites. Will you participate?" Li Wushuang asked softly. "How can I participate? Besides, I don''t qualify," Li Lin replied with a slight smile. The Li family held a sparring contest among the young members after the New Year, an opportunity for outstanding performers to receive special care. However, Li Lin had no interest in participating, preferring to cultivate on his own and avoid revealing his strength. "Let''s go inside; we''re home," Li Wushuang sighed lightly, reminding herself that her cousin didn''t seem to want to reveal his status as a spiritual practitioner, so she would pretend not to know. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. "Okay," Li Lin responded. They had reached the Li family''s main gate. Looking at the thick gate of the Li family, Li Lin smiled and then returned to his courtyard. It was still early, just past midday. "Swoosh..." A pale yellow snake crawled out from the sleeve of Li Lin''s arm, its round eyes watching him, tongue flickering. "Little dragon, you''re hungry again, huh? Alright, I''ll find you something to eat," Li Lin said, watching the small snake he had named Little dragon, which at least sounded more imposing. Little dragon seemed to understand Li Lin''s words, nodding slightly and affectionately rubbing against his palm. Taking Little dragon with him, Li Lin went to the back mountain. Little dragon was picky and wouldn''t eat dead animals, only live ones, so Li Lin had to take it to the back mountain to hunt. "Go on." Reaching the back mountain, Li Lin placed Little dragon on the ground. Despite its small size, the snake was incredibly fast and disappeared in an instant. Knowing that Little dragon would return after feeding, Li Lin wasn''t worried. He found a secluded spot to sit cross-legged and took out an Infusion Pill. "Refine." Since his Yin-Yang Lingwu Technique couldn''t be cultivated normally, Li Lin had to rely on pills to enhance his cultivation. Swallowing the pill, it transformed into energy spreading throughout his body. Li Lin circulated his Yin-Yang Lingwu Technique to refine the energy from the Infusion Pill. After breaking through to the Martial Warrior level, Li Lin felt that the impact of the Infusion Pill on him had diminished significantly, and its effectiveness had also greatly decreased. Refining the energy into Qi and storing it in his dantian, Li Lin spent only two hours, but the increase in Qi hardly made any significant improvement. He was still at the first level of Martial Warrior. "Sigh..." Li Lin exhaled turbidly from his dantian, opening his eyes with a hint of frustration. The Infusion Pill, worth fifty gold coins, was now of little use to him. Li Lin had anticipated that after reaching the Martial Warrior level, he would need higher-grade pills for further progress. However, this meant needing more gold coins, and now he also owed Tianbao Sect 8,600 gold coins. His future seemed filled with hard work. "Swoosh swoosh..." A rustling sound approached, and Little dragon appeared from behind Li Lin, curling up affectionately in his palm. "Are you full?" Li Lin asked, noticing faint blood traces on Little dragon''s mouth, indicating it had just eaten. Little dragon nodded, then crawled back into Li Lin''s sleeve, coiling around his arm. After tidying up, Li Lin left the back mountain, planning to sell the remaining Infusion Pills he had the next day. They were of little use to him now. Then, he would try to refine second-grade pills, as only those could be effective for his current level. However, having never made second-grade pills, he wondered if he could succeed. Returning to the courtyard from the back entrance, he noted that his mother, who usually returned from the laundry room by this time, hadn''t come back yet, which puzzled him. "Let''s go check." Li Lin decided to visit the laundry room and fetch his mother. Thinking of her still working there made him feel pained. He longed for the day he could free her from such labor. The Li family''s laundry room was in the back courtyard''s left corner. All the clothes from the front courtyard were washed there. With over two hundred people in the front courtyard and only ten workers in the laundry room, the work there was relatively harder. "Luo Lan, you must wash Young Master Shao Hu''s robe thoroughly. If you don''t clean it well or damage it, you''ll be in trouble," a haughty maid said to Luo Lan, who was squatting and scrubbing clothes on the ground. Chapter 30: "Wretched Maid, Do You Think I Dare Not?" "Xiaolan, I always wash Young Master Shao Hu''s clothes. I still have so much to do today; could you wash them yourself? Otherwise, I''ll have to wash until tomorrow morning," Luo Lan said, looking up at the arrogant maid with a pleading gaze. "Just wash them if I tell you to. If you can''t finish, don''t bother going home tonight. You really think you''re some kind of lady? You''re nothing but a wretched maid," the maid sneered, throwing a luxurious robe right onto Luo Lan''s head. The other maids nearby kept their heads down and remained silent, sympathizing with Luo Lan but daring not to speak up. Xiaocui, the lady''s personal maid, was not someone they could afford to provoke. Besides, they had no real connection with Luo Lan and were content to watch the drama unfold. Luo Lan picked up the robe that had landed on her head. Her hands were red and swollen from soaking in cold water for too long in the winter. "Xiaolan, I really can''t finish all these clothes. Can I help you with your washing next time?" Luo Lan pleaded. She still had a pile of clothes to wash, and completing them all would take her until late at night. "Luo Lan, just wash them if I tell you to. You can also leave the Li family if you don''t want to wash. If you stay, then you must do your job obediently and not act like you''re the lady of the house," said a man dressed as a senior servant, who was in charge of the laundry room. "Manager Zhao, I''ll wash them, I''ll wash," Luo Lan nodded slightly, her face showing a trace of grievance, but she had no choice but to comply. If she left the Li family, she and her son, Lin''er, would have nowhere to go. "That''s more like it. Make sure you wash them properly, or you''ll suffer the consequences," Manager Zhao sneered, then turned to the maid Xiaolan with a flattering smile, "Miss Xiaolan, it''s cold. Why don''t you rest in my room for a bit? Warm up by the fire." "That''s a good idea," Xiaolan replied, satisfied with his suggestion. As she was about to leave, her expression suddenly changed, and she furiously shouted at Luo Lan, "Wretched maid, Young Master Shao Hu''s clothes should be washed separately! How dare you wash them with the others? Are you asking for a beating?" "Xiaolan, it was an accident," Luo Lan quickly said. "You''re asking for it," Xiaolan glared at Luo Lan, her eyes flashing with anger, and raised her hand to slap her. "Wretched maid, stop right there!" Everyone''s expression changed slightly, and Manager Zhao showed a hint of a cold smile. However, at that moment, a voice rang out, and a figure appeared in front of Luo Lan, grabbing Xiaolan''s wrist. "Ah..." Xiaolan screamed in pain, her face contorting, and the one who had suddenly grabbed her wrist was Li Lin. Li Lin had come to find his mother but couldn''t bear to watch this scene any longer. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. "Wretched maid, get away from me," Li Lin shouted coldly, flinging Xiaolan two meters away. Xiaolan staggered backward and fell to the ground, tears streaming down her face from the pain. "Mother, are you okay?" Li Lin ignored Xiaolan and crouched worriedly beside Luo Lan, his heart twisting at the sight of her swollen hands. "Lin''er, why are you here? I''m fine, you should leave," Luo Lan said immediately, worried that Manager Zhao and Xiaolan would not let this matter rest. "Li Lin, are you rebelling? How dare you lay a hand on her? It seems last time''s lesson wasn''t enough," Manager Zhao said furiously. "Zhao San, what are you saying?" Li Lin turned to Zhao San, his anger rising at the sight of his mother''s swollen hands. He remembered Zhao San as one of the people who accidentally killed the original Li Lin and then secretly threw his body off a cliff. Zhao San was a servant brought by the mistress from her family, with the cultivation of a Martial Disciple. Li Lin had also seen him at the back door, along with another senior manager and a high-level Martial Disciple servant. Feeling the chill in Li Lin''s eyes, Zhao San''s heart skipped a beat, sensing an indescribable dread. "Young man, how dare you push me? You wretched maid''s bastard, are you rebelling?" Xiaolan got up, seemingly forgetting the pain, and glared at Li Lin. The surrounding maids and servants retreated to one side, not daring to get involved in this situation. "Xiaolan, Lin''er didn''t mean it. Please don''t take it to heart. I''ll wash the clothes right away," Luo Lan said, stepping in front of Li Lin with nervous concern. "Mother, step back," Li Lin gently pulled Luo Lan aside and then faced Xiaolan, "Say what you just said again." "What, you bastard want to hit me? Useless trash, even if I lend you the courage, you wouldn''t dare. You wretched maid''s bastard," Xiaolan glared at Li Lin, her words cold. She had grown up following her mistress and learned a few things. Although she didn''t have the talent to become a Martial Disciple, she wasn''t afraid of ordinary men. Li Lin grew furious. He could tolerate being insulted, but he couldn''t bear to hear his mother being slandered. Taking a deep breath, Li Lin looked at Xiaolan, smiled faintly, and said, "Do you think I wouldn''t dare?" "Swoosh..." "Slap!" In an instant, Li Lin was in front of Xiaolan, slapping her across the face. The crisp sound was followed by several teeth flying out with traces of blood. "You see if I dare or not. You wretched maid, who do you think you are? Just a maid of the Li family." "Slap slap..." Li Lin punched and kicked, striking Xiaolan from left and right. He knocked her to the ground. "Ah... Ah..." Xiaolan''s screams of agony echoed, leaving everyone stunned, including Luo Lan and Manager Zhao. "You wretched maid, see if I dare now," Li Lin, not yet satisfied, continuously kicked her, showing no mercy. Finally, he fiercely stomped on the screaming Xiaolan. "Was it your hand that wanted to hit someone just now?" Li Lin sneered, bending down and grabbing Xiaolan''s right hand, then twisted it with a cold laugh. "Crack." The arm broke with a snap, and Xiaolan''s screams turned nearly to howls, her pitiful cries echoing in the laundry room. "Was it your mouth that was cursing?" Li Lin then picked up a palm-sized rock from the ground and smashed it hard against Xiaolan''s mouth. "Crack..." With broken teeth and a bloodied mouth, Xiaolan''s screams turned into muffled whimpers. "Wretched servant, I spare your life today, but if you dare provoke me again, your wretched life is forfeit." Li Lin discarded the stone in his hand, dusted off his hands, and straightened his clothes with a light tone. "Mother, let''s go." Li Lin approached the startled and panicked Luo Lan, speaking softly. He helped his mother and walked away as if the recent events were not of his doing. Chapter 31: The Dog Servant Seeks Death At this moment, the maid Xiaolan on the ground was rolling in pain, her body covered in bloodstains, emitting a pitiful wailing sound from her throat, instilling fear in everyone''s heart. The other maids in the distance were already scared stiff, staring wide-eyed at Xiaolan on the ground, having never witnessed such a scene before. Outside the laundry room, the miserable wails of maid Xiaolan could be heard, attracting many servants to gather around the laundry room, peeking inside, each of them shocked beyond belief. "Boy, you still want to leave? You must have eaten the gall of a leopard; you are seeking death." At this moment, the head supervisor of the laundry room, Mr. Zhao, came back to his senses, looked at Xiaolan lying on the ground, and then fiercely glared at Li Lin, blocking his path. "Dog servant, if you don''t get out of my way, let''s see who dies." Li Lin gave Zhao San a cold look. At this point, Li Lin no longer cared about anything else, unwilling to let his mother suffer any longer. "Boy, what a big tone you have, you this useless person..." Zhao San sneered, his fist launching forward with a gust of wind. "I originally wanted to settle accounts with you, dog servant, later on. Now, you are seeking your own death." Li Lin coldly said. As soon as Zhao San made his move, Li Lin could tell that this person had only the strength of a second-level martial disciple. Combining new hatred with old, a chilling intent flashed in Li Lin''s eyes. "Dog servant." Bending his body and dodging to the side, as Zhao San''s fist came, Li Lin''s body instantly moved aside, and at the same time, his hand sent out a palm strike like lightning, bringing with it a strong gust of wind. "Bang!" When Zhao San''s fist missed, he was astonished, but then a palm strike landed on his chest, greatly exceeding his expectations. A huge force poured into his body instantly, making him feel as if all his internal organs were shattered in an instant. "Dog servant, go to die." Li Lin withdrew his palm strike and coldly said. After that, Zhao San''s eyes turned empty from shock. He could never have imagined that a nobody he had never taken seriously suddenly became a martial artist, with strength far surpassing his, but it was too late, the opponent did not give him a chance to live. "You are actually a martial..." Before Zhao San could finish his sentence, he was already lying on the ground, understanding before his death that this young man, who they had bullied from childhood, had actually become a martial artist, with strength far surpassing his own. This scene left all the servants dumbfounded. Zhao San was a martial artist, yet he was killed in one move. "The servants of the Li family should do what servants do. For those who commit offenses against their superiors, death is the only outcome." Li Lin gave a cold look to the surrounding servants and then turned to speak to the terrified Madam Rolan: "Mother, let''s go back. From now on, we won''t come to the laundry room again." This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Madam Rolan did not speak, too shocked to say anything, and left the laundry room with Li Lin''s support. "A person has died, quickly notify the steward..." The remaining servants in the laundry room regained their senses and started to panic, not wanting to cause trouble, they quickly left the laundry room. In the courtyard, Li Lin helped Madam Rolan to sit down. Along the way, Li Lin frowned slightly, thinking that he needed to plan an escape route. It probably wouldn''t take long for the Li family to be in uproar, but since he had already been exposed, he might as well see what the Li family would do. If worst comes to worst, he could just leave the Li family, as he could now support his mother with his current abilities. "Lin''er." Madam Rolan had been quiet from the laundry room until now, finally catching her breath. "Mother, don''t worry, everything will be fine." Li Lin comforted his mother, knowing what she was worried about. Madam Rolan was naturally worried, and she urged anxiously: "Lin''er, you should leave quickly, otherwise, they won''t let you go. I''m still here, you should leave." "Mother, if I leave, what will you do? Don''t worry, they can''t do anything to me." Li Lin smiled slightly. "It''s all my fault, I''m useless, Lin''er..." Madam Rolan started to sob gently. If she had a powerful family backing her, none of this would have happened. "Mother, it''s not your fault. Don''t worry, mother, your son is now a martial artist." Li Lin smiled, his heart thinking that if anyone was to blame, it should be the Li family. Despite his status as a blood relative of the Li family, they had allowed him to suffer like this, showing how ruthless the Li family truly was. "Martial artist, Lin''er, you couldn''t become a martial artist before. How did you..." Madam Rolan looked up in surprise, watching Li Lin. Since Li Lin had killed Zhao San in the laundry room, she had been astonished. Zhao San was a martial artist, and although she was not, having stayed in a martial arts family like the Li family, she understood some aspects of martial arts. "I''ll tell you about it later. Anyway, your son is now a martial artist and won''t have any problems." Li Lin said. "That won''t do, Lin''er, you have to leave now. She won''t let you off." Madam Rolan was startled, then became even more worried. Li Lin naturally knew who his mother was referring to. It seemed that his mother was also aware that his father''s legal wife would definitely not let him off. "Lin''er..." A delicate voice came from outside the courtyard, and then the figure of Li Wushuang appeared. "Wushuang sister, why are you here?" Li Lin asked. "I just heard someone saying that you killed Zhao San and beat up Xiaolan. Is that true?" Li Wushuang looked at Li Lin and asked. "Yes, they bullied my mother, so I took action." Li Lin did not hide anything and told Li Wushuang. "Lin''er, you''re in trouble now. Zhao San was from the Zhao family. If you had killed other servants, it wouldn''t have been a big deal." Li Wushuang said worriedly. "Wushuang, you must help your brother. You have a good relationship with the master, please plead with the master for Lin''er." Madam Rolan stood up and said to Li Wushuang. "Auntie, don''t worry, I''m here. I won''t let Lin''er get into trouble." Li Wushuang reassured Madam Rolan. Madam Rolan nodded slightly, feeling a bit relieved with Li Wushuang''s status in the Li family. If she could help Lin''er, there likely wouldn''t be any serious consequences. "Lin''er, what are you planning to do?" Li Wushuang asked Li Lin, not inquiring further about him killing Zhao San, as she already knew that Li Lin was a spiritual practitioner, no longer the weak cousin from before. "No plans, if it comes to it, I''ll just leave the Li family." Li Lin said softly. "Leave the Li family." Li Wushuang was startled, then said, "Absolutely not, you cannot leave the Li family." Chapter 32: Just Come at Me "Lin''er, have you considered that leaving the Li family might put you in greater danger? At least within the Li family, anyone who wants to deal with you has to think twice." Li Wushuang continued. "Young Master, Young Master." As Li Wushuang''s words fell, the voice of Li Xiaobai came from outside the courtyard, followed by his breathless appearance at the entrance. "Xiaobai, what''s wrong?" Li Wushuang asked. "Miss Wushuang." Upon seeing Li Wushuang, Li Xiaobai immediately paid his respects, then said to Li Lin, "Young Master, it''s bad. I just saw the chief steward of the front courtyard coming here with people to deal with you." "Zhao Da." Li Lin''s expression darkened, and a chill immediately spread through the air. Zhao Da was the one who had accidentally killed the original Li Lin and was a capable servant brought from his stepmother''s family. "Zhao Da, huh? This is the Li family after all. Lin''er, you don''t have to worry. Today, I want to see who dares to touch you." Li Wushuang huffed. "Have they arrived?" Outside the courtyard, amidst the noise, Li Lin glanced out and knew that Zhao Da was coming with a dozen servants. After advancing to a Martial Warrior and Spirit Warrior, his senses had become much sharper. Any disturbance nearby could be clearly perceived by him. "How audacious, Li Lin, to dare kill someone within the Li family. You''ve got guts. Come with me." In just a moment, a commanding voice rang out, followed by a dozen servants entering the courtyard, led by Zhao Da and another man Li Lin recognized as Zhao Er, along with Zhao San whom Li Lin had killed, were the three who had accidentally killed the original Li Lin. "Zhao Da, you''ve got some nerve." Before Li Lin could speak, Li Wushuang huffed coldly. "So, Miss Wushuang is here too. Greetings, Miss Wushuang." Zhao Da''s expression changed slightly, aware of the good relationship between Li Wushuang and Li Lin and his mother. "What are you doing here? What''s the meaning of this? Stand down now." Li Wushuang stared at Zhao Da. "Miss Wushuang, Li Lin killed Zhao San. We are here under the lady''s orders to arrest Li Lin. If Miss Wushuang has any questions, you may ask the lady." Zhao Da said with a dark expression, being the lady''s man, he naturally wouldn''t take Li Wushuang seriously. "Hmph, this is the Li family. Lin''er is a young master of the Li family. I''d like to see who dares to commit insubordination here. I will not be polite." Li Wushuang huffed coldly, her gaze sweeping over Zhao Da and the dozen servants. These servants were not from the Zhao family but worked in the front courtyard under Zhao Da''s management. Seeing the look in Li Wushuang''s eyes, they lowered their heads, exchanging looks, not daring to make a move. "Miss Wushuang, you''re making it difficult for me. I must take him. As for the rest, you can ask the lady." Zhao Da said darkly, his gaze then fixed on Li Lin. Li Lin stared at Zhao Da, whose strength was probably at the second level of Martial Warrior. Li Lin was not afraid of him and was determined to kill him. Since a confrontation had already erupted, it was better to eliminate him and prevent future troubles if the opportunity arose. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. "I''d like to see how you plan to take him." Li Wushuang huffed coldly, raising her wrist, and drawing the Qingyun Sword with a buzz, the three-foot blade gleaming coldly. "Guess if I dare kill you." Li Wushuang pointed her sword at Zhao Da, speaking coldly. "Miss Wushuang certainly dares to kill me, but..." Zhao Da''s face changed drastically, stepping back a few steps. His strength was no match for Li Wushuang, who was at the Martial Master level, while he was just a Martial Warrior. Li Wushuang, as the most talented young member of the Li family, was not someone he, a steward, could provoke. Even the lady couldn''t protect him then. Stepping back, Zhao Da said, "Miss Wushuang, think carefully. Even if you kill me, there will be a lot of trouble afterward. After all, I am from the Zhao family." "You know you''re from the Zhao family, don''t forget this is the Li family. Get lost." Li Wushuang commanded, cautious about actually killing Zhao Da. "This is the Li family, but killing someone naturally requires punishment. Wushuang, do you intend to protect Li Lin?" At that moment, three figures appeared at the entrance of the courtyard. Among them, the leader was dressed in a brocade robe, her hair done up, exuding nobility with a cold look in her eyes, flanked by two maids in long dresses. "Greetings, young miss." Zhao Da and Zhao Er immediately paid their respects, and the other servants bowed, saying, "Greetings, madam." "Zhao Hui." A chill flashed in Li Lin''s eyes. This was none other than his father''s legal wife, the Miss Zhao from the Zhao family, who was responsible for the original Li Lin''s inability to cultivate. "Auntie, Lin''er is a young master of the Li family. What''s wrong with killing a servant? If anything, shouldn''t it be handled by the Li family ancestral hall?" Li Wushuang gently said. "In the ranks of the Li family''s young masters, there seems to be no Li Lin, Wushuang. Have you forgotten?" Zhao Hui said softly, her cold gaze fixed on Rolan and Li Lin, paying little attention to Li Wushuang. Li Wushuang was momentarily speechless. Indeed, Li Lin was not recognized as a young master by the Li family, a fact that had never been officially acknowledged. "Rolan, you lowly maid, you''ve been teaching that bastard to kill. This time, I''ll see who can protect you." Zhao Hui coldly stared at Rolan. "Zhao Hui, what right do you have to insult my mother? The one who killed Zhao San is me. If you have the guts, just come at me." Li Lin coldly said, standing in front of his mother. "Zhao Da, capture this bastard for me." Zhao Hui glared at Li Lin and commanded coldly. "Yes, Miss." Zhao Da responded, lunging at Li Lin, extending his hand with a claw gesture aimed at Li Lin. Li Lin''s eyes flashed with a murderous intent, unafraid of Zhao Da. Just as he was about to act, he saw Li Wushuang making the first move. "Back off!" Li Wushuang shouted, her Qingyun Sword slashing out, directing a sword strike at Zhao Da. The sword shadow traced through the air, sending out three sword shadows aimed at Zhao Da''s chest and abdomen. Zhao Da''s face changed drastically, scrambling to dodge to the side. The sword shadows were too fast, avoiding hits to his abdomen and left chest but catching his right chest. "Shh..." Zhao Da''s clothes were torn, a faint blood mark appearing on his chest, turning his face pale with fear. "This is a warning. Next time, don''t blame me for being ruthless." Li Wushuang spoke coldly. "Wushuang, you''ve got some nerve. Don''t think you can do whatever you want just because you''re a disciple of Yunyang Sect." Zhao Hui''s face darkened, speaking coldly. "Auntie, why be so aggressive? If you''re going to make things difficult for Lin''er and Auntie Rolan, the Li family is well aware. Why not spare those who can be spared?" Li Wushuang said to Zhao Hui. "How bold, Zhao Da, take action. I want to see what you''ve learned at Yunyang Sect." Zhao Hui''s face darkened, her gaze fixed on Li Wushuang. Zhao Da, with the young miss covering him, lost his hesitation and lunged at Li Lin again. "Young Master, be careful!" Li Xiaobai shouted, also charging at Zhao Da. "Li Xiaobai, you''re not qualified." Zhao Er, who had been watching Li Xiaobai, immediately intercepted him. Chapter 33: Facing the Enemy Alone When Li Wushuang once again confronted Zhao Da, Zhao Hui''s expression darkened as she formed hand seals, creating a wall of scorching flames that instantly blocked Li Wushuang''s path. "With the strength of a Martial Master, you are still no match for me. Stay put," Zhao Hui coldly shouted. Li Wushuang slashed with her Qingyun Sword, creating several sword shadows that whipped up gusts of wind but vanished upon touching the flame wall, causing her expression to drastically change. She realized her strength was still no match for Zhao Hui, who had reached the Martial Soul level, far surpassing her own. "Little mongrel, let''s see who can save you now." Zhao Da coldly shouted and smirked, his hands quickly gathering a mass of earthy yellow Qi. As he lunged at Li Lin, Zhao Da''s palms suddenly curled into claw-like shapes, reaching for Li Lin''s chest with earthy yellow Qi concentrated at his fingertips, resembling sharp gloves. The claw strike, carrying a whistling wind, was incredibly fast and aimed directly at Li Lin. At this moment, Luo Lan''s face had already turned pale with fear, unable to utter a word. Watching Zhao Da''s claw and sensing the sharp sound that seemed to tear through the air, Li Lin''s eyes slightly narrowed. Recognizing Zhao Da as an Earth element martial artist and knowing Zhao Da was at the second Martial Warrior level, Li Lin was unfazed. During his sparring sessions with Uncle Jiang, although Uncle Jiang controlled his strength to roughly the first Martial Warrior level, the power he demonstrated was somewhat stronger than Zhao Da''s. Convinced of his ability to withstand this, especially when comparing Zhao Da to Uncle Jiang, Li Lin felt even more assured. Immediately, a cold gleam flashed in Li Lin''s eyes. Forming hand seals, he shifted his stance, and with a slightly curled left hand, he swung forcefully at the ground. An invisible burst of Qi struck the ground, propelling Li Lin upwards, enabling him to swiftly evade Zhao Da''s claw. The claw passed just before Li Lin''s nose, stirring a fierce wind that scattered his hair. In the moment he dodged, Li Lin''s palm strike flew unhesitatingly, like an arrow leaving the bow, carrying a pale yellow Qi directly to Zhao Da''s abdomen. Zhao Da, feeling his claw miss, sensed impending doom. From what witnesses in the laundry room had said, Zhao Da had speculated that Li Lin might have become a martial artist; otherwise, how could Li Lin have possibly killed Zhao San, a Martial Disciple and a formal martial artist whom even five or six ordinary men couldn''t overcome? Yet, Zhao Da had some doubts about Li Lin being a martial artist. Just over a month ago, they had beaten Li Lin severely. How could Li Lin have become a martial artist in just over a month? But now, Zhao Da believed it. A true expert reveals themselves at the first move, and Zhao Da felt the bad premonition when his claw missed. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Feeling the palm strike on his abdomen, Zhao Da''s face paled, and he rapidly retreated, not knowing what martial skill he employed. The air before him slightly rippled, creating a few pale yellow wave-like ripples out of thin air. As Li Lin''s palm strike landed, passing through these ripples, its force seemed to lessen, but the remaining power struck Zhao Da''s abdomen hard. Zhao Da staggered backwards, spewing a mouthful of blood that appeared to contain bits of broken organs, showing that Li Lin''s strike was merciless. Under Uncle Jiang''s training, Li Lin had been taught to use lethal moves without giving the opponent any chance, harboring a definite intent to kill Zhao Da, thus striking with full force. Comparing their strengths, Zhao Da was slightly superior at the outset, but his complacency led to being suppressed continuously. Plus, without proper preparation for just one round, he suffered from Li Lin''s lethal move. Blood and broken organs spewed out as Zhao Da staggered back powerlessly, eventually collapsing on the ground. His eyes, filled with disbelief, stared at Li Lin, passing a horrified gaze. Despite Li Lin exerting his full strength, he hadn''t managed to kill Zhao Da outright. Zhao Da, being a martial artist himself, was only severely injured rather than killed by Li Lin''s surprise attack, which lacked a bit of strength to be fatal. In the courtyard, an explosion sounded, and a mix of fire and mist sprinkled from above, dissipating into energy before touching the ground. Meanwhile, Li Xiaobai and Zhao Er also ceased their engagement. Throughout their fight, Li Xiaobai was suppressed by Zhao Er and suffered a palm strike, mainly due to his lack of combat experience and a slight difference in strength, although he wasn''t seriously injured. Zhao Hui, observing Li Lin''s surrounding aura, realized his martial warrior level, causing her face to change dramatically. Even Li Wushuang, trapped before the fire wall, was astonished. "Little mongrel, die." Zhao Hui''s face changed drastically, and with a change in hand seals, she swiftly removed the fire wall in front of Li Wushuang. Gathering a half-meter-sized fireball between her hands, she launched it towards Li Lin''s back. As the fireball soared, a hot breaking sound filled the air, demonstrating Zhao Hui''s tremendous strength. The fireball passed, causing the plants in the courtyard to wither and turn yellow instantly. "Sister-in-law, was there a need to strike so harshly?" At that moment, a deep voice sounded, and immediately a figure leaped from outside the courtyard, enveloping the fireball with a curtain of water. At this time, Li Lin''s palm strike fiercely landed, sending a powerful force crashing into Zhao Da''s chest. The impact forced Zhao Da to be hurled backward, his face turning ashen. "Phew!" Zhao Da spat out a mouthful of blood, which seemed to contain fragments of broken organs, indicating the severity of Li Lin''s attack. Under Uncle Jiang''s training, Li Lin had learned to deliver killing blows without giving the opponent any chance, especially against Zhao Da, whom he had resolved to kill, thus striking with all his might. Comparatively, Zhao Da''s strength was initially slightly superior, but his carelessness from the start continuously put him at a disadvantage. Plus, it was only one exchange, and he wasn''t prepared when he took the lethal hit. The blood containing fragments of broken organs indicated Zhao Da''s severe injury as he staggered back powerlessly, then collapsed on the ground, his eyes filled with disbelief as he stared at Li Lin, crossing with a look of terror. Although Li Lin had exerted his full strength, he hadn''t managed to kill Zhao Da outright. Zhao Da, also a martial artist, was severely injured by Li Lin''s surprise attack but not fatally, as Li Lin''s strength was just short of delivering a killing blow. In the courtyard, an explosion sounded, and a mixture of fire and mist rained down from above, dissipating as energy before reaching the ground. In a corner, Li Xiaobai and Zhao Er also ceased their confrontation. Throughout their encounter, Li Xiaobai was consistently overpowered by Zhao Er, even taking a palm strike. The main issue was his lack of combat experience and a slight gap in strength, but fortunately, he wasn''t seriously injured. Chapter 34 Arrangements "Big brother, what do you mean by this?" Zhao Hui''s face darkened as she stared at a middle-aged man who had just appeared, wearing a green long robe. "Uncle." Li Lin also looked at the man, clad in a long robe, with large eyes and a broad forehead, emanating a compelling heroic aura. His presence was powerful, his strength not inferior to Zhao Hui''s. He was indeed the eldest of the Li family, Li Dong. Li Lin assessed that his uncle''s strength must have reached the level of Martial Soul. In the entire Spirit Martial Continent, such prowess was already considered formidable. "Sister-in-law, do you remember what you promised? Now you want to kill Lin''er, what does this mean?" Li Dong''s expression slightly darkened as he spoke to Zhao Hui. "He killed Zhao San and beat my maid Xiao Lan. Shouldn''t he be punished?" Zhao Hui said. "Hmph, Zhao San and that wretched maid insulted my mother first. Don''t they deserve to die?" Li Lin coldly retorted. "Sister-in-law, I have also heard about Zhao San and Xiao Lan. They were in the wrong first. The Li family will compensate them. Let''s leave it at that, shall we?" Li Dong said. "Zhao San and Xiao Lan are from my Zhao family. Should we just let it go? This bastard, he must die today." Zhao Hui coldly stared at Li Lin and said. "Sister-in-law, Li Lin is also of Li family''s blood. Calling him a bastard, what do you mean by that? Don''t forget, you are now a part of the Li family. Constantly speaking of the Zhao family, do you not hold the Li family in your eyes?" Li Dong''s expression darkened as he spoke calmly. Zhao Hui was momentarily speechless, coldly staring at Li Lin and Luo Lan, then said, "Are you now planning to acknowledge this boy''s ancestry, don''t forget what you promised me." "Don''t forget what you promised either. If anything happens to Lin''er, that would be unacceptable." Li Dong said. "Hmph, let''s go." Zhao Hui''s face fell, and she turned to leave the courtyard, followed by Zhao Da, Zhao Er, and a few servants, who also left. "It''s alright now." Li Dong turned around, looked at Luo Lan and Li Lin, and said. "Thank you, uncle." Luo Lan gratefully said. "It''s what I should do. You''ve been wronged. The Li family owes you a lot." Li Dong said, his gaze then resting on Li Lin. Li Lin didn''t say much, having heard the conversation between his uncle and Zhao Hui. It seemed there was some hidden story behind it. "Lin''er, when did you become a martial artist?" Li Dong looked at Li Lin and asked. "I forgot, it''s been a while." Li Lin said lightly, harboring no resentment towards his uncle. He knew from his memories that his uncle had always looked after him. "Be careful in the future. Stay with the Li family. It''s safer than outside. Some things, you might understand later." Li Dong said to Li Lin, as if guessing that Li Lin was considering leaving. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "There are some things, perhaps, I won''t understand. I only know who owes us, mother and son." Li Lin said softly. The previous Li Lin had died because of the Li family. That debt, perhaps he would have a chance to repay on behalf of the previous Li Lin. Using his body, that was his responsibility. "It seems you''ve been holding back. Then why not continue to do so? It would be more beneficial for you." Li Dong''s expression changed slightly as he said, looking at his nephew who he had watched grow up, sensing something unusual. "Some things cannot be endured." Li Lin said, unable to stand seeing his mother humiliated by several servants. "Alright, I''ll leave now. Some things are not as they seem. Be more cautious. Remember, don''t leave the Li family. Someone might actually hope for you to leave." Li Dong said, then sighed and left the courtyard. "Lin''er, don''t leave the Li family. Dad won''t harm you." Li Wushuang came to Li Lin''s side and said. "Wushuang sister, I understand." Li Lin said, having his own plans. It wasn''t hard to deduce, hearing his uncle and Zhao Hui''s conversation, that there might have been an agreement between the Li family and her. She couldn''t act against him, otherwise, the former Li Lin would have been killed long ago and wouldn''t have survived till now. "Master, what should we do now?" Li Xiaobai said. "No need to do anything special. We''ll proceed as planned," Li Lin said, then turned to Luo Lan beside him and spoke, "Mother, you don''t have to go to the laundry room anymore. Your son can provide for you. After a while, we will leave the Li family and go far away." The night had unknowingly fallen long ago. Li Lin returned to his room, sat cross-legged, and pondered about the future. Now that he had revealed his identity as a martial artist, he anticipated that more changes were bound to happen in the days to come. To ensure his safety, he must break through his current strength as soon as possible. Only with stronger abilities could he solve troubles. Relying on cultivation alone, he had no idea how long it would take to achieve a breakthrough. Only through refining and consuming pills could he make it. "I need gold coins, a lot and lots of gold coins to enhance my strength," Li Lin murmured. He still had over a dozen Gantop Dan pills in his possession. He planned to sell them at Tianbao Gate tomorrow, exchange them for second-grade pill materials, and start refining second-grade pills. After deciding on his next steps, Li Lin began to cultivate while sitting cross-legged. Although this regular cultivation was slow, it was better than doing nothing. Within a courtyard, Zhao Hui''s figure was present, along with Zhao Er. Zhao Hui''s expression was extremely unsightly at this moment. "How is Zhao Da?" Zhao Hui asked. "He''s severely injured and not far from death. He just took a pill, which saved his life, but it will greatly impact his future cultivation. It won''t get better in a year or half a year. Miss, are we really going to let that boy off so easily?" Zhao Er said. "Hmph, that bastard turned out to be a martial artist and even reached the level of a Warrior. It''s unexpected that no one discovered this over the years. That bastard must die. I will not allow him to live in this world," Zhao Hui said. "But miss, killing that boy will be troublesome, especially now that he''s a martial artist. If we kill him in the Li family, it won''t be easy, and other members of the Li family will know," Zhao Er said. "Send someone to the Zhao family tomorrow to report the situation here. Our clan will naturally make arrangements. Unless that boy stays in the Li family and never leaves, otherwise, hmph..." Zhao Hui''s eyes flashed with a fierce light, utterly intolerant of the mother and son. Outside a stone chamber of the Li family, a figure in a long robe appeared, which was Li Dong. "How are things going?" An somewhat elderly voice came from the stone chamber. "Father, Lin''er turned out to be a martial artist and has even reached the level of a Warrior. As for other matters, there seems to be no significant issue openly, but secretly, it''s uncertain," Li Dong said. The stone chamber was silent for a long time, and after a moment, the somewhat elderly voice spoke again, "So, he is a martial artist. It seems Lin''er has hidden this for a long time, understanding restraint. Not bad, he probably has some opportunities. The Li family owes his mother and him a lot. Now, he might be in even more danger." Chapter 35 Appraising Paintings "Father, what should we do?" Li Dong said. "What the Zhao family is plotting, even I do not know now. As for Zhao Hui, she is not a concern. For the sake of the Li family, we can only wait and see. We owe that mother and son a lot. This time, we must protect them," the somewhat elderly voice in the stone chamber continued. "I know what to do now," Li Dong said. "Go then, and try to help them, the mother and son, as much as you can," the voice from the stone chamber said. The next day, as dawn broke, Li Lin stopped his cultivation, opened his eyes, and exhaled a breath of turbid air from his Dantian Qi sea, with a layer of earthy yellow light retracting into his body. A night''s cultivation did not yield much progress for Li Lin, but he felt refreshed. "It''s time to visit Tianbao Gate," Li Lin thought to himself, recalling that he had racked up a debt of 8,600 gold coins at Tianbao Gate the day before, which he needed to settle. After breakfast, Li Lin made an excuse to his mother and left for Tianbao Gate, remaining vigilant along the way. "Young Master Li, you''re here quite early today," greeted the two strong men at Tianbao Gate upon seeing Li Lin. "Where is Wu, the steward?" Li Lin asked. "Young Master Li, please follow me. The steward is on the second floor," said one of the strong men on the left, leading Li Lin upstairs. This was Li Lin''s first visit to the second floor of Tianbao Gate, as he usually just picked up some herbs from downstairs and left. Observing the second floor, the decor was luxurious and spacious, even the flooring was made of a smooth, expensive material. Entering a small hall, the furnishings and decorations there surprised Li Lin even more. The small hall was filled with valuable items, including paintings, antiques, and several long chairs that were obviously expensive. "Young Master Li, please wait, the steward will be here shortly," said the leading man before leaving. Li Lin looked around the hall, focusing on a wall painting that somewhat resembled landscape paintings from his previous life. This world had many elements similar to his previous life. "Young Master Li has an interest in paintings? How about you give us your thoughts on this one?" Just then, Du Gu Binglan''s voice entered the room, followed by three figures appearing: Du Gu Binglan, the maid Xiao Cui, and the steward. "I dare not. My knowledge is shallow, and I wouldn''t presume to speak arrogantly," Li Lin replied with a slight smile, having studied some modern paintings in his previous life but knowing little about this type of landscape painting. "Young Master Li, please don''t be modest. We would be honored to hear your insights," Du Gu Binglan said with a slight smile, seemingly insisting on Li Lin''s opinion. "This" Li Lin hesitated, truly not understanding this genre of painting. "What, does Young Master Li look down on me?" Du Gu Binglan''s beautiful eyes focused on Li Lin, smiling slightly but with a serious demeanor, clearly expecting Li Lin to speak. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. "Since that''s the case, I''ll say a few words then. Miss Du Gu, please don''t laugh at me," Li Lin said lightly, seeing Du Gu Binglan''s gaze which seemed to leave no room for refusal. He could only say a few words, hoping not to make a complete fool of himself with his comments, as understanding one principle could lead to understanding all principles. "Young Master Li, please enlighten us," Du Gu Binglan said, with the maid Xiao Cui also intently watching Li Lin, her eyes filled with anticipation. Li Lin examined the wall painting before him, which depicted a young girl standing in front of a lotus pond, looking into the distance. After a moment, Li Lin spoke, "The technique of this painting is masterful, with unpredictable strokes that are truly unique. It''s evident that the artist didn''t sketch beforehand, making the work more spontaneous and direct, achieving such an effect through a direct confrontation with the canvas. In terms of form, it''s absolutely a masterpiece." Hearing Li Lin''s words, the maid Xiao Cui smiled slightly, then with a puzzled expression, said, "Master Li speaks as if there''s more to say." Li Lin smiled lightly and said, "In terms of form, this painting is a masterpiece, but it has its flaws, which are regrettable." "Oh? Young Master Li, please do share more," Du Gu Binglan was slightly taken aback, glancing at Xiao Cui beside her, then asked. "The facial detailing of the female figure in this painting is too restrained, possessing form without spirit. The strokes used for the lotus pond are too sharp, lacking roundness and thickness, so the brushwork lacks vitality, with improper use of density. The composition seems a bit off, too light on the bottom and too heavy on the top, and the lines could be more delicate. It''s clear that the artist was preoccupied with thoughts while painting. Given the expression of the girl in the painting, I believe the artist must be a woman," Li Lin said, "I''m just speaking off the cuff, please don''t take offense, Miss Du Gu." "Master Li has keen insight. It''s been enlightening," the maid Xiao Cui said, her gaze filled with surprise as she looked at Li Lin. "I''ve made a fool of myself," Li Lin said, noticing a few small signature stamps in the corner of the painting, which upon closer inspection, bore the name Du Gu Binglan. "So, this painting was done by Miss Du Gu. I''ve spoken out of turn," Li Lin was surprised to learn that the painting was Du Gu Binglan''s work, which was indeed unexpected. "You''re too modest, Young Master Li. Please, take a seat," Du Gu Binglan said, her expression also showing surprise. "Young Master Li, you''ve come to Tianbao Gate so early, is there something you need?" everyone settled down, and the steward spoke. "I''ve incurred a large debt to Tianbao Gate, naturally, I''ve come to repay it. However, I can''t settle it all at once and will have to pay it back gradually," Li Lin said with a slight smile. "A few thousand gold coins are nothing to worry about. Young Master Li, don''t concern yourself," the steward said. "But having this debt weighs on my mind," Li Lin laughed. "If Young Master Li is willing, why not join Tianbao Gate?" Du Gu Binglan said with a slight smile. "This" Li Lin''s expression subtly changed, then he laughed again, "Joining Tianbao Gate would only waste your resources. I wouldn''t want to trouble Tianbao Gate." "You jest, Young Master Li. If you ever wish to join, Tianbao Gate always welcomes you," Du Gu Binglan said. "By the way, here are some Gantop Dan pills. Please record them, steward. I''m using these to repay the debt, and also, please prepare fifty sets of pill materials for me," Li Lin handed over a dozen Gantop Dan pills to the steward. "No problem, Master Li. Please wait a moment," the steward glanced at the prescription Li Lin handed over and then left the hall. "Young Master Li, did you refine these pills yourself?" Du Gu Binglan asked, watching Li Lin. "Do I look like a practitioner?" Li Lin glanced at Du Gu Binglan. Today, Du Gu Binglan was wearing a long dress, her figure slender and exquisite, complemented by delicate features, truly a stunning beauty. However, Li Lin''s gaze involuntarily shifted to the maid Xiao Cui, whose beautiful features were carved on her jade-like face, her clear eyes seemingly able to see through everything, a petite and delicate nose, and lips thin as cherry petals, together forming an absolutely beautiful face. Only the red birthmark on her face was a source of sighs; such a woman would have been even more beautiful without it. "Young Master Li is hard to read," Du Gu Binglan softly said. "Young Master Li, your order is ready," a moment later, the steward returned with two bags of medicinal ingredients. "Thank you. I''ll take my leave now and come back later to repay more," Li Lin said, then stood up to leave. "Take care, Young Master Li," the steward said. "After Young Master Li leaves, what do you think?" Du Gu Binglan asked the steward. "The news we received last night was that Li Lin killed a martial servant of the Zhao family and severely injured another warrior servant, shocking everyone," the steward said. Chapter 36 Yuan Enhancing Pill "It seems this person has secrets behind him. We must pay more attention to him in the future," Du Gu Binglan said. "All this time, Tianbao Gate has been trying to recruit me. What do they see in me?" Along the way, Li Lin pondered this matter, recalling Uncle Jiang''s words that Tianbao Gate was not simple. "Anyway, I should focus on repaying my debt," Li Lin looked at the two bags of medicinal ingredients in his hands. To repay his debt, he needed to refine fifty Gantop Dan pills. He also had materials for two batches of a second-grade medicinal pill formula, the Yuan Enhancing Pill, which was recorded in the last jade slip given by Uncle Jiang. Li Lin also opened the jade slip given by Uncle Jiang, which contained pill formulas and other knowledge about medicinal herbs. This jade slip was practically a complete history of medicinal pills and was invaluable. The second-grade Yuan Enhancing Pill could improve one''s Qi and also enhance some spiritual power, which was exactly what Li Lin needed. His cultivation of the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art required simultaneous breakthroughs in both spirit and martial aspects. In the coming days, Li Lin decided to stay at the Li family and refine pills. As for the location, the secret chamber in the firewood room was perfect. Since Uncle Jiang no longer needed the chamber, Li Lin figured it would be fine to use it for his pill refining. "Little dragon, I will be in seclusion for a few days. You stay in the back mountain during this time, so you don''t go hungry," Li Lin said to Little dragon before returning to the Li family, knowing the dragon''s daily food consumption was significant. "Chirp chirp..." Little dragon seemed to understand Li Lin''s words, stretching its tongue and looking up affectionately at Li Lin, then crawled towards the back mountain from Li Lin''s palm. Watching Little dragon disappear, Li Lin then made his way back to the Li family. In the backyard, he encountered many servants who usually ignored him, but today, they stepped aside to let him pass, some even bowed and nodded frantically, as if afraid he might harm them. "I heard that Steward Zhao Da is severely injured." "And not just that, Xiao Lan was beaten beyond recognition, and Steward Zhao San was killed outright." "Who would have thought he was a martial artist, and nobody knew." "It looks like he will move to the front courtyard soon, becoming a true young master of the Li family." "Good thing I never offended him. Look at Xiao Lan, beaten so badly her own mother wouldn''t recognize her." "I think I made fun of him before. Will he seek revenge? I''m doomed." This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Hearing the Li family servants'' discussions, Li Lin smiled slightly, recognizing the typical mentality of servants, no wonder they were destined to remain so. He had nothing to settle with these people. Returning to the courtyard, Li Lin was surprised to find Li Wushuang and Li Xiaobai there, with Li Xiaobai seemingly moving bags and packages. "Xiaobai, have you moved everything?" Li Wushuang asked. "Miss Wushuang, everything has been moved," Li Xiaobai said, drenched in sweat. Without being a martial artist, he would have collapsed from exhaustion. "Wushuang sister, what are you doing?" Li Lin asked, puzzled upon entering the courtyard. "Lin''er, there''s an empty room here. Wushuang insists on moving in," Luo Lan said, coming out from inside. "Moving in?" Li Lin was surprised. "Wushuang sister, you''re moving in here? Does Uncle know? It''s not as nice here as the front courtyard. Why are you moving in?" "Dad knows. I want to move here to look after you. With me around, it won''t be so easy for anyone to target you," Li Wushuang said with a blink of her beautiful eyes, softly. "Don''t worry, Wushuang sister, I can take care of myself. You should move to the front courtyard instead; this place isn''t suitable for you," Li Lin said. "What do you mean it''s not suitable for me? I think it''s quite nice here. Li Xiaobai, help me move my things into the room," Li Wushuang said with a gentle smile, passing by Li Lin with a faint fragrance and walking into the courtyard. "Yes, Miss Wushuang," Li Xiaobai responded, lifting a large box and heading into the courtyard. Standing in the courtyard, Li Lin gave a wry smile, then felt relieved about something. He was about to go into seclusion and was worried about his mother. With Li Wushuang in the courtyard, he didn''t have to worry and could concentrate on refining pills. "Lin''er, it''s good that Wushuang sister is moving in. Are you hungry? I''ll go make you something to eat," Luo Lan said to Li Lin. "Mom, I need to go out for a bit, and it might take five or six days before I can return," Li Lin said. "Going out? And for so long? The New Year is just a few days away; where are you going?" Luo Lan asked worriedly. "Lin''er, where are you going? I''ll go with you," Li Wushuang came out, concerned upon hearing that Li Lin would be away for several days. "Wushuang sister, I''m not going far and it won''t be dangerous. I have some matters to attend to and will be back on time in a few days. Please take care of mother for me during these days," Li Lin said. "But you going out at this time could be dangerous," Li Wushuang said. "Don''t worry, I''ll be fine," Li Lin said, then left the courtyard. He naturally wouldn''t reveal anything about the secret chamber and the practitioner. "Lin''er, you child..." Luo Lan was filled with worry. "Auntie, Lin''er has his plans; we don''t need to worry too much." Watching Li Lin''s departing figure, Li Wushuang was worried but had an inherent trust in Li Lin. After crossing several corridors, Li Lin arrived near the firewood room in the backyard, looked around stealthily for a while to make sure no one was around, then quickly entered the firewood room. The firewood room was usually deserted, so Li Lin breathed a sigh of relief, then opened the secret chamber and entered. "Li Lin, what are you doing here?" As soon as Li Lin entered the chamber, a voice instantly spoke. "Uncle Jiang, why are you here?" Li Lin was startled; the person in the chamber was Uncle Jiang. "I should be asking you. Seeing you sneaking around, I wanted to know what you were up to. Didn''t I tell you not to come here again?" Old servant Uncle Jiang glared at Li Lin. "Uncle Jiang, I need a place to refine pills, and your place is the most suitable," Li Lin said. "That''s your problem. Find somewhere else," Uncle Jiang said bluntly. "Old man, I''m just using this chamber for a bit. Don''t be so stingy," Li Lin looked at Uncle Jiang. "You''ve got nerve, don''t you? Weren''t you quite imposing yesterday? Told you to conserve your strength, and now you''re in a rush to enhance it?" Uncle Jiang said indifferently. Chapter 37 Seclusion for Pill Refining "I had no choice," Li Lin had already anticipated that he couldn''t keep yesterday''s events hidden from Uncle Jiang, so it wasn''t a surprise to him. "You need to be more cautious now. Don''t get yourself killed in confusion and waste the time I''ve spent teaching you," Uncle Jiang glared at Li Lin, then left the secret chamber without further regard for him. Li Lin watched Uncle Jiang''s retreating figure, then sat down cross-legged with a slight smile in his heart, realizing that Uncle Jiang had specifically come to remind him to be careful. He took out the Fire Dragon Cauldron from his storage ring, and with a buzzing sound, the cauldron appeared in the chamber, emitting an ancient aura. Then, Li Lin took out two large bags of medicinal ingredients he had gotten on credit from Tianbao Gate. After some hesitation, he decided to refine the fifty Gantop Pills first, then move on to the Yuan Enhancing Pills. The Yuan Enhancing Pill, a second-grade medicinal pill, was something Li Lin had no confidence in refining yet. He was unsure if he could successfully refine a second-grade pill, so he decided to refine the Gantop Pills first to get a feel for it, which he thought might help with the eventual refinement of the Yuan Enhancing Pills. With a gesture, spiritual power flowed from his hand into the Fire Dragon Cauldron, instantly conjuring a tangible flame inside. Li Lin began by processing Three-Star Grass and Five-Leaf Lotus, followed by Vitality Grass, Dew Condense Powder, and other ingredients... Refining Gantop Pills was becoming increasingly familiar to Li Lin, having successfully done so numerous times without any accidents since the initial mishap. Even though he was very familiar with the process now, Li Lin remained extremely cautious. Pill refining did not tolerate even the slightest carelessness. By this point, Li Lin could easily refine a Gantop Pill in one go, with the spiritual energy in the pill significantly stronger than when he first started. The refining process had also become much faster. Each time he exhausted his energy and took time to recuperate, Li Lin could feel his spiritual energy becoming denser. Approximately an hour and a half later, a pill exuding a rich fragrance flew out of the Fire Dragon Cauldron and was caught by Li Lin. "Fifty gold coins secured, let''s continue," Li Lin smiled satisfactorily and resumed refining Gantop Pills. After refining the second Gantop Pill, Li Lin took time to recuperate due to the substantial consumption of his spiritual energy, then continued with the pill refinement. As time passed slowly, life within the Li family remained as usual without much disturbance. However, the tales of the Li family''s good-for-nothing young master had stirred up much discussion among the servants, surprising everyone and causing some to worry for themselves. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Meanwhile, Li Lin continued refining pills in the secret chamber of the firewood room. Five days had passed in the blink of an eye, with the chamber heated intensely by the roaring flames, illuminating the space brightly. "Bang!" The lid of the cauldron was lifted, and another pill was collected by Li Lin, its rich medicinal fragrance filling the entire secret chamber, making one feel refreshed and delighted. "The fiftieth pill, finally a success," Li Lin looked at the pill in his hand and smiled, saying that after five days of continuous refining, he had finally managed to produce fifty Gantop Pills. Fifty Gantop Pills, two thousand five hundred gold coins. Subtracting the cost, he would make a substantial profit, but it was still far from enough to pay off his debt. Li Lin gave a wry smile, then put away the Gantop Pills and took out the remaining two batches of ingredients needed for refining the Yuan Enhancing Pills. Now, it was time for him to attempt making a second-grade medicinal pill. After taking a moment to regulate his breathing and prepare, Li Lin formed hand seals, and spiritual energy flowed into the Fire Dragon Cauldron. The energy instantly transformed into tangible flames, and the cauldron immediately roared with intense heat. "Bai Zhu Grass, Seven Star Leaf." Li Lin meticulously added each herb into the Fire Dragon Cauldron, precisely controlling the refinement process with his acute sense of spiritual power. Refining a second-grade medicinal pill was nerve-wracking for Li Lin. Second-grade pills were fundamentally different from first-grade ones and much more difficult to make. As time slowly passed, Li Lin carefully added other ingredients for refinement, daring not to be careless. His hand seals constantly changed, transforming each herb into the spiritual liquid required for the Yuan Enhancing Pill. This process required a massive amount of spiritual power. Li Lin''s mind rapidly drained of spiritual energy, but fortunately, his spiritual power was no longer as weak as it once was. Inside the Fire Dragon Cauldron, the herbs were incinerated into ashes by the flames, while the essence of the herbs turned into spiritual liquid and was collected to the side. Li Lin controlled the intensity of the flames according to the jade slip instructions from Uncle Jiang. The temperature of the flames could not be too high or too low and had to be just right. By now, Li Lin had become somewhat proficient in controlling the flames to achieve this. "All ingredients have been refined." After finally completely refining the materials for the Yuan Enhancing Pill, Li Lin let out a breath, his Dantian sank as he felt the spiritual power in his mind, then a flash of brilliance shot from his eyes, and with a change of hand seals, the flames in the Fire Dragon Cauldron surged once more. Inside the cauldron, nearly twenty types of herbal spiritual liquids slowly merged under the wrap of the flames. During this fusion, Li Lin felt his spiritual power depleting at a terrifying rate. This blending required a precise control, a sensation Li Lin couldn''t fully describe at the moment. It seemed to be a power transformed from spiritual energy, which his own Qi could also transform into, though not as massively as spiritual power. Li Lin guessed that this sensing power might be his soul power, which seemed especially crucial in the fusion of the spiritual liquids. Time passed again, and the medicinal fragrance within the Fire Dragon Cauldron became increasingly intense, while Li Lin''s complexion grew paler, and beads of sweat the size of beans streamed down his forehead. "Damn, this consumption is terrifying." Li Lin frowned, the expenditure of refining a second-grade medicinal pill was even more daunting than he had imagined, and he was beginning to feel overwhelmed. If he didn''t persevere now, the effort put into refining the Yuan Enhancing Pill would be wasted, something Li Lin was loath to see. Gritting his teeth, he formed the hand seals and directed the surge of spiritual power from his mind. Chapter 38 Post-New Year Competition Inside the Fire Dragon Cauldron, the flames did not intensify but became much more solidified, and at this moment, the cauldron started to buzz. "Ding." The lid of the Fire Dragon Cauldron opened, and a round, green pill appeared before Li Lin, immediately filling the entire secret chamber with a rich medicinal fragrance. "Go!" With another change of hand seals, Li Lin concentrated spiritual power into two flames that burst forth, enveloping the green pill, while another flame surged from within the cauldron to wrap around the pill. As these three flames enveloped it, the green pill began to tremble within the flames. Li Lin''s face turned increasingly pale, the consumption was life-threatening, but now was not the time to rest. Any mistake would lead to failure. "Condense for me." Li Lin commanded softly, perfectly controlling everything under the wrap of the three flames with his soul power, suppressing all the medicinal fragrance into the pill. The green pill, under the wrap of the three flames, became even more volatile, and cracks began to appear on its surface as if it was about to split. "Damn it." Li Lin''s heart sank, failure was not an option. "Let''s go all out." Gritting his teeth, Li Lin released all the spiritual power in his mind in a surge, along with his soul power. Under the frenzied control of soul power, the temperature of the three flames began to rise rapidly. Finally, under Li Lin''s relieved gaze, the green pill was completely enveloped. The surface cracks on the green pill slowly merged and disappeared, and the flames atop the Fire Dragon Cauldron danced wildly, while Li Lin, unaware, did not know that in a certain room, old servant Uncle Jiang was sitting cross-legged, worried, but now opened his eyes with a trace of surprise and mostly joy. "This kid, his innate talent is exceptional indeed. I didn''t expect that after cultivating both spirit and martial arts, his soul power would increase so significantly. Being able to refine a second-grade pill on his own so quickly, there are probably not many with such talent on the entire Spirit Martial Continent," Uncle Jiang chuckled, then resumed his elderly demeanor. In the secret chamber, with a change of hand seals, the green pill began to rotate within the three flames, emitting a faint glow. "Form." With another change of hand seals by Li Lin, spiritual power surrounded the area, creating ripples in the invisible space. At this moment, the three flames suppressed and converged, then infused the faint glow into the green pill. "Chirp..." A green pill with a pale yellow glow fell into Li Lin''s hands, and he collapsed in the secret chamber, gasping for air, his chest heaving. "Success, Yuan Enhancing Pill." Lying on the ground, looking at the green and red pill in his hand, Li Lin smiled. A second-grade Yuan Enhancing Pill, a common second-grade pill, was priced at nearly two hundred gold coins, several times more expensive than first-grade pills. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. "One more to go, continue." Li Lin got up, put away the Yuan Enhancing Pill, then sat down cross-legged to recuperate. This near-exhaustive consumption made Li Lin feel his spiritual energy not only increased but also became more solid. Several hours later, Li Lin opened his eyes, which appeared even darker and clearer than before. "Continue refining." Li Lin gave a wry smile, knowing he had to push himself to the limit to enhance his strength and repay his debts. Chapter 38 Post-New Year Competition In Qingyun Town, the New Year''s festivities were upon them. Every household hung lanterns high, and decorations were everywhere, presenting a joyous scene. The Li family''s residence was no exception; every courtyard was cleaned spotlessly, and many red lanterns were hung, creating a festive atmosphere. Besides the celebration of the New Year and welcoming the new, there was another happy occasion within the Li family. After the ancestral worship of the New Year, the younger generation of the clan would participate in a competition. The two strongest individuals would then represent the Li family in the triennial competition held among the major families of Qingyun Town. The top five winners would have the opportunity to enter the Yunyang Sect and become its disciples. The Yunyang Sect only recruited new disciples every three years, coincidentally right after the New Year, making it an eagerly anticipated event for many. Becoming a direct disciple of the Yunyang Sect was a dream for everyone. The status of Yunyang Sect''s direct disciples was much higher than that of ordinary disciples. If a direct disciple were in Qingyun Town, even the head of a major family would treat them with great respect. As the New Year approached, young members of both the direct and collateral branches of the Li family hurried back, including the older generations, for two reasons: to participate in the ancestral worship and to witness the competition to see who would represent the Li family. With the return of members from the collateral branches, the servants of the Li family were extremely busy. Li Xiaobai, now promoted to head steward, found his job much easier and became the envy of the other servants. Many maids in the front courtyard flirted with him, making him itch with desire. However, he dared not act rashly. Having become a martial artist, Li Xiaobai''s standards had risen, and he suddenly found the previously appealing Xiao Cui no longer as attractive. Inside the secret chamber, Li Lin was surrounded by a layer of light, his hand seals constantly changing, and his breathing became more steady. At this moment, the space in the secret chamber, illuminated by the surrounding glow, seemed as if a stone had disturbed the calm surface of a lake, quietly rippling. A visible stream of energy flowed from the glow, transforming into thousands of energy strands that surged towards Li Lin. These thousands of energy strands wrapped around Li Lin, presenting an indescribably mystical sight. Inside Li Lin, this energy was refined by the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art into Qi and spiritual power, entering his Dantian Qi Sea and mind, respectively. However, the energy transformed into Qi was much more abundant than the spiritual energy, only slightly enhancing his spiritual power. As these energies flowed through Li Lin''s meridians, they expanded rapidly. Li Lin even felt minor cracks forming on his meridians, through which light seeped out, enduring the pain with gritted teeth. Uncle Jiang had already explained to Li Lin that consuming and refining pills would enhance energy. The stronger the pill, the more intense the energy, potentially leading to meridian rupture and death if the meridians couldn''t withstand it. Therefore, even if Li Lin had access to fifth or sixth-grade pills, he dared not consume them, as it would be risking his life. Besides, fifth or sixth-grade pills were treasures on the Spirit Martial Continent, and he lacked the strength to refine them himself. At some point, Li Lin''s skin connected with the millions of energy strands through countless pores, voraciously absorbing the energy. The aura around him gradually strengthened in an imperceptible manner. Chapter 39: The Li Family Ancestral Hall "Sigh" Such a state continued until the next morning. Li Lin took a long breath, exhaling turbid air, as the glow around him had already disappeared. "The Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique is truly powerful. Just one Yuan-Enhancing Pill has already brought me to the level of a Triple-Layer Warrior." Li Lin opened his eyes, full of joy. If this continues, as long as I have enough gold coins to buy medicinal materials, I can keep breaking through. After refining the second Yuan-Enhancing Pill, Li Lin immediately consumed one to assimilate it. Now holding another Yuan-Enhancing Pill in his hand, Li Lin dared not assimilate it immediately. Assimilating one required some time, otherwise, taking another would significantly reduce the effect, which would be a waste. With another Yuan-Enhancing Pill, I could sell it, then exchange it for more medicinal materials to continue refining. Li Lin estimated that continuing this way, he could pay off his debts within three months. "Today seems to be New Year''s Day." Li Lin counted the days; he had stayed in the secret room for a total of seven days, and today was the New Year''s Day in this world. This world''s customs are quite similar to those of my previous life. Li Lin couldn''t help but think of his past life. However, he had no attachments in his previous life, so New Year''s Day didn''t hold much significance for him; it was just another day. "Mother must be worried." Li Lin thought to himself. After tidying up, he stored the Fire Dragon Cauldron in his storage ring and then left the secret room. "This child, what could have happened to him, why hasn''t he returned?" In the courtyard, Madam Luo Lan was filled with worry. It had been seven days, and Li Lin had not returned. "Auntie, Lin''er won''t have any problems. He must have been delayed by something," Li Wushuang said, though her own heart was filled with concern. "The young master is back." Li Xiaobai, looking out of the courtyard, said, seeing Li Lin slowly approaching from afar. "You child, why have you only returned now? Today is the first day of the New Year." Seeing Li Lin, Madam Luo Lan''s brows, which had been tightly furrowed, relaxed, though she couldn''t help but chide him a bit. "I was delayed for a while, so I came back late." Li Lin, seeing the expression on his mother''s face, felt a sudden warmth in his heart. This was the feeling of home. "Lin''er, let''s eat. Auntie has been waiting for you. After eating, your father asked me to take you to the ancestral hall," Li Wushuang told Li Lin. "To the ancestral hall? For what?" Li Lin asked. "To pay homage to our ancestors. Later, all members of the Li family will go to pay homage," Li Wushuang said. "Pay homage to ancestors? I don''t think I''ve ever been there. I won''t go," Li Lin suddenly said, then chuckled lightly. In his memory, he had never entered the ancestral hall from childhood to adulthood. Now being asked to go, he had no interest. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Lin''er, you must go," Madam Luo Lan immediately said. "Mother, if they ask me to go, I will go. What does that mean? I won''t go. The Li family doesn''t mean much to me," Li Lin said. "Lin''er, how can you say that? After all, you carry the blood of the Li family. You grew up in the Li family. Be obedient, you can enter the ancestral hall. This has always been your mother''s wish," Madam Luo Lan said. "Mother, will you go then?" Li Lin asked. "Auntie won''t go. Lin''er, there are some things you should understand, that need to be approached slowly," Li Wushuang said softly. "Then I''m even less likely to go," Li Lin said, his eyes showing a hint of coldness. It seems the Li family has decided to let me into the ancestral hall now that I''ve become a martial artist. But I really don''t care for it. "Lin''er, do you want your mother to beg you to go? You must go," Madam Luo Lan said, her expression showing slight anger and a pleading look in her eyes directed at Li Lin. "Mother..." Li Lin''s heart trembled. In his mother''s heart, she had always hoped that he could enter the Li family''s ancestral hall, hoping that one day he would acknowledge his ancestry and return to his roots. However, he really didn''t have much affection for the Li family. "Alright, Mother, I''ll go," Li Lin said, unable to refuse upon seeing his mother''s expression. "That''s good. Let''s eat first. After eating, we''ll go to the ancestral hall," Madam Luo Lan, seeing Li Lin agree, was immediately overjoyed, her face beaming with happiness. Everyone sat down, and the table was filled with a large array of delicious food, incredibly lavish. At least in Li Lin''s memory, this was the first time he had such a feast. During the meal, it was evident that Madam Luo Lan was in a great mood, constantly serving dishes to Li Lin and Li Wushuang, with Li Xiaobai also sitting at the table. "Lin''er, after paying homage to the ancestors, there will be a competition among the younger generation in the clan. Do you want to try?" Li Wushuang said, taking Li Lin to the Li family''s ancestral hall after dinner. "No need," Li Lin said, having no interest in the clan''s competition. "I know you have some reservations about the Li family, but what I want to say is, if you have the chance to enter Yunyang Sect, it will not be so easy for someone to deal with you then; they will have to think twice," Li Wushuang said. "Wushuang sister, I remember you said you were in Yunyang Sect, right?" Li Lin said. "Didn''t I tell you last time? After the New Year, I will return to Yunyang Sect. This time is also the once every three years Yunyang Sect recruits disciples. If you can represent the Li family in the competition, you might have the chance to enter Yunyang Sect, and then you could also go to Yunyang Sect with me," Li Wushuang said. "What is Yunyang Sect like?" Li Lin asked, having heard of Yunyang Sect but not knowing much about it. "Yunyang Sect is one of the top three sects and four schools in the entire Central Plains. The strong within the sect reach the clouds. Entering Yunyang Sect, you can also receive the best training and learning. Everyone dreams of joining Yunyang Sect," Li Wushuang said. "Then it must be very difficult to get into Yunyang Sect, right?" Li Lin asked. "Of course, Yunyang Sect won''t accept those with mediocre talent. Take Qingyun Town as an example; the entire town only has five spots. Each time, our Li family, along with the Wang, Yang, Qin, and Luo families, these five major families compete for them. Additionally, some other families with slightly weaker strength also participate. Each family can only select two people, and in the end, these five spots are chosen from thirty to forty people," Li Wushuang replied, then looked at Li Lin with a slight smile, adding, "Of course, if you are a spiritual practitioner, you can directly enter Yunyang Sect and become a direct disciple." "It seems being a spiritual practitioner is different," Li Lin said with a slight smile. "Lin''er, have you decided to give it a try?" Li Wushuang asked. "I''m not interested. I want to stay with Mother and don''t want to go to Yunyang Sect," Li Lin replied, curious about Yunyang Sect, where one could receive the best training and nurturing, indeed tempting to everyone. But practicing the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique, it would be inconvenient to stay in Yunyang Sect for training. It''s better to be free. Going to Yunyang Sect would naturally involve some restrictions. "Kid, going to Yunyang Sect could be good for you. There''s something valuable in Yunyang Sect that could be of use to you," just then, a familiar voice entered Li Lin''s ears. Chapter 40: Preparing for Ancestral Worship "What are you looking at?" Li Wushuang asked Li Lin with curiosity. "Nothing." Li Lin said, "Wushuang sister, what''s the competition in the clan today like?" "Have you changed your mind?" Li Wushuang smiled slightly, then explained, "Today, the family will first conduct a test. Those who have reached the warrior level and above can participate in the competition. The final two will represent the Li family in competing against the major families in Qingyun Town, while some of the other younger generations with better talents will remain in the clan for training." "Oh." Li Lin responded lightly. By now, the two had arrived at a spacious courtyard. Along the way, servants who saw Li Lin all nodded their heads, their gaze and demeanor completely different from before. "We''re here," Li Wushuang said to Li Lin. "The Li Family Ancestral Hall." Li Lin observed the four green characters outside the courtyard, the script strong and vigorous, not like something an ordinary person would write, arousing his curiosity. "Miss Wushuang," two servants outside the courtyard respectfully greeted, then looked curiously at Li Lin. "Lin''er, let''s go in," Li Wushuang said to Li Lin. Following Li Wushuang, Li Lin entered the ancestral hall, which was preceded by a wide courtyard. Already, there were over a hundred people gathered in the courtyard, all of whom Li Lin could recognize at a glance as direct and collateral descendants of the Li family, all from the younger generation. Li Lin also immediately noticed Li Shaohu, Zhou Haiming, and others, surrounded by a crowd, but he paid them no heed. Seeing Li Wushuang and Li Lin, almost everyone''s expression changed. The Li family disciples present were very familiar with Li Lin, whose identity had always been a joke within the Li family. "Why is he here?" "Isn''t he not part of the Li family? Wasn''t he not allowed to enter the ancestral hall?" "I heard Li Lin has become a martial artist and even has the strength of a warrior level. Probably that''s why he can enter the ancestral hall now. The family head might want to acknowledge his ancestry." "Warrior strength, not bad talent. Back then, Miss Wushuang, at the age of sixteen, was only at warrior strength, and now she''s a disciple of Yunyang Sect." "What do you know? This time, Li Shaohu and Zhou Haiming are said to be at the warrior level, and Li Mei and Li Shaoxiong are almost at the warrior level." "Being a direct descendant is better, we collateral members are at a disadvantage from the start." Some people had already started whispering among themselves, almost everyone in the Li family knew about Li Lin recently becoming a martial artist. "This ancestral hall is not for those who are not from the Li family. Should any cat or dog be allowed to enter?" A mocking voice came, spoken by Li Shaohu. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Li Lin''s expression darkened slightly, knowing that Li Shaohu was referring to him. Like mother, like son, Li Lin thought, remembering how Li Shaohu used to bully the original Li Lin. "Li Lin, I''m talking about you. What are you doing in the ancestral hall?" Zhou Haiming mocked. Last time in the back garden, Li Lin had stolen his thunder, and he had been holding a grudge ever since. "What are you doing here, then? When did the Zhou family become the Li family?" Li Lin replied lightly. If not for his mother asking him to come, he really wouldn''t have wanted to come to the Li family ancestral hall. As for Zhou Haiming, Li Lin knew from his memories that he wasn''t much better. There was no need to show any courtesy to him, not to his second aunt and uncle either. "You" Zhou Haiming was immediately angered, then coldly said, "I can''t be bothered to stoop to your level, you little bastard." "Zhou Haiming, that''s enough. Lin''er is here because my father allowed it. What right do you have to criticize?" Li Wushuang scolded sharply. Zhou Haiming, furious, dared not say much in front of Li Wushuang and gave Li Lin a harsh look. "Wushuang sister, even Uncle doesn''t have the right to let him come, right? He''s not a member of the Li family," Li Shaohu said, glancing at Li Lin. "Li Shaohu, this is grandfather''s wish. If you have an issue, take it up with grandfather," Li Wushuang said. Hearing Li Wushuang''s words, Li Shaohu''s expression changed slightly, and he said no more. The elder patriarch of the Li family was not someone anyone dared to challenge, being the highest authority in the family. "Wushuang sister, why did you only come now?" Li Mei, dressed in fine clothes, approached Li Wushuang. Despite her young age, she already possessed a charming aura, her graceful figure drawing enticing curves, her budding chest emitting a pure and tender vibe. Li Mei''s gaze also fell on Li Lin, her usual disdainful look replaced with a hint of something else. Li Lin glanced at Li Mei, discerning her to be a woman with considerable schemes. At such a young age, she was already so calculating; it was best to keep his distance. "Yes, arriving now is not too late," Li Wushuang replied. "Look, the eldest uncle and the fourth uncle have arrived," someone in the crowd whispered. A gentle commotion spread through the crowd as several figures entered the courtyard. Leading them was Li Dong, the eldest of the Li family, wearing a long robe, radiating an imposing aura that Li Lin recognized. Beside Li Dong was a woman in plain clothes, his wife, Mrs. Huang, also Li Wushuang''s foster mother, her demeanor elegant and dignified. To Li Dong''s left stood a middle-aged man in blue attire, bearing a resemblance to Li Dong with a robust physique and sharp gaze. Li Lin was familiar with him as well; this was his fourth uncle, Li Xi, with his aunt, Mrs. Chen, beside him. The last in the group, a middle-aged woman in a brocade robe exuding affluence, her hair done up and face painted with makeup, was Li Lin''s second aunt, Li Nan, Li Dong''s sister. Including an adopted son, the Li family consisted of five main members: Li Dong, Li Nan, Li Zhong, Li Xi, and Li Bei. Li Lin''s father was the third brother, Li Zhong. Next to Li Nan was her husband, Zhou Lixing, looking over the gathered individuals. Li Lin noticed a change in his expression upon seeing Zhao Hui among them, dressed lavishly, her demeanor arrogant, also glaring at Li Lin. Li Lin pondered that Zhao Hui probably wouldn''t have allowed him into the ancestral hall, but she didn''t say anything now, likely because his uncle or so-called grandfather had spoken, leaving no room for her objection. Li Lin did not see his so-called father or his fourth uncle and Li Mei''s father, Li Bei, among them. Besides these individuals, Li Lin recognized several other elders, who held significant positions within the Li family and were involved in making major decisions. Upon Li Dong and the others'' arrival, everyone else kept quiet, standing in place respectfully. "Let''s all go in," Li Dong glanced over those present, his gaze pausing on Li Lin, before addressing everyone. The crowd followed Li Dong and others into the ancestral hall, with Li Lin entering last. The ancestral hall was even larger than Li Lin had imagined, spacious enough to accommodate everyone. In the center of the hall were rows of spirit tablets bearing the names of the Li family''s ancestors. Li Lin briefly surveyed the hall, finding little interest. Inside, there were hundreds of cushions, with direct descendants positioned at the front and collateral members at the back. Chapter 41: Detection Li Lin was the last one to enter, also taking his place in the farthest corner, watching the others ahead of him, including Li Wushuang and Li Mei, who had made their way to the very front. At this moment, the expressions of the Li family members turned solemn as they gazed at the ancestral spirit tablets in front of them, daring not to even breathe too loudly, while Li Dong, Li Nan, and others had also moved to the forefront. Once everyone was properly positioned, Li Dong stepped forward, his gaze carrying an authoritative weight. He quickly swept his eyes across the room, and in an instant, the disciples of the Li family fell silent. After a brief silence, Li Dong''s voice slowly rose, "Since our ancestor settled in Qingyun Town, generation after generation of our Li family has remained here..." Li Dong''s deep and resonant voice spread slowly. It wasn''t loud, but every member of the Li family listened intently as he recounted the deeds of some ancestors. Li Lin listened without much reaction; it was just part of the ancestral worship ceremony. However, he was somewhat surprised to hear that among their ancestors, there was a Martial King, a rare existence on the continent. It was unexpected that among their forebears, there was such a distinguished figure. Hearing this, the young members of the Li family became excited and emotionally stirred, proud of their ancestral heritage and their glorious deeds. However, Li Lin felt differently. While there were heroic deeds among his ancestors over many generations, as a person who had traveled through time, he didn''t feel much connection to them. "Now, let us pay homage to our ancestors, wishing for the eternal prosperity of our Li family!..." With Li Dong''s final words, his voice grew louder. "Pay homage!" Li Dong looked around, his eyes full of dignity, without a flicker of emotion, and then knelt down first. Everyone behind him, including Zhao Hui, Zhou Lixing, and Zhou Haiming, also solemnly knelt down. Following their lead, the descendants of the Li family began their three bows and nine kowtows. As for Li Lin, being the last one, he simply knelt and performed a single bow, feeling this act was more a tribute on behalf of the original Li Lin than for himself. "Alright, stand up." After the three bows and nine kowtows, Li Dong stood up and addressed the descendants. Everyone got up, their expressions filled with anticipation for what was to come next, the event the younger generation of the Li family had been eagerly awaiting. "Now, let''s head to the martial arts field for the test," Li Dong announced, looking over the group. "Let''s go for the test." The young members of the Li family burst into excitement; the internal competition of the Li clan was finally starting, the very event they had been truly looking forward to. Li Lin, without showing any emotion but contemplating inside, remembered Uncle Jiang''s instruction to join the Yunyang Sect, knowing he had to participate in the clan''s competition to enter the sect. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. "Lin''er, you should also participate in the clan''s test," Li Dong''s voice reached Li Lin''s ears at that moment. "Lin''er, let me take you there," a gentle voice said, surprising Li Lin as it was Li Mei who approached him. Li Mei smiled softly at Li Lin, a rich fragrance enveloping him, making Li Lin wonder why Li Mei was showing him kindness. "Lin''er, let''s go," Li Wushuang joined them at Li Lin''s side. "Okay." Li Lin did not refuse, knowing that if Uncle Jiang had instructed him, he needed to find a way into the Yunyang Sect, curious about what treasures it held that even Uncle Jiang valued. "Big brother, how can Li Lin participate in the test?" After Li Lin, Li Wushuang, and other younger members left, Zhao Hui, with an unpleasant look on her face, directly questioned Li Dong in the ancestral hall. "Third sister, this was father''s order. If you have any doubts, you should ask him," Li Dong replied. "I''ve already pushed it to the limit by letting that kid come to the ancestral hall. Is the Li family intentionally making things difficult for me, bullying me because my maternal family has no one? Do you remember what the Li family promised me initially?" Zhao Hui said. "Third sister, what are you talking about? The Li family promised never to recognize Lin''er as a member again, but you also promised not to make things difficult for him and his mother. Have you kept your word over these years? You know in your heart. Let''s leave it at that and see how their test goes. Shaohu''s talent is not bad either; he has a good chance of getting into Yunyang Sect. Let''s not say anything more," Li Dong said before leaving the ancestral hall. "Sister-in-law, don''t think too much about it. At least, it won''t be easy for that kid to truly recognize his ancestors and return to the clan," Li Nan comforted Zhao Hui. "I think the Li family intends to let that kid recognize his ancestors and return to the clan. I firmly disagree," Zhao Hui huffed and left the ancestral hall in a huff. Li Nan and Zhou Lixing exchanged glances before they also left for the martial arts field. The Li family''s martial arts field was not small, usually a forbidden area for the family, accessible only to clan disciples who had received approval. Unapproved clan members and servants were strictly forbidden from entering. However, the martial arts field was already set up with a high platform, gathering many Li family members and servants around. Today, the servants were also allowed to enter the field, and since it was the New Year, the Li family had given all servants a day off and generous red envelopes, making them all very happy. The crowd gathered outside the martial arts field was eager to see the Li family''s annual competition and testing, especially since the two winners could represent the Li family in the Yunyang Sect''s trials. Being accepted into Yunyang Sect was something everyone envied. Li Lin, along with Li Wushuang and Li Mei, arrived at the martial arts field, his first time visiting. Even the previous Li Lin had never been here. Along the way, Li Mei showed kindness towards Li Lin, who responded with a faint smile, wondering what this young woman was thinking. By the time Li Lin and the others arrived at the field, the young members of the Li family were already there, eager for the opportunity. Even if they couldn''t represent the Li family in battles against other major families in Qingyun Town, shining in this competition could still earn them the family''s support, greatly benefiting their future prospects. Li Lin looked around; there were four to five hundred people, including Li family servants and clan members, as well as those gathered outside the field. From afar, Li Lin saw Li Xiaobai and his mother also in attendance, with Li Xiaobai waving non-stop. "Line up, ready for the test. You lads, whether you''re dragons or worms, this test will show. Give it your all. Like before, those who reach the Warrior level will receive a second-grade Dan medicine as a reward, and the final two winners will each get two thousand gold coins," announced Li Dong, Li Xi, Li Nan, Zhao Hui, and a few other elders of the Li family from the high platform. "Two thousand gold coins, second-grade Dan medicine, it''s a pity I''m not a warrior," many young members of the Li family sighed, knowing that among the hundred or so of their generation, only a few had reached the Warrior level. However, some, like Zhou Haiming and Li Shaohu, started to smile confidently. "Brother Lin''er, you''re already a warrior, right? Do your best; I''m rooting for you," Li Mei said to Li Lin with a charming smile. Chapter 42: Exceptional Talent Li Lin nodded slightly, noticing Li Mei flirting intentionally. At such a young age, she was already irresistibly charming, making one wonder how many more she would captivate in a few years. At this moment, Li Wushuang looked somewhat puzzled. Everyone in the Li family was saying that Li Lin was at the level of a warrior, but as far as she knew, Li Lin was actually a spirit user. "Those who are here for the test, come this way." A voice came from ahead, and many Li family disciples who were prepared for the test had already gathered around. "Brother Lin''er, let''s go over. I need to take the test too," Li Mei said to Li Lin. "Lin''er, you go ahead. I don''t need to take the test," Li Wushuang told Li Lin. Following Li Mei, Li Lin moved behind a group of Li family disciples. Through the gaps in the crowd, he saw some Li family disciples already undergoing the test. An elder of the Li family, wearing a gray robe, took out a palm-sized green crystal ball. A Li family disciple was concentrating with his eyes closed, pressing his right hands five fingers on the green crystal ball. As the Li family disciple channeled his energy, a red light immediately appeared on the crystal ball. "Li Tao, Fire Element Triple-Level Martial Apprentice, average talent, next," the Li family elder announced loudly as the next Li family disciple stepped forward to take the test. Li Lin watched the disciple who had just been tested. The youth was about sixteen or seventeen years old, a Triple-Level Martial Apprentice, seemingly with average talent. The young man''s face seemed a bit disappointed. Then, the second Li family disciple stepped forward, pressing his right hand''s five fingers on the crystal ball, and immediately, a yellow light appeared on the ball. "Li Qing, Earth Element Five-Level Martial Apprentice, medium talent, next," the elder said again. Another Li family disciple stepped forward for the test, obviously stronger than the previous one. "Li Ming, Water Element Four-Level Martial Apprentice, medium talent, next." "Li Lu, Fire Element Eight-Level Martial Apprentice, superior talent, next." "Li Bai, Earth Element Six-Level Martial Apprentice, above average talent, next." "Li Yun, Water Element Two-Level Warrior, exceptional talent, next." The elder paused before saying this, as a beautiful and pure girl about seventeen or eighteen years old, dressed in a blue long skirt, caught the attention of all the Li family members. Breaking through to the level of a warrior with such talent was indeed exceptional. ... One after another, the Li family disciples underwent the test. Among the collateral branches of the Li family, there were also one or two individuals with superior talent, surprising and delighting the Li family members. Those of the younger generation with superior talent represented the future of the Li family. Li Lin watched the testing process and realized that talent was not merely assessed based on strength or cultivation level alone but also considered in conjunction with age. The talent of a six-year-old Six-Level Martial Apprentice and that of a twenty-year-old Six-Level Martial Apprentice was entirely different. The younger the age, the higher the talent was considered. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. About half an hour later, the testing was almost complete. What remained were a few direct descendants of the Li family, including Zhou Haiming, Li Shaohu, Li Shaoxiong, Li Mei, and of course, Li Lin. The testing of the direct descendants of the Li family always attracted everyone''s attention since, in terms of cultivation, direct descendants usually had many advantages from a young age. On the high platform, Li Dong, Li Xi, and others now looked serious. They were already clear about the strength levels of the few direct descendants of the Li family, which were considerably stronger than those of the collateral branches. Of course, Li Yun from the collateral branches had surprised them, but more than anything, they were pleased; after all, this was also a talent of the Li family. "Fourth brother, Shaoxiong''s talent is not bad, right?" Li Dong turned to ask Li Xi, who had a sturdy frame. "It''s indeed good, but he has not yet broken through to the warrior level; he''s just a bit short." Li Xi sighed slightly, yet a smile appeared on his face. Although his son, Li Shaoxiong, had not broken through to the warrior level, he was less than fifteen years old and had reached the ninth level of martial disciple. This talent was absolutely exceptional. Among the Li family, his talent was second to none, even compared to Li Wushuang from the past. "Shaoxiong is just under fifteen years old. Three years later, when the Yunyang Sect recruits again, Shaoxiong will definitely have no problem. This talent is no less than Wushuang''s. With proper cultivation, our Li family''s younger generation is now stronger than other families." Li Dong laughed. A family, aside from relying on the strong within, must also rely on a continuous stream of fresh blood. That is the foundation of a family. "Big brother, who do you think will eventually represent the Li family to compete with the Wang and Yang families this time?" Li Xi said. "It''s hard to say now. Shao Hu has already reached the warrior level, as has Hai Ming. It should have been these two, but now, Li Yun has given us a surprise. Together with Lin''er, it can be said that our Li family''s younger generation is full of talented individuals." Li Dong laughed. "Big brother, Li Lin isn''t really considered a member of the Li family, right?" Zhao Hui said with a slightly stern expression. "Lin''er, after all, carries the blood of our Li family. It''s said that someone reached the warrior level without realizing it. Such talent is also rare. Third sister-in-law should not be too concerned about this for the sake of the Li family." Li Xi spoke indifferently, seeming somewhat displeased with Zhao Hui, speaking bluntly without beating around the bush. "Let''s discuss this matter later. Look, Shaoxiong is starting his test." Li Dong said with a slight smile, as everyone''s gaze turned to the arena. In the arena, Li Lin saw Li Shaoxiong in fine clothes, exuding a bit of heroic spirit, placing his right hand on a crystal ball. After a moment, a blue light appeared on the crystal ball. "Li Shaoxiong, ninth level water system martial disciple, with exceptional talent." The Li family elders became somewhat excited. If he broke through to the warrior level before fifteen, that would be even more remarkable, representing a promising future in some respects. As the test results were announced, many of the Li family''s young ladies and maids fixed their gaze on Li Shaoxiong, looking enamored. "This talent is really good. Three years later, he''s definitely going to the Yunyang Sect." Li Dong was overjoyed, as this was his nephew and the future of the Li family. Li Xi and Chen both smiled, truly appreciating this talent. "Next." An elder of the Li family said lightly, and then Zhou Haiming stepped forward confidently, with a bit of arrogance on his face. "Second sister, brother-in-law, how far has Haiming''s strength progressed?" Li Xi asked from the high platform. "I haven''t asked him recently, so I''m not quite sure." Li Nan smiled slightly, also confident in her son. "Haiming is nineteen this year, right? I heard he has already broken through to the warrior level." Li Xi said lightly. "Yes, three years ago Haiming was not at the Li family, otherwise, he would have gone to the Yunyang Sect with Wushuang last time." Zhou Lixing laughed. At that moment, Zhou Haiming placed his right hand on the crystal ball, a slight smile appearing on his face as he infused his qi, and soon light began to emerge from the crystal ball. Li Lin watched curiously, sensing Zhou Haiming''s aura and knew among those present, Zhou Haiming''s strength was probably the strongest. A dazzling earthy yellow light released from the crystal ball, shining brighter than all others. To this crystal ball, Li Lin was puzzled. "Zhou Haiming, seventh level earth system warrior, with exceptional talent." The Li family elder announced loudly. It was already impressive to detect one with exceptional talent in previous years, but this year, detecting so many was enough to excite him. Chapter 43: An Astonishing Achievement "Seventh level as a warrior, that''s really impressive," Li Dong couldn''t help but sigh. "If he could have entered the Yunyang Sect from the beginning, his cultivation level by now might have already broken through to martial master." "Congratulations to the second sister. It seems this time, Haiming entering the Yunyang Sect won''t be difficult," Li Xi said. "It''s still hard to say, who knows if there are any strong contenders from other families this time," Li Nan smiled, her concern was whether other families had produced any geniuses. As for the people within the Li family, she no longer paid them much mind, believing that achieving around the fourth level as a warrior would be sufficient to enter the Yunyang Sect, as it had been in previous years. As the test results were announced, many young ladies within the Li family cast their interested glances once more. Zhou Haiming smiled proudly, knowing that among the younger generation within the Li family, no one was stronger than him. His entry into the Yunyang Sect was assured, and once there, a bright future awaited him. "Next," the elder in the grey robe continued. At this moment, Li Shaohu, dressed in splendid brocade robes and carrying an air of arrogance, stepped forward, a hint of a smile crossing his eyes as if he had something to rely on. Zhao Hui, in the stands, also let a smile cross her face. "Begin," said the elder in the grey robe. Li Shaohu placed his right hand on the crystal ball, his smile fading as he began to channel his Qi, immediately causing invisible winds to swirl around the space. "Earth attribute, and also wood attribute," Li Lin, a practitioner of all attributes, sensitively detected the presence of both elements in the surrounding space. "Could it be a dual attribute warrior?" The thought flashed through Li Lin''s mind. A dazzling light appeared on the crystal ball, half green and half earthy yellow, competing in brilliance. This sight caused Li Dong, Li Nan, Li Xi, and the elders to be astonished. "Li Shaohu, earth and wood dual attributes, third level warrior, exceptional talent," the elder in the grey robe gasped in surprise. Dual attribute warriors were rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns on the Lingwu Continent, especially since Li Shaohu was not yet sixteen and had already reached the third level as a warrior. His talent was extraordinary, even better than Li Shaoxiong''s, marking him as a genius of the highest order, destined for a bright future. "My god, a dual attribute warrior." The people of the Li family were equally astonished, knowing well what it meant for them as a martial family. "Third sister, you''ve kept this from us for so long. Shaohu is actually a dual attribute warrior; why didn''t you tell us sooner?" Li Dong was stunned, as dual attribute warriors had never appeared in the Li family before. "Yes, third sister-in-law, how could you not tell us that Shaohu is a dual attribute warrior?" Li Xi was also astonished. "It''s nothing much; now everyone knows, right?" Zhao Hui smiled lightly, her gaze drifting towards Li Lin for a moment. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Our Li family has truly produced a genius this time. If father knew, he would be overjoyed," Li Nan said. "A dual attribute warrior, indeed." Li Lin was slightly surprised but not shocked, as he himself was a practitioner of all attributes, which seemed not so surprising in comparison. "Next," the elder in the blue robe, having recovered from his astonishment, continued. Li Mei stepped forward with a dignified expression, her graceful figure accentuating her curves as she moved, attracting the heated gazes of many young men. However, in the Li family, it was well-known that Li Mei had high standards, and few could get close to her. Li Lin glanced at her, judging that Li Mei was probably still at the martial disciple level, talented but not as much as Li Shaoxiong and Li Shaohu. Li Mei placed her delicate hand on the crystal ball, and shortly after, a blue light appeared. "Li Mei, water attribute, eighth level martial disciple, extremely talented," announced the elder in the blue robe. "Li Mei is also quite talented," praised Li Dong and others from the stands, acknowledging her talent among the recently tested disciples, ranking her within the top five. At this moment, Li Mei seemed dissatisfied with herself, her expression somewhat somber, mainly because Li Shaohu and Zhou Haiming had overshadowed her. "The last one, Li Lin, come on up," said the elder in the blue robe of the Li family, glancing at Li Lin with a hint of puzzlement. As for Li Lin, he was well-known within the entire Li family. Li Lin stepped forward without much hesitation. "Hmph..." Zhao Hui snorted coldly from the stands, showing no other reaction. "Lin''er being able to cultivate to a warrior on his own should indicate his talent is not bad," Li Xi said. "Without guidance, how strong can he really get?" Li Nan commented lightly. "Xiao Bai, what do you think about Lin''er''s talent?" On the outskirts, Luo Lan was getting nervous among the crowd. Her son was participating in the ancestral ceremony and now the clan''s assessment and competition. She was already very happy, but now she was also anxious about her son''s talent. "Madam, please rest assured, the young master will definitely be fine," Li Xiao Bai said. He had become a warrior with the young master''s help, so the young master''s talent was naturally unquestionable. "Is that so?" Luo Lan clasped her hands tightly, still looking nervous. "Channel your Qi, clear your mind of everything, and activate the attributes within your body," the Li family elder softly instructed Li Lin. Lifting his right hand, Li Lin placed it on the crystal ball, calming his mind and slowly channeling his Qi, easily activating his attributes within. Instantly, green, red, yellow, white, and blue glows began to surround him, forming a small tornado around Li Lin as the center, causing the space to ripple. "What is this..." Seeing this scene, the faces of several Li family elders, including Li Dong and Li Xi, changed. "Kid, tone it down a bit. You''re a practitioner of all attributes, but now''s not the time to reveal that," Uncle Jiang''s voice once again reached Li Lin''s ears. "I had forgotten," Li Lin came back to his senses, not intending to show off but simply forgetting for a moment, and quickly tried to control his attributes. "What''s going on?" Li Lin was surprised to find that the crystal ball under his right hand seemed like a devouring machine, capable of absorbing his attribute power, making it difficult to retract his other attributes. "Take it back," Li Lin''s expression darkened, adeptly controlling his attributes, hurriedly retracting the attribute power. However, in his haste, he only managed to retract two of the attributes. The five glows surrounding him immediately dimmed by two, leaving three glows entwined, and on the crystal ball, three glows appeared, with the earthy yellow glow being the most dazzling, along with a white glow and a red glow. "My god..." the elder in the grey robe stepped back two steps, his eyes filled with shock as he stared at Li Lin, his chest heaving as if he was struggling to breathe. At this moment, Li Wushuang nearby was also surprised, seemingly understanding the significance of what the crystal ball represented. Li Lin withdrew his hand, having almost inadvertently released all his attributes. "Li Lin, earth, fire, and wind triple attribute warrior, third level warrior," the elder in the blue robe watched Li Lin, then turned his gaze to Li Dong and others in the stands, saying, "Talent, top-notch." "My god, a triple attribute warrior." "Triple attribute warriors are geniuses among geniuses, and Li Lin is actually a triple attribute warrior." Everyone went wild, looking at Li Lin in disbelief. At this moment, no one looked at Li Lin with doubt or disdain anymore. If a person with top-notch talent and a triple attribute warrior was considered worthless, then they themselves were nothing but trash. Chapter 44: Li Yun VS Li Shaohu "Madam, the young master is a triple attribute warrior, this is great, the young master is so powerful," Li Xiao Bai jumped up, even happier than if he himself were a triple attribute warrior. "A triple attribute warrior, this child," Luo Lan, having been in the Li family for so long, naturally knew what being a triple attribute warrior represented. At this moment, she was so excited that tears flowed. It seemed that all the grievances she had suffered before had disappeared, everything was worth it. Li Dong, Li Xi, and several elders in the stands had already stood up, their eyes filled with disbelief as they watched Li Lin. They had seen everything with their own eyes, and there could be no mistake. "A triple attribute warrior, the legendary triple attribute warrior, our Li family actually has a triple attribute warrior," Li Dong was amazed but broke into excited laughter. If a dual attribute warrior was considered a genius, then a triple attribute warrior was a genius among geniuses, far beyond what a dual attribute warrior could compare to. If other major families knew that the Li family had a triple attribute warrior, they would definitely do everything in their power to win him over. A triple attribute warrior, truly rarer than phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, only existed in legends. At this time, only Zhao Hui''s face looked extremely ugly. If Li Shaohu revealing himself as a dual attribute warrior had made her overjoyed, then the revelation of Li Lin as a triple attribute warrior had plunged her from heaven to hell. The onlookers were also in an uproar, seemingly having completely forgotten the sensation caused by Li Shaohu''s dual attribute revelation. The spotlight was now entirely on the triple attribute warrior, completely overshadowing the dual attribute warrior. Dual attribute warriors are geniuses, rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, but in front of a triple attribute warrior, they are nothing. "Luo Lan, no, Madam Luo, you''re really lucky, Lin''er is a triple attribute warrior." "Madam Luo, your hardships have finally turned to joy, you''ll enjoy blessings from now on." Among the onlookers, many gathered around Luo Lan, smiling flatteringly. "A triple attribute warrior, it''s nothing," Li Lin sighed lightly, watching everyone''s reactions. He had hurriedly retracted two attributes, but in reality, he was a practitioner of all attributes, making triple attributes not that significant. "Brother Lin''er, you''re so amazing, a triple attribute warrior," Li Mei approached Li Lin, who had been watching Li Shaohu until now, her eyes now fixed on Li Lin. Li Lin shivered, this girl was really something, like a generator. "A triple attribute warrior, capable of contending with that genius girl inside Yunyang Sect, but in terms of strength, Lin''er is still far behind," Li Wushuang looked at Li Lin, the fact he was a triple attribute warrior was completely beyond her expectations. "Everyone quiet down, those who have reached the warrior level, prepare for the competition now. Li Shaohu, Zhou Haiming, Li Yun, Li Lin, you four get ready, the rest step back," the elder in the grey robe said, watching the Li family disciples discussing quietly. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. All the Li family disciples, now looking at Li Lin with surprise, no longer dared to underestimate him. Hearing the elder in the grey robe''s words, they all slowly stepped back, leaving only Li Yun, Zhou Haiming, Li Shaohu, and Li Lin in the arena, the four whose strength had reached the warrior level. Li Lin felt the strength of the three, Li Shaohu with earth and wood dual attributes, a third level warrior; Zhou Haiming, a seventh level earth attribute warrior; Li Yun, a second level water attribute warrior. Among them, the strongest was undoubtedly Zhou Haiming, with Li Yun being slightly weaker. "You four draw lots; one-on-one battles, with the final two winners representing the Li family in competing for the Yunyang Sect spots against other major families in Qingyun Town. There are four numbers in the draw; number one will compete against number four, and numbers two and three will compete against each other, all based on luck," the elder in the grey robe said to the four, bringing over a wooden box containing the lots. After giving Li Lin a cold look, Li Shaohu didn''t hesitate to reach into the wooden box and pull out a lot, followed by Zhou Haiming and Li Yun. Li Lin had already made his calculations. Uncle Jiang wanted him to enter the Yunyang Sect, so he needed to be among the top two. However, if he were to face Zhou Haiming, it would be somewhat troublesome. Zhou Haiming was a seventh-level earth attribute warrior, while he was only at the third level, a difference of four levels, which was quite significant and difficult to deal with. If he were to face either Li Shaohu or Li Yun, there shouldn''t be much of a problem. Li Lin then took the last lot from the wooden box held by the elder in the grey robe, revealing it to be number three. "Now, numbers one and four, please step forward to begin your competition. The winner will represent the Li family in the Yunyang Sect''s spot competition, and also receive two thousand gold coins and a second-grade Dan medicine. The loser will also receive a second-grade Dan medicine. Remember, injuring life is not allowed during the competition; otherwise, qualification will be revoked and you''ll be confined to the Li family''s secret room for reflection," the elder in the grey robe said to the four. As soon as the elder finished speaking, Li Yun and Li Shaohu had already stepped onto a spacious stone platform, leaving Li Lin and Zhou Haiming. "Really bad luck, having to face Zhou Haiming," Li Lin thought to himself, with a slight change in expression. Of the three, Zhou Haiming was undoubtedly the most difficult to deal with. "The two of you can start now," the elder in the grey robe said as Li Shaohu and Li Yun stepped forward. "I won''t be holding back," Li Shaohu said lightly, his body surrounded by Qi, emitting a faint glow as if forming a protective light shield around him. "Come on, Young Master Shaohu," Li Yun said lightly, her Qi surging around her, forming a faint blue glow in front of her. Li Lin watched Li Yun, a side branch disciple of the Li family whom he had only seen once or twice when they were children. He hadn''t expected her to change so much over the years. Li Yun was dressed in a bright red silk dress with a low neckline, revealing the slight curve of her chest, her face as delicate as a lotus, eyebrows like willows, skin as white as snow, her black hair done up in an elegant bun, and her red lips slightly upturned. Compared to Li Mei, Li Yun was a completely different type of girl, appearing more serene and less seductive. "Then be careful," Li Shaohu''s expression became serious, his Qi still surging around him. The two were competing for a spot in the Yunyang Sect, so naturally, he wouldn''t hold back. Both had a certain reputation in the Li family, especially Li Shaohu, who had a greater fame. Immediately, many servants and clan disciples began cheering for them from the sidelines. Li Lin assessed the two; Li Shaohu was a rare dual attribute warrior with wood and earth attributes that complemented each other, enhancing his strength. Being a third-level warrior, he was definitely stronger than Li Yun, making it a dangerous match for her. Chapter 45: Li Lin VS Zhou Haiming In the moment Li Lin was distracted, Li Shaohu and Li Yun had already clashed. Upon engaging, Li Yun turned into a blue shadow, seemingly aware that a direct confrontation wouldn''t be in her favor, and that her only chance of winning lay in seizing the right opportunity. Li Shaohu, on the other hand, appeared much more relaxed. Knowing his own strength, he opted for a strategy of stillness over motion, and their occasional exchanges ended in stalemates. Both chose the most precise methods of attack, earning nods and smiles of approval from the Li family elders and Li Dong in the stands. Down below, the shouts and cheers from the crowd continued to converge, echoing throughout the martial arts field and adding to its lively atmosphere. Even Li Lin felt his blood heat up a bit more; today, he would officially face his opponent. Li Lin watched the field closely, analyzing every move and technique. Uncle Jiang had said from the beginning, if one watches carefully during a battle, it''s possible to spot the opponent''s weaknesses. In this world, no martial technique is flawless. When the difference in strength is not significant, finding the opponent''s weakness means winning half the battle. "This doesn''t look good for Li Yun," Li Lin thought to himself. Although Li Yun was leveraging her agility to look for openings, she was also depleting a significant amount of Qi. Meanwhile, Li Shaohu hardly moved at all, occasionally countering with his earth attribute to transmit the force of attacks through the ground. Although somewhat unsophisticated, this strategy proved quite effective. "Li Shaohu has some tricks up his sleeve," Li Lin noted silently. Li Yun, sensing the tide turning against her, looked increasingly pressured. Despite her youth and impatience, she let out a cry and unleashed some martial technique, her hand signs changing rapidly as Qi burst forth from her, creating a fierce aura. Surrounded by a swirling blue light, Li Yun''s Qi surged forward, forming a massive wave of water that enveloped Li Shaohu. "Earth Shield," Li Shaohu shouted, his hand signs changing as Qi weirdly shaped into a sand and dust shield around him. The towering wave couldn''t overcome the shield, which grew taller with every attempt of the water to surpass it. "Vines of Wood." From within the earth shield, dozens of thumb-thick green vines shot out with incredible speed, piercing through the wave and rushing towards Li Yun. Li Yun''s complexion changed drastically as she hastily retreated, her hand signs changing in panic as several water arrows shot forth. The water arrows collided with the vines, causing them to wilt slightly, but the remaining vines had already ensnared Li Yun, binding her tightly and rendering her immobile. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Sorry, Sister Li Yun," Li Shaohu said lightly, his demeanor proud as he shook off his robe and stepped out among the onlookers. "A dual attribute warrior, combining two completely different techniques to enhance power, making it difficult for the opponent to defend," Li Lin thought to himself, acknowledging Li Shaohu''s capability. Li Shaohu had both earth and wood techniques at his disposal. Unfortunately, Li Lin only had the earth technique, Splitting Mountain Palm. Being a practitioner of all attributes, he lacked any other martial techniques, a fact that filled him with frustration. He had once asked Uncle Jiang for techniques of other attributes, but was told to find them himself and that it wasn''t time to train in other attributes yet. Jack of all trades, master of nonethose were empty words, and having more wouldn''t be useful. "Li Shaohu wins, Li Yun loses," the elder in the grey robe announced loudly, not surprised by the outcome. With Li Shaohu''s victory, the crowd supporting him cheered louder, with many maids becoming starry-eyed. Zhao Hui, who had been grim-faced, now showed a hint of a smile. After the elder in the grey robe announced Li Shaohu''s victory, the mood between the two drastically different participants was watched by hundreds of eyes as they left the field. Next up were Li Lin and Zhou Haiming. "Zhou Haiming, Li Lin, it''s your turn," said the elder in the grey robe. Zhou Haiming chuckled lightly and then leaped onto the stone platform cleanly, eliciting cheers from many young women. Li Lin, unhurried, walked up to the platform with his hands behind his back, step by step. After all, this competition wasn''t about acrobatics; a beautiful leap didn''t guarantee a win. "Li Lin, the kid, is old beyond his years, well-tempered. He will surely achieve a lot in the future," Li Dong commented, seeing Li Lin''s demeanor. Li Nan and Zhou Li were still thrilled about their son''s leap but felt somewhat uneasy upon hearing Li Dong''s words. As Li Lin stepped onto the platform, he briefly surveyed Zhou Haiming. In terms of strength, his opponent was significantly stronger. Apart from achieving a surprise victory, Li Lin saw little chance for himself, especially since his only technique was the Splitting Mountain Palm. "Li Lin, hmph, what if you''re a triple attribute warrior? I''ll show you the consequences of provoking me," Zhou Haiming said, his gaze on Li Lin a mix of jealousy and resentment, perhaps both emotions intertwined with envy. He was keen on teaching Li Lin a lesson. Li Lin didn''t even spare Zhou Haiming a glance, having no interest in petty squabbles. However, he was fully aware of the seriousness of the situation. This was his first direct confrontation, and with his opponent significantly stronger, there was no room for carelessness. "You may begin, but remember, injuring life is prohibited, or you''ll be disqualified," the elder in the grey robe reminded, scanning the crowd before announcing loudly. As the elder''s words fell, the noisy surroundings quieted down for a moment, then many eyes turned to Li Lin, filled with curiosity. Li Wushuang, Luo Lan, Li Xiao Bai, and others began to feel nervous, while Li Dong and the others in the top stands watched the field closely. "You must win, young master," Li Xiao Bai clenched his fists, thinking determinedly. "I''ll show you my strength, Li Lin," Zhou Haiming said with a darkened expression, his Qi vibrating around him. He then launched a powerful earthy yellow palm strike towards Li Lin''s chest, swift and ruthless without any courtesy. Feeling Zhou Haiming''s robust Qi, Li Lin''s expression darkened, and he leaped to the side in an instant. Thanks to Uncle Jiang''s training, his reaction speed was exceptionally fast. "So you''re just going to run?" Zhou Haiming coldly remarked, seeing Li Lin evade. As he spoke, a powerful aura burst forth from him, turning into a pale yellow light that enveloped his body, significantly increasing his speed. A palm strike swiftly followed Li Lin. Chapter 46: Victory Li Lin concentrated, his Qi surging within him as he swiftly dodged, choosing not to directly confront the attack head-on. His strength was not sufficient for such a confrontation, especially since his only martial skill was the Splitting Mountain Palm, which would definitely put him at a disadvantage. "Bang!" Zhou Haiming''s palm strike exploded behind Li Lin, the powerful force splitting open a deep pit in the stone platform and sending dust flying everywhere. Both moved extremely fast, with most onlookers only catching glimpses of their figures darting across the platform, their powerful forces tearing through the air and creating sharp, whistling sounds. Luo Lan, watching from the sidelines, was incredibly tense, her eyes fixed on the platform, afraid that Li Lin might suffer an accident. "Stand still if you dare," Zhou Haiming shouted angrily. "Come on, I''m waiting for you. Hurry up," Li Lin taunted with a cold laugh, standing in front. Li Lin now understood Uncle Jiang''s painstaking efforts; his reaction speed was much faster than Zhou Haiming''s, giving him an advantage. "Hmph, I''ll make you regret this," Zhou Haiming bellowed, launching another fierce palm strike. "You''re still too slow," Li Lin mocked, intentionally provoking Zhou Haiming and quickly dodging again, leaving his original spot. The sound of tearing air was sharp, striking where Li Lin had just stood. The palm strike didn''t touch the ground before its fierce Qi cracked the stone tiles, a sight that even surprised Li Lin from afar, not underestimating the power. "Such a clever kid, calm yet quick-witted, well done," Li Dong praised softly. "Running away, how is that good? It''s a disgrace to the Li family," Li Nan complained indignantly. "Second sister, that''s not something you can say. Although Haiming is strong, he''s been somewhat rash, showing no mercy to a fellow clan member. If father knew, he wouldn''t be pleased," Li Xi commented, noting that Zhou Haiming was indeed showing no courtesy towards Li Lin. "If you don''t give it your all in a competition, then there''s no point in competing," Li Nan retorted, her face twitching before she fell silent. In the arena, figures flickered, Qi clashed fiercely, with occasional bursts of earthy yellow Qi from Zhou Haiming''s palms, ultimately smashing into the ground and creating numerous deep pits and cracks on the square. Li Wushuang''s brow was furrowed, clearly seeing that Li Lin was at a disadvantage, with a four-level difference in strength not being a small gap. "Stop running," Zhou Haiming grew increasingly impatient over time, unable to catch up to Li Lin, and could only shout in frustration. "If you can, then chase me. You''re as slow as a turtle," Li Lin called back with a laugh. The surrounding crowd couldn''t help but burst into laughter at Li Lin''s taunt. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. "I won''t let you off," Zhou Haiming roared, unable to tolerate the mockery, his hand signs changing mysteriously as his Qi surged tumultuously. "Finally going all out?" Li Lin''s expression subtly darkened, having been provoking Zhou Haiming all along, knowing he needed to seize the opportunity for a decisive strike. "Mountain Penetrating Palm," Zhou Haiming uttered, as multiple palm strikes with earthy yellow Qi appeared in front of him, his complexion paling slightly. Dozens of palm strikes sealed off the space, and with a sudden tremor of his arm, they surged forward, their powerful aura slicing through the air and stirring up dust and a sonic boom. "Star-level martial skill," Li Lin thought internally, recognizing that Zhou Haiming''s Mountain Penetrating Palm had reached the level of a star-level martial skill. As the dozens of palm strikes sealed off the space, accompanied by the sound of tearing air, Zhou Haiming''s face revealed a cold smile, believing his strikes would hit Li Lin directly. "Bring it on," Li Lin, however, showed a hint of a smile at this moment, his body not retreating but advancing instead. The Qi he had been suppressing inside burst out like a flood, encasing his body in a pale yellow scale armor. Moving at an explosively increased speed, he charged forward like lightning. Zhou Haiming was taken aback by the sudden change in Li Lin, clearly surprised. As Li Lin''s figure crossed Zhou Haiming''s, in that fleeting moment, Li Lin''s hand signs formed instantly, and a pale yellow palm strike materialized, smashing into Zhou Haiming''s abdomen. Visibly, the pale yellow palm strike broke through Zhou Haiming''s defensive light circle and hit him squarely in the abdomen. At the same time, Li Lin himself was hit by two of Zhou Haiming''s palm strikes on his left shoulder and chest, causing him to stagger backward about a dozen steps. His left shoulder and chest began to numb, and a surge of intense pain and discomfort came from within. Li Lin couldn''t hold back and spat out a bit of blood, feeling somewhat relieved after the taste of blood in his mouth. "A triple attribute warrior, with a four-level difference in strength, is bound to lose," some began to sigh regretfully, feeling sorry for Li Lin. "Bang!" At that moment, Zhou Haiming''s body was suddenly sent flying, crashing dozens of meters away onto the stone tiles, blood spattering the ground. With a scream, Zhou Haiming spat out another mouthful of blood, unable to get up. "Li Lin won, Li Lin actually won," the crowd came to their senses, realizing that although Li Lin was injured, Zhou Haiming''s condition was much worse. Clearly, Li Lin had won the match. "Haiming," Li Nan and Zhou Li could no longer hold back, quickly descending from the stands to Zhou Haiming''s side. "You really went hard," Li Nan said, helping Zhou Haiming up, her voice filled with resentment, forgetting that Zhou Haiming had shown no mercy to Li Lin. "I learned from you," Li Lin responded to his aunt, knowing he didn''t need to hold back. "Second aunt, it''s always been Zhou Haiming who''s been ruthless. Can''t you see that?" Li Wushuang quickly joined Li Lin''s side on the platform. "Li Lin wins," the elder in the grey robe announced, surprised by the outcome but quickly regaining composure. The internal strife within the Li family wasn''t his concern, but the emergence of a triple attribute warrior in the family, coupled with his sympathy for Li Lin, naturally made him especially pleased. "So, Young Master Lin is actually the strongest. I never realized it before." "Actually, Young Master Lin is the most handsome. Look at those eyes, truly captivating." The maids and a few younger girls from the Li family''s side branches burst into cheers, followed by shouts from many servants. Li Yun, who had just lost to Li Shaohu, also turned her gaze towards Lin. "Brother Lin, you''re really amazing. What martial skill was that? So strong," Li Mei took the opportunity to approach Li Lin. "Second brother, take Haiming down for treatment," Li Dong joined them on the platform, his gaze fixed on Li Lin, filled with surprise. Defeating a seventh-level warrior as a third-level warrior was no easy feat. Moreover, the defensive martial skill and attack technique Li Lin used were not from the Li family, especially the defensive technique, which even he couldn''t determine its level. "Hmph," Li Nan and Zhou Li indignantly supported Zhou Haiming off the platform. Chapter 47: The Unlucky Child "Wushuang, you take Lin''er down to rest for a while. Here is a Gui Zhen Dan, give it to Lin''er to take for healing," Li Dong gave Li Wushuang a pill and said. "Lin''er, let''s go," Li Wushuang said to Li Lin, then supported Li Lin down the stone platform. In fact, Li Lin''s injuries were not serious and did not require someone to support him, but since Li Wushuang was offering her support, it was hard for him to refuse. "Lin''er brother, are you okay? Are your injuries serious?" Li Mei also quickly supported Li Lin''s arm from the other side, the two women flanking him left and right, immediately enveloping him in a fragrant aroma, two distinctly different feminine scents lingering around Li Lin. With the close proximity of their bodies twisting, one woman noble and elegant, breathtakingly beautiful, the other charming and seductive, both could be considered jewels among women. Li Lin, being a normal male in his prime, reacted to this scene, which was simply a temptation of a mnage trois. "Young master, well done, are your injuries serious?" As soon as Li Lin descended the stone platform, Li Xiaobai rushed up to him. "It''s okay," Li Lin said, thinking that if he admitted his injuries were light, the two women might stop supporting him, and he still wanted to take advantage of this situation. "Let me see," Li Xiaobai became anxious immediately and said to Li Wushuang, "Miss Wushuang, let me carry the young master back." "Okay, be careful," Li Wushuang and Li Mei handed Li Lin over to Li Xiaobai. "Young master, I''ll carry you back," Li Xiaobai volunteered eagerly. "It''s okay, I can walk by myself," Li Lin glared at Li Xiaobai, regretting that this unlucky child had spoiled everything, wishing he could kick him a few times. "Lin''er, how are you, are your injuries serious?" Madame Luo Lan arrived beside Li Lin, looking at him with immense concern. "Mother, I''m fine, don''t worry," Li Lin said, his injuries really weren''t a big deal. Then everyone returned to the courtyard in the backyard. Li Mei followed to the courtyard for the first time, feeling somewhat unfamiliar with the backyard, as she had never been there before. "Lin''er, take this Gui Zhen Dan for your healing, and here are two thousand gold coins and a Qi Boosting Pill that you won. Take them," Li Wushuang handed Li Lin two pills, one white and one green, the white one being the one Li Dong had given to Li Wushuang. There was also a yellow jade card, which was not unfamiliar to Li Lin. It was a commonly used Crystal Card in the Spirit Martial Continent, capable of holding any amount of gold coins, making it unnecessary to carry many gold coins when going out. Two thousand gold coins, Li Lin would not be polite, as he was in need of gold coins, still owing a big debt, two thousand gold coins, though not even a quarter of his debt, but it was still a significant amount. "Gui Zhen Dan, a second-grade healing pill, worth around three hundred gold coins." Li Lin looked at the Gui Zhen Dan given by his uncle Li Dong, which was quite good. The Qi Boosting Pill was also a second-grade pill, effective in enhancing Qi, but compared to the Yuan Boosting Pill he had concocted, which could also enhance spiritual energy, the Qi Boosting Pill fell short. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. With injuries, Li Lin immediately went back to his room in the courtyard to heal, sitting cross-legged on the bed, taking out the Gui Zhen Dan and swallowing it. The pill turned into energy spreading to his limbs and bones upon entering his mouth. Li Lin operated his Yin Yang Spirit Martial Technique, starting to adjust his breath. After a while, his body was enveloped in a glow, appearing mysterious and unfathomable. Inside Li Lin''s body, the injuries were slowly healing. Relying on the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Technique, Li Lin felt that recovering from the injuries was not a big problem. Although the technique was incredibly slow in cultivation speed, it was astonishingly fast in healing injuries and restoring Qi. Having taken the Gui Zhen Dan, Li Lin felt his not-so-serious injuries recovering rapidly, feeling indescribably comfortable. As night fell, outside a stone chamber of the Li family, Li Dong stood respectfully. "How did it go this time, are there any with good talent?" A deep and old voice came from the stone chamber. "This time, there are many young ones in the Li family with exceptional talent. Li Mei, that girl, has reached the eighth level of Water Warrior, Zhou Haiming is a seventh level Earth Warrior, Li Yun also surprised us, being a second level Water Warrior. The most surprising is Shao Hu, a Wood and Earth dual system third level Warrior, with top-grade talent," Li Dong said. "Dual-system warriors, our Li family actually has dual-system warriors, we must cultivate them well," the old voice from the stone chamber said, sounding somewhat excited. "Son, I know, but there''s something even more important that happened this time," Li Dong said. "Is it about Lin''er?" The deep and old voice said. "Yes, Lin''er was tested this time and turned out to be a third level warrior," Li Dong said. "A person being able to cultivate to this level, his talent is extremely good, only sixteen years old, not even seventeen yet." "Father, the problem is, Lin''er is..." Li Dong paused, then said: "Lin''er was tested and found to be a tri-system warrior, Earth, Fire, and the rare Wind system, with top-grade talent. Even Zhou Haiming was severely injured by him in one move, and he has a defensive martial skill that I can''t see through." The stone chamber fell silent for a long while without any response. "Father..." Li Dong said uncertainly, then softly called out. "Immediately have Lin''er acknowledge his ancestry and return to the clan. A tri-system warrior, our Li family''s tri-system warrior, must be well protected and cared for, with no slip-ups," the old voice in the stone chamber said excitedly and tremblingly. "But how do we explain this to the third sister? We had promised her," Li Dong softly said. "She also made promises to the Li family. There are things you don''t know, but I do. If she disagrees, let her come to me. I want to see what she has to say. I didn''t hold her accountable before for the sake of the Li family, but now, with Lin''er being a tri-system warrior, for the future of the Li family, I must have a talk with her," the old voice continued. "But, I''m afraid Lin''er might be in danger," Li Dong said. "Have Lin''er move to the front courtyard immediately," the old voice continued. "Lin''er seems to be displeased with the Li family and has intentions of leaving. He might be reluctant to acknowledge his ancestry and return to the clan," Li Dong, having interacted with Li Lin, naturally knew his character. "This child, it''s our Li family who owes him and his mother. As long as he acknowledges his ancestry and returns to the clan, agree to any conditions he can accept. If not, talk to Madame Luo Lan about it. With her personality, she will surely persuade Lin''er, but by doing this, our Li family will owe her even more," the old and deep voice said. "Father, I know what to do now," Li Dong said. "Right, I suspect there must be a master behind Lin''er. Don''t meddle too much in Lin''er''s other affairs." "A master, that''s unlikely, Lin''er has never left the Li family," Li Dong exclaimed in surprise. "Lin''er being able to become a warrior is not something ordinary people can achieve, at least I can''t. The master behind him is no simple matter. Perhaps this is also Lin''er''s opportunity. It seems that the person has no malice towards our Li family, so we don''t need to interfere," the old figure said. "Yes," Li Dong said softly, his heart inevitably filled with astonishment. Chapter 48: Assassination "Moreover, regarding the Li family''s Hidden Martial Hall, from now on, Lin''er can freely enter. This child has reached his current state without our assistance, so we should not interfere in his affairs. However, during this period, we must ensure his safety until he enters Yunyang Sect. Given his strength, it''s estimated that entering Yunyang Sect won''t be a problem. Even if his strength is insufficient, as a tri-system martial artist, Yunyang Sect would eagerly accept him. Once in Yunyang Sect, Lin''er will be safe," said the deep and old voice from within the stone chamber. "Father, I understand. I will arrange it right away," Li Dong responded. "By the way, does the third know?" the old voice from the stone chamber asked. "She knows. I''ve just spoken with her. These years, she has always been in seclusion and never came out," Li Dong replied. "That child, it''s really hard on him," sighed the voice softly from the stone chamber, followed by silence. The next morning, Li Lin slowly opened his eyes, with a sharp glint in his eyes that lingered for a long time. The aura around him completely retracted, and he fully recovered. With the help of the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Technique and the Gui Zhen Dan, his injuries had completely healed overnight. "This Gui Zhen Dan is really good," Li Lin thought to himself, knowing that without the Gui Zhen Dan, his injuries could not have recovered so quickly. After getting ready, Li Lin left his room and went to the small hall, where Li Wushuang, Li Xiaobai, and Madame Luo Lan were already present. "Lin''er, how are your injuries?" Li Wushuang was the first to see Li Lin and asked. "They''ve healed," Li Lin replied, indicating his injuries were completely healed. "That was quick," Li Wushuang was surprised, having seen the extent of Li Lin''s injuries the day before. Although they were not too severe, they were not minor either, making the speed of his recovery quite unexpected. "Young master, to think you are a tri-system martial artist, that''s really great." Li Xiaobai was overjoyed, seeing a bright future following the young master. "Lin''er, your uncle has suggested we move to the front courtyard. What do you think?" Madame Luo Lan asked. "Move to the front courtyard? Why?" Li Lin''s expression changed slightly, as he was quite content living in the backyard. "Lin''er, the clan has discussed and agreed to acknowledge your ancestry and let you move to the front courtyard," Li Wushuang explained. "Agreed to acknowledge my ancestry," Li Lin scoffed, "Am I supposed to be grateful for that? I owe nothing to the Li family and have no interest in them." "Lin''er, but..." Li Wushuang frowned, seemingly having anticipated this response. "Wushuang sister, you don''t have to say more. If I weren''t a tri-system martial artist, would the Li family act this way? I''m not interested in the Li family. I''m going out for a bit and will be back later." Li Lin then left the courtyard. "This child..." Madame Luo Lan sighed. "People of the Li family really think others are fools, huh? Acknowledging ancestry, I''m not one of the Li family," Li Lin thought to himself as he walked, not paying much attention, as he had no interest in the Li family. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Leaving the Li family, Li Lin headed towards Tianbao Gate, carrying fifty Ganzhen Dan, two thousand gold coins, a Yuan Boosting Pill, and the Qi Boosting Pill he received yesterday, intending to sell them to repay his debts. "Tri-system martial artist, I didn''t expect a tri-system martial artist to appear," Du Gu Binglan said in surprise in a small hall within Tianbao Gate. "Miss, Li Lin must have been hiding for a long time without the Li family noticing. It seems Li Lin is a martial artist, not a spiritualist," Wu Zhi Shi said. "But behind Li Lin, there must be a spiritualist. Being a tri-system martial artist himself, it looks like he will also compete for a spot in Yunyang Sect in Qingyun Town," Maid Cuiyu pondered for a moment, then softly said. "What should we do?" Du Gu Binglan seemed to be asking for Maid Cuiyu''s opinion. "Wu Zhi Shi, arrange for the miss to participate in the Yunyang Sect''s spot competition as well. It would be good for her to visit Yunyang Sect," Maid Xiaoyu said. "Yes, I will arrange it," Wu Zhi Shi replied. "Miss, Wu Zhi Shi, Li Lin is here," a Tianbao Gate man said from outside. "Please invite Young Master Li in," Du Gu Binglan and Maid Cuiyu looked at each other, then said. Li Lin slowly arrived at Tianbao Gate, which was still bustling with business on the second day of the New Year, with many people selecting items at the counter. "Young Master Li, our miss invites you," a Tianbao Gate man led Li Lin to the luxuriously decorated small hall on the second floor. "Miss Du Gu, Wu Zhi Shi," Li Lin saw Miss Du Gu and Wu Zhi Shi immediately, along with Maid Cuiyu. "Young Master Li is early. Please have a seat, and congratulations," Du Gu Binglan smiled. "Congratulations for what? I still owe you a huge debt," Li Lin smiled and then sat down. "Now the whole Qingyun Town knows, Young Master Li is a tri-system martial artist. Isn''t that worth congratulating?" Wu Zhi Shi said. "Heh, just luck," Li Lin replied lightly, seeing that Tianbao Gate was well-informed. He then took out the fifty Ganzhen Dan, a Yuan Boosting Pill, a Qi Boosting Pill, and the crystal card; "Let''s repay the debt first. Please, Wu Zhi Shi, I need another hundred of the first batch of herbs I took and ten of the last batch." "No problem," Wu Zhi Shi said, then, noticing the Yuan Boosting Pill Li Lin took out, his expression turned surprised. After examining it closely, he said, "Young Master Li, is this a Yuan Boosting Pill?" "Yes, it is," Li Lin confirmed. "Young Master Li''s pills are all of high quality. Although the Yuan Boosting Pill is a second-grade pill, its level is close to that of a third-grade pill. Its effect on enhancing Qi is much better than the Qi Boosting Pill, even having the effect of enhancing spiritual energy. The Qi Boosting Pill''s usual selling price is around two hundred gold coins, but the Yuan Boosting Pill can reach three hundred and fifty gold coins. It''s very hard for ordinary shops to have Yuan Boosting Pills for sale," Wu Zhi Shi exclaimed. Li Lin didn''t expect his Yuan Boosting Pill to be valued higher than ordinary second-grade pills. "Young Master Li, please wait while I prepare the herbs for you," Wu Zhi Shi said, then left the small hall to prepare the herbs for Li Lin. "Young Master Li, it seems you will be participating in the Yunyang Sect competition in Qingyun Town," Du Gu Binglan said. "Miss Du Gu knows quite a bit. Indeed, I''ve heard Yunyang Sect is one of the three sects and four gates. I''d like to see it," Li Lin replied. "Calling me Miss Du Gu seems a bit distant. From now on, Young Master Li can just call me Binglan," Du Gu Binglan said lightly. "Binglan Miss," Li Lin didn''t stand on ceremony, though he felt a bit awkward inside. In his previous life, calling a woman "Miss" could get you slapped if you were unlucky, but here, it was different. He had to adapt to local customs. "Then I''ll also call Young Master Li by his name, Lin''er, to make it less formal. You won''t mind, right?" Du Gu Binglan said with a slight smile. "Suit yourself," Li Lin replied, not minding at all. "Young Master Li, your herbs are ready," Wu Zhi Shi brought two large bags, each filled with a bunch of herbs. "I won''t disturb you further. I''ll come back to repay the debt next time," Li Lin said, taking the two large bags of herbs and leaving Tianbao Gate. Having just paid fifty Ganzhen Dan, two thousand gold coins, the Yuan Boosting Pill, the Qi Boosting Pill, and the previous dozen or so Ganzhen Dan, he now owed Tianbao Gate much less. After deducting the principal, at most only four thousand gold coins were left. After refining the herbs he now had, he estimated he could completely repay his debt. Reaching a secluded area, Li Lin quickly stored the herbs into his storage ring and then headed straight for the back mountain, where Little dragon had been staying for quite some time. Rushing to the back mountain, Li Lin could feel Little dragon''s presence. In a valley forest, Li Lin looked forward, and suddenly, invisible waves surged around him. Chapter 49: Xiao Long Shows Its Might "You''re dead, kid." A shadowy figure descended from the sky in an instant, clad in black with even their face covered by a black cloth, their eyes piercingly cold as they stared at Li Lin, emitting a chilling and formidable aura. Judging from the voice, the assailant seemed to be middle-aged. "Such strong power." Feeling the overwhelming strength of the opponent, Li Lin immediately felt as though his own Qi was being suppressed. "Who are you?" Li Lin stepped back, sensing the imposing demeanor of the newcomer and knowing they were here for him. Without needing to guess, Li Lin knew who it was, considering he had no enemies except for Zhao Hui. "Someone who''s here to take your life," the person in black coldly stated, their presence chilling to the bone. "So, you won''t even leave your name?" Li Lin asked. Unable to see through the opponent''s strength and knowing he was no match, his only option was to buy time and look for an opportunity to escape. The attacker seemed to practice water attribute martial arts, capable of turning their Qi into icy air, their cultivation reaching a terrifying level. "You''re not worthy to know. Thinking of buying time, huh?" The person in black sneered with a mocking smile. "Run." Li Lin''s first instinct was to flee. With no other option in mind, he propelled himself backwards with explosive speed. "Thinking of escaping? Dream on!" Watching Li Lin''s attempt to flee, the person in black''s murderous aura flared, their eyes shooting daggers as they stomped on the ground, shooting towards Li Lin like lightning. As the person in black pursued Li Lin, they cast a spell, spreading cold air all around, shrouding the area in a misty fog, much like heavy fog weather, engulfing Li Lin''s vision in bone-chilling coldness. With his vision obscured by the icy fog, Li Lin''s expression darkened, realizing he was in big trouble. His strength was no match for the person in black, and escape seemed impossible. "The opponent is too strong." Fear gripped Li Lin as a sense of impending doom spread. "Such a greenhorn, dealing with you is overkill. But well, it eliminates future troubles." The person in black appeared before Li Lin, their presence overwhelmingly cold, a crushing force enveloping Li Lin, freezing his internal Qi, making it impossible to gather. Li Lin''s expression turned grim, facing a clear disparity in strength levels with no chance of resistance. "Time to die." The person in black sneered, changing the hand seal slightly, and launched a palm strike that instantly solidified the surrounding air, pressing down on Li Lin with a fierce icy aura. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "Whoosh..." Just then, from the thick white fog, a pale yellow light streaked out, the little dragon that had been in the back mountain for several days. Little dragon''s small body radiated dazzling light, and a scorching flame condensed out of thin air on its tiny head. The flame burst forth, instantly turning the surrounding icy air into nothingness. "Eh..." Surprised by the appearance of a small snake, the person in black scoffed, launching a palm strike: "A little demon beast, die with him." Under the palm strike, icy air gathered again, enveloping the space and aiming directly at Little dragon. "Zzz..." Little dragon, with its small mouth open, darted like a brilliant yellow lightning, unbelievably fast, evading the attacker''s strike and biting towards the person in black''s neck. "What kind of beast is this?" The person in black was shocked, retreating instantly while launching an icy claw strike at Little dragon with incredible speed. "Smack!" Little dragon was sent flying, crashing hard into the ground tens of meters away. "Little dragon!" Li Lin was startled, unsure of Little dragon''s condition, as the person in black approached again with an icy palm strike: "Kid, die!" "Qing Ling Armor." Li Lin hastily formed his Qing Ling Armor, knowing he was outmatched but resolved to fight. "Whoosh..." A breaking sound rang out again as Little dragon, somehow, got behind the person in black, its small head showing ferocity, with golden flames trailing its pale yellow body. "What exactly is this demon beast?" The person in black was thoroughly shocked. Their strike would have killed even a martial artist, yet this small beast survived without harm and showed such peculiar abilities. Forced to abandon attacking Li Lin to defend against this mysterious little snake, the person in black changed their hand seal, launching another claw strike at Little dragon. "Sss..." The claw strike, under the assault of Little dragon''s golden flames, dissipated into nothingness after a brief moment. Little dragon, unharmed, charged again at the person in black. "Ice Fist." The person in black, startled, changed their hand seal, and a several meters long fist imprint burst forth from the surrounding icy air, striking Little dragon hard. "Bang!" The fist imprint hit, sending Little dragon flying again, crashing into the distance. "Kid, just die already." The person in black''s expression darkened, their hand seal changing, and a spear of ice shot forth, piercing through the air towards Li Lin at incredible speed. Just as the ice spear was about to hit, a voice rang out, "Who dares to act recklessly in the Li family?" In an instant, a white figure appeared, flicking a flame that engulfed the ice spear, melting it instantly. "This is..." Li Lin, prepared for the worst, looked at the newcomer. The man in a white robe, with a heroic aura but a somewhat suppressed demeanor, was recognized by Li Lin as his father in this world, Li Zhong, the current head of the Li family. "Whoosh..." In that moment of surprise, Little dragon reappeared in Li Lin''s hands, affectionately nuzzling him. "Little dragon, are you okay?" Li Lin checked Little dragon, which had been struck twice by the person in black but seemed unharmed and slightly bigger than seven days ago. "Li Zhong." The person in black fixed their gaze on Li Zhong, their expression darkening. "Sneaking around, you sure lack courage!" Li Zhong said lightly, eyeing the person in black. "Hmph, the Li family," the person in black snorted. "If you refuse to show your true face, I''ll make you," Li Zhong said, his figure rushing out like a white flash, approaching the person in black at lightning speed. "Let''s see if you''re capable enough," the person in black said, retreating instantly as icy air vibrated around them. Chapter 50: One Condition With a buzz, Li Zhong unsheathed a dark red long sword in his hand, its blade slicing through the chill air with no courtesy, ruthlessly slashing towards the black-clothed person in front of him. Facing the sword shadow mixed with the oppressive sound of the wind, the black-clothed person quickly formed a hand seal and shouted, "Ice Rain!" The white frost mist in front of the black-clothed person suddenly surged rapidly, shaking the entire space, and then a barrage of hail covered the sky and enveloped Li Zhong. The hail brought a sharp whistling sound, the temperature of the space plummeted sharply, and the surrounding valleys were instantly covered in ice. "Hmph, break for me." Li Zhong frowned slightly, then suddenly stomped on the ground, and with a burst of energy explosion, his body surged forward with a hot aura. He executed a sword technique in mid-air, and then the long sword flew out of his hand. The sword light tore through the icy air, then transformed into hundreds, thousands of beams above, tearing through the air with faint flames within, instantly engulfing the black-clothed person. "Shoo, shoo..." The sound of hail and sword shadows colliding echoed, fire burst in the sky, and then countless hailstones and sword shadows vanished into thin air. "As expected of the third Li family, come again." The black-clothed person''s hand seals changed again, looking at Li Zhong with some surprise, his hand seals interweaved, instantly releasing countless ice shards covering the sky, enveloping Li Zhong. The ice shards, illuminated by light, appeared in dreamlike colors, but at this moment, they were deadly weapons. The edges of the ice shards were sharp, and under the control of Qi, they were incredibly formidable. "Well done, but you''re still lacking." Li Zhong shouted lightly, the temperature around him soared instantly, and a flame enveloped him, turning the icy air into nothingness around the flaming space. The flames danced, eventually turning into a sea of fire that covered the space. The space crackled continuously as ice and fire overlapped, creating a marvelous scene. Li Zhong''s hand seals changed, the flames around him grew even hotter, burning the icy air into nothingness, turning into large clouds dispersing in the sky. "Go." After clearing all the ice shards, Li Zhong''s figure, surrounded by a ring of flames, soared into the sky, his sword shadow slashing fiercely towards the black-clothed person. The black-clothed person retreated several steps, his hand seals withdrawn, and the icy air around him dissipated, forming a huge ice shield in front of him at the same time. "Break..." Li Zhong swung his sword down, with hot flames stirring under the sword shadow. "Clang!" A crisp sound echoed on the ice shield, and at the same time, several small pieces of ice instantly fell off, followed by the entire ice shield cracking and shattering, the ice turning into mist and vanishing. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Pfft..." At this moment, the black-clothed person spat out blood, the black veil covering his face stained red, his body staggering back several steps. "Indeed, the third of the Li family lives up to his reputation, I take my leave." After saying this, the black-clothed person''s figure instantly leaped away. Li Zhong watched the black-clothed person''s retreating figure, not intending to pursue further. His strength was only slightly superior, and chasing would not be easy. His gaze then turned to Li Lin, wary this might be a tactic to lure him away. "Are you alright?" Li Zhong looked at Li Lin, struggling to say these words after a long time. "I''m fine, won''t die." Li Lin said lightly, having a very poor impression of his father, Li Lin, for the sake of the deceased Li Lin. "Be more careful when you go out next time, it''s best not to leave the Li family." Li Zhong sighed lightly, seemingly expecting his son''s reaction. "If there''s nothing else, I''m leaving." After saying this, Li Lin left the back mountain with the little dragon, thinking it best to part ways with such a father who never fulfilled his responsibilities. Watching Li Lin''s retreating figure, Li Zhong''s expression was filled with sadness. After a moment, watching Li Lin walk away, he disappeared into the back mountain. "Little dragon, are you alright?" Holding the little dragon in his palm, Li Lin was full of concern, fearing the little dragon was injured. "Chirp, chirp!" The little dragon affectionately stretched in Li Lin''s hand, its small head with shiny round eyes happily looking at Li Lin, nodding slightly, as if understanding Li Lin''s words. "Are you really okay?" Li Lin began to doubt, the black-clothed person''s strength was at least at the martial soul level, and the little dragon had been hit twice but was unharmed, its defensive power was indeed strong. "Young Master Lin." "Greetings to Young Master Lin." Returning from the back yard, Li Lin encountered many servants on the way, all of whom respectfully greeted him as the young master, recognizing him as part of the ancestral rites, even though they once thought of him as worthless. Li Lin nodded slightly, having no quarrels with these servants, then returned to the courtyard. "Hurry up, put more effort into it." "This was the young master''s favorite, don''t break it." Li Lin heard Li Xiaobai''s voice from outside the courtyard, startled, then entered the courtyard to see about ten servants moving many items out. "Xiaobai, what are you doing?" Li Lin asked in surprise. "Young master, the madam said to move to the front courtyard." Li Xiaobai said. "Move to the front courtyard? Stop, move everything back." Li Lin ordered, then quickly walked into the courtyard. "Mother, I don''t want to move to the front courtyard, it''s nice living here." Li Lin entered the hall to find his mother and Li Wushuang packing some items. "Lin''er, I also think it''s nice here, but your uncle came to see me just now, and he''s right, you must move to the front courtyard for your safety. You can''t stay in the back courtyard, and you know, acknowledging your ancestors has always been my wish. Please, do it for me?" Luo Lan said, holding Li Lin''s hand. "Mother, after how the Li family treated you, you still support them. We don''t need to rely on the Li family, I can support you in the future." Li Lin said, seeing that the Li family had persuaded his mother. "Lin''er, I know you''re somewhat resentful towards the Li family, but there are complicated matters involved. For your own safety, please move to the front courtyard. And, the blood of the Li family flows in your veins, acknowledging your ancestors is right. Please, fulfill your aunt''s wish." Li Wushuang gently said. "What about mother''s status?" Li Lin looked at Li Wushuang. "This..." Li Wushuang was at a loss for words, as the matter of the aunt had not been discussed by the father, knowing it would be difficult. "Lin''er, it doesn''t matter to me, as long as I see you well, that''s enough. Besides, I''ll move to the front courtyard with you, and enjoy fortune with you." Luo Lan said with a gentle smile, her eyes filled with satisfaction. "Mother..." Li Lin didn''t know what the Li family had told his mother, but seeing her expression, he didn''t want to disappoint her, then looked at Li Wushuang, "Wushuang sister, please tell uncle, if he wants me to acknowledge my ancestors, he must agree to one condition." Chapter 51: A Bit Disparaging "Speak, there shouldn''t be any problem that the Li family can''t solve," Li Wushuang said. Li Lin, looking at Li Wushuang, said, "If you want me to acknowledge my ancestors, first, my mother must have an official status. She can''t be a concubine; otherwise, it doesn''t matter who comes to talk to me." "This..." Li Wushuang hesitated for a moment before saying, "I''ll have to discuss this matter with my father. Lin''er, you should move to the front courtyard for now. It''s safer there, and you''ll also have access to the Li family''s martial arts library. In a month, there will be a competition among the major families in Qingyun Town. It might be helpful for you to take a look." Li Lin was pondering. He had encountered an assassination in the back mountain, and if not for sheer luck, he would have been dead. It indeed wasn''t safe in the back courtyard. Moving to the front courtyard would be safer since any disturbance would immediately be known by the strong members of the Li family. After much hesitation, Li Lin also considered, besides his own safety, his mother''s safety. In the back courtyard, his mother''s safety wasn''t guaranteed. Zhao Hui might target his mother if she wanted to deal with him. And for Zhao Hui, Li Lin was filled with rage but powerless, as Zhao Hui was strong, and he was no match for her yet. Otherwise, he would have eliminated her immediately to prevent future troubles. "Alright, I can move to the front courtyard first, but that condition I mentioned is non-negotiable," Li Lin said. His mother''s status was something he must fight for, as it was her rightful due. "Okay, I will talk to my father," Li Wushuang said, smiling upon seeing Li Lin agreeing to move to the front courtyard. "This courtyard is so big and beautiful," Li Xiaobai exclaimed excitedly in a spacious courtyard, which had a rockery fish pond with many goldfish swimming joyfully. Li Lin looked around the courtyard, which was somewhat like a villa surrounded by green plants and fresh air, a world apart from the back courtyard. It seemed the Li family was indeed wealthy. "Lin''er, how do you like it here? I picked it out for you. I live next door," Li Wushuang said. "Yes, it''s nice here. Thanks, Wushuang sister," Li Lin said. "By the way, Lin''er, you should pick a few servants to clean the courtyard and take care of you and your aunt," Li Wushuang said, as per the Li family''s direct lineage young masters'' servant allocation, which included a steward and five servants. "Xiaobai, you handle this. From now on, you''ll stay here," Li Lin said. "Yes, young master," Li Xiaobai responded, knowing it was much better to stay by the young master''s side. "Mother, I''ll be in seclusion for about ten days, and I need to go out. You stay here," Li Lin said, arranging for his mother''s care with Li Xiaobai around and being in the front courtyard, Li Lin had no other worries. "Be careful if you''re going into seclusion," Luo Lan didn''t object, understanding that her son, now a martial artist, needed to train, especially with the upcoming competition in Qingyun Town. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Lin''er, where will you be in seclusion? The Li family has places for that," Li Wushuang said. "Wushuang sister, I have my own place for seclusion. Please take care of things here," Li Lin said, planning to concoct pills in Uncle Jiang''s secret chamber. "Alright, be careful," Li Wushuang said, acknowledging the need for preparation with the competition in Qingyun Town a month away. After nightfall, Li Lin headed to the secret chamber in the back courtyard''s woodshed, hoping to settle his debts within ten days. After making sure no one was around, Li Lin entered the secret chamber, only to be stunned to find Uncle Jiang there, as if expecting him. "How are you not dead yet? You''re lucky, kid," the old servant Uncle Jiang said lightly. "Uncle Jiang, you could scare someone to death like that," Li Lin said lightly, then curiously asked, "How did you know I was attacked?" "How could I not know? Be more careful next time. You were lucky this time," Uncle Jiang said. "Uncle Jiang, knowing I was in danger and not helping, that''s a bit cold," Li Lin said. "Your father intervened, why should I? Besides, I have no relation to you. What are you doing here?" Uncle Jiang glared at Li Lin. "I need a place to concoct pills, and your place is the only option. Don''t be stingy," Li Lin said with a smirk, knowing Uncle Jiang wouldn''t really kick him out. "Revealing yourself as a tri-elemental martial artist has its pros and cons. Be careful, and watch out when you go out," Uncle Jiang said, then headed out, pausing to add, "Find some martial arts to practice in the Li family. Only knowing the Mountain Splitting Palm is a bit disparaging." "You''re telling me," Li Lin muttered, making a face, though not daring to speak loudly. Being a tri-elemental martial artist but only knowing the Mountain Splitting Palm indeed seemed insufficient. After Uncle Jiang left and the secret chamber was closed, Li Lin took out the Fire Dragon Cauldron, and the two large bags of herbs from his storage ring were also placed in the chamber. He was ready to devote himself to concocting pills. "Let''s start with the Crown Topping Pill." Although the Crown Topping Pill was cheaper, he could produce it quickly and with minimal errors. Li Lin decided to start with it to pay off his debts. Sitting cross-legged, he formed hand seals, channeling spiritual power into the cauldron, igniting the flame within. Li Lin began the familiar process of concocting the Crown Topping Pill. Concocting the Crown Topping Pill was now easy for Li Lin, but producing a hundred pills was no small task. He estimated that with these hundred pills, he could clear his debts. In a courtyard, Zhao Hui''s face was furious, her eyes sharp, angrily saying, "I can''t believe that bastard didn''t die. Damn it, we can''t let him go to the Yunyang Sect, or he''ll be even harder to deal with." "Miss, there''s nothing we can do now. It seems the Li family is prepared to break with us to acknowledge that kid''s ancestors," Zhao Er said by her side. "Of course, that kid is lucky to be a tri-elemental martial artist. The Li family won''t let go of him. It''s a pity we lost this opportunity," Zhao Hui said coldly. "Miss, we had an agreement with the Zhao family not to let that kid acknowledge his ancestors," Zhao Er said. "But, we did something to him, and the Li family elder saw through it. He''s using it to shut me up, and I can''t do anything about it. It''s infuriating that that bastard must have had some fortune to undo what we did and become a martial artist," Zhao Hui said coldly. "What do we do now? The kid has moved to the front courtyard, making him even harder to deal with," Zhao Er said. "Wait for an opportunity. We can''t let that kid live. Otherwise, it''ll affect our entire plan," Zhao Hui said with a cold expression. "Lady, the master is asking for you in the hall," a maid with a swollen face slowly came in, it was Xiao Lan, who had been beaten by Li Lin. Her face was still bruised, her lips swollen, and one eye black and blue, startling Zhao Er. "Do you know what it''s about?" Zhao Hui asked, her expression changing. "The master is holding an emergency family elder meeting tonight. It seems to be a major issue," Xiao Lan said, her voice changed, likely affected by the beating from Li Lin. "A major issue..." Zhao Hui''s expression shifted slightly, then she left the room. In the Li family hall, around twenty people were seated, including Li Dong, Li Xi, Li Nan, Zhou Lixing, and many elders, some of whom had been seen at the ancestral ceremony, all being elders of the Li family. Chapter 52: One Hundred and Eight Crown Topping Pills When Zhao Hui arrived at the hall, she hid her confusion and took a seat at the top side, saying, "Big brother, calling a family elder meeting this late, could there be something important?" "Indeed, since you''ve agreed to Lin''er acknowledging his ancestors, I''ve just discussed with the elders. Luo Lan should have a status too. From now on, Luo Lan will be the second wife. Both of you will have equal status, and you shouldn''t have any objections, right?" Li Dong said, looking at Zhao Hui calmly. "What, impossible, that lowly maid to be on equal footing with me, becoming a lady of the Li family, I absolutely disagree," Zhao Hui burst out in anger, unable to accept this. "Luo Lan has suffered enough. Now that Lin''er is a tri-elemental martial artist and is acknowledging his ancestors, it''s only right for Luo Lan to have a status," a Li family elder in green robe said, his cultivation seemingly reaching the martial soul level. "This is also Lin''er''s condition. As a tri-elemental martial artist with such talent, our Li family cannot disregard this," another elder in a long robe agreed. "Nonsense, don''t forget the conditions you Li family promised me. Are you bullying the Zhao family because we lack support? I will never agree to this," Zhao Hui glared at the two Li family elders. "Third sister-in-law, you have to agree even if you don''t want to. Our Li family did promise you, but the patriarch himself has approved this. If you have any objections, you can talk to the patriarch. As for the rest, we have already decided, even if it leads to a confrontation between the Zhao and Li families, this cannot be changed. I hope you can understand," Li Dong said. "You Li family," Zhao Hui was furious but helpless. She was at the patriarch''s mercy, having once sabotaged Li Lin. She couldn''t say much now. "Sister-in-law, let it be. Even if Luo Lan becomes equal to you, she''s still just a maid," Li Nan said lightly. "Hmph," Zhao Hui snorted coldly, "What about Li Zhong? Why hasn''t he come to see me since he came out of seclusion?" "Third brother has gone back into seclusion," Li Dong said lightly. Zhao Hui looked extremely displeased, then scanned everyone in the hall. For the family''s plan, she had to endure. Now was not the time to fall out with the Li family. "Hmph," Zhao Hui snorted again, then said, "Since you''ve all decided, why bother calling me here? The Li family can decide on its own." After saying this, Zhao Hui left the hall. Time passed like flowing sand, and in the blink of an eye, five days had passed since Li Lin went into seclusion to concoct pills. Meanwhile, Qingyun Town had become bustling. Martial artists and people from small families in nearby towns had all arrived in Qingyun Town, making it exceptionally lively with crowds filling the streets, far more than usual. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. In the taverns and shops on the streets, everyone was talking about the same thing: Yunyang Sect''s triennial recruitment of new disciples. Yunyang Sect was well-known in Qingyun Town, a sacred place for martial artists and spirit users. Yunyang Sect, one of the Three Sects and Four Orders, with thousands of disciples and immense power, considered Qingyun Town its territory. The Sect only recruited exceptionally talented individuals every three years, offering only five spots for Qingyun Town, leading to fierce competition, especially among the town''s five major families. These spots usually went to the five families, with little chance for smaller families due to the gap in nurturing their descendants. The five major families of Qingyun Town were the Yang, Qin, Li, Luo, and Wang families. Their power was comparable, each constantly seeking to surpass the others. "Who knows which families will have members entering Yunyang Sect this time?" "It''s bound to be members of the five major families. Others hardly stand a chance." "Not necessarily. As long as one has excellent talent and strength, it''s possible to get in. After all, Yunyang Sect''s experts will personally select disciples." "But the young generation of the five families has been nurtured from a young age. How can others compare unless they''re geniuses among geniuses?" "Exactly, based on past years, those five spots always go to the five families." "It''s said that the Li family got lucky this time, having both a dual-elemental and a tri-elemental martial artist reaching the warrior level. Such talent is frightening." "The tri-elemental martial artist, named Li Lin, used to be the Li family''s worthless young master, detected as unable to become a martial artist since childhood. Unexpectedly, he''s now become a tri-elemental martial artist." "Anyway, the Li family is lucky this time. With a dual-elemental and a tri-elemental martial artist, their power is set to rise significantly soon." Everywhere in the town, people were discussing Yunyang Sect''s recruitment, and Li Lin, the Li family''s tri-elemental martial artist, became well-known, surprising everyone. Inside the Li family''s woodshed secret chamber, Li Lin continued tirelessly concocting pills, with spiritual power igniting the flame inside the Fire Dragon Cauldron, making the chamber extremely hot. After eight days of relentless effort, once his spiritual energy was depleted, Li Lin would rest and then continue concocting pills. This hard work nearly completed the Crown Topping Pills. With a "bang," the Fire Dragon Cauldron opened, releasing a rich medicinal fragrance. A pill with a faint glow appeared in the chamber. "Collect," Li Lin commanded, and the pill appeared in his palm. "The one hundred and eighth," Li Lin said softly, smiling. This time, from one hundred batches of Crown Topping Pill ingredients, he managed to concoct one hundred and eight pills. He had made significant progress in material control, saving a lot of ingredients and maintaining the pill quality as good as before, if not better. Unbeknownst to Li Lin, concocting one hundred and eight Crown Topping Pills from one hundred batches of ingredients would astonish any other spirit user. This demonstrated an impressive level of skill and control in pill concoction. Ordinarily, even spirit users at the spiritual soul level would find it difficult to achieve this, yet Li Lin, only at the spiritual warrior level, had done it, showing exceptional talent and a remarkable soul force. "Whoosh," the little dragon crawled out from Li Lin''s sleeve, greedily looking at the Crown Topping Pill in Li Lin''s hand, its tongue eagerly stretching out, seemingly fixated on the pill. "Little dragon, I forgot you were hungry. But there''s nothing here for you to eat," Li Lin remembered, realizing the little dragon hadn''t eaten for eight days. "Chirp, chirp," the little dragon wriggled, still greedily eyeing the Crown Topping Pill in Li Lin''s hand, as if trying to communicate something. Chapter 53: The Fourth-Rank Warrior "You said you wanted to eat the Crown Pill." Li Lin asked, having a connection with the little dragon, seemingly knowing what the little dragon was thinking. "Sss." The little dragon nodded slightly, twisting its tail, already somewhat unable to restrain itself, its gaze firmly fixed on that Crown Pill. "You seem hungry too. If you can eat it, go ahead." To Li Lin, the little dragon was like family, and he did not mind giving away a Crown Pill. "Sss!" The little dragon indicated, immediately opening its mouth to swallow the Crown Pill. Its head was originally about the size of the pill, but it easily swallowed the pill and then burrowed back into Li Lin''s sleeve, out of sight. Li Lin was puzzled for a moment, then smiled. As a Spirit Emperor beast, the little dragon might gain some benefits from consuming the Crown Pill. Now, one less Crown Pill did not matter much to him. "There are ten more Yuan Boost Pills." After placing the one hundred and seven Crown Pills into several prepared jade bottlesoriginally there were one hundred and eight, but with the little dragon consuming one, leaving one hundred and sevenhe then continued to concoct Yuan Boost Pills. After being ambushed in the back mountain last time, Li Lin was determined to enhance his strength as quickly as possible for his security. He nearly died last time. Only with stronger power could he ensure his safety. To enhance his strength, he had to continuously consume pills. Li Lin continued the pill concoction process. After regulating his breath, he formed hand seals and infused spiritual power into the Fire Dragon Cauldron, causing flames to spread out. Under Li Lin''s control, the materials for concocting the Yuan Boost Pills were added one by one. Since the Yuan Boost Pill was a second-grade pill, Li Lin dared not be careless and devoted his full attention to the concoction. Time passed slowly, and during these days of pill concoction, Li Lin was completely unaware of the outside world, focusing solely on his work. At the Li family, a significant event had occurred. Rolan was finally recognized by the Li family and became the second lady, equal in status to the first lady. This development puzzled many servants, as the first lady did not object, which was out of character for her. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Some servants speculated that with Lin''er being a tri-elemental warrior, a top talent among warriors, even if the first lady objected, it would be futile. Regardless, Rolan became the envy of all the servants, having endured many hardships and humiliations over the years, she finally made it, unlike them, who could never see such a turnaround in their lifetimes. Instead of envying Rolan, many servants were more realistic and envied Li Xiaobai, who became a warrior unexpectedly and was close to young master Lin''er, promising a bright future. "Boom!" Three days later, the Fire Dragon Cauldron opened, and a rich fragrance filled the air as a pill shot out of the cauldron, the Yuan Boost Pill that Li Lin had concocted. The pill, surrounded by a faint glow and enticing fragrance, was wrapped in a yellow light by Li Lin''s hand seal and collected into his hand. The faint glow then disappeared. "Finally done." Li Lin looked pale, his spiritual energy nearly depleted after three days of concocting ten Yuan Boost Pills. Looking at the ten Yuan Boost Pills in his hand, Li Lin smiled, wondering how much they would help enhance his strength, which he urgently needed. "Let''s consume a pill before leaving seclusion." Li Lin said softly, tossing a Yuan Boost Pill into his mouth. The pill turned into a surge of astonishing energy once inside his stomach. Li Lin could feel the enormous energy coursing through his body, quickly starting to refine it with the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique. The energy was transformed into pure Qi under Li Lin''s refinement, and his mental energy also increased, although not as significantly as his Qi. The Yuan Boost Pill was more about enhancing spiritual power relative to Qi. After a while, Li Lin was enveloped in a pale yellow glow, surrounded by a luminous aura, appearing very mystical. The energy from the Yuan Boost Pill was not small, and Li Lin refined it slowly and methodically, not rushing the process. During this refinement, he had to be careful. Uncle Jiang once said that if the energy was too great, the body''s meridians could not withstand it, leading to potential destruction and mental disturbances, posing a danger. Li Lin always remembered to be cautious about such dangers. The energy from the Yuan Boost Pill, under Li Lin''s refinement, circulated through his meridians in a complete cycle before continuously entering his dantian Qi sea. As time passed, the Qi in Li Lin''s dantian Qi sea increased. He felt as if his dantian Qi sea was a separate cyclone ocean, with fuller Qi rotating faster, enhancing his aura. On the third day''s morning, as the last bit of energy turned into Qi and entered Li Lin''s dantian Qi sea, the energy membrane inside his body vibrated and then surrounded him in rotation. At the dantian Qi sea, Li Lin felt a surge of energy, creating huge waves and roaring fiercely. Simultaneously, in the secret room, Li Lin, with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them, and a nearly blinding sharp light shot out from his eyes, which receded after a moment. His eyes appeared deeper, and his entire demeanor seemed changed. "I''ve reached the fourth rank as a warrior." Li Lin felt the robust Qi inside his body, now several times stronger than when he was a third-rank warrior, realizing why he was no match for Zhou Haiming, a seventh-rank warrior. The gap was too significant. Chapter 54: Seeking Li Wushuang Again The difference between each rank is significant, let alone a gap of four ranks. Moreover, the higher the rank, the greater the difference becomes. If it weren''t for provoking Zhou Haiming, exhausting him, and then barely winning with the Qingling Armor, I would have had no chance at all. "Only advanced by one rank." Although my strength has increased by one rank, I frowned. When I consumed the first Yuan Boost Pill, I advanced two ranks at once, from a first-rank warrior to a third-rank warrior. But now, the second Yuan Boost Pill only just barely allowed me to advance one rank. At this rate, the higher I aim to break through, the greater the consumption required. If I consume another Yuan Boost Pill now, it''s unlikely I''ll break through to the fifth-rank warrior. Moreover, I''ve just refined a Yuan Boost Pill, and my body needs time to process it. Consuming another Yuan Boost Pill right away would be a waste. If I aim to break through to a martial master solely with Yuan Boost Pills, it will require a substantial number of them, which would be a significant expenditure of gold coins for me. At the same time, I realized that although I am now a fourth-rank warrior, my cultivation level in terms of spiritual power is still at the first-rank spiritualist. The Yuan Boost Pill doesn''t increase spiritual power as much as it does Qi. If I want to enhance my spiritual power, I can only do so by concocting pills. Relying on Yuan Boost Pills alone definitely won''t allow for simultaneous breakthroughs in both martial and spiritual cultivation. "I should start preparing. What treasures are there in Yunyang Sect? I forgot to ask Uncle Jiang." I thought to myself. Uncle Jiang asked me to visit Yunyang Sect, but I don''t know what I''m supposed to retrieve. I''ll have to ask Uncle Jiang another day. After putting away the Fire Dragon Cauldron and the pills, I left the woodshed''s secret room and headed to the front courtyard. Having secluded myself for thirteen days, I guessed my mother must be worried. "Master Li." Along the way, the servants I encountered all respectfully greeted me, no longer daring to look down upon the once deemed useless young master. Many of the maids even cast admiring glances, knowing that being favored by the young master could change their fates. Upon returning to my residence in the front courtyard, I saw several servants and maids cleaning the courtyard as I entered. "Master Li." There were five servants, two men and three women, all around twenty years old, who immediately greeted me upon seeing me. Under Li Xiaobai''s arrangement, everyone was to address me as "master" instead of "young master." I nodded slightly. Li Xiaobai was quite astute. Others calling me "young master" was something I couldn''t change, as I couldn''t just tell everyone to stop calling me that. But it was possible to change how the maids in my own courtyard addressed me. The title "young master" always sounded awkward to me. "Master, you''re finally back. Madam has been worried sick about you," Li Xiaobai came out upon hearing my return. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "Xiaobai, where''s my mother?" I wasn''t surprised, knowing my mother would be worried. "I was just tidying up some things. You, child, going out for so long has worried me to death," Rolan emerged from the inner courtyard. She had been extremely anxious these past few days and finally relaxed upon seeing me. "Mother, you should let the servants handle the tidying. Don''t trouble yourself," I gently said, seeing my mother looking much better. She was dressed simply, but her demeanor had subtly changed. "I''m not old yet; I can still move around. Besides, I was organizing your childhood belongings, and I wouldn''t trust anyone else with that," Rolan said. Then, I learned that the Li family had agreed to my request, acknowledging my mother as a lady of the Li family. Seeing my mother''s current state filled my heart with happiness. It wasn''t about the title of a Li family ladyI couldn''t care less about thatbut it was very important to my mother. What made me happy was that I had finally changed my mother''s situation, sparing her from further suffering and hardship. After chatting with my mother for a while, I planned to visit Li Wushuang. I intended to go to the Li family''s Martial Arts Archive but didn''t know the way. I needed Li Wushuang to guide me. I had no memory of the Archive, only knowing it was an absolute forbidden area for the Li family. Even Li family members couldn''t enter without permission. Li Wushuang''s courtyard was next door, one of many such courtyards in the Li family''s front courtyard designated for direct descendants. Upon reaching Li Wushuang''s courtyard, I didn''t see any servants. Li Wushuang had not been back from Yunyang Sect for long and usually stayed there, leaving the courtyard unattended. "Wushuang sister," I called out upon entering the courtyard. After calling twice with no response, I hesitated before entering. "Wushuang sister, are you there?" I called out softly. "Lin''er, why are you here? Wait outside for a moment," came Li Wushuang''s somewhat flustered voice from a room, followed by the sound of water. "Is she taking a bath?" Hearing the noise, I thought to myself, recalling how Li Wushuang had seen me fully exposed in the backyard. If I now peeked in, would that be fair to me? "Shameless," I chastised myself internally, then sat down in the small hall, my mind involuntarily filled with images of a beautiful woman bathing, causing a reaction below. "Lin''er, why have you come?" Moments later, a graceful figure appeared before me. "This is adding fuel to the fire," I thought, seeing Li Wushuang dressed in a blue palace gown, her wet black hair draped over her shoulders and front, looking enchantingly beautiful. Her hair ends reached just below her chest, dampening the blue gown and revealing enticing curves beneath. "It seems she''s wearing little..." I thought, looking where I shouldn''t, perhaps there were no undergarments like in my previous world, allowing me to catch such a spring scene. Li Wushuang looked refreshingly simple without extra adornments but was even more attractive and sexy. I hadn''t expected Li Wushuang to have such a sexy side. The water droplets falling from her hair tips, her slender waist, and delicate face were all incredibly tempting to me, a young man in his prime. I couldn''t help but swallow, overwhelmed by temptation, and softly said, "Your beauty, half-revealed, is charming and enticing. In the courtyard, as the lady emerges from her bath, nature seems to favor this moment, making the moon shine brightly to share in the beauty of the moment, urging us not to shy away from intoxication, for this flower stands unmatched among others." "What did you say?" Li Wushuang blushed, looking down to see my gaze fixed on her chest, where her skin was partially visible. Her face turned red to the ears, and she hurried back into her room. "Li Lin, you''re really shameless." Watching Li Wushuang''s reaction, Li Lin scolded himself again internally, then smiled slightly, thinking it wasn''t really a big deal since she had seen him fully exposed as well. Recalling that glimpse of barely concealed whiteness, Li Lin struggled to suppress his improper thoughts. Indeed, that sight was truly tempting. Chapter 55: Fury Fist "Lin''er, what did you just see?" Moments later, Li Wushuang reappeared in front of Li Lin, now dressed in a light-colored brocade robe, her hair wiped to a semi-dry state, exuding a fragrance that filled the air with a refreshing scent. With a flushed face, she asked Li Lin in a soft voice. "What did I see? I didn''t see anything," Li Lin replied lightly. "Right, did you come to find me for something?" Li Wushuang looked at Li Lin with a mix of suspicion and curiosity. "Sister Wushuang, I want to visit the Martial Arts Archive, but I dont know the way," Li Lin said. Li Wushuang responded, "Then let me accompany you. There are only a dozen or so days left before the Yunyang Sect''s quota competition. You should really prepare well." Following Li Wushuang, Li Lin passed through several long corridors to arrive at an ancient-looking courtyard guarded by two members of the Li family, both middle-aged and seemingly at the warrior level. Above the courtyard, several characters read "Martial Arts Archive," exuding an ancient aura, indicating its long history. "Miss Wushuang, what brings you here?" one of the middle-aged men immediately asked upon seeing Li Wushuang. "I''m accompanying Lin''er to the Martial Arts Archive. Open the gate, please," Li Wushuang said. The other middle-aged man said, "Miss Wushuang, entering the Martial Arts Archive requires the elder''s and the clan''s permission." "Open it. My father said Lin''er can enter and exit the Martial Arts Archive as he pleases," Li Wushuang took out a green jade token, seemingly a token of the Li family. "Yes, Miss Wushuang, Master Lin''er, please come in," the first middle-aged man who spoke opened the courtyard gate for them. Following Li Wushuang, Li Lin entered the Martial Arts Archive and found themselves in a spacious room. "Lin''er, this is the Li family''s Martial Arts Archive. However, only Chen and Xing level martial techniques are available here. As for Yellow Level techniques, they are held by the elders of the Li family. There are also many insights from our ancestors. If you understand them well, you can benefit greatly." "Only Xing and Chen level techniques," Li Lin was startled but not surprised. Martial techniques are extremely precious, especially Yellow Level techniques, which are even more invaluable. It''s natural for the Li family not to store them in the Martial Arts Archive due to the risk of theft. "Lin''er, you can choose any martial technique here, but you can only choose one at a time, once a year, as per the Li family''s rules. There are insights from our ancestors that you can freely read. Having too many martial techniques can lead to jack of all trades, master of none," Li Wushuang continued. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "Sister Wushuang, is there any information on spiritualists here?" Li Lin asked. "There are only two spiritualists in the Li family, and other families have only one, all currently abroad on business. As for information on spiritualists, there really isn''t any. Spiritualists are rare, and everything relies on personal comprehension. However, Yunyang Sect does have some materials on spiritualists," Li Wushuang explained. "Oh," Li Lin responded lightly, then looked around at the jade slips and other handwritten materials. Additionally, there was information on the attributes of various warrior types, something Uncle Jiang hadn''t elaborated on, including the advantages and disadvantages of each attribute. There were also detailed introductions to various levels of martial techniques, from Tian, Di, Xuan, Huang, Xing, to Chen. On the Lingwu Continent, Xuan level techniques were already invaluable, capable of moving mountains and summoning storms. As for Di level techniques, they were exceedingly rare and not fully described, while Tian level techniques were legendary and not documented. Among the five types of warriors, wind warriors were the rarest, followed by wood warriors, with fire, earth, and water warriors being relatively more common. Wind warriors had a significant advantage in speed and were the most difficult to deal with. In these materials, Li Lin also found information on demons and spirit beasts, including how some warriors, with the help of spiritualists, could tame demons as mounts, while spiritualists generally tamed spirit beasts for their use. However, taming demons and spirit beasts was not easy, far beyond Li Lin''s imagination, but he took it all to heart. "Lin''er, there are only a dozen or so days left until the Yunyang Sect''s competition. Choose a martial technique now. It''s said that this time there are several talented individuals from other families, so be careful," Li Wushuang said. "Which martial technique should I choose?" Li Lin hesitated, unsure of what to pick. "Sister Wushuang, are there any wind techniques?" Li Lin asked, having seen the detailed introduction to each warrior type and noting the advantages of wind techniques. "No," Li Wushuang shook her head. "Wind warriors are rare, so their techniques are fewer. The Li family doesn''t have any wind techniques." "No wind techniques," Li Lin felt somewhat disappointed. Having a wind technique would have given him a significant advantage in battle. "Fury Fist," Li Lin picked up a jade slip beside him, which introduced the Xing level martial technique, Fury Fist, a technique compatible with his own Mountain Splitting Palm and suitable for his current level. Li Lin also saw many water and wood techniques, but he had only revealed fire, wind, and earth attributes in the Li family. Practicing wood and water techniques seemed somewhat unjustifiable. After some hesitation, Li Lin decided to practice Fury Fist. For now, practicing this technique would be beneficial without any drawbacks. He could seek better techniques from Uncle Jiang later, as Uncle Jiang surely had them. "Sister Wushuang, let''s go," Li Lin said, picking up the Fury Fist technique. As for the insights left by the Li family ancestors in the Martial Arts Archive, he wasn''t very interested. With Uncle Jiang''s teachings, he already had enough. Reading too much could lead to a lack of specialization, which wasn''t beneficial. "Let''s go. You can come to the Martial Arts Archive anytime, but if you can enter Yunyang Sect, the Wanwu Tower there is much larger than the Li family''s," Li Wushuang said. Leaving the Martial Arts Archive with the Fury Fist technique, they headed back to the courtyard, with only a dozen days left until the competition in Qingyun Town. Uncle Jiang had instructed Li Lin to visit Yunyang Sect, and he couldn''t afford to be careless. He definitely needed to go. "Sister Wushuang, how strong are the competitors from the other families in this Yunyang Sect''s quota competition?" Li Lin asked on their way back. Chapter 56: The Mysterious Martial Technique "The strength of people from the major families is very strong, especially the Qin family, which is said to have revealed a Spiritualist this time," Li Wushuang said. "A Spiritualist has appeared." Li Lin was somewhat surprised inside. It seemed that the Qin family had been concealing their capabilities until now, only revealing their Spiritualist at this moment. "This time, Qingyun Town will be quite lively, with you guys participating. It is said that an elder from Yunyang Sect will personally come to select new disciples this time. In the past, it was only a deacon who came," Li Wushuang said with a smile. "It looks like there will be a fierce competition this time," Li Lin thought to himself. He definitely needed to master the Fury Fist quickly; otherwise, getting into the top five would be difficult. After returning to his room and informing his mother, Rolan, Li Lin also instructed Li Xiaobai not to allow anyone to disturb him in his room. He also handed Li Xiaobai two Crown Pills to aid in his cultivation. With everything prepared, Li Lin sat cross-legged in his room, forming a hand seal and clasping a jade slip of the Fury Fist technique. His eyes slowly closed as he somewhat awkwardly utilized his soul power, channeling a stream of soul power into the jade slip. Li Lin was already proficient in controlling Qi and spiritual power, but soul power, derived from spiritual power and Qi, was something he had less experience with. Uncle Jiang had emphasized the importance of soul power. As Li Lin''s breathing stabilized, the room quieted down. Simultaneously, a glow from the jade slip of the Fury Fist technique infused directly into Li Lin''s forehead. Information about the Fury Fist technique appeared in Li Lin''s mind, which he quickly memorized. After a long silence, the seated Li Lin suddenly opened his eyes, formed a hand seal, and his right palm transformed into a fist. A stream of Qi vibrated out from within him, turning into a pale red color, raising the room''s temperature significantly. "Sss!" Li Lin''s fist was surrounded by Qi, emitting a faint flame. This was not a flame condensed from spiritual power but one formed from Qi through the fire attribute. However, the flame had just appeared on Li Lin''s fist before it vanished. "Continue." Li Lin kept changing hand seals, earnestly practicing the Fury Fist technique. It was normal to fail multiple times; martial techniques were not something that could be mastered in one go. As time passed, three days later, Li Lin, still seated cross-legged, with his Qi vibrating and a pale red glow surrounding him, managed to channel a stream of Qi through a specific meridian to his right fist, where a flame burst forth explosively. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. "Boom..." He punched forward, and a fiery fist imprint, along with a strong force, hit the wall, creating a loud noise. A small crater formed on the thick wall, with cracks spreading like a spider web. "Master, what happened?" Soon after, Li Xiaobai was outside the room, anxiously calling in. The loud noise was like demolishing a house, heard by everyone in the courtyard. "It''s nothing. I''m practicing martial techniques," Li Lin took a deep breath, thankful that his punch wasn''t entirely successful; otherwise, the collapse of the courtyard could have buried him alive. "Why was it earth-shattering?" Li Xiaobai murmured as he walked away, his voice fading into the background chatter with other servants: "It''s nothing. Let''s all step back. The master is practicing martial techniques." "It would be better to find a safer place for practice. It''s not convenient here," Li Lin thought to himself, realizing his room was not as sturdy as the secret chamber Jiang Uncle had built. "Let''s rest for a bit. I''ve made some progress with the Fury Fist," Li Lin said lightly, having achieved some success with the technique over the three days. He decided to rest before practicing again. "Sss..." A wriggling sensation came from his arm as the little dragon slowly crawled from his sleeve to his palm. "Did I wake you?" Li Lin picked up the little dragon, surprised to see a thin layer of scales on it, making its previously pale yellow skin slightly more lustrous. The little dragon had grown from about twelve centimeters to fifteen, its small eyes becoming even darker, staring affectionately at Li Lin. "Are you hungry again?" Li Lin could sense the little dragon''s desires, seeming to crave the Crown Pill it had eaten before. "Alright, I''ll give you another one, but that''s it," Li Lin thought, not having prepared food for the little dragon, but feeling it benefited from the Crown Pill, he took out another from his storage ring. "Whoosh!" Seeing the Crown Pill and smelling its enticing fragrance, the little dragon quickly swallowed it and contentedly stuck out its tongue before crawling back into Li Lin''s sleeve, wrapping around his arm. "Why are you shedding? Did you break through?" Li Lin noticed the thin layer of shed scale in his palm, seemingly just shed, with faint traces of blood, staining his hand. Li Lin examined the scale, finding it incredibly tough, impossible to tear apart. He stored it in his storage ring, considering anything from the little dragon likely extraordinary. Storing the scale away, Li Lin inadvertently felt the mysterious martial technique Uncle Jiang had given him, which he had tried many methods to open without success. Li Lin once again took out the jade slip, examining it closely. The ancient green slip appeared very old, even covered in dirt, its origin unknown to Li Lin. If not for trusting Uncle Jiang, Li Lin might have suspected the jade slip was stolen from an ancient tomb. Li Lin tried again to open the jade slip with soul power, although he had tried this before without success. Still, the jade slip remained unopened, as Uncle Jiang said the technique was profound and beyond his ability to unlock. Playing with the jade slip, Li Lin didn''t realize that the blood from the little dragon''s shed scales had accidentally smeared on it. As a trace of blood touched the jade slip, a faint glow appeared on it. "What''s happening?" Li Lin, seeing the change, infused soul power into the jade slip again. The ancient green jade slip suddenly shone brightly, injecting a massive stream of information into Li Lin''s mind. Chapter 57: The Four Divine Techniques The entire room was enveloped in a dazzling light at this moment, within which the vague shapes of several beast-like figures could be seen galloping and roaring, creating a sight of magical wonder. After a moment, the light receded, and the room returned to normal. Li Lin opened his eyes, filled with surprise at this moment. The information transmitted from the green jade slip was completely beyond his expectations. "So, this is the Four Divine Techniques," Li Lin muttered to himself. From the information in his mind, he learned that this martial technique was called the Four Divine Techniques, a set of extremely profound martial arts. The green jade slip he possessed was only a fragment of the technique, merely one-fourth of the whole, known as the Vermilion Bird Art. The Four Divine Techniques consisted of the Azure Dragon Technique, the White Tiger Technique, the Black Tortoise Art, and the Vermilion Bird Art. If one could combine all four techniques, it would be comparable to a heaven-level martial technique. "I didn''t expect it to be comparable to a heaven-level martial technique," Li Lin trembled with excitement. It seemed everything Uncle Jiang had was indeed a treasure. However, Li Lin soon became distressed. According to the information from the green jade slip, the Vermilion Bird Art alone was only comparable to a yellow-level martial technique. Only by mastering all Four Divine Techniques could one compare to the legendary heaven-level martial techniques. As for the other three techniques, it seemed normal that he might never find them in his lifetime. "No matter what, being comparable to a yellow-level martial technique is still stronger than a star-level martial technique," Li Lin smiled. The Vermilion Bird Art was not bad, at least better than his current Fury Fist and Mountain Splitting Palm, by a level. "Practice the Vermilion Bird Art," Li Lin thought to himself. This Vermilion Bird Art was extraordinary. If he could master it, he would be more confident in the competition in a dozen days and have more reliance and strength in the future. Without any hesitation, Li Lin began to practice the Vermilion Bird Art. Moments later, his hand seals changed, and a faint glow surrounded him, with his true qi fluctuating in front of him. As time slowly passed, with the Yunyang Sect''s selection of new disciples in Qingyun Town drawing near, Qingyun Town became increasingly lively. The streets were crowded with people, and places like taverns and inns were bustling with business. Another busy business was betting. Many places on the streets had betting stations. As the competition approached, the major families in Qingyun Town registered their disciples, totaling fifty-two participants. With these names revealed, betting officially started. Four people had the lowest odds: Li Lin and Li Shaohu from the Li family, Qin Tianhao from the Qin family, and Yang Miao from the Yang family. The odds for these four to be among the top five were only ten to one. Although they were the favorites, no bookmaker was willing to take bets on them. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The reason was simple. The bookmakers had already thoroughly investigated the backgrounds of these four. Li Lin and Li Shaohu from the Li family, one a tri-elemental warrior and the other a dual-elemental warrior, Yang Miao from the Yang family also a dual-elemental warrior, and Qin Tianhao from the Qin family, even more, a spiritual practitioner. The talents of these four were evident, and it was likely that the Yunyang Sect would accept them into the sect even without participating in the competition. Despite the low odds for these four, many people still placed bets on them, especially Qin Tianhao and Li Lin, who were the hottest favorites. Their talents were one in a million, stronger than Li Shaohu and Yang Miao, and their entry into the Yunyang Sect was almost certain. Of course, some people did not believe that talent alone would suffice, arguing that only the Yunyang Sect''s personal assessment could validate their abilities. Some even worried that the major families were manipulating the bets by spreading rumors of such talents within their ranks. The appearance of so many talents in Qingyun Town at once made many people start to doubt the veracity of these claims. As time passed and Li Lin practiced the Vermilion Bird Art, which was more difficult than the Fury Fist, he failed repeatedly but summarized his experiences and tried again. After ten days in his room without success in mastering the Vermilion Bird Art, and with only three days left until the Yunyang Sect''s competition in Qingyun Town, Li Lin sighed, "It''s indeed difficult to practice. Haste makes waste." He decided to take a break and give himself some breathing room. Although he hadn''t mastered the Vermilion Bird Art, he had gained some insights, which might lead to success when the opportunity arose. After leaving his room, Li Lin first visited his mother to alleviate her worries, then reluctantly instructed Li Xiaobai to repair the walls of his room, fearing they might collapse someday. After much deliberation, Li Lin decided to visit Tianbao Gate to sell the pills he had made and settle his debts. Worried about being targeted again, but reasoning that no one would wait indefinitely for him to leave the Li family, especially after the failed assassination attempt by the man in black, Li Lin thought that Zhao Hui would likely restrain himself. Li Lin found an excuse to leave the Li family, knowing that telling his mother directly would only worry her. On his way, Li Lin was cautious, surprised by the bustling activity in Qingyun Town. Inside Tianbao Gate, amidst the bustling crowd, the business was booming. Seeing all this, Li Lin thought to himself that producing pills didn''t earn as much as Tianbao Gate. The production class could never surpass the capitalist class. His practice of the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique required strong financial support, indicating he too must take this path. Regardless of personal strength, one''s influence is limited. Being a lone hero is never easy. "Master Li, you''ve arrived. Please, this way to the second floor." The staff at Tianbao Gate were already very familiar with Li Lin, leading him upstairs to avoid the crowded lower floor. In the same hall as before, it wasn''t long before two graceful figures arrived, bringing with them a faint, pleasant fragrance. Without looking, Li Lin knew it was Du Gu Binglan and her maid, Cuiyu. "Lin''er, there are only three days left until the Yunyang Sect''s competition. Aren''t you going to prepare properly? Coming to Tianbao Gate, are you that confident?" Du Gu Binglan asked with a light smile, revealing her pearly teeth. "I can''t help it. I feel uneasy owing debts," Li Lin said lightly, then took out several prepared jade bottles containing a hundred top-up pills. "Please help me calculate how much I still owe." "No rush. The manager will be here soon. Please wait a moment, Master Li," Du Gu Binglan said. "No problem. I''m not in a hurry," Li Lin replied. "Li Lin, my miss will also participate in the Yunyang Sect''s competition in Qingyun Town. You must take good care of her then," the maid Cuiyu said. Chapter 58: Betting "Miss Binglan is also participating in the Yunyang Sect''s competition?" Li Lin looked at Du Gu Binglan, surprised. He remembered Uncle Jiang mentioning that Tianbao Gate had a powerful backing, making him wonder why Du Gu Binglan would want to join the Yunyang Sect. "Yes, I also want to experience it. It would be nice to enter the Yunyang Sect together with you. Don''t you welcome that?" Du Gu Binglan smiled lightly, her dimples showing as she gazed at Li Lin. "Miss, Master Li, I''m here," Wu, the manager, entered the small hall at this moment. "Manager Wu, could you please calculate how much debt I still owe?" Li Lin handed over a hundred top-up pills to Manager Wu and asked. After taking the pills, Manager Wu said, "After deducting the cost of buying the pill materials, the original price for the Qingyue Sword was 8,600 gold coins. However, Master Li, as a VIP of Tianbao Gate, gets a 20% discount on all purchases, which means you only need to pay 6,880 gold coins. You''ve brought a total of 166 top-up pills, one Qi-boosting pill, and one Yuan-enhancing pill. After deducting the cost, Tianbao Gate now owes Master Li 300 gold coins." "So, I''m finally free from debt," Li Lin smiled lightly, feeling relieved. Indeed, as people say, being debt-free is liberating. "Master Li, here are your 300 gold coins." Manager Wu handed a jade crystal card to Li Lin and then hesitantly asked, "Master Li, may I discuss something with you?" Li Lin took the jade crystal card and said, "Please, Manager Wu, go ahead." "About the Yuan-enhancing pills you brought last time, do you still have any? Hearing that Tianbao Gate was selling Yuan-enhancing pills, many families in town have come to place their orders. It''s easy to refuse ordinary people, but there are three regular customers I really can''t turn down. I only need three Yuan-enhancing pills. The current selling price to them is 450 gold coins per pill, and of course, we would offer you the same price." Li Lin hesitated for a moment. He had made ten Yuan-enhancing pills, consumed one, and reserved the remaining nine for himself. It seemed difficult to refuse Tianbao Gate''s request. "No problem," Li Lin eventually said, taking out three Yuan-enhancing pills. Tianbao Gate had treated him well, and he didn''t feel at a loss, especially since his Yuan-enhancing pills were unexpectedly popular. "Thank you, Master Li." Manager Wu took the pills and then handed Li Lin 1,350 gold coins, a significant amount. Li Lin realized the huge profit margin in pill making. The cost of materials for a Yuan-enhancing pill was less than eighty gold coins, but it could sell for 450 gold coins, an astonishing markup. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. "In the future, I should sell pills," Li Lin thought to himself. "Lin''er, then I''ll see you in three days. Take good care of me, okay?" Du Gu Binglan said. "I believe Miss Binglan''s strength is more than enough to enter the Yunyang Sect," Li Lin said with a gentle smile, finding Du Gu Binglan''s strength inscrutable but confident she was no weakling and would have no trouble being among the top five. Leaving Tianbao Gate, Li Lin felt light-hearted, having cleared all his debts. He made his way back to the Li family, staying alert to avoid any ambushes. "Betting is open! Results will be revealed in three days. Bet big, win big, everyone come and place your bets!" "Li Lin of the Li family, fifteen to one; Qin Tianhao of the Qin family, fifteen to one; Wang Guang of the Wang family, eight to one. Come and place your bets!" A shout caught Li Lin''s attention. Inside a shop to his right, dozens of people were peering at something. Hearing his own name, Li Lin entered out of curiosity. "Would you like to place a bet, sir? Feel free to browse. We have detailed information on all the participants from the major families. Bet more, win more," a double-ranked martial disciple greeted Li Lin, noting his neat attire. Li Lin observed the shop''s interior, where the walls were covered with information about the participants. Qin Tianhao from the Qin family: 18 years old, fourth-rank Spirit Warrior, odds of entering the top five: fifteen to one. Li Lin from the Li family: 16 years old, third-rank Warrior, tri-elemental warrior with wind, fire, and earth elements, odds of entering the top five: fifteen to one. Yang Miao from the Yang family: 17 years old, third-rank Warrior, dual-elemental warrior with fire and water elements, odds of entering the top five: ten to one. Li Lin found his own and others'' information, marveling at how it was gathered and realizing the fierce competition. Du Gu Binglan: 18 years old, strength and attributes unknown, odds: ten to one. Li Lin saw Du Gu Binglan''s entry last, noting the lack of detailed information, which meant others couldn''t find much about her. "One to ten," Li Lin smiled slightly. Others might not know Du Gu Binglan, but he did. Betting on her to enter the top five seemed like an easy win. "I''ll bet 1,500 gold coins on Du Gu Binglan entering the top five," Li Lin said at the counter, taking out his jade crystal card. The surrounding people were surprised by the large bet. High stakes weren''t uncommon, but a bet of 1,500 gold coins was significant, placing Li Lin among the high rollers. "No problem, here''s your receipt," a chubby middle-aged man said, issuing a receipt to Li Lin and deducting 1,500 gold coins from his card. "One to ten means 15,000 gold coins in three days," Li Lin thought, leaving the betting shop without worry. With Tianbao Gate''s backing, Du Gu Binglan''s participation meant she was confident in her abilities. Returning to the Li family, Li Lin entered through the front door without incident. "Welcome back, Young Master Lin," two servants greeted him nervously, recognizing him and trembling slightly. Li Lin merely hummed, remembering these were the servants who had refused him entry through the front door upon his arrival. Though he didn''t bear a grudge against the servants, he couldn''t help but feel slightly annoyed. Li Lin didn''t trouble the servants further and returned to his courtyard. His mother had prepared dinner, adding warmth to his return. After dinner and some conversation with his mother, he retired to his room. Li Xiaobai had repaired the cracked walls efficiently. Li Lin consumed another Yuan-enhancing pill, hoping to break through to the fourth rank of Warrior. Higher strength would increase his chances of entering the top five. Chapter 59: Li Wushuangs Strength As the pill dissolved into his body, it instantly transformed into a surge of energy that Li Lin, with practiced ease, began to refine into Qi using the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique. Moments later, his body was enveloped in a radiant glow, completely shrouded in luminance. The next morning, the glow around Li Lin receded, and he exhaled a breath of turbid air, opening his eyes to say, "As expected, a single Yuan-enhancing pill is no longer enough to break through to the fifth rank of Warrior. The further I go, the more energy is required for each breakthrough." After stepping out of his room and finishing breakfast, Li Wushuang and Li Mei arrived in the courtyard. "Lin''er, there are only two days left until the competition. How are your preparations?" Li Wushuang asked Li Lin. "I haven''t prepared much; I''ll just take things as they come," Li Lin replied lightly. "You seem quite relaxed. How about I spar with you today to help you train?" Li Wushuang suggested with a smile. "That would be perfect; I''ll be in your care, Sister Wushuang," Li Lin responded. Li Lin would naturally not refuse the opportunity to spar, especially since he indeed needed to practice and refine his Fury Fist to avoid being at a disadvantage against his opponents. In the Li family''s training ground, Li Lin, Li Wushuang, Li Mei, and Li Xiaobai gatheredthe perfect place for a sparring session. "Brother Lin, be careful. Sister Wushuang is very strong," Li Mei warned with a smile, sticking close to Li Lin since she saw him. "Lin''er, use all your strength without holding back. That''s the only way to truly gauge and improve your abilities," Li Wushuang advised. "Sister Wushuang, then I won''t hold back," Li Lin said, knowing that even with his full strength, he was likely no match for Li Wushuang, a martial master, so there was no need for reservations. Qi vibrated as Li Lin''s figure burst forward, his palm cutting through the air with a booming sound, creating a vacuum in the surrounding space. Li Wushuang''s expression shifted slightly as she gracefully twisted her body, narrowly dodging Li Lin''s palm strike, feeling the breeze graze the tip of her nose. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. At that moment, Li Wushuang formed a hand seal and lightly stepped forward, her hands fluttering as a surge of green Qi vibrated around her, sending a sharp burst of energy towards Li Lin. "Strong." Without hesitation, Li Lin quickly retreated, his Qi bursting forth to increase his speed, realizing he would be at a disadvantage if he tried to withstand Li Wushuang''s attack head-on. "Quick, but you must also anticipate your opponent''s preparation and predict your dodging direction," Li Wushuang''s voice reached Li Lin as her graceful figure appeared in front of him, having predicted his evasion route. Li Wushuang skillfully positioned herself in front of Li Lin, leaped up, and aimed a fierce kick towards him. Li Lin''s eyes flashed with surprise at Li Wushuang''s reaction speed and experience. He suddenly sank his body, swirling his hand, and a strand of red flame appeared on the surface of his fist. "Fury Fist." With a concentrated punch, Li Lin aimed at Li Wushuang''s approaching foot, resulting in a powerful collision. "Boom!" The clash unleashed a fierce burst of energy, scattering flames and pushing Li Lin back several steps, feeling a pang of pain in his fist. Li Wushuang had clearly not used her full strength, yet he was still overpowered. "To have cultivated the Fury Fist to this extent in just over ten days is impressive," Li Wushuang remarked, familiar with the technique and surprised by Li Lin''s rapid progress. Stabilizing himself, Li Lin immediately surged with robust Qi, cloaking himself in the Qingling Armor, a light yellow aura appearing around him. Li Wushuang, having seen this armor during Li Lin''s match with Zhou Haiming, was surprised but not taken aback. With the Qingling Armor deployed, Li Lin charged again, his movements cracking the ground beneath him as he launched a Mountain Splitting Palm, emphasizing his earth-based martial prowess. "Well met," Li Wushuang exclaimed, her hands forming seals and extending a palm strike adorned with cactus-like spikes. "Boom!" The two forces collided, sweeping the area with a burst of power and stirring the air like a tempest. Li Lin was forced back again, his palm throbbing painfully as if pierced by needles, revealing Li Wushuang''s unexpected technique. "Does it hurt?" Li Wushuang smiled slightly, "I''m a wood element warrior; such techniques are not surprising. Be cautious against wood element warriors in the future." "Let''s go again," Li Lin said, realizing he had much to learn. He surged with Qi and launched another attack towards Li Wushuang. "Come on, give it your all," Li Wushuang encouraged, vanishing from her spot with speed clearly superior to Li Lin''s. In an instant, Li Wushuang reappeared in front of Li Lin, her delicate fingers flicking, sending five wisps of pale green Qi streaking towards him. "Fury Fist!" Li Lin shouted, his fists blazing with fire, meeting Li Wushuang''s green Qi in a fierce clash. With the explosion, Li Lin was pushed back, his steps leaving deep marks on the ground, his arms swelling from the impact of the Qi. "Truly strong," Li Lin admitted internally, recognizing his disadvantage in both strength and speed. "What I used just now was a speed-enhancing technique, which, combined with attack power, is more effective. Keep this in mind for the competition in two days. They might not have such techniques, but it''s better to be prepared," Li Wushuang explained after each exchange, sharing her experience with Li Lin. Chapter 60: The Yang and Wang Families Li Lin nodded slightly and then charged forward again, saying, "Let''s go again." Li Mei and Li Xiaobai could only watch the sparring between Li Lin and Li Wushuang, knowing that even Li Mei''s strength was far from sufficient. Despite her excellent talent, she was still only at the martial disciple level. After three hours, Li Lin was gasping for breath, his physical strength nearly depleted, yet he had learned a lot. Li Wushuang, however, was amazed. Normally, someone at the martial disciple level couldn''t sustain such effort for so long, but Li Lin seemed to have an endless supply of Qi, continuing until even she felt tired. "Alright, Lin''er, let''s rest. The competition is in two days, and you shouldn''t overexert yourself. You need to conserve your energy and prepare," Li Wushuang advised. Li Lin agreed with a light response, feeling too exhausted to continue. After resting for a while, Li Lin returned to the courtyard to meditate and recover his Qi. The next day, he sparred with Li Wushuang for another three hours in the training ground, making significant progress with his Fury Fist and Mountain Splitting Palm, especially mastering control over the Fury Fist. "Lin''er, prepare well. Tomorrow is the day of the competition," Li Wushuang said, somewhat tiredly. "Okay," Li Lin responded, knowing the importance of the next day for himself. "I''ve heard that an outer elder from the Yunyang Sect has arrived in Qingyun Town with several stewards. They''ve already arrived, and I''m about to pay them a visit. It seems the Yunyang Sect is taking this competition in Qingyun Town seriously. You might have a good chance of becoming a direct disciple of the Yunyang Sect. Make sure to perform well in the competition; it could greatly increase your chances of becoming a direct disciple," Li Wushuang said. "What''s the difference between a direct disciple and other disciples?" Li Lin inquired. "The difference is significant, but it''s a long story. You''ll understand the benefits once you''re in the Yunyang Sect," Li Wushuang explained. Li Lin didn''t ask further. Given Li Wushuang''s emphasis, the advantages of being a direct disciple over a regular disciple must be considerable. Just the quota for regular disciples in the Yunyang Sect was highly coveted, so the status of a direct disciple was naturally even more desirable. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. After returning to the courtyard and resting for a while, Li Lin spent some time talking with his mother, not overly nervous about the next day''s competition. At night, after dinner, Li Lin went back to his room to meditate and prepare for the special day ahead, with everything else already arranged by the Li family. For many people in Qingyun Town, it was a tense night. In a quiet courtyard, three figures gathered in a room. One of them, recognizable to Li Lin, was Yang Man from the Yang family, who had had a dispute with Li Wushuang at Tianbao Gate. The other two were a middle-aged man in a long robe with a profound gaze and an imposing aura, clearly not a weakling, and a young girl in a tight outfit, her youthful curves outlined, her face rosy like a blossoming peach, exuding a youthful aura. Her long black hair cascaded down her shoulders, a true beauty. "Mi''er, be careful tomorrow. You''ve hidden your abilities for years. This time, you must make it into the top five. Becoming a direct disciple of the Yunyang Sect would be even better," the middle-aged man said, looking at the beautiful girl with pride. The man was none other than Yang Xiangfeng, the head of the Yang family, one of the top five families in Qingyun Town, a significant figure whose actions could shake the entire town. "Dad, I know. Making it into the top five won''t be a problem," the beautiful girl, Yang Miao, replied with a voice full of youthful confidence, her appearance a blend of innocence, cuteness, charm, and a hint of allure. Yang Miao, the renowned talent of the Yang family and a dual-element warrior, had reached the third rank of Warrior at just seventeen, making her a rare genius. "Sister, don''t be careless. With Li Lin and Li Shaohu from the Li family and Qin Tianhao from the Qin family participating, it won''t be easy," Yang Man warned. "Sister, I know. I''ll be careful," Yang Miao responded with a light laugh. In Qingyun Town, within a large estate, a room brightly lit hosted several figures, including Wang Liang. "Guang''er, be extra careful tomorrow. With talents emerging from other families, you, having hidden your strengths for so long, must surpass them tomorrow," a man in a yellow robe advised softly. "Father, I''ll give it my all tomorrow and won''t let the Wang family down," a young man resembling Wang Liang replied with confidence. "Hmph, the Li and Qin families are getting ahead of themselves. They''ll be shocked when you step up tomorrow," Wang Liang said with a light laugh. For many in Qingyun Town, it was a restless night. As dawn broke, people started heading towards the town square for the family competition, aiming to secure a good spot. By early morning, the square was already packed with tens of thousands of people of all ages, with more continuing to arrive. Li Lin exhaled a breath of turbid air from his meditation, ready to face the day that could determine his entry into the Yunyang Sect. As time passed, the sunlight warmed the blue, cloudless sky. A gentle breeze carried the scent of spring, marking the earth''s awakening after winter. The square, surrounded by a sea of people, was not noisy as everyone awaited the participants'' arrival, especially those who had staked everything on the bets, anxiously anticipating the outcomes. Among the crowd, if one looked closely, they could spot many martial artists and even some spiritual practitioners mixed in. Chapter 61: Setting Off The ordinary commoners, watching the warriors and spirit practitioners, their eyes are filled with awe and envy. To become one of these two kinds of people means to be destined to stand above others. Even a warrior of the lowest strength lives much better than the average person. In this world, strength is everything. Today, all the shops in Qingyun Town opened earlier than usual. Early in the morning, the five major families of the townthe Qin, Li, Yang, Wang, and Luo familiesall dispatched a number of people to the square to maintain public order. Today is undoubtedly the busiest and most bustling day in Qingyun Town, with dense crowds gathering, an event that only happens once every three years. "Lin''er, hurry up and have breakfast. Mom made your favorite for you." Li Lin came out of the room and saw his mother, Lady Luo, busy preparing breakfast. "Thank you, Mom." Li Lin said, feeling a surge of happiness, undoubtedly the greatest gain he had in this world since he transversed. "Be careful in today''s competition. Mom believes in you. You and your father are alike; you will both become strong." Lady Luo said. Li Lin didn''t say much. It seems that in his mother''s heart, the love for his father always remained. As a younger generation, it wasn''t his place to comment. "Young Master, you have to work hard today. If you don''t make it into the top five, I''m done for." Li Xiaobai said. "How does me not making it into the top five affect you?" Li Lin asked in confusion. "I told many of the servants in the manor that there''s no problem with your strength. We, two hundred people, pooled together three hundred gold coins to bet on you entering the top five. If you don''t, am I not screwed?" Li Xiaobai said. "You''re really an idiot." Li Lin glared at Li Xiaobai. Two hundred servants gathering three hundred gold coins to bet on him winning was basically all of their savings. But if they had bet these three hundred gold coins on Du Gu Binglan winning, they could have won three thousand gold coins. Betting on him just wasn''t worth it. "Young Master, what''s an idiot?" Li Xiaobai asked, puzzled, blinking his small eyes. Li Lin said, "Idiot means you are brilliant and mighty." Li Xiaobai immediately smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head, "I can''t compare to the Young Master in being an idiot, you''re the real idiot." "You..." Li Lin suddenly spat out his breakfast, his face turning the color of a liver. "Lin''er, are you ready? We should set off." Two graceful figures walked in, and smelling the strong and mild fragrances, Li Lin knew it was Li Mei and Li Wushuang. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Both women were clearly dressed up today, with Li Mei appearing irresistibly seductive, her figure outlined in a tantalizing way, while Li Wushuang exuded an air of quality, her stunning beauty and noble temperament giving off an aura that was hard to approach, meant only to be admired from afar. "Yeah, almost ready." Li Lin said lightly, belching, having almost finished eating. "Lin''er brother, you have to do your best." Li Mei came up to Li Lin, her rich fragrance almost causing his nose to be allergic. "Lin''er, go on, Mom is waiting for your good news." Lady Luo told Li Lin. After a few words with his mother, Li Lin left the courtyard. The other members of the Li family seemed to have been waiting at the door as well. When Li Lin, Li Wushuang, Li Mei, and Li Xiaobai arrived at the door, they saw dozens of people waiting there, including Zhao Hui, Li Shaohu, as well as Uncle Li Dong, Fourth Uncle Li Xi, Second Aunt Li Nan, Zhou Lixing, Zhou Haiming, and several Li family elders, along with other clan members. "Hmph." Seeing Li Lin, Li Shaohu snorted coldly through his nose, while Zhou Haiming, looking at Li Mei beside Li Lin, had a gloomy expression, his gaze filled with admiration for Li Mei. "Lin''er, relax a bit, no need to be too nervous." Li Dong told Li Lin, pleased with the prospect of Li Lin and Li Shaohu both making it into the top five without much issue. Li Lin nodded slightly. He wasn''t nervous to begin with. After all, he had lived two lifetimes; he had the mentality, and even if he didn''t make it into the top five, it wouldn''t be the end of the world. "Take this with you." Li Dong took out two jade tokens with white straps attached, handing them to Li Lin, inscribed with his name and age. "Let''s go." Li Xi then said, and the Li family members slowly walked out, attracting awe and curious glances along the way. On the streets, many graceful young women watched Li Lin and Li Shaohu, whispering among themselves, their glances filled with shyness and admiration. Seeing these girls, Li Mei stood tall and stuck close to Li Lin, nearly clinging to him, making many of the girls show signs of disappointment. Indeed, they couldn''t compare to Li Mei. Many young men also looked at Li Lin and Li Shaohu with envy. "This time, the turnout is even bigger than before." Li Dong remarked along the way. "That''s because there are so many talents in Qingyun Town this time, and people from nearby towns have also come." Li Xi added. "I wonder if there will be any dark horses in this competition. That would be interesting." A Li family elder said. "With so many talents already, it''s unlikely for a dark horse to appear, but it''s not impossible." Li Dong said. Li Lin smiled slightly, knowing that Du Gu Binglan was indeed a dark horse, believing it would surprise many. Soon after, Li Lin and the Li family members reached the entrance of the square. Approaching the crowded entrance, Li Lin couldn''t help but shake his head. This world was like his previous one; places were always crowded with onlookers. "Let''s go in from the back." Li Dong suggested, as one of the five major families in Qingyun Town and being competitors, they had a reserved entrance. "Good to see you, sir." At the back door, Li family disciples came out to greet them. The group passed through the back door to the edge of the square, which was much quieter, but looking at the sea of people outside the square, Li Lin couldn''t help but feel overwhelmed. The number of people was astonishing, comparable to a celebrity concert in his previous life, easily numbering in the tens of thousands. "Li Dong, you''re late." At that moment, a figure appeared in front of the Li family, a middle-aged man with a robust physique, wearing a long robe, with an extraordinary presence, especially notable for his pure white eyebrows. Behind him were three men and one woman, all middle-aged, with extraordinary auras. Chapter 62: Gathering of Talents "Elder Bai Mei, you arrived so early." Li Dong said with a slight smile. "It''s you who are late. Are these Li Lin and Li Shaohu from the Li family? The sons of Li Zhong, indeed, they are extraordinary," the man known as Bai Mei said, watching Li Lin and Li Shaohu. "Disciple pays respects to Elder Bai Mei." At this moment, Li Wushuang quickly stepped forward to bow before Elder Bai Mei. "Wushuang, have you been lazy these past few months? Going back this time, you have a good chance of becoming a direct disciple. You should work hard; I have high hopes for you," Elder Bai Mei said with a slight smile. "The disciple dares not to slack off," Li Wushuang replied. "Lin''er, Shaohu, quickly greet Elder Bai Mei. This is Elder Bai Mei from the Yunyang Sect, who is also responsible for taking you to the Yunyang Sect," Li Dong said immediately. "Greetings to Elder Bai Mei." Li Lin promptly bowed, realizing he was an elder from the Yunyang Sect, no wonder each had an extraordinary aura. Li Shaohu also respectfully bowed, and the other members of the Li family did not dare to act arrogantly, bowing in turn. In front of an elder from the Yunyang Sect, they dared not offend. "So, you are Li Lin, a practitioner of three systems. Not bad, your talent is only a little behind that girl. I have high expectations for you," Bai Mei said, looking at Li Lin, who replied modestly yet confidently, "I will do my best." Elder Bai Mei nodded internally, approving of Li Lin''s demeanor. Hearing Elder Bai Mei''s praise for Li Lin, both Li Shaohu and Zhao Hui had somewhat ugly expressions, but they dared not say anything. "Elder Bai Mei, have the other families arrived?" Li Dong asked. "Some have arrived, but among the five major families, only your Li family has come so far," Bai Mei replied. Li Lin looked around the square. At this time, many people from the five major families were maintaining order. Among the crowd, there were many warriors, which indicated that any disturbance could lead to trouble, so the five major families were not taking any chances. Those maintaining order had the strength of at least a first-level martial disciple, all real warriors. Li Lin also saw several martial masters among the Li family and other families, representing the strength of the five major families to some extent. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. "Lin''er, Shaohu, go on in. Remember, do not be careless," Li Dong told them. Ahead was a narrow entrance, where only those participating in the competition could enter. Li Lin nodded and entered through the small entrance, officially arriving on the square. Glancing around, the square was circular, with thousands of seats on both sides, most of which were already filled with prominent figures from Qingyun Town. The remaining seats were reserved for members of the five major families, and behind him, on a stone platform, were about a dozen lavishly decorated VIP chairs, likely for the judges. Li Wushuang had told Li Lin that this time''s judges would include elders from the Yunyang Sect, officials, and members from the five major families of Qingyun Town. At this moment, about thirty young men and women were sitting quietly in a specific corner of the square, waiting for the competition to start. The arrival of Li Lin and Li Shaohu only caused a few to briefly open their eyes and glance over. Li Lin observed that most of these individuals had the strength of a first-level warrior, with a few only having the strength of an eighth or ninth-level martial disciple. Those with warrior strength were around nineteen or twenty years old, mostly from smaller families. At that moment, a few more young men and women entered through the entrance, likely participants of the competition. Li Lin ignored Li Shaohu and found a spot in the corner to sit down. "Have you arrived?" In his sight, Li Lin saw a familiar figure, graceful under her long dress, it was Du Gu Binglan from Tianbao Sect. "Lin''er, you''ve arrived quite early," Du Gu Binglan said with a light smile, coming directly in front of Li Lin, her fragrance wafting towards him. "Miss Du Gu, you''ve come too. Have a seat here," Li Shaohu said in surprise, then obsequiously stood up. "Thank you, Young Master Li, but I''ll sit next to Lin''er. We can chat," Du Gu Binglan said politely, smiling lightly, then sat down next to an empty spot beside Li Lin. Li Shaohu stared at Li Lin, puzzled about how Li Lin knew Du Gu Binglan, his expression turning cold. "Miss Binglan, where is Cuiyu?" Li Lin asked softly, knowing that the maid Cuiyu and Du Gu Binglan were usually inseparable, and it was strange not to see her today. "She''s in the front, over there," Du Gu Binglan said with a light smile, gesturing towards a seat in the front where the maid Cuiyu and a martial official were sitting. At this moment, Li Lin''s attention was drawn to a figure outside the entrance, a young man in a green robe watching their corner. Li Lin recognized him as someone from the Qin family. "That''s Qin Tianhao from the Qin family, a spiritual practitioner who rarely leaves the Qin family''s gates," Du Gu Binglan whispered to Li Lin. Li Lin observed Qin Tianhao, who was fair-skinned and slender but had a profound gaze, clearly not someone to be trifled with. The Qin family members whispered something to Qin Tianhao, who then entered the square with another young man, whose aura seemed quite strong. "Miss Du Gu, I heard you were participating, but I didn''t believe it until now," Qin Tianhao said, approaching Du Gu Binglan and bowing slightly. "Young Master Qin is well-informed," Du Gu Binglan said with a nod and a smile, her attitude towards Qin Tianhao noticeably warmer than towards Li Shaohu. "You flatter me, Miss Du Gu," Qin Tianhao replied with a light smile, then gracefully glanced at Li Lin before sitting down nearby with the Qin family''s young man. Two more figures arrived at the entrance, a young man and woman. Li Lin watched, noting the young woman was around sixteen or seventeen, with delicate features, wearing light red attire that outlined her youthful and graceful figure, with large eyes and black hair, exuding a vibrant energy, clearly a beauty in the making. Chapter 63: The Dark Horse Appears The young man was around eighteen or nineteen years old, dressed in fine clothes, with a hint of arrogance in his eyes, though his cultivation level wasn''t particularly impressive. "Lin''er, that is Yang Miao from the Yang family, a dual-system martial artist and also one of your competitors," Du Gu Binglan whispered. "Binglan, what are you doing here?" The young beauty, upon seeing Du Gu Binglan, quickly approached. "I''m just here to join in the fun. Let me introduce you; this is Young Master Li Lin from the Li family," Du Gu Binglan said, pulling Yang Miao with a smile. "So, you''re the tri-system martial artist from the Li family. If there''s a chance today, I''d like to see the strength of a tri-system martial artist," Yang Miao said lightly, looking at Li Lin without much change in her expression. "If there''s a chance, I won''t hold back," Li Lin replied quietly, feeling that Yang Miao''s personality was different from Yang Man''s that day. Moments later, two figures appeared at the entrance again, both young men around seventeen or eighteen, dressed in fine clothes, their faces showing some nervousness. "These are from the Luo family, side branch descendants, one named Luo Jin and the other Luo Fei," Du Gu Binglan introduced again. Li Lin only glanced briefly at the two, thinking to himself that Du Gu Binglan seemed to know the people from the five major families quite well, which was no simple feat. "These are from the Wang family, the one in front is Wang Guang, and the one behind is Wang Qing," Du Gu Binglan said again. At the entrance, following the Luo family members, two young men appeared. Li Lin''s gaze involuntarily focused on Wang Guang. With his sword-like eyebrows and large eyes, dressed in black, he had no special aura about him, but Li Lin felt that Wang Guang''s eyes showed no trace of nervousness and he had a faint aura about him, casually observing everyone around. "This Wang Guang seems to be not so simple," Li Lin thought to himself, going by his intuition. At that moment, about a dozen figures walked slowly to the judges'' seats at the top, the foremost being Elder Bai Mei from the Yunyang Sect along with four other officials from the sect, followed by Li Dong from the Li family and heads of other families. Li Lin recognized these people; the heads of the major families from Qingyun Town were present, except for his own so-called father from the Li family, who was the head of the family but did not participate. "Let''s begin." After the distinguished individuals from Qingyun Town''s major families took their seats, Elder Bai Mei glanced over the crowd and spoke lightly. "Yes, Elder." A middle-aged official from the Yunyang Sect responded, then took a crystal ball and stepped down from the judges'' platform. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. "The competition begins now. All participants listen carefully, come forward. The first round is not to test your strength but to verify your talent. Only those with above-average talent can proceed to the second round," the Yunyang Sect''s middle-aged official announced. The participating youths immediately moved forward, most showing signs of nervousness. In the spectator seats around, the atmosphere was lively with sounds as people from the major families cheered for their contestants, creating waves of screams. In this atmosphere, Li Lin felt his heart warming up. He was aware of the competition''s rules; Yunyang Sect''s requirements for its disciples were extremely strict, demanding at least above-average talent for admission. The first round was a talent verification, assessing talent based on age and strength. Those with insufficient talent would not proceed to the second round. The participants stood up and walked forward in turn. Each young man and woman, at the prime of their youth and representing significant backgrounds, incited loud screams from many young spectators, appearing as if they were followers. Among these shouts, Yang Miao received the loudest support, especially from young masters of smaller families. Standing before the Yunyang Sect official, the middle-aged man continued, "We will now begin verifying your talent. Those with above-average talent may stay; those below must step down. Yunyang Sect does not accept disciples with poor talent." "The first one, come forward." The official said lightly, placing the crystal ball on a stone platform. The first participant, a young man in blue attire, nervously stepped forward, placed his right hand on the crystal ball, and as his Qi flowed in, a yellow glow appeared on the ball. "Chen Tao, Earth system first-level warrior, twenty years old, medium talent. Please step down," the Yunyang Sect official announced. The first to be verified could not pass; despite being a first-level warrior, his age made his talent average. The young man in blue attire shook his head slightly and reluctantly walked away. The second participant, a young man in green attire, began his verification, and a red glow appeared on the crystal ball. "Zhai Qingfeng, sixteen years old, Fire system ninth-level martial disciple, above-average talent." "Bai Shaoqing, eighteen years old, Water system second-level warrior, above-average talent." One after another, participants were verified. Most had decent talent, but some with average talent among them had to exit the stage after their verification. Li Lin observed the Yunyang Sect''s verification process, noting it was much stricter than the Li family''s. After a while, Qin Tianhao from the Qin family approached the crystal ball, placed his hand on it, closed his eyes, and a spiritual force flowed into the ball. Instantly, the crystal ball shone with a dazzling light, and spiritual energy vibrated around it. "Qin Tianhao, eighteen years old, third-level spiritual practitioner, can directly enter Yunyang Sect," the Yunyang Sect official announced loudly, his eyes looking at Qin Tianhao differently. According to Yunyang Sect''s rules, anyone identified as a spiritual practitioner could directly enter the sect and even become a direct disciple. This was because spiritual practitioners were extremely rare and highly sought after by forces across all major spiritual and martial continents. "Wow, directly entering Yunyang Sect and becoming a direct disciple." Suddenly, countless people began screaming frantically, especially the girls, some even loudly expressing their love. Li Lin couldn''t help thinking that girls in this world were quite outgoing. "Congratulations to the Luo family head," the heads of the other families immediately congratulated the Luo family. Becoming a direct disciple of Yunyang Sect meant the Luo family''s future expansion was assured. With Yunyang Sect''s backing, the Luo family''s growth was inevitable. "Yang Miao, seventeen years old, dual-system Water and Fire third-level warrior, exceptional talent." The audience seats erupted again, with many shouting for the exceptional talent, a rarity in previous years. "Wang Guang, seventeen years old, Earth system ninth-level warrior, exceptional talent." Chapter 64: An Unexpected Turn As the voice of the Yunyang Sect official echoed, everyone was surprised and turned their gaze toward Wang Guang of the Wang family, who had not attracted much attention until then. A seventeen-year-old ninth-level warrior, only one step away from becoming a martial master. Although not as dazzling as a spiritual practitioner or a triple-system martial artist, this talent was extremely terrifying. "My God, a seventeen-year-old ninth-level warrior, what a terrifying talent." "Among those present, Wang Guang''s strength is probably the highest." The onlookers were abuzz with astonishment and surprise. A seventeen-year-old ninth-level warrior was indeed rare, and such strength should make entering the top five no problem at all. "Head of the Wang family, your family has really kept a deep secret," the other family heads said in surprise, looking at a middle-aged man in a yellow robe. "Head Wang, you have really surprised us," the head of the Yang family, Yang Xiangfeng, said. "Head Yang, Yang Miao has also kept a deep secret, only now revealing a dual-system martial artist. I had no choice but to reveal, my apologies for any amusement this causes," the man in the yellow robe said with a laugh, but his expression carried a bit of pride. His son had been concealing his edge for so long just for this day. "Wang Guang must be considered a dark horse in this competition, a ninth-level warrior. There are not many who can match him," Li Lin thought to himself. Among those present, Wang Guang''s strength was undoubtedly the strongest. "Li Shaohu, sixteen years old, dual-system of Earth and Wood, third-level warrior, exceptional talent." Li Shaohu then underwent verification, which showed no difference from the Li family''s assessment. A dual-system warrior with exceptional talent also caused quite a stir, with many from the Li family screaming in excitement, including Zhao Hui, Li Nan, Zhou Lixing, and others sitting in the spectator seats, showing smiles. "Li Dong, your Li family is really something this time," the judges couldn''t help but comment. Finally, it was Li Lin''s turn. He stepped forward slowly, placing his right hand on the crystal ball. This time, Li Lin was prepared not to use all five elemental attributes, only manifesting the wind, fire, and earth attributes that had already been revealed. The Qi injected into the crystal ball immediately caused it to display three different glows. "It''s better to hide some strength," Li Lin thought to himself. He was now at the level of a fourth-level warrior, while the last assessment at the Li family had him as a third-level warrior. He could completely hide his strength, as the difference between a third and a fourth-level warrior was significant. Controlling the Qi in his hand, Li Lin kept the output around the level of his initial third-level warrior stage, considering Uncle Jiang had mentioned that ordinary people couldn''t discern his cultivation level with the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art. "Li Lin, sixteen years old, tri-system martial artist of Earth, Fire, and Wind, third-level warrior, top-tier talent," the Yunyang Sect''s middle-aged official couldn''t help but be moved as he spoke. A tri-system martial artist, in his entire life, he only knew of one, and within the Yunyang Sect, there was only that monstrously talented individual who was a tri-system martial artist. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. "A tri-system martial artist, and top-tier talent at that." The crowd once again erupted, even more so than for the Qin family''s spiritual practitioner. A tri-system martial artist was rare to see. "Li Dong, this time your Li family is truly remarkable. Li Zhong''s two sons are both of astonishing talent," the heads of the major families were surprised. A tri-system martial artist, they knew very well what that represented. Watching Li Lin cause another sensation, Li Shaohu nearby had a gloomy face, his eyes filled with coldness. "The last one, Du Gu Binglan," the middle-aged official said, with only Du Gu Binglan left to be verified. Li Lin was curious about Du Gu Binglan, unable to see through her and wondering what level she had reached. Du Gu Binglan gracefully moved to the crystal ball, extending her arm from her sleeve, her delicate hand lightly touching the ball. Immediately, the ball emitted a dazzling blue glow. "Du Gu Binglan, eighteen years old, ninth-level Water system warrior, excellent talent." "A ninth-level warrior." Li Lin was slightly surprised, having already sensed Du Gu Binglan''s extraordinariness. A ninth-level warrior, like Wang Guang, not many among the attendees could match her. "Another ninth-level warrior, it seems the competition for the top five is going to be intense." Many people commented. With such strong talents emerging this time and Qin Tianhao having already secured one of the five Yunyang Sect spots, only four remained, yet there were more than four with strong talents and aptitudes, making the competition inevitable. "Head Elder Bai Mei, Tianbao Gate has not participated in previous years; how come Du Gu Binglan is participating in the competition this time?" Yang Xiangfeng from the Yang family inquired at the judges'' seat. "I''m not sure myself; Miss Du Gu from Tianbao Gate participating was arranged by the sect. This time, Qingyun Town has many promising young talents, making my trip here worthwhile." Seeing so many talented youngsters, especially a spiritual practitioner, a tri-system martial artist, and two dual-system martial artists, Elder Bai Mei smiled, finding these one-in-a-million talents very promising. Li Lin watched as the first round ended, and from the original fifty-two participants, only thirty-eight remained, with fourteen eliminated. These thirty-eight all had at least above-average talent, though their strength varied, with high and low among them. High talent didn''t necessarily mean strong combat ability. "Now we begin the second round. Do you see the stone platform behind me? You can freely make your moves once you''re up there, but remember, no lethal attacks, or you''ll be disqualified. The last eight will proceed to the third round, go on up now," the Yunyang Sect official announced. The contestants had already noticed the stone platform behind the official, standing over two meters high and about two hundred square meters in area. "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..." With the official''s words, several figures leapt towards the platform, knowing from the rules that occupying a position near the center increased their chances of staying till the end. "Binglan, I''m going up," Yang Miao said lightly, then leaped up. Her youthful and graceful figure wrapped in light red attire jumped onto the platform, and as she was about to land, she was surrounded by a red Qi, drawing a ninety-degree arc in the air before landing in the center under the heated gaze of many. Wang Guang watched Yang Miao, his expression slightly darkening. His Qi vibrated as he leapt onto the platform, his body light as a snowflake, spinning as he descended in a graceful posture, landing without a sound, causing many young girls among the onlookers to scream in amazement. "Lin''er, let''s go up," Du Gu Binglan said with a slight smile, her Qi vibrating as she beautifully arched through the air, her hair and dress dancing gracefully, winning much applause. Without a ramp to the platform, Li Lin planned to jump up. His Qi vibrated, and with a push from the ground, he leaped towards the platform. At that moment, Li Shaohu''s eyes flashed coldly as he shot up like lightning, intentionally slamming hard towards Li Lin. Chapter 65: Perfect Control In mid-air, as Li Shaohu brushed past him, Li Lin immediately felt a surge of invisible Qi sweeping towards him. In that instant, Li Shaohu had already launched a palm strike towards Li Lins chest. Caught off guard and in mid-air, Li Lin could only twist his body to dodge, but due to the suddenness, he was slower, and a gust of wind landed on his shoulder. Fortunately, Li Shaohu only acted covertly, not daring to exert too much force, merely hoping to embarrass Li Lin. The gust of wind was only enough to knock Li Lin to the ground. "Damn it," Li Lin cursed, suddenly plummeting under the watchful eyes of the crowd. The platform was only two meters high, so to the onlookers, Li Lin seemed to have made a mistake and fell from mid-air, about to land headfirst and tumble over. At that moment, just as his head was about to hit the ground, Li Lin struck the stone with a palm, releasing a burst of visible pale yellow Qi, immediately causing a crack to spread across the stone. Then, a rebounding force emerged, and with the pushback from his Qi, Li Lins rapidly descending body suddenly halted, and with a second palm strike, another crack appeared on the stone platform, propelling his body upwards before he spun 360 degrees in mid-air to regain his posture. At this time, Li Lin spread his arms, his Qi vibrating around him, using the balance of his arms to dive down like an eagle, his piercing gaze fixed on Li Shaohu. But this was only for a moment. Utilizing his arms and Qi to perfectly control his descent to the center of the platform, under the astonished gaze of the audience, no one expected Li Lin, while in mid-air, to also gather a pale yellow palm strike. "Make way," the target of his palm strike was a young man from a smaller family with the strength of a first-level warrior. The young man, surprised by Li Lins agility, reacted too late when he saw the attack coming. Unprepared, he met the palm strike with his own, only to be sent flying back, tumbling off the platform and onto the ground, as Li Lin elegantly landed in the coveted spot, dusting off his hands nonchalantly. "The control over his Qi is exquisite; this young man is not simple," Elder Bai Mei praised, watching the scene unfold. At the judges'' seat, Li Dong smiled slightly, watching Li Lins performance closely. The other contestants were equally astonished. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. "Amazing." "Awesome." "So cool." The onlookers, many of whom were martial artists and knew quality when they saw it, began to cheer loudly, and several young girls screamed in excitement. Li Shaohu had not expected his attempt to embarrass Li Lin would instead highlight Li Lins skill, leaving him with an extremely ugly expression. However, all this happened in an instant, and at that moment, numerous figures on the platform began to move. "Start." Instantly, dozens of contestants began to act, as the Yunyang Sect official had said, they could freely engage upon reaching the platform. Without hesitation, knowing that only eight would remain, taking the initiative offered a better chance. "Overestimating yourself with just the strength of a martial disciple, step down," Yang Miao commanded, weaving through the platform, her palm carrying flames as she struck at a young man with the strength of a ninth-level martial disciple. The young man stood no chance against her, attempting to counter with a palm strike but was instantly blown off the platform, falling heavily to the ground below. The difference between martial disciples and warriors was not minor, and although the young man had decent talent, talent did not equate to strength. The platform became a scene of chaos, with contestants clashing against each other. Qi surged, and soon, several were knocked off the platform. In this melee, an odd phenomenon occurred: no one dared to provoke Du Gu Binglan, Wang Guang, Li Shaohu, Li Lin, and Yang Miao. Their strengths were known from the talent verification, deterring any unwelcome challenges. Yet, Yang Miao didn''t hesitate to initiate confrontations. In a short time, she kicked another contestant, a first-level warrior from the Luo family, off the platform. The platform was filled with the sounds of collisions, and amidst the chaos, several contestants were unsure how they ended up off the platform, cursing their luck in silence. Li Lin, upon entering, repelled a first-level warrior. Knowing he was a tri-system third-level warrior, no one dared approach him. He stood aside, conserving his strength for the third round. Another contestant fell off the platform, and among the onlookers, reactions varied from joy to curses, with bets placed on various participants. The battle intensified, eventually dragging in Li Lin, Du Gu Binglan, Wang Guang, and others into the fray. With the addition of Li Lin, Wang Guang, and others, weaker participants continually fell off the platform. Li Lin moved through the crowd, dodging without striking much, watching Wang Guang and Du Gu Binglan, who also didnt engage much, avoiding unnecessary confrontations. Soon, only ten remained on the chaotic platform, including Li Lin, Li Shaohu, Du Gu Binglan, Wang Guang, Yang Miao, two from the Luo family, Luo Fei and Luo Jin, Wang Qing from the Wang family, and two youths from smaller families, both warriors, one a first-level and the other a second-level. "Two more need to go down," Wang Guang, who had been quietly observing, approached one of the second-level warriors. "You''re too weak, step down," Wang Guang said coldly, sending a palm strike that forced the young man to hastily retreat and ultimately fall. But the young man hadn''t anticipated Wang Guang''s speed; a sharp whoosh followed by a palm strike sent him flying off the platform. Chapter 66: The Strength of Du Gu Binglan "Your strength is not enough, step down." Yang Miaojiao commanded, her target being the young warrior of the first level. "I''ll step down myself." The young man had already seen Yang Miao''s strength and knew his own was far from enough. Besides, with only the strong remaining, he couldn''t stay till the end. It was wiser to step down voluntarily, he thought, and indeed, he jumped off the stone platform directly. "Good for you to recognize the situation." Yang Miao clapped her hands with a slight smile. "This second round is really simple." Li Lin was somewhat surprised. He had hardly made a move, and Du Gu Binglan was just dodging in the chaos, hardly a real engagement. Now, only eight people remained on the stone platform, which could only be attributed to the significant disparity in strength among the others. "Alright, the eight of you, come down." The elder from Yunyang Sect instructed the remaining eight. The eight leaped down from the stone platform, landing almost simultaneously, adding a touch of beauty to the scene. "Now, you eight will enter the third round, where only four will remain, and four will be eliminated. Whether you can enter Yunyang Sect will depend on your own strength and luck," said the middle-aged elder of Yunyang Sect, scanning the crowd before continuing, "There are eight jade tokens in the box in front of me with your names. I will draw two each time, and those called will compete on the stone platform. The winner will enter Yunyang Sect. As for facing the opponent you least want to encounter, don''t blame fate or others, as it''s all down to luck, since I''m just randomly drawing two tokens." "This time, the young talents from Qingyun Town are not bad. It''s just that they met together. Under normal circumstances, some of those who lost would have had the chance to enter Yunyang Sect," commented an elder from Yunyang Sect with white eyebrows from the judges'' seat. "Indeed, this time, there are quite a few with strong talents," nodded the heads of various families, recognizing that this generation of young people was incomparable to the past. "The first round, Du Gu Binglan, Luo Fei," announced the Yunyang Sect elder, drawing two jade tokens from the box, calling up Du Gu Binglan and Luo Fei from the Luo family. The Luo family''s faces changed immediately on the judges'' seat. Luo Fei was only a second-level warrior, while Du Gu Binglan was already a ninth-level warrior. This gap was not ordinary. "Go on up, falling off the stone platform means defeat," said the elder from Yunyang Sect. With a sense of resignation, Luo Fei leaped onto the stone platform. As a member of the Luo family, even knowing he was outmatched, he couldn''t show weakness in front of so many. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Du Gu Binglan, with an unchanging expression, vibrated her true qi within her graceful body, leaping onto the platform in a beautiful arc, causing ripples in many young men''s hearts. "Let''s begin," Du Gu Binglan said softly to Luo Fei, her body enveloped in a faintly visible qi shield. "Miss Du Gu, please forgive me," Luo Fei spoke lightly, gripping a green longsword in his hand, with true qi spreading through the blade, revealing a sharp edge that demanded attention. "Come on." Du Gu Binglan softly called out, as the true qi around her body surged. With both participants vibrating their true qi, the air around the stone platform seemed to solidify. The tens of thousands of onlookers began to quiet down, their gazes fixed on the two, curious to see who would be the second to enter Yunyang Sect. Li Lin watched Du Gu Binglan and Luo Fei on the platform, expecting the outcome to hold no surprise. Then, his gaze shifted far towards Cuiyu, who seemed to be looking back at Li Lin, nodding slightly. She appeared to have no worries about her mistress. Luo Fei took a deep breath, and his longsword spread out a blade that carved a not-so-shallow mark on the stone platform, sparking as it rushed towards Du Gu Binglan. Du Gu Binglan''s expression remained unchanged. As Luo Fei got within five meters, she moved, her toes lightly touching the ground, her body drifting and flickering like a leaf in a storm, swiftly crossing paths with Luo Fei. In that instant, Du Gu Binglan formed hand seals, her body shining with a bright blue light. Her slender wrist extended gracefully from her sleeve, her delicate hand sweeping out naturally, forming five small water blades from five streams of water, cutting through the air and slashing towards Luo Fei. Luo Fei''s expression darkened, his longsword hastily drawing out five sword shadows to collide with the water blades, cutting through the air and raising a whirlwind, compressing the surrounding air. The collision of forces shattered the water blades, but Luo Fei''s body staggered back several steps, his longsword scraping across the stone platform with sparks before he steadied himself. Then, Du Gu Binglan reappeared, her figure graceful as she swung her arm, her right hand forming a half-meter-diameter azure water ball, hurling it fiercely at Luo Fei. The oppressive force of the water ball rippled through the air, showcasing the strength of a ninth-level warrior. Luo Fei''s expression darkened again. Pulling his longsword from the stone platform, he formed a hand seal with one hand, channeling true qi into the sword, causing it to hum. Gritting his teeth, he leaped up, his longsword thrusting forward, leaving a dazzling arc in the air. The sharp tip seemed to pierce through the air resistance, creating dozens of light rays and drawing a sword flower with a crisp sound as it collided with the water ball. Upon impact, a powerful surge of energy met, and the sword tip was swallowed by the water ball, leaving Luo Fei unable to move his longsword. The water ball then pressed forward, bending the sword to an extreme curve as if it was about to break, causing Luo Fei''s eyes to widen in shock as he retreated. Many onlookers winced for Luo Fei, who was clearly outmatched and obviously not the opponent. At that moment, Du Gu Binglan''s figure appeared like a phantom, her wrist flicking up, and her palm raised, a blue palm imprint swung out without hesitation. A violent surge of water-attributed true qi burst from her palm, striking Luo Fei''s right shoulder. The powerful force shattered Luo Fei''s protective qi shield, and with the palm''s impact, Luo Fei''s body fell to the ground like a cut kite. With a loud "thud," Luo Fei''s body landed outside the stone platform without any suspense. "Du Gu Binglan wins," announced the official from Yunyang Sect. According to the rules, falling off the stone platform meant defeat. In the first match, Du Gu Binglan successfully secured a place to enter Yunyang Sect. Chapter 67: Li Shaohu Wins Du Gu Binglan then gracefully descended from the stone platform to Li Lin''s side, offering a slight smile as if all these were within her expectations and nothing was a surprise. "Fifteen thousand gold coins, huh." Li Lin smiled inwardly at that moment. With Du Gu Binglan''s victory, the one thousand five hundred gold coins he bet turned into ten times that in just three days. He wished he had gathered more money to bet more. "The second match, Li Shaohu, Yang Qing," announced the middle-aged official from Yunyang Sect, pulling out two jade slips from the box for the match between Li Shaohu and Yang Qing. Li Lin observed Yang Qing, who was from the Yang family, followed behind Yang Miao, an eighteen-year-old youth in luxurious clothing with a hint of arrogance in his eyes. His cultivation was only at the second level of warrior, decent but not outstanding among the crowd, similar to Luo Fei who had just fought. Li Shaohu smiled slightly, feeling inwardly pleased. Facing Yang Qing was definitely good luck for him; if it had been Wang Guang instead, that would have been unlucky. Leaping up, Li Shaohu moved onto the stone platform with clean and efficient actions, his cultivation of the third level warrior giving him quite the advantage. At that moment, Yang Qing''s expression turned sour, aware of the impending bad luck but still elegantly stepped onto the stone platform. "Yang Qing, step down," Li Shaohu commanded coldly as soon as Yang Qing stepped onto the platform. With true qi vibrating around his body, a surge of earthy yellow true qi quickly enveloped him, forming a qi barrier in front of him as he roared, "Earth Savage Fist!" As Li Shaohu''s shout fell, he formed hand seals, and his crossed hands swept forward, creating a fist imprint that tore through the air with a breaking sound. Carrying a powerful force, it thunderously attacked Yang Qing. Yang Qing, sensing the opponent''s strength, was shocked, his face slightly changing as he flicked his hand, striking back with a hand seal and swinging his right hand backward, releasing a fierce invisible force from his palm. Both forces were strong, stirring up a windstorm across the stone platform as they collided. "Boom!" The collision of their fierce forces wrapped around them, forming a vortex of qi, like a small tornado. Then, Yang Qing seemed to falter, staggering back, the difference in their cultivation levels making him significantly disadvantaged in strength. "Yang Qing, you''re no match for me, step down," Li Shaohu coldly shouted again, his foot stomping the ground in an instant, his body shooting up as he launched another punch. "Hmph, Li Shaohu, no need to be arrogant," Yang Qing shouted back, his body dodging to one side, barely avoiding Li Shaohu''s punch. "What does it matter if I''m arrogant? Your strength isn''t enough," Li Shaohu coldly shouted again. As Yang Qing retreated, Li Shaohu stomped the ground once more, his figure shooting forward. His hand seals changed, summoning dozens of vines from a burst of green light in front of him, which tore through an invisible ripple in space, rapidly entangling towards Yang Qing, bringing with them a sharp sound of tearing wind. Feeling the sharp wind and force in front of him, Yang Qing''s face turned solemn. Dual-element warriors were indeed much stronger than ordinary warriors, with their unpredictable dual attributes. "No wonder he''s a dual-element warrior. The strength displayed is much more formidable than that of warriors of the same level," Yang Xiangfeng commented from the judges'' seat, not surprised that Yang Qing was overpowered, as it was expected. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement."Chief Yang, doesn''t your Yang family also have a dual-element warrior?" Li Dong said with a slight smile. "That''s still no match for your Li family. You have a triple-element warrior," Yang Xiangfeng replied lightly. Meanwhile, on the stone platform, under the entanglement of numerous vines, Yang Qing sidestepped and hastily retreated. His true qi surged rapidly within him, and unknowingly, he grasped a large saber in his right hand. The blade shone with a cold light, and he immediately sliced at a vine. "With a ''whoosh,'' a vine was cut off, and with a swift movement, several more vines were severed. "Break for me!" Yang Qing shouted, with a burst of true qi erupting from around him. The large saber in his hand vibrated, instantly wrapped in flames. Visible to the naked eye, an invisible fluctuation vibrated around Yang Qing. True qi was crazily injected into the saber, turning his complexion pale. This move seemed to be his trump card, powerful but consuming a lot of true qi. Simultaneously, as the saber moved, the surrounding space danced with a bunch of fiery saber flames, flawlessly protecting Yang Qing. The vines, as they crossed through space, were instantly devoured by the saber flames and vanished into white smoke in the air. "Hmph, now, it''s your turn to step down," Li Shaohu appeared in front of Yang Qing, a palm print emerging in front of him, with true qi rampaging through the space. The palm print moved through the air and then struck Yang Qing''s shocked face, the air turning into a wild wind, whistling as it broke through. At this moment, Yang Qing''s pupils contracted, his expression horrified, unable to dodge. The shock in his heart flashed by, with fire-attribute true qi being injected into the large saber in his hands, the saber''s light flaring up, but it was a step too slow. In that instant, Li Shaohu''s palm print directly penetrated Yang Qing''s protective qi shield and then smashed onto his right shoulder. "Boom!" The space exploded, and as the sound fell, a figure was sent flying, crashing heavily below the stone platform, spitting out blood as everyone watched. Naturally, the one who landed in such a sorry state was Yang Qing. "Li Shaohu wins." With Yang Qing falling off the stone platform, he was defeated, and the official from Yunyang Sect immediately announced the result. On the spectator seats, Zhao Hui and many from the Li family showed smiles. On the judges'' seat, Li Dong also smiled broadly, happy to have successfully entered Yunyang Sect, but he soon started to worry. Among the remaining four, if Li Lin faced Wang Guang, that would be troublesome. At this moment, the patriarch of the Yang family, Yang Xiangfeng, looked quite displeased. His clan member losing to someone from the Li family was not a happy matter. "Hmph!" Li Shaohu leaped down from the stone platform, giving Li Lin a cold glance. "Kid, keep being proud for now. When the opportunity comes, I''ll cripple you. We''ll settle this account later," Li Lin thought to himself, knowing that although they shared the same father, there was no brotherly love between them. As Li Shaohu jumped down from the stone platform, the remaining four once again looked towards the middle-aged official from Yunyang Sect. The third round undoubtedly made everyone extremely nervous. Li Lin, Yang Miao, and Luo Jin from the Luo family all did not want to face Wang Guang. None of them were fools; Wang Guang was the strongest, and whoever faced him would be unlucky. Chapter 68: The Sparking Wildfire Saber "The third match, Yang Miao" the middle-aged official from Yunyang Sect pulled out two jade tokens from the small box, glancing at the four people below him, and announced: "Luo Jin." "It seems that I won''t have the chance to properly compete with you this time," Yang Miao said to Li Lin, then with a beautifully curved body, she elegantly leaped onto the stone platform. Luo Jin appeared resigned as he too jumped onto the platform. This was probably the best luck he could have asked for. At least on the surface, facing Yang Miao seemed a better prospect than facing Wang Guang from the Wang family or Li Lin from the Li family. Below the stone platform, only Li Lin and Wang Guang remained. Li Dong, Li Wushuang, Li Xi, and others showed a slight change in expression. Although they recognized Li Lin''s exceptional abilities, the six levels of difference in strength seemed too great. In their eyes, Li Lin was still only a third-level warrior. Only Zhao Hui and Li Shaohu showed smiles at this, even Zhou Lixing, Li Nan, and Zhou Haiming had cold smirks, waiting to see Li Lin defeated. "Luo Jin, you are only a second-level warrior. You are no match for me. Surrender," Yang Miao, clad in a tight outfit, told Luo Jin. "Whether I''m a match or not, we won''t know until we''ve fought. Even if I''m not, the Luo family does not have anyone who would surrender," Luo Jin said calmly. At his words, the patriarch of the Luo family on the judges'' seat smiled slightly, very satisfied, which also garnered quite a bit of goodwill from the onlookers. "Alright, then I''ll let you make the first move," Yang Miao pouted her red lips. "Then I''ll take you up on that offer." As soon as he finished speaking, Luo Jin, knowing his strength was inferior, didn''t hold back. He leaped up, a surge of red true qi bursting out from around him. In that instant in the air, Luo Jin formed hand seals, and a curved saber about half a meter long appeared in his hand. The blade shimmered with a dark red glow, with a groove winding along the blade edge, carrying a chilling brightness. This saber was clearly no ordinary weapon. The saber traced an arc, then fiercely slashed towards Yang Miao, cutting through the air. "Good coming," Yang Miao chuckled lightly, forming a hand seal, and timely produced a red sheathed long sword in her hand. The sword, once drawn, rapidly spun in her hand, creating several sword shadows that dazzled the eyes. It was as agile and venomous as a serpent, swiftly blocking Luo Jin''s curved saber. The clash of saber light and sword shadow was so fast it dazzled the eyes. The figures of the two separated, with Luo Jin''s face turning slightly pale. The saber lightly traced, emitting faint sparks, carrying a cold saber light slashing towards Yang Miao again. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Yang Miao''s delicate body leaped, her true qi suddenly erupting, and her figure turned into a blurred shadow darting towards Luo Jin like lightning. This speed was incredibly fast. At the same time, true qi was infused into her long sword, also carrying flames appearing on it. The sword''s light cut through the air, fiercely striking towards Luo Jin. Luo Jin''s expression remained unchanged, knowing his strength was lower, and directly confronting Yang Miao would not be to his advantage. In an instant, he tapped the ground with the tip of his foot, with true qi bursting out from beneath, retreating several steps like teleportation. His curved saber then swept out, the strong force carrying a hint of scorching flame, creating a faint circle of firelight in the air, with a sharp sound of cutting wind continuously echoing. Yang Miao''s delicate body sidestepped, quickly forming hand seals. The long sword in her hand suddenly changed direction, drawing a series of sword shadows, with fire attribute true qi shooting out, enveloping the entire space around her, and fiercely covering Luo Jin. "Clang, clang" Amidst sparks flying, both figures retreated, but Luo Jin was clearly at a disadvantage, staggering back. "Again." Seizing the advantage, Yang Miao didn''t relent. She stepped back, the tip of her sword piercing into the stone platform, creating a mark to stabilize her body. Then, with a tap of her toe, her figure leaped up again, her body flipping in mid-air, and then with a push of her feet towards the sky, she dived like a hunting eagle towards Luo Jin''s head, her long sword drawing several sword shadows, with the temperature of the entire space rising rapidly. "Chief Yang, your daughter is extraordinary, with immense talent. Her mastery and control of martial skills are divine, not less impressive than her talent," the white-browed elder from Yunyang Sect couldn''t help but praise while watching the two on the platform. Sometimes, the ability to react in battle is as important as innate cultivation talent. A true warrior is not made through cultivation alone but through countless battles. "Hopefully, Elder White-Brow will cultivate her more in the future," Yang Xiangfeng said with a slight smile, naturally very satisfied with his daughter''s performance. "Naturally, with her talent and performance, standing out in Yunyang Sect won''t be difficult. There''s a great chance she''ll become a direct disciple," the white-browed elder laughed, implying that as a dual-element warrior, becoming a direct disciple of Yunyang Sect was almost a certainty. Li Lin was also watching the match on the platform, his mind constantly thinking about how to deal with Wang Guang. The difference in strength was too great; it seemed he would have to find an opportunity to strike unexpectedly, just like he did with Zhou Haiming. The competition on the platform had intensified, with the two figures constantly clashing. Gradually, Luo Jin was pushed to the edge of the platform. "Sparking Wildfire Saber." Luo Jin shouted, suddenly causing his true qi to burst out intensely hot from within him, swirling around his body and igniting flames, the saber''s light greatly intensifying. The curved saber in front of him spun continuously, resembling a fan''s blades spinning, quickly forming a circular saber flame orb, with the surrounding air turning into mist and dissipating. Following this, the fireball fiercely shot out towards Yang Miao, pressing down on her. At this moment, Luo Jin''s face was pale; the Sparking Wildfire Saber was powerful but also consumed a significant amount of true qi. He wouldn''t use his trump card unless it was absolutely necessary. "Fire Shadow Sword." Yang Miao shouted, under Luo Jin''s Sparking Wildfire Saber, she dared not be careless. True qi surged from her hand, a hot breath immediately enveloping the stone platform. Her long sword, in an instant, drew out dozens of sword beams, enveloping the space and then twisting towards the saber flame orb. Chapter 69: Formidable Strength At the same time, Yang Miao''s expression darkened, a stream of blue true qi continuously spreading in her left hand, eventually forming a huge blue light orb. The blue orb kept spinning and expanding as if it was brewing something, enveloping the surrounding space in a suppressive atmosphere. "Whoosh, whoosh" The sword shadows and fireball collided, flames bursting forth, scattering across the stone platform like grand fireworks. The space above the platform was filled with continuous explosive sounds as the air was compressed and qi surged, pushing both figures back. "Step down now," Yang Miao said as she retreated, at that moment, the blue orb in her left hand expanded to several meters in diameter and then she hurled it towards Luo Jin. "Bang!" The expanding blue orb burst forth instantly, exploding in mid-air into a giant water column that struck Luo Jin, who was stumbling backward, with a tremendous force. Luo Jin was hit hard, his body flung into the air with a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth, eventually falling towards the edge of the platform. "Bang!" Luo Jin crashed heavily below the platform. The difference in strength of one level, coupled with Yang Miao being a dual-element warrior, made it difficult for him to compete. After a dozen exchanges, he was defeated. "The third match, Yang Miao wins," announced the middle-aged official from Yunyang Sect. With Yang Miao''s victory, she became the fourth to enter Yunyang Sect, immediately drawing loud cheers from many young men among the onlookers, clearly showing Yang Miao had many admirers. "If you can defeat Wang Guang and enter Yunyang Sect, we still have a chance for a match," Yang Miao said to Li Lin as she jumped off the platform and approached him. "Wang Guang, Li Lin, the fourth match, it''s your turn," said the middle-aged official from Yunyang Sect to Wang Guang and Li Lin, his gaze complex as he looked at Li Lin, thinking Li Lin was quite unlucky to face Wang Guang, given the vast difference, even a tri-element warrior would struggle to compete. "Kid, let''s see what''s so special about a tri-element warrior," Wang Guang said with a slight smile before leaping onto the platform. Facing a third-level warrior like Li Lin, he wasn''t concerned at all, well aware of the vast difference between a third-level and a ninth-level warrior. Li Lin''s expression became serious, and with his true qi vibrating around him, he leaped onto the platform, ready to seize any opportunity. Seeing the two stand on the platform, Zhao Hui, Li Shaohu, and Zhao Haiming sneered slightly. Almost no one among the audience favored Li Lin, as anyone familiar with martial arts knew the significant difference between a third-level and a ninth-level warrior. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. In the spectator seats, the maid Cuiyu also watched the platform closely, a spark of keenness flashing in her eyes before disappearing. "Kid, make your move, let''s see what a tri-element warrior is made of," Wang Guang said with a light laugh. "Is that so? Why don''t you make the first move," Li Lin replied calmly, intending to conserve his strength, as making the first move would go against his plan. "Arrogant kid," Wang Guang sneered coldly, his hand seals flickering, and a circle of earthy-yellow true qi rapidly formed in front of him, creating a qi shield. Then, his body surged forward explosively, shooting towards Li Lin like lightning. Li Lin instantly retreated; at this moment, he couldn''t afford any tension. Given the significant difference in strength, any mistake on his part would essentially mean the end for him. As Wang Guang''s body surged forward, a faint earthy-yellow true qi started to shimmer around him. His hands transformed, and then both fists clenched tightly, making a cracking sound at the joints, carrying a sharp whoosh through the air. His fists, filled with formidable qi, exploded towards Li Lin from both sides. Li Lin dared not face him head-on, his body retreating explosively again, waiting for his opponent to overextend. "Thinking of running? Seems like you''re not fast enough," Wang Guang shouted lightly, his feet tapping the ground, bending and rising with the leverage, his true qi vibrating, his body propelled forward, and his fists crossed, surging towards Li Lin once more. "Such speed," Li Lin''s expression darkened, the opponent''s speed exceeding his expectations, leaving him no room to retreat. Biting his lip with no other choice, Li Lin circulated his true qi, rapidly executing hand seals, his body heating up instantly as true qi burst forth with fire attributes. Facing the ferocious qi of the oncoming Wang Guang, Li Lin''s fists condensed, suddenly spreading open, shouting, "Raging Flame Fist!" As Li Lin''s shout fell, a fierce, hot qi with formidable strength explosively shot from his fists, striking hard against the charging fists of Wang Guang. "Boom! Boom!" Two explosive sounds filled the air, formidable qi scattered, and flames dispersed. Li Lin instantly felt a tremendous force pouring down on his fists, a sharp pain spreading along his arms. His body involuntarily staggered backward, his internal true qi churning. Staggering back several steps, Li Lin''s feet gripped the ground firmly, stabilizing his body and forcibly suppressing the surging true qi within. The opponent''s strength was far greater than his. "Not bad, to catch my attack at eighty percent strength, but it''s still far from enough," Wang Guang said lightly, having only used eighty percent of his power just now. "Only eighty percent strength and already so powerful," Li Lin thought somberly, finding Wang Guang too difficult to handle. "Let''s go again," Wang Guang said as his foot once again stomped the ground, his speed now clearly faster than before, breaking through the air and creating a wave of spatial distortion in front of him. Feeling the opponent''s strength, Li Lin slightly shifted his body as Wang Guang''s huge fist, carrying fierce qi, flew past his ear. "Hmph, told you you''re not fast enough." At that moment, Wang Guang''s voice rang by Li Lin''s ear, a punch whirling back incredibly, striking towards Li Lin''s abdomen. Li Lin was shocked, lacking both in strength and speed compared to his opponent. As he retreated explosively, he executed hand seals, an earthy-yellow light enveloping his body. "Qing Ling Armor." A pale yellow light flared, Li Lin had no choice but to deploy the Qing Ling Armor in advance, a pale yellow scale armor covering his body, appearing mysteriously profound. Wang Guang looked surprised but did not slow his hand speed. As Li Lin''s body retreated explosively, Wang Guang''s toes lightly scraped the ground, his body flickering like a ghost, his fist, filled with formidable qi, drawing an arc and heavily smashing into Li Lin''s chest. Chapter 70: Do You Still Have the Strength to Compete? "Mountain Splitting Palm." At this moment, Li Lin shouted lightly, deploying the star-level martial skill Mountain Splitting Palm. His qi surged, colliding explosively with Wang Guang''s punch. "Bang!" A loud explosion resounded, visibly, a wave of tangible air burst open in the space, causing Li Lin to stagger back several steps on the stone platform, his complexion turning somewhat pale as his internal true qi churned, nearly becoming uncontrollable. At this time, Wang Guang was also surprised, his body slightly stepping back. That his punch did not send Li Lin flying was beyond his expectations. "Unexpectedly, the Li family has defensive martial techniques, and this one seems quite extraordinary," the white-browed elder from Yunyang Sect exclaimed in surprise from the judges'' seat. Defensive martial techniques are rare and incredibly valuable, and with his discerning eye, it was apparent that Li Lin was using a defensive martial technique of no low grade. Li Dong smiled slightly at this moment, but he knew in his heart that there were no defensive martial techniques within the Li family. The defensive martial technique on Li Lin was not from the Li family. The patriarch had mentioned that there was a master behind Li Lin, and it seemed this defensive martial technique came from that master. In the spectator seats, the maid Cuiyu from Tianbao Gate and Mr. Wu both showed a flicker of surprise, sensing that the defensive martial technique on Li Lin was out of the ordinary, not just any common item. "Kid, you''ve got some skill," Wang Guang said with surprise in his tone, noting the defensive martial technique on Li Lin. His true qi climbed again, and his body leaped forward once more, carrying fierce qi directly towards Li Lin. Li Lin dared not be careless. His true qi vibrated, and he unleashed the Raging Flame Fist again, their attack powers colliding and then parting, the overwhelming force contained in the opponent''s attack pouring forth. "Truly a ninth-level warrior," Li Lin shook his numb fists, his body shaken back again. After deploying the Qing Ling Armor, Li Lin could clearly feel that only a small portion of the opponent''s attack power was pouring onto him, with the Qing Ling Armor blocking a significant part. "Let''s see how many times you can hold up. Low strength, relying on other means won''t help much," Wang Guang coldly shouted, his true qi vibrating, forming a strange hand seal, his hair even standing on end. The entire stone platform was suddenly enveloped in a powerful windstorm. Li Lin noticed that Wang Guang''s body seemed to swell, his aura greatly intensifying, surrounded by an earthy-yellow glow. "Kid, step down," Wang Guang shouted, a massive qi erupting from him. The stone platform beneath him, centered around his body, cracked like a spider web, and a palm imprint broke through the air resistance, a ten-meter-wide earthy-yellow palm imprint, with a pressing wind sound, fiercely smashing towards Li Lin. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Feeling the fierce qi, Li Lin''s expression slightly changed, knowing Wang Guang was now using his full strength. With no escape, he gritted his teeth, his hand seals changing, and his aura rapidly climbing, breaking from a third-level warrior instantly to a fourth-level warrior. From the beginning until now, Li Lin had always hidden his strength at the third-level warrior. At this moment, from the palm of his hand, a surge of qi violently shot out, the radiance around his body intensifying, and a palm imprint was also fiercely pushed out, carrying with it a wave of intense breaking through the air. "A fourth-level warrior, this kid actually hid an extra level of strength." As Li Lin revealed the strength of a fourth-level warrior, the judges on the panel quickly took note. Managing to hide his strength under their watch, they couldn''t help but silently admire Li Lin''s extraordinariness. However, while everyone was surprised, they also sighed that even as a fourth-level warrior, it was impossible to contend with Wang Guang, a ninth-level warrior. The difference was still vast. In the arena, many had already deemed Li Lin as certain to lose. Under such a disparity in strength, it was impossible to hold out. And at this moment, the two palm imprints had already fiercely collided, visibly compressing and shattering the surrounding air. "Boom!" A huge sound exploded on the stone platform, widening the cracks on it, and qi swept across, scattering pebbles all around. However, just then, Li Lin''s body was sent flying backward, landing and stumbling back again. "Pfft..." Li Lin''s face turned white, a low grunt escaping from his throat as blood spurted out. His steps faltered rapidly backward until he finally slowed down at the edge of the platform, even the pale yellow armor on his body dimmed and became translucent. "To actually withstand a full-force strike from a ninth-level warrior, this defensive power is indeed not bad. It seems his physical cultivation is quite good, and this defensive martial technique is also extraordinary," the white-browed elder from Yunyang Sect exclaimed in surprise. A fourth-level warrior withstanding a hit from a ninth-level warrior had already surprised everyone. Many in the audience were also holding their breath for Li Lin, relieved to see him hold up. "The strength difference is too great," Li Wushuang softly said, sighing slightly. The five levels of difference in strength was a huge gap, and just withstanding that strike was already miraculous. "Kid, you''ve surprised me, but do you still have the strength to compete?" Wang Guang said, looking at Li Lin who was now at the edge of the platform. After swallowing a mouthful of blood, Li Lin suppressed the churning true qi within him, glanced behind him, and realized he was at most two meters from the edge of the platform. Another confrontation would undoubtedly result in his loss. "Whether I have the strength to compete or not, we''ll only know after trying," Li Lin said lightly, his spirit undeterred by the thought of defeat. "Good, let me see if you have the strength," Wang Guang snorted coldly. At the same time, he formed hand seals, his true qi vibrating rapidly, his entire body enveloped in an earthy-yellow glow. The stone platform was enveloped in a howling windstorm, carrying a sharp sound through the air, with the entire space around the platform under the oppression of his fierce qi. "Stone Breaking Technique." As the space around became suppressed under his qi, Wang Guang swung his arms, his pupils filled with an earthy-yellow light, and two expanding palm imprints heavily hit the stone platform in front of him. "Crack, crack, crack..." A gust of wind arose, a terrifying force sweeping across, causing the solid stone platform to burst continuously, lifting a wave of shattered stone slabs into the air. Like a rolling snowball, they tumbled, enveloping Li Lin with an overwhelmingly oppressive force, leaving him nowhere to hide as the entire surface of the stone platform was overturned. Chapter 71: The Power of the Vermilion Bird Technique "Such formidable power; this strength is almost that of a Martial Master." The judges on the panel were also surprised by Wang Guang''s strength. Among the younger generation, it''s extremely rare to find someone with such power. At the same time, many also foresaw Li Lin''s outcome. With such overwhelming strength, Li Lin wouldn''t have been a match from the start, let alone now with injuries. Seeing everyone''s astonished expressions, the patriarch of the Wang family, a middle-aged man in a yellow robe, smiled with satisfaction. His son had hidden his strength for many years for today, and finally, he did not disappoint. Li Dong sighed slightly. Li Lin''s talent was top-notch, but the difference in strength was too great. If the clan had been able to cultivate him from a young age, Wang Guang of the Wang family wouldn''t have stood a chance. Unfortunately, Li Lin''s luck was bad; among the seven, he ended up facing Wang Guang. On the stone platform, Li Lin''s complexion turned somewhat unsightly; he simply couldn''t compete, the opponent was too strong. "I''ll give it my all; this time, I cannot afford any mistakes," Li Lin said through gritted teeth. He then drew mysterious arcs with his hand seals, instantly enveloping himself in dazzling light. As these mysterious hand seals were executed, a series of extraordinary light beams burst forth in front of him, enveloping him, and his aura began to undergo a strange transformation. A series of extraordinary lights appeared and began to converge, followed by a muffled thunderous sound as they coalesced, exploding open. Li Lin suddenly spurted a jet of blood from his mouth, failing to merge once again. "Why can''t it succeed, how could this be?" Li Lin''s heart grew heavy. The opponent''s attack was already upon him, leaving no time to ponder. His hand seals condensed again, and a series of extraordinary lights instantly began to converge once more. This time, the extraordinary lights diffused various colors. Upon closer inspection, there were flashes of seven-colored lights, with the most astonishing being the terrifying energy aura emitted from the lights, which even began to distort the surrounding void, emitting a palpable sense of dread. The tremendous repulsion made it impossible for Li Lin to smoothly condense the forces, as his internal true qi was devoured by these terrifying energies like a flood. "Why isn''t it working, there must be something missing." Li Lin''s face turned pale, his internal true qi being completely drained away, yet he still couldn''t condense this attack. "Eh, why is this happening?" At that moment, Li Lin felt the spiritual power in his mind being drawn towards the seven-colored lights. "Could it be that it requires spiritual power?" Without hesitation, Li Lin unleashed a surge of immense spiritual power from his mind, infusing it into the seven-colored lights. As the spiritual power was injected, the entire array of seven-colored lights reacted violently, the terrifying sense of dread instantly erupting from the stone platform skyward. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. The extraordinary lights, which had been impossible to condense, now merged smoothly with the injection of Li Lin''s spiritual power, acting like a lubricant. "It worked, so the Vermilion Bird Art requires the fusion of spiritual power." Li Lin revealed a smile, though he didn''t understand why this martial technique needed the infusion of spiritual power. Uncle Jiang had said that this mysterious martial technique was extraordinary; otherwise, even Uncle Jiang wouldn''t have been unable to unlock it. As the extraordinary light merged, the surrounding space was engulfed in an even more terrifying aura. Li Lin felt the power that had merged becoming wild and uncontrollable. In an instant, Li Lin clenched his teeth and struck out hand seals again, his fingers ceaselessly changing, surrounded by a sphere of light. Into this light, streams of spiritual power were infused from his fingertips. At this moment, the audience could only see a dazzling orb of seven-colored light emanating a terrifying aura, with the surrounding void beginning to distort. "What kind of martial technique is this? It seems to involve fluctuations of spiritual power as well," the white-browed elder of Yunyang Sect was taken aback, and the heads of various families at the judges'' seat were equally astonished. This scene greatly exceeded Li Dong''s expectations. With the infusion of spiritual energy, the violent energy on Li Lin''s surrounding extraordinary light gradually calmed down. Under the astonished gaze of the crowd, it condensed into a three-meter-tall crimson energy bird. This crimson energy bird, entirely red like flames, had a crown of seven-colored feathers on its head and a long tail of seven-colored feathers. Its wings spread out, surrounded by flames, making the surrounding space fluctuate and ripple. The crimson bird resembled a phoenix. "Crack, crack, crack..." All of these events might seem lengthy, but they happened in just the blink of an eye. By this time, the violent force stirred up by Wang Guang that overturned the entire surface of the stone platform had already reached Li Lin. "Come forth, Vermilion Bird Art." Li Lin shouted loudly, his internal true qi completely consumed. With the final hand seal executed, the crimson energy bird in front of him immediately burst forth with flapping wings. As the crimson bird moved through space, its three-meter body abruptly expanded, transforming into a forty-meter giant. Flames howled around its body, releasing a terrifying aura once again as it soared upwards. Feeling the horrifying aura, Wang Guang, who had been full of confidence, suddenly felt all the hairs on his body stand on end... On the judges'' seat, the face of the white-browed elder of Yunyang Sect also changed drastically, his gaze filled with shock. "Kid, stop!" the white-browed elder shouted, his body surging forward, cutting through the air towards the stone platform with formidable qi. On the stone platform, the crimson phoenix-like energy body flapped its wings rapidly. The stones sweeping across the area turned to ash, and then the crimson energy body directly dove towards Wang Guang. Just as it was about to reach Wang Guang, the phoenix illusion disappeared, ultimately condensing into an intensely hot, massive fireball. The fireball erupted, expanding before exploding on the stone platform with a loud boom. "Boom, boom, boom..." Flames dispersed, covering the entire stone platform and at least a three hundred meters radius around it in flames. Ahead of the flames, a terrifying and violent aura surged skyward. In an instant, a figure rushed from the judges'' seat into the circle of flames, and soon after, a protective circle was erected on the stone platform. "Rumble..." The flames continued to explode, causing ripples in the space. The stone slabs that had covered the sky were already reduced to nothingness. The flames dispersed, scattering in all directions, nearly reaching the spectator stands. Chapter 72: The Li Familys Treasure The violent and terrifying aura only dissipated after a moment, and everything gradually returned to normal. At this time, the entire stone platform was in disarray, presenting a rough and uneven appearance to everyone. Almost the entire platform, two hundred meters wide and two meters high, had collapsed and shattered, turning into pieces of rubble. Amidst the rubble, the white-browed elder appeared, protecting Wang Guang, who was bleeding from the mouth and pale with shock, under a protective circle. Moments later, to the astonishment of the crowd, Li Lin slowly stood up from a pile of rubble, his face pale and his demeanor listless, his appearance utterly disheveled. Everyone watching this scene was shocked beyond measure. The heads of various families and the three Yunyang Sect officials on the judges'' seat all stood up. The spectacle just witnessed had completely exceeded their expectations. The martial technique deployed by Li Lin was too powerful, a strike not within the capabilities of a warrior-level practitioner. The audience was dumbfounded by this terrifying display, their eyes opened to a spectacle they had never imagined. "Well done, young man, you''ve won this match," the white-browed elder of Yunyang Sect said, looking at Li Lin with surprise in his eyes, then retracted the protective circle. Having been in the midst of that explosive force, he was acutely aware of its power. Even an ordinary first-level Martial Master encountering it would be lucky to survive without severe injuries. Had he not protected Wang Guang, Wang Guang would now be nothing more than a corpse. "Great job, young master, you''ve won!" shouted Li Xiaobai from the audience. The patriarch of the Wang family''s expression darkened; his son had been so close to victory, only to lose in the end. Li Dong was also somewhat incredulous; the mysterious martial technique Li Lin had used at the end was actually powerful enough to defeat a ninth-level warrior. The judges'' panel could clearly see that without the white-browed elder''s protection, Wang Guang''s fate would have been easily guessed. "A Yellow-tier martial technique, at least a high-level one, or perhaps even an early Xuan-tier technique," murmured the maid named Cuiyu from the audience. Li Lin looked at the white-browed elder and asked softly, "Did I win?" "Indeed, you''ve won. Truly surprising," the white-browed elder replied lightly. "I''ve finally won." A faint smile appeared on Li Lin''s lips as he felt his vision darken and his body collapse to the ground, completely drained of true qi after deploying the Vermilion Bird Art. "Lin''er!" Li Dong and Li Wushuang rushed to the platform. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. "He''s fine, just exhausted. A good rest will see him recover," the white-browed elder said after checking on Li Lin. A day later, in the Li family courtyard, looking at Li Lin lying on the bed, Mrs. Luo was filled with worry. "Wushuang, Lin''er is alright, isn''t he? Why hasn''t he woken up?" Mrs. Luo asked anxiously. "Auntie, don''t worry. Lin''er is just overly exhausted. He''ll be fine," Li Wushuang reassured her, her eyes fixed on Li Lin lying on the bed. This was the young man who had made a grand display in the square yesterday, leaving an indelible mark in the hearts of countless young women. "Is the young master really alright? Why hasn''t he woken up yet?" Li Xiaobai was also worried. "Yes." Just then, Li Lin''s eyebrows twitched, and he opened his eyes to see his mother, Li Wushuang, and Li Xiaobai all before him. "Lin''er, how do you feel, are you alright?" Mrs. Luo immediately asked. Li Lin felt exhausted all over but managed to sit up halfway and said, "Mother, I''m fine, don''t worry." Gently circulating his true qi, Li Lin checked his internal condition. Apart from some serious injuries, there was nothing major, and he estimated that a day or two of rest would suffice for recovery. "Lin''er, it''s good that you''re awake. Here are three Return-to-True Pills, take them and rest for a while," Li Wushuang handed Li Lin three Return-to-True Pills. "Okay." Li Lin took the three pills, knowing he indeed needed to rest, or else the injuries could have adverse effects. "As long as you''re alright, mother is relieved," Mrs. Luo said, finally easing her worries after seeing her son was fine. Then the three of them left the room, and Li Lin sat cross-legged, swallowing a Return-to-True Pill to slowly start his recovery. During Li Lin''s recovery period, the outcomes of the family contests in Qingyun Town became the talk of the town, especially the last match between Li Lin of the Li family and Wang Guang of the Wang family, which was sensationalized. A fourth-level warrior defeating a ninth-level warrior was a result that surprised everyone. The mysterious martial technique Li Lin deployed in the end was an eye-opener for all present, due to its sheer terror. "I can''t believe that brat had such an ace up his sleeve," Zhao Hui''s expression was dark in a courtyard, displeased with the outcome of yesterday''s contest. "Now that the boy has entered the top five, he''ll soon join Yunyang Sect, making him even harder to deal with," Zhao Er said. "Hmph, I''ll be in Yunyang Sect too, and with my cousin there, it will be even more convenient to deal with him," Li Shaohu coldly stated. "Shaohu, that brat must not be left alive. Once he''s gone, the Li family and its treasure will be yours. So, you must find a way to kill that brat inside Yunyang Sect," Zhao Hui coldly instructed. "Mother, what exactly is the Li family''s treasure? I''ve never heard of it before," Li Shaohu inquired. "I don''t know either, but the treasure is definitely extraordinary. Your grandfather made it clear that this treasure must not fall into anyone else''s hands," Zhao Hui replied. A day and night passed. The next morning, in Li Lin''s room, a dazzling glow enveloped him. Amidst the spreading radiance, Li Lin''s complexion had regained some rosiness. "Phew!" After exhaling a breath of turbid air, Li Lin opened his eyes, his gaze deep. A day and night of rest, along with a Return-to-True Pill, had restored him to about seventy percent of his strength. Considering he was completely drained and had been seriously injured beforehand, recovering this quickly was miraculous. "The Vermilion Bird Art is really powerful," Li Lin reminisced about the devastating power of the Vermilion Bird Art he had deployed last, still amazed by its destructive force. "I''ll have to be careful using it in the future," Li Lin thought to himself. The power of the Vermilion Bird Art was immense, but the true qi it consumed was more than he could afford. If he couldn''t kill his opponent with one move, he would be in danger. Chapter 73: Ten Thousand Year Red Copper Regardless, Li Lin was exceedingly happy at this moment. The power of the Vermilion Bird Art had far exceeded his expectations. Such power was absolutely terrifying; it was just a pity that deploying it even once was more than he could handle. The need for spiritual power to activate the Vermilion Bird Art puzzled Li Lin. This martial technique seemed unrelated to spiritual practitioners, but requiring spiritual power for activation meant that ordinary warriors couldn''t utilize the Vermilion Bird Art at all, making it impossible for them to successfully cultivate it. Li Lin couldn''t make sense of this phenomenon at the moment. From the jade slip of the Vermilion Bird Art, he knew that the Four Divine Techniques were not ordinary martial arts and couldn''t be judged by common sense. Among the Four Divine Techniques, he only possessed the Vermilion Bird Art so far, with the whereabouts of the other three unknown. He wondered if he would ever have the chance to obtain them. If he could gather all four, he would rival the power of Heavenly-tier martial techniques, surely becoming even more formidable and terrifying. "First, I should retrieve the gold coins I won." Looking out at the bright sunshine outside the window, Li Lin hadn''t forgotten about the 1,500 gold coins he had bet. With Du Gu Binglan''s victory, he had won 15,000 gold coins, a substantial sum. After getting ready, Li Lin informed his mother and left the Li residence with Li Xiaobai, heading to the betting shop where he had placed his bet. A short while after entering the shop, Li Lin emerged with a smile. His jade crystal card now had an additional 16,500 gold coins, making him a small fortune in Qingyun Town. "Young master, why didn''t you tell me? If I had known, I would have bet on Miss Du Gu with you," Li Xiaobai lamented on the street. They had pooled together 300 gold coins and won only 20 gold coins in the end. Had he known to bet on Miss Du Gu, he could have won 3,000 gold coins, a significant amount. "It''s your fault for not asking me first," Li Lin lightly said. "It''s still the young master who''s insightful, knowing Miss Du Gu would win," Li Xiaobai said. "You''re the one who''s clueless," Li Lin glared at Li Xiaobai. "How could I be as clueless as you, young master?" Li Xiaobai earnestly replied. Li Lin, feeling helpless, eventually stopped bothering with Li Xiaobai and after a moment, asked, "How''s your cultivation going?" "After taking two Crown-Filling Pills, I''m only at the third level of Martial Apprentice. Naturally, I can''t compare to the young master," Li Xiaobai said seriously, never slacking off in his cultivation. Li Lin was surprised; he had broken through to the fourth level of Martial Apprentice after taking two Crown-Filling Pills, while Li Xiaobai had only reached the third level. It seemed that this had something to do with the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique he practiced. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Just keep training hard, and don''t slack off," Li Lin advised. "Yes, young master," Li Xiaobai replied, diligently practicing every night, not daring to slack off. After the two returned to the Li residence, Li Lin looked at the front door and said, "You go back first. I''m going to see Uncle Jiang and will return soon. Don''t tell anyone." "Yes, young master," Li Xiaobai responded, then entered the main gate. As a small steward of the Li family now, his status was naturally different, allowing him access through the Li family''s main entrance. Li Lin immediately headed towards the back door of the Li family, as he was about to go to the Yunyang Sect soon and still did not know what treasure Uncle Jiang had instructed him to find there. Upon reaching the Li family''s back door, Li Lin did not see Uncle Jiang and guessed that Uncle Jiang might be in his own courtyard, so he walked towards Uncle Jiang''s room. Uncle Jiang had been with the Li family for a long time. Conveniently located near the back door was this small courtyard, which was reserved for Uncle Jiang''s sole use. Li Lin had some memories of this courtyard; it seemed he had visited a few times as a child. Entering the courtyard, which was somewhat dilapidated but clean, and had many potted plants, Li Lin went straight to the room inside, looking around, it seemed Uncle Jiang was not in the courtyard. "Do you think your little strength is enough to snoop on me, making a fool of oneself in front of an expert?" A voice came, followed by a figure appearing silently behind Li Lin. "Uncle Jiang, how do you appear and disappear unpredictably?" Li Lin turned around with a slight smile, the person naturally being Uncle Jiang. The old servant Uncle Jiang still looked elderly and frail, his hands forming seals instantly, a formless circle of light then enveloping the room. Only then did his aura change, and the murky light in his eyes instantly became clear as he said, "What are you doing here, what martial technique did you use at the end yesterday?" Li Lin said, "Uncle Jiang, I was just about to talk to you about this." Li Lin then detailed how he had accidentally activated the final technique of the Four Divine Arts, assisting his cultivation with the Vermilion Bird Art. "Four Divine Arts..." Old servant Uncle Jiang pondered carefully, seemingly also unaware of the origin of the Four Divine Arts. "The Four Divine Arts are indeed extraordinary. You''re lucky to have unlocked it. If you can find the other three Arts, that would truly be remarkable. It''ll depend on whether you''re really lucky. The single Vermilion Bird Art I saw yesterday should be above the high rank of the Yellow level, even close to the Mystic level. For you right now, using it once without killing the opponent means risking your own life. Therefore, it should only be used as a last resort, try not to use it." Old servant Uncle Jiang said. "Uncle Jiang, I''m about to go to the Yunyang Sect. What exactly are you having me fetch from there?" Li Lin asked. "The strength of the Yunyang Sect is not bad, and in the Yunyang Sect, there is a piece of ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper, which is the treasure of the sect. If you can get it, you can definitely forge it into a divine weapon. Try to find a way to get your hands on that ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper," Uncle Jiang lightly said. "The treasure of the Yunyang Sect, how can I get it, Uncle Jiang, are you joking?" Even without understanding, Li Lin knew how could he possibly obtain the sect''s treasure. "A joke? If it could be obtained easily, would it still be the Yunyang Sect''s treasure? You figure it out yourself. The ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper, the spiritualists within the Yunyang Sect can''t refine it at all. Including myself, there wouldn''t be many who can refine that ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper. An old monster within the Yunyang Sect begged me several times, but that old monster was too stingy, so I didn''t agree," Uncle Jiang said lightly. Chapter 74: The Flickering Light Step Technique "Uncle Jiang, this is really challenging, not to mention I''m just a beginner disciple. It would be difficult to even find the whereabouts of the ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper," Li Lin said. "This is your matter, not mine. Also, within the Yunyang Sect, there is a movement technique called the Flickering Light Step. It''s quite good, probably an early Xuan-level martial technique. You don''t have a movement technique yet, so you might as well cultivate that one. As for the rest, you''ll have to figure it out on your own," Uncle Jiang said lightly again. Li Lin rolled his eyes at that, thinking Uncle Jiang acted as if the Yunyang Sect was his own backyard, as if everything there belonged to him. "Uncle Jiang, I''ll do my best," Li Lin said helplessly. "Useless thing, what do you mean ''do my best''? Whether you steal or rob, you must get it. Once you''re at the Yunyang Sect, it''s time for you to truly hone yourself. There''s nothing else, you can go now," Uncle Jiang dismissed him. Helplessly, Li Lin left the courtyard and returned to his own. Back in his courtyard with nothing else to do, Li Lin continued to recuperate in his room. His injuries had not yet fully healed, which was somewhat troubling. After taking another Return-to-True Pill, Li Lin slowly recuperated, surrounded by a faint glow. Meanwhile, everyone in the Li family was overjoyed, as two members of their family had successfully entered the Yunyang Sect. Especially Li Lin, who had greatly distinguished himself in the competition that day, bringing glory to the Li family. The elders of the Li family were in an exceptionally good mood these past few days. In Qingyun Town, all the major families knew that to grow stronger, one must rely on the Yunyang Sect. Otherwise, it would be unlikely. Given the Yunyang Sect''s power and status, they would not be interested in meddling in the affairs of Qingyun Town. Therefore, the family whose disciples entered the Yunyang Sect and gained substantial influence there would naturally be able to affect the power structure of the major families in Qingyun Town. Being accepted as a direct disciple of the Yunyang Sect would significantly elevate one''s status and influence the power dynamics in Qingyun Town. Therefore, everyone in the major families hoped that their members could become direct disciples of the Yunyang Sect. This time, the Qin family produced a spiritualist who became a direct disciple of the Yunyang Sect, leading the competition and causing envy and concern among the other families. Now, with a triple-element martial artist of top talent emerging from the Li family, everyone in the Li family was calculating that becoming a direct disciple of the Yunyang Sect shouldn''t be too difficult, which would greatly benefit the Li family in the future. Luo Lan''s status in the Li family had also risen, with some of the elders stopping to greet her, something that had never happened before. The next morning, Li Lin stopped his recuperation. His injuries were almost completely healed, thanks to the two Return-to-True Pills and his Yin-Yang physique, making his recovery speed astonishing. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Just stepping out of his room, Li Lin smelled a faint, pleasant fragrance and sensed Li Wushuang''s presence in the courtyard. "Lin''er, how are your injuries?" Li Wushuang asked Li Lin. "My injuries are all healed," Li Lin replied with a calm smile, his gaze lingering on Li Wushuang for a moment before shifting away. "No way, you were seriously injured. Are you really all healed?" Li Wushuang looked at Li Lin doubtfully, sensing the aura around him. Seeing that his injuries were indeed almost completely healed, she exclaimed in surprise, "You really are a freak, such serious injuries and yet you''ve recovered so quickly." "Wushuang sister, did you come here for something?" Li Lin asked with a slight smile. "I almost forgot to tell you. Elder Bai Mei and a few stewards have arrived at the Li family. They want you to make a trip there; we might be departing for the Yunyang Sect soon," Li Wushuang said. "Elder Bai Mei." Li Lin was slightly puzzled. Why had Elder Bai Mei come to the Li family? He had seen Elder Bai Mei''s strength in the square that day, which was extremely strong. As for which level, Li Lin could not tell. Li Lin followed Li Wushuang to the Li family''s main hall. At that time, several elders of the Li family, along with Li Dong, Li Nan, Li Xi, Zhao Hui, Li Shaohu, and others were present. At the top of the hall, Elder Bai Mei and three male and one female stewards from the Yunyang Sect were seated, and the Li family''s servants had already served fresh fruit, pastries, and hot tea. Seeing Li Lin arrive, Elder Bai Mei, who was talking to Li Dong, then turned his gaze to Li Lin. "Greetings to Elder Bai Mei." As Li Lin entered the Li family hall and passed by Zhao Hui, Li Nan, and others, he chose to ignore them. "No need for formalities," Elder Bai Mei said lightly, sensing the aura around Li Lin, his eyes inevitably showing surprise. The recovery was too fast; Wang Guang of the Wang family was still bedridden. "Your injury recovery is indeed fast. It seems your physique has been well trained," Elder Bai Mei said. Li Lin smiled slightly without saying anything. He had been trained by Uncle Jiang for a month and had soaked in a Marrow Cleansing Pill personally refined by Uncle Jiang for a month. Naturally, his physique was much stronger than that of practitioners at the same level. "Lin''er, Elder Bai Mei said that you''ll be departing for the Yunyang Sect the day after tomorrow," Li Dong said. "The day after tomorrow we depart." Li Lin had not expected to leave for the Yunyang Sect so soon, but it didn''t really matter to him, as he had nothing else to do at the moment. "What, do you still have things to take care of?" Elder Bai Mei asked. "No, I just didn''t expect it to be so soon," Li Lin said. "That''s good. The five from Qingyun Town this time all have exceptional talents, especially Qin Tianhao from the Qin family and you. One is a spiritualist and the other a triple-element martial artist. I also want to bring you to the sect sooner. It takes a month and a half to travel to the Yunyang Sect by flying on magical beasts," Elder Bai Mei said. "Elder Bai Mei, may I ask if it''s possible to return to the Yunyang Sect at any time?" Li Lin asked. "What, do you miss home?" Elder Bai Mei said with a slight smile: "Once you enter the Yunyang Sect, whether you''re a direct disciple or an ordinary disciple, you''re only allowed to return home for four months every three years. Other times, you must stay within the Yunyang Sect." Pausing for a moment, Elder Bai Mei continued: "If you want to return midway, there''s one way. Ordinary disciples must reach the Martial Soul level, and direct disciples must reach the Martial General level. Then you can leave the Yunyang Sect at any time. But for you new disciples, that''s still a long way off." "So that''s how it is." Li Lin was taken aback but thought it wasn''t much of an issue. Three years it is, then. "Lin''er, don''t worry. Your mother won''t have any problems in the Li family. You can trust your uncle on this," Li Dong said, seemingly understanding Li Lin''s implicit worries. "Then I''ll take my leave first. I thought I could meet Li Zhong, but who knew that guy would be in seclusion again," Elder Bai Mei said lightly. Chapter 75: The Night Walker After seeing off Elder Bai Mei, Li Lin went straight back to his own courtyard. The day after tomorrow, he would set off for the Yunyang Sect. He decided to spend more time with his mother during these two days. Once at the Yunyang Sect, it would be three years before he could see his mother again, and she would surely miss him. Upon returning to the courtyard, Li Lin informed his mother that he would be leaving for the Yunyang Sect the day after tomorrow. Although Mrs. Luo felt reluctant to part with him, she was more happy than sad. Entering the Yunyang Sect signified a promising future, and she would no longer have to worry about her son. Thinking that she would not see her son for three years, Mrs. Luo quickly instructed the servants to buy lots of delicious food ingredients, planning to cook some delicious meals for her son in the next two days. During these two days, Li Lin did not go anywhere else; he stayed in the courtyard with his mother, feeling an unprecedented sense of fulfillment from her maternal love. During these days, Li Mei also visited the courtyard twice. Seeing Li Mei''s flirtatious demeanor, Li Lin found it somewhat unbearable; he decided it was better to keep his distance from her. Li Lin learned from Li Wushuang that she, along with Wang Liang and Yang Man whom he had met at Tianbao Gate, would also be heading to the Yunyang Sect. Last time, the three of them had just returned home to visit their families, and now that their holiday was over, they must return to the Yunyang Sect. Tomorrow was the day to head to the Yunyang Sect. After nightfall, Li Lin sat cross-legged on his bed, planning to rest for a while, then began to slowly regulate his breathing. Moments later, his body was enveloped in a faint glow. In the deep of the night, a faint sound of footsteps from outside the window reached Li Lin''s ears. The footsteps were extremely light; if Li Lin wasn''t in meditation, his senses in an unusually clear state, he would have found it difficult to notice. "Who could it be outside at this late hour?" Li Lin suddenly opened his eyes, a hint of confusion crossing his face. It was odd for someone to be walking outside his courtyard in the middle of the night. "Could something have happened?" After a moment of doubt, Li Lin got up and leapt out of the window. His eyes flashed sharply as a dark figure swiftly passed by in front of him. "Who could it be at this late hour?" Li Lin''s heart sank, and driven by curiosity, he carefully followed. The Li family compound was quiet in the deep night, the moonlight hazy, adding to the tranquility. The figure ahead seemed completely unaware of being followed, crossing several corridors and then entering a courtyard. Li Lin kept his distance, recognizing the figure in black as familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before, but he couldn''t remember where at the moment. The courtyard the figure in black entered was where Zhao Hui resided. Stolen novel; please report. "It''s so familiar; I must have seen this person somewhere." Li Lin thought to himself, feeling too familiar with this figure. Li Lin didn''t dare get too close, just watched from a distance. Now at the strength of a fourth-level warrior, and his cultivator level reaching that of a Spiritual Warrior, his vision in the dark was much better than before. "It''s that mysterious person from the back mountain who wanted to kill me, the figure is exactly the same, indeed related to Zhao Hui," Li Lin suddenly remembered. The figure in black was the strong enemy he had encountered on the back mountain, from whom he had narrowly escaped thanks to the appearance of the little dragon and his father, Li Zhong. Li Lin did not dare to get closer. The mysterious person was extremely powerful, and being discovered could be dangerous. It was better to observe first. "Second brother, why have you come so late?" Zhao Hui appeared somewhat panicked in the room, looking at the figure in black and asked. "Don''t worry, the old folks of the Li family are in seclusion. I guess no one in the Li family could notice me," the figure in black said lightly. "How is the investigation going?" "It''s the same as before. The Li family is clearly on guard against me, and I still haven''t found the whereabouts of that item," Zhao Hui said softly. "We need to speed up the investigation. We''ve already wasted too much time," the figure in black stated. "I know, I''ll speed up the investigation. It''s just that Li Lin suddenly appeared. I''m afraid the Li family might leave their back-up plan with him, and we might end up busy for nothing," Zhao Hui mentioned. "Last time, there was a chance, but unfortunately, Li Zhong suddenly appeared. His strength is stronger than mine, allowing the kid to escape," the figure in black mentioned. "So, what do we do now? That kid has entered the Yunyang Sect, a triple-element martial artist. It won''t be difficult for him to become a direct disciple. It will be more troublesome to make a move," Zhao Hui said. "Hmph, that kid needs to be alive to leave the Yunyang Sect. The Li family thinks that entering the Yunyang Sect can protect the kid''s life. Unfortunately, no one knows that the Yunyang Sect is also under the influence of our Zhao family," the figure in black sneered. "That''s true, but that old guy from the Li family is somewhat troublesome to deal with," Zhao Hui said. "That old guy is indeed powerful. But when the time comes, our Zhao family will naturally have someone who can deal with him. For now, you just need to find the whereabouts of that item as soon as possible," the figure in black instructed. "Okay," Zhao Hui responded softly. "I''ll leave now." After speaking, the figure in black left the courtyard, disappearing from the Li family compound with a few leaps, soundlessly. Li Lin, hiding in a corner of a courtyard, watched as the figure in black disappeared, his expression slightly darkened. He decided to head back to his own courtyard, knowing well that the figure in black and Zhao Hui were definitely related. "Who''s there?" Just then, Li Lin heard a faint sound of footsteps behind him. Turning around in an instant, his body swiftly dodged like a night cat. "Li Lin, what are you doing here?" A figure appeared in front of Li Lin, it was Zhao Da. "I''ve been discovered." Li Lin''s heart sank. Having just found out about the figure in black, if Zhao Hui were to learn of this, trouble would be inevitable. Without any hesitation, Li Lin circulated his Qi, launching a palm strike. "You think you can..." Zhao Da''s expression changed, and he started to shout, but before he could finish his sentence, his body slumped to the ground, unconscious. "Uncle Jiang." Behind Zhao Da, a figure appeared, and Li Lin was surprised to see that it was Uncle Jiang. "Kid, be more careful next time," Uncle Jiang said lightly. "Uncle Jiang, what are you doing here?" Li Lin asked in surprise. Chapter 76: The First Absorption of True Qi "I saw a strong presence had arrived at the Li family and was curious to take a look. I didn''t expect to find you here," Elder Jiang, the old servant, said lightly. "Uncle Jiang, do you know who that person just now was?" Li Lin asked. "A nobody. How would I recognize them? Their strength was mediocre," Elder Jiang said softly, then looked at Li Lin and continued, "You''re heading to the Yunyang Sect tomorrow, right? Once you''re there, be careful not to reveal that you''re practicing the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique. Try to obtain the ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper and the Flickering Light Step. From here on out, you''re on your own." "I''ll remember your teachings, Uncle Jiang," Li Lin said, then seemed to think of something and added, "Uncle Jiang, I have a favor to ask of you." "It''s about taking care of your mother, isn''t it? Don''t worry. Now that you''re recognized as a triple-element martial artist, the Li family will definitely not let anything happen to your mother. I''ll also help look after her," Elder Jiang said. "Uncle Jiang, after I leave, if you find yourself with nothing to do, please guide Li Xiaobai a bit. If there''s anything that needs doing, let Li Xiaobai help you, so you don''t overexert yourself," Li Lin said with a hint of cunning in his eyes. "You rascal, you want me to teach another after teaching you?" Elder Jiang glared at Li Lin, then said, "Your journey is still long. Even if your strength reaches a certain level, being without a backing power will always leave you vulnerable. I''ll make the effort to give Li Xiaobai some pointers when I have time. Although he can''t reach your level of talent, with my guidance, he could still lend you a hand in the future." "Thank you, Uncle Jiang," Li Lin said with a slight smile. "I don''t know if I owed you in a past life. Anyway, I have nothing better to do, so giving him occasional guidance isn''t a big deal," Elder Jiang said lightly. "Uncle Jiang, I''m leaving now. Please take good care of yourself," Li Lin said, already considering Elder Jiang not just a mentor but also a family member in his heart. "At my age, do I need a wet-behind-the-ears kid telling me to take care of myself? Just make sure you take care of yourself. The Yunyang Sect is not the Li family. Be careful in everything. As for Zhao Da, deal with him yourself. I''ve sealed his true qi; he''ll wake up in half an hour," Elder Jiang glanced at Li Lin, then vanished from the spot like a ghost. Li Lin looked down at Zhao Da on the ground, then picked him up and swiftly returned to his room. Zhao Da groggily woke up, only to see the last person he wanted to encounter. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! "What do you want?" Zhao Da said with a sinking expression after seeing Li Lin clearly, panic evident in his eyes. The Li Lin before him was no longer the pushover they used to bully. He had been seriously injured by Li Lin, and if not for the healing pills given by Miss, he would probably still be bedridden. "What do you think? I''m asking you, it was you who sent someone to kill me recently, wasn''t it?" Li Lin asked, scrutinizing Zhao Da. He had already checked Zhao Da''s injuries; the serious wounds inflicted by him had only healed about fifty percent, likely thanks to a number of healing pills. "I don''t know what you''re talking about," Zhao Da said, his expression tinged with panic. "Forget it, I''m not interested in asking you. Anyway, you''re going to die," Li Lin said lightly, knowing he couldn''t leave Zhao Da alive. It was better to end him now. "What do you think you''re doing? If you lay a hand on me, Miss won''t let you off," Zhao Da said coldly, his body involuntarily retreating backward. "Is that so? Well, I''ll just wait then," Li Lin said lightly, a chill passing through his eyes as he approached Zhao Da. "Kid, I''ll fight you," Zhao Da shouted coldly, backed into a corner with nowhere to retreat, he launched a palm strike directly at Li Lin. "Then try the true power of the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art," Li Lin said softly, forming a mysterious hand seal and countering Zhao Da''s palm strike with his own. A pale yellow light flickered between their palms. Zhao Da''s expression changed dramatically as he felt a powerful suction force emanating from Li Lin''s palm, uncontrollably drawing the true qi out of his body. Shocked, Zhao Da had never experienced anything like this. He tried to retreat quickly, but no matter how he struggled, the true qi in his body was uncontrollably drawn out through his meridians, leaving him unable to resist. This depletion of true qi was not like the exhaustion from using one''s power; it was being drained directly from his body, with the true qi in his dantian and qi sea rapidly disappearing. "What kind of evil technique is this, stop it, stop now!" Zhao Da''s face turned pale, his pupils dilated in horror. "It''s too late," Li Lin hummed coldly. Running the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art, he was also surprised to find that he could directly absorb the opponent''s true qi into his body, transforming it into a form of energy that stayed within him, awaiting his refinement. This energy was incredibly pure, comparable to the true qi within his own dantian and qi sea, and even better than the Enhancing Yuan Pills and Crown Chakra Pills he had consumed. Moments later, Zhao Da trembled, his facial muscles twitched, unable to speak. Visibly, his veins bulged as if his body''s moisture was being evaporated, his complexion turning fiercely grim, as if he was enduring immense pain. Shortly after, Zhao Da''s body seemed to wither, his robe falling to the ground, his skin dried up over his bones, his eyes sunken into their sockets, and his eyeballs turning white, looking terrifyingly lifeless, having been turned into a dried corpse by Li Lin. Li Lin exhaled deeply, the breath coming from the true qi absorbed from Zhao Da, feeling a vast energy within him, which was entirely Zhao Da''s true qi. However, this energy couldn''t be immediately utilized; only after refining the opponent''s true qi into his own could he use it. The most perverse aspect of the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art was its ability to absorb the opponent''s strength to enhance one''s own. At this moment, Li Lin truly felt the abnormality of the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art. Zhao Da was only at the level of a first-layer warrior, and his strength had not fully recovered from his injuries, making him far weaker than before. Yet, the true qi in his body was vast. Absorbing Zhao Da''s true qi, Li Lin estimated that the energy transformed was much more than what five Enhancing Yuan Pills could offer. Chapter 77: The Powerful Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art Feeling the enormous energy inside him at this moment, Li Lin estimated that after fully refining it, advancing from a fourth-level warrior to a sixth-level warrior should pose no problem. The Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art allows for the absorption of an opponent''s strength, but it''s impossible to fully assimilate it for one''s own use. After refining and discarding the dross to keep the essence, one can only obtain about one-tenth of the opponent''s strength, but this is already quite terrifying. At this time, Li Lin had only absorbed Zhao Da''s true qi into his body, which still needed to be refined before it could be utilized, similar to how one must refine the energy from a medicinal pill after consumption. "Absorbing a person''s true qi is much stronger than absorbing medicinal pills," Li Lin couldn''t help but marvel, a faint blood-red light flashing in his eyes. A shadowy aura became faintly visible around him. Absorbing Zhao Da''s true qi and activating the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art''s absorption power for the first time had inadvertently added a sinister aura to Li Lin. "Disappear," Li Lin snorted coldly, forming hand seals and conjuring a flame in his right hand, which then enveloped Zhao Da''s corpse. In less than a minute, the dried corpse turned into ash, which Li Lin then enveloped in a ball of light and disposed of in the flowerbed outside the window. The night had reached its third watch, and Li Lin continued to sit cross-legged, beginning to refine the vast energy within him. Forming hand seals, he placed his hands on his knees as the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art within him started refining the massive amount of energy. Refining this energy was much easier than refining the energy from medicinal pills. The energy absorbed from Zhao Da was pure true qi to a certain extent, but the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art seemed to require a higher purity level of true qi, necessitating further refinement. Moreover, since this true qi was different from Li Lin''s own true qi, the two would naturally repel each other. Only after refinement could it be integrated into the dantian and qi sea. In this process of refining and purifying, only about one-tenth of the original amount could be absorbed by Li Lin. As everything calmed down, feeling the power of the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art, Li Lin''s heart grew even more delighted. However, he knew he couldn''t freely use this absorbing power. If people were to learn he possessed such an abnormal technique, he would surely be hunted by spiritualists and warriors across the continent. Strength, once I possess absolute strength, I will have nothing to fear, Li Lin thought to himself, determined to fully protect his mother and himself. He must become a strong warrior as soon as possible. Only by becoming a strong warrior can he protect everything he cares about and obtain everything he desires. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. As time slowly passed, and after the fifth watch of the night, Li Lin ceased his cultivation and exhaled a turbid breath from his dantian, then opened his eyes. Feeling the true qi he had just refined, he was on the verge of breaking through to the fifth level of warriorhood. Li Lin couldn''t help but marvel at the formidable and almost perverse strength of the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art. He estimated that it would only take a few days to fully refine all the energy currently within him, and then advancing to the sixth level of warriorhood should not be a problem. "Cultivating spiritual power, however, is troublesome. Spiritual and martial advancements must occur simultaneously," Li Lin reflected. Currently a fourth-level warrior, he anticipated reaching the sixth level wouldn''t take long. However, in terms of spiritual cultivation, he remained a first-level spiritualist. Even if he were to become a ninth-level warrior, without corresponding spiritual progress, he could not break through and might even risk his meridians reversing and his body exploding. Li Lin became worried about cultivating his spiritual power. To quickly enhance his spiritual cultivation, he would need to consume the spirit pills of spiritualists and spiritual beasts. Spirit pills from fourth-tier spiritual beasts are required, and encountering a fourth-tier spiritual beast with his current strength would be a fatal endeavor, leaving him with no knowledge of how he died. The price of spirit pills is exorbitant, with a fourth-tier demon pill costing at least nearly fifty thousand gold coins. The price for a fourth-tier spirit pill is even higher, as spirit pills are more expensive than demon pills. Demon and spirit pills are consistently high-priced and in high demand in the Spirit Martial Continent. Many warriors and spiritualists form teams to hunt for these pills, and some large mercenary groups specialize in trading them. The reason demon and spirit pills are so expensive is due to the massive energy they contain. This energy, once refined by spiritualists and combined with certain herbs, can be transformed into expensive medicinal pills that enhance true qi and spiritual power, or integrated into weapons to significantly improve their grade. Direct absorption of demon and spirit pills by humans is impossible, as their vast energy can cause one''s meridians to break and result in death. However, once refined by spiritualists, these pills become highly sought after, regardless of their exorbitant prices, by major families and powers seeking to cultivate their young warriors. This makes it nearly impossible for the younger generation outside these major families to compete. The high value of demon and spirit pills keeps their prices elevated, with higher-tier pills being extremely expensive and popular. Sometimes, a high-tier pill can cause thousands to compete for its possession, which is not surprising. However, obtaining demon and spirit pills is not easy. Demons and spiritual beasts, especially those of the fourth tier or higher, possess significant intelligence and are divinely favored with innate abilities, making them much stronger than humans and very difficult to deal with. Chapter 78: Departure to Yunyang Sect Some demonic beasts and spiritual beasts are also exceptionally ferocious. For example, a human martial spirit practitioner and a fourth-order demonic beast should be at the same level of cultivation. Undoubtedly, the fourth-order demonic beast is much stronger. If humans want to hunt demonic beasts of the same rank without superior strength, it often results in a loss rather than gain, risking their own lives in the process. Humans hunt demonic beasts and spiritual beasts, and similarly, demonic beasts and spiritual beasts also hunt humans. On the territory of demonic beasts, it''s uncertain who hunts whom. The territories of demonic beasts and spiritual beasts are places humans generally dare not enter lightly. Once demonic beasts and spiritual beasts reach a certain level of strength, they can transform into human appearances. If one''s strength is insufficient, even if a demonic or spiritual beast is right beside them, they might not be able to distinguish it. Of course, demonic and spiritual beasts that can transform into humans need to have at least reached the seventh order. Seventh-order demonic beasts and spiritual beasts are so rare that few people on the Lingwu Continent have seen them. At that level, their strength is terrifying, capable of moving mountains and overturning seas with a flick of their hand. Using spiritual pills to break through one''s spiritual power is something Li Lin is temporarily not considering. Without enough money and the strength to hunt spiritual beasts, and as for devouring spirit beings, there likely won''t be an opportunity for now. Li Lin thought for a long time and decided that the only way is to refine more pills that enhance spiritual energy in the future. The true qi and spiritual energy within his body must be maintained in a balanced state. For some time to come, his cultivation at the martial level will have to slow down, focusing on enhancing spiritual energy first. Today, he will head to Yunyang Sect. After getting ready, Li Lin got up and left the room. Luo Lan had already prepared a fragrant breakfast in the small hall. Eating the breakfast made by his mother, Li Lin felt a warmth in his heart. Upon reaching Yunyang Sect, he wouldn''t be able to return until three years later. Three years is neither long nor short. "Young Master, you must take good care of yourself at Yunyang Sect." Li XiaoBai also got up early, thinking about the Young Master leaving for Yunyang Sect today, his eyes slightly moist. "XiaoBai, when you have time, go help Uncle Jiang with some tasks, and visit Uncle Jiang more when you can." Li Lin said, knowing that with Uncle Jiang''s guidance, XiaoBai''s progress would definitely not be slow. "I understand, Young Master." Li XiaoBai said, thinking the Young Master was worried about leaving Uncle Jiang and wanted him to take more care of Uncle Jiang. "Lin''er, take good care of yourself at Yunyang Sect. Don''t worry about me at home." Luo Lan said to Li Lin, her eyes involuntarily moistening a bit, feeling reluctant. Her son had grown up so much and had never been away from her side. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "Mother, I will take care of myself." Li Lin said. "Lin''er, are you ready? We should leave now." Li WuShuang arrived in the courtyard, dressed in a red long skirt that outlined her graceful figure, her black hair like ink flowing behind her. Her simple attire somehow expressed an elegance and nobility. "Ready, we can set off now." Li Lin stood up, looking at Li WuShuang, his eyes lingering a bit longer. "Lin''er, put your bag in my space bag, so you don''t have to carry it in your hand." Li WuShuang said, looking at the big bundle Li Lin was holding. "Alright." Li Lin smiled faintly, handing over the bundle he was holding to Li WuShuang. He himself had a storage ring on his hand, but he didn''t want to arouse suspicion, which is why he was holding the bundle in his hand. The bundle contained nothing but some non-essential clothes, without any other valuable items. Taking the bundle from Li Lin''s hands, Li WuShuang pulled out a sachet-sized silk bag. Opening the small mouth of the silk bag, a light flashed, and the bundle was miraculously absorbed into it. Li Lin was naturally familiar with Li WuShuang''s space bag. It is an expensive item in this world, similar in nature to the storage ring on his own hand, capable of holding quite a lot of items. However, this space bag was much inferior to his storage ring, at most capable of holding a few cubic meters of items, while the space inside his storage ring could hold hundreds of cubic meters. The larger the space, the greater the value naturally. Moreover, his storage ring could be integrated into his body, making it incomparably precious, not something a space bag could compare with. Yet, space bags are also expensive items, generally worth at least one second-grade pill. The value of space bags also varies, with some larger ones possibly worth thousands of gold coins. "Let''s go, everyone is waiting for us outside." Li WuShuang said. The Li family members were all waiting at the main entrance, as three members of the Li family were heading to Yunyang Sect today, which was a matter of pride for the Li family, naturally warranting a send-off. "Lin''er, let''s go, mother will see you off." Luo Lan said. "Yes." Li Lin did not refuse, understanding his mother''s feelings, as she wanted to take a few more glances at him. When Li Lin, Li WuShuang, Luo Lan, and Li XiaoBai reached the Li family''s main gate, they saw Li Dong, Li Nan, Li Xi, Zhao Hui, Li ShaoHu, Zhou LiXing, Zhou HaiMing, Li Mei, and several Li family elders waiting outside the gate. In front of everyone, there were five carriages, with ten pure black tall horses, majestic and imposing, without a single hair of a different color, symbolizing the Li family''s status in Qingyun Town. The carriages were elaborately decorated, the edges wrapped in valuable jade pieces, making them appear crystal clear. Catching a glance at Zhao Hui, Li Lin guessed in his heart that Zhao Hui probably didn''t know that Zhao Da had already died, his body gone without a trace, and even if discovered, no one would know it was his doing. "Lin''er, it''s time for us to leave. Let''s go." Seeing Li Lin, Li Dong said, visibly in a good mood today. It was a rare occasion for two members of the Li family to enter Yunyang Sect. Li Lin nodded slightly, supporting his mother, Luo Lan, and got into one of the carriages prepared by the Li family. The interior of the carriage was extremely comfortable, lined with the fur of an unknown animal, soft and comfortable, capable of seating around seven or eight people. Luo Lan and Li XiaoBai were sitting in this carriage for the first time. Looking at the luxurious and comfortable carriage, they were somewhat surprised. Luo Lan had been in the Li family for twenty years and had never ridden in one of the Li family''s carriages before. Then, Li Mei, Li Dong, Li Xi, and Li WuShuang also got into this carriage. Once everyone was seated, with the sound of the horses neighing, dust flew up, and the five carriages set off. "Lin''er, there are no outsiders here. Once we arrive at Yunyang Sect, be cautious in everything. I won''t beat around the bush; there are people from the Zhao family in Yunyang Sect as well. Be careful," Li Dong whispered. Chapter 79: Flying Demonic Beasts "Uncle, I understand," Li Lin said, harboring no dislike towards this uncle of his. On the square of Qingyun Town today, there was also a large gathering of people. Although not as many as the day when the major families competed, the crowd still numbered over ten thousand. "The top five competitors from last time are going to Yunyang Sect today, right?" "Once they go to Yunyang Sect, their future prospects are boundless. I''m really envious." "Yeah, it''s a pity we can''t go." "Look quick, the Yang family has arrived." A cloud of dust rose as four carriages drove side by side, with horses of pure red, clearly belonging to the Yang family. On the outskirts of the square, the four carriages came to a neat stop, and about twenty people alighted. The leading figure was Yang XiangFeng, the head of the Yang family, followed by two graceful figures, Yang Man and Yang Miao, the two sisters. Yang Man was dressed in a brocade robe, her curves graceful and inviting. Her voluptuous figure was like a tease, brimming with desire for men. Yang Miao presented a different charm, dressed in tight-fitting attire, her body outlining youthful and enchanting curves. Her demeanor was a mix of seductiveness, innocence, cuteness, and allure, making her an irresistible woman to men. The appearance of the two Yang sisters immediately caused many to nosebleed. In the entire Qingyun Town, they were the subject of every man''s conversation, everyone wishing for a moment of their grace. However, few in Qingyun Town dared to provoke these two women. Shortly after, another four carriages came galloping, their momentum no less than that of the Yang family. It was not difficult for the people of Qingyun Town to recognize them as the Qin family''s carriages. As the carriages stopped, the Qin family head and Qin TianHao appeared before everyone. "Tap tap tap..." Amid a cloud of dust, five carriages raced into view, catching the attention of the Qin and Yang families, whose expressions subtly changed, slightly darkening. It was the Li family, who had made a significant impression this time. The five carriages stopped, and the Li family members, including Li Lin supporting his mother, alighted. "Did you see that? That''s Li Lin, a tri-element warrior who defeated a ninth-rank warrior with the strength of a fourth-rank warrior. In his final competition with Wang Guang of the Wang family, his martial technique was terrifying. If not for an elder from Yunyang Sect stepping in, Wang Guang would have been dead." Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. "Which one is Li Lin?" "The one in the green robe, standing next to a very beautiful woman." "So, that''s Li Lin? Wasn''t he said to be a good-for-nothing before? How did he suddenly become a tri-element warrior?" "What do you know? Now everyone is saying that this was all arranged by the Li family from the start, just to avoid drawing attention from other families. Now, hasn''t he made a spectacular debut?" The appearance of Li Lin immediately caused a stir among the crowd, with the terrifying scene from his competition with Wang Guang still fresh in many people''s memories. "Li Dong, you''ve arrived as well, quite the grand entrance," Yang XiangFeng commented lightly. "You''re not doing too badly yourselves, it''s mutual," Li Dong replied with a slight smile. "This time, your Li family is really something, with two people entering Yunyang Sect. Impressive. In a few years, your Li family might just become the number one family in Qingyun Town," the Qin family head said with a light laugh. "Don''t mention it, your Qin family has a spirit practitioner this time. How could we compare with your Qin family?" Li Dong also responded with a light laugh. Li Lin watched the Qin and Yang families, his gaze pausing briefly on Qin TianHao, who was also sizing him up. Li Lin didn''t mind, but eventually, his gaze involuntarily fell on Yang Miao and Yang Man. One carried a blend of seductiveness and innocence, while the other was utterly enchanting and tempting. The two sisters from the Yang family were indeed beauties, especially Yang Miao, who was even more outstanding. Her stunning beauty combined with a dual aura of seductiveness and purity was unmatched, and in a couple of years, it seemed Yang Man would not be able to compare. A carriage came galloping, appearing somewhat modest, but led by four tall horses of a bluish-red color. The carriage''s decoration was also extraordinary, and everyone recognized it as belonging to the Wang family. The carriage stopped, and a figure in splendid attire stepped down, Wang Liang from the Wang family. This time, no one from the Wang family entered Yunyang Sect, so naturally, there wouldn''t be a grand send-off. Moreover, with Wang Guang, a ninth-rank warrior, losing to Li Lin, a mere fourth-rank warrior, the Wang family had become a joke in Qingyun Town lately. Wang Liang was also returning to Yunyang Sect today and had to leave together. Stepping down from the carriage, his first glance fell on Li Lin, his eyes carrying a chill, then he walked towards the Yang family, greeted Yang XiangFeng with a nod, and stood next to Yang Man. No one found it strange. The Wang and Yang families had always had a good relationship, and many knew that Wang Liang was pursuing Yang Man. Both families were keen on this match. Once the Wang and Yang families were united through marriage, their combined strength would easily suppress the other three major families. "How come Du Gu BingLan hasn''t arrived yet?" Li Lin scanned the crowd, noting Qin TianHao and Yang Miao''s presence but not Du Gu BingLan''s. Just then, a sharp cry echoed from above, followed by a gust of wind. Looking up, the crowd saw two giant birds circling towards them. These giant birds, with their wings spread wide, were about eight meters across, and their massive bodies stretched tens of meters long, covered in blue-brown feathers, with sharp beaks and talons, and piercing, fierce eyes. "Demonic beasts, flying demonic beasts." A stir went through the crowd at the sight of the flying demonic beasts. Seeing demonic beasts was a rare occurrence in Qingyun Town, and for some who had never seen one, the surprise was immense. "Demonic beasts." Li Lin was also somewhat surprised at the sight of the two flying demonic beasts. Their large size was notable, but after a brief moment of surprise, Li Lin felt it was nothing special. The two spiritual beasts he had encountered at the bottom of the cliff were much larger and far more formidable in aura than these two demonic beasts. Chapter 80: The Distinction of Direct Disciples "Du Gu BingLan, Cui Yu." At this moment, two figures on the back of a demonic beast somewhat surprised Li Lin. It was Du Gu BingLan and Cui Yu. Li Lin did not expect Du Gu BingLan to be riding on a demonic beast, and on the back of another demonic beast were the White Eyebrow Elder from Yunyang Sect and four stewards, three men and one woman. "Lin''er, these are flying demonic beasts called Rock Eagles, raised by Yunyang Sect. They are currently at the second-order earth elemental level, with extremely fast flight speed and strong attack power. Even a first-rank martial master must be cautious around them, as they wouldn''t have much of an advantage," Li WuShuang whispered to Li Lin, seeing his curiosity. "Second-order earth elemental demonic beasts." Li Lin watched the Rock Eagles in the sky, realizing that a ninth-rank warrior would have little chance of victory against such second-order flying demonic beasts. He hadn''t expected Yunyang Sect to have their own raised demonic beasts, truly befitting a major sect. The two demonic beasts landed in the center of the square, folding their wings, each spanning several meters in width and standing about two meters tall. Du Gu BingLan, the White Eyebrow Elder, and others leapt down from the backs of the beasts and joined the people from the various families. "Greetings to White Eyebrow Elder and the stewards," the people from the various families saluted. Du Gu BingLan walked over with a slight nod, and Li Lin acknowledged her with a nod. "Everyone''s here, right? We should set off now," the White Eyrow Elder glanced over Li Lin, Qin TianHao, and the others before speaking. "We are in your care this time, Elder White Eyebrow," Li Dong said. "There''s no trouble at all. Serving the sect is my duty," the White Eyebrow Elder replied with a smile, then continued, "Qin TianHao, Li Lin, Li ShaoHu, Yang Miao, Du Gu BingLan, Cui Yu, you will ride one Rock Eagle with me. Wang Liang, Yang Man, Li WuShuang, you three will ride with the four stewards on another Rock Eagle. Let''s depart now." "Yes, Elder," Li WuShuang, Wang Liang, and Yang Man responded, then moved towards the four stewards. "Let''s go as well. We must hurry to the sect without delay," the White Eyebrow Elder said, followed by a whistling sound. The two Rock Eagles took off, stirring up a huge gust of wind, causing a few curious onlookers who had approached too closely to stagger and fall. The gigantic Rock Eagles circled four meters above ground, flapping their wings, with currents of air swirling around them. The Yunyang Sect stewards, Li WuShuang, Yang Man, and Wang Liang, surrounded by qi, leaped onto the back of one Rock Eagle. "Let''s go," the White Eyebrow Elder also leaped up effortlessly and landed on the back of the Rock Eagle. A height of four meters was nothing for him. However, a height of four meters posed some difficulty for an ordinary warrior. Li ShaoHu''s qi vibrated as he leaped, touching the ground with the tip of his foot, and then jumped onto the back of the Rock Eagle. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Yang Miao, not wanting to be outdone, her agile body tightly wrapped in her outfit, vibrated with qi, lifting a faint glow, and then she too landed on the Rock Eagle''s back. Qin TianHao, employing some technique, enveloped in a glow, also leaped four meters into the air to land on the Rock Eagle''s back. "Lin''er, let''s go up as well," Du Gu BingLan said to Li Lin, her foot lightly touching the ground, propelling herself up with a burst of qi, her figure spinning to land on the Rock Eagle''s back. The maid Cui Yu nodded slightly to Li Lin, a faint glow enveloping her as she levitated effortlessly and landed on the back of the Rock Eagle. Witnessing this, Li Lin couldn''t help but inwardly sigh, not expecting the maid Cui Yu''s strength to be so formidable, possibly even surpassing Du Gu BingLan''s. "Mother, I''m leaving." Li Lin turned back to look at his mother and again said to Li XiaoBai, "XiaoBai, take good care of my mother." "Young Master, rest assured, I will definitely take good care of the lady," Li XiaoBai responded. Li Lin nodded slightly, then without hesitation, activated his qi, pushing off the ground with a surge of energy, his body spinning upwards and landing on the broad back of the Rock Eagle. "Let''s go," Elder White Eyebrow said softly. The two Rock Eagles screeched, flapping their wings and taking off, flying higher and higher until they disappeared from the sight of those in the square. Li Lin looked down, watching his mother''s figure gradually blur and disappear, thinking to himself that he must become stronger quickly and then return. Sitting on the back of the demonic beast, Li Lin was also somewhat worried; a fall from this height, likely over a thousand meters, would be quite troublesome. "Make sure you''re all seated securely. Although you''ve now become disciples of Yunyang Sect, and your talents are commendable, you''ll still need to work hard after arriving at Yunyang Sect. The sect is full of disciples with high talents, and only through relying on your talents and strength will you receive more cultivation opportunities," Elder White Eyebrow explained. "Elder White Eyebrow, how long will it take to reach Yunyang Sect?" Du Gu BingLan asked. "About a month and a half. At that time, the sect will select ten among you new disciples to become direct disciples. If you miss this opportunity, you''ll have to wait another three years. Every batch of new disciples has two chances to become direct disciples, and whether you can become one depends on your own efforts," Elder White Eyebrow replied. "Elder, what''s the difference between direct disciples and ordinary disciples?" Li Lin asked, most interested in learning about the direct disciples of Yunyang Sect. "You don''t know the difference between direct disciples and ordinary disciples?" Elder White Eyebrow looked at Li Lin, somewhat surprised, then said, "It seems no one has mentioned this to you." Hearing Li Lin''s question, Li ShaoHu looked at Li Lin with disdain, while Yang Miao and Qin TianHao were somewhat surprised. Li Lin shook his head slightly; no one in the Li family had discussed this with him, and Li WuShuang hadn''t clarified it last time. Elder White Eyebrow explained, "In Yunyang Sect, there are many ordinary disciples, but direct disciples are very few. To become a direct disciple, one must possess exceptional talent. Although ordinary disciples receive better cultivation in Yunyang Sect than outside, they are still ordinary disciples of Yunyang Sect and cannot access the sect''s most important martial techniques and mental methods, the essence of Yunyang Sect''s heritage. Only direct disciples can access these, and moreover, direct disciples only need to focus on cultivation, each being personally taught by inner sect elders. A direct disciple''s status is not below mine, and there are many other benefits, too numerous to list, which you can imagine. As for ordinary disciples, in addition to cultivation, they also have to perform various duties within the sect and do not receive the same treatment as direct disciples." Chapter 81: Accidental Breakthrough "Only the direct disciples can receive the true inheritance of the Yunyang Sect." Li Lin understood that the difference between direct disciples and ordinary disciples was indeed significant. It meant that only the direct disciples were considered true insiders of the Yunyang Sect, while ordinary disciples were merely peripheral members. Direct disciples could eventually become core figures within the Yunyang Sect, and naturally, one could imagine how resources would be allocated. "Elder, how can one become a direct disciple?" Li Lin continued to ask, thinking that if he could become a direct disciple, it would be much easier to obtain the ten-thousand-year-old red copper and the Floating Light Shifting Shadow martial technique. "In a month and a half, there will be a competition within the sect. The new disciples who enter the top ten will be able to become direct disciples. Spirit practitioners, however, do not need to compete and can become direct disciples directly," Elder Bai Mei explained. "I wonder how many new disciples there will be this time?" Yang Miao asked. "Each intake of new disciples is three thousand," Elder Bai Mei said with a slight smile. "Three thousand." Li Lin was shocked. With three thousand new disciples, all of exceptional talent, entering the top ten would be incredibly difficult. At the same time, Li Lin couldn''t help but think about the power of the Yunyang Sect. With three thousand new disciples entering the sect every three years, the sect''s power had reached a terrifying level over the years. Every generation of exceptionally talented youths was absorbed by the Yunyang Sect, leaving no chance for other powers to grow. The Yunyang Sect was indeed shrewd. "Alright, you all should diligently cultivate for a month and a half. Whether you can become direct disciples will depend on your luck," Elder Bai Mei finished speaking and then closed his eyes to meditate, sitting cross-legged on the back of a rock eagle, seemingly beginning to adjust his breath. Qin Tianhao, Li Shaohu, and Yang Miao also closed their eyes to rest. Du Gu Binglan and the maid Cuiyu nodded slightly to Li Lin. With other people on the back of the rock eagle, it wasn''t convenient to speak, so they began to adjust their breaths as well. Li Lin pondered for a moment, looking down at the ground below. The height was somewhat frightening, but the rock eagle was trained by the Yunyang Sect, so there shouldn''t be any problems. He then formed a hand seal and began to circulate the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Technique, starting to refine the energy he had absorbed from Zhao Da. Moments later, Li Lin had forgotten he was on the back of a high-flying rock eagle, entering a state of deep meditation. His breathing was slow and even, with a faint earthy yellow glow enveloping his body. Inside Li Lin, the true qi energy he had absorbed was being furiously refined. In the space around him, fluctuations appeared in the air, but fortunately, the air currents caused by the flying rock eagle completely concealed the fluctuations caused by Li Lin. Even Elder Bai Mei did not notice the changes around Li Lin. Within Li Lin, the true qi energy he had absorbed, after being slightly refined by the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Technique, could be utilized for his own use. Then, it continuously entered Li Lin''s dantian qi sea. Li Lin could feel his dantian qi sea becoming increasingly full, and breaking through to the fifth level of the martial warrior was almost a certainty in the near future. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.As the refinement continued, streams of pure Qi entered the Dantian Qi Sea. These Qi, within the Dantian Qi Sea, were like clouds, continuously expanding at a visibly fast pace under the unceasing infusion of Qi. While refining the Qi energy inside his body, after a day, the Qi Li Lin had refined filled his Dantian Qi Sea, gradually stuffing most of his meridians. The refinement process was still ongoing. Another hour passed, and Li Lin found the Qi inside his body had reached a critical point. Any more Qi, and it would burst. "Compress, break," Li Lin commanded in his mind. At the lower abdomen where his Dantian Qi Sea was located, an energy mobilization occurred instantly, generating huge waves, which finally roared fiercely. Then, Li Lin, who had his eyes tightly closed, suddenly opened them. A nearly blinding sharp light burst from his eyes, which, after a moment, receded and disappeared. "Finally, I''ve broken through to the fifth level of the martial warrior." Feeling the robust Qi inside his body, Li Lin was surprised. The energy formed from the Qi he had absorbed and refined was much more effective than refining medicinal pills. "If I could freely absorb others'' Qi, the breakthrough in strength would be extremely terrifying." Li Lin thought to himself. In just one day and one night, he had broken through a level of strength, which was horrifying. "Lin''er, have you broken through to the fifth level of the martial warrior?" Elder Bai Mei opened his eyes, staring at Li Lin in surprise. The fluctuations caused by Li Lin''s breakthrough were naturally impossible to hide from him. "I was already on the verge of breaking through. Just now, while practicing, I accidentally made the breakthrough," Li Lin said, having already prepared his explanation. His strength level could be hidden, but the breakthrough itself could not be concealed from Elder Bai Mei. Hearing Li Lin and Elder Bai Mei''s conversation, Qin Tianhao, Yang Miao, Li Shaohu, Du Gu Binglan, and others also opened their eyes, looking at Li Lin in surprise. "Practicing, and then accidentally breaking through," Elder Bai Mei said, dumbfounded. "As a fifth-level martial warrior and a practitioner of three elements, becoming a direct disciple won''t be difficult. I''m afraid that once you''re in the sect, inner sect elders will come to recruit you." Watching Li Lin, Li Shaohu''s eyes were filled with coldness, but he was helpless. Li Lin''s strength was already above his. "Let''s eat something and then continue cultivating. It''s still early, and we have a long time before we reach Yunyang Sect," Elder Bai Mei said, then took out some dry food. People couldn''t go months without eating; it was said only at the Martial Commander level could one not need to eat. Martial Souls and Martial Generals could last a few months without food at most. As for their current martial warrior level, they couldn''t do that yet. Eating the dry food Elder Bai Mei provided, Li Lin looked around. The rock eagle that Li Wushuang rode was not far ahead, and it seemed everyone on it was also cultivating. After finishing the dry food, everyone resumed their cultivation, the pressure of Li Lin''s breakthrough silently pushing them. It seemed everyone wanted to become a direct disciple of the Yunyang Sect. Li Lin then once again immersed himself in refining the energy within his body. After breaking through to the fifth level of the martial warrior, he had only refined a small part of the Qi energy inside his Dantian. Chapter 82: Showcasing Culinary Skills Moments later, a sheen enveloped him as Qi continuously entered the Dantian Qi Sea, with time slowly passing by. Every day, everyone would only eat a meal of dry food before resuming their cultivation. Li Lin also took this time to refine the Qi energy within his body. Seven days later, Elder Bai Mei had the rock eagle land in a deserted mountain range. Being only a second-order demonic beast, the rock eagle needed rest and couldn''t carry everyone to the Yunyang Sect without breaks. Landing in a deserted mountain range, Li Lin surveyed his surroundings, seeing towering trees everywhere, with occasional unknown beast roars echoing. "Everyone, be careful. There shouldn''t be any demonic beasts in this mountain range, but there are still many wild animals and some poisonous snakes. Be cautious, and we''ll rest for two hours before we set off again," Elder Bai Mei told everyone. After spending seven days on the back of the rock eagle, everyone naturally needed to stretch their limbs upon landing. Li Lin, taking advantage of the moment when no one was paying attention, slipped away to a secluded corner and took out the little dragon. The poor little dragon had not eaten for seven days and was looking at Li Lin with a face full of grievance. "Little dragon, go find some food. Remember to come back quickly," Li Lin told the little dragon, then sent it into the depths of the mountain range. Since the little dragon had been unharmed after being hit by the man in black twice before, Li Lin was much more at ease about it. After watching the little dragon leave, Li Lin finally relaxed. No one knew he had the little dragon with him yet. Uncle Jiang had explained that the little dragon''s identity was special, and it could be troublesome if a powerful individual recognized it. "Eh, is that a wild rabbit?" At that moment, the bushes ahead rustled slightly, and then a wild animal about one and a half meters in size leaped out from the bushes. "A wild boar." Observing the animal that appeared, Li Lin was somewhat surprised. It was a wild boar, about half a meter tall and over a meter long, with thick black fur and two sharp tusks protruding from its mouth. "Ow..." Seeing Li Lin, the wild boar roared and charged towards him. The aggressiveness of a wild boar is even stronger than that of a wolf. Li Lin''s expression darkened slightly. The wild boar was neither a demonic beast nor a spiritual beast, just a regular wild animal. A decent hunter could capture it, and now, Li Lin was even less afraid of a wild boar. "Good timing." Li Lin smiled. Having eaten only dry food for the past few days, he was craving something different. Roasted wild boar would definitely be a delicacy. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Circulating his Qi, drawing strength from the ground, he launched a light yellow palm strike. "Bang!" The palm strike, carrying powerful Qi, hit the charging wild boar, sending it flying tens of meters before it crashed heavily against a towering tree. The tree shook, and countless leaves fluttered down. The wild boar groaned, foam mixed with blood flowing from its mouth, before falling to the ground, twitching twice, then remained motionless. "What''s going on?" Elder Bai Mei appeared beside Li Lin. The roar of the wild boar had been audible to everyone from afar. Seeing the dead wild boar on the ground, they understood what had happened. "Elder, it was just a wild boar, nothing to worry about," Li Lin said. "There are some large wild animals in this mountain range that are extremely dangerous. Everyone should be more careful," Elder Bai Mei said. By this time, Du Gu Binglan, Li Wushuang, Yang Miao, and several other Yunyang Sect officials had also gathered around. Li Lin scanned the surroundings a few times, then collected a good amount of firewood and split two one-meter-high branches, channeling his Qi to drive the branches into the ground. "What are you doing, Lin''er?" Watching Li Lin''s actions, everyone was somewhat puzzled. "Sister Wushuang, can I borrow your Qingyue sword for a moment?" Li Lin asked with a slight smile. "Here." Li Wushuang handed over the Qingyue sword to Li Lin. "Clang!" Li Lin walked over to the wild boar, drew the Qingyue sword, and with a flash of the blade, he made a clean cut under the wild boar''s belly, swiftly removing all the viscera with precise and clean movements. "All set." Li Lin picked up a long stick he had prepared earlier, skewered it from the wild boar''s mouth through to its tail, and set it atop the two branches. Underneath the branches, he placed the dry firewood and conjured flames with his fire attribute Qi, igniting the firewood almost instantly. "Lin''er, what are you doing?" Elder Bai Mei couldn''t help but ask. "Elder, this is barbecue. This wild boar will be delicious in a bit," Li Lin replied with a slight smile, aware that the concept of barbecue didn''t seem to exist in this world. Roasting the wild boar wasn''t difficult using spiritual power to conjure flames, but Li Lin, having been an expert in barbecue since childhood, knew that only wood fire could produce the tastiest results. Flames from other sources simply wouldn''t do, as wood fire carried a unique fragrance. "Barbecue, can this really taste good?" Elder Bai Mei asked, puzzled, while others also started to wonder. "Everyone will know soon enough," Li Lin said lightly. Good taste naturally required some seasoning, but there were no other ingredients available here. Fortunately, Li Lin had eaten wild boar in his previous life, knowing that genuine wild boar meat naturally has a salty flavor, eliminating the need for salt. As Li Lin finished speaking, he channeled his Qi, leaped up to a large tree behind him, grabbed a handful of leaves, and stuffed them into the wild boar''s belly. Li Lin had discovered these leaves unintentionally; in his previous life, these were fragrant leaves from the Fragrant Leaf Tree, which carried a light aroma, making them perfect for barbecuing. After preparing everything, Li Lin started to seriously roast the wild boar. Watching Li Lin undertake this task, everyone was filled with curiosity and bewilderment. In just a short time, the wild boar turned a golden brown, with oil sizzling out and dripping into the flames, intensifying the fire and releasing a faint aroma of meat. The aroma grew stronger, and more oil sizzled out, enveloping the wild boar in a rich fragrance. This fragrance, mixed with the scent of the fragrant leaves, was simply tantalizing. The smell of the meat made everyone, who had been eating dry food for seven days, start to drool. "It smells so good," Yang Miao couldn''t help but swallow her saliva, tempted by the aroma. "Lin''er, is it ready yet? Is it cooked?" Elder Bai Mei swallowed hard. Although his cultivation level allowed him to go months without food, the aroma of the meat had triggered his appetite. Chapter 83: You Really Have a Knack for This "It''s not ready yet; it has to be fully roasted until all the fat is rendered to taste good," Li Lin said, knowing that if the meat is too greasy, the taste would greatly diminish. Watching Li Lin being surrounded by people, only Wang Liang and Li Shaohu looked at him disdainfully, but their gazes involuntarily kept drifting towards the fragrant wild boar. A moment later, the wild boar had shrunk by a fifth, and its aroma had become extremely rich, spreading around and making everyone''s mouth water. The entire wild boar had turned a tempting golden brown. Li Lin himself was swallowing hard. This natural, wild boar meat was truly delicious, something he couldn''t enjoy in his previous life. "It''s ready now, Elder. Please, have a taste," Li Lin said, turning to Elder Bai Mei and tearing off a wild boar''s front leg. The aroma wafted from the freshly torn meat, steaming and irresistible. Naturally, Li Lin offered the first piece to Elder Bai Mei, as a senior elder of the Yunyang Sect with considerable influence, flattering him could only be beneficial. "Alright, let me try," Elder Bai Mei, who had been eagerly waiting, picked up a leg, sniffed it, and then took a bite without minding the heat. The meat was fragrant, slightly chewy but not tough, tender but not firm, with juices flowing out with each bite. Elder Bai Mei''s eyes widened in surprise as he exclaimed, "Good lad, I didn''t expect you to have this skill. Delicious, this is too good." "To the officers, everyone, please have a taste," Li Lin said to the four Yunyang Sect officers, tearing off two more legs, handing one to Li Wushuang, "Sister Wushuang, try this, it''s really good." "This is for you, Miss Binglan, and Cuiyu," Li Lin handed another leg to Du Gu Binglan. "I''ve never tried food prepared this way before; naturally, I have to try it," Du Gu Binglan said with a slight smile, accepting it. "To the officers, just use your hands. This is best eaten with your hands," Li Lin turned and saw the four officers, three men and a woman, hesitating to start. He smiled slightly and grabbed a rib to gnaw on. The taste was savory, leaving a lingering fragrance on the lips and teeth. For the first time, Li Lin felt his culinary skills were indeed excellent. Seeing everyone enjoying the food, the four officers let go of their reservations and started tearing off big pieces to eat, savoring the delicious meat and looking satisfied. "I won''t be polite then," Qin Tianhao said with a slight smile, stepping forward to grab a piece of roasted meat, oil dripping from the corners of his mouth as he remarked, "This is really good, so fragrant." Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! "Then eat more," Li Lin tore off a large piece for Qin Tianhao, appreciating Qin Tianhao''s straightforward and honest demeanor. Li Lin felt comfortable around someone who was genuine and didn''t have to worry about being schemed against. "Thank you," Qin Tianhao said, unabashedly taking big bites. Yang Miao watched everyone, her stomach growling, feeling somewhat embarrassed to step forward due to her unfamiliarity with Li Lin. Moreover, the relationship between her, Yang Man, and Li Wushuang was somewhat competitive, making it even more awkward for her to approach. Yet, her gaze, along with that of the other girls, couldn''t help but linger on the delicious wild boar. "Here, give it a try, it tastes good," Li Lin said, noticing Yang Miao''s hesitation and then tearing off the remaining front leg of the wild boar and throwing it to her. Although Yang Miao and Yang Man were sisters, their personalities were quite different. Li Lin didn''t have much dislike for Yang Miao; on the contrary, he somewhat appreciated her straightforwardness. "Thank you," Yang Miao said, accepting the wild boar leg from Li Lin and showing gratitude in her eyes. She then went over to Yang Man, who also didn''t refuse. The two women took a small bite each, and, finding the meat delicious, they started eating without concern for their image, getting grease all over. Li Lin smiled slightly, knowing that after seven days of dry food, having roasted meat now was like a blessing in the cold winter. He glanced at Li Shaohu and Wang Liang, who stood aside, and sneered slightly, paying them no mind. "Shaohu, this is too much for me. Help me eat some," Li Wushuang, noticing this, approached Li Shaohu and handed him half of a hind leg. The leg was quite large, and she genuinely couldn''t finish it. Despite being aware of some tension between Li Shaohu and Li Lin, Li Wushuang felt obliged to take care of her cousin from her perspective. Li Lin glanced over but said nothing, sitting on the ground and gnawing on a large piece of roasted meat. Now was not the time to deal with Li Shaohu. "Thank you, Sister Wushuang," Li Shaohu said, glancing at Li Lin, who was ignoring him from afar. Smelling the fragrant roasted meat, he eventually couldn''t resist and started eating. The aroma attracted many wild animals. After a while, a number of them had gathered around, their calls echoing, but they dared not come close to the people. "What a delight, it''s been a long time since I''ve had such an appetizing meal," Elder Bai Mei said, burping and patting his stomach contentedly. "Indeed, it''s delicious. It seems our days ahead will be much more comfortable," said a middle-aged female officer of the Yunyang Sect with a slight smile. Everyone had eaten their fill, greasy and satisfied. Only Wang Liang stood aside the whole time, too embarrassed to join, his stomach growling loudly. "It''s time for us to leave," Elder Bai Mei announced. "Elder, I need to step away for a moment," Li Lin said, then disappeared behind the trees. Behind a towering tree, a pale yellow light flashed, and the little dragon landed on Li Lin''s shoulder, sniffing for the scent of meat around his mouth, unable to hide its interest in the aroma. "Stop searching, I''ve saved some for you," Li Lin said with a smile, already holding out a piece of roasted meat. "Squeak!" The little dragon opened its mouth and gulped down the palm-sized piece of roasted meat, its small body almost the same size as the meat, leaving Li Lin wondering how it managed to eat it. "It''s time to go," Li Lin said, and the little dragon crawled into his sleeve and disappeared. When Li Lin returned to the group, two rock eagles were already circling overhead. Everyone mounted the eagles and set off again. They hadn''t finished the wild boar and couldn''t take it with them. The remaining half of the roasted meat was left behind, and several wild animals rushed out to quickly devour it after the group departed. Chapter 84: The Misty Mountain Range On the back of the rock eagle, everyone continued to sit and rest, and Li Lin also continued to refine the Qi energy within his body. Bit by bit, the energy was transformed into Qi under the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Technique and entered his Dantian Qi Sea. Time slowly passed, and everyone on the rock eagle''s back had grown accustomed to the journey. A faint sheen enveloped Li Lin as his body continuously absorbed the refined Qi. As the amount of Qi energy available for refinement decreased, the Qi within Li Lin''s Dantian Qi Sea increased. This rate of progress was far beyond what could be achieved through refining pills. Li Lin thought to himself that absorbing the opponent''s Qi was at least twice as effective as consuming pills. If he could continue to absorb Qi like this, his cultivation speed would reach a terrifying level. However, this was not easy; if his technique were exposed, it would cause great trouble. Seven days passed, and when the last bit of Qi energy was refined, the dense Qi cloud within Li Lin''s Dantian Qi Sea had reached a critical point. Just a bit more, and he would break through to the sixth level of the martial warrior. "I haven''t broken through to the sixth level of the martial warrior," Li Lin opened his eyes, exhaling deeply, surprised that the energy needed to break through to the sixth level was much greater than he had anticipated. Li Lin wasn''t too disappointed. His Qi had already reached the peak of the fifth level of the martial warrior. Just one more Zengyuan Pill would make breaking through to the sixth level easy. "Better not break through now," Li Lin thought to himself. Breaking through to the sixth level of the martial warrior so soon, especially in front of Elder Bai Mei, could be problematic, as it would raise questions if he made another breakthrough in less than half a month. Li Lin was also considering how to quickly enhance his spiritual cultivation. Both martial and spiritual cultivations needed to advance simultaneously. Even if he reached the ninth level of the martial warrior, if his spiritual cultivation remained at the first level of the spiritual warrior, he wouldn''t be able to break through further. "Let''s all take a break for a while," Elder Bai Mei opened his eyes and whistled, causing the two rock eagles to cry out and slowly descend into a mountain range. "There are many wild animals in this mountain range. Let''s put in some effort to find some game, and after we''ve eaten, we''ll set off," Elder Bai Mei said, his gaze indicating he was looking forward to more roasted meat from Li Lin. Everyone scattered to hunt. Li Lin found a secluded spot and let the little dragon out to forage, also catching a wild rabbit weighing several pounds. Soon, everyone had their catch, with the four officers each holding several pieces of game, and Yang Miao holding two wild chickens. Li Shaohu, Wang Liang, Li Wushuang, and Du Gu Binglan didn''t return empty-handed either. Li Lin observed the variety of game everyone had brought back, including many different types. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. This time, Li Shaohu and Wang Liang directly imitated Li Lin''s method of roasting the wild boar, starting to barbecue two wild chickens and a wild rabbit, also finding many fragrant leaves, copying Li Lin quite adeptly. Under Wang Liang''s encouragement, Yang Man and Yang Miao also started barbecuing two wild chickens together, with Wang Liang''s help, so the women didn''t have to do it themselves. Li Lin smiled slightly, not in a hurry. He asked Qin Tianhao to clean the game without removing the fur and asked the three officers to gather some firewood, while he searched the surroundings for something. A moment later, Li Lin crouched down, grabbed a handful of soil, smelled it, and smiled. The soil was moist and yellow, exactly what Li Lin was looking for. He then dug up a lot of the yellow soil and brought it in front of everyone, an indispensable item for cooking. Seeing Li Lin bringing so much soil, everyone was surprised. Then, Li Lin also picked many fragrant leaves. "Lin''er, what do you need so much soil for?" Elder Bai Mei asked, puzzled. "Elder, this is yellow clay. You''ll see what it''s for soon," Li Lin replied. Having finished, Li Lin, to everyone''s surprise, first wrapped the wild chickens and rabbits in fragrant leaves, then smeared yellow clay over them, encapsulating the fragrant leaves, finally forming several clay balls. As Li Lin did all this, everyone became increasingly curious. "All done," Li Lin said, eventually digging several pits in the ground and placing the clay-encased wild chickens and rabbits into them, before lighting a firewood pile on top. "Lin''er, why is this method different from the last time you roasted?" Li Wushuang asked. Li Lin explained, "Last time, the wild boar had a salty taste, so we roasted it directly. But these wild chickens and rabbits don''t have that saltiness, and we don''t have salt, so we can''t roast them the same way. The yellow clay I found has a salty taste, which will infuse into the meat." "So that''s why," everyone realized, starting to busy themselves with maintaining the fire. A few minutes later, Li Lin turned the game over to ensure even cooking, then continued to tend the fire. Meanwhile, the game that Wang Liang, Li Shaohu, Yang Man, and Yang Miao were roasting already started to emit a fragrant smell and turned golden brown. They were excited to start eating their creations. However, their excitement quickly turned to disappointment as, despite the enticing aroma, the meat was tasteless and lacked flavor. Confused, the four, who had grown up with everything handed to them, didn''t grasp the nuances of barbecuing like Li Lin did. Their attempt looked similar to Li Lin''s method but yielded a completely different outcome. "It''s ready, everyone can eat now," Li Lin said after feeling it was sufficiently cooked, extinguishing the firewood. He then unearthed the clay balls, now hard and cracked all over, releasing a faint delicious smell. "Bang!" Li Lin smashed the clay balls on the ground, breaking them apart and revealing the enticingly aromatic wild chicken inside, with the feathers and outer layer of fragrant leaves and yellow clay falling away. "Smells so good," everyone mimicked Li Lin, breaking their clay balls on the ground, revealing the various types of game. The aroma filled the air, and everyone started eating voraciously. "I didn''t expect this method to be so delicious. You really have a knack for this," Elder Bai Mei said to Li Lin, drooling over the meal. The officers didn''t hold back either. After putting in the effort, everyone dug in unreservedly, even Du Gu Binglan, Li Wushuang, and Cuiyu, disregarding their usual poise for the feast. Moments later, everyone was full, unable to eat another bite, while Wang Liang, Li Shaohu, Yang Man, and the others, having only tasted a few bites of their flavorless game, couldn''t bring themselves to eat more. "Hmph," Yang Man gave Wang Liang a cold snort, her eyes nearly shooting flames, blaming his bad idea for their hunger. After the meal, Li Lin took the opportunity to tuck the little dragon back into his sleeve; the little dragon could always find its own food when let out. "Alright, it''s time for us to set off. It''s been half a month, and in another month, we''ll reach Yunyang Sect," Elder Bai Mei announced. "Elder Bai, Wudu City is up ahead. Should we rest in the city before crossing the Misty Mountains?" the female officer suggested to Elder Bai Mei. Chapter 85: The Heavenly Silkworm Armor "No need, we''re pressed for time, it''s better to go directly through the Misty Mountains," Elder Bai Mei said. "Elder Bai, won''t it be dangerous to fly over directly?" the middle-aged female officer continued to ask. "Our Yunyang Sect shouldn''t have anyone daring enough to provoke us; there won''t be any problems. There hasn''t been any trouble in Wudu City for years," Elder Bai Mei replied, then summoned the two rock eagles. Everyone mounted the rock eagles and set off once again towards Yunyang Sect. Li Lin was curious about the Misty Mountains that even a Yunyang Sect officer worried about, wondering what kind of place it was. "Elder, what is the Misty Mountains?" Li Lin asked. "The Misty Mountains are a range that connects to the ancient region. On the edge of the mountains lies Wudu City, which is under the control of Yunyang Sect. However, the Misty Mountains are vast and somewhat chaotic, with occasional appearances of demonic beasts. Ordinary people dare not enter," Elder Bai Mei explained. "I see," Li Lin thought. He had heard about the ancient region recorded in the Li family''s weapon archive. Surrounding the Lingwu Continent are four other continents, not much smaller in size than Lingwu itself. To the east of Lingwu Continent lies Donghai Mocloud City, to the west the Xichuan Ancient Region, to the south the Nanyuan Ancestral Demon Foresta territory of demonic beasts where humans hardly ever return aliveand to the north, Linghuang Cliff, the domain of spiritual beasts, where humans also rarely survive. In the center is the largest, Lingwu Continent, with Yunyang Sect being one of the Three Sects and Four Schools. Although the Three Sects and Four Schools are immensely powerful, they cannot easily interfere with the surrounding ancient regions and Mocloud City. As for the Ancestral Demon Forest and Linghuang Cliff, they don''t even consider it, as the demonic and spiritual beasts there are not to be trifled with. "Boom, boom..." Far ahead in the sky, two massive explosions sounded, followed by two fireworks-like flares shooting up and scattering in the distance. Even during the day, it was somewhat dazzling. "Elder, that''s our Yunyang Sect''s distress signal," an officer from another rock eagle shouted. The expressions of several officers, Elder Bai Mei, Li Wushuang, Wang Liang, Yang Man, all changed dramatically. "It''s just ahead. Someone from our sect has encountered trouble; we''ll go there immediately," Elder Bai Mei loudly declared, directing the rock eagle to hurry towards the signal, his expression turning grave. This being Yunyang Sect''s territory, it must be a serious matter for the sect members to issue a distress signal so readily. "Are we running into trouble?" Li Lin pondered, observing Elder Bai Mei''s serious expression, realizing the trouble must be significant and he needed to be cautious. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. In the mountains, the strong branches swayed in the wind, resembling menacing claws, with occasional dead leaves drifting in the breeze. Nearby was a steep, towering cliff, a thick scent of blood wafting through the air. On the ground lay the bodies of about thirty people, blood-stained and dressed in the garb of two opposing forces. "Wang Mingyue, do you think anyone from the Yunyang Sect will come to your rescue here? Hand over the Heavenly Silkworm Armor, and I will spare your life," a man in his fifties, wearing a black robe and with deep wrinkles on his forehead, said coldly to a man in his forties in front of him. The elderly man''s eyes, set deep in their sockets, emitted a sharp and sinister glare. The middle-aged man, dressed in a white robe now stained with bloodunclear whether it was his own or that of those he had killedheld a large saber dripping with fresh blood. He appeared somewhat weakened, his eyes fiercely fixed on the elderly man in the black robe. Behind the elderly man stood three middle-aged men, all in tight-fitting clothes, with sharp, fierce looks in their eyes and an aura of killing intent surrounding them, an aura that seemed to have been condensed from years of slaughter, something ordinary people would not possess. Behind the middle-aged man were seven or eight youths and another middle-aged man, all showing signs of weakness, clearly having gone through a fierce battle. This middle-aged man, recognizable to anyone in Wudu City, was Wang Mingyue, an outer sect elder of the Yunyang Sect and the lord of Wudu City, followed by disciples of the Yunyang Sect. "Fire Yin Fiend, this is Yunyang Sect''s territory. Stealing from Yunyang Sect, you won''t get away with it. Leave now if you know what''s good for you, and I''ll let this slide," Wang Mingyue said, his gaze locked on the elderly man in black. "Heh, using the Yunyang Sect to intimidate me? Don''t forget, the ancient region is not under your Yunyang Sect''s control, and even here in the Misty Mountains, what can your Yunyang Sect do?" The elderly man in black sneered coldly. "The Heavenly Silkworm Armor is not a possession of your Yunyang Sect. Whoever obtains it, owns it. Hand it over willingly, or you have only death to look forward to." "Dream on, the Heavenly Silkworm Armor will not be surrendered unless I''m dead," Wang Mingyue retorted coldly, his saber vibrating with Qi, not willing to give up the Heavenly Silkworm Armor so easily. "Then die," the elderly man in black sneered, his eyes sweeping with a fierce light as a surge of scorching Qi burst from his hand, charging directly at Wang Mingyue. Following the elderly man''s attack, the three middle-aged men behind him, also emanating a murderous aura, lunged towards the Yunyang Sect disciples. The disciples, each at the level of martial artists, were outmatched by the three more powerful assailants. Seeing the Fire Yin Fiend''s attack, Wang Mingyue leaped into the air, narrowly evading the assault. The Fire Yin Fiend smirked, as if he had anticipated this, and at the moment Wang Mingyue took to the air, he formed a seal with his hands. From his right hand, a stream of scorching flame shot directly at Wang Mingyue. The Fire Yin Fiend, a fire element martial artist, emitted a flame carrying a faint, foul smell, unlike ordinary fire. In mid-air, Wang Mingyue''s figure spun rapidly, vanishing from the spot, only to reappear behind the Fire Yin Fiend and slash down with his saber, creating a sharp sonic boom as the air rippled around the blade''s path. "Back off," the Fire Yin Fiend, seemingly unphased, twisted his body slightly, changing the seal in his hands. A fiery palm print soared up, meeting the saber''s edge in an instant. The temperature around them soared, becoming intensely hot. With a loud "bang," the space exploded with fire, and the saber''s light instantly dissipated. A figure was sent flying backward, stumbling and retreating upon landing. It was Wang Mingyue, who was clearly at a disadvantage from the exchange. "You''re already exhausted, not a match for me," the Fire Yin Fiend shouted again, tapping the ground with his toes, his Qi vibrating as he charged forward. Chapter 86: Fierce Battle and Threat "Wang Mingyue, let''s see how many more moves you can withstand." Fire Yin Fiend''s hands conjured countless fiery Qi punches, enveloping Wang Mingyue in an instant. "This is bad." Wang Mingyue''s expression darkened. Fire Yin Fiend''s strength was already superior to his, and now, depleted of energy, he was no match for his opponent. Although he had sent out a distress signal, there were no other Yunyang Sect members nearby. It would take too long for anyone from Wudu City to arrive, and they lacked the strength to overpower Fire Yin Fiend. Just then, a beastly roar echoed from above. Hearing this sound, Wang Mingyue''s eyes lit up with surpriseit was the cry of a rock eagle. "Thought it was someone else, turns out it''s you, Fire Yin Fiend." A loud shout came from above, it was Elder Bai Mei. As he spoke, a figure dived down, and a yellow longsword appeared out of nowhere, slicing through the air silently with dozens of sword beams, the fierce sword Qi tearing through the air barrier and howling towards Fire Yin Fiend. Sensing the sharp sword Qi, Fire Yin Fiend''s expression turned to shock. His punches shifted, a fiery aura enveloping them as he swiftly retreated. As Elder Bai Mei altered his hand seals, the sword Qi transformed again, vibrating continuously and rippling through the air like water, shattering Fire Yin Fiend''s punches in an instant. At that moment, two rock eagles circled overhead, and everyone leaped down. The Yunyang Sect''s officers immediately charged towards the three middle-aged men. Staggering back several steps, Fire Yin Fiend glared at Elder Bai Mei, who had just appeared, and said with a heavy tone, "Bai Mei, I didn''t expect you to be here." "Bai Mei, your timing couldn''t have been better. Fire Yin Fiend is after the Heavenly Silkworm Armor. It would have been troublesome if you were any later," Wang Mingyue approached Elder Bai Mei, finally breathing a sigh of relief. Although both were outer sect elders, Elder Bai Mei''s strength was superior to his and no less than Fire Yin Fiend''s. "The Heavenly Silkworm Armor?" Elder Bai Mei looked puzzled. "It''s a long story. I led several people into the Misty Mountains and had just obtained the Heavenly Silkworm Armor when Fire Yin Fiend targeted us," Wang Mingyue explained. "Nonsense, the Heavenly Silkworm Armor goes to those who are capable. Why shouldn''t I have it?" Fire Yin Fiend retorted coldly. "How dare you, Fire Yin Fiend, covet what belongs to Yunyang Sect. Let''s see if you''re strong enough," Elder Bai Mei shouted, his gaze turning cold upon seeing the bodies of Yunyang Sect disciples. Forming hand seals, he launched the yellow longsword at Fire Yin Fiend. The sword buzzed, emitting a yellow glow, resembling a yellow spirit snake from afar. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. "Bai Mei, I''m not afraid of you. Let''s see how strong Yunyang Sect really is," Fire Yin Fiend shouted back, conjuring several fist-sized fiery orbs that instantly enveloped the yellow longsword. Qi filled the air, with stones and dust flying around. From a distance, Li Lin watched the clash between Elder Bai Mei and Fire Yin Fiend. Both were warriors of the Martial Spirit level, with strengths possibly exceeding the sixth level of Martial Spirit, truly formidable. Their every move could cause explosive reactions. The crowd, following Elder Bai Mei''s instructions, kept their distance and watched from afar. At this moment, in the battle between the four officers of Yunyang Sect and the three robust men, the Yunyang Sect officers had the upper hand. Their strength was around the eighth or ninth level of Martial Master, slightly stronger than the three men in tight clothes, who were already in a precarious situation due to being outnumbered and outmatched. Li Lin was most interested in the confrontation between Elder Bai Mei and Fire Yin Fiend, the real powerhouses, whose fight was reaching a peak of intensity. In an instant, the several fireballs conjured by Fire Yin Fiend were shattered by Elder Bai Mei''s yellow sword, which unleashed a barrage of sword beams with ferocious sword Qi, slicing through the fireballs and then sweeping across horizontally. Elder Bai Mei, leveraging his movement technique, changed his hand seals, sending out several thin blades of sword Qi aimed at Fire Yin Fiend''s neck. Fire Yin Fiend''s expression darkened as he hastily retreated, surrounded by a protective aura that dissolved the incoming sword Qi blades upon contact. After defending against the sword Qi blades, Fire Yin Fiend''s demeanor became significantly more somber. Swinging his arm, he launched a fierce Qi punch towards Elder Bai Mei, the force of the punch creating a continuous booming sound in the air. Elder Bai Mei, sensing the relentless force behind him, changed his hand seals once more, thrusting the yellow sword forward. The sword left a pale yellow trail in the air, its sharp tip piercing through the air resistance to collide with Fire Yin Fiend''s punch. The collision of their attacks caused an immediate explosion of powerful forces, bending the air into arcs until it finally couldn''t withstand the immense power and burst loudly. "Boom, boom" The space erupted with loud sounds, creating a vast crater within tens of meters, and both figures were forced back. "White Brow, you indeed have impressive strength, but I must have the Heavenly Silkworm Armor. Hand it over, and I''ll leave immediately," Fire Yin Fiend said. "Joke, do you have the strength for it?" Elder Bai Mei responded coldly. "Heh heh, fine then. Those are your Yunyang Sect''s new disciples, right? It would be a pity if they died. If you don''t hand over the Heavenly Silkworm Armor, I might not be able to do anything to you, but what about killing them? Do you think I can do that?" Fire Yin Fiend sneered maliciously, his gaze shifting towards Li Lin, Li Wushuang, Yang Man, and the others in the distance. "Fire Yin Fiend, dare you, and even if you escape to the ancient region, Yunyang Sect will not let you off," Elder Bai Mei immediately shouted, knowing full well that Fire Yin Fiend''s strength wasn''t much less than his own, and if Fire Yin Fiend was determined to target the new disciples, he wouldn''t be able to protect them all. "I''m asking you one last time, will you hand over the Heavenly Silkworm Armor?" Fire Yin Fiend demanded. "Dream on, the Heavenly Silkworm Armor, a treasure like that, you''re not worthy of it," Elder Bai Mei retorted coldly. "Then don''t blame me for being rude," Fire Yin Fiend sneered, his figure suddenly rushing towards the new disciples including Li Lin. "You dare!" Elder Bai Mei bellowed, with Wang Mingyue also moving swiftly. The two of them, with a sword and a saber, struck directly at Fire Yin Fiend, their arcs cutting through the air, resulting in a sharp whistling sound. Chapter 87: Tragically Captured Fire Yin Fiend''s brow furrowed slightly, his foot lightly tapping the void, sending a burst of red, scorching Qi from his sole, speeding up his movement as he launched two half-meter-diameter fireballs at Elder Bai Mei and Wang Mingyue. "Break..." Both men easily pierced through the fireballs with a sword and a saber, but in the brief moment this took, Fire Yin Fiend had already moved closer, charging straight towards Li Lin and the others. "Be careful, run!" Elder Bai Mei shouted, his figure surging forward as he changed hand seals, filling the space with Qi. The yellow sword in his hand shot out like a streak of yellow lightning towards Fire Yin Fiend. The sword Qi created a gust of wind, rippling through the air around it. With this strike, Elder Bai Mei had exerted his full strength. "Quick, we can''t match him," Li Wushuang yelled from ahead, witnessing the scene unfold. Everyone immediately began to retreat rapidly. Li Lin was no exception, not expecting Fire Yin Fiend to target Yunyang Sect''s new disciples. He quickly retreated, knowing well the dire consequences of falling into Fire Yin Fiend''s hands. A massive push force emerged from the palms, dissipating the incoming wind blades before they could get close. "Fire Shadow Finger," Fire Yin Fiend uttered as he lightly tapped the void with his toe, a surge of scorching Qi vibrating around him. With a change in hand seals, he flicked his fingers, sending five illusory Qi energy finger prints hurtling towards Elder Bai Mei''s sword Qi. As Fire Yin Fiend darted back and forth, the five residual energy finger prints in mid-air trembled slightly before shooting out, colliding with Elder Bai Mei''s sword Qi. "Clang, clang..." In a flash, the sword Qi was blocked by the five finger prints, deviating the sword Qi and preventing it from continuing its attack on Fire Yin Fiend. "I''ll start with you," Fire Yin Fiend appeared behind Qin Tianhao. Among the group, Qin Tianhao, being a spiritual practitioner, was the slowest, naturally falling behind. A finger print condensed in front of Fire Yin Fiend and crashed down. "Break for me," at that moment, Wang Mingyue''s saber light fell again, shielding Qin Tianhao. "Let''s see how many you can protect," Fire Yin Fiend sneered maliciously, forming hand seals. Several more Qi energy finger prints, wrapped in flames, tore through space, targeting Li Shaohu not far from Qin Tianhao. "Be careful!" Elder Bai Mei''s hand seals changed, his yellow sword cutting through the air, rushing towards Fire Yin Fiend. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. "Hmph," Fire Yin Fiend snorted, altering his hand seals. Five blazing energy fingers, carrying a force that seemed to slice through space, moved as his body swiftly retreated to the left. Four of the energy finger prints got entangled with Elder Bai Mei''s sword, while the remaining one grazed Li Shaohu''s skin, causing him intense pain and making him stumble backward, eventually falling to the ground, breaking out in a cold sweat. "Keke, White Brow, let''s see how you save people now." Fire Yin Fiend sneered sinisterly, spinning halfway in the air like a whirlwind, stirring up a wave of red, scorching Qi before gracefully landing back on the ground. With Qi bursting from his feet, he leveraged the momentum to launch himself forward again, ghost-like, darting towards Li Lin, his target now. Li Lin had already taken the chance to retreat rapidly. Seeing Fire Yin Fiend charging towards him, his expression turned to one of great alarm, well aware that with his current strength, he stood no chance against such a formidable opponent as Fire Yin Fiend. The only option was to flee as fast as possible. "Li Lin, be careful." Not far ahead, Li Wushuang''s face paled, and without much hesitation, her graceful figure swept through, Qi coursing as she swung her hand, and with a gesture, the Qingyue Sword in her hand thrust towards Fire Yin Fiend, cutting through space. "Overestimating yourself." Fire Yin Fiend coldly snorted, glancing at the sword Qi rushing towards him. Mid-air, his Qi suddenly surged, releasing a burst of immense, scorching energy. A claw imprint formed in his hand, with traces of flames carrying robust Qi, smashing down hard on the Qingyue Sword. "Boom!" The two forces collided, causing an explosion in the air, and the Qingyue Sword fell to the ground. At that moment, Fire Yin Fiend didn''t even touch the ground before launching a scorching fireball towards Li Wushuang. "Li Wushuang, be careful." Li Lin''s face turned pale with shock. Li Wushuang had drawn this trouble upon herself trying to save him, and her strength was definitely not enough to contend with Fire Yin Fiend. "Green Spirit Armor." Li Lin didn''t hesitate for a moment, instantly summoning the Green Spirit Armor. His body was immediately covered in numerous pale yellow scales, as he surged forward. "Mountain Splitting Palm." Qi burst forth, sending a pale yellow palm imprint sweeping out. Though it created a sound of tearing through the air, it paled in comparison to the attack momentum of Fire Yin Fiend and Elder Bai Mei. Fire Yin Fiend felt a palm imprint coming from behind and looked back, sneering, not taking it seriously at all. To him, an opponent who was merely a martial warrior was like an ant, unworthy of concern. In an instant, Fire Yin Fiend''s expression darkened as Elder Bai Mei rapidly approached from behind Li Lin. "Hmph, boy, come here." Fire Yin Fiend''s expression turned grave as he vanished from his spot like lightning. Li Lin''s Mountain Splitting Palm missed, and he instantly felt a bad premonition. Just as he was about to retreat rapidly, a voice rang in his ear: "Boy, behave." At that moment, Li Lin felt several finger imprints from Fire Yin Fiend hit his body, immediately blocking his Qi flow, rendering him unable to move. "Fire Yin Fiend, release him now, or Yunyang Sect will never let you off," Elder Bai Mei shouted sternly, his expression growing grave. "Li Lin." Li Wushuang was panic-stricken, her face turning pale. At this time, Qin Tianhao, Du Gu Binglan, Cuiyu, and Yang Miao all wore serious expressions, watching as Li Lin fell into Fire Yin Fiend''s hands, with only Li Shaohu''s eyes passing a cold sneer. At this moment, Li Lin was equally panicked. He didn''t want to die, but Fire Yin Fiend''s strength was too overwhelming, leaving him no chance to resist. Currently, three of his meridian acupoints were sealed by Fire Yin Fiend''s Qi, preventing his Qi from circulating and immobilizing him. Chapter 88: Seizing the Opportunity to Strike "Yin-Yang Martial Spirit Technique." Li Lin secretly circulated the Yin-Yang Martial Spirit Technique within his heart. Fire Yin Fiend had sealed his meridian acupoints with Qi, but his Yin-Yang Martial Spirit Technique could refine any energy Qi, possibly even these three strands of Qi. "It actually works." As soon as he began circulating the Yin-Yang Martial Spirit Technique, Li Lin felt the three strands of Qi gradually being refined by it. He was secretly delighted and began to refine them earnestly. The three strands of Qi were not substantial, so it shouldn''t take much time to refine them. "White Brow, hand over the Heavenly Silkworm Armor, and I''ll let the boy go. Otherwise, he''s as good as dead," Fire Yin Fiend said, eyeing Elder Bai Mei. "Fire Yin Fiend, are you really challenging Yunyang Sect?" Elder Bai Mei coldly responded. Handing over the Heavenly Silkworm Armor was impossible; it was no ordinary item and couldn''t be easily given away. Moreover, Li Lin, being a tri-element martial artist, would easily become a direct disciple upon arriving at Yunyang Sect. Yunyang Sect always valued new disciples. Between the two, Elder Bai Mei found it hard to choose. However, given that there was only one Heavenly Silkworm Armor and many talented new disciples in Yunyang Sect, Elder Bai Mei naturally wouldn''t give up on Li Lin until the very end. "White Brow, Yunyang Sect doesn''t dare to touch the Foggy Mountain Range and the ancient region. Don''t use Yunyang Sect to pressure me. I''ll ask you one last time: will you hand over the Heavenly Silkworm Armor or not? If not, the boy is dead. I don''t mind killing him," Fire Yin Fiend coldly stated. "Fire Yin Fiend, it''s impossible for you to get the Heavenly Silkworm Armor. You should know its value. How about this: if you release the person in your hands, Yunyang Sect is willing to offer you a fourth-grade Dan medicine," Elder Bai Mei proposed. A fourth-grade Dan medicine was already quite valuable. "A fourth-grade Dan medicine is good indeed. It seems this boy is a new disciple Yunyang Sect values highly. That makes me even less likely to release him," Fire Yin Fiend sneered. A fourth-grade Dan medicine, while substantial, was nothing compared to the Heavenly Silkworm Armor. "Fire Yin Fiend, you''d better take what''s offered, or even if you run to the ends of the earth, the strong practitioners of Yunyang Sect will still hunt you down and execute you," Wang Mingyue coldly said. "Hmph, you don''t need to worry about me. I just want the Heavenly Silkworm Armor," Fire Yin Fiend retorted. Under the refinement of the Yin-Yang Martial Spirit Technique, Li Lin had already completely refined the three strands of Qi, gaining a slight benefit and feeling his own Qi strengthen. If his Qi were slightly stronger, he would immediately break through to the sixth level of Martial Warrior. "Elder, you must save Li Lin," Li Wushuang urgently said to Elder Bai Mei, her expression filled with worry. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "Wushuang, I''ll do my best. Li Lin is Li Zhong''s son, I can''t just not save him, but the Heavenly Silkworm Armor is too important to be handed over," Elder Bai Mei explained. "White Brow, my patience is limited," Fire Yin Fiend was becoming impatient. "Fire Yin Fiend, we have one of your men too. How about we exchange hostages?" At this moment, behind Elder Bai Mei, the middle-aged female officer and the other three officers had captured one of the robust men in tight clothes. The remaining two robust men had just been killed by Yunyang Sect''s people in a joint attack. "Fire Yin Brother, save me." The robust man pleaded, as nobody wished to face death. "Hmph, what''s the use of living if you don''t have the strength?" Fire Yin Fiend said indifferently, condensing a Qi finger strike in his hand and swiftly lashing it towards the robust man held captive by Yunyang Sect''s people. "Zap!" A finger imprint, brimming with fiery flames, pierced through the robust man''s chest, creating a bloody hole. The man, looking at Fire Yin Fiend with eyes full of anger and unwillingness, fell to the ground. "That''s ruthless." Yunyang Sect''s people did not expect Fire Yin Fiend to be so merciless even towards his own men, thinking they could use him to threaten Fire Yin Fiend, only to find that he wasn''t swayed by such tactics. This couldn''t drag on any longer, or it would spell certain death. It was time to take a risk. Elder Bai Mei, watching Fire Yin Fiend, felt at a loss. Suddenly, he noticed Li Lin blinking rapidly, as if trying to communicate something. "White Brow, I''m losing my patience. If you don''t hand over the Heavenly Silkworm Armor now, I''ll kill this boy and then slowly kill everyone present, one by one. Let''s see how many you can protect," Fire Yin Fiend said coldly. "Raging Flame Punch!" Before Fire Yin Fiend could finish his sentence, Li Lin suddenly surged with Qi, releasing a burst of scorching Qi. Fire Yin Fiend, who had been holding him at close range, was the target. Li Lin''s punch, the Raging Flame Punch, hit out fiercely while he rapidly retreated. Fire Yin Fiend never expected someone whose acupoints he had sealed to recover instantaneously. Although a warrior''s attack couldn''t severely injure him, being hit at such close range was still unpleasant. He quickly retreated to dodge while shouting, "Turns out you''re a dual-element warrior, boy, you''re seeking death." Fire Yin Fiend''s expression changed slightly, he tapped the ground with his toes, and his body slid back nearly ten meters, just dodging Li Lin''s punch. "Boom!" Li Lin''s Raging Flame Punch heavily landed where Fire Yin Fiend had just stood, causing a loud noise and sending stones flying. Cracks spread from the dust-filled impact, with faint flames splattering. Li Lin had put his full force into the punch, but it was still not enough to trouble Fire Yin Fiend. In that instant, Fire Yin Fiend surged forward again, heading straight for Li Lin with a murderous look in his eyes. "Fire Yin Fiend, take my palm!" At that moment, Elder Bai Mei, having noticed Li Lin''s signals, though surprised by Li Lin''s escape from captivity, immediately surged forward. His sleeve waved, and a gust of wind appeared from nowhere, lifting a thick layer of sand and stones off the ground. Just as the sand was being lifted, Elder Bai Mei''s eyes narrowed, his Qi surged dramatically, and he formed a hand seal, conjuring a yellow palm imprint that swept towards Fire Yin Fiend. "White Brow, today I will kill this boy," Fire Yin Fiend, seemingly enraged by Li Lin, laughed coldly. Ignoring the attack from behind by Elder Bai Mei, he sped up dramatically, his terrifying speed creating several afterimages as he quickly approached Li Lin. He slammed a palm strike directly onto Li Lin. Chapter 89: Falling Off the Cliff Li Lin had no way to dodge. The difference in strength was too vast, and the disparity in speed was overwhelming. He thought he could take the chance to escape, but he hadn''t anticipated Fire Yin Fiend''s terrifying speed. Worse yet, retreating any further meant facing a cliff with no path to retreat. "Whoosh..." Without hesitation, Li Lin flicked his sleeve, and a faint yellow light streaked out like lightning. This streak of light, bizarrely, pierced through Fire Yin Fiend''s palm strike as if it were nothing and headed straight for Fire Yin Fiend. "Beast!" The speed was incomparably fast, only Fire Yin Fiend in front could clearly see that this streak of faint yellow light was actually a serpentine beast. Able to pierce through his palm strike directly, Fire Yin Fiend was shocked, recognizing the beast as no ordinary creature. He dared not take it lightly, rapidly forming hand seals to launch a fiery Qi finger strike towards the beast. "Sssss." The creature of faint yellow light, naturally Little Dragon, saw the incoming finger strike and puffed up its cheeks. A small flame met the attack, enveloping Fire Yin Fiend''s finger strike. Upon collision, the finger strike was quickly incinerated. Little Dragon''s flame seemed extraordinary, yet Little Dragon''s strength was ultimately too weak. In an instant, the remaining finger strike pierced through Little Dragon''s body, sending it spinning down into the abyss below. "Bang!" At that moment, Elder Bai Mei''s palm strike, delayed by Little Dragon''s appearance, also heavily hit Fire Yin Fiend''s back. The palm strike created a piercing sonic boom, showcasing its incredible power. Elder Bai Mei had exerted his full strength. "Spurt..." Fire Yin Fiend''s body suddenly ejected blood. Elder Bai Mei''s palm strike was too powerful for him to withstand, causing him to stagger forward. "Boy, you''re going to die." Fire Yin Fiend, with a cold laugh and blood splattering from his mouth, covered Li Lin with another palm strike. "Old monster, if we''re to die, we''ll die together. Green Spirit Armor." "Open Mountain Palm." With no way to retreat, Li Lin was not one to submit without a fight. Instantly, he conjured the Green Spirit Armor and then launched the Open Mountain Palm, carrying a sharp Qi edge sweeping out. "Bang, bang." The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The two palm strikes collided, unleashing a tremendous force. Li Lin''s body was immediately sent flying towards the vast cliff behind him. Li Lin had hoped to follow up the Open Mountain Palm with the Vermilion Bird Art, but his opponent didn''t give him the chance. His body suddenly plummeted down the deep cliff. "Bang!" Elder Bai Mei''s palm strike once again hit Fire Yin Fiend''s back. The sonic boom erupted abruptly, Fire Yin Fiend''s light barrier was directly shattered by Elder Bai Mei''s most straightforward approach, another blood mist sprayed out, and his body also fell towards the deep cliff. "Woo..." Elder Bai Mei immediately whistled, and two gyrfalcons from above dived down towards the deep cliff. "Li Lin!" Li Wushuang, shocked, rushed to the edge of the cliff. Du Gu Binglan and Cui Yu exchanged glances for a moment, then with a heavy expression, they too hurried to the cliff''s edge. Only Li ShaoHu and Wang Guang, their eyes passed a hint of a cold smile. Beneath the bottomless cliff was a thick layer of white fog, so deep that its depth was unknown, and no one could see how deep it went. "Elder, you must save Li Lin." Li Wushuang looked down at the cliff, her face pale. Falling down such a deep cliff, even with wind-system flying martial arts and the strength of a martial artist, it would be difficult to ascend back up. "Wushuang, the gyrfalcons have gone down; they will definitely be able to save Li Lin," Elder Bai Mei assured her, though he sighed internally. This cliff was a peculiar place in the Misty Mountain Range, bottomless, and its true depth unknown. No one had ever ventured down, and seeing Li Lin receiving another blow from Fire Yin Fiend before falling, the chances of survival were slim. Now, they could only hope for a miracle. "Ga..." Moments later, the two gyrfalcons emerged from the cliff, circling above and seemingly communicating something. "Elder, the gyrfalcons can''t go down. The bottom is all thick fog, and nothing can be seen," the middle-aged female custodian of Yunyang Sect informed Elder Bai Mei. "Elder, what do we do? We must save Li Lin. I''m going down to look for him," Li Wushuang, tears swirling in her eyes, was about to leap into the abyss. "Wushuang, going down is suicide. Let''s think of another way. Calm down," Elder Bai Mei held her back, then turned to Wang Mingyue, "Brother Mingyue, is there any way to go down?" "We can''t get down there. The cliff goes straight to the earth''s core. Many strong individuals have tried and failed to descend. It''s unknown where it leads to; it can''t be circumvented," Wang Mingyue replied softly. "He''s already dead if he fell down there. Let''s go," Li ShaoHu stated indifferently. "No, I have to go down and save Li Lin." Li Wushuang''s eyes filled with tears, feeling as if she had lost her soul, her heart adamant that Li Lin must be alive and waiting below. "Wushuang, calm down. This is no ordinary cliff. I will think of something," Elder Bai Mei reassured her, then placed a seal on the back of Li Wushuang''s neck, causing her to faint. "I''ll go have a look." Elder Bai Mei handed Li Wushuang to the middle-aged female custodian and then mounted a gyrfalcon to descend the cliff himself. Just a hundred meters below the cliff, the white fog became denser. Even with Elder Bai Mei''s cultivation, he could only see a few meters ahead. The gyrfalcon, unable to see at all in the thick fog, couldn''t discern direction and couldn''t advance any further. Elder Bai Mei looked down into the dense fog below, seeing nothing else. "Li Lin!" Elder Bai Mei shouted a few times, but only echoes from the cliff walls returned. The cliff seemed bottomless. "Elder, what happened?" Elder Bai Mei returned on the gyrfalcon, and Du Gu Binglan inquired. "There''s no way. It''s impossible to see clearly below, and the gyrfalcon can''t descend. I''m afraid the chances are slim," Elder Bai Mei sighed and explained. Chapter 90: A World of Its Own "A tri-elemental martial artist with top-tier talent, our Yunyang Sect has lost a potential direct disciple," a custodian lamented. Tri-elemental martial artists were exceedingly rare, with only one in the entire Yunyang Sect. "Was that young man really a tri-elemental martial artist?" Wang Mingyue expressed his surprise. "Let''s go. We can only hope for a miracle that Li Lin survives this ordeal. Otherwise, I wouldn''t know how to explain to Li Zhong," Elder Bai Mei stated. "Bai Mei, is he Li Zhong''s son?" Wang Mingyue looked surprised. "Yes," Elder Bai Mei sighed softly, shaking his head slightly before adding, "Let''s leave. This place isn''t safe. We might attract other powerful beings. Let''s move on." "Let''s go," Du Gu Binglan said to Cui Yu by the cliffside. "Do you think he has a chance to survive?" Cui Yu stared down the cliff, dazed. "He doesn''t seem destined for an early death. He will surely escape from death," Du Gu Binglan affirmed. "Hopefully," Cui Yu murmured softly, then managed a faint smile, "Let''s go." Atop the cliff, Elder Bai Mei and others conducted a simple burial for the bodies of the Yunyang Sect disciples, collected the spatial bags from the bodies, and then the two gyrfalcons ascended, taking everyone away from the cliff. Watching the cliff grow distant, Cui Yu, aboard a gyrfalcon, kept her gaze fixed on the cliff, murmuring, "Why am I thinking of him?" After Li Lin fell from the cliff, despair filled his heart. Struck by Fire Yin Fiend''s palm, he spat blood, severely injured, blood boiling within him as he continued to fall through the dense fog. All Li Lin could hear was the whistling wind by his ears as he plummeted, his heart pounding as if it would burst. "What to do, I''m definitely going to die," Li Lin thought to himself. He didn''t want to die yet; he had his mother to take care of. He lamented not having flying martial arts, thinking it might have given him a chance to survive. Now, it seemed he was doomed. "Swoosh, swoosh." At that moment, a sharp breaking wind sound approached, and it was Little dragon appearing beside him, falling alongside him. "Hiss, hiss." Little dragon sensed Li Lin''s predicament, frantically flicking its tongue, hissing anxiously, but without any means to help. "What''s that?" In his panic, Li Lin saw a place below where there was no fog cover, unlike the other areas engulfed in dense mist, making it peculiar. However, that place wasn''t directly below his fall; it was some distance away. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "Something strange is there, maybe a chance to escape." Without hesitation, and not knowing where he summoned the strength from, people often unleash their greatest potential in desperate situations. Li Lin slammed a palm strike downwards, leveraging a bit of rebound force to momentarily pause his descent. At that moment, Li Lin exerted all his energy, leaping forward. In an instant, he fell again, this leap finally brought him to the area without cloud cover. "What''s happening?" Li Lin wondered, finally understanding why this area was free of fog. Unexpectedly, a vortex-like wind emerged from nowhere, creating a powerful repelling force that pushed the surrounding fog away. In the middle, a strong suction force was pulling him in, his body being forcibly dragged into it. As he uncontrollably spun in the vortex, although the descent slowed, the spinning made Li Lin dizzy and his head felt heavy. "This is definitely death now. What place is this?" he thought despairingly. The Qingling Armor he deployed was dimming, and the slicing force within the suction felt like blades against his skin. Without the armor, he feared he''d be reduced to bones. Within the overwhelming pull, Li Lin felt he couldn''t hold on any longer, his Qingling Armor unable to sustain, predicting his impending doom. Just then, the pulling force abruptly vanished, and his body accelerated downwards. "Bang!" Li Lin felt himself crash heavily onto the ground, spat out blood, and then passed out. "Lin''er, Lin''er." On the back of the roc, Li Wushuang slowly came to, opening her eyes to find no trace of Li Lin around her, immediately panicked and asked, "Elder, where''s Lin''er? Did we save him?" "Sister Wushuang, Li Lin is already dead. Stop thinking about him. Falling off the cliff, he''s definitely gone," Li Shuhu spoke indifferently. "No, Lin''er won''t die. I must save him. How can I explain this to Auntie?" Li Wushuang said absentmindedly, struggling in the grasp of the middle-aged female custodian. "Wushuang, calm down. I''ve personally checked below; Lin''er''s chances are slim. If he can miraculously survive, perhaps there will be a day when you can see him again. Like this, you can''t help much," the Elder Bai Mei said. In his heart, he also hardly believed anyone could survive after falling off that cliff, especially since Li Lin was only at the warrior level. "Lin''er" Li Wushuang cried painfully, feeling helpless and more sorrowful and guilty for her cousin being taken hostage by Huo Yingui in an attempt to save her. After an unknown period, Li Lin gradually regained consciousness, feeling chaotic Qi within his body and a surge of discomfort all over. "Sss" Something was licking his face. Upon opening his eyes, Li Lin found Little dragon beside him, and they were in a small rock cave. "Little dragon, I''m not dead." Seeing Little dragon, Li Lin immediately realized he must have survived the fall. Surveying his surroundings, Li Lin saw they were in a cave about ten meters in size, with uneven rocky ground devoid of dust but littered with numerous broken bones. Li Lin was startled and struggled to sit up. The cave was filled with broken bones and an eerie atmosphere, sending shivers down his spine. "Huo Yingui." At that moment, Li Lin saw Huo Yingui lying on the ground not far away, unsure if he was dead or alive. Li Lin wasn''t sure how Huo Yingui also ended up there but knew if Huo Yingui wasn''t dead, he''d be in trouble. After a moment''s hesitation and observing Huo Yingui, Li Lin struggled to move closer, sensing that Huo Yingui was also unconscious. "Now or never. If Huo Yingui wakes up, it''ll be too late." A sense of resolve hardened in Li Lin, his intent to kill rising, knowing that it was Huo Yingui who had caused his fall from the cliff. Chapter 91: The Dragon Strikes "Um..." At this moment, the Fire Yin monster let out a light groan, slowly getting up with a trace of blood at the corner of its mouth, staring at Li Lin and the surroundings. Seeing the murderous intent in Li Lin''s eyes, it immediately said, "Boy, what are you trying to do?" Li Lin''s face changed. With the Fire Yin monster awake, he was in trouble and had to take its life while it was weak. He immediately shouted, "Little dragon, kill him now." "Hiss hiss." Little dragon''s body surged forward explosively. Little dragon and Li Lin had long reached a telepathic understanding. What Li Lin was thinking, Little dragon could feel. At this moment, its body moved like lightning, pouncing towards the Fire Yin monster. "You dare." The Fire Yin monster was instantly panic-stricken, having witnessed the power of this beast before and not daring to be careless, immediately forming hand seals. "Pfft..." Just then, as the Fire Yin monster was gathering its energy, a mouthful of fresh blood spurted out. It had been severely injured by Elder Bai Mei''s two heavy strikes, plus the fall into this cave, resulting in critical injuries. The moment it exerted itself, blood rushed to its heart. "Hiss!" At this moment, Little dragon was like lightning, rushing in front of the Fire Yin monster. Its small, sharp fangs glinted with a cold light, fiercely biting into the Fire Yin monster''s neck. A stream of blood spurted out. The Fire Yin monster, holding its neck, stared at Little dragon in shock. From its neck, a surge of energy rushed straight into its brain, destroying it entirely. "A spirit beast, it''s actually a spirit beast." As these words fell, the Fire Yin monster''s body began to tremble, then blood flowed from all seven orifices, and its complexion turned somewhat black as if poisoned. Its body convulsed a couple of times, and a mouthful of black blood spurted out, then it was devoid of life. "Poisonous?" Looking at the corpse of the Fire Yin monster, Li Lin was surprised. Little dragon''s bite was indeed powerful. The Fire Yin monster, after all, was a strong Martial Soul, yet it was killed by Little dragon just like that. "What a pity." Li Lin felt a sense of regret in his heart. With the death of the Fire Yin monster, he could no longer absorb its Qi for his own use. But with its death, he was also safe, his life preserved. "Chichichi." After killing the Fire Yin monster, Little dragon continued to the monster''s neck, biting down. Moments later, Little dragon''s body grew larger, reaching a size of three meters, while the corpse of the Fire Yin monster turned into a dried-up corpse, its blood completely consumed by Little dragon. Little dragon''s body slightly shifted, surrounded by a glow, magically returning to a size of about ten centimeters, its tongue flicking out as if it was satisfied, then affectionately approached Li Lin. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. "This place is really strange." Li Lin looked around. The cave was filled with bones, not a few of which were human, from the skulls, and the rest were unknown, whether beasts or demons. At the top of the cave, there was a two-meter-wide hole. He and the owners of these bones on the ground were probably all sucked in by the same whirlwind. "First, let''s focus on regulating my breath to recover from the injuries," Li Lin immediately sat cross-legged. The injuries he had sustained this time were undoubtedly the most severe, and without any healing elixirs on hand, recovery was not going to be a short-term affair. Only by recovering could he think of a way to leave this place. Circulating the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art, his Qi slowly flowed and threaded through the meridians within his body. Li Lin began to regulate his breathing slowly. After the little dragon had consumed the entire blood of the fire Yin monster, it seemed to have gained quite a few benefits, emitting a faint glow around its body, circling around Li Lin as if it too was cultivating. Time slowly passed, and during Li Lin''s period of breath regulation, in the sky above Misty City, two rock eagles spiraled down into the city. Elder Bai Mei, Wang Mingyue, and others entered Misty City. Misty City was the territory of the Yunyang Sect, with Wang Mingyue as an outer elder and also the lord of Misty City. Located at the edge of the boundary between the Spirit Martial Continent and the ancient domain, Misty City was not small, housing hundreds of thousands of people. Due to its proximity to the Misty Mountains, it was populated by mercenaries, traders, and many martial artists. It was not unusual to find spiritual practitioners among them, making it a place of mixed elements. However, with the Yunyang Sect backing it, no one dared to cause trouble in Misty City. The Yunyang Sect was not to be trifled with, and ordinary people would not dare to provoke it. Wang Mingyue had come this time because he heard that the Heavenly Silkworm Armor had appeared in the Misty Mountains. He led the disciples of the city to search for treasures in the Misty Mountains and unexpectedly acquired the Heavenly Silkworm Armor. However, they were chased by the fire Yin monster, eventually sending out a distress signal, which surprisingly attracted Elder Bai Mei and others. "Elder brother Mingyue, try to find out more information about Li Lin at that cliff. We need to hurry back to the sect," Elder Bai Mei said inside the grand hall of Misty City, where servants had already served fine wine, snacks, and delicacies. "Don''t worry, Li Lin is Li Zhong''s son. I will naturally pay more attention. This accident with Li Lin, if we meet Li Zhong next time, it would be hard for us to explain," Wang Mingyue said. "Yes, I didn''t see him when I went to Qingyun Town," Elder Bai Mei said. Wang Mingyue said, "When we return to the Yunyang Sect, Elder Brother Bai Mei, you should take the Heavenly Silkworm Armor back to the sect. This will prevent others from coveting it. Once it''s in the sect, no one will dare to have designs on it." "That''s good, elder brother Mingyue, you have indeed made a merit this time. Maybe there will be a chance for you to be transferred back to the sect," Elder Bai Mei said. After resting for a while, they once again rode the rock eagles to return to the Yunyang Sect. The new disciples must be sent back to the Yunyang Sect as quickly as possible. Elder Bai Mei did not dare to delay. This time, letting a tri-element martial artist be killed, returning to the sect, he inevitably would face punishment. Hopefully, acquiring the Heavenly Silkworm Armor would offset the mistakes and avoid punishment. Three days later, inside a cave, Li Lin was surrounded by a pale yellow glow. The glow contracted and entered through the pores of his entire body, and then he suddenly spat out a mouthful of congested blood. A bit of rosiness appeared on his face. After three days of regulating his breath, his injuries had healed by thirty percent, and walking freely was no longer an issue. "I must quickly enhance my strength," Li Lin thought to himself. If he had had enough strength this time, he would not have encountered this situation. Having barely escaped death this time, he might not be so fortunate next time. Everything still depended on having sufficient strength to resolve issues. Chapter 92: Inside the Cave The little dragon climbed onto Li Lin''s knee. Li Lin looked at the little dragon''s body, which had grown about two centimeters longer than three days ago, now measuring fifteen centimeters in length. After a moment of surprise, Li Lin guessed that the little dragon must have gained some benefits after consuming the blood of the fire Yin monster. It seemed that, like his cultivation of the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art, the little dragon also possessed a similar yet unique method of cultivation. Li Lin put the little dragon into his sleeve and stood up to look around, planning to find a way to leave this place, as he could not stay trapped here forever. "Space bag." Li Lin''s gaze fell on the dried-up body of the fire Yin monster on the ground, noticing a cyan-black small bag, which was indeed a space bag. A space bag belonging to a warrior at the Martial Soul level could contain astonishing treasures. Li Lin immediately took the space bag of the fire Yin monster into his hands. If the fire Yin monster were not dead, it would naturally be impossible to access the items within its space bag. Just like the items in his own storage ring, even if someone else obtained it, they couldn''t open it. After binding the storage ring with his blood, it bore his soul''s aura. Unless someone much stronger than him tried, they couldn''t easily break into it. Now that the fire Yin monster was dead, the space bag had become ownerless. As long as there were no special arrangements made on it, anyone could easily open it after re-binding it with their blood. Li Lin picked up the space bag, dropped a bead of blood into it, and immediately, a faint glow wrapped around the bag. With a thought, he explored inside. The bag was not protected by any special means, allowing easy access. "Truly, a Martial Soul level powerhouse does have rich possessions." Li Lin was delighted as he found a jade crystal card inside the space bag, displaying a balance of thirty thousand gold coins. Besides, there were more than ten second-grade elixirs, five third-grade elixirs, among which two were healing elixirs that Li Lin recognized from the jade slip Uncle Jiang gave him. They were Qi Restoring Pills, third-grade healing elixirs, which he needed right now. The other three third-grade elixirs were meant for enhancing Qi. With these three elixirs, Li Lin was confident he could at least break through to the ninth level of Martial Warrior, or even advance to the Martial Master level. Third-grade elixirs were incomparable to second-grade ones; the energy contained within was on a completely different scale. As for fourth-grade elixirs, Li Lin did not find any. A Martial Soul level powerhouse might not necessarily possess fourth-grade elixirs. Apart from these, there was also a jade slip and a seemingly ordinary long sword in the space bag, likely crafted by a Spiritualist at best. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. To Li Lin''s surprise, the jade slip contained a fire attribute martial skill, but it was only of star-level beginner grade, no different from the Mountain Splitting Palm. "Not bad," Li Lin thought to himself. Although it was only a star-level beginner martial skill, in strict terms, the value of this martial skill was much higher than that of a third-grade elixir, almost comparable to a fourth-grade elixir. Elixirs, while hugely beneficial, could only be used once, but martial skills were different. They could accompany one for a lifetime, and no one would easily teach them to others. Major sects and families tightly controlled martial skills, strictly prohibiting their dissemination, making their prices exceedingly high. Even star-level martial skills were in high demand, far exceeding the price of second-grade elixirs. Examining the items in the space bag, Li Lin was most interested in the fire attribute martial skill, followed by the five third-grade elixirs. The price of third-grade elixirs was already extraordinary. As for the thirty thousand gold coins, Li Lin knew that compared to gold coins, elixirs had a much greater effect on him. He paid little attention to the dozen or so second-grade elixirs. Although these and the Yuan Boosting Pills he crafted were both second-grade elixirs, his own Yuan Boosting Pills were significantly better. "This space bag is perfect. I''ll use it to divert attention in the future, to prevent others from discovering the secret of my storage ring." After putting away the space bag, Li Lin cautiously peered out of the cave entrance, only for a howling whirlwind to nearly pull him out of the cave, frightening him back inside. On the side of the cave, there was a large depression. The airflow collided with the stone walls on both sides, forming a whirlwind through the depression, which explained the bizarre whirlwinds outside. Besides the ceaseless strange whirlwinds, what Li Lin had just seen outside was a dense fog. It wasn''t the bottom of the cliff, and he had no idea how much deeper it went. "Am I going to be trapped here to die?" Li Lin thought despondently, stuck in this place with no way up or down, seemingly doomed to die trapped. "What to do, this is a big problem," Li Lin thought upon returning to the cave, his expression turning grave. Trapped in this cave, he would starve to death. The thought of being trapped in this forsaken place made Li Lin lose all inclination to cultivate, having narrowly escaped death only to wait for it here. "Squeak, squeak..." A squeaking sound echoed through the cave. "A rat." Li Lin was startled, looking around the cave to find a palm-sized rat boldly scampering around on the fire Yin monster''s neck, licking the dried blood. Upon seeing Li Lin, it quickly fled in terror. "How could there be a rat here? If it was sealed off, a rat couldn''t get in. The ground is all stone; there must be a way out." Li Lin was overjoyed, quickly following the rat forward. In a corner crevice of the cave, the rat disappeared into a pile of soil. "This is loose." Li Lin grabbed the soil, the only place in the cave with soil; the rest was solid rock. He hadn''t noticed this spot before. Feeling the soil was still moist and had a hint of vitality, Li Lin wouldn''t miss this opportunity. He immediately took out the cyan long sword from the space bag and began to dig through the soil. The disappearance of the rat indicated there was a passage beyond the soil. Since the rat could get through and the soil was loose, digging was not difficult for Li Lin. Digging with the sword, he didn''t care much, using his hands to remove the soil. In just a moment, a hole about half a meter wide and about a meter deep appeared in front of him, with a pile of dug-out soil on the ground. Digging again with the sword, suddenly a sliver of light shone through the soil hole. Seeing this light, Li Lin''s heart surged with excitement; this light meant there truly was a way out. Chapter 93 - Opportunity in the Cave "I''ve made it." Li Lin was overjoyed in his heart and accelerated the digging, quickly breaking through to create an opening. Looking down, he could smell a faint fragrance of flowers coming from outside, and his vision was filled with some trees and green grass, but he couldn''t see much else. Putting away the cyan sword, Li Lin crawled through the soil tunnel, which was not very long, only about a meter. Peeking out, Li Lin couldn''t help but marvel, "How beautiful, could this be the legendary paradise?" What appeared before Li Lin was a vast valley filled with densely packed towering trees. The forest was exceptionally tranquil, with occasional bird calls echoing in the valley. Li Lin quickly climbed out of the soil tunnel. The cool air in the dense forest soaked through his entire body, making him feel completely refreshed. Beneath his feet was lush green grass, and in the distance, there were some unknown flowers blooming. It was springtime, and the fragrance of flowers was strong, uplifting one''s spirits. Slivers of sunlight pierced through the gaps in the trees, creating golden beams of light that interplayed with shadows. One moment it was bright, and the next, dim, as if he were in a wonderful alternate space, filled with mystery. There seemed to be many animals frolicking in the forest. Everything in the forest looked somewhat shadowy, and a breeze carrying the scent of grass felt exceptionally comfortable, with occasional leaves quietly falling down. Looking up at the distance, the surroundings seemed to be encompassed by valleys, but beyond the forest, there was a mountain rising from the ground. Observing everything before him, Li Lin couldn''t help but be amazed. This place must have been untouched by man, a perfect hidden paradise. Most importantly, the valley was filled with spiritual energy that only cultivators could sense, offering significant benefits to any spiritual practitioner cultivating here. "I wonder if there''s a way out of here." Li Lin speculated in his heart, carefully surveying his surroundings, unsure of which direction to take. Many animals in the forest curiously watched Li Lin but dared not approach, just curiously observing him. "Sorry, I''m just really hungry." Touching his stomach, which hadn''t seen food for several days, Li Lin muttered. Shortly after, a wild rabbit fell into his hands and was quickly devoured by Li Lin and the little dragon. "Let''s go to that mountain peak and see if there''s a way out." Li Lin looked at the towering mountain outside the forest. With the view obscured by the forest, finding a way out was not easy. Climbing to a higher vantage point might make it easier. After tidying up, Li Lin headed towards the mountain peak. Passing through the forest, it seemed devoid of demonic beasts, only ordinary wild animals. On the Spirit Martial Continent, demonic and spiritual beasts were rare, found only in places like the Ancestral Demon Forest and Spirit Emperor Cliff, where demonic and spiritual beasts were abundant. The width of this forest was unknown. The mountain peak looked close, but as Li Lin walked, it proved to be quite the journey, walking until deep into the night without exiting the forest. Above the valley, the crescent moon hung in the sky, with a gentle breeze brushing through the forest. After walking all night, the sky began to brighten. Slowly, the sun cast its light upon the earth, and Li Lin was exhausted, his legs almost numb. "Finally out." The vast forest came to an abrupt end here, and Li Lin finally emerged from the trees. Immediately outside the forest, without any transition or buffer, a towering cliff-faced mountain rose straight into the clouds, astonishing and unexpected. The mountain was massive. Li Lin estimated its area to be at least several square miles, exuding a majestic presence. The sheer cliffs, as if cut by a knife and ax, were mysteriously formed, hard to imagine how they came to be. "Let''s go up and take a look." Li Lin observed his surroundings. There was no path up the mountain, only the option to climb up using the uneven rocks. Looking at the mountain, Li Lin figured that reaching a height of thirty meters would allow him to oversee the entire valley. Although the mountain was steep, a height of thirty meters was not insurmountable for him. Having recovered some Qi, Li Lin vibrated his Qi and leapt up, lightly touching the uneven cliff face, floating upwards. With a few spins, he reached a height of ten meters. Within the forest, the towering trees all stood over twenty meters tall. Li Lin paused momentarily on a cliff before bursting upwards again, climbing the cliff wall as nimbly as a gecko, quickly reaching a height of more than twenty meters. From this vantage point, the forest lay beneath him, and the vast area within the valley was clearly visible, truly resembling a hidden paradise. Mountains surrounded it on all sides, with a stream of blue, likely a small river, visible to the left. "That must be the exit." Where there''s flowing water, there''s naturally an exit. Li Lin, with his wisdom, was delighted to have found a way out. As Li Lin was about to descend, he unexpectedly noticed a man-high cave entrance behind him, with the sound of wind howling from within, suggesting it was not shallow. Observing the entrance, Li Lin felt it didn''t look like a natural cave; the surroundings were smooth, likely carved out by humans. "Could someone have been here before?" Driven by curiosity, Li Lin, with a burst of Qi under his feet, leapt into the cave, which also had smooth walls all around. After hesitating for a moment, Li Lin entered the cave, where the entrance soon narrowed from two meters wide to just wide enough for one person to pass sideways. "Night pearls." Inside the cave, which was initially pitch dark, the walls were embedded with fist-sized night pearls every meter or so, emitting a faint glow. These pearls, considered luxurious items in the outside world, were of considerable value. Seeing these night pearls, Li Lin was certain the cave was man-made, and not by ordinary people. Ordinary people couldn''t carve such a large cave into a cliff, not even regular martial artists could achieve this, indicating the work of a true powerhouse. Venturing further about ten meters in, the space suddenly opened up and brightened. Ahead was a stone room about 20 square meters in size, its walls as smooth as mirrors. The ceiling was embedded with thousands of fist-sized night pearls, illuminating the room brightly. In the center of the stone room, there was a crystal-clear jade bed with a mummified corpse on it, its death time unknown. The corpse wore a black robe, draped loosely over it, with long hair covering its face, adding to the eerie atmosphere, filled with a sinister aura. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Who is this, and how did they die here?" Li Lin wondered. The person capable of creating this cave was definitely a strong individual; how could such a person end up trapped and dead here? Li Lin glanced around the stone room and finally approached the corpse. Beside the corpse, on the jade bed, was a cyan storage ring, presumably left by the deceased. Storage rings, symbols of status, were beyond the reach of ordinary people, even the smallest ones being quite valuable. "Let''s see what''s inside." Li Lin was excited, the space bag left by the fire Yin monster had already yielded significant gains, and the contents of this mysterious powerhouse''s storage ring were expected to be astonishing. Holding the storage ring, now that its owner was dead, Li Lin could claim it by dripping blood onto it, thereby gaining access. A drop of blood from his index finger fell onto the storage ring. As Li Lin was about to peer inside, the ring suddenly emitted a blinding light, illuminating the entire stone room so intensely that it was difficult to look directly at it. "Something''s strange." Li Lin instantly dropped the ring to the ground and retreated quickly. After the blinding light dissipated, the stone room returned to normal. As Li Lin surveyed his surroundings again, there was no change, leaving him puzzled about what had just occurred. "Waited five thousand years, finally someone has come." At that moment, the mummified corpse on the jade bed eerily began to move, slightly tilting its head, the dry hands moving the long hair from its face, revealing a dried, horrifying visage. The deeply sunken eye sockets now shone with vitality, emitting a sharp gleam. "Who are you, you''re not dead?!" Li Lin exclaimed in surprise, the eerie scene sending chills down his spine as he involuntarily backed up against the stone wall. "Dead, you could say that," the mummified corpse spoke softly, its voice ethereal as if coming from the netherworld, elusive and unfathomable. As the words fell, the mummified corpse slowly rose from the jade bed, its black robe hanging loosely like a cloth on a wire, appearing somewhat comical. However, paired with the corpse''s terrifying appearance, the atmosphere in the stone chamber became even more sinister and eerie. The mummified corpse looked at its body and said lightly, "I used to think this mortal shell was nothing special, but now it seems quite important." "Senior, who exactly are you?" After the initial shock, Li Lin asked solemnly, reasoning that there was nothing to fear from a ghost, now that he was a cultivator. "Who I am? You wouldn''t recognize the name. But five thousand years ago, everyone called me the Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign. Now, I suppose no one remembers me," the mummified corpse said softly. "Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign, are you dead or alive, and how did this happen?" Li Lin asked. "Can''t you tell? How could I be like this if I were alive? Of course, I''m dead," said the mummified corpse, who claimed to be the Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign. "Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign, then how did you" Li Lin began. Interrupting, the corpse said, "With your shallow cultivation, naturally, you wouldn''t know. My time had come, and unable to break through to the Spirit Emperor level, I had no choice but to stay here. When my end was near, knowing there was no turning back, I used some methods to leave a wisp of my soul in the storage ring, intending to leave a few last words. Unexpectedly, it took five thousand years for someone to come here." "I see." Li Lin was no longer surprised. For a strong cultivator, leaving a wisp of soul wasn''t something out of the ordinary. Generally, reaching the Martial General level would make it possible, and for spiritual practitioners at the Spirit Soul level, it was definitely achievable. Spiritual practitioners, in terms of soul strength, were much stronger than martial artists. "A mere Martial Warrior, and you''ve made it here, you must be fated. I ask you, do you wish to obtain my life''s ultimate technique?" the mummified corpse asked Li Lin. "Yes," Li Lin responded without hesitation. The Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign was undoubtedly a powerful being, likely at the level of a Spirit Sovereign or Martial Sovereign, a super strong cultivator. Obtaining his life''s ultimate technique would be a tremendous treasure, something a fool would refuse. "What''s your name?" the Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign asked. Seeing no need to hide, Li Lin replied, "Junior Li Lin." "Good, I can pass on my life''s ultimate technique to you, but you must promise me one thing," the Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign said. "May I know what Senior wants Junior to do?" Li Lin cautiously inquired, wanting to avoid falling into a trap. "Smart boy, don''t worry, this task won''t trouble you. However, you must swear to accomplish it; otherwise, I''d rather destroy the storage ring than pass on my ultimate technique to you," the Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign declared. "Alright, I swear," Li Lin said, thinking to himself that the Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign was still cautious even in death. As long as it wasn''t too much trouble, making a promise was fine. "I swear to fulfill the task entrusted by Senior Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign, or may I be struck by lightning," Li Lin solemnly swore, treating the oath with due seriousness, although in his previous life, an oath could be easily dismissed with a mere fart, and no one really cared about them. If he couldn''t accomplish the task, he would simply do his best. "Good, kneel and kowtow," the Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign instructed. "Kowtow?" "If you want to receive my life''s ultimate technique, naturally, you must become my disciple. Whether you kowtow or not is up to you. Back in the day, countless people cried and begged to be my disciples, and I didn''t even spare them a glance. Now, you''re getting a bargain." "Disciple pays respects to Master." After a moment''s thought, Li Lin realized that bowing a few times wouldn''t cost him anything. Moreover, considering the Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign had been alive for thousands of years, it was a way of showing respect to the elderly. After performing three respectful kowtows, Li Lin stood up. "Good, from now on, you are my disciple, the Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign. I was obsessed with cultivation in my life and never took a disciple. I didn''t properly guide the descendants of my clan, and now I don''t have time to teach you. Unfortunately, you''re not a spiritual practitioner and aren''t suited to practice what I''ve learned in my lifetime. But now there''s no choice; in five thousand years, only you have come here. This is my life''s work, the ''Heavenly Spirit Record''. Learn as much as you can from it." The Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign picked up the storage ring from the ground and handed Li Lin a jade slip, then said, "The task I want you to promise is to go to the Eastern Sea''s Moyun City, find the Duanmu family. If the Duanmu family''s situation is good, just hand over the ''Heavenly Spirit Record'' to them. If their situation is not good, and you achieve something in the future, you should try to look after the Duanmu family." "Just that condition?" Li Lin asked upon receiving the jade slip, finding the condition not difficult for himself. "Yes, just that. I focused solely on cultivation in my life, rarely advising the youths of my clan. While I was alive, naturally, no one dared to trouble the Duanmu family. Now that I''m gone, and the Duanmu family didn''t have many strong members to begin with, I fear their current situation isn''t good," the Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign sighed, the light in his deeply sunken eyes dimming. "I will definitely accomplish this. The ''Heavenly Spirit Record'' will surely be delivered to the Duanmu family in the future," Li Lin said, understanding that reaching Moyun City from the Spirit Martial Continent was not an easy task. "My lingering soul can''t sustain for much longer. You''ve already claimed the storage ring. Inside, there''s a scroll of spiritual techniques suitable for spiritual practitioners, though it''s only a Xuan-level beginner technique, you might find it useful. There''s also a token you should keep; it might be useful in the future. As for the rest, it seems there''s nothing much left in this storage ring," the Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign explained. "Master, now that I''m your disciple, don''t you have any elixirs, medicinal materials, or spiritual pills to leave me?" Li Lin asked with wide eyes, surprised that a powerful being''s storage ring lacked even elixirs. "It seems not. I never cared for common elixirs, and the good ones I used for breaking through my power, so I have nothing left," the Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign replied. Li Lin was almost frustrated, having hoped to find a treasure trove within such a strong cultivator''s storage ring, only to discover it lacked any valuables. "Right, this Spirit Jade Bed is also a treasure. I fought hard to bring it back in my day. My corpse has been preserved for five thousand years thanks to this Cold Jade Bed. If a spiritual practitioner cultivates on it, they would surely find its benefits significant. The soul power it can enhance is much stronger than that of cultivators at the same level, what a pity," the Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign sighed softly. Li Lin practiced the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art, and although the Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign could only see that Li Lin was a martial artist, he didn''t realize Li Lin was also a spiritual practitioner. Li Lin didn''t correct him, thinking it better to keep some things secret, as it''s wise to be cautious. Chapter 94: The Heavenly Spirit Ultimate Technique At this moment, observing the jade bed, Li Lin had already sensed its extraordinariness, feeling an energy swirling around it. However, while this Spirit Jade Bed was a treasure for other spiritual practitioners, its effect on him wasn''t significant. His normal cultivation speed was already shockingly slow; even if the cultivation speed increased, it probably wouldn''t make much difference. What he needed most were demon pills and spiritual pills. "Master, how did you come to be here, and what level of strength had you achieved before?" Li Lin asked. "Hehe," the Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign chuckled, but the mummified body''s attempt at a smile only added a layer of horror: "Back then, I was at the ninth level of Spirit Sovereign. I discovered this place by chance, intending to quietly break through to Spirit Emperor. Unfortunately, I fell short. There''s a small river below; follow the water downstream, pass through a canyon, and emerge from the water at the end of the canyon, and you''ll be able to leave." "Nine levels of Spirit Sovereign." Li Lin was startled; that was the ninth level of Spirit Sovereign, after all. In the current world, it seemed there were no Spirit Sovereigns or Martial Sovereigns, such powerhouses. To reach such a level meant becoming a super strong being. "Surprised, aren''t you? A ninth-level spiritual practitioner, yet still unable to break through to Spirit Emperor. It''s a pity you''re not a spiritual practitioner. Remember, if you ever reach the Martial Sovereign level, never be careless. This world has far more powerhouses than you can imagine. With the ''Heavenly Spirit Record,'' although you''re not a spiritual practitioner and can''t practice it all, as long as you have some talent, you''ll be able to stand on your own in the future," the Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign advised. "Master, what exactly is the ''Heavenly Spirit Ultimate Technique''?" Li Lin asked, curious about the ultimate technique his master, the Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign, mentioned as his life''s work. "Open the jade slip, and you''ll know. It won''t disappoint you. My lingering soul can''t sustain much longer. Now that you''re my disciple, remember, if you have the chance, take care of the Duanmu family." As the words ended, Li Lin was inspecting the Cold Jade Bed when the Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign''s corpse suddenly collapsed to the ground, its dried facial skin turning into dust and even the black robe disintegrating into ashes. The corpse''s skin disappeared, leaving behind a complete, white skeletal frame, emanating a strange aura. Li Lin bowed three times to the skeleton, acknowledging the Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign as his master since he had already kowtowed, and besides, he had gained quite a bit from him. He then gathered the Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign''s remains and buried them at the foot of the mountain, reflecting on how even such a strong being couldn''t escape their fate. In the rules of the world, no matter how glorious one''s life, in death, one returns to the earth, with only the pinnacle of martial and spiritual paths possibly breaking through to immortality. "Having chosen the path of cultivation in this life, I shall cultivate to the utmost, reaching the legendary realm of immortality," Li Lin resolved, looking at the Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign''s grave. Initially, Li Lin only wanted to become strong to protect his mother and everything dear to him. Now, seeing such a powerful master unable to escape his fate, he contemplated the long road ahead. After a while, Li Lin returned to the cave. The river was the exit, but he wasn''t in a hurry to leave, waiting until his injuries healed to avoid any danger. Opening the storage ring he had received from his master, Li Lin checked its contents, finding nothing but a white jade token and a jade slip presumably containing spiritual techniques, without even a third-grade elixir. Li Lin thought to himself that even among the strong, there were those without wealth. "Better heal first," he mused, prioritizing his recovery. Healing would take some time, and he let the little dragon hunt for food in the forest, where it faced no danger in the secluded valley. Li Lin, looking at the Spirit Jade Bed left by his affordable master, the Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign, was intrigued. Sitting cross-legged on this Spirit Jade Bed, Li Lin immediately felt enveloped by a miraculous energy in the space around him. A warm breath rose from beneath him, causing his Qi to slowly circulate, indescribably comfortable. "Indeed, a treasure." Li Lin was delighted. The Spirit Jade Bed, valued even by a Spirit Sovereign, truly did not disappoint. Sitting on it, he wasnt practicing, yet he felt as if he were in a state of cultivation, especially with a force in his mind pulling at the spiritual energy, making his body incredibly comfortable. "First, recover from my injuries." Li Lin took out a third-grade healing pill, the Qi Restoring Pill, obtained from the fire Yin monster, from his storage ring. Upon consumption, the pill transformed into a massive energy that spread throughout his body. Li Lin promptly circulated the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art. This third-grade pill was far superior to the second-grade healing pill, the Return to True Pill, at least several times stronger. Moments later, Li Lin was enveloped in a faint pale yellow glow, entering a unique state of tranquility as he healed. With the help of the Qi Restoring Pill, Li Lin could clearly feel his injuries healing at an incredibly fast rate. Additionally, a peculiar energy from the Spirit Jade Bed merged with the pill''s energy, accelerating the healing speed by more than tenfold compared to healing in the cave. Most notably, the bed''s energy made the spiritual energy in his mind extremely active. Combined with his cultivation, the increase in spiritual energy was about twice as fast as his normal rate, which Li Lin felt matched the normal cultivation speed of a spiritual practitioner. Feeling the effect of the Spirit Jade Bed, Li Lin couldn''t help but sigh. If a normal spiritual practitioner cultivated on this Cold Jade Bed, doubling their speed, it would be terrifying. No wonder his master, the Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign, said he had fought hard to acquire it. As time slowly passed, Li Lin quietly continued his recovery, with his injuries healing progressively. Meanwhile, in the outside world, Misty City dispatched many disciples on several rock eagles to search around the cliff where City Lord Wang Mingyue had battled the fire Yin monster, covering the nearby mountains as well. Despite their efforts, no one could enter the bottom of the cliff, and they eventually had to give up. On a mountain range, with Elder Bai Mei, Li Wushuang, Du Gu Binglan, Cui Yu, their spirits were downcast, only Wang Guang and Li Shaohu seemed somewhat happier. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Two days later, within the cave in the mountain, Li Lin''s body, surrounded by a pale yellow glow, was unknowingly enveloped by an invisible, transparent aura, filled with a mysterious air. By then, Li Lin''s complexion had lost its pallor, looking rosier as if his injuries had completely healed. Moreover, his aura had returned to its usual state, and upon close inspection, it seemed even slightly stronger. The mysterious aura outside was somewhat unstable, fluctuating, with the spiritual energy in Li Lin''s mind rapidly vibrating. After an indeterminate period, an unusual energy fluctuation suddenly surged within the stone chamber, followed by a powerful aura bursting forth from Li Lin, who had his eyes closed. This aura climbed rapidly, reaching a new level in a very short time. The invisible, transparent aura surrounding Li Lin also surged, and the Spirit Jade Bed seemed to respond, emitting a faint light, creating a particularly mystical effect in conjunction with Li Lin''s external aura. In Li Lin''s mind, the spiritual energy reached a new height, and under its impact, an invisible barrier was almost effortlessly shattered. The sudden increase in aura lasted for a moment before gradually calming down, followed by the spread of an invisible energy in his mind. The invisible energy was like tangible sound waves, eventually crashing against the hard stone walls, causing a slight reverberation around the chamber as if swept by a tremendous force. As this energy dissipated, the aura surrounding Li Lin gradually vanished, and his breath stabilized. Exhaling a long breath from within, Li Lin''s eyes, previously tightly shut, opened slightly, revealing a flash of sharpness like lightning, which quickly disappeared, leaving his gaze brighter and deeper than before. At this moment, Li Lin couldn''t help but smile, feeling the spiritual power in his mind had strengthened several times over, breaking through to the second level of Spirit Warrior. This breakthrough, long awaited, had surprisingly occurred with the aid of the Spirit Jade Bed. Now, Li Lin felt even more strongly that the Spirit Jade Bed was not an ordinary treasure. It significantly amplified his Qi, although not as much as it did for spiritual energy. Originally, it took him three days to heal about forty percent of his injuries. With the help of the Qi Restoring Pill and the Spirit Jade Bed, his injuries fully recovered, and his Qi was on the verge of breaking through to the sixth level of Martial Warrior, a breakthrough that might occur at any moment. And the spiritual energy, which had been stagnant, finally broke through, a feat that would have taken at least a month to achieve on his own without the pill and the bed. After collecting his thoughts, Li Lin took out the Heavenly Spirit Record left by his affordable master, the Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign. This was the life''s work of a ninth-level Spirit Sovereign, and Li Lin was filled with anticipation about what kind of ultimate technique it contained. However, the Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign had not specified whether it was a martial technique or some other practice, but coming from such a powerful being, it was bound to be extraordinary. "What exactly is this ultimate technique?" Li Lin, touching the jade slip, bit his finger, and a drop of blood fell onto the slip. "Sss!" The jade slip instantly burst into light, enveloping the stone chamber in dazzling brightness. Then, the light surged into Li Lin''s forehead, turning into a massive influx of information within his mind. After about half an hour, the light gradually faded, and Li Lin, reviewing the immense influx of information in his mind, was shocked, or rather, astonished. The Heavenly Spirit Record was neither a martial nor a spiritual technique. To Li Lin''s surprise, it encompassed skills beyond martial and spiritual practices, making it an incredible and unconventional technique in a world dominated by martial artists and spiritual practitioners. The Heavenly Spirit Record contained various formations, puppetry, and weapon forging techniques. It didn''t focus much on pills, but it also documented numerous unique methods, such as Soul Searching Technique, which could probe others'' memories. Additionally, it described a Beast Control Technique, allowing one with sufficient strength to control a large number of demons and spiritual beasts directly and even raise them from a young age. Unlike typical spiritual practitioners who expend a great deal of effort to control and cannot breed nor control large numbers of such creatures without significant soul power expenditure, which is unaffordable for most practitioners. Thus, powerful spiritual practitioners usually tame and control only one superior spiritual beast or demon beast, as controlling more means depleting more soul power, making spiritual beasts especially hard to control. Excessive soul power consumption is a taboo for spiritual practitioners, directly affecting their future cultivation and even risking their foundation if overdone, essentially sabotaging their future. Hence, no spiritual practitioner dares to control a large number of spiritual beasts or demon beasts casually. This Beast Control Technique differs significantly, allowing for the extensive control of demons and spiritual beasts without issue, and even the cultivation of such creatures from a young age. Beasts raised in this manner share a deeper bond and coordination with their master, essentially becoming an extension of the master''s limbs. This synergy can significantly enhance their effectiveness in combat. Besides, the Heavenly Spirit Record also contains some of the Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign''s insights and a detailed introduction to various crafting materials, essentially serving as a comprehensive encyclopedia. Reviewing the contents of the Heavenly Spirit Record, it becomes clear that most of these techniques require a spiritual practitioner for cultivation. For instance, the Soul Searching Technique, which probes another''s soul, necessitates the practitioner''s soul to be stronger than the target''s, even to the point of absolute suppression. This condition gives spiritual practitioners an advantage over martial artists. The crafting of high-level puppets requires strong soul power, something martial artists can achieve only at a basic or intermediate level. Similarly, activating some formations requires substantial spiritual cultivation, which is challenging for martial artists to achieve. Understanding the Heavenly Spirit Record fully, Li Lin realizes what his affordable master, the Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign, meant: even if he only practices what martial artists can from it, he would still stand out in the world. These techniques, undoubtedly more enticing and potent than martial and spiritual techniques, would make anyone hesitant to provoke a person controlling numerous demons, spiritual beasts, puppets, and formations, even if their personal strength isn''t high. "Good thing I''m dual-cultivating spirit and martial arts." Li Lin was thrilled. Being a spiritual practitioner, he could learn everything from the Heavenly Spirit Record, ensuring he would have enough techniques to secure his place in the world. "Surviving a great disaster surely brings great fortune." Li Lin thought to himself that surviving this ordeal and receiving such a gift from his affordable master was a treasure beyond compare. Li Lin smiled, considering the jade slip from Uncle Jiang, which mostly contained information on crafting pills and fewer records on weapon crafting, incomparable to the Heavenly Spirit Record. However, the pill crafting information in the Heavenly Spirit Record surpassed what Uncle Jiang gave him, combining both would create a complete encyclopedia in his mind. "Let''s take it slow and see what the spiritual technique is." Li Lin then took out the spiritual technique from the storage ring. If martial techniques are considered invaluable, spiritual techniques are even more so, akin to comparing gold to diamonds. Spiritual techniques, as the name suggests, are practices meant for spiritual practitioners and not for martial artists. With spiritual practitioners already a rarity, spiritual techniques are even scarcer, making their value in the same tier significantly higher than martial techniques. "Xuan-level beginner spiritual technique." Li Lin looked at the jade slip, recalling the Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign mentioning it was a Xuan-level beginner technique. Such a level would cause a sensation if known outside, as even in major sects, Xuan-level martial techniques are nearly as valued as sect-defining treasures, let alone Xuan-level spiritual techniques. Contemplating whether to cultivate the Xuan-level beginner spiritual technique, Li Lin hesitated, recalling Uncle Jiang''s advice against prematurely practicing high-level martial and spiritual techniques without the strength to fully control them, which could divert a lot of effort and time without benefiting cultivation. However, Li Lin knew he needed to enhance his strength urgently, with limited techniques and insufficient power at his disposal. For now, he had to focus on improving his strength, setting aside other considerations to prioritize his power enhancement. Chapter 95: The Domineering Spiritual Technique Although I am a spiritual practitioner, I have not yet cultivated any spiritual techniques. This spiritual technique is perfectly suited for me. Even if I can''t fully unleash the power of this Xuan-level spiritual technique right now, I can take my time. Having cultivated this spiritual technique will give me an extra means of protection in the future. "Cultivate." After much hesitation, I decide to proceed with the cultivation. Uncle Jiang''s advice certainly isn''t wrong, but my situation is different. If I were a descendant of a major sect or a powerful family with strong backing, I could afford to cultivate slowly, step by step, which would be best for the future. However, my circumstances are not the same. I am alone, without anyone to help me. Although I have the small Li family, there are those within the Li family who scheme against me. Therefore, strength is fundamental. Without strength, all plans are but fleeting clouds. Forming a hand seal, I drop blood onto the jade slip. Instantly, a dazzling light emerges from the slip. At this moment, as my hand seal changes, a surge of spiritual energy gathers in my hand and then is infused into the jade slip. Spiritual techniques differ from martial techniques; they require spiritual energy as the key to unlock them. Martial artists, upon obtaining a spiritual technique, simply cannot cultivate it. As spiritual energy is infused, the jade slip lights up brightly, the illumination like flames soaring, lighting up the stone chamber brilliantly. At that moment, amidst the light, a tremor occurs. Subsequently, all the light transforms into the form of a several-meter-long golden saber, which gradually shrinks and becomes increasingly dazzling, finally transforming into a half-meter-long saber before fiercely plunging into my forehead. With my eyes tightly closed, a vast influx of information appears in my mind, detailing the cultivation method of the spiritual technique. "Xuan-level beginner spiritual technique, Saber Soul Technique." After a moment, I open my eyes. From the information, I learn that this spiritual technique is named Saber Soul Technique, an offensive spiritual technique. It involves condensing spiritual energy into a saber for attacks, powerful and versatile. The more solid the saber formed from spiritual energy, the more powerful its might, capable of piercing and breaking through anything, truly domineering. "I''ll cultivate the Saber Soul Technique, giving me another method to rely on in the future." I''m pleased. This spiritual technique is exactly what I like. Even if I can''t currently unleash the Saber Soul Technique''s full power, its execution will undoubtedly be strong. Quietly memorizing the cultivation method of the Saber Soul Technique, I plan to leave this valley once I achieve some mastery over it. Cultivating here will ensure no disturbances, and as for Yunyang Sect, I can''t catch up now and will find a way to get there later. A day later, at the base of the mountain, a young man in a green robe stands, about sixteen or seventeen years old, tall and slender, with star-like eyes and slightly upturned thin lips, showing a lazy smile. He exudes an aura far beyond his age, none other than Li Lin. "Saber Soul Technique." Standing before the mountain, Li Lin suddenly shouts, forming a hand seal, and spiritual energy fills the surrounding air. In his right hand, a one-meter-long, palm-wide golden saber, broader at the front and tapering towards the back, appears before him. "Strike!" With the golden saber in hand, he fiercely strikes towards a large rock below the mountain, about four meters tall and five to six meters wide. "With a swish," the rock slightly responds, but the golden saber instantly dissipates. Surprised by this phenomenon, Li Lin pauses before forming another hand seal, once again condensing the golden saber and striking fiercely. "Swish!" The result seems no different; the golden saber instantly dissipates, indicating that Li Lin''s cultivation of the Saber Soul Technique is not yet successful. "Damn, I refuse to believe I can''t cultivate it successfully." Despite being disheartened, Li Lin''s stubbornness is ignited, and he changes his hand seal again, condensing the golden saber to strike the rock. "Swish!" "I refuse to believe this. Again." "Swish!" "Again, I refuse to accept defeat." "Swish!" "Damn it, I''m all in" In the valley, Li Lin''s shouts are continuous, and behind him, on a rock, the little dragon opens its round eyes, curiously watching Li Lin, occasionally looking towards the distance. Half an hour later, Li Lin''s shouts grew weaker, his face pale, his spiritual power nearly exhausted. Any further exertion would mean overextension, potentially shaking the foundation of his cultivation. "Damn, Xuan-level beginner spiritual techniques are indeed difficult to cultivate," Li Lin said, sitting on the ground, drained. This Saber Soul Technique was much harder to cultivate than the Vermilion Bird Art he practiced before. Although the Vermilion Bird Art was complex, it was relatively easy to cultivate. However, the Saber Soul Technique proved extremely challenging. Li Lin remembered what Uncle Jiang had said: the higher the level of martial and spiritual techniques, the more challenging the conditions for their cultivation. Those with low strength couldn''t even begin to cultivate heavenly martial or spiritual techniques. It seemed the same applied to him now. Cultivating this Xuan-level beginner spiritual technique was exceptionally difficult, and Li Lin felt helpless, not knowing where the problem lay. If Uncle Jiang were here, he could have identified the issue. "I must cultivate it successfully. I refuse to believe it can''t be done," Li Lin got up from the ground, determined to continue after recovering from his exhaustion, refusing to believe he couldn''t succeed. Climbing into the cave, Li Lin sat cross-legged on the Spirit Jade Bed and began to regulate his breathing. With the assistance of the Spirit Jade Bed, the depleted spiritual power in his body gradually restored. After half a day, Li Lin felt his spiritual power had mostly recovered. After this round of exhaustion and subsequent cultivation, the spiritual energy in his body felt significantly more condensed. Returning to the cave, Li Lin persisted in cultivating the Saber Soul Technique, facing failure after failure without giving up, until he was exhausted once again. As night fell, Li Lin found some food in the forest before returning to the stone chamber and the Spirit Jade Bed to continue his recovery. The next morning, with the sky slightly brightening, Li Lin resumed his cultivation at the foot of the mountain, experiencing failure and exhaustion once again before resting and recovering. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. This cycle continued for five days. Li Lin persisted, believing in eventual success after each failure. Concentrating his spirit and energy, Li Lin formed a golden saber with his hand seals. The saber glowed, and spiritual power surged, the golden saber now significantly more solid than five days ago. Each time he exhausted himself, Li Lin eagerly cultivated, feeling his spiritual energy within the mind becoming more condensed, and even the golden saber he conjured became more solid. "Strike," Li Lin commanded softly. The golden saber immediately slashed towards a large rock, visibly impacting it heavily, carrying a dull thud that echoed through the valley. The golden saber dissipated again, but this time it left a two-centimeter deep mark on the rock, surrounded by several shallow cracks. "There''s progress. I will succeed, definitely," Li Lin thought, heart filled with joy as if seeing a glimmer of light in the darkness. This slight improvement was proof that his persistence was effective. "Continue," Li Lin formed hand seals again to practice, determined to master the Saber Soul Technique. "Swish!" "Bang!" The rock echoed with dull thuds, and countless fragments scattered. After exhausting himself once more, Li Lin returned to the Spirit Jade Bed to cultivate. Time passed slowly as Li Lin immersed himself in cultivating the Saber Soul Technique, making slight progress each day, enough to keep him motivated. In the boundless mountains, two rock eagles flew by, carrying Elder Bai Mei and his companions. "Everyone, pay attention. We are now in the central region of Yunyang Sect. In two more days, we will reach the sect," Elder Bai Mei informed the group. On the back of the rock eagles, everyone looked down. After a month and a half of flight, they were finally nearing Yunyang Sect, which should have been a joyous occasion. However, Li Wushuang couldn''t feel happy, constantly worried about his cousin''s unknown fate. Within the Misty Mountain Range, nearly everyone who ventures into these mountains is a martial artist. Ordinary martial artists dare not enter casually, and even those with decent strength need to enter in groups because this is no ordinary range. Within it, demonic beasts roam, and as for spiritual beasts, though there have been rumors of sightings, they remain just thatrumors. Encountering spiritual practitioners within the Misty Mountain Range isnt unusual, with spiritual practitioners often joining forces with several or even dozens of martial artists to form small mercenary groups navigating the range. Those who enter the Misty Mountain Range have one goal: to obtain demonic beasts and herbs for concocting elixirs, both of which fetch a high price. Although demonic beasts must reach the fourth tier before they can condense demonic cores, the capture of tier one, two, or three demonic beasts can still attract buyers in the outside world. Some warriors and martial masters purchase these lower-tier demonic beasts as protective beasts or pets for young masters and ladies, making even a single demonic beast quite valuable. Catching a spiritual beast, however, represents a significant income. Even a tier one spiritual beast can sell for tens of thousands of gold coins. A tier two spiritual beast can fetch prices that double, generally around fifty thousand gold coins, equivalent to a tier four demonic core. However, spiritual beasts are rarely seen within the Misty Mountain Range, and demonic beasts arent plentiful either. Unlucky encounters with a tier four demonic beast spell big trouble, as even peak ninth-tier Wu Soul warriors find them challenging, and those below stand no chance of survival. Thus, those entering the Misty Mountain Range typically do so in small groups or even large mercenary groups numbering in the dozens or thousands. Besides demonic beasts, frequent visitors to the Misty Mountain Range know to be wary sometimes of other mercenary groups. Some mercenary groups openly attack smaller teams to rob and kill, a not uncommon occurrence. Every Spring Festival marks a bustling season for the Misty Mountain Range. After resting through winter, entering the range in spring promises rich hauls of spiritual herbs. With some luck, one might encounter demonic beasts out hunting, capturing even just tier one or two beasts can lead to a substantial income. Some mercenary groups aim for tier three demonic beasts, which are quite valuable, but smaller, less powerful teams naturally hope not to encounter beasts of tier three or higher. Even peak ninth-tier martial masters struggle alone against tier three demonic beasts. At this time, the Misty Mountain Range is at its busiest, with numerous small teams and mercenary groups pouring in for a gold rush. Competitions over spiritual herbs among several teams are common sights. On a cliff, many martial artists have gathered, most in combat-ready attire, likely here for the treasure hunt. "Its said that a month ago, that Huo Yin beast was killed by Elder Bai Mei and Wang Mingyue of Yunyang Sect and fell off this cliff. Too bad we cant get down there; the loot from that beast must be significant." "The dense fog in this cliff makes descent impossible for us." "Indeed, who would have thought the Huo Yin beast would die like that, having provoked Yunyang Sect." "Yunyang Sect is not to be trifed with. This is their territory, after all. The Huo Yin beast was looking for its own death by competing with Yunyang Sect for the Heavenly Silkworm Armor." "Thats the Heavenly Silkworm Armor. If I found it, I wouldnt want to part with it either." "What would it matter if you found it? As a mere low-level martial artist, youd be seeking death." "Lets disperse. If there were any loot, it would have been taken by now. Lets look nearby for spiritual herbs instead. This time, lets find more herbs to sell at a good price. Recently, Huanghua Tower has a new top-tier beauty, with curves that could kill and eyes that seduce to the bone." "Damn, Ive seen her. That big, round, and firm behind makes me want to take her just once, even if it costs me a few years of my life." "You''re such a lustful tiger, hahaha." A few lewd laughs echoed from the cliff, and then the crowd dispersed rapidly. Unknown to them, beneath this cliff lay a different world, and Li Lin, who had narrowly escaped death, was currently continuing his cultivation of the Saber Soul Technique. At the base of the mountain, Li Lin stood quietly, his green robe fluttering without any wind, a faint aura spreading around him. The grass in the vicinity bowed outward, creating ripples as if brushed by a gentle breeze. After a moment, Li Lin slowly exhaled, his eyes slightly squinted before suddenly opening, a flash of brilliance passing through his gaze. Immediately, spiritual energy surged around him, and a profound aura spread out. Simultaneously, Li Lin formed hand seals, and spiritual energy quickly condensed into a golden long saber in his right hand. The saber shimmered with a mysterious light, and a fierce aura spread from it. This aura was not much different from when Li Lin displayed the Vermilion Bird Art at the Qingyun Town square. The golden saber, now several times more solid than before, formed a red pathway as it condensed, causing the surrounding space and grass to ripple violently as if pressed down by a strong wind. "Saber Soul Technique, go." With a soft shout from Li Lin, his hand seals changed, and the red saber flew from his grasp, slicing through the air and producing a sharp whistling sound as it compressed the surrounding air. As Li Lin''s hand seals changed, the red saber continuously slashed through the air, causing space to tremble with each strike, and the force generated sonic booms in the atmosphere. "Saber Soul Technique, break for me." With another change in hand seals and a deep shout from Li Lin, the red saber flashed through the air like lightning, leaving behind a trail of afterimages. In an instant, the red saber unleashed a terrifying force, piercing through the air with a sharp whistling sound, causing space to quiver. The blade''s light was blinding as it fiercely struck the giant rock at the base of the mountain. "Boom..." A massive sound echoed through the valley, like thunder exploding suddenly. The rock, standing four meters tall and five meters wide, instantly cracked, visibly crumbling under the force of the sharp saber light, scattering countless fragments. "Bang! Bang! Bang!" Even the surrounding mountain walls trembled, causing rocks to fall thunderously. This scene was spectacular, with countless fragments scattering. Li Lin set up a protective barrier around himself, and seeing the scene unfold before him, a smile finally appeared on his face. Moments later, all was calm. Right where the giant rock once stood, it was now scattered around, leaving a ten-meter-long crack on the ground. "I''ve succeeded, although it''s just the initial stage of the Saber Soul Technique, the power is already impressive. Even against an eighth-level martial artist, I''d have a fighting chance." Li Lin felt the power of the Saber Soul Technique. Though it was slightly less than the Vermilion Bird Art, its strength was definitely capable of contending with martial artists between the seventh and eighth levels. If his spiritual power were to break through again, the power of the Saber Soul Technique would naturally continue to increase. The Saber Soul Technique has three stages, and currently, Li Lin could only activate the first stage, Saber Soul Slash. If he became strong enough in the future to activate the second stage, Saber Soul Light Blade, and the third stage, Saber Soul Void Annihilation, his strength would greatly increase. Being able to barely activate the first stage, Saber Soul Slash, was already quite an achievement. Looking at the crack on the ground and the recently shattered giant rock, Li Lin became somewhat excited. A month of cultivation had finally borne some fruit. The Saber Soul Slash was incredibly powerful and domineering, truly worthy of being a Xuan-level spiritual technique. Chapter 96: Highway Robbery "Now, I have yet another technique at my disposal," Li Lin thought to himself. "Let''s try this Fire Shadow Finger next," Li Lin softly said as he summoned his Qi, transforming a hand seal. Then, from his right hand, five red finger strikes fiercely burst forth. These strikes, imbued with a scorching aura, tore through the void with a powerful force, creating sharp, whistling sounds in the air. "Shoo, shoo, shoo..." The rock wall was bombarded with stones flying everywhere as the five finger strikes hit the steep cliff face, instantly creating five one-meter deep holes, with shallow cracks forming around the rock face. The Fire Shadow Finger was a fire-elemental, star-level, beginner martial technique that Li Lin had acquired from the Fire Yin Monster. When the Fire Yin Monster had used it in a battle against Elder Bai Mei, the technique had demonstrated remarkable power. After opening the jade slip, Li Lin realized it contained the Fire Shadow Finger technique used by the Fire Yin Monster. Having witnessed its effectiveness firsthand, and considering his need for a fire-elemental martial technique, he decided to cultivate it. Cultivating this star-level martial technique was much easier than the Saber Soul Technique. Over the month, in addition to practicing the Saber Soul Technique, Li Lin had also been cultivating the Fire Shadow Finger in his spare time, achieving some success. Although he had made some progress with both the Fire Shadow Finger and the Saber Soul Technique, Li Lin knew that truly mastering a martial technique was not as simple as just cultivating it successfully. Every expert spends decades, even a lifetime, immersing themselves in their techniques to unleash their maximum power. For instance, among practitioners of the same cultivation level, someone who has just cultivated a Xuan-level technique versus someone who has spent decades perfecting a star-level technique, the latter might have a higher chance of winning. The same technique can vary in power depending on who wields it, all based on their mastery. "A month has passed; they must have reached Yunyang Sect by now," Li Lin looked up at the valley, thinking that if he hadn''t fallen down this cliff, he would also be at Yunyang Sect by now. However, he felt somewhat fortunate for his fall, as it led him to meet his benefactor, the Saint Hand Spiritual Venerable, and obtain the Heavenly Spirit Record. Li Lin calculated that he now had to find his own way to Yunyang Sect to obtain the Millennium Red Copper and the Fleeting Light Shifting Shadow martial technique as Uncle Jiang wished. But first, he needed to leave this valley. In this month, aside from refining the Saber Soul Technique and Fire Shadow Finger, Li Lin experienced unexpected gains. With the help of the Spirit Jade Bed, his spiritual energy reached the peak of the second-level Spirit Warrior, and he was on the verge of a breakthrough in his Qi. During the month, Li Lin also pondered over the Heavenly Spirit Record, finding the puppet crafting, formations, and beast control techniques it contained to be profoundly complex, requiring slow, meticulous studysomething he was prepared to do. "Time to leave," Li Lin muttered as he returned to the stone chamber, storing the Spirit Jade Bed in his storage ringa crucial item now safely kept in his hidden storage ring. The outer storage bag held only trivial items. The storage ring from his benefactor, clearly no ordinary item, had much larger space than the one Uncle Jiang gave him, but couldn''t be hidden inside his body. Li Lin had no plans to use this new storage ring, storing it within his own. Before leaving the chamber, he removed all the Night Pearls, valuable items he intended to sell someday. With these pearls numbering in the thousands, they represented a significant income. After making preparations, Li Lin left the cave. He paid his respects at the grave of his benefactor, the Saint Hand Spiritual Venerable, and then set out to find Little Dragon. Over the month, Little Dragon became the nightmare of all animals in the valley. Since its arrival, the valley''s animals dared not show themselves, becoming meals for Little Dragon. Li Lin didn''t know much about Little Dragon, nor what level it had reached. After Little Dragon shed its skin once, Li Lin speculated it might have reached the second level of a spiritual beast. However, Little Dragon''s defensive power seemed incredibly unbelievable, even the Fire Yin Monster couldn''t injure it, which made Li Lin doubt its level. A second-level spiritual beast with such an abnormal defensive power seemed too extraordinary. "Swoosh, swoosh..." Through the forest, a streak of yellow light zipped through the space and affectionately landed in Li Lin''s handit was Little Dragon. "You''re full now, right? It''s time for us to leave," Li Lin said affectionately, stroking Little Dragon''s little head. Little Dragon''s round eyes, seemingly capable of speech, looked at Li Lin as it flicked its tongue and then nodded, as if understanding Li Lin''s words, appearing incredibly cute. "We''ll make a raft first," Li Lin said, heading into the forest. He took out the green longsword he used to dig holes before, chopped down eight straight branches the size of bowl rims, then found some vines in the forest to tie them together into a raft. Without a raft, they couldn''t go downstream. "Little Dragon, let''s go." After finishing the raft, Li Lin spoke, and Little Dragon, understanding the cue, immediately coiled around Li Lin''s shoulder, preferring the outside to being in the sleeves without Li Lin''s command. Pushing the raft to the center of the water, Li Lin leaped onto it and, with a baby-arm-sized long wooden stick, gently pushed; the raft immediately started moving downstream. "Master, I''m leaving. The Heavenly Spirit Record, I will definitely find a way to deliver it to the Duanmu family in Moyun City," Li Lin said, looking at the valley as the raft drifted slowly downstream. Controlling the raft along the river and watching the valley gradually disappear, the surroundings turned into a canyon that seemed endless. The river''s flow wasn''t very fast, requiring Li Lin to use the wooden stick to navigate downstream. Above the canyon, thick fog obscured the view, making it impossible to see the top. Li Lin guessed this was probably the bottom of the cliff he had fallen from. The sides of the canyon were made of thick, rugged rock walls. Inside the canyon, Li Lin could faintly hear the sounds of beasts, truly making it seem like an untouched paradise. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. After two days, the river had narrowed significantly, eventually becoming too narrow for the raft to pass through, forcing Li Lin to dismantle it and proceed on foot. Several hours later, only three of the original eight logs remained, and the canyon had narrowed to just barely allow one person through. "Is the exit here?" Li Lin wondered after reaching a dead end with a rock wall in front, but upon closer inspection, he could see water stirring on the surface, indicating an underwater current. "This is it," Li Lin murmured, then said to Little Dragon on his shoulder, "Are you ready, Little Dragon? We''re going to dive." "Chit, chit," Little Dragon flicked its tongue, giving Li Lin a glance before diving into the water, seemingly unafraid. Taking a deep breath and surrounding himself with a faint protective circle, Li Lin dived into the clear water. About ten meters down, he saw a one-meter-wide whirlpool where water flowed out. Without hesitation, Li Lin entered the whirlpool, immediately pulled forward by the current, with Little Dragon curiously following behind. About twenty minutes later, Li Lin felt he was running out of breath underwater. With his current cultivation level, this was the best he could do, unlike those martial generals or martial marshals who could stay underwater for days without any issue. At this moment, the pulling force became stronger, and suddenly, with a soft sound, Li Lin felt himself exit the whirlpool and enter a deep pool. Looking back at where he had just come from, it was also a stone wall, and at the edge of this exit, there were dozens to hundreds of holes. Even if someone were to reach this place, it would be very difficult to find the entrance. Little Dragon followed out of the whirlpool. Li Lin swiftly surfaced, finding it hard to hold his breath any longer. "Plop..." A figure emerged from the calm waters, it was Li Lin. "I couldn''t take it anymore, I was about to suffocate." Li Lin said lightly, gasping for air. At this moment, the protective circle dissipated, and Li Lin''s body was soaked, but fortunately, he could swim. After catching his breath, he quickly swam towards the shore. In the water, Little Dragon had no difficulty at all, happily swimming around. After climbing onto the shore, Li Lin surveyed his surroundings. He was clearly in a mountain range and estimated it wasn''t far from the range he had fallen from, although he was temporarily unsure of his direction. The mountain range was deserted and silent, with the deep woods rustling ominously when the wind blew. "Swoosh." Little Dragon climbed onto the shore beside Li Lin, its small eyes curiously looking at the drenched Li Lin. Looking around, Li Lin smiled slightly, circulated the fire attribute Qi within his body, and in a moment, he was dry. Now, being at the level of a Spirit Warrior, such minor tricks were within his capabilities. "We''ll slowly find our way," Li Lin said to Little Dragon in front of him, looking in the direction where the sunlight shone from above, then headed southeast, towards Wudu City, the direction of Yunyang Sect. He couldn''t just walk there; flying beasts took a month to reach, and it would take even longer on foot. Now, Li Lin''s only option was to head to Wudu City first and find a way from there. Wudu City was under the jurisdiction of Yunyang Sect, and maybe he could arrange for a beast to take him to Yunyang Sect, as he was a newly accepted disciple of the sect. Having made up his mind, Li Lin started moving southeast. He had heard from Elder Bai Mei that demonic beasts frequented the Fog Mountains, so he proceeded with caution. Little Dragon circled Li Lin''s shoulders, blending in so well it was hard to notice without looking closely. Its small eyes scanned the surroundings, occasionally flicking its tongue. "There''s a scent of herbs, medicinal herbs," Li Lin noted half an hour later, identifying the scent of medicinal herbs with the help of Uncle Jiang''s jade slip. He quickly deduced it was the scent of medicinal herbs. "Swoosh..." Little Dragon slid off Li Lin''s shoulder and led the way towards the source of the scent. Soon after, the aroma of the medicinal herbs grew stronger. At the foot of a hill, a golden, fifteen-centimeter-tall, thumb-thick three-leaf herb appeared before Li Lin. "Three-leaf soul grass," Li Lin was surprised, having easily found a Three-leaf Soul Grass, a primary ingredient for a second-grade Qi-enhancing medicinal pill, which was not easily found. Little Dragon circled around the Three-leaf Soul Grass, almost drooling, its small eyes looking at Li Lin as if wanting to eat it. "Hold on, this Three-leaf Soul Grass is useful to me," Li Lin said, needing it for crafting Qi-enhancing pills. He then stored the Three-leaf Soul Grass in his spatial bag, and at that moment, two figures appeared behind him. "Hand over the Three-leaf Soul Grass, we saw it first," the two men, dressed in yellow, appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, and from their aura, both were at the level of martial warriors. Li Lin turned to look at them, noting both were fifth-level martial warriors, and replied calmly, "I believe I saw the Three-leaf Soul Grass first, and I was the one to obtain it. Do you intend to rob me?" The two muscular men dressed in tight clothes eyed Li Lin and then scanned the surroundings, seemingly checking for other people. The one on the left, wielding a gleaming curved blade, asked, "Kid, which mercenary group do you belong to?" "What does that have to do with you?" Li Lin responded, having heard that in the Fog Mountains, large mercenary groups often rob smaller teams, with incidents of murder and robbery not being uncommon. If he admitted to being alone, trouble would likely ensue immediately. "Mazi, look at him. He doesn''t seem to belong to any mercenary group, unfamiliar and very young. Let''s make our move," the man on the right, holding a black staff, suggested to his companion with the knife, his eyes harboring a sinister glint. He perceived no significant aura from Li Lin and, considering his young age, didn''t take him seriously. "Tie Qiu, we have important matters to attend to; better to hurry to our big brother and avoid trouble," the knife-wielding man cautioned. "No worries, the kid has a spatial bag, which should contain a good haul," the staff-wielding man chuckled, knowing that a spatial bag alone was worth thousands of gold coins. "Hand over the spatial bag, or die," the knife-wielder demanded, eyeing Li Lin with a mix of curiosity and skepticism. It was unusual for a youngster to wander alone in the Fog Mountains. He considered himself an old hand in these parts and was aware of the basics. "Here''s the spatial bag, just please don''t kill me," Li Lin feigned panic, his face turning ashen and sweat dripping down, as he reluctantly handed over his spatial bag. "Turns out you''re just a coward. Here, take it. I''m in a good mood today, so I''ll spare your life," the staff-wielder laughed heartily, stepping forward to take the spatial bag from Li Lin, who appeared utterly terrified, sweating profusely. The knife-wielder relaxed his guard, believing Li Lin to be just a young noble from a minor family who had ventured into the Fog Mountains for an adventure. "Here, don''t kill me," Li Lin handed over the spatial bag, continuing to sweat. The staff-wielder smugly took the bag from Li Lin''s hands. At that moment, Li Lin, who had been looking down, suddenly shot a sharp gleam from his eyes, and a powerful surge of Qi vibrated around him. "Mountain Splitting Palm, die," a pale yellow palm print, brimming with formidable Qi, swept out, striking the staff-wielder who was only inches away. The force of the blow caused the air to scream sharply. "Bang!" The palm print hit the staff-wielder''s abdomen, causing space to tremble and a muffled explosion to sound. The black staff fell to the ground as the man was sent flying backward, spitting out blood. "Be careful..." The knife-wielder''s expression changed dramatically, but before he could finish speaking, his face turned cyanotic, as if swollen with water retention, dropping his knife in agony, clutching at his throat as if unable to breathe, his pupils dilating before becoming clouded. "Thump!" In less than two seconds, the knife-wielder collapsed to the ground, with Little Dragon satisfyingly feasting on his blood around his neck. "Thinking of robbing me? You two were not up to the mark," Li Lin looked at the staff-wielder who had crashed to the ground, stating that with the element of surprise and Little Dragon''s help, taking down the two men was not difficult. If it weren''t for the fear of drawing attention, he could have dealt with them alone. "Spare my life, I won''t dare again, please let me go," the staff-wielder pleaded, grievously injured by Li Lin''s Mountain Splitting Palm, his face pale and bleeding from the mouth. Being only a fifth-level martial warrior himself, and with Li Lin''s surprise attack, he was severely wounded. Seeing his comrade dead, he was filled with immense fear, having thought he encountered an easy target only to find a formidable adversary. Chapter 97: Siege of the Monster Beast "Spare you? It''s too late." Granting an enemy a way out is digging oneself an unknown grave, Li Lin knew this well, his gaze turning cold in his eyes. "Chi" The burly man took a step back, and in that instant, despite his injuries, he quickly got up and ran away, his desire to survive erupting at that moment. "Die." Li Lin said indifferently, his true energy trembling under his feet, with a tap of his feet, the ground cracked open, and his figure swooped down like an eagle preying, bringing up a whistling wind, heading straight for the burly man. "I''ll fight you." Feeling the whistling wind behind him, the burly man had no choice but to fight back, turning around suddenly, a faint protective aura forming around him, and a punch was thrown out, but its power seemed not very strong. Given his severe injuries, being able to muster a punch was already difficult. Li Lin''s expression darkened, he too threw a punch, flames flickering above his fist, carrying a formidable energy that shook open the spatial ripples, it was the Star-level beginner martial technique, Fury Flame Punch. "Bang Bang!" The two punches collided, the burly man screamed immediately, a severe pain spreading up his fist, his body stumbling back once more. At this moment, Li Lin turned his punch into a palm, just as his figure landed on the ground, he leveraged his momentum to soar up again, his palm imprint easily penetrated the burly man''s protective aura, and then landed on the burly man''s forehead. "Devour." Under the palm imprint, a huge force devoured, the burly man tried to struggle, but in an instant, he screamed, his body convulsing, the true energy inside him uncontrollably flowing out, his soul being stripped away from his mind, this extreme pain was beyond imagination. Half an hour later, the burly man had turned into a dried corpse, while Li Lin smiled satisfactorily. The true energy of this burly man was much stronger than that of Zhao Da, and after refining it, the benefits he obtained were definitely not few. To break through to the sixth level warrior was effortless, as for how much the true energy increased in the end, it was unknown. While devouring the true energy of this burly man with the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Art, Li Lin also tried out the Soul Searching Art from the Heavenly Spirit Record. Although there was some difficulty in using the Soul Searching Art, and it was his first time, Li Lin obtained a lot of information from the burly man''s mind. Both were from the Violent Wolf Mercenary Group, having entered the Wudu City Mountain Range for a month. As for the rest, being the first time using the Soul Searching Art, Li Lin did not discover much, but the miraculous method of the Soul Searching Art made Li Lin very pleased. "Little dragon, someone is coming, let''s go." From his mind probing, Li Lin felt people approaching, and not a few. He quickly searched the two men, only finding a spatial bag on the body of the burly man who had the stick, the other was empty, nothing at all. "Chi Chi." Little dragon, flicking its tongue, jumped onto Li Lin''s shoulder, and the two quickly disappeared from the spot, not even having time to deal with the bodies on the ground. Less than ten seconds after Li Lin left, six figures appeared from behind the hill, six men dressed exactly like the deceased burly man. "Third brother, look." A burly man in a vigorous outfit exclaimed, seeing the two dried corpses lying on the ground. These two corpses, one shriveled all over, as if it had shrunk in size, with pupils sunken into the eye sockets, and the other, with a bloody hole in the neck and eyeballs protruding out of the sockets. From their faces, however, it was not hard to recognize the appearance of the two. "It''s Mazi and Tieqiu, how could this happen." The six people leaned down to inspect the bodies, each of them incredibly shocked, even starting to feel fear. This way of dying was too terrifying. "Could it have been a sneak attack? But who would do it?" one of the burly men said angrily. "Mazi must have been killed by a monster beast, his blood devoured by the beast, but Tieqiu''s death is somewhat strange, there''s no blood hole on his body, but it must also be the work of a monster beast. Both of their strengths were at the fifth level of warrior, to kill them so quickly, it must have been two second-tier monster beasts or one third-tier monster beast." The leading burly man, who was lean and had a somewhat sly look, but sharp eyes, said while looking at the two bodies and then hurriedly searched them for something. Suddenly, the expression of the leading burly man changed drastically, "Where is it? Where are the things that were on Mazi?" "It wasn''t the work of a monster beast; it was done by a person. This is bad, Zhang Wu, go and notify big brother and second brother, tell them something has happened to Mazi. The rest of you, follow me; the person who did this should still be nearby," the lean leading man said. "Yes, third brother." One of the burly men quickly went to the left, while the burly man with the rest of the four spread out to search for the monster beasts around. After these men disappeared, not far away, on a towering tree, Li Lin jumped down, his expression slightly darkened, deciding it was safer to leave this place, his figure quickly moving towards the southeast direction. Having killed these two men, it was fortunate that the lean man thought it was the work of a monster beast. Li Lin was worried about exposing the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Technique, so he quickly left the scene. However, Li Lin did not know that not long after he left, several more people from the Violent Wolf Mercenary Group came again and continued to inspect the two bodies. "Damn, Tieqiu was killed by a person. There are injuries on his body; this is not the work of a monster beast. Mazi was the one killed by a monster beast. This must have been the work of at least one person and one monster beast, possibly a small team with a monster beast in it," a bulky fat man said loudly. This fat man weighed about three hundred pounds and was about 1.9 meters tall, standing like a giant, but his expression was not good at this moment. "Big brother, could it be a spiritual practitioner?" one of the burly men asked. "Probably not. Tieqiu died from a heavy blow, but the bodies are strange. Besides the neck, Mazi''s body has no other wounds. The monster beast that killed him must be very fast and not large in size. This strength, perhaps, is at the level of a third-tier monster beast," the fat man said, squatting down to carefully inspect the two bodies. "Big brother, what should we do now?" The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "Notify second brother and third brother, search for everyone nearby, don''t let anyone go. I want to see who dares to mess with the Violent Wolf Mercenary Group. We must take back the treasure map," the fat man said, his eyes shining with a fierce light, emitting a sharp killing intent. The mountain range undulated, its width unknown. Li Lin, within the mountain range, saw only the undulating forest sea, standing at a high point, the entire range appeared like clusters of islands floating among the clouds. The mountain waves and peaks layered upon each other. In the distance, there were several mountain peaks, looking dark and endless from afar, cliffs standing tall and imposing like the tumultuous waves of a great flood. Carefully making his way, as night fell, the mountain range emitted a secluded aura, eerily quiet and cold. After nightfall, Young Master Li found a valley and, after ensuring there were no dangers around, sat down to cultivate. After swallowing the true energy of the burly man, he needed to refine it before it could be used. Moments later, Li Lin''s body was enveloped in a faint yellow glow, appearing quite eerie in the dim night. Li Lin, cautious, instructed Little dragon to stay alert around him, so he could be immediately aware of any danger. In this Wudu City Mountain Range, Li Lin dared not be careless. The true qi devoured within transformed into energy and was finally refined into pure true qi, entering the Dantian Qi Sea. Under the infusion of this true qi, Li Lin could feel his Dantian Qi Sea expanding. It didn''t take long for the Dantian Qi Sea to become fully expanded to a certain extent, and the meridians within his body were also filled with true qi, causing some slight pain as they swelled. "Suppress." Li Lin''s heart sank as he pushed this true qi down into his Dantian Qi Sea, tightly condensing it together. With the continuous infusion of refined true qi, the Dantian Qi Sea finally could not withstand the vast amount of true qi and exploded within. A muffled sound spread through Li Lin''s body, a bright light shone from him, and a powerful aura filled the small valley, rapidly climbing. With the continued infusion of true qi, in one effort, Li Lin''s Dantian Qi Sea expanded again, and his body''s meridians were subjected to a huge impact, thickening slightly once more. At this moment, Li Lin finally broke through to the sixth level of warrior. His cultivation had long been at the peak of the fifth level warrior. This breakthrough was just a matter of course, and Li Lin was not surprised at all. This was all within his expectations. Breaking through to the sixth level warrior, his strength advanced once more, which pleased Li Lin. Currently, his strength was still too low, and gaining strength was his most desired. "Woo..." Outside the valley, a low roar of a beast echoed. In the darkness, two red light points lit up, a ferocious aura slowly approaching. "Sss..." Little dragon, coiled on a tree above Li Lin, made a low hissing sound. "Whew..." Li Lin exhaled a breath of stale air, the light on his body receded, and he quickly opened his eyes. In the darkness, a sharp light flashed in his eyes. "There''s a monster beast." Li Lin focused his gaze around him. Although it was dark, his current cultivation allowed him to vaguely see things within a dozen meters. "Second-tier earth-elemental monster beast, the Earth Howl Wolf." Li Lin watched the entrance of the valley in front of him, a giant wolf one meter tall and two meters long. He couldn''t help but feel solemn. This was his first encounter with a monster beast. It was said that monster beasts were not easy to deal with, each with formidable defensive power. A second-tier monster beast, even a ninth level warrior would find it difficult to handle. "Ao..." The Earth Howl Wolf, with red light shining from its eyes, paced back and forth outside the valley, glancing at Little dragon behind Li Lin, seeming somewhat fearful, not daring to approach. "Sss..." Little dragon leaped from the tree to Li Lin''s shoulder, staring intently at the Earth Howl Wolf in front, its round eyes full of fighting spirit, not afraid at all. A strange aura spread, making the Earth Howl Wolf somewhat afraid. "Little dragon is really powerful, even the Earth Howl Wolf is suppressed." Li Lin could see that under Little dragon''s aura, the Earth Howl Wolf did not dare to approach. The Spirit Emperor Beast is indeed powerful. Li Lin became even more curious about Little dragon''s identity, but unfortunately, there was no information about Spirit Emperor Beasts in the jade slips from Uncle Jiang and the Saint Hand Spirit Sovereign. "Ao..." The Earth Howl Wolf growled lowly, then began to retreat. "Here it is, the Earth Howl Wolf. Let''s take it down together." Just then, several figures appeared, a delicate voice commanded: "Don''t let this Earth Howl Wolf escape." Li Lin''s heart sank. He originally wanted to spar with the Earth Howl Wolf to see how strong a second-tier monster beast really was, but he didn''t expect others were also hunting the Earth Howl Wolf. "Little dragon." Li Lin gave a light command, and Little dragon, understanding, quickly climbed into Li Lin''s sleeve. "Ao Ao..." The Earth Howl Wolf roared, its huge body leaping, its ferocious aura surged, and it instantly clashed with the several figures. Li Lin watched the battle between the Earth Howl Wolf outside the valley and the four figures, three men and one woman, each enveloped in true qi, wielding weapons and fiercely fighting the Earth Howl Wolf. The aura of all four was strong, with one man and one woman having an aura just slightly weaker than Li Wushuang, indicating they were likely at the first level warrior''s cultivation. The man, dressed in fine clothes, had an extraordinary demeanor, around twenty-three or twenty-four years old, with long hair draped over his shoulders, wielding a silver-white long sword that whistled through the air, trapping the Earth Howl Wolf within its sword shadows. The woman, in a light blue outfit that exuded a heroic spirit, with a well-proportioned figure, appeared to be only about twenty years old, her beauty shining even in the darkness, her eyes sparkling. Besides wielding a blue long sword, she also had a dagger at her waist. The other two, also in their early twenties, had slightly weaker cultivation - one at the eighth level warrior and the other at the ninth level warrior, which was considered good. These four seemed to be a small team gathered together to seek fortune in the Wudu City Mountain Range, where such small teams were not uncommon. Having two martial artists among them was quite commendable. "Ao" In the battle outside the valley, the Earth Howl Wolf roared, its huge body suddenly swinging its tail, its sharp claws reaching instantly towards the eighth level warrior. "Move aside." The eighth level warrior shouted, wielding what seemed to be a hooked weapon about a meter long, with several sharp barbs, cutting through the air towards the Earth Howl Wolf. The Earth Howl Wolf was enveloped in a pale yellow light, dodging the eighth level warrior''s attack with a swift body twist and a sweeping tail that brought a sharp whistling sound. "This beast is quite formidable, everyone be careful." The woman shouted, her body covered in a qi aura that radiated intense red heat. Her blue long sword carried flames in its sword qi, casting a shadow of sword images towards the Earth Howl Wolf. "Ao ao" The Earth Howl Wolf roared, dodging the eighth level warrior''s attack but unable to evade the woman''s, a shallow sword mark appearing on its back, bleeding slightly. "Such strong defense." Li Lin was amazed watching the Earth Howl Wolf take the hit, surprised at the light injury it sustained from the powerful strike of a first level martial artist, highlighting the monster''s formidable defense. "Bang" Moments later, the Earth Howl Wolf was hit by a seventh level warrior''s palm, stumbling and retreating. "Boom!" At that moment, the finely dressed young man appeared beside the Earth Howl Wolf lightning-fast, sheathing his sword and forming hand seals, delivering a fierce palm strike that hit the Earth Howl Wolf hard. "Bang!" With a muffled sound, the Earth Howl Wolf was sent flying by the first level warrior''s palm, significantly more powerful than the seventh level warrior''s attack, crashing heavily to the ground. "Ao ao" The Earth Howl Wolf roared, glaring fiercely at the four people, its eyes filled with rage, its body surrounded by a trembling pale yellow light, its sharp teeth gleaming coldly. "Ao" The Earth Howl Wolf roared again, its limbs pressing against the ground, unleashing a massive force that cracked the earth, leaping into the air, its front limbs tearing towards the finely dressed young man like an eagle preying. "Back off." The young man shouted, forming hand seals, his body''s qi vibrating, seemingly distorting the space in front of him, launching a punch that tore through the air, attacking the Earth Howl Wolf. Being a second-tier monster beast, the Earth Howl Wolf possessed some intelligence, not daring to take the hit head-on, its huge body eerily twisting in the air to change direction and retreat. "Beast, come here." At that moment, the woman in the combat outfit shouted, casting a series of strange hand seals, creating a peculiar light seal in her hand, resembling runes or scriptures. The appearance of the light seal emitted a strange aura, causing Little dragon on Li Lin''s arm to become restless. Li Lin soothed Little dragon, which calmed down shortly after, watching as the woman in combat attire suddenly appeared in front of the Earth Howl Wolf, raising the peculiar and eerie light seal high before smashing it down hard on the Earth Howl Wolf''s body. Chapter 98: The Beast Control Seal The Earth Howl Wolf was about to violently retreat but was attracted by the peculiar seal of light, appearing somewhat dazed for a moment. In that instant, from the strange seal of light, a bizarre and fierce power burst forth, eventually shooting into the brain of the Earth Howl Wolf. Suddenly, the unprepared Earth Howl Wolf''s body softened, and it fainted on the ground. "Junior sister''s control over beasts has improved again, congratulations." Watching the woman in tight clothing take down the Earth Howl Wolf, the young man in splendid attire immediately said. "This Earth Howl Wolf is famously tough in defense, really difficult to deal with." The woman in tight clothing said, taking out some unknown treasure from her hand. With a flash of light, she actually collected the Earth Howl Wolf into it. Li Lin, watching all this from a distance, was full of doubts. Normally, space bags and storage rings can''t store living things, yet the item this woman took out could actually collect the Earth Howl Wolf, it seemed to also be a treasure. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?" At this moment, one of the four, an eight-level warrior, said to Li Lin at the valley entrance. Subsequently, the other three also turned their attention to Li Lin, who had been observed by them during the encounter with the Earth Howl Wolf. "We encountered a large mercenary group, my teammates are all dead, I escaped. If it weren''t for the four of you, I would have become the food for that Earth Howl Wolf." Li Lin said, there are many small teams here, making up one wouldn''t make people too suspicious. "Is that so? How many of you were there, and which mercenary group attacked you?" The young man in splendid attire looked at Li Lin and asked, glancing at him indifferently. "There were six of us, we encountered the Savage Wolf Mercenary Group." Li Lin said, knowing only of this one mercenary group. "Savage Wolf Mercenary Group, your strength doesn''t seem strong, and those who came with you probably weren''t much better. Normally, given the notorious reputation of the Savage Wolf Mercenary Group, it''s lucky you managed to escape." The nine-level warrior youth said. "little brother, what''s your name, and where are you from?" At this time, the woman in tight clothing walked up to Li Lin, looked him over, smiled slightly, and asked. As the distance closed, a faint fragrance wafted over. Li Lin looked at the woman; she was about twenty years old. Although the night was dark, the visibility was not affected at close range. The woman''s face was quite delicate, and her skin was wheat-colored, not fair. But this only added a wild aura to the woman, like a wolf in the forest. Her tight clothing was somewhat unique, tightly covering the chest and upper stomach, revealing her wheat-colored slender waist, which was extremely soft and delicate, as if it would break with a slight twist. On the lower body, she wore tight pants that wrapped around her long legs, and her round buttocks were prominently outlined, making her appear hot and tempting. Li Lin couldn''t help but take a few more looks. From the aura of this woman, she was not easy to provoke, full of wildness, probably prickly all over. "My name is Li Lin, from the Wudu City." Li Lin replied. These four were not easy to mess with; it was best to avoid any disputes. The girl actually called him "little brother," which made Li Lin inwardly wryly smile. "What are you looking at? Look again, and I''ll gouge out your eyeballs." Seeing Li Lin staring at the woman in tight clothing for a moment, the young man in splendid attire immediately stepped forward and scolded, his eyes sharply focusing on Li Lin. "Senior brother, don''t scare him. Seeing his strength is not strong, let''s rest here tonight and set out early tomorrow." The woman in tight clothing looked at the valley and said. "Alright, kid, you can leave. We''re taking this valley." The young man in splendid attire glared at Li Lin. Li Lin felt disheartened. It was just a small matter, better to endure for now. His strength was not as great as these four; it was best to play it safe for now. Subsequently, Li Lin planned to leave. Being in the Misty Mountain Range with some strangers was not a very safe thing. "Senior brother, letting him leave is dangerous. There are many beasts here and some notorious mercenary groups. Let him stay with us. Anyway, we''re also about to leave the Misty Mountain Range." The woman in tight clothing said to the man in splendid attire, then called out to Li Lin, "Little brother, we''re resting in this valley for the night. Stay with us. We''re about to leave the Misty Mountain Range too. It''s very dangerous for you to be alone here in the Misty Mountain Range." "No problem, I''m afraid of disturbing you," Li Lin said, turning around. "If my junior sister tells you to stay, you stay. Stop the nonsense, or I''ll kill you, kid," the young man in splendid attire immediately snapped. "Little brother, you should stay with us. By our side, you can safely leave the Misty Mountain Range," the woman in tight clothing said. "Alright then," Li Lin hesitated before responding, having noticed the cold look the young man in splendid attire had given him. He knew he needed to be cautious. Then, the five of them returned to the valley, each finding a clean spot to sit cross-legged. For those practicing cultivation, resting in meditation for two hours could be far more beneficial than sleeping through the night. Li Lin discreetly observed the four people. The young man in splendid attire was always sticking close to the woman in tight clothing, apparently pursuing her, but her attitude seemed warm with a hint of indifference. Staying by these four, Li Lin had his reasons. The peculiar seal used by the woman in tight clothing and her ability to collect the beast were intriguing. What treasure could that be? In the records of Heavenly Spirit, Li Lin knew only the Beast Bag from the Myriad Beasts Sect could contain beasts. The Myriad Beasts Sect, one of the three sects and four schools on the Lingwu Continent, as famous as the Yunyang Sect, is renowned for its demonic and spiritual beasts. The sect is powerful, with various beasts within, and possesses a secret Beast Bag that can carry these beasts. Li Lin speculated whether these four were from the Myriad Beasts Sect, known for their unparalleled skill in controlling beasts, a closely guarded secret of the sect. "Little brother, how long have you been in the Misty Mountain Range?" the woman in tight clothing, sitting in front of Li Lin, looked at him and asked. "About eight days," Li Lin fibbed, and then the woman in tight clothing asked him quite a few questions, indirectly probing his identity. Li Lin fabricated lies seamlessly, also subtly inquiring about the identities of the four. Eventually, he discovered they indeed were disciples of the Myriad Beasts Sect, just out for training. They were siblings in the sect: the woman in tight clothing named Lan Ling, the young man in splendid attire named Zhao Qing, the eight-level warrior named Liu Peng, and the seven-level warrior named Yan Baiqing. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Watching Li Lin and Lan Ling talk, Zhao Qing''s expression turned gloomy. Overnight, as dawn broke, a light mist appeared in the mountains, like a shy maiden, partially hidden and visible, freshening the air significantly. "Alright, let''s go. Let''s leave the Misty Mountain Range early," Lan Ling exhaled a breath of air and stretched, revealing her flat stomach and slender waist, seductively flexible as if it could break at any moment. Li Lin stood up, having been on guard all night, wary of danger. It''s better to be cautious. The group left the valley, heading southeast. From Lan Ling, Li Lin learned that the four from the Myriad Beasts Sect had been in the Misty Mountain Range for almost a month, planning to visit the Wudu City before returning to the sect. In the vast mountains, where the dense forests often required clearing paths with swords. After three days with the four, they encountered no significant issues, except for ambushes by second-tier beasts the previous two days, which Lan Ling and her group captured in a space bag-like pouch. Additionally, Zhao Qing''s hostility towards Li Lin seemed to grow. On a hillside, Lan Ling looked around, her brow slightly furrowed, then said, "I feel there are beasts nearby, everyone be careful." In the past few days, Li Lin also inadvertently learned that Lan Ling is a direct disciple of the Myriad Beasts Sect, and the cultivation technique she practices has a special sensitivity to demonic beasts. She can sense their presence in advance, which has made everyone much safer in the Wudu Mountain Range. Hearing Lan Ling''s words, the others immediately became alert and each drew their weapons. The surroundings were silent, but no one doubted Lan Ling''s perception. They cautiously moved forward, no one daring to be careless, and silently gathered their true energy. Li Lin was on guard but did not reveal his strength. It was better to keep it hidden. In front of the four members of the Myriad Beasts Sect, Li Lin always maintained the appearance of a second-generation heir, not even reaching the level of a martial disciple, completely like someone oblivious to the dangers of the Wudu Mountain Range. Because the four of them could not sense Li Lin''s strength, they hardly had any doubts. At that moment, Lan Ling''s expression suddenly changed, her palm abruptly concentrated true energy, forming a hand seal, and then she fiercely drew her blue long sword, embedding it into the ground in front of her with a hot breath. "Wuu...!" As the blue long sword was thrust into the ground, a miserable beastly howl immediately sounded. When Lan Ling pulled the sword out of the ground, it was covered with blood, and traces of blood emerged from the soil. Subsequently, a giant rat about twenty centimeters in size convulsed and flipped over on the ground. "A first-rank earth-element demonic rat. Let''s continue on," Lan Ling said as she wiped her long sword on a pile of leaves. This rat was only a first-rank demonic beast, not fetching much price on the market, so killing it was of little significance. Li Lin glanced at the rat. Following the disciples of the Myriad Beasts Sect these days, he had gained a lot of knowledge and learned many methods to deal with demonic beasts. Every demonic beast has weaknesses, and knowing them makes them much easier to deal with. Of course, this is only feasible when one''s strength is not much different from the demonic beast''s. If the gap in strength is too large, knowing the weaknesses is useless. The corpse of the rat was not of much use, and the four from the Myriad Beasts Sect had no intention of collecting it. Being disciples from major sects, they did not care about the body of a single rat, and naturally, Li Lin did not either. The group of five continued forward. The scorching sun shone through the gaps in the forest, bringing up a mist in the woods, and occasionally, the sound of dry branches snapping underfoot could be heard. "Bang!" About half an hour later, a muffled sound came from the forest ahead, seemingly indicating a fierce battle was taking place. "Let''s go take a look," Zhao Qing said. They were not far when they found five bodies lying on a hillside ahead, with fifteen or sixteen people around them, some of whom were searching the bodies. "The Savage Wolf Mercenary Group." Seeing these people, Li Lin''s expression changed subtly. Judging by their attire, these were members of the Savage Wolf Mercenary Group, the same as the two men he and Little dragon had killed. "It''s the Savage Wolf Mercenary Group. Let''s leave; these people are not to be trifled with," Zhao Qing said, observing the scene ahead, then suggested. The Savage Wolf Mercenary Group had a certain notoriety in the entire Wudu Mountain Range, though it was a bad one. "What are you guys doing here? Thinking of leaving after you''ve seen us? Since you''ve seen us, you might as well stay," the group from the Savage Wolf Mercenary Group noticed them and shouted, immediately forming an encirclement and advancing towards the five. The leader, a burly figure holding a yellow big axe, had a sharp and slightly cold look in his eyes, clearly not someone easy to provoke. From his aura, he seemed to be an earth-element martial artist. "Savage Wolf Mercenary Group, what do you think you''re doing? Who we are is not something you can afford to provoke," Lan Ling stepped forward and lightly scolded. In front of the Myriad Beasts Sect, the Savage Wolf Mercenary Group was naturally nothing. "The girl is not bad, knowing us, we definitely can''t let you go now." At this moment, these dozen or so people were leering at Lan Ling''s slender waist and attractive legs, drooling, as the leader continued, "Kill the men, keep the women." "How dare you, we are from the Myriad Beasts Sect, do you want to die?" Lan Ling exclaimed, and immediately the true energy of the Myriad Beasts Sect members vibrated, forming a layer of true energy barrier around them, their aura instantly spreading out. "Two martial artists." Feeling the aura from Lan Ling and Zhao Qing, the lead brute''s expression sank slightly. Hearing they were disciples of the Myriad Beasts Sect, everyone exchanged glances, knowing the Myriad Beasts Sect was an entity they dared not provoke. "Girl, we''ll let you go." The leader shouted lightly, realizing the opponents were two martial artists and disciples of the Myriad Beasts Sect, he did not want to start a fight. After greedily scanning Lan Ling, he could only reluctantly give up. "Let''s go," Lan Ling said, slightly retreating and speaking to the others, who naturally did not want to provoke the Savage Wolf Mercenary Group. Li Lin silently sighed in his heart, feeling much safer beside these four disciples of the Myriad Beasts Sect. "Damn Savage Wolf Mercenary Group, I will eradicate them someday," Zhao Qing muttered in a low voice after they had walked for about a quarter of an hour. "Brother, let''s not bother with it. It''s just a small Savage Wolf Mercenary Group. Let''s head to Wudu City first," Lan Ling said. The group continued cautiously, navigating through the mountain range without any room for negligence. On a hillside, there were over twenty figures, and then about a dozen figures arrived, the same people from the Savage Wolf Mercenary Group that Li Lin and the others had encountered not long ago. "Big brother, third, we just made a good haul, how about you?" the big man holding a yellow axe asked a huge man and a skinny man with a pointy chin and monkey cheeks. "Second brother, we have a problem, we lost the treasure map we found," the huge man said. "What, lost?" the big man''s face changed dramatically, angrily saying, "Who did it? I''ll chop him up." "Don''t know who did it. Mazzi and Tieball are dead, Mazzi likely killed by a demonic beast, and the spatial bag is missing, probably taken by a mercenary group or a small team with a demonic beast," the skinny man said. "Damn it, that was the White Wolf Mercenary Group''s treasure map, the loot in there would have been enough for us to live lavishly forever. We must find out who did it," the big man angrily said, then frowned, "A team with a demonic beast... I encountered five disciples from the Myriad Beasts Sect on the way, could it be them? The Myriad Beasts Sect members always have demonic beasts with them." "Five disciples from the Myriad Beasts Sect, when did this happen? Tell me quickly," the huge man immediately asked with raised eyebrows. "Just a while ago, four men and one woman, two of them first-level martial artists," the big man said. "It''s very likely them, we need to stop them," the skinny man said with a cunning look. "But they are disciples of the Myriad Beasts Sect, not easy to deal with," the big man said. "For the treasure map, even if they are disciples of the Myriad Beasts Sect, what does it matter? Once we get the treasure, we won''t appear in the Wudu Mountain Range again, and the Myriad Beasts Sect can''t do anything to us. Let''s go, we must chase them quickly, don''t let them get away," the giant man said. Fifty or so figures then hurriedly moved towards the southeast direction. "I wonder how long it will take to reach Wudu City," Li Lin thought to himself. The Wudu Mountain Range seemed endless, crossing one forest after another, with ancient trees that seemed to have grown for hundreds or even thousands of years, covering the sky and earth. The ground was covered with various weeds and thorns, along with decayed leaves, naturally making noise when stepped on. This environment was very conducive for demonic beasts to hide, with old vines and dense undergrowth everywhere, like a spider''s web. Li Lin felt somewhat fortunate to be with the four from the Myriad Beasts Sect. If he were alone, without any experience in these mountains, he might have encountered fatal dangers. Thinking of all this, Li Lin felt a chill in his heart. Chapter 99: The Fierce Fire Demon Eagle "Brother Lin, the Wudu Mountain Range is so dangerous, how dare you come in here?" Lan Ling asked Li Lin, stepping on dry branches that crackled underfoot. "I had no idea it was so dangerous inside, I wouldn''t dare come again even if it killed me," Li Lin said. "Is there a next time? If it weren''t for your junior sister kindly taking you out, could you still have made it out alive?" Zhao Qing coldly said from the side. "Yes, yes, I have to thank Miss Lan Ling for this," Li Lin quickly nodded and said. "No need to thank me, it was just a helping hand," Lan Ling lightly laughed. "It seems like quite a few people have come." Zhao Qing''s expression slightly darkened as he looked around, his brows furrowed, sensing movements from behind. Lan Ling bent down to the ground, pressing her ear against it to listen to the movements, her round and perky buttocks, slender waist, and jade shoulders forming a tempting perfect curve. "There are dozens of people, coming straight for us, could they be targeting us?" Lan Ling stood up with a serious expression, dusted off her hands, and then said, "Everyone, quick, hide up in the trees. If they''re not looking for us, let''s not cause any trouble." After saying this, Lan Ling then said to Li Lin, "Brother Lin, let me take you up the tree to hide, remember not to breathe." As soon as her words fell, Lan Ling swept Li Lin up by his waist, stomped her foot, her Qi vibrating, and her figure instantly ascended a twenty-meter-high tree. With a few steps on the branches, leveraging her momentum upwards, she quickly reached a height of seventeen or eighteen meters, hiding behind a huge tree branch, just enough to cover both of their figures. At the same time, Zhao Qing and the other two, with a tap on the ground and Qi vibrating, quickly reached a large tree each, watching Li Lin and Lan Ling sticking together, Zhao Qing''s expression towards Li Lin became even more gloomy. Seeing Zhao Qing''s expression towards him, Li Lin could only give a bitter smile. As the saying goes, beauty is a source of trouble, and now half of Li Lin''s body was leaning on Lan Ling, with a faint fragrance emanating from her body, and a soft mass pressing against one of his shoulders, Li Lin knew without guessing it was one of Lan Ling''s perky breasts. At this time, Lan Ling seemed to truly regard Li Lin as a younger brother, not feeling anything inappropriate, and focused her gaze below. "They should be nearby, search carefully." Fifty or so figures appeared in the forest below, seeing these people, Li Lin''s expression changed drastically, all were members of the Violent Wolf Mercenary Group, including the big man with the yellow axe they had encountered not long ago, and the thin man who seemed to be a leader, whom Li Lin had seen after killing two of the Violent Wolf mercenaries and hiding in the tree. Among these people, a giant man also caught Li Lin''s attention, whose aura seemed much stronger than both Lan Ling and Zhao Qing. "Brother, I feel like there were people here just now, those few ran really fast?" the big man with the axe said. "Search carefully, they should be nearby, maybe they are hiding." The giant fat man said, "Release the Scent Tracking Rat, find those people." A big man in yellow quickly took out a ten-centimeter-long earthy yellow rat from his body. Under the big man''s signal, the rat sniffed around and then quickly started searching the ground. Seeing this earthy yellow rat, Lan Ling''s expression slightly changed. Although the Scent Tracking Rat is a first-order demon beast with low attack power, it is naturally a hunting expert, able to smell any scent. "Squeak squeak" The Scent Tracking Rat in the tree canopy squeaked a few times, then climbed up a large tree where Zhao Qing was hiding. "Actually hiding in the tree, come down." The man with the giant axe laughed and called out. "Found us, let''s go down," Lan Ling said softly, her Qi vibrating, pulling Li Lin and with a few flashes, lightly descended from the air. The graceful and exquisite curves were fully revealed, immediately many of the big men below stared straight at Lan Ling, such a woman was not something you could find just anywhere. "Chi chi..." Zhao Qing and the other two''s faces also turned grim. They immediately leaped down from the tree, keeping a vigilant eye on the people around them. "Dear sirs, do we have any grievances with your Violent Wolf Mercenary Group? What do you want?" Zhao Qing stepped forward and said, "If we were within the territory of the Myriad Beasts Sect, I wouldn''t even spare a small Violent Wolf Mercenary Group a glance. But now, this is the Misty Mountain Range, a chaotic place on the outskirts. The Myriad Beasts Sect has some influence here, but no one will easily yield. In this place, strength is the ultimate rule." "Are you people from the Myriad Beasts Sect?" A giant man stared at the five of them and asked, his gaze different from the others, as he was lecherously ogling at Lan Ling''s prominent chest and curvy buttocks. "That''s right, we are from the Myriad Beasts Sect. You Violent Wolf Mercenary Group can''t afford to provoke us," Zhao Qing said. "You ignorant kids, do you think this is the Myriad Beasts Sect? This is the Misty Mountain Range," the giant man glanced at Zhao Qing and then swept his gaze over the five of them one by one. He continued, "A few days ago, two members of my Violent Wolf Mercenary Group were killed by you, right? Hand over the spatial bags, and I might spare your lives." "What are you saying? We don''t understand. We haven''t killed any of your people," Lan Ling''s expression turned grim as she stared at the giant man. "They are looking for me," Li Lin naturally realized that the Violent Wolf Mercenary Group was making a fuss just to find him. It seemed like they were searching for something specific within the spatial bags. Li Lin suddenly remembered when he was hiding in the big tree earlier; the leader of these skinny men in front seemed to be searching for something in the person killed by Little Dragon. Could there be something important in that spatial bag? After obtaining the spatial bag, Li Lin hadn''t had a chance to check it these past few days while being with Lan Ling and the others. "Don''t be too unreasonable. We are not easy to mess with either. Provoking the Myriad Beasts Sect, you should know the consequences," Lan Ling''s expression turned grim, and she warned. "Hmph, what an arrogant girl. I''ll see later if you''re just as arrogant in bed," the leader of the skinny men coldly retorted. He produced two short knives, each about half a meter long, with a chilling radiance. With a swift burst of true energy, he launched an attack towards Lan Ling. Stolen novel; please report. "Is he also a First-Rank Martial Master?" Li Lin observed the skinny man. Judging from his aura, he was on par with Lan Ling and Zhao Qing, both at the First-Rank Martial Master level. "Little brother Lin, you''re on your own now. I can''t protect you," Lan Ling said to Li Lin beside her. Then, she activated her true energy, holding a blue longsword in her hand, enveloped in a fiery red aura. With a flick of her sword, she sent it towards the skinny man. "Hmph, taste my axe!" At this moment, the second-in-command of the Violent Wolf Mercenary Group shouted. His true energy surged, and his giant axe was enveloped in a whirlwind of true energy. A sharp blade cleaved through the air as he fiercely attacked Zhao Qing. His cultivation was noticeably higher than the leader''s, likely at the Third-Rank Martial Master level. Sensing the strength of this axe-wielding man, Li Lin frowned. The Four from the Myriad Beasts Sect might not be a match for the Violent Wolf Mercenary Group. The enemy had around fifty people, and the three leaders seemed to be getting stronger one by one. With this axe-wielding man''s strength, Lan Ling and Zhao Qing couldn''t contend. As for the remaining giant man, judging from his aura, his strength was probably even more terrifying. In any case, Li Lin was in trouble this time. Facing the second-in-command of the Violent Wolf Mercenary Group, Zhao Qing''s expression panicked. Suddenly, a blue light radiated around him, and a water attribute aura expanded. His silver-white longsword surged with true energy and clashed with the enemy''s attack. "Sss" As an axe and a sword clashed, the force scattered wildly. Zhao Qing''s body staggered backwards, the strength of these two leaders terrifyingly strong. "Everyone, attack! Kill them all, leave no one behind." A giant man bellowed, his seemingly obese body moving at an astonishing speed, dragging a phantom-like afterimage and unbelievably reaching in front of Liu Peng, an eight-level warrior. Liu Peng''s expression flickered with surprise, and immediately, the hooked weapon appeared in his hands, a light blade slicing through the void, instantly hooking towards the giant man. "Your strength is not enough," the giant man said coldly. His somewhat chubby hands formed a seal, and a ball of crimson flame enveloped Liu Peng''s hooked weapon. Upon contact with the giant man''s condensed fiery anomaly, the weapon turned red in the blink of an eye. The temperature transmitted through the weapon to the handle made Liu Peng''s expression turn to shock, and he quickly released his grip, retreating rapidly. At that moment, the giant man''s condensed flames howled and surged, instantly engulfing Liu Peng within. To the naked eye, Liu Peng''s protective qi around his body visibly dissolved rapidly, turning into black smoke that drifted away. "Sss, sss!" In a panic, Liu Peng''s face drastically changed. His hand seals rapidly changed, and, being not too weak a disciple of the Myriad Beasts Sect, he had some techniques. His hand seals condensed, and the qi within his body surged madly, the earth attribute qi completely enveloping his body. An invisible surge of qi burst forth. "Boom, boom..." After a muffled sound in the space, Liu Peng staggered back, his face pale as if he had expended a lot of energy. "Not bad, but now it''s time for you to die," the giant man roared, his body rushing forward, his palm curling into a claw, with strands of flame, like an eagle''s claw, viciously aiming for Liu Peng''s chest. Watching the flaming claw imprint coming towards him, Liu Peng''s face turned deathly pale, only able to retreat rapidly. However, he couldn''t match the speed of the opponent, whose claw imprint unbelievably pierced through his defense, immediately landing on his chest. Five sharp penetrations poured down, Liu Peng''s pupils instantly narrowed, and five finger marks pierced through his chest, blood spurting out. His body heavily fell to the ground, lifeless. "Kill..." The remaining dozens of members of the Savage Wolf Mercenary Group also attacked Yan Baiqing and Li Lin at this time. Among these nearly fifty people, about fifteen were of warrior cultivation, and the rest were of martial disciple level. However, although surrounded by fifty people, only those fifteen warriors actually charged at Li Lin and Yan Baiqing. The two only really faced two or three people at a time in the siege. Unlike spirit users who could attack from a distance, being surrounded by dozens of spirit users would be a certain death. At this moment, Yan Baiqing''s face was pale. A man dressed in a warrior outfit, seemingly of the seventh-level warrior strength, rushed forward with his qi trembling, and with a punch, a qi-condensed fist imprint blasted out. Retreating rapidly, Yan Baiqing clenched his fist as well, carrying a fierce qi, quickly colliding with the opponent''s. As they collided, a crisp cracking sound followed, and both were sent staggering back by the fierce qi. Yan Baiqing''s punch, however, seemed to have the upper hand. But then, a sixth-level warrior and a fifth-level warrior came sweeping in together, both wielding long swords, casting several sword beams, enveloping Yan Baiqing. Yan Baiqing, true to his status as a disciple of the Myriad Beasts Sect, had his expression turn cold, seemingly ready to go all out, and bellowed, "Get out of my way." As his voice fell, Yan Baiqing''s body suddenly surged with qi, and his figure, like a ghostly shadow, weaved through the sword qi, the two burly men''s sword qi failing to trap him. "Let''s take care of these small fries first," a voice instantly spoke by Yan Baiqing''s ear, as a flame claw mark tore through the void, the powerful qi force sweeping across. Yan Baiqing''s face darkened, the opponent''s strength too overwhelming. In a panic, he struck out with a palm, colliding with the flame claw mark. As the two attacks met, Yan Baiqing''s body was like a leaf in the autumn wind, sent flying awkwardly. The claw mark contained a powerful hidden energy that struck his palm, piercing through and directly impacting his internal organs with a scorching aura. "Pff." A gush of blood spurted out, and Yan Baiqing''s body heavily crashed to the ground. "Hmph, too weak, simply seeking death." The fiery aura receded, and the giant man leader''s figure appeared in front, his piercing gaze then fixing on Li Lin, who was surrounded by the mercenaries at a distance. "Sss, sss." As Yan Baiqing''s body hit the ground, several members of the Savage Wolf Mercenary Group pounced forward, seizing the opportunity to break his neck. With Yan Baiqing and Liu Peng killed, though this tale seems long, it actually unfolded in less than a minute. In that minute, an eighth-level and a seventh-level warrior were slain, falling entirely by the hand of the giant man leader. "Baiqing, junior brother." Lan Ling''s expression drastically changed, and with a sharp shout, her blue sword continuously sliced through the void, sword beams swallowing, pressing the skinny man breathlessly. All this was witnessed by Li Lin, surrounded by a dozen people forming a semi-circle around him, his expression also turning grim. Retreating continuously, he was always looking for a chance to escape, and these mercenaries seemed not to feel the presence of qi in Li Lin, not attacking immediately. Watching the scene, Li Lin was most wary of the giant man leader, whose strength was probably at the sixth or seventh level of a martial master, far too strong for him, a difference of an entire rank. He was no match, and not even the Vermilion Bird Art would work now. "Are you not attacking yet?" the giant man leader coldly shouted. "Kid, die." The surrounding people encircling Li Lin hesitated, then a martial disciple swung his blade towards Li Lin. "Ah." Li Lin intentionally screamed in fright, scrambling and rolling, coincidentally dodging the martial disciple''s attack. "So he''s just a coward, and here I thought disciples of the Myriad Beasts Sect were supposed to be something special." Seeing Li Lin''s act, the mercenaries, who were somewhat tense at first, burst into laughter. "It''s over." Though pretending to be foolish, Li Lin''s gaze constantly stayed on the giant man leader. Seeing the leader approaching, he inhaled sharply, ready to give it his all, or perhaps with Little dragon''s help, there might be a chance to escape. "Get back." Just as Li Lin was making up his mind, a loud, delicate shout came from ahead, drawing the giant man''s attention quickly. Following the gaze, Li Lin saw Lan Ling, after her shout, her towering chest heaving slightly, repelling the skinny man with a sword, then sheathed her blue sword, formed a strange hand seal, and slapped a pouch at her waist, from which a streak of light shot out instantly. "Ga." The streak of light soared into the sky, then transformed into a one-meter-tall crimson flying hawk, a powerful aura spreading out. The crimson flying hawk''s claws were like hooks, and its sharp curved beak was like the barbs on a sharp knife. "A third-order monster, the Blazing Flame Hawk." Li Lin was surprised; if he wasn''t mistaken, this was indeed a third-order monster, the Blazing Flame Hawk, a fire-type monster capable of spewing blazing flames. At this moment, Lan Ling formed another strange hand seal, a stream of essence blood spat out, her face instantly turning pale. She took out a medicinal pill, mixed the essence blood with the pill, changed the hand seals, and then tossed the pill towards the Blazing Flame Hawk. Chapter 100: The Formidable Lan Ling "Ga..." The Fiery Demon Eagle screeched, its voice piercing through the void. With its sharp beak, it swallowed a medicinal pill. "Fiery Demon Eagle, go, block them," Lan Ling ordered softly. The Fiery Demon Eagle circling in the sky immediately flapped its wings and pounced towards the lean man. As its wings vibrated, a fierce aura pierced through the void. The sound of the wind howled as its body rushed forward, its presence formidable. Many people already felt fear in their hearts. A third-tier demon beast was truly terrifying. "Third Brother, be careful." The giant man shouted. With his experience in the Misty Mountain Range, he could tell this was a third-tier demon beast. He had been wary of the people from the Beast Sect possibly having such beasts with them, but he hadn''t expected a third-tier demon beast. As his words fell, the giant man''s expression slightly sank, and then he lunged at Zhao Qing. Amidst the tremors of intense heat, his Qi surged, unleashing a fierce aura. Zhao Qing, already in a dire state under the attack of the second leader, was retreating in disarray. Seeing the giant man''s leader attack, his face paled, and he hastily retreated. On his silver-white long sword, he conjured dozens of sword beams that cut through the void, with the sound of whooshing echoing through space. "Break." The giant man''s leader did not take it lightly, though he also did not consider it a serious threat. Zhao Qing, as a martial master, was far beyond a martial fighter''s comparison. The giant man''s hand formed a fiery claw seal, enveloping and dissolving the sword beams into nothingness under its fiery embrace. The last sword beam was directly caught by the flame claw seal, with a surge of dark energy piercing through. Zhao Qing''s body was instantly pushed back, his hand seals changing. He plunged his silver-white long sword into the ground, tearing a deep ravine into the hard surface. "Ga ga..." At this moment, the Fiery Demon Eagle spat out a small fireball, which was originally the size of half a baby''s fist but expanded instantaneously in the air, becoming incredibly hot. It surged across the void and pressed down on the lean man. The lean man''s face showed shock as his Qi vibrated intensely. He danced his dual blades, creating a blade wall in front of him to block the attack. He dared not directly confront a third-tier demon beast. "Bang..." The fireball exploded violently, dispersing flames everywhere, filling the air with intense heat. The massive force of the explosion hit the blade wall, causing the lean man to be pushed back instantly. At this time, everyone''s attention was surprisingly focused on the third-tier demon beast, leaving no one to attack Li Lin. Li Lin slowly retreated, thinking it best to escape first. He was not yet able to confront the Furious Wolf Mercenary Group. "Damn it, come here." Zhao Qing, pushed back by the giant man, paled even more. Before he could stabilize himself, the second leader''s giant axe fell with a sharp whoosh, shaking the void as it cleaved down. "I''ll fight you!" Zhao Qing''s face twisted fiercely. He cast a sword spell, and his long sword radiated sword beams. He stomped the ground hard and shot towards the second leader, his sword shadows breaking through the void and striking fiercely. The air seemed to be pierced by this terrifying force, producing a sharp whistling sound. Indeed, the disciples of the Beast Sect were extraordinary. "Crack crack..." Sword and axe collided, unleashing a wild surge of energy. The void began to crack under the pressure of these two terrifying forces, filling the space with a loud howling sound. "Sss..." Zhao Qing''s figure was once again knocked back, a stream of fresh blood spurted from his mouth. "Come here, boy." The voice of the giant leader sounded, who, unknown to Zhao Qing, had already reached behind him. His palm was covered in flames, which he then shaped into a claw, piercing through Zhao Qing''s protective aura and grabbing onto Zhao Qing''s neck. "Stop..." At this moment, Lan Ling also issued a sharp reprimand. In the space ahead, the Fiery Demon Eagle''s sharp claws were deeply embedded in the shoulders of the lean man, blood flowing freely. The lean man was under the control of the Fiery Demon Eagle. Watching all this unfold, everyone from the Furious Wolf Mercenary Group became agitated. The giant man''s face turned grim, a flash of coldness in his eyes, then his cold gaze settled on Lan Ling, demanding, "Hand over the treasure map!" "I... really don''t know what you''re talking about... We... don''t have any treasure... map." With his neck grasped by the giant leader, Zhao Qing''s neck turned red, his breathing labored, his expression filled with terror, his life hanging by a thread in the opponent''s hands. "Nonsense. With a demon beast at your side, wasn''t it you who killed our men? And still you try to argue." The giant man let out a cold snort, his left hand suddenly rising, condensing a blade of intense flames, which then mercilessly slashed across Zhao Qing''s right ear. As the blade of flame passed, a bloody ear fell to the ground. The flame cauterized the wound, preventing any blood from flowing. "Ah..." Zhao Qing screamed in agony, the sound woeful and mournful. The pain was heart-wrenching, his face contorting in torment. From a distance, Li Lin couldn''t help but feel a chill; this giant man, accustomed to the roughness of the Misty Mountain Range, was truly ruthless. "Hmph." At that moment, Lan Ling let out a cold snort. Her blue long sword slashed through the air, cutting off the lean man''s right arm from the shoulder, blood spraying wildly. "Ah..." The lean man screamed miserably, his face turning pale with the pain of losing an arm, which was even more excruciating than the ear. Li Lin glanced at the severed arm on the ground. Despite being a woman, Lan Ling was merciless. Even with Zhao Qing in the enemy''s hands, she showed no weakness, which is rare among women, who might otherwise hesitate for fear of making things worse. Now, as long as the giant man still cared about his third in command, there might still be a chance to escape. This woman is no simple character, Li Lin thought to himself. Given time, Lan Ling will surely make a name for herself in the Beast Sect. Offending such a woman would undoubtedly bring trouble. "What audacity." Looking at Lan Ling and the blood gushing from the lean man''s arm, the giant man''s expression darkened, his eyes filled with murderous intent. "Boss, save me." The lean man was also terrified, as everyone fears death. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "We really don''t know anything about a treasure map. Release the person in your hand, or he will die just the same," Lan Ling said coldly, then turned her gaze to Li Lin in the distance, "Lin''er, come over to me." Hearing this, Li Lin walked towards Lan Ling. The mercenaries surrounding Li Lin naturally didn''t dare to stop him, as their third in command was in the enemy''s hands. "You dare threaten me?" The second in command glared at Lan Ling angrily. "It''s not a threat. Let''s make a deal and release each other''s captive," Lan Ling replied coldly. "And if I refuse?" The leader''s eyes shot a cold challenge. "Then it''s a fight to the death," Lan Ling said with determination, showing no sign of backing down. The giant man''s expression twitched. Ignoring his third in command could undermine his authority, yet he was loath to let the treasure map slip away right before his eyes. "Alright, release them together," the giant man said coldly after hesitating for a while. "I''ll count to three, and we release them together. Let the two of them walk over slowly," Lan Ling said, her gaze sweeping around, her expression turning solemn. "One, two, three." As her words fell, the giant man released Zhao Qing, and under Lan Ling''s signal, the Fiery Demon Eagle also released the lean man who was the third in command. The two stumbled forward, cautiously wary of their surroundings, then quickly ran to their respective groups. "Chase them, kill that bitch," the giant leader roared, his figure leaping forward first. "Fiery Demon Eagle, block them," Lan Ling shouted at the same moment, her figure also retreating quickly. Zhao Qing and Li Lin didnt need to be told by Lan Ling; they instantly followed, speeding away. At this moment, Li Lin could no longer afford to conceal his strength; if he didnt escape now, he would never be able to. "Ga ga..." The Fiery Demon Eagle roared, spreading its wings and spitting out a flame that covered a hundred meters in the air. The giant man, engulfed by the flames, didnt dare to confront it directly and instantly retreated. The third-tier demon beast''s attack was something even the giant leader couldn''t ignore. "Ah..." Instantly, several mercenaries of the Martial Practitioner level were engulfed by the Fiery Demon Eagle''s flames, screaming in agony. This demonic fire, unlike ordinary flames that could be extinguished with water, could only be put out with sufficient strength and methods; otherwise, one would be burned to ashes. "Chase," the giant man roared in fury, but with the Fiery Demon Eagle in the sky, those of lower strength didnt dare to approach. In that instant, Lan Ling, Zhao Qing, and Li Lin had already run far. After summoning the Fiery Demon Eagle, Lan Ling seemed to have used some secret method, causing excessive consumption. Although this consumption was not as severe as a serious injury, it was almost the same, greatly affecting her speed. Zhao Qing was even worse off, severely injured and missing an ear, his speed significantly reduced. "Senior brother, are you alright?" Lan Ling also wanted to know Li Lin''s strength. Seeing that Zhao Qing had not gained any advantage and instead had his injuries worsened, she looked at Li Lin again with a heavy expression. "Junior sister, we must kill this boy, or he will be trouble for us. He must have the treasure map on him; if we get it, we''ll be rich," Zhao Qing said, looking at Li Lin. Though he didnt know what treasure the Furious Wolf Mercenary Group was seeking, it must be valuable; otherwise, they wouldnt risk offending the Beast Sect to get that treasure map. Li Lin retreated and then focused on the Fiery Demon Eagle beside Lan Ling, which posed the greatest threat to him. "Sixth-level martial warrior, your strength is not bad for your age, but it seems a bit low in front of me," Lan Ling said lightly to Li Lin. "Is that so? Miss Lan Ling, you are severely injured, and your strength has been greatly reduced. It seems that summoning the Fiery Demon Eagle takes a lot out of you. I wonder if Miss Lan Ling can still summon it again?" Li Lin said lightly. Lan Ling''s expression slightly darkened. If she were at her peak, she would not fear a sixth-level martial warrior. Summoning the Fiery Demon Eagle indeed required a lot of her strength; otherwise, the eagle would not obey her, and she truly could not summon it again now. "Is that so? But I cannot let you go," Lan Ling said coldly, her Qi trembling. With a tap of her foot, she soared into the air, her graceful body spinning rapidly. Holding her blue long sword high, she leveraged the spinning momentum to hurl it, generating a sharp whistling sound like lightning. "Fire Shadow Finger," Li Lin said with a heavy expression, his hand seals changing. With a flick of his bent fingers, five fiery finger imprints tore through the void, consecutively striking the tip of the sword in mid-air. "Clang clang..." Sparks flew as the finger imprints and the sword''s edge collided, emitting a clear clash sound, after which the direction of the sword''s tip changed. "A dual-system martial artist." Lan Ling exclaimed in shock, as Li Lin had just used both earth and fire martial techniques, revealing himself to be a practitioner of two systems. Lan Ling quickly retracted her hand seal, and the blue long sword instantly returned to her hand. However, at that moment, Zhao Qing seemed to take advantage of the situation to launch an attack, sweeping up a wind-breaking sound with his palm strike towards Li Lin''s side. "Rage Flame Fist." Suddenly, a fiery fist imprint burst forth with scorching Qi, exploding from in front of Li Lin. At the same time, a layer of light yellow scale armor materialized around Li Lin, offering much more protection than a simple Qi barrier. "Bang..." The two forces collided, unleashing a massive power that poured over Li Lin''s body. However, thanks to the Qing Ling armor, the armor flashed, dissipating much of the force. At that moment, the energy from Li Lin''s Rage Flame Fist poured over Zhao Qing''s body. Under normal circumstances, Zhao Qing wouldn''t have needed to worry much about Li Lin''s punch, but now, already weakened, his body staggered backward. "Fire Shadow Finger." With his hand seals condensed, Li Lin''s right palm curled, and his body suddenly rose, launching five furious finger imprints at Zhao Qing before he could stabilize himself. The Fire Shadow Finger was already incredibly fast, and at a distance of less than five meters, Li Lin had calculated this perfectly. Using the Qing Ling armor to close the distance, he brought Zhao Qing within the optimal range for the Fire Shadow Finger, enhancing its power. "Shoo shoo shoo..." The five finger imprints pierced through the void, bringing with them a fierce wind-breaking sound. In the blink of an eye, they struck right in front of Zhao Qing. Caught off guard, Zhao Qing''s pupils shrank, hastily setting up a Qi barrier in panic. "Sss sss sss..." The five finger imprints hit, but were initially blocked by the Qi barrier. However, the true fire on the finger imprints began to burn through the Qi barrier. With another mouthful of blood from Zhao Qing, under the assault of the third finger imprint, his Qi barrier finally cracked and shattered, and the last two finger imprints shot into Zhao Qing''s chest like lightning. "Sss sss..." Two holes burst open, bleeding profusely. Zhao Qing''s face turned pale, his pupils constricted, glaring resentfully at Li Lin as he collapsed powerlessly, never expecting to die by the hand of a martial warrior. "Senior brother..." Lan Ling''s face changed dramatically, and she rushed to Zhao Qing''s side. The rapidity of the events, combined with her injuries, left her no time to intervene. Seeing Zhao Qing now dead, Lan Ling collected the space bag from his body, her eyes showing little sorrow. "You killed a person of my Beast Sect, I won''t let you go," Lan Ling said lightly, looking at Li Lin again. "It doesn''t matter. If you want to continue fighting, I''m ready anytime," Li Lin replied. "The Furious Wolf Mercenary Group''s people are probably nearby. If we fight now, neither of us will escape," Lan Ling bit her lip lightly. The noise from their fight could have alerted others, making this place unsafe. Li Lin frowned slightly, realizing he might also find it difficult to kill Lan Ling. If pushed too far, Lan Ling still had a third-tier demon beast at her side, which could pose a problem for him. "Even though you killed Zhao Qing, I still have to thank you," Lan Ling said. "That''s strange," Li Lin remarked, putting away his Qing Ling armor. "Zhao Qing was my fianc, arranged since childhood. I had no choice. Despite being a direct disciple of the Beast Sect, I couldn''t oppose the pressure from his family. He might have become a direct disciple himself after this return. You killing him... I should thank you for that. But since he was my fianc and a member of the Beast Sect, I won''t let you off if there''s a chance in the future," Lan Ling said lightly. "I see," Li Lin frowned, then looked at Lan Ling, realizing that if she had chosen to save Zhao Qing with all her might, killing him would have been very difficult. It seemed he had been used by her, her scheming mind somewhat frightening. "I''ll be going then. Feel free to seek revenge later," Li Lin said, deciding it was better to leave her presence, lest he be further manipulated. "Do you intend to keep the treasure for yourself? My Beast Sect has lost three members because of you; you should include me in the share," Lan Ling stated. "What treasure? I really don''t know," Li Lin''s expression darkened, realizing he might have unknowingly acquired a treasure map from the Furious Wolf Mercenary Group''s space bag. "If I stop you now, even with my injuries preventing me from killing you, it won''t be hard to attract the Furious Wolf Mercenary Group here. Then you''ll really be in trouble. We split the treasure; that''s my condition. Otherwise, we can go our separate ways, and neither of us gets the treasure," Lan Ling said seriously, with no hint of jest. Li Lin could see that Lan Ling was cunning and fiery, not someone to be trifled with. Escaping from her, especially with the Fiery Demon Eagle at her side, might not be possible. Chapter 101: On Top of Yunyang Sect "I really don''t know about any treasure, but I did obtain a space bag, perhaps the answer is inside," Li Lin hesitated for a moment but decided to first find the treasure. If Lan Ling was as good as her word, Li Lin was also very cautious and extremely interested in the treasure. After saying this, Li Lin took out the space bag he had obtained from a member of the Furious Wolf Mercenary Group. After performing a blood recognition ritual and infusing it with his Qi, the bag revealed nothing but two dried pieces of parchment, seemingly made from the hide of some demon beast. Li Lin examined it and then took out one of the parchments. It was a map drawn with yellow lines, marking a red dot in the middle of a mountain range. On the back of the map was a white wolf''s head symbol. "So, it''s the White Collar Mercenary Group''s treasure map; the rumors are true," Lan Ling looked at the map in Li Lin''s hand with surprise. "Do you know the origin of this map?" Li Lin asked, holding what seemed to be a treasure map. "Of course," Lan Ling said lightly, concealing her surprise and glancing at Li Lin. "It seems you''re not aware of the White Wolf Mercenary Group. The mountain range where the treasure is located is hard to find. Let''s cooperate, split it fifty-fifty, and I won''t seek revenge during this time." "Okay, from now on, half of the treasure is yours," Li Lin said. "Then let me see the treasure map," Lan Ling said. "I''ll hold onto it," Li Lin said, wary of Lan Ling possibly taking the treasure map and leaving him with no recourse. "Afraid I''ll run off with it?" Lan Ling said softly, then moved closer to Li Lin to study the treasure map carefully, her brow furrowing. "What do you think?" After a moment, Li Lin asked. "I''ve got a rough idea of the location. We can set off after my injuries heal in a couple of days," Lan Ling looked up at Li Lin. "Let''s set off now. If we delay, the Furious Wolf Mercenary Group might have seen the treasure map, and someone else could get there first," Li Lin said, concerned that Lan Ling''s full recovery might complicate matters for him. "You''re afraid I''ll kill you once I''ve recovered, aren''t you? Rest assured, I promised I won''t kill you during this time, and I won''t," Lan Ling said with a blink and a slight smile. "Really, if a woman''s words were reliable, pigs could climb trees," Li Lin said lightly. "A woman''s words are reliable, pigs can climb trees," Lan Ling muttered, then loudly said, "Are you doubting my words?" "I didn''t say that. Let''s go," Li Lin said lightly, knowing too well the reliability of a woman''s words and how quickly some can turn on you. "I''ve memorized the treasure map. Aren''t you afraid I''ll just go by myself and leave you behind? You wouldn''t be able to do anything about it," Lan Ling said, her eyes gleaming mischievously, teasing Li Lin. "Is that so? It''s a pity that I''ve already figured it out. There are two treasure maps. The one you saw only shows the location of the treasure, but the one in my hands shows the map inside the treasure. There are bound to be some mechanisms in the treasure. Going in alone, I wonder if you have the strength to come out," Li Lin said, revealing another map in his hands and teasingly smiling at Lan Ling. "Let''s go," said Li Lin, and he began to walk towards the dense forest''s outskirts. "Hmph!" Watching Li Lin, Lan Ling stomped her foot, her cheeks puffing up in anger. After summoning a seal and gathering the Fiery Hawk into the Beast Bag, she had no choice but to follow behind Li Lin. Feeling Lan Ling catch up, Li Lin smiled slightly. It was good that he had been cautious. Dealing with such a woman, it was absolutely necessary to be extra careful. "Lil'' brother Lin, are you really called Li Lin?" Lan Ling caught up and asked with a slight smile. "A name is just a name. Call me whatever you like if it makes you happy," Li Lin replied lightly, but he remained on guard against Lan Ling, not wanting to be caught off guard. "Interesting," Lan Ling looked at Li Lin, her beautiful eyes swirling, then asked, "Are you a tri-elemental warrior with defensive martial skills? Are you a disciple of one of the three sects and four schools? Which sect or school do you belong to?" "No sect, no school," Li Lin said. "Is that so? I feel like you''re lying to me. By the way, why don''t you look at me? Am I not pretty enough?" Lan Ling asked with a flash in her beautiful eyes. Li Lin stopped walking, looked Lan Ling up and down, and said, "I''ve looked at you. Are you satisfied now? If there''s nothing else, let''s hurry up." "You..." Lan Ling glared at Li Lin but was unable to say anything. The two of them walked out of the dense forest, stepping on dead branches and leaves that crackled underfoot. Looking in the direction inside the mountain range, Lan Ling said, "We need to head south. The location on the map is to the south." "Let''s go," Li Lin said lightly, and the two of them cautiously headed south, not daring to be careless. The mountain range was not only inhabited by monsters but encountering other people could also mean facing enemies. At the Yunyang Sect, there was great excitement. Three thousand new disciples had arrived some time ago, each with exceptional talent. Talent, to some extent, also indicated future cultivation level. With a bit of effort, anyone could eventually become a strong practitioner. Among the three thousand new disciples, five were directly made personal disciples, all of whom were Spirit Practitioners. Qin Tianhao was one of them. For Spirit Practitioners, all major sects were eagerly recruiting. This was due to the scarce number of Spirit Practitioners. Among the three thousand new disciples at Yunyang Sect, there were only five Spirit Practitioners, highlighting how rare they were. Given their importance, it was natural for Spirit Practitioners to hold a higher status than martial practitioners. Every three years, during the new disciple induction at Yunyang Sect, besides Spirit Practitioners, ten disciples were selected to be personal disciples. Out of three thousand people, everyone aimed for these ten spots. The talent of these ten had to be exceptional, as becoming a personal disciple meant being among the best of the best. This selection brought great fame to Qingyun Town within the Yunyang Sect. Among the four individuals from Qingyun Town who joined the sect, all were made personal disciples: Li Shaohu, Qin Tianhao, Yang Miao, and Du Gu Binglan. These four were now among the ranks of Yunyang Sect''s personal disciples. The remaining people could only sigh. However, it wasn''t without opportunity. Every cohort of new disciples, after three years, would have another chance to become personal disciples. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Among the new disciples in Yunyang Sect, each cohort would have a Tiger List with one hundred spots. When the time comes, the top hundred on the list would have ten more slots available to become personal disciples of Yunyang Sect. Yunyang Sect initially selects the ten individuals with the best talent for cultivation. However, among the general disciples, there are often those on the Tiger List who, after three years, are stronger than the personal disciples or at least not weaker. This potential is naturally something Yunyang Sect wouldn''t ignore. Hence, after three years, another ten slots will be available. Those who initially failed have this three-year opportunity to compete for entry into the ranks of Yunyang Sects personal disciples, which offers much greater benefits than being a regular disciple. Yunyang Sect is located within a vast mountain range, where the peaks are extraordinarily high, piercing through the clouds like islands floating in the sky. Occasionally, streams flow through the mountains, forming waterfalls and ravines. The mountain range is filled with dense spiritual energy, making it an extraordinary place. Practicing in the mountains of Yunyang Sect offers many more benefits than the outside world. In the early morning, with the east slightly brightened, under the pale sky, the mountains stand dark and solemn. With the sunrise, the peaks are bathed in a faint red glow, surrounded by green mountain tops and rising mist, presenting a stunningly beautiful landscape. Among the peaks, two figures sit on a rock. Both women, around eighteen or nineteen, one beautiful and the other with delicate features, one of them, Du Gu Binglan, has a conspicuous red blotch on her face, sitting alongside Cuiyu. "Do you think Li Lin will survive?" Cuiyu asked, gazing into the distance with a somewhat vacant look. "I don''t know. The cliff was too deep. Do you miss him?" Du Gu Binglan asked Cuiyu with a slight smile, resting her cheek in her hand, also staring into the distance. "What are you talking about? I just find him very unique. It would be a pity if he were harmed at such a young age," Cuiyu retorted with a glare at Du Gu Binglan. "He is unique. It would indeed be a pity if he died. But, your daydreaming lately, I guess it''s all because of him. Just dont forget, you are..." Du Gu Binglan said with a faint smile, reminding Cuiyu of something. "Alright, I know my limits," Cuiyu lightly said, a special look flashing in her beautiful eyes. "Today is the day for the three-year disciples to compete for the personal disciple slots. Lets go watch," Du Gu Binglan suggested lightly. "That sounds good, to see the strength of Yunyang Sect," Cuiyu agreed, and the two left the peak. In a large valley plaza among the mountains, surrounded by green hills and numerous palace-like buildings scattered across the mountains, the valley was bustling with thousands of people gathered around. At the center, on a stone platform, stood a figure. This figure, with ink-black hair flowing down her back, wore a red palace dress that outlined her exquisite figure, adorned with a string of pearls around her neck. Her attire was not extravagant, yet it exuded elegance and nobility. She was Li Wushuang. Facing Li Wushuang was a young man in his twenties, wearing a white robe, with deep eyes calmly watching Li Wushuang. "Wei Song is ranked ninth on the Tiger List, a strong contender, while Li Wushuang is only seventeenth. It might be difficult for her to challenge successfully." "This is the last match, with only one personal disciple slot left. Whoever wins will become a personal disciple. Wei Song seems to have a much better chance." "It''s not certain, though. When Li Wushuang returned from Qingyun Town, she was only thirty-sixth on the Tiger List. After a series of challenges these past few days, she''s moved up to seventeenth. Maybe she has a chance to defeat Wei Song today." "Wei Song is a fourth-level martial master, while Li Wushuang is only a third-level. There''s a significant difference. Let''s see." "..." "Let''s begin. This is the last slot. Whoever wins will become a personal disciple of the sect." On the judges'' stand, an elder-looking figure from Yunyang Sect announced the start. "Sister Wushuang, do you think you can defeat me?" the young man in white asked, gazing at Li Wushuang. "Let''s find out," Li Wushuang said, her qi beginning to fluctuate, her eyes calm. "Then I won''t hold back," the young man in white said lightly. As his words fell, his qi surged out, his hands forming a seal, and a punch was launched instantly. His fist, covered in blue water-attributed qi, aimed directly at Li Wushuang with a sharp wind-breaking force. With a slight twist of her hand, Li Wushuang''s hand seals changed, and wooden spikes wrapped around her hand, clashing with Wei Song''s fist. "Boom!" A thunderous sound echoed on the open stone platform, drawing many sideways glances. Visibly, the wooden spikes in Li Wushuang''s fist seal penetrated a layer of waves but could not advance further upon meeting Wei Song''s fist. The two fist seals lasted for a moment, with Li Wushuang lightly stepping back a few steps, her hand seals suddenly changing, and the Qing Moon Sword appeared in her hand. With a flash in her beautiful eyes, qi poured into the sword, and sword light erupted. Wei Song also rapidly retreated, then charged forward with a clenched fist. The two immediately entangled, their figures darting about as attacks spread out, occasionally causing huge sonic booms. Their strength, among the disciples of their cohort, was also among the foremost, drawing amazement from the others. After about twenty rounds, Li Wushuang took a breath and executed a sword technique, sending out a swath of sword light that traced several pentagram-like points in the air, tearing through the spatial currents with a somewhat terrifying force, twisting towards Wei Song. "It''s the Li family''s Yellow Level wood technique, the Wooden Star Sword Technique," someone in the crowd, including Yang Man and Wang Liang, noted, their expressions changing slightly. This Yellow Level beginner technique, one of the Li family''s signature martial arts, was presumably only mastered by Li Wushuang upon her recent return. "It seems to be a Yellow Level technique," many in the audience exclaimed, sensing the terrifying aura of the sword move. Although everyone had been at Yunyang Sect for three years, the highest technique they could practice was Star-level high-grade. Yellow Level techniques were only accessible to personal disciples or those who had reached the Martial Soul stage, who could then learn Yellow Level beginner and intermediate techniques. As for Yellow Level advanced techniques, they were even more exclusively reserved for personal disciples, highlighting the advantages personal disciples had. Wei Song appeared somewhat surprised at this time. Although he was slightly stronger than Li Wushuang in terms of strength level, the Yellow Level technique she was using was extraordinary. In the space before him, under the engulfment of sword qi, the air burst open with tremendous wind pressure, making Wei Song''s hair fly back and his clothes flutter noisily. At this moment, Wei Song, looking up slightly at Li Wushuang, had always practiced physical attacks without using weapons, a fact well known among the sect members. His attack power was not inferior to that of weapons. With his hands clenched into fists, water-attributed qi surged around Wei Song, causing the surrounding air to tremble and shake. Then, in front of him, a giant water python made of qi formed. This water python, over forty meters long with a thickness comparable to a bowl at its thickest point, mixed with a terrifying wind, struck at Li Wushuang like a living creature. As it moved through the air, it even produced a sharp sonic boom, dispersing the air currents around it, and exerted a formidable pressure. "Star-level high-grade technique, Spirit Snake Plays in Water." "This is one of Wei Song''s signature moves, powerful and decisive. It seems Wei Song intends to settle the outcome with this move." As the crowd exclaimed again, Wei Song had managed to rank among the top ten on the Tiger List over these three years thanks to this technique. The two attacks collided amidst the crowd''s astonishment. Li Wushuang''s sword light sliced through the void, cleaving at the giant water python. From afar, the air currents were visibly dispersed, as if completely cutting through the air, with the space through which the sword light passed appearing twisted. Wei Song''s condensed water python churned, also stirring the space, wrapping towards the sword light, with the entire space trembling. "Whiz, whiz, whiz..." "Bang, bang..." Continuous sounds of space being torn apart rang out, followed by a series of sonic booms and turbulent qi. The entire huge stone platform was like hit by a tornado, lifting a spray of water, as if a fine rain suddenly poured down from mid-air. The turbulent qi slowly split the vast water surface. Li Wushuang''s sword qi was clearly extraordinary. A Yellow Level beginner technique was indeed much stronger than a Star-level high-grade technique, but the sword shadows Li Wushuang condensed were also rapidly fading. "Wooden Vines Binding." A sharp rebuke sounded from amidst the turbulent qi, and at that moment, Li Wushuang''s face turned pale. Vines, thick as thumbs, materialized out of thin air, wrapping towards Wei Song from all directions, forming a dense network of vines in front of him like a cocoon of tree vines. These dense flashes of green light arrived in an instant, and before Wei Song could steady himself, he was enveloped by vines from all sides. Chapter 102: Beauty Brings Disaster Wei Song''s face turned pale with shock, just as he was about to leap up, he found that several vines had suddenly sprouted from the ground, entangling his feet. In an instant, vines from all around swiftly approached, and soon, he was wrapped within them like a cocoon. Li Wushuang tapped her feet, her body leaping forward instantly. Just as the vines enveloped Wei Song, a palm strike carrying fierce qi crashed down. "Bang" The entire vine ball instantly flew off the platform, eventually crashing hundreds of meters away from the platform. Then the vines burst apart, the qi dispersed, and cracks formed on the ground. Wei Song had already broken free from the vines, but his body had left the platform, signifying his defeat. In terms of strength, if it were a matter of life and death, Li Wushuang would probably not be able to defeat Wei Song. However, Li Wushuang managed to win over Wei Song with the peculiarities of a wood-element martial artist. Falling off the platform meant loss, it could be considered somewhat lucky, but it was a genuine victory. Wei Song''s face was ashen, his eyes lifeless, never expecting to be defeated. Silence enveloped the surroundings; everyone was dizzy with disbelief. Li Wushuang had truly won. "Li Wushuang has become a personal disciple of Yunyang Sect," announced an elder from Yunyang Sect, bringing many back to reality. "Lin''er, if you were here, you would definitely have become a personal disciple too. Then, we could meet often. But now, whether you are dead or alive" Becoming a personal disciple, Li Wushuang had little joy in her eyes, instead, there was a hint of sorrow. In the vast forested mountain range, under the setting sun, pale yellow sunlight streamed through the trees, casting monstrous shadows on the forest floor. Evening winds roared through the depths of the forest, occasionally pierced by the cries of unknown beasts. "It''s getting dark, let''s hurry. There''s a small inn ahead; we won''t have to spend the night in the forest," Lan Ling told Li Lin. Over the past few days, they had crossed many mountains and encountered numerous dangers, including several low-level beasts, but fortunately, they hadn''t come across any third-level beasts. During these days, Li Lin learned from Lan Ling that although the Fiery Hawk was a third-level beast, it had only recently broken through to the early stages of the third level. Controlling such a beast required a significant amount of vital blood, which Lan Ling, with her current strength, could hardly afford, as a single use was quite taxing. Vital blood is more important than qi; whether for martial artists or spirit users, cultivating qi and spiritual power eventually transforms into vital blood within the body. The source of vital blood comes from the forging of qi or spiritual power, making it the foundation of a person. "Are there really inns here? This is a dangerous place," Li Lin wondered curiously. "Of course, there are quite a few inns ahead. In this Misty Mountain Range, deep mountains and forests are everywhere. Having a place to stay is what everyone hopes for. Thus, people in the Misty Mountain Range won''t trouble such inns. Even notorious mercenary groups won''t cause trouble here, as they too hope for a place to stay. Over time, several such places have emerged in the mountains, but the one ahead is the largest and gathers the most visitors," Lan Ling explained. As they crossed two mountain ridges, the sky gradually darkened. Ahead, in a flat valley, the trees seemed to have been cleared, revealing many wooden buildings. Campfires dotted the ground, and the buildings were brightly lit, with people moving about and the sounds of drinking games, creating a lively atmosphere. "There really is a village deep in the mountains," Li Lin observed, noting the densely packed twenty or so wooden buildings, each three to four stories high, making the valley spacious. "Let''s go in. It''s a mixed bag here, so be careful. While no one intentionally causes trouble, drunkenness can lead to issues. Watch out," Lan Ling advised. "You should be more careful about yourself. With your looks, beware of mercenaries taking advantage of you," Li Lin said lightly. Most of the lodgers were mercenaries, mostly men who had been in the mountains for months, and seeing Lan Ling, it would be surprising if they didn''t nosebleed. "Aren''t you going to protect me? Don''t all you men like playing the hero?" Lan Ling glared at Li Lin, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Where I come from, it''s more common for the beauty to save the hero. Besides, you''re stronger than me; it''s hardly my place to save you," Li Lin replied before moving forward, thinking it best to keep a distance from trouble, lest this woman indeed bring about any. "Beauty saves the hero? What kind of place is that?" Lan Ling was momentarily stunned. Before the deep valley, a narrow path led them inside, with waves of mixed noises coming their way. "Two little bees, flying into the flowers, fly, fly, you lose, drink up." "Sir, looking for a place to stay? Our rates are cheap and clean." "Just arrived, young lady, fresh off the boat, come try something new, not expensive, five gold coins." In the midst of these mixed sounds, there were noises of drinking, calling out, and even soliciting, on the open ground in the valley. Many mercenary groups and small teams that had entered the mountains without much income could only buy a few bottles of wine and drink on the ground in the valley. Staying in a store for a night was not cheap; the prices were naturally much higher in the deep mountains compared to the outside world. And just as the successive calling out had quieted down after the arrival of Li Lin and Lan Ling, everyone suddenly became silent and stared dumbfounded at the two. Of course, Li Lin naturally did not possess such charm. In the valley, pairs of fervent eyes swept over Lan Ling''s exposed belly and her perky and lifted buttocks. The arrival of such a tempting beauty in the deep mountains was practically an invitation to commit a crime for any normal person. "Girl, come over, how about having a couple of drinks with me?" "It''s really nice, living ten years less for one time is worth it." After the silence, the valley instantly became more lively again, filled with obscene and lascivious language, making Lan Ling''s face darken somewhat. And all of this, Li Lin, was not surprised at all. A woman dressed so provocatively coming to these deep mountains, which man could resist? "Girl, have a drink with me, and I''ll let you enjoy the finer things in life," a man in black, staggering to his feet, obviously drunk, with lustful eyes, blocked in front of Li Lin and Lan Ling. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. "Get lost," Lan Ling snapped disdainfully. "This girl is really spicy, I like it," laughed the man in black, pushing his hand towards Li Lin, "Boy, you''re blocking my way." "It''s you who are blocking my way," Li Lin glanced at the drunk, and with a move reminiscent of Tai Chi from his past life, he placed his foot tip in front of the drunk''s, pulled with his hand, leveraging the force, causing the drunk to rapidly fall face down to the ground. "Good lad, daring to mess with your grandpa," the drunk raised his head, hitting his nose on the ground, turning red with pain as the blood slowly flowed out, sobering up quite a bit, and quickly stood up. "Black Panther, beat up that kid, we support you." Seeing there was a spectacle, a large group of mercenaries immediately started to egg them on, as there''s always no shortage of people who love to watch a commotion. With the commotion, many people in the valley gathered around, but most of their gazes were unabashedly sweeping over Lan Ling''s body. "Kid, I''m going to teach you a lesson, so you know Black Panther is not to be trifled with," the man in black, seeing people cheering him on, did not want to lose face, and immediately threw a punch at Li Lin, carrying a whiff of alcohol. "You dare to call yourself Black Panther, at best you''re just a drunk cat," Li Lin lightly shouted, having already assessed the strength of the crowd, knowing that those who could only sit outside and drink couldn''t be very strong. The strongest around the valley were at most fourth or fifth level warriors, with the majority being mere martial artists. Such strength, Li Lin naturally did not take seriously. Li Lin didn''t want to cause trouble, especially not for Lan Ling, but since the man had provoked him, dealing with these mercenaries, who were ruthless and fearless, living on the edge of the knife, the only way was to be more ruthless. If you are more ruthless than them, they will fear you. This also applies to slightly stronger opponents; seeing you being more ruthless, they would not dare to provoke you easily. Evil fears the horizontal, the horizontal fears the ruthless, the ruthless fear those who are desperate. Li Lin knew this saying from his past life; the desperate ones are the most terrifying, and generally, no one dares to provoke them. At this moment, as the man''s punch came, Li Lin''s expression darkened. This man, being a first-level warrior of the earth type, could easily be dealt with. Li Lin''s palm suddenly thrust out, his true qi surged, and his blue robe''s sleeves vibrated violently with the force of the qi, and in an instant, his palm struck out, the short distance amplifying the force carried by the palm, meeting the black-clothed man''s fist. Hearing the sharp sound of the wind breaking, the drunk''s face turned pale, completely sobering up, initially thinking this young kid was easy to bully, only to realize now that the opponent was a strong fighter. With a "bang!" the explosion echoed in the air, the force from the palm and fist collision scattered, sending the man stumbling backward, falling to the ground with blood spewing from his mouth, the released strong qi cracking the ground. The onlookers were shocked, not expecting such strength from a young man, as Black Panther was at least a first-level warrior. "Kid, you''ve got some nerve," about ten similarly dressed men in black stood up, apparently all members of the same team. "Get lost, or die," Lan Ling''s expression darkened, her true qi shaking, a strong martial artist''s aura spreading from her, enveloping the area. "This woman is actually a martial artist, untouchable." Many of the men were immediately dumbfounded. This man and woman were indeed not easy to provoke, and there might be others with them. Subsequently, many retreated, but their gazes still lingered on Lan Ling''s revealing attire, though the lustful light in their eyes was somewhat restrained. The ten or so men in black attire took one look at Li Lin and Lan Ling, their faces showing surprise, and they dared not block the way anymore, quickly retreating. At that moment, Li Lin''s expression turned cold. After scanning the surroundings, he calmly walked over to the big man who had not yet gotten up and fiercely stomped on him with his foot charged with true qi, saying, "Dare to provoke me again, and I''ll cripple you." With those two stomps, the big man immediately spat out a mouthful of fresh blood again, his face showing panic as he nodded, not daring to say anything more. The surrounding attackers were also startled. Everyone had thought he was just a green youth, but it turned out he was a little devil, not showing the slightest mercy. They secretly felt fortunate that they were not the ones who had provoked this devil just now. "Do you have any rooms left?" After deterring these mercenaries, Li Lin walked to the nearest wooden building and asked a young man who looked like a waiter and had been drumming up business. "Yes, yes, there''s one last upper room left, only ten gold coins a night," the young man came back to his senses and said, having also been surprised by Li Lin. "I''ll take it. Also, bring some good food to my room, the rest is a tip for you." Li Lin took out twenty gold coins and handed them to the waiter, inwardly remarking on the expensive cost, noting that a servant in the Li family earns only half a gold coin a year, and here a night''s stay costs ten gold coins. "Yes, sir, please follow me." The waiter instantly smiled broadly. Eating here wouldn''t cost ten gold coins, even the best meal would only cost six or seven gold coins, and he would get three or four gold coins in tips. Not many guests here are so generous. "I''d like an upper room too, and send some food as well," said Lan Ling. "Miss, there are no rooms left. Aren''t you together with him?" the waiter asked in confusion, having just seen the two of them together. "No rooms left, how can that be? Make room for one," Lan Ling was taken aback, then promptly took out twenty gold coins. "Miss, we only have so many rooms here, and other places here have been fully booked for a while now, with more people coming to the mountains recently, I''m sorry," the waiter explained, as rooms had been fully booked with the influx of mercenaries and teams into the mountains. "Forget it." Lan Ling glared at the waiter, then looked helplessly at Li Lin, resigning herself to sharing a room. "Sir, please follow me." The waiter led Li Lin to a room on the third floor, with Lan Ling following behind Li Lin. The mercenaries outside watched the man and woman enter the wooden building, envying the young man in the green robe, and the valley continued to be lively and noisy. Li Lin followed the waiter into the room, a sturdy wooden structure with a few stone bricks, spacious and apparently divided by stone bricks. "Sir, I''ll bring you some food shortly, please wait a moment," the waiter excused himself. "You were quite ruthless just now, weren''t you against playing the hero for the beauty?" Lan Ling said with a slight smile. "Do you think I intervened for you?" Li Lin looked at Lan Ling indifferently and said, "Give me two hundred gold coins." "Why?" Lan Ling asked in confusion. "This room is mine. You have three choices: first, stay in this room tonight; second, go outside and sleep with those mercenaries in the valley; third, you don''t have to give me the gold coins, but as a man and a woman together, I can''t guarantee I won''t do something to you," Li Lin said bluntly. "What, you only paid twenty gold coins, and you''re asking me for two hundred?" Lan Ling exclaimed. "You have two other choices," Li Lin said lightly, knowing the direct disciple of the Myriad Beasts Sect was definitely not poor and that he should take advantage of this opportunity while he could. "You..." Lan Ling glared at Li Lin, obviously unwilling to choose the other options. She angrily took out two hundred gold coins from her spatial bag and said, "For a grown man, you sure have the nerve to take it." "Weren''t you the one who liked calling me ''little brother''? How come I''m now a ''grown man''? Besides, we''re not close. I''m not embarrassed to ask for what I want from you," Li Lin unapologetically took the two hundred gold coins into his spatial bag. "You..." Lan Ling was at a loss for words again. In her sect, all the male disciples revolved around her, treating her like a treasure. Whatever she asked for, she got. She had never encountered someone like Li Lin who was so impolite to her. Lan Ling then composed herself, squeezing out a smile with a hint of charm in her eyes, saying, "I''ve changed my mind. Give me the gold coins back. How about I choose the third option from before, as long as you dare to do something?" "Forget it, I''m not interested," Li Lin said indifferently, thinking to himself that being alone with a woman, it''s natural to feel tempted, but this woman was like poison, better to keep his distance for his own safety. "Really? You''re not abnormal, are you? I''ve heard all men are lecherous," Lan Ling whispered into Li Lin''s ear, her faint fragrance wafting to him. Li Lin felt Lan Ling pressing against him, a clear provocation, feeling an immediate reaction, internally cursing her as a seductress, with his youthful vigor, how could he withstand such temptation. "Sir, your food is here," the waiter''s voice came from outside, giving Li Lin an opportunity to open the door, revealing the waiter with a load of food, enough for two. Chapter 103: The Treasure Land "Take your time." The innkeeper looked at Li Lin and Lan Ling, a knowing smile in his eyes as he left, thinking that the bed in this room would need a thorough cleaning tomorrow. The two had not had a good meal in a long time, and immediately began to satisfy their hunger, quelling the desire that had been stirred in Li Lin. For safety, he kept a distance from the enchanting Lan Ling. "How much longer until we reach the treasure mountain range?" Li Lin asked while eating. They had been traveling for seven days, constantly on guard against the members of the Savage Wolf Mercenary Group, which was quite nerve-wracking. "Not much longer, if I read the map correctly, we should arrive in two days," Lan Ling said. After eating their fill, Lan Ling quickly made her way to the bed, lazily stretching and teasingly asked, "Do you want to come up?" Li Lin ignored the enchantment, sitting cross-legged on the ground and began to meditate, refining the Qi energy he had absorbed in the past few days, continuously strengthening his cultivation. He did not want to expose the little dragon. Whenever the little dragon was hungry, he fed it the empowerment pills, having consumed all that he had during this period. Glancing at Li Lin, Lan Ling smiled slightly, secretly letting go of some of her caution, then also sat cross-legged to meditate and heal the injuries she had not fully recovered from, hindered by Li Lin along the way. Inside Li Lin, the Qi energy was continuously refined into pure Qi, enhancing his strength gradually approaching the late stage of a level six warrior. The speed was extremely fast, but Li Lin dared not be too impatient. After all, absorbing others'' Qi to improve his cultivation required complete refinement to stabilize his foundation, crucial for his future cultivation. The night passed without words, but outside, noises were heard all night. Both were in a meditative state, blocking out the sounds. With a long exhale, Li Lin opened his eyes the next morning, his aura fully retracted. "What cultivation technique are you practicing? I can''t seem to gauge your strength, which is really strange," Lan Ling stopped her meditation, her complexion rosy, her injuries significantly healed. "Let''s go, we should hurry to the mountain range," Li Lin didn''t answer Lan Ling, preferring to reach the treasure location sooner. After packing up, they continued on their journey to the treasure mountain range. In the valley, many men lay on the ground, snoring loudly, while some were meditating. With the sky just beginning to lighten, they left the valley and entered the forested mountains, where dewdrops occasionally slid off leaves, the morning air significantly fresher. Walking through the mountains, they were constantly on guard for the presence of demonic beasts. In the past few days, Li Lin witnessed Lan Ling capturing two second-tier demonic beasts into her beast bag. Deep within a mountain range, towering trees blocked the sky, morning sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting speckled light and shadows, with mist slowly rising. Dozens of figures appeared, belonging to the Savage Wolf Mercenary Group. "Big brother, do you think the three who escaped from the Myriad Beasts Sect will come here?" the second in command with an axe asked. "I''ve seen the map; the White Wolf Mercenary Group''s treasure is near this mountain range. Those three escapees from the Myriad Beasts Sect will definitely come, unless they don''t want the treasure. Once here, we''ll deal with them and get the White Wolf Mercenary Group''s treasure," the giant leader of the group said coldly. "We must capture that bitch alive; I want to have my way with her a hundred times to avenge my severed arm," said the third in command, his expression dark with rage, his arm already lost. "Don''t worry, third brother, we will avenge you," the axe-wielding second in command reassured. "Let''s stay around here. I don''t believe they won''t come," the giant leader said coldly. "Li Lin, we''re about to find the treasure. How shall we divide it when we do?" Lan Ling, leading the way, asked Li Lin at her side. "We agreed, half each," Li Lin said lightly. "You''re not planning any tricks, are you?" Lan Ling asked with a meaningful look. "As long as you don''t play any tricks," Li Lin knew to be wary of this woman at all times. "It''s just ahead. We''ve found it!" Lan Ling exclaimed excitedly, walking past a series of mountains to a large peak covered with towering trees above and a gorge below, with layers of green stones and moss covering it. Li Lin observed the mountain peak, comparing it to the map. It matched the location marked on the map. "We''ve arrived," Li Lin then said to Lan Ling, "Be careful, let''s find the treasure first." "According to the map, the White Wolf Mercenary Group''s treasure should be below this peak, but the exact location is unknown," Lan Ling said. "We''ll find it if we search carefully," Li Lin said. "Big brother, those two have gone up the mountain," a skinny man with a severed arm said from within a concealed dense forest. "Everyone, conceal your presence. Don''t startle them. Let''s wait for them to find the treasure before we make our move," the giant leader of the group commanded. Several hours later, at the top of the mountain, with a gorge and oddly shaped rocks on one side, Li Lin and Lan Ling looked around, but after several hours, they still hadn''t found the location of the treasure. "Looking at the mark on the map, the treasure should be buried underground, but we can''t possibly dig up this entire mountain, can we?" Lan Ling said, looking at Li Lin. "Buried underground is obviously impossible. Even if we had the ability to dig up the mountain top, it wouldn''t be easy. The White Wolf Mercenary Group wouldn''t make such a big movement to bury the treasure; it would be like telling everyone they''re burying treasure," Li Lin pondered, thinking it unlikely to be buried underground. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "Underground, the gorge." Li Lin''s gaze inadvertently fell on the surrounding gorge, and a light bulb went off if it were under the mountain, there was only one possibility: there was another world beneath the gorge. "Do you have a rope?" Li Lin asked. "No, why would I carry a rope around for no reason?" Lan Ling asked, puzzled. "Wait here." Li Lin glanced back at the forest behind them and then cut down many vines from within the forest. He tied the vines together, making a rope hundreds of meters long, and tied one end to a large rock protruding from the edge of the gorge. "Do you think the treasure is beneath this gorge?" Lan Ling asked in surprise. "You don''t have to come if you don''t want to," Li Lin glanced at Lan Ling and then, with a flick of his Qi, lightly stepped forward, holding the vine and moving down into the gorge. Lan Ling looked down into the gorge, not knowing how deep it was, saw a cliff with steep walls below, and clouds drifting around. After hesitating, she followed, jumping down the gorge along the vine. The stone walls of the gorge were uneven with many large rocks, making it not easy to descend. Li Lin carefully searched as he went down. "This gorge should have a cave," Li Lin thought to himself. Hundreds of meters down, they reached below the clouds, and Lan Ling followed without saying much, scanning the surroundings. "Found it, is it really here?" At that moment, through the clouds, a flat stone wall appeared in front of Li Lin, and below, surprisingly, was a not-so-narrow flat ground, covered by clouds and invisible from above. As Li Lin landed, dozens of figures appeared above the gorge, belonging to the Savage Wolf Mercenary Group. "The treasure is below, let''s go down," said the axe-wielding second in command. "Be careful, it looks like these two have found the treasure," the giant leader sneered. "How many caves are there, and which one is it?" Below the gorge, Lan Ling landed next to Li Lin, seeing about twenty caves in the stone wall in front of them, all looking identical. Li Lin also saw this scene, certain that only one of the twenty caves contained the treasure. "We''ll search them one by one, we''ll find it," Lan Ling said. "Wait, with so many identical cave entrances, it seems someone did this on purpose, probably to set traps. The caves without treasures might be dangerous," Li Lin said gravely, then took out a second treasure map. The second treasure map was made of the same material as the first, with a pale yellow color. It had many irregular black circles drawn on it, but only one was red. Li Lin examined it closely, a hint of doubt crossing his mind. Looking at the caves in front of him and then at the treasure map, something felt off. He then turned the map upside down and smiled. After reversing the treasure map, he saw that the arrangement of black circles matched the arrangement of the caves on the gorge''s stone wall. After a brief consideration, Li Lin guessed that the cave marked by the red circle contained the treasure. The caves were arranged in an irregular pattern, making it hard to find direction, but the map marked the cave as the third one on the right. "That''s the one, let''s go," Li Lin said with a determined expression, now trusting the treasure map. They approached the third cave on the right, located on the stone wall outside the ground level, reachable only by stepping on dozens of protruding stones, spanning a distance of hundreds of meters, likely impassable for those below the level of Martial Soul. "Be careful," Li Lin said, noting some red dots on the side of the map: "Some of these stones might not be safe to step on." As he finished speaking, Li Lin picked up a palm-sized stone from the ground and threw it at one of the protruding stones, estimating the force to be similar to the weight of a person. With a loud crash, the stone hit the protruding rock, causing two of them to fall into the gorge below, its depth unknown. Without the ability to fly and low strength, it would surely be fatal. Seeing this, Lan Ling was stunned, looking at Li Lin with a bit of gratitude. If Li Lin had intended to harm her by letting her step on those stones, she would have been in big trouble, and the outcome would be obvious. "Be careful where you step," Li Lin memorized the stepping points marked on the treasure map, his Qi trembling under his feet as he leaped into the air with a hint of trepidation, soon landing on the second protruding stone. The stone remained stable, not falling off, allowing Li Lin to breathe a sigh of relief. Following the marked stepping points, he leaped across several stones, quickly reaching the entrance of the cave, finally taking a long breath. Any mistake just now would have been troublesome. "Swoosh..." Lan Ling followed behind Li Lin, her figure drawing a beautiful arc, landing beside Li Lin. "Let''s go in," Li Lin steadied his breath and headed towards the cave. Just entering the cave, Li Lin wasn''t yet accustomed to it; inside, there were objects emitting a soft glow similar to night pearls, but far less intense than the strong light outside. The cave, perhaps due to long passage of time, was filled with a strange, pungent, corrosive smell. The cave was spacious, to Li Lin''s surprise. Observing the cave, it seemed to be a natural formation, with uneven stone walls that didn''t appear to be man-made. "There''s one last danger," Li Lin put away the treasure map, noting the series of red dots inside the cave marked on it, representing some kind of danger. "The White Wolf Mercenary Group really is cautious, arranging everything so meticulously," Lan Ling exclaimed in surprise. Over the days, from Lan Ling, Li Lin learned about the White Wolf Mercenary Group. Decades ago, this group was a famous large mercenary group in the Misty Mountain Range, with over a thousand members. The leader, White Wolf, had reached the peak of martial mastery, and the group included spirit practitioners and strong warriors at the levels of Martial Spirit and Martial Master. Later, for some unknown reason, the entire White Wolf Mercenary Group was annihilated overnight, shaking the entire Misty Mountain Range. Rumors said the group offended one of the Three Sects and Four Halls, who then dispatched strong individuals to kill them all. However, these were just rumors, and no one from the Three Sects and Four Halls came forward to admit to this. Looking into the cave of unknown length, Li Lin picked up several stones, rolling them along the cave floor, watching ahead, seemingly no danger in sight. "Should be no danger now, right?" Lan Ling said. Li Lin''s expression darkened, according to the marks on the treasure map, there should still be a danger within the cave. The map had been accurate so far, and it was unlikely to be wrong now. "Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh..." Suddenly, a barrage of crossbow bolts whistled through the air ahead, with countless sharp arrows shooting out from the stone walls on both sides, from top to bottom, and even the ground and ceiling, filling the space with arrows. The half-meter-long arrows, strong enough to penetrate a general Martial Master''s Qi barrier, shot into the stone walls, making them look like a hedgehog stuck in the cave. "That was close," Lan Ling gasped, realizing the consequences of falling into such a trap. Li Lin was also surprised; navigating through such an intricate mechanism without the treasure map would have been nearly impossible. The two made their way through the arrows, and after about ten minutes, a light appeared ahead. Inside the cave, there was a spacious area, glittering with gold and splendor. At this moment, Li Lin and Lan Ling were unaware that outside, dozens of figures appeared, belonging to the Rampaging Wolf Mercenary Group. "This is it, the treasure is here, we''re going to be rich," a burly man laughed. With the treasure of the White Wolf Mercenary Group, he wouldn''t have to live a dangerous life in the Misty Mountain Range anymore. "Big brother, with so many caves, which one did those two enter?" the second-in-command, wielding an axe, asked. "You, each enter a cave, and report back immediately if you find the real one," the burly man instructed about twenty warriors with martial disciple strength, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He was aware of the dangers inside the cave but for the sake of the treasure, was willing to sacrifice some men. "Yes," the twenty or so martial disciples proceeded, each heading towards a cave, excited about their potential fortune. "So many gold coins," at this moment, in front of Li Lin and Lan Ling, the spacious area inside the cave was filled with gold coins, piled up to half a person''s height, dazzling with golden light. "There must be no less than a million gold coins," Li Lin sighed inwardly. So many gold coins not stored on jade crystal cards made him dizzy. A million gold coins was a huge sum, it was questionable if the Li family could come up with that much. A second-grade pill only cost two to three hundred gold coins, so the significance of a million gold coins was imaginable. At this moment, Lan Ling was also shocked, seeing so many gold coins for the first time. Chapter 104: The Struggle for Treasure "Looks like the White Wolf Mercenary Group has converted everything into gold coins, that''s really scary," Lan Ling said. A million gold coins could buy a family in a town. "What''s this?" In the middle of the pile of gold coins, there were four brocade boxes. Both their gazes almost simultaneously focused on these six brocade boxes, which perhaps held the most precious items of the treasure. Both looked at each other, then climbed up the pile of gold coins. The six brocade boxes varied in size. Upon reaching the boxes, Lan Ling said, "Shall we open them and then split the contents?" "Okay." Li Lin did not object. He glanced at Lan Ling and then opened the first brocade box. A faint red glow dazzled out, enveloping the space in a fiery aura. "It''s a low-level Yellow Rank fire martial technique," Lan Ling exclaimed in surprise. Being a fire martial artist herself, she could feel the aura. Inside the brocade box was a pale red jade slip, unopened and the specific martial technique unknown. Li Lin could also sense the level of the martial technique. Even though it was a low-level Yellow Rank, it was still a treasure. In the Li family, the strongest martial technique was only Yellow Rank. Suppressing his excitement, Li Lin opened the second brocade box. A huge blue light dazzled out, and Li Lin instantly felt an energy not inferior to the fire attribute energy spreading from the box. "Water martial technique." Li Lin exclaimed in amazement. Inside the brocade box was also a jade slip. Judging from the aura, it was definitely not inferior to the fire martial technique he had just seen, also a low-level Yellow Rank technique. "Another martial technique, also Yellow Rank," Lan Ling said in surprise, watching the brocade box in Li Lin''s hand. Then she opened the third brocade box herself. A vast energy emerged, revealing a earth-yellow sphere, the size of a baby''s fist, wrapped in dazzling earth-yellow light. A wild energy spread from the baby fist-sized sphere, making Li Lin''s heart skip a beat. The energy was terrifying. Just looking at it made his heart race. "A fourth-tier demon beast''s demon pill," Lan Ling said. A fourth-tier demon pill was valuable, but compared to the two Yellow Rank martial techniques, it was somewhat inferior. The selling price of a fourth-tier demon pill was generally above fifty thousand gold coins, while a low-level Yellow Rank martial technique was much more expensive. "Demon pill." Li Lin looked at the demon pill. This demon pill was very useful to him. He could directly extract and refine the energy from the demon pill. Refining a fourth-tier demon pill would surely bring tremendous benefits. Then Li Lin opened the fourth brocade box. A dazzling light surged out, and a vast spiritual energy filled the air. This spiritual energy was wild and overwhelming. In the brocade box, a light orb the size of a baby''s fist was surrounded by intersecting rays of light, dazzling and confusing, filled with wild energy that made it hard to look directly at. The energy seemed ready to explode at any moment. "Spiritual pill, a spiritual beast''s spiritual pill," Li Lin exclaimed. He hadn''t expected that among the White Wolf Mercenary Group''s collection there would be a spiritual pill. To become a spiritual pill, it had to be at least a fourth-tier spiritual beast. A fourth-tier spiritual beast''s spiritual pill, even if it was just an early-stage fourth-tier, would be worth over a hundred thousand gold coins. And most importantly, what he needed most were demon pills and spiritual pills. "Ah..." Outside in the open space, several screams echoed as a number of mercenaries, attempting to leap onto a nearby stone, fell into the canyon when the stones beneath them suddenly gave way. Their screams echoed in the canyon. Watching this scene, the faces of the giant man and the others twitched in horror. Rescuing the fallen seemed impossible, as no one had anticipated the sudden breakage of the stones. Inside the cave, Lan Ling opened the fifth brocade box. Inside was a vermilion jade slip emitting a strange and intense aura, mixed with ferocity and violence. This aura made Li Lin''s heart skip a beat, stirring a sense of awe from deep within his soul. Seeing the jade slip and feeling its aura, Lan Ling''s face briefly flashed with shock, then she quickly concealed her reaction. "What is this?" Li Lin asked, looking at the contents of the fifth brocade box. Although he didn''t know what the treasure was, he could tell from the aura that it was extraordinary. "I don''t know, but it must be remarkable," Lan Ling said with a slight smile, turning her gaze away from the fifth brocade box. She then opened the sixth brocade box, which contained a unique, round jade slip about ten centimeters tall. A rich and comforting aura spread out from it, invigorating anyone who smelled it. Inside the sixth brocade box was an unexpected item: an eight-centimeter-tall transparent little jade bottle filled with a pale white liquid. The bottle was unopened, but the scent was incredibly rich, suggesting that the contents were extraordinary. "Boom, boom, boom..." Just then, a huge rumbling noise erupted outside the cave, shaking it violently. Gold coins in the cave shook and slid down, causing Li Lin and Lan Ling, who were standing on a pile of them, to fall to the ground. Coincidentally, as Li Lin fell, a shadow flashed before his eyes, and a delicate body landed on top of him. In the open space outside, almost simultaneously, explosive sounds resonated from several caves in the mountains, deafeningly loud. The blasts scattered rocks, and the entire rock wall began to crack densely. The simultaneous explosions of these caves generated a massive force, causing the entire canyon to shake. Large rocks fell from above. "This is bad, it''s dangerous." The axe-wielding lieutenant shouted, realizing that those who had entered the caves must have been pulverized. No one knew what had happened inside the caves to cause such explosions. They guessed it might be a trap set by the White Wolf Mercenary Group. In the cave, still shaking violently, Li Lin regained his senses. He felt his face covered and his nose pressed by something soft, a milky fragrance filling his nostrils. "You''re despicable and shameless," Lan Ling scolded, her face turning red. Her firm chest was pressing against Li Lin''s face. She felt pain in her chest, and looking down, she saw Li Lin''s head buried in her bosom. She hastily got up, flustered. Although she usually dressed modestly, she had never been so intimately touched by a man, especially in such a sensitive area. "Please, you think I wanted this? It was you who came close." Li Lin stood up, rubbing his nose that felt sore from the pressure of the soft object, and hurriedly said, "Something must have happened outside, hurry up and pack your things and go." Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. As soon as he finished speaking, Li Lin quickly grabbed the second brocade box in his hand, containing water-based martial techniques, exactly what he needed. "Half each," Lan Ling said with a firm expression, reaching without hesitation for the fifth brocade box and instantly putting it into her space bag. "Three each," Li Lin retorted, unwilling to show weakness. The fifth brocade box was clearly extraordinary, and Lan Ling had gotten to it first. He quickly reached for two jade slips, targeting the spirit pill and the sixth brocade box. Although he did not know what was inside the sixth box, it was clearly also extraordinary. At this moment, the first thing both of them thought of was these brocade boxes. Inside them were martial techniques, spirit pills, and two other unknown treasures, which were much more important to cultivators than gold coins. Gold coins could be earned at any time, but sometimes these treasures could not be bought even with gold coins. "Fine, three each, so neither of us loses out," Lan Ling said, reaching for the sixth brocade box, but Li Lin was one step ahead and grabbed the sixth jade slip first. Lan Ling''s gaze flickered subtly, and she then managed to grab the fire-based, yellow-rank beginner martial technique and a fourth-stage demon pill brocade box. Li Lin unceremoniously put the sixth brocade box and the spirit pill into his space bag and then said, "Half the gold coins each, hurry up and collect them. The cave seems to be collapsing. If we can''t get out, we''ll be buried here." Li Lin formed a hand seal, and his true qi wrapped around a large pile of gold coins, continuously putting them into his space bag. With these millions of gold coins, even taking half meant five hundred thousand for him, giving him capital for future purchases of demon pills and spirit pills. Following Li Lin''s example, Lan Ling also wrapped a large pile of gold coins and kept putting them into her space bag. With these millions of gold coins, her space bag was only able to fit about two hundred thousand before it was full. The space in a space bag is limited, and it would be strange if it wasn''t full with two hundred thousand gold coins. Lan Ling then took out another space bag, which belonged to Zhao Qing. After Zhao Qing''s death, she had already claimed ownership of this space bag by dripping her blood on it. By the time this second space bag was full, all the gold coins had been completely swept up. Li Lin had already taken the majority of the gold coins. His space bag did not contain many items, so it had much more space. In this regard, Li Lin was much faster than Lan Ling. "Boom, boom, boom..." The cave shook more violently, and small stones began to fall. Li Lin''s expression changed dramatically: "Quick, get out, this cave is really going to collapse." "Let''s go!" Lan Ling, startled, dashed forward at high speed. If the cave collapsed, they would be buried alive. Li Lin vibrated his true qi and leaped out at full speed toward the cave entrance. At the same time, his expression darkened slightly, and with a flash of light on his finger, he transferred everything he had just stored in the two storage bags into his storage ring. It was safer to keep valuable items in the storage ring. In other words, Li Lin never truly trusted Lan Ling; he found her quite dangerous. "Bang, bang..." Stones kept falling, but both of them had set up protective circles around themselves, so the falling stones didn''t affect them much. Occasionally, stones fell from the top of the cave, but they were deflected by their protective circles. Inside the cave, arrows embedded in the walls loosened, and as the walls cracked, the arrows fell to the ground. The cave shook violently. "Quick, get out!" A giant rock was about to fall, and both of their faces changed color. They vibrated their true qi and rushed out at full strength. Just as Li Lin passed, the giant rock collapsed from the top of the cave. At this moment, Li Lin did not hide his strength at all, displaying his full power. In such a situation, he dared not hide his capabilities and wished he could move even faster. Right then, Li Lin resolved to learn the "Fleeting Light and Shadow" movement technique from the Yunyang Sect. If he had such a technique, it would be useful for escaping danger. "Bang, bang...!" Collapsing sounds continued from behind, and the falling stones grew larger. The whole mountain shook. "Quick, get out." Finally, they reached the cave entrance. The light from outside shone in, and they accelerated for one last burst, rushing out of the cave. In a few leaps, they reached the rocks above the canyon wall and entered the outside space. "Boom, boom, boom..." At the same time, the cave completely collapsed, and giant rocks kept falling and rolling into the canyon. The collapse of the cave caused larger and longer cracks to appear on the entire mountain, tilting it and breaking the canyon apart. Dust flew up, and stones kept falling. "It''s them, the two of them," shouted the axe-wielding deputy leader in the outside space. "It''s the Raging Wolf Mercenary Group." Just as Li Lin and Lan Ling landed, they quickly spotted the members of the Raging Wolf Mercenary Group and inwardly cursed their bad luck. "Run!" Lan Ling shouted and, without hesitation, ran towards the vines. With no other escape route, they could only rely on the vines to climb up. The massive, somewhat obese deputy leader moved incredibly fast, leaving a trail of afterimages. His true qi vibrated, and he extended his right hand, which then clenched into a claw. A fiery red, scorching qi surged onto his claw mark. "Think you can escape? Leave the treasure behind." A cold glint appeared in the eyes of the massive man, who smiled and quickly clawed towards Lan Ling. Lan Ling''s expression darkened, realizing it was no longer easy to leave with the massive man blocking her path. She stood firm, extended her wrist, and with a sudden movement of her hand, a palm imprint formed, declaring, "Not so easy!" As Lan Ling''s shout ended, a fierce and scorching energy burst out from her palm, colliding heavily with the giant man''s attack. "Boom!" A sound of air compression exploding resounded. Lan Ling''s face darkened as she staggered back several steps before stabilizing herself. She was not yet a match for the massive man. "Your strength is not enough," the giant man sneered, his true qi vibrating around him. His right arm turned a fiery red, radiating intense heat. Flames seemed to wrap around his arm, drastically increasing the surrounding temperature. "Boom, boom, boom..." The entire canyon roared as giant rocks fell. Cracks on the steep walls of the canyon grew longer, and the space where everyone was standing began to shake, threatening to collapse. This area, connected to the canyon walls, was also starting to crack. "If we don''t climb up now, we''ll all die together," Li Lin shouted. "Hand over the treasure, or forget about climbing up," the massive man demanded coldly, his expression changing as he noticed the ground slowly shaking and stones falling into the canyon below. "There''s no treasure in that cave. If you want to die, I''ll accompany you," Li Lin said indifferently, not believing these men weren''t afraid of death. "No treasure? You think I''d believe that?" the thin man with a severed arm angrily retorted, his gaze venomously fixed on Lan Ling. "Then let''s die together," Lan Ling said gravely, retreating to Li Lin''s side. "Bang, bang..." Several giant rocks fell from above, shaking the ground even more violently. A piece of rock plummeted, signaling that the entire ground might collapse at any moment. Seeing this scene, many members of the Raging Wolf Mercenary Group showed fear. If the ground collapsed, they would all surely perish. "Big brother, it''s dangerous here. Let''s climb up first," the axe-wielding deputy leader said to the massive man. The ground was shaking, and the massive man''s body swayed, his facial expression twitching as he surveyed the surroundings. The ground could collapse at any moment, which would be a big problem. "Let''s climb up, fast," the massive man ordered, leaping towards the vines behind him. Using his true qi to gain momentum, he was the first to start climbing. There was no other way out, and he wasn''t worried about Li Lin and Lan Ling escaping. The Raging Wolf Mercenary Group members surrounded the vines, leaving no way for Li Lin and Lan Ling to climb up. "What do we do? It''s going to collapse," Lan Ling said anxiously, as the mercenaries occupied the vines, each trying to escape upwards. "Damn it," Li Lin cursed silently, looking around. The rumbling sound of falling rocks was incessant, and the ground was shaking more violently. The lower layers of rocks seemed to be falling. "We need to figure something out. We can''t hold out here much longer." "If only I had chosen a larger flying demon beast instead of the Fiery Eagle," Lan Ling lamented. Though the Fiery Eagle was strong, it was too small to carry a person. "Bang, bang..." The ground below was collapsing, tilting downwards, about to completely give way. In the Raging Wolf Mercenary Group, there were still about ten people on the ground who hadn''t managed to climb the vines. They were waiting for Li Lin and Lan Ling, but the ground was about to collapse. "It''s going to collapse. What do we do?" Lan Ling exclaimed in shock. "Raging Wolf Mercenary Group, if you can''t climb up, then stay down with us," Li Lin said sternly, his eyes flashing with killing intent. His right hand launched five strong, fiery finger imprints, streaking towards the vines. "Whoosh, whoosh..." The five fiery finger imprints shot directly towards the vines. If the vines broke, the mercenaries on them would be in trouble. "Block him!" About ten mercenaries still on the ground naturally didn''t want Li Lin to destroy the vines. Several bursts of qi converged to block his attack, while simultaneously, several more bursts of qi streaked towards Li Lin. Chapter 105: Tricked by a Woman "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..." Numerous bursts of powerful energy swept over. Lan Ling''s face darkened as several sword shadows streaked out to block them, unleashing a barrage of attacks that filled the air. The collision of forces created a series of explosive sounds, sweeping across the area and lighting up the sky like fireworks. "Boom, boom, boom..." Just then, the ground began to collapse. The members of the Savage Wolf Mercenary Group fell first, with their three leaders and strongest members having already ascended. "Quick, get to the canyon''s stone walls!" Both Li Lin and Lan Ling weren''t faring much better, their bodies rapidly falling with no place to hide or land. "Go." In a moment of panic, Li Lin gripped his green longsword, channeling his qi explosively and using the momentum to thrust the sword into a crack in the canyon wall. Holding onto the sword, he hung in the canyon, setting up a protective qi circle around himself, deflecting falling debris. Hearing Li Lin''s command, Lan Ling did the same, forcefully inserting her blue longsword into a crack in the stone wall, temporarily stabilizing herself. "Help me..." Several screams echoed amid the roaring sound of falling rocks, as about ten members of the Savage Wolf Mercenary Group plummeted into the canyon, their fate unknown. "Bang, bang..." On the vine-covered tree, about a dozen people climbed up. The entire mountain was cracking and collapsing, and the vines, wrapped around a huge boulder on the mountain''s summit, could no longer bear the weight of so many people and snapped, crashing down. The people at the top of the vines turned pale with horror. In a panic, a few managed to jump up, but six or seven were caught off guard and fell from mid-air, hit by several large rocks, tumbling down into the canyon C likely to their deaths. "Give me your hand, we''ll leverage our momentum to climb up, quickly," Li Lin said to Lan Ling. The surrounding rocks continued to fall, but being close to the canyon wall meant fewer rocks were falling their way. Lan Ling understood, grabbed Li Lin''s hand, and pulled out her blue longsword. With qi circulating, Li Lin pulled Lan Ling up with him. Lan Ling then reached the upper wall, inserting her longsword into a crack and stabilizing herself. Both held swords in their right hands and each other''s hands with their left. Then Lan Ling infused qi into her left hand and pulled hard, helping Li Lin climb up as well. He also inserted his green longsword into a crack in the wall above. "Quick, let''s climb up," Li Lin said, and the two of them continued to ascend step by step. At the mountain''s summit, the entire mountain trembled like an earthquake. The crumbling canyon affected the whole mountain, stirring up dust and echoing with thunderous sounds that were deafening. "Brother, those two are probably dead," someone said, watching as rocks continued to fall into the canyon. The Savage Wolf Mercenary Group had initially numbered around fifty, but many died in a cave explosion, and nearly twenty more had just perished, leaving only about twenty, all of whom were among the strongest. "Damn it, I want to see them dead or alive. Even if they''re dead, the treasure will be in their spatial bags. We must get that treasure," a huge man said coldly. He had barely climbed up himself and was still shaken. The death of thirty men didn''t concern him; getting the treasure meant fewer people to share it with. "That''s right, the treasure must be in their spatial bags. Even if they are dead, the bags remain. It''s just a pity we can''t have our way with that bitch," a skinny man added coldly. "They must be above us, it will be troublesome to go up," Lan Ling said to Li Lin at the edge of the canyon. They had finally reached the mouth of the canyon, but they both knew that the Savage Wolf Mercenary Group might be waiting for them above. "I remember there''s a dense forest on the right. If we enter, we''ll have a better chance of escaping," Li Lin said. "Then let''s head right. When the time comes, I''ll have the Fire Eagle block the Savage Wolf Mercenary Group. They won''t be able to stop us," Lan Ling said. "Boom, boom, boom..." "Retreat," the giant man ordered, as the entire edge of the canyon began to collapse and the ground on the mountain''s summit started to crack open, threatening to fall at any moment. "Shh, shh..." Just then, two figures instantly leaped onto the mountain top and began to flee quickly. It was Li Lin and Lan Ling. As soon as they reached the top, they didn''t dare to stop and immediately fled according to their plan, heading to the right. "It''s them, chase them!" the giant man, the leader, ordered coldly, quickly pursuing them. "Quick," Li Lin and Lan Ling fled at their fastest speed, with Lan Ling clearly faster. In terms of strength, Li Lin was still significantly weaker. Behind them, the giant man leader came swiftly, his mighty speed causing a strong wind pressure that vibrated the air. Despite his somewhat bulky body, his speed was surprisingly fast. The ax-wielding man followed closely behind, his speed also very fast. The skinny man and others followed, with the giant man getting closer and closer to Li Lin. "Boy, you can''t escape. Hand over the treasure, and I''ll spare your life," the giant man shouted, his hand emitting a blazing palm print with a sharp whistling sound, sweeping toward Li Lin. Li Lin felt the violent wind pressure coming from behind and quickly sidestepped. The palm print, carrying fierce qi, flew past his ear and hit a large tree in front, blasting a huge hole in it and scattering branches and leaves. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. "I''m not a bone, why are you chasing me?" Li Lin shouted back, his qi already at its limit, but still not fast enough to escape the pursuer. The giant man then realized Li Lin''s words were an indirect insult, calling him a dog. He furiously shouted, "Boy, let''s see where you can run to. When I catch you, I''ll chop you to pieces." "You just wait, one day, I''ll make you run like this too," Li Lin spat, continuing to run desperately, lacking the strength to confront his pursuer. "Boy, stop right there." The giant man laughed coldly, his distance getting closer and closer. A fist print infused with blazing energy condensed and swung out, the qi bursting forth and again targeting Li Lin. "Gaga..." In the sky, a familiar eagle cry sounded. A red beast flapped its wings, its mouth spitting a fireball at the giant man. It was Lan Ling''s Fire Hawk. Ahead, Lan Ling''s face was pale as ash. She summoned the Fire Hawk, each summon taking a tremendous toll on her. "Bang..." The Fire Hawk''s fireball collided with the giant man''s fist print. A powerful explosive sound filled the air, and the violent energy swept through, halting the giant man, who had no choice but to pay attention to the Fire Hawk''s obstruction. "Let''s go," Lan Ling said palely, sprinkling a powder into the air. "Whoosh, whoosh..." Li Lin didn''t hesitate and fled quickly, gratefully glancing at Lan Ling, puzzled why she would save him. During this brief delay, Li Lin and Lan Ling had run far. The giant man, furious, pursued them, but was blocked by the Fire Hawk. Man and beast engaged in fierce combat, the air filled with explosive sounds and scattering flames, the giant man unable to overcome the Fire Hawk. "Second and third, you go after them. We must get the treasure," the giant man ordered the two subordinates who had caught up, while he continued to battle the Fire Hawk, qi and demonic energy swirling fiercely around them. "Yes," the ax-wielding man and the skinny man immediately gave chase. The Fire Hawk, entangled with the giant man, couldn''t stop the others. "Quick, into the dense forest." Li Lin and Lan Ling finally reached the dense forest at the foot of the mountain and quickly leaped into it. Inside, the dense trees and shrubs provided a significant advantage for the two. "Chase." A moment later, the ax-wielding man reached the edge of the forest, and the others, without hesitation, also entered. But pursuing someone in a dense forest is much more difficult. Li Lin and Lan Ling ran swiftly without stopping, heading straight into the thick underbrush, significantly reducing their chances of being found. As they ran, Lan Ling didn''t forget to sprinkle the dung powder of high-level beasts along the way, knowing that the Savage Wolf Mercenary Group had scent-tracking mice, to prevent being located by them. After about a quarter of an hour, the sounds of the Savage Wolf Mercenary Group gradually faded behind them. The two of them breathed a sigh of relief, but dared not stop and continued to run forward. Perhaps because of summoning the Fire Hawk, Lan Ling''s face grew increasingly pale, and her aura weakened. "Are you okay? Do you need to rest?" Li Lin asked. "Let''s get to a safe place first. We can''t be found by the Savage Wolf Mercenary Group," Lan Ling said, now virtually powerless to fight back. If they encountered the mercenaries, the consequences would be dire. Half an hour later, the two had left the dense forest. Surveying their surroundings, they found themselves amidst a series of connected mountains, with a vast, continuous deep valley ahead. "Let''s go into the deep valley," Lan Ling suggested, and they both entered. This valley, with its continuous mountain range, seemed endless at first glance. Several towering cloud peaks stood above the valley, their midsections shrouded in mist, but the mountainsides were lush with greenery. The valley was also thick with trees, providing dense shade. Occasionally, the sound of flowing water could be heard. Li Lin didn''t have time to take a closer look, as he and Lan Ling quickly made their way deeper into the valley. "We should be safe for now," Lan Ling said half an hour later, under a steep peak, her face growing paler. "Then let''s rest here for a while," Li Lin suggested, observing their surroundings. They were now deep within the mountain range of the valley, surrounded by towering green mountains, with the dense foliage obscuring the sky above, leaving little else visible. "That sounds good, let''s rest and recuperate here," Lan Ling, seemingly exhausted, scattered some powdery substance around and said, "We must recover quickly, or we''ll be in trouble." Li Lin sat cross-legged on the ground. Having fled all this way, his Qi was nearly depleted, so he began to meditate and recuperate. This was the second time he had been chased by the Berserk Wolf Mercenary Group like a fleeing dog. Lan Ling also sat cross-legged, swallowing a medicinal pill. Her Qi fluctuated as she began her own recuperation. "Eh, what''s wrong with Xiaolong?" Li Lin suddenly felt the little dragon on his arm becoming restless and uneasy. After calming it down, he managed to regain some peace. As he meditated, Li Lin felt his Qi slowly recovering. However, after a while, his expression changed drastically. Something was wrong inside his body; his Qi solidified, and his meridians were obstructed. He also felt dizzy and weak, his entire body flushed red. He then collapsed to the ground, realizing with a sense of dread that he had been tricked. At that moment, Lan Ling, who had been meditating, opened her eyes, revealing a helpless smile. Her complexion had improved, though she still looked exhausted compared to before. Li Lin wanted to say something but found himself completely immobilized, unable even to open his mouth. Looking at Lan Ling, he bitterly regretted not being more ruthless and cunning. He had had many chances to act against this woman, but now he had fallen into her trap. He recalled a saying from his past life about not trusting women, especially beautiful ones. "You must be wondering why I need the sixth jade slip," Lan Ling said calmly. Li Lin''s eyes moved within their sockets, indicating his curiosity. He indeed wanted to know what was special about this sixth jade slip and why Lan Ling seemed familiar with it. Meanwhile, he considered whether to let the little dragon in his sleeve unexpectedly attack her, but he hesitated, knowing the risks if he failed, especially since she was from the Beast Sect and might have a way to counter the dragon. Lan Ling continued, "Remember when I told you about the White Wolf Mercenary Group? They were wiped out overnight, rumored to be the work of the Three Sects and Four Gates. After I became a direct disciple of the Beast Sect, I accidentally learned that the White Wolf Mercenary Group had ambushed and killed a direct disciple of our sect, who was the successor to our next Sect Leader. They also stole our sect''s secret Beast Soul Technique and Soul Spirit Elixir. This Beast Soul Technique is useless to outsiders. Only members of our sect can cultivate it, and even then, only the Sect Leader''s successor and the inner elders can practice it. It''s a powerful treasure of our sect. The Soul Spirit Elixir is also divine, greatly enhancing one''s soul power and benefiting future cultivation. Even direct disciples can''t easily obtain it. Because of the loss of these treasures and the murder of the disciple, our sect was enraged, and the White Wolf Mercenary Group was annihilated overnight by one of our elders. The Berserk Wolf Mercenary Group seemed to have anticipated our sect''s retaliation and hid all the treasures. Our elders couldn''t find their whereabouts. The treasure of the Berserk Wolf Mercenary Group is rumored to be hidden in these Misty Mountain Ranges. I came here partly for training and partly in the hope of finding the treasure, and I actually did." Hearing this, Li Lin realized that he had been part of Lan Ling''s plan all along. The story about Zhao Qing and her supposed fianc was a fabrication to lure him into killing Zhao Qing, probably because she knew he might have the White Wolf Mercenary Group''s treasure map. "The fifth box contains our Beast Sect''s Beast Soul Technique. The sixth box, which you obtained, contains our Soul Spirit Elixir. With these treasures, if I cultivate the Beast Soul Technique, which I came across by chance, I will have a place in the sect. I will have a chance to rise within the Beast Sect, so I had to get them. Sorry," Lan Ling said softly, lifting a blue sword, its blade shimmering coldly. Li Lin closed his eyes in resignation, feeling dizzy. Just as he was about to signal the little dragon to attack, he lost consciousness. The poison had fully spread through his body. Lan Ling raised her blue sword, aiming it at Li Lin''s chest. Just as the blade was about to pierce his clothes, she withdrew the sword, her eyes showing a complex mix of emotions. Again she raised the sword, but she couldn''t bring herself to strike, her eyes filled with complexity. Chapter 106: Trials in the Mountains "How could this happen, why can''t I bring myself to do it?" Lan Ling sighed deeply, then sheathed her long sword and began to search around Li Lin''s waist. She removed two spatial bags, having seen Li Lin hide the treasures in them. "Whether you live or die depends on your luck. You saved me in the canyon, so I won''t kill you now, considering it as repaying that debt. The Berserk Wolf Mercenary Group wont catch up for now." Lan Ling took the two spatial bags, unable to inspect them immediately, and after one last complex look at Li Lin, she hurriedly left. Time slowly passed, and Li Lin remained unconscious. Vaguely, he felt a warm sensation spreading inside him, bringing indescribable comfort and gradually restoring his immobilized Qi. In a daze, Li Lin began to circulate his Qi, which fully recovered under the influence of this warm force. His stiff body also regained feeling. When Li Lin opened his eyes, he felt a slight pain on the back of his hand. Getting up, he saw the little dragon biting his hand, realizing that the warm power came from the dragon. "Chichichi." Seeing Li Lin awake, the little dragon affectionately crawled into his palm, its small eyes looking at him with concern. "I''m not dead? Where is that woman?" Li Lin immediately looked around, noticing that not much time seemed to have passed. "This vengeance must be repaid. Remember this, one day, I will make you pay and sell you into servitude," Li Lin vowed fiercely, checking his waist only to find his spatial bags gone, no doubt taken by that woman. "The little dragon, did you save me? Thank you." Li Lin held the little dragon in his palm, impressed by the creature''s capabilities. Truly, a spirit emperor beast was extraordinary. "Chichichi" The little dragon''s eyes gleamed with pride and contentment. "We need to leave this place." After gathering his things, Li Lin quickly left the area. His spatial bags only contained two remaining, unused treasure maps. Fortunately, he had been cautious enough to transfer the contents of the bags to an invisible storage ring on his hand. "Serves her right, she''ll be furious." Li Lin imagined Lan Ling''s frustration upon opening the empty bags. His spatial bags were blood-bound, not easy to open without a powerful individual forcefully doing so and with great care, lest the bags and their contents be destroyed. Thinking of Lan Ling''s efforts resulting in two empty bags gave Li Lin a sense of satisfaction. However, he dared not linger, knowing the Berserk Wolf Mercenary Group was nearby. He needed to find a safe place to settle down. As he cautiously made his way, Li Lin vowed to remember everything. Having escaped the Berserk Wolf Mercenary Group once, he planned to seek them out next time. They were probably searching for him worldwide. Contemplating all this, Li Lin decided not to leave the Misty Mountain Ranges immediately. Assuming the Berserk Wolf Mercenary Group was waiting outside, he chose to stay in the mountains. Not seeking revenge would be a disservice to himself. "Berserk Wolf Mercenary Group, the day I come for you will be your doom," Li Lin''s eyes flashed coldly. Wanting revenge was one thing, but Li Lin knew he wasn''t strong enough yet. The Berserk Wolf Mercenary Group''s giant and the axe-wielding second-in-command were formidable, at least at the fifth or sixth level of martial mastery, comparable to Li Wushuang. Li Lin wasn''t yet a match for them. The mountains weren''t safe, but as Uncle Jiang had said, strength is forged through trials. Li Lin considered the Misty Mountain Ranges as an opportunity for growth and training. He wondered who among the new disciples in Yunyang Sect had become direct disciples. Even if he returned to Yunyang Sect now, he would lose the chance to become a direct disciple. So, he decided to train in the Misty Mountain Ranges - to become a dragon or die trying. He refused to believe he couldn''t surpass Yunyang Sect''s direct disciples without being there. "I''ll start my cultivation from these Misty Mountain Ranges," Li Lin resolved with unwavering determination. Li Lin''s figure disappeared into the mountains. As time passed, this area attracted numerous mercenary groups and small teams. The entire mountain shook, and the canyons collapsed, causing a quake-like rumble that echoed throughout the vast mountain range. Unbeknownst to them, a rumor had spread that the White Wolf Mercenary Group''s treasure was nearby, drawing even more bloodthirsty mercenaries, all rushing in like mad wolves. In the ruins of a massive canyon, many mercenary groups were digging, searching for any remaining treasures. The giant man from the White Wolf Mercenary Group was particularly furious, having kept the news hidden, not wanting it to spread, yet somehow the information had leaked. In a forest, under the dense canopy of a large tree, leaves blocked the sunlight, swaying gently in the breeze, occasionally a few drifting down with the wind. "Big brother, we still haven''t found those two. Now all the mercenary groups in the mountain range are converging here. What should we do?" The axe-wielding second-in-command of the White Wolf Mercenary Group asked the giant man. "Keep searching," the giant man ordered, his face marked with a scar from the fiery hawk attack. "Surround the surrounding mountains and search inch by inch. I refuse to believe they can escape underground." Despite the fiery hawk being a beast with wings, he had no way to deal with it. At dawn, in a forest, a figure in a blue robe stood under a towering tree, dewdrops sliding from his hair onto his cheeks. "This kind of hard cultivation is not bad," Li Lin breathed deeply. Over the past few days, the Qi energy in his body had almost been completely refined. As he had estimated, his Qi had only strengthened to the peak of the sixth level of martial mastery and had not broken through to the seventh level. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The people of the Berserk Wolf Mercenary Group were also at this martial level. Even now, refining that Qi energy didnt help him break through, but reaching the peak of the sixth level was already satisfying for Li Lin. Normally, it would take at least three months for a cultivator at this level to enhance their strength by one level, but it had only taken him a few days. "Little dragon, let''s continue," Li Lin said, turning to the little dragon on his shoulder. Over these days, the two had traveled through the mountain range. During this time, they had encountered two demonic beasts, both of which were first-level. In the morning, sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, illuminating the ground. At that moment, Li Lin was lying on a branch of a dense tree, his breath fully concealed, his eyes fixed on a Great Earth Howling Wolf below. This Great Earth Howling Wolf wasnt much different from the one he had seen outside the valley before, also a second-level demonic beast. However, Li Lin couldn''t determine its exact level within the second tier. Watching the Great Earth Howling Wolf below, Li Lin hesitated about whether to attack, knowing it would be a tough opponent. "If I''ve decided to train, then what is there to fear?" Li Lin''s expression hardened, determination in his eyes as Qi began to circulate inside him. As the Great Earth Howling Wolf approached the tree, Li Lin''s Qi vibrated instantly. He leaned back slightly to use the elasticity of the branch, launching himself like an arrow, his palm carrying a powerful force, smashing heavily towards the wolfs abdomen. "Mountain Breaking Palm." The air rippled violently, and a sharp whooshing sound pierced through, as the powerful force surged out. "Aoo Aoo" The Great Earth Howling Wolf instantly roared, noticing Li Lin''s ambush. Its massive body glowed as it swiftly twisted, its front paws with sharp claws swiping at Li Lin, tearing through the air with a violent current. "So fast," Li Lin didnt expect the wolf to be this quick. He retreated rapidly while changing his hand signs, preparing to attack again. "Sssss" A golden light streaked out like lightning, a ferocious aura filling the air. The little dragon, fast as lightning, pounced towards the Great Earth Howling Wolf. "Ao" The Great Earth Howling Wolf roared, but its aura seemed endlessly suppressed. In panic, it leapt three meters high, its massive body and sharp front claws again tearing through the air towards the little dragon. "Whoosh." The little dragon opened its mouth, and a golden flame burst out, instantly raising the temperature around. Its body also emanated golden flames, which engulfed the wolfs front paws. Visible to the naked eye, under the golden flames, the wolf''s front paws sizzled and burned, causing it to howl in pain and crash to the ground. "Chichichi" At that moment, Li Lin surged forward, his fists engulfed in raging flames. The fiery punch, filled with powerful Qi, swept across and heavily struck the back of the Great Earth Howling Wolf. "Bang bang" The powerful force caused the Great Earth Howling Wolf to roar and then its body flew back ten meters before stopping. The spot on its abdomen hit by Li Lin''s punch had its thick black fur fallen off, and its forelimbs were charred black. The golden flames from the little dragon''s mouth were truly terrifying. "Hisss hisss" The little dragon swiftly approached the Great Earth Howling Wolf and bit into it. The wolf, known for its strong defense, could not withstand the little dragon''s attack. After twitching a few times, its body slowly stopped moving. The little dragon feasted on its blood before leaving. Witnessing all this, Li Lin was astonished. The little dragon''s strength was truly fearsome, especially its golden flames, which carried a ferocious might. Li Lin''s curiosity about the little dragon''s identity as a spirit emperor beast grew. Looking at the Great Earth Howling Wolf on the ground, Li Lin skinned it completely. The skin of the Great Earth Howling Wolf was valuable, and beast skins had many uses for spirit practitioners. The Heavenly Spirit Record also mentioned that many items required the refinement of beast skins. After collecting the skin, Li Lin continued his training journey, with the little dragon happily circling his shoulder. Its round eyes were vigilantly scanning the forest. With the little dragon by his side, Li Lin found it much safer in the Misty Mountain Ranges. The little dragon had first detected the Great Earth Howling Wolf, and any unusual movement or presence of demonic beasts nearby couldn''t escape its detection. As time passed, Li Lin and the little dragon experienced a new kind of life in the Misty Mountain Ranges, facing new challenges and potential dangers every day. Half a month later, on an open hillside without trees, two giant black panthers, each about the height of a human and nearly two meters long, surrounded Li Lin. Their greedy eyes saw him as their prey. Observing these two black panthers, Li Lin encountered them for the second time in the Misty Mountain Ranges. He had come across one a few days earlier. After his experiences in the ranges, he understood that these black panthers were early second-level wind elemental demonic beasts. The strength of demonic beasts differed from that of humans. While martial and spirit practitioners'' levels were divided into nine stages, demonic beasts'' strength was divided into early, middle, and late stages for each level. For example, a late second-level demonic beast would be extremely difficult to deal with. A late second-level beast could easily overpower a ninth-level martial practitioner. In terms of innate abilities, demonic beasts were much stronger than humans. However, the universe is fair. While beasts have strong bodies, humans'' intelligence and cultivation speed are far superior. Once a beast reaches the fourth level, it gains full intelligence and can even speak human language. But in terms of cultivation, the human body is more suited. Both demonic beasts and spirit beasts aspire to transform into human forms for cultivation, which only seventh-level beasts can achieve. Seventh-level beasts are extremely rare on the Spirit Martial Continent, with very few sightings. Now, Li Lin eyed the two black panthers on either side. Their fur was incredibly tough, and as wind elemental beasts, their speed was lightning-fast and challenging to deal with. Fortunately, they were not flying beasts, which would have been even more difficult. "Little dragon, stay put. Only come out when I need help," Li Lin commanded, sensing the little dragon''s eagerness in his sleeve. To truly train himself, he had to keep the little dragon hidden. With the little dragon around, scent-sensitive beasts dared not approach, and those that did were no match for it, fearing its aura. Hearing Li Lin''s words, the little dragon calmed down. At that moment, the two black panthers circled Li Lin. Their entirely black fur, with only their red eyes and silver-white fangs shining, prepared to attack. Suddenly, the black panther on the left lunged at Li Lin, releasing a white wind blade that cut through the air towards him at lightning speed. Li Lin knew it was impossible to completely avoid it, especially with two panthers attacking. At that moment, he burst into action, his Qi surging out as he deployed his defensive martial skill, the Qingling Armor, instantly covering his body. Simultaneously, he leaped forward with incredible speed, miraculously dodging the wind blade. "Whoosh" The wind blade hit a several-meter-high boulder on a hillside, shattering it into countless pieces. Li Lin, mid-air, had Qi flowing around him, and the Qingling Armor emitted a pale yellow light. An aura similar to the little dragon''s emanated from him, suppressing the black panthers. The Qingling Armor, crafted with the little dragon''s blood, contained some of its aura, which had a significant deterrent effect on demonic beasts. Li Lin had discovered this feature of the armor during his time in the ranges. The stronger he became, the more potent the armor''s aura. With the Qingling Armor, Li Lin felt somewhat relieved against the black panthers'' attacks. Both were early second-level wind elemental beasts, and he was capable of handling them. Normally, demonic beasts were formidable, but his current strength as a sixth-level martial practitioner meant he could handle mid second-level beasts, though with difficulty. Chapter 107: Furious Roar of the Sea Clad in the Qingling Armor, Li Lin felt somewhat reassured against the attacks of the black panthers. Both black panthers were wind-elemental beasts of the early second-order. He was capable of handling them; normally, although magical beasts were formidable, his current strength as a sixth-level warrior made it feasible to deal with mid-second-order beasts, albeit with great difficulty. However, handling early second-order beasts was still within his capabilities, the only challenge being the incredible speed of these black panthers. In that instant, Li Lin formed hand seals, and five blazing finger imprints surged forward with formidable Qi, aggressively targeting the black panther on the right as he initiated the attack. Roar The black panther on the right let out an angry growl, leaping suddenly. Li Lins five Fire Shadow Fingers were completely dodged by the panther, which then swiftly shot a wind blade from its mouth towards Li Lin. Li Lin landed and instantly retreated, narrowly avoiding the wind blade. The blade struck the ground, creating a huge, deep pit, with dust billowing up. Simultaneously, the first black panther that had attacked Li Lin struck again, its claws tearing through the void and launching a wind blade from its mouth, targeting Li Lin. These second-order beasts, though less intelligent than humans, were far more cunning than ordinary beasts, comparable to the intelligence of a several-year-old child. Once again, Li Lin leaped up, raising one hand, from which five more Fire Shadow Fingers burst out, enveloped in flames and roaring through the air. Though the Fire Shadow Fingers were merely star-level martial techniques, their speed was extremely fast, and Li Lin executed them with unparalleled skill, their power not to be underestimated. Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Five finger imprints swept out again, the sharp sound of tearing wind echoing in the air. The black panther''s eyes showed a trace of fear, its intelligence allowing it to sense the power of these finger imprints. At that moment, the panther rapidly dove downwards to avoid the attack. As a wind-elemental beast, it displayed its incredible innate speed, which was almost unbelievably fast. In this unbelievable speed, Li Lin''s Fire Shadow Fingers missed again. Meanwhile, the second black panther already clawed through the void, aiming at Li Lin''s back. Hmph, take my palm! Li Lin uttered softly. Facing two incredibly fast black panthers, he knew he had to deal with one first. With this thought, he decided to rely on his Qingling Armor and resolve the situation with the black panther in front of him first. Mountain Splitting Palm. Li Lin shouted, ignoring the panther attacking from behind. His Qi vibrated, causing the air to tremble. Centered around Li Lin, the space within a hundred meters turned a faint yellow, with Qi raging. Li Lins palm imprint heavily struck towards the waist of the black panther in front of him. All these large animals generally possess formidable physical strength and resilience. However, they share a common weakness: their waist defenses are somewhat inferior. At that moment, Li Lin''s palm strike hit the first black panther''s waist. As the palm imprint landed, its powerful force directly poured into the panther''s body. The massive body of the black panther was instantly sent flying, spewing a stream of purplish-red blood. Crack At the same time, Li Lin felt a burning pain in his back as the second black panther''s claw heavily landed on it. Scales from the Qingling Armor fell to the ground. The panther''s claws were more formidable than Li Lin had anticipated. Five 10-centimeter-long bloody marks seared across his back. Fortunately, the Qingling Armor protected him, only causing superficial wounds. However, the pain was real, causing Li Lin to break out in cold sweat. Damn it, cursed Li Lin under his breath. He rapidly retreated as the black panther''s claw struck, its fangs gleaming coldly as it aimed for Li Lin''s neck. Furious Flame Fist. Li Lin was already prepared. He gathered the fire-elemental martial technique, Furious Flame Fist, and counterattacked with a backward strike. The fiery and violently powerful punch was enough to withstand the panthers claw, ensuring it wouldnt get off easily. Bang! The Furious Flame Fist harshly hit the panther''s lower abdomen, dispersing Qi energy. Li Lin had exerted his strongest force as a sixth-level warrior. The exertion caused blood to continuously seep from his wound, which the Qingling Armor couldn''t repair at that moment. Yet, the strike was powerful. The black panther was sent flying by Li Lin''s punch, crashing heavily into the ground some meters away, causing a slight tremor on the hillside. All this happened in the blink of an eye. The two black panthers struggled to their feet and, realizing Li Lin''s strength, quickly fled. Thinking of running? Stay. Li Lin called out, changing the hand seals in his hand. A fiery aura spread as he launched five Fire Shadow Fingers, ignoring his own injuries. Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! The sound of air being torn apart resounded as the five finger imprints struck the two black panthers. One panther had three bloody holes on its body, while the other had two on its back, with blood flowing freely. Both panthers then collapsed weakly to the ground. Their defenses aren''t as strong as the Earth Roaring Wolves, but the defense of magical beasts is still formidable, Li Lin observed, approaching the two black panthers. Seeing that they hadn''t completely died, he vibrated his Qi and shot two Fire Shadow Fingers directly into the center of their foreheads. Blood splattered as the two panthers convulsed and died. In his recent experiences battling magical beasts, Li Lin had not only enhanced his combat skills and experience but had also become more ruthless. An invisible aura of slaughter, which can only be acquired through shedding much blood, surrounded him. Those who had traversed the Misty Mountain Range for years often carried such an aura, deterring magical beasts and exerting a suppressive and intimidating effect on others. That black panther''s claw was indeed formidable, Li Lin reflected, feeling the wound on his back. Only now did he tend to it. Although it had bled a bit, it wasnt much, and the wound wasn''t deep. A faint yellowish glow enveloped Li Lin, and then his Qi began to circulate through the meridians in his back. Moments later, the wound was gradually healing. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Ssss ssss Little dragon crawled out from Li Lin''s sleeve onto his shoulder, looking at Li Lin''s wound, then turned its head and made a low hissing sound at him. Its small eyes seemed to be staring at Li Lin, as if saying something. Its okay, Im fine. Its just a minor injury. Ill let you take action when I encounter beasts I cant handle. Without my command, youre not allowed to intervene, Li Lin communicated with Little dragon, understanding its sentiment. Although he couldnt fully comprehend Little dragon''s words, he knew it was blaming him for not letting it help, which resulted in his injury. Li Lin didnt take this injury to heart. If he couldnt endure such minor wounds, there would be no point in training in the Misty Mountain Range. Relying on Little dragon for everything wouldnt truly strengthen him, which was his ultimate goal. Lets continue. After packing up, Li Lin resumed his journey of self-improvement. Several hours later, after passing through a dense forest, a secluded valley appeared before him, hidden within the mountain range. The valley, nestled within the mountains, was dotted with numerous peaks forming a majestic, layered landscape. In the center of the valley, misty waters half-hidden in clouds looked like a jade ribbon. Outside the valley, a wide river flowed, its destination unknown. Its turquoise waves churned and slapped rhythmically against the rocks on the shore. What a place, Li Lin thought, surprised to find such a location within the Misty Mountain Range. This is a perfect spot to settle, he decided, planning to make this his temporary base. He would train around this valley and also start studying the "Heavenly Spirit Record" left by his master, the Holy Hand Spirit Sovereign. An hour later, near the riverbank, among several large rocks, a natural cave appeared before Li Lin. This is it. Li Lin smiled, finding the spot suitable for his cultivation. He hadnt yet practiced a low-level yellow-grade water-elemental martial technique he acquired from the White Wolf Mercenary Group. Once he mastered this technique, his strength would surely increase. Although he possessed the powerful moves like the Vermilion Bird Art and the Soul of the Blade, both had significant costs, especially the Vermilion Bird Art, which demanded an alarming price each time it was used. Apart from the Vermilion Bird Art and the Soul of the Blade, his Mountain Splitting Palm, Furious Flame Fist, and Fire Shadow Finger were only star-level techniques. They were well-suited to his current strength, but sometimes he felt their power was insufficient and left much to be desired. The water-elemental martial technique was a low-level yellow-grade technique, undoubtedly much more powerful than the initial star-level techniques. Inside the natural cave, Li Lin took out three brocade boxes from the storage ring, treasures he had obtained from the White Wolf Mercenary Group. Thinking about how Lan Ling took two empty space bags, Li Lin smiled again, grateful for his foresight and the mysterious features of his storage ring. Otherwise, he would have suffered a great loss. However, those two space bags were worth thousands of gold coins each, not cheap at all. Lan Ling, the next time I see you, I will make you realize that I am not someone to be trifled with, Li Lin swore silently. He was determined not to let go of this woman who dared to deceive him. Li Lin felt slightly better seeing the three brocade boxes. In addition to nearly six hundred thousand gold coins, the treasures inside these boxes were certainly valuable - a spirit pill, a scroll of low-level yellow-grade water-elemental martial technique, and the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid. Soul Spirit Divine Liquid, what kind of treasure is this? Li Lin opened the brocade box containing a small jade bottle with a transparent liquid inside. A fierce energy surged out, making his heart pound. This power was incredibly wild. That woman said it''s a precious item from the Myriad Beasts Sect, not to be wasted, Li Lin looked at the jade bottle. The wild energy seemed to be calling out to him. However, he didn''t plan to consume and refine it immediately. According to his plan, he would first master the water-elemental martial technique. After taking out the scroll of the water-elemental yellow-grade martial technique, Li Lin stored away the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid and the spirit pill. He sat cross-legged, calmed his breath, and dripped a drop of blood onto the jade slip. Instantly, a dazzling light erupted from the jade slip, and a violent water attribute energy surged, surrounding Li Lin with a layer of blue light. A beam of light from the jade slip entered Li Lin''s mind, transforming into a vast amount of information. Moments later, the aura receded, the light from the jade slip faded, turning it into an ordinary jade slip. A vast amount of information was now stored in Li Lin''s mind. Furious Roar of the Sea, Li Lin muttered. From the information in the jade slip, he learned that this low-level yellow-grade water-elemental martial technique, named Furious Roar of the Sea, was a powerful attack technique. Its strongest move, the ultimate Furious Roar of the Sea, could create a giant vortex like the tumultuous waves of an endless sea, capable of destroying everything within, demonstrating its formidable power. Worthy of a yellow-grade martial technique. Let the cultivation begin, Li Lin smiled faintly, his lips curving up. Once he mastered the Furious Roar of the Sea, his strength would surely advance further. As time slowly passed, the Misty Mountain Range became increasingly lively. With the passing of time, news of treasures in the mountains spread outside the Misty Mountain Range. Many people from Misty City began entering the mountains, lured by the prospect of treasure. At this time, in an attic in Misty City, a slender figure stood by the window. Upon closer inspection, a woman was dressed in a green suit with light blue patterns embroidered on the cuffs. The silver threads outlined a dense pattern of blue sea clouds. From behind, the tight suit accentuated her graceful curves, shapely buttocks, slender waist, and long legs, her figure undeniably alluring. "Miss, why have you come here? We should go back," a figure appeared behind the young woman, dressed as a maid. She looked about seventeen or eighteen years old, pretty and delicate. To those in the know, it would be a surprise that this maid was actually a martial warrior, possibly even at the seventh or eighth level. To be a warrior of such level at her age indicated extraordinary talent. "I''m not going back for now. It''s not often I get to come out, and I''ve heard there are treasures in the Misty Mountain Range. How about we go and see?" The woman in the green suit turned around, her beauty strikingly ethereal. This woman, no more than eighteen or nineteen years old, had her hair elegantly styled, with lightly brushed brows and star-like eyes. Her skin was smooth and delicate, glowing softly like warm jade. Her lips, small and cherry-red, exuded a natural charm. A few strands of hair gently brushed her face in the breeze, adding to her enchanting allure. Her slender waist, accentuated by her tight suit, was breathtakingly flawless, as if she was an ethereal being, untouched by worldly matters. "Miss, we can''t do that. The two elders are waiting for us. Even if you want to go, you should ask them first," the maid said in surprise, aware of her mistress''s temperament and not daring to let her venture out alone. "What''s there to fear? If we tell them, they won''t let us go. I''ve finally got the chance to come out. If you dont want to accompany me, then I''ll go alone," the woman in the green suit said lightly, her intelligent eyes shifting. "But Miss, we..." "What about us? The Misty Mountain Range must be fun. Let''s go for a walk," the maid was cut off by the woman in green, who then leaped down from the second-floor attic to the street below and strode away. "Miss, wait for me!" the maid exclaimed in alarm and hurriedly followed. In the Misty Mountain Range, near the valley where the White Wolf Mercenary Group had hidden their treasure, the number of mercenaries and others gathered had reached an extreme. But even after a whole month, no one had found the treasure, nor did anyone know who had it. However, rumors were already spreading that the treasure had fallen into the hands of a young man and woman - the man in a green robe and the woman, voluptuous and dressed in a tight suit, supposedly a disciple of the Myriad Beasts Sect. Although very few knew the whereabouts of the treasure, no one had found the pair. They seemed to have vanished into thin air, but many firmly believed that the duo had hidden the treasure and could be found with continued searching. In a secluded valley, Li Lin stood by the river, his Qi vibrating around him. He formed hand seals, and a blue light gathered, forming a half-meter diameter water sphere within the rushing river. The water sphere formed, exuding immense power and causing the surrounding air to whirl violently. The space was filled with the fierce energy of water. Break, Li Lin commanded, striking a hand seal. The water sphere shot towards a large rock on the riverbank and exploded on impact. Boom boom The rock shook violently, scattering debris. Even the large rock cracked under the attack of the water sphere. "Still not skilled enough. A low-level yellow-grade martial technique is indeed difficult to master," Li Lin murmured, continuing to form hand seals and gathering water elemental Qi. Chapter 108: Ambushed "Hiss, hiss..." The little dragon circled around a huge rock, its tiny head watching Li Lin, then, seemingly bored, crawled down the rock to play on its own. Li Lin, immersed in deep concentration, repeatedly practiced the Furious Sea Roar technique. Martial arts could not be mastered in a short time, especially higher-level techniques, which were even harder to cultivate. Patience and perseverance were not lacking in Li Lin. In this valley, he felt no discomfort; rather, he reached a wonderful state of mind. The quiet environment was very suitable for focused cultivation. In this tranquility, Li Lin knew that people from the Violent Wolf Mercenary Group outside the valley must be searching the world for him. The grudge of being chased must be avenged; not seeking revenge was not in his character. Therefore, in this quiet environment, Li Lin also felt a sense of urgency; he must enhance his strength as soon as possible. In such conditions, Li Lins training progressed rapidly. In just half a month, he had already reached the introductory stage of mastering the Furious Sea Roar, a Yellow-Level beginner martial technique. For ordinary people, even three months might not yield such results. If an outsider were present, they would undoubtedly be amazed. At nightfall, the afterglow of the setting sun cast over the valley, dressing it in a layer of red. Li Lin ceased his cultivation and gathered his Qi. When Li Lin returned to the cave, the little dragon, with a wild rabbit in its mouth, entered the cave, holding its head high. Its small eyes, turning gleefully, watched Li Lin with a proud expression. "You are really impressive," Li Lin said as he patted the little dragon''s head. During this period, the little dragon brought wild animals to the cave every day, so Li Lin didn''t need to go out to find food. "Hiss, hiss..." The little dragon shook its head, once again looking smug, then climbed onto Li Lin''s shoulder. After roasting the wild rabbit, both the human and the beast ate heartily. The little dragon had a huge appetite, but Li Lin did not let it eat too much. Cooked food like this, which wasn''t a magical beast, did not benefit the little dragon. Observing in the Wudu City Mountain Range, Li Lin noticed that when the little dragon ate magical beasts raw, it always gained more or less benefit. Its skin became more lustrous, and its size gradually increased. Not allowing it to eat the delicious food, the little dragon glared at Li Lin huffily, then ran to a rock in the cave and coiled up, ignoring Li Lin. Li Lin smiled slightly; the little dragon could even get angry. However, every time it got angry, it would climb back onto him in less than half an hour. "It''s about time to take a pill. If I can break through to the seventh level warrior, my strength will increase again," Li Lin sat cross-legged, taking out the five third-grade pills from the space bag he obtained from the Fire Yin Monster. Among the five third-grade pills, two were Qi Recovery Pills for healing, and he had already taken one. In addition to the two Qi Recovery Pills, Li Lin had three other pills, all of which were designed to enhance Qi, called True Yang Pills. Now, Li Lin planned to consume one True Yang Pill in preparation to break through to the seventh level of the warrior. A third-grade pill should be sufficient for him to reach the seventh level, but as the energy needed for his breakthroughs increased, even a third-grade pill might not be enough to reach the eighth level. Having refined the Qi of the Violent Wolf Mercenary Group for almost a month, Li Lin now dared to consume the pill to attempt a breakthrough. Uncle Jiang had repeatedly warned him not to be too eager for quick success; if he could not fully refine the acquired energy, it would greatly impact his future cultivation. Li Lin understood the importance of a solid foundation. A skyscraper starts from the ground, and a shaky foundation could lead to a collapse at higher levels. Therefore, he dared not be careless. Despite wanting to enhance his strength as quickly as possible, he knew he needed to proceed step by step. With the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique, he was already progressing much faster than others. Delaying a little while to avoid future detriments to his cultivation was acceptable. After consuming the pill, a tremendous surge of energy immediately spread throughout Li Lin''s body. He quickly entered a state of cultivation, circulating the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique within his body to refine this massive energy for his own use. At this time, Li Lin''s recent training and exertions had left his muscles, bones, and tissues in a state of fatigue. With this sudden influx of immense energy, his muscles and bones naturally absorbed it, rapidly recovering and becoming even more robust. Li Lin had confidence in his physique, which had been tempered by Uncle Jiang, and had even been soaked in Marrow Cleansing Pills for a month. In terms of physical robustness among his peers of the same cultivation level, he was certainly top-notch. Additionally, with the Qing Ling Armor, his defensive capability was also quite formidable. As time slowly passed, Qi began to seep out from the pores of Li Lin''s body, enveloping him in a yellowish glow. His main attribute was the Earth element, known for its strong offensive and defensive capabilities within the full spectrum of elemental attributes. While the Water element is the most sensitive and its defensive capability second only to Earth, the Wind element boasts the fastest speed. The Wood element is extremely tricky and unpredictable, making it hard to defend against, and the Fire element is known for its terrifying power. Each elemental attribute has its own strengths, but very few people are capable of cultivating two attributes simultaneously. Thus, warriors with dual elemental attributes are highly valued. By utilizing the characteristics of dual elements, their strength becomes considerably more formidable. Generally speaking, among cultivators of the same level, a single-element warrior facing a dual-element warrior would have virtually no chance of winning. As Li Lin refined the immense energy of the third-grade True Yang Pill, the Qi in his Dantian Qi Sea was continuously strengthening and becoming purer. The earthy yellow light enveloping Li Lin grew brighter and more intense, with a formidable aura radiating a fierce momentum. To any onlooker, it would be clear that Li Lin was in the midst of a breakthrough. This momentum kept growing stronger. Even the little dragon perched on the rock could feel this powerful aura and raised its head to watch. Li Lin''s breakthrough at this moment wasn''t surprising. Having refined the Qi energy previously, he had already reached the peak of the sixth-level warrior. Now, refining the True Yang Pill, a breakthrough was expected. As time passed, the luminous aura around Li Lin became increasingly dense. In his Dantian Qi Sea, the Qi was full to the brim, and his meridians were also filled with Qi. His meridians expanded, causing pain to emerge. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Converge," Li Lin commanded softly, forming a hand seal. The Qi in his meridians surged into his Dantian Qi Sea in unison. A muffled sound echoed within the Dantian Qi Sea. Simultaneously, an invisible force from the surrounding world seemed to be drawn into Li Lin''s body through every pore. Li Lin''s aura continued to climb, exponentially stronger than before. Until dawn, when the first ray of sunlight pierced through the mountain crevices, Li Lin ceased his cultivation. He exhaled a long breath from his Dantian Qi Sea, and at that moment, his aura was completely different from the previous night. Feeling the enhanced Qi within his body, Li Lin''s lips curled into a lazy smile. Stretching languidly, he commented, "Using half of a third-grade pill just to break through from the peak of the sixth-level warrior to the seventh level, the effect of consuming pills is not as strong as directly absorbing the energy from other warriors." At this moment, Li Lin sensed that the energy from the True Yang Pill he had consumed was already half depleted. Considering that a third-grade pill was worth thousands of gold coins, relying solely on pills for breakthroughs was akin to burning money. "Let''s continue practicing the ''Raging Sea Roar''," Li Lin said as he stood up and brushed off his robe. A flash of yellow light swiftly landed on his shoulder, revealing the little dragon. "So, you''re done being angry?" Li Lin cradled the little dragon in his hands, gently stroking its head with a smile. "Chichi" The little dragon gave Li Lin a glare before swiftly darting away, disappearing into the valley to play on its own. Li Lin smiled lightly and headed to the riverbank to resume his training in the Raging Sea Roar. Practicing a water-based martial skill by the riverbank was somewhat beneficial, which was one of the reasons Li Lin had chosen this valley as his base. Beside the tumultuous river, where the water crashed against the rocks, sending up sprays of mist, Li Lin stood in the river with the water reaching his thighs. His Qi vibrated, and a blue light enveloped him, forming water spheres that continuously struck down. As the force of the water pressed against him, Li Lin slowly moved downstream. He recalled the first time he practiced in the river, how he was immediately swept away by the waves. Now, his progress was significant. Waves of power converged in the river, causing sonic booms. Water spheres, palm prints, and mist attacks stirred up large waves that crashed violently against the riverbank''s rocks. Two hours later, Li Lin returned to the shore and sat cross-legged on a rock. This kind of training was exhausting, and it was time to recuperate. This Yellow-grade martial skill consumed much more Qi compared to Star-grade skills. Having broken through to the seventh level of warrior last night, the power of the Raging Sea Roar I used today has significantly increased. The mastery of Raging Sea Roar is becoming more proficient. However, the Qi consumption of Raging Sea Roar is substantial. Although it''s not as terrifying as the Vermillion Bird Art, the consumption is still astonishing. Outside the valley, two figures cautiously made their way through the dense forest. "It''s been over a month, where could that man and woman have hidden themselves?" whispered a lean man with a missing arm in the forest, followed by a muscular man. Both were members of the Brutal Wolf Mercenary Group, and the one-armed man was their third leader who had his arm severed by Lan Ling. "Third leader, could that man and woman have run away? Otherwise, it''s impossible that we haven''t found them in over a month," the muscular man suggested. "It''s unlikely. They must be hiding in some corner. I must catch that woman and have my revenge to quell the hatred in my heart," the lean man said coldly. "Third leader, look, there''s a valley." They passed through the forest and unexpectedly came upon a majestic valley, a place they had never been to during their many years in the Misty Mountain Range. "They are here, in this valley." Suddenly, the lean man''s gaze fell upon the young man in a blue robe, sitting cross-legged on a rock by the river. "Quickly go inform the boss and the second leader. I''ll keep watch here. Don''t startle them and be careful not to let other mercenary groups know," he whispered to his muscular companion. "Understood." After the muscular man quietly retreated back into the forest, the one-armed third leader hid in a bush. "Wait for the boss to arrive. Who knows, this kid might leave. I wonder if that wench is here too?" The third leader peered out from his hiding spot, watching Li Lin in the distance, his expression filled with indecision. This kid only has the strength of a warrior, should be easy to handle. That wench might not be in the valley. It''s not bad to deal with this kid first, then the treasure will be mine. The skinny man watched Li Lin with a greedy look in his eyes, a hint of coldness emerging. He then started to crawl forward quietly, very slowly, for fear of alarming the other party. Time slowly passed, and Li Lin was in the midst of meditating, unaware that this hidden valley could be so easily discovered. He didn''t pay much attention, not expecting anyone to approach. The true energy inside his body was slowly recovering. Suddenly, Li Lin felt something unusual in the valley. Although he wasn''t deliberately on guard, as a spiritual being, he still possessed keen perception. "There''s danger." Li Lin quickly realized this. There was a new presence in the valley. Having been in the valley for a while, Li Lin was well aware of everything in it. "Twenty meters, a surprise attack to kill this kid should be no problem." At this moment, the skinny man had already reached a spot twenty meters behind Li Lin, hidden under a rock. The skinny man calculated that the other party was only a warrior in strength, and he had a 90% chance of killing him with a sneak attack. Having made up his mind, the skinny man''s expression turned cold. His body silently drifted out, moving towards Li Lin like a phantom shadow. In that instant, a fierce aura also spread out. Li Lin suddenly felt a surge of panic and quickly leapt back, only to see a skinny figure with a long sword in his left hand stabbing directly at him. The sword qi tore through the air, aiming straight at his heart. Retreating again and again, Li Lin was pushed back to the turbulent river. With true energy forming a protective circle around him, he hovered over the river. At this moment, a sly smile crossed Li Lin''s eyes. Seeing Li Lin''s smile, the one-armed skinny man felt an inexplicable danger spreading in his heart. His expression turned cold, his true energy surged out, and his sword became even faster. The two were hovering over the river, and the sword tip was about to reach Li Lin''s chest. "Revenge starts with you. Let''s see the power of my Furious Sea Roar." Suddenly, Li Lin stabilized his body, his hand gestures seemingly ready. "Furious Sea Roar." With a shout from Li Lin, the hand gesture was made, and his body''s light instantly turned blue. A powerful and wild force spread out in an instant. As the shout fell, Li Lin waved his blue sleeve robe, his hand gesture instantly striking out. Around him, a huge and dense water energy surged, converging at an astonishing speed. In an instant, it gathered in front of Li Lin into a continuously spinning curtain of rain, appearing extremely eerie. The skinny man thrust his sword straight forward, but it could not penetrate any further in front of the curtain of rain, entangled by a vortex of ripples and whirlpools. At this moment, the third leader''s face suddenly turned to shock. The opponent was clearly a warrior in cultivation, but his strength was terrifying. What shocked him the most was that in the canyon, he had seen this young man as a fire-type warrior, but now, he was using water-type martial techniques. "You, you are a dual-type warrior?" The skinny man exclaimed in shock. Missing his strike and about to withdraw his sword for another attack, his expression suddenly changed again. At this time, the entire space seemed to tremble. On the surface of the river below, huge waves surged and howled continuously, instantly converging at an astonishing and terrifying speed. In the blink of an eye, a massive blue vortex about a hundred meters in size emerged, roaring into existence. The blue vortex was entirely blue, rapidly spinning like the giant waves of a tsunami in the ocean. The roaring sea, with its terrifying and pervasive aura, and its fierce and terrifying power, caused a series of explosive sounds in the entire space. The river water sunk below the surface, converging into the vortex, and waves tens of meters high crashed against the shore. In the terrifying vortex, the skinny man''s eyes were filled with horror. A wild force suppressed him, his protective circle began to distort, and a massive force violently assaulted him, as if his body was about to be torn into pieces in an instant. "Die, Furious Sea Roar." Li Lin made his final hand gesture. In the roaring vortex in front of him, a massive force drew away most of his true energy. As his shout fell, he fiercely pushed forward with both hands. The huge vortex trembled and then suddenly spun at high speed. In the deafening whistling and wind-breaking sound, it expanded like lightning. The terrifying aura and fierce pressure emanated from within, distorting the surrounding space and airflow, sweeping out like a tornado. Such a huge vortex, like the sea roaring in anger, possessed an extremely powerful and terrifying force. Chapter 109: Bloody Revenge "Bang, bang" The rapidly spinning vortex finally exploded. The burst of the vortex echoed thunderously through the valley, and the terrifying surge of energy swept out like a hurricane. However, as this energy spread to a certain range, it suddenly and silently ceased, engulfing an area of hundreds of meters within the valley. The explosion of the vortex was like a torrential downpour. "Pfft..." With the explosion of the vortex, the skinny man felt a tremendous force pouring onto his body. His protective circle could no longer withstand the immense force and shattered loudly. The powerful force ruthlessly poured into his body from all directions with a spinning force, directly targeting his internal organs. A muffled groan came from the skinny man''s throat, and a mist of blood mixed with shattered internal organs spurted from his mouth. He was instantly blasted away, landing on the rocks at the riverbank, which then cracked and broke apart. The attacker''s strike was beyond what a normal warrior should possess. This immense power destroyed even his internal organs, which was terrifying. "You hid your true strength..." The skinny man stared at Li Lin, his eyes filled with unwillingness, and then he breathed his last. Until his death, he thought Li Lin had hidden his true strength, definitely not just a warrior. Li Lin, pale-faced, approached the skinny man''s corpse. Fortunately, as a spiritual being, he had keenly sensed the danger and had been on guard beforehand. Otherwise, he would have been the one dead. At the same time, Li Lin couldn''t help but marvel at the power of the basic-level Huang-tier martial technique, Furious Sea Roar. Although it was the strongest move he had executed, its power was undoubtedly terrifying. The skinny man was also a first-level martial artist, and although Li Lin had broken through again last night, he was only a seventh-level warrior. Having killed the third leader of the Violent Wolf Mercenary Group, Li Lin knew that this was all related to his use of the terrain. If it were somewhere else, his execution of Furious Sea Roar wouldn''t have been so powerful. But now, in this river, it significantly amplified the effect of water-based martial techniques. Executing fire-based martial techniques on a volcano, wood-based martial techniques in a forest, and water-based martial techniques on water surfaces could all significantly amplify their power. Additionally, the third leader of the Violent Wolf Mercenary Group had tried to ambush him, but Li Lin was well-prepared, catching him off guard. This advantage allowed him to kill with one move. "Next time, I must always be careful." Li Lin muttered to himself, then took the space bag from the skinny man''s body into his own hands. "Whoosh, whoosh..." A yellow light flashed several times in an instant and landed on Li Lin''s shoulder. Aside from Little dragon, naturally, there wouldn''t be anything else. Little dragon looked at Li Lin, its eyes filled with concern, seemingly wanting to ask something. The recent loud noise had also startled it while it was playing in the distance. "It''s okay, but we''ve been discovered. This place is no longer safe, we need to leave here immediately," Li Lin said to Little dragon. The practice of Furious Sea Roar was barely passable. Although it was not yet proficient, and his current strength couldn''t bring out the full power of Furious Sea Roar, this was the best they could do for now. After a quick clean-up, the man and the beast swiftly left the valley. This hidden valley was no longer a secret, and naturally, Li Lin would not stay any longer. The members of the Violent Wolf Mercenary Group were probably going to find this place soon. About three hours after Li Lin left the valley, nearly twenty people hurried into the valley. They were the giant leader and members of the Violent Wolf Mercenary Group. The scene in the valley, however, terrified all members of the Violent Wolf Mercenary Group. On a huge rock, the third leader of the Violent Wolf Mercenary Group was sprawled out, his limbs separated, and his head chopped off. On the rock, a message written in fresh blood read: "Revenge begins. This is just the first one. Next is every one of you." "Boss, the third brother was killed so horribly, damn it," the second leader raged, hating that they couldnt immediately find and split the man and woman responsible. "Search for them, they couldn''t have gone far. We must find them," the giant leader roared, seeing this as a provocation against him. "Roar..." In a forest, a massive, azure-colored ape watched Li Lin. Its huge body was two meters tall, and its strong aura spread out. "A Wood-type demonic beast, Bear Ape," Li Lin observed the giant ape. This was a Bear Ape demonic beast. Judging from its aura, it had reached the late stage of the second level. A demonic beast of this level, even a ninth-level warrior would find difficult to deal with. The Bear Ape is a special breed among demonic beasts, half resembling a bear with immense attacking power and half resembling an ape with great speed. Its huge body, eyes larger than those of a cow, and thick fur covering its body indicated that although it was a Wood-type demonic beast, its defensive power was also very strong. "Sss!" The Bear Ape launched an attack swiftly, its huge body lunging forward, and its massive fist swung directly towards Li Lin. "Bang!" Li Lin quickly gathered his true energy and pushed out with a Mountain-Splitting Palm to defend. The Bear Ape''s punch collided with Li Lin''s palm, scattering the air currents in the space. With a loud "bang" explosion, Li Lin''s body was staggered backward, his palm numb. "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!"... Li Lin''s body had not yet stabilized when, at that moment, four or five streaks of blue light appeared abruptly in front of him. Upon closer inspection, they were attacks resembling vines, conjured by the Bear Ape. "Fire Shadow Finger." Li Lin''s expression darkened. He conjured the fire-based martial technique, Fire Shadow Finger. In an instant, five finger strikes with traces of flames burst out, blocking the several vine-like attacks. "Crack, crack, crack, crack..." The vines, also a concentration of wood attribute energy, dissipated into thin air upon colliding with Li Lin''s attack. Li Lin was pushed back by a great force, internally remarking on the formidable strength of the Bear Ape. Li Lin took the opportunity to move to one side. At the same time, the Bear Ape, astonishingly fast, leaped towards Li Lin like an arrow released from a bow. Its huge forelimbs swung another punch, now entirely covered with thick tree bark, looking quite peculiar. This thick tree bark was a wood-type demonic beast talent of the Bear Ape, enhancing its defense and attack power significantly. Wood-type demonic beasts are especially tricky and difficult to deal with. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Li Lin was alarmed. This late second-stage demonic beast was indeed not easy to handle. If a large commotion was caused, it might attract many people. "Sss..." Just then, from Li Lin''s sleeve, a streak of yellow light burst out like lightning, followed by a burst of intense golden flames. Under the golden flames, the peculiar tree bark on the Bear Ape''s forelimbs instantly turned to ash and disintegrated. "Roar..." A terrifying roar ensued. Little dragon immediately bit onto the Bear Ape''s forelimb, its small head enlarging significantly. With its sharp fangs, it fiercely tore off a piece of flesh, eliciting a piercing roar. The Bear Ape''s forelimb was now missing a chunk of flesh, with blood spurting out. Feeling the aura emanating from Little dragon, the Bear Ape immediately showed an intention to retreat. An invisible aura from Little dragon made it greatly apprehensive. Just then, the Bear Ape''s vision blurred as Little dragon''s body seemed to become illusory and drew closer. Before it could react, Little dragon was already on the Bear Ape''s neck, biting down fiercely. The Bear Ape''s thick fur could not stop Little dragon''s sharp fangs. The Bear Ape couldn''t even make a sound before it collapsed to the ground. Its huge body fell with a thud, slightly shaking the ground. By the time it hit the ground, it was already a corpse. "Sss, sss..." Little dragon hovered around the Bear Ape''s neck, proudly lifting its small head and looking at Li Lin as if boasting about how it had easily dealt with the Bear Ape in just a few moves. "I told you not to interfere, but you just couldn''t help yourself," Li Lin said helplessly, glaring at Little dragon. However, he was internally shocked. In the Misty Mountain Range, Little dragon''s progress was terrifying. Perhaps because it had devoured many demonic beasts, Little dragon now found it easy to kill a second-stage demonic beast, not finding it challenging at all. "Whoosh..." Hearing that he was not praised but rather scolded, Little dragon looked at Li Lin with a sense of grievance. Then, huffily, it swiftly flew up and rushed into Lin''er''s sleeve, coiling around Li Lin''s arm. Li Lin smiled faintly, skinned the Bear Ape and stored its fur in his storage ring. Both of his space bags had been taken away by Lan Ling, so now Li Lin had only the storage ring to use. After tidying up, Li Lin continued forward. He guessed that by now, the people from the Violent Wolf Mercenary Group must have seen his handiwork. "Violent Wolf Mercenary Group, it''s your turn now. Just wait," Li Lin thought, a chill flashing in his eyes. Three days later, by a mountain stream, two men in black attire bent down to wash their faces, looking up at the scorching sun. The one on the left said, "This man and woman sure ran fast and disappeared again, making it hard for us to find them." "Do you want to die? The third leader died at their hands. If we really encounter them, we''d be as good as dead," the other man said, glancing around, not wishing to encounter the man and woman. "Is that so? However, it seems your luck is not very good." A blue figure suddenly appeared behind them, with two fiery finger strikes accompanied by a sharp whistling sound rushing towards them. "It''s you..." The two men''s faces changed drastically, and they quickly retreated, having witnessed the fate of the third leader and not daring to confront him. Li Lin, who had been lying in ambush for so long, launched a sudden attack. The two men, both second-level warriors, were unable to escape, and the finger strikes quickly reached them. In a panic, the two men set up a blue and a red protective circle, one a water-type warrior and the other a fire-type warrior. "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" Their hastily erected protective circles couldn''t withstand Li Lin''s Fire Shadow Finger. In an instant, four strong and fiery strikes rushed forward, and the protective circles in front of the two men cracked and disintegrated, leaving four bloody holes in their chests. "Continue..." Li Lin left several blood-written words on the ground, then left the streamside and strode away. This was just the beginning. Since he was training in the Misty Mountain Range, he might as well use the people from the Violent Wolf Mercenary Group for practice. Against the Violent Wolf Mercenary Group, Li Lin was only cautious about the two leaders. He believed he could handle the others. A day later, next to a canyon, several fiery finger marks and a yellow light suddenly appeared behind three men in black attire. Screams of "Ahh..." echoed. Two of the men fell in response, while the remaining one''s chest burst with blood, his face pale, not dying immediately. "It''s you, what do you want to do?" This man stared at the figure in the green robe that suddenly appeared before him, his face turning ashen. "I just want to try out my Soul Searching technique," the figure in the green robe said coldly, forming a strange hand seal. Light swirled around his fingers as he bent them into a claw, which he then placed on the man''s forehead. The man tried to struggle but instantly became immobilized, his eyes turning white, his body convulsing uncontrollably. "Ahh..." Moments later, the man screamed, his pupils dilated and foaming at the mouth. Only then did Li Lin withdraw his claw imprint, showing a slight bitter smile. "This Soul Searching technique is quite difficult to practice." Looking at the body on the ground, Li Lin sighed, not because of the man''s death, but because of his Soul Searching technique. According to the Heavenly Spirit Record, once fully mastered, the Soul Searching technique could easily probe someone''s soul without taking their life. However, this kind of search could damage the person''s soul, adversely affecting their future cultivation. It''s no surprise that meddling in someone''s soul without causing harm is difficult. After cleaning up, Li Lin and Little dragon left again. From this man''s mind, Li Lin learned that the treasure had indeed attracted many people. No wonder there had been so many people in the mountains recently, and the Violent Wolf Mercenary Group was searching everywhere for him and Lan Ling. Having learned some detailed information about the Violent Wolf Mercenary Group, Li Lin felt more confident in dealing with them. This was also a form of training for himself. Although the Violent Wolf Mercenary Group had many members, he could defeat them one by one and deal with the two leaders later. "Miss, it''s dangerous here, let''s go back quickly." As the sun set, bathing the forest in its afterglow, the area was peaceful, with occasional roars of wild beasts and demonic beasts in the distance. "What''s there to be afraid of? Apart from encountering two second-level demonic beasts in several days, there hasnt been any danger. Let''s continue; I heard the treasure is just ahead." In the forest, a beautiful young lady followed by a pretty maid appeared. "Miss, if anything happens to you, I''ll be in big trouble," the pretty maid said helplessly. At night, in a secluded valley, Li Lin found a natural cave and sat cross-legged on a spirit jade bed. Recently, he practiced at night on the spirit jade bed, which doubled the efficiency of cultivating spiritual power. Now, being so far behind in spiritual power was making Li Lin anxious. As he cultivated, a soft yellow light slowly enveloped Li Lin. "Sigh..." Moments later, Li Lin exhaled a long breath from his dantian qi sea, his aura becoming significantly stronger. The energy of the third-grade True Yang Pill had been completely refined, and his cultivation level was now at the mid-level of the seventh-level warrior, but the increase in true qi was not much. "The higher the level, the more resources it requires." Li Lin thought to himself. Although he had refined this energy, it wasn''t the best time to immediately take another pill for refinement. Just after refinement, his body needed time to absorb and adjust. Being too hasty could lead to instability in his foundation, which was a serious matter. "Beast Control Technique." In his mind, Li Lin carefully studied everything in the Heavenly Spirit Record. Whenever he had time during this period, he continued to study it. The more he researched, the more amazed he became at the Heavenly Spirit Record. After seeing the Fiery Flame Hawk that Lan Ling had, Li Lin thought if he could control a bunch of demonic beasts, his strength would be incredible. The Beast Control Technique in the Heavenly Spirit Record was far superior to the techniques of the Myriad Beasts Sect. Li Lin frowned slightly. Although the Beast Control Technique was powerful, it had very high requirements. If one were a martial artist, they could only control some low-level demonic beasts. The Beast Control Technique required immense soul power to execute. Among martial artists and spiritualists, the spiritual power cultivated by spiritualists is extremely close to soul power, thus better nourishing the soul. Therefore, the soul power of spiritualists is much stronger than that of martial artists. On the other hand, the true qi cultivated by martial artists is very closely related to the body. Therefore, in terms of physical strength, martial artists are much stronger than spiritualists. In close-range combat, martial artists often have a significant advantage. What surprised Li Lin was that in the Heavenly Spirit Record, his master, the Saintly Hand Spiritual Lord, actually recorded some techniques of the Myriad Beasts Sect. The Beast Taming Seal of the Myriad Beasts Sect, although capable of controlling demonic beasts, consumed a lot of the user''s energy, especially when cultivating a life-bound demonic beast, which required even more energy. However, this technique was extremely formidable. The life-bound demonic beasts cultivated by the Myriad Beasts Sect could grow stronger as their masters broke through, because they needed to be fed with the master''s blood. Such life-bound demonic beasts often become like an extension of their masters, coordinating seamlessly and intuitively in combat. Encountering a disciple of the Myriad Beasts Sect with a life-bound demonic beast is certainly not an easy task. Chapter 110: Spiritual Power Breakthrough Li Lin did not show any concern as it seemed that the Lan Ling''s fiery demon eagle was her life-bound demon beast. No wonder it required feeding with essence blood every time it was summoned. It was probably recently cultivated as her life-bound demon beast; otherwise, she would have been able to summon it at will. In the Heavenly Spirit Record, the beast control technique involved placing a blood soul mark in the demon beast''s mind and soul. With this blood soul mark, the demon beast would obey unconditionally. Otherwise, a single thought could cause the blood soul mark to explode, killing the demon beast by bursting its head. A demon beast controlled by the beast control technique could continue to cultivate without any impact on itself. However, this technique was extremely demanding on the soul''s strength, and generally, a spiritual practitioner could only place a blood soul mark in the mind of a demon beast of the same level. For example, a spiritual practitioner with the cultivation of the third level of spiritual mastery could only place a blood soul mark in the mind of a second-stage early-phase demon beast. If the practitioner was weaker than the demon beast, it was impossible to place the blood soul mark. Even with a demon beast of the same level, it was extremely difficult. Therefore, this required stringent demands on the soul''s strength. A single mistake could lead to the practitioner''s failure, with severe loss of cultivation or even death. To use the beast control technique, one must first cultivate the blood soul mark. The cultivation of the blood soul mark was also extremely difficult. Li Lin gasped in shock as he read about the method of cultivating the blood soul mark. It required one''s essence blood, mixed with various herbs, refined into a pill, and then consumed to refine and transform it. Finally, with the aid of soul power, it was condensed into a mark. The power of the blood soul mark depended on the strength of the soul power. By using the soul power to form the mark and implanting it into the demon beast''s mind, one could control the beast. However, the process of extracting essence blood was terrifying. The essence blood had to be from one''s own bone marrow, which was the purest. The Heavenly Spirit Record described a method to extract essence blood. The easiest way was to condense spiritual fire within the body to burn and force the essence blood out of the bones. However, this pain was unbearable, making one wish for life or death, and few could endure it. "Damn, this is too twisted," Li Lin gasped. Cultivating the blood soul mark was like risking one''s life. Just thinking about it was frightening. Li Lin then looked up into the distance and continued to study the section on puppetry in the Heavenly Spirit Record. There were many methods to refine puppets, and although few people in various forces and sects could refine puppets, some ruthless individuals directly used people to create puppets. In puppetry, the mainstream materials used for crafting puppets are high-quality refining materials, as these materials ensure the puppet''s defense. The strength of the puppet also depends on the skill of the creator and the quality of the materials. The materials for making puppets are valuable, with a puppet capable of contending with a first-level martial artist often costing tens of thousands of gold coins. If one were to craft a puppet capable of contending with a first-level soul martial artist, the price would be at least several hundred thousand gold coins. Puppets are absolutely loyal and will never betray their owner. Many people like to buy puppets to follow them, but these puppets are often hard to come by. Spiritual practitioners are rare, and those who can craft puppets are even rarer. Buying a puppet is not an easy task. Some puppets are crafted using unconventional methods. Some are made from stone to create stone puppets, while others use the complete skeletons of demon beasts or spiritual beasts to create beast puppets. There are also those, as mentioned earlier, made directly from living people, resulting in zombie puppets. "One day, I should try to see if I can craft a puppet," Li Lin muttered to himself. Now that he had some wealth, purchasing materials for making puppets should not be a problem. Finally, looking at the part about formations in the Heavenly Spirit Record, formations possess incredibly magical powers. Sometimes a single formation can withstand the attacks of countless strong individuals. Formations are generally divided into attack formations, defense formations, and illusionary formations, each with its unique uses. However, people who understand how to set up formations are extremely rare in this world. Formations undoubtedly involve gathering and channeling the power of heaven and earth. To set up a formation, one must first study various knowledge of heaven and earth. This knowledge is vast and boundless, not something that can be thoroughly understood in a day or two. "The Heavenly Spirit Record is too powerful," Li Lin sighed as he put away the record. He then remembered the space bag from the third leader of the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group in his possession. He took it out, performed a blood recognition ritual, and began to inspect its contents. "It''s average," Li Lin remarked after checking the items in the space bag. Inside, there were about a dozen second-grade pills and a third-grade healing pill. There was also a jade crystal card with tens of thousands of gold coins, along with a bunch of spiritual herbs. Most were materials for refining first and second-grade pills, and a few for third-grade pills. The total value was also tens of thousands of gold coins. Keeping them would be useful for him in the future, as he would no longer need to search everywhere for materials to refine pills. After putting away the space bag, Li Lin couldn''t help but take out two brocade boxes, which he had obtained in the cave, containing soul spirit liquid and spiritual pills. Upon opening the brocade box containing the spiritual pills, a surge of violent energy immediately spread out. The rampant spiritual energy filled the air, causing Li Lin''s heart to thump wildly, and his mind''s spiritual power began to whirl uncontrollably. Li Lin quickly closed the brocade box. The energy of the spiritual pill was too violent for him to absorb at his current level. With his current cultivation strength, if he were to consume this spiritual pill, he feared that the violent energy would instantly turn him into an idiot, followed by a bloodline rupture leading to death. Uncle Jiang had already warned that without sufficient strength, one could not absorb such immense energy. "I must find a way to enhance my spiritual power," Li Lin thought to himself. He was already at the seventh level of martial warrior, but his spiritual power was still at the peak of the second level of spiritual warrior. Even with the spiritual jade bed, he had not broken through to the third level. The gap was too wide. If his martial level reached the ninth level, but his spiritual level did not keep up, he might not be able to break through, possibly leading to a burst of meridians and death. "What exactly is this Soul Spirit Divine Liquid?" Li Lin opened the brocade box containing the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid. The rich aroma from the small jade bottle inside was indescribably comforting, instantly clearing his mind. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. "As expected of a treasure from the Myriad Beasts Sect, just smelling it has such benefits," Li Lin thought to himself. The aroma from the jade bottle seemed to significantly speed up the flow of spiritual power in his mind, hinting at its substantial effect on his spiritual power. "Could it be helpful for spiritual power?" Li Lin pondered. The beast control technique of the Myriad Beasts Sect also required strong soul power. Perhaps this Soul Spirit Divine Liquid was used to enhance soul power. Looking at the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid in his hand, Li Lin felt more convinced that his guess was correct, and the aura emanating from it seemed indeed helpful for his spiritual power. "Consume it," Li Lin hesitated, but eventually decided he needed to make a breakthrough in his spiritual power as soon as possible. Opening the jade bottle, an intensely rich and mystical aroma spread out. This aroma was very dense but gentle, without any violence. The rich scent vaguely stirred one''s appetite, making it hard to resist consuming it. "This is a treasure, its energy must be immense. For safety, I''ll only consume one-tenth of it," Li Lin whispered. The jade bottle was only eight centimeters tall, about the size of a teacup, and didn''t contain much. One-tenth would be just a small sip. Without much hesitation, Li Lin poured the ''Soul Spirit Divine Liquid'' into his mouth, taking a light sip, roughly estimating one-tenth of the quantity, and then immediately closed the jade bottle. This small sip of the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid felt cool and refreshing in his mouth, like a mint candy, leaving a fresh and invigorating taste. Just as Li Lin swallowed the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid, it transformed into a ferociously hot stream that spread violently within him, resembling an untamable wild beast rampaging throughout his body. This terrifying force did not surge into his meridians but instead directly targeted the space in his mind where his spiritual power resided, causing intense pain in that area. The seemingly gentle Soul Spirit Divine Liquid now unleashed energy so fearsome that it could only be described as terrifying. The hot streams transformed from the liquid roared like countless wild beasts within Li Lin''s mind, crashing wildly. His mind could hardly withstand this formidable onslaught, and he was repeatedly assaulted by intense pain. Li Lin couldn''t help but scream in agony. This violent and powerful force was directly affecting the spiritual energy space in his mind. Li Lin hadn''t anticipated that even one-tenth of the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid''s energy would be so overwhelming, seemingly capable of instantly destroying the space within his mind. Unknown to Li Lin, the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid was one of the Myriad Beasts Sect''s top treasures. As he had guessed, it was indeed used to enhance soul power. The disciples of the Myriad Beasts Sect, who practiced the beast control technique, placed great importance on soul power. Even the warriors of the Myriad Beasts Sect had slightly stronger soul power than average warriors. The Soul Spirit Divine Liquid was produced in a special location within the Myriad Beasts Sect and was extremely rare, only a small bottle every hundred years. In the sect, only the designated successors among the direct disciples received a bottle. When refining it, one had to be extremely cautious and use it alongside milder medicinal pills, consuming only one-twentieth at a time for gradual refinement. However, Li Lin had consumed one-tenth, thinking it a small amount, but under the gentle guise of the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid lay a terrifyingly immense energy. "The energy is too great; I must refine it immediately!" The enormous energy continued to surge and expand, threatening to burst the spiritual energy space. If this space exploded, the terrifying energy would directly invade and destroy his soul, leaving him dead or reduced to an idiot. Knowing the dreadful consequences, Li Lin clenched his teeth and fiercely guarded his mind. He couldn''t die in such a pathetic way, by his own hand, effectively committing suicide. He had yet to become strong, had to take care of his mother, and had not even lost his virginity. He couldn''t just die like this. With his resolute willpower, Li Lin struggled against the pain, forming hand signs and sitting cross-legged on the spiritual jade bed. He began to rapidly refine this enormous and terrifying energy using the Yin-Yang Spiritual Martial Technique. Amid the agonizing pain caused by the overwhelming energy in his mind, Li Lin found it extremely challenging to refine this terrifying energy. The pain was unbearable, turning his complexion deathly pale. "Damn it, I refuse to believe I can''t refine this," Li Lin shouted inwardly, fiercely resisting the severe pain in his mind and beginning the refining process again. At this moment, on the spiritual jade bed, a dazzling light appeared as a cool energy surged from Li Lin''s feet into his body and then rushed into the spiritual energy space in his mind. With the arrival of this cool energy, the violent energy within the spiritual space was neutralized. The previously fierce energy calmed down and, aided by the cool energy, quickly became gentler. "Refine it," Li Lin thought. Aware of the changes in the spiritual jade bed, he was surprised but had no time to pay attention to these changes. He immediately activated the Yin-Yang Spiritual Martial Technique to refine the violent energy from the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid. A white, transparent light circle began to surround his body. The light on the spiritual jade bed gradually faded and returned to its original state. After a short while, Li Lin entered a state of cultivation, slowly refining the violent energy in the spiritual energy space. This energy was refined quickly, transforming into his own pure spiritual power with minimal refinement. As time passed, the spiritual energy space in Li Lin''s mind was half occupied by his own spiritual power and half by the energy from the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid. As the refining process continued, tiny portions of the refined energy from the Divine Liquid were transforming into spiritual power and joining the side where his spiritual power resided. With the ongoing refinement of this energy, Li Lin felt a noticeable improvement. An invisible aura from the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid permeated through the spiritual energy space, reaching deep into his mind and nourishing his still unformed soul. His entire body felt indescribably comfortable, like a fetus in a mother''s womb, constantly receiving nutrients through the umbilical cord. The energy of the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid was overwhelming, leaving Li Lin stunned by its immensity. Meanwhile, on the spiritual jade bed, another stream of energy converged with the energy from the Divine Liquid, being refined by Li Lin and making his spiritual power even purer. Shortly after, Li Lin felt the spiritual energy space in his mind expand and fill up, followed by a muffled sound as a tremendous energy spread out. A brilliant light emanated from Li Lin''s body as his aura surged. The spiritual energy space in his mind rapidly expanded several times in size. A massive force surged towards the depths of his mind, significantly enhancing his soul power at that moment. The previously ethereal soul power seemed to become more substantial. Soul power has always been an ethereal and intangible entity, formless and invisible. However, in the cultivation of martial artists and spiritual practitioners, at a certain stage, it can be condensed into a tangible form. To a certain extent, the soul can even leave the body. The revered Saint Hand Spiritual Master once reached such a terrifying level of strength that he could leave a remnant of his soul lasting for thousands of years. "Finally, a breakthrough from the second level to the third level of spiritual master," Li Lin thought to himself. His long-stagnant spiritual cultivation level had finally made a breakthrough. At this point, he had only refined less than one-tenth of the energy from the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid. "Continue refining," Li Lin thought, and resumed the refinement of the energy from the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid. The dawn light shone on the mountains, awakening everything from sleep. Under the sunlight, dewdrops fell from the dense leaves in the forest, and mist rose, making the air, after a night of purification, fresh and pleasant. Li Lin exhaled a breath of turbid air in the cave and then stopped cultivating. The faint light surrounding his body instantly retracted, and his eyes, deep and clear, opened. "Peak of the third level of spiritual master, I might break through to the fourth level tonight," Li Lin thought, feeling the overflowing spiritual power within him. His true qi had also been greatly amplified indirectly by the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid. Feeling his soul now, Li Lin was surprised. The previously ethereal soul could now be clearly sensed. The effect of the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid on the soul was undoubtedly immense. "The Soul Spirit Divine Liquid, truly a treasure of the Myriad Beasts Sect," Li Lin marveled. Not joining the Yunyang Sect turned out to be a blessing for him. In the Misty Mountain Range, he had gained much, including an unexpected master and the coveted Heavenly Spirit Record, something countless people wouldnt even dare to dream of. Now, he had also obtained the treasure of the Myriad Beasts Sect, the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid, an opportunity he would not have had in the Yunyang Sect. "Qin Tianhao, when I return, let''s see who is stronger." Chapter 111: Deep in Siege "Qin Tianhao, wait until I return, and we''ll see who''s stronger," Li Lin thought to himself with a slight smile. Qin Tianhao was identified as a third-level spiritual master in Qingyun Town, and now Li Lin had finally broken through to the same level. When he returned to the Yunyang Sect, he would see whether the direct disciples training or his own opportunities made him stronger or weaker. "Time to continue dealing with the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group," Li Lin thought after getting ready, then left the cave as it wasnt safe to cultivate during the day. "It''s really unlucky, Huang Lao San and the other four are dead. Hopefully, we dont encounter that kid," whispered three black-clad, robust men walking cautiously under the trees. The Wild Wolf Mercenary Group had suffered consecutive losses, and they were all fearful. "That man and woman too, if they had left earlier, we wouldnt have to be so scared. But now theyve come out, I hope we don''t run into them. I don''t want to die yet. Xiao Tao Hong is still waiting for me to help her redeem herself. I promised her." "Hopefully, the others find them, and we dont have to," they said, moving carefully through the forest, haunted by fear. "Your luck is really bad, running into me," a deep, cold voice suddenly said. Then, from a towering tree above, three fiery finger strikes whistled through the air, instantly reaching them. The three mens first instinct was to look behind them, but they didnt expect the finger strikes to already be upon them. In an instant, three blood holes appeared, and they were killed without even seeing their attacker. Li Lin leaped down from the tree. His experience and skills had improved significantly after his time in the Misty Mountain Range. Now a seventh-level martial warrior, his strength was far beyond what it had been in Qingyun Town. These three men, merely third-level martial warriors, stood no chance against Li Lin. After dealing with them, Li Lin left and continued on. The three men had nothing of value on them. Li Lin figured that the mercenary groups wealth must be with its three leaders. Five hours later, two more black-clad men died in a valley, and Li Lin moved on. After another four hours, three more men were dead, with Little dragon killing one and Li Lin two. In one day, Li Lin killed eight members of the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group. Throughout the day, Li Lin encountered many members of the mercenary group but managed to avoid them early. At night, Li Lin found another secluded cave, took out the spiritual jade bed from his storage ring, sat cross-legged, and continued refining the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid in the spiritual energy space of his mind. Bit by bit, Li Lin refined the energy, turning it into pure spiritual power that gathered in the energy space. His aura kept climbing. The energy was so immense that Li Lin felt his spiritual power increasing at an almost flying speed. During the refinement process, an energy from the spiritual jade bed also entered Li Lin''s body, making the refining energy even purer. Li Lin speculated that perhaps even his master, the Saint Hand Spiritual Master, had not fully understood the effects of the spiritual jade bed. It was the spiritual jade bed that had saved his life in last night''s critical moment. The bed seemed almost sentient, and Li Lin suspected it might hold other secrets. The night slowly passed, filled with the roars of wild beasts and demons in the forest. With Little dragon''s presence in the cave, no demon dared approach, allowing Li Lin to cultivate in peace. Towards the latter part of the night, Li Lin''s aura began to rise, and the white, transparent light circling his body became more brilliant. His mind was filled with an abundance of spiritual power, expanding and compressing in the energy space. His aura surged, propelling him to the fourth level of spiritual mastery in one go. His aura lingered for a long time. Only when dawn broke did Li Lin slowly retract the light and stop cultivating. After exhaling a long breath of turbid air, Li Lin stood up. Little dragon, twisting its body, happily crawled into Li Lin''s palm, shaking its small head as if also happy about Li Lin''s breakthrough. Feeling the spiritual power of a fourth-level spiritual master, Li Lin smiled lazily. He then packed up the spiritual jade bed, valuing it more and more. This bed was not simple, and Li Lin hoped to uncover its secrets in the future. After breaking through to the fourth level of spiritual mastery, Li Lin could feel that he had only refined about one-third of the energy from the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid. With the breakthrough, the ethereal soul power in his mind became more tangible, like a fetus in a mother''s womb, forming from a cluster of essence and blood and then growing. Li Lin''s soul was now beginning to take shape and grow slowly. "Little dragon, let''s go. You''re not allowed to make a move today," Li Lin said softly. Little dragon glanced at Li Lin with its round eyes, then went into his sleeve, seemingly upset again. In a forest, a scream broke the silence. When people arrived, they found three bodies hanging from a towering tree, tied up with vines. Each body had a blood hole in the chest. One had froth at the mouth and dilated pupils, indicating a brutal death. On the tree, written in blood, was a message: "Wild Wolf Mercenary Group, none will be spared. Revenge is in progress." "Who did the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group offend? Over a dozen have died in the past few days." "It must be some strong person they offended, who is now taking revenge." "Anyway, the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group provoked someone they shouldn''t have. We better be careful not to offend this person." A crowd gathered around the three bodies, discussing the situation. No one wanted to provoke such a dangerous individual. The members of the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group had been decimated, leaving about ten remaining members, each feeling a deep sense of personal danger and fear of death. "Damn it, I must skin those two alive," a big man wielding an axe shouted angrily. "Let''s gather everyone together. You and I will each lead a team to search for them. We must find them," a giant man also burst out in anger. The Wild Wolf Mercenary Group, which once had over fifty members for the sake of treasure, was now reduced to just ten, and they hadn''t even seen the treasure yet. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. "If I find those two, I''ll chop them up alive," the second-in-command raged. In a valley, Li Lin stood over a second-level mid-tier demon beast he had killed after a tough fight. He smiled in satisfaction, cleaned up, and left the valley. In the Misty Mountain Range, usually only second-level demon beasts were found on the edges, with third-level ones deeper in. Crossing the Misty Mountain Range led to the ancient territory. It was said that even stronger fourth-level demon beasts existed in the depths of the Misty Mountain Range, a place even martial soul level experts dared not traverse lightly. Li Lin was extremely satisfied with his progress during this time. Of the five elemental martial arts, he was only missing wind and wood techniques. He already had techniques for fire, earth, and water elements, including two fire techniques - Fury Flame Fist and Fire Shadow Finger. Although only early-stage star-level martial techniques, they were sufficient for his current use. Wind techniques were the fastest, and wood techniques the most tricky. Li Lin looked forward to acquiring them. Once he mastered all five elemental techniques, his strength would naturally increase further. However, these two types of techniques were relatively rare and seemed only attainable at the Yunyang Sect. With four martial techniques, one spiritual technique, and the peculiar Vermilion Bird Art, he had enough for now. "Ten people left in the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group, including the two leaders and eight others," Li Lin thought, having learned their situation from the memories of a group member. His spirit search technique had also improved. Aside from the two leaders, the remaining eight members of the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group were relatively stronger, with the highest being a seventh-level martial warrior, and the others at the third and fourth levels. Li Lin wasn''t too concerned about them, as long as he didn''t encounter the two leaders. Li Lin estimated that with the activation of the Qing Ling Armor, defeating an eighth-level martial warrior wouldn''t be difficult. Using the Yellow Level martial technique, Furious Sea Roar, he might even be able to kill a first-level martial master. Although he had taken advantage of the situation last time to kill the three leaders, the power of Furious Sea Roar was undoubtedly formidable. "As for the Sword Soul Technique and Vermilion Bird Art, though powerful, it''s better not to use them lightly. They consume too much energy." "Eh, members of the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group." In a forest, two figures appeared. Li Lin''s expression darkened, recognizing them as members of the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group. "Come on, two more," Li Lin thought to himself, approaching stealthily. Direct confrontation was not easy and could attract others, so Li Lin opted for sneak attacks, which were quick and effective. Two burly men, one in front and the other behind, walked cautiously, scanning their surroundings with a hint of fear. "Two third-level martial warriors, shouldn''t be a problem," Li Lin thought with a cold smile. He vibrated his true qi and leaped out from the bushes, pouncing on the two men. Two fiery finger strikes burst forth, tearing through the air. "Not good," the men realized the danger too late. They were both third-level martial warriors and not weak, but their expressions changed drastically as they turned to defend themselves, hurriedly setting up a protective circle around them. However, in their panic, the hastily erected protective circle offered limited defense. The fiery strikes rapidly approached them. The protective circle shattered instantly, leaving them no time to dodge. In the blink of an eye, each man had a bloody hole in his chest and collapsed to the ground. "Not good," Li Lin''s expression darkened as he immediately retreated to one side, sensing an imminent danger. "Kid, where do you think you''re running to now?" Three figures appeared near where Li Lin had just been, led by the second-in-command of the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group. "A third-level martial master, a fourth-level, and a third-level martial warrior," Li Lin observed, realizing that the two men were likely bait. Li Lin watched the three men, assessing their strength. The second-in-command was not easy to deal with, and attracting the huge axe-wielding leader would complicate matters further. Li Lin decided it was best to flee. His true qi vibrated under his feet as he rapidly retreated. "Think you can escape? Not so easy," the axe-wielding man shouted, lunging forward with an axe strike that tore through the air towards Li Lin''s back. The axe tore through the air with tremendous force, not to be underestimated. Li Lin, having sparred with Li Wushuang in his family, knew the might of a martial master. He quickly donned his Qing Ling Armor and dodged the axe attack. The axe hit a huge tree, leaving a deep crack several meters long and causing it to shake and leaves to fall. In the brief delay, the axe-wielding man had already blocked Li Lin''s path. "Kid, I''m going to chop you up alive for revenge," the second-in-command shouted, lifting his giant axe for another strike. His fierce true qi vibrated, distorting the air around him. Li Lin dodged rapidly, releasing a surge of true qi with a powerful palm strike towards the second-in-command''s back. The axe-wielding man grunted, altering his stance and kicking back powerfully, twisting his body to face Li Lin. Their forces collided, and the power contained within their attacks rapidly dispersed, causing Li Lin to be pushed back, feeling a great force on his palm. Fortunately, the Qing Ling Armor absorbed most of the impact, and Li Lin did not suffer significant damage. But he became more cautious of the strength of a third-level martial warrior. "Kid, you dare to mess with our Wild Wolf Mercenary Group, you''re seeking death!" the axe-wielding man coldly stated. At that moment, a fourth-level and a third-level martial warrior, each wielding a sword, launched an attack on Li Lin. One was an earth-element warrior and the other a water-element warrior, their attacks whistling as they rapidly approached. "Little dragon, help quickly." At this point, Li Lin had no choice but to rely on Little dragon''s help, knowing it was fully capable of dealing with these second-tier warriors. Before Li Lin could finish speaking, a lightning-fast yellow flash burst out from his sleeve. The yellow light, incredibly fast and catching people off guard, instantly shattered the sword strike from the fourth-level warrior. In the blink of an eye, the yellow light struck the neck of the fourth-level warrior, who screamed in agony and collapsed to the ground. "Break!" Li Lin''s Fury Flame Fist glowed with intense heat as it collided with the attack of the third-level warrior. The collision caused a loud explosion, pushing the third-level warrior back. He could not withstand Li Lin''s full-strength blow as a seventh-level warrior and blood trickled from his mouth. "Die." Without any hesitation, Li Lin launched a deadly attack. Showing mercy to an enemy was like digging one''s own grave. Five Fire Shadow Fingers instantly tore through the air towards the man. The man''s expression turned to terror, hurriedly setting up a protective circle. But under the onslaught of the Fire Shadow Fingers, the first two strikes shattered his protective circle, and the remaining three left blood holes in his body. "You''re a dual-element warrior," the axe-wielding second-in-command exclaimed in surprise, then turned his attention to Little dragon on Li Lin''s shoulder. The small beast had just killed a fourth-level warrior instantly, proving its exceptional strength. After the surprise, the axe-wielding man released a dazzling white light that shot into the sky and exploded above the forest. "Not good." Li Lin''s heart sank, realizing that the second-in-command was summoning others. He knew he needed to leave quickly. After sending the signal, the second-in-command didn''t hesitate. Swinging his giant axe, he unleashed a ferocious attack, the blade tearing through the air towards Li Lin''s head with a threatening sound. Feeling the fierce energy, Li Lin''s expression changed slightly. He released a powerful force from his palm and retreated rapidly, unleashing a Mountain Splitting Palm. "Break!" The second-in-command shouted, his axe splitting the Mountain Splitting Palm imprint and then stepping forward to chase Li Lin, swinging his axe again. "Kid, you''re going to die," the second-in-command roared. With a sizzling sound, Little dragon instantly leaped from Li Lin''s shoulder, pouncing towards the second-in-command with lightning speed, almost as fast as lightning itself. The second-in-command''s expression darkened as he diagonally swung his axe to block the attack from Little dragon. Facing this unusual demon beast, he was somewhat puzzled and did not dare to be careless. A golden flame suddenly enveloped Little dragon, and it also spat out a burst of golden fire. The space seemed to be consumed by the flame, with the air around the golden fire distorting under its intense heat. "What kind of demon beast is this?" The second-in-command felt the scorching temperature. His own true qi was completely incinerated upon contact with the golden flames. He had never seen such a terrifying demon beast before and quickly retreated, not daring to confront it. However, Little dragon''s speed was beyond his expectation. It instantly pierced through the air currents, and its small body suddenly expanded to about fifteen meters in length, with a thickness comparable to the size of a bowl. Its body was covered with dense golden scales, emitting a dazzling light. Chapter 112: Fierce Little Girl On the head of the little dragon, there was also a sudden growth at this moment. Its faith was stretched out, sharp fangs emitting a cold light. A tremendous oppressive force spread in the surrounding air, causing the nearby demon beasts to instantly sense an invisible aura permeating the air and start to panic and scurry about. The transformation of the little dragon''s body was something Li Lin had seen for the second time now, but compared to last time, the little dragon''s body had grown much larger. "This is..." Staring at the little dragon''s transformation, the second-in-command was extremely surprised. The aura on the little dragon''s body evoked a sense of extreme danger from deep within his soul. Li Lin wanted to go up and help, but the little dragon transmitted a consciousness, telling him not to intervene, wanting to deal with the second-in-command alone. Li Lin didn''t know why the little dragon wanted to do this, but the little dragon had its reasons. He was not worried about the little dragon''s safety. In the Li family, even strong warriors at the Martial Soul level couldn''t hurt the little dragon, and this second-in-command, being just a Martial Master, naturally couldn''t harm it. "Hiss..." The little dragon''s body expanded and then suddenly burst forth, turning into a yellow blur as it charged towards the axe-wielding second-in-command, its body whipping through the air with a whoosh. While the second-in-command was greatly shocked, he was still a Martial Master. He swung his giant axe, creating a flurry of shadows to block in front of him, with violent true energy vibrating out. "Crack." The force dispersed, compressing the air in the space, and a dull explosion sounded out. The little dragon''s body directly collided with the giant axe, and to the second-in-command''s surprise, a dent appeared on the axe, causing him to stagger backward in shock. The little dragon''s body landed on the ground, unable to stay in mid-air for too long. As it landed, the second-in-command formed a hand seal, and then true energy surged out explosively, cracking the ground open with countless fissures, dust flying and rocks soaring. The nearby towering trees also started to shake and sway. The ground''s surface whipped up a huge sand and stone storm, sweeping towards the little dragon. The strong aura spread and enveloped the area, causing several towering trees to start collapsing. "Little dragon, be careful." Li Lin watched all this and couldn''t help but worry for the little dragon. "Hiss hiss..." The little dragon''s glossy black eyes showed no change in expression. As the huge sand and stone storm swept towards it, its ten-meter-long body suddenly burst forth, drilling into the storm. Surrounded by golden flames, the little dragon carved out another path through the terrifying sand and stone storm. The sand and stone magic was simply unable to get close to the little dragon''s body. "Sizzle sizzle..." The speed was overwhelming. In the second-in-command''s eyes, a yellow light pierced through his attack, and then heavily collided with his body, shredding the protective aura around him. He swung his axe in panic. "Clang..." The giant axe struck directly onto the back of the little dragon, leaving only a faint mark, while at this moment, the little dragon''s mouth was directly clamped onto the neck of the second-in-command. Instantly, the second-in-command''s skin began to shrivel, his complexion turned pale, his pupils protruded from their sockets, and his body shrank a size in just a moment, turning into a dried corpse. "The little dragon actually killed the second-in-command." Li Lin was also surprised at this moment. Although he knew the little dragon was not simple in strength, he did not know the extent of its full power. From what he had just seen, perhaps it was not the little dragon''s full strength. "Little dragon, are you alright?" Li Lin came to the little dragon''s side, carefully examining its back, where the second-in-command had struck with his axe, which made Li Lin a bit worried. Fortunately, aside from some minor marks, there was no other damage. "Sizzle sizzle..." The little dragon looked up at Li Lin, with a trace of blood at the corner of its mouth, proudly shaking its head. Its body instantly transformed back to a size of fifteen centimeters, which was a hundred times smaller than just before. "We should leave now." Li Lin collected a space bag from the body of the second-in-command and hurriedly left with the little dragon, as he had already sensed that many people were approaching nearby. Shortly after Li Lin left, several figures appeared first, followed by others arriving in succession. "This seems to be the second-in-command of the Violent Wolf Mercenary Group. How did he end up like this?" "There''s a wound on the neck, it''s the work of a demon beast, definitely a third-tier demon beast." "These people seem to have been killed by someone. There''s a strong person with a demon beast, the method is similar to the previous killings of the Violent Wolf Mercenary Group." "The Violent Wolf Mercenary Group has offended someone, now even their second-in-command is dead. He was a third-level Martial Master." Several figures squeezed through the crowd to the body of the second-in-command, led by the giant leader and others. Looking at the several bodies on the ground, the giant leader''s eyes became cold. He had rushed here as soon as he saw the signal, but it was still a step too late. "Big leader, what do we do now?" One of the men panicked. With the death of their second leader, they knew they were no match. "Search, we must find them." The giant leader started to roar, but many of the onlookers were just watching the excitement and then began to leave. Two hours later, in a mountain forest, Li Lin finally stopped. "Little dragon, what''s wrong?" Li Lin asked. The little dragon was on his shoulder, surrounded by a faint light. "Sizzle sizzle..." The little dragon was flicking its tongue, its small eyes seeming to say something to Li Lin. "Are you saying you''re about to break through?" Li Lin said to the little dragon in surprise. The little dragon nodded slightly and then crawled into Li Lin''s arms, falling asleep. Li Lin thought that the little dragon wanted to face the second-in-command alone, probably because it felt the second-in-command would be greatly beneficial to it. After swallowing him, it could break through, so it chose to face him alone. "You go ahead and break through." Li Lin whispered. He didn''t know how long this breakthrough of the little dragon would take. Now alone in the Misty Mountain Range, he had to be even more careful. "First, let''s find a safe place." Li Lin thought to himself. It was better to hide for a while now. He was not yet a match for the big leader of the Violent Wolf Mercenary Group. He feared that even activating the Vermillion Bird Art would not be enough, and after activating it in the Misty Mountain Range, it would be dangerous. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Glancing at the direction, Li Lin vanished from the spot. During this time, he could take the opportunity to refine the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid in the Qi Sea space within his mind. As night fell, Li Lin finally found a hidden place, atop a canyon, where there were several natural caves. One of them was particularly suitable for him to reside in. This canyon was also extremely concealed, and beneath it lay a clear pond, from which strands of steam rose, revealing it to be a rare hot spring. Finding the hot spring, Li Lin didnt hesitate to jump in for a comfortable bath. Afterwards, he went into the cave, first dripping blood on the space bag of the second boss to claim ownership. Upon opening the space bag, a slight smile appeared on his face. Inside, there were many treasures: three third-grade Dan medicines, about twenty second-grade Dan medicines, thirty thousand gold coins, and an assortment of medicinal herbs, demon beast furs, and other miscellaneous itemsa considerable haul. Storing the space bag away, he took out a Spirit Jade Bed and began to sit cross-legged, slowly refining the immense energy within the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid. In the following time, Li Lin had no intention of leaving the cave. He estimated that once he fully refined the energy transformed from the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid, his strength as a Spirit Practitioner would at least reach above the sixth level of Spirit Warrior, undoubtedly enhancing his power and the might of his Sword Spirit Technique. Moments later, Li Lin was surrounded by a transparent white halo, filled with spiritual power, as his aura slowly began to climb, entering a state of cultivation. Time slowly passed, and Li Lin, immersed in cultivation, lost all concept of time, his spiritual power continuously strengthening in his mind. In the Misty Mountain Range, where treasure had not been found for a long time, the gathered people began to gradually disperse. After all, those who came were seeking fortune; without finding treasure, they still needed to search for medicinal herbs and demon beasts. "Miss, we''ve been here for quite a while now, shall we return?" On a hillside, two figures were slowly walking; the one in front was an extremely beautiful young girl, dressed in green, with a graceful figure, followed by a pretty maid. "How can we leave without finding the treasure? If you''re scared, you can go back first," said the stunningly beautiful girl. "Miss, have you forgotten? The beast that ambushed us yesterday was a third-order demon beast. I nearly lost my life," protested the maid behind her. "It was just an early-stage third-order demon beast, and I killed it. What are you afraid of?" the beautiful girl replied. "Haha, so it''s just two little girls who dare to come to the Misty Mountain Range," laughed five figures who appeared on the hillside, comprising five burly men, two with the aura of Martial Artists and three with the level of Martial Warriors. "Miss," the pretty maid immediately moved closer to the beautiful girl, her expression turning somewhat panicked. "Who are you?" the beautiful girl asked, fixing her gaze on the five men, her eyes narrowing with a chill spreading out. "Haha, who we are..." The leader, a big man in a yellow robe, around forty years old, with short hair and small eyes, laughed and then squinted, saying, "Hand over everything you have, including your bodies, and we''ll let you live." "Boss, these two little girls are still virgins, maybe even untouched," leered another muscular man in a tight outfit, his lustful gaze sweeping over the beautiful girl''s exquisite body. "Haha, just right for us to deflower. Little girl, dont be afraid, brother is very gentle," another big man laughed unrestrainedly. "You shameless scoundrels, get lost now, or I won''t be polite," the beautiful girl frowned, her expression turning cold, a compelling aura emanating from her eyes. "The spicy girl, I like that," the leader leered, and then moved towards the beautiful girl, saying, "Let brother give you a hug "Damn scoundrel," the stunningly beautiful girl snorted coldly. With an imperceptible move, a green afterimage, tinged with a faint blue light, instantaneously sliced through the void, whistling fiercely forward. "A water-element Martial Artist..." The leading burly man was immediately shocked, not expecting this delicate girl to be a Martial Artist, her aura not inferior to his. His body suddenly retreated. This man, possessing the strength of a fifth-level Martial Artist, was rarely matched in the outskirts of the Misty Mountain Range. He had always engaged in grand robberies and had never failed. As he retreated, the man in the yellow robe slightly bent his body and then burst forth, dodging the green afterimage in a blink and smashed a punch wrapped in earthy yellow light towards the beautiful girl. "Hmph..." The beautiful girl snorted coldly, as earthy yellow true qi burst out around her. Clenching her fist, she circulated the earthy yellow light just as rapidly and met his punch head-on. "Bang!" A dull sound echoed on the hillside. The collision of their fists caused true qi to scatter wildly, the ground''s surface was stripped away by the massive force, sand and rocks flying everywhere. "Ptui..." The man in yellow spat out a blood arrow, his body not just staggering back but being violently thrown, crashing hard onto the ground. "A dual-element, ninth-level Martial Artist..." The man in yellow landed, spitting out another blood arrow, his expression turning to outright horror, realizing that his opponent was a dual-element, ninth-level Martial Artist. "You''re dead," the beautiful girl snorted coldly, as a green light burst forth from her hand, reaching the man in yellow in a blink. Struggling to rise, he was immediately swept up by the green light, tossed violently into the air and then crashing heavily to the ground, spewing blood and broken organs, his breath ceasing in moments. "The boss is dead, run!" The remaining four men, faces filled with terror, didn''t dare to stay and fled in panic. "Hmph, overestimating yourselves, daring to provoke me," the beautiful girl snorted coldly, retrieving a green object into her hand, showing no intent to pursue the four. "Miss, let''s go back, it''s too dangerous here," the pretty maid said, trembling slightly. The beautiful girl smiled faintly and then said, "Afraid of what? There''s nothing dangerous here. Let''s go find the treasure, I''ll share some with you." "Miss, I fear I won''t live to receive it," the pretty maid muttered, then took a storage bag from the yellow-clothed man, claimed it with her blood, and said, "Miss, this guy had quite a haul, three third-grade Dan medicines, and over ten thousand gold coins." "Keep it, deal with it yourself," the beautiful girl smiled faintly. "Let''s continue." The pretty maid sighed softly, then murmured, "Elders, have you finally seen the trail markers I left? Please hurry and bring the miss back." Time slowly passed, and ten days later, in the cave of the canyon, Li Lin was enveloped in a dazzling white, transparent light shield, his aura continuously rising. Inside Li Lin''s body, within the spiritual power Qi Sea space in his mind, spiritual qi filled the space, much like a sea of clouds covering the entire sky. The spiritual power continued to increase. A pain flashed through his mind, followed by a muffled sound as the space of spiritual power in his mind seemed to explosively expand. "Huff, huff..." Inside the cave, Li Lin''s aura suddenly soared to a new height. An invisible but palpable energy from the surroundings surged into his body through the pores and skin. In his mind, Li Lin instantly felt the spiritual qi multiply several times over, an indescribable comfort flooding his body. Deep within his mind, his intangible soul was becoming more and more substantial. He could now clearly sense every rustle of the wind and sway of the grass around him. "Breaking through the fifth layer of Spirit Warrior, finally reaching the sixth layer," Li Lin exhaled a breath of turbid air from his heart, feeling the abundant spiritual power within his mind, and couldn''t help but reveal a slight smile. Just one-tenth of the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid had allowed him to break through from the second to the sixth layer of Spirit Warrior. He estimated that there was still about one-tenth of its energy left to be refined. And this was only one-tenth of the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid. Thinking of the Divine Liquid, Li Lin smiled again, grateful that it hadn''t been taken by Lan Ling. Otherwise, he would have suffered a great loss. Currently, he had no way to enhance his spiritual power quickly, and making Dan medicines for enhancing spiritual power was also somewhat troublesome. Now, with the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid on hand, he wouldn''t have to worry about cultivation of spiritual power for a short period. What surprised Li Lin the most was that under the influence of the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid and the Cold Jade Bed, the spiritual power in his mind was becoming more substantial. He clearly felt the benefits, with an increased area of perception around him. These changes might bring him many benefits in future cultivation. "Still one-tenth of the energy left to refine, let''s continue," Li Lin decided to carry on with the refining. In the Misty Mountain Range, he wasnt short of time. At worst, he would return to the Yunyang Sect a bit later. Having survived a great disaster, the Yunyang Sect wouldnt just cast him out. Time passed again, and two days later, Li Lin stopped his cultivation, exhaling a breath of turbid air, his eyes deep and clear, like a tranquil pond. "Alright, I''ll fully integrate the energy before taking more Soul Spirit Divine Liquid," Li Lin spoke softly. He had completely refined the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid in his mind, stabilizing his cultivation at the middle-lower tier of the sixth layer of Spirit Warrior. His progress in spiritual power during this period was astonishing. Although he had fully refined the energy of the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid, the process of integrating this refined spiritual power with his body''s spiritual power still needed time. Li Lin didn''t dare to refine further, fearing it might adversely affect his future cultivation. "A seventh-level Martial Warrior, sixth-level Spirit Warrior, my strength must have increased quite a bit," Li Lin mused with a lazy smile on his lips. When he was at the fourth level of Martial Warrior, he could contend with a ninth-level Martial Warrior. Now, at the seventh level, his strength had increased significantly. However, to face the leader of the Rampant Wolf Mercenaries, it still seemed somewhat insufficient. Chapter 113: Your Bad Luck "Little Dragon hasn''t completed his breakthrough yet." Observing the Little Dragon in his arms, Li Lin could feel that Little Dragon was in a mysterious state and decided it was best not to disturb him. "I''ll go outside and look for news about the Rampant Wolf Mercenary Group," Li Lin said softly, storing the Spirit Jade Bed in his storage ring before leaving the canyon. There were still five members of the Rampant Wolf Mercenary Group. Li Lin had no intention of letting them go. Not seeking revenge was not in his nature. Moreover, using these people to hone his skills was a good choice, especially given his recent progress. It had been twelve days, and Li Lin had no idea where the members of the Rampant Wolf Mercenary Group might be. Finding a few people in the vast mountain range was not an easy task. "What''s this smell? It''s medicinal herbs." A scent drifted into Li Lin''s nose, and he instantly identified it. To his left, there were medicinal herbs. Not far to the left, Li Lin saw a purple Lingzhi mushroom growing under a huge rock, its medicinal fragrance wafting from there. "Purple Lingzhi," Li Lin smiled slightly. This was a valuable find, often used in the preparation of third-grade Dan medicines. After harvesting the Purple Lingzhi, he stored it in his storage ring. His time in the Misty Mountain Range had led to encounters with many medicinal herbs, and together with the storage rings he had obtained, it would be much more convenient for him to make Dan medicines in the future. After collecting the Purple Lingzhi, Li Lin continued forward, still searching for news of the Rampant Wolf Mercenary Group. He guessed that the members of the group would also be searching for him and wouldn''t be far away. The strength of the burly leader was formidable. Li Lin was considering how to deal with him, as a direct confrontation would likely result in having to flee, or perhaps not even having the chance to escape. He didn''t have a third-order demon beast at his side, and Little Dragon, the Little Dragon, was in the midst of a breakthrough, unable to help. However, now that his cultivation as a spiritual practitioner had reached the sixth layer of Spirit Warrior, and he had the Sword Spirit Technique, the Roar of the Furious Sea, the Green Spirit Armor, and the Vermilion Bird Art at his disposal, Li Lin thought that if he had to face the giant leader of the mercenaries head-on, he might still have a chance to fight back. In the Misty Mountain Range, within a disorderly and rocky ridge with no surrounding forests, an unusual place nearby, two graceful figures floated towards it. They were the stunningly beautiful girl in green and the pretty maid. "Big leader, look, there are two women coming, they seem somewhat similar to that woman from the Beast Sect," said a man in black, among the five figures resting in the rocky ridge. Far away, they saw two figures approaching. These five were none other than the remaining members of the Rampant Wolf Mercenary Group. The girl in green, from a distance, bore some resemblance to the woman from the Beast Sect. "It''s not someone from the Beast Sect. Those two from the Beast Sect, I don''t know where they''ve hidden. We must find and kill them," said the giant leader coldly. He was determined to obtain the treasure, and having thoroughly offended the Beast Sect, he couldn''t let those two go. If they returned to the Beast Sect, they would surely bring strong fighters to kill him in the future. Therefore, he absolutely could not spare them. "Big leader, the second leader has been killed. The strength of that man and woman is too terrifying. It seems we are no match for them," a man in black clothing said timidly. "Slap..." As soon as he finished speaking, the man was swiftly slapped across the face, leaving five finger marks visibly emerging. "Useless! If they had enough strength, they would have come looking for us by now. Would it be our turn to look for them? The second and third leaders must have been ambushed. If we are careful, we won''t be caught off guard by the enemy," the giant leader shouted loudly, then focused on the two graceful figures approaching in the distance, sneering, "Hmm, coming right to us, just when I need to vent some anger." On the rocky surface, the stunningly beautiful girl in green suddenly stopped, then whispered to the pretty maid beside her, "Someone''s coming. Be careful, they are strong." "Little girl, hand over what you have, and keep me company for a few days. I''ll let you go then. Otherwise, I won''t be polite," said a giant man, leaping out from behind a pile of rocks, gazing at the beautiful girl in green. Even he was momentarily stunned by her beauty, which seemed ethereal and otherworldly. Four muscular men in tight clothing appeared behind him, each astounded by the beauty of the girl in green, almost breathless at her sight. "You''d better leave quickly, otherwise, I won''t hesitate to slaughter you," the beautiful girl in green said indifferently, her gaze sweeping over the five men without much concern. "I''m in a bad mood today. You better not make me force you. You are so beautiful, I don''t want to hurt you," the giant man said, feeling a momentary pity for the extraordinarily beautiful woman before him. "Seeing that you are not good people, you might as well die," the girl in green said with a sinking expression. A green afterimage, cutting through the void and accompanied by a sharp whooshing sound, swiftly emerged. Her exquisite body surged with true qi. True qi vibrated, causing the air around her to churn like a river, creating a series of sonic booms. Her beautiful eyes showed a hint of coldness. With a slight leap, she lightly tapped the ground with her toes, transforming into a light shadow. The green afterimage, with a faint blue glow, swept through the air like a cunning snake emerging from its hole. The distance between them was about thirty meters, but the green afterimage extended tens of meters. With the beautiful girl''s leap, the green afterimage instantly entered the attack range, whooshing with a sharp and formidable force, extremely tricky and ruthless. "Martial Artist," the giant man''s face turned pale with shock. He rapidly retreated, immediately setting up a protective aura around himself, narrowly avoiding the attack. The green afterimage missed in mid-air but eerily circled back. The girl in green swiftly raised her wrist, rapidly rotating it, and instantly, the green afterimage, like a venomous snake, circled back in mid-air, creating a sharp whooshing sound, and shot towards the giant man like lightning. The speed of the green afterimage was too fast, almost invisible, breaking through the air''s resistance in a flash and appearing right in front of the giant man. The afterimage suddenly trembled, transforming into several light beams in mid-air, eerily enveloping half the space. The giant man''s face turned pale with shock, realizing the strength of his opponent and the eeriness of her speed. It was clear that complete evasion was impossible. In an instant, the giant man rapidly formed a hand seal and then curved his five fingers, throwing a claw imprint enveloped in flames forward to block the attack. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. "Whoosh, whoosh..." The green afterimage, as if it had eyes, quickly maneuvered in mid-air. Several phantoms moved, and then it directly struck the center of the giant man''s claw imprint. "Sizzle..." The glow on the claw imprint quickly dimmed, and then the green afterimage fiercely hit the palm of the giant man. As the two forces collided, their true qi intertwined and scattered, creating a burst of sparks and lightning. The true qi dissipated, and the giant man was instantly repelled by a tremendous force, a powerful surge of energy causing severe pain in his hand. "A ninth-level Martial Artist." The giant man was horrified, stumbling back dozens of meters before falling to the ground. From the strength of his opponent, he realized that the girl was a ninth-level Martial Artist, far stronger than himself. "Sizzle, sizzle." The beautiful girl in green retracted the green afterimage into her hand, revealing a whip as thick as a finger and several meters long, emanating a faint green glow. It was clear at a glance that it was no ordinary object. "This is a misunderstanding, we''ll leave now," the giant man quickly said, struggling to get up. Facing a ninth-level Martial Artist, he stood no chance. "You think you can just leave?" the beautiful girl in green snorted lightly. Without any hesitation, her wrist flicked, and her true qi surged under her feet, transforming into a green shadow. The whip in her hand, like a dragon soaring to the skies, lightning-fast, wrapped around the giant man. "Damn it, I''m not easy to bully," feeling the oncoming whip and the fierce invisible true qi, the giant man''s expression darkened. His hot claw imprint reformed in his hand, furiously sweeping towards the incoming whip. "Whoosh, whoosh." The whip stirred, piercing through the air currents, creating sharp whooshing sounds. The giant man incredibly dodged it at the last moment with an unbelievable sidestep, his immense body showing surprising agility. At that moment, the giant man fiercely stomped on the ground, causing it to crack and spread fissures. He leaped up, ghost-like, closing in on the beautiful girl in green. His fiery claw imprint quickly enveloped her from above. Although the giant man was not as powerful, his combat experience and ferocity were superior to that of the girl in green. This was honed from constant battles in the Misty Mountain Range. "Hmph." The stunningly beautiful girl remained unmoved, coldly snorting as she watched the incoming claw imprint. Just as it was about to close in within ten meters of her, she finally moved. Her exquisite body instantly shifted. Her hair fluttered without wind by her ears, and her body almost instantaneously moved forward, shifting position. At that moment, her true qi suddenly shifted, instantly enveloped by a ring of earthy yellow light. True qi burst forth, causing the surrounding air to ripple like waves in water. All this happened in an instant. Then the beautiful girl''s fist imprint thunderously swept out, even faster than lightning. "A dual-element ninth-level Martial Artist." The giant man was shocked in his heart. It was too late to retract his attack. His claw imprint and the opponent''s fist imprint collided with a thunderous impact. "Boom! Boom! Boom!" In the space, the sound of sonic booms was unceasing. The force of the impact scattered, and the surrounding stones burst into the air, one figure being directly blown away. "Spurt..." The giant man felt a tremendous force surging up from his palm, as if his hand was about to break. His blood churned violently, and a stream of blood spurted out. "Run." The giant man, not caring about his injury, used the momentum to leap away, retreating rapidly. Facing a dual-element ninth-level Martial Artist, likely a direct disciple of a major sect, he stood no chance. There might even be other powerful individuals nearby, and not fleeing would mean certain death. The remaining four men in tight clothing, who were already retreating slowly, saw their leader flee and immediately ran as fast as they could. "I can''t be bothered to kill you, it would dirty my hands," the stunningly beautiful girl said lightly, flicking her wrist to retract the green whip, watching the fleeing figures without any intention of pursuing. "Miss, we are really in danger. Let''s go back," the pretty maid said helplessly, having been on edge the whole journey. "It''s been so long, and we haven''t encountered any real danger. Let''s keep going," the beautiful girl said with a slight smile, revealing two dimples. Her smile would undoubtedly captivate anyone who saw it. Three days later, in the forest at dawn, the air was exceptionally fresh, as if filtered. The dense fog obscured everything in the distance, turning the landscape into a vast expanse of white. After a moment, the sunlight pierced through the dense foliage, gradually dispersing the morning mist. As the fog slowly cleared, the figures of three people were faintly visible. "The Rampant Wolf Mercenary Group." Li Lin watched the three cautious figures below from atop a towering tree, scanning the surrounding area. He was concerned about falling into another trap. "One fifth-level Martial Warrior, one third-level Martial Warrior, one fourth-level Martial Warrior." Sensing the aura of the three men, Li Lin''s brow relaxed slightly. He should have no problem dealing with them now. Without hesitation, Li Lin lightly leaped down, accompanying his descent with a Mountain Splitting Palm. His true qi vibrated, swiftly plunging down, distorting the surrounding air. "An ambush!" The highest-cultivated fifth-level warrior was the first to detect Li Lin, but by then, a powerful earthy yellow palm imprint was already bearing down on them. The three quickly set up protective barriers, but at the same time, Li Lin''s palm imprint directly struck the head of the fourth-level Martial Warrior. "Bang..." The palm imprint hit the top of the fourth-level Martial Warrior''s head, the protective aura violently shattering. A tremendous force crushed down on his skull, instantly killing him with a gruesome crack. Meanwhile, Li Lin didn''t hesitate. His body flipped backward, and amidst surging true qi, five Fiery Shadow Fingers swept towards the other two men. All this happened in less than two seconds. The finger imprints, piercing through the air, whooshed at lightning speed. The remaining two men, including the fifth-level Martial Warrior, reacted. The fifth-level warrior unleashed a blade light to block the finger imprints, but only two were stopped, with one penetrating through his shoulder. "Whoosh, whoosh..." The third-level Martial Warrior''s body was surrounded by a protective aura, which instantly twisted and held. Two finger imprints fiercely shot forward, piercing through his chest. A stream of blood spurted from his mouth as he too met his end. "Spare me, it was the big leader who sent us to find you," the fifth-level Martial Warrior, clutching the bleeding wound on his shoulder, retreated to a towering tree. His eyes were filled with terror, and his large sword had fallen to the ground. "Then after you die, you can go find your big leader," Li Lin said softly, his true qi surging around him as he unleashed another palm imprint. "I''ll fight you to the end." The big man, facing imminent death, was driven by a surge of combat spirit. Preferring to fight rather than wait for death, he met the attack with a fierce punch. However, he had underestimated his opponent. His strength was decent, but Li Lin didn''t consider him a threat. Li Lin was shrouded in a faint yellow light, his body covered in a scale armor. He allowed the man''s punch to land on him, the Qi Ling Armor absorbing most of the force, though the remaining power still caused Li Lin''s blood to churn. At that moment, Li Lin turned his palm into a claw, with a flowing yellow light in his palm imprint, instantly grabbing the fifth-level Martial Warrior''s crown. "Ah..." The man screamed in agony, unable to break free. His true qi was uncontrollably being drained by Li Lin, and even his soul felt like it was being pulled out, causing unbearable pain and convulsions throughout his body. Moments later, a horrifying dried corpse lay beneath Li Lin''s claw, his expression darkening slightly before revealing a smile. "The devouring power of the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art and the Soul Searching technique can indeed be used together, making things much more convenient," Li Lin softly commented. He had just used the devouring power from the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art to not only absorb the man''s true qi but also employed the Soul Searching technique from the Heavenly Spirit Record to probe the man''s mind, learning everything he knew. From this man''s memories, Li Lin learned that the giant leader had been severely injured by a stunningly beautiful young girl three days ago. The leader was hiding in a valley, healing his wounds. "Your misfortune for letting me know," Li Lin murmured with a smile. Now was the time to act, as the giant leader was severely injured and weakened. It was the perfect opportunity for revenge. From the man''s memories, Li Lin clearly knew the location of the valley. Currently, only the leader and a fourth-level Martial Warrior were there. However, Li Lin was surprised to learn from the man''s memories that the one who had injured the leader was a stunningly beautiful girl in green, a dual-element martial artist with formidable strength. He wondered who she might be. Having absorbed the man''s true qi, Li Lin planned to refine it later. Refining it on the spot would have been more effective, but it wasn''t the right time or place, especially with the knowledge of the mercenary leader''s injury, Li Lin didn''t want to miss this rare opportunity. Chapter 114: Devouring the Martial Master After devouring the true qi of that big man, Li Lin prepared to refine it later. Refining it on the spot would have been more effective, but it was not the right time here; there was no safe place for him to refine it peacefully. Besides, knowing that the leader of the mercenary group was severely injured, Li Lin did not want to miss this rare opportunity. In a valley, an extremely hidden entrance made it difficult to find. Li Lin appeared outside the valley and entered it like a ghostly figure. "Why haven''t Chen Lao San and the other two come back yet? Could something have happened?" In the valley, behind a man-sized rock, a man in black muttered. "Die!" At that moment, a light voice appeared in his ear, becoming his death knell. Five hot qi strikes pierced his back and chest, blood spurted out, and in his dying moment, he finally turned back to see a green figure standing on the rock behind him. "Come out." Li Lin stood on the rock and called out lightly. He was able to attack the fifth-level warrior without being noticed, but he couldn''t prevent the big boss from discovering him. The opponent was a fifth-level martial master, and the recent noise was enough to alert him. "I thought it was someone else, but it turns out to be you, kid." The giant boss appeared in front of Li Lin, his face pale, looking at the corpse on the ground and then surveying the surroundings. His primary concern was the woman with the fierce fire eagle. "No need to look, it''s just me. Your Berserk Wolf Mercenary Group is now down to you alone," Li Lin said lightly, knowing that the boss was looking for Lan Ling. "Did you do all this?" the giant man asked coldly, his eyes shooting with hatred. He coughed lightly, holding back a mouthful of blood. His injury from three days ago was not light and had almost claimed his life. "Correct, I said I would avenge this grievance sooner or later," Li Lin said lightly, observing the giant boss. His injury was indeed severe, and his strength greatly reduced. Now was the best opportunity to confront him. "Kid, we are irreconcilable. I can''t quench my hatred if I don''t kill you," the giant man finally lost his temper. He had painstakingly built the Berserk Wolf Mercenary Group, and now it was all destroyed by this youngster in front of him. How could he not hate? "I feel the same. I won''t be comfortable unless I kill you," Li Lin''s eyes were filled with coldness. He had to take back what he had lost. "Thinking you can deal with me just because I''m injured? I want to see what strength you have," the giant man said coldly, his eyes flashing cruelly. His true qi vibrated, and a hot claw mark condensed in his hand, sweeping out violently. The powerful qi pressure made the air whistle. Although injured, his strength was still extraordinary. Even a thin camel is bigger than a horse; this fifth-level martial master, though injured, was still formidable with his claw strike. Li Lin felt the strength of this qi and slightly changed his expression, frowning. The giant boss''s strength was greatly affected, but his power was still absolutely terrifying, at least at the second-level warrior tier, Li Lin estimated. "Qing Ling Armor. Open Mountain Palm!" Li Lin did not dare to be careless. After all, the opponent was a fifth-level martial master. He immediately set up the Qing Ling Armor and formed a hand seal. His true qi surged violently, with a earthy yellow light entwining around him. The air vibrated with his powerful qi, and he thrust out a palm print. The fierce power carried by the palm print created a sharp whistling sound in the air. "A seventh-level warrior''s strength, you''re courting death," the giant man realized Li Lin''s level of strength, his eyes flashing coldly. He directly grabbed with his claw mark. "Bang bang!" The crisp sound of a sonic boom resounded throughout the valley. The air currents around were instantly scattered. Li Lin felt a massive surge of qi on his palm print. Although most of the force was countered by his Qing Ling Armor, the remaining power was still formidable, causing his body to stagger involuntarily. The opponent''s strength was truly formidable. The giant man also stepped back a few steps, looking at the yellow armor on Li Lin and said, "Defensive martial skill." Defensive martial skills were rare, and few people possessed them. Seeing Li Lin''s defensive martial skill, the giant man couldn''t help but be surprised. Li Lin adjusted his breathing slightly, suppressing the surging blood qi in his heart. Without the Qing Ling Armor, he would have been injured by that move. But Li Lin was also aware that the giant man was injured. Continuing the fight would only put the opponent at a disadvantage. His best strategy was not to give the opponent any chance to breathe. "Again." With his true qi trembling under his feet, Li Lin leaped into the air, his hand releasing five fiery shadow fingers, creating sharp whistling sounds and tracing five hot arcs. "Another dual-element warrior." The giant man''s expression froze. Three days ago, he had encountered a dual-element warrior, and now this youngster was one too. The first move was of the earth element, now it was fire, clearly indicating a dual-element warrior. He wondered if all dual-element warriors were converging in the Misty Mountain Range these days. In his surprise, the giant man leaped up instantly, his somewhat bulky body unbelievably twisting in mid-air, miraculously dodging the five finger strikes. "Boom! Boom! Boom!" The five finger strikes hit several rocks, instantly cracking and exploding them, sending out violent and raging qi. "Kid, die." The giant man formed hand seals, and the temperature of the air around instantly became scorching hot. A half-meter-sized fireball quickly condensed between his hands and then violently shot towards Li Lin. The fireball swept out, bringing a hot qi surge, compressing the entire space, with the air whistling and sonic booms starting to emanate. Li Lin''s face darkened, and his eyes grew more solemn. He rapidly formed mysterious hand seals, and suddenly, he was enveloped in a blue light shield. Instantly, a strong and violent force spread out from Li Lin, and a massive, dense water element energy surged around him. This energy gathered at an astonishing speed, and the entire valley space was invisibly suppressed. "Angry Sea Roar." Li Lin released his hand seals, and this dense water energy quickly condensed into a spinning rain curtain in front of him. The ferocious power howled to life. A Yellow-grade martial skill, absolutely terrifying. At this moment, Li Lin knew he had to use all his strength to deal with the giant man. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! "Water-element martial skill, a triple-element warrior." The giant man''s face instantly stiffened. This youngster was a triple-element warrior, which was incredibly unbelievable. At that moment, the giant man''s fireball collided with the rain curtain, immediately causing it to cave in several meters and creating ripples like waves. "Whoosh whoosh..." The whistling sound echoed, and the space around seemed to tremble. The rain curtain widened, and a massive body of water appeared above the valley, as if to cover it. Giant waves surged and howled continuously. A terrifyingly dense water-element energy was still gathering at a frightening speed. In just the blink of an eye, a huge blue vortex about eighty to ninety meters in diameter surged and howled into existence. This vortex was not as large as the one Li Lin had deployed in the river last time, being about twenty meters smaller. As the blue vortex spun rapidly, it resembled a tsunami''s giant wave, with an angry sea roaring. The terrifying aura that spread out was fierce and horrifying, causing a series of explosive sounds to resonate throughout the valley. After a momentary pause, the vortex began spinning rapidly. Finally, with a deafening roar, it expanded like lightning. The terrifying aura and fierce pressure emanated from within, distorting the surrounding air currents like a tornado sweeping through. This extreme force instantly engulfed the giant man''s condensed fireball, and at the same time, enveloped the giant man himself. "Hiss..." The giant man''s face changed drastically. A red protective circle of intense heat was set up around him, and his body rapidly retreated. However, he couldn''t escape the envelopment of the terrifying vortex. "Boom boom boom!" The rapidly spinning vortex exploded with a deafening blast that echoed through the valley. The terrifying qi burst out like a hurricane, causing a downpour-like effect in the valley. The rocks around were directly shaken off, and the ground within hundreds of meters sank and cracked, forming a large pit. "Pfft..." As the vortex exploded, a massive force poured onto the giant man''s protective circle, bending it into a huge arc, but it did not break. A spurt of blood sprayed from the giant man''s mouth, overwhelmed by the force, especially since he was already severely injured. The surroundings returned to calm, with the giant man''s face pale and frozen in horror. He muttered, "Yellow-grade martial skill, it''s a Yellow-grade martial skill." At this time, Li Lin''s face also showed a pale color. Deploying the Angry Sea Roar had consumed a lot, and it was not enough to kill the giant man. "Kid, next time I see you, I won''t let you go." After saying this, the giant man''s body suddenly lunged towards the outside of the valley. Now doubly injured, he could no longer contend with even a seventh-level warrior. "Thinking of escaping..." Li Lin''s figure swiftly leaped up, his true qi trembling beneath his feet as he rapidly pursued, releasing five fiery shadow fingers. The finger prints pierced through the air currents, instantly striking the giant man''s protective light circle, causing it to crack again. The giant man''s body staggered forward, blood spraying out, and then he leaped forward again. "Hmph," Li Lin snorted coldly, quickly chasing after him. The two, one after the other, quickly exited the valley. The giant man was severely injured, and Li Lin did not want to miss this great opportunity to kill him. Although he was also exhausted, he still had more than an 80% chance of killing his opponent. "Kid, I want to leave, and you can''t stop me." The giant man looked back at Li Lin who was relentlessly pursuing him. His true qi surged wildly, increasing his speed, but only he knew the severity of his internal injuries and that they were reaching an uncontrollable level. He feared that in a short while, he would really be in trouble. "Is that so?" Li Lin''s expression darkened. He exerted his true qi to its fullest, accelerating instantly. Today, he was determined to kill this man. If he let him recover from his injuries, he would not have such an opportunity again. On the way, Li Lin felt a sense of relief in his heart. Months ago, he had been chased by this man like a stray dog. He had sworn to take his revenge, and now he had finally done it. "Damn it." The giant man fled, never having imagined that one day, he would be chased by a warrior like a stray dog. "Pfft..." As he fled, blood surged in his veins, and the giant man couldn''t help but spew another jet of blood, his face turning deathly pale in an instant. "Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" Li Lin''s five finger strikes burst out again, tearing through the air with their ferocious power. The giant man''s expression darkened. He quickly sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the five finger strikes, which then hit five towering trees. With a ''bang bang'' sound, five tree branches as thick as bowls were cleaved off, and leaves fluttered down from above. During this brief delay, Li Lin had already appeared beside the giant man. "Why aren''t you running anymore? Keep going," Li Lin mockingly watched the giant man, knowing that his severe injuries meant he couldn''t continue. "Kid, don''t push me, or it won''t end well for you. You''re not qualified to kill me," the giant man said coldly, his eyes filled with hatred. "Is that so? I''d like to try," Li Lin said, as his true qi surged rapidly around him, causing ripples in the air around him. The ripples spread, and the aura grew more intense. A faint flame emerged from Li Lin, followed by a punch mingled with the flame, hitting the giant man with a powerful force. "Raging Flame Fist!" Li Lin shouted, and a violent force swept through the air, causing the air currents to churn violently. "Kid, you won''t have it easy either." The giant man roared, his eyes filled with resentful glares. He formed strange hand seals, and the energy around his body trembled. A scorching energy suddenly descended from the sky, and the temperature in the entire area soared. The leaves of the surrounding trees began to yellow, the branches withered, and slowly, as if in a furnace, started to smolder and dry up. Around the giant man, a hundred meters of flames howled into existence, and the leaping flames made the air hiss. "Fiery Explosion!" The giant man shouted, channeling all his true qi into the flames around him. The flame, filled with terrifying energy, reached a critical point. The giant man''s face turned ashen, and his body wilted. The flames surged, clashing with Li Lin''s Raging Flame Fist. The intensity of the flames suddenly increased, shattering Li Lin''s concentrated fist and enveloping him again. Li Lin''s expression darkened. A fifth-level martial master''s final, desperate strike. This guy was fighting with his life. The power was undoubtedly extremely formidable. If he could withstand it, killing his opponent would be easy. But could he withstand such formidable power? With no time to think, Li Lin''s hands rapidly formed seals, and spiritual power surged. Instantly, a red greatsword condensed in his hands, its blade cutting through the air, creating a sharp whistling sound. The red greatsword cut through the air, causing spatial vibrations and sonic booms. The blade''s afterimage, carrying a terrifying force, pierced through the air, sending out a blinding light, and then fiercely slashed onto the flames. The two terrifying forces collided, and a violent energy fluctuation erupted. An unparalleled force spread from the point of impact, visibly cracking the air currents within hundreds of meters. The entire sky began to twist and then crack under the immense power. "Bang bang bang...!" A deafening sound of sonic booms rose, and space shattered, exploding like thunder. In the midst of this explosion, a violent force poured onto Li Lin. The glow of the Qing Ling Armor dimmed instantly, and a stream of blood spurted from his body. Despite the protection of the Qing Ling Armor, Li Lin couldn''t avoid injury. The power was too terrifying. The final full-strength strike of his opponent felt as if it was at the level of a third-tier martial master to Li Lin. "Pfft..." Compared to Li Lin, the giant man fared even worse. His wilted body was blown dozens of meters away, blood mist spraying out as he crashed heavily onto a withered tree, falling to the ground along with the towering tree. Li Lin popped a healing pill into his mouth and walked over to the giant man. "Spiritual technique, this is a spiritual technique, you''re a spiritualist." The giant man looked at Li Lin in horror. The technique Li Lin had just used was definitely a spiritual technique. He could see that, but even witnessing it all, he couldn''t believe it. A triple-element warrior, and also a spiritualist? How was this possible? Who exactly was this youngster? "Correct, now you can die in peace," Li Lin said coldly, his eyes flashing with a murderous intent. He pressed a claw mark onto the giant man''s heavenly spirit cover. The giant man had no strength left to resist. A sudden sharp pain in his mind, followed by uncontrollable spasms, as his true qi was forcibly extracted from his body. "What are you doing..." The giant man began to feel fear, a panic spreading from the depths of his soul, but it was too late for him to be afraid. "Ah..." As his true qi was forcibly extracted, which was akin to reversing his meridians, the giant man let out a miserable scream. In just ten minutes, he had turned into a dried corpse. Chapter 115: Beauty Emerging from the Bath "The true qi within a martial master is much stronger than that of a martial warrior," Li Lin stood up, feeling the true qi he had just devoured. He had reached his limit of absorption. Fortunately, the giant man was already severely injured and had almost exhausted his energy. What Li Lin absorbed was merely the most basic true qi within him. Otherwise, completely absorbing the true qi of a fifth-level martial master would have caused his body to explode. Li Lin then searched the giant man''s body and found a space bag and a cloth bag, which contained the scent-tracking mouse. This first-order demon beast didn''t concern Li Lin much, so he casually threw it away and disappeared from the spot instantly. The recent commotion would surely attract many people, and with his own injuries, it was best to leave immediately. Moreover, he needed to heal his wounds urgently and refine the absorbed true qi, which had reached a critical point. Shortly after Li Lin left, numerous figures rapidly descended from the surrounding woods. They were mercenaries and teams from the Misty Mountain Range, all staring in surprise at the giant man''s corpse. "Who did this? The Berserk Wolf Mercenary Group is no more." "Well, they deserved it. The Berserk Wolf Mercenary Group always engaged in unscrupulous deals. Now they''ve been wiped out. It''s karma." ... "Wow, I didn''t expect it to be so beautiful here." In a secluded canyon, two figures appeared C a stunningly beautiful girl in green attire and her delicate maid. The two women had wandered through the Misty Mountain Range and inadvertently found this canyon, which was currently Li Lin''s dwelling place. "Miss, look, there''s a hot spring here. It''s even better than the one in our sect," the delicate maid remarked, looking at the crystal-clear hot spring in the canyon. "It''s been a long time since I bathed in the Misty Mountain Range. This is perfect," the stunningly beautiful girl said with a smile. "Miss, are you going to bathe here? What if someone comes?" the maid exclaimed in surprise. "Dong Mei, why don''t you join me?" the beautiful girl said, and with a flash, she jumped into the hot spring. Her hair spread out, and her clothes were quickly left outside the spring. "Splash!" In the hot spring, the beautiful girl emerged, her shoulders visible above the water, her hair floating on the surface, adding to her allure. "Alright, it should be safe here," the maid muttered, looking around. She then removed her clothes on the shore. As she undressed, her white, smooth skin and slender waist were revealed from behind. She walked slowly towards the hot spring. Although the maid''s beauty was not on par with the stunning girl, her figure was also shapely. Compared to anyone other than the beautiful girl, she would be considered a beauty. The two women started to play in the hot spring. Not being able to bathe for a month in the Misty Mountain Range was torture for young girls, but now they were joyfully frolicking in the hot spring. Li Lin, on his way back, needed to heal as quickly as possible. The secluded canyon where he had been staying for the past few days was undoubtedly the best place, as it was hidden and unlikely to be found by others. He passed through a concealed entrance in the forest and a thicket of bushes, returning to the canyon. Without paying much attention, he headed towards the cave. However, from the corner of his eye, he noticed an unusual colored object on the ground. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was a woman''s garment. His gaze then shifted towards the hot spring ahead, and subconsciously, Li Lin thought there might be women bathing there. "Bang bang bang...!" A deafening sound of sonic booms echoed, and space shattered like thunderclaps, unleashing a violent force onto Li Lin. The Qing Ling Armor''s light dimmed instantly, and he spat out a stream of blood. Even with the armor, Li Lin couldn''t avoid injury from this overpowering force. The giant man''s final all-out attack was so strong that Li Lin felt it was on the level of a third-tier martial master. "Pfft..." Compared to Li Lin, the giant man was in a worse state, his weakened body flung dozens of meters away. He sprayed a cloud of blood before crashing heavily onto a withered tree, falling to the ground along with it. After ingesting a healing pill, Li Lin approached the giant man''s body. "Spiritual technique, you''re a spiritualist!" the giant man exclaimed in horror as he looked at Li Lin. The technique Li Lin had just used was undoubtedly a spiritual technique. Although he saw it with his own eyes, he couldn''t believe it. A triple-element warrior and a spiritualist, how was this possible? Who was this youngster? "Correct, now you can die peacefully," Li Lin said coldly, his eyes flashing with a murderous intent as he placed a claw mark on the giant man''s heavenly cover. The giant man had no strength left to resist. A sudden, sharp pain erupted in his mind, followed by uncontrollable spasms as his true qi was forcibly extracted from his body. "What are you doing..." The giant man cried out in fear, a sense of panic spreading from the depths of his soul, but it was too late for him to be afraid. "Ah..." As his true qi was forcibly extracted, akin to reversing his meridians, the giant man let out a miserable scream. In just ten minutes, he turned into a dried corpse. --- At the sight before him, two smooth and beautiful bodies were frolicking in the hot spring, one delicate-looking and the other, upon seeing her, Li Lin''s mind blanked, astonished at her unparalleled beauty. She was an exceptionally beautiful girl with skin like creamy jade, subtly luminescent. Her ink-like hair draped silently over the water''s surface, adding a soft and delicate beauty, with a touch of allure. Her features were exquisitely crafted, like carved jade. The graceful neck, the white skin shining under the light, added to her captivating and radiant beauty. Her deep, black eyes sparkled with life, her bright eyes and white teeth making her seem like a fairy. This was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful women Li Lin had ever seen, not inferior to Li WuShuang, and perhaps even surpassing her. Li Lin couldn''t help but think of Lan Ling, Yang Miao, Li Mei, Du Gu BingLan, and others. This stunning girl before him was definitely a notch above them. The hot spring was crystal clear, and the ripples in the water allowed Li Lin to catch glimpses of the smooth, fair bodies beneath the surface. The gentle movements in the water made the breasts of the beautiful girl move rhythmically, and below the smooth abdomen, a vague shadow added to the charm of this bathing beauty scene, causing Li Lin to feel a natural male impulse rising uncontrollably. "Ah..." Just then, the delicate maid screamed, finally noticing a figure standing not far from the edge of the hot spring, and it was a man. "Not good." Li Lin''s heart sank. He had already sensed the stunning girl''s high cultivation level and immediately planned to leave, leaping towards the canyon''s exit. "Little thief, die!" A sharp voice rang out, followed by a green shadow swiftly attacking Li Lin from behind. The sharp sound of the wind approached, and Li Lin, unalarmed, prepared to defend himself with the Qing Ling Armor. The opponent''s strength was much greater than he had anticipated. "Smack smack..." Li Lin still underestimated the opponent''s strength. A powerful force struck him, dimming the Qing Ling Armor and hurling him harshly to the ground. Already injured, he coughed up another mouthful of blood. Now, a green figure stood before Li Lin. She was clad in green, embroidered with light blue patterns, her attire accentuating her graceful and curvaceous figure, with a slender waist and long, beautiful legs. However, her face was filled with rage, looking as if she wanted to kill Li Lin then and there. "I''ll kill you, you voyeur!" The beautiful girl angrily shouted, her hand forming a palm print and pressing down towards him. "Such strong power, this girl must be the one who injured the giant man from the Berserk Wolf Mercenary Group," Li Lin thought, recalling memories he had acquired from one of the mercenaries. This girl, who injured the giant man, was terrifyingly powerful. Li Lin rolled away in a hurry, dodging the palm print that hit where he had just been, cracking the ground. "I must escape, or I''ll surely die," Li Lin thought, his heart sinking. He was no match for her and needed to flee immediately. He trembled with true qi, trying to escape. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings."Dream on, if you think you can escape," the beautiful girl shouted, her hand sending another green shadow striking Li Lin, who unsurprisingly crashed heavily to the ground, blood surging within him and spewing out again. "Enough, you woman," Li Lin got up, glaring furiously at the beautiful girl in front of him, his pale face showing anger. This made the beautiful girl pause momentarily in surprise. "This canyon is where I''ve set up camp. You entered without my permission, and I didn''t even say anything about it. Now you want to kill me? Woman, you''re being unreasonable," Li Lin angrily said. He hadn''t provoked anyone, nor had he intended to see them like that. "Thief, trying to argue your way out of this. I''ll gouge out your eyes first, let''s see how you''ll peep then," the stunningly beautiful girl retorted angrily after a moment''s pause. "Ridiculous, do you think I wanted to see? I didn''t ask you to undress. I might as well fight you to the end," Li Lin said angrily. Women really were unreasonable. "Stubborn thief!" the beautiful girl shouted, her true qi trembling as she aimed a palm strike at Li Lin, bringing a whooshing sound of fierce qi. "You''re the thief, your father, your ancestors, all thieves. I''ll fight you," Li Lin cursed back, angered by being repeatedly called a thief. He no longer held back, summoning all his true qi and starting to form a series of strange hand seals. "I''ll fight to the end," Li Lin thought grimly, realizing he couldn''t escape as the girl''s strength was too overpowering. He recalled from the Berserk Wolf Mercenary Group''s big man''s memory that this beautiful girl was also a dual-element warrior. As he formed the hand seals, mysterious arcs appeared around him, enveloping him in dazzling light. As Li Lin formed these mysterious hand seals, strange lights burst forth in front of him, enveloping his body in a terrifying energy aura. Even the space around started to distort under the influence of this terrifying energy. "This power is too strong. I''m injured, and even using the Vermilion Bird Art, I probably stand no chance," Li Lin thought. While the Vermilion Bird Art was powerful, he feared it wouldn''t be enough to deal with the beautiful girl before him. "Here goes nothing," Li Lin said through gritted teeth, forming hand seals again. The true qi he had absorbed from the fifth-level martial master and the giant man was also channeled into the Vermilion Bird Art. This energy wasn''t yet fully his own. As he channeled this energy, his meridians swelled, and the energy rampaged through his body like wild beasts. If he were to refine this energy, it would take him over half a month, maybe even more. Now, channeling it all at once into the Vermilion Bird Art, one could imagine the strain on his meridians. Li Lin bit down hard, sweating profusely, feeling as if his organs and meridians were about to burst. If his meridians weren''t so robust, he might have already died from them bursting. Any strong cultivator witnessing this would gasp in shock at such a suicidal act. As this energy entered the Vermilion Bird Art, the previously converging lights suddenly scattered. This energy wasn''t yet Li Lin''s own true qi, making it almost impossible to merge with the Vermilion Bird Art. Unaware of this, Li Lin, facing a formidable enemy, didn''t have time to think further and only hoped to enhance the power of the Vermilion Bird Art. At this moment, as the true qi energy was injected, a seven-colored light spread out, and Li Lin felt as if he had been struck heavily, experiencing intense, piercing pain in his mind. "Damn it, they can''t merge," Li Lin finally realized. The true qi couldn''t merge with the Vermilion Bird Art. "Doesn''t matter, it has to merge," Li Lin gritted his teeth, with no way out. His mind injected spiritual power again, and his soul force began to invisibly manipulate the dispersing energy to merge once more. Inside Li Lin''s body, the true qi was chaotic, and the intense pain was beyond his tolerance. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but he was still struggling against it. From a distance, the stunningly beautiful girl watched Li Lin, shocked, forgetting to attack him. She observed the seven-colored light around Li Lin and another strange power, seeming to understand his intention. "What is this boy trying to do? Is he trying to kill himself?" the beautiful girl wondered in surprise. Clearly, Li Lin was attempting to merge two different powers, and one of them was filled with spiritual power, further astonishing her. But she also felt a dangerous aura emanating from Li Lin. If he managed to merge the powers, it would be terrifying indeed. Li Lin, enduring the excruciating pain, controlled the three powers to keep merging. The seven-colored light began to converge again. Meanwhile, Li Lin''s complexion grew increasingly pale, blood continuously dripping to the ground, even seeping out of his pores, turning him into a bloodied figure. The extreme pain and swelling of the meridians had reached their limits. If the meridians swelled any further, they would burst. "I have to merge it, or I''ll surely die. If I have to die, I''ll do it boldly," Li Lin trembled with a wry smile. If the merge was successful, he might still have a chance. "Not good," the beautiful girl''s expression darkened as she sensed the increasingly intense dangerous aura from Li Lin, starting to feel a bit anxious. "What a bizarre technique," she said in surprise. She extended her wrist, forming several hand seals, and terrifying energy converged from all around. An odd energy began to gather, her complexion growing increasingly solemn and pale as the terrifying energy drained her true qi. Enduring the agony, Li Lin finally saw the seven-colored light begin to merge again. The light became even more dazzling than before, the seven colors interweaving and appearing quite mystical. The terrifying energy released from above began to distort the surrounding air currents. In an instant, Li Lin formed a hand seal, and the violent energy began to calm down, condensing into a four-meter-tall, red energy phoenix. Compared to when he first formed the Vermilion Bird Art in Qingyun Town, this energy phoenix was about a meter larger. The phoenix was entirely red, like flames, with a seven-colored feathered crown on its head and a long, colorful tail. Its outstretched wings carried flames, causing the surrounding space to undulate. Feeling the current atmosphere, Li Lin smiled slightly. This time, the Vermilion Bird Art, powered by the true qi from the fifth-level martial master and the giant man, was several times stronger than before. It was a pity it wasn''t his own true qi, or else the power would have been even more terrifying. Regardless, he had finally managed to merge and form the new Vermilion Bird Art, its power significantly increased. With this violent power, Li Lin was confident he could shatter even the giant man from the Berserk Wolf Mercenary Group. "Vermilion Bird Art, go!" Li Lin shouted, forming the final hand seal and spitting out another mouthful of blood. At the same time, his true qi was completely exhausted. The terrifying energy of the phoenix instantly transformed into a size of about seven to eight meters. Flames whooshed around it, and the violent aura surged skyward, instantly enveloping hundreds of meters around it in towering flames. The air sizzled as it burned, the horror of it all reaching an extreme point. "Wind Sweeping Clouds," the stunningly beautiful girl shouted, forming the last hand seal. A violently swirling airflow rose around her, like a tornado howling and churning. In the canyon, starting from the ground, a whirlwind of air flipped over a layer of soil. Countless cracks spread, and the soil layer was swept high into the sky, collapsing and pressing down like a blanket. Filled with terrifying energy, a gigantic, extreme whirlwind condensed. The howling wind was an actual tornado, flipping the entire canyon. The two equally terrifying energies collided, and countless lights scattered in all directions. The wind enveloped the flames, and the flames intertwined within the storm. Inside the canyon, continuous explosions erupted, and within the storm, the phoenix illusion disappeared. Finally, it condensed into an incredibly hot, gigantic fireball. The fireball became agitated and then expanded rapidly. Following that, an explosion burst open in mid-air. Chapter 116: The Spicy Hand Urges the Grass "Bang bang bang bang..." Flames wildly dispersed, covering the entire canyon with a deafeningly intense explosion. The storm was blown apart, and a terrifyingly violent aura shot into the sky. "Thud..." Li Lin''s body was violently thrown dozens of meters, crashing hard onto the ground. His blood surged wildly within, and he immediately lost consciousness. Only at the end did Li Lin realize that his opponent was a triple-element martial artist. The final technique she used was clearly a wind-element martial skill, and it was of a very high level. "Thump thump..." The stunningly beautiful girl staggered backwards several steps, blood trickling from her mouth, her face pale. "Miss," the delicate maid had been watching from afar, knowing she couldn''t help. Seeing her mistress injured, she hurried over anxiously. "I''m fine, check if that thief is dead," the beautiful girl said. "Miss, he''s not dead, just unconscious," the delicate maid reported after checking Li Lin. "This thief dared to hurt me; I won''t let him die so easily. Lock his true qi and wait for him to wake up. Then we''ll deal with this thief properly," the beautiful girl said angrily. Even with her face full of rage, she looked captivating. "Miss, isn''t this too cruel? Shouldn''t we just kill him?" the maid suggested, recalling the methods her mistress used to torture others in their sect, which were unbearable to witness. "Hmph, I won''t let him off so easily. He peeped at me and even cursed at me. We''ll settle the score when he wakes up," the beautiful girl said indignantly. "Alright," the maid sympathetically glanced at the unconscious Li Lin, then placed several finger seals on him. After an unknown amount of time, Li Lin groggily regained consciousness, his true qi solidified, with only a trace remaining in his dantian. His injuries were also extremely severe. Opening his eyes, he found himself in a cave, surprisingly in the same canyon cave where he had been staying. He had been thrown into a corner of the cave, his true qi sealed and his hands and feet tightly bound with vines. As night fell, the cave was dimly lit. Li Lin saw two figures in front of him, the stunningly beautiful girl and her maid. The beautiful girl was also meditating. "This is bad," Li Lin thought, feeling a deep sense of trouble. Falling into this girl''s hands probably meant no good outcome. With his true qi locked and severely injured, he felt doomed. He hadn''t expected his all-out effort with the Vermilion Bird Art to be insufficient against the beautiful girl. Her strength was terrifying, a triple-element martial artist, and her background was unknown. Seeing that the two girls hadn''t noticed him, Li Lin quickly closed his eyes, sensing that his meridians and acupoints were locked with extreme true qi. He then started using the Yin Yang Spiritual Martial Technique to break through the sealed true qi. With the technique, this seal couldn''t stop him. However, severely injured, he had no strength to escape and could only focus on recuperating. Suppressing the chaotic true qi within, Li Lin began to meditate slowly, thinking of various ways to escape. But at the moment, there seemed to be no chance of escape. Time slowly passed, and Li Lin secretly recuperated within. After a night, he regained some true qi, but his injuries hadn''t improved much. Meanwhile, he felt the beautiful girl exhale a long breath, signaling the end of her cultivation. Li Lin didn''t dare to be careless and stopped his meditation, continuing to feign unconsciousness. "Miss, how is your injury?" Li Lin heard the delicate maid speaking. "It''s mostly better now. Dong Mei, check if that little thief has woken up," Li Lin listened and learned that the maid''s name was Dong Mei. He wondered what the name of the stunningly beautiful girl, who kept calling him ''little thief'', was. "Miss, he''s still unconscious. What if his injuries are too severe and he doesn''t wake up?" Dong Mei checked Li Lin and didn''t realize he had already woken up. "If he doesn''t wake up, that''s too easy for him. Like this, even if he''s dead, it won''t be easy for him. Dig out his eyeballs and cut off his tongue to feed to the beasts," the beautiful girl said. "Miss, isn''t that too cruel?" Dong Mei asked. "Cruel? That''s not enough to quench my anger. I''ll do it myself." "Alright, give me a quick death. I didn''t expect such a beautiful woman to have a heart like a venomous scorpion," Li Lin finally couldn''t hold back and opened his eyes to curse. All the beautiful women he had met in the Misty Mountain Range were so ruthless. The saying ''the most venomous woman''s heart'' was indeed true. "So, you''ve decided to wake up. I knew you were feigning death," the beautiful girl snorted coldly. This anger didn''t detract from her beauty; instead, it added a cute touch. "If you want to kill me, go ahead. If I die, I won''t let you off even as a ghost," Li Lin said. He wasn''t in the mood to admire her beauty. He was already in a dire situation and chose to curse vehemently. "You can''t do anything to me while alive; you think you can after death? Tell me, who are you?" the beautiful girl stared at Li Lin and asked. "Who I am is none of your business," Li Lin snorted coldly, thinking that most women liked a man because they couldn''t figure him out. Maybe this woman would be curious and not kill him, giving him a chance to escape. "I''ve seen stubbornness, but let''s see if you''re really that tough," the beautiful girl said lightly. "I''m even tougher in some places. You want to try? But even if you want to, I''m not willing," Li Lin cursed, finding it quite relieving. "Ah..." But as soon as he finished speaking, Li Lin let out a scream. The beautiful girl had taken a green needle and pricked his face with it, causing a numbing sensation as if millions of ants were gnawing on it. The needle was poisoned. "This is the Thousand Ants Heart-Piercing Needle, the weakest poison I have. Do you want to reconsider telling me who you are now?" the beautiful girl said with a slight smile. "You venomous woman, I think you''re the failed contraceptive product of your mother. You have hormonal imbalance, premature menopause. If I don''t die, I''ll sell you to a brothel," Li Lin cursed. The pain on his face was unbearable, and the right half of his face was swelling like a balloon. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The beautiful girl didn''t understand the first part of Li Lin''s curse, but she clearly understood the last part about the brothel, and her face turned angry: "I''ll make you curse." As she spoke, Li Lin''s left face also began to numb as the beautiful girl pricked him with another needle. The pain, like millions of ants gnawing, was unbearable for ordinary people. "I won''t let you off, you venomous woman. Damn, my face," Li Lin raged, but he was powerless against her. Although his true qi was unsealed, his hands and feet were tied, and he couldn''t move. "Let''s see how you won''t let me off. I''ve changed my mind. I won''t kill you but torture you every day until you die," the beautiful girl snorted coldly, not caring about Li Lin''s threats. She stretched out her wrist, then pinched Li Lin''s mouth, causing excruciating pain on his tongue. "Ah..." Li Lin screamed in agony. The tongue is one of the softest and most sensitive parts of the human body. Under the effect of the Thousand Ants Heart-Piercing Needle, Li Lin''s tongue immediately went numb, becoming as hard as stone, rendering him unable to speak. "Hmph, that will teach you to curse and peep at me. Go on, keep cursing. Why have you stopped? I have countless ways to torture you. Just don''t die too soon," the beautiful girl snorted coldly. Li Lin wanted to curse, but his swollen tongue filled his mouth, making it impossible to speak. He could only glare at her, silently cursing in his mind, thinking of every curse he knew against the beautiful girl, but this did nothing to ease the pain in his face and mouth. At this moment, Li Lin''s face was swollen and his mouth puffed up, resembling a grotesque caricature. If Li Lin had seen himself in a mirror, he might have been scared to death. "Miss, we can''t kill him. How will we take him with us? Shouldn''t we be heading back?" Dong Mei asked. "Let him walk on his own. When the time comes, we''ll untie his legs. There''s no fear of him running away. Once my injury is healed, we''ll set off," the beautiful girl said softly, then smugly put away her silver needle, patted her hands, glanced indifferently at the screaming Li Lin, and continued to sit cross-legged, resuming her meditation. Dong Mei also glanced at Li Lin with sympathy but could only feel sorry for him as she too sat down to cultivate. After a while of miserable wailing, Li Lin''s body gradually went numb, making it somewhat better. He glared helplessly at the venomous beauty, realizing he was no match for her as her strength was far greater than his. Seeing the two women meditating, Li Lin also continued to meditate covertly, knowing that he could only escape if his injuries healed. Otherwise, there was no chance. Deep in the dense forests of the Misty Mountain Range, hundreds of figures were searching for something. At the front were three figures, two elderly men in robes and a middle-aged man. The middle-aged man was none other than Wang Mingyue, the city lord of Wudu City and an external elder of the Yunyang Sect. "Elder Mingyue, hurry, we must find the young miss quickly. If anything happens to her, all three of us will be in trouble," said one of the robed elders anxiously. His long hair draped over his shoulders, and his aura subtly fluctuated, indicating his extraordinary strength. "Elder Wu, everyone is searching carefully. I''ve already sent all the available forces from Wudu City to find the young miss," Wang Mingyue said anxiously. If the only beloved daughter of the sect master of Yunyang Sect were to be lost under his jurisdiction, he would be in big trouble. "A few days ago, we found our Yunyang Sect''s mark. It must have been left by Dong Mei. The young miss should be nearby. We can''t let anything happen to her. If only we knew, we wouldn''t have brought her out this time," Elder Wu sighed. "We don''t need to worry too much. The young miss is playful, but her strength is not weak. She also has some trump cards. Even if we encounter her, we won''t get any advantage. I''m just afraid that if she goes deep into the Misty Mountain Range, it''ll be troublesome. There are many strong figures there. If she''s just around the outskirts, her strength should be enough to keep her safe," another middle-aged man said. "That''s right. Let''s hope the young miss doesn''t go too deep into the Misty Mountain Range. There are many strong people there. If she stays around the outskirts, there shouldn''t be too much danger with her strength," Wang Mingyue added. In the canyon, Li Lin''s true qi was slowly recovering, but his injuries were too severe, and his energy was almost depleted, making recovery a long process. The true qi he had absorbed and then expended in the Vermilion Bird Art was not his own cultivated true qi. After spending it, it was impossible to recover. Li Lin continued to meditate slowly and secretly, not letting the others notice. His recovery was very slow due to his injuries and the need for secrecy. A day later, Li Lin felt that his injuries had recovered by less than twenty percent, while the young miss with the venomous beauty had already recovered by about ninety percent. Li Lin felt that the injuries on his face and tongue had improved significantly, suggesting that the poison was not particularly severe and not lethal. "Sigh..." The stunningly beautiful girl exhaled a breath of turbid air, indicating her injury was mostly healed. She opened her beautiful eyes, a flash of sharpness passing through them, then turned her gaze towards Li Lin, showing a hint of puzzlement. "Little thief, you do have some ability. People struck by my Thousand Ants Heart-Piercing Needle usually don''t recover for ten days or half a month, but you recovered in just one day. That''s really surprising," the beautiful girl said. Li Lin was taken aback, thinking he was not heavily poisoned. He speculated that maybe the previous detoxification by the little dragon had given him some resistance to poison. "What do you want to do today? I, this young master, am waiting," Li Lin said, implying that a man like him wouldn''t bow down to a woman. "Why aren''t you cursing today? I''m still waiting for you to do so," the beautiful girl said lightly, giving Li Lin a slight glare, her eyes showing a playful smile. "Do you really want me to curse you? That''s a bit of a twisted desire," Li Lin said, trying not to provoke her intentionally, knowing she was even more poisonous than Lan Ling. "You" The beautiful girl glared at Li Lin, then said, "I''m tired of your nonsense. Tell me, who are you exactly?" The beautiful girl was greatly interested in the martial technique Li Lin had used. He was only a seventh-level martial artist but managed to injure her, which she found incredible. "I am me. Your question is pretty silly," Li Lin retorted coldly. "What''s your name, and which sect are you from?" The beautiful girl was about to get angry, but then Dong Mei, the maid, stepped forward to ask. Li Lin glanced at the beautiful girl and then said, "I''m not afraid to tell you. I, Li Lin, have never changed my name or identity. I am a disciple of the Yunyang Sect. You''d better let me go, or the Yunyang Sect won''t let you off." "You''re a disciple of the Yunyang Sect?" The beautiful girl looked at Li Lin in surprise, and Dong Mei also looked at him doubtfully. "Whose disciple are you in the Yunyang Sect?" The beautiful girl asked again, still somewhat astonished. Observing their reactions, Li Lin thought that perhaps these two women had some connection with the Yunyang Sect and might let him go. Although he was a disciple of the Yunyang Sect, he had never even entered the sect''s main gate. "I am a disciple of Elder Bai Mei," Li Lin replied, borrowing the name of a known elder of the Yunyang Sect. "You dare to lie to me," the beautiful girl teased with a smile, and suddenly a flash of white light appeared in her hand. The Thousand Ants Heart-Piercing Needle then struck Li Lin''s thigh. "Ah..." Li Lin let out a scream as his thigh instantly swelled up. The sensation of thousands of ants biting his leg was unbearable. "You venomous wench, this young master isn''t finished with you," Li Lin cursed vehemently. "Keep cursing," the stunningly beautiful girl said as a flash of white light passed through her hand again, causing Li Lin''s other thigh to experience the same excruciating pain as if thousands of ants were burrowing into it. "Miss, this guy isn''t telling the truth. Let''s ask him again later. For now, let''s go find something to eat," Dong Mei suggested after glancing at Li Lin. "Sounds good, I''m hungry. Let''s go out and find some food. We''ll deal with this little thief later," the beautiful girl said. They left the cave, not worried about Li Lin escaping since his true qi was sealed and he couldn''t get away. After the two women left the cave, Li Lin peeked outside. Seeing that they had really gone far, he knew it was now or never to escape. His true qi trembled as he activated the Furious Flame Fist. His fists radiated intense heat, burning through the vines that bound his hands. "Venomous woman, you didn''t expect me to have already broken through the qi lock," Li Lin muttered as he quickly untied the vines around his legs. His legs were numb and painful, and he limped as he moved, cursing the beautiful woman and her ancestors in his mind. After scouting the cave entrance, Li Lin bore the pain in his legs and limped out of the cave. He was familiar with the canyon and knew how to hide and make a quick escape. Li Lin didn''t dare to stop and hurriedly fled. He estimated that the two women would return soon, and being caught by them again would be disastrous. Shortly after Li Lin left, hundreds of unexpected visitors appeared outside the canyon, led by Wang Mingyue and others. "Our Yunyang Sect''s mark, the young miss must be around here," Elder Wu said, looking at a star-shaped mark on a tall tree near the dense forest outside the canyon. "Everyone, search quickly," Wang Mingyue ordered. Hundreds of people rushed into the dense forest and soon discovered the canyon inside. Chapter 117: Into the Jaws of Danger Again "Where''s the thief?" In the canyon cave, the stunningly beautiful girl looked around the empty cave and became furiously angry. In just a short moment, the thief had disappeared. "Miss, let him run if he has escaped," Dong Mei suggested. "He''s injured and can''t have gone far. He''s also hit by the Thousand Ants Heart-Piercing Needle in his leg. We should chase after him," the beautiful girl said coldly, putting down the wild animals she had just hunted, and immediately set off to chase out of the cave. "Miss, wait for me," the maid Dong Mei hurriedly followed. "It''s the young miss! We finally found you," a figure leaped into the air and landed in front of the beautiful girl. It was Elder Wu, clad in a white robe. "Elder Wu, why are you here?" The beautiful girl was surprised to see the hundreds of people and Elder Wu in the canyon. She didn''t expect them to arrive so quickly. "Young Miss, we''ve been looking for you for over a month. It''s good that you''re safe. Let''s go back. If you don''t return, the sect master might come himself," Elder Wu said. "Miss, let''s go back," Dong Mei said, relieved to see Elder Wu and the others. She had been on edge every day during this period. "But the thief has escaped. I must catch him first," the beautiful girl said indignantly, still preoccupied with Li Lin. "What thief?" Elder Wu asked in confusion. "It''s nothing, just a beast," the beautiful girl''s face flushed slightly, embarrassed to reveal the incident of being spied on while bathing. "Just a beast. When the young miss breaks through to the Martial Soul level, you can choose a beast with good bloodline as your mount. There are no worthy beasts in this Misty Mountain Range." "Thief, if I see you next time, I won''t let you off," the beautiful girl muttered resentfully. "Miss, let''s return," Wang Mingyue and Elder Sun approached the beautiful girl and urged her. Meanwhile, in the canyon, hundreds of young male disciples from Wudu City gazed in awe at the beautiful girl. Such a stunning beauty was a rare sight for them. They had never seen the young miss of the sect, as they had no chance to visit the Yunyang Sect themselves. Some male disciples even started to nosebleed but could only secretly indulge in their fantasies, as the young miss of the sect was beyond their reach. "Forget it, there''s nothing fun in this Misty Mountain Range. I''ll return to the sect and prepare to break through to the Martial Soul level. Then, I''ll find a good mount to play with," the beautiful girl said lightly. "The young miss still has three years. In three years, it will be the time for the once-every-fifteen-years competition among the three sects and four schools. The young miss can then make a good showing for the Yunyang Sect," Elder Sun said. Li Lin kept running frantically, his blood churning and his injuries worsening. He only managed to heal twenty percent of his injuries, and now they had worsened again. His legs were also limp, and he looked utterly disheveled. Unaware of what was happening in the canyon, Li Lin wouldn''t have run had he known, as Wang Mingyue could have confirmed his identity as a disciple of the Yunyang Sect. Not knowing how long he had run, Li Lin dared not stop as his condition worsened. Blood gushed from his mouth. "I must keep going. I can''t let that venomous woman catch up with me. This mountain range isn''t safe. I need to find a place to stay," Li Lin thought to himself. In his current state, he could easily become a target for teams or mercenary groups. Fortunately, Li Lin didn''t encounter any more misfortunes along the way and didn''t run into any teams or mercenary groups. "Ah..." Not knowing where he was, Li Lin stumbled and fell down a hillside. He rolled through thick grass and bushes, tearing his clothes and scratching his back. Li Lin landed in a small, secluded valley. The valley was small but completely covered by trees and bushes. "Ptui..." Li Lin spat out blood and got up, looking around the valley. This secluded place was exactly what he needed for a hideout to recover from his injuries. Surveying his surroundings, Li Lin found the valley filled with numerous rocks, and the rock walls had several weathered cave entrances. One of them was quite spacious, large enough to accommodate someone. Li Lin entered the cave and immediately took two third-grade healing pills, then sat cross-legged to meditate. His injuries were severe, and his priority was to recover. As time passed slowly, Li Lin lost track of it while meditating. With the substantial aid of the two third-grade healing pills, his recovery was neither slow nor fast, considering the severity of his injuries. Ten days later, the early morning in the Misty Mountain Range was shrouded in fog. The dawn broke through the sunlight, casting myriad hues of light on dewdrops, creating a dazzling display. "Suddenly, the tranquility of the morning in the mountains was disrupted by footsteps. A figure in a black robe flashed by, covering hundreds of meters in just a few leaps. The approaching figure was a black-robed elder, his right hand covering his bleeding shoulder, his face pale. Despite his severe injuries, he moved with ghost-like speed, indicating his extraordinary strength. Half an hour after the black-robed elder disappeared, two other elders appeared, their cultivation also terrifyingly powerful. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. "This old poisoner is badly injured and won''t get far," one elder commented, observing blood traces on the ground. "We must find him, or he will become a big problem," the other elder said grimly, and the two vanished from the spot. On a hillside, a black-robed elder surveyed his surroundings, and after a moment, seemed to have discovered something. He leaped down towards the valley. In the cave, Li Lin was surrounded by a faint light, looking much healthier after ten days of meditation. On the sixth day, he had taken another third-grade healing pill, and his injuries were now eighty percent healed. "Who''s there?" Li Lin sensed an unusual presence approaching. Before he could react, several hand seals landed on him. His true qi was sealed, and his meridians were blocked, rendering him powerless on the ground. At that moment, Li Lin saw a black-robed elder, around fifty years old, with a pale face and sharp eyes. His robe was stained with blood, indicating he was not lightly injured. "Young fellow, I need a place to heal. I don''t want to kill today, so just stay put. Once I''m healed, I''ll let you go," the elder said, glancing at Li Lin. He set up a black smokescreen at the cave entrance and took several pills before sitting down to meditate. "Damn, I must be cursed this year. I just escaped one disaster and now I''m trapped again," Li Lin cursed internally. He felt his luck had been exceptionally bad recently, being captured inexplicably. "Spiritual power, is he a spiritualist?" Feeling his meridians sealed by several strands of spiritual power, Li Lin was surprised. The elder was a spiritualist. Li Lin began to secretly refine the spiritual power within him using the Yin Yang Spiritual Martial Art. Sensing the elder''s formidable and eerie aura, Li Lin didn''t dare make any noticeable movements and quietly continued his refinement. A day later, Li Lin had refined the spiritual power seals in his body. The elder''s strength was formidable, and refining the spiritual power had slightly enhanced Li Lin''s own spiritual power. Having refined the spiritual power seals and recovered eighty percent of his injuries, Li Lin still didn''t dare to make any moves. He instinctively knew the black-robed elder was not to be trifled with. The elder''s aura was much more intimidating than any other strong person Li Lin had encountered. Li Lin covertly observed the black-robed elder. The elder''s long black hair, slender figure, and body wrapped in dense black light were imposing. "Spiritualist," Li Lin thought, watching the black-robed elder, whose cultivation level he couldn''t fathom, but who was the strongest person he had ever encountered. "Sigh..." At that moment, the black-robed elder let out a faint sigh and suddenly turned to look directly at Li Lin with a piercing gaze, causing Li Lin to shiver inwardly, feeling as if the elder could see through his soul. "Good lad, I didn''t expect you to secretly undo my seal. But your little tricks can''t fool me," the black-robed elder said, scrutinizing Li Lin. Li Lin''s heart sank, utterly surprised by the elder''s formidable ability to see through him. "I need someone at my side. Take this pill, or I will kill you," the elder said, tossing a black pill to Li Lin. His gaze was inscrutable. Li Lin hesitated, suspecting the pill was not a simple tonic. Taking it could spell trouble. "I''m not patient. You better not test my patience," the elder warned him coldly. Li Lin realized he stood no chance against this elder, unlike the venomous woman he had encountered earlier. He had no choice but to comply unless he wished for death. "I''ll take it," Li Lin said lightly, swallowing the pill. As soon as the pill entered his mouth, a strange energy spread through his meridians and limbs. He could feel the energy adhering to his body. "The pill you swallowed is the Blood Devouring Bone Dissolving Pill. Without the antidote within a year, you''ll die as your meridians break apart. I doubt anyone can neutralize the poison I''ve concocted. Look at your palm; you can leave anytime if you wish to die. But if you don''t want to die, obey my commands," the elder said. Li Lin looked at his palm and noticed a black dot the size of a bean. He realized he was poisoned and wondered if the elder was bluffing. "Just tell me what you want me to do. But how do I know you''ll give me the antidote? If you dont, I''m doomed anyway. I might as well die than be controlled by you," Li Lin said, thinking of all the possibilities. He recalled that Uncle Jiang''s strength was not inferior to this elder, and the jade slip Uncle Jiang gave him had various antidotes, though none for this specific poison. "You want to bargain with me?" The elder glared at Li Lin with a chilling gaze, exerting an invisible pressure on him. Li Lin felt as if he''d been struck hard, his soul suppressed, and the pressure intensified the more he struggled, threatening to tear his body apart. "If you like to bully the weak, I have nothing to say. You can kill me," Li Lin challenged, relying on the elder''s need for him and his unfinished business. The elder''s expression twitched slightly, then he asked, "Aren''t you afraid of death?" "Of course, I''m afraid. Who isn''t? But before I can be sure I have a chance to live, I''d rather not be controlled by anyone. Better to die early," Li Lin said, sweat beading on his forehead but still lifting his head defiantly. "Ha! The strong prey on the weak; that''s the rule of the world. Your words are meaningless. The dead are not pitied. The winner takes all. Don''t you understand?" the elder laughed heartily. "But seeing your spirit, you don''t seem like a coward. Once I''m healed, I''ll help you detoxify. I, the Soul Poison Commander, won''t deceive a kid like you." "I believe you. What do you need me to do?" With the invisible pressure gone, Li Lin felt a sudden relief throughout his body. "I need you to find a medicinal herb called Dragon Beard Grass for me. I need it for refining a pill," the elder stated. "Dragon Beard Grass." Li Lin was momentarily taken aback. Dragon Beard Grass was often used for concocting fourth-grade pills or higher, and despite not being a main ingredient, it was extremely valuable, costing at least 20,000 gold coins. Li Lin didn''t have that kind of money, and the herb wasn''t something one could just stumble upon. "Dragon Beard Grass isn''t easy to find. Even if I come across it, I might not be able to bring it back with my abilities," Li Lin expressed his concerns. However, he recalled that the space bag of the giant leader from the Violent Wolf Mercenary Group contained a Dragon Beard Grass, along with other medicinal herbs and gold coins, valued around a hundred thousand gold coins in total, with the Dragon Beard Grass being the most expensive. "You seem to know a lot. But I urgently need Dragon Beard Grass for a pill I''m concocting called the Poisonous Miasma Pill. If you find yourself in danger, just crush it. No one will dare to chase you then. Here''s the antidote. Take one and you won''t be poisoned," the black-robed elder said, handing Li Lin two pills, a Poisonous Miasma Pill and an antidote. Li Lin accepted the pills, then said, "It might take a year to find the Dragon Beard Grass. I think Ill try buying it from mercenary groups, but I dont have enough gold coins." "I don''t have gold coins, but here''s a fourth-grade Spirit Enhancement Pill. It should be enough for five Dragon Beard Grasses. Get the herb quickly, or you can forget about the antidote," the elder said coldly, throwing Li Lin a pill that emitted a rich medicinal fragrance. "Understood," Li Lin replied, inwardly elated at receiving a Spirit Enhancement Pill, a valuable item for enhancing spiritual power and consolidating the soul, crucial for spirit practitioners advancing to the spirit marrow stage and worth over a hundred thousand gold coins. Holding the pill, Li Lin left the cave and wandered the valley before leaving. He sat on a towering tree in a forest, contemplating his options. If Uncle Jiang could cure the poison, he could return to Qingyun Town. But if not, he would be doomed. Li Lin didnt want to risk it, as his own life was at stake. Resigned to his ill fortune, Li Lin sighed inwardly, deciding not to return immediately. Returning too soon might arouse the Soul Poison Commanders suspicion. It was better to wait a day or two before going back. Chapter 118: Fifth-Grade Elixir Leaping up, Li Lin''s figure immediately disappeared from the spot. It was a good time to go out for some training, especially since his injuries had almost healed. In a dense forest, towering trees shrouded the space. In the forest, a giant bear, over three meters tall, was intently watching Li Lin. The bear was pure white, without a single speck of another color, and its eyes were like bronze bells. It emitted a terrifying aura. "A second-stage late phase demon beast," Li Lin sensed the aura of the giant bear, which had reached the late phase of the second stage. Even a first-grade martial artist would struggle against it. This was an Earth Demon Bear, with thick skin and a lot of flesh, extremely tough in defense and not easy to deal with. "Roar..." A terrifying roar echoed from the mouth of the Earth Demon Bear as it charged forward rapidly, its massive front limbs slamming down towards Li Lin. "Big guy, this young master will take care of you," said Li Lin, not turning to flee. He vibrated the Qi under his feet, swiftly dodging the Earth Demon Bear''s attack. The bear was thick-skinned and heavily defended, but somewhat clumsy and not very agile. "Mountain Splitting Palm." Li Lin shouted softly, dodging and striking with a pale yellow palm imprint towards the giant Earth Demon Bear, speeding up and hitting the bear''s back. "Bang..." Li Lin felt as if his palm had hit a rock, going numb, while the Earth Demon Bear just staggered forward a few steps. "Roar..." The Earth Demon Bear roared again, turning and slamming its left limb towards Li Lin, the powerful force creating a whistling wind. Li Lin quickly retreated backward. He couldn''t afford to fight head-on with this beast, as it would only put him at a disadvantage. Forming a hand seal, the surrounding spiritual energy instantly gathered, the terrifying air pressure distorting space and spreading a strong aura. In Li Lin''s hand, a red broadsword condensed, with spatial ripples oscillating around it and a sharp whistling sound. "Soul Cutter Slash." Li Lin''s spiritual energy condensed into the red broadsword, instantly breaking through the spatial airflow. The surrounding air swept across like a mountain pressing down, ferociously striking towards the Earth Demon Bear. "Roar..." On the giant body of the Earth Demon Bear, a thick pale-yellow light ring condensed, watching Li Lin''s attack with fear in its eyes. Low-level demon beasts, not very intelligent, tend to flee when scared, unlike wild beasts which can be more tenacious and dangerous. However, high-level demon beasts, as intelligent as humans, are much more challenging to deal with. The red broadsword cut through the void, the blade causing spatial vibrations and producing a sonic boom. The blade''s afterimage, carrying a terrifying force, struck the Earth Demon Bear with a blinding light. "Bang!" The pale-yellow light ring on the Earth Demon Bear instantly twisted and then cracked, unleashing a violent energy fluctuation. A fierce power spread out, distorting the surrounding space. The giant body of the Earth Demon Bear was split in two by the blade, which then dissipated into the void. "Truly worthy of being a Xuan-level spiritual technique." Li Lin marveled at the power of his Soul Cutter technique. At his sixth-grade martial artist level, using this Xuan-level spiritual technique, he could kill a second-stage late phase demon beast. This meant that using this Soul Cutter technique, he could kill an average first-grade martial artist. Xuan-level spiritual techniques are classified into six levels: Heaven, Earth, Xuan, Huang, Star, and Chen. For a small family clan, possessing an early Yellow Level martial technique is already a treasure. Yellow Level spiritual techniques are even rarer. As for Xuan-level martial techniques and spiritual techniques, they are considered treasures even in large sects and schools. The power of martial and spiritual techniques increases significantly with each level. There is a world of difference between an early Xuan-level spiritual technique and a high-level Huang spiritual technique. Li Lin practiced the Soul Cutter technique, an early Xuan-level spiritual technique, while the Vermilion Bird Art was a high-level Huang martial technique. As for the Four Gods Art, Li Lin was not sure if it was a martial technique since the Vermilion Bird Art differed greatly from ordinary martial techniques. However, Li Lin knew that his current Vermilion Bird Art should be his strongest technique. Although it was a high-level Huang martial technique, its power was even greater than the Soul Cutter technique. If he could integrate the power of a third party into the Vermilion Bird Art like he did last time, its power would become incredibly formidable. Li Lin''s second technique was undoubtedly the Soul Cutter technique, and the third was the Water-element martial technique, Raging Sea Roar. He still lacked Wood-element and Wind-element martial techniques. After tidying up, Li Lin made his way back. It was about time to return, especially since he had a Dragon Beard Grass on him. Looking at the small black dot on his palm, Li Lin smiled wryly. Arriving back at the mountain valley cave, Li Lin saw the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master meditating with a pale face, his aura slightly improved, and the wound on his shoulder had congealed. "Did you find the Dragon Beard Grass?" Feeling Li Lin''s return, the robed elder opened his eyes, asking eagerly, as if the Dragon Beard Grass was of great importance. "I got it." Li Lin handed over the Dragon Beard Grass he had prepared to the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master. This Dragon Beard Grass, about half a meter tall, emitted a strong medicinal fragrance. It had nine leaves that resembled whiskers, and its body was curved, hence the name. The Dragon Beard Grass was known for its detoxification properties, enhancing spiritual energy, and stabilizing the mind, making it highly valuable. "I need to concoct elixirs. Stay quiet and do not disturb me," the robed elder said happily, then looked at Li Lin with a gaze that was a bit less cold. "Please proceed," Li Lin replied, retreating to a corner of the cave, curious to see how the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master would concoct the elixirs. "Clang..." The Soul Ensnaring Poison Master took out a medicinal cauldron from his storage ring. Li Lin had noticed the storage ring on the master''s hand before, a sign of high status. The cauldron, about a meter tall and dark cyan, had intricate patterns and emitted a faint luster. It seemed to be of no lesser quality than Li Lin''s Fire Dragon Cauldron. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. At that moment, the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master began forming hand seals, channeling spiritual energy into the cauldron. Immediately, roaring flames filled the cauldron, the intense heat causing the air in the cave to become extremely hot and the temperature to rise sharply. As the temperature reached a certain level, Li Lin watched the master skillfully control the flames, a level of proficiency far beyond his own. Then, the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master took out various herbs, one by one, refining them in the cauldron. The fire in the cauldron reached a level of precision that required immense soul power to control. Li Lin was surprised by the herbs the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master took out, all of them valuable. It seemed that the master was concocting at least fifth-grade elixirs or higher. Watching the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master refine the herbs, Li Lin grew more and more amazed. The master''s control over the soul power and flames was incredibly precise, wasting not a single bit of material and working at a rapid pace. However, there were numerous herbs to be refined, and it was not a task that could be completed in a short time. Watching the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master concoct, Li Lin learned a lot by analogy. Feeling the aura of the master and considering his title, Li Lin guessed that the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master might have reached the level of a Spiritual Commander, an absolute powerhouse. At this time, the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master was deeply focused on his concoction, taking meticulous steps in refining the various herbs. This process continued until the next day when all the herbs were finally refined. The master''s hand seals changed again, and he let out a long breath, then began to merge the spiritual liquid extracted from the herbs. The hand seals of the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master danced continuously, and the flames in the medicinal cauldron roared, emitting a rich medicinal fragrance. Li Lin could neither see nor feel what was happening inside the cauldron, but judging from the aura and scent emanating from it, the spiritual medicine was slowly taking shape, a feat not achievable by ordinary spiritual practitioners. Time passed slowly again, and the fragrance in the cave became increasingly intense. ... A whole day passed, and the medicinal fragrance in the cave became so intense and fierce that it shocked Li Lin. What level of elixir was being concocted, carrying such a violent power even in its scent? "Humming..." The medicinal cauldron vibrated continuously, buzzing incessantly, as if a violent force was rampaging inside, appearing extremely mystical. "Gather the elixir," the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master commanded in a light shout, changing the hand seals again, causing the cauldron to shake even more violently. An invisible force suddenly spread out. "Clang!" A clear sound emanated from the cauldron, and simultaneously, the lid flew open, releasing a green elixir the size of a baby''s fist, which spiraled up into the cave. The elixir was filled with violent energy, shining brilliantly. As it flew out of the cauldron, a massive energy pressed down on the cave, transforming into a dazzling beam of light shooting out of the cave. "Boom..." The entire valley echoed with a loud noise as a beam of light shot up into the sky, causing rocks in the cave to fall and shake before stabilizing after a moment. In the hands of the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master, there now lay a green elixir. Although the light on the elixir had dimmed, the rich medicinal fragrance and violent energy could not be concealed. Li Lin''s face turned somewhat pale; under this violent energy, he had suffered quite a bit, forced to activate his Qi to resist. "What grade is this elixir?" Li Lin couldn''t help but ask. The emergence of the elixir caused such a commotion, which was somewhat frightening. He guessed that the elixir was likely of the fifth grade, but he dared not determine the exact level. Li Lin had never encountered an elixir of this grade before. "It''s just a middle-grade fifth-level elixir. With my injury, I can only concoct a fifth-grade elixir, which is just enough to help me recover some of my wounds. I need to heal now, which will probably take about ten days. You can either leave or stay in the cave," the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master said. "I''ll stay. What if you leave without giving me the antidote?" Li Lin said. "Then stay," the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master glanced at Li Lin and then took the elixir in his hand to start healing. Li Lin sat cross-legged, deciding to use these ten days to cultivate and fully recover from his injuries. He took a third-grade elixir, hoping to enhance his strength by refining it. After using the Qi of a fifth-grade martial artist to execute the Vermilion Bird Art last time, he now relied on refining elixirs to strengthen his Qi. Fortunately, he had a good number of elixirs, although not of high grade, taken from the leader of the Rampaging Wolf Mercenaries. Li Lin still cared about third-grade elixirs, but he ate second-grade elixirs like snacks. They had little effect on him now. At his current seventh-grade martial artist strength, even three hundred second-grade elixirs might not enhance his strength by a level. Moments later, Li Lin began to regulate his breathing. The elixir turned into a vast energy, which he slowly refined. In his dantian Qi sea, the Qi slowly increased, but he was still far from breaking through to the eighth-grade martial artist level. During this refining process, Li Lin lost track of time. After ten days, the robed elder slowly exhaled a turbid breath and woke up. "Huff huff..." Li Lin stopped his cultivation and felt the Qi in his dantian Qi sea, now at the middle level of a seventh-grade martial artist. Refining elixirs did not have the same effect as directly absorbing Qi. "Only ten days, but your strength seems to have improved quite a bit," the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master looked at Li Lin with a hint of surprise. He could easily discern Li Lin''s inner Qi without it being concealed. "How is your injury now?" Li Lin asked, noting that the master''s complexion had improved significantly, and his aura had grown stronger, indicating that his injury was likely no longer severe. "It''s not a big deal now, but full recovery is still a long way off," the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master said with a darkened expression, then spoke to Li Lin, "You''re quite bold. Most people tremble in fear in my presence." "Why should I tremble? Although you are powerful, there''s no reason to kill me arbitrarily," Li Lin said with a forced laugh, though he was somewhat worried inside. If the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master decided to take his life on a whim, he would have nowhere to seek justice. "Humph, don''t try to provoke me or flatter me. I kill if I wish to kill, and no one can stop or control me. As long as I''m pleased, it''s enough. But I promised not to kill you, and I will keep my word. We should go now," the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master said. "Go? Where are we going?" Li Lin was startled. "My enemy will never expect that I, having suffered a great loss, would return to the Ancient Realm so soon. I want to do the unexpected and return there. This grudge must be avenged sooner or later," the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master said with coldness in his eyes, making Li Lin shiver. It was evident that the master''s grudge was deep. "Go to the Ancient Realm..." Li Lin was stunned. He had heard of the Ancient Realm, reachable by crossing the entire Misty Mountain Range, but traversing it would take half a year, or two months even by flying beast. "You''re not suggesting that I accompany you, are you?" Li Lin asked gravely. He did not wish to go, especially since there were many high-level demon beasts deep in the Misty Mountain Range. Besides, he needed to visit the Yunyang Sect, and going to the Ancient Realm would make his return difficult. "Indeed, my injury is not fully healed, and I need someone to serve me," the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master gave his answer. "Can''t I hire a maid or find you a young woman to serve you? I really don''t want to go to the Ancient Realm. Can''t you spare me?" Li Lin said. "You can leave anytime, but I will give you the antidote in a year. You can come to the Ancient Realm to get it from me if you can find me," the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master said lightly. "You''re ruthless..." Li Lin said, his life still in the hands of the other party, leaving him no choice but to be at their mercy. "Let''s go. First, let''s find a mercenary group heading to the Ancient Realm. We''ll blend in with them to get there," the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master told Li Lin. "Alright," Li Lin replied softly. In the Misty Mountain Range, there were indeed several mercenary groups heading to the Ancient Realm. These groups, apart from gathering spiritual herbs and capturing demon beasts along the way, also escorted merchants or others through the Misty Mountain Range from the Ancient Realm and the Spirit Martial Continent. Such mercenary groups generally possessed great strength, as crossing the Misty Mountain Range without it was impossible. In the depths of the Misty Mountain Range, third-grade demon beasts were common, fourth-grade ones appeared frequently, and if luck was poor, even fifth-grade demon beasts could be encountered. However, these mercenary groups also reaped great rewards from each expedition. Generally, spiritual practitioners were among them. Li Lin learned from Lan Ling that the White Wolf Mercenary Group belonged to such large-scale mercenary groups. But overnight, this White Wolf Mercenary Group was annihilated by an elder of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, reflecting the formidable strength of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect. Li Lin followed the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master out of the valley. The master looked around for direction and then walked forward, asking Li Lin, "Do you know of any places nearby where mercenaries gather?" Chapter 119: Heading to the Ancient Realm "There''s one just ahead," Li Lin replied. He had discovered a mercenary stopover in a valley during his last outing. "We''ll find a mercenary group and ask them to escort us to the Ancient Realm," the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master said. "Aren''t you more likely to be discovered by your enemies if they''re around here?" Li Lin asked, concerned about his unresolved poisoning and not wanting the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master to encounter enemies. "They wouldn''t expect me to be escorted by a mercenary group. Remember, from now on, you are my nephew, and I am your uncle, to avoid suspicion on the road," the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master instructed. "You''re taking advantage of me," Li Lin said, looking at the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master. He didn''t like the idea of suddenly having an uncle. "Nonsense, being your uncle is an honor for you," the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master retorted, glaring at Li Lin. "Once we reach the Ancient Realm, I will give you the antidote. But if you try anything along the way, you will die a terrible death. Your current strength is nothing; I could reduce you to ashes with a flick of my finger." "I wouldn''t dare. My life is precious. I just hope you keep your promise and give me the antidote when we get to the Ancient Realm," Li Lin said helplessly. Crossing several mountain peaks, having the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master by his side meant Li Lin didn''t have to be overly cautious traversing the forest. They arrived at a lively valley, bustling with life and resembling a makeshift market. Merchants were bargaining, and items like low-grade demon beast furs and various herbs were on sale. Li Lin noted that this valley was busier than the mercenary gathering place he had visited with Lan Ling. "Are you looking for lodging or food?" asked a waiter enthusiastically as Li Lin entered what seemed to be a tavern. "Bring whatever''s good to eat. By the way, is there a mercenary group heading to the Ancient Realm here? We''d like to hire them for escort," Li Lin asked, handing over twenty gold coins. Waiters like this were usually well-informed about mercenaries. Seeing the gold coins, the waiter became even more eager. "There is a mercenary group here going to the Ancient Realm. I''ll ask if they can take you, but it won''t be cheap." "That''s not a problem. Get it arranged, and I''ll reward you further," Li Lin told the waiter, who promptly left to make inquiries. In the half-filled dining hall, the customers glanced at Li Lin and the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master but continued with their meals. In these mercenary rest areas, there was an unwritten rule: don''t cause trouble, or face a united backlash. Soon, another waiter brought over a variety of food. Li Lin, who hadn''t eaten properly for days, started to feast. His cultivation level wasn''t yet high enough to go without food for months. "Aren''t you eating?" Li Lin asked the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master, who showed no interest in the food, probably due to his advanced cultivation level. "Call me Uncle," the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master glared at Li Lin and then said, "Grains, alcohol, and meat leave impurities in the body over time, affecting one''s health. Eventually, they hinder physical capabilities and impede further advancement in cultivation. So, it''s better to eat less of these." "Is that true or false?" Li Lin was surprised, wondering if eating could actually harm his cultivation. "Believe it or not, you''ll understand when your cultivation is higher," the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master replied lightly. Li Lin felt uneasy, thinking there might be some truth to the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master''s words, though it also seemed a bit exaggerated. After all, who could live without eating? Just then, Li Lin saw the waiter returning with a burly man carrying a large back sword, exuding a formidable presence. "Gentlemen, this is the third commander of the Qingfeng Mercenary Group. He can take you to the Ancient Realm," the waiter introduced. "What are you two doing, going to the Ancient Realm?" the man with the back sword asked, scrutinizing Li Lin and the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master. "Commander, this is my uncle. We were attacked by a third-grade demon beast in the Misty Mountain Range and lost six people. We escaped and are unable to reach the Ancient Realm, so we want to hire your mercenary group for the journey," Li Lin stood up and explained, sensing the man''s strong aura, guessing he must be at least an eighth-grade martial artist. Remembering the woman who had poisoned him, Li Lin felt a surge of anger, vowing to settle the score with her someday. "So that''s the case. We''re just resting here and can take you along, but the cost is 20,000 gold coins per person. If that''s acceptable, we can leave now," the back sword man said. "20,000 gold coins each," Li Lin thought the price steep, glancing at the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master. Paying 40,000 gold coins was a large sum, and Li Lin didn''t want to spend that much needlessly. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. "I don''t have gold coins, but I have two Hundred Spirit Grasses worth about 45,000 gold coins. I''ll trade them for 40,000 gold coins. Is that okay?" the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master offered two green herbs. "Hundred Spirit Grass," Li Lin was surprised. The old man had many valuable herbs, even more expensive than Dragon Beard Grass. "Of course, that''s fine. Come with me, we''re about to head to the Ancient Realm," the back sword man said, happy to make an extra 5,000 gold coins on the deal. Following the back sword man, Li Lin learned his name was He Qingshan, the third commander of the Qingfeng Mercenary Group, which had three commanders and 130 members. This time, only 30 were going to the Ancient Realm, including the chief commander Huang Qifan, a fifth-level Martial Spirit, and the second commander Li Feng, a ninth-level Spiritual Practitioner. The Qingfeng Mercenary Group was escorting three people to the Ancient Realm, making five with Li Lin and his companion. The other three had paid 25,000 gold coins each for the journey from Wudu City. Although the trip was lucrative, it was risky, with dangers lurking deep in the Misty Mountain Range. The presence of flying beasts made travel relatively safer, but attacks from other flying beasts were still a threat. Thanks to the Hundred Spirit Grasses, He Qingshan was quite polite to Li Lin and led them to a clearing behind the valley where three large flying beasts were waiting, each about two and a half meters tall and seven to eight meters long. "These are second-stage late-phase Wind-type Black Headed Pheasants," Li Lin noted, surprised by the rare and fast-flying creatures. On the clearing, Li Lin saw about thirty people standing around. He Qingshan, after talking to a man in short clothes and a middle-aged man in a white robe, took out the two Hundred Spirit Grasses. "I am Huang Qifan, the chief commander of the Qingfeng Mercenary Group. Both of you will accompany us to the Ancient Realm. Our mercenary group will ensure your safety along the way," said the short-clothed man, approaching Li Lin and the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master. "Thank you, chief commander," Li Lin replied. "No need to thank us; we are being paid for this," Huang Qifan said. "Let''s set off now." A low whistle sounded, and the three Black Headed Pheasants flapped their wings, rising into the air. Their huge bodies unfolded wings spanning twelve or thirteen meters. "Both of you can ride the middle beast. Three others are also traveling to the Ancient Realm with us. It should take us about a month and a half to reach there," Huang Qifan said. Li Lin thanked him, and they all prepared to board the pheasants. The Soul Ensnaring Poison Master remained silent, his strength rendering him indifferent to speaking much with the mercenaries. The Black Headed Pheasants circled overhead. Li Lin used his Qi to leap onto the back of the middle pheasant. The Soul Ensnaring Poison Master joined him silently, and soon eleven people, including Li Lin and the Poison Master, were seated on the pheasant''s back, which was eight or nine meters wide, accommodating them comfortably. Li Lin discreetly observed the other nine people. Six were from the Qingfeng Mercenary Group, including the white-robed second commander, Li Feng. The remaining five mercenaries were all martial artists. The other three passengers included a middle-aged woman, a young man in long robes and short hair, and a young man in ornate clothing with long hair. The ornately dressed young man caught Li Lin''s attention. He seemed unusually handsome, reminiscent of a character like Jia Baoyu from the literature. Noticing Li Lin''s gaze, the young man glanced back, his eyes bright but carrying a ''keep away'' aura. "This guy is quite cold," Li Lin thought, then also sat cross-legged on the pheasant''s back. Everyone settled, and the three pheasants took off, flying towards the Ancient Realm over the mountains. The Soul Ensnaring Poison Master began to meditate, his aura faintly spreading as if he were regulating his breath. Li Lin had taken two third-grade elixirs and began refining their energy into pure Qi for his dantian Qi sea. The journey was silent except for the whistling of air as the pheasants flapped their wings. Everyone began to rest and meditate. Seven days later, the pheasants landed in a valley, another gathering place for mercenaries, bustling with various teams. After a meal and rest at a tavern, the group set off again. Huang Qifan shared that they were approaching the deeper parts of the Misty Mountain Range, where there were no mercenary resting points. Typically, mercenary groups did not venture further into this area. Venturing further in, they would encounter numerous high-level demon beasts. Many mercenaries who dared to enter never returned. Even though they were seated on the back of a Black Headed Pheasant, the group seldom spoke. Particularly, the young man in ornate clothing and long hair remained silent throughout, meditating cross-legged with his eyes barely open. The Soul Ensnaring Poison Master was also focused on his breathing, paying no attention to Li Lin. Five days later, Li Lin suddenly felt a slight movement in his arms, as the little dragon sleeping there began to stir. "Is the little dragon evolving?" Li Lin thought, opening his eyes. However, after a brief movement, the dragon settled and seemed to fall back asleep. At that moment, the three Black Headed Pheasants in the sky suddenly became agitated, shaking as if encountering a formidable enemy, startling everyone. The Qingfeng Mercenary Group calmed the pheasants, which eased the group''s anxiety. Li Lin''s heart sank, realizing the little dragon had momentarily released an aura that disturbed the pheasants. If the little dragon evolved now and was discovered as a Spirit Emperor beast, it could cause trouble. The little dragon continued to sleep, and Li Lin breathed a sigh of relief, hoping its evolution in the Ancient Realm wouldn''t draw attention. "What just happened?" people wondered. "I thought we were under attack by a flying beast," someone else said. "There was a strange aura that flashed by and then disappeared. Very odd," Li Feng, the ninth-level Spiritual Practitioner, commented, puzzled by the fleeting sensation he had felt. Everyone resumed their meditation, but two days later, they were awakened by Huang Qifan''s warning of an approaching flying beast. The group looked up to see a thirty-meter-long giant flying beast approaching. It resembled a swallow but had the head of an eagle, its sharp talons and fierce eyes visible. "It seems to be an early-stage third-tier Wind-type White Headed Eagle. Don''t worry," Li Feng assured them. Suddenly, Huang Qifan, standing on the back of the Black Headed Pheasant, enveloped both himself and the pheasant in a Qi barrier. He changed his hand seals and brandished an iron-blue spear, sending it hurtling towards the White Headed Eagle with immense force. The spear''s impact tore through the air, charging violently at the giant White Headed Eagle. The White Headed Eagle screeched and flapped its wings, generating two hundred-meter-long turbulent air currents. One swept towards Huang Qifan''s spear, while the other crashed towards him with ferocious wind pressure. "Damn beast," Huang Qifan shouted, altering his hand seals. A water aura condensed, forming a massive water ball, which he pushed forward with surging Qi. The water ball collided with the turbulent air current, causing an explosion in the sky. The collision dispersed the air current storm, scattering droplets far and wide, which then vanished into the atmosphere as vapor. Chapter 120: Who Doesnt Defecate? "Caw caw..." At that moment, the White Headed Eagle, in pain, was pushed back by a strong force in midair and almost fell, glaring at Huang Qifan before flapping its wings to flee. With its intelligence as a third-tier demon beast, it sensed the opponent''s formidable strength and dared not provoke further. Huang Qifan retracted his hand seals, and the spear in the sky transformed back into a stream of light returning to his hand, with no intention to pursue. Pursuing a flying beast was not easy, as their flight ability often left many strong warriors in despair. "That Old Poisoner keeps his cool," Li Lin observed the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master, who, unlike everyone else, didn''t even open his eyes during the commotion. The young man in ornate clothing just opened his eyes briefly to glance at the White Headed Eagle before continuing to meditate. "Let''s rest for a while before moving on," Huang Qifan suggested. The three Black Headed Pheasants landed in a mountain range, and the group found themselves continuously flying above the range since their journey began. Below the mountain range were forests and valleys, with dense trees covering the area. The Black Headed Pheasants, under the care of the Qingfeng Mercenary Group, were resting, unable to fly continuously. "This area is very dangerous. Few venture this deep into the Misty Mountain Range. If everything goes well, we should reach the Ancient Realm in a month. However, the next half-month will be the most perilous part of our journey. Once we get close to the Ancient Realm, it will be much safer," Huang Qifan explained to everyone, especially addressing the five passengers, including Li Lin. The Qingfeng Mercenary Group was well aware of the dangers ahead. "Commander Huang, there won''t be any problems, right?" asked the middle-aged woman, who had a mature and curvy figure that attracted glances from many mercenaries. "We''ve taken this route more than ten times without any issues. I hope this time will be no different," Huang Qifan replied, looking into the sky, well aware of the dangers of the mountain range ahead. "Little dragon," Li Lin felt movement in his arms as the little dragon began to show signs of change. "Is it going to evolve?" Li Lin thought with concern, sensing that the little dragon was on the verge of a breakthrough. "I need to relieve myself," Li Lin told the group. "Just nearby. It''s very dangerous here, don''t go far," He Qingshan cautioned. "I know," Li Lin replied, hurrying away from the group, aware of the dangers in the depths of the Misty Mountain Range. With the little dragon about to evolve, Li Lin had no choice. He anticipated some commotion but didn''t want others to discover it. Li Lin ran over a hill. The little dragon in his arms was now moving vigorously, a powerful aura spreading from it, seemingly exerting an invisible suppressive force. "Swoosh..." As Li Lin was about to take out the little dragon, a pale yellow figure leaped out and landed on the ground, a dazzling black light spreading around. In the midst of the radiating light, the little dragon''s body appeared, visibly growing larger C five meters, ten meters, fifteen meters... Li Lin felt a terrifying and wild aura emanating from the little dragon, capable of piercing one''s soul, making it pulsate along with the dragon''s powerful energy. However, Li Lin soon didn''t feel oppressed by this aura; instead, he felt a certain kinship with it. He speculated that maybe because of the blood pact between him and the little dragon, the aura didn''t suppress him. The little dragon''s aura rapidly surged, and its body paused at a size of fifteen meters, the largest Li Lin had ever seen it. "Sixteen meters, eighteen meters, twenty meters, twenty-five meters..." Moments later, the little dragon''s body swelled again, its scales becoming clearer. The scales, glowing with yellow light, completely covered its body, and its aura grew denser. "Roar..." In the surrounding mountains, roars erupted in response, as if echoing the little dragon''s call. "Fifty meters, fifty-five meters, sixty meters, eighty meters." In an instant, the little dragon''s body had grown to eighty meters, large enough to swallow a wolf whole. Its aura became more formidable, continuously growing stronger. "Roar!..." The little dragon let out a thunderous roar, echoing powerfully in the air. Its formidable aura spread out wildly. Beneath this roar, the towering trees in the surrounding mountains shook, and countless leaves scattered as if there was immense power in the roar. "Such a strong aura, what''s happening? Everyone be careful," everyone at the resting spot felt alarmed as the three Black Headed Pheasants trembled and lay down, sensing the strong aura spreading towards them. "A powerful demon beast is approaching. Be alert," Huang Qifan shouted. "Eh..." Just then, the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master, who had been meditating, suddenly changed expression and disappeared from his spot. The young man in ornate clothing looked surprised and confused before also leaping towards the source of the aura. Seeing the two leave, the others, curious and hesitant, quickly followed, wanting to know which demon beast was emitting such a strong aura. "What are you doing here, boy? Did you find anything?" Inside a forest, the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master appeared like a ghost in front of Li Lin, scanning the surroundings but finding nothing. "Hey, Uncle, can you move away? I''m trying to relieve myself here, and I can''t do it with you standing by," Li Lin, squatting on the ground, looked up at the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Dammit, what are you defecating? It stinks," the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master looked down and saw Li Lin squatting on the grass, his bottom sticking out, emitting a foul smell. "Swoosh..." Another figure landed beside the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master, the young man in ornate clothing. He too saw Li Lin in the same compromising position, and a stench spread through the air. "Ah..." The young man in ornate clothing screamed suddenly and then turned his body away, exclaiming, "Shameless." "What''s shameless? Everyone dies in life, and who doesn''t defecate? Don''t you? Recently constipated, it stinks a bit, but what are you shouting about?" Li Lin glared at the young man in ornate clothing and continued to relish the relief he was feeling. "Swoosh swoosh..." At this moment, everyone else arrived at the scene. Li Lin''s exposed bottom was now in full view of everyone, catching the attention of the middle-aged woman, who looked at it with interest. "What did you find here just now, boy?" the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master disdainfully covered his nose and asked Li Lin, observing him. "Nothing, it seemed like a beast''s roar came from afar, and then you came," Li Lin responded. He then addressed the crowd, "Folks, I''m defecating. Can you give me some privacy? Is watching someone defecate so interesting that you all had to come?" "Let''s get ready to leave. It''s not safe here. We should leave soon," Huang Qifan said awkwardly to Li Lin and then announced to the group. The crowd quickly dispersed, but the middle-aged woman couldn''t help but steal a few more glances at Li Lin''s exposed bottom. The Soul Ensnaring Poison Master scanned the surroundings again, muttering, "That aura was definitely from a spirit beast, not an ordinary one. How did it escape so fast?" "Boy, come here quickly, don''t get eaten by a demon beast," the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master looked at Li Lin disdainfully and then left the area. After seeing everyone preparing to leave, Li Lin touched his arm and said, "Little dragon, for you, I''ve even exposed my bottom." "Chirp chirp..." From Li Lin''s sleeve, a small head popped out, its round eyes moving as if to say something. "You''re laughing at me too? Quickly suppress your aura. Don''t let anyone discover you," Li Lin said. "Alright, let''s set off." Li Lin rejoined the group, and the three Black Headed Pheasants flapped their wings overhead. Everyone leaped onto the backs of the pheasants, and with a screech, the birds took off, continuing their flight. On the back of a Black Headed Pheasant, the middle-aged woman smiled slightly at Li Lin, while the young man in ornate clothing glared disdainfully at him and then continued to meditate. Li Lin internally sighed in relief, narrowly avoiding the discovery of the little dragon''s existence. His quick thinking had averted a potential disaster. "Everyone, be careful. Ahead in the mountains, there''s a Demon King. Its territory covers a large area of the mountain range. The Demon King commands thousands of demon beasts, including two early-stage and one late-stage fourth-tier demon beasts. The Demon King itself is an early-stage fifth-tier creature. If we encounter it, we might be in trouble," Li Feng informed the group. "A Demon King," Li Lin was surprised, knowing that a fifth-tier creature was a formidable force even for a third-tier martial master. "What should we do if we encounter it?" asked the middle-aged woman. "The Demon King rarely comes out. If we do encounter it, offering it some elixirs might allow us to leave. But if its minions are in a bad mood, we could have trouble," Li Feng explained. "Don''t be too nervous, boy. That Demon King is called the Stone Ape Demon King. With me here, you won''t die. Although the Stone Ape is not easy to provoke, I can handle it if needed," a voice whispered in Li Lin''s ear, the secret sound technique of the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master. "Stone Ape Demon King," Li Lin was startled, realizing the creature''s formidable strength as even the Old Poisoner was cautious of it. Li Lin wanted to ask more about the Demon King but couldn''t use the secret sound technique himself to inquire further. "Hopefully, we won''t encounter the Demon King. Once we cross this mountain range, we''ll be safe," Li Feng said again. The three Black Headed Pheasants flew steadily, and everyone soon resumed their meditation, hoping not to encounter the Demon King, as it would be difficult to deal with. "Little dragon, I''m poisoned. Can you help me detoxify?" After everyone settled into meditation, Li Lin thought to himself. With the blood pact between him and the little dragon, they could understand each other''s thoughts. Understanding Li Lin''s need, the little dragon in his sleeve bit his arm, and a cool, energizing essence flowed into his meridians. Feeling the cool essence from the little dragon, Li Lin quickly circulated his internal energy to guide it through his meridians, eventually reaching the site of the Blood Devouring Bone Corroding Pill''s toxins. These toxins, clinging to his entire skeletal structure, began to stir restlessly upon contact with the cool energy. "There''s a reaction," Li Lin internally winced in pain as the toxins started burrowing into his bones. The toxin was potent, far more so than the one Lan Ling had administered. Lan Ling''s poison could resolve itself over time without an antidote, but this toxin from the Blood Devouring Bone Corroding Pill was wildly aggressive. Aware of Li Lin''s internal condition, the little dragon adjusted its approach. Shortly after, it added a surge of intense heat to the cool essence. This intense heat transformed into golden flames inside Li Lin, furiously attacking all the toxins. Li Lin''s face turned pale with excruciating pain as the golden flames relentlessly burned inside him. On the back of the Black Headed Pheasant, he had to suppress his cries and act normal to avoid drawing attention. The golden flames inside him purified the toxins upon contact. However, the remaining toxins, as if sentient, clustered and gathered at his chest, resisting the golden flames. The amount of toxin was enormous, more than what would be needed to devour a warrior''s true energy. The golden flames and the toxins clashed fiercely at his chest, with only a small portion being eliminated by the flames each time. "The golden flames from the little dragon are effective, but I can''t endure it," Li Lin felt as if his chest was melting under the influence of the golden flames. If not for his body being tempered by the Marrow Cleansing Pill, he might have been reduced to ashes upon their introduction. Nevertheless, Li Lin could only endure for about a minute as the golden flames from the little dragon were too intense. "Little dragon, stop," Li Lin quickly instructed the little dragon to cease. Any more burning, and his chest might melt. Upon the little dragon''s compliance, the golden flames ceased, and Li Lin felt an immense relief, exhaling softly. The brief minute of burning seemed to have eliminated about one percent of the toxins, with the remainder now concentrated in his chest. "It seems effective. I don''t need to worry about the Blood Devouring Bone Corroding Pill''s toxin anymore. Once we reach the Ancient Realm, I''ll keep my distance from the Old Poisoner," Li Lin thought to himself, deeming it unsafe to stay too close to the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master. "Little dragon, let''s continue." After a short rest, Li Lin again instructed the little dragon in his mind. Understanding Li Lin''s command, the little dragon bit his arm again. A cool essence, containing a surge of golden flames, erupted and targeted the Blood Devouring Bone Corroding Pill''s toxins concentrated in Li Lin''s chest. Under the golden flames, the toxins from the Blood Devouring Bone Corroding Pill could no longer wreak havoc in Li Lin''s body. Under the assault of these flames, the toxins were forced to desperately resist, but they were extremely fearful of the golden flames, which acted like their nemesis. Upon contact, the toxins would turn to ash and disappear. Li Lin wasn''t too surprised by the little dragon''s effectiveness. Uncle Jiang had mentioned that even Spirit Masters and Martial Masters would covet the little dragon upon recognizing it, as it naturally possessed incredible abilities. Thus, resolving such toxins was within its capabilities. As these toxins were burned away, Li Lin could feel the ashes, transformed by his Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art, turning into streams of pure Qi that flowed into his Dantian. "Little dragon, stop." After a minute, Li Lin could no longer endure it. The golden flames from the little dragon were terrifying. Although they were not intentionally burning him but targeting the toxins, if they were directed at him, he feared he would be instantly reduced to ashes. So, Li Lin would rest for a moment and then let the little dragon burn the toxins in his body again with its golden flames. After three days, Li Lin surprisingly found that he could withstand the golden flames for two minutes, and by the fifth day, he could tolerate them for three minutes at a time. At this point, Li Lin also noticed changes in his body. With the help of the little dragon''s golden flames, his physique underwent significant transformations. His muscles, bones, and tissues were gradually suffused with a faint golden glow, especially around his chest, where the concentration of the golden flames was the highest. His chest area, including his heart, had turned a faint gold color, giving him the sense that his body had become much stronger than before. Chapter 121: The Stone Ape Demon King Li Lin didn''t pay much attention to all these changes at the moment, but later he realized that this unintentional action greatly aided him, forging an incredibly strong physical defense for his body. Seven days later, the Black Headed Pheasants needed to rest before they could continue flying. The group landed in a canyon to rest. During these seven days, they encountered only four early-stage third-order monsters and one mid-stage third-order monster. All were deterred by Huang Qifan, and the group managed to get through without any real danger. In these seven days, Li Lin constantly worked on expelling the toxins from the Blood Devouring Bone Corroding Pill with the help of the little dragon''s golden flames. Eighty percent of the toxins were already burned away, and Li Lin himself reaped many benefits. His true energy cultivation had reached the late seventh stage, and he estimated that refining the remaining twenty percent of the toxins could at least elevate him to the peak of the seventh-stage warrior, or possibly even break through to the eighth stage. "Only seven more days to go, and then we''ll reach the safe mountains," He Qing Shan said. "Seven days will be quick. Once we reach the safe area, everyone will be secure," Huang Qifan added. Although Li Lin was somewhat worried, he felt relatively safe with the presence of the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master. However, he planned to find a way to leave the Old Poisoner master once they reached the safe area. "We''ve now reached the most dangerous part of the Misty Mountain Range, where fourth-order monsters might appear at any time," Li Feng warned. "We should leave early. This place doesn''t seem safe," the usually reticent well-dressed, long-haired young man suggested. "No need, it''s too late for that," the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master opened his eyes and spoke softly. Just as the saying goes, what one fears may come to pass. As soon as the Poison Master finished speaking, rustling sounds came from the surrounding woods, and dozens of monster figures appeared before the group. "Early-stage third-order Earth Howling Wolves, mid-stage third-order Flame Rats, late-stage third-order Bone Craving Wolves, and the Red Ridge Tortoise among others," Li Lin gasped upon seeing the dozens of monsters. Among these monsters, one stood out with its massive body of two meters in height and a tail over a hundred meters long. It had a snake-like mouth with a long tongue, its entire body covered in thick, blood-red scales, and its eyes were as large as bells, staring intently at the group. "A fourth-order Blood Lizard," Li Lin''s heart sank. This species was recorded in his master''s jade slip, and this particular Blood Lizard was at least at the fourth-order level. With more than fifty monsters surrounding them, including the three Black Headed Pheasants trembling in fear, the mercenaries were sweating profusely. The monsters were all at least third-order, and if they all attacked at once, the group would stand no chance. The most worrying part was the several flying monsters circling above the woods, making the situation even more difficult. "It''s the Blood Lizard under the Stone Ape Demon King," Huang Qifan exclaimed in shock. Everyone readied themselves for battle, but the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master remained calm, still seated cross-legged, giving a cursory glance at the dozens of monsters surrounding them. "Little dragon, stay calm," Li Lin quickly soothed the little dragon, feeling its restlessness due to the presence of the other monsters. "Humans, this is our territory, not a place for you," the Blood Lizard spoke in human language. "Indeed, a fourth-order monster," Li Lin was astonished. Fourth-order monsters were considered mid-tier in the monster hierarchy. The first to third-order monsters were low-tier, while fourth to sixth-order monsters were mid-tier. As for seventh to ninth-order monsters, they were considered great demons, each capable of transforming into a human form, possessing immense strength and inducing terror. Everyone remained alert, hoping not to encounter the Stone Ape Demon King. As long as they could get past this mountain range, they would be safe. The three Black Headed Pheasants resumed their stable flight, and the group once again began their meditation, hoping not to encounter the Demon King, as it would be difficult to deal with. Among monsters, low-tier ones from the first to third order, although more gifted and intelligent than wild beasts, still cannot speak human language. These monsters, similar to martial artists among humans, are not all destined to become warriors. The same is true for monsters, which originate from wild beasts. Not every wild beast can transform into a monster. Typically, it''s rare for one in a hundred wild beasts to become a monster. Monsters are significantly stronger than wild beasts. Over countless years of reproduction, the offspring of monsters are naturally monsters too, unlike human martial artists whose children might be ordinary humans. In terms of inherent genetic talents, monsters are far superior to humans. Once they reach the fourth order, they form a monster core within their bodies and fully unlock their intelligence, enabling them to speak human language. However, they cannot transform into humans. There are rumors that upon reaching the seventh order, monsters can reshape their bodies and freely transform into humans, as the human form is most suitable for cultivation. However, Li Lin has not witnessed this himself, so he is unsure of its validity. As for spirit beasts, Li Lin understands they differ from monsters. When a spirit beast reaches the fourth order, it can also form a spirit core and take a leap in its cultivation. But for spirit beasts, the ability to speak human language only comes at the sixth order, and they can transform into human form at this stage. However, the transformation of their actual body into human form only occurs at the seventh order. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "We''re just passing through; here are some pills for the Stone Ape Demon King," said Huang Qifan, leader of the Qingfeng Mercenary Group, offering several third-grade pills. He cast a spell, and a blue light wrapped the pills, delivering them to the Blood Lizard. The Blood Lizard extended a yellow light from its tongue and enveloped the pills, saying, "The Stone Ape Demon King is now our second demon king. Since humans have killed our kind, our Great Demon King has ordered that all humans be killed on sight." The revelation of the Great Demon King sent a chill through everyone, even the stoic Poisonous Ghost. "Kill all these humans," ordered the Blood Lizard, swallowing the pills and striking the ground with its limbs. The ground shook violently, unleashing a ferocious force like a wild wind. Despite taking Huang Qifan''s pills, the Blood Lizard was still determined to kill the humans. "Everyone, be careful and fend for yourselves," Huang Qifan shouted, readying himself for battle. Facing dozens of third-order monsters, the group of over thirty people was at a clear disadvantage. In an instant, the surrounding and aerial monsters rapidly attacked the humans. The Blood Lizard, a fourth-order monster, launched a lightning-fast attack on Huang Qifan, its scales bristling with a terrifying blood-colored cold light. "Facing a fourth-order monster is truly fearsome," Li Lin thought, observing the Blood Lizard''s overwhelming aura, guessing it was at the early stage of the fourth order, beyond Huang Qifan''s capability. The surroundings erupted in battle, with monstrous energies clashing. Faced with these organized monsters, the humans had no choice but to fight fiercely, knowing these monsters wouldn''t retreat unless their leader did. "Stay put and don''t move," the Poisonous Ghost advised Li Lin, casting a protective barrier around them that repelled the nearby monsters. At that moment, the Blood Lizard launched an attack on Huang Qifan, its massive body vanishing from its spot and rapidly targeting Huang Qifan. Huang Qifan, without any carelessness, had a gravely serious expression on his face. With a flash of Qi under his feet, he quickly retreated explosively. Hiss, hiss As Huang Qifan retreated, the Blood Lizard''s massive forelimb, like a great avenue, pierced through the spatial airflow, as if trying to tear apart space itself. In a moment of urgency, Huang Qifans long spear flashed like lightning, piercing through the spatial flow. In a flash, it appeared before the Blood Lizard''s claw. As a fifth-level Martial Spirit, Huang Qifan was strong, although he was unable to overpower the Blood Lizard, but the creature also couldn''t subdue him. Meanwhile, He Qingshan was engaged in a battle with a third-level late-stage Wind Elemental Bone-Gnawing Wolf, showing signs of struggle. His large sword repeatedly struck out, with a mighty aura emanating from his body. The Bone-Gnawing Wolf roared continuously, its body spanning over fifty to sixty meters, surprisingly fast despite its size. It even spewed out bizarre wind blades from its mouth, the sonic booms incessant. As a ninth-level Martial Master, He Qingshan was struggling against the third-level late-stage Bone-Gnawing Wolf, but he managed to hold his own. At the same time, ninth-level Spirit Master Li Feng''s aura vibrated constantly, enveloped in a dazzling light circle. He generated attacks and spirit fires to simultaneously combat a third-level mid-stage Flame Mouse and a Black Haired Demon Monkey. Li Feng kept the two monsters at bay, as Spirit Masters were disadvantaged in close combat. His agile spiritual attacks prevented the third-level mid-stage monsters from getting close. Others were already mixed up with the monsters. Explosive sounds of combat filled the air, with some humans being killed by the monsters, but some monsters were also slain or injured. The Qingfeng Mercenary Group, with thirty members, all above the Martial Master level, fought fiercely. The battlefield was chaotic with fireballs, water columns, and the earth cracking, attacks coming both from monsters and humans. Suddenly, a scream was heard as Li Lin saw another young man, who had come to seek passage to the ancient domain, being bitten in half by a third-level monster. The middle-aged woman, although a second-level Martial Master, was severely injured under the attack of two third-level monsters. When Li Lin saw the long-haired young man, he was surprised, unable to discern his strength. Yet, by the young man''s side, a third-level mid-stage monster lay dead. Considering the young mans age, around nineteen or twenty, Li Lin was astonished by his formidable strength. He had always thought his rapid progress with the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art made him exceptional, but he now realized there were talents with even greater potential and better training than him. Uncle, arent you going to make a move? Li Lin asked the Poisonous Ghost next to him, noticing he had no intention of fighting. Their life and death have nothing to do with me. Why should I save them? replied the Poisonous Ghost. I say, uncle, dont forget, if they die, how will we cross this mountain range? We dont have a flying monster, Li Lin pointed out. Hearing Li Lin''s words, the Poisonous Ghost''s face twitched slightly, and he then said, Stay inside my poison shield. The monsters wont dare to come near. As his words fell, the Poisonous Ghost disappeared on the spot, setting up a faint black light shield around Li Lin. A few third-level monsters dare to be rampant. Theyre seeking death. The Poisonous Ghost leaped into the air, hovering in mid-air. Clenching his hand, he conjured a black light sphere and hurled it down. The sphere exploded with a low, booming sound, targeting three third-level monsters below. Li Lin, watching from below, thought to himself about the old man''s formidable strength. The aura emanating from the Poisonous Ghost was terrifyingly powerful. The black light sphere exploded, sending out terrifying waves of energy. Even from a distance, Li Lin could feel the oppressive force contained within those waves, far stronger than his own power. The three third-level monsters were instantly shattered by the explosion, their massive bodies torn apart. Everyone watched in shock as the Poisonous Ghost, a seemingly ordinary old man, revealed his terrifying strength. Spirit Commander! Hes a Spirit Commander! Li Feng and Huang Qifan were stunned, realizing the extent of the Poisonous Ghost''s power. Everyone was astonished; such a formidable being had been hiding among them all along. Blood Lizard, you little worm, dare to be so bold. Are you seeking death? The Poisonous Ghost''s expression darkened. He didnt continue attacking the third-level monsters but went straight to the Blood Lizard, which was fighting Huang Qifan. Youre a Spirit Commander? The Blood Lizard looked at the Poisonous Ghost in shock, immediately starting to retreat. It knew it couldn''t contend with a human Spirit Commander. Take your monsters and scram. Im not in the mood to deal with you today, or else Ill rip out your inner core, the Poisonous Ghost coldly threatened the Blood Lizard. Humph, human Spirit Commander, I doubt you have the ability, the Blood Lizard said defiantly, then roared skywards. The sound pierced through space, echoing in the mountains. Looking for help? Youre seeking death, said the Poisonous Ghost, frowning at the Blood Lizard''s roar. His aura vibrated, and he swiftly shot towards the Blood Lizard in a blur. The Blood Lizard, knowing the strength of the Poisonous Ghost, retreated rapidly, not daring to resist. Think you can escape? Youre not fast enough, the Poisonous Ghost sneered. He moved even faster than the Blood Lizard and quickly appeared in front of it. Conjuring a ball of spirit fire, he released it towards the Blood Lizard. The Blood Lizard roared, and a giant yellow shield appeared in front of it to block the attack. The spirit fire roared fiercely, its intense heat spreading. The surrounding trees withered rapidly, and the water vapor in the air completely evaporated. The Blood Lizards yellow shield slowly distorted under the fire, eventually melting away. Just then, a series of roars came from the distant sky, accompanied by an overwhelming presence. Everyone''s souls trembled at the sound. The roar was followed by a massive, rushing aura. Simultaneously, a colossal streak of light soared into the sky. What a powerful monster, Li Lin gasped, looking up. The monster was over three hundred meters long, covered in red scales. Chapter 122: A Difficult Life The most terrifying aspect was that it was a monster resembling a giant python with five heads, each bearing a fierce look with ten eyes shining with ferocity. The head on the left side was slightly smaller, as if its development was incomplete. This Nine-Headed Monster Jiao had a pair of crimson wings on its body, spreading to a width of about two hundred meters when fully extended. "Five-tiered fire elemental monster, Nine-Headed Monster Jiao." Li Lin immediately recalled the information from the jade slip of his master, the Holy Hand Spirit Sovereign. The Nine-Headed Monster Jiao, a monster of extremely high lineage among monsters, typically breaks through to the seventh tier. In the world of monsters, lineage is extremely important, much like human talent. Those with excellent talent naturally have no issues with future cultivation and can become strong with good nurturing. The same goes for monsters C not all beasts can become monsters, and it''s already impressive if one in a hundred beasts becomes a monster. When monsters give birth, their offspring will also be monsters, unlike human warriors whose children may still be ordinary humans. Hence, when choosing mounts, many powerful beings prefer high-lineage monsters, ensuring their future breakthrough to high levels. At that moment, the Nine-Headed Monster Jiao only had five heads, indicating it was at the fifth tier. Each breakthrough adds a head to the Monster Jiao, increasing its power. The smaller head on the left indicated it had not reached the late phase of the fifth tier. Li Lin recognized it as a mid-phase fifth-tier monster. A mid-phase fifth-tier monster was already terrifyingly powerful, especially the Nine-Headed Monster Jiao, which even ninth-tier warriors would struggle against. "Nine-Headed Monster Jiao, such a creature exists in the Wu Du Mountain Range." Even the Poisonous Ghost was surprised to see it. Again, multiple roars echoed, and hundreds of monsters leaped out from the forest. In the sky, no less than fifty flying monsters circled around, all at least third-tier monsters. "Stone Ape, One-Horned Monster Bull, Ghost Flying Squirrel." Li Lin sensed three incredibly strong auras. In the forest ahead stood a giant ape over a hundred meters tall, covered in blue-white flesh armor instead of fur, resembling stone. It appeared to be the Stone Ape Monster King, a fifth-tier initial phase monster mentioned by Huang Qifan. Beside the Stone Ape was an equally huge one-horned bull, entirely blue with a single horn on its head and enormous nostrils. Its aura was only slightly weaker than the Stone Ape, suggesting a late-fourth-tier monster. In the air beside the Nine-Headed Monster Jiao, a hundred-meter-long mouse with pure white fur and crystal-clear wings hovered, resembling a squirrel rather than a mouse with its fluffy tail. Li Lin quickly recognized it as the Ghost Flying Squirrel, a high-lineage wind elemental monster renowned for its extreme speed and difficulty to handle. "Stone Ape Monster King, One-Horned Monster Bull, Ghost Flying Squirrel." Everyone stared at the sudden appearance of these monsters, their faces turning extremely grim. This lineup, capable of making even the large sects in the ancient domain retreat, was almost the entire lineup of formidable monsters in the mountain range. "Were done for," Li Lin muttered with a bitter smile. Two fifth-tier monsters, three fourth-tier monsters, and hundreds of third-tier monsters C this was absolutely terrifying. "Humans, you have some nerve to cause trouble in my territory," roared the middle head of the Nine-Headed Monster Jiao, while the other four heads stared at the Poisonous Ghost. "Nine-Headed Monster Jiao, how about becoming my mount, or else I will burn you to ashes," the Poisonous Ghost said lightly, eyeing the Nine-Headed Monster Jiao. It would be a perfect mount for him, especially since his previous mount was unfortunately killed. Encountering the Nine-Headed Monster Jiao now seemed like an ideal opportunity. "What a joke, me serving as your mount? Keep dreaming. I will tear you to shreds," the Nine-Headed Monster Jiao roared angrily, its massive body suddenly lunging forward as it spewed a stream of intense flame from its central mouth. "Kill these humans..." the Stone Ape bellowed from the forest, shaking the ground with every step. Roars and howls filled the air as hundreds of monsters surged forward to attack. "This is bad," Li Lin''s face turned grim, realizing that while the third-tier monsters couldn''t approach him inside the light circle, the situation would be dire if a fourth-tier monster arrived. "Run," Li Lin decided quickly, knowing it was now or never. Without hesitation, he propelled himself forward with a burst of energy, fleeing at high speed. In the sky above, the Poisonous Ghost conjured a spirit fire and clashed fiercely with the Nine-Headed Monster Jiao. The Stone Ape roared, its blood-red eyes fixated on the Poisonous Ghost, unleashing a powerful, swirling airstream that also attacked him. Confronted by two fifth-tier monsters, the Poisonous Ghost was somewhat pressured, his injuries not fully healed, preventing him from overpowering them immediately. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Meanwhile, the Blood Lizard continued to battle Huang Qifan, its tail piercing the sky as it struck with ferocious energy. In the air, the Ghost Flying Squirrel screeched, targeting He Qing Shan, while the One-Horned Monster Bull charged at Li Feng. Screams filled the air as several members of the Qing Feng Mercenary Group were rapidly killed by the monsters, turning into food for the beasts. Surrounded by five third-tier monsters, the mature middle-aged woman had her arm bitten off by a Great Earth Howl Wolf. Before she could react, several monsters pounced on her, tearing her body apart. A third-tier initial phase Earth Lion blocked Li Lin''s path, its roar numbing his ears. "Qing Ling Armor, Raging Sea Howl," Li Lin reacted instantly, knowing he had to fight for survival amidst hundreds of third-tier monsters. His body was covered in a pale yellow scale armor, and he rapidly conjured a powerful, violent force that gathered a massive amount of water elemental energy into a rapidly spinning vortex. This vortex expanded like a tsunami wave, its terrifying aura and fierce momentum becoming evident as it engulfed the Earth Lion in front of him. The surrounding space twisted like a tornado, and the vortex finally exploded, sending the Earth Lion flying dozens of meters away, coughing up blood. However, the beast was not killed, its defense alarmingly strong, shocking Li Lin. "Run..." Li Lin seized the opportunity to escape, not daring to linger. Initially on the edge of the battlefield, he sprinted out of the monster horde. Roars followed him, and as he glanced back, he gasped in shock. At least five third-tier monsters were in hot pursuit. The monsters quickly closed the gap, nearly catching up with him. Li Lin''s expression darkened, and as the monsters approached, he crushed a black pill and threw another into his mouth. A dense black fog, over five hundred meters wide, instantly enveloped the space, blinding the pursuing monsters with its pungent, heart-pounding scent. The monsters, disoriented and terrified, retreated. Once the fog cleared, Li Lin was nowhere to be seen. "This Poisonous Miasma Pill is truly powerful," he thought, having narrowly escaped the horde. He continued to run without a destination, knowing he couldn''t linger near the monsters. Explosions echoed from behind, but Li Lin didn''t care who lived or died. Wounded, the Poisonous Ghost likely couldn''t escape the two fifth-tier monsters, giving Li Lin the chance to leave him behind. With Little dragon (the little dragon) and the poison of the Blood-Eating Bone-Melting Pill almost neutralized, he was close to recovery. Running through the forest, he finally slowed when the distant explosions faded. Assessing his surroundings, he guessed he was far from the horde. "Where to now?" he wondered. Being still in the dangerous part of the mountain range and far from the original path, returning seemed impossible. It would take at least half a year to walk back, maybe even more. On the other hand, reaching the safe area towards the ancient domain would take over a month by foot. "Let''s head to the ancient domain," he decided, planning to find his way back from there. A whooshing sound approached from behind. Li Lin looked up to see a figure swiftly crossing the sky C the elegantly dressed young man with a pair of Qi-wings on his back. "Wind-system flying martial art," Li Lin noted, just as the Ghost Flying Squirrel, a fourth-tier initial stage wind-system monster, chased after the young man at an even faster speed. Deciding to avoid that direction, Li Lin turned aside. The area was still unsafe. Little dragon emerged from his sleeve, coiling on his shoulder, stretching its snout and looking around with its round eyes. After its breakthrough, Little dragon had grown from fifteen to twenty centimeters, its color more radiant. Li Lin couldn''t determine Little dragon''s current cultivation level or strength, but he guessed it had significantly increased. Continuing forward, the crunch of dry branches underfoot became a familiar sound in the vast, unending mountain range. The sunlight filtering through the trees cast a long shadow behind him. Months in the Wudu Mountain Range had changed him: his wheat-colored skin turned a deeper hue, his height increased to around 175 cm, his physique lean but not frail, muscles taut, exuding a masculine vitality C all forged from months of survival in the mountains. At dusk, Li Lin came across a small river. Squatting down, he scooped up a few handfuls of the clear water to drink. His reflection in the water revealed a somewhat bronzed appearance. Li Lin smiled; he felt he had developed a more masculine air. The youthful immaturity he once had seemed to have gradually faded away. "A hard life indeed, but I must keep moving to get out of this dangerous area," Li Lin said softly, deciding to continue his journey. He hadn''t encountered any monsters on the way, possibly because they were all drawn to the Nine-Headed Demon Dragon and the Stone Ape Demon King. He continued on his way, fortunate to have avoided danger. As he walked alone in the sunset, only Little dragon on his shoulder for company, Li Lin didn''t feel uncomfortable. In fact, he somewhat enjoyed this environment, which also helped in maturing his mentality. Suddenly, a series of loud explosions came from nearby, sounding like an intense battle. Li Lin''s curiosity got the better of him, and he decided to check it out. Moments later, at the edge of an open valley, Li Lin hid in some bushes, watching the valley. Inside, a man and a beast were fiercely fighting. The collision of their energies caused loud sonic booms to echo around. "It''s a small world after all," Li Lin noted, observing the man and the beast in the valley. It was the elegantly dressed young man and the Ghost Flying Squirrel, both appearing injured from their prolonged battle. The young man''s clothes were disheveled, his hair messy, but he had a pair of wings made of wind energy on his back, making him look quite mystical. The Ghost Flying Squirrel''s wings were also in disarray as it dived down, sending dozens of wind blades cutting through the air towards the young man. The young man, with a grave expression, cast a sword technique that produced several sword lights to counter the wind blades. Feeling the young man''s strength, Li Lin was surprised. Despite being only nineteen or twenty years old, the young man had reached the Martial Spirit level, probably at the first tier. His strength and talent were indeed formidable, making Li Lin wonder about his background. As Li Lin pondered, the man and beast clashed again, scattering powerful energies around. Little dragon, watching intently from the bushes, seemed eager to join the fight, but Li Lin quickly calmed it down. Noting the young man''s use of three types of martial arts, Li Lin was even more astonished. He had already displayed techniques from the wind, earth, and water systems, marking him as the second tri-elemental martial artist Li Lin had seen in the Wudu Mountain Range, after the Scorpion Woman. Li Lin couldn''t help but marvel at how common tri-elemental martial artists seemed to be nowadays. Chapter 123: She is a Woman "Boom, boom..." A tremendous explosion echoed as the elegantly dressed young man unleashed a blinding burst of sword light from his longsword, clashing directly with the dense array of wind blades conjured by the Ghost Flying Squirrel. The force of the collision caused a massive energy burst, sending the young man staggering back dozens of meters. His wings dimmed as he fell to the ground, coughing up blood. Similarly, the Ghost Flying Squirrel, a creature over a hundred meters long, was also sent crashing to the ground. Its frantic wing flapping kicked up a storm of debris, some of which flew towards Li Lin. The Ghost Flying Squirrel let out an infuriated screech, its voice filled with immense killing intent and rage. Apparently wounded and unable to kill the human before it, the creature''s anger intensified. As its howl faded, the Ghost Flying Squirrel swiftly took to the air. The valley was filled with a thick concentration of wind energy converging towards the squirrel. A massive wind blade, like a bolt of lightning, shot from its mouth towards the young man in elegant attire. Pale-faced, the young man desperately formed hand seals, unleashing his vital energy in a mighty surge. His longsword carved a lotus-like sword shadow in the air, whirling it directly into the path of the incoming wind blade. "Whizz, whizz..." The Ghost Flying Squirrel''s wind blade transformed into countless smaller blades, forming a vast net that enveloped the young man, who was retreating rapidly. This dense array of wind blades clung to the space around him, trapping him. With a grave expression, the young man changed his hand seals again, injecting more vital energy into his sword. The sword light blazed even more intensely, sending myriad sword beams scattering in all directions. The entire valley space seemed to fracture and break apart. The force of the clash caused surrounding rocks and mountainsides to collapse and the ground to shake and crack. The myriad sword and wind blades intertwined, creating a maelstrom of energy that shredded the space. Each collision sent ripples spreading through the air. Witnessing this from a distance, Li Lin was utterly astounded by the young man''s formidable strength. "Whizz, whizz..." "Screech..." In the midst of this chaotic energy, a huge figure with scattered feathers was forcefully repelled and crashed heavily to the ground, creating a massive pit. It was the Ghost Flying Squirrel, struggling weakly and eventually becoming motionless, bleeding from several wounds in its underbelly. "Bang..." The young man was also thrown back several meters, spewing a mist of blood and landing hard on a rock. He rolled several times before stabilizing himself and, with great effort, stood up using his longsword for support. His face was ashen as he slowly approached the now-still Ghost Flying Squirrel. "Bang!" However, a few steps later, the young man in the fancy clothes collapsed on the ground, unconscious. "Both suffered losses." Li Lin, observing from a distance, furrowed his brows. After a moment, seeing that neither the person nor the beast moved, he couldnt resist the temptation and started walking towards the valley. The Ghostly Flying Squirrel was a fourth-tier demon beast with a demon core. The core''s usefulness to him was immense. Assuming that the Ghostly Flying Squirrel was indeed dead, leaving behind a demon core, Li Lin didnt want to miss this opportunity. Quickly reaching the Ghostly Flying Squirrel''s side, Li Lin cautiously approached and found that the beast was indeed dead. Drawing his sword, he sliced open the beast''s abdomen. Even in death, the Ghostly Flying Squirrels defenses were extremely strong. Li Lin almost had to exert eighty percent of his Qi to finally cut through. "Hiss..." A demon core the size of a babys fist, glowing white, appeared before Li Lin. The release of wild energy made Li Lin''s heart race with excitement. "Got it..." Li Lin swiftly secured the demon core. Getting a medicinal demon core without any effort was indeed fortunate. After securing the demon core and considering what to do with the Ghostly Flying Squirrels body C a fourth-tier demon beast, valuable from head to toe C he decided not to keep it since it would take up half the space in his storage ring. "Hiss hiss..." Just then, Little dragon hissed and leapt off Li Lins shoulder, transforming into an eighty-meter-long giant body. Opening its massive jaws, it swallowed the Ghostly Flying Squirrel in one gulp, slowly digesting it. The Ghostly Flying Squirrels body, full of fourth-tier demonic power in its muscles and veins, would surely benefit Little dragon. Li Lin smiled, having forgotten that Little dragon grew faster by consuming the bodies of demon or spirit beasts. Yet, seeing Little dragon, only eighty meters long, consuming the Ghostly Flying Squirrel, which was over a hundred meters long, Li Lin was dumbfounded. "Dead?" Li Lin slowly approached the young man in fancy clothes lying on the ground. The young man''s clothes were torn and disheveled, his long hair covering his face. Approaching, Li Lin sensed a faint breath of life. "Hiss hiss..." Little dragon, having swallowed the Ghostly Flying Squirrel and returned to its twenty-meter size, landed on Li Lin''s shoulder, hissing something. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. "There are demon beasts coming?" Understanding Little dragon, Li Lin saw a few beasts approaching. He hesitated before saying, "Given that we shared a month''s journey on the back of a demon beast, I''ll save your life so you wont be eaten by the beasts." With that, Li Lin put the young man''s sword in his space bag and picked him up. Not too heavy, Li Lin noted the softness and faint fragrance of the body, not paying much attention, he muttered, "You really are a pretty boy, like a woman, even smelling nice." Carrying the young man, Li Lin quickly left the valley. With demon beasts approaching, he didnt dare to linger. If even one third-tier beast came, he would have to fight for his life. Two of them, and his life would be in grave danger. "Theyre fast." Not long after leaving, Li Lin felt several strong presences approaching rapidly C surely many demon beasts were on their way. Li Lin frowned and fled quickly. Some beasts could track a scent for a certain distance C a lesson he had learned in the Misty Mountain Range. Some beasts could find a person no matter how far they ran. Moments later, dozens of demon beasts, each at least a third-tier level, suddenly appeared in the valley. "Caw caw..." Li Lin ran for his life as the sun set and darkness began to envelop the sky. Not far behind, he could hear the sounds of flying demon beasts in pursuit. "Not good," Li Lin thought, breaking into a cold sweat. He had seen the ferocity of these beasts firsthand. If surrounded, he would have no chance of escape. "Ao ao..." Behind him, the cries of numerous beasts grew louder, indicating their approach. Li Lin''s expression grew increasingly grave. "Hiss hisss..." Little dragon, upon hearing the roars of the beasts, stood tall, ready to fight, showing no fear. "Little dragon, hold back a bit. There are too many of them," Li Lin cautioned Little dragon. Despite knowing Little dragon''s formidable defense, the sheer number of beasts, including fifth-tier ones, made him reluctant to risk a confrontation. "I''ll risk it..." Li Lin gritted his teeth. Ahead lay a canyon with a rapidly flowing river several dozen meters wide. Taking a deep breath, he leaped into the river, clutching the young man in fancy clothes. In the forest, escape from the beasts'' search, especially with flying demon beasts around, seemed impossible. Only in the river could he find relative safety. After entering the river, Li Lin quickly created a Qi barrier around himself and the young man. Little dragon dived into the water without any issue. The current swiftly carried them downstream. Li Lin let it take them, hoping to leave the vicinity. "Caw caw..." Above, just after Li Lin had jumped into the river, several large flying demon beasts appeared, circling overhead, followed by dozens more beasts seemingly searching for something. By then, Li Lin had been carried dozens of miles downstream by the swift current. He felt the beasts could no longer sense his presence. But soon, he couldn''t hold his breath any longer. The air in the Qi barrier was depleted, and he surfaced, gasping for air. His clothes were completely soaked. "Pu-ch..." The young man in his arms, who seemed to have swallowed a lot of water, coughed up a mouthful mixed with blood, likely due to severe injuries. Li Lin quickly climbed ashore, with Little dragon following. The location was unknown, but under the bright moonlight, it seemed relatively open and safer than the forest. Li Lin laid the young man down and stretched, drying his clothes with fire attribute Qi. "I''ve gone to great lengths to save your life; consider it a good deed. I''ll give you another pill; your fate is in your hands." Looking at the young man on the ground, Li Lin mumbled to himself, feeling quite generous considering the young man''s serious injuries. After mumbling, Li Lin took out a second-tier healing pill, then hesitantly took out a more precious third-tier pill and put it in the young man''s mouth. "Being kind sure is expensive," Li Lin said with a wry smile. A third-tier pill cost thousands of gold coins, but fortunately, he was financially stable enough to afford it. "Let''s change your clothes; wet ones could worsen your injuries. Two men here, I don''t mind, hope you won''t either." Li Lin said, seeing the young man''s drenched clothes. He had several robes in his storage ring. "You don''t look like a pretty boy, but you have chest muscles," Li Lin kindly helped the young man out of his clothes. Underneath was a pale red inner garment, with the chest tightly bound by a scarf. It was impossible to tell it was a disguise. Li Lin gently pressed the area, finding it unexpectedly soft, like a woman''s. "Wait..." Suddenly realizing something, Li Lin took a closer look. Chest muscles shouldn''t be soft. To his surprise, the young man was actually a woman, her chest bound to appear flat. "She''s a woman, and I touched her..." Li Lin was startled, recalling the softness he felt. Seeing the woman lying on the ground, dressed only in an undergarment, Li Lin decided to help her into one of his green robes, his favorite color. "Well, I''ll just change you into a robe." Knowing she was a woman, Li Lin refrained from taking any liberties. He gently dressed the woman, who, if dressed femininely, would surely be a great beauty. "Quite fragrant," Li Lin noted as he once again laid the cross-dressed woman on the ground. The faint scent emanating from her body grew increasingly pleasant to him. After all this, the cross-dressed woman remained unconscious, possibly due to the third-tier pill she had ingested. Her breathing had stabilized. "Little dragon, help me continue detoxifying." Li Lin sat cross-legged, as twenty percent of the toxins from the Blood Devouring Bone Corrosive Pill still lingered in his body. Now that he was away from the Soul Enchanting Poison Master, Li Lin wanted to get rid of the remaining toxins as soon as possible. "Hiss hiss..." Little dragon understood and crawled onto Li Lin''s arm, biting him gently. A cool stream of air mixed with golden flames surged into Li Lin''s chest. Li Lin frowned as the internal flames burned. The pain was unbearable for most, but he endured it, allowing Little dragon''s golden flames to incinerate the deadly poison of the pill. After three minutes, Li Lin had to stop Little dragon. He could only endure the golden flames for three minutes at most; any longer, and he felt his entire body might dissolve. After resting for a while, Li Lin had Little dragon continue burning the toxin. During this process, Li Lin surprisingly felt his body strengthening from the inside out, a contrast to the external strengthening he experienced with the Marrow Cleansing Pill. This unexpected discovery seemed beneficial. A more robust body was definitely an advantage for him. After a night of detoxification, dawn broke, and the night passed safely. As the first rays of light illuminated the east, the mountains woke up. The sound of the river''s flow and the morning breeze rustling Li Lin''s clothes created a serene atmosphere. The previously dark mountains and forests brightened with the morning light. Li Lin exhaled a breath of turbid air. The poison from the Blood Devouring Bone Corrosive Pill was now ninety percent cleared, and his Qi had reached the peak of the seventh-tier warrior, close to breaking into the eighth tier. "Little dragon, thank you for your hard work," Li Lin said, petting Little dragon''s small head. Little dragon, now only twenty centimeters long but capable of transforming into an eighty-meter giant, had formidable strength. "Hiss hiss..." Little dragon''s eyes twinkled, and he shook his little head, seemingly saying there''s no need for thanks. "Hmm..." On the ground, the cross-dressed woman''s chest heaved slightly, and she murmured softly in her throat, appearing to be waking up. Little dragon quickly hid inside Li Lin''s sleeve. With daylight upon them, Li Lin examined the cross-dressed woman again. Her delicate features, pale skin, and long eyelashes made it no wonder she seemed unusual as a man. Once back in women''s clothes, she would likely be a beauty capable of causing national turmoil. chapter 124锛欴etermined to Touch You Li Lin suddenly remembered how this woman had seen his bare bottom before and felt a bit frustrated, thinking he should have taken his revenge by looking back at her, though he realized this idea was rather wicked. "Where is this?" After a moment, the woman disguised as a man slowly propped herself up to a sitting position, opened her eyes, and looked around. Seeing Li Lin beside her, she asked in surprise. "I don''t know where this is either. This sword is yours, here you go," Li Lin said, handing over the sword he had taken the day before. "Did you save me?" she asked Li Lin. "I suppose so. If you want to repay me, I''d be happy to accept it," Li Lin responded. "My clothes..." At that moment, the woman finally noticed her clothes were changed, and her expression changed dramatically, looking at Li Lin in surprise. "We escaped from the river to here. Your clothes were all wet. I didn''t know you were a woman, so I thought of changing them for you, but who knew you were actually..." "Fool, how dare you insult me, you should die!" Without hesitation, the woman picked up the sword from the ground and swung it at Li Lin while sitting. "Sshh..." At that moment, Li Lin quickly immobilized her with several finger strikes. "Hmph, I knew women were like this. I saved a thankless person," he angrily said. He had immobilized her by pressing several meridians, a trick he had self-taught. The woman was now unable to move, but her eyes burned with increasing anger. If looks could kill, Li Lin would have died many times over. "You''re still looking at me, you vile person. I risked my life to save you, almost got eaten by beasts, gave you healing pills, and even changed your clothes, only because I realized you are a woman. And you still want to kill me. I am fundamentally kind-hearted, but you insist on provoking me," Li Lin angrily said, feeling more and more indignant as he thought about it. "Fine, you want to kill me, then I will kill you first," Li Lin angrily said, taking the sword from the woman''s hand and raising it high, ready to strike. "Sshh..." The sword stopped right above the woman''s head. Seeing her eyes, Li Lin felt he couldn''t go through with it. If she were a man, he wouldn''t hesitate, but knowing she was a woman, he felt reluctant to harm her. Killing a defenseless woman didn''t seem honorable. "Forget it, I won''t kill you. Let nature take its course," Li Lin coldly said, putting the sword into his space bag. The sword was of good quality and could fetch a decent sum of money. "Since you''re going to die, the things on your body are superfluous." Li Lin had noticed a silver storage ring on the woman''s hand. Considering she had a storage ring, she must be of some significance, and the ring likely contained valuable items. This storage ring, though currently beyond Li Lin''s ability to open, he contemplated that with increased strength in the future, forcibly opening it might not be impossible. Taking the ring into his hand, he grasped the woman''s jade-like hand and roughly touched it, remarking, "So I found out you''re a woman, now I''ve touched you, you can kill me if you dare." The woman, glaring furiously at Li Lin, was helpless, her meridian points having been sealed, rendering her immobile. "You''re still glaring at me, not convinced?" Li Lin, returning her gaze, let a wicked smile cross his face and said, "If you don''t die, I''ll make sure you never forget me." His smile then vanished, and his hands harshly landed on the woman''s chest. Over her clothes, he ruthlessly squeezed, saying, "Remember this, this is real humiliation, hmph!" With those words, Li Lin coldly snorted, stood up, and walked away, his hands lingering on the memory of the softness he had just felt, a sensation that somehow eased his anger. The woman, still unable to move, watched Li Lin''s retreating back. Her anger gradually gave way to a look of grievance, and tears slowly slid down from her eyes. "Little Dragon, let''s go, we''re heading to the ancient domain," Li Lin said after determining the direction, speaking to Little Dragon who was circling over his shoulder. Little Dragon, flicking its tongue and nodding its little head, seemed to be scouting around. With Little Dragon there, Li Lin felt much more at ease, knowing that the creature would instantly alert him to any nearby demonic beasts. Two hours later, by the riverbank, the woman''s body slumped to the ground, lying there for a moment before slowly getting up. She gazed in the direction where Li Lin had disappeared, her eyes filled with coldness, and then walked away, disappearing into the riverbank. Five days later, in a canyon surrounded by towering rocks and stretching mountain ranges: "Furious Flame Fist!" Li Lin''s punch, enveloped in flames, powerfully struck out. The punch created a tumultuous disturbance in the surrounding air, its fiery and formidable energy rippling through the space. "Boom!" The punch, a mix of flames and formidable force, struck the top of a giant python''s head, which was over seventy meters long and covered in scales. Under the terrifying force of the blow, the python''s massive head was thrown back several meters, though it did not completely shatter. Then, the python lashed back fiercely. Its enormous tail, whistling through the air, struck towards Li Lin like lightning. "Soul Blade Slash!" Spiritual power coalesced into a blade, slicing through the air with violent force and meeting the python''s tail head-on. "Swish, swish..." "Hiss, hiss..." A rain of blood fell from the sky as the python let out a pained scream. Its twenty-meter-long tail was cleanly severed, falling amid a shower of blood. The thick defense of the python couldn''t withstand Li Lin''s Soul Blade Slash, and the point of severance gushed blood. "Bang!" The python''s massive body fell to the ground, twitching twice before becoming motionless. Li Lin, however, took no chances. Knowing that snakes could still move their heads for several minutes after death, he remained cautious to avoid any potential bites. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Several fiery spirit fingers shot out, piercing through the python''s head. Only then did Li Lin relax, assured of its death. "Chichi..." Little Dragon, by his side, flicked its tongue as if praising Li Lin''s improved strength. "Little Dragon, go ahead and consume the corpse of this demonic beast," Li Lin said with a smile. The python was a third-tier early-stage water demonic beast, and now, with the Soul Blade Slash, Li Lin was capable of defeating it. Having left the riverbank five days ago, Li Lin had been evading various demonic beasts. Several times, he narrowly escaped pursuit, thanks to Little Dragon''s timely warnings. In these five days, he managed to kill four third-tier early-stage demonic beasts and wisely avoided those of mid-tier or higher. Throughout this trial, Li Lin felt he had reaped substantial benefits. His reactions, attacks, and defenses had all improved significantly. This kind of training, unattainable elsewhere, could only be achieved through life-and-death experiences. In these five days, Li Lin had also completely purged the toxins of the Blood-Devouring Bone-Melting Pill from his body, finally breathing a sigh of relief. At night, under the moonlight, the forest trees danced chaotically, like countless ghostly claws tearing through the sky in the quiet night. Accompanied by the howling night wind and occasional beast roars, the forest took on an eerie atmosphere. In a hidden cave, Li Lin sat cross-legged on a spiritual jade bed. Surrounded by a faint yellow glow, his aura was slowly rising. Inside Li Lin''s body, his dantian and meridians were filled with Qi, giving him a sense of expansion. "Compress," Li Lin thought heavily, forcing the Qi inside him to compress. Suddenly, a muffled explosion echoed in his dantian, and an invisible force from the heavens and earth entered his body. Li Lin''s aura surged instantly. His dantian expanded once more, and his strength increased exponentially. After spending the night like this, Li Lin stopped cultivating only when dawn broke. "Whew..." Li Lin exhaled a long breath, a smile on his lips. He had finally broken through to the eighth layer of the martial warrior realm. Feeling the abundant Qi in his body, he had the Blood-Devouring Bone-Melting Pill from the old poisoner to thank for that. After refining the poison of the pill, it had transformed into Qi, aiding in his rapid breakthrough. Li Lin thought to himself that if the poisoner knew his Blood-Devouring Bone-Melting Pill had become his tonic, he would probably have quite the reaction. "Little Dragon, let''s keep moving," Li Lin said to Little Dragon beside him. "Chichi..." Little Dragon leapt onto Li Lin''s shoulder, affectionately licking his cheek, seemingly congratulating him on his breakthrough. After packing up the spiritual jade bed, the duo set off again. In this perilous mountain range, Li Lin was constantly on guard for his life. The mountains were desolate, home only to demonic beasts. Three days later, in a forest overshadowed by towering trees, a massive beast appeared in front of Li Lin. "Boom! Boom! Boom!" Each step of the enormous beast caused the ground to tremble slightly. The creature was over fifteen to sixteen meters tall and about three hundred meters long, its size somewhat intimidating. Li Lin gasped at the sight of the beast. It wasn''t an ordinary beast but a third-stage late-phase earth elemental Thick-Skinned Demonic Elephant. Even a martial soul expert would avoid it, and now it was too late for Li Lin to escape. The Thick-Skinned Demonic Elephant''s huge trunk was like a crane''s iron arm, its limbs like giant pillars, and its two sharp tusks glinted coldly. Its eyes were as large as copper bells. The elephant''s defense was formidable, and Li Lin had no chance against a third-stage late-phase demonic beast. "Woo..." The elephant roared, emitting a huge white gust from its trunk, carrying a peculiar odor and causing leaves to fall like rain around it. "Little Dragon, can you handle it?" Li Lin nervously asked, watching the elephant. "Swoosh..." Before Li Lin finished speaking, Little Dragon leapt up, transforming into a swift yellow flash, and charged towards the Thick-Skinned Demonic Elephant. "Woo!" The elephant spewed a white gust, then its long trunk lashed towards Little Dragon, the force shaking the air. "Hiss..." Little Dragon growled lowly, dodging the elephant''s attack with lightning speed, and bit towards its giant ear. Golden flames enveloped Little Dragon, making it impervious to the water jet. "Chichi..." The elephant shot a water column hundreds of meters wide from its mouth, striking the forest like a flood, sweeping away trees and bushes. Enveloped in golden flames, Little Dragon was unaffected by the water column. The golden light intensified, but its body was also blocked, unable to advance further. The water torrent poured down but dissipated into the air after reaching a distance, as it was only a water flow condensed from water attributes, not real water. Once the force vanished, the water flow naturally dispersed. Little Dragon swiftly descended, its small body hanging by its tail from a branch of a towering tree. "Yi yi..." Little Dragon seemed angry, with ferocious eyes and an intensifying golden glow around its body. Its scales began to vibrate, and in an instant, its body expanded, emitting a powerful aura. Li Lin had felt this aura when Little Dragon broke through before, but now it was even more violent than during the breakthrough. Under this aura, Li Lin felt his own Qi being obstructed, and his soul trembled lightly in his mind. As Little Dragon''s aura surged, its body grew to about eighty meters in length. Its scales shone brilliantly, with strands of gold rising and tightly wrapping around its body. Feeling Little Dragon''s aura, the enormous Thick-Skinned Demonic Elephant showed fear in its eyes. It began to retreat slowly, its previously powerful aura now completely suppressed and wilting. "What a strong pressure," Li Lin marveled. He felt the pressure subside after a moment, realizing it seemed to come not from strength but from bloodline, directly affecting the soul. At that moment, a flash appeared in Little Dragon''s eyes, and it leapt up. Simultaneously, a fierce flame burst from its mouth. The flame surged, instantly evaporating and withering the surrounding trees. The Thick-Skinned Demonic Beast let out a piercing wail, unable to retreat any further, and another massive water column spewed forth. But this time, the water column evaporated into nothingness under the burning golden flame, and Little Dragon surged forward like a shadow cutting through the sky, biting fiercely onto the thick neck of the Demonic Elephant. The elephant shook violently but couldn''t shake off Little Dragon. Two giant trees were uprooted by its impact. "Crack." Little Dragon bit off a large chunk of flesh from the elephant''s back and swallowed it. Blood spurted like a fountain from the elephant''s back. Despite its strong defense, it couldn''t withstand Little Dragon''s biting. "Woo woo..." The elephant roared in agony, rampaging wildly. Its massive body was so strong that it shattered rocks and broke trees upon impact, its long tusks capable of tossing giant trees into the air. The surrounding area within a thousand meters was leveled. Witnessing this terrifying scene, Li Lin gasped in shock. A third-stage late-phase demonic beast was indeed fearsome. "Chichi..." Little Dragon, coiled around a tree, lunged out again. Its long tail whipped fiercely onto the wound of the elephant. The elephant, unable to react to Little Dragon''s speed, became an easy target. "Woo..." The elephant could only keep wailing, retreating in defeat. "Chichi..." In the air, Little Dragon lunged again, giving the elephant no chance to escape. Its massive jaws bit fiercely onto the elephant''s neck. "Chichi..." Little Dragon swallowed a large chunk of flesh from the elephant''s neck, blood flowing freely. The elephant''s massive body collapsed against a tree, lying powerless on the ground, convulsing a few times before becoming still, presumably dead. Little Dragon, now on the ground, devoured the blood from the elephant''s body and then shrank to twenty centimeters in size, leaping onto Li Lin. "Little Dragon, you''re really powerful," Li Lin said. Little Dragon seemed to have effortlessly killed the third-stage late-phase beast. With such strength, Little Dragon could even contend with human martial soul warriors. Li Lin remembered that before breaking through, Little Dragon couldn''t counter a martial soul warrior despite its strong defense. But now, after its breakthrough, it could kill a third-stage late-phase beast, and even a first-stage martial soul facing Little Dragon would likely have to flee. "Chichi..." Little Dragon proudly flicked its tongue, its small eyes spinning gleefully, looking quite pleased with itself. Chapter 125: The Sect Leaders Seal Token Li Lin gently patted Little Dragon''s small head and then exerted a lot of effort to pull out the tusks from the Thick-Skinned Demonic Elephant. The tusks were the most valuable part of the elephant, worth tens of thousands of gold coins if made into weapons. After tidying up, the duo continued on their journey, with sunlight streaming through the forest canopy and casting a long shadow of Li Lin on the forest floor. At night, in a secluded cave, Li Lin sat cross-legged on a spiritual jade bed. He took out a jade bottle containing Soul Spirit Divine Liquid and, without hesitation, consumed one-tenth of the amount he had previously taken. The small sip of the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid felt cool in his mouth, but as soon as it reached his stomach, it transformed into an intensely hot flow, spreading ferociously. Li Lin immediately started refining it with his Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art. The immense energy caused sharp pains in his brain, the energy too terrifying to handle. Although he had experienced this energy surge before, Li Lin had to endure it a second time. However, this time it was somewhat easier. With his steadfast will, Li Lin managed to withstand the energy onslaught. "Refine," he commanded himself, enduring the pain and beginning to refine the liquid. His spiritual power in the brain increased continuously. On the spiritual jade bed, energy accompanied Li Lin''s refinement process, significantly enhancing his spiritual power. As he refined the liquid, Li Lin felt his progress. An invisible aura spread within his spiritual sea, reaching deep into his mind, nourishing his increasingly solid soul. The intangible soul was now becoming more tangible, allowing Li Lin to perceive its location, an indescribable mystery. After refining another tenth of the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid, Li Lin pondered for a long time. Currently at the eighth layer of martial warriors, his spiritual level was only at the sixth layer. Having consumed the liquid before, it was the right time to refine again. Dual cultivation of spirit and martial arts required simultaneous breakthroughs, so Li Lin prepared in advance. With many pills at his disposal, he estimated it wouldn''t take long to break through to the ninth layer of martial warriors and then to the martial master level. The consumption of the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid should also significantly advance his spiritual level, making the breakthrough to a spiritual master easier. In the Misty Mountain Range, Li Lin was constantly thinking about strengthening himself. Without power, one''s life was always at risk here. Moments later, Li Lin was enveloped in an invisible, dazzling white circle of light, with Little Dragon guarding outside the cave. As dawn approached, Li Lin stopped refining and exhaled a breath of turbid air. He and Little Dragon set off again towards the ancient domain. Traveling by day and cultivating at night, ten days passed. Li Lin easily advanced to the seventh layer of spiritual warriors and was close to the eighth layer. However, he had already refined five-sixths of the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid, and the higher the breakthrough, the more energy it required. "In the woods," Li Lin, with his Qi flashing under his feet, lunged forward, unleashing his Furious Flame Punch. The violent energy dispersed, striking the head of a grotesque, large, second-stage late-phase water elemental beast. The beast''s head burst open, and its body collapsed to the ground, soon becoming Little Dragon''s food. The training in this dangerous area subtly changed Li Lin. He now carried an invisible aura of slaughter C an aura that could only be acquired through bloodshed. In action, Li Lin''s various martial arts techniques were becoming increasingly refined and skilled. Second-stage late-phase demonic beasts were no longer a significant threat to him. "This dangerous area, it''s been almost a month, should be about to leave it soon," Li Lin murmured softly, his gaze fixed ahead with determination and a hint of coldness. He stood motionless, like a rock. After tidying up, Li Lin continued forward, estimating that he was nearing the end of this perilous region based on the distance he had traveled. "Help me..." A sharp scream broke the calm of the forest. Judging by the voice, it seemed to belong to a young girl, not too old, with a hint of immaturity in her tone. On a hillside, an old woman and a young girl had fallen to the ground. The girl, about eleven or twelve years old with messy hair, had eyes filled with fear. The other, an old woman in her fifties, dressed in blue, was now disheveled and bloody, her face pale. The terrified girl clung to the old woman, staring at two masked figures in front of them. "Where is the Sect Leader''s seal token?" Both figures were clad in black with covered faces, revealing only their eyes. "What people are you, skulking about like this? The seal token is not on me, killing me won''t help you," the old woman said protectively, hugging the girl. "Alright, if you don''t tell us, I''ll kill you first," one of the masked figures stepped forward, raising a large knife that gleamed coldly, the murderous intent palpable. "Don''t kill my Granny Lan," the frightened girl broke free from the old woman and stood protectively in front of her. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. "Xintong, step back," the old woman struggled to pull the girl back. "So you care about her. If you don''t hand over the Sect Leader''s seal token, I''ll kill her," the other masked figure threatened, raising the knife over the girl''s head. "Don''t, you can''t kill her, she is the bloodline left by the Sect Leader," the old woman cried out in despair, too injured to do much. "Hmph, all the more reason to kill her," the masked man sneered. "Last chance, will you hand over the seal token?" "Brother, no need to waste words with her, kill them both and search for the token. If we find the token, we''ll be greatly rewarded," said the other masked figure, bringing the knife down towards the girl. "Whiz..." Suddenly, a sharp whistling sound pierced through the air, carrying a fierce wind that instantly penetrated the man''s knife, leaving a hole in it. The masked figure staggered back several steps, dropping the knife, a blood hole appearing on his neck. "Who''s there?" the other masked man looked around in panic, unable to see anyone. "Killing even the old and young, I didn''t want to meddle, but I can''t stand idly by," a deep voice sounded, followed by a blue figure landing in front of the masked man. The newcomer was a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy in black robes, with clear and deep eyes and a slender figure. On his shoulder was a pale yellow mini snake. The boy was none other than Li Lin. "It''s you, brat, I''ll chop you down," the man, initially panicked, now emboldened upon seeing just a young boy, swung his knife towards Li Lin. With a sharp whistling sound, the blade gleamed coldly, cutting through the air. "Merely the strength of a seventh-layer martial warrior, seeking death," Li Lin snorted coldly, releasing a surge of Qi. His Mountain Splitting Palm materialized, a pale yellow palm imprint meeting the knife head-on. "Bang bang!" The knife fell to the ground as Li Lin''s palm imprint struck the chest of the masked man, causing a spray of blood. The man fell to the ground without a struggle. Li Lin patted his hands and searched the two men, but found no space bags, eliciting a wry smile from him. "Thank you, sir, for saving us," the old woman on the ground said gratefully to Li Lin. "No need to thank me, I just couldn''t stand by and do nothing," Li Lin replied, explaining that he had been hiding nearby and didn''t want to get involved unnecessarily. Seeing the two men threaten the defenseless old woman and child, however, he felt compelled to intervene. "Sir, please, I beg you, take this child with you. She''s all alone now. If I die, she''ll be left here to the beasts. Please, take her with you," the old woman pleaded, struggling to rise and then kneeling before Li Lin. "What are you doing, old lady?" Li Lin hurriedly laid the woman back on the ground, noting her severe injuries and limited martial ability. Looking at the panicked young girl, Li Lin felt a twinge of pity, recalling his own past of being alone and helpless. But, considering his current situation and the added danger of caring for a child, he hesitated. "Old lady, I really can''t take her. I''ll try to get her out and find her relatives," Li Lin offered, looking at the girl. "There''s no one left. Xintong has no mother, and the sect leader was murdered. She''ll be all alone once I''m gone," the old woman wept, handing Li Lin a pure white jade token, the size of a palm, with patterns and a faint energy. "This is the Flying Spirit Sect''s leader seal token. Whoever possesses it can claim the sect leader''s position. I give it to you." "Old lady, old lady..." Li Lin began to speak, but the old woman had already closed her eyes for the last time. "Granny Lan, Granny Lan," the young girl cried, shaking the old woman, then sobbing uncontrollably. Seeing the girl''s plight, Li Lin knew he couldn''t leave her alone in the mountains. Though he never considered himself a good person, abandoning a helpless child was something he couldn''t do. "Little sister, Granny Lan is dead, don''t cry," Li Lin said after a moment, knowing her cries could attract beasts. "Uh-huh... Uh-huh..." The girl lifted her head, her eyes red and swollen from crying, and then began to sob quietly without making noise. "I''ll bury Granny Lan for you," Li Lin offered gently, then dug a simple grave and buried the old woman. The girl gradually stopped crying and watched Li Lin silently, not speaking. "What''s your name, and how old are you?" Li Lin crouched down, wiped the girl''s tears with his sleeve, and carefully observed her. Dressed in slightly tattered red clothes, with delicate features, big eyes, small mouth, long eyelashes, and two dimples, she was undoubtedly a beautiful child. "My name is Li Xintong, I''m ten years old," the young girl softly spoke, yet she appeared somewhat frightened by the little dragon perched on Li Lin''s shoulder. "Li Xintong," Li Lin murmured, slightly surprised to share the same surname. It seemed like fate. "It''s called Little Dragon; it won''t hurt you. Don''t be afraid," Li Lin reassured the young girl. "Chichi..." Little Dragon flicked its tongue and shook its head, seemingly communicating with the girl, who gradually seemed less afraid upon sensing Little Dragon''s goodwill. "Xintong, come with me. From now on, you can stay by my side. Is that okay?" Li Lin offered, feeling responsible for the girl since the old woman had passed away. "Xintong has no family left... They were all killed by those bad people..." Xintong broke into tears again. "Don''t cry, Xintong. Be strong. Get strong and seek revenge. From now on, I am your brother, your family," Li Lin said, feeling a pang in his heart and hugging Xintong tightly, reminded of his own lonely past. "Brother, can you really be my brother?" Xintong looked up at Li Lin, fearing he might say no. "Of course, from now on, you are my sister, Li Lin''s sister. Nobody will dare to bully Xintong again," Li Lin assured her. "Okay, brother," Xintong said softly, finding solace and happiness in her newfound family. "We should leave this place," Li Lin suggested, inspecting the bodies of the masked men. They appeared to be young men in their mid-twenties. "Xintong, do you recognize these men?" Li Lin inquired. "They were apprentices of Elder Huang. I''ve seen them before," Xintong replied in shock. "Why did they want to kill me and Granny Lan?" "Was your father the leader of the Flying Spirit Sect? And was Elder Huang also from the same sect?" Li Lin asked, furrowing his brows. "Yes, my father was the leader of the Flying Spirit Sect. Elder Huang was one of the elders. My father was killed by masked men, and Granny Lan and others who tried to protect us were also killed," Xintong said, tears welling up again. "Let''s go, Xintong," Li Lin said, holding the sect leader''s seal token he had received from the old woman, understanding more about the situation. "Chichi..." Little Dragon transformed into a large creature and devoured the bodies of the two men. Startled by Little Dragon''s sudden transformation, Xintong was initially frightened but calmed down under Li Lin''s reassurance. On their journey, Li Lin learned from Xintong that her father, Li Qing, was the leader of the Flying Spirit Sect, a small sect of about a hundred people. She had grown up in the sect without practicing martial arts, raised by Granny Lan after her mother died in childbirth. "Brother, will you teach me to practice martial arts? I want to become a martial artist," Xintong suddenly asked Li Lin, her eyes full of longing. "Why do you want to become a martial artist?" Li Lin queried. "I want to be as strong as you, brother, and avenge my father," Xintong declared, her eyes filled with determination. "To become a martial artist, you''ll have to endure a lot of hardships," Li Lin warned. "I''m not afraid of hardship," Xintong replied firmly, her gaze resolute. Chapter 126: Instantaneous Kill "Alright, I''ll find a good master for Xintong in the future to make her a powerful martial artist," Li Lin said. "Why can''t you teach me, brother? You killed those two men, you''re already very powerful," Li Xintong asked with wide eyes. Li Lin smiled slightly, acknowledging his own limitations, and gently said, "Brother still has a long way to go. In the future, I''ll find a strong master for Xintong." As they continued their journey, Xintong became happier with Li Lin by her side, while Little Dragon vigilantly kept watch. Along the way, Li Lin encountered two third-stage initial-level demonic beasts. To ensure Xintong''s safety, Little Dragon killed them. Over the next few days, they occasionally came across second-stage demonic beasts. Initially frightened by the bloody scenes, Xintong gradually became accustomed to them. Li Lin intentionally exposed Xintong to blood, believing it would make her stronger and benefit her in the future. As they encountered fewer demonic beasts of lower strength, Li Lin concluded they were leaving the danger zone and nearing the Ancient Realm. Reaching the periphery, they saw more people in the mountains, mostly martial warriors seeking medicinal herbs and low-level demonic beasts. Martial masters were rare. "Clang, clang..." Ahead, the sound of intense fighting broke out, with several figures battling, all at the martial warrior level, causing a continuous series of sonic booms. Li Lin had become accustomed to such skirmishes over the past two days, confirming the rumors of chaos in the Ancient Realm. He had witnessed large-scale battles involving hundreds of people. With Xintong by his side, Li Lin immediately avoided the fray, not wanting to attract trouble. Through observation, Li Lin learned about the frequent killings for loot near the Ancient Realm. He also discovered that many small sects were created and destroyed daily in the chaos of the Ancient Realm. The region was governed by several super-large sects, whose power rivaled the three major sects and four major gates of the Lingwu Continent. These super-large sects maintained order in the Ancient Realm, preventing outsiders from interfering. At the edge of the Wudu Mountains, the chaos was already palpable, and Li Lin could only imagine the greater turmoil deeper in the Ancient Realm. Quietly leaving the area with Xintong, Li Lin''s pace was slower. That night, under the bright moon, they found a valley with dancing shadows of tree branches on the rocks, resembling a dance of demons. In a cave in the valley, Li Lin cultivated, surrounded by an invisible glowing aura, and finally stopped at dawn. He had broken through to the eighth level of spiritual mastery, with only about one-fifth of the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid remaining. Previously, consuming one-tenth of the bottle had elevated him from the second to the sixth level of spiritual mastery. Now, with only one-fifth of the liquid''s energy remaining, Li Lin realized he wouldn''t be able to reach the ninth level of spiritual mastery. He wasn''t surprised, as each higher level required more energy. He anticipated even greater energy consumption once he reached the level of a spiritual master. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. "Eight levels of spiritual mastery, eight levels of martial mastery," Li Lin reflected on his strength, knowing his journey to become a stronger warrior was just beginning. He estimated that with his current power, if he used the Xuan-level spiritual technique, Soul Blade Technique, he could potentially kill an average second-stage martial master, demonstrating the power of the technique. Li Lin has now become an eight-layer spiritual warrior, his strength multiplied several times. It shouldn''t be difficult for him to kill a second-layer martial artist. The Blade Soul Technique is a mysterious-level spiritual technique, highly valued on the Great Path, far surpassing star-level or yellow-level martial and spiritual techniques in power. However, Li Lin isn''t sure if the Blade Soul Technique can kill a third-layer martial artist. After all, he is only an eight-layer spiritual warrior, and using the technique consumes an astonishing amount of spiritual energy, unsustainable for frequent use. After preparations, Li Lin and his companions, a person and a beast, set off again. In a forest, a little dragon flicking its tongue and gazing intently to one side alerted Li Lin to potential danger. "Help, friends ahead! Save my life with three second-grade elixirs." A young man, looking disheveled and with torn clothes, ran from the bushes ahead. His aura suggested he was a seventh-layer martial artist. Two young men with knives were furiously chasing him. Li Lin watched the young man approach without a frown. The young man, now within ten meters of Li Lin, pleaded loudly, "Save me, and the three second-grade elixirs are yours." "Seeking death," Li Lin coldly snorted. As the young man neared, Li Lin''s true qi surged out, and five finger imprints shot through the air like lightning, carrying a scorching breath, instantly hitting the young man. Five bloody holes appeared, and he was killed on the spot without a chance to fight back. "Run..." The two knife-wielding young men behind hesitated for a moment, then fled. Li Lin had no intention of chasing them. He smiled faintly, realizing the young man was about a seventh-layer martial artist, and it was abnormal for him to be chased by a fourth-layer and a fifth-layer martial artist. The young man''s panic seemed feigned, with a hint of coldness in his eyes, indicating a trap. If Li Lin had been slightly careless, the man might have attacked him unexpectedly. "Die smarter in your next life," Li Lin muttered, kicking the young man''s corpse, which had only a few dozen gold coins and three common herbs, without even a space bag. After clearing the area, the little dragon devoured the young man''s corpse, and they continued on their journey. Li Xin Tong, who had just witnessed the killing, showed no nervousness, merely closing her eyes briefly, being only a ten-year-old girl. Three days later, after crossing a forest, Li Lin found himself in a vast land with no more forests or mountains in sight, only a distant mountain range visible on the horizon. This land was a huge territory, next to a large body of water with several small islands in the distance, all covered with a layer of glossy green. On this land, there were continuous buildings, winding as far as the eye could see, its breadth unknown. "Phew..." Li Lin let out a long sigh. After several months, he finally emerged from the Misty Mountain Range, only to find himself in the ancient realm. "I''m finally out," Li Lin said with a bitter smile. Over the past few months, he had undergone significant life-and-death trials. "Brother, this is the ancient realm. The Flying Spirit Gate is not far ahead," Li Xin Tong informed Li Lin. "Let''s find a place to eat well and rest well, then plan for the future," Li Lin suggested. Upon reaching the ancient realm, Li Lin didn''t want to stay. He planned to find a mercenary group heading to Misty City and travel there together. It had been over five months since he was separated from Li Wu Shuang and others, who probably thought he was dead. Li Lin also longed to return to Yun Yang Sect soon to complete tasks entrusted to him by Uncle Jiang, including acquiring the Millennium Red Copper and the Floating Shadow technique. "I''ll listen to Brother," Li Xin Tong said, holding Li Lin''s hand and smiling slightly. "Actually, I think the grilled meat Brother makes is very delicious." In recent days, Li Lin had been grilling various wild beasts for Li Xin Tong, who drooled over the delicious food, having never tasted anything so good before. Chapter 127: Taking Action to Save Someone Leaving the mountain range and looking back at the endless forest, Li Lin sighed softly and then let Little Dragon enter his sleeve. Entering the sprawling buildings, the area resembled Qingyun Town. The streets were bustling with people, lively and diverse. The streets were lined with shops, and many street vendors sold various items, including martial artists selling medicinal herbs and weapons, and ordinary people buying trinkets. It was a dazzling array of goods. Li Xintong seemed rarely to visit such places, looking around excitedly at all the novel items. Li Lin entered an inn. It was busy inside, so he found a quiet table and asked the waiter, "Xintong, what would you like to eat?" Li Xintong excitedly ordered a lot of food, her face lighting up with joy and curiosity about everything. Watching Li Xintong''s contentment, Li Lin felt a sudden sense of fulfillment, as if reliving his own childhood. His lonely childhood without support was something he vowed not to let Xintong experience. He resolved to take good care of her, giving her a warm and happy childhood. After the food was served, Li Xintong ate without reservation, joyfully indulging in the meal. After eating and paying the bill, which surprisingly came to two gold coins, they left the inn. The prices were high near the mountain range. Li Lin then went out to gather information about mercenary groups heading to the Wudu Mountains, hoping to return to Wudu City quickly. As for Li Xintong, he had no choice but to take her to Wudu City, and then see if it was possible to take her to the Yunyang Sect. If not, he would find another solution. Back on the busy street, Li Lin observed the surroundings and headed towards a wide main street, where he hoped to find news about mercenary groups. The street was mostly populated by martial artists of average strength; Martial Masters were rare, and Li Lin had yet to spot any Spirit Warriors. The place wasn''t very big, just a small area connecting to the Wudu Mountains, bustling due to the many martial artists passing through. Half an hour later, Li Lin heard unwelcome news. There were only two mercenary groups heading to Wudu City, and one had left the day before. According to recent survivors, most of the members of the remaining group had died in the depths of the Wudu Mountains. Thus, there were no groups currently heading there, and others were too afraid to venture towards Wudu City, given the dangers. "Something''s going on up ahead." People on the street started to crowd around an emerging commotion. Li Lin glanced over but decided not to get involved, preferring to avoid trouble. "You Luosha Gate are going too far. My Flying Spirit Gate is not to be trifled with," a loud voice came from the crowd. "Flying Spirit Gate, what''s that? Kneel down, or you''ll regret it." Hearing "Flying Spirit Gate," Li Lin, initially uninterested in the commotion, became attentive. Li Xintong''s father was the head of Flying Spirit Gate. "Brother, that''s Zhang Mingtao," Li Xintong suddenly said, gripping Li Lin''s hand. From Li Xintong, Li Lin had learned about Flying Spirit Gate. Li Qing, Li Xintong''s father, had two disciples, Zhang Mingtao and Zhong Yunzhou. Zhong Yunzhou, along with several other disciples, was killed while escorting Li Xintong and Granny Lan into the Wudu Mountains. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Li Lin hesitated for a moment, then pulled Li Xintong forward to take a closer look. The streets were already impenetrably crowded, forming a large circle. In the middle of the street, three young men were present. Two of them, dressed in yellow long robes, seemed to be together. Judging from the aura they emitted, one had the strength of a seventh-level warrior while the other was only at the fourth level. Another young man, around twenty-one or twenty-two years old, with short hair and large eyes, had a spirited look in his eyes. However, his coarse robe made him appear somewhat down-and-out. His cultivation was also only at the fourth level of a warrior. Li Lin finally managed to squeeze into the crowd and upon observing the three, he identified the short-haired, large-eyed young man as Zhang Mingtao. "Brother, it''s Senior Brother Zhang Mingtao," Li Xintong said. "Shh..." Li Lin gestured with his eyes to observe silently, considering the identity of the two who were chasing Li Xintong. The situation within the Flying Spirit Gate seemed complicated. "It''s the people from the Flying Spirit Gate who have provoked the Rakshasa Sect. Now, there will be a good show." "How can the Flying Spirit Gate compare to the Rakshasa Sect? The strength of the Rakshasa Sect is much stronger than that of the Flying Spirit Gate." "That''s natural. The people from the Flying Spirit Gate always suffer losses and dare not even let out a fart. They deserve to be bullied." "What can be done? The strength of the Flying Spirit Gate is just that. How can they stand out?" The surrounding crowd quietly discussed, and Li Lin frowned, getting an idea of the Flying Spirit Gate''s situation. It seemed that the sect''s strength was even lower than he had imagined. "What do you two want? It was just an accidental bump into you. You want an apology, I''ve apologized. Even a rabbit will bite when cornered," Zhang Mingtao said, staring at the two young men in front of him. "What a joke. You bumped into us, and you think an apology is enough? Hand over ten gold coins and kneel down to admit your mistake, or you''ll suffer," said one of the young men from the Rakshasa Sect, a fourth-level warrior, coldly. "You are too bullying. Why should I kneel to you?" Zhang Mingtao retorted. "Why? Because our strength is stronger than yours," said the other young man, a seventh-level warrior. His words had barely fallen when he kicked fiercely towards Zhang Mingtao, his qi trembling under his feet. Zhang Mingtao immediately retreated backward, countering with a palm strike. "Bang..." In the clash of qi, a palm and a foot collided, creating a sonic boom. Zhang Mingtao, being less skilled than the seventh-level warrior, was thrown back, landing several meters away. "Kneel down and admit your mistake, now it''s twenty gold coins. Otherwise, I will kill you and see what the Flying Spirit Gate can do," the seventh-level warrior from the Rakshasa Sect threatened arrogantly. "I''ll fight you," Zhang Mingtao stood up, striking out with a blue palm imprint, his qi dispersing around. "Chen-level martial arts," Li Lin frowned again. Zhang Mingtao was using only a mid-level Chen-grade martial art. "Bang..." The seventh-level warrior from the Rakshasa Sect struck again, his palm meeting Zhang Mingtao''s attack, resulting in another explosive sound. Zhang Mingtao was thrown to the ground, spitting out blood. "You''re courting death," the fourth-level warrior from the Rakshasa Sect coldly shouted, stepping forward and slashing fiercely at Zhang Mingtao with a long sword. "Brother, save Senior Brother Zhang Mingtao, quickly!" Li Xintong urged anxiously. Li Lin hesitated for a moment, then his qi flashed under his feet, and he leaped forward. Zhang Mingtao, in shock, spat out another mouthful of blood. The surrounding spectators sighed; it was common for several people to die here every day. The Rakshasa Sect had considerable influence in this area, so no one interfered and just watched. "Is a mere martial apprentice this arrogant?" At that moment, a voice sounded. Before the words fell, a finger imprint cut through the air, striking towards the fourth-level warrior. "Who dares to touch my Rakshasa Sect''s people?" The warrior''s expression changed, sensing the opponent''s superior strength. He changed the direction of his sword to block the finger imprint. "Clang..." In a flash, the finger imprint hit the sword, sparking a flash of electricity. Then, another finger imprint broke through the air, hitting the unprepared warrior''s forehead. "Bang!" The warrior''s pupils dilated, and he fell to the ground with a blood hole in his forehead, blood and brain matter flowing out. "Who are you, daring to interfere in the Rakshasa Sect''s affairs?" the remaining seventh-level warrior asked in shock, staring at Li Lin. "Relying on your background, aren''t you afraid of embarrassing your Rakshasa Sect? Leave now, or you''ll end up like him, dead," Li Lin said, pointing at the corpse on the ground. "We''ll see. The Rakshasa Sect won''t let you off," the young man said, trying to save face before hastily leaving. "Thank you, sir..." Zhang Mingtao stood up and respectfully saluted Li Lin''s retreating figure. Li Lin turned back, and Zhang Mingtao was surprised to see that Li Lin was several years younger than him, yet much stronger. Chapter 128: Joining the Fei Ling Sect "Senior brother," Li Xintong ran to Zhang Mingtao''s side. "Xintong, why are you here? Where''s Master? Why are you alone?" Zhang Mingtao was surprised and asked, looking around but not seeing his master. "It seems that Zhang Mingtao does not know about his master''s death," Li Lin thought to himself. "My father..." Li Xintong was about to speak when Li Lin quickly interrupted, "Let''s find a place to stay first." "Xintong, this is..." Zhang Mingtao asked, puzzled. "This is my brother," Li Xintong said. "Brother?" Zhang Mingtao was surprised, as he had never known that their master had a son. In a room at an inn, Li Lin, Zhang Mingtao, and Li Xintong were all present. "May I ask, has anything happened in the Flying Spirit Gate recently?" Li Lin inquired of Zhang Mingtao. "Nothing much, just that the three elders have been looking for Master..." Zhang Mingtao hadn''t finished speaking when his face suddenly changed, his expression becoming blank. Above his head, Li Lin''s claw imprint pressed down, performing a soul-searching technique to probe his mind. After a moment, Li Lin released Zhang Mingtao, his brow slightly furrowed. Previously, the person subjected to the soul-searching technique would undoubtedly die, but now Li Lin had become adept at it, not taking lives, although it still caused some damage to the soul. "What''s the matter, what happened..." Zhang Mingtao''s face was pale, and it took him a moment to regain his senses. He had only seen a blur before losing consciousness. "It''s nothing. What are the three elders of the Flying Spirit Gate looking for your master for?" Li Lin asked deliberately. He already knew everything from Zhang Mingtao''s mind and confirmed that Zhang Mingtao had no relation to the person who killed Li Xintong''s father, nor did he know anything about it. From his mind, Li Lin also learned other matters. No one in the Flying Spirit Gate knew yet about the death of the sect leader, at least not the ordinary disciples. It seemed that someone was working behind the scenes, otherwise the two disciples of Elder Huang wouldn''t have needed to hide their faces. "Master has been missing in the Wudu Mountain Range for five months. The three elders are probably worried that something happened to him and asked me to investigate," Zhang Mingtao said. Li Lin sighed slightly. From Zhang Mingtao''s mind, he understood that being the leader of the Flying Spirit Gate was tough. The sect didn''t have many sources of income but had large expenses, so the leader had to personally go to the Wudu Mountain Range to mine gold to support the disciples. This was the first time Li Lin had seen a sect so poor, a real eye-opener. "Senior brother, my father is dead, and Granny Lan is dead too," Li Xintong said with tears in her eyes. "What, Master is dead..." Zhang Mingtao''s eyes widened, his face turning deathly pale. He had injuries, and the shock made him spit out a mouthful of blood. "Tell me quickly, how did Master die?" Zhang Mingtao asked urgently. Li Xintong then told him the rough details of what had happened, up to being saved by Li Lin and then leaving the Wudu Mountain Range. "Master..." Zhang Mingtao mourned, tears flowing from his eyes. "Death is irreversible; mourn and accept it," Li Lin said. "It must be Elder Huang. He killed Master. He wanted to be the sect leader. He has always wanted to be the leader of the Flying Spirit Gate. I must avenge the sect leader," Zhang Mingtao said, his eyes filled with rage. Li Lin looked at Zhang Mingtao and thought to himself that Zhang Mingtao wasn''t foolish. After knowing that the assassins of Li Xintong were disciples of Elder Huang, he had deduced some things. He said, "How can you seek revenge? Is your strength enough?" Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Zhang Mingtao was stunned, aware that his strength was naturally not comparable to that of Elder Huang in the sect. He then said, "I will inform the other two elders. They will definitely take action against Elder Huang." "What if all three elders are in league and have planned to kill your master? By exposing them, aren''t you just courting death?" Li Lin said lightly. From Zhang Mingtao''s mind, Li Lin knew that Li Xintong''s father, Li Qing, was the most powerful in the Flying Spirit Gate, with the strength of a third-level Wu Po. All three elders were at the second level of Wu Po. In a one-on-one fight, not even Elder Huang could match Li Qing. To kill Li Qing, they would have to join forces. "This..." Zhang Mingtao was stunned again, unable to speak. If the three elders were in alliance, then revealing everything would be suicidal. He wasn''t foolish and understood the consequences. "It can''t be. Elder Zheng and Master had a good relationship. He would never kill Master. But Elder Zhou and Elder Huang..." Zhang Mingtao couldn''t come to a conclusion, his mind in chaos. "Senior brother, are you saying Elder Huang killed my father?" Li Xintong asked Zhang Mingtao. At ten years old, she couldn''t connect the dots to other possibilities. "Yes, it''s likely Elder Huang killed Master," Zhang Mingtao gritted his teeth. "I must avenge Master. I must." Li Lin looked at Zhang Mingtao and thought that he was respectful and valued his master. He said, "Your strength is not enough. If you want revenge, I advise you to wait until your strength is sufficient after returning to the Flying Spirit Gate. Otherwise, you''re just going to your death." "Sir, your strength must be very strong. I beg you, please help me avenge him. I, Zhang Mingtao, will give my life to you and will do anything in return," Zhang Mingtao immediately said to Li Lin. "Forget it, my strength is still lacking," Li Lin directly refused. This matter had nothing to do with him, and it was better not to get involved. "Brother, I beg you, please help Xintong avenge her father," Li Xintong pleaded, tugging at Li Lin''s arm, her eyes full of earnestness. "Xintong, brother''s strength really isn''t enough..." Li Lin sighed lightly. His strength truly wasn''t sufficient; the three elders of the Flying Spirit Gate were second-level Wu Po, and he wasn''t at that level. "Sir, you have obtained the sect leader''s seal of the Flying Spirit Gate. According to our sect''s rules, you are now the sect leader of the Flying Spirit Gate. As the sect leader, you can deal with him," Zhang Mingtao said. "Do you think that''s possible? If the sect leader tells him to die, will he go and die?" Li Lin said lightly. He had the Flying Spirit Gate''s sect leader seal, true, but he feared that if he showed up with it, it might be snatched away. Then, if they turned the tables on him, he would be in trouble. "This..." Zhang Mingtao was at a loss for words, stunned and helpless. "Brother, you must have a way. Please, help Xintong avenge her father. I''m begging you," Li Xintong cried. "Xintong, don''t cry. Brother will think of a way. Don''t cry," Li Lin said, holding Li Xintong. Although they had only been together for a few days, Li Lin already considered Li Xintong as his own sister and couldn''t bear to see her suffer. "You promised, brother. You can''t go back on your word. You said you would find a way to help Xintong avenge her father," Li Xintong said, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked at Li Lin. "This... okay then!" Li Lin gave a bitter smile, having said it casually just to stop Li Xintong from crying, not expecting her to take it seriously. "Thank you so much, sir," Zhang Mingtao said gratefully. "To seek revenge, first you need to know whether it was indeed Elder Huang who killed your master, and if anyone else was involved. So, from now on, you must listen to everything I say," Li Lin told Zhang Mingtao. "No problem, I''ll do whatever you say," Zhang Mingtao said, patting his chest. Flying Spirit Mountain, in the entire ancient domain, was a place little known by many. Its existence was obscure, but near the Wudu Mountain Range in the ancient domain, it was somewhat famous. This was mainly because Flying Spirit Mountain had beautiful scenery and a small, almost forgotten sect, which had made the place memorable to some. Flying Spirit Mountain wasn''t just one mountain, but a small range of mountains, with the main peak being known as Flying Spirit Mountain. Surrounded by water on three sides, the island was lush with green trees, appearing verdant and lush. The water flowed down from upstream, forming a spectacular view, with a large, wide stone beach surrounding it. Viewed from above, the Flying Spirit Mountain range was vast and majestic, with an impressive and expansive area. It was now noon, with the blinding sun shining on the jade-like water. Occasionally, a gentle spring breeze would blow over the water, causing it to shimmer with fine, fish-scale-like silver light. From time to time, a few falling leaves would drift from the clear sky and land on the water, quickly carried away by the waves. Three figures appeared within the territory of Flying Spirit Mountain C two men and a girl, two adults and a child, Li Lin, Zhang Mingtao, and Li Xintong. After careful consideration, Li Lin decided to return to Flying Spirit Mountain. Despite the risks, he had thought it through. The three elders of Flying Spirit Mountain were only at the second level of Wu Po, and in case of danger, he had the little dragon with him, so he wouldn''t be completely defenseless. Having promised to avenge Li Xintong, Li Lin also wanted to find out who killed Li Qing. Secondly, he didn''t have a way to go to Wudu City for the time being. There was only one mercenary group going to Wudu City, which had left a few days ago, and a round trip would take more than four months. He needed to find a place to stay during these four months. Chapter 129: The Three Elders Having decided to return to the Flying Spirit Gate, Li Lin carefully explained a number of things to Li Xintong and Zhang Mingtao. First was about Li Qing''s death; they had to pretend to be unaware of who killed him to avoid arousing suspicion. Additionally, Li Lin concocted a new identity for himself as a closed-door disciple taken by Li Qing in the Wudu Mountain Range, making it easier to justify his stay in the Flying Spirit Gate. After sorting out these matters, Li Lin, along with the others, arrived at Flying Spirit Mountain. Observing the surroundings of Flying Spirit Mountain, Li Lin was somewhat surprised to find the small sects mountain gate quite impressive. Sir no, Junior Brother, our Flying Spirit Mountain has quite a nice scenery. When you have time, you can enjoy it, said Zhang Mingtao. Thats true, I should appreciate it when I have the chance, Li Lin replied with a smile. The mountain peaks around them were already dotted with numerous buildings. As they approached and observed, these buildings were mostly palace-like structures, about twenty or thirty in total, scattered around. According to Zhang Mingtao, Flying Spirit Gate had once had over three hundred members at its peak, but over the years, it had declined. In the past decade, not a single new disciple had joined. Within dozens of miles around, everyone knew Flying Spirit Gate as poor and weak, so those with martial talents in their families wouldn''t send them to train there, as there was no future in it. Moreover, about two-thirds of the original Flying Spirit Gate disciples had left to seek their fortunes elsewhere. Junior Brother Zhang Mingtao, youre back, greeted three Flying Spirit Gate disciples as they approached the building complex. They were all young men in their early twenties, wearing half-old clothes and looking listless, making it clear how difficult it was to stay motivated in such a declining sect. These are your Junior Brothers. Come and meet Li Lin, Senior Brother. He is a closed-door disciple taken by the sect leader and will be your Senior Brother from now on, Li Lin introduced them to the three. In Flying Spirit Gate, there was a distinction between personal disciples and ordinary disciples. Regardless of age or time of entry, ordinary disciples, when in the same generation, had to address personal disciples as ''Senior Brother''. Only among personal disciples was seniority determined by the time of entry. Currently, in Flying Spirit Gate, there were only a few personal disciples - those of the three elders and the sect leader. Li Lin knew of only two disciples of Li Qing: Zhang Mingtao and Zhong Yunzhou, with Zhong Yunzhou deceased, leaving only Zhang Mingtao. "Greetings, Senior Brother," the three young men curiously observed Li Lin and then lazily saluted him. They didnt take Li Lin seriously, sensing no aura from him and thus considering him a novice. "Uh-huh," Li Lin responded briefly. The three were a first-level warrior and a ninth-level martial apprentice, a bit too weak for their ages. Li Lin wasnt sure whether it was due to poor cultivation methods of the Flying Spirit Gate or their lack of talent. "Junior Brother, let''s go inside," suggested Zhang Mingtao. They went to a palace-like building, situated against the mountain and near a huge waterfall, surrounded by lush green trees, with birds occasionally flying by. "The scenery is indeed nice," Li Lin remarked appreciatively. Junior Brother, this is where Master used to live. You can stay here now, said Zhang Mingtao. "Brother, I used to live here," Li Xintong said, blinking her eyes. Li Lin was satisfied with the place. It was quiet, ideal for cultivation without attracting attention, and the little dragon could come out to play without being noticed. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Junior Brother Zhang Mingtao, the three elders have asked for you in the main hall. They also want to see Miss Xintong and the new disciple taken by the sect leader, announced several Flying Spirit Gate disciples from outside. What should we do? asked Zhang Mingtao, looking a bit nervous, and then turning to Li Lin. Theyre quick with their news, knowing as soon as we arrived at Flying Spirit Gate, Li Lin thought to himself. After pondering for a moment, he said, Let''s go. Well do as we planned earlier. "Yes, I remember. I will listen to Brother and be patient. We''ll seek revenge later," Li Xintong said, biting her red lips, her eyes filled with determination. "Yes, let''s go," Li Lin said, stroking Li Xintong''s head and instructing the little dragon to hide in his sleeve, ready to act if there was any danger. Stepping out of the palace, they were greeted by over thirty young Flying Spirit Gate disciples gathered outside. With no new members joining the Flying Spirit Gate for ten years, the sudden arrival of a new disciple, reportedly taken in by the sect leader, naturally drew the curiosity of the disciples, who were typically idle. They wanted to see who had the misfortune of joining this seemingly hopeless sect. Li Lin paid no mind to the crowds stares, instead assessing the cultivation levels of the thirty or so people. Judging by their exposed aura, most were eighth or ninth-level martial apprentices, with only three or four reaching the level of a warrior. Li Lin now had a better understanding of Flying Spirit Gate''s overall strength. It seemed that the sect had not cultivated new disciples properly, or else their abilities would not be so lacking. After walking along several stone paths, they reached an ancient-looking palace building, prompting Li Lin to frown. The main hall of Flying Spirit Gate was somewhat dilapidated, with spider webs here and there. Seeing a sect fall into such disrepair was indeed an eye-opener. Inside the main hall, which could accommodate about a hundred people, the walls originally adorned with murals were now blurred and indistinct. Over sixty ordinary disciples were present in the hall. Sitting at the front were two men and a woman, middle-aged, whom Li Lin recognized as the three elders of Flying Spirit Gate - Huang Haibo, Zhou Yuhou, and Zheng Ying - from Zhang Mingtao''s memories. Observing the three, the one in the middle was Huang Haibo, wearing a yellow robe, with long hair and a broad forehead. His eyes were reserved, giving him a somewhat gloomy appearance. Zhou Yuhou, slightly plump and shorter in stature, had a sharp look in his eyes. Lastly, Zheng Ying, a woman dressed in gray, appeared in her thirties, well-maintained like a young woman, with a mature charm. Li Lin knew from Zhang Mingtao''s memories that Zheng Ying had never been married for some reason. Beside these three elders were about ten disciples, all personal disciples of the three elders, including several female disciples likely belonging to Zheng Ying. "Greetings to the three elders," Zhang Mingtao stepped forward and saluted the elders. Only Li Lin knew that Zhang Mingtao was suppressing his anger; it seemed he wasn''t foolish enough to act rashly. "Back already? Who is this?" Huang Haibo asked, his gaze lingering on Li Xintong and Li Lin. "Uncle Huang, he is a disciple my father took in," Li Xintong said to Huang Haibo, holding Li Lin''s hand, which trembled slightly, whether from panic or fear. Li Lin gently pressed Li Xintong''s hand and gave her a reassuring look. "Oh, a new disciple? How come I wasn''t aware," Huang Haibo scrutinized Li Lin. "Xintong, where is your father?" Zheng Ying asked, crouching down to Li Xintong''s level. "Uncle, my father is dead." "What?" Zheng Ying''s expression changed dramatically, and many Flying Spirit Gate disciples around also showed shock, their eyes fixed on Li Xintong. Li Lin observed everyone''s reactions. Upon hearing the news of the sect leader''s death, Huang Haibo and Zhou Yuhou''s expressions changed subtly, while their disciples did not show much surprise, but rather looked panicked. "Indeed, something''s fishy," Li Lin thought to himself. "Xintong, tell your uncle how your father died," Zheng Ying urged anxiously. "My father was killed by masked men. I don''t know who they were. Granny Lan was also killed. Those people wanted to kill me too, but then a beast appeared and ate those who were trying to kill me. Brother and I barely managed to escape," Li Xintong said, sobbing. "Xintong, did your father give you anything before he died?" Huang Haibo asked, his expression changing slightly. "No," Li Xintong shook her head. "What about Granny Lan? Did she give you anything?" Zhou Yuhou continued to probe. "Our senior brother is dead. Aren''t you in a hurry to avenge him instead of looking for the sect leader''s seal?" Zheng Ying turned to Huang Haibo and Zhou Yuhou. "How can we avenge him when we don''t know who did it?" Huang Haibo said lightly. "To seek revenge, we need to find the murderer first." Li Lin watched everyone, not saying much. The three elders and Li Qing were all disciples of the original sect leader. After the sect leader''s position was passed to Li Qing, the eldest disciple, Li Lin surmised that Zheng Ying might genuinely be unaware of the situation, while Huang Haibo and Zhou Yuhou could have been the ones who conspired to kill Li Qing. "What''s your name, and what did your master give you? Hand it over," Zhou Yuhou then turned his attention to Li Lin. Chapter 130: Trouble Arises "I didn''t receive anything from Master," Li Lin said discreetly. "Really? Think about it again," Zhou Yuhou persisted, not convinced. Li Lin shook his head, knowing that Zhou Yuhou was probably looking for the sect leader''s seal. These two seemed eager to find it, possibly both aspiring to become the sect leader. "Elders, there''s trouble!" A panicked voice came from outside the hall, followed by a Flying Spirit Gate disciple rushing in, breathless and shocked. "What''s so urgent that you''re losing your composure?" Huang Haibo reprimanded the disciple. "Elders, a group from the Rakshasa Sect has arrived and already injured three of our people. They claim that a few days ago someone from our sect killed their disciple and are demanding we hand over the culprit, threatening to annihilate Flying Spirit Gate otherwise," the disciple reported hurriedly. "The Rakshasa Sect..." Li Lin recalled that he had killed members of the Rakshasa Sect when saving Zhang Mingtao a few days ago and didn''t expect them to retaliate so soon. "What? The Rakshasa Sect? How many people have come?" Zhou Yuhou''s face changed as he asked. "About twenty or thirty people, all second-generation disciples. I recognized them; there are no Rakshasa Sect elders," the disciple replied. Hearing this, Zhou Yuhou seemed somewhat relieved. "Who went out and caused trouble, even killing someone from the Rakshasa Sect? Step forward," Huang Haibo scanned the people in the hall. "Elders, it was me. A few days ago, when waiting for Master, the Rakshasa Sect people were too aggressive. They tried to kill me, so I acted in self-defense and ended up killing one of them," Zhang Mingtao stepped forward to confess, not implicating Li Lin. "Well done, you''ve grown capable. We''ve always told you not to provoke others outside. Otherwise, it could bring disaster to our sect," Huang Haibo said angrily to Zhang Mingtao. Many disciples in the hall sighed quietly. They were in their early twenties, an age full of passion, but in Flying Spirit Gate, they had always been instructed to keep a low profile and endure bullying. Now, with enemies at their door, the elders'' response dampened their spirits further. "Elders, it was the Rakshasa Sect disciples who were overly aggressive. I was just defending myself. It was an accident that I killed one of their people," Zhang Mingtao explained. "The Rakshasa Sect is at our doorstep. Let''s go out and see. It was they who bullied first. Are all Rakshasa Sect people unreasonable?" Zheng Ying stood up and suggested. "Now that the Rakshasa Sect has come, and they are all second-generation disciples, if we go out, they''ll accuse us of bullying the weaker. Since Zhang Mingtao caused this trouble, and he is also a senior disciple of our sect, let him handle it. Remember, don''t bring more trouble to Flying Spirit Gate," Huang Haibo said with a frown. "Second elder is right. If we go out, the Rakshasa Sect will say we are bullying the weaker, and who knows what trouble it will lead to. Let Zhang Mingtao handle it," Zhou Yuhou agreed. "But the Rakshasa Sect people are very strong. If Zhang Mingtao goes out, he will surely be..." "Can our strength provoke the Rakshasa Sect elders? Let Zhang Mingtao handle it," Huang Haibo interrupted Zheng Ying. "Elders, I caused the trouble, so I''ll handle it," Zhang Mingtao said, then turned to leave the hall. Li Lin frowned slightly and, taking Li Xintong''s hand, followed Zhang Mingtao. Since he was responsible for the situation, he felt compelled to see it through. The ordinary disciples in the hall hesitated before following Zhang Mingtao out. As the senior disciple of Flying Spirit Gate, he had some authority among them. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. In the hall, Huang Haibo and Zhou Yuhou exchanged glances, motioning their disciples to follow them. "Fourth Junior Sister, the sect leader is dead, and the sect leader''s seal is missing. We don''t know the whereabouts of the keys to the secret chamber either. I think we should forcibly open the chamber," Huang Haibo suggested to Zheng Ying after everyone had left. "Second Senior Brother, our ancestor left instructions that the secret chamber of Flying Spirit Gate can only be opened at the last moment of life and death for the sect, which might allow it to rise again. However, if we open it prematurely, it could bring disaster. Moreover, there are three keys to the chamber, and it can only be opened with all three keys and the sect leader''s seal. If anyone tries to force it open, the chamber will explode," Zheng Ying explained. "But the sect leader elder brother is dead, and the location of the sect leader''s seal is unknown. What should we do?" Zhou Yuhou asked. "Then we must find it. We must locate the sect leader''s seal," Zheng Ying declared. "Junior Brother, I''ll handle this matter. You don''t need to come, to avoid those people recognizing you," Zhang Mingtao said to Li Lin as they left the main hall. "It''s okay. I''ll have a look. Besides, I was the one who killed them," Li Lin said with a slight smile, aware that Huang Haibo clearly intended for Zhang Mingtao to face a lethal situation. If Zhang Mingtao died, Flying Spirit Gate would naturally have less trouble. Otherwise, the Rakshasa Sect would not easily let the matter rest. "Those from the Rakshasa Sect have always bullied our Flying Spirit Gate. The elders and Master refrained from saying much due to the Rakshasa Sect''s strength, leading to their increasing audacity. Now that they''ve lost a member, they definitely won''t let it go," Zhang Mingtao added. "You know that and you still came out? Don''t you realize the Rakshasa Sect people might kill you?" Li Lin remarked. "I''m not afraid. If I die, you can avenge my master," Zhang Mingtao said. "Keep your voice down; there are people behind us," Li Lin warned Zhang Mingtao, noticing nearly a hundred ordinary Flying Spirit Gate disciples following them. "Big Senior Brother, we''ll help you. Those Rakshasa Sect people are too hateful; let''s fight them," a plump, bald young man from the group of Flying Spirit Gate disciples stepped forward and said after a moment. "Big Senior Brother, we''ll help you. Let''s fight them," echoed several disciples. As they spoke, they reached an open area where mocking and taunting voices were heard. "The Flying Spirit Gate are all weaklings, utterly powerless." "Hand over the person, or we''ll level Flying Spirit Gate to the ground." "Haha, Flying Spirit Gate''s weaklings, hurry up and hand over the person." In the open area, five or six Flying Spirit Gate disciples lay on the ground, severely injured and bleeding. "Stop!" Zhang Mingtao shouted and charged forward. Li Lin had already been observing the thirty or so people from the Rakshasa Sect, all exuding the aura of warriors. The young man in the lead was at the martial master level, with the strength of a first-level martial master. Dressed in fine clothes and with a somewhat sinister face, he was the Rakshasa Sect''s seventh-level warrior Li Lin had encountered before. Judging from their clothing and strength, the Rakshasa Sect disciples clearly surpassed Flying Spirit Gate, explaining the latter''s victimization. Li Lin sighed inwardly, realizing that these second-generation Rakshasa Sect disciples dared to attack Flying Spirit Gate, whose elders were too timid to react. Continuing this way, Flying Spirit Gate would inevitably face destruction. "Third Senior Brother, it''s those two. They killed our junior brother," the seventh-level warrior from the Rakshasa Sect suddenly said upon seeing Li Lin and Zhang Mingtao, avoiding direct eye contact with Li Lin. After Zhang Mingtao stepped forward, the Flying Spirit Gate disciples also moved up to help the severely wounded to the back, glaring angrily at the Rakshasa Sect members but daring not to speak out, knowing the latter''s strength far exceeded theirs. "Was it you two who killed our Rakshasa Sect member?" the young man in fine clothes from the Rakshasa Sect asked Li Lin and Zhang Mingtao coldly. Li Lin remained silent but raised his eyebrows slightly, formulating a plan in his mind. The young man in fine clothes was the strongest among the Rakshasa Sect disciples present, yet only at the level of a first-level martial master. If Li Lin were to kill him, the Rakshasa Sect would surely not rest easily. Perhaps Rakshasa Sect''s stronger members might come and annihilate Flying Spirit Gate, leading Huang Haibo and Zhou Yuhou to be killed in retaliation. This way, Li Lin could avenge Li Xintong. However, with his current strength, facing Huang Haibo and Zhou Yuhou was still premature. Thinking the plan feasible, a slight smile appeared on Li Lin''s face. Meanwhile, Zhang Mingtao faced the Rakshasa Sect members and said, "I did it. Your people bullied us first. What do you want to do?" "Third Senior Brother, kill him." "Kill this Flying Spirit Gate weakling." "I don''t want anything but your death," the young man in fine clothes said, his expression darkening. A palm imprint with a hint of black light formed in his hand, and with a flash of light under his feet, his figure blurred into a shadow, rushing towards Zhang Mingtao like lightning. A powerful surge of energy vibrated through the air, creating a whistling sound as it broke through the space. Li Lin knew Zhang Mingtao was no match. Zhang Mingtao was only at the fourth level of a warrior, while this young man in fine clothes was a first-level martial master, a far too significant gap in strength. Li Lin''s expression changed subtly, and he released Li Xintong''s hand. His true energy vibrated around him as he quickly lunged forward. Chapter 131: Duel with a Martial Master "I''ll fight you," Zhang Mingtao''s expression darkened as he summoned his qi, preparing to fight to the death, but a figure in a blue robe landed in front of him: "You go take care of Xintong." "Step back, the Rakshasa Sect is nothing!" At the same time, a loud shout resonated across the field. The figure in the blue robe altered his hand signs, and a fist-sized water column swept out, cutting through the air and aiming directly at the young man in fine clothes. "Is that the new disciple taken in by the sect leader? How did he get involved?" "Is his strength even greater than our senior brothers to dare to confront death?" "But hes got guts, daring to fight against the Rakshasa Sect. I like that." "Bang!" The young man in fine clothes, initially intending to deal with Zhang Mingtao, was caught off guard by the sudden attack. His expression turned cold, his eyes filled with frost, as he changed his palm sign to meet the incoming water column. The two forces collided, dispersing the water column and unleashing a powerful surge of energy. Both figures were forced to retreat several steps to stabilize themselves. "Such strong power." The Flying Spirit Gate disciples immediately exclaimed in awe. They might be weak, but they could recognize strength, and to confront the Rakshasa Sect member without losing ground was a feat far beyond their senior brothers capability. "Who are you?" the young man in fine clothes asked Li Lin, steadying himself. "A new disciple of Flying Spirit Gate. Our sect is not a place for you to run wild. Get back to your Rakshasa Sect," Li Lin said with a stern look. "Youre courting death," the young man''s expression darkened significantly, his qi surging again. With a swift motion, a broad-bladed saber appeared in his hands, emitting a chilling glow. He drew an arc in the air as he lunged towards Li Lin once more. The young man''s strength was certainly not weak among his peers, especially compared to the Flying Spirit Gate disciples. Li Lin, however, did not dare to be careless. In the Wudu Mountain Range, he wouldn''t have taken a first-level martial master too seriously, but here it was different. He couldn''t fully unleash his power, nor use his Ling Technique and Vermilion Bird Art or execute any of the three martial arts techniques. Thus, Li Lin initially employed a water-based martial technique, and now he had to rely on it to counter. As the young man lunged towards Li Lin, the Flying Spirit Gate disciples watched anxiously, wondering if the new disciple could withstand the attack. The thirty or so disciples from the Rakshasa Sect showed cold intent, confident in their third senior brother''s strength, as he had broken through to the martial master level. To them, he was more than enough to handle anyone from Flying Spirit Gate. The seventh-level warrior who had encountered Li Lin previously was puzzled. He remembered Li Lin using a fire-based technique, but now Li Lin was employing water-based techniques. The young man''s speed was incredibly fast, closing in on Li Lin rapidly. The saber glowed faint yellow as it descended swiftly. Just then, Li Lin reacted. His agility and reflexes, honed in the Wudu Mountain Range for nearly half a year, were genuine and not something the young man could match. Li Lin''s qi flashed under his feet, and he quickly retreated to the side, narrowly avoiding the young man''s attack. The sharp blade of the saber struck the ground, splitting it and sending dust flying. Simultaneously, Li Lin unleashed a powerful water column, its energy tearing through the air with a piercing sound. This attack, from the Yellow Level initial stage martial technique Furious Sea''s Roar, was formidable. Relying on his eight-level warrior strength, Li Lin would struggle to compete with the young man without using this technique. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Surprised by Li Lin''s speed and the strength of his attack, the young man no longer underestimated him. "Hmph," the young man in fine clothes grunted, retreating as he leaped up, narrowly avoiding Li Lin''s attack. He then counterattacked with several saber beams from above, enveloping Li Lin. Li Lin quickly formed a hand sign, creating a huge blue light barrier in front of him, transforming into a thick mist to block the attack. The saber''s light cleaved through the mist, creating ripples. The saber light and mist immediately intertwined in the air, the whistling sound of breaking wind causing a series of explosive echoes. "Bang, bang..." The mist shattered, and the saber light vanished in mid-air. The young man in fine clothes lunged down again, his saber slashing horizontally. Li Lin instantly retreated, narrowly avoiding the attack. His qi surged under his feet, and with a light tap, his body flipped in mid-air. Then, like a hunting eagle, he launched a lightning-fast blue light palm imprint towards the young man in fine clothes. The young man frowned again, seemingly impressed by Li Lin''s speed and agility. He retreated a few steps, his qi flashing under his feet, and swung his saber fiercely. Everyone around was surprised, especially the people from Flying Spirit Gate. The exquisite moves in the intense battle were something they had never seen. "The new disciple taken in by the sect leader is so formidable. That martial technique must be at least a mid-tier star level, right?" "I think it''s high-tier star level. His strength is much stronger than our senior brothers." "Teach those Rakshasa Sect people a good lesson. Let them know that we, the Flying Spirit Gate, are not to be trifled with. Hit them hard!" Many from the Flying Spirit Gate started to get excited, seeing someone finally standing up for them after so many years. "It won''t be easy to kill this guy," Li Lin thought, realizing he couldn''t fully unleash his strength and needed to find a way to handle the young man in fine clothes. The battle continued intensely, opening the eyes of the second-generation disciples of the Flying Spirit Gate. With his honed reflexes and agility, Li Lin and the young man exchanged dozens of moves before finally reaching a stalemate again. "I didn''t expect Flying Spirit Gate to have a disciple like you. Quite surprising," the young man in fine clothes said coldly. "Is that so? Then you can go back to your Rakshasa Sect," Li Lin replied. "Hmph, you think I really can''t do anything to you?" As he spoke, the young man''s body shook slightly, his qi bursting out, tinged with black. Both his hands were now enveloped in a faint black color. "Poison Palm," Li Lin frowned. The young man was emitting a pungent and unpleasant odor, likely poison. Judging by the appearance of his hands, it seemed related to poison. Li Lin wasn''t too concerned. The poison on the Rakshasa Sect young man was mild compared to the Blood-Devouring Bone-Eroding Pill given to him by the Old Poisoner master of Huyin Poison Sect. With the little dragon''s help, he wasn''t afraid of this level of poison. "Poison Sand Palm," the young man shouted, his face showing black blood streaks. A domineering qi with a nauseating smell came from his palm strike. The palm strike created a howling air current, and the surrounding space suddenly became oppressive. The onlookers felt their hearts palpitate as the violent power descended instantaneously. "Come on," Li Lin''s eyes filled with cold determination, knowing the young man was using his full strength. As he shouted, his powerful qi burst out from within his body, forming a massive water curtain in front of him. At that moment, Li Lin''s blue robe fluttered without wind, his aura surging. The rain curtain in front of him began to spin rapidly, the mist expanding and rotating fast, eventually forming a giant water wave hundreds of meters high, exerting a more powerful force than his opponent and spreading outwards. "What kind of martial technique is this? So powerful." "Is this a Yellow Level technique, or a high-tier Star Level one?" The Flying Spirit Gate disciples watched, dumbfounded, as Li Lin conjured the massive water vortex. They had only practiced Chen Level techniques, and only the personal disciples could learn low-tier Star Level techniques. They had never seen such a formidable technique. "Sss..." The young man with the black palm imprint plunged downwards, landing in the rotating water wave, causing it to sway as if about to disperse. "Furious Sea''s Roar, explode!" Li Lin pushed his hands forward, another surge of qi bursting out. The rapidly rotating water vortex in front suddenly contracted and expanded rhythmically as if brewing something. "Boom, boom, boom..." A loud explosion echoed across the field, the immense vortex instantly bursting, releasing water waves that almost covered hundreds of meters before dissipating in mid-air. The surrounding ground was upheaved by this ferocious force, scattering debris everywhere. A figure was sent flying several meters and crashed heavily onto the ground, spewing blood C it was the young man in fine clothes. Li Lin also staggered back several steps, his blood churning within his body. If not for his strong physique, he would have been injured. The young man''s strength as a first-level martial master was significantly higher than his. Seeing this scene, the people from the Flying Spirit Gate were shocked and speechless. The strength of this new disciple was incredibly formidable. Chapter 132: Damn It "Die." Li Lin''s figure swiftly vanished from the spot, charging towards the seriously injured young man in fine clothes. If he killed this person, the Rakshasa Gate would be enraged, bringing disaster upon the Flying Spirit Gate. Neither Huang Haibo nor Zhou Yuhou could escape Rakshasa Gate''s retaliation. "Stop." A figure swiftly leaped from above, appearing beside the young man in fine clothes, surrounded by a blue halo. "Huang Haibo." Li Lin immediately halted his attack. The newcomer was none other than Huang Haibo, an elder of the Flying Spirit Gate. "What are you trying to do?" Huang Haibo looked coldly at Li Lin, his eyes filled with chill. "Elder Huang, the Rakshasa Gate has bullied us to our doorstep. Shouldn''t we teach them a lesson? Are we from the Flying Spirit Gate supposed to just take it, like grandsons? Even if we''re not as strong, we should still fight back, better than being humiliated and bullied like this," Li Lin said loudly, making sure the disciples of the Flying Spirit Gate heard him. "Teach the entire Rakshasa Gate a lesson, damn it." "We from the Flying Spirit Gate won''t be easily bullied." Many ordinary disciples couldn''t help but shout out loud, feeling relieved to see someone from the Rakshasa Gate getting beaten, as they had often been bullied themselves. "Everyone back off, or face the sect''s discipline," Zhou Yuhou appeared on the scene, along with Zheng Ying, who had also arrived. Her surprised gaze stayed on Li Lin, having witnessed everything. The ordinary disciples of the Flying Spirit Gate looked at Elder Huang and then at Li Lin. Due to the sect''s rules, they reluctantly withdrew, knowing well the seriousness of the sect''s punishments. "You people from the Flying Spirit Gate have a lot of nerve, daring to injure our third senior brother. The Rakshasa Gate won''t let this go," said the Rakshasa Gate disciples, helping up the injured young man, glaring at Elder Huang and the others. "Take your people and leave, or I won''t be polite," Zheng Ying frowned and said to the Rakshasa Gate disciples. Hearing the elder of the Flying Spirit Gate speak, the Rakshasa Gate disciples, already demoralized, glared at Li Lin and the others before retreating in a panic, supporting the young man in fine clothes. "Brother, are you alright?" Li Xintong ran to Li Lin''s side. The recent events had been shocking to her, and from that moment, she dreamt of becoming as strong as her brother. "I''m fine," Li Lin said, holding Li Xintong''s hand. "What''s your name, and who exactly are you?" Huang Haibo coldly asked Li Lin. "Elder Huang, my name is Li Lin, a disciple taken in by the master. I''ve already told you," Li Lin said indifferently. "What a joke. The martial skill you just used is not from our Flying Spirit Gate. You still claim to be a disciple taken in by the master?" Zhou Yuhou rebuked. "Two elders, my brother truly is a disciple taken in by my father. I saw it with my own eyes. My father asked my brother to take care of me," Li Xintong spoke up. "If Xintong says so, then it must be true," Zheng Ying spoke and then asked Li Lin, "Li Lin, which sect were you from before? The martial skill you just used, did my senior brother teach you, or did you learn it before?" "Elder Zheng, disciple Li Lin. The martial skill I used just now was learned by chance before, without any sect affiliation. I met my master in the Misty Mountain Range. He said I had an exceptional talent for cultivation and insisted on taking me as a disciple. So, I accepted, but who knew my master would later..." Li Lin sighed, secretly lamenting that his plan to kill the young man in fine clothes was ruined by Huang Haibo''s sudden appearance. Listening to Li Lin''s self-praise, Li Xintong couldn''t help but laugh out loud. "If you are a disciple taken in by our senior brother, then you are naturally a disciple of the Flying Spirit Gate. Our strength is weak, and with your master''s situation..." Zheng Ying sighed slightly, "It''s better for you to cause less trouble in the future. It''s not that we at the Flying Spirit Gate are weak by nature, but our strength is indeed lacking. A small mistake could lead to our downfall." You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. "I understand," Li Lin said softly, aware that the strength of the Flying Spirit Gate was indeed weak. The fact that they had managed to survive on the edge of the ancient region without being annihilated was probably a miracle. "Everyone, disperse," Zheng Ying told the dozen or so personal disciples around her, her eyes expressing indescribable melancholy. The crowd slowly dispersed. Zhang Mingtao approached Li Lin: "Junior brother, your strength is really impressive. The man from the Rakshasa Gate was no match for you." "Brother is naturally amazing. When I grow up, I want to be as powerful as brother," Li Xintong said, looking up with a determined gaze in her eyes. "We need to be more careful from now on," Li Lin told Zhang Mingtao. Having just displayed his strength, he knew that Huang Haibo and Zhou Yuhou would pay more attention to him, making it not easy to deal with them. "Right, I will investigate in secret who killed our master," Zhang Mingtao said. "Senior brother." "Nice to meet you, senior brother." When the two returned to their residence, they found many ordinary disciples who had been waiting for them. Upon seeing Zhang Mingtao and Li Lin, the disciples crowded around them, visibly excited. "Why are you all here?" Zhang Mingtao asked in surprise. "We came to see our senior brother. We don''t yet know this senior brother''s name," a bald, chubby disciple pushed through the crowd to speak. Li Lin remembered this bald, chubby disciple, who had been one of the loudest in cheering earlier. "From now on, you can just call him junior brother," Zhang Mingtao said with a smile. "Hello, junior brother," all the ordinary disciples shouted in unison. Although Li Lin had only been at the Flying Spirit Gate for less than a day, he had already become like family in the hearts of these ordinary disciples, who began to admire him. After so many years, this was the first time someone dared to teach the Rakshasa Gate a lesson. "There''s no need for formalities," Li Lin said with a slight smile, realizing that he had unexpectedly gained a certain status among these ordinary disciples. "Junior brother, what level was the martial skill you just used? Was it a high-level star grade?" "It''s a pity Elder Huang intervened, otherwise, we could have taught those from the Rakshasa Gate a good lesson, damn it." "Junior brother is amazing, able to defeat someone from the Rakshasa Gate. He is a martial artist, after all." The crowd immediately burst into excited discussion, as if they had just vented their own frustrations. "It''s bad, Sun Yuan can''t hold on any longer, his injuries are too severe." A slim young man ran over in a panic, his expression filled with urgency. "What? I''ll go check." Zhang Mingtao immediately became anxious, and everyone hurried over. It wasn''t far. Li Lin followed the crowd through several stone paths to another palace building, which seemed somewhat old and worn. In one of the rooms, about ten anxious young men stood helplessly. On a wide bed, five pale-faced young men were breathing weakly. The one on the left was already unconscious. Upon seeing Zhang Mingtao, someone immediately said, "Big brother, Sun Yuan is in bad shape. His injuries are too severe. I''m afraid he won''t last much longer." Li Lin looked at these five, who were the ones initially injured by the Rakshasa Gate. Their injuries were serious; the Rakshasa Gate had shown no mercy. Zhang Mingtao''s expression darkened. He quickly checked the one on the left, then said, "His injuries are too severe. I''m afraid there''s nothing we can do. Damn Rakshasa Gate, scoundrels." Everyone''s faces grew solemn. If the big brother couldn''t do anything, then they were even more helpless. "Go and find an elder to see if there''s a way," someone suggested. "Forget it, Elder Huang and the others won''t care about us. We''re not direct disciples," another retorted. People crowded into the room, starting to discuss, but no one had a solution. "Let me take a look," Li Lin said without a frown. These disciples of the Flying Spirit Gate were somewhat pitiable, neglected and unloved. "Please, junior brother," the crowd immediately made way. Li Lin went to the side of the most seriously injured person, carefully examined him, and then slowly helped the unconscious young man. He channeled his true qi slowly into the young man''s back. "Pfft..." After a moment, the young man''s abdomen contracted, and he spat out a mouthful of black blood, then slowly woke up. Li Lin quickly put a second-grade healing pill into the young man''s mouth, saying, "Don''t talk. Take the pill and heal properly. In about ten days to half a month, you should be fine." "Alright, alright, junior brother is really amazing." Everyone was immediately delighted. The bond between fellow disciples, often sharing hard times, was usually strong. Seeing that the young man was alright, they were genuinely happy. Seeing everyone''s reaction, Li Lin felt somewhat moved. In a major sect, the relationships between fellow disciples might not be as good due to competing interests and ambitions. There, alliances and backstabbing were common, and genuinely good relationships were rare. But here in the Flying Spirit Gate, where they had nothing and were all struggling disciples, they shared the most sincere friendships. No wonder people in the past said that men who have carried guns and caroused together share true friendship. "You all take a healing pill too. Rest for a few days, and you should be fine," Li Lin took out four second-grade healing pills and gave them to the other four severely injured disciples. "Second-grade pills, these are second-grade pills!" Chapter 133: The Dark Conspiracy "Second-grade pills, these are second-grade pills!" The disciples of the Flying Spirit Gate were stunned and speechless. To Li Lin, second-grade pills might not seem significant, but to them, it was a different story. In the Flying Spirit Gate, they had never even used first-grade pills, let alone second-grade ones. A single second-grade pill was worth hundreds of gold coins, a substantial amount for them, who had no financial resources. Buying pills was an impossible task for them. Seeing the second-grade pills Li Lin took out, Zhang Mingtao was also amazed. As the eldest disciple of the Flying Spirit Gate, he had only ever used two first-grade pills since joining the sect. Amidst everyone''s astonishment, Li Lin smiled faintly and then returned to his residence with Li Xintong. In the evening, a female disciple arrived at their dwelling. Li Xintong immediately greeted her, "Sister Xin Qi." "Xin Tong." The female disciple held Li Xintong''s hand and asked, "Have you eaten?" "Not yet, brother was about to cook," Li Xintong replied. Li Lin observed the visiting female disciple, whom he had seen in the main hall earlier. She was Zheng Ying''s eldest disciple, dressed in a simple green palace outfit. Her features weren''t exquisite, but they were pleasant to look at, with big eyes, a small mouth, and dimples. Her attire outlined her figure attractively, giving her a girl-next-door vibe. "Are you really a disciple taken in by our sect leader''s uncle?" the female disciple asked Li Lin, curious, having witnessed his actions during the day. "What do you think? Is there such a thing as falsely recognizing a master?" Li Lin said with a slight smile. "I suppose." The female disciple was momentarily startled, then said, "My name is Fang Xin Qi. You can call me Sixth Sister. I joined the sect sixth in line. After Granny Lan passed away, the master asked me to take care of Xin Tong. I''ll be living here from now on," she said. "Oh," Li Lin responded lightly. He had been wondering how to arrange care for Li Xintong, and Fang Xin Qi''s arrival to take care of her resolved his concern. "Really, Sister Xin Qi?" Li Xintong asked with sparkling eyes. "Yes, I''ll take good care of you," Fang Xin Qi replied. "You''ve come at the right time. Can you help Xin Tong with some food? I''m going to practice," Li Lin said and returned to his room, which Zhang Mingtao had prepared for him near the back mountain waterfall. Li Lin liked it very much. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Li Lin fell into deep thought. He would likely have to stay at the Flying Spirit Gate for a while, with no other place to settle down. Besides, he had promised to avenge Li Xintong''s father. Staying at the Flying Spirit Gate naturally came with risks. If Huang Haibo and Zhou Yuhou were indeed the murderers of Li Qing, they would certainly target him, aware of their guilt. Li Lin knew he needed to be cautious. "Chirp chirp..." Little dragon crawled out of his sleeve, looking curiously at Li Lin, who was lost in thought. The little dragon''s round eyes moved around, looking rather cute. "If you get bored, you can play in the back mountain, but be careful," Li Lin said, stroking Little dragon. Little dragon was strong enough to be relatively safe in the vicinity. Keeping him hidden in the sleeve was a bit suffocating, but Li Lin worried about exposing his identity to others. "Chirp chirp." Little dragon flicked its tongue and nodded, seemingly understanding Li Lin''s words, appearing very adorable. "Continue to practice." Li Lin then sat cross-legged and began to cultivate slowly. The Flying Spirit Gate wasn''t very safe, so he didn''t take out the spiritual jade bed. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. After a while, Li Lin entered a state of cultivation. The last bit of his soul spirit liquid in his mind was yet to be refined, and he was close to reaching the mid-phase of the eighth layer of the Spiritualist realm. Enveloped in an invisible white light, Li Lin immersed himself in cultivation as time slowly passed. At night, under the dim moonlight, a figure left the Flying Spirit Gate and instantly disappeared. In a dense forest, a figure leaped in. "How are things? Did you find the sect leader''s seal?" Inside the forest, as this figure appeared, another shadow emerged. "No, it''s not on him. Li Qing''s daughter has returned, and it doesn''t seem to be with her either." "Where could the sect leader''s seal be then? Without it, we can''t open the secret chamber." "True, the sect leader''s seal is key. Having the key is useless without it. However, a kid has appeared out of nowhere, claiming to be Li Qing''s newly accepted disciple. I suspect the seal is with him." "Someone from your sect injured one of our disciples today. Was it that person?" the shadow frowned and asked. "Exactly. That kid''s background is mysterious, and he used a Yellow Level martial skill. Even the highest martial arts of the Flying Spirit Gate aren''t Yellow Level. It''s unlikely that this kid is Li Qing''s disciple." "Why not kill the kid and find out?" "It''s not that simple. My sister disciple is already suspicious, and she has another key. Plus, if the kid has the sect leader''s seal, he would have hidden it. Killing him would make the seal even harder to find." "Then figure it out yourself, but find that sect leader''s seal as soon as possible." "Alright, but during this time, tell your people to lay low and not trouble the Flying Spirit Gate, to avoid any accidents with the kid." "I understand. But remember, that kid dared to hurt our people, make sure to keep his life for me." As the voice faded, the shadow disappeared instantly. The remaining figure stood still for a moment, then leaped back towards the Flying Spirit Gate. The night passed, and the eastern sky revealed a streak of dawn. In the Flying Spirit Mountains, the chirping of birds began to sound. At this time, the entire Flying Spirit Mountain Range was enveloped in soft morning light. A refreshing fragrance drifted with the morning breeze. As the first ray of morning light pierced the thin mist, the day gradually brightened. The morning was peaceful and tranquil, without any noisy atmosphere, making one feel calm and refreshed. In the distant sky, a few remaining stars gradually vanished into the firmament. "Sigh..." After a night of cultivation, Li Lin exhaled a long breath of turbid air. The soul spirit liquid in his mind was completely refined. His spiritual power reached the mid-phase of the eighth layer of the Spiritualist realm, as he had predicted, still a considerable distance from the ninth layer. The first time he consumed one-tenth of the soul spirit liquid, he broke through four levels. This time, it was just over two levels. Li Lin estimated that consuming another one-tenth of the soul spirit liquid should be just enough to break through to the first level of the Spiritual Master. However, it was not the best time to consume the soul spirit liquid again so soon after just refining it. Li Lin decided to first break through to the peak of the ninth level of martial artist and then consider consuming the soul spirit liquid again. By then, he could potentially break through both the martial artist and spiritualist levels in one go. "Brother, are you awake? It''s time for breakfast," came the young and clear voice of Li Xintong from outside the room. "You''re up early today, and you look really pretty," Li Lin said as he opened the door and saw Li Xintong. She had changed into a clean pink dress and had her black shiny hair braided. Her thick eyebrows framed a pair of bright, black eyes, decorated by long eyelashes like beautiful crystal grapes. Her face, still carrying a hint of childishness, made her look like a pretty little lady. "Really? Do I look pretty?" Li Xintong smiled slightly, a bit shy, and then took Li Lin''s hand, walking towards the hall like a little butterfly, looking very cute. "Junior brother, breakfast is ready," Fang Xin Qi said to Li Lin in the hall. The table was set with quite a few foods, although they were all rather simple and common, as the Flying Spirit Gate didn''t have extra funds to improve their meals. "Thank you, senior sister," Li Lin said, sitting down unceremoniously. He tasted Fang Xin Qi''s cooking, which was indeed good, and couldn''t help but praise, "It''s delicious, really good." "Really? Then eat more," Fang Xin Qi said with a slight smile, her gaze continuously and subtly observing Li Lin. "Junior brother, where did you learn your martial skills? They are quite powerful," Fang Xin Qi asked casually. "I learned them by chance before, not bad, and I''m quite satisfied with them," Li Lin replied. "I heard that yesterday you took out several second-grade pills without blinking. What did you do before, junior brother?" Fang Xin Qi asked curiously. The fact that Li Lin had casually taken out five second-grade pills in the afternoon had spread among all the disciples of the Flying Spirit Gate. "Before meeting my master, I used to look for medicinal herbs in the Misty Mountain Range to sell. I was quite lucky and always found quite a bit," Li Lin answered. "The Misty Mountain Range? I heard that place is very dangerous. You dared to go there?" Fang Xin Qi was obviously surprised, having heard about the chaos there. "It''s not much, just need to be a little careful," Li Lin said after finishing breakfast. "Senior sister, I need to step out for a bit. Please take care of Xintong." "No problem. It''s a bit chaotic outside, but with your strength, you should be safe. Still, it''s better to be careful," Fang Xin Qi advised. "I know, thank you for your concern, senior sister," Li Lin said, then left the residence. Chapter 134: Ambush in the Valley "I know, thank you for your concern, Senior Sister." After Li Lin finished speaking, he left his residence. "Hello, Junior Brother." "Hello, Junior Brother." Along the way, he encountered many ordinary disciples of the Flying Spirit Gate, all of whom greeted Li Lin respectfully. Li Lin nodded slightly, feeling a bit helpless. It seemed that he was quite popular. Leaving the Flying Spirit Gate, Li Lin went directly to the nearest town. He knew the terrain and towns nearby from Zhang Mingtao''s mind, so he didn''t need to ask anyone. Li Lin knew that the town was called Hua Men Town, located near the Flying Spirit Mountain. It was a bustling town with many people. The town had shops selling pills, weapons, and medicinal herbs, attracting many martial artists and spiritual practitioners. Today, Li Lin planned to buy some medicinal herbs and materials for making puppets, aiming to create the Blood Soul Mark and try to make some low-level puppets. He had been studying everything in the Holy Hand Spiritual Venerable Heavenly Spirit Record, given by his master. Feeling almost ready, Li Lin wanted to try it himself. After successfully cultivating the Blood Soul Mark, he would be able to control demons and beasts. This was undoubtedly a powerful means. If he could make a hundred or so puppets to have by his side, even if he encountered strong opponents, he could overwhelm them, giving himself a chance to escape. "Chichichi..." As soon as he left the Flying Spirit Gate, the little dragon, which was growing increasingly childlike and mischievous, climbed onto Li Lin''s shoulder. It looked around curiously and occasionally released its aura, frightening nearby wild animals and birds. Li Lin quickly asked the little dragon to restrain its aura to avoid trouble. The little dragon was less willing to stay in his sleeve lately. Upon reaching the town, Li Lin saw that the streets were bustling with people, mostly martial artists, some ordinary people, and surprisingly, two spiritual practitioners of the Spirit Warrior level, followed by several martial artists. The town had many shops, but fewer selling weapons, medicinal herbs, and pills. Most shops sold clothes and miscellaneous items. However, those selling weapons, pills, and herbs were concentrated on a nearby street. After walking around the town, Li Lin first visited some clothing shops, buying many beautiful clothes and skirts for Li Xintong. Then he entered the largest shop selling medicinal herbs, pills, and weapons. "Treasure Gathering Gate." Li Lin looked at the shop''s sign, which seemed like a temple of the God of Wealth. "Sir, what would you like to buy?" A clever-looking shop assistant approached him. Li Lin glanced at the assistant, who was at the first level of the Warrior realm, and said, "I want to buy Bi''an Spiritual Grass, Tongling Fat, Ju Blood Ganoderma, fine iron, Xuanxing Stone..." "Do you have these items?" Li Lin asked, listing many items needed for cultivating the Blood Soul Mark and making puppets. "Yes, of course, please come inside," the assistant was startled, recognizing that Bi''an Spiritual Grass, Tongling Fat, and Ju Blood Ganoderma were expensive items. This was a big customer. The other items were also pricey. He quickly invited Li Lin to the inner hall, where a man in his fifties greeted them. "This young man, I''m the manager here. The things you want to buy are quite valuable. I wonder..." The manager looked at Li Lin, who was only about sixteen or seventeen years old. The total cost was about one hundred thousand gold coins, which made him doubt whether the young man had enough money. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. "Don''t worry, you won''t be shortchanged," Li Lin said calmly. He wasn''t short of money. From the White Collar Mercenary Group''s treasure alone, he had obtained six hundred thousand gold coins, and from the Wudu Mountain Range, he had acquired about one hundred thousand gold coins. If he sold all the medicinal herbs and pills he obtained, it would amount to nearly one hundred thousand gold coins. Mainly, the space bag he got from the leader of the White Collar Mercenary Group contained a considerable amount of gold coins, pills, and herbs. "Then please wait a moment, sir. I will prepare everything for you," said the elder, his face breaking into a smile. This was a big business deal of over one hundred thousand gold coins, a rare occurrence in the shop. He immediately changed his way of addressing the customer. Sitting in the inner hall, Li Lin was served some snacks and other items. After a short while, the manager arrived with three assistants, each carrying a large bundle to Li Lin. "Sir, these are the medicinal materials and ingredients you requested. Please check them to see if anything is missing," the manager said respectfully. "Bi''an Spiritual Grass, Tongling Fat, Ju Blood Ganoderma, fine iron, Xuanxing Stone..." Li Lin counted each item. He did not want to make a second trip. After confirming everything was correct, he said, "That''s all of them. Let''s settle the bill." "Sir, the total is one hundred and five thousand three hundred gold coins. We''ll round down the change, so it''s a total of one hundred and five thousand gold coins," the manager quickly replied, having already calculated the total. Li Lin knew these items weren''t cheap, but he didn''t expect them to cost over one hundred thousand gold coins. He was taken aback. Cultivating the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Art was expensive, and so was making puppets and controlling beasts from the Heavenly Spirit Record. "That''s a lot. You''re just rounding off the change? That''s still a hefty profit. How about this: let''s make it an even one hundred thousand gold coins, and consider the five thousand gold coins as a discount. If that''s acceptable, fine. If not, I''ll go to another shop," Li Lin said. "Sir, this..." The manager hesitated, as waiving five thousand gold coins was a significant amount. "If that''s not acceptable, then I''ll go to another shop," Li Lin stood up, ready to leave. Having spent over one hundred thousand gold coins, he knew the shop had made a good profit. Even deducting five thousand gold coins, they would still earn a lot. If he were at Tianbao Gate, he could have saved over twenty thousand gold coins with his VIP card, but it seemed there was no Tianbao Gate in this town. "Alright, we''ll give you the discount, sir. Please do come again if you need anything," the manager said, seeing Li Lin about to leave, he quickly agreed to the discount. "Here," Li Lin immediately took out several jade crystal cards, which together had enough gold coins. The manager was surprised to see so many jade crystal cards on this young man, wondering about his background. After swiping four jade crystal cards to reach one hundred thousand gold coins, Li Lin put the medicinal materials and puppet-making ingredients into his space bag and left the shop. As Li Lin left, four figures flashed out from the Treasure Gathering Gate, slowly following behind him. Having purchased what he needed, Li Lin planned to return to the Flying Spirit Gate to find a quiet place to cultivate the Blood Soul Mark and make puppets. Thinking about cultivating the Blood Soul Mark, Li Lin felt somewhat terrified. It was difficult to cultivate, requiring one''s own essence blood, mixed with several medicinal herbs, to be refined into a pill, then consumed and finally assisted by soul power to form the mark. Only by cultivating the Blood Soul Mark could he control demons and beasts. The essence blood had to come from his own marrow, a painful process. Leaving the town and on the way back to the Flying Spirit Gate, the road was sparsely populated. Passing through a valley at noon, the season was in the midst of a hot summer. The valley''s grass and wildflowers were scorched by the blazing sun in the sky, filling the air with a fiery scent. The azure sky was cloudless, the hot sun baking the valley. On the rocks of the valley, wisps of mist-like, cloud-like grey vapor rose and hovered low in the air, making it feel stifling. At that moment, Li Lin''s eyebrows slightly furrowed, his expression darkened, and he continued walking forward. "Stop," a voice called out from behind Li Lin moments later. "Following me for so long, you''ve finally decided to show yourselves," Li Lin turned around to face four burly men, all around twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old. One of them was slightly older, probably around thirty, dressed in a blue long robe and with a scar on his face. "Boy, hand over everything you have," the scar-faced man said, eyeing Li Lin. "Who are you?" Li Lin asked lightly, assessing the aura of the four men. The weakest was a sixth-level warrior, then an eighth-level and a ninth-level warrior, and the scar-faced man was a second-level martial master. Li Lin had been aware of these four men following him since leaving the Treasure Gathering Gate. In the Wudu Mountain Range, he had become accustomed to constantly being alert to his surroundings. "We are irrelevant. You just showed too much wealth, so you must die," the sixth-level warrior coldly shouted, conjuring a blazing fire palm in his hand, his true qi flashing under his feet as he lunged towards Li Lin like lightning. Chapter 135: Lets See Who Dies "Hmph, let''s see who dies!" Li Lin said with a faint smile. As the fiery palm print of the sixth-level warrior neared, Li Lin stomped on the ground, slightly bent his body, and then tensed up like a drawn bow. He released a surge of scorching true qi, and with a crisp sound of energy explosion, clenched his fist, forming a fist print. The fist print was engulfed in flames, spreading intense heat. Li Lin fiercely smashed it against the palm print that had appeared like lightning beside him. The force in his fist tore through the air, and an invisible surge of energy, laden with intense heat, collided with the fiery palm print. "Bang bang..." A deep, booming sound erupted where the two forces collided. Flames scattered around, and the intense heat swept through the air, creating dense, cloud-like, mist-like grey ripples in the hot weather. Li Lin''s powerful qi burst forth from his fist, pressing down on the palm of the sixth-level warrior, instantly causing the sound of breaking bones. "Ah..." The sixth-level warrior let out a scream... But before the scream could fully escape, Li Lin''s expression remained indifferent as his left hand swiftly moved, fingers forming seals. Five scorching finger prints rapidly converged at his fingertips, then a torrent of fiery true qi energy burst forth, the five finger prints rapidly striking towards the sixth-level warrior. "Fire Shadow Finger." Li Lin''s use of the Fire Shadow Finger was even more powerful than before. The warrior, merely at the sixth-level, was no match for Li Lin, who was at the eighth-level. The two-level gap between them was significant. "Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" Up close, the five fiery finger prints, carrying an invisible, powerful surge, exploded on the chest of the sixth-level warrior, sending him reeling backward with five bloody holes in his chest. "Bang..." In a matter of two blinks, the sixth-level warrior lay dead on the ground. The remaining three men''s faces turned to shock. Li Lin coldly looked at the body on the ground. He never intended to spare those who sought to harm him. This decisive nature, honed in the Wudu Mountain Range, made him adept at dealing with enemies. "Eighth-level Warrior." Feeling Li Lin''s uncontained aura, the second-level martial master was taken aback, and the expressions of the other two men also darkened. In a moment, one of their companions had died. The aura emanating from Li Lin carried a sharpness like a blade''s edge. Only those who had experienced bloodshed could possess such an aura. This young man was certainly not as simple as he appeared. "I didn''t expect you to be a trained fighter. Prepare to die." The eighth-level warrior, enraged by his comrade''s death, wielded a green iron rod with a sharp end and a flat blade-like other end, gleaming with a sharp cold light. The warrior swung the weapon, tearing through the air, even lifting some stones from the valley. His earth-based true qi surged out, targeting Li Lin. At that moment, the remaining ninth-level warrior and the second-level martial master with the scar also attacked Li Lin. Their wild true qi trembled with the intent of a joint attack, leaving no room for mercy. It was clear that these three were seasoned in such ambushes, aiming only to kill their opponent without any moral considerations. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Li Lin''s expression darkened. In this situation, he remained calm. These few men were not enough to trouble him. He could unleash his full strength as there was no one else around. "Attack together, then die together," Li Lin snorted coldly. His true qi surged like a raging flood within his wide meridians, his hand seals rapidly forming. "Qing Ling Armor." Instantly, Li Lin was enveloped in a pale yellow scale-like shield, appearing extraordinary. His aura skyrocketed. Although he was also at the eighth-level warrior''s strength, the aura emanating from Li Lin was much more powerful. If the opponent''s aura was like a heavy rain, then Li Lin''s was like a torrential downpour. This was because Li Lin''s meridians were wider than those of others at the same level, allowing for faster and more powerful circulation of true qi, hence a much stronger aura. In other words, the same attack, when executed by Li Lin, would be significantly more powerful. With the Qing Ling Armor equipped, Li Lin swiftly launched an attack in the instant of the three opponents'' surprise. A earthy-yellow palm print formed as he forcefully stomped on the ground, causing a surge of earthy-yellow true qi energy at his feet. The powerful qi wave transformed into a huge propelling force on the ground, turning Li Lin into a shadowy figure, shooting straight towards the eighth-level warrior who was rushing through the air. "A dual-element warrior?" The eighth-level warrior, holding a sharp weapon, was surprised. He injected more true qi into it, creating a blade of light that cut through the air and fiercely stabbed towards Li Lin. In mid-air, Li Lin, with an indifferent expression, dodged the incoming sharp blade of light by a hair''s breadth, and his palm print struck directly at the eighth-level warrior. The eighth-level warrior''s face showed horror, not expecting Li Lin''s speed to be so fast. He quickly formed a protective circle of earthy-yellow energy around himself and hurriedly launched a palm print towards Li Lin. The palm print, containing a robust energy, managed to disperse the spatial airflow. However, Li Lin, with a sharp gaze, was unfazed. He didn''t even try to dodge, allowing the opponent''s palm to hit his shoulder. At the same time, his own palm print solidly struck the chest of the eighth-level warrior. Li Lin''s palm print shattered the warrior''s protective circle, and the powerful qi within the palm print burst forth. "Bang bang..." The sound echoed in the valley like thunder. Blood spurted from the mouth of the eighth-level warrior as he was sent flying backward, crashing heavily onto a boulder in the valley, which then cracked... All of this, though lengthy in description, happened in just a couple of seconds. Relying on his Qing Ling Armor and robust physique, Li Lin directly countered the opponent''s palm. As he expected, the attack only caused his blood to churn slightly, without inflicting any injuries. "You''ll die, kid." At this moment, a fist print from the ninth-level warrior broke through the air and was about to hit Li Lin''s back. Li Lin had already anticipated all of this. The three opponents attacked simultaneously, and he had to deal with all three at once. Feeling the powerful force bursting from behind and still a short distance away, Li Lin''s back was hit by a strong gust of wind. The ninth-level warrior''s strength was much greater than that of the eighth-level. Without turning back, Li Lin flicked his sleeve, and a yellow light burst forth. He leaped forward, dodging the attack of the second-level martial master coming from the front. The palm of the second-level martial master swept over Li Lin''s head, causing his hair to be blown messily. The speed of Li Lin also surprised the martial master, who became even more determined. Without giving Li Lin any chance to breathe, he lunged forward again like lightning. In his hand appeared a dark black long sword with a white blade. The sword''s aura spread across the sky, creating strong qi waves that sliced through the spatial airflow, forming a fan shape that enveloped the space in front of Li Lin. Li Lin quickly retreated backward. At the same time, a cold smile appeared on his lips. He formed hand seals, and spiritual power rapidly gathered around him. The terrifying air pressure caused the space to seem distorted. A powerful aura spread as a red spiritual knife condensed, with spatial ripples wavering around it and a shrill wind sound. "Knife Soul Slash." The red spiritual knife in Li Lin''s hand instantly broke through the spatial airflow. The surrounding air swept across like a mountain collapsing, striking fiercely towards the sword light in front. The spiritual knife cut through the void, causing spatial vibrations. The sonic boom resonated in the air, and the knife''s shadow carried a terrifying force. A dazzling light shot out instantly. Li Lin, now at the eighth-level Spirit Warrior, unleashed the Knife Soul Slash with even more terrifying and powerful strength. The fearsome spiritual knife collided with the sword light of the scarred martial master, piercing through it. The space twisted momentarily, and a terrifying energy fluctuation finally erupted. The knife light struck the martial master, far beyond his expectations. Chapter 136: Closed-Door Cultivation "Whoosh!" There wasn''t a loud energy explosion, just a sound of energy cutting through the air. The protective aura around the scarred man began to crack as an unrivaled force spread out, distorting the surrounding space. His body split in two, and with a spray of blood mist, his pupils dilated in horror. Only then did he realize that his opponent was a spiritual practitioner, using a spiritual technique. "Whoosh whoosh..." The sword''s fury unleashed by the scarred man was penetrated by the knife aura and continued to envelop Li Lin. As the scarred man was killed, the sword aura transformed into energy and dissipated into the void. Li Lin''s face turned slightly pale; executing the Knife Soul Technique consumed a considerable amount of spiritual power. "Ah..." Almost simultaneously, a scream came from the air. The little dragon had bitten the neck of the ninth-level warrior, turning him into a dry corpse. "Still not dead?" Li Lin approached the eighth-level warrior who had fallen onto a boulder. The warrior''s face was pale, with blood traces around his mouth. He was so shocked that he couldn''t speak. Seeing Li Lin approaching, he shook his head in terror and tried to retreat, but his body was paralyzed. The warrior had never imagined that a seemingly lean young man could possess such terrifying strength. They had misjudged him, as had their sect. "Not dead yet, that''s good." Li Lin softly said, changing the hand seal. A claw print instantly clasped the man''s crown, unleashing a massive devouring force. "Ah..." After a final scream of agony, the warrior''s skin gradually withered and dried up. In a quarter of an hour, he turned into a dry corpse. "Treasure Gathering Gate, I''ll settle this account with you later." After retracting the hand seal, Li Lin''s brows furrowed. While absorbing the warrior''s true qi, he learned from the warrior''s memories that the four assailants had been sent by people from the Treasure Gathering Gate. Although the Treasure Gathering Gate was the largest business in town, it secretly engaged in such murderous ventures, targeting those who appeared wealthy in their shop. After searching the four bodies, only the scarred man had a spatial bag. After claiming it as his own and inspecting its contents, Li Lin found over ten thousand gold coins, more than ten second-grade pills, and various itemsa moderate haul. "Sssss..." The little dragon quickly expanded its body, swallowing all four corpses with its massive mouth. "Let''s go back." The little dragon shrank back to its small size and coiled on Li Lin''s shoulder. Li Lin gently stroked its head. "Sssss..." The little dragon affectionately rubbed against Li Lin''s neck. After returning to the Flying Spirit Gate, the little dragon reluctantly entered Li Lin''s sleeve at his request. "Junior Brother, welcome back!"... On the way, ordinary disciples of the Flying Spirit Gate respectfully greeted him. "Brother!" At their residence, Li Xintong happily greeted him, her face brightening with a smile. "Here, brother got you some clothes. See if you like them." Li Lin smiled and took out several dresses and clothes from his spatial bag for Li Xintong. "So many! Xintong has new clothes to wear, thank you, brother!" Li Xintong joyfully jumped up, giving Li Lin a happy kiss on the cheek. "Junior Brother, you''re back." Fang Xinqi smiled as she came out, accompanied by Zhang Mingtao. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "Yes." Li Lin replied softly and then asked Zhang Mingtao, "Brother, does the Flying Spirit Gate have a secure practice chamber? I want to go into closed-door cultivation for a few days." "A safe chamber." Zhang Mingtao understood that a safe chamber meant a place where people like Huang Haibo couldn''t enter at will. "Yes, there is one behind the mountain, usually used by Master for his cultivation," replied Zhang Mingtao. "How long do you plan to be in closed-door cultivation, Junior Brother?" "I''m not sure. Maybe half a month, perhaps two months," Li Lin said. He planned to cultivate the Blood Soul Mark and attempt to make puppets, which would take some time. Behind the waterfall on the back mountain, not far from their residence, the chamber was inside a large rock mountain. Led by Zhang Mingtao, Li Lin entered the chamber. The chamber, surrounded by thick rock, could only be opened from the inside. Previously, it was used by Li Qing for his cultivation. Li Lin entered the chamber and looked around. The spacious area was sufficient. He asked the little dragon to guard outside for his safety and to let it play on the back mountain. "First, I''ll refine." Li Lin sat cross-legged, forming hand seals. He hadn''t yet refined the true qi energy he had absorbed from the eighth-level warrior. He planned to refine it before cultivating the Blood Soul Mark. Moments later, Li Lin entered a cultivation state, refining the absorbed true qi energy into pure qi, which flowed through his meridians and eventually into his dantian qi sea. As time passed, Li Lin was enveloped in a faint earthy-yellow light, his aura slowly rising, entering a wondrous state of cultivation. In a range of continuous mountains, within these mountains, stood the majestic Yun Peak, its cliffs shimmering. Above the mountainside, forests and clouds intermingled, creating a lush greenery that framed a large group of exquisitely carved buildings. Among these mountains, on one solitary peak, the trees were lush, and a bamboo grove cast a cooling shade. The steep cliffs surrounded the area. Looking down from above, the undulating emerald-green mountains and the densely shaded trees contrasted with the vast azure sky, while a few drifting clouds completed this picturesque landscape. Atop the peak, a woman''s silhouette was faintly discernible as she gazed into the distance. Her eyes were tender and thoughtful, a slight trace of sorrow in her brows. "Unparalleled Sister..." A clear voice rang out, followed by two graceful figures appearing on the mountain. The leading girl, elegant and beautiful, was Du Gu Binglan. Beside her, another young girl, with long eyebrows over large, beautiful eyes and fair skin, wore a light-colored long dress that accentuated her figure. A red birthmark adorned her face; she was Du Gu Binglan''s maid, Cuiyu. "Binglan, Cuiyu, what brings you here?" The woman turned around, her smile enchanting yet seen by few. "I just finished my cultivation practice and came to see you. I heard you entered the Dragon List yesterday, so I came to congratulate you," said Du Gu Binglan with a slight smile. "It''s just the last place on the Dragon List," Du Gu Binglan laughed. "You seem to have quite the news network." "Now, many male disciples in our sect are talking about Unparalleled Sister. You must have many admirers," teased maid Cuiyu. "You silly girl," Li Wushuang gently smiled, and the three women started frolicking on the mountaintop. Seven days later, in the secret chamber of the Flying Spirit Gate, Li Lin was enveloped in a thick earthy-yellow aura. His presence had strengthened considerably compared to seven days ago. "Sigh..." Exhaling a breath of turbid air, his aura, along with the earthy-yellow light, retracted into his skin. "I''ve reached the late stage of the Eighth-Level Warrior." Li Lin opened his eyes, his gaze sharp. He felt the level of true qi in his body. Refining the true qi of an eighth-level warrior had advanced him from the early to the late stage of the Eighth-Level Warrior. "Now it''s time to start cultivating the Blood Soul Mark," Li Lin frowned, slightly daunted by the thought of the process. "Hum..." He took out the Fire Dragon Cauldron and placed it in the chamber. He then started preparing various valuable medicinal ingredients such as Bi''an Spiritual Grass, Tongling Fat, and Ju Blood Ganoderma. "Let''s do it. No pain, no gain," Li Lin gritted his teeth. Successfully cultivating the Blood Soul Mark would allow him to control demonic beasts, significantly enhancing his strength. Enduring hardship was a small price to pay in this world where there''s no such thing as a free lunch. With a hand seal, spiritual power flowed into the cauldron, igniting fierce flames within. A sweep of his sleeve sent a medicinal herb into the Fire Dragon Cauldron. As soon as the herb entered, it was enveloped by the intense flames. The flames released tremendous heat, and the herb began to melt after a moment. Li Lin carefully controlled the process. The ingredients for the Blood Soul Mark were primarily used in third-grade pills, which he felt were still beyond his capability to refine. However, he could process these herbs, though it was more challenging and consumed more spiritual power. The flames in the Fire Dragon Cauldron churned, raising the chamber''s temperature to an unbearable heat, turning the herbs into spiritual liquid. Then, Li Lin added the second herb, which withered rapidly under the high temperature before slowly melting. Three hours passed, and only Bi''an Spiritual Grass, Tongling Fat, and Ju Blood Ganoderma remained. These were the most expensive and difficult to process, crucial for cultivating the Blood Soul Mark. After three hours of processing, Li Lin felt his spiritual power significantly depleted. Hesitating for a moment, he took out a Lingyu Bed from his spatial ring. Sitting cross-legged on it, an invisible energy gently flowed into his body, amplifying his spiritual power. This was of great help under the circumstances. Chapter 137: The Agony of Burning Flesh Li Lin started the refinement process after adding the Bian Lingshao herb into the Fire Dragon Cauldron. This herb was completely white and emitted a strong aura. Upon entering the cauldron, the herb, though withered in its branches and leaves, did not wither quickly at its central stem. Instead, it shone with a dazzling white light, seemingly resisting the flames'' refinement. Li Lin was not surprised. The Bian Lingshao herb was often used in crafting third-grade elixirs, and many fourth-grade elixirs also utilized it. After half an hour, the herb''s stem slowly exuded pristine lotus leaves, and a rich medicinal fragrance wafted from the cauldron. Feeling the conditions inside the Fire Dragon Cauldron, Li Lin continued the refinement. The extracted spiritual liquid was not yet the final product; it still needed purification from impurities. Time passed, and by the next evening, Li Lin, lying on the Lingyu bed, was pale-faced from the prolonged exertion. Finally, the last Ju Xue Lingzhi herb was refined into a rich spiritual liquid. Inside the cauldron, a considerable amount of spiritual liquid was condensing. Li Lin, with a sigh, quickly consumed an elixir, completing the first step. The next step involved using spiritual fire within his body to extract the purest essence blood from his bone marrow, which worried Li Lin the most. He feared whether he could withstand it. As noted by his master, the Holy Hand Spirit Sovereign in the Heavenly Spirit Record, if one couldn''t withstand the spiritual fire, they would at best be half-paralyzed and severely injured, unable to practice the Blood Soul Imprint again. At worst, they could be burned to ashes. After regulating his breathing, Li Lin''s brows furrowed, and his eyes held an unprecedented solemnity. "Begin," Li Lin muttered through gritted teeth, familiar with the method of extracting essence blood. He formed a strange hand sign and sat cross-legged on the Lingyu bed, his mind focusing on the sea of spiritual energy in his brain, which spread throughout his body. At that moment, Li Lin shuddered involuntarily, his hands forming a strange sign. Suddenly, intense spiritual fire engulfed him from head to toe. The flames, confined within his body, wrapped around his bones and muscles. The instant the flames arose, Li Lin''s body violently trembled, and he let out a painful cry. His pale face instantly turned ashen. As he screamed, the spiritual fire within him spiraled out of control, burning fiercely. The intense heat enveloped his internal organs, a pain unbearable for ordinary people. Unlike the controlled burning of blood toxins by the golden flames in Little Dragon''s body, Li Lin''s uncontrolled spiritual fire raged within him, causing a sizzling sound in his flesh. Enduring the excruciating pain, Li Lin quickly closed his eyes, his mind delving into his body, struggling to control the spiritual fire in his muscles and bones. Inside, Li Lin could sense everything in his body through his soul''s perception. The spiritual fire filled his body, burning his meridians and muscles painfully. The intense flames traveled through his meridians, causing severe pain. At that moment, Li Lin felt a true qi forming a thin membrane in his flesh, blocking the burning of the spiritual fire. His robust body, previously tempered by Little Dragon''s golden flames, played a crucial role. A normal body would have been incinerated instantly by the spiritual fire. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Despite his strong physique, the intense heat within him was terrifying. The heat could turn steel red-hot, let alone Li Lin''s flesh and blood. Under this extreme heat, Li Lin''s face was covered in sweat, and his meridians began to shrink in the high temperature. The once broad and resilient channels twisted horrifically under the intense heat. "Gather," Li Lin gritted his teeth, retracting the spiritual fire into his bones and muscles. The spiritual fire needed to extract the essence blood from his bone marrow. The spiritual fire within Li Lin''s body rapidly contracted from his muscles and, in an extremely profound manner, enveloped his bones and sinews, as if separating them from the flesh. Subsequently, the spiritual fire, wrapping around his entire skeletal structure, began to burn fiercely. At this moment, the pain from the burning of his bones and muscles caused Li Lin''s whole body to tremble incessantly. Clenching his teeth, blood trickled from between them. The excruciating pain, originating from the bone marrow, was unbearable, almost making life feel worse than death. Li Lin endured, refusing to give in to the desire for death. Meanwhile, as the spiritual fire burned through his bones and muscles, their surfaces became dry and scorching hot. This process caused Li Lin to sweat blood from every pore, and blood started flowing from all seven orifices, making him look as terrifying as a fierce ghost. The pain was intense, unbearable. One can only imagine the agony of flames engulfing and burning the bones. Such torment was beyond human endurance, even more excruciating than Li Lin had previously imagined. "Ahh..." Unable to bear it any longer, Li Lin let out another scream of agony, a hot breath escaping his throat, which brought some relief, yet it did little to ease the internal torment. "Ahh..." The increasingly intense pain made Li Lin wail miserably, like the howling of ghosts and wolves, eerily piercing. Fortunately, none could hear it outside the secret chamber. Enduring this inhuman pain, Li Lin''s flesh began to wither, and he felt like he could not hold on much longer. His face turned extremely pale, and the intense pain impacted his mind, leaving him dazed and weakened. At that moment, a rich light burst forth from the Lingyu bed, as if a massive energy was about to erupt. "I must hold on. Once the Blood Soul Imprint is cultivated, my strength will increase significantly. The difference between the strong and the weak lies in perseverance. If I endure, I will become strong." Li Lin, struggling fiercely, anchored his mind, controlling the spiritual fire burning within him. Despite his body being in agony, his mind still clung to a sliver of clarity, emitting a mystical aura, reminiscent of an old monk in meditation. "Shh..." The energy that was about to burst forth from the Lingyu bed began to quietly contract under the aura emitted by Li Lin, then disappeared into the bed. As time slowly passed in this endless torment, a faint layer of blood began to seep out around Li Lin''s bones and muscles, wrapping them like a thin film of blood. At this point, Li Lin''s hand signs changed again. The blood film covering his bones and muscles began to flow slowly, moving along the meridians and gradually converging. When these blood films came together, they formed a stream of bright red essence blood. Instantly, Li Lin came back to his senses from the state of emptiness, feeling elated. This essence blood was the purest from within his bone marrow. He quickly controlled this essence blood to move within his body. As the essence blood moved, Li Lin''s spiritual power converged, and the spiritual fire within him extinguished. Wherever the essence blood passed, a red mist formed over his bones and muscles. As it touched the meridians and flesh, a faint red energy was emitted. The body parts damaged by the spiritual fire instantly recovered, making Li Lin''s body even more solid from the inside out. His pale face also regained a hint of rosiness. "Pfft..." A mouthful of essence blood spurted out from within Li Lin, falling directly into the Fire Dragon Cauldron. Simultaneously, Li Lin''s hand signs rapidly changed, and the flames within the cauldron surged, erupting into an extremely terrifying temperature. Under this fierce heat, the essence blood and the spiritual liquid from the herbs in the cauldron began to slowly converge. "Gather," Li Lin commanded in a deep voice, continuously changing his hand signs to channel all his spiritual power into the Fire Dragon Cauldron. His soul, nearly substantial, invisibly infused into the cauldron. As the spiritual power surged, the flames roared more wildly. The flames within the cauldron clashed against its walls, creating a hissing sound. Despite the intense heat within, the outside of the cauldron remained cool, proving the cauldron''s extraordinary nature. The cauldron filled with a rich aura. Under Li Lin''s soul''s observation, the spiritual liquid and essence blood were gradually drawn together by the spiritual fire, overcoming the resistance between them under the control of the fierce flames and Li Lin''s soul power, intricately and mysteriously fusing them together. Chapter 138: Hundred Refinements into the Imprint However, this process required time. As time passed again, under the intense refinement of the spiritual fire, the essence blood and spiritual liquid, originally mixed into a size of three palms, gradually reduced to the size of one palm. Several hours later, the spiritual liquid and essence blood had shrunk to a tiny mass. By then, they had completely merged, turning into a cyan-red color. Pure energy diffused from it, so concentrated that even the spiritual fire could not burn it away, only compress and gather it. Time passed again. The spiritual power in Li Lin''s mind was nearly exhausted. If not for the miraculous Lingyu bed supporting him, he might have been unable to persist. "Gather the pill." Li Lin uttered another low command. Under the intense spiritual fire, the cyan-red energy mass suddenly condensed, slowly forming the embryonic shape of a pill, with a rich medicinal fragrance already filling the air. "Hu hu" The spiritual fire roared, and moments later, the Fire Dragon Cauldron shone brightly, with a hint of a faint bloody smell in the light. "Buzz!" The lid of the Fire Dragon Cauldron opened with a buzz, and a cyan-red pill leaped out, filled with a rich energy aura. "Blood Soul Pill." Watching the pill enveloped in the light atop the Fire Dragon Cauldron, Li Lin''s pale face, with dried blood at the corners of his mouth, showed a faint smile. By now, from refining the herbs to creating the pill, it had been a full five days. This pill was the Blood Soul Pill, a prerequisite for cultivating the Blood Soul Imprint. "Hu" Li Lin''s hands suddenly changed, and with a wide-open mouth, a strong suction force emerged from his abdomen, swallowing the Blood Soul Pill from the Fire Dragon Cauldron in an instant. As the pill entered his stomach, Li Lin quickly closed his eyes. The pill transformed into a vast energy that spread within him, his originally pale complexion beginning to regain its rosiness. Inside Li Lin''s body, the energy from the Blood Soul Pill rushed directly into the sea of spiritual energy in his mind, leaving no residue in his body. This massive energy gathered in the sea of spiritual energy in his mind. Li Lin''s expression was as solemn as it had been in the past few days. Now came the most crucial step in cultivating the Blood Soul Imprint. In his mind, Li Lin controlled his slightly solidified soul power, trying to draw it from the depths of his soul. However, after several attempts, this soul power, despite being drawn, instantly dissipated into nothingness and returned to the depths of his soul. Soul power is ethereal by nature. Even though it had a somewhat solid form at this point, once dispersed, it would immediately vanish into nothingness. Li Lin tried to control his soul power dozens of times, but none were successful. He began to feel impatient, knowing that failure in this final step would render all his efforts over the past five days futile. "Could it be that only a Spirit Master can do this?" Li Lin thought to himself. After many failed attempts, he started to regret. The Heavenly Spirit Record had stated that to cultivate the Blood Soul Imprint, one must endure pain unimaginable to ordinary people and reach at least the level of a Spirit Master, as only then is it possible to extract and condense one''s soul power into an imprint. According to the Heavenly Spirit Record, even among fifth-level Spirit Masters, only one in a hundred could successfully separate their soul power. Initially skeptical, Li Lin now regretted his decision. His current cultivation was at the eighth level of Spirit Warrior, and he feared he was unable to separate his soul power to form the Blood Soul Imprint. "Stay calm, there must be a way. The Heavenly Spirit Record says this step requires calmness and clarity of mind," Li Lin thought to himself. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Taking a deep breath, he reflected on his soul power, which felt stronger than that of an average practitioner at his level, thanks to the Lingyu bed, the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid, and the two spiritual pills he had previously consumed. His soul power had become somewhat solidified. This solidification of soul power usually occurred at the fifth level of Spirit Master. For a martial artist to reach this level of soul power, they would need to be at the Martial Soul level or higher. It was for this reason that Li Lin dared to attempt cultivating the Blood Soul Imprint now. Adjusting himself, Li Lin began to slowly control his soul power, directing it towards the depths of his soul. This test was about his control over his soul power. Without a fine control over it, separating the soul power would be difficult. "Failure." Li Lin adjusted himself and continued. "Failure." "Failure." "Failure." Continuously failing, Li Lin didn''t become impatient but rather calmer with each attempt. He grew more skilled with each failure, becoming numb to the repeated disappointments. On the ninety-eighth attempt, in the depths of his soul, a tiny substantialized soul force was controlled by Li Lin''s mind and reached the edge of the sea of spiritual energy in his brain. "Success." Li Lin was overjoyed. His hand signs changed rapidly, and the energy from the Blood Soul Pill within the sea of spiritual energy quickly permeated out, instantly intertwining with that substantialized soul force. "With essence blood as the guide and the soul as the seal, converge for me." Li Lin uttered deeply, rapidly changing his hand signs. At the same time, the soul force in his mind and the energy from the Blood Soul Pill merged, emitting a dazzling light. At that moment, a pulling force seemed to emanate from Li Lin''s brow, with light piercing through his forehead. A strange aura spread throughout his body. In his mind, as the soul force and the energy from the Blood Soul Pill merged, the light became more dazzling, like the brilliance of the sun right before one''s eyes. "Ao ao" At this time, a series of beastly roars resonated within Li Lin''s body, vague yet distinct, resembling the roars of lions, tigers, and even the sounds of dragons and phoenixes. A tremendous pressure spread from Li Lin''s body, causing palpitations, but in the quiet chamber, no one else witnessed it. "Thump thump thump" In Li Lin''s mind, a series of deep rumbling sounds suddenly burst, and the dazzling light exploded, scattering into countless light spots. After these light spots dispersed, an energy phantom appeared in Li Lin''s mind. The phantom was blood-red, like fresh blood, and its form was dragon-like but not a dragon, tiger-like but not a tiger, extremely mystical and exuding an immense, overwhelming pressure. "Success..." Li Lin''s mouth, stained with blood, revealed a slight smile. Then, he suddenly collapsed onto the Lingyu bed. He had held on only by sheer will and intent. Now that he had successfully cultivated the Blood Soul Imprint, Li Lin could no longer maintain his strength. At that moment, a faint light swiftly enveloped Li Lin''s body on the Lingyu bed, transforming into numerous tiny energies that penetrated his skin and entered his body. When Li Lin woke up, he felt that the spiritual energy in his mind had recovered significantly. In the soul space, there was an energy imprint, the Blood Soul Imprint. "Success, finally success." Li Lin was overjoyed. His mind slightly concentrated, he couldn''t help but activate the Blood Soul Imprint. The imprint in his mind quickly transformed into an energy that entered his meridians, bursting out from his body, and finally condensing on the palm of Li Lin''s right hand. "Ao..." A sound of dragon, phoenix, lion, and tiger roars faintly emanated from his palm, causing the chamber to resound. A tremendous pressure spread out. On Li Lin''s right palm, a mysterious and strange seal appeared. The seal, dragon-like but not a dragon, tiger-like but not a tiger, was blood-red and extremely mystical. Looking at the Blood Soul Imprint in his hand, Li Lin smiled and then retracted the imprint, thinking of trying its effects when the opportunity arose. However, the effectiveness of the Blood Soul Imprint depended on one''s strength, strictly speaking, on one''s soul power. The Blood Soul Imprint was not solely activated by true qi and spiritual energy but mainly relied on the soul. The stronger the soul power, the more formidable the power of the Blood Soul Imprint. Li Lin estimated that with his current strength, he could only control a second-order demonic beast. A third-order beast was probably beyond his reach. Sitting cross-legged, Li Lin began to recuperate, intending to try puppet crafting after recovering his spiritual energy. A day later, Li Lin took out several high-quality materials such as refined iron and Xuanxing Stone, necessary for crafting puppets. Li Lin planned to try crafting a werewolf puppet, a relatively simple puppet recorded in the Heavenly Spirit Record. The level of the puppet depended on the crafter''s strength and materials. Without good materials, even with strong abilities, one couldn''t craft a good puppet. Without exceptional strength, even with good materials, it was still impossible to craft a high-quality puppet. Both were indispensable. However, Li Lin did not aim too high. His current strength was not sufficient to craft high-level puppets. Whether he could successfully craft the werewolf puppet was still a question, as this was his first attempt at puppet crafting, with only theoretical knowledge and no practical experience. Chapter 139: Werewolf Puppet Puppets, if broadly categorized, can generally be divided into nine levels, with each level further divided into three stages: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. The inherent strength and skills of a puppet derive from the abilities of its creator. Looking at the pile of materials in the secret chamber, Li Lin slightly smiled bitterly. The upcoming days would be full of hard work. With the change of hand seals, his spiritual power began to fluctuate. The process of puppet refinement shared similarities with weapon forging, differing only in the final step. However, Li Lin had never forged weapons before. A surge of spiritual power was injected into the Fire Dragon Cauldron, which could also serve as a weapon cauldron. Within the cauldron, flames rose, and Li Lin threw a large piece of top-quality refined iron into it. Enveloped by roaring flames, the metal began to melt. The method of puppet refinement, deeply engraved in Li Lin''s memory, was profoundly mysterious and required utmost attention. Any mistake would mean starting over, not to mention the waste of spiritual power and the valuable materials that would turn into scrap. Time passed slowly. In the Flying Spirit Gate, tranquility prevailed. Upon hearing the news of the Sect Leader''s death, apart from a few disciples who felt sorrow, most were merely surprised for a moment and then indifferent. The relationship between the regular members and the Sect Leader was not strong, and with the decline of Flying Spirit Gate, they felt little sense of belonging. However, recent stirrings within the Sect suggested change. According to the Sect''s rules, every five years, new disciples received a first-grade Dan medicine for cultivation, while senior disciples received a second-grade one. Five years ago, the Sect had already failed to provide this medicine, leading to the departure of half of its members, leaving around two to three hundred people. Li Qing promised to compensate for this the next time, which temporarily settled the matter. But now, with another five-year period passing and the Sect Leader dead, many disciples doubted they would receive their Dan medicine and contemplated leaving the Sect. Their strength, mostly at the Martial Apprentice and few at the Martial Warrior level, meant finding work outside was not difficult. For many, this seemed a better option than staying in the disheartening Flying Spirit Gate. Do you think we''ll get the Dan medicine this time? It seems impossible now, with the Sect Leader gone. Who do we ask? Isn''t there still the Elder? Do we not know the situation of Flying Spirit Gate? It''s unlikely we''ll get anything. If we don''t, I might leave too. Better to try my luck outside than to wither away here. Many disciples whispered among themselves, contemplating leaving the Sect. Five days later, in the secret chamber, Li Lin continued to pour spiritual power into the Fire Dragon Cauldron. The flames inside the cauldron soared as he refined all the materials into a solution. The spiritual fire needed to burn continuously to remove impurities from the solution, crucial for crafting a perfect puppet. A body with impurities would significantly compromise its defensive abilities. As Li Lin continued to channel energy, the flames in the cauldron blazed even more fiercely. The solution churned like magma inside a volcano, its intense heat capable of instantly turning a person to ashes. After another day, Li Lin''s complexion was extremely pale due to the immense expenditure of energy. The solution had finally reached a satisfactory state. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Puppet Art, condense! With a low shout, Li Lin formed intricate hand seals, casting beams of light into the Fire Dragon Cauldron. Crackle! Crackle! Crackle The large mass of solution burst out of the cauldron, enveloped in spiritual fire and suspended in mid-air of the secret chamber. The intense heat turned the entire chamber a faint red. Continuously casting hand seals, Li Lin directed beams of light onto the solution. Each time the light entered, the flames would roar higher, and his complexion grew even paler. After three hours, the solution slowly took shape, forming a figure over two meters tall. Drops of scorching liquid fell and spun, transforming under Li Lins meticulous control. Slowly, the scorching solution began to coalesce into a tangible figure, resembling a two-meter-tall giant, but this giant had the head of a wolf and the body of a human. Its feet were massive, and its arms, extending down to its knees, bore sharp claws. Sharp fangs also formed in its mouth. Li Lin then cast another strange hand seal, emitting a ray of light, causing the entire solution to flow over the wolf-headed humanoid like water being poured over it. The wolf-headed figure quickly became radiant, developing a metallic luster and texture. Its entirely crimson body transformed into a dark cyan metallic sheen. "Condense." Another low shout came from Li Lin, and his hand seals rapidly emanated a mysterious bright light. This light transformed into fine rays, like threads, each landing on different joints of the wolf-headed figure C arms, elbows, shoulders, waist, legs, mouth, and knees. As Li Lin''s hand seals changed, the limbs, elbows, shoulders, waist, legs, mouth, and knees of the wolf-headed figure began to move rhythmically, no longer as stiff as before. "Puppet Secret Technique." At this moment, Li Lin''s eyes slightly darkened, and his hand seals swiftly changed again. Mysterious rays of light, accompanied by a glimmer from his forehead, continuously struck the wolf-headed figure. At this time, the wolf-headed figure seemed to come fully alive, moving its entire body. Its eyes opened, emitting a piercing light despite their emptiness. Moments later, as Li Lin continued to cast hand seals, the wolf-headed figure performed various actions C soaring, flashing, moving, leaping, somersaulting, rolling, jumping, punching, and kicking. Each movement was fluid, without the slightest hesitation. "Sigh..." Finally, Li Lin stopped his hand seals, his face pale but with a hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth. "Success." Li Lin said softly, unable to hold back his laughter: "I truly am a genius, a self-taught one at that," he said shamelessly. Feeling the connection with the wolf-headed figure before him, Li Lin could distinctly sense a bond as if connected by flesh and blood. During the Puppet Secret Technique, he had imbued the puppet with a part of his soul force, allowing him to control the werewolf puppet with his thoughts. Li Lin stood up in front of the werewolf puppet, prepared himself, and thought, "Attack me." Instantly, the empty eyes of the werewolf puppet flashed, and it threw a punch with a roaring wind straight at Li Lin. "Let''s see your strength." Li Lin took a horse stance, bent and rose, channeling power from the ground, surrounded by a faint earthy-yellow glow. He met the attack with a Mountain Splitting Palm, using all his strength to withstand it, eager to know the power of the puppet he had created. "Bang, bang..." The two forces collided in the secret chamber, causing an explosive sound and continuous echoes. At the same time, a figure was violently pushed back several steps, hitting the stone wall. "Damn, that''s strong." Li Lin leaned against the wall, his blood churning, and his expression one of surprised admiration. Touching his numb palm, he realized the werewolf puppet was indeed powerful. His Mountain Splitting Palm was usually enough to defeat peers of his level, but the puppet had not only withstood his attack but also pushed him back without any damage. Considering the puppet''s strength and its relentless, unyielding nature, even a first-level Martial Master might have to avoid its edge. "Goodness, when I have time, I''ll refine a hundred or eighty of these. Let''s see who dares to mess with me then," Li Lin thought wickedly. His self-made werewolf puppet had reached the advanced stage of the second level, which was quite impressive. With the puppet by his side, he now had a bodyguard comparable to a first-level Martial Master, and an utterly loyal one at that. Satisfied, Li Lin stored the werewolf puppet in his spatial bag. Although the spatial bag and storage rings couldn''t store living beings, there was no problem with puppets, though their size meant only a few could fit in one bag. After storing the Fire Dragon Cauldron in his storage ring, Li Lin began to recuperate. Creating the Blood Soul Mark and refining the werewolf puppet had taken him twenty days in the secret chamber. Three days later, the door of the secret chamber thundered open, and a figure in a blue robe stepped out. Chapter 140: Electing the Sect Leader "Whoosh..." A pale yellow figure swiftly alighted on Li Lin''s shoulder. It was Little dragon, affectionately rubbing against Li Lin''s cheek after not seeing him for many days. "Alright, let''s go back," Li Lin said softly, and then returned to his residence. "Brother, what happened to you? Are you injured?" In the residence, Li Xintong, seeing Li Lin covered in blood, was shocked along with Fang Xinqi. "I''m not injured, just got a bit messy. I''ll go take a bath," Li Lin quickly explained, forgetting that he was covered in blood from forging the Blood Soul Mark. He went to his room, washed up, and changed into a clean blue robe. When Li Lin reappeared, he was clean and tidy. His slender but upright figure, star-like eyes, healthy wheat-colored skin, and well-defined features, including long eyebrows and slightly upturned thin lips, always seemed to carry a faint, mischievous smile. Seeing the junior brother before her, Fang Xinqi''s heart skipped a beat, her face turning slightly red. She didn''t understand why her heart suddenly started racing. "Junior brother, you''re out of seclusion? Good timing, there''s a big issue," Zhang Mingtao rushed in, anxious to see Li Lin there. "What happened, senior brother? What''s the matter?" Fang Xinqi asked, with Li Lin also waiting for Zhang Mingtao to speak. "Many disciples are in the main hall, demanding Dan medicine from the three elders," Zhang Mingtao explained. "I almost forgot about that. But our master and Elder Huang don''t have that many Dan medicines," Fang Xinqi''s face slightly changed. "What Dan medicine? What exactly is going on?" Li Lin asked, not having this information in Zhang Mingtao''s memories. "Junior brother, here''s the situation..." Zhang Mingtao briefly explained to Li Lin. Every five years, Flying Spirit Gate distributes Dan medicine to its disciples. They had missed the last distribution, leading to the departure of half the disciples. If they fail to distribute again, many more disciples might leave the Sect. Li Lin, listening to Zhang Mingtao''s explanation, was slightly startled. He hadn''t expected Flying Spirit Gate to be in such a dire situation. He remembered Elder Bai Mei of Yun Yang Sect saying that new disciples there received a third-grade Dan medicine upon arrival. In contrast, new disciples in Flying Spirit Gate only got a first-grade Dan medicine and a second-grade one after five years. The gap was significant. "Let''s go and see," Fang Xinqi suggested. The three of them, along with Li Xintong, quickly headed to the main hall. Li Lin was curious to see how the elders would handle this, wondering if they could produce more than a hundred Dan medicines, including those owed from five years ago. Though the amount wasn''t much, considering Flying Spirit Gate''s current state, it seemed unlikely they could afford it. However, Li Lin knew that the three elders, being Martial Soul level experts, must have some private funds. It would be enough if they were willing to use their personal resources. Inside the main hall, when Li Lin and the others arrived, it was already packed with over a hundred people. Almost all ordinary disciples had gathered. At the head of the hall, Elders Huang Haibo, Zhou Yuhou, and Zheng Ying, along with a dozen direct disciples, were present. "Elder Huang, isn''t it time to distribute our Dan medicines?" "Yes, along with those owed from five years ago, we should receive one second-grade and one first-grade Dan medicine." ... The hall was noisy with disciples clamoring for their Dan medicines, reminding Li Lin of workers demanding unpaid wages in his previous life. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. "Silence, all of you, what is this commotion?" Elder Huang Haibo frowned deeply and sternly reprimanded the disciples, causing an immediate hush. "The Sect Leader has just passed away not long ago. Let''s delay this matter for now," Huang Haibo softened his tone and addressed the crowd. "The Sect Leader''s death grieves us all. Therefore, we need to strengthen ourselves now more than ever to find and avenge the killer. We need Dan medicines for cultivation, so please, elders, give us our medicines." A deep voice rang out, causing everyone to turn in surprise to see who was bold enough to openly demand Dan medicines from the elders. The three elders on the dais also looked sternly at the speaker. Li Lin smiled faintly, realizing he was the one who had spoken. In his heart, however, he was thinking, "Huang Haibo, I can''t confront you directly right now, so I''ll give you some trouble instead. Let you have a hard time. At the very least, let''s make your private vault bleed a little." "You''re right, senior brother. We need Dan medicine. We must work hard in cultivation to avenge the Sect Leader." "We want Dan medicine" Seeing that it was the senior brother who had spoken, everyone suddenly felt emboldened and began to shout loudly. Huang Haibo, Zhou Yuhou, and Zheng Ying looked at each other, understanding the gravity of the situation. Flying Spirit Gate was now nothing but a shell, devoid of any Dan medicine. "Everyone, calm down. Honestly, we all know the situation of Flying Spirit Gate. We really don''t have any Dan medicine right now. But I believe if we work hard, things will get better, and even third-grade Dan medicines wont be a problem in the future," Zheng Ying said, furrowing her brows. "Zheng Elder''s words make sense. However, third-grade Dan medicines are for the future. We need Dan medicine now to enhance our strength so that Flying Spirit Gate can become stronger and grow. Therefore, we need Dan medicine now," Li Lin added, stirring the pot once more. Following Li Lin''s words, Huang Haibo and Zhou Yuhou glared at him with anger, and even Elder Zheng Ying shot him a stern look. "We want Dan medicine now, and if we don''t get it, we''ll leave Flying Spirit Gate." "Always putting us off, year after year. We''re done. We want to leave Flying Spirit Gate." "If theres no Dan medicine, we''ll leave Flying Spirit Gate." Someone started the chant, and the mood in the crowd quickly grew heated, with many agreeing to leave Flying Spirit Gate if no Dan medicine was provided. Li Lin smiled wickedly, thinking that now it was time for the elders to worry. If everyone left, Flying Spirit Gate would cease to exist. The three elders of Flying Spirit Gate indeed felt a headache brewing. Five years ago, when they failed to distribute Dan medicine, more than half of their 300 disciples left, leaving only about a hundred. If these remaining disciples also left, Flying Spirit Gate would collapse without any external attack, a dishonor to its ancestors. "Please, be patient," Zhou Yuhou said loudly, his voice mixed with true Qi and echoing in everyone''s ears. The crowd gradually quieted down, but the atmosphere remained charged, as if they would indeed leave Flying Spirit Gate today if they didn''t receive Dan medicine. "How about this? Let''s delay the matter of Dan medicine for now. This decision needs to be made by the Sect Leader. As elders, we can''t decide. Lets elect a new Sect Leader first. What do you all think?" Zhou Yuhou suggested, eyeing the crowd. "Electing a Sect Leader?" The crowd was momentarily stunned, but then this idea captivated everyone''s attention. "Senior brother, according to Flying Spirit Gate''s rules, only the one who obtains the Sect Leader''s token is the rightful Sect Leader," Zheng Ying reminded Zhou Yuhou, unaware of this plan to elect a Sect Leader. "Sister, rules are made by people, aren''t they? If someone kills the Sect Leader and takes the token, should we accept them as our Sect Leader?" Huang Haibo said calmly. "We need to elect a new Sect Leader for Flying Spirit Gate now. The Sect can''t be without a leader for too long. It''s detrimental to our development," Zhou Yuhou added. "These two are singing in harmony, seemingly plotting to take over as Sect Leader, as if it was all prearranged. Using this opportunity to elect a new leader," Li Lin thought, guessing that Zhou Yuhou and Huang Haibo had premeditated this plan to ascend to the Sect Leader''s position. "But..." Zheng Ying seemed worried, but before she could finish, Huang Haibo interrupted her. "Fellow disciples, after we elect a new Sect Leader today, let''s ask the new leader to distribute the Dan medicine," Huang Haibo announced loudly. "Good, let''s elect a new Sect Leader." Hearing that there might be Dan medicine, the disciples in the hall were focused on that. As for who became the Sect Leader, it was not their concern, so they naturally had no objections. "So be it, then. As for the new Sect Leader, I think they must have significant prestige in the Sect and also be among the top in strength. No objections, right?" Zhou Yuhou said, looking around at everyone. "Old fox, just trying to swing it towards you three elders," Li Lin thought to himself. This election for Sect Leader was just a show. Whoever became the Sect Leader was probably already decided by Huang Haibo and Zhou Yuhou. It was just an opportunity for them to rise to power, similar to the political ''freedom'' in some countries in his previous life where elections were predetermined, with the real decision-making not in the hands of the people. Chapter 141: Worthy to be the Sect Leader "Elder Zhou is right, but I believe that to become the Sect Leader, one must contribute to the Flying Spirit Sect and earn the respect and approval of all its members. Otherwise, no matter how strong one is, if they dont act for the benefit of the Flying Spirit Sect or stand up for it, such a Sect Leader is pointless," Li Lin said with a raised arm, thinking to himself that if Huang Haibo and Zhou Yuhou were to become Sect Leaders, they would be even more difficult to deal with. Besides, he would have to stay in the Flying Spirit Sect for some time, which would likely make his life much harder. "Junior Brother is right, we all agree," a common disciple shouted from within the hall, where Li Lin held a very high status in their hearts. At the head of the hall, Zheng Ying glanced at Li Lin, her expression showing a hint of worry. "Of course, I think Elder Huang should be the new Sect Leader. Does anyone disagree?" Zhou Yuhou asked, looking around at everyone. Huang Haibo was smiling amiably at everyone. In the current state of the Flying Spirit Sect, there was no one more suitable than him. This had been discussed for quite some time. The disciples in the hall watched Huang Haibo but remained silent, neither agreeing nor objecting. "We all support him; Master is naturally the most suitable candidate," declared some of Huang Haibo''s disciples, their voices echoing monotonously in the hall. It seemed that Elder Huang was not very popular among the people. "Junior Brother, we can''t let Elder Huang become the Sect Leader," Zhang Mingtao whispered to Li Lin. Li Lin gave a wry smile, feeling helpless. The Sect Leader had to be chosen from among the three Elders, and it was not his turn, nor did he want Huang Haibo to become the Sect Leader, but he felt powerless to stop it. "Junior Sister, you wouldn''t disagree with Second Senior Brother becoming the Sect Leader, right?" Zhou Yuhou asked Zheng Ying, turning to her. "I think Elder Zheng would also be good. Why not let Elder Zheng be the Sect Leader?" Li Lin said loudly. "Junior Brother, Master is a woman, and according to the rules of the Flying Spirit Sect, a woman cannot be the Sect Leader," Fang Xinqi said to Li Lin. "What kind of rule is that? It''s clearly discriminatory against women," muttered Li Lin. "Li Lin, you''ve just joined the Flying Spirit Sect and don''t know our ancestral rules. Women cannot be Sect Leaders," Zhou Yuhou said indifferently, looking at Li Lin. He was quite dissatisfied with Li Lin, who had been stirring up trouble and spoiling his plans. "Junior Brother is a close disciple of Master, and everyone has seen his strength. Even though he hasn''t been in the Flying Spirit Sect for long, he has defended our sect and driven away the Rakshasa Sect. How about we elect Junior Brother as the Sect Leader?" someone suggested loudly, and it was Zhang Mingtao speaking. "Whether others oppose Junior Brother as Sect Leader, I don''t know, but I definitely agree," declared a loud, bald disciple. "If Junior Brother becomes the Sect Leader, I have no objections. My life was saved by him," said another ordinary disciple loudly. This person was Sun Yuan, whom Li Lin had saved before. Grateful for his life being saved, Sun Yuan had tried to thank Li Lin several times but hadn''t seen him. Today, he naturally supported him loudly. "Support Junior Brother." "I also support Junior Brother." Hundreds of people shouted their support. Junior Brother had severely injured members of the Rakshasa Sect and had generously treated several ordinary disciples, naturally winning the support of all the common disciples at this moment. At this moment, Huang Haibo and Zhou Yuhou''s expressions changed, as they had thought they could take advantage of the situation to become the Sect Leader, but Li Lin had thwarted their plans. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. "Cough..." Huang Haibo coughed awkwardly, as he had not received any support just now, which was embarrassing. He glanced at Li Lin and said, "Everyone, quiet down. I want to ask Li Lin, if everyone elects you as Sect Leader, what do you think? You should know that becoming the Sect Leader means you have to be responsible for distributing the pills to everyone." "Old fox, trying to make me back down," thought Li Lin, rolling his eyes. He was not interested in being the Sect Leader, but he didn''t want Huang Haibo to become it either, especially since he had offended him again today. His future in the Flying Spirit Sect might become difficult. "What''s wrong with being the Sect Leader? I might as well be the Sect Leader for a few days," Li Lin thought resolutely, smiling slightly. "Elder Huang, are you saying that if I can provide the pills, I can be the Sect Leader of the Flying Spirit Sect?" Watching Li Lin''s smiling face, Huang Haibo suddenly felt uneasy. There were over a hundred disciples, and each one would need a first-grade and a second-grade Dan medicine, which together were worth about 300 gold coins. For over a hundred disciples, this would amount to nearly 40,000 gold coins. This sum was not small, and for a young boy like Li Lin to produce 40,000 gold coins seemed almost impossible, even for Huang himself, as it would require all of his wealth. "Indeed, you are the one chosen by everyone. If you can provide them, naturally there won''t be any problem," said Elder Zheng Ying, glancing at Li Lin, seemingly encouraging him to become the Sect Leader. "Elder Huang, what do you think?" Li Lin asked, his expression unchanged. "Well, since Elder Zheng has spoken, we naturally won''t oppose," Huang Haibo said, also thinking that Li Lin couldn''t possibly produce so many Dan medicines. "Then it''s settled. I won''t decline the position of Sect Leader," Li Lin said with a slight smile, striding confidently to the head of the hall. He looked seriously at everyone and declared, "Thank you all for your trust in making me the Sect Leader. From now on, your affairs are the affairs of the Flying Spirit Sect, and the affairs of the Flying Spirit Sect are my affairs. If anyone dares to bully our sect, we will teach them a lesson, one by one, pair by pair. I will definitely seek more benefits for everyone, ensuring everyone has a good life." "Support Junior Brother..." A wave of support echoed through the great hall. "Li Lin, better produce the Dan medicines for everyone now," Zhou Yuhou said with a sinking expression, watching Li Lin. "It''s just Dan medicines," Li Lin said with a slight smile, pulling out a spatial bag. In the Misty Mountain Range, third-grade Dan medicines were rare, but first and second-grade were plentiful. More than a hundred were not a problem, and that was sufficient. "Everyone, line up. There''s enough for each person," Li Lin said, opening the spatial bag and taking out a pile of Dan medicines. He felt a bit of heartache, as this amounted to tens of thousands of gold coins. To become the Sect Leader, he had spent tens of thousands of gold coins, which was a huge price to pay. Over a hundred disciples lined up and each received a second-grade and a first-grade Dan medicine. Seeing this, Huang Haibo and Zhou Yuhou''s faces twitched. They had not expected Li Lin to produce hundreds of Dan medicines. As the ordinary disciples received their Dan medicines, the ten or so personal disciples started to show changes in their expressions. Although they were personal disciples, their situation was not much better than the ordinary disciples. "Senior Brother, this is for you," Li Lin said to Zhang Mingtao after distributing to all the ordinary disciples, handing him a high-tier second-grade Dan medicine. The ones he had given to the ordinary disciples were all low-tier second-grade, and the difference in price between high-tier and low-tier was significant. Zhang Mingtao hadn''t expected to receive one and gratefully accepted the Dan medicine. In his more than ten years at the Flying Spirit Sect, he had only consumed two Dan medicines. "Fang Sister, this is for you," Li Lin said to Fang Xinqi, also handing her a high-tier second-grade Dan medicine. "Thank you, Junior Brother," Fang Xinqi said happily, accepting the Dan medicine. "Sisters, these are for you," Li Lin then handed two high-tier second-grade Dan medicines to two female disciples in long skirts, who were also disciples of Zheng Ying. Zheng Ying had only three disciples, with Fang Xinqi being the oldest. "Thank you, Junior Brother," the two women said joyfully, accepting the Dan medicines. After distributing to the two women, Li Lin approached a young male disciple and, after searching in the spatial bag, said with a hint of apology, "Sorry, that''s all for now. I''ll find a way to make it up to you in a few days." "What..." The remaining seven young disciples suddenly changed their expressions, clearly dissatisfied. Just when it was their turn, there were no more Dan medicines. This was an unfair situation. Li Lin didn''t care about these seven, four of whom were Zhou Yuhou''s disciples, and three were Huang Haibo''s. Li Lin actually still had Dan medicines but deliberately chose not to give any to these seven. "Elders, now I should be the Sect Leader of the Flying Spirit Sect, right?" Li Lin asked, ignoring the expressions of the seven young disciples and turning to the three Elders. Seeing that there were no Dan medicines left for their disciples, Huang Haibo and Zhou Yuhou''s expressions darkened. This was a blow to their prestige, as Zheng Ying''s disciples received Dan medicines, but theirs did not. "Of course, but the Sect Leader''s seal is missing, so we can''t give you the Sect Leader''s seal. However, from now on, you are the Sect Leader of our Flying Spirit Sect," Zheng Ying said. Chapter 142: Sects Secret "This..." Huang Haibo''s expression changed slightly, and a strange light flickered in his eyes. He said, "Since the sect rules require that the Sect Leader must have the Sect Leader''s seal, you are now the Acting Sect Leader of the Flying Spirit Sect. Once you find the Sect Leader''s seal, you can formally become the Sect Leader of the Flying Spirit Sect." "Right, this also puts some pressure on you. Now that you are the Acting Sect Leader, you should find the Sect Leader''s seal as soon as possible. This task is now up to you," Zhou Yuhou added. "Old fox," Li Lin cursed under his breath. He had been promised the position of Sect Leader, but now he was only the Acting Sect Leader, a significant difference, like the difference between the main house and a mistress. However, being the Acting Sect Leader was fine for now. Li Lin didn''t say much more. After all, he was still a Sect Leader, and he didn''t plan to hold the position for a long time. "Greetings, Sect Leader," Zhang Mingtao was the first to pay his respects. "Greetings, Sect Leader." Inside the great hall, a group of ordinary disciples respectfully saluted, their voices echoing. Zheng Ying''s three disciples, Fang Xinqi, and others also paid their respects, while Huang Haibo and Zhou Yuhou''s disciples had faces full of resentment. "No need for formalities," Li Lin said lightly, suddenly feeling quite pleased with himself at the sight of everyone saluting him. It seemed that no one could escape the temptation of high status. "Li Lin, now that you are the Sect Leader of the Flying Spirit Sect, you should find the Sect Leader''s seal soon," Huang Haibo said, watching Li Lin. "Elder Huang, since you also say that I am the Sect Leader of the Flying Spirit Sect, shouldn''t you address me as Sect Leader?" Li Lin said lightly. Huang Haibo was momentarily stunned... "This time, let''s not worry about it. But I hope Elder Huang can address me as Sect Leader next time. Although Elder Huang is my Shishu (martial uncle), the sect has its rules," Li Lin said with a light smile, then turned to the crowd and added, "Everyone, go back and continue your cultivation." "Yes, Sect Leader." The disciples happily dispersed, pleased to see Elder Huang humbled before the new Sect Leader. After the crowd in the great hall dispersed, Li Lin took the opportunity to leave and returned to his residence with Li Xintong. "Brother, are you really the Sect Leader now?" Li Xintong looked up, blinking her bright eyes. "Yes, I''m now the Sect Leader," Li Lin smiled. "That''s great. Brother is the Sect Leader, and my dad was also a Sect Leader." After her initial joy, Li Xintong remembered her father and became sad again. "Sect Leader, you really have a lot of Dan medicines," Fang Xinqi said to Li Lin, shocked, like others in the hall, at the hundreds of Dan medicines Li Lin had produced. "It''s like going bankrupt. Being a Sect Leader is quite expensive," Li Lin said self-deprecatingly. "I believe the Sect Leader will make the Flying Spirit Sect better and better. We all support the Sect Leader," Fang Xinqi hesitated slightly, her cheeks flushing. "This woman couldn''t have fallen for me, could she?" Li Lin thought, seeing Fang Xinqi''s expression, feeling somewhat vain. It seemed he was quite popular. At night, after dinner, Li Lin returned to his room to cultivate, but Little dragon (the dragon) suddenly alerted him. "Someone is coming." Li Lin''s heart sank, sensing through Little dragon that someone was approaching his residence. "Sect Leader, I hope I''m not disturbing you. May I come in?" A female voice came from outside the door. "Shishu (martial aunt), please come in," Li Lin was surprised, realizing the visitor was Zheng Ying. He wondered what she wanted, coming to see him late at night. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Li Lin had a wicked thought, wondering if Zheng Ying, who had never married, had some other intentions in visiting him late at night. After fantasizing briefly, Li Lin opened the door. Zheng Ying, dressed in a gray palace outfit, had already walked in. Li Lin observed that she was well-maintained and had a mature woman''s charm. Li Lin closed the door and asked, "Shishu, what brings you here so late?" "Are you really the close disciple taken by my Shixiong (senior brother)?" Zheng Ying turned around, looking at Li Lin seriously, as if she still found it hard to believe that this young man was her senior brother''s disciple. "Genuine and guaranteed," Li Lin replied, his expression showing no panic or hesitation. "It seems my Shixiong has taken a good disciple," Zheng Ying sighed lightly, then her expression darkened as she asked Li Lin, "Do you know who killed your Shifu (master)?" "I don''t know," Li Lin shook his head slightly, observing Zheng Ying''s expression and secretly guessing in his heart. Zheng Ying had never married and now seemed particularly concerned about Li Qing. Could it be that Elder Zheng Ying had always been secretly in love with Li Qing? The more Li Lin thought about it, the more he felt it was possible. "Please sit down. I came to tell you something," Zheng Ying said to Li Lin. As they sat down, Li Lin asked with some confusion, "Please speak, Shishu." "Do you really want to be the Sect Leader of the Flying Spirit Sect, or do you have other purposes? Or did your master instruct you about something? I hope you can be honest with me," Zheng Ying asked. "This..." Li Lin didn''t know what Zheng Ying meant and said, "Today, I saw that Elder Huang and Elder Zhou seemed to have premeditated plans to become the Sect Leader. I just couldn''t stand it and spoke out a few words, and unexpectedly, I became the Sect Leader in a confused manner." "Did your master tell you anything?" Zheng Ying asked, "For example, about the Sect Leader''s seal?" Li Lin''s heart sank subtly, becoming a bit more cautious. Everyone was looking for the Sect Leader''s seal; could it be that there was some secret hidden within it? "No," Li Lin shook his head slightly, keeping an extra eye out in his heart. "It seems your master didn''t have time to tell you. But now we don''t know where the Sect Leader''s seal is. Without the seal, our Flying Spirit Sect has no hope left," Zheng Ying sighed slightly. "Shishu, does the Sect Leader''s seal have some other secret?" Li Lin asked. Zheng Ying looked at Li Lin and then said, "Now that you are also the Sect Leader of the Flying Spirit Sect, there is no harm in telling you. A long time ago, our Flying Spirit Sect was not as declined as you see now. Back in the day, our sect in the ancient domain was a major sect with tens of thousands of disciples. But then, the Flying Spirit Sect gradually declined generation after generation, leading to its current state." Li Lin was somewhat surprised. He hadn''t expected the Flying Spirit Sect to have such a glorious past. Tens of thousands of disciples were not comparable to the super-sects like Yunyang Sect, but it was still a major sect. However, Li Lin wasn''t too surprised, as there''s a saying, ''Wealth does not last beyond three generations.'' Probably no sect could continue its peak prosperity forever. Zheng Ying continued, "During the peak period of our Flying Spirit Sect, our ancestors prepared for the eventual decline of the sect. They set up a secret chamber in the sect, supposedly containing items that could restore the sect to its former glory. The chamber has three keys, and combined with the Sect Leader''s seal, it can be opened to obtain the treasures left by our ancestors. If someone tries to force it open, the chamber will explode, destroying everything inside. These three keys have been passed down to our generation and are held by the three Elders. Now, you know the importance of the Sect Leader''s seal!" "The treasures left by the ancestors of the Flying Spirit Sect must indeed hold secrets," Li Lin was somewhat surprised. No wonder Huang Haibo was so eager to find the Sect Leader''s seal; it was related to this secret. "Why hasn''t the secret chamber been opened earlier given the current situation of the Flying Spirit Sect?" Li Lin asked. "Our ancestors instructed that the chamber should only be opened if the Flying Spirit Sect truly faces existential threats. Elder Zhou and Elder Huang have always wanted to open the chamber, but the eldest Elder opposed it. That''s why the chamber has remained unopened. Today, they wanted to become the Sect Leader, probably to open the chamber. But you disrupted their plans," Zheng Ying explained. "So that''s how it is," Li Lin said lightly, having suspected why Huang Haibo was so keen on the position of Sect Leader despite the decline of the Flying Spirit Sect. It was because of the secret chamber in the sect. "Is there no other way to open the secret chamber without the Sect Leader''s seal?" Li Lin asked, knowing that the Sect Leader''s seal was in his possession. He wanted to know if the chamber was safe and could only be opened with the Sect Leader''s seal. "No, the chamber can only be opened with the three keys and the Sect Leader''s seal," Zheng Ying affirmed. "I wonder what''s inside the chamber. The relics left by the once-prosperous Flying Spirit Sect must be extraordinary," Li Lin thought to himself, surprised at his luck. He hadn''t expected such a fallback in a declining sect like the Flying Spirit Sect. "Now that you are the Sect Leader, for the sake of the Flying Spirit Sect, you need to find the Sect Leader''s seal. I guess your master didn''t pass such an important item as the Sect Leader''s seal to you and Xintong before his death, so it must be hidden somewhere. It''s crucial to find the seal," Zheng Ying said. "I will," Li Lin said lightly, his mind already pondering other matters. Having the Sect Leader''s seal, it seemed even more important not to tell anyone about it. If people knew he had the seal, Huang Haibo and others might stop at nothing to go after him. "It looks like I''ll have to be the Sect Leader for a longer time," Li Lin thought to himself with a slight smile. Three days later, outside the Flying Spirit Mountain, the secret forest covered the entire sky, with only slivers of light filtering through the dense leaves. Chapter 143: The Underground Market It was the early hours of the morning. In the distance, the forest looked densely packed and a bit eerie, as if hiding endless darkness within. On the surrounding leaves, after a night''s rest, dewdrops had formed, glistening. As they fell, they made a ''plop, plop'' sound. A figure in a blue robe emerged among them, a youth about seventeen or eighteen years old. His face was resolute, exuding a maturity rare among his peers. A closer look revealed a faint murderous aura on him, and his eyes were deep and profound, like stars. Strangely, a small yellow snake was coiled on the young man''s shoulder, its little head raised, looking around constantly. This person was Li Lin. He had left Flying Spirit Gate early in the morning, planning to visit a nearby large town to see if there were any demonic beasts for sale. He wanted to test whether he had truly mastered the Blood Soul Mark, which was crucial for him. Tianxing Town was the largest town near Flying Spirit Gate known to Li Lin, a three-day journey away. However, if one rode hard, it could be reached in a day. In Tianxing Town, demonic beasts captured by mercenaries from the Wudu Mountain Range were sold. Naturally, these beasts were quite expensive. Flying Spirit Gate was indeed very poor, so much so that they didn''t even have a horse. Li Lin had to spend a dozen gold coins just outside Flying Spirit Mountain to buy an unremarkable horse and then set off for Tianxing Town. He left in the morning, riding hard. It was his first time riding a horse, and Li Lin felt a sense of excitement. He nearly fell off several times but managed to stay agile. The journey was uneventful, as the roads were mostly clear and less chaotic. By the afternoon, Li Lin had arrived at Tianxing Town. The area of Tianxing Town was even larger than Qingyun Town and was more bustling. However, with the bustle came more chaos. Unlike Qingyun Town, which was maintained by five major families, Tianxing Town had a more complex environment, being a gathering place for people of various backgrounds, which made it harder to manage. In the afternoon, the streets were especially busy. People were coming and going, and the shouts of vendors were constant, creating a lively atmosphere. Li Lin led his horse, now drenched in sweat, into Tianxing Town. He went straight to an inn in the town. The ground floor of the inn was a tavern, and the rooms were on the second floor. Since he couldn''t return to Flying Spirit Gate that day, Li Lin rented a superior room, stabled his horse at the inn, and ordered some food. Then he sat by a window on the first floor. Looking out the window at the busy scene, it was still afternoon, but already, many young women in revealing clothes were starting to earn their living. This type of flesh trade seemed to exist everywhere. In this chaotic ancient realm, women who were neither martial artists nor spiritual practitioners had few options other than this kind of work. When Li Lin entered the tavern, many people sized him up. After all, Li Lin was still a youth, but he had an intangible aura about him that made many take a second look. Li Lin had already scrutinized these people. All of them were martial artists, mostly at the warrior level, with a few martial disciples and masters. There were dozens of people in the tavern. After a while, the waiter brought up a lot of food, and Li Lin ate heartily, having been very hungry from the ride. A few minutes after finishing his meal, Li Lin left the tavern to take a walk on the streets. Among the bustling crowd, several heavily made-up, scantily clad young women with exposed shoulders and cleavages quickly surrounded him. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Little brother, come with me, I''ll keep you company for half a gold coin," one said. "If you like, two of us together for just one gold coin. We''ll make you feel heavenly," another offered. Amid the young women''s pulling and tugging, their exposed cleavages rubbed against Li Lin, causing him to feel uncomfortable. "Sorry, ladies, I''ll come back later," Li Lin hastily excused himself and fled. He wasn''t ready to give up his virginity to these women. "Useless kid," the scantily clad women muttered, glaring at Li Lin as he left. But at that moment, several men approached them, each hugging one of the young women and crudely groping their bodies, deforming their cleavages. "Naughty girls, that little kid doesn''t know better. Let us big guys take care of you. If you please us, you''ll be rewarded." "Big brother is the best," the scantily clad women said, swaying their hips and smiling with their eyes and brows, displaying a myriad of seductive expressions. They led the burly men into a somewhat dim alley nearby. Li Lin ran a good distance before he stopped, almost losing his composure. He needed to carefully maintain his virginity. "This lord, it''s your first time in Tianxing Town, right? If you need any help, just ask me. A little tip will do." Just then, a short, thin young man with shrewd eyes suddenly approached Li Lin and said. Li Lin sized up the youth. He was wearing a semi-worn long robe and seemed to be about seventeen or eighteen years old. However, his sly, rat-like gaze reminded Li Lin somewhat of Li Xiaobai. "My lord, my name is Liu Yishou. I''m not a bad person, nor a robber, just a local ''snake'' in Tianxing Town, a jack-of-all-trades. It''s your first time here, if you need anything, just ask me. I''m just trying to make a living, you can trust me completely," the youth said, patting his skinny chest. "Liu Yishou, that''s a pretty unique name," Li Lin said mildly, noticing that the youth only had the strength of a martial disciple. "The name was given by my parents, I had no choice," Liu Yishou said with a smile, scratching his head, then added, "Lord, you must be new to Tianxing Town. I saw you got scared off by those prostitutes just now. If you need any help, just say it." "Scared off by prostitutes?" Li Lin glanced at Liu Yishou, "That''s called being chaste, understand?" "Is there a place here selling demonic beasts? Take me there. If I''m satisfied, I''ll reward you," Li Lin said. In such places, getting help from local ''snakes'' can save a lot of time. "A place selling demonic beasts? Lord, you''ve found the right person. I can''t promise much, but I know a junior supervisor in the underground market of Tianxing Town. He''s the son of a friend of my mother''s cousin. We grew up playing together. If you like a demonic beast, I can even get you a discount," Liu Yishou''s eyes lit up, leading Li Lin forward. Li Lin smiled slightly; this youth was quite a talker. Following Liu Yishou, Li Lin passed through several streets and then entered an underground passage at the end of one street. According to Liu Yishou, the liveliest part of Tianxing Town wasn''t above ground, but this underground market. It was the busiest place, even attracting rich merchants and young masters from nearby areas. The underground market had everything, both legal and illegal: demonic beasts, pills, martial techniques, herbs, and even demon pills, spiritual pills, and spiritual beasts. However, these latter items weren''t just for anyone to see. Without sufficient strength, one couldn''t just visit those sections; such items were rarely seen outside. Additionally, there was a slave trade in the underground market. What excited people the most was that often there were naked female slaves for sale. With luck, one might find a slave with a great figure and beautiful face, so many people frequented the underground market just to look around. Arriving at the underground market with Liu Yishou, Li Lin couldn''t help but marvel. This underground world was huge, covering tens of thousands of square meters. It was bustling with people, yet the flow was smooth, and the ventilation system was excellent. The underground market truly had an underground feel, with ear-deafening shouts and numerous items like pills, herbs, and weapons displayed. "How about it, lively, isn''t it?" Liu Yishou shouted to Li Lin. In this place, one had to speak loudly to be heard. "Take me to see the demonic beasts," Li Lin said. He didn''t lack pills and herbs at the moment; his only target was demonic beasts. "No problem, follow me," Liu Yishou replied. Walking through the bustling underground market, Li Lin even sensed the presence of several spiritualists. "New slaves arrived today, healthy and young. Men start at five gold coins, women at eight gold coins." "There are also some young female slaves. Look at this development, and these firm and perky buttocks. These start at fifteen gold coins." On a stone platform, a middle-aged man looking like an employee of the underground market loudly hawked, roughly handling the breasts and buttocks of several naked young women tied to the railing. In his eyes, these people were no different from animals, devoid of any sympathy. Li Lin sighed inwardly. The world was like this: without strength, you were nothing. Everything in this world spoke through strength. Chapter 144: Whose Exquisite Beauty At the center of the underground market, on a massive stone platform spanning over a kilometer, Li Lin, following Liu Yishou, arrived at this spot. Around this platform, there were not as many onlookers as at the place where female slaves were being sold. However, Li Lin noticed that among the dozens of onlookers, most had the strength of martial masters, and to his surprise, there were even a few who seemed to possess the aura of spirit warriors. Although these powerful individuals were concealing their auras, Li Lin could still faintly sense them. At the moment, there were about a dozen demonic beasts on the platform, each locked in a large iron cage. Among them were the Great Earth Howling Wolf, Bear Wolf, and other demonic beasts. Occasionally, a loud roar would come from one of the beasts, only to be followed by a harsh whip from a middle-aged man. "Second-stage mid-level Bear Wolf, starting at 3,000 gold coins." The shout from the big man above rang out. Second-stage demonic beasts were much more expensive than second-grade pills. Pills were consumed in one use, while demonic beasts could accompany you for a long time. If lucky and the beast broke through, it could be sold for several times the price. "They''re all second-stage demonic beasts," Li Lin observed the beasts on the platform. Besides one that was at the early stage of the third stage, the rest were second-stage, with a few even at the first stage. Although Li Lin was also targeting a second-stage beast, he was looking for a second-stage flying demonic beast, preferably with a good bloodline, so it could potentially break through again in the future. Having a flying demonic beast would allow him to possibly travel to Wudu City. Li Lin knew it wouldn''t be easy to find a suitable flying demonic beast. He couldn''t handle one too powerful, didn''t want one with a low bloodline, and it had to be a flyer. These conditions naturally meant it wouldn''t be easy to find the right match. Flying demonic beasts were extremely difficult to capture. It''s not hard to kill or wound them due to their flying talent, but capturing them was much more challenging. Flying demonic beasts were particularly favored by warriors who couldn''t fly themselves. Having such a beast significantly enhanced one''s strength and provided convenience over others. Therefore, the sale and price of flying demonic beasts were always high, and they were much rarer. "Are there any flying demonic beasts?" Li Lin asked Liu Yishou. "Flying demonic beasts are rare. Every time one arrives, VIP customers here are notified first, so there are only a few flying demonic beasts available for public sale each year," Liu Yishou replied. "Find a way for me," Li Lin said, handing over five gold coins to Liu Yishou. "Find me a flying demonic beast, and you''ll be well rewarded." "Okay, I''ll go ask my mother''s friend''s son''s cousin and see if he has any ideas. What type of flying demonic beast do you need?" Liu Yishou quickly took the gold coins from Li Lin. "Any type will do," Li Lin said. Normally, warriors would look for a demonic beast mount that matched their own elemental affinity. For instance, a fire warrior would need a fire demonic beast, and a water warrior a water one. Matching the warrior''s and demonic beast''s attributes made it easier to control the beast and could subtly amplify the warrior''s cultivation. If the attributes didn''t match, it was much more troublesome, requiring a spiritualist to forcibly control the beast, which could also harm the warrior. Li Lin didn''t have to worry about this. Being a multi-elemental warrior, he could handle any type of flying demonic beast, but a wind-elemental one would be best for speed. "Alright, wait here, I''ll go ask for you," Liu Yishou quickly disappeared into the crowd. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Li Lin looked around nearby, marveling at the scale of the underground market. Such a large operation likely had a powerful backing; otherwise, it would have been swept away by others in this ancient realm. The forces behind this market must be formidable. "Lord, I''ve asked around. Recently, many mercenary groups haven''t returned from Wudu Mountain Range, so there are no flying demonic beasts. Generally, in the winter, all mercenary groups return, and there might be flying demonic beasts then," Liu Yishou returned to Li Lin after a while, sighing. "No..." Li Lin sighed lightly. Did he come here in vain? Without a flying demonic beast, should he just buy any demonic beast to test the Blood Soul Mark? Lost in thought, Liu Yishou spoke up, "Lord, if you really want a flying demonic beast, I recently heard some news. In Lanling Mountain, a formidable demonic beast has appeared. Previously, there were no beasts in Lanling Mountain, but many strong people have been killed by it, including martial masters. Survivors who saw it said it''s a flying demonic beast." "Lanling Mountain, is it far from here?" Li Lin asked. "Not far. If you go by horse, it''ll take about a day and a half. I know someone who is recruiting warriors to go to Lanling Mountain. They''re leaving today and will arrive tomorrow afternoon," Liu Yishou said. "Is that so?" Li Lin hesitated. A flying demonic beast capable of killing martial masters was likely at least at the third stage, and he feared he might not be able to control it. "Liu Yishou, I finally found you. Come here!" Just then, a sharp voice called out loudly, and a slender figure appeared before Li Lin. Almost simultaneously, all the men around focused their attention on this figure. She was a girl of about eighteen or nineteen, with waterfall-like black hair simply tied at the back, slightly swaying. Her exquisite features and fair skin together were simply perfect, undoubtedly tempting for all men. The girl''s attire was somewhat extravagant. She wore a tight-fitting leather armor, presumably made from the skin of a demonic beast, judging from its color and texture, it was definitely not cheap. The armor was soft and outlined two protruding areas at her chest, tightly wrapping around her slender waist. Her lower body was clad in an even more provocative manner, wearing short, tight leather pants made from the same material, reaching only to the middle of her thighs and tightly hugging her round, firm buttocks. Underneath the leather shorts, she wore a pair of silk-like leggings that covered her full, long legs. Two beautifully patterned short swords hung at her waist. Seeing this woman, even Li Lin felt his heart flutter. She was like a temptation that could drive a man to crime. "Whose exquisite beauty is this, causing trouble for everyone?" "She''s a spiritualist, and at the spiritual master level," Li Lin sensed the invisible aura emanating from the girl, feeling a bit surprised. Her arrival immediately became the focus of all the men, and even the surrounding shouting ceased momentarily. Every man''s eyes greedily roved over her, their eyes turning red with desire, as if they wanted to pounce on this enchantress and pin her to the ground. However, at this moment, Liu Yishou, seeing the girl, turned pale as if he had seen a demon, trembling all over. "Miss Lv, I was just about to find you. The person you asked me to look for, I''ve found him. You two talk, I''ll leave first?" Pointing to the girl, Liu Yishou said to Li Lin, "Lord, if you''re looking for a flying demonic beast, you should ask Miss Lv." With that, Liu Yishou quickly disappeared into the crowd. "Are you the person Liu Yishou found for me? Come with me," the girl didn''t chase after Liu Yishou but looked carefully at Li Lin before speaking. "What person" Li Lin was stunned, confused about what was happening. "Don''t talk so much, just come with me," the girl glared at Li Lin and then pulled him outside. Immediately, hundreds of men around cast envious, jealous, and resentful glances at Li Lin, wishing they could be in his place, being led by the hand of this woman. "Hey, miss, where are you taking me?" Li Lin asked as the girl pulled him along, noting that her hand was very soft. "My name is Lv Xiaoling, you can call me Ling''er. We''re in a hurry, or we''ll be late," the girl said, pulling Li Lin towards the outside of the underground market. Outside, there was an exquisitely crafted four-wheeled carriage, made from top-quality materials with beautiful carvings on it. "Miss, can you please explain first?" Li Lin asked again. "No time, get in the carriage first," the girl didn''t listen to Li Lin and pulled him into the carriage. "Drive..." As soon as they got on the carriage, before Li Lin could even sit down, the carriage started moving forward. "Hey, miss, if you don''t explain, I''m going to get off the carriage," Li Lin said. This was getting stranger by the moment C being pulled onto a carriage for no reason, and by a beautiful girl at that. Li Lin was now especially wary of beautiful women. "Didn''t Liu Yishou explain to you? I need you to come with me to Lanling Mountain. We''re going to catch a demonic beast," the girl took a deep breath, sitting in the carriage. A faint fragrance emanated from her, filling the two-meter space of the carriage with its scent. Chapter 145: The Sky-winged Snow Lion "What, I never agreed," Li Lin immediately said, understanding in his heart that he had been sold out by Liu Yi Shou. "You''re trying to deceive me? Then why didn''t you say so just now? Is it because you think the gold coins are too few? How about this, in addition to the 5,000 gold coins, after you help me capture the demon beast, I''ll give you another 5,000 gold coins," said the stunningly beautiful and provocative Lv Xiaoling. "5,000 gold coins, when did I take 5,000 gold coins from you?" Li Lin was startled, realizing that Lv Xiaoling too had been sold out by Liu Yi Shou. No wonder Liu Yi Shou had introduced him to the Lanling Mountains; it turned out he was trying to satisfy Lv Xiaoling. "It''s impossible, I clearly gave him 5,000 gold coins to find a martial soul warrior to accompany me to the Lanling Mountains to hunt demon beasts," said Lv Xiaoling loudly. "You''ve been deceived," Li Lin said sympathetically, then added, "Miss, I''m getting off here, and I''m not a powerful martial soul." "That damn Liu Yi Shou, when I find him, I''ll make him pay," Lv Xiaoling immediately burst out in delicate fury, then fixed her gaze on Li Lin, saying, "I don''t care, maybe you and Liu Yi Shou are in this together. Now, you must accompany me to the Lanling Mountains." "Miss Lv, be reasonable, I''m also a victim," Li Lin retorted, glaring at her. This beautiful woman was either malicious or unreasonable. "I don''t believe you. Anyway, you have to accompany me to the Lanling Mountains. After we find the demon beast, I''ll give you another 10,000 gold coins. If not, I''ll kill you right now," Lv Xiaoling said sternly, her aura trembling, a white invisible halo enveloping the carriage. "He''s a Triple Spirit Master," Li Lin thought, surprised again by Lv Xiaoling''s strength. She appeared to be only eighteen or nineteen years old but already a Triple Spirit Master, more talented and powerful than Qin Tianhao of Qingyun Town''s Qin family. Her background was certainly extraordinary. "Alright, I''ll go. But first, I want to know, how much do you know about that demon beast?" Li Lin pondered for a moment, seeing that she was clearly a na?ve young girl with little worldly experience, despite her considerable power. "Actually, there are two creatures, a demon beast and a spirit beast. The demon beast is called the Sky-winged Snow Lion, and the spirit beast is the Silver Spirit Illusion Mouse, entrusted to me by my father. I was planning to control them both as my protective demon beasts, but they both escaped. If my father finds out, he''ll be furious, and locking me up for two years would be getting off lightly, so I have to find them," she explained. "What, the Sky-winged Snow Lion and Silver Spirit Illusion Mouse?" Li Lin was startled, his usually calm face changing dramatically. The Sky-winged Snow Lion was not an ordinary demon beast. If compared, the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao he encountered in the Misty Mountain Range, though of high bloodline, was far inferior to the Sky-winged Snow Lion. The latter was said to have reached a terrifying eighth level in the past. Moreover, as a wind-element flying demon beast, the Sky-winged Snow Lion was renowned for its speed and powerful attacks. It was everyone''s dream to have such a creature as a protective demon beast or mount. And the Silver Spirit Illusion Mouse, with its strong and unpredictable power, was also of high bloodline among spirit beasts, not much inferior to the Sky-winged Snow Lion. Li Lin looked at the girl in amazement. Who was she to possess such powerful creatures as the Sky-winged Snow Lion and Silver Spirit Illusion Mouse? "You are a Spirit Master. Isn''t it better to use a spirit beast as your protective creature, rather than a demon beast?" Li Lin gently asked. "My father also said so, but I like the Sky-winged Snow Lion. It''s cuter. I wanted to control them both, but they both ran away," Lv Xiaoling said. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! "What''s their strength level?" Li Lin asked, which was his main concern. At the same time, a somewhat wicked thought emerged in his mind. "The Sky-winged Snow Lion is at the late stage of the second order, and the Silver Spirit Illusion Mouse is at the mid-stage of the second order. They are very powerful, and I can''t handle them alone, so I need to find a martial soul level warrior to help," she explained. "But I''m only at the warrior level," Li Lin said, his mind already making some plans. "We can only try our best. As long as you can stop the Sky-winged Snow Lion, I''ll deal with the Silver Spirit Illusion Mouse first, and then the Sky-winged Snow Lion," said Lv Xiaoling softly. "The Lanling Mountain Range is not small. Can you find them?" Li Lin asked. "On the Silver Spirit Illusion Mouse, I have already placed my soul power, but it hasn''t been successful. However, as long as we get close to it, I can find them," Lv Xiaoling replied. "Oh," Li Lin responded lightly, his mind full of wicked thoughts, not about Lv Xiaoling, but about the Sky-winged Snow Lion. In his heart, the Sky-winged Snow Lion was much more important than Lv Xiaoling. Li Lin was not indifferent to beauty, in fact, quite the opposite, being a normal man in the prime of his youth. But it was still better to stay away from this beautiful woman. He was not familiar with Lv Xiaoling, and her background was certainly not ordinary. He might be doomed if he got involved with her. So, the Sky-winged Snow Lion was much more important. He was looking for a flying demon beast, and the wind-element Sky-winged Snow Lion was undoubtedly the best choice. Moreover, the Sky-winged Snow Lion was currently only at the late stage of the second order. Such a strong-blooded demon beast would become much harder to control once its strength increased, or it might be completely uncontrollable for a normal Spirit Master. As dusk approached, the carriage was lit with several bright lamps at the front, sufficient to keep the horses moving. The interior of the carriage was very comfortable, with only a slight jostling sensation, but the space inside was somewhat limited, accommodating only a single row of seats. Li Lin and Lv Xiaoling were sitting together, almost shoulder to shoulder. As the carriage jostled, they kept rubbing against each other. Li Lin had pure intentions, but being so close to Lv Xiaoling, he couldn''t help but be affected by the faint youthful scent emanating from her, her fiery body curves, and the deep cleavage formed by her breasts. Sitting beside her, Li Lin found it increasingly difficult to control his desires. "Why are you staring at me? I''ve heard that if a man stares at a woman, he''s a pervert. Are you a pervert?" At this moment, Lv Xiaoling turned her gaze to Li Lin, her eyes slightly open, her long eyelashes trembling innocently, seemingly unaware of matters between men and women. "Who told you that? A man looking at a woman is a pervert? There are only men and women in this world, so are men not supposed to look at women?" Li Lin murmured, wondering whether this woman was really so naive or just pretending. He cautioned himself not to fall into the trap of another woman. "You''re right. But the way you look at me is a bit strange," Lv Xiaoling said softly. Perhaps due to sitting for a while, she felt a bit sore and began to twist her body slightly, her leather armor seemingly tight on her upper body. "Any man in your proximity, especially in the quiet of night, might feel a bit strange," Li Lin thought to himself, not daring to say it out loud. The next scene nearly overwhelmed Li Lin. Lv Xiaoling, right in front of him, started bending down and then straightening up. This motion highlighted her shapely upper body. When she bent over, Li Lin only had to lower his gaze slightly to see her barely covered breasts, proudly standing out, swaying with each movement. "Damn, this is really tempting," Li Lin almost had a nosebleed, quickly turning his gaze away, though he couldn''t help stealing a few more glances. "My legs are so sore," Lv Xiaoling said, apparently unaware of Li Lin''s turmoil. She stretched her long, tightly clad legs inside the carriage. Her thighs were covered only with a layer of thin, skin-tight silk pants, reminiscent of the allure of stockings. Her beautiful legs, right under Li Lin''s eyes, kept crossing and stretching. Coupled with Lv Xiaoling''s firm buttocks rubbing against Li Lin due to the carriage''s jostling, he felt his head filling with blood, almost to the point of bleeding from his nostrils. "Damn, this is too tempting," Li Lin cursed inwardly, forcibly closing his eyes to regain his composure. Time passed slowly, and the carriage sped through the night. The sky, dark as ink, held a half-moon hanging askew, with stars twinkling. Occasionally, a meteor with a cool breeze would streak across the night sky, and the gentle night wind caressed the carriage, creating a faint sound. The dim moonlight spilled onto the ground as the carriage flashed by on the road. Inside the carriage, Li Lin and Lv Xiaoling had remained silent. Lv Xiaoling kept curiously watching Li Lin, looking puzzled. As dawn approached, Li Lin opened his eyes and looked at Lv Xiaoling, asking, "Why have you been staring at me all night?" "I find you strange. Since I''ve been out, all men seem to like staring at me, but you don''t. Is it because I''m not pretty enough?" Lv Xiaoling asked. "Of course not. It''s because you''re too beautiful. I''m afraid if I look at you for too long, I won''t be able to control myself," Li Lin said, glancing at Lv Xiaoling. Chapter 146: Encounter with a Demon Beast in the Valley "I find you strange. Since I''ve been out, all men seem to like staring at me, but you don''t. Is it because I''m not pretty enough?" Lv Xiaoling asked. "Of course not. It''s just that you''re too beautiful. I''m afraid if I look at you for too long, I won''t be able to control myself," Li Lin said after glancing at Lv Xiaoling. "Why can''t you control yourself? What would you do if you couldn''t? Can you tell me?" Lv Xiaoling asked curiously again. Li Lin was on the verge of collapse; this was clearly a provocation. "Miss, we''ve arrived at Lanling Mountain. I dare not go any further. You can get off the carriage here," the coachman''s voice came from outside the carriage just then, and the carriage abruptly stopped. "Let''s get off," Lv Xiaoling said, jumping out of the carriage first. When Li Lin got off, a range of continuous mountains appeared before him. Though not as vast as the Misty Mountain Range, it seemed endless at first glance. The distant mountains were not covered with dense forests like the Misty Mountain Range. They mainly consisted of continuous peaks, with only occasional forests in the depths. "Here you go," Lv Xiaoling handed a handful of gold coins, probably forty or fifty, to the old coachman in front of the carriage. The old man thanked her profusely and then drove away. Li Lin initially thought the carriage belonged to Lv Xiaoling, but it turned out to be rented. "This is Lanling Mountain. The Sky-winged Snow Lion and the Silver Spirit Illusion Mouse ran off here. I couldn''t handle them alone, so I came to Tianxing Town to find help," Lv Xiaoling explained. "Let''s go and see if the Sky-winged Snow Lion and the Silver Spirit Illusion Mouse are still here," Li Lin said. "They must be here. I can faintly feel the presence of the Silver Spirit Illusion Mouse," Lv Xiaoling said. The two then entered the Lanling Mountains. In the early morning, Li Lin climbed a peak and looked ahead. The mountain range was serene and ancient, with a misty charm among the distant mountains and waters. "Try to sense where the Silver Spirit Illusion Mouse is," Li Lin said. Finding a spirit beast in such a vast mountain range was like finding a needle in a haystack. "It should be on the left," Lv Xiaoling closed her eyes, forming hand seals. A faint white aura surrounded her. "Then let''s hurry," they followed the winding mountain paths, climbing steep slopes towards the left. Two hours later, Lv Xiaoling was already complaining. As a spirit practitioner, her physical strength was far less than Li Lin''s. The rugged mountain path had exhausted her. "We need to hurry. If the Sky-winged Snow Lion and the Silver Spirit Illusion Mouse escape, we won''t catch them," Li Lin urged. "I''m really tired," Lv Xiaoling gasped for breath, her chest heaving. After another two hours, they reached a wooded mountaintop. Lv Xiaoling insisted on resting before going any further, and Li Lin had no choice but to agree. Surrounded by lush trees, the air in the forest was fresh, creating a serene and tranquil atmosphere. Ahead, the mountains twisted and turned like a sleeping dragon, with clouds and mist weaving through them. "I''m so tired," Lv Xiaoling panted, her boots scratched by the rocky terrain. They were leather boots, not suitable for mountain hiking. "Let''s keep going," Li Lin said, his mind fixated on the Sky-winged Snow Lion. "I can''t walk anymore; I''m really tired, and my legs are blistered," Lv Xiaoling said, her eyes filled with grievance. She had never experienced such hardship. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "We have to go on, or your Silver Spirit Illusion Mouse and Sky-winged Snow Lion will get away," Li Lin told her. "Okay," Lv Xiaoling stood up reluctantly and followed Li Lin, her eyes suddenly brightening. "What if you carry me? When I was little and couldn''t walk, my father would carry me." "Carry you..." Li Lin turned to look at Lv Xiaoling, realizing she truly couldn''t walk anymore. Spirit practitioners were far less physically capable than warriors. "Alright, but first, we need to find the Sky-winged Snow Lion and the Silver Spirit Illusion Mouse." Considering the Sky-winged Snow Lion, Li Lin agreed. There seemed to be others in the mountains looking for demon beasts; he had to find them first. "Thank you," Lv Xiaoling smiled happily and then climbed onto Li Lin''s back, not considering the difference between men and women, tightly wrapping her arms around Li Lin''s neck. Poor Li Lin carried the beauty on his back, moving forward. The softness on his back pressed tightly against him with each step, rubbing with the movement. Li Lin''s hands fell to the back of her thighs, close to her pert buttocks, feeling a smooth and firm sensation, causing a slight tingle in his heart. It was a truly tempting situation. "I didn''t expect you to be quite nice. After I find the Sky-winged Snow Lion and the Silver Spirit Illusion Mouse, I''ll give you a hundred thousand gold coins," Lv Xiaoling gently said while lying on Li Lin''s back. Li Lin didn''t speak, helplessly suppressing his desires. Was this woman really as innocent as a blank slate? They didn''t know how long they had walked, but when they became hungry, they ate some prepared dry food and continued their journey. After several hours, they had crossed multiple mountain peaks. Along the way, Li Lin even encountered several small groups of people. It seemed that news had spread about demon beasts in Lanling Mountain, attracting many to catch them. The most powerful among them were at the level of martial artists, and Li Lin intentionally avoided them. "I feel it, the Silver Spirit Illusion Mouse is not far ahead," Lv Xiaoling suddenly said to Li Lin after crossing a mountain peak. "Really? Let''s hurry then," Li Lin said, quickly moving forward with Lv Xiaoling on his back. Moments later, Li Lin felt Little dragon, his dragon companion, becoming restless on his arm. Little dragon was sensing a demon beast ahead. Li Lin calmed Little dragon and increased his pace. He was determined to obtain the Sky-winged Snow Lion. As for Lv Xiaoling, he couldn''t blame himself if something happened. If someone else had found them, they would probably capture both the Silver Spirit Illusion Mouse and the Sky-winged Snow Lion, and even Lv Xiaoling might not escape their grasp. In comparison, Li Lin felt he was being quite generous. "Bang, bang..." Half an hour later, the sound of power explosions came from outside a mountain peak. "Not good, the Silver Spirit Illusion Mouse and Sky-winged Snow Lion are being attacked," Lv Xiaoling exclaimed upon hearing the explosions. "Let''s go and see," Li Lin frowned, hoping it wasn''t a powerful warrior attacking the Sky-winged Snow Lion. If it was, the beast might not end up in his hands. In an open valley surrounded by mountains, Li Lin and Lv Xiaoling quietly hid atop a mountain peak. Below in the valley, a giant demon beast, about fifty meters in size, and another six or seven meters in size, were engaged in a fierce battle with four humans. The larger beast, fifty meters in size, was covered in snow-white fur, like it was draped in snow. Its huge head was followed by a mane extending to its shoulders and chest. Its tail, several meters long, curled slightly behind it. Its eyes were as large as copper bells, its mouth roared continuously, and its fangs shone coldly. The roar echoed in the valley, and on its back were a pair of nearly transparent white wings. "This is the Sky-winged Snow Lion," Li Lin thought excitedly, finally seeing the rare Sky-winged Snow Lion. Under the attack of two warriors who seemed to be at the first and second levels of martial artists, the Sky-winged Snow Lion was not at a disadvantage. Its kingly power and its innate wind attribute allowed it to move at dreamlike speeds, truly a king among beasts. On the other side, two other warriors were fighting the six or seven meters tall demon beast, which was covered in silver fur and moved incredibly fast. Its leaps and jumps created a series of afterimages. "Boom! Boom!" The valley echoed with explosions, and powerful auras swept around. Li Lin''s gaze was fixed on the Sky-winged Snow Lion. The two warriors attacking it, one at the first and the other at the second level of martial artists, wielded long swords. Their sword shadows slashed through the air, creating powerful auras as they attacked the Sky-winged Snow Lion from different directions. "Roar..." The Sky-winged Snow Lion let out a soul-shaking roar, its mouth creating a massive storm that whirled and rose high, tearing the warriors'' sword light into shreds. The faces of the two warriors darkened. One summoned a flame palm print, and the other conjured a water column, hurling them at the Sky-winged Snow Lion. One was a fire attribute warrior and the other a water attribute warrior. Under their attack, the storm spewed by the Sky-winged Snow Lion gradually weakened. However, the beast roared again, and the storm exploded violently. The fierce wind ravaged the valley, scattering rocks and shaking the warriors. Unprepared, the warriors turned pale, seemingly injured. They exchanged glances, formed hand seals, and hurled their long swords towards the Sky-winged Snow Lion. The swords emitted a buzzing sound and eerily transformed into intersecting beams of light, rushing towards the beast. Chapter 147: Clash of Auras "Roar roar..." The Skywing Snow Lion, with a mere roar and a flap of its wings, dove straight down as two sword shadows streaked towards it. There was no sign on its body, just a flash of a transparent light circle that enveloped it. "Bang bang..." The two sword shadows collided directly with the Skywing Snow Lion. They intertwined and then instantly rebounded, seemingly unable to harm the Snow Lion at all. "Roar..." In just the blink of an eye, the Skywing Snow Lion, a wind-based flying magical beast, moved terrifyingly fast. In a flash, its wings whipped up two violent wind vortexes, swooping down and fiercely engulfing the two men. "Bang! Bang!" The two warriors were sent flying dozens of meters, crashing hard onto two large rocks, blood spurting from their mouths. "Squeak squeak..." At this moment, in the distance, two people besieging the Silver Spirit Phantom Mouse suddenly had blood spurting from their necks, as if bitten by the Phantom Mouse. Its speed was terrifying; the two were bitten on the neck in an unguarded moment. "Roar..." The Skywing Snow Lion roared in the sky and then rushed towards the two heavily injured warriors. With a wide open mouth, it swallowed them whole. "What strong power," Li Lin exclaimed. The Skywing Snow Lion, only at the late second stage of magical beasts, had killed a first-stage and a second-stage warrior. Its bloodline was indeed powerful, far stronger than ordinary magical beasts. "Just trap the Skywing Snow Lion, and I''ll deal with the Silver Spirit Phantom Mouse quickly," said Lv Xiaoling. "Alright," Li Lin replied softly, then asked, "What if they run? We won''t be able to catch up." "Don''t worry about that. My soul power is on the Silver Spirit Phantom Mouse; it can''t escape. The Skywing Snow Lion and the Phantom Mouse are close. If I control the Phantom Mouse, it will come after me. Just hold it off for a moment, and I''ll be able to control the Phantom Mouse," Lv Xiaoling explained. "As long as it doesn''t run," Li Lin said with a slight smile, fearing that he wouldn''t be able to catch the Skywing Snow Lion if it fled. "Be careful," Lv Xiaoling said, her aura changing in an instant, her spiritual power trembling, a massive aura spreading out. "Squeak squeak..." Almost instantly, the Silver Spirit Phantom Mouse in the valley began to squeak violently, rushing towards the outside, leaving a large afterimage. "You think you can run? After making me suffer so much, I''ll teach you a lesson later," Lv Xiaoling shouted lightly, her body flickered, her spiritual power bursting out, transforming into a streak of light and quickly diving into the valley. Li Lin didn''t hesitate. His true qi trembled, a flash of light under his feet, and in a few leaps, he landed in the valley. "Squeak squeak..." Ahead, Lv Xiaoling formed hand seals, a dazzling light bursting from her hands, enveloping the Silver Spirit Phantom Mouse. The mouse, originally very fast, was now unable to escape in front of Lv Xiaoling, struggling and squeaking sharply. Li Lin wasn''t surprised. As a spiritual master, he could see that Lv Xiaoling had left a soul power on the Phantom Mouse. Now close to it, she used this power to suppress and prevent it from escaping, which otherwise wouldn''t have been easy for her. "Roar..." Stolen story; please report. At this moment, the Skywing Snow Lion in mid-air roared and plunged towards Lv Xiaoling, seeing the state of the Phantom Mouse. In the valley, Li Lin got a close look at the Skywing Snow Lion. Its huge body, about a hundred meters in size, flapped its wings, causing gusts of wind. Its white body was covered in countless tiny scales, almost indistinguishable at first glance. Its large eyes glowed fiercely. "Whoosh whoosh..." The Skywing Snow Lion dove straight at Lv Xiaoling, its wings stirring up a howling wind. Li Lin was startled; the Skywing Snow Lion''s speed was indeed frightening. Not daring to be careless, he immediately donned the Qingling Armor. With a move of the Fire Shadow Finger, five sharp whistling sounds streaked towards the Skywing Snow Lion. Seeing Li Lin''s attack, the Skywing Snow Lion''s dive towards him slowed slightly. Its broad right wing vibrated in an instant, and a massive storm seemed to effortlessly scatter Li Lin''s five Fire Shadow Fingers in the void. At that moment, a stream of air burst from the Skywing Snow Lion''s mouth, transforming into a tornado-like airflow that rolled directly towards Li Lin. The storm whistled into existence, lifting up shards of stones in its fury. The violent force was absolutely beyond the attack power of an ordinary warrior. Around the storm, even the void seemed to twist, the oppressive space making a thunderous roaring sound. "Raging Sea''s Fury," Li Lin dared not be careless, having witnessed the Skywing Snow Lion''s strength. He immediately conjured up the Raging Sea''s Fury, turning it into a massive water vortex, like a tornado, twisting the void and fiercely colliding with it. "Bang bang..." When the forces collided, a deafening explosion resounded, and the ground around them cracked with long fissures. As the energy dispersed, Li Lin''s body was involuntarily pushed back ten steps. A massive force poured down on him, but fortunately, most of it was countered by the Qingling Armor, and the remaining force couldn''t cause any substantial harm to him. "Roar roar..." The Skywing Snow Lion roared, piercing through the strong winds. Its huge body plunged down, making the void tremble as it fiercely pounced towards Li Lin again. "Little dragon (Little Dragon)," Li Lin softly called out. At this point, he knew it was unlikely to win against the Skywing Snow Lion. Even if he used the Sword Soul Technique and Vermilion Bird Art, he might be able to hold off the Snow Lion, but his goal was to imprint the Blood Soul Mark on the Snow Lion. "Ssss ssss..." Little Dragon, sensing the external aura, couldn''t hold back any longer. Hearing Li Lin''s command, it immediately transformed into a yellow stream of light and shot up into the sky. Mid-air, Little Dragon''s body grew to eighty meters in size. Its huge body appeared, hovering in the void like a flying magical beast, with an invisible oppressive aura spreading out. "Roar roar..." Feeling Little Dragon''s aura, the Skywing Snow Lion also roared, spreading an invisible oppressive aura. The two invisible auras collided in the air above, creating visible ripples in the void as if an invisible current was undulating. Under these two immense pressures, Li Lin''s mind trembled instantly. The pressure was too overpowering. He could clearly feel the aura of kingship emanating from the Skywing Snow Lion, a sovereign presence among beasts, emanating from its bloodline, defiant and powerful enough to make other magical beasts tremble. Yet, the aura around Little Dragon seemed even more dominant. After a brief clash, the aura of the Skywing Snow Lion was suppressed. Lv Xiaoling, sensing the formidable auras behind her, couldn''t help but turn back for a glance. She looked at Little Dragon in the sky, her eyes filled with confusion, but she didn''t dare to be distracted. Her hands formed seals, and rays of light struck the Silver Spirit Phantom Mouse, which struggled increasingly harder. "Ssss ssss..." Little Dragon let out a low roar, its aura swelling once more. Its body glowed with a bright yellow light, and its massive tail whipped fiercely towards the Skywing Snow Lion. Seeing Little Dragon''s attack, the Skywing Snow Lion, a second-stage magical beast, showed hesitation in its eyes. Despite its high bloodline intelligence, it sensed the aura of Little Dragon and its fighting spirit diminished considerably. However, the Skywing Snow Lion, being a sovereign among magical beasts, wouldn''t easily admit defeat. Its wings flapped, creating a gust of wind in the sky. The wind whistled and expanded rapidly against the wind, turning into a massive tornado-like storm over two hundred meters in size. The tornado swept violently, crushing countless stones into gravel and easily destroying huge boulders with its formidable power, enveloping Little Dragon. Little Dragon''s tail swept through, bringing a sharp whistling sound. As the tornado approached, its body and tail were enveloped in intense golden flames. In the blink of an eye, the flames surged from within, roaring through the tornado, and smacked fiercely towards the Skywing Snow Lion. Energy and wind clashed, causing a violent explosion in the sky above the valley, and the terrifying energy released forced Li Lin to stagger backward. "Bang!" Little Dragon''s massive tail swept directly onto the back of the Skywing Snow Lion, causing a huge impact that made the Snow Lion''s body plummet from the sky. "Whoosh whoosh..." Just as the Skywing Snow Lion was a few meters from the ground, its wings flapped violently, sending out a gust of wind that scattered stones all around. Using the force of the wind, the Skywing Snow Lion swiftly slid back into the sky. "Roar roar..." The enraged Skywing Snow Lion, now circling over a large boulder in the valley, roared at Little Dragon but dared not attack rashly again. Chapter 148: Imprinting the Blood Soul Mark "Ssss ssss..." Little Dragon showed no fear, assuming a provocative stance. Instantly, its long body sprung up like a dragon soaring into the sky, cutting through the void with streams of golden flames, and fiercely lunged towards the Skywing Snow Lion. Li Lin had already instructed Little Dragon to subdue the Skywing Snow Lion, as it would make imprinting the Blood Soul Mark easier; otherwise, it would be a challenge for him. "Roar! Roar!" The Skywing Snow Lion''s dual roars echoed in mid-air. Its mouth revealed sharp fangs, and from within, a wind blade burst through the air, fiercely striking towards Little Dragon. "Clang!" The wind blade landed directly on Little Dragon''s body, leaving only a white mark before disappearing. "Ssss ssss..." Little Dragon roared deeply, seemingly pained by the hit. Suddenly, a golden flame burst from its mouth, streaking faster than the Skywing Snow Lion''s wind blade and landing directly on the Snow Lion''s head. "Whoosh..." Under the golden flames, the Skywing Snow Lion rapidly retreated. "Roar roar..." Despite the Snow Lion''s quick retreat, its head was still scorched by Little Dragon''s golden flames, turning its white head black. The small white scales on its body were charred, emitting a painful howl. "Ssss ssss..." At this moment, Little Dragon moved incredibly fast through the void. Its massive tail swung, taking the opportunity to heavily smash onto the back of the Skywing Snow Lion. "Bang..." This time, the Skywing Snow Lion finally crashed heavily onto the ground, causing a tremor in the area, scattering many stones. "Roar!" With a roar, the Skywing Snow Lion rose again, glaring at Little Dragon, which had also landed and was circling on the ground. Having suffered several losses, the Skywing Snow Lion now showed reluctance towards Little Dragon. "Little Dragon, don''t let the Skywing Snow Lion escape," Li Lin communicated telepathically, knowing that if the Snow Lion escaped, it would be uncatchable. He was increasingly amazed by the Snow Lion''s defensive strength, befitting its name, possessing the toughness of earth-based magical beasts despite being a wind-based one. Meanwhile, Li Lin, aware that Little Dragon and the Skywing Snow Lion were engaged in combat and that he couldn''t help much, focused on his own strength. Even though he wasn''t as powerful as Little Dragon, who could even contend with average martial soul warriors, he was still formidable. "Ssss ssss..." Little Dragon, breathing heavily, leaped out like lightning. Its huge body, wrapped in intense golden flames, soared towards the Skywing Snow Lion. "Roar..." The Skywing Snow Lion, showing determination in its eyes, roared and flapped its wings, creating a violent white storm in front of it. The storm whistled and swept towards Little Dragon. Little Dragon, known for its strong defense, forcefully broke through the massive storm. Seeing this, the Skywing Snow Lion''s eyes shone brightly. It flapped its wings, its huge body charging forward, its white claws suddenly protruding wind-blade-like claws. It swiped fiercely, cutting through the void with a sharp whistling sound, its claw marks twisting the air as it ferociously struck at Little Dragon. In mid-air, Little Dragon seemed somewhat restricted in speed, not being a flying magical beast, and lacking aerial advantage. It twisted its huge body abruptly, its massive tail sweeping out again. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. "Smack..." The Skywing Snow Lion''s claw struck against Little Dragon''s tail, causing an explosive energy release. The Snow Lion''s massive body was pushed back, but several white scales marks appeared on Little Dragon''s tail, causing it pain and anger. "Ssss ssss..." In an instant, Little Dragon''s body, which had initially landed on the ground, rebounded off a large rock several meters high, its powerful force shattering the rock. Using this momentum, it fiercely lunged towards the retreating Skywing Snow Lion. "Roar roar..." The Skywing Snow Lion retreated rapidly but wasn''t as fast as Little Dragon. Just as it was about to launch an attack, it was heavily suppressed by Little Dragon''s massive body from behind, a colossal force pressing down. The Snow Lion''s body crashed heavily into the valley, roaring as it hit the ground. "Bang bang..." The valley trembled, the Skywing Snow Lion''s huge body creating a small crater. The power of Little Dragon''s strike was incredibly formidable. "Whoosh whoosh!" Just as the Skywing Snow Lion was about to rise and fly away, Little Dragon appeared in front of it like lightning. Its massive head loomed over the Snow Lion, a long crimson tongue flickering. Suddenly, a small hole, the size of an eye, appeared on Little Dragon''s forehead, emitting dazzling golden light. The golden light burst forth from the forehead, spreading and enveloping the Skywing Snow Lion. The light was terrifying and violent, seeming to penetrate the soul, making it pulse. "Roar roar..." Under the golden light, the Skywing Snow Lion trembled, collapsing to the ground, unable to struggle to its feet, its aura completely suppressed. "Blood Soul Mark." At that moment, although surprised by Little Dragon''s mysterious power, Li Lin didn''t have time to ponder. He quickly activated the Blood Soul Mark in his mind. In his mind, the Blood Soul Mark, once activated, formed an energy phantom. The phantom was blood-red, like fresh blood, resembling but not quite a dragon or a tiger, exuding a bizarre aura. The Blood Soul Mark then transformed into an energy that entered his meridians, surging throughout his body, and finally concentrated on the palm of Li Lin''s right hand. "Aoow..." A sound reminiscent of dragon, phoenix, lion, and tiger roars faintly emerged from his palm. A strange and eerie mark appeared on Li Lin''s right palm, resembling but not quite a dragon or tiger, entirely blood-red and extremely profound. A tremendous pressure spread from it. Feeling this immense pressure, the Skywing Snow Lion appeared terrified and trembled even more, completely overwhelmed. "Go!" Li Lin whispered, flinging the Blood Soul Mark from his hand. The mark, like a dragon soaring through the void or a tiger hunting, accompanied by the roars of mythical beasts, fiercely smashed into the Skywing Snow Lion''s forehead, turning into a burst of blood-red light and disappearing. "Little Dragon, protect." At the same time, Li Lin sat cross-legged, continuously changing hand seals, casting mysterious lights directly onto the Skywing Snow Lion''s forehead. "Ssss ssss..." Little Dragon circled behind Li Lin, its tongue flickering continuously. In Li Lin''s mind, he could clearly feel the Blood Soul Mark facing great resistance in the Skywing Snow Lion''s mind. A mini version of the snow-white Skywing Snow Lion, still somewhat ethereal and not fully solidified, was blocking the Blood Soul Mark. "Truly a high-bloodline magical beast," Li Lin thought to himself. The mini Skywing Snow Lion represented its soul, which could solidify, unlike other second-stage magical beasts with ethereal souls. Li Lin carefully controlled the Blood Soul Mark, which took on a dragon-like, tiger-like form, and enveloped the Skywing Snow Lion. At this moment, the mini Skywing Snow Lion struggled fiercely, its mind refusing external intrusion. The two energies battled within the Skywing Snow Lion''s mind, unseen from outside but undeniably more violent and perilous. "Boom boom boom..." A series of explosive sounds erupted. Around the Skywing Snow Lion, a powerful storm swept through, covering the entire space . The Blood Soul Mark transformed into boundless blood-red light, carrying an overwhelming pressure, furiously spreading and crushing outwards. "Bang bang..." Explosive sounds howled, and outside, Li Lin''s hand seals kept moving, his face turning slightly pale. Controlling the Skywing Snow Lion was proving to be extremely challenging. While killing the Snow Lion might not be difficult, controlling it was undoubtedly much harder. "Beast Control Technique, Suppress!" Li Lin shouted softly, executing a complex and profound hand seal. A dazzling light shot from his hand, striking the forehead of the Skywing Snow Lion. "Aoow..." Inside the brain of the Skywing Snow Lion, sounds of dragons roaring, tigers howling, lions bellowing, and phoenixes crying resounded, accompanied by an immense pressure. The mini Skywing Snow Lion trembled under this influence. In that instant, a burst of blood-red light enveloped the Snow Lion, merging into the mini version''s forehead as a glaring blood light. "You''re a spirit manipulator, that''s my Skywing Snow Lion, give it back to me!" At this moment, from behind Li Lin, Lv Xiaoling, who had controlled the Silver Spirit Phantom Mouse and recognized Li Lin''s actions, rushed towards him. She couldn''t let her beloved Skywing Snow Lion be taken away by someone else. "Stop, stop right now!" Lv Xiaoling charged at Li Lin, unwilling to let her favorite Skywing Snow Lion be captured. "Ssss ssss..." Little Dragon, flicking its tongue, stood upright, watching Lv Xiaoling intently, its eyes emitting a warning glow. If it weren''t aware that Lv Xiaoling had been with Li Lin these past days, it might have already attacked. "Magical beast?" Observing Little Dragon, Lv Xiaoling halted, her gaze filled with confusion as she seemed to ponder something. Chapter 149: You Thief "Silver Spirit Phantom Mouse, deal with this snake," Lv Xiaoling commanded loudly, and the subdued Silver Spirit Phantom Mouse leapt into action. "Ssss ssss..." Little Dragon growled deeply, flicking its long, crimson tongue, its eyes fiercely fixed on the Silver Spirit Phantom Mouse. "Squeak squeak..." The six-meter-long Silver Spirit Phantom Mouse eyed Little Dragon cautiously, squeaking anxiously, not daring to approach due to Little Dragon''s formidable aura. "Such a strong aura, you''re also a spirit beast, with a bloodline superior to the Silver Spirit Phantom Mouse," Lv Xiaoling observed Little Dragon. The bloodline of the Phantom Mouse was already high, but now it seemed to fear the yellow snake, indicating that Little Dragon''s bloodline was even higher; otherwise, even if less powerful, it wouldn''t be able to suppress the Phantom Mouse. "Roar..." Li Lin suddenly opened his eyes. The Skywing Snow Lion, which had been lying prostrate, roared fiercely, its powerful aura fully restored. Li Lin stood up, looking up at the Skywing Snow Lion''s huge body. The Snow Lion, with its large head bowed, now looked at Li Lin with reverence and submissively stood behind him. "You liar, you thief! You stole my Skywing Snow Lion, give it back to me," Lv Xiaoling exclaimed, realizing what had happened. She had always thought that Li Lin was just a warrior who couldn''t control a magical beast on his own without the help of a spirit manipulator. But she didn''t expect him to be a spirit manipulator too. She knew that all spirit manipulators would claim a beast like the Skywing Snow Lion as their own, hence why she sought help from warriors. But it turned out Li Lin was a spirit manipulator as well. "I didn''t steal it; the Skywing Snow Lion was subdued by me. You just helped guide me here, thanks for that," Li Lin said with a slight smile, then commanded the Skywing Snow Lion, "Let''s go, Snow Lion." "Roar!" The Skywing Snow Lion roared and leaped into the air, flapping its wings to create a powerful whirlwind, scattering stones as it hovered mid-air. "Little Dragon, let''s go," Li Lin said softly. Little Dragon shrank its body, transforming into a 20-centimeter-long creature and spiraled onto Li Lin''s shoulder. "Thanks, Lv Xiaoling. I''ll be going ahead. Remember, next time we meet, don''t dress so provocatively, or I might not be able to resist ''circling'' and ''crossing'' you, haha." After saying this, Li Lin tapped his foot on a rock, leaping up to the broad back of the Skywing Snow Lion in the sky. "You liar, give me back my Skywing Snow Lion!" Lv Xiaoling lunged towards Li Lin. "Roar..." The Skywing Snow Lion flapped its wings, casting a glance at the Silver Spirit Phantom Mouse as if saying goodbye to a companion, then quickly disappeared into the distance with a flap of its wings. "You liar, I won''t let you off..." Lv Xiaoling angrily watched the direction in which the Skywing Snow Lion disappeared, then shouted, "Hey, you can''t leave me here alone, I can''t walk..." "It''s a magical beast, a flying magical beast." "Look, there''s someone on it, that beast already has an owner." In the Lanling Mountains, many people looked up to the sky, seeing a flying magical beast disappearing, feeling dejected for not gaining anything in the Lanling Mountains. "Such speed," Li Lin marveled, sitting on the Skywing Snow Lion. Its speed was much faster than the Black-crested Pheasant and the Yanyang Sect''s Rock Eagle he had previously encountered, not even in the same league. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. "Snow Lion, use your fastest speed," Li Lin requested, curious to know the maximum speed of the Skywing Snow Lion, which was evidently not yet at its peak. "Roar..." The Skywing Snow Lion roared, its wings flapping instantly. A powerful airstream whistled forth, propelling its body like an arrow shooting through the air. "So fast," Li Lin exclaimed. This speed was terrifying, at least five times faster than the Black-crested Pheasant. Li Lin was amazed. The Skywing Snow Lion was only a late second-stage magical beast now. If it reached the third or fourth stage, its speed would undoubtedly increase even more. In just two hours, Li Lin, riding the Skywing Snow Lion, arrived outside Flying Spirit Mountain. The speed of the Skywing Snow Lion was astonishingly fast. "Whoosh..." The Skywing Snow Lion landed on a mountaintop, folding its wings tightly against its belly, seamlessly blending them like a layer of scale armor, perfectly integrated and seamless. Even with its wings folded, the Skywing Snow Lion still measured about forty meters in size, standing several meters tall. With such a colossal creature, it wasn''t feasible to return to the Flying Spirit Gate. "Snow Lion, can you shrink your body?" Li Lin asked the Skywing Snow Lion. "Roar roar..." The Skywing Snow Lion softly growled, its eyes looking at Li Lin as if communicating. Only Li Lin knew what the Skywing Snow Lion was saying. Having imprinted the Blood Soul Mark in its mind, he could instantly understand the Snow Lion''s thoughts. The Snow Lion informed him that it couldn''t reduce its size unless it reached the fourth stage, where it would gain the ability to freely change its body size. "This is troublesome," Li Lin frowned, realizing he had to take the Skywing Snow Lion to Flying Spirit Gate. Leaving the Snow Lion outside could attract unwanted attention from powerful individuals. "Snow Lion, don''t spread your wings," Li Lin instructed, deciding to take the Snow Lion to Flying Spirit Gate and keep a low profile. He guessed that without its wings spread, even Huang Haibo and others might not recognize it. "Roar..." The Skywing Snow Lion growled lowly, seemingly responding to Li Lin''s words. "Look, the Sect Master is back." "The Sect Master has brought back a beast, it''s so beautiful." Outside Flying Spirit Gate, as Li Lin returned with the Skywing Snow Lion, many disciples came out to greet him. They were surprised to see the huge creature following Li Lin. "Greetings, Sect Master." The crowd saluted. Li Lin nodded slightly and continued with the Skywing Snow Lion to his residence. The disciples curiously observed the Snow Lion from a distance, but none dared to approach closely. "Brother..." Li Xintong, hearing the commotion outside, came out of her residence and rushed to Li Lin upon seeing him return. "What a big and beautiful dog," Li Xintong remarked, looking at the Skywing Snow Lion behind Li Lin. The Snow Lion, with its wings folded and some of its mane burnt off in the battle with Little Dragon, indeed resembled a large dog. "Roar..." The Skywing Snow Lion roared in protest, clearly offended at being mistaken for a dog. "What kind of beast is this? I''ve never seen it before," Fang Xinqi emerged, looking at the Skywing Snow Lion in surprise. "Snow Lion, stay in the back mountain and dont leave," Li Lin instructed gently. The Skywing Snow Lion growled lowly and quickly headed to the back mountain. "Sect Master, did you subdue this beast?" Fang Xinqi asked in amazement. "Yes, it''s my guardian beast and also my mount," Li Lin replied. "Sect Master is so powerful to have a beast mount." "This beast is so big; it must be a third-stage magical beast, right?" The ordinary disciples started discussing among themselves, all amazed. For the disciples of Flying Spirit Gate, having their own beast mount was like a dream. Even in larger sects, not every disciple had such a privilege. After the initial surprise, the disciples dispersed. At night, after dinner, Li Lin went to his room to cultivate. Sitting cross-legged, Li Lin thought about Lv Xiaoling. She shouldn''t be in any danger with the Silver Spirit Phantom Mouse and being a third-level spirit manipulator herself. But he hoped not to meet her again. Having taken her Skywing Snow Lion, even if she couldnt harm him herself, her backing could easily target him. Li Lin also considered that now with the Skywing Snow Lion as his mount, traveling to Yanyang Sect seemed feasible. But the dangerous beasts in the mountains were too formidable for his current strength, and even Little Dragon couldnt handle them. It would be best to join a mercenary group or wait until he grew stronger. Moreover, he had promised to avenge Li Xintong and couldn''t leave right away. Also, the secret chamber items in Flying Spirit Gate were worth exploring; there might be valuable things. "Cultivation." Li Lin popped two third-grade pills into his mouth and began to refine them. The Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art was expensive to maintain; the two third-grade pills were of medium quality, together worth over ten thousand gold coins. The pills transformed into massive energy within his body. Li Lin activated the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art to refine the energy, drawing out pure qi into his dantian. Moments later, Li Lin was enveloped in a yellow light, his aura slowly rising. After a night of cultivation, the next morning, Li Lin stopped as dawn broke. The energy from the two third-grade pills was fully refined, and he felt his qi had reached the peak of the eighth level of the warrior stage. Chapter 150: Men More, Women Fewer "Last time on the way back from Huamen Town, after devouring an eighth-level martial artist, I reached the late stage of an eight-level warrior. Now, with the energy from these two third-grade pills, I still haven''t broken through to the ninth-level warrior," Li Lin thought. The higher the level, the more energy was needed for breakthroughs, so he wasn''t surprised. Consuming two or three more third-grade pills or devouring another warrior should allow him to break through. "Sect Master, something''s wrong!" As Li Lin was stepping out of his room, he saw Zhang Mingtao rushing towards him, looking extremely panicked. "Brother, what''s wrong?" Li Lin asked gently. With Fang Xinqi around, Li Lin always addressed Zhang Mingtao as ''brother'' to avoid revealing his identity. "Sect Master, people from the Black Sword Sect have come. They want to see you," Zhang Mingtao said. "What Black Sword Sect? I don''t think I know them," Li Lin replied, puzzled. "Sect Master, the Black Sword Sect is right outside our Flying Spirit Mountain. They''re basically our neighbors. Their arrival probably doesn''t bode well," Fang Xinqi added. Zhang Mingtao said, "Two disciples from the Black Sword Sect have come, asking to see the Sect Master." "Alright, lets go see what they want," Li Lin said, raising an eyebrow. Accompanied by Li Xintong, Zhang Mingtao, and Fang Xinqi, Li Lin headed to the main hall. Along the way, Fang Xinqi briefed Li Lin about the Black Sword Sect. The Black Sword Sect, located next to Flying Spirit Gate, had about two hundred disciples. Its Sect Master was at the martial soul level, and there were five elders with similar cultivation levels. Overall, the disciples of the Black Sword Sect were somewhat stronger than those of Flying Spirit Gate. The Black Sword Sect had always coveted Flying Spirit Mountain and probably saw an opportunity now that the former Sect Master of Flying Spirit Gate was killed and replaced by a new one. As Li Lin listened to this information, his brow furrowed, realizing that Flying Spirit Gate had quite a few troubles. "Greetings, Sect Master." When Li Lin arrived at the main hall, all the disciples had gathered, along with elders Huang Haibo, Zhou Yuhou, and Zheng Ying. In the center of the hall were a young man and woman, both around twenty-two or twenty-three. The man was tall and straight with long hair and a short shirt, carrying a black broadsword on his back. The woman was petite, dressed in a palace outfit, fairly attractive but with typical peach blossom eyes, suggesting a strong sexual appetite. Li Lin glanced at them. Their aura indicated they were first-level warriors, probably among the best second-generation disciples of the Black Sword Sect. Seeing Li Lin, a young Sect Master, they both looked surprised. Li Lin sat on the foremost chair in the hall, giving the young man and woman a cursory glance. The three elders, Huang Haibo and the others, remained silent and seated themselves below Li Lin. Their expressions subtly changed, perhaps deep in thought. "Presumably, you are the new Sect Master of Flying Spirit Gate. Our master has sent us, brother and sister, to congratulate you on your new position," the woman in the palace outfit said, smiling at Li Lin after her initial surprise. "You are from the Black Sword Sect, right? Congratulating me on my appointment, but didnt bring any gifts? Isn''t your sect being a bit stingy?" Li Lin looked at the woman casually. "This..." The two from the Black Sword Sect were taken aback and embarrassed, not expecting someone to directly ask for gifts. "We are to blame for being in a rush and forgetting the gifts our master prepared. We will definitely bring them another day," the woman said somewhat awkwardly. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. "Alright then, I''ll wait here. You should go back and get them now, so your master doesn''t blame you," Li Lin said nonchalantly, feigning concern. "Pfft..." Fang Xinqi and the other two female disciples couldn''t help but laugh, finding their young Sect Master quite amusing. The young man and woman from the Black Sword Sect were even more embarrassed, coughing awkwardly. "Our master will blame us, but we can only blame ourselves. However, he sent us here to personally inform the new Sect Master of Flying Spirit Gate about a matter. After that, we''ll go back and bring the gifts," the woman continued. "What''s the matter? Speak," Li Lin said indifferently, his thoughts whispering to himself that they were finally getting to the main topic. "My master said that our Black Sword Gate (Hei Jian Men) and Flying Spirit Gate (Flying Spirit Gate) have been neighbors for decades and have always had a good relationship. So, why not merge our two sects into one? In this way, our combined strength will greatly increase, and our sects will become one big family," the woman in palace attire softly said, glancing at Li Lin. "This relationship sounds good. If the two sects merge into one, then we will truly be our own people," Li Lin mildly responded. The woman in palace attire was immediately delighted, not expecting the matter to be agreed upon so quickly. She thought her master would surely reward her well upon returning. At this moment, everyone in the Flying Spirit Gate looked at their sect leader with puzzlement. Would the sect leader agree to such a request? It was clear that the Black Sword Gate intended to annex the Flying Spirit Gate. Just then, Li Lin glanced at the crowd in the great hall and calmly said to the two from the Black Sword Gate, "However, I have thought of another method. Our Flying Spirit Gate has more men than women, creating an imbalance. How about this: Miss, you seem to be an outstanding second-generation disciple of the Black Sword Gate. Why not stay at our Flying Spirit Gate? Let''s see which disciple is interested, and he can marry you. This can also be considered a union between our two sects. As for the dowry, the Black Sword Gate can decide as you please. We in the Flying Spirit Gate will not be particular about these things." "What, what do you mean by this" a male disciple from the Black Sword Gate looked at Li Lin in surprise. "Sect Leader, I am willing to marry this lady for the sake of the Flying Spirit Gate," the most conspicuous bald disciple among the crowd in the hall immediately stepped forward and loudly said. "Haha, I am willing too." ... Suddenly, many disciples stepped forward, speaking loudly, causing a burst of laughter. "Miss, what do you think? You can choose a husband yourself," Li Lin continued indifferently, his eyes lightly sweeping over the two. "What does this mean, Flying Spirit Gate? Are you making a mockery of our Black Sword Gate with this proposal of union?" the sword-bearing young man said with a sinking expression, staring at Li Lin. "How dare you, with your status, speak to me in such a manner," Li Lin''s gaze narrowed, a coldness suddenly swept over the young man, spreading an invisible aura of menace. "Elder Huang, capture this man," Li Lin ordered sternly. Feeling the aura emanating from Li Lin, Huang Haibo''s face slightly changed. "Sect Leader, this may not be appropriate. It could lead to disputes between our two sects." "Elder Huang, are you the sect leader, or am I? Are you disrespecting me as the sect leader and disregarding the rules of the Flying Spirit Gate?" Li Lin''s expression darkened, his gaze fixated on Huang Haibo. Inside the great hall, at that moment, everyone suddenly felt the coldness from Li Lin. Apart from the three elders, almost everyone involuntarily shivered, as if they were in a cold pond, realizing for the first time that such a chilling aura existed within their young sect leader. "Yes, Sect Leader," Huang Haibo''s face twitched, looking at Li Lin''s cold eyes, he replied and then stood up. "You brat from the Black Sword Gate, dare to act rashly in the Flying Spirit Gate, just stay put," Huang Haibo said as he formed a hand seal. A blue aura vibrated around him, and with a fierce stomp on the ground, his figure blurred into a swift shadow, shooting out, and a palm print aimed at the young man from the Black Sword Gate. "You dare to strike, the Black Sword Gate will not let this go easily," the young man shouted, his body rapidly retreating backward. With the power of his double martial soul, Huang Haibo appeared in front of the young man almost in the blink of an eye. Without much hesitation, his palm turned into a claw, striking toward the young man''s shoulder with lightning speed, carrying the force of thunder. The young man hadn''t expected the people of the Flying Spirit Gate to actually take action. He could only retreat rapidly, reaching back to draw the broadsword from behind. "Still thinking of resisting? Just stay put," Huang Haibo''s expression darkened, channeling his dissatisfaction with Li Lin into his attack on the young man. His claw hand surged with several sharp auras, shooting out dazzling qi light, striking like thunder and fiercely landing on the young man''s left shoulder. The young man hadn''t managed to draw his sword in time and instantly felt a sharp pain in his shoulder, followed by five bloody holes spurting blood, his face turning pale immediately. "Sister!" The woman in palace attire''s face also changed drastically at the same time. She reached into her storage bag at her waist, and a long sword appeared in her hand. "How bold of you, thinking of fighting back?" Li Lin shouted loudly. Instantly, five scorching flames swept through the air in his hand. The distance wasn''t far, and in an instant, five finger imprints appeared in front of the woman in palace attire, the scorching aura already beginning to twist the air around. The woman was shocked. Forming a hand seal and lightly tapping with her toes, her body rapidly retreated. Simultaneously, the long sword swiftly drew five energy shadow remnants. The sword shadows trembled and instantly rushed towards the five scorching flame finger imprints. Chapter 151: Devouring the Martial Artist At this moment, what surprised the disciples of the Flying Spirit Sect, especially the three elders, was that Li Lin was currently using fire-based martial skills. Last time, against the Rakshasa Sect, Li Lin had used water-based martial skills. "A dual-element martial artist," the three elders noted, their eyebrows raised. The stronger their own strength, the more they understood the formidable nature of a dual-element martial artist. "Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" In the great hall, sword shadows and finger imprints collided, energy dispersed instantaneously, and the violent energy directly overturned several nearby disciples of the Flying Spirit Sect. "Swish..." Li Lin''s figure had already disappeared from his seat. With a flash of light under his feet, he rushed towards the palace-dressed woman like lightning. The palace-dressed woman, whose strength was above Li Lin''s, immediately retreated. Unknowingly, she had retreated outside the great hall. Her sword vibrated, releasing a sword light that surged like tearing through space, and thunderously charged towards Li Lin. "Hmph..." Li Lin snorted coldly, his brows slightly furrowed. A pale yellow dazzling light surrounded him, and scales coalesced into armor covering his body. As the sword light struck, he formed a hand seal and released a forceful energy. Using this energy, the sword light barely grazed his body, causing a sharp wind that slightly pained his skin through the Qingling armor. "You have good strength, but your reaction is too slow," Li Lin said with a slight smile, his Qi suddenly surging. A yellowish Qi burst out, causing the surrounding air to howl and ripple. "Mountain-Splitting Palm." At this moment, Li Lin shouted deeply, stomped the ground fiercely, and his body shot forward explosively. Below his feet, stones flew, and cracks spread towards the great hall. "Bad," the palace-dressed woman''s pretty face showed seriousness, a chill suddenly surging through her skin. It was too late to retreat. A blue shadow, like a ghost, appeared in front of her with a smirk. Then, a dazzling yellow palm print fiercely struck her abdomen. She didn''t even have time to set up her defensive circle. "Bang..." The powerful Qi poured down on the woman''s abdomen. The woman let out a muffled groan, her body, like a kite with a broken string, was thrown into the air and harshly landed tens of meters away, spitting out a mouthful of blood mist. "Thud!" The woman crashed outside the great hall, the ground cracking with several fine fissures. "Go back and tell your Black Sword Sect people, it''s best not to mess with my Flying Spirit Sect. Although we''re not strong, we''re definitely not something your Black Sword Sect can afford to provoke," Li Lin said indifferently to the woman who had fallen to the ground. "Release my senior brother," the woman struggled to stand up, staring at Li Lin, seemingly unable to believe what had just happened. The opponent was merely an eighth-level warrior but was able to defeat her. How could this be possible? "Release him, and you stay. Choose for yourself," Li Lin said indifferently, glancing at the Black Sword Sect youth currently captured by Huang Haibo, then speaking to the palace-dressed woman. "Fine, you Flying Spirit Sect wait. If you dare to touch a hair on my senior brother, the Black Sword Sect will not let you go," the woman glared coldly at Li Lin and turned to leave. "Thinking of just leaving like that? Do you think the Flying Spirit Sect is a place where you can come and go as you please?" Li Lin said indifferently. As his voice fell, his figure had already reached behind the palace-dressed woman. "What do you want to do?" The woman turned around, a blue silhouette already appearing ghost-like behind her. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. "Nothing much. Since you''ve come to the Flying Spirit Sect, you should leave something behind so you''ll remember next time." As his words fell, a blazing stream of light flashed, then harshly landed on the woman''s right ear. "Ah..." The woman screamed, blood dripping from her right ear, which was now pierced by Li Lin''s fiery shadow finger and fell to the ground. The disciples of the Flying Spirit Sect were shocked at this scene, not expecting their young sect leader to be so ruthless, especially the female disciples whose faces changed dramatically. "Scram." Li Lin coldly commanded. In this ancient realm, where the weak are preyed upon, if he wasn''t ruthless, he feared he wouldn''t last long as the sect leader. At this time, the palace-dressed woman, not daring to look back, quickly covered her bleeding right ear and ran away from the Flying Spirit Sect. She had originally thought the young man would be easy to deal with , but he turned out to be a scourge. "All of you listen, if someone comes to cause trouble at the Flying Spirit Sect in the future, you don''t need to inform me about everything, just take action. If one person isn''t enough, then two should go. If two aren''t enough, then ten. We of the Flying Spirit Sect are neither heroes nor cowards; we just don''t tolerate being bullied. Did you hear that?" Li Lin turned his gaze towards all the disciples of the Flying Spirit Sect, his eyes fierce. "Sect Master, we hear you." Moments later, a unified voice spread among all the disciples. This scene ignited the blood of these young disciples, and the passion in their hearts was kindled. Even those who had lost hope in the Flying Spirit Sect felt their enthusiasm awakening bit by bit. Zheng Ying''s eyes also flashed with brilliance, showing a faint smile to Li Lin. "Release me, what do you want to do? Hurry up and let me go." The youth, captured by Huang Haibo and unable to move, glared at Li Lin. Yet, his eyes could not hide his fear. The young man before him was ruthless and merciless. "What am I going to do? You''ll know soon enough." Li Lin spoke indifferently, then said to Huang Haibo, "Elder Huang, leave this person to me. The rest of the disciples should go and train well. Without strength, you are only subject to being bullied." Huang Haibo handed the person over to Li Lin, his eyes flickering, as if contemplating something. After returning to his residence, Li Lin didn''t linger. He took the youth into a secret chamber in the back mountain, his expression slightly solemn. The Black Sword Sect targeting the Flying Spirit Sect likely wouldn''t end peacefully. The strength of the Flying Spirit Sect was still not enough to contend with the Black Sword Sect. He needed to think of a solution. "What exactly do you want to do?" The Black Sword Sect''s youth, brought into a secret chamber, became even more frightened. "You''ll find out soon." Li Lin''s gaze slightly deepened, a hint of chill flashing in his eyes. His claw-shaped hand directly clamped onto the youth''s crown. The Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique began to operate, unleashing a torrential devouring force from his hand. "Ah..." The youth suddenly convulsed violently, his Qi uncontrollably bursting through his meridians and spilling out. His mind was also assaulted by excruciating pain. Moments later, Li Lin''s face turned red. In his hand was now a dried corpse. Inside Li Lin, a massive Qi energy chaotically surged. He quickly condensed a flame in his hand and incinerated the corpse into ash. Li Lin then sat cross-legged, his blood energy churning and causing pain as it wildly surged through his meridians. If his meridians hadn''t been forged to be wide and thick, he would have been in much worse shape. Nevertheless, Li Lin was in great discomfort. The youth was a Martial Master, and Li Lin was just a Martial Warrior. Absorbing the other''s Qi was dangerous. If Li Lin were of ordinary constitution, he would have exploded and died. Even so, huge energies chaotically surged inside him. Li Lin knew Uncle Jiang wasn''t joking. Uncle Jiang had warned him not to absorb someone stronger or consume high-grade pills. The energy was too much for the body to bear. Li Lin initially thought the youth''s strength was just at the Martial Master level, and he himself was at the peak of the eighth-level Martial Warrior. He wanted to try, but only now realized the gap between a Martial Master and a Warrior was too vast, even between a ninth-level Warrior and a first-level Master. The other''s Qi was more substantial than he imagined. "Refine." Li Lin quickly operated the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique to refine the energy inside him. Fortunately, his meridians and body were stronger than those of the same level, barely enduring the strain. In a great hall, several figures sat inside. In the hall, a blood-stained palace-dressed woman stood, narrating something. She was the Black Sword Sect disciple whose ear Li Lin had cut off. "What? The Flying Spirit Sect has some nerve!" A black-clad man at the head of the hall roared in anger. "Master, you must avenge me. My senior brother is still captured by the Flying Spirit Sect," the palace-dressed woman said, tears welling up in her eyes, covering her ear, not daring to let go. With an ear missing, she was completely disfigured. "Elders, what do you think?" the black-clad man asked the others in the hall. "Sect Master, the Flying Spirit Sect has never been so bold. I''m worried that a powerful figure has arrived there. Just now, Yu''er also said that the leader of the Flying Spirit Sect is a young boy, a dual-element martial artist, something never seen in the Flying Spirit Sect before," an elder in a long robe said. Judging by his aura, he was a Martial Soul level expert, an elder of the Black Sword Sect. Chapter 152: The Pinnacle of the Ninth Tier "It''s hard to say. Perhaps it''s that milk-faced kid who doesn''t know the severity of his actions, daring to strike against our Hei Jian Sect. How could the Flying Spirit Sect have such strong warriors? We should take this opportunity to completely eradicate the Flying Spirit Sect," said an elder in a long robe, speaking gravely from the left. "The elders both make sense, but the sudden boldness of the Flying Spirit Sect might indeed have some backing. We should clarify the situation before making a decision," said a man in black. "Master, what about our senior brother? He''s still in the hands of the Flying Spirit Sect," said a woman in a palace dress. "Hmph, I don''t believe the Flying Spirit Sect dares to really kill a member of our Hei Jian Sect. They probably want to use your senior brother to threaten us. I want to see just how far the Flying Spirit Sect dares to go," the man in black huffed. Time slowly passed. In the secret chamber, Li Lin was enveloped in a pale yellow light, and streams of refined Qi began to continuously pour into his Dantian Qi Sea. This Qi only needed a bit of refining to be utilized, which was much faster than refining elixirs. Several hours later, Li Lin''s aura began to slowly rise. Inside Li Lin''s Dantian Qi Sea, the vast Qi had already filled the Dantian Qi Sea. Then, the Qi began to permeate his entire body, causing his meridians to expand again. "Compress," Li Lin commanded in a low voice, operating the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art. The Qi inside his body fiercely compressed towards his Dantian Qi Sea. This breakthrough was within Li Lin''s expectations; he was already at the peak of the Eighth Tier Warrior, and after devouring a warrior from the Hei Jian Sect, breaking through to the Ninth Tier Warrior was just a matter of course. "Bang!" As the Qi compressed, a muffled explosive sound emanated from Li Lin''s Dantian Qi Sea, which expanded several times in an instant. "Hu hu..." An invisible energy from heaven and earth also entered Li Lin''s body at this time. His aura suddenly surged until dawn when it finally calmed down. "Hu hu..." Li Lin slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air from his Dantian Qi Sea, feeling that the Qi inside was several times more robust than before. A slight smile appeared on his lips. With the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art, the breakthrough was indeed fast. The devoured Qi energy inside his body was just the tip of the iceberg. Li Lin estimated that this devoured Qi energy was enough for him to break through to the peak of the Ninth Tier Warrior. After taking a dose of Soul Spirit Elixir, he would be able to break through to the first level of Spirit Master and Martial Master. "Continue refining, I must strengthen my power as soon as possible," Li Lin thought to himself. Strength is everything. His current power as a Ninth Tier Warrior was too low. He needed to rapidly enhance his strength. Li Lin continued to refine the Qi energy inside his body. The continuous refining of this devoured Qi energy also improved its effectiveness. The Qi energy inside his body was continuously refined into pure Qi and then entered his Dantian Qi Sea, where the pure Qi kept increasing. As Li Lin refined, time seemed to lose its meaning. After five days, the door to the secret chamber opened, and a figure in a green robe appeared outside. "Chi chi..." Little dragon jumped onto Li Lin''s shoulder, looking very affectionate, while the Sky Winged Snow Lion obediently stood by. Li Lin emerged from seclusion with a smile on his face. Just as he had anticipated, after breaking through to the Ninth Tier Warrior, he had refined the young warrior from the Hei Jian Sect. His martial level had reached the peak of the Ninth Tier Warrior. After taking another dose of Soul Spirit Elixir, he would be able to break through to the levels of Spirit Master and Martial Master. Then, with all his methods, he could probably contend even against Sixth or Seventh Tier Warriors. Li Lin returned to his residence, where Li Xin Tong happily rushed up to him, having completely regarded Li Lin as her family. "Sect Leader, you''ve been in seclusion twice during this time. You really are diligent. No wonder your strength is so formidable," Fang Xin Qi said to Li Lin. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Sixth Senior Sister, have the people from the Hei Jian Sect not come these days?" Li Lin asked, feeling somewhat surprised. The people from the Hei Jian Sect hadn''t come to cause trouble. Could it be that they were really afraid of the Flying Spirit Sect? "Not at all. They probably got scared by the Sect Leader and don''t dare to target our Flying Spirit Sect anymore," Fang Xin Qi replied. Li Lin frowned. Scared by him? That seemed impossible. From the memories of that young man''s mind, Li Lin understood the situation of the Hei Jian Sect quite well. That young man was the Sect Leader''s top disciple of the Hei Jian Sect, and the woman in the palace dress with one ear cut off was the second disciple, Zhao Yu. The Sect Leader of the Hei Jian Sect, Qian Ba Tian, was at the third level of the Martial Soul stage, just like Li Qing. Therefore, when Li Qing was around, the Hei Jian Sect did not dare to target the Flying Spirit Sect. Besides, the Hei Jian Sect also had five elders, three at the second level of the Martial Soul stage and two at the first level. As for the martial masters, there were over a dozen in the sect, and half of the other disciples were at the warrior level. Overall, their strength was much stronger than that of the Flying Spirit Sect. After hearing about Li Qing''s death, the Hei Jian Sect wanted to take over the Flying Spirit Mountain and sent two disciples to observe the situation of the Flying Spirit Sect and to probe them. "The Hei Jian Sect," Li Lin muttered to himself. He didn''t know what the Hei Jian Sect was waiting for, but they definitely wouldn''t let things go. He needed to think of a solution to prevent the Flying Spirit Sect from suffering a great loss. Initially, Li Lin didnt care about the life or death of the Flying Spirit Sect, but now, there was a secret chamber left from its heyday. This changed things. If something happened to the Flying Spirit Sect, he wouldn''t be able to open the chamber, as the keys were still with the three elders. Moreover, after spending some time in the Flying Spirit Sect, Li Lin didnt want to see its disciples slaughtered. If the Hei Jian Sect attacked, the disciples of the Flying Spirit Sect would be completely outmatched and would only face slaughter, as the difference in strength was too great. Li Lin was troubled. His own strength wasnt enough, and resolving the issue with the Flying Spirit Sect wouldnt be easy. In fact, it might be impossible to contend with the Hei Jian Sect. "If only Uncle Jiang were here," Li Lin muttered. If Uncle Jiang were here, although he wouldnt openly help him, he would probably assist him in secret. With Uncle Jiang around, why fear the Hei Jian Sect? But Uncle Jiang was still with the Li family. Li Lin couldnt help but sigh inwardly. If he could bring a strong warrior to guard the Flying Spirit Sect, it would be much easier for him. This thought made Li Lin self-mockingly think that real strong warriors wouldnt care about the insignificant Flying Spirit Sect. Probably all major sects would welcome them with open doors. "Brother, what are you thinking about?" Li Xin Tong asked, looking up at Li Lin, who was standing there in a daze. "Nothing," Li Lin came back to his senses and then said, "Brother is going out for a bit. Stay at home and dont run around." "Okay" Li Xin Tong blinked her bright eyes and nodded gently. Li Lin left his residence, his eyebrows slightly raised. The Hei Jian Sect was not far from the Flying Spirit Mountain. Since there was no movement from the Hei Jian Sect, he decided to go there himself, find someone to use the Soul Searching technique to learn about the situation, and prepare accordingly. He went straight to the back mountain, summoned the Sky Winged Snow Lion and Little dragon, and headed to the outside of the Flying Spirit Sect. The Sky Winged Snow Lion quietly flapped its wings and disappeared outside the Flying Spirit Sect. With the Sky Winged Snow Lion and Little dragon by his side, Li Lin felt reassured. Even if he encountered an average Martial Soul strong warrior, with Little dragon and the Sky Winged Snow Lion, there wouldnt be much danger, at least escaping wouldnt be a problem with the Sky Winged Snow Lion. The Hei Jian Sect was not far from the Flying Spirit Sect, almost adjacent. With the Sky Winged Snow Lion, Li Lin arrived within the territory of the Hei Jian Sect in just twenty minutes. Li Lin knew that the Hei Jian Sect was just a third-rate sect, and its influence in the ancient domain was negligible, especially compared to the even weaker Flying Spirit Sect. "Snow Lion, hide nearby. Dont leave without my command," Li Lin said after dismounting the Sky Winged Snow Lion. The Hei Jian Sect was ahead, and if the Sky Winged Snow Lion appeared, it would easily attract attention. If it attracted a Martial Soul strong warrior, he wouldn''t be able to handle it. "Roar" The Sky Winged Snow Lion growled softly, folded its wings, and lay down in a forest. "Little dragon, let''s go." Li Lin, with Little dragon, crossed two mountains and truly entered the territory of the Hei Jian Sect. There were deep weeds around and many disorderly growing trees in the distance. It wasn''t difficult to hide, but Li Lin didnt dare to get close to the central area of the Hei Jian Sect to avoid being discovered by strong warriors. "Why is there no one around?" On a hill behind the Hei Jian Sect, Li Lin could even see the buildings of the sect from afar, but there were no people from the Hei Jian Sect around. "Wait." Li Lin''s heart sank. As soon as he encountered a disciple of the Hei Jian Sect, he could use the Soul Searching technique to find out what the Hei Jian Sect was up to. Time slowly passed. It was now midday, and the weather started to get hot. Fortunately, it was nearing autumn, so there was no scorching sun. "Damn." After waiting for several hours, Li Lin inwardly cursed, planning to try another location. "Swoosh, swoosh" Just then, Little dragon spat out a letter, his eyes alertly watching ahead. "Someone''s coming." Li Lin concealed his aura, also sensing two people approaching from the foot of the mountain. "Junior Sister, I''ve missed you so much these past few days," a man''s gentle voice came. Chapter 153: Spying on an Illicit Affair "Brother, you''re so bad, I don''t even know if you''re telling the truth or not," a delicate voice cooed with a hint of spring in it. At this time, a young man and woman climbed to the top of the hill. After briefly surveying their surroundings, they found a thick patch of grass and sat down on it. Coincidentally, they were only about ten meters away from where Li Lin was hiding. Surrounded by thick grass, the couple had no idea there was someone else nearby. Both appeared to be around twenty-one or twenty-two years old. The girl looked younger, wearing a low-cut skirt with half of her fair bosom exposed, creating a deep cleavage. Her looks were average C not ugly, but not stunningly beautiful either. The man was tall and burly, with a broad forehead and small eyes, giving him a somewhat sleazy appearance. Li Lin sensed that both of them were at the first level of the Martial Master stage, a respectable level of strength. Li Lin recognized these two from the memories of the devoured disciple of the Hei Jian Sect. They were also disciples of Qian Ba Tian, the Sect Leader of the Hei Jian Sect, ranking third and fourth among his disciples. Qian Ba Tian had six disciples in total, four of whom had reached the Martial Master level, and two were at the eighth and ninth levels of the Warrior stage. "Sister, I''ve been holding back for over ten days. Let me enjoy myself today," the young man began to fondle the girl as soon as they sat down. "Brother, you''re so bad, always bullying me like this," the girl half-resisted and half-complied, her body heating up and responding to the young man''s advances. "Sister, you like this too, don''t you?" The young man''s lustful intentions were clear as he groped the girl''s chest vigorously, causing her to close her eyes and moan softly. "Brother, you must promise me you won''t touch Second Sister anymore. Otherwise, I won''t bother with you anymore," the girl said with her eyes closed, her breathing heavy. "Don''t worry, Sister. Second Sister got an ear cut off in the Flying Spirit Sect and looks so ugly now. Who would be interested in her? I''ve only ever had eyes for you," the young man whispered, hurriedly sliding one hand inside the girl''s dress and the other down her back towards her buttocks. "Mmm... that''s good. I only have you in my heart too. Your treasure is much better than our senior brother''s..." The girl couldn''t resist the teasing any longer and let out a soft moan, realizing she had misspoken and immediately clamped her mouth shut. "What? You''ve been with our senior brother too? I''ll have to teach you a lesson today and show you what I''m capable of," the young man laughed lewdly, eagerly starting to undress. In an instant, both of them stripped bare. "A pair of dogs," Li Lin cursed inwardly, watching the two engage in their affair and feeling an involuntary reaction. He then whispered to Little dragon beside him, "Little dragon, take action." As Li Lin''s words fell, his Qi vibrated instantaneously, and like a cheetah, he sprung from his crouching position. "Whoosh..." Simultaneously, Little dragon transformed into a streak of yellow light, moving even faster than Li Lin, and struck like lightning towards the couple. "Who''s there?" Both being Martial Masters, they quickly sensed the presence behind them. However, completely naked, their reaction was naturally slower, and Li Lin had prepared a surprise attack. "Mountain Breaking Palm." In a flash, as the couple scrambled up, Li Lin''s palm strike landed thunderously on the young man''s chest, sending a powerful force through him and hurling him into the air. "Hisss..." Before Li Lin, Little dragon''s small body fiercely bit the naked woman''s neck. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. "Spurt..." The young man, hit by Li Lin''s palm, spat out blood. Li Lin, now at the peak of the ninth level Warrior, was overpowering against the young man, a first-level Martial Master caught off guard. "Who are you?" The young man looked at Li Lin, and without waiting for a response, he ran down the hill, not even bothering to put on his clothes. "Thinking of running? Too late." Li Lin was already prepared. With a burst of Qi under his feet, he soared up, his hand releasing five scorching finger strikes through the air. Sensing the five powerful and hot strikes behind him, the young man''s expression turned to horror. He halted his naked body, gathering his Qi in panic, and met the attack with a brown Qi palm strike. "Bang, bang..." A massive explosion of energy erupted in the sky, scattering energy and sending rocks and debris flying from the surrounding hills, tearing up a layer of the ground. "Fury Flame Fist." At the same moment, Li Lin''s fist fiercely struck the young man''s body. Under the intense heat of the blow, the imprint of the fist carried a powerful force, pouring out and smashing the young man''s body into the air. A mist of blood mixed with internal organs spurted out. "Who dares to attack in my Hei Jian Sect?" A loud shout came from the distance, the recent commotion having alerted the strong members of the Hei Jian Sect. "This is bad," Li Lin thought, realizing it was too late to use the Soul Searching technique. From afar, several figures were rapidly approaching, all appearing to be at the Martial Soul level, moving as fast as lightning. "Little dragon, let''s go," Li Lin said, already stopping beside the Sky Winged Snow Lion. The naked woman had already been drained of blood by Little dragon. "Roar!" The Sky Winged Snow Lion roared softly, its huge body swiftly circling at a low altitude. As Li Lin''s Qi flickered under his feet, he leaped onto the back of the Sky Winged Snow Lion in a few bounds, with Little dragon already circling on his shoulder. "Whoosh, whoosh..." The Sky Winged Snow Lion took flight, and by the time several figures from the Hei Jian Sect appeared at the top of the hill, they could only see the figure of the Sky Winged Snow Lion disappearing into the distance. "Let''s see who dares to act recklessly in my Hei Jian Sect." Seeing the two naked corpses on the ground, a man in black roared. This man was Qian Ba Tian, the Sect Leader of the Hei Jian Sect. "Woo..." A low whistle came from Qian Ba Tian''s mouth, and soon from the Hei Jian Sect, a huge beast took flight, a forty-meter-long flying beast with black feathers on its back. "We''ll chase them," several people from the Hei Jian Sect immediately jumped onto the back of the flying beast and pursued in the same direction. "Damn, they dare to chase us," Li Lin''s heart sank. From the young man''s memories, he knew the Hei Jian Sect also had a flying beast, a common second-tier mid-stage Black Rhino Bird. Neither its speed nor strength could compare to the Sky Winged Snow Lion. Despite this, Li Lin was not capable of contending with the pursuers, as his strength was far from that of a Martial Soul strong warrior. "Snow Lion, let''s not go back yet. Let''s take a detour ahead," Li Lin told the Sky Winged Snow Lion, knowing that the people from the Hei Jian Sect couldn''t catch up but also unable to return directly to the Flying Spirit Sect. "Roar..." The Sky Winged Snow Lion responded and, with a flap of its wings, brought up a howling airflow and instantly disappeared into a mountain range ahead. "Damn, what kind of beast is that? It''s so fast." Moments later, Qian Ba Tian cursed on the back of the flying beast, watching helplessly as the figure disappeared from sight, unable to catch up due to the beast''s incredible speed. In a mountain range, seeing that there was no trace of the Hei Jian Sect''s flying beast behind him, Li Lin smiled. The Black Rhino Bird couldn''t compare to the Sky Winged Snow Lion. Looking down, they were now some distance away from the Flying Spirit Sect. Below was an endless expanse of rolling hills, intertwined with several rivers, vast and seemingly inhabited by ordinary people. "Eh, such a strong medicinal fragrance." A rich medicinal fragrance wafted from a canyon ahead, causing Li Lin to frown. This scent seemed to be from someone refining pills. "Who would be refining pills in this canyon, and not just ordinary pills?" Li Lin pondered, realizing that if it were a low-grade pill, it wouldn''t have such a strong fragrance. "Snow Lion, wait here for me. I''ll go take a look," Li Lin, unable to resist his curiosity, instructed the Sky Winged Snow Lion to wait outside the canyon. Concealing his presence, Li Lin climbed towards the canyon, stealthily following the scent of the pills. Anyone capable of making high-grade pills was not a weakling, so it was best to be cautious. Spying on someone refining pills was not a polite thing to do. "Whoosh, whoosh..." Just then, two figures appeared out of nowhere in the sky, cutting through the air and landing on top of the canyon with a sharp whistling sound. "Such strong strength." Feeling these two powerful and turbulent auras, Li Lin didn''t dare to breathe heavily. This strength was incredibly powerful, most likely at least at the Martial Commander level. Compared to a Martial Soul, it was like comparing an elephant to an ant. "Dong Wu Ming, I know you are here. Come out," one of the figures, dressed in a white robe and with white hair, called out in a deep voice, echoing in the canyon. Both figures appeared to be in their fifties, each wearing a long robe. The one on the left was slightly taller, with his white robe fluttering without wind, and the surrounding rocks were vibrating with the energy emanating from him. Chapter 154: Encounter with the Poisonous Handsome General Again Another, slightly shorter in stature but significantly plumper, his eyes narrowed, his body enveloped in a circle of earthy yellow light, exuding a sharp aura. Under this aura, Li Lin, standing in the distance, felt an immense pressure bearing down on him invisibly. "Ha ha, you two shameless ones, if you dare, come in yourselves," echoed a sinister voice from the canyon, carrying a deep chill. Hearing this voice felt like falling into an icy pit. "This voice sounds so familiar," Li Lin, hidden beneath a huge rock, thought, feeling like he had heard it somewhere before. "Dong WuMing, you are just struggling in vain. Did you think that by setting up a poison array, we wouldn''t enter?" shouted the slightly plumper sinister old man from above the canyon. His true Qi vibrated around him as he lunged towards the canyon. The white-haired old man, surrounded by a circle of Qi, also plunged into the canyon. "Boom, boom, boom..." A series of explosions came from the canyon. Li Lin, hidden behind the boulder, had no idea what was happening inside, but the voice from the canyon was very familiar, definitely someone he had met before. "Let''s see who it is," Li Lin thought. Knowing he couldn''t interfere in a battle of such high-level experts, he cautiously climbed up the canyon to look down. "Bang!... Bang!" Looking into the canyon, Li Lin saw dense black poison smoke billowing among the valleys, with the two old men launching powerful attacks, preventing the poison smoke from getting close. The canyon was in turmoil, with thunderous explosions echoing in the sky. The attacks of these two old men were terrifying, each one twisting space and causing spatial explosions. In the center of the canyon, a rich fragrance of medicinal herbs rose, with someone still refining pills. However, with the continuous attacks of the two old men, the atmosphere was extremely unstable, making the pill refining process extremely difficult. "Dong WuMing, your poison array isn''t impressive anymore, break it for me," shouted the plumper sinister old man. Earth-attribute true Qi burst out from his body, and with a distant palm strike, an invisible energy instantly shook the canyon. The palm imprint, hundreds of meters in size, merged through space and quietly swept towards the area filled with the medicinal fragrance. Suddenly, the dense black poison smoke converged, forming a huge black smoke shield in front of the palm imprint. The palm imprint fiercely hit the huge black smoke shield. The earth-attribute true Qi spread instantly, distorting the space of the entire canyon. This terrifying scene made Li Lin, secretly watching from above the canyon, feel a surge of palpitations. This is the power of a true expert, every move and attack incredibly powerful. "Boom...!" The violent energy swept open. The black smoke shield seemed fragile, but at that moment, it was unbreakable. The black mist dispersed and then quickly reconverged, mixed with a pungent and unpleasant smell, containing deadly poison. Inhaling it carelessly would definitely be troublesome. "Could it be the old poisoner?" Looking at the vast poison fog and recalling the familiar voice, Li Lin instantly thought of someone - the old poisoner, the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal, a master of poison. "Humph, my poison array, how could you break it so easily," came another shout from within the poison fog. "It''s the old poisoner, how is he here?" Li Lin listened more carefully. Apart from the old poisoner, the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal, there could be no other. After escaping from the Misty Mountain Range last time, Li Lin thought he would never encounter this old poisoner again, but unexpectedly, he ran into him here. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "I should leave first," frowned Li Lin. The old poisoner was not someone easy to deal with. If he saw Li Lin, he might give him another dose of poison. It was better to leave. There was nothing good to see here, and one careless move could cost him his life. "Dong WuMing, let''s see how long you can hold on. With your current situation, you probably can''t last much longer. Let''s see if you can withstand a combined attack from both of us," shouted the white-haired old man. As his words fell, the two old men each formed hand seals, and two massive energies quickly gathered in the canyon, shaking it. Under the raging energy, two bright lights, one yellow and one green, formed in the canyon, instantly turning into two huge energy balls. As the two energy spheres rotated, the overwhelming energy that spread out seemed to suppress the entire world at that moment, the power was simply too terrifying. At this moment, the two old men quickly changed their hand seals and fiercely pushed towards the energy spheres, unleashing a torrential force. "Huh huh..." The two energy spheres rapidly cut through space, directly distorting the air currents, and with a howling sound, smashed towards the thick poison fog, carrying an energy that was frightening to behold. The dense black poison fog, now all gathered at the center, emitted a pungent and unbearable smell as it soared into the sky. Intense energy fluctuations rippled and wavered, causing palpitations. In an instant, the two huge energy spheres fiercely crashed onto the poison fog, causing it to scatter like roaring waves. The violent ripples began to distort the vast space within the canyon, and then the space started to expand and deform... "Bang bang..." Deafening explosions echoed through the sky as three massive energies collided above, clashing fiercely together. A terrifying energy storm swept out like a hurricane, causing the entire canyon to shake as if in an earthquake. "Bang bang!" In the canyon, another deafening explosion followed. The black fog broke apart, and a huge flame burst out in all directions. In the center of the canyon, a black-robed old man was sitting cross-legged, a trail of blood leaking from his mouth, his face somewhat pale. In front of him was a large cauldron, from which the recently dispersed flames had erupted. "Damn it." Li Lin, intending to take the opportunity to leave, had just stood up when he didn''t expect the strength of these three to be so formidable. The canyon trembled, and rocks fell like rain from above. His body, along with a two-meter-tall rock, unintentionally fell down from the top of the canyon. Cursing, Li Lin quickly vibrated his true Qi to stabilize himself. With many rocks hitting his back, he leaped several times, landing in the valley with a dusty face, just near the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal. Little dragon also followed Li Lin down to the bottom of the canyon, falling to the ground and then quickly jumping back onto Li Lin''s shoulder. At this moment, both the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal and the two old men frowned upon seeing Li Lin''s sudden appearance. "Old Uncle, we meet again," Li Lin said to the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal with a bitter smile. "It''s you, kid. I thought you died in the Misty Mountain Range," the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal put away the large cauldron in front of him and looked at Li Lin, seemingly surprised to see him. Then his gaze suspiciously settled on Little dragon on Li Lin''s shoulder. "I barely survived. You continue, I won''t disturb you, I''ll leave first," Li Lin bowed slightly and turned to leave the canyon. He knew he couldn''t afford to be involved in this situation. "Kid, you know Dong WuMing, so you can''t leave," said the slightly plumper sinister old man, eyeing Li Lin. "Fang ChengYou, he''s just a kid, do you really need to kill him? He doesn''t know about our issues with the Tianxing Sect," the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal glanced at the sinister old man, then threw a pill to Li Lin, saying, "Kid, this is the antidote to the Blood Devouring Bone Melting Pill. You better leave quickly." Li Lin caught the pill, stunned. Why was this old poisoner being so kind today? But the poison in his body had long been resolved. "Dong WuMing, you''ve never been so kind-hearted. It seems this kid has a special relationship with you. Then I definitely can''t let him go," the sinister old man coldly shouted, his body rapidly rushing towards Li Lin. "Fang ChengYou, I just owe this kid a favor. Is that necessary?" the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal instantly disappeared from his spot, blocking in front of Li Lin. He threw out a black poison fog, immediately enveloping the surrounding space. "Kid, you better run. If you can escape, you''re lucky. If not, too bad," the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal said to Li Lin, picking him up and leaping up towards the top of the canyon. "Dong WuMing, you can''t escape," the white-haired old man, now also above the canyon, vibrated his true Qi, completely sealing off a vast area of space. "Bifang Shan, you two shameless beings, why don''t you fight one-on-one?" the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal said sternly, watching the old man in the sky. At that moment, the sinister old man Fang ChengYou had also reached behind the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal, the two old men sandwiching him in the middle. Li Lin, in mid-air, thought to himself, hoping the old poisoner wouldn''t drop him. Without the ability to fly, a fall would leave him severely injured, if not dead. "One-on-one? We can''t defeat you that way. As for being despicable, you, Dong WuMing, aren''t any better," the white-haired old man Bifang Shan coldly said. Chapter 155: Frantic Escape "What should we do now?" Li Lin quietly asked the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal. "What else can we do? I''m seriously injured. Even if I weren''t, I couldn''t handle them when they team up. Now, I have no choice but to fight desperately, and once again, you''re implicated," sighed the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal. "Dong WuMing, today is your death day. I didn''t expect you''d dare to return to the ancient domain. You''re seeking your own death," Fang ChengYou, behind him, coldly chided. "Hmph, you think this is enough to trap me? If I don''t die this time, next time, I will annihilate your Tianxing Sect," the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal snorted coldly, his eyes filled with hatred. Holding Li Lin by the shoulder with one hand and forming a hand seal with the other, he suddenly spat out a stream of blood essence into the air in front of him. The blood was quickly enveloped by a surge of black fog emanating from his hand. Within the black fog, a pungent and unbearable smell spread out, and the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal stood proudly in the air above the canyon, his spiritual power surging around him, his body trembling violently, his expression becoming ferociously distorted. Seeing the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal''s condition, Bifang Shan and Fang ChengYou''s expressions changed dramatically, exclaiming, "You''re actually willing to use your blood essence to feed the poison." "If I don''t die, I must kill the Tianxing Sect," the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal shouted. With a hand seal, the dense black fog in front of him suddenly transformed into thousands of black threads, each as thin as a strand of hair, piercing through space and furiously hurtling towards Bifang Shan and Fang ChengYou. The two men, with great alarm, formed protective circles with their hand seals and unleashed a barrage of attacks towards the black poison threads, not daring to let them get close. However, the black poison threads seemed extremely formidable, enveloping the sky and completely trapping Bifang Shan and Fang ChengYou. "Whoosh..." The Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal, carrying Li Lin, leaped up the canyon in an instant and flew across two mountain tops in mid-air. "Spit..." A mist of blood sprayed from the mouth of the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal, and his face instantly turned pale. His body could no longer hold up, and they fell from the sky into the mountains below. "Bang bang..." As they hit the ground, the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal spat out another mouthful of blood. The two fell from several meters high in mid-air, and Li Lin immediately felt a sharp pain in his buttocks, as if he had almost landed on a sharp rock. "Kid, you better go. Those from the Tianxing Sect won''t let you off. My poison fog won''t trap them for long," the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal told Li Lin. "What about you?" Li Lin wanted to leave, but seeing the old poisoner constantly urging him to escape, he couldn''t help but feel that the old poisoner wasn''t bad to him. "I have no strength to run, nor can I escape. Don''t worry about me; leave quickly, or it''ll be too late," the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal struggled to say as he got up. Li Lin was internally conflicted. With the Tianyi Snow Lion waiting outside, he should be able to escape, but the old poisoner was likely in danger. "Old poisoner, I''m overflowing with kindness today. Let''s see if I can save your life. If not, we''ll die together," Li Lin said, summoning the Tianyi Snow Lion. He was continuously in contact with the Tianyi Snow Lion in his mind, which was nearby. "Whoosh whoosh..." A whistling sound approached, and in an instant, the Tianyi Snow Lion appeared in the low sky. "Tianyi Snow Lion, it''s actually the Tianyi Snow Lion," the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal was extremely surprised, obviously aware of the Tianyi Snow Lion''s reputation. "Hurry up, let''s escape first," Li Lin said, immediately landing on the back of the Tianyi Snow Lion, praying that even if the two strong men chased them, they wouldn''t be faster than the Tianyi Snow Lion. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Kid, you actually have a Tianyi Snow Lion. It seems I underestimated you," the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal remarked, watching the Tianyi Snow Lion in the low sky. "Bang bang..." Suddenly, two deafening explosions came from the canyon behind them, the entire sky filled with a formidable energy. "Not good, they''ve broken free," the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal''s face turned pale with shock, and he quickly leaped onto the back of the Tianyi Snow Lion. "Whoosh whoosh..." The Tianyi Snow Lion flapped its wings and shot forward like lightning, with two figures rapidly piercing through the void, chasing them from the distant canyon. "Snow Lion, faster," Li Lin ordered. The speed of those two men was actually faster than the Tianyi Snow Lion. "Roar..." The Tianyi Snow Lion roared lowly, its massive body cutting through the void, the whistling wind passing by Li Lin''s ears, reaching its maximum speed. "Kid, your Tianyi Snow Lion is indeed very fast, but it''s still only at the second-tier level. Those two old ghosts are martial masters, and the speed of the Tianyi Snow Lion can''t match theirs," the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal told Li Lin. "What should we do?" Li Lin asked anxiously, seeing the two strong men getting closer. "What about the Poisonous Miasma Pill I gave you last time?" the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal asked. "I''ve already used it up," Li Lin said. He had used the Poisonous Miasma Pill in the Misty Mountain Range to escape from the beasts'' encirclement. "Dong WuMing, you can''t run away anymore. I didn''t expect you to have a Tianyi Snow Lion, but its power level is too low to save you," Bifang Shan said from afar, rapidly closing the distance. They were less than a thousand meters away and were about to catch up. "Old poisoner, we''re done for. Do you have any other methods?" Li Lin asked, as the two strong men were too powerful, even faster than the Tianyi Snow Lion, and their strength was terrifying. "This damned Tianxing Sect, I''ll settle the score with them one day," the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal cursed coldly, his face twitching as if reluctant. He formed a hand seal and cast a multicolored dense fog into the air behind them. In the midst of the multicolored dense fog, a huge amount of energy diffused, carrying an unpleasant and pungent smell, completely enveloping the entire sky. Outside the multicolored dense fog, Bifang Shan and Fang ChengYou''s figures were no longer visible. In that moment, the Tianyi Snow Lion had already flown far away. "We need to find a place to settle down. My last possession won''t trap those two for long," the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal said. "What did you just use, old poisoner?" Li Lin asked, seeing the astonishing energy within the multicolored dense fog and the pained expression on the old poisoner''s face. "That was the material I intended to use for refining a high-level sixth-grade poison pill. I spent a lot of time and effort collecting it. If I had succeeded in making that poison pill, I might have been able to break through to the Spirit King realm. Now it''s all gone. To gather those materials again would take nine or ten years," the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal lamented. "They won''t catch up, right?" Li Lin looked back, still worried. "For now, they shouldn''t be able to catch up, but we need to find a place to settle down quickly," the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal said. "The more dangerous a place, the safer it is," Li Lin suggested, looking down at a dense forest mountain range below. "Snow Lion, let''s go down." In the mountain range covered with dense forests, Li Lin didn''t know where they were. After entering the mountains, he had the Tianyi Snow Lion keep a low profile. "Kid, you dare to stay here? Aren''t you afraid those two old ghosts will find us?" the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal asked. "If those two catch up, we can''t escape anyway. It''s better to hide here. They will think we''ve fled far away and won''t expect us to hide nearby," Li Lin said, eyeing a large cave nearby. "Let''s settle here for the night. They should have left by then," Li Lin said as the sky was turning to dusk, making it difficult for the two men to find them. "You''re quite bold. Anyway, I can''t move anymore, so I''ll listen to you," the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal said. They entered the cave, and Li Lin secretly instructed Little dragon to guard the entrance, just in case the two strong men came looking. "Kid, you saved my life. I owe you twice now. I, the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal Dong WuMing, don''t owe people. Once my injuries heal, I can do two things for you within my power," the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal said in the cave. "Are you serious, old poisoner?" Li Lin asked bluntly. A favor from a Spirit Marshal was valuable. "I wouldn''t lie to a kid like you," the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal glanced at Li Lin. "Also, if you call me ''old poisoner'' again, I might really give you a taste of poison." Li Lin involuntarily stepped back a bit, smiling slightly. "Actually, ''old poisoner'' is quite a nice name. You''re not trying to take advantage of me and make me call you ''uncle,'' are you? I won''t agree to that." "Suit yourself. You''re the person I''ve talked to the most in many years," the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal sighed, showing a self-mocking bitter smile, his demeanor no longer cold and forbidding. "Why, don''t you have a family?" Li Lin asked. "Family, they died a long time ago," the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal replied. "What about your wife? Aren''t you married?" Li Lin asked curiously. "Wife, I had a fiance once," the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal''s calm face suddenly twitched, his eyes spreading with coldness. "Unfortunately, that woman was heartless and brought ruin to my family. I live to seek revenge on her. She joined the Tianxing Sect, and I''ve tried several times to kill her but couldn''t." "Sorry, old poisoner, I shouldn''t have asked these things," Li Lin said, feeling apologetic for bringing up the old poisoner''s painful past. Chapter 156: Invitation to Join "Old Poisoner, sorry, I shouldn''t have asked about these things." Li Lin did not expect this Old Poisoner to have such a past, feeling apologetic for bringing up someone''s painful memories. "It''s alright. That woman, I have never forgotten her. I live only to take her life. Unfortunately, the power of Tianxing Sect is too strong. With my strength alone, I can''t contend against the entire Tianxing Sect," Poison Soul Commander Dong WuMing sighed helplessly, his expression filled with desolation. Although Li Lin didn''t know the exact strength of the Tianxing Sect, the two elders he met before were from the Sect, and a few months ago, this Old Poisoner was apparently chased by the Tianxing Sect. From this, it was evident that Tianxing Sect was a formidable force, a sect that Old Poisoner, alone, could certainly not confront. "Old Poisoner, you are at least a Spirit Commander. Don''t you have a few friends?" Li Lin hesitated before asking. He knew that each Spirit practitioner usually has a considerable force around them, especially someone at the level of Poison Soul Commander, who would normally have several close Martial Commanders and even Martial Kings as allies. Because of the unique role of Spirit practitioners, martial artists often rely on them. Hence, many martial artists would gather around them. Generally, at the level of a Poison Soul Commander, nobody would dare to provoke them. Firstly, their own strength is high, and secondly, such a powerful person is like a hornet''s nest. A single call, and they can summon many strong martial artists to help. Therefore, such Spirit practitioners are not to be trifled with. "You are wrong about that. Although I am a Spirit practitioner, I accidentally obtained a poisonous cultivation method in my quest for revenge. I practice poison techniques, specializing in all the poisons in the world. As a Spirit practitioner whose body is full of poison, how many people do you think would dare to approach me? Plus, with my temperament, I don''t want to deal with anyone, so I don''t have any friends," Poison Soul Commander Dong WuMing said softly. Li Lin sighed slightly. Indeed, with Old Poisoner''s body full of poison and his unapproachable demeanor, it was no wonder he had no allies. "What are your plans now?" Li Lin asked gently. "Once I recover from my injuries, I''ll seek revenge against Tianxing Sect," Poison Soul Commander''s eyes revealed a deep hatred. "Aren''t you just going to your death? You know the power of Tianxing Sect is overwhelming, yet you still want to barge in. Maybe the people of Tianxing Sect are even hoping for you to come," Li Lin said. "Should I not avenge my grudge? I, Dong WuMing, am not a man who fears death," Poison Soul Commander glared at Li Lin. "You may not fear death, but if you die, your vengeance will never be fulfilled. If you die, the people of Tianxing Sect will rejoice. If you live, they are probably the ones with headaches," Li Lin said. Muscles on Poison Soul Commander''s face twitched slightly, his expression gradually dimming. "You can''t take revenge alone, why bother going?" Li Lin said bluntly. "Hmph, even so, I''d rather die and take a group of people with me," Poison Soul Commander said coldly. "You really are heroic. I admire that. I hope you can take that woman you mentioned with you when the time comes," Li Lin said with a faint smile. Poison Soul Commander fell silent, not knowing what to say. He had already stormed into Tianxing Sect several times, but never even saw the shadow of that woman. "It seems my life''s revenge will be difficult. How frustrating," Poison Soul Commander sighed, a sense of sorrow enveloping him. "Old Poisoner, you still stand by the two promises you made to me, right?" Li Lin suddenly asked, raising his eyebrows. After looking at Li Lin, Poison Soul Commander said, "I''ve said it, my words count. I can agree to two things within my capabilities." This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. "That''s good. The first thing, I want to invite you to join Flying Spirit Gate," Li Lin said with a slight smile. "Flying Spirit Gate? Never heard of it. Besides, I''ve never thought of joining any sect. Choose another one," Poison Soul Commander shook his head. "You just said your word counts, and now you''re changing your mind?" Li Lin said. "How can this be considered a matter? I''ve never heard of Flying Spirit Gate. How can I agree?" Poison Soul Commander frowned. "Hehe, I may not be much, but I''m currently the head of Flying Spirit Gate. Now you''ve heard of it, right?" Li Lin chuckled, thinking to himself that if Old Poisoner could join Flying Spirit Gate, he wouldn''t have to worry about the minor Hei Jian Sect or Huang HaiBo. "You''re the head?" Poison Soul Commander looked at Li Lin with a hint of disdain in his eyes and said, "Seeing that you''re the head, I know your Flying Spirit Gate isn''t much. Probably just you gathering a few green kids, whimsically wanting to start a sect. If I wanted to join a sect, countless major sects would be begging me to join them. Do you think I would be interested in your shabby Flying Spirit Gate?" "Old Poisoner, don''t underestimate me. I''m telling you, Flying Spirit Gate might not be much now, but I assure you, in the future, it won''t be inferior to any sect," Li Lin said indignantly, feeling that Old Poisoner was looking down on him too much. "Inferior to no sect? Based on your strength, or because you have that Tian Chi Snow Lion? It''s not that I''m looking down on you, but those real major sects, each of them has gone through thousands, or at least hundreds, of years of heritage. The hidden strength within them is absolutely terrifying, much stronger than you can imagine. How long do you think it will take for you to develop your Flying Spirit Gate to that level?" Poison Soul Commander said with a faint smile. Li Lin was stunned. Poison Soul Commander''s words made sense. Those real major sects, each with a long history and terrifying hidden strength, might be much stronger than he imagined. However, Li Lin''s stubborn pride rose up. With enough strength, he believed he could certainly build a force not inferior to anyone. He had the Yin Yang Ling Wu Jue, which gave him a fighting chance. "Old Poisoner, I''m actually telling you, give me ten years. Just ten years, and I''ll show you a Flying Spirit Gate beyond your imagination. But the first thing I ask of you is to be an elder of Flying Spirit Gate for these ten years. In these ten years, I won''t let you work for nothing. You ran out of materials for refining sixth-grade high-tier poison pills, right? In ten years, if I haven''t found them for you and Flying Spirit Gate hasn''t made a name for itself, I''ll chop off my head and give it to you as a stool to sit on. How about it, do you dare to agree?" Li Lin said proudly. "Brave words, young man. I''ll take you up on that. I want to see what makes you so confident," Poison Soul Commander said with a faint smile, looking at Li Lin disdainfully. "A deal then," Li Lin said, gazing at Poison Soul Commander, but inwardly laughing. It wasn''t easy to trick Old Poisoner without some provocation. "A spoken agreement cannot be taken back," Poison Soul Commander said without hesitation, but then his face changed slightly as if he remembered something, and he said in shock, "You little rascal, dare to set a trap for me?" "Old Poisoner, you''re not thinking of going back on your word, are you? After all, as a Spirit Commander, you wouldn''t do such a thing, right?" Li Lin said with a slight smile. "Fine, young man. I want to see what your damned Flying Spirit Gate will be like in ten years. Then, I''ll indeed chop off your head and use it as a stool," Poison Soul Commander snorted. Even though he was a cunning old fox, he found himself trapped by a young upstart. "Don''t worry, I keep my promises too. In these ten years, I''ll definitely gather your medicinal ingredients. When Flying Spirit Gate grows stronger, the whole sect will help you take your revenge," Li Lin said, finally managing to rope Old Poisoner into joining Flying Spirit Gate. Li Lin had this plan since escaping the canyon, wanting a powerful figure to lead Flying Spirit Gate, and Old Poisoner was not just any strong figure. "Pfft..." Poison Soul Commander spat out a mouthful of blood, his face turning even paler. "Old Poisoner, what''s wrong? Are you okay?" Li Lin asked. "This injury has taken half my life. It''ll probably take a year or two to heal," Poison Soul Commander said, popping a pill into his mouth, "I''ll meditate now. Be on your guard." Then, Poison Soul Commander sat cross-legged and began to meditate, his face terrifyingly pale, indicating a severe injury. Night fell, and the mountains were silent, save for the occasional cry of wild animals and the rustling of leaves in the night wind. With Little dragon standing guard outside, Li Lin also began to meditate, and the night passed slowly. "Huuh..." The next morning, Poison Soul Commander exhaled a turbid breath. His face had improved slightly, but was still deathly pale, and his breath was extremely weak. "Old Dong, let''s leave here," Li Lin said to Poison Soul Commander. "What, not calling me Old Poisoner anymore?" Dong WuMing glanced at Li Lin. "Now that Old Dong is an elder of Flying Spirit Gate, naturally, I should show more respect," Li Lin said with a slight smile, thinking it inappropriate to keep calling him Old Poisoner. "Let''s go. Those two old ghosts have probably gone far by now, or they would have found us already," Poison Soul Commander said, and the two left the cave. "Chichi..." Outside the cave, Little dragon affectionately coiled around Li Lin''s shoulder. Chapter 157: Xintongs Apprenticeship "Kid, what''s the origin of this beast of yours?" Poison Soul Commander looked at Little dragon in surprise. He couldn''t see through the aura of this little snake and didn''t recognize this beast. However, its presence made him feel a sense of danger. "I don''t know either; I found it by chance," Li Lin said with a slight smile. Seeing that even Poison Soul Commander couldn''t recognize Little dragon''s identity, Li Lin figured he could let Little dragon out more often in the future. It seemed unlikely that others would recognize Little dragon either. As for Little dragon''s identity, Li Lin himself didn''t know much about it. A gust of wind roared in, and the Tian Chi Snow Lion arrived overhead. "Old Dong, let''s go," Li Lin said, using his Qi to leap onto the back of the Tian Chi Snow Lion. "Stinky kid, you''re hiding something. This beast must be no ordinary creature," Poison Soul Commander Dong WuMing watched Little dragon, unable to figure out what kind of beast it was. He couldn''t recall any beast like it, although there were a few similar ones with obvious differences. "The Tian Chi Snow Lion, this mysterious beast, remains calm in the face of danger and possesses a great spirit. This kid might indeed achieve something in the future," Dong WuMing watched Li Lin for a moment before leaping onto the back of the Tian Chi Snow Lion. "Let''s go..." Li Lin commanded, and the Tian Chi Snow Lion took off, soaring into the sky. "Kid, where are we going now?" Poison Soul Commander Dong WuMing asked Li Lin. "Old Dong is now an elder of Flying Spirit Gate, so naturally, we''re heading back to Flying Spirit Gate. You should find a place to heal your wounds," Li Lin said. "That''s a good idea; I do need to find a place to heal," Poison Soul Commander agreed. "Old Dong, before your wounds heal, could you possibly lend a hand occasionally?" Li Lin asked, his mind burdened with three troubling issues. Li Lin''s first concern was the Hei Jian Sect, the second was Huang HaiBo and Zhou YuHou, and the third was the Luo Sha Sect. "Making me an elder of your mysterious Flying Spirit Gate, I knew you were up to something. My injuries are severe, but give me three days of quiet healing, and I can recover about 10% of my strength. I should be able to handle ordinary Martial Soul cultivators then. But acting will affect my injuries, so you better not cause me any trouble. Although I''m now an elder of your Flying Spirit Gate, if you trouble me, I''ll leave at any time," Poison Soul Commander seemed to see through Li Lin, glancing at him indifferently. "With my little strength, I dare not cause trouble. I''m just afraid others will trouble me," Li Lin chuckled. Being able to handle ordinary Martial Soul cultivators was enough. Three hours later, outside Flying Spirit Gate, the Tian Chi Snow Lion retracted its wings, becoming indistinguishable as a winged creature, even surprising Poison Soul Commander. "So, this is your Flying Spirit Gate? The sect gate looks decent," Poison Soul Commander observed as they entered Flying Spirit Gate. "Old Dong is wrong; this is now your own Flying Spirit Gate too," Li Lin said with a slight smile. "Greetings to the Sect Leader." "Greetings to the Sect Leader." Inside Flying Spirit Gate, the disciples greeted them respectfully. Looking at Poison Soul Commander, they were curious, although he concealed his aura, the sharp look in his eyes intimidated everyone. Just one glance from him was enough to send shivers down their spines. "Old Dong, I''ll arrange a secret chamber for you to heal. In a few days, I''ll hold a ceremony for your official joining," Li Lin said, knowing that this matter would likely be opposed by Huang HaiBo and others. Having Poison Soul Commander join Flying Spirit Gate wasn''t a decision he could make alone. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. "Take me to the secret chamber. I need some medicinal ingredients that you promised to prepare for me; they will help with my injuries," Poison Soul Commander said. He then listed several valuable herbs needed for refining high-grade pills. Luckily, Li Lin happened to have them and gave them to Poison Soul Commander right away. "You really have some skills, kid," Poison Soul Commander exclaimed in amazement, knowing the herbs were worth at least 60-70 thousand gold coins. For a junior warrior like Li Lin, this was a significant amount, and yet he didn''t even blink an eye before handing them over. Li Lin, however, felt the pinch. He had thought himself quite well-off, but now he realized how quickly money could be spent, like water flowing away. In this short period, he had already spent several hundred thousand gold coins, leaving him with only about 600,000 in cash and very few medicinal herbs and pills. "Brother, who is this grandpa?" Back at their residence, Li XinTong opened her bright eyes wide and looked up at Poison Soul Commander Dong WuMing, feeling a bit scared and not daring to come too close. Fang XinQi also felt suppressed by Poison Soul Commander''s aura and couldn''t look him in the eye. "Kid, who is this little girl?" Seeing Li XinTong, Poison Soul Commander was startled and turned to Li Lin, muttering, "I''ve finally found her, never thought she really existed!" "Old Dong, she''s my sister and the daughter of the previous master of Flying Spirit Gate," Li Lin explained. On the way, he had tOld Poisoner Soul Commander everything about Flying Spirit Gate, except for the secret chamber matter. He hadn''t hidden anything, including the issues with Huang HaiBo, Hei Jian Sect, and Luo Sha Sect, which was why Dong WuMing was preparing medicinal herbs to heal and regain some strength as soon as possible. "This girl, let her stay by my side from now on," Poison Soul Commander looked up at Li Lin, his eyes scanning Li XinTong as if he had discovered a new continent. "I don''t want to; I want to stay with my brother," Li XinTong, feeling uncomfortable under Poison Soul Commander''s gaze, immediately hid beside Li Lin. "Old Dong, do you intend to take XinTong as your disciple?" Li Lin asked in surprise, feeling quite astonished. However, he also hesitated because Poison Soul Commander was a poison expert. If it were a boy, it might be fine, but for a girl, having her body full of poison would make finding a partner difficult. Moreover, Li Lin had already examined Li XinTong''s physique and bone structure, which weren''t very good. The chances of her becoming a warrior or a Spirit practitioner were slim, so he hadn''t dared to teach her cultivation. He planned to let Uncle Jiang assess her later, as he could surely discover her greatest potential. Even Li XiaoBai had become a warrior under Uncle Jiang''s guidance, so XinTong would definitely be no exception. "Can''t you see she has some hidden ailments in her body? I doubt anyone could train her to become a warrior or a Spirit practitioner," Poison Soul Commander glanced at Li Lin. "Sect Leader, this senior is right. The previous Sect Leader once told my master, and I overheard it by accident, that XinTong''s natural constitution is somewhat cold and she cannot become a warrior. Her soul power isn''t outstanding either, so her chances of becoming a Spirit practitioner are slim," Fang XinQi seemed to recall something and said to Li Lin. "Nonsense, what do you know? What cold constitution? She has a natural poison body. Without detoxification, she would hardly live past twenty," Poison Soul Commander Dong WuMing spoke loudly, getting agitated when he heard someone misinterpret XinTong''s condition as a cold constitution, startling Fang XinQi. "Old Dong, XinTong can only live to twenty? Please save her, I beg you," Li Lin''s heart sank. He had always considered XinTong like his own sister, and hearing she might only live to twenty distressed him greatly. He had no reason to doubt Poison Soul Commander''s words. "What are you worried about? I also have a poison body, although it''s acquired, and I''m living just fine. She has a natural poison body, far stronger than mine. If she cultivates my poison techniques, her strength will improve rapidly," Poison Soul Commander said and then crouched down, his fierce gaze softening into a rarely seen tenderness, as he looked at Li XinTong and asked, "Your name is XinTong, right? Do you want to become a strong person?" Li XinTong seemed less afraid now. She looked up at Li Lin, then back at Poison Soul Commander, blinking her bright eyes, "Grandpa, will I be stronger than my brother?" In XinTong''s eyes, her brother was the strongest, and she had always seen him as her future goal. "As long as you work hard, you''ll be much stronger than him. Unless that kid practices flying or something, you''ll surpass him. In three years, he won''t even be able to catch up to you," Poison Soul Commander chuckled. Seeing Poison Soul Commander laugh, Li Lin didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. It might have been because Dong WuMing hadn''t laughed in a long time, but his smile was uglier than crying, as if all the muscles on his face were wrongly connected. However, it made him seem more approachable. "Okay, I want to. I need to avenge my father and protect my brother in the future," Li XinTong said earnestly. "Good, kowtow to me, and I''ll take you as my disciple. Haha," Poison Soul Commander Dong WuMing was very pleased, his pale face always wearing a slight smile. "Thump! Thump! Thump!" Li XinTong knelt and knocked her head on the ground three times. Just as she was about to continue, Poison Soul Commander helped her up, saying, "That''s enough, from now on, I''m your master. You''ll follow me and I''ll teach you how to cultivate." Chapter 158: Breakthrough to Spirit Master "Thank you, Master." Li XinTong was overjoyed, her bright eyes blinking non-stop. "You, girl, how about serving as a maid by my side for two years? Your aptitude is average. After two years, I''ll ensure you become a Martial Master of the sixth level or above. As for your Martial Soul, that depends on your own effort," said HuiHun Poison Commander, looking at Fang XinQi standing nearby. Li XinTong was still young and needed someone to take care of her. Some aspects of cultivation were sensitive, and as an old man, he needed to avoid suspicion, so naturally, a maid was required. "This..." Fang XinQi was startled. Becoming a Martial Master in two years was beyond her imagination, as she was currently only a Martial Fighter of the first level. Even in her own estimation, it seemed difficult to achieve within five years, let alone reaching the sixth level. "Sixth Senior Sister, this is a great opportunity for you. Elder Dong is no ordinary person," Li Lin said softly to Fang XinQi. "Thank you, senior," Fang XinQi replied, suddenly overjoyed. From the recent conversation, she realized that the elder brought back by the Sect Leader''s junior brother was not an ordinary person, but a true powerhouse. "Sixth Senior Sister, Elder Dong has now joined our Flying Spirit Gate as an elder. I haven''t announced it yet. You must not disclose anything about Elder Dong to anyone, remember, anyone," Li Lin solemnly said to Fang XinQi. "I understand, I won''t even tell Master," Fang XinQi nodded. "Alright, find me a secret chamber. When my injuries improve a bit, I''ll start teaching XinTong cultivation," said HuiHun Poison Commander to Li Lin, in a very good mood. "Elder Dong, please come with me," Li Lin led HuiHun Poison Commander Dong WuMing to a secret chamber in the back mountain. Later, Li Lin went to the Flying Spirit Gate''s main hall. He learned from Zhang MingTao that nothing significant had happened at Flying Spirit Gate the day before. Probably, the Black Sword Sect was busy looking for the murderer who had attacked their sect and couldn''t bother Flying Spirit Gate. Recently, LuoSha Sect hadn''t troubled Flying Spirit Gate either. After pondering, Li Lin decided to open another secret chamber in a cave behind his residence. He planned to go into seclusion and consume Soul Spirit Divine Liquid to make a breakthrough to both Martial Master and Spirit Master levels. With HuiHun Poison Commander Dong WuMing in Flying Spirit Gate, Li Lin felt like he had a reassuring stone in his heart. Once HuiHun Poison Commander recovered a bit, many problems would be solved. After his own breakthrough to Martial Master and Spirit Master levels, his strength would greatly increase, making many things much easier to handle. In the newly opened secret chamber, Li Lin let Little dragon guard outside, and the TianChi Snow Lion was also nearby in the back mountain. Taking out a Spirit Jade bed, Li Lin sat cross-legged, holding the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid. According to his estimate, his current level as a martial artist was at the peak of the ninth level Martial Fighter, and as a spiritualist, around the mid-eighth level. Consuming another portion of Soul Spirit Divine Liquid should be enough for a simultaneous breakthrough to Martial Master and Spirit Master levels. After preparation, Li Lin tilted the ''Soul Spirit Divine Liquid'' into his mouth, sipping gently, about one-tenth of the original amount. The Soul Spirit Divine Liquid felt cool in his mouth and immediately turned into a fierce hot flow, spreading wildly. This power, like an untamable beast, rampaged through his body, causing his meridians to swell under its violent force. This was his third time consuming Soul Spirit Divine Liquid. Familiar with its wild energy, Li Lin could now adapt and contend with it. Although the power was incredibly fierce, Li Lin''s body had become several times stronger than when he first consumed the liquid. The majestic energy of the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid flowed through his meridians and directly into the sea-like space in his mind, where his spiritual power resided, causing sharp pain. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. A vast energy now occupied the space in Li Lin''s mind, awaiting his refinement. Li Lin formed hand seals, sitting on the cold jade bed, and began to rapidly refine this huge and majestic energy using the YinYang Spirit Martial Technique. Soon, a white, transparent halo of light surrounded his body. Slowly refining the wild energy in the spiritual space, this energy was refined very quickly, transforming into his own pure spiritual power. As the energy was refined, Li Lin could feel his significant progress. In this spiritual sea space, the invisible aura emanating from the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid permeated out, reaching the depths of his mind, nourishing his nearly solidified soul, bringing indescribable comfort to his body. His nearly solidified soul, though still somewhat ethereal, was visible, like a white mist hovering in the depths of his mind. Compared to before, it was much stronger. Previously, the soul was intangible and elusive, like air C you could feel its presence but couldn''t touch it. Now, the soul was like a cloud, visible but untouchable. But this transformation represented a complete shift to a different level. For a general spiritualist, even at the fifth level of Spirit Master, very few could reach this stage of soul power. However, Li Lin, currently only an eighth-level Spirit Fighter, had already achieved this step. In terms of soul power alone, he undoubtedly had the ability to contend beyond his level. Li Lin was well aware of all this. Firstly, it was due to the miraculous effects of the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid from the Myriad Beasts Sect, which not only enhanced spiritual power but also greatly aided soul power. Secondly, the help of the Spirit Jade Bed played a role; otherwise, the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid alone could not have achieved this effect. During Li Lin''s secluded cultivation, time slowly passed. On the second day of his retreat, the space of spiritual power in his mind expanded and filled up, his aura rapidly rising. Then, a muffled sound echoed in the space of spiritual power in his mind, and a massive energy spread out in all directions. Li Lin''s body glowed brightly as his aura climbed. The space of spiritual power in his mind instantly expanded several times. A tremendous force surged towards the depths of his brain, and his soul power rapidly strengthened. The soul power, which was nearing substantialization, became even more solidified. "Finally, I''ve reached the ninth level of Spirit Fighter," Li Lin thought happily. With the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid and the YinYang Spirit Martial Technique, his cultivation speed was terrifyingly fast. "Continue refining," Li Lin continued to refine the enormous energy transformed from the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid in his mind. Inside the Black Sword Sect''s main hall, several figures looked displeased, especially the Sect Leader Qian BaTian, who had been in a foul mood for the past few days. Two of his disciples had been killed, their bodies left naked, losing both life and dignity. The other disciples of the Black Sword Sect, upon learning that two direct disciples had been killed in the back mountains, dared not leave the sect in the past few days, creating a panic within the sect. "Elders, what do you think about the background of this mysterious person?" Qian BaTian paced back and forth in the hall before asking the elders beside him. "Sect Leader, we have carefully examined the bodies of the two disciples. One seems to have been killed by a demonic beast, and the other had his internal organs shattered. Judging by the force, it''s probably from a Martial Master of the first or second level. It was an unexpected attack, so the attacker''s strength might not be very strong. Otherwise, they wouldn''t have fled in such a hurry," said a blue-robed elder on the right. "A Martial Master with flying demonic beasts at their command suggests a significant background," Qian BaTian said with a grave expression, familiar with the various powers in the vicinity. "Could it be the work of the Flying Spirit Gate?" asked a portly elder on the left. "This..." Qian BaTian''s eyes flickered with seriousness, "Flying Spirit Gate captured our people and hasn''t explained for several days. It seems we should pay a visit to Flying Spirit Gate." "Sect Leader, should we take this opportunity to annihilate Flying Spirit Gate? I don''t think there are any strong experts in their sect," said the first elder coldly. "Let''s wait one more day. Send someone to observe the surroundings of Flying Spirit Gate and see if there''s any movement," Qian BaTian decided. At nightfall, it was already the sixth day of Li Lin''s seclusion. The night sky, like a dark blue curtain, was adorned with twinkling stars, and the atmosphere was tranquil and peaceful. Tonight, the moonlight was not very bright, only a crescent moon hung in the sky, clear of any clouds. The shadows of branches and weeds cast dappled patterns on the path, gently swaying, with occasional night birds calling from the trees. At this moment, in a cave in the back mountain, a faint light seeped out, casting a white light screen in front of the cave. In the deep silence of the night, it went unnoticed. Inside the secret chamber of the cave, Li Lin was enveloped in an invisible, dazzling white light. His aura was skyrocketing, vibrating the invisible air in the entire chamber, causing ripples. In Li Lin''s mind, the boundless spiritual power had already filled the space of spiritual power in his mind. The entire space was like a boiling sea of clouds, with howling power pulling and strengthening the soul power. Between heaven and earth, an invisible energy entered his body from all pores. This mysterious force seemed to be the key to breaking through only after it entered the body. Chapter 159: Breakthrough to Martial Master The spiritual power kept increasing, and gradually, Li Lin felt his mind expanding, swelling to the point that it brought intense pain. "Boom" Inside the sea of spiritual power in his mind, a muffled sound suddenly echoed. The spiritual power compressed and expanded, exploding instantly. During this compression and explosion, the space expanded several times over, and spiritual energy madly surged in. "Huff, huff" Accompanied by an invisible energy from heaven and earth, Li Lins aura soared... Simultaneously, within Li Lins body, Qi continuously rose from various parts, enveloping him. Inside the Qi Sea space of his dantian, the Qi roared and began to churn. The breakthrough of spiritual power now led Li Lins Qi to the edge of its own breakthrough. The YinYang Spirit Martial Technique required both to break through simultaneously. At this moment, Qi inside Li Lin''s body surged. Temporarily, Li Lin''s bones, meridians, muscles, internal organs, and so on, seemed to possess their own consciousness, beginning to absorb Qi. In this process, the toughness of his body gradually increased. Spiritual power mainly enhances soul power, while Qi affects bodily strength. Both have their strengths. However, for someone like Li Lin who cultivates both spirit and martial arts, with both body and soul power extremely strong, anyone seeing him at this moment would undoubtedly be astonished. During this process, Li Lin found his body being forged again, slowly strengthening at a rate he could vaguely perceive. Li Lin controlled the Qi within his body, readying for the breakthrough, not daring to be careless. He directed the Qi towards the Qi Sea in his dantian. As the Qi flowed through his meridians, it gradually gathered outside the Qi Sea in the dantian. At this time, an invisible energy from the world around also began entering Li Lin''s body through his pores, converging in the dantian''s Qi Sea. As the Qi energy slowly accumulated to the point of expanding the meridians, it felt like a massive army ready to march, and a roaring sound seemed to emanate from Li Lin''s abdomen. Inside Li Lin, the Qi in the dantian''s Qi Sea roared and the space expanded, resembling an inflating balloon. Several hours later, it expanded to the brink of bursting. "Compress, break through," Li Lin uttered a low shout. At the same time, the Qi energy filling his meridians surged like a stampeding army into the Qi Sea in the dantian. This enormous energy almost instantly collided with the Qi Sea, causing Li Lin to let out a soft groan. The massive force hitting the Qi Sea brought pain that nearly made him lose control. As this wave of Qi energy entered, the Qi Sea in Li Lin''s dantian suddenly expanded to its utmost limit, then a bursting sound quietly echoed within his body. Simultaneously, the originally white aura around Li Lin had, unknowingly, turned into a yellowish hue, intensifying in brightness. Li Lin''s aura also greatly increased. Time slowly passed, and Li Lin''s aura continued to climb until the sky began to lighten, finally stabilizing. "Huff, huff" Li Lin slowly exhaled a long breath from the Qi Sea in his dantian, then opened his eyes, revealing a sharp brilliance that gradually receded, leaving his eyes deeper than before. "Finally, I''ve broken through," Li Lin smiled faintly, feeling the majestic spiritual power in his mind and the abundant Qi in his dantian''s Qi Sea. His strength was now nearly ten times greater than when he was at the peak of the ninth level Martial Fighter. Martial Master and Martial Fighter represent two different levels, and their strengths are incomparable. Li Lin also realized that when he devoured the Qi of a first-level Martial Fighter from the Black Sword Sect, their Qi Sea was about half the size of his own at this time, and their meridians were also narrower. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. This change in himself, Li Lin attributed to the YinYang Spirit Martial Technique. Devouring pill energy and Qi energy had gradually expanded his meridians and Qi Sea due to continuous impact. His foundation was solid, making future cultivation easier. "I wonder what level they have reached," Li Lin murmured to himself, thinking of Yang Miao, Qin TianHao, and others. It had been seven or eight months since he fell off the cliff in the Misty Mountain Range, and at that time, he was only a fourth-level Martial Fighter and a first-level Spirit Fighter. Now that I am both a first-level Spirit Master and a first-level Martial Master, I wonder how much they have achieved in the YunYang Sect. Perhaps when I return to the YunYang Sect, I will find out. "They probably think I''m dead," Li Lin sighed slightly, fearing that his mother knew of his disappearance and must be very heartbroken. Thinking of his mother crying, Li Lin felt a pang of pain in his heart. "Li WuShuang." Li Lin involuntarily thought of Li WuShuang. She must think he is dead too, falling into a deep abyss, no one would believe he is still alive. "Once I''ve finished my tasks, I''ll find a way to return to the YunYang Sect," Li Lin thought to himself, putting away the Spirit Jade bed and then stepping out of the cave chamber. Little dragon had been waiting outside the cave and affectionately rushed up to Li Lin, flicking its tongue and licking his face continuously. When Li Lin returned to his residence, he did not see Li XinTong but found Fang XinQi organizing a lot of herbs. Looking closely, Li Lin noticed that these herbs were all poisonous. "Sixth Senior Sister, what are you doing?" Li Lin asked in surprise. "Sect Leader, you''ve come out of seclusion," said Fang XinQi, who was organizing the herbs and had just noticed Li Lin''s entrance. She quickly saluted and said, "Sect Leader, these are Elder Dong''s instructions. Soak these herbs in water for an hour every day for XinTong to bathe in, to strengthen her muscles and bones." "Bathing in poison, this old poisoner," Li Lin sighed. The poison skills of the old poisoner were indeed bizarre. XinTong would definitely be full of poison in the future. "Where is XinTong?" Li Lin didn''t see XinTong and was somewhat surprised. Fang XinQi replied, "Yesterday, after Elder Dong came out of seclusion, he took XinTong into the chamber, saying he needed to remove some kind of poison from her body, which would take two or three days." "Oh," Li Lin responded softly. HuiHun Poison Commander said it would take three days to recover some strength, so five days since coming out of seclusion means his strength must have recovered somewhat. With this old poisoner in the Flying Spirit Gate, Li Lin thought his original plan should change. Li Lin then asked Fang XinQi about the recent situation in the Flying Spirit Gate. Nothing major had happened, and all the disciples were diligently cultivating. "Greetings, Sect Leader." Zhang MingTao entered, saluted, and said, "Sect Leader, in the past few days, Elders Huang and Zhou have been looking for you." Li Lin frowned and asked, "Do you know why they are looking for me?" "It seems Elder Huang heard that the Sect Leader brought an outsider to the Flying Spirit Gate and wanted to inquire about it," Zhang MingTao replied, not knowing any other details. "Hmph, they want to find me, but I also want to find them," Li Lin muttered with a smile and said to Zhang MingTao, "Senior Brother, please inform the disciples to gather in the main hall, including the three Elders. I have something to announce." "Yes, Sect Leader," Zhang MingTao replied and quickly left. "It''s time to change the plan," Li Lin muttered to himself after Zhang MingTao left. With HuiHun Poison Commander Dong WuMing in the Flying Spirit Gate, he no longer needed to be cautious. However, Li Lin was now conflicted. He had no intention of becoming the Sect Leader of the Flying Spirit Gate. Could it be that he really had to continue being the Sect Leader? Li Lin knew very well that to become a strong figure, his own strength was still not enough, not enough to make others too wary. But if he were strong and also had a formidable force, that would be truly intimidating. In the Li family, Li Lin was preparing to have his own force, instructing Uncle Jiang to train Li XiaoBai, also in preparation for his future force. But the strength of the Flying Spirit Gate was simply too weak, and moreover, it was in the ancient domain. "Perhaps, the ancient domain is more suitable for me..." Li Lin murmured. The ancient domain was chaotic, where the strong were respected, and there were no rules. It was the most suitable place to develop one''s strength. In the LingWu Continent, with three Sects, four Schools, and seven great powers, any new rising force would surely face joint resistance from the seven factions. None of them would want to see another force rise under their watch. "Perhaps, this is fate, fate that brought me to this world and to the Flying Spirit Gate," Li Lin said softly, pondering over some decisions in his mind. "Sixth Senior Sister, come with me to the main hall," Li Lin said to Fang XinQi after a while. "Greetings, Sect Leader." When Li Lin and Fang XinQi arrived at the main hall, the disciples had already gathered, except for a few who stayed to guard the Flying Spirit Gate. Although the Flying Spirit Gate was in decline, such formalities were still necessary. At this time, Li Lin did not hide Little dragon in his sleeve. Even HuiHun Poison Commander couldn''t recognize Little dragon''s identity, so the people of the Flying Spirit Gate naturally couldn''t either. Chapter 160: The Deterrence of the Poison Commander The disciples of the Flying Spirit Gate were surprised to see a small yellow snake coiling around the Sect Leader''s shoulder. "Greetings, Sect Leader." The three Elders had also arrived in the main hall. Only Zheng Ying greeted Li Lin with a slight nod, while Huang HaiBo and Zhou YuHou just glanced at Li Lin indifferently. Li Lin didn''t mind their reactions, knowing in his heart what to expect, and then strode to the head seat. "Sect Leader, I heard that you brought an outsider to the Flying Spirit Gate a few days ago. I wonder who it is. You should know that although our Flying Spirit Gate is not a major sect, we can''t just let outsiders enter at will." As soon as Li Lin sat down, Huang HaiBo''s face slightly darkened as he asked Li Lin, his expression filled with reproach. "I forgot to mention this to everyone. I have been in seclusion these past few days. That person is a strong individual I invited to join our Flying Spirit Gate, temporarily taking the position of an Elder," Li Lin replied indifferently. "What? Absolutely not," Huang HaiBo immediately objected, and Zhou YuHou''s expression also darkened at this moment. Zheng Ying looked at Li Lin, equally puzzled. The other disciples also started whispering among themselves. "I wonder why Elder Huang is opposing this," Li Lin wasn''t surprised by Huang HaiBo''s reaction, as it was natural for them to oppose such a matter. "Sect Leader, becoming an Elder of our Flying Spirit Gate is not something that can be decided on a whim. Moreover, even if someone wants to join our Flying Spirit Gate, it requires the agreement of all three Elders. The Sect Leader doesn''t have the authority to decide this alone, especially as an acting Sect Leader," Huang HaiBo said. Li Lin fixed his gaze on Huang HaiBo, his eyes flashing sharply as he said sternly, "Elder Huang, if everything has to be decided by the three Elders, then what''s the use of having a Sect Leader? You just don''t want someone to share the position of Elder with you and dilute your power, am I right? I''ve already promised the position of Elder. Do you want me to go back on my word?" "Hiss..." Feeling Li Lin''s intense mood, even Little dragon flicked its tongue and fixed its gaze on Huang HaiBo. Feeling Li Lin''s gaze, Huang HaiBo was taken aback, almost feeling oppressed. He couldn''t understand how he could be intimidated by a young boy, then regained his composure and coldly said, "You should know that you''re only the acting Sect Leader, you don''t have the right to do this. If anyone is to break their word, it''s your own business." Li Lin stared at Huang HaiBo, his eyes sweeping coldly. At the moment, his strength wasn''t enough to kill Huang HaiBo, and even if he could, it wasn''t the right time. Killing Huang HaiBo would surely provoke Zhou YuHou to act. Both of them might have been involved in the murder of Li Qing, and Li Lin''s foundation in the Flying Spirit Gate was still unstable. Dealing with them now could lead to unforeseen troubles, not to mention the issues with the Black Sword Sect and LuoSha Sect. "Is anyone here opposed to me taking the position of Elder?" Just then, a voice suddenly appeared in the main hall, echoing in everyone''s ears like a thunderclap, causing a numb sensation, especially for Huang HaiBo, whose ears were buzzing. As soon as the voice fell, two figures, one tall and one short, appeared in the hall, silently, with no one noticing when they had entered. The two arrivals were HuiHun Poison Commander Dong WuMing and Li XinTong. HuiHun Poison Commander, leading Li XinTong, slowly walked forward, his eyes seemingly closed, not looking directly at anyone. However, at that moment, the entire hall felt as if it had suddenly fallen into an icy pit, with every soul trembling. "Such strong strength." The three Elders, all Martial Soul level cultivators, felt this aura and were shocked. The level of this aura was far above theirs, indicating that the newcomer''s strength was terrifyingly formidable. "Elder Dong, why have you come?" Li Lin smiled slightly, feeling a bit awkward, and quickly stood up, helping HuiHun Poison Commander to sit in his armchair, while he stood behind Dong WuMing. Looking at Dong WuMing''s complexion, he seemed to have recovered quite a bit, at least to the point of no serious concern. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Seeing this scene, everyone was surprised, with the Sect Leader showing such regard for this elder. Feeling the aura emanating from HuiHun Poison Commander, Huang HaiBo wanted to say something more, but his face twitched, and he swallowed his words. "I saw you were not here, so I came to have a look. Just so happens, I heard someone didn''t want me as an Elder of the Flying Spirit Gate. I would like to know who is opposing," HuiHun Poison Commander Dong WuMing said slowly, his piercing gaze sweeping over everyone, finally resting, intentionally or unintentionally, on Huang HaiBo. A chill suddenly spread from the depths of Huang HaiBo''s soul, shivering under the gaze of this old man. "Sect Leader" A rushed voice and figure entered the main hall, as a Flying Spirit Gate disciple hurried in, looking somewhat panicked. "What''s the matter that you''re in such a hurry? Speak," Li Lin asked. "The people from the Black Sword Sect are here, saying they want to meet with the Sect Leader," the disciple quickly said. "Have they finally come?" Li Lin raised an eyebrow and asked, "How many people from the Black Sword Sect have come?" "Replying to the Sect Leader, a total of two hundred people have come, marching in a formidable array, looking fierce and ferocious," the Flying Spirit Gate disciple said after regaining his composure. "It looks like your trouble is not small. I''ll come with you to see," HuiHun Poison Commander turned to look at Li Lin and said. "Then I''ll have to trouble Elder Dong," Li Lin chuckled, knowing that with this old poisoner here, it''s the Black Sword Sect''s people who are unlucky. "Elder Huang, do you have any other objections to Elder Dong becoming an Elder of our Flying Spirit Gate?" Li Lin did not immediately go out but asked Huang HaiBo. Huang HaiBo''s face changed, and he exchanged a look with Zhou YuHou. They could understand the meaning behind Li Lin''s words. With the Black Sword Sect coming in force, undoubtedly to cause trouble over the incident a few days ago, if they opposed now, this mysterious strong figure would naturally not lend a hand when the time came, leaving them to face the Black Sword Sect''s overwhelming numbers. "Sect Leader, if this...," Huang HaiBo looked at HuiHun Poison Commander, unsure how to address him, then said, "If Elder Dong can overpower the people from the Black Sword Sect, of course, we wouldn''t object. The Flying Spirit Gate indeed needs strong individuals to join." "Hmph" HuiHun Poison Commander Dong WuMing let out a faint hum. He had been sought after by many great sects to join them but had ignored them all. He glanced at Li Lin, noting that if not for this young man, he would not have joined the Flying Spirit Gate. "Kid, those who achieve great things must be ruthless and decisive. I joined the Flying Spirit Gate because of you, so don''t disappoint me. Sometimes, caring too much can appear indecisive. ''A general achieves renown over the bones of thousands, indifferent to a land soaked in blood,'' you decide. Lets first go see the Black Sword Sect," HuiHun Poison Commander''s message echoed in Li Lin''s ear, and then he stood up and walked out of the hall. "Maybe, I have been too concerned," Li Lin thought to himself, feeling like HuiHun Poison Commander''s words were a thunderbolt in his heart. "Flying Spirit Gate, from now on, I will take charge," Li Lin thought to himself, clearing the gloom in his heart, holding Li XinTong''s hand, and following behind HuiHun Poison Commander, saying, "Let''s go meet the Black Sword Sect." Outside the main hall, when Li Lin and others came out, they saw two hundred people gathered outside Flying Spirit Mountain. Upon seeing the Flying Spirit Gate''s figures, an angry voice echoed in the air: "Flying Spirit Gate captured my disciple, injured my disciple, what does this mean? Today, if you don''t give me an explanation, there will be no end to this with my Black Sword Sect." Li Lin stepped forward to stand beside HuiHun Poison Commander Dong WuMing, observing the arrivals from the Black Sword Sect. Among the two hundred people, there were Black Sword Sect''s elders and their Sect Leader, Qian BaTian, with a third-level Martial Soul cultivation. "What explanation do you want?" Li Lin observed Qian BaTian, feeling his formidable aura. If he were alone against Qian BaTian, Li Lin would naturally have concerns, but with HuiHun Poison Commander Dong WuMing by his side, he was not afraid. At that moment, the woman from the palace whose ear Li Lin had severed with his Fire Shadow Finger was whispering something to Qian BaTian, who kept his gaze fixed on Li Lin. "Kid, are you the Sect Leader of the Flying Spirit Gate? A mere child, find someone decent to talk to me," Qian BaTian looked at Li Lin and coldly huffed, feeling a sense of familiarity in Li Lin''s figure. "Qian BaTian, what do you mean by this? Your Black Sword Sect comes in force, what do you intend to do?" Zheng Ying spoke up. "Zheng Ying, your Flying Spirit Gate has captured my Black Sword Sect disciple, hand him over quickly, or else, I will level your Flying Spirit Gate ," a blue-robed elder from the Black Sword Sect said. At this time, Zheng Ying, Huang HaiBo, and Zhou YuHou also turned their gaze towards Li Lin. The young man from the Black Sword Sect that Li Lin had taken away had not been seen since. Li Lin looked at everyone and then focused on the people from the Black Sword Sect, saying, "The person has been killed by me." As Li Lin''s words fell, several strong auras from the Black Sword Sect rose simultaneously, enveloping the surroundings. "I, the Black Sword Sect, will level your Flying Spirit Gate today," Qian BaTian roared in anger. "A mere Martial Soul dares to speak arrogantly. You''re not qualified yet," a voice came, suddenly causing the surrounding air to drop in temperature, chilling to the bone. Simultaneously, with the temperature drop, an overwhelming aura suddenly soared in the surroundings! Chapter 161: The Poison Commander Strikes The elders of the Black Sword Sect suddenly felt a chill in their hearts. Just as they were about to speak angrily, their words stopped abruptly in their throats. Feeling the source of the voice, the people of the Black Sword Sect then turned their attention to the pale-faced old man beside Li Lin. At this moment, the old man was emanating a murderous aura, his cold gaze spreading out. Just being stared at by those eyes made people break into a cold sweat. Li Lin smiled faintly. HuiHun Poison Commander Dong WuMing was always aloof from the world and undoubtedly bloodthirsty and ruthless. Li Lin had some connection with him, established when he was seriously injured. Otherwise, how could Li Lin have persuaded this old poisoner to join the small Flying Spirit Gate? Feeling this cold aura, Qian BaTian of the Black Sword Sect suddenly changed his expression, never expecting that the Flying Spirit Gate would suddenly have an unknown master. The murderous look in the eyes of this black-robed elder was glaringly obvious, filling him with fear. Judging from the aura, this person was extremely powerful. Staring at HuiHun Poison Commander Dong WuMing, Qian BaTian suddenly said, "May I know the name of this esteemed person? The Black Sword Sect''s visit to the Flying Spirit Gate was not intended to disturb you. If so, I will immediately withdraw!" In Qian BaTian''s heart, he was now extremely cautious of this black-robed elder. If this person interfered in the Flying Spirit Gate''s affairs, he feared he wouldn''t gain any advantage. Hearing Qian BaTian''s words, everyone from the Flying Spirit Gate and the Black Sword Sect was surprised. Qian BaTian, always arrogant and domineering, was now speaking so respectfully to this black-robed elder, even to the point of backing down. Of course, the elders of the Black Sword Sect also felt the aura from this black-robed elder, realizing that he was extremely difficult to deal with. "Hmph," HuiHun Poison Commander Dong WuMing sneered, then said, "I joined the Flying Spirit Gate today, and you come to cause trouble, deliberately opposing me. In that case, I will also oppose you." As he spoke, HuiHun Poison Commander Dong WuMing slowly advanced towards Qian BaTian. Seeing HuiHun Poison Commander approaching him, Qian BaTian''s face changed drastically, and he said hastily, "You misunderstand, Elder. First, I did not know you joined the Flying Spirit Gate today. Second, the Flying Spirit Gate captured one of my disciples, so I came to demand an explanation. It was absolutely not to oppose you." "Is that so? Capturing one of your disciples is a big deal? Since the Flying Spirit Gate likes capturing disciples of the Black Sword Sect, I, having joined the Flying Spirit Gate today, will present a gift and capture you as well," HuiHun Poison Commander said coldly. This statement immediately changed the expressions of everyone from the Black Sword Sect, and even those from the Flying Spirit Gate were surprised at the audacity of the person the Sect Leader had invited. "What do you want to do? My Black Sword Sect is not to be trifled with. If it comes to it, we will both suffer," Qian BaTian involuntarily retreated slightly and angrily said to HuiHun Poison Commander. "Both suffer? You are not worthy," HuiHun Poison Commander laughed grimly, releasing his suppressed aura. An overwhelming coldness instantly spread. Feeling HuiHun Poison Commander Dong WuMing''s fully unleashed aura, the elders and Qian BaTian from the Black Sword Sect became even more terrified, realizing that the opponent was a Spirit Master. "Don''t push people too hard," Qian BaTian shouted loudly. "Hmph, so what if I do," HuiHun Poison Commander snorted coldly, raising a hand seal, and instantly the space in front of him fluctuated. A wave of black energy mist appeared beside him, rapidly transforming into six black streaks of light in the air. These black lights moved silently yet fiercely, slicing through the air at a speed too fast for the eye to follow. The six streaks of black mist swiftly shot towards Qian BaTian and the five elders of the Black Sword Sect. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The six men were shocked and their Qi burst forth from under their feet as they dodged. "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh" The six dodged, but behind them, six disciples who hadn''t reacted in time were pierced by the black lights. Their bodies turned black, and they spat out black blood before collapsing to the ground. These six disciples from the Black Sword Sect were all direct disciples with notable strength within the sect, yet they were instantly killed, leaving everyone dumbfounded. "Haha, what a Black Sword Sect, using disciples as human shields." HuiHun Poison Commander laughed coldly. His robust aura suddenly soared to the sky, and his figure burst out instantly. His cold eyes, filled with an undisguisable chilling menace, directed a black palm imprint straight at Qian BaTian. "Everyone, fight with the people of the Flying Spirit Gate, attack together!" Seeing the mysterious strong figure attacking him, Qian BaTian immediately shouted, his hand seals forming, and a surge of true Qi violently emanating from his body, as he struck out with a roaring fist imprint. The people from the Black Sword Sect hesitated for a moment and then drew their swords, rushing towards the members of the Flying Spirit Gate. The five Elders divided their attacks, with two helping to strike at HuiHun Poison Commander, while the remaining three attacked Huang HaiBo, Zhou YuHou, and Zheng Ying separately. "Everyone, prepare for battle," Li Lin shouted, his expression darkening. He formed a mountain-opening palm in his hand and swept it towards a Black Sword Sect disciple who was an eighth-level Martial Fighter. "Bang" The palm strike swiftly sent the Black Sword Sect disciple flying. Li Lin seized the opportunity to survey the battlefield. The disciples and three Elders of the Flying Spirit Gate also began to fight, but in terms of momentum, the disciples of the Flying Spirit Gate were significantly inferior to those of the Black Sword Sect. "Little dragon, protect XinTong," Li Lin quickly carried Li XinTong to the back, instructing Little dragon to protect her. His face darkened slightly, seemingly pondering something. Then, gritting his teeth, he summoned the TianChi Snow Lion in his mind. "Roar" From the back mountain, a tremendous roar resounded, and a massive beast appeared from the sky above C the formidable TianChi Snow Lion. The appearance of the TianChi Snow Lion startled everyone present except for HuiHun Poison Commander. The TianChi Snow Lion flapped its wings, generating a gust of wind that materialized in the sky. The wind howled, expanding rapidly, forming a massive twister about two hundred meters high, sweeping towards the people of the Black Sword Sect like a tornado. The TianChi Snow Lion, following Li Lin''s instructions, directly attacked all members of the Black Sword Sect. As the twister raged, it picked up vegetation and rocks from the ground, creating a mini-tornado with dust and debris filling the air. "Thud, thud, thud" Several shocked disciples from the Black Sword Sect were swept into the air, then violently slammed to the ground, becoming lifeless corpses. The TianChi Snow Lion landed, flapping its wings. Its white front paws suddenly lashed out with wind-blade-like claws, tearing through the air with a sharp sound. The claw marks twisted the space around them, striking two Black Sword Sect disciples and instantly shredding them into pieces. "It''s a flying beast, the one from our sect''s back mountain the other day," several Elders from the Black Sword Sect realized in horror that the TianChi Snow Lion was the same beast they had chased days before. "Bang" In that instant, Qian BaTian was sent flying by HuiHun Poison Commander, clearly outmatched. "Huff, huff" At this time, two Elders from the Black Sword Sect, one on each side, launched powerful energy attacks towards HuiHun Poison Commander. "Even with injuries, it''s enough to kill a few of you," HuiHun Poison Commander scoffed, forming hand seals. Dark energy surged from his hands, streaking through the air towards the two Elders of the Black Sword Sect. The dark energy tore through space like serpents. A massive energy collision ensued, creating ripples like waves, exploding outwards. "Boom! Boom!" Sounds like thunderclaps echoed in the air, and under the explosion of immense energy, the entire area was shrouded in thick, foul-smelling black mist. The two Elders were overwhelmed by the energy, along with a soul attack C a specialty of spiritualists C and coughed up black blood, their bodies rapidly decaying and dying. HuiHun Poison Commander, his body full of poison, infused his attack with deadly soul-snatching toxins and the powerful soul attacks of a spiritualist. The two Elders were no match for him and were killed in one round. Without even a glance at the two Elders of the Black Sword Sect, HuiHun Poison Commander charged towards Qian BaTian, forming a hand seal that generated a dense black mist claw imprint. The claw imprint sliced through the air with a hissing sound, its murderous intent flashing in HuiHun Poison Commander''s eyes as it rapidly streaked out, causing the air to violently ripple. This claw imprint carried a chilling, overwhelming force, bursting out from HuiHun Poison Commander''s hand, tearing through space with a series of sonic booms. Feeling the terrifying power of HuiHun Poison Commander, Qian BaTian''s face showed absolute fear and dread. He regretted provoking the Flying Spirit Gate, as they indeed had a formidable figure within. Regretting his actions too late, he faced the incoming attack, pulling out a black broadsword. His hand seal struck out, sending sword lights tearing through the air and enveloping the sky towards HuiHun Poison Commander. Chapter 162: The Death of the Rebels "Hmph, a high-level star martial technique, too weak." Facing the sword light, the Soul Summoning Poison Commander simply ignored it. Dark mist surged from his claw mark, and upon meeting the sword light, it corroded it instantly, turning it into white smoke that vanished without a trace. The next moment, the claw mark penetrated the sword light, ruthlessly crushing Qian Batian''s protective aura. "Crack, crack!" Qian Batian''s protective True Qi was instantly corroded and cracked, his body violently trembled, and after a moment, he couldn''t withstand the powerful force. With a burst of energy explosion, his body was blasted far away, spewing blood mixed with broken organs. His complexion slowly turned black, likely poisoned, and then he died. "Boom, boom, boom..." The huge body of the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion flapped its wings rapidly, creating a howling airflow. Several disciples of the Black Sword Sect were swept into the high sky and then crashed down heavily. "Stop all of you!" A loud shout came from above, the Soul Summoning Poison Commander stood proudly in the air, his gaze fixed on everyone. Seeing two elders and the leader of the Black Sword Sect killed in an instant, and with the rampage of the beast, the disciples had already lost their will to fight, terrified and incontinent. The disciples of the Black Sword Sect, not having experienced much slaughter, were trembling with fear. The remaining three elders of the Black Sword Sect had no choice but to withdraw their True Qi, watching their surroundings with extremely ugly expressions, but had no intention of fleeing. With their leader and the other two elders killed instantly, and the presence of that mysterious spiritualist, they had no chance of escape. The battle lasted only a few minutes, but the swift killing of two elders and the leader by the Soul Summoning Poison Commander had deterred everyone, especially the Black Sword Sect, who dared not even breathe heavily now. In just a few minutes, dozens of corpses lay on the ground. About ten disciples of the Flying Spirit Gate were killed, and the remaining thirty or so were from the Black Sword Sect, mainly slain by the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion. In the melee, the lion''s formidable strength and huge size were a nightmare for the disciples of the Black Sword Sect. As for the injured, both the Black Sword Sect and the Flying Spirit Gate had many. Injuries were inevitable in a few minutes of chaotic fighting. "All of you from the Black Sword Sect listen up, you now have two choices: death or surrender to the Flying Spirit Gate. Make your choice." The Soul Summoning Poison Commander watched the people of the Black Sword Sect, his sharp gaze and cold chill causing everyone to shudder. "We surrender." Without much hesitation, the disciples of the Black Sword Sect chose to surrender to the Flying Spirit Gate. For them, surviving was most important. "And you?" The Soul Summoning Poison Commander turned to the three remaining elders of the Black Sword Sect, his gaze filled with unmistakable intent to kill. "We surrender." The three elders of the Black Sword Sect exchanged glances, having no other choice. "These three are Blood Devouring Bone Corrosion Pills. They act once a year, and without the antidote, you will die miserably with ruptured blood vessels and decomposed bones. Take these, and I will give you the antidote each year. Dare to betray the Flying Spirit Gate, and you will wish for death." The Soul Summoning Poison Commander watched the three elders of the Black Sword Sect, taking out three pills. The three had no choice but to take the Blood Devouring Bone Corrosion Pills, their expressions desolate. "Leader, what do you think of this arrangement?" The Soul Summoning Poison Commander approached Li Lin and spoke indifferently, addressing Li Lin as the leader for the first time. "Thank you, Elder Dong." Li Lin said, shocked by the bloodthirsty killing of the Soul Summoning Poison Commander. He understood what he had to do in the future. The deeper meaning of Dong WuMing''s actions was probably to show him how to stand in this ancient realm. "All of you from the Black Sword Sect, now that you have surrendered, you are part of the Flying Spirit Gate. There is no more Black Sword Sect. If you dare to betray, the consequence is death." Li Lin said to all the disciples of the Black Sword Sect. With these disciples joining, the strength of the Flying Spirit Gate had greatly increased. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. "We''ve seen the leader, we dare not have second thoughts." The three surrendering elders immediately saluted. Their lives were in others'' hands; they dared not betray. "We''ve seen the leader." The disciples of the Black Sword Sect knelt down, terrified but also relieved to have saved their lives. Witnessing this scene, in this brief moment, this sudden change surprised all the disciples of the Flying Spirit Gate, and at the same time, they all felt an unprecedented exhilaration. Since their induction into the Flying Spirit Gate, it had always been subject to humiliation, acting like a turtle withdrawing into its shell. Even when bullied to their doorstep, they dared not retaliate. Never had the disciples imagined that the Flying Spirit Gate could one day confront others with such a formidable attitude. And now, they had seen it. The scene just now had also instilled fear in them. More than a dozen of their fellow disciples had died. Facing death, they were scared, but invisibly, the Flying Spirit Gate''s newfound strength today gave them courage. The mysterious powerhouse brought by their Sect Leader deeply shocked them. With such a strong figure, and with the Sect Leader there, the Flying Spirit Gate would surely have hope. They no longer needed to worry about others humiliating their sect. This change in the Flying Spirit Gate seemed to have started after the arrival of the new Sect Leader. Unknowingly, the formidable image of the new Sect Leader had deeply ingrained in their hearts, stirring excitement and boiling blood in everyone. Li Lin gazed at the crowd, feeling much after witnessing the ruthless killing methods of the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal just now. His aura suddenly spread out, extremely violent, although he was only a first-level Martial Master at the moment. However, this aura, mixed with a dragon-soaring-like momentum, made people tremble. It was not the strength, but the powerful, dragon-like momentum that was formidable. "Just a few days, and he''s already broken through to Martial Master?" Sensing Li Lin''s aura, the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal Dong WuMing''s eyes flashed with a sharp light. "From now on, the Flying Spirit Gate will no longer be bullied by anyone. Whoever dares to bully my Flying Spirit Gate will face death," Li Lin declared, his voice echoing across the mountains of Flying Spirit. "Roar, roar..." Sensing the momentum from its master, the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion couldn''t help but roar in agreement, its voice piercing through the clouds and echoing in everyone''s ears. "We vow to follow the Sect Leader to the death." The disciples of the Flying Spirit Gate, at this moment, knelt down involuntarily, one by one, soon becoming a sea of people. Even the recently surrendered disciples of the Black Sword Sect knelt, feeling the aura from Li Lin, a heroic spirit spreading in their hearts, their blood seemingly boiling within them. Only the disciples of Huang HaiBo and Zhou YuHou didn''t kneel, but there was a fiery light in their eyes. Under this atmosphere, it was inevitable for the youth to feel some surging ambition. "This kid, gets it in one go. Maybe, I really didn''t see the wrong person," the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal Dong WuMing muttered softly, watching Li Lin. "Now, I have something to announce," Li Lin said, regaining his composure and looking seriously at the crowd. Everyone stood up, looking at Li Lin with excitement. "Huang HaiBo, do you know your crime?" At this moment, Li Lin looked at Huang HaiBo and shouted loudly. Huang HaiBo was stunned, then his expression darkened, not expecting Li Lin to target him. He said, "What crime do I know? What are you trying to do?" At this, everyone was also surprised, not knowing what was happening. "Huang HaiBo, look what this is." Li Lin coldly shouted, pulling out the Flying Spirit Gate''s Sect Leader seal. "The Sect Leader''s seal, it''s the Sect Leader''s seal!" The disciples of the Flying Spirit Gate were immediately surprised, naturally recognizing the seal. "The Sect Leader''s seal, is it really in your possession?" Huang HaiBo looked at Li Lin in amazement, holding the Sect Leader''s seal. He had long suspected that the seal was with Li Lin. Zhou YuHou and Zheng Ying were also extremely surprised, looking at Li Lin with confusion. "Huang HaiBo, you conspired against the previous Sect Leader, what should be your crime?" Li Lin coldly looked at Huang HaiBo, already planning to resolve all the troubles at once, fearing that hesitating would only lead to more complications. "Kid, you''re slandering me. The Sect Leader must have been killed by you. You said you''re the Sect Leader''s disciple, is that possible? Your strength isn''t much weaker than the Sect Leader''s. How could you be his disciple? You''re clearly framing a good person. You are the real murderer," Huang HaiBo coldly stared at Li Lin. Hearing their words, all the disciples were shocked, standing still. "Good at slandering," Li Lin had long predicted that Huang HaiBo would slander him. He snorted coldly, "I indeed am not the disciple of the previous Sect Leader. All this was just to stay in the Flying Spirit Gate to avenge the previous Sect Leader. But you, you are the murderer who killed the Sect Leader." "Haha, you admitted it. You are the murderer. What more do you have to argue?" Huang HaiBo coldly said. "What the Sect Leader said is true. Master, you were killed by him. You didn''t expect that Liu Tao and Zhao Qing would expose themselves when they tried to kill Granny Lan and Xin Tong. You are the murderer," Zhang MingTao, holding Li XinTong, stepped forward, coldly looking at Huang HaiBo. "Brother is right. Elder Huang, why did you kill my father?" Li XinTong stood beside Zhang MingTao and Li Lin, gazing intently at Huang HaiBo. "XinTong, you''re young, you''ve been deceived. Zhang MingTao, you and Li Lin teamed up to kill your master, seeking the position of Sect Leader. That''s the truth," Huang HaiBo, twitching, looked at them and said. Chapter 163: Merely Ants "Sect Leader, why bother talking so much with such a person? Just kill him." Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal Dong WuMing said indifferently in front of Li Lin. "Elder, you are not yet an elder of the Flying Spirit Gate. This is our private affair, what does it have to do with you? Are you trying to bully our Flying Spirit Gate?" Huang HaiBo stared at Dong WuMing, his eyes filled with intention, glancing at Zhou YuHou and Zheng Ying behind him, then slowly retreating a few steps. "XinTong, tell me quickly, what do you know?" Elder Zheng Ying approached Li XinTong and asked her after looking at everyone. "Uncle Zheng, Brother Liu Tao and Brother Zhao Qing chased and tried to kill Granny Lan and me. Granny Lan was killed by them. Brother saved me and Granny Lan asked him to take care of me. I begged Brother to help me avenge, so he came to the Flying Spirit Gate," Li XinTong told Zheng Ying. "Second Senior Brother, XinTong wouldn''t lie, what exactly is going on? I''ve long suspected you. Why did you kill our Senior Brother? Is it just for the Sect Leader''s seal?" Zheng Ying stood up and stared at Huang HaiBo. She believed Li XinTong''s words; a ten-year-old girl, whose father had died, would definitely not lie. Moreover, she had long suspected Huang HaiBo''s involvement in the death of the Sect Leader. "Fourth Junior Sister, what do you mean by this? Do you believe an outsider over me?" Huang HaiBo''s face twitched several times, glaring coldly at Li Lin. "Second Senior Brother, did you really kill the Sect Leader?" Zhou YuHou was also surprised, looking at Huang HaiBo in amazement. Li Lin was stunned, wondering if Li Qing wasn''t killed by Huang HaiBo and Zhou YuHou together. "Second Senior Brother, what exactly is going on? Tell us clearly today," Zheng Ying demanded angrily. "Fine, fine..." Huang HaiBo glanced at everyone, then said, "If you all suspect me, then I''ll leave. From now on, I have nothing to do with the Flying Spirit Gate." After speaking, Huang HaiBo intended to leave, but Li Lin''s expression darkened, blocking Huang HaiBo''s path, "Huang HaiBo, you killed the previous Sect Leader and now you want to leave?" Seeing Li Lin blocking his way, realizing that all his plans were ruined by this young man, Huang HaiBo finally couldn''t hold back, forgetting the presence of the mysterious strong figure beside Li Lin, and angrily said, "Kid, you''ve ruined my plans. Hand over the Sect Leader''s seal." As his voice fell, Huang HaiBo''s true qi vibrated, a blue qi wave surged out, creating ripples in the space around him, a violent force wreaking havoc, and a blue claw imprint suddenly condensed above, crashing down on Li Lin like thunder. "Courting death," a cold voice rang out, and a powerful aura spread. "Dong, leave him alive, I still need him," Li Lin smiled slightly, confident now. With the Old Poisoner beside him, Huang HaiBo, though a second-level Martial Soul, was merely an ant in the hands of the Old Poisoner. In an instant, before Huang HaiBo''s attack reached Li Lin, a black-robed figure appeared, engulfing the space in a dense, foul-smelling black fog. The claw imprint, upon meeting this sinister fog, instantly corroded into smoke. "Merely a clown jumping on the beam. If it were my heyday, a single thought could turn you to ashes. Even now, a flick of a finger can kill you," the cold voice of Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal Dong WuMing said, as the black fog whistled, unleashing wild energy that caused the ground around to crack. In the dense, foul fog, a beast-like energy form, resembling neither tiger nor wolf, roared and crashed onto Huang HaiBo, its immense power tearing through the air with a piercing sound. "Crack, crack..." Huang HaiBo''s hastily arranged protective circle instantly cracked, and under the impact of the enormous energy, Huang HaiBo''s body was directly blasted away. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Boom, boom..." A loud explosion resounded in mid-air, echoing suddenly through the mountains of the Flying Spirit Gate. Blood mixed with broken organs spewed from Huang HaiBo''s mouth, his face turning pale. The attack had destroyed his internal organs. "Ask him whatever you want to ask, or he''ll be dead soon," Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal Dong WuMing indifferently said to Li Lin, as if killing a Martial Soul practitioner was nothing significant, almost as if he hadn''t been the one to do it. "No need for him to say anything, I will know it myself," Li Lin smiled slightly, approaching Huang HaiBo, a chill spreading around. "What are you trying to do..." Seeing Li Lin approaching, Huang HaiBo was unable to move, his eyes filled with despair. "You''ll know soon enough." Li Lin said coolly, his hand moving to form a claw imprint on Huang HaiBo''s head, utilizing a spirit-searching technique, ensuring he wouldn''t have to worry about the other party lying. Huang HaiBo tried to escape, but he couldn''t move at all. He felt an external force entering his mind, but he was extremely weak and couldn''t resist. "Uh..." Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal Dong WuMing watched Li Lin''s technique, his expression showing great surprise, as if he had realized something, then became filled with confusion. Zhou YuHou''s face twitched as if he wanted to say something, but seeing the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal by Li Lin''s side, he swallowed his words. The crowd was silent, even the remaining three disciples of Huang HaiBo dared not speak. After a moment, Huang HaiBo on the ground had become a corpse. As for the true qi in his body, Li Lin dared not absorb it. Firstly, Huang HaiBo had been killed by the Old Poisoner, and his body was full of toxins. Secondly, the true qi of a Martial Soul practitioner was too immense for Li Lin to absorb at the moment. Li Lin withdrew his hand and took a spatial bag from Huang HaiBo''s body. He was surprised by what he had learned from Huang HaiBo''s mind. He had originally thought that Li Qing was killed by Huang HaiBo and Zhou YuHou, but it turned out to be a collaboration between Huang HaiBo and someone from the Rakshasa Sect. Zhou YuHou was actually unaware of this. He only wanted to open the sect''s secret chamber, and Li Qing''s death had nothing to do with him. "Fellow disciples, Huang HaiBo plotted against the previous Sect Leader and has now been executed. The previous Sect Leader can rest in peace now," Li Lin said, turning back to the crowd. The crowd was silent. The people from the Black Sword Sect, who had just surrendered to the Flying Spirit Gate, did not expect to encounter such turmoil and remained silent. "Thank you, Sect Leader, for avenging our master," Zhang MingTao knelt in front of Li Lin to express gratitude, knowing that without Li Lin, he would have had no chance for revenge. "I am not a disciple of the Flying Spirit Gate, and now I don''t know who to give this Sect Leader''s seal to?" Li Lin helped Zhang MingTao up and then looked at the people of the Flying Spirit Gate. "Elder Zhou, I''ll give you the Sect Leader''s seal," Li Lin said, looking at everyone. Seeing no response, he handed the seal to Zhou YuHou. At this moment, Zhou YuHou dared not accept the seal. He feared it was a test. He was unaware of Huang HaiBo''s assassination of the Sect Leader and only wanted to loot the sect''s secret chamber. Now that Li Lin had resolved the Black Sword Sect issue and killed Huang HaiBo, accepting the seal would be like accepting a death sentence. "The Flying Spirit Gate has its rules; whoever holds the Sect Leader''s seal is the Sect Leader. Besides, the Sect Leader has avenged the previous Sect Leader, so the seal naturally belongs to the Sect Leader," Zhou YuHou said, his face twitching. After weighing his options, he respectfully saluted, "Zhou YuHou greets the Sect Leader." "You flatter me, Elder Zhou," Li Lin subtly helped Zhou YuHou up, thinking that Zhou YuHou was truly a cunning fox, seizing the opportunity to submit to him. If Zhou had dared to accept the seal, Li Lin would have had to find an excuse, even falsely implicating him in Li Qing''s murder, to remove this obstacle. "Elder Zheng, the Sect Leader''s seal should go to you," Li Lin then approached Zheng Ying. "You have the Sect Leader''s seal, so you are the Sect Leader of the Flying Spirit Gate. I hope that you can lead the Flying Spirit Gate to rise again in the ancient domain," Zheng Ying said to Li Lin. She had seen everything that day; although the youth was young, his actions were decisive and astute, making him a good candidate for Sect Leader, especially now when no one else in the Flying Spirit Gate could take the position. Without Li Lin and the strong figure, who could control the newly surrendered members of the Black Sword Sect? "We vow to follow the Sect Leader to death," the three newly surrendered elders of the Black Sword Sect looked at each other and quickly knelt down. Although controlled by the mysterious strong figure, they clearly saw that the young man was the true master, the one controlling their fate. At this moment, they naturally saw the opportunity to pledge their loyalty, helping to legitimize the Sect Leader''s position, potentially becoming the Sect Leader''s trusted followers. Li Lin looked at the three former elders of the Black Sword Sect with satisfaction. They were smart and cunning, potentially useful for the future of the Flying Spirit Gate. "We vow to follow the Sect Leader to death," the disciples of the Black Sword Sect knelt down again. Chapter 164: Striving for Supremacy in the World "We vow to follow the Sect Leader to the death." In the Flying Spirit Gate, all the ordinary disciples knelt down. In their hearts, they had already accepted Li Lin as their Sect Leader. They wouldn''t have accepted anyone else. The disciples of Zhou YuHou also knelt down. The remaining three disciples of Huang HaiBo, after exchanging glances, also knelt down in front of Li Lin in a somewhat panicked manner. "I know the three of you were unaware of your master Huang HaiBo''s plot against the previous Sect Leader. I won''t make things difficult for you and will treat you equally in the future," Li Lin reassured the three disciples. "Thank you, Sect Leader," the three expressed their gratitude, visibly relieved. Looking at everyone, Li Lin smiled slightly, pleased to have resolved two problems at once. He decided that from now on, the Flying Spirit Gate would be his first step of power, aiming to elevate it to a top-tier force someday. "Chang Lei, Hu NanSheng, Chen XinJie, all three of you are Martial Soul practitioners. Since you have surrendered to the Flying Spirit Gate, and we need people, how about you take up the position of elders in my Flying Spirit Gate?" Li Lin proposed to the three elders, having learned about them from the memories of the Black Sword Sect disciples he had absorbed. "Thank you, Sect Leader," the three gratefully accepted, relieved they had made the right choice in expressing their allegiance earlier. "As for Elder Dong, holding the position of an elder seems an underuse of your talents. I invite you to be the Grand Elder of the Flying Spirit Gate," Li Lin suggested to the Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal Dong WuMing. "Whatever, you decide," Dong WuMing said indifferently, not knowing when he had moved to Li XinTong''s side, holding his beloved disciple''s hand. "Then it''s settled," Li Lin said with a slight smile, secretly planning. The higher the position, the greater the responsibility. It was rare for the Old Poisoner to be in a good mood today. The Flying Spirit Gate would still rely on him for a while; he couldn''t let him leave. Li Lin then instructed Zhou YuHou, Chang Lei, Chen XinJie, and Hu NanSheng to take the disciples to take over the Black Sword Sect. The Black Sword Sect still had about a hundred disciples with lower strength, and without any strong figures, they just needed to be taken over. The territory of the Black Sword Sect would naturally belong to the Flying Spirit Gate. This battle greatly invigorated the disciples of the Flying Spirit Gate, who dispersed only after Li Lin''s instructions. At night, a gentle breeze blew, and darkness enveloped the land. The day''s killings in the Flying Spirit Gate had dissipated with the wind. In the residence, in Li Lin''s room, brightly lit, a low table held a bottle of fine liquor and several dishes for drinking. Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal Dong WuMing and Li Lin sat cross-legged, facing each other. Dong WuMing said, "You finally figured it out today, didn''t you?" "Thank you, Elder Dong, for today. I''ll drink first as a gesture of respect," Li Lin said with a slight smile, downing a cup of liquor that was fiery upon entry. The liquor of this otherworld, though not as mellow as in his previous life, was much more potent, feeling like a fire spreading in his guts. "To be honest, with just the Flying Spirit Gate, do you really think you can impress me in ten years?" Dong WuMing asked mildly, pouring a cup of strong liquor into his mouth. "Yes, I just need time. In ten years, I''m confident," Li Lin said softly, confident that with the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Technique, his strength would reach a new height in ten years, allowing him to create a new Flying Spirit Gate. "Ten years is neither short nor long," Dong WuMing commented, downing another cup of liquor and then looking at Li Lin, "Have you considered that the Flying Spirit Gate is only on the edge of the ancient domain? This isn''t even the real ancient domain. The real ancient domain is chaotic beyond your imagination, with many people even I have to be wary of. Your current strength is just at the Martial Master level. I remember you were only a Martial Warrior in the Misty Mountain Range. Your strength has grown fast, but you only have ten years. Are you ready to face the ancient domain?" This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Li Lin looked at Dong WuMing, swallowed another cup of strong liquor, and said, "A true man should strive for supremacy in the world. Since I''ve chosen this path in this life, then let it be a life of golden armor and iron horses, swallowing thousands of miles in ambition. What if war and chaos arise?" "Such grand ambition in a world of smoke and war, but remember, this is a world where the strong prevail, especially in the ancient domain, where the mighty carve up territories. What makes you think you can dominate the world?" Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal stared at Li Lin. Li Lin downed another cup of strong liquor, stirring his boiling blood, an invisible aura spreading around him, "With ambition in my heart, I vow to turn a tiny flute into a long sword. I''ll laugh wildly, startling guests from all directions. Bravely, I''ll head towards the Tiger Mountain in rage. Unafraid of blood rains driven by fierce winds, I''ll sing a heroic song that clears the skies for thousands of miles. Why bow down alone in this vast world? To overturn the heavens and earth is to comfort my life. Saddle the horses, roll out the war drums, and let the golden bells shake the heavens. Battles will stir the world, and on the day of triumph, the hidden dragon will ascend and sweep the skies. With gallant spirit piercing the sun and moon, I aspire to turn into a mighty eagle." As his words fell, Li Lin drank another cup of strong liquor, his eyes turning a deep red. "Hahaha..." Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal Dong WuMing burst into laughter, his usually cold aura seemingly awakening. Watching Li Lin, he said, "Good lad, what a spirit! ''Golden bells shake the heavens, battles stir the world.'' You''ve stirred some excitement in these old bones of mine. Ten years, I''ll accompany you in your madness for these ten years." "Elder Dong, you won''t regret this in ten years," Li Lin said. "I believe you''re not just a common fish in the pond. But right now, the Flying Spirit Gate is still too weak. Do you have any plans?" Dong WuMing inquired. "I do have some plans," Li Lin responded, sharing in detail about the secret chamber left from the heyday of the Flying Spirit Gate. "I didn''t expect the Flying Spirit Gate had such a thing. It seems you''ve been eyeing the secret chamber for a while. Otherwise, given the current state of the Flying Spirit Gate, I doubt you''d have been interested," the marshal commented. Li Lin smiled slightly. Without the secret chamber mentioned by Zheng Ying, he indeed wouldn''t have been interested in the Flying Spirit Gate. That''s why he was determined to take it over. If the items in the chamber could really help the Flying Spirit Gate rise again, it would save him a lot of time. "Tomorrow, I''ll open the secret chamber," Li Lin declared, showing a key, the one from Huang HaiBo''s spatial bag. The other two keys were with Zheng Ying and Zhou YuHou, so the secret chamber could be opened tomorrow. "I''ll also take a look tomorrow. I want to see what the Flying Spirit Gate has left behind that could revive it," Dong WuMing stated. The next day, in the Flying Spirit Gate''s main hall, only Li Lin, Dong WuMing, Zheng Ying, Zhou YuHou, Chen XinJie, Chang Lei, and Hu NanSheng were present. From Zhou YuHou and others, Li Lin learned about the current situation of the Flying Spirit Gate. In yesterday''s battle, sixteen disciples died, but including the three hundred thirteen from the Black Sword Sect, the Flying Spirit Gate now had four hundred sixteen people in total. There were five at the Martial Soul level, four at the Martial Master level, with the highest being a third-level Martial Master and the lowest a first-level. One of them was a disciple of Hu NanSheng. These four young Martial Masters were from the Black Sword Sect; the Flying Spirit Gate originally didn''t have disciples at the Martial Master level. As for the Martial Warrior level, there were more than ninety, and the remaining three hundred were Martial Trainees. Four hundred sixteen people meant four hundred sixteen mouths to feed. Especially with three hundred only at the Martial Trainee level, Li Lin suddenly felt the pressure. More people don''t necessarily mean more power. The Flying Spirit Gate couldn''t even sustain its original hundred or so members, and with the addition of three hundred from the Black Sword Sect, expenses had increased several-fold. Fortunately, from Qian BaTian''s spatial bag, Li Lin had acquired quite a bit, enough to sustain the Flying Spirit Gate for about three months. But without income, they would be eating into their savings in three months. "Sect Leader, are you going to open the secret chamber now?" Zheng Ying and Zhou YuHou asked after Li Lin mentioned the plan to open the chamber. "Yes, Elder Zheng once told me to open it at the last moment. The Flying Spirit Gate almost perished yesterday, and now we are indeed at our last resort. Do the two elders have any objections?" Li Lin inquired. "I have no objections. The chamber should have been opened long ago," Zhou YuHou said, having long wanted to open the chamber but was opposed by Li Qing and Zheng Ying previously. "Open it. We are indeed at the last step now. Let''s follow the Sect Leader''s decision," Zheng Ying agreed without much hesitation, especially after the incident with the Black Sword Sect. "Then let''s go to the secret chamber now," Li Lin announced, eager to see what the chamber contained. Chapter 165: The Great Treasure of the Secret Chamber Hu Nansheng and two others couldn''t understand what everyone was saying. They were unaware of the secret chamber of the Flying Spirit Sect and simply followed the others obediently. "Leader, it''s right here." After a while, Li Lin, along with Zhou Yuhou and Zheng Ying, reached behind the main hall of the Flying Spirit Sect. They hadn''t expected that behind this hall lay a hidden world, with a secret mechanism concealed behind a huge stone wall. Zhou Yuhou fumbled on the stone wall for a while and, after opening the mechanism, a passage wide enough for two people emerged from the ground. The group entered the passage. Hu Nansheng and his companions were the most surprised, while Li Lin was also somewhat astonished. Inside the passage, a hundred-meter-long underground railway was flanked by thick stone walls, which were adorned with many luminous pearls spreading a soft glow. "We''re here," Zheng Ying announced, standing in front of a huge stone wall covered with a thick layer of dust. In the middle of the wall was a pattern identical to the seal of the Flying Spirit Sect leader. "To open the secret chamber, you need three keys and the sect leader''s seal. Otherwise, forcing it open will cause the chamber to explode into pieces," Zhou Yuhou explained. He blew on the stone wall, dispersing the dust and revealing four holes. Three keyholes surrounded a slightly larger hole, making everyone feel a bit nervous. What could the Flying Spirit Sect have left from its heyday? "Let''s get ready to open it," Li Lin said, taking a deep breath, his nerves tensing. Zheng Ying and Zhou Yuhou each took out a three-inch-long key and inserted them into two of the keyholes in the stone wall, followed by Li Lin who put the key he got from Huang Haibo into the remaining keyhole. Zhou Yuhou and Zheng Ying slightly turned the keys to the right. "Click, click..." Suddenly, a clicking sound came from the wall, followed by a strange glow appearing on it. "Leader, quickly put the sect leader''s seal in, or the chamber will explode," Zheng Ying told Li Lin. Without hesitation, Li Lin, already prepared with the sect leader''s seal, placed it towards the glowing hole in the center of the stone wall. "Hiss, hiss..." As soon as the sect leader''s seal was placed into the hole, it seemed to be pulled by an invisible force, immediately emitting a dazzling light, followed by the entire wall and the Flying Spirit Sect''s insignia. "Boom!" Suddenly, a loud rumbling echoed throughout the stone cave. As the rumbling continued, the stone wall slowly rose, revealing a small gap that grew larger with the sound, reaching a person''s height in just a moment. "Clang..." The movement of the stone wall stopped with a huge rumble, shaking the entire cave. The wall was about ten meters wide and presumably weighed thousands of pounds. "Wow..." As the stone wall opened, a 300-square-meter stone room appeared before everyone. Seeing the items inside, everyone couldn''t help but exclaim in surprise, including the Poison Commander, as they were all stunned. The large stone room was filled with jade slips, scattered on the ground and emitting dazzling light. At first glance, there were at least ten thousand of them, surrounded by various elemental energies. Being cultivators, everyone knew these jade slips contained martial arts techniques. The sheer number of these martial arts jade slips exceeded everyone''s imagination. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The group excitedly entered the stone room. Along one side of the wall were several huge jade boxes, each about one person tall, all carved from jade. "Leader, these are Chen-level and Xing-level martial arts techniques." "Xing-level early-stage fire-element techniques." "Xing-level mid-stage water-element techniques." "Xing-level high-stage earth-element techniques." "There are also Yellow Level early-stage techniques!" Zhou Yuhou, Hu Nansheng, Chen Xinjie, and others rushed to the pile of jade slips to check them. They found techniques of all elements, sending them into a frenzy. Nothing made a martial artist happier than obtaining martial techniques, especially with the inclusion of Yellow Level early-stage techniques among them. "Leader, come and see this," the Poison Commander called Li Lin to the jade boxes on the wall, addressing him formally in the presence of others. "Damn, we''re rich..." The Poison Commander opened a jade box, which was filled with densely packed pills, resembling a box of candies. This box was about a person''s height and several meters wide. By volume, it contained nearly ten thousand pills. The pills in this box were all second-grade, each averaging around 300 gold coins in price. This single box was worth three million gold coins. Gold coins were just numbers, but it''s not easy to find tens of thousands of pills even if you have the money. The rich aroma and energy of the pills filled the stone room. Zhou Yuhou, Zheng Ying, and others were also attracted. Li Lin then opened eleven jade boxes in succession, each revelation more shocking than the last. The second to the sixth boxes all contained second-grade pills. The seventh to ninth boxes contained third-grade pills, and the tenth and eleventh boxes were filled with precious medicinal herbs, also worth millions of gold coins, used for crafting third and fourth-grade pills. The value of the third-grade pills was staggering, averaging several thousand gold coins each, with the high-grade ones being the most expensive. Li Lin estimated that these three boxes of third-grade pills were worth over 150 million gold coins. The six boxes of second-grade pills were also valued at nearly 20 million gold coins. Adding the tens of thousands of martial arts techniques, whose levels had not been fully assessed yet, the total value was astronomical. "There''s also a storage ring." In the deepest part of the stone room, a protruding stone on the central wall held a black storage ring. Li Lin walked over and picked up the storage ring, realizing it was an unclaimed object, which could be bound with a drop of blood and accessed with a thought. After binding it with his blood, Li Lin was astonished at the contents of the storage ring. It contained the true treasures left by the Flying Spirit Sect. The stone room''s contents paled in comparison to what was inside the ring. The storage ring contained 500 fourth-grade early-stage pills, 300 mid-stage, and 100 late-stage pills. The value of these 800 pills was terrifying. A fourth-grade early-stage pill was worth over 100,000 gold coins each, with mid-stage pills averaging 200,000 gold coins, and late-stage pills reaching at least 400,000 to 500,000 gold coins each. The higher the grade, the more exponentially expensive they became. In addition, the ring contained 100 fifth-grade early-stage pills, 50 mid-stage, and 10 late-stage pills. The value of a fifth-grade early-stage pill was almost between 800,000 to 1 million gold coins, with mid-stage and late-stage pills being even more expensive. There were also ten sixth-grade pills in the storage ring, all early-stage but still incredibly valuable. The ring also contained numerous jade slips of martial arts techniques: 30 middle-stage and 10 high-stage Yellow Level techniques. Their value was immeasurable, as such high-level techniques were rarely sold. "There are also spiritual techniques..." The storage ring contained several jade slips of spiritual techniques, mostly mid and high-stage Xing-level, with the highest being a Yellow Level early-stage technique. Spiritual techniques were rare, and the fact that the Flying Spirit Sect had left behind several of them was remarkable. Besides these items, the storage ring contained nothing else, but these items alone were more precious than all the treasures in the room. After a moment, Li Lin composed himself and pocketed the storage ring, but his mind was still in shock. "Organize everything. None of what''s here should be spoken of outside, or there will be no mercy," Li Lin warned Hu Nansheng and the others. If word got out about these treasures, it could bring disaster upon the Flying Spirit Sect. The sect''s rule of not opening the secret chamber unless absolutely necessary was probably due to fear of the disciples not being able to keep this fortune safe. If opened carelessly and word got out, the Flying Spirit Sect would face countless powerful enemies. "Yes, Leader," Zhou Yuhou, Hu Nansheng, and the others agreed, well aware of the consequences. These treasures could easily attract the attention of first-rate forces in the ancient domain. "Kid, the real show was in the storage ring, right?" the Poison Commander communicated telepathically with Li Lin. Li Lin nodded with a smile, not hiding the truth from the Poison Commander. Indeed, the real treasures were in the storage ring. Chapter 166: The Acquired Poison Body It took a whole day for the seven people in the secret chamber to sort everything out. The various martial arts techniques left by the Flying Spirit Sect were categorized, among which there were as many as two hundred Yellow Level early-stage techniques. Most of these, however, were identical copies. Martial arts jade slips are a unique existence. Once a practitioner cultivates using a jade slip, the information inside it disappears, and the jade slip becomes invalid. This is a measure taken by major powers to prevent the spread of their martial arts techniques, as no one wants their sect''s techniques to be widespread. These techniques were replicated onto the jade slips by powerful individuals. While replicating techniques onto jade slips isnt easy even for the strong, they can''t mass-produce them, which is why the price of martial arts techniques is terrifyingly high. Generally, a Yellow Level early-stage jade slip is worth over a million gold coins, but in reality, it''s impossible to buy one for less than three million gold coins. This is because, once martial arts techniques reach the Yellow Level, they are essentially priceless and rarely sold. "Senior elders, each of you can pick one set of Yellow Level low-tier martial arts and two sets of Xing-level high-tier martial arts. Additionally, here are five fourth-grade early-stage pills for each of you," Li Lin said, handing out the pills, each worth over a hundred thousand gold coins. Each elder received pills worth over half a million gold coins. "Thank you, Leader," Hu Nansheng and the others were overjoyed, thanking Li Lin before eagerly selecting their martial arts. A set of Yellow Level early-stage martial arts, two sets of Xing-level high-tier martial arts, and five fourth-grade pills were like a dream come true for these small sect elders. "Old Dong, this isnt much, but you need it for healing. Dont look down on it," Li Lin said to Poison Commander Dong Wuming, offering him two sixth-grade early-stage healing pills. Of the ten sixth-grade pills available, four were healing pills, and Li Lin gave two to the Poison Commander. Li Lin knew that for a ninth-tier spiritual commander like Dong Wuming, sixth-grade late-stage pills would be more appealing, but even sixth-grade early-stage pills were somewhat ordinary. For someone of Dong Wuming''s cultivation level, producing sixth-grade late-stage pills wouldn''t pose much of a challenge. "Haha, you are thoughtful. This is indeed what I need, and it should speed up my recovery significantly," Dong Wuming said with a smile, graciously accepting the pills. Sixth-grade pills were incredibly valuable, and even for him, they required considerable effort and resources to produce. Although he could manufacture sixth-grade early-stage pills without much difficulty, the materials needed were not easy to come by and were also very valuable. "I''ll take this Yellow Level early-stage earth-element technique, ''Earth-Shaking Palm''." "I want this Yellow Level early-stage fire-element technique, ''Fiery Whirlwind Blade''." Zhou Yuhou, Zheng Ying, and others quickly selected their martial arts, clearly drawn by the allure of Yellow Level early-stage techniques. After everyone joyfully selected their martial arts, Li Lin, without hiding anything, stored all the items in his hidden storage ring. Keeping them in the chamber wasn''t safe. The safest place was on his person, thanks to this miraculous storage ring. After transferring all the items from the secret chamber into his storage ring, it was now completely full, with no room left for anything else. Even Dong Wuming was surprised by Li Lin''s storage ring. Judging by its space and special functions, it was no ordinary item. In his mind, he pondered that Li Lin might have more secrets up his sleeve, just like the treasures in the ring. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. When they left the secret chamber, it was already night. Despite spending a whole day there, everyone felt no fatigue, only excitement. Back at his residence, Li Lin was ecstatic. The treasure trove from the secret chamber was a windfall, a massive fortune. If he didn''t concern himself with anything else, just these pills alone could make Li Lin a supreme power. With such wealth, he could spend his way to becoming a true powerhouse. However, Li Lin knew that just having this wealth for himself was not enough. He needed a power base, and everything left in the Flying Spirit Sect''s secret chamber was preparation for the resurgence of a sect. The rise of a sect depends on pills and martial arts techniques, and the chamber contained tens of thousands of techniques and hundreds of thousands of pills, enough to support the powerful development of a sect. This wealth could be transformed into sixth-grade pills, but it wasn''t enough for a sect''s rise. A sect''s success doesn''t rely on a few high-grade pills or high-level martial arts. A single person, or even a few, cannot sustain a sect. A large sect needs a continuous influx of fresh blood, like the Yunyang Sect, which values new disciples despite having cloud-reaching experts. Continuous new blood is necessary for a sect''s sustained strength because even the most powerful members will age and face their limits, unless they break through to legendary realms and achieve immortality. With the treasures from the Flying Spirit Sect, and with Dong Wuming''s support, Li Lin felt the sect''s rise was imminent. How far it would go depended on his leadership. "I never expected the Flying Spirit Sect to have left behind so much wealth. I''ve never even heard of this sect before," Dong Wuming said in Li Lin''s room, surprised by what Li Lin had shared about the ring''s contents. "These items are exactly what I need," Li Lin said with a smile. "Indeed, these are enough to support the rise of a sect, to lift the Flying Spirit Sect from its current state. However, the ancient domain is more complicated and powerful than you imagine. Even the three sects and four schools of the Lingwu Continent dare not intervene here. The treasures of the Flying Spirit Sect can only elevate it from an obscure sect to a second-tier sect, and not even among the stronger ones," Dong Wuming advised Li Lin. "I am young, and youth brings opportunities. With a stepping stone, I can jump higher," Li Lin said with a smile. Li Lin knew that the Flying Spirit Sect, strictly speaking, was not even a third-tier sect; it was an obscure sect at best. The ancient domain''s major sects were not far behind the three sects and four schools in terms of power. The wealth left by the Flying Spirit Sect was enough to cultivate a first-tier powerhouse but not a first-tier sect. Sixth-grade pills and Yellow Level martial arts were incredibly valuable, but even massive sects like the Yunyang Sect had more of these. "I''m now with you in this madness. If one day you succeed, I hope you''ll grant me a request," Dong Wuming said seriously. "Old Dong, if I can support the Flying Spirit Sect, then the Tianxing Sect will be our first target," Li Lin understood Dong Wuming''s heart''s desire. This was probably the only thing the old man couldn''t let go of. "Good, your word is enough. From now on, any issue with the Flying Spirit Sect is mine. Whoever targets it will wish they were dead," Dong Wuming said coldly. Li Lin smiled, knowing that from now on, Dong Wuming truly considered the Flying Spirit Sect his own. With Dong Wuming''s support, the sect need not fear ordinary powers. "I was injured yesterday and need to enter seclusion for an extended period. I''ve already taught my disciple, Xintong, the introductory mental technique. When I come out of seclusion, I''ll make her a spiritualist. Be careful; she might surpass you one day," Dong Wuming said with a smile, clearly cherishing his disciple. "Old Dong, rest assured and heal in seclusion," Li Lin said. Then, curious, he asked, "Old Dong, what level can Xintong reach with her natural poison body?" Dong Wuming looked at Li Lin and said, "The poison technique I cultivate is very special. Although it''s of spiritualist level, in terms of physical prowess, it''s not much different from a martial artist''s. Moreover, poison techniques are not easy to deal with. When I cultivated the poison technique, what I experienced was beyond your imagination. I was bitten by a thousand poisonous creatures, tasted a thousand poisons, and have over a thousand scars on my body, all thanks to those poisonous creatures. I also searched for nearly a thousand poisonous herbs, bathing my body in their toxic juices, enduring a thousand days of excruciating poison tempering. Only then did I develop my Acquired Poison Body and was able to cultivate poison techniques." Chapter 167: Flight Martial Technique Li Lin inwardly reflected that the hardship he endured in cultivating the Blood Soul Mark was not much less than the suffering Dong Wuming went through in his poison technique training. The ordeal of a thousand poisons and the tempering of the body by them is not something ordinary people can withstand. Every strong warrior is forged through such trials. Dong Wuming continued, "My Acquired Poison Body allows me to cultivate poison techniques much faster than an average spiritualist. In twenty years, I advanced from a Spirit Master to a ninth-tier Spirit Commander." "Damn, that''s really fast. It''s terrifying," Li Lin couldn''t help but exclaim. Advancing from Spirit Master to Spirit Commander in just twenty years was an astonishing feat. "Is that fast? Unfortunately, as an Acquired Poison Body, my cultivation speed has slowed down significantly now. There are also some side effects that hinder my cultivation. It''s unlikely I will make much more progress unless..." Dong Wuming glanced at Li Lin and added, "But Xintong is different. She has a Natural Poison Body, almost perfect. Her cultivation prospects are much stronger than mine." "What is a Natural Poison Body?" Li Lin asked, puzzled. "Do you believe that your body contains poison?" Dong Wuming asked with a slight smile. "I believe it. Everyone''s body has toxins," Li Lin nodded, recalling from his previous life that every human body contains toxins. However, the body''s detoxification system, consisting of the skin, liver, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, and lymphatic system, effectively breaks down and eliminates toxins to maintain internal balance. Excess accumulation of toxins beyond what this system can handle leads to health issues. He vividly remembered an article stating that even passing gas is a method of detoxification. Some people, due to their unique physical constitution, have body toxins more potent than venomous snakes, yet they live healthily, similar to those naturally immune to electricity. Dong Wuming was somewhat surprised at Li Lin''s agreement, as most people don''t think their bodies contain toxins. He explained, "You''re right; everyone has toxins in their body, but they''re not lethal to themselves. However, some people with special constitutions are immune to deadly poisons. If they are exposed to such toxins, which could be from animals or plants, they might get poisoned without any adverse effects and inadvertently pass it on to their offspring. If these offspring get bitten by poisonous creatures and the toxins in their bodies neutralize, the toxicity could either neutralize or become more potent. However, it wouldnt trigger in their bodies, so they wouldnt even know. Over generations, this can result in the extremely rare Natural Poison Body. The poison technique I practice was left by a strong warrior with a Natural Poison Body. The level someone with a Natural Poison Body can eventually reach is absolutely terrifying. Xintongs potential, if everything goes well, will reach a level I can''t even imagine." "So it is," Li Lin exclaimed, "Then I congratulate you, Old Dong, for finding a good disciple." "Why congratulate me? Xintong is your sister. If everything goes well in ten years, she could become a great asset for you," Dong Wuming said. "Because of her Natural Poison Body, her physique is affected, making it hard to detect, so people mistake it for talent. In fact, Xintong has excellent talent. It would be a waste if not for this. This time, I indeed accepted a good disciple." After speaking, Dong Wuming smiled contentedly. A disciple with a Natural Poison Body cultivating poison techniques would achieve great heights in the future. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. The next morning, Dong Wuming re-entered the secret chamber for seclusion, while Li Lin gathered Hu Nansheng, Zheng Ying, and other elders, bringing them and the five senior disciples to the plaza in front of the main hall. When over four hundred Flying Spirit Sect disciples gathered, they were astonished to see the table in the plaza filled with pills and martial arts techniques. After a rousing speech by Li Lin, he distributed the pills and martial arts techniques to the disciples. Although they were only low-grade pills and techniques, it filled them with enthusiasm, giving them hope for the Flying Spirit Sects future. Li Lin also established a reward and punishment system for cultivation. In six months, the fifty disciples who made the most progress would become close disciples of the Flying Spirit Sect and receive additional pills and martial arts techniques as rewards. This motivated hundreds of disciples to train fiercely. After the disciples dispersed, Li Lin kept over a hundred disciples of the Warrior and Master levels. He gave an additional second-grade high-tier pill and a Xing-level mid-tier martial arts technique to each Warrior-level disciple. The few Master-level disciples each received a third-grade early-stage pill and a Xing-level high-tier martial arts technique. These disciples were the backbone of the Flying Spirit Sect and needed to be cultivated properly. The disciples trembled with excitement. Those who defected from the Black Sword Sect internally praised their decision, wishing they had joined the Flying Spirit Sect earlier. After arranging everything, Li Lin returned to his residence and summoned Zhang Mingtao, Fang Xinqi, and the bald young man from the original Flying Spirit Sect. "Huang Boran, do you know why I asked you here?" Li Lin asked the bald disciple, who he had been observing for a while. Li Lin found him clever and resourceful, important qualities as the sect needed more capable people. Relying solely on Li Xiaobai wasn''t enough. "Leader, if I have done something wrong, please punish me," the bald disciple said nervously, falling to his knees under Li Lin''s imposing presence. "Stand up. I dont want the people around me to be so spineless," Li Lin said. "I called you here to tell you that your current strength is at the second-tier Warrior level. If you reach the fifth-tier Warrior level within half a year, you can stay by my side. Otherwise, youll remain an ordinary disciple." "Leader" Huang Boran quickly understood this was an opportunity. Staying by the leader''s side was a great chance. He kowtowed gratefully and promised to train hard without rest. "Wait, take these pills for your cultivation," Li Lin handed a few pills to Huang Boran, who left excitedly, barely able to lift his feet. Li Lin then gave Zhang Mingtao and Fang Xinqi each a space bag. Though they were originally close disciples of the Flying Spirit Sect, they didnt have space bags. Li Lin had filled these bags with many pills and two sets of high-tier Xing-level martial arts techniques suitable for them. He was more familiar with these two and didnt want to treat them unfairly. Grateful, they thanked Li Lin repeatedly. After arranging everything, Li Lin entered a cave to begin cultivating a new martial technique. Li Xintong spent these days playing with Little dragon and the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion, giving Li Lin no cause for worry. Inside the cave, Li Lin sat cross-legged and took a deep breath. With everything going smoothly, the rise of the Flying Spirit Sect was just a matter of time. "Luosha Sect" Li Lin muttered, a murderous intent flashing in his eyes. From Huang Haibo''s memories, he knew that Li Qing''s death was caused by Huang Haibo and people from the Luosha Sect. An elder of the Luosha Sect was Huang Haibo''s cousin. More importantly, the Luosha Sect knew about the secret chamber of the Flying Spirit Sect. Li Lin suspected they wouldn''t let things go. But Li Lin wasn''t afraid of the Luosha Sect. Although stronger than the Flying Spirit Sect, it was at most a third-tier sect. With Dong Wuming guarding the Flying Spirit Sect, there was nothing to fear. If the Luosha Sect dared to provoke them, it would become the stepping stone for the Flying Spirit Sect''s rise. "Wind''s Wings." Li Lin took out a jade slip from his storage ring. It was a Yellow Level early-stage wind-element flight technique from the vast collection of martial arts left by the Flying Spirit Sect. Exactly what he needed now. With this wind-element flight technique, he could fly, significantly increasing his chances of escape. Chapter 168: Beaten Black and Blue Among the wind-element martial arts left by the Flying Spirit Sect, there were only about twenty sets, most of which were of Xing and Chen levels, with only "Wind''s Wings" being a Yellow Level early-stage technique. Wind-element martial arts, especially those involving flight, were rare. Imagine, a warrior who is not a Martial Commander, yet capable of hovering in the air like one C the advantage in combat would be significant. When a drop of blood fell on the jade slip, it glowed brightly. A stream of light entered Li Lin''s forehead, transforming into a wealth of information in his mind. Moments later, the light from the jade slip faded, and Li Lin understood how to cultivate "Wind''s Wings". The technique involved Qi circulating through complex meridians in the body, eventually combining with the wind element within to harness the atmospheric wind, forming wings on the back for flight. Even for warriors who have reached the Martial Commander level, possessing a wind-element flight technique could significantly enhance their speed compared to others at the same level. "Next, the Wood Prison Shackles." Li Lin smiled slightly and pulled out a green jade slip, radiating a dense wood-element aura. This was the wood-element martial art "Wood Prison Shackles" that Li Lin had been eager to learn. Wood-element martial arts were even rarer than wind-element ones. They were tricky and difficult to counter. Among all elemental warriors, wind and wood-element warriors were considered the least common. "Wood Prison Shackles" was a Yellow Level early-stage technique. Although the Flying Spirit Sect had many wood-element techniques at various levels, including the highest being a Yellow Level high-tier technique, Li Lin chose "Wood Prison Shackles" after careful consideration. He knew he couldnt fully utilize a technique that was too advanced for his current capabilities. This was similar to his struggle with the Xuan-level early-stage technique "Trash Blade Soul". Currently, he could only use the first layer of the technique, "Blade Soul Slash", and was unable to perform the second and third layers, "Blade Soul Light Blade" and "Blade Soul Void Annihilation". Li Lin''s water-element technique "Furious Sea Howl", though only a Yellow Level early-stage technique, was not significantly weaker than the Xuan-level "Blade Soul Slash". This was because his current strength couldnt fully unleash the power of "Blade Soul Slash". Another drop of blood fell onto the jade slip, and Li Lin''s mind entered it. A burst of wood-element energy spread out, turning into a wealth of information in his mind. ... Five days later, on the back mountain of the Flying Spirit Sect, a figure appeared, around seventeen or eighteen years old, with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes. The youth, Li Lin, was shirtless, appearing lean but muscular and full of explosive power. His wheat-colored, slightly yellowish skin was shiny with sweat. "Wind''s Wings." The youth chanted lightly, forming complex hand signs. Qi could be vaguely seen circulating through specific meridians, gathering wind-element energy around him. At that moment, a surge of Qi leaked from his back, forming two invisible wings, resembling those of a bird, yet somewhat awkward. "Whoosh..." The wings flapped, and the youth slowly ascended about three meters high. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. "Crack... Bang!" Suddenly, the makeshift wings dissipated, and the youth fell hard to the ground, landing on his back. "Hiss, hiss..." A light yellow snake nearby flicked its tongue, closing its small eyes as if unable to bear watching the fall, only opening them after hearing the impact. "Brother, does it hurt? Maybe you should rest a bit," Li Xintong ran to the youth''s side. Li Lin had been practicing "Wind''s Wings" these past few days, only to end up beaten black and blue. "Damn, I don''t believe this," Li Lin spat out, biting his teeth, then said to Li Xintong, "Step back a bit, Xintong. Be careful I don''t fall on you." Li Xintong reluctantly moved aside to where Little dragon and the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion were, both looking helplessly at Li Lin. "Bang! " "Damn it, again..." "Bang!" "Keep going" This continued until nightfall, when Li Lin, bruised and battered, returned to his residence. After cleaning up, he left the Flying Spirit Sect with Little dragon and the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion under the cover of darkness. The journey from the Flying Spirit Sect to the edge of the Misty Mountain Range, with the speed of the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion, took less than three hours. Having broken through to the Martial Master level several days ago, Li Lin was ready to absorb Qi for his next breakthrough. Despite having many pills, absorbing Qi was far more efficient than consuming pills. Moreover, it only required effort and no money. Given his location in the ancient domain, absorbing Qi from warriors in the Misty Mountain Range was the best choice, as it wouldn''t attract attention. Near midnight in the Misty Mountain Range, the trees swayed eerily under the moonlight, resembling ghostly claws tearing through the sky. The howling wind and occasional beast roars added a sinister feel to the mountains. By a bright bonfire, six figures sat cross-legged in meditation C three Martial Masters and three Martial Disciples, likely a small team from the ancient domain venturing into the Misty Mountain Range. "Roar" Suddenly, a loud roar broke the silence, startling the six meditators. As they opened their eyes, a yellow streak flashed by, and one of the Martial Masters felt a chill on his neck followed by a sharp pain as a powerful force attacked his soul, rendering him unconscious. "There''s a monster attack, run!" shouted one of the five survivors as they desperately fled. "Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" Three scorching finger strikes pierced the night, swiftly followed by a flash of light and a burst of violent energy. The three Martial Disciples were instantly hit, each sprouting a blood hole and collapsing to the ground. A figure in a green robe appeared, blocking the two remaining Martial Masters. "Who are you!" exclaimed the two, one a first-tier and the other a second-tier Martial Master, shocked to see the figure. "It''s no use telling you," said the figure in a soft voice, his Qi trembling intensely as he launched a rapid earthen-hued palm strike. "Just a first-tier Martial Master, you''re seeking death," scoffed the second-tier Martial Master, quickly recognizing the assailant''s strength. He sneered and met the attack with his own palm strike. Simultaneously, the other Martial Master attempted to flank the green-robed figure but was stopped by the sudden appearance of a light yellow snake and a huge white beast behind him. "Bang!" The two palm strikes collided, sending a shockwave of violent energy and dust into the air. "Thud, thud, thud" Overwhelmed by the immense force, the second-tier Martial Master staggered back incredulously, unable to believe that the first-tier Martial Masters strength could suppress his own. "Die," he grunted, steadying himself and launching a series of hand seals. He then opened and clenched his fists, enveloping them in earthen Qi and charging towards Li Lin with a light -like speed. Li Lin watched calmly, aware of his own strength. Although a first-tier Martial Master, he was not inferior to the second-tier opponent, thanks to his wide meridians and large Qi sea. His strength could even match a third-tier Martial Master. After a cold smirk, Li Lin''s face showed a strange smile. He slowly raised his hand and then swiftly opened it, shouting, "Devour!" As Li Lin''s command fell, a bizarre force erupted from his palm. It was not violent but swirled like a vortex, striking the second-tier Martial Master''s palm. "Thud!" A muffled sound followed, and the second-tier Martial Master''s expression froze. He stood motionlessly, as if bound by an invisible force, unable to move. Chapter 169: Another Breakthrough At this moment, only the second level martial artist knew what was happening. His palm, which had unleashed a powerful attack, seemed to be completely absorbed by his opponent. At this moment, a vast power that he couldn''t resist emanated from the opponent''s palm print, devouring the Qi throughout his body. The Qi within his Dantian Qi sea was out of his control, crazily rushing towards the opponent''s palm print, causing his own meridians, filled with massive Qi, to swell as if about to burst. "Stop, stop, who are you? Don''t devour my Qi." The second level martial artist was terrified, instantly becoming fearful. His body shrank as if dehydrated, and the intense pain inside made him scream in agony. However, Li Lin paid no heed to him. The Qi inside his body circulated rapidly, devouring the vast Qi energy of his opponent. Having reached the martial artist level, he could now directly absorb Qi from an opponent''s attack, as long as their strength was not overwhelming. This was the most terrifying aspect of the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Technique. A loud explosion echoed, as the remaining first level martial artist was fiercely struck by the Tian Chi Snow Lion, crashing heavily against a towering tree and spewing blood. "Swoosh swoosh" Little dragon''s small body transformed into a streak of light, growing with the wind, becoming eighty meters in size in the void. A majestic aura burst forth from its massive body, mixed with a scent of blood, and it swallowed the first level martial artist whole. Moments later, Li Lin retracted his handprint, and the body of the second level martial artist in front of him had shrunk, looking instantly aged and collapsed on the ground. After retrieving a storage ring from the man, Li Lin fed the corpse to the Tian Chi Snow Lion. Among the six people, Li Lin only collected two storage bags, a modest gain. "Let''s go." With a satisfied smile, Li Lin leapt onto the back of the Tian Chi Snow Lion, and the trio left the Wudu Mountain Range. On the lion''s back, Li Lin began refining the Qi energy he had absorbed. When he was at the ninth level martial artist stage, absorbing a first level martial artist''s Qi nearly killed him, but now, at the first level martial artist stage, he managed to absorb a second level martial artist''s Qi, just within his limits. He estimated that fully refining it might elevate him to the second level martial artist stage. By dawn, they returned to Flying Spirit Gate, and Li Lin immediately entered a cave to refine the absorbed Qi. Flying Spirit Gate was bustling with activity. All the disciples were either cultivating Qi or practicing martial arts, their enthusiasm unprecedented. In this atmosphere, those with slightly better talent made astonishing progress. However, within Flying Spirit Gate, there were no disciples with exceptional talent; such individuals were often monopolized by larger sects, and it was rare for smaller sects to recruit such talents, except for the occasional overlooked individual. Three days later, a dazzling earthy-yellow light permeated Li Lin''s cave, enveloping his body in the light. Inside Li Lin''s body, the absorbed Qi was being refined under the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Technique, transforming into streams of pure energy entering his Dantian Qi sea. After a while, Li Lin''s meridians expanded, filled with Qi, and the cave was lit up even more. The expansion of his meridians brought intense pain. "Compress, break through." A low shout emanated from Li Lin''s mouth, and at the same time, his aura surged instantly. "Bang!..." A muffled sound came from his Dantian Qi sea, followed by Li Lin''s body glowing with a mix of heaven and earth energy entering through his pores. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. His body was reforged once again. With each breakthrough, his internal organs, muscles, and bones all benefited significantly. Several hours later, Li Lin gradually stopped his cultivation and exhaled a breath of turbid air. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes for a moment before fading. At this moment, Li Lin had achieved the second level martial artist cultivation. The speed of his cultivation was terrifying. Feeling the abundant Qi in his body, Li Lin smiled slightly. This time, he had directly broken through one level. For a while, he would not be able to break through his Qi again, and his body needed to adjust and adapt to this rapid pace of cultivation. He mused that few could match his speed. "Continue cultivating the Wind Wing." After leaving the cave, Li Lin learned from Zhang Mingtao and others that several elders had gone into seclusion, leaving only Zheng Ying guarding Flying Spirit Gate. Many other disciples had also chosen seclusion, aiming to become core disciples of Flying Spirit Gate in half a year. After understanding the situation at Flying Spirit Gate, Li Lin returned to the back mountain to practice the Wind Wing. Repeated practice led to repeated falls, but also continuous progress. Not far from Flying Spirit Mountain, a few hours'' journey away, was the Rakshasa Gate, a minorly famous sect at the edge of the Wudu Mountain Range. Rakshasa Gate was home to numerous Wu Po cultivators and at least five hundred disciples. The area within a hundred miles, including the edge of the Wudu Mountain Range, was under Rakshasa Gate''s control. Generally, even Wu Po cultivators in the vicinity wouldn''t provoke Rakshasa Gate, whose members were notoriously arrogant and domineering. Provoking them brought considerable trouble unless one no longer wished to remain in the area. In a grand hall of the Rakshasa Gate, where about a dozen people were seated in various attires, the air was filled with a similar aura, almost all of them being Wu Po cultivators. At the head of the hall sat a man in his forties, wearing a tight-fitting long shirt, with broad shoulders and thick arms, his body seemingly expanding with power, his aura extremely formidable. This was Deng Fengliang, the sect leader of Rakshasa Gate, an eight-level Wu Po cultivator, a renowned power in the vicinity. "Leader, there''s been a change in Flying Spirit Gate. My cousin has been killed, and even Hei Jian Gate has now submitted to Flying Spirit Gate," said a man in a black long shirt sitting on the right side of the hall. "How could Flying Spirit Gate have such strength?" Deng Fengliang was surprised, as he knew Flying Spirit Gate''s strength to be negligible. "I''ve sent people to investigate. It seems a powerful figure has arrived at Flying Spirit Gate, but no one knows their identity, only that they are very strong," said the man in the black long shirt. "No wonder Flying Spirit Gate dared to make a move against us. It turns out they have a powerful figure. Investigate immediately to find out who this person is. Also, check if the secret chamber in Flying Spirit Gate has been opened. That''s what we must obtain. If it weren''t for the fact that the chamber can''t be forcibly opened, I would have already destroyed Flying Spirit Gate," Deng Fengliang said. Three days later, in the back mountain of Flying Spirit Gate, Li Lin soared into the air, surrounded by a mighty wind attribute energy. At this moment, a pair of energy wings formed out of thin air on his back. The wings flapped, creating a whistling airflow, and Li Lin''s body glided through the air like a soaring eagle. Li Lin''s energy wings, now fully formed and no longer awkward, were completely transparent white wings. Streams of Qi energy, resembling feathers, were arranged in patterns along the wings. The wings, spanning about two meters wide when extended, flapped, and Li Lin flew through the air, tracing an arc in the sky. "Finally successful." Li Lin was extremely excited, controlling the energy wings on his back and continuously flying in the air, aided by the wind attribute. "Bang" Perhaps due to overexcitement, Li Lin unconsciously approached a forest and, not regaining his senses in time, crashed heavily into a large tree, sliding down from it with stars in his eyes. Li Lin got up dejectedly. This was a case of joy turning to sorrow. He laughed at himself, but his heart was still full of excitement. With these Wind Wings, his chances of escape had greatly increased. Li Lin gazed ahead, then formed a handprint, gathering wood attribute energy. "Wooden Shackles." Li Lin uttered softly, and with a handprint, the space in front of him vibrated, and a dazzling green light spread out, instantly forming five bowl-sized wooden stakes spinning rapidly together. They surrounded the central space, creating a whistling airflow and compressing the space, with a powerful aura pressing down, enveloping it. "Break," Li Lin shouted lowly, tightening his handprint, and a burst of Qi shot through the space, causing the five rapidly spinning wooden stakes to collide violently. "Bang bang" The energy dispersed, and the space exploded, creating intense ripples, with the green energy dissipating like fireworks. "I''ve barely reached the threshold," Li Lin said with a slight smile. His wood technique, Wooden Shackles, had achieved some success. From now on, he had mastered all five elemental martial arts, in addition to the Qing Ling Armor defense technique. The only thing he lacked now was a movement technique. Chapter 170: Enemy Attack Uncle Jiang had already instructed him on bodily movement martial techniques, and the Yunyang Sect''s "Floating Light and Fleeting Shadow" was a good choice. He had to acquire it once he arrived at Yunyang Sect. The Wood-type martial technique "Wooden Prison Shackles" was carefully selected by Li Lin. From the jade slip information, he learned that its main feature was to completely seal off a certain range of space. The size of the sealed area depended on one''s own strength. Sealing a certain range of space, Li Lin had high expectations for the "Wooden Prison Shackles." This technique perfectly suited him. If he could trap his opponent with it first and then launch an attack, escape would be difficult for the opponent. It could also be combined with his other attacks. This was the strength of a multi-element martial artist. Li Lin gradually understood the importance of various elemental techniques. Generally speaking, a dual-element martial artist''s power would increase more than twofold when combining both elements. As a quintuple-element martial artist, his power would naturally amplify significantly if he unleashed his full potential. Now, he needed to practice the combination of different elemental techniques. Once he mastered them, his strength would undoubtedly surge. "Continue cultivating." Li Lin softly commanded and began to cultivate the "Wooden Prison Shackles" again, aiming to perfect it to his satisfaction. The stronger he became, the more chances he had to survive future dangers. Time passed slowly in such cultivation. Three days later, Li Lin spent his time alternating between cultivation and playing with Li Xin Tong, occasionally sharing cultivation insights with disciples. After three days, Li Lin returned to the cave''s secret chamber and sat cross-legged on the Spirit Jade Bed. He took out the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid, intending to break through his spiritual power by consuming it again. After ingesting one-tenth of the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid, Li Lin sat on the Spirit Jade Bed to cultivate. The liquid turned into a fierce heat that spread throughout his body, accompanied by a faint light merging into him from the bed. This was his fourth time consuming the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid. He could now fully withstand and counter its violent energy. Although the energy was wild, his current cultivation level had significantly increased, preventing any major impact on his body. The tremendous energy flowed through his meridians, rushing into the sea-like space in his mind where his spiritual power resided, and Li Lin skillfully began refining it. Gradually refining the wild energy in the spiritual power space, the invisible aura emanating from the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid also permeated through this space, reaching the depths of his mind and nourishing his increasingly tangible soul. If someone could peek into Li Lin''s soul space at this moment, they would be astonished. The soul power of a first-level Spirit Master had already condensed into a tangible form, a feat not achievable by many eighth or ninth-level Martial Masters. Of course, all this was possible thanks to the special effects of the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid and the Cold Jade Bed, as well as the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Technique. As time passed, the spiritual power within the sea-like space in his mind continued to strengthen. "Headmaster, we''ve found out that every disciple of the Flying Spirit Sect has recently received numerous pills and martial techniques. It seems the Flying Spirit Sect has changed?" Several days later, a man in a black long robe spoke to Deng Feng Liang in the hall of the Rakshasa Sect. "Elder Xu, have you found any information about that mysterious powerhouse?" Deng Feng Liang was most concerned about the mysterious powerhouse of the Flying Spirit Sect. Without knowing their background, he dared not act rashly. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. "I haven''t found much about the mysterious powerhouse, despite much effort. All I know is that they are the master of Li Qing''s daughter, a formidable figure, but their current whereabouts are unknown. They appeared once and then disappeared." Elder Xu, also known as Xu Fu Guan, Huang Hai Bo''s cousin, a well-known strong figure in the surrounding regions of the Misty Mountain Range and a second-level Martial Soul elder in the Rakshasa Sect, replied. "Headmaster, the disciples of the Flying Spirit Sect have received a lot of pills and martial techniques lately. It''s likely that the rumored secret chamber has been opened. We''ve been biding our time, not making a move on the Flying Spirit Sect, all for that chamber. Should we act now?" An elder in yellow robes on the left side spoke. "Elder Zhao, there''s no need to rush. The Flying Spirit Sect now harbors a strong figure. We should gather more information. If we can handle that figure, the Rakshasa Sect can take everything, even if the secret chamber has been opened. But if we can''t, we''ll leave it to the Ghost Martial Sect, and we''ll still get a share," Deng Feng Liang said calmly. "It''s just that we''ve waited so long. It seems a bit unworthy to let the Ghost Martial Sect benefit," another elder on the right sighed. "Elder Xu, personally investigate and see who that mysterious figure is and how strong they are. Then we''ll decide," Deng Feng Liang instructed Xu Fu Guan. "Headmaster, wouldn''t that be inappropriate? I''m worried it might alert them," Xu Fu Guan expressed his concern. "Huang Hai Bo is your cousin. His death gives you a reason to visit. The Flying Spirit Sect might not suspect anything. Try to find out everything about that mysterious figure," Deng Feng Liang replied, his expression darkening. "Headmaster, I understand. I''ll take people there tomorrow morning," Xu Fu Guan agreed. In the back mountains of the Flying Spirit Sect, on the fourth night, Li Lin''s aura began to surge rapidly, continuing for several hours. Soon after, a muffled sound erupted in the sea-like space in his mind, and a massive energy burst forth. Li Lin''s body glowed brilliantly, his aura climbing rapidly, and the spiritual power space in his mind expanded several times. A tremendous force surged to the depths of his mind, rapidly strengthening his soul power, which was becoming increasingly tangible. Meanwhile, an invisible white light, along with an invisible energy from the world, entered Li Lin''s body. As time passed, Li Lin''s aura gradually stabilized. "Hu hu..." As dawn broke, Li Lin exhaled turbid air. His spiritual power aura had reached the level of a second-level Spirit Master. Feeling the abundant spiritual power in his mind, Li Lin was both joyful and surprised. After becoming a Spirit Master, breaking through required significantly more Soul Spirit Divine Liquid. At the eighth level of Spirit Master, one portion of the liquid could break through two levels, but after reaching Spirit Master, he had used one portion to advance from first to second level, with very little energy left for further enhancement. The Soul Spirit Divine Liquid in the jade bottle was divided into ten parts. Having consumed four parts, Li Lin estimated that he might not even reach the sixth level of Spirit Master with the remaining six parts; reaching the fifth level would be lucky. "Continue cultivating." As day broke, Li Lin didn''t immediately leave seclusion. He planned to refine the remaining Soul Spirit Divine Liquid energy before emerging. Unbeknownst to him, it was already deep autumn. In the Flying Spirit Mountains, the morning air was cool and fresh. Dew on the leaves and grass shimmered with a faint, translucent mist, occasionally accompanied by melodious bird songs echoing through the fog. The leaves on many trees around the mountain range began to turn yellow. The withered leaves hanging on the trees looked like fluttering yellow flowers, occasionally lifted by the wind, spinning in the air, falling, and then lifted again. On the path leading to the Flying Spirit Sect, about thirty figures on horseback were galloping. The dry leaves on the hillside were stirred up by the horses, spinning and scattering dust, covering the winding path to the Flying Spirit Sect. "Elder Xu, we must avenge our third brother this time. He''s still bedridden," a black-clad youth from the Rakshasa Sect said on horseback. "Everyone listen up. We are here to cause trouble at the Flying Spirit Sect, but don''t go too far. After assessing their strength, the Headmaster will personally come to annihilate the Flying Spirit Sect," Xu Fu Guan, riding a tall black horse at the front, instructed. "Halt, who are you?" At the entrance of the Flying Spirit Sect, two disciples, seeing dozens of figures approaching rapidly, called out with a changed expression. Previously, they might not have dared to speak, but things were different now. "Hmph, we are from the Rakshasa Sect. Tell your Headmaster to come out," the people from the Rakshasa Sect ignored the two disciples, spurred their horses, and entered the Flying Spirit Sect directly. Chapter 171: Zheng Ying Makes a Move "Quick, notify the elders." Dozens of horses galloped forth, and the two Flying Spirit Gate disciples, both Martial Practitioners, dared not block their path. In their panic, they could only hurry to inform the elders. Moments later, on a square outside the Flying Spirit Gate''s grand hall, a large crowd had gathered. These were the Flying Spirit Gate disciples who had come upon hearing the news. Anxiety was evident between their brows. The people arriving were from the Raksha Sect, but at this moment, the Flying Spirit Gate disciples were gripping their weapons tightly, their gazes fixed on the Raksha Sect members. Although they were somewhat afraid, no one stepped back. "Big brother, what should we do?" many disciples asked Zhang Mingtao. "The ones coming are elders from the Raksha Sect; we are no match for them. Let''s wait for our elder to arrive," Zhang Mingtao said. "People of Flying Spirit Gate, quickly summon your Sect Leader, or else, I will not be polite," Xu Fuguan demanded, staring at the Flying Spirit Gate disciples. "Xu Fuguan, what is the meaning of this uninvited intrusion into our Flying Spirit Gate?" At that moment, a scolding voice was heard, and a figure appeared instantly; it was Zheng Ying, an elder of the Flying Spirit Gate. Although Zheng Ying was somewhat older, she exuded a more mature and charming demeanor. At this moment, her expression darkened, and a chill spread around her, filling the air with coldness. "Hehe, so it''s Elder Zheng, eh? Why must a woman be so temperamental? No wonder you''re unmarried. Why not just give in to me? Being my woman would be much better than staying in this Flying Spirit Gate," Xu Fuguan burst into laughter as he stared at Zheng Ying. The Raksha Sect disciples erupted into laughter, looking at the Flying Spirit Gate members with disdain. "I spit, you think you''re worthy? Xu Fuguan, if you don''t give our Flying Spirit Gate an explanation today, I won''t let you off," Zheng Ying retorted coldly. "What a joke. I''m here for an explanation from your Flying Spirit Gate. My cousin was killed by you people. What''s the meaning of this? If you don''t explain today, my Raksha Sect won''t let this go," Xu Fuguan stated coldly. "Huang Haibo betrayed the Flying Spirit Gate and plotted against our Sect Leader, leading to his execution. This is a matter of our Flying Spirit Gate, what does it have to do with your Raksha Sect?" Zheng Ying responded. While ordinary disciples of the Flying Spirit Gate might not know the relationship between Huang Haibo and Xu Fuguan, Zheng Ying and Zhou Yuhou were aware. "I don''t care about the specifics. Today, you must give me an explanation, or else my Raksha Sect and your Flying Spirit Gate will never end this," Xu Fuguan declared. "What, you want to start a fight?" Zheng Ying said coldly. In the past, there might have been some consideration for the Raksha Sect, but now with a strong presence in the Flying Spirit Gate, she was not worried. "If you want to fight, then I''ll accompany you," Xu Fuguan laughed heartily. Zheng Ying, being of the Second Layer Martial Soul realm, and he himself being of the same level, not to mention he had some reliance on his person, naturally was not afraid of Zheng Ying. Moreover, his intention today was to cause chaos and ultimately gauge the strength of the Flying Spirit Gate. Zheng Ying, looking coldly at Xu Fuguan, felt a slight sinking feeling. With the Sect Leader and the Great Elder in seclusion, and other elders not emerging from their seclusions, if they did not repel Xu Fuguan today, the Flying Spirit Gate would face trouble. It would be risky to disturb the others if they were in the midst of a breakthrough. But defeating the opponent now seemed difficult. The opponent''s cultivation level was the same as hers, but his aura suggested he might be even stronger. "What, you dare not? Then just have your Flying Spirit Gate Leader come out and explain," Xu Fuguan sneered. "A joke, afraid of you?" Zheng Ying''s hand conjured a pale red longsword, and her body erupted with fiery Qi, surging out. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. "Ha, let''s see what strength the Flying Spirit Gate possesses," Xu Fuguan laughed, leaping off his horse, unafraid of Zheng Ying. Simultaneously, Zheng Ying, gripping the pale red longsword, unleashed a sword beam carrying a trace of scorching flame, moving like a shadow directly towards Xu Fuguan. Her powerful Qi filled the area, raising the temperature instantly. "Bring it on!" Xu Fuguan shouted, his Qi underfoot, propelling his body upwards, diving down with a surge of water attribute Qi attacking Zheng Ying. Zheng Ying spun, her Qi flashing, her longsword slicing through the air, unleashing a sword beam that clashed with Xu Fuguan''s attack. The force exploded, and the two figures intertwined. For a moment, Qi surged violently, and the fierce sword beam directly lifted a layer of soil from the ground, creating a deep hole with their powerful Qi. Both were shaken apart, and as they began their attack, the bystanders retreated from the blast, not something they could easily ignore. "Whinny..." The battle between the two also caused the horses ridden by the Raksha Sect members to panic and neigh. Inside the Flying Spirit Gate, the bald Huang Boran saw that the Raksha Sect had brought only about thirty disciples. Although their strength was somewhat superior to that of the Flying Spirit Gate, there were still more than three hundred people in the Flying Spirit Gate. With ten or more people to one, they had enough to win. Moreover, there were also a few disciples within the Flying Spirit Gate who were at the Martial Master level. "Brothers, the Sect Leader said that if anyone dares to provoke our Flying Spirit Gate, we fight back. If one is not enough, we go in two. If two are not enough, we all go together. Charge, for the sake of our mothers," Huang Boran shouted loudly, taking advantage despite his strength being only at the Martial Warrior level, he charged ahead as the first to engage. "Right, the Sect Leader said we go together, for the sake of our mothers," Zhang Mingtao shouted immediately. "Charge." A group of Flying Spirit Gate disciples charged out. With the advantage of numbers, they were in a desperate stance, drawing all their weapons. These few hundred people surged towards the thirty Raksha Sect disciples, their Qi filling the air. Although individually most seemed somewhat weak, at this moment, their combined forces were formidable. The thirty Raksha Sect disciples, a few of whom were at the Martial Master level, similar to a few in the Flying Spirit Gate, with the rest being at the Martial Warrior level, did not intend a desperate fight when coming to the Flying Spirit Gate, hence only brought a few disciples. Seeing the massive approach of the Flying Spirit Gate members, the thirty Raksha Sect disciples were stunned. Previously, Flying Spirit Gate disciples would not dare to resist their bullying, but now the situation had completely changed. "Attack quickly." After regaining their composure, the thirty Raksha Sect disciples shouted and leaped off their horses, gripping their weapons to attack the charging Flying Spirit Gate members. "Boom, boom, boom..." In an instant, a melee erupted. With the Flying Spirit Gate having the upper hand in numbers, the Raksha Sect disciples were surrounded in the center, unable to use their martial techniques effectively. Each was closely encircled by more than a dozen people, causing panic. Although their strength was somewhat higher than that of the current Flying Spirit Gate disciples, it wasn''t by much. Caught off guard, the Raksha Sect disciples were quickly put at a disadvantage. "Damn it." Seeing all this, Xu Fuguan cursed under his breath, an outcome he hadn''t anticipated. Knowing he couldn''t delay any longer, he aimed to quickly defeat Zheng Ying, which would naturally draw out the Flying Spirit Gate''s strong figure, allowing him to gauge the mysterious strong figure''s strength and then report back for their Sect Leader to come and eliminate the Flying Spirit Gate. "Zheng Ying, step back," Xu Fuguan shouted, his Qi surging to the extreme within him, blue light of water attribute enveloping his body, immediately surrounded by a mist, then condensing into a water column like a snapped string arrow, rushing towards Zheng Ying. Knowing the opponent was using his full strength, Zheng Ying''s heart sank completely. Gripping the pale red longsword tightly, Qi vibrating, she stamped the ground and shot forward, narrowly avoiding the water column attack, then aimed her longsword straight at Xu Fuguan''s heart without any fancy moves. "Hmph." Xu Fuguan sneered, seeing Zheng Ying''s attack, his lips curling in disdain. Making a hand gesture, he produced a pair of gloves emitting blue light, with sharp spikes on the front. Bringing up these strange gloves, his large hands suddenly curved, claws emanating a blue glow, and with a swift motion, he aimed to grab the longsword in Zheng Ying''s hand. "Crack, crack..." Around the claw marks, space seemed to twist, creating a small vortex with the airflow, and Zheng Ying''s longsword was broken into several pieces. The vigorous Qi from the claw marks burst forth, and at the same time, another claw strike from Xu Fuguan rushed towards Zheng Ying''s face, tearing through the space, and the surrounding air was displaced. This turn of events exceeded Zheng Ying''s expectations, the opponent''s strange gloves capable of directly countering her sword, forcing her to retreat rapidly, Qi flashing under her feet as she dodged quickly. "Keke, these gloves, crafted from white jade silk, are not afraid of ordinary weapons," Xu Fuguan sneered sinisterly. Zheng Ying was extremely fast, but Xu Fuguan was not slow either. In that instant, although Xu Fuguan missed Zheng Ying''s face, his claw strike fiercely landed on Zheng Ying''s left shoulder. Chapter 172: Overcoming the Odds The claw mark penetrated to the bone, and a surge of formidable power suddenly erupted. Zheng Ying felt a piercing pain in her left shoulder as blood immediately began flowing down from it, eventually dripping down her arm. At this moment, amidst her pale complexion, Zheng Ying quickly formed hand signs, and her body erupted with scorching Qi. The Qi surged around her, and her aura suddenly increased significantly. Then, from her right hand, a flame whistled out, quickly forming into shape. "Flame Spinning Knife!" Zheng Ying shouted, as the flame in her hand transformed into a blade of light that whistled out. The flame roared, the blade of light rampaged as if slicing through space, fiercely slashing towards Xu Fuguan. This was precisely the Yellow-grade, low-tier fire martial technique "Flame Spinning Knife" that Zheng Ying had recently mastered, taken from the secret chamber. Now, under Zheng Ying''s execution, its power was absolutely astonishing, causing the entire space to ripple with intense fluctuations. "Eh? A Yellow-grade, low-tier martial technique?" Feeling the sudden surge in Zheng Ying''s aura, Xu Fuguan was surprised. He rapidly retreated as his claw marks spun back, a burst of blue light surged out, and with a twist of his hand claw, a dense Qi transformed into a fierce claw mark at his fingertips, instantly confronting Zheng Ying''s Flame Spinning Knife. "Boom, boom, boom..." The two powerful forces collided, finally smashing into each other with the force of splitting mountains, and from the point of their impact, an explosive sound echoed through the heavens. The shockwave swept through the surrounding space, flames dispersed, and the violent Qi tore open the ground, with cracks spreading far and wide, and dust filled the air around the area... "Thud, thud..." Amidst the violent forces, both individuals staggered backwards. Zheng Ying, already injured, now had blood spraying from her wound, her complexion turning ghastly pale. Although Zheng Ying''s recently executed Flame Spinning Knife was extremely powerful, Xu Fuguan, although not visibly injured, also turned pale, clearly having expended a lot of energy. "I didn''t expect you to have a Yellow-grade, low-tier martial technique. Once I capture you, we''ll see if your Sect Leader continues to hide away," Xu Fuguan said coldly, looking at Zheng Ying and inwardly relieved that he had some advantage on his side, otherwise, he couldn''t have dealt with Zheng Ying. "Is that so? You wish to see me that much?" Just then, a voice was heard, and as the voice fell, a figure in a green robe appeared beside Zheng Ying. The newcomer, dressed in a green robe with a pale yellow snake coiling around his shoulder, emitted a chilling aura. It was Li Lin, who had just emerged from seclusion. Li Lin, having just finished his seclusion, heard the commotion here and came straight over. He had already sized up everything in the scene, even recognizing Xu Fuguan from Huang Haibo''s memories. He had guessed that it must have been the Raksha Sect coming to their door, an inevitable confrontation. Looking around, Li Lin''s chill deepened, spreading a cold aura. "Who are you?" Xu Fuguan''s expression changed slightly upon seeing the young man who had suddenly appeared, not having felt his arrival. Even now, he couldn''t make out the young man''s aura. "I am the Sect Leader of the Flying Spirit Gate. Weren''t you looking for me?" Li Lin raised an eyebrow, his expression filled with a cold determination. The Raksha Sect really dared to provoke them first. If he didn''t kill this man today, the Raksha Sect might really think the Flying Spirit Gate was easy to bully. "You are the Flying Spirit Gate Leader?" Xu Fuguan had heard that the Sect Leader of the Flying Spirit Gate was a young, inexperienced boy, but seeing him in person now, he was somewhat surprised. "You came at a good time. My cousin was killed by your Flying Spirit Gate. You owe me an explanation today, or else, my Raksha Sect will not let this go," Xu Fuguan said after sizing up Li Lin for a moment. "Xu Fuguan, you, Huang Haibo, and another person from the Raksha Sect, the three of you ganged up and killed the former Sect Leader of the Flying Spirit Gate. I''ll settle this account with you today," Li Lin snorted coldly. In Huang Haibo''s memories, Li Lin knew that Li Qing was killed in an ambush by Huang Haibo, Xu Fuguan, and another elder from the Raksha Sect. Xu Fuguan had to die today. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. "How do you know..." Xu Fuguan''s face changed drastically. This matter was known only among a few elders of the Raksha Sect and Huang Haibo. He was shocked that the young man before him also knew about it. "Humph, if you don''t want others to know, don''t do it yourself," Li Lin snorted coldly, then turned to Zheng Ying and asked, "Elder Zheng, have the other elders not emerged from seclusion?" Seeing Zheng Ying with a severe shoulder injury, unable to continue fighting against Xu Fuguan, and with the other elders likely in seclusion, Li Lin realized it wouldn''t be easy to kill this man now. "No, I will have all the elders come out of seclusion," Zheng Ying said, about to notify the other elders, unable to confront Xu Fuguan herself due to her injuries. "No need. Let the elders continue their seclusion. I will handle this person," Li Lin immediately said. If the other elders were in the middle of a breakthrough, disturbing them would be a great loss. If a few elders managed to break through, it would undoubtedly be a significant help to the Flying Spirit Gate''s strength. As for Xu Fuguan, with his Second Layer Martial Soul realm strength, Li Lin knew he naturally couldn''t handle him on his own. However, Li Lin had Little dragon (Little Dragon) by his side. Relying on Little dragon, he wasn''t without the strength to fight. Moreover, now that he had mastered martial techniques from all five elements, he had no choice but to reveal them if necessary, but today he must kill this man. "Sect Leader, this person has reached the Second Layer Martial Soul realm," Zheng Ying said in surprise, reminding Li Lin. She knew Li Lin''s strength was only at the Martial Master level; how could he contend with Xu Fuguan''s Second Layer Martial Soul? "It''s alright. You go handle the other Raksha Sect members; leave this one to me," Li Lin said indifferently. Little dragon was already moving on Li Lin''s shoulder, its gaze locking onto Xu Fuguan. "Yes, Sect Leader, but be careful, especially with those gloves he''s wearing," Zheng Ying replied doubtfully, then immediately dashed towards the fray. Injured as she was, she couldn''t take on Xu Fuguan, but dealing with the Raksha Sect''s Martial Master and Martial Warrior disciples was easy for her, requiring hardly any effort. "Boom, boom..." With Zheng Ying joining the fight, a Raksha Sect disciple at the Second Layer Water Martial Master level was instantly blasted dozens of meters away, soon to be surrounded and sliced into pieces by a group of Flying Spirit Gate disciples. "Boy, you think you can take me on?" Xu Fuguan said, his face darkening, then he sneered. The youth was at most seventeen or eighteen years old. Even if he had started cultivating from the womb, his strength couldn''t be that great. Naturally, he didn''t take him seriously, remembering that this young man had injured one of their disciples, whose strength was at most at the Martial Master level. "Enough to deal with you," Li Lin responded coldly, already having silently prepared Little dragon. "Keke, such arrogance. Just with you, a naive little boy, you don''t know the height of the sky and the depth of the earth," Xu Fuguan sneered disdainfully with a glance at Li Lin. Li Lin ignored Xu Fuguan''s sneer, slowly approaching him with a slight cold smile on his lips, his Qi beginning to surge violently. Facing a Second Layer Martial Soul opponent while he himself was only a Second Layer Martial Master, today he would try if he could overcome this challenge. Seeing Li Lin approach, Xu Fuguan''s eyes turned even colder, feeling the surging Qi around Li Lin, he coldly said, "So you''re a Second Layer Martial Master, an arrogant kid. In front of me, you''re too weak." "Let me show you the difference between Martial Soul and Martial Master," Xu Fuguan shouted, watching Zheng Ying kill two more Raksha Sect disciples from afar, anger surging within him. A powerful Qi burst out from within him, blue Qi swirling around him like mist, shaking the space around, and a water column shot out instantly. Meanwhile, Li Lin appeared relaxed, but he was very cautious inside. Forming a hand sign, he immediately set up the Qing Ling Armor, covering his body with pale yellow scale armor. Stepping forward rapidly, he dodged to the side as a water column the size of a baby''s fist, carrying a sharp wind, grazed past his nose, the forceful wind prickling his skin. "Not much to it," Li Lin said lightly, having dodged Xu Fuguan''s attack. The miss took Xu Fuguan by surprise, not expecting Li Lin''s reaction to be so quick. He also noticed the scale armor on Li Lin, his expression darkening, muttering, "You even have defensive martial techniques?" "Come on, then," Xu Fuguan sneered, his Qi trembling under his feet as he leaped up, a powerful force bursting out. In mid-air, his hands formed a sign, and a claw mark shot through those sharp gloves, tearing through the air like a blade, a howling wind sound sharp and piercing, shaking the spatial ripples directly. "Indeed, somewhat peculiar," Li Lin observed this attack, having been warned by Elder Zheng Ying to be wary of Xu Fuguan''s gloves, which were truly formidable, no ordinary item. Li Lin immediately retreated rapidly, and at the same time, a pale yellow streak of light shot out like lightning, directly aiming for Xu Fuguan. "Little snake..." Xu Fuguan''s expression changed upon seeing the small snake from Li Lin''s shoulder darting towards him. He hadn''t paid much attention to it initially but was taken aback by the snake''s astonishing speed. Changing his claw strike, he immediately altered his attack trajectory, aiming straight for Little dragon. Chapter 173: Wooden Prison Shackles "Whoosh whoosh..." At that moment, in the sky, Little dragon''s body instantly grew larger, expanding with the wind, and suddenly transformed into a size over eighty meters. Its massive body, carrying scorching flames, broke through the air resistance, and its tail whipped out sharply, finally crashing heavily against Xu Fuguan''s claw mark. With a "boom," an explosion sounded through the space, a burst of fire splashed as Xu Fuguan''s claw mark landed directly on Little dragon''s giant tail scales, creating five shallow cracks, from which sparks flew. At this moment, a tremendous force from Little dragon''s tail fiercely struck Xu Fuguan''s hand, sending his body flying backwards to the ground. He staggered back several steps in surprise before steadying himself, staring at Little dragon''s massive body in disbelief. Only fourth-order demonic beasts could change their size at will, but the aura from this beast didn''t seem like that of a fourth-order. "Hiss hiss..." After landing, Little dragon glared furiously at Xu Fuguan, the marks on its scales causing it intense pain. "Those gloves are strong," Li Lin thought to himself, knowing well Little dragon''s defensive capabilities. Now that Little dragon had been marked, it was no wonder Elder Zheng Ying was directly injured. "This little snake is so powerful." At this time, many Flying Spirit Gate disciples also saw Little dragon''s massive body, the small snake that had always coiled around the Sect Leader''s shoulder, capable of directly contending with a Martial Soul powerhouse. They marveled at the sight of Little dragon''s enormous body, realizing that everything associated with their Sect Leader was extraordinary. "The Sect Leader is awesome," many disciples whispered in amazement. "Fire Shadow Fingers." In that instant, without any delay, Li Lin shot out five scorching finger marks from his hand, slicing through space and darting towards their target like lightning. "A dual-element martial artist," Xu Fuguan exclaimed, surprised. The opponent had just used earth attribute Qi, and now a fire attribute martial technique. This youth was a dual-element martial artist. "Hmph!" Xu Fuguan snorted lightly, his feet shimmering with blue light, and his figure eerily disappeared, making the five Fire Shadow Fingers miss, not hitting him at all. Watching Xu Fuguan vanish, Li Lin''s pupils contracted, already prepared for what was coming. The training in the Misty Mountain Range had honed Li Lin''s reactions to a unity of body and spirit, his figure swiftly retreating. Just as Li Lin began to retreat, Xu Fuguan appeared behind him like a ghost, a claw mixed with a ferocious wind and a moist aura of water attribute Qi, fiercely tearing towards Li Lin''s back. The spatial ripples directly shook open, the force of this claw extremely formidable. Feeling the powerful force sweeping towards him from behind, Li Lin''s expression darkened. He had already formed a hand sign, and a green energy burst forth from behind him. "Wooden Prison Shackles." Li Lin uttered lightly as the green energy burst forth. Simultaneously, the void trembled, a dazzling green spread out, and instantly five wooden stakes, each as big as a bowl, spun rapidly together, quickly enveloping Xu Fuguan''s claw mark in the center, compressing the air currents to howl. The formidable aura pressed down, directly enveloping the claw mark. "A triple-element martial artist, he''s actually a triple-element martial artist," Xu Fuguan exclaimed in amazement. Wood, fire, and earth martial techniques, this youth was a one-in-a-million triple-element martial artist. "The Sect Leader is a triple-element martial artist, unbelievable." With Zheng Ying''s intervention, the Raksha Sect disciples were already all killed, including two that seemed to be at the First Layer Martial Master level, now captured by several Flying Spirit Gate disciples, unable to move. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. The Flying Spirit Gate had also suffered, with several disciples fallen and many injured. Without Zheng Ying''s intervention, the casualties might have been higher. The Flying Spirit Gate disciples, watching the Sect Leader''s display of wood martial techniques, were utterly amazed. A triple-element martial artist was an extremely distant concept for them. "It''s just that your strength is a bit too low," Xu Fuguan''s expression darkened, his claws wreaking havoc, aura bursting out as if destroying space, leaving several spatial traces in the sky. "Break for me," Xu Fuguan shouted lowly, his claw mark piercing through space, instantly breaking through the five rapidly spinning tree stakes. "Bang bang..." Energy dispersed, an explosion resonated through the mid-air, shaking the space with severe ripples, a green energy scattering like fireworks. "Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh..." A series of claw marks burst forth, piercing the air resistance, and rapidly targeted Li Lin. "Hiss hisiss..." A pale yellow streak of light raced forward, enveloped in golden flames in front of it, the golden flames roaring up, covering hundreds of meters of space, instantly turning the air currents into white mist. "Sizzle sizzle..." Under the golden flames, the energy claw marks only lasted for a moment before being completely incinerated. Little dragon, hovering in mid-air, dived down, its massive body drawing an arc through the air, breaking through the air resistance. Its giant tail landed first, followed almost reflexively by a flick of its tail. Its enormous head reared up, spinning and then rushing towards Xu Fuguan again, its whole body engulfed in scorching golden flames. Its massive head opened its wide mouth, suddenly unleashing a torrent of golden flames from above, enveloping Xu Fuguan in a blanket of fire. Xu Fuguan''s complexion changed drastically, the beast''s flames were too terrifying. Even without the flames touching him directly, he felt as though he was in a sea of fire, the flames inducing a palpable sense of dread. Quickly retreating, Xu Fuguan dared not confront the flames emanating from Little dragon''s mouth. "Huff huff..." The golden, scorching flames poured down like a wildfire across the plains, turning hundreds of meters of ground into scorched earth, with countless cracks appearing on the surface. "This beast is incredibly powerful." Seeing Little dragon''s terrifying flames, everyone from the Flying Spirit Gate exchanged astonished glances. "Huff huff..." In the distance, Li Lin continuously formed hand signs, a powerful energy beginning to gather above, transforming into a dazzling array of rainbow lights. All could only see a radiant orb of rainbow light, emanating a terrifying aura that caused the surrounding void to begin twisting. "What kind of martial technique is this?" Xu Fuguan had just managed to dodge that eerie beast''s attack and now, sensing Li Lin''s aura, was immediately surprised, his expression darkening as he rapidly charged towards Li Lin, leaving a trail of afterimages. "Hiss hiss..." Little dragon growled lowly, already in sync with Li Lin. Its massive body leaped up, its speed slightly exceeding Xu Fuguan''s, its huge tail lashing out directly at Xu Fuguan. Xu Fuguan''s face turned cold, his body unknowingly shielded by a protective barrier. His claws swiftly struck out, like a hawk preying, his claw mark subtly distorting the void around it, carrying a force capable of tearing the sky as it fiercely clawed towards Little dragon. "Boom..." A tremendous force collided, the air compressed and twisted, then exploded violently, sending a massive surge of energy in all directions. Under one strike, Little dragon''s tail sprayed flames, creating several long marks on the scales, sparks flying as its massive body was sent flying. "Thud thud..." Xu Fuguan also felt uncomfortable, his body sent flying by the immense force, staggering back more than ten meters before stabilizing, his complexion turning paler. "Such strong defense." Xu Fuguan inwardly exclaimed, his gloves'' power, capable of tearing through the defenses of average fourth-order demonic beasts, only left a scratch on this beast. "Whoosh..." Xu Fuguan landed and immediately leaped up again, his ferocious Qi bursting forth, once again charging towards Li Lin with an afterimage. Little dragon''s strength could contend with Xu Fuguan, yet it still wasn''t enough to stop this Second Layer Martial Soul powerhouse. Li Lin''s expression darkened, his hand signs changing non-stop. Amidst the violent energy, a spiritual force undetectable by ordinary people fluctuated, and at that moment, around Li Lin, the violent energy gradually calmed down, then, under everyone''s astonished gaze, condensed into a crimson energy bird. Like a phoenix bathing in fire, it was enveloped in massive flames, with a fiery crown and colorful tail, its wings spread wide, surrounded by flames, causing the surrounding space to ripple and sway. "Vermilion Bird Articulation." Li Lin shouted, his final hand sign executed, the crimson energy bird in front of him suddenly flapped its wings and surged forward, with all of Li Lin''s Qi pouring into the Vermilion Bird energy body. As the crimson bird sliced through space, its body dramatically expanded, transforming into over two hundred meters in size, its flames roaring out, its aura releasing once more a terrifying force that surged to the heavens. At that moment, Li Lin''s Second Layer Martial Master strength, compared to when he first invoked the Vermilion Bird Articulation at the Martial Disciple level, was several times more powerful. The violent energy was enough to cause Martial Master level cultivators to palpitate with fear. Feeling the terrifying aura rushing towards him, Xu Fuguan''s face also changed instantly. How could the opponent possess such formidable attacking power? This attack made him feel endangered, wondering if this young man had been hiding his true strength all along. Chapter 174: Falling into Disadvantage "Water Mist Annihilation." Xu Fuguan uttered softly, rapidly forming hand signs. At this moment, the pair of gloves he had been wearing had vanished without a trace. As the hand signs were executed, a massive surge of water attribute energy fluctuated abruptly, quickly condensing at a visible speed. Within two breaths, the vast water attribute energy in the space around them had gathered into a violent water mist. Within the mist, dazzling blue light was so profound that a mere glance seemed to swallow one''s soul. Countless blade-like energies whirled within, tearing through space with an absolutely terrifying energy spreading out. "Xu Fuguan is going all out," Zheng Ying tensed up, realizing Xu Fuguan had unleashed his full power. The Sect Leader was only at the Martial Master level, could he really withstand this? "Snap snap..." The rushing water mist caused a series of sonic booms, swiftly tearing open space and creating spatial ripples. In a flash, it collided fiercely with the Vermilion Bird Articulation Li Lin had conjured. Both attacks, carrying a terrifying energy that astonished everyone, collided like a bomb under the gaze of hundreds, creating a massive explosion. "Caw caw..." A high-pitched screech from the phoenix energy body pierced through space as the two terrifying energies collided. The massive phoenix energy body, carrying scorching heat, smashed into the violent water mist blades. "Boom boom boom boom..." A thunderous explosion sounded like a bolt from the blue, with both terrifying energies creating ripples in space, eroding each other with their violent forces, causing the space to distort extremely. Li Lin executed his final hand sign, his face turning pale instantly. Simultaneously, the crimson phoenix-like energy body flapped its wings vigorously. The water mist blades that had been sweeping towards them from all directions instantly turned to ash. The phoenix illusion vanished, finally condensing into an incredibly hot massive fireball that exploded and expanded rapidly, tearing open the space around it. "Bang bang bang bang..." Flames dispersed, engulfing the entire space, while the water mist ravaged the surroundings. Nearly a kilometer around was swept up by the energy, turning into a violent storm. "Rumble rumble..." The space kept exploding with huge, terrifying energy ripples spreading out from the explosion, solidifying like reality. Under this fearsome energy ripple, the disciples of Flying Spirit Gate, including Zheng Ying, hastily retreated, well aware that contact with this violent energy would spell disaster. Even Zheng Ying dared not let this energy touch her. After the violent and terrifying aura dissipated, calm gradually returned, but the vast space was left in disarray, with a large crater appearing before everyone. The entire plaza was shattered, with the ground swept clean. "Thud thud..." A terrifying gust swept through, Li Lin''s body was sent flying, landing dozens of meters away before he managed to get up, spitting out a trail of blood, his Qing Ling Armor dimmed. After the violent wind faded, Xu Fuguan also staggered back, his complexion turning even paler as blood churned within him, barely suppressing a mouthful of blood. To Xu Fuguan''s astonishment, the opponent, a Second Layer Martial Master, had managed to withstand his Second Layer Martial Soul strike. How was this possible? "The Sect Leader is alright." As the terrifying energy dissipated, seeing the Sect Leader still standing in the distance, the people of Flying Spirit Gate breathed a sigh of relief, excitement stirring among them. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Little dragon, block him for a moment." Li Lin wiped the blood from his mouth, a flash of coldness in his eyes. A Martial Soul powerhouse, a whole level above him in strength, could not be defeated by him using the Vermilion Bird Articulation alone; he had fallen into disadvantage, but he was determined to take down this person today. "Hiss hiss..." Little dragon, prepared for action, surged up again. Its massive eyes flashed coldly, with scorching golden flames emanating from its body. Enveloped in golden flames, it swept through space, causing continuous sonic booms, its formidable presence unmatched by any fourth-order demonic beast. "Damn it." Xu Fuguan''s expression turned extremely ugly, realizing he was getting no advantage today. With the opposition in greater numbers, if a few more elders joined, he wouldn''t be able to escape. But now entangled by Little dragon, he was unable to break free. In an instant, Xu Fuguan found himself entangled with Little dragon. His energy expenditure had reached a critical point, and under Little dragon''s assault, he was unable to gain any advantage. Simultaneously, Li Lin quickly moved among the Flying Spirit Gate members, targeting the two First Layer Martial Master disciples captured by the Flying Spirit Gate. "These two are mine," Li Lin declared coldly, without hesitation. His claw marks directly targeted the heavenly covers of the two Raksha Sect First Layer Martial Master disciples, unleashing a ferocious devouring force from the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique. With a scream, the two were unable to resist as their Qi within the Dantian was uncontrollably devoured. Their internal channels, filled to bursting with Qi, expanded and tore, nearly rupturing. The onlookers were astonished at this scene, but the sight of the Raksha Sect disciples screaming in agony filled them with a sense of excitement. "Boom boom..." In the distance, Xu Fuguan was desperately trying to find a way to escape but was unable to break free from Little dragon''s entanglement. The ongoing struggle between the beast and the man caused continuous explosions. In just moments, the two Raksha Sect disciples had turned into dried corpses. Li Lin, with spiritual fire emanating from his hands, turned the corpses into ashes. Displaying the devouring power of the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique in public, Li Lin did not want to leave any traces behind, even though there were no outsiders present, he promptly disposed of the bodies. At the same time, Li Lin formed another hand sign. The Qi energy from the two First Layer Martial Master disciples he had just absorbed was still settling within him. As he executed mysterious hand signs, an array of divine lights burst forth in front of him, the aura around him undergoing a peculiar transformation. Divine lights appeared before Li Lin, infusing with spiritual power and then beginning to condense, emanating a terrifying energy aura. This terrifying energy caused even the void around to start distorting. Simultaneously, Li Lin channeled the freshly absorbed power into this terrifying energy. As this formidable force merged, Li Lin''s own Qi was devoured by this energy like a flood, causing a terrifying and heart-palpitating aura to surge around him, becoming increasingly violent. Li Lin was determined to defeat Xu Fuguan, not allowing the Raksha Sect to underestimate the Flying Spirit Gate any longer. Having previously increased the power of the Vermilion Bird Articulation by absorbing Qi, Li Lin planned to do the same now. By absorbing the Qi of the two First Layer Martial Masters and integrating it into the Vermilion Bird Articulation, he hoped to defeat Xu Fuguan. Injecting this Qi energy, his meridians instantly expanded, with Qi rampaging within him like a herd of wild beasts. The pressure exerted on his meridians was imaginable. Li Lin had experienced this pain before and now gritted his teeth to withstand it, his broad meridians allowing the rampant Qi to flow freely. "Merge for me." Li Lin pressed his hand signs together. Merging foreign Qi was not easy, but having succeeded once before, it was slightly easier this time. "Pfft..." As the Qi energy was injected, a seven-colored light spread out. Controlling the three energies to converge, Li Lin felt a severe pain in his mind, the terrifying energy he was condensing suddenly became chaotic, and a muffled groan escaped his throat as blood spurted out. Merging external forces into oneself was risky, a gamble with one''s life. Typically, even Martial Commanders might not dare such a feat, as a slight misstep could lead to severe injury. This required extremely delicate control over one''s soul power and a comprehensive understanding of the forces involved. Li Lin was acutely aware of the risks but had no other choice if he wanted to defeat Xu Fuguan. He had to merge external forces into the Vermilion Bird Articulation as he had done before. "Condense." With a heavy heart, Li Lin let out a low shout within himself, enduring the extreme pain and expansion of his meridians. Under his control of soul power, he merged the Vermilion Bird Articulation once more. The invisible soul power surged out like lightning, finally controlling the chaotic seven-colored lights without any leakage, drawing them from all directions and condensing them together. Enduring the pain, Li Lin managed to begin merging the seven-colored lights again. The lights became even more dazzling than before, with the seven colors interchanging, creating a somewhat mystical appearance. The terrifying energy emanating started to distort the surrounding air flows. As Li Lin''s complexion turned to a terrifying shade of pale, his hand signs changed again. The energy above pressed down, becoming more violent, spreading a boundless force rapidly. Chapter 175: Overcoming the Odds As this overwhelming power spread, the surrounding space violently fluctuated, casting a suppressive feeling over everyone''s hearts. "Whinny whinny..." The dozens of horses that belonged to the Raksha Sect began to neigh in the distance, unable to resist the pressure, they lay prostrate on the ground, this oppressive force causing all beasts to tremble with fear. Such a formidable and terrifying energy fluctuation immediately caught Xu Fuguan''s attention. His shocked gaze was drawn to the dazzling array of seven-colored lights before Li Lin, feeling the terrifying energy contained within. His complexion turned to one of horror, unable to comprehend how the young man, who was clearly injured just moments ago, seemed to have grown in strength instead. This energy was too terrifying. "Little dragon, let me handle this!" Li Lin shouted, and Little dragon, with a low roar, rapidly retreated like lightning. "Vermilion Bird Articulation." Li Lin roared, sending out hand signs forcefully. The terrifying seven-colored energy orb above plunged fiercely towards Xu Fuguan, as another mouthful of blood was spat out, his Qi completely depleted. The terrifying seven-colored energy instantly transformed into a phoenix energy body about ten meters in size. In the blink of an eye, it expanded, turning into a nearly four-hundred-meter vast body. Flames roared around it, with a violent aura surging to the heavens, covering hundreds of meters in the sky with flames that crackled as they burned the air, reaching a pinnacle of terror. "Damn, how could this be? Could it be a Profound-level martial technique?" Xu Fuguan''s face turned pale as the strange technique''s power seemed to double compared to the previous strike. Such a formidable attack coming from the youth was beyond his comprehension. He was almost convinced the youth had hidden his strength; as a Martial Soul, how could a mere Martial Master unleash such a terrifying attack? With nowhere to retreat and no escape, Xu Fuguan rapidly formed hand signs, spitting out a mouthful of essence blood into them. Terrifying energy surged from all directions, with bizarre energies beginning to gather, his expression showing unprecedented seriousness. "Huff huff..." A gigantic blue water orb, over four hundred meters in size, materialized out of thin air above, with terrifying energy crashing down. The blinding blue radiance on the water orb was soul-shaking. At this moment, Xu Fuguan''s face was terrifyingly pale. Xu Fuguan, controlling the last condensed massive water orb, crashed it fiercely into the vast and terrifying phoenix energy body. The collision of two extremely powerful energies created a deafening explosion... "Boom boom boom..." The clash of forces unleashed rampant energy ripples, with towering flames spreading across thousands of meters. The spatial airflow twisted, tearing open countless air rifts and turning into terrifying tornadoes that swept across the sky. "Ah..." Dozens of Flying Spirit Gate disciples who couldn''t dodge in time were swept into the high sky, the terrifying force tearing the plaza apart with countless cracks, overturning the ground, and spreading a deep fissure all the way to the front of the Flying Spirit Gate''s main hall. "Rumble rumble..." As the terrifying energy caused the ground to fissure, the grand hall of the Flying Spirit Gate cracked and then collapsed directly, raising clouds of dust, thunderously crashing down. The terrifying force created endless sonic booms, leaving the entire plaza and the visible space utterly devastated, reduced to flat ground. "Pfft!" Such a fearsome wind swept directly, sending Xu Fuguan flying, his protective barrier shattered, spitting out blood like a kite with its string cut, his bones emitting a crackling sound. His figure crashed to the ground, creating a small crater upon impact. "Pfft!" Xu Fuguan spewed blood again, mixed with fragments of his shattered organs, as the ground where he landed cracked and spread out. "Such terrifying power." All the disciples of the Flying Spirit Gate were dumbfounded, only now realizing the extent of their young Sect Leader''s terrifying strength. "Boom..." Li Lin was fiercely shaken and flew into the distance, spitting out his third mouthful of blood. The Qing Ling Armor he wore had dimmed to the point of losing its luster. "Sect Leader." Seeing Li Lin shaken away, all the disciples immediately rushed over. Zhang Mingtao, Fang Xinqi, and Huang Boran were the fastest, but it was Zheng Ying who reached Li Lin first. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement."I''m fine, check if that guy is dead," Li Lin said as he stood up with Zheng Ying''s support. Zheng Ying then handed Li Lin over to Fang Xinqi, Zhang Mingtao, and the others who had caught up, and went to Xu Fuguan''s body. By then, Xu Fuguan was already breathless, dead beyond doubt, with a pile of shattered organs amongst the blood at the corner of his mouth. "Sect Leader, Xu Fuguan is dead," Zheng Ying returned to Li Lin''s side, handing him a spatial bag containing Xu Fuguan''s belongings. "Whoosh whoosh..." "Is that Raksha Sect''s Xu Fuguan? Sect Leader, what happened?" Four figures rapidly approached from behind, landing in front of Li Lin, surveying the devastation around them and Xu Fuguan''s corpse on the ground. They then turned to Li Lin''s pale face, visibly startled. The four were Zhou Yuhou, Hu Nansheng, and two other elders who had emerged from seclusion due to the earth-shattering noise. "Whoosh..." Another figure in a black robe swiftly descended, his cold aura making many feel uneasy. It was Dong Wuming, the Soul-Poison Marshal, who had also come out of seclusion. "Sect Leader, are you alright?" Dong Wuming glanced around and asked Li Lin with a furrowed brow. "I''m fine, but I''ll need a few months to recover," Li Lin said with a wry smile, swallowing a pill and then jokingly added to Dong Wuming, "If you had come out of seclusion earlier, I wouldn''t have had to risk my life." "Who are these people?" Dong Wuming looked at the corpses on the ground, then glanced at Xu Fuguan''s body and asked. "Elder, this is a Raksha Sect elder who came to cause trouble at our Flying Spirit Gate. The Sect Leader just killed him," Zheng Ying informed Dong Wuming. "What, Xu Fuguan was killed by the Sect Leader?" Zhou Yuhou, Hu Nansheng, Chang Lei, and Chen Xinjie, the four elders, looked at Li Lin in shock, deeply inhaling a breath of cold air. They knew Xu Fuguan''s strength, having seen Zheng Ying injured, they had been surprised, thinking she had killed him. Now hearing that it was the Sect Leader who did it, they were almost disbelieving. Dong Wuming''s expression also passed a look of surprise and disbelief, knowing Li Lin was no ordinary person, but not having expected him to be capable of killing a Second Layer Martial Soul. "Elders, you''ve arrived just in time. I''ll leave this to you; I need to seclude myself for some time to recover," Li Lin said with a bitter smile, then headed towards the back mountain, needing to recuperate immediately. "Whoosh..." Little dragon transformed into a twenty-centimeter size, leaping onto Li Lin''s shoulder. Seeing Little dragon''s small form, all Flying Spirit Gate disciples no longer underestimated it; this little snake could contend with a Martial Soul powerhouse. "Go ahead, I''ll handle things here. When you''ve recovered, I''ll go and destroy the Raksha Sect," Dong Wuming said coldly, a chill spreading, making it clear that provoking Flying Spirit Gate meant provoking him, and with his temperament, he wouldn''t let the Raksha Sect off. "Dong Elder, hold off for now. Your injuries haven''t healed, and it wouldn''t be good if we attracted too much attention," Li Lin quickly advised, knowing Dong Wuming''s temper and his serious commitment to Flying Spirit Gate. Provoking them was provoking him, and he wouldn''t let the Raksha Sect off easily. "Hmph," Dong Wuming snorted, aware of Li Lin''s points. With his enemies, the Celestial Sect, also in the ancient domain, revealing his presence in Flying Spirit Gate could draw unwanted attention. After a moment, Dong Wuming said, "We''ll keep a tab on this. Raksha Sect, I''ll definitely destroy you." "Let''s talk after I come out of seclusion. Dong Elder, please don''t act rashly. We''ll deal with the Raksha Sect sooner or later," Li Lin concluded, then glanced at all Flying Spirit Gate disciples and said, "All Flying Spirit Gate disciples listen well, without strength, you''re vulnerable to being killed at any time. Train hard, so one day you can storm into the Raksha Sect and avenge our fallen brothers." "Go back to training. We will avenge our brothers and attack the Raksha Sect someday," Zhang Mingtao shouted. "We will avenge our brothers." "Dong Elder, I''ll leave this to you. I need to heal," Li Lin said to Dong Wuming, confident in leaving things in his capable hands while he recovered. "Go ahead, everything''s under control," Dong Wuming assured. "Sect Leader, let me help you," Fang Xinqi said, supporting Li Lin as they left the devastated plaza for his residence. Chapter 176: A Quadruple-Element Martial Artist? "After Fourth Sister, was Xu Fuguan really killed by the Sect Leader?" After Li Lin left, Zhou Yuhou immediately asked Zheng Ying, still somewhat incredulous. After all, Xu Fuguan was of the Second Layer Martial Soul level. At this time, Hu Nansheng and others, including Dong Wuming, the Soul-Poison Marshal, all turned their attention to Zheng Ying, equally curious. "Xu Fuguan possessed White Jade Silk Gloves. After I was injured, I was about to notify you all to come out, but the Sect Leader said it wasn''t necessary and took action himself. By the time you arrived, Xu Fuguan had just been killed. At first, I couldn''t believe it either, but it''s the truth; Xu Fuguan was indeed killed by the Sect Leader," Zheng Ying took a deep breath. It wasn''t just others who found it hard to believe; even having seen it with her own eyes, she found it somewhat incredible. Then, with a change in expression and a glance at everyone, she added, "The Sect Leader just displayed earth, wood, and fire element martial techniques. When he acted against a disciple of the Raksha Sect last time, I saw him use water element martial techniques. If I''m not mistaken, the Sect Leader is a quadruple-element martial artist." "What, a quadruple-element martial artist? Are you sure you saw it correctly, Elder Zheng?" Hu Nansheng immediately asked in surprise. "Do you think I would see it wrong?" Zheng Ying replied softly. "My God, a quadruple-element martial artist." Everyone gasped in shock, shivering. Zheng Ying, being of the Martial Soul level herself, naturally wouldn''t make a mistake in this regard. A quadruple-element martial artist was a one-in-a-million talent, something only heard of in legends. They had never imagined their young Sect Leader to be a quadruple-element martial artist. "With this, our Flying Spirit Gate has hope," Zhou Yuhou couldn''t help but express his excitement. A quadruple-element martial artist, capable of killing a Martial Soul at the Martial Master level, meant Flying Spirit Gate had a bright future under such a Sect Leader. "This kid, he''s hidden too deep. One day, we must thoroughly examine him; a quadruple-element martial artist, unbelievable," Dong Wuming muttered, his eyes full of surprise. He understood what being a quadruple-element martial artist represented; the higher the cultivation level, the more terrifying a multi-element martial artist became. A dual-element martial artist was already fearsome, but a quadruple-element, that was extremely terrifying. Li Xintong had been staying at her residence. When Li Lin arrived, seeing him covered in injuries, she was shocked. "Brother, you''re injured?" Li Xintong approached Li Lin, her eyes welling up with worried tears. "I''m fine, just need to rest a bit," Li Lin patted Li Xintong''s head. After tidying up, Li Lin went to a cave in the back mountain. Taking out a spirit jade bed, Li Lin swallowed a high-grade third-level healing pill and began to meditate, sitting cross-legged. The battle had drained him completely, and his injuries were severe. Thankfully, the Qing Ling Armor had protected him; otherwise, killing Xu Fuguan could have left him with shattered internal organs. Killing Xu Fuguan, though he was also severely injured, left Li Lin feeling extremely pleased. With his Second Layer Martial Master strength, he had managed to kill beyond his level. Although Xu Fuguan and Zheng Ying had already been weakened from their fight, and Little dragon had assisted him, without Little dragon, he wouldn''t have had the chance to use the final Vermilion Bird Articulation. But overall, Xu Fuguan was a Second Layer Martial Soul, and if Li Lin pushed himself, he figured he could handle a First Layer Martial Soul, if not kill them, at least save himself. And this time, he hadn''t even used his spirit power or wind element martial techniques. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. For Li Lin, killing beyond his level wasn''t something new; his physical strength, defensive techniques, and the size and capacity of his Dantian and meridians were far superior to his peers, making killing those of the same level effortless, unless they had significant means. Relying on his various advantages, Li Lin felt killing Third or Fourth Layer Martial Masters wasn''t too challenging. His training had always been on the edge of death, and his cultivation of martial techniques far more arduous than others. If he couldn''t kill beyond his level, he might as well give up. However, killing Xu Fuguan was different; it was not just killing beyond his level but surpassing it, a completely different concept. A few moments later, Li Lin also entered a state of meditative breathing, surrounded by a halo of faint earthy yellow light. The pallor on his face gradually began to fade. As time passed slowly, the Flying Spirit Gate lay in ruins. The entire plaza was shattered and leveled to the ground, and even the main hall had completely collapsed. After discussions among the elders, they decided to rebuild the main hall, especially since Flying Spirit Gate was not lacking in funds. At this time, Dong Wuming, the Soul-Poison Marshal, no longer exuded a cold aura towards these elders. Sometimes, he even wore a slight smile, making the elders feel much more at ease around him. Otherwise, especially for Hu Nansheng, Chang Lei, and Chen Xinjie, being in the presence of Dong Wuming meant they dared not even breathe too loudly, let alone provoke the Soul-Poison Marshal. Regarding the identity of Dong Wuming, no one knew. All the disciples of Flying Spirit Gate only knew this mysterious Elder as "Elder Dong," as referred to by the Sect Leader. Li Lin acted this way to hide the old poisoner''s identity, to avoid attracting the Celestial Sect''s attention. "How daring of Flying Spirit Gate, we cannot let them off," echoed within the Raksha Sect''s hall a day after Xu Fuguan''s death. Several figures were in uproar, filled with anger. The entire group of Raksha Sect disciples led by Xu Fuguan had been annihilated without leaving a single survivor. This enraged the members of Raksha Sect, as their territory was nearby. If Raksha Sect did not respond, they feared they could no longer maintain their standing in the area. "Does anyone know who killed Elder Xu? It''s unlikely anyone from Flying Spirit Gate has that strength," Deng Fengliang, the leader of Raksha Sect, commented. "We don''t know. All thirty disciples were killed, so we couldn''t get any information," a grey-robed elder replied. "Master, everyone outside is talking about this. We must make an example out of Flying Spirit Gate," another elder with black hair added. "We naturally have to deal with Flying Spirit Gate, but we need to investigate thoroughly to avoid any losses," Deng Fengliang said. Despite his burly appearance, he was meticulous. The complete annihilation of Xu Fuguan and his group suggested something was amiss. "Master, perhaps Elder Xu was ambushed by multiple people from Flying Spirit Gate. If we go in greater numbers, even if there are strong individuals in Flying Spirit Gate, we won''t be afraid," a white-haired elder, who usually spoke little, lightly suggested. "We must obtain the secret chamber items left by Flying Spirit Gate. Otherwise, I fear more complications may arise." "Alright, if Elder Han is willing to go, I feel assured. Let Elder Han lead, along with Elder Luo, Elder Bai, Elder Duanmu, and Elder Du," Deng Fengliang said, showing deep respect for the white-haired elder. "With Elder Han leading, that''s excellent. That should be enough to take down Flying Spirit Gate," the grey-robed elder said. Everyone was aware that Elder Han was the only elder from the previous generation in Raksha Sect. His strength was above the Sect Leader''s, being a Ninth Layer Martial Soul compared to the Sect Leader''s Eighth Layer. "I want to see what kind of strong individuals Flying Spirit Gate has. If not for the secret chamber items, we wouldn''t have tolerated Flying Spirit Gate''s existence for so long," the white-haired elder coldly declared. Amidst the whistling autumn wind and scattered yellow leaves, the scene was set for a confrontation. A winding stone path led up a mountain, where the sound of galloping iron cavalry filled the air, stirring the leaves along the path. Leading the charge was a group of over a hundred horsemen, including Elder Han with his white hair flowing and an aura of immense strength, followed by a grey-robed elder and three robust men. "Good heavens, that''s Raksha Sect''s Elder Han, along with four other elders. Where are they heading with such formidable momentum?" "Don''t you know? I heard that Raksha Sect''s Elder Xu was killed by Flying Spirit Gate the day before yesterday. They''re probably heading to Flying Spirit Gate for revenge." "How is that possible? How could Flying Spirit Gate provoke Raksha Sect?" "Well, that''s unknown. But with Elder Han leading the way, it looks like Flying Spirit Gate is in for a disaster. They''ve offended Raksha Sect, after all." Chapter 177: A Move to Kill "I''m not sure about that. With Elder Han leading the team, it''s likely that the Flying Spirit Gate is in trouble, doomed to be annihilated. It''s their own fault for offending the Rakshasa Gate." Along the way, many people stopped to watch and discuss quietly among themselves, with some nosy individuals boldly following behind the members of the Rakshasa Gate from a distance. "Hurry up, don''t be lazy. Whoever slacks off will lose next month''s elixir." In the Flying Spirit Gate, the previously collapsed hall has now been completely dismantled, and hundreds of disciples are busy rebuilding the hall, with Zhou Yuhou constantly shouting orders. "All disciples of the Flying Spirit Gate, gather!" A voice pierced through the air, not loud, but reaching everyone''s ears. As the voice fell, a figure also landed in front, a chill spreading around, it was the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong Wuming. "What happened, Great Elder?" Zheng Ying, Zhou Yuhou, Hu Nansheng, and five others immediately came to the side of Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong Wuming to ask. "It must be the people from the Rakshasa Gate. Let''s go outside and have a look," said the Soul Summoning Poison Commander indifferently, his eyes sweeping a terrifying chill that made Zhou Yuhou and the others shiver. "Come on, all disciples follow me outside." Hu Nansheng shouted loudly, unafraid of the Rakshasa Gate with the Great Elder present. "The Rakshasa Gate dares to come, this time they''ll see." The disciples put down their work, drew their weapons, and marched mightily towards the gate. Outside the gate, Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong Wuming signaled everyone to stop and watched ahead calmly. At that moment, the surroundings were quiet, just as someone was about to ask where the people from the Rakshasa Gate were, a rumbling sound approached from afar. "Clang clang..." A sound of iron cavalry approached, and moments later, over a hundred figures appeared in front of the Flying Spirit Gate disciples, raising dust. "Stop..." Moments later, the hundred figures were only five hundred meters away from the Flying Spirit Gate, a white-haired elder gestured to stop, and the horses stopped abruptly, a huge gust of wind rushing towards the Flying Spirit Gate disciples. "Hmph!" Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong Wuming snorted coldly, his robe fluttering, and a massive wave of spatial energy burst out, colliding with the gust, dissipating it instantly. Seeing this move from Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong Wuming, the elders of the Rakshasa Gate were surprised. "Flying Spirit Gate, you''re bold to kill an elder of the Rakshasa Gate. Today, I will annihilate your Flying Spirit Gate," the white-haired elder snorted coldly, his gaze sweeping over the Flying Spirit Gate disciples and finally landing on Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong Wuming. He frowned slightly, unable to see through the aura of this black-robed elder, sensing a hint of danger. "It''s Han Changsheng, he actually came." Zhou Yuhou''s face changed slightly. The elders of the Flying Spirit Gate naturally recognized Han Changsheng, who was rumored to be close to breaking through to the martial general level. Seeing Han Changsheng and four other Rakshasa Gate elders coming, Zhou Yuhou and the others were surprised. The hundred disciples also had extraordinary strength; these were indeed the elite of the Rakshasa Gate, lamenting that the Rakshasa Gate was indeed willing to invest. "A mere Martial Soul, I haven''t annihilated your Rakshasa Gate, yet you dare to come to my Flying Spirit Gate." Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong Wuming looked indifferently at the hundred people from the Rakshasa Gate. With his strength, how could he take them seriously? His injuries had already healed by half after taking a sixth-grade elixir last time, enough to deal with these Martial Soul cultivators. "You''re not from the Flying Spirit Gate, are you? Who are you? If you have no relation to the Flying Spirit Gate, why not leave on your own?" Han Changsheng, the white-haired elder from the Rakshasa Gate, looked at Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong Wuming with a frown, also showing some concern. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. "Who I am, you are not qualified to know. Since you''ve come, just die." A faint chill spread from Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong Wuming, then he turned to Zhou Yuhou and the others: "Leave these five Martial Souls to me, and let no one else leave alive." As he finished speaking, a black light burst out from around Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong Wuming, the temperature within the space suddenly dropping as if it had fallen into an ice cave. "Don''t worry, Great Elder, none will escape." Hu Nansheng responded. With the Great Elder taking on the five Martial Soul cultivators, the remaining ninety-some people, only thirty of whom were Martial Masters with the highest being a fifth-level Martial Master, they, along with the rest of the Flying Spirit Gate disciples, would ensure none escaped. "It''s a Lingzhe." Feeling the aura from Soul Summoning Poison Commander, Han Changsheng''s face changed instantly. "If you''ve come to seek death, then die you all shall." Before his words could even fall, the cold aura of Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong Wuming expanded, his body shooting forward explosively. The space in front of him twisted, and amidst the swirling cold, a dark gleam pierced through space, arriving beside Han Changsheng as he spoke. "Such formidable strength, a Spirit King, no, a Spirit Marshal powerhouse. Everyone, run!" At this moment, the aura around Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong Wuming fully expanded, and Han Changsheng could finally discern his opponent''s strength. His face turned pale with terror, a vast oppressive force enveloping him, leaving him without the courage to even strike back, his complexion turning deathly pale, far beyond his expectations. "Run, it''s too late." The Soul Summoning Poison Commander coldly shouted, pushing with his hand seals, causing space to tremble violently. A dark gleam, carrying a pungent and unpleasant scent, burst forth, covering a thousand meters in an instant. As the dark gleam tore through space, the people from Rakshasa Gate felt their internal energy stagnate. Disciples with only Martial Disciple strength fell from their horses, poisoned, spewing black foam from their mouths. "Find a way to escape." Han Changsheng shouted, his face already deathly pale. He had not anticipated his opponent to be a super-strong Spirit Marshal. Had he known, he would not have dared to provoke him, not even the Ghost Martial Sect would dare to casually provoke such a being. Han Changsheng''s hand seals moved rapidly, a violent earth attribute Qi bursting forth, instantly condensing into a hundred-meter-large fist imprint that surged towards Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong Wuming, tearing through spatial ripples, the sound of its impact echoing like thunder. "The light of a firefly dares not compete with the bright moon. A mere Martial Soul, even at nine layers, is but an ant in my eyes," the Soul Summoning Poison Commander coldly snorted. Standing in mid-air, his killing intent enveloped the field, his hand''s dark gleam converging into a fifty-meter-large black fist imprint, which burst forth with a piercing wind noise. "Bang bang!" The two fist imprints collided, with Han Changsheng''s being instantly shattered into yellowish-brown fragments, then corroded by the pervasive dark gleam into smoke. Simultaneously, the fist imprint condensed by Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong Wuming suddenly shrank to the size of a normal fist, filled with a dazzling and palpitation-inducing dark gleam. The fist imprint pierced through space, causing it to collapse, then heavily struck Han Changsheng''s chest. "Bang!" Han Changsheng had no chance to dodge; the opponent''s speed was ghostly fast, overwhelming him with a massive force that sent him flying, the immense power smashing directly into his organs and a terrifying energy targeting his soul. Most horrifyingly, the attack carried a potent poison, corroding everything inside him. "Pfft..." In an instant, Han Changsheng spat out a mouthful of black blood mixed with shattered organs, his organs turning black, his eyes whitening, pupils dilating, lifeless. Just one encounter, and he was annihilated by Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong Wuming. "Kill them all, leave none behind." Following Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong Wuming''s action, Hu Nansheng shouted loudly, his Qi flashing under his feet, rushing forward like lightning. Behind Hu Nansheng, Zhou Yuhou, Chen Xinjie, and other disciples also charged forward. Now, the disciples of Flying Spirit Gate were not as before, fearing nothing, each fighting desperately. "Boom boom boom..." Instantly, the battlefield became a chaotic melee, with the sound of energy explosions incessant. "Run, quick, escape, Flying Spirit Gate has a Spirit Marshal powerhouse." The remaining four elders of the Rakshasa Gate, pale with fear, had no power to resist in front of a Spirit Marshal. Elder Han Changsheng was killed in one move; they couldn''t withstand even half a move. "Want to escape, too late." Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong Wuming coldly stated, standing in the air, his killing intent widespread, his hands forming strange seals, filling the sky with a pervasive, pungent scent as dark gleam rampaged. Within the dark gleam, four black tendrils of energy burst through space, shooting rapidly towards the four Rakshasa Gate Martial Soul elders. The four, one at five layers, one at four, and two at three layers of Martial Soul, strong in their own right, attempted to flee rapidly but found themselves completely restrained within the dark gleam, unable to escape. "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" The four tendrils of black energy tore through space, carrying a chilling coldness, thundering towards the backs of the four. Chapter 178: The Snow Lion Breakthrough The four individuals, their faces pale, set up protective Qi circles around themselves, feeling the ferocious Qi approaching from behind. They were horrified, regretting their decision to come to the Flying Spirit Gate. They had hoped for gains but were now facing the prospect of losing their lives here. It seemed too late for regrets. "Crack!" "Crack!" "Crack!" "Crack!" Four streaks of dark gleam arrived like lightning, carrying bone-chilling coldness, transforming into afterimages of black light. The low rumble of sonic booms under this fierce power directly penetrated the four''s protective Qi circles. The circles cracked as if corroded by something corrosive, instantly turning into smoke. At this moment, the four dark gleams poured onto the four individuals, the violent force shaking space itself. "Pfft!" Almost simultaneously, the four coughed up bright red blood, their bodies sent flying, each with a bloodied hole pierced through their chests. "Bang bang!" Four bodies fell to the ground, killed in one move. This display of power deeply shocked the surrounding Flying Spirit Gate disciples. The Great Elder''s strength was terrifyingly formidable. "Kill" Chang Lei and others shouted loudly, their Qi flashing under their feet as they moved through the crowd. With horses neighing and people wailing, Rakshasa Gate disciples were continuously killed, the entire space reeked of blood, and the green grass on the ground was nearly dyed blood-red. "Run, the elders are dead, run for your lives." The remaining Rakshasa Gate disciples, now few in number, tried to break through the encirclement but found the space sealed off by the five elders of the Flying Spirit Gate, making escape impossible. "Bang bang!" The sound of huge explosions continued to resound as the last Rakshasa Gate disciple with a triple-layer Martial Master cultivation was killed under Hu Nansheng''s hand. After killing the five Martial Souls, Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong Wuming did not make another move but stood aside, watching. Noting the crowd of onlookers from afar without much comment, upon seeing all the Rakshasa Gate members killed, he spoke, "Collect the spatial rings and hand them to the sect leader later. Clean up and then go about your business." With those words, Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong Wuming''s figure vanished from the spot like a ghost, leaving the disciples in awe of the Great Elder''s formidable strength. "Quickly, burn these bodies and continue rebuilding the hall," Hu Nansheng said loudly. At this time, thousands of meters away, many were watching the events unfold, shocked beyond measure. The elite forces of the Rakshasa Gate, over a hundred strong, were annihilated in moments, leaving none alive. "The strength of Flying Spirit Gate is terrifying. Han Changsheng was killed in one move." "That powerhouse is too terrifying, probably already at the Martial King level." "I think he''s more like a Spirit-being, not a Martial-being." "That powerhouse stood in mid-air, only Martial Commanders can do that, he is a Martial Commander." "From now on, it''s better we don''t provoke anyone from Flying Spirit Gate. Rakshasa Gate is in trouble now, with most of their elite disciples dead, including Xu Fuguan, six elders are gone." People from afar discussed in astonishment for a long time before leaving. Time passed slowly, and outside events were unknown to Li Lin, who was healing in seclusion, nor did he need to worry. With the Old Poisoner guarding the gate, Flying Spirit Gate was as solid as ever, unattainable by ordinary forces. As he healed and recuperated, Li Lin felt his injuries rapidly recovering, expecting to heal days ahead of his initial estimate. On the same day Flying Spirit Gate annihilated over a hundred elite disciples of the Rakshasa Gate, news of a powerhouse in Flying Spirit Gate spread nearby, surprising many towns. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. At night, within the Rakshasa Gate''s grand hall, several people sat, their faces filled with rage mixed with a trace of panic. "Snap!" At the head of the hall, Deng Fengliang smashed a side table into pieces with one palm. "Sect Leader, Elder Han and the others have all been killed, and over a hundred elite disciples are all dead. What do we do now?" "I didn''t expect Flying Spirit Gate''s strength to have reached such a level. It seems they are now planning to move against our Rakshasa Gate." The elders in the hall spoke, each looking rather grim. "Hmph, if Flying Spirit Gate dares, I''ll visit the Ghost Martial Sect first thing tomorrow morning. This vendetta, our Rakshasa Gate must avenge," Deng Fengliang said furiously. "Sect Leader, can the Ghost Martial Sect really help us take revenge?" A white-robed elder asked. "Rest assured, elders. We are, after all, an external force of the Ghost Martial Sect. They will not ignore our plight, especially with the secret chambers of the Flying Spirit Gate involved. The Ghost Martial Sect will surely be interested," Deng Fengliang said. "Sect Leader, it will take more than ten days to travel to and from the Ghost Martial Sect. If the Flying Spirit Gate attacks us during this time, what should we do?" another elder asked. "I will travel by flying beast, which will take only three days. The Flying Spirit Gate, I must destroy," Deng Fengliang said coldly. In a continuous range of mountains, towering cloud peaks surrounded by sheer cliffs glimmered, and halfway up the mountains, a vast complex of elegantly carved buildings nestled, turning the originally lush greenery into a pale yellow. On one of the mountain peaks, where trees were abundant and leaves were falling, conveying a sense of autumn, a chill in the breeze hinted that winter was nearing. Atop the mountain, a graceful figure danced with a long sword in hand, casting countless sword shadows. The shadows moved like serpents or soared like dragons, their sonic booms incessant. Leaves twirled in the air, accompanied by the glint of sword light, making the figure''s owner appear stunningly beautiful, with a graceful figure that captivated onlookers. "Clang..." After a long while, the woman sheathed her sword, her clothes fluttering in the wind, her black hair gently lifting, her gaze solemn with a hint of melancholy. "Wushuang''s skills are getting stronger," a crisp voice came, as two figures sat in the distance, Du Gu Binglan and her maid, Cuiyu. "Binglan, Cuiyu, stop teasing me," the woman turned and smiled lightly at them, revealing herself as Li Wushuang. "Wushuang, we wouldn''t dare tease you. I heard yesterday you defeated the forty-second ranked on the Dragon List, astonishing many inner elders," Cuiyu said with a smile. "You girl, don''t think I don''t know your strength might be no simple matter. Maybe, I''m not even a match for you," Li Wushuang glanced at Cuiyu and laughed. "Wushuang, you''re wronging me. I only know a bit of basic skills," Cuiyu blinked, her eyes gleaming with a mischievous smile. "Today is his birthday, he''s seventeen now..." Li Wushuang gazed into the distance, murmuring. "Wushuang, whose birthday is it today?" Du Gu Binglan stepped forward and asked. "Today is Lin''er''s birthday, but unfortunately, his life and death are still unknown," Li Wushuang said softly, her brows furrowed, staring at the Qingyue Sword in her hands, her eyes moist. "Wushuang, don''t be too sad. If Lin''er is still alive, he will surely come to the Yunyang Sect," Du Gu Binglan gently said. "I hope so..." Li Wushuang sighed softly. It had been almost a year with no news. The chance of him being alive was almost zero, or rather, it was impossible. Over the past year, she had to accept this reality. "Sigh..." In a cave, Li Lin stopped meditating and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, his complexion having regained much of its rosiness. Feeling that his injuries had healed by about seventy percent, Li Lin smiled slightly, his recovery faster than he had estimated. "Eh..." At that moment, Li Lin was slightly surprised as a fluctuation passed through his mind. Quickly packing up the Spirit Jade Bed, he left the cave. In the back mountain of the Flying Spirit Gate, a tremendous pressure surged to the sky. The surrounding beasts, feeling this immense pressure, lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to move. When Li Lin arrived at the back mountain, he saw the Skywing Snow Lion''s massive body spiraling in mid-air, an invisible aura enveloping the area, its energy steadily rising. "Hisss..." The little dragon coiled on Li Lin''s shoulder, its small eyes fixed on the Skywing Snow Lion above, hissing continuously. "Whoosh..." A figure in a black robe appeared beside Li Lin like lightning, it was Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong Wuming. Watching the Skywing Snow Lion in mid-air, he was slightly surprised, saying, "The Skywing Snow Lion is about to break through." "Yes, it''s breaking through," Li Lin said lightly. The Skywing Snow Lion was already a late-stage second-order beast, so its breakthrough wasn''t too surprising. "You''ve recovered quite quickly from your injuries," Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong Wuming then noticed Li Lin''s improved complexion, knowing his injuries were no longer serious. "The injuries weren''t too severe," Li Lin smiled slightly, then asked, "Elder Dong, has anything happened these past few days?" "A few days ago, a nine-layer Martial Soul from the Rakshasa Gate came, along with four others at the Martial Soul level. I took care of them all," Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong Wuming said indifferently, as if those people were not his concern. "A nine-layer Martial Soul." Li Lin frowned slightly, then looked at Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong Wuming and said, "It''s good that Elder Dong was here to protect the Flying Spirit Gate." "By the way, I have something to ask you, kid," Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong Wuming seemed to remember something, staring at Li Lin and asking, "Are you a practitioner of four elements?" Chapter 179: Too Abnormal Li Lin glanced at the Soul-enticing Poison Duke Dong WuMing and then shook his head slightly, saying, "No." "I was wondering, how could a practitioner of four elements be so easily found? If you, young man, were a practitioner of four elements, how could I not have noticed?" Soul-enticing Poison Duke Dong WuMing said after giving Li Lin a look. "Without hiding it from Elder Dong, I am not a practitioner of four elements, but of all elements. It''s just that I have been concealing it until now," Li Lin said lightly, reasoning that he only hadn''t revealed his wind attribute yet, and sooner or later the Old Poisoner would find out, so there was no need to hide it from his own people. "What, you are a practitioner of all elements?" Soul-enticing Poison Duke Dong WuMing had just caught his breath when he heard Li Lin''s words, and immediately stared in shock, saying, "Don''t you trick me." "Hu hu..." Li Lin smiled faintly, formed a hand seal, and then light of yellow, red, blue, green, and white converged around him, displaying a flash of all five elemental attributes. "All elements, a practitioner of all elements, you are too abnormal," Soul-enticing Poison Duke Dong WuMing exclaimed in surprise, jumping up. He had already found the concept of a practitioner of four elements beyond his tolerance, and now, seeing Li Lin''s five elemental attributes, he was utterly astounded. "Lower your voice, Elder Dong, I don''t want to reveal this in front of outsiders," Li Lin said softly, thinking to himself that revealing himself as a practitioner of all elements had already made the Old Poisoner jump, which showed a lack of composure for someone deemed a strong Poison Duke. If he were to tell him that he was also a spiritual practitioner, the Old Poisoner would probably faint. Soul-enticing Poison Duke Dong WuMing looked at Li Lin with eyes full of unusual light. After a moment, he took a deep breath, still couldn''t help but gasp, and said, "You''ve really hidden your abilities deep, young man. A practitioner of five elements, if those major sects and clans knew about this, they''d forcibly recruit you." "Shoo shoo..." At this moment, five figures quickly approached: Zhou Yunhai, Zheng Ying, Hu Nansheng, and two other elders, who had sensed a powerful aura erupting from the back mountain and came to investigate, only to find the sect leader''s mount breaking through. "Greetings, Sect Leader," the five of them saluted. "No need for formalities," Li Lin said lightly, continuing to watch the Sky-winged Snow Lion in the sky as its aura climbed wildly, emitting a majestic pressure that even startled the strong warriors. "Could this be the legendary Sky-winged Snow Lion? This aura doesn''t seem like an ordinary demonic beast." "Indeed, I''ve also heard of the Sky-winged Snow Lion, rumored to have a noble bloodline capable of breaking through to the eighth rank. This must be the Sky-winged Snow Lion." Hu Nansheng and the others looked up at the Sky-winged Snow Lion in the sky, starting to speculate about its identity. "Correct, this is the Sky-winged Snow Lion," Li Lin told the five. "My god, it really is the Sky-winged Snow Lion, an extremely rare demonic beast." The five elders were petrified, the shock brought by their young sect leader had left them numb. "Roar..." A massive roar spread from the mouth of the Sky-winged Snow Lion, its copper bell-like giant eyes opened, and its aura surged, radiating a fierce presence. With this roar, a tremendous pressure intensified again, causing the beasts in the surrounding mountains to retreat in panic, some crouching on the ground, trembling, unable to move. "Hu hu..." The Sky-winged Snow Lion''s powerful aura soared, and at the same time, its huge body rapidly expanded. Its wings spread, and its body swelled, growing more ferocious with each expansioneighty meters, one hundred meters, one hundred and twenty meters, one hundred and fifty meters. In a moment, the Sky-winged Snow Lion''s body had grown to a massive one hundred and fifty meters, its wings stirring up a howling storm. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. "Such a strong presence, if it reaches the fourth rank, even a Martial King would struggle against it," Soul-enticing Poison Duke Dong WuMing remarked. The Sky-winged Snow Lion''s noble bloodline made its strength all the more formidable, unmatched by ordinary demonic beasts. "So strong," Zhou Yuhou and the others were amazed. The Sky-winged Snow Lion''s breakthrough to the third rank, despite their own martial prowess, seemed beyond their ability to contend with. "Roar roar..." After a long while, the aura surrounding the Sky-winged Snow Lion finally calmed down. Then, folding its wings, it landed in front of Li Lin and stood by obediently. The others could only envy him, having a Sky-winged Snow Lion as a mount was something they could hardly hope for in their lifetimes. "Not bad, this hall is more like it." Moments later, on the square of the Flying Spirit Gate, Li Lin looked at the hall that had been renovated, now twice as large as before. The square in front of the hall was also covered with thick stone slabs, significantly wider than before. Inside the hall, there were dozens of chairs arranged, with a half-person-tall, vermilion chair in the central position at the top, carved with dragons and tigers leaping, exuding an extraordinary dominance. Beside this vermilion chair, on the left side, there was also a slightly smaller chair, with five armchairs on both sides. The interior of the hall was decorated with a generous and slightly domineering style, much stronger than the previous hall. "Not bad." Looking at the hall, Li Lin smiled with satisfaction. From now on, the Flying Spirit Gate was on the right track. Everyone took their seats, with Li Lin sitting in the dominant chair in the center, and Soul-enticing Poison Duke Dong WuMing sitting beside him, a much higher position than the other five elders, which was specially arranged by the elders. Having Elder Dong as an elder of the Flying Spirit Gate was a great honor for them. "Gentlemen, what should we do about the Rakshasa Gate?" Li Lin frowned and asked everyone after hearing about the last attack from the Rakshasa Gate. "Sect Leader, now that Han Changsheng from the Rakshasa Gate is dead, and we have also killed Xu Fuguan and other five elders, only three elders are left, including Deng Fengliang, making a total of four martial souls. As for the other disciples, most of their elites have been killed by us, their strength has greatly diminished, we don''t need to worry about them," Zhou Yuhou said. "Do you mean we can eliminate the Rakshasa Gate?" Li Lin asked. "This..." Zhou Yuhou hesitated for a moment, then said, "There are some things you might not be fully aware of, Sect Leader. Eliminating the Rakshasa Gate is not a concern, but the Rakshasa Gate is after all an external force of the Ghost Martial Sect. If we really eliminate the Rakshasa Gate, I''m afraid the Ghost Martial Sect won''t let it go." "Ghost Martial Sect..." Li Lin had not heard of this Ghost Martial Sect and was about to speak when a disciple hurriedly came from outside, saying, "Greetings, Sect Leader, greetings, elders." "What''s the matter?" Zhou Yuhou asked. "Elder, someone outside claims to be from the Ghost Martial Sect and requests to see the Sect Leader," the Flying Spirit Gate disciple replied. "They came really quickly. What is the origin of this Ghost Martial Sect?" Li Lin raised an eyebrow and asked everyone. "The Ghost Martial Sect is a second-rate force in the ancient domain, considered mid-level among the second-rate forces, with thousands of disciples and Martial Commander level powerhouses. It''s not easy to deal with," Soul-enticing Poison Duke Dong WuMing frowned slightly and said lightly. "That strong." Li Lin''s heart sank, which was a bit troublesome. Then he said, "Elder Zhou, you just mentioned, what is the relationship between the Rakshasa Gate and the Ghost Martial Sect?" "Sect Leader, within ten thousand li, this area is under the control of the Ghost Martial Sect, and the Rakshasa Gate is just an external force of the Ghost Martial Sect. The nearby towns and all the shops have to pay tribute to the Rakshasa Gate, which in turn pays tribute to the Ghost Martial Sect every year. Probably, the Rakshasa Gate has sought the Ghost Martial Sect''s help after suffering losses this time," Zhou Yuhou immediately said. "I see." Li Lin''s heart sank. The relationship between the Ghost Martial Sect and the Rakshasa Gate was undoubtedly similar to that between the Yunyang Sect and the Li family. The territory in Qingyun Town belonged to the Yunyang Sect, and although the five major families managed Qingyun Town, they relied on the Yunyang Sect. "Elder Dong, what do you think we should do now?" Li Lin then asked Soul-enticing Poison Duke Dong WuMing. "Go and call that person from the Ghost Martial Sect," Soul-enticing Poison Duke Dong WuMing told the disciple in the hall. "Yes, Grand Elder." The disciple complied and quickly left the hall. "If it were my heyday, I wouldn''t worry about the Ghost Martial Sect, with only two Martial Commanders. But now, it''s not the time to act against the Ghost Martial Sect. Once we act, it would be a loss for both sides, and the Flying Spirit Gate would face a catastrophe. So, let''s see what the Ghost Martial Sect has to say and then decide," Soul-enticing Poison Duke Dong WuMing told everyone. "Elder Dong, my concern is that the Rakshasa Gate knows about the secret chamber of the Flying Spirit Gate, and now, the Ghost Martial Sect might also know about it," Li Lin said. "That is indeed troublesome," Soul-enticing Poison Duke Dong WuMing frowned slightly, then made a hand seal and sent out a probing thought. After a moment, Soul-enticing Poison Duke Dong WuMing said, "I didn''t expect an eightfold Martial General to come. It seems that the Ghost Martial Sect mostly knows about the secret chamber left by the Flying Spirit Gate. If this matter isn''t handled well, the Flying Spirit Gate is in danger." "Elder Dong, if it really comes to it, then let''s act. We can leave this place and make a comeback later," Li Lin said through gritted teeth. "That''s a last resort," Soul-enticing Poison Duke Dong WuMing said. "The person leading the Ghost Martial Sect is named Du Yunshan, an eightfold Martial General of the fire element. I''ve mentioned him once, he might recognize me. I''ll avoid them for now; you''ll have to adapt as the situation unfolds." With those words, Soul-enticing Poison Duke Dong WuMing walked to the back of the hall. Chapter 180: Hall Confrontation "The Flying Spirit Gate really dares to be arrogant. Knowing that Elder Du has arrived, they still didn''t come out to welcome him," said a group of more than ten people led by a disciple of the Flying Spirit Gate towards the hall. "Sect Master Deng, why bother with these formalities? Let''s go have a look first." The person leading the group, wearing a grey robe with long hair, around fifty years old, had a hint of a sinister look in his eyes. "So it really is the distinguished guests from the Ghost Martial Sect. My apologies for the late welcome," said several figures appearing, namely Li Lin and five elders. "You are..." The leading elderly man in the grey robe and white hair immediately stopped, his gaze falling on Li Lin. "This is our Sect Leader of the Flying Spirit Gate," Hu Nansheng said. "Young Li Lin. Your demeanor is extraordinary; I presume you must be Elder Du of the Ghost Martial Sect," Li Lin said with a grand smile. Having already been informed by Soul-enticing Poison Duke Dong WuMing about him, Li Lin could guess that this man was the eightfold Martial General Du Yunshan that Dong WuMing had mentioned. Surprised to be recognized, Du Yunshan was momentarily taken aback. Li Lin quickly scanned the group. With a total of fifteen people, this group was indeed filled with experts. Apart from Du Yunshan, there seemed to be two others with the cultivation of Martial Generals, while the rest, without exception, were Martial Souls. Among them, a large man and three elders caught Li Lin''s attention, specifically Sect Master Deng Fengliang of the Rakshasa Gate and three Rakshasa Gate elders, one of whom was the last to attack Li Qing. The strength of this group, with three Martial Generals, one of whom was an eightfold Martial General, and the rest being Martial Souls, was enough to completely destroy the Flying Spirit Gate. However, with Soul-enticing Poison Duke Dong WuMing present, these people wouldn''t gain much advantage, but the rest of the Flying Spirit Gate disciples would face a calamity. Observing Du Yunshan, with his long grey robe and hair, exuding a cold aura and an overwhelmingly oppressive presence, it was clear he was a formidable practitioner. "To be the Sect Leader of the Flying Spirit Gate at such a young age is indeed surprising. Our visit has disturbed you," Du Yunshan said lightly, his expression unchanging. "This person is difficult to deal with," Li Lin thought to himself, then smiled and said, "Guests from afar, I must host you well regardless, please come inside." "That would be great, then we shall impose," Du Yunshan replied lightly, following Li Lin into the hall. Li Lin felt wary; Du Yunshan''s powerful and unemotional demeanor made him a challenging opponent. Once everyone was seated, Li Lin instructed his disciples to serve fine wine and delicacies, maintaining a smile without saying much. "You are the Sect Leader of the Flying Spirit Gate. Why did you kill so many elders and disciples of my Rakshasa Gate previously? Killing people from my Rakshasa Gate is akin to killing people from the Ghost Martial Sect. I demand an explanation in front of Elder Du," Deng Fengliang couldn''t hold back any longer, glaring at Li Lin. "The Rakshasa Gate? My disciples from the Flying Spirit Gate haven''t left our premises recently, so I''m not sure where this accusation of killing Rakshasa Gate disciples comes from," Li Lin feigned surprise, then asked in shock. "You still dare to argue? It was within your Flying Spirit Gate that Elder Xu Fuguan was first killed, followed by Han Changsheng and numerous elders and disciples of my Rakshasa Gate. The Flying Spirit Gate has quite the audacity, not only disregarding my Rakshasa Gate but also the Ghost Martial Sect?" Deng Fengliang said angrily. "Shameless," Li Lin cursed silently, finding Deng Fengliang''s attempt to link the Rakshasa Gate with the Ghost Martial Sect despicable. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. "I also hope for an explanation from the Flying Spirit Gate regarding this matter, as this area falls under the Ghost Martial Sect''s jurisdiction. We cannot overlook such incidents," Du Yunshan said, his face twitching slightly. "Elder Du, may I ask you a question first?" Li Lin asked modestly. "Of course," Du Yunshan found no reason to refuse. "If someone uninvited barges into the Ghost Martial Sect, speaking disrespectfully, how would the Ghost Martial Sect deal with it?" Li Lin asked softly. "Death without mercy," Du Yunshan replied coldly. "Elder Du, as you''ve heard, the people from the Rakshasa Gate were killed within the Flying Spirit Gate. I recall now, a few days ago, some people came uninvited and were disrespectful towards our members. I thought they were from some rude mercenary group, so we killed them all. It turns out they were from the Rakshasa Gate. With the renown of the Ghost Martial Sect, isn''t the Rakshasa Gate tarnishing your reputation?" Li Lin said lightly, looking at Deng Fengliang and Du Yunshan. Upon hearing this, everyone from the Ghost Martial Sect was taken aback, not expecting the young man to be so sharp-tongued. In the ancient domain, power speaks for itself. The Rakshasa Gate had the power to barge into the Flying Spirit Gate without issue, but the problem now was that Li Lin had dragged the Ghost Martial Sect into the matter. In the ancient domain, the Ghost Martial Sect is a renowned sect, established on a foundation of conduct possibly more refined than that of the Rakshasa Gate. While certain actions may be carried out in secret by these major sects, they cannot be openly discussed, much like the Rakshasa Gate''s intrusion into the Flying Spirit Gate. If it were the Ghost Martial Sect, they might have simply destroyed the Flying Spirit Gate, but without a justified reason, the Ghost Martial Sect would have to act covertly. This is because major sects have reputations to consider. Once a sect like the Ghost Martial Sect gains a certain level of power and reputation, it must be mindful of its reputation. A bad reputation would lead to wariness and exclusion from other powers. Despite the fact that all major sects and clans act similarly in secrecy, they still have to appear reasonable on the surface. "Sect Master Deng, is this true?" Du Yunshan turned to look at Deng Fengliang, his face twitching slightly, his heart sinking at the realization that he had been dragged into the situation. If he openly defended the Rakshasa Gate now, it would damage the reputation of the Ghost Martial Sect, which is far more valuable than that of the Rakshasa Gate. "This..." Deng Fengliang was startled and glared at Li Lin, then angrily said, "That''s not true. Elder Xu of my Rakshasa Gate came to inquire about the circumstances after his cousin Huang Haibo was killed by the Flying Spirit Gate, only to be killed by the Flying Spirit Gate. My Rakshasa Gate came to ask why Elder Xu was killed, resulting in over a hundred disciples being slain by the Flying Spirit Gate." "Huang Haibo was a traitorous elder of my Flying Spirit Gate, who conspired to kill the former Sect Leader of my Gate. His death at the hands of my Gate has nothing to do with your Rakshasa Gate. Did your Rakshasa Gate come to seek justice for conspiring with Huang Haibo against my Gate''s former Sect Leader?" Li Lin suddenly shouted coldly, a chill enveloping Deng Fengliang. "You know nothing of the heights of the sky or the depth of the earth. Today, I will destroy your Flying Spirit Gate," Deng Fengliang''s eyes flashed with a killing intent, and with a cold huff, he leaped forward, his right fist unleashing fierce hot Qi towards Li Lin. The punch tore through the air, creating ripples in space and making the air crackle with its violent energy, spreading a scorching aura throughout the hall. As Deng Fengliang made his move, Du Yunshan slightly raised his eyebrows but did not intervene. Seeing the ferocious punch coming, Li Lin''s first instinct was to flee, knowing he was no match for Deng Fengliang''s eighth-level fire Martial Soul. "Petty Martial Soul, get back," a cold voice suddenly rang out in the hall. Hearing this, Li Lin, initially ready to flee, immediately sat back down with a smile. At that moment, dozens of black lights burst out towards Deng Fengliang''s punch, tightly wrapping around it and detonating in mid-air. "Pop pop pop..." With each explosion, Deng Fengliang was forced to step back until a black light destroyed his punch''s energy and burst into his fist. "Bang bang!" Deng Fengliang was thrown back, crashing into the wall behind the hall, spitting out blood. With this sudden turn of events, everyone''s faces filled with shock, and they all stood up in a defensive stance. "May I know which esteemed person is speaking? Could you please show yourself?" Du Yunshan, ignoring Deng Fengliang, along with two other Martial Generals, looked towards the back of the hall, their expressions filled with astonishment. "Du Yunshan, it''s not your place to know who I am. You''re not qualified. Go back and tell Old Ghost Dai that the Ghost Martial Sect need not interfere with the affairs of the Flying Spirit Gate, or else I might pay the Ghost Martial Sect a visit. As for the Rakshasa Gate, the Flying Spirit Gate will take over their duties. Whatever tribute the Rakshasa Gate was paying to the Ghost Martial Sect, the Flying Spirit Gate will continue to pay," a cold voice echoed throughout the hall, striking everyone like thunder, leaving them dazed and confused. Chapter 181: The Destruction of the Rakshasa Sect "I will definitely pass on the senior''s message, then we''ll take our leave now." Du Yunshan''s face changed drastically as he quickly spoke, changing his form of address from "Your Excellency" to "senior." "Go ahead, and tell Old Ghost Dai that it hasn''t been easy for his Ghost Martial Sect to get to where it is now. He better not provoke me, or else I won''t be polite." The cold voice continued. "Yes, I will definitely pass the message." Du Yunshan replied in a panic, and then almost fled from the hall, no longer bothering with the people of the Rakshasa Sect. "Sect Master." After the people from the Ghost Martial Sect had left, the remaining three elders of the Rakshasa Sect immediately helped Deng Fengliang to leave. "Thinking of leaving? Let''s settle this once and for all today." As soon as these words were spoken, a nauseating and foul smell filled the entire hall along with a black shadow. "Senior, please spare our lives." The three Rakshasa Sect elders were terrified, their faces pale, as they felt an overwhelming power from the smell. "Die." In an instant, a black figure appeared in the hall, and a terrifying aura spread. Black light filled the hall, as if plunging into a vast dark space. The black light swirled, engulfing the three men along with Deng Fengliang on the ground. The black light swirled up like a tornado, and in a moment, a strange aura made it difficult for everyone to breathe, as if they were about to suffocate. "Bang, bang..." Several sonic booms echoed within the hall, shaking the building. The black light scattered in all directions, and violent energy drifted everywhere, almost causing the recently repaired hall to collapse again. "Huff, huff..." The black light fully retracted, revealing the figure of Poison Marshal Dong Wuming, with the dense black light entering his skin pores. Inside the hall, there were now four corpses: Deng Fengliang of the Rakshasa Sect and the three elders, all pitch-black and lifeless. Li Lin gave a wry smile. He had wanted to keep a live captive to ask some questions, but this Old Poisoner acted ruthlessly. "Marshal Dong, what about the Ghost Martial Sect..." Li Lin was worried that the Ghost Martial Sect would not let this go easily. "Don''t worry too much. My intimidation just now should make the Ghost Martial Sect think twice before acting rashly." Poison Marshal Dong Wuming spoke lightly. "But if the Ghost Martial Sect learns about the secret chamber of the Flying Spirit Sect, they might not let it go easily." Li Lin was somewhat worried, not knowing how much the Ghost Martial Sect knew about the Flying Spirit Sect''s secret chamber at this time. "Even if they know, they need the strength to get it. The Ghost Martial Sect is not a concern for now, but the Flying Spirit Sect is also not something we can provoke at the moment. Let''s wait and see." Poison Marshal Dong Wuming said. "Marshal Dong, how much do you know about the Ghost Martial Sect?" Li Lin asked. "The strongest in the Ghost Martial Sect should be Old Ghost Dai. I''ve met him once before. He''s a ninth-level Martial Marshal, and I had some difficulty dealing with him even in my prime." Poison Marshal Dong Wuming said. "Will the Ghost Martial Sect make a move against the Flying Spirit Sect?" Li Lin said, now having to consider everything for the Flying Spirit Sect. "They probably won''t. Du Yunshan should not know who I am, but he can feel the aura on me. The Ghost Martial Sect won''t easily provoke a Spirit Marshal, as it brings them no benefits." Poison Marshal Dong Wuming said. "Then, about what Marshal Dong just said, about the Flying Spirit Sect taking over everything from the Rakshasa Sect, would the Ghost Martial Sect agree?" Li Lin asked. "The Ghost Martial Sect is not close by. If they want to control this area, they would need to spread their forces thin, which they are unlikely to do. There are no other sects nearby stronger than the Rakshasa Sect. If the Ghost Martial Sect is wise, they should not refuse." After pondering for a moment, Poison Marshal Dong Wuming said. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "If we replace the position of the Rakshasa Sect, wouldn''t our future development be affected if we become an outer force of the Ghost Martial Sect?" Hu Nansheng hesitated before asking. "Keke..." Li Lin and Poison Marshal Dong Wuming both sneered coldly, thinking the same thing. Once the Flying Spirit Sect''s strength grows, who would care about the Ghost Martial Sect. "Elder Hu, Elder Zhou, Elder Chang, you three lead two hundred disciples and follow me to the Rakshasa Sect. Elder Zheng and Elder Chen will stay at the Flying Spirit Sect." Li Lin said. "Yes, Sect Master." Everyone responded. "The Rakshasa Sect should have no more strong fighters; I won''t go. You all go ahead. I need to watch over Xin Tong''s cultivation. Xin Tong is at a critical moment and cannot afford any disturbances." After saying this, Poison Marshal Dong Wuming immediately left the hall. Li Lin was startled, wondering why he hadn''t seen Li Xin Tong upon coming out of seclusion. It turned out she was cultivating. "Sigh..." High in the sky, a giant flying beast flapped its wings, carrying eleven figures on its back. They were Du Yunshan and others from the Ghost Martial Sect. "It''s unexpected that such a small Flying Spirit Sect harbors such a powerful expert within. Deng Fengliang actually made our Ghost Martial Sect take action, almost causing us to provoke a terrifyingly powerful individual." A tall elder in a blue robe beside Du Yunshan sighed. "That mysterious expert is actually at the Spirit Marshal level. Judging from his aura, he seems to be no ordinary Spirit Marshal. This person knows me and seems to know Elder Dai as well. He must be a strong figure from the ancient domain. We must quickly inform the sect master and Elder Dai about this." Du Yunshan said. "Elder Du, what about the Rakshasa Sect? And the Flying Spirit Sect''s secret chamber mentioned by Deng Fengliang, we don''t know if it''s true or not." A muscular man with the cultivation of the ninth Martial Spirit level said. "Whether the Rakshasa Sect lives or perishes doesn''t greatly affect us. As for the Flying Spirit Sect''s secret chamber, I think it''s mostly Deng Fengliang exaggerating. If there really was such a thing, why would the Flying Spirit Sect have fallen into obscurity? However, we should pay more attention to the Spirit Marshal that appeared in the Flying Spirit Sect. A Spirit Marshal is like a hornet''s nest; we cannot afford to provoke it." Du Yunshan said. In the Flying Spirit Sect, hundreds of figures majestically set off for the Rakshasa Sect. Only twenty or thirty people were riding horses, which had been confiscated from the Rakshasa Sect. The rest had to walk, and among them were Li Lin and Hu Nansheng. With no strong fighters left in the Rakshasa Sect, Li Lin planned to completely annihilate it. On Deng Feng''s body, Li Lin found a storage ring. After claiming ownership through blood, the wealth inside was not to be underestimated. The entire wealth of the Rakshasa Sect was in it, amounting to a significant income. Additionally, the space bags of the Rakshasa Sect''s elders also contained a considerable haul. From the Rakshasa Sect, Li Lin obtained many pills, gold coins, medicinal materials, and some low-level martial arts. Li Lin roughly understood the territory of the Rakshasa Sect from the descriptions of Zhou Yuhou, Hu Nansheng, and others. The Rakshasa Sect''s territory included two small towns and the edge of the Misty Mountain Range. The place where Li Lin initially emerged from the Misty Mountain Range was also within the Rakshasa Sect''s territory, roughly covering a hundred miles. Within this hundred-mile radius, the Rakshasa Sect''s income came from all the shops and mercenary groups. All shops had to pay a fixed tribute of gold coins to the Rakshasa Sect, and mercenary groups entering the Misty Mountain Range to prospect for gold also had to pay a certain amount of gold coins. There were many shops selling medicinal materials, weapons, and pills in the two towns, which were the main sources of income for the Rakshasa Sect. When Li Lin learned all this, he was surprised to find out that the Hua Men Town, where he had previously gone to buy pills, was also originally under the Rakshasa Sect''s control. He remembered the Ju Bao Men where he bought the pills. After dealing with the Rakshasa Sect, it would be time to deal with Ju Bao Men. Along the way, all the onlookers who saw the imposing procession stopped to look and started whispering. Some people recognized the members of the Flying Spirit Sect and guessed they were heading to trouble the Rakshasa Sect. "Didn''t expect the Flying Spirit Sect to be so strong, even the Rakshasa Sect is no match." "The Rakshasa Sect has always been arrogant; this time, they''ve completely fallen." Hearing the surrounding discussions, Li Lin didn''t mind and continued towards the Rakshasa Sect. Many had to walk, and it took a whole day to reach the Rakshasa Sect. In a mountain range, there was a huge mountain peak with a winding stone path leading straight to the top. The leaves around were yellow and fell with the wind. It was dusk by the time they set out in the morning. "Listen up, everyone, the chance for revenge has come. Kill them all, leave none alive, and take all valuables back to the Flying Spirit Sect." Before the gate of the Rakshasa Sect, Li Lin shouted loudly, a chill spreading out. "Charge!" The disciples of the Flying Spirit Sect shouted, especially the older disciples. It was their first time going to bully another sect, and they were boiling with enthusiasm. After walking for a day, they were not tired at all. Hu Nansheng and the other two elders also galloped up, howling as they went, shaking the mountain forest. The dry leaves fell with the wind, stirring up dust, and rushed towards the Rakshasa Sect. "Boom, boom, boom..." Moments later, explosive sounds and a continuous din of fighting echoed from the mountaintop, along with constant screams of agony. Li Lin watched the mountaintop, with Little dragon circling on his shoulder. This time, Li Lin did not bring the Sky Winged Snow Lion to avoid causing a stir along the way. "Ssss..." Little dragon spat out its tongue, watching the mountaintop, its small eyes filled with a bloodthirsty chill. "Go." Li Lin softly commanded, then spurred his horse forward, also heading to the mountaintop. Along the way, they encountered fleeing injured Rakshasa Sect disciples, who were instantly killed upon encountering Li Lin and Little dragon. Chapter 182: The Art of Using People "It''s him." At this moment, a familiar figure attempting to flee in haste appeared in Li Lin''s eyes. It was the Rakshasa Sect''s young man in splendid attire whom Li Lin had wanted to kill but was stopped by Huang Haibo at the Flying Spirit Sect, with only the cultivation level of a first-level Martial Master. "Thinking of escaping? There''s no escape now." Li Lin leaped off his horse, a flash of Qi under his feet, instantly landing beside the young man in splendid attire. "It''s you!" The young man''s face changed drastically upon seeing Li Lin abruptly. "We meet again." Li Lin smiled slightly, his killing intent immediately spreading. The young man''s expression darkened, Qi flashing under his feet, and with a tip of his toes, his body suddenly leaped up, a large saber appearing in his hands in an instant, slashing out several saber glows towards Li Lin. "Back off." Li Lin snorted coldly, not taking this young man seriously at all. With a hand gesture, a huge blue light condensed in front of him, forming a thick mist to block in front of him. The saber glow slashed into the mist, stirring ripples, entangling in the air with the mist, causing whistling wind sounds and a series of sonic booms. "Bang, bang..." The mist shattered, and the saber glow disappeared in mid-air, the young man''s body directly blasted away, his large saber clattering to the ground. "You''ve become a second-level Martial Master?" The young man was greatly surprised, his face turning to horror. "Die." Without answering, Li Lin coldly shouted, Qi bursting out from under his feet, charging towards the young man. "I''ll fight you with all I''ve got." With no way out, the young man''s Qi burst forth, a punch fiercely slamming towards Li Lin, the punch carrying a strong wind, opening a ripple in space. "Swallowing you will be just right." Li Lin sneered, a stream of earthy yellow light burst out from his hand, the Yin-Yang Martial Spirit Technique activated, his hand making a mysterious gesture in the air, a whirlpool of earthy yellow light howling out, immediately opening the space ripple, heavily overlapping with the young man''s punch. As the two forces collided, there was no sound of explosion, but instantly, the young man''s face turned to horror. He felt a tremendous swallowing force directly devouring his attack strength, then this immense swallowing force, through his fist, began draining the Qi from his body. The young man struggled desperately, his face contorted, but was completely unable to resist. With a scream, his body gradually weakened. Moments later, a spirit fire condensed, and the young man turned into ashes. After cleaning up, Li Lin saw Little dragon had already devoured several Rakshasa Sect disciples ahead. After calling out to it, Li Lin headed straight for the mountaintop. By now, the sky was getting dark, the Rakshasa Sect was ablaze with fire, chaos everywhere, and the sound of fighting continued. Past the main hall, corpses were everywhere, a stench of blood filling the air, bloodstains all over the ground. Li Lin felt no discomfort at the smell of blood, instead, he felt somewhat excited. Among the corpses, many were Flying Spirit Sect disciples. Li Lin felt no sadness or pain over this; the law of the jungle prevailed, those weaker were destined to be killed by the stronger. Strong warriors were forged through trials, having survived several life-and-death situations in the Misty Mountain Range. Now, these Flying Spirit Sect disciples, having undergone no trials, could not become true warriors. The Flying Spirit Sect Li Lin wanted must be an absolutely elite force; these disciples had to keep killing, only through bloodshed could they grow quickly. Li Lin''s original intention in bringing two hundred Flying Spirit Sect disciples to the Rakshasa Sect was to let them undergo real trials. Otherwise, the remaining people of the Rakshasa Sect could have been easily handled by a few elders and the Sky Winged Snow Lion, Little dragon, without such heavy casualties among the Flying Spirit Sect disciples. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. All these casualties were within Li Lin''s expectations. Those killed could only blame their insufficient strength and bad luck. The rise of the Flying Spirit Sect naturally required bloodshed. "Sect Master, it''s all settled. There might be a few dozen who escaped in the dark. We killed over a hundred, and more than a hundred Rakshasa Sect disciples have surrendered. Please instruct us, Sect Master?" Hu Nansheng came to Li Lin''s side and said. "Those who surrender, if they wish to join the Flying Spirit Sect, can stay; those who do not wish to join, kill them all," Li Lin said lightly. "Yes, Sect Master." Hu Nansheng was also shocked inside, the Sect Master was truly ruthless, even killing those who surrendered. "Do you think I''m too cruel?" Seeing the expression on Hu Nansheng''s face, Li Lin smiled slightly. "No, those who provoke our Flying Spirit Sect deserve to die," Hu Nansheng immediately replied. "I want to hear the truth from you. Remember, always tell me the truth from now on. I don''t want to hear anything insincere," Li Lin''s smile faded, and he spoke sternly. Seeing Li Lin get serious, Hu Nansheng suddenly felt uneasy, a sense of seriousness spreading from his heart, and he quickly said, "I admit my fault. I did think the Sect Master was a bit too ruthless, but that''s not necessarily a bad thing. To establish ourselves in this ancient domain, we need to be ruthless." "You''re only half right. To stand firm in this ancient domain, indeed, we need to be ruthless. But among the people of the Rakshasa Sect, those who surrender yet do not join the Flying Spirit Sect clearly hold dissatisfaction towards us. If they have the chance in the future, they might turn against the Flying Spirit Sect again. Therefore, I absolutely cannot allow any potential enemies within the Flying Spirit Sect. Even if our enemies are a hundred steps away, if they take one step closer, we must do everything to eliminate them. Waiting for them to approach makes it much harder to kill them," Li Lin said. "Yes, I will remember," Hu Nansheng was shocked. Despite his young age, the Sect Master had such foresight, a level of wisdom few possessed. "Remember, keep a close watch on the surrendered disciples of the Rakshasa Sect. If there are any traitors, show no mercy," Li Lin said coldly. "Yes." Hu Nansheng excused himself, his respect for the young Sect Master reaching a new level of admiration. After the destruction of the Rakshasa Sect, all the tedious matters were handled by the three elders. Though tedious, the elders were excited, especially Zhou Yuhou. For many years, since joining the Flying Spirit Sect until now, it was the first time they were so dominating, so exhilarating. Previously, they were always the ones being attacked; today, the Flying Spirit Sect directly annihilated the Rakshasa Sect. Of the two hundred disciples of the Flying Spirit Sect, thirty-something died, twenty-something were severely injured, and many were lightly wounded, a heavy casualty. With only two hundred disciples participating, the death toll was one-sixth, not a small number. At this time, all the disciples of the Flying Spirit Sect, while excited, also felt the reality of bloodshed, understanding the importance of strength, and secretly vowed to train harder. Of the one hundred and thirty-something people who surrendered from the Rakshasa Sect, a dozen did not wish to join the Flying Spirit Sect and were immediately killed by Hu Nansheng and others. The iron-fisted approach shocked the disciples of the Rakshasa Sect. The entire wealth of the Rakshasa Sect was plundered by the Flying Spirit Sect overnight. During this night, Li Lin found a place to start cultivating, refining the Qi he had absorbed. "Sigh..." The next morning, Li Lin exhaled a breath of stale air, feeling the Qi within his body, his brows slightly furrowed, then he smiled faintly. After swallowing a first-level Martial Master and refining it, the increase in Qi was not much, not even reaching the middle level of a second-level Martial Master. The Qi of that first-level Martial Master, after refining and keeping only the essence, was pitifully small under his second-level Martial Master cultivation. "The further I go, the more energy I need for breakthroughs," Li Lin muttered to himself, then got up and left the place. "Greetings, Sect Master." Above the Rakshasa Sect, now all were disciples of the Flying Spirit Sect, all of them respectfully saluting along the way. Li Lin nodded slightly, inquiring about the three elders and then entered the main hall of the Rakshasa Sect. "Greetings, Sect Master." The three elders kneeled on one knee, fully submitting to Li Lin. "Please rise, three elders," Li Lin said. "Sect Master, this is what we confiscated from the Rakshasa Sect." Hu Nansheng handed Li Lin three to five space bags, all searched from the disciples of the Rakshasa Sect. "Keep them. Give some to Elder Zheng, Elder Chen, and don''t shortchange the disciples. As for you, you deserve more for coming to annihilate the Rakshasa Sect this time." Li Lin didn''t even glance at the space bags, handing them over to the three, demonstrating both grace and authority. The little money didn''t matter to him; the major wealth of the Rakshasa Sect was already in his hands. "Thank you, Sect Master." The three elders were overjoyed, quickly expressing their thanks. "Sect Master, what should we do with the Rakshasa Sect''s gate?" Zhou Yuhou asked Li Lin. "This place is nice, close to the Misty Mountain Range. Let''s make it a branch of the Flying Spirit Sect. Leave twenty disciples here, and we''ll discuss its use later," Li Lin said. A day later, Li Lin returned to the Flying Spirit Sect with over a hundred surrendered disciples of the Rakshasa Sect, immediately exciting all the disciples. In the eyes of the Flying Spirit Sect disciples, the Sect Master was now akin to a god. Chapter 183: Sect Assembly Upon returning to his residence, Li Lin''s brow furrowed slightly as he sensed the aura of a Spirit Practitioner pervading the air, then he smiled faintly as Li Xin Tong''s figure appeared before him. "Brother." Li Xin Tong joyfully threw herself into Li Lin''s arms, her bright eyes filled with a dependent smile. "Xin Tong, have you become a Spirit Practitioner?" Li Lin marveled. The aura of a Spirit Practitioner he just sensed came from Li Xin Tong. In just a few days, Li Xin Tong had become a first-level Spirit Apprentice. A ten-year-old first-level Spirit Apprentice was probably rare in the entire Spirit Martial Continent. "Yes, now Xin Tong can become as strong as brother," Li Xin Tong said with a twinkle in her large eyes, her gaze carrying a hint of mischief. "Have you just returned? How did things go with the Rakshasa Sect?" The figure of Poison Marshal Dong Wuming appeared at the doorway. "Master." Li Xin Tong affectionately went over to Dong Wuming, holding his hand. By now, she was no longer afraid of the cold aura emanating from Dong Wuming. Over time, their relationship had grown from that of master and disciple to something akin to grandparent and grandchild, with affection between them growing exceptionally strong. Li Lin smiled inwardly. To Li Xin Tong, Poison Marshal Dong Wuming was now extremely precious. If anyone dared to trouble Li Xin Tong now, the Old Poisoner would probably go to great lengths to protect her. With such a master as Dong Wuming, Li Lin felt relieved about not having to worry too much about Li Xin Tong in the future. "Everything went smoothly, without any hindrance," Li Lin said lightly. "That''s good. Next, let''s focus on strengthening the Flying Spirit Sect. It''s not easy for the Flying Spirit Sect to rise," Dong Wuming stated. Li Lin nodded slightly. Indeed, it was a long road to elevate the Flying Spirit Sect. Although they now had a super strong figure like Poison Marshal Dong Wuming, it was still far from enough for a sect. With Poison Marshal Dong Wuming stationed in the Flying Spirit Sect, people would only say that the Flying Spirit Sect had Poison Marshal as its guardian. The day when people say that Poison Marshal Dong Wuming is from the Flying Spirit Sect will signify the sect''s rise. "Eh, they''ve come quite quickly." At that moment, Dong Wuming looked towards the sky and said. "What''s the matter, Elder Dong?" Li Lin asked. "It''s Du Yunshan from the Ghost Martial Sect. Not many have come, which should be good news for the Flying Spirit Sect. You handle it. I won''t get involved. I have some poison techniques to teach Xin Tong," Dong Wuming said, then returned inside with Li Xin Tong. Li Lin shook his head with a smile, then his expression eased. "Whoosh whoosh whoosh..." Outside the Flying Spirit Sect, a massive flying beast approached, its large body over a hundred meters long, entirely black as ink, with curved claws and a hooked beak, stirring a massive airflow with a flap of its wings, reaching the level of a third-order flying beast. "Du Yunshan from the Ghost Martial Sect has come to visit the Flying Spirit Sect." A voice echoed through the mountains from atop the giant flying beast. "Please come in, Elder Du." Li Lin had already gone out to the gate to welcome them, knowing that Du Yunshan''s politeness towards the Flying Spirit Sect was actually out of respect for Poison Marshal Dong Wuming. Without Dong Wuming, the Flying Spirit Sect might have been annihilated by the Ghost Martial Sect last time. "Swoosh swoosh swoosh..." Five figures leapt down from the back of the flying beast and landed in front of Li Lin and several elders of the Flying Spirit Sect. It was Du Yunshan and the same people from the Ghost Martial Sect as last time, aside from Du Yunshan, the other four who had also visited before were at the Martial Spirit level, and the two Martial Generals from last time did not come this time. Li Lin pondered for a moment, seeing that the Ghost Martial Sect did not intend to take action against the Flying Spirit Sect this time. The visit by Du Yunshan alone was a gesture that the Ghost Martial Sect would not make a move against the Flying Spirit Sect. "It''s Sect Master Li, we''ve come to disturb you again," Du Yunshan glanced at Li Lin and then smiled slightly. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. "How could it be a disturbance? We were waiting for Elder Du," Li Lin greeted with a bow, saying, "Elder Du, gentlemen, let''s talk in the hall. I''ve already prepared some light refreshments." "My apologies for the intrusion," Du Yunshan smiled again and then entered the hall with the others. Inside the hall, everyone took their seats, and the Flying Spirit Sect disciples had already served wine, snacks, and fresh fruits. "Congratulations, Sect Master Li," Du Yunshan said after everyone was seated. "On what occasion?" Li Lin smiled faintly. "Upon returning to the sect, the Sect Master has agreed that from now on, the territory of the Rakshasa Sect will be managed by the Flying Spirit Sect. As for the tribute, the Flying Spirit Sect can give as much as it wishes. From now on, the Flying Spirit Sect and the Ghost Martial Sect are like one family," Du Yunshan said. "This is indeed good news, thank you, Elder Du," Li Lin hurriedly expressed his gratitude. Poison Marshal Dong Wuming''s guess was quite accurate; the Ghost Martial Sect indeed dared not offend a Spirit Marshal. "Sect Master Li, is that senior from your Flying Spirit Sect present? I came this time specifically to convey the greetings of our Sect Master and Elder Dai to that senior," Du Yunshan scanned the hall and then asked Li Lin. "The Grand Elder is currently in seclusion preparing for a breakthrough and cannot come out. I will convey your gratitude on behalf of the Grand Elder," Li Lin replied lightly. "In seclusion for a breakthrough..." The members of the Ghost Martial Sect were immediately startled, their expressions slightly changing. "In that case, we''ll have to visit another time," Du Yunshan sighed inwardly. He had been instructed by his sect to find out who the strong figure in the Flying Spirit Sect was, but now that person was in the midst of a breakthrough. This was somewhat alarming to him; advancing even one level at the Spirit Marshal stage meant a multiple increase in strength, which was absolutely terrifying. "There will certainly be an opportunity next time," Li Lin said, well aware that the Ghost Martial Sect''s current interest lay in identifying the Spirit Marshal within the Flying Spirit Sect. Until they knew who it was, the Ghost Martial Sect probably wouldn''t sleep well. "That''s right. Now that the Flying Spirit Sect and the Ghost Martial Sect are one and the same, we are very pleased to have such a strong figure in the Flying Spirit Sect, adding another super-strong figure to our ranks," Du Yunshan said. "Indeed," Li Lin said lightly, inwardly cursing. The Ghost Martial Sect really had good intentions, trying to tie the Flying Spirit Sect to itself. "Almost forgot, in three months, it will be the annual sect assembly of the Ghost Martial Sect. Sect Master Li, you must attend. There will also be many other sects present, and we''ll introduce you properly then," Du Yunshan said. "Sect assembly, I''ll be there," Li Lin said. "At the assembly, we also hope that the senior from the Flying Spirit Sect can attend. This is a task given to me by the Sect Master, and if I fail to accomplish it, I will be punished," Du Yunshan smiled slightly at Li Lin. "The Grand Elder is currently in seclusion for a breakthrough, and we don''t know when he will emerge. If the Grand Elder successfully breaks through, I will definitely invite him to the Ghost Martial Sect," Li Lin replied, his expression giving nothing away. He was well aware that the Ghost Martial Sect''s aim was Poison Marshal Dong Wuming, and without knowing who the Spirit Marshal of the Flying Spirit Sect was, they would not rest easy. Du Yunshan''s expression changed slightly; he had been pushing, but was met with non-committal responses from Li Lin. "Then I''ll be waiting at the Ghost Martial Sect for both of you. In three months, I hope to see the senior from the Flying Spirit Sect, so I don''t get punished," Du Yunshan said, his expression becoming serious. As a Martial General, he was somewhat irritated at being dismissed by a young Sect Master and let out a faint aura of pressure, which he quickly retracted. "I will do my best to invite the Grand Elder to the Ghost Martial Sect," Li Lin replied nonchalantly, continuing to be evasive. Poison Marshal Dong Wuming''s identity was not something that could be revealed just yet, and there was no need to cause a rift with the Ghost Martial Sect at this point. "Then we''ll take our leave now. From now on, we are one and the same, so if the Flying Spirit Sect encounters any trouble, feel free to seek help from the Ghost Martial Sect," Du Yunshan said. "Thank you, Elder Du," Li Lin feigned gratitude. After exchanging pleasantries and sending off Du Yunshan and the other four members of the Ghost Martial Sect, Li Lin returned to the main hall. "What''s this Ghost Martial Sect''s sect assembly about?" Li Lin asked the elders, as he was not familiar with the Ghost Martial Sect''s sect assembly and had refrained from asking too many questions earlier. "Sect Master, the Ghost Martial Sect holds an annual sect assembly, attended by the outer forces and sects allied with the Ghost Martial Sect. It''s the most bustling event within tens of thousands of miles, but I don''t know much more than that," Zhou Yuhou said. "I''ve heard that the annual sect assembly of the Ghost Martial Sect is the day when the various external forces present their tributes to the Ghost Martial Sect. The Ghost Martial Sect has a total of five allied sects, including the Rakshasa Sect, which was the weakest among them. The other four sects are not weak," Hu Nansheng added. "How much did the Rakshasa Sect usually contribute to the Ghost Martial Sect each year?" Li Lin inquired. "I know this. The Rakshasa Sect, with only a territory of a hundred miles, had to pay the Ghost Martial Sect one million gold coins, five mid-grade fourth-level pills, ten low-grade fourth-level pills, and one hundred pills of various third-level grades each year," Zhou Yuhou explained. "That much?" Li Lin was surprised. One million gold coins, five mid-grade fourth-level pills, ten low-grade fourth-level pills, and one hundred various third-level pills amounted to a huge sum. Mid-grade fourth-level pills were nearly two hundred thousand each, and low-grade fourth-level pills were over a hundred thousand gold coins. Adding it all up, it was nearly seven to eight million gold coins. The Rakshasa Sect had to contribute so much to the Ghost Martial Sect each year, which was indeed terrifying. No wonder he found several fourth-level pills and hundreds of third-level pills on Deng Fengliang. It seemed Deng Fengliang had been preparing for the Ghost Martial Sect''s tribute. Chapter 184: Midnight Ambush "That''s considered little. The Rakshasa Sect''s territory was originally the smallest, but the surrounding area is quite lucrative. I''ve heard that at the last sect assembly of the Ghost Martial Sect, there were other sects eyeing the Rakshasa Sect," Zhou Yuhou said. "Sect Master, are you planning to go to the Ghost Martial Sect?" Zheng Ying asked. "I''m afraid I have no choice but to go," Li Lin said lightly. They''ve come all the way to invite me, how could I not go? It seems impossible to escape. The Ghost Martial Sect says the tribute can be whatever, but if we really don''t give anything, there would probably be big trouble. There''s too much involved. Now the Ghost Martial Sect allows the Flying Spirit Sect to take over the Rakshasa Sect''s territory, but it''s just a test. The Ghost Martial Sect is not something the Flying Spirit Sect can handle right now. "Will the Grand Elder go?" Chen Xinjie asked. "I''ll go alone; the Grand Elder will stay to guard the sect," Li Lin said, as Poison Marshal Dong Wuming''s identity cannot yet be revealed. "Sect Master, going alone might be dangerous," Chang Lei said. Li Lin hesitated for a moment and said, "It might not necessarily be dangerous, but there will indeed be some troubles when going to the Ghost Martial Sect." "Elders, since the Ghost Martial Sect has agreed to let us take over the Rakshasa Sect''s territory, please take over the territory as soon as possible. If anyone tries to cause trouble, eliminate them without mercy," Li Lin said lightly. This trip to the Ghost Martial Sect also requires paying a considerable amount of tribute, but it''s still worthwhile. Deng Fengliang had already prepared for it. Although the Flying Spirit Sect is not rich, it cannot afford to sit idly. Taking over the Rakshasa Sect''s territory is also a way to find a source of income for the Flying Spirit Sect. "Yes, Sect Master," the five elders responded. They were naturally willing to do so, as there was a lot to gain from it. "I need to leave for a while, at least a month, at most two months. The affairs of the sect will be decided by the five elders during my absence. If the elders cannot decide on something, consult the Grand Elder," Li Lin said. After returning to his room, Li Lin sat cross-legged on the bed, thinking about recent events. He had planned to arrange everything for the Flying Spirit Sect and, with Poison Marshal Dong Wuming guarding the sect, find a way to return to the Yunyang Sect. However, with the Ghost Martial Sect''s sect assembly in three months, he must attend, which means his return could be delayed by several months. Going to the Ghost Martial Sect, Li Lin mused, there''s no such thing as a free feast. If he took Poison Marshal Dong Wuming with him, there would likely be no trouble, but going alone would inevitably lead to problems. Even if there were no troubles, the Ghost Martial Sect would probably create some for him. "It seems I need to think carefully about how to deal with this," Li Lin thought. The Ghost Martial Sect simply wants to test the Flying Spirit Sect. With a Spirit Marshal in the sect, and without knowing who it is, the Ghost Martial Sect cannot be at ease. If he were in their place, he would feel the same. A Spirit Marshal poses a threat to the Ghost Martial Sect, and they wouldn''t easily tolerate such a significant threat under their noses. "It''s time to visit the Misty Mountain Range." As night fell, a cold smile crossed Li Lin''s lips. With many things happening recently and three months until the trip to the Ghost Martial Sect, he needed to train hard. If successful, his strength could significantly improve in two months. If he encounters third-order beasts in the Misty Mountain Range, taming a few as companions would provide an extra layer of security. "Are you going out?" Just as Li Lin was leaving his residence, a shadow appeared beside him, Poison Marshal Dong Wuming. "Elder Dong, I''m going to the Misty Mountain Range for two months of training. I''ll leave the Flying Spirit Sect in your care," Li Lin said. "The Flying Spirit Sect will be fine, but be careful. It''s best not to go too deep into the Misty Mountain Range," Poison Marshal Dong Wuming advised. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. "By the way, Elder Dong, how did it end with that nine-headed Jiao and the Stone Monkey King in the Misty Mountain Range last time?" Li Lin asked. "I was injured and couldn''t overcome the combined forces of the nine-headed Jiao and the Stone Monkey King. They couldn''t defeat me either. It seems everyone else died," Poison Marshal Dong Wuming said. "That nine-headed Jiao is really powerful," Li Lin thought. If he could tame the nine-headed Jiao one day, it would be equivalent to controlling a large part of the Misty Mountain Range, a significant force. The beasts under the nine-headed Jiao were numerous. After bidding farewell to Poison Marshal Dong Wuming, Li Lin called the Sky Winged Snow Lion, took Little dragon, and the trio disappeared into the sky. Hours later, atop a cliff in the Misty Mountain Range, the dim moonlight cast a gray shadow below. The valley was flanked by steep and rugged peaks, with occasional eagles flying overhead. Standing on the back of the flying beast, Li Lin looked down and said to the Sky Winged Snow Lion, "Let''s go for those down there." "Whoosh..." The Sky Winged Snow Lion took off, its massive body diving down, stirring a whistling airflow. "There''s a beast ambush, get ready," a small team of seven or eight people below panicked, drawing their weapons for battle. An ambush by a flying beast in the middle of the night, especially in the outer areas of the Misty Mountain Range, was rare. "Whoosh whoosh." The Sky Winged Snow Lion, with its massive body, dove down, its wings stirring up a violent airstream and creating a roaring storm. The small team of seven or eight people was immediately blown about in disarray by the gust. "Begin." At that moment, Li Lin''s Qi flashed under his feet, and he leaped from the back of the Sky Winged Snow Lion. Clenching his fist, fiery red Qi swirled around it like a tornado. With a cold shout, he stomped the ground fiercely, transforming into a blur as he shot forward and smashed his fist hard against the nearest eighth-level Martial Warrior youth. "Bang bang..." The speed was too fast, and the youth''s strength too low, causing him to be blown away by Li Lin instantly. "There are attackers, attack together," a leading youth in hemp clothing shouted loudly. "Hisss hisss..." Little dragon instantly grew larger, its massive body wrapped in golden flames, striking like lightning at a ninth-level Martial Novice youth. "Roar..." The Sky Winged Snow Lion let out a low growl, having already devoured one mercenary. After advancing to the early stages of the third rank, the Sky Winged Snow Lion''s strength had become even more formidable, and its defense was terrifying, completely ignoring the mercenaries'' attacks. "Hisss hisss..." In the blink of an eye, Little dragon growled lowly, its tongue flicking out, eyes filled with killing intent, locking onto a youth at the first-level Martial Master stage. "This is a third-rank beast, everyone retreat." "Too late to run now," Li Lin appeared in front of the leading youth. This small mercenary team consisted of only two Martial Masters, and the rest were Martial Novices. This leading youth in hemp clothing was only a second-level Martial Master, just enough for Li Lin to devour. "Who are you, and why are you attacking us?" the youth in hemp clothing stared at Li Lin, launching an attack while speaking. "Hisss!" The youth''s speed was extremely fast, using a rare wood attribute Qi, enveloping him in a green glow. Almost in the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of Li Lin, wielding a large saber and swiftly swinging it to produce several dazzling green saber lights, striking fiercely at Li Lin. "Seeking death," Li Lin snorted coldly, the opponent trying to divert his attention with words before attacking, but his calculations were a bit too much. "Bang!" The saber light landed where Li Lin had just been, piercing through and leaving a huge crack in the ground but not drawing any blood. "Such quick speed," the youth in hemp clothing''s face changed drastically, he rapidly retreated, daring to traverse the Misty Mountain Range, he was not an ordinary Martial Master. Li Lin reappeared ten meters away, giving the retreating youth in hemp clothing a cold look. He stretched out his hand, and with a flick, five fierce and scorching energies shot out, whistling through the air and piercing through the resistance of the air. The five fiery shadows pierced through the air, causing the surrounding temperature to skyrocket, as if all the moisture in the air was evaporated in an instant. Now at the second-level Martial Master stage, Li Lin''s Fire Shadow Finger had its power multiplied. Feeling the change in the five finger strikes, the youth in hemp clothing''s expression darkened. He executed his technique, unleashing five saber energies that tore through the air to meet the fiery finger strikes in a clash of lightning-fast speed. "Bang bang..." A series of explosive sounds erupted as the firelight scattered, and the violent energy swept out. The youth in hemp clothing staggered back several steps, the opponent''s attack power far exceeding his expectations. "Whoosh." In that instant, Li Lin''s figure rapidly approached, his hand forming a seal, and his left hand shot out fiercely with a claw strike radiating chilling brilliance and a scorching aura. Unbeknownst to when, Li Lin had donned a sharp glove on his left hand, the White Jade Silk Gloves obtained from Xu Fuguan''s spatial bag. The youth in hemp clothing retreated in shock again, his large saber slashing down simultaneously. "Break." Li Lin let out a low shout, his left hand''s claw mark gripping the youth''s large saber in a powerful manner. "Crack crack..." Two forces erupted, and amidst sparks and the sound of metal breaking, the youth in hemp clothing''s eyes widened in horror as his long saber shattered into pieces. Chapter 185: The Spatial Beast Pouch "Bang!" Li Lin''s claw mark tore through the spatial airflow, fiercely landing on the protective aura already set up by the hemp-robed youth, creating a claw glow that greatly intensified, bringing with it scorching flames, and forcefully tore open the protective aura revealing five cracks. "Pfft..." The hemp-robed youth did not expect the opponent''s claw to be so powerful. Caught off guard, he was severely injured, the protective aura shattered, and his body instantly retreated backwards. Li Lin was not surprised. The white jade silk gloves were no ordinary item, and he did not know where Xu Fuguan had obtained them from. He then sneered coldly, his body moved with his heart, once again darting towards the hemp-robed youth like lightning, his right hand forming a seal, his fingers piercing through the airflow like lightning, locking onto the hemp-robed youth''s crown. In an instant, Li Lin activated the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Art, unleashing a tremendous devouring force, a majestic Qi was already absorbed into his body. "Bang bang..." Screams echoed through the valley, accompanied by a huge force of impact, almost leveling the entire valley, while several mercenaries instantly became food for the little dragon and the Skywing Snow Lion. Moments later, after throwing the corpses to the Skywing Snow Lion, Li Lin quickly left the area. "Sigh..." The next morning, atop a mountain peak, Li Lin slowly ceased his cultivation, the light around his body completely retracted, his cultivation significantly enhanced overnight. "I''ve reached the peak of the late stage of the Second Order Martial Master. Devouring one more will be enough to break through to the Third Order Martial Master." Li Lin smiled lightly, feeling satisfied with the Qi filling his body. Originally, after devouring the young man from the Rakshasa Gate, he was at the edge of the mid-stage of the Second Order Martial Master. Now, after devouring another Second Order Martial Master, his cultivation had strengthened to the peak of the late stage of the Second Order Martial Master. "Little dragon, let''s continue on." Li Lin said to the little dragon beside him. "Ssss..." The little dragon, twirling its letter around, perched on Li Lin''s shoulder as they continued into the misty mountain range, with the Skywing Snow Lion following far above. With the little dragon and the Skywing Snow Lion by his side, Li Lin was not worried about significant dangers. Ordinary beasts posed no threat to him, as long as he avoided dangerous areas. Encountering beasts like the Stone Ape Demon King or the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao within the misty mountain range would spell doom. Cultivating within the misty mountain range was what Li Lin found most satisfactory. Here, he could devour to his heart''s content, generally without anyone discovering the secret of his Yin Yang Spirit Martial Art. He could target mercenary groups here, providing ample opportunities for continuous cultivation and, with some luck, stumble upon some small fortune. After a day had passed, by night, Li Lin found another valley cave, his body still full of Qi energy waiting to be refined. Sitting cross-legged, Li Lin began to refine the Qi within his body, soon entering a state of cultivation, the refined Qi quickly entering his dantian Qi sea. Before long, the Qi in his dantian Qi sea was almost full, subsequently filling his entire body''s meridians. As time slowly passed, Li Lin''s aura began to slowly climb, the pale yellow light around his body becoming increasingly dense. "Bang..." When a muffled sound exploded from within Li Lin''s body, his aura rapidly climbed, reaching the Third Order Martial Master in the blink of an eye. "Sigh..." His aura only calmed down by dawn, the light around his body completely absorbed, exhaling a breath of stale air from his dantian Qi sea, his eyes opening, a sharp light flashing through before settling down. "I''ve broken through to the Third Order Martial Master." Li Lin smiled lightly, his strength undoubtedly having increased manyfold, the Qi filling his body much stronger than when he was a Second Order Martial Master. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. "These next few days, there''s no rush to devour. I need to take it slow, just in time to refine a Spatial Beast Pouch." Li Lin murmured, then forming a seal with his hands, the Fire Dragon Cauldron appeared before him, with a pile of refining materials already prepared. This time, Li Lin was not refining weapons or elixirs but a Spatial Beast Pouch recorded in the Heavenly Spirit Record, a type of spatial bag that can store beasts. Unlike a spatial bag, which is entirely for carrying space around, this is a special item. Some third-order beasts might have bodies hundreds of meters large; the Skywing Snow Lion is now only in the early stages of the third order, with a body size of one hundred and fifty meters. If it reaches the later stages of the third order, its body size will definitely increase again. If one wishes to accommodate several beasts like this, it would require thousands of meters of space. Crafting such a vast space is something nobody could achieve, except perhaps for those legendary figures at a certain level of strength. Although the Spatial Beast Pouch is similar to a spatial bag, it does not have such a vast space to contain beasts within. Instead, it can only reduce the body size of beasts below the fourth-order level, akin to the Wan Beast Bag of the Myriad Beasts Sect, possessing a similar ingenious design, and even surpassing it in some aspects. Li Lin had already gone through the crafting process of the Spatial Beast Pouch in his mind several times. Now, taking out the materials and the Fire Dragon Cauldron, he began the crafting process. Spiritual power was injected into the Fire Dragon Cauldron, igniting the spiritual fire, and one by one, the materials Li Lin had prepared were thrown into the cauldron for refining. Outside the cave, the Skywing Snow Lion and the little dragon stood guard closely by, ensuring that ordinary beasts dared not approach due to their scent. "Miss, please spare me. I really don''t know him. Where do you expect me to find him?" A pleading voice came from a courtyard. In a luxuriously decorated room, a stunningly beautiful woman stood with her hands on her hips in an ungraceful pose, glaring fiercely at a skinny young man in front of her. The breathtakingly beautiful woman, despite her crude pose, did not detract from her beauty. The girl, around eighteen or nineteen years old, had her waterfall-like black hair simply tied behind her head. Her exquisite facial features and fair skin combined to form perfection. She wore a tight leather armor that snugly wrapped around her prominent features. Her slender, beautiful legs and round, firm, and perky buttocks, along with two beautifully patterned short swords hanging from her waist, added a wild beauty to her stunning appearance, making any man who saw her fall at her feet. If Li Lin were here, he would surely recognize this girl as Lu Xiaoling. The skinny young man was Liu Yishou from Tianxing Town. Additionally, there were two young men in splendid attire, around twenty-one or twenty-two years old, resembling sheep, with one being a Sixth Order Martial Master and the other a Fifth Order Martial Master, truly outstanding among their peers. "Liu Yishou, if you don''t find that boy for me, I''ll chop off your hands and feet to feed my Silver Spirit Phantom Mouse," Lu Xiaoling shouted. "Miss, I really don''t know him. Even if you kill me, I can''t find him," Liu Yishou trembled with fear, realizing he was in deep trouble after falling into the hands of this young lady. "You dare say you don''t know him?" One of the young men in splendid attire kicked Liu Yishou hard on the back, causing him to fall to the floor of the room and spit out a mouthful of blood. "Cousin, don''t be so rough. If you kill him, how can I find the person?" Lu Xiaoling glared at the young man in splendid attire and then handed Liu Yishou a pill, saying, "I don''t care how you do it, but you must find him for me. Otherwise, even if you run to the ends of the earth, I will find you." "Yes, Miss, I''ll go find him right away," Liu Yishou hastily agreed, pale-faced as he got up. "Wait, this is a poison pill. If you don''t get my antidote within half a year, you''ll die. Once you find the person, come find me," Lu Xiaoling took out a black pill. "Miss, isn''t that unnecessary? I won''t run," Liu Yishou''s face changed drastically, having thought of escaping sooner but now realizing he couldn''t even if he wanted to. "Eat it, or I''ll take your life right now," another young man in splendid attire coldly huffed. "I''ll eat it, I''ll eat it," Liu Yishou reluctantly swallowed the pill, knowing the young man in splendid attire would indeed kill him. "Let''s go. You must find that little thief for me. When I find her, I''ll surely flay her alive for daring to steal my stuff. The worst part is leaving me alone on the mountain," Lu Xiaoling fumed, stomping her foot in anger. "Cousin, rest assured, this area is all under our Ghost Martial Sect''s control. As long as that kid is still nearby, we''ll definitely find him," said the first speaking young man in splendid attire, who was at the Fifth Order Martial Master level. "No, I want to take revenge myself and torment him properly for leaving me on the mountain, causing my foot to swell," Lu Xiaoling angrily said. "Okay, once we find that kid, we''ll definitely hand him over to my cousin for disposal," the young man in splendid attire said obsequiously, then suggested, "Cousin, why don''t we go back to the Ghost Martial Sect now? There''s nothing fun here." "I have to go back. You guys go back first. I won''t leave until I find that little robber," Lu Xiaoling said. Chapter 186: Bloodthirsty Demon Mantis Two youths in splendid attire immediately changed their expressions. Another youth in splendid attire quickly said, "Miss Xiaoling, there are less than three months left until the grand assembly of our Ghost Martial Sect. It will be a lively event, and we must return to participate. How about we send someone to help you look for it after the assembly ends?" "Hmph, do you want everyone to know that my things were stolen?" Lu Xiaoling glared at them, then said, "Since the sect assembly is going to be lively, I want to see it too. It won''t be too late to look for that little robber then." "Exactly, cousin, then let''s take the flying demonic beast back to Ghost Martial Sect," the youth in splendid attire immediately said with a joyful expression, his face breaking into a smile. "Now I''m doomed. Where am I supposed to find people? I''m dead for sure," Liu Yi said dejectedly as he walked on the street. Whenever he saw a youth in a green robe, he would immediately go up to inspect them, only to show a disappointed expression afterward. Inside a cave in the Misty Mountains, where the scorching temperature evaporated even the air, Li Lin continuously cast mysterious seals with his hands, sending streaks of eerie light from his hand seals into a palm-sized orb of light on top of the Fire Dragon Cauldron. As these mysterious seals'' light entered, a similar aura began to emanate from the palm-sized orb of light on the Fire Dragon Cauldron. Moments later, Li Lin crossed his hands, with his index fingers overlapping and his ten middle fingers interlocking, casting a mysterious seal. At the same time, a drop of blood from his index finger entered the orb of light. "Go..." As the blood entered, the orb of light became even more dazzling. "Space beast pouch, collect." Li Lin finished casting his seal, and the spirit fire within the Fire Dragon Cauldron extinguished. The light from the orb converged, and a palm-sized blue pouch fell into Li Lin''s hand, covered with dense patterns and emanating spiritual power fluctuations. "Success." Li Lin smiled with satisfaction. After three days, he had finally managed to refine a space beast pouch. Although the pouch he refined was of the lowest level, it was enough to hold ten third-rank demonic beasts. For second-rank demonic beasts, fitting thirty was also no issue, which was sufficient for now. After putting away the space beast pouch, Li Lin stuffed a medicinal pill into his mouth, having nearly exhausted himself over the three days of refining. A moment later, Li Lin slowly entered a state of meditation, enveloped in a faint light, appearing very mystical. The next morning, Li Lin exhaled a long breath of turbid air, his complexion having returned to a healthy glow, his eyes deep and starry. "Little dragon, Xue Shi, let''s continue on our journey." Li Lin walked out of the cave, and Little dragon affectionately climbed onto him. As early winter approached, the weather grew colder, and most leaves had turned yellow. The thick layer of fallen leaves crunched underfoot. The boundless Misty Mountains stretched to the ancient domain, connecting to the Ling Wu Continent. The mountains were home to centuries, if not millennia-old towering trees that covered the sky, along with various underbrush and thorns. With the onset of early winter, a thick layer of fallen leaves covered the ground. Even with Tian Chi Xue Shi and Little dragon by his side, Li Lin remained cautious. The fallen leaves on the ground could very well conceal demonic beasts, posing a great danger if carelessly trodden upon. Li Lin continued to use the spiritualist''s methods, spreading his consciousness from himself outward in all directions, covering a hundred meters around him. Any anomaly would be immediately detected. However, Li Lin could only probe up to a hundred meters around him. Beyond that distance was beyond his reach unless his strength increased once more. This method of consciousness probing was generally stronger in spiritualists than in martial artists. The stronger the soul power, the larger the area that could be probed. Martial artists could also achieve this, but spiritualists were significantly stronger at the same cultivation level. Among martial artists, those with wind attributes were somewhat stronger in this aspect. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. As they traveled through the mountains, Little dragon on Li Lin''s shoulder also watched the surroundings attentively, his little eyes carefully scanning in every direction. Li Lin knew this was still only the periphery of the Misty Mountains. He wanted to get closer to the central area, where third-rank demonic beasts were more common. If it were a lower third-rank demonic beast, he believed he could employ beast control techniques to subdue it. "Sssss..." Suddenly, Little dragon focused intently ahead, motionless, as if he had discovered something. Li Lin flashed a light under his feet, leaped onto a tree, and through the gaps in the trunk, he saw a giant rat crawling on the ground ahead C a low-rank demonic beast, the Smelling Rat, which Li Lin had encountered before in the Rampaging Wolf Mercenary Group. "Smelling Rat." Li Lin chuckled bitterly. Even Little dragon wouldn''t eat this low-rank demonic beast. "Sssss..." Just then, from the dry leaves on the ground, a huge body burst out, and a potent, bloody aura suddenly spread. Behind the Smelling Rat, a blood-red demonic beast appeared instantaneously. This beast had a peculiar appearance, with a triangular head, large and bright compound eyes, and long, slender antennae. Its long neck could turn freely. On its chest, there were two pairs of folded wings, with the front chest being slender and possessing six long legs. The forelegs were thick and scythe-like, with hook-shaped spurs on the leg joints and tibia, and its body was enveloped in a faint green glow. "Bloodthirsty demon mantis." Li Lin was instantly somewhat surprised in his heart. The bloodthirsty demon mantis is a rare type of demonic beast. Its bloodline is not very high, but not low either. This type of demonic beast is extremely brutal, feeding on the fresh blood of other demonic beasts for sustenance, with a very strong attack power. Its entire body is a weapon, definitely not an easy foe to deal with. The bloodthirsty demon mantis below, as Li Lin observed, was at least ten meters tall, but its body was not large, appearing somewhat lean. From its aura, it was at the early stage of the third rank. Even a fourth-level martial artist would probably have a hard time dealing with this bloodthirsty demon mantis. "Squeak squeak..." Suddenly, a bloodthirsty demon mantis appeared behind, and the smelling rat ran forward at the first opportunity. "Shhh..." In that instant, the speed of the bloodthirsty demon mantis was like a streak of light, its long leg piercing through the air flow in a flash, stabbing fiercely into the back of the smelling rat. Immediately, the smelling rat squealed miserably, and then one of the bloodthirsty demon mantis''s long legs, like a scythe, pierced through its body. It was vaguely visible that fresh blood was flowing inside that leg, which seemed to have a mouth of its own, devouring the blood from the smelling rat. In the span of three breaths, the smelling rat turned into a dried corpse, its blood completely devoured by the bloodthirsty demon mantis. "Little dragon, Xue Shi, don''t let the bloodthirsty demon mantis escape." At this time, Li Lin, like a dragon emerging from its cave, suddenly leaped down from the tree. When the bloodthirsty demon mantis turned its head alertly, Li Lin descended from the sky like a meteor, bringing a violent gale in front of the bloodthirsty demon mantis. "Squeak squeak..." The bloodthirsty demon mantis immediately made a strange squeaking noise, its two thick and long horns directly stabbing towards Li Lin, with a violent bloody scent rising to the sky. Li Lin didn''t expect the speed of the bloodthirsty demon mantis to be even faster than he had imagined. Mid-air, with no way to evade, he instantly executed a Splitting Mountain Palm downwards, a force of energy rebounding upwards, his body flashing backward to avoid. "Shhh..." The two antennae of the bloodthirsty demon mantis passed by Li Lin''s back, and he could feel a violent force brushing past. "Hiss hiss..." "Roar roar..." In that instant, two roars were emitted, one yellow and one white, two streaks of light flashed like lightning. The Sky Winged Snow Lion and Little dragon, having regained its massive size, had tightly surrounded the bloodthirsty demon mantis in the middle. Two powerful invisible pressures enveloped it, coming from their bloodlines, making the bloodthirsty demon mantis instantly feel intimidated. "Squeak squeak..." The bloodthirsty demon mantis''s protruding belly eyes tightly watched Little dragon and the Sky Winged Snow Lion, a sense of intimidation filling its heart, causing it to no longer care about Li Lin and slowly retreat backward. "Whoosh whoosh." Little dragon''s massive body suddenly charged towards the bloodthirsty demon mantis like lightning, with scorching golden flames. The air flowed around its body only to be instantly shaken away, its speed terrifying. The bloodthirsty demon mantis seemed not to dare to confront Little dragon. Its four wings on the abdomen instantly spread, sweeping up a sky full of fallen leaves, then soaring into the sky. "Roar..." The Sky Winged Snow Lion roared, its powerful aura causing the body of the bloodthirsty demon mantis to tremble. Following that, the Sky Winged Snow Lion flapped its wings and shot into the sky, its massive body breaking a swath of branches from the towering trees and crashing down from the sky. "Bang bang..." A huge sonic boom echoed in mid-air, the massive body of the Sky Winged Snow Lion fiercely colliding with the bloodthirsty demon mantis, directly forcing it to retreat. "Shhh shhh..." Little dragon''s massive body stood upright, instantly soaring into the sky, its eighty-meter body rising off the ground as if into mid-air. From its huge mouth, a jet of golden flame directly sprayed onto the bloodthirsty demon mantis. "Squeak squeak..." The bloodthirsty demon mantis screamed, its body falling from low altitude directly to the ground. Li Lin''s body instantly charged up, but his complexion changed in an instant, and he rapidly retreated. "Huff huff..." After the bloodthirsty demon mantis fell to the ground, a red mist sprayed out of its mouth, covering hundreds of meters around in an instant, a bloody scent spreading. Chapter 187: Wood-Element Beast "Roar..." The Skywing Snow Lion roared, its wings flapping fiercely as it dove from the sky, instantly dispersing the bloody fog with a majestic air current. "Whoosh..." The little dragon''s body spun, entangling the bloodthirsty mantis trying to flee, in a flash, on the ground. Its six long legs, like scythes, instantly wrapped around the little dragon''s massive body. The crimson sharp barbs on the legs, however, had no effect on the little dragon''s scales. Instead, the body, trying to retreat due to the golden flames emanating from the little dragon''s surface, was tightly entwined, completely immobilized. "Blood Soul Mark." At this moment, Li Lin let out a low shout, then stimulated the Blood Soul Mark in his mind, rapidly transforming it into an energy that entered his meridians, burst out from all over his body, and finally converged on the palm mark of his right hand. "Aow..." A vague roar of dragons, phoenixes, lions, and tigers emanated from his palm. A strange mark appeared on Li Lin''s right palm, resembling but not quite a dragon or a tiger, blood-red all over, appearing extremely mysterious. A tremendous oppressive force spread from it. Feeling this immense pressure, the bloodthirsty mantis entangled by the little dragon began to tremble, its body completely suppressed invisibly. With a flick of the Blood Soul Mark in his hand, it brought up a roar of dragons, phoenixes, lions, and tigers, smashing fiercely into the bloodthirsty mantis''s triangular head, then dissipated into a blood-colored light and vanished. At the same time, under the little dragon''s entanglement, the bloodthirsty mantis stopped struggling instantly, standing still in a daze, its gaze becoming vacant. With the hand seal formed in an instant, Li Lin sat cross-legged, continuously casting palm seals, changing them non-stop, and the strange lights directly fell into the bloodthirsty mantis''s brow. As the Blood Soul Mark entered the bloodthirsty mantis''s body, Li Lin could instantly feel everything in the bloodthirsty mantis''s mind. Deep in its soul, it was struggling hard against the control of the Blood Soul Mark. However, the bloodthirsty mantis''s lineage was not as high as that of the Skywing Snow Lion, and its soul in the mind was not yet condensed into form, much weaker than the Skywing Snow Lion''s when it reached the late second-order. "Beast Control Technique, Suppress." Li Lin uttered lightly, casting a complex and mysterious hand seal, a dazzling light struck into the bloodthirsty mantis''s brow. "Aow..." In the mind of the bloodthirsty mantis, roaring sounds of dragons, tigers, lions, and phoenixes echoed out, a tremendous oppressive force spread out. At this moment, in the outside world, a blood-colored light instantly enveloped the bloodthirsty mantis, then merged into the depths of its mind. "Phew..." Li Lin exhaled a long breath as if after a great battle, his face slightly pale with many beads of sweat on his forehead. "Squeak squeak..." The bloodthirsty mantis suddenly opened its eyes, looking at Li Lin, now completely devoid of its bloodthirsty and ferocious aura, becoming very docile. "From now on, you''ll be called Mantid, stay by my side, I won''t mistreat you." Li Lin looked over the bloodthirsty mantis, with the help of the little dragon and the Skywing Snow Lion, he was able to control it with the Blood Soul Mark. Without their help, his chances of subduing the bloodthirsty mantis would have been less than one in ten. "Squeak squeak..." The bloodthirsty mantis responded with a low squeak, its demeanor much more docile, but looking at the little dragon and the Skywing Snow Lion beside it, there was still a sense of respect in its eyes, it would be strange if the bloodthirsty mantis wasn''t afraid under the suppression of their bloodlines. Li Lin then took a drop of blood from the bloodthirsty mantis, took out a spatial beast pouch, cast a hand seal, and the bloodthirsty mantis''s blood dropped onto the spatial beast pouch, starting to diffuse light. "Mantid, you''ll stay inside this for now. Having you by my side isn''t very convenient." Li Lin said, as he formed a hand seal, the light on the spatial beast pouch shone brightly, and under a dazzling flow of light, the body of the bloodthirsty mantis entered the pouch. After tidying up, Li Lin quickly left the place. There were many mercenary groups and beasts nearby, and the commotion was enough to attract many beasts and mercenary groups. "Ah..." At nightfall, a miserable howl echoed under the night sky, in a secluded valley, a withered corpse appeared in front of Li Lin, which was then consumed by the Skywing Snow Lion. Li Lin then sat cross-legged, having just consumed another second-tier martial artist, he began to refine the Qi absorbed from the body. The next morning, the trio set off again. After a night of cultivation, refining the absorbed Qi, Li Lin''s cultivation had improved again, now not far from the mid-stage of the third-tier martial artist. As a third-tier martial artist, consuming a second-tier martial artist and refining it, the gained Qi could not make a significant breakthrough. In recent times, Li Lin also aimed to break through more levels among martial artists, so when he goes to the Ghost Martial Sect, he would have more to rely on. As for reaching the spiritualist level, he decided to take it slow for now, having the Soul Spirit Essence with him, breaking through later wouldn''t be a difficult task. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.Thus, Li Lin spent his days searching for suitable beasts within the Misty Mountain Range to control with his Beast Control Technique, and at night, he would consume martial artists to refine. The Misty Mountain Range was home to many beasts, but even after controlling the bloodthirsty mantis, Li Lin had not found a second suitable beast for control. He was not interested in controlling beasts of the second or first tiers, as they were of little help to him, preferring not to waste his strength. Li Lin''s targets were only set on beasts at the initial stage of the third tier, knowing well that he did not possess the ability to control those with much stronger powers. Five days after subduing the bloodthirsty mantis, as the night deepened, the entire mountain range was immersed in silence, with only the occasional roar of beasts from afar. In a gorge, Li Lin was cultivating, having consumed another martial artist during the day, his cultivation strength was slowly but steadily increasing. The night wind brought a slight chill, but those who were cultivating had long since become indifferent to the natural cold and heat. Deep into the night, it was pitch black, with only a waning moon spreading its faint moonlight in the sky. "Swoosh swoosh..." Outside the gorge, there were rustling sounds. Among the dry leaves, though something was moving, soon at the shallow part of the leaves, a huge green python appeared outside the gorge. Its massive body was at least one hundred and eighty to ninety meters long, making it more than twice as big as the little dragon. The green python''s red eyes vigilantly scanned its surroundings, its body moving silently across the ground, its long tongue flicking in and out, reflecting a red light amidst the dark clouds. Li Lin, who was cultivating, suddenly opened his eyes and looked directly outside the gorge. "Hisss hisss..." The little dragon quickly leaped onto Li Lin''s shoulder, and the Skywing Snow Lion also let out a low roar. "There''s a beast approaching, don''t let it escape." Li Lin revealed a hint of a smile, and the trio rushed towards the outside of the gorge. "Swoosh swoosh..." Outside the gorge, the green python abruptly stopped its advance, its huge eyes vigilantly watching ahead, then seemed to sense danger, its body instantly retreating. "Roar roar..." But it was already too late, a white light figure instantly landed in the space in front, blocking the python''s path of retreat, and then a yellow snake, enveloped in golden flames, also appeared in front of the green python. "It''s a Green Demon Python, with such a large size, it should also be at the initial stage of the third tier." Li Lin sized up the huge python in front of him. The Green Demon Python is a wood-element beast, a rarity among snake species, and this Green Demon Python is one of them. It''s very fast and its wood-element attacks are tricky, making the Green Demon Python even more difficult to deal with. The Heavenly Spirit Record has an introduction of the Green Demon Python, its lineage is barely acceptable, usually capable of breaking through to the sixth calamity level, with average defense, mainly its attack is extremely fast. "It''s you, initial stage of the third tier, just right." Li Lin smiled slightly, his mind already instructing the little dragon and the Skywing Snow Lion to start attacking. "Mountain Opening Palm." Li Lin also shouted lowly, a palm print instantly shot out, a dozens of meters large earthy yellow palm print swept out. "Boom!"... A low booming sound rose, in the dark night, the palm print directly lifted several one-meter-high layers of the earth''s surface, glowing with an earthy yellow light, instantly sweeping towards the Green Demon Python. The Green Demon Python had already noticed Li Lin''s presence, but under the pressure from the little dragon and the Skywing Snow Lion, it was deterred from moving recklessly, immediately starting to dodge at high speed. "Bang bang..." Low impact sounds rose, with a series of sonic booms constantly erupting, the Green Demon Python hurriedly fled, its massive body twisting, directly sweeping away the approaching earth layers, its long tail smashing onto a giant rock at the mouth of the gorge, instantly turning it into rubble. "Roar roar..." In that instant, the Skywing Snow Lion roared, its wings flapping, diving down from above, the flapping of its wings sending a series of wind blades sweeping down. "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!"... A series of wind blades appeared out of nowhere, slashing towards the Green Demon Python, which changed its expression drastically, its massive body instantly turning around, but it spat out several sharp wooden spikes, booming towards the Skywing Snow Lion in the air. "Hiss hiss." The little dragon, at this moment, was even faster than the Skywing Snow Lion, its massive body like lightning piercing through the air resistance, its tail whipping fiercely onto the body of the Green Demon Python. Chapter 188: High-Level Yellow Rank "Bang, bang..." The massive body of the Green Demon Python was struck by a tremendous force, causing its arrogantly raised head to harshly smash onto the ground, emitting painful howls from its mouth. At this moment, the huge body of the Winged Snow Lion took advantage of the momentum to dive down from mid-air, its front claws sharp as hooks, flashing with a burst of cold light before fiercely grabbing onto the giant tail of the Green Demon Python. "Sss sss..." With a painful scream, the claws of the Winged Snow Lion instantly swept across the back of the Green Demon Python with a cold gleam. Despite the exceptionally sharp claws of the Winged Snow Lion, it was quite difficult to inflict a wound. Blood sprayed into the sky, but it was enough to prove that the Winged Snow Lion was much stronger than the Green Demon Python. "The defensive power of the demonic beasts is not strong, but it is much stronger compared to human warriors," Li Lin exclaimed. The Green Demon Python was not known for its defense, but its defensive power was much stronger than that of ordinary warriors. If an ordinary human warrior of the same rank were caught by the Winged Snow Lion, they would likely not die but would be seriously injured. "Sss sss..." The Green Demon Python swiftly coiled, its entire body spiraling together like a spiral, resembling a small mountain with only its huge head watching its surroundings. The pair of deep red eyes harbored a trace of killing intent, and a low hissing roar came from its mouth. "Roar!" The Winged Snow Lion roared softly, undeterred by the Green Demon Python, its huge body diving down, bringing gusts of wind under its wings towards the Green Demon Python. Its wide-open mouth revealed a row of ghastly white, chilling teeth, aiming to bite the coiled Green Demon Python. "Sss sss..." The little dragon, with its massive body, also rapidly burst forth, carrying a scorching breath, and slammed towards the Green Demon Python. From left and right, under the attack of the Winged Snow Lion and the little dragon, the Green Demon Python was completely enveloped, with no chance to escape. Suddenly, the Green Demon Python moved, swiftly unwinding its coiled body and darting forward like an arrow leaving its bow. However, its speed was fast, but the Winged Snow Lion and the little dragon seemed to be even faster. The Winged Snow Lion, carrying powerful winds, still landed several hits on the Green Demon Python. The massive body of the little dragon, spiraling in mid-air, its huge tail whipping down harshly on the Green Demon Python''s back. "Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!"... The massive body of the Green Demon Python once again harshly fell onto the ground, its back covered in green scales shimmering with a faint luminescence, emitting a wood attribute aura, its injuries rapidly healing. Rapid healing, this is the innate talent of wood attribute warriors and demonic beasts, a natural gift of the wood attribute. "Roar!" With an angry roar, the Winged Snow Lion made no courtesy, launching another attack, its front claws directly, piercing through the air currents, heavily crashing down. The body of the little dragon, transforming into a streak of light, had already begun its attack before the Winged Snow Lion. The Winged Snow Lion and the little dragon joining forces, if it was to kill the Green Demon Python, it would not take much effort, but to subdue it, it would take some time. Li Lin had already notified the little dragon and the Winged Snow Lion not to seriously injure the Green Demon Python. At this moment, the Winged Snow Lion and the little dragon attacked again, and the massive body of the Green Demon Python rapidly fled. "Roar roar..." The Winged Snow Lion roared continuously, its massive body flapping its wings, uprooting a towering tree with a diameter of several meters directly from the ground, then heavily crashing it onto the back of the Green Demon Python. "Bang!" The massive body of the Green Demon Python shook, and the towering tree instantly split into two. "Hisss..." Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. In this flash of lightning, the little dragon appeared in front of the Green Demon Python like lightning, its huge head proudly watching the Green Demon Python, a long crimson tongue flickering. Although its body was seemingly two-thirds smaller than the Green Demon Python, its aura was much stronger. Instantly, a small hole the size of an eye appeared in the forehead of the little dragon''s huge head, resembling a third eye, vertically positioned in the center of the forehead, emitting a dazzling golden light. "Whoosh whoosh!" Golden light burst forth from the center of the forehead, instantly spreading in front of it, enveloping the head of the Green Demon Python, covering its eyes, while a terrifying and violent aura began to spread, capable of directly penetrating the soul, making the soul tremble. "Sss sss..." Within this golden light, the body of the Green Demon Python trembled, then it lay prostrate on the ground, its aura completely suppressed, its massive body instantly becoming listless. Regarding the little dragon''s mysterious attack, Li Lin had already witnessed the little dragon employing it for the second time. This power contained a force capable of controlling the soul, chilling to the core. "Blood Soul Mark..." Li Lin swiftly leaped up, immediately stimulating the Blood Soul Mark in his mind. "Aow..." A beastly roar resembling that of dragons, phoenixes, lions, and tigers faintly emanated from the palm of his hand. On Li Lin''s right palm appeared the Blood Soul Mark, resembling but not quite a dragon or tiger, from which a tremendous oppressive force spread out. With a flick of the Blood Soul Mark in his hand, it crashed into the Green Demon Python''s head with the roar of dragons, phoenixes, lions, and tigers, then turned into a burst of blood-colored light and disappeared. At the same time, the little dragon released the Green Demon Python. At this moment, the Green Demon Python''s body suddenly became limp, lying softly on the ground with a dull gaze. Li Lin quickly formed hand seals, sitting cross-legged, continuously casting palm seals that changed and transformed, sending strands of mystical light directly into the Green Demon Python''s forehead. "Capture." Moments later, Li Lin uttered a low shout, retracting the hand seal in an instant, capturing a stream of light into his hand. "Ssss..." The Green Demon Python''s eyes snapped open, and its massive body coiled again, its eyes now submissively looking at Li Lin, completely controlled by the beast-controlling technique. From its mind and soul, it was absolutely obedient and submissive to Li Lin, never to betray. Li Lin smiled satisfactorily. With the addition of the Green Demon Python, aside from the little dragon, he now had three demonic beasts by his side. The Winged Snow Lion was the strongest, and the Bloodthirsty Demon Mantis and Green Demon Python also had considerable strength, capable of contending with a third-level martial artist without a problem. Li Lin took a drop of blood from the Green Demon Python and dripped it onto the spatial beast pouch. With the execution of the utmost mysterious hand seal, he stored the Green Demon Python into the spatial beast pouch. In the Misty Mountain Range, it was inconvenient for him to proceed with carrying high-grade demonic beasts. "People are coming; let''s go." Li Lin looked ahead, the commotion here had attracted many mercenary groups. A man and two beasts then disappeared into the night. Moments later, several figures appeared around the canyon. "It seemed like there was the sound of a demonic beast just now, but now it''s gone." "There was a fight here involving demonic beasts, likely traces of a third-tier beast or higher. Everyone, be careful." Voices of discussion arose as people searched the canyon. Meanwhile, Li Lin had already reached a quiet mountain peak in the distance, continuing to refine the true qi energy in his body. Moments later, his body was enveloped in a faint yellow glow. Time slowly passed, and by midnight, sparse winter rain began to fall in the mountains. The raindrops falling around Li Lin were repelled by the glowing aura. As time slowly passed and dawn broke, the pale blue sky was adorned with a few remaining stars. The earth was hazy, as if covered in a silver-gray veil. After the darkness before dawn passed, the first ray of sunlight rose from the horizon, and the light instantly unfolded in a stunningly beautiful display. Last night''s winter rain had settled into deep gray clouds in the mountains, pressing low over the land. It was now early winter, and the vast towering trees in the mountains were mostly bare. The bare towering trees stood gloomily, like skeletons left after death, their branches clawing at the autumn wind. "Whoosh whoosh..." Li Lin stopped his cultivation, slowly exhaling a breath of turbid air from his dantian qi sea. After a night of refining, his cultivation had reached the mid-level of the third-layer martial artist. Opening his eyes, a flash of sharpness briefly appeared. Glancing around, Li Lin smiled slightly. With a flicker of true qi under his feet, his body moved up to a large tree above, picking several wild fruits. In this early winter season, the mountains still had plenty of wild fruits, some of which tasted quite good, both fragrant and rich. Moments later, Li Lin took out a jade slip emanating an earth attribute aura from his storage ring. After a brief gaze, he dripped a drop of blood on it. Under Li Lin''s spiritual investigation, the jade slip immediately released a dazzling light, then entered Li Lin''s forehead, bringing a vast amount of information into his mind. After the light from the jade slip faded, Li Lin once again opened his eyes, revealing a slight smile, which carried a hint of bitterness. The days ahead would be challenging. The jade slip was a high-level Yellow Rank earth attribute martial technique, Thousand Hand Rift Seal, from the storage ring in the secret chamber of the Flying Spirit Gate. Li Lin had hesitated for a long time before deciding to cultivate this high-level Yellow Rank martial technique. Although he now had martial techniques for various attributes, their levels and powers differed. Li Lin considered that he most frequently used earth attribute techniques. Using other techniques would easily reveal that he was a multi-attribute martial artist, which sometimes was a bit too ostentatious. In the earth attribute, although he had the Mountain Splitting Palm, it was after all a star-level technique, and still a low-level star technique. It was most suitable for him to use at the beginning, but as his strength improved, continuing to use the Mountain Splitting Palm would seem somewhat weak. Chapter 189: Lightning Panther Therefore, Li Lin decided to cultivate the high-grade Yellow-level Earth martial technique, Thousand Hand Rift Seal. This Thousand Hand Rift Seal is primarily an offensive martial technique with remarkable power and extreme speed, exactly the type of martial technique Li Lin prefers. Among the many martial techniques, there are also quite a few defensive ones, but none to Li Lin''s liking. The best defense is offense; learning defensive martial techniques is essentially ineffective. If one''s attacks are useless, then defense is even more so, especially since Li Lin possesses the Qing Ling Armor, providing him with considerable defensive support. At his current level of a third-tier Martial Master, Li Lin knows it will be challenging to cultivate a high-grade Yellow-level martial technique. He has considered that cultivating low to mid-grade Yellow-level martial techniques would be much easier for him. After much deliberation, Li Lin gritted his teeth and chose to cultivate a high-grade Yellow-level martial technique. Since he decided to cultivate, he might as well aim for a higher level. Although it would involve much hardship, the power it would grant him later on would be significantly greater, and the high-grade Yellow level was still within his capacity to endure. Reaching the level of Xuan-level martial techniques, Li Lin knew he couldn''t fully master them. The Blade Soul technique is a low-grade Xuan-level spiritual technique, but up to now, he has only been able to activate the initial Blade Soul Slash. He has no idea when he will be able to activate the latter two stages, Blade Soul Light Blade and Blade Soul Void Annihilation. Li Lin planned, with the Thousand Hand Rift Seal, he wouldn''t need to frequently use other attributes. Under normal circumstances, it would be better not to reveal his identity as a multi-element martial artist. Moments later, Li Lin began to cultivate according to the information on the jade slip As time slowly passed, the weather also gradually became colder, entering deep winter. "Bang bang bang" In a vast forest where the leaves were falling, making it seem somewhat desolate, numerous explosions were heard. In the forest, there were about a dozen large black panthers, each about four to five meters tall, surrounding a young man in a green robe. There were sixteen black panthers in total, one of which was over ten meters tall and over a hundred meters long, essentially a gigantic beast standing at the front, like a small mountain. The young man in the green robe was Li Lin, who now wore a solemn expression. These were Wind-type demonic beasts, with the leading one being at the early stage of the third-tier, while the other fifteen were at the mid-stage of the second-tier, and two were at the late stage of the second-tier. This was a group of black panthers, known as Lightning Panthers, known for their extremely fast speed. Upon discovering this group of panthers, Li Lin had allowed Little dragon and the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion to enter the spatial beast pouch to see if he could handle the Lightning Panther group by himself, while also practicing the recently cultivated Thousand Hand Rift Seal. Recently, Li Lin often practiced the Thousand Hand Rift Seal by targeting lower-tier demonic beast groups. If the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion and Little dragon were around, the Lightning Panthers would likely run away immediately after sensing their presence. "Roar roar" The dozen or so Lightning Panthers greedily watched Li Lin, who in their eyes was merely a snack, his body barely enough to fill the gaps between their teeth. Faced with these dozen or so Lightning Panthers, Li Lin had to become serious. He had already witnessed the speed of these Lightning Panthers, comparable to lightning, and not easy to deal with. Because of this, Li Lin immediately chose to don the Qing Ling Armor. "Hoo hoo" In an instant, the dozen Lightning Panthers leaped with the speed of wind under their feet, with the leading one jumping more than ten meters high, directly pouncing towards Li Lin. "Come on, just a few beasts. This young master will have a good play with you today," Li Lin exclaimed lightly, feeling his blood begin to boil. Only in such dangerous situations could he truly progress, often gaining insights amidst danger, a lesson Li Lin had learned in the Misty Mountain Range. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. With a flash of Qi under his feet, Li Lin leaped up, assisted by his Wind attribute, greatly increasing his speed, and instantly reached a towering tree. "Roar roar" The leading Lightning Panther roared, its huge body slashing at the towering tree, splitting it in half. The tree trunk cracked and fell. Li Lin''s expression darkened at the strength of the Lightning Panther, and he immediately leaped to the ground as his Qi vibrated. "Hoo hoo" At the same time, the group of Lightning Panthers roared and chased after him, their huge bodies rushing down with a fierce wind. One of the Lightning Panthers suddenly shot several wind blades from its mouth, forcing Li Lin to immediately change direction to dodge. These second-tier Lightning Panthers were not easy to provoke. "Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" After dodging, several towering trees around Li Lin were cut down by the wind blades, falling to the ground, demonstrating the formidable power of these wind blades. "Boom" In that instant, Li Lin momentarily stopped, his hand forming five seals, lashing out. Five blazing seals pierced through the air, striking five of the second-tier Lightning Panthers. "Pfft!" Five second-tier Lightning Panthers instantly hit the ground, their massive bodies sliding across the earth for over a hundred meters. "Hoo hoo..." Then, dozens of Lightning Panthers arrived behind Li Lin, their speed terrifyingly fast. The leading Lightning Panther''s claws swiped across Li Lin''s back, causing the Qing Ling Armor to tremble several times and its pale yellow light to flicker. At the same time, Li Lin rapidly retreated. With the Qing Ling Armor on, the second-tier Lightning Panthers couldn''t inflict substantial harm on him, but the sensation on his back was still painfully burning. "Rage Fist." "Mountain Splitting Palm!" Taking advantage of the momentum, Li Lin turned around, his left hand executing the Rage Fist and his right the Mountain Splitting Palm. One to the left and one to the right, he swept out, blasting two Lightning Panthers against a towering tree, breaking the tree in half at the waist, and instantly killing the two Panthers. "Roar roar..." The remaining Lightning Panthers, far from being frightened, roared even more ferociously and charged straight at Li Lin. In that instant, the leading third-tier early-stage Lightning Panther once again pounced towards Li Lin, its front claws raised high and slammed down. "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" The claws, carrying a gust of wind, instantly aimed at Li Lin''s back. Li Lin dared not let the leading Lightning Panther hit him, his body rapidly sliding down, performing a "lazy donkey roll" on the ground, rolling several times to dodge the attack. "Bang bang..." The leading Lightning Panther''s claws hit the ground, immediately carving out five creek-like fissures, dust flying and rocks shattered into powder. "Roar..." Before Li Lin could stand up, five second-tier Lightning Panthers, their massive bodies already charging, their mouths bristling with sharp teeth shining coldly, completely surrounded Li Lin. "Thousand Hand Rift Seal." Li Lin executed the hand seal, and instantly, a massive surge of Earth attribute energy filled the air, emitting bursts of tidal-like violent power, instantly converging within the palm seal. On Li Lin''s palms, waves of continuous Earth attribute energy gathered, his internal Qi roaring out, his aura and might expanding instantly, then a terracotta-colored palm seal soared into the sky. Though this seems lengthy, it was actually less than a breath''s time. The palm seal soared, instantly transforming into several vague palm imprints, like a lotus composed of afterimages, followed by earth-shattering explosions resonating in the air, a violent force explosively spreading overhead... "Bang bang bang..." The bodies of five Lightning Panthers were instantly blasted away, falling hundreds of meters away, breaking several towering trees, their corpses crashing to the ground. The forest shook violently, and large cracks spread across the ground like a spider web, with rocks falling noisily, and cracks appearing on the surrounding trees. The immense power was truly shocking. The remaining two second-tier Lightning Panthers and the leading third-tier Lightning Panther were somewhat intimidated. "Hmph, it''s time for this young master to deal with you." Li Lin stood up, a cold smile on his lips. The power of the Thousand Hand Rift Seal was indeed strong, stronger than the Fury of the Seas and the Wooden Shackles, but still not entirely to his satisfaction. "Whoosh..." With only three Lightning Panthers left, Li Lin had no more concerns, his Qi flashing under his feet, his body explosively soaring. "Roar roar..." The remaining two second-tier Lightning Panthers, both at the late second-tier stage, roared and charged at Li Lin like lightning. "Die." Li Lin coldly snorted, his hands suddenly covered with a pair of white jade silk gloves, claws curved, a burst of flames along with the claw''s brilliance fiercely sweeping out. Xu Fuguan was originally a Water attribute martial artist, and the power of this white jade silk gloves with Water attribute couldn''t match the strength of this Fire attribute. "Sss sss..." One to the left and one to the right, two claw marks tore through the air, Li Lin''s figure streaking past like a beam of light. Blood splattered, and two massive Lightning Panthers had five gashes torn across their abdomens, their shattered organs spilling out along with the contents of their bellies. "Roar roar..." The remaining third-tier Lightning Panther roared, glaring at Li Lin but also feeling fear, pacing back and forth in the distance, daring not to approach, yet unwilling to leave. Chapter 190: Quadruple Martial Master "It''s just you left, third-tier level, I''ll take you in." Li Lin called out lightly, this early third-tier level Lightning Black Panther is not bad either, a general triple martial master encountering it would definitely not gain any advantage. True Qi burst forth, combined with the amplification of the wind attribute, Li Lin''s speed was extremely fast. This combination of attributes and techniques was something that Li Lin had only recently honed and integrated together. "Huff, huff..." Li Lin''s hand threw a furious flame punch, smashing hard towards the leading Lightning Black Panther. "Chi chi..." The huge body of the Lightning Black Panther seemed to not affect its speed at all, instantly leaping into the air, avoiding Li Lin''s attack, and charging straight towards him. "This Lightning Black Panther leader''s speed is really terrifying." Li Lin thought to himself. In an instant, the Lightning Black Panther rapidly spat out blades of wind towards Li Lin, its huge body landing on the ground, directly hitting a towering tree. "Shoo, shoo..." Li Lin''s feet vibrated with True Qi non-stop, leveraging his way across several towering trees, narrowly avoiding the Lightning Black Panther''s attack. "Raging Sea Howl." At the same time, Li Lin changed the seal in his hand, and a huge amount of water attribute energy came covering the sky and earth, instantly condensing into a violent mist in front of him, then the water mist roared and spun up, forming a huge vortex. With a push of the seal in his hand, the huge vortex began to tremble and then spun rapidly, finally expanding like lightning amidst the deafening sound of wind, a terrifying aura and sharp force emanated from within, twisting the surrounding air flow like a tornado sweeping open. "Bang, bang..." The rapidly spinning vortex finally exploded, the sound of the explosion echoing through the forest, the terrifying force sweeping out like a hurricane, after knocking down a towering tree, the terrifying force swept over the Lightning Black Panther. The huge vortex covered an area of thousands of meters, within the forest, the explosion of the vortex was like a downpour. "Bang, bang..." As the vortex exploded, a tremendous force poured over the body of the Lightning Black Panther, whose speed was extremely fast but could not avoid the spinning force, spitting out countless wind blades, yet unable to break through the huge vortex, its huge body was swept up and then heavily smashed onto the ground. A stream of blood spurted from the mouth of the Lightning Black Panther, and the ground cracked open with fissures. "Wooden Prison Shackles." At the same time, Li Lin changed the seal in his hand, wood attribute energy gathered, several bowl-sized wooden stakes spun out of thin air, the void vibrated, a dazzling green spread out, the wooden stakes kept spinning together, surrounding the central space, the squeezed air whistled up, a strong aura pressed down, directly covering the Lightning Black Panther. Again, with a seal from his hand, energy dispersed above the wooden stakes, spreading in mid-air, the vibrating space rippled violently, a green energy like fireworks tightly enveloped the Lightning Black Panther. "Roar, roar..." The Lightning Black Panther seemed to be under a huge pressure, its huge body unable to move, only able to struggle and roar. "Blood Soul Mark." A low shout suddenly spread from Li Lin''s mouth, he quickly leaped forward, then activated the Blood Soul Mark, a huge pressure spread out from around him. "Ow..." On Li Lin''s right palm appeared a Blood Soul Mark that resembled neither a dragon nor a tiger, a sound of dragon, phoenix, lion, and tiger''s roar faintly transmitted from the palm, fiercely smashing into the Lightning Black Panther''s head, instantly turning into a cluster of blood-colored light and disappearing. Stolen story; please report. The seal changed again, Li Lin''s hand continuously released palm seals, various mystical lights directly landed inside the Lightning Black Panther''s forehead. Moments later, Li Lin''s hand seal instantly retracted, a stream of green light was drawn into his hand, the rapidly spinning wooden stakes turned into energy and disappeared. At this moment, Li Lin''s complexion also turned considerably paler, this series of consumption was tremendous, all the attributes were used in turn, and it was with the combination of the five attributes that Li Lin was able to trap the Lightning Black Panther. "Roar, roar..." When the huge body of the Lightning Black Panther opened its eyes, looking at Li Lin, it already showed a submissive look, controlled by the beast control technique, its mind and soul completely submissive and obedient to Li Lin, as if it recognized Li Lin as its master from birth. "Chi, chi..." With a thought from Li Lin, he slapped his waist''s space beast pouch, immediately a white and a yellow light appeared, and in an instant, they transformed into the bodies of a little dragon and a Sky Wing Snow Lion in mid-air. "Shoo, shoo..." The little dragon leaped onto Li Lin''s shoulder, exhaling and inhaling as if protesting against just being put into the space beast pouch by Li Lin, which was not comfortable. "Next time, I won''t put you in there." Li Lin said softly. "Sss, sss..." The little dragon made a low, joyful sound, immediately cheering up, looking at the huge Lightning Black Panther next to it as if praising Li Lin''s improved strength. Li Lin smiled slightly. Now, it had been forty days since entering the Misty Mountain Range, and his progress during these days was naturally objective. He had successfully cultivated the Thousand Hand Crack Seal, and had grasped quite a bit in the coordination of various attributes, undoubtedly greatly increasing his strength. Just now, if not for the coordination of various attributes, it would have been absolutely difficult for him to deal with the Lightning Black Panther pack. During these forty days, Li Lin also swallowed a martial master and several martial disciples, reaching the peak of the triple martial master level. Swallowing martial disciples, Li Lin had no choice as with the arrival of winter, there were fewer mercenary groups in the Misty Mountain Range, and it was not easy to find martial masters to swallow. "Alright, let''s go." Li Lin put the Lightning Black Panther into his space beast pouch and then left the spot with the little dragon and the Sky Wing Snow Lion. The Misty Mountain Range is full of rolling mountains and ridges, and now that it was deep winter, the range quickly became desolate. Li Lin walked within the mountain range, continuously scouting around, as in deep winter, the demon beasts that came out to hunt were even more violent. Five days later, in a hidden valley cave, in front of Li Lin, lay a dry corpse again. During the day, he unexpectedly encountered a small mercenary team. Li Lin, the little dragon, and the Sky Wing Snow Lion took action and killed them all, including a triple martial master who was now swallowed by Li Lin. With the refining and absorption of the True Qi energy, Li Lin''s Dantian Qi Sea showed signs of breaking through again, the abundant True Qi continuously gathering and then filling his meridians. "Bang..." With a muffled sound from within the Dantian Qi Sea, Li Lin''s aura suddenly rose to a new height, and energy from the world around began to gather inside Li Lin''s body, forging his muscles, bones, and internal organs. His aura took a long time to stabilize, and at this moment, Li Lin had already broken through to the level of a quadruple martial master. In more than forty days coming into the Misty Mountain Range, he had broken through from a double martial master to a quadruple martial master. Although it was only two levels, his strength had increased exponentially. For ordinary martial practitioners, reaching the martial master level and wanting to advance two levels, even with great talent, it would be impossible to break through in just over forty days. It would take not one year, but at least eight months, and that''s with good talent. Yet, Li Lin did not even find people to swallow, nor did he want to hastily increase his strength for quick success, otherwise, it would be even more terrifying. "Huff, huff..." Li Lin slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, feeling the abundant True Qi inside his body, he couldn''t help but show a slight smile. After packing up, Li Lin walked out of the cave, and was immediately surprised. Overnight, a thin layer of white snow, like a huge woolen blanket, covered the vast Misty Mountain Range, making the entire range shine with a cold silver light... Everything in the distance was enveloped in a thick fog, with sunlight shining down, the snow on the ground began to melt, emitting steam that twined around the treetops. "It''s about time to go back," Li Lin murmured. There was more than a month left before the sect meeting of the Ghost Martial Sect, and it would take some time to leave the Misty Mountain Range. This time, the gains were almost enough, having broken through to the level of a quadruple martial master, successfully cultivated the Thousand Hand Crack Seal, and subdued three third-tier demon beasts: the Bloodthirsty Mantis, Lightning Black Panther, and Green Demon Python. These three third-tier demon beasts were equivalent to three loyal martial master bodyguards, very useful. "Little Dragon, let''s go." Li Lin called out softly, and the little dragon, who was playing in the snow ahead, swiftly returned to Li Lin''s shoulder. Li Lin did not intend to ride the Sky Wing Snow Lion to leave the Misty Mountain Range directly. On the way back to the ancient domain, he still wanted to hone himself. In the glistening white snow, a lonely figure in a blue robe dragged a long shadow on the snow. Strangely, in the snow, this blue-robed figure did not leave any trace, only a long reflection cast by the sunlight on the snow. At this moment, Li Lin was still honing his mind, walking slowly, not in a hurry, not slow, with each step seemingly the same length, his mouth cornered with a smile, the surroundings silent, but Li Lin was not afraid, taking each step calmly, practicing his mental fortitude. Chapter 191: Trouble Arises Time slowly passed, and after another fifteen days, a blue figure appeared at the edge of the ancient domain of the Misty Mountain Range. It was Li Lin, who had walked out of the Misty Mountain Range. At this time, it had been exactly two months and five days since Li Lin entered the Misty Mountain Range. In this past half-month, Li Lin had once again swallowed a triple martial master, a single martial master, and four martial disciples, reaching the mid-stage of the quadruple martial master level. "Snow Lion, let''s return to the Flying Spirit Sect." "Roar!" A deep roar sounded as the Sky Wing Snow Lion expanded its huge body and flapped its wings to take off. A dull yellow light flashed under Li Lin''s feet, and then his body leaped onto the massive body of the Sky Wing Snow Lion. "Look, there''s a flying demon beast, and there''s someone on it." "Such a large flying demon beast, it must be of the third-tier level." From a distance, many people were surprised to watch the sky, but they were not too surprised. At the edge of the Misty Mountain Range, many people owned flying magical beasts, and many mercenary groups also had some low-level flying demon beasts. This was not a surprising thing. Inside the main hall of the Flying Spirit Sect, six figures were sitting, namely Soul-Calling Poison General Dong WuMing and the other five elders of the Flying Spirit Sect. "Elder, what do you think we should do about this matter?" Hu NanSheng asked inside the main hall. Soul-Calling Poison General Dong WuMing slightly furrowed his brows, then raised them and said, "The Sect Master is back. Let the Sect Master make the decision." Above the Flying Spirit Sect, a whistling airflow spread out, and then the massive Sky Wing Snow Lion landed in the square in front of the Flying Spirit Sect''s main hall. "The Sect Master is back." "Greetings to the Sect Master." The surrounding disciples immediately came forward to salute, all excited, watching the Sect Master leap down from the massive demon beast, fantasizing about owning such a flying demon beast one day. "Greetings to the Sect Master." The five elders quickly went outside the main hall to welcome him, and then Li Lin also entered the main hall. "Your aura seems to have strengthened quite a bit." Inside the main hall, Soul-Calling Poison General Dong WuMing watched Li Lin with a surprised look. He could not see through Li Lin''s strength, but the aura on Li Lin was much stronger than it was two months ago. Naturally, this was surprising for just a short two months. "Just some gains." Li Lin smiled lightly, then looking at Hu NanSheng and the other five elders along with Soul-Calling Poison General Dong WuMing all in the main hall, he asked, "Do the elders have something to discuss?" Li Lin knew that ordinary matters would not concern Soul-Calling Poison General Dong WuMing. Now that Dong WuMing was here, the matter was likely not ordinary. "Sect Master, we have encountered a troublesome matter recently," Zhou YuHou said. "What matter?" Li Lin asked. "Sect Master, it''s like this..." Hu NanSheng then gave a brief overview of the situation, and Li Lin''s brows also furrowed. It turned out that in the two towns received by the Flying Spirit Sect from the Rakshasa Sect, some problems had arisen. The two towns, named HuaMen Town and Tuan Mountain Town, were not large, but each had its own resources. Located not far from the Misty Mountain Range, they were known in the vicinity as the scattered medicinal material trading markets. Many large mercenary groups and small teams would bring their collected medicinal materials to these nearest towns, attracting many martial practitioners and spiritual masters to come and purchase. With more people, naturally, the towns became lively. These two towns thus became increasingly prosperous with many shops, which for the original Rakshasa Sect, the majority of the tribute came from these towns. The current situation was that both towns had encountered some troubles, and not just ordinary troubles. The first was HuaMen Town, where, for some reason, all the medicinal and weapons shops, totaling about thirty, had banded together to protest that business was bad in autumn and winter, so they wanted to halve their tribute. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. And in HuaMen Town, these thirty or so medicinal and weapons shops make the highest contributions, with the largest one contributing tens of thousands of gold coins a month and even the smallest contributing thousands of gold coins. Reducing this by half in the autumn and winter seasons means for half a year, which amounts to a large sum. If this were truly agreed upon, then the Flying Spirit Sect would receive millions of gold coins less in contributions over half a year. However, if disagreed, these shops would collectively close down. If these shops close, then the entire HuaMen Town would collapse. The prosperity of HuaMen Town and all its businesses, including taverns, lodgings, and so on, are all driven by medicinal materials and weapons supplies. Therefore, the five elders are also undecided now, even Soul-Calling Poison General Dong WuMing frowned at this, handling combat is no issue for him, but dealing with these matters is not his forte. Killing those people wouldn''t be hard, but then HuaMen Town would be destroyed, and it would just be a mess under the control of the Flying Spirit Sect. In Tuan Mountain Town, although the situation isn''t like HuaMen Town''s trouble, it seems to be a bit more serious. Outside Tuan Mountain Town, there''s a sect called JiuHua Sect, which is also an outer strength of the Ghost Martial Sect. This time, it seems they''ve learned of the unrest in HuaMen Town and took the opportunity to set their sights on Tuan Mountain Town, wanting to take it under JiuHua Sect''s control. In Tuan Mountain Town, there are already many shops harassed by disciples of JiuHua Sect, demanding extra contributions, or else they would vandalize the shops and cause trouble. The shop owners in Tuan Mountain Town can only seek help from the Flying Spirit Sect every day. When the elders of the Flying Spirit Sect go there, those disciples of JiuHua Sect would have already run away. If ordinary disciples of the Flying Spirit Sect were to guard Tuan Mountain Town, they would be attacked by disciples of JiuHua Sect and unable to stop them. After hearing all this, Li Lin''s face immediately turned gloomy, these two matters are indeed troublesome. "Elder Hu, Tuan Mountain Town is our territory, and JiuHua Sect dares to openly invade it. Have you not sought the Ghost Martial Sect about this matter?" Li Lin pondered for a while before asking. Hu NanSheng said, "Sect Master, I have sought the Ghost Martial Sect three times. The first two times they sent a few disciples who gave me the run-around and sent me away. The third time I went, an external elder met me and said they would inquire with JiuHua Sect, but it''s been almost ten days, and JiuHua Sect is still causing trouble in Tuan Mountain Town, and we are completely unable to stop them. That''s why we just asked the Great Elder to discuss countermeasures." Li Lin''s face immediately became cold, pondering quietly. Seeing Li Lin''s solemn face, the five elders wanted to say something but dared not speak out, all turning their gaze towards Soul-Calling Poison General Dong WuMing. "Sect Master, what are your plans?" Soul-Calling Poison General Dong WuMing asked Li Lin quietly. "Do you sense anything, Elder Dong?" After a moment, Li Lin sighed and then asked Soul-Calling Poison General Dong WuMing. "This matter is probably not simple, as if someone is deliberately targeting the Flying Spirit Sect," Dong WuMing said hesitantly. "Correct. Everything in HuaMen Town and Tuan Mountain Town, if my guess is not wrong, the situation in HuaMen Town probably also involves people from JiuHua Sect. With both towns in turmoil, my Flying Spirit Sect will be caught in a dilemma, unable to handle it properly, allowing them to profit from this. And behind JiuHua Sect, there are likely people instructing them in the dark," Li Lin said softly. "Are you talking about the Ghost Martial Sect?" Dong WuMing''s expression darkened as he asked Li Lin. "The Flying Spirit Sect has just annihilated the Rakshasa Sect, and there have been rumors lately that the Flying Spirit Sect has a powerful figure stationed here. Elder Dong, do you think, without someone instructing them in the background, JiuHua Sect, although stronger than Rakshasa Sect, would dare to easily move against the Flying Spirit Sect at this time? Moreover, the Ghost Martial Sect has long had arrangements around the area and would not allow a peripheral force to dominate. If it were normal circumstances, JiuHua Sect moving against the Flying Spirit Sect''s territory would have caused the Ghost Martial Sect to intervene early, not neglect it," Li Lin snorted coldly. "So, it seems likely, but why would the Ghost Martial Sect do this?" Dong WuMing was still somewhat puzzled. "Ha ha." Li Lin''s cold demeanor receded, and he laughed, saying, "It''s because of you, Elder Dong. As long as the Ghost Martial Sect does not know your identity and why a powerful figure joined the Flying Spirit Sect, the Ghost Martial Sect will always try to probe your identity without directly intervening, to avoid offending you. And JiuHua Mountain, perhaps, has become a pawn of the Ghost Martial Sect. The Ghost Martial Sect will not tell JiuHua Mountain about the powerful figure within the Flying Spirit Sect being a Spirit Marshal. If JiuHua Mountain knew that the Flying Spirit Sect''s powerful figure was a Spirit Marshal, do you think JiuHua Mountain would dare to move against the Flying Spirit Sect?" "What do you plan to do now?" Dong WuMing looked at Li Lin, not asking anything else but his eyes showing a hint of surprise. Such astuteness, he could hardly believe this was from a seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth. Even he could not analyze the situation so clearly at once. "Elder Hu, go to Tuan Mountain Town now and secretly tell all the shops that until the Flying Spirit Sect resolves this matter, they do not need to make any contributions to the Flying Spirit Sect during this time," Li Lin said. "But Sect Master, this will have a huge impact on us, wouldn''t this be giving JiuHua Sect an advantage?" Hu NanSheng said, clearly dissatisfied. "Elder Hu, step back to broaden the horizons. A gentleman''s revenge, ten years is not too late, though a few months can still be waited. By then, we will take back what is ours, principal and interest," Li Lin said coldly, not one to suffer losses in silence. If he didn''t seek revenge, he would be letting himself down. Chapter 192: Instantaneous Kill "It''s the Sect Leader, I''ll do it right away," Hu NanSheng responded. "Sect Leader, how should we handle the situation with HuaMen Town?" Zhou YuHou asked. "Which of the medicinal herb shops in HuaMu Town is leading, and how strong is their influence?" Li Lin inquired. Zhou YuHou replied, "In HuaMen Town, it seems that all shops are following JuBaoMen this time. JuBaoMen has been in HuaMen Town for many years, and the shop owner is quite strong, possessing the strength of a double-layered Martial Spirit. There is also a four-layered Spirit Master in their ranks, along with numerous martial artists of various levels, making their overall power not weak." "JuBaoMen." A chill flashed through Li Lin''s eyes. He had been planning to deal with JuBaoMen recently, and unexpectedly, they had come to him. "Elder Zhou, I will personally go to HuaMen Town early tomorrow morning. You bring two hundred of our strongest disciples to accompany me, along with five elders. Elder Dong can stay and guard Flying Spirit Gate," Li Lin hesitated before saying. "Do you want me to go as well?" Poison Commander Dong WuMing frowned. "Elder Dong, it''s better for you to stay at Flying Spirit Gate. Some people might already be hoping for you to show up. Moreover, Elder Zhou, Elder Zheng, and I are enough to handle the situation in HuaMen Town," Li Lin''s eyes showed a hint of coldness mixed with a trace of mockery, murmuring, "Since someone wants to play, then I''ll gladly join them." Leaving the grand hall, Li Lin and Poison Commander Dong WuMing returned to their residence. "Brother, you''re back. XinTong missed you," the lovely Li XinTong immediately came to Li Lin''s side. "Reached the fourth level of Spirit Adept?" Seeing Li XinTong, Li Lin almost collapsed. In just over two months, Li XinTong had advanced from a first-level Spirit Adept to a fourth-level, a total increase of three levels. "Surprised, kid? XinTong''s innate poison body is even stronger than I imagined, and her cultivation speed is astonishing. I see no issue with XinTong breaking through to Spirit Soul within five years," Poison Commander Dong WuMing proudly smiled, cherishing his precious disciple. "Five years to Spirit Soul." Li Lin was immediately astonished. Five years later, XinTong would be only fifteen years old. A fifteen-year-old with a Spirit Soul cultivation level, such talent would surely shock everyone. "Master said, I will definitely become as strong as brother in the future," Li XinTong happily gazed at Li Lin, her young heart always believing her brother to be the strongest. "Of course, XinTong will definitely become very strong in the future. Then, no one will dare to bully XinTong," Li Lin said with a smile. A moment later, in Li Lin''s room, Poison Commander Dong WuMing took a seat. "Kid, are you really confident in handling all of this?" Poison Commander Dong WuMing asked Li Lin. "There shouldn''t be a problem. They want to play, so I''ll just play along," Li Lin said lightly. "Are you sure that it''s the Ghost Martial Sect pulling the strings behind this?" Poison Commander Dong WuMing inquired. "Almost certain. JiuHua Sect plans to intervene in Tuan Mountain Town, and the Ghost Martial Sect is unusually silent. If it weren''t for this, I wouldn''t dare to speculate it''s the Ghost Martial Sect," Li Lin said. "The Ghost Martial Sect is really careful," Poison Commander Dong WuMing laughed. "Elder Dong, if you were the Ghost Martial Sect, knowing that there''s an unknown Spirit Master strongman in Flying Spirit Gate, you''d also be unable to sleep peacefully," Li Lin said with a slight smile. "So, what''s your plan?" Poison Commander Dong WuMing asked with a wry smile. "Kill one to warn a hundred," a killing intent flashed in Li Lin''s eyes. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Aren''t you afraid of provoking the Ghost Martial Sect?" Poison Commander Dong WuMing asked lightly. "As long as Elder Dong is here, the Ghost Martial Sect wouldn''t dare to easily act against Flying Spirit Gate, unless it''s absolutely necessary," Li Lin spoke lightly. "I''m afraid Flying Spirit Gate won''t have that chance. With the Ghost Martial Sect targeting Flying Spirit Gate, it will be difficult for Flying Spirit Gate to grow," Poison Commander Dong WuMing said. "In this world, there are always ways if one is determined," Li Lin said enigmatically. "I believe in you, kid. You haven''t suffered a loss in what you do, and you''re not one to take a loss without retaliation. However, whatever you do, be careful," Poison Commander Dong WuMing earnestly told Li Lin. "I will," Li Lin nodded in response, appreciating the genuine concern from Elder Dong, a real show of care. The next morning, in Flying Spirit Gate, two hundred warhorses neighed proudly, fully equipped and ready to head to HuaMen Town. These horses were also confiscated from the LuoSha Sect in the past. "Greetings, Sect Leader." When Li Lin appeared, the two hundred strongest disciples of Flying Spirit Gate were already prepared to depart, including Fang XinQi, Zhang MingTao, Huang BoRan, and others. Knowing they were going to HuaMen Town with the Sect Leader again, everyone was excited. "Let''s go." Li Lin commanded, allowing the TianChi Snow Lion to follow in the air while he himself rode a horse. Little Dragon also proudly followed by Li Lin''s side, as a cavalry rushed forward, kicking up dust, speeding towards HuaMen Town. With two hundred people marching in a grand procession, they attracted quite a bit of activity along the way. Riding and whipping their horses, by the time they arrived at HuaMen Town, it was nearly noon. The imposing sound had already gathered many people at the town entrance to watch the excitement. "Go..." Li Lin whipped his horse and led the way directly to JuBaoMen. He was familiar with JuBaoMen, having visited once before. This time, he intended to settle both new and old scores. "Sect Leader, this is JuBaoMen." Two hundred people stood imposingly in front of JuBaoMen, blocking the street and causing many bystanders to retreat in panic. Inside JuBaoMen, customers who were buying goods, seeing the menacing approach of Flying Spirit Gate''s members, also panicked and pushed out of JuBaoMen, not daring to stay any longer. "What''s happening, what''s this about, who is causing trouble at my JuBaoMen?" A loud shout came from inside JuBaoMen, as the situation outside had already prompted someone to report back inside. "Come down," Li Lin said to the elders beside him. Dismounting, his expression cold, he fixed his gaze on a group of about thirty people coming out of JuBaoMen. Leading them was a white-robed man, around forty years old, slightly overweight, with a cold glare in his eyes. Beside this white-robed man was a young man in his late twenties, dressed in fine robes, his long hair tied up, exuding the aura of a Spirit Practitioner. Li Lin raised an eyebrow; this person must be the four-layered Spirit Master from JuBaoMen. A four-layered Spirit Master in a small town was indeed a rare entity, holding significant status even in larger sects. Among them was also an elderly man in his fifties, whom Li Lin naturally remembered as the manager who had served him last time he shopped at JuBaoMen, with only the strength of a single-layered Martial Master. Aside from these three, among the thirty or so people, Li Lin noticed six Martial Masters; the rest were Martial Fighters and Martial Apprentices in terms of strength. Overall, the strength of JuBaoMen was average. However, Li Lin began to doubt at that moment. JuBaoMen was the largest medicinal herb shop in HuaMen Town. Although the shop owner had the strength of a double-layered Martial Spirit, considering JuBaoMen''s value in the chaotic ancient domain could be at least over five million gold coins, it was surprising that a double-layered Martial Spirit could secure it. "Could it be that JuBaoMen has a backing power..." Li Lin thought to himself. "Oh, I wondered who it was. It turns out to be the elders of Flying Spirit Gate. Why have you all come? Please, come inside." During Li Lin''s observation, the white-robed man from JuBaoMen had already come forward, his face twitching subtly upon seeing Zhou YuHou, Hu NanSheng, and others. "Qi PangZi, this is our Sect Leader of Flying Spirit Gate, who has come especially for you," Hu NanSheng told the white-robed man. "So, it''s Sect Leader Li in person. I''ve long heard of Sect Leader Li''s youthful achievements and have always wanted to visit in person but was hindered by mundane affairs. Please forgive me," the white-robed man had been secretly sizing up Li Lin. Upon hearing Hu NanSheng''s introduction, he immediately greeted him warmly, as if greeting an old friend not seen for many years. "Do you remember me?" Li Lin simply glanced at Qi PangZi without any acknowledgment, making Qi PangZi extremely awkward. Then, Li Lin directly approached the fifty-year-old manager. "You are..." The elderly manager had been watching Li Lin closely. A young man who had purchased goods worth a hundred thousand gold coins from him, and the people he had sent after him were unaccounted for, left a deep impression on him. He immediately recognized Li Lin, his expression turning to surprise. He had thought those sent after the young man had fled with his possessions, but now it seemed they had met with misfortune. "Remember now? I bought some things from you, yet you sent people to assassinate me. JuBaoMen''s business seems to be all profit, no loss," Li Lin said softly, then his expression turned cold, a faint chill focusing on the manager. "Chichi..." Little Dragon, sensing the chill from Li Lin, also hissed and stared intently at the old man. "No, Sect Leader Li must be misunderstanding..." "Ch!" Before the manager could finish, his facial features suddenly stiffened, struggling to slowly lower his head, only to see five finger marks piercing through his chest, revealing five finger holes. Chapter 193: Battle with the Spirit Master "What misunderstanding? All explanations are nonsense," Li Lin indifferently stated as he withdrew his Qi. "Sect Leader Li, how could you just attack like that?" Qi PangZi''s face changed drastically, glaring at Li Lin furiously. "So what if I attacked? JuBaoMen, on the surface, conducts legitimate business in HuaMen Town, but secretly you ambush merchants and engage in despicable acts. Today, I will eliminate JuBaoMen to serve as a lesson to others. HuaMen Town is now under the control of Flying Spirit Gate, not somewhere you can do as you please," Li Lin huffed coldly and then instructed his companions, "Attack, leave none alive." As his words fell, Li Lin''s Qi vibrated intensely, unleashing a ferocious aura that pushed the surrounding air away. "Kill." The five elders, having received Li Lin''s order, acted immediately, sparing no one. Today''s goal was to eradicate JuBaoMen, to kill one as a warning to others. "What do you mean by this? Why attack without warning? We could have talked," Qi PangZi shouted, knowing he was no match for the entire strength of Flying Spirit Gate. "What do I mean? Simply to annihilate JuBaoMen," Hu NanSheng was the first to rush forward, his Qi trembling as he drew his long sword, sending a flurry of sword shadows towards Qi PangZi. "Swoosh..." Qi PangZi''s face darkened as he quickly retreated, not choosing to fight back but to flee instead. "Thinking of escaping? Too late." With a loud shout, Elder Zheng Ying''s sword shadow enveloped Qi PangZi with a scorching aura from behind. Following that, Chang Lei, Chen XinJie, and Zhou YuHou attacked Qi PangZi from all sides, with the five elders collectively targeting him. "Kill!" Zhang MingTao, Huang BoRan, and others also charged forward, with two hundred disciples of Flying Spirit Gate attacking the thirty members of JuBaoMen, feeling not the least bit ashamed but rather excited. "Thinking of running?" At that moment, Li Lin noticed the finely dressed four-layered Spirit Master attempting to flee into JuBaoMen amidst the chaos. Frowning slightly, Li Lin followed with a trace of coldness in his gaze. Passing through JuBaoMen, he reached a spacious courtyard behind it, but the Spirit Master in the fine robes was nowhere to be seen. Standing in the courtyard, Li Lin surveyed the area and sensed something, immediately heading towards the first room. "Whoosh whoosh..." Just as Li Lin entered the room, a massive burst of scorching Spirit Fire erupted. "Thud thud..." Li Lin had to quickly retreat, stumbling back several steps in the courtyard before stabilizing. By then, the finely dressed young man had appeared before him. "Hmph, so you''re just a four-layered Martial Master trying to take me on?" The young man in fine robes coldly said, sensing Li Lin''s aura. As he spoke, a powerful spiritual force emanated from the young man, Li Lin frowned slightly, acknowledging the Spirit Master''s significant spiritual power, far stronger than that of a Martial Master. "Spiritual Binding." In an instant, the Spirit Master shouted, forming hand seals, and from him surged streams of invisible spiritual power like fountains. The spiritual power quickly coalesced into ripples in the air, spreading out and pouring down. These ripples seemed harmless, but a closer look revealed faint traces in the space they passed through. The dense ripples descended from the sky, enveloping Li Lin in an instant, attacking directly towards his spirit. The most formidable aspect of a Spirit Master''s attack lies in the eerie spiritual power, a dreaded aspect for warriors. Li Lin smiled lazily, and as the spiritual ripples neared, an invisible energy wall seemed to form around him, blocking them from getting any closer. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. "Four-layered Spirit Master, it''s just that your spiritual power is too weak." "Soul Slash." Li Lin''s smile vanished, replaced by a cold smirk. Forming a hand seal, a surge of powerful spiritual force burst forth, with an invisible spiritual power vibrating intensely at his forehead. Between the fluctuations of power, space also trembled violently, followed by a strange sound that suddenly spread out in mid-air. The spiritual power around instantly gathered, creating a terrifying wind pressure that made the space begin to twist, spreading a formidable aura. A red spirit knife condensed in Li Lin''s hand, with spatial ripples wavering around it, as the howling wind sounded sharply. "Shoo...!" The red spirit knife instantly broke through the spatial airflow, sweeping across the surroundings, cutting through the void, and causing a spatial vibration with a single slash. The blade brought up a series of afterimages, carrying a terrifying force, and a dazzling light burst forth in an instant. This terrifying spirit knife, upon touching the invisible spiritual ripples of a Quadruple Spirit Master, directly ignored and penetrated through them, causing the surrounding space to distort momentarily, and a terrible energy fluctuation erupted. A barely audible energy cutting sound was transmitted, the spiritual ripples of the Quadruple Martial Master cracked open, and a powerfully unmatched force spread out... "You are also a Spirit..." Before the Quadruple Spirit Master could finish speaking, the red spirit knife directly penetrated through space and struck his forehead, causing his body to tremble violently. Instantly, intense pain transmitted from his soul, and the opponent''s power destroyed his soul as if it were decayed wood, causing him to lose consciousness. "I have never devoured a spirit person before; you are the first." Li Lin smiled slightly, and instantly, his True Qi flashed beneath his feet, and his fingers were immediately pressed on the Spirit Master''s crown. Moments later, under Li Lin''s spirit fire, the Quadruple Spirit Master turned into ashes. Killing this Quadruple Spirit Master, Li Lin himself was somewhat surprised. The Quadruple Spirit Master probably never imagined that he was also a Spirit Master. Caught off guard by the Soul Slash, his soul was severely damaged instantly. If he had been cautious earlier, it would have been more difficult for him to be killed. Now, devouring a Quadruple Spirit Master, Li Lin unexpectedly discovered that he had been concerned about not being able to devour a Spirit Master of this level with his own Single Spirit Master cultivation. However, after the devouring, he found that the spiritual power and soul power of the Quadruple Spirit Master were even weaker than his own, especially in terms of soul power. The cultivation of the opponent''s Quadruple Spirit Master was much inferior to his own in terms of soul power. All these reasons, Li Lin could only attribute to his possession of the Spirit Jade Bed and the consumption of the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid. During the recent devouring, Li Lin also employed the Soul Searching Technique, gaining some surprising information from the body of the Quadruple Spirit Master, causing his eyebrows to furrow slightly. When Li Lin returned outside, he saw that the entire street, from one end to the other, was crowded with onlookers. All the disciples of Jubaomen were already surrounded and killed, only Qi Pangzi, who was being attacked by Wu Nan Sheng and five other elders, was still desperately holding on despite appearing severely injured, with fresh blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. "Qi Pangzi, die." Zhou Yuhou''s hand, a yellow palm imprint pierced through space, turning into a yellow lightning, breaking through Qi Pangzi''s defense and striking his chest fiercely. "Puchi!" A fierce wind burst on Qi Pangzi''s chest, causing him to stagger and retreat. "Fierce Flame Spinning Knife." In that instant, Zheng Ying shouted loudly, and the fire attribute True Qi in his hand turned into a blade light that fiercely swept out. The blade light, with roaring flames, seemed to cut through space, fiercely striking at Qi Pangzi. Qi Pangzi''s face changed dramatically, and he hastily set up a protective circle. The blade light fiercely struck Qi Pangzi''s protective circle, and finally, with the force of splitting a mountain, it struck fiercely. With a burst sound, Qi Pangzi''s protective circle instantly shattered, the force sweeping across the surrounding space, dispersing the flames, and the violent Qi lifting a piece of the ground, creating cracks along the street, and dust flying everywhere... "Boom..." Zheng Ying''s Fierce Flame Spinning Knife directly struck Qi Pangzi''s chest, instantly turning him into pieces. Under the attack of five Elders with Martial Soul cultivation from Flying Spirit Gate, killing him was not impossible. This was all within Li Lin''s plan. "Jubaomen was wiped out just like that. Flying Spirit Gate is really ruthless, even more so than Luosha Gate." "It is said that Jubaomen took the lead in paying less tribute to other shops, probably why Flying Spirit Gate wiped them out. Now, Jubaomen has suffered a great loss." "Master, all have been killed." Hu Nansheng reported to Li Lin''s side. "Mm." Li Lin responded lightly, then glanced over the people on the entire street and said, "All shops in Huamen Town listen well, Huamen Town is Flying Spirit Gate''s territory, not somewhere you can do as you please. If anyone harbors ill intentions and incites others, don''t blame Flying Spirit Gate for being unkind." True Qi mixed within his voice, making the listeners'' ears somewhat numb. Chapter 194: Breakthrough in Spiritual Power After speaking, Li Lin cast a cold glance down the entire street. Then, his chill demeanor softened, revealing a slight smile, and he loudly said, "Of course, if you conduct your business honestly, we at Flying Spirit Gate are very welcoming and will protect you, allowing you to run your business smoothly and securely." "Senior Zheng, Senior Chen, Senior Chang, you go now to collect tributes from the other medicinal herb merchants. Senior Hu, Senior Zhou, arrange for disciples to follow me and take everything back to Flying Spirit Gate from Ju Bao Gate," Li Lin then instructed the five elders beside him. "Yes," responded the five elders, each accepting their tasks. "Hurry, gather up all the valuables, don''t leave a single item behind," Hu Nan shouted loudly inside Ju Bao Gate, leading over a hundred disciples. They were pillaging Ju Bao Gate like bandits, taking away pills, medicinal herbs, weapons, and refining materialsanything of value. Li Lin watched from the side, handing out several spatial bags to a few disciples, ensuring that all valuables were taken, nearly moving out the counters as well. The group of disciples was also brimming with excitement, seeing a lucrative future under their sect leader''s command. Surveying everything within Ju Bao Gate, Li Lin estimated all the pills, medicinal herbs, refining materials, and weapons, plus what he had learned from the memory of a fourth-level spirit master earlier. By the time they found a secret chamber at the back of Ju Bao Gate, which contained numerous third and fourth-grade pills, as well as high-grade medicinal herbs and materials, the total value was no less than six million gold coins. Additionally, the fourth-level spirit master and Qi Pangzi had storage rings on them, which contained valuables worth over two million gold coins. The storage ring of the fourth-level spirit master also contained a set of spirit techniques. Altogether, the valuables on Ju Bao Gate amounted to eight million gold coins. "Leader, all has been collected," Hu Nan excitedly reported to Li Lin after about two hours, holding six fully packed spatial bags. "Have you all taken your share?" Li Lin asked, taking the spatial bags. "We five elders, following the leader''s instructions, each chose a fourth-grade pill, ten thousand gold coins, and a weapon. For the disciples who came this time, those at the martial master level received five thousand gold coins and a third-grade pill each, while those at the martial warrior level got one thousand gold coins and two second-grade pills each," Zhou Yuhou reported, his face full of joy, having already selected their shares and reserved some for Zheng Ying and two others. "Leader, all has been collected," Zheng Ying and the other two elders also arrived inside Ju Bao Gate, all wearing smiles, and then Zheng Ying handed Li Lin several jade crystal cards and a spatial bag. "How did it go, did anyone else say anything?" Li Lin asked, looking at the jade crystal cards and the spatial bag, which contained numerous pills and, combined, held several hundred thousand gold coins, representing a month''s tribute from over thirty medicinal shops. This tribute included not only gold coins but also pills and medicinal herbs. "No, everyone said they have no relations with Ju Bao Gate and promised to pay their tribute on time every month. It seems they were scared by the sect leader," Chang Lei said with a smile. "Alright, let''s keep Ju Bao Gate for now. Assign two disciples to guard it; we might need it later. Everyone else, follow me back to Flying Spirit Gate," Li Lin said lightly, demonstrating that making an example out of one to warn others was absolutely effective for these shops. Doing business in medicinal pills and herbs is hugely profitable; they wouldn''t want to leave Hua Men Town. With that, the disciples of Flying Spirit Gate left in a majestic procession. The vast Ju Bao Gate was now empty, a sight that made the entire street sigh. Flying Spirit Gate was not to be trifled with, being even more ruthless than the previous Luo Sha Sect. "Was that the leader of Flying Spirit Gate just now? He seems young." Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. "He must be young, but unexpectedly ruthless and seemingly strong." "Flying Spirit Gate is getting better and better. Let''s go see if Flying Spirit Gate is recruiting new disciples. It would be great to join them." "It''s him, it''s really him. I''m saved, thank heavens." A lean figure in the crowd was shocked and then excited, his eyes filled with joy. If Li Lin were there, he would recognize this person as Liu Yishou, who had once deceived him in Tian Xing Town. However, he had to thank him because if it weren''t for Liu Yishou, he wouldn''t have obtained the Sky Wing Snow Lion. Liu Yishou hesitated for a moment with his sly eyes, then somehow found a horse and followed from a distance. Riding back, Li Lin returned to Flying Spirit Gate as dusk fell. "How did it go, smoothly?" Back at his residence, the Poisonous Soul Commander Dong WuMing asked. "All of Ju Bao Gate''s people have been killed, everything else is stable," Li Lin said lightly. "Decisive in killing, truly ruthless. I like it," Dong WuMing said with a sinister smile. "Unexpectedly, behind Ju Bao Gate was Jiuhua Sect, managing everything in the shadows. Jiuhua Sect''s reach had already extended into Hua Men Town," Li Lin revealed, having learned from the memories of a fourth-level spirit master that Ju Bao Gate''s true masters were from Jiuhua Sect, including Qi Pangzi and the fourth-level spirit master, all disciples of Jiuhua Sect. "Oh," Dong WuMing expressed surprise, then asked, "What are your plans next?" "The sect meeting of Ghost Martial Sect is coming up soon. After that, we will deal with Jiuhua Sect. Now that Ju Bao Gate has been taken down, I suppose they will have a headache for a while," Li Lin said with a cold smile, considering the eight million gold coins worth of goods obtained from Ju Bao Gate a significant loss to Jiuhua Sect. "Be careful at the Ghost Martial Sect meeting; after all, it''s their territory," Dong WuMing advised. "Because it''s in Ghost Martial Sect, there''s no need to be overly cautious. As long as Elder Dong is there, they won''t dare to do much to me at Ghost Martial Sect. At most, they''ll just make things difficult for me," Li Lin said with a slight smile. At night, Li Lin entered the secret chamber in the cave behind the mountain, sitting cross-legged on the spiritual jade bed, forming hand seals, and began to cultivate slowly, refining the spiritual power he had absorbed. The absorbed spiritual power was immense, even surpassing the soul spirit essence in quantity, yet it wasn''t as violent. This spiritual power was already in a form that Li Lin could refine directly after removing the impurities, making it usable for himself. Despite absorbing a fourth-level martial artist''s spiritual power being stronger than a dose of soul spirit essence, Li Lin''s body did not suffer from overfilling. After a brief refinement, the spiritual power entered the spiritual sea space in Li Lin''s mind, nourishing the soul force deep within his consciousness. Moments later, Li Lin entered a state of cultivation, his body enveloped in a faint, invisible light, with his aura slowly increasing. The speed of improvement was incredibly fast, turning the absorbed spiritual power into his own at an astonishing rate. Li Lin was also planning, after refining the absorbed spiritual power, he would soon be ready to head to Ghost Martial Sect. In the deep night outside Flying Spirit Gate, a figure was snooping around, muttering, "Wait until I find that young lady to come along, I''ve finally found him." "Who''s there?" At that moment, several figures appeared beside the person, who was quickly captured by a few disciples of Flying Spirit Gate. The next day, in the square in front of Flying Spirit Gate''s main hall, a lean figure was tied up to a tree, none other than the unfortunate Liu Yishou. "I told you to tell the truth. You were sneaking around Flying Spirit Gate and even claimed you took a wrong turn. Do you think I''m stupid? I''ll tie you up for ten days and a half month to see if you''ll speak the truth," Huang Boyan said loudly in front of the hall, with many Flying Spirit Gate disciples watching. "Brothers, I really took a wrong turn. Please let me go," Liu Yishou pleaded, on the verge of tears, having suffered a lot since being captured last night, only to be tied up today. "Still lying? Let''s see if you keep it up," Huang Boyan angrily said, picking up a bucket of cold water prepared earlier and pouring it over Liu Yishou. It was deep winter, close to the year''s end, and exceptionally cold. The bucket of cold water made Liu Yishou shiver all over; being only at the martial apprentice level, he couldn''t withstand the cold. "I''m telling the truth, please let me go. I''m here to find your sect leader, really," Liu Yishou said, sneezing and pleading. "You''re here to find our sect leader? What''s his name, do you know?" Huang Boyan asked. "I..." Liu Yishou was suddenly stumped; he really didn''t know... "Still daring to involve our sect leader, brothers, teach him a lesson until he decides to tell the truth," Huang Boyan furiously said. "Bang, bang, bang..." Poor Liu Yishou, with his lean physique, was immediately subjected to a beating, his bones cracking under the assault. Six days later, inside the cave on the back mountain, Li Lin was surrounded by a rich, invisible light shield, the entire cave filled with a dense atmosphere. In Li Lin''s mind, the spiritual sea space was full, yet massive amounts of spiritual power continued to surge towards him, circling outside the spiritual sea space. "Compress," Li Lin commanded in his heart, pressing his hands together, and the massive spiritual power instantly compressed and entered the spiritual space within. Chapter 195: It Turns Out to Be an Old Friend "Boom..." With a muffled sound emanating from the space within his mind, a tremendous force surged, compressing and then filling Li Lin''s mental space abruptly. The space of spiritual power expanded several times in an instant. "Sigh..." The breath soared instantly, and a huge energy from the world around entered Li Lin''s body at this moment. On the spirit jade bed, there was also a faint glow pouring into Li Lin''s body. At this moment, the soul space in his mind also received great benefits. A pure energy seeped out from the space of spiritual power, nourishing the soul, which became much more solid at this moment. After a long time, Li Lin''s aura calmed down, and by then, his aura had already reached the level of a third-rank spirit master. Four days ago, Li Lin was at the middle level of a first-rank spirit master, having refined a portion of the devoured spiritual power, he broke through to a second-rank spirit master in two days. Now, having refined all the devoured spiritual power, he had just broken through to the level of a third-rank spirit master. "Sigh..." Li Lin exhaled a breath of turbid air from within, feeling the abundant spiritual power in his body, he also revealed a hint of a smile. Advancing two levels of spiritual power in six days, this pace excited him. After tidying up, Li Lin left the cave''s secret chamber. Counting the time, there was about half a month left until the sect conference of the Ghost Martial Sect. He prepared to set off after getting ready. On the back mountain, Li Lin appeared among it. At this moment, several huge demonic beasts were playing together in the back mountain: the little dragon, the Sky Wing Snow Lion, the Bloodthirsty Mantis, the Green Demon Python, and the Lightning Black Panther. Among these beasts, the Bloodthirsty Mantis, the Green Demon Python, and the Lightning Black Panther all submitted to the Sky Wing Snow Lion, which in turn, completely submitted to the little dragon. "Swish swish..." The little dragon instantly moved several times and landed on Li Lin''s shoulder, showing great excitement. The four demonic beasts, including the Sky Wing Snow Lion, also obediently came to Li Lin''s side. "You can go hunting in the nearby mountains, but don''t go too far," Li Lin said to the demonic beasts, also planning in his mind. Now that he had several demonic beasts by his side, after the sect conference of the Ghost Martial Sect, he should refine some elixirs for these demonic beasts to consume. This would allow these demonic beasts to break through quickly. The Heavenly Spirit Record contained records on this aspect, able to assist the demonic beasts in breaking through at an extremely fast pace, which was much stronger than the Myriad Beasts Sect. The Myriad Beasts Sect could control only a few demonic beasts per person, but the beast controlling technique in the Heavenly Spirit Record could control many more demonic beasts. Most importantly, while controlling the demonic beasts, it also could help them break through quickly, something the Myriad Beasts Sect could not compare to. However, helping the demonic beasts to break through would be extremely costly. If it were before, Li Lin wouldn''t even dare to think about it. But now, he could barely afford it, although relying solely on eating into his resources. Although he nominally owned a hundred miles of land with two towns, supporting the development of the Flying Spirit Gate was far from enough. Even if his Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique could find a way to specifically devour martial artists and spirit masters in the future, it would not be enough to support the cultivation of demonic beasts. The cost of cultivating numerous demonic beasts would be even more terrifying than his Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique. "Roar..." The demonic beasts roared softly and then slowly headed towards the nearby mountains, with the little dragon following behind the Sky Wing Snow Lion. Li Lin was not worried about the little dragon and the Sky Wing Snow Lion in the nearby mountains. There were no strong beings nearby. With Dong WuMing, the Soul-Commanding Poisonous General around, any strong beings approaching would be detected by Dong WuMing. Moreover, both the little dragon and the Sky Wing Snow Lion were not easy to deal with. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Leaving the back mountain, Li Lin was about to return to his residence when he saw Zhang Mingtao and Fang Xinqi leaving the residence. "Greetings, Sect Master." Zhang Mingtao and Fang Xinqi quickly paid their respects. "What''s the hurry?" Li Lin saw their hurried expressions and casually asked. "Sect Master, we caught a spy a few days ago. He initially said he took the wrong path, and then he said he was looking for you, Sect Master. But he didn''t even know your name. We interrogated him for a few days, and he still hasn''t said who sent him, so we were planning to interrogate him again," Fang Xinqi said. "Take me to see him." Li Lin''s eyebrows raised, and he went to see the spy with Zhang Mingtao and Fang Xinqi. In front of the Flying Spirit Gate''s main hall, a thin figure was tied up on a big tree, his messy hair covering half of his face, his clothes tattered, and his aura extremely weak. "Greetings, Sect Master." As soon as Li Lin appeared, the surrounding disciples immediately paid their respects with respect, and Huang Boran was among them, whipping Liu Yishou harshly. "Is it him?" Li Lin looked at Liu Yishou, who was tied up, but couldn''t make out his appearance, though he felt he had seen this person somewhere. "Sect Master, please save me, save me!" Liu Yishou''s eyes suddenly lit up as if he had seen light in the darkness. These six days had been worse than death for him. Only heaven knew how much he had suffered. The people of the Flying Spirit Gate had used every possible means to torment him, and he had wished for death but couldn''t die. "Who are you..." Li Lin''s eyebrows raised, the voice sounding familiar. "Sect Master, it''s me, look, it''s me." Liu Yishou struggled to shake his head, scattering his messy hair to reveal a thin, dry, haggard, and lifeless face. "Liu... Yishou, you are Liu Yishou." Li Lin was taken aback, not recognizing him immediately. Originally, Liu Yishou had a sly and rat-like appearance, but now, he looked like an addict, with sunken eyes as if he had been soaked in water. "Yes, Master, it''s me. I''m glad you recognize me. Please, release me." Liu Yishou became excited, realizing for the first time that being recognized could also be thrilling. "Sigh..." Just then, as if a gust of prestige blew past, many of the surrounding Flying Spirit Gate disciples who were watching vanished in an instant. They hadn''t expected the Sect Master to actually know this person, who really came looking for the Sect Master. They had been tormenting him not so lightly, and with this realization, all disciples suddenly broke out in cold sweat, worrying about the trouble they had caused by tying up a friend of the Sect Master for six days. Li Lin turned to look, Zhang Mingtao, Fang Xinqi, and Huang Boran were also dripping with cold sweat, trembling. "What are you doing, getting so scared?" Li Lin asked the three. "Sect Master, we didn''t do it on purpose. We saw his sly and rat-like appearance and thought he was a spy, so we tied him up. We didn''t know he was a friend of the Sect Master," Huang Boran immediately knelt on the ground, inwardly thinking he was in big trouble. "Get up. Who told you he is my friend? This kid swindled me last time in Tianxing Town. Continue to take good care of him," Li Lin said indifferently. "What, not a friend of the Sect Master, but a swindler who even swindled the Sect Master?" Huang Boran, Zhang Mingtao, and the other disciples instantly breathed a sigh of relief. "Daring to swindle our Sect Master, I''ll whip you to death..." Huang Boran suddenly shouted, standing up with a long whip in hand, raised high, ready to lash out at Liu Yishou. "Master, please spare my life, I didn''t do it on purpose," Liu Yishou immediately became miserable. "Wait..." Li Lin suddenly remembered something, then said, "Liu Yishou, why did you come to find me? What''s the matter?" Hearing the Sect Master''s words, Huang Boran immediately backed down, relieved to know this person wasn''t a friend of the Sect Master. "Master, I came to you for help. Please release me first," Liu Yishou pleaded. "Release him," Li Lin told Huang Boran. Moments later, Liu Yishou stood in front of Li Lin, wilted and exhausted, clearly having suffered greatly over the past six days. "Speak, what''s the matter? How did you know I''m at the Flying Spirit Gate?" Li Lin asked. "Master, it''s a long story. I have no strength at all now. Could you give me something to eat first, and then I''ll talk after I''ve eaten?" Liu Yishou said. "If you don''t talk, forget it. Have him chopped up and fed to the demonic beasts," Li Lin said indifferently. "Yes, Sect Master," Huang Boran immediately responded. "No, I''ll talk, I''ll talk right now," Liu Yishou immediately said, "Someone fed me a poisoned pill, forcing me to find you, or else I would surely die." "Who sent you to find me?" Li Lin''s eyebrows raised, his mind immediately thought of Lv Xiaoling, suspecting that only Lv Xiaoling would send Liu Yishou to find him. "This..." Liu Yishou looked at Li Lin with his sly and rat-like eyes, then said, "I don''t know her. You''ll know if you go." "Not telling the truth, do you really want to be fed to the demonic beasts?" Li Lin said coldly. Feeling the coldness in Li Lin''s eyes, Liu Yishou shivered and hurriedly said, "I''ll tell, I''ll tell. It was that woman who wanted to find you, Master. I don''t know her name. She said you stole something from her, and as long as you return it, there would be no problem." "She probably said that after finding me, she would chop me alive, right?" Li Lin said with a slight smile, knowing Lv Xiaoling''s temper, she wouldn''t let him off easily. "How did you know?" Liu Yishou said in surprise. "I naturally know. How did you find me?" Li Lin asked curiously. "I ate the poisoned pill, and after searching for several months without finding you, I thought I was surely going to die. So, I just wandered around, and a few days ago in Huamen Town, I saw you, Master, and followed you all the way here," Liu Yishou said weakly. Chapter 196: The Flying Puppet "Is that so." Li Lin''s gaze shifted, and then he said to Liu Yishou, "Considering you have inadvertently helped me, I''ll let you have a full meal before killing you." As the words fell, Li Lin gave Huang Boran a look, signaling him to handle it. Liu Yishou didn''t initially want to kill him, but if this man brought Lv Xiaoling here, it would cause trouble for the Flying Spirit Gate. Thus, Li Lin had no choice but to kill Liu Yishou. "Sir, please spare my life. I wont tell that woman," Liu Yishou pleaded, sweating profusely, feeling the murderous intent from Li Lin. Li Lin ignored him. To avoid trouble for the Flying Spirit Gate, this man must be killed. Although Li Lin was not a bloodthirsty person, there was no other way. "Let''s go, have a good meal," Huang Boran said, pulling Liu Yishou along. "Sir, please spare me. I don''t want to die. You can release me, and I can work for you. I''ll join the Flying Spirit Gate and do anything you ask," Liu Yishou begged loudly. Li Lin frowned slightly, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "After he has eaten, send him to me." "Yes, Sect Leader," Huang Boran replied. Two hours later, in Li Lin''s room, Liu Yishou, who had washed and eaten, stood beside Li Lin, looking somewhat uneasy, worried about his life. "Now, you have only two choices: join the Flying Spirit Gate or die now," Li Lin said indifferently. "Sir, I''ll join the Flying Spirit Gate. But I only have three months left to live. The poison pill will act in a little over three months," Liu Yishou said. "The poison pill is not a problem. I naturally have a way to detoxify you," Li Lin said. "Really? Thank you, Sect Leader. I''m willing to be a workhorse for you," Liu Yishou immediately knelt down excitedly. If the poison pill in his body could be removed, that would be great. Li Lin smiled slightly. With the Soul Summoning Poison Master Dong Wuming around, the poison pill in Liu Yishou''s body was nothing. Keeping Liu Yishou around was part of another plan. Liu Yishou''s talent was not great, but he was clever and sly. Such a person might not be good at cultivation, but he was definitely good for business. After the Sect Conference of the Ghost Martial Sect, Li Lin had plans to utilize Liu Yishou, as there were not many people in the Flying Spirit Gate who could be used at the moment. Then, Li Lin handed Liu Yishou over to the Soul Summoning Poison Master Dong Wuming. Detoxifying was an easy task for Dong Wuming. However, Dong Wuming then gave Liu Yishou a new poison pill, the Blood Devouring Bone Eroding Pill, which Li Lin had once consumed. Without the antidote within a year, death was certain. This poison was tens of times more potent than the original poison pill in Liu Yishou''s body. Liu Yishou immediately became depressed. He had just escaped from the wolf''s den, only to enter a tiger''s den. All this was arranged by Li Lin through the Soul Summoning Poison Master Dong Wuming. Li Lin could not fully trust Liu Yishou yet and had to be cautious. After giving instructions to Dong Wuming, Li Lin planned to go into seclusion once more before heading to the Ghost Martial Sect. With the Winged Snow Lion, it would take only a day to reach there, and there were still about ten days left, so there was no rush. Then, Li Lin instructed Zhang Mingtao to take Liu Yishou to Huamen Town to stay there for a while longer. As for the reason, Li Lin did not say. In the secret chamber of the back mountain, Li Lin sat cross-legged, took out the Fire Dragon Cauldron in front of him, and then placed numerous refining materials in front of him. During this period, Li Lin wanted to refine another puppet. From the Treasure Gathering Gate, he had obtained many refining materials. With a hand seal, spiritual power was injected into the Fire Dragon Cauldron, and immediately, roaring flames burst forth, making the space extremely hot. One by one, the materials were thrown into the Fire Dragon Cauldron by Li Lin, starting to refine them gradually. The werewolf puppet he had refined last time was only used secretly in the Misty Mountain Range once, and the effect was not bad. However, the werewolf puppet was only a second-level advanced puppet. Now, with his strength improved, Li Lin intended to refine a third-level initial puppet, whose strength was comparable to a third-level martial artist. In some ways, the third-level initial puppet was even stronger than a third-level martial artist. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! As time slowly passed, refining the third-level puppet also consumed much more resources. Six days later, in the secret chamber, Li Lin''s spiritual power was poured into the Fire Dragon Cauldron, the flames within the cauldron surged continuously, and after several days of refining, all the materials had been turned into a solution by Li Lin. The spiritual fire kept burning and refining, needing to remove all impurities from these solutions to create the perfect puppet. A puppet''s body with impurities would have significantly reduced defensive capabilities. "Puppetry, condense for me." One day later, Li Lin uttered a low shout, his hands forming strange seals, and beams of light entered the Fire Dragon Cauldron. "Shh..." Within the Fire Dragon Cauldron, a huge mass of solution burst out, immediately enveloped by a spirit fire in the mid-air of the secret chamber, turning the entire chamber a faint red due to the scorching breath. Li Lin continuously formed hand seals, sending rays of light from his hands onto the solution. As the light entered, flames would roar and rise. Meanwhile, Li Lin''s complexion became increasingly pale. Hours later, the mass of solution slowly condensed into a figure about two meters tall, with drops of scorching liquid slowly dripping and rotating under Li Lin''s control, changing orderly. Moments later, this mass of scorching solution began to coalesce into a tangible form. Under the envelopment of the spirit fire, it turned into a giant bird about one meter tall and three meters wide, its body almost filling the entire cave. The bird had wings, a sharp beak, and claws, looking like a living creature. Its body, forged by the spirit fire, shone brightly, showing a metallic luster and texture. "Retract." Li Lin uttered a low command, and the giant bird''s crimson body disappeared, immediately turning into a dark green metallic luster, emanating a sharp aura. "Puppetry Secret Technique." Once again, a deep shout came from Li Lin''s mouth, as mysterious rays of light were infused into the giant bird. Its eyes suddenly opened, void of pupils, yet shining light, becoming more like a real object. Its body, even its wings, fluttered, no longer as stiff as before. "Success." Moments later, Li Lin stopped his hand seals, his face pale from the immense energy consumption. Having the experience of refining puppets before, this time the process was smooth, and a smile appeared on his lips. Looking at the giant bird puppet in front of him, Li Lin was extremely satisfied. This was a rare flying puppet named Iron Condor, with formidable strength, and its ability to fly made it incredibly difficult to deal with. "Ghost Martial Sect." A flicker of determination flashed in Li Lin''s eyes. With two puppets, a little dragon, the Winged Snow Lion, and other monsters like the Green Demon Python, he felt somewhat confident. After tidying up, Li Lin rested for another day before leaving the secret chamber. After bidding farewell to the Soul Summoning Poison Master Dong Wuming, Li Xin Tong, and others, Li Lin, along with the little dragon, the Bloodthirsty Mantid, the Green Demon Python, the Lightning Black Panther, and the Winged Snow Lion, set off for the Ghost Martial Sect, with only three days left until the Sect Conference mentioned by Du Yunshan. Riding on the Winged Snow Lion, with the little dragon circling around Li Lin''s shoulder, and the Bloodthirsty Mantid, the Green Demon Python, and the Lightning Black Panther all stored in the spatial beast bag. The Winged Snow Lion''s speed was extremely fast. In less than a day, they reached the core territory of the Ghost Martial Sect. Li Lin decided to disembark from the Winged Snow Lion as it was too conspicuous, choosing instead to proceed on foot to the Ghost Martial Sect. Storing the Winged Snow Lion in the spatial beast bag, Li Lin headed towards the Ghost Martial Sect. Despite being located in the mountains, the presence of the Ghost Martial Sect had turned the surrounding area into a bustling city known as Ghost Martial City. With millions of residents and spanning thousands of miles, it was the most lively place in the area and the economic and trade center within the Ghost Martial Sect''s territory. Li Lin had already gathered this information. The Ghost Martial Sect was located within Ghost Martial City, where the strongest individuals gathered, marking the core territory of the sect. "Whoosh..." A roaring sound passed overhead, as several large flying beasts emerged from Ghost Martial City, stirring up a whistling sound. Li Lin looked up to see these flying beasts were all of the third tier, befitting the Ghost Martial Sect''s territory. It seemed that the Flying Spirit Gate would need some time to catch up with the current power of the Ghost Martial Sect. Exiting the mountain, Li Lin observed Ghost Martial City ahead. The city''s architecture stretched endlessly, with busy streets bustling with merchants and warriors, creating a lively atmosphere. To avoid attracting too much attention, despite protests from the little dragon, Li Lin stored it in the spatial beast bag and entered the city. He couldn''t help but be surprised by the sight at the city gate, where many armored individuals stood guard, all of martial warrior level, with a few reaching the martial master level, presumably disciples of the Ghost Martial Sect. Li Lin was amazed by everything in Ghost Martial City. Upon entering, the bustling noise immediately hit him. The wide streets were crowded with a constant flow of people, surrounded by majestic buildings. The streets were broad, giving the city a grand and majestic atmosphere, with endless streams of people and loud hawking noises filling the air. Chapter 197: Encounter in the City Ghost Martial City was boundless and immense, where only the Ghost Martial Sect was the absolute ruler. This place was the world of the Ghost Martial Sect. On the streets, Li Lin saw disciples of the Ghost Martial Sect, not all clad in armor, walking back and forth, seemingly patrolling. Of course, there were also other smaller forces within Ghost Martial City. However, compared to the Ghost Martial Sect, they were somewhat insignificant, only able to exist under the dominance of the Ghost Martial Sect, floating like plankton, looking up to the Ghost Martial Sect. Everything in Ghost Martial City belonged to the Ghost Martial Sect. After arriving in this foreign world, Li Lin had never visited such a bustling place. Although Qingyun Town was lively, it was nothing compared to Ghost Martial City, not even on the same level. Li Lin thought to himself, no wonder Uncle Jiang often said that the Li family was nothing, not amounting to anything on the entire Lingwu Continent. After wandering through the intricate streets of the city for nearly an hour, Li Lin''s interest waned, and he then looked up at a shop called Thousand Medicine Gate. This was a shop selling pills, refining materials, and medicinal herbs. Li Lin walked in to see what level the shops within the Ghost Martial Sect were. Entering the shop, Li Lin was somewhat surprised. This shop was clearly not the largest pill shop of the Ghost Martial Sect, but inside, there were quite a few fourth-grade pills and some rare refining materials, which were not uncommon here. "Little cousin, what do you think of this? This thousand-year cold jade stone is a great item for spirit masters like you." Next to a counter, two young men in fine clothes were surrounding a stunningly beautiful girl. Behind this beautiful girl stood a man and a woman, both middle-aged, their bodies emanating a faint but powerful aura. At this moment, many men in the shop were stealthily glancing at the stunning girl, even the middle-aged man behind the counter was surreptitiously looking down at her. The girl was too beautiful, with delicate features, fair skin, long black hair, and most importantly, dressed too provocatively. She wore a tight leather armor that snugly covered her chest, her long beautiful legs, round and firm buttocks, and around her waist hung two beautifully patterned short swords, half a meter each. Her beauty carried a hint of wildness, making it impossible for men to shift their gaze away, especially her fair and slender thighs, which any man would yearn to touch. This girl was Lv Xiaoling. "Elder Wang, tell my cousin, what year was the cold jade stone I refused last time?" Lv Xiaoling spoke to the middle-aged woman behind her. "Miss, the cold jade stone you threw away last time seemed to be five thousand years old," the middle-aged woman replied with a slight smile. Hearing this, the young man in fine clothes who had spoken earlier suddenly looked displeased, harshly throwing a piece of white jade stone onto the counter and angrily said, "Damn cold jade stone, daring to sell one that''s only a thousand years old. Next time I see this, I''ll smash your shop." "Yes, Young Master Dai," the middle-aged man behind the counter immediately turned pale with fear. "Miss, we should go back. The sect leader is waiting for you. We can''t afford to be responsible if something happens," the middle-aged man behind Lv Xiaoling said. "Elder Liu, I said I would return after watching the Ghost Martial Sect''s conference. I really don''t know how you found me. If I had known, I wouldn''t have come to the Ghost Martial Sect," Lv Xiaoling glared at the middle-aged man. "Miss, it''s dangerous here. We should return sooner. If you like to play, we can call some disciples to accompany you in the sect," the middle-aged woman said. "Eh..." Lv Xiaoling huffed at the middle-aged woman, about to speak, but her gaze suddenly caught a figure in green robes. Li Lin was examining a refining material in the shop, essential for making puppets, when he suddenly felt a gaze from afar looking towards him. Quickly looking forward, his expression changed, and he murmured, "Lv Xiaoling." Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. "Elder Wang, Elder Liu, catch him for me," Lv Xiaoling shouted loudly. "Miss, catch whom?" The middle-aged man and woman were puzzled, but in an instant, both of their expressions changed. At that moment, two figures leaped in the shop, heading straight for Lv Xiaoling. "Miss, be careful, it''s an ambush," the middle-aged man and woman shouted, rushing forward, their Qi surging, clashing with the attackers. "Little thief, don''t run," Lv Xiaoling chased after Li Lin. "It''s a small world indeed," Li Lin sighed, immediately fleeing, rushing out of Thousand Medicine Gate, with Lv Xiaoling hot on his heels, making him speed up even more. "Little thief, don''t go," Lv Xiaoling shouted, desperately chasing after him, but her speed couldn''t match Li Lin''s. "I''ll borrow your horse," Lv Xiaoling, seeing Li Lin getting away, immediately took a horse from the entrance of a tavern and pursued him directly. "Little cousin." "Miss Ling..." The two young men in fine clothes stood frozen for a moment before reacting and immediately chased after her. "Run towards the city outskirts." Li Lin looked back and saw Lv Xiaoling still chasing him, his heart sank, and he immediately headed for the outskirts of the city, as it was difficult to hide within the city. "Go..." Lv Xiaoling spurred her horse on, whipping it to chase after Li Lin. Moments later, she reached the city gate and saw Li Lin had already run outside the city. Without any hesitation, she directly pursued him. Moments later, two figures in fine clothes reached the city gate and saw Lv Xiaoling, in the distance, spurring her horse on, their expressions drastically changed. The young man who was a fifth-level martial artist immediately grabbed a young man in armor beside him and ordered, "Notify everyone to chase after him for me." "Yes, Young Master." Everyone at the city gate immediately set off to chase, not daring to delay. "Winged Snow Lion." As he rushed out of the city gate and saw Lv Xiaoling continuing to chase him, Li Lin quickly slapped his spatial beast bag, and a streak of white light immediately leaped out. "Roar..." The Winged Snow Lion appeared in mid-air, a flash of Qi under its feet, and Li Lin leaped onto its back in an instant. "Ha ha, Lv Xiaoling, keep chasing if you can, I''ll be going ahead." Li Lin smiled slightly, and the Winged Snow Lion sped forward rapidly. Its speed was something a horse could not catch up with. "You liar, thief, you think I can''t catch up with you? I won''t let you go," Lv Xiaoling shouted angrily. Riding the Winged Snow Lion and leaving Lv Xiaoling far behind, Li Lin finally breathed a sigh of relief. He then had the Winged Snow Lion land in a nearby mountain range, planning to return to Ghost Martial City after a few hours. He hadn''t expected Lv Xiaoling to also be in the Ghost Martial Sect; truly, it was a small world. After storing the Winged Snow Lion, Li Lin surveyed the surrounding mountain range. This was near Ghost Martial City. He had just entered the city when he was immediately chased out, quite unlucky indeed. Walking back slowly, Li Lin was sure Lv Xiaoling couldn''t catch up with the Winged Snow Lion and wouldn''t foolishly keep chasing. Crossing a mountaintop, Ghost Martial City appeared in sight again. Li Lin smiled bitterly, about to move forward when his expression suddenly darkened, and he rapidly retreated. "Shh..." A huge silver figure instantly leaped out, bringing with it sharp claw marks that ferociously landed where Li Lin had just stood, instantly kicking up dust and creating a large pit in the ground. "Silver Spirit Phantom Mouse, it''s Lv Xiaoling." Li Lin''s expression darkened. This was not just any beast but the Silver Spirit Phantom Mouse that had been with the Winged Snow Lion last time, now Lv Xiaoling''s protective spirit beast. "You liar, thief, give back my Winged Snow Lion," a scolding voice, unsurprisingly, came from behind Li Lin. "How did you catch up, Lv Xiaoling?" Li Lin asked in surprise, turning around to see Lv Xiaoling in her provocative attire, practically inviting men to commit sins. "Hmph, you think you can escape just because you have the Winged Snow Lion? I have my ways," Lv Xiaoling said proudly, then her face turned angry, "Give back my Winged Snow Lion, or else, I will not let you go, even to the ends of the earth." "Heh heh!" Li Lin chuckled mischievously, "Miss, I''m very innocent. Even if you chase me, you might not be able to catch me." "You..." Lv Xiaoling blushed at his response, then stomped her foot and shouted, "Little Phantom, catch him!" "Squeak squeak..." The Silver Spirit Phantom Mouse squeaked and immediately transformed into a streak of light, fiercely pouncing towards Li Lin. Its huge body, several meters tall, brought a howling sound as it moved through the air. "Your Silver Spirit Phantom Mouse is not strong enough." Li Lin smiled slightly. At this moment, the Silver Spirit Phantom Mouse was still only at the second-tier mid-stage level, which he was not afraid of. "Mountain Splitting Palm." Li Lin shouted lightly, a lightning-fast earthen yellow energy palm print swept out, enveloping the surrounding space and striking towards the huge Silver Spirit Phantom Mouse. "Whoosh whoosh..." As the Silver Spirit Phantom Mouse opened its mouth, revealing two sharp fangs, a blade of wind sprayed out, seemingly unaffected by the palm print, and swept towards Li Lin. "Spirit beasts are indeed different." Li Lin was slightly surprised. The attacks of spirit beasts are different from those of demonic beasts; they can directly affect a person''s soul, similar to a spiritual practitioner. "Disperse." Li Lin shouted lightly, an invisible barrier formed around him, and the wind blades from the Silver Spirit Phantom Mouse fell on the barrier, instantly dispersing. Chapter 198: Emerging Like a Lotus "Swindler, I''ll teach you a proper lesson." At this moment, Lv Xiaoling shouted angrily, her hand conjuring a long sword with spiritual power, and ferociously slashed towards Li Lin. The violent spiritual power filled the air, causing the surrounding space to howl open. Lv Xiaoling, with her third-level spiritual master''s cultivation, was not weak at all. Among the younger generation, she was definitely considered a strong contender. Li Lin instantly retreated explosively. With no outsiders present, he was not afraid of Lv Xiaoling. Dodging to the side, he instantly avoided Lv Xiaoling''s attack. "Hmph, you left me alone on Lanling Mountain." Lv Xiaoling shouted again, her spiritual power bursting out. She rapidly formed hand seals, and the space around her twisted as if it had been distorted. The violent spiritual power turned into thousands of fine threads, piercing through space and surging violently towards Li Lin. Li Lin''s expression became somewhat solemn at this moment. Lv Xiaoling, a third-level spiritual master, was not easy to provoke. He was about to use his Soul Blade Technique but instantly thought better of it, considering it too domineering. Using it might put Lv Xiaoling in danger. "Thousand Hand Splitting Seal." Li Lin changed his hand seal, and suddenly, a vast amount of earth attribute energy surged like a tide from all around, emitting waves of violent power that instantly converged in his palm seal. In an instant, a yellow palm seal soared into the sky, turning into several blurred palm prints, forming a lotus made of afterimages. The palm seal exploded, and countless spiritual power threads in the surrounding space followed with earth-shattering explosions, booming through the air, spreading a violent energy. "Bang!" A figure in a green robe pierced through the space, leaving a trail of afterimages, and a palm seal landed directly on Lv Xiaoling''s shoulder, unleashing a huge force. "Ah..." In pain, Lv Xiaoling screamed, her delicate body sent flying. "Splash..." A sound of water echoed. Not far away, there was a shallow pond with clear water flow. Lv Xiaoling splashed into the pond. "Squeak squeak..." Seeing its master sent flying, the Silver Spirit Phantom Mouse attacked Li Lin again. "Beast." Li Lin cursed, not afraid of a second-tier mid-stage spirit beast. He formed a hand seal, and five fire shadows sliced through the air, instantly rushing towards the Silver Spirit Phantom Mouse. "Where is she?" At the same time, Li Lin turned to look into the pond, but Lv Xiaoling''s figure was nowhere to be seen. "She couldn''t have drowned, could she!" Li Lin frowned, not intending to kill her. Lv Xiaoling was naive and ignorant of the ways of the world, and he had also taken her Snow Lion Wings. Killing her would be somewhat dishonorable. Li Lin then looked towards the pond. Although it was not deep, it was definitely not shallow either. It was difficult to see the bottom through the clear water surface. "Pfft..." A figure suddenly burst out of the water. Lv Xiaoling spat out a mouthful of water, apparently having been choked. At this moment, Li Lin''s mind was shocked. This was too provocative! Lv Xiaoling was drenched, her skin like condensed milk, her black hair disheveled, clinging to her jade shoulders with droplets of water, her figure slender and exquisite, her slender waist barely a handful, the upper half of her body, aside from the tightly wrapped peaks under the leather armor, seemed almost transparent. What was more fatal was that the wet leather armor clung tightly to Lv Xiaoling''s chest, making her peaks emerge as if they were about to burst out of the armor. It was this partially concealed appearance that added a few more charms to the already provocative Lv Xiaoling. In an instant, Li Lin''s body uncontrollably rose with the male instinct. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. "Squeak squeak..." A breaking wind sound approached rapidly, the Silver Spirit Phantom Mouse avoiding Li Lin''s five shadow fire fingers'' attack, and once again pounced towards Li Lin. "Qing Ling Armor." Just as Li Lin harbored improper thoughts, the speed of the Silver Spirit Phantom Mouse was extremely fast. It was already too late to dodge, his expression changed drastically, and he immediately set up the Qing Ling Armor. With a loud "bang," a massive force collided, and the Silver Spirit Phantom Mouse''s claw mark fiercely grasped onto Li Lin''s Qing Ling Armor, sparking a flurry of sparks. The huge body of the Silver Spirit Phantom Mouse staggered and retreated, while Li Lin was also sent flying down, coincidentally falling into the shallow pond below. The power attack of the Silver Spirit Phantom Mouse was not strong, and with the Qing Ling Armor, Li Lin did not suffer substantial damage. However, his body was still sent flying due to a moment of carelessness. The power of the Silver Spirit Phantom Mouse was not strong, but it was not weak either. As Li Lin fell from mid-air, instinctively, his hands stretched forward to brace himself, a common reaction when falling. "Splash..." All of this happened in the blink of an eye. After falling into the water, Li Lin found his hands grasping onto something soft. He was startled to realize that his hands were actually on Lv Xiaoling''s breasts. "You swindler, you''re also a pervert." Lv Xiaoling scolded loudly, furiously forming a hand seal. Spiritual power burst forth, and a massive energy shook the entire pond, roaring towards him. With the attack so close, Li Lin had no way to avoid it. Forming a hand seal, a layer of spiritual power enveloped him, as Lv Xiaoling''s attack was mainly aimed at the soul, and Li Lin dared not take it lightly. "Bang bang..." The huge explosions were deafening, spreading throughout the shallow pond. The sound of the water waves and explosions echoed continuously, booming through the sky. "I''m leaving first; I didn''t do it on purpose." Feeling guilty, Li Lin, having touched someone else, felt embarrassed to stay longer. Taking advantage of the momentum, he quickly retreated. "You''re asking for it, kid." At this moment, a sharp shout suddenly sounded, and a figure appeared in front of Li Lin out of thin air, twisting the space around him and enveloping him in an invisible spatial binding force. "A Martial Commander powerhouse." Li Lin''s face changed drastically. True Qi surged out as he struggled, but he found himself enveloped by an overwhelming force, unable to move. This immense power was terrifying, reminding Li Lin of the powerful beings from Tianxing Sect who had once surrounded and attacked Dong Wuji in the canyon. The newcomer was a Martial Commander. "Bang bang..." The space twisted and exploded, revealing cracks. Li Lin felt an immense force pouring onto him, unable to resist, and spat out blood, subsequently falling to the ground. At the same time, a middle-aged woman wearing a green long dress appeared in mid-air, one of the two people who had been following Lv Xiaoling. "Elder Wang, you''ve arrived just in time." Seeing the newcomer, Lv Xiaoling immediately said, her expression brightening. "Miss, how did you end up like this?" Seeing Lv Xiaoling looking drenched, the middle-aged woman was immediately shocked. It was as if she was nearly exposed, an improper sight for a lady of her standing. "I''m fine." Lv Xiaoling said, then walked over to Li Lin, who had fallen to the ground: "Let''s see if this swindler is dead yet?" "Swindler, what did he swindle from you, Miss?" The middle-aged woman asked in surprise. "Elder Wang, nothing, he didn''t swindle anything from me." Lv Xiaoling immediately retorted, shaking her head. "Miss, don''t tell me this young man swindled you out of your..." The middle-aged woman looked at Lv Xiaoling with a peculiar gaze. "Elder Wang, what are you thinking? He wouldn''t dare." Lv Xiaoling blushed, remembering that she had been touched by this young swindler, and a shy look passed through her eyes. "Swindler, are you dead?" Lv Xiaoling then walked over to Li Lin, kicked him hard, and scolded loudly. Li Lin remained motionless, his mouth stained with blood. "Miss, this person is only a Martial Master. He won''t survive my palm strike." Seeing this, the middle-aged woman immediately said. "Elder Wang, how could you kill him? I didn''t want him dead." Lv Xiaoling suddenly became anxious. "Miss, it''s just a boy. If he''s dead, then he''s dead." The middle-aged woman said but also knelt down to check on Li Lin, saying, "This young man''s body is quite strong. He survived my attack, just suffered from internal injuries due to shock, but his life is not in danger." The middle-aged woman was surprised as she checked Li Lin. Her strike, although not at full power, would have been fatal for most martial spirits, but this young Martial Master survived, seemingly not severely injured, which was unexpected to her. "Miss, let''s go back. It''s very dangerous here; we must return immediately." The middle-aged woman said worriedly to Lv Xiaoling. "Elder Wang, I''ve said it, I''ll return after the Ghost Martial Sect''s assembly is over. By the way, where is Elder Liu?" Lv Xiaoling crouched beside Li Lin, finding a spatial bag and a beast pouch, which she took and then stored on her person after a brief inspection. "He went after those two. I was worried about you, so I came to find you. It''s good that I arrived in time, or you would have been at a disadvantage just now." The middle-aged woman said. "Alright, let''s go back first." After taking everything from Li Lin, Lv Xiaoling said with a slight smile. "Miss, what about this young man?" The middle-aged woman looked at Li Lin on the ground. Chapter 199: I Like You "This swindler dared to bully me; I won''t let him die easily. If I don''t torture him to death, how can I quell the hatred in my heart!" Lv Xiaoling said angrily, biting her lip, then a smug smile crossed her lips. "Alright, we''ll take him back. It''s not safe here." The middle-aged woman said, pressing a few strands of true qi onto Li Lin, then took him away from the place. When Li Lin woke up, he found himself in a corner of a large hall, thrown on the ground. In the hall, there was a middle-aged man and woman, both of whom he had seen once in the Thousand Medicine Gate. The middle-aged woman was the Martial Commander who had injured him. Lv Xiaoling was also there, and the two middle-aged men and women were very respectful towards her. Lv Xiaoling had changed into a green long dress, abandoning her previous provocative attire for a more dignified look. "Damn, I''m finished now." Li Lin found his true qi sealed and he couldn''t move at all. His injuries were also severe, thinking to himself that falling into Lv Xiaoling''s hands meant his luck was bad. Li Lin frowned and continued to feign unconsciousness, as the strength of the man and woman was at the Martial Commander level, which Li Lin couldn''t discern. At that moment, the middle-aged man said, "Miss, are you alright? Why did you bring someone back? What''s his background?" "This person has a grudge with the miss, possesses some abilities, at the Martial Master level. He took a hit from me and didn''t die," the middle-aged woman said. "This person dared to have a grudge with the miss, truly audacious. If the sect leader knows about this, he will blame us for not protecting well. I think it''s better to just kill this kid!" The middle-aged man said angrily, raising his hand, with true qi surging towards it, forming a palm print in his hand. "Elder Liu, don''t kill him yet. If I wanted him dead, I wouldn''t have brought him back. I want to teach this kid a lesson first, then kill him. He provoked me!" Lv Xiaoling immediately grabbed the middle-aged man, afraid that he would strike down with his palm. "Alright then, chop off this kid''s limbs to prevent him from harming the miss," the middle-aged man said. "Damn, what have I done to you?" Li Lin cursed inwardly, finding the middle-aged man''s approach quite extreme, thinking that if he had a chance, he would do the same to him. For now, he continued to feign unconsciousness. "Elder Liu, no, I''ll handle it myself when the time comes," Lv Xiaoling quickly intervened when the middle-aged man was about to act. "Alright, this kid dared to provoke the miss. He will wish for death but won''t be able to die when he knows my strength!" The middle-aged man continued bitterly, as if he had a personal vendetta against Li Lin, wishing to tear him into pieces. "Elder Liu, Elder Wang, take a look at these two spatial bags and see if you can open them," Lv Xiaoling took out two spatial bags, which were from Li Lin. "Let me see." The middle-aged man took the spatial beast pouch from Lv Xiaoling, while the middle-aged woman took the spatial bag. Both emitted a flash of light, forming hand seals, then began to forcibly open the spatial bag. After a spatial bag is bound to its owner, only the owner can open it. However, if faced with much stronger forces, it can be forcibly opened, although this carries many risks, as one mishap can destroy the entire spatial bag. "Miss, the spatial bag is opened. It only contains a low-level sword and three second-grade pills." After a while, the middle-aged woman forcibly opened Li Lin''s spatial bag, which contained only a few symbolic items. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it "So poor," Lv Xiaoling frowned, then asked the middle-aged man, "Elder Liu, have you opened yours?" "Miss, this spatial bag is very strange. I can''t open it," the middle-aged man holding the spatial beast pouch said, unable to open it. "Hmph, a spatial beast pouch is not a spatial bag. No matter how strong you are, you naturally can''t open it," Li Lin thought to himself while feigning unconsciousness. Spatial beast pouches and spatial bags are different. Meanwhile, Li Lin was secretly activating the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique to absorb the true qi sealed in his meridians, but since it was sealed by a Martial Commander, it wasn''t something he could absorb quickly. "Let me try." The middle-aged woman also tried to open the spatial beast pouch but couldn''t. "Never mind, I''ll find a way later," Lv Xiaoling said after seeing both couldn''t open it, and then put away the spatial beast pouch. "Miss, we really should go back now. It''s too dangerous here. We nearly ran into trouble today. If anything had happened to you, we wouldn''t be able to explain ourselves to the sect leader. Let''s go back now," the middle-aged man continued. "Elder Liu, who exactly were those people today? Why did they target me?" Lv Xiaoling asked, her innocent gaze flashing with a hint of sharpness. "We don''t know exactly who they are. According to the sect leader, they are a mysterious force that has only emerged in the past few decades. They approached the sect leader before, and because he did not agree to their demands, they probably wanted to target Miss to pressure the sect leader," the middle-aged man explained. "Miss, Dai Chang''an and Dai Changyun from the Ghost Martial Sect have come," the middle-aged woman said, frowning. "Elders, those two are too annoying. Just say I need to rest and ask them to go back," Lv Xiaoling said, also frowning. "These two toads want to eat swan meat, not realizing their own weight. The insignificant Ghost Martial Sect dares to covet Miss. I''ll go and send them away," the middle-aged man said immediately. "The Ghost Martial Sect has some connections with the sect leader, and Dai Chang''an is also Miss''s cousin. Don''t cause trouble," the middle-aged woman advised. "It''s just a distant relation, not much of a kinship," the middle-aged man said slowly, and then both left the hall. "What''s the background of this Lv Xiaoling, to not even consider the Ghost Martial Sect?" Li Lin was increasingly surprised upon hearing their conversation. Lv Xiaoling had a significant background; he really had stirred up a hornet''s nest. However, it seemed that Lv Xiaoling had some connections with the Ghost Martial Sect, no wonder she appeared in Ghost Martial City. In the shadows, Li Lin continued to secretly activate the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art to absorb the true qi sealing his meridians. Suddenly, he sensed a fragrance; Lv Xiaoling was squatting beside him. "You swindler, I know you''re awake. I saw you secretly opening your eyes just now. Still trying to deceive me?" Lv Xiaoling''s voice rang out, followed by a sharp kick to Li Lin''s buttocks. "You this..." Li Lin abruptly opened his eyes, initially wanting to curse, but his expression changed. Provoking this woman now would only bring him trouble. A true man knows when to bend and when to stand, so he decided it was best to endure. "What''s wrong with me, you swindler? Why did you steal my Snow Wing Lion?" Lv Xiaoling said angrily, her gaze firmly fixed on Li Lin. "I stole your Snow Wing Lion, and you really don''t know why? My heartfelt effort, and you don''t understand," Li Lin said immediately. "You stole from me, yet you say it was heartfelt? What''s going on?" Lv Xiaoling looked at Li Lin, puzzled and curious. "Damn, I can''t make up more," Li Lin thought to himself. Suddenly, an idea struck him. He masked his expression with a hint of sorrow, sighed lightly, and then said, "Because I, I like you!" As soon as Li Lin spoke, Lv Xiaoling trembled, nearly falling to the ground in shock. Her eyes widened in astonishment, and it took her a moment to react. She pointed at Li Lin, stuttering, "You pervert, what... what did you say? Say it again, and I''ll kill you!" Seeing Lv Xiaoling''s reaction, Li Lin felt a surge of joy but kept a sincere look on his face, his eyes filled with affection as he earnestly said, "Do you know? The moment I first saw you, I fell in love with you. When we went to Lanling Mountain together, I knew, in this life, I would not love another woman but you. The happiest thing I''ve ever done was carrying you on Lanling Mountain. I wish to carry you like that for a lifetime. But I know, you''re too beautiful, like a fairy, and I know I''m not worthy of you. You wouldn''t look at me. So, to ensure I could still see you in the future, for you to occasionally remember me, that''s why I stole your Snow Wing Lion. All of this, because I like you. I know you won''t look at me, so I dared not tell you, afraid that after telling you, you would kill me, saying I, a toad, was lusting after a swan." After speaking, Li Lin maintained a calm demeanor, though inwardly he thought: "Li Lin, you''re shameless, deceiving an innocent girl, this is utterly despicable." "I had no choice, to save my own life. Buddha will forgive me," Li Lin silently consoled himself, finding an excuse for his shamelessness. Chapter 200: Come Back with Me At this moment, Lv Xiaoling was completely dumbfounded, staring blankly at Li Lin, forgetting to speak. Her face flushed red from her cheeks to her neck, and Li Lin could even hear her heartbeat. Li Lin sneered inwardly, this trick really worked on naive girls. His eyes filled with affection, gazing intently at Lv Xiaoling. At this moment, Li Lin even thought that compared to his gaze, the looks of Tony Leung in his previous life were nothing but fleeting clouds. Looking at Li Lin''s gaze, which seemed capable of killing, Lv Xiaoling turned her head away in panic, her body trembling slightly, refusing to meet Li Lin''s gaze. She then said in a hurried voice, "You''re despicable. Anyway, I won''t like you. Then why did you leave me alone on Lanling Mountain? It took me until the next day to come down. It was so scary at night; I was too frightened to move. I hate you, and I won''t have anything to do with you." "I know you won''t like me. I never thought you would. I knew you would kill me, so before dying, I gathered the courage to tell you this. I had planned to keep it buried in my heart forever," Li Lin said again. "Then why did you run when you saw me?" Lv Xiaoling immediately asked, then realized she might have overreacted, her face blushing again, daring not to meet Li Lin''s gaze. "That was because I was too shocked. After I left Lanling Mountain, I swore that the next time I saw you, even if you killed me, I must muster the courage to tell you, I really like you. But when I saw you, I realized I didn''t have the courage to say it. Now that I''ve said it, my heart feels at ease. Come on, kill me. I''m not worthy of liking you. If loving you is a sin, then I''m beyond redemption. This is my sin, kill me," Li Lin said with a look of sincere resignation. "Is... is what you said true?" After a moment, Lv Xiaoling asked with a flushed face. "Yes, truer than pearls," Li Lin affirmed. "I''m telling you, I won''t like you. But, I also won''t kill you. Don''t like me anymore, don''t think too much. I certainly won''t like someone like you, a pervert and a swindler," Lv Xiaoling said, avoiding Li Lin''s gaze, speaking softly. Hearing this, Li Lin immediately understood that his life was saved. All women, especially naive girls, if they know someone silently likes them, even if they previously wished to kill him, once they know he did it for her, they won''t feel aversion towards him anymore. Even if they don''t like him, they would feel touched and guilty. "So women are all the same," Li Lin thought inwardly. Although this method was somewhat despicable and shameless, it was the most effective against naive girls. "Not liking you, I''m afraid I can''t do that. Just kill me, then I can truly stop liking you," Li Lin continued, seizing the moment, thinking about his spatial beast pouch still with Lv Xiaoling, needing to find a way to get it back. "Miss, those two toads have left," the voice of the middle-aged man came from outside the hall. "I''m telling you, you must not speak of today''s events to anyone, nor tell anyone that you like me, or else I won''t kill you, but I''m afraid the elders will," Lv Xiaoling hurriedly said to Li Lin upon hearing the middle-aged man''s voice, her whole body blushing like a blooming flower. "Miss, why is your face red?" At this moment, the man and woman re-entered the hall, seeing Lv Xiaoling''s flushed face, the middle-aged man asked in confusion, while the middle-aged woman glanced at Li Lin, then at her sister, with a puzzled expression. "It''s nothing, just a bit hot," Lv Xiaoling said in a fluster. "Eh, this kid woke up?" The middle-aged man noticed Li Lin, giving him a stern look, then said, "This kid looks sneaky, not a good bird. Miss, it''s better to kill him to avoid future trouble, lest he escapes." "You have no eye for people. If I''m considered sneaky, then you''re just sleazy," Li Lin angrily thought to himself, but only dared to curse inwardly, not daring to provoke a Martial Commander. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! "Elder Liu, we can''t kill him, don''t you dare kill him. If you do, I''ll never let you off," Lv Xiaoling immediately scolded the middle-aged man. "Yes, Miss," the middle-aged man replied, somewhat dejectedly, wondering why the Miss was protecting this young man. At this moment, the middle-aged woman seemed to have noticed something, her expression becoming more puzzled. "By the way, Miss, the day after tomorrow is the Ghost Martial Sect''s sect assembly. Stay here these two days, don''t go out. Once the assembly is over, we''ll go back," the middle-aged woman said. "I know, you can leave now. I want to rest," Lv Xiaoling told them. "Miss, what about this young man?" the middle-aged man asked, looking at Li Lin. "Just leave him here; with Elder Wang''s restriction, he can''t escape," Lv Xiaoling said. "Alright, Miss, you rest first. We''ll be next door. Just call if you need anything," the middle-aged woman said, and then she and the middle-aged man left the hall again. "I still don''t know your name, what''s your name?" After seeing the two people leave, Lv Xiaoling asked Li Lin again. "Li Lin." Li Lin replied, but inside, he was hastening the refinement of the true qi that was sealed in his meridians and acupoints. This true qi came from a martial marshal powerhouse. Although it was casually inflicted, it was extremely vast. As Li Lin refined it, he discovered that his injuries were rapidly healing during the process, which was an unexpected joy. "Alright, let me help you into the room to rest. Once your injuries are healed, I''ll let you go." Lv Xiaoling glanced at Li Lin and said, her expression carrying a hint of shyness, as if she had completely forgotten that Li Lin had stolen her Heavenly Winged Snow Lion. Li Lin was unable to move his body. Lv Xiaoling hesitated for a moment, then actually lifted Li Lin into her arms and walked towards the inner room. A fragrance wafted over, and Li Lin felt the softness and elasticity of Lv Xiaoling''s body. Being held in her arms while refining the true qi inside his body, his mind almost wandered off into distraction. "You rest in this room, I''ll be next door." After throwing Li Lin onto the bed in the room, Lv Xiaoling glanced at him once more, then closed the door and left the room. Li Lin sighed. This woman was young but too tempting. He then began to hasten the refinement of the true qi energy inside his body. Time slowly passed. Li Lin didn''t know how long it had been, only that it was dark and then light again, probably the next day. The last strand of true qi was finally refined, and by then, he had regained his freedom. The true qi left in his body by that middle-aged woman had been refined, and his injuries were healed by thirty to forty percent, but the injury from the martial marshal''s strike was not light. Li Lin stuffed a third-grade high-level healing pill into his mouth, deciding to recover from his injuries first. "Creak..." The door opened, and Lv Xiaoling walked into the room. "Li Lin, are you hungry?" Lv Xiaoling asked Li Lin. "I am actually a bit hungry," Li Lin said. "I''ll bring you something to eat later. By the way, where is my Heavenly Winged Snow Lion? I don''t see it." Lv Xiaoling said. "I don''t know where it is; I let it go find food on its own," Li Lin said. "I''ll give you that Heavenly Winged Snow Lion, but you have to promise me one condition," Lv Xiaoling said to Li Lin. "Given to me? What condition?" Li Lin immediately asked, thinking to himself that regardless of her gift, the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion was now his. "After watching the excitement of the Ghost Martial Sect''s sect assembly tomorrow, come back with me. You are a spirit practitioner. I will try to persuade my father to take you as his disciple, so you won''t have to be a swindler and a robber anymore," Lv Xiaoling earnestly said to Li Lin, her eyes revealing a hint of shyness. "What, go back with you?" Li Lin suddenly jumped up, not wanting to go back with her. "Young man, who released your restriction?" Just then, a voice sounded, and a figure appeared in the room instantly. "Miss, be careful." Another voice shouted, and the middle-aged man immediately reached Lv Xiaoling''s side. "This is bad," Li Lin sighed helplessly. "Being able to release my restriction, young man, who exactly are you?" The middle-aged woman stared at Li Lin, her expression stunned as she asked. "Elder Wang, you don''t need to worry, he won''t hurt me," Lv Xiaoling immediately said, quickly shielding Li Lin behind her. "Miss, didn''t you say he was a swindler? How come you are still..." Seeing Lv Xiaoling protecting Li Lin, the middle-aged man grew even more puzzled. "Elder Liu, it''s a misunderstanding, I was wrong," Lv Xiaoling hurriedly said. "Young man, who exactly are you?" The middle-aged woman frowned and asked Li Lin again. "Young man Li Lin, no special background, I''ve seen both elders," Li Lin jumped off the bed, saluted the two, and was already thinking about how to escape. However, the spatial beast pouch was still on Lv Xiaoling, which was somewhat troublesome. "How did you meet my young mistress, what are your intentions?" The middle-aged man asked, his gaze fixed on Li Lin. "I..." "Elder Liu, I''ve told you he won''t harm me, please leave for now," Just as Li Lin was about to speak, Lv Xiaoling immediately interrupted him, then pushed the two elders out of the room. Chapter 201: Helpless "Miss seems to be off today," the middle-aged man said, puzzled, outside the room. "There must be something between Miss and this young man," the middle-aged woman immediately said. "Are you saying that this young man and Miss... Who is he, what''s his background? A toad wanting to eat swan meat, Miss is not someone he can match up to. I want to ask, what exactly is the background of that young man," the middle-aged man said at once. "What''s the rush? I see that Miss seems to be somewhat... forget it, it seems this young man shouldn''t harbor any ill intentions towards Miss. We''ll ask slowly. In any case, protecting Miss''s safety these next few days is what matters. After the Ghost Martial Sect''s assembly is over, we''ll go back," the middle-aged woman said. "Li Lin, I warn you, you must never tell the two elders that you like me. Otherwise, they will tell my father, and my father will kill you. Last time someone looked at me one extra time, my father had the elders feed him to the demonic beasts," Lv Xiaoling said to Li Lin after glancing at the two elders outside the door. Li Lin was stunned, realizing that Lv Xiaoling interrupted him just now because she thought he was going to say he liked her. This Lv Xiaoling is quite cute. "Oh, I know," Li Lin replied, then asked Lv Xiaoling, "You took away two of my spatial bags yesterday, can you give them back to me?" "This..." Lv Xiaoling hesitated for a moment, then took out a spatial bag and handed it to Li Lin, saying, "I''ll give you one for now, and I''ll give you the other one after you come back with me." Li Lin''s face turned the color of an eggplant. The spatial bag Lv Xiaoling returned was the one he used just for show, while she kept the spatial beast pouch. Li Lin thought he could make another spatial beast pouch, but now, inside the pouch, there were a little dragon, Heavenly Winged Snow Lion, and a bloodthirsty mantis. "Can you give me that one?" Li Lin asked. "No, I''ll give it to you after you come back with me," Lv Xiaoling said firmly. "Miss, you said yesterday that I could leave, but today you''re asking me to go with you," Li Lin protested. "That was yesterday, today is today. Anyway, I''ve decided, you''re going with me," Lv Xiaoling said, standing tall. Li Lin was infuriated, this woman''s face changed as quickly as flipping a book, but he was powerless to do anything, saying, "How can you go back on your word?" "I often go back on my word," Lv Xiaoling said proudly, looking at Li Lin''s helpless expression, which made her very happy, her delicate body shaking with laughter. "Alright, just stay here for now. Seeing how anxious you are, this must be very important to you, huh. Hmph, I''m not afraid of you running away anymore. You''ll accompany me back obediently," Lv Xiaoling took out Li Lin''s spatial beast pouch, waved it, and then left the room with a proud smile. Li Lin was on the verge of tears, utterly helpless. Lv Xiaoling was accompanied by two martial marshal powerhouses, making her position unassailable. He had no choice but to submit. "Let''s go, elders," Lv Xiaoling said after leaving the room, leading the two elders away, unafraid of Li Lin running away again. Li Lin looked distressed and helpless, then thought that he was currently at the Ghost Martial Sect. Tomorrow was the sect''s assembly, which wouldn''t be delayed, but he needed to retrieve the spatial beast pouch as soon as possible. For now, healing his injuries was the most important. Li Lin sat cross-legged, focusing on healing the injuries within his body. It was fortunate his body was strong enough to survive a strike from a martial marshal powerhouse, which was lucky. At this time, in a room nearby, the two middle-aged, Elder Liu and Elder Wang, had puzzled expressions. Elder Wang softly said, "The relationship between that young man and Miss seems unusual. Being able to survive my strike and release my restriction, and looking to be only seventeen or eighteen years old, seems to have the cultivation of a fourth-level martial master. Who exactly is he?" Stolen story; please report. "In the major sects of the Ancient Realm, there doesn''t seem to be such a young person," Elder Liu said. "However, it seems there''s some ambiguity between this young man and Miss. Anyway, we''re going back soon, it doesn''t matter who he is," Elder Wang said. Several hours later, while Li Lin was cultivating, two maids brought a lot of food to his room, presumably arranged by Lv Xiaoling. Without eating, Li Lin continued to regulate his breath, his injuries rapidly healing. The Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique was beneficial for healing, and with Li Lin having consumed a third-grade high-level pill and using the wood attribute for recovery, the speed of healing significantly increased. During the healing process, time flew by quickly. After a day and a night, Li Lin stopped his breath regulation the next morning. "Sigh..." Exhaling a breath of turbid air, his injuries were now mostly healed, about seventy to eighty percent. Through his senses, Li Lin felt Lv Xiaoling coming towards his room. "Li Lin." Soon after, with a delicate shout, Lv Xiaoling''s graceful figure had arrived in the room. "Miss, can you return my spatial bag today? I urgently need something inside it," Li Lin stood up and immediately asked. "No, I''ve told you that I''ll give it to you when you come back with me," Lv Xiaoling said. "You..." Li Lin became frustrated again. "Miss, you''re here again. People from the Ghost Martial Sect have come, asking us to go over," Elder Liu and Elder Wang also arrived in the room shortly after. "Young man, are your injuries fully healed?" At this time, Elder Wang observed Li Lin, sensing his aura. She had examined Li Lin''s injuries before; they were not fatal but were very severe. She didn''t expect them to have healed so quickly. "The young man has no other strengths, just a good body, making the elder laugh," Li Lin said modestly. "Li Lin, come with me to see the Ghost Martial Sect''s assembly. It''s said to be very lively, and there will be competitions," Lv Xiaoling said excitedly. "Alright, I''ll accompany you," Li Lin sighed slightly. Since he was going to attend the Ghost Martial Sect''s assembly anyway, it was convenient. Elder Liu and Elder Wang were puzzledly looking at Lv Xiaoling and Li Lin. The Miss had been in this young man''s room since early in the morning, causing the elders to wonder. It seemed this young man had quite the attraction; over the years, the Miss had not taken anyone so seriously. After leaving the room and arriving at the hall from yesterday, Li Lin frowned, not expecting to see an acquaintance here. Among the several people standing in the hall was Du Yunshan, whom Li Lin had met twice before, and beside Du Yunshan were two young men in splendid attire he had glimpsed once in the Qian Medicine Gate, as well as several strong members of the Ghost Martial Sect. "Miss Ling, Elder Wang, Elder Liu, please, the Sect Master has been waiting for you," Du Yunshan greeted the three respectfully, then immediately noticed Li Lin behind them, his confusion mixed with surprise, "Elder Li, what are you doing here?" "Greetings to Elder Du," Li Lin smiled slightly, then said, "Miss Lv and I knew each other. We met by chance the day before yesterday and came together." "You know Miss Ling?" Du Yunshan was momentarily stunned, seemingly very surprised, looking at Li Lin differently. At that moment, Li Lin suddenly felt two cold gazes on him, coming from those two young men in splendid attire. Li Lin had already sized up their auras; one was a fourth-level martial master, and the other a fifth-level martial master. Li Lin guessed from the conversation of Lv Xiaoling and her companions the day before yesterday that these two must be the ones called Dai Chang''an and Dai Changyun. "Elder Li..." Lv Xiaoling, Elder Wang, and Elder Liu were also somewhat surprised, looking at Li Lin, something they were unaware of. "Cousin, Elder Wang said you were tired the day before yesterday. Are you alright now, feeling better?" One of the young men in splendid attire stepped forward, his gaze on Li Lin, with a hint of showing off. "Cousin, I''m fine now, I''ve rested for a day and have recovered," Lv Xiaoling said lightly. "The people who attacked Miss Ling the day before yesterday, we''ve already sent people to search the entire city. It''s regrettable that Miss Ling was frightened. We will definitely catch those two people soon," the other young man in splendid attire also stepped forward to speak. "Is that so? Those two are martial marshal powerhouses; I''m afraid you won''t be able to catch them," Elder Liu said lightly. "Elder Liu is right; it''s our fault for not being vigilant enough to let Miss Ling be frightened," Du Yunshan immediately took over the conversation, then said, "Please, Elder Li, you''ve also arrived, I thought something had happened to your Flying Spirit Gate for not arriving sooner. I wonder if the senior has also come." "The Grand Elder is at a critical juncture of breakthrough and couldn''t come. Please understand," Li Lin said lightly. "Oh." Du Yunshan''s brow furrowed slightly, then returned to normal, "Miss Ling, please, the Sect Master has been waiting." "Cousin, it''s lively today, many people have come..." Dai Chang''an and Dai Changyun were already flanking Lv Xiaoling, vying for her attention. Li Lin smiled inwardly. Upon arriving, he had already learned about all the forces of the Ghost Martial Sect. The Ghost Martial Sect had both a main and a deputy sect master; Sect Master Dai Daozi, reportedly at the third level of martial marshal strength, and Deputy Sect Master Dai Gangzi, Dai Daozi''s brother, also at the third level of martial marshal strength. And the martial generals of the Ghost Martial Sect were even more numerous, their power absolutely formidable. Chapter 202: The Master of Guiwu Sect Dai Chang''an and Dai Changyun are the sons of Dai Daozi and Dai Gangzi, respectively. As for their relationship with Lv Xiaoling, Li Lin also has no idea at this time. The peripheral forces of the Ghost Martial Sect include the Jiu Hua Sect, Qian Shan Sect, Tian Yi Sect, Yun Shan Sect, and the original Luo Sha Sect. Li Lin has a slight understanding of their forces, with the Luo Sha Sect being the weakest. Among the other four sects, there are powerful martial generals. As everyone walked out of the grand hall, Li Lin realized that he had been living on the mountainside for the past two days. In the center of the entire Ghost Martial City, the Ghost Martial Sect was situated on a huge mountain peak. Looking down from the mountainside, there was an endless array of buildings all around. On the mountain peak, many palace buildings were constructed around the massive mountain body, winding and spiraling upwards, looking magnificent and spectacular, somewhat like a work of divine craftsmanship. Following a winding and broad stone path upwards, everyone proceeded up the mountain. Along the way, Lv Xiaoling, though surrounded by Dai Chang''an and Dai Changyun, often couldn''t help but look back at Li Lin. After a while, everyone finally reached the top of the mountain, where a majestic mountain gate appeared before Li Lin''s eyes. A golden plaque hung above the mountain gate, engraved with the three characters "Ghost Martial Sect," exuding a domineering aura. Behind the mountain gate was a huge passageway, leading straight up, surrounded by stone walls that seemed to be made of jade, appearing even more luxurious and magnificent. "Indeed, it''s the Ghost Martial Sect." Li Lin sighed inwardly. Standing in front of the Ghost Martial Sect felt completely different from standing in front of the Flying Spirit Sect, where he was now. Standing here, it felt as if he himself was somewhat diminished. "Miss Xiaoling, Elder Wang, Elder Liu, please follow me." Du Yunshan spoke again, leading everyone into the mountain gate. Along the way, Li Lin was amazed. The mountaintop seemed very small from afar, but it was actually quite spacious, likely because the original peak had been leveled by the Ghost Martial Sect for construction, which was no small feat. "Seeing Elder Du, seeing the two young masters." Inside the mountain gate, many disciples of the Ghost Martial Sect greeted Du Yunshan and Dai Chang''an with respect, making the two of them very proud. Li Lin was assessing the strength of the disciples of the Ghost Martial Sect along the way. The guards at the mountain gate were at the level of martial masters, which amazed Li Lin. The strength of the Ghost Martial Sect was indeed extraordinary. "Miss Xiaoling, Elder Wang, Elder Liu, please follow my steps closely and don''t wander around. There is a protective formation set up by our Ghost Martial Sect inside this mountain gate. It would be troublesome if you fell into it," said Du Yunshan. Li Lin was amazed and looked around. The Sky Spirit Record also described and introduced formations, including not just formations but also methods of creating them. Formations can be divided into several types, among which the most common are human formations, beast formations, and spell formations. A human formation involves many people activating the power of heaven and earth in a mysterious way, in combination with everyone''s attributes and strength, to exert a power several times or even more than ten times greater than the sum of their individual efforts. Beast formations, which are slightly rarer, rely on many monsters working together, something ordinary forces cannot set up, with power comparable to human formations. As for spell formations, they are created by spiritual practitioners refining various formation tools. Powerful warriors can also create them, but with much greater difficulty. By arranging these tools in specific positions to activate the power of heaven and earth and combine with natural attributes, they can gather a strengthened or even violent natural force, achieving powerful effects. In summary, whether it''s human, beast, or spell formations, all are intricately linked with the power of heaven and earth and various attributes. Creating a formation is something ordinary spiritual practitioners wouldn''t even dream of. Those capable of creating formations are few and far between. Formation masters have a much higher status than ordinary spiritual practitioners on this continent. If a formation master is discovered by a major sect or clan, they would go to great lengths to recruit them. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. A good formation master can set up a powerful formation, which is more useful than many strong individuals, hence the esteemed status of formation masters. Everyone wants to become a formation master, but it''s incredibly difficult, with conditions so stringent that it leaves many in awe. At this moment, Li Lin was observing the surroundings. The formation of the Ghost Martial Sect was a spell formation, which seemed inconspicuous when not activated, but once activated, it would likely cause a dramatic change in the atmosphere, absolutely terrifying. "Greetings to Elder Du, greetings to the two young masters." After passing through several walkways, under the lead of Du Yunshan, a vast square suddenly opened up in front of them. The square was bustling with activity, already hosting thousands of people. In front of the square stood a large hall, single-storied but spacious enough to accommodate about two hundred people. On either side, there were hundreds of seats, and the wide doors allowed a clear view of the entire central square. As Li Lin followed the group across the square, he felt many gazes sizing up their party. Most of the Ghost Martial Sect disciples around them, numbering in the thousands, were at the martial master level, with auras indicating that many possessed over a dozen martial spirits. Many gazes also fell on Lv Xiaoling. Though she was wearing a long dress today, not as provocative as her usual attire, her stunning beauty and noble aura still made everyone want to take another look. "Xiaoling, I heard you encountered danger the day before yesterday. I was entangled in mundane matters yesterday and couldn''t visit you. I hope you won''t blame your uncle," said a hearty laugh as the group approached the hall. Then, several figures appeared at the entrance of the hall. The person who spoke first was in his forties, tall and straight, with piercing eyes and short black hair. An immense aura pressed down from him, surrounded by a leaking murderous aura, which wasn''t the smell of blood but a unique temperament formed by someone long in a high position. "Uncle, I''m fine. With the two elders by my side, there was naturally no danger," Lv Xiaoling said softly. "Greetings to the two elders. My apologies for the lack of welcome. Please don''t take offense," said the burly man to Elder Wang and Elder Liu, his demeanor extremely polite. "Elder Dai is being too polite. We have been a disturbance, bringing trouble to Elder Dai," replied Elder Wang and Elder Liu, returning the gesture immediately. "That''s what we should do. We can say we are all one of us," the burly man laughed heartily. "This is a martial commander, Dai Daozi," Li Lin assessed the burly man. From the powerful aura and the conversation, this person was the master of the Ghost Martial Sect, the renowned Dai Daozi in the ancient domain. "And this is" At this moment, Dai Daozi''s gaze fell on Li Lin, sizing him up. Following Lv Xiaoling and the others, Dai Daozi naturally had some doubts. "Sect Master, this is the person I mentioned to you, Li Lin, the sect master of the Flying Spirit Sect. He came here because he knows Miss Xiaoling," Du Yunshan quickly explained, emphasizing the last part to make sure Dai Daozi heard it clearly. "Young man Li Lin, I have seen Sect Master Dai," Li Lin said calmly, stepping forward to greet him. "Indeed, as Elder Du said, young but not insignificant in deeds. I wonder if your sect''s elder could come," Dai Daozi said with a smile, but his expression had already subtly changed. This young man''s demeanor was neither humble nor arrogant, relaxed even in his presence, something not just anyone could achieve. Moreover, Dai Daozi could not discern the young man''s cultivation level at this moment. "Sect Master Dai flatters me. Thank you for allowing my Flying Spirit Sect to take in the Luo Sha Sect," Li Lin said, bowing again, then with a slightly mischievous smile, turned to Lv Xiaoling and said, "Ling''er, I''ve left this year''s tribute in the spatial bag with you. Please give me the spatial bag, so I can hand over the tribute to Sect Master Dai." As soon as Li Lin spoke, Du Yunshan, Dai Daozi, and many around from the Ghost Martial Sect exchanged glances, stunned, speculating in their minds. Li Lin had become so close to Lv Xiaoling, even keeping a spatial bag with her and calling her so affectionately. Everyone in the Ghost Martial Sect knew Lv Xiaoling''s status; this was a significant matter. "You" Lv Xiaoling immediately looked at Li Lin. His sudden affectionate call left her flustered, feeling like a thief caught in the act, her face turning red. Even Elder Wang and Elder Liu were surprised. From the young lady''s reaction, it was clear there was something between her and Li Lin, especially Elder Wang, who could tell from the young lady''s shy demeanor that she was experiencing the blossoming of young love. However, at this moment, Dai Chang''an and Dai Changyun looked at Li Lin with a mix of envy, jealousy, and resentment. If not for the presence of several elders, they might have been less than courteous. "Ling''er, aren''t you going to take it out? I''ll give the spatial bag back to you later," Li Lin gently said, almost tenderly, giving Lv Xiaoling a mischievous glance, as if saying, "You said before that I could call you Ling''er." Chapter 203: Sect Convention At this moment, Li Lin''s goal was simple; he only hoped that Lv Xiaoling would bring out her spatial beast pouch, so he could take the opportunity to retrieve his own spatial beast pouch. "The tribute from the Flying Spirit Sect is only seven or eight million gold coins, right? Just give it to Ling''er as a gift. Although it''s a bit less, I''ll send a big gift later," Dai Daozi immediately said, his eyes clearly showing a flicker of emotion before returning to normal. "How could I accept this? Thank you so much, Uncle," Lv Xiaoling came back to her senses and then stared fiercely at Li Lin, her eyes filled with triumph, as if to say: Your space pouch will be mine from now on. Li Lin almost collapsed. Unable to retrieve it, but then he chuckled to himself, thinking how just one sentence saved him seven or eight million gold coins. It was too much of a bargain. "Please come inside," Dai Daozi said with a slight bow, then led Lv Xiaoling and the others into the great hall. Observing the inside of the great hall, Li Lin saw that both sides were already filled with many people, each concealing their aura but still enveloped by an invisible pressure. At a glance, Li Lin spotted many martial generals and even more with the cultivation of martial souls. Strong individuals, all of them strong in his eyes. Li Lin sighed internally, assessing them from their attire. Aside from the Ghost Martial Sect''s members, there were also individuals from the Jiuhua Sect, Qianshan Sect, Tianyi Sect, and Yunshan Sect, all sitting scattered throughout the hall. Each faction''s sect leader and elders brought along a few younger disciples. Upon entering the great hall, all eyes were on them, with individuals from sects like Qianshan Sect curious about who the Ghost Martial Sect''s sect master personally welcomed. "Please..." Dai Daozi directly led Lv Xiaoling and the others to the chief seats. "Li Sect Master, the seats for the Flying Spirit Sect have been arranged for you," Du Yunshan pointed to a row of about a dozen empty seats at the side of the hall below and said to Li Lin. "Thank you, Elder Du," Li Lin said discreetly, not minding that these seats were right at the entrance of the hall, the furthest from the chief seats, with Qianshan Sect and other sects seated above the Flying Spirit Sect. He was about to sit down. "Li Lin, you sit next to me," Lv Xiaoling suddenly said. "Right, I almost forgot, those were the former Rakshasa Sect''s seats, naturally, they cannot be given to Brother Li Lin," Dai Daozi said with a change of expression, then immediately spoke. At this moment, many in the hall sized up Li Lin, with everyone from the major sects and the Ghost Martial Sect aware of the Flying Spirit Sect''s annihilation of the Rakshasa Sect. Knowing the Flying Spirit Sect''s sect master was just a youth, they were curious. Among them, individuals from a sect were looking at Li Lin, whispering among themselves with several showing cold expressions. Seeing all this, Li Lin was not surprised. These people, from the memories of a Quadra-Spiritual Master from the Treasure Gathering Sect, he knew were from the Jiuhua Sect. The leading middle-aged man with a somewhat sinister and arrogant appearance was Mo Tianwen, the current sect master of Jiuhua Sect, with the cultivation of a fifth-level martial general. Behind him were several Jiuhua Sect elders, all at the martial soul level, and one with a cultivation not far from a martial general. Although Li Lin didn''t know what the Jiuhua Sect people were saying, from their expressions, he guessed and sneered internally. The Jiuhua Sect must have known about the incident in Hua Gate Town, but this was just the beginning. He would deal with the Jiuhua Sect slowly later. "Miss Xiaoling, Elder Wang, Elder Liu, it''s an honor," at the chief seats, another middle-aged man in a black robe, resembling Dai Daozi, stepped forward. "Another martial marshal," Li Lin''s expression darkened slightly. This man''s aura was not inferior to Dai Daozi''s; it was likely Dai Gangzi, Dai Daozi''s brother and the Ghost Martial Sect''s vice sect master. Reportedly half-brothers, the presence of internal strife within the Ghost Martial Sect, given the relationship between the sect master and the vice sect master, was hardly surprising. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Vice Sect Master is too polite, sorry for the disturbance," Elder Wang and Elder Liu responded. "Not at all," Dai Gangzi smiled, though it seemed a bit unnatural. Li Lin paused for a moment, observing Dai Daozi and then Dai Gangzi, wondering if the Ghost Martial Sect was experiencing internal conflicts. Li Lin then sat next to Lv Xiaoling at the chief seats, his presence there significantly boosting his status. However, Li Lin noticed that others from different sects, upon seeing him seated at the chief seats, showed some disdainful expressions, as if they looked down on him. As everyone settled down, the disciples of the Ghost Martial Sect had already arranged a variety of fresh fruits and pastries in front of them, many of which Li Lin had never seen before. "Ladies and gentlemen, today is the annual sect convention of our Ghost Martial Sect. You are all part of our family, and I thank you for your continuous support of the Ghost Martial Sect. We have prepared some modest drinks today, and I hope everyone enjoys themselves," Dai Daozi said with a penetrating gaze, scanning the nearly two hundred people in the great hall after everyone had taken their seats. "Dai Sect Master is too kind. We all depend on the Ghost Martial Sect for our achievements today, and we will continue to rely on the Ghost Martial Sect in the future," people from the various sects within the hall said one after another. "Alright, let''s drink," Dai Daozi politely suggested, signaling everyone to drink more. After a round of eating and drinking, with the disciples of the Ghost Martial Sect continuously bringing up delicacies, Li Lin also ate unreservedly. Meanwhile, Dai Daozi was engaging in some inconsequential conversations with Elder Wang and Elder Liu. Below in the great hall, there were soft discussions, and next to Lv Xiaoling, Dai Changan and Dai Changyun also deliberately sat close to her. Li Lin didn''t mind all this and focused on enjoying his meal. "I''m bored, cousin, didn''t you say there would be some martial contests? Why hasn''t it started yet?" After a while, Lv Xiaoling couldn''t bear the boredom anymore. Such occasions of eating, drinking, and exchanging pleasantries held no attraction for her. "Cousin, it will start soon," Dai Changan hastily said. "Miss Xiaoling, it will be lively soon. I will also take the stage," Dai Changyun added. "Ladies and gentlemen, as usual, our Ghost Martial Sect''s sect convention also includes some activities, which we are about to begin now," Dai Daozi said a moment later, his voice infused with a hint of true energy, clearly reaching everyone''s ears. As his words fell, many of the younger disciples in the hall immediately became excited, starting to whisper among themselves with eager expressions. Dai Daozi waved his hand, glanced over the crowd, and continued, "This time, as before, it seems that the various sects have brought more young disciples than in the past, with commendable cultivation strengths. It''s truly pleasing. Our Ghost Martial Sect''s future strength will grow stronger with these young generations. As usual, all the young disciples will compete, and the first place will receive a fourth-grade low-level Dan medicine, a scroll of yellow-grade low-level martial arts, and a weapon forged by a Spirit General." "What a generous reward! I wonder who will claim it today." "A fourth-grade Dan medicine is worth over a hundred thousand gold coins." "Yellow-grade low-level martial arts are even more valuable, as they''re something you can''t buy even with gold coins." The hall immediately buzzed with excitement, as such prizes were indeed generous. For the younger generation of disciples, all at the martial master level, a fourth-grade Dan medicine, yellow-grade low-level martial arts, and a weapon forged by a Spirit General were all highly valuable. "Silence..." Dai Daozi continued, "The second place will receive a fourth-grade low-level Dan medicine and a scroll of yellow-grade low-level martial arts. The third place will only receive a fourth-grade low-level Dan medicine. However, the same rules as before apply: life or death is inconsequential, and aside from bringing demonic beasts into the arena, there are no restrictions!" Upon Dai Daozi''s words, the disciples from various sects were filled with fighting spirit, looking at each other with eager and competitive eyes. The allure of the prizes was significant. "It''s quite generous indeed. So, this is what happens at the Ghost Martial Sect''s sect convention," Li Lin was somewhat surprised. A fourth-grade low-level Dan medicine valued over a hundred thousand gold coins, and yellow-grade low-level martial arts were even more expensive, valued at over a million gold coins, and not necessarily available for purchase. To the yellow-grade martial arts, it was a treasure that could be the foundation of a small clan. And a weapon forged by a Spirit General was also highly valuable, worth tens of thousands to nearly a million gold coins. Combined, the first place prize amounted to over two million gold coins, a tremendous temptation for cultivators at the martial master level. "Li Lin, young brother, you came from the Flying Spirit Sect alone. Given your age, although you''re the sect master of the Flying Spirit Sect, you could also be considered part of the younger generation. Will you personally participate?" Dai Daozi asked, looking at Li Lin. "I..." Li Lin paused, swallowing a piece of meat in his mouth, wiped his mouth, and said, "Sect Master Dai, can I choose not to participate?" "Not participate?" Dai Daozi was taken aback, then smiled, "There''s no rule against it. If the young brother doesn''t wish to participate, it''s fine." "Then I''ll..." Li Lin had no interest in this, his injuries were mostly healed but not fully, and in such a situation, it was better for him to keep a low profile, fearing that the prizes wouldn''t be easy to win. Chapter 204: A Matter of Life and Death "Uncle..." Li Lin didn''t finish his sentence when he was instantly interrupted by Lv Xiaoling. She then looked at Li Lin with a smile tinged with pride, took out Li Lin''s space beast pouch in her hand, and said, "Can I add something extra to this competition? It''s worth seven or eight million gold coins. I''ll award it to today''s first place." "Of course, Ling''er has this elegant interest, naturally, there''s no problem." Dai Daozi looked somewhat surprised, then smiled and said to everyone in the hall, "Miss Xiaoling said that today''s first place will receive a treasure worth a hundred and eighty million gold coins." "My God, eight hundred million gold coins, I''m going all out." "I must give it my all today." Below in the hall, after everyone was surprised, they all became excited and agitated. Even the elders and sect leaders of several sects couldn''t sit still. Eight hundred million gold coins was a huge fortune for them. "Miss Xiaoling, I must win first place today," Dai Changyun immediately said to Lv Xiaoling. "Young brother, what did you just say?" Dai Daozi asked Li Lin again, as his words had been interrupted by Lv Xiaoling and he hadn''t heard them clearly. "Of course I''m participating. All sects are participating, and Flying Spirit Gate naturally cannot fall behind," Li Lin said with a smile, but his eyes were fiercely looking at Lv Xiaoling. This woman actually used his space beast pouch as a prize. Little dragon and Tian Chi Snow Lion were both in the space beast pouch now. It seemed that he must win first place, otherwise, if the space beast pouch ended up in someone else''s hands and they forcibly opened it, then it would be troublesome. "Then good, I also want to see the young brother''s strength," Dai Daozi said with a smile. "Li Lin, you must win," Lv Xiaoling said with a proud smile, gently shaking the space beast pouch in her hand, as if telling Li Lin that if he doesn''t fight with all his might, his space pouch will belong to someone else. Li Lin glared at Lv Xiaoling hatefully. This woman was too cunning and eccentric, forcing him to fight desperately. He didn''t know what she wanted to do. "Hmph..." Hearing that Li Lin was going to compete, Dai Chang''an and Dai Changyun both snorted coldly through their nostrils, staring fiercely at Li Lin. "In that case, let''s all go to the square and see how many young heroes there are in each sect and school this year," Dai Daozi said with a hearty smile, then stood up and said to the Liu surname elder and Wang surname elder, "How about you two elders also join in the fun?" "The annual grand event of Ghost Martial Sect, I''ve been wanting to see it," the two elders originally didn''t seem very interested, but after Li Lin agreed to participate, they became somewhat interested. They knew that the space pouch Miss offered was not her item, but Li Lin''s, and they also wanted to see Li Lin''s current strength. Everyone in the hall then headed outside to the square. Li Lin still followed by Lv Xiaoling''s side, but he invisibly felt a coldness spreading over him. Glancing sideways, it was all people from Jiu Hua Sect. "It looks like there''s trouble," Li Lin sighed secretly. Now, both Jiu Hua Sect and Dai Chang''an, Dai Changyun had quite a bit of hostility towards him. The people from Jiu Hua Sect naturally because of the Jubaomen matter, and Dai Chang''an, Dai Changyun, were because of Lv Xiaoling, this cause of disaster. Outside the hall, in the square, the most central position towards the back was already set with a row of chairs, with Dai Daozi, Dai Gangzi, Lv Xiaoling, the Liu surname elder, the Wang surname elder, and several elders from Ghost Martial Sect seated, and the sect leaders of Qian Shan Sect and the other three sects also sat on the side, but the elders in the sect only had to stand. Around the square, there were already thousands of Ghost Martial Sect disciples, all of them excited, as this kind of excitement was not often seen. "Sect Leader Li, please come on stage. The previous Luosha Sect never achieved any results every year. I hope Flying Spirit Gate can achieve a good result this year," Du Yunshan said to Li Lin, then led Li Lin to the central square. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. "Elder Du, what are the specific rules of this competition?" Li Lin frowned. The competition at the sect conference was not explained to him, probably because Zhou Yuhou and others hadn''t been to Ghost Martial Sect, so they were unaware. "Regardless of life or death, there are no restrictions except for bringing demonic beasts into the arena," Du Yunshan said. "As for other rules, Sect Leader Li, it''s your first time here, so naturally, you wouldn''t know. Qian Shan Sect, Tian Yi Sect, Yun Shan Sect, Jiu Hua Sect, and Flying Spirit Gate, according to the rules, can each send five young disciples. Ghost Martial Sect will send ten young disciples. After the first round of competition, ten people will remain. In the second round, these ten people will draw lots to compete directly, leaving the final five. Then, our Ghost Martial Sect will set up a small formation for these last five. The first one to break out will be the top three." "There''s also a formation challenge," Li Lin frowned, then smiled slightly and said, "Thank you, Elder Du, for the explanation." "All the young competitors from each sect, please come forward," Du Yunshan then loudly announced, following Dai Daozi''s gesture. As his words fell, young disciples from each sect quickly stepped forward, all eager to show their prowess. Li Lin glanced around and saw that from each sect, five young disciples stepped forward, among which, in the cheering of thousands of disciples from Ghost Martial Sect, eight young people came forward. These competing youths were all talented among the young generation, with the lowest level of cultivation being a first-tier martial artist, and the strongest, judging by their aura, was a sixth-tier martial artist, one of the eight young people from Ghost Martial Sect. "Cousin, I''m going up too, I must win first place," Dai Chang''an said beside Lv Xiaoling, then glanced at Dai Changyun beside him with a somewhat provocative intent. "Miss Xiaoling, I will also win first place," Dai Changyun also declared emphatically, glancing at Dai Chang''an and walked to the center of the square, passing by Li Lin with a snort of disdain. Li Lin swept his gaze across the field, now totaling thirty-one people, with Ghost Martial Sect''s eight, and now with Dai Chang''an and Dai Changyun, making it ten people, while the other sects, Qian Shan Sect, Tian Yi Sect, Yun Shan Sect, Jiu Hua Sect, each had five disciples. Li Lin could now recognize the people from Qian Shan Sect, Tian Yi Sect, Yun Shan Sect, Jiu Hua Sect, having paid attention to the conversations in the hall. The people from Jiu Hua Sect were exuding coldness towards him, while the other three sects didn''t pay much attention to him. In terms of overall strength, Ghost Martial Sect''s participants were obviously much stronger, with cultivation levels between fourth-tier and fifth-tier martial artists, including Dai Changyun, making up two sixth-tier martial artists. The other four sects had cultivation levels from first-tier to fourth-tier martial artists, which was already good among the young generation, but their overall strength was much less compared to Ghost Martial Sect''s. "Everyone listen well, once you enter the arena, it''s a matter of life and death, with no restrictions except for bringing demonic beasts. If you regret now, it''s still not too late to withdraw. After entering the arena, your fate is in the hands of heaven. If you admit defeat, leave the square on your own; otherwise, it''s a matter of life and death in the square. Do you understand?" Du Yunshan scanned the crowd and then said. "We understand," everyone responded in unison, all eager and ready, with no one choosing to withdraw. Li Lin''s heart sank slightly. The people in this ancient realm were indeed ruthless; a mere competition was a matter of life and death, a fight to the death. He feared that after the first round, many of these thirty people would become corpses. In this ancient realm, where killings were commonplace, everyone was accustomed to this; only the strong could survive, everything depended on strength, on killing. Assessing everyone''s level of strength, Li Lin estimated that although his cultivation was at the fourth-tier martial artist level, his true strength was sufficient to protect himself. He feared that if people, especially from Jiu Hua Sect, targeted him for a joint attack, it would be extremely troublesome, especially since he couldn''t reveal his identity as a spiritual practitioner and a five-element martial artist too soon. He must win this time; the space beast pouch was in Lv Xiaoling''s hands, and he had to win it back. Thinking this, he then heard Du Yunshan say again, "The boundary is the square, the first round is a melee, and it will automatically end when ten people remain. Good luck, everyone. Begin now." As Du Yunshan''s words fell, his figure instantly disappeared from the square. "Hu hu..." A wave of killing intent immediately filled the air, and vital energy vibrated rapidly. In the midst of Li Lin''s thoughts, figures moved across the square, and amid the fiery noise, there were sudden clashes of strength, fierce vital energies colliding, creating bursts of low sonic booms. The competition started without any warm-up, directly entering into a real battle, a fight to the death. Once on the square, everyone understood it was a fight with no retreat. "Die," almost simultaneously, a figure flashed, a white figure instantly appeared in front of Li Lin, in a flash of lightning, the sound of cutting wind pierced through the space, sparks flying continuously, a sword light cleaved towards him. "A disciple from Jiu Hua Sect." Li Lin''s body rapidly retreated, wind attribute combined with earth attribute, speed surged, but outsiders couldn''t see it, the young man in front of him in a green short shirt was indeed a third-tier martial artist disciple from Jiu Hua Sect. Chapter 205: Unrestrained Slaughter This sword strike, carrying fierce and intense fire attribute vital energy, cut through the air with a scorching force, drawing an arc in mid-air and arriving instantaneously above the head. "Since you all want to test me, then I''ll give you enough to watch," Li Lin snorted coldly. The surrounding murderous intent on the square started to draw out the bloodthirsty nature hidden within him. Before having sufficient strength to counter the opponent, one must endure, but when one truly has the strength to confront the opponent, there is no need for endurance. Taking the stage, it seemed both Ghost Martial Sect and Jiu Hua Sect wanted to know his strength, so he had no choice but to make a deterrent example. In this ancient realm, the more one tolerates, the more one is bullied. Only absolute slaughter can instill fear in others. "A third-tier martial artist, seeking death." At this moment, Li Lin, retreating rapidly, quickly dodged back. His normal strength was more than enough to deal with a third-tier martial artist. In an instant, the sword energy slashed directly in front of Li Lin, nearly grazing him, and fiercely struck the ground in front of him on the square. Sparks flew as the stone slabs were split open, creating a long crack that spread out. At the forefront of the square, nearly half of the people from Ghost Martial Sect and the various major sects were watching Li Lin. After all, Li Lin''s identity was somewhat different. The recently risen Flying Spirit Gate was unknown to anyone, and they also wanted to understand Flying Spirit Gate through its Sect Leader. Lv Xiaoling was also smiling while watching Li Lin, her expression filled with confusion, murmuring, "This liar is clearly a spiritual practitioner, how come he''s now a martial artist? Sometimes a martial artist, sometimes a spiritual practitioner, how can this be?" "Mountain Splitting Palm." Simultaneously, as the sword strike from the Jiu Hua Sect''s third-tier martial artist disciple missed and struck in front of Li Lin, in that instant, Li Lin bent down and swiftly executed hand seals, rapidly condensing a earthy yellow palm imprint. His body suddenly shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, targeting the third-tier martial artist from Jiu Hua Sect. "Boom!" The palm imprint struck, and a huge, muffled sound of impact thunderously erupted. Without any surprises, Li Lin''s speed and reaction, perfectly coordinated, were all honed in the Misty Mountain Range. Facing the speed-renowned lightning panther packs, Li Lin could take on fifteen alone, let alone a third-tier martial artist in front of him. In the blink of an eye, along with the sound of the explosion, a palm imprint ferociously hit the third-tier martial artist, with a burst of invisible force shooting out fiercely before heavily crashing into the martial artist''s chest. The young man in the green short shirt''s face changed dramatically, but he had no time to think. With a loud shout, a surge of strong fire attribute vital energy burst out from within him, instantly setting up a red protective aura around him. However, it all seemed too late. Although Li Lin''s Mountain Splitting Palm was just a star-level martial skill, he was already stronger than the young man in the green short shirt in terms of strength and cultivation level, not to mention Li Lin''s actual strength was far from being as simple as his cultivation level indicated. With Li Lin''s current strength, although not considered significant in the eyes of true powerhouses, it was extremely formidable among martial artists. Now, with a casual strike of his Mountain Splitting Palm, the first martial skill he practiced to perfection, its power could be imagined. Thus, the protective aura hastily set up by the young man in the green short shirt almost instantly shattered under the overwhelming force, and in a very brief moment, a violent force smashed heavily onto the young man''s chest. "Pfft..." All this happened within two seconds. The young man from Jiu Hua Sect spat out blood instantaneously, his body falling heavily a dozen meters away like a kite with its string cut, internal organs shattered by the impact, dying instantly with that palm strike. Li Lin had used his full strength. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "A fourth-tier martial artist?" Many people at the forefront were slightly startled, naturally guessing Li Lin''s cultivation level from the aura he emanated. "Such quick speed, the coordination of reaction and speed is seamless. This kid is no ordinary person." At this moment, the real powerhouses at the forefront, Dai Daozi, Dai Gangzi, Wang surname elder, Liu surname elder, and others, were not looking at Li Lin''s cultivation level, but at his overall strength, raising their eyebrows in surprise. Some were astonished, some were angry, but now the Sect Leader of Jiu Hua Sect, Mo Tianwen, and several elders suddenly looked displeased. Their disciple couldn''t even withstand a single move, and cold looks instantly fell on Li Lin. At this moment, Li Lin had no time to sense the coldness from the people of Jiu Hua Sect. Right after killing the third-tier martial artist, the other four disciples from Jiu Hua Sect all surrounded Li Lin, two second-tier, one third-tier, and one fourth-tier martial artists. The four encircled Li Lin, their eyes filled with undisguised intent to kill. Meanwhile, others involved in the melee around them, sensing this scene, saw it as beneficial if both parties inflicted mutual damage and did not intervene, each dealing with their own opponents in fierce combat. "It looks like they had discussed it beforehand, to gang up on me. Then you can all go die." At this moment, Li Lin''s fighting spirit ignited, deciding to make a deterrent example. No need for subterfuge, as he spoke, Li Lin''s figure suddenly burst forth. "Let''s do it together." The four disciples from Jiu Hua Sect also moved quickly. In this arena, there were no other rules to speak of, and ganging up was not against the rules. "Sss!" The fourth-tier martial artist from Jiu Hua Sect was the first to attack, with a sudden explosion of water attribute vital energy on his body. His figure turned into a blurred shadow, darting towards Li Lin with lightning speed. It must be said, among the younger generation, this person''s strength was definitely impressive. Just this speed alone was likely unmatched by many of the same cultivation level. The distance, already short, was closed in the blink of an eye. The fourth-tier martial artist was the first to pounce on Li Lin, a blue water column shooting towards Li Lin instantaneously. The water column stirred up ripples in the air, like an arrow cut from its string, piercing through the air directly towards Li Lin. Vital energy surged around Li Lin, a flash of yellow under his feet as he retreated several steps like a flash, his hand seals rapidly changing, executing another Mountain Splitting Palm directly splitting through the air, the fierce force vibrating the air, with the sharp sound of tearing wind incessantly. "Bang..." When the two forces collided, the oppressive space immediately burst with the sound of an explosion, dispersing the force in an instant. "Whoosh..." At this moment, the third-tier martial artist from Jiu Hua Sect also closed in on Li Lin from behind, a sword energy carrying oppressive force, slicing through the air with a lightning-fast crack aimed viciously at Li Lin. "Flame Shadow Finger." Li Lin let out a cold laugh, forming hand seals, his right hand''s fingers flexing and then shooting out five streams of intensely hot and powerful energy, exerting his full strength once again. "Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" Five Flame Shadow Fingers pierced through the air, one meeting the third-tier martial artist''s sword energy, sparking flashes of light as the sword energy was deflected. The remaining four Flame Shadow Fingers, carrying brutal force, struck the third-tier martial artist hard. "Sss sss..." Four bloody holes appeared instantly, the third-tier martial artist even failing to react before collapsing to the ground, without even having time to set up a protective aura. Li Lin didn''t pause at this moment; two second-tier martial artists were attacking him from behind with a punch and a palm strike, respectively. Sensing the powerful energy from behind, Li Lin bent his body and then with a surge of vital energy under his feet, leapt up, flipping in mid-air. Simultaneously, vital energy violently gathered around him, diving down like a hawk preying, fingers rapidly firing ten blazing finger strikes that pierced through the air, attacking downwards with an intensely hot wind. The two second-tier martial artists'' attacks missed, a punch and a palm striking where Li Lin had just been, shaking the ground as two explosions sounded. "Bang bang!" Energy dispersed, shattering stones on the ground. Just as the two were about to retreat, a barrage of intensely hot energy violently descended from above. "Whoosh whoosh..." In a flash of fire, the temperature around soared, ten Flame Shadow Fingers darted out like lightning, penetrating through the air and directly crushing down on the two. "Whoosh whoosh..." A sound of tearing wind followed, their bodies instantly riddled with several bloody holes. "Earth, fire, a dual-element martial artist." At this moment, Dai Daozi, the Wang surname elder, Liu surname elder, and everyone else''s expressions changed. They had not anticipated Li Lin to be a dual-element martial artist. "You''ll die as well." Li Lin didn''t delay any further, his body slightly trembling, vital energy swirling around him, his gaze locked onto the remaining fourth-tier martial artist from Jiu Hua Sect. Vital energy burst forth from within him, this time, Li Lin took the initiative to attack. His body lunged forward, and as vital energy poured out from around Li Lin, an oppressive aura emerged, enveloping the surroundings. Under this pressure, the complexion of the fourth-tier martial artist changed drastically, witnessing how his four fellow disciples were almost effortlessly killed, he was filled with terror. Chapter 206: Aura of Slaughter In a moment of astonishment, the Quadruple Martial Master instantly regained his senses, and his body suddenly burst forth with water-attributed Qi, his hand seals changing incessantly. A massive water mist of over a hundred meters instantly enveloped him, and the violent water mist quickly converged into a huge vortex, which then swept towards Li Lin with a thunderous momentum. The force of the vortex spread, twisting the surrounding air currents together, with a roaring sound of sonic boom sweeping past. At this moment, the Quadruple Martial Master had struck with all his might. "Jiuhua Sect disciples, your strength is just so-so." Li Lin snorted coldly. Facing a Quadruple Martial Master of the same level, Li Lin did not consider him a threat. Since he had already decided to eliminate the people from Jiuhua Sect, he intended to eliminate them all to prevent future troubles. As his words fell, surging Qi burst forth from Li Lin''s body, instantly overpowering the Quadruple Martial Master. Even with normal strength, Li Lin''s dantian Qi sea''s breadth and the toughness of his meridians were much stronger than those of his peers. Li Lin''s Qi surged in an instant, his green robe fluttering without wind, and his Qi continuously spreading out at an extremely fast pace. Suddenly, a scorching aura spread out from his body, and a punch filled with flames struck out. "Fury Fist." With a shout from Li Lin, his Qi vibrated, and a huge fist imprint struck out, its violent force destroying the spatial air currents, colliding with the huge vortex that had rapidly approached him. "Bang bang..." A huge sound of an explosion spread out from the clash of the two violent forces. The vortex suddenly spun at high speed and then exploded, with the sound echoing throughout the square. Even the people engaged in fierce battles around couldn''t help but turn their heads to look. Qi spread out, violently disturbing the surrounding space, causing cracks to form on the ground of the square. The young Quadruple Martial Master staggered back, his internal energy and blood churning, a formidable force he hadn''t anticipated pouring down on him. He forcibly swallowed a mouthful of fresh blood, only to find that his opponent had already disappeared from sight. "Where did he go?" The Quadruple Martial Master felt something was wrong and retreated rapidly, only to see a blue afterimage rushing towards him. "Die!" Li Lin appeared in front of the Quadruple Martial Master like lightning, causing his face to drastically change. Not just him, but many strong figures were extremely shocked by Li Lin''s appearance. As Li Lin appeared, a sharp glove appeared in his hand. With a twist of his hand, five scorching finger marks burst forth, instantly destroying the Quadruple Martial Master''s protective aura and piercing through his chest. "Crack..." The sound of bones breaking was heard, and Li Lin, with a cold intent, pulled a shattered organ from the chest of the Quadruple Martial Master, bringing with it a mix of bloody and white substances, as the air was filled with an endless scent of blood. "Ah..." The young man screamed, then fell to the ground, blood everywhere. Li Lin''s Qi was extraordinary, with fire-attributed Qi swirling around his hands, turning into strands of flames that cleanly burned away the blood on the white jade silk gloves. This scene made everyone present gasp in shock. Such cruel methods moved even those accustomed to the ancient domain. "How ruthless." At this moment, the eyebrows of thousands of Ghost Martial Sect disciples were furrowed, their hearts filled with absolute shock. The people engaged in fierce battles on the square, some of whom had thought to take advantage of the chaos to attack Li Lin, retreated rapidly after witnessing this scene, daring not to provoke Li Lin lightly. Among the leaders, Dai Daozi, Elder Wang, Elder Liu, and others had varied expressions, but without exception, they were all shaken by Li Lin. They naturally did not regard Li Lin''s strength highly, but his aura of slaughter and the murderous aura on his body also moved them. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. "Good strength, a dual-system martial artist, plus this aura of slaughter," Dai Daozi''s expression slightly darkened, "If this child has the opportunity, his future achievements are unimaginable." "Idiots." In the Jiuhua Sect, Mo Tianwen''s face drastically changed. The five strongest disciples of the younger generation within the sect had all been killed by Li Lin. How could he not be furious, wishing he could immediately step forward and kill Li Lin himself. Elder Wang and Elder Liu also exchanged glances, then once again set their sights on Li Lin, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief. "Boom boom boom..." On the square, the sound of explosions continued, and there were still many corpses on the ground. Li Lin, wearing white jade silk gloves and exuding a murderous aura, stood in the center of the square. At this moment, no one dared to provoke him, having witnessed him killing five people in the blink of an eye. Li Lin raised an eyebrow. Looking over the square, out of the original thirty-one people, now only fourteen remained. This included eight from the Ghost Martial Sect, two from Qianshan Gate, two from Tianyi Gate, one from Yunshan Gate, and all five from Jiuhua Gate had been killed. Among the ten of the Ghost Martial Sect, only two had been killed. The ten almost cooperated with each other, slaughtering the disciples of the other three sects. Overall, the disciples of the Ghost Martial Sect were stronger, even their martial skills were of a higher level, making it impossible for the disciples of the other three sects to compete. "Bang bang..." The sound of explosions was endless, with violent power filling the air. Li Lin saw that a Quadruple Martial Master from Tianyi Gate had killed a disciple of the Ghost Martial Sect but was then killed from behind by Dai Chang''an with a palm strike. "Die." Dai Changyun, not wanting to be outdone, released his violent Qi, instantly killing a Triple Martial Master from Qianshan Gate. "Kid, the cousin is mine." At this moment, a figure appeared beside Li Lin, it was Dai Chang''an. "Is that so? Then it has nothing to do with me." Li Lin said lightly, not paying him much attention. "I will kill you." Dai Chang''an said coldly, his eyes coldly staring at Li Lin, his Qi beginning to shake. "Bang bang...!" Ahead, another deafening explosion sounded as a Sextuple Martial Master from the Ghost Martial Sect killed a Quadruple Martial Master from Qianshan Gate with a sword strike. "The first round is over." A shout fell, and Du Yunshan appeared on the square. Now, only ten people remained on the square: six from the Ghost Martial Sect, one from Qianshan Gate, one from Tianyi Gate, and one from Yunshan Gate. "Hmph!" Hearing this shout, Dai Chang''an couldn''t help but snort coldly and reluctantly retreated. Li Lin glanced coldly at Dai Chang''an, then turned his attention back to the center. Now, out of the thirty-one people, only ten remained, with fourteen corpses on the ground, and seven seemed to have fled the square with serious injuries, effectively surrendering. In the Ghost Martial Sect, dozens of disciples were already on the square cleaning up the corpses, with no one lamenting the dead, only excitement for the ten who remained. "You ten will participate in the second round, which will be decided by drawing lots. There will be five pairs, and my hand holds bamboo sticks of five different colors: black, red, white, blue, green. Drawing the corresponding stick, you will compete in the order of black, red, white, blue, green. The rules remain the same, disregard for life and death, until the opponent steps down from the square or is killed to win. The five winners will enter the third round," said Du Yunshan, his gaze particularly noting Li Lin. Then, Du Yunshan took out a sealed tube, half a meter in size, and everyone lined up to draw a bamboo stick from it. "White, the third to compete." Li Lin looked at the bamboo stick in his hand, which was white, meaning he would be the third to compete. He then observed the others around him, who had also opened their bamboo sticks. "It''s him." Li Lin''s gaze settled on another Sextuple Martial Master from the Ghost Martial Sect besides Dai Changyun, who also held a white bamboo stick. At that moment, the Sextuple Martial Master''s gaze also fell on Li Lin, a trace of coldness passing through his eyes. "Have everyone chosen? According to the order, those who drew black sticks, start competing," said Du Yunshan. At this point, the square had already been cleaned by the disciples of the Ghost Martial Sect. "Elder Wang, do you think Li Lin can make it into the top five?" At the top, Lv Xiaoling looked at Li Lin and said to Elder Wang beside her. "Miss, it''s hard to say. Just keep watching, and you''ll know," replied Elder Wang. Dai Daozi and others were also whispering something to the elders beside them, then their gazes returned to the square. "Swish swish..." On the square, two figures leaped to the center: one in a white long shirt, a Triple Martial Master from Qianshan Gate, and one in black attire, tall, a Quadruple Martial Master from the Ghost Martial Sect. As the two of them entered the arena, discussions arose among the sect leaders and many elders at the top, with only the people from Jiuhua Gate looking sullen, as all five disciples were killed by one person, making this sect conference a huge loss of face for Jiuhua Gate. As soon as the two young men took the stage, they exchanged brief courtesies and immediately launched into attack. The disciple from the Ghost Martial Sect was a fire attribute martial artist, while the disciple from Qianshan Gate was a water attribute martial artist. As soon as they engaged, the sound of explosions rose, and the air currents around them surged violently. Li Lin carefully observed the competition between the two. The disciple from the Ghost Martial Sect clearly had the upper hand. In terms of inherent strength, the young man in black from the Ghost Martial Sect was a level stronger, even his martial skills were better, immediately putting the disciple from Qianshan Gate under pressure. Chapter 207: Liner Takes the Stage The confrontation between these two also sparked low discussions among many people around, with the leaders of various sects and factions quietly discussing among themselves at the top seats. "Master Sun, the disciples of Qianshan Gate are not bad this year," Dai Daozi said to a grey-robed man next to him. "Dai Sect Master is joking. They are still far inferior to the disciples of the Ghost Martial Sect," the grey-robed man sighed slightly, a bitter smile crossing his eyes. He was Sun Zishan from Qianshan Gate. He could naturally see that his disciples from Qianshan Gate were no match for those from the Ghost Martial Sect. This year, there was little hope for Qianshan Gate again. In the past years'' sect conferences, the Ghost Martial Sect always dominated the top two positions, and it was already an extraordinary achievement for other sects to secure a third place. "The disciple from Qianshan Gate is going to lose. No wonder the prizes for the sect conference are so rich. It seems the Ghost Martial Sect has other plans," Li Lin thought to himself. Given the strength of the younger generation of the Ghost Martial Sect, the top three spots were definitely theirs. The generous prizes offered by the Ghost Martial Sect were because they knew the rewards would go to their own disciples anyway, and besides, there might be other motives. The annual sect conference has each sect send their strongest young generation to battle, and the Ghost Martial Sect has the most participants. Almost all disciples from other sects end up either dead or seriously injured. In five to ten years, even though the Ghost Martial Sect will also suffer some losses, other sects will hardly have anyone left capable of challenging the Ghost Martial Sect, becoming mere vassals under its feet, unable to pose any threat. This realization made Li Lin take a deep breath. The Ghost Martial Sect''s scheming was indeed subtle, with other sects thinking they had an advantage but actually silently falling into the Ghost Martial Sect''s trap. At this moment, the disciple from the Ghost Martial Sect was almost completely dominating the fight. The disciple from the Ghost Martial Sect was a fire attribute martial artist, with strong and fierce attacks. The disciple from Qianshan Gate was a water attribute martial artist, whose attacks were slightly slower in rhythm and, being inherently weaker, started to lose momentum after a dozen moves, seemingly running out of strength. A moment later, seizing an opening from his opponent, the Ghost Martial Sect''s disciple launched an extremely fierce attack. His hands radiated intense Qi, condensing into tangible flames and striking through the opponent''s defense, hitting the Qianshan Gate''s water attribute disciple squarely in the chest. The disciple from Qianshan Gate turned pale, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth as he was harshly thrown out of the arena. "Whoosh whoosh..." As the disciple from Qianshan Gate struggled to rise, another whooshing sound echoed, and the Ghost Martial Sect''s disciple launched another fiery palm strike, landing heavily and causing the Qianshan Gate disciple to die on the spot. "Lin Ping of the Ghost Martial Sect wins." Du Yunshan announced the result with a smile on the square. The victory of the Ghost Martial Sect was expected by the sect''s elders, so it was no surprise to the crowd. At the top seats, Master Sun Zishan of Qianshan Gate slightly furrowed his brows. This time, Qianshan Gate gained nothing but lost several disciples. "The second match, please." Du Yunshan said lightly. As Du Yunshan''s voice fell, a figure leaped onto the center of the square, dressed in splendid clothes and with a face full of arrogance. It was Dai Changyun, the son of the Deputy Sect Master of the Ghost Martial Sect, Dai Gangzi, with the strength of a Hexuple Martial Master, standing proudly among today''s young generation. Shortly after Dai Changyun took the stage, a blue figure with a dejected look walked onto the stage. This person, noticed by Li Lin, was a disciple from Yunshan Gate, a woman in a blue long dress, quite pretty and with a certain heroic air about her, at the level of a Quadruple Martial Master. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. "Seeing as you''re a woman, surrender now, and I''ll be lenient. Otherwise, I won''t be polite," Dai Changyun laughed heartily, clearly not taking a Quadruple Martial Master seriously. The woman in blue''s expression changed slightly, then she looked back at the Yunshan Gate''s Sect Master behind her, who nodded slightly. "Alright, I surrender," the woman in blue immediately breathed a sigh of relief and surrendered directly. "That Sect Master of Yunshan Gate is indeed a wise man." Li Lin observed all this. The Sect Master of Yunshan Gate''s approval was followed by the woman''s surrender, a battle with such a large gap in strength had no fighting chance. Li Lin couldn''t help but take another look at the Sect Master of Yunshan Gate, a person Li Lin also recognized as Yu Hanxiang, with the strength of a Quadruple Martial General, definitely a strong figure in the ancient domain. "Ha ha, I didn''t expect Yunshan Gate to surrender directly, lacking even that bit of courage." As soon as the disciple from Yunshan Gate surrendered, Mo Tianwen from Jiuhua Gate began to laugh. It was common for these sects to compete and clash with each other secretly. "If you''re not strong enough, surrender is the only option. Unlike Jiuhua Gate, not strong enough, yet five of them ganged up on one and were instantly killed. Impressive," Yu Hanxiang retorted coldly with a scoff. "Hmph!" Mo Tianwen snorted coldly but had no comeback. "The second match, Dai Changyun wins." Just then, the woman in the blue dress from Yunshan Gate quickly exited the arena, and Du Yunshan immediately announced the result. "Way to go, Young Master Dai." Thousands of disciples from the Ghost Martial Sect immediately started cheering, their voices growing louder and louder, making Dai Changyun extremely excited. He proudly glanced at Dai Chang''an and Li Lin before leaping down from the center of the square. "Next for the third match." Du Yunshan''s voice spread once more. "Is it finally my turn?" Li Lin murmured. "Whoosh..." A figure had already leaped onto the stage before Li Lin, gracefully spinning and landing in the center of the square with Qi swirling around C another Hexuple Martial Master from the Ghost Martial Sect. "Go, Third Senior Brother!" Many disciples from the Ghost Martial Sect immediately started shouting and screaming, with quite a few girls among them fanatically cheering on. It seemed this young man also had considerable influence among the younger generation of the Ghost Martial Sect. Li Lin slowly walked onto the square, his green robe fluttering, and calmly stood there. Although a Hexuple Martial Master was much stronger than his own level, under normal circumstances, such an opponent should not pose too much of a threat to him. "Third Senior Brother, kill the Flying Spirit Gate''s person with one move." Many disciples from the Ghost Martial Sect seemed to have a low opinion of Li Lin, shouting and not taking him seriously at all. "Elder Wang, do you think Li Lin can win?" At the top seats, Lv Xiaoling asked the middle-aged woman beside her, her gaze fixed on Li Lin, seemingly pondering something. "Although dual-system martial artists are extraordinary, to truly unleash their potential, they need to reach the level of Martial Soul. At the Martial Soul level, the power of dual-system martial artists is significantly greater than that of single-system martial artists. But now, Li Lin is only at the level of a Quadruple Martial Master. Although his reflexes and speed are good, overall, the gap between a Quadruple and a Hexuple Martial Master is two levels. If he were facing a Quintuple Martial Master, perhaps it wouldn''t be a big problem, but facing a Hexuple Martial Master, the chances are slim," Elder Wang hesitated before slowly saying. "Is that so, Elder Wang? How about we make a bet? If Li Lin wins, you can''t make me go back so soon. If he loses, I''ll return with you tomorrow," Lv Xiaoling said with a slight smile. "Miss, regardless, you have to return with us every day, otherwise, the Sect Master will come to fetch you personally," Elder Liu said. "Hmph!" Lv Xiaoling glared at the two elders, but there was nothing she could do. At this moment, almost all the elders and Sect Masters around were closely watching the center of the square. Mo Tianwen''s eyes were filled with coldness, wishing the Ghost Martial Sect''s Hexuple Martial Master disciple could immediately kill Li Lin. "If you surrender now, it''s still not too late. Otherwise, you''ll regret it. Just go back and be your little Sect Master of Flying Spirit Gate," the Hexuple Martial Master young man disdainfully said to Li Lin, not taking him seriously at all. Li Lin calmly looked at the Hexuple Martial Master young man, a hint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes. Behind Jiuhua Gate must be the Ghost Martial Sect. Today, he would give the Ghost Martial Sect a warning; otherwise, they might become even more unbridled. Killing this person, the Ghost Martial Sect couldn''t do anything to him. "If you surrender, I might also spare your life on account of the Ghost Martial Sect," Li Lin said indifferently, his expression unchanged, but an invisible aura of menace spread around him. "Third Senior Brother, quickly make your move and kill that kid." Below the square, many disciples from the Ghost Martial Sect started shouting. At the top seats, Dai Daozi and other powerful figures from the Ghost Martial Sect were also intently watching Li Lin. Only the Ghost Martial Sect''s strong knew that Flying Spirit Gate currently had a powerful Spiritual Marshal, while other sects were still unaware. Chapter 208: One Move Kill "Ungrateful fool, you''re courting death." The Hexuple Martial Master disciple from the Ghost Martial Sect coldly shouted, and in that instant, his Qi vibrated intensely, a ferocious aura suddenly spreading out. A mass of earthy yellow Qi burst forth from within his body. This person was an earth-element martial artist, and his Qi, like a halo, enveloped him completely, creating a sense of oppression that caused some of the Ghost Martial Sect disciples near the arena to momentarily find their breathing hindered and their internal Qi flow slowed. Li Lin made no movement, but inside him, the Qi within his dantian Qi sea churned and vibrated, with powerful Qi rapidly flowing through his broad meridians. The invisible killing aura around him became even denser. "Whoosh..." Watching Li Lin, the confidence in the eyes of the Ghost Martial Sect''s Hexuple Martial Master disciple began to waver, as if an invisible pressure was enveloping him, making him feel unnaturally tense. At this moment, having no choice but to act, his figure darted towards Li Lin like lightning. At this moment, the Ghost Martial Sect''s disciple was already holding a long spear, with a momentum as overwhelming as a tidal wave enveloping him. The spear thrust forward, creating multiple spear shadows in mid-air that tore through the air currents with a whistling sound, attacking Li Lin with relentless spear shadows covering the sky. "This is the Ghost Martial Sect''s Yellow-Rank beginner martial technique, Cloud Piercing Spear, right? It''s rare to see a Hexuple Martial Master cultivate it to such a degree," Mo Tianwen from Jiuhua Gate commented. "The power of the Cloud Piercing Spear is extraordinary. I''m afraid Li Lin from Flying Spirit Gate won''t be able to withstand it," Sun Zishan from Qianshan Gate also said lightly. With their strength, they could easily tell that the disciple from the Ghost Martial Sect, with his Hexuple Martial Master level and this Yellow-Rank beginner martial technique, could even compete with an average Septuple Martial Master. Although Li Lin had some remarkable achievements, like killing five disciples from Jiuhua Gate, those disciples were only Quadruple Martial Masters and below, which hadn''t yet reached a truly astonishing level. The overwhelming spear shadows swiftly swept down, and less than ten meters away, the spear shadows created a fierce wind that caused ripples in the space around Li Lin. Suddenly, Li Lin started to move. His eyes opened wide, and the killing aura around him could no longer be contained, erupting violently, almost solidifying the space. At this moment, as the spear shadows approached, Li Lin swiftly formed hand seals, and instantly, his body was enveloped in a layer of yellow scale armor, dazzling yellow light covering his entire body. "This is a defensive martial technique, and not an ordinary one at that." Many sharp-eyed spectators among the top seats were surprised by Li Lin''s display of the Qingling Armor, expressing their astonishment. Dai Daozi, Dai Gangzi, Elder Wang, Elder Liu, and others furrowed their brows at the sight of the Qingling Armor on Li Lin, their eyes filled with surprise and even a hint of shock, unable to see through the level of the Qingling Armor. "Thousand Hand Crack Seal." Li Lin uttered deeply, his eyes filled with killing intent. Hand seals were rapidly formed, and a massive surge of earthy energy flooded the space like a tidal wave, with violent power instantly converging within the palm seal. Waves of continuous earthy energy gathered, expanding the aura and might of the person instantly, and a yellow palm seal shot up towards the sky. In an instant, as the spear shadows arrived, Li Lin did not retreat but advanced, moving forward, his palm seal shooting upwards, instantly transforming into several blurry palm seals, like lotus flowers composed of afterimages, covering the half-space in front of him. The two figures, wrapped in powerful Qi, rushed towards each other with the speed of arrows leaving the bow, with the lower-level disciples of the Ghost Martial Sect only able to see two blurred figures shooting out. "Sss..." Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. In that instant, the sky-filled spear shadows and palm seals collided directly, with a violent, earth-shattering force carrying an immense impact, colliding fiercely and causing a series of thunderous explosions in the space, spreading a violent Qi in the air. At the point of collision between the two forces, sparks flew, and a ring of fine energy ripples began to spread out, transforming into a strong wind that tore through the air currents, creating a sharp whistling sound. "Yellow-Rank advanced martial technique." The strong figures among the top seats were amazed, recognizing the level of martial technique Li Lin was using as Yellow-Rank advanced. In the midst of the violent Qi, a few powerful figures could clearly see that the sky-filled spear shadows, upon meeting the overwhelming palm seals, were instantly dispersed, with the violent Qi directly scattered. Li Lin''s figure pressed forward, allowing the violent Qi to envelop him. Among the myriad of palm seals, one palm seal suddenly burst forth, striking fiercely onto a long spear. "Die." Beneath the scale armor, Li Lin''s face was fierce, his body surging with killing intent. "Crack crack..." The long spear shattered in response, its Qi leaking out and striking heavily onto the chest of the Hexuple Martial Master, causing the protective Qi barrier to crack. In that instant, the martial master''s gaze turned blank, and it was only then that he realized the strength of his opponent. But now, it seemed too late. Feeling the killing intent in the opponent''s eyes and an invisible aura of malice emanating from all around, a fear from the depths of his soul spread out, causing an absolute palpitation. However, all these feelings were carried away with his body under the force of a tremendous power. "Pfft..." A mist of blood mixed with shattered organs was blasted away from the Ghost Martial Sect''s Hexuple Martial Master disciple, his eyes closing unwillingly as his body was tossed about in the violent Qi like a kite with its string cut. "Boom boom..." The body of the Ghost Martial Sect''s Hexuple Martial Master crashed heavily onto the ground fifty meters away, shaking the ground. His body landed, creating cracks on the surface, and the thick stone slabs instantly cracked, with the disciple''s body completely deformed, leaving no chance of survival. This sudden and unexpected turn of events made the surrounding thousands of Ghost Martial Sect disciples gasp in shock, a chill spreading from their minds. A Hexuple Martial Master, killed by the opponent in one move. As the violent Qi dissipated, a yellow light figure appeared. Only those with a martial general''s cultivation or higher could see clearly through the violent Qi, with others only seeing two blurred figures. The yellow light faded, revealing a figure in a green robe to everyone''s eyes, it was Li Lin. Seeing Li Lin''s figure, the Ghost Martial Sect''s disciples felt even more solemn, their Hexuple Martial Master having been directly killed in one move by a Quadruple Martial Master. At this moment, the elders and sect masters from various sects watching Li Lin were also shocked by everything that had transpired, finding the outcome absolutely unexpected. "Hmph, I knew this little trickster wasn''t simple," Lv Xiaoling said proudly, glancing at Elder Wang and Elder Liu beside her, a smile shining in her eyes. Elder Wang and Elder Liu exchanged glances, both showing utter astonishment. Dai Daozi, Dai Gangzi, and others frowned, pondering over something. Li Lin retracted the Qingling Armor and turned his gaze towards Du Yunshan in the distance. "The third match, Li Lin of Flying Spirit Gate wins." Du Yunshan, momentarily stunned, then announced, his expression revealing an undeniable astonishment. "Hmph..." Dai Chang''an and Dai Changyun, at this moment, both gave Li Lin a cold look, this outcome being the last thing they wanted to see. Li Lin swept his gaze over the crowd, and upon catching Lv Xiaoling''s gaze, he glared fiercely. "Hmph!" Not to be outdone, Lv Xiaoling defiantly played with Li Lin''s spatial beast pouch in her hand. Li Lin, feeling helpless, turned his attention away from Lv Xiaoling, quietly regulating his Qi internally. Killing that Hexuple Martial Master, catching him off guard for a quick kill was not difficult, and he believed this would sufficiently shock the Ghost Martial Sect. "Let''s begin the fourth match." Following Du Yunshan''s announcement, two figures leaped up, Dai Chang''an and a Quadruple Martial Master disciple from Tianyi Gate. As soon as they entered the stage, Dai Chang''an launched a fierce attack, waves of attacks crashing down with fiery intensity. Perhaps influenced by Dai Changyun''s effortless victory and Li Lin''s one-strike kill, Dai Chang''an aimed to impress Lv Xiaoling from the start, his attacks as relentless as a torrential downpour, displaying three martial techniques instantly, one of star-level high rank and two of Yellow-Rank beginner. "Boom boom boom..." The violent attacks created a continuous sound of explosions, the Tianyi Gate''s Quadruple Martial Master unable to resist, retreating under the onslaught and being struck by a punch on the third move, then sent flying. Dai Chang''an''s coldness spread as he rushed forward, seemingly using a type of movement martial technique, his speed ghostly, directly killing the Tianyi Gate''s Quadruple Martial Master. Li Lin watched all this, noting Dai Chang''an''s Quintuple Martial Master level of cultivation. Despite the fierce onslaught, it seemed he hadn''t used his full strength. Being the son of the Ghost Martial Sect''s Dai Daozi, he likely had some hidden cards. "The fourth match, Dai Chang''an wins." Du Yunshan announced once more. Dai Chang''an returned triumphantly, but the surrounding spectators from the Ghost Martial Sect were not as excited, still immersed in the chill of the previous match''s one-strike kill. Chapter 209: Entering the Formation In the fifth match, only two disciples from the Ghost Martial Sect took the stage, one dressed in a white long robe and the other in a black short coat. Both were at the fourth level of martial mastery. As soon as they stepped onto the stage, despite being fellow disciples, there were no extra pleasantries exchanged. The fight between them was evenly matched, but in their fierce attacks, there was a noticeable lack of killing intent. Their exchange, although intense, did not cause much surprise or astonishment among the powerful figures seated at the front. In the end, the disciple in the black short coat seized an opportunity from a mistake made by his opponent and launched a fierce attack to win. However, by the end, this fourth-level martial master in the black short coat was also nearly depleted of his strength. After these five matches, the second round was completely finished. Apart from Li Lin, the other four who advanced to the third round were all from the Ghost Martial Sect. The other sects were completely eliminated in the second round, which caused the faces of several sect leaders to look quite displeased. "The third round will begin. For this round, the Ghost Martial Sect will set up a minor formation called the Tri-Element Unity Formation, composed of fifteen fifth-level martial masters. You five will be inside it. Under normal circumstances, there should be no danger to your lives, but accidents can happen. If anyone wants to withdraw, now is the time. The first to exit the formation will be the winner. Did you all understand?" Du Yunshan explained to the five participants. "Elder Du, does this mean that life and death are disregarded within the formation?" Li Lin asked. "In theory, yes," Du Yunshan replied. "Tri-Element Unity Formation," Li Lin muttered to himself. This formation seemed to be mentioned in the Heavenly Spirit Record, and immediately, the information about the Tri-Element Unity Formation in Li Lin''s mind was recalled. The Tri-Element Unity Formation was set up by groups of five martial masters each from the water, fire, and earth elements, making up fifteen fifth-level martial masters. The power generated by the synergy of elemental forces and the mystical effects of the formation was so great that even a first-level martial soul trapped within it would only meet their demise. "Just the most basic formation," Li Lin sneered silently. It turned out that this was only the most basic formation mentioned in the Heavenly Spirit Record. The Tri-Element Unity Formation, although powerful, was still considered a basic formation. The record mentioned many such formations, including a Five-Element Unity Formation that was similar in principle but ten times more powerful. The Tri-Element Unity Formation involved the combination of water, fire, and earth elements, while the Five-Element Unity Formation required the combination of water, fire, earth, wind, and wood elements. The method to break the Tri-Element Unity Formation was also recorded in the Heavenly Spirit Record, and Li Lin knew it by heart. Breaking the formation was not very difficult. At this moment, Li Lin felt a surge of excitement; there seemed to be something within the Tri-Element Unity Formation that could be greatly beneficial to him. If he wasn''t mistaken, he might gain some unexpected rewards. "If there are no issues, let''s begin," Du Yunshan announced. Fifteen figures immediately leaped to the center of the square, where the energies of water, fire, and earth began to permeate. The fifteen fifth-level martial masters, all disciples of the Ghost Martial Sect, arranged themselves in a specific pattern and started to rotate around the square in a profound step. The energies of the three elements rapidly intensified, drawing the corresponding elemental energies from the surroundings. Their figures sped up, and soon, a glowing aura of the three energies enveloped the entire square, barely revealing the figures of the fifteen participants. Simultaneously, the aura of the fifteen individuals also surged rapidly. Originally at the fifth level of martial mastery, they had now likely reached at least the sixth level. The most terrifying aspect was the aura above the square, which had become so violent that it seemed to suppress even those with martial soul cultivation, with the surrounding space''s airflow following the rotation, increasing in speed until it almost twisted space itself. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. "The Tri-Element Unity Formation is indeed miraculous. The overall strength of the fifteen has probably increased by more than three times," the leaders and elders from Tianyi Sect, Jiu Hua Sect, and Yunshan Sect each showed a look of surprise. Lu Xiaoling, Elder Wang, and Elder Liu, however, merely glanced over without much expression, but their gazes were all fixed on Li Lin. "Let''s start. The first among you five to exit wins," Du Yunshan told the participants. "Whoosh whoosh..." Four figures leaped up and instantly entered the formation, their figures disappearing into the mingling energies of the three elements. A gleam flashed in Li Lin''s eyes, and a faint smile appeared on his lips as he stepped into the formation with a mysterious pace. "I wonder if Li Lin will be able to break through the formation. Breaking the formation isn''t just about strength," Elder Liu commented among the leading figures. "Why have you started paying attention to that kid?" Elder Wang glanced at Elder Liu and spoke indifferently, though his gaze had also been fixed on Li Lin just before. "You''re no different," Elder Liu retorted, looking back at Elder Wang. "This kid is not simple," the two exchanged glances, and Elder Wang softly added. At this moment, Li Lin, inside the formation, was immediately enveloped by the energies of water, fire, and earth. The immense pressure from these three types of energy changed the surrounding space, placing him in a vast expanse where only the mists of these three energies were visible, making everything look vast and boundless. Li Lin, while inside the formation, did not make any sudden moves but instead slowly surveyed his surroundings, feeling the energies of the three elements. His body was already mobilizing the energies of water, fire, and earth, instantly relieving the pressure. Being a martial artist proficient in all elements, with all five elemental energies at his disposal, these elemental forces could not suppress him. "Whoosh..." A sudden sound of breaking wind arose, as a fire arrow, creating a sharp noise, cut through the void and fiercely rushed towards him. "So, it''s like that," Li Lin coldly chuckled, a strange smile appearing on his lips. A peculiar hand seal formed, and as the fire arrow rushed towards him, a vast devouring force emerged from his right hand. A whirlpool, several meters in size, burst forth from the palm, directly engulfing the fire arrow, making it disappear within the vortex. "Whoosh whoosh..." At that moment, a water arrow and an earth arrow broke through the air, fiercely rushing towards Li Lin from both sides. "Bring it on, thanks for the generous gift," Li Lin whispered with a smile. In his hands, a violent whirlpool formed, instantly absorbing the two energy attacks into the vortexes. "Boom boom boom..." Within the Tri-Element Unity Formation, as the five entered, violent breaking wind sounds immediately rang out. At the same time, the entire square was instantly engulfed in an incredibly violent energy storm, making it impossible for those below the fifth level of martial soul mastery to see anything inside. Those above the fifth level of martial soul mastery could only see dozens of blurry figures moving through the formation, with attacks continuously colliding, producing low, thunderous sounds. The violent energy dispersed outward, forcing many spectators to step back. The ferocious energy had twisted the airflows around the square, turning the entire area into a stationary tornado, howling upwards. The violent airflow pressed down, breaking branches and leaves of distant trees, drawing countless shattered leaves and surrounding dust into the energy vortex resembling a tornado. In one corner of the formation, a figure in a green robe surprised all the strong individuals present. The attacks within the formation seemed to have no effect on this person, with every strike directly vanishing upon contact, as if disappearing into thin air. The elders of the Ghost Martial Sect and others like Dai Daozi also frowned slightly. "Eh..." This scene made both Elder Wang and Elder Liu puzzled. Elder Wang asked, "Liu Yixuan, do you see what''s happening?" "This is strange. There''s only one active spot in this Tri-Element Unity Formation. Could this kid actually understand formations?" Elder Liu wondered aloud. Inside the Tri-Element Unity Formation, Li Lin, with a calm demeanor and a smile, unhesitatingly devoured the energy attacks. As a martial artist proficient in all elements, he could effortlessly absorb any type of elemental energy. Elemental energy is the energy of the elements between heaven and earth. Martial artists refine this energy into Qi for their use, and when Qi dissipates, it transforms back into various elemental energies. Martial artists of specific elements can only absorb a small amount of elemental energy for slow cultivation. Disciples with exceptional talent cultivate quickly because their inherent attributes resonate highly with the elemental energies of the world, leading to faster cultivation speeds. In contrast, martial artists with average talent and weaker resonance with the world''s elemental forces cultivate more slowly. If one''s inherent attributes are extremely poor, to the point of being unable to resonate with the world''s elemental energies, it means they cannot become martial artists. Earth element martial artists can only absorb earth elemental energy to refine into Qi, and water element martial artists can only refine water elemental energy similarly. Chapter 210: Awe-Inspiring At this moment, within the formation, the energies of water, fire, and earth could all be absorbed and refined by Li Lin. The most difficult part of cultivation is to engage the elemental energies between heaven and earth. Every martial artist hopes to continuously absorb these elemental energies from the environment for cultivation, just like taking elixirs that can directly enhance one''s cultivation level because the energy contained within the elixirs can be directly absorbed without the need to slowly refine the elemental energies of the world. Elemental energy exists in every corner between heaven and earth, but the amount that can be absorbed each time is very small, and even less can actually be captured. As for this orthodox method of cultivation, Li Lin was even more unable to proceed. The cultivation of the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique, absorbing the elemental powers of heaven and earth, had reached an extremely slow pace, making the desire to break through more than a hundred times slower compared to others. The elemental energy in the world is the purest form of energy, which, to some extent, is purer than true qi. However, martial artists cannot directly use it for themselves; it must be refined first. Just like Li Lin, swallowing others'' true qi could not be directly used for himself. But at this moment, the purest energy between heaven and earth continuously attacked as an offensive force, and Li Lin did not need to cultivate; directly swallowing it with the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique was sufficient, just as if he was directly swallowing the opponent''s attack power during combat. At this moment, Li Lin circulated the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique within his body, instantly converting these elemental energies into his own true qi, which was more convenient than swallowing others'' true qi. Wave after wave of attack came, and Li Lin received them all. As a martial artist proficient in all elements, he could treat any attribute equally and completely swallow it. This undoubtedly equated to a martial artist not needing to exert effort to engage the elemental energy between heaven and earth, but directly having an endless stream of elemental energy entering his body. Now, Li Lin was just like this, with a continuous stream of elemental energy being directly refined by the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique into the purest true qi inside his body. The elemental energy of the world almost had no impurities, and after slight refinement, it could become the purest true qi, much faster than swallowing others'' true qi energy. Swallowing others'' true qi, there would somewhat be others'' imprints within the true qi, and although refining it is fast, it still requires some time. Swallowing a third-level martial master, Li Lin now basically needed five days to a week. Now, Li Lin swallowed three types of endless elemental energies, directly saving the time for refinement, almost instantly turning into pure true qi through a circulation of the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique in the meridians and entering the Dantian Qi Sea. The elemental energy was immense, and Li Lin''s complete swallowing made his meridians expand painfully as if they were about to burst, but it hadn''t reached a limit yet. Li Lin gritted his teeth and persevered, his meridians were much wider than others'', which now played a great role. If his meridians were a bit more normal, he probably wouldn''t be able to swallow such immense three types of elemental energy so crazily. "Whoosh whoosh whoosh..." Waves of water and fireball energy attacks pierced through the spatial airflow, enveloping everything fiercely. Li Lin changed his hand seals, and two vortexes in his hands instantly expanded, receiving all the attacks. "Boom boom boom..." The deep sound of explosions resounded non-stop, and the entire Tri-element Quintessence Formation started to change due to Li Lin''s swallowing, with all the energy converging towards the area where Li Lin was, making the wild energy attacks stronger and stronger. At this moment, the others in the formation were obviously much more relaxed, and the attacks they received became weaker and weaker, with all the attacks being transferred to where Li Lin was. "Just a little more, keep going." At this moment, Li Lin, being in the formation, had already gradually forgotten that he was breaking the formation, immersing himself in the pleasure of swallowing, with the true qi in his Dantian Qi Sea rapidly increasing. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Originally, Li Lin was already at the mid-stage of the fourth level of martial warriors, and now he was rapidly ascending at an unprecedented speed, reaching the late stage of the fourth level of martial masters in a moment. Li Lin began to swallow crazily, this swallowing was much better than swallowing true qi. "Huff, huff..." Within the Tri-element Quintessence Formation, all the wild elemental energies began to shift, converging entirely into the space where Li Lin was located. The violent energies pressed down, completely enveloping the space around Li Lin. In other words, Li Lin had become the center of the entire Tri-element Quintessence Formation at this moment, with the whole formation attacking him alone. The space around Li Lin began to twist strangely, with spatial airflow being emptied, making the entire space seem as if it were isolated above a plaza. The violent power increased exponentially, and everyone could feel a tremendous force growing. If this force were to burst open, its power would be truly terrifying. At this time, a scene that left everyone dumbfounded occurred, especially for the elders of the Ghost Martial Sect, including Dai Daozi, Dai Gangzi, and others, whose faces became extremely ugly. In the plaza, the entire Tri-element Quintessence Formation was completely enveloping the space around Li Lin, while the four people from the Yunyang Sect were completely pushed out of the formation. The violent energy surrounded the space around Li Lin, not attacking the four people from the Ghost Martial Sect at all. The expressions of the crowd began to change with deep meaning. The fifteen people who set up the formation were disciples of the Ghost Martial Sect, sparing their own people a bit in their attacks and being harsher on Li Lin from the Flying Spirit Gate was not unjustifiable. It''s likely they would do the same if it were their sect, as they are all from the same sect, naturally, they would hold back a bit in their attacks, but did they have to make it so obvious? Now, they were completely attacking Li Lin alone, with the four from the Ghost Martial Sect completely outside the formation, not being attacked at all. The strong members of the Ghost Martial Sect were also turning shades of green and purple in frustration, cursing inwardly that these fifteen disciples were too thoughtless. Even if they wanted to target Li Lin from the Flying Spirit Gate, they didn''t need to make it so obvious. Now, it was like fifteen against one, in coordination with the Tri-element Quintessence Formation. Even if they won, the Ghost Martial Sect would lose face. The disciples of the Ghost Martial Sect on the plaza were also stunned, thinking that the brothers who set up the formation were really giving it their all, united in their efforts against the enemy. However, this approach seemed somewhat unsightly. Dai Chang''an, Dai Changyun, and the other two disciples were also looking at each other in dismay, thinking that the disciples of their sect didn''t need to go so easy on them. At least they should have put on a show; this unanimous front against the outsider was too obvious. However, at this moment, the most aggrieved were the fifteen fifth-level martial masters who set up the formation. Initially, they also intended to be harsher on Li Lin and go easy on their fellow disciples. They planned to make some subtle moves in setting up the formation, which would not be noticeable to most people if it wasn''t too excessive. But once the opponent entered the formation, they were unable to make these minor adjustments. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, the opponent had directly moved to the only active spot in the formation, preventing them from changing positions. Now, they were completely out of control, with their true qi rapidly depleting, all attacks being ineffective like stones sinking into the sea. The entire formation shifted, with the energy within the formation moving uncontrollably towards the opponent, even their own true qi was draining away, unable to escape, leaving them all in shock. "You four, quickly enter the formation." At this moment, Dai Chang''an, Dai Changyun, and the other two received a transmission from Dai Daozi, snapping back to reality and immediately rushing into the formation. "Bang, bang..." However, as they rushed forward, they were instantly hit by the violent energy, unable to enter the formation at all. At the front, the leaders and elders of the four sects were already snickering, secretly thinking that the fifteen disciples from the Ghost Martial Sect were truly united, attacking only the outsider and not their fellow sect members, even preventing their own people from entering the formation. At this moment, the elders and leaders of these four sects suddenly realized that during the annual Ghost Martial Sect''s sect meetings in the past, the Ghost Martial Sect might have acted this way, with their disciples never achieving good results at the Ghost Martial Sect''s meetings. Thinking this, the people from the four sects had somewhat ambiguous expressions, realizing that they had been outplayed by the Ghost Martial Sect over the years. Dai Chang''an and the others, unable to enter the formation, grew increasingly puzzled, cursing the fifteen disciples who set up the formation in their minds for making their favoritism too obvious, even a blind person could see it now. "What a clever young man, not simple at all." Elder Liu next to Lv Xiaoling suddenly changed his expression, then asked Lv Xiaoling, "Miss, who exactly is this young man? Don''t hide it from me." At this moment, Elder Liu could clearly see that although all attacks in the Tri-element Quintessence Formation were directed at Li Lin, Li Lin did not seem to be at a disadvantage at all. Instead, it seemed as if he was controlling everything, with the cultivation of a fourth-level martial master, he was countering the formation set up by fifteen fifth-level martial masters, which was truly awe-inspiring. Chapter 211: Breakthrough in the Formation "Elder Liu, his name is Li Lin, the Sect Master of the Flying Spirit Gate, don''t you know?" Lv Xiaoling said, but her expression was now filled with worry. With her strength, she was still unable to discern everything within the formation and naturally began to worry about Li Lin. "Miss, have you known that young man for a long time?" Elder Wang, looking at his young mistress''s worried expression, could already guess something. It was clear to him that his young mistress and Li Lin were not without affection for each other. After her observation, she also believed that Li Lin inside the formation was definitely not an ordinary person, likely a proud disciple from a younger generation of a major sect. "It hasn''t been very long," Lv Xiaoling said immediately. "Elder Wang, do you think that little liar... Li Lin could be in danger?" "Miss, rest assured, this young man should not be in danger for the time being," Elder Wang said meaningfully to Lv Xiaoling. "Elder Wang, Elder Liu, if Li Lin is in danger, you must save him immediately," Lv Xiaoling urgently told the two elders. "Miss, why save this young man? Could it be that you really have something with this young man..." Elder Liu asked with widened eyes in surprise. "If you don''t save him, I won''t go back with you," Lv Xiaoling glared at the two elders. "Don''t worry, Miss. If that young man is in danger, we will take action. But you must come back with us," Elder Wang immediately said. "Boom, boom, boom..." At this moment, the situation in the field changed again. When Dai Chang''an and his group charged into the formation for the third time, they were once again fiercely repelled, their bodies sent flying. "Huff, huff..." Inside the Tri-Element Quintessence Formation, a massive aura began to surge suddenly. Inside Li Lin''s dantian Qi sea, the true Qi had already reached an expanding state, swelling and expanding within his meridians, bringing waves of pain. "Sss..." In the space in front of him, a wildly fierce fire elemental energy condensed into a gigantic fireball, tens of meters in size. The scorching temperature instantly soared, and the violent power broke through the air, causing the surrounding space and airflow to twist. "Come on." Li Lin, enduring the pain in his meridians, changed the hand signs once more. In his right hand, a wildly fierce energy transformed into a huge vortex. The vortex spun, pulling and lifting the surrounding energy, causing great ripples. "Crack..." A sound of spatial airflow fracturing emitted, and the huge vortex rapidly spread out. In an instant, it directly engulfed the gigantic fireball within. Inside Li Lin, once again, a massive amount of fire elemental energy transformed into a massive surge of true Qi, rushing down like a divine enlightenment. The true Qi compressed and pressed down, directly rushing into his meridians. "Compress for me." Li Lin shouted in his heart. At the same time, the true Qi in his entire body compressed and pressed in, directly striking into his dantian Qi sea. "Bang..." In an instant, a muffled sound came from within the dantian Qi sea. Following this, Li Lin''s aura instantly soared, and the majestic energy of heaven and earth directly converged, rushing into Li Lin''s body like a tide. Having just broken through, his body was in an extremely needy state of nourishment. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Tri-Element Quintessence Formation contained majestic elemental energy of heaven and earth, which now roared into Li Lin''s body through every pore of his skin. Li Lin''s aura climbed again, like torrential river water rushing down, unstoppable. The violent aura soared to the sky, all attacks within the formation now collapsed and swirled around Li Lin, eventually transforming into elemental energy entering his body through every pore. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "This is..." This scene shocked everyone in the stands, even several elders of the Ghost Martial Sect stood up in surprise, their eyes filled with astonishment as they watched the center of the field, knowing what had happened from the violent energy. "He broke through, he actually broke through under these circumstances." Everyone was amazed. Breaking through within the formation was undoubtedly shocking to all the strong present. Considering the danger, they wouldn''t dare take such a risk. At this moment, the fifteen Ghost Martial Sect disciples who set up the formation were also stunned, completely panicked. Everything in the formation had completely escaped their control, their true Qi was already half gone, and they had no choice but to act, completely involuntarily. "This young man actually broke through. It seems like some opportunity has arisen, and he''s still breaking through," Elder Wang couldn''t help but murmur. "This young man really surprises me, daring to break through at this time. I''m starting to like him, but I wonder if he''s being too eager for quick success, which could greatly affect his future cultivation. I hope he doesn''t disappoint me," Elder Liu softly said, looking at Li Lin with a smile, thinking to himself that the person his young mistress fancied was indeed extraordinary. "What do you like, it''s none of your business," Elder Wang glared at Elder Liu. "Old woman, it''s none of your business. I just suddenly find this young man to my liking. What''s it to you?" Elder Liu said proudly. "Liu Yiheng, don''t be too smug," Elder Wang suddenly widened her eyes, ready to fight if not for being in the Ghost Martial Sect. "Huff..." Li Lin''s aura continued to rise, at the center of the majestic elemental energy, he was involuntarily swallowing the vast elemental energy, like a baby greedily sucking on its mother''s milk. With so many pores on his body, elemental energy drilled into Li Lin''s body, his aura climbing all the way, breaking through obstacles like pulling weeds and crushing decay. In an instant, at an almost defiant speed, he had reached the late pinnacle state of a fifth-level martial master. "To break through or not?" Li Lin pondered in his heart. Such an opportunity was rare and missing this chance meant it might never come again. Seeing that he could break through to a sixth-level martial master, his strength would surge again on top of the newly achieved fifth-level martial master. For a martial artist, nothing was more tempting than breaking through. But breaking through, Li Lin also knew, undoubtedly carried great risks. If he took the opportunity to break through consecutively, his strength would indeed surge, but there would definitely be side effects. Breaking through too quickly would definitely shake the foundation of his cultivation, although the aftereffects weren''t too big, they existed nonetheless. This was undoubtedly a difficult choice. The opportunity to break through was there, but he had to suppress it. Others wanted to break through but couldn''t. "I cannot break through. Anything that shakes my foundation as a strong person cannot exist," Li Lin said loudly in his heart, immediately starting to rapidly form hand signs. The elemental energy that had entered his body was forcibly expelled by Li Lin in a very strong manner. The majestic energy expelled from his body whistled open, and the entire formation was affected, the violent force gathering in front of Li Lin, along with the continuously incoming elemental energy, converged together, the majestic energy instantly twisting the spatial airflow. The high-speed rotation compressed the majestic energy continuously, a silent and terrifying energy spreading quietly. "What''s going on, what happened?" Feeling the aura emanating from the formation, all the strong individuals present suddenly changed their expressions. This aura made them feel a chill, this power, had already exceeded the level of a martial master. "Good lad, he really can endure. Such willpower and mentality are indeed rare. Miss, I like this young man. I won''t kill him anymore," Elder Liu laughed and said to Lv Xiaoling. "Elder Liu, what are you talking about?" Lv Xiaoling''s cheeks instantly flushed, but her eyes revealed a shy smile. The entire square was now whistling with violent power, and at the same time, an aura that made the thousands of Ghost Martial Sect disciples feel a chill in their hearts enveloped the sky above. "The Tri-Element Quintessence Formation, earth restrains water, water restrains fire, but missing two elements, it''s just a low-level formation. Plus, your positioning and arrangement are far from adequate. A well-designed Tri-Element Quintessence Formation, yet you''ve made it easily broken. Break for me," a voice filled with immense domineering and coldness emanated from the formation. At the same time, the square, now gathering and compressing the vast energy, finally reached a limit. The surrounding space began to distort, and then, amidst the trembling, the distorted space suddenly expanded, a more terrifying aura spreading with it. "Crack, crack..." Around the distorted space, cracking sounds were heard, terrible energy fluctuations spreading out, the space above the entire square beginning to show tiny cracks, as if the entire space was about to be destroyed. This scene amazed everyone, even several martial commanders were no exception. Perhaps they didn''t take such strength seriously, but at this moment, the young man in green robes, facing fifteen opponents in the Tri-Element Quintessence Formation with an overwhelmingly domineering aura, moved them as well. Given time, standing shoulder to shoulder with them was only a matter of time. "Boom, boom, boom..." Chapter 212: Mighty Breakthrough At this moment, space could no longer withstand this massive force. The huge energy body exploded, and the terrifying energy dispersed violently, turning into an incredibly fierce momentum. Instantly, it swept out like a hurricane, cracking the plaza, flipping countless stone slabs into the sky as rubble, enveloping the entire plaza with fierce momentum. The loud noise was deafening, echoing across the sky, like thunder. A tremendous force dispersed and expanded, turning into a storm that swept across the plaza. At the center of this mighty force, fifteen martial artists were suddenly sent flying, each coughing up blood, their faces turning instantly pale, and they heavily fell hundreds of meters away. "Bang bang" At this moment, Dai Chang''an, Dai Changyun, and four others around felt this tremendous force explode and tried to escape immediately, but they were also shaken by the ripple''s remaining force. All four of them let out a muffled groan, blood trickling from the corners of their mouths, and even their breaths became somewhat disordered. Obviously, the explosion of the Three Systems and Five Elements Formation not only sent them flying but also directly caused considerable damage to their bodies, especially the one who last entered the top five, a quadruple-level martial artist, whose injuries were undoubtedly the most severe. At the head of the group, the fierce momentum also swept over. Dai Daozi''s expression changed, and he suddenly stood up, with a flick of his sleeves, an invisible momentum spread out, colliding fiercely with the incoming momentum, and both forces dissipated in the air ahead. Dai Daozi''s move was extremely beautiful, just right to disperse the incoming energy without causing any additional fluctuations. This required the incoming force to be exactly the same size, otherwise, it would be impossible to achieve such a silent effect. This control and mastery of force had to reach a very delicate level, which also showed Dai Daozi''s strength. When everything around disappeared, a figure in a green robe appeared on the plaza. Amidst the dust and smoke in the sky, not a single corner of the young man''s clothes was stirred. A lazy smile appeared on the young man''s lips, and an invisible murderous aura spread around him. At this moment, everyone''s gaze converged on Li Lin. No one expected that among the fifteen fifth-level martial artists forming the Three Systems and Five Elements Formation, it was Li Lin who broke through with overwhelming strength. Those with slightly lower cultivation levels were almost terrified by Li Lin. The combination of fifteen fifth-level martial artists and the formation was utterly defeated by this young man, who was only a fourth-level martial artist in terms of cultivation strength. What a shocking turn of events. "Is this real?" Elders and sect leaders from various sects were incredulous at this moment. Breaking through the formation and directly destroying the Ghost Martial Sect''s Three Systems and Five Elements Formation, claiming it was easily defeated, such strength, such arrogant attitude, astonished everyone. "Haha, little liar Li Lin, I knew you would win. Missy here has her eyes on you," Lv Xiaoling giggled, then without caring about the expressions of the people around, she rushed up to the plaza to Li Lin''s side and said, very satisfied. "Good lad, you made me break out in a cold sweat," Elder Liu muttered. "Liu Yiheng, don''t you think this kid also knows formations?" Elder Wang frowned and then said. "My things can be returned to me now," Li Lin looked at Lv Xiaoling and said. Breaking through the formation, Li Lin himself was not surprised. The Three Systems and Five Elements Formation had many flaws. If not for these flaws, it would have been almost impossible for him to break through, let alone take the opportunity to absorb the power of attributes and make a breakthrough. All this was because the Ghost Martial Sect''s Three Systems and Five Elements Formation had many flaws. And the final forced breakthrough was also due to external forces. The violent force generated by the gathering of attribute energy, along with his own strength, made it possible to forcefully break through. Otherwise, truly facing fifteen opponents, Li Lin did not say it was impossible, but without going all out, it definitely would not work. Facing fifteen fifth-level martial artists, Li Lin would not fear even if he faced them directly. His trump card was enough to kill a martial soul, let alone fifteen fifth-level martial artists. But speaking of which, the Three Systems and Five Elements Formation was indeed powerful. If it weren''t for the cheap master, Holy Hand Spirit Sovereign''s inheritance, breaking through and making a breakthrough in the formation would have been a dream. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. At this moment, feeling his late-stage peak strength of a fifth-level martial artist, Li Lin was quite satisfied. He was about to break through, but he temporarily stopped and suppressed the breakthrough, keeping his breath at the late stage of a fifth-level martial artist, only a step away from breaking through to a sixth-level martial artist. This time, his cultivation level had directly broken through one and a half levels from the mid-stage of a fourth-level martial artist to the late stage of a fifth-level martial artist. Although it was one and a half levels of cultivation level, in terms of strength, it was undoubtedly several times stronger. To get such benefits in the Ghost Martial Sect was quite unexpected for Li Lin. "What am I returning to you?" At this time, Lv Xiaoling smiled at Li Lin. "Weren''t you saying whoever wins gets the spatial bag?" Li Lin managed a smile, now seeing that he couldn''t afford to offend this Missy. "Your smile is uglier than crying," Lv Xiaoling glanced at Li Lin and said, "I said whoever wins, I would give an additional treasure worth seven to eight million gold coins. I didn''t say it was your spatial bag." "Then why did you bring out my spatial bag?" Li Lin immediately said. "Who stipulated that holding your spatial bag meant it was about your spatial bag?" Lv Xiaoling looked at Li Lin and said, "Think about it, did I specify that what I was going to bring out was your spatial bag?" Li Lin was stunned, immediately feeling like a deflated balloon. Lv Xiaoling''s original words seemed not to specify that it was his spatial bag she was bringing out, just shaking his spatial bag in her hand. But Li Lin was sure it wasn''t a misunderstanding on his part, but rather that he had been played by Lv Xiaoling. "This doesn''t count, we have to do it again. We weren''t in the formation, Li Lin breaking the formation doesn''t count as a victory." At this time, the plaza was already full of pits and bumps. Repairing it would probably take a lot of effort. In a corner of the plaza, Dai Chang''an and Dai Changyun, who were sent flying, came back to the center of the plaza and squeezed next to Lv Xiaoling. "Cousin, this doesn''t count. I could have won. Let''s compete again," Dai Chang''an glared at Li Lin with a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth. "It doesn''t count." The people at the head frowned slightly. Everyone could see that if this didn''t count, it would depend on whether the Ghost Martial Sect could be shameless enough to go further. Li Lin did not pay attention to them at this moment, "You two step back." Dai Daozi looked at Li Lin, showing a slight smile, and then said, "Young brother, good strength. A dual-system martial artist, breaking through in the formation and directly breaking the formation, truly extraordinary. This time, the Ghost Martial Sect''s sect conference, naturally, the young brother wins, the first place is yours." "Young man, sorry for the offense, I couldn''t hold back and had to go all out, please forgive me, Sect Master Dai," Li Lin bowed slightly, his expression unchanged as he spoke, guessing in his heart that the people of the Ghost Martial Sect probably wished they could kill him now, if it weren''t for other considerations. "Where, this is naturally a matter of life and death, not going all out, naturally it''s impossible to test the true strength," Dai Daozi''s expression remained unchanged, seemingly not caring. "Dad, this doesn''t count, we want to..." Dai Chang''an once again protested. "Shut up, with your own strength not enough, you still dare to lose face," Dai Daozi glared at his son. Compared to Li Lin, his son was several years older, but the survival of the fittest was immediately clear. Previously, he thought his son''s talent and strength were also quite good among the younger generation. Now, compared to Li Lin, it suddenly felt insufficient, and even in terms of demeanor, temperament, and character, it was much inferior, suddenly feeling a bit like failing to meet expectations. Reprimanded sternly by his father, Dai Chang''an dared not say anything more, just glared fiercely at Li Lin, then reluctantly stepped back. "Young brother, since you won this time, according to the rules, here is a scroll of Fire System Yellow-Level Beginner Martial Technique, a first-grade beginner pill, and a long sword refined by a Spirit Soul Artisan. Now, it''s yours," Dai Daozi handed a storage bag to Li Lin. "Thank you, Sect Master Dai," Li Lin checked it and then happily put it away. Although it was from the Ghost Martial Sect, he still didn''t trust them. It''s better to check the goods face to face before saying anything. It''s like getting counterfeit money from the bank in the previous life. Once you leave, the bank won''t acknowledge it. The issue of big stores bullying customers is not unheard of. "Xiaoling, don''t you also have something extra to reward?" Dai Daozi said to Lv Xiaoling. "Right." Lv Xiaoling smiled slightly, then took out a jade slip and said to Li Lin, "This is what I promised you, a scroll of Yellow-Level High-Rank Spirit Technique called Ethereal Phantom Seal, it''s for you." "Ethereal Phantom Seal, Yellow-Level High-Rank Spirit Technique." Hearing these words, everyone suddenly gasped in shock, more surprised than Li Lin facing fifteen opponents alone, even Dai Daozi nearby was stunned with shock. A Yellow-Level High-Rank Spirit Technique, where is it only worth seven to eight million gold coins? The value of a Yellow-Level Beginner Martial Technique is already over a million, but that''s just the price. In reality, it might be impossible to buy. And for a Yellow-Level Intermediate Martial Technique, if the price has to be measured in gold coins, it''s already over ten million. Selling for twenty to thirty million is normal. At this level of treasure, it''s usually exchanged for goods, and at a certain level of martial artists, no one lacks gold coins. What they lack are treasures, pills, and martial techniques. Chapter 213: Hidden Crisis As for Yellow-Level High-Rank Martial Techniques, if their value must be measured in gold coins, it would be worth hundreds of millions. And everyone knows that Spirit Techniques are priced even higher than Martial Techniques. The value of a Yellow-Level High-Rank Spirit Technique is conservatively estimated at one billion gold coins. Moreover, at such a level, even the major sects consider it an absolute treasure and would not sell it. "Miss, this Ethereal Phantom Seal must not be spread outside. It is a treasure of our sect." Elder Wang and Elder Liu immediately changed their expressions and hurried to Lv Xiaoling''s side. The Ethereal Phantom Seal is a treasure of the sect, a Yellow-Level High-Rank Spirit Technique, almost equivalent in value to a Xuan-Level Beginner Martial Technique. It is strictly forbidden to be disclosed. "Do you want me to take back what I''ve said?" Lv Xiaoling said to the two elders. "Miss, giving the boy another martial technique would be the same. This boy is a martial artist and fundamentally unable to cultivate spirit techniques," Elder Liu also hurriedly interjected. "I have spirit cultivators in the Flying Spirit Sect who can cultivate it. Thank you." Li Lin, however, was unapologetic and quickly took the jade slip from Lv Xiaoling''s hand. A Yellow-Level High-Rank Spirit Technique was exactly what he needed. Besides his Soul Blade Technique, adding this Spirit Technique was just perfect. Even in the secret chambers of the Flying Spirit Sect, the highest was only a Yellow-Level Mid-Rank Spirit Technique, while they did have a few sets of Yellow-Level High-Rank Martial Techniques. "Young man, you can''t take this spirit technique. How about I give you a set of Yellow-Level High-Rank Martial Techniques instead?" Elder Liu quickly offered Li Lin. "This, Elder Liu, I am really sorry, but I prefer this spirit technique," Li Lin said with a slight smile, unwilling to exchange his Yellow-Level High-Rank Spirit Technique for a Yellow-Level High-Rank Martial Technique. "Alright, elders, this is my gift. If there''s anything, let my father find me. It''s settled then. We''ll return tomorrow," Lv Xiaoling said with a pursed smile, giving Li Lin a meaningful glance. Seeing Li Lin effortlessly obtaining a set of Yellow-Level High-Rank Spirit Technique made everyone envious, jealous, and hateful, wishing they were in his place. Even Dai Daozi was somewhat tempted. After all, the Ghost Martial Sect only had two sets of such spirit techniques. The Ghost Martial Sect''s sect conference ended in a way that surprised everyone. Although the leaders of various sects were somewhat jealous of the Flying Spirit Sect, they also learned something about it through Li Lin. However, in their hearts, the elders and sect leaders of the various sects were laughing at the Ghost Martial Sect. This time, the Ghost Martial Sect had suffered a great loss. Fifteen against one, plus the formation, and still lost. It seems that in future sect conferences, they would need to be more careful. After all, if they can''t win the first place, why let their disciples go and die in vain? The Ghost Martial Sect was clearly setting a trap. As the sect conference dispersed, people from various sects left the Ghost Martial Sect with drooping heads. Li Lin, under the jealous gazes of Dai Chang''an and Dai Changyun, followed Lv Xiaoling to the grand hall on the mountainside. Along the way, Elders Liu and Wang desperately tried to exchange back the Ethereal Phantom Seal, a Yellow-Level High-Rank Spirit Technique, even offering up to three sets of Yellow-Level High-Rank Martial Techniques, but Li Lin refused them all, causing the two elders much frustration. Had it not been for Lv Xiaoling''s presence, they might have resorted to robbery, given their capabilities as martial champions. By the time they returned to the grand hall on the mountainside, it was dusk. The night air was filled with a hint of cold. Li Lin noted that there were three days left until the end of the year. Having accidentally arrived in this other world, he had been here for over a year, during which many things had happened. As time passed, Li Lin found himself increasingly accustomed to and fond of this life, which truly suited his inner preferences. At least here, he had his own pursuits, unlike his previous life where he could chase after nothing. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Reflecting on his experiences at the Ghost Martial Sect, Li Lin felt somewhat meaningful. The gains were substantial, not only was he exempted from paying tribute to the Ghost Martial Sect, but he also won the first place in the sect conference. The value was considerable, amounting to over two million gold coins, totaling over ten million gold coins. But Li Lin was well aware that the actual value far exceeded ten million. Especially Lv Xiaoling''s Yellow-Level High-Rank Spirit Technique, which was the highlight and the biggest gain of this visit. Li Lin tried every means to learn about Lv Xiaoling''s identity, but Elder Wang and Elder Liu remained silent. A sect that could casually possess Silver Spirit Mice, Heavenly Winged Snow Lions, and a Yellow-Level High-Rank Spirit Technique likely rivaled the power of the Three Sects and Four Gates like Yunyang Sect. "I must get back the spatial beast pouch. The little dragon inside must be going crazy by now," Li Lin thought to himself. The spatial beast pouch was currently in Lv Xiaoling''s possession, and retrieving it would not be easy. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Li Lin began to meditate, deciding to think of a way to retrieve the spatial beast pouch tomorrow. Although the speed of conventional cultivation was slow, it was better than nothing. Moreover, after breaking through a level and a half during the day, his body needed adjustment. Recently, Li Lin considered making another breakthrough in his spiritual power. After swallowing the spirit cultivator from Jiuhua Sect, he had reached the third level of Spirit Master. With six doses of Soul Spirit Divine Liquid left, he had originally estimated reaching close to the fifth or sixth level of Spirit Master. But after swallowing another spirit cultivator, he was already at the third level. Li Lin speculated that after consuming the six doses, he might break through to around the seventh level of Spirit Master. Moments later, Li Lin was enveloped in a yellow glow, entering a state of cultivation. In the deep winter night, within a courtyard in Ghost Martial City, a room glowed faintly. Several figures inside, illuminated by the light, would have been recognized by Li Lin as Mo Tianwen, the sect leader of Jiuhua Sect, and several elders. "Sect Leader, this Li Lin from the Flying Spirit Sect is young but not simple," a long-haired elder said, still surprised by the day''s events. "Elders, what should we do now? The Flying Spirit Sect has moved against our Ju Bao Men in Hua Men Town. We must avenge this," Mo Tianwen said coldly. "This young man is not simple. If we let him grow, he might become a threat. Moreover, the Ghost Martial Sect also intends for us to deal with the Flying Spirit Sect. This is an opportunity. Eliminating the Flying Spirit Sect would give us control over Hua Men Town and Tuan Mountain Town, greatly increasing our income. It would make strengthening the Jiuhua Sect much easier," a short-haired, green-robed elder said. "But I''m worried. If we act against the Flying Spirit Sect, will the Ghost Martial Sect keep its promise?" a gray-robed elder asked softly. "We don''t need to worry about that for now. The boy is still at the Ghost Martial Sect, but he will leave eventually. Regardless, he possesses a Yellow-Level High-Rank Spirit Technique, which is enough reason for us to act," Mo Tianwen said with a cold smile. "Yellow-Level High-Rank Spirit Technique, indeed enough reason for us to act. Sect Leader, how should we proceed? The boy is still at the Ghost Martial Sect. If we act openly and the Ghost Martial Sect discovers us, the spirit technique might not fall into our hands," the gray-robed elder continued. "Lei Elder, you will take action tomorrow. The rest of us will return first. You hide in the city and act once the boy leaves Ghost Martial City. It will be unnoticed. I believe with Lei Elder''s strength, dealing with the boy should be sufficient," Mo Tianwen said. "A fifth-level martial artist is nothing extraordinary in front of me. Rest assured, Sect Leader, leave it to me," the gray-robed elder confidently said. As Li Lin meditated through the night, unaware of the passage of time, he stopped cultivating when the first light appeared outside the window. "Phew" Li Lin exhaled a breath of turbid air from his dantian, feeling the abundant qi in his body, and smiled. "Li Lin, are you up yet?" A crisp voice came, and Li Lin frowned, knowing it could only be Lv Xiaoling. "Creak" The door opened, and a faint fragrance filled the air, followed by a beautiful figure appearing before Li Lin. Naturally, it was Lv Xiaoling. Her round, oval face, black eyes, and slightly flushed cheeks exuded a youthful and lively aura. Her clear, fair skin and small dimple on her goose egg-shaped face made her appear exceptionally beautiful. Dressed in a green long dress, revealing a hint of her snow-white chest, her waist cinched with a belt, accentuating her figure. Her appearance was less fiery than before but still stunningly beautiful, a stark contrast to her previous look. Li Lin, from a man''s perspective, found Lv Xiaoling to be an extraordinarily beautiful woman, her beauty rivaling that of Li Wushuang, Lan Ling, Yang Miao, the whip-wielding beauty he met in the Misty Mountain Range, and the woman disguised as a man. Chapter 214: Deceiving the Young Girl However, the most troublesome of them all was only Lv Xiaoling. All these women were of unparalleled beauty, but their personalities were distinct. "Xiaoling, why are you here?" At this moment, Li Lin''s expression suddenly became serious, and then he stood beside the bed with a pale and feeble appearance. "Little liar, what''s wrong with you?" Seeing Li Lin''s complexion, Lv Xiaoling immediately asked with concern, her beautiful eyes suddenly filled with tension. "I was seriously injured when breaking the formation yesterday. I didn''t expect the injury to be more severe than I thought, already damaging my internal organs," Li Lin said weakly. "How could this be, why didn''t you say anything yesterday, you should lie down and rest, I will go find Elder Wang to help treat your injury." Lv Xiaoling was anxious, quickly helped Li Lin to lie on the bed, and then went to find Elder Wang. "Ling''er, no need, don''t leave me." Li Lin quickly grabbed Lv Xiaoling''s hand, Li Lin could feel Lv Xiaoling''s body jolt as if electrified, feeling as if he had never held a young lady''s hand like this in his life, not even in his previous life. "I..." Lv Xiaoling stood dumbfounded in the room, her hand held in Li Lin''s palm, her face immediately blushed, almost bowing her head to her chest. "What''s wrong, I won''t leave, I have a third-grade high-level healing pill here, take it quickly." Lv Xiaoling said with her head lowered, turning around, but not daring to look at Li Lin, took out a pill and handed it to Li Lin, her face turning even redder. "This pill is useless for me." Li Lin said, while the third-grade high-level pill was unceremoniously taken into his left hand, such a pill was worth tens of thousands of gold coins, why not take it for free, still holding onto Lv Xiaoling''s hand tightly, he said: "Ling''er, why did you deceive me yesterday, making me attend the sect assembly, otherwise I wouldn''t have been injured." "I''m sorry, I didn''t know you would get injured, I just wanted you to win first place, when I bring you back, the two elders would speak well of you, then it would be much easier for me to ask my father to take you as a disciple," Lv Xiaoling said with a grievance. "Then why were you shaking my spatial bag, and say, if someone else won, would you also take out a set of Yellow-grade high-level spiritual techniques?" Li Lin asked again, somewhat touched, although Lv Xiaoling was a bit troublesome, after confessing to her, she has been considering for him, is it that young girls in love are all like this? "I deliberately let you participate, knowing you care about your spatial bag, besides, even if someone else won, I wouldn''t give a set of Yellow-grade high-level spiritual techniques, do you think I''m stupid, at most a few pills, giving you Yellow-grade high-level spiritual techniques, is to make you stronger, I know you are still a spiritual practitioner, then my father will not oppose you, don''t misunderstand, I won''t like you, I just want my father to take you as a disciple," Lv Xiaoling said, her small hand still being held by Li Lin, becoming more shy, a complete change from her previous arrogance. "Ling''er, about me being a spiritual practitioner, can you promise not to tell anyone else?" Li Lin said solemnly, Lv Xiaoling knew about him being a spiritual practitioner since in Lanling Mountain. "Oh, I haven''t even told the two elders, but I''m curious, you are clearly a spiritual practitioner, how come you are a martial artist now?" Lv Xiaoling asked in confusion. "Ling''er, your injury is too severe, there''s a pill in my spatial bag that can help my injury, give it to me first, I''ll give it back to you later," Li Lin said softly, cursing himself in his heart: Li Lin, you really have fallen, doing such a shameless thing as deceiving an ignorant girl. "Oh, where is it, you take it first." Lv Xiaoling did not hesitate at all, took out Li Lin''s spatial beast pouch and handed it to Li Lin. Li Lin was overjoyed, immediately released Lv Xiaoling''s hand, and like lightning took the spatial beast pouch from Lv Xiaoling''s hand, while looking outside the door saying: "Elder Wang, why have you come." The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Hearing Li Lin''s words, Lv Xiaoling''s face turned even redder, immediately turned back to look at the door, but the doorway was empty, with no sight of the two elders. At that moment, Li Lin immediately put the spatial beast pouch into his chest. "Why is no one there?" Lv Xiaoling turned back and asked. "This... I saw wrong," Li Lin said. "Have you taken it?" Lv Xiaoling then asked worriedly. "Yes, I''ve taken it," Li Lin pretended to swallow, circulating his true qi, his complexion immediately regained a bit of rosiness. "Are you feeling better, how do you feel now?" Lv Xiaoling asked, having already forgotten the spatial bag was now in Li Lin''s hands. "Much better, I''m fine now," Li Lin smiled slightly, the spatial beast pouch returned, and he felt relieved. "Miss, we should go," at this time, Elder Wang and Elder Liu really arrived in the room, seeing their miss spending the early morning in Li Lin''s room again, Elder Wang even suspected whether his miss had spent the night here. "Elder Wang, I want to take Li Lin back with me," Lv Xiaoling said. "What, take him back together?" Both elders were stunned. "Yes, can''t I, if not taking him back, I won''t go back either," Lv Xiaoling said seriously. "Miss, this..." Elder Wang was obviously a bit troubled. "People have urgent needs, two elders, Ling''er, I''m going to relieve myself," Li Lin said, then holding his stomach, left the room. "Elder Wang, I want my father to take him as a disciple, if you don''t take him back with us, I won''t go back either," Lv Xiaoling affirmed again. "Miss, were you deceived by that boy, or did you fall for him?" Elder Wang said. "Elder Wang, what are you saying, how could I like him, but he didn''t deceive me, I believe he wouldn''t have the courage," Lv Xiaoling said with a shy face. "Now is not the time to run, then there will be no chance," Li Lin left the room, immediately ran out of the hall, the mountainside was not as tightly guarded as the mountain top, just some Ghost Martial Sect disciples patrolling along the way. Li Lin left the hall, directly ran down the mountain, meeting Ghost Martial Sect patrolling disciples, but no one asked much, on the square yesterday, many Ghost Martial Sect disciples had already recognized Li Lin. Running all the way, Li Lin did not dare to stay, fearing Lv Xiaoling would catch up, from the mountainside to the ghost martial city was not too far, after encountering many Ghost Martial Sect patrolling disciples, Li Lin left the Ghost Martial Sect, immediately entered the bustling ghost martial city. Upon reaching the ghost martial city, after a round on the wide and intersecting streets, Li Lin immediately entered an inn to stay, if Lv Xiaoling found out he left, she would definitely chase after him, better to hide in the city for a while before leaving, even the speed of the Winged Snow Lion might not be faster than Elder Wang and Elder Liu. After paying a few gold coins, Li Lin went into a room in the inn and began to meditate, planning to return in the evening, to avoid being found by Lv Xiaoling. At this time, Li Lin did not feel that since he left the Ghost Martial Sect to the ghost martial city, there was a figure following behind him, the person''s strength was so strong that Li Lin was not able to detect. "How come it''s been so long, he hasn''t come back yet," in the room, Lv Xiaoling murmured, under Lv Xiaoling''s threat, the two elders had no choice but to agree to take Li Lin back, but half an hour later, Li Lin had not returned. "Cousin, are you going back today?" Dai Chang''an''s voice came in. "Yes, I''m going back today," Lv Xiaoling responded softly. "Cousin, did that Li Lin kid leave, I just saw him going down the mountain, I thought he was going back with you, scared me," Dai Chang''an said, dressed in fine clothes, looking dapper. "Damn, the spatial bag," at that moment, Lv Xiaoling suddenly remembered, the spatial bag she used to threaten Li Lin was now in Li Lin''s hands. "Two elders, quickly find that little liar for me, otherwise, I won''t go back," Lv Xiaoling shouted loudly, her figure already rushing out of the room first. "What''s going on..." the two elders were puzzled, then had no choice but to quickly follow their miss. "Li Lin, I won''t let you go," Dai Chang''an said hatefully. While Li Lin was hiding in the inn, Lv Xiaoling was already searching for Li Lin everywhere, but to no avail, eventually even wanting to run directly to the Flying Spirit Gate to find people. The two elders had no choice but to point Lv Xiaoling''s bloodline acupoint and directly arrange to leave the Ghost Martial Sect. "Sigh..." In the evening, Li Lin slowly exhaled a turbid breath from his body, then got up and left the inn, it was time to go back, guessing Lv Xiaoling could not find him and should give up. The evening in the ghost martial city was still very lively, the flow of people on the street did not decrease at all, but increased, a series of shouting and selling sounds were endless. At this time, many women dressed revealingly, dressed glamorously, were also on the street pulling customers, doing the oldest profession from ancient times to now, Li Lin almost was pulled into a small alley and lost his virtue, hurriedly left the ghost martial city. With so many people around, it was not convenient to summon the Winged Snow Lion, Li Lin slowly walked towards the direction of the Flying Spirit Gate, when far away then escape on the Winged Snow Lion, maybe that Lv Xiaoling was nearby, better to be safe. Chapter 215: Ambushed Outside Ghost Martial City, Li Lin walked out of the city gates amidst the crowd, not far from Ghost Martial City was a mountain range, into which Li Lin directly entered. The sky grew darker, and the cold wind blew, the air almost solidified. In the forests within the mountain range, only a few trees bore green leaves, most were bare, presenting a somewhat desolate scene. Walking within the mountain range, stepping on dry branches and leaves, the ground crackled. At this moment, an unusual aura suddenly appeared in Li Lin''s spiritual sense. "Whoosh..." At that moment, a green streak of light flashed through the air towards Li Lin''s back like lightning, and in an instant, a sharp wind rushed over. Li Lin''s heart chilled in an instant, his body forcibly twisted, dodging a green energy strike at his back with absolute speed. As he retreated explosively, his complexion changed drastically: "Wood element martial soul." From the energy just now, Li Lin could naturally feel that the person ambushing him from behind was a wood element martial artist, with strength at the level of martial soul, not just any martial soul, but likely at the eighth or ninth level of martial soul. "Kid, hand over everything you have, and I''ll let you die comfortably, how about that?" At this moment, a green figure appeared in the air behind him. This person was dressed in a green robe, with a green cloth covering half of his face, revealing only eyes full of killing intent, his body surrounded by a turbulent qi. "It''s someone I know, seen at the Ghost Martial Sect." Li Lin''s heart sank, as he stepped back slightly, observing this person, feeling a sense of familiarity, it seemed this person had been following him for a while. "Who are you, a mighty martial soul, actually hiding your face, arent you ashamed?" Li Lin coldly said. Although facing a martial soul powerhouse, his heart was not panicked. He had no problem escaping, but he needed to clarify this person''s identity. In his heart, Li Lin guessed this person was not from the Ghost Martial Sect, then it must be from the Jiu Hua Gate. "If I can kill you, thats enough. Kid, since you wont hand it over, then I''ll have to do it myself." After saying this, the green-robed figure made hand signs and charged at Li Lin, leaving a trail of afterimages. In just a few blinks of an eye, the green-robed figure appeared above Li Lin, striking with a green claw print, causing even the space to tremble violently, clearly not holding back in his attack. "Die, kid, your strength is not bad. But it''s far from enough." The green-robed figure coldly said, with his eighth level martial soul strength, killing a fifth level martial master was like flipping a hand, an easy task. "Chi!" Under this claw print, five sharp tree spikes burst out from the green-robed figures hand, piercing through the space with violent energy. "Whoosh" At the same time, Li Lin''s face sank, his body rapidly retreated, combining with wind attribute, his figure instantly disappeared from the spot. "Boom!" Five sharp tree-like claw prints surged down, striking where Li Lin had been, the air within several meters twisted as if a balloon being squeezed, then the space burst open, energy scattering in all directions, but Li Lin had disappeared. Using his wind attribute, Li Lin once again dodged the green-robed figures attack. "Such speed." The green-robed figures face turned ugly as his attacks were dodged twice by a mere martial master. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. "Sir, you are too slow." Li Lin appeared a hundred meters away, looking at the green figure. "Kid has some skills, but do you think these are enough to contend with me?" The green figure coldly laughed, not having used his full strength yet. "Is that so? I didnt plan to contend with you, but to kill you." Li Lin said lightly, his internal qi vibrating, like a flood flowing through his broad meridians, giving him a bit of confidence. "Ha ha... I must have heard wrong, you think you can kill me?" The green-robed figure laughed. "You heard right, thats the case." Li Lin coldly said, his surroundings filled with chill. Feeling the chilling aura from Li Lin, the green-robed figure also felt a chill in his heart, then coldly said: "Kid, don''t talk big." "Try me." Li Lins dark eyes were full of cold chill, he slowly said, and as his voice fell, his figure charged forward like a phantom. "Green Spirit Armor." "Thousand Hand Splitting Mark." At this moment, Li Lin shouted, his body enveloped in a yellow glow, then a huge amount of earth attribute energy surged like a tidal wave, forming a vortex of violent force in his palm print, in that moment, Li Lin activated the Thousand Hand Splitting Mark. The palm print soared into the sky, instantly transforming into several vague palm prints, like a lotus formed of afterimages, followed by earth-shattering explosions, echoing in the space, a violent energy spread in the sky, engulfing towards the green-robed figure. "Kid, you''re not qualified." The green-robed figure coldly shouted, his hand signs rapidly moving, his surging pale green qi, like tree roots, burst out, eventually forming a dense vine net around him. The terrifying momentum was horrifying, the green-robed figure coldly laughed as he made hand signs, and the net swept out, cutting through the space with sharp whistling sounds, covering Li Lins Thousand Hand Splitting Mark. The green net covered all of Li Lin''s escape space, completely engulfing his palm print, the two massive energies collided fiercely, the green net filled with thousands of thorny vines piercing through space, into Li Lin''s palm print. "Boom boom boom" The massive forces collided, creating huge explosive sounds as the violent forces swept through the space. Li Lin felt his blood surge, his Thousand Hand Splitting Mark unable to contend with the green-robed person, his palm print engulfed and destroyed, but the huge green net reformed after breaking, trapping him with violent wood attribute energy, clearly much stronger than him. Even his Thousand Hand Splitting Mark, capable of contending with a first level martial soul, was not enough against this opponent. The huge green net pressed down, shrinking the space around him, wrapping him inside, Li Lins face instantly became grave. "Whoosh whoosh" At that moment, Li Lin quickly reached into his chest, then a yellow streak of light flashed through the space, appearing in front of the green-robed figure, and at that moment, a scorching temperature burst forth, melting a hole in the green net. "Sss sss" A golden snake hissed and roared, flames bursting from its mouth as its body swelled, quickly enveloping the space around the green-robed figure. "Beast." The green-robed figures eyes widened in shock, feeling a sense of dread under the scorching golden flames. Retreating rapidly, the green-robed figure escaped from the flames in a very embarrassed manner. "Chi" The yellow streak of light was naturally Little dragon (Little Dragon). At that moment, Little dragon''s body had transformed into a size of over eighty meters, nearing ninety meters. During this time, Little dragon''s body was also slowly growing. With its gaping maw wide open, Little dragon''s massive body darted towards the green-robed figure like lightning. "Damn, what kind of beast is this?" The green-robed figure''s eyes widened in surprise. He made a hand sign, and immediately, wood attribute energy condensed in mid-air, instantly solidifying into a several-meters-thick wooden stake, carrying violent force. The stake, like lightning, tore through space with a sharp gust, shooting straight towards the approaching Little dragon''s mouth. "Sss sss..." In the void, another stream of golden flames burst from Little dragon''s mouth. Under the golden flames, the huge wooden stake rapidly burned into smoke and dispersed in the air. Meanwhile, the green-robed figure had already retreated several hundred meters away, observing Little dragon''s massive body with extreme shock. At this moment, Li Lin also stepped aside, watching the green-robed figure. To kill him, probably even Little dragon couldn''t do it. An eighth-level martial soul was far too strong for him. "Kid, so you have a monster beast on your side, no wonder you''re so arrogant. But today, you must die." The green-robed figure''s face twitched, his body moved past Little dragon and charged towards Li Lin again, forming a hand sign, and a green fist imprint condensed out of thin air, shooting directly at Li Lin. "Raging Sea Roar." Li Lin''s heart sank, forming a hand sign, and around him, a blue mist of water energy quickly gathered, whirling up with a howl. With true qi infused, in an instant, a huge whirlpool began to tremble and then rapidly spun at high speed. Finally, in a deafening roar of wind, it expanded like lightning, bringing a terrifying aura and fierce pressure. The airflow in the surrounding space twisted at this moment, sweeping open like a tornado. Chapter 216: Desperate Resistance Instantly, the two forces collided fiercely. "Boom boom..." A deafening explosion echoed through the space, and the terrifying force immediately swept out like a hurricane. However, when this force spread to a certain range, it abruptly stopped, quietly annihilating without a trace. "Boom boom..." Within this terrifying power, Li Lin felt a massive force pouring over his body, directly throwing him dozens of meters away. The Qingling armor could not withstand this tremendous force, a massive power poured into his body in a formidable manner, rushing straight to his viscera, instantly causing his blood to surge. After a mouthful of fresh blood reached his mouth, Li Lin forcibly swallowed it. His face darkened, the Rage Sea Roar was only a low-level Yellow-ranked martial skill, completely unable to contend with the man in the green robe, and he was injured with just one move. "Water-type martial skill, you are a tri-elemental martial artist." At this moment, the figure in the green robe stood still, staring at Li Lin in surprise. "Whoosh..." In just a split second, the huge body of the little dragon once again swept over, its giant tail sweeping across, parting the air, bringing a series of sonic booms, a ripple of air rapidly spreading, causing the space to slightly tremble. The giant tail, carrying the force of a thousand jun, heavily struck the person in the green robe. "Beast, you thought I was really afraid of you." With a cold snort, the person in the green robe flicked his sleeves, and with a sudden shake of his palm, a burst of green energy surged out from his sleeves, instantly solidifying into a vine several meters thick and hundreds of meters long, shooting out like lightning towards the little dragon. "Bang!" The little dragon''s giant tail fiercely struck the huge green vine, instantly, an invisible fluctuation spread out like lightning, the violent force rapidly spreading. "Roar roar..." At the same time, a deep roar echoed through the sky, a huge flying beast soared into the sky, and along with it was another creature, dark green in color, with a large body and a cold aura, also fiercely pouncing towards the person in the green robe. It was Li Lin who had summoned the Skywing Snow Lion and the third-level low-rank flying iron eagle he had refined last time. "Little dragon, Snow Lion, hold this person off for a moment." Li Lin said to the little dragon and the Skywing Snow Lion, while also activating the iron eagle to launch an attack. The strength of the iron eagle and the Skywing Snow Lion was not enough to contend with the person in front of them, but Li Lin had no other choice at this moment. He planned to activate the Vermilion Bird Art, but this required some time to accumulate. The Skywing Snow Lion and the flying puppet iron eagle both soared, as Li Lin''s hand seals were rapidly formed. "Shoo shoo shoo..." The Skywing Snow Lion took off, instantly arriving in front of the person in the green robe, flapping its wings, and immediately a stream of air appeared in the sky. This air stream howled and instantly expanded against the wind, immediately turning into a huge tornado over two hundred meters tall. The tornado violently swept through, mixed with a violent wind blade, instantly breaking through the air and arriving in front of the person in the green robe. "Skywing Snow Lion, a third-tier Skywing Snow Lion." The person in the green robe looked at the huge body of the Skywing Snow Lion, his face surprised again. At this moment, his hand seals rapidly changed, and in the blink of an eye, a burst of green true qi surged out from his body, the violent force condensing into a fist imprint and heavily striking the Skywing Snow Lion. "Ssssss..." The two forces collided instantly, the energy wind touched each other, directly causing a violent explosion in the sky, the terrifying energy wind then released, crushing the space directly twisting. At this moment, although the Skywing Snow Lion was not weak, its early third-tier strength was indeed unable to contend with an eight-tier Martial Soul practitioner, immediately receiving a huge impact, its huge body instantly falling from the sky. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "Hu hu..." Just as the Skywing Snow Lion was a few meters from the ground, it fiercely flapped its wings, a stream of air burst out, blowing away a pile of rubble and several dead trees, leveraging the force of the air, the body of the Skywing Snow Lion quickly slid back into the sky. "Shoo shoo..." At the same time, the huge body of the iron eagle, its wings like living things, tearing through the air, directly cutting through space, its sharp claws and curved beak, thunderously attacking upwards. "This is, a flying puppet." The person in the green robe initially thought the iron eagle was a flying beast, but now that the attack was in front of him, he realized it was just a flying puppet. "Back off." His face darkened, the person in the green robe threw a punch, directly knocking the iron eagle away, its huge body immediately being violently hit and falling to the ground, sparks flying off its sturdy body, but it seemed not to be damaged. "Sssss..." At this moment, the little dragon''s body instantly bounced, its pale yellow body like a dragon ascending to heaven, drawing silvery golden flames cutting through the void, once again lunging towards the person in the green robe. The person in the green robe was completely surprised; he had not expected that this youth would have two beasts with him. Now, as the yellow serpent beast attacked, knowing the power of the golden flames, the person in the green robe did not dare to be careless, flicking his fingers, two streams of green energy shot out to meet it. At the same time, the person in the green robe looked towards Li Lin in the corner, who was rapidly forming hand seals, a violent aura slowly rising, causing him to frown, as the opponent seemed to be gathering some powerful attack. At this moment, Li Lin was forming mysterious hand seals, his body immediately enveloped in a colorful light, the violent aura filling the air, the seven colors of light alternating, appearing somewhat mystical, the terrifying energy emitted was already beginning to twist the spatial airflow. In an instant, Li Lin formed a hand seal, and the violent energy gradually calmed down, then condensed into a twenty-meter-sized crimson energy phoenix body. Now that his cultivation had reached the fifth level of the Martial Master, Li Lin''s condensation of this energy phoenix body had greatly increased, its pressure also significantly stronger, the surrounding space shaking and wavering. Feeling the aura in the surrounding space, the person in the green robe''s expression darkened, the violent true energy shaking, once again repelling the huge bodies of the little dragon and the Skywing Snow Lion, watching Li Lin, he also felt a chill, this attack would definitely not be weak. "Little dragon, attack with all your might." Just then, after Li Lin condensed the Vermilion Bird Art, he shouted loudly. "Sssss..." The little dragon roared lowly in its throat, its huge body glowing yellow, its scales instantly standing up as if erected, golden flames burning the spatial airflow, its body slightly arching like a drawn bow, suddenly piercing through the spatial airflow, shooting towards the person in the green robe. "Beast, get out of my way." The person in the green robe shouted, turning back to glare at the little dragon. At that moment, on the huge head of the little dragon, between the eyebrows and eyes, a copper bell-like giant eye stood out, then looked towards the person in the green robe, a dazzling golden light instantly bursting forth. In that instant, the person in the green robe was momentarily stunned, in the dazzling golden light, a huge energy directly attacking the depths of his soul, a soul attack, which for martial artists, was a weakness. "Vermilion Bird Art." At this moment, Li Lin softly shouted, the Vermilion Bird Art in his hand instantly launched, a true qi from within his body instantly swallowed by the Vermilion Bird Art. The terrifying phoenix energy body burst forth, instantly becoming two hundred meters in size, flames howling out, the violent aura soaring into the sky, bringing up a towering flame instantly enveloping a thousand meters of space around, the air burning with a sizzling sound, this terror reaching an extreme. Such violent force, in the blink of an eye, arrived in front of the person in the green robe. In the golden light of the little dragon, the person in the green robe was only trapped for a blink of an eye, but at this moment, it was already too late to dodge, what Li Lin wanted was just this blink of an eye. "Fortress Armor." No longer able to avoid, the person in the green robe also had no time to be surprised by the beast''s strange soul attack, a hand seal rapidly formed, a stream of green airflow true qi violently rotating around his body, like a tornado storm howling and swirling, the spatial airflow above countless cracks twisted into distortions. At the same time, a dazzling green light instantly enveloped the person in the green robe, these were arm-thick vines, densely packed, seemingly thousands in number, within a three hundred meter radius of space, completely enveloped within, forming an airtight, impregnable green fortress, a violent rise spreading out. The huge phoenix energy body, carrying scorching flames, fiercely collided with this airtight vine space, countless lights scattering, but also directly causing the huge vine space to violently shake, without breaking through. "Explode." Li Lin stretched out his five fingers and twisted, after a low cold shout, in the sky above, the phoenix phantom disappeared, finally condensing into an extremely hot huge fireball, the fireball violently expanding, then a blast exploded in mid-air. "Boom boom boom boom..." Flames scattered and enveloped, the entire space above resounded with deafening intense explosion sounds, a terrifyingly violent aura soaring into the sky, a violent flame fiercely striking the huge vine fortress space. Chapter 217: Premium Material The indestructible vines were also cracking and splitting amidst the violent flames, layer by layer being destroyed into rising smoke, but as one layer was destroyed, another followed. When the violent flames finally reached the last layer, the person in the green robe was revealed, his face a picture of horror, but by then, the violent energy flames had also vanished without a trace. "Could this be a Xuan-level martial skill?" The person in the green robe was horrified, that a martial artist of such a level could activate such terrifying power. If the power had been even slightly greater, he would have been in trouble, as resisting that terrifying strike had nearly depleted him. "Young man, is this a Xuan-level martial skill? You''ve surprised me. But now you must have exhausted yourself, right? Now, accept your death. The difference between a martial artist and a Martial Soul is insurmountable." The person in the green robe sneered coldly, looking at Li Lin''s pale face, guessing he must have exhausted himself. "Is that so? Then let''s try the real power of a Xuan-level skill." A coldness flashed across Li Lin''s lips, taking advantage of his opponent''s unpreparedness. The person in the green robe probably also suffered. With the coldness withdrawn, Li Lin''s hand seals were struck simultaneously, and a low voice suddenly resounded: "Soul Blade Slash." In the formless space, the old man in the green robe suddenly felt a surge of violent spiritual power fluctuations. Before he could react, a red blade light instantly broke through the spatial airflow, bearing down like Mount Tai with its violent force, arriving at his head with unparalleled speed. "Spiritual power, how is this possible, you''re also a Spirit Practitioner?" The old man in the green robe was instantly frozen in shock, his body retreating explosively, as boundless wood attribute true qi formed a dazzling light screen in front of him. "Shoo shoo..." Li Lin''s condensed spirit blade cut through the void, with one slash causing the space to vibrate, the force of the air howling, creating sonic booms. The blade light brought up a series of afterimages, carrying a terrifying momentum, a dazzling light instantly shooting forth. "Bang bang bang..." The terrifying spirit blade, upon touching the old man in the green robe''s wood attribute energy light screen, collided fiercely. However, at the same time, a soul attack penetrated directly through, distorting the space in an instant, the terrifying energy fluctuations finally erupting. Most of the spirit attack focused on the soul attack, leaving the old man in the green robe utterly unable to defend. In the mind of the person in the green robe, a tremendous force pressed down, bulldozing its way to the depths of his mind, and then everything turned blank, losing consciousness. "Bang..." The person in the green robe''s body fell face down to the ground, a trace of blood leaking from his mouth, his face pale. "Is he dead?" Li Lin, pale-faced, arrived beside the person in the green robe, not letting down his guard. He flicked his finger, and a gust of wind lifted the cloth from the face of the person in the green robe. "An elder of the Jiuhua Sect." Li Lin''s expression darkened, he had seen this person in the Ghost Martial Sect, an elder of the Jiuhua Sect. "Jiuhua Sect, remember this." Li Lin''s coldness spread instantly. "Shoo shoo..." The little dragon shrank its body and affectionately approached Li Lin''s side along with the Skywing Snow Lion. After being confined in the spatial beast bag for several days, their expressions seemed somewhat reproachful towards Li Lin. "Little dragon, I''m really sorry, it won''t happen again. I know it''s uncomfortable for you in there." Li Lin hastily said. "Sssss..." The little dragon exhaled and affectionately licked Li Lin''s cheek, responding to his words. "Not dead yet?" After hesitating, Li Lin checked the elder of the Jiuhua Sect, finding his breath weak, his eyes lifeless, his soul heavily damaged, not far from death, but strictly speaking, not yet dead, merely reduced to a vegetative state. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. "Good, you''ll be used to refine a humanoid puppet, Jiuhua Sect, I should really thank you." A cold smile crossed Li Lin''s lips; this vegetative state made the perfect material for refining a humanoid puppet. The strength of this person, with an eight-tier Martial Soul cultivation, if refined into a humanoid puppet, its strength could slightly increase, indeed a rare material for a humanoid puppet. Some corpses could also be refined into puppets, but compared to those refined from living people, the effect was significantly inferior. However, using living people to refine puppets was too cruel, not something ordinary people would do. "Snow Lion, let''s go back." Li Lin picked up the body of the Jiuhua Sect elder, also collecting the iron eagle into his storage ring. Although the iron eagle was a third-level low-rank flying puppet, it could not contend with an eight-tier Martial Soul, fortunately, it was not damaged. Immediately, the Skywing Snow Lion took off, and Li Lin mounted its back, quickly leaving the mountain range with the Jiuhua Sect elder. By this time, it was completely dark, but this did not affect the Skywing Snow Lion, as seeing in the dark was not difficult for it. On the back of the Skywing Snow Lion, after sealing a few bloodline points on the body of the Jiuhua Sect elder, Li Lin finally relaxed, preventing any mishaps, then stuffed a third-grade healing pill into his mouth to start recuperating. Damaging the elder of the Jiuhua Sect this time, Li Lin knew he was somewhat lucky, thanks also to the little dragon''s help, otherwise, he could not have defeated this eight-tier Martial Soul powerhouse. Li Lin was also surprised by the golden light attack of the little dragon, capable of directly affecting an eight-tier Martial Soul; the little dragon''s strength was indeed terrifying. The attack with the golden light by the little dragon had already caused certain damage to the elder of the Jiuhua Sect. Coupled with his own surprise attack and the Vermilion Bird Art followed by the Soul Blade Slash, only then could such an effect be achieved, and this was also him fighting desperately, his strongest strength. This attack made Li Lin even more eager to increase his strength. Fortunately, it was an eight-tier Martial Soul from the Jiuhua Sect who attacked him this time. Underestimating him allowed him to fight back. If Mo Tianwen himself had come after him, that would have been troublesome, as Mo Tianwen was a fifth-tier Martial General. "Strength, I must work hard to increase my strength." Li Lin thought to himself, planning to return to the Yunyang Sect after dealing with the Jiuhua Sect. The Yunyang Sect, being one of the Three Sects and Four Sects, should be able to help increase his strength significantly. After a while, on the steady back of the Skywing Snow Lion, Li Lin entered a state of recuperation, his injuries severe, but recovering quickly. All through the night, as the dawn dispersed, Li Lin exhaled a breath of turbid air to stop his recuperation. After a night''s recuperation, his injuries had improved by more than ten percent, but his complexion was still pale. At this moment, a familiar mountain range appeared before his eyes. The Skywing Snow Lion had flown through the night and had now arrived in the Flying Spirit Mountain Range. "Whoosh whoosh..." A gust of wind came howling, and disciples of the Flying Spirit Gate immediately came out to see. "The Sect Master has returned." "Greetings, Sect Master." Seeing the Skywing Snow Lion in the sky, the disciples of the Flying Spirit Gate knew the Sect Master had returned and promptly bowed in salute on the ground. Li Lin directed the Skywing Snow Lion to his residence''s grand hall. Upon dismounting, Huiling Poison Master Dong WuMing, Li XinTong, and Fang XinQi had already appeared before Li Lin. "Brother, I''ve missed you." Upon seeing Li Lin, Li XinTong immediately ran up to him, her eyes shining with joy. "I''ve missed you too, XinTong." Li Lin dropped the elder of the Jiuhua Sect he was carrying, hugged Li XinTong, and spun her around. He truly cherished this sworn sister of his. "Kid, you''re injured?" Dong WuMing''s expression darkened slightly as he asked Li Lin. "Yes, I encountered some trouble," Li Lin nodded. "Who did it?" Dong WuMing''s eyes darkened with a hint of killing intent starting to permeate. "It was this person, an elder of the Jiuhua Sect," Li Lin said, pointing to the elder of the Jiuhua Sect on the ground. "An eight-tier Martial Soul, the Jiuhua Sect''s audacity grows," Dong WuMing said coldly. "Elder Dong, let''s talk inside. There were quite a few interesting incidents at the Ghost Martial Sect," Li Lin said with a slight smile. "Oh, looking at you, boy, I guess you''ve gained quite a bit," Dong WuMing said with a light smile, knowing Li Lin''s character well; he would only smile so brightly if he had indeed gained a lot. "That''s a long story," Li Lin smiled, then after letting the little dragon and the Skywing Snow Lion go to the back mountain for free movement, he and Dong WuMing went inside the room. Li Lin roughly told Dong WuMing everything that happened at the Ghost Martial Sect, though he reserved some details, as Dong WuMing was not yet aware that Li Lin was a Spirit Practitioner. Li Lin planned to tell him after a while; Dong WuMing was already overly surprised upon learning Li Lin was a practitioner of all elements, and knowing about his Spirit Practitioner status might be too much for him to accept. Regarding Lv Xiaoling''s matter, Li Lin only mentioned what he could say, leaving out the part about the high-level Yellow-grade spirit technique. It wasn''t that he didn''t trust Dong WuMing, but rather he feared the Old Poisoner master would be too astonished. "The elders accompanying that little girl, one surnamed Liu and the other Wang, I can''t guess their identities. But her name is Lv Xiaoling, surname Lv. If I''m not mistaken, she must be someone significant," Dong WuMing pondered. "Elder Dong, what''s the background of Lv Xiaoling? Even the Ghost Martial Sect wants to win her over," Li Lin asked, curious about Lv Xiaoling''s identity. Chapter 218: A Different Approach "Compared to the opponent, Ghost Martial Sect is naturally much inferior. If I guess correctly, behind Lv Xiaoling is the Lingtian Gate from the ancient realm," said Poison Commander Dong WuMing. Hearing the name Lingtian Gate, his eyes also showed some changes. "What is Lingtian Gate? What kind of sect is it?" Li Lin asked. He was not familiar with the ancient realm, although he had spent some time on its edge, he had never ventured far into it. "Lingtian Gate is a first-rate power in the ancient realm. Compared to the three sects and four gates on the Lingwu Continent, it is definitely not much inferior. The sect leader, Lv Zhengqiang, has already reached the level of a Spirit King, one of the top spirit practitioners in the entire ancient realm. There are many strong warriors in the sect, including numerous Martial Kings. Compared to Ghost Martial Sect, Ghost Martial Sect is just a second-rate force," Dong WuMing explained. "That''s a significant background," Li Lin exclaimed, finding the background truly formidable. "This time at Ghost Martial Sect, you actually broke through again. Such a cultivation speed is too fast. You alone broke the Ghost Martial Sect''s Three Series Five Combination Formation. I guess the people from Ghost Martial Sect must be dumbfounded," Dong WuMing said with a slight smile. "I just happened to have studied the Three Series Five Combination Formation before. There were a few flaws in the coordination among the people of Ghost Martial Sect, and I just happened to break it," Li Lin said with a slight smile. "You really keep surprising me. This is good, making Ghost Martial Sect unable to figure out Flying Spirit Gate, so they dare not easily deal with Flying Spirit Gate. In this way, Flying Spirit Gate will have enough time to grow," Dong WuMing said. "But what about Jiuhua Gate? What do you plan to do with it?" "I will deal with Jiuhua Gate''s matter after I come out of seclusion. I plan to go into seclusion for a while," Li Lin said. "You''re going into seclusion again? The day after tomorrow is New Year''s," Dong WuMing stared at Li Lin, surprised. This guy is always going into seclusion. "I also plan to go into seclusion after the New Year. This time, it will be at least twenty days, or at most a month. Flying Spirit Gate will still be left to Elder Dong," Li Lin said. After leaving the room, Li Lin went to the back mountain again, releasing the green demon python, the lightning black panther, and the bloodthirsty mantis from the spatial beast pouch to roam in the back mountain. In the afternoon, when Elders Hu Nansheng and Chang Lei learned that the sect leader had returned, they immediately came to Li Lin''s residence to pay their respects. From their mouths, Li Lin learned that Elders Zhou Yuhou, Zheng Ying, and Chen Xinjie had all gone into seclusion, leaving only them two in Flying Spirit Gate. During this time, Flying Spirit Gate took over the territory from the former Luosha Gate and other areas in Huamen Town, gradually getting on the right track. The only trouble left was in Tuan Mountain Town. At the same time, Flying Spirit Gate, which hadn''t had new disciples join for over a decade, now saw a steady stream of new disciples joining. Li Lin instructed the two elders that the entry of new disciples must be strictly checked to prevent spies from other forces from infiltrating. If there were young people with good talent, they should be directly brought to his attention. In his absence, they should be given priority in training. For Flying Spirit Gate to grow, it wasn''t enough to rely solely on one or two strong individuals; the other disciples were very important. The two elders agreed repeatedly, already fully convinced by their young sect leader. Then, Li Lin asked the two elders to arrange for the New Year''s celebrations. This annual big day should be lively for the disciples of the sect, and those who had performed well during this time should be rewarded. After arranging everything, the two elders respectfully left to make the arrangements. Li Lin then spent a good afternoon with Li Xintong. Unable to resist Li Xintong''s request to fly in the sky, Li Lin took her on the back of the Tianchi Snow Lion, flying around Flying Spirit Mountain, making Li Xintong extremely happy. In the evening, after dinner, Li Lin went to his room to meditate. He planned to relax during the day and go into seclusion after the New Year. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. After another night of meditation, Li Lin''s injuries had healed by thirty percent with the help of medicinal pills. The next morning, Zhang Mingtao came to pay his respects, accompanied by Liu Yishou, who had returned from Huamen Town. After several days of recuperation, Liu Yishou''s condition had improved a lot. "Liu Yishou, how was your stay in Huamen Town?" Li Lin asked meaningfully. "Sect Leader, I''m not sure which aspect you want to know about," Liu Yishou replied. "You''ve been in Huamen Town for a few days, tell me everything you''ve seen," Li Lin said lightly. "Sect Leader," Liu Yishou looked at Li Lin, his eyes flickering. "Just speak directly. I want to hear the truth," Li Lin said. "Yes, Sect Leader," Liu Yishou nodded and said, "Sect Leader, Huamen Town is now our Flying Spirit Gate''s territory, but these past two days in Huamen Town, I noticed that there are no businesses belonging to Flying Spirit Gate. Also, in the Wudu Mountain Range, many mercenary groups and small teams are in chaos, and the tributes collected are incomplete. We probably haven''t collected half of the tributes. For Flying Spirit Gate, this is a significant loss." Li Lin watched Liu Yishou with a smile, not speaking for a long time, but nodding inwardly. It seems Liu Yishou really has a knack for business, even noticing the details of the Wudu Mountain Range''s edge. Li Lin felt he hadn''t chosen the wrong person. Seeing Li Lin not speaking, Liu Yishou became anxious, thinking he might have spoken out of turn. These past few days, the Sect Leader hadn''t asked him to observe anything specific. In Huamen Town, the only thing he was interested in was making money. He didn''t discover anything else, except that there were no Flying Spirit Gate businesses in Huamen Town. This was a missed opportunity for financial gain. Relying solely on tributes, Flying Spirit Gate couldn''t earn much. Moreover, since he was young, he had been in places like Tianxing Sect, known for their chaos and mixture of good and bad people. He knew quite a bit about the situations at the edge of the Wudu Mountain Range and knew many mercenary groups. He often heard that many mercenary groups found ways to evade tributes, making more profit. After joining Flying Spirit Gate, he noticed this and realized that Huamen Town was dominated by other businesses, with no presence of Flying Spirit Gate. This was indeed a missed opportunity for wealth. "Liu Yishou, in your opinion, what should Flying Spirit Gate do? Speak freely," Li Lin asked again. After hesitating for a moment, Liu Yishou then said determinedly, "Sect Leader, since Huamen Town is ours, we can completely open our own businesses. Relying on Flying Spirit Gate as a strong shield, controlling all businesses and shops is just a matter of time. The business of pills and medicinal materials in Huamen Town is not a small amount. As for collecting tributes in the Wudu Mountain Range, that''s a bit troublesome. Those mercenary groups are not easy to deal with, and it''s hard to collect tributes. We can do this: any mercenary group, small team, or individual entering the Wudu Mountain Range must pay tribute. Violators will be made an example of. At the same time, we can open a business in Huamen Town to buy medicinal materials and demon beasts from the Wudu Mountain Range. If these mercenary groups sell to us, we will return their tributes to them. If they don''t sell to us, naturally, we won''t return anything. Our purchase price can be slightly higher than others. I believe that then, all mercenary groups and teams will sell to us." "What''s the purpose of doing this? Aren''t we losing the tributes?" Li Lin asked subtly, but he was surprised inside. Liu Yishou had thought of what Li Lin had, and even what Li Lin hadn''t, Liu Yishou had considered. In this aspect, Liu Yishou was definitely a talent. "Sect Leader, we won''t lose out. Initially, we might lose a bit, but when most of the medicinal materials in the Wudu Mountain Range flow into our hands, Tianxing Town will run out of stock. We can then raise the price and sell at a high price, or directly sell in Huamen Town. By then, Huamen Town will become even more lively. We can completely expand Huamen Town and Tuan Mountain Town into another Tianxing Town. At that time, how much we want to earn will be up to Flying Spirit Gate to decide. With the supply in our hands, everything will be up to us," Liu Yishou said energetically, becoming more excited as he spoke, eventually becoming quite animated. Li Lin''s expression remained unchanged, but he was smiling. Liu Yishou was definitely the talent he had been looking for. What Li Lin had thought of, Liu Yishou had thought of; what Li Lin hadn''t thought of, Liu Yishou had also considered. Liu Yishou was indeed a talent in this area. "Sect Leader, actually, I was just speaking casually. This isn''t an easy thing to do and isn''t practical. First of all, doing this requires a huge amount of gold coins to stock up goods. At the same time, strong individuals need to be stationed at Flying Spirit Gate, otherwise, it will attract the envy of other forces, and then they will target Flying Spirit Gate," Liu Yishou quickly changed his tone and said seriously when he saw Li Lin not speaking. Of course, there are many risks involved. "Who says it''s not practical? Liu Yishou, this matter will be personally handled by you. I will instruct the five elders to assist you. You have two years. If there are results in two years, I will let you sit as an elder of Flying Spirit Gate. If not, I will kill you in two years. As for gold coins, ask me for as much as you need. If ten million is not enough, then one hundred million; if one hundred million is not enough, then one billion, until it''s enough. As for strong individuals to guard, you don''t have to worry. With the Great Elder in the sect, there won''t be many sects in the entire ancient realm daring to move against Flying Spirit Gate," Li Lin said, looking at Liu Yishou. The concerns Liu Yishou had were also clear to Li Lin. Stockpiling medicinal materials and monopolizing the market for medicinal materials and demon beasts in the Wudu Mountain Range required a terrifying amount of investment. But if successful, the profits would be equally terrifying. Chapter 219: Two Portions of Divine Liquid And just right, I currently have some savings on me, enough to last for a while. If it''s not enough, I''ll figure something out then. With a strong figure presiding, having the Soul Enchanting Poison Marshal Dong WuMing in the Flying Spirit Sect, even the Ghost Martial Sect wouldn''t dare to easily provoke the Flying Spirit Sect. Dealing with other forces around us should naturally not be a problem. All conditions are ripe, Li Lin has no reason not to do it. If this succeeds, the Flying Spirit Sect will monopolize the medicinal material market around us. It''s not impossible, being close to the Misty Mountain Range, the Flying Spirit Sect has this advantage. "Sect Leader, are you serious, really letting me do it?" Liu Yishou was immediately surprised, almost couldn''t believe it. "Yes, I''m letting you do it. I won''t interfere lightly, and at the same time, I will have five elders assist you. The five elders cannot suppress you in this matter, you have the final say. But if you fail, I will kill you. If you succeed, you will be an elder of the Flying Spirit Sect," Li Lin said. "Thank you, Sect Leader." Liu Yishou immediately knelt on the ground, the excitement in his heart can be imagined. He never thought he would have such a day to stand out. "Get up, tomorrow is New Year''s, start after the New Year," Li Lin said to Liu Yishou, then turned to Zhang Mingtao beside him and said, "Zhang Mingtao, assist Liu Yishou during this period." "Yes, Sect Leader," Zhang Mingtao replied. After the two left, Li Lin stood alone, pondering over many problems. If they monopolized the territory of the Misty Mountain Range, there would probably be many other troubles, the Ghost Martial Sect being one of them. But now, he couldn''t manage so much. The Flying Spirit Sect must seize the opportunity to grow, and now is one of the paths. "Your vision is indeed not bad, no wonder you kept that Liu Yishou," a deep voice said beside Li Lin. The Soul Enchanting Poison Marshal Dong WuMing silently arrived beside Li Lin. "Elder Dong, you also think Liu Yishou is feasible?" Li Lin smiled slightly, then said to the Soul Enchanting Poison Marshal Dong WuMing. "This person''s cultivation talent is poor, but what he just said shows unique vision and cleverness. Perhaps he is indeed a talent. This is what they call, ''There''s a way for the snake and a path for the rat,''" the Soul Enchanting Poison Marshal Dong WuMing lightly said. "Yes, under the eyes of the Ghost Martial Sect, if my Flying Spirit Sect wants to grow, we have to find another path," Li Lin lightly said. Then, an elder and a junior looked at each other and smiled, both revealing a sinister and cunning smile. As such a day passed, the next day was New Year''s. Li Lin, the Soul Enchanting Poison Marshal Dong WuMing, Hu NanSheng, and Chang Lei, two elders, all arrived at the main hall. The Flying Spirit Sect now has six to seven hundred disciples. Except for those stationed outside, all gathered in the main hall. After a passionate casual talk, Li Lin distributed elixirs to every disciple according to their cultivation level, making all the disciples extremely excited. The welfare of the Flying Spirit Sect is exceptionally good now. While everyone was lively celebrating the New Year, Li Lin quietly went to the cave''s secret chamber behind the mountain to start closed-door cultivation. Taking out the Spirit Jade Bed and sitting cross-legged, after swallowing another third-grade elixir, Li Lin began to regulate his breath. His injuries had not yet healed, and Li Lin planned to recover from his injuries first. Moments later, a circle of faint yellow light enveloped Li Lin''s body. As time slowly passed, the next day, Liu Yishou, who had turned his fortunes around in the Flying Spirit Sect, began to get busy, carrying a large amount of gold coins on him. After the New Year, the disciples of the Flying Spirit Sect also put effort into their cultivation, with no one slacking off. Inside the cave''s secret chamber, Li Lin stopped regulating his breath eight days later. His complexion was rosy, and after another eight days of healing, coupled with a fast recovery, his injuries had healed by eighty to ninety percent, no longer a big problem. "Phew" After exhaling a mouthful of turbid air, Li Lin opened his eyes, his eyes flashing sharply. "Soul Spirit Divine Liquid." In Li Lin''s hand, he now took out the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid. This time he planned to refine humanoid puppets. The elder of the JiuHua Sect was originally an eight-layer Martial Soul, which poses quite a difficulty in refining. Li Lin plans to make some breakthroughs in spiritual power before refining, so he would be more confident. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Gazing at the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid in his hand, even through the jade bottle, a violent energy aura faintly flowed. Li Lin considered whether to take two portions at once. One portion of Soul Spirit Divine Liquid is no longer dangerous to him now, able to be easily refined, and a single portion of Soul Spirit Divine Liquid also cannot make him directly break through a layer of cultivation. Taking two portions should be about right. "Take it." Li Lin finally decided, gritting his teeth. At his current level of cultivation, he should be able to withstand the tremendous energy of two portions of Soul Spirit Divine Liquid. "Gulp, gulp" After deciding, Li Lin did not hesitate anymore. He poured the ''Soul Spirit Divine Liquid'' into his mouth and swallowed it, estimating the amount of two portions and immediately put away the jade bottle. There are still six portions of Soul Spirit Divine Liquid, and after taking two portions, there are only four portions left. The two portions of Soul Spirit Divine Liquid were swallowed by Li Lin into his stomach. In an instant, the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid turned into a violently hot flow and spread out fiercely inside his body. This power, compared to the energy of one portion of Soul Spirit Divine Liquid, was undoubtedly several times stronger. This vast energy flowed through Li Lin''s meridians in his body and then directly rushed into the space in Li Lin''s mind where spiritual power resided, immediately causing throbbing pains in the space of spiritual power in his brain. Originally, one portion of Soul Spirit Divine Liquid, Li Lin could easily withstand, but the energy of two portions of Soul Spirit Divine Liquid is much more significant. The hot flow of two portions of Soul Spirit Divine Liquid, at this moment, is like countless fierce beasts rampaging in Li Lin''s mind, charging and smashing, this terrifying power, Li Lin''s mind space could not withstand for a while, intense sharp pains came again and again. "Damn" Li Lin did not expect the energy of these two portions of Soul Spirit Divine Liquid to be so powerful. This violent energy is like the first time he took Soul Spirit Divine Liquid, seeming to be able to instantly destroy the space in his mind. However, at this moment, it is also within Li Lin''s range of resistance. After all, the space of spiritual power in his mind has strengthened a lot. Clenching his teeth tightly, firmly holding onto his mind, at the same time, hand seals condensed, sitting cross-legged on the Spirit Jade Bed, Li Lin quickly operated the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Art to refine this massive and terrifying energy, and a white translucent light circle also immediately enveloped around him. Moments later, Li Lin entered the state of cultivation, slowly refining the violent energy in the space of spiritual power. This energy was refined very quickly, as long as a little was refined, it could be transformed into his own pure spiritual power. At the same time, as the energy of the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid was refined, a trace of refined energy spread an invisible aura, passing through the space of spiritual power and reaching the depths of the mind, nourishing the increasingly condensed soul. Li Lin felt indescribably comfortable all over, vaguely feeling his soul strengthening, a delightful sensation. As time slowly passed, although the energy transformed from two portions of Soul Spirit Divine Liquid was vast, Li Lin knew that he is now a third-layer Spirit Master, needing more spiritual power to break through. Six days later, the transparent and invisible light circle around Li Lin began to thicken and shine brightly. At this moment, in his mind, Li Lin felt the space of spiritual power in his mind expanding and filling up, and the spiritual power continued to refine and irrigate. Moments later, the vast spiritual power had already filled the space in his mind, reaching a point where it could no longer increase. "Compress, break for me." Li Lin shouted in his heart, hand seals suddenly began changing, and finally, he pressed down sharply. Immediately, there was a muffled sound in the space of spiritual power in his mind, a massive energy compressed and spread out. "Boom!" At the same time, Li Lin''s body shone brightly, his aura climbing, the space of spiritual power in his mind instantly increased several times. A tremendous invisible force rushed to the depths of the mind, the soul power rapidly strengthened at this moment, the approaching condensed soul power, at this time, became more substantial. The aura climbed all the way up, as if breaking through a massive barrier, and then, between heaven and earth, an invisible energy began to enter Li Lin''s body from the pores of his skin along with the aura, nourishing the soul power again at this moment. The aura took a long time to stabilize, Li Lin exhaled a mouthful of turbid air from his body, and slowly opened his eyes, his eyes flashing like bright stars, which took a long time to recede into his eyes. At this moment, Li Lin''s aura had reached the fourth-layer Spirit Master. "Fourth-layer Spirit Master now, continue refining." Li Lin murmured with a lazy smile on his mouth, hand seals formed, continuing to refine the remaining energy of the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid in the space of spiritual power in his mind. After breaking through to the fourth-layer Spirit Master, there was still a small half of energy in the space of spiritual power in his mind that had not been refined. As time once again slowly passed, in this cultivation, time also passed very quickly. Three days later, Li Lin exhaled another mouthful of turbid air and opened his eyes again, the energy of the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid in his mind had been completely refined, and his spiritual power level had reached the middle stage of the fourth-layer Spirit Master, still quite a bit away from the fifth-layer Spirit Master. "It''s time to refine this humanoid puppet." Li Lin looked at the elder of the JiuHua Sect on the ground. It''s time to refine this humanoid puppet now. Directly using a corpse to refine a puppet is called a zombie puppet, and this person is just a vegetable, strictly speaking, not a dead person, which is much better than using a zombie puppet for refining. Using a corpse to refine a puppet, the refining outcome would be significantly discounted. Generally speaking, a corpse of a first-layer Martial Soul cultivator, after being refined into a puppet, would have the strength of an eight or seven-layer Martial Warrior at best, which is already the best outcome. Generally speaking, reaching the strength of a fifth or sixth-layer Martial Warrior is already quite good. Chapter 220: Formidable Puppet Using living people to create puppets, the resulting strength will slightly increase. A practitioner of the first level of Martial Spirit, if cruelly turned into a puppet, could potentially reach the strength of the third or fourth level of Martial Spirit. Even if it''s made into the worst quality, it can still retain the strength level of the first level of Martial Spirit. Coupled with the difficulty of dealing with puppets, it could even contend against a second level Martial Spirit practitioner. However, creating puppets from living people is not easy; it''s more than twice as difficult as making them from corpses. Living people have wills and will resist during the process. Without sufficient strength, it''s impossible to create one. Moreover, most warriors, knowing they could be turned into puppets, would choose suicide, refusing to let others turn them into puppets. Li Lin also knows that creating puppets from living people is the most difficult. However, the elder of the Jiuhua Sect is now in a vegetative state, not a corpse, nor a living person, which makes him the perfect candidate for puppet creation. This is Li Lin''s first time creating such a puppet, and he is somewhat nervous. He recalls the puppet-creating steps from the Heavenly Spirit Record, then takes out the Fire Dragon Cauldron. "Begin creation." With a gesture, Li Lin takes out a variety of materials from his body, all necessary for puppet creation. Although a Martial Spirit practitioner''s body is already strong, it''s not enough. A puppet requires an extremely strong body, necessitating many materials for assistance in its creation. These materials were all found by Li Lin at the Treasure Gathering Gate, all of which he can now refine and are of high quality. Spiritual power is injected into the Fire Dragon Cauldron, and a fierce flame starts to roar. At the same time, Li Lin has already thrown many materials into the cauldron. Under the flames, the materials begin to slowly refine. This refining process isn''t technically demanding but requires a lot of consumption. After three full days, Li Lin has completely refined all the auxiliary materials. Inside the Fire Dragon Cauldron, a group of pure solution is rolling like magma. Once solidified, it will be much stronger than refined steel, all refined from top-quality materials. "Second step." With a change of hand signs, a beam of light wraps around the body of the Jiuhua Sect elder and directly throws it into the Fire Dragon Cauldron. "Sss sss!" As soon as the body of the Jiuhua Sect elder, an eighth level Martial Spirit practitioner, enters the cauldron, his clothes instantly turn to ashes, revealing his naked body. Then, the surface of his skin starts to emit a sizzling sound under the intense flames, as blood plasma continuously oozes out and is evaporated into white vapor by the high temperature. Li Lin focuses on controlling the spiritual fire. Too much fire could burn the body to ashes, while too little won''t remove impurities from the body, failing to meet the puppet-creating requirements. As the spiritual fire refines, the body becomes a blur of flesh and blood, with blood oozing from within. Under the flames, the nervous system is not dead, twitching in pain. Li Lin can even see the heart beating faintly, looking cruel and bloody. At this moment, Li Lin doesn''t feel any cruelty or bloodiness. If his strength were insufficient, the roles between him and the opponent would be reversed. Everything depends on strength; the law of the jungle is just like this, without any cruelty. Humans killing chickens or fish is not considered cruel because humans stand at the top of the food chain, thinking everything is natural. If humans see large wild animals eating smaller ones, they call it cruel, not realizing they are much crueler. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. The principle of the survival of the fittest is something Li Lin has always understood, so at this moment, he doesn''t feel any cruelty. As the refining continues, Li Lin can feel the body of the Jiuhua Sect elder becoming stronger after refining the impurities within. The muscles and bones are tensing slightly, as if power is gathering, waiting to burst forth. After three days of refining, Li Lin, sweating profusely and looking pale, realizes the consumption is significant. He is grateful he broke through before starting the refining process, or he might not have been able to sustain it. At this moment, the body has turned dark black, all strength being internalized. Looking at this, Li Lin is satisfied. After three days of refining, the body is now covered with a thin layer of flesh membrane, its strength increased several times over, with muscles and bones thoroughly refined. "Start the third step." Li Lin thinks to himself. At the same time, he changes his hand sign, and a beam of invisible energy bursts out from his brow, entering the body''s forehead in the cauldron. Li Lin calms his mind, and a spiritual force enters the brain of the body, immediately sensing a vast, white space, with a chaotic soul aura drifting about. "So the soul was shattered into countless pieces, saving a lot of effort." Li Lin thinks to himself. The soul in the brain space of the Jiuhua Sect elder has been shattered into countless pieces by his own Soul Blade, no wonder he became a vegetative person. "Hu hu..." Feeling the intrusion of external force, these countless soul fragments start to collide and rush. This is all within Li Lin''s expectations. Why are puppets created from living people stronger than zombie puppets? It''s because once a person dies, their soul shatters and disperses into the world, leaving only remnants in the brain that can be turned into ordinary zombie puppets by spiritualists. But puppets made from living people are crucial for their soul force, retaining the original soul to maintain intelligence and reaction consciousness, while also retaining their martial skills from life, and absolutely obeying their master. This is truly terrifying, an absolute killing machine. Coupled with its strong body, its power is simply terrifying. Li Lin''s spiritual force instantly expands, wrapping the shattered soul fragments tightly. "Hu..." The soul fragments struggle, but these shattered pieces cannot escape and are tightly wrapped within. "Refine..." At this moment, Li Lin changes his hand sign again, and a spiritual fire bursts into the brain within the cauldron, sweeping out like a storm, instantly refining these soul fragments. "Hu hu..." These shattered soul fragments instinctively feel fear and dread, retreating in a swarm. But as the spiritual fire roars, all soul fragments are wrapped within, completely refined in a moment. As these refined soul fragments turn into wisps of smoke, Li Lin''s spiritual force instantly merges with them, finally entering the deep part of the body''s brain. "Puppet secret technique, condense for me." At this moment, Li Lin''s eyes open wide, and a sharp light bursts forth. As the hand signs change, the solution in the cauldron boils and is directly poured onto the body. "Sizzle..." The scorching solution pours onto the body, emitting a sizzling sound, and the temperature instantly rises again. The body, from head to toe, is enveloped in a scorching hot solution, causing the muscles and bones to twitch under the high temperature. The solution envelops the body, instantly spreading eerie streams of light. At this moment, Li Lin''s face is extremely pale, but still, he forms one hand sign after another, casting mystical lights into the body. As time slowly passes, under the influence of these mystical and profound lights, the originally empty gaze of the Jiuhua Sect elder''s body slowly reveals a cold, pale light, emitting a chilling coldness. At this moment, with the irrigation of the solution, the body turns a dark cyan, emitting a cold, metallic luster. "Gather for me." Li Lin shouts loudly, casting the final hand sign. At the same time, a massive, dazzling light strikes the puppet. "Hu hu..." Simultaneously, the aura around the puppet instantly surges, as if it had been injected with an adrenaline boost, unleashing a wild aura, even shaking the spiritual fire within the Fire Dragon Cauldron as if to extinguish it. A terrifying aura emerges, and Li Lin, standing close by, feels an absolute oppressive force. The aura climbs relentlessly, as if unstoppable, a burst of wild power roaring to life, forcing Li Lin to counteract with his own power immediately. "Bang..." With a muffled groan within the cave''s secret chamber, a majestic aura skyrockets, and an invisible airflow whistles through the chamber. "The strength has increased." Watching all this, Li Lin can''t help but feel ecstatic, the puppet he just refined has indeed become stronger. The aura finally stabilizes after a long time. At this moment, the dark cyan puppet, with its smooth sheen, seems to contain explosive power throughout its body. Chapter 221: Conspiracy and Trickery "Master." At this moment, a dark cyan puppet leaped towards Li Lin, emitting a cold, emotionless voice from its mouth. Although its eyes were hollow, they sparkled with a hint of sharpness, clearly distinguishing it from ordinary puppets. Li Lin observed the puppet he had refined. Although it was also considered a zombie puppet, it was much higher in rank compared to ordinary zombie puppets. The puppet still retained the appearance of the Jiuhua Sect elder, except its skin had turned into a thick layer of metal, with its original facial features vaguely recognizable. "You are my first puppet. From now on, you will be called Puppet One." Li Lin said, touching the hard metal skin of the puppet. "Yes, Master." A cold voice came from the puppet again. Looking at the puppet, Li Lin became more and more satisfied. Unlike ordinary puppets that lacked intelligence, Puppet One could act on its own with just a thought from Li Lin. It could also use the martial techniques it had known before, coupled with a simple intelligence and an exceptionally strong puppet physique, its strength was truly astonishing. Li Lin sized up Puppet One. The original Jiuhua Sect elder had the cultivation of the eighth level Martial Soul, and had just made a breakthrough. Judging by the puppet''s level, it had reached the peak of the fourth level late stage, equivalent to the peak strength of the ninth level Martial Soul. With its formidable body, the puppet''s strength was undoubtedly more than that, capable of fighting against a first level Martial General. "Jiuhua Sect, this is really a big thank you gift." Li Lin smirked. A fourth level late stage peak puppet capable of contending with a first level Martial General was undoubtedly a loyal and strong Martial General given by Jiuhua Sect, a significant gift indeed. Li Lin was happy about refining a puppet of such a high level, knowing that it wasn''t just due to his own strength. If the Jiuhua Sect elder was still alive, it would have been impossible for him to refine him into a puppet. All of this was possible because the Jiuhua Sect elder had become vegetative, and Li Lin''s soul power was stronger compared to others at the same cultivation level, allowing him to refine the puppet. Otherwise, with his current strength, refining a third level middle stage puppet would have been quite good. This was a whole level and more higher. "Collect" Li Lin stored Puppet One into his spatial ring. With Puppet One by his side, he undoubtedly had a first level Martial General as a bodyguard, giving him much more confidence when going out. "Let''s meditate for a while." Li Lin then sat cross-legged on the Lingyu bed again. The refining process had been extremely consuming, requiring the intake of three third level elixirs worth tens of thousands of gold coins, which made Li Lin quite heartbroken. However, the success of the refining made it all worth it. Three days later, when the cave''s secret chamber opened, Li Lin came out looking rosy and healed from his injuries. As soon as he left the chamber, a little dragon affectionately rubbed against him. After returning home, Dong Wuming, the Soul Poison General, sensed Li Lin''s aura becoming stronger and couldn''t help but be surprised, although he had gotten used to being amazed by Li Lin. Then, Li Lin asked Zhang Mingtao to gather the disciples in the hall for an important discussion. In the grand hall of the Flying Spirit Sect, Li Lin sat at the top, with Hu Nansheng, Chang Lei, Zheng Ying, and Chen Xinjie, four elders, sitting below him. At this time, Zheng Ying and Chen Xinjie had already reached the cultivation of the third level Martial Soul after this retreat. As for Zhou Yuhou, he was still in retreat, likely on the verge of a breakthrough. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. "Greetings, Sect Leader." The disciples saluted. Those present in the hall were key disciples of the Flying Spirit Sect, with relatively high cultivation levels. "Hu Elder, what''s the situation in Tuan Mountain Town now?" Li Lin asked. "Sect Leader, we no longer have disciples stationed in Tuan Mountain Town, letting Jiuhua Sect people run rampant. All our shops have been notified to waive all tributes before Jiuhua Sect''s people cause trouble," Hu Nansheng replied. Li Lin said, "Four elders, select four hundred disciples to follow me into Tuan Mountain Town. Huang Boran, here is a letter for you. Leave for the Ghost Martial Sect on time three days later and deliver it to the elder of the Ghost Martial Sect, saying it''s for the Sect Leader of the Ghost Martial Sect, then come back immediately. If anyone asks you anything, just say you don''t know." After finishing, Li Lin handed a written letter to Huang Boran, who was clever enough to handle this small matter without any mistake. "Yes, Sect Leader." Huang Boran and the elders replied. "Sect Leader, are you planning to move against Jiuhua Sect?" Dong Wuming, the Soul Poison General, asked lightly from the top seat. "Yes, this time we will need Elder Dong to preside over it. We will wipe out Jiuhua Sect in one fell swoop," Li Lin said, a killing intent spreading from his eyes. "Why are you sending a letter to the Ghost Martial Sect?" Dong Wuming asked, puzzled. "Hehe." Li Lin chuckled, "Wiping out Jiuhua Sect, we need to block the Ghost Martial Sect''s mouth. Jiuhua Sect is considered an external force of the Ghost Martial Sect. Wiping them out for no reason would make the Ghost Martial Sect lose face. By sending the letter first, the Ghost Martial Sect can only turn a blind eye. We act first and report later, and they can''t do anything to us, especially since Jiuhua Sect provoked me first." "What did you write in the letter?" Dong Wuming asked, then laughed. "Nothing much, just saying that I was ambushed and severely injured by an elder of Jiuhua Sect on my way back from the Ghost Martial Sect. In anger, the Great Elder of the Flying Spirit Sect led the disciples to wipe out Jiuhua Sect, and I couldn''t stop it. So, I asked the Ghost Martial Sect to mediate and calm the Great Elder down," Li Lin explained with a smirk. "If the Ghost Martial Sect intervenes, we might not be able to wipe them out," Dong Wuming was startled, not knowing what conspiracy Li Lin had planned. The other four elders were also puzzled; this was not the Sect Leader''s style. To wipe out Jiuhua Sect and notify the Ghost Martial Sect first would make it difficult to proceed. "Elder Dong, I arranged for Huang Boran to reach the Ghost Martial Sect three days later, and it would take at least five days for them to learn about it. Eight days later, by calculating the distance, it takes only three days from Tuan Mountain Town to Jiuhua Sect. By the time the Ghost Martial Sect knows, Jiuhua Sect will have already disappeared," Li Lin cunningly smiled, planning to wipe out Jiuhua Sect before the Ghost Martial Sect could intervene. "Smart boy," Dong Wuming immediately laughed, and the others felt a chill, realizing the cunning nature of their Sect Leader. "Elder Dong, how is your strength recovery? The strongest in Jiuhua Sect is Sect Leader Mo Tianwen, with the cultivation of a fifth level Martial General, and there''s also an elder with the cultivation of a first level Martial General," Li Lin inquired. "A fifth level Martial General is not a threat. Rest assured, my injuries have healed by sixty to seventy percent. Killing anyone below Martial Commander is easy for me," Dong Wuming stated, with several Martial Generals being no challenge for him. "That''s good. This time, we will wipe out Jiuhua Sect to warn the Ghost Martial Sect that the Flying Spirit Sect is not to be trifled with," Li Lin said with cold determination, intending to shake the Ghost Martial Sect by eliminating Jiuhua Sect. "With the Great Elder here, wiping out Jiuhua Sect is just a matter of ease. There will be no Jiuhua Sect anymore," the elders were excited, having never dared to think about eliminating Jiuhua Sect before. Joining the Flying Spirit Sect changed everything. "Wipe out Jiuhua Sect and bring back anything valuable. Do you hear me?" Li Lin commanded all the disciples in the hall. "Yes, Sect Leader!" All the disciples responded loudly, excitedly agreeing with the Sect Leader''s thoughts. This was a united effort with significant potential rewards. The next morning, four hundred disciples of the Flying Spirit Sect rode fast horses towards Jiuhua Sect, kicking up dust along the way. Many people wondered what the Flying Spirit Sect was up to with such a grand display. From the Flying Spirit Sect to Jiuhua Sect, it was less than four days'' ride. Li Lin assigned Chen Xinjie, Zheng Ying, and Chang Lei to lead the team directly to Jiuhua Sect, while Hu Nansheng waited outside Tuan Mountain Town with fifty disciples for Li Lin. Li Lin planned to visit Tuan Mountain Town first to deal with the Jiuhua Sect disciples there. With the Tianchi Snow Lion with him, he would likely reach Jiuhua Sect before the Flying Spirit Sect disciples. Watching the four hundred disciples of the Flying Spirit Sect depart, Li Lin''s eyebrows relaxed slightly. This time, Jiuhua Sect must be eliminated in one fell swoop. Chapter 222: Formidable Killing "Brother, I want to go too. You, master, and Sister Xin Qi are all leaving. I''ll be so bored alone." Hearing that her master and brother were leaving for a few days, Li XinTong was not pleased and insisted on joining them. "XinTong, just stay in the sect. The place brother is going to will be dangerous," Li Lin said. It was no place for fun and could be dangerous at any moment. It was not convenient to take Li XinTong along. "No, I want to go. Master, please take me with you." Seeing Li Lin disagree, Li XinTong immediately grabbed the hand of her master, the Soul Summoning Poison Master Dong WuMing, with a look of grievance on her face, almost as if she was about to cry. "Alright, master will take you with him. It will also let you see master''s methods, which will be beneficial for your cultivation," said Dong WuMing to his precious disciple, naturally feeling too tender-hearted to refuse, and immediately agreed to take his precious disciple along. Li Lin smiled helplessly. Since Dong WuMing had agreed, he had no choice. This was his Old Poisoner''s precious disciple, who could afford to provoke her? "Alright, just don''t run around everywhere when we get there," Li Lin told Li XinTong. Then, they switched to the Sky-Winged Snow Lion, and the three of them leaped onto the back of the Sky-Winged Snow Lion, which neighed and then flapped its wings, heading towards Tuan Mountain Town. Tuan Mountain Town, originally a territory of the Rakshasa Sect, was now filled with many disciples of the JiuHua Sect. All the shops were suffering terribly, the tributes they had to pay were unbearable, and several hundred shops were squeezed dry by the JiuHua Sect. Sometimes, if some small shops couldn''t pay enough tribute, they would be smashed directly, causing many people to complain. "Quick, the people from the JiuHua Sect are coming again, close the shop." "We can''t continue doing business anymore. Boss, we small businesses should leave Tuan Mountain Town." On the streets, a group of JiuHua Sect disciples came, and many small shops closed their doors in fear, unable to offend the JiuHua Sect. In the town, there were also a few large shops with some power, but they also dared not offend the JiuHua Sect and were angry but did not dare to speak out. At this time, on the street, five disciples of the JiuHua Sect came swaggering, one of them kicked open the door of a small shop: "Pay the tribute quickly, or get out of Tuan Mountain Town." "Sir, we just paid the tribute last month. Wasn''t it supposed to be once every half a year? Moreover, what we paid last time has already doubled. We small businesses really can''t afford it?" A timid ordinary woman said, standing next to her was a honest-looking middle-aged man and a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl, all showing faces filled with panic and fear. "Now it''s once a month. If you can''t pay, then leave Tuan Mountain Town," a young man in green clothes said coldly among the five disciples of the JiuHua Sect. "Sir, if we leave Tuan Mountain Town, we will have nowhere to go," the middle-aged man said. "That''s your problem. Otherwise, this girl can spend a night with us, and this month''s tribute will be waived for you." At this moment, the young man''s eyes were filled with lust as he looked at the panicked girl. Although she was dressed simply, her features were delicate, and she had a graceful figure. She was quite attractive, as the saying goes, an eighteen-year-old girl is like a flower, naturally not bad. As soon as he finished speaking, the young man pushed the middle-aged woman aside, grabbed the girl''s hand, and the other four men immediately laughed, their eyes filled with beastly light. "Let me go, let me go." The girl panicked and struggled desperately, which only made the men more excited. "Please, sir, we beg you," the middle-aged man and woman immediately knelt on the ground, pleading with the five men. "Get lost." One of the young men coldly shouted impatiently, holding a big knife in his hand and slashing fiercely towards the middle-aged man. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. "Dad..." The girl was terrified, her face pale as she saw the knife coming down, its cold light dazzling. She couldn''t bear to watch and closed her eyes tightly. At this moment, an invisible wave spread out from around her, and she managed to break free from the young man''s grasp. The young man was also taken aback and staggered back a step. "Showing off in my Tuan Mountain Town, seeking death." "Whoosh..." At this moment, a low and cold shout came, followed by a sharp whistling sound with a scorching aura, and the disciple of the JiuHua Sect immediately fell to the ground with a blood hole appearing in his forehead from the back of his head. Simultaneously, three figures appeared on the street, an old man, a young man, and a little girl about ten years old. What was most peculiar was that a small yellow snake was coiled on the little girl''s shoulder, raising its head. "Who are you? You dare to meddle in the affairs of the JiuHua Sect." The remaining four young men''s faces changed dramatically, turning back in shock to look at these three people. "Dad." At this time, the girl ran over to her father, looking back at the bodies of the JiuHua Sect disciples on the ground with fear, causing all three of them to tremble. "Little ants from the JiuHua Sect dare to be so arrogant, go to death." Among the three newcomers, an old man in a black robe with a chilling aura, without any visible movements, sent four black lights like lightning through the air, bringing a sweeping chill and shooting out. "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" Four sounds of breaking the air passed, and the four disciples of the JiuHua Sect had no time to react. They were instantly penetrated by the black lights, their bodies turning pitch black in an instant, falling to the ground with eyes full of shock, not even knowing how they died. "Master, you''re so amazing. I want to learn this." From a distance, the little girl immediately applauded, and the three newcomers were naturally Li Lin, Dong WuMing, and Li XinTong. "You will learn it in the future. This is just a trivial skill," Dong WuMing said, his face immediately blooming into a smile upon being praised by his precious disciple. "Thank you, sir, for saving our lives." The three people from the small shop turned around and immediately knelt before Li Lin and the others to thank them. In their eyes, Dong WuMing was regarded as a godlike figure. These disciples of the JiuHua Sect were all martial artists, regarded as high and mighty, yet now they were killed in an instant. on, you''ll be able to live peacefully. The people from the JiuHua Sect won''t bother you anymore," Li Lin told the three people. "Sir, there are many people from the JiuHua Sect. You should leave quickly. There are more of them ahead. If they all come here, you won''t be able to escape," the girl who was scared and panicked just now regained her composure and said to Li Lin. "Is that so? No worries, I was actually looking for them," Li Lin said with a slight smile, not considering the disciples of the JiuHua Sect as a threat. "You should leave quickly. The people from the JiuHua Sect will arrive soon. You''ve killed their people, and they have many more. They won''t let you off," people from many shops around also came out and, along with many onlookers from the street, urged them to leave. "Sir, you should really leave quickly. You are powerful, but the JiuHua Sect has many people," the middle-aged woman also said worriedly. "Kid, this little girl has a good talent. Her soul strength is very strong, probably not discovered by others. The strength of her soul might have reached a top-level. I didn''t expect such a talented girl in this small shop. It''s a pity she started a bit late. A piece of fine jade has been spoiled. However, if she''s trained a bit, her future achievements will still be decent," Dong WuMing transmitted his voice to Li Lin. "Old Dong, why don''t you take her under your wing? When I arrived, I also felt the soul strength from this girl. I thought she was a Spirit Practitioner at first glance. Top-level Spirit Practitioner talent is rare to see. If those major sects knew about her talent, they would rush to take her in," Li Lin immediately said. "My poison skills are not suitable for her, and I''m afraid she can''t endure that kind of hardship. However, having her by my side as a medicinal assistant is possible, and making her a Spirit Practitioner is no issue," Dong WuMing''s voice transmission reached Li Lin again. "Little girl, would you like to follow me as a medicinal assistant? In time, you can also become a Spirit Practitioner, and you won''t have to stay in this small shop anymore," Dong WuMing said gently to the girl. The girl, in her coarse cloth dress and with somewhat messy hair, was momentarily stunned upon hearing Dong WuMing''s words. After a moment, her dazed eyes regained a bit of spirit, and she said with some nervousness and fear, "Sir, are you saying I can become a Spirit Practitioner?" To these ordinary people, a Spirit Practitioner was a highly esteemed figure, even the lowest-level Spirit Initiate was enough to make them look up. The people around and the girl''s parents were also stunned by this unexpected news. Becoming a Spirit Practitioner was a significant event. "Indeed, if you''re willing, you can follow me," Dong WuMing said indifferently. "Willing, of course, we are willing," the girl''s parents reacted, pulling the girl to kneel again beside Dong WuMing, saying, "Thank you, sir. Thank you so much." Becoming a Spirit Practitioner was undoubtedly like a golden phoenix flying out of the mountains for ordinary people. There was no reason for them not to be willing. "Sir, I''m willing. I''m willing to be a servant or a maid," the girl quickly became excited. Becoming a Spirit Practitioner meant that her parents would no longer be humiliated by others, and her family could live a good life. Chapter 223: Bloody Massacre "Drive..." On the street, a sound of iron cavalry came flying in an instant, stirring up a cloud of dust, with a total of fifty people, drawing many onlookers. "It seems to be people from the Flying Spirit Sect, I''ve seen them before." "It''s Elder Hu of the Flying Spirit Sect." Fifty figures came rushing over and soon arrived beside the crowd, precisely Hu NanSheng and other fifty disciples of the Flying Spirit Sect who had hurried over. "Greetings to the Sect Leader and the Great Elder." The disciples of the Flying Spirit Sect dismounted and immediately came to the side of Li Lin and the Soul Summoning Poison Duke, Dong WuMing, to respectfully greet them. "Rise." Li Lin said lightly, having the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion, although he set off later, he had already arrived in Tuan Mountain Town and had just taken a tour around Tuan Mountain Town. "So, this young man is actually the Sect Leader of the Flying Spirit Sect." Many of the onlookers were suddenly startled, no wonder he dared to kill people from the Jiu Hua Sect; it turned out to be people from the Flying Spirit Sect. This young man in green robe and the old man in black robe are the Sect Leader and the Great Elder of the Flying Spirit Sect. "What''s your name?" Li Lin then came to the side of the coarsely dressed girl and asked. "Sir, my name is Yan Qi." The girl did not dare to look directly at Li Lin and said in a low voice, the invisible aura on him made her dare not to look directly, but she glanced at Li Lin from the corner of her eye. The young man seemed to be about her age, yet he was the Sect Leader of the Flying Spirit Sect, immediately filled with curiosity. "Elder Hu, from now on, this shop''s tributes are all exempted. After the matter is settled, take Yan Qi to the Flying Spirit Sect. From now on, Yan Qi will be the Great Elder''s medicine-preparing maid and also a direct disciple of our Flying Spirit Sect." Li Lin turned back to Hu NanSheng and said. "Yes, Sect Leader." Hu NanSheng replied, also somewhat surprised. Among the fifty disciples, only two or three were direct disciples. "Let''s go, the Jiu Hua Sect still has more than a hundred disciples; let''s go and eliminate them first." Li Lin said indifferently, having already made way for two horses for Li Lin and the Soul Summoning Poison Duke, Dong WuMing, then the crowd mounted the horses and disappeared on the street. In Tuan Mountain Town, Li Lin had already toured around the streets and alleys, having already figured out where the Jiu Hua Sect disciples were staying. "The Flying Spirit Sect has finally come to deal with the Jiu Hua Sect, let''s go and watch." Many people around immediately swarmed up, leaving three people in the small shop still not recovered. Outside a huge courtyard in Tuan Mountain Town, two disciples of the Jiu Hua Sect were standing guard at the door with big knives, suddenly a sound of galloping came, and when the two saw the coming people, their faces changed drastically, about to turn back into the courtyard. "Die." Just at this moment, two blazing streaks of light shot down from the sky, the two Jiu Hua Sect disciples'' heads burst open, and their bodies fell to the ground. "Who dares to break into our Jiu Hua Sect branch." Such a noise had already alarmed the people inside the courtyard. A group of Jiu Hua Sect disciples rushed out, the leading person, with a strong aura, had reached the fourth level of Martial Spirit, followed by eight or nine disciples, all at the level of Martial Masters, the rest were at the eighth and seventh levels of Martial Warrior. "Ridiculous, this is our Flying Spirit Sect''s territory, when did it become yours." Li Lin scoffed, fifty disciples of the Flying Spirit Sect had already landed in front of the courtyard. Hearing that the newcomers were from the Flying Spirit Sect, this person''s face relaxed, and he proudly said: "So, you are from the Flying Spirit Sect. This Tuan Mountain Town is not close to your Flying Spirit Sect. Our Sect Leader said that from now on, Tuan Mountain Town will be managed by us, the Jiu Hua Sect, on your behalf. You better leave quickly, otherwise, don''t blame me for being rude!" "Hahaha." Upon hearing this, Li Lin, Hu NanSheng, and others all laughed. The Soul Summoning Poison Duke, Dong WuMing, looked cold, and then said to Li Lin: "It''s really a waste of time to talk to such ants, just kill them directly!" This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Then I''ll trouble Elder Dong!" Li Lin said indifferently, and then said: "Elder Dong, just take care of half, and let the disciples in the sect handle the rest." Li Lin naturally knew that for the Soul Summoning Poison Duke, Dong WuMing, to kill all these more than a hundred people with his poison skills was as easy as flipping his hand, but this would deprive the disciples of the Flying Spirit Sect of the opportunity to temper themselves. "No problem." As soon as the Soul Summoning Poison Duke, Dong WuMing, finished speaking, his figure disappeared on the spot, and immediately screams came from the Jiu Hua Sect disciples. "Ah..." A scream came out, and at the same time, the cold shout of the Soul Summoning Poison Duke, Dong WuMing, was heard: "A bunch of ants, all die." "Kill..." Hu NanSheng let out a fierce laugh, and then the disciples of the Flying Spirit Sect rushed towards the Jiu Hua Sect disciples, while Li Lin watched the situation in the field coldly, holding Li XinTong''s hand and standing aside, standing still without saying a word. "Shoo shoo shoo..." A cloud of poison mist dispersed in mid-air, more than a dozen Jiu Hua Sect disciples were directly killed without any resistance. "Whew..." The fourth-level Martial Spirit practitioner was surprised at this time, waving his hand, a blade light split the air and rushed directly towards the Soul Summoning Poison Duke, Dong WuMing. "Seeking death." The Soul Summoning Poison Duke, Dong WuMing, snorted coldly, his figure did not move at all. Just as the fourth-level Martial Spirit''s blade fell, the figure of the Soul Summoning Poison Duke, Dong WuMing, instantly split into two, but there was no blood. "Afterimage." The fourth-level Martial Spirit''s expression sank instantly, the opponent''s speed had reached such a level, and suddenly a chill spread from behind, looking back, the opponent was already behind him. A cold light shot from the eyes of the Soul Summoning Poison Duke, Dong WuMing, his hand forming a black light condensed into a palm print, harshly falling on the person''s body. The palm print did not touch his body, but a huge force had already poured onto him. "Pfft..." A mouthful of black blood was sprayed out, and with one move, the fourth-level Martial Spirit was killed by the Soul Summoning Poison Duke, Dong WuMing. The disciples of the Jiu Hua Sect were completely terrified. "Die." The Soul Summoning Poison Duke, Dong WuMing, formed a hand seal without hesitation, and dozens of dark streaks burst out from his hands, carrying a ferocious aura. These dark streaks, with an incredibly fierce speed, instantly and precisely struck dozens of Jiu Hua Sect disciples. "Boom boom boom..." Those dozens of people exploded and died instantly. In the hands of the Soul Summoning Poison Duke, Dong WuMing, it was a complete massacre without any resistance. The people of the Jiu Hua Sect were all showing fear, wanting to escape but were also blocked by the disciples of the Flying Spirit Sect, only able to do their best to resist, as the sound of fighting rose everywhere. "Die..." "Bang bang...!" The Soul Summoning Poison Duke, Dong WuMing, once again raised dozens of dark streaks, and another thirty or so Jiu Hua Sect disciples were killed. The disciples of the Flying Spirit Sect who were engaging the Jiu Hua Sect disciples were astonished to see their opponents explode and die instantly. "Alright, half are taken care of." A figure in a black robe landed beside Li Lin, it was the Soul Summoning Poison Duke, Dong WuMing. With just a few moves, no less than seventy people were killed by the Soul Summoning Poison Duke, Dong WuMing. Such strength was absolutely terrifying. Li Lin couldn''t help but marvel, inviting this Old Poisoner to the Flying Spirit Sect was indeed a wise choice. "Master is so powerful, it seems even stronger than brother." Li XinTong said in surprise, originally thinking in her young heart that her brother was the strongest, but now it seemed that Master was even stronger than her brother. "Practice well, it won''t be long before you will be stronger than your Master." The Soul Summoning Poison Duke, Dong WuMing, lovingly looked at his precious disciple. "Elder Dong, please look after XinTong for a moment." As Li Lin''s words fell, he had already disappeared from the spot, his eyes then focused on a sixth-level Martial Master of the Jiu Hua Sect in the distance. "Die." A ninth-level Martial Warrior stood in front of Li Lin, who directly launched a fiery shadow finger that instantly reached the Jiu Hua Sect disciple. By the time this person realized it, a scorching finger imprint had already reached him, immediately panicking, changing hand seals, and forming a pale yellow earth wall in front of him. "Shoo..." The finger imprint penetrated the earth wall, which immediately distorted, then collapsed and dispersed, the finger imprint then pierced through his throat, instantly turning him into a corpse. Li Lin did not linger and directly pounced on that sixth-level Martial Master in the crowd. "Shoo shoo..." Seeing Li Lin, the sixth-level Martial Master instantly drew out a green long sword, creating a swath of sword aura that cut through the air flow, its momentum not to be underestimated. "Sixth-level Martial Master, just right." Li Lin smiled faintly, his true qi vibrating, forming hand seals. Suddenly, ten scorching hot fiery shadow fingers shot out from Li Lin''s hands, passing through the space, the air "sizzled" with noise, and ripples appeared in the airflow. Seeing such momentum from Li Lin, the person''s face changed drastically, without any hesitation, the sword aura in his hand instantly condensed, dancing in front of him, his body immediately retreating explosively. "Bang bang..." The two forces collided together, compressing the air between them, instantly exploding, sweeping the nearby Jiu Hua Sect and Flying Spirit Sect disciples, directly knocking them away. At the same time, Li Lin, utilizing wind attributes, quickly rushed forward. Although the opponent was a sixth-level Martial Master, Li Lin did not take him too seriously. As the Jiu Hua Sect''s sixth-level Martial Master was retreating explosively, he suddenly saw the opponent''s body charging at him again, becoming even more panicked. He rapidly cast hand seals, and at the same time, numerous rocks flew from the ground around him, the ground cracked, and a dense and furious earth attribute aura could be felt by Li Lin charging towards him. Instantly, a whirlwind of rocks rose, like a sandstorm sweeping towards Li Lin. "Furious Sea Roar." Chapter 224: He is a Monster "Rage Sea Howl." Li Lin snorted coldly, his hand seal changed, and his true qi shook as if to tear apart the air, spreading out crisscrossing blue lights, which instantly turned into a roaring mist. In an instant, the mist spiraled up into a huge water vortex, like a tornado storm, twisting the void and slamming it fiercely. "Bang bang..." When the forces collided, a shocking explosion sounded immediately, the ground around cracked long fissures, and the violent force clashed fiercely, sending the six-tiered martial artist flying with a spurt of blood before crashing heavily dozens of meters away. In the midst of the violent energy, Li Lin leaped out, wrapping the person in a yellow light in his hand, and directly reached the back of the courtyard. Entering an unoccupied room at random, Li Lin used the devouring power from the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Arts, quickly devouring the true qi from the persons body. A six-tiered martial artist''s true qi was now something Li Lin could consume. Then, a flash of spiritual fire incinerated the six-tiered martial artist''s body to ashes. After reappearing, Li Lin casually approached Dong WuMing, the Soul Poison Marshal, as the fierce battle had also come to an end. Several JiuHua Sect disciples escaped but were not far before being killed by Dong WuMing. Now, the ground was littered with bodies. In the face of Flying Spirit Gate''s momentum, the JiuHua Sect disciples, originally stronger, were all killed by Dong WuMing. With the momentum crushed, they collapsed instantly, only to be slaughtered. The whole scene was now a massacre, with JiuHua Sect disciples having no courage to fight back. The Flying Spirit Gate disciples became more bloodthirsty without any mercy. This scene, now gathered by many people at a distance, caused astonishment. The people of Flying Spirit Gate, as rumored, were indeed ruthlessly unmatched. "Ah..." Screams kept emanating until the last JiuHua Sect disciple was killed. "Clean up, let none escape," Li Lin ordered. The Flying Spirit Gate disciples immediately checked carefully, and all the valuables on the bodies were confiscated. After confirming there was no survivor, Hu NanSheng handed several storage bags to Li Lin, asking, "Sect leader, how should we dispose of these bodies?" Li Lin looked around, with over a hundred and thirty Flying Spirit Gate disciples killed, and several Flying Spirit Gate disciples had minor to severe injuries and deaths. His expression darkened, then he said, "Lay the bodies outside the town for three days, tell everyone, this is the fate of those who provoke Flying Spirit Gate." "Yes, Sect Leader," Hu NanSheng complied. "Old Dong, let''s stay for two more days. By then, we should be able to catch up with Elder Zheng Ying and the others," Li Lin said to Dong WuMing. "Your decision is good," Dong WuMing lightly said, with no objections. With the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion, they would be able to catch up with the Flying Spirit Gate members heading to JiuHua Sect. Half an hour later, in a clean courtyard, Li Lin told Dong WuMing he was going into seclusion, then entered a room and began cultivating. Hearing Li Lin was going into seclusion for two days, Dong WuMing couldn''t help feeling relaxed; this kid was truly a cultivation maniac, entering seclusion every few days, no wonder his strength was increasing so rapidly. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Li Lin quickly began refining the true qi energy he had just devoured. As the refining progressed, the massive true qi instantly turned into pure true qi flowing into Li Lin''s body from his meridians. In just a moment, Li Lin''s aura began to rapidly climb, and the true qi in his dantian qi sea reached a full state. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. In terms of strength level, in the Ghost Martial Sect''s Three Systems Five Harmonies Formation, using the three-system attribute energy of heaven and earth, Li Lin had already broken through to the peak of the five-tiered martial artist, and only by forcefully suppressing it did he not break through. Now, refining this massive amount of true qi energy, just an hour later, Li Lin felt the signs of a breakthrough. "Hu hu..." A massive breath in Li Lin''s body suddenly began to surge, in the dantian qi sea, the true qi under the infusion of external true qi was already expanding, and in the meridians, the true qi was expanding and stretching, bringing waves of pain. This pain, however, made Li Lin indescribably happy. With hand seals changing and preparing for the breakthrough, his aura also became stronger and stronger. "This aura, could it be this kid is about to break through again?" Dong WuMing, also in the courtyard, watched Li Lin''s room, shocked as if seeing a ghost. He could naturally sense Li Lin''s current aura, right in the midst of a breakthrough, closing in for an hour and beginning to break through again. Even with Dong WuMing''s strong mindset, he couldn''t help but be astonished. In the room, Li Lin was enveloped in a rich yellow light, his aura reaching an extreme state. "Compress, break through." Li Lin roared in his heart, the true qi in his meridians compressed and rushed into the dantian qi sea. Inside the dantian qi sea, the true qi cloud surged, expanding and roaring, followed by a muffled sound... "Bang..." Instantly, a muffled sound came from within the dantian qi sea, the area inside immediately expanded, and Li Lin''s aura rapidly climbed. An invisible energy from the heaven and earth converged directly, rushing into his body through the pores of his skin. At this moment, Li Lin''s aura broke through a barrier, surging like a torrent, the devoured true qi energy being refined at a speed several times faster due to the traction. "This kid, a six-tiered martial artist now, right?" Dong WuMing watched in the direction of Li Lin''s room, unable to help but exclaim. "Master, what''s wrong?" Li XinTong, seeing her master''s puzzled expression, asked with wide eyes. "Nothing, your brother is not human," Dong WuMing said. "Master, if brother is not human, what is he?" Li XinTong''s cunning gaze flashed, pressing for an answer. "That kid is a monster," Dong WuMing said. In the room, after Li Lin''s breakthrough, the true qi energy in his body was not much consumed, continuing to refine, surrounded by a faint glow, while outside, a little dragon was guarding. Time slowly passed, from the afternoon to the evening, these few hours saw Flying Spirit Gate''s sudden destruction of JiuHua Sect disciples in Tuan Mountain Town, spreading the news throughout the town. And now, outside the town, over a hundred JiuHua Sect disciples'' bodies were hanging on stakes, making anyone passing by shudder and feel cold. All affairs in Tuan Mountain Town were now being handled by Hu NanSheng, with many shopkeepers coming to him at night to inquire about Tuan Mountain Town''s situation. Hu NanSheng, following Li Lin''s instructions, announced that the tribute collected by JiuHua Sect from Tuan Mountain Town for half a year need not be paid anymore. Moreover, shops that suffered significant damage could have some of their tribute waived, which delighted the shop owners of Tuan Mountain Town. In Yan Qi''s family shop, the place remained bustling into the night. The surrounding shop owners knew that Yan Qi had joined Flying Spirit Gate as a direct disciple and was rumored to become a spiritual practitioner. Now that Tuan Mountain Town had become Flying Spirit Gate''s territory, they all came to curry favor, filling the small shop with gifts. Many shop owners envied the shopkeeper couple for having such a good daughter, who would no longer need to pay tribute, saving a significant amount of gold coins in the future. Yan Qi still somewhat couldn''t believe her fortune; could she really become a high and mighty spiritual practitioner? But the strong members of Flying Spirit Gate wouldn''t lie to her. Once she arrived at Flying Spirit Gate, she vowed to cultivate diligently. The next day, Hu NanSheng continued to sort out the affairs of Tuan Mountain Town. Although the tasks seemed few, they were time-consuming. He was dizzy from the busyness but felt an unusual excitement inside. Joining Flying Spirit Gate was definitely a wise decision. To achieve glory and riches in the future, staying by the young sect leader''s side was the way, and nothing would be a problem. Time flowed like quicksand, rapidly passing during Li Lin''s cultivation, and it was the morning of the third day. By then, Li Lin had been in seclusion for three nights and two days. At dawn, the first light broke through, and a breeze brought a fresh, fragrant, and elegant earthy scent. It was the early spring season, quietly and unnoticed, the withered grass turned green, and branches began to sprout, revealing a thick sense of spring everywhere. "Hu..." Li Lin exhaled a breath of turbid air, his body''s yellow glow completely retracted, and then he opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing by. His aura had reached the edge of the late stage of a six-tiered martial artist. Devouring a six-tiered martial artist and refining the essence, the true qi he obtained still could not break through to a seven-tiered martial artist. Reaching this level, Li Lin was extremely satisfied, stretching lazily with a lazy smile on his lips. "Bad, I''m running out of time." Li Lin''s expression changed instantly, calculating the time, he should head to JiuHua Sect immediately, guessing Elder Zheng Ying and others were almost there. "Old Dong, let''s go." Bursting out of the room, Li Lin quickly called out, summoning the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion, while the little dragon proudly perched on Li Lin''s shoulder. Chapter 225: Just You Guys? "Let''s go." With Li XinTong by his side, the Soul Beckoning Poisonous Commander Dong WuMing appeared in front of Li Lin, feeling the aura emanating from Li Lin, Dong WuMing had become numb, his strength had increased monstrously. After giving a few instructions to Hu NanSheng, Li Lin and the Soul Beckoning Poisonous Commander Dong Wu quickly took off on the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion towards JiuHua Sect, while Hu NanSheng stayed behind in Tuan Mountain Town to organize everything. "Hu hu..." The Heavenly Winged Snow Lion flapped its wings, moving at an extremely fast speed, with the air currents around them howling past. "Snow Lion, faster." Li Lin urged. "Roar roar..." The Heavenly Winged Snow Lion let out a deep roar, its wings flapping even more urgently, increasing its speed once again. "The Heavenly Winged Snow Lion seems to have grown much stronger, like it''s about to break through." Sitting on the back of the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion, Dong WuMing commented, feeling the aura of the Snow Lion. "Old Dong, to what level can the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion''s bloodline break through?" Li Lin asked. "Eighth level, I suppose. But after reaching the fourth level, the cultivation speed of the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion will slow down a lot. Before the fourth level, generally speaking, the cultivation speed of all demonic beasts is very fast, which is their innate talent," Dong WuMing explained. Li Lin nodded slightly. The Heavenly Spirit Record also mentioned that when demonic beasts reach the fourth level, they need to condense demonic cores. Demonic beasts with poor bloodlines can never condense a demonic core in their lifetime, meaning they can only stay at the third or fourth level. This is a hurdle for all demonic beasts. After condensing a demonic core, the demonic beast would advance to the fourth-level demonic beast. However, after reaching the fourth-level demonic beast, the cultivation speed would slow down significantly. Heaven is fair; demonic beasts'' bodies are much stronger than humans, so their cultivation speed is slower. Li Lin was already preparing to cultivate medicinal herbs and other materials to help his demonic beasts break through. The three of them rode on the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion, slicing through the air like lightning. The Snow Lion''s speed had already reached its limit. JiuHua Sect, located at the edge of the ancient domain near the Misty Mountain Range, was a relatively well-known sect with over a thousand disciples, including over a dozen Martial Soul experts and two Martial Generals, making its strength enough to rank in the forefront of third-rate forces. JiuHua Sect was situated within JiuHua Mountain, which stretched for hundreds of miles, with the sect''s main gate located on the highest peak, JiuHua Peak. The terrain here was treacherous, making it easy to defend but hard to attack. In the afternoon, the early spring sun was not too dazzling, and a troop of iron cavalry came galloping, raising a cloud of dust. "Elder Zheng, JiuHua Sect is just ahead. Why haven''t the Sect Master and the Great Elder arrived yet?" Chang Lei said. "The Sect Master and the Great Elder should be here soon. We''ll rush over first. The Sect Master has the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion, which is much faster than us," Zheng Ying said. "Drive..." The group spurred their horses and galloped away, the disciples of Flying Spirit Sect were somewhat nervous, but more excited. Moments later, a huge mountain peak loomed in the distance, signifying the arrival at JiuHua Sect. "Sect Master, it''s been so long, and Elder Lei still hasn''t returned. Could something have happened?" In the spacious hall of JiuHua Sect, about a dozen elders were discussing the matter with Mo TianWen. "Elder Lei, with his eightfold Martial Soul cultivation, should have no problem dealing with a mere Martial Master, unless something unexpected happened," Mo TianWen said with a serious expression, losing an eightfold Martial Soul was a big blow to JiuHua Sect. Among the dozen or so elders in JiuHua Sect, there were only two with eightfold Martial Soul and one with ninefold. The rest were at the fourth or fifth level of Martial Soul, and a few were only at the first or second level. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "Could it be that the people from Ghost Martial Sect have intervened?" A blue-robed elder said grimly. "That shouldn''t be the case. It''s more likely that some other unexpected event has occurred," Mo TianWen pondered for a moment before speaking. "Sect Master, it''s not good. Hundreds of people are rushing towards our JiuHua Sect with murderous intent," a Martial Master level disciple rushed into the hall where Mo TianWen was discussing Elder Lei''s situation and said anxiously. "Who are they, and how far away are they?" Mo TianWen''s expression changed drastically. "Sect Master, it''s unclear who they are, but they''re just dozens of miles away," the disciple of JiuHua Sect replied. "Elder Zhao, go and investigate immediately on the flying demonic beast," Mo TianWen said gravely, turning to an elder in a yellow robe beside him. "Yes, Sect Master." The person responded and immediately left the hall. "Everyone, get ready. We''ll go down the mountain to see who dares to come to our JiuHua Sect so aggressively," Mo TianWen said coldly. "Hu..." Above JiuHua Mountain, three flying demonic beasts soared out, each carrying about fifty disciples, with Elder Zhao, who had just left the hall, leading the way. A sound of rumbling approached, and Zheng Ying and others had already arrived at the foot of JiuHua Mountain. "Flying demonic beasts." Seeing the three huge flying demonic beasts in the sky, the hundreds of disciples were somewhat taken aback, staring at the sky, feeling a bit shocked. These were third-level flying demonic beasts, Windbreaker Egrets, with a blue body and wings spanning hundreds of meters in length and width. Their sharp beaks, several meters long, shone with a cold light. The presence of these third-level demonic beasts was formidable. "I thought who it was, Zheng Ying, it turns out to be people from your Flying Spirit Sect. What brings you to our JiuHua Sect?" Elder Zhao, upon seeing that it was people from Flying Spirit Sect, relaxed and shouted arrogantly from atop the Windbreaker Egret. "How come the Sect Master hasn''t arrived yet?" The faces of the three elders from Flying Spirit Sect darkened. This was troublesome. Without the Sect Master and the Great Elder, their few hundred people couldn''t do anything to JiuHua Sect. With the opponent having flying demonic beasts, they couldn''t even run away. "Zhao DaHu, your JiuHua Sect elders ambushed our Sect Master. Today, you must give us, Flying Spirit Sect, an explanation," Zheng Ying said sternly, suppressing her anger and shouting loudly. Elder Zhao''s expression changed visibly. They had just been discussing Elder Lei''s situation, indicating that something unexpected had indeed happened. With a grave expression, he retorted, "Nonsense. You say that JiuHua Sect''s elders ambushed your Sect Master, but where is the evidence? Baseless accusations. Our JiuHua Sect doesn''t need to stoop to such tactics. If we want to eliminate Flying Spirit Sect, we can do so openly and honorably." Zheng Ying was taken aback; she indeed had no evidence, having only heard it from the Sect Master. At a loss for words, a cold snort suddenly echoed from afar: "Eliminate Flying Spirit Sect, and you think JiuHua Sect is qualified?" Hearing this voice, the previously disheartened disciples of Flying Spirit Sect suddenly became excited. They recognized the voice as their Sect Master''s. "Hu hu..." A white streak of light whizzed through the air, and in an instant, a gigantic white flying demonic beast circled above the crowd. Three figures stood on it, an old man and a young man radiating coldness, with a little girl in the middle blinking her big eyes, looking ahead, and a small yellow snake coiled around her shoulder. With the appearance of the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion, the three Windbreaker Egrets from JiuHua Sect immediately became restless. "Greetings, Sect Master." The disciples of Flying Spirit Sect didn''t dismount but paid their respects respectfully. "This kid isn''t dead." Seeing Li Lin, Elder Zhao''s face changed drastically. He had been with Mo TianWen at Ghost Martial Sect and recognized Li Lin. "Li Lin, you, a mere Flying Spirit Sect, dare to intrude on our JiuHua Sect. What do you intend to do?" Staring at Li Lin, Elder Zhao''s expression darkened, but his gaze involuntarily drifted towards Dong WuMing, feeling a chill from the aura of this black-robed elder. "We''re here to eliminate your JiuHua Sect," Li Lin said with a sinister smile. "Ha ha, eliminate JiuHua Sect? Am I hearing this right? Just you guys?" Elder Zhao burst into laughter, looking down at the more than three hundred disciples of Flying Spirit Sect. In terms of numbers and strength, they were no match for JiuHua Sect. "A mere JiuHua Sect, a bunch of ants. It seems you''re tired of living," Dong WuMing coldly huffed. Elder Zhao, feeling the aura of Dong WuMing, became angry but dared not speak out, sensing extreme danger from this person. However, a young Martial Master beside him, unaware of the gravity of the situation, shouted angrily, "Who do you think you are? You''re the ones tired of living. Our JiuHua Sect is not something your insignificant Flying Spirit Sect can contend with!" As soon as the young Martial Master spoke, Elder Zhao''s face changed drastically. This young man was none other than the Sect Master''s only son, who had insisted on coming to see the excitement. Sensing the aura of the black-robed elder, Elder Zhao had no confidence and was waiting for the Sect Master and other elders to arrive. If not for his caution towards the black-robed elder, he would have acted long ago. As Elder Zhao''s expression shifted, Dong WuMing, instead of getting angry, smiled and coldly said to the young Martial Master, "People of JiuHua Sect really don''t know the immensity of heaven and earth. Well, it''s my turn to teach you a lesson." As soon as Dong WuMing spoke, his figure remained still, but a wave of invisible spatial fluctuations spread out around him, an eerie and cold aura instantly permeating the area. At that moment, on the back of the Windbreaker Egret, countless black tendrils suddenly spread out from thin air, enveloping the young Martial Master. "Be careful, young Sect Master!" Elder Zhao''s face turned pale, realizing that the young Martial Master had provoked a formidable opponent. His hands formed seals instantly, and two beams of light shot out, colliding with the attack. Chapter 226: The Poison Commander Strikes However, this Elder Zhao was only at the seventh level of Martial Soul cultivation, how could he compare with the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing? Just as two rays of finger light were shot out, they were corroded into smoke by countless black light tentacles, and these finger imprints did not cause any damage to the black light tentacles. With the momentum of lightning and thunder, they rapidly enveloped the young martial artist. "Shoo shoo" Countless black light tentacles enveloped and twisted upwards, causing the young man''s face to change drastically. These black light tentacles directly penetrated into his body. "Boom boom" Almost at the same time, a low explosive sound erupted. The young man''s body exploded instantly, leaving only a cloud of black blood mist drifting around in mid-air. The explosive force surged violently, scattering the blood mist, and the surrounding dozen or so JiuHua Sect disciples were splashed with blood mist, instantly corroding their clothes and rotting their skin. "Ah" A series of tragic screams rose. These JiuHua Sect disciples screamed miserably and then fell from the broken wind egret. Elder Zhao instantly set up a protective Qi circle in front of him, narrowly escaping disaster. However, his expression was terrified to the extreme, muttering to himself: "Spiritualists, Spiritualists." "Swish swish" Far away, at the foot of JiuHua Mountain, a group of figures rushed over rapidly. The people from JiuHua Sect had already arrived. "Who dares to act recklessly in my JiuHua Sect." A shouting voice came over, and then more than a dozen figures appeared in the air, led by Mo TianWen, the Sect Master of JiuHua Sect, and the elders hurriedly arriving. "Mo TianWen, we meet again." Li Lin said softly, watching the people from JiuHua Sect. Two martial generals and more than a dozen martial souls, with eight or nine hundred disciples coming from JiuHua Mountain, this overall strength was much stronger than Flying Spirit Gate. "Li Lin, it''s you, kid." Mo TianWen and the others watched Li Lin on the back of the Sky Winged Snow Lion, observing the more than three hundred Flying Spirit Gate disciples in front of him, and then saw a cloud of blood mist, changing his expression and asking, "What happened?" "Sect Master, the Young Sect Master was killed." Elder Zhao said. "What." Mo TianWen was stunned on the spot, and after a while, veins popped on his forehead, his expression turning extremely angry, and he shouted: "Who did it?" "It was me." The Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing said lightly. "No matter who you are, I will make you pay for my son''s life." Mo TianWen said murderously to the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing. "Is that so? I will send you and your son to meet in the underworld." The Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing coldly smiled, obviously not taking Mo TianWen''s words seriously. "Snow Lion, teach those three little birds a lesson." Li Lin said to the Sky Winged Snow Lion. "Roar roar" The Sky Winged Snow Lion immediately roared, the sound breaking through the spatial ripples, the immense sound piercing through the far space. "Caw" The three broken wind egrets of JiuHua Sect immediately became restless, unable to calm down under the oppression of the Sky Winged Snow Lion''s aura, no matter how the people of JiuHua Sect tried to soothe them. "Hiss hiss" At the same time, the little dragon, unwilling to show weakness, spat out letters from its small head, emitting a low hissing sound from its throat, an invisible aura instantly enveloping the surroundings. At this moment, the three broken wind egrets trembled violently, their wings flapping weakly, their bodies already tilting. "Ah" Immediately, the JiuHua Sect disciples on the backs of the three broken wind egrets fell straight from the sky, Elder Zhao on the back of the broken wind egret swaying, his expression terrified to the extreme. The opponent''s beasts clearly had extremely high bloodlines, completely suppressing the broken wind egrets to react this way. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. "Die." The Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing coldly said at this moment, and as his voice fell, black light vibrated out, enveloping the entire mid-air in a vast expanse of black fog, his figure disappearing like lightning from the back of the Sky Winged Snow Lion. When the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing''s figure appeared, it was already with a rich black fog appearing in front of Elder Zhao of JiuHua Sect, a black light palm print directly emerged out of thin air, completely twisting the space and enveloping this person within. Elder Zhao''s face changed drastically, his hand imprints rapidly deployed, only to find himself unable to move instantly. The space he was in was completely twisted, the true Qi inside his body was frozen, the space filled with a pungent and unpleasant black light, penetrating everywhere, drilling into his body at lightning speed, directly into his mind. "Break." The Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing twisted his hand imprint, and Elder Zhao''s body exploded instantly, turning into a cloud of blood mist sprayed into mid-air. Martial Soul cultivation was simply unable to contend with the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing, the difference in strength between the two was too great. At the same time, the broken wind egret was also killed by the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing, its huge body heavily falling to the ground from mid-air. "Spiritual Commander, it''s a Spiritual Commander." At this moment, Mo TianWen and the disciples of JiuHua Sect finally recognized that the black-robed elder standing in the air was a Spiritual Commander. Only at that level could one stand in the air, but they did not recognize the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing. "Roar roar" At this moment, under the deterrence of the Sky Winged Snow Lion and the little dragon, the remaining two broken wind egrets were completely listless, and the disciples of JiuHua Sect on the broken wind egrets also all fell from the high sky, screaming miserably, either dead or with broken limbs. "Aren''t you going to avenge your son? What are you waiting for, not making a move?" The Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing landed beside Mo TianWen and said. "Sir, this is a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. I don''t know what your relationship with Flying Spirit Gate is." Mo TianWen''s expression changed drastically, in front of a Spiritual Commander, his previous rage instantly turned into terror and fear. "Mo TianWen, this is the Grand Elder of our Flying Spirit Gate. Your JiuHua Sect actually sent someone to assassinate me, isn''t your method too despicable?" Li Lin let Li XinTong sit on the back of the Sky Winged Snow Lion, taking the little dragon and leaping to the ground. "Flying Spirit Gate''s Grand Elder." Mo TianWen''s heart chilled instantly. Flying Spirit Gate actually had a Spiritual Commander; how could this be possible? Such a powerful figure, how could he be in Flying Spirit Gate? "What do you want? If you oppose JiuHua Sect, Ghost Martial Sect will not let you off either." Mo TianWen stepped back slightly, his face showing horror. "What about Ghost Martial Sect." The Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing said lightly, "Now, you can die." As his voice fell, the figure of the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing charged directly at Mo TianWen. "I''ll fight you." Mo TianWen''s face sank. After all, he was the head of a sect, with the strength of a fifth-level Martial General. Being pushed to this extent, he was naturally unwilling. He rapidly deployed hand imprints, and with a fierce grasp of his palm, a red glow flashed on his palm. The red glow extended and directly turned into a blazing flame. This flame roared up, instantly enveloping the entire space. The roaring flames twined upwards, followed by a shake, carrying a scorching hot air roar, covering the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing. The Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing coldly smiled, his gaze icy. He calmly watched the surging flames, showing no intention of dodging. He formed hand imprints, and in an instant, a spirit flame swirled out around him. Spiritualists all have spirit flames on their bodies, but the color of the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing''s spirit flame carried streaks of black light. "Bang bang!" The two flames collided fiercely, sparks flying everywhere, the violent force scattering, countless flames pouring out, then extinguishing in mid-air like fireworks. The force of the explosion scattered, and the surrounding crowd had to rapidly retreat. At this level, ordinary people simply did not have the strength to be involved. Upon collision, Mo TianWen was immediately pushed back dozens of meters, his face changing instantly, a tremendous force pouring over him, his blood surging uncontrollably, a mouthful of fresh blood already reaching his throat. The Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing said nothing, a trace of coldness crossing his face, his figure instantly disappearing from the spot, and when he reappeared, he was not far in front of Mo TianWen. A black light claw print covered down, a sharp breaking sound tearing through the air, the claw print cunningly and viciously targeting Mo TianWen''s vital points, and the space around them began to twist. "Rage Flame Burst!" Seeing the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing attacking again, Mo TianWen''s face showed horror. He shouted loudly, fire attribute true Qi violently surged out from his body, an astonishing aura spreading, seemingly using all his strength. Hand imprints flew, true Qi howling, instantly condensing into a huge fireball in front of him. The terrifying fireball, hundreds of meters large, shot out, tearing open a crimson crack in space along its path, the space''s airflow instantly burned into smoke. "Martial General strength, not something Martial Soul can compare to." Li Lin mused from a distance. Mo TianWen''s strength was indeed that of a strong man, it''s just unfortunate that he encountered the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing. "Hmph, mere child''s play." The Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing, in mid-air, tore down a claw imprint, swift as lightning, not dodging at all. The claw imprint grew against the wind, instantly becoming thousands of meters in size, covering the entire space, thick black light enveloping everyone''s heads, as if the sky was darkened. "Shoo shoo" However, just as the claw print met the violent fireball, the claw print directly burst through, forcibly tearing into the fireball, with a momentum capable of tearing space, instantly shredding the fireball into pieces. After a slight obstruction, the forward momentum was still violently sweeping out, the space directly shaking, and in an instant, the claw print heavily landed on the space where Mo TianWen was. Below a Martial Commander, in my presence, all are ants, a cold smile appeared on the face of the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing, icy intent flashing in his pitch-black eyes, the claw imprint forcefully pressing down. Chapter 227: Subduing the Spiritual Soul "Bang!" Above the space, a faint cracking sound was heard, and the twisted space above began to crack. A pungent and unpleasant odor spread, and then the entire space burst open. The space burst directly, and violent energy roared out. A figure was instantly shaken up two hundred meters and heavily smashed onto the ground, spraying a mist of blood from his mouth. "You" As the energy dissipated and the violent aura drifted away, Mo TianWen looked up at the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing in the sky, unwillingness in his eyes as he closed them, a massive force already destroying his mind. With Mo TianWen killed, the faces of the surrounding dozen elders instantly changed. The strength of the newcomer was so formidable that they looked at each other in horror, unsure of what to do. At this moment, on JiuHua Mountain, over eight hundred disciples rushed down, with seventy to eighty people at the level of martial artists. "Kill, spare none." Li Lin instructed the people of Flying Spirit Gate behind him. "Kill, spare none." Following Li Lin''s words, a frenzied and fierce killing intent came from behind, with elders Chang Lei, Zheng Ying, and Chen XinJie leading the disciples of the sect in a charge. The disciples of JiuHua Sect had just rushed down from the mountain top when they saw the imposing force of Flying Spirit Gate coming towards them. Looking at the group of elders, they found all the elders were retreating rapidly. In an instant, the two sides collided, and attacks thunderously met. Li Lin watched the whole scene. The disciples of JiuHua Sect outnumbered theirs by more than half and were much stronger. Although the disciples of Flying Spirit Gate were imposing, they definitely were not having an easy time. Although Li Lin wanted to use this slaughter to train the disciples of Flying Spirit Gate, it would not be worth it if the losses were too great. Hesitating for a moment, Li Lin tapped his chest, and three rays of light instantly appeared. "Roar roar" "Hiss hiss" Three rays of light rushed out, instantly transforming into three huge beasts: the Bloodthirsty Mantis, the Green Demon Python, and the Lightning Black Panther from Li Lin''s space beast pouch. With a thought from Li Lin, the three huge beasts were already stopping their killing, roaring continuously, and directly charging into the midst of JiuHua Sect''s disciples. "What huge beasts, it''s the Bloodthirsty Mantis." "And the Lightning Black Panther, run, run fast." With the appearance of the three huge beasts, many disciples of JiuHua Sect were immediately terrified. "Hiss hiss!" At this moment, the little dragon could not hold back any longer, roaring and instantly transforming into an eighty-plus meters size, like a bolt of lightning, instantly swallowing a JiuHua Sect martial artist. "Roar roar" With the Lightning Black Panther''s huge body and incredible speed, it also instantly crushed two JiuHua Sect disciples, blood spraying everywhere. The Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing had long known about the three beasts on Li Lin''s body. Everything in Flying Spirit Gate naturally could not be hidden from him. Although he was surprised that Li Lin had so many beasts, he did not ask further. At this moment, the figure of the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing moved swiftly, directly pouncing towards the strongest remaining elder of JiuHua Sect, a first-level Martial General. "Go." Li Lin''s hand imprints changed, and with a flash of light from his storage ring, three rays of light fell, revealing three puppets by his side: the Werewolf Puppet, the Iron Eagle, and the recently refined Puppet One. The three puppets charged forward, their howling attacks thunderously striking out, turning the entire battlefield into chaos. As for the Sky Winged Snow Lion, it was circling high in the sky; Li Lin had already instructed it to take good care of Li XinTong. "Bang bang" Puppet One advanced, leaving no opponent standing in its path. Under its ferocious power, four JiuHua Sect disciples were killed on the spot, emitting several miserable screams. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "That''s Elder Lei, that''s Elder Lei." The disciples of JiuHua Sect saw Puppet One, and their faces changed drastically. A JiuHua Sect elder with the cultivation of a third-level Martial Soul saw Puppet One and his face immediately changed. But Puppet One had no reaction, its fist carrying a space-tearing sonic boom, directly blasting the third-level Martial Soul elder away, severely injuring him with one move. "Die." The Soul Summoning Poison Commander snorted coldly, his hands gathering thousands of black lights, then piercing through space and rushing out, targeting the remaining first-level Martial General of JiuHua Sect. With a difference of more than one level in realm, initiating a fight left no room for suspense. People of Li Lin''s monstrous caliber were rare on the Spiritual Martial Continent, and only individuals like him possessed the strength to challenge beyond their level. Naturally, the first-level Martial General of JiuHua Sect was no match for the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing and was killed on the spot within moments. At this time, the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing showed no intention of stopping. He was too lazy to act against average cultivators, targeting only those with Martial Soul cultivation. His figure, ghost-like among the crowd, was as if in a realm of his own. In just a few blinks, another elder of JiuHua Sect at the Martial Soul level was instantly killed by the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing. At this time, Li Lin did not make any move, just coldly standing at the edge, scanning the surroundings to prevent any sudden incidents. It didn''t matter if ordinary disciples of JiuHua Sect wanted to flee, but at least the stronger members of JiuHua Sect could not be allowed to escape. With the addition of the little dragon, the Bloodthirsty Mantis, the Green Demon Python, the Lightning Black Panther, and the three puppets, although the disciples of Flying Spirit Gate were outnumbered and outmatched in strength, their momentum was unstoppable. The disciples of JiuHua Sect had no will to resist, their morale shattered, and their strength greatly reduced. They could not compare to the Flying Spirit Gate disciples, who were now ferocious as wolves and tigers. With the beasts'' continuous roaring and their formidable physical bodies taking advantage in the melee, the situation was one-sided. Continuous screams from JiuHua Sect disciples ended with them dying on the spot. Seeing such a turn of events, the remaining few elders of JiuHua Sect finally realized how terrifying Flying Spirit Gate was at this moment. In panic, seeing the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing fiercely killing in the sky, they shouted: "I surrender, surrender." With the first one surrendering, many others quickly reacted, also throwing down their weapons to surrender, daring not to make a move. All of them looked ashen. With their Sect Master dead and the elders powerless to retaliate, they had no means to resist. "Spare me, Elder Dong." At this moment, Li Lin suddenly noticed the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing was about to kill a young man and a middle-aged man. From their auras, one seemed to have reached the sixth level of Spiritual Master, and the other seemed to be at the level of Spiritual Soul. As soon as Li Lin finished speaking, he quickly moved to the side of the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing. The young man, appearing to be in his late twenties, was pale-faced. In front of the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing, he had already felt the breath of death. The middle-aged man, dressed in a fine robe, with large eyes and a broad forehead, had a certain air of dignity. Both of them, being Spiritual Masters, naturally knew how terrifying the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing was. "Would you two be willing to surrender and join my Flying Spirit Gate?" Li Lin looked at the two Spiritualists. Spiritualists are important for every force, and since there were no Spiritualists in Flying Spirit Gate yet, Li Lin naturally did not want to let these two go, as some matters cannot do without Spiritualists. "We are not people of JiuHua Sect, we are just visiting elders of JiuHua Sect. Please let us go," the pale-faced young man said timidly, glancing at Li Lin, seemingly unwilling to join Flying Spirit Gate. "Ungrateful." Before the young man could finish speaking, a cold shout came. Li Lin''s expression changed instantly, his Qi vibrating violently and bursting out. A dazzling yellowish-brown palm light surged out almost instantly. "Bang!" The palm print, like lightning, pierced through the spatial airflow barrier, instantly hitting the young man''s chest. "Pfft" The young man spat out a jet of blood, being so close, it''s very difficult for a Spiritualist to contend with a martial artist. In terms of cultivation and strength, Li Lin, as a martial artist, was also at the peak of the sixth level of Martial Master, not below this young Spiritual Master. The young man had not expected Li Lin to turn hostile and strike so quickly, especially under the psychological pressure from the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing, he was utterly powerless to resist. The young man was instantly sent flying dozens of meters, spitting out another mouthful of blood and struggling a few times but failing to get up, his eyes filled with shock at this moment. "And you, would you be willing to join my Flying Spirit Gate?" Li Lin then turned his gaze to the middle-aged man, his eyes shooting out a cold intent, clearly indicating immediate execution if refused. "I am willing, willing." The middle-aged man was sweating profusely, having seen the fate of the young man. The youth in front of him was ruthless, and he dared not refuse, especially with a Spiritual Commander present, making escape impossible. "Good, you will not regret this decision," Li Lin said, his cold demeanor quickly replaced by a slight smile, his ability to change his expression was indeed swift. "Swallow this Blood Dissolving Bone Eroding Pill, and I will give you the antidote in a year." Without waiting for Li Lin to speak, the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing handed a pill to the middle-aged man, his eyes gleaming coldly. The middle-aged man had no courage to refuse, from the moment he agreed to join Flying Spirit Gate, he was destined to have no power to resist, and helplessly swallowed the pill handed over by the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing. "Bang bang bang" In the distance, a series of explosive sounds echoed, under Li Lin''s influence, the disciples of Flying Spirit Gate had unconsciously adopted Li Lin''s style, each one bloodthirsty and ruthless, fully exerting their strength at this moment, with the disciples of JiuHua Sect having no choice but to be slaughtered. Chapter 228: The Surrender and Protection The disciples of JiuHua Sect who surrendered stood aside, with more and more JiuHua Sect disciples joining the ranks of those who surrendered. The few beasts and puppets were like killing machines at this moment, invincible and bloodthirsty, unstoppable in the melee. "Sect Master, where did you get these puppets from?" Seeing the three puppets, the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing couldn''t help but express his shock to Li Lin, especially when he observed Puppet One. With the insight of the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing, he could naturally see its extraordinariness. "This, I obtained them unintentionally," Li Lin chuckled. The Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing didn''t believe Li Lin''s words, giving him a stare but not asking further. After all, there were many secrets about this young man he didn''t know. However, he didn''t think that Li Lin had crafted them himself, assuming instead that Li Lin had a powerful backing. Even now, if Li Lin told him that he crafted these puppets himself, the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing would hardly believe it. Considering Puppet One''s strength, already a four-seasons advanced puppet, even a general Spiritual General would struggle to craft such. Moreover, he didn''t believe that Li Lin was also a Spiritualist, for someone to be both a full-fledged martial artist and a Spiritualist would be too incredible; if such individuals existed, others might as well not bother living. At this moment, the disciples of JiuHua Sect were merely lambs for the slaughter, with over eight hundred disciples, a great number had been killed, especially by the puppets and beasts, dying miserably with limbs and parts scattered everywhere. The base of JiuHua Mountain was soaked in blood, staining the ground red. Li Lin observed the entire scene, with nearly three hundred of JiuHua Sect''s disciples surrendering. Only a few dozen people were still desperately resisting, but they were no longer affecting the overall situation. "Retrieve." With a thought from Li Lin, he collected the three puppets into his spatial bag in front of the dumbfounded middle-aged man, keeping the secret of his storage ring for now, planning to transfer the puppets into the storage ring later. Then, Li Lin also collected the Bloodthirsty Mantis, the Green Demon Python, and the Lightning Black Panther into his spatial beast pouch. Seeing Li Lin store the three beasts, the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing''s first thought was that Li Lin might be from the Myriad Beasts Sect, a method only they would possess. "Bang bang" Under the assault of Flying Spirit Gate''s disciples, the remaining JiuHua Sect members who were desperately resisting were all killed. Watching the slaughter by Flying Spirit Gate''s disciples, the nearly three hundred surrendered JiuHua Sect disciples stood dumbfounded, and several surrendered JiuHua Sect elders were also shocked, as Flying Spirit Gate''s strength far exceeded their imagination. When the last JiuHua Sect disciple was killed, Flying Spirit Gate''s disciples, without needing Li Lin''s instruction, proficiently began to clean up the battlefield. This undoubtedly meant collecting the space bags from the corpses and even the weapons were not spared, everything was collected without exception. The three hundred Flying Spirit Gate disciples who surrendered were no exception. Under Hu NanSheng''s leadership, with dozens of Flying Spirit Gate disciples, all possessions of the surrendered JiuHua Sect disciples were confiscated, leaving them barely their clothes, but they were helpless to resist. Li Lin now surveyed the battlefield, his expression grave. Although they had eradicated JiuHua Sect this time, the strength of Flying Spirit Gate''s disciples was still too average. Out of three hundred and fifty disciples, nearly seventy to eighty were severely injured, and sixty to seventy were killed. This loss was significant for Flying Spirit Gate''s current strength. It seemed if Flying Spirit Gate wanted to grow stronger, besides nurturing their own disciples, they needed to quickly incorporate others. Otherwise, in the short term, Flying Spirit Gate''s growth wouldn''t be substantial. "Sect Master, here are all the gains." Chang Lei, Chen XinJie, and Zheng Ying, the three elders, handed over many space bags to Li Lin, having cleaned out all the possessions of JiuHua Sect''s disciples. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. "Elder Dong, do you have any more Blood Dissolving Bone Eroding Pills?" Li Lin asked the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing by his side. "Yes, I just made some last time, knowing you would need them. Take them." The Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing handed over a few jade bottles to Li Lin. "Only you know me, Elder Dong." Li Lin chuckled upon checking the jade bottles, which contained dozens of Blood Dissolving Bone Eroding Pills. "Those willing to join Flying Spirit Gate, swallow a Blood Dissolving Bone Eroding Pill. I will give you the antidote in a year. Those unwilling, die." Li Lin then approached the surrendered disciples of JiuHua Sect, standing in front of five men and one woman, who were the original elders of JiuHua Sect with Martial Soul level strength. The strongest among them was a ninth-level Martial Soul, followed by a seventh-level, two fourth-levels, one second-level, and the middle-aged woman, who was a fifth-level Martial Soul. The six exchanged glances, and with the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing also standing behind Li Lin, emitting a faint coldness, they said, "We are willing to join." The strongest ninth-level Martial Soul, with a changing expression, reluctantly agreed, taking a Blood Dissolving Bone Eroding Pill from Li Lin and swallowing it. The remaining five also stepped forward, each taking a pill and swallowing it. Despite their reluctance, they had no choice if they wanted to save their lives. The remaining JiuHua Sect disciples also stepped forward to receive the poison pill, but Li Lin put away the Blood Dissolving Bone Eroding Pills. These were not candies, and disciples at the level of martial artists and warriors were not qualified to consume them. "You don''t need to take them. Those who are willing to join Flying Spirit Gate can stay; those who are not willing can leave now," Li Lin said immediately. The disciples of JiuHua Sect looked at each other, all showing puzzled expressions, and then about a dozen hesitantly stepped forward and left. "Die." The faces of Zheng Ying and the other two elders darkened as they acted instantly to execute those JiuHua Sect disciples. In just a few moves, the elders killed the dozen JiuHua Sect disciples. The elders had grasped the small Sect Master''s intentions by now; letting them go was just to see how many would not join Flying Spirit Gate, as they were hidden enemies of Flying Spirit Gate and could not be spared. "Listen well, those who join Flying Spirit Gate become disciples of Flying Spirit Gate. Those who dare to betray will face a fate worse than death," Li Lin coldly told all the JiuHua Sect disciples, then turned to the six surrendered elders and said, "You six will now serve as protectors of Flying Spirit Gate. Take these spatial bags, manage all the surrendered disciples of JiuHua Sect. If there is any betrayal, I will hold you six responsible." As he finished speaking, Li Lin handed out six spatial bags to the six former JiuHua Sect elders, which were originally their own. Hearing Li Lin''s words, Chen XinJie and Chang Lei smiled knowingly. They had surrendered from the Black Sword Gate and retained their positions as elders. These JiuHua Sect elders, some of whom were stronger than themselves, were now only protectors, a rank much lower than elders, which made them feel quite superior. "Yes, Sect Master," the six surrendered JiuHua Sect elders responded. They were initially pleased to have their spatial bags returned but were then shocked to realize all responsibilities for the surrendered JiuHua Sect disciples fell on them. It wasn''t an easy task; if one or two were to betray, they would be in trouble. "All disciples, ascend the mountain and clean up everything. This afternoon, clear out all of JiuHua Sect''s territories," Li Lin instructed. "Yes, Sect Master," the disciples responded in unison, ready to sweep through JiuHua Sect. After all Flying Spirit Gate disciples ascended the mountain, Li Lin also brought the severely injured sixth-level Spiritual Master young man to JiuHua Mountain. Finding a secret chamber, he left the Sky Winged Snow Lion and the little dragon as guardians and brought the critically injured Spiritual Master into the chamber. Li Lin hadn''t gone all out against the sixth-level Spiritual Master; encountering a Spiritualist suitable for his consumption was rare and perfectly suited for his absorption. Inside the chamber, Li Lin activated the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art and quickly consumed the sixth-level Spiritual Master, then began to refine the absorbed spiritual energy. With other matters in JiuHua Sect not requiring his attention, he could concentrate on refining. By the afternoon, after Chen XinJie and the other two elders had cleared everything, they left JiuHua Mountain, each with a surrendered JiuHua Sect elder leading the way, heading straight to three towns within JiuHua Mountain''s territories. JiuHua Sect''s territories were extensive, much larger than the original Rakshasa Sect''s, and the three towns were significantly bigger than HuaMen Town and Tuan Mountain Town. Li Lin naturally wouldn''t let these three towns go and had instructed the three elders to raid them. Each town was guarded by a JiuHua Sect elder, but taking along three JiuHua Sect elders was enough to handle the situation. At this moment, Li Lin''s mind was continuously refining the absorbed spiritual energy. After slight refinement, it became his spiritual energy, enhancing his spiritual power and nourishing his soul. By nightfall, Li Lin''s aura began to rise. After consuming two portions of Soul Spirit Divine Liquid previously, his spiritual level had reached the mid-stage of the fourth-level Spiritual Master. Now, with the irrigation of absorbed spiritual energy, his spiritual power was steadily increasing. A transparent and invisible aura around Li Lin became denser and more dazzling, and he felt his spiritual space in his mind expand and become saturated, with the spiritual power still refining and irrigating. Moments later, the vast spiritual power filled the space within his mind to its limit, and Li Lin knew he was on the verge of a breakthrough. Chapter 229: A Woman "Compress, break through for me." With a deep focus, Li Lin shouted in his heart, his hand seals changing swiftly, eventually controlling the spiritual energy within his mind''s space to press down suddenly. Then, a muffled sound echoed in the space of spiritual energy within his mind, as a tremendous amount of energy expanded from the compression. "Bang!" Inside the space of spiritual energy in his mind, a muffled sound resonated simultaneously, and his body''s aura began to shine brightly, climbing rapidly. The space of spiritual energy in his mind expanded several times in an instant, with violent spiritual energy surging once more. At the same time, a massive invisible force rushed directly into the depths of his mind, further materializing his soul power. It had now completely turned into a substantial cloud-like mist, densely gathering in the depth of his soul. His aura took a long time to stabilize. At this moment, Li Lin had reached the fifth level of a Spiritual Master, and he didn''t stop there. He continued to refine the spiritual energy he had absorbed in his mind. The breakthrough had consumed less than half of the spiritual energy, and the energy of a sixth-level Spiritual Master had almost overwhelmed Li Lin, far surpassing the energy of two portions of Soul Spirit Divine Liquid. The next afternoon, the three elders returned to JiuHua Sect, bringing back many surrendered disciples. Their loot from the three towns was significantly substantial. "Sigh!" Early the next morning, Li Lin slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air and opened his eyes, which were as deep as stars, his aura incomparably stronger than two days ago. "I''ve reached the peak of the fifth level of a Spiritual Master, yet not quite at the sixth level. Just a bit more needed," Li Lin murmured, feeling the abundant spiritual energy within him. He had refined all the energy from the sixth-level Spiritual Master he had absorbed, reaching the peak of the fifth level of a Spiritual Master, just shy of the sixth level. "Swish swish" As Li Lin left the secret chamber, the little dragon affectionately crawled onto him, flicking its tongue, and the Sky Winged Snow Lion also came over obediently. "Sect Master," in the main hall of JiuHua Sect, Chang Lei and the other two elders handed over the loot from the three towns to Li Lin. "Pack up everything, everyone leaves JiuHua Mountain and returns to Flying Spirit Gate," Li Lin instructed. "Sect Master, are we just going to abandon JiuHua Sect''s territory?" Chen XinJie asked in confusion. "JiuHua Sect''s territory doesn''t concern us. Everyone, head back to Flying Spirit Gate now. The Grand Elder and I will return on the Sky Winged Snow Lion," Li Lin said. "Yes, Sect Master," everyone responded without further questions and quickly went to make arrangements. "You''re quite willing to give up, JiuHua Sect''s territory is not small," the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing commented after everyone had left. "Elder Dong, it''s not that I''m willing to give it up, but that we don''t have the strength to take it over. If we were to take over JiuHua Sect''s territory, Ghost Martial Sect would not stand by idly," Li Lin said with a bitter smile. Destroying JiuHua Sect was justifiable, but taking over its territory would be indefensible, especially since the true owner of JiuHua Sect''s territory was Ghost Martial Sect. Taking it over would be a direct provocation. "Indeed, Ghost Martial Sect would not allow Flying Spirit Gate to take over JiuHua Sect''s territory. Flying Spirit Gate doesn''t have the strength right now; it''s better to forsake it painfully," the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing said, nodding in approval. "One day, I will take it back," Li Lin said through gritted teeth, planning to reclaim the territory once Flying Spirit Gate grew stronger and no longer needed to worry about Ghost Martial Sect. "Heh, I believe in you, kid. It won''t take long," the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing said, sharing a knowing smirk with Li Lin. Below JiuHua Mountain, soon after, nearly six hundred people rode away, kicking up dust, leaving the once glorious JiuHua Sect deserted, with blood flowing into rivers at the mountain''s base and hundreds of bodies lying unattended, deliberately left by Li Lin as a message to Ghost Martial Sect. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The surroundings of JiuHua Mountain saw many smaller forces noticing the changes in the past few days, gathering around only after Flying Spirit Gate''s departure. Witnessing the downfall of JiuHua Sect shocked many, and some recognized Flying Spirit Gate''s involvement, spreading its fame in the vicinity and drawing attention to Flying Spirit Gate. Shortly after Flying Spirit Gate''s departure, a huge white beast leaped from the top of JiuHua Mountain, disappearing into the sky. "Brother, when I grow up, I also want a flying beast that can take me flying everywhere," Li XinTong said excitedly, standing on the back of the Sky Winged Snow Lion with her arms open. "XinTong, when you reach the level of a Spiritual Warrior, Master will catch a spirit beast for you," the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing said. "Okay, it has to fly and be a bit cute," Li XinTong immediately added her requirements, her little face beaming with joy. With the love from her brother and master, she gradually stepped out of the shadow of her father''s death. "The Sky Winged Snow Lion is extremely fast. After nightfall, we''ve already arrived at Flying Spirit Gate from JiuHua Mountain, while Zheng Ying and the others will take three days to return." "Elder Dong, I plan to leave the ancient domain for a while," Li Lin, sitting cross-legged in his room, said to the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing. "For how long?" asked the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing. "I''m not sure, at least two years, maybe three," Li Lin pondered before replying. Now that the JiuHua Sect matter was resolved, it was time to think about returning to YunYang Sect. He must obtain the two items entrusted by Uncle Jiang. "Two to three years, that long?" the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing exclaimed in surprise. "There might be changes in the meantime," Li Lin said. Plans never change as quickly as situations do. According to YunYang Sect''s rules, to leave the sect, ordinary disciples must reach the Martial Soul cultivation level, and direct disciples must reach the Martial General level, which takes time. "What about Flying Spirit Gate?" After pondering for a while, the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing asked in a deep voice. Flying Spirit Gate had just started to get on the right track; without Li Lin, it would naturally be affected. "I can only entrust it to Elder Dong. With you here, I''m at ease," Li Lin said lightly. With his departure from the ancient domain, Flying Spirit Gate, in the hands of this Old Poisoner, would naturally not encounter any problems. "Leaving it to me is fine. Protecting Flying Spirit Gate is easy, but I can''t develop it. As you know, I''m not interested in tasks that require thinking. Plus, my injuries haven''t fully healed, and I don''t have much time to manage Flying Spirit Gate," the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing said after some thought. "This" Li Lin frowned. He knew the Old Poisoner''s character well; developing Flying Spirit Gate wasn''t his forte. Currently, in Flying Spirit Gate, no one could take control of the overall situation. Liu YiShou could only make a name in business, and Huang BoRan wasn''t up to it yet. As for Zhou YuHou, Hu NanSheng, and others, they were far from enough. "When you need them, you realize how few there are," Li Lin thought to himself. There was no one in Flying Spirit Gate who could take overall control. His return to YunYang Sect meant that Flying Spirit Gate would be delayed for at least two years. "Unless you find someone reliable. Flying Spirit Gate is in its developing phase, and two years is a significant delay. This would greatly impact Flying Spirit Gate," the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing said. "Currently, there seems to be no one in Flying Spirit Gate who can oversee everything," Li Lin sighed. "Fine, I''ll introduce someone to you. If you can get her to join Flying Spirit Gate, you''ll be absolutely surprised in two years," the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing hesitated before saying to Li Lin. "That sounds great. May I know who Elder Dong is introducing?" Li Lin immediately asked eagerly, knowing that anyone the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing introduced would not be ordinary. "A woman," the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing said, looking at Li Lin, "A very terrifying woman, an old woman, a very strong woman." "A very terrifying woman...?" Li Lin was taken aback. Anyone described by the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing in such a way was definitely not ordinary. "Correct. This woman is very terrifying, has a bad temper, and if you provoke her, you could lose your life at any moment. Also, she''s very strong. Even I would avoid her," the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing seemed to recall the woman he mentioned, slightly raising his eyebrows as he spoke. "Are you sure she can help Flying Spirit Gate?" Li Lin pondered for a moment before asking. "Initially, not only the top forces in the ancient domain invited her to join, but even the Three Sects and Four Gates of the Spiritual Martial Continent tried to recruit her, all refused by her. Her wisdom and strategy are among the strongest I''ve ever seen. You tell me if she can help Flying Spirit Gate. However, those top forces didn''t catch her eye; I''m afraid a small Flying Spirit Gate wouldn''t even warrant a glance from her," the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing explained. "Regardless, I''ve decided. I must try, no matter what. It would be great to invite such a strong person to join Flying Spirit Gate. Even if I can''t, it would just mean my luck isn''t good enough. Please, Elder Dong, tell me her name," Li Lin said determinedly, eager to try, especially since Flying Spirit Gate was in dire need of talents, and it was the Old Poisoner''s recommendation. "Are you sure you want to go?" the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing looked up and asked Li Lin. Chapter 230: FeiLing Commerce "Yes, I must try no matter what," Li Lin nodded in agreement. "This person is named Bai Ying, known as the Ghost Fairy. Not many people know her, and she seldom appears in public. Currently, she should be residing in Baiyun Gorge, a hundred thousand miles away," the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing explained. "Elder Dong, do you know her preferences and her strength?" Li Lin inquired, knowing it was essential to understand these details before attempting to recruit someone to Flying Spirit Gate. "In terms of strength, she''s probably reached the ninth level of Martial Commander by now. As for her preferences, she enjoys calligraphy and painting. Although she''s a martial artist, she has a deep understanding of formations. That''s all I know," the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing replied. "Thank you, Elder Dong. I''ll seek out this Ghost Fairy in a few days," Li Lin said. A hundred thousand miles was a ten-day journey for the Sky Winged Snow Lion; though not close, it was not too far either. "Be careful. It''s best not to mention me or let her know I''m in Flying Spirit Gate; otherwise, she might flay you alive. If she really wants to kill you, then mention me," the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing seriously warned Li Lin, then added, "If she really decides to kill you, then you can mention me." Li Lin was momentarily taken aback by the Old Poisoner''s seemingly contradictory advice. After a brief thought, a mischievous smile appeared on Li Lin''s face, "Elder Dong, be honest, do you and this Ghost Fairy have some kind of story?" "What story? Don''t guess wildly. I''m leaving now. The people from Ghost Martial Sect have probably received the news and will come looking for you in a couple of days. You better think of how to deal with them," the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing said before leaving the room. "There must be a story," Li Lin chuckled to himself. Shortly after, he began to meditate and cultivate. Although he wasn''t absorbing external forces for cultivation, this type of cultivation had its benefits. After refining the external forces into his own, this peaceful cultivation, although slow in progress, purified the Qi and spiritual energy in his body, fully integrating the refined Qi and spiritual energy. This was why Li Lin always took some time after each breakthrough before attempting another, to avoid adverse effects later on. He understood the principle that haste makes waste. In the early morning, a gentle breeze wafted through, and wildflowers in the Flying Spirit Mountain Range began to bloom, spreading the delicate fragrance of flowers through the air. When the first ray of sunlight entered the room, Li Lin stopped his cultivation, exhaled a breath of turbid air from his dantian, and greedily inhaled a breath of fresh air, savoring the fragrance in the air. This time last year, he was on his way to YunYang Sect; how time flies, another year has passed. He wondered how Wushuang and the others were doing in YunYang Sect. Thinking of Wushuang, the image of a stunningly graceful woman appeared in Li Lin''s mind. She probably thought he was dead by now. And his mother, perhaps she had already received news of his fall from the cliff, must be heartbroken. Worried about his mother, Li Lin hoped the Li family hadn''t treated her as before. Otherwise, he would have to settle scores with the Li family upon his return. "Have they arrived?" Moments later, sensing Zhou YuHou, Zhang Mingtao, and Liu YiShou had arrived at his residence, Li Lin went out to meet them. "Greetings, Sect Master," the trio saluted upon seeing Li Lin in the small hall. "Congratulations to Elder Zhou on your breakthrough," Li Lin noted, sensing Zhou YuHou''s aura had reached the third level of Martial Soul. "Thanks to the Sect Master''s elixirs," Zhou YuHou smiled, attributing his rapid progress to the continuous supply of elixirs. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Liu YiShou, how are things with you?" Li Lin then turned to Liu YiShou. During this mission to JiuHua Sect, Zhang Mingtao and Liu YiShou had stayed behind, busy with matters in Huamen Town. "Sect Master, I''ve come to report. I plan to transform the original Jubao Gate into our Flying Spirit Gate''s shop, so I''d like the Sect Master to name it. Also, there are two more matters that need your attention," Liu YiShou said. "Oh," Li Lin responded lightly, "Let''s call our Flying Spirit Gate''s shop Flying Spirit Commerce. How does that sound?" "Flying Spirit Commerce, a good name, catchy and easy to remember," Zhang Mingtao commented. "Liu YiShou, what are the other two matters?" Li Lin inquired. "Sect Master, for our shop''s opening, we need a significant amount of gold coins for stocking up on goods. Additionally, we need a Spiritualist to oversee things. Without a Spiritualist, if we have to purchase all our pills, it would be a great disadvantage," Liu YiShou said. "Are these the only two matters?" Li Lin said with a slight smile, "Both are easily manageable. For stocking up, there''s no need; Flying Spirit Gate currently has everything. I''ll have a few elders deliver them to you later. As for the Spiritualist, a Spirit Soul Spiritualist will arrive in three days. You can arrange for their accommodation. Here are one million gold coins in cash and four million gold coins on a jade crystal card; you take them and make the arrangements." After speaking, Li Lin handed a blank spatial bag to Liu YiShou, "After the blood recognizes the master, you can withdraw the gold coins." "Five million gold coins?" Zhang Mingtao and Liu YiShou were momentarily stunned. Five million gold coins was definitely the largest amount they had seen in their lives to date. As for Zhou YuHou, he wasn''t too surprised; he had already seen more astonishing things in Flying Spirit Gate''s secret chamber. "Sect Master, since there are no problems, then our Flying Spirit Commerce can choose a day to open for business," Liu YiShou said, excitedly accepting the spatial bag. "You decide," Li Lin said with a slight smile, "Just notify the elders to attend; there''s no need to inform me." "Yes, Sect Master," Liu YiShou responded. After discussing some minor matters, the three of them left, and Li Lin went out to spend the morning playing with Li XinTong. In the afternoon, Li Lin, who had some free time, was observing the wildflowers on the back mountain when he suddenly felt a surge of energy. He leaped to the back of the mountain and saw the massive Sky Winged Snow Lion preparing for a breakthrough. "Are you breaking through?" Li Lin was delighted inside, knowing that if the Sky Winged Snow Lion broke through again, its speed would increase significantly. "Sss..." The little dragon, emerging from nowhere, coiled around Li Lin''s back, flicking its tongue. "Little dragon, when will you break through again?" Li Lin asked with a slight smile. It had been some time since the little dragon had broken through in the Wudu City Mountains. Even Li Lin couldn''t guess the little dragon''s current strength level. But if the little dragon were to break through again, Li Lin was certain its strength would greatly increase. Currently, the little dragon could handle Martial Soul cultivators of the second and third levels. After another breakthrough, its strength would be unimaginable. "Sss..." The little dragon made a low sound, seemingly conveying something, but Li Lin couldn''t quite understand, only feeling that it might be saying "soon." The Sky Winged Snow Lion''s breakthrough was swift, completing in just an hour, and its aura strengthened significantly, moving from the early stages of the third tier to the mid-stages. This was just a minor hurdle. "Roar..." In the sky, the Sky Winged Snow Lion roared, its body having grown tens of meters larger. Its wings shook, creating a massive airflow that dispersed around it. Li Lin smiled slightly, knowing the Sky Winged Snow Lion''s high bloodline made its breakthroughs fast. He wondered if the speed of breakthroughs would slow down after reaching the fourth tier, as most beasts'' cultivation speeds tend to slow significantly at that stage. A day passed uneventfully, and Li Lin took a walk around Flying Spirit Gate. By evening, Hu NanSheng returned from Tuan Mountain Town, bringing back Yan Qi. Yan Qi wore a green dress with a red silk belt tied into a butterfly knot around her waist, likely changed specifically for her visit to Flying Spirit Gate. Her features were delicate, her figure slender, exuding a youthful aura. Though not stunningly beautiful, she was quite attractive, albeit a bit shy. "Greetings, Sect Master." Led by Hu NanSheng, Yan Qi saluted Li Lin without daring to raise her head, "Don''t be nervous, you''ll be following the Grand Elder from now on. Learn well; it''ll be beneficial for you in the future," Li Lin said. "Grand Elder." Yan Qi then saluted the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing, shivering slightly under his invisible chilling aura. "Alright, rest well tonight. Tomorrow, I''ll teach you about medicinal herbs," the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing said, his expression unchanged, seeming almost like a living dead to those who didn''t know him well. Only in front of Li XinTong did he show a kinder side. "Sister, don''t be scared. Master is really nice," Li XinTong said, trying to comfort Yan Qi with her bright eyes. "Sect Master, everything in Tuan Mountain Town has been settled. However, due to recent events involving JiuHua Sect, the town''s foot traffic has significantly decreased," Hu NanSheng reported. Chapter 231: Another Breakthrough "It''s okay, it will recover slowly. Tomorrow, you and Elder Zhou will start taking care of the Flying Spirit Shop on behalf of Liu Yi." Li Lin said. "Yes, Sect Leader." Hu NanSheng responded. As night fell, the bright moonlight adorned the spring night sky, which looked like an endless and transparent ocean, quiet, vast, and mysterious. Dense stars twinkled in the sky, dancing with tiny and dazzling spots of light. On the Flying Spirit Mountain Range, under the night sky draped in a silver veil, in the room, Li Lin once again sat cross-legged on the Lingyu bed to cultivate, surrounded by a circle of faint yellow light. Calculating the time, Li Lin estimated that the people from Ghost Martial Sect should be arriving soon. He guessed that they would be dumbfounded upon learning about the fate of the Jiu Hua Sect. The next morning, Li Lin hesitated for a moment before taking out the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid again. Without hesitation, he consumed two of the remaining four portions of the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid. A massive amount of energy surged within his body. Enduring it all, Li Lin immediately started to refine the massive energy inside him. Li Lin was already familiar with refining the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid. He quickly reached a stable state, and the spiritual power space in his mind was constantly being irrigated with spiritual power. After swallowing a Six-Layer Spirit Master from the Jiu Hua Sect, Li Lin''s own spiritual power level had already reached the peak of a Five-Layer Spirit Master. Now, after three hours, Li Lin once again felt the signs of a breakthrough. Three hours later, the transparent and invisible light circle that was emanating from Li Lin''s body became denser and more dazzling. At this time, in his mind, Li Lin felt the spiritual power space in his brain expand and fill up, while the spiritual power continued to refine and irrigate, filling his own spiritual power sea space. After a moment, the majestic spiritual power was already filling the space in his mind to the point where it could no longer increase. With a deep hand seal, Li Lin gave it his all and began to break through the bottleneck. "Break..." Li Lin shouted in his heart, and the hand seal began to change instantly. Finally, he pressed down the spiritual power in the brain''s spiritual power space, and then there was a muffled sound in the sea of spiritual power in his brain, as a massive amount of energy spread out. "Boom!" Inside the space of spiritual power in his mind, and at the same time, a muffled sound was heard, the light around his body became dazzling simultaneously, his aura climbed, and the spiritual power sea space in his brain instantly increased several times in size, and violent spiritual power surged again. At the same time, a massive invisible force rushed straight into the depths of his brain, and his soul power became more substantial. A vast expanse of white gathered deep within his soul. At this moment, Li Lin clearly felt that although the spiritual power he had swallowed from a Six-Layer Spirit Master was beneficial, it was quite different from the nourishment on the soul power. Compared to the swallowed spiritual power, although it could nourish the soul power and enhance it, compared to the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid, it was much inferior in nourishing the soul power. The Soul Spirit Divine Liquid not only enhanced the spiritual power but also nourished the soul power to a powerful extent. Every consumption of the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid had an astonishing effect on nourishing the soul power. It took a while for the aura to stabilize, and by this time, Li Lin had already reached the Six-Layer Spirit Master level. There was still a significant portion of the energy from the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid in his brain that had not been refined. Li Lin had no intention of stopping and continued to refine the massive energy transformed by the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid in his brain. This energy, in terms of increasing spiritual power, might not be as strong as swallowing a Six-Layer Spirit Master''s spiritual power, but it was much stronger in terms of benefits to the soul power. In this process, Li Lin clearly felt his soul power continuously strengthening and solidifying, filling the deep spaces of his soul, becoming more and more massive. Having strong soul power was what Li Lin valued most. With strong soul power, he could gain a lot of advantages among peers of the same level in refining pills, puppets, and formations. With strong soul power as support, he could completely refine pills and puppets that exceed the capabilities of peers at the same level, and in terms of strength, having strong soul power made it much easier to kill opponents of the same level. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Time slowly passed, and on the afternoon of the third day, in the sky above the Jiu Hua Mountain Range, a giant flying beast circled above, and a dozen figures descended, looking at the rotting corpses of Jiu Hua Sect disciples on the ground and the empty Jiu Hua Sect on the mountain top. The faces of everyone changed drastically, all showing a look of shock. These dozen figures were Du Yunshan and other elders who rushed from the Ghost Martial Sect. Seeing the scene of the Jiu Hua Sect, they could only feel helpless. "Huang BoRan, who exactly is your Grand Elder?" After returning to the flying beast, Du Yunshan asked Huang BoRan on the flying beast. After receiving the news, the Ghost Martial Sect immediately rushed to Jiu Hua Mountain with Huang BoRan, but they were several days late due to Li Lin''s calculations. "Elder Du, I don''t know. The Grand Elder rarely shows up and has been in seclusion." Huang BoRan replied. Du Yunshan''s questions along the way were mostly met with ignorance from Huang BoRan. "Elder Du, what do we do now? The Jiu Hua Sect has been destroyed." A practitioner at the Three-Layer Martial General level asked. "Let''s go to the Flying Spirit Sect." Du Yunshan frowned and then said. "Sigh..." On the fourth day after Li Lin consumed two portions of the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid, he slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air from his body. The massive energy transformed by the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid in his brain had also been completely refined. His spiritual power level had successfully reached the late stage of the Six-Layer Spirit Master. Although he had not yet reached the peak, he was not far off. Feeling the abundant spiritual power within his body, Li Lin revealed a slight smile. At this point, his martial artist''s cultivation level had also reached the peak of the Six-Layer Martial Master, and his spiritual level had reached the late stage of the Six-Layer Spirit Master, greatly increasing his overall strength. If he were to fight desperately, he would have a chance against an average Martial Soul level opponent, just as long as he didn''t encounter an Eight or Nine-Layer Martial Soul. After putting away the Lingyu bed, Li Lin left the room and took a deep breath of fresh air, calculating the time, the people from the Ghost Martial Sect should also be arriving. A moment later, in the main hall, Chen XinJie, Chang Lei, and Zheng Ying, three elders, along with many disciples of the Flying Spirit Sect who are currently being focused on for cultivation, were all present. Zheng Ying and the others had rushed back to the Flying Spirit Sect early yesterday morning. In the main hall, Li Lin officially announced that the six Martial Soul cultivators who surrendered from the Jiu Hua Sect had become protectors of the Flying Spirit Sect. These six people, five men and one woman, with the strongest being a Nine-Layer Martial Soul, one Seven-Layer Martial Soul, one Five-Layer Martial Soul, two Four-Layer Martial Souls, and one Two-Layer Martial Soul. Together with the disciples who surrendered from the Jiu Hua Sect, who included many Martial Masters, the strength of the Flying Spirit Sect had greatly increased. Among the six protectors, named Zhang Xiao, Liu YaLei, Yang Li, Lin Feng, Hou BaiLong, and Sun XiaoMing, the strongest Nine-Layer Martial Soul was Zhang Xiao, the middle-aged woman with a Five-Layer Martial Soul cultivation was named Yang Li, and the weakest Two-Layer Martial Soul was Sun XiaoMing. With the addition of these six Martial Souls, the number of Martial Soul cultivators in the Flying Spirit Sect had reached eleven, representing a significant force. As for the middle-aged man in fancy clothes, named Ding ChengJie, with a Four-Layer Spirit Soul cultivation, was originally just a guest elder of the Jiu Hua Sect who happened to be in the sky, but now he had directly joined the Flying Spirit Sect. Li Lin also made Ding ChengJie, with his Four-Layer Spirit Soul, an elder of the Flying Spirit Sect, a rank higher than Zhang Xiao and the others, which pleased him somewhat. "Elder Ding, you will temporarily assist Liu Yi in preparing for the Flying Spirit Commercial Affairs." Li Lin straightforwardly said to Ding ChengJie. As a spiritual practitioner, they all have some pride, and Li Lin would not accommodate this person. To truly subdue him, it was necessary to grind away his pride. "Yes, Sect Leader." Ding ChengJie responded. Liu Yi was extremely happy at this time. If one were to say who was the most prominent person in the Flying Spirit Sect recently, it would undoubtedly be him. Many female disciples of the Flying Spirit Sect were showing him great favor, but Liu Yi knew very well that the pressure on him was not small. If he could not achieve any results, the Sect Leader would not let him off. "Sect Leader, there are people from the Ghost Martial Sect outside the mountain gate." A disciple of the Flying Spirit Sect reported in the main hall. "Have they finally arrived?" Li Lin smiled slightly. "Zhang MingTao, go and bring the people from the Ghost Martial Sect to my residence. You know what to say, right?" Li Lin asked. "Sect Leader, I know. Just say that the Sect Leader was injured by an elder of the Jiu Hua Sect last time and is now seriously injured and unable to get out of bed." Zhang MingTao said. "Okay, go and do it." Li Lin said, and then he let everyone disperse, returning to his residence himself. In the room, Li Lin lay on the bed, circulating his true qi within his body, applying some minor tricks to appear pale and as if his true qi was chaotic, resembling someone seriously injured. A moment later, Zhang MingTao had already brought the people from the Ghost Martial Sect to Li Lin''s room. "Sect Leader Li, you''re okay, right?" Du Yunshan and other strong practitioners from the Ghost Martial Sect arrived in Li Lin''s room, accompanied by several elders from the Flying Spirit Sect such as Hu NanSheng. Seeing Li Lin, Du Yunshan could not help but squeeze out a smile more awkward than crying. "So it''s Elder Du, I''m really sorry. My injuries are too severe to get out of bed to greet you properly." Li Lin appeared half-dead, causing Hu NanSheng, Fang XinQi, and others to almost burst out laughing at the side, secretly thinking the Sect Leader was really acting the part well. Chapter 232: The Art of Pretense "It''s fine. I really didn''t expect the Elder of the Jiuhua Sect to ambush Sect Leader Li." Du Yunshan spoke softly, but he harbored some doubts in his heart. Given the cultivation and strength of the Jiuhua Sect''s Elder, if he really ambushed Li Lin, how come he didn''t kill him? "I didn''t expect it either. Luckily, I have a strong life force. But what I didn''t expect was that after the Grand Elder of our sect learned of the news, he took people to the Jiuhua Sect. I just got the news that the Grand Elder actually wiped out the Jiuhua Sect. I''m really sorry about this." Li Lin sighed helplessly, appearing deeply pained. "Although the Jiuhua Sect was somewhat excessive, after all, it was an external force of our Ghost Martial Sect. What the Flying Spirit Gate did this time makes it difficult for our Ghost Martial Sect to handle. Even if Sect Leader Li said that the Jiuhua Sect''s Elder ambushed him, we still need evidence. Otherwise, other sects might have complaints," Du Yunshan said with a slight change in his expression. Li Lin''s expression remained unchanged, but he naturally knew that the Ghost Martial Sect was probably looking for an excuse to make things difficult for the Flying Spirit Gate. Whether the Jiuhua Sect was wiped out or not, in fact, had little impact on the Ghost Martial Sect. "Elder Du is right. I also met with the Grand Elder yesterday. I asked him to personally explain to the Ghost Martial Sect when the time comes," Li Lin said softly. The underlying meaning of Li Lin''s words was clear to everyone; they were all old foxes. Li Lin was essentially bringing up the strong Ling Marshal from within the Flying Spirit Gate. If the Ghost Martial Sect wanted to cause trouble, the Flying Spirit Gate was not to be trifled with. When a Ling Marshal went to the Ghost Martial Sect, it would probably not be pleasant for them. "This is serious. I believe Sect Leader Li is not lying. The Jiuhua Sect deserved what they got this time. It''s just that the Grand Elder of the Flying Spirit Gate was a bit too heavy-handed. Now that the Jiuhua Sect has been wiped out and nobody is managing their territory, I wonder if Sect Leader Li''s Flying Spirit Gate might be interested," Du Yunshan''s face twitched slightly as he looked at Li Lin. "Elder Du, the strength of my Flying Spirit Gate is not enough. Let''s forget it. There''s no benefit in this matter, and I don''t want any trouble. Thank you for your kindness," Li Lin said lightly, knowing naturally that the Ghost Martial Sect wouldn''t be so generous. They were clearly just testing him. "Then, Sect Leader Li, you should recover well. I also need to go back immediately to report to the Sect Master about the Jiuhua Sect''s matter," Du Yunshan said. "Then we won''t keep Elder Du any longer," Li Lin said, then had Hu Nansheng and other elders escort the people from the Ghost Martial Sect out. As soon as the people from the Ghost Martial Sect left, Li Lin immediately got up from the bed, a smile appearing on the corner of his mouth. "Sect Leader, you really acted like it," Huang Boran chuckled. "Did I?" Li Lin smiled slightly, "Not at all. Such tricks can be easily seen through by someone with Du Yunshan''s level of cultivation as pretending to be injured." "Really? Then why did the Sect Leader still pretend to be seriously injured?" Huang Boran asked in confusion, while Fang Xinqi, Yan Qi, Zhang Mingtao, and Liu Yishou in the room were also full of doubts. "Remember, pretending is also an art, a kind of realm. It depends on how you pretend. Some things, both sides are aware of, but this understanding cannot be laid out openly, so we have to pretend. This way, both sides can step down," Li Lin said with a slight smile. "Sect Leader is truly wise." Li Lin''s words enlightened everyone, benefiting them greatly, and they all looked up to him even more. The next morning, after getting ready, Li Lin rode the Tianchi Snow Lion away from the Flying Spirit Gate, heading for the Baiyun Gorge, tens of thousands of miles away. Although tens of thousands of miles was not a short distance, Li Lin didn''t mind. With the speed of the Tianchi Snow Lion, it was only a matter of a few days. In midair, Li Lin hesitated for a moment and then stuffed a third-grade high-level pill into his mouth. The pill turned into a vast energy in his mouth, and under the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Art, it was refined by Li Lin into pure Qi entering the Dantian Qi Sea. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. It had been a long time since he had swallowed and refined the energy of a pill. Refining it now, Li Lin couldn''t help but feel some emotion. The energy of the pill was indeed much weaker than the true Qi they devoured, and even the refining speed was much slower. However, if others knew what Li Lin was thinking at this moment, they would be ashamed to death. After all, directly swallowing pills for cultivation was already dozens of times faster than the normal cultivation speed. In midair, the Tianchi Snow Lion roared past, and Little dragon lay on its back, unconsciously emanating a faint yellow light. Time passed slowly, and by the second day, a dazzling yellow light enveloped Li Lin''s body. Accompanied by an invisible energy from between heaven and earth being absorbed into his body, his Qi aura leaped up, the space within the Dantian Qi Sea expanded several times, and he broke through again, reaching the seventh level of the Spirit Master. "Sigh..." After a moment, the Qi stabilized, and after exhaling a breath of turbid air from the Dantian Qi Sea, Li Lin opened his eyes and saw Little dragon surrounded by a faint yellow light, his expression immediately brightened. "Little dragon is about to break through," Li Lin murmured. From Little dragon''s aura, it was clear that he was on the verge of breaking through. Little dragon''s breakthrough would take some time, so Li Lin immediately took Little dragon into his arms. In midair, looking at the air currents whizzing past below, Li Lin felt that after the Tianchi Snow Lion broke through to the mid-third stage, its speed had increased significantly again. As the king of wind-type flying beasts, the Tianchi Snow Lion''s speed was terrifying, and ordinary fourth-stage beasts probably couldn''t catch up. With nothing else to do, Li Lin continued to sit cross-legged to stabilize his cultivation. Both his Qi and spiritual power had just broken through not long ago and could not continue to swallow and break through. Haste makes waste, and his recent cultivation progress was already very satisfying to Li Lin. In a mountain range, the mountains twisted and turned, endless at a glance. Now in the deep spring season, the mountains were covered with a sea of green trees and forests, and amidst the green sea, there were clusters of various colored wildflowers. Within the mountains, a peak soared a thousand feet high, standing tall and precipitous, with strange rocks and a giant cliff standing upright, piercing into the mountainside, its momentum extraordinary. On this peak, there were many buildings, appearing to be the work of gods. In a courtyard, a young girl was watching a nameless wildflower blooming beside the rocks in front of the mountain. This was an extremely beautiful girl, with skin as delicate and translucent as white jade, hair as flowing as ink clouds, exquisite features like carved jade, a beautiful neck, deep and black eyes, and teeth as bright as her eyes, making her stunningly beautiful. To say she was a nation''s downfall would be an understatement. The girl was about eighteen or nineteen years old, wearing a long green dress that highlighted her graceful curves. If Li Lin saw her, he would naturally recognize her as the beautiful girl in green clothes he had accidentally seen naked in the Misty Mountain Range and then tormented him several times. "Miss, the Sect Master asks for your presence," a pretty maid approached, whom Li Lin would also recognize as the one he had seen naked before. "I know, Dongmei, do you know what my father wants?" the girl in green asked. "It seems to be about the Great Assembly of the Three Sects and Four Gates two years from now. I heard that this time, the Sect Master has selected many personal disciples to participate in the training," the pretty maid said. "Okay, I know," the beautiful girl said indifferently, and then the two slowly left the courtyard. Three days later, Li Lin opened his eyes, and below in the void, a range of continuous mountains appeared. The majestic cloud peaks in the mountain range shone under the sunlight, making the cliffs gleam. The forests and clouds in the mountain range obscured the view, barely revealing the lush greenery. The entire mountain range stood tall, with occasional solitary peaks. The forest was dense, bamboo shaded, and the mountain walls were steep, with rivers flowing through them. "Snow Lion, slow down. I''ll find a place," Li Lin told the Tianchi Snow Lion, carefully observing the ground below. According to Dong Wuji, the Poison Marshal, the Baiyun Gorge was covered with thick white fog from above, which ordinary people dared not enter. It was not difficult to find without a specific address, but entering this vast mountain range made it hard to locate. Moments later, a range of verdant mountains appeared in Li Lin''s sight, with clouds and mist winding through the mountains. "This is the place. Snow Lion, let''s go down," Li Lin said. The Tianchi Snow Lion quickly descended from midair, and Li Lin landed on a mountain peak. Looking ahead, there were strange mountains standing tall, with mountains connected, lush and steep, covered in clouds and mist, and a long gorge appeared below. "This is Baiyun Gorge," Li Lin was delighted, according to Dong Wuji''s address, this was indeed the place. After storing the Tianchi Snow Lion in the space beast bag, Li Lin immediately entered the gorge. This gorge was special, with green trees shading both sides and wildflowers adorning it, making the gorge exceptionally beautiful, but the top of the gorge was covered in clouds and mist. Walking forward slowly, after a while, Li Lin passed through a long gorge. According to Dong Wuji, he made a small raft and traveled upstream along a river, ignoring many branches. Li Lin thought to himself that without a detailed address, it would not be easy to find the Ghost Fairy. This place was like a maze, and Li Lin also thought that the Old Poisoner knew the address so well, their relationship must be quite deep. Chapter 233: I Am a Boy Rowing upstream for about three kilometers, Li Lin spotted a valley on the shore and quickly leaped onto it, delighted. This valley was filled with lush green bamboo, creating a sea of bamboo that was vibrant with life. Inside the valley, there were also many wildflowers and green trees, presenting a scene brimming with vitality. "Those who trespass will die." At the entrance of the valley, a giant rock bore four blood-red characters written in blood, sending shivers down one''s spine. Li Lin hesitated about whether to enter when suddenly, he heard a heavenly melody drawing closer and closer. The sound was initially soft, like a mountain spring gushing downwards, gradually becoming more compact, like the fine rain of early spring. Li Lin''s heart trembled, and he listened intently. The music seemed to carry a strange power, making him unable to resist listening. The melody seemed to hover above his head and whisper in his ears, immersing him in its depth. "Orioles and swallows sing in spring, flowers and willows are genuine, everything carries a melodious charm. Tender and delicate, each and every person is distinct." A pleasant and crisp sound came through, smooth and mellow, as if telling a young girl''s heart''s tale, soft and gentle, then suddenly filled with a hint of melancholy. "Now the county office is cold, suddenly thinking of a guest in the mountains. At the bottom of the stream, I gather firewood, returning to boil white stones. Wishing to carry a ladle of wine, to comfort through the stormy evening. Fallen leaves fill the mountains, where to find the path. The river is wide and clouds are low, wild geese cry in the west wind. Now, listening to the rain under the monk''s hut, my hair is already graying. Joy and sorrow, separations and reunions are all heartless, I can only wait by the steps, drop by drop until dawn." The voice was melancholic, lingering, yet also filled with intimate charm. The music harmonized with the sentiment, carrying an indescribable melancholy. Li Lin was deeply immersed in this atmosphere, unable to resist following the music, when suddenly he heard the woman''s voice singing again: "Hand in hand we look with tearful eyes, speechless and choked with emotion. Years from now, all the good times will have been in vain. Even with a thousand kinds of affection, who is there to share it with? After spring passes, all flowers fade, luxury and affairs scatter like fragrant dust. Wishing to confide my heart''s matters to the jade zither, but with few who understand, who listens when the strings break? Eye signals convey feelings, a secret hate, a rushed and unfulfilled promise. Many worries, all because of that moment, a lingering affection." The voice carried far away, piercing the sky, and Li Lin took a long time to come back to his senses. When he did, he found himself in a bamboo forest with a pavilion built of green bamboo. Inside the pavilion, there were two figures, a pretty girl around seven or eight years old standing behind a woman in white clothes, whose back was all that could be seen. From her silhouette, it was clear she was an extraordinary beauty. In front of the woman, on a bamboo platform, lay an ancient zither. The seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl seemed also to be drawn into the melancholic atmosphere, standing dumbly aside, looking beautiful but dressed provocatively. Dressed in a tight, red palace attire, her chest was prominent despite her young age, especially since the tight dress had a very short hem, barely reaching mid-thigh. Bending down would surely reveal everything underneath, her long legs accentuated by high boots, adding to her allure. "Beautiful lyrics, beautiful melody," Li Lin couldn''t help but speak out after the music ended. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The girl immediately snapped back to reality, looking up at Li Lin in surprise, as if she had seen a ghost, and quickly said to the woman in white, "Master, is that a man? A man has come." "Who are you, and how did you get here?" At that moment, the woman in white stood up and turned around, revealing a face of stunning beauty. With her hair pinned up high, her flawless face, almond-shaped eyes, small mouth, and dressed in a plain white dress, she radiated an otherworldly aura, looking no more than twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old, like a fairy untouched by worldly dust. Li Lin''s heart skipped a beat; the woman was too beautiful. But she seemed too young to be the Ghost Fairy he was seeking, who should be around the same age as Dong Wuji, the Poison Marshal. "My name is Li Lin. I was drawn by the music, which sounded like a melody from heaven. I apologize for any offense. Please, do not take it to heart," Li Lin said with a slight bow. "We do not welcome outsiders here. Didn''t you see the warning outside? Trespassers will die," the woman in white said, her presence turning cold. Suddenly, she extended her hand from her sleeve, and a dazzling green light burst forth, wrapping Li Lin in vines, leaving him no chance to resist. "Miss, elder, I came looking for the Ghost Fairy and was unintentionally drawn here by the music. There''s no need to be hostile," Li Lin said, his face changing as he struggled to break free from the vines without success. The woman''s power was overwhelming, suggesting she might indeed be the Ghost Fairy. "There''s no Ghost Fairy here. Even if you were drawn by the music, if you were a woman, I might spare your life. Unfortunately, you are a man, so you must die," the woman in white coldly replied. "Elder, I''m not a man. I truly am not a man. Please, spare me," Li Lin exclaimed, thinking she must hate men due to some past trauma. "You''re not a man? So, you''re a woman then?" the woman in white asked, her grip seemingly loosening a bit. "Elder, I truly am not a man. I am still a virgin, strictly speaking, just a boy, not a man," Li Lin said loudly. "Sharp-tongued. Since you''re a virgin, I''ll kill you now to prevent future harm to women," the woman in white declared, tightening her grip on Li Lin, who struggled to breathe. "Come on, you''re being unreasonable. Just for listening to your music, I have to die? It''s not worth it," Li Lin exclaimed. "You dare say my music is bad?" the woman in white asked coldly. "It might seem good to others, but upon closer listening, it''s lacking," Li Lin said boldly. "Do you understand music? You better have something substantial to say, or I might feed you to the beasts here," the woman in white said, releasing Li Lin, who fell to the ground. "Speak up. What''s wrong with my music, or my composition?" the woman in white demanded. "Elder, to put it simply, your zither playing is beyond reproach, reaching the pinnacle of mastery. Your composition is also excellent, with melodies that are gentle and immersive, allowing one to feel your inner world. To the average person, it''s flawless. However, to those who truly understand the zither, it would only be considered a basic level," Li Lin said, feigning profundity. "Oh? Let''s hear you elaborate," the woman in white seemed slightly more amiable, prompting him to continue. "Elder, your zither is good, but the sound is somewhat monotonous. The piece is nice, but the tone is too sorrowful. It immerses the listener in an atmosphere of grief, which nobody would want to keep in their heart. Thus, while people may be amazed by your performance, they won''t remember it. True zither music should linger for days, haunting the listener''s dreams and making them yearn for more," Li Lin said softly. Li Lin paused, noticing the young woman in white seemed captivated by his bluster, and continued: "Moreover, the lyrics of your compositiondespite their beauty, they only convey a melancholic tone that fails to touch the soul deeply. Therefore, I deduce that you harbor resentment towards someone in your heart, yet you cannot forget them." After finishing, Li Lin saw the woman in white''s expression change slightly and thought to himself that his rambling might have fooled her. He chuckled inwardly; he knew nothing about the zither. His critique was no more than the kind of empty talk spouted by so-called experts, picking at nits to appear knowledgeable. At this moment, the young girl beside them was staring at Li Lin, dumbfounded, probably bamboozled by his words. "Since you claim my zither playing is inadequate, why don''t you play a piece for me?" the woman in white challenged Li Lin. "Elder, I''m good at talking, but playing is another matter," Li Lin said with a slight smile, thinking to himself that it was just like the experts on TV who sound knowledgeable but are clueless in practice. He was in a similar predicament. Chapter 234: The Three Variations of Plum Blossom "That just proves you are deceiving me." The woman in white instantly turned stern, a chill emanating from her once again, she coldly said: "If you don''t play, I will kill you immediately." "Please have mercy, senior. I will try." Li Lin''s face immediately turned gloomy, fearing that if he didn''t play, he would indeed be killed by this woman. Approaching the pavilion, under the watchful eyes of the woman in white, Li Lin walked next to the bamboo platform and looked at an ancient zither on it, his heart skipped a beat. This was a five-stringed zither. Regarding the ancient zither, he had learned some in extracurricular activities at school in his previous life, but what he learned was all about the seven-stringed zither; he had no idea how to play this five-stringed one. "Still not playing? I want to see what extent your so-called realm can reach," the woman in white coldly uttered. "Senior, is there another zither?" Looking at the five-stringed zither in front of him, Li Lin slightly raised his eyebrows, thinking he might be able to use some clever tricks to bluff his way through this situation. The woman in white hesitated for a moment, then a streak of light appeared on the storage ring in her hand, and soon a green ancient zither was placed in front of Li Lin. Li Lin looked at this green zither, knowing at a glance it was no cheap item, its value definitely not low. However, under the surprised gaze of the woman in white and the young girl, he unhesitatingly took off two of the strings. "What are you doing?" The woman in white immediately asked, cherishing the zither as her life, seeing Li Lin ruining her fine zither, she became somewhat angrily upset. "Senior, you will know soon." Li Lin gave a mysterious smile, then after pondering for a moment on the first zither, he tied the two strings to the sides of the ancient zither. After making sure they were secure, he tested the sound. After a moment, Li Lin smiled with satisfaction. Although it looked a bit unsightly, the five-stringed zither was indeed transformed into a seven-stringed one by Li Lin. Seeing Li Lin fiddling with the five-stringed zither, the woman in white initially had an ugly expression but did not object, which was considered a tacit approval. In the end, seeing the five-stringed zither turned into a seven-stringed one, her face showed some surprise, as she had never seen a seven-stringed zither before. Looking at his achievement, Li Lin was also very satisfied, not expecting himself to have such talent. The five-stringed and seven-stringed zithers have quite a few differences. As far as Li Lin knew, the ancient zither was divided into several types. In the previous life, the ancient zither originally had five strings, developed into seven strings during the Spring and Autumn period, evolved into twelve strings by the end of the Warring States period, thirteen strings during the Sui dynasty, sixteen strings in the Qing dynasty, and had reached twenty-one strings by the sixties. Before his transmigration, he had even seen a twenty-six-stringed one. However, among all these, the seven-stringed zither is recognized as best reflecting the characteristics of the ancient zither, best embodying its ancient and classical flavor. Although the seven-stringed zither only has seven strings, it can produce multiple tones per string, its range reaching over four octaves. With the help of thirteen "hui" on the surface and two hidden hui on the sides, it can play many harmonics and pressed notes. The sound is reserved and far-reaching, ancient and elegant, with rich expressiveness, something the five-stringed zither cannot compare to. Hence, Li Lin had the idea to use a seven-stringed zither to solve the problem. "I want to see, with this zither turned into seven strings, what changes will occur." The woman in white said indifferently to Li Lin. Li Lin did not answer, standing slightly on the bamboo platform, then shook his sleeves, slowly sat down, not immediately intending to play. "Why aren''t you playing yet?" The woman in white scolded. "Senior, it seems you really haven''t entered the threshold yet." Li Lin glanced at the woman in white lightly. "You" The woman in white was angrily retorted. But Li Lin didn''t let her speak further, continuing: "There are five taboos in playing the zither, also called the five prohibitions, namely: First, do not play during strong winds or heavy rain. The sound of strong winds is harsh, and heavy rain produces a dull tone, thus not suitable for playing. Second, do not play in dusty marketplaces. This is because marketplaces are noisy and chaotic, vulgar and not serene, which goes against the elegance of the zither. Third, do not play for vulgar people. Common and vulgar people, not understanding elegance or sentiment, unable to appreciate the subtlety of zither music, naturally are not the connoisseurs. Fourth, do not play while standing. Playing the zither requires a calm mind and spirit, without any impatience. Hence, one cannot play the zither while standing. Fifth, do not play without proper attire. When playing the zither, one must be clean in body and mind." If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Not sure if the woman in white was truly baffled by Li Lin, she couldn''t help but ask, "Do you mean to say that playing the zither also requires choosing the right time and place?" "You could say that." Li Lin slightly said: "For zither players, there are prohibitions. To cultivate one''s temperament, suppress licentiousness, and remove extravagance. If wanting to play the zither, one must choose a quiet room or high chamber, either at the top of a tower, inside a forest rock, on the peak of a mountain, or by the water''s edge. This bamboo forest pavilion of yours is also not bad." After a pause, Li Lin continued: "When playing the zither, it must be when the wind is gentle and the moon is clear, the mind not wandering, the qi and blood harmonized, only then can one merge with the spirit, unite with the Tao, achieving the ultimate. Unfortunately, a zither player''s knowing audience is hard to find." "Hard to find a knowing audience" The woman in white murmured, seemingly reminded of something. Li Lin noticed this, secretly chuckled, but solemnly said: "I generally do not play the zither, if without a knowing audience, I would rather alone face the clear breeze and bright moon, the ancient pines and peculiar rocks, the wild monkeys and old cranes, indulging in them, which is better than playing for people." "Do you think I am not qualified to listen to your zither?" The woman in white''s face darkened as she spoke. "Of course not, senior is naturally qualified, now I can play." Li Lin said slightly, then pressed the strings with his left hand and plucked them with his right. "Ding" The first note of the zither rang out, the melody was flowing and as if bathed in the spring breeze. If it were this seven-stringed zither, Li Lin was not boasting. In his previous life, he had also seriously learned for a period. It was not because Li Lin was interested in the ancient zither, but because the zither class had the school beauty he had secretly admired for three years. As soon as Li Lin signed up, the school beauty had already graduated. The sound of the ancient zither was soft and contained, Li Lin, for his life''s sake, also calmed down, remembering what the zither teacher had said, playing the zither is also playing oneself, often only by moving oneself can one move others. To truly play the zither well depends on the state of mind and nature. Unity of heaven and human is the ultimate destination of a zither player. The lot Li Lin spoke just now was not made up. As Li Lin''s right hand began to pluck, pick, wipe, lift, support, split, hit, and pinch, a series of melodious zither notes began to flow gracefully. As Li Lin calmed his mind, the sound of the zither was reserved and far-reaching, ancient and elegant, carrying a sense of otherworldliness. If there were people from his previous life here, they could naturally tell that what Li Lin was playing was indeed the quintessential "Three Variations of Plum Blossom". At the same time, Li Lin also lightly sang: "Lanterns twinkling, voices fading, songs not ending the chaos of war, how many reincarnations, how many glances back, only for that misty rain in the south, covering the world, after the beauty fades, just a scene, half a life in the military. Thousands of reincarnations, a spring gone and beauty aged, flowers fall and people perish, unknown to each other, half a life of glaze, a bleak farewell, performed at the curtain call, lost in confusion, who can awaken?" Listening to Li Lin''s light singing, the woman in white seemed a bit surprised, and after a moment, her eyes closed tightly, her expression completely relaxed, as if she had immersed herself in it. Only to hear Li Lin continue singing: "Half a lantern, accompanied by ancient Buddha, the moon becomes a pair, the wind screens the pavilions, a volume of years and a song, warm smoke initial makeup, three thousand strands of hair, painted into obsession for you. Accumulating a lifetime of madness, to whom can it be entrusted? Not fearing the vicissitudes of beauty, only afraid of flowers falling and strings breaking with no one to listen, a song of Konghou, intertwined with Han poetry and Yuan verses, a pipa, enveloping Tang poetry and Song lyrics. Holding a broken Xiao, infatuated with the Qingming rain, the splendor all lost, who can grant me a song of everlasting love?" A song of Three Variations of Plum Blossom, the melody winding, although it was an ancient tune, for the woman in white, Li Lin specifically wrote these lyrics, the woman in white was most likely hurt by love. To resonate with her, Li Lin had to use some tricks. As the song slowly ended, Li Lin also unknowingly immersed himself in it, the sound of the zither penetrating his mind, like the proud plum on a lonely cliff, the hidden orchid in a valley, the bamboo sea under floating clouds, the daffodil by the clear stream, though not reaching the level of lingering for three days, it definitely achieved a certain realm. Moreover, Li Lin was using a seven-stringed zither, with the winding melody of the Three Variations of Plum Blossom, definitely not something that could be played on the original five-stringed zither. In zither art, Li Lin knew he was no match for the woman in white, he could only take some advantage on the seven-stringed zither. As the last note of the zither fell, Li Lin looked back, only to see the young girl beside him completely immersed in it, while the woman in white was slowly opening her eyes. "The seven-stringed zither is indeed wonderful, but your zither skills are average. If not for the marvelous aspects of this seven-stringed zither, I''m afraid you wouldn''t have been able to play this piece. Your piece is not bad, and the lyrics you wrote are also excellent, it''s just that when you sing, it''s clearly forcing new words on sorrow, you''re just groaning without illness," the woman in white said after a moment, watching Li Lin. "Senior indeed has sharp eyes." Li Lin was shocked in his heart, the woman in white''s insight was truly sharp. He played these sorrowful tunes, completely to cater to her, having never experienced a breakup, not even dating, how could he understand these entangled feelings of love and hate. "Considering you have some understanding of the zither, you may leave. I can spare your life. If you come again, there will be no mercy," the woman in white said indifferently. "Senior, I came to find Senior Ghost Immortal. Once I find her, I will leave immediately." Li Lin said, as he came to find the Ghost Immortal, leaving like this would mean coming in vain. Chapter 235: Circles and Crosses "I''ve said, there''s no Ghost Immortal here." The woman in white spoke indifferently, her stunning face now carrying a hint of coldness. "Senior, it was the Soul-Commanding Poison General Dong WuMing who sent me here." After hesitating for a moment, Li Lin spoke softly, guessing in his mind that this woman in white might have a fifty percent chance of being the Ghost Immortal Bai Ying, but considering her age, it seemed somewhat unlikely. As his words fell, Li Lin began to observe the woman in white''s reaction, judging his own guess. "Hmph." Just then, the woman in white suddenly let out a cold snort, a chill pressing down from the air as she formed hand signs, and several streaks of light already began to condense. "This is bad." Li Lin''s heart sank, and his body quickly retreated. "Whoosh whoosh" Li Lin thought the woman in white was going to attack him, but saw her and the young girl''s figures vanish into thin air after casting a few streaks of light, with a voice coming from above, "Since that guy sent you, you should die even more. I will make you die of entrapment alive in my maze forest formation. This maze forest formation was originally prepared for that bastard, but now I''ll start with you." "She really is the Ghost Immortal." Li Lin was startled, judging from the woman in white''s reaction, this person was most likely Ghost Immortal Bai Ying. Li Lin regretted not listening to the old poisoner''s advice, who had told him never to mention his name. It seems the Ghost Immortal harbors no small hatred for the old poisoner. "Senior, I''m actually not very familiar with the old poisoner." Li Lin immediately spoke loudly, but after his words fell, there was a long silence. Li Lin''s face turned unsightly as he observed his surroundings. Nothing had changed; he was still inside the pavilion, but the path by which he had come had disappeared, and the ancient zither in the pavilion was gone too. All around were bamboo forests, with no end in sight. "Maze Forest Formation, I want to see if I can break your maze forest formation." Li Lin muttered to himself, recalling that the Soul-Commanding Poison General Dong WuMing had mentioned that although Ghost Immortal Bai Ying was a martial artist, she also had considerable skill in formations. Carefully observing his surroundings, Li Lin studied the formation. Being able to set up a formation was surprising for a martial artist, making Ghost Immortal Bai Ying truly no ordinary person. Carefully examining the bamboo forest, Li Lin entered it. The bamboo forest was identical; every bamboo''s size and length were exactly the same. A slight misstep could lead to danger. Walking slowly forward, inside the bamboo forest, all paths looked the same, with no difference. Li Lin carefully recalled the formation records in the cheap master Saint Hand Spirit Venerate''s Heavenly Spirit Record in his mind. This Maze Forest Formation was clearly an illusionary formation, creating many false images in one''s mind. Being inside, it was impossible to discern the real from the fake. "I refuse to believe I can''t break it." Li Lin silently thought to himself, carefully studying the formation part in the Heavenly Spirit Record. With the Heavenly Spirit Record, Li Lin was standing on the shoulders of giants regarding formations, his starting point much higher than others. Although he was cramming in a sense, having the Heavenly Spirit Record was very useful. After a moment, Li Lin was immersed in studying the formation, having had no time to study formations properly before. Now, being forced to study inside this Maze Forest Formation actually helped him. In a simple courtyard deep in a valley, the woman in white looked at the seven-stringed zither on the stone table, surprised, muttering, "This kid does have some talent. At such a young age, he has such understanding of the zither. That song''s lyrics are also not bad." "Master, was that a man just now?" The young girl curiously asked the woman in white. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Men are no good, stay away from them," the woman in white said. "But Master, didn''t he say he was a boy? What''s the difference between a man and a boy?" The girl asked in confusion, completely naive about worldly matters. "This" The woman in white paused, then said, "You''ll naturally understand later." "Oh, but I think that man seemed quite nice, not as bad as Master said," the girl whispered. "You don''t understand, the badness of men is hidden in their hearts." After glancing at the girl, the woman in white said, "Sasa, Master will be in seclusion for a few days to study this zither. Stay here and don''t go out." "Master, what about that man?" The girl asked. "He won''t die, nor can he leave. Let him fend for himself." After saying that, the woman in white took the seven-stringed zither modified by Li Lin and left the courtyard. Time slowly passed, and two days later, Li Lin was still trapped in the formation. Although he had gained some understanding of the illusionary formation, he was still unable to find an exit. "This formation is really something." Li Lin sighed inwardly. With two days'' understanding, Li Lin became clearer about the Maze Forest Formation. The formation was not weak. Although it was an illusionary formation, if the person who set up the formation changed tactics, the formation could still pose many deadly attacks. Currently, no danger approached him in the formation, probably because the Ghost Immortal just wanted to trap him and had no intention of killing him. "Senior, I know you are the Ghost Immortal Senior. The old poisoner told me to tell you that he misses you. Can you hear me?" At this point, Li Lin had nothing to lose. As soon as Li Lin finished speaking, he heard several "pfft" laughs. Hearing the sound, Li Lin recognized it as the young girl''s voice, not the woman in white''s. "Boy, my master is in seclusion, she can''t hear you speaking," the girl''s voice came again, as if right by his ear, yet also as if from afar. "Boy" Hearing this address, Li Lin felt somewhat awkward, his eyebrows immediately furrowed, then he said, "Miss, can you let me out?" "I can''t open this Maze Forest Formation either. Even if I wanted to let you out, I couldn''t. Besides, Master said men are no good, so I definitely won''t let you out," the girl continued. "Miss, what your master said might not always be right," Li Lin continued, now following the direction of the voice, moving forward instantly. "Nonsense, Master would never lie to me. I''m not talking to you anymore," the girl said. "Really, your master is lying to you. Have you ever tried to understand men?" Li Lin asked. "No, I''ve been with Master since I was little and have never left this place." After a moment, the girl''s voice continued, seeming to want to talk to Li Lin again. Soon, through Li Lin''s eloquence and persuasion, he learned everything about the girl. She had grown up with her master from a young age, took her master''s surname Bai, and was named Bai Sasa. With the surname Bai, Li Lin became even more certain that the woman in white was indeed Ghost Immortal Bai Ying. Bai Sasa had lived in this valley for fifteen years, arriving at the age of three, and had never left, completely naive about worldly affairs, curious about everything, and as pure as a blank sheet of paper. "How long will your master be in seclusion before she comes out?" Li Lin continued to ask. "I don''t know, Master is studying the ancient zither, and I don''t know how long it will take," the girl replied. At this time, Li Lin returned to the pavilion where he had played the ancient zither two days ago, wandering around the pavilion before finally stopping by the nearest green bamboo. Looking at the green bamboo, Li Lin raised his hand, a yellow light flashed, and he directly pulled out the arm-sized green bamboo. As soon as the bamboo was pulled out, it instantly turned into a streak of light and fell into Li Lin''s hand, becoming a palm-sized formation corner, emitting a rich wood attribute aura. At the same time, a light "eh" sound came to Li Lin''s ears, then that provocative girl appeared in Li Lin''s sight, it was Bai Sasa. At this moment, Bai Sasa''s mouth was wide open, incredulously looking at Li Lin. "How did you come out?" The girl was astonished, her expression unbelievable. "The formation was opened, so naturally I came out." Li Lin smiled slightly, thankful to Bai Sasa. If it weren''t for her speaking, he wouldn''t have been able to break the formation so quickly. Also, because the woman in white didn''t activate any lethal moves in the formation, otherwise he couldn''t have come out. In this formation, Li Lin deeply experienced the subtleties of formations, realizing a formation could be much stronger than a powerful individual. "By the way, do you know the difference between a boy and a man? Master said I would understand later, but I want to know now." After being surprised that Li Lin came out, Bai Sasa didn''t think much and asked curiously, her eyes scanning Li Lin, seemingly puzzled by their different appearances. "This" Li Lin hesitated, rubbing his nose, then said, "A boy is someone who has never ''circled and crossed'' with a woman. After ''circling and crossing'' with a woman, a boy becomes a man, and the same goes for a girl, after ''circling and crossing'' with a man, she becomes a woman. Overall, it''s a very miraculous thing." "What is ''circling and crossing''?" Bai Sasa looked at Li Lin, puzzled. "This" Li Lin was momentarily stunned, Bai Sasa was so pure she was even more innocent than a blank sheet of paper. How was he supposed to answer this without corrupting a young girl? "Hurry up, what is ''circling and crossing''?" Bai Sasa pressed, clearly very curious. Chapter 236: Sweet Talk "Tick-tack-toe is a man and a woman doing something very great, both very happy and satisfied with it. This thing can be said to be sacred and great, and also the origin of humanity. It is said that women will like it very much." Li Lin hesitated for a moment, then said wickedly. "Really, can we do tick-tack-toe then?" Bai Sasha looked at Li Lin eagerly. "Well..." Li Lin was stunned, that was too direct. It was his first time, and it couldn''t just be casual, he was definitely not a casual person. "Hmph, I didn''t expect someone could actually walk out of my maze. Who exactly are you?" A cold voice came, and a breathtakingly beautiful woman in white had already appeared beside Li Lin. "Senior, I walked out unintentionally, please don''t blame me." Li Lin immediately handed the formation corner in his hand to the woman in white. "Master, this boy said, after a boy and a girl do tick-tack-toe, doing something very great, both will be very happy and satisfied, and then they can become a man and a woman." Bai Sasha happily told the woman in white. Hearing Bai Sasha''s words, Li Lin suddenly felt a surge of desperation. This woman was really naive, too naive. Cold sweat broke out on Li Lin''s forehead. "I knew it, no man is good. So young and already adept at sweet-talking to deceive women. Keeping you would be a disaster for women in the future, might as well kill you now." The woman in white coldly said. "I..." Li Lin really couldn''t figure out where he had deceived women. "Senior, before I die, could you let me say something." Li Lin thought to himself, also preparing to escape. The Puppet Yi and the Sky Wing Snow Lion were both getting ready, thinking to himself that this woman was just as temperamental and terrifying as the Old Poisoner said. "Speak, let you finish before dying." The woman in white said coldly. "I came looking for a Ghost Fairy Senior, sent by the Soul Summoning Poison Duke Dong WuMing. The Old Poisoner said, he hoped to see the Poison Fairy Senior before he died, to say sorry to her." Li Lin softly finished speaking, then looked up at the woman in white, saying, "Senior, after you kill me, please help me find the Ghost Fairy Senior. Then I will die without any complaints." "What did you say, before dying, what exactly happened to that old thing?" The stunning woman in white suddenly asked Li Lin, her expression already anxious. "Looks like there really was something between them." Li Lin chuckled to himself, this look, it would be strange if there wasn''t something. It seems things will be easier now. "Senior, just kill me. I need to find the Ghost Fairy Senior to speak." Li Lin deliberately said. "Nonsense, didn''t that old man tell you what the Ghost Fairy looks like? I am the Ghost Fairy Bai Ying. Quick, say how that old man is?" The stunning woman in white asked. "So you are the Ghost Fairy Senior." Li Lin bowed again, his heart already sure from the conversation with Bai Sasha that this person was indeed the Ghost Fairy Bai Ying, then said, "The Old Poisoner is temporarily not in life danger, but his injuries are too severe, I''m afraid... sigh, not sure if he can recover." Hearing Li Lin''s words, the Ghost Fairy Bai Ying seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, looking at Li Lin and asking, "What relation are you to that old man?" "I am the Old Poisoner''s nephew." Li Lin replied, thinking to himself, that''s what they call it in the Misty Mountain Range anyway. "You''re lying, where did he get a nephew?" The woman in white immediately said. "Senior, why would I lie to you, I''m really his nephew, not by blood. If you don''t believe it, then forget it. This is what he gave me." Li Lin took out a jade pendant, which was specifically given to him by Soul Summoning Poison Duke Dong WuMing to prove his identity. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "This..." Taking the jade pendant from Li Lin''s hand, the woman in white''s expression changed again, carefully touching the jade pendant in her hand, her gaze suddenly becoming distant, as if she remembered something. "Did he really say he wanted to see me?" After a moment, the Ghost Fairy''s expression calmed down, and her tone of speaking to Li Lin became much softer. "Yes, the Old Poisoner personally told me." Li Lin sincerely said, but in his heart, he thought, he could only apologize to the Old Poisoner first, maybe he could still matchmake a relationship. The Ghost Fairy Bai Ying was so beautiful, it''s really puzzling how the Old Poisoner couldn''t appreciate her, still fixated on harming that woman. "You''re not lying to me?" The Ghost Fairy Bai Ying looked at Li Lin, her beautiful eyes carrying a hint of doubt, and also a bit more anticipation and anxiety. "How dare I lie to the Ghost Fairy Senior." Li Lin immediately said. "You''d better not dare." The Ghost Fairy looked at Li Lin, her face showing a trace of a girlish smile, suddenly becoming incomparably beautiful. Li Lin sighed in his heart, this Ghost Fairy really was like a fairy. The Soul Summoning Poison Duke Dong WuMing, that Old Poisoner, must have had his head caught in a door, to not want such a beautiful woman. "Take me to see him." After a moment, the Ghost Fairy said to Li Lin. "Senior, I can take you, but you have to agree to a condition, otherwise, the Old Poisoner said he dares not see you." Li Lin''s eyes flashed, then said. "Speak." The Ghost Fairy looked at Li Lin. "The Old Poisoner has now joined the Flying Spirit Sect as the Grand Elder, he hopes you can also join the Flying Spirit Sect. Then, you can often see the Senior, otherwise, seeing the Senior once and then leaving, it''s better not to see at all." Li Lin said. "You''re quite good at lying. Tell me, what exactly is going on, or else I will immediately take your life." The Ghost Fairy''s face sank again, picking up the jade pendant Li Lin had just given her, saying, "Do you know the origin of this jade pendant? This is what I left for that old man. He saved my life back then. If he ever encounters trouble, he could let someone find me. As long as I can do it, I will agree. Given his character, he would definitely not ask me for help. So, giving me this jade pendant probably means he hopes I agree to something for you, and you still dare to deceive me, what exactly happened to him?" Li Lin was almost out of breath, so the jade pendant had this purpose. The Old Poisoner didn''t tell him in advance, almost causing him to lose his life. At the same time, Li Lin admired the Ghost Fairy to the ground, truly nothing could be hidden from this woman. "Senior, I''ll tell the truth." Li Lin then explained the whole story from beginning to end. Of course, telling the truth was impossible, what needed to be truthfully said was said, what couldn''t be said, naturally would not be said. In summary, Li Lin''s words meant that the Old Poisoner was seriously injured by the combined forces of the Tianxing Sect, and he was saved unintentionally by Li Lin, who then joined the Flying Spirit Sect. He planned to strengthen the Flying Spirit Sect before seeking revenge on the Tianxing Sect, along with the current situation of the Flying Spirit Sect. The truth was mixed with lies, and Li Lin didn''t believe the Ghost Fairy could discern the truth from falsehood. In this, Li Lin completely portrayed himself as a selfless good person, dedicated to helping the Old Poisoner seek revenge, without any personal agenda. "This old guy, does he really hate that woman, or can''t he forget her?" After hearing Li Lin''s words, the Ghost Fairy sighed slightly. "Senior, the Old Poisoner naturally hates that woman, otherwise he wouldn''t have sent me to find you," Li Lin said inappropriately. "Kid, if this is really what that old thing wants, I might consider joining your Flying Spirit Sect, but if you dare to deceive me, I will make your death very unpleasant," the Ghost Fairy said after regaining her composure. "Senior, this is indeed what the Old Poisoner intended, otherwise I wouldn''t know where you live," Li Lin assured, though his words were half-true, half-false. If not for the Soul Summoning Poison Duke Dong WuMing mentioning her, Li Lin wouldn''t even know who the Ghost Fairy was. "Come in, I''ll get ready, and we''ll leave tomorrow," the Ghost Fairy said to Li Lin, turning to enter the courtyard. "It worked." Li Lin was overjoyed, not expecting to resolve the situation so easily, seeing the charm of the Old Poisoner was indeed significant. "Yay, I can stay with a man tonight," Bai Sasha exclaimed loudly, scaring Li Lin, hoping he wouldn''t be forced tonight, as Bai Sasha might really do such a thing. Inside the courtyard, everything was unique. Although the decorations were simple, they did not lack elegance. Li Lin immediately lavished praise, from taste and style to the Ghost Fairy''s exceptional beauty, complimenting her from start to finish. The Ghost Fairy''s mood visibly improved with Li Lin''s compliments, and her demeanor towards Li Lin softened considerably, even showing a smile occasionally, which made Li Lin secretly delighted. After all, she was a woman, and women like to be complimenteda common trait among them, and praising her more was foolproof. "Senior, are you not yet twenty-eight? I have never seen a woman with such temperament as you," Li Lin said with wide eyes, though his mind wandered to Li Wushuang. Li Wushuang''s temperament was not inferior to the Ghost Fairy''s; the two could be considered equally matched, not to mention the stunning green-dressed girl and the cross-dressing woman he encountered in the Misty Mountain Range, as well as Lu Xiaoling, who were not far behind in terms of temperament and beauty. "Kid, your mouth is as sweet as honey. Who knows how many young girls you will charm dizzy in the future. I am already sixty, old," the Ghost Fairy scolded Li Lin, but it was clear she was quite pleased. Chapter 237: So Many Men "Senior, no, you must be fooling me with that sixty, I think I''ll call you Ying Sister from now on. How can sixty look this young?" Li Lin truly couldn''t believe it. The appearance of the ghost fairy looked not even thirty, her maintenance was frightening. If she could patent this maintenance method, she could make a fortune. "I really am sixty, Sasa has been with me for fifteen years," the ghost fairy sighed, but she did not oppose Li Lin calling her Ying Sister. Li Lin immediately took the opportunity, saying, "Ying Sister, have you known the Old Poisoner for a long time?" "Yes, that old thing is just stubborn. Let''s not talk about it, have a good rest tonight. We''ll go to Flying Spirit Gate tomorrow." After Bai Ying, the ghost fairy, finished speaking, she let Bai Sasa take Li Lin to a room to rest. It was not easy for an outsider to come, Bai Sasa clung to Li Lin until late at night before willing to leave, making Li Lin shrink in the corner of the bed in fear for half the night. He breathed a sigh of relief only after seeing Bai Sasa leave. The next morning, Li Lin stopped cultivating, slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air from his body, pushed open the door, and a morning breeze blew over, bringing the fragrant aroma of the valley, with several birds chirping and flying overhead, everything was very quiet and peaceful. "Boy, are you up? Master asked me to inform you, we should set off," Bai Sasa hopped over, still dressed as lively, her long, beautiful legs and exquisite figure, with her chest as if it was about to burst forth. "Sasa, call me Li Lin, don''t keep calling me boy, it doesn''t sound nice," Li Lin said helplessly. "Are you not a boy? Or have you played tic-tac-toe with a girl?" Bai Sasa was immediately surprised: "How could you do that, why didn''t you play tic-tac-toe with me?" "I''m dumbfounded!" Li Lin was immediately at a loss for words, this Bai Sasa was too innocent, innocently to an extraordinary extent. Outside the courtyard, Li Lin saw the ghost fairy Bai Ying already waiting, still in a simple white dress, but ethereal, like a fluttering fairy, but Li Lin knew very well, once Bai Ying, the ghost fairy, turned her face, it was faster than flipping a book. "Ying Sister, good morning, we can set off now. I believe the Old Poisoner will be very surprised to see you," Li Lin said softly. "Lin''er, since you''re here, you must have a flying beast, call your flying beast over. If I were to take you guys, it would be somewhat tiring," the ghost fairy Bai Ying said. "Okay." Li Lin nodded, slapped his chest, and a white light instantly leaped to mid-air from the space beast bag, the Sky Wing Snow Lion''s huge body appeared with a roaring sound as its wings flapped. "Roar" The huge Sky Wing Snow Lion circled, a great oppressive force spread, after reaching the third phase middle stage, its aura had strengthened a lot. "A third phase middle stage Sky Wing Snow Lion." Seeing the Sky Wing Snow Lion, the ghost fairy Bai Ying couldn''t help but be a bit surprised. "What a beautiful beast, boy, give it to me, okay?" Bai Sasa looked at the Sky Wing Snow Lion in the sky, obviously very delighted. "This" Li Lin was speechless. Everyone jumped onto the Sky Wing Snow Lion, the ghost fairy''s hand seals flew, mysterious seals transformed into flowing light and spread, and the courtyard below instantly disappeared. "Ying Sister''s Mystic Forest Array is really profound," Li Lin exclaimed. "This is just a small array among the wood-based arrays, it''s a pity I''m not a spiritual practitioner, otherwise, I could have made some progress in arrays," the ghost fairy sighed lightly. As a martial practitioner, to study arrays to this extent was already not easy, martial practitioners are inherently suppressed in terms of soul, in arrays and puppets, they cannot compare with spiritual practitioners, this Li Lin also understood very well. "Right, I was able to break your Mystic Forest Array yesterday, it seems you also have some research on arrays," the ghost fairy then asked Li Lin. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Just a little research" Then Li Lin and the ghost fairy Bai Ying started discussing arrays on the back of the Sky Wing Snow Lion, from human arrays to law arrays, the two hit it off immediately. Li Lin''s research on arrays naturally was not as good as the ghost fairy Bai Ying''s, but with the Heavenly Spirit Record in his mind, he was very knowledgeable, making the ghost fairy Bai Ying occasionally dumbfounded, many problems were suddenly solved. Although the ghost fairy''s research on arrays was not to an extremely powerful extent, it was definitely not low, and since it was all self-studied, the foundation was solid. Li Lin also learned a lot of basic things from her, both of them benefited a lot. Then the two talked about poetry and essays, with the memories of previous lives, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, Qing all the poetry, Li Lin could remember a bit, and talked eloquently, making the ghost fairy Bai Ying also surprisingly amazed. This contact made the ghost fairy no longer see Li Lin as an ordinary youth, to a certain extent, she was completely convinced by Li Lin. After talking for three days, Bai Sasa was dizzy and wanted to sleep, bored alone, and finally started to cultivate. Li Lin was also surprised at Bai Sasa''s cultivation level, Bai Sasa was completely ignorant of worldly affairs, but her talent in cultivation was amazing, at the age of eighteen, she was already a sixth-stage martial master, such cultivation strength, much stronger than the average major sect''s direct disciples. Then Li Lin also told the ghost fairy Bai Ying about the current detailed situation of Flying Spirit Gate, about everything of Flying Spirit Gate, Li Lin did not hide anything, including the secret chambers left by Flying Spirit Gate before, and also told the ghost fairy that he would leave for two years. "Flying Spirit Gate now has only a dozen or so martial souls, less than a thousand people, such a force, do you really think you can contend with Tian Xing Sect?" After listening to Li Lin, the ghost fairy Bai Ying said somewhat disparagingly. "That''s why I came to invite Ying Sister out of seclusion." Li Lin smiled slightly, from the past few days of getting along, Li Lin felt that the ghost fairy Bai Ying was already not opposed to Flying Spirit Gate, and with the Old Poisoner in Flying Spirit Gate, he believed the ghost fairy Bai Ying would sincerely help Flying Spirit Gate. "Flying Spirit Gate''s strength is too weak, but with me and that old thing here, it''s not without a chance to fight, even Ghost Martial Sect, no need to take too seriously. When you come back in two years, I will give you a Flying Spirit Gate that you will be satisfied with," the ghost fairy said. "Kid, then I thank Ying Sister in advance." Li Lin chuckled, with the Old Poisoner and the ghost fairy Bai Ying in Flying Spirit Gate, one nine-stage spiritual marshal, one nine-stage martial marshal, Ghost Martial Sect, naturally, there''s no need to take too seriously, one spirit one martial, Flying Spirit Gate''s foundation is initially established, two years later, with the help of the ghost fairy, Flying Spirit Gate will definitely rise rapidly. "Remember, when Flying Spirit Gate has a certain strength, the first thing, I need to level Tian Xing Sect, otherwise, I will personally destroy Flying Spirit Gate," the ghost fairy Bai Ying looked at Li Lin and said seriously. "Ying Sister, rest assured, this is also my promise to the Old Poisoner." Li Lin also said seriously, obviously knowing, if not for the Old Poisoner in Flying Spirit Gate, with his own ability, he could not invite the ghost fairy Bai Ying. From the past few days of getting along and discussing, Li Lin was completely convinced by the ghost fairy Bai Ying, the person recommended by the Old Poisoner is really not simple, astronomy and geography, ancient domain power distribution, etc., the ghost fairy Bai Ying knew like the back of her hand, with such a person staying in Flying Spirit Gate, he could completely rest assured. "I believe you, the old thing''s eyesight naturally is not wrong, and it can be seen, although you are young, but your speech is extraordinary, your body leaks murderous aura, your heart is full of domineering, sooner or later you are not a thing in the pond, this point I can still see, maybe later, this old bone of mine can also follow you to leave a name on the continent," the ghost fairy said lightly. "A golden scale is not a thing in the pond, it will transform into a dragon upon meeting a storm, my storm is Ying Sister and the Old Poisoner, here, the kid thanks Ying Sister again," Li Lin said solemnly. "What a golden scale is not a thing in the pond, it will transform into a dragon upon meeting a storm, with your words, this old bone of mine will accompany you to go crazy once, by then, I don''t know those old ghosts from that year, knowing I, ghost fairy Bai Ying, have come out of seclusion again, it will be very lively," the ghost fairy Bai Ying smiled slightly, in her beautiful eyes, there was also a sudden burst of calm and murderous aura. On the third day, Li Lin once again took a third-grade high-order pill and started cultivating, his cultivation progress was astonishing. On the sixth day, in the sky above Flying Spirit Gate, the huge body of the Sky Wing Snow Lion roared in, the massive air flow opened the spatial ripples, early Flying Spirit Gate disciples came out to welcome. "The place is not bad, just a bit small," looking at Flying Spirit Mountain, the ghost fairy Bai Ying said. "Seen the Sect Master." The three jumped down from the Sky Wing Snow Lion, immediately many Flying Spirit Gate disciples came forward to salute. "So many men!" Bai Sasa exclaimed, making many Flying Spirit Gate disciples puzzled, but seeing Bai Sasa''s enticing outfit, already many disciples started to secretly size her up, but with the Sect Master here, they did not dare to go too far. And looking at the ghost fairy Bai Ying, all the disciples were stunned, one by one gaping. "Where did that old thing go?" the ghost fairy Bai Ying said. "Ying Sister, come with me," Li Lin said, leading the ghost fairy Bai Ying to their residence. "Old thing, where are you running to?" Just as Li Lin led the ghost fairy Bai Ying to the outside of the residence, the ghost fairy Bai Ying suddenly shouted tenderly, her figure disappeared like a ghost. Chapter 238: By Any Means Necessary "Whoosh..." At the same time, within the residence, a shadow flashed out like lightning, instantly a black and a white figure dragged a series of afterimages and disappeared into the distance. "Such formidable strength." Staring at Ghost Fairy Bai Ying, the surrounding elders who had rushed over were all dumbfounded. Li Lin gave a slight smile, but was not surprised. It seemed that the Old Poisoner was somewhat afraid of Ghost Fairy, probably because he had done something bad in the past and was afraid of encountering the Ghost Fairy. "Li Lin, you bastard, come out here." Three hours later, a loud shout came, and Li Lin was in his room, instantly thinking of escaping through the window, but it was too late. The figure of Soul Summoning Poison Marshal Dong WuMing had already appeared in the room, puffing his beard and staring with wide eyes. "Dong Elder, how did your talk with Ying Sister go?" Li Lin chuckled, looking at the expression on Soul Summoning Poison Marshal Dong WuMing''s face, guessing he knew that he had sold him out. "You little rascal, good job, calling her Ying Sister. To pull her into the Flying Spirit Gate, you dared to sell me out, saying that I missed her, I''m sorry to her, where did I wrong her, you''re really unscrupulous." Soul Summoning Poison Marshal Dong WuMing glared at Li Lin fiercely, still furious. "Dong Elder, calm down. I had no choice, only you have the charm to bring Ying Sister here. Besides, Ying Sister is really good to you. As soon as she heard you were seriously injured, she came right away." Li Lin said, then immediately blamed Soul Summoning Poison Marshal Dong WuMing: "You were not honest in the first place, not telling me the origin of that jade pendant, causing me to blabber nonsense and almost lose my life. You sold me out first, I was also forced into a corner." "You still dare to talk back." Soul Summoning Poison Marshal Dong WuMing glared at Li Lin, but the anger on his face had already dissipated a lot, he wasn''t really angry. "What, you''re all here?" At this moment, three figures arrived outside the room, it was Ghost Fairy Bai Ying, Li XinTong, and Bai ShaSha. Ghost Fairy Bai Ying was holding Li XinTong''s hand, lovingly, showing affection for Li XinTong as well. "Ying Sister, Dong Elder was just thanking me, saying thank you for helping him find you." Li Lin chuckled and quickly retreated behind Ghost Fairy Bai Ying. Soul Summoning Poison Marshal Dong WuMing was helplessly glaring at Li Lin but did not say much. "Really?" Ghost Fairy Bai Ying''s face showed some doubt, but a girlish smile flashed in her eyes. "By the way, when are you leaving?" Soul Summoning Poison Marshal Dong WuMing then asked Li Lin. "In ten days." Li Lin said. "That soon?" Soul Summoning Poison Marshal Dong WuMing was surprised. "Better to go and return early." Li Lin smiled slightly, now that the Flying Spirit Gate was completely trustworthy to him. At night, within the secret chamber cave, Li Lin entered again, with the last two portions of Soul Spirit Divine Liquid yet to be consumed. Li Lin planned to consume them and then set off for Yunyang Sect. Originally hoping to depart with a mercenary group, but now Li Lin thought it unnecessary. With the Snow Lion with Wings on his side, ordinary flying beasts couldn''t catch up with him, not to mention, he also had Ku Yi with him. After consuming the last two portions of Soul Spirit Divine Liquid, Li Lin began to sit cross-legged, slowly refining. Now, all the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid had been consumed. The benefits of the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid were tremendous. Li Lin even thought to himself that if there was a chance in the future to get another bottle of Soul Spirit Divine Liquid from the Myriad Beasts Sect, that would be great. In the Flying Spirit Gate, there were no waves for the time being, but in the surrounding areas of the Wudu Mountain Range, the reputation of the Flying Spirit Gate was growing. The news that the Flying Spirit Gate had annihilated the Jiu Hua Gate once it spread, all the surrounding forces were dumbfounded. Recently, the Flying Spirit Gate opened the Flying Spirit Trading Company, which also surprised many mercenary groups. The purchase price of the Flying Spirit Trading Company was slightly higher than the average, and they could also return contributions, which made many mercenary groups choose the Flying Spirit Trading Company. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. At many entrances of the Wudu Mountain Range, for the mercenary groups that escaped contributions, several elders of the Flying Spirit Gate personally inspected and had already killed three small teams for escaping contributions. Under such deterrence, the contributions in the Wudu Mountain Range to the Flying Spirit Gate suddenly increased by more than half. With the increasingly strong momentum of the Flying Spirit Gate, many mercenary groups also dared not escape contributions. The incidents with the Jiu Hua Gate and the Luo Sha Gate had already served as a warning. The disciples of the Flying Spirit Gate were all standing tall and proud, especially the original disciples, who had the highest treatment in the gate. Now, every day, many people came to join the Flying Spirit Gate. Of course, it was not easy to enter the Flying Spirit Gate, and they must go through a selection and inspection. Days later, in the secret chamber cave, Li Lin was surrounded by a dazzling transparent white light, and his aura instantly soared. After pausing for a moment, his aura broke through a bottleneck and surged upward like a broken bamboo. After a long time, the aura finally calmed down. At this moment, Li Lin''s aura had reached the seventh level of the Spirit Master, and it was still strengthening. "Sigh..." On the fifth day in the secret chamber cave, Li Lin slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air. At this time, his aura had reached the middle stage of the seventh level of the Spirit Master, and a smile appeared on his lips. "It''s been more than a year, it''s time to go to Yunyang Sect." Li Lin murmured. Yunyang Sect, one of the three sects and four gates, was full of talents and strong individuals. It was a first-class force on the Spirit Martial Continent, and Li Lin was also looking forward to gaining something in Yunyang Sect. After leaving the secret chamber cave, Li Lin returned to his residence. After seeing Ghost Fairy Bai Ying and Soul Summoning Poison Marshal Dong WuMing, Li Lin asked Fang XinQi to call Zhou YuHou. He asked Zhou YuHou to arrange for all the disciples who could come back to return to the Flying Spirit Gate in three days and to prepare the entrance ceremony for several elders. After joining the Flying Spirit Gate, they had not yet held a proper entrance ceremony. From Zhou YuHou, Li Lin also learned about the recent situation of the Flying Spirit Gate, and everything was on the right track. Liu YiShou''s arrangement had also begun to take effect. After Zhou YuHou went down to arrange everything, Li Lin spent the next few days accompanying Li XinTong, occasionally practicing. What surprised Li Lin the most was that the Lightning Black Panther began to break through. On the second day, it broke through to the third stage of the middle level, and judging by the aura of the Green Demon Python and the Bloodthirsty Mantis, they were also at the breakthrough level, probably not much longer. Under Li Lin''s arrangement, Ghost Fairy Bai Ying also lived in the courtyard behind the mountain. After all, there were plenty of rooms in the residence. After a few days of getting along, Bai ShaSha, with the help of Fang XinQi and Yan Qi, had learned much about human relations and did not know if Fang XinQi and Yan Qi had explained the meaning of circles and crosses to Bai ShaSha. Anyway, recently, whenever Bai ShaSha saw Li Lin, her face turned red like a monkey''s butt, and she dared not speak. Three days later, the Flying Spirit Gate was bustling with activity. All the disciples who could return had already rushed back. Inside the Flying Spirit Gate''s main hall, the seats were rearranged again, with two large chairs to the left and right behind Li Lin''s master chair, and everything else was well arranged. "Greetings, Master." Inside the main hall, the less than two hundred direct disciples of the Flying Spirit Gate lined up, each with a respectful expression and salute, including several protectors and elders, inside the main hall, Fang XinQi, Yan Qi, Huang BoRan, Zhang MingTao, Liu YiShou were also among them. "Everyone, today we have two matters. First, from today onwards, our Flying Spirit Gate will have two venerables, Dong Elder and Ying Sister. The venerables will be in charge of any matter within the gate at any time." Li Lin looked at the people and said, as everything was getting on track, it was necessary to re-arrange the organization of the Flying Spirit Gate. "Greetings to the two venerables." Hu NanSheng and others were sensible people, and immediately took the lead in saluting Soul Summoning Poison Marshal Dong WuMing and Ghost Fairy Bai Ying, naturally not opposing. Soul Summoning Poison Marshal Dong WuMing and Ghost Fairy Bai Ying sat beside Li Lin. At this moment, they did not say much, their faces slightly smiling, not because of the title of venerable, but because of Li Lin''s absolute affirmation of them in the Flying Spirit Gate. Then, Li Lin officially announced the identities of Hu NanSheng, Ding ChengJie, and several other elders. Zheng Ying became the Great Elder, and Zhou YuHou became the Second Elder, which no one opposed, as the two were originally elders in the Flying Spirit Gate. As for Zhang Xiao, Liu YaLei, Yang Li, etc., they were given the position of protector. With Zhang Xiao''s ninth-level Martial Soul cultivation, he naturally became the Great Protector. As elders and protectors, they received considerable cultivation pills every month. Li Lin also announced that Liu YiShou was temporarily a direct disciple of the Flying Spirit Gate, and other positions would be adjusted later. Everyone could hear that it wouldn''t be surprising for Liu YiShou to rise, now that several elders and protectors were assisting Liu YiShou in his work. After a somewhat solemn entrance ceremony, the two venerables, several elders, and protectors were officially joined to the Flying Spirit Gate. "The second matter, I will be leaving for two years. All matters of the Flying Spirit Gate will be fully in charge of Bai Venerable. Anyone who disobeys, kill without mercy." After the ceremony, Li Lin looked at the people and said. "Dare not disobey." All disciples responded, but their expressions were somewhat surprised and unexpected that the master would leave for two years, which was not a short time. "Elders and protectors, Zhang MingTao, Huang BoRan, Liu YiShou, Fang XinQi, Yan Qi, stay behind. The rest may leave." Li Lin said. The disciples left, looking at the remaining disciples, they could only envy, all secretly deciding to practice diligently in the future to gain the master''s special regard. Chapter 239: A Brief Departure from the Ancient Domain After all the disciples had left, the people remaining inside the grand hall were glanced at by Li Lin. These could be considered the absolutely loyal members of the Flying Spirit Gate, including Zhang Xiao and others who had surrendered. They had taken the Soul Ensnaring Poisonous Commander Dong WuMing''s Blood Devouring Bone Dissolving Pill and would not dare to betray. "Ladies and gentlemen, the reason I''ve asked you to stay is to tell you that you are now the backbone of the Flying Spirit Gate, as well as its core," Li Lin gently said, "Although our strength is not very strong at the moment, I believe that in the near future, our Flying Spirit Gate will definitely become a first-rate force in the ancient domain. By then, you will also leave your names in the ancient domain. The Flying Spirit Gate needs your dedication now, and I believe you will not regret everything in the future." "We swear to follow the Sect Master to the death." Everyone saluted immediately, each of them excited, proving they were now considered part of the Sect Master''s own people. Li Lin looked at everyone and said, "From today onwards, our Flying Spirit Gate will absolutely not be bullied by others. Have you not seen, the lion and tiger gain fame through their prey, but who pities the poor deer? The world has always been the strong preying on the weak, even if you have reason, it''s in vain. Do not ask, a man should act as a man does. A mans deeds should be fierce. Deeds and benevolence do not stand together. A man''s duty lies in the battlefield, with courage like a bear and eyes like a wolf." "We are willing to give our all for the Flying Spirit Gate, swearing to follow the Sect Master to the death." After a speech filled with fervor, everyone, already bloodthirsty, was now boiling with enthusiasm. Even Ding Chengjie''s eyes turned slightly red, completely moved. The Soul Ensnaring Poisonous Commander Dong WuMing and Ghost Fairy Bai Ying glanced at Li Lin, then smiled at each other, silently admiring the young man''s ability to stir people''s hearts. "Perhaps you are not yet aware of the identities of the two Venerables. Now, I will tell you their identities, but it is strictly forbidden to disclose them, with severe penalties for violations," Li Lin said, then lightly continued, "Elder Dong''s identity is the Soul Ensnaring Poisonous Commander Dong WuMing, you might have guessed some of it." "It really is the Soul Ensnaring Poisonous Commander." "So, it really is Elder Dong, the Nine Spirit Commander." The elders and protectors were shocked, many of whom had seen the Soul Ensnaring Poisonous Commander Dong WuMing in action and had some guesses, but they were not certain. Now, hearing that it was indeed the Soul Ensnaring Poisonous Commander Dong WuMing, one could imagine their astonishment. The Soul Ensnaring Poisonous Commander Dong WuMing, a Nine Spirit Master with a body full of deadly poison, was a person of influence throughout the ancient domain, especially in the central area. All the major forces knew of the Soul Ensnaring Poisonous Commander Dong WuMing, an absolute powerhouse in the ancient domain, whom countless sects sought to win over. Unexpectedly, this old man had come to the Flying Spirit Gate. Seeing everyone''s expressions, the Soul Ensnaring Poisonous Commander Dong WuMing smiled faintly, without any surprise, and gently said, "Ladies and gentlemen, we are now our own people. The Flying Spirit Gate will need your strength from now on. If anyone is not one of us, my methods will definitely not be light." Everyone gasped in shock. In front of the Soul Ensnaring Poisonous Commander Dong WuMing, who would dare have other thoughts? "Ladies and gentlemen, elders and protectors, regarding Sister Ying''s title, I don''t know if you have heard of it," Li Lin said again lightly, "Ghost Fairy Bai Ying." "It''s her..." Inside the grand hall, Zhang Xiao''s face suddenly changed, his expression extremely shocked. "May I ask if the Venerable is the Ghost Fairy who, fifteen years ago, annihilated the Hell Gate, killing four thousand people, including two Martial Commanders and twelve Martial Generals?" Zhang Xiao asked in shock. Stolen novel; please report. "It seems so, but I remember it was fourteen Martial Generals," Ghost Fairy said lightly. As soon as Ghost Fairy Bai Ying''s words fell, everyone gasped. Fourteen Martial Generals and two Martial Commanders, all annihilated by the Ghost Fairy, a slaughter that was simply extreme. Li Lin was also astonished. Ghost Fairy looked like a fairy, but her killing was terrifying. At the same time, knowing the identities of the two Venerables, everyone was sweating coldly while also excited. With such powerhouses in the Flying Spirit Gate, it was only a matter of time before the sect rose. In the future, as they rose with the sect''s status, becoming influential was not difficult. The next morning, a thin mist enveloped the Flying Spirit Mountain Range. The sun had not yet risen, and the warm wind blowing through the mountains carried a damp coolness. The tender green grass and lush forests in the mountains swayed in the morning breeze, presenting a scene full of vitality. Inside the Flying Spirit Gate, the disciples were already standing at the mountain gate, watching several figures in front. Today, the Sect Master was going to leave. "Kid, be careful on the road. If you encounter the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao in the Misty Mountain Range, run immediately. That beast is not to be trifled with. Once my injuries are fully healed, I''ll go and capture it," the Soul Ensnaring Poisonous Commander Dong WuMing said. "I know. If I encounter the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, I''ll run for my life," Li Lin said with a slight smile. The Nine-Headed Demon Jiao in the dangerous areas of the Misty Mountain Range was not to be provoked, and he was definitely not able to provoke it now. However, the Misty Mountain Range was so vast that he wouldn''t necessarily encounter the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao unless he was really unlucky. "Rest assured, in two years, I will hand over a brand-new Flying Spirit Gate to you," Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said. "All troubles to Elder Dong and Sister Ying," Li Lin bowed and said. "Sect Master, be careful on your way," Liu YiShou, Zhang MingTao, Fang XinQi, Huang BoRan, and others said. "Focus on your cultivation. Liu YiShou, the puppet I gave you, you can carry it with you at all times," Li Lin said lightly. Liu YiShou''s strength was too weak, only a Martial Apprentice. Last night, Li Lin had given the Werewolf Puppet to Liu YiShou and had already helped him recognize the master. With the Werewolf Puppet, he had some protection. "I know, thank you, Sect Master," Liu YiShou said gratefully. "Wuwu, brother, XinTong will miss you," Li XinTong''s bright eyes began to tear up, knowing Li Lin was leaving, she had already cried all night. "XinTong, be good. Brother will come back soon," Li Lin touched Li XinTong''s head, his heart also reluctant. "Roar roar..." The Sky Winged Snow Lion circled in the sky, its wings stirring up streams of spatial airflows. "Snow Lion, let''s go," Li Lin then leaped onto the back of the Sky Winged Snow Lion and gently said, waving to the people below. The Sky Winged Snow Lion, like lightning, was already in the air ahead. "Brother, XinTong will work hard to cultivate and wait for your return," Li XinTong shouted loudly from below. On the back of the Sky Winged Snow Lion, several hours later, the vast and boundless Misty Mountain Range was already in sight. Li Lin looked up at the Misty Mountain Range ahead and muttered, "YunYang Sect, I am back." The Sky Winged Snow Lion was very fast, but it would still take more than three or five days to leave the Misty Mountain Range. From the Misty Mountain Range to the Misty City, it would also take half a month. That night, in a valley within the Misty Mountain Range, a small team of about a dozen people was sitting quietly around a campfire. "Ssst..." Suddenly, a figure swooped down from the sky at lightning speed, causing only a slight ripple in the air, fast as lightning. "There''s a flying beast, be careful," a group of mercenaries immediately woke up, all of them quickly retreating. The warriors who could make a living in the Misty Mountain Range had excellent reflexes and instantly retreated. "Come to me," at this moment, the figure''s speed exceeded everyone''s expectations. A figure in a green robe appeared in the center of the scene, his hand forming a claw mark that swept through with violent force. One could vaguely see that the person in the green robe was wearing a sharp glove that shone with cold light. "Ah..." A fifth-level Martial Master''s arm was instantly broken off to the left, screaming out in pain, his face turning pale. At the same time, the figure in the green robe did not stop at all. His left hand grabbed the fifth-level Martial Master and lifted him into the air, with true energy condensing wings on his back, flying up into the mid-air. "It''s a wind element warrior, everyone be careful." The remaining people were shocked. The newcomer was not a flying beast but a wind element warrior. However, after capturing one person, the wind element warrior did not appear again, leaving everyone puzzled. In mid-air, on the back of the Sky Winged Snow Lion, Li Lin, in front of him, a young man with a severed arm had already become a dried corpse, then was incinerated into ashes by the spiritual fire in Li Lin''s hand. The person who had just attacked a small team of mercenaries in the valley was naturally Li Lin. Flying in the Misty Mountain Range, a general third-tier demonic beast would need two months. Even though the Sky Winged Snow Lion was much faster, including rest, it would still take more than a month. During this time, within the Misty Mountain Range, Li Lin naturally would not miss such an opportunity. After devouring a fifth-level Martial Master, Li Lin felt that the true qi energy in his body was only half full. Now at the seventh level of Martial Master, he could fully devour even an eighth-level Martial Master, but in that small team, there was only this one highest strength fifth-level Martial Master. Li Lin then began to sit cross-legged to slowly refine the devoured true qi energy. Time passed slowly, and the Sky Winged Snow Lion flew through the night without any impact. A day later, Li Lin had fully refined the true qi of a fifth-level Martial Master. His cultivation level had barely progressed from the edge of the seventh level of Martial Master to the middle stage of the seventh level, still slightly lacking. Chapter 240: Siege by Monsters "Sigh..." Li Lin exhaled a breath of turbid air from the sea within his dantian, opened his bright eyes, and estimated in his heart. If he kept devouring for more than a month, he probably could reach the level of a nine-layered martial artist. However, it would be somewhat difficult to attract a spirit master in the Misty Mountain Range. On the aspect of spiritual power, there might be some delays. The Sky-winged Snow Lion flew straight ahead. Some flying monsters nearby, sensing the aura of the Sky-winged Snow Lion, had long since retreated far away. After several hours, Li Lin let the Sky-winged Snow Lion rest for a while, then devoured another fourth-layered martial artist. Seven days later, in the middle of a continuous mountain range, Li Lin exhaled a breath of turbid air, his face slightly changed. He had already reached the dangerous area of the Misty Mountain Range. This dangerous area was not small; even the Sky-winged Snow Lion would need three days to cross it. Upon reaching this area, Li Lin couldn''t help but become nervous. In this dangerous area, he had personally witnessed the strength of several fourth and fifth-tier monsters. By the time it comes to fourth and fifth-tier monsters, they are considered mid-level monsters. Mid-level monsters can speak human language and are incredibly powerful. Li Lin was confident he could escape from an ordinary fourth-tier monster, but if he encountered a fifth-tier flying monster, the speed of the Sky-winged Snow Lion might not be fast enough. Therefore, Li Lin dared not be careless. Although he wanted to capture a fourth-tier monster, his current strength seemed not enough. Together with the little dragon, perhaps they could make a fight of it, but the little dragon was preparing for a breakthrough, so it was better not to take the risk. Flying along, Li Lin did not want to stay in this dangerous area. Once past this dangerous area, it would be much safer. During these seven days, three days ago, Li Lin devoured another fourth-layered martial artist, totaling one fifth-layered and two fourth-layered martial artists. At this time, his cultivation strength had already reached the peak state of a seven-layered martial artist, and his strength had increased quite a bit. "Is it time for a breakthrough?" On the second day after entering the dangerous area, Li Lin''s eyebrows suddenly furrowed while cultivating on the back of the Sky-winged Snow Lion. The little dragon in his arms began to move, and its aura started to spread. "Snow Lion, let''s go down." Li Lin said. The little dragon seemed to be on the verge of breakthrough, and it must go down, as it was not possible for the little dragon to breakthrough mid-air. "Sigh..." The Sky-winged Snow Lion swiftly flapped its wings and then dived into the mountain range, landing in a gorge. "Whoosh..." A yellow light shot out from Li Lin''s arms and landed on some weeds in the gorge. A majestic aura began to slowly rise, signaling the little dragon was ready to begin its breakthrough. During this time, the little dragon''s body was already enveloped in a dazzling light, and a strange oppressive aura began to rise. This aura, trembling as it climbed, carried terror and violence, as if it could directly penetrate one''s soul. The nearby Sky-winged Snow Lion started to feel uneasy, but having been with the little dragon for a long time, it didn''t feel too terrified. "Not good, monsters are coming." Just then, Li Lin''s eyebrows instantly raised. In the most dangerous area of the Misty Mountain Range, powerful monsters lurked everywhere. The aura of the little dragon could likely attract other monsters, and Li Lin''s spiritual sense already detected a powerful monster rushing over instantly. "Whoosh whoosh..." Outside the gorge, in the forest, a red streak of light flashed several times, instantly landing on a boulder outside the gorge. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. "It''s that Blood Lizard." Li Lin watched the monster on the boulder above the gorge, his face suddenly changed. What he feared had come to pass; it was the Blood Lizard, an early fourth-tier earth-element monster. Li Lin had seen the Blood Lizard on his way here. It was two meters tall with a tail hundreds of meters long, a huge flat mouth with a long tongue, its entire body blood-red, covered in thick scales, and its eyes as big as copper bells. When the Blood Lizard arrived outside the gorge and glanced at Li Lin, it then turned its gaze to the little dragon undergoing a breakthrough, looking quite surprised. Its gaze fell on the Sky-winged Snow Lion, also puzzled. "Human, you dare to control our kind. I will tear you apart." The Blood Lizard''s tongue flickered as it spoke human language. Li Lin wasn''t surprised by the Blood Lizard''s ability to speak human language. He already knew that monsters have a much stronger innate genetic talent than humans. After reaching the fourth-tier, monsters form a demon core inside their bodies, fully unlocking their intelligence and thus able to speak human language, but they cannot transform into humans. To transform into a human form, a monster must reach the seventh-tier level. "Blood Lizard, you''d better back off, or you will regret it." Li Lin''s expression darkened as he stared at the Blood Lizard, his true qi beginning to tremble. "You are only at the martial artist level. You are no match for me," the Blood Lizard stared at Li Lin and said. "Roar roar..." The Sky-winged Snow Lion roared, its huge body already staring angrily at the Blood Lizard. Although it was only at the mid-third-tier level, its body was a bit larger than the Blood Lizard at the early fourth-tier level. "Mid-third tier, poor Sky-winged Snow Lion, to have fallen to become a mount for humans, hmph." The Blood Lizard''s tongue flickered, speaking with a hint of coldness. "Blood Lizard, I''ll give you a fourth-grade pill. How about you leave?" Li Lin said, his face twitching. Monsters also benefit greatly from pills, especially fourth-tier monsters like the Blood Lizard, which are fully intelligent and well aware of the benefits of pills. "Hmph, I''ll kill you and take your pills anyway." The Blood Lizard''s tongue flickered, its tail lifted, and its body charged at Li Lin, the sharp sound of tearing air resounding as its scales stood erect, emitting a terrifying blood-red cold light, and a violent aura surged tumultuously. "Roar roar..." The Sky-winged Snow Lion roared, its huge body instantly in front of its master, its forelimbs leaping out, bringing forth a barrage of wind blades howling, and a violent might sweeping out. "Sky-winged Snow Lion, you dare to attack me." The Blood Lizard shouted, its tail whipping out, wrapped in a yellow light on its blood-red tail, fiercely smashing towards the Sky-winged Snow Lion. The Sky-winged Snow Lion twisted its huge body, its forelimbs carrying wind blades, and the two forces collided fiercely. "Bang bang..." the Blood Lizard''s tail was also fiercely shaken off, sweeping directly onto a boulder, which instantly turned into powder. "Whoosh..." In that instant, the Blood Lizard leaped up like lightning, charging at Li Lin again. "Blood Lizard, you think I''m really afraid of you?" Li Lin coldly shouted, his body rapidly retreating, his hand seals changing. "Whoosh whoosh..." As Li Lin''s body rapidly retreated, the Blood Lizard''s huge forelimb, like a sharp claw, pierced through the void and air, pushing aside the space around it as if to tear through space, and instantly rushed towards Li Lin. "Thousand Hands Rift Seal." Li Lin shouted lowly, casting the seal, and instantly, a massive amount of earth attribute energy surged like a flood from heaven, emitting waves of violent force like a tide, converging in the palm seal in an instant. He had already decided that he must deal with this Blood Lizard as soon as possible. The palm seal soared into the sky, instantly turning into several vague palm seals, fiercely meeting the Blood Lizard head-on. In terms of strength, Li Lin had estimated that the Blood Lizard was only at the early fourth-tier level, equivalent to the third to fourth Martial Spirit. He was not necessarily afraid of it. With his current cultivation level at the peak of the seventh Spirit Master, if he fought, he would not be without the power to fight back, especially since he had Kuai Yi with him. He had not wanted to take action just now, only because he did not want to attract other monsters. The two massive forces instantly collided, followed by a series of earth-shattering explosions, booming through the space, and a violent energy spread wildly in the air... "Boom boom boom..." The huge explosion echoed in the gorge, the violent force scattered, and Li Lin''s body was instantly hit by a huge force. At the same time, he quickly set up his Qing Ling armor, and a stream of light was already shot from his storage ring. The Blood Lizard''s strength was truly formidable, its blood energy surging ceaselessly. Li Lin quickly regulated his breathing. At this moment, the Blood Lizard''s huge body was also directly shaken back, its giant eyes somewhat surprised, instantly showing a fierce light, roaring, and all its blood-red scales stood up. "Roar roar..." Just then, outside the gorge, dozens of huge beast shadows approached. Li Lin took a closer look, his heart instantly becoming very heavy. There were as many as thirty huge monsters, with five or six of them being third-tier monsters, and the rest were second-tier. With so many, they were definitely difficult to deal with. "Snow Lion, you deal with those monsters." Li Lin immediately instructed, and with a thought, a dark green figure instantly appeared in front of the Blood Lizard, it was Kuai Yi. Chapter 241: Pulling Out All the Stops "Sssss..." At this moment, Gui Yi''s formidable power surged out directly. Clenching his fists, he whipped up a storm, causing a piercing whistling sound as he smashed his fist heavily towards the Blood Lizard. "Roar..." The Blood Lizard roared, clashing with Gui Yi instantly, as its ferocious aura burst forth. Its massive tail swept through the air, fiercely lashing towards Gui Yi. "Bang Bang!" The two forces of brute strength collided directly, causing a huge dispersion of power. Gui Yi remained unmoved, but the Blood Lizard''s body was forcefully knocked back a hundred meters, its giant tail smashed into the crevices of boulders in the canyon, causing many large rocks to instantly explode. Gui Yi, being a high-level fourth-tier puppet, was comparable to a martial warrior of the first level. Although the Blood Lizard was formidable, it was still somewhat inferior to Gui Yi. "Roar Roar..." At this time, thirty demonic beasts from outside the canyon rushed in all at once, all heading straight for Li Lin. "Roar Roar..." The Skywing Snow Lion roared, a tremendous pressure spreading from its body, gradually stopping the advance of the thirty demonic beasts, especially the second-tier ones, which immediately became somewhat fearful. The bloodline of the Skywing Snow Lion was extremely noble, capable of suppressing other beasts with lesser bloodlines. "Roar..." However, the cultivation and strength of the Skywing Snow Lion were not strong enough to deter the second-tier demonic beasts from making reckless moves. But for third-tier demonic beasts, the Skywing Snow Lion could not hold them back. After a moment, six third-tier demonic beasts charged at them again. "Hmph." Li Lin snorted coldly. At the same time, three streaks of light shot out from the space beast bag. The Bloodthirsty Mantis, the Green Demon Python, and the Lightning Black Panther, three third-tier demonic beasts, appeared in the canyon, roaring and launching their attacks. Another streak of light was released, and the Iron Eagle was also summoned by Li Lin, immediately engaging in battle with a late third-tier wind elemental demonic beast, the Mackerel Hawk. Among the six third-tier demonic beasts, the Skywing Snow Lion, the Bloodthirsty Mantis, the Green Demon Python, the Lightning Black Panther, and the Iron Eagle each blocked one, leaving a mid third-tier wind elemental demonic beast, the White Feather Beast, which instantly broke through to Li Lin''s front. This White Feather Beast was over a hundred meters in size, an absolute giant compared to Li Lin. Its body moved with incredible speed, emitting strange wind blades from its mouth, with the sound of sonic booms continuously ringing out, heading straight for Li Lin. "Get lost." Li Lin shouted coldly. A mid third-tier demonic beast was not something Li Lin would worry about under these circumstances, nor could he afford to hold back. Forming a hand seal, a surge of violent spiritual power burst out. "Soul Blade Slash." Li Lin''s spiritual power instantly condensed into a blade, tearing through the air currents around, sweeping through like Mount Tai''s pressing down, with the force of the violent slash cutting through the void, causing spatial tremors and sonic booms in the air. The blade''s light brought up a series of afterimages, carrying a terrifying force, a dazzling light shooting out instantly. At this moment, Li Lin''s level of spirit practitioner had reached the seventh level, making the power of the Soul Blade Slash even more formidable and terrifying. The terrifying spiritual blade directly hit the White Feather Beast, piercing through it instantly. The space twisted momentarily, and the terrifying energy fluctuations erupted, with the White Feather Beast, although fast, unable to avoid it. The blade''s light fiercely sliced into its body. "Whoosh..." The terrifying blade light directly hit the White Feather Beast, its huge body instantly split into two, with a rain of blood spilling out. The canyon was now in utter chaos, with demonic beasts and puppets fighting fiercely, and the forces of violence reaching their peak. "Little Dragon, it would be best if you could break through a bit faster." Li Lin thought to himself, facing these demonic beasts was manageable, but if more were to come, especially the Nine-headed Demon Jiao and the Stone Ape Demon King, it would be disastrous. "Whoosh whoosh..." At this moment, the aura on Little Dragon''s body also surged wildly, with dazzling yellow light enveloping it, its body swelling to nearly ninety meters in an instant. During this time, as Little Dragon''s aura surged, it continued to grow. "One hundred meters, one hundred twenty meters, one hundred forty meters..." As its body swelled, its scales became more distinct, covered entirely in scales emanating yellow light, with faint traces of golden flames on its body. As Little Dragon''s aura reached a frenzied state, the demonic beasts within the canyon were instantly suppressed, with the second-tier demonic beasts at the mouth of the canyon now lying prone on the ground, trembling and daring not to move. This was an absolute force of suppression, much more powerful than the royal aura emanating from the Skywing Snow Lion. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings."Roar..." "Roar..." But at this time, Little Dragon''s imposing aura was much weaker for the Skywing Snow Lion, the Bloodthirsty Mantis, the Green Demon Python, and the Lightning Black Panther, and for the Iron Eagle, being an inanimate object, Little Dragon''s aura could not affect it at all. In that moment, the Iron Eagle and the others launched lightning-fast attacks. "Boom boom boom..." Five forces of violence swept out, and the five third-tier demonic beasts were severely injured by the Skywing Snow Lion and others, with their huge bodies flying backward, two of them dying instantly and three severely injured. "Roar..." The Skywing Snow Lion, the Lightning Black Panther, and others did not stop, instantly attacking the three severely injured third-tier demonic beasts, quickly killing them. "Whoosh whoosh..." Little Dragon''s aura continued to surge, constantly growing stronger. Its body continued to swell, one hundred eighty meters, two hundred meters. "Roar!..." Just as Little Dragon''s body reached a massive two hundred meters, it let out a roar from its mouth, the sound echoing like a dragon''s chant throughout the area, its formidable aura spreading even further. This sound, which Li Lin had heard during Little Dragon''s previous breakthrough, was unlike the dragon-like sound Little Dragon could normally make. Under this roar, there seemed to be a tremendous suppressive force, with the Blood Lizard, currently being heavily suppressed by Gui Yi, showing a look of terror. "Demon Emperor..." Feeling Little Dragon''s aura, the Blood Lizard was terrified. "Whoosh..." Gui Yi, at this moment, did not pay attention to the Blood Lizard, punching out with his fist, which turned into dozens of fist imprints in front of him, all enveloping towards the Blood Lizard. A series of sonic booms resounded through the air. "Bang bang..." Despite the Blood Lizard''s instant retreat, it was still hit by Gui Yi''s punch, with a huge force pouring down, the massive body being smashed onto a boulder, which immediately cracked. Gui Yi''s strength was absolutely formidable, and with his strong body, he was perfect for fighting against demonic beasts. "Human, wait until I notify the Demon King to deal with you." The Blood Lizard, watching Gui Yi and Li Lin in the canyon, didn''t dare to stay any longer and was about to flee instantly. "Gui Yi, don''t let it escape." Li Lin immediately said. If this Blood Lizard were to bring the Nine-headed Demon Jiao, that would be a big problem. "Whoosh..." Gui Yi leaped out like lightning, charging at the Blood Lizard again. At the same time, a strange voice came into Li Lin''s mind. "Boss, leave this four-legged snake to me." As soon as the voice fell in his mind, a golden figure had already leaped out in front of Li Lin... This voice was very unfamiliar, but Li Lin felt it was very familiar, and suddenly remembered something, his face showing surprise, muttering: "Little Dragon, Little Dragon can talk now." At the same time, Little Dragon''s massive body, about two hundred meters in size, instantly arrived in front of the Blood Lizard, a huge oppressive aura spreading out. Compared to Little Dragon, the Blood Lizard''s huge body was significantly smaller. "Whoosh..." Little Dragon''s giant tail whipped down in an instant, tearing through the space like ripples, smashing down with a terrifying energy wave sweeping out, which also mixed with a huge oppressive force. The speed was too fast, the Blood Lizard had no time to dodge, raising its giant tail, also blocking upwards like lightning, a piece of earthy yellow energy light roaring out. "Bang!" The two giant tails collided and entangled, as if two huge stone pillars had struck each other, instantly erupting with a deafening sonic boom. "Crack crack..." At that moment, visible to the naked eye, the blood-red scales on the Blood Lizard''s giant tail shattered piece by piece, suddenly splattered with blood, and its huge body was directly flung away by Little Dragon. "Is Little Dragon''s strength so strong now?" Li Lin watched from a distance, shocked and delighted at the same time. Little Dragon''s current strength, I''m afraid, is no less than Gui Yi''s. "Roar..." The Blood Lizard immediately let out a long howl towards the sky, like a painful wail or as if calling other demonic beasts, its voice penetrating space, resounding deafeningly in the high sky of the canyon. "Bang!" In that instant, Gui Yi took advantage of the momentum to land another heavy punch on the Blood Lizard''s back, the violent force directly flipping the Blood Lizard over, once again slamming it down hard, with a mouthful of blood spraying out from its huge mouth. "Hiss..." Little Dragon''s massive body pressed down from the air, its scales standing erect, its ferocious aura raging, its giant tail once again heavily whipping the Blood Lizard''s back. "Pfft..." The poor Blood Lizard spat out another mouthful of fresh blood, its huge body instantly hit by Little Dragon, under the enormous force, the ground immediately cracked, and the surrounding chaotic rubble began to scatter. Chapter 242: The Level of the Little Dragon "Little Dragon, don''t kill it." Li Lin shouted loudly, only to see Little Dragon opening its gaping maw ready to devour the Blood Lizard, Li Lin hurriedly stopped it, thinking it was a great opportunity to control a fourth-grade demon beast. "Yes, boss." In Li Lin''s mind, the voice of Little Dragon came again, crisp and with a rebellious air, but also very affectionate towards Li Lin. The Blood Lizard, having taken several consecutive attacks, was already severely injured, its body completely powerless, yet still struggling desperately. "How about following me, Blood Lizard?" Li Lin said lightly, standing in front of the Blood Lizard, which was now completely suppressed by Little Dragon and Kui, unable to move at all. "Dream on, deceitful human, to think you''ve controlled so many demon beasts, all the beasts on the continent won''t let you off." The Blood Lizard struggled and roared. "Rebellious beast, you think I can''t deal with you?" Li Lin snorted coldly. "Blood Soul Mark." A sound of dragon, phoenix, lion, and tiger roars faintly came from his palm, and a strange seal appeared on Li Lin''s right palm, looking like a dragon yet not a dragon, like a tiger yet not a tiger, a tremendous pressure spreading from it. Feeling this immense pressure, the weakened Blood Lizard was instantly terrified, its body starting to tremble, completely suppressed by an invisible force, a pressure seemingly not inferior to Little Dragon''s. At this moment, Li Lin skillfully threw the Blood Soul Mark in his hand, with a loud roar of dragon, phoenix, lion, and tiger, smashing it into the forehead of the Blood Lizard, turning into a blood-colored light and disappearing. "Little Dragon Protector." At this time, Li Lin sat cross-legged, constantly changing the seals in his hands, with divine light falling directly into the forehead of the Blood Lizard. "Human, since you are a spiritualist, you can''t control me, you are just a Spirit Master. I have already notified two Demon Kings to come, it''s too late for you to leave now, you will die a gruesome death." Just then, a roar from the Blood Lizard came into Li Lin''s mind, and a mini version, half a meter in size, of the Blood Lizard appeared in a vast white space. "Hmph, even if the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao and the Stone Ape Demon King come, it will be of no use, at least you will be in my hands." Li Lin coldly shouted, sensing the Blood Lizard''s soul, which was extremely strong, probably stronger than the soul force of an average fourth-level warrior, but fortunately, his own soul force was somewhat unique, and with the Blood Soul Mark''s help, controlling the Blood Lizard should not be difficult. "Behave yourself." Li Lin then shouted deeply, controlling the dragon-tiger shaped beast formed by the Blood Soul Mark to envelop the Blood Lizard. At this time, the mini version of the Blood Lizard struggled violently, trying to flee quickly, but seemingly unable to escape the pursuit of the Blood Soul Mark. "Damn human, I''ll fight you." The Blood Lizard roared, its half-meter body now covered in blood light, enveloping the entire vast white space. "Hmph, be suppressed." Li Lin shouted again, the Blood Soul Mark now turning into boundless blood-colored light, with a tremendous pressure spreading fiercely. "Bang bang..." Explosions roared, in the outside world, Li Lin''s hand seals kept changing, his face also slightly pale, the Blood Lizard was indeed difficult to control, a fourth-grade early-stage demon beast level, if not for being severely injured at the moment and its soul force also affected, otherwise, it would have been impossible to control it. "Beast Control Technique, Suppress." Li Lin softly shouted, again a dazzling light shooting into the forehead of the Blood Lizard. "Aow..." This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it In the mind of the Blood Lizard, sounds of dragon roars, tiger howls, lion roars, and phoenix cries echoed out, a huge pressure spread fiercely. At this moment, the blood-red light instantly contracted, and the mini version of the Blood Lizard appeared in the space again, terrified. "Shoo..." A blood light instantly shot into the forehead of the mini version of the Blood Lizard, the extremely resistant Blood Lizard immediately started to become docile. "Master." In the canyon, the fierce Blood Lizard had now become docile, speaking to Li Lin. "Blood Lizard, did you just notify the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao to come?" Li Lin asked. "Yes." The Blood Lizard replied docilely, at this time Little Dragon and Kui also released the Blood Lizard. "Blood Lizard, can you shrink your body?" Li Lin asked. "Master, we demon beasts can freely shrink our bodies after condensing the inner alchemy at the fourth-grade level, but it will affect our strength, the original state is the strongest." After saying that, the Blood Lizard instantly turned into twenty centimeters in size, its body blood red, indistinguishable from a regular lizard, like a mini version of a lizard. "Snow Lion, let''s go." Li Lin''s face changed, immediately packed up Kui, the Bloodthirsty Mantid, the Green Demon Python, the Iron Eagle, etc., taking Little Dragon and the Blood Lizard, quickly leaving the canyon, if the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao arrived, it would be real trouble. "Little Dragon, how can you speak, have you reached the fourth-grade demon beast level?" On the back of the Winged Snow Lion, Li Lin looked at Little Dragon, now shrunk to twenty-two or three centimeters, and asked, Little Dragon being able to speak surprised Li Lin. "Boss, I can only communicate with you mentally, I can''t speak to outsiders, to speak openly requires reaching the fourth-grade level, I''ve just broken through the third-grade, you and I have a blood pact, so you can hear my words." Little Dragon''s round little eyes rolled happily as it continued, "Boss, I can talk to you from now on, so you won''t misunderstand what I say, I was almost frustrated to death before." "Hehe." Li Lin smiled slightly, then said, "Little Dragon, are you a demon beast or a spirit beast, now at the third-grade demon beast level?" "Boss, actually I don''t even know whether I am a spirit beast or a demon beast, when I just broke through, I received some information in my mind, so I know I am now at the third-grade level, other things are still very vague to me, but I''m sure, when I break through again, I will receive some information again." Little Dragon said, also full of confusion. "Little Dragon, do you still remember how you met me, do you remember what happened before you met me?" Li Lin asked. "I don''t remember." Little Dragon shook its head and said. Li Lin wanted to inquire about Little Dragon''s origins, but since Little Dragon didn''t remember anything, he had to let it be, and now it was still unclear whether Little Dragon was a spirit beast or a demon beast, Uncle Jiang only mentioned that Little Dragon was a Spirit Emperor beast, but didn''t elaborate further. "Boss, where are we going now?" Looking ahead, Little Dragon asked. "We''re heading to the Yunyang Sect, it will take some time to get there." Li Lin said. "By the way, Little Dragon, you''re only at the third-grade level, how come your strength is so strong?" Li Lin asked. "Boss, you don''t know, this is my talent. My original body is very powerful. Now at the third-grade level, I feel that average fourth-grade demon beasts and spirit beasts are no match for me." Little Dragon said proudly. After communicating with Little Dragon for a while, Li Lin got to know more about Little Dragon. Its strength was exceptionally formidable, far more terrifying than overcoming those of higher levels. Having Little Dragon by his side, Li Lin undoubtedly felt much more secure. "Hu hu..." The Winged Snow Lion flew rapidly, its wings stirring streams of air, speeding to the extreme. To avoid being caught by the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, Li Lin had to make the Winged Snow Lion fly rapidly. Once they escaped this dangerous area, they would be safe. "Blood Lizard, take this pill, it will be beneficial for your injuries." Li Lin took out a fourth-grade initial stage healing pill and threw it to the Blood Lizard. Pills were effective for demon beasts as well. Li Lin was well aware of the Blood Lizard''s injuries; it had been hit several times by Little Dragon and Kui. If not for its strong defensive capabilities, the consequences could have been even worse. "Thank you, master." The Blood Lizard swallowed the pill on Li Lin''s shoulder. Having tamed a fourth-grade demon beast, Li Lin was exceedingly happy. With Little Dragon''s breakthrough, the strongest around him now were Little Dragon and Kui, followed by the Blood Lizard and the Winged Snow Lion. Now, Li Lin himself could contend with average Martial Souls, which meant he had some self-protection ability. Of course, this was only in relative terms. If he encountered a strong opponent, there would still be absolute danger. Facing a Martial Marquis level cultivator, even escaping would be difficult. "Ao..." Just before Little Dragon''s breakthrough, in the canyon where hundreds of demon beasts had gathered, including many flying beasts. Among them, in the canyon, there was a beast with a body length of over three hundred meters, covered in red scales like a giant python, with five heads, each looking fierce with ten eyes shining with ferocity, and a pair of red wings on its back. When the wings were spread, they spanned two hundred meters wide. If Li Lin were here, he would recognize this as the strongest beast in the Wudu Mountain Range, the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao. Next to the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao was a giant ape over a hundred meters tall, its body not covered in fur but in a greenish-white carapace, resembling stone, known as the Stone Ape Demon King. Chapter 243: Fleeing Through the Mountains Beside the Stone Ape Demon King was also a single-horned giant ox, its body entirely green with a single horn on its head and nostrils larger than a baby''s, its gaze fierce, precisely the Single-Horned Demon Ox. "Who has slaughtered so many of our demon beasts?" roared the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao. "Demon King, humans have been here, there''s a human scent present," said the Single-Horned Demon Ox. "Roar roar..." Inside the canyon, numerous second-tier demon beasts murmured in low growls, seemingly speaking in some beast language. "The Blood Lizard was captured by someone. Damn humans, I will never let him go." Moments later, the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao learned everything from a few second-tier demon beasts and became even more furious, revealing a vicious glare: "You all go back, I''ll chase that human." "Whoosh..." The Nine-Headed Demon Jiao roared, its huge crimson wings flapping open, and its massive body chased forward at an incredibly fast speed. "Bang bang..." In a valley, several sonic booms suddenly echoed, followed by two figures soaring into the sky. On closer inspection, one could see that one of them was a youth in green being held in the hand of another person. Using the Wind Wings, Li Lin had just captured another Sixth-Level Martial Master. On the back of the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion, Li Lin used the Devouring Power, and in moments, devoured the Sixth-Level Martial Master clean, handing the corpse over to Little dragon for consumption. Li Lin then began to refine the true qi energy on his body. The true qi of this Sixth-Level Martial Master was much stronger than that of those Fifth and Fourth-Level Martial Masters. Moments later, Li Lin stayed in a state of cultivation, rapidly refining the true qi energy he had devoured into his own. Originally, Li Lin was already at the peak of the Seventh-Level Martial Master. After refining for a short while, he quickly felt the edge of a breakthrough. A circle of pale yellow light enveloped the surroundings, and the aura began to slowly climb. Half a day later, with a muffled sound within Li Lin''s dantian qi sea, a huge energy began to surge rapidly, and without any surprises, Li Lin broke through to the Eighth-Level Martial Master, the space within his dantian qi sea expanding significantly. "Boss, it seems like there are demon beasts chasing us from behind." Little dragon''s voice echoed in Li Lin''s mind. Li Lin immediately looked back, only to see a huge demon beast chasing directly towards him from behind. "Master, it''s the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, it''s chasing us," said the Blood Lizard on the back of the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion. "Indeed, it''s the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao." Li Lin took a close look, and the creature chasing from behind was indeed the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao. "Human, you can''t escape. You killed my demon beasts, I will tear you alive." In the sky behind, a huge roaring sound echoed. Below the Wudu City Mountain Range, many mercenaries within it looked up, only to see a huge demon beast chasing a flying demon beast in the front sky. "It''s the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao from the dangerous area. How did it come out? Who provoked it?" "It seems to be the person on the flying demon beast ahead." The mercenary groups in the Wudu City Mountain Range watched the sky and immediately hid, not daring to provoke the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao above. However, their worries were unnecessary as the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao in the sky did not pay attention to them, directly chasing towards the front with lightning speed. "Snow Lion, use the fastest speed." Li Lin''s face changed drastically, the speed of the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao behind was also astonishingly fast, seeming to be getting closer and closer. "Roar roar..." The Heavenly Winged Snow Lion roared, its wings carrying a faint white glow, flashing forward like lightning, its speed pushed to the limit. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Human, you can''t escape. I will catch you." The Nine-Headed Demon Jiao roared in the air behind, its wings flapping vigorously, chasing relentlessly. "Little dragon, can you deal with this Nine-Headed Demon Jiao?" Li Lin asked Little dragon. "Boss, the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao has reached the mid-stage of the Fifth Level. I can''t handle it; it''s too strong," Little dragon said. "Mid-stage of the Fifth Level, equivalent to a Sixth and Seventh-Level Martial General." Li Lin frowned. Judging from the speed, the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao was even slightly faster than the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion. It could catch up to him in less than an hour. The bloodline of this Nine-Headed Demon Jiao was also extremely high, not much inferior to the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion. Perhaps even a Seventh-Level Martial Warrior would have difficulty suppressing it. If he were to encounter it, there would be big trouble. "Snow Lion, hide in the forest." Li Lin immediately said. In the forest, they might be able to delay for some time. In the sky, they simply could not escape the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao''s pursuit. "Whoosh." The Heavenly Winged Snow Lion instantly headed towards the ground, diving into the boundless forest mountain range and disappearing from sight. "Human, you can''t escape." Far away, seeing the human in front entering the forest, the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao roared and directly charged into the mountain range. In the forest of towering trees, Li Lin quickly put the Blood Lizard and the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion into the spatial beast bag and then fled like lightning. Although Li Lin hoped to shake off the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao with the help of the forest, the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, being a Fifth-Level creature, could stretch and shrink its body at will, definitely able to chase into the forest. Li Lin did not dare to be careless, fully releasing his wind attribute and fleeing rapidly. With the cover of the forest, escaping was much easier than being chased. "Roar..." Giant roars echoed from behind in the forest. Li Lin did not dare to stop, fleeing rapidly. Relying on the wind attribute, his speed was indeed extremely fast. "Damn Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, once I break through again, I will definitely eradicate it," Little dragon grumbled. "Let''s talk about your breakthrough later. Escaping for our lives is more important right now," Li Lin said, his figure not daring to stop. After running wildly, the next day, Li Lin was somewhat exhausted and had to rest a bit, not knowing whether he had shaken off the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao behind him. "Little dragon, let''s rest for a bit. Did the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao chase us?" Li Lin asked Little dragon on his shoulder. Little dragon raised his little head, looked around the forest behind, and said, "Boss, it didn''t chase us. I can''t feel the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao''s aura." "Whoosh..." Li Lin stabilized his body, observing the surroundings. This was a deep valley terrain. After running for a day and a night, probably the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao wouldn''t be able to catch up to him so easily. "Boss, someone''s coming." Before Li Lin could rest for a moment, Little dragon suddenly stood upright and said. "Eight people." Li Lin''s eyebrows raised, sensing eight mercenaries rapidly approaching through his spiritual awareness. "Swish swish..." At that moment, a series of whooshing sounds erupted around Li Lin, and eight figures appeared, dressed differently, all young in appearance, six men and two women. Their cultivation levels ranged from the highest, Seventh-Level Martial Master, to the lowest, First-Level Martial Master. The team of eight was definitely considered strong. "Fourth-Level Spirit Master." Li Lin''s gaze fell on a young man in a grey robe, a smile curling on his lips. Although the strength of these eight people was considered good, Li Lin did not take them seriously. "Kid, you dare to come to the Wudu City Mountain Range alone. Hand over your space bag, and we might consider sparing your life," the leader, a Seventh-Level Martial Master, said coldly to Li Lin with a sneer. "Overestimating yourselves." Li Lin chuckled lightly and said, "Leave this Spirit Master, and I''ll let you roll." "Looking for death." The Seventh-Level Martial Master scolded coldly, his hand forming a palm strike that cleaved towards Li Lin, seemingly unwilling to waste more words with him. The palm strike brought with it a howling airflow, its ferocious power cleaving down from the sky. A strike from a Seventh-Level Martial Master was definitely strong. "You dare to be arrogant as a Seventh-Level Martial Master?" Li Lin snorted coldly. As he spoke, a bright yellow light suddenly enveloped his body. "Bang!" The Seventh-Level Martial Master''s palm strike landed directly on Li Lin''s chest, feeling as if it had hit a piece of refined steel, causing his arm to go numb instantly. "Die." At that moment, Li Lin coldly shouted again, his true qi vibrated fiercely, and his figure turned into a blurred shadow. A finger strike swiftly pierced out, close at hand. "Eighth-Level Martial Master." Feeling Li Lin''s aura, the Seventh-Level Martial Master was shocked. "Whoosh..." In that split second, before the man could retreat, the scorching finger strike had already penetrated his brow, leaving him no time to resist. "Bang!" In what was barely the blink of an eye, seeing the leading Seventh-Level Martial Master fall to the ground, the surrounding mercenaries were instantly dumbstruck. "Sss sss..." A yellow light flashed like lightning, and Little dragon''s massive body, over two hundred meters in size, twisted violently. A Third-Level Martial Master was directly swallowed by Little dragon. "Run." The remaining six fled in terror, not daring to stay any longer. They had thought they would easily rob a lone mercenary, but unexpectedly they had encountered a deadly fiend. "Too late to run." Li Lin''s feet flashed, and his figure leaped out like a ghost, with finger strikes bursting forth like lightning. The fierce heat of his attacks created a faint arc of light in the air, the sharp sound of breaking wind whistling incessantly. "Aah..." At this moment, with Li Lin''s Eighth-Level Martial Master strength, employing the Fire Shadow Finger, he could easily slaughter these Fifth and Fourth-Level Martial Masters. Little dragon''s massive body roared as it twisted, swallowing two more Martial Masters. Against these Martial Masters'' attacks, Little dragon seemed to be able to ignore them directly, his powerful body fearing nothing. Chapter 244: Escaping Pursuit "Do you still think you can run?" Li Lin''s feet flashed with true qi, and in an instant, he was in front of the young Grey Robe Quadruple Spirit Master who was trying to escape. It''s not easy to encounter a Spirit Master. "Chi..." The Spirit Master''s expression was one of great shock, but then a spirit fire rose in his hand, the blazing flames wrapping towards Li Lin. "You''re still lacking a bit." Li Lin smiled slightly, his hand forming a seal, and a spirit fire surged out in front of him as well. The two spirit fires collided in the air and instantly disappeared without a trace. "You''re a spirit practitioner too, how could you possibly..." The words of the Quadruple Spirit Master were cut off as a claw mark was already fastened on his Baihui acupoint, a violent devouring force instantly drilling into his head. "Ah..." After a scream, the body of the Quadruple Spirit Master instantly turned into a mummy. At this moment, the remaining martial artists were all devoured by the little dragon, and this mummy was also unceremoniously turned into a snack by the little dragon. "Roar roar..." In the distant sky, a huge roar came, and Li Lin''s face changed instantly. This sound was that of the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao. "Little dragon, let''s run." Li Lin''s feet flashed with true qi again, and he fled in embarrassment. He could ignore these martial artists, but facing the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, he would be the one ignored. Fleeing all the way, with the help of the wind attribute, his speed was not slow. Although capable of flying, and also having the Winged Snow Lion, Li Lin dared not to fly into the mid-air. Without the cover of these dense towering trees and mountain ranges, it would basically be impossible for him to escape. Thus, he fled for an entire day. Along the way, he encountered several mercenary groups intending to make a move on Li Lin, but their speed was not as fast as Li Lin''s, so they could only give up. Li Lin also had no leisure or time to deal with these mercenary groups; escaping for his life was more important. Within a canyon, Li Lin stood gasping for breath. This kind of escape was also in dire need of true qi consumption. Looking around, Li Lin patted the space beast pouch in his hand, and the Winged Snow Lion appeared again in the sky above the canyon. "Snow Lion, let''s go." Li Lin jumped onto the Winged Snow Lion, and behind him, the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao seemed to have not caught up again. Maybe they could take this opportunity to shake off the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao. The Winged Snow Lion flapped its wings and took off like lightning. On the back of the Winged Snow Lion, Li Lin looked back and really didn''t see the figure of the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao anymore. He then began to confidently refine the spiritual power energy he had devoured. The spiritual power of the Quadruple Spirit Master was somewhat weak for Li Lin''s current cultivation, but after refining it all, he had only moved from the edge of the Seventh Layer Spirit Master to about the middle stage. Two days later, Li Lin slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, looking ahead, he should now be in the middle of the Misty City Mountain Range, probably having covered half the distance. "Boss, the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao is chasing us again." The little dragon looked back at the sky behind them, only to see a crimson figure rapidly chasing from the distant sky. "Ow... Damned human, you can''t run away, you''ve angered me, I must tear you to pieces." In the sky behind, the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao roared. "Damn, how relentless. Snow Lion, let''s go down." Li Lin''s face suddenly changed, and after cursing, he let the Winged Snow Lion plunge into the mountain range again. "Human, you can''t escape." The Nine-Headed Demon Jiao roared. "Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, remember this, Your Lordship will settle accounts with you one day." After Li Lin spoke, he and the Winged Snow Lion rushed into the mountain range below. Ten days later, on a valley in the Misty City Mountain Range, the figure of the Winged Snow Lion leaped into the sky again. On the back of the Winged Snow Lion, Li Lin was somewhat embarrassed. In these ten days, in order to shake off the pursuit of the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, he had suffered quite a bit. However, during these ten days, Li Lin was not idle and took the opportunity to devour three martial artists: a Six-Layer Martial Artist, a Three-Layer Martial Artist, and the highest level was a Seven-Layer Martial Artist. In terms of martial cultivation levels, it seemed he was not far from the Ninth Layer now. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. "Blood Lizard, how can the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao always find me?" Li Lin called out the Blood Lizard from the space beast pouch. It had been almost twenty days, and the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao had been able to follow him closely, like a shadow, making Li Lin very puzzled. "Master, in this Misty City Mountain Range, all the demon beasts and wild beasts are the eyes and ears of the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, so the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao can easily find you." The Blood Lizard said. "So, that''s how it is." Li Lin''s heart sank. It seemed that he could not escape the pursuit of the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao and had to think of another way. "Master, we should be close to leaving the Misty City Mountain Range. Once we leave the Misty City Mountain Range, the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao will not chase after us anymore." The Blood Lizard said again. "Oh, why is that?" Li Lin was a bit puzzled. "On human territories, we demon beasts dare not trespass recklessly, as it is easy to provoke the intervention of human powerhouses." The Blood Lizard said. "Boss, look, the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao is catching up again, relentlessly." The little dragon looked up at the sky behind, and the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao appeared again in the sky behind. "Human, I told you, you can''t run away." The Nine-Headed Demon Jiao roared from behind. "Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, next time I will skin you and pull out your tendons." Li Lin shouted loudly. "Little human, you don''t have the strength for that. I''ll skin you first." The Nine-Headed Demon Jiao chased rapidly, roaring all the way. "If you have the guts, come on, let''s see how you can catch me." Li Lin coldly spoke, once again having no choice but to dive into the Misty City Mountain Range. In mid-air, it was simply impossible to shake off the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao. "Ow..." "Damned human, if you dare, don''t run." The Nine-Headed Demon Jiao roared angrily, becoming even more enraged as it saw Li Lin rushing into the mountain range again. Inside the mountain range, it was not easy for it to find people; otherwise, it would have caught up to that damned human long ago. In the Misty City Mountain Range, where some mercenary groups are stationed, it has recently been rumored that the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao is desperately chasing a human. No one knows what this human has done to provoke such fury from the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao. Everyone is guessing who could have provoked the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao. Anyone who can escape from the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao must be a powerful individual indeed. Meanwhile, Li Lin is still fleeing within the Misty City Mountain Range, looking quite embarrassed. Fortunately, he has become familiar with how to escape from the pursuit of the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao. As long as he keeps zigzagging within the Misty City Mountain Range, it won''t be easy for the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao to find him. During these days, Li Lin feels that his greatest gain has been the significant increase in his speed, a skill honed through the life-and-death escape, which counts as an unexpected gain. Ten days later, after seizing the opportunity to devour an unfortunate Six-Layer Martial Artist, Li Lin once again rides the Winged Snow Lion into the sky. Having understood the temperament and speed of the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, Li Lin is no longer too worried. After all, the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao cannot catch up with him, and he can do whatever he needs to, though he has to hide in the forested mountain range every now and then. "Bang..." On the back of the Winged Snow Lion, a muffled sound spread from within Li Lin''s Dantian Qi Sea, and his aura began to rapidly climb. Despite the embarrassment of the escape, he did not forget to cultivate and finally broke through to the level of a Nine-Layer Martial Artist. Taking a deep breath, Li Lin opened his eyes and looked at the massive figure thousands of meters behind him. He smiled slightly and said loudly, "Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, ahead is the territory of humans. If you chase any further, the strong among humans will not let you go." "Even if it''s on the territory of humans, I will not let you go." The Nine-Headed Demon Jiao was truly enraged, having chased the human in front of it for over a month without success, almost driving it to madness. Its eyes gleamed fiercely, wishing it could immediately rush over and tear Li Lin apart. "Hmph." Li Lin snorted coldly, his body radiating a chilling aura as he said, "Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, the next time this young master returns to the ancient domain, I will surely skin you and pull out your tendons." "Master, ahead is Misty City," the Blood Lizard said by Li Lin''s side. In the distance below, beneath a layer of thin clouds, a series of continuous buildings appeared, a not-so-small city in sight. "Finally, Misty City." Li Lin felt relieved. In Misty City, even if the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao followed, he would not be afraid. The Nine-Headed Demon Jiao could only track him through the demon beasts and wild animals within the Misty City Mountain Range. Inside Misty City, it would be much easier for him to shake off the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao. "Snow Lion, let''s go down," Li Lin said to the Winged Snow Lion. "Human, I''ll see where you can run." Seeing the human in front of it about to leave the Misty City Mountain Range, the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao roared, its body radiating a bright red light, probably using some of its trump cards, and its speed increased significantly, from three thousand meters to two thousand eight hundred meters, getting faster and faster. "Ga ga..." At the edge of the Misty City Mountain Range, three flying demon beasts roared into the sky, three second-tier flying demon beasts, with five youths standing on the back of each. "Stop, the person ahead, flying demon beasts are not allowed to fly over Misty City without registration," a loud shout came. The dozen or so youths currently watching the rapidly approaching Winged Snow Lion were surprised, as the three second-tier flying demon beasts felt the aura of the Winged Snow Lion and began to tremble. "Are you disciples of Yunyang Sect?" Li Lin looked at the dozen or so youths in front of him and said. "Indeed, we are from Yunyang Sect," a youth at the martial artist level replied. Chapter 245: The Blue-Robed Elder "Make way quickly, I am also a disciple of Yunyang Sect. Behind me is the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao from the Misty City Mountain Range. If you don''t leave now, you''ll lose your lives," Li Lin shouted, then without paying any more attention to the dozen Yunyang Sect disciples, he directly urged the Winged Snow Lion to charge forward. "The Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, it''s really the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao coming, quickly notify the city lord," the complexions of the Yunyang Sect disciples drastically changed. The far-approaching crimson huge figure, with its tyrannical aura and ferocious appearance, was indeed the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao of the Misty City Mountain Range as described. "Bang..." A Yunyang Sect disciple had already fired a signal flare. At this moment, Li Lin''s mouth revealed a sinister smile. Leading the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao into Misty City meant safety for himself. As for Misty City, let the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao be their headache. "Ow... Damned humans, make way for me," the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao roared, its huge body directly crashing towards the three second-tier demon beasts. The three second-tier demon beasts ridden by Yunyang Sect disciples were frightened into trembling. "Bang bang..." One of the second-tier flying demon beasts was directly knocked away by the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, falling from mid-air, and the five Yunyang Sect disciples on its back also fell directly from the sky. "Look, a demon beast has rushed in." "My god, isn''t that the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao from the Misty City Mountain Range? How did this fierce creature come here? There''s no one in Misty City who can match it." "..." In Misty City, everyone was panicking, watching the huge creature in the sky. A mid-tier fifth-level demon beast, which only those above the seventh level Martial General could deal with. In Misty City, there seemed to be no such strong individuals. Wang Mingyue, the city lord of Misty City, was only at the Martial Soul level. "Damned humans, come out. I won''t let you go," the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao circled in the sky above Misty City, spewing a mouthful of scorching flame from mid-air, turning into a sea of blazing fire sweeping across several streets. Immediately, screams filled the air as many were engulfed and burned to ashes by the flames. "Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, leave quickly. This is Yunyang Sect''s territory. If you don''t leave, Yunyang Sect will surely expose your lair," a thunderous shout came from afar. Then, on the back of a huge third-tier flying demon beast, several figures arrived, the leader being a middle-aged man, Wang Mingyue. "Ow ow... I''m just looking for one human. Hand over that human, and I''ll leave immediately," the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao watched the figures on the back of the flying demon beast, seemingly cautious of Yunyang Sect. "Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, leave now, or I won''t be polite," beside Wang Mingyue, on the back of the flying demon beast, a blue-robed elder looked at the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao. This person was about fifty years old, with long eyebrows and bright eyes, slightly thin but carrying a certain aura. "Martial General," the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao''s gaze darkened as it watched the fifty-year-old elder, feeling his aura, and said, "You are only a Sixth Layer Martial General; you can''t trouble me." "Is that so? The strong ones from Yunyang Sect will arrive shortly. By then, it''ll be too late for you to leave," the blue-robed elder said indifferently. "Ow, what else can you humans do besides relying on numbers? I will not let that human go today no matter what," the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao roared, its fury towards Li Lin having reached its peak. It wouldn''t normally intrude onto human territory, but today it was truly enraged. "Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, you''re too arrogant," the blue-robed elder coldly said, his body soaring, true qi flashing under his feet, and a water column appeared out of nowhere in his hand. As the water attribute surged, a several meters thick water column shot out like an arrow, cutting through the space directly towards the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao. "Sixth Layer Martial General, I''m not afraid of you," the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao roared, a huge pillar of fire spewing from one of its heads, the force of the blast wildly surging. The battle in the sky was as dazzling as fireworks. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. "Bang bang...!" Explosive sounds of massive force erupted out of nowhere, like thunder, causing large areas of houses to collapse. A man and a beast had already clashed, with chaos spreading through the streets. "A Sixth Layer Martial General, could it be an Inner Sect Elder of Yunyang Sect?" In a corner of a street, Li Lin had already taken advantage of the chaos to hide among the crowd, watching the battle in the sky with a slight smile on his face. The Nine-Headed Demon Jiao''s strength was indeed formidable. He estimated that once he reached the First Layer Martial General level, he would be able to deal with it. If there''s a chance next time, he would skin and pull the tendons of the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, which had chased him for over a month; this vengeance must be avenged. With the Martial General in the sky holding off the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, Li Lin no longer ran. A Sixth Layer Martial General might not be able to defeat the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, but blocking it shouldn''t be a problem. "Boom boom..." Echoes of massive explosive sounds resonated in the sky, and after a large number of houses collapsed, the blue-robed elder, a Sixth Layer Martial General, had no choice but to lead the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao to the edge of the Misty City Mountain Range for a fierce battle. Otherwise, the entire Misty City would be destroyed. In the space below, Wang Mingyue was inquiring about the situation from a few of the earliest arriving Yunyang Sect disciples. "Who exactly attracted this fierce creature to Misty City?" Wang Mingyue asked with a stern expression. If it weren''t for provoking the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, it would not have dared to invade Misty City. "Elder, it was a young man in a green robe. He said he is also a disciple of Yunyang Sect," a young disciple of Yunyang Sect replied with his head lowered. "A young man in a green robe provoked the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao? Could it be a direct disciple from our sect? Otherwise, who would have the capability to provoke the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao..." Wang Mingyue wondered with a puzzled face. "Elder, it''s him, this person right here." Just then, a young man in a green robe slowly approached. "Disciple pays respect to Elder Wang." Li Lin arrived in front of Wang Mingyue. Since someone was already holding off the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, after consideration, Li Lin thought it best to first inquire about Yunyang Sect''s situation within Misty City. Wang Mingyue had seen him before and knew he was from Yunyang Sect. "You are..." Wang Mingyue looked at Li Lin, his eyebrows slightly raised, and after a moment of confusion, he then exclaimed in surprise, "You are, are, Li... Li Lin?" "Disciple indeed is Li Lin," Li Lin said softly, noticing that everyone seemed to think he was dead from Wang Mingyue''s expression. "You actually didn''t die. Everyone thought you were dead. I sent people to look for you several times but couldn''t find you. I didn''t expect you to be alive," Wang Mingyue said in surprise, then smiled and asked, "So the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao came chasing after you?" "Exactly. I have caused trouble for Elder Wang. This beast has been chasing me for over a month, nearly costing me my life," Li Lin stated. "What? The Nine-Headed Demon Jiao has been chasing you for over a month, and you still managed to come out alive?" Wang Mingyue stared at Li Lin in surprise, seemingly in disbelief. Knowing the strength of the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, even he would probably not be able to escape its pursuit. Some of the Yunyang Sect disciples around were also looking at Li Lin with skepticism, as if doubting Li Lin''s claims. Li Lin gave a bitter smile; there was no way to convince others, but it didn''t affect him. "By the way, my dear nephew Lin''er, it''s good that you''re alive. Your father came to me last year to inquire about you. Your family thought you were dead. Miss Wushuang from the sect also sent people to look for you several times," Wang Mingyue mentioned. "Father." Li Lin was momentarily stunned, not expecting Li Zhong to personally come and inquire about him. It seemed there wasn''t much affection between him and his father, even rarely seeing each other. Li Lin''s expression then became solemn, knowing his family thought he was dead, his mother must be devastated. "Swoosh..." From the distant sky, a figure descended. The blue-robed elder, holding a long sword and with tattered clothes, arrived in front of everyone. It was the Sixth Layer Martial General Elder from Yunyang Sect. "Elder Yu, how did it go?" Seeing the blue-robed elder, Wang Mingyue immediately asked, his demeanor very respectful, indicating the elder''s significant status in Yunyang Sect. "That beast left. I couldn''t handle it, and it couldn''t handle me either. It probably thought that true powerhouses from Yunyang Sect were coming, so it left. I don''t know which damn fool attracted this fierce creature to Misty City," the blue-robed elder said loudly. "Damn, who are you calling a damn fool?" Li Lin cursed inwardly, finding the elder''s rudeness surprising. "Cough..." Wang Mingyue coughed dryly, and the surrounding Yunyang Sect disciples also snickered secretly. "Elder Yu, the one who attracted the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao is him. He is Li Lin, who fell off a cliff in the Misty City Mountain Range a year and a half ago," Wang Mingyue said. "Li Lin..." The elder immediately looked at Li Lin, surprised, and said, "Is he the son of Li Zhong, rumored to be a tri-element martial artist from the last time in Qingyun Town?" "Indeed, it is him," Wang Mingyue replied respectfully, then said to Li Lin, "This is Elder Yu, one of the inner sect elders, also the senior brother of the current sect master and your father Li Zhong''s master. You must not be disrespectful." "The senior brother of Yunyang Sect''s sect master, only a Sixth Layer Martial General? And Li Zhong''s master." Li Lin was momentarily startled, then respectfully said without showing any signs of disrespect, "Disciple pays respect to Elder Yu." "Was it you who attracted the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao?" Elder Yu looked at Li Lin and asked. Chapter 246: Unexpected Deal "Was it you who provoked the Nine-Headed Demon Flood Dragon?" Elder Yu stared at Li Lin as he asked. "Indeed, the Nine-Headed Demon Flood Dragon has been chasing me for over a month now. I almost died in the Misty Mountain Range," Li Lin replied, unsure of Elder Yu''s intentions in asking this. "Are you a tri-element martial artist?" Elder Yu asked again. "Yes, fire, wind, and earth tri-element martial artist," Li Lin responded. This was also the result detected by the Yunyang Sect last time, and there was nothing to hide. "Kid, watch out, don''t hold back." At this moment, Elder Yu, without further ado, swung his long sword, instantly creating several sword shadows that violently rushed towards Li Lin. The sword shadows tore through the void, unleashing a fierce sword glow, with no hint of jest. Li Lin''s surrounding space was completely enveloped by the sword shadows. "What does Elder Yu want to do?" Li Lin immediately tensed up, his body rapidly retreating. The sword shadows, like shadows themselves, completely enveloped him in space, the fierce sword qi already rushing towards him first. Wang Mingyue also looked puzzled, but seeing that Elder Yu had no intention to kill, she didn''t say anything, guessing that Elder Yu wanted to test Li Lin. "Thousand Hands Rift Seal." With nowhere to retreat, Elder Yu''s sword, although not at full strength, was still formidable. Frowning, Li Lin formed hand seals, and instantly, a massive surge of earth attribute energy burst forth, covering the sky and earth, with waves of continuous earth attribute energy converging on his palm seal. In an instant, the aura and might of his entire being expanded rapidly, a yellow palm seal soared into the sky, transforming into several blurry palm seals, thunderously sweeping towards the incoming sword glow. "Yellow-grade high-level martial technique." Observing Li Lin''s use of the Thousand Hands Rift Seal, Wang Mingyue, recognizing the technique''s quality, was somewhat surprised. "Shoo shoo..." A swath of sword glow, tearing through the space with formidable water attribute energy, interlocked with Li Lin''s palm seal under Elder Yu''s somewhat surprised gaze. The sword shadows and palm seal collided, the two forces directly clashing, followed by a series of earth-shattering explosions, resonating through space, a violent energy fiercely spreading in the air... "Boom boom boom..." In the midst of the violent energy dispersal, disciples of the Yunyang Sect quickly fled. The violent energy swept through, instantly creating several cracks on the ground, even Wang Mingyue had to retreat several steps. After the energy dissipated, Li Lin''s figure did not move an inch, whereas Elder Yu''s body was forced to retreat a step. It wasn''t that Elder Yu was weaker than Li Lin, but because Elder Yu had only used the strength of a fifth-level martial master. In the end, Elder Yu''s strength suddenly increased to that of a ninth-level martial master but still ended up at a disadvantage. Li Lin was already at the strength of a ninth-level martial master, with a monstrous talent that was much stronger than a typical ninth-level martial master. Under normal strength, even a first-level martial soul would have trouble against Li Lin. With Li Lin using the yellow-grade high-level martial technique, Thousand Hands Rift Seal, if he had the intent to kill, even a second or third-level martial soul might be killed. Therefore, Elder Yu naturally ended up at a disadvantage. At this moment, looking at Li Lin, Elder Yu''s eyes were filled with absolute shock, asking incredulously, "Kid, are you a ninth-level martial master?" Wang Mingyue was also astonished. Judging from the aura around Li Lin just now, he had reached the stage of a ninth-level martial master. At such an age, he was no less than any of the sect''s direct disciples. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. "Yes, I just broke through recently," Li Lin said, revealing some of his strength. He had his own plans, and although Elder Yu''s move was strong, it lacked any killing intent, which Li Lin could feel. "Good, good, it seems that my trip to Wudu City was not in vain," Elder Yu suddenly smiled. This smile seemed somewhat proud and also a bit scheming. "So, you are indeed a ninth-level martial master," Wang Mingyue''s expression changed again, recognizing the extraordinary talent. "Kid, come with me, I have something to discuss with you," Elder Yu smiled at Li Lin, but Li Lin could see a scheming and proud smile in Elder Yu''s eyes. Hundreds of meters away, Elder Yu chuckled, leading Li Lin to a secluded place, ensuring Wang Mingyue and others couldn''t hear, and then whispered, "Kid, I have a proposal for you." "Elder Yu, please instruct," Li Lin hurriedly said. "It''s like this, once you arrive at the Yunyang Sect, no matter what happens, you must take me as your master," Elder Yu said, looking at Li Lin. "Take you as my master? Elder Yu, isn''t my father your disciple? If I take you as my master, isn''t that...?" Li Lin wanted to say that taking Elder Yu as a master would mess up the generational hierarchy. "Forget about your father Li Zhong, that disappointment. Our Yunyang Sect doesn''t care about these formalities. Just agree, and once you''re at the Yunyang Sect, regardless of what happens, you must insist on taking me as your master," Elder Yu said. "This..." Li Lin''s expression changed slightly as he pondered. Elder Yu was the Yunyang Sect sect leader''s senior brother. Becoming his disciple meant becoming a direct disciple, and it would be much easier to obtain the Lightfoot Technique and the Ten Thousand Year Copper. "Kid, why hesitate? If you agree, I''ll give you a set of the Yunyang Sect''s Xuan-level martial technique, Lightfoot. If you don''t agree, I''ll make sure you''re expelled from the sect," Elder Yu said, seeing Li Lin hesitate, his eyes shifting, then speaking. "Lightfoot?" Li Lin''s heart trembled, this was precisely what Uncle Jiang wanted him to obtain. "Elder Yu, this is coercion and bribery," Li Lin smiled slightly. "Bite me. Anyway, you must agree today," Elder Yu chuckled. "Elder Yu, is what you said about Lightfoot true?" Li Lin asked. "Of course. Once you take me as your master, I''ll hand over Lightfoot to you. You should know, even though this martial technique is only Xuan-level, not every direct disciple in the sect can practice it," Elder Yu said. "Disciple has seen Master," Li Lin immediately bowed. "Hehe, good kid, you know what''s good for you. Following me, you''ll be stronger than following those old guys," Elder Yu chuckled, then whispered, "Kid, you can''t call me Master for now. Our deal must not be told to anyone. Once you''re at the Yunyang Sect, you must pretend not to know me." "Why is that?" Li Lin asked, puzzled. "That, you''ll understand once you''re at the Yunyang Sect. It''s a long story; we''ll talk about it later. Remember, once you''re at the Yunyang Sect, you must act as if you don''t know me. If someone asks you to take them as your master, you must not agree. Remember our deal," Elder Yu chuckled. "I understand," Li Lin said, puzzled. All of this was a bit confusing. "Everyone, it''s alright now, disperse," Wang Mingyue loudly said to the crowd gathered on the street, calming the turmoil caused by the Nine-Headed Demon Flood Dragon, which had shaken the entire Wudu City. In Wudu City, under Wang Mingyue''s lead, passing through several intricate streets, Li Lin arrived at a large architectural courtyard. In the hall, Wang Mingyue, Elder Yu, and several Wudu City officials sat, with several Yunyang Sect disciples already arranging fairy fruits and snacks in front of everyone. "Nephew Lin, when do you plan to return to the Yunyang Sect? You survived a great disaster and are still a disciple of the Yunyang Sect," Wang Mingyue said to Li Lin. "Elder Wang, I plan to return to Qingyun Town first. My mother, knowing I died, must be very sad, so I plan to visit her first," Li Lin said, deciding on the spot. If he wasn''t dead, he had to let his mother know. "There''s no need for that. I''ll send someone to the Li family to notify them that you''re safely back at the Yunyang Sect. It''s better for you to return to the Yunyang Sect sooner. You''ve been delayed for a year and a half, missing the last direct disciple selection. In a year and a half, there''s another chance, and you shouldn''t miss it," Wang Mingyue said. "It''s not a year and a half; it''s been moved up half a year, so it''s in a year, because in a year and a half, it''s the tri-sect and quad-gate competition. Therefore, the second selection of direct disciples has been moved up half a year," Elder Yu said. "This..." Li Lin was slightly startled, then heard Elder Yu''s voice transmission, "Kid, you''re already set as a direct disciple. My disciple naturally becomes a direct disciple, but we still need to go through the motions. It''s better for you to go back first. The direct disciple selection is just a formality for you; you have higher goals." "Then I''ll trouble Elder Wang. I''ll head straight to the Yunyang Sect," Li Lin immediately said to Wang Mingyue. "Elder Yu, aren''t you also returning to the Yunyang Sect? How about we go together?" Wang Mingyue respectfully asked Elder Yu. "I still have things to do. Let him go back alone. The way back is all Yunyang Sect''s territory; he won''t encounter any danger," Elder Yu immediately said. "I''ll go to the Yunyang Sect alone; there shouldn''t be any danger," Li Lin immediately said, sharing a knowing smile with Elder Yu. The two now had to pretend not to be familiar with each other, wondering what Elder Yu was planning. Chapter 247: In the Yunyang Sect Following that, under everyone''s inquiries, Li Lin recounted the events after falling off the cliff, of course, all fabricated. He simply said he accidentally grabbed onto a vine and climbed up the cliff, eventually following a mercenary group to the ancient domain and finally making his way back with great difficulty. Listening to Li Lin''s narrative, everyone was amazed. It was considered quite a feat, and no one doubted his words. Later, through Wang Mingyue and Elder Yu''s accounts, Li Lin roughly learned about the situation of Li Wushuang and others. Li Wushuang became a direct disciple of the Yunyang Sect one and a half years ago, along with Qin Tianhao, Li Shaohu, Du Gu Binglan, and Yang Miao, without any doubt, the others also became direct disciples, instantly making Qingyun Town very famous. The next day, Li Lin did not stay in Misty City but headed directly to the Yunyang Sect. As for Elder Yu, he continued to stay in Misty City. Before Li Lin left, Elder Yu once again reminded him not to forget the deal between the two, and generously gave Li Lin a fourth-grade beginner Dan pill as a meeting gift. A fourth-grade Dan pill was naturally not much in Li Lin''s eyes, mainly because he was not lacking a fourth-grade Dan pill at the moment. What Li Lin was really concerned about was the fleeting shadow martial technique. When Li Lin left the Flying Spirit Gate, he handed over most of what was left in the secret chamber of the Flying Spirit Gate to Ghost Immortal Bai Ying, but he still considered himself an absolute little tycoon. On the back of the Winged Snow Lion, the little dragon hidden in Li Lin''s sleeve climbed onto his shoulder, "Boss, why did that old guy take you as his disciple?" "I don''t know, but it''s not a bad thing for me," Li Lin said. "Boss, that Nine-Headed Demon Jiao angered me. I must practice hard. Next time, I must pluck off the heads of the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao," the little dragon said, raising its little head. Li Lin smiled slightly and then said, "Then practice hard and break through to the fourth rank as soon as possible." "En, I will practice hard. It should be very soon," the little dragon said with a hee hee, its eyes rolling around. "Practice the Virtual Spirit Phantom Seal," Li Lin muttered on the back of the Winged Snow Lion. From Misty City to Yunyang Sect, even for the Winged Snow Lion, it would take five days. Martial artists have reached the ninth level of Martial Master, and spirit practitioners are now at the seventh level of Spirit Master. Temporarily, they cannot break through the martial artist level, and since this is the Yunyang Sect''s territory, one needs to be more restrained when absorbing others. Taking out a jade slip enveloped in spiritual power, it was the high-level yellow-grade spirit technique that Lv Xiaoling gave him at the Ghost Martial Sect. Li Lin couldn''t help but think of Lv Xiaoling, who was sometimes fiery and sometimes gentle. He guessed that after he ran away, she must have been furious. At the Ghost Martial Sect, Li Lin also obtained a set of yellow-grade earth-elemental beginner martial techniques. Although its level and value were not low, Li Lin was not in a hurry to practice it. There were also many beginner yellow-grade martial techniques left in the Flying Spirit Gate, and he was not short of such level techniques at the moment. A drop of blood fell onto the jade slip, and Li Lin''s consciousness probed into it. Suddenly, a burst of violent light surged out from the jade slip and entered Li Lin''s forehead, enveloping the surroundings with a majestic spiritual power aura. After a moment, the light on the jade slip dissipated, and Li Lin opened his eyes, looking very surprised. The Virtual Spirit Phantom Seal was indeed terrifying, no wonder the Elder Wang and Elder Liu were reluctant to let Lv Xiaoling give it to him. From the cultivation information on the jade slip, Li Lin learned that the Virtual Spirit Phantom Seal is a rare spirit technique. Strictly speaking, spirit techniques can be divided into several types, including strength attacks and soul attacks. Techniques like the Soul Cleaver belong to one type of strength attack, and it''s a very domineering one within strength attacks. Of course, the Soul Cleaver''s attack on the soul is also extremely powerful. The mention of strength attack is just a relative term. The Virtual Spirit Phantom Seal, on the other hand, is purely a soul attack, using spiritual power combined with soul power to invisibly cause soul trauma to the opponent. If the opponent is weak, it can directly destroy the opponent''s soul. Even if the opponent is strong, it can still have an impact. One of its effects is to create illusions, making the opponent lose consciousness and fall into a fantasy, making it easier for oneself to strike and kill. "What a powerful Virtual Spirit Phantom Seal," Li Lin exclaimed. The Virtual Spirit Phantom Seal is really strong. Although it may not be as good as the Soul Technique in terms of level, and perhaps not as effective when used alone compared to the Soul Technique, it should be stronger than the first level of the Soul Technique, the Soul Cleaver. As for the second and third levels of the Soul Technique, the Virtual Spirit Phantom Seal might not be comparable. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.However, the Virtual Spirit Phantom Seal has a special function. Pure soul attack can completely coordinate with one''s martial techniques. Launching a soul attack while executing martial techniques, if both are coordinated, the effect is absolutely terrifying. The Soul Technique, on the other hand, is not entirely focused on soul attack, so it cannot be completely coordinated. In this respect, it is limited. Even if coordinated, there will be a certain time difference, but the Virtual Spirit Phantom Seal can be completely activated in tandem with martial techniques. Theoretically, they can achieve perfect integration. Thinking of this, Li Lin couldn''t help but be overjoyed, looking forward to successfully cultivating the Virtual Spirit Phantom Seal. After that, it would be easier to defeat opponents of higher levels. "Cultivating." Li Lin concentrated his spirit and energy, starting to practice according to the cultivation information from the jade slip. After a moment, his body was enveloped in an invisible transparent light circle. With each hand seal he formed, one could see, upon close inspection, invisible ripples oscillating. Around the entire space, there was a faint and hazy feeling. Immersed in cultivation, practicing a high-level yellow-grade spirit technique was somewhat difficult for Li Lin, but it was not too much for him. Without suffering some hardships, how could one''s strength surpass others? Yunyang Sect, one of the three sects and four gates on the Spirit Martial Continent, is undoubtedly a top force standing on the Spirit Martial Continent. The three sects and four gates have been inheriting for countless years, and it''s no exaggeration to say that their strong members are as numerous as clouds. The three sects and four gates are also recognized as the seven strongest sects, and no one dares to provoke them. The territory of the Yunyang Sect has many large cities, and it''s impossible to calculate the exact population, but it''s at least over ten billion. Although the Yunyang Sect''s territory is vast, the sect''s gate is located within the Yunyang Mountain Range, not in the city. However, the disciples of the Yunyang Sect are numerous, and just the Yunyang Sect''s disciples alone amount to several tens of thousands. Thus, in the Yunyang Mountain Range, the disciples alone have already formed a small city. At the foot of Yunyang Sect''s mountain, there are many buildings and streets where some of the newly arrived ordinary disciples live. On the mountainside are the residences of the older disciples of the Yunyang Sect, meaning those who have been in the Yunyang Sect for more than three years but have not reached the Martial Soul level in terms of cultivation strength. Of course, some older disciples have reached the Martial Soul level but, due to age or not exceptional talent, cannot become direct disciples and do not wish to leave. They can continue to stay in the Yunyang Sect and receive the same cultivation resources as the older disciples every month. Because of this, many older disciples who have the strength to leave the Yunyang Sect still choose to stay. After all, a place where one has food, drink, and cultivation resources is not easy to find. Of course, these are just a few disciples. Generally, if disciples cannot become direct disciples and reach a certain strength, they will choose to go out into the world to experience hardships, taking a second path. Becoming the master of a town or city within the Yunyang Sect''s territory is also a good choice. Just like Wang Mingyue, who was originally just an ordinary disciple of the Yunyang Sect. Although not a direct disciple, by chance, she became the city lord of Misty City, and her status is not much lower than that of a direct disciple outside the Yunyang Sect. And on the mountain peaks or near the main area of the Yunyang Sect are the residences of all the direct disciples and elders of the sect. It can be said that the Yunyang Sect has a hierarchical system, with the highest status undoubtedly belonging to the sect''s direct disciples. Ordinary disciples, regardless of age, must respectfully address direct disciples as senior brothers and sisters. At the foot of the mountain, the bustling streets are filled with people, making the Yunyang Sect seem more like a small town. Along the streets and surroundings, there are hawkers and shops selling various cultivation materials, clothes, jewelry, and even women''s rouge and powder. "Du Gu Binglan, look at this, isn''t it beautiful?" On the street, several stunning figures appeared, immediately attracting the heated gazes of many young men. A beautiful and elegant girl held up a piece of palace attire from a shop and asked, precisely Du Gu Binglan. At this moment, in the shop, there were three other beautiful figures. One with black hair like ink, wearing a red long dress that outlined her graceful figure, with a beautiful bracelet on her fair wrist. Her attire was not luxurious, but it exuded elegance and nobility, making her very pleasant to look at. This was Li Wushuang, who has always had a not low reputation among the disciples of the Yunyang Sect. Chapter 248: Reunion with Bai Mei There was also a girl about eighteen or nineteen years old, dressed like a maid, with long eyebrows above which twinkled a pair of pure, large, blue eyes. She wore a modest light-colored long dress that outlined her already curvaceous figure. She was Du Gu Binglan''s maid, Cui Yu. The remaining one was dressed in a tight outfit, outlining her youthful and graceful curves. She was about seventeen or eighteen years old, with long black hair hanging down her shoulders like a waterfall, a true beauty in the making. Her appearance combined three parts innocence, three parts cuteness, three parts charm, with an additional part of enchantment. This girl was now the celebrity of Yunyang Sect, Yang Miao, a dual-system martial artist. Being a direct disciple, she also had many admirers within the Yunyang Sect. As soon as these four women appeared in the shop, many disciples of the Yunyang Sect immediately gathered outside to watch, but they did not dare to approach. These were all direct disciples, whom ordinary disciples dared not provoke. In the Yunyang Sect, there was an unwritten rule: if a direct disciple killed an ordinary disciple, at most they would be punished lightly and it would not be a big deal. As for an ordinary disciple killing a direct disciple, their entire family would be implicated, and in severe cases, they could be executed. The Yunyang Sect always took their direct disciples very seriously. But then again, it was unlikely for an ordinary disciple to have the strength to kill a direct disciple. The strength of a direct disciple was much stronger than that of an ordinary disciple. Each direct disciple had their own trump cards; it was impossible for an ordinary disciple to kill a direct disciple, at least such a situation had not occurred yet. "Binglan, we should go back. We have bought what we needed. Let''s go back and continue our cultivation," Li Wushuang said with a slight smile. "Sister Wushuang, you really are a cultivation maniac. Among all the disciples, you are probably the one who cultivates the hardest," Yang Miao said. Although Yang Miao was not on good terms with her sister Yang Mei, she had a good relationship with Li Wushuang. "If I don''t work hard, how can I compare with you? You are a dual-system martial artist. Once you form an inner core after reaching the Martial Soul stage, your cultivation speed will increase even more, and your strength will become even stronger," Li Wushuang said with a light smile, her stunning beauty making many disciples outside stare in awe. "Make way." From the crowd outside the shop, a low shout came, followed by several young men in fine clothes, all of whom had arrogant expressions. "Greetings to the senior brothers." The surrounding disciples immediately saluted, their eyes showing fear, as if they dared not provoke them, and quickly stepped back. "Sister Wushuang, Sister Yang Miao, Sister Binglan, what a coincidence to meet you here," several young men in fine clothes entered the shop, their eyes freely roaming over the three women, almost drooling. "Sister Wushuang, I''m not in the mood anymore. Let''s go back," Du Gu Binglan glanced at the young men in fine clothes, her eyes showing disgust. "Let''s go." Li Wushuang''s expression slightly darkened, and the women prepared to leave the shop. "Sisters, why don''t we go back together," the leading young man in white clothes suddenly blocked the women''s path. "Brother Zhao, it would be better if you step aside. Do we really need to take action against you? If the elders are alarmed, it won''t end well for you," Yang Miao said sternly. "Well, since the sisters are in a hurry to return, then we will not keep you any longer," the young man in white clothes'' face twitched, and he stepped aside. The four women left the shop, leaving behind several young men in fine clothes with ugly expressions. "Brother Zhao, those girls really didn''t give you face," a young man in blue clothes said to the young man in white clothes. "Hmph, those girls are not ordinary. With several uncles present, we can''t afford to provoke them, but one day, I will have them," the young man in white clothes revealed a lecherous smile. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Five days later, Li Lin stopped his cultivation, and a vast range of mountains appeared before him. The mountain range was vast and majestic, with a towering cloud peak beneath the mighty mountains, cliffs shining brightly, the mountains lush green, dotted with intricately carved palace buildings. The dense mountains connected into one, resembling a winding, coiling dragon, surrounding the entire vast mountain range. Overall, the mountain range was filled with unique peaks, continuous mountains, lush and steep, looking down from above, a scene of clouds and mist. "Finally arrived." Li Lin exhaled a breath of turbid air from his heart, a smile appearing on his determined face. It wouldn''t be long before he could see Li Wushuang. He guessed she would be very happy to see him alive. It had been a year and a half since they last met, and he wondered how she was doing. "Snow Lion, let''s go down," Li Lin said to the Skywing Snow Lion. "Hoo hoo..." The Skywing Snow Lion flapped its wings and descended, landing far outside the mountain range. Upon reaching Yunyang Sect, it was not appropriate to let the Skywing Snow Lion run rampant. It was better to walk in, especially since the sect was huge and he was unfamiliar with it, unable to find his way. The Skywing Snow Lion landed on a mountaintop and was then taken by Li Lin into a spatial beast pouch. He couldn''t possibly bring such a huge monster into the Yunyang Sect. As for the little dragon, Li Lin decided it was better for the little dragon to stay in his sleeve, to avoid attracting attention as much as possible. After getting everything ready, Li Lin walked towards the mountain range ahead with a slight nervousness. After a year and a half of journeying, he finally reached the Yunyang Sect. "Whoosh whoosh..." At the entrance of a mountain, just as Li Lin showed up, immediately, more than a dozen figures leapt out in front of him, each holding weapons such as knives, spears, swords, and halberds. They appeared to be around twenty years old, and all of them, without exception, had reached the Martial Master level. The leader, a young man in black clothing with short hair and big eyes, slightly chubby, was the strongest, having reached the third level of Martial Master. The rest were all at the first level of Martial Master, including two at the second level. "Who are you? This is Yunyang Sect. Outsiders should leave quickly, or you will be killed without mercy," the leading young man in black clothing said. "Are you all disciples of Yunyang Sect?" Li Lin had already noticed these people''s presence. There were many more disciples of Yunyang Sect in the valley behind, apparently patrolling the area. "Yes," the young man in black clothing sized up Li Lin and replied. "Then that''s right. I am also a disciple of Yunyang Sect," Li Lin said with a slight smile, taking out the jade token that Elder Bai Mei had given him back in Qingyun Town. "You are a disciple of Yunyang Sect? I haven''t seen you before," the leading young man took Li Lin''s jade token, surprised, but the token was indeed from Yunyang Sect. "Li Lin, Yunyang Sect doesn''t have this person. Are you really a disciple of Yunyang Sect?" The leading young man looked at Li Lin with suspicion. Li Lin''s name was on the jade token, but this young man seemed to have never seen Li Lin in Yunyang Sect, so he began to doubt. "Due to some special circumstances, I have only now arrived at Yunyang Sect. I was supposed to come a year and a half ago," Li Lin said. "Your jade token is genuine, so please wait a moment. We need to consult an elder," the leading young man told Li Lin. "No problem, I will wait here," Li Lin said with a slight smile, having already arrived at Yunyang Sect, he didn''t mind waiting a bit longer. The leading young man took Li Lin''s jade token and entered the valley, instructing the other young men to watch Li Lin before leaving. In a continuous courtyard, a middle-aged man, burly, wearing a long robe, slowly walked out from the courtyard. This person was somewhat eye-catching because his eyebrows were pure white, and he was Elder Bai Mei, who had originally led Li Lin and others from Qingyun Town to Yunyang Sect. Because the people brought from Yunyang Sect had all become direct disciples, and he had brought back a treasure, the Heavenly Silkworm Armor, from the Misty Mountain Range, Elder Bai Mei''s status in Yunyang Sect had also increased a lot. "Elder Bai." A young man in black clothing quickly approached Elder Bai Mei and greeted him. "Peng Chuanxiong, what''s the hurry? Today is your team''s turn to patrol outside, why have you returned?" Bai Mei asked the young man in black clothing. "Elder Bai, we encountered a strange situation while patrolling and came to consult the elder," the young man said. "We met a person who claims to be a disciple of our Yunyang Sect, but due to some special circumstances, he didn''t arrive until a year and a half later." After speaking, the young man took out the jade token and handed it to Bai Mei. "Li Lin." Upon receiving the jade token and seeing the three characters on it, Elder Bai Mei was stunned, startling the young man. "Tell me quickly, where is he? Take me to him," after a long moment, Elder Bai Mei began to tremble, shouting loudly, startling a few disciples passing by. "Elder Bai, the person is just outside the mountain gate," before the young man in black clothing could finish, Bai Mei''s figure had already disappeared from the spot. "What''s with that kid, making Elder Bai so anxious?" The young man in black clothing rubbed the back of his head in confusion, then hurriedly followed. Outside the valley, Li Lin waited leisurely, not in a hurry. About twenty minutes later, a figure rushed out of the valley... A figure landed in front of Li Lin instantly, appearing somewhat breathless and excited, looking at Li Lin with some shock. "Greetings to Elder Bai." The surrounding dozen or so disciples immediately saluted. Chapter 249: Number 806 "Nice to meet you, Elder Bai." Li Lin smiled slightly and hurriedly paid his respects. Elder Bai Mei, Li Lin naturally recognized him. "Lin''er, it''s really you. I thought I was dreaming. It''s good that you''re not dead," Elder Bai Mei took a moment to come back to his senses, still appearing extremely excited. "I didn''t expect that I could still come back alive either," Li Lin smiled faintly. "Come in with me quickly, and tell me how you survived the great disaster," Bai Mei pulled Li Lin into the valley. "Is he really a disciple of our sect? Why is Elder Bai Mei so excited? What''s the story?" A group of disciples guessed curiously. Following Elder Bai Mei into the valley, Li Lin was also extremely shocked by everything that appeared before his eyes. Inside the valley, there was a different scenery. Walking into the valley, amidst the continuous mountains, there was a huge flat ground that seemed to have been directly leveled, with continuous buildings standing on the ground, the streets were crowded with people, there were many shops, bustling with noise and excitement. In the distance, many towering peaks could be faintly seen. Around, there was a winding valley surrounding it, like a natural barrier. "Nice to meet you, Elder Bai." Along the way, many disciples paid their respects to Elder Bai Mei, also curiously sizing up Li Lin. "Is this Yunyang Sect?" Li Lin was somewhat surprised. This Yunyang Sect really seemed like a bustling town, which was somewhat different from what he had imagined. Along the way, Elder Bai Mei was also somewhat excitedly introducing to Li Lin that the Yunyang Sect had many disciples. In the entire Yunyang mountain range, there were more than 20,000 disciples. Since it was far from the city, the foot of the mountain allowed ordinary disciples to open shops freely. These shops were of all kinds, selling everything. In some ways, it also solved the problem of living supplies for the Yunyang Sect to a certain extent. However, opening a shop was not an easy task. It required meeting certain conditions. After walking through several streets, Li Lin followed Elder Bai Mei into a courtyard. The decoration inside the courtyard was very luxurious but not ostentatious. Just after sitting down in a small hall, Elder Bai Mei began to ask Li Lin about the past year and a half. Li Lin still subtly shared half of what he had discussed with Wang Mingyue and others, making it reasonable. Elder Bai Mei did not have the slightest doubt. As for the matter of the Saintly Hand Spirit Venerable, Li Lin naturally knew he could not tell anyone, nor could he reveal anything about the Flying Spirit Gate. Then Elder Bai Mei also told Li Lin about some situations in the Yunyang Sect, and also about Li Wushuang''s situation after Li Lin fell off the cliff. "Good lad, you really have a big life. It''s good that you''re alive. I don''t have to worry about letting your father down now. By the way, I''ll send someone to notify the Li family immediately," Elder Bai Mei said. "There''s no need, Elder Wang has already sent someone," Li Lin said. "Elder Bai, can I see Sister Wushuang?" Li Lin asked. "That might be difficult for now. Wushuang just went down the mountain five days ago. It''s not easy for her to go down the mountain again. She is now a direct disciple, and recently, all the direct disciples are practicing hard, preparing for the triennial meeting of the Three Sects and Four Gates, so she cannot leave the mountain. This is the sect master''s rule," Elder Bai Mei said. "Could Elder Bai Mei think of a way?" Li Lin hesitated before asking, knowing that Li Wushuang had been worried about him for over a year and wanted to reassure her as soon as possible. "Although she can''t see you, I can go tell her. If Wushuang knows you''re alive, she will be very happy," Bai Mei said, and then remembered something, adding, "Lin''er, you are a tri-system martial artist. It wasn''t difficult for you to become a direct disciple last time, but unfortunately, an accident occurred, making you miss the opportunity. I''ll go notify Wushuang and also make a trip to the sect to see if I can make you a direct disciple." The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. "Thank you very much, Elder Bai," Li Lin said, not in a hurry in his heart. After all, with Elder Yu in the sect, becoming a direct disciple was no problem for him. The only condition to become a direct disciple was to become a disciple of an elder, and he had already been reserved by Elder Yu. "Right, you''ll also need to participate in the assessment. You just need to work hard. For the time being, you''ll live in..." Elder Bai Mei thought for a moment before saying, "You''ll live in courtyard number 806. A room just became available there, so you''ll have a place to stay." "Thank you, Elder Bai," Li Lin bowed. "Your father and I are old acquaintances, so you don''t need to be so formal with me," Bai Mei patted Li Lin''s shoulder and said, then lightly called out to the door, "Someone come." "Elder Bai, what are your orders?" A disciple of Yunyang Sect had already walked in respectfully. "Go find Peng Chuanxiong for me, tell him I have something to discuss with him," Elder Bai Mei finished speaking, and the disciple hurried out. Subsequently, through his conversation with Elder Bai Mei, Li Lin gained a general understanding of the entire Yunyang Sect, which was far more complex than he had originally imagined. "Elder Bai, did you call for me?" A moment later, the young man in black that Li Lin had seen outside the mountain gate had already arrived in the courtyard. "Peng Chuanxiong, you also live in courtyard number 806, right? This is Li Lin. He''ll be staying with you for now. You take him and make arrangements," Elder Bai Mei said to the young man in black. "Yes, Elder Bai," Peng Chuanxiong took another look at Li Lin, seemingly puzzled by Li Lin''s origins and his unusual relationship with Elder Bai, then led Li Lin away from Elder Bai''s courtyard. "Brother Lin''er, I didn''t expect you to really be a disciple of the sect. I apologize for any offense before. Don''t take it to heart. From now on, we''re a team. If you need my help, just say the word. Oh, and just call me Chuanxiong from now on." "Brother Chuanxiong, you''re too polite," Li Lin smiled faintly, thinking to himself that Peng Chuanxiong seemed quite enthusiastic. "Brother Lin''er, there are now four people living in courtyard number 806, and with you, that makes five. All courtyards house five people, but you should be prepared, our courtyard number 806 doesn''t have a very good reputation," Peng Chuanxiong said. "Not a very good reputation?" Li Lin became curious. "That, you''ll find out later. I hope you can get used to it," Peng Chuanxiong smiled helplessly, then pointed to a large complex of buildings ahead, saying, "Brother Lin''er, this is where we ordinary disciples live. Each courtyard has a number, divided into male and female areas. To the side is the canteen, to the right is the practice field. Every seven days, an external elder will guide our cultivation." Following the direction Peng Chuanxiong pointed, Li Lin saw a dense cluster of small courtyards, not very large, but numerous when connected together. "Here we are, this is it." Under Peng Chuanxiong''s lead, Li Lin arrived at a small courtyard, not very large, but quite clean. Inside the courtyard, there was a small hall and five rooms, decorated simply but decently. "Brothers, we have a new brother today." In the small hall, Peng Chuanxiong called out, and at that moment, three young men were inside, all around twenty years old. "A new brother." The three young men immediately turned their heads to look at Li Lin, who had just walked into the hall. "Brother Lin''er, let me introduce you. This is Yue Buqun, this is Lai Yuejing, and this is Yang Wei," Peng Chuanxiong introduced the three young men to Li Lin. Li Lin''s gaze swept over the three young men. They were all about the same height, looking from the left side, the first was slightly taller, with the most robust physique, wearing a white long shirt that seemed a bit small, as if the muscles were about to burst out. He had thick eyebrows and big eyes, exactly the Yue Buqun that Peng Chuanxiong mentioned. The second was slightly shorter, with dark skin and a powerful aura, small eyes showing a shrewdness, this was Lai Yuejing (Lai Menstruation) that Peng Chuanxiong mentioned. The third was of average height, but his physique was round, probably between 1.73 to 1.75 meters tall, weighing at least 250 pounds, his eyes squinting because of the fat, this was Yang Wei (Impotence) that Peng Chuanxiong mentioned. "Yue Buqun, Lai Yuejing, Yang Wei." Li Lin, hearing these three names, was stunned, wanting to laugh but feeling embarrassed to do so. These three people''s names were indeed quite special, the most normal now seemed to be Peng Chuanxiong. "This is Li Lin, Brother Lin''er, from now on, you''ll live with us," Peng Chuanxiong said to the three. "Welcome to number 806," the three said enthusiastically. Li Lin smiled faintly, thinking to himself that these people were quite enthusiastic, but the strength of these four was average. Except for Peng Chuanxiong, who was at the third level of Martial Master, the other three were at the first level of Martial Master. Li Lin did not know that for those around twenty years old, reaching the Martial Master level was already considered talented. In the outside world, it was extremely rare for disciples of small sects and factions around twenty years old to reach the Martial Master level. "Please take good care of me in the future," Li Lin said lightly, guessing that he would be living under the same roof with these people for a while. Chapter 250: Is He Still Alive? "What''s with all the formalities? We''re brothers from now on. But since you''re new here, according to the rules, you have to treat the four of us to a meal," Yang Wei said with a slight smile. "No problem, anytime," Li Lin smiled. He didn''t care about the small amount of money; besides, he had some questions to ask these people. "Let''s do it now then. I''m starving," Yue Buqun said immediately, then somewhat embarrassedly added to Li Lin, "Brother Lin, you really are straightforward. When I have a bit more money, I''ll treat you to something nice." "Let''s go, I''m getting hungry just talking about it. It''s been a while since we''ve had a good meal," Lai Yuejing said. The five of them left the courtyard, winding through numerous alleys until they reached a street and entered a food and drink establishment that seemed to be doing good business, with many customers already inside. They ordered a lot of dishes and drinks. Initially, Peng Chuanxiong and the others hesitated to order expensive items, but Li Lin encouraged them, so they ordered plenty of delicious food. What surprised Li Lin was that this food and drink establishment was also run by disciples of Yunyang Sect. Yunyang Sect really was extraordinary. Because of this meal, the relationship among the five of them got much closer quickly. They were all young people, and soon, any awkwardness disappeared. Although Li Lin had traveled to this world, he wasn''t much older before his journey, and he hadn''t made any friends in this world yet. At this moment, he was enjoying a great time chatting with the four others. "Brother Chuanxiong, are you familiar with Elder Yu from the sect?" After a fulfilling meal and conversation, the four returned to courtyard No. 806. Li Lin took the opportunity to ask them. Elder Yu had intended to take him as a disciple, and Li Lin wanted to find out more about Elder Yu. "Brother Lin, are you talking about the sect master''s senior brother, Inner Sect Elder Yu Yuqian?" Yue Buqun asked. "That''s right," Li Lin replied. "Why are you asking about Elder Yu..." Yue Buqun, Lai Yuejing, Peng Chuanxiong, and Yang Wei all asked with some surprise... In the evening, deep within the Yunyang Sect mountains, in a large courtyard surrounded by lush greenery and many plants, two graceful figures rushed in. "Sister Wushuang, Sister Wushuang, I have good news." The two figures rushed into the courtyard, and Li Wushuang''s figure had already appeared outside the courtyard. These two people were Du Gu Binglan and her maid, Cuiyu. "What''s the matter, you two rushing around?" Li Wushuang asked with a light smile. "Sister Wushuang, I have good news for you," Du Gu Binglan said, somewhat out of breath, her expression mysterious. "What good news could you possibly have?" Li Wushuang glanced at Du Gu Binglan. "Well, if you don''t want to listen, then I won''t say. And here I was, sneaking away from my master to come and tell you," Du Gu Binglan pouted. "Alright, my dear sister, just tell me," Li Wushuang smiled, charmingly. "Sister Wushuang, just now Cuiyu happened to run into Elder Baimao. Elder Baimao said that Lin''er came back to Yunyang Sect today and is now in the sect," Du Gu Binglan said, looking at Li Wushuang, slowly speaking. "Binglan, I know you want me to be happy, but it''s been over a year, and I''ve accepted the fact. Lin''er might be dead," Li Wushuang said with a light smile, a hint of sorrow hanging on her brows. "Sister Wushuang, Lin''er is really not dead. At first, I thought Elder Baimao was joking with me. I ran into Elder Baimao on the mountainside. Elder Baimao wanted to come in but was stopped by the master, so he asked me to tell you," Cuiyu said. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "Cuiyu, are you really telling the truth?" Li Wushuang started to get excited, looking at Cuiyu, seeking a definite answer. "Yes, Elder Baimao said it''s true. I was planning to go down the mountain to confirm it, but then I thought of telling you right away, so I came here immediately," Cuiyu said. "Is Lin''er really not dead? I knew it, Lin''er couldn''t possibly be dead," Li Wushuang trembled slightly, then excitedly paced back and forth, saying, "Lin''er is here, I have to see him, I have to go down the mountain to see him." "Sister Wushuang, we can only go down the mountain once every three months, as per the sect master''s orders. Even Elder Baimao couldn''t come up just now," Du Gu Binglan said. "What should I do? I want to see Lin''er, I want to know if he really came, if he''s really still alive," Li Wushuang anxiously said to Du Gu Binglan, her beautiful eyes showing helplessness, excitement, and joy. "Sister Wushuang, how about this: I''m just a maid, no one will pay attention to me. I''ll go down the mountain tomorrow to look for Lin''er, to see if he really came," Cuiyu said. "Alright, Cuiyu, go early tomorrow. I want to know if Lin''er is really not dead, if he''s still alive," Li Wushuang''s eyes welled up with moisture. At night, under the starry sky bathed in a hazy moonlight, the entire Yunyang Sect quieted down. In courtyard No. 806, Li Lin was astonished, having just learned about Elder Yu''s status within Yunyang Sect. It was truly unexpected. From the conversations with Yue Buqun, Lai Yuejing, Peng Chuanxiong, and others, Li Lin learned that indeed, Elder Yu Yuqian was an Inner Sect Elder and the sect master''s senior brother. On the surface, his status was lofty, even requiring the sect master to address him as "senior brother." In the sect, no other elders or law enforcers dared to disrespect Elder Yu. However, that was only on the surface. Inside Yunyang Sect, it was well known that Elder Yu was the least successful among the Inner Sect Elders, with his strength only at the sixth level of Martial General, which was far less than the other Inner Sect Elders. Even the sect''s law enforcers were stronger than Elder Yu, with all of them being above the level of Martial General, and a few even reaching the level of Martial Commander. As for the strength level of the Inner Sect Elders, the lowest was also above Martial Commander. As for why the sect master''s senior brother had such low strength, it puzzled many, but those in the know were aware that Elder Yu, in his youth, was the son of a small family without any martial talent. Because this family inadvertently saved the previous sect master, and the family was exterminated as a result, leaving only Elder Yu. Out of gratitude and guilt, even though the previous sect master knew Elder Yu lacked martial talent, he still took him as a disciple. Then, using countless precious medicines, he forcibly raised Elder Yu''s cultivation to the level of Martial General, after which Elder Yu could no longer advance. In a sect where strength is revered, Yunyang Sect was no exception. Although Elder Yu''s status was ostensibly high, in the hearts of all other elders and law enforcers, few truly regarded Elder Yu highly. Moreover, within Yunyang Sect, all elders and law enforcers had their own factions, each wielding their own influence through their disciples. Every selection of direct disciples, in essence, was each elder picking their own disciples. Often, a disciple with exceptional talent would be fought over by all elders. The cultivation level of one''s disciples directly determined an elder''s status within the sect. Yunyang Sect also had an unwritten rule: every selection of direct disciples would not include Elder Yu, because the sect did not want talented disciples to be taught by Elder Yu, whose strength was solely reliant on medicinal pills and lacked teaching ability. There are a total of eleven Inner Sect Elders in Yunyang Sect. During the first round of selection, ten are chosen, and three years later, during the second round, another ten are selected, but all are taken by other elders. New disciples, upon learning of Elder Yu''s situation, would not choose him as their master, directly affecting their future prospects. Although Elder Yu''s status was high, the status of the other elders was not inferior. Compared to them, no one would foolishly choose Elder Yu as their master. Over the years, Elder Yu had indeed taken three disciples. It''s said that during one selection of direct disciples, Elder Yu made a scene, insisting on taking a top-ten talent as his disciple, who had the best potential at the time. However, in the end, that disciple turned out to be average in strength, only middle-of-the-pack among ordinary disciples. Of Elder Yu''s three disciples, two are still in the sect, one with the cultivation of the eighth level of Martial Soul and the other with the first level of Martial General, but both are middle-aged. Among their peers, even the least talented has reached the eighth level of Martial Soul. However, Elder Yu''s two disciples had used far more cultivation resources, proving that Elder Yu indeed lacks teaching ability. Later, Yunyang Sect dared not let Elder Yu waste the potential of highly talented disciples anymore, only agreeing that, outside of the top ten direct disciple selections, Elder Yu could take any disciple he wanted. Some ordinary disciples, whose talent was not far off from direct disciples, hoped Elder Yu would take them as his disciples, but after being rebuffed, Elder Yu refused to take any, as accepting would mean admitting his status was lower than the other elders. Elder Yu, a man extremely concerned with face, refused to lower his status. As a result, the other ten elders'' factions flourished, their influence much stronger, while Elder Yu''s faction remained desolate, with only two disciples, illustrating the situation. Chapter 251 A Bunch of Good-for-nothings When Li Lin learned of all this, he finally understood why Elder Yu wanted to take him as a disciple. He was afraid that the sect would not allow him to take disciples later on, so he said that no matter what happened, he must be taken as a disciple, and even pretended not to recognize him, tempting him with Xuan-level martial techniques. This was to prevent opposition from other elders when he wanted to take him as a disciple. Now, only Elder Yu knew that he was a Ninth Level Martial Master, and also a practitioner of three systems. Taking him as a disciple would allow him to stand tall and proud later on. Li Lin smiled bitterly, but he didn''t care at all in his heart. After all, he did not come to Yunyang Sect to find a good master. He had always been self-taught, aiming only for Yunyang Sect''s Millennium Copper and the Floating Light Shifting Shadow technique, and now he had already found a clue to the Floating Light Shifting Shadow technique. Having Elder Yu as a master and relying on Elder Yu''s status, it might be more convenient to find the Millennium Copper later on. After all, if Elder Yu was the master of the sect leader, his status was extremely high. Therefore, becoming Elder Yu''s disciple was all to his benefit and no harm. After chatting about various topics in the small hall for several hours, they each returned to their own rooms to rest. Each disciple had their own small room, complete with living supplies. Li Lin was quite satisfied after returning to his room, which even had a small window. Although his room couldn''t compare to the one he had in the Flying Spirit Gate, it was still decent enough. Having a room of his own made it much more convenient for him to practice his cultivation. While chatting with Yue Buqun and the others, Li Lin also learned a bit about the life of ordinary disciples. The life of ordinary disciples in Yunyang Sect was not easy. All the miscellaneous tasks of the entire Yunyang Sect needed to be done by ordinary disciples, such as sweeping, chopping wood, and patrolling around the mountain gate. These were tasks that every ordinary disciple must do before they could spend time on their own cultivation. At the same time, it was normal for those with weaker strength to be bullied by those with stronger strength. As long as no lives were taken, the elders of the sect would not intervene at all. Li Lin was most depressed about the ordinary disciples having to do chores every day. However, there was one thing he planned to try tomorrow. According to what Lai Yuejing and the others said, there was a Tiger List in the martial arts field. Among the ordinary disciples, the top hundred in strength could leave their names on the Tiger List and no longer have to do chores. To challenge someone on the Tiger List and win meant you could leave your name on it and no longer need to do chores. Li Lin''s mouth curled into a smile. To avoid doing chores, he would have to challenge the Tiger List tomorrow and take the opportunity to gauge the strength of the current ordinary disciples in Yunyang Sect. Sitting cross-legged, Li Lin began to practice slowly. Now that he was in Yunyang Sect, he could no longer recklessly absorb Qi and spiritual energy to break through, so he had to start by absorbing elixirs. After breaking through to the Martial Soul stage, he would be able to withstand the immense energy of demon pills and spirit pills, which he estimated would be stronger than absorbing elixirs. For now, he needed to first improve his spiritual power level. Once he reached the Ninth Level Spiritual Master and Ninth Level Martial Master stages, he could prepare to break through to the Martial Soul and Spirit Soul levels. Moments later, Li Lin was enveloped in a faint halo, entering a state of cultivation, preparing to challenge the Tiger List at the martial arts field tomorrow. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. After a night of cultivation, early the next morning, the east sky showed the white of dawn, and the morning light dispersed. Li Lin exhaled a breath of turbid air, feeling the full Qi and spiritual power within his body, and revealed a slight smile. "Tiger List, let''s go see it today," Li Lin murmured. "Yue Buqun, time''s up, it''s time to pay up," outside courtyard number 806, more than a dozen ordinary disciples of Yunyang Sect had gathered early in the morning. Outside the courtyard, four youths quickly arrived, namely Yue Buqun, Peng Chuanxiong, Lai Yuejing, and Yang Wei. All four of their faces looked somewhat ugly. "Zhou Baotian, how about giving us a bit more time? We don''t have it now," Peng Chuanxiong glanced at the dozen or so people, saying to the young man in front holding a long sword. "If you don''t have it, then let''s follow the old rules. Let us beat you up, and we''ll give you another month," a long-haired youth laughed loudly. The commotion at courtyard number 806 had already attracted many disciples from nearby courtyards, who came out to watch the excitement. "Is it that time again? The people from 806 are going to be beaten up." "Who told them to offend someone they shouldn''t have? Getting beaten is normal." The disciples surrounding the area began to whisper among themselves. "Why is it so noisy?" A figure in a green robe walked out from the courtyard, it was Li Lin. Feeling the commotion outside, Li Lin also came out to see what was happening. "Brother Lin, this has nothing to do with you, you should go back inside," Peng Chuanxiong signaled Li Lin with his eyes, indicating for him to go back inside. "So, courtyard number 806 has added another person, huh? Well, then let''s include him too," the leading strong man glanced at Li Lin and said. "Zhou Baotian, he just arrived yesterday, this has nothing to do with him, don''t go too far," Yue Buqun said to the young man in sports attire. "What if I go too far? If you''re not convinced, come and compete with me on the martial arts field, haha, a bunch of useless fellows," the youth named Zhou Baotian coldly laughed, with the dozen or so youths around him coldly echoing him, not taking Yue Buqun and the others seriously at all. "A mere Fourth Level Martial Master, so arrogant? Get lost, or else don''t blame me for being impolite," Li Lin glanced at the leading youth, Zhou Baotian, with a faint look. The cultivation levels of the surrounding youths were only at the Third and Second Level Martial Master stages. From everyone''s conversation, Li Lin could guess that Yue Buqun and the others must have offended some strong figures within Yunyang Sect. In Yunyang Sect, everything depended on strength. Without strength, it was normal to be trampled on. "Brother Lin, you''re causing trouble, why bother?" Yue Buqun and the others didn''t speak, looking at Li Lin with a helpless and sympathetic gaze. "Does having strength mean you can be arrogant?" Li Lin gently pushed Yang Wei away and stepped forward, looking at Zhou Baotian with a calm and leisurely gaze. "Right, with strength, you can be as arrogant as you want, but after this, you will never have the temperament to be arrogant again," Zhou Baotian looked at Li Lin and said. "Then do you want to come up alone, or do you want this bunch of good-for-nothings to come up together?" Li Lin spoke again lightly. "Who is this young man? Does he want to die being so arrogant?" "Zhou Baotian is also a Fourth Level Martial Master, ranked ninety-ninth on the Tiger List, this young man is going to have a bad day today, he will definitely be beaten half to death." At this moment, the ordinary disciples of Yunyang Sect who had gathered around to watch had already numbered in the hundreds. Hearing Li Lin''s words, they all sweated for him. Zhou Baotian was notoriously ruthless in Yunyang Sect. When he bullied people, he absolutely showed no mercy. "The kid is too arrogant, simply ignorant of the heavens and the earth, I alone am enough to deal with you," Zhou Baotian could not stand someone being more arrogant than him, and as he spoke, he raised his long sword, a burst of fire attribute Qi vibrating, his aura instantly surging. "Fourth Level Martial Master, ranked ninety-ninth on the Tiger List." Feeling the aura emanating from Zhou Baotian, the surrounding Yunyang Sect disciples were somewhat enlightened. "Fourth Level Martial Master, overestimating oneself." Li Lin smiled faintly, not taking it seriously at all, a faint yellow Qi beginning to tremble slightly around him, space ripples slowly spreading out. "Then let me see if your strength matches your arrogance," Zhou Baotian''s face passed a cold smile, completely angered by Li Lin. As the Qi burst forth, his body suddenly tensed like a bowstring, his feet flashing red, and with a crisp sound of explosive Qi energy, his figure turned into a blurry afterimage rushing towards Li Lin. Li Lin just smiled faintly, without any movement. Chapter 252: Challenging the Tiger Ranking "Brother Lin, be careful." Yue Buqun and his three companions were instantly horrified. They did not know the extent of Li Lin''s strength, but they could tell that Li Lin was younger than them, so his strength probably wasn''t that formidable. However, Zhou Baotian ranked ninety-ninth on the Tiger Ranking, with strength among the top hundred of the three thousand new disciples of the Yunyang Sect. "Has this youth been frightened into stupidity?" The disciples watching around were also puzzled, then shook their heads slightly, waiting for the scene of this youth being trampled. "Let me teach you a good lesson." Seeing no reaction from Li Lin, Zhou Baotian retracted his long sword, seemingly afraid of accidentally killing the young man in the green robe before him. Killing someone in the Yunyang Sect was no trivial matter, and as he was not a direct disciple, he could not bear this responsibility. At this moment, Zhou Baotian retracted his long sword, his huge fist clenched tightly, a scorching fire attribute Qi wrapped around his fist like a semi-solidified flame, and finally smashed down hard on the figure in the green robe in front of him. The force of the fist tore through the air, creating a series of sonic booms in the air. Zhou Baotian''s strength, at the fourth level of the Martial Master, was definitely considered good among the new disciples of the Yunyang Sect. To be ranked in the top hundred of the Tiger Ranking, one must have excellent talent. This move showed that Zhou Baotian''s ranking of ninety-ninth was not undeserved. However, for Li Lin at this moment, ignoring Zhou Baotian''s strength was easy. Feeling the sharp sound of Zhou Baotian''s attack, Li Lin''s expression remained unchanged. His mind focused, and a pale yellow light rapidly spread around his body, instantly enveloping him in a layer of pale yellow scale armor. In an instant, Zhou Baotian''s fiery fist hit hard on Li Lin''s chest. "Boom!" A muffled sound erupted on Li Lin''s chest. The strong and hot energy from the fist pressed down on Li Lin''s body, lowering it slightly. Zhou Baotian''s face lit up with joy, not expecting the youth to be so easy to deal with, taking his punch directly. This would either kill or severely injure him. "This youth is too arrogant, but his strength is too weak." All the disciples of the Yunyang Sect watching around showed a hint of disappointment. They thought there would be a good show, but it ended so quickly. "It''s over," Yue Buqun and his companions also had a sinking expression. "In front of me, a fourth-level Martial Master is just trash." Li Lin''s expression remained indifferent and aloof. Just as everyone was shocked, a coldness flashed in his eyes, and a surge of invisible, fierce Qi burst out. This Qi, unrelated to strength, was purely from Li Lin''s inherent sharp aura, as well as the bloodthirsty aura honed in the Misty Mountain Range and the ancient domain. "How could this be?" Zhou Baotian, who was rejoicing, felt Li Lin''s sudden burst of aura and felt his soul trembling in fright. "Let me show you the power of the fire attribute." At the same time as the coldness passed, Li Lin''s right hand shot out like lightning, wearing a white jade silk glove, with flames shooting from his claws, tearing through the space ripples at close range, and a fierce, invisible Qi burst out, landing on Zhou Baotian''s shoulder. "Crack, crack..." In the blink of an eye, before Zhou Baotian could withdraw his fist from Li Lin''s chest, a sharp pain transmitted from his shoulder, followed by the clear sound of his shoulder bones breaking. "Ah..." Zhou Baotian screamed miserably as Li Lin''s white jade silk claws were already grasping his left shoulder, with five claws directly inserted into his shoulder bone. "Do you know if I have the right to be arrogant with this strength?" Li Lin snorted coldly, shook his arm, and forcefully flung Zhou Baotian''s body into the air. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Crack, crack..." Along with the sound of bones breaking, Zhou Baotian''s body heavily fell ten meters away, spewing a mouthful of blood mist. On his shoulder, a palm-sized piece of flesh was missing, revealing a broken shoulder bone. This piece of bone was now in Li Lin''s hand, along with a piece of flesh, blood dripping down from Li Lin''s white jade silk claws onto the ground. "Ah..." A miserable scream came from Zhou Baotian''s mouth, the extreme pain reaching its limit. "And you bunch of trash, I''ll teach you all a lesson today." A coldness flashed in Li Lin''s eyes, looking towards the thirteen youths who came with Zhou Baotian. He threw the broken flesh on the ground, and his figure instantly disappeared from the spot. "Whoosh, whoosh..." "Snap, snap, snap..." The space was silent, only the deep sound of sonic booms echoing, shaking people''s hearts. "Let''s go, hurry." The thirteen youths who came with Zhou Baotian instantly came to their senses and shouted loudly, their faces pale, and their expressions horrified. But it was already too late. With their strength, how could they escape from Li Lin''s hands? Amidst the surge of violent Qi, the ferocious fire attribute Qi raged, bringing up a spray of blood. The screams, the sound of sonic booms, had completely merged together, and this time was very short, just a few blinks of an eye. The ghostly figure in the green robe reappeared in front of everyone, with countless broken flesh dripping with blood on his claws. "Bang, bang..." This was not the sound of sonic booms but the heartbeats of the hundred people around. The entire space was so oppressive that even the heartbeat could be heard. At this moment, including Zhou Baotian, fourteen people were screaming continuously, a scene of bloody carnage. Each person, whether on the shoulder, back, arm, or leg, was missing a palm-sized piece of flesh. This scene was absolutely bloody. "Do you know if my strength can be arrogant now?" Li Lin stepped forward slowly, stepping on Zhou Baotian''s head, spreading a murderous aura, and coldly said: "Stay away from courtyard 806 in the future, otherwise, next time I won''t mind turning you into a cripple, or a dead person." "Ah..." Zhou Baotian could only scream miserably, looking at Li Lin, his expression had turned from initial fury to absolute terror. The youth before him was a grim reaper, someone he couldn''t afford to provoke. "Let''s go, brothers, accompany me to see the Tiger Ranking." After putting away the white jade silk gloves and the Qingling armor, Li Lin''s murderous aura subsided, and he returned to his harmless smile, arriving next to the stunned Yue Buqun and his companions. "Brother Lin, are you going to challenge the Tiger Ranking?" Yue Buqun came back to his senses and looked at Li Lin. "Nonsense, Brother Lin knocked down Zhou Baotian with one move, how could he not challenge the Tiger Ranking ?" Lai Yuejing glared at Yue Buqun before speaking. "Zhou Baotian, your grandmother''s bear, the debt we owed you is now written off. If you dare to provoke us again, we''ll make you regret it." Yang Wei rushed to Zhou Baotian on the ground and kicked him hard. They had been bullied a lot in the past, and now they were finally getting some payback. "Let''s go, to challenge the Tiger Ranking." Li Lin smiled lightly. Although he had defeated Zhou Baotian, who was ranked ninety-ninth on the Tiger Ranking, since it was not in the martial arts arena, he could not enter the Tiger Ranking. As the four left, only Zhou Baotian and the other fourteen screaming disciples and the hundreds of onlookers remained. The hundreds of onlookers, watching Li Lin''s back, couldn''t help but take a deep breath. "Who is this person? His strength is so formidable, and he''s so ruthless." "I heard he just arrived yesterday, and Elder Bai Mei personally went to receive him. He must have a significant background." "Such strong strength. He defeated a fourth-level Martial Master in one move and took a fourth-level Martial Master''s attack without any harm to himself. It''s terrifying." "They''re going to challenge the Tiger Ranking, let''s go see." Many disciples, already curious, followed behind Li Lin and his companions. "What happened here? Who did this?" Shortly after Li Lin and his party left, three figures arrived. "Greetings to Elder Bai, greetings to the two stewards." A few scattered disciples who hadn''t left yet saw the three arrivals and immediately saluted. The arrivals were Elder Bai Mei and two stewards of the Yunyang Sect. Looking at the dozen or so bloodied disciples on the ground, Elder Bai Mei and the two stewards frowned. They knew Zhou Baotian''s strength, as well as that of these dozen or so disciples. Judging from the wounds, they must have been injured by the same person. "What happened just now? Who did this?" One of the stewards asked the surrounding few disciples. "Steward, it was a disciple named Li Lin who did it, said to be the person Elder Bai Mei brought in yesterday." A purple-robed disciple glanced at Elder Bai Mei''s expression before slowly speaking. "Was it Li Lin who acted alone?" Elder Bai Mei''s expression darkened as he immediately asked the purple-robed disciple. "Yes, Li Lin defeated Zhou Baotian with just one move, and then in a few blinks of an eye, he laid everyone out. Li Lin''s strength is too terrifying." The purple-robed disciple said, still immersed in the shock of the moment. "What?!" The two stewards were dumbfounded, such strength was too fearsome. "Where is Li Lin?" At this moment, Elder Bai Mei''s expression changed, looking at the dozen or so severely injured, listless disciples. To defeat a dozen people so easily, this strength, at least, had to be at the seventh level of the Martial Master. Could it be that Li Lin has reached the seventh level of the Martial Master? Chapter 253: Tiger Ranking "Elder, they just went to the martial arts field. They said they want to challenge the Tiger Ranking," the disciple in purple clothes said. "Let''s go take a look." The white-browed elder glanced again at the disciples on the ground who were injured, didn''t pay too much attention, instructed a few disciples around to help them up, and then said to the two stewards by his side. The three of them then hurried to the martial arts field. "Brother Lin, your strength is really formidable. Zhou Baotian was actually knocked down by you in one move. To what extent has your strength reached?" Peng Chuanxiong asked Li Lin on the way to the martial arts field. "Not high. It''s no problem to deal with a fourth-level martial instructor," Li Lin said with a light smile. "Brother Lin, but you have to be careful. Zhou Yuhou was badly dealt with by you today. He might seek revenge. He is from the Four Seas Gang," Peng Chuanxiong said. "Four Seas Gang?" Li Lin asked, puzzled, not knowing about these. "The Four Seas Gang is a group led by Hu Sihai, so we call it the Four Seas Gang. Hu Sihai is a strong figure ranked fifth on the Tiger Ranking. In a year, he could easily become a direct disciple. So, among us ordinary disciples, no one dares to provoke him," Lai Yuejing said. On the way to the martial arts field, Li Lin also learned from the mouths of Lai Yuejing and the others the reason for the bad reputation of room 806. The four had offended Hu Sihai a year ago and ended up being forced by Hu Sihai to owe a note, needing to compensate 500,000 gold coins. They would be harassed for payment every month and beaten up if they couldn''t pay. 500,000 gold coins, although the families of the four were small clans and could come up with 500,000 gold coins, it was not something easy to discuss with the family. The Yunyang Sect completely ignores these disputes among disciples, as long as no lives are lost. If there''s an issue, it''s resolved by competing in the martial arts field. The loser must unconditionally obey the winner, which has been an unwritten rule in the Yunyang Sect for a long time. The four had also competed, but their strength was simply not enough, so they have been bullied, getting beaten up once a month. If someone got close to these four, they would also be beaten up by the people from the Four Seas Gang. Eventually, all disciples kept their distance from the people of room 806, not wanting to provoke the Four Seas Gang. That''s why Peng Chuanxiong warned Li Lin, as the reputation of room 806 was not good. Inside Yunyang Sect, everyone would stay far away from these four. "Is this the Tiger Ranking?" Half an hour later, a huge square appeared in front of Li Lin. The square was covered with thick stone slabs, and at the entrance, there was a giant stone tiger about ten meters high and forty to fifty meters long standing at the entrance. This stone tiger sculpture was majestic and domineering, as if it were a living creature. On the back of the stone tiger, there were rows of neatly arranged names. Among them, Li Lin saw Hu Sihai, who was just mentioned by Yue Buqun and the others, ranked fifth in the first row. "Brother Lin, this is the Tiger Ranking. Those on the Tiger Ranking don''t have to do menial tasks anymore and can receive an additional third-grade pill every month," Peng Chuanxiong said. "Ready to challenge." Li Lin said with a slight smile, thinking that this Tiger Ranking was probably just a formality for him. "To challenge, you must first register. It''s not as simple as just saying you want to challenge," Yang Wei said. "Register? How do we register? Are there many people queuing up to challenge?" Li Lin asked. "If everyone could challenge the people on the Tiger Ranking at will, then the people on the Tiger Ranking would be exhausted to death," Yue Buqun said. "Every new disciple gets one point. There''s a record with the elder in charge of the Tiger Ranking. All disciples can challenge opponents at will. If you win, you get one point. If you lose, you lose one point to the winner. Without points, you can''t challenge. After a year, the sect will give you another point." This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Pausing for a moment, Yue Buqun continued: "Of course, if you lose all your points, you can earn points by opening a shop in the sect, which are transactions with gold coins. If you earn a thousand gold coins, you can exchange it for one point with the sect. But if you buy it yourself, it costs ten thousand gold coins. Also, you can buy and sell points with those who have points to sell, with the price around five thousand gold coins." "That''s interesting." Li Lin was somewhat surprised, then understood that without some restrictions, everyone might be challenged every day. "Also, challenging a general disciple costs one point. If you challenge a disciple on the Tiger Ranking, it costs three points. If people on the Tiger Ranking challenge each other, it needs five points. With points, you can challenge any opponent freely, but in order. If challenging someone on the Tiger Ranking, you can only challenge the last one, which is the disciple ranked 100th. After accepting the challenge, if the disciple ranked 100th wins, he can gain three points and rest for three days. If someone challenges within these three days, he can refuse. But if someone challenges after three days and he doesn''t accept, he will be fined three points, and the ranking will be taken by the challenger," Lai Yuejing said. "This method is quite clever." Li Lin smiled slightly. This, to some extent, also curbed the situation where a disciple might be challenged every day, allowing everyone a chance to challenge, and the opponent couldn''t refuse. It seems the disciple ranked 100th on the Tiger Ranking would be the most challenged. "Brother Lin, let''s go register first. You''re a new disciple with only one point. You need to win three points to challenge the disciple ranked 100th on the Tiger Ranking. But we four still have one point each, which we can transfer to you. Then you can challenge Gongsun Tao, who is ranked 100th now. But if someone else is also challenging Gongsun Tao, you''ll have to wait three days," Yang Wei said. "It really is complicated." Li Lin smiled lightly and then walked inside. "Bang, bang..." "Quick, defeat him."... Upon reaching the edge of the square, early in the morning, there were already many disciples in the martial arts field. The square was divided into several areas, with groups of disciples fiercely competing. Through the introduction of Peng Chuanxiong and others, Li Lin learned that these were ordinary disciples challenging to win points. As for challenging those on the Tiger Ranking, that was happening in the largest area in the middle of the square. Looking at the disciples competing in the square, their strength ranged from first to third-level martial instructors. Li Lin didn''t pay much attention. With his current strength, as long as he didn''t encounter an eighth or ninth-level martial soul, it would be fine. Even if he did, he could still manage by fighting hard. "Elder Duan, we want to challenge Gongsun Tao, who is on the Tiger Ranking." After walking around the square, the five people reached a long stand in the square. Yue Buqun said to a middle-aged man on the stand who looked like a Yunyang Sect elder. This person''s name was Duan, specifically in charge of the martial arts field. Li Lin glanced at this middle-aged man, who was just an outer sect elder of Yunyang Sect. Being called an elder, compared to inner sect elders, the difference was significant. "Challenging the Tiger Ranking, who among you wants to challenge, and do you have enough points?" Elder Duan looked at Li Lin and the others, seeming a bit unfamiliar, which was because Yue Buqun and the others rarely came to the martial arts field. "Li Lin will challenge. We will transfer our points to Li Lin," Lai Yuejing said. In the sect, transferring points is quite normal, and the elder wouldn''t object. "Li Lin? Seems like there''s no such name. Are you not a Yunyang Sect disciple?" Elder Duan checked for a moment on a jade slip in front of him and then stared at Li Lin, asking. Among the new disciples in Yunyang Sect, there wasn''t one named Li Lin. "Elder Duan, Li Lin just arrived yesterday. He is a Yunyang Sect disciple but didn''t report a year and a half ago, so you don''t have a record in your jade slip," just then, three figures arrived. "Greetings to Elder Bai, greetings to the two stewards." Li Lin saluted. The arrivals were Elder Bai with white eyebrows and two people Li Lin had seen before. These were the stewards who had gone to Qingyun Town with Elder Bai. At this moment, Elder Bai and the two stewards looked at Li Lin with a surprised and incredulous gaze. "So that''s how it is. Then there''s no problem. But the one ranked 100th, Gongsun Tao, just accepted a challenge yesterday. If you want to challenge, you''ll have to wait until the day after tomorrow," Elder Duan said after hearing what Elder Bai said. "Elder Duan, check the one ranked 98th, Chen Qinghai," Elder Bai said. "He also just had a match yesterday. Only the one ranked 99th, Zhou Baotian, is available. Others, from 100th to 89th, are all scheduled. Only the one ranked 88th, Huang Chengli, he doesn''t have a schedule," Elder Duan checked for a moment on his jade slip and then said. "The 99th-ranked Zhou Baotian has already been defeated," Elder Bai said to Elder Duan, then turned to Li Lin: "Lin''er, the one ranked 88th, Huang Chengli, has a peak fourth-level martial instructor cultivation. Do you want to try?" "No problem," Li Lin smiled lightly. Being ranked 88th, with a peak fourth-level martial instructor cultivation, had no impact on him. He just needed to get into the Tiger Ranking. "Elder Bai, Li Lin is a new disciple. If he wants to challenge someone on the Tiger Ranking ranked above 80, he needs twenty points. Their points combined are not enough," Elder Duan said to Elder Bai. "No matter, count it on me. Notify Huang Chengli to come to the martial arts field immediately," Elder Bai said to Elder Duan. Chapter 254: Beginning the Teasing "Yes." The elder Duan immediately went to make arrangements. From the perspective of rank, it seems that Elder Bai Mei''s status is somewhat higher than Elder Duan''s. "Brother Lin''er, challenging the 88th ranked Huang Chengli, are you confident?" Yue Buqun quietly asked in Li Lin''s ear, concerned about starting the challenge with the 88th ranked on the Tiger List. Although they had witnessed Li Lin''s strength, the levels of cultivation among those on the Tiger List sometimes differ little, but the gap in strength can be significant. The level of cultivation is a general indicator, but the actual strength displayed is another matter. The 88th ranked Huang Chengli, although also a fourth-level martial artist, is naturally much stronger than Zhou Baotian. The higher the ranking, the stronger the strength. "There shouldn''t be any problem." Li Lin replied with a faint smile. At the fourth-level martial artist''s level, one move is enough to settle the issue. Climbing the Tiger List is just a formality for him; he has no interest in dealing with the mundane affairs of the Yunyang Sect. "Lin''er, was Zhou Baotian injured by you?" After Elder Duan went to make arrangements, Elder Bai Mei raised an eyebrow and asked Li Lin. "Yes, Zhou Baotian was too oppressive, so I couldn''t help but teach him a lesson." Li Lin replied subtly, secretly guessing in his heart. According to the rules of the Yunyang Sect, as long as no lives were lost, the sect should not blame him. He knew how to measure his strength; those dozen people definitely would not die. "It was you who took action alone." Elder Bai Mei and two stewards looked somewhat uneasy. "Yes." Li Lin nodded in response. "Good lad, don''t hold back when you go on stage. Let me see your strength. I''ve already spoken to the sect about your matter yesterday. There should be news in the next two days. If your strength is sufficient, it''s not impossible for you to become a direct disciple immediately," Elder Bai Mei told Li Lin. "You''ve troubled Elder Bai." Li Lin bowed. Elder Bai seemed to be quite nice to him, probably because of his father. "Take this third-grade Qi Gathering Pill. New disciples to the Yunyang Sect all receive a Qi Gathering Pill. I wanted to find Wushuang yesterday and tell her you''ve come back, but the direct disciples have been busy with cultivation recently, and even I can''t enter. However, I ran into Cuiyu, so Wushuang probably knows you''re back by now." After speaking, Elder Bai took out an early third-grade pill and handed it to Li Lin. "Thank you, Elder Bai." Li Lin said softly. "Elder Bai, Huang Chengli is here. We can start now." After a while, Elder Duan came back, accompanied by a young man in black clothes, about twenty years old, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, tall, exuding a sense of power. "Greetings, Elder Bai." The young man saluted Elder Bai and then turned his gaze to Li Lin, Yue Buqun, and the others. "A fourth-level martial artist at the pinnacle, probably a practitioner of the earth element." Li Lin glanced at the young man, sensing the earth element in his aura. "Huang Chengli, Li Lin wants to challenge you. If you win, you get twenty points. If you lose, you only lose five points. Are you willing?" Elder Bai asked the young man. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "I accept the challenge. Twenty points, I''ll take them." The young man''s gaze finally rested on Li Lin, his eyes flickering with a fighting spirit. Twenty points were not a small amount, and there was no reason for him not to accept the challenge from someone not on the Tiger List, especially since the rules allowed it. "Then get ready to go on stage," Elder Bai said lightly. In the center of the square, within moments, five to six hundred disciples had gathered. Everyone heard that a new disciple was challenging Huang Chengli, ranked 88th on the Tiger List. "Huang Chengli is ranked 88th on the Tiger List. What''s so special about this new disciple that he dares to challenge Huang Chengli directly? Looking for a beating?" "You don''t know yet? The new disciple is called Li Lin. This morning, he defeated Zhou Baotian, ranked 99th on the Tiger List, with one move, leaving him and a dozen disciples badly injured." "Really? Is this kid that powerful?" "Impossible. How could this kid be so strong? You must have seen it wrong." "What seen wrong? I saw it with my own eyes." "Li Lin is quite handsome. I wonder if he has a girlfriend." Among the crowd of onlookers, many disciples were whispering, discussing the events of the morning. The female disciples in the front were seriously sizing up Li Lin. In the crowd, a beautiful figure with exquisite curves and beautiful features, but with a large red spot on her face, was the maid Cuiyu. Cuiyu watched the figure in the green robe in the center of the square, her eyes somewhat hazy, murmuring, "It''s really him. He''s not dead. It''s been over a year, and he seems to have changed a lot." On the spacious square, two figures stood tall. Their confrontation had already attracted over six hundred disciples to watch. "Li Lin, Huang Chengli, you can start now," Elder Bai said softly, his gaze and those of the two stewards fixed on Li Lin. The Grand Elder glanced at Li Lin, his eyebrows slightly raised, as if he felt Elder Bai was overvaluing this new disciple''s strength. "Li Lin, you just entered the Yunyang Sect and dare to challenge me. I admire your courage," Huang Chengli said, looking at Li Lin, his eyes filled with a hint of disdain. "Challenging you, to be honest, you''re not qualified enough for me to challenge. You''re just a stepping stone. Make your move. If I do, you won''t even have the chance to," Li Lin said with a faint smile. To him, a fourth-level martial artist, even at the pinnacle, was not a concern. "What arrogance." Hearing Li Lin''s words, Elder Bai frowned, and some disciples whispered among themselves, commenting on the new disciple''s audacity. "Such arrogance, Huang Chengli, finish him in one move." "Li Lin, we support you. Defeat Huang Chengli in one move, just like you did Zhou Baotian." The onlooking Yunyang Sect disciples were divided into two camps, with the majority supporting Huang Chengli. Only those who had seen Li Lin''s strength in the morning supported him, knowing how terrifying his strength was. "His strength, I can''t see through it. What secrets are hidden in him?" Cuiyu watched Li Lin from a distance, her brows slightly furrowed, then her gaze fell back on him, observing from afar. "I''ll let you know the difference between you and the Tiger List," Huang Chengli said, his eyes flashing with anger. He no longer showed Li Lin any courtesy, flipping his hands to reveal a dark green stick, about two meters long. As he infused it with his qi, a yellow glow wrapped around the stick. Li Lin glanced at it, unimpressed. With the stick in hand, Huang Chengli''s qi surged out, creating dazzling arcs with the stick, breaking through the air resistance and causing sparks to fly. A stick shadow struck directly at Li Lin. The shadow of the stick, carrying fierce qi, pressed down on Li Lin, making his green robe stick tightly to his skin. Huang Chengli''s strength, indeed, was much stronger than Zhou Baotian''s. Feeling the oppressive qi coming at him, Li Lin raised an eyebrow and smiled faintly, sidestepping swiftly. The stick shadow struck where Li Lin had just stood, creating a crack in the stone floor. "Your speed is too slow," Li Lin said casually, appearing beside Huang Chengli with a faint smile. "Is that so!" Huang Chengli''s face darkened, and he swept the stick across, leaving a pale yellow arc in the air. The stick moved through the air resistance, creating a sound explosion and sweeping towards Li Lin again, stronger and faster than before. "Boom!" A powerful explosion echoed across the square. The fierce force contained in the stick shattered the stone floor, spreading cracks around, demonstrating the terrifying power of the strike. "Still too slow. Can you speed up a bit? Use your full strength!" Li Lin''s voice came softly, as he had already moved dozens of meters away, watching Huang Chengli with a faint smile, his expression teasing. Chapter 255: Crushing Defeat "What a fast speed." Elder Bai Mei and others had a sudden drop in their expressions. They could naturally see that Li Lin''s speed, along with his reaction ability, had reached an extremely strong level. His speed and sharp reaction might even surpass theirs. Many disciples watching were also shocked at this moment. "Your speed is fast, but do you think you can escape with just that?" Huang Chengli''s face darkened as he saw the mocking look in Li Lin''s eyes. His expression turned cold, and his Qi burst out violently. With a flash of Qi under his feet, he stomped on the ground fiercely, and the yellow light on his long stick surged. At the same time, Huang Chengli leaped into the air, briefly reaching mid-air. The long stick in his hand trembled rapidly, unleashing a vast expanse of stick shadows that howled through the air. The stick shadows, tearing through the space like a peacock spreading its feathers, left behind a trail of tangible stick light. "Earth-Splitting Sky-Vaulting Stick, this is a low-level Yellow-tier martial skill, and it''s Huang Chengli''s trump card. I didn''t expect Huang Chengli to use his trump card in the third move." "This Earth-Splitting Sky-Vaulting Stick is powerful. It looks like Huang Chengli is angry. That arrogant kid is in for bad luck." At this moment, when Huang Chengli unleashed his strongest move, the disciples of the Yunyang Sect also started whispering among themselves again. However, Elder Bai Mei and others did not make any comments at this time, just quietly watching the scene. But looking at the martial skill Huang Chengli used, they seemed quite satisfied. It was rare for someone at the fourth level of the Martial Master stage to be able to use the Earth-Splitting Sky-Vaulting Stick to such a formidable extent. Leaping into the air, and while mid-air, Huang Chengli shouted, "Earth-Splitting Sky-Vaulting Stick." At the same time, in the sky, a huge shadow of the stick spread out and then suddenly plunged down, enveloping Li Lin in a fierce howl of energy with a continuous sound of sonic booms, distorting the space around, instantly covering all around Li Lin. Within the envelopment of stick shadows, violent energy rampaged, energy dissipated, stirring up a pressing spatial airflow howling, the less powerful could no longer see everything in the scene, only able to hear the endless sounds of violent power exploding. "Boom boom boom" In the center of the square, the ground around was continuously exploding, stick shadows pressed down from the sky, lifting up a piece of the sky full of stone slabs, countless rubble flipping up. In an instant, the energy dissipated, the violent Qi energy spread to a certain distance and then vanished into the heaven and earth. The area covered by the stick shadows now revealed numerous stone pits within hundreds of meters, a complete mess. At this moment, everyone realized that Li Lin, who was enveloped by the stick shadows, was actually not in the middle. Li Lin had vanished into thin air. "Look, he''s in the sky, he''s a Wind Element Martial Artist." Someone couldn''t help but exclaim in surprise, and at this moment, everyone was amazed as they looked up into the sky. There, a figure in a green robe stood in the air, behind him, a pair of wings condensed from Qi, fluttering, causing a series of almost invisible spatial ripples. "Wind Element Martial Artist, he just seemed to display Earth Element Qi, he''s a Dual Element Martial Artist" As everyone was amazed, the elder responsible for the martial arts field also exclaimed, "So he''s a Dual Element Martial Artist." "Great Elder, Li Lin is not a Dual Element Martial Artist, he''s a Tri-Element Martial Artist, Earth, Fire, Wind, a Tri-Element Martial Artist." A steward beside the elder said. "What, a Tri-Element Martial Artist, that''s like a monster just like the young lady." The elder was petrified, looking at Li Lin with a completely different gaze. No wonder Elder Bai Mei valued him so much. Then the elder seemed to think of something and said, "Could it be that this Li Lin is Li Zhong''s son, Li Shaohu''s brother, the Tri-Element Martial Artist who you said fell off the cliff in the Misty Mountain Range." This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Yes, he is Li Zhong''s son, survived a great disaster, and has come back. I wonder if he can catch up with Li Zhong of the past." Elder Bai Mei said softly. "Lin''er brother is actually a Dual Element Martial Artist, oh my god." Yue Buqun, Lai Yuejing, Yang Wei, Peng Chuanxiong, the four were also dumbfounded at this moment. "I told you, your speed is too slow, now it''s my turn." In the sky, Li Lin smiled faintly again, his eyes still mocking. In an instant, the mockery subsided, and Li Lin''s aura changed abruptly. At the same time, a violent murderous aura pressed down from the sky, his Qi wings on his back flapped, and his figure leaped down like lightning. As fast as lightning, when the figure in the green robe arrived in front of him, Huang Chengli could finally see the opponent''s hand, now holding a shining cold claw, with hot Qi pressing down from the sky. "Earth, Wind, Fire, a Tri-Element Martial Artist." At this moment, Huang Chengli''s face was filled with extreme horror, feeling the aura from Li Lin, a Tri-Element Martial Artist, only that monster in the Yunyang Sect had such a perverse talent. "Whoosh" Without any chance to dodge, Huang Chengli''s long stick howled upwards, his whole body''s Qi burst out, forced to send a stick light directly at Li Lin, while his body retreated explosively, setting up a protective Qi circle around himself. At this moment, Li Lin shook the white jade fine silk claw in his hand, a tangible flame spread, the red-colored fire element Qi surged out, strands of tangible flames eerily winding around the claw, the claw mark distorted space in mid-air, with an unbelievable speed, instantly blocking and catching Huang Chengli''s yellow light long stick. "Overestimating yourself, break for me." Li Lin shouted coldly, the claw trembled slightly, slightly silent, and then a sweeping force burst out from the palm, the tangible flame on the claw instantly surged, a huge force twisted, instantly like a whirlpool twisting the spatial airflow, the spatial airflow was instantly compressed and exploded "Crack crack" Following the sound of the spatial airflow compressing and exploding, among the surprised exclamations of the crowd, Huang Chengli''s long stick in his hand was also instantly turned into a piece of debris floating in the air. A massive force poured down, Huang Chengli spewed out a mouthful of blood, his eyes filled with disbelief. And at this moment, Li Lin''s eyes flashed with coldness, the claw suddenly pierced through Huang Chengli''s protective Qi circle, like tearing through nothing, shredding his protective light circle, the claw mark carrying violent hot Qi, lightning-fast reached Huang Chengli''s neck. Feeling the violent hot Qi, Huang Chengli couldn''t even breathe at that moment, his expression turned to horror, and then he closed his eyes, feeling a palpitation from deep within his soul. "Elder Lin, you must not harm a life." Elder Bai Mei was surprised and his face changed drastically. The violent hot Qi stopped abruptly three centimeters away from Huang Chengli''s neck, leaving only an invisible Qi force that still left a faint blood mark on Huang Chengli''s neck. "You lost." Li Lin withdrew his claw, returning to his usual faint smile, as if everything that had just happened had nothing to do with him. Seeing Li Lin stop, Elder Bai Mei finally breathed a sigh of relief, but at this moment, the elder in charge had not yet come back to his senses, murmuring in shock: "Truly a Tri-Element Martial Artist..." "Earth, Wind, Fire, a Tri-Element Martial Artist, Li Lin is a Tri-Element Martial Artist." "My god, another Tri-Element Martial Artist, Yunyang Sect now has a second Tri-Element Martial Artist." The disciples of the Yunyang Sect couldn''t help themselves, almost becoming frenetic, especially some of the female disciples, who were screaming, throwing flirtatious glances, wishing they could rush up to him. Even the weakest among them could see clearly that although there were only four exchanges, the first three moves were all made by Huang Chengli, even using his strongest move, but none of them even touched Li Lin''s clothes. And Li Lin, with just one move, easily defeated Huang Chengli. If it were a life-and-death battle, one move from Li Lin would have been enough to take Huang Chengli''s life. Such strength was too powerful, even the eighty-eighth ranked on the Tiger List could not withstand a single move from Li Lin. "A ninth-level Martial Master, a year and a half ago he was only a fourth-level Martial Warrior, his cultivation speed is so fast, it''s astonishing. What kind of secret is he hiding?" In the crowd, Cui Yu''s eyes were filled with shock. If Li Lin knew that Cui Yu could see through his cultivation level, he would definitely be surprised. In order not to expose his ninth-level Martial Master status, Li Lin had been restraining and suppressing his aura, confident that with the unique Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Arts, even Martial Generals would find it difficult to see through his strength, yet Cui Yu could see through it at a glance. Huang Chengli opened his eyes, his face pale and listless, looking at Li Lin without any resentment. The opponent was a Tri-Element Martial Artist; he was not an opponent at all. Losing was normal, not because he was weak, but because the opponent was too strong. "So strong." The two stewards behind Elder Bai Mei were shocked. At this moment, they truly believed that Zhou Baotian and his dozen disciples were all defeated by Li Lin alone. "Li Lin wins." After a while, the elder loudly announced. "Lin''er brother, you''re too powerful, a Tri-Element Martial Artist, my god." "We from the 806 courtyard, finally have a powerful figure." Yue Buqun, Lai Yuejing, Yang Wei, Peng Chuanxiong, the four immediately came to the center of the square. After their surprise, they were all overjoyed. "Should I meet him, will he still remember me..." Watching Li Lin being surrounded by people in the distant square, Cui Yu hesitated in her eyes. Chapter 256: Dark Conspiracies in the Night "Cuiyu..." In the square, Li Lin''s eyes, at this moment within the crowd, also caught sight of that graceful figure. He still remembered, in the back garden of the Li family, how this lady once recited a verse, a sentence about the battlefield''s fiery wolf smoke, not hesitating even if achievements last forever in desolation, amidst endless prosperity and the dust of the mortal world, who competes for beauty among the heroes, enough to prove, this woman is definitely not as simple as a maid, her ambitions, certainly not weaker than any man''s. "Cuiyu, how come you are here." Just as Cuiyu hesitated, Li Lin''s figure squeezed out of the crowd to Cuiyu''s side, his gaze then turned towards the surroundings of Cuiyu. "Lin''er, Sister Wushuang and my mistress couldn''t come out, so they sent me to see if you really came back." Looking at this figure that had now reached in front of her, Cuiyu''s eyes became even more dazed. "It''s okay, I''m also very happy to see you. I thought I would never see you guys again, but unexpectedly, I didn''t die and have come back." Li Lin said with a slight smile. "How have you been over this past year?" Staring at Li Lin, Cuiyu seemed not to know what else to say, and after a moment, she finally spoke these words. "Not bad, how about you?" Li Lin asked. "We are all fine, and Sister Wushuang, she misses you a lot. She was so happy when she heard you came back yesterday." Cuiyu said. "Tell Sister Wushuang, I miss her too, and I will try to find a way to go up the mountain to see her." Li Lin said softly, thinking of that elegant lady, probably cried a lot thinking he had died. "Will you come to the mountain to see me?" Cuiyu blurted out, her face then turned red, and she turned around and hurried away: "Lin''er, I''ll go first, I''m rushing to tell Sister Wushuang you really came back." "Why did I say that, asking such a question, it shouldn''t be me, we hardly spoke a few words..." After turning around, Cuiyu murmured to herself, her cheeks blushing from her face to her neck. "If it''s about going up the mountain, I will definitely come to see you." Li Lin was stunned for a moment, Cuiyu''s reaction seemed a bit too much, then he loudly said. "He said he would come to see me, really?" Looking back at Li Lin, Cuiyu''s eyes showed a complex look. "Brother Lin''er, that seems to be Sister Dugu Binglan''s maid Cuiyu, you know her like this." Yue Buqun and four others arrived behind Li Lin, watching Cuiyu leaving and said. "I knew her from before." Li Lin said lightly. Moments later, on the martial arts field, within the huge Tiger List, the name Li Lin was written in the eighty-eighth position, causing many disciples to sigh. In courtyard number 806, Li Lin returned from the martial arts field to the courtyard, while Yue Buqun and the other four had no choice but to prepare for the daily chores, every common disciple of Yunyang Sect has daily chores to do, patrolling, sweeping, these are all part of the chores. In the mountains of Yunyang, a towering peak rises into the clouds, the top of the mountain is flat and steep on all sides, neat as if cut by a knife, colored in a mysterious blue, with many buildings sparsely situated on top. In a magnificent palace, at this moment inside the great hall, there are a dozen figures sitting. "The third protector, yesterday Baim Mei came to report, Li Lin, the Li family''s descendant who fell off the cliff a year ago, a tri-elemental warrior, did not die, and has already returned to Yunyang Sect yesterday. Baim Mei wants to know, since Li Lin is a tri-elemental warrior, whether he can immediately become a direct disciple of the sect." Inside the great hall, an elder looking like a protector of Yunyang Sect spoke to a man in a purple robe at the head. "A tri-elemental warrior, this talent, that''s the second tri-elemental warrior after Miss." "Should we notify the elders to discuss and decide, a tri-elemental warrior, our Yunyang Sect must cultivate him well, if he could reach Miss''s strength, in the next meeting of the three sects and four schools, our Yunyang Sect will be much more confident." The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Below, several other protectors began to discuss. "Gentlemen, Elder Zhao knew about this last night, and instructed us not to interfere. Although the tri-elemental warrior''s talent is excellent, it''s still a year until the next selection of direct disciples. Our Yunyang Sect cannot break the rules for one person, so, let''s follow the sect''s rules." The man in the purple robe said to everyone. "Third protector, but Li Lin is a tri-elemental warrior, shouldn''t we report this to the other elders or the sect leader? A talent like this, we must cultivate well." A protector hesitated and then spoke again. "Protector Qiu, this is what Elder Zhao said, are you going to defy Elder Zhao''s wishes?" The man in the purple robe looked at the speaking protector. "I dare not, then let''s follow the rules." The protector''s expression changed, and he immediately said, seemingly wary of Elder Zhao. In the mountains of Yunyang Sect, under the setting sun, a mountain peak was bathed in a pale red afterglow, covering the entire peak in a glow of light. On the peak, in a delicate courtyard, a series of low murmurs could be heard. "Cuiyu, are you serious, Lin''er, he''s really in Yunyang Sect, he''s really still alive?" Inside the courtyard, Li Wushuang, who has always been elegant and noble, couldn''t maintain her composure and asked Cuiyu anxiously. "Sister Wushuang, I''ve already told you twice, he''s really still alive, I saw him with my own eyes, he asked me to tell you, he misses you." Cuiyu smiled sweetly to Li Wushuang. "He misses me..." Li Wushuang couldn''t help but blush, then said, "Cuiyu, how is he now, has he gotten fatter or thinner, how did he come back after this more than a year." "He''s changed quite a bit, and has gotten a lot darker. As for this past year, I guess he hasn''t had it too bad. Oh, and today he did something exciting too?" Cuiyu said. "He didn''t get into trouble, did he?" Li Wushuang immediately became worried. "Not at all, Lin''er today directly defeated Huang Chengli, who was ranked eighty-eight on the Tiger List, with one move. Now, many disciples down the mountain are talking about him, even many senior disciples, I guess, have started to notice him." Cuiyu said. "One move to defeat Huang Chengli, ranked eighty-eight on the Tiger List, Lin''er''s strength has actually become so strong?" Li Wushuang was surprised. "Lin''er''s strength has improved too fast." Dugu Binglan, who was beside her, also said in surprise. "Yeah, if I hadn''t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn''t believe it." Cuiyu said. At dusk, in courtyard number 806, Yue Buqun and the other seven, dragging their tired bodies, returned to the courtyard, doing chores was also physically demanding. Returning to the courtyard, the four of them complained incessantly, only able to envy Li Lin for not having to do chores. Listening to the four''s complaints, Li Lin smiled faintly, now in Yunyang Sect, he also wondered when Elder Yu would return, if he could become a direct disciple sooner, he could go up the mountain to see Li Wushuang sooner, and also get the Floating Shadow martial technique and the Ten Thousand Year Red Copper sooner. After nightfall, after chatting for a while, everyone went back to their rooms to cultivate. In Li Lin''s room, the little dragon and the blood lizard crawled out, as for the Sky Winged Snow Lion, the Bloodthirsty Mantis, the Green Demon Python, and the Lightning Black Panther, Li Lin couldn''t let them out, they couldn''t shrink their bodies yet, and the room couldn''t accommodate their huge sizes. Sitting cross-legged, taking out the Spiritual Jade Bed, Li Lin slowly began to cultivate. During this time, Li Lin also planned to refine a few Earth Spirit Pills. Earth Spirit Pill, a third-grade high-level elixir, is very helpful in increasing spiritual power. Although the Flying Spirit Sect left behind many elixirs, those that enhance spiritual power are extremely rare, and the Soul Spirit Liquid is also used up, so Li Lin also plans to take elixirs to breakthrough in spiritual power, once the spiritual power also breaks through to the ninth level of Spirit Master, then he can start preparing to breakthrough to the Martial Soul and Spirit Soul levels, breaking through Martial Soul and Spirit Soul levels, for both martial artists and spirit users, is a bottleneck, by then, he needs to prepare well. Moments later, Li Lin was enveloped in a faint light, immersed in cultivation. In the night, at this moment on a mountain peak of Yunyang Sect, in a huge courtyard, it was brightly lit, at this time, in a room, there were three figures. Among these three, if Li Lin were here, he would definitely recognize one of them, this person in luxurious clothes, around seventeen or eighteen years old, was Li Shaohu. Among the other two, one was a young man around twenty-three or twenty-four years old, in white luxurious clothes, with a hint of ruthlessness in his eyes, giving a dangerous feeling. The last one, in a purple robe, was the third protector of Yunyang Sect. "Yunsheng, how are things going?" Inside the room, a low and somewhat aged voice came out, the speaker sounded like an elder. "Master, I''ve suppressed it. As long as no one deliberately talks about it, the other elders should not know about Li Lin returning to Yunyang Sect for now." The third protector said softly. "Good job, lately you just have people pay more attention, try not to let people know about Li Lin returning to Yunyang Sect for now, if there''s nothing else, you can go." The voice from the inner hall came again. "I understand, Master." The third protector said lightly. "Grandfather, Li Lin actually didn''t die after falling off the cliff, he really has a big life, a tri-elemental warrior, I''m afraid other elders will definitely accept him as a disciple, and once he becomes a direct disciple, it will be difficult to deal with him, should we take action now, to prevent any accidents later?" After the third protector left, the young man in white clothes said. Chapter 257: Who Confronts Whom? "Qingtian, arrange for someone to handle this matter. Remember not to take action personally. It''s fine if you kill others, but if you kill a tri-element martial artist, to avoid criticism from other elders in the sect, just send someone to do it. Try not to leave any traces. The Li family''s treasure must not fall into anyone''s hands other than Shaohu." The aged voice continued in the inner hall. "Grandpa, what exactly is the Li family''s treasure? I have no idea about it," Li Shaohu asked in the inner hall. "Shaohu, you naturally wouldn''t know. This matter is known by only a few. That treasure is no ordinary item. When it''s time to tell you, I will naturally inform you. Alright, you two may leave. I need to continue my closed-door cultivation. Don''t disturb me unless it''s necessary. As for Li Lin''s matter, you two can cooperate with Yunsheng to handle it. Try not to leave any traces that could cause gossip." After the voice from the inner hall, silence followed, and Li Shaohu, along with another, left the hall. "Cousin, Li Lin must die. What do you plan to do?" Outside the hall, a cold light flashed in Li Shaohu''s eyes. "Li Lin is still among the ordinary disciples at the foot of the mountain. It''s not hard to create an accident for him. I''ll arrange for a few people to give him an ''accident'' when the time comes, hehe" The young man in splendid attire revealed a sinister cold smile. "Hu" After a night of cultivation, Li Lin exhaled a breath of turbid air. Assisted by the Spirit Jade Bed, his spirit energy progressed much faster than before, but compared to devouring spirit power and soul essence spirit liquid, it was still far less. "With some time on my hands, it''s time to refine a few Earth Spirit Pills," Li Lin said lightly. "Boss, it''s too stuffy here," Little dragon said to Li Lin, tilting its little head, its small eyes blinking slyly. Li Lin smiled slightly, understanding Little dragon''s meaning, and said, "Alright, I''ll keep you by my side, but you must not reveal your aura." "Long live the boss, I love you to death. I promise to conceal my aura," Little dragon immediately became joyful and jumped onto Li Lin''s shoulder, affectionately licking his cheek. "Blood Lizard, your aura can be easily recognized. Go into the spatial beast pouch for now," Li Lin then said to the Blood Lizard. "Yes, Master," the Blood Lizard responded and entered Li Lin''s spatial beast pouch. Walking out of the room with Little dragon, seeing Little dragon, Yue Buqun and the others were somewhat surprised. Li Lin had to excuse that Little dragon was just a first-order demon beast he raised. It wouldn''t be surprising for a martial artist to have a first or second-order demon beast. In the Yunyang Sect, many disciples also had second-order demon beasts. As for the direct disciples, it was said that many even had flying demon beast mounts. After leaving the courtyard, Li Lin found Bai Mei to inquire about a place for closed-door cultivation since he needed to refine some Earth Spirit Pills, which required a safer place. "Lin''er, you''ve come at the right time. I was just about to look for you," Bai Mei said curiously looking at Little dragon, then sighed slightly. "Elder Bai, is there something?" Li Lin asked. "I just received news. I thought you, being a tri-element martial artist, could enter Yunyang Sect immediately. After all, in a year and a half, becoming a direct disciple wouldn''t be a problem for you. However, the message I got is that the sect cannot make an exception for you. So, if you want to become a direct disciple, you''ll have to wait a year, until the next selection of direct disciples," Elder Bai Mei explained. "It doesn''t matter, it''s just that Elder Bai has been troubled," Li Lin replied lightly, not caring whether he could become a direct disciple immediately. "Lin''er, there are some things I must tell you," Bai Mei looked at Li Lin and continued, "Normally, it wouldn''t be too difficult for a tri-element martial artist to become a direct disciple, but I heard this time it was because the Third Protector intentionally suppressed it. And with the First and Second Protectors being away, my authority isn''t enough to report directly to the elders, hence you can''t become a direct disciple now," Elder Bai Mei said. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Third Protector," Li Lin said lightly, feeling he had not offended any protector of the Yunyang Sect. "This Third Protector, Shi Yunsheng, is a disciple of Elder Zhao, who is Zhao Hui''s father and Li Shaohu''s grandfather. I understand your family''s situation. Now you understand, right?" Bai Mei said. "The Zhao family," Li Lin''s eyes suddenly filled with a cold intent. He had been told by Li Dong and Li Wushuang about the Zhao family''s influence within the Yunyang Sect. He didn''t expect that as soon as he arrived at the Yunyang Sect, the Zhao family would already be plotting against him. "Lin''er, although you shouldn''t be in any danger within the Yunyang Sect, it''s better to be cautious. I will try to contact other elders to expedite your becoming a direct disciple. Once you are a direct disciple, even if someone wants to sabotage you secretly, it won''t be so easy," Bai Mei advised. "Thank you, Elder Bai. I will be careful," Li Lin said, his heart filled with cold intent towards the Zhao family. If they intended to confront him, let''s see who actually confronts whom. "By the way, Elder Bai, do you know where I can find a place for closed-door cultivation?" Li Lin asked. "In the back mountain range, there are many caves within a small mountain range. Take this jade slip. When you reach the back mountain, the jade slip will guide you to a cave suitable for closed-door cultivation. Once inside, you can cultivate in peace without being disturbed by outsiders," Elder Bai Mei concluded, handing Li Lin a white jade slip. Li Lin thanked him and, taking the jade slip, headed towards the back mountain. The materials for the Earth Spirit Pills were already prepared by him, stored in the secret chamber of the Flying Spirit Gate, along with the harvest from the Misty Mountain Range. He was not short of materials for refining ordinary pills. "Look, that''s Li Lin, the one who defeated Huang Chengli with a single move yesterday." "He''s a tri-element martial artist. It won''t be long before he becomes a direct disciple." Along the way to the back mountain, many Yunyang Sect disciples quietly discussed him. Although he had been in the Yunyang Sect for only two days, Li Lin had already caused an absolute sensation among the ordinary disciples, and even many senior disciples were inquiring about his background. Many female disciples were even boldly throwing him flirtatious glances, with quite a few inquiring about everything concerning him from Yue Buqun and others. Li Lin didn''t mind these discussions and didn''t pay them any attention. His high profile the day before was deliberate, considering that only by being high-profile could he gain attention in the Yunyang Sect. In this world, the path of moderation from his previous life was not suitable. Although Yunyang Sect wasn''t as chaotic as the ancient domains, where everything required bloodshed and intimidation, in Yunyang Sect, a weakling would only be trampled upon. The back mountain described by Bai Mei was a range of not very tall mountains, unlike the towering peaks of the front mountain. This small mountain range, although not tall, was entirely made of rock, with many caves visible all around. "Hu" Upon reaching the back mountain, the jade slip Li Lin took from Elder Bai Mei quickly began to emanate a red glow, an invisible force guiding Li Lin forward. "Boss, that''s Li Lin." "He''s going into closed-door cultivation. It''s not convenient to make a move here. We''ll wait until he comes out." "He''s a tri-element martial artist. Huang Chengli lost in one move, not easy to deal with." "What are we afraid of? When the time comes, let''s call all our people. I don''t believe his strength can match all of us." In a low-lying area near a mountain pass, several figures whispered, their eyes revealing a sinister light. Moments later, Li Lin found a cave at the top of a mountain. Placing the jade slip above the cave, the entrance immediately closed. Inside the cave, spanning about ten meters in area, surrounded by thick stone walls, Li Lin was quite satisfied with it. Taking out the Fire Dragon Cauldron, he sat cross-legged, preparing to refine the Earth Spirit Pills. Soon, a pile of materials was taken out by Li Lin from his storage ring. The Earth Spirit Pill, a high-grade third-rank medicinal pill, valued over fifty thousand gold coins, equivalent to the value of a demon pill. However, it wasn''t to say that the Earth Spirit Pill was stronger than a demon pill. Although precious, a demon pill couldn''t be directly consumed. After refinement, much of its vast energy would be lost. The cost of an Earth Spirit Pill was about twenty thousand gold coins. Now, refining a high-grade third-rank medicinal pill, Li Lin felt somewhat confident. His current spiritual power should not pose a big problem in refining Earth Spirit Pills, but he planned not just to refine one but several. With a gesture, a flick of his fingers, a stream of spiritual power shot out from Li Lin''s hand into the Fire Dragon Cauldron, igniting the spirit fire within. As the flames appeared, the temperature in the cave immediately rose, but this was naturally no obstacle for Li Lin. The spiritual power gradually strengthened, and the spirit fire in the Fire Dragon Cauldron suddenly expanded, turning into roaring flames. With the temperature continuously rising and Li Lin''s strength increasing, the temperature of the spirit fire became more terrifying, much stronger than when Li Lin had previously activated the spirit fire. Chapter 258: Within the Li Family Inside the Fire Dragon Cauldron, a terrifying temperature raged, but outside the Fire Dragon Cauldron, there was hardly any change in temperature. Li Lin sighed inwardly, the items given by Uncle Jiang were all anything but ordinary. After carefully recalling the formula for the Earth Spirit Pill in his mind, Li Lin calmed his mind and began the preparation. With a gesture of his hands, a bundle of light wrapped around several herbs and threw them into the Fire Dragon Cauldron. Under the envelopment of the spirit fire, the herbs quickly turned into ashes, leaving behind a few drops of pure spirit liquid, and a rich fragrance of medicine began to spread from the beginning. Then, with a wave of Li Lin''s green robe, several more herbs were wrapped up and thrown into the Fire Dragon Cauldron. These herbs were not few, and they could not be refined in a short time. Thus, Li Lin did not dare to be careless and devoted himself entirely to the refinement of the Earth Spirit Pill. As time slowly passed, seven days quickly went by. Meanwhile, in Qingyun Town, the Li family was as usual. In a courtyard in the front yard, a woman in her light green dress, about thirty-six or thirty-seven years old, with a delicate and pretty face, was sitting in the courtyard, staring blankly at the sky above. This woman, looking quite thin and haggard, with white strands of hair at her temples, was naturally Mrs. Luo Lan. After hearing that her son Lin''er had fallen off a cliff, she had spent over a year in longing, with many months spent in tears. Only recently had she become somewhat calmer. "Madam, good news." A voice, urgent yet excited, came. As the voice fell, a young man of eighteen or nineteen years old ran up to the woman. The young man, who was quite clever-looking with a somewhat sharp and monkey-like face but definitely not ugly, his small eyes shining brightly, was Li Xiaobai. "Xiaobai, what is it, what good news?" Mrs. Luo Lan asked softly. "Madam, I just came back from the main hall. People from the Yunyang Sect have come, saying that the young master is not dead and has now returned to the Yunyang Sect." Li Xiaobai''s eyes moistened with excitement. Hearing that the young master had fallen off a cliff, he had also felt as if each day was like a year, always hoping for a miracle. He never expected the young master to actually be alive. "Xiaobai, is it true?" Mrs. Luo Lan suddenly stood up, trembling all over, and for the first time in over a year, a bright light appeared in her dazed eyes. "What Li Xiaobai said is true. Lin''er is not dead. Just now, Elder Wang from Wudu City sent someone to inform us. Lin''er has already rushed to the Yunyang Sect. You can rest assured." Another figure entered the courtyard, wearing a long robe, exuding a strong aura, it was Li Dong from the Li family. "Eldest brother, is Lin''er really not dead? I knew it, this child has a cheap life; he can''t die. Thank you, heavens for protecting..." Mrs. Luo Lan excitedly paced back and forth, then raised her head to thank the gods, believing that it was all due to her sincere prayers to the heavens. "Rest assured, the people from the Yunyang Sect would naturally not lie. It''s good that Lin''er is fine." Li Dong said lightly. On the eighth day of Li Lin''s closed-door alchemy, inside the Fire Dragon Cauldron, numerous droplets of medicinal liquid were suspended, and a massive amount of energy began to converge. On the third day, Li Lin had already successfully refined an Earth Spirit Pill. By the sixth day, after becoming proficient, he had once again refined two Earth Spirit Pills in one go. As for now, Li Lin planned to refine three Earth Spirit Pills at once. At the level of a seventh-tier Spirit Master, ordinary spirit practitioners would likely fail even in refining mid-grade level three pills, let alone high-grade level three pills. Unless there was an exceptionally talented spirit practitioner, even then, it would be impossible to refine two or three high-grade level three pills at once. Yet, Li Lin was now planning to refine three high-grade level three pills at once. If a powerful practitioner were to see this scene, they would be dumbfounded. A seventh-tier Spirit Master refining three high-grade level three pills at once would require alchemy skills, immense soul power, and extraordinary spirit power, all of which were indispensable. To reach this level, even ordinary first-tier or second-tier spirit bodies would find it impossible. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. With changing hand seals, Li Lin''s eyes gradually became solemn as he prepared to refine three Earth Spirit Pills at once. With a gesture, spirit power burst forth, and the temperature inside the Fire Dragon Cauldron suddenly soared, emitting a terrifyingly high temperature. Under this terrifying temperature, the spirit liquid inside the Fire Dragon Cauldron also began to rapidly converge, completely eliminating any impurities, leaving only the most pure energy from the herbs. "Condense into pills." With a sudden push of the hand seals, a low shout came from Li Lin''s mouth. At the same time, the spirit liquid inside the Fire Dragon Cauldron began to instantly converge as if being pulled by an invisible force, overcoming the resistance between the energies of the various herbs and merging together. As these energies converged, the energy aura inside the entire Fire Dragon Cauldron became stronger and stronger. At this moment, Li Lin''s complexion also became increasingly pale, as the vast spirit power was rapidly consumed. About half an hour later, inside the Fire Dragon Cauldron, there were now three thumb-sized spheres, which under the wrap of the spirit fire, could vaguely see the forms of three pills slowly taking shape. Looking at the three condensed pills, Li Lin breathed a sigh of relief. With another gesture, the spirit fire weakened slightly but continued to wrap around the three pills, refining them. With the spirit fire refining again, the colors of the three pills also began to change, from the original reddish color slowly turning to a protein color, while the surface of the pills gradually became smooth and shiny. At this moment, inside the Fire Dragon Cauldron, as the refining of the three Earth Spirit Pills neared its end, a rich fragrance and a massive wave of energy suddenly burst forth, filling the entire stone room with this majestic energy, "Gather..." With a gathering hand seal, a white light wrapped around, and the three Earth Spirit Pills instantly came into Li Lin''s hands. On the three pills, the rich fragrance was contained, and upon a closer look, one could see a faint flow of energy moving around on the surface, appearing extremely mysterious. "Boss, I want to eat this pill. I feel that after eating this pill, I can gain a lot of benefits." Little dragon''s voice rang out in Li Lin''s mind. In the stone room, Little dragon was proudly raising its little head, greedily staring at the Earth Spirit Pills that Li Lin had just refined. "Here, you glutton." Li Lin smiled slightly, knowing that the Earth Spirit Pill was also beneficial to Little dragon, and threw one to Little dragon. "Sss..." With a stretch of its tongue, Little dragon quickly rolled the pill into its mouth and then swallowed it, immediately showing a face of satisfaction. "Refine the Earth Spirit Pill, prepare for a breakthrough in spirit power." Li Lin murmured, planning to break through in spirit power before coming out of closed-door cultivation. After swallowing an Earth Spirit Pill, Li Lin immediately began to refine it. Inside his body, the Earth Spirit Pill slowly turned into a massive energy. Activating the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art, Li Lin then began to skillfully refine it. The energy from the high-grade level three Earth Spirit Pill was definitely not small, filling his meridians and eventually reaching the sea of qi in Li Lin''s mind. The energy contained in the Earth Spirit Pill was all beneficial for increasing spirit power. At this moment, inside Li Lin''s sea of qi, streams of energy began to converge, transforming into spirit power under the refinement of the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art. This vast energy felt to Li Lin as if he were absorbing the spirit power of a fourth-tier Spirit Master, perhaps even a bit less. However, absorbing the spirit power of a fourth-tier Spirit Master, after removing the dross and keeping the essence, he could only benefit about one-tenth of it. But with this pill''s energy, he did not need to remove the dross, which meant that the benefits he received after refining and absorbing the Earth Spirit Pill''s energy would not be less than what he would get from absorbing a fourth-tier Spirit Master''s spirit power, perhaps even stronger. As such, the refining continued, and time slowly passed again... "Why hasn''t that kid come out yet? It''s been more than ten days." "That kid is in closed-door cultivation; he should be coming out soon. Once he comes out, we''ll make our move." "But, we''re making too much of a fuss. I heard that the kid has a good relationship with Elder Bai Mei. Will we be punished?" "What''s there to fear from Elder Bai Mei? Rest assured, if we do get punished, someone will stand up for us." Inside the back mountain, several figures hid in the shadows. "Still not enough, continue." Three days later, Li Lin opened his eyes. Originally, his spirit power level was at the mid-stage of the seventh-tier Spirit Master. After consuming an Earth Spirit Pill, he was unable to break through to the eighth-tier Spirit Master. Without much hesitation, Li Lin consumed another Earth Spirit Pill. Only after breaking through to the eighth-tier Spirit Master level could he continue to aim for the ninth-tier Spirit Master level, preparing for the breakthrough of the Martial Soul and Spirit Soul. Although he should be considered quite good among the new disciples in the Yunyang Sect, his strength level might not be much compared to the sect''s direct disciples or older disciples. Moreover, there were people from the Zhao family in the sect already starting to target him. Only with strong power could he face everything. As such, he continued his cultivation. Inside the cave, after Little dragon consumed an Earth Spirit Pill, it also coiled up and began to cultivate, with a faint yellow aura spreading around it. Time passed slowly again, and on the third day, Li Lin was enveloped in a dazzling, invisible, transparent circle, accompanied by an invisible energy from the heavens and earth being absorbed into his body, his aura breaking through a bottleneck and leaping upwards. Chapter 259: Massacre "Boom!" A muffled sound came from the space of spiritual power in the sea of consciousness, and the space inside the sea of consciousness expanded several times. At this moment, Li Lin finally broke through to the eighth level of Spirit Master. His aura rose again and took a long time to calm down. Around Li Lin, an invisible halo flickered, feeling the full spiritual power in the space of the sea of consciousness, Li Lin revealed a trace of a smile. With every breakthrough, his strength increased exponentially. "It''s been almost half a month, it''s time to come out." Li Lin tidied up a bit, and then Little Dragon also jumped onto his shoulder, and the two left the cave. "Go and inform the boss, that kid has come out." From behind a huge rock in the distance, two figures quickly retreated. "Boss, your aura is so strong. According to the information in my mind, you should be a practitioner of both spirit and martial arts, right?" Little Dragon''s voice sounded in Li Lin''s mind. "Correct." Li Lin smiled. "Boss, you are so powerful. People who practice both spirit and martial arts are one in a million." Little Dragon exclaimed, excitement shining in his small eyes. "Little Dragon, do you know who your parents are?" Li Lin asked. "I don''t know, I have no memory of that in my mind." Little Dragon pondered for a while before speaking. "Boss, there are many hidden auras ahead." Suddenly, Little Dragon raised his little head, his eyes scanning the valley outside with a vigilant look. "Quite a few people indeed." With his soul power, Li Lin''s expression suddenly darkened, and he sensed dozens of auras ahead. "Boss, those people seem to be coming for you." A moment later, Little Dragon said. Li Lin walked slowly forward, discovering that dozens of auras were indeed locked on him, and said, "Correct, they must be coming for me." "They are all at the martial master level. I could swallow them all by myself, especially since I''m hungry now." Little Dragon said. "Little Dragon, don''t reveal yourself without my command. I''ll handle it." After pondering for a moment in his mind, Li Lin thought of the Zhao family. Could these people be sent by the Zhao family? If so, they can''t blame me for being impolite. "Li Lin, stop right there." At this moment, a low shout came, and at the same time, dozens of figures leaped out from under a low-lying rock in front of Li Lin. A strong aura pressed down, and Li Lin looked over coldly, counting a total of fifty-three people, their cultivation levels ranging from first to fourth level martial masters. Li Lin''s gaze finally fell on a young man who had just spoken. The young man had black long hair, broad shoulders, large eyes, and a rugged figure, with a faint coldness in his eyes. "A peak fifth-level martial master, huh." Li Lin''s gaze rested on the black-haired young man, feeling his aura, which was indeed at the peak of the fifth-level martial master, probably one of the top fighters in the Tiger List. "One fifth-level martial master, five fourth-level martial masters." Li Lin scanned the fifty-three disciples of Yunyang Sect, the strongest among them being these five. "Boss, he is Li Lin. You have to avenge me." Beside the black-haired young man, a young man with a white bandage on his left shoulder, looking at Li Lin with some lingering fear, was Zhou Baotian, who had a piece of bone torn off his shoulder by Li Lin half a month ago. "Do you have something to say?" Li Lin spoke indifferently to the black-haired young man, sinking in his heart. It seemed that Zhou Baotian had brought people to retaliate, maybe they were not sent by the Zhao family after all. "You hurt our people from the Four Seas Group, and for that, you will pay the price." The black-haired young man said coldly. "So you are Hu Sihai." Li Lin said calmly, having heard from Yue Buqun and others that Zhou Baotian and the others were Hu Sihai''s people, calling themselves the Four Seas Group. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. "Correct, ranked fifth in the Tiger List. It''s said that you are a triple-system martial artist. Today, I will let you know that even triple-system martial artists cannot compare to the top five in the Tiger List." The black-haired young man said coldly, then instructed everyone around him, "Don''t let this kid escape." "Sss sss..." The fifty-two people, including Zhou Baotian, immediately dispersed, encircling Li Lin in the middle. "Do you want to make a move?" Li Lin still spoke indifferently, and at this moment, two clawed gloves appeared in his hands, which he wore calmly. Seeing the clawed gloves in Li Lin''s hands, Zhou Baotian''s heart trembled again, becoming somewhat fearful. "What if I do? Before you die, I can tell you that I originally just wanted to teach you a lesson. Now, I want your life." A coldness spread in Hu Sihai''s eyes. As his words fell, his expression darkened, and a tide of white light burst forth from his body, along with a spreading killing intent. "So, a wind system martial artist." Li Lin glanced at Hu Sihai, a faint coldness appearing at the corner of his mouth, and lightly lifted his clawed hands, which began to emanate a faint, scorching aura. A coldness also shot from Li Lin''s eyes. Feeling the opponent''s killing intent, Li Lin naturally could sense it. Since that was the case, he had no reason to be polite. "Li Lin, let me see what''s so great about you, a triple-system martial artist." Hu Sihai shouted, forming a hand seal, and a green longsword appeared in his hand, the blade shimmering with a cold light. "Swoosh swoosh..." Hu Sihai took the initiative, his true energy bursting out at his feet in a flash. The speed of a wind attribute martial artist was extremely fast, dragging a trail of afterimages in an instant. The sword light slashed down, and a sword light of more than ten meters burst out from the longsword, causing space to tremble wherever it passed, and sharp winds produced a series of sonic booms in the air. A peak fifth-level martial master''s strike, coupled with his speed, was indeed formidable. Looking at the sword light bursting forth in front of him, Li Lin merely sneered. A surging murderous aura erupted around him, and he coldly said, "You want to kill me, but sadly, you''ll never have the chance in this lifetime." Under the surging murderous aura, Li Lin''s hand seals changed, and his clawed hands instantly unleashed a wave of scorching flames. With a direct claw strike from his right hand, he met the incoming sword light head-on. "Boom boom..." The sound of explosions echoed, and the violent energy dispersed. The invisible energy spread out, forcing Hu Sihai to retreat sharply, a huge force knocking him back. "Attack together, we cannot let this kid live." Hu Sihai''s face twitched as he retreated, also speaking to the dozens of people around him. "Attack together." The dozens of people around him shouted loudly, each releasing their fierce true qi, and over fifty martial masters charged at him simultaneously. Though they were only at the second, third, and fourth level of martial mastery, the sheer number made their momentum extremely terrifying. "Hahaha, a bunch of jumping clowns want to kill me? You''re not qualified. Since that''s the case, all of you can go to die." A savage murderous aura surged out, and an absolute aura of slaughter trembled around Li Lin. If someone wanted his life, no matter who it was or where it was, Li Lin would absolutely not let them go, not a single one. At the same time, feeling this strong killing intent and murderous aura, the Yunyang Sect disciples who rushed up were momentarily stunned, and a chill involuntarily spread from their hearts. In the blink of an eye at this moment, Li Lin made a strange hand seal, and at the same time, a glow of a figure began to spread out from his eyes. "Phantom Spirit Seal." Li Lin uttered softly in his heart, activating the high-level yellow-grade spiritual technique, Phantom Spirit Seal. A bizarre scene occurred. At this moment, those Yunyang Sect disciples who rushed in front of Li Lin to attack, after just one glance at Li Lin, instantly became dazed and motionless. As Li Lin''s gaze swept through the air in front of him, a strange aura spread, and all Yunyang Sect disciples began to stand dazedly. Like souls lost without their gods, these Yunyang Sect disciples were now completely under Li Lin''s control. Under the Phantom Spirit Seal, they could fall into an illusion. At this point, Li Lin was already an eighth-level Spirit Master. Even under normal circumstances, deploying the high-level yellow-grade spiritual technique, Phantom Spirit Seal, was not something these second, third, and fourth level martial masters could contend with, especially since these Yunyang Sect disciples were caught completely off guard and instantly fell into the illusion, unaware of everything outside. "Die." The depths of Li Lin''s heart were filled with absolute killing intent, his lips slowly curling into a cold smile, a bloodthirsty smile. The bloodthirsty nature inherent in Li Lin was drawn out through his experiences in the ancient domain and Misty Mountain Range. Just as he deployed the Phantom Spirit Seal, Li Lin''s figure also disappeared from the spot. In the air around him, countless claw marks carrying a scorching aura instantly swept out like a storm. "Swoosh swoosh..." The sky full of claw marks tore through the sky, directly sweeping open the space airflow, the violent energy distorting the airflow, and the piercing sound of explosions continually erupted. As the sky full of claw marks fell, countless blood lights soared into the sky, along with numerous pieces of skin and flesh, and not a few broken bones and organs. "Ah..." Screams echoed in the back mountain. When the claw marks fell, those trapped in the illusion of the Phantom Spirit Seal would wake up, immediately followed by miserable howls. "Ah..." The miserable howls echoed to the heavens, with savage murderous aura spreading, the entire back mountain was now enveloped in blood light. This was absolute slaughter, a bloodthirsty and brutal massacre. Chapter 260: Silencing by Murder The piercing screams now echoed through the space. In the distance, many disciples of the Yunyang Sect shivered uncontrollably upon hearing these screams. "Something happened in the back mountain, let''s go check it out." Many Yunyang Sect disciples hurriedly rushed towards the back mountain, and from several courtyards, figures with astonishing speed had already taken the lead and dashed directly towards the back mountain. "Shoo shoo..." Claw marks kept falling. When Li Lin''s figure appeared in front of the last two people, the strange light in his eyes dissipated, and those two also came back to their senses. From fifty-three people, now only two remained, and these two were Zhou Baotian and Hu Sihai. "Don''t kill me, don''t..." Watching the figure in a green robe in front of him, Zhou Baotian''s eyes showed absolute terror. The murderous aura of the person in front of him had already made his soul tremble. But before he could finish his sentence, a claw mark directly extended into his chest, and he could hear the sound of his internal organs shattering and his breastbone breaking. "I said, if you dare to provoke me again, I wouldn''t mind taking your life." Li Lin said coldly, shaking the true qi in his hand, and a scorching claw withdrew from Zhou Baotian''s chest, tearing out a piece of shattered organs and throwing it on the ground. "Bang bang..." With resentment and fear, Zhou Baotian fell to the ground, his final gaze was despair, only knowing at the moment of death that he should not have provoked this calamity repeatedly. "Li Lin, what are you trying to do, even if you kill me, the sect won''t let you off." Watching the figure in a green robe with murderous aura in front of him, Hu Sihai''s eyes were filled with absolute terror, his body slowly retreating, even losing the courage to make a move. At this moment, on the ground, within hundreds of meters around, limbs and broken bodies were everywhere, blood drenched, and shattered organs were scattered everywhere, a scene of bloodshed to the extreme. "Let''s try and see then." Li Lin said coldly, slowly stepping forward. "Don''t come over." Hu Sihai''s chest heaved rapidly, his voice hoarse, trying to make a last struggle, but Li Lin did not care, slowly approaching with murderous intent. "I''ll fight you." In the midst of despair, Hu Sihai''s desperate courage surged, his long knife cleaved out, cutting through the air currents, and the true qi poured out, directly slashing towards Li Lin. "Break." Li Lin coldly shouted, his claw mark condensed again, a claw mark burst out, blocking above the knife light, and the two forces collided, then dissipated in mid-air. "Huh..." Just at this moment, behind Hu Sihai, a pair of true qi wings suddenly condensed, the wings expanded, and his figure immediately leaped into the air and fled. "Thinking of escaping, it''s too late." Li Lin snorted coldly, as his voice fell, he activated the wind-type flying martial skill, Wings of Wind, instantly leaping into the sky. "Didn''t you know I''m also a wind-type warrior." By the time Li Lin''s voice was heard, he was already behind Hu Sihai, coldly smiling, his hand gesture tightened, and five scorching finger marks burst out, carrying a terrifying scorching temperature, fiercely smashing onto Hu Sihai''s back. At the same time, a fierce and unmatched scorching wind burst out from the scorching finger marks, cutting through space, and under this nearly wild finger mark attack, Hu Sihai in mid-air couldn''t defend in time, his complexion instantly turned pale, and blood holes appeared on both shoulders and legs, with blood spurting out. "Ah..." Suddenly, a miserable scream echoed in the air, following which Hu Sihai''s body directly fell from mid-air, spewing out a mist of blood, and heavily crashing to the ground. "Huh..." Li Lin retracted the Wings of Wind and landed on the ground, slowly walking towards Hu Sihai again. "Let me go, don''t kill me." Hu Sihai struggled to get up, but couldn''t, his eyes filled with despair. "Soul Searching Technique." Li Lin lightly shouted, his right hand placed on Hu Sihai''s heavenly spirit cover. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Shoo shoo shoo..." At this moment, several figures landed, totaling nine people, including Bai Mei, the elder responsible for the martial arts field, and several external affairs deacons. The nine people looked at the blood-soaked scene on the ground, all of them inhaling a breath of cold air, such a bloody scene had actually appeared within the Yunyang Sect. "My god, what happened." "What happened here." At this moment, many disciples of the Yunyang Sect also followed to the back mountain, watching the scene around, all the disciples were horrified, sweating profusely, and shivering. "Lin''er, what are you doing, stop it." At this time, Bai Mei looked towards Li Lin in front, what everyone saw was Li Lin, covered in blood, currently placing a palm on a disciple''s head. "It''s Hu Sihai, the fifth-ranked on the Tiger List." Seeing the person in Li Lin''s hands, everyone was once again astonished. "Ssss..." Little dragon''s body once again arrived behind Li Lin, his tongue flickering out, watching Bai Mei and others, but without the boss''s command, it didn''t release its aura. Li Lin had already sensed the arrival of Bai Mei and others, after using the Soul Searching Technique to probe Hu Sihai''s mind, Li Lin''s expression darkened, murderous aura intensified, retracted the Soul Searching Technique, and coldly asked the blurred Hu Sihai, "Tell me, who sent you to kill me?" "I''ll tell, don''t kill me, it''s..." "Shoo..." Hu Sihai''s words were halfway when suddenly a violent energy broke through the air, lightning-fast and struck down on Hu Sihai''s brow, immediately ending Hu Sihai''s life. "Who launched a sneak attack..." Elder Bai Mei shouted loudly, his gaze instantly turned to one side, at this time, only to see a figure in the sky flashing away, then disappeared in the distance. "No need to chase, the attacker is very strong, we can''t catch up." Several elders and deacons were about to chase but were stopped by Bai Mei, the strength of the comer, they simply couldn''t catch up. "Hmph, wanting to kill me, even if you die, I''ll make you die without a whole corpse." Li Lin said coldly, his fingers tightened, a claw mark landed on Hu Sihai''s head. "Crack..." With a crisp sound, accompanied by a splash of blood, Hu Sihai''s head had been completely twisted off by Li Lin''s claw mark, murderous aura surged out, such murderous intent and aura made Bai Mei and others also feel a chill in their hearts, a coldness spreading from within. "So cruel..." At this time, hundreds of disciples watching this scene couldn''t help but inhale a breath of cold air, Hu Sihai died, and they all died without a complete corpse. Li Lin is too ruthless." "Lin''er, are you alright? What exactly happened?" Bai Mei approached Li Lin and asked. "Elder Bai, these people wanted to kill me, I had no choice but to fight back. As for the person who wanted to kill me, I believe Elder Bai is also aware," Li Lin said indifferently. Just now, after using the Soul Searching Technique, Li Lin found out the identities of those who wanted to kill him. It was none other than a person from the Zhao family named Zhao Qingtian, and also his own half-brother, Li Shaohu. Zhao Qingtian and Li Shaohu had found Hu Sihai and promised to make him a direct disciple after he killed me. Hu Sihai, taking advantage of the dispute between Zhou Baotian and myself, intended to kill me. Without a doubt, this was the Zhao family starting to target me. The person who just killed Hu Sihai to silence him was definitely from the Zhao family. "It''s good that you''re unharmed. I''ll take care of the matters here; you can go first," Elder Bai Mei said, glancing around, then spoke. "Alright, then I''ll be leaving first." Li Lin said lightly, his murderous aura subsiding, then he left. The surrounding Yunyang Sect disciples automatically made way for him. "Come over here and take care of all the corpses. Bury them all," Elder Bai Mei told the surrounding onlooking disciples, then he and several elders and deacons also left the place. "They were all people from the Sihai Group, a total of fifty-three people, all dead." "Several of them were ranked on the Tiger List. They died so miserably, it seems like they had no power to fight back." "Li Lin''s strength is too strong. Hu Sihai himself was ranked fifth on the Tiger List. I didn''t expect the entire Sihai Group to be wiped out." The disciples cleaned up the limbs and broken bodies, and many couldn''t help but vomit. The bloody slaughter had reached its extreme. At this moment, the image of that disciple in a green robe had remained in everyone''s hearts. Each disciple was secretly thinking that in the future, they could provoke anyone, but they could not afford to provoke Li Lin. On his way back to courtyard number 806, a faint cold smile hung on the corner of Li Lin''s mouth. In the past, he had no power to fight back against the Zhao family, but now, he had gained some ability to retaliate, so he might as well play along with the Zhao family. The bloody scene in the back mountain was basically spread to the ears of all ordinary disciples of the Yunyang Sect within less than an hour. Everyone who heard about it was somewhat horrified. Fifty-three people were all killed, seemingly without any power to fight back. This was too terrifying. Especially Hu Sihai, who was ranked fifth on the Tiger List, such strength was easily killed. In the entire Sihai Group, there were several other Tiger List experts, yet not one survived. Such strength made many disciples speculate whether Li Lin''s strength had reached the level of Martial Soul. Otherwise, how could he instantly kill more than fifty martial artists? This was something that even a general Martial Soul would find very difficult to achieve. As all the disciples were discussing, Bai Mei went up the mountain again. Such a major event had to be reported immediately. Fifty-three disciples were killed, regardless of the reason, it had to be reported to the higher-ups. Such a scene had never occurred in the Yunyang Sect before. Chapter 261: The Night Arrives, Martial Marshal In the evening, within courtyard number 806, Yue Buqun, Lai Yuejing, Yang Wei, and Peng Chuanxiong returned to the courtyard. As soon as they entered, they rushed into Li Lin''s room. "Brother Lin, did you eliminate the entire Sihai Gang?" The four of them charged into Li Lin''s room, finding Li Lin sitting cross-legged on the bed, cultivating. "Yes, they wanted to kill me, so I took action and eliminated them," Li Lin said calmly. "You..." Yue Buqun and the others gasped in shock. Having heard all the disciples discussing this matter, they immediately returned upon receiving the news, somewhat disbelieving. Now, hearing Li Lin confirm it himself, it took a while before Yue Buqun finally said, "Damn, your strength is terrifying." At the Yunyang Sect, as night fell, the night enveloped the mountains. In a courtyard, three Protectors and a young man dressed in white, Li Shaohu, were sitting in the hall. "I didn''t expect Hu Sihai to be no match for that kid either. Fifty-three people, all killed by that kid. A bunch of trash," the young man in white raged, his expression chillingly cold. "Qingtian, it''s good that I went early. Hu Sihai was almost about to mention you," one of the Protectors said to the young man in white. "Hu Sihai is too much of a trash, ranked fifth on the Tiger List, yet still trash," the young man in white coldly said. "It''s not that Hu Sihai lacks strength, but rather that Li Lin''s strength is simply too formidable. Fifty-three people, all killed by him. I suspect that kid has reached the Martial Soul level," said one of the Protectors. "Impossible, that trash was only a fourth-tier warrior when he left Qingyun Town," Li Shaohu coldly said. "Shaohu, do you still think that kid is trash? A trash that could kill Hu Sihai and fifty-two others, including several on the Tiger List, with the strongest being Hu Sihai, now ranked fifth," the Protector looked at Li Shaohu and said. "Are we just going to let that kid be arrogant?" the young man in white said coldly again. "Qingtian, Li Lin is now just an ordinary disciple. Having killed fifty-three disciples, according to the rules of the sect, it''s already enough to kill him..." the Protector said with a cold smile, a hint of cold intent in his eyes, knowing that a Tri-elemental Warrior, if known by any elder, would be taken in as a disciple, making it difficult to kill once an elder''s disciple. "Right, but tomorrow morning, I will take people to kill him directly. This matter has blown up; we must act early, or else it''ll be too late once an elder finds out about a Tri-elemental Warrior in the sect. Today, Elder Bai came to see the elders, but luckily I saw it and have detained him. Tomorrow, I will go personally, openly killing Li Lin," the Protector said with a cold laugh. "That''s good. This time, that kid must die," Li Shaohu said coldly, the killing intent spreading in the small hall. Under the night sky, a bright moon shone over the mountains, covering the peaks as if with a layer of light gauze or thick frost. "Unmatched Sister, it''s terrible, something terrible has happened." On a mountain peak, outside a courtyard, two silhouettes, Cuiyu and Du Gu Binglan, rushed into the courtyard. From the back, it was indeed Cuiyu and Du Gu Binglan. "Binglan, what happened, what''s the matter?" Inside the courtyard, Li Wushuang stopped her cultivation and quickly walked into the small hall. "Cuiyu, you tell her," Du Gu Binglan said to the maid Cuiyu. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "Sister Wushuang, I heard something big today. Lin was assassinated..." "What, how is Lin, who did it?" Li Wushuang''s face changed drastically, turning pale, and she staggered backward. "Sister Wushuang, let me finish." Cuiyu hurriedly said, "Lin is fine. The fifty-three people who tried to assassinate Lin were all killed by him. Now, many disciples are discussing it. Lin alone killed fifty-three warriors, including several from the Tiger List. The strongest was Hu Sihai, now ranked fifth on the Tiger List," Cuiyu said. "What, Lin killed them alone?" Li Wushuang was so surprised she couldn''t believe it. "Yes," Cuiyu nodded affirmatively, "Now, the disciples below the mountain are all talking about it. Many have seen it with their own eyes." "Is Lin injured, how is he?" Li Wushuang gasped, then asked. "No, Lin is fine," Cuiyu shook her head and then said, "However, I accidentally ran into Elder Bai coming up the mountain today, but Elder Bai was stopped by the three Protectors and was taken away, seemingly to prevent Elder Bai from coming up." "Three Protectors..." Li Wushuang murmured, seemingly recalling something, then said, "The three Protectors are disciples of Elder Zhao. This time, Lin killing fifty-three disciples has caused a huge disaster. Regardless of right or wrong, if someone targets Lin, then Lin will be in trouble." Having said that, Li Wushuang''s face instantly turned pale, knowing the intricacies involved. "Sister Wushuang, when Elder Bai was taken away by the three Protectors, he sent me a message, saying someone was targeting Lin and asked us to immediately inform the elders, to find a way to save Lin," Cuiyu said. "I''m going down the mountain now, I have to save Lin," Li Wushuang said, about to rush out of the courtyard. "Sister Wushuang, calm down," Du Gu Binglan quickly grabbed Li Wushuang, "The Sect Master has decreed that we, his direct disciples, must not leave the mountain. Even if we do, it won''t make much difference." "What do we do then? Lin is in danger, I can''t just ignore it," Li Wushuang said anxiously. "Sister Wushuang, how could you forget, Lin is a Tri-elemental Warrior. Elder Bai asked us to inform the other elders, wanting them to know Lin is a Tri-elemental Warrior. A Tri-elemental Warrior can easily become a direct disciple. By then, even if someone wants to target Lin, it won''t be so easy," the maid Cuiyu said. "Right, I almost forgot, I''ll go find my master," Li Wushuang then came back to her senses. "I''ve already informed my master just to be safe, but strangely, my master said not to tell the other elders, and he would ensure Lin''s safety," Du Gu Binglan said with confusion, "I was worried, so I secretly came to tell you." "You two go back first, I''ll go find my master," Li Wushuang said, then quickly left the courtyard. In the deep silence of the night, within Li Lin''s room, the outside was quiet, with the stars in the sky casting a pale light, blinking tiredly. Occasionally, a breeze would blow past the window, causing the branches outside to creak a few times. Li Lin, who was in the midst of cultivation, instantly opened his eyes, his expression darkening as he cautiously looked outside. "Ssss..." The little dragon coiled in the room also swiftly raised its head, its gaze wary towards the outside. "You are Li Lin, the Tri-elemental Warrior." At that moment, a figure appeared out of nowhere in front of Li Lin. When the door had opened, Li Lin had no idea. This figure was silent and restrained, with no fluctuations in aura. The person had a tall stature, bronze skin, and distinct, deep facial features, resembling a sculpture. His eyes were somewhat dark and profound, appearing to be around sixty years of age, though his real age was unknown. Despite the lack of aura fluctuations, there was an invisible pressure emanating from him, as if even the soul was being suppressed. "Martial Marshal powerhouse, the aura is not much different from Ghost Fairy Bai Ying, probably an eighth or ninth-tier Martial Marshal." After observing the figure before him and overcoming his initial caution, Li Lin was inwardly shocked but showed no signs on his face. From the invisible aura, Li Lin could make a judgment. After all, it was not Li Lin''s first time dealing with a powerhouse at the Martial Marshal level; he could feel the aura. "Indeed, I am Li Lin," Li Lin responded lightly, remaining cautious yet somewhat relieved. From the person''s aura, Li Lin could sense that this person bore no killing intent towards him. Given such strong cultivation, Li Lin didn''t need to guess much to know that this person was definitely one of the elders from the Yunyang Sect, a foreign Martial Marshal, and entering the Yunyang Sect would not have been easy for him. "Did you kill fifty-three disciples of the sect today?" After the elder spoke, an invisible aura pressed down, causing the space in the room to visibly ripple. "Correct, I was merely defending myself. Those fifty-three people attempted to kill me first." Under the pressure of the invisible aura, Li Lin immediately felt a tremendous force squeezing towards him. Knowing that the person was merely testing him, Qi flowed instantly within his body, countering the invisible oppressive force, as he spoke without humility or arrogance. At this moment, the elder''s expression subtly changed, and the invisible force intensified slightly. Upon closer inspection, one could see a faint flow of Qi moving around the elder. Chapter 262: Three Elders Competing for a Disciple Li Lin remained unfazed, sensing the pressure the elder was exerting on him, which had reached the level of a seventh-rank martial artist. His internal Qi slightly increased, managing to counterbalance the surrounding pressure once again. "Eh..." The elder''s dark and deep eyes showed surprise once again. "Elder Song, picking on a junior is not a very glorious thing to do." Just then, a woman''s voice, faint yet clear, sounded. As the voice fell, a figure appeared out of thin air in the room. The newcomer was a thin, elderly woman, estimated to be around sixty years old, but her skin was well-maintained without any wrinkles, and her face was pale. Her bright eyes, coupled with her light green palace dress, made her appear elegantly temperate. An invisible aura fluctuated around her. "Another martial commander powerhouse." Li Lin was startled. Judging by the aura, the newcomer seemed to be no less skilled than the first elder, definitely a martial commander. It was unexpected that his small room would host two martial commanders today, probably both elders of the Yunyang Sect. "Elder Xie, I''m not bullying him. I was just testing his strength. I didn''t expect you to be so well-informed," the elder said with a slight smile, though a peculiar light flickered in his eyes. "Is that so? Then why did you instruct Binglan not to inform the rest of us? What are your intentions? Don''t tell me you want to monopolize him." Elder Xie glared at the elder and spoke lightly, her gaze landing on Li Lin, "You must be Li Lin, right?" "I am indeed," Li Lin replied, slightly startled. It was odd that in the middle of the night, two elders from the Yunyang Sect had come to his room, for what purpose? "I am Wushuang''s master. You can call me Elder Xie. Wushuang wants to see you. Come with me to the mountain," Elder Xie said, looking at Li Lin. "Elder Xie, how can you do this?" Elder Song suddenly changed his expression and said, "You can''t just forcibly take him. Once he''s on your mountain, I doubt you''ll let him leave." "Elder Song, your words are unpleasant to hear. What do you mean by ''forcibly taking him''? My disciple Wushuang is Li Lin''s sister. The sect master has ordered that direct disciples must not leave the mountain to avoid affecting their cultivation. I''m just taking him to the mountain to see his sister. What''s wrong with that?" Elder Xie retorted, looking gentle and refined, yet now she seemed ready to argue. "Is Wushuang''s master." Li Lin was surprised. So, Elder Xie was Li Wushuang''s master, and Elder Song must be Du Gu Binglan''s master. "Nonsense, you coming here in the middle of the night to take Li Lin to the mountain to visit relatives, who would believe that? You just want to take him away, no way," Elder Song glared, also looking ready to fight. Li Lin scratched his head, listening to their argument, feeling as if this had nothing to do with him. The two Yunyang Sect elders must have had too much to eat tonight, coming to his room to argue in the middle of the night. "Another one arrives." Li Lin frowned. "You two are really early, huh!" Just then, a loud voice sounded, followed by a figure in a blue robe entering the room. This person had long eyebrows and bright eyes, a somewhat thin body, but an aura of his own, none other than Yu Yu, the former Elder Yu, who had an agreement with Li Lin. "Elder Yu, why are you here?" Upon seeing Elder Yu, both Elder Xie and Elder Song''s expressions changed drastically, seemingly wary of Elder Yu. "If you can come, why can''t I? You two seem to be in good spirits, coming here in the middle of the night. Don''t tell me you''re here to cultivate," Elder Yu said lightly. Although his own strength wasn''t strong, his status within the Yunyang Sect was extremely high, higher than any other elder. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. "Elder Yu, just now my disciple Wushuang told me that Li Lin had arrived at the Yunyang Sect, so she asked me to bring him up the mountain. The siblings haven''t seen each other for a long time and miss each other. You know, I am quite fond of Wushuang. Unable to refuse her, I personally came down the mountain to take Li Lin to see his sister," Elder Xie said, her face twitching slightly before she smiled. "Nonsense, I know you all too well. You''re here to take Li Lin into your sect, aren''t you? I know what you''re thinking," Elder Yu said, staring at them. "This..." Elder Song and Elder Xie exchanged glances, then chuckled, "Elder Yu, Li Lin is a tri-element martial artist. The sect must cultivate him well. I recently have some free time and plan to personally train him, which could also bring a strong warrior to our Yunyang Sect in the future." "I''m free every day," Elder Yu glared. "Brother Lin, what''s going on? Why is it so noisy?" Peng Chuanxiong, Yang Wei, Yue Buqun, and Lai Yuejing, who were cultivating, heard the commotion in Li Lin''s room and thought something had happened, so they quickly arrived. "Have met the three elders." As soon as the four arrived in Li Lin''s room, their expressions drastically changed, and they immediately knelt on the ground, terrified. These were three elders, whom they had seen during the selection of direct disciples upon entering the Yunyang Sect. Seeing three elders together at this time, they thought they were mistaken, that three elders had actually come to their 806 courtyard in the middle of the night. "Go on, go back to your cultivation, don''t disturb," Elder Yu waved them off, directing the four to leave. "Yes, Elder Yu." The four quickly left Li Lin''s room, but they stayed outside, watching curiously. The three elders coming to find Brother Lin was something they were naturally curious about. "Elder Yu, you''re not planning to take Li Lin as a disciple, are you?" Elder Xie asked in surprise, looking at Elder Yu. All the Yunyang Sect elders knew that talented disciples should not end up wasted in Elder Yu''s hands. "Why not? You all have already chosen your direct disciples this session. Can''t I choose one now?" Elder Yu glared. "But, Elder Yu, Li Lin is a tri-element martial artist. He must be properly cultivated," Elder Song said softly. "Are you suggesting I can''t train him well? Hmph." Elder Yu glared again, seeming ready to explode. "I dare not. That''s not what I meant at all," Elder Song quickly responded, not daring to provoke Elder Yu. "I know what you mean. How about this? Let''s have an elder meeting tomorrow to decide," Elder Yu suggested, then addressed Elder Xie and Elder Song. "Fine, let''s have the elder meeting tomorrow and decide then," Elder Song and Elder Xie looked at each other and agreed, knowing that no one could gain an advantage tonight. However, they were puzzled why Elder Yu seemed so reasonable today, calling for an elder meeting. How could the tri-element martial artist disciple not end up in Elder Yu''s hands? Could it be that Elder Yu had changed his ways? At this moment, Elder Yu was secretly laughing. He had already made an agreement with Li Lin. Even calling for a sect master meeting would be useless. The tri-element martial artist disciple was his for sure. This time, it was his turn to make a statement. "Then why are you still here? Don''t disturb the boy''s rest," Elder Yu said, urging the other two elders to leave after seeing no objections. "Lin, I heard you''re a tri-element martial artist of earth, fire, and wind. At the elder meeting tomorrow, insist on taking me as your master. Then, I''ll give you a set of our Yunyang Sect''s Xuan-level body technique, Floating Light Shifting Shadow. Not just anyone can cultivate this technique, remember that." Elder Song''s voice transmission reached Li Lin''s ears, as he looked up to see Elder Song giving him a meaningful smile. "Li Lin, I heard you have a good relationship with your sister Wushuang. At the elder meeting tomorrow, take me as your master. This way, you can spend more time with Wushuang. I''ll also give you a set of our Yunyang Sect''s body technique, Floating Light Shifting Shadow. Not all direct disciples can cultivate this, so remember that." Elder Xie''s voice transmission followed, also giving Li Lin a meaningful smile. "Damn, is the Floating Light Shifting Shadow technique that easy to obtain?" Li Lin was stunned. What kind of situation was this? Each elder said that the Floating Light Shifting Shadow technique was not something their direct disciples could easily cultivate, but why was it so easy for him? "Elder Yu, aren''t you leaving?" Elder Xie and Elder Song walked to the door, seeing Elder Yu still there, and said with concern. "Let''s go, we''ll leave together. I''m not like you guys, playing tricks!" Elder Yu huffed. "Kid, remember our agreement, huh? At the elder meeting tomorrow, you must insist on taking me as your master," Elder Yu''s voice transmission also reached Li Lin''s ears. After saying this, the three elders left Li Lin''s room, leaving him alone in the room, looking dazed. It seemed he was quite popular. "Brother Lin." A moment later, after seeing the three elders leave the 806 courtyard, Yue Buqun, Lai Yuejing, and the others came back to Li Lin''s room. Chapter 263: Arrogance to the End "Brother Lin, did all three elders just now want to take you as their disciple?" Peng Chuanxiong said. "Yes." Li Lin said with a gentle smile. "My heavens, three elders came to you in the middle of the night to take you as a disciple, why isn''t there an elder taking me as a disciple." Yang Wei sighed, his self-esteem severely damaged. "Brother Lin, after you become a direct disciple, you must take care of us brothers." Yue Buqun said. Li Lin smiled faintly. Although these four''s cultivation strength wasn''t that great, Li Lin did not look down on them at all. After chatting for a while, they each returned to their own rooms. "Boss, the strength of those two just now was so strong, I felt that I couldn''t do anything to them." Little dragon said, holding his head high. "Of course, they are both Martial Commanders, and not ordinary Martial Commanders at that." Li Lin said, Martial Commanders of the eighth and ninth level are already absolute powerhouses. The dawn''s light peeled away the night''s thin veil, spewing out brilliant morning light, like a sharp sword, splitting the silent night, welcoming the rising sun. "Hu..." Li Lin exhaled a breath of turbid air from his body, slightly opening his eyes, a flash of sharpness passing through them, feeling the true qi in his body and the spiritual power in the space of his mind. After two more days, he would have to take the Earth Spirit Pill again, striving to break through to the ninth level Spirit Master level. "Hu..." Within Yunyang Sect, atop a mountain peak, three huge demonic beasts rose with flapping wings, each beast''s body spanning over a hundred meters, carrying several figures on their backs. The three huge demonic beasts were entirely cyan, their thick cyan feathers covering their bodies, their entire bodies like rocks, with claws tucked under their bellies, and sharp beaks shimmering with cold light. They were third-stage mid-level demonic beasts, and these kinds of beasts were well-known among earth-type demonic beasts, known as Rock Sculpture Beasts. The three huge Rock Sculptures rose with flapping wings, opening a space of howling air currents. Moments later, they arrived at the foot of the mountain, and a huge howling sound below made the ordinary disciples of Yunyang Sect immediately look up into the sky. "That looks like the Enforcement Team of our sect, why have they descended the mountain?" "It seems they are heading towards courtyard number 806." "The Enforcement Team descending the mountain must mean something big, let''s go have a look." Many disciples immediately followed behind the Enforcement Team towards courtyard number 806. The Enforcement Team, within Yunyang Sect, holds a not insignificant position, directly under the dispatch of the Protector, responsible for the safety management and deterrence of all disciples of Yunyang Sect, as well as patrolling the mountains within thousands of miles around Yunyang Sect. The Enforcement Team is also equipped with flying demonic beasts. The Enforcement Team has a great duty, capable of arresting any ordinary disciple and senior disciple, theoretically able to arrest direct disciples as well, but unless that direct disciple really committed a serious offense, and there is an order from an elder, otherwise, the Enforcement Team generally does not dare to easily provoke direct disciples. And the members of the Enforcement Team are all composed of senior disciples from the middle of the mountain, with absolutely powerful cultivation strength, with strength levels above Martial Soul, and at least half of them are of Martial Soul level and above. Those below Martial Soul level are also ninth and eighth level Martial Masters. A huge howling air current sounded, and the three huge Rock Sculptures arrived above courtyard number 806 in a moment, a massive breath pressing down from the sky, many Yunyang Sect disciples also came outside, each with a puzzled look, the Enforcement Team descending the mountain so early, what exactly happened. "Ordinary disciple Li Lin, you killed fifty-three fellow disciples, with cruel methods, come with us for a trip, to accept the sect''s investigation and punishment." Atop the three Rock Sculptures, a total of twenty-four youths, each wearing a uniform white robe, tied with a black belt at the waist, around twenty-three or twenty-four years old, the one speaking now, with a strong aura, long hair and a hooked nose, eyes with a sharp gaze. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. "Brother Lin, it''s bad, the Enforcement Team has come to arrest you." Inside the courtyard, Yue Buqun and the others rushed into Li Lin''s room, each with a panicked expression. "I know." Li Lin said lightly, having already heard the shouting from above, his expression suppressing a trace of coldness. "Brother Lin, last night three elders wanted to take you as a disciple, how come the Enforcement Team has come to arrest you so early today, you better hide, we will say you are not here, being caught by the Enforcement Team, if not dead, you will lose a layer of skin." Lai Yuejing said. "Yes, Brother Lin, you better hide, the Enforcement Team is not to be trifled with." Yang Wei said anxiously. "Thank you for your concern, brothers, don''t worry, it''s nothing." Li Lin said, looking at Yue Buqun and the four, also somewhat touched, at this time, these four were quite righteous, he had not misjudged them. "The strength of most people in the Enforcement Team is above the Martial Soul level, Brother Lin, you better hide for a bit." Peng Chuanxiong said. "Brother Chuanxiong, you said last time, the Enforcement Team is under the Protector?" Li Lin asked. "Correct, the Enforcement Team is composed of senior disciples, directly dispatched by the Protector, there are several hundred people, and now twenty-four have come, which is a small team." Peng Chuanxiong said. "That''s it." Li Lin muttered, last night three elders wanted to take him as a disciple, not mentioning his killing of Hu Sihai and others, probably not caring. And now someone wants to arrest him early in the morning, Li Lin was also a bit puzzled, having heard about the Yunyang Sect''s Enforcement Team before, the Enforcement Team directly belongs to the Protector. Thinking this way, Li Lin was clear about what was happening, probably those three Protectors are using this as an excuse to deal with him. "Four brothers, if you are not afraid, come out with me to see." Li Lin said with a gentle smile, letting himself go see what is special about Yunyang Sect''s Protector. As the words fell, Li Lin was already walking towards the door, Yue Buqun and the four looked at each other, then quickly followed behind Li Lin. "It''s the Enforcement Team, and it''s Captain Wen Jue leading the team." "So it''s to arrest Li Lin, Li Lin killed Hu Sihai and others, probably the sect is angry." Among the increasingly crowded disciples discussing around, Li Lin''s figure slowly walked out of the courtyard, looking up at the sky, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, then a trace of coldness spread in his heart. "Rock Sculptures." Looking at the three flying demonic beasts, Li Lin didn''t care too much, these Rock Sculptures are earth-type flying demonic beasts, with good defense and not low attack, but compared to his Sky Wing Snow Lion, far from enough. "Boss, what kind of Enforcement Team, their strength is not very strong, let the Sky Wing Snow Lion and me, plus the Bloodthirsty Mantis, Green Demon Python, Lightning Black Panther, it''s enough to kill them all." Little dragon held his little head high, looking at the sky, an invisible aura spreading. "Gaga..." Feeling the aura from Little dragon, the three Rock Sculptures were instantly suppressed, panicking and screeching loudly. "Little dragon, I''ll deal with it, you quickly restrain your aura, so as not to be discovered by others." Li Lin quickly said, looking at the twenty-four Enforcement Team disciples in the sky, fourteen Martial Souls, all of first and second level Martial Soul cultivation strength, and ten Martial Masters were all of eighth and ninth level Martial Master cultivation level. Among them, on the middle Rock Sculpture, there was a youth with the highest cultivation level, from the aura on his body, it was already at the third level Martial Soul cultivation level. Looking at the people of this Enforcement Team, Li Lin was already sure, these people of the Enforcement Team were definitely arranged by those three Protectors to deal with him, the elders of Yunyang Sect did not know, since it''s like this, anyway, he has caused enough trouble these two days, then make it bigger, make more trouble, let the Zhao family also know, he is not without the power to fight back, believe it won''t be long before he can become a direct disciple, even if he causes a big trouble, with Elder Yu there, what does he have to fear. "You are Li Lin, right, such a big courage, killing fifty-three fellow disciples, with cruel and bloody methods, come with me for a trip, to accept the investigation and punishment of the sect." On the middle Rock Sculpture, the strongest youth looked at Li Lin and coldly said. "Brother Lin, this person is called Wen Jue, he is the most ruthless and cruel person in the Enforcement Team, already at third level Martial Soul, be careful." Yue Buqun whispered behind Li Lin. Li Lin, at this moment, didn''t care, his face not showing too much emotion, looking at the sky, lightly said: "You are called Wen Jue, right? Better get lost quickly, otherwise, you will be the next one I kill." "Li Lin is too arrogant." Hearing Li Lin''s words, the surrounding onlooking disciples were stunned, although now all disciples knew that this new disciple Li Lin''s strength was terrifying, but now he is facing the people of the Enforcement Team, the people of the Enforcement Team, are all strong people selected from the senior students, each one mostly of Martial Soul cultivation strength. The one who came, Wen Jue, is at third level Martial Soul, could it be that Li Lin is also at Martial Soul level, obviously impossible, Li Lin''s age, is only eighteen or nineteen years old, if there is such a young Martial Soul, that would be too terrifying. At this moment, standing behind Li Lin, Yue Buqun and the others were also shocked, Brother Lin is too arrogant, these are people from the Enforcement Team, not ordinary disciples. "Haha..." Hearing Li Lin''s words, Wen Jue was not angry but laughed, after the laughter, a huge coldness spread, looking at Li Lin with a cold gaze, eyes with a sinister look sweeping out: "Li Lin, you really are arrogant, you think you can deal with the trash like Hu Sihai, then you can deal with the Enforcement Team." Chapter 264: Firm Resistance "You talk too much. Is that all the enforcement team can do, just talk nonsense?" Li Lin said indifferently. "Boy, I''ll show you the consequences of your arrogance." In mid-air, Wen Jue said coldly, then instructed his team behind him, "You guys just support from the side. I''ll teach this kid a lesson myself." "Whoosh..." From the back of a rock sculpture, with a flash of Qi under Wen Jue''s feet, he leaped down, landing thirty meters away from Li Lin, bringing a chill with him. "Wen Jue, what are you trying to do?" A few figures squeezed through the crowd, precisely some external elders and deacons, among them a middle-aged deacon who had once eaten Li Lin''s roasted meat. Seeing this scene, his expression darkened, and he stepped forward to stop them. "Deacon Huang, it''s better if you don''t interfere with the affairs of the enforcement team. If you have questions, go talk to the Protector," a young member of the enforcement team shouted from the back of a rock sculpture, apparently not taking the external deacons seriously. The external deacons were powerless to intervene. Within the Yunyang Sect, external deacons didn''t hold much real power. "Boy, no one can save you today." Wen Jue''s expression gradually turned solemn, then darkened, his gaze coldly fixed on the figure in a green robe in front of him. A new ordinary disciple, no matter if he is a tri-elemental martial artist, daring to be arrogant in front of him, then today, he must teach him a lesson. After all, the Third Protector has ordered that if Li Lin resists, he can be killed without mercy. "I don''t know if anyone will save you, but I assure you, I will definitely kill you." Li Lin''s eyes began to fill with coldness, a majestic aura slowly trembling around him. "What a strange aura." Feeling the aura emanating from Li Lin, Wen Jue frowned, the aura gave him a peculiar feeling, he couldn''t see through Li Lin''s actual level. "I must say, you are very arrogant, but you should know, you absolutely don''t have the qualifications to be arrogant in front of me," Wen Jue coldly looked at Li Lin, slowly sneering. "The enforcement team really talks too much, is that the only strength you have?" Li Lin spoke lightly, deciding to be arrogant to the end. With a tri-elemental martial soul, he definitely had the strength to be arrogant. He chose to be arrogant from the beginning, so why not continue being arrogant in the Yunyang Sect. "You''re seeking your own death." Hearing the sarcasm in Li Lin''s voice, Wen Jue coldly said, "Today, I''ll let everyone see how I trample this ignorant boy." "But in my eyes, you don''t even have the qualifications to be trampled by me." Li Lin coldly said, his expression becoming increasingly cold. Facing Li Lin, Wen Jue''s eyes also flashed with a murderous intent, never before had someone been so arrogant in front of him, a chill surged around him. "Whoosh..." Suddenly, a massive surge of earth attribute Qi vibrated out from around Wen Jue. "Boy, you will soon bear the consequences." Cold, threatening words slowly came out from Wen Jue''s mouth. Li Lin watched Wen Jue calmly, his mouth finally revealing a chilling curve, a murderous aura began to expand around him, the temperature in the entire space seemed to drop suddenly. "Ha ha ha ha, arrogant boy, let me see how much strength you really have." At this point, Wen Jue''s face became ferocious, the young man in front of him had completely enraged him, with a cold shout, a powerful surge of earth attribute Qi burst out, a yellow flash under his feet, he stomped the ground, and his black figure rushed up, a palm print directly slapped down. The palm print, tens of meters in size, seemed to twist space itself, pressing down the air currents, and the entire space seemed to suddenly vibrate. All the disciples watching hurriedly retreated, the aftermath of such power was not something they could withstand. Standing behind Li Lin, Yue Buqun and the other three also had no choice but to retreat. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "What qualifications do you have to make me bear the consequences." Li Lin smiled lightly, his smile filled with killing intent, a murderous aura already unabashedly sweeping out, at the same time, his figure disappeared from the spot, taking advantage of this moment, a little dragon quickly moved into Li Lin''s arms. "Chi!" The palm print broke through the air, and Wen Jue saw Li Lin''s figure afterward, the palm print bringing a whistling sound, shaking the space, covering Li Lin. Li Lin''s killing intent spread, with a tri-elemental martial soul, it wasn''t difficult for him to kill, but it was better to reserve some of his strength. Even so, relying on fire, earth, and wind elements, he was enough to kill the opponent. Despite being much stronger than a martial artist, he wasn''t at a disadvantage. Li Lin''s aura was displayed to the utmost, the aura of a ninth-level martial artist finally spreading clearly in mid-air. "Ninth-level martial artist, so Li Lin is actually a ninth-level martial artist." The watching crowd, including Elder Duan and several deacons, could clearly see Li Lin''s current aura. A ninth-level martial artist, only a step away from a martial soul. Considering Li Lin''s age, this was undoubtedly terrifying. "Ninth-level martial artist, but Wen Jue is a tri-elemental martial soul." While the crowd was amazed by Li Lin, they also started to worry again. Wen Jue''s tri-elemental martial soul, the gap between a martial soul and a martial artist was too great, a gap ordinary people couldn''t bridge. "Qing Ling Armor." At this moment, Li Lin looked calmly at the palm print slashing down, not showing any intention to dodge. With a thought, the defensive martial skill Qing Ling Armor was deployed around him, his body immediately covered with a layer of scale armor, his right fist sending out a punch, faint red flames swirling around his fist, meeting the opponent''s palm print directly. "Rage Fist!" The two forces fiercely crossed the space, space ripples directly dispersed, and finally, upon contact in mid-air, the space''s air currents suddenly compressed and twisted, and then a loud boom... "Boom boom boom..." Sparks flew, and the sound of explosions was endless, the violent power collision, both fell to the ground again, and at this moment, Li Lin was shaken back several steps, his internal qi churning, but with the Qing Ling Armor on him, he was not seriously hurt. Wen Jue''s expression changed slightly, although he had the upper hand, he could feel the opponent''s power, making his palm feel numb, and the opponent''s strength level, actually reached a ninth-level martial artist, a new student already a ninth-level martial artist, this talent and strength, definitely surprised him. "My God, Li Lin has defensive martial skills." Many external elders and deacons were once again astonished by Li Lin''s Qing Ling Armor. Defensive martial skills were extremely rare, even direct disciples with defensive martial skills in the sect were absolutely rare. "Nine Heavy Martial Masters, that''s not bad, but in front of Martial Soul, it''s a chasm, a chasm you can''t cross." With a sneer full of anger and cold intent simultaneously, Wen Jue quickly drew out a phantom image. By the time his figure reappeared, he was not far in front of Li Lin. With changes in the hand seals he made, his fingers flicked continuously, sending out five earthy yellow gusts of wind that howled and tore through the air towards Li Lin, enveloping him entirely. "Earth Shattering Finger." Wen Jue let out a low shout, and five finger forces shot out like arrows from snapped strings. "Fire Shadow Finger." Li Lin also shouted lowly, sending out five scorching finger forces whistling through the air. "Shoo shoo shoo" The finger forces overlapped, creating five sounds of sonic booms that echoed through the sky. At the same time, sparks flew everywhere, and it was clear that Li Lin''s Fire Shadow Finger was at a disadvantage. The violent energy fiercely spread out and struck towards Li Lin. "Shoo" In that moment, the violent energy spread out, and Li Lin''s figure instantly disappeared from view. The fierce power blasted a huge deep hole in the ground where he had just been. At this time, Li Lin''s figure had already moved to a place twenty meters away, barely managing to split the fierce power. "Hmph, both are star-level martial techniques, how can you contend with me." Seeing Li Lin''s speed, a hint of coldness crossed Wen Jue''s eyes again. At the same time, a long sword suddenly appeared in his hand. This sword was quite strange; it was about one and a half meters long, at least half longer than ordinary swords, and its body was much wider than that of ordinary swords. "Earth Splitting Sword." Wen Jue shouted, and a sword light shot out, tearing open a ripple in the space, as if even the space itself was torn open by a shallow crack. The violent power was shocking. "I didn''t expect Wen Jue to even use the Earth Splitting Sword." The disciples watching around started discussing. The Earth Splitting Sword was not something Wen Jue would easily use. "Shoo" The sword light slashed down, and a loud explosion sounded. A powerful sword light fiercely struck the ground, radiating its power and causing cracks to spread instantly. A courtyard in the distance had its foundation directly cracked, splitting the courtyard into two halves before it finally collapsed. "Triple Heavy Martial Soul, an elder disciple of Yunyang Sect, and yet your speed is so slow." Li Lin coldly said, his figure now in mid-air, with wings of wind behind him, as if standing in the sky. Chapter 265: Earth Shadow Sword Technique "Triple-element martial artists, plus the wind attribute, really are extremely difficult to deal with." Elder Duan and the others sighed in their hearts. Triple-element martial artists, coupled with the extremely rare wind attribute, such individuals are undoubtedly the most challenging to face. Watching Li Lin''s figure in the low sky, Wen Jue''s face twitched. Three moves had passed, and he was unable to do anything about his opponent. Although he had the upper hand, this was already quite embarrassing for him. "Kid, do you really think you can escape just because you have the wind attribute?" A cold shout came from Wen Jue''s mouth. As the cold shout fell, his figure flashed, a yellow glow flickered, and the broadsword in his hand swung out, each sword shadow carrying a terrifying burst of energy. From afar, Wen Jue''s peculiar broadsword seemed to be trembling and moving slowly. But upon closer inspection, one could see clearly that this slowness was an illusion; the speed was so fast that it gave the impression of being slow. Each time the sword shadow was drawn, it left behind a sword-shaped afterimage in the air as if it were tangible. "Earth Shadow Sword Technique." "I didn''t expect Wen Jue to use the mid-level Yellow-tier Earth Shadow Sword Technique. This is his trump card, which he usually wouldn''t use." "It seems Li Lin really angered him. I wonder if Li Lin can dodge it again." "It''s going to be tough. This is a mid-level Yellow-tier martial technique, and with Wen Jue''s strength, its power is too formidable." As Wen Jue executed this sword technique, the surrounding Yunyang Sect disciples began whispering to each other. Everyone was aware of Wen Jue''s strength. As the captain of the enforcement team, his power was such that even ordinary external elders couldn''t easily contend with him. Watching Wen Jue, Elder Duan and the others nodded slightly. Wen Jue''s strength was indeed commendable. Among the seniors, though not the strongest, his power was definitely not to be underestimated. In that instant, Wen Jue''s sword had already drawn a vast expanse of sword shadows. The violent earth-yellow true qi burst forth, and with a flash of true qi under his feet, he stamped on the ground and leaped up again. "Earth Shadow Sword Technique." Simultaneously, as Wen Jue leaped up, a cold shout suddenly came out. The true qi under his feet burst forth, allowing him to briefly stay in the void. In that moment, Wen Jue''s eyes shot out a cold light. With a push of the sword technique in his hand, the sky filled with tangible sword shadows instantly spun rapidly like a whirlwind, cutting through the space as if tearing it apart, and then suddenly spread throughout the entire space. The surrounding area for hundreds of meters was enveloped in it. The violent earth-yellow sword qi shot out from the space, with the tangible sword shadows connecting end to end, forming a huge net that enveloped Li Lin. As the sword shadows enveloped him, the violent sharp winds caused even Li Lin''s Qingling armor to feel painful. The sword''s brilliance was absolutely terrifying. "What powerful strength." The onlookers were startled, beginning to worry for Li Lin secretly. At this moment, on a distant mountain peak, ten figures appeared, among them were Yu Yu, Elder Xie, and Elder Song, along with seven others whose auras were extremely formidable. A couple of them even seemed stronger than Elders Xie and Song. "Is that Li Lin?" From the distant mountain peak, everything below was clear to these ten individuals, who were now surprisedly watching the battle below. "Correct, that''s Li Zhong''s son, Li Lin. He probably can''t withstand any longer. Let''s intervene before he gets hurt. A triple-element martial artist, a ninth-level martial master, at such an age, his talent isn''t much different from Hong Ling''s," Elder Xie said. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. "Don''t rush. Although Wen Jue has started to attack with all his might, look, Li Lin doesn''t seem to be panicked at all and hasn''t taken the initiative to attack. He probably still has a trump card." "I also think this Li Lin has some trump cards. Unexpectedly, Li Zhong''s son is also extraordinary. Shi Yunsheng actually dared to deal with a triple-element martial artist without telling us, probably at Zhao Wuji''s suggestion. For the Li family, Zhao Wuji actually disregarded the sect''s overall situation. It''s time to teach him a lesson." "This young man''s strength was even concealed from me," Elder Yu Yu said with a twinkle in his eye and a slight smile. The interlude was lengthy, but at that moment in the arena, it was a flash of lightning. Watching the enveloping sword shadows, Li Lin also became more solemn, facing a triple soul martial artist head-on for the first time, absolutely not allowing himself to be careless. "Phantom Spirit Imprint." A low shout came from his heart. In that instant, Li Lin''s eyes suddenly spread a strange light, a mysterious force enveloping the surrounding space. This force seemed to spread through the air, passing through the enveloping sword shadows, enveloping around Wen Jue, watching Li Lin''s eyes, just in a flash, Wen Jue''s eyes trembled instantly, a mysterious force penetrated into his mind. "Triple soul martial artist, die." At the same time, perfectly coordinated, Li Lin''s handprint was quickly completed, and then a palm strike was launched. "Thousand Hands Cracking Palm Imprint." A massive earth attribute energy surged like a tidal wave in the surrounding space, emitting bursts of violent power, instantly converging in the palm imprint, with waves of continuous earth attribute energy gathering, Li Lin''s aura and might instantly expanded, a earth-yellow palm imprint soared into the sky. This violent palm imprint instantly turned into several vague afterimages, a series of palm imprint afterimages forming a lotus-like sky-filling palm imprint, colliding with the surrounding sword shadows. The two forces collided, the space instantly compressed and twisted together, followed by a series of earth-shattering explosion sounds, reverberating in the space, a violent energy burst spreading in the sky... "Bang! Bang! Bang!" A series of sonic booms continuously resounded in mid-air, with the violent energy colliding, only those on the distant mountain peak could clearly see. In this clash of powerful forces, Wen Jue, in the moment of exchange, was stunned like a wooden chicken, his attack power briefly falling into a state of stagnation. By the time Wen Jue came back to his senses, Li Lin''s attack had already fiercely collided with the sky full of sword shadows, taking the initiative, exerting all his strength, and forcefully pressing down. "An earth element Yellow-tier high-level martial technique, a ninth-level martial master can stimulate such power, truly extraordinary." "Did you see? Just now, Wen Jue seemed a bit strange, briefly lost in thought, and already lost." "Li Lin''s talent is too strong, and he has many methods. Strange, I seemed to have felt the fluctuation of spiritual energy just now." Seeing the strength Li Lin demonstrated at this moment, the elders'' faces were surprised, and almost everyone had a glint of malice in their eyes. "Not good, Wen Jue is in trouble." A white-robed elder exclaimed. "Wen Jue is so arrogant, he deserves some lessons. Let him be," Elder Song said lightly. "Bang! Bang! Bang!..." In the sky, the forces collided, the space rippled with waves, and finally, with a deafening explosion, the entire space burst open, the power reaching its extreme and spreading out. "Bang! Bang!" Below, many courtyards were directly destroyed, the violent energy aftermath sweeping through like a tornado. "Bang!" In the midst of the violent energy, Li Lin''s figure crossed the barrier of energy and appeared in front of Wen Jue. At this moment, Wen Jue regained his senses, his eyes filled with shock, while Li Lin''s eyes, filled with cold intent, gathered the surrounding afterimages into a real palm imprint that fiercely landed on Wen Jue''s chest. "Pfft..." This palm imprint was extremely powerful, directly hitting Wen Jue''s chest, causing him to suddenly spew a mist of blood, his body falling from the sky like a stone, heavily crashing onto the roof of a courtyard. The terrifying impact directly broke the courtyard, cracking the walls, and finally, the entire courtyard collapsed, burying Wen Jue under the rubble, instantly turning into a pile of ruins amidst dust flying everywhere. "Ah..." At this moment, a scream came from the ruins, a figure covered in blood struggling out, his body feeble and swaying, it was Wen Jue. "Wen Jue lost." "Li Lin won, even Wen Jue is not his match." Seeing this scene, everyone was shocked, a shock that was more than just a little for them. A ninth-level martial master defeating a triple soul martial artist, they wouldn''t have believed it had they not seen it with their own eyes. "The captain lost." In the sky far away, on three rock sculptures, the enforcement team members were also stunned. How could this be possible, a ninth-level martial master defeated their captain, it was unimaginable. "Good lad, Li Zhong''s son is really something. His combat experience, reaction speed, all are much stronger than Wen Jue''s. This is truly valuable, with solid true qi, clearly someone with a very stable foundation. If properly nurtured, his future achievements are imaginable. As for to what extent, I don''t know, but I guarantee this young man''s future achievements will not be lower than Hong Ling''s." From the distant mountain peak, an elder in a plain long robe, eyes full of sharpness, spoke, and this person was one of the two whose aura was higher than that of Elders Xie and Song. Chapter 266: Slaughter Thousands to Be Heroic The surrounding elders also slowly nodded their heads at this moment. With their discernment, it was clear to see that Wen Jue''s loss in the recent battle was largely due to his battle experience and reaction speed. From this perspective, he was far inferior to Li Lin. "This is a win, hehe." Elder Yu stood to one side, a sly smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. If he had taken Li Lin as a disciple, it would have been enough for him to hold his head high and let out a sigh of relief. It was good that he had made a trip to the Misty City. Otherwise, how could he have had the chance to pick up such a bargain? In the midst of the ruins, the onlookers were all rendered speechless, utterly shocked by the scene before them. Elder Duan and others could only take a deep breath in after exchanging looks. At this moment, Wen Jue''s eyes, sharp like those of a venomous snake, were glaring at Li Lin. He hadn''t expected to lose. Just now, his mind had gone dizzy, as if he had lost consciousness. The opponent had a kind of bizarre attack. His vision blurred, and he was defeated. He was unwilling to accept this. With a triple-spirit soul, how could he lose to a mere nine-spirit warrior? "I wonder if I now have the strength to be arrogant in front of you?" With a light gaze towards Wen Jue atop the pile of ruins, a mocking smile appeared in Li Lin''s eyes. Meanwhile, Li Lin was also astonished by his own ability to combine the Phantom Spirit Illusion with martial techniques. The combination was simply perfect. The Phantom Spirit Illusion itself was a high-tier yellow-grade spiritual technique, absolutely powerful. When used, it was unpredictable, and coupled with the martial technique attack, he definitely had the power to contend against ordinary spirit souls. Wen Jue''s face turned deathly pale, watching Li Lin''s mocking tone and playful expression, his body trembling uncontrollably as he spat out another mouthful of blood. "Law enforcement team, kill him, spare no mercy." As blood spurted out, Wen Jue shouted loudly. "Ha ha ha ha, kill me? Then you go to die first." A ferocious aura surged out, and Li Lin sneered coldly. With overwhelming murderous intent, his figure shot down like an arrow released from its bow. "Not good, that kid is going on a killing spree." On a distant peak, several elders exclaimed in shock. "Shi Yunsheng is hiding ahead. Killing Wen Jue is a warning to Zhao Wuji. Wen Jue''s narrow-mindedness and disregard for the sect rules make him deserving of death. The law enforcement team has been arrogant and overbearing; they need to be taught a lesson," Elder Xie said lightly. Hearing Elder Xie''s words, the other elders nodded slightly, not objecting. The death of Wen Jue did not concern them. "I''ll fight you." Seeing Li Lin rushing towards him, Wen Jue shouted loudly, his broadsword once again gathering all the remaining true qi in his body into a blade light slashing towards Li Lin. The blade light was much weaker than before. "Clang..." The blade light directly struck Li Lin''s shoulder, sparking a shower of sparks. On Li Lin''s green spirit armor, only a faint shallow mark was revealed. "Whoosh..." In the same instant, a cold murderous intent flashed in Li Lin''s eyes. A scorching finger print directly plunged into Wen Jue''s forehead. "Boom!" Wen Jue''s body collapsed onto the ruins, causing all the surrounding disciples to gasp in shock. No one had expected Li Lin to kill Wen Jue in such a strong manner. "The people of the law enforcement team have also been killed. Li Lin has caused a big disaster now." As everyone gasped, a heavy feeling settled in their hearts. In the Yunyang Sect, no one dared to kill members of the law enforcement team, not even the direct disciples. And now, Li Lin had directly killed a captain of the law enforcement team. "To dare kill a member of the law enforcement team, kid, you''re seeking death." On top of three rock eagles, all the law enforcement officers'' faces were filled with shock. They had never thought someone would dare to kill their people. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. The three rock eagles flapped their wings and surrounded Li Lin in an instant. Twenty-three law enforcement officers, now filled with murderous intent, surrounded Li Lin. "Men should not tremble in battle, let me sing you a song, to kill one is a crime, to slaughter thousands is heroic. Slaughter nine million to be the hero among heroes, ha ha ha ha..." A loud laugh came from Li Lin''s mouth, and a sky-high murderous aura and intent spread from his body. Killing Wen Jue, Li Lin had no intention of holding back. Under the overwhelming murderous aura and intent, Li Lin''s gaze was ice-cold. Everyone felt as if they had fallen into an ice hole, shivering uncontrollably. Such murderous aura could only come from someone who had been baptized in blood. "Ga ga..." Feeling the murderous aura and cold intent from Li Lin, the three rock eagles began to panic. Their huge bodies trembled, and this murderous aura made even the magical beasts feel fear. "If you all want to kill this young master, then you can all go die as well." Li Lin''s cold gaze swept the air in front of him, and suddenly, he slapped his waist. A white light shot up into the sky. "Roar roar..." A loud lion''s roar echoed, and the white light instantly transformed into a huge white flying beast. A powerful aura pressed down from above, and the figure of the Skywing Snow Lion appeared in the sky. Li Lin stood on the back of the Skywing Snow Lion, now overlooking the space below. His green robe fluttered without wind, making anyone who saw it feel palpitations. "Roar roar..." The Skywing Snow Lion roared again, spreading an invisible pressure. "Ga ga..." Although the three rock eagles were also third-stage mid-level magical beasts, how could they contend with the kingly aura of the Skywing Snow Lion? The Skywing Snow Lion''s roar, mixed with its bloodline aura, immediately made the three rock eagles panic and tremble, retreating rapidly, disregarding the commands of the law enforcement team, not daring to approach at all. "Flying beast, Li Lin also has a flying beast mount." Everyone was dumbfounded again. It was clear to see that Li Lin''s flying beast mount was much stronger than the rock eagles, just by its momentum alone. "This kid actually has a Skywing Snow Lion." On a distant peak, the elders were also amazed. From the beginning to now, they had seen too many incredible things on Li Lin. "Go to hell, all of you." Li Lin shouted loudly, and the Skywing Snow Lion, understanding his intent, roared continuously, its tyrannical breath spreading and directly charging towards one of the rock eagles. "Ga..." The rock eagle dared not contend and, regardless of the Yunyang Sect law enforcement team''s commands, began to flee. "Ga ga..." The remaining two rock eagles also rapidly fled. The three rock eagles fled rapidly, their bodies trembling, causing the law enforcement officers on their backs to sway unsteadily. "Ah..." In an instant, several law enforcement officers fell from the sky, screaming before crashing to the ground. The Skywing Snow Lion pursued in the sky, while the three rock eagles fled rapidly above, leaving everyone dumbfounded. "Kid, the Yunyang Sect is not a place for you to act recklessly." At this moment, a shout came out of nowhere, and at the same time, a figure appeared in the sky like lightning. As this person appeared, a surging true qi burst forth, instantly enveloping the void around Li Lin and the Skywing Snow Lion, almost completely distorting it. In an instant, the gaze of this person shot out with murderous intent, and a palm print that seemed to press down the air directly targeted Li Lin, with a violent power causing the air to roar and surge. "A Martial Commander." Li Lin''s face showed surprise, the comer was actually of Martial Commander cultivation. "Shi Yunsheng, you''ve got some nerve. Stand down." Just as Li Lin was surprised, a loud shout came from behind him in the air, the voice piercing through space and thundering in everyone''s ears. "Bang bang..." Before the sound had fully faded, in front of Li Lin, a figure along with a palm print was launched, meeting in mid-air with a violent energy. However, it only produced a slight explosion sound, a vast and powerful qi spreading like a light screen in the surrounding space, then dissipating as energy in the heavens and earth. "Bang!" At the same time, the person who had just attacked Li Lin was instantly swept by an absolute powerful force, crashing from mid-air to the ground heavily, his face pale as well. "Greetings to Elder Yang." The man who had fallen to the ground looked up into the sky, his expression filled with shock, and immediately knelt down to pay his respects. "Shi Yunsheng, your audacity is growing." From afar in the sky, several figures came flying, a powerful aura invisibly enveloping the surrounding space. "Roar..." A loud roar broke through the air, and behind these figures, a huge beast rose up. This beast was so formidable that it was shocking to behold, with a body only tens of meters in size, its wings covered in bright blue feathers, sharp fangs gleaming with cold light, claws tucked under its belly, and its eyes filled with a fierce and intimidating light. At this moment, standing on the back of this huge beast was a figure in blue robes, precisely Elder Yu Yu from before. "A fifth-stage Blue Jade Wolf Eagle, an earth-type magical beast." Li Lin''s face slightly changed, this was his first time seeing a fifth-stage level magical beast mount. Although the Blue Jade Wolf Eagle did not have a bloodline as high as the Nine-Headed Demon Dragon, it was not far off. "Ten elders?" Li Lin couldn''t help but change his expression again, these suddenly appearing ten figures, judging by the aura from their bodies, were definitely of the elder level within the Yunyang Sect, three of whom he had already met. Chapter 267: Martial King Powerhouse "Shi Yunsheng, the Three Protectors." Li Lin''s gaze landed on the middle-aged man on the ground, who must be Elder Zhao''s disciple, Shi Yunsheng. From his aura, it was unexpected that he had also reached the level of a first-layer Martial Marshal. "The Yunyang Sect really is a place where powerhouses gather like clouds." Watching the surroundings, there were at least ten Martial Marshal powerhouses at this moment. Li Lin couldn''t help but feel a bit emotional. Being able to bring out ten Martial Marshal powerhouses so easily, the Yunyang Sect truly deserved to be a top force on the Lingwu Continent. And among the elders of the Yunyang Sect that had arrived, one of them, Elder Yang who had just made a move, and another elder in yellow robes, made Li Lin''s heart tremble. These two''s strength was even stronger than that of the Ghost Fairy Bai Ying. "Could they be Martial King powerhouses?" Li Lin took a cold breath inwardly. Ghost Fairy Bai Ying was already at the peak of the ninth-layer Martial Marshal, and these two''s aura was even stronger than hers, undoubtedly indicating they were Martial Kings. The way Elder Yang had effortlessly knocked down Shi Yunsheng showed a level of strength that probably only a Martial King could casually achieve. "Greetings to all elders." At this moment, the ground was surrounded by thousands of people, and three thousand new disciples had already gathered, kneeling and saluting upon seeing all the elders in the sky. "Xueshi, you go first." Li Lin patted the Skywing Snow Lion, and his figure immediately landed on the ground, also saluting, "Greetings to all elders." "Everyone, rise." Elder Xie stood in the air and slowly addressed the crowd of disciples. "Shi Yunsheng, do you know your crime?" In the sky, Yu Yuxian shouted loudly. Li Lin was the disciple he had chosen, and seeing Shi Yunsheng move against his disciple, his heart was already filled with rage. "Elders, what crime have I committed?" Shi Yunsheng looked up at the elders, his expression somewhat panicked, but he still bitingly said. "You blocked the news about Li Lin being a triple-element Martial artist and harbored the intent to kill, deliberately making things difficult. Are you saying you were unaware?" Yu Yuxian shouted. "I truly was unaware. It was only yesterday that I learned a new disciple had brutally killed over fifty fellow disciples, so I had the enforcement team come to capture and interrogate him. I didn''t expect that Li Lin would dare to kill the enforcement team members, completely disregarding our Yunyang Sect''s rules. That''s why I planned to kill him. He acted recklessly, not taking the Yunyang Sect into account, and deserved to be killed," Shi Yunsheng said with twitching muscles on his face. "Shi Yunsheng, as a protector, why did you detain Bai Mei yesterday? Was someone instructing you?" Elder Song frowned and said. "I..." Shi Yunsheng''s face turned pale, unable to say anything for a moment. "Yunsheng, you really have the audacity, detaining Bai Mei. Even if Bai Mei made a mistake, he is still an outer elder, and you can''t do this," a low and indistinct voice came, and as the words fell, a figure in a purple robe appeared in the sky. The person was in a purple robe, tall, around sixty years old, with a slight cold smile at the corner of his mouth, but his gaze was somewhat sinister as he looked at Li Lin. "Master, I know my mistake. Bai Mei poorly managed the new disciples, resulting in dozens of them getting hurt. That''s why I detained him for punishment," Shi Yunsheng said, his eyes flashing upon seeing the newcomer. "Zhao Wujie." A coldness spread in Li Lin''s eyes. The newcomer was probably Zhao Wujie of the Zhao family, Zhao Hui''s father, Li Shahu''s grandfather, and an elder of the Yunyang Sect. With him around, the Zhao family could do whatever they wanted, and the Li family dared not offend. "All the elders are free today," Zhao Wujie glanced at Li Lin, then addressed the other elders. "Elder Zhao wasn''t in seclusion? It''s a surprise to see you here," Elder Xie said lightly. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. "Zhao Wujie, your disciple is too audacious. Will you deal with it yourself, or shall I?" At this time, Elder Yu Yuxian snorted coldly. "Elder Yu, Yunsheng doesn''t seem to have done anything wrong. If there is, I will naturally deal with it. If you can point out one thing, I won''t be biased," Zhao Wujie looked at Yu Yuxian, seemingly not daring to offend. "Li Lin is a triple-element Martial artist with extremely high talent, suitable to be a direct disciple. Yet, Shi Yunsheng intended to conceal this and even attempted to kill him. Isn''t this a mistake?" Yu Yuxian said. "Elder Yu, how can you say that? Li Lin has only been here for a few days, so how is that concealing? As for wanting to kill, as far as I know, this Li Lin acted recklessly, killing dozens of disciples and even daring to kill the enforcement team. With such actions, even if his talent is high, how can we disregard the Yunyang Sect''s rules? If we kill him, so what? Are all the elders willing to disregard the sect''s rules?" Zhao Wujie''s gaze swept across the elders, his eyes filled with a cold light as they lingered on Li Lin. "Zhao Wujie, one day, I will uproot your Zhao family and trample you to death," Li Lin thought coldly. "Zhao Wujie, we all know what''s going on," Elder Yu said after a moment of silence. "Elder Yu, what do you mean by that?" Zhao Wujie''s face darkened, then he looked down and said, "Yunsheng, as protectors, you are responsible for the daily affairs of the Yunyang Sect. Li Lin, as a disciple of the Yunyang Sect, violated the sect''s rules. Deal with it as you see fit. If he resists, kill without mercy. The sect''s rules are not to be violated." Zhao Wujie coldly declared, seemingly determined to kill Li Lin. "Who dares to move, I''ll never let it go," Yu Yuxian shouted loudly, "Li Lin, I now officially take you as my disciple. Are you willing?" "Disciple..." Li Lin was about to speak but was immediately interrupted. "Li Lin, I now also officially take you as my disciple. Are you willing?" Elder Xie said. "Lin''er, I also intend to take you as my disciple. Are you willing?" Elder Song also hurriedly said. "Li Lin, I also intend to take you as my disciple. Are you willing?" ... In the sky, voices and figures came one after another. Looking up, Li Lin saw Elder Yu, Elder Xie, Elder Song, and a total of ten people wanting to take him as their disciple, except for Zhao Wujie. "What do you mean? I spoke first, and now you''re all competing with me." Elder Yu Yuxian shouted loudly. "Elder Yu, you can''t say it like that. Choosing a disciple isn''t about who speaks first." "Exactly, it''s about who is most suitable. Li Lin is a triple-element Martial artist of earth, wind, and fire. I''m also of the fire attribute, so I''m the best choice to teach him." "I''m of the wind attribute, so I''m the best choice to teach him." ... Suddenly, the ten elders in the sky started arguing, leaving the ordinary disciples below completely dumbfounded. Typically, disciples would beg to be taken as direct disciples by an elder, and even those with exceptional talents wouldn''t have elders actively seeking to take them as disciples. But now, ten elders were arguing over taking a single disciple, making everyone else only capable of feeling envious, jealous, and resentful. How great it would be to be Li Lin, they thought, as his future would undoubtedly be boundless and smooth sailing. "Cough..." After a moment, Elder Yang coughed dryly, seemingly realizing that it wasn''t good for a few elders to be arguing in front of all the disciples, and said, "Elders, let''s go back to the sect to discuss this." "Elders, Li Lin has violated the sect rules, and yet you still want to take him as a disciple. Do you also disregard the sect rules?" Zhao Wujie''s face darkened, naturally not pleased as the ten elders competed to take a disciple, worsening his mood. "Zhao Wujie, spare me the nonsense. So what if Li Lin killed dozens of disciples? As far as I know, if dozens couldn''t beat one, they deserved to die. I''ve decided to take Li Lin, if you''re not satisfied, come at me," Elder Yu Yuxian coldly shouted. "Elder Yu, the sect has rules," Zhao Wujie said, his face twitching. "What rules? If others give you some leeway, I won''t. Just come at me if you have an issue. If you provoke me, go play with your Zhao family," Elder Yu Yuxian shouted again. "Having such a master wouldn''t be bad," Li Lin thought secretly. Elder Yu Yuxian hadn''t officially taken him as a disciple yet but was already so protective. It seemed he wouldn''t be a bad master after all. "Elders, the Sect Master has ordered," from the distant sky, a huge flying beast came flapping its wings, reaching the sky above within a few flaps. "It''s a fourth-tier early stage fire attribute flying beast, the Green-headed Red Eagle." Li Lin observed the flying beast that had just arrived, its body tens of meters long, likely having shrunk its body. The true form of such a Green-headed Red Eagle at the fourth-tier level would definitely be no small thing. On the back of this flying beast were a young man and woman, both around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, both with a distinguished air; the woman was also beautiful. Both of them had extraordinary temperaments. "Greetings to all elders." The two arrived in the sky and saluted the elders, their attitude neither humble nor arrogant. "They''re already at the Martial General level..." Feeling the aura of these two, Li Lin was quite surprised. They weren''t very old, but they were already at the Martial General level, probably second-layer Martial Generals. With such strength, their talents were definitely extremely strong. "Liu Xin, what did the Sect Master say?" Seeing these two young male and female disciples, the elders immediately became more dignified, and Elder Yang asked. Chapter 268: The Sect Master of Yunyang "Elder Yang, all elders, the Sect Master has heard that there is a tri-element martial disciple named Li Lin among us. Hence, he requests all elders and Li Lin to come to the great hall." The beautiful female disciple said, her gaze then sweeping through the space below. "The Sect Master knows too?" Everyone''s expressions changed slightly, and the fastest to change was undoubtedly Zhao WuJi. "Let''s go back and talk." Elder Xie said softly. "Who is Li Lin? Come with us to the mountain. The Sect Master wants to see you." On the back of a green-headed red eagle, the young man said lightly. "I am." Li Lin spoke lightly, also quite surprised in his heart. He didn''t expect the stir he caused these past two days to have alarmed the Sect Master as well. "Come on up, and let''s go to the mountain together." At this moment, both the young man and woman turned their gazes to Li Lin, both showing a bit of surprise and confusion, seemingly having heard something. "Whoosh..." With a flash of Qi under his feet, Li Lin quickly leaped into the air, landing on the back of the green-headed red eagle. Meeting the Sect Master was not something he could refuse, and it was also an opportunity to witness the Sect Master of Yunyang Sect. Yunyang Sect''s Sect Master Yun XiaoTian, Li Lin had heard about him once from the soul-enticing poison general Dong WuMing. This person''s strength was extremely formidable, reportedly reaching the Martial King level, making him an absolute powerhouse in the entire Lingwu Continent. Once, a ranking of the top ten powerhouses of the Lingwu Continent was made, including Yun XiaoTian, the Sect Master of Yunyang Sect, along with the leaders of the other three sects and four schools. These seven people occupied seven spots, with the remaining three belonging to individuals from the ancient domain and Moyun City. Whether the ranking of these ten powerhouses was true or not, at least it proved that the strength of the ten listed was absolutely formidable. "Elders, let''s go to the mountain. The Sect Master is waiting." After the young man at the Martial General level finished speaking, the green-headed red eagle had already soared into the sky. "Let''s go." All the elders also instantly took off, only Elder Yu YuQian, who hadn''t reached the Martial Marshal level, could only ride a flying demonic beast. However, owning a fifth-level Blue Jade Eagle was enough to save face for Yu YuQian. Riding a flying demonic beast, Li Lin quickly passed over the mountain range below, secretly stopping his Heavenly Winged Snow Lion to circle nearby and wait for him. Passing over a mountain range, Li Lin realized that the area of Yunyang Sect was not small, and the places he had been in contact with these past two days were just areas for new disciples. From the back of the flying beast, he could see the mountains shadowy and varied under the morning sun, making the entire mountain range seem washed clean, vividly green, with peaks appearing and disappearing among the clouds and fog. Several clusters of buildings nestled within the mountains were faintly visible. The rolling mountains, reflecting a faint glow under the sunlight, appeared exceptionally magnificent. After a while, an incredibly vast mountain appeared before Li Lin. The mountain''s grandeur could only be described as majestic, rising straight into the clouds like a giant standing among thousands of mountains, its height reaching a thousand feet, with strange rocks jutting out halfway up the mountain, piercing into the clouds like a proud dragon. Within the mountain, winding paths led upwards, where Li Lin saw many buildings and shadows flickering. "We''ve arrived." It took only about ten minutes, but walking would have been far longer. At this moment, the young man and woman told Li Lin, who had been surprised at the beginning and then silent for the rest of the journey. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "Whoosh whoosh..." At this moment, all the Yunyang Sect elders also landed beside Li Lin, except for Zhao WuJi, almost every elder gave Li Lin a slight smile. "Let''s hurry to the great hall, so as not to keep the Sect Master waiting." Elder Yang said, and then all the elders walked ahead, with Li Lin following behind. "Greetings to all the elders." A wide stone stairway wound its way up, with Yunyang Sect disciples saluting from time to time, observing their surroundings. Li Lin was deeply shocked; the entire massive mountain seemed to have been polished, smooth everywhere. After a few minutes of winding paths, a huge palace appeared before Li Lin. This palace, standing atop the mountain, covered an area of thousands of meters, flanked by mountains on both sides. The grand palace seemed to be gilded in gold under the sunlight, shining brightly, resplendent and magnificent. In front of the palace was also a not small square, smooth as a mirror, paved with an unknown type of jade stone. "What a grand palace, worthy of being one of the Three Sects and Four Schools, Yunyang Sect." Li Lin thought to himself. Building such a massive palace on top of this mountain was not easy, and the consumption of manpower and resources could be imagined, definitely not a small amount. "Greetings to all the elders." In front of the palace, about a dozen Yunyang Sect disciples saluted the elders. "All are at the Martial Spirit level..." Li Lin was momentarily taken aback. These dozens of Yunyang Sect disciples were all at the Martial Spirit level, yet it seemed they were just guarding the gate. The strength of Yunyang Sect was indeed terrifying. Li Lin had also noticed that Yunyang Sect had eleven elders in total, all of whom he had now seen. However, among these eleven elders, all were martial practitioners. It was impossible for Yunyang Sect not to have any spiritual practitioners since those with spiritual abilities would be directly taken as direct disciples. Thus, there must be many spiritual practitioners in Yunyang Sect, at least there would be spiritual marshal-level powerhouses. Now, among the eleven elders, there wasn''t a single spiritual practitioner, so Li Lin guessed that what he had seen of Yunyang Sect''s strength was just the surface. Following the elders into the palace, the interior decoration was also extremely luxurious, leaving Li Lin dumbfounded. After several corridors and more Yunyang Sect disciples saluting, Li Lin finally entered the great hall. Before him, a hall capable of accommodating three hundred people appeared. Around the hall, many Yunyang Sect disciples stood as if ready for battle, their aura without exception reaching the Martial Spirit level. At this moment, in the hall, a figure was already seated at the upper end. This person was about forty years old, at most a little over forty, with clear and bright eyes, exuding depth, an inscrutable look, a straight nose, sharply defined cold and handsome features, wearing a light blue robe, with black hair draped over his shoulders, exuding a wild, unrestrained, and seductively sexy presence, and an aura of a domineering ruler of the world. "Greetings to the Sect Master." All the elders saluted. "Is this Yunyang Sect''s Sect Master Yun XiaoTian?" Li Lin was astonished; this was quite different from what he had imagined. One of the top ten powerhouses of the Lingwu Continent, the Sect Master of one of the Three Sects and Four Schools, Yunyang Sect, was actually only around forty-two or forty-three years old. Li Lin also hurriedly saluted, frowning slightly, feeling as if he had seen Yun XiaoTian before, a familiar feeling, but he couldn''t remember at the moment. Yet, Li Lin was sure he had never seen Yun XiaoTian before, making this feeling very strange. "All the elders, please take a seat. Elder brother, why are you here too? Please take a seat." At the upper end, Yun XiaoTian said lightly, his voice deep, seemingly able to penetrate gold and break jade. "Sect Master junior brother, I plan to take a disciple. You don''t mind, do you?" Yu YuQian stepped forward, directly walking to the first seat below the upper end and sitting down, then the elders also sat down in turn. Li Lin glanced briefly; the eleven elders took their seats in order, with Elder Yu''s seat followed by Elder Yang, and next to Elder Yang, another elder dressed in a purple-gold robe. These two were also among those Li Lin considered to have reached the Martial King level. At this moment, Zhao WuJi was sitting in the opposite upper seat, with other elders seated accordingly. From their seating arrangement, Li Lin could guess the hierarchy among the elders in Yunyang Sect. Zhao WuJi''s aura seemed not as strong as Elder Xie''s and Elder Song''s, but his position in Yunyang Sect seemed very high, which puzzled Li Lin. However, at this time, Li Lin noticed that Elder Yu YuQian, although the weakest in strength, indeed held a very high position, as evident from his conversation with Yun XiaoTian. "Elder brother, if you want to take a disciple, that''s naturally no problem. You can choose anyone you like." At the upper end, Yun XiaoTian said to Yu YuQian. "Cough..." Elder Xie immediately coughed, saying, "It''s a good thing for Elder Yu to take a disciple. Apart from Li Lin, he can pick any of the new disciples, and we have no objections." "Exactly, Elder Xie is right. It''s a good thing for Elder Yu to take a disciple again. We think, apart from Li Lin, Elder Yu can pick anyone from the new disciples." Elder Song also smiled slightly. Chapter 269: Neither Humble Nor Arrogant "Ridiculous, what do you mean by this? You already made your choices for the first round of personal disciples last time. This time I choose one, and you''re unwilling? I''m telling you, I want Li Lin; I''ve decided on this disciple," Elder Yu immediately flew into a rage. "Elder Yu, you can''t be unreasonable." "We should be fair. Let''s see who is most suitable and take Li Lin as a disciple." ... Atop a giant peak, outside a serene courtyard, two graceful figures approached. One of them, a girl around eighteen or nineteen, wore a green tight-fitting outfit with light blue patterns embroidered on the cuffs. The outfit outlined her graceful, curvy figure, highlighting her shapely hips, slender waist, and long beautiful legs. Her features were so beautiful they seemed not of this world. The other figure, dressed like a maid, had delicate features, fair skin, and was also around eighteen or nineteen years of age. If Li Lin were here at this moment, he would probably turn and run immediately upon seeing these two women. They were none other than the green-dressed beauty and her maid whom Li Lin had encountered in the Misty Mountain Range. Li Lin had never forgotten that encounter; the green-dressed girl was ruthless, and the pain from the Ant-Heart Piercing Needle was unbearable. After escaping, he ran into the Old Poisoner, Dong WuMing, the Soul-Ensnaring Poison Master. "WuShuang sister, are you there?" The girl in the green outfit called out softly as she reached the courtyard. "HongLing, how come you have time to visit?" Inside the courtyard, four graceful figures leaped out. They were Li WuShuang, Du Gu BingLan, CuiYu, and Yang Miao, all well-known figures in the YunYang Sect. As direct disciples, they had become familiar with each other. Birds of a feather flock together, and these beauties naturally gravitated towards each other, becoming close friends over time. "I''ve been practicing every day and almost suffocated from boredom, so I came to see you all," the green-dressed beauty said with a smile, her beautiful face no less stunning than Li WuShuang''s. Her talent for cultivation was so remarkable that it made even Li WuShuang and the others, including the dual-element martial artist Yang Miao, feel inferior. This girl was known as the most monstrous talent in the YunYang Sect, a tri-element martial artist at the age of nineteen, who had already reached the fourth level of Martial Spirit. Her strength and talent were awe-inspiring, making everyone in the sect feel inadequate. "Who told you to practice every day without rest? Your strength has already reached a level we can''t even hope to catch up to," Yang Miao sighed, feeling her talent was nothing compared to the girl''s. "WuShuang sister, why do you look so worried? What''s wrong?" The green-dressed beauty noticed Li WuShuang''s worried expression and asked in confusion. "HongLing, WuShuang sister is worried about Lin''er," Du Gu BingLan said. "Lin''er? Who''s Lin''er?" The green-dressed girl asked. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. "He''s WuShuang sister''s brother, Li Lin, also a tri-element martial artist. But since he arrived at the sect, he has caused quite a stir. I just heard he killed Wen Jue of the Enforcement Team, and now even the Sect Master has been alerted. That''s why WuShuang sister is so worried," CuiYu explained. "WuShuang sister''s brother, isn''t that Li ShaoHu? How come there''s another Li Lin?" The green-dressed girl asked in confusion. "He''s also Li ShaoHu''s brother, but it''s a long story," Li WuShuang said with a worried look, anxious since Li Lin had been summoned by the Sect Master. "Worrying won''t help us. Tri-element martial artist, huh? I''m a bit curious. Why don''t we all go and see?" The green-dressed girl suggested with a light smile and charming dimples on her cheeks. "But we can''t just enter the main hall as we please," Li WuShuang said. "What''s there to fear? I''ll take you. Let''s see who dares to stop me," the green-dressed girl said with a smile, tossing her black hair back. "But..." Li WuShuang was still worried. "What''s there to worry about? Let''s go, WuShuang sister. Killing a member of the Enforcement Team, what of it? I''ve long found those Enforcement Team members displeasing. If my father dares to punish your brother, I''ll help you figure it out. Let''s go," the green-dressed girl said confidently, pulling everyone along. Inside the main hall, ten elders were still arguing, with Elder Yu''s voice being the loudest, while Zhao WuJi remained cold and detached. The ten elders were almost at the point of rolling up their sleeves to fight, their faces red and necks swollen. Yun XiaoTian, seated at the head, also showed slight changes in his expression. The two disciples who had brought Li Lin were also changing expressions, not expecting the ten elders to argue over a disciple like this. Major events in the sect had not seen such concern from the elders. Li Lin, standing in the center of the hall, could only give a helpless wry smile, not expecting his popularity to reach such a level. "Cough..." Yun XiaoTian coughed, unable to bear the sight of the ten elders arguing, and said, "How about you all listen to me for a moment?" The ten elders finally stopped arguing, and Elder Yu, who had stood up to argue, now sat down with a flushed face and thick neck, saying, "Sect Master brother, go ahead. Anyway, I''ve decided on Li Lin." Yun XiaoTian looked helplessly at his brother, gave a wry smile, then turned his gaze to Li Lin, eyes piercing as if seeing through Li Lin''s soul. "You''re Li Lin, a tri-element martial artist, the son of Li Zhong," Yun XiaoTian asked calmly from the head seat. Feeling the pressure from Yun XiaoTian, Li Lin remained calm, a powerful aura emanating from him as he looked up and said, "Replying to the Sect Master, I am indeed Li Lin." Yun XiaoTian looked at Li Lin, a trace of surprise flickering in his eyes before returning to a smile and said to Zhao WuJi, "Elder Zhao, Li Lin is not at fault. I''ve heard about the incident, and let''s leave it at that." "Zhao Elder, what crime has Li Lin committed? I''ve already understood the situation. Let''s drop this matter," Yun XiaoTian said gently after watching Li Lin for a moment, a strange light flashing in his eyes before resuming a slight smile and addressing Zhao WuJi. "What serious crime? Zhao WuJi, stop your nonsense. Wen Jue was asking for it. Does the Enforcement Team think they can just kill ordinary disciples? I think the Enforcement Team needs a good sorting out," Elder Yu yelled. "Li Lin killing Wen Jue was witnessed by all of us elders. Wen Jue was arrogant and brought it upon himself. I think the Enforcement Team needs to be reformed," Elder Xie said. "Since all the elders were present, that makes things easier. If it wasn''t Li Lin''s fault, then he''s innocent. Elder Zhao, as an elder, you wouldn''t hold a grudge against a new disciple, right?" Yun XiaoTian said calmly. "Hmph!" Zhao WuJi''s face twitched, then he said to Yun XiaoTian, "I naturally wouldn''t hold a grudge against a youngster. I was just thinking of the sect rules. Since the Sect Master has spoken, I have no objections." "That''s good," Yun XiaoTian said lightly, then turned to Li Lin and asked, "Li Lin, now ten elders are interested in taking you as a disciple. What do you think?" "I thank the elders for their kind intentions; I''m truly flattered," Li Lin said. Chapter 270: Meeting Again "You are a practitioner of three disciplines, with high talent. All ten elders are keen to take you as a disciple and nurture you well. Therefore, the sect has made an exception to let you become a direct disciple in advance. However, now that all ten elders are willing to take you as a disciple, you yourself may choose which elder you wish to follow. All ten elders are of high cultivation and are qualified to be your master." "This..." Li Lin said softly, seemingly hoping that he would choose the most powerful master to follow. However, he had already made a prior agreement with Elder Yu. "All elders, since you are all willing to take a disciple, why not let Li Lin choose his own master? That way, none of you will have any objections," Yun XiaoTian said, looking at the elders. "I have no objections. Let Li Lin choose for himself," Elder Yu YuQian laughed and immediately raised his hand in agreement. "I also have no objections. I believe Li Lin will choose the most suitable master for himself," Elder Song said with a meaningful smile at Li Lin, as if reminding him of what he had said through voice transmission. "I also have no objections..." After exchanging glances, all the elders agreed, knowing that arguing would not yield any results today. It was all up to luck now. "Li Lin, you can choose a master for yourself," Yun XiaoTian''s gaze fell on Li Lin again, always watching him with some surprise in his eyes. "Yun XiaoTian is really cunning, letting me choose so he wouldn''t offend any of the elders. A clever way of handling people," Li Lin thought as he looked around at the ten nervous elders. Elder BaiMei beside Li Lin was always surprised. Although he knew that Li Lin, a practitioner of three disciplines, would not find it difficult to become a direct disciple, he did not expect Li Lin to be this popular. Elder BaiMei did not know that in this morning''s exchange with Wen Jue, Li Lin''s talent had caught the eye of all the elders. Being an eighteen-year-old ninth-grade three-discipline martial artist was top-tier talent, and the ability to kill a third-grade martial soul with ninth-grade martial artist strength shocked all the elders. Losing such a disciple would be a pity. All the elders knew that if they could take him as a disciple and give him a little guidance, Li Lin would soon become a strong practitioner, which would also elevate their status in the sect. Therefore, they were all hoping Li Lin would choose to join them. "All the elders, I am very grateful for your kindness. If I could, I would not hesitate to worship all of you as my masters," Li Lin said, looking at the elders. "This kid sure dreams big," Yun XiaoTian thought to himself, and the elders also felt uneasy, not knowing whom Li Lin would ultimately choose. Li Lin paused and then said, "However, I know this is unlikely. I have already chosen a master in my heart. Although I have chosen a master, I wish I could listen to the teachings of all the elders. This is my misfortune. However, if any of the elders have any tasks in the future, I will not hesitate to go through fire and water. I will respect all the elders as my masters in my heart." After Li Lin finished speaking, everyone was stunned. These words were very pleasing to the ears of all the elders, except for Zhao WuJi. "Good kid, not offending anyone and very tactful," Yun XiaoTian thought. "I respectfully ask Elder Yu to take me as a disciple." After glancing at everyone, Li Lin slowly walked to Elder Yu, knelt on both knees, and performed a big salute. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. In his heart, Li Lin had already made a decision. The strongest were Elder Yang and the elder in the purple-gold robe. Joining them would bring more benefits in cultivation. The other elders, each with strength above Martial Commander, also valued him, especially Elder Xie, who was Li WuShuang''s master. They paid great attention to him. However, Li Lin chose Elder Yu. Elder Yu''s strength was not high, and he might not be able to offer much help in cultivation. But Li Lin knew with Uncle Jiang''s guidance, he had enough for cultivation. Besides, his cultivation of YinYang Spirit Martial Arts could not be guided by others, so he could forgo this aspect. Elder Yu was very protective of Li Lin, which he kept in mind. This was the kind of master he needed. Moreover, Elder Yu''s status in YunYang Sect was lofty, making it easier for him to obtain the ten-thousand-year-old red copper. He had already discussed this with Elder Yu, so naturally, Li Lin chose Elder Yu. "Ha ha, good, my good disciple, from today on, you are my disciple, Yu YuQian''s," Elder Yu stood up, extremely excited. Although there was an agreement with Li Lin, if Li Lin had chosen someone else on the spot, he could do nothing. At this moment, Li Lin choosing him made him extremely excited. He knew his high status in YunYang Sect was not just because of himself. He felt a sense of pride. "Brother, Li Lin''s father is Li Zhong. Li Zhong was also your disciple. If you take Li Lin as your disciple, the generational relationship will be incorrect," Yun XiaoTian''s expression changed slightly, seemingly surprised by Li Lin''s choice of Elder Yu. "Sect Leader, we practitioners do not care about these generational relationships. Fathers and sons are still fathers and sons; masters and disciples are still masters and disciples. They are not mixed together," Li Lin said lightly, not caring about such generational issues. "My good disciple is right. Why care about these relationships? They are father and son, and it has nothing to do with me taking disciples," Elder Yu said. "Li Lin, have you decided to enter Elder Yu''s tutelage?" Yun XiaoTian asked again. "I have decided," Li Lin said lightly, indicating that Sect Leader Yun XiaoTian hoped he would find another master. "Alright, from now on, you are Elder Yu''s disciple," Yun XiaoTian said helplessly. "My good disciple, let''s go. Your master will take you to find a place to live," Elder Yu said proudly. After Elder Yu spoke, he led Li Lin out of the grand hall. The other elders could only feel depressed, but with Li Lin''s pleasing words, they did not blame him for not recognizing their value. Instead, they all started to have a good impression of him. At this moment, all the elders were thinking, "Good cabbage has been hogged by a pig; a good disciple has been spoiled by Elder Yu." Seeing Li Lin leave, Zhao WuJi''s eyes flashed with coldness. "All elders, Li Lin is now our YunYang Sect''s disciple, a practitioner of three disciplines with a bright future. I hope all elders can assist Elder Yu in nurturing this child. If this child offends any elder, you do not need to take it to heart with the younger generation," Yun XiaoTian said lightly, his gaze unintentionally falling on Zhao WuJi. Zhao WuJi''s coldness did not escape his eyes. "We understand," the elders responded softly, all savvy individuals who knew whom the Sect Leader was referring to." Lin''er, do you prefer to live alone or with your two unworthy senior brothers? Anyway, there''s plenty of space at my place," Elder Yu YuQian said, in high spirits after leaving the grand hall. At this moment, several graceful figures approached the square in front of the grand palace, including Li WuShuang, Cui Yu, and the stunningly dressed beautiful girl. "Master, I..." Li Lin was about to speak when he suddenly caught sight of a figure, a woman in green, no more than eighteen or nineteen years old, with a hair bun exposing her temples, star-like beautiful eyes, skin as fine and smooth as warm jade, cherry lips naturally red, adding a charming air with hair strands fluttering in the wind, highlighting her slender waist under her outfit. "Miss, look, it''s that little thief." In an instant, the maid beside the stunningly dressed girl exclaimed in surprise, her gaze fixed on the figure in the green robe. "You little thief, after much searching, I didn''t expect you to dare to come here." The stunningly dressed girl immediately recognized Li Lin, who had just come out of the grand hall, the little thief who had peeped at her body. How could she forget him? "My God, how could it be her..." At this moment, Li Lin, staring at the suddenly appearing figure, gasped in shock. How could it be this ruthless woman? He thought he would never see her again in this lifetime, but as fate would have it, they met again. "Is it really Lin''er..." Li WuShuang was stunned, seeing the familiar figure she thought she would never see again, with star-like eyes and a sharply chiseled face, exuding a faint aura of wickedness. Who else could it be but him? Chapter 271: The Battle of the Twin Thirds "Little thief, I let you run." Just at this moment, the stunningly beautiful woman in green suddenly had her beautiful face darken, her Qi trembling, and a green light in her hand piercing through the void, instantly creating a sharp sound of breaking wind, as her graceful body swiftly pounced towards Li Lin. "Quadruple Martial Spirit..." Li Lin instantly leaped back. This stunning girl was still a Ninth Level Martial Master a year and a half ago, and now she had actually reached the level of Quadruple Martial Spirit. Such cultivation talent was not much slower compared to his own Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique. With a flash of Qi under his feet, Li Lin could only rapidly retreat, his heart already shadowed, not daring to contend with this woman. "Where can you escape to, today if you escape again, I won''t carry the Yun surname." The stunning girl shouted angrily, her Qi trembling, and the surrounding air flow surged like a river, creating a series of sonic booms, her beautiful eyes showing anger at this moment. Seeing Li Lin rapidly retreating, her body slightly leaped, and then her toes sharply tapped the ground, her body turning into a shadow, the green afterimage piercing through the void carrying a faint glow, like a spirit snake emerging from its hole, weirdly sweeping away, directly rushing towards Li Lin. "Such fast speed." Li Lin''s brow furrowed, this woman''s speed and strength were incomparably different from Wen Jue''s, and Li Lin could feel the absolute pressure from this woman. "Wind Wings." A stream of air burst forth in front of Li Lin, leveraging to leap backward, his back already condensed with a pair of white wings. "You can''t escape." The stunning girl shouted again, her Qi trembling, and wings also appeared on her back, the green afterimage in her hand piercing through the air flow, carrying a sharp and strong force, extremely tricky and fierce, once again enveloping Li Lin. In terms of speed and strength, this woman''s strength seemed to be slightly stronger than Li Lin''s. "Hong Ling... what''s wrong with you." Except for the stunning girl''s maid, Dong Mei, probably everyone did not know what was happening. When Yu Yu came back to his senses, his face changed dramatically. "Whoosh whoosh..." Also, at this moment, within the great hall, more than a dozen figures leaped out rapidly, led by Yun Xiao Tian and other elders, and then, dozens of Martial Spirit practitioners also arrived outside the great hall. Everyone looked up at the two figures in the sky, all frowning. "Bang bang..." The two in the sky clashed together, the air pressure in mid-air creating deafening sonic booms. "Dong Mei, what''s going on?" Yun Xiao Tian looked up into the sky with a puzzled face. "Master, this..." Maid Dong Mei''s face turned red, she dared not say that she and the miss were seen naked by that green-robed young man, nor did she dare to say it out loud, and then said, "Miss was bullied by that thief, so she is trying to take revenge." "Miss was bullied?" The elders were all stunned. This demoness in the Yunyang Sect, who dared to bully her, it was already lucky for others not to be bullied by her. "Wushuang, what happened just now?" Elder Xie frowned and immediately asked Li Wushuang beside him. "Master, I don''t know either, please make them stop!" Li Wushuang was anxious, she knew the strength of the demoness Hong Ling, Quadruple Martial Spirit, how could Lin''er be her opponent. "Elder Yu, what''s going on?" At the same time, Elder Song also asked Yu Yu. "You''re asking me, I want to ask you too." Yu Yu was puzzled; he didn''t know what was happening. If someone else bullied his precious disciple, with his temper, he would not care about bullying the young and would have gone up to teach them a lesson, but it was this demoness, whom he also dearly loved, so now he was also stunned. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. "Master, let Hong Ling stop first, if there''s something to say, say it nicely." Elder Xie looked up into the sky, all the elders knew that in the entire Yunyang Sect, the only person Hong Ling listened to was the sect master himself. "Elders, don''t worry, don''t you want to see whose talent is higher between Hong Ling and Li Lin?" Yun Xiao Tian looked into the sky, smiling lightly. "Two triple-element martial artists, indeed rare." The elders understood and immediately paid close attention to the mid-air. "What exactly do you want?" In mid-air, Li Lin looked at the stunning girl in front of him and said. "I want to teach you, this little thief, a good lesson." The stunning girl in green was completely in a rage, a green long whip in her hand glowing brightly, once again lashing out like a venomous snake. "Qing Ling Armor." Li Lin''s face darkened, his wings fluttered behind him, and he rapidly retreated, immediately setting up the Qing Ling Armor around his body, also narrowly avoiding this attack. "Defensive martial technique, seems not to be low-level." The elders in the plaza below were all discerning, seeing the Qing Ling Armor on Li Lin, all frowning, Yun Xiao Tian at this moment, also had a surprised look in his eyes. Li Lin dodged an attack, the stunning girl''s whip missed in the air, but instantly weirdly circled back, her wrist lifted, quickly rotating, the whip dragging out green afterimages, cutting through the air flow like a venomous snake, directly circling back in mid-air, bringing up sharp breaking wind sounds, flashing towards Li Lin like lightning. The speed was too fast, the afterimage broke through the air resistance, almost in a flash, appeared in front of Li Lin, the afterimage suddenly trembled, instantly in mid-air forming several light shadows, weirdly enveloping half the space. "Damn, you really think I''m afraid of you." Always being chased and beaten by this woman, unable to run away, Li Lin also got angry, his hand forming a seal, at the same time wearing gloves made of white jade silk on his hands, fingers bent, a claw imprint carrying flames instantly blocked forward. "Shoo shoo..." The green whip shadow, as if it had eyes, quickly changed in mid-air, several illusions gathered, directly rushing towards Li Lin. Li Lin''s expression darkened, his claw imprint shook, directly grabbing the green whip shadow. "Sss!" When the two forces collided, Qi scattered in all directions, creating a spark of light, Li Lin''s body was instantly pushed back by a huge force, a powerful force pouring into his palm, his wings flapping rapidly behind him, retreating dozens of meters before stabilizing his body. With the Qing Ling Armor on his body, Li Lin was not greatly harmed, the defensive power of the Qing Ling Armor was not ordinary strong. At this moment, the stunning girl did not seem to be greatly affected, her wings fluttered behind her, her Qi trembling, her aura at this moment suddenly surged. "Wind element, wood element, seems like there''s also water element, could this be the cultivation monster of the Yunyang Sect that Wushuang sister mentioned." Watching the stunning girl in front of him, Li Lin remembered what Li Wushuang had once said to him, that the Yunyang Sect also had a triple-element martial artist cultivation monster, probably this was the woman. "Damn, I know now." Watching this woman, Li Lin suddenly remembered something, in the great hall, he felt a sense of dj vu with Sect Master Yun Xiao Tian, now seeing this stunning girl again, he knew, the two had a sixty percent resemblance, no surprise, this woman should be Sect Master Yun Xiao Tian''s daughter. "Little thief, I''ll see how many moves you can dodge." Unable to take down this little thief after several moves, the stunning girl grew even angrier, her face angrily red, her aura at this moment suddenly surged, the majestic Qi around her body condensing, then the long whip retracted, her palm trembling, fiercely slapping towards Li Lin. The stunning girl shouted, a palm imprint striking out, this palm imprint emerged, in the entire mid-air, the majestic water element energy whistling converging, a blue light and mist gathered within nearly a thousand meters in the surrounding air, the entire mid-air producing intense air flow ripples, half of the space trembling at this moment, endless water element energy blue light rapidly twisting and condensing in space, finally turning into a hundred meters large blue palm imprint. This palm imprint exuded a strong aura, appearing very mighty, the terrifying pressure spreading out, making those below who were not Martial Spirits slightly change color, even the Yunyang Sect elders frowned. "Hong Ling actually used the Zhen Hai Imprint, this is a high-level Yellow Grade martial technique." Elder Xie''s expression changed slightly. "The Zhen Hai Imprint used by Hong Ling to this extent is already very rare, Hong Ling''s talent, is considered the best in our Yunyang Sect in the past hundred years." Elder Yang lightly said. "This Hong Ling is too ruthless, Li Lin is only a Ninth Level Martial Master, Hong Ling Quadruple Martial Spirit, still using a high-level Yellow Grade martial technique, Sect Master, let Hong Ling stop." Yu Yu couldn''t stand it anymore, his heart suddenly worried for his precious disciple. "Elder Yu, you let Hong Ling stop." Elder Song smiled slightly, the elders at this moment also all understood and smiled, everyone knew, in the Yunyang Sect, Elder Yu was the most troublesome, Elder Yu was not afraid of anyone, only afraid of the demoness Hong Ling, whoever offended the demoness Hong Ling, the consequences would definitely be severe, extorting a fifth or sixth-grade pill was considered light, so in the Yunyang Sect, if people had to choose, they would rather offend Yu Yu than provoke the demoness Hong Ling. "She won''t listen to me." Elder Yu immediately deflated and said. Chapter 272: The True Strong "Senior brother, rest assured, your precious disciple won''t encounter any trouble. We are all watching, and there''s no need for you to worry. Li Lin seems to have not been using his full strength all this time, probably still has something up his sleeve. It''s good to let Hong Lian give it a try," Yun XiaoTian said lightly. The elders nodded slightly. With their keen eyes, how could they not see that Li Lin had been holding back and concealing something? As for how much he was concealing, they couldn''t tell. "ZhenHai Seal." A beautiful woman shouted, her exquisite figure tracing a captivating arc through mid-air. The space filled with the blue light of water attributes violently churned, creating wild spatial ripples, like giant waves roaring and surging in the sea. From within, a terrifying blue palm seal over a hundred meters large burst forth, tearing through the space along its path, causing the surrounding space to be compressed and twisted as if it was about to explode. Feeling this majestic and terrifying energy, Li Lin''s expression darkened. With no other choice, a burst of earthy yellow light vibrated around him, and a palm seal began to form, instantly causing a series of very crisp sonic booms in the spatial airflow under pressure. Moments later, a dazzling yellow light suddenly burst forth from within him. "Thousand Hand Split Gang Seal." Li Lin uttered in a deep voice, and his aura and might instantly expanded, immediately transforming the earthy yellow palm seal into several blurry palm imprints. "Eh, it''s also a high-level Yellow Rank martial technique. The Li family in Qingyun Town actually possesses such high-level martial techniques," the elders said with surprise in their eyes upon seeing the aura around Li Lin at this moment. "A Ninth Stage Martial Master, yet he has such presence. This kid is not simple," Yun XiaoTian thought to himself. "Such strong power." At this moment, no one noticed that the maid, Cui Yu, in a corner of the crowd, was frowning and pondering something while looking at the figure in green robes above. "Boom!" Li Lin pushed out a palm seal swiftly, and the space in front of him vibrated violently, unleashing a terrifyingly powerful aura that swept out and finally collided with the beautiful girl''s majestic palm seal. Immediately, a series of earth-shattering explosions echoed through the space, spreading violently above... "Bang!" A sound like mountains crumbling and the earth splitting instantly echoed through the sky, leaving all the elders and dozens of observing Martial Souls dumbfounded. "Hmph!" A terrifying surge of energy ripples burst from the collision of the two palm seals, and Li Lin, who bore the brunt, let out a muffled grunt. He then rapidly retreated in a somewhat disordered manner, his wings vibrating non-stop behind him until he stabilized fifty meters away. His internal energy churned, and a sweet taste rose in his throat. Suppressing a mouthful of fresh blood, Li Lin''s complexion also turned pale. The QingLing armor dimmed a bit. "Such strong power." Li Lin felt heavy-hearted. With the protection of the QingLing armor, and his inherently strong body, the fact that this woman could still injure him meant that without the QingLing armor, he might have been in a dire situation. "He actually withstood it..." All the elders of YunYang Sect exchanged looks, even they were somewhat unable to maintain their composure. A Ninth Stage Martial Master withstood a strike from a Fourth Stage Martial Soul, whose power, they feared, even a typical Fifth Stage Martial Soul would struggle to contend with. "Such talent, too astonishing," Yun XiaoTian frowned slightly, sighing softly. "Little thief, I won''t let you go," the beautiful girl said, lightning-fast as she charged again. With a delicate shout, hand seals continuously struck out, her body surrounded by a violently spinning airflow, like a tornado storm roaring and surging, creating violent air currents and whirlwinds from the surrounding space, with violent wind attribute energy overwhelming everything. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. A terrifying energy filled the area, a massive tornado condensed, howling like a real storm. "FengJuanCanYun." As the beautiful girl''s shout fell, she pressed the massive tornado towards Li Lin. "I''m not afraid of you," Li Lin uttered deeply. Facing this attack, unsurprisingly another high-level Yellow Rank martial technique, he had to use one of his trump cards to withstand it. His hands traced mysterious arcs, and his whole person was immediately enveloped in a dazzling light. Choosing one of his trump cards, Li Lin naturally selected the Vermilion Bird Art. As these mysterious hand seals were performed, a series of divine lights burst forth in front of Li Lin, covering him. The aura on his body began to undergo a strange change, and a terrifying, heart-palpitating energy suddenly soared, becoming increasingly violent. "This kid seems to still have a trump card. What martial technique is this? This aura, it''s very strange," all the elders below couldn''t help but have a somewhat solemn expression. Everything happened in an instant. The terrifying energy Li Lin was emitting began to distort the spatial airflow, and multicolored lights started to intertwine and overlap. In an instant, as Li Lin''s final hand seal was struck, the violent energy gradually calmed down and then condensed into a fifty-meter-large red energy phoenix, its wings spread causing flames to spread, and the surrounding space to wobble and sway. "Vermilion Bird Art." Without any hesitation, Li Lin shouted deeply, his face instantly turning pale. The Qi in his body was completely devoured by the Vermilion Bird Art, the suppressed mouthful of fresh blood could no longer be held back, and finally, a stream of blood spurted out. The terrifying phoenix energy body instantly transformed into several hundred meters in size, flames howling around it, the violent aura soared into the sky, covering the surrounding space with towering flames, the air burning with a sizzling sound, this all was terrifying to the extreme. A massive phoenix energy body and a huge tornado vortex each traced an arc through the space in the sky, then, under countless shocked gazes, they were about to collide like lightning. "Such terrifying martial techniques." At this moment, the Vermilion Bird Art that Li Lin was driving had already shocked everyone. A Ninth Stage Martial Master was actually able to summon such terrifying energy, this was too shocking. At this time, all the elders thought to themselves: A good cabbage really was taken by a pig, a good disciple really was spoiled by Elder Yu. Only Zhao WuJi, looking at Li Lin, his eyes twitching, his expression becoming increasingly grim. At this moment, everyone was clear that if these two attacks collided, both individuals would be affected, and the consequences they both would endure would not be light. "Alright, both of you stop now." Just as these two massive forces were about to collide, suddenly, a faint voice transmitted between the two attacking forces, followed by a figure appearing in the middle of the two terrifying attacks. In that moment, this figure arrived mid-air, waving his hands left and right, each emitting a robust earthy yellow Qi that swept out, instantly completely distorting the vast spaces on both sides. "Bang bang..." Within the two completely distorted vast spaces, Li Lin''s condensed phoenix energy body and the beautiful girl''s condensed tornado burst instantly, the powerful energy explosion within the distorted space, yet the space itself remained unaffected, not even vibrating in the slightest. The person then waved his hands, and with a flick of his robe sleeves, the two massive distorted spaces in mid-air turned into nothingness. Looking at all this, not only were the Martial Souls and Li WuShuang, Yang Miao, and others on the ground shocked, but the two individuals'' attacking power was definitely formidable. Yet, it was so effortlessly dissipated, showcasing a level of strength that could only be described as terrifyingly abnormal. In the sky, Yun XiaoTian, in a light cyan robe, stood with his hands behind his back, an overwhelmingly strong aura bursting out like a tidal wave, emitting a domineering presence that seemed to shake the world. "Yun XiaoTian." At this moment, Li Lin, from afar, also had a look of shock. The Sect Master Yun XiaoTian''s strength was so great that, for the first time, he felt like an ant in front of someone. "This is what a true strong person is, the path I aspire to follow." Li Lin thought to himself. This kind of strength is what he seeks, and his current power is far from enough. "Alright, both of you stop now, don''t end up hurting yourselves," Yun XiaoTian withdrew his aura, then said with a light smile, his gaze, however, couldn''t help but linger on Li Lin again. He knew best that Li Lin''s attack power was not inferior to Hong Lian''s, and Li Lin was only a Ninth Stage Martial Master at the moment. Compared to that, such talent had already shocked him deeply. "Dad, I want to catch this little thief..." The beautiful girl, at this moment, was visibly angry. Seeing her father intervene, she stomped her feet in frustration. "Hong Lian, what has Lin''er done to you?" Yun XiaoTian asked. "Dad, this little thief..." The beautiful girl opened her mouth but immediately found herself at a loss for words. She couldn''t possibly say that this little thief had seen her naked before. "Sect Master, the situation is like this..." Li Lin slightly frowned, thinking to himself that this was the Sect Master''s daughter, and he really couldn''t afford to offend her, then began to say... "Little thief, you dare speak, if you say it, I''ll never finish with you." The beautiful girl immediately became anxious, Li Lin had just started speaking when she quickly shouted at him. Seeing this scene, although everyone was somewhat confused, they could definitely see that there was just a small misunderstanding between the two, definitely not anything serious. Chapter 273: Tender Jade in Arms "Alright, Hong Lian, stop making a fuss. Lin''er is now your Shibo''s disciple and your junior brother. Don''t be arrogant anymore." Yun Xiao Tian spoke lightly. He naturally knew that his daughter had always been arrogant, guessing that there might have been just a small misunderstanding between the two. "Dad, this little thief..." The stunningly beautiful girl glared at Li Lin hatefully, then stomped her foot next to Yun Xiao Tian and left in a huff. "Lin''er, are you alright? Hong Lian has been spoiled by me to be too arrogant. Don''t mind her." Yun Xiao Tian did not pay attention to his daughter, knowing that her temper would subside in a few hours, then turned to Li Lin. "Sect Master, I''m fine. It was me who offended Shijie last time." Li Lin spoke softly. "Lin''er, are you okay? Next time you encounter Hong Lian, you better hide. That girl, even her master can''t afford to provoke her." The two landed on the ground, Yu Yu approaching Li Lin immediately. "Master, I''m fine." Li Lin spoke softly, having sustained some injuries, but they were not severe and he could recover after some rest. "Lin''er..." A tender voice rang in Li Lin''s ear, followed by a faint fragrance. A beautiful figure in a light red dress appeared in front of Li Lin, with delicate features and skin as white and smooth as jade - it was none other than Li WuShuang. "WuShuang Jie." Gazing at the figure before him, Li Lin couldn''t help but be stunned. It had been a year and a half, and Li WuShuang seemed even more beautiful. "I thought I would never see you again." Standing in front of Li Lin, Li WuShuang''s eyes were somewhat moist, then with a surge of strength from nowhere, she suddenly threw herself into Li Lin''s arms. A beautiful figure plunged into his arms. Li Lin instinctively wrapped his arms around her, feeling the tender jade in his embrace, accompanied by a wafting fragrance. His hands rested on her slender waist, barely a handful, causing Li Lin''s heartbeat to accelerate instantly. With two soft mounds pressed tightly against his chest, Li Lin involuntarily reacted, a response all too common at his vigorous age. "WuShuang Jie, I''m fine, you don''t have to worry." Li Lin held the tender jade in his arms and spoke softly, trying to suppress his wandering thoughts, but the reaction below became increasingly strong, typical of his vigorous age where raising one''s head is easy but bowing it is hard. "En, as long as you''re fine." After a moment, Li WuShuang seemed to realize her impulsive behavior, her face flushed with a shy blush, and she quickly left Li Lin''s embrace. "Lin''er, I knew you would be fine." Du Gu Bing Lan approached Li Lin, followed by Yang Miao and Cui Yu. The three had just witnessed Li Lin''s strength, undoubtedly shocked by it. "Bing Lan, Cui Yu, Yang Miao, you are all here." Li Lin gazed at the three women, with Yang Miao in a captivating outfit, her exquisite curves and delicate features seeming even more beautiful. In the Yun Yang mountains, atop a towering peak enveloped in a light mist. On the peak, there was a small courtyard surrounded by wildflowers and green trees, quite unique in style. After leaving the main hall, Li Lin followed his master Yu Yu to this peak, a residence specially chosen for Li Lin by Yu Yu. In the Yun Yang Sect, direct disciples almost always had their own residences for cultivation. Li Lin, now a direct disciple, had initially been offered to stay at Yu Yu''s residence, but he chose to live alone on a mountain peak, which was more convenient for him. He had many matters to attend to in his cultivation, better not to reveal too soon. After the battle with Yun Hong Ling, Li Lin was clear that if he could go all out, it might be possible to deal with Yun Hong Ling. His trump cards included the Knife Soul Technique and the Phantom Spirit Imprint, along with his unrevealed wood and water attributes, his strongest powers. Li Lin guessed that Yun Hong Ling, as the daughter of the Yun Yang Sect''s Sect Master and a prodigy, might also have her own trump cards unrevealed. Despite her rage during their fight, she didn''t seem desperate. Li Lin couldn''t guess Yun Hong Ling''s strongest strength, nor that of the Sect Master''s daughter, who surely had her secrets. However, this wasn''t the point. This battle had sounded an alarm for Li Lin. He had always thought that with the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Scripture, his cultivation speed was unmatched among his peers. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.But facing Yun Hong Ling, Li Lin felt threatened. A year and a half ago, in the Misty Mountains, Yun Hong Ling was only at the ninth level of Martial Master, but now she had reached the fourth level of Martial Spirit. Yang Miao and Li WuShuang had also improved significantly. This cultivation speed made Li Lin realize that the major sects'' nurturing of direct disciples had accumulated a foundation that, without the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Scripture, he couldn''t compare with those from major sects. The Yun Yang Sect was just one of the Three Sects and Four Schools, and among the young disciples of other major sects, there were undoubtedly many outstanding ones. Li Lin had the advantage of the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Scripture, but starting from a lower base, compared to those sects'' disciples, he didn''t have much advantage, with Yun Hong Ling being an example. "In the coming time, while trying to obtain the millennium red copper, I must also strive to cultivate." Li Lin secretly clenched his teeth, having witnessed Yun Xiao Tian''s strength, he knew what true power was, a level not even the Old Poisoner and the Ghost Fairy could match. "I must break through to the Martial Spirit and Spirit Martial levels as soon as possible." Li Lin thought, then sat cross-legged, placing a medicinal pill in his mouth, and began to meditate, enveloped in a faint light. Time passed slowly, and when Li Lin arrived in the courtyard, it was already evening. Now, as night fell, the sky was covered. On a certain peak, in a delicate courtyard, Yun Hong Ling sat in her room, her face full of petulance but her anger did not diminish her beauty, rather adding a bit of cuteness. "Miss, that little thief is called Li Lin." Dong Mei spoke softly. "I won''t let that little thief off easily, hmph." Yun Hong Ling pouted. "But the Sect Master has already told Miss you can''t trouble Li Lin anymore." Dong Mei said. "I don''t know what''s gotten into my dad, siding with that little thief. Anyway, I won''t let him off easily. At the very least, I''ll make him taste the Ant Heart Piercing Needle again, hmph." As she spoke, recalling the time she tormented the "little thief" with the Ant Heart Piercing Needle, a smug smile appeared on her beautiful face. "Miss, I think Li Lin is quite strong. It won''t be easy for you to deal with him," Dong Mei said softly, knowing her mistress''s temper well. If she set her sights on someone, it meant trouble, especially since no one in the Yun Yang Sect dared to provoke her. "I''ll find a way." Yun Hong Ling said. "I think Li Lin didn''t do it on purpose. He''s not a bad person. Miss, maybe you should forgive him," Dong Mei said. "Forgive him? How could I? He saw my body. I can''t let him go," Yun Hong Ling''s face flushed, then she became slightly angry again. Her pure body had been seen by that little thief. "Miss, what do you want to do? You can''t really kill him, can you? Besides, he is now Elder Yu''s disciple and WuShuang''s brother," Dong Mei reminded. "For WuShuang Jie and Shibo''s sake, I''ll spare his life. But, I want to gouge out those annoying eyes of his. That''s the only way I''ll feel better," Yun Hong Ling said. Dong Mei gasped, then sighed softly. "Grandfather, how come that kid is so lucky, to be taken in as a disciple by Elder Yu?" At another peak''s courtyard, Li Shao Hu, Zhao Wu Ji, Zhao Qing Tian, and Shi Yun Sheng were discussing. "That kid''s strength is extraordinary, a tri-elemental martial artist, and even the Sect Master is protecting him," Zhao Wu Ji said coldly, his voice filled with chill. "Grandfather, are we just going to let that kid off? If only we hadn''t underestimated him. Hu Si Hai was no match, and even Wen Jue wasn''t his opponent. If I had known, I would have personally taken action to kill him," Zhao Qing Tian said coldly, dressed in white. "Qing Tian, don''t act against that kid for now. He''s in the limelight. Let him enjoy a few days. Can he spend his whole life in the Yun Yang Sect? No matter how strong he is, he can''t escape my grasp," Zhao Wu Ji said coldly. A silent night passed. Atop the mountain, as the first rays of light enveloped the area, Li Lin stopped meditating. "Whew..." Exhaling a breath of stale air, feeling his injuries were no longer a concern, Li Lin left the courtyard to go outside. From the peak, although not as high as the main peak, it was still extremely high. Looking down, the dawn had not yet fully dispersed, and a vast expanse of white, with light mist swirling around, covered the area below. Chapter 274: Striking It Big "Whoosh..." Little dragon somehow leaped onto Li Lin''s body from nowhere, his message delivered through a breath, his voice already echoing in Li Lin''s mind: "Boss, the woman from yesterday was pretty strong, you almost lost." "I was letting her win, couldn''t you tell?" Li Lin glared at Little dragon. Little dragon''s tiny eyes swiveled disdainfully. "Blood Lizard, Snow Lion, you should settle down here from now on." At this moment, the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion appeared beside Li Lin, its massive body exceptionally huge, while the Blood Lizard shrank its body, now coiling on a rock. Above the Yunyang Sect, many direct disciples also have demonic beast mounts, so Li Lin also planned not to store the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion in the spatial beast bag anymore. The Blood Lizard has reached the fourth level of demonic beasts and can easily hide. However, for the Bloodthirsty Mantis, Green Demon Python, and Lightning Black Panther inside the spatial beast bag, Li Lin had no choice. The three beasts were too large and not suitable for public appearance. "Yes, Master." The Blood Lizard spoke, transforming into a size of over twenty centimeters. If one was not paying attention, it would be hard to recognize it, and its aura was completely concealed unless a strong person probes, it would be difficult to discover. "Boss, I''ll go around the vicinity. There are quite a few demonic beasts around here," Little dragon said, raising his head. "Go ahead, but don''t mess with the other beasts recklessly," Li Lin hastily said, worried Little dragon might devour someone else''s mount. "Got it, boss. If they don''t provoke me, I naturally won''t deal with them," Little dragon said proudly, then left the peak with the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion and Blood Lizard. "Lin''er." A voice fell, and then three figures slowly approached. "Disciple greets Master." Li Lin saluted. It was Yu Yuqian, with two middle-aged men beside him, one in a tight suit and the other in a blue robe. "So, this is the Third Junior Brother." The two middle-aged men looked at Li Lin, their eyes slightly surprised. "Lin''er, these are your two good-for-nothing senior brothers." Yu Yuqian was straightforward with his two disciples, glaring at them. "Lin''er greets the two Senior Brothers." Li Lin saluted lightly, guessing these were the two senior brothers Master and he had mentioned: one at the eightfold Martial Spirit level, named Guo Dongyang, and the other at the first level Martial General, named Ma Fang. "No need for formalities, Junior Brother." The two responded, with Ma Fang saying, "Junior Brother has become quite famous these past days. We''ve heard all about it, well done." "You flatter me, Senior Brothers." Li Lin showed a bitter smile, realizing how quickly news spreads. "After you''ve seen your junior brother, go do what you need to do," Yu Yuqian told Guo Dongyang and Ma Fang. "Disciples take their leave." Not daring to say more, they nodded and smiled at Li Lin, then left. "Lin''er, don''t follow in your senior brothers'' footsteps. You should practice diligently and make your Master proud," Yu Yuqian chuckled. "Master, I''ve taken you as my teacher, that..." Li Lin chuckled, his mind already on the Floating Light Shadow technique he''d been coveting. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. "I knew you''d be thinking about it. Do you think I''d deceive you? I''ve brought it for you." Yu Yuqian glared at Li Lin and handed him a white jade slip, saying, "This is our Yunyang Sect''s movement technique, Floating Light Shadow, at the Xuan level elementary stage. Take good care of it. Only direct disciples can practice it. If an outsider practices it, they will be pursued by our Yunyang Sect." "Thank you, Master." Li Lin took the jade slip, seeing a faint light swirling around it. This was a Xuan level elementary stage technique, on the same level as the Soul Blade technique the generous Master Saint Hand Lingzun taught him. Storing the jade slip away, Li Lin sighed at how seriously the Yunyang Sect took Floating Light Shadow; an outsider practicing it would lead to pursuit, indicating how valuable it was. "Yesterday, I saw you fighting with Hong Linying using only Star level martial arts, which is somewhat disappointing. Here, I''ve brought you a few martial arts techniques. Practice well." At this moment, Yu Yuqian took out three more jade slips and gave them to Li Lin, saying, "I know I''m not gifted and don''t have much to teach you in terms of cultivation, but I won''t let you lack in martial arts. These are all high-level Yellow techniques; practice well, and don''t lose to that girl Hong Linying." "All high-level Yellow techniques." Li Lin was astonished, quickly taking the three jade slips. They emanated rich attributes of wind, earth, and fire. "Yes, I specially picked them for you. The high-level Yellow Wind technique ''Wind Sweeping Leaves,'' which you saw Hong Linying use yesterday, is quite powerful. There''s also the high-level Yellow Earth technique ''Earth''s Strong Shield,'' a defensive technique, and the high-level Yellow Fire attack technique ''Blazing Firestorm,'' which is as powerful as Wind Sweeping Leaves," Yu Yuqian proudly said. His precious disciple had to use the best techniques, ensuring he wouldn''t be at a disadvantage from the start. "This is a huge gain." Li Lin''s brows lifted in joy. These were all high-level Yellow techniques, any of which would cause a frenzy if released into the outside world. The value of these three sets of high-level Yellow techniques was indeed priceless. "Thank you, Master." Li Lin sincerely bowed, grateful for his choice of Master. Such a generous Master was indeed rare. "Good, practice well. It''s a pity about your two good-for-nothing senior brothers; the techniques I gave them couldn''t be practiced. It really angers me," Elder Yu said resentfully. "Disciple will practice diligently," Li Lin said. "Master, I plan to go into seclusion for a while to practice earnestly." Li Lin was completely satisfied with his Master, but he now understood why his senior brothers'' cultivation levels were not high. They probably faced the same situation as him, receiving a bunch of high-level techniques upon becoming disciples, then ruining their potential by focusing too much on them. A slightly better Master wouldn''t give so many techniques at once but would guide their practice step by step. Giving so many high-level techniques all at once was harmful. Fortunately, Li Lin was not ordinary. Anyone else might have been tempted to practice these techniques crazily, leading to an unstable foundation and eventually ruining their talent. But Li Lin was clear about his Master''s sincere intentions and was grateful. "You''re going into seclusion?" Yu Yuqian was puzzled for a moment, then said, "Good, practice hard. In half a year, the sect will select twenty disciples to enter a secret training ground. You must strive to be one of them. Training in the secret ground can bring many benefits." "Master, what is this secret ground?" Li Lin asked curiously. "It''s a long story; I''ll tell you more about it later," Yu Yuqian said. "The Sect Master is looking for me; I''ll go see him." After Yu Yuqian left, Li Lin stood on the peak, looking at the three jade slips in his hand, unable to help but smile. Today, he had acquired a Xuan level elementary movement technique and three high-level Yellow techniques. This was indeed a big win. Especially the Floating Light Shadow; Uncle Jiang had told him to acquire Floating Light Shadow and the Ten Thousand Year Copper. Getting Floating Light Shadow was lucky without much effort. But thinking of the Ten Thousand Year Copper gave Li Lin a headache. He still had no clue about its whereabouts and couldn''t inquire about it openly. He would have to take his time. Storing away the three sets of high-level Yellow techniques, Li Lin didn''t plan to start practicing them right away. Next, he should focus on improving his spiritual power level. When he had time, he would practice the techniques, especially the Floating Light Shadow, a Xuan level technique likely challenging to practice now. It would be better to wait until he broke through to the Martial Spirit and Spiritual Spirit levels. "Who..." Just as Li Lin was about to return to the courtyard, his senses alerted him, and he swiftly retreated. "Little thief, you can''t run now." At that moment, a sharp shout came, followed by a blinding white light shooting towards him. The white light, fast as lightning, reached Li Lin despite his early retreat. He was still a step too slow, enveloped by the blinding light. Within the blinding white light, Li Lin felt his soul trembling, overwhelmed by a violent spiritual power. The surrounding space seemed to tremble as well. Chapter 275: Slightly Small Chest In the blink of an eye, Li Lin had already arrived in a vast, white space. This space was immense, surrounded by violent spiritual power howling from all sides. "Roar..." A loud roar of a giant beast came from afar. At the same time, Li Lin saw in the space he was in, countless white lights forming a huge vortex sweeping towards him. "What a weird place..." Li Lin''s face changed dramatically, retreating rapidly. Just being in this bizarre space, he felt somewhat out of control, instantly enveloped by the violent vortex. A majestic white gas was pressing towards his mind and soul. "Break for me." Li Lin, greatly shocked, formed hand seals, and a spiritual fire condensed and burst out instantly, frantically burning those white gases. Under the burning of the spiritual fire, the white gas immediately dimmed a lot. At this moment, the strange space suddenly fluctuated violently, a surge of vast white light converging into a formidable force, bursting out from the space and then converging in front of Li Lin. "It''s spiritual power, mixed with soul attacks, could it be..." A terrifying thought flashed through Li Lin''s mind as the spiritual power surged out, his body struggling to retreat rapidly. At the same time, out of nowhere, that vast force instantly condensed into a palm print, tearing through the space as if it were, bringing terrifying pressure, and slamming down hard on Li Lin. "Sword Soul Slash." Li Lin retreated rapidly, hand seals thrown out in panic, a red spiritual sword in his hand instantly breaking through the spatial airflow, sweeping through the surrounding air, slashing towards the coming palm print with violent force. The spiritual sword cut through the void, a slash causing space to tremble, the energy whistling in space producing a sonic boom, the palm print and sword light colliding instantly, terrifying energy fluctuations erupting. "Shoo!" No loud energy noise, just a sound of energy cutting, the huge palm print in the sky lasted only a moment before the sword light, directly cut open, a sharp unmatched force spreading out, Li Lin bearing the brunt, instantly being shaken and flown away, an invisible energy directly striking his mind, the energy too terrifying, Li Lin felt his head become dizzy and heavy. "Eh..." A doubtful voice came from the space, and at the same time, the entire weird space instantly sprouted countless white light tentacles. "Zi, zi!" White light fluctuated, instantly hundreds of thumb-thick robust white tentacles, bursting out from the space''s white light, directly piercing through the spatial ripples, like numerous spirit snakes, covering the sky and sweeping out, eventually forming a giant net, enveloping Li Lin. Li Lin, caught off guard, was unable to dodge. These attacks were too strange, his mind dizzy, those white tentacles already wrapping around him. "You little thief, aren''t you going to surrender now?" At this moment, a green light figure flashed by, Li Lin struggling within the white tentacles, instantly several meridian acupoints on his body were sealed by several true qi, his body immediately unable to move. "It''s you..." Li Lin looked at the figure in front of him, the beautiful face, the curvy and convex lines, it was Yun Hongling, the one he least wanted to provoke now. Standing in front of Li Lin, Yun Hongling smiled proudly, "What, scared now? I told you you dare to run, today I must teach you a lesson." As her words fell, Yun Hongling''s hand formed an extreme seal, the white tentacles around Li Lin''s body along with the white light space all disappeared, a white light condensed, and a palm-sized palace-like object fell into her hand, Li Lin reappeared on the mountain peak. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. "Spiritual weapon..." Li Lin''s face changed dramatically, he had long suspected, the space he was just in was a spiritual weapon, now it seems, his guess was right, the spiritual weapon in Yun Hongling''s hand. A spiritual weapon is an extremely special item, different from weapons, Li Lin had only seen it in the "Heavenly Spirit Record", even Uncle Jiang hadn''t told him about it. Li Lin''s face changed dramatically because spiritual weapons are too rare and absolutely difficult to refine. According to the "Heavenly Spirit Record", without reaching the Spirit King level, it''s impossible to refine a spiritual weapon, and the power of the spiritual weapon is absolutely terrifying. As for how terrifying, it alarmed Li Lin, he had just witnessed it himself. "Didn''t expect you to have some insight, recognizing a spiritual weapon." Yun Hongling looked at Li Lin somewhat surprised, then with a flash of true qi in her hand, she lifted Li Lin by the shoulder and walked towards the courtyard. "Bang!" Arriving in the courtyard, Li Lin was thrown hard on the ground by Yun Hongling. "What exactly do you want to do?" Li Lin, thrown on the ground, unable to move, was already running the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Art inside his body, beginning to quickly devour the true qi sealed in the meridian acupoints. "You know, last time you ran away, but I haven''t relieved my anger yet." Yun Hongling looked down at Li Lin and said. Li Lin''s heart sank, this ruthless woman wouldn''t try the Ant-Heart Piercing Needle again, would she? That thing is unbearably painful. "Senior sister, back in the Misty Mountain Range, you had your revenge, and it was unintentional on my part, please let me go." Li Lin''s heart sank, then said. "Bang!" A three-inch golden lotus landed on Li Lin''s waist, Li Lin immediately cried out in pain. "You little thief, who is your senior sister, don''t try to relate to me, nothing you say today will work. But considering Wu Shuang Sister and Master Uncle''s sake, I''ll torture you well before gouging out your eyes, that will be considered as relieving my anger." Yun Hongling immediately said. "What." Li Lin''s expression changed drastically, this woman definitely was the type to do what she says. "You peeked at me bathing, only by gouging out your eyes can I relieve my anger." Yun Hongling huffed. "Yun Hongling, you''re not old, but I didn''t expect you to be so vicious. If you dare, if you dare to touch me, I''ll tell everyone in the Yunyang Sect that I''ve seen you bathe. Your skin is not bad, but your chest is a bit small, and there..." Li Lin immediately became angry. "You... you... you dare." Yun Hongling immediately blushed, both shy and furious, unable to speak for a long time, angrily said, "You lowly shameless thief, I, I will not let you go, if you dare say it, I will kill you." Seeing Yun Hongling''s furious appearance, Li Lin knew this trick seemed to work, secretly running the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Art rapidly devouring the true qi sealed in his meridian acupoints, said, "If you dare to move me, I dare to say it." "You''re shameless, then I''ll cut off your tongue, I''ll see how you say it." Yun Hongling coldly said. "Cut off my tongue, I can still draw, I''ll definitely draw your figure well, then let everyone in Yunyang Sect know." Li Lin said. "I''ll chop off your hands too, I''ll see how you draw then." Yun Hongling was completely furious, but amidst her rage, hearing Li Lin''s words, she also became shyly embarrassed. She, a young lady, had never heard such words before. "Then I still have feet, my feet can also draw, I can definitely draw your exquisite body lifelike, making every disciple of Yunyang Sect bleed from their nose." Li Lin said. "Shameless, despicable, then I''ll chop off all your limbs and cut off your tongue too, I''ll see how you can speak, how you can draw then." Yun Hongling was shaking with rage, then kicked towards Li Lin again. But at that moment, everything changed. Li Lin on the ground suddenly leaped up like a leopard, dodging Yun Hongling''s kick, and then several finger prints landed on Yun Hongling. "Zi! Zi! Zi! Zi!" Furious and embarrassed, Yun Hongling hadn''t expected Li Lin to break free from her restrictions. At this moment, she couldn''t react in time and was instantly restrained by Li Lin. "Hmph, the most venomous woman''s heart, thirty years in the east river, thirty years in the west river, now it''s my turn to teach you a lesson." Li Lin said angrily, a face full of anger appearing in front of Yun Hongling. Yun Hongling stood in the room, unable to move, looking at Li Lin, who was now angry in front of her, thinking she had actually fallen into this little thief''s hands, immediately said, "What do you want to do, if you dare to mess around, I will not let you go, my dad will not let you go either." "You''re threatening me? I''ll let you know if I dare or not." Li Lin raised his right hand, directly slapping down. "Ah..." Before Li Lin''s hand fell, Yun Hongling closed her eyes and screamed. "What are you screaming for, I haven''t hit you yet." Li Lin said, his hand raised but landed next to Yun Hongling''s cheek, he really couldn''t bring himself to hit her, nor dared to hit her. Although he was furious, Yun Hongling was after all the sect master''s daughter, the cultivation genius of Yunyang Sect. If he really caused her any harm, he would be in big trouble, and even his master couldn''t save him then. "Hmph, I knew you wouldn''t dare, you little thief, hurry up and let me go." Yun Hongling''s closed eyes opened slightly, seeing Li Lin''s hand stopping next to her cheek not daring to fall, immediately opened her eyes wide, and said fiercely again. "Am I really not daring?" Li Lin sneered, and his hand slapped down instantly. Chapter 276: Mercilessly Crushing the Flower "Snap..." A crisp sound echoed, immediately followed by silence in the room. Yun Hongling was stunned, her face not feeling scorching, but a fiery pain emanated from her buttocks, numbing half of it. Indeed, Li Lin dared not strike Yun Hongling''s face. If others from the Yunyang Sect saw, he would be doomed. However, if he didn''t seek revenge today, his anger would not subside. Therefore, Li Lin''s slap landed on Yun Hongling''s firm, round, and perky buttocks. Hitting here should be safer, unseen by others. The crisp slap also numbed Li Lin''s palm. "Ah... You shameless, despicable person." After a moment of shock, Yun Hongling suddenly screamed. As a lady of the Yunyang Sect, no one dared to treat her this way. All disciples of the Yunyang Sect wouldn''t even dare to lift their heads in her presence. She was arrogant, haughty, and used to being domineering, never imagining this thief would dare to physically assault her, let alone strike her buttocks. "Shut your mouth." Although living alone on this mountain peak, Li Lin was still afraid Yun Hongling''s screams would attract others. He immediately covered her mouth with his right hand, his body pressing against hers. Unintentionally, Li Lin realized his body pressing against Yun Hongling''s, his right hand covering her mouth, but his elbow resting on her prominent breasts, a faint fragrance wafting to his nose, startling him and almost stirring his heart. Li Lin couldn''t deny this woman was indeed a disaster because of her beauty, albeit a bit too cruel and willful. "Mmm... You... Mmm... Let go... of me." Yun Hongling''s mouth was covered, and she whimpered, her eyes glaring furiously at Li Lin, almost popping out. "Keep your voice down, and I''ll let you speak," Li Lin said. "Mmm..." Yun Hongling whimpered, blinking as if to agree with Li Lin. Li Lin immediately loosened his grip, releasing Yun Hongling. "You''re shameless and despicable. I''ll tell my father; I won''t let you off." As soon as Li Lin let go, Yun Hongling screamed again. Li Lin''s face darkened, knowing he should have expected this. The woman was usually very domineering, not easy to deal with, and naturally wouldn''t easily submit. "I''ll let you call." Li Lin decided to go all out. Having already stirred the hornet''s nest, even if he released this woman, he couldn''t guarantee she wouldn''t use more vicious methods against him in the future, possibly mutilating him. This was definitely possible. As he spoke, his right hand lifted and then harshly fell again. "Snap!" "I''ll let you go against me." "Snap!" "I''ll let you curse me." "Snap!" "I''ll let you be arrogant and willful." "Snap!" "So what if I saw you bathing? Now I''m spanking you, so what!" "Snap!" "Snap!" "Snap!" "Snap!" "Snap!" "Snap!" The sound of slaps echoed, each slap originating from her round and perky buttocks, the crisp sound seemingly the most touching melody. However, this sound was now Yun Hongling''s nightmare. She never imagined this thief would dare to hit her, and so forcefully at that. Her buttocks were numb, almost losing sensation. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it "I''ll let you cut my tongue." "Snap!" Li Lin''s eyes shone with ferocity, feeling increasingly exhilarated, utterly lacking any compassion. Another slap landed on her soft buttocks, each strike bouncing back with a soft elasticity. "Mmm..." Initially, Yun Hongling screamed non-stop, but towards the end, she started to cry, her domineering and willful nature also pampered by everyone in the Yunyang Sect. Even Yun Xiaotian had never laid a finger on her from childhood. Now, being beaten so fiercely by Li Lin, she went from rage to extreme fear seeing Li Lin''s fierce look. "Mmm... You thief, I won''t let you off, you bullied me." Yun Hongling cried incessantly, tears swirling in her eyes, looking somewhat pitiful. "I''m not a thief; I''ll let you call me a thief." Hearing Yun Hongling still calling him a thief, Li Lin was furious, targeting her buttocks for another harsh slap. "Snap!" "Mmm!" With a crisp sound, Yun Hongling continued to cry, her buttocks feeling fiery. Yun Hongling''s crying was limited in volume, and Li Lin''s residence on this mountain was isolated, so no one could hear her. At this moment, Yun Hongling regretted seeking revenge on this thief. Initially wanting to teach the thief a lesson to vent her anger, she didn''t expect to fall into his hands, beaten mercilessly without consideration for her dignity, especially in such a private area. How could she face others in the future? However, deep inside, Yun Hongling felt a strange sensation spreading in her heart. The thief''s strikes on her private area initially caused pain, but gradually, amidst the fiery sensation, a strange comfort emerged, her heartbeat quickening as if a deer was bouncing within her. "Are you still going to curse me?" The thief''s voice sounded in her ear, a tingling sensation spreading, making her whole body freeze, involuntarily blushing. "I will curse, call you a thief," Yun Hongling said through gritted teeth, her stubbornness from being spoiled since childhood making her very defiant, although she was beginning to fear the thief. "Snap!" Li Lin didn''t hesitate to slap her delicate buttocks again, the crisp sound accompanied by Yun Hongling''s renewed crying, unable to hold back her tears. "The feel is not bad." Li Lin had been in a rage, not noticing the feel before. Now, feeling less angry, he noticed the soft, elastic feel of his slap on her buttocks, immediately slapping again. "Snap!" "Thief, I didn''t curse you anymore, and you still hit me," Yun Hongling cried. "Because it feels good," Li Lin said righteously, admitting the feel was indeed good. "Mmm..." Seemingly scared or perhaps intimidated by Li Lin, Yun Hongling no longer spoke, just crying pitifully, tears flowing, her beautiful face adorned with two streams of tears, likely to evoke pity in any man''s heart. Li Lin was no exception; the beautiful girl before him was in pain, her crying so beautiful, it moved him. At this moment, Li Lin also felt some reluctance, knowing he had indulged in the beating, but if he didn''t settle this matter today, he would probably be the one crying later. "You thief, you bad person, no one dares to hit me, yet you dared," Yun Hongling said after a moment, sobbing. "If you hadn''t made things difficult for me first, why would I hit you?" Li Lin sternly said, pondering how to appease her, doubting the effectiveness of the method he used on Lv Xiaoling on this woman. "You''re still scolding me. My father has never scolded me from childhood," Yun Hongling cried. "That''s because your parents spoiled you, making you so willful,"Li Lin declared. "I''ve been motherless since childhood. If my mother were here, she wouldn''t let you bully me like this," Yun Hongling sobbed even louder. "Where is your mother?" Li Lin was suddenly taken aback. "My mother died giving birth to me. I miss her. Mmm..." Mentioning her mother, Yun Hongling cried even harder, her tears flowing like water. "So, you''re motherless." Li Lin''s expression softened slightly, realizing Yun Hongling was also somewhat of an orphan. No wonder Yun Xiaotian doted on her so much. Her arrogant and willful behavior wasn''t entirely her fault. "Then why do you keep targeting me? I''ve already said I didn''t mean to peep at you," Li Lin''s tone became much softer. With a flick of his sleeve, he gently wiped away the tears on Yun Hongling''s cheeks, looking at her tear-stained beautiful face and her aggrieved expression, Li Lin suddenly felt a pang of heartache. What was he doing, able to inflict such heavy hands on her? Seeing Li Lin''s hand reaching out, Yun Hongling instinctively closed her eyes, fearing another hit. But then, she felt the cruel and annoying thief was actually gently wiping her tears away, causing her heart to skip a beat and race even faster. Looking at the cruel and hateful thief before her, Yun Hongling said, "I didn''t really plan to gouge out your eyeballs. I also know you didn''t really mean to peep at me. I just wanted someone to play with. From childhood, everyone has been afraid of me, yielding to me. But you scolded me last time, which made me angry. But I''ve been over it for a long time. Seeing you this time, I just wanted to play with you on purpose." "Is that true?" Li Lin was stunned and then asked. "Yes." Yun Hongling glanced at the annoying thief before her and then said, "The place where you hit me hurts. Please let me go." Chapter 277: One Condition "If I let you go, what if you try to kill me again?" Li Lin said, unable to easily trust this woman''s words at the moment. "I never thought of killing you." Yun Hongli looked at Li Lin and said with a wronged tone. Li Lin hesitated. If he let this woman go and she went berserk again, he would be done for. In terms of strength, he really couldn''t do anything to her. But not letting her go, seeing her aggrieved appearance, Li Lin himself started to feel pity. This was like being harsh to a beautiful woman. "Alright, I''ll let you go." Li Lin said after hesitating, seeing Yun Hongli''s tears didn''t seem fake, and knowing he couldn''t restrain her forever anyway. As soon as he finished speaking, a yellow light flashed in Li Lin''s hand, and several finger imprints landed on Yun Hongli''s body, unlocking the true qi that had been sealed in her meridian acupoints. At the same time, Li Lin also prepared himself in case the woman turned against him. "Wuwu, you bad guy, I''m going to tell my dad you bullied me." After being able to move again, Yun Hongli immediately said with a wronged tone. "It was you who attacked me first, and I just defended myself." Li Lin''s expression darkened. If Yun Hongli really went and complained to Yun Xiao Tian, things could get a bit tricky for him. "What, are you afraid I''ll tell my dad?" Seeing Li Lin looking a bit nervous, Yun Hongli, touching her burning buttocks, then said, "If you don''t want me to tell my dad, there''s one condition..." After saying that, Yun Hongli glared at Li Lin hatefully. "What condition?" Li Lin asked. As long as it wasn''t too outrageous and would keep Yun Xiao Tian from knowing, he was willing to take a slight loss. "Let me hit you a few times." Yun Hongli said, glancing at Li Lin''s buttocks. "Deal, go ahead and hit." Li Lin immediately responded. It''s just dead flesh on the buttocks, getting hit a few times wouldn''t matter as long as it settled the matter. "Okay..." Yun Hongli didn''t hold back, glaring at Li Lin with tears in her eyes, then took a step forward and swung down her palm. Li Lin frowned, bracing for the crisp sound on his buttocks, but instead felt a sharp pain on his arm. Looking down, Yun Hongli hadn''t hit his buttocks but had bitten his arm. "Ah..." This sudden pain made Li Lin grunt softly. "Hmph!" Having bitten Li Lin hard, Yun Hongli proudly said, "I didn''t want to hit there. Biting you counts as us being even. When my dad annoys me, I bite him too." "I''m not your dad." Li Lin rolled up his sleeve, looking at the deep tooth marks on his arm, and said, "You really are like a dog." "You''re not my dad, but you annoyed me too." Yun Hongli looked at Li Lin, then her cheeks flushed, a blush spreading as she said, "Not only did you annoy me, but you also took advantage of me." "When did I take advantage of you?" Li Lin exclaimed, his conscience clear, he truly hadn''t. "You still say you didn''t. I was seen naked by you, and just now you hit me there. Dong Mei told me, that place shouldn''t be touched by men, nor seen by them, unless it''s one''s husband. But you did both." Yun Hongli glared at Li Lin, her eyes tearless, but her eyes were somewhat swollen from crying. Li Lin was dumbfounded, then helplessly said, "You''re not thinking of having me marry you, are you?" "I was seen naked by you, and you hit me there. How am I supposed to face others now, wuwu..." Saying this, Yun Hongli started sobbing softly again. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. "What do you want me to do then?" Li Lin asked helplessly, looking at Yun Hongli, her beautiful face, seductive curves, and the feeling of having hit her buttocks, his heart couldn''t help but stir. Setting aside her arrogance and temper, she really was a beauty that could topple nations. "You have to promise me one thing." The tears came and went quickly, Yun Hongli immediately stopped crying and said to Li Lin. "What is it?" Li Lin asked, curious about what the capricious woman was scheming. "I haven''t thought of it yet. I''ll tell you when I do. If you don''t agree, I''ll tell my dad you hit me there. Then you will definitely die a gruesome death, not even your master can save you, hmph!" Yun Hongli snorted, seemingly having made up her mind about Li Lin. "Alright, I promise." Li Lin said helplessly, admitting that the capricious woman had him cornered. If she really went all out to tell Yun Xiao Tian about him hitting her buttocks, it would indeed be an ugly death for him. "You know what''s good for you." Seeing she had Li Lin cornered, Yun Hongli smiled proudly, then touched her buttocks and glared at Li Lin, "It hurts so much, it''s all your doing, I can''t even walk." "Hehe..." Li Lin smirked, "I was really angry just now, and I might have hit a bit too hard. How about I massage it for you?" "Dream on, you pervert, rogue." Yun Hongli immediately became furious. "If I were really a pervert, I would have done this and that to you just now." Li Lin said innocently. "What''s this and that?" Yun Hongli asked curiously, then couldn''t help but sneak a few more glances at Li Lin. "That is... a man and a woman doing a very grand thing, which makes both very happy and satisfied. It''s a sacred and grand act, also the origin of humanity. It''s said that women really enjoy it." Li Lin said wickedly. "I don''t believe you. I''d rather do this and that with someone else than with you, you pervert." Yun Hongli glared at Li Lin. "I sweat..." Li Lin immediately broke out in cold sweat, as those words were too damaging to a man''s pride. "Alright, I''m leaving, you bad guy. I''ll come back to deal with you another day." Yun Hongli touched her burning buttocks and walked out. At the door, she turned back and glared at Li Lin, "Little bad guy, don''t let other women bite you." "Why, if a woman wants to bite, I can''t stop her, can I?" Li Lin replied, feeling happy inside, seeing the capricious woman''s demeanor, it seemed he had managed to settle today''s matter. "Who dares to bite you, I''ll kill them. The things Miss has bitten can''t be bitten by others." Yun Hongli glared at Li Lin. "I''m not a thing..." Li Lin was about to retort but immediately shut his mouth. Then, from outside the door came a delicate voice: "Then you''re not a thing, okay..." Li Lin slapped his mouth twice, looking at Yun Hongli''s departing silhouette, feeling somewhat dazed. Actually, after spending more time together, this capricious woman wasn''t that difficult after all. Gazing at the clear bite marks on his arm, Li Lin muttered, "Could it be that she has fallen for me? But I''m not ready yet." After a brief pause, Li Lin cheered up. Considering the capricious woman''s behavior and the injury on his buttocks, she probably wouldn''t bother him for a while. It was time for him to focus on breaking through his spiritual power. "Boss, we''re back." A burst of yellow light came rushing, and Little dragon landed on Li Lin''s shoulder, with the Sky Winged Snow Lion and the Blood Lizard waiting outside. "How come you''re just getting back now? Your boss was nearly crippled just now. You can''t leave me alone like that in the future..." After speaking, Li Lin raised an eyebrow, remembering that the touch just now was quite nice, and quickly added, "Never mind, it''s nothing." "Boss, what happened to you? I smell a woman has been here." Little dragon raised his head, sniffing around, then spoke to Li Lin. "It''s nothing. You guys help me guard the place. I need to go into seclusion for some time." Li Lin said. Inside the room, Li Lin took out a spirit jade bed and sat cross-legged. He swallowed a Ground Spirit Pill and began to refine it. Moments later, his body was enveloped in a transparent and invisible light. As the energy from the Ground Spirit Pill was refined, the spiritual power within Li Lin''s mind and the sea of qi space surged rapidly. Time slowly passed, and unbeknownst to Li Lin, his reputation had spread throughout the entire Yunyang Sect during his seclusion. Especially among the new disciples, Li Lin had become a godlike figure. The so-called strong ones on the Tiger List were nothing compared to him. Li Lin dared to directly confront the demon-like young lady of the Yunyang Sect, and it was the sect master who had to intervene in the end. Among all the new disciples, who else had such strength? Ten elders vying to take disciples, who else had such talent? The 806 courtyard became lively recently, with many disciples requesting to move to the 806 courtyard, especially a number of female disciples, who specifically asked for the room Li Lin had lived in. In one of the courtyards, Yun Hongli sat on the bed, occasionally touching her buttocks and unintentionally showing a silly smile, murmuring, "That thief isn''t actually that annoying." "Miss, what''s been with you these past few days? You keep laughing for no reason, and why are you touching your buttocks? Did you fall?" The maid Dong Mei asked in confusion. "It''s nothing, don''t worry about me." Yun Hongli''s face flushed, a shy look fleeting across her eyes. "Sigh..." Seven days later, Li Lin exhaled a breath of foul air from his body, opened his eyes, and a sharp light flashed through them, before he quickly concealed his aura. Chapter 278: Martial Spirit Fantasy Realm "The consumption is really huge, it truly burns money." Li Lin showed a bitter smile at the corner of his mouth. In seven days, he had consumed all three of his remaining Earth Spirit Pills, but in terms of spiritual power level, he had only broken through from the edge of the eighth level to the mid-phase of the eighth level Spirit Master. Three Earth Spirit Pills, already worth over a hundred thousand, yet the increase in spiritual power was not much. If one were to consume Earth Spirit Pills to break through to the ninth level, according to his estimation, at least four more Earth Spirit Pills would be needed. "Boss, someone is coming." Little dragon''s voice transmitted in Li Lin''s mind. "Lin''er, are you there?" A delicate voice came from the mountain peak, and a beautiful figure arrived gracefully. "Unparalleled Sister." Li Lin walked out of the courtyard, his face with distinct features hung with a signature lazy smile, knowing it was Li WuShuang who had come upon hearing the voice. "How are you adjusting to the Yunyang Sect?" Staring at the figure in a green robe before her, Li WuShuang''s eyes showed a hint of distraction. "Pretty good, nothing uncomfortable." Li Lin said lightly. "Lin''er, these are the clothes you left with me back then, I''ve brought them for you." Li WuShuang took out a bundle from her hand, which still had a faint fragrance. Li Lin was startled; these were the clothes he had casually put into Li WuShuang''s spatial bag when leaving the Li family for the Yunyang Sect, so as not to attract attention. It seems she had washed them again. As the two entered the courtyard, there was a moment of awkward silence, not knowing what to say. Although Li Lin called Li WuShuang sister, in his heart, he never really regarded Li WuShuang as a sister. First, his real age was actually several years older than Li WuShuang, and second, even though he carried the Li family''s blood, Li WuShuang was adopted by Li Dong, without any blood relation. Looking at the figure in the green robe before him, Li WuShuang suddenly felt her heartbeat quicken, an inexplicable feeling. "Unparalleled Sister, congratulations on becoming a direct disciple, and for improving your strength so quickly," Li Lin said to break the awkward silence. Li WuShuang''s delicate face blushed, "Lin''er, you are now a direct disciple too. In ten days, it will be the beginning of the month, and there will be a Dragon List competition among the direct disciples. Do you want to participate?" "What Dragon List?" Li Lin was familiar with the Tiger List, but not the Dragon List. "It''s a ranking among all the young direct disciples. New disciples have a Tiger List, and those on the Tiger List don''t need to do menial tasks and also get a lot of pills. For direct disciples, there are fifty places on the Dragon List. Those who make it onto the list will receive key training from the sect. If you can enter the top twenty, it is said that you can receive true direct disciple training from the Yunyang Sect and also get personal guidance from some of the sect''s reclusive experts," Li WuShuang explained. "I''ll see when the time comes," Li Lin said after pondering for a moment to Li WuShuang. "Alright, if you''re free at the beginning of the month, you can come to watch. I plan to challenge it then, and you can also get to know the strength of those on the Dragon List, which will be helpful for your cultivation," Li WuShuang said. "Okay, I''ll go if I have time," Li Lin said lightly. In the ensuing conversation, Li Lin learned a lot about the direct disciples from Li WuShuang and inwardly sighed at how much the Yunyang Sect invested in the training of direct disciples. In Li Lin''s knowledge, every direct disciple of the Martial Master level received a third-grade high-level pill for cultivation every month, and those at the Martial Spirit level received a fourth-grade pill every month. In terms of martial arts, direct disciples primarily practiced yellow-grade beginner martial arts, and upon meeting certain conditions, they could practice yellow-grade intermediate martial arts. It was normal for those on the Dragon List to have a set of yellow-grade advanced martial arts. For Xuan-grade beginner martial arts, exceptionally talented disciples who entered the top twenty of the Dragon List also existed. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Yellow-grade advanced martial arts were already attractive enough for Li Lin, and Xuan-grade beginner martial arts were even more so. Such levels of martial arts were of great interest to Li Lin; even if he couldn''t practice them immediately, keeping them was also good. No one would think they had too many of such high-level martial arts. Li Lin was most interested in two places among all the facilities for direct disciples. One was the Wanwu Tower, and the other was the Martial Spirit Fantasy Realm. The Wanwu Tower contained all the heritage the Yunyang Sect had accumulated since its founding, including cultivation insights from generations of experts across all realms. It could be considered an encyclopedia, where all cultivation questions could, without surprise, be resolved. The Wanwu Tower was considered a forbidden area of the Yunyang Sect, not open to non-direct disciples. The Martial Spirit Fantasy Realm was a peculiar place, according to Li WuShuang. It was a fantasy realm set up by the combined efforts of the Yunyang Sect''s experts a long time ago. In this realm, everyone could undergo absolute training, whether it was in cultivation level, soul, willpower, or martial arts, all could be improved. These two places immediately piqued Li Lin''s interest. He was not far from breaking through to the Martial Spirit level, which was a major hurdle for all martial artists, similar to the fourth level for all demon beasts. Many low-bloodline demon beasts could not break through to the fourth level in their lifetime, but those who did experienced a qualitative leap in strength. Martial artists were the same; those with poor talent might never reach the Martial Spirit level in their lifetime, but once they broke through, their strength would also experience a qualitative leap. Naturally, Li Lin was eager to visit a place like the Martial Spirit Fantasy Realm. The direct disciples of the Yunyang Sect all cultivated at an astonishing pace, likely related to the Martial Spirit Fantasy Realm. "Lin''er, I''m leaving now, keep up your cultivation," Li WuShuang said, getting up to leave after several hours. "Okay." Li Lin responded lightly, sending Li WuShuang to the door. Watching the elegant and stunningly beautiful woman before him, Li Lin couldn''t help but recall the unruly girl from a few days ago, as well as Lu Xiaoling. Each of these women was stunningly beautiful but with different personalities. Li WuShuang was elegant and noble, Lu Xiaoling was like fire and ice, and Yun Hongling was domineering and arrogant. "Actually, they''re all not bad..." Li Lin chuckled, then slapped himself on the back of his head, "Li Lin, what are you thinking? Despicable, go into seclusion to refine pills." With Little dragon, the Sky Winged Snow Lion, and the Blood Lizard guarding, Li Lin placed a sign outside the courtyard saying ''In seclusion, do not disturb'' before returning to his room. Li Lin was not worried about any danger here; this was the core area of the Yunyang Sect, and Zhao WuJi would not dare to make a move against him here. Li Lin''s only worry was that his master Yu Yu might come over, as he was refining pills and could not afford to be disturbed. After taking out the Fire Dragon Cauldron, Li Lin once again took out a bunch of ingredients for refining the Earth Spirit Pill. Fortunately, he had collected enough ingredients; otherwise, it would be troublesome to gather them at once. After preparing everything, Li Lin formed hand seals, flicked his fingers lightly, and a stream of spiritual power shot from his hand into the Fire Dragon Cauldron. The cauldron''s spiritual fire roared to life, and with the flames'' appearance, the temperature in the entire room rose. Having successfully refined six Earth Spirit Pills last time, Li Lin was now more experienced. His spiritual power also broke through again, making the process even smoother. As the spiritual power gently intensified, the spiritual fire in the Fire Dragon Cauldron suddenly expanded, turning into roaring flames that surged and burned. Li Lin then sealed another hand, and between his shaking hands, a ball of light enveloped several herbs and threw them into the Fire Dragon Cauldron. Under the envelopment of the spiritual fire, the ingredients for the Earth Spirit Pill quickly turned to ash, leaving behind pure spiritual liquid. Moments later, Li Lin waved his sleeve again, throwing a bundle of herbs into the Fire Dragon Cauldron. This time, Li Lin planned to refine more Earth Spirit Pills. With more ingredients, it would not be a quick process. Thus, Li Lin dared not be careless and focused entirely on refining the Earth Spirit Pills. Time passed, and on the fifth day, Li Lin''s hand seals changed, and his spiritual power surged out violently. The spiritual fire inside the Fire Dragon Cauldron suddenly increased in temperature, erupting into an extremely terrifying heat. Under this terrifying heat, the spiritual liquid being refined in the cauldron quickly converged, and the impurities in the spiritual medicine were completely removed, leaving only the most pure energy from the ingredients. "Condense into a pill." A low shout came from Li Lin''s mouth, and his hand seals urged forcefully. At this moment, the spiritual liquid inside the Fire Dragon Cauldron began to converge instantaneously, as if invisibly attracted, overcoming the resistance between the energies of various ingredients and condensing together. As these energies converged, the energy aura inside the Fire Dragon Cauldron grew stronger, and Li Lin''s complexion became paler, with his spiritual power rapidly depleting. Controlling the changes inside the Fire Dragon Cauldron like this, about half an hour later, four thumb-sized spheres appeared inside the cauldron. Under the envelopment of the spiritual fire, one could faintly see the four pill embryos slowly taking shape. The last time he refined Earth Spirit Pills, Li Lin could only refine three at a time, but now, he was able to refine four simultaneously. Looking at the four condensed pills, Li Lin''s hand seals struck again, slightly weakening the spiritual fire but still continuing to refine the four pills. Chapter 279: Dragon List Ranking A moment later, the color of the four elixirs began to change again, and the surface of the elixirs gradually became smooth and shiny. A rich fragrance of medicine and a huge energy fluctuation suddenly burst out from them, filling the entire room with this majestic energy, "Collect" Li Lin''s face was somewhat pale at this moment, he gave a soft shout, his hand seals gathered, and a white light wrapped around, instantly bringing the four Earth Spirit Pills into his hands. On the four elixirs, the rich fragrance of the medicine converged, and the surface of the pills had a faint energy flowing through them, appearing extremely profound. "Done." Li Lin''s mouth curved into a slight smile. It took six days to refine twice, each time producing four pills, and now he had a total of eight Earth Spirit Pills on him again. "Start refining, break through to the ninth level Spirit Master." Li Lin murmured, a sharp light flashed in his eyes, swallowed the pills, and immediately began refining. In his mind, streams of spiritual power were increasing, and at this moment, on the Spirit Jade Bed, streams of energy were also invisibly absorbed into Li Lin''s body by him. "This kid is really hard-working, much stronger than those two useless senior brothers." Yu Yu''s figure appeared on the mountain peak, saw the few big characters left by Li Lin outside the courtyard, smiled slightly, and then left satisfied. Four days later, on the mountain peak, before sunrise, when the sky was just getting bright, and a few remaining stars were scattered in the deep and slightly white sky. When the earth was waking up from the thin morning tenderness, the green trees around the mountain had their leaves become softer and moistened, with a layer of light dew protecting the leaves dripping to the earth. The sun slowly rose, looking up from the mountain peak, for a moment it was like a fireball soaring into the sky, the sunlight dispersed in thousands of changes, instantly casting down thousands of beams of light, then enveloping the whole mountain. At this moment, an invisible aura began to rise within the courtyard, and as the aura climbed, a form of invisible energy between heaven and earth also began to gather into the courtyard. "The master is about to break through." Outside the courtyard, the Blood Lizard spoke. "Ssss!" The little dragon raised its little head, also intently watching the inside of the courtyard. In the room of the courtyard, an invisible transparent ring of light around Li Lin became dazzling, the aura climbed all the way, made a brief stop, and then suddenly soared again, directly breaking through a bottleneck. "Bang!" Inside Li Lin''s mind, the space of spiritual power sea, suddenly emitted a muffled sound. "Phew" Also at this moment, Li Lin was rapidly swallowing a surge of invisible energy around him, the dazzling ring of light around him also converged back after a moment. A moment later, Li Lin slowly stopped cultivating, exhaled a breath of turbid air, and a deep and bright light flashed in his eyes, which took a long time to retract. "Finally broke through to the ninth level Spirit Master, not far from Martial Soul and Spirit Soul now." Feeling his current cultivation, Li Lin murmured, just as he had predicted, breaking through to the ninth level Spirit Master, he took another four Earth Spirit Pills. "Today is the beginning of the month, right? Let''s go see the competition on the Dragon List." Li Lin murmured, then tidied up a bit and walked out of the courtyard. "Boss, did you break through again?" The little dragon jumped onto Li Lin''s shoulder and asked affectionately. "Yes, let''s go see that Dragon List." Li Lin replied lightly, then rode the Winged Snow Lion away from his mountain. The Yunyang Sect covers a large area, all of which are high mountains, so many direct disciples generally have their own flying beast mounts. Of course, the level of flying beast mounts is not very high, it is not uncommon to have a third-tier level flying beast, but to have a Winged Snow Lion as a mount like Li Lin, there are probably not many in the entire Yunyang Sect. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Although the Winged Snow Lion is now only a mid-tier third-order beast, its bloodline is extremely noble, and its future growth is undoubtedly terrifying. In the Yunyang Sect, there are indeed few direct disciples who have a fourth-order beast as a mount, and even fewer can match the bloodline of the Winged Snow Lion. Following the place mentioned by Li Wushuang, Li Lin rode the Winged Snow Lion. It''s not strange to see flying beasts shuttling through the sky above the Yunyang Sect, but many people in the Yunyang Sect saw Li Lin riding the Winged Snow Lion, and they were somewhat envious and jealous. ''Earth Dragon Peak'' is a special place in the Yunyang Sect, a huge mountain peak, as if the top was directly cut off by a sword, leaving a huge square with an area of tens of thousands of meters. And on it, there is a huge carved stone dragon, the stone dragon winding and spiraling into the sky, carved lifelike as if it were alive. In the mouth of the stone dragon, it holds a huge yellow list, which is the famous Dragon List of the Yunyang Sect, without a doubt, those who can leave their names on the Dragon List are the outstanding young generation of the Yunyang Sect. The division of the younger generation is actually very simple, those under the age of twenty-five are considered the younger generation, those who exceed it, even if you have just entered the sect, are also unrelated to the Dragon List. "Roar" A moment later, crossing dozens of mountain peaks, the Winged Snow Lion roared, only to see that the air in front had already appeared with many circling flying beasts, at least a hundred, and some beasts were on the mountains far around, a strong aura spreading. At the same time, a huge square appeared in Li Lin''s eyes, the area of this square is really terrifying, vast and boundless, surrounded by mountains, the square is directly in the middle of the mountain waist, at this moment Li Lin is in mid-air, also seeing that there are over two hundred figures in it. "Is that a Winged Snow Lion, when did our Yunyang Sect have a Winged Snow Lion." "It''s said that this is the mount of a new disciple recently accepted by Elder Yu, named Li Lin." "Is it that Li Lin who killed Wen Jue, and then fought fiercely with Yun Hongling, that monster?" "There are not a few Li Lins, it is said that this kid is also a three-system martial artist, very arrogant and presumptuous, killing dozens of new disciples without even blinking an eye." Hearing the roar of the Winged Snow Lion in the sky, many eyes on the square immediately focused on the sky. "Are you all here?" It seems like it then circled above the square, Li Lin''s eyes from afar saw several familiar figures, it was Li Wushuang, Du Gu Binglan, Cui Yu, Yang Miao, and others. "Snow Lion, you go nearby and wait for me, I''ll go down and have a look." As Li Lin''s voice fell, with a flash of true qi under his feet, he leaped down to the square. As Li Lin leaped down to the square, under the gaze of countless eyes, Li Lin slowly landed, his true qi vibrated under his feet, the whole action did not stir up a wave, the little dragon was holding up its little head, curiously looking around. Looking at this young man in a green robe, at this moment, many eyes on the square stayed on Li Lin. Although he had not been in the Yunyang Sect for a long time, what Li Lin had done recently had already made everyone remember this new disciple named Li Lin. After all, since the Yunyang Sect was founded, there has never been a new disciple who dared to kill more than fifty fellow disciples, and even killed the enforcement team members, and was finally competed for by elders to take as a disciple, this has already become a legend in the Yunyang Sect. For all this, just a new disciple, among countless new lives, maybe a legend, but among a group of direct disciples, there are some who are curious, some who disdain, and some who do not care. High talent is one thing, but there are also many highly talented people who were initially the focus of everyone''s attention, but years later, their cultivation progress was not as fast as that of ordinary people, such cases are also common. In the Yunyang Sect, many direct disciples have also seen such situations, although Li Lin''s is undoubtedly the most sensational, but in their eyes, it''s just a spectacle, without absolute strength, no one will take anyone seriously. "Lin''er, I thought you wouldn''t come." Li Wushuang moved lightly to Li Lin''s side, a faint smile in her beautiful eyes. "I naturally have to come and see this Dragon List." Li Lin said lightly, then his gaze turned to the huge stone dragon above the yellow list. The stone dragon is also about five hundred meters high, a thousand meters long, winding and spiraling, with clear scales and claws, although a dead object, it has its own momentum. On that yellow list, there are fifty names, Li Lin saw Li Wushuang''s name in the forty-second position, and in the forty-fourth position, Li Lin saw another familiar name, Li Shaohu. Frowning slightly, Li Lin did not expect Li Shaohu to also reach the forty-fourth ranking on the Dragon List, wondering what his current strength is. "Zhao Qingtian, ranked fifth." This is another name familiar to Li Lin, Zhao Qingtian is Zhao Wuji''s grandson, did not expect such a high ranking. "Li Lin, you have caused quite a stir recently, today is it time to take the stage for a competition." Yang Miao looked at Li Lin, asking with a grin. "That, we''ll see at the time." Li Lin smiled lightly, entering the Dragon List does have some benefits, just the cultivation resources obtained are a bit more, if you enter the top twenty, getting the Yunyang Sect''s early cultivation, probably getting that thousand-year-old red copper would be easier. "I think, you came today, by then you won''t be able to not take action." Yang Miao smiled slightly, then motioned Li Lin to look around. Chapter 280: The Kid is Arrogant Li Lin was taken aback and followed Yang Miao''s gaze around, only to see many direct disciples watching him, with many eyes burning with fighting spirit, while others had complex looks, probably one of envy, jealousy, and hatred. "Lin''er, don''t mind them," Li WuShuang said softly. Li Lin did not speak but just glanced around indifferently. These direct disciples were undoubtedly the pride of the Yunyang Sect, each a dragon among men, so it was normal for some to be arrogant and domineering. Seeing himself, a new disciple who had caused quite a stir recently and had now become an old disciple with much attention, they probably all wanted to take this opportunity to step on him. Under Li Lin''s gaze, he also noticed that these over two hundred direct disciples could roughly be divided into about ten square formations, each with about twenty disciples. "Lin''er, those next to us are my master''s disciples, my senior brothers and sisters. On one side are Elder Song''s disciples..." Li WuShuang whispered in Li Lin''s ear, introducing all the direct disciples at the moment. Li Lin looked around, gaining some understanding of everyone. Most of the elders'' disciples stood together in groups, and their strengths were all above the Martial Soul level, with the lowest being a few eighth-level and ninth-level Martial Masters, probably recently become direct disciples. Among those Li Lin observed, he did not see Li ShaoHu and Zhao QingTian. "Not all direct disciples are here today. The younger generation of direct disciples, including the top twenty on the Dragon List, rarely come here unless they accept a challenge. Otherwise, they are all diligently cultivating," Li WuShuang said. "The disciples in the top twenty of the Dragon List must be very strong," Li Lin said lightly, observing the direct disciples in the square, some of the strongest being seventh and eighth-level Martial Masters, all under twenty-five years old. Such strength already proved their amazing talent. "The younger generation of disciples is the future of a sect, able to support a sect to stand firm," Li Lin looked at the crowd of direct disciples, most of them young and already reached the Martial Soul level, with some even not far from becoming Martial Generals. In comparison, Flying Spirit Gate was far behind, wondering when it could reach this step. "The top twenty on the Dragon List, each is a prodigy, with strong talents and strength. There are also several dual-system martial artists, mostly at the Martial General level," Li WuShuang said softly. "Reaching the Martial General level before twenty-five," Li Lin couldn''t help but take a deep breath. Such talent was indeed frightening. "Lin''er, why isn''t there a Spirit User among them?" Li Lin asked. Spirit Users, once entering Yunyang Sect, would directly become direct disciples, but Li Lin did not see any Spirit Users in the square. "Spirit Users cultivate in another place and seldom come to Di Long Peak. But don''t underestimate Spirit Users. The current first place on the Dragon List is dominated by a Spirit User, and three of the top ten are Spirit Users," Li WuShuang said. "Eh, Lin''er, where did you get this little snake? Is it a demonic beast?" Du Gu BingLan had been watching Little dragon (Little Dragon) and couldn''t help but ask. "It''s a demonic beast, I got it by chance, and it likes to follow me," Li Lin said lightly. "How cute," Yang Miao, Li WuShuang, Cui Yu, and a few other women also looked at Little dragon. "Lin''er, how about you give it to me?" Du Gu BingLan said with a smile, reaching out to pet Little dragon, showing great affection, and finally, simply held Little dragon in her hands. "Sss!" Little dragon flicked its tongue and affectionately licked Du Gu BingLan''s cheek. "Little dragon, you being so lecherous is not good," Li Lin glared at Little dragon, saying in his heart. "Boss, I''m not," Little dragon replied, tilting its head back to glare at Li Lin, appearing extremely cute. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. "Lin''er, you haven''t said if you can give the little snake to me?" Du Gu BingLan said. "If it continues to stay on you, I will give it to you," Li Lin said with a smile. "Whoosh..." "Boss, how can you just give me away? That''s too much," Little dragon quickly jumped onto Li Lin''s shoulder, looking at Li Lin with disdain. "WuShuang junior sister, BingLan junior sister, Yang Miao junior sister, you''re all here," a voice came, and several figures walked up to them. "Huang Hu senior brother, what''s the matter?" Seeing the newcomers, Li WuShuang frowned. "Nothing, just saw three beautiful junior sisters here, so I wanted to get closer," the leading person among the newcomers, wearing a yellow robe, a silk scarf on his head, a golden belt around his waist, and a storage ring shining in his hand, looked around thirty-four years old, with regular features, but somehow looking at him made one''s heart feel repulsed. "Huang Hu senior brother is in a good mood, but we''re busy right now," Du Gu BingLan said with a stern look. "No worries, the protector hasn''t arrived yet, we''ll just chat with the three junior sisters," these few direct disciples shamelessly refused to leave. "Do you really have to be shameless to the point where I have to drive you away?" Li Lin''s face darkened, sighing in his heart, probably because Li WuShuang, Du Gu BingLan, and Yang Miao''s beauty attracted them. Beautiful women always bring trouble wherever they go. Hearing Li Lin''s words, the faces of these few direct disciples suddenly darkened. In front of Li WuShuang, Du Gu BingLan, and others, they could be shameless and wouldn''t mind being scolded, but now it was different with Li Lin speaking. "Kid, I''ve heard of you, Li Lin, a tri-system martial artist, your strength is not bad among the newcomers, but you should see clearly, this is Di Long Peak, not the martial arts field. If you take back that sentence, I can spare you for WuShuang junior sister''s sake," the youth named Huang Hu instantly looked coldly at Li Lin, his eyes emitting a chill. "I said you''re shameless, can you just leave?" Li Lin said with a slight smile, his heart sinking. From Huang Hu''s aura, he was only a fourth-level Martial Soul, a strength that Li Lin did not need to take seriously. "Alright, kid, you''re arrogant. I''ve heard that you can even contend with Hong Ling junior sister. I want to see how capable you are and if the rumors are true," Huang Hu said coldly. "At least in front of you, I can be arrogant," Li Lin said lightly. "It''s Li Lin and Huang Hu having a dispute." "Looks like there''s going to be a good show, let''s watch." Hearing the two''s conversation, many disciples gathered around to watch. "Sss..." At this moment, a huge flying demonic beast arrived in the sky, and then several figures fell down, several strong auras pressing down from the air. "Greetings to the protectors." Everyone saluted as three figures landed in the square, and although the crowd was looking forward to the excitement, they showed disappointment when the protectors arrived, meaning the show was over. Li Lin observed the three newcomers, all around forty years old, and from their auras, their cultivation levels were all at the eighth or ninth level of Martial General. "Lin''er, you should not provoke this Huang Hu. He is a disciple of Elder Zhao. I think he deliberately came to cause trouble," Li WuShuang''s voice transmission reached Li Lin''s ears. "Zhao WuJi''s disciple." Li Lin''s face darkened. "It''s the beginning of the month again. I remember that last month, three ranking challenges were registered. The first match, Jiang Shang challenging the fiftieth on the Dragon List, Xie Ping, you may begin," one of the protectors, a man in a gray robe with long hair and a short beard, said. The three elders stood on one side of the square, overlooking the entire area. "Whoosh whoosh..." Two figures immediately leaped from the crowd, stirring up a gust of wind and landing in a circular area in the center of the square marked with a red line. This area marked by the red line was about a kilometer in size, and the entire square was shaped like an inverted trapezium, so people standing around could easily see the entire area. "Lin''er, challenges on the Dragon List have to be issued a month in advance, and the official match is next month. Unlike the newcomer''s martial arts field, where there are matches every day, there are only a few matches here each month. The area inside the red line is where the matches take place, and leaving the red line means loss," Li WuShuang whispered to Li Lin. As the two landed in the square within the red line area, the surroundings quieted down, and everyone''s gaze shifted to the two in the center. Among them, one wore a green tight-fitting outfit, landing on the square and slowly opening his eyes, immediately exuding a sharp and domineering aura. "Dragon List fiftieth, Xie Ping, I heard he just broke through last month." "Jiang Shang''s luck is really bad. He thought he had a chance to challenge Xie Ping, but who knew Xie Ping broke through again last month." Seeing this youth, some direct disciples also whispered among themselves. Xie Ping was also a notable figure among the direct disciples, although the last on the Dragon List, his strength needed no further proof. With Xie Ping in the center, there was a white-clothed youth, about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, with delicate features, but his face was bitter. When he challenged Xie Ping last month, Xie Ping was only a first-level Martial Soul, but last month, Xie Ping reportedly broke through to a second-level Martial Soul. At this moment, he felt he had little chance to defeat his opponent, as his strength was also only at the first level of Martial Soul, a significant gap between them. Chapter 281: Thousand Waves Sword Technique "In the competition, lethal moves are not allowed. Otherwise, the punishment would be confinement for a year at the least, expulsion from the Yunyang Sect at the worst, or even direct execution for the most severe cases," one of the three protectors on the left side said, his words carrying a clear warning. After all, those who could enter the Dragon Ranking were all among the best in the Yunyang Sect, and disciples of the various elders. Any mistake could be a loss to the Yunyang Sect. There''s a difference between direct disciples and ordinary disciples. The Yunyang Sect can afford to lose a few ordinary disciples; only through such losses can strong individuals be forged. However, direct disciples have already been acknowledged by the Yunyang Sect and have met all its requirements, and thus, cannot be lost so easily. "Lin''er, Xie Ping is Elder Wu''s disciple, and Jiang Shang is Elder Sun''s disciple. Both of them are probably at the edge of the Dragon Ranking. Do you think you can handle them?" Li Wushuang asked Li Lin beside her. As she finished speaking, Li Wushuang herself smiled wryly. Li Lin had even contended with the demonic Hong Lian, so entering the top forty of the Dragon Ranking probably wouldn''t be too difficult. "There shouldn''t be a problem," Li Lin replied with a light smile. One was at the first level of Martial Soul, and the other at the second. He should have no problem dealing with them. Watching the direct disciples present, Li Lin smiled lightly. Probably only those in the top thirty of the Dragon Ranking could pose a threat to him. "Lin''er, then you can go later and register with those three protectors responsible for the Dragon Ranking. You can arrange to challenge the disciples at the edge of the top fifty of the Dragon Ranking at the beginning of next month. Entering the Dragon Ranking will get you a lot more cultivation resources," Li Wushuang said. "Registering now means waiting until next month to compete. Isn''t there a faster way?" Li Lin asked lightly. "There is. You can directly challenge a strong contender in the Dragon Ranking. As long as the other party agrees, if you win, you''ll naturally enter the Dragon Ranking. However, ordinary Dragon Ranking disciples can completely ignore you," Li Wushuang explained lightly. At that moment, the scene changed. Jiang Shang, the young man in white, held a yellow long spear in his hand. Streams of earthy yellow true qi rapidly surged out from within him, and the long spear was immediately enveloped in a faint yellow glow, its aura rapidly climbing. Jiang Shang took the initiative to attack, knowing he had to seize the advantage to have any chance of winning given the difference in strength levels. The long spear generated a strong wind, breaking through a stream of air and causing a "whooshing" sound of wind breaking, as a yellow energy directly rushed towards Xie Ping. "You''re still not good enough to challenge me," Xie Ping said lightly, his body instantly dodging with a flash, and a blue light condensed in his hand. A water column the size of a thumb condensed and shot down like an arrow, leaving a shallow ripple trace in the air. "Bang!" The two forces dispersed upon contact, and the two figures intertwined again. As the two exchanged blows, many disciples around them started discussing. Both were among the best of the younger generation. Their powerful true qi filled the arena, with the sound of air bursting continuously heard. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Li Lin observed the two, finding Xie Ping obviously stronger. The combination of true qi and speed was highly refined, surprising Li Lin. Both Xie Ping and Jiang Shang were displaying strength beyond their cultivation levels, a feat not easily achieved. This meant that in terms of cultivation, they were much stronger than their peers at the same level. "Lin''er, who do you think will win between these two?" Du Gu Bing Lan asked with a smile. "Xie Ping should win within ten moves. Jiang Shang is strong, but there''s a difference in levels. Against an ordinary second-level Martial Soul, he would have no problem, but Xie Ping is not an ordinary second-level Martial Soul," Li Lin replied after a pause. "Is that so?" Du Gu Bing Lan continued to watch the arena. The battle reached a heated stage. After several moves, Jiang Shang''s spear, with a powerful spear light, rushed towards Xie Ping, tearing through the air with a howling sound. "Bawang Spear." With a shout, Jiang Shang''s yellow light surged, forming a huge vortex on the spear light, cracking the ground''s stone slabs under the pressure. Facing Jiang Shang''s fierce attack, Xie Ping''s expression fluctuated. His hand seals changed, summoning a blue long sword, smiling slightly as he unleashed a sword technique. "Thousand Waves Sword Technique." With a shout, Xie Ping''s sword thrust forward, spreading dozens of sword beams that transformed into waves, one pushing the other, swiftly enveloping Jiang Shang. "Jiang Shang has lost," Li Lin declared. Both displayed powerful mid-tier Yellow techniques, but Jiang Shang was slightly weaker. More importantly, Xie Ping was superior in reaction and combat experience. The audience held their breath as the decisive move was made. In an instant, the sword light overwhelmed Jiang Shang''s spear light, breaking it apart. "Bang, bang..." The explosive true qi caused a sonic boom in the air. "You''ve lost." As the true qi spread, Xie Ping''s voice rang out loudly, his figure seizing the opportunity to strike Jiang Shang''s shoulder with a palm, overwhelming him with powerful true qi. "Crack, crack!" Jiang Shang''s protective aura cracked and then shattered. "Pfft!" Jiang Shang''s face turned pale as blood spurted from his mouth, his body sliding from the arena to the outside. "Xie Ping wins, maintaining the fiftieth position in the Dragon Ranking." A protector announced the result. "The second match, Xiong Lanlan versus Li Wushuang." As the protector finished speaking, a figure leaped onto the arena. This figure, a woman in a white long dress, though not stunningly beautiful, had a refreshing appearance and an air of valor. Of course, she was somewhat inferior to women like Li Wushuang. "Lin''er, I''m going up," Li Wushuang said with a light smile, her figure surrounded by a green glow, leaping into the air and gracefully landing in the arena. In the center of the arena, two figures stood opposite each other. Li Wushuang, in a pale red palace dress, her beautiful face surrounded by a faint true qi. "It''s Xiong Lanlan versus Li Wushuang." "Two beauties competing, this will be a feast for the eyes." "Li Wushuang is ranked forty-second in the Dragon Ranking, and Xiong Lanlan is forty-first. This match is going to be close." "Xiong Lanlan is at the third level of Martial Soul, while Li Wushuang is only at the first. It seems difficult for Li Wushuang to win." "What do you know? A few months ago, didn''t Li Wushuang, at the first level of Martial Soul, defeat the former forty-second rank?" "Li Wushuang''s strength is mysterious, and with her tricky wood-based techniques, Xiong Lanlan might have met her match." The disciples around them whispered, their interest in the match between the two women naturally higher. Li Lin frowned slightly, not fully aware of Li Wushuang''s strength level, and concerned for her against Xiong Lanlan, who was at the third level of Martial Soul. The two figures in the arena, unaffected by the whispers around them, prepared for battle. Xiong Lanlan''s hand flicked, summoning a blue long sword, while Li Wushuang held a green long sword, the ''Qingyue Sword'' Li Lin had bought for her, its blade shimmering with flowing light. At that moment, Li Wushuang and Xiong Lanlan, with a shout, burst forth with formidable momentum. Their fast movements created afterimages, their collision sending ripples through the air. "This match is on a higher level than the previous one," the direct disciples around them thought, feeling the oppressive aura. "Lin''er, how do you see this match?" Du Gu Bing Lan asked again, looking towards Li Lin. "I''m not sure yet," Li Lin responded, watching the arena closely. In an instant, the two charged at each other, their speed like lightning, colliding fiercely in the center of the arena. Chapter 282: Eerie Aura "Shoo shoo" Both erupted in a burst of sword light, with crossing sword shadows and a series of sword flashes stabbing out, immediately sparking a shower of sparks and creating a fierce momentum ripple spreading out from the point of contact. Xiong LanLan''s face darkened, her long sword radiating blue sword light mixed with the violent energy of water, a strong gale rampaging, tearing the air apart with a sharp whistling sound that pained the ears. Suddenly, the sword light slashed towards Li WuShuang. At this moment, Li WuShuang''s expression darkened, her hand signs rapidly changing. At this time, thick as a thumb, vines condensed out of thin air, quickly entwining towards the sword light gathered by Xiong LanLan from all directions, as if forming a dense vine cocoon in front of Xiong LanLan. "Vine Binding Body." Li WuShuang shouted, her Qi bursting out, dense green light shadows flashing instantly, quickly enveloping Xiong LanLan''s sword light. "This seems to be a martial skill of the Li family." Li Lin frowned, having seen the ''Vine Binding Body'' Li WuShuang was using now in the hidden martial hall before. Xiong LanLan''s face slightly changed at this moment, her sword light completely enveloped by Li WuShuang, rapidly retreating while her eyes flashed, Qi pouring into her long sword, then the sword light surged out again. "Shoo shoo!" The sword light suddenly changed, swelling rapidly, condensing into a huge fierce beast, instantly devouring and blasting the dense vines apart. "Boom boom boom!" Violent Qi spread, the sound of sonic booms incessant in the arena. "Thump thump" Li WuShuang''s delicate body staggered backward several steps, already gasping for breath. Li Lin''s brow slightly furrowed, Li WuShuang was being suppressed the whole time, Xiong LanLan''s attacks were continuous, whether in cultivation level or attack power, both were stronger. If Li WuShuang didn''t have some special trump card, winning seemed unlikely. "Ch..." Moments later, Xiong LanLan took advantage of the momentum to burst forward again, her sword light sweeping across the space. The two women clashed again, their graceful figures fluttering, almost making one forget that they were in a competition. "Seems like WuShuang sister can''t hold on much longer." Yang Miao exclaimed, Li WuShuang was increasingly at a disadvantage, already beginning to be pressed everywhere. Li Lin sighed lightly, the difference between a third-level and a first-level martial spirit was indeed not small. "Don''t worry too much, if WuShuang sister wasn''t sure, she wouldn''t challenge recklessly, just watch." CuiYu smiled profoundly, having absolute confidence in Li WuShuang. Li Lin looked at CuiYu, always feeling that this girl was somewhat mysterious, probably not just an ordinary maid. After a few moves, Li WuShuang''s situation became increasingly unfavorable, but at this moment, Li Lin''s eyebrows suddenly raised, inadvertently noticing an eerie aura suddenly shaking around Li WuShuang. "Wood Star Sword Technique." Suddenly, Li WuShuang, who was already exhausted, her pale face instantly regained a flush of color, the sword light on the QingMoon sword surged, a sword technique executed, a series of pentagram-like light spots drawn in the space, the sword light tearing through the air currents, with a somewhat terrifying momentum, twisting towards Xiong LanLan. Seeing Li WuShuang''s sudden change, Xiong LanLan''s face instantly changed greatly, feeling the aura of Li WuShuang at this moment seemed to have surged several times invisibly, instantly feeling absolute pressure. "What''s going on, strange." Li Lin''s face changed, discovering through probing that the aura around Li WuShuang was very strange, with the appearance of this aura, clearly at the level of a first-level martial spirit, but now the aura seemed to have surged several times over, a general fourth-level martial spirit would only be so. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. "Could it be a secret technique?" Li Lin guessed, then shook his head, some secret techniques although can suddenly enhance some strength, but it can''t be to this terrifying extent. "It seems, really seems." At this moment, CuiYu''s eyes revealed a strange color: "But, it can''t be her, WuShuang is just adopted by the Li family." "Tidal Sword Technique." At this moment in the arena, Xiong LanLan, surrounded by water attribute Qi, shook violently, then the surrounding space trembled, the sword light rampaged, dispersing the air currents as if completely cutting through the air, the void where the sword light passed seemed somewhat twisted. The sword light was like a surging wave, bringing up a whistling sound of giant waves echoing over the square, the entire space trembling as if, space tearing sounds continuous, a series of sonic booms, Qi surging, the entire large square above bringing up a water trace, as if it suddenly started raining. "Shoo shoo" Two sword shadows collided instantly, Qi surged, sparks flying around with a crisp sound, many disciples could only watch in amazement as the figures in the arena moved at high speed, mostly only seeing the sparks flying. "Thousand Vines Prison." In the midst of violent Qi, Li WuShuang shouted, her hand signs rapidly executed, the Qi in her body like a torrential river, rapidly circulating through her meridians, a burst of violent Qi enveloping the entire square. At this moment, within hundreds of meters around, countless vines appeared instantaneously, thumb-sized, the vines piercing through the space, low booming sounds continuously erupting. These vines were too numerous, totaling thousands, instantly covering the entire space, even Li WuShuang and Xiong LanLan in the arena were enveloped. "Thousand Vines Prison, this is a high-level yellow-grade martial skill, didn''t expect Li WuShuang to have cultivated to this extent." Seeing this scene, exclamations arose all around. The three guardians in front also nodded slightly, cultivating the Thousand Vines Prison to this extent was not easy, even if they were to execute a high-level yellow-grade martial skill, it wouldn''t be much higher. The entire space was instantly covered in dense vines, only the sound of sonic booms piercing through. Moments later, within the dense vine space, sword light pierced through, and in just two blinks, the space filled with vines, a vast expanse of sword light burst out, each with the power to pierce through metal and stone. "Boom boom boom" Countless sword lights pierced through, the vast vine space finally completely shattered in the square, a deafening sound bursting forth, Qi dispersing like a tornado. When the Qi dissipated enough to see the arena again, one could only see Xiong LanLan''s figure somewhat languid, gasping for breath, her complexion also turning pale, seemingly exhausted from breaking the Thousand Vines Prison. "You lost." Out of nowhere, a delicate voice transmitted, a red figure directly rushing towards Xiong LanLan. Xiong LanLan''s face instantly filled with horror, her body rapidly retreating, her body hastily setting up a blue protective Qi circle, but it was already a step too late. "Bang!" A fist imprint landed on her protective Qi circle, the fist imprint covered in a thick layer of bark-like scales, the power surging, the fist imprint suddenly falling with the speed of lightning, heavily landing on Xiong LanLan''s protective Qi circle, immediately, a crisp sonic boom sounded in the arena. "Not good!" Xiong LanLan internally exclaimed it was too late, a massive force pouring down, instantly spitting out a mouthful of blood, at the same time, her body was directly blown away by the force, heavily falling outside the red line. "Bang!" The delicate body heavily fell to the ground, Xiong LanLan''s face pale, struggling for a moment before managing to get up. "Xiong LanLan lost." "A first-level martial spirit defeated a third-level martial spirit, unbelievable." This scene left everyone in awe, such situations were extremely rare in the YunYang Sect, to become a personal disciple, each was a person of excellent talent, among personal disciples, to be able to leapfrog and defeat an opponent, that proved the talent was undoubtedly even higher to a terrifying extent. "Li WuShuang wins, ranking advances to the Dragon List forty-first." A guardian once again declared a big victory: "Next match, LuoXi versus QianYang." "WuShuang sister, congratulations, you advanced to the forty-first place in the Dragon List." Li WuShuang then leaped into the arena, several girls gathered around. At this time, two young men also leaped into the arena, both of their cultivation also at the third-level martial spirit, instantly starting to fight together. "Almost lost, Xiong LanLan''s strength is very strong." Li WuShuang''s face slightly pale, lightly speaking to everyone. "WuShuang sister, your strength, that''s even stronger." Li Lin lightly spoke, handing over a third-grade high-level pill to Li WuShuang: "Take this, rest a bit and you''ll recover." "Okay." Looking up at Li Lin, Li WuShuang''s beautiful eyes revealed a hint of a smile, taking the pill and swallowing it. "WuShuang sister, the technique you just used, was it a secret technique? How did your strength suddenly increase so much?" Yang Miao curiously asked, everyone also noticed, Li WuShuang because of the last sudden increase in strength several times over, was able to defeat the opponent, otherwise, she would have lost. "It''s not a secret technique, it''s a long story, actually, I don''t know what happened either." Li WuShuang lightly said, others thought she was keeping her strength''s secret, unwilling to tell the truth, in reality, she herself really didn''t know what happened. Chapter 283: Dare to Accept the Challenge? "Jumping clowns." At this moment, Li Lin felt several gazes constantly watching him. Turning his head, he saw Huang Hu and a few others casting a cold aura over him. To these people, Li Lin merely regarded them as jumping clowns. It must be Zhao Wuji''s disciples targeting him on purpose. If they really provoked him, then it would be their bad luck. With his master Yu Yu in advance, at least within the Yunyang Sect, he didn''t need to worry about Zhao Wuji. Huang Hu and the others, watching Li Lin and showing a cold look, their eyes turned even colder, then they lowered their heads and whispered, seemingly discussing something. "Boom boom..." At this moment, on the square, two shadows collided, and the sound of the collision echoed through the space. Li Lin watched the two exchange blows. Their strengths were not much different, and it was hard to predict the winner. From these three bouts, Li Lin had some understanding of the strength levels among the younger generation of direct disciples. Generally, the strength of the younger generation of direct disciples was mostly at the Martial Soul level. To reach the Dragon List level, at least a double Martial Soul level was required. Those ranked forty to fifty on the Dragon List were probably at the triple Martial Soul and double Martial Soul levels, while those ranked thirty to forty should be at the five Martial Soul and four Martial Soul levels. Those ranked twenty to thirty on the Dragon List should have reached the six Martial Soul to seven Martial Soul levels, and those from tenth to twentieth were probably strong martial artists from seven Martial Soul to nine Martial Soul levels. The most terrifying must be the top ten, mostly at the Martial General level. "The younger generation of disciples in the Yunyang Sect are really terrifying," Li Lin thought to himself. "Bang bang!" A moment later, the fierce energy on the square burst open, and a young man in blue was directly knocked out of the ring. "Qian Yang wins, advancing to rank forty-three on the Dragon List." As the enforcer announced the result, the winning young man happily stepped down. Of the three bouts, the spectators undoubtedly felt that the match between Li Wushuang and Xiong Lanlan was the most exciting and visually enjoyable. After the three matches, the crowd was also planning to disperse. Li Wushuang had previously informed Li Lin that there would be Dragon List matches at the Earth Dragon Summit every month, but there were only a few matches each time. No one would challenge opponents just for fun after having a full meal. If one lost, with bad luck, although it wouldn''t cost one''s life, serious injuries were common. A serious injury required one to two months, or even half a year of recuperation, which would significantly impact one''s cultivation. During this half-year, those who were initially not as strong as oneself could easily surpass one, which would be a loss. Therefore, generally, direct disciples, even if you challenge them directly, they would find an excuse to decline, not competing with you at all, unless you apply for a challenge a month in advance, and then the enforcer notifies, only then they would have no choice but to accept the challenge. Some extreme cases include when you challenge them, and they directly enter closed-door cultivation. Then, you have no way to force them to come out to accept your challenge during their cultivation. Regarding challenges among direct disciples, the rules of the Yunyang Sect are not like those for ordinary disciples. If a challenge is not accepted, it is directly considered a forfeiture, and the rank is removed. Challenges among direct disciples, even if a formal challenge is issued, can be excused by entering closed-door cultivation and can be postponed for half a year. After half a year, if the challenge is not accepted, according to the rules of the sect, the rank is directly removed and given to the challenger. "Let''s go," the crowd prepared to leave, and Li Wushuang also said to the people around him. "Li Lin, I formally challenge you. Do you dare to accept? Haha, if you want to act like a turtle, then just shrink back. Anyway, no one from your sect has ever participated in the Earth Dragon Summit''s matches." Just then, a loud laugh arose, not from anyone else but Huang Hu and a few others. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Li Lin was about to leave when he suddenly heard this challenge. Frowning, he saw Huang Hu laughing arrogantly in front of him, a cold aura directed at him. All the disciples who were just about to leave stopped in their tracks upon hearing Huang Hu''s challenge. "Kid, what''s wrong, don''t you dare? If you like being a turtle, then roll away. I won''t make it difficult for you. In the future, when you see me, just call me Grandpa, haha." Huang Hu looked at Li Lin with a sinister cold laugh. "Haha, if he doesn''t dare, he has to call us ''Second Grandpa'' when he sees us," several disciples around him laughed. "Huang Hu, you have the nerve. A four Martial Soul challenging a nine Martial Master, and still feeling proud, I''m embarrassed for you," Li Wushuang''s expression darkened as she stepped forward and coldly stared at Huang Hu. Huang Hu''s face twitched slightly, then he said: "Wushuang junior sister, this has nothing to do with you. Isn''t he a three-element martial artist? He even killed Wen Jue. Now that he''s at the Earth Dragon Summit, is he scared?" As Huang Hu''s words fell, he looked at Li Lin again and coldly said: "Kid, are you just going to hide under a woman''s skirts? If so, then continue hiding under a woman''s skirts." Li Lin looked indifferently at Huang Hu, his face showing little emotion, but Li Wushuang, Cui Yu, Du Gu Binglan, Yang Miao, and others beside him could feel the cold aura emanating from Li Lin. "Lin''er, Huang Hu is at the four Martial Soul level, and you are a nine Martial Master. You don''t need to pay attention to him," Li Wushuang hesitated and then said softly. "Huang Hu, what kind of skill is this? If you have the guts, let me have a match with you," Du Gu Binglan''s face sank slightly, and then she stepped forward and said coquettishly. "Binglan junior sister, I wouldn''t bear to hurt you if we fought. Let''s forget it," Huang Hu laughed loudly, then looked at Li Lin again and said: "Kid, do you really intend to hide under women''s skirts and not dare to stand up?" "Jumping clowns, daring to make noise, you''re not qualified to challenge me," Li Lin said indifferently. "However, today I''ll indulge you. I''ll bet two things with you. First, I bet on your rank thirty-six on the Dragon List. Second, if you lose, every time you see me, you''ll call me Grandpa." "Lin''er, Huang Hu is rank thirty-six on the Dragon List, his strength is strong. Don''t act rashly. A man can bend and stretch. It''s not too late to seek revenge when you''re stronger," Li Wushuang immediately expressed her concern. Although she had seen Li Lin''s strength, Huang Hu was a strong contender ranked thirty-five on the Dragon List, definitely formidable. "Wushuang sister, the one who can bend and stretch is a turtle, not a man. Don''t worry, a jumping clown, I don''t take him seriously," Li Lin said with a light laugh. At this moment, watching Li Lin, Huang Hu''s expression darkened slightly, seemingly surprised that Li Lin would actually accept his challenge. Originally, they just planned to humiliate Li Lin, never expecting him to agree. "What, are you scared now? If you''re scared, then get far away from me," Li Lin said coldly. "This Li Lin is really as arrogant as the rumors say." "Isn''t it just a nine Martial Master level cultivation? Huang Hu is ranked thirty-six on the Dragon List, among the direct disciples, he is absolutely strong. Li Lin''s strength, can''t possibly beat Huang Hu." "If Li Lin wins against a four Martial Soul, especially against the thirty-sixth on the Dragon List, I''ll cut off my head." "But after all, Li Lin is a three-element martial artist, and the recent rumors are buzzing. He''s probably not weak." The watching direct disciples also started discussing again, most people not optimistic about Li Lin. Li Lin''s talent is strong, which is undeniable, but talent and strength are not the same. In terms of strength, how could a nine Martial Master contend against a four Martial Soul, especially one ranked thirty-sixth on the Dragon List? "Haha." Huang Hu''s expression darkened, then he sneered and said: "Kid, this is what you asked for. I accept your challenge. However, if you lose, every time you see me, you''ll call me Grandpa, and also, your Snow Winged Lion will belong to me." "Huang Hu is really greedy, even wanting Li Lin''s Snow Winged Lion. His Dragon List rank isn''t worth a Snow Winged Lion." Hearing Huang Hu''s words, the crowd discussed again. "Deal," Li Lin said coldly. Four Martial Soul, Dragon List strongman, so what? Back when he returned from the Ghost Martial Sect, at the five Martial Master level, he was able to kill the eight Martial Soul of the Jiu Hua Sect. Now, as a nine Martial Master, although he wasn''t ready to fully reveal his strength, defeating Huang Hu wouldn''t be difficult. "Three enforcers, I wonder if there''s any issue with us betting on the Dragon List ranking in our challenge?" Li Lin approached the three enforcers and asked with a slight bow, interested in the Dragon List ranking, which would mean more cultivation resources. "As long as you both agree, it''s naturally possible," the three enforcers said after looking at each other. "Then, please bear witness," Li Lin said. "That''s naturally no problem," the three enforcers smiled and said. They had also heard about the recent turmoil caused by Li Lin in the Yunyang Sect. Now, seeing Li Lin, a nine Martial Master, daring to accept the challenge of a four Martial Soul, they too wanted to know the outcome. "All the brothers and sisters present, please also bear witness with the three enforcers," Li Lin said with a light smile, looking at all the direct disciples around. "Li Lin, go ahead. If anyone dares to cheat, I absolutely won''t let them off. I, Iron Palm Mad Bull, will definitely stand up for you," a rough voice said in Li Lin''s ear. Chapter 284: The Buffoon "Lin''er, this is my senior brother Kuang Niu, who ranks thirty-first on the Dragon List," Li WuShuang said to Li Lin. "So, it''s Senior Brother Kuang Niu." Li Lin gave a slight bow. He guessed that this Iron Palm Kuang Niu must be an Earth-element martial artist, with a burly physique, strong and powerful, and indeed somewhat resembling a bull. Being a disciple of Elder Xie, Li Lin had no aversion towards him, finding the other elders of the Yunyang Sect to be quite decent as well. "Don''t be polite. I can''t stand people who are arrogant. A fourth-tier Martial Spirit challenging you, a ninth-tier Martial Master, is really shameless. If you win, teach him a good lesson. If you lose, it''s no big deal. I''ll take care of him for you then," Iron Palm Kuang Niu seemed to dislike Huang Hu as well, immediately saying to Li Lin. "Li Lin, go ahead. We''ll witness for you and take down that thirty-sixth rank on the Dragon List." Many disciples also took a liking to Li Lin at once, feeling that although he was arrogant, as long as you don''t provoke him, he was absolutely polite and easy to get along with. However, most of the disciples were not optimistic about Li Lin at the moment. "Isn''t Li Lin being too arrogant? Does he think that with Elder Yu''s protection, he can do whatever he wants? This is the Dragon Peak. If he gets injured, he won''t be able to find anyone to blame. Huang Hu is a fourth-tier Martial Spirit with the high-level Yellow-tier Fire-element martial technique ''Flame Blade'' perfected to an exquisite level, having defeated many strong competitors on the Dragon List." "If a ninth-tier Martial Master could defeat a fourth-tier Martial Spirit, that would indeed be a miracle." Amidst the discussions, Huang Hu had already leaped onto the stage with a cold smile, staring at Li Lin: "Kid, come down. Today, I will let you know what a Dragon List strongman is. Your strength is just a joke in front of a Dragon List strongman. Just wait to call me grandpa." "Boss, that kid is too arrogant. Give him a good beating." Little dragon held his head high, his eyes also showing a cold intent. "Beating him is easy, but it''s difficult to do it without leaving traces. Don''t worry, a buffoon like him is nothing in my eyes," Li Lin said to Little dragon, a trace of coldness flashing in his eyes, ready to jump down the stage. "Lin''er, be careful." Two delicate voices almost simultaneously transmitted, it was Li WuShuang and Cui Yu. "En, don''t worry." Li Lin smiled lightly, his feet''s qi suddenly flashed, a yellow light darted out, and his body leaped down. "Whoosh..." Little dragon''s figure instantly landed on Du Gu Bing Lan''s shoulder. Landing on the ground, his black robe didn''t even flutter, Li Lin also arrived below the stage, his tall figure standing in the middle, a faint invisible wave rippling around him. "The aura is quite steady. A three-element martial artist, maybe he has some skills. But to be arrogant in front of a fourth-tier Martial Spirit, he hasn''t reached that level yet," many disciples watched the young man in the green robe, now looking forward to the outcome of a fourth-tier Martial Spirit challenging a ninth-tier Martial Master. "He does look quite handsome, but his strength is a bit too low. An overconfident kid, hope he won''t be too miserably ravaged by Huang Hu," a lady in white said with a curl of her lip. "Hope he won''t be instantly killed by Huang Hu''s first move, otherwise, Elder Yu''s face would be completely lost," a young man in black said schadenfreudely. At this moment, the three Protectors were also somewhat expectant, watching the two in the arena. Truthfully, they were not optimistic about Li Lin, nervously watching the scene. Li Lin was a disciple of Elder Yu; if something happened on Dragon Peak, they would be in trouble later. With Elder Yu''s protective nature, they would suffer. "Kid, I admire your courage, but I absolutely won''t be polite to you," Huang Hu said coldly, staring at Li Lin. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "In front of me, you''re just a buffoon," Li Lin said lightly, his body''s qi slightly trembling, probing the surroundings, murmuring in his heart, "No Martial Commander strongmen are present, they probably won''t suspect anything!" "Kid, be careful not to twist your tongue with the wind. I will definitely give you a good thrashing today," Huang Hu said coldly. "Can we start now? You talk too much," Li Lin said indifferently, his handprints already slowly changing into mysterious seals. "Arrogant kid, see how I''ll ravage you," Huang Hu''s face twitched, his expression turned cold, his handprints struck, his foot stomped fiercely, his body vibrated, and a palm print was sent out, bringing a sharp qi, the strike of a fourth-tier Martial Spirit, the power can be imagined. The palm print was straightforward, directly splitting the air flow, a series of sonic booms incessant. Li Lin remained unmoved, his body instantly enveloped in a yellow glow, his entire body covered by a thick layer of spirit armor, his hands continuing to change, a faint seven-colored light gathering. "Defensive martial technique, Li Lin actually has a defensive martial technique." "It''s not surprising, among us direct disciples, many have defensive martial techniques." "Kid, take my palm." In that moment, Huang Hu''s ferocious palm print had already reached less than ten meters in front of Li Lin, the powerful wind pressure crashing down first. "In front of me, you''re just a buffoon," Li Lin suddenly shouted, at this moment, his eyes suddenly burst out with two strange lights, an invisible and bizarre aura instantly spread, the entire space suddenly seemed to freeze. At this moment, Li Lin suddenly released the suppressed murderous intent and coldness, facing Huang Hu, Zhao WuJi''s disciple, he could not let them go. These buffoons had been jumping around him, so he must teach them a lesson again. This battle, he could not afford to fight hard; what he needed was an absolute victory that crushes everything in its path. Li Lin displayed the Ethereal Phantom Seal, a high-level Yellow-tier spiritual technique, catching the opponent off guard. Even a fourth-tier Martial Master would definitely be injured, a fourth-tier Martial Spirit practitioner''s soul power couldn''t resist the erosion of the Ethereal Phantom Seal. This battle, Li Lin intended to warn Zhao WuJi incidentally. The important thing was to attract Yunyang Sect''s attention again. He needed more cultivation resources, which was Li Lin''s main goal. But to achieve this goal, he needed stepping stones, and Huang Hu was definitely a good one. At the same time, it would serve as a warning to others, why not do it? As for being arrogant, Li Lin didn''t care. He was no longer the powerless Li family''s pitiful worm. At this moment, although he could not yet enter the ranks of the strong, he also definitely isn''t a snail that anyone can trample on. At this moment, Li Lin''s thoughts were flipping rapidly, and the Ethereal Phantom Seal was already activated. In this unbelievable moment, those outside witnessed a bizarre scene where Huang Hu seemed to suddenly petrify. "Did I see that wrong? It seems like spiritual power," Cui Yu frowned slightly, a trace of confusion in her beautiful eyes. At this moment, Huang Hu was terrified. A strange light burst forth from the opponent''s eyes. With one glance, he felt an invisible energy violently surge into his eyes and then directly into his brain. By the time he realized this energy, it was too late to stop it. The scene before him changed instantly, causing a dizziness in his entire mind. "Vermilion Bird Art!" As Li Lin activated the Ethereal Phantom Seal directly affecting Huang Hu, in the next instant, the constantly gathering Vermilion Bird Art in his hand swept out explosively. In front of Li Lin, streams of divine light burst forth, instantly enveloping him, and a terrifying aura surged to the sky. It all happened in an instant. The terrifying energy emitted by Li Lin at this moment began to distort the airflow in space. The seven-colored light began to intertwine and overlap, then condensed into a fifty-meter large crimson energy phoenix, its wings spread wide with flames spreading all around, causing the surrounding space to shake and ripple. Without any delay, the terrifying phoenix energy body instantly became hundreds of meters large, with flames howling around it, a ferocious aura surged to the sky, bringing up a sea of flames that instantly enveloped the surroundings. The air crackled with the burning, and the massive phoenix energy body drew an arc that broke through the airflow in space, then, under countless shocked gazes, struck Huang Hu like lightning. "What a terrifying martial technique." "What is this technique? It''s so bizarre." "Such a horrifying aura, could this be a Profound-level martial technique?" At this moment, the Vermilion Bird Art activated by Li Lin had shocked everyone. A ninth-tier Martial Master was actually able to summon such terrifying energy, shocking everyone instantaneously, causing an uproar. Under countless eyes filled with surprise and shock, the Vermilion Bird Art struck Huang Hu with a mighty momentum. Huang Hu''s previously immobilized palm print was instantly extinguished, and the space around seemed almost completely solidified, nearly twisting entirely. In the last moment, a glint of clarity returned to Huang Hu''s eyes. Yet, at that moment, a chill enveloping aura completely covered him. Feeling this terrifying aura, his eyes widened in horror, and all of this almost felt like he was in a semi-conscious state. "Flame Blade." Huang Hu immediately activated his strongest strike, with fire attribute qi instantly condensing in front of him. Chapter 285: Defeated with One Move "Too late, explode for me." Li Lin coldly shouted, his handprint striking from a great distance suddenly, at this moment, the massive phoenix energy body filled with a terrifying aura in the sky instantly expanded, exploding like a huge meteor fireball. At this moment, the majestic and terrifying aura scattered, causing countless people to shrink their pupils in shock and reveal horrified expressions. "Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!" As the fireball exploded, waves of terrifying flame energy burst forth one after another in the space, the violent aura spreading and directly twisting the space. "Crack crack..." Under this terrifying force, the hard ground below the square continuously burst into cracking sounds, cracks rapidly spreading under the watchful eyes of countless shocked gazes, directly covering the entire red-lined area with spider-web-like fissures. "Could it be, he really is a ninth-level martial artist? Impossible, how can a ninth-level martial artist possess such formidable power?" This terrifying aura, the formidable strength, left everyone speechless. "Sss..." The terrifying aura did not dissipate. At this moment, a mist of blood sprayed out in the violent airflow, and immediately after, a figure shot out from the violent energy, landing harshly a hundred meters away, just stopping at the edge of the red-lined area. "Pfft..." Huang Hu spat out a mouthful of fresh blood again, his complexion pale, his clothes torn and tattered. His flame blade had not yet condensed, but it was already hit by a massive force that he could not resist. Everyone, including the three protectors, watched Huang Hu lying on the ground, speechless, the surroundings silent. "With just one move, Huang Hu was defeated." A chill rose in everyone''s heart. "I told you, you''re just a jumping clown." A coldness crossed Li Lin''s lips, his complexion also somewhat pale, as he had used both the Spirit Illusion Print and the Vermilion Bird Art. This consumption made him somewhat overwhelmed. Slowly walking towards Huang Hu lying in the distance, Li Lin, with absolute murderous aura, how could he easily let go of this jumping clown. Watching Li Lin, Huang Hu on the ground struggled with all his might, barely managing to stand up. "This is a beating." Li Lin said coldly, his murderous aura soaring, his killing intent piercing through the air. At the same time, he shook his hand, a claw glove worn on his fist, his right arm vibrating, claws curved, a mist of flames emanating from a claw, the sharp and terrifying energy instantly piercing through space, directly tearing open the spatial airflow, the piercing sound of sonic booms continuous to the ear. "Li Lin, Huang Hu has already been defeated, on the summit of the Earth Dragon, killing is not allowed." The three protectors immediately shouted loudly, feeling the chill spreading from Li Lin, they too couldn''t help but be startled. "Crack..." In just an instant, Li Lin''s claw mark directly landed on Huang Hu''s left shoulder, suddenly a sound of bones breaking. "Aah..." A miserable howl sounded, Huang Hu''s shoulder was torn open by Li Lin, flesh and shattered bones extracted. "Mountain Splitting Palm." Under the towering murderous aura, Li Lin''s left hand landed a palm strike directly on Huang Hu''s abdomen, the violent energy pouring down. Before Huang Hu''s scream could fall, his shattered internal organs mixed with bright red blood were spat out again. "Stop." The three protectors, with changed expressions, jumped into the arena but were unable to stop Li Lin, Huang Hu''s body once again weakly fell to the ground. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. "Li Lin, on the summit of the Earth Dragon, killing is not allowed." One of the protectors said with a changed expression. "The three protectors, he won''t die. How could I not follow the sect rules?" Li Lin''s lips curled into a slight smile as he retracted his murderous aura. An elder then crouched beside Huang Hu to examine him, standing up with a nod, but his expression was extremely ugly. Although Huang Hu was not in danger of losing his life, he was half-dead. His internal organs were damaged, and without two or three years, his injuries would not heal. Even if they did, his foundation was severely damaged, and his future cultivation would hardly make any progress. In essence, Huang Hu was already ruined. "The three protectors, have I won?" Li Lin asked with a faint smile, looking at the bloodied Huang Hu lying on the ground, his eyes devoid of any fluctuation, as if all of this had nothing to do with him. "This challenge, Li Lin wins, obtaining the thirty-sixth rank on the Dragon List." The three protectors glanced at Li Lin and finally announced helplessly. With things having reached this point, could it be that Huang Hu won instead? And they couldn''t do anything to Li Lin, his attack was so severe, but with Elder Yu present, they dared not say much. If they provoked Elder Yu to seek justice, they would be in trouble. "Thank you, three protectors." Li Lin bowed, then leaped, joining Li WuShuang and the others. Watching Li Lin, everyone gasped, a ninth-level martial artist, with such strength, made those who were waiting to see a joke and looked down on him suddenly feel a chill rising from their hearts. From the strength Li Lin displayed, this person was arrogant and domineering, but he definitely had the strength to be so. Huang Hu was defeated in one move, and Li Lin cruelly attacked again, making everyone present decide never to provoke this calamity star. And Li Lin''s action this time undoubtedly proved his strength to everyone, defeating the thirty-sixth on the Dragon List with one move, such strength had everyone''s attention. Li Lin''s strength among the direct disciples was absolutely outstanding, a standout among the direct disciples. "So strong." Many female disciples couldn''t help but exclaim, who would have thought, a ninth-level martial artist, a new disciple who had just entered the Yunyang Sect, would defeat the thirty-sixth direct disciple on the Dragon List with one move, directly causing the opponent to collapse, such strength, among the younger generation, probably only those ranked in the top twenty on the Dragon List could compare. At this moment, Du Gu BingLan, Yang Miao, Cui Yu, Li WuShuang, and others were also dumbfounded, this was too incredible, defeating Huang Hu with one move, absolutely astonishing them. "Let''s go." After arriving beside the women, Li Lin said with a faint smile to the four women who were looking at him like a monster. "Boss, well done, worthy of being my boss." Little dragon landed on Li Lin''s shoulder, his belief voicing out. "The element of surprise is only effective if unexpected, Huang Hu was also on guard, defeating him in one move would have been difficult." Li Lin replied, just now relying entirely on the element of surprise, with the Spirit Illusion Print combined with the Vermilion Bird Art, it was simply perfect. "Let''s go!" Li WuShuang came back to her senses, watching Li Lin, her body trembling slightly with excitement. At this moment, she saw the once deemed waste of the Li family completely shed his notorious label, no longer the thin young boy who was bullied in the Li family from childhood. Now standing in front of her, he is like an eagle that has spread its wings, soaring towards the sky. At this moment, Li WuShuang''s eyes moistened with tears of joy, for the young boy who once needed her occasional protection has now grown up, his strength surpassing hers. From now on, she no longer needed to worry. "WuShuang sister, what''s wrong?" Li Lin asked upon seeing the moisture in Li WuShuang''s eyes. "Nothing, I''m just happy. Lin''er, if Auntie Three knew you''ve come this far, she would be very happy." Li WuShuang said softly, a smile appearing in her beautiful eyes. "Roar..." The Sky-winged Snow Lion roared softly, circling in the sky at Li Lin''s call, its powerful aura of a king preventing nearby flying beasts from approaching. Jumping onto the Sky-winged Snow Lion, Li Lin, Little dragon, Li WuShuang, Du Gu BingLan, Cui Yu, and Yang Miao left together, leaving everyone on the summit of the Earth Dragon still in astonishment. Several young men who were originally with Huang Hu had already rushed to his side, staring at the barely alive Huang Hu. They inhaled a cold breath of air, then glared hatefully at Li Lin in the distance, daring not to say anything. Li Lin sent Du Gu BingLan, Cui Yu, and Yang Miao back to their respective residences, leaving only Li WuShuang still on the back of the Sky-winged Snow Lion. Inside the mountain ranges of the Yunyang Sect, with its countless peaks, the number of direct disciples is not very large, so almost every direct disciple has their own solitary peak. The two sat on the back of the Sky-winged Snow Lion, a gentle breeze blowing, seemingly making the atmosphere between them suddenly a bit awkward. Below in the mountain ranges, peaks pierced through the clouds, floating like islands. Looking down from above, occasionally streams could be seen cutting through the mountains to form waterfalls. Surrounded by mountains, the peaks revealed their green summits, with mists rising. From a distance, it appeared as a beautiful landscape painting. Watching Li WuShuang''s back, Li Lin suddenly thought of that time in Li WuShuang''s courtyard, right after she had bathed, that enchanting and captivating scene without her undergarments, and he immediately cursed himself for being shameless. How could he indulge in such fantasies? "WuShuang sister..." "Lin''er..." Both spoke at the same time, then each paused, Lin''er giving a slight smile and said, "WuShuang sister, you go first." Chapter 286: The First Taste of Feminine Charm "Come sit at my place." Li Wushuang said softly. "Okay." Li Lin responded softly, looking at the elegant woman before him, feeling an unusual stirring in his heart. Viewing her delicate facial features from the side, he momentarily felt his heart skip a beat. "Could this be what feeling..." Li Lin''s lips curved into a slight smile, the woman before him was his cousin, who had always cared for and looked after him. Perhaps she only saw him as a relative. "We''re here, just ahead." As Li Lin momentarily drifted off, Li Wushuang spoke softly. At this moment, a mountain peak broke through the clouds below, adorned with numerous vibrant wildflowers nodding gently in the breeze, spreading a fragrance that was soothing to the heart. The two landed on the mountain peak, allowing the little dragon and the Sky-winged Snow Lion to play around. Following behind Li Wushuang, breathing in a faint fragrance, neither of them spoke. Sitting side by side on a floating rock, their clothes fluttering elegantly in the breeze. Li Wushuang''s beautiful eyes gazed into the distance, a few strands of her hair fluttering in the wind, adding a touch of charm to her elegance. Li Lin was somewhat dazed by the sight. She was indeed a breathtakingly beautiful woman, mesmerizing to the point of breathlessness. "To pluck the flower, one must do so decisively, lest all flowers are gone, leaving but bare branches." Li Lin murmured to himself, but now, should he pluck or should he not? At this moment, both were gazing at the distant mountains and a layer of faint mist. The verdant mountaintops peeking through the clouds resembled a beautiful landscape painting, and neither wished to break this serene moment. "Lin''er, how have you been this past year?" After a moment, Li Wushuang asked softly, facing the mountain breeze, letting it caress her face, spreading a faint fragrance. "Good, I just miss mother sometimes, and, I often think of you." Li Lin said softly. "Do you really think of me often?" Li Wushuang turned her head, looking earnestly at Li Lin, as if this question was of utmost importance to her. "Yes, I often think of you." Li Lin gazed at Li Wushuang, at this moment, looking at the beautiful and elegant woman before him, his eyes also became slightly blurred. Hearing Li Lin''s answer, Li Wushuang''s expression remained unchanged, she slightly turned her head, continuing to gaze into the distance. Around them, only the sound of the breeze could be heard, so quiet that they could hear each other''s heartbeat. "Drip..." A droplet fell on Li Lin''s cheek, brushed away by him. It hadn''t rained, so where did it come from? Glancing sideways, he saw Li Wushuang gazing forward, tears falling from her eyes, the wind blowing them onto his face. "Lin''er, I''ve missed you so much, I thought I''d never see you again." In the next moment, Li Wushuang suddenly threw herself into Li Lin''s arms, clinging tightly to his chest. Li Lin was momentarily stunned, then hugged the beautiful and elegant woman tightly, bowing his head to rest on her hair, allowing her to pour her heart out. "I thought you were dead, you jerk, why didn''t you come back sooner? You had me worried for so long, thinking about you every day." "Do you know how worried I was? You''re not allowed to leave like that again." Listening to Li Wushuang, Li Lin remained silent, just hugging her tighter, perhaps, anything he said now would be superfluous, letting her vent was enough. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Time slowly passed, the breeze at dawn seemed to bring them closer together. At this moment, the two were completely leaning on each other, in this moment of tender embrace, Li Lin felt no ulterior motives, his heart was pure. After a long while, as the day began to darken and the sunset fell, a pure white moonlight shrouded the mountain, only then did they reluctantly part. Li Wushuang''s cheeks were streaked with tears, seemingly forgetting what had just happened, finding herself in his embrace, she appeared utterly at a loss. Li Lin gazed at the woman before him, wearing a thin, light red dress, under the clear moonlight, her beauty was ethereal. The night breeze gently brushed, a few strands of hair fluttering by her ear, in this movement and stillness, she seemed otherworldly. Li Lin was spellbound, unable to find words to express himself, his heart stirred, in front of him, at this moment, the elegant and beautiful woman was like a fairy, making him feel unworthy to approach. Suddenly, Li Lin felt himself just a mere mortal, her beauty, her smile, her ethereality, utterly intoxicating. Gazing at the woman before him, Li Lin wanted to say something, but was at a loss for words. Then, gathering his courage, he said: "I love you." "Lin''er, what did you say?" Li Wushuang asked softly. "I..." Li Lin struggled to speak, saying those words seemed even more difficult than practicing a profound martial art. "Lin''er, why..." Li Wushuang spoke softly, her beautiful eyes revealing a complex look, seemingly wishing for the man in green robes to say something, yet fearing what he might say, she herself wanted to say something, yet was afraid. In that moment, before Li Wushuang could finish speaking, Li Lin suddenly hugged the woman before him, looking directly into her dark eyes. "Lin''er, I am your..." Li Wushuang didn''t finish her sentence, as the man in green robes leaned in, his hand slipping through her hair to hold the back of her neck, pressing his lips against hers. Li Wushuang immediately froze, looking into his eyes, not resisting, as if deep down, she was also longing for this. In an instant, she felt her heart, which had been thumping wildly, suddenly stop, her body stiffened, yet felt weak. She was completely at a loss, feeling a moist sensation on her lips, gently sucked and kissed by him. "Shao... You." She couldn''t speak, following his kiss, her stopped heartbeat gradually sped up again, involuntarily placing her hands on his arms, responding to his lips, a tingling sensation spreading from her lips. Li Lin, at this moment, deepened the kiss, intoxicated by the beauty of this woman, his first kiss, he only knew this was a pleasant thing. This feeling of a first kiss made Li Lin somewhat lose himself, not like the erotic literature he had seen in his previous life, which made people feel a burning desire. Now, he knew his heart was pure, because he loved this woman, the woman who had always been deeply affectionate towards him, so, there was no lust, only deep love. This love, seemingly planted in his heart the moment she gave him his first robe. Back then, he was nothing, just a useless young master, so he could only bury it in his heart. At this moment, Li Lin felt the electric shock-like sensation at the gentle contact of their lips, trembling at the tips of their nerves, the lips gently rubbing against each other, an innate skill not needing to be learned. At this moment, the two seemed to forget everything, their lips encompassing each other''s breath, the rapid intertwining of tongues merging their bodies'' essence. Reflexively closing their eyes, they didn''t need to look to find the precise target, their breaths intertwining tightly in the rolling. Li Lin, in this tight embrace, indulged the nature he had suppressed for over twenty years, his mouth slowly opening, encompassing, the male''s conquest of the female, his tongue gradually moving. Li Wushuang, too, forgot everything, casting all aside, beginning the female''s invasion of the male, their lips like parched land meeting sweet rain, endlessly sucking, ceaselessly exchanging their innermost desires. The night breeze gently blew, fluttering their clothes, under the pure white moonlight, the two tightly embraced, under this moonlight, the man and woman absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, became one. Heaven and human in harmony. A full moon in the sky, above the vault of heaven, the stars twinkled, seemingly also witnessing for the two. It''s unclear how much time passed before they, seemingly exhausted, finally parted. Gazing at each other, Li Wushuang''s face suddenly blushed, starting to burn up: "Lin''er, we can''t, I am your sister, you are my brother." "We have no blood relation, I only know, I like you." Li Lin, not hesitating further, once again embraced the woman before him. "I..." Li Wushuang seemed to want to say more, but in an instant, her lips were sealed again, a familiar warmth flowing into her mouth. Li Lin, at this moment, holding the woman before him, his left hand wandering over her soft waist, his right hand on her hair, face, shoulders, finally resting on her chest, Li Lin felt a fragrance he had never experienced before. "Mmm..." Li Wushuang trembled as if electrified, feeling an electric current moving over her body, his hands wandering over her, even invading the forbidden area on her chest, but this sensation left her feeling numb, unable to resist. Chapter 287: Inside the Wanwu Tower At this moment, Li Lin also began to lose control of himself. At such a blood-boiling age, who could resist such a scene? His pure heart could no longer bury the primitive reactions. The blood in his body began to surge, and a fiery heat spread below his abdomen. Under these primal urges, Li Lin''s actions became more intense. His hands moved from her chest, down to her soft waist, and finally reached her slender and beautiful legs. Under the soft touch, Li Lin became even more feverish. As his fingers moved, they slowly reached her perky buttocks. At this moment, their tongues were still entwined and mingling. Under such teasing, Li Wushuang almost collapsed into Li Lin''s arms, letting him do as he pleased. "Lin''er, don''t." Just as Li Lin''s hand moved towards that ultimate forbidden area, Li Wushuang mustered all her strength to break free from Li Lin''s embrace, her face flushed with a fiery shyness. "You little rascal, so naughty, I won''t bother with you anymore. You better go back." As her words fell, she quickly ran away, her shyness evident on her face. "Wushuang, I..." Li Lin stood up, intending to apologize, realizing for the first time he might have been too hasty. "Little pervert, let''s stop here. When the time is right, I''ll give you..." Before Li Lin could finish, Li Wushuang turned back, lowered her head to speak to Li Lin, and then ran into the backyard. "When is the right time, though?" Li Lin really wanted to ask clearly. At this moment, Li Lin was looking distressed, lured into a fiery heat, with a towering presence below his abdomen. Now, he could only let it extinguish on its own. "Boss, you''re so lecherous, calling me lecherous during the day, huh!" Little dragon''s voice entered Li Lin''s mind. The small figure somehow had already appeared in front of Li Lin. "Little devil, what do you know? We are pure." Li Lin glared at Little dragon and said, feeling the towering presence below his abdomen, he smirked, seemingly a bit impure. "Snow Lion, let''s go." Summoning the Skywing Snow Lion, Li Lin glanced at the distant courtyard, then leaped onto the Skywing Snow Lion and left. Inside the courtyard, a stunningly beautiful woman caressed her lips, revealing a slight smile, seemingly reminiscing about everything that had just happened. After returning to his own mountain peak and tidying up, Li Lin went to his room, took out the Spirit Jade Bed, and began to cultivate. The battle during the day, although he was not afraid of that Yellow Tiger, if it were not for the surprise of the Ethereal Phantom Imprint, he would not have been able to achieve this step. If the opponent had been a little more cautious, it would have been very difficult for him to have an opportunity. It seems that he should use the Ethereal Phantom Imprint less in the future to avoid being noticed. It would be difficult to achieve unexpected results in the future. "Fengjuan Canyun." A jade slip filled with the aura of wind attribute energy was in Li Lin''s hands. He had seen Yun Hongling use this Fengjuan Canyun twice, and its power was absolutely strong. As a high-level yellow-grade wind attack martial technique, its power was naturally significant. "Cultivate." Forming a hand seal, a drop of fresh blood fell onto the jade slip. His mind probed into it, and immediately, a dazzling light rushed into Li Lin''s forehead. The light instantly turned into a massive amount of information that flooded into Li Lin''s mind. Among the three martial techniques given to him by Elder Yu, including the Earth Gang Shield, Firestorm Flame, and this Fengjuan Canyun, Li Lin chose to cultivate Fengjuan Canyun first. Currently, he only knew the Wind Wings, which was merely a wind attribute martial technique. In terms of attack power, it was not strong. Having seen the power of Fengjuan Canyun, Li Lin decided to cultivate it first. Since he had some time recently, he would slowly cultivate Fengjuan Canyun and then focus on cultivating Firestorm Flame and Earth Gang Shield later. At this moment, Li Lin was also pondering. He had already broken through to the ninth level of both the Spirit and Martial levels and was soon facing a breakthrough to the Martial Soul level. He should prepare well in advance. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. When he left the Li family, Uncle Jiang had repeatedly told him that breaking through to the Martial Soul level was very important. He must be extremely cautious because his breakthrough to the Martial Soul, unlike ordinary people, was different. He was a multi-element martial artist. When demonic beasts break through to the fourth level, they form a demonic core in their bodies, which is the most important thing for demonic beasts. Likewise, martial artists will condense a martial core unique to martial artists during their breakthrough to the Martial Soul level. This martial core is the lifeblood of a martial artist. Condensing a martial core is necessary for a successful breakthrough to the Martial Soul level. If one fails to condense a martial core, that is considered a failure. Everyone has only one chance. If this opportunity is lost, there will never be another chance to condense a martial core, and one will forever remain at the Martial Master level. The same goes for Spirit Masters. At the Spirit Soul level, like spirit beasts, they will condense a Soul Core. Whether it''s a martial artist''s martial core or a Spirit Master''s Soul Core, both are as important as a second heart. Li Lin was worried because Uncle Jiang had told him that ordinary people would condense one martial core during their breakthrough to the Martial Soul level, while dual-element martial artists would condense two martial cores. As a multi-element martial artist, he would need to condense five martial cores, one for each element, which is five times harder than for ordinary martial artists. Thinking of this, Li Lin had no confidence at all. Most importantly, he was also a Spirit Master. As he simultaneously breaks through in Spirit and Martial aspects, he must also condense a Soul Core. This difficulty made Li Lin feel somewhat terrified. He decided to go to the Wanwu Tower tomorrow to look for some materials on core condensation. Breaking through to the Martial Soul and Spirit Soul levels was undoubtedly the biggest test of his cultivation so far. A moment later, the light on the jade slip extinguished, and Li Lin had obtained the cultivation method for Fengjuan Canyun. From the information on the jade slip, the power of Fengjuan Canyun was absolutely formidable, even stronger than what Yun Hongling had demonstrated recently. Early in the morning, when the first ray of sunlight shone on the Yunyang Mountain Range, and the morning breeze blew, Li Lin also stepped outside the courtyard, stretched, and breathed in the fresh morning air, showing a satisfied smile. "Boss, good morning." Little dragon, with his little head raised, somehow appeared from somewhere. "Snow Lion, let''s go to the Wanwu Tower." Li Lin said softly, and the Skywing Snow Lion took off, with Li Lin heading towards the Wanwu Tower. The Wanwu Tower is an absolutely important place for the Yunyang Sect, containing all the cultivation experiences collected from the Spirit Martial Continent by generations of powerful figures in the sect, as well as unofficial histories and secret texts. In terms of cultivation, the collection in the Wanwu Tower covers a wide range. On a huge mountain peak, a massive yellow palace building stood at the summit. From afar, one could see smoke rising into the sky above the mountain peak, carrying a refreshing fragrance that was somewhat exhilarating. The Skywing Snow Lion circled above the mountain peak, and Li Lin leaped down. In front of this massive palace building was a bronze-colored tripod incense burner, three meters high and two meters wide, emitting fragrant smoke, exuding an elegant and tranquil atmosphere. Around the incense burner, at the edge of the mountain peak, were countless boulders, with ancient pine trees growing in the crevices. The green and rustic trees, with birds chirping happily on their branches, created a refreshing feeling on this mountain peak. "It''s Li Lin, he is Li Lin, Elder Yu''s disciple, a tri-element martial artist." "Is that Li Lin who defeated Huang Hu with one move yesterday and is now ranked thirty-sixth on the Dragon List? Doesn''t look very impressive." "Not impressive? I''m telling you, you better not mess with him, or you''ll regret it. I saw it with my own eyes; Huang Hu was crippled in an instant yesterday." As Li Lin arrived, many direct disciples were already in the Wanwu Tower, whispering among themselves upon seeing him. Li Lin didn''t care about these whispers. He looked at the massive palace building in front of him, which covered thousands of square meters. The building bore the golden characters "Wanwu Tower" in bold calligraphy, exuding a powerful aura between the strokes. Following a few direct disciples, Li Lin, with Little dragon on his shoulder, entered the Wanwu Tower. "So you''re Li Lin. First time here, right? Go ahead, inside are all the jade slips. You can browse the necessary materials by probing with your mind. Corresponding to your strength and cultivation level, you can only probe jade slips of corresponding levels. All jade slips have the sect''s powerful figures'' imprints on them and must not be taken out of the Wanwu Tower, or you will be severely punished." At the entrance of the great hall, a guardian-like old man took a look at the jade slip in Li Lin''s hand and showed a hint of surprise, seemingly aware of Li Lin''s identity. "Thank you, guardian." Li Lin took back the jade slip and entered the Wanwu Tower, followed by a few direct disciples lining up to enter. "It''s really big." Passing through a corridor, a huge hall appeared in front of Li Lin, covering thousands of square meters. The hall was supported by several huge stone pillars. Inside the hall were several areas, and Li Lin saw red, blue, green, yellow, and white areas, corresponding to the five elemental energy colors. In each area, rows of neatly arranged squares contained densely packed jade slips. Chapter 288: Third on the Dragon List Inside the great hall, there were already quite a few disciples present. When Li Lin entered, no one gave him a second glance. Everyone was placing their hands on a jade slip, closing their eyes to peer into the slip they held. Li Lin looked around and eventually made his way to the Earth attribute area. He saw numerous squares marked with the levels of martial arts cultivation: Martial Disciple, Martial Warrior, Martial Master, Martial Spirit, Martial General, and Martial Commander. However, there were no squares for levels above Martial King; the highest was only Martial Commander. Within each square, there were neatly arranged jade slips. Glancing over them, he saw they were marked with various martial arts techniques and insights into cultivation. There were also notes on what to pay attention to at different levels of cultivation. The jade slips were numerous and countless. "Condensation Pill preparation." In the huge square for Martial Masters, Li Lin found a jade slip in the last corner. Next to it was a label. Li Lin picked up the slip, closed his eyes slightly, and delved his mind into it. A vast amount of information quickly appeared in his mind. After a moment, Li Lin slowly opened his eyes. This jade slip indeed contained information on the preparation for martial artists to condense their pills. From this, Li Lin frowned slightly; it seemed that breaking through to Martial Spirit for a martial artist of all attributes was even harder than he had imagined. According to the information from the jade slip, the chance of a martial artist emerging from ordinary people is one in a hundred. Among a hundred martial artists, one who can successfully break through to condense their Martial Pill is considered good. For dual-attribute martial artists, one in ten thousand martial artists is already not easy. As for triple-attribute martial artists, one in a million is a miracle. Quad-attribute martial artists are even rarer, one in ten million, while martial artists of all attributes only exist in legends. The chance for dual-attribute martial artists to condense their Martial Pill is twice as difficult compared to single-attribute martial artists. Even with good talent, it''s normal for a few out of a hundred dual-attribute martial artists to fail to condense their Martial Pill. Triple-attribute martial artists face even greater difficulty. The most challenging part of condensing the Martial Pill is that it will invoke the power of the earth''s attributes to gather in the body. Often, some martial artists cannot withstand the massive energy of the earth''s attributes when condensing their Martial Pill and will explode and die. Among dual-attribute martial artists, this situation is most common because they have to withstand the energy of two attributes in their bodies. Those with slightly weaker bodies will immediately explode and die. For triple-attribute martial artists, it''s even more challenging. If they cannot withstand the convergence of three attributes in their body, the outcome is almost certain death. "Five attributes, five Martial Pills." Li Lin murmured. To break through, he must withstand the energy of all attributes. If he cannot resist, he will be annihilated by the attribute energy. "Uncle Jiang, it''s up to you now." Li Lin murmured. When he left the Li family, Uncle Jiang gave him a ''Du E Wu Xin Pill'' and instructed him to take it before breaking through to Martial Spirit, to have a chance of successfully condensing the Martial Pill. Before this, he must first break through to Spiritual Spirit. Breaking through to Spiritual Spirit first would somewhat help when breaking through to Martial Spirit. Thinking of the consequences of failing to break through, Li Lin couldn''t help but take a deep breath. Failure meant certain death, with no way back. However, Li Lin was also somewhat expectant. Every coin has two sides. If he successfully breaks through, his strength would leap qualitatively. Dual-attribute martial artists are eagerly recruited by all major sects. For triple-attribute martial artists, it''s even more so. All of this depends on reaching the Martial Spirit level, where dual-attribute martial artists will be far more powerful than single-attribute martial artists. Single-attribute martial artists only condense one Martial Pill, while dual-attribute martial artists condense two. After condensing the Martial Pills, the cultivation speed will be much faster, and the Martial Pills can store terrifying amounts of Qi. Having two Martial Pills means at least double the amount of Qi compared to single-attribute martial artists. In combat, having double the Qi is a clear advantage. Stolen novel; please report. Li Lin thought that his own Qi Sea was already much larger than that of ordinary martial artists. Once he successfully condenses five Martial Pills, the amount of Qi he could store would be astonishingly high. Just the thought made Li Lin quite excited. However, all this depended on successfully breaking through. If he failed, he would be reduced to ashes. Putting down the jade slip in his hand, Li Lin carefully browsed through many other slips in the Wanwu Tower, including those for Fire, Water, Wind, and Wood attributes, not missing any that might be suitable. In terms of cultivation, Li Lin knew that apart from the guidance he received from Uncle Jiang while at the Li family, he had been self-taught after leaving. His self-exploration was never as fast as the countless years of experience and heritage of the Yunyang Sect. At this moment, Li Lin was like a fish swimming in the ocean, taking whatever he needed. Many direct disciples around him were curious about Li Lin. They knew he was a triple-attribute martial artist, but Li Lin was browsing through jade slips for all five attributes, even those not related to his own attributes, which wouldn''t be much benefit to him. "Are you Li Lin?" While Li Lin was browsing through the Fire attribute jade slips, a voice came to his ears, accompanied by a faint breath that carried a suppressive aura. Li Lin looked up, feeling the suppressive aura from the newcomer. The person wore a clean white robe, appeared to be in his early twenties, with well-defined features, giving off a comfortable and distinguished presence. "Yes, what''s the matter?" Li Lin asked calmly, though he was surprised inside. He couldn''t determine the newcomer''s level from his aura, but without a doubt, the person was at least a Martial General. "I''ve heard of you. A ninth-level Martial Master defeating a fourth-level Martial Spirit, Huang Hu. You''re strong, and I''ve heard you''re also arrogant. But I like that. With strength, why not be a bit arrogant? I''m also very arrogant." The youth in white looked at Li Lin, then said, "My name is Qu DaoJue, a disciple of Elder Yang, currently third on the Dragon List. When you''re ready to fight me, I''ll challenge you." "Third on the Dragon List." Li Lin sighed internally. Such a young Martial General with terrifying talent and strength deserved his attention. Even Li Lin, who was usually proud and self-confident, had to take this young man seriously. "I''ll certainly accept your challenge when the time comes." Looking at Qu DaoJue, Li Lin felt a surge of fighting spirit. This person could definitely become a worthy opponent. "You have the will to fight. I like that. I''ll wait for you. Don''t disappoint me." Qu DaoJue looked at Li Lin, smiled faintly, and left without any further fluctuations in his aura. "Ha, that''s Qu DaoJue, the madman. What''s he doing in Wanwu Tower?" "Nonsense, if he''s not in Wanwu Tower, he''s in the Martial Spirit Fantasy Realm. Other than these two places, where else could he go? That cultivation fanatic, I didn''t expect he would want to challenge Li Lin." "This will be interesting. Qu DaoJue, that cultivation fanatic, in the entire Yunyang Sect, only two people can handle him." Whispers surrounded Li Lin, causing him to frown slightly. It seemed Qu DaoJue had quite a reputation. Time passed slowly, and when Li Lin left Wanwu Tower, it was already dusk. He called for his Tian Chi Snow Lion and returned to his mountain peak. Just as he dismounted, he noticed a protector waiting for him. "Greetings, Protector." Li Lin frowned slightly. This protector was one of the three responsible for the Earth Dragon Peak, and he wondered what matter brought him here. "Li Lin, early this morning, Li DaJiang, ranked twentieth on the Dragon List, officially challenged you. The duel is scheduled for the beginning of next month on the Earth Dragon Peak. He is a seventh-level Martial Spirit, a dual-attribute martial artist of Earth and Fire, a disciple of Elder Zhao," the protector told Li Lin. "Can I refuse?" Li Lin frowned. A disciple of Zhao WuJi, probably seeking revenge for Huang Hu from yesterday. A seventh-level Martial Spirit, dual-attribute martial artist, seemed to be quite a challenge for him now. "According to the sect''s rules, direct challenges cannot be refused. However, since his strength level is above yours, you can refuse the challenge, or if you''re in seclusion, it can be postponed," the protector explained. Li Lin raised his eyebrows and said, "I plan to enter seclusion at the beginning of next month. We can postpone it then." "Li Lin, according to the sect''s rules, you can outright refuse since he''s starting from the twentieth rank on the Dragon List," the protector hesitated before softly saying to Li Lin. "Thank you for your kindness, Protector, but it''s not necessary. I accept the challenge. It''s just that next month, I will be in seclusion, so we can postpone it," Li Lin said. A disciple of Zhao WuJi coming to him was an opportunity he couldn''t miss. Although it might be difficult to compete with him now, once he breaks through to the Martial Spirit level, he would have a chance. According to the rules of Yunyang Sect, it can be postponed for up to half a year. In half a year, he should be able to break through to Martial Spirit. "Alright then." Watching Li Lin, the protector sighed softly, then took one more complex look at Li Lin before leaving. Chapter 289: Hong Ling Forces Marriage "Cultivation." Gazing indifferently at the foot of the mountain for a moment, Li Lin''s eyes dimmed, and then his hand seals began to change. Streams of wind attribute Qi trembled in front of him, and as he waved his hands, blades of wind were released, each leaving a clear and neat crack on the giant rocks in front of him. "Whoosh whoosh..." A blade of wind tore through the space, emitting a sharp sound of breaking wind. As Li Lin condensed blades of wind, the cracks left on the rocks became deeper and deeper. "Continue tomorrow." Two hours later, as the sun set and darkness began to fall, Li Lin returned to his room, took out a spirit jade bed, swallowed a earth spirit pill, and then began to refine it. As night fell, the entire Yunyang mountain range was enveloped in a faint moonlight. The next day, as the sky brightened slightly, Li Lin once again arrived at the peak of the mountain. With a change of hand seals, streams of violent wind attribute Qi trembled wildly, and the sharp sound of the wind blades attacking resounded. Two hours later, Li Lin called for the Winged Snow Lion and continued towards the Wanwu Building. The collection inside the Wanwu Building could not be seen in just a few days. After seeing it, one needs to comprehend it. Merely glancing through would not be very effective. Today, Little Dragon did not follow Li Lin. In the Wanwu Building, it was very bored, so it stayed on the mountain peak to cultivate. As time slowly passed, for three consecutive days, Li Lin was in the Wanwu Building every morning and only left after dusk, still finding time to cultivate the Windstorm. At night, he would take an earth spirit pill to cultivate. After refining the remaining four earth spirit pills, Li Lin felt that his spiritual power level had not yet reached the mid-stage of the Ninth Level Spirit Master. After breaking through to the Ninth Level Spirit Master, the energy required was undoubtedly much greater. This consumption was not something Li Lin couldn''t afford at the moment, but the materials for the earth spirit pills were already used up for several main herbs, and there were no towns nearby to buy them, which was somewhat troublesome. "First, break through the true Qi." In the end, Li Lin could only decide to first break through his true Qi level to the peak of the Ninth Level Martial Master, then prepare for the breakthrough. Li Lin was not short of pills to enhance true Qi. The secret chamber of the Flying Spirit Sect had left many, although most were given to Ghost Fairy Bai Ying, but he also had quite a few on him, including some fifth and sixth grade pills. However, at this level, he was not yet able to withstand them, even fourth grade pills, Li Lin dared not take them casually. If a single fourth grade pill was enough for him to break through to the Martial Soul, but the spiritual power was insufficient for a simultaneous breakthrough, then he would be finished. On the fifth day, Li Lin took a third-grade high-level pill, "Bu Yang Dan," and began to refine it. During the day in the Wanwu Building, and at night refining pills for cultivation, Li Lin spent a total of fifteen days. In these fifteen days, Li Lin was finally somewhat satisfied with the power of the Windstorm, and his true Qi level, after taking eight third-grade high-level pills three days ago, had reached the mid-stage of the Ninth Level Martial Master. During these fifteen days, Elder Yu Yu visited the mountain twice. Hearing that his disciple had defeated the thirty-sixth on the Dragon List with one move, Elder Yu was overjoyed, praising Li Lin, and then took out many cultivation pills, even several fourth grade pills, instructing Li Lin to cultivate well before leaving satisfied. Now, Elder Yu could be said to be proud in the Yunyang Sect, his disciple had finally made it onto the Dragon List. During this time, it was also spread among the direct disciples that Li Da Jiang, ranked twentieth on the Dragon List, challenged Li Lin, and Li Lin actually agreed, which stunned everyone. Li Da Jiang, ranked in the top twenty of the Dragon List, a seventh level Martial Soul dual-system martial artist, the credibility of being in the top twenty of the Dragon List, no one would doubt, and generally, practitioners of the same level would not be his opponent. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Everyone knew that Li Da Jiang was definitely seeking revenge for Huang Hu by challenging Li Lin, but unexpectedly, Li Lin actually accepted, just postponing the challenge time. This surprised many people; last time Li Lin won against Huang Hu, which was already shocking enough, could he actually defeat Li Da Jiang? People were expectant and hopeful, but hearing that Li Lin would be in seclusion at the beginning of the month, delaying the competition, everyone was somewhat disappointed. This exciting event could not be seen in advance, but undoubtedly, the name Li Lin, in recent days, was the most mentioned in the entire Yunyang Sect. At dusk, Li Lin returned from the Wanwu Building. As he jumped down from the back of the Winged Snow Lion, Little Dragon''s voice had already reached his mind: "Boss, there''s a beautiful woman waiting for you in the house for a long time." "Who is it?" Li Lin raised his eyebrows, could it be Li Wushuang? "The one who wanted to fight and kill you last time." Little Dragon said, its small body already emerged from somewhere. "Yun Hongling." Li Lin raised his eyebrows, why did this woman come, could it be that the injury on her buttocks healed, and she came to seek revenge? Raising his eyebrows slightly, Li Lin still walked into the courtyard. "Where have you been, why are you only coming back now?" As Li Lin approached the small hall, a beautiful figure already stood up inside. With her stunning face and fair skin, carrying a bit of arrogance, her lips pouting, if not Yun Hongling, who else could it be? "What, have you been waiting for a long time?" Li Lin asked. This temperamental girl, the more he looked, the more attractive she seemed. Li Lin''s gaze lingered on Yun Hongling''s curvaceous figure, especially her perky buttocks, he couldn''t help but take a few more glances, his eyes gleaming mischievously. The feeling from last time, hmm, was really good. "Little pervert, if you keep looking like that, I''ll really gouge out your eyeballs." Yun Hongling glared at Li Lin, stepping back a few steps upon seeing his obviously ill-intentioned gaze on her, but her eyes didn''t show anger. Instead, she straightened up and pushed her already well-developed chest out even more, then seemed to remember something and subconsciously placed her hands on her perky buttocks. "Tell me, what are you here for?" Li Lin reluctantly moved his gaze away and asked lightly. He had a certain understanding of this temperamental girl; although temperamental, it was formed by her upbringing from a young age. She was actually not bad, with a pure heart, almost like a blank sheet of paper. "If there are flowers that can be picked, they must be picked immediately; do not wait until there are no flowers and only branches left." Li Lin gave a sinister smile. A good man needs to mature over time, which requires patience. However, to find a good woman, one must act early. The earlier, the better. Women who have been refined by time, no matter how good, have been experienced by others. "Actually, this spoiled girl isn''t bad either, but I don''t know if Wushuang would mind." Li Lin harbored an evil thought in his mind. "I just passed by here, so I came to see you." Yun Hongling said, blinking her sparkling big eyes. "What''s there to see about me? Does it still hurt there? Do you want me to massage it for you?" Li Lin, with a creepy uncle''s demeanor, chuckled. "You pervert." Yun Hongling glared at Li Lin and said, "I came to see if there are other women here with you. If there are, you''re dead!" "Miss, what does my having women have to do with you? You''re too nosy!" Li Lin was taken aback, wondering what got into the girl today. "Hmph, I went back and asked Dongmei. She told me that if a woman is seen and touched by a man, that man has to take responsibility!" Yun Hongling said righteously, then looked at Li Lin with her sparkling big eyes slightly blinking, and said, "You bad egg, you even touched me there. Don''t you want to take responsibility? If you dare not to, I''ll tell my dad!" "Damn, you''re forcing a marriage on me. It was just a few touches. At worst, you can touch me back," Li Lin protested. This girl didn''t come here today just to force a marriage, did she? "Fine, I''ll go tell my dad right now about how you treated me." Yun Hongling glared at Li Lin and then walked out. "Hey, Hongling, let''s talk this over calmly," Li Lin quickly grabbed the spoiled girl, knowing her temper, she might really tell Yun Xiaotian. If Yun Xiaotian found out his daughter''s buttocks were hit by someone... Li Lin dared not imagine the consequences. Even his master wouldn''t be able to protect him then. "Hmph, are you willing to take responsibility now?" Yun Hongling didn''t struggle when Li Lin grabbed her arm; instead, she looked at him triumphantly, seemingly satisfied with seeing Li Lin in a bind. "This, uh... Hongling." Li Lin coughed and frowned, "Taking responsibility should be after a man and woman have... you know. Actually, strictly speaking, there really isn''t anything between us, so there''s no need to take responsibility." "Did you or did you not see my body?" Yun Hongling asked Li Lin with her big sparkling eyes wide open. "Well, yes." Li Lin replied. "And did you or did you not touch me somewhere?" Yun Hongling asked again. "Yes." Li Lin nodded. That was true, and he still vividly remembered how it felt. "Do you remember the condition you agreed to me last time?" Yun Hongling asked again. "Yes." Li Lin nodded. Under those circumstances, he had no choice but to agree. "Doesn''t that count? I am pure and untouched. You pervert, no matter what you think, you have to take responsibility for me. Also, my condition is that you must take responsibility for me." Yun Hongling said loudly, looking as if she had Li Lin completely figured out. Chapter 290锛歐hat is That? "Ah..." Li Lin''s mouth opened wide enough to swallow a goose egg. "But even if I''m willing, you are the young miss of the Yunyang Sect, and I''m not worthy of you. Your father will not agree." Li Lin sighed, a hint of a smile appearing in his eyes. "My father won''t object to my matters. Since you have to take responsibility for me, I''ll find a chance to talk to him." Yun Hongling smiled proudly. "But..." Li Lin was startled, then quickly changed the subject, "Hongling, let''s talk about this later. I need your help with something." "What is it? Just tell me," Yun Hongling said. "I need some medicinal materials for refining pills. Could you help me get some?" Li Lin chuckled, having no choice but to resort to his charm. Given Yun Hongling''s status in the Yunyang Sect, getting some materials probably wouldn''t be a problem. "Medicinal materials? What do you need them for? You''re not a spiritual practitioner," Yun Hongling asked, puzzled. "I just need them. Please help me out. It''s urgent," Li Lin pretended to be anxious, although he indeed was. "You little lecher, you think I don''t know what you''re up to, tricking me into getting materials for you, huh!" Yun Hongling huffed, then said, "Tell me, what materials do you need? I''ll get them for you tomorrow." "Hehe." Li Lin chuckled, his face turning a bit red. This was the first time, aside from borrowing gold coins from Li Wushuang, that he had asked a woman for something. He then listed the needed materials to Yun Hongling. "By the way, you little lecher, I heard you defeated Huang Hu and ranked thirty-sixth on the Dragon List. Not bad. But I heard from Dongmei that you also accepted Li Dajiang''s challenge. That guy is not easy to deal with. I''m not even sure myself. Are you confident?" Yun Hongling dropped her playful demeanor and asked seriously, worry showing in her eyes. "I''m not going now. I''ll go back when I''m confident." Li Lin said lightly, touched by the worry in Yun Hongling''s eyes. Li Lin smiled bitterly. The capricious girl in front of him actually started to care about him. It seemed he had unintentionally touched her heart. At an age where emotions bloom late, he had initially wanted to teach her a lesson. Unexpectedly, it led to this effect. But he already had Wushuang, and now things were a bit troublesome. "Then you should cultivate well. My father mentioned something to me last time." Yun Hongling pursed her lips and said softly. "What is it?" Li Lin asked curiously. With a blush, Yun Hongling said, "My father said that anyone who wants to marry me must at least rank in the top ten of the Dragon List. Work hard, and when you reach the top ten, I''ll talk to my father." Yun Hongling left, leaving Li Lin stunned in the courtyard. Was this a good or a bad thing? By all accounts, it should be good, but what about Wushuang? "Wushuang... Right, I haven''t seen that girl for half a month." Li Lin smiled slightly, missing her after not seeing her for half a month. This must be what love feels like. "Snow Lion, let''s go out." Moments later, Li Lin specifically changed into a clean blue robe, tidied himself up, and then rode the Winged Snow Lion to Li Wushuang''s place. "Boss, why are you dressed so neatly?" Little Dragon circled around Li Lin''s shoulder, its eyes spinning. "This, it''s nothing." Li Lin smiled and pursed his lips. "Humph, I know. I feel like you''re just horny." Little Dragon chuckled, its eyes twinkling cleverly. Li Lin''s face darkened, then he said, "Can you give your boss some dignity? This is love, do you understand?" Atop the pinnacle, under the night sky, a woman in a red dress danced with her sword, creating a beautiful silhouette on the peak. Truly a demonic beauty by the Xi River. Picking orchids for whom to send? Ivory teeth shine through a laugh, brows furrowed above green eyes. Her red face blooms like a lotus, her skin as smooth as cream. Graceful and unrestrained, her lightness cannot be contained. Once proud of her unmatched beauty, now relying on her city-toppling grace. A sword shadow swept across, carving an airstream crack in mid-air, with a figure in a blue robe suddenly appearing in front of it. "Chi!" The sword shadow suddenly retracted, and upon seeing the man in the blue robe, Li Wushuang''s cheeks flushed slightly, saying, "Be careful, or you''ll regret it if I can''t control myself." "Murdering your husband is a serious crime," Li Lin said lightly. "What husband? I''m ignoring you." Li Wushuang retorted shyly, then sat down on a rock nearby. Li Lin stood behind, watching this silhouette, her hair fluttering in the wind, her figure enchanting. Being with this woman in this strange world, he felt a sense of belonging. Otherwise, he might feel somewhat superfluous in this world. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings."Come sit here." Li Wushuang looked back and said softly. With a faint smile, Li Lin sat down beside her, gently embracing Li Wushuang. "Lin''er, if my dad, my mom, and my third aunt find out about us now, will they oppose?" Li Wushuang asked softly, leaning against his broad chest, her eyes full of worry. "I will go back and talk to Uncle. They won''t oppose." Li Lin said lightly. Li Wushuang was just an adopted daughter of the Li family. How could they oppose? Even if they did, the current Li family was nothing in his eyes. "Really? But I''m still worried. I''m your cousin, but now, it''s all because of you, you little lecher." Li Wushuang said softly, her fists lightly pounding on Li Lin''s chest. "How am I lecherous? It''s just love that has grown too deep to extricate myself." Li Lin chuckled, looking at the night sky, the vast expanse adorned with a few stars. At this moment, he felt very content. From now on, in this world of Lingwu, he had found his true place. In the future, he needed to become stronger to protect the woman in his arms. "By the way, Lin''er, a few days ago, Binglan told me you accepted Li Dajiang''s challenge. He''s ranked twentieth on the Dragon List. Are you confident?" Li Wushuang expressed her concern. "Don''t worry, I won''t do anything I''m not confident in." Li Lin said lightly. "I believe in you. To think you hid in the Li family for seventeen years, even fooling me." Li Wushuang said softly. In her heart, she had always thought Li Lin had been enduring silently. The story of Li Lin''s transmigration would probably be unbelievable if told. Li Lin remained silent. The previous Li Lin had long died, but this secret would always be buried in his heart. "Lin''er, there''s something I''ve always wanted to ask you." Li Wushuang seemed to remember something, moving away from Li Lin''s embrace to look at him. "What is it?" Li Lin asked. "Are you a spiritual practitioner? I saw you refining pills at the Li family, but you didn''t notice me." Li Wushuang said softly. This was something she had wanted to ask for a long time. When she saw Li Lin refining pills, she was shocked for a long time and even helped guard the courtyard for a while. Li Lin was stunned, realizing he had indeed been careless. Looking at Li Wushuang, he hesitated for a moment before nodding, "Yes." "You''re a spiritual practitioner, and also a tri-elemental martial artist. Are you a dual cultivator of martial and spiritual arts?" Seeing Li Lin nod, Li Wushuang''s beautiful face froze. Although she had suspected it, Li Lin''s admission shocked her. Tri-elemental martial artists combined with spiritual practitioners, dual cultivation of martial and spiritual arts, she had only heard her master mention such people existed in legends. Ordinary people couldn''t possibly achieve dual cultivation. "Yes, it''s not suitable to tell others yet. Keep it a secret." Li Lin smiled slightly. "You really surprise me. After so many years, you''ve managed to keep it a secret. If my dad and third uncle knew, they would be so happy." Li Wushuang said excitedly. Li Lin smiled again without speaking, but instead, he embraced the elegant and beautiful woman in front of him once more. Before Li Wushuang could react, her lips were sealed by two warm lips, leaving her momentarily at a loss as Li Lin''s lips gently sucked on hers. Without speaking, they began to respond to each other after a moment, a primitive instinct that required no learning or instruction. Their eyes closed, their lips intertwined, capturing the most sensitive sensations, moving and satisfying each other''s inner desires. The night breeze gently brushed against them as they embraced tightly. Li Lin''s hands moved familiarly, from her hair, down her soft waist, to her chest, such invasion causing Li Wushuang to tremble as if electrified, leaving her weak and unable to resist. Her hands also roamed his broad back, greedily enjoying the sensation. Li Lin became heated again, a primal reaction stirring, the area below his abdomen burning hot, a certain part standing erect once more. Under this sensation, Li Lin''s movements became more bold and unrestrained, from the front of her chest, around her waist, finally reaching her slender legs and firm buttocks, all the way to the inner thighs. Under the soft touch, Li Lin felt he could no longer control himself. "Ah..." Just then, Li Wushuang screamed, suddenly breaking free from Li Lin''s embrace, her face pale with shock, staring at the thing between Li Lin''s legs that was erect through his clothes, asking, "What is that on your body, why is it so hot and hard?" Chapter 291: The Tiger Defies the Dragon "Wushuang, you don''t even know this?" Li Lin said in disbelief. Glancing at her own palm, then back at the rigid heat standing erect before Li Lin, Li Wushuang immediately turned a deep shade of red, seemingly realizing what she had just touched, and said, "You pervert, I''m ignoring you. Your mind is full of such thoughts, I won''t let you touch me again." "Wushuang, what should I do now, have we reached the right moment? Like this, I''ll easily get ED," Li Lin said with a wry smile, a situation that is definitely a sorrow for any man. "How would I know what you should do, figure it out yourself," Li Wushuang glared at Li Lin and then said, "You should go back now, to avoid your mind wandering into such thoughts." Poor Li Lin helplessly returned to his own courtyard, swallowed a pill, and forcefully began to cultivate. Moments later, the heated fire within him was extinguished, and his body was enveloped in a faint yellow glow. In a delicately decorated room, a man in his forties wearing a light cyan robe sat upright, his eyes clear and bright, exuding a profoundness that was impenetrable. He radiated a faint domineering aura, and this man was Yun XiaoTian, the Sect Master of Yunyang Sect, a figure who definitely commands the wind and clouds on the Spirit Martial Continent. "Sect Master, the information you wanted to investigate has been found," said an elder in black robes inside the room, whose aura indicated that he was also a martial master. "Let''s hear it," Yun XiaoTian said with apparent interest. "The information from the Ancient Realm shows that Li Lin only appeared at the edge of the Misty Mountain Range in the Ancient Realm for a few months. However, somehow, he became the Sect Master of the third-rate Flying Spirit Gate. But in a matter of months, the Flying Spirit Gate annihilated the Black Sword Sect, the Rakshasa Gate, and the Jiu Hua Sect, three smaller sects. It''s said that there was a Spirit Marshal among them, and at the annual sect conference of the Ghost Martial Sect, he became the center of attention," the elder in black robes reported. "Is that all?" Yun XiaoTian frowned. "That''s all we could find," the elder replied. "He was in the Ancient Realm for only a few months. According to the timeline, after falling into the abyss, he should have gone to train in the Misty Mountain Range before heading to the Ancient Realm. Hong Ling knows this Li Lin, but Hong Ling only went to the Misty Mountain Range last year. According to the timeline, it matches perfectly," Yun XiaoTian said with a light smile. "Sect Master, this young man has caused quite a stir recently, directly crippling a disciple of Elder Zhao with one move. It''s said that Elder Zhao was so angry that he smashed a table," the elder in black robes mentioned lightly. "Only my senior brother can restrain Elder Zhao. I''ve heard about this too. What do you think of Li Lin?" Yun XiaoTian asked, looking up at the elder. "Terrifying talent, ruthless and decisive," the elder summed up in eight words. "Also, he has a firm will and an overwhelming aura, carrying a sense of disdain for the world," Yun XiaoTian added lightly, "This young man was able to traverse the Misty Mountain Range, which is enough to prove his determination. I''ve also investigated the Li family. As a triple-attribute martial artist, he has been enduring for seventeen years, which is truly terrifying." "Sect Master, are you planning something?" the elder hesitated before asking. Yun XiaoTian''s expression changed slightly as he sighed, "I dare not plan anything, hesitating, could it be that I''m getting old..." "What does the Sect Master mean?" the elder''s expression changed, as the Sect Master had never been indecisive in the past. "If this young man truly serves us, he will definitely be a tiger for our Yunyang Sect. In no more than twenty years, he will shock the Spirit Martial Continent. However, this young man is full of murderous aura and has an overwhelming presence; he''s not a simple character. I fear that he might not become the tiger of our Yunyang Sect, but rather a dragon that defies the heavens," Yun XiaoTian sighed again. "Sect Master, are you considering not using him?" the elder asked, his expression twitching. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. "It would be a pity to discard him, such a pity. This young man must be hiding something, which is why I''m troubled," Yun XiaoTian said with a bitter smile, "Let''s wait and see. After losing one Li Zhong, now we have a Li Lin. Both father and son give me a headache." "Sect Master is still thinking about Li Zhong," the elder said lightly. "He was as enduring as Li Lin, truly father and son. However, I feel that there''s something unusual about the Zhao family and the Li family," Yun XiaoTian said lightly. "The Li family and the Zhao family, there must be some secrets between them. We''ve been investigating for many years but couldn''t find out anything," the elder said. "Let''s continue to investigate slowly. Right now, we should be concerned about the mysterious force that has suddenly emerged in the past few decades. Other sects have already contacted me. This force seems to be infiltrating the Spirit Martial Continent, having hidden for decades and recently becoming restless," Yun XiaoTian''s gaze sharpened, and his aura began to fluctuate, resembling a tiger that has opened its eyes, completely different from before. "This mysterious force is too well-hidden. In the Ancient Realm, it seems that they have left their traces long ago. Mo Yun City in the Eastern Sea also seems to have their presence," the elder said lightly. "Full effort in investigation. I won''t be at ease until we understand the origins of this force. I have a premonition that the Spirit Martial Continent is about to experience a storm of blood and violence," Yun XiaoTian sighed, a sharp light flashing in his eyes. Time passed, and the night went by silently. The next morning, as the dawn light dispersed, Li Lin also stopped his cultivation, exhaling a breath of turbid air. At this moment, his cultivation was nearing the late stage of the Ninth Level Martial Master. "It won''t be long before I reach the peak of the Ninth Level Martial Master, and then, it will be time to prepare for the Martial Spirit," Li Lin muttered, feeling the abundant true qi within his body. "Master, I feel that I''m about to break through. In the next few days, I will find a safe place to prepare for my breakthrough," the blood lizard said, approaching Li Lin as he walked out of the courtyard. "About to break through? Then be careful. Breaking through within the Yunyang Sect will attract a lot of attention," Li Lin said. The blood lizard was finally about to break through to the mid-stage of the Fourth Order, and its strength would be significantly increased, capable of contending with the Sixth or Seventh Level Martial Spirits. "Master, I know there''s a mountain range ahead that shouldn''t attract much attention," the blood lizard said. "Go ahead, just be careful," Li Lin said lightly, knowing that a breakthrough on a mountain peak would indeed draw more attention. After the blood lizard left, Li Lin''s eyebrows lifted. If the blood lizard successfully broke through to the mid-stage of the Fourth Order, its strength would indeed increase significantly, capable of contending with the Seventh Level Martial Spirits, but that still wouldn''t be enough. Once a beast reached the Fourth Order, its cultivation speed would slow down significantly, so he needed to accelerate his preparations to help it break through. "Snow Lion, let''s continue to the Wanwu Tower," Li Lin called the snow lion and continued towards the Wanwu Tower. During this time at the Wanwu Tower, he had gained a lot. Besides new information on various cultivation levels, the Wanwu Tower also had unrestricted access to unofficial historical records and other materials, which any cultivator could peruse. There were also insights and tips on practicing Yunyang Sect''s martial arts techniques available for cultivators of all levels. In these days, although Li Lin had not yet practiced the Earth Gang Shield, the Fiery Explosion, or the Fleeting Shadow, he had carefully studied the cultivation insights and precautions for these three martial arts techniques. At dusk, when Li Lin returned to his residence, Yun HongLing was waiting in the courtyard again. Upon seeing Li Lin, she tossed him a spatial bag, saying, "See if this is enough. I just grabbed some at random." Li Lin peeked into the spatial bag and was immediately astounded, saying, "It''s enough, more than enough." At that moment, Li Lin was surprised. This girl was indeed generous. He had asked her to take ten portions of each medicinal herb, but the spatial bag contained at least fifty portions. "There are five more months until the sect arranges for twenty disciples to enter the secret realm for cultivation. You have to work hard to make it," Yun HongLing said. "What secret realm?" Li Lin asked, recalling his master mentioning it once. "That''s a special place of our Yunyang Sect, opened once every three years. Entering it for cultivation can bring numerous benefits. Only twenty disciples are selected each time, so you must enter the top twenty of the Dragon List," Yun HongLing explained. "Alright, I won''t talk to you anymore. I''ll be in closed-door cultivation for the next period. You better behave, or I won''t let you off," Yun HongLing glared at Li Lin and then, seemingly out of nowhere, summoned a beast. This beast had a round head, small ears, and its body was covered in brown and black rosettes, with alternating patterns. Its mouth revealed sharp, cold light-emitting fangs, and the fur on its belly and thighs shimmered with white light. Velvet-like spots surrounded its paws, resembling beautiful bracelets. It had a strong white tail with some black rings at the end, and its fur was as yellow as dull gold but very smooth and soft. On its back, it also had a pair of leopard-patterned wings, emitting a formidable aura pressing down from above. "Lightning Flying Leopard," Li Lin exclaimed. This was a beast whose bloodline was not inferior to that of the Winged Snow Lion, with a very high bloodline. Generally, it could grow to the Seventh Order without any issues, and the aura of this Lightning Flying Leopard clearly indicated it was at the Fourth Order, even higher than the blood lizard, seemingly in the mid-stage of the Fourth Order, and its body was also reduced in size. Chapter 292: Beginning the Breakthrough "A fourth-order mid-stage Lightning Leopard." Li Lin sighed slightly. Yun Hongling, at this moment, only had the strength of a triple martial soul, yet she could possess a fourth-order mid-stage Lightning Leopard as a mount. This world of Lingwu Continent really is one where connections matter. Normally, martial soul level cultivators, who would have a fourth-order demonic beast, especially a Lightning Leopard as a mount? "How about it, my Lightning Leopard isn''t worse than your Sky Wing Snow Lion, right? I''m off, you should continue cultivating diligently. Remember, you must not let another woman bite you." Yun Hongling hurriedly finished speaking, suddenly kissed Li Lin on the right cheek, and then, like fleeing for her life, jumped onto the back of the Lightning Leopard in the sky and left, her face blushing beautifully, extremely attractive. "This girl..." Li Lin was stunned, then murmured with a bitter smile: "This is troublesome now, dating two girls at the same time, I hope I don''t capsize." "Continue cultivating." After returning to his room, Li Lin continued to take a third-grade high-order Dan medicine for refinement. On Li Lin''s body, this third-grade high-order Dan medicine was already completely worthless, just like candy. A silent night, the next morning, Li Lin stopped cultivating, feeling the true qi in his body, finally reaching the peak of a nine-layer martial artist. "It''s time to prepare for the refinement of Earth Spirit Dan again." Li Lin said lightly. Today, he did not plan to go to Wanwu Tower. He intended to refine some Earth Spirit Dans again, preparing to break through to the spiritual soul level. After calling for Little dragon, the protector, Li Lin once again hung a "Do Not Disturb" sign outside the mountain peak, then returned to his room, took out the Fire Dragon Cauldron, and began to refine the Dan medicine. After preparing everything, Li Lin formed hand seals, flicked his fingers lightly, and a stream of spiritual power shot out from his hands into the Fire Dragon Cauldron, where the spirit fire inside the cauldron instantly roared. With the appearance of the flame, the temperature inside the entire room rose. With a shake of his hands, a ball of light wrapped around several herbs and was thrown into the Fire Dragon Cauldron. Under the wrapping and burning of the spirit fire, it soon left behind pure spiritual liquid. With Little dragon outside guarding, Li Lin could refine with peace of mind. Time passed, and on the seventh day, Li Lin''s hand seals changed, and spiritual power surged out wildly. "Condense into pills." Li Lin shouted lightly, hand seals changed, and the spiritual liquid inside the Fire Dragon Cauldron under the spirit fire began to instantly converge. With the convergence of these energies, the energy aura inside the entire Fire Dragon Cauldron also became stronger and stronger, with Li Lin''s spiritual power rapidly being consumed. About half an hour later, inside the Fire Dragon Cauldron, there were now four thumb-sized spheres appearing, under the wrapping of the spirit fire, four pill embryos were slowly forming. Looking at the four pills that had condensed and formed, Li Lin once again made a hand seal, the spirit fire weakened a bit, but it still continued to wrap around and refine the four pills. When the color of the four pills began to change again, the surface of the four Earth Spirit Pills gradually became smooth and glossy. A rich fragrance of medicine and a huge energy fluctuation suddenly burst forth, and Li Lin''s mouth also revealed a slight smile. "Collect..." Li Lin made a hand seal, a white light wrapped around, and the four Earth Spirit Pills instantly came into his hands, with a shallow stream of energy flowing on the surface of these pills, looking extremely marvelous. At the same time as collecting the pills, Li Lin also put away the Fire Dragon Cauldron. At this moment, he already had twelve Earth Spirit Pills on his body, enough to break through to the spirit soul. Next, he needed to prepare for the breakthrough. "Boss, your master has come." Outside the courtyard, Little dragon''s voice came into Li Lin''s mind. "Lin''er." Then, Yu Yufeng''s voice had already spread from afar. "Disciple greets Master." Li Lin went outside the courtyard. "Lin''er, I came to see how your cultivation is going?" Yu Yufeng asked. "Disciple has something to ask Master. Disciple plans to break through the martial soul in the near future, so, I need a quiet and safe place for seclusion." Li Lin said. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Breaking through the martial soul and condensing the martial dan, how important it was, Li Lin naturally did not dare to be careless. "You''re going to break through the martial soul." Yu Yufeng was surprised, then said. "You can seclude yourself in the place where I live to break through. The place where I live has a small gathering spirit array, which was arranged by your martial ancestor for me, so that my cultivation speed could be a bit faster. Even with the gathering spirit array, it''s of no use due to my dull talents. You can break through there, I will personally protect you, and there will definitely be no problems." "But that would trouble Master too much." Li Lin said lightly, but in his heart, Li Lin had this intention. His own breakthrough of the martial soul was not ordinary, and having Master protect him, within the Yunyang Sect, was undoubtedly much safer. "What trouble? You are my disciple, and your breakthrough of the martial soul, when your strength greatly increases, then kill a few more on the Dragon List for me, also to make me proud." Yu Yufeng chuckled. "Then alright, disciple will trouble Master." Li Lin said lightly. Riding on Master Yu Yufeng''s fifth-order demonic beast level Blue Jade Wolf Eagle, Li Lin was also somewhat expectant in his heart. Once his Sky Wing Snow Lion reached the fifth order, whether in terms of speed or strength, it would be absolutely formidable. Moments later, Li Lin arrived at a mountain peak not far away, which was much larger than the mountain peak he lived on. The area on top of the mountain was as large as a plaza. "Greetings, Master." The two landed on the mountain peak, Ma Fang, Guo Dongyang, had already come forward to salute in front of Yu Yufeng. "Hello, senior brothers." Li Lin also did not lose his manners, saluting the two. "No need for formalities, junior brother." The two quickly returned the salute, without any pretentiousness. Under Yu Yufeng''s guidance, Li Lin passed through a corridor and several small palace buildings to the top of the mountain. A palace building of a hundred meters in size appeared on top of the mountain, with golden glazed tiles on it, looking full of golden brilliance. "What a rich attribute energy." At this moment, Li Lin was amazed at the attribute energy atmosphere filled around the top of the mountain, as if the attribute energy between heaven and earth was slowly converging towards here. "The gathering spirit array is really wonderful." Li Lin said lightly, looking around, it was not difficult to see that there was a gathering spirit array arranged here. Although it was only a small array, it was still extremely marvelous. If a general martial artist cultivated here, the speed would be much faster, but it was limited. If there were three or four people cultivating here at the same time, the speed would not be much faster. Although this place was excellent, Li Lin knew that it did not have much use for himself. The Yin-Yang Lingwu Jue was too slow under normal cultivation conditions, unless this gathering spirit array could reach the level of the three-element five-combination array arranged by the Ghost Martial Sect in the past, gathering majestic attribute energy, then he could directly absorb attribute energy for breakthrough. Now, this gathering spirit array and the violent attribute energy attracted by the three-element five-combination array were too different, not enough for him to directly absorb for breakthrough. "Lin''er, you can seclude here and prepare for the breakthrough. This is a ''Protective True Yang Pill''. You are a tri-element martial artist, condensing the martial dan is much more difficult than for dual-element martial artists, but this step, outsiders can''t help you, everything has to depend on yourself. Last time, Hongling had a hard time breaking through, you must be careful." Yu Yufeng said seriously to Li Lin at this moment. "En, disciple will be careful." Li Lin took the Protective True Yang Pill and said lightly. This step, he dared not be careless. "Master can''t help you much in cultivation, so, it''s up to your own efforts. Go, Master believes you can successfully condense the martial dan and break through the martial soul." Yu Yufeng said. "En." Li Lin nodded lightly, then lifted his head slightly and walked towards the palace on the mountain top. "Master, junior brother''s breakthrough is not easy." Ma Fang said lightly. "You two, stay here and protect your junior brother well, don''t leave for a step." Yu Yufeng said, his voice falling, watching Li Lin''s back, murmured: "Good disciple, whether you become a dragon or a worm, it''s up to yourself." Opening the palace door, the inside of the palace was empty, supported only by a few large pillars, with only a cushion in the center, nothing else around. "Little dragon, guard outside." Li Lin said lightly to Little dragon on his shoulder, feeling even safer with Little dragon''s final layer of protection. "Yes, Boss, you can rest assured to break through. I estimate that after your breakthrough, it won''t be long before I need to break through again." Little dragon said lightly, his small body already crawling out through the door gap of the palace. "Prepare for the breakthrough." Standing inside the palace, Li Lin murmured. This time, he must also break through both the martial soul and spiritual soul, the big hurdle between martial artists and spiritual practitioners, he wanted to cross at the same time. Sitting cross-legged on the cushion, Li Lin stuffed two Earth Spirit Pills into his mouth. At this moment, the level of a spiritual practitioner was still just below a nine-layer spiritual master, he must first break through to the spiritual soul. After taking the Earth Spirit Pills, Li Lin formed hand seals and began to refine them, his body slowly enveloped in an invisible transparent light circle. During Li Lin''s seclusion, it was again the time for the monthly competition of direct disciples at the beginning of the month. On the top of the Earth Dragon, many direct disciples gathered. Although there were four decisive battles this time, the strongest one was only between two people ranked forty-six and forty-eight on the Dragon List. With five months left until the sect''s secret realm opens, only the top twenty people on the Dragon List can enter the secret realm for cultivation. So, during this period, the strong ones on the Dragon List were almost all in seclusion, striving to enter the top twenty of the Dragon List and enter the secret realm for cultivation, which has many benefits. Chapter 293: Condensing the Soul Pill So, during this recent period, the direct disciples who rank high on the Dragon List at the top of Earth Dragon Peak have almost all vanished without a trace. After four bouts, many of the direct disciples who were spectating are also looking forward to next month, wondering whether Li Lin and Li DaJiang will be able to compete. It''s guessed that Li Lin won''t go into seclusion for several months. As time passed in this manner, with Li Lin also not showing up recently, the turmoil caused by Li Lin in the sect has begun to be faintly forgotten by some. After all, every direct disciple is proud. While everyone remembers Li Lin, they also think in their hearts that there must come a day when they will surpass this person, unless the other party has reached a level they must look up to, only then will they give up. Time slowly passed, and ten days later, Li Lin had taken a total of twelve Earth Spirit Pills. It''s unknown from when, but the aura around his body had already begun to climb. However, these twelve Earth Spirit Pills were still not enough to allow Li Lin to break through to the Soul level in one go. Li Lin knew in his heart that the energy needed to break through the Martial Soul was too immense. Sitting cross-legged on the cushion, Li Lin knew that from now on, he would have to rely on himself. The twelve Earth Spirit Pills had brought him to the peak of the Ninth Layer Spirit Master. As for the breakthrough process, he would have to work hard on his own. A layer of white halo faintly surrounded him, like an eternal white flame, tightly protecting Li Lin within. Around the transparent white halo, if one looked closely now, one could vaguely see extremely fine, hair-like energy gas between heaven and earth, continuously passing through the white halo and finally pouring into Li Lin''s body. As this energy from between heaven and earth entered, the aura on Li Lin''s body began to climb at an extremely slow pace. At this moment, in this quiet hall, it seemed as if the concept of time was lost. "Master, it''s been half a month, and junior brother still hasn''t broken through. Could there be any problems?" Guo Dongyang asked Yu Yuqian next to him by the mountainside. "You''re the one with a problem. How could it be so easy for a tri-element martial artist to break through to the Martial Soul? When Hong Ling broke through, it also took her a whole month," Yu Yuqian said lightly, his face already showing some nervousness. His talent and strength were not great, but as a cultivator, he naturally knew how dangerous it was for a tri-element martial artist to break through to the Martial Soul level. Inside the quiet hall, Li Lin sat like an old monk in meditation, but the aura emanating from his body was slowly climbing at a slow pace. Although this speed seemed slow, if there were strong individuals present, they would definitely be able to see that Li Lin''s aura was quietly crossing that great barrier between the Spirit Master and Soul levels. The aura was stable, without any abnormalities. If everything went smoothly, breaking through to the Soul level was only a matter of time. However, breaking through to the Soul level is divided into two major parts. The first is the breakthrough of spiritual power, but the most important is the second part. After the breakthrough, one must condense the Soul Pill. If one fails, then it''s a permanent failure. At this moment, Li Lin himself also entered a very mysterious state, which was half awake and half dazed. Time passed extremely fast in this state, and the Yunyang Sect did not cause any waves because of Li Lin''s seclusion. After a total of eighteen days of seclusion, there was finally a stir in the hall at the mountain peak! At this moment, Li Lin suddenly opened his eyes, waking from his cultivation state, feeling that he was starting to break through. Inside the sea of consciousness, the spiritual power had already reached a full state. The space of the sea of spiritual power was expanding, seeming about to burst. At this time, atop the mountain, a majestic invisible energy between heaven and earth seemed to be drawn over. The aura continued to climb. Li Lin''s hand seals quickly began to change, and after a moment, a muffled sound spread... "Bang!" This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. In that instant, a muffled sound came from within Li Lin''s mind, followed by an instant convergence of invisible heaven and earth energy within the hall. "Master, look, junior brother is breaking through," outside the mountain top, a surge of energy suddenly converged out of nowhere, causing the surrounding space to ripple violently. At the same time, at this moment, the energy between heaven and earth, as if drawn by some force, began to crazily converge toward the hall, exciting Guo Dongyang and Ma Fang. "Eh, this guy''s breakthrough seems a bit peculiar," Yu Yuqian frowned. After all, he was also at the level of a Seventh Layer Martial General. In his observation, it seemed that this aura was different from a typical martial artist''s breakthrough. Frowning, Yu Yuqian didn''t know what was happening, so he could only attribute the reason to Li Lin being a tri-element martial artist. In just a moment, the surrounding space filled with a majestic invisible energy that became more and more intense. Rich invisible energy continuously seeped out from between heaven and earth, then ceaselessly surged towards the mountain peak hall. The entire mountain peak was now rippling with layers of ripples, unclear whether it was the space rippling or the invisible energy between heaven and earth swaying. At this moment, Li Lin was enveloped in a majestic unparalleled energy. This energy, directly drawn by the breakthrough of spiritual power, was now completely out of Li Lin''s control, directly entering Li Lin''s mind. Inside Li Lin''s sea of spiritual power, after the space exploded, it did not recover but, at this moment, the sea of spiritual power and the soul space completely removed the original thin membrane-like barrier and merged together. Breaking through to the Soul level and condensing into a Soul Pill means merging soul force and spiritual power into one. At this moment, Li Lin dared not be careless, his hand seals continuously changing. "Whoosh..." Between heaven and earth, a huge energy entered the space of the mind, mixing with the originally majestic spiritual power to form an even more violent force. Inside the mind, intense pain came. This huge force directly and continuously collided within the mind, its intensity absolutely terrifying. At this moment, what Li Lin was most worried about was his already materialized soul force. Inside the soul space of the mind, the rich white soul force, after the explosion of the sea of spiritual power, was swept up by the violent force of spiritual power and heaven and earth energy. The soul force was swept up by the violent force, as if it was being torn into pieces. Li Lin gritted his teeth and endured. If the soul force was torn apart, then he would be finished. "Condense the Soul Pill, condense for me." Li Lin''s hand seals changed, a mysterious aura now in the mind, transforming into streams of air, surging into the space of the mind. Finally, in the midst of the violent energy, a separate space was separated out, its surroundings being ravaged by violent energy. At this moment, in this temporarily calm separate space, Li Lin controlled his soul force to appear, strands of white soul force now beginning to condense in this space. Initially, it was just a strand of white gas, coming together under an invisible force, condensing like a sphere. Then more and more white gas appeared, touching this spherical object, sticking to it and quietly melting into it. After a moment, as more white gas gathered, the white sphere began to emit a faint halo and started to slowly rotate. As the gas rotated, it suddenly generated a strange suction force. The soul force in the surrounding space was being forcibly attracted and then stuck to it. All the white gas gathered, and instantly the white sphere became several tens of meters in diameter. The speed of rotation also became faster, and the air currents shaken off around it were enough to form a whirlwind. At this moment, Li Lin knew he had condensed the immature form of the Soul Pill. "Whoosh whoosh..." Also at this time, the invisible gas that blocked the violent spiritual power and heaven and earth energy could no longer withstand wave after wave of violent forces, bursting open. Finally, from all directions, countless violent forces suddenly surrounded the white soul sphere from all sides, squeezing in. The white sphere kept rotating at high speed, the whirlwind generated around it sweeping away the surrounding violent forces, preventing them from approaching. However, the surrounding violent spiritual power and heaven and earth energy were too vast. Although they could not approach, they were an absolutely vast force pressing down on it, heavily suppressing the white soul sphere. "Whoosh whoosh..." In the tug of war between the two forces, Li Lin suffered greatly, almost splitting his head with pain. The two huge forces seemed to want to break open the space of the mind, tearing open his head, almost making him faint. Li Lin knew this was the most critical time. He had to hold on; if he couldn''t, he would be finished. At this moment, he must allow the soul force to condense into a pill under the forging of heaven and earth energy. The hand seals changed again, and in the mind, within the high-speed rotating white gas, a mysterious force spread out, drawing in the streams of air from outside the whirlwind, that heaven and earth energy, into it. As this bit of heaven and earth energy was swallowed, the white soul sphere began to slowly compress at a speed difficult for the naked eye to see. Outside, the majestic invisible heaven and earth energy was still converging, continuously surging into the hall. "How could this be." At this moment, Li Lin''s expression suddenly darkened, not knowing what was happening. Inside his body, the true qi also began to surge violently at this time, rapidly flowing through all the meridians, showing signs of a breakthrough. Chapter 294: Frenzied Movement At this moment, Li Lin was shocked. Although he had broken through before, it was always one breakthrough at a time, followed by another. But now, while his spiritual power was still breaking through, his true qi had already started to break through. Li Lin had no idea what was happening. There were no records of this in the Yunyang Sect, and on the entire continent, there were no individuals who practiced both spirit and martial arts. Therefore, the changes that occurred during a breakthrough for those who practiced both were unknown to anyone. Without any hesitation, Li Lin swallowed a Protective True Yang Pill and a Tribulation Five Hearts Pill together. From the perspective of pill grades, the Protective True Yang Pill was a fourth-grade primary level pill, while the Tribulation Five Hearts Pill was of a mid-fourth-grade level. After taking the two pills, they instantly transformed into two streams of heat that adhered to his bones and muscles, as well as his internal organs, giving his body an indescribable sense of comfort. It seemed like even the splitting headache he was experiencing lightened a bit. "Sigh..." At that moment, on top of the mountain, a burst of energy suddenly exploded out of nowhere, causing the energy in the surrounding space to fluctuate more violently than ever, reaching a terrifying level. At the same time, the energy between heaven and earth seemed to be drawn by something, with a more frenzied energy rushing towards the golden palace on the mountain peak. The degree of energy frenzy was almost insane. Seeing such changes, Yu Yuqian, Ma Fang, and Guo Dongyang all had drastic changes in their expressions. "What''s going on!" At this moment, the sudden change startled Yu Yuqian. The convergence of such frenzied energy had reached a level he feared. He had no idea what was happening. "Master, what''s happening with Junior Brother''s breakthrough? It''s causing such a commotion." Ma Fang couldn''t help but ask. "I don''t know either, but I guess it''s a critical moment, and we must not disturb him," Yu Yuqian, after all, was at the level of a martial general, and he spoke at this moment. "Boom..." At this moment, within Li Lin''s dantian sea of qi, his true qi was overflowing, and the sea of qi could no longer withstand the infusion of true qi, beginning to burst with a muffled sound, and a surge of aura suddenly soared. As this aura soared, once again, streams of heavenly and earthly energy were attracted, beginning to rush violently into his body. The next moment, Li Lin almost couldn''t help but cry out. A terrifying energy from the heavens and earth rushed into his body, directly crushing his internal organs and muscles and bones, making him feel as if he was about to shatter into pieces. The most terrifying thing was that a stream of heavenly and earthly energy rushed into his meridians and finally stormed into his dantian sea of qi. The power was too terrifying, as if it would sever his meridians. At this moment, within this massive heavenly and earthly energy, five colors separated out. Upon closer feeling, it was found that these were the energies of the five elements converging together. "It hurts so much, my meridians are about to break, my bones are about to shatter, and even my dantian sea of qi is about to be shattered into pieces." Li Lin gritted his teeth in resistance, sweat dripping from his forehead, and his facial muscles were twitching with the tremendous power rampaging inside his body, making his facial muscles seem squeezed together by a strong wind. "Sigh..." Just then, two streams of energy instantly wrapped around his bones, muscles, and internal organs. They were the energy from the Protective True Yang Pill and the Tribulation Five Hearts Pill he had just swallowed, along with a stream of energy flowing through his meridians into his dantian sea of qi, beginning to form an absolute protection over it. However, this protection was somewhat small compared to the constantly incoming energy. In just a moment, the energy from the Protective True Yang Pill was completely dissolved, and shortly after, the energy from the Tribulation Five Hearts Pill was also completely dispersed. "Ah..." The intense pain made Li Lin unable to help but shout out loud. At this moment, the five elemental energies were rampaging inside his body, destroying everything within, not sparing even his dantian sea of qi. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. In his mind, his soul pill was also condensing, engaged in a fierce tug-of-war with the frenzied spiritual power and the invisible heavenly and earthly energy. "I must hold on." Li Lin gritted his teeth and thought, his hand signs changing, beginning to condense the martial pill in his dantian sea of qi, while his mind''s soul pill had not yet condensed, he had to divide his attention to condense the martial pill, making him somewhat unable to take care of both ends. "Condense." A low shout came from the bottom of his heart, Li Lin''s hand signs changed, beginning to control the condensation of the five elemental energies within his dantian sea of qi into a martial pill. "Bang bang..." Just as Li Lin started to make some movements, he immediately faced resistance from the massive power inside his body. Under the violent collision of power, Li Lin immediately spat out a mouthful of blood. "Condense again." Li Lin gritted his teeth and thought again, knowing that he had no way back. Thus, he had to continue condensing, with no way back, failure meant death. "Bang!" The collision of internal forces made Li Lin spit out another mouthful of blood. "The energy of the five elements is too vast, I can''t condense the martial pill." After two consecutive failures, Li Lin realized that he could not control the power of the five elements. The terror of the five elemental powers exceeded his imagination. "What should I do, I can''t drag this out." Li Lin could clearly feel that his internal organs and all his bones, muscles, and meridians were about to be crushed into pieces by the five types of elemental energies entering his body. If it weren''t for his body being forged through various processes, he probably wouldn''t have been able to withstand it by now. "Go for it, condense again." Regardless of the blood flowing from his mouth, Li Lin prepared to condense the martial pill again. "Bang bang..." Just as the power within his body started to mobilize, it instantly faced another collision. This time, the impact was more violent than the previous two times. "Ah." Li Lin screamed again, a mist of blood spraying from his mouth. These three consecutive impacts made it impossible for Li Lin to suppress the elemental energies within his body any longer, causing them to become even more frenzied. "Sigh!" Outside, on top of the mountain, the frenzied energy had already converged to a terrifying extent, with the howling energy still converging into the great hall. "Whoosh whoosh whoosh..." At this moment, on a distant mountain peak, more than a dozen figures hurriedly arrived, appearing instantly on the mountain top. They were the ten elders of the Yunyang Sect, including Zhao Wuji. This frenzied energy had already alarmed them, enough to prove the terror of this frenzied energy. "Elder Yu, what''s happening? Who is breaking through?" Elder Yang immediately asked, as it was clear to everyone with their cultivation level that someone was making a breakthrough. "Could it be a breakthrough to the Martial Commander level? Why would it cause such a reaction?" The elders were surprised. "It''s my disciple, Li Lin, who is breaking through his martial soul. You all leave immediately, don''t disturb my disciple''s breakthrough," Yu Yuqian immediately ordered. "Li Lin is breaking through his martial soul? How could it cause such a huge commotion?" Everyone was astonished. "When Hong Ling broke through as a tri-element martial artist, although it was a major event, it wasn''t to this extent," Elder Song said in surprise. "Hmph!" Only Zhao Wuji snorted coldly through his nostrils. "Whoosh..." Another figure broke through the air, appearing on the mountain top like lightning. "Greetings to the Sect Master." The surrounding elders saluted the newcomer, Yun Xiaotian, who looked surprised. "Senior Brother, who is making the breakthrough?" Yun Xiaotian asked Yu Yuqian with a grave expression upon arriving. "It''s Li Lin breaking through his martial soul," Yu Yuqian replied. "Senior Brother, Li Lin is a tri-element martial artist. Breaking through the martial soul is no small matter. Letting him break through alone is extremely dangerous. A dual-element martial artist breaking through the martial soul must have a strong presence from the sect to personally oversee. Li Lin, being a tri-element martial artist, doing this on his own is extremely dangerous," Yun Xiaotian said with a twitching face. "Junior Brother, I can''t help Lin in his breakthrough, and there''s nothing I can do," Yu Yuqian broke out in cold sweat. He understood what Yun Xiaotian was saying, but indeed, he could not offer any help. "This is troublesome," Yun Xiaotian said with a heavy face. When Hong Ling broke through, he was personally guarding her side. If it weren''t for his assistance, Hong Ling would have been in danger. Breaking through the martial soul for a tri-element martial artist is not an easy task. At this moment, Li Lin inside the great hall, naturally, was unaware that a group of elders from the Yunyang Sect had been attracted. Currently, Li Lin was in a precarious situation. The massive energies of the five elements within him were beyond his control, and their immense power was rampaging through his body, seemingly about to destroy him completely. If not for his extremely strong body, along with the residual medicinal power of the Tribulation Five Hearts Pill and the Protective True Yang Pill still resisting, he might have already turned to ashes under the assault of these five massive elemental energies. But at this time, Li Lin was suffering as if death would be preferable. The vast and terrifying energy was rampaging inside his body, destroying everything in its path. Li Lin could clearly feel his meridians twisting and his bones making unbearable cracking sounds, his entire body beginning to suffer destructive damage. Feeling this change, Li Lin could only tightly protect his mind and internal organs. A sense of weakness and powerless fatigue quietly spread throughout Li Lin''s heart. He had failed; under the power of the five elements, he simply could not control them. Being a full-spectrum martial artist had its advantages and disadvantages. This breakthrough was too difficult, and Li Lin began to despair... Chapter 295: Breakthrough Anomaly "How could this be? The attribute energy is way too massive." At the summit, all the elders of Yunyang Sect were staring at the surging celestial energy above, dumbfounded. This didn''t seem like the fluctuation caused by a breakthrough of the Martial Soul; it was almost as if it was a breakthrough of the Martial Commander level. "It''s quite different, how can this attribute energy be so terrifying?" Yun XiaoTian frowned, the fluctuations during Hong Ling''s breakthrough were not this violent. "Bang Bang!" Above, the majestic energy pressed down from the sky, causing the already collapsing spatial airflow to continuously explode, creating endless sounds of sonic booms. "Not good, the energy is chaotic, Li Lin is afraid he might fail the breakthrough." Elder Yang, who had a cultivation at the Martial King level, had a drastic change in expression. "Junior brother, what should we do, think of something quickly." Yu Yu immediately said to Yun XiaoTian. Yun XiaoTian shook his head, helplessly saying: "At this time, no one can do anything, he can only rely on himself now. Junior brother, you were too careless, you should have notified the sect when Li Lin was about to breakthrough." "I..." Yu Yu slapped himself on the face, anxiously whispering, "I didn''t want you guys to intervene, saying I, as a master, am useless. Just for some face, now I''ve harmed Lin''er." Yu Yu knew the danger of a tri-elemental martial artist breaking through the Martial Soul, but his pride prevented him from seeking help. His disciple was breaking through, but he had to look for others to watch over him, which would definitely become a laughing stock. Now, he regretted it too late, anxiously pacing back and forth, wishing he could slap himself a few more times. However, Yu Yu did not know that even if the sect''s powerhouses were to guard Li Lin''s breakthrough, Li Lin would have refused. During the breakthrough, having someone by his side would easily expose his dual cultivation of spirit and martial arts. At this moment, looking at the violent attribute energy and the invisible force of heaven and earth above, no one could see that Li Lin was cultivating all five elements and dual cultivating spirit and martial arts. The five kinds of attribute energy would only infuse into Li Lin''s body if they were nearby, so even Yun XiaoTian couldn''t discover it from the top of the mountain. "Senior brother, you don''t have to blame yourself too much, let''s just watch." Yun XiaoTian slightly relaxed his frown and said. At this moment, changes that were imperceptible to outsiders and even Li Lin himself were occurring on his body. Suddenly, a faint luminescence began to emanate from the storage ring on Li Lin''s hand. If Li Lin were to inspect the inside of the storage ring, he would naturally discover that the Spirit Jade Bed inside was emanating a dazzling light. The luminescence from the storage ring spread along Li Lin''s fingers, directly pervading his entire body, organs, and bones, like a cool breeze passing through, causing a shiver. "I cannot despair, I still want to become a strong person, I still have my mother, have Wu Shuang, my path to becoming a strong person has just begun..." Just when Li Lin was approaching a desperate situation, a power from deep within his heart suddenly surged, causing him to open his eyes wide with blood-red pupils, as if blood would flow out. At this moment, as Li Lin regained consciousness, the luminescence around the storage ring flickered a few times before disappearing. "I refuse to believe that I cannot condense a Martial Dan. What can these five attributes do to me, I will condense you all together." Li Lin whispered lowly, rapidly forming hand seals, directing the chaotic True Qi in his body to clash with the five attributes of energy. Unable to control the five attributes of energy, Li Lin was now recklessly condensing the five attributes. Although he was conscious, he was not fully lucid, driven by a sheer will to survive, making a final struggle. Whether by intention or accident, perhaps because Li Lin had no other choice, unable to control the five attributes of energy to condense five Martial Dans, he had no choice but to mix these five attributes of energy together for condensation, in his last struggle. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. "Pfft..." Li Lin spat out a mouthful of blood again, the violent force of the five attributes of energy was extremely terrifying, the combination of five types of energy and True Qi colliding within his body made Li Lin feel as if his bones were exploding, and at this moment, his skin and flesh directly burst open, a stream of blood-red blood flowing out, soaking his blue robe from head to toe, instantly turning him into a blood man. If one were to look closely, through Li Lin''s burst skin, one could clearly see his organs wriggling. At this moment, a layer of True Qi and the residual energy of the DuE WuXin Dan were still protecting his organs. The violent celestial energy and the five attributes directly entered through Li Lin''s burst skin, rampaging and destroying his body. At this moment, Li Lin looked extremely horrifying, almost too gruesome to behold, his meridians twisted, adhering to the burst skin. Fortunately, the meridians were not severed, otherwise, there would be no hope of recovery. "Condense for me." Li Lin''s blood-red eyes emitted a bloody light, his damaged body not catching his attention, ultimately controlling the True Qi to wrap around the five attributes of energy within his body and crashing together. "Bang Bang..." An instant explosion occurred within his body, amidst this violent power, Li Lin''s damaged body burst open again with finger-sized cracks, blood spraying, covering the entire hall in blood. "Pfft..." A mist of blood sprayed from his mouth, the violent force within his body once again destroying his entire body. Li Lin heard the sound of his bones breaking inch by inch, his organs also starting to crack, a peerless force pouring down and spreading out, Li Lin could no longer hold on, his body seated in meditation directly fell to the ground, beginning to lose consciousness. And just as Li Lin lost consciousness, feeling utterly hopeless, thinking he had finally failed. However, at this time, Li Lin did not feel that just as he last controlled the five attributes of energy to condense the Martial Dan, amidst the explosive power, a huge vortex was formed. This vortex was spinning at high speed, creating a spot of extreme calmness in the center of the violent vortex. The high-speed spinning vortex also blocked the Dantian Qi Sea space, preventing the increasingly violent external attribute energy from entering. Surrounding the torrential and rampaging five attributes of energy roared and surged, along with the violent True Qi, all of this within Li Lin''s Dantian Qi Sea was like a violent tsunami. However, at this time, within this calm vortex, a suction force emerged, pulling in the five attributes of energy bit by bit. In this high-speed rotation, they strangely gathered together. These gathered attributes of energy somewhat repelled each other, but under the high-speed rotation of the vortex and the external violent compressive force, they were forcibly condensed. "Huff huff..." At this moment, atop the mountain, the majestic and terrifying attribute energy suddenly dispersed, losing its traction and dissipating. "Failed..." At this moment, everyone on the summit sighed slightly. This commotion had already proven that Li Lin''s attempt to condense the Martial Dan had failed. A tri-elemental martial artist, with exceptional talent, one in a million, was now gone. At this moment, many looked helplessly at Elder Yu Yu, who really had a knack for spoiling good disciples. A tri-elemental martial artist was ruined by Elder Yu, something that wouldn''t have happened if any other elder had assisted Li Lin in his breakthrough. Elder Yu Yu sat paralyzed on the ground, his eyes red, completely stunned, continuously muttering, "Lin''er, it''s my fault, I have harmed you." Only Zhao WuJi had a smile in his eyes, an absolute smile. Without lifting a finger, this young man was already dead. This time, he really had to thank Yu Yu properly. Yun XiaoTian looked towards the calm golden palace, his gaze deep, and then sighed softly, "Let''s go have a look!" The elders nodded slightly and then proceeded towards the palace at the summit. "Hiss..." Just as they were about to enter the palace, an unexpected scene unfolded. A small yellow snake blocked the entrance, hissing, refusing to let anyone in. "Move aside." Elder Song said softly, reaching out to sweep the little dragon away. "Hiss hiss..." At this moment, the little dragon spat out a burst of violent golden flames from its mouth, suddenly releasing its breath, a scorching flame mixed with a violent aura surged out. "Such a powerful beast." Everyone quickly retreated, and at this moment, Elder Song''s complexion changed drastically. The aura emanating from this small yellow snake made him feel fear, especially the golden flames, which he deeply dreaded. "Hiss hiss..." In that instant, the little dragon roared softly, its body rapidly expanding to a size of two hundred and sixty to seventy meters. On its huge body, golden scales emitted strands of flames, its violent aura trembling, exerting a tremendous pressure that made the elders of Yunyang Sect take it seriously. The little dragon''s huge body was precisely encircling a golden light spot, tightly wrapping the golden palace, hissing, its eyes showing a fierce light, and its fangs emitting a cold light. "Such a powerful beast." Everyone''s complexion changed dramatically, instantly retreating, watching the little dragon''s huge body. At this moment, everyone realized that this little creature, which had always been on Li Lin''s shoulder, was actually this terrifying. "A fourth-order beast, or perhaps not?" Everyone speculated. Only a fourth-order beast could freely change its size, but the aura of this peculiar beast was not that of a fourth-order beast, yet its aura was even more terrifying than that of a fourth-order beast. Undoubtedly, the bloodline of this beast was extremely noble. Chapter 296: A Qualitative Transformation "Roar..." At this moment, a huge roar erupted from the void ahead, and in the blink of an eye, a familiar figure approached. The Skywing Snow Lion, known to all, flapped its wings, directly dispersing a stream of air with its wings. "Swoosh..." A blood-red figure leaped down from the back of the Skywing Snow Lion, transforming instantly into a massive form over two hundred meters in length, enveloped in a bloody glow, fierce in appearance. It was a Blood Lizard that had just broken through to the mid-fourth tier of demonic beasts. "Fourth-tier demonic beast, Blood Lizard." The faces of the crowd changed once again. "The master is undergoing a breakthrough in seclusion. You must not disturb him," the Blood Lizard declared loftily, speaking human language. "You are the Blood Lizard from the Misty Mountain Range," one of the elders in white robes quickly recognized, his eyes flashing as he inquired. "Correct, but now I am merely the master''s guardian beast," the Blood Lizard responded. In the presence of such powerhouses, it would have fled if this were in the Misty Mountain Range. But now, its duty was to protect its master in his seclusion. "What fortune has this young man encountered to have so many demonic beasts?" Many elders were secretly astonished. At this moment, what they were most curious about was the little dragon hovering above the golden palace. "Vile creature, step aside. I want to see my disciple," Yu Yu stepped forward and declared. "Sssss..." The little dragon raised its head, hissing as if it was saying something to the Blood Lizard. "The master is in seclusion. You cannot disturb him, no matter who it is," the Blood Lizard stated. "Blood Lizard, if your master''s breakthrough fails, we can still save him. Step aside, or I won''t be polite," Yun Xiao Tian frowned, a breath slowly spreading and instantly pressing down on the Blood Lizard''s head. An invisible, absolute breath suppressed it, making the Blood Lizard unable to even lift its head, "Sssss..." The aura around the little dragon surged again, directly countering Yun Xiao Tian''s pressure. Only then did the Blood Lizard feel slightly better, saying, "My master has not failed his breakthrough. The little dragon and my master share a blood pact. If the master had failed, the little dragon would have known. Right now, the master is at a critical juncture. You must not disturb him." "A mere fourth-tier demonic beast acting recklessly in our Yun Yang Sect. Are you tired of living?" At this moment, Zhao WuJi coldly shouted, about to make a move against the Blood Lizard. "Zhao Elder, stop!" Yun Xiao Tian immediately shouted, then glanced at the little dragon before turning back and ordering, "Everyone, leave at once. Do not disturb Li Lin''s breakthrough." However, Yun Xiao Tian was secretly astonished by the aura of the little dragon. Only he could sense that, although the little dragon''s strength was not formidable, its aura was something he could not ignore. This demonic beast definitely had a significant background. "Sect Master, should we really trust a demonic beast''s word? Let''s go have a look," Zhao WuJi''s expression darkened as he softly spoke. "Zhao Elder seems quite concerned about Li Lin today. However, since Li Lin''s demonic beasts share a blood pact with him, it''s naturally not mistaken. We better not disturb him," Elder Xie softly said. "Right, you all should leave. If anyone disturbs my disciple''s breakthrough, I swear I''ll never let it go," Yu Yu glared at Zhao WuJi before speaking. The crowd retreated, leaving the little dragon, the Skywing Snow Lion, and the Blood Lizard guarding in front of the golden palace. As time slowly passed, inside the golden palace, Li Lin lay unconscious, on the brink of death, with his wounds now beginning to heal, entering a state of quiet. Around him, without anyone knowing when, began to emanate five-colored lights, and alongside them, another white light mixed in, making a total of six lights slowly swirling around. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Two days later, the elders at the mountain peak could not discern any activity and had to leave. Yun Xiao Tian frowned, having affairs to attend to within the sect, instructed Yu Yu before leaving first. Inside Li Lin, unbeknownst to him, in his Dantian Qi Sea, a terrifying energy was rapidly spinning, forming a five-colored light sphere over a hundred meters in size. This violent energy release compressed the air continuously. At this time, a new aura began to spread from the crevices within the Dantian Qi Sea. This new aura, flashing with five colors, began to infiltrate Li Lin''s battered body. A five-colored aura enveloped him, flowing through his meridians, flesh, and wounds into his body. As this five-colored aura enveloped him, Li Lin''s originally twisted meridians, shattered bones, and nearly dried-up blood began to shimmer strangely, as if coming back to life. Everything about him began to heal, and it was clear that whether it was the meridians or bones, this healing made them several times stronger. Under the envelopment of this five-colored energy, his body was slowly strengthening, undergoing a transformation akin to rebirth. From a Martial Master to Martial Soul, this was already an extraordinary transformation. However, Li Lin''s transformation process was exceptionally slow and unlike anyone else''s. In Li Lin''s mind, the huge Soul Dan continued to spin, its spinning force ensuring that Li Lin''s soul, upon which his survival depended, remained unaffected. Otherwise, any impact on the soul would render all changes futile. It could be said to be luck; while the body was damaged, the soul''s power was actually consolidating without being impacted. Li Lin''s bones and internal organs greedily absorbed the five-colored aura at an invisible speed, rapidly devouring it. Everything was being repaired, undergoing transformation. Within the Dantian Qi Sea, the five violent elemental energies initially attacking the condensed five-colored sphere, but now, the situation completely changed. The five-colored sphere, with its spinning force, began to exhibit a devouring power, absorbing the five elemental energies within the Dantian Qi Sea. At this moment, Li Lin''s aura began to officially climb. After the elders left, that afternoon, Li WuShuang, Cui Yu, and Du Gu BingLan arrived at the mountain peak. Li WuShuang, anxious and worried, realized she could not assist. Through her master''s words, she learned of the mishap in Li Lin''s breakthrough. The three women also learned of the little dragon''s true form, surprised but then focused their attention on the inside of the golden palace. On the third day, Yun HongLing arrived at the mountain peak, intending to rush into the golden palace but was held back by Yu Yu, Li WuShuang, Du Gu BingLan, and others. "WuShuang sister, will that thief be alright?" On a rock, the women looked towards the palace, Yun HongLing asked softly. "Lin''er will be fine. He survived falling off a cliff; he will surely be fine now," Li WuShuang said, her worries known only to herself. "This thief must not die. He hasn''t married me yet; how can he die? He hasn''t taken responsibility for me yet," Yun HongLing loudly declared. "What..." Yun HongLing''s words immediately made Li WuShuang, Cui Yu, Du Gu BingLan, and not far away, Yu Yu, Guo DongYang, and Ma Fang widen their eyes. "What are you looking at me for? That thief promised to take responsibility," Yun HongLing, startled to see everyone staring at her dumbfounded, pouted. "HongLing, have you and Lin''er already..." Li WuShuang''s face changed drastically, immediately asking Yun HongLing. "WuShuang sister, it''s not what you think, but it''s almost the same," Yun HongLing''s cheeks reddened, having let it slip. With her personality, not one to beat around the bush, she simply admitted it. Hearing Yun HongLing''s words, Li WuShuang and Cui Yu exchanged a look, both seeing an unusual light flash in each other''s eyes, then both frowned, turning their attention back to the golden palace. Time passed slowly. All the direct disciples within the Yun Yang Sect learned of Li Lin''s situation, encountering an accident during his breakthrough to Martial Soul. This caused a variety of reactions: some were pleased, others sighed, some felt vindicated, and a few were regretful. The idea of a tri-elemental martial artist failing to break through to Martial Soul, although it brought no direct benefit to them, having such a formidable and multi-talented person among them only incited envy, jealousy, and resentment. Now that Li Lin encountered an accident during his breakthrough, naturally, their thoughts varied. Time continued to pass. Ten days, twenty days, and still no response from within the golden palace. On the forty-eighth day of Li Lin''s seclusion, almost everyone in the Yun Yang Sect believed Li Lin had no hope left. Having not broken through after so long, how could there be any hope? On the forty-eighth day, Li Lin was enveloped in six rays of light, and his bloodied, ghastly body had now fully healed, emanating a powerful aura. "Am I not dead, or have I already died?" When Li Lin regained a trace of consciousness, his first action was to inspect his body, murmuring, "Not dead, I haven''t died yet." Li Lin suddenly opened his eyes, then sat cross-legged again, feeling his body, now in perfect condition and incredibly strong. Inside him, a Martial Dan of several tens of meters in size had condensed. "This is the nascent form of a Martial Dan." Li Lin was stunned. With his five elemental attributes, he should have condensed five Martial Dans. Yet, in the end, he had no choice but to condense the five attributes into one Martial Dan, which had successfully formed. Chapter 297: Breaking Through the Martial Spirit What consequences this would have, Li Lin didn''t know himself at this moment, but the fact that he hadn''t died was already lucky. In his mind, Li Lin felt that the Soul Pill was gradually condensing into form. "Breakthrough." Li Lin muttered solemnly in his heart, as his hand seals began to change once again. Atop the mountain, on a rock, Li Wushuang watched the golden palace for a long time before sighing softly, murmuring, "It''s been so long, why haven''t you come out yet? Even for the sake of Third Aunt, for the sake of Hongling, please come out quickly!" Murmuring to herself, Li Wushuang showed a worried expression. After hearing Yun Hongling''s words, she was somewhat angry and disappointed, but compared to the worry about Li Lin''s life and death at this moment, that anger and disappointment didn''t matter at all. She was even praying in her heart that if he could safely break through, it would be okay not to see him in the future. Atop the mountain, Yun Hongling, Cuiyu, and Du Gu Binglan also showed a trace of worry in their beautiful eyes. Each of them was deeply concerned, having waited here for over a month. "What''s happening?" At this moment, the ground shook slightly, as if the entire mountain was trembling. On the mountain peak, several people immediately looked around in confusion. At this moment, a massive surge of natural energy began to gather in the sky, sending waves of energy spreading out. "The movement from the palace." Everyone instantly felt that the disturbance was coming from the golden palace at the peak, as an aura was rapidly climbing. Feeling this aura, Yu Yuqian''s eyes flashed with an undeniable joy. "This aura, it''s Li Lin! This cunning fellow, he''s breaking through again." "He''s beginning to break through..." Cuiyu said softly, a hint of surprise in her eyes. "This little thief is breaking through. I can feel it." Yun Hongling exclaimed excitedly, her excitement dispelling the worries of the past month. "Whoosh whoosh" The majestic natural energy was now gathering at the top of the mountain, sending terrifying and violent energy once again sweeping towards the golden palace. Under the violent aura, Little Dragon, the Sky-winged Snow Lion, and the Blood Lizard all had to temporarily avoid the brunt, quickly moving aside. Inside the palace, there seemed to be a bottomless pit, greedily devouring this majestic elemental power. A powerful aura was also spreading out from the golden palace like a tide... "It''s the aura of the Martial Spirit. This little thief has broken through the Martial Spirit." Yun Hongling said, but her expression was extremely surprised. When she broke through to the Martial Spirit level, it hadn''t caused such a disturbance. "Success, success." Yu Yuqian was almost dancing with joy, feeling the stability of this aura, knowing that the person inside was breaking through. "Roar" Just then, a loud roar came from within the golden palace, sounding like a beast''s roar, but everyone present could tell it was Li Lin''s voice. As this roar ascended to the sky, at the same time, an absolute aura followed it, rising into the sky. On closer inspection, it wasn''t hard to see six rays of light entwining within this aura. The aura was powerful, spreading instantly in the sky, colliding with the majestic natural elemental energy above, creating a shocking sound explosion... "Bang!" The surging energy spread out, the violent energy turning into ripples that dissipated within the surrounding space. "Swish swish" Inside the surrounding space, all the elders of the Yunyang Sect arrived in an instant. Yun Xiaotian had already reached the top of the mountain first, and everyone''s faces showed surprise. This disturbance was a bit too big. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. However, everything had already calmed down. The surroundings were silent, even the energy ripples had long since dissipated between heaven and earth. "Wushuang, was that Li Lin breaking through just now?" Elder Xie asked Li Wushuang. "It should be Lin''er breaking through." Li Wushuang said softly. "To think he broke through, causing such a big commotion." The elders exclaimed in amazement. "Creak" Just then, the doors of the golden palace opened, revealing a figure in tattered clothes and disheveled hair but emanating a strong aura, under everyone''s watchful eyes. Despite being in tattered clothes and disheveled hair, it was still that resolute face, the corners of the mouth carrying a signature lazy smile with a hint of mischief. Who else could it be but Li Lin? "Swish" Little Dragon reduced its size and affectionately landed on Li Lin''s shoulder, gently licking his cheek. "Greetings, Master." The Blood Lizard said, its body also shrinking to about twenty centimeters in size. "Cough" Watching the people in front of him, Li Lin coughed dryly, slightly startled, then bowed, "Disciple greets the Sect Master, greets Master, and all the elders." Seeing the lively Li Lin, everyone was even more puzzled. With disheveled hair and tattered clothes, Li Lin''s breakthrough seemed quite spectacular. "Little thief, I knew you wouldn''t die. You scared me to death." Just then, a green figure rushed forward, lightning-fast, and plunged into Li Lin''s arms, seemingly without any concern for the people around. Li Lin hadn''t even had time to react before Yun Hongling hugged his neck, a fragrance wafting over. At this moment, with soft jade in his arms, Li Lin was suddenly stunned because he saw Yun Xiaotian and all the elders of the Yunyang Sect staring dumbfounded, especially Yun Xiaotian, whose mouth was wide enough to swallow a goose egg. The elders looked at each other, shocked. Yun Hongling had previously been hostile towards Li Lin, but so quickly, they were hugging and embracing. It seemed that the hostility was just a form of expressing affection. "Cough" Yun Xiaotian coughed loudly, unable to maintain his dignity in front of the elders, and immediately said, "Hongling, come here, don''t disturb your junior brother." "Oh!" Yun Hongling then looked back at Yun Xiaotian, seeing all the elders staring at her dumbfounded, she glared at the elders and moved back to Yun Xiaotian''s side. "Li Lin, did you break through the Martial Spirit?" Yun Xiaotian then asked Li Lin. "Replying to the Sect Master, the disciple has broken through." Li Lin said, not daring to raise his head too high, worried about the trouble after courting Yun Xiaotian''s daughter. "It''s good that you broke through. Rest well for now. In three more months, the sect will select twenty direct disciples to enter the secret realm for cultivation. Work hard." Yun Xiaotian looked at Li Lin. "Yes, Sect Master." Li Lin replied, still not daring to meet Yun Xiaotian''s gaze. "Elders, let''s go back. The elders should also encourage the disciples in the sect to practice hard. The opening of the secret realm has only twenty spots." After saying this, Yun Xiaotian wrapped Yun Hongling in a bundle of light and took off with her. "Let''s go as well." The elders then left one after another, only Zhao Wuji leaving with a cold demeanor. "Wushuang" Scanning around, Li Lin frowned. Wushuang was just here, but in the blink of an eye, she was gone, and even Du Gu Binglan and Cuiyu had left without a trace. "My good disciple, I''m relieved that you''re alright. Your master was almost worried to death." Yu Yuqian came to Li Lin''s side, finally letting out a sigh of relief. "It''s the disciple who worried Master." Li Lin bowed, seeing Yu Yuqian''s anxious expression, knowing how much his master cared for him. "It''s my fault, I almost harmed you." Yu Yuqian sighed. "Master, I''ve just broken through, so I''ll go back to recuperate first." Li Lin bid farewell. "Alright, go back and recuperate. You should solidify your cultivation after breaking through." Yu Yuqian immediately said. "Boss, are you alright? You scared me to death. I felt your aura was extremely weak, but fortunately, it then gradually strengthened." Little Dragon''s voice sounded in Li Lin''s mind. "I''m fine." Li Lin was somewhat distracted, thinking to himself that Li Wushuang must have seen Yun Hongling just now and thus left silently. Now, it seemed he might be in a bit of trouble. After a moment, he arrived at his own mountain peak, jumped down from the Sky-winged Snow Lion, and changed into a clean long robe in the courtyard. "A Martial Pill, it won''t have any impact, right?" In the courtyard, Li Lin murmured, feeling his own body, his brow furrowed. Dual-element martial artists have two Martial Pills after breaking through, and tri-element martial artists have three Martial Pills, but now, as a five-element martial artist, he ended up with only one Martial Pill. Peering into his body at this Martial Pill, it was quite peculiar. According to the information Li Lin had found in the Wanwu Tower before, normally, cultivators at the Martial Spirit level, after successfully condensing a Martial Pill, the final Martial Pill would only be the size of a fingertip. The color of the Martial Pill also differentiated by element: red for fire, green for wood, blue for water, yellow for earth, and white for wind. But now, his Martial Pill was about the size of a baby''s fist, about ten times larger than a regular Martial Pill. Even more peculiar, this Martial Pill had red, blue, green, yellow, and white colors alternating on it, rotating slowly in his dantian qi sea, wrapped in qi. This change in the Martial Pill exceeded Li Lin''s expectations. However, while Li Lin was somewhat worried, he also clearly felt that his strength, compared to when he was a Martial Master, was completely different. This was a qualitative difference. Chapter 298: The Secret of the Martial Core At this moment, the True Qi within the Dantian Qi Sea is undoubtedly more refined than the original True Qi. Slightly mobilizing the True Qi within the body, the bones also crackle in response. The True Qi flows through the broad meridians like raging rivers, feeling the comfort spreading throughout the body, a breath of turbid air is expelled from Li Lin''s mouth. "Is this the difference between the Martial Soul and a Martial Master?" Li Lin slightly clenched his fist, feeling the vast True Qi within the Dantian Qi Sea like a river, he couldn''t help but feel a bit surprised. At this moment, his strength, compared to the peak of the Ninth Level Martial Master, was like heaven and earth apart. Forming a hand seal, Li Lin stretched out his palm flatly, and then suddenly extended it, a blade of wind burst forth. The space in front of him was directly sliced open by the wind blade, causing the surrounding air currents to twist and shatter. Li Lin retracted the hand seal, and the wind blade instantly vanished into the space, but its violent power caused all the surrounding air currents to ripple away. Feeling this power, Li Lin estimated that if he encountered Huang Hu again, he wouldn''t need the Illusory Spirit Imprint. Just relying on the martial level strength alone, he could severely injure him with one move. Feeling the soul core deep within his mind again, Li Lin also revealed a smile. This soul core was exactly as recorded in the Yunyang Sect''s archives, but the only difference was that his soul core was the size of three thumbs, which was more than three times larger than the norm for someone who had just broken through to the Spirit Soul level. On this point, Li Lin was not surprised. This was just because his soul power was several times stronger than that of a cultivator at the same level, thanks to the help of the Soul Spirit Elixir and the Spirit Jade Bed. His soul power had been slowly strengthening. Now, it seemed that even at the level of cultivation, he was much stronger than his peers. "Breaking through to the Martial Soul, I can also devour demon cores and spirit cores now." Li Lin murmured lightly, now he still had two spirit cores and one demon core on him. The cultivation was too low to withstand the massive energy, so he had been unable to refine them. Now that he had broken through to the Martial Soul and Spirit Soul levels, swallowing demon cores and spirit cores in the future, the speed of his cultivation strength increase would definitely be much faster. Then, Li Lin mobilized the five elemental energy flows within him and found that everything was as usual, with no difference at all. It seems that the Martial Core did not bring any side effects to him, at least for now. Looking at the sky, it was nearing dusk. Li Lin frowned, as if he had just remembered that he still had some things to do. Li Wushuang saw the scene between him and Yun Hongling, probably feeling jealous. He needed to think of a way to mend the situation. On a mountain peak, a graceful and exquisite figure sat on a rock, her delicate facial features marked by a red patch, it was the maid Cui Yu. "Miss, what''s wrong? Is it because of Li Lin?" Behind the rock, a beautiful silhouette came, it was Du Gu Binglan. If someone were here at this moment, they would be amazed because Du Gu Binglan was calling Cui Yu "Miss". However, all of this was unseen by others. "Even when no one is around, don''t call me Miss. I don''t want to expose my identity." Cui Yu raised her brows slightly and spoke softly. "Alright, Cui Yu." Du Gu Binglan spoke softly: "Then can you tell me what''s wrong? You have been gloomy since you came back." "It''s nothing." Cui Yu forced a smile. "You can''t hide it from me, it must be because of Li Lin." Du Gu Binglan looked at Cui Yu. "He already has Hongling." Cui Yu sighed lightly, a hint of melancholy in her eyes. "Miss, do you think you are inferior to Hongling? If your identity were revealed, all the young talents and heroes of the Lingwu Continent would be at your disposal." Du Gu Binglan spoke softly. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. "It''s because of my identity that I can''t decide my fate. I want to rebel, but in front of the family, I''m too insignificant, with no strength to resist." Cui Yu sighed, her expression revealing helplessness. Du Gu Binglan didn''t speak anymore, just sighed softly as she knew the terrible power of the clan, which was an invincible strength that no one could shake. "Let''s go back after a while. I don''t want to stay in Yunyang Sect anymore." After a moment, Cui Yu spoke softly. "But we have been here for so long and still haven''t obtained what the clan wants." Du Gu Binglan said. "Let others in the clan handle the matters of the Li family. I don''t want to get involved anymore." Cui Yu spoke softly. "Maybe the Li family never had that treasure; otherwise, how could the Li family fall to such a state?" Du Gu Binglan spoke softly. "The clan''s information should not be wrong. The treasure should be with the Li family." Cui Yu spoke softly. "Li Wushuang." On the mountain peak where Li Wushuang lived, Li Lin searched around but couldn''t find Li Wushuang. "It seems I''m really going to capsize." Li Lin smiled bitterly and then had no choice but to leave. Returning to his residence, Li Lin sat cross-legged, a jade slip emanating a fire attribute aura appeared in his hand. A drop of blood fell into it, and as his mind probed into it, a dazzling and hot light from the jade slip entered Li Lin''s forehead, turning into a vast amount of information in his mind. After a moment, the light on the jade slip quickly dimmed. "Cultivating the Fiery Blast." Li Lin''s mouth curved into a smile. The jade slip was exactly the high-grade yellow-ranked martial art, Fiery Blast, which was definitely powerful, not inferior to Windroll Remnant Cloud. At night, when most martial artists were meditating, Li Lin was on the mountain peak practicing the Fiery Blast. With the hand seals changing in his hands, a fireball the size of a baby''s fist condensed in the palm of his hand. The fireball''s aura was rampant, but it dissipated in the palm in an instant. "Eh..." Li Lin''s eyebrows furrowed instantly, not because he was surprised by the failure in practicing Fiery Blast, but because of the True Qi in his body at the moment. Frowning, Li Lin condensed another fireball in his palm. After a moment, the fireball continued to disperse, but this time, Li Lin''s eyebrows were even more tightly furrowed. "Could it be..." Li Lin''s expression changed slightly, and the hand seals changed again. In his right hand, a flame spread, while in his left hand, a mist of water condensed, simultaneously displaying fire and water dual-element martial skills. "I understand now, haha..." Li Lin laughed out loud. Practicing Fiery Blast allowed him to discover this mystery; he could actually simultaneously activate various elemental martial skills. Previously, activating different elemental martial skills was impossible to do at the same time. Even when using Wind Wings, he could only display wind-elemental martial skills in mid-air and couldn''t activate other elemental martial skills. Every element has its resistance, and simultaneously activating multiple elemental martial skills was absolutely impossible. Li Lin had tried it before and couldn''t do it. But now, he could do it. The five elements in his body didn''t need to be converted; he could directly activate various elemental martial skills because the True Qi in his Dantian Qi Sea already contained five elements without conflicting. This change was naturally a pleasant surprise for Li Lin, signifying that in combat, his speed would increase again. Various elemental martial skills could perfectly complement each other, just like the Illusory Spirit Imprint and martial skills perfectly combined. He could even simultaneously launch two elemental martial skills to attack the opponent. Moreover, without the need to convert elements between martial skills, in the midst of battle, victory often lies within a blink of an eye, so speed is absolutely crucial. In future encounters with opponents, he could completely use his left hand to execute Windroll Remnant Cloud and his right hand to perform Thousand Hands Crack Imprint, undoubtedly like two of himself joining forces for a strike. Against an opponent with a similar level of cultivation, he could definitely have an absolute advantage. "It''s the variant effect of the Martial Core." Li Lin excitedly murmured, he was supposed to have five Martial Cores, but in the end, he had no choice but to condense the five elemental energies into one Martial Core. The condensation of five elements allowed him to survive a life-and-death situation, merging the five elemental energies together in his body without resistance, condensing into a Martial Core, thus enabling this change. "I didn''t expect such a change before breaking through to the Martial Soul." Li Lin spoke lightly, a smile appearing on his lips. "Let me try if I can practice two martial arts simultaneously." Li Lin smiled lightly, holding another jade slip emanating a yellowish light in his hand. A drop of blood fell into it, immediately obtaining the method of cultivation. What Li Lin planned to practice simultaneously was the high-grade yellow-ranked earth defensive martial art, Earth Gang Shield. After a moment, the light on the jade slip faded, and Li Lin smiled with his hands changing seals. In his right hand, a fireball condensed in the palm, while in his left hand, a thick earth elemental energy condensed into an earth shield. Two energies appeared simultaneously in Li Lin''s hands. If someone saw this scene at the moment, they would definitely be astonished. "It really is possible, starting to practice." Li Lin was also extremely excited. "Bang, bang, bang..." On the mountain peak, Li Lin began to diligently practice martial arts, with the sound of sonic booms echoing in the quiet mountain range. Chapter 299: Martial Realm and Spirit Realm Li Lin highly valued the two martial arts techniques from the jade slips. Huo Yan Bao, which involves condensing fire-attributed Qi and compressing it together before exploding it like a bomb, possesses absolute power to blast mountains and seas when wielded by a powerful individual. The Earth Gang Shield, on the other hand, is a defensive martial art that can withstand a full-strength attack from an opponent of the same power level without any issue. Li Lin thought that if he could combine the Earth Gang Shield with his Qing Ling armor, and considering his body seemed to have strengthened considerably this time, his defensive power would be absolutely terrifying, becoming a means for him to save his life in the future. In the deep night, while others were quietly cultivating, Li Lin was on a mountain peak, loudly practicing martial arts, abnormally cultivating two high-grade Yellow-level martial arts of different attributes at the same time. After breaking through to the Martial Soul level, Li Lin felt it was much easier to cultivate high-grade Yellow-level martial arts. The difficulty of high-level martial arts for cultivators of lower levels lies in the need for sufficient Qi to activate them. Lower-level cultivators don''t have enough Qi, and their meridians can''t support the massive flow of Qi. Thus, even if one manages to cultivate them through perseverance, the power is not significant. Of course, even a barely activated high-level martial art is much stronger than a low-level one. To unleash the full power of high-level martial arts requires significant consumption, which lower-level cultivators cannot afford due to their weak meridians that can''t support the massive surge of Qi. Li Lin discovered that after breaking through to the Martial Soul level, his body and meridians had strengthened significantly, not knowing that during his unconscious state, the elemental power within his body had strengthened his twisted meridians more than tenfold. If Li Lin''s meridians were like a small stream before, they were now like a small river, much stronger in both thickness and width, allowing Qi to rush and roar freely. The power of the martial arts he executed was naturally much stronger. Even if Li Lin were to face a cultivator of the same strength and use the same martial art, his would be much more formidable. Li Lin had forged his body to an astonishing degree, thanks in part to the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Scripture, which involved consuming violent Qi energy over time, forging his meridians and body absolutely, along with the modifications Uncle Jiang had made during Li Lin''s cultivation. All these had resulted in Li Lin''s terrifyingly strong body. After a night of diligent cultivation, although his strength had improved significantly, cultivating high-grade Yellow-level martial arts was still not something that could be achieved casually. When the first ray of sunlight enveloped the mountain peak, Li Lin stopped cultivating, his body drenched in sweat and his complexion slightly pale. Looking at the sky, Li Lin returned to his room to rest and recover, planning to visit the Martial Spirit Fantasy Realm today, especially since he had planned to do so after advancing to the Martial Soul level. "Did you hear that rumbling noise last night? It kept me from cultivating all night." "I don''t know who the hell it was. I was cultivating, and the rumbling woke me up. After that, I couldn''t get back into the right state to cultivate." "Probably someone practicing martial arts. They don''t practice during the day but choose to do so in the middle of the night. They must be full of themselves, not knowing that nighttime is the best time to cultivate Qi." Early in the morning, disciples on various mountain peaks of Yunyang Sect began discussing. Many disciples thought the rumbling noises from last night made it impossible to meditate, and they complained endlessly. However, the initiator, Li Lin, had already arrived above a vast valley. This valley was enormous, and within it stood a towering lone peak that rose straight from the ground, surrounded by lush greenery, also vast in area. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. This peak was as high as ten thousand ren, and looking down from above, it was enveloped in clouds and mist, giving it a somewhat ethereal feel. The surrounding valley was flat, like a naturally formed square, with faint clouds and mist hovering above. When Li Lin arrived above this peak, he saw that the entire peak was like a huge tower, with scattered figures on the square below. People on the ground looked up as Li Lin arrived, and some immediately started whispering among themselves. When Li Lin descended to the square, he let the Tian Chi Snow Lion wait nearby and looked towards the towering peak in front of him. The peak was so vast that one couldn''t see its entirety from any one side, and it was at least seven or eight thousand meters tall. Below the mountain, there was a stone gate a few meters high and three meters wide, with the words "Martial Spirit Fantasy Realm" inscribed on it in regular script. The characters were grand, and upon looking at these four words, Li Lin''s expression changed as he felt a strange energy. A white mist appeared in front of his eyes momentarily, but he was prepared and quickly recovered. "A phantom intention?" Li Lin looked at the four characters again but dared not stare any longer. It seemed that a clever technique had been placed on these characters. "Don''t stare at those words, or you''ll suffer. It''s set up by a strong practitioner in our sect." At that moment, a rough voice reached Li Lin''s ears. "It turns out to be Senior Brother Iron Palm Wild Bull." Li Lin bowed slightly. The person, burly and strong, was a disciple of Elder Xie, Li WuShuang''s senior brother, Iron Palm Wild Bull, whom Li Lin had met before at the Earth Dragon Summit. "Ha ha, my surname is Wild, call me Wild Bull. Because my palm technique is not bad and I never use weapons, people in the sect call me Iron Palm Wild Bull. You can just call me Wild Bull." Wild Bull laughed. "Senior Brother Wild Bull." Li Lin said softly, finding Wild Bull''s personality to be forthright. "Li Lin, are you here to cultivate in the Martial Spirit Fantasy Realm today?" Wild Bull asked. "Yes, I haven''t been to the Martial Spirit Fantasy Realm yet. I wonder if Senior Brother Wild Bull has time to introduce it to me." Li Lin asked. "No problem, you''re WuShuang''s little brother, so you''re one of us." Wild Bull laughed heartily, saying, "The Martial Spirit Fantasy Realm is only accessible to our direct disciples for cultivation. There are many benefits to cultivating here, whether you''re a martial artist or a spiritual practitioner. This is the best place for cultivation, where you can unleash to your heart''s content without any risk to your life." "Is there such a miraculous place?" Li Lin appeared puzzled and surprised. "Indeed, the Martial Spirit Fantasy Realm is actually a fantasy realm. Everything you see inside is an illusion, but you being in it is real. If you''re killed, you''ll automatically wake up," Iron Palm Wild Bull explained. "A complete fantasy?" Li Lin murmured, wondering if it was a fantasy formation. "Everything will become clear to you after you practice there. The sect''s spiritual practitioners also come here to cultivate. The fantasy realm can greatly enhance soul power. However, martial artists usually choose to cultivate in the Martial Realm, while spiritual practitioners cultivate in the Spirit Realm. Of course, spiritual practitioners can also choose to train in the Martial Realm to strengthen themselves, and martial artists can go to the Spirit Realm to cultivate their soul power," Iron Palm Wild Bull continued. "Senior Brother Wild Bull, what''s inside the Martial Realm?" Li Lin asked. "There''s a lot inside. Once you enter the Martial Realm, there are beasts, dangerous places, attack formations, puppets, and so on. But rest assured, even if you unfortunately die, it''s just an illusion," Iron Palm Wild Bull said, then added, "I''m also here to cultivate in the Martial Spirit Fantasy Realm today. Let''s go in together." "Okay." Li Lin nodded and followed Iron Palm Wild Bull into the stone gate under the mountain. Inside the mountain was a large hall, where several direct disciples were entering small doors on one side of the hall. "Second Protector, I''m here for cultivation again today," Iron Palm Wild Bull said to a man in a green robe in his fifties at a stone table on the side of the hall. "Wild Bull, you managed to last one day in the fourth layer, sixth level last month. Not bad," the elder said with a smile, looking at Wild Bull. "Junior Brother Li Lin, this is the Second Protector of our sect, responsible for the Martial Spirit Fantasy Realm," Wild Bull introduced Li Lin. "Nice to meet you, Second Protector," Li Lin said, having already been observing the middle-aged man. Judging by his aura, the elder''s strength was definitely above the Martial Commander level, much stronger than Shi Yunsheng. "Let me guess, everyone who comes to the Martial Spirit Fantasy Realm is a direct disciple. I think this is my first time seeing you, so you must be the recently popular Li Lin," the Second Protector said with a slight smile. Li Lin smiled wryly, not responding. "Second Protector, it''s Junior Brother Li Lin''s first time here for cultivation. Please arrange something for him," Wild Bull said to the Second Protector. "Li Lin, you choose the level you want to enter. The Martial Spirit Fantasy Realm has nine levels, each with nine ranks. The power of each level varies. Generally, a first-rank Martial Master chooses the third level, first rank, and a first-rank Martial Soul chooses the fourth level, first rank. A second-rank Martial Soul chooses the fourth level, second rank," the Second Protector explained to Li Lin. Chapter 300: The Sand Demon Python "Junior Brother Lin, I am now at the sixth level of Martial Soul, so I chose to enter the fourth layer, sixth level for cultivation. However, the best result I achieved last time was only to last for a day before being killed by a mid-fourth-order demon beast. I heard yesterday that you just broke through your Martial Soul, so you should choose to enter the fourth layer, first level. Generally, those with a first-level Martial Soul enter the fourth layer, first level. If you can break through the first level of the fourth layer, the Martial Realm will automatically allow you to enter the second level of the fourth layer," Kuangniu said. "After you drop a drop of fresh blood on this jade slip, go into the stone room. Then, it will take you to the place you want to go. If you don''t want to cultivate anymore, just close your eyes and meditate in your heart, and the exit will naturally appear. You can come out then," the Second Protector handed Li Lin a white jade slip and said. Li Lin understood most of it, and following the instructions of the Second Protector, he dropped a drop of fresh blood on the jade slip and immediately felt a strange connection with the jade slip. "Go ahead, the third stone door inside, enter and close the stone door. Remember, the longer you last, the greater the benefit to you," the Second Protector told Li Lin. "Let''s go, Junior Brother Lin, let''s see who can last longer," Kuangniu laughed. Under the guidance of the Second Protector, Li Lin went to the third small door on the side of the great hall, while Kuangniu entered the fifth small door. Inside this great hall, there were densely packed stone doors, at least a hundred at a glance. Inside the stone door was a space only two meters in size, surrounded by stone walls, with nothing else. "Boom boom boom..." As Li Lin closed the stone door, a rumbling sound immediately came, and at this moment, the jade slip suddenly emitted a dazzling light, enveloping the entire stone chamber in a blinding brilliance that made it impossible to open one''s eyes. "Boom..." After who knows how long, perhaps a few minutes, or perhaps just a dozen seconds, when Li Lin opened his eyes, he was surprised to find that he was no longer in the original stone chamber. This was a vast desert, filled with scorching air. The sun scorched the earth above, and in the distance, there appeared a hazy stream of clouds or mist. In the desert, the thick yellow sand stretched to the end, with no end in sight, surrounded by nothing but yellow sand. Stepping down, his foot immediately made a dent in the thick sand. "Could this be the Martial Realm? Is this an illusion?" Li Lin looked around, touching his skin, which was definitely real. The sand on the ground and the temperature in the space were also real, impossible to be an illusion. "Swoosh..." Just then, a streak of yellow light, like lightning, swept across the sand in front of him at an incredible speed, raising a sharp wind noise. "Demon beast." Li Lin''s figure rapidly retreated, instantly avoiding this streak of light. Where his gaze landed, this streak of yellow light was about ten meters long, a python covered in yellow scales. "Hiss hiss..." The yellow python, missing its strike, instantly landed on the ground, emitting a low roar from its throat, and its body transformed into a massive three hundred meters in size. A tremendous aura pressed down from the sky, with all its scales standing erect. On the python''s flat, triangular head, its eyes were fiercely fixed on Li Lin. "A fourth-order initial level Sand Demon Python." Li Lin frowned. This python was a type of earth-element demon beast, and he did not expect to encounter a fourth-order initial level demon beast upon his arrival. "Ssss..." The Sand Demon Python hissed, its massive body lunging at Li Lin with the speed of lightning. "Fury Flame Fist." Li Lin shouted lowly, a flash of yellow light under his feet, his body disappearing with a ghostly speed. When his figure reappeared, he was under the massive body of the Sand Demon Python, and a scorching fist imprint was instantly launched. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Within his dantian Qi sea, True Qi surged through his meridians like a torrent, instantly condensing a several tens of meters large scorching fist imprint in his hand, wrapped in strands of flames, bringing up a whistling wind noise and shaking open a space ripple. "Swoosh..." In that instant, the speed of the Sand Demon Python also amazed Li Lin. Feeling the attack below, its massive tail swept over like a pillar. "Bang!" Li Lin''s punch landed heavily on the tail of the Sand Demon Python, and the immense forces in contact caused a huge sonic boom. At this moment, with his first-level Martial Soul cultivation, activating the star-level martial technique Fury Flame Fist, its momentum was imposing, its power incomparably stronger than before. "Bang bang!" The massive sonic boom echoed, and the Sand Demon Python''s massive body was directly blown away, tumbling. Li Lin''s fist imprint heavily smashed on its tail, directly shattering a patch of scales. "Such strong defense." But Li Lin, without deploying his Qing Ling Armor, also took a couple of steps back, his fist slightly numb, watching the Sand Demon Python ahead. The defense of this fourth-order beast was indeed terrifying. "Hiss hiss..." The Sand Demon Python glared at Li Lin with fierce eyes, its massive body twisting in a very profound manner. "Ssss..." Instantly, in front of the Sand Demon Python, a vast expanse of yellow sand rose, with each grain of sand carrying a sharp force, forming a massive sandstorm that enveloped Li Lin. Under the violent force, even the void around the sandstorm seemed twisted, the oppressive space making a whooshing sound, spreading deafening wind noises. "Angry Sea Roar." Li Lin softly shouted, forming a hand seal, and instantly a massive water vortex appeared in front of him, like the giant waves of the ocean, roaring and trembling, suddenly spinning at high speed, emitting a terrifying aura and sharp pressure from within, twisting the surrounding space airflow like a tornado sweeping open. Finally, in the deafening roar of whooshing wind, the two forces collided in the desert sky, echoing a loud noise. "Bang bang..." A deafening explosion echoed through the valley, and the terrifying force immediately swept out like a hurricane, and at that moment, a massive force poured down on the Sand Demon Python''s huge body. "Bang!" The Sand Demon Python''s massive body directly fell hundreds of meters away, spitting out fresh blood, and then its massive body lay on the ground, lifeless. Li Lin shook his numb arm, without deploying the Qing Ling Armor, contending with the Sand Demon Python, also causing his True Qi to shake, blood churning. The strength of the Sand Demon Python was enough to deal with an ordinary second-level Martial Soul. However, Li Lin was satisfied with his strength. Without deploying the Qing Ling Armor, using the Angry Sea Roar, a mere Yellow-level initial stage martial technique, to directly kill a fourth-order initial stage demon beast, his strength was definitely passable. Under normal strength, he could also kill a second-level Martial Soul. If he used a Yellow-level high-stage martial technique, his strength would naturally be stronger, but he wondered how strong he would be if he used all his strength. "How could this be." Just as Li Lin was about to collect the demon core of the Sand Demon Python, he found that the Sand Demon Python had vanished without a trace, turning into smoke and disappearing. "Is this an illusion or reality?" Li Lin was stunned. He was definitely real, but the Sand Demon Python had vanished into thin air. "What a terrifying illusion, to have reached this step." Li Lin then exclaimed. Li Lin, who had some understanding of formations, after wondering for a moment, had some insight. He was indeed in an illusion, but this illusion was absolutely real. "This Martial Spirit Illusion must be a large formation." Li Lin thought to himself. Yunyang Sect really had great resources, such a large formation was absolutely rare. Yunyang Sect used this large formation to train the disciples, which not only prevented the disciples from dying in vain but also trained them, no wonder the strength of the direct disciples was much stronger than their peers. "I wonder when Flying Spirit Gate will have such resources." Li Lin thought to himself. Such a large formation, not to mention himself, even the Ghost Immortal would definitely not be able to set it up, unless it was his cheap master, the Saint Hand Ling Zun, otherwise, it was impossible. "Such a wonderful place, where I can train myself without risking my life, let''s continue training." Li Lin smiled, intending to find a place to train himself properly. The Martial Spirit Illusion was undoubtedly the best place. Walking forward, looking at the scorching sun above, Li Lin once again embarked on the path of training. In the evening, inside the Martial Spirit Illusion mountain peak hall, the walls were illuminated by several huge night pearls, emitting a soft glow, making it seem as though it was still daytime despite the evening. "Ssss..." Inside the hall, the fifth stone door opened, and a somewhat wilted figure walked out, it was Iron Palm Kuangniu. "Kuangniu, compared to last month, you lasted an hour longer, you have made progress," the Second Protector said in a light tone. "I thought I could pass, but I was just one step away, just a little bit," Kuangniu said dejectedly. "You have just broken through to the sixth level of Martial Soul not long ago, having this strength is already good. Among your peers, there are not many who can trouble you," the Second Protector said lightly, Kuangniu ranked thirtieth on the Dragon List, his strength was undoubtedly unquestionable. Chapter 301: Accepting the Challenge at the Beginning of the Month "By the way, Second Protector, has Brother Lin left yet?" Mad Bull glanced around the great hall and did not see Li Lin, immediately asking. "That monster, seems to be even more terrifying than Hong Ling." The Second Protector immediately smiled bitterly before speaking. "What happened to him?" Mad Bull instantly widened his eyes in shock. "Within eight hours, he reached the fourth level of the Fourth Realm; he has already been in the Fourth Realm for three hours now." Watching Mad Bull, the Second Protector said indifferently. "What..." Mad Bull gasped in shock. Eight hours, from the First Realm to the Fourth, Li Lin was just a First Realm martial soul, after all. When Yun Hong Ling broke through the martial soul, it took her ten hours from the First Realm to the Third, which already shocked the entire Yun Yang Sect. "When he was at the Ninth Realm martial master, he could defeat Huang Hu with one move. Perhaps this Fourth Realm cannot trap him either." Mad Bull said with a helpless smile. At this moment, Li Lin was observing a gigantic puppet in front of him, three meters tall, entirely red, humanoid, yet it had four arms, each arm like a sharp claw, emitting a cold light. Li Lin fought his way through, reaching the fourth level of the Fourth Realm. On the first, second, and third levels, there were some fourth-order early-stage demon beasts and fourth-level early-stage puppets, which couldn''t stop him at all. However, this puppet at this time caught Li Lin''s interest. This puppet was a fourth-level mid-stage puppet, with absolutely formidable attack power. Even a Fifth Realm martial soul, or even a Sixth Realm martial cultivation faced with it, would likely be in a tough spot. "Shoo shoo..." In an instant, the puppet''s figure charged like lightning, with two palm prints and two claw marks coming at him rapidly, twisting the space and airflow, the sharp breaking wind sound was piercing to the ears. "Flame Burst." A smile crossed Li Lin''s mouth; along the way, he had made significant progress in practicing Flame Burst and Windstorm. With a change of hand seals, a palm-sized fireball appeared on his right hand, and as the fireball appeared, the entire space''s temperature suddenly soared, a strong aura pressing down, directly enveloping the surrounding space. The fireball spun out, then rapidly expanded, with a fiery red light bursting forth, tearing a fiery arc through space, dispersing the surrounding air currents, a terrifying heat spreading out like a tsunami. "Explode!" With a change of hand seal, Li Lin clenched his hand from afar, and when the fireball expanded in front of the puppet, already about a dozen meters in size, it suddenly turned into a terrifying wave of fire and exploded. The unmatched flames swept across the sky, the terrifying temperature instantly evaporating all the moisture in the space, even turning the spatial ripples red, a massive sonic boom echoing in the sky... "Bang bang..." Energy dispersed, exploding in mid-air, shaking the space and causing intense ripples, a red energy dispersing like fireworks. As the wave of fire swept through, visibly, the fourth-level mid-stage puppet was instantly blown away, this terrifying power directly destroying two of its arms. When everything turned into energy and vanished in space, Li Lin frowned, only to see that the fourth-level mid-stage puppet was still standing in its original place, only its four arms were now missing two, and its body was also cracked, but it was not completely destroyed yet. "Fourth-level mid-stage puppet, really is terrifying." Li Lin thought to himself, even using his full strength to activate the Yellow-level high-grade martial technique Flame Burst, he still couldn''t completely destroy the puppet. "Shh..." At this moment, Li Lin''s view suddenly changed, and two stone doors appeared in front of him, one with the word "exit" written on it, and the other with the words "Fifth Realm." This was the fourth time Li Lin had seen these two stone doors. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. "Passed again?" Li Lin said lightly, the Fourth Realm''s first to fourth levels of martial realm really weren''t that difficult. "It''s about time, I''ll come back another day." After hesitating for a moment, Li Lin walked into the exit stone door. As he entered, the stone door inside immediately filled with a dazzling light, blinding to look at. "Passed the Fourth Realm..." Inside the great hall, the Second Protector looked at a mysterious jade stone in the hall, with many lights flashing on it, probably only he could understand its mystery. Watching the flashing lights on the jade stone, the Second Protector''s expression changed dramatically. "One day passed through the Fourth Realm, the cultivation of a First Realm martial soul, really is terrifying." Mad Bull was dumbfounded, he was very clear, being able to pass through the Fourth Realm''s Fourth Level, probably even a Fifth Realm martial soul, could definitely compete, the difficulty of each level in this Martial Spirit Illusion Realm is not small, not easy to break through. "Eh, could it be that I didn''t move at all just now." In the stone chamber, the light dispersed, and Li Lin found himself still in the stone chamber he had just entered, not having moved at all, everything was like a dream, and everything in the dream, was clearly imprinted in his mind. "What a strong illusion." Li Lin couldn''t help but take a cold breath, the illusion was too terrifying, he always thought he was real, in the illusion, his Windstorm and Flame Burst also progressed through practice, his martial technique attacks, every move was so real, but waking up to know, everything was a dream, not only what he saw, including those demon beasts were fake, even his person, was just his consciousness gathering, so he would firmly believe he was real, in fact, in the illusion, even he was illusory, Mad Bull said, being killed inside doesn''t matter, because what''s killed is just his consciousness, not his real body. Opening the stone door, Li Lin walked out somewhat surprised, this Martial Spirit Illusion Realm really is powerful. "Brother Lin, you''re too powerful, you passed through four illusionary realms in one day." Seeing Li Lin come out, Mad Bull immediately came forward and said. "Brother Mad Bull, why are you still here?" Li Lin said to Mad Bull: "Did I only spend one day in the illusion?" Li Lin was puzzled, he felt like he had spent four or five days, having gone through several nights and days inside. "In the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm, it''s like this, I was also surprised the first time I entered." Iron Palm Mad Bull said lightly. "Li Lin, you''ve broken through the Fourth Realm''s Fourth Level, you can continue to break through the Fifth Realm, the longer you stay, the greater the benefit to you, it''s best to be killed before coming out, often in life and death, you can understand the most thoroughly." The Second Protector said to Li Lin. "Understanding between life and death..." Li Lin murmured, he naturally knew the Second Protector''s words, the real training, should be between life and death. "Thank you for the Second Protector''s guidance, I will continue to come tomorrow." Li Lin said lightly. The Second Protector nodded slightly, showing a smile that seemed to say ''a student willing to learn''. Leaving the mountain peak inside the great hall, Li Lin only then realized it was dusk, quickly summoning the Sky Wing Snow Lion, and after saying goodbye to Mad Bull, he hurried away. Before returning to his residence, Li Lin went to Li Wushuang''s mountain peak again, but still did not find Li Wushuang, which made Li Lin puzzled, wondering if Li Wushuang was in closed-door cultivation. "Li Lin, you''re finally back, it''s not easy to find you every time." When Li Lin returned to his mountain peak, the figure of a protector also arrived in front of Li Lin. "Disciple was in the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm during the day, making the protector wait for a long time, I wonder what the protector is here for?" Li Lin bowed slightly, this protector was one of the three protectors in charge of the Earth Dragon Peak, his strength level was not as strong as the Second Protector of the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm. "Li Dajiang''s challenge has been laid down for three months now, the first month you were in closed-door cultivation, the second month you were breaking through, and now it''s the beginning of another month, can you accept the challenge this month, I came to confirm." The protector asked. Li Dajiang''s challenge, already missed two months, today Li Dajiang came to him again to urge the fight, so he came to confirm. "Dragon List ranking twenty, Seventh Realm martial soul." Li Lin''s eyebrows slightly raised, touching his fingertip to his nose, said: "I will accept the challenge at the beginning of next month, please arrange it, protector." "Do you really want to accept the challenge? You can still regret it now, I heard Li Dajiang has already reached the peak of the Seventh Realm martial soul, and breaking through to the Eighth Realm is not far off." The protector hesitated for a moment, then said to Li Lin again. "I''m sure, thank you for the protector''s kindness." Li Lin smiled slightly. "Alright." The protector said lightly, then summoned a third-order flying beast and left in the night. "Zhao Wuji, this time, I will play with you again." Watching the distance, Li Lin''s eyes passed a hint of coldness, he had already planned for the beginning of the month''s competition. "Where''s Little dragon!" When he got to the courtyard, Li Lin only then realized something, Little dragon seemed to have not appeared in front of him all day. With a probe of his mind, following the invisible guidance of the blood pact, Li Lin found Little dragon in a corner of the courtyard coiled up after a moment. "About to break through...?" Li Lin''s eyebrows lifted in joy, seeing Little dragon surrounded by a faint yellow light, Little dragon had told him before that he was about to break through again, it seems Little dragon was already preparing for the breakthrough. After instructing the Blood Lizard to protect Little dragon, Li Lin did not return to his room to cultivate but went to the mountain peak again, forming a hand seal, continuing to practice Flame Burst and Earth Shield. Chapter 302: The Identity of the Little Dragon In the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm, Li Lin has been constantly using the Earth Gang Shield and the Fiery Explosion Flame for training. Although it was just one day''s time, in his consciousness, it already felt like four or five days had passed. In the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm, Li Lin''s training of these two martial techniques, the Fiery Explosion Flame and the Earth Gang Shield, is equivalent to training in his own consciousness. Although there is still a slight difference from real training, the difference is not significant. With more integrated practice, he could reach the level of progress made in the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm. Training in the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm simply makes one''s mind clearer about the training process of the Fiery Explosion Flame and the Earth Gang Shield. When training again, the effect is undoubtedly doubled. Training in the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm still requires practice and integration in the outside world. It can be said that this is also a shortcoming of the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm. However, this shortcoming is minimal compared to the function of the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm, whose benefits far outweigh its deficiencies. The greatest function of the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm is its effect on tempering oneself and comprehension, especially through life-and-death experiences. However, Li Lin currently only considers it as a place for quick martial technique training. In the dead of night, when all is quiet, thunderous explosive sounds come from the mountain peak where Li Lin resides. In the silent night sky, these explosive sounds are almost like thunderbolts, traveling far and echoing all night. On many mountain peaks, numerous disciples are already cursing loudly, although Li Lin himself cannot hear them. "Master, we just received news that Li Lin has passed the fourth level of the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm within one day," reported a black-robed elder in a quiet palace under the night sky, as Yun Xiao Tian sat upright in the room. "Such talent, even surpassing Hong Ling," Yun Xiao Tian''s face darkened slightly, his eyebrows furrowed, deep in thought. "Has the Master not decided yet? Li Lin has already successfully broken through the Martial Spirit, becoming a quasi-powerhouse with proper cultivation," the black-robed elder said softly. "Fierce Tiger against the Dragon, what do you think I should choose?" Yun Xiao Tian asked lightly. "Master," the black-robed elder hesitated, glanced at Yun Xiao Tian''s expression, and said, "I heard that Miss has a good relationship with Li Lin, could it be..." "That''s exactly what I''m afraid of," Yun Xiao Tian said gravely. "What does the Master mean?" the black-robed elder asked, puzzled. "Li Lin''s talent, will, and character are all one in a million among the younger generation. It''s rare that Hong Ling would take a liking to him. I originally had no reason to oppose it, but if Li Lin intentionally approaches Hong Ling, then the consequences would be different," Yun Xiao Tian said lightly. "Could it be that the Master suspects Li Lin is a plant from that hidden mysterious force? But Li Lin''s identity seems clean, and from what we know about the Li family, it shouldn''t be to that extent," the black-robed elder said softly. "Recently, in the ancient region, Mo Yun City, some incidents have occurred. Many forces have been taken over by the younger generation and thrown into that mysterious force. We can''t guarantee that our three sects and four factions don''t have spies planted within. That hidden force might be more terrifying than we imagined," Yun Xiao Tian said gravely. "But Li Lin has grown up in the Li family, it seems unlikely," the black-robed elder pondered for a moment. "A tri-element martial artist, hiding from his family for seventeen years, such patience, could an ordinary person do that? Who taught him his martial techniques, who guided his training, could his talent be innate? Perhaps there are powerful individuals behind Li Lin," Yun Xiao Tian said with a bitter smile. "The Master''s thinking, it seems we have been negligent," the black-robed elder said. "What surprised me the most is that even the elders who usually do not show themselves have also noticed Li Lin," Yun Xiao Tian said with a bitter smile. "Even those elders have noticed Li Lin, this..." the black-robed elder was extremely surprised. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "Those elders are not mainly paying attention to Li Lin, but to the yellow snake demon beast by Li Lin''s side. The elders instructed that we must not harm that demon beast. If anything happens to that demon beast and it gets out, our Yun Yang Sect might face a catastrophe," Yun Xiao Tian said after a moment of contemplation. "What, that little demon beast..." the black-robed elder was understandably shocked, wondering what power could threaten the entire Ling Wu Continent to bring catastrophe to the Yun Yang Sect, and how such a small demon beast could possess such great power. "Master, what is the origin of that demon beast?" the black-robed elder asked in surprise after recovering. "I would also like to know. Even those elders won''t tell me. It seems Li Lin is definitely not simple. Fierce Tiger against the Dragon, it''s hard for me to make a choice," Yun Xiao Tian said with a bitter smile. The night passed, and the next morning, Li Lin tidied up and continued towards the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm. "Li Lin, you should be challenging the fifth level of the fourth layer today, right?" As soon as he entered the hall of the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm, the Second Elder asked Li Lin with a smile. "Second Protector, I think I''ll start with the first realm of the fourth layer instead," Li Lin said with a slight smile. "What, didn''t you already pass it yesterday?" the Second Protector asked in surprise. All disciples aim for higher levels of training, but Li Lin wants to train again from the level he passed yesterday, which is indeed strange. "It''s fine to go through it once more," Li Lin said with a light smile. Li Lin had his own plans. The corresponding difficulty levels and strength of the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm are nearly identical. As a first-level Martial Spirit, challenging the first realm of the fourth layer, he had already passed the fourth level yesterday, which means he has the absolute power to kill a fourth-level Martial Spirit. According to his estimation, he should also have no problem challenging the sixth level. However, this would undoubtedly expose his strength, which is not good for him. Today, Li Lin''s goal was only to train the Fiery Explosion Flame and the Earth Gang Shield again, having already done enough in the first four realms. "Alright, go to the stone chamber you were in yesterday. You should also be aware that each entry into the illusion will not be the same," the Second Protector said, handing Li Lin a jade slip, into which Li Lin dripped a drop of blood. "Thank you, Protector," Li Lin thanked the doctor, then entered the stone chamber again, closed the stone door, and like yesterday, a dazzling, unbearable light shot out from the jade slip, and he found himself in a canyon. "Ga..." Above his head, a massive fourth-order flying demon beast roared and swooped down, its sharp beak and claws, its aura pressing down from all around, and the power of its flapping wings sweeping through the air currents, almost twisting the space itself. "It really is different. Today''s training begins..." Li Lin''s mouth curled into a slight smile, his fighting spirit surging, his hand seals quickly changing... "Who was that damn fool practicing martial techniques all night yesterday, making it impossible for me to train?" "Me too, I wonder who was so heartless." In the Yun Yang Sect, early in the morning, many direct disciples were cursing bitterly. "News came from the Earth Dragon Peak that Li Lin is to challenge Li Da Jiang at the beginning of the month." "The thirty-sixth on the Dragon List challenging the twentieth, there''s going to be a good show. I wonder if Li Lin can still be arrogant this time." "Li Da Jiang, a seventh-level Martial Spirit, has recently made great progress, rumored to have reached the peak of the seventh level. I think Li Lin doesn''t stand a chance." "That''s not necessarily true. When Li Lin was a ninth-level Martial Master, he defeated Huang Hu, a fourth-level Martial Spirit, with one move. Now that he has broken through the Martial Spirit, his strength must have greatly increased. Who wins and who loses against Li Da Jiang is really uncertain." "Speaking of that kid''s breakthrough, I heard it caused quite a stir, alarming all the elders, even the Sect Master was alarmed." "Anyway, there are still more than ten days. By then, we''ll know who wins and who loses." "Hey, have you heard? That kid seems to have a good relationship with Sister Hong Ling. Li Da Jiang is pursuing Sister Hong Ling. Now with new hatreds and old grievances combined, if Li Lin''s strength is not enough, it''s over for him." "Alright, let''s go train. Tonight, let''s all search and see who was the bastard practicing martial techniques in the middle of the night instead of cultivating Qi. If we find him, let''s teach him a lesson." "Right, if that bastard practices martial techniques again tonight, let''s all go find him and teach him a lesson." After discussing, the group of direct disciples dispersed to begin their training. Time slowly passed, and Li Lin didn''t know how long it had been in the outside world, only that he had significantly sped up his pace of clearing levels today. Now, in the fourth realm, he encountered eight fourth-order early-stage fire elemental demon snakes, the Flame Serpents. Each had a massive body three hundred meters long, covered in thick scales. The eight Flame Serpents completely trapped him in the center, like eight mountains. Li Lin''s face twitched slightly. Although these eight fourth-order early-stage Flame Serpents were not as powerful as a fourth-level mid-stage puppet, they were much more difficult to deal with. "Come on." Li Lin said softly, his Qi surging within his body, his aura suddenly climbing. "Hisss..." As one of the Flame Serpents'' massive bodies lightning-fast swooped down, its huge mouth opened wide, spewing out a scorching flame with an unpleasant smell of blood. Instantly, the entire sky was engulfed in a raging flame, targeting Li Lin with a sharp whistling sound that made one''s ears tingle, and the heat made it feel as though one was in a blazing furnace. "Hmph!" Li Lin didn''t move, merely smiling lightly and humming softly, his hand seals changing, and a yellow light of earthy hue instantly condensed. Chapter 303: What Is This Thing Suddenly, a yellow glow spread out, transforming into a massive earthen-yellow tornado storm that abruptly appeared in front of him. The earthen-yellow tornado storm spun rapidly, dragging the yellow sand and broken stones on the ground into it, suddenly forming a huge shield in front of him. "Earth Gang Shield." Li Lin uttered softly, waving his hand, and the massive earthen-yellow shield swept out fiercely. The overwhelming flames were torn apart by the fierce suction force emitted by the storm in front of the shield, scattering the flames across the vast sky. Occasionally, flames landed on the shield but were utterly unable to inflict any substantial damage. "Firestorm Flame." At this moment, Li Lin moved, a cold shout, and a change of hand signs later, a palm-sized fireball instantly appeared on his right hand, and the temperature in the entire space suddenly soared. The formidable aura pressed down, enveloping the surrounding space. With a push of the hand sign, the fireball spun out and then rapidly expanded, tearing open a scorching arc in the space. A terrifyingly hot oppressive force spread out like a flood. Feeling this terrifying force, several fiery demon snakes around began to fearfully retreat. But it was too late, as the fireball exploded in the middle of three fiery demon snakes. "Bang bang..." Energy dispersed, and the fireball burst open in mid-air, causing the space to ripple violently. The unparalleled flames swept across the sky, and under the terrifying temperature, even the spatial ripples turned reddish. As the firewave swept through, the three fiery demon snakes were engulfed and directly shattered into pieces, dissolving into energy within the space. "Sweeping Away the Remnants." Just as the Firestorm Flame exploded, Li Lin had already reached the space in front of the remaining five fiery demon snakes. He struck out a hand sign, and wind attribute energy immediately gathered. A turbulent airflow rose within the entire space, swirling and roaring like a tornado storm. An airflow vortex lifted a layer of soil, creating countless cracks and fissures, and the soil was swept into the high skies, overwhelming everything in its path. Terrifying energy filled the air, a colossal whirlwind formed to its utmost, howling instantly and engulfing the five fiery demon snakes within the storm. The storm spread and exploded, and the violent power erupted in the sky. Under the terrifying force, the five massive fiery demon snakes were directly torn into pieces and finally disappeared into the space. "Shh!" In an instant, the scene before Li Lin changed, and two stone doors appeared in front of him again, one leading to the exit and the other to the fifth realm. "About time." Li Lin smiled slightly, not planning to go to the fifth realm yet, and then walked towards the exit stone door. "Eight hours, three hours faster." Inside the hall, the second protector stared at a piece of jade stone shining with light in the hall, expressing surprise. "Second Protector, I''ll be leaving first, continue tomorrow." Li Lin walked out of the stone chamber into the hall, gave a salute to the second protector, and then left. At this time, it was still early in the day. In the Martial Spirit Fantasy Realm, although it felt like several days had passed, it was actually just a few hours. Li Lin looked at the sky and rode the Winged Snow Lion back to the mountain where Li Wushuang lived, but still did not see Li Wushuang. After returning to his courtyard, it was already approaching dusk. Satisfied with today''s progress in the Martial Spirit Fantasy Realm with the Firestorm Flame and Earth Gang Shield, Li Lin once again began to integrate them on the mountaintop, causing numerous sonic booms. Under the cover of night, numerous mountains around suddenly echoed with curses. Then, from various mountains, several flying demonic beasts took off, searching for the source of the noise, and soon arrived around the mountain where Li Lin lived. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. "This is where Li Lin lives." "So, it was this kid making all this noise these days." "Does he even let people cultivate? Let''s teach him a lesson." "Teach him a lesson? The one ranked thirty-six on the Dragon List, Huang Hu, couldn''t even take one move from him. We better not provoke him, let''s go back and talk to our master." About twenty or thirty disciples hovered around the mountain from afar, not daring to approach. They had seen Li Lin''s ruthless methods and dared not provoke him, eventually leaving while cursing under their breath. Li Lin smiled faintly, glancing at the distant mountains. He was aware of the commotion caused by the arrival of the dozens of flying demonic beasts and ignored it, continuing to practice his martial skills. The next morning, after getting ready, Li Lin continued to the Martial Spirit Fantasy Realm. To the second protector''s astonishment, Li Lin entered the first level of the fourth layer. Time passed slowly, and that day, an interesting event occurred in the Yunyang Sect. Several elders found Elder Yu, asking him to tell Li Lin not to practice martial skills loudly at night, as the massive sonic booms prevented many direct disciples from cultivating their qi. Unexpectedly, Elder Yu flew into a rage, defending his precious disciple''s diligent nighttime practice. He blamed the complainers for their disciples'' lack of capability, challenging them to have their disciples challenge his at the Dragon Peak. The elders, scolded by Elder Yu, could do nothing but leave, feeling embarrassed and helpless. Thinking it over, they realized it was indeed admirable for someone else''s disciple to be diligently practicing martial skills deep into the night while their own disciples complained. Elder Yu, still not pacified after the elders left, shouted at them, warning them against stopping his disciple''s practice in the future. The elders, having been scolded by Elder Yu, scolded their own complaining disciples and ordered them to practice martial skills every night, threatening to expel anyone who slacked off. The direct disciples, unaware of the whole situation and seeing their masters'' fury, dared not say more, quickly agreeing and then slipping away. In the Martial Spirit Fantasy Realm''s hall, in the afternoon, a stone door opened, and Li Lin emerged. The second protector was once again astonished, as Li Lin had taken only six hours to pass from the first to the fourth level of the fourth layer, half the time it took two days ago. After leaving the Martial Spirit Fantasy Realm, Li Lin rode the Winged Snow Lion back to his courtyard, where a massive aura began to rise from the mountaintop. As this aura climbed, a yellow light burst from within the courtyard, instantly transforming into a massive body outsideit was Little dragon (Little Dragon). Under the dazzling yellow light, Little dragon''s body quickly grew to over two hundred meters, a massive aura spreading out. "Two hundred and sixty meters, two hundred and seventy meters..." As Little dragon''s body continued to expand, its scales became increasingly clear, completely covered in a yellow glow, with hints of golden flames faintly visible on its body. "Roar..." As Little dragon''s aura reached a furious peak, many disciples'' demonic beast mounts on the surrounding mountains were instantly suppressed, with continuous roars echoing around. "What''s going on, whose demonic beast is breaking through?" Many disciples immediately ran out. "Huff huff..." Little dragon''s aura continued to surge, growing until it reached three hundred meters in size. "Ao!..." After the aura climbed to its peak, unable to rise further, Little dragon let out a roar, its voice echoing like a dragon''s chant in the surrounding space, its formidable aura spreading even more fiercely. "Roar..." This roar caused many demonic beast mounts in the surrounding mountains to roar in response, with the Winged Snow Lion and the Blood Lizard also feeling absolute suppression. "Boss, I''ve broken through." As Li Lin smiled, Little dragon''s voice reached his ears, and in a flash, it appeared on Li Lin''s shoulder. "What level are you at now?" Li Lin asked excitedly, knowing that each of Little dragon''s breakthroughs meant a significant increase in strength. "Mid-third stage, I feel much stronger." Little dragon said proudly. "Keep practicing hard," Li Lin gently said. "I just need to practice a little more, and I''ll naturally break through," Little dragon said, "I don''t have to work as hard as you do." "Do you know your identity now?" Li Lin asked, raising an eyebrow. "I don''t know. I feel that I need to break through to the sixth stage before I''ll know," Little dragon shook its little head. After Little dragon''s breakthrough, it was already dusk. Li Lin took a deep breath, calmed his mind, and once again began to integrate the Earth Gang Shield and Firestorm Flame he practiced in the Martial Spirit Fantasy Realm into the outside world, causing sonic booms to spread once again. "Master''s practice is really diligent," the Blood Lizard coiled on a rock on the mountaintop, while Little dragon looked on proudly, "That''s right, the boss''s diligent practice is what made him so strong," Little dragon communicated to the Blood Lizard. "Boom!" "Bang bang!" Just after Li Lin practiced his martial skills for a moment, numerous sonic booms faintly came from around the mountains, continuing until dawn. Chapter 304: Consuming the Demon Pill The night enveloped the sky, revealing a field of stars, and within the courtyard atop a certain mountain peak, several figures were present, including Zhao Qingtian and Li Shaohu. "Junior Brother Li, how are you preparing?" Zhao Qingtian looked at a young man beside him, dressed in a yellow robe, with a sinister gaze, slim figure, and somewhat short stature, and asked. "Brother Zhao, don''t worry. Even if that kid has broken through to the Martial Soul, he''s only at the first level of Martial Soul. My Life-Claiming Spear is not something he can contend with." The young man coldly said. He was around twenty-three or twenty-four years old, but his presence was absolutely formidable among his peers, being the twentieth-ranked Li Dajiang in the Dragon List, a truly prominent figure among the younger generation of the Yunyang Sect. "With you taking action, I''m relieved. You are a dual-system martial artist, but this time, make sure you don''t make any mistakes," Zhao Qingtian said. "Don''t worry. I will avenge Junior Brother Huang Hu. I''ll turn that kid into a cripple," Li Dajiang coldly stated. "I heard that kid has been practicing in the Martial Spirit Fantasy Realm these days, and he has passed through the fourth level and fourth layer in a single day," a young man in blue clothes lightly said, also possessing a Martial Soul-level cultivation. "Only the fourth layer, it seems that kid is not so remarkable after all," Li Dajiang coldly remarked. After a night of silent cultivation, Li Lin, early the next morning, entered the first layer of the fourth level in the Martial Spirit Fantasy Realm, to the surprise of the Second Protector. What surprised the Second Protector even more was that Li Lin had passed through the fourth layer in just four hours, and this news immediately reached the ears of all the Protectors and Elders, including Yun Xiao Tian. "Interesting, this kid is becoming more and more surprising to me," Yun Xiao Tian said with a light laugh in a courtyard. "Sect Master, Li Lin has managed to break from the first layer to the fourth layer of the fourth level every day, but he does not continue to the fifth level, which I find strange," a black-robed elder beside Yun Xiao Tian asked. "This kid is hiding his strength while honing himself. Can''t you see that? To pass through the fourth layer in four hours, how much strength does that require?" Yun Xiao Tian said. "Perhaps only the peak of the sixth level of Martial Soul could barely manage to do so," the black-robed elder speculated after a moment of thought. "I heard this kid has a competition with Li Dajiang, who is ranked twentieth on the Dragon List, at the beginning of the month. You go and see for yourself what this kid''s strength is really like," Yun Xiao Tian told the black-robed elder. "Alright, I too want to see how far his strength has really gone," the black-robed elder lightly said. In the courtyard, Li Lin picked up a brocade box, through which a faint terrifying energy pulsed. "It''s almost time to refine it," Li Lin murmured with a slight smile, opening the brocade box. A massive energy fluctuation rose, carrying strands of wind attribute energy. A demon pill appeared in front of Li Lin, obtained from a phantom mouse dressed as a woman, which Li Lin had killed in the Misty Mountain Range. Having broken through to Martial Soul a few days ago and his aura having stabilized, Li Lin decided to consume this demon pill, curious about how much it would enhance his strength. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. "Consume." Without much hesitation, Li Lin swallowed the demon pill, the size of a baby''s fist, into his stomach. Accompanied by a slightly scorching sensation, the phantom mouse''s demon pill was ingested, immediately transforming into a wildly raging energy spreading throughout his body. This energy, like a flood pouring out or thousands of horses galloping, instantly spread throughout Li Lin''s body, rushing towards his meridians at the speed of lightning. The fierce energy spread wildly, making Li Lin''s face break out in cold sweat. Although Li Lin had anticipated the demon pill''s terrifying energy, he hadn''t expected it to be this formidable. It seemed that this wild energy was not much weaker than the true qi of a fourth-level Martial Soul. The majestic energy transformed from the demon pill rampaged within, causing Li Lin''s complexion to turn pale, his eyes to emit red firelight, and the majestic energy to surge through his meridians and even his blood, causing violent turmoil. "This energy is too powerful." Li Lin broke out in cold sweat. At this moment, a faint yellow halo enveloped Li Lin''s body, with the demon pill''s majestic energy rampaging through his meridians, bones, and even blood, causing waves of intense pain. Even the clash between this vast energy and Li Lin''s own true qi caused fluctuations like boiling water, constantly churning, making Li Lin nearly wish to faint on the spot from the deep pain. However, Li Lin knew he couldn''t afford to faint now. After all the cultivation and trials he had gone through, his willpower had reached an extremely high level, making it difficult to find a peer with comparable resolve. The intense pain was unbearable for most, but Li Lin clenched his teeth and persevered, controlling the massive energy within his body to begin refining it. As time slowly passed, with the persistence through the intense pain, Li Lin finally began to grasp a bit of the majestic energy to start refining it. The energy was too vast and caused Li Lin much difficulty, but as he started refining it gradually, the benefits of the majestic energy became apparent, forming a huge amount of refined true qi rushing into his Dantian Qi Sea at a pleasing rate. Li Lin could clearly feel that this batch of refined true qi was significant, continuously pouring into his Dantian Qi Sea. At this moment, in the vast Dantian Qi Sea, as the external true qi entered, it began to fluctuate, with the five-colored Martial Pill inside starting to slowly rotate, like a never-stopping heart, surrounded by a faint five-colored glow. In the nourishment of true qi, the Martial Pill was being enhanced at a speed invisible to the naked eye, absorbing bits of true qi and becoming more lustrous. As the refining continued, the massive energy within was gradually suppressed and began to calm down. Meanwhile, Li Lin felt his bones, meridians, muscles, and internal organs being tempered by the vast energy. Unknowingly, this tempering, though not immediately noticeable, was significant over time. During this refining process, Li Lin entered a state of self-forgetfulness, controlling the energy within his body to refine, with bits of refined energy transforming into true qi entering his Dantian Qi Sea. The energy from the demon pill, more challenging to assimilate than directly absorbing a martial artist''s true qi, required a more complex refining process, similar to refining medicinal pills. However, this complexity was relative, as Li Lin''s speed in refining the demon pill for cultivation was far faster than ordinary people. Inside the Dantian Qi Sea, which seemed like a bottomless pit, was absorbing the refined true qi. After breaking through to the first level of Martial Soul, the energy required for further breakthroughs was frighteningly large. Li Lin felt his Dantian Qi Sea was much larger than those of his peers, requiring much more true qi for breakthroughs. As the refining went on, a strange phenomenon occurred among the direct disciples of the Yunyang Sect. Initially, twenty or thirty disciples practiced martial techniques at night and cultivated true qi during the day. Eventually, nearly a hundred disciples did so, creating a constant rumbling noise in the Yunyang Sect whenever night fell. Even Yun Xiao Tian was alarmed by this and discovered upon investigation that the instigator was Elder Yu and his disciples. As Li Lin secluded himself to refine the demon pill, the Blood Lizard and Little Dragon, along with the Winged Snow Lion, guarded the mountain peak, even preventing Elder Yu from entering several times. Elder Yu also left with a smile, secretly praising his diligent disciple, far surpassing his other two. As the beginning of the month approached, many disciples looked forward to Li Lin''s battle with Li Dajiang, speculating on who would win. Unknowingly, Li Lin gained the support of many, with half of the disciples believing in his victory. Chapter 305: Glimpses At the peak of a mountain, in a courtyard, Li Wushuang with her beautiful eyes gazed into the distance, dressed in a red palace outfit, her black hair cascading down like a waterfall, lightly tied behind her head. A gentle breeze came, fluttering a few strands of her hair, adding to her ethereal aura, like a celestial being untainted by the mundane world. Such a stunning beauty, also a formidable figure on the Dragon List, Li Wushuang had numerous admirers within the Yunyang Sect, even more so than Yun Hongling. Her refined temperament and exquisite beauty were irresistible to any man. However, many disciples in the Yunyang Sect knew that this beautiful woman had always kept others at a distance, never giving anyone a chance, which only fueled their pursuit even more. Unknown to others, this beautiful womans heart was already marked by a figure, a face resolute, always wearing a slight mischievous smile. Atop the mountain, a light breeze blew, pressing the light red palace dress against Li Wushuang''s curvaceous body, outlining her captivating figure. She lightly brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear, her movements full of allure. Gazing at the mountains ahead, she murmured, Ten days have passed, I will try to not see you, to forget you. Hongling is a good girl, she suits you better than I do Sister Wushuang, whats been bothering you these days? Two figures approached, it was Cuiyu and Du Gu Binglan. Nothing much. Li Wushuang turned with a slight smile, telling Du Gu Binglan, Are you trying to send me away? I wanted to stay here a bit longer. Sister Wushuang, its fine for you to stay here. Im just worried about you, you seem preoccupied lately. Du Gu Binglan smiled, By the way, Sister Wushuang, Liner is going to challenge Li Dajiang at the beginning of the month, will you go? Well see when the time comes, Li Wushuang managed a smile. On the fifth day of Li Lins secluded meditation for devouring demon pills, an aura began to rise within the room. Li Lin sat cross-legged, enveloped in a yellow halo that started to shine brightly. A pulling force emerged from within the halo, drawing invisible energy from the surroundings into his body. As time passed, the energy within Li Lins Dantian Qi Sea reached a saturated state, the five-colored martial pill inside spinning rapidly, continuously absorbing true Qi. Under such a condition, another day passed, and true Qi began overflowing from Li Lins body, then gradually retracted, like a cycle of inhalation and exhalation. During this process, Li Lins aura reached new heights. The aura spread out from the courtyard, filling the sky, where a slight energy fluctuation began to appear. The master is about to break through again, a blood lizard on a rock lifted its head, watching the energy fluctuation lightly. Hiss! A little dragon also raised its head, its forked tongue flickering, its eyes rolling around. As the energy in the sky grew denser, in the courtyard room, spatial airflows condensed into vortexes around Li Lin, drawing invisible energy into his body from the yellow glow. This mysterious phenomenon lasted for an hour before slowly dissipating. After the last bit of invisible energy entered Li Lins body, the air vortexes vanished, and the energy fluctuation above the mountain also disappeared. Huff Li Lin exhaled turbid air and opened his eyes, deep lights shooting out, his aura gradually unfolding around him, reaching the second level of the Martial Spirit. Ive only broken through one level. The aura only lasted for a brief moment before Li Lin quickly retracted it, his smile fading, and his brow slightly furrowed. A demon pill, equivalent to three levels of Martial Spirits true Qi energy, was completely absorbed, yet it only increased his level by one. The energy needed for his breakthrough was terrifyingly vast. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Feeling the fullness of true Qi in his body and the vastness of his Dantian Qi Sea, Li Lin estimated that to break through from the second to the third level of the Martial Spirit, he would need at least three demon pills. Im still too weak. I must strengthen myself as soon as possible, Li Lin murmured. His strength was barely acceptable among his peers, but compared to the real powerhouses, he was far behind. Perhaps, among the top ten on the Dragon List in Yunyang Sect, their strength wouldnt be inferior to his. This meant he was somewhat lacking among his generation, having started too late to compare with disciples from major sects. The path of the strong. Li Lin clenched his fist, murmuring to himself, his gaze shifting towards the window. Four more days, huh? Li Lin smiled faintly. In four days, it would be the beginning of the month, and atop the Earth Dragon Peak, he would face a challenge. Li Dajiang, I will use you as a stepping stone to enter the top twenty of the Dragon List. A cold light flashed in Li Lins eyes as he spoke softly. Atop the mountain, a figure in a green robe stepped out of the courtyard, a jade slip appearing in his hand. The faint light surrounding it absorbed into Li Lins brow as he dropped a bead of blood onto the slip, causing a slight headache from the intense energy. After a moment, the light from the jade slip disappeared, and new information was imprinted in Li Lins mind. Closing his eyes briefly, Li Lin sorted through the information in his mind. When he opened his eyes again, a bitter smile appeared, his brows almost frowning together. Glimpses, a Xuan-level early-stage martial technique, truly difficult to cultivate, Li Lin took a deep breath. The jade slip contained the Glimpses movement technique that Uncle Jiang wanted him to acquire. Movement techniques were extremely rare on the continent because they could be cultivated by warriors of all attributes, especially faster by those with the wind attribute. A Xuan-level early-stage movement technique was indeed a treasure, as any Xuan-level martial technique was a closely guarded secret among major sects. With several days left before the duel at the beginning of the month, Li Lin decided to start cultivating the Glimpses technique. Compared to high-level Yellow techniques, the difficulty of cultivating a Xuan-level technique was like the difference between heaven and earth. Such a cultivation method exists. Li Lin was astonished. To cultivate Glimpses, one must first unblock all meridians in the feet. Li Lin knew there were six major meridians and sixty-six branches in the feet connected to the liver, spleen, stomach, kidneys, and other organs, covering the entire body''s blood vessels and meridians. Unblocking them all was no easy task. Most importantly, one must first unblock the Yongquan point on the sole, then all the meridians, creating a vortex around the Yongquan point on the sole. This is the foundation of cultivating Glimpses. Once the meridians are unblocked, true Qi flows from the feet, propelling the body with incredible speed. According to the information, at its fastest, the speed of Glimpses could chase the speed of light, tearing through space, an absolutely terrifying level. Cultivate. Li Lins determined gaze flashed. Although Glimpses was difficult to cultivate, he had successfully cultivated a Xuan-level early-stage spirit technique before. He didnt believe Glimpses could stump him, refusing to believe he couldnt succeed. Now at the second level of Martial Spirit, Li Lin thought of his Sword Spirit technique. He had only been able to use the first level, Sword Spirit Slash, and wondered if he could now use the second level, Sword Spirit Light Blade. If he could, his strength would undoubtedly increase significantly. Sitting cross-legged, Li Lin began attempting to unblock all meridians in his feet, starting with the Yongquan point. Clearing his mind of distractions, he gradually entered a state of cultivation. Controlling true Qi flow through the meridians, he reorganized them, a process requiring patience. Fortunately, Li Lin was not impatient, and his meridians were already wide and robust, making it easier to unblock all the meridians in his feet. This would be a significant challenge for ordinary cultivators, who might spend years just unblocking the meridians. As time passed, with the little dragon, the Sky Winged Snow Lion, and the blood lizard guarding him, Li Lin opened his eyes three days later, a flash of brilliance passing through. It seems easier than I thought. Li Lin said with a smile, having unblocked all the meridians in his feet in just three days, a feat he hadnt anticipated. His meridians were so easily unblocked because they were wide and robust. Begin cultivation. Li Lin smiled faintly, ready to start cultivating Glimpses, a technique even Uncle Jiang valued, to see its extraordinary aspects. With hand seals changing and true Qi flowing through specific meridians in his feet, Li Lin was caught off guard as two small whirlwinds formed under his feet, flipping him onto the ground. He landed on a rock, thankfully not sharp, or it would have been disastrous. Even so, his buttocks were instantly sore. Chapter 306: Gathering of the Mighty "Indeed, there is something extraordinary about this." Li Lin raised an eyebrow, rubbing his sore buttocks: "Continue, I don''t believe I can''t cultivate successfully through this." After countless falls and practice sessions, atop the mountain peak, the figure in the green robe has become passionately immersed in cultivation. As many disciples eagerly awaited, the beginning of the month finally arrived. Normally, at the start of the month, the battle at the Earth Dragon Summit would involve around two hundred direct disciples. However, this morning, four to five hundred direct disciples arrived at the Earth Dragon Summit. In the Yunyang Sect, there are only four to five hundred direct disciples of the younger generation, suggesting that only a very few did not come. Undoubtedly, most of them came for the battle between Li Dajiang and Li Lin. This duel had been anticipated by many for months, and the day of the showdown has finally arrived. Besides the direct disciples, many old disciples of the Yunyang Sect also came to the Earth Dragon Summit today. Although the status of old disciples is not as high as that of direct disciples, they are still considered veterans in the sect and hold a higher status than new disciples. If the law enforcers agree, they too can come to the Earth Dragon Summit. This morning, no less than two thousand old disciples surged into the Earth Dragon Summit. The area of the Earth Dragon Summit is large enough to accommodate twenty thousand people, so even with over two thousand people gathered, it wasn''t crowded at all. "Look, Ba Dao Long San is here too." "This guy came as well? He''s ranked sixth on the Dragon List. It seems he''s also curious about the battle between Li Lin and Li Dajiang." "Look, not just Ba Dao Long San, the woman next to him, Fei Ying Ling Feng, ranked seventh on the Dragon List. This is terrifying." "My goodness, Gui Shou Du Zichun is here too, ranked ninth on the Dragon List." "Look at that corner, who is it? Zhan Jiang Qu Dao Jue, ranked third on the Dragon List. I heard he intends to challenge Li Lin in the Wan Wu Tower. Probably, he came today for Li Lin." Unexpectedly, all these monsters have arrived. It''s terrifying. It seems today will be very lively. Whenever these monsters come, they always directly challenge those they find disagreeable. As more and more rare figures were spotted at the Earth Dragon Summit, many disciples whispered among themselves. The appearance of these absolute powerhouses on the Dragon List excited everyone. It was unexpected that even these cultivation monsters would come today. "Look, Duoming Qiang Li Dajiang has arrived." "And Jue Jian Zhao Qingtian, ranked fifth on the Dragon List. Unexpectedly, he came too." In the sky, on the back of a gigantic flying beast, several figures leaped down to the Earth Dragon Summit. Leading the two, one in a yellow robe, slightly shorter but with an extraordinary aura, was Duoming Qiang Li Dajiang, a prominent figure among the younger generation of the Yunyang Sect. Beside Li Dajiang, there was a figure in white robes, with a stern gaze and an extremely sharp aura, making people dare not approach. It was Jue Jian Zhao Qingtian, a top five powerhouse on the Dragon List and the direct grandson of Elder Zhao, holding an absolutely high status in the Yunyang Sect. "Look, next to Zhao Qingtian is Li Shaohu, also a person on the Dragon List. It''s said he''s Li Lin''s brother." "Not born of the same mother, I heard they''ve had a poor relationship since childhood." Amidst the discussions, several people walked to a square formation, closed their eyes slightly, and paid no heed to the whispers of others. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. At this moment, many young girls on the Earth Dragon Summit became excited. Many strong individuals on the Dragon List had arrived, each being closely observed in excitement. However, it seemed that few of the strong ones on the Dragon List were here for women. After all, the strong ones on the Dragon List wouldn''t be interested in any rouge or powder. As time slowly passed, the number of people arriving at the Earth Dragon Summit continued to increase, with many old disciples rushing over. The law enforcers in charge of the Earth Dragon Summit had not yet arrived, so people continued to wait. However, no one was restless, especially with several top ten strong ones on the Dragon List present. It would be disastrous to be severely taught a lesson by them if they found someone disagreeable. However, many were whispering, speculating how interesting it would be if the top ten strong ones on the Dragon List were to compete against each other today. Among the crowd, a beautiful figure frowned slightly, scanning the surroundings as if searching for something. This figure, with an exceptionally beautiful face and elegant demeanor, attracted many disciples'' gaze, unwilling to look away. Naturally, it was Li Wushuang. "Wushuang sister, are you looking for Lin''er?" Du Gu Binglan gently said. Beside Du Gu Binglan were Cui Yu and Yang Miao. Unexpectedly, beside Yang Miao were also two people. If Li Lin were here, he would definitely recognize them. One was Wang Guang from Qingyun Town''s Wang family, and the other was Yang Miao''s sister, Yang Man. These two were now old disciples of the Yunyang Sect. These two had always been suppressing Li Wushuang, but after Li Wushuang became a direct disciple, they could only flatter her. Li Wushuang did not hold any grudges against them. "I... No, I''m just looking around." Li Wushuang said lightly, seemingly distracted, murmuring in her heart: "I''m not here to see you; I''m just here to watch the monthly competition. I''ll hide in the crowd; as long as I don''t see you, it''s fine." "Wushuang sister." In the crowd, several figures approached Li Wushuang and others, led by Li Shaohu and Zhao Qingtian. "Shaohu." Li Wushuang uttered softly. Li Shaohu was her cousin. Although she knew everything about the Li family, there were some things she couldn''t interfere with. Seeing Zhao Qingtian beside Li Shaohu, her eyebrows immediately furrowed. "Wushuang junior sister, you''re becoming more beautiful." Zhao Qingtian said lightly, with many disciples around them automatically making way, knowing well that Jue Jian Zhao Qingtian was one of Li Wushuang''s many suitors and dared not provoke Zhao Qingtian. "Thank you for the compliment." Li Wushuang replied indifferently, turning away, showing no interest in engaging with Zhao Qingtian. "Zhao senior brother." Seeing Zhao Qingtian, Yang Man stepped forward. Under her brocade robe, her voluptuous figure was outlined, looking mature and full of charm. Her plump lips, exuding a fragrant and moist aura, seductively lifted towards Zhao Qingtian, seemingly tempting him with a desire-filled tease. However, Yang Man failed to seduce Zhao Qingtian. Looking at her full moon-like buttocks and voluptuous peaks, many male disciples around them bled from their noses. Wang Liang, who had always been by Yang Man''s side, seeing her trying to climb up to Zhao Qingtian, could only seethe with anger, not daring to do anything to Yang Man, let alone Zhao Qingtian. "Wushuang junior sister, long time no see. How have you been?" Zhao Qingtian ignored Yang Man, continuing to shamelessly approach Li Wushuang. "Zhao Qingtian, Wushuang junior sister is mine. You better step aside." At this moment, from the sky, a figure instantly descended, a sharp gust of wind accompanying the sound of breaking air, and feet heavily landing on the ground, causing the paving stones of the plaza to crack with fine fissures. The ground trembled violently, and many disciples, seeing the newcomer, showed surprise but then understood. With such a presence, it was not surprising because he was Ba Dao Long San, one of Li Wushuang''s suitors. "Hmph, Long San, you''re also wrong. Wushuang junior sister is neither Zhao Qingtian''s nor yours." As Ba Dao Long San had just landed, another voice came. At this moment, people turned around to see a figure in all white, touching the ground with the tip of his foot, his body gliding through the air like a falling leaf, directly leaping into the sky. Upon closer inspection, it was evident that an invisible white vortex was under his feet. A white vortex formed, instantly crossing over a hundred meters of space without the need for gathering qi wings, as if flying through the air. This scene immediately caused an uproar among the crowd because this was the effect of the Yunyang Sect''s movement technique, Floating Light and Glimmering Shadow, resembling flying through the air. "Fei Ying Ling Feng..." "Fei Ying Ling Feng, I love you." As this scene unfolded, many female disciples began screaming crazily, for this man was none other than Fei Ying Ling Feng, the dream lover of almost all female disciples in the Yunyang Sect, ranked seventh on the Dragon List. With his graceful demeanor, handsome appearance, and formidable strength, such a man could drive women mad. Under the screaming of female disciples and the astonished gazes of many, Fei Ying Ling Feng gently landed, his qi retracting beneath his feet, the vortex dispersing, and he lightly touched down without stirring a speck of dust. Elegant and unrestrained, at this moment, the female disciples screamed even louder. Chapter 307: Confrontation As the Flying Eagle Ling Feng landed, he smiled faintly, his handsomeness something all men would probably envy, jealous, and hate. His face was smooth and fair, stunningly beautiful, with distinct facial features carved like sculpture, angular and extraordinarily handsome. His deep, black eyes shimmered with an enchanting luster, the dense eyebrows, the tall nose, and the perfect lips, every detail exuded nobility and elegance. Such a man was simply more beautiful than women. "Long San, Ling Feng, step aside for me, or don''t blame me for being rude." At this moment, three figures looked at each other, and Zhao Qingtian''s expression darkened. "Ha ha, how can you be rude, Zhao Qingtian, what can you do to me? Others may fear you, but I do not, hmph!" Flying Eagle Ling Feng snorted lightly, not putting Zhao Qingtian in his eyes at all. The fifth and the seventh on the Dragon List, how much difference could there be. "Zhao Qingtian, if you''re not convinced, how about we have a match?" Ba Dao Long San''s fighting spirit surged. The three Dragon List powerhouses instantly surrounded Li Wushuang in the middle, three absolute figures of the Yunyang Sect, not to mention the presence of Flying Eagle Ling Feng, the dream lover of all female disciples in the Yunyang Sect, instantly drawing countless envious, jealous, and hateful gazes onto Li Wushuang. The three Dragon List powerhouses faced each other, their fighting spirits intertwined, all for the woman before them, each displaying a confrontational momentum like the sharp end against the wheat awn. In the distant corner, the rugged figure of Qu Dao Jue, and the slightly sinister aura of Ghost Hand Du Zichun, also glanced at the three. At this moment, all the disciples around automatically retreated, as if the three''s aura indicated a great battle was imminent. All three were pursuers of Li Wushuang, none willing to admit defeat, sensing the aura of the three, many were highly anticipatory. If these three on the Dragon List were to make a move, who would emerge victorious in the end? "Whoosh!" Just as the three were in a standoff, with a huge rush of air, a giant flying beast descended from above, and instantly four figures landed in the arena. "Shh!" As the four landed, stirring up a gust of wind, all eyes turned to them. Among the newcomers, three were the guardians of the Earth Dragon Summit, with the lead figure in a black robe, exuding a strong aura, surrounded by an invisible air current. The disciples looked slightly surprised; the newcomer was the great guardian of the sect, speculated by many in the sect to be even stronger than some of the elders. "Greetings to the great guardian, greetings to all guardians." The disciples immediately bowed respectfully, and at this moment, Zhao Qingtian, Ba Dao Long San, and Flying Eagle Ling Feng also retracted their auras. At this time, Li Wushuang also let out a sigh of relief. "Didn''t expect the great guardian to come. Looks like today''s Earth Dragon Summit is really lively." Some disciples whispered. Now, with the four guardians stepping forward, slowly walking to the center, their gazes swept over the disciples. In front of several stone platforms, the guardians stood, the black-robed elder said lightly, his voice reaching nearly three thousand disciples present: "Today, there are three matches. Those who are going to compete, get ready. First up are Luo Zhi and Zhang Jia." As the great guardian''s voice fell, figures flickered among the crowd, one leaping into the air, drawing an arc before landing in the arena. This person was a female disciple, around twenty-one or twenty-two, with a pretty face, but seemingly with many pimples. Dressed in white tight-fitting clothes, her figure was prominently displayed, especially her chest, which seemed about to burst forth. "Swish..." Another figure also instantly appeared in the arena, a young man in a blue robe, with a strong aura, standing on the stage, his Qi already vibrating. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Both competitors took the stage, drew their weapons, and began to circle each other, attracting all the disciples'' attention. "These two, one ranked thirty-nine and the other forty on the Dragon List, I wonder who will win." "It should be Zhang Jia. It''s said that his strength has greatly improved recently through training in the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm." As the disciples whispered among themselves, the two in the arena moved. With a flash of Qi under their feet, they entangled immediately, causing a series of sonic booms, their Qi scattering. Both were at the fourth level of Martial Soul strength, quite formidable. Their fierce battle began, leaving many spectators dumbfounded. From any aspect, this battle between the two was a highlight of the Earth Dragon Summit, with no more than fifteen people present who could overlook them. Of course, at this moment, Zhao Qingtian, Ba Dao Long San, and Flying Eagle Ling Feng did not pay attention to the battle, surrounding Li Wushuang, each watching the other, none speaking. Meanwhile, many female disciples gathered around Ling Feng. For a time, the area around Li Wushuang was crowded with disciples. Watching this scene, Li Wushuang could only smile wryly, and Cui Yu, Du Gu Binglan, Yang Miao, and others could only offer bitter smiles. Now, with three Dragon List powerhouses pursuing Li Wushuang, they felt overshadowed. The fierce battle on the stage, Qu Dao Jue and Ghost Hand Du Zichun, did not even spare a glance, starting to meditate instead. Naturally, this competition excited many other disciples, after all, Zhang Jia and Luo Zhi were absolute powerhouses among the younger generation. After about twenty minutes and hundreds of moves, Zhang Jia seized a moment of carelessness from Luo Zhi, played his trump card, and defeated Luo Zhi. "Zhang Jia wins, maintaining his rank of thirty-nine on the Dragon List." A guardian announced: "Next match, Jin Tao versus Shang Wenjie." As the elder''s voice fell, two figures leaped onto the stage, two young men around twenty-four or twenty-five, both with strong auras and an invisible momentum surrounding them. "Jin Tao, ranked thirty-four on the Dragon List, Shang Wenjie, ranked thirty-two. This match is expected to be much more exciting than the last." "Both are at the fifth level of Martial Soul, it''s hard to say who will win." As the crowd discussed, the two young powerhouses in the arena collided with a boom, the sound of their impact continuous. Their rankings on the Dragon List were higher than Luo Zhi and Zhang Jia in the previous match, and their battle was much more intense, immediately erupting into a fierce fight. Their strength earned nods from the great guardian and others; the young generation''s capabilities were indeed not weak. "Eh, have you noticed? Li Lin seems to be missing today." "Indeed, he hasn''t shown up. Didn''t he agree to a battle? Could he be afraid?" "Could he really be too scared to show up?" With the second match underway, it was discovered that a very important figure of the day had not shown up. It was already morning, and atop a mountain peak, a figure in a blue robe was moving swiftly. On the uneven rocky surface of the mountain top, with every light step, powerful Qi burst forth from beneath his feet like a tide, and a wind vortex formed underfoot, whistling out. The gusts swept away all the pebbles on the ground, as if a violent wind had blown past. Li Lin was practicing with abandon, his body shuttling across the mountain top, his clothes rustling in the vortex of wind. "No, it''s still far from enough." Li Lin frowned, changing direction as he moved, a flash of Qi under his feet instantly gave rise to a wind vortex. "Swoosh!" With the appearance of the wind vortex, Li Lin instantly disappeared from his original spot. When he reappeared, he was already five meters away. With such speed, it was as if he had teleported, but from the look on Li Lin''s face, he seemed still unsatisfied. Raising an eyebrow, Li Lin continued to flash step, with wind vortexes condensing under his feet, his whole person instantly started moving non-stop on top of the mountain, his speed increasing rapidly, as if dragging a string of afterimages behind him. "It''s still not enough, far too lacking." Despite such incredible speed, Li Lin was not satisfied at all and continued to practice. This kind of devoted practice had been going on from yesterday till this morning, for over twenty hours straight, Li Lin had been practicing without eating, drinking, or showing any signs of fatigue. "The strength of our master is all due to his desperate practice. No wonder he is much stronger than other human warriors of the same level." A blood lizard, perched on a towering rock, spoke while shaking its blood-red tail. "That''s right, you haven''t seen the hardships our boss went through before. That''s what you call arduous," the voice of a little dragon echoed in the blood lizard''s mind. As Li Lin continued to practice, the wind vortex around him grew larger and his speed became even more astonishing, reaching a level that dazzled the onlooker. The Qi flowed around his body, emitting a powerful force that directly cleaved through the air in front of him. Li Lin''s body, at this moment, kept dragging out afterimages under a bizarre arc, with howling air currents bursting forth violently. When Li Lin''s speed reached a certain extreme level, a violent yellow wind vortex formed around him, including the ground beneath his feet. The wind vortex spun at high speed, causing the hard ground and rocks on the mountain top to be swept by the air vortex, instantly cracking. "Sigh..." The air vortex disappeared, and Li Lin''s body abruptly stopped, dragging a strong gust of wind far behind him. Yet, at this moment, Li Lin''s brows were still tightly furrowed, as his practice was still far from reaching his expectations. Chapter 308: The Focus of Thousands "It really is extremely difficult to cultivate." Li Lin said lightly. Xuan-level beginner stage martial techniques are much harder than high-level Huang techniques. Just started practicing Floating Light Shifting Shadows, although it''s much faster in terms of speed, to reach a small achievement, when using Floating Light Shifting Shadows, it would be silent and invisible, without causing such a big fluctuation, so it''s still far from a small achievement. Frowning, Li Lin then gave a bitter smile. It''s already quite an achievement to reach this effect after only one day of cultivation. "Boss, have you forgotten? You seem to have a challenge today." The voice of Little dragon echoed in Li Lin''s mind. "Oh no, I forgot." Looking up at the sky, Li Lin''s expression suddenly changed. He didn''t realize that a day and night had passed in his cultivation. "Xue Shi, let''s go to the Earth Dragon Peak." Li Lin immediately said. "Roar..." The Skywing Snow Lion let out a low growl, flapped its wings, and then circled overhead. "Whoosh..." Little dragon was already on Li Lin''s back first, eager to watch the boss overpower others. "Master, may I join?" The Blood Lizard spoke up, not wanting to miss the excitement of someone challenging its master. "Let''s go, all together." Li Lin nodded. "Thank you, master." The Blood Lizard was delighted and then leaped onto Li Lin''s shoulder. "Xue Shi, let''s go." Li Lin quickly jumped onto the back of the Skywing Snow Lion, which then took off. Li Lin took a moment to regulate his breath on the back of the Skywing Snow Lion, hoping he wouldn''t be too late. "Bang bang..." Atop the Earth Dragon Peak, the sounds of sonic booms continuously erupted. The two figures in the square clashed fiercely, their powerful Qi colliding and exploding into bursts of deep rumbling. Shadows flickered, and weapons clashed, the crisp sound of metal striking metal accompanied by sparks flashing incessantly. The two combatants, one ranked thirty-fourth on the Dragon List, Jin Tao, and the other ranked thirty-second, Shang Wenjie, one with earth attribute and the other with water attribute, were evenly matched after fighting for more than ten minutes. The surrounding disciples were thrilled by the competition, a rare sight in ordinary times. A battle between those ranked in the thirties on the Dragon List was not a monthly occurrence. However, for figures like Ba Dao Long San, Fei Ying Ling Feng, and Jue Jian Zhao Qingtian, this fight was insignificant. Without the strength of the top twenty on the Dragon List, they generally disregarded it. At this moment, the three were eyeing each other, surrounding Li Wushuang helplessly in the center. Even Du Gu Bing Lan, Cui Yu, and Yang Miao found themselves inadvertently encircled by these three, their auras subtly vibrating, known rivals within the Yun Yang Sect. In the foremost center, the figure in a black robe, the Great Protector, swept his gaze through the crowd, revealing a hint of confusion as if searching for something. "Bang bang..." The battle in the center became more intense, and suddenly, a twist occurred. Jin Tao, seizing a moment of carelessness from Shang Wenjie, changed his hand seals rapidly. Qi burst forth violently, unleashing an incredibly fierce attack. The earthy yellow Qi surged out like thunder. "My god, Jin Tao was hiding his strength, he''s reached the sixth level of Martial Soul." If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "It turns out Jin Tao has broken through to the sixth level of Martial Soul. No wonder he challenged Shang Wenjie, ranked thirty-second." From the aura emanating from Jin Tao, it was clear he had reached the sixth level of Martial Soul, surprising everyone. "He actually cultivated a secret technique, able to enhance his strength temporarily." When the disciples thought Jin Tao had broken through, the Great Protector lightly said. He could see that Jin Tao had only practiced a secret technique of the Yun Yang Sect, able to temporarily increase strength but with significant side effects. Not many in the sect practiced it, knowing the consequences could severely impact one''s foundation, so its practice was not encouraged. The twist in the battle caught the attention of Ba Dao Long San, Fei Ying Ling Feng, and Jue Jian Zhao Qingtian only briefly before they dismissed it. At that moment, under Jin Tao''s relentless and unexpected attacks, a palm strike landed heavily on Shang Wenjie''s shoulder. "Bang bang!" The force of the blow crushed down, and Shang Wenjie, pale, spat out blood, his body retreating outside the red line boundary. "Good..." Many spectators cheered for Jin Tao, who successfully advanced to the thirty-second rank on the Dragon List, a notable achievement. At that moment, outside the red line, Shang Wenjie, blood dripping from his mouth, could only accept his fate helplessly. "Jin Tao wins, advancing to rank thirty-two on the Dragon List, Shang Wenjie moves down to thirty-three," announced a protector. "It''s time for the third match, Li Dajiang with the Deadly Spear and Li Lin should be up." "But Li Lin hasn''t been seen yet. Perhaps he''s really afraid and dares not come." As people whispered among themselves, another protector''s voice announced, "Today''s final match, Li Dajiang, ranked twentieth on the Dragon List, challenges Li Lin, ranked thirty-sixth." The crowd fell silent, their attention focused on this match, the reason most were present today. Now, as the day of their confrontation arrived, many felt nervous, even though they were not the ones fighting. "Whoosh!" As the protector finished speaking, a figure among the disciples, Li Dajiang, utilized his Qi to leap into the air, striking the ground with a palm, rebounding off the force to perform a 360-degree turn, elegantly landing on the ground. Such an entrance won silent praise from many disciples. Those ranked in the top twenty on the Dragon List, receiving focused cultivation from the Yun Yang Sect, represented the strongest among the sect''s direct disciples. Each possessed extraordinary abilities, deserving their high ranking. "Where is Li Lin..." Li Dajiang''s entrance made everyone realize that Li Lin, the other main character, was still absent, prompting many to start looking around. "Li Lin hasn''t come." "I haven''t seen him today." After a moment of silence, the crowd resumed their discussions, stirring up. "Sister Wushuang, why hasn''t Lin''er come?" Cui Yu whispered to Li Wushuang. "I don''t know, I haven''t seen him for many days." Li Wushuang replied, her brows furrowed in worry. "Hmph! That coward must be afraid and dared not come," Li Shaohu snorted disdainfully, viewing his half-brother with more enmity than an enemy. Unknown to others, Li Shaohu had always looked down on that "waste," born of a maid. How could he compare to him? When that "waste," whom he never regarded highly, suddenly revealed a talent surpassing his own, overshadowing him in the Li family and even attracting Du Gu Bing Lan''s favor, jealousy and hatred brewed within him. When that "waste" fell into the abyss, Li Shaohu felt relieved, only to be frustrated when the "waste" survived and arrived at the Yun Yang Sect, once again becoming the center of attention, fueling his hatred. "Li Lin, it''s time for you to appear," the Great Protector announced, his voice, mixed with Qi, clearly reaching everyone''s ears. After a moment of silence, no one appeared, puzzling the protectors. Normally, if a challenger didn''t show, they would be deemed to have forfeited, affecting their ranking on the Dragon List. However, this match was unusual since the challenger''s rank was much higher than the challenged, making it impossible to simply adjust rankings. "Hmph!" Down below, Li Dajiang coldly huffed, frustrated that Li Lin seemed to have played him, showing no intention of accepting the challenge. He had hoped to teach Li Lin a lesson today, but it appeared his plans were in vain. "Sigh... It looks like there''s no show today. Li Lin must be afraid of Li Dajiang''s revenge, daring not to appear." "If it were me, I wouldn''t come either. With a first level Martial Soul facing a seventh level, it''s suicide. Knowing you''ll lose, why bother?" "Roar..." Just as everyone sighed in disappointment, a loud roar echoed from afar. Thousands of eyes turned towards the sound. The protectors'' gazes also shifted to the source of the roar, a distant white, massive flying beast rapidly approaching. "It''s the Skywing Snow Lion, Li Lin is coming..." "He really dared to come..." Amidst the whispered discussions, the figure on the Skywing Snow Lion''s back appeared overhead, his determined face breaking into a lazy, slightly wicked smile. Chapter 309: Who Can Defeat Whom? "Sigh..." With a flap of its wings, the Skywing Snow Lion stirred up a huge airflow tornado in the sky. On the back of the Skywing Snow Lion, the man in the green robe leaped down, his body slowly descending. An invisible airflow was expelled around him, gently landing on the ground without causing a single ripple. "Ssss..." On the shoulders of the man in the green robe, a small yellow snake on the left and a blood-red little lizard on the right, both were flicking their tongues. "I heard that both of those beasts are very strong, one of them is even a fourth-tier Blood Lizard." Upon seeing the figure in the green robe, a group of disciples began to whisper among themselves. At this moment, Zhandao Qudao Jue and Guishou Du Zichun, who had been meditating with their eyes closed, suddenly opened their eyes, sweeping their gaze over Li Lin. "Wushuang..." In Li Lin''s eyes, at this moment, he only saw that one supremely beautiful and elegant woman among the crowd. "Li Lin, it''s your turn to go on stage." Seeing Li Lin, the protector who had visited Li Lin''s mountain residence several times spoke. The arrival of Li Lin also relieved the four protectors, but they soon frowned slightly, uncertain of the outcome of this battle. However, at this moment, it wasn''t hard for the four protectors to sense the tension in this battle. With Li Dajiang challenging Li Lin, everyone knew his intentions. Today, on the summit of the Earth Dragon, a fierce battle was undoubtedly about to unfold, and it wouldn''t be surprising if it resulted in fatalities. If someone were to die, it would spell trouble for the protectors responsible. At this moment, Li Lin wanted to speak to Li Wushuang, but hearing the elders urging him on, he had no choice but to stop in his tracks. The little dragon and the Blood Lizard automatically leaped into the sky and landed on the back of the Skywing Snow Lion. "Whoosh..." With a flash of true qi under his feet, a surge of yellow light flowed, Li Lin took advantage of the momentum to leap up, gliding through the air like a duckweed, instantly landing in the arena, his presence calm and unhurried, earning nods of approval from the four protectors. As soon as Li Lin landed in the arena, almost at that instant, all eyes were fixed on him, including those of Absolute Sword Zhao Qingtian, Overlord Blade Long San, Flying Eagle Ling Feng, Zhandao Qudao Jue, and Guishou Du Zichun. Li Wushuang, Du Gu Binglan, Cuiyu, Yang Miao, Yang Man, Wang Liang, and others were no exception. Li Shaohu''s gaze, filled with coldness and murderous intent, was fixed on the man in the green robe, his eyes burning with intense jealousy. "So, you''re Li Lin, huh? Kid, I thought you wouldn''t dare to show up." Staring at Li Lin who had entered the arena, Li Dajiang''s gaze was direct, his coldness unmistakable. Li Lin sized up the figure in the yellow robe, not very tall, with a lean physique, but the aura around him was definitely not to be underestimated. Li Lin smiled lightly and said, "Why wouldn''t I come? My greatest hobby is beating dogs." "What did you say?" Li Dajiang immediately became angry, snorting coldly as true qi vibrated around him, creating ripples in the surrounding air with himself at the center. "If you didn''t understand, let me repeat: my greatest hobby is beating dogs. How could I miss those who present themselves?" Li Lin said with a light smile. "Keke..." Li Dajiang restrained his anger, letting out a sinister cold laugh as his aura began to shake, an invisible breath starting to rise. "Seven layers of martial soul, a dual-element martial artist. I wonder how much effort I need to put in." Li Lin murmured softly, his aura also beginning to rise, and in an instant, the momentum of the two men clashed in the arena. "Be careful, you''re still so arrogant. You''ll suffer for it sooner or later." Li Wushang''s heart was full of worry, her beautiful eyes tightly fixed on the arena, not leaving for a moment. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. "Kid, let me tell you, my goal today is to cripple you. Don''t even dream about Hongling." Li Dajiang said coldly. "Hongling." Li Lin raised an eyebrow, surprised that Hongling would cause trouble for him. This Li Dajiang must be one of her pursuers. "In a while, I''ll be the one to cripple you," Li Lin said lightly. "Let''s see how arrogant you really are." Without any further words, Li Dajiang made his move. True qi flashed under his feet, continuously circulating within his body. As he formed hand seals, a scorching palm strike swept out, seemingly invoking the power of heaven and earth, his figure rapidly advancing towards Li Lin. The palm strike, carrying streaks of flame, expanded violently, bringing a fierce momentum crashing down. Li Lin raised an eyebrow. Facing a strike from a seven-layer martial soul, especially a dual-element martial artist, he dared not be careless. Such a terrifying palm strike instantly enveloped Li Lin''s surrounding space, unleashing a burst of violent flames, wrapping Li Lin within and generating a deep whooshing sound as the fierce qi swept away. "Be careful!" This strike had Li Wushuang''s heart jumping to her throat. "Not bad speed." At this moment, Flying Eagle Ling Feng raised an eyebrow and lightly smiled. "That''s all?" Watching his palm strike engulf his opponent, Li Dajiang sneered. "Is that so? It seems your speed is indeed just mediocre." Li Lin''s voice fell, and his figure had already moved behind Li Dajiang, accompanied by five scorching flame finger strikes appearing out of thin air. "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" The five finger strikes rushed forward, their sharp sounds piercing to the ear. "Break..." Li Dajiang''s expression darkened instantly, his body swiftly retreating. A long spear, longer than he was tall, suddenly appeared in his hand. The spear was golden, with twin tips and intricate patterns along its shaft, its points sharp and emitting a cold light. As the five scorching finger strikes approached, Li Dajiang lifted his spear, releasing powerful true qi bursts. The spear tip traced several arc-shaped lights, continuously overlapping, instantly unleashing a soul-shaking aura that filled every corner of the surrounding space. "Whoosh whoosh..." The spear tip and the finger strikes collided, creating a series of low, explosive sounds as their forces met, breaking through the air. "Ss ss!" Without any pause, as the force had yet to dissipate, Li Dajiang''s figure moved like a specter, leaving behind a trail of afterimages. His spear carried formidable power, casting a dazzling tangible yellow glow. As his aura surged, an invisible force filled every inch of space, the air currents opening into waves. Before his figure arrived, the force had already pressured the air, creating a series of spear shadows with several spear lights crashing down like a meteor breaking through the sky, opening up layers of air currents. The sharp sound of breaking wind directly caused a sonic boom. "Mountain-Breaking Spear." Li Dajiang shouted, and in an instant, several sword lights at the tip of the spear gathered together, forming a tangible spear light that tore through space and came crashing down with a ferocious aura, shaking all the surrounding air currents. Li Lin immediately retreated, a trace of coldness crossing his face, his hand seals changing, and a rich earth attribute energy quickly gathering. "Earth''s Firmament Shield." With a light shout, he waved his hand, and a yellow shield in front of Li Lin suddenly swept out, appearing out of thin air above. "Tsst..." The sharp and violent spear light blinked and crashed down, striking the Earth''s Firmament Shield. To the naked eye, the spear light penetrated a few inches before it couldn''t advance any further. "Break!" Li Dajiang uttered in a low voice, his hand seals slightly changing. At the same time, the spear light fiercely surged forward. With one hand pushing the spear, true qi exploded from his body, spreading out with an extremely violent force, fiercely striking the Earth''s Firmament Shield that Li Lin had condensed. "Crack crack..." Within the violent energy, it was visible to the naked eye, the spear light in front of Li Dajiang inch by inch shattered, and finally, the spear itself fiercely stabbed into the Earth''s Firmament Shield. The violent true qi suddenly poured down, a chill passed through Li Dajiang, he shook his hand, and a towering force surged into the Earth''s Firmament Shield. Li Lin''s face darkened, a massive force poured in, causing his qi and blood to surge within his body. "Boom boom boom!" The massive Earth''s Firmament Shield suddenly shattered, breaking apart on the spot, turning into a burst of violent earth attribute energy that dispersed in the surrounding air, spreading a violent qi that caused a tremendous sonic boom in the mid-air. At this moment, both figures stood in the arena, Li Lin surrounded by a yellow aura emitting a faint yellow glow, in front of Li Dajiang, a yellow aura enveloped him, his presence fierce. "Li Dajiang''s strength is really strong, worthy of being the twentieth-ranked expert on the Dragon List." "Li Lin also has some abilities, actually able to withstand Li Dajiang." Among the discussions of the people, Li Wushuang''s heart, which had been hanging in her throat, slightly relaxed, but her eyes still showed undeniable worry. Zhao Qingtian, Li Shaohu, and others, however, were filled with coldness. "A second-layer martial soul, how has it only been a few days, and this kid has become a second-layer martial soul." Among the leaders, Bai Mei''s face slightly changed. "Dual-element martial artists are indeed much stronger than single-element martial artists, difficult to deal with." Li Lin silently thought to himself, Li Dajiang''s strength was exactly as he had imagined, definitely a tough opponent. Fire and earth dual-element martial artists, compared to single-element martial artists, their strength is increased by half. And dual-element martial artists, possessing two martial dan, just in terms of true qi, are already half stronger than single-element martial artists. Chapter 310: Terrifying Defense "A dual-system martial artist with a seven-layer martial spirit, I need to use my full strength now." A faint coldness began to tremble in Li Lin''s eyes. "You have some skills, but it''s still not enough. Now, I will let you know what the power of the twentieth rank on the Dragon List is like." Li DaJiang''s face sank, and he shook his long spear on the ground, causing the ground around the spear tip to instantly crack and spread out with fissures. As the long spear danced, a shocking hot breath burst forth, and a piece of crimson light appeared on the golden long spear, drawing arcs with profound trajectories and exploding with terrifying hot energy. "The Fire Cloud Spear, Li DaJiang is actually going to use the Fire Cloud Spear." "The Fire Cloud Spear is a high-ranking martial technique of the Yellow class, and Li DaJiang has already mastered it thoroughly." "Chi!" In a corner among the surrounding crowd, warriors like Qu DaoJue and Ghost Hand Du ZiChun also showed a gleam in their eyes. "Going all out?" Li Lin frowned, and an invisible murderous aura began to spread. Let''s end this sooner then. In the blink of an eye, Li DaJiang''s long spear went from slow to rapid movement, leaving behind a trail of hot crimson spear afterimages with each motion. "Elder Protector, Li DaJiang is using the Fire Cloud Spear. Normally, even martial artists with an eight-layer martial spirit would struggle to contend. Should we..." At the head of the group, a protector frowned slightly and whispered to the cloaked elder. "For some reason, I''m more worried about Li DaJiang. Try to feel the aura emanating from Li Lin," the Great Protector said lightly. The three protectors focused their attention on Li Lin, who hadn''t made any move, and their expressions changed instantly, saying, "Such a terrifying murderous aura." "No wonder the sect master said his aura is overwhelming. If this person could be used by our Yunyang Sect, in twenty years, our Yunyang Sect would see another powerhouse emerge," the Great Protector said lightly. "Isn''t Li Lin already a disciple of our Yunyang Sect?" The three protectors were puzzled. The Great Protector smiled slightly, saying nothing but focusing intently on the scene. Li Lin, observing Li DaJiang''s martial technique, could also feel the terrifying energy contained in the spear lights above, and the true qi around his body had already started surging. "The twentieth rank on the Dragon List, let me try." As soon as Li Lin''s words fell, a flash of true qi under his feet, and his figure rushed forward, almost bringing up a series of low-energy sonic booms. How could Li Lin give his opponent the time to gather martial technique, his figure, like lightning, leveraging the momentum to burst towards Li DaJiang. The Qing Ling armor shone brightly, and in his hands, wind blades began to gather, barely visible to the naked eye. Watching Li Lin pounce, Li DaJiang''s eyebrows furrowed slightly. The movement of his long spear didn''t stop, and with a flash of true qi under his foot, he stomped on the ground to leap up, simultaneously retreating rapidly by leveraging the force. "Wind Rolls the Remnant Clouds." At this moment, a massive surge of true qi burst forth from Li Lin''s hands, and the wind energy in the surrounding space instantly converged, creating a violently spinning air current, like a tornado storm, and several cracks opened up on the plaza. A huge tornado formed, howling and bursting towards Li DaJiang. "I didn''t expect Li Lin to have mastered ''Wind Rolls the Remnant Clouds'' so quickly, and to have driven it to such a terrifying extent. I''ve been practicing for three years, and yet I don''t have half of his power." "The power is indeed not weak, but I''m afraid it''s hard to contend with Li DaJiang''s Fire Cloud Spear." The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. At this moment, a cold shout came from the air, "Fire Cloud Spear." As the words fell, Li DaJiang had already condensed the Fire Cloud Spear, pushing his handprint, and instantly, a huge fire cloud pressed down from above, with countless spear afterimages drawn by the long spear in his hand, now condensing into a massive space of thousands of meters, radiating intense heat, like a terrifying fire cloud. With a flash of true qi under his feet, Li DaJiang''s cold aura burst forth, his body shooting up, pushing the handprint, and the terrifying fire cloud in the sky immediately shot towards Li Lin. This massive fire cloud tore through the space, as if ripping space apart, the violent aura pressing down, distorting the entire space, with cracks appearing like they were materialized, engulfing the entire plaza in intense heat. "What a strong power." Everyone was now worried for Li Lin, clearly seeing that although both ''Wind Rolls the Remnant Clouds'' and ''Fire Cloud Spear'' were high-ranking Yellow class martial techniques, Li DaJiang''s Fire Cloud Spear, compared to Li Lin''s technique, was significantly more powerful. This was the difference in cultivation levels; higher strength meant more powerful execution of the same martial technique. "Be careful..." Li WuShuang''s eyes were filled with worry, her heart lifted to her throat. Only Li ShaoHu and Zhao QingTian had a faint sneer in their eyes. As everyone watched in astonishment, the two massive forces collided, the fire cloud pressing down the space, the storm spreading and exploding, with a terrifying energy explosion resounding through the arena... "Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!" Explosions shocked the sky, energy surged, and the sudden release of massive energy left the nearly three thousand disciples with faces full of astonishment, the dazzling light making it impossible for people to look directly. Some slightly stronger disciples finally made out the massive terrifying fire cloud and the huge tornado storm fiercely colliding, the tornado storm resisting only for a moment before being torn apart. In that instant, amidst the violent energy, Li Lin''s face darkened, and he rapidly executed hand seals, setting up an Earth Gang Shield in front of him again. The entire plaza was engulfed in violent energy, the ground cracked, countless fissures spreading in the violent energy, stones flying up into the sky, the space filled with lingering hot flames, such terrifying power made everyone on the scene gasp in cold air. Such terrifying energy revealed Li DaJiang''s figure to everyone''s sight, his face pale, seemingly exhausted from that strike, using his full strength to disable Li Lin, giving no chance to the opponent. "Li Lin is in a bad situation." "Li DaJiang ranks twentieth on the Dragon List, and Li Lin is still far behind. How could he contend with Li DaJiang? This is the difference in strength." "Li Lin''s strength is indeed not bad, but he''s too arrogant, challenging Li DaJiang. This is the lesson of arrogance." At this moment, everyone sighed slightly, in the violent hot flame wind, the outcome for Li Lin was predictable, likely not dead but severely injured. The expressions of the four protectors at the head also sank slightly, their gazes nervously watching the violent hot energy, as if there was a figure slowly moving. The violent energy gradually dissipated, and almost everyone thought Li Lin had lost, thoroughly defeated, almost impossible to withstand Li DaJiang''s full strike, a strike that even a general eight-layer martial spirit could not catch. Li WuShuang''s face was also pale, watching the violent hot energy, her body trembling and staggering back a step. However, as the violent hot energy slowly dissipated, a hazy yellow light emerged, and a figure slowly appeared, that resolute face still hanging a slight smile. "My God, he''s fine, Li Lin is actually fine." "His body is protected by defensive martial technique, this defense is too terrifying." "Could it be a Profound level defensive martial technique?" Seeing the figure appearing at this moment, everyone couldn''t help but gasp, under the sweep of that violent energy, Li Lin was actually unharmed. If it were them caught in it, the consequences would be unimaginable. Li Lin emerged calmly, his body enveloped under the scale space, with a shake of true qi, the scales armor shook off the lingering energy, dissipating it into nothingness. Although Li Lin''s blood energy was surging and his true qi somewhat shaken, the recent energy had not caused substantial harm to him. After breaking through to the second layer of martial spirit, the defense of the Qing Ling armor became even more terrifying. Coupled with the emergency activation of the Earth Gang Shield and his robust body, these three layers of defense, as Li Lin had originally imagined, his cultivation at the second layer of martial spirit, combined with these three layers of defense, was enough to withstand a seven-layer martial spirit. Even facing an eight-layer martial spirit, he need not be too concerned. "He''s fine..." At this moment, seeing Li Lin''s figure, Li DaJiang, Zhao QingTian, Li ShaoHu, and others were immediately surprised. Among the crowd, Qu DaoJue also showed a hint of fighting spirit in his eyes. "Rank twenty on the Dragon List, a seven-layer dual-system martial spirit, turns out to be nothing more." Li Lin looked at Li DaJiang with indifference, two whirlwinds trembling under his feet, and as his words fell, his figure had already disappeared from the spot, his speed terrifyingly fast. "Fleeting Shadows." Fei YingLingFeng''s face changed at this moment. "This kid actually mastered ''Fleeting Shadows''." The Great Protector was immediately surprised, knowing the difficulty of mastering ''Fleeting Shadows''. Not every elder in the sect could succeed in mastering it, although ''Fleeting Shadows'' is only a Profound level low-rank body technique, it is extremely special and thus very difficult to master. Chapter 311: Absolute Victory "This seems to be the Fuguang Lueying martial technique, Li Lin has mastered Fuguang Lueying." "My god, just like Fei Ying Ling Feng, he has cultivated Fuguang Lueying." Just as everyone was shocked, Li Lin''s figure had already instantaneously appeared in front of Li Da Jiang, with a speed so fast that Li Da Jiang had no time to react. "Now it''s my turn, even the twentieth rank on the Dragon List is nothing special." As a cold and falling voice sounded, a sky-high murderous aura surged out, causing the temperature in the surrounding area to drop suddenly, and the surrounding disciples also felt a chill in an instant. "It''s Fuguang Lueying." A solemn expression flashed across Li Da Jiang''s face, his gaze fixed on the azure-robed figure that appeared instantaneously, a chill suddenly rising in his heart. Watching Li Lin''s murderous face, Li Da Jiang did not hesitate or doubt, his body rapidly retreated while trying to gather his attack again, but it was already too late. "Thousand Hand Rift Mark." A deep shout came, and immediately a huge earth attribute energy surged like a tide in the surrounding space, filling the air with a tidal force while waves of continuous earth attribute energy converged, followed by a surge of earth-yellow palm imprint shooting up into the sky. In Li Lin''s right hand, this sky-shooting palm imprint instantly turned into several blurred palm imprints, leaving a trail of afterimages, violently shaking and compressing the air. And in his left hand, a palm-sized fireball condensed in an instant within Li Lin''s palm and burst out with a shout of "Firestorm Explosion!" With a push of the hand, the fireball spun out and then rapidly expanded, tearing open a scorching arc in the space, a terrifying oppressive heat spreading out like a tsunami. The entire space''s temperature soared, with a powerful aura pressing down, directly enveloping the surrounding space. "Yellow-grade high-level fire technique, Firestorm Explosion, and a yellow-grade high-level earth technique." "My god, he can actually use two different attribute techniques at the same time, how is that possible." Everyone was shocked at that moment. On the summit of Di Long, there were several dual-system martial artists who knew that dual attribute techniques could not be activated at the same time, but now, they were witnessing Li Lin actually doing it, which was unbelievable. At this moment, the entire space was enveloped under these two fierce forces, undoubtedly like two people working together in perfect harmony, the energy soaring, and finally, under the shocked gazes of all the Yun Yang Sect disciples around, these two forces overwhelmed Li Da Jiang completely. Terrifying sonic booms echoed from the top of Di Long, like thunder... "Bang, bang..." The energy dispersed, Firestorm Explosion burst open in mid-air, the shockwave causing severe ripples in the space, the unmatched heat of the flames sweeping across the sky, turning even the spatial ripples into a crimson color. Under this crimson spatial ripple, a wave of earth-yellow energy fluctuated violently, a series of earth-shattering explosions echoed, rumbling through the space, a fierce aura spreading rapidly... The fierce aura vanished in the surrounding space in a moment, and as the violent aura disappeared, the terrifying wind directly caused Li Da Jiang, like a kite with its string cut, to be thrown into the air, his spear lost, his body flying out and crashing to the ground, spitting out blood. "Ptui..." Li Da Jiang''s face instantly turned pale, struggling to get up. "Now you know, who can defeat whom." A cold voice sounded by Li Da Jiang''s ear, and as the words fell, a scorching claw directly aimed for the shoulder and arm joints of Li Da Jiang. Stolen story; please report. Li Da Jiang''s face turned pale in an instant, a chill spreading from the depths of his soul, he started to stagger back, but it seemed futile. The scorching claw mark followed a bizarre trajectory, eerily pursuing and reaching out. "Stop..." At this moment, the Great Protector''s face changed drastically, and he shouted, his figure disappearing instantly. But by then, it was too late, the scorching claw mark had already landed on Li Da Jiang''s right arm. "Crack, crack..." The clear sound of bones breaking spread, a mist of blood sprayed into the air, Li Da Jiang''s left arm was forcibly torn from his body, blood mist spraying, as if it were raining blood. "Get out of here." Li Lin shouted again, a wave of earth-yellow palm light surged out of his hand, instantly imprinting on Li Da Jiang''s abdomen, a massive force pouring down, directly into Li Da Jiang''s abdomen. "Ptui..." Li Da Jiang''s mouth spewed out broken organs mixed with blood, his body, like a falling leaf, was swept up into the air and blasted out. "Sss!" A figure in a black robe arrived like lightning, instantly in mid-air, a glow shot out enveloping Li Da Jiang''s battered body in the air, a few handprints sealed the bleeding from Li Da Jiang''s arm. The entire square, at this moment, was terrifyingly silent, watching the scene before them, everyone couldn''t help but feel a chill, Li Da Jiang had ended up in such a state. In the center of the arena, the figure in the azure robe now imprinted in everyone''s hearts, arrogant and brutal, but with enough arrogant strength. Li Da Jiang, ranked twentieth on the Dragon List, was directly defeated, his life and death unknown. Murderous aura filled the surrounding space, everyone gasped in cold air, the crowd, including Zhan Dao Qu Dao Jue, Ba Dao Long San, Fei Ying Ling Feng, Gui Shou Du Zi Chun, all fixed their gaze on Li Lin. "So strong, it seems there''s still something held back." Cui Yu''s lips parted slightly, murmuring. The figure in the black robe, the Great Protector, now landed on the devastated square, checking Li Da Jiang''s body, then his face changed, glancing at Li Lin, showing a helpless look. "Li Lin, why did you go so far?" The Great Protector looked at Li Lin, from his examination, he found that Li Da Jiang''s dantian qi sea was shattered by Li Lin''s palm, martial dan exploded, meridians severed, although his life was saved, there was no hope of recovery, even the strength of the seventh level martial spirit was gone, he would no longer be a martial artist, completely becoming a crippled person, which is even more cruel than killing him. "Great Protector, did he spare me when he made his move?" Li Lin''s expression darkened, with his master Yu Yu before him, why should he fear a protector, lightly saying, "If it weren''t for our fellow sect members'' sake, he would be dead." The Great Protector sighed helplessly, this is fellow sect members'' sake? It''s even more cruel than killing him directly, but now the Great Protector could only be helpless, he knew Li Da Jiang did not spare Li Lin either, and now, he worried about how to explain to Elder Zhao, this matter won''t just end here. "Great Protector, announce the result." Li Lin said lightly. "This match, Li Lin wins, advancing to the twentieth rank on the Dragon List." Watching Li Da Jiang barely alive on the ground, the Great Protector then said, "Li Da Jiang, directly removed from the Dragon List." For this result, everyone had already seen it coming, but at this moment, most of the Yun Yang Sect disciples had not yet come back to their senses. "Li Lin, well done." Many of Li Lin''s supporters immediately cheered, even Fei Ying Ling Feng''s female fans turned their attention to the young man in the azure robe. "Li Lin, I, Jue Jian Zhao Qing Tian, now formally challenge you." A furious voice spread, among the crowd, Jue Jian Zhao Qing Tian''s face twitched, a coldness spreading throughout his body, this result far exceeded his expectations, not expecting even Du Ming Qiang Li Da Jiang to lose, an absolute defeat. "Swish!" Li Lin leaped down to the square below, murderous aura spreading, his gaze filled with a cold sharpness directly fixed on Zhao Qing Tian, the previous new disciple area''s encirclement and attack on himself was arranged by Zhao Qing Tian, this person, he absolutely could not let go. At this moment, Zhao Qing Tian also cast a cold gaze on Li Lin, the two''s momentum confronting each other, immediately making the surrounding disciples involuntarily feel a bone-chilling coldness. Li Lin slowly walked towards Zhao Qing Tian, his eyes becoming increasingly severe, where he passed, even the temperature began to drop, the overwhelming murderous aura making the disciples with lower cultivation levels shiver in cold. Li Lin walked to within five meters of Zhao Qing Tian, the atmosphere of the entire space completely centered around the two, around this moment, only Ba Dao Long San and Fei Ying Du Zi Chun were able to stand against it without losing color. "Boy, don''t you dare to accept the challenge?" Watching Li Lin approaching, Jue Jian Zhao Qing Tian coldly said. Everyone could feel the coldness emanating from both Li Lin and Zhao Qing Tian, silently guessing whether these two would clash again, even from a distance, Zhan Dao Qu Dao Jue and Gui Shou Du Zi Chun both slightly raised their eyebrows, their gaze fixed on the two. Just when the tension was palpable, Li Lin suddenly retracted his murderous aura, completely ignoring Zhao Qing Tian, and went straight to Li Wu Shuang, who was not far from Zhao Qing Tian, looking at the elegant and stunning woman he hadn''t seen for many days, lightly said, "Wu Shuang, I thought you would still be avoiding me today?" "I wasn''t avoiding you, I just..." Li Wu Shuang was slightly startled, seemingly caught off guard by Li Lin''s directness, like a child who had done something wrong, her face flushed red, her gaze not daring to meet Li Lin''s. Chapter 312: Public Declaration of Love "Are you jealous? Do you think there''s something going on between me and Hong Ling?" Li Lin looked at the woman in front of him and said lightly. "No, I''m not..." Li Wushuang immediately raised her head to explain anxiously, her heart fluttering like a deer. How could he say that, knowing it was enough, why mention it out loud, and in front of so many people, how was she supposed to face others after this? "I love you..." Li Lin said softly. At this moment, Li Lin knew why the woman in front of him was avoiding him, so he had to tell her his feelings in front of everyone. "Lin''er, what is this..." Before Li Wushuang could finish speaking, a figure flashed in front of her. Before she could react, she was already embraced by the black-robed youth, his lips pressing against hers. Li Wushuang immediately froze, completely at a loss. This was happening on top of the Earth Dragon Summit, under the gaze of three thousand people. How could he do this? Without struggling, it seemed that a trace of sweetness surged in her heart, but her body started to stiffen, her heart beating wildly. She was completely lost, feeling the moist touch between their lips, gently sucked and slowly kissed by him. The entire Earth Dragon Summit fell silent, all disciples of Yunyang Sect were dumbfounded. The goddess-like woman of Yunyang Sect was now tightly embraced and kissed by the green-robed youth. Many thought they were seeing things, widening their eyes for a closer look. No mistake, the goddess-like woman was being embraced and kissed by the green-robed youth. Fei Ying Lie Crack, Ba Dao Long San, Jue Jian Zhao Qing Tian, the three''s faces suddenly changed drastically, completely unable to recover. The woman they had been pursuing hard was now in the arms of the green-robed youth. At this moment, countless Yunyang Sect disciples who secretly loved Li Wushuang felt their hearts shattered, breaking the fantasies in their minds. "So it turns out..." Cui Yu stared at this scene, her eyes wide in shock, standing frozen in place, along with Du Gu Bing Lan, Yang Miao, Li Shao Hu, Yang Man, and others, all petrified. The kiss lasted for a long time, and at this moment, thousands of gazes were fixed on the two of them. "You bad guy, how can I face people after this?" Feeling the burning gazes around her, Li Wushuang immediately became shy and wished she could find a crack in the ground to hide in, her fists continuously landing on Li Lin''s body. "Roar..." In the sky, a Sky-Winged Snow Lion flew over. "Let''s go, you don''t have to avoid me anymore." Li Lin smiled lightly, took Li Wushuang''s delicate hand, a burst of Qi under his feet, and then they leaped onto the back of the Sky-Winged Snow Lion. "Roar..." The Sky-Winged Snow Lion roared deeply, the sound piercing through space, and then disappeared into the sky. "Li Lin, I, Ling Feng, challenge you..." "Li Lin, I, Ba Dao Long San, challenge you." Two figures echoed through space, but the figure in the sky had already disappeared. Back on the Earth Dragon Summit, people slowly came back to their senses, watching the disappearing figure in the green robe, many male disciples envied, jealous, and hated. "Good kid." The Protector sighed lightly, then looked down at Li Da Jiang on the ground, his frown deepening. The crowd slowly dispersed from the Earth Dragon Summit, unsurprisingly, everyone remembered the figure in the green robe, ruthless and arrogant, but with enough strength to back it all up. On the mountain peak where Li Wushuang lived, in the courtyard, Li Wushuang''s fists were continuously landing on Li Lin''s chest: "I hate you, how can I face people after this?" "Why can''t you face people, you''re not ugly." Gently holding her hands and placing them on his chest, Li Lin said with a light smile. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "You''re still slick with words, how come I never noticed before." Li Wushuang glared at Li Lin, but without much anger, instead, her face was filled with a trace of happy womanly charm. "You don''t have to avoid me anymore, right?" Li Lin asked gently. "When did I ever avoid you?" Li Wushuang glared at Li Lin again, breaking free from his embrace, and said, "Don''t always accept challenges in the future. You should know, with the Zhao family''s strength in Yunyang Sect, you might have stirred up trouble this time." "I know, I have my own measures." Li Lin said seriously, a cold light flashing in his eyes. The Zhao family in Yunyang Sect was powerful, but he was not without support. "But I''m worried about you. The Zhao family won''t let it go, and you still provoke them." Li Wushuang looked at Li Lin helplessly. "Don''t worry, I promise you, I won''t have any problems." Li Lin said. In the evening, as the sky darkened, Li Lin finally left the courtyard, seemingly kicked out by Li Wushuang for a simple reason: Li Lin wanted to advance their relationship, but was rejected, so he was kicked out of the courtyard. After returning to his own courtyard, it was already evening. After the day''s exhaustion, Li Lin started to cultivate at night. In the deep night, the quiet night sky, recently, there were no continuous sounds of practicing martial arts echoing. In a courtyard, inside a room, Yun Xiao Tian stood with his hands behind his back, a faint aura leaking out, wearing a light green robe fluttering without wind. "Protector, are you sure Li Lin''s strength has reached the second level of Martial Spirit?" After a moment, Yun Xiao Tian frowned and asked lightly. "It should be correct, he is at the second level of Martial Spirit. Moreover, I can feel that when Li Lin defeated Li Da Jiang, he still held back and seemed not to use his full strength." The black-robed Protector said lightly. "How is Li Da Jiang now?" Yun Xiao Tian asked. "Both his Martial Dan were destroyed, his right arm was severed at the shoulder, becoming a cripple." The Protector said lightly. "This kid, he destroyed two of my Dragon List disciples." Yun Xiao Tian frowned, sighing lightly. Yunyang Sect values the younger generation of disciples very much, now that two Dragon List disciples were destroyed, one can imagine how pained Yun Xiao Tian felt. "Sect Master, there''s one more thing..." The Protector said lightly, seeming unsure how to proceed. "What is it?" Yun Xiao Tian asked. "Li Lin seems to have a very good relationship with Li Wushuang, and it''s already public. Today, it made Ling Feng, Long San, and others give up." The Protector said lightly. "Li Lin and Li Wushuang, could it be that Hong Ling..." Yun Xiao Tian''s face suddenly darkened. "Sect Master, have you decided about Li Lin?" The Protector asked. Yun Xiao Tian shook his head slightly, hesitated for a moment, then said, "Protector, it''s another year until the tri-sect and four-gate competition , right?" "One year and two months." The Protector said. "What level do you think Li Lin''s strength can reach in this time? He''s already in the top twenty of the Dragon List." Yun Xiao Tian said lightly. "Do you mean, Sect Master, that..." The Protector''s expression changed slightly. "This kid destroyed two of my Dragon List disciples, he should do something for Yunyang Sect, I hope he can surprise me by then. It''s said that this time, the disciples from those sects and gates are quite extraordinary." Yun Xiao Tian said with a light laugh. Early morning, as the night was about to fade, the dawn''s light slowly awakened the sleeping everything. The grey-blue dome above gradually faded, turning into a faint mist at the horizon, the first rays of sunlight shining over the peaks, covering the mountains in an instant. Among the peaks, clouds and mist swirled, rising a gentle fog, painting the mountains in a soft milky white, the frosty fog rendering everything hazy and dreamlike. "Phew." After a night of cultivation, Li Lin exhaled a breath of turbid air, a spark of sharpness flashing in his eyes, then disappearing. "Continue to the Martial Spirit Fantasy Realm." Li Lin said lightly, calling the Sky-Winged Snow Lion after leaving the courtyard, and continued towards the Martial Spirit Fantasy Realm. "Li Lin, you''re not planning to challenge the fourth level again, are you?" The second Protector, in charge of the Martial Spirit Fantasy Realm, asked Li Lin. "I plan to practice in the fifth level." Li Lin said lightly, the previous four levels had nothing that could really challenge him anymore. "Go ahead, the fifth gate." The second Protector smiled slightly, thinking Li Lin was going to challenge the first level of the fourth layer again. Taking the jade token, dripping blood on it, Li Lin entered the fifth gate. After closing the gate, a blinding light burst forth, and after a moment, Li Lin was already in a richly dense area. Surrounded by a vast expanse of white, it seemed to be inside a valley terrain. "Whoosh whoosh..." At this moment, countless arrows shot through the fog, the sharp sound of breaking wind coming rapidly, bursting out of the fog in an instant. "A formation?" Li Lin''s expression darkened, there was actually a formation within this martial realm. With a burst of Qi under his feet, Li Lin quickly retreated. "Whoosh whoosh..." The fiery arrows densely shot from all directions towards him. "Earth Shield." With no way to avoid, Li Lin had to set up the Earth Shield, Qi bursting out, waving his hand, a huge yellow shield swept out, and the overwhelming arrows were disrupted by the storm''s powerful suction, the remaining arrows hitting the shield dimming its light. The energy disappeared, and Li Lin was about to breathe a sigh of relief when suddenly his face changed again. From the dense fog, countless arrows shot towards him again. Dense fiery arrow feathers filled the entire space, and at this moment, Li Lin raised an eyebrow, revealing a smile, and said, "Practicing ''Floating Light and Brushing Shadow'' here should be good." With Qi under his feet, two whirlwinds appeared instantly, and Li Lin''s figure moved through the space like duckweed, an arrow tearing through the space, bringing a deep sound of explosion. Chapter 313: Rampaging "Whoosh..." A cyclone flashed under his feet, and Li Lin also instantly dodged this flaming arrow. The intense energy from the flaming arrow still caused pain on the skin in front of Li Lin. "Whoosh whoosh..." Two whistling sounds broke through the air, turning two flaming arrows into streaks of lightning that rapidly approached. Li Lin''s expression darkened, his body swiftly twisted, and with a flash of true energy under his feet, he once again narrowly avoided the attack of the two flaming arrows. In this way, Li Lin was too lazy to break through the formation and too lazy to care about what kind of formation it was. Utilizing this formation, it just happened to be able to help him practice the Fuguang Lueying (Skimming Light Shadow) technique. As time slowly passed, Li Lin was engrossed in practicing the Fuguang Lueying, his figure darting unpredictably among the flaming arrows, only using his hands to block when he couldn''t dodge. In the evening, inside the grand hall of the Martial Spirit Illusionary Realm, the Second Protector slightly furrowed his brows. The fifth stone door opened, and Li Lin walked out. The Second Protector knew that Li Lin didn''t break out on his own but just stopped practicing and walked out on his own. "Why did you stop practicing?" the Second Protector asked. He felt that Li Lin couldn''t possibly be unable to pass even the fifth level. Yesterday, Li Lin had defeated Li DaJiang, advancing to the twentieth place on the Dragon List. This matter is now well known among the people of the Yunyang Sect. "I will continue tomorrow," Li Lin said with a light smile. After practicing in the martial realm, he also needed to go back and properly integrate his gains. As for challenging the martial realm, Li Lin didn''t have much interest in it for now. Coming to the martial realm was merely to temper himself. When Li Lin returned to his courtyard, he saw a female disciple waiting for him. Li Lin recognized her as someone from Yun XiaoTian''s side. The person who had called him to meet Sect Master Yun XiaoTian from the new disciple area last time was her, named Liu Xin, aged around twenty-five or twenty-six, with the strength of a second-level Martial General, and her talent was absolutely not bad. "Li Lin, the Sect Master wants you to go there immediately," Liu Xin said, looking at Li Lin with a hint of surprise in her eyes. "Now?" Li Lin asked, guessing what Sect Master Yun XiaoTian might want from him at this time in the evening. "Yes," Liu Xin said, and then summoned a flying beast, indicating for Li Lin to go with her. Li Lin didn''t hesitate, jumped onto the flying beast, and immediately headed towards the Yunyang Sect''s grand hall. In the evening, the sky was slightly dim, and the shadows of the mountains below were faintly visible. Passing through a range of undulating mountains, a huge mountain peak appeared in front of Li Lin. The mountain peak rose from the ground, reaching straight into the clouds, like a proud dragon with extraordinary momentum. Li Lin knew he had arrived. Approaching this mountain peak, Li Lin also felt a peculiar aura. It seemed that this mountain peak was not simple, and there must be many tricks around it. Jumping off the flying beast, he followed a broad stone staircase upwards. After winding through for a moment, a huge palace building appeared in front of Li Lin. This magnificent palace was not Li Lin''s first visit. Walking across a square, Li Lin, led by Liu Xin, also entered the palace. "Zhao WuJi, what nonsense are you talking about? Your disciple isn''t dead. Don''t you know the rules of the Earth Dragon Summit?" Before Li Lin even entered the corridor, he heard the loud voice of his master Yu Yu. "Li Lin''s actions were ruthless, deliberately malicious. Such a disciple, our Yunyang Sect cannot keep," Zhao WuJi''s voice also came in anger. "Your disciple is incompetent, coming here half-dead to complain. I''m not buying your act," Elder Yu shouted again. Li Lin frowned as he entered the grand hall, knowing from the voices inside what had happened, and a coldness crossed his heart. "Disciple pays respects to the Sect Master, to Master, and to all the elders present." Upon entering the grand hall, it seemed there were ten elders inside, only the Yang-surnamed elder was not present, the other elders were all sitting. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Seeing Li Lin, many elders showed a look of surprise in their eyes. They had also heard everything about the Earth Dragon Summit, directly crippling Li DaJiang and entering the top twenty of the Dragon List. This strength had greatly exceeded their expectations. After all, Li Lin had been in the Yunyang Sect for only a few months, still considered a new disciple, and such progress was too fast. Only at this moment, Zhao WuJi looked at Li Lin with eyes full of fire, having wasted two of his beloved disciples, both strong contenders on the Dragon List, his anger was understandable. "Lin''er, come over here. Today, I want to see who dares to trouble you." Seeing Li Lin, Yu Yu immediately smiled brightly, feeling proud. Entering the top twenty of the Dragon List was a significant achievement. "Yes, Master," Li Lin said softly, quickly moving to Yu Yu''s side. "Sect Master, you must seek justice for my disciple. Li Lin was ruthless and must be severely punished, even killing him wouldn''t be too much," Zhao WuJi immediately said. "Elder Zhao, you''re being a bit too harsh," Yun XiaoTian lightly said, his expression unchanged, watching Li Lin indifferently, seemingly pondering something, then said, "However, Li Lin, you indeed went too far this time." "Sect Master brother, what do you mean by this? If my disciple is to be slaughtered by others, are you saying he should not defend himself? If you punish Lin''er, we''ll take this matter to the Master," Yu Yu immediately shouted, not even sparing Yun XiaoTian''s dignity. Hearing Yu Yu''s words, all the elders and Yun XiaoTian''s expressions changed dramatically. Elder Yu''s temper was known to all, and he might really disturb the old Sect Master. "Yu Elder, you''re protecting the offender," Zhao WuJi coldly snorted. "I am protecting him, so what? What can you do to me?" Yu Yu shouted in anger. "Elder Zhao, Elder Brother, please calm down," Yun XiaoTian''s expression slightly changed, then he turned his gaze to Li Lin and said, "Li Lin, yesterday at the Earth Dragon Summit, why were your actions so harsh? It''s said that even after defeating Li DaJiang, you still inflicted heavy blows." "If the Sect Master believes I am guilty, then I am willing to accept the punishment," Li Lin said calmly, looking directly at Yun XiaoTian, neither humble nor arrogant. "Do you not accept this in your heart?" Yun XiaoTian lightly said, watching Li Lin, a flash of light in his eyes. "I believe I have not violated any rules of the Yunyang Sect, nor did I break any rules of the Earth Dragon Summit yesterday. During the competition, I couldn''t control my power. If this is also considered a crime, although I am not convinced, I dare not disobey," Li Lin said lightly. All the elders then turned their gaze to Li Lin, surprised that Li Lin dared to counter the Sect Master''s words. Yun XiaoTian watched Li Lin, his expression slightly darkened, then lightly smiled and said, "Well, you are brave. Although you are not wrong, your actions were indeed too ruthless. Thus, since Li DaJiang was severely injured by you, you are fined 100,000 gold coins, and additionally, you are to reflect upon your actions in the Spirit Realm of the Martial Spirit Illusionary Realm for a month." "Sect Master, this punishment is too lenient," Zhao WuJi immediately said, 100,000 gold coins and reflecting in the Spirit Realm for a month was not a punishment but a training opportunity. "Elder Zhao, I know you care deeply for your disciple, but Li Lin is indeed not at fault. I have already imposed a punishment, and you need not say more. Besides the 100,000 gold coins from Li Lin, our Yunyang Sect will also give 1 million gold coins to Li DaJiang and send him back to his clan," Yun XiaoTian said to Zhao WuJi, then turned to Yu Yu and said, "Elder Brother, Li Lin is your disciple, so you should pay the 100,000 gold coins. In the future, you must better control your disciple." "No problem, 100,000 gold coins it is," Elder Yu immediately laughed, not minding at all. Although it seemed like a punishment for Li Lin on the surface, it was essentially a minor inconvenience. A month of seclusion in the Spirit Realm of the Martial Spirit Illusionary Realm was essentially training, and as for the 100,000 gold coins, it was nothing to him, even 1 million gold coins would be fine. The other elders also smiled slightly, as this outcome was within everyone''s expectations. First, although Li Lin was harsh this time, everyone was not fools and knew that it was Zhao WuJi''s disciples who had provoked Li Lin, who did not hold back. Li Lin was not wrong. Secondly, even if Li Lin was at fault, with Elder Yu as his protective master, there wouldn''t be much trouble. No one who crossed Elder Yu could gain an advantage. "My disciple, let''s go. Next time, if someone who doesn''t know better challenges you again, make sure to go easy on them. Defeating them is enough, don''t cripple anyone again," Elder Yu said with a slight smile, taking Li Lin and leaving the grand hall. Hearing Yu Yu''s words, Zhao WuJi''s face became even uglier. A moment later, as the sky darkened, Li Lin returned to the mountain peak on his master''s Blue Jade Wolf Eagle, his expression slightly darkened. With Zhao WuJi, a powerful figure in the Zhao family, it was feared that no one could restrain him after Li Lin left the Yunyang Sect. His strength was still too weak to contend against Zhao WuJi. He must quickly enhance his strength, so he wouldn''t have to worry about Zhao WuJi anymore. After his expression darkened, Li Lin showed a slight smile. Just now, on the back of the Blue Jade Wolf Eagle, his master had given him several fourth-grade pills, showing his utmost care for Li Lin. Returning to the courtyard, Li Lin pondered for a while. He still had to start serving his punishment in the Spirit Realm tomorrow. Anyway, he had planned to experience the Spirit Realm, so practicing the Fuguang Lueying in the martial realm would have to be delayed a bit. A moment later, Li Lin was again on the mountain peak, with true energy flashing under his feet. The true energy formed a wind cyclone from the meridians under his feet, and then he began to practice the Fuguang Lueying technique. After a day of practice in the martial realm, Li Lin''s execution of the Fuguang Lueying was significantly improved compared to before. Chapter 314: Within the Spirit Realm A figure, like a ghost, traced arcs across the mountain peaks, stirring gentle currents of air that howled softly, continuing throughout the night. The next morning, Li Lin went straight to the Martial Spirit Fantasy Realm and instructed the Skywing Snow Lion to come back for him in a month. In that spirit realm, he was to stay for a month. "Second Protector." Inside the great hall, Li Lin greeted the Second Protector with a slight bow. "Li Lin, I received a message from the sect last night. Today, you are here to accept the punishment from the Sect Master," the Second Protector said lightly, looking at Li Lin with a meaningful gaze. It was clear to anyone, though it was called a punishment, it was merely a formality, merely a pretext for Li Lin to spend a month in the spirit realm. "I am indeed here to accept the punishment," Li Lin said with a slight smile. "The Spirit Realm and the Martial Realm are quite different. The Martial Realm is more about tempering one''s cultivation, while the Spirit Realm is for tempering one''s will and soul. The realm is full of illusions, with a total of nine levels. Generally, martial disciples and spirit disciples challenge the first level, while martial souls and spirit souls can attempt the fourth level. In the Spirit Realm, martial artists are slightly at a disadvantage compared to spirit practitioners. I have arranged for you to enter the fourth level, but remember, the Sect Master said to reflect for a month, but that was just a casual remark. Staying in the Spirit Realm for a month, even fourth-level spirit souls find it hard to achieve. How long you can stay depends on your cultivation. If you fail, you can always try again," the Second Protector said with a smile. After speaking, the Second Protector handed Li Lin a jade slip, saying, "Drop a drop of blood on it and enter the eighth stone chamber on the right. Remember, everything inside is an illusion. If you get confused, you will fail. Although there is no risk to your life, failure consumes a significant amount of soul power. You are to stay there for a month, and failing several times will be tough on you," the Second Protector said with a meaningful smile. "Remember, everything inside is an illusion. Don''t let it disturb your mind. Normally, a first-level martial soul can stay for a day, which is already quite good. If you have the ability, you can walk out directly. But if you can walk out from the fourth level of the Spirit Realm, unless you are a first-level Spirit General, ordinary third and fourth-level Martial Generals cannot make it out." Li Lin was somewhat puzzled; it seemed there was more to the Second Protector''s words. Holding the jade slip, Li Lin entered the eighth stone chamber on the right side of the great hall, closed the stone door, and after a slight shake within the chamber, the stone door opened again. "Huh, that''s strange," Li Lin murmured to himself. Outside the stone door was now an endless plain, lush and green, with a mountain range in the distance. "An illusionary formation," Li Lin realized almost instantly. He was not in the Spirit Realm with his consciousness but physically in an illusionary formation, a mental and spiritual training illusionary formation. A rich aroma enveloped the area, which felt somewhat familiar to Li Lin. Upon closer inspection and surprise, this aroma was somewhat similar to the Soul Spirit Essence of the Myriad Beasts Sect. Cultivating here could greatly benefit one''s soul power. "No wonder it was said to greatly benefit soul power," Li Lin raised an eyebrow, not taking it too seriously. Although the aroma was rich, it wasn''t potent enough for direct absorption. His cultivation of the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Technique was inherently slow, and cultivating here wouldn''t offer much benefit. "Since it''s an illusionary formation, then it should be easy to handle," Li Lin smirked. The formation was decent, but probably not enough to stump him. However, he wasn''t here to break the formation, just to experience it. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. "Huhuhu..." As Li Lin slowly moved forward, suddenly, a yellow light burst out from the ground ahead, bringing a strong aura and a sharp, cutting wind. This yellow light rushed forward like lightning, revealing a huge beast hundreds of meters in size, with a formidable aura and ferocious appearance, charging directly at him. "A beast?" Li Lin''s expression darkened as he prepared to retaliate, but then he remembered that this was all an illusion. Being mentally disturbed meant failure. "Shh!" Li Lin calmed his mind, and as the ferocious beast got within a meter of him, it suddenly turned into yellow smoke and disappeared. "Indeed, it''s no ordinary place," Li Lin said softly. This illusionary formation had no offensive power but was the perfect place for the younger generation to temper their will. Moreover, the rich aroma here was definitely beneficial for the soul. "Continue." Li Lin proceeded forward, curious about everything within the Spirit Realm, planning to study it thoroughly. Walking slowly across the vast plain, Li Lin remained calm as usual. Beasts would occasionally appear around him, but they would turn into energy a meter away from him. After an unknown amount of time, Li Lin realized he had unwittingly left the plain and entered a mountain range, with a forest appearing before him. "Hehe..." From the depths of the forest, near a pond, came laughter. Li Lin raised an eyebrow, wondering if others were in this fourth-level illusionary formation as well. Looking up, Li Lin was stunned to see several stunningly beautiful and seductive women, scantily clad, frolicking by the pond. "Who are you, and how did you get here?" the seductive women asked upon seeing Li Lin. "I just entered. Have you been here for a long time?" Li Lin asked with a slight smile. "Hehe, we''ve been here for quite some time. Since you''re here, come and play with us," the seductive women said, continuously making enticing gestures and casting flirtatious glances at Li Lin. "Another illusion," Li Lin thought to himself, his mind unmoved, aware that this was just another illusion within the formation. Relaxing his guard would likely result in being expelled from the Spirit Realm. Yet, looking at the seductive women, Li Lin couldn''t help but feel a slight stir in his heart. They were incredibly real, and it would be difficult for anyone with a weaker will to resist. Li Lin remembered the Second Protector''s ambiguous words, specifically warning him that everything here was false, probably referring to such illusions. "Come on, come play with us," the seductive women said, seeing Li Lin hesitate. Their voices seemed magical, making him wonder whether to join them. "Come on, come quickly," the seductive women approached Li Lin, their beauty and minimal clothing becoming more apparent, starting to undress further. Their exquisite bodies appeared before Li Lin, with curves and smooth skin that would tempt anyone. The women surrounded Li Lin, getting closer, and emitting moans. Li Lin almost forgot it was all an illusion, so realistic was the scene. "Sigh." Li Lin took a deep breath and walked away without looking back, leaving behind the voices of the women trying to persuade him to stay. Li Lin steadied his mind, without any wavering. A moment later, energy fluctuations came from behind him, and when he looked back, the pond and the women had vanished without a trace. "That was close," Li Lin thought to himself. He had almost lost control. This illusionary formation was indeed tricky, likely too much for most to resist. In the Yunyang Sect, within a great hall, several figures were present. Zhao Wuji, at the head, was angry, with Zhao Qingtian, Li Shaohu, Shi Yunsheng, and others also showing cool expressions. "With Yu Yuxian around, it''s difficult for us to deal with that kid in the sect. Damn Yu Yuxian, sooner or later, I''ll make him pay," Zhao Wuji said angrily. "Grandfather, I didn''t expect that kid''s strength to be so formidable. What do we do now? We can''t just let him off," Zhao Qingtian said coldly. "Hmph, he thinks having Yu Yuxian in the sect can protect him forever? In three months, the secret realm will open, and what happens inside is unpredictable. Qingtian, with your strength, plus your brother, you should be able to kill that kid. Just make sure he doesn''t come out of the secret realm," Zhao Wuji said coldly. "There''s no need for my brother to act. I alone am enough to deal with him," Zhao Qingtian said coldly. Three days later, in the Spirit Realm, in front of a canyon, Li Lin pondered, "This month in the illusion has been somewhat a waste of time." In these three days, Li Lin had seen various illusions, none of which had significantly affected him. Whether the illusions ahead would impact him was unknown, but he felt it was a waste of a month, a time he badly needed for cultivation. "I wonder what it would be like to consume spirit pills in the Spirit Realm," Li Lin thought to himself. He couldn''t afford to waste this month. Challenging the Spirit Realm could wait; for now, enhancing his strength seemed the better option. Chapter 315: The Benefits of the Spirit Realm After furrowing his brows, Li Lin''s hands produced several objects shimmering with flowing light. These were the formation corners given to him by Ghost Fairy Bai Ying when he left the Flying Spirit Gate. After surveying his surroundings for a moment, Li Lin shook his hand, and the formation corners in his hands turned into flowing lights, instantly falling into the surroundings at a mysterious angle. "Chi..." As the formation corners fell, the scene in front of Li Lin suddenly changed. He found himself inside a cave tunnel with many branching paths, spreading out like a spider web, with a dense white fog in front covering the view ahead. A rich aroma filled the cave tunnel, similar to that of the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid, but not exactly the same. Li Lin glanced around and smiled slightly. This formation was not difficult for him. It would not be a problem for him to leave, but now he could take the opportunity to close up and consume Spirit Pills inside. Sitting cross-legged, Li Lin took out a brocade box, opened it, and a wild force immediately spread out. The violent spiritual power made Li Lin''s heart beat vigorously, and the spiritual power in his mind seemed to be drawn out involuntarily. "Spirit Pill." Li Lin''s eyebrows twitched. This Spirit Pill was likely from a fourth-order early-stage spirit beast, exactly the treasure he got from the White Wolf Mercenary Group. Thinking of the fiery Blue Spirit, Li Lin realized he had been outwitted by this woman once. Fortunately, he had stored the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid, martial skills, and this Spirit Pill in his storage ring; otherwise, it would have been a loss. Feeling the energy of the Spirit Pill in the brocade box, Li Lin remembered that he dared not consume it when he was at the Spirit Warrior level. If he had consumed the Spirit Pill then, he probably would have been overwhelmed by the violent energy and turned into an idiot. At that time, his strength was not enough to absorb such a massive amount of energy, but now it probably was. "One Spirit Pill, based on the current foundation of my spirit, can only allow me to increase one level of spiritual power," Li Lin thought to himself, picking up the Spirit Pill from the brocade box. Without much hesitation, he began to consume it. As the Spirit Pill entered his stomach, it turned into a fierce heat flow, spreading violently within his body and transforming into a huge energy, like a wild beast rampaging inside him. "Really violent." Li Lin was not surprised by this. The terrifying energy transformed by the Spirit Pill did not rush into his meridians but directly into his mind, causing throbbing pain in his mind. The energy enveloped the Soul Pill and started to rotate. The energy transformed by this Spirit Pill could only be described as terrifying, even more so than the energy transformed by the Demon Pill. Perhaps it was because the Demon Pill''s energy acted within the body''s meridians, supported by a strong body, the pain Li Lin felt was different. Now, the energy directly entered the mind, causing intense pain as if countless wild beasts were rampaging, the terrifying power causing intense pain repeatedly. "Refine." Li Lin gritted his teeth and thought, resisting the huge energy impact in his mind. The vast spiritual power in his mind directly protected around the Soul Pill, while his handprints condensed, starting to rapidly refine this huge and terrifying energy. "Refine." After a fierce struggle, Li Lin gradually started to operate the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Art to refine this violent energy. Moments later, a white transparent light circle began to swirl around him. Outside, six days later, the second protector looked at a piece of jade stone inside the hall, furrowing his brows and murmuring, "Six days have passed. Li Lin has actually managed to last six days. Among martial artists, it is difficult for even those at the seventh level of Martial Spirit to do this." "Second protector, how long do you think Li Lin can stay inside?" asked a man in white beside the second protector in the hall, who seemed to be a protector as well. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "I don''t know. Li Lin is really a monster," the second protector said lightly. "Second protector, what about Li Lin? Is Li Lin inside here?" In the hall, a stone door opened, and a beautiful figure emerged, her beautiful face carrying a hint of arrogance, which instead made people feel pity. "Congratulations, Miss, for passing the ninth level of the fourth layer." Seeing the woman, surprise flashed in the second protector''s eyes. The Miss truly lived up to her reputation as a cultivation freak of the Yun Yang Sect. Every time she challenged the Martial Realm, she made significant progress. This time, after passing the ninth level of the fourth layer, her strength was almost on par with a first-level Martial General, and now, the Miss had just recently broken through to the fifth level of Martial Spirit. "What were you just saying about Li Lin?" Yun Hongling pouted and asked the second protector. "Li Lin was too heavy-handed during his fight with Li Da Jiang at the Earth Dragon Peak, so he was punished by the Sect Master to think over his actions in the Spirit Realm for a month. It''s already been six days," the second protector replied. "What, father punished Li Lin." Yun Hongling suddenly said angrily, "Second protector, let Li Lin out for me, hmph!" "Miss, once inside the Spirit Realm, I can''t let him out. Besides, this is the Sect Master''s command," the second protector said lightly, his expression subtly changing. Rumors of the Miss and Li Lin having a vague relationship seemed not to be unfounded. "I''ll talk to my father." Yun Hongling''s face fell, and she stormed out of the hall. Time slowly passed, and Li Lin had already entered the state of cultivation, slowly refining the violent energy of the Spirit Pill. The energy was refined at a good pace. As the energy was refined, Li Lin could feel his significant progress. Inside the mind space, the energy transformed by the Spirit Pill also nourished his Soul Pill invisibly. The Soul Pill was constantly enveloped by spiritual power and rotating, making his whole body indescribably comfortable. As the energy was refined and diminished, the violent momentum had already calmed down. Unknowingly, the aura around Li Lin began to rise, and the circle of pale white light surrounding him started to become dazzling. Several hours later, Li Lin felt his mind space expand and fill up. With a muffled sound in his mind space, a huge energy spread out, the spiritual power howling, and the Soul Pill rapidly rotating. At this moment, outside his body, a spiritual power leak formed a vortex light circle in front of him, like a tornado, instantly drawing the surrounding white fog. Within this white fog was an aroma similar to the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid, which was now invisibly swallowed by the suction force into Li Lin''s body. This aroma, very similar to the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid, was nourishing to the soul. At this moment, Li Lin''s internal spiritual power was not unfamiliar with this aroma, immediately forcibly absorbing it into his body. "Hu hu..." Within the white glow, the aroma spread, and feeling a trace of it being absorbed into his body, Li Lin experienced a sensation of moving the whole body by pulling one hair, with the aroma in the fog converging towards him. A trace of the aroma was weak, and Li Lin had not taken it seriously, far from reaching the level he could devour. But now, with the aroma converging into a massive energy in the spiritual power vortex around him, it entered his body, as vast as the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid below, instantly rushing into Li Lin''s mind. After converging, the energy became terrifyingly powerful, surpassing the original dose of Soul Spirit Divine Liquid by far. Moreover, this energy, after being forged once outside Li Lin''s spiritual power vortex, was much purer than the energy of the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid. After a slight refinement by the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Art in Li Lin''s body, it could be transformed into the purest spiritual power for his own use. "I didn''t expect such benefits in the Spirit Realm." Li Lin was overjoyed. It was just like being in the Three Systems and Five Harmonies Formation of the Ghost Martial Sect, with so much energy directly available for him to break through. "Devour." Li Lin was thrilled at this moment, how could he let go of this opportunity, greedily absorbing the vast energy. Inside the cave tunnel, Li Lin''s body was now enveloped in dense white fog, with strands of aroma or vast energy continuously pouring into his body. Time slowly passed, and everything in the Yun Yang Sect remained as usual. The news of Li Lin being punished by the Sect Master was spread, but everyone understood that this punishment was just for show, not really a punishment, just a gesture to silence Elder Zhao. As Li Lin entered the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm, the most interesting thing for everyone in the Yun Yang Sect now was the competition inside the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm two months later. The triennial opening of the secret ground was accessible only to the top fifty people on the Dragon List who could participate in the competition inside the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm, and in the end, only twenty people could enter the secret ground for cultivation. Cultivating in the secret ground was something all disciples wished for. Rumors said that after entering the secret ground, each person''s strength would greatly increase. Inside the secret ground, there were immense treasures. The Dragon List was now bustling, as only those on the Dragon List could participate in the competition in the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm. Anyone who wanted to go to the secret ground had to enter the Dragon List first. Chapter 316: A Months Achievement On the Dragon List, the disciples ranked after the fortieth position faced a sudden increase in challenges. As the opening of the secret ground approached, the strong contenders on the Dragon List were also diligently cultivating, embarking on the final sprint. Within the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm, exactly one month later, the eighth stone gate opened, and Li Lin walked out lazily stretching, a smile appearing on his face. At this moment, the expressions of the Second Protector and the other Protectors in charge of the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm within the great hall were filled with shock. Li Lin had actually stayed in the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm for an entire month. In the fourth level of the Spirit Realm, spending a month, even for those with quadruple spirit souls, was difficult to achieve. For martial artists, it was even harder for those with eight or nine martial souls, as martial artists were significantly inferior to spirit practitioners in terms of soul level. At this moment, Li Lin, a martial artist, had actually managed to stay in the fourth level of the Spirit Realm for a whole month, which was unimaginable for the Second Protector. "The time of a month has passed, I''ll be going back first and return tomorrow," Li Lin said with a slight bow, then left the mountain peak''s great hall. The Skywing Snow Lion had been waiting in the sky early on. At this moment, Li Lin looked at the Skywing Snow Lion and felt a surge of joy. The Skywing Snow Lion''s body had grown to over three hundred meters in size, resembling a giant white cloud, and its aura had become several times stronger. "It has broken through to the late third tier." Li Lin was overjoyed. In this month, the Skywing Snow Lion had also made a breakthrough to the late third tier. The next breakthrough would bring it to the fourth tier. "Boss," a yellow light swooped down from the back of the Skywing Snow Lion, and Little dragon affectionately landed on Li Lin''s shoulder. "Little dragon, have you been diligently cultivating during this time?" Li Lin asked, patting Little dragon''s little head lightly. "Of course, I''ve been cultivating. With your strength improving so quickly recently, I can''t afford to fall behind," Little dragon said, lifting his head proudly. "Boss, it feels like your strength has increased by a lot." "Yes, now I have triple spirit soul and triple martial soul," Li Lin said, touching the tip of his nose, unable to hide the satisfied smile in his eyes. During the month in the Spirit Realm, when Li Lin was breaking through the double martial soul, he inadvertently attracted the vast energy within the Spirit Realm. With a burst of effort, he directly broke through to the triple spirit soul and then climbed again. Just as he was about to break through to the quadruple spirit soul, Li Lin had to grit his teeth and suppress it. Although breaking through continuously was good, it was also definitely bad. By forcibly suppressing it, Li Lin''s current strength remained at the peak of the triple spirit soul, just a bit away from breaking through. Although Li Lin wanted to break through to the quadruple martial soul, he dared not risk affecting his cultivation foundation. Then, before the month was up, Li Lin continued to take fourth-grade medicinal pills. Under the nourishment of six fourth-grade early-stage pills and one fourth-grade mid-stage pill, he finally broke through to the triple martial soul. "Boss, you''re too powerful," Little dragon exclaimed, then added, "It looks like I need to work hard on my cultivation, or I won''t be able to catch up with you." "Let''s go," Li Lin said, leaping onto the back of the Skywing Snow Lion and disappearing into the sky. Upon returning to his mountain residence, Li Lin had just entered the courtyard when he frowned, then smiled slightly, looking at the silhouette in the small hall: "Hongling, why are you here?" Yun Hongling did not speak, her long dress colored, her hair somewhat disheveled, her eyes tightly fixed on Li Lin, always looking indifferently, expressionless. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. "Hongling, what''s wrong?" Li Lin asked, feeling a bit uneasy seeing Yun Hongling''s expression. "Li Lin, it''s over between us. From today onwards, we have nothing to do with each other. From now on, we are enemies. I hate you," Yun Hongling said indifferently. As her words fell, she left. "What''s going on?" Li Lin said, then thought, "Could it be because..." "I''ve messed up." A moment later, Li Lin thought to himself, it seemed Yun Hongling knew about his affair with Li Wushuang. Somehow, seeing Yun Hongling''s indifferent gaze just now, Li Lin felt very heartbroken. He had thought she would be furious and then issue a kill order against him, but she was so calm. Looking outside the courtyard, Li Lin hesitated whether to chase after her. This time, he might have truly hurt this girl, who, despite her arrogance, was definitely pure at heart. Under her arrogant exterior, her heart was probably very fragile. Li Lin moved a few steps forward, then stopped, realizing there was nothing he could do by chasing after her. If it made her fall deeper, it would only hurt her more. He already had Wushuang, and giving up on Wushuang was something he couldn''t do. As for Yun Hongling, the young miss of the Yunyang Sect, it was unlikely she would agree to share a husband with someone else, and even if she did, Yun Xiaotian would not let him off. On the mountain peak, a beautiful silhouette looked at the courtyard, then after a moment, tears flowed from her eyes before she leaped onto the back of a lightning leopard and left. In the afternoon, Li Lin visited the Wanwu Tower again, browsing through a lot of materials, not missing any that he could access. After nightfall, Li Lin took out the Spirit Jade Bed to cultivate. With the rapid breakthroughs over the month, the following days needed solid consolidation of his cultivation level. At dawn, as the morning light dispersed, the entire mountain range was enveloped in a light mist. Li Lin stopped cultivating and exhaled a breath of turbid air. "It''s time to continue practicing the Fleeting Shadow," Li Lin murmured, tidying up and leaving the courtyard. Calling the Skywing Snow Lion, he entered the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm again. Practicing in the Martial Realm during the day and integrating cultivation at night, in this state, time slowly passed. However, Li Lin always made the Second Protector of the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm frustrated. Every time, Li Lin would enter the fourth or fifth level of the realm but never break through or fail, just automatically stopping cultivation at night. This also made many direct disciples curious, and Li Lin''s month-long stay in the fourth level of the Spirit Realm surprised many. During such a month, within the densely packed flame arrows in the fourth and fifth levels of the Martial Realm, two vortexes emerged under Li Lin''s feet, greatly increasing his speed. With a whoosh, he turned into a streak of light, moving through the densely packed flame arrows with unpredictable and swift arcs and speeds. At this moment, Li Lin, after a month of cultivation in the Martial Realm and integrating cultivation at night, could now execute the Fleeting Shadow almost silently. As he practiced the Fleeting Shadow, Li Lin gained a new understanding of this movement technique. At a certain level, the Fleeting Shadow could completely expand the air vortexes under his feet, increasing his speed while also concealing his figure, allowing him to unexpectedly approach his opponent like a ghost. Combining the Fleeting Shadow with wind attributes, even Li Lin himself was shocked by the speed. If he claimed to be a hundred times faster, it would be an exaggeration, but ten times faster was not an exaggeration at all. His current speed had indeed reached such a level. As the flame arrows became more violent, Li Lin''s speed also increased. Among the densely packed flame arrows, Li Lin''s figure became nearly indistinct. If someone were there, they probably wouldn''t be able to see his form. What they could feel was the suction emanating from the wind vortexes under his feet and the indistinct figure moving like a ghost through the flame arrows. The flame arrows grew increasingly violent, but if someone could clearly see everything in the scene, they would see that Li Lin''s expression remained calm. His true qi vortexes emerged under his feet with each step, whether advancing, leaping, or retreating. Each subtle movement allowed him to avoid the densely packed flame arrows in front of him, almost to the millimeter. All his actions flowed like water, carrying a certain beauty. Amidst the densely packed flame arrows, mixed with Li Lin''s figure, was a dazzling confrontation. However, Li Lin remained elegantly leisurely. In the beginning, when practicing the Fleeting Shadow, Li Lin was flustered, sometimes blocking with his hands and also setting up the Qingling Armor. But now, Li Lin even felt a bit of mockery towards these flame arrows. The densely packed flame arrows couldn''t get close to him. "Almost there, break for me." After a moment, Li Lin''s lips curved into a satisfied smile, his expression suddenly solemn. A wind vortex under his feet spun wildly, and his figure turned into a whirlwind, disappearing on the spot. When Li Lin reappeared, a yellow palm print in his hand soared into the sky, instantly turning into several vague palm prints, striking towards the back of a cluster of flame arrows within a dense fog. "Boom! Boom!" Then, a series of earth-shattering explosions sounded, echoing through the space. A violent force spread wildly in the sky, shattering the thick white fog directly, making the scene before him disappear, and the densely packed flame arrows were also erased from mid-air. Chapter 317: Treasures of the Secret Land In the illusion, the small formation was directly destroyed by Li Lin in a forceful manner, and suddenly the scene in front of him was inside a canyon. "Continue to break through," Li Lin muttered. By evening, Li Lin finally broke through the fifth realm, which also made the second protector feel less gloomy. Returning to the courtyard, Li Lin saw his master, Yu Yuqian, whom he hadn''t seen for a long time. "Disciple pays respect to Master," Li Lin respectfully saluted. Although this master hadn''t taught him much about cultivation, there was no doubt that he liked this master very much. "Lin''er, I''ve heard that you have been cultivating in the Martial Spirit Illusion every day recently. Among the four disciples of your master, you are the one who puts my mind at ease the most," Yu Yuqian said with a smile. "Master, you must have something important to tell me by coming here," Li Lin asked with a calm smile. "Let''s go inside and talk. I have something important to tell you," Yu Yuqian said with a rare serious expression. Sitting down in the courtyard, Li Lin said, "Master, what important matter would require your personal visit?" "In a month, it will be the time for the secret land to open. The sect will select twenty disciples to enter the secret land for cultivation. After a month, the top fifty on the Dragon Ranking will compete in a challenge. Only the final twenty will be able to enter the secret land. I came to remind you that you must enter the secret land. It will be greatly beneficial to your cultivation," Yu Yuqian said seriously to Li Lin. Li Lin had heard of the name of the secret land several times before but was unclear about what was inside. He asked, "Master, what benefits will there be by entering the secret land?" Yu Yuqian smiled slightly and said, "Spending half a year in the secret land, the disciples who enter for cultivation, if nothing unexpected happens, will see a surge in their strength when they come out. Generally, it''s not surprising for someone at the seventh level of Martial Spirit to break through to Martial General after coming out. For someone who is a first-level Martial General going in, coming out as a third-level Martial General is also normal." "Half a year and such a quick breakthrough?" Li Lin was immediately surprised. He naturally understood that at the level of Martial Spirit, especially near the level of seventh-level Martial Spirit close to Martial General, breaking through a level would normally take two years for most people, even one year for those with good talent. Even among the disciples on the Dragon Ranking of the Yunyang Sect, who each have exceptional talent, it would still take seven or eight months. The cultivation speed of dual-system martial artists is a bit faster, but it also takes half a year, which is already the limit. Yet, in the secret land, it''s possible to break through from the seventh-level Martial Spirit to Martial General in half a year, especially since breaking through from Martial Spirit to Martial General is a major hurdle. To have such a breakthrough is indeed terrifying. What Master Yu Yuqian mentioned is just the normal situation; some people might even break through faster. "Master, does this mean there are treasures inside the secret land?" Li Lin asked. Without treasures that could enhance strength, it would seem impossible to achieve such a fast breakthrough. "Indeed," Yu Yuqian said, "There are treasures in the secret land, not just ordinary treasures. Only a few old fellows from other sects know about this. Inside the secret land lies one of the foundations of our Yunyang Sect, the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit." "Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, the foundation of the Yunyang Sect." Li Lin immediately asked, "Master, what exactly is the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit?" "It is a miraculous treasure. After consuming it, one''s strength will surge dramatically. Most importantly, consuming the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit can enhance the cultivator''s mindset, which is extremely important for future cultivation. Especially after consuming the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, the success rate of breaking through to Martial King is over fifty percent, while the normal success rate of breaking through from Martial Marshal to Martial King is only ten percent," Yu Yuqian said seriously. "There''s such an effect?" Li Lin was almost shocked. Li Lin had heard from Uncle Jiang before that in cultivation, whether for martial artists or spiritual practitioners, there are three major hurdles. The first is breaking through the Martial Spirit to condense the Martial Dan, which is a huge hurdle for martial artists. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. The second is the breakthrough from Martial Marshal to Martial King, which is also a huge hurdle. Currently, there are not many Martial Kings on the entire continent, so the difficulty of breaking through to Martial King is imaginable. As for the third hurdle, it is even more unreachable. Li Lin previously thought it was the Five Emperors, but then he learned from Uncle Jiang that although breaking through to Martial Emperor has only appeared in legends, there is a level higher than Martial Emperor, which only existed in the ancient times of the continent and has long since disappeared from the annals of history. Observing Li Lin''s surprise, Yu Yuqian was not surprised and then said, "There are only nine Martial Spirit Holy Fruits. Twenty disciples will enter the secret land, but not all can obtain them. It also requires luck and strength to acquire them. There are many dangers inside the secret land, unlike the Martial Spirit Illusion, which is truly dangerous." Li Lin raised an eyebrow. With such treasures as the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, he naturally had to find a way to obtain them. It seems that he would have to put in some effort during the competition in the Martial Spirit Illusion. "Besides the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, there are dangers in the secret land, but also many other treasures," Yu Yuqian said, looking at Li Lin, "In the secret land, there are many medicinal herbs and martial techniques." "Martial techniques?" Li Lin was somewhat surprised. Yu Yuqian said, "Not only martial techniques but also many high-level martial techniques. You should know that even the direct disciples of the Yunyang Sect usually only have one set of high-grade yellow-level martial techniques. The disciples on the Dragon Ranking each have two sets of high-grade yellow-level martial techniques. As for the top ten on the Dragon Ranking, perhaps a few have low-grade mysterious-level martial techniques." Having said that, Yu Yuqian told Li Lin, "The martial techniques I gave you are more than what a normal direct disciple would have. That''s because I have fewer disciples, so you benefited. As for the ''Fleeting Shadow'', a low-grade mysterious-level body technique, it''s not something every direct disciple in the sect can cultivate. But I gave it to you, and other elders wouldn''t dare to say much. In the secret land, there will be many martial techniques left by the sect''s powerful ancestors. Where exactly, no one knows. Over the years, many disciples have been able to obtain high-grade yellow-level martial techniques, mid-grade yellow-level martial techniques, and even low-grade mysterious-level martial techniques." "There are low-grade mysterious-level martial techniques?" Li Lin smiled slightly. It seems the secret land is indeed very tempting. "Lin''er, although you are currently ranked twentieth on the Dragon Ranking, this is not the final ranking. In previous years, every time the secret land opens, some disciples on the Dragon Ranking become dark horses and enter the top twenty, so you must be careful," Yu Yuqian said. "I will be careful," Li Lin nodded. "Alright, there''s one more month. Just focus on your cultivation. You must enter the secret land. This is an opportunity. The secret land only opens once every three years, not often," Yu Yuqian said. Then, in the courtyard, the master and disciple talked for a long time. When Yu Yuqian left, he gave Li Lin many elixirs, all fourth-grade, worth nearly a million gold coins. After Master Yu Yuqian left, it was almost dusk. Looking at the sky, Li Lin called the Skywing Snow Lion and went to the courtyard where Li Wushuang lived. "Wushuang, have you broken through?" Li Lin sensed the aura on Li Wushuang, who was now at the third level of Martial Spirit. Two months ago, she was only at the second level. "Yes, I don''t know how it happened. After breaking through Martial Spirit, I felt that my cultivation speed has become much faster, as if my body can cultivate all the time," Li Wushuang said lightly, also appearing quite puzzled. "It might be related to your recent hard work in cultivation," Li Lin said lightly. "I still find it a bit strange. I feel that my strength seems a bit different. Sometimes, I can feel a huge power inside my body, but sometimes I can''t," Li Wushuang said with a furrowed brow. Li Lin was also unclear about all this. Li Wushuang did not think too much about it, after all, a rapid increase in cultivation level is not a bad thing. After spending an hour together, Li Lin was again chased out of the courtyard by Li Wushuang, just like last time. Under uncontrollable emotions, Li Lin wanted to apply to advance the appropriate time, but was rejected by Li Wushuang. Attempting to force his way, he almost succeeded, but in the end, the last line of defense was like the Normandy defense line, utterly impenetrable. With no other choice, Li Lin had to return to his own mountain peak, pondering over many things. It had been half a year since he arrived at the Yunyang Sect, and more than half a year since he left the Flying Spirit Sect. He wondered how the Flying Spirit Sect was doing now, probably expanding rapidly under the hands of Ghost Fairy Bai Ying. With the Poison General Dong Wuming and Ghost Fairy Bai Ying guarding the Flying Spirit Sect, there likely wouldn''t be any problems. Now thinking about the secret land, Li Lin had made up his mind. Since there were treasures to be taken, as well as mysterious-level martial techniques and treasures like the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, he definitely couldn''t miss out. It had been half a year now, and there was still no news about the Ten Thousand Year Red Copper, which was starting to make Li Lin anxious. He had already cultivated the Fleeting Shadow body technique. Next, he should focus on finding the Ten Thousand Year Red Copper. Li Lin was unaware of the importance of the Ten Thousand Year Red Copper, but it was definitely much stronger than the Fleeting Shadow, a mysterious-level body technique. Chapter 318: Turbulent Situation Uncle Jiang had instructed that the objective within the Yunyang Sect was the Ten Thousand Year Red Copper, and the Flickering Light Shadowy Steps martial technique was just a bonus. Moments later, Li Lin was deep in thought. He planned to go to the secret area and knew he could not afford any mistakes. With a month''s time, he decided to cultivate diligently for a month. Within this month, his strength could be enhanced once again. After entering the secret area, he would naturally be more confident. However, before entering the secret area, there was still a competition among all the Dragon List disciples within the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm. He could not be careless, as the top twenty powerhouses of the Dragon List would all appear. A silent night passed, and Li Lin went to the Wanwu Tower again early the next day. On the third day, he entered the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm, and on the fourth day, he continued his visit to the Wanwu Tower. As time slowly passed, Li Lin was always out early and returned late, of course, only visiting two places: either in the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm or the Wanwu Tower. During this time, Li Lin did not encounter any trouble, and now being ranked within the top twenty of the Dragon List, no one would provoke him. On the fifth day, Li Lin had Little dragon, Tian Chi Xue Shi, and Xue Lizard as his protectors, and began taking elixirs again to break through to the fourth level of the Martial Spirit. He still had plenty of elixirs, so Li Lin was not stingy. Additionally, his master, Yu Yu, often gave him quite a few elixirs, so he had more than enough elixirs needed for the breakthrough. Sitting cross-legged with hand signs formed, he swallowed a fourth-grade mid-level elixir. As it was refined, Li Lin''s body was immediately enveloped in a pale yellow light. As time passed slowly, nothing special happened in the Yunyang Sect as usual, and all Dragon List disciples were diligently cultivating. As more and more people aimed to enter the Dragon List, challenging those on the list became frequent. Eventually, the Yunyang Sect, like in previous years, allowed non-Dragon List direct disciples to compete at the Earth Dragon Summit, selecting ten people to join the fifty Dragon List members in the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm competition. Twelve days later, after consuming twelve fourth-grade mid-level elixirs, Li Lin broke through to the fourth level of the Martial Spirit. The elixirs consumed from the second to the third level of the Martial Spirit were more than ten times more than from the third to the fourth level, costing millions of gold coins. Li Lin estimated that breaking through from the fourth to the fifth level of the Martial Spirit with elixirs would require an even more terrifying amount of elixirs. This consumption alarmed Li Lin, as he had no demon elixirs left and it was inconvenient to use the Devouring Power within the Yunyang Sect, making the breakthrough quite difficult. "Phew!" After slowly exhaling a breath of turbid air and feeling the fourth level of Martial Spirit cultivation within him, Li Lin smiled slightly. With just his current strength, he could probably defeat those at the seventh to eighth level of Martial Spirit. If he encountered someone at the ninth level, he wouldn''t be powerless. On the thirteenth day, Li Lin went to the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm again. This time, he directly passed the sixth level, meeting Iron Palm Mad Bull, who was dumbfounded by Li Lin''s progress, as he himself could not pass the sixth level. On the nineteenth day, Li Lin entered the fourth level of the Spirit Realm again with a smile. Inside the Spirit Realm, several streaks of light were launched, and Li Lin''s figure appeared in a cave tunnel enveloped by white fog. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. With a smile on his lips, Li Lin sat down cross-legged and took out a handful of Earth Spirit Pills to swallow. He was already at the peak of the third level of Martial Spirit and did not need much spiritual power to guide him for the breakthrough. The Earth Spirit Pill, being a third-grade high-level elixir, offered little benefit to Li Lin''s current level of the third Spirit Realm. However, Li Lin had refined quite a few Earth Spirit Pills in the past few days, intending to use them to force a breakthrough. Breaking through in this Spirit Realm, Li Lin naturally had other plans. The last breakthrough attracted beneficial energy from the Spirit Realm to his soul power, helping him reach the peak of the third Spirit Realm in one go. Li Lin aimed to repeat this process. After swallowing a large handful of Earth Spirit Pills, Li Lin soon immersed himself in cultivation. The energy from the Earth Spirit Pills was weak for his current strength, but it acted as a guide for the abundant spiritual power in his mind, becoming active soon after. In a courtyard within the Yunyang Sect, Yun Xiao Tian and the Great Protector were present, with Yun Xiao Tian appearing somewhat worried. "Great Protector, is this news confirmed?" Yun Xiao Tian asked with a hint of seriousness in his eyes. "It should be accurate," the Great Protector replied softly. "I didn''t expect them to act so quickly. What exactly is their purpose?" Yun Xiao Tian wondered. "It''s unknown. Recently, quite a few second-tier forces have joined them in Moyun City. They call themselves the Spirit Martial World," the Great Protector mentioned. "Spirit Martial World, who is behind this, and what is their purpose? Is it possible that the continent is about to experience another storm of blood and violence?" Yun Xiao Tian murmured. "Sect Master, should our Yunyang Sect take precautions?" the Great Protector hesitated before asking. "The Three Sects and Four Gates Conference isn''t far off. It''s better to discuss collectively when all the sects gather. Probably the other sects have also received the news," Yun Xiao Tian said, then added, "Has there been any news from Li Lin recently?" "Li Lin has been spending every day in the Wanwu Tower and the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm since last month," the Great Protector reported. "This kid actually stayed in the fourth level of the Spirit Realm for a month. Even Hong Ling couldn''t stay in the fourth level of the Spirit Realm for a month when she was at the second level of Martial Spirit," Yun Xiao Tian sighed. "Given time, Li Lin might really become something," the Great Protector also sighed. "It''s a pity he''s not easily swayed to our side. It''s difficult to decide what to do with him," Yun Xiao Tian said with a bitter smile. "Sect Master, the young miss has been acting unusually lately, cultivating almost day and night," the Great Protector mentioned softly. "That girl had a fallout with me over Li Lin. It''s probably because of him," Yun Xiao Tian said lightly. "It might not be just that. I accidentally saw the young miss leaving Li Lin''s place, crying. I think it might be related to this," the Great Protector hesitated before saying. "That girl" Yun Xiao Tian paused, sighed, and seemed to ponder. "In my old age, I see the young miss has reached the age for romance. None of the disciples in the sect catch her eye, except maybe Li Lin," the Great Protector said softly. "That girl is as stubborn as her mother. If she really has taken a liking to Li Lin, nothing anyone says will matter. But Li Lin and Li Wushuang..." Yun Xiao Tian sighed again. "Sect Master, let the younger generation sort it out. I remember back then, the lady and you were the same. In a blink of an eye, the young miss has grown so much," the Great Protector remarked. "It''s a pity Hong Ling''s mother passed away young. Without her mother all these years, I''ve spoiled her. But now, it seems I have to intervene. Let''s wait and see what happens after the secret area opens," Yun Xiao Tian said, "No matter what, I can''t let Hong Ling be wronged." Inside the fourth level of the Spirit Realm, Li Lin''s aura began to rise, and the invisible white light circle around him started to shine brightly. "Boom!" A muffled sound echoed as a massive amount of spiritual power in Li Lin''s mind expanded and compressed, whirling rapidly. At that moment, a wave of spiritual power leaked from Li Lin, forming a vortex of light in front of him, resembling a tornado, instantly drawing in the surrounding white fog from the cave tunnel. Invisibly, a strand of energy from the white fog was absorbed into Li Lin''s body. Shortly after, the energy converged, reaching a level Li Lin could directly assimilate and refine. Seeing this, Li Lin was overjoyed and began to devour this vast energy. After a slight refinement with the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Technique, it turned into the purest spiritual power for his use. Within the cave tunnel, Li Lin was now enveloped in dense white fog. The thick fog, with strands of energy turning into vast power, continuously poured into Li Lin''s body. "Sect Master, the Second Protector reports another incident in the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm," a Yunyang Sect disciple reported from outside the courtyard. "Another incident? Didn''t one happen just over a month ago?" Yun Xiao Tian frowned, then left the courtyard with the Great Protector, heading straight for the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm. Chapter 319: Closing the Illusionary Realm "What on earth is going on, most of the Martial Spirit Illusionary Realm has lost its effect." "It''s been more than a month since this happened once before, but after a check, the Martial Spirit Illusionary Realm was not damaged." Several guardians responsible for the Martial Spirit Illusionary Realm were discussing their doubts. "How could this happen? I was about to break through the fourth and fifth levels, and then suddenly, I was ejected." "The same happened to me. I had just entered the third level, and I was immediately expelled." "What''s going on? Could it be that the Martial Spirit Illusionary Realm is broken, and the illusions inside are gone?" "Everything in the Spirit Realm has disappeared. What exactly is happening?" Inside the grand hall, many disciples came out from the Martial Spirit Illusionary Realm. Among these disciples, there were also several spiritual practitioners, including one that Li Lin would recognize if he were there C Qin Tianhao from Qingyun Town of the Qin family. There was much discussion among the crowd. This was the second occurrence recently. The last time something like this happened in the Martial Spirit Illusionary Realm, it returned to normal on its own a few days later, just as several elders were about to inspect it. "What''s going on, Second Guardian?" Several direct disciples asked the chief guardian. "I don''t know. The chief guardian will be here soon, and we''ll inspect it then," the Second Guardian said with a frown, as the Martial Spirit Illusionary Realm had never experienced accidents before, yet recently, there had been two. "Greetings to the Sect Master, greetings to the Chief Guardian." Several figures entered the grand hall, among them were Yun Xiao Tian and the Chief Guardian in a black robe. "Second Guardian, what exactly is going on?" Yun Xiao Tian focused on a piece of jade in the grand hall that was emitting light as soon as he arrived. "Sect Master, within the Martial Spirit Illusionary Realm, the Spirit Realm and the Martial Realm are in disarray, some are ineffective, and we do not know the reason," replied the Second Guardian. "Are there any disciples still inside?" Yun Xiao Tian asked with a frown. "No" The Second Guardian looked around at the disciples who had already come out, then said, "Only Li Lin is still inside the Spirit Realm, the other disciples have been expelled." "Only Li Lin is inside?" Yun Xiao Tian frowned. "Greetings to all elders." At this moment, dozens of figures arrived, entering the grand hall. They were the elders of the Yunyang Sect, including Yu Yuqian, Elder Xie, Elder Song, and others. "Sect Master, what''s wrong with the Martial Spirit Illusionary Realm?" Elder Yang asked Yun Xiao Tian. "I can''t tell. Once the Martial Spirit Illusionary Realm is activated, no one can probe anything inside," Yun Xiao Tian hesitated for a moment before saying, "Close the Martial Spirit Illusionary Realm, please ask a few Spirit Hall elders to inspect it." "Sect Master, the Spirit Hall elders have been assisting the Supreme Elder in preparing to open the secret realm recently, I''m afraid they cannot be spared," Elder Xie said. "There''s no other way now, let''s close the Martial Spirit Illusionary Realm and try restarting it," Yun Xiao Tian said. "Yes," the Second Guardian complied, walking to a corner of the grand hall, casting a jade slip, and then a series of lights converged and shot into a corner of the hall. "Shoo shoo..." At the same time, the grand hall seemed to undergo a chain reaction, instantly shooting countless streams of light from the corner, intertwining and converging on a piece of jade in the middle of the hall. "Zi!" The jade emitted a dazzling light and then dimmed, and the entire massive mountain also suddenly shook, like an earthquake. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. "Zi zi..." In an instant, Li Lin, who was in a cave within the mountain, found the myriad threads of aura surrounding him suddenly disappear, and the thick white mist around him also dissipated like smoke. "Huh huh..." Li Lin''s mind was suddenly devoid of the massive energy being absorbed into his body, and he could no longer continue to devour energy for cultivation. With a change of hand seals in front of his chest, Li Lin stopped cultivating and muttered, "What happened, could it be that I''ve completely devoured the energy?" Feeling the spiritual power in his mind, Li Lin realized he had leveraged a breakthrough to the fourth level of the Spirit Soul, and while devouring the immense and mystical energy within the Spirit Realm, he was continuing to break through, having reached the peak of the fourth level of the Spirit Soul and was about to break through to the fifth level. However, the invisible energy had disappeared. After packing up a few formation corners, Li Lin then went outside, only to find that the numerous cave passages around him had been reduced to just one, and all the original illusionary sceneries had disappeared. Following the passage, Li Lin found the stone chamber he had entered from, and stepping out of the stone chamber, he was immediately surprised. "Greetings to the Sect Master, greetings to Master, greetings to all elders." Li Lin was startled; in the grand hall, Sect Master Yun Xiao Tian and many elders were present, including Zhao Wujie and his master. "Li Lin, did anything unusual happen in the Spirit Realm?" Yun Xiao Tian immediately asked. "Nothing, I just came out and found that all illusions were gone?" Li Lin replied, originally thinking someone had discovered the secret of his breakthrough in the Spirit Realm. But judging by everyone''s expressions, it seemed they were unaware. "Was there anything unusual before this?" Yun Xiao Tian asked again. "Nothing." Li Lin shook his head. He had been focusing on his breakthrough before and naturally did not notice. At this moment, Li Lin also did not know that his breakthrough had caused the Martial Spirit Illusionary Realm to malfunction. "Second Guardian, try restarting the Martial Spirit Illusionary Realm," Yun Xiao Tian frowned, giving Li Lin a meaningful look. "Yes, Sect Master," the Second Guardian complied, starting the Martial Spirit Illusionary Realm again with a series of hand seals, filling the entire grand hall with a strange light. "Boom boom boom..." As the mountain shook violently, the grand hall returned to normal. "Eh... It seems to have recovered," Elder Xie said doubtfully. "It''s back to normal," Yun Xiao Tian was also puzzled. "Could it be because of me?" Li Lin glanced at everyone unobtrusively, feeling very puzzled. Could it be that his breakthrough, devouring the mystical aura within the Spirit Realm, caused the Martial Spirit Illusionary Realm to experience an anomaly? It seemed that the source of that aura was an important object supporting the Martial Spirit Illusionary Realm. He wondered what treasure it could be. "Spirit Practitioner, Qin Tianhao." As Li Lin''s gaze swept over everyone in the grand hall, he unexpectedly saw several spirit practitioners for the first time, including Qin Tianhao. Qin Tianhao also saw Li Lin, his gaze showing surprise before he nodded slightly as a greeting. Li Lin also nodded slightly, gauging Qin Tianhao''s current level of cultivation strength, which should be around the peak of the ninth level of the Spirit Master, not yet breaking through to the Spirit Soul. However, two years ago, Qin Tianhao was only a Spirit Warrior. Such progress was astonishing. Suddenly, Li Lin felt a gaze with a faint chill looking at him from the crowd, belonging to a young man around twenty-four or twenty-five years old, with a gloomy look that seemed somewhat similar to Zhao Qingtian. Frowning slightly, Li Lin remembered he did not know this person. "All disciples, enter the Martial Spirit Illusionary Realm for training as usual. There are five days until the competition. Work hard," Yun Xiao Tian told the direct disciples in the grand hall. "Yes, Sect Master," the disciples replied, then dispersed, re-entering the Martial Spirit Illusionary Realm under the Second Guardian''s arrangement. "Li Lin, do you still want to enter the Spirit Realm?" Yun Xiao Tian asked. "Replying to the Sect Master, I don''t need to," Li Lin said lightly. "Lin''er, there are five days until the competition among the direct disciples on the Dragon List. You must work hard and not let your master lose face," Yu Yuqian said proudly and loudly, feeling no less than any other elder since he had such a talented disciple. "Yes, Master, I will definitely not let Master down," Li Lin replied, knowing his master loved to save face. "These two disciples and master..." The elders sighed softly, but they could only sigh, for Elder Yu truly had accepted a good disciple this time, causing a sensation in the Yunyang Sect. Initially, it was thought that such a talented disciple ending up with Elder Yu was a waste, but it turned out to be a surprise. Li Lin''s strength had progressed faster than anyone else, entering the top twenty of the Dragon List in less than half a year in the Yunyang Sect, an unprecedented situation. In the courtyard where Li Lin lived, he returned after a series of events. Although he had not broken through to the fifth level of the Spirit Soul, he was very satisfied with his current level. Now, with the fourth level of the Martial Soul and the peak of the fourth level of the Spirit Soul, his strength had undoubtedly increased significantly, able to directly contend with the ninth level of the Martial Soul without pressure. It was uncertain if he could contend with a Martial General, as the Martial General and Martial Soul represented completely different levels of strength. "Five days left, I should prepare well," Li Lin smiled lightly, determined to enter the secret realm. In the evening, as the sun set, thick clouds loomed in the sky, with the sunset piercing through the clouds, casting strips of purple-red glow over the peaks. Occasionally, the sun near the horizon, like a dying fireball, passed through the mountains, reflecting in the mountains, casting a red glow. On the mountain peak, two figures leaned against a large rock, watching the distance silently, surrounded by quietness. The valley below was pitch-dark. Between the canyon and the mountain peaks, the dark blue mountains layered upon each other, evoking endless thoughts. Chapter 320: Clouds Move and Rain Falls "Lin''er, there are only five days left until the competition in the Martial Spirit Fantasy Realm. Only the top twenty can enter the secret area. Are you confident?" On a rock, a figure whose back alone inspires endless fantasies, is nestled in Li Lin''s arms. "There shouldn''t be a problem." Li Lin smiled lightly, holding the woman in his arms tightly, his face brimming with a happy smile. It turns out that true love is a matter that brings happiness. "Be careful. If you can make it to the secret area in the end, you can gain quite a few benefits. I''m afraid I won''t be able to break into the top twenty." Li Wushuang said softly. Her strength was not enough for the top twenty. The disciples in the top twenty of the Dragon List were all geniuses among geniuses. Although her talent had improved a lot after breaking through the Martial Soul, it was still too short a time to catch up with those in the top twenty of the Dragon List. "Just do your best. Your strength is already very strong. If Uncle knows you have become a Martial Soul, he would probably be happy for three days and nights." Li Lin smiled lightly. If the Li family knew that Li Wushuang had made it to the Dragon List, it would definitely be a joyous occasion for the entire clan. Having a direct disciple of the Dragon List in the Yunyang Sect, the Li family''s status in Qingyun Town would be secured. "It''s the same for you. I really don''t know how you practice. Your current achievements, I think not only Auntie but also Uncle would be very happy." Li Wushuang said softly. "Don''t mention my dad. He and I, we don''t have much in common." Li Lin said lightly. Regarding Li Zhong, it seemed he had only met him twice and didn''t have much affection for him. In his original memories, Li Zhong didn''t pay much attention to the original Li Lin, a man who couldn''t even protect his own wife and child, naturally, Li Lin didn''t have a good impression of him. "Lin''er, actually, Uncle cares a lot about you and Auntie. When I was young, Uncle often asked me to take care of you and told me not to tell anyone. I think, Auntie and your past, must have had their reasons." Li Wushuang said. "Let''s not talk about him anymore." Li Lin said lightly, lowering his head to kiss Li Wushuang on the forehead. Time unknowingly passed, and it was already shrouded in night. The sky was covered with vast white fog, and stars began to twinkle in the vast sky. In the deep and quiet night, only the occasional howl of a demon beast could be heard from a distant mountain. "It''s late. You should rest early. I should also leave." Li Lin said softly. Although he had some mixed feelings, after being chased away several times by Li Wushuang, Li Lin didn''t dare to mention it anymore. "Okay." Li Wushuang nodded lightly, and the two stood up. In the courtyard, watching the green figure on the Tianchi Snow Lion leaving, Li Wushuang revealed a happy smile, then closed the courtyard door, about to go to her room to cultivate, when a knock on the door sounded. "Is it Binglan?" Li Wushuang raised her eyebrows. At this late hour, only Du Gu Binglan would come to find her. She gently opened the door, only to be surprised. "You''re back again, not going back?" After a moment of surprise, Li Wushuang''s beautiful face frowned slightly at Li Lin. At the door was Li Lin, who had returned. "I wanted to see you." Li Lin said softly. "Weren''t you just leaving?" Li Wushuang said softly, looking at the man in front of her with some confusion in her eyes. "But, I still wanted to see you, so I came back." Li Lin said softly. "Come in then. You can leave later." Watching Li Lin, Li Wushuang smiled faintly: "Still the same, like a child who never grows up." "Is that so." Li Lin smiled lightly. In the courtyard, Li Wushuang didn''t speak, just gently rested her head in Li Lin''s arms. Li Lin vaguely felt that something might happen today. "Alright, you said you would hold me for a while and then leave. It''s time to go now." Li Wushuang buried her head deeply in Li Lin''s chest, her lips lightly opening. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. "Alright then." Li Lin said helplessly, looking at the woman''s long black hair in his arms, a faint fragrance spreading, slightly seeing Li Wushuang''s tender earlobe through the slightly disheveled hair, like half-transparent warm jade, which made Li Lin''s heart flutter, unable to resist bending down to gently kiss her cheek. "Don''t move recklessly." Li Wushuang trembled all over, raising her head to glare at Li Lin, her eyes becoming even more blurred. Looking at the delicate face in front of him, Li Lin''s heart also trembled, and suddenly, it seemed as if a flame surged up to his heart. This woman was too beautiful, ethereal, making one intoxicated. Below the small and straight nose, a pair of plump and moist lips seemed to be tempting him. What an exquisitely beautiful face. "What are you still looking at? Don''t think nonsense, there... again..." Li Wushuang glared at Li Lin, sitting in Li Lin''s arms, she naturally could feel something stirring underneath her at this moment, a heat through the clothes, although inexperienced, as a young woman she naturally knew what it was, instantly blushing from her neck to her cheeks, her heart suddenly pounding. Li Lin didn''t speak, staring at the beautiful face in front of him, suddenly leaned in and pressed tightly against those tempting red lips. In this instant, both bodies trembled, the moist and plump touch made Li Lin completely fall into the abyss. "Shao... You." Li Wushuang couldn''t speak, with Li Lin''s kiss, she couldn''t help but put her arms around his neck, responding to his lips, a tingling electric shock from the lips spread, and she gradually completely fell into the abyss. The kiss deepened, Li Lin kissed recklessly, his tongue like a snake sliding open the moist lips, sucking the cool and white teeth. Li Wushuang''s teeth suddenly parted, a soft and slippery tongue instantly entwined, and mysterious and rippling passion sparks burst out at this moment. Both forgot everything, completely immersed, and forgot all else, throwing everything into the clouds, their lips like dry land meeting sweet rain, continuously sucking, endlessly exchanging each other''s inner desires. Not knowing how long it had been, both didn''t know how they ended up in the room, this was Li Wushuang''s boudoir, Li Lin was not here for the first time. Looking around, the boudoir was filled with the delicate and gentle aura of a young woman. "Lin''er, it''s not the right time yet." On the red bed, Li Wushuang looked at the man pressed against her, her eyes becoming more blurred. "When is the right time?" Li Lin asked, staring at her, the bow drawn to its full, unable to not release. "I don''t know either." Li Wushuang said shyly, her gaze almost daring not to look directly at Li Lin at this moment. "Then now is the right time." Li Lin said softly. "No..." Li Wushuang seemed to want to say something more, but in an instant, her lips were sealed again, and that heavy body was pressing down on her, a familiar warmth once again flowing into her lips. Li Wushuang trembled as if electrified, feeling a current flowing over her body, his hands, were wandering over her body, even invading the forbidden area in front of her chest, but this sensation made her numb, utterly unable to resist. At this moment, Li Lin could no longer control himself, at the age of vigorous vitality, always suppressed, this time, he must release, the blood in his body had long started to surge, a fiery heat below the abdomen. Under this primal response, Li Lin became more intense, his fingers moved freely, wandering over this delicate body, at this moment, their tongues still entwined and mingled, under such teasing, Li Wushuang almost collapsed numbly into Li Lin''s arms, letting him do as he pleased, no longer having the strength to resist. On the red bed, the two rolled over, their breathing becoming heavier and heavier, Li Lin''s hand slid into the waist of Li Wushuang''s red dress, feeling the firmness of her waist and the plumpness of her buttocks, causing Li Wushuang to tremble again as if electrified. Holding this man tightly with both hands, Li Wushuang now knew only that she was powerless to refuse what was about to happen... The acquiescence of the woman in his arms left Li Lin without any hesitation, his hands sliding from the waist to the towering chest, unable to resist kneading forcefully, the red dress lightly shed, the undergarment slipped off, revealing the green bra, a trace of snowy bosom exposed... Pure white reeds, a woman as exquisite as jade, the window opens to the moonlight, candles extinguished to undo the silk dress, smiling within the curtain, the body fragrant of orchids and sweet grass, dreamily smiling with charming dimples, sleeping hairpin pressing down fallen flowers, the mat pattern birthing jade wrists, fragrant sweat soaking the red gauze... Outside the window, the night breeze gently fluttered, in the room, these two, harvesting the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, had become one, again and again clouds moved and rain fell, experiencing the flow of forms, in the mortal world, an endless spring scene... A night passed, the bright moon gradually hid away, within the Yunyang Mountain Range, peaks occasionally reflected silver light, morning wind swept through, while the treetops swayed slightly, casting long, elusive shadows like the statues of ghosts among them. In the deep and slightly white sky, the peaks reflected the bronze-colored horizon, when all things on earth awoke tenderly in the morning, the dawn rose, sunlight pierced through the crevices of the peaks with bits of golden rosy clouds, on the peaks, strands of transparent light purple, light yellow thin light. Inside the room, when Li Lin woke up, still nestled in his arms was a delicate body, Li Lin was certain of everything that happened last night, at this moment on the bed, the few blossoms of deep red also told Li Lin, last night was absolutely not a dream. Thinking of last night''s madness, the corners of Li Lin''s mouth couldn''t help but reveal a hint of a smile, muttering softly: "Finally, I''m no longer a virgin, from now on, I''m a man who has been through the process." Chapter 321: The Strong Contenders of the Dragon Ranking "Pervert, are you awake?" The extremely beautiful woman in his arms opened her beautiful eyes, gazing at Li Lin. "Yes." Holding the woman in his arms, Li Lin revealed a satisfied smile, feeling fortunate to have such a woman in his life. "Next time, you''re not allowed to stay, it hurts." Her fist lightly punched Li Lin''s body, as Li Wushuang blushed shyly. "Is that so." Li Lin smirked wickedly, once again pinning the woman in his arms beneath him... In the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm, the competition among all the Dragon Ranking disciples finally began. The pre-entry competition was enough to attract the attention of everyone in the Yunyang Sect, including many outer sect elders from nearby cities who rushed back to witness this once-in-three-years competition among the young elites of the sect. This competition wasn''t about competing on the Dragon Peak, but rather, it was about all Dragon Ranking disciples challenging the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm. The last twenty disciples who reach the highest levels would be able to enter the secret realm. Being able to enter the secret realm represented becoming the core disciples of the Yunyang Sect in the future, an opportunity countless disciples dreamt of. Though the Yunyang mountain range housed only tens of thousands of disciples, the total number of outer sect disciples within the Yunyang Sect''s territory could easily exceed a million. Becoming a core disciple of the Yunyang Sect was indeed a dream for all its disciples. Early in the morning, as the dawn light faintly spread, disciples of the Yunyang Sect headed towards the plaza outside the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm, hoping to secure a good spot to witness the twenty disciples who would eventually enter the secret realm. Today, every three years, all disciples are allowed to enter the plaza of the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm, including both old and new disciples. At dawn, as the sun began to rise, the vast plaza in front of the massive mountain peaks of the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm was already crowded with densely packed figures, with many disciples still rushing over. At a glance, the number of people had reached tens of thousands, including those who traveled overnight. Old and new disciples, without flying beast mounts, might take a day and a night to reach the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm from afar within the Yunyang Sect''s territory. In front of the massive mountain peaks, the gathering of tens of thousands didn''t feel crowded, and even if another ten thousand people gathered, it wouldn''t feel cramped. As more and more people arrived, many disciples began to whisper among themselves, naturally discussing the disciples who might secure the twenty spots to enter the secret realm. "Who do you think will make it into the secret realm this time?" "Qu Dao Jue with his War Sabre, Zhao Qingtian with his Absolute Sword, and Ling Feng with his Flying Eagle will certainly have no problems." "Ghost Hand Du Zichun shouldn''t have any problems either, right?" "Li Lin will also make it without a problem; he''s our brother." Among the crowd, the voices of Peng Chuanxiong, Yue Buqun, Lai Yuejing, and Yang Wei from Courtyard No. 806 could be heard a bit louder than those around them. They had pleaded with Elder Bai Mei for three days and nights to bring them here on a flying beast. "Whoosh whoosh..." In the sky above, a massive beast flapped its wings, creating a huge airflow. Under its formidable presence, all disciples looked up. "Lin''er, you can''t be careless in today''s competition. You must make it into the top twenty," Yu Yuxian advised Li Lin from the back of a Blue Jade Wolf Eagle. "I will be careful," Li Lin replied, surprised by the dense crowd of tens of thousands in the valley plaza below. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. "The Blue Jade Wolf Eagle, that''s Elder Yu." Seeing the massive beast, all disciples whispered. "Whoosh whoosh..." Four figures leaped from the back of the Blue Jade Wolf Eagle, landing silently in front of the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm mountain peaks. "Greetings to Elder Yu." The guardians and many outer sect elders who had already arrived immediately bowed. "Look, that''s Li Lin. Just a new disciple not long ago, and now he''s among the top twenty strong contenders of the Dragon Ranking." Seeing Li Lin, many disciples quietly discussed, their eyes filled with absolute envy. "Whoosh whoosh..." In the sky, a group of flying beasts approached, each exuding a formidable aura. Each flying beast reached the fifth rank, and as Li Lin looked up, he saw that it was all the elders of the Yunyang Sect, each accompanied by several disciples, all of whom were formidable. Dozens of people landed, their powerful auras stirring up dust on the plaza ground. "Greetings to the elders." The surrounding disciples, guardians, and outer sect elders immediately bowed again. "There''s Zhao Qingtian, ranked fifth on the Dragon Ranking." "Behind Zhao Qingtian seems to be Zeng Chuxiong, ranked twelfth on the Dragon Ranking, and Li Shaohu, also a strong contender on the Dragon Ranking. They are all disciples of Elder Zhao." "Ghost Hand Du Zichun has arrived, ranked ninth on the Dragon Ranking." "Look, Ba Dao Long San has also arrived, ranked sixth on the Dragon Ranking." "Ling Feng, ranked seventh on the Dragon Ranking, definitely has a chance to enter the secret realm this time." "Warrior Qu Dao Jue, ranked third on the Dragon Ranking, has such a strong aura. Truly deserving of his rank." "Li Wushuang is also here, so beautiful. She and Hong Ling are considered the two most beautiful women in the Yunyang Sect, truly stunning." "It''s said that Li Wushuang is Li Lin''s woman. Even Ling Feng, Zhao Qingtian, and Ba Dao Long San stand no chance, so don''t even think about it." "Aren''t they siblings? Could it be..." "Don''t think too much. It''s said that Li Wushuang was adopted by the Li family, not related by blood." "Li Lin, that lucky guy." "Look, who''s that next to Zhao Qingtian?" "My god, it''s Zhao Qinghai, ranked first on the Dragon Ranking." As the strong contenders of the Dragon Ranking arrived, many disciples buzzed with conversation, rarely seeing these powerhouses. Li Lin''s gaze was also fixed on the Dragon Ranking disciples. Ling Feng stood beside Elder Sun, likely his disciple. Ba Dao Long San was a disciple of Elder Wu, and Qu Dao Jue belonged to Elder Yang. Among the crowd, Li Lin also saw Li Wushuang, Yang Miao, Du Gu Binglan, and Cui Yu. Li Wushuang sneakily glanced at Li Lin, her cheeks instantly reddening. "Lin''er, pay attention to the person next to Zhao Qingtian. That''s Zhao Qinghai, Zhao Qingtian''s elder brother, Zhao Wuji''s grandson, ranked first on the Dragon Ranking and already a third-level Spirit General. He''s considered the disciple with the best talent in the Yunyang Sect in the past thousand years," Yu Yuxian whispered to Li Lin. "Dragon Ranking first, third-level Spirit General." Li Lin was surprised to learn that this person was the top of the Dragon Ranking. He remembered the cold gaze from this person in the hall a few days ago, a member of the Zhao family. At such an age, around twenty-five, being a third-level Spirit General was truly astonishing. "The Yunyang Sect is indeed extraordinary." Li Lin thought to himself, observing the direct disciples of the elders around him, each with exceptional talent. Despite their young age, they were all outstanding, ensuring the Yunyang Sect''s strength would continue to grow. "Whoosh whoosh..." In a moment, several figures arrived on a massive flying beast, landing in front of the crowd. The leading person, with a restrained aura, exuded an invisible presence that made people dare not look directly. "Greetings to the Sect Master." All elders, guardians, and disciples immediately bowed, their eyes filled with absolute respect for this person, Yun Xiao Tian, one of the absolute figures on the Ling Wu continent. "No need for formalities." Yun Xiao Tian looked over the crowd, his pale green robe fluttering without wind, his presence overwhelming. "This is what a true powerhouse looks like, this is presence." Li Lin silently admired Yun Xiao Tian, aspiring to reach such heights one day for the Flying Spirit Gate to match the Yunyang Sect. "Hong Ling..." Li Lin''s gaze then fell on the stunningly beautiful green-clad woman behind Yun Xiao Tian, the proud girl who seemed to have lost some weight, her gaze fixed ahead as if deliberately ignoring him. "These two, so strong." Li Lin''s gaze also rested on two young men behind Yun Hong Ling. The first, in a blue robe, around twenty-four or twenty-five years old, with a commanding presence. The second, in an orange long coat with a purple cloak, handsome with a clear gaze that could make one''s heart tremble. "Lin''er, those two are your Sect Master''s uncle''s disciples. The one in blue is Han Feng, a third-level Martial General, ranked second on the Dragon Ranking. The other is Dong Pan, a first-level Spirit General, ranked fourth on the Dragon Ranking. Both are the beloved disciples of your Sect Master''s uncle, who intends one of them to be his son-in-law. If you and Hong Ling truly have something, you''ll need to work hard," Yu Yuxian''s voice whispered again to Li Lin. "Dragon Ranking second, fourth." Li Lin was surprised, noting the exceptional status of these individuals. Li Lin''s gaze once again swept over the people behind Yun Xiao Tian. These young disciples, all Spirit Practitioners with notable cultivation levels, included four individuals, the weakest of whom was a fourth-level Spirit Soul. Frowning, Li Lin had heard that several individuals on the Dragon Ranking were Spirit Practitioners, including three in the top ten. It seemed these were the individuals. Chapter 322: The Competition Begins "Disciples eligible to enter the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm, step forward." The voice of the Grand Guardian spread, reaching the ears of all disciples present. "Lin''er, go ahead, and be careful." Elder Yu said to Li Lin softly. "I understand." Li Lin nodded in response. "Whoosh whoosh" Numerous figures leaped out from beside the elders, their forms rapidly descending, each landing generating a sharp, cutting wind that caused the ground to tremble fiercely upon impact. Such momentum was far beyond what ordinary disciples could match. At this moment, Li Lin too leaped forward, a slight whirl of air under his feet as he instantly sprang up, then lightly landed among the group of disciples entering the arena. "Cui Yu is also here" Among the dozens of disciples, Li Lin glanced and was surprised to find, next to Li Wushuang, Du Gu Binglan, and Yang Miao, the maid Cui Yu was also present, which was quite a shock to Li Lin. Not just Li Lin, even many of the direct disciples were astonished. Could a maid also enter the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm? "Whoosh" Another figure leaped forward, touching the ground with the tip of her foot like a falling leaf, leaping high into the air C it was Yun Hong Ling. Below her feet, an invisible white vortex flashed, instantly crossing space to land, landing right next to Li Lin. Whether intentional or not, her foot heavily stepped on Li Lin''s foot. "Hmph" Yun Hong Ling snorted lightly and then stepped forward two paces to the very front, without giving Li Lin another glance. "This woman." Li Lin sighed helplessly, it seems this tempestuous lady''s resentment towards him had not faded. "Sixty-two?" At this moment, Li Lin looked around, counting a total of sixty-two people. Fifty from the Dragon Ranking, plus ten who qualified from the recent competition on the Earth Dragon Peak, making sixty. The last two were Cui Yu and Yun Hong Ling. Li Lin had carefully examined the Dragon Ranking before, and Yun Hong Ling definitely possessed the strength to be among the top contenders, yet it was strange she had never been listed. "I suppose everyone knows why they are here today. The Martial Spirit Illusion Realm has been adjusted, with the martial and spirit realms temporarily merged. All disciples will enter from the first level, with a limit of ten days. After ten days, the last twenty disciples who have ascended to the highest levels will qualify to enter the secret realm. Remember, you only have ten days, so there is no time to delay. Those who fail will automatically exit without a second chance. None of you can afford to be careless," announced the Grand Guardian, his voice reaching all sixty-two disciples. "I wonder how many levels one must clear to win." Li Lin thought to himself, finding this slightly troublesome. If he were to go all out, clearing too many levels could inadvertently reveal his true strength, but not clearing enough could lead to failure. "Remember, since the martial and spirit realms have been adjusted, everything in the illusion might also be real. You cannot afford to be careless. This is not just a trial but a competition. Alright, all disciples may now enter the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm. Each of you will take a jade slip. If only the last twenty disciples remain before the ten days are up, we will notify you through the jade slip to exit," the Grand Guardian continued, then motioned for the disciples to come forward and collect their jade slips to enter the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm. "This is going to be challenging." Li Lin frowned slightly. With the martial and spirit realms mixed, disciples who could normally reach the fourth or seventh levels might also make mistakes now. In the spirit realm, everything is an illusion. Acting upon an illusion will lead to failure, but it could also be a real illusion from the martial realm, where not acting also leads to failure. Without exceptional soul perception, navigating through the combined realms would be difficult. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Li Lin smirked slightly, seeing an advantage for himself. Practicing both martial and spirit techniques, neither realm should pose much of a problem for him, just requiring a bit more caution. "All disciples entering the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm, follow me," said the Second Guardian, leading the group into the mountain hall. Subsequently, the elders, guardians, and hundreds of outer sect elders entered the hall, while the other disciples could only wait outside for the results. Inside the hall, sixty-two people stood before the doors of sixty-two chambers. Li Lin stood before one, with Li Wushuang on his left and Yun Hong Ling on his right, neither woman looking at him. Li Lin, feeling somewhat guilty, kept his head down, not daring to look around. "All disciples, enter the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm now. Be mindful of yourselves," the Second Guardian said lightly. Without hesitation, everyone entered their respective chambers, and the stone doors closed behind them. The faces of the elders in the hall grew solemn. While it was their disciples challenging the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm, the outcome also affected their own prestige. If none of their disciples secured a spot in the secret realm, it would be a loss of face for them. "Elders, please take a seat. With ten days ahead of us, let''s see how many disciples surprise us," Yun Xiao Tian said inside the hall, where seats had already been arranged by the guardians. Inside the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm, following a dazzling light, Li Lin found himself in a canyon surrounded by dense bushes, somewhat reminiscent of the Misty Mountain Range. "Whoosh" Before Li Lin, a three-meter-tall beast leaped out from the bushes. "A first-level demon beast." Li Lin''s qi vibrated in his hand, and with a light palm strike, the incoming first-level demon beast instantly turned into energy and dissipated. Everyone had started from the first level, and Li Lin began to understand the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm better. The first level contained only some first-level demon beasts, not a difficult challenge. Outside the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm, the number of people in the surrounding valleys continued to grow, with disciples almost exclusively waiting in the plaza for the results after ten days. "Zhao Qinghai, Han Feng, Zhao Qingtian, Qu Dao Jue, each has reached the first level of the third layer. Ling Feng, Du Zichun have each reached the ninth level of the second layer." Three hours later, a guardian responsible for part of the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm announced loudly in the plaza. As in previous years, every three hours, a guardian would announce the top twenty''s progress to prevent the disciples waiting in the plaza from becoming bored. "Zhao Qinghai, Han Feng, Zhao Qingtian, Qu Dao Jue, as expected of the top five in the Dragon Ranking, have quickly reached the third layer." "It''s just the beginning. I guess no one will fail in the first two days. After reaching the fourth layer, there should be failures." ... The disciples immediately began to enthusiastically discuss and analyze the situation, with many placing bets on the sixty-two participants. Betting odds varied, but no bets were placed on the top ten of the Dragon Ranking, as they were almost guaranteed to enter the secret realm, making it unfeasible for anyone to act as the bookie. This betting attracted many participants, and soon, various betting stations appeared among the dense crowd, with stakes ranging from gold coins to points used by new disciples, and even martial techniques. Time passed slowly, with updates on the top twenty every three hours, making these twenty immediately popular in the betting pools. On the third layer, fifth level, in a plain, dozens of mid-third-stage Dire Wolves charged at Li Lin, their powerful qi creating ripples in the space around them. "Hmph." Li Lin hummed lightly, calm and composed, his qi flashing under his feet, his speed many times faster than the Dire Wolves, instantly turning into a blur around them. "Whoosh whoosh whoosh" Li Lin weaved through the dozen Dire Wolves without them touching even a corner of his clothing. With a series of flame-imbued palm strikes, he swiftly killed the mid-third-stage Dire Wolves, turning them into wisps of smoke and energy. "Sss!" At that moment, two stone doors appeared before Li Lin, one leading out and the other deeper into the sixth level. "Continue." Li Lin chuckled, unhurried, proceeding to the sixth level. On the third layer, seventh level, in a canyon, Li Lin instantly leaped onto a large rock. About a few hundred meters away, a two-hundred-meter tall single-horned demon bull slowly approached. "A mid-third-stage level." Li Lin immediately assessed, recognizing the single-horned demon bull as a mid-third-stage beast, with a similar early-fourth-stage counterpart in the Misty Mountain Range. Li Lin smiled slightly, employing the Flickering Light Shifting Shadow technique, his feet touching a whirlwind, his body darting from behind the rock just as the single-horned demon bull turned its head. Li Lin had already reached its rear, a gust of wind pressing down from above. "Wuu" The single-horned demon bull lowed, its body flashing with light, and from its horn, a water jet burst forth with ferocious force, attacking Li Lin. Chapter 323: The Octopus Monster Armor "Disappear." Li Lin smiled slightly, his body unbelievably twisting, and the attack instantly missed him. In a moment, Li Lin''s hand landed a palm print directly on the back of the unicorn monster bull. "Bang!" With a sound of bones shattering, the unicorn monster bull was heavily slammed into a huge rock, then fell heavily, even shaking the ground, and immediately turned into a cloud of energy smoke and dissipated. "Continue." Li Lin smiled lightly and continued to move forward. As time went on, in the hall, Yu Yu''s expression became somewhat anxious. Three days had passed, and Li Lin was still in the fourth level, second realm, while most people had generally reached the fourth realm. Looking at it now, the top twenty disciples had basically reached the sixth realm of the fourth level, and a few had even reached the eighth realm. "It seems that someone will fail and come out soon." Among the elders, Elder Xie spoke softly. After entering the fourth level, based on past years, someone would soon fail. With the Martial Realm and Spirit Realm mixed together, even disciples who could normally break through to the fifth realm of the fourth level might fail if they were unlucky and reached the first realm of the fourth level. "Sss..." Before Elder Xie''s words had finished, suddenly a stone door opened, and a yellow-clothed young man walked out dejectedly, his strength of the third level of Martial Soul, but he had failed at the first realm of the fourth level. The yellow-clothed disciple walked out of the stone room and stood behind Elder Wu, being a disciple of Elder Wu. The first disciple to fail was his own, and Elder Wu''s face immediately looked a bit unsightly. "Sss..." Another blue-clothed young man failed and exited the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm, a disciple of Elder Sun, making Elder Wu''s face look a bit better. Above the plaza, the failed disciples were immediately announced to leave by the protector, causing the disciples who had lost their bets to be instantly depressed. "Sect Master, why can Du Gu Binglan''s maid, Cuiyu, also enter the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm?" Inside the hall, Zhao Wuji watched the jade stone flashing light above the hall and asked. At this moment, all the elders also turned their attention to Yun Xiaotian. Regarding the maid Cuiyu, it had always made all the elders feel puzzled. A maid could also be arranged to go into the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm. "This, because there are some reasons, I will explain in detail to the elders later." Yun Xiaotian said with a light smile, without the intention of explaining right now. "Is Li Lin still in the fourth realm?" Watching the light on the jade stone above the hall, Yun Xiaotian spoke lightly, seeming a bit puzzled. "Li Lin has already broken through the first six realms of the fourth level dozens of times. According to reason, he should be very fast, but now he has been lagging behind the thirtieth place, which is strange." The second protector said lightly. "Sss..." Another stone door opened, and a blue-clothed female disciple walked out of the stone room with a dim expression, also failing to exit. After a total of five days, it was at this time that the elders in the hall really started to worry. Now was the critical moment. "Roar..." In front of Li Lin, there was a monster with a huge body of three hundred meters, with strange eight legs, claws on the eight legs, sharp fangs in its mouth, a thick layer of flesh armor all over its body, and a huge long tail. "Octopus Monster Armor." Li Lin watched the monster in front of him, which looked like a pangolin, but this was a fourth-order mid-stage Octopus Monster Armor with absolutely not low strength. Both its attack power and defense were absolutely strong. Even a fifth level Martial Soul, or even a sixth level Martial Soul cultivation, might be in trouble. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Li Lin smiled slightly. This Octopus Monster Armor was not the first time he had encountered it in the Martial Realm. "Roar..." In an instant, the Octopus Monster Armor roared lowly at Li Lin, and its huge body suddenly came like lightning, with its claws tearing through the air, bringing a ferocious aura and a sharp sound of breaking wind. "Flame Burst." A trace of a smile crossed Li Lin''s mouth. On his right hand, a palm-sized fireball appeared instantly. With the appearance of this fireball, the entire space''s temperature suddenly rose, and a strong aura pressed down, directly enveloping the surrounding space. The fireball spun out, tearing open a scorching arc in the space in front of it, the air currents in the space dissipated, and a scorching terrifying pressure spread out like a tsunami. The fireball reached the Octopus Monster Armor in an instant. At that moment, Li Lin changed the handprint and clenched his hand from a distance, shouting lightly: "Explode!" As the word fell, the fireball suddenly turned into a terrifying fire wave and exploded, the scorching flames swept across the sky, the space ripples instantly turned red, and a huge sound of explosion followed. "Bang bang..." The energy dispersed, and the space roared and exploded, creating severe ripples. In the midst of this terrifying fire wave, the Octopus Monster Armor instantly turned into energy smoke and disappeared. "Sss..." Li Lin''s scene in front of him suddenly changed, and two stone doors appeared in front of him, one with the word "exit" written on it, and the other with the words "Seventh Realm". "The time should be about right, it''s time to try breaking through a few realms." Li Lin''s eyes flashed with a sharp light. Up to now, he had been slowly breaking through, and now it was time to seriously break through a few realms. In front of a gorge, a beautiful figure stood in front of a huge monster blocking the entrance of the gorge. This monster had a huge and terrifying body of three hundred and fifty meters. The monster''s body was covered with large pieces of green hard flesh armor, each piece of green flesh armor shimmering with a cold metallic luster, making one feel chilled at a glance. The monster''s two huge long legs were astonishingly thick, probably requiring two people to embrace them barely, and the two front claws were the same, like a huge stone column, with a chilling cold light emitting from the front claws. "Fourth-order late-stage Fire Demon Ape." Looking at the monster in front of her, the beautiful figure also took a cold breath. This green figure was none other than Yun Hongling. The Fire Demon Ape was extremely difficult to deal with. As a fire-type monster, its attack power was extremely fierce, and its body was as defensively strong as an earth-type monster. Seeing this Fire Demon Ape, Yun Hongling''s face changed greatly, not expecting to encounter this terrifying Fire Demon Ape after reaching the fourth level, eighth realm. "Whoosh!" The huge Fire Demon Ape opened its mouth, showing no courtesy to Yun Hongling. From its huge mouth, a giant flame was sprayed out, directly rushing towards Yun Hongling. Under the flames, the temperature instantly rose, and the space ripples were filled with a scorching aura. Yun Hongling''s figure retreated explosively, disappearing from the original place like a ghost, already setting up a protective circle around herself. "Bang!" The flames sprayed onto the ground, and the violent power immediately cracked several cracks on the ground. The gorge was filled with flying debris, hundreds of large stones rolled down, and dust was splashed everywhere. "Whoosh!" At this moment, Yun Hongling''s figure appeared on a rock, and with a flash of true energy under her feet, her right foot swung fiercely, and a blue true energy burst out, kicking fiercely towards a huge stone with a diameter of two meters. The giant stone was immediately smashed out, cutting through the air, with a sharp whistling sound, directly rushing towards the Fire Demon Ape, bringing a series of sonic booms. Seeing the giant stone coming, the huge Fire Demon Ape swung its front paw, and a scorching force swept open. "Bang!" The giant stone was directly smashed by the Fire Demon Ape''s paw, and at the same time, the Fire Demon Ape''s huge body moved forward, bringing a series of giant stones roaring towards Yun Hongling, countless giant stones roaring up, bringing a violent force, which was much greater than Yun Hongling''s force just now. "Wind Sweep Remnants." Yun Hongling shouted delicately, and a handprint was made, a violent airflow swirling around her body, whirling like a tornado, from the ground in the gorge, a vortex of airflow overturned a layer of soil, countless cracks cracked, and the soil layer swept into the high sky, overwhelming and pressing down. The violent vortex instantly collided with countless debris, causing continuous explosions and deafening sonic booms. "Bang bang..." The violent force spread, and the surrounding area of hundreds of meters was almost leveled, with countless stones rolling down and dust filling the air. "Roar roar..." In the spreading dust, the roar of the Fire Demon Ape was heard, and a giant fire sprayed out, instantly enveloping Yun Hongling. Yun Hongling''s face sank, and with a flash of true energy under her feet, she jumped up more than ten meters, like an arrow leaving the string, her figure had already disappeared from the original place. "Roar..." The fire sprayed out by the Fire Demon Ape burned an area of hundreds of meters around, the scorching flames making the air flow in the area instantly tumble. "Shoo!" Yun Hongling''s eyes were cold, and her figure instantly appeared behind the Fire Demon Ape, her hand holding a green whip twitching, drawing an arc in the sky, bringing a sharp sound of breaking wind, and lightning-fast whipping towards the back of the Fire Demon Ape. "Whoosh!" The Fire Demon Ape''s huge right limb flashed like lightning, its speed even faster than the green whip, instantly sweeping towards the green whip. Bringing a sound that shook the air, the violent force spread out. Chapter 324: The Fifth Level, First Layer "Hit." Yun Hongling''s long whip in her hands suddenly slid, and with a strange movement, dozens of whip shadows shot out, sliding up and down and floating eerily. Incredibly, it struck the belly of the Fire Demon Ape. "Bang!" The massive Fire Demon Ape didn''t have time to dodge and was directly whipped fiercely in the abdomen by the long whip. Its huge body, under this slender long whip, was shockingly knocked back two steps. "Roar..." With a furious roar, a light enveloped the massive body of the Fire Demon Ape, and instantly, a flame burst forth from its mouth towards Yun Hongling. "Fleeting Light and Shadow." With a cold light shooting from her eyes, Yun Hongling''s feet generated two whirlwinds, instantly turning into tornadoes. Her body dragged out a string of afterimages that were hard to see with the naked eye and disappeared from the spot. As the flames poured down, Yun Hongling''s figure vanished like lightning. "Swoosh swoosh..." At this moment, Yun Hongling reappeared behind the Fire Demon Ape. Her green whip in hand vibrated instantly, and with a surge of true energy, countless whip shadows were generated, far more ferocious than before. The sky full of whip shadows was like a sky full of arrows, instantly sweeping towards the Fire Demon Ape. "Roar..." The Fire Demon Ape was instantly engulfed in the sky of whip shadows, its body''s light dimming under the violent sweep of countless whip shadows. "Hit." Among the sky of whip shadows, Yun Hongling''s figure appeared ghostly. At the same time, a whip shadow burst out amidst the violent sweeping shadows, directly piercing into the brow of the Fire Demon Ape. "Bang..." With a roar, the Fire Demon Ape instantly turned into energy smoke and disappeared. "Sss..." Following the defeat of the Fire Demon Ape, two stone doors appeared in front of Yun Hongling, one leading out and the other to the ninth level. Yun Hongling''s face was pale, as the previous move seemed to have consumed a lot of her true energy. She then stepped into the ninth level without hesitation. "It''s incredible that Miss has entered the ninth level so quickly," exclaimed the guardian within the hall. "Yun Hongling, a warrior of three elements, exhibits strength far beyond her cultivation level. Warriors of three elements are truly terrifying," remarked many elders in surprise. "Unexpectedly, Li Lin broke through from the sixth level to the eighth level in just one day, now already entering the top twenty," Elder Xie said with some surprise as he watched the light spots on the jade stone. "Li Lin''s breakthrough in the Martial Soul is really surprising," Elder Song also commented in amazement. "That''s because I taught well," Yu Yu said proudly, only to be met with eye rolls from all the elders, including Yun Xiaotian. At this moment, only Zhao Wuji''s eyes were filled with a cold intent. "Sss..." Two stone doors opened simultaneously, and two figures emerged, Li Wushuang and Du Gu Binglan. One failed at the fourth level, sixth layer, and the other at the fifth, both missing the chance to enter the secret realm. The two stood behind Elder Xie and Elder Song, respectively, who did not blame their disciples, knowing well that entering the top twenty was not an easy task. "Sss!" Then, two more stone doors opened, and two figures, a man and a woman, Li Shaohu and Yang Miao, also missed the secret realm. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Li Shaohu, Yang Miao, Li Wushuang, Du Gu Binglan failed to advance, Zhao Qinghai, Han Feng, Qu Daojue entered the fifth level, first layer; Ling Feng, Dong Pan, Du Zichun, Long San, Zhao Qingtian entered the fourth level, ninth layer; Li Lin, Cui Yu entered the fourth level, eighth layer..." On the square, a guardian repeated the standings. As more people exited, many disciples placed bets, hoping to earn more by betting on a dark horse, only to lose miserably. "Li Lin is making a move; it looks promising. I''ve bet fifty thousand gold coins on him." "That''s nothing; I''ve bet a hundred thousand gold coins and a scroll of star-level high-grade martial arts on Li Lin." "Haha, Du Gu Binglan''s maid Cui Yu is the dark horse, with odds of one to fifty. I cautiously bet one point on her, and now I''m making a fortune. If I win, that''s fifty points." "Sss..." In a bush, as a giant serpent beast furiously pounced towards Li Lin, its ferocious power seemed to twist the space around it. Li Lin was about to dodge but then showed a slight smile, allowing the giant serpent beast to charge directly at him. The ferocious power pressed down, causing ripples in the surrounding space. "Sss..." As the giant serpent beast was about three meters away from Li Lin, he could almost smell the beast''s breath. But in an instant, the serpent turned into energy and disappeared. "Sss" The scene before Li Lin changed, and two stone doors appeared, one leading to the ninth level. "Should I go through? Let''s continue." Li Lin smiled slightly and then stepped through the stone door. "Li Lin has passed the eighth level in six hours; his strength is extraordinary," commented the guardian within the hall. "Lin''er, you must make it to the end," Li Wushuang silently prayed in her heart, not caring about her own failure to enter the secret realm, as long as he could. "But compared to Li Lin, Cui Yu seems even more terrifying," remarked the elders, with even Elder Song feeling a chill, not to mention the other elders. A mere maid had now entered the fourth level, ninth layer. "Binglan, Cui Yu''s strength is truly terrifying," Elder Song turned to Du Gu Binglan beside him. The young lady had not made it into the top twenty, but her maid had reached the fourth level, ninth layer. The martial realm and illusion realm combined increased the difficulty significantly. It can be said that anyone who can reach the fourth level, ninth layer, essentially has the strength to contend with a first-level Martial General. A maid possessing such strength, not inferior to the top disciples of the Yunyang Sect, is indeed surprising. Yun Xiaotian smiled slightly, seemingly unsurprised by the turn of events. "The Windwing Serpent, didn''t expect it to be this beast. Now it''s time to give it my all." On a mountaintop, Li Lin watched a four-hundred-meter-long white serpent coiling in mid-air. The serpent''s eyes were as large as wheels, and its massive body, covered in white scales, shimmered with a chilling light. Its huge wings, spanning a hundred meters when fully spread, flapped powerfully. The Windwing Serpent, a wind-element beast, watching this massive serpent, Li Lin sensed its aura, reaching the late fourth stage, nearly at its peak. "Killing this Windwing Serpent should allow me to enter the fifth level, first layer," Li Lin thought, recalling the challenges he faced on this level. He had nearly failed in a formation just now, saved only by his Fleeting Light and Shadow martial skill. This Martial Spirit Fantasy Realm was not easy to traverse. At this moment, Li Lin was almost certain that anyone who could break through from the fourth level, ninth layer, would definitely have the strength to contend with a first-level Martial General. "Sss..." As the Windwing Serpent hissed, its massive wings flapped fiercely, sending a terrifying pressure spreading out, cutting through the air and kicking up dust. "Whoosh..." In that instant, a wind blade burst from the serpent''s fang, stretching over ten meters, slicing through the air and slashing fiercely towards Li Lin. Li Lin''s expression darkened as he dodged with a whirl of air under his feet. "Bang!" The wind blade hit where Li Lin had stood on the mountaintop, lifting hundreds of meters of soil and creating a cloud of dust and debris. "No time to play." At this moment, Li Lin''s expression darkened. As his hand seals changed, a seven-colored light alternated, and a terrifying energy began to distort the space around him. In an instant, this terrifying energy coalesced into a crimson phoenix, its wings spreading flames, causing the surrounding space to waver. "Vermilion Bird Art, go!" Li Lin shouted, infusing the crimson phoenix with raging true energy. The terrifying red energy form turned into a several tens of meters large entity, surrounded by roaring flames, its ferocity reaching the skies and engulfing the area in flames, the air sizzling. Li Lin, with his fourth level Martial Soul strength, unleashed the Vermilion Bird Art with horrifying power. "Hiss!" Sensing this furious energy, the Windwing Serpent''s massive eyes showed fear. Its huge body flapped its wings rapidly, spewing a barrage of wind blades, slicing through space with ferocious power. In an instant, the two energies collided, sending sparks flying everywhere. The wind enveloped the flames, causing continuous explosions in the sky. Instantly, the crimson apparition vanished, eventually condensing into a scorching giant fireball. The fireball exploded, expanding rapidly, then burst in mid-air with a loud bang. "Bang bang bang..." Flames scattered, filling the space with deafening blasts. The terrifying, raging energy soared, and the Windwing Serpent''s massive body, engulfed in flames, writhed in agony before falling from the sky, crashing heavily into the ground, creating a huge crater where it landed. The Windwing Serpent''s body twitched and rolled for a moment before dissipating on the ground. "Sss!" Two stone doors appeared before Li Lin again, one leading to the fifth level, first layer. Chapter 325: The Origin of the Secret Land "Incredible, that jade has actually reached the first level of the fifth layer." At this moment, the second protector was staring at the jade stone on the great hall, which was glowing, his gaze filled with shock. "Li Lin has also reached the first level of the fifth layer," exclaimed the chief protector, absolutely stunned. It had been only three months since Li Lin broke through a level of martial spirit, and now he had entered the first level of the fifth layer, meaning he had the strength equivalent to a first-level martial general. His cultivation had not yet reached the level of a martial general, but his strength had, which was shocking. "Hongling has also reached the first level of the fifth layer. Has this girl''s strength increased significantly recently?" Elder Yang was also somewhat surprised at this moment. "Chi..." The stone door opened, and once again, a disciple in green clothes walked out of the stone room listlessly. "Bai Tao, ranked nineteenth on the Dragon List, he failed too." Inside the great hall, there were already more than thirty disciples who had failed, watching the newly emerged disciple in green clothes, all with a hint of surprise in their eyes. "Sect Master, there are exactly twenty disciples left in the Martial Spirit Illusion Land now," said the chief protector to Yun Xiaotian after the green-clothed disciple came out. "It''s only the ninth day, right?" Yun Xiaotian said lightly. "Replying to the Sect Master, it is indeed the ninth day," said the chief protector. "Zhao Qinghai, Han Feng, Qu Daojue, three people have already reached the third level of the fifth layer. Zhao Qingtian, Dong Pan, Long San, have all reached the second level of the fifth layer. Ling Feng, Du Zichun, Zeng Chuxiong, Li Lin, Hongling, etc., have all reached the first level of the fifth layer. This batch of disciples seems to be slightly stronger than the last one," Yun Xiaotian said lightly, a smile crossing his eyes. "It seems that we, Yunyang Sect, have some confidence in this Three Sects and Four Gates Conference," Elder Yang said lightly. "Alright, notify them to come out. These twenty disciples will enter the secret land in three days." Yun Xiaotian slowly stood up and was the first to leave the great hall. "Should we break through?" In front of Li Lin, a stone golem about ten meters tall stood in front of him. This golem had reached the initial stage of the fifth level, its strength absolutely formidable. The golem''s body was made of huge rocks, its aura powerful, like a giant. Facing this golem, Li Lin hesitated. Even if he really fought, Li Lin had no confidence at the moment. This was a fifth-level golem, its strength so formidable that even a first-level martial general would find it difficult to deal with, fearing that only by truly risking his life might he have a chance. "So the disciple''s trial ends, and the competition is over." Just as Li Lin was undecided, the chief protector''s voice suddenly came into his mind. "Did I make it into the top twenty?" Li Lin smiled slightly, not too surprised in his heart. Reaching the first level of the fifth layer, almost equivalent to having the strength of a martial general level, it was no problem for him to enter the last twenty. "The Martial Spirit Illusion Land competition is over. The disciples entering the secret land are Zhao Qinghai, Han Feng, Qu Daojue, Zhao Qingtian, Dong Pan, Long San, Ling Feng, Du Zichun, Zeng Chuxiong, Li Lin, Yun Hongling, Cuiyu..." A protector then announced the twenty people entering the secret land in the square. "Brother Lin is going in, good job." In the crowd, Yang Wei, Yue Buqun, Lai Yuejing, Peng Chuanxiong, the four immediately cheered. As the names of these twenty people were announced, all the disciples envied and jealously admired them. Entering the secret land, without any accidents, at the worst, they could mix up a protector''s position in the sect, which was very high. A protector from the Yunyang Sect had an absolutely high status when going out. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. "Chi..." Inside the great hall, twenty stone doors opened, and twenty disciples walked out, almost all of them glancing around to see who else was entering the secret land with them. Li Lin walked out of the stone door, his gaze also sweeping through the crowd. Qu Daojue with the war saber, Ling Feng the flying eagle, Du Zichun the ghost hand, Long San with the domineering saber, and others were among them, as well as Zhao Qinghai, Zhao Qingtian, Han Feng, Dong Pan, etc., also unsurprisingly among them. After all, the top ten disciples on the Dragon List were not known for vain. "Hongling, Cuiyu." Two figures appeared in Li Lin''s gaze. Yun Hongling entering the top twenty was not too surprising for Li Lin, but Cuiyu being among them surprised Li Lin. Du Gu Binglan was not among them, but her maid could compare with the top disciples of the Yunyang Sect, which was indeed surprising. "Lin''er, good job, you didn''t disappoint me." Seeing Li Lin, Yu Yufeng immediately walked up to him. After so many years, he finally had a disciple who could enter the secret land. In his excitement, his eyes were somewhat moist. "Greetings, Master." When Li Lin saluted Yu Yufeng, he felt several cold gazes on him. Glancing sideways, it was none other than Zhao Wujie, Zhao Qingtian, Zhao Qinghai, and Li Shaohu, a few people from the Zhao family. Li Lin did not pay them any attention, silently noting it in his heart. "Hmph!" A light snort sounded from beside Li Lin, and then a green figure flitted by. Looking over, aside from Yun Hongling, naturally, there could be no others. Li Lin could only smile bitterly. At this moment, inside the great hall, all the direct disciples were either joyful or sorrowful. Several disciples ranked in the teens on the Dragon List had made mistakes in the Martial Spirit Illusion Land and were replaced by disciples ranked in the twenties. Between them, strength played a big part, but luck was also a factor. After all, if the rankings were not too far apart, their strengths were basically similar. When the twenty disciples who could enter the secret land walked out of the great hall, the disciples on the square cheered. These twenty were undoubtedly the strongest twenty among all the young generation, their strength already at a level most disciples looked up to. All direct disciples then left under the guidance of their masters on flying beasts, and the watching disciples finally dispersed. However, several disciples were left behind by the protectors to clean up. Over these nine days, there were many scraps of dry food, water bottles, and other items on the ground, leaving the square in a mess. "Junior brother, well done. Now our lineage can also hold our heads high and chest out," said Ma Fang to Li Lin in the courtyard where Yu Yufeng lived. "You flatter me, senior brother." Li Lin said with a light smile. "Lin''er, you will enter the secret land in three days. There is half a year''s time inside the secret land, so you must be careful. There are dangers everywhere within the secret land, and in past years, there have been disciples who unfortunately perished. So, be very careful," Yu Yufeng solemnly instructed Li Lin. "I will be careful," said Li Lin. "Master, what kind of dangers are there inside the secret land?" "This secret land was sealed a long time ago by some of the top experts of our Yunyang Sect to protect the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit. The land itself is an ancient land that was discovered by the experts of our Yunyang Sect to have the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit, so they jointly sealed it within the Yunyang Sect," Yu Yufeng explained lightly. "Ancient land?" Li Lin was surprised, hearing the term for the first time. "You know too little, so it''s not surprising that you''re shocked," Yu Yufeng said with a slight smile, then continued, "When your strength improves, you will naturally know a lot of things. These are things that your master also only heard from your grandmaster and cannot explain clearly to you. In short, the dangers within the secret land are similar to those in the Misty Mountain Range, with many beasts within. Also, there are some ancient formations inside the secret land that even the strong of the sect dare not enter lightly. Marks have been made on the outside of these formations, and you must not enter them rashly. The dangers inside are enough to cause ordinary disciples to lose their lives." "Ancient secret land, ancient formations, Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit, this secret land is really not simple," Li Lin thought to himself, realizing he knew too little about the Spirit Martial Continent. "You don''t need to worry too much. In past years, of the twenty disciples who entered the secret land, only a very few perished, unless their luck was particularly bad. If it were too dangerous, the sect wouldn''t allow you to enter. But indeed, there are dangers, and of course, there are many treasures. The strong of the sect left many martial techniques in the secret land, and since it is an ancient land itself, if you''re lucky, you can also obtain some unexpected treasures. It''s said that there are many places within the secret land that even the strong of the sect have not fully explored. If you have the chance, you can naturally have unexpected joy," Yu Yufeng said again. "Master, what level are the beasts within the secret land generally?" Li Lin asked. "They are mostly fourth to fifth level. If you''re unlucky, you might encounter mid-fifth level beasts. Higher level beasts have either been tamed or killed by the strong of the sect, so there shouldn''t be sixth level beasts," Yu Yufeng explained. "Having beasts is good," Li Lin thought to himself. There was half a year''s time in the secret land, and with beasts inside, he could practice as he did in the Misty Mountain Range, also having a source of demon cores. "Lin''er, your three beasts cannot be brought into the secret land. The strong who set up the seal in the secret land were afraid of the beasts inside running out, so there are restrictions within the secret land that prevent any beast from entering or leaving," Yu Yufeng explained. Chapter 326: Heading to the Secret Grounds "Is there such a prohibition?" Li Lin''s heart sank. He originally wanted to take Little dragon into the secret grounds with him, thinking that he would be safer that way. Now, it seems there might be some trouble. "I wonder if I can bring the spatial beast pouch with me." Li Lin raised an eyebrow and thought to himself. After returning to his own courtyard from his master Yu Yu, Little dragon quickly landed on Li Lin''s shoulder, showing great affection: "Boss, how did it go, did you make it into the top twenty?" "With your boss taking action, of course, theres no problem." Li Lin said lightly. "That''s right, with my boss taking action, there''s naturally no problem, otherwise, he wouldn''t be my boss." Little dragon spoke with conviction, his voice ringing in Li Lin''s ears. There were still three days before entering the secret grounds, and during these three days, Li Lin found himself with nothing to do. He smiled slightly and then summoned the Winged Snow Lion to go to Li WuShuang''s place. Atop a huge mountain, amidst the clouds and mist around the mountain''s waist, buildings appeared faintly visible. In one of the courtyards, Zhao WuJi, Shi YunSheng, Zhao QingHai, Zhao QingTian, Li Lin, Zeng ChuXiong, and others were all present. "QingHai, QingTian, ChuXiong, the three of you can enter the secret grounds. If you three join hands, there should be no danger. If luck is on your side, you might even find some treasures. The inside of the secret grounds is extraordinary," Zhao WuJi told everyone. "Grandpa, what kind of treasures can there be inside the secret grounds?" Zhao QingTian asked. "You are underestimating the secret grounds. Inside, there are many ancient formations, even the elders of the Spirit Hall cannot break them, hence it''s forbidden territory. As for treasures, the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit is definitely a treasure, and there are others, depending on luck," Zhao WuJi explained lightly. "Grandpa, is there any way to let me also enter the secret grounds?" Li ShaoHu asked lightly, his face not looking very good. Knowing that Li Lin could enter the secret grounds while he could not, one could imagine his mood. "ShaoHu, there''s nothing your grandpa can do about it. Just keep trying. You''re not even nineteen this year. Even if the secret grounds open next time, you still have a chance," Zhao WuJi said. "Grandpa, Li Lin is also entering the secret grounds this time, should we..." Zhao QingTian''s eyes flashed with a cold light. "No matter what, I don''t want him to come out alive. You three entering the secret grounds, find a way to kill him, but you must not let the other disciples know. Within the secret grounds, killing fellow disciples is forbidden, otherwise, I can''t protect you either," Zhao WuJi said lightly. "Just a Martial Soul, although he has some skills, killing him is like stepping on an ant," Zhao QingHai spoke indifferently, his eyes filled with absolute arrogance. As the number one on the Dragon List and a Triple Spirit General, killing a Martial Soul was not difficult. "That boy has some skills, you still need to be careful," Zhao WuJi reminded lightly. A breeze came, moving the clouds between the peaks, and thin, barely visible white mists drifted apart. On the mountain peak, a man and a woman were sitting on a rock. "Lin''er, be careful in everything once you enter the secret grounds, don''t be careless," Li WuShuang said lightly. "You''ve already said that nine times," Li Lin responded lightly. "I''m just afraid you''ll be careless," Li WuShuang glared at Li Lin, then seriously said, "I have something important to tell you." "Go ahead, I''m listening." Seeing Li WuShuang''s serious expression, Li Lin put away his smile. "I know about you and Hong Ling..." "WuShuang, between me and Hong Ling, really... at least not now..." Li Lin immediately explained. "Don''t interrupt, let me finish." Li WuShuang put her delicate hand on Li Lin''s lips and said, "I know there''s nothing between you and Hong Ling now. I''ve talked to Hong Ling. Although she''s a bit willful, you''ll find she''s a good girl after getting to know her. She keeps saying she hates you, but as a woman, I know you''re in her heart. So, I won''t allow you to hurt her." This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. "WuShuang, you mean..." Li Lin frowned. "Although I''m reluctant to share you with someone else, I don''t want Hong Ling to be sad. More importantly, I know you have feelings for Hong Ling too. You''re just pretending to be indifferent because you''re afraid I''ll be jealous. This time in the secret grounds, try to appease her," Li WuShuang said lightly. Li Lin was stunned again, and after a moment, he said, "Are you really not jealous?" "How can I not be jealous? If it were another woman, I definitely wouldn''t agree. But Hong Ling, I understand. She truly has you in her heart. Although I''m somewhat reluctant, I''ve thought about it a lot and have come to accept it. Men are all the same, getting bored with one woman sooner or later. Maybe one day you''ll do something behind my back. It''s better to let Hong Ling watch over you. Then I''ll feel at ease. If you do something in the future, I might let you off, but Hong Ling will definitely take good care of you," Li WuShuang said. "So, you''re looking for someone reliable to watch over me," Li Lin chuckled. "Don''t act like you''ve gotten away with something," Li WuShuang glared at him, her fist falling. "With you like this, what more could I ask for?" Holding the woman in front of him tightly in his arms, Li Lin felt moved again. However, in his mind, he couldn''t help but think of Hong Ling''s willful appearance. To say he had no feelings for her would be somewhat false. However, it wasn''t something he could decide alone. Even if he had the intention, that willful girl was still angry now, not to mention Yun XiaoTian''s obstacle. A gentle breeze passed by, and in a delicate courtyard outside, under a few green bamboo trees, two beautiful figures were also there. "Cui Yu, didn''t you say we should go back? Why do you still want to go to the YunYang Sect''s secret grounds?" Du Gu BingLan asked Cui Yu with her beautiful eyes. "The YunYang Sect''s secret grounds are extraordinary, a piece of ancient land scattered in the past. I want to see if there are any treasures, especially the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit. I want to try it," Cui Yu said lightly. "I guess the treasures in the ancient land scattered by the YunYang Sect won''t be too high-level. Any treasure from our clan, just taken out randomly, is definitely not ordinary. As for the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, although it''s extraordinary, our clan has spiritual fruits stronger than the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit. You''re going in, probably for another purpose," Du Gu BingLan raised an eyebrow and said lightly. "What are you trying to say?" Cui Yu looked at Du Gu BingLan and asked. "Are you doing this for Li Lin?" Du Gu BingLan hesitated before asking. "It''s not..." Cui Yu slightly lifted her head and said, "Li Lin is not simple, nor is Li WuShuang. I suspect she''s already... Anyway, I want to enter the secret grounds to see if I can find any information about that treasure from Li Lin." "You probably don''t believe that yourself," Du Gu BingLan said lightly, then added, "Li Lin is indeed extraordinary, a true dragon among men. But Cui Yu, have you thought about it? No matter how strong he is, it''s unlikely to get the clan''s approval, far from meeting the clan''s requirements." "Let''s not talk about this anymore. After coming out of the secret grounds, I''ll leave YunYang Sect and go back," Cui Yu said lightly. Three days passed in the blink of an eye. During these three days, Li Lin, besides accompanying Li WuShuang, also visited Wan Wu Tower twice. Early in the morning, the breeze outside the window brought with it the dance of fallen leaves from the mountains. "Phew..." Li Lin stopped his cultivation, exhaling a breath of turbid air, feeling the full qi within his body. Although he was extremely harsh on himself, at this moment, he couldn''t help but smile slightly. With the strength of a four-layer Martial Soul and a peak four-layer Spirit Soul, facing a nine-layer Martial Soul, killing was not difficult, and he absolutely had the power to contend with a Martial General. Whether he could kill one was another matter. "Boss, it''s time to set off," Little dragon swiftly appeared in front of Li Lin, his eyes bright and spirited. "Come into the spatial beast pouch, I don''t know if I can bring you in." Li Lin turned his head to Little dragon and said. Monsters couldn''t enter the secret grounds, and whether Little dragon could enter in the spatial beast pouch, Li Lin wasn''t sure. "It should be fine," Little dragon was also somewhat worried, not wanting to leave his boss for half a year. Atop the main peak of YunYang Sect, the mountain was majestic and vast, stretching up into the sky like a giant, standing among thousands of mountains, piercing the clouds like a proud dragon. When Li Lin arrived at the top of the main peak with his master Yu Yu, there were already a dozen figures on the plaza in front of the peak, all protectors. Li Lin brought Little dragon in the spatial beast pouch, while the Blood Lizard and Winged Snow Lion were left on the mountain to cultivate well. As Li Lin was about to land, several large flying monsters also arrived, the eyes of those on them fixed on a group of elders bringing disciples into the secret grounds. Everyone landed, their presence spreading, causing ripples in the space. "Zhao QingHai, Zhan Dao JuDao Jue, Zhao QingTian, Ba Dao Long San, Fei Ying Ling Feng, Gui Shou Du ZiChun, Zeng ChuXiong..." Li Lin landed on the plaza, observing the people, most of whom he was somewhat familiar with. These disciples were the strongest of the younger generation in YunYang Sect. "Zhao QingHai, Zhao QingTian, Zeng ChuXiong." Li Lin''s gaze fixed on three figures among the crowd. Number one on the Dragon List, number five, and number twelve, these three were all disciples of Zhao WuJi. Including Li DaJiang, it turns out that four of the top twenty on the Dragon List were Zhao WuJi''s disciples, no wonder Zhao WuJi''s status in YunYang Sect was not low. Chapter 327: Accelerated Cultivation Watching the three of them, Li Lin frowned as well, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes. In this secret place, it was impossible for these three not to cause trouble for him. But it didn''t matter. Even if they didn''t provoke him, he wouldn''t let them off given the chance. If all three were to die in this secret place, he believed Zhao WuJi would definitely be furious enough to jump off a building. Thinking of this, Li Lin secretly smiled, but he also knew that killing these three, even if he risked his life, would be difficult. Two Martial Generals and one Triple Spirit General, their strength was absolutely terrifying. It was better for him to hide for now. At this moment, feeling the gaze of the three on him, Li Lin acted indifferent, at least he still had some ability to protect himself. "The Elders are indeed early." Yun XiaoTian''s voice slowly came through. As his voice fell, on the square, several figures appeared out of thin air. "Greetings to the Sect Leader." Everyone bowed, and it was indeed Yun XiaoTian, the Great Protector, Yun HongLing, CuiYu, Han Feng, and Dong Pan among others. "Such a strong aura." Li Lin had always been guessing about the strength of Sect Leader Yun XiaoTian, but could never figure it out. Definitely at the level of a Martial King, but how many levels of Martial King was unclear. Judging from the aura, he was much stronger than Elder Yang. "Now that everyone is here, let''s prepare to head to the secret place." Yun XiaoTian''s gaze swept over everyone. "Lin''er, let''s go." YuYuQian said softly. The Blue Jade Wolf Eagle flapped its wings, and both of them leapt onto the Blue Jade Wolf Eagle. Then, all the Elders also summoned their own demonic beast mounts, all of which were formidable fifth-level demonic beasts, and took off into the sky. Li Lin''s gaze followed CuiYu, who was always by Yun XiaoTian''s side, indicating her maid status was certainly not ordinary. "Who exactly is she?" Li Lin whispered. Uncle Jiang had mentioned before that the Du Gu family was not simple, but so far, Li Lin had not heard of any powerful forces belonging to the Du Gu family. After a moment, Li Lin didn''t bother to think further. From the back of the Blue Jade Wolf Eagle, he looked down to see the mountains shrouded in shadows, peaks varied in shape, lush and dripping with greenery, with their tips occasionally hidden in the clouds, vaguely revealing many buildings nestled within. The rolling mountains, under the sunlight, reflected a faint light, appearing exceptionally magnificent. On the backs of the flying demonic beasts, everyone was silent. After about half an hour, a vast canyon appeared before Li Lin''s eyes. In the canyon, there was a river thousands of meters wide, raging incessantly. On both sides of the canyon, a series of towering peaks pierced the sky. The river raged, waves crashing against the surrounding rocks, splashing up droplets of water. "Lin''er, we''ve arrived," YuYuQian said to Li Lin. "Swoosh swoosh" Everyone landed their flying demonic beasts, stopping on a rocky area about several tens of meters wide at the base of a mountain peak. "Is the secret place really here?" Looking around, Li Lin was somewhat puzzled. This area seemed no different from other places. "All disciples entering the secret place, listen up. After entering, you will face dangers. Your masters should have informed you about everything regarding the secret place," Yun XiaoTian said, looking at the disciples with a slightly stern expression. "Within the secret place, the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit is our YunYang Sect''s treasure, bearing fruit once every three years. Consuming one can increase your chances of breaking through to Martial King or Spirit King to fifty percent, but consuming more has no effect. Therefore, one is enough for each of you. However, since the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit only bears nine fruits each time, eleven of you will not be able to obtain it. I warn everyone, under no circumstances, including fighting for the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, is it permissible to kill a fellow sect member. Otherwise, whoever it is, once out of the secret place, will be executed. Your families will also be implicated. Did everyone understand?" The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. "Yes, Sect Leader," all disciples responded immediately. Under Yun XiaoTian''s oppressive aura, every disciple couldn''t help but tremble slightly, Li Lin included, secretly thinking, the punishment for killing a fellow sect member was as severe as implicating the nine clans, showing how much the YunYang Sect valued its direct disciples. "Within the secret place, there''s a second treasure. It is an energy within the secret place that allows you to cultivate at a speed about five times faster than usual. Half a year of cultivation there is equivalent to two and a half years outside, and for dual-element martial artists, it''s equivalent to four to five years. Make good use of this opportunity. However, this energy can only be absorbed for half a year; any more, and it will not benefit your future cultivation, only harm. This is because all of you are the strongest twenty disciples selected by the sect, with both soul power and mindset reaching a certain level. If it were ordinary disciples, entering for a month might cause many adverse effects. Also, every three years, when the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit is about to mature, enough energy gathers to allow you twenty to experience this accelerated cultivation effect. Normally, the secret place does not have this effect," Yun XiaoTian continued. "Such a thing exists." Li Lin was shocked. Half a year equivalent to two and a half years of cultivation, and for dual-element martial artists, it''s like four to five years. For triple-element martial artists, wouldn''t that be like seven to eight years? This was terrifying. It''s fortunate that the secret place only has this effect when the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit is about to mature. If this effect was constant, the YunYang Sect could simply send talented disciples to the secret place every now and then, and their progress would be terrifying. In twenty years, the YunYang Sect''s strength would be unmatched. "Entering the secret place, you''ll face numerous dangers. If you find marks left by the sect forbidding entry, do not rashly enter. Just keep moving forward after you enter, and you will reach the location of the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, which is in the very center of the secret place. Remember, the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit matures in three months. If you haven''t found it, after nine days, it will automatically wither or be consumed by demonic beasts. Those who obtain the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit can consume it immediately for the best effect. After half a year, you must reach the exit, or else you will be trapped in the secret place for three years, and by then, you might become food for the demonic beasts." Wang Hu finished speaking and glanced at the disciples again, then looked at several towering peaks around: "Please, the Supreme Elders, open the secret place." "Shh shh" At this moment, several subtle aura fluctuations rose from the surrounding peaks. "Such a strong aura." Li Lin''s face changed dramatically, feeling absolutely suppressed by these subtle aura fluctuations, even his soul trembling. These auras were even stronger than Yun XiaoTian''s. "How terrifying YunYang Sect is," Li Lin thought to himself. YunYang Sect''s apparent strength was already terrifying, and its hidden strength was even more so. "How terrifying the strength of the Three Sects and Four Schools is." At this moment, Li Lin thought of his own Flying Spirit Gate. It seemed that even with Old Poisoner and Ghost Fairy Bai Ying, his Flying Spirit Gate could not compare to the major sects and schools like the Three Sects and Four Schools. As these subtle aura fluctuations occurred, Li Lin saw dazzling beams of light suddenly shooting down from the towering peaks in the distance, each beam with a diameter of tens of meters. There were four beams in total, yellow, blue, white, and red, corresponding to the four attributes of earth, water, wind, and fire. The four beams shot down, causing spatial vibrations, intersecting over the wide river and suddenly causing the entire world to tremble violently. An ancient and vast aura slowly spread from the sky, seeming to come from the void, giving an eternal and unceasing feeling, making everyone''s soul tremble. "The secret place is about to open," YuYuQian couldn''t help but say. "Boom" As YuYuQian''s words fell, where Li Lin was looking, over the wide river, a loud noise erupted, and the ground began to shake. The river water surged violently, with huge waves rising like a storm, tens of meters high. "Whoosh whoosh" At the same time, above the river, in the center of the canyon, a spatial crack hundreds of meters in size slowly spread out, with spatial ripples spreading around. The ancient aura, coming from the spatial crack, became even more intense. "Is this the secret place?" Li Lin looked at the huge spatial crack above the canyon, murmuring in shock and awe. At this moment, Li Lin realized how insignificant he was under this aura, feeling like an ant. "The secret place is open, all disciples preparing to enter, get ready. After half a year, the exit will open again, and you must come out on time," Yun XiaoTian said. "Half a year," Li Lin murmured to himself, wondering if he could absorb the energy mentioned by Yun XiaoTian. He guessed that his Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Arts might not be able to absorb it, which was a weakness. Normally, he couldn''t compare with others in cultivation. However, with demonic beasts inside, consuming demonic pills during half a year would certainly greatly enhance his strength. Chapter 328: Inside the Secret Land "Whoosh whoosh..." The colossal and soul-shaking spatial rift, like a door in space, began to stir with torrents of spatial currents around it. Below, the river''s waves surged more violently, rising tens of meters before crashing down like exploding bombs. "We''re starting to enter the secret land," Yun XiaoTian said again. "Swish swish." As soon as Yun XiaoTian''s words fell, three figures soared into the sky. Accompanied by the sound of breaking wind, they moved across the sky like lightning and then, under the gaze of everyone, directly entered the opened spatial rift and disappeared. "Swish swish." Again, several breaking wind sounds were heard, and several figures flashed across like lightning, namely Zhan Dao Qu DaoJue, Fei Ying Ling Feng, and others. "Swish..." Following closely, Yun HongLing, Cui Yu, Han Feng, Dong Pan, and others also entered. "Lin''er, go, be careful with everything. I''ll wait for you here six months later," Yu Yu said to Li Lin, his eyes full of concern. "Okay, I''ll go in first," Li Lin nodded and replied. With a whirlwind under his feet, his figure leaped out like a soaring hawk. "Can the spatial beast pouch be brought in?" At this moment, Li Lin suddenly became nervous. He was carrying a spatial beast pouch and wondered if he could enter. As he approached the spatial rift, Li Lin immediately felt a huge suction pulling him inside. As Li Lin entered, several others also vibrated their true qi and instantly dashed up, entering in a blink of an eye. When the last person disappeared into the spatial rift, four beams of light on the surrounding mountains vanished, and the spatial rift also underwent violent fluctuations. Then, under the gaze of everyone, it gradually became illusory until it completely disappeared from space. "Boom boom..." In the canyon river, huge waves crashed down and instantly returned to normal. "I wonder who will be able to obtain the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit this time," Elder Yang said slowly as he watched the disappearing spatial rift. "It all depends on strength and luck," Yun XiaoTian lightly said. In the vast white space, Li Lin was inside, with light flickering in the distance and silence all around, which was somewhat frightening. "Bringing the spatial beast pouch is possible." Li Lin patted the spatial beast pouch in his arms. His continuous worry was finally relieved. It seems that beasts cannot be brought into the secret land, but with the spatial beast pouch blocking the beast''s aura, entry was possible. With the little dragon by his side, he was undoubtedly much safer. At this moment, Li Lin circulated his true qi and surveyed his surroundings. "Hiss..." Suddenly, the space in front of him twisted, and a new scene appeared before Li Lin''s eyes. It was a valley, and figures like Yun HongLing, Cui Yu, Zhao QingHai, Zhao QingTian had already appeared there. "Hiss hiss..." Behind Li Lin, several more figures arrived, and now, twenty people had all appeared in this valley. "The energy aura is so rich." At this moment, Li Lin''s spirit probed around and immediately discovered a rich energy aura in the air. This energy entered his body with his breath, making his body feel indescribably comfortable. Upon careful inspection, Li Lin found tiny energies moving in the air, a special kind of natural energy, different from the aura of Soul Spirit Elixir and the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm. Li Lin quickly determined that this aura seemed beneficial for both true qi and spiritual power. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Frowning, Li Lin guessed that this might be the energy that Yun XiaoTian mentioned, which could accelerate cultivation speed. Li Lin immediately started circulating the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Art, attempting to absorb it. However, he soon showed disappointment. Although the energy was rich, his Yin Yang Spirit Martial Art couldn''t directly absorb it. Under normal cultivation, he could indeed speed up several times, but since the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Art was inherently slow, even if he cultivated in the secret land with the speed of a five-element warrior, his cultivation speed wouldn''t differ much from a normal warrior. After the disappointment, Li Lin didn''t care too much. He had already anticipated this outcome. To enhance his strength, he still relied on demon pills. He just wondered if there were any spirit beasts here, otherwise, it would be a bit troublesome to break through in terms of spiritual power. At this moment, all the disciples were looking around. For everyone, this secret land was unfamiliar, and it was their first time here. "Everyone, it''s very dangerous inside the secret land. It''s definitely safer with more people. Does anyone want to join us?" Zhao QingHai said among the people. Following Zhao QingHai''s words, all eyes turned to him. By Zhao QingHai''s side, with Zhao QingTian, Zeng ChuXiong, one being the first on the Dragon List, another the fifth, and another the twelfth, their appeal was definitely great. "I''ll join," a woman in a purple dress said without much hesitation and walked over to Zhao QingHai''s side. "Wang Ping, twenty-fourth on the Dragon List, a nine-layer peak spirit master." Li Lin quickly recalled the information about this purple-dressed woman in his mind. A strong person ranked twenty-fourth on the Dragon List had luckily entered the top twenty this time. "Who else will join us? We only need nine people. There are only nine Martial Spirit Holy Fruits," Yun HongLing said, sweeping her gaze over everyone. Following Yun HongLing''s words, several hesitant disciples now looked towards her. By Yun HongLing''s side, with Cui Yu, Han Feng, Dong Pan, four people in total, Han Feng being second on the Dragon List, Dong Pan fourth, and both Yun HongLing and Cui Yu having the strength to enter the first layer of the fifth level in the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm, their momentum was not inferior to Zhao QingHai''s trio. "Count me in," Fei Ying Ling Feng said lightly, and with a flash, he was by Yun HongLing''s side. "Count me in too," Gui Shou Du ZiChun also raised an eyebrow, his aura somewhat gloomy, and flashed to Yun HongLing''s side. "Ha ha, I''ll join in the fun too," Ba Dao Lao San laughed heartily and took big steps towards Yun HongLing''s group. "Alright, count me in too," Zhan Dao Qu DaoJue said after a slight hesitation and also moved to Yun HongLing''s side. With these four powerhouses joining, Yun HongLing''s group''s momentum became absolutely formidable, with everyone being strong individuals. "It seems we''re still missing one. Li Lin, how about you?" At this moment, Zhan Dao Qu DaoJue unexpectedly spoke to Li Lin. "Li Lin is not joining," as soon as Qu DaoJue''s words fell, Yun HongLing immediately protested. Hearing Yun HongLing''s words, everyone was puzzled, not knowing how Li Lin had offended this capricious young lady. Li Lin showed a wry smile; it seems the young lady''s anger has not subsided yet. "I''ll join." "I''ll also join." Two young men stepped forward, one a six-layer Martial Soul, the other a seven-layer Martial Soul. Li Lin was not unfamiliar with these two; one was a disciple of Elder Wu, and the other a disciple of Elder Sun, both originally ranked in the teens on the Dragon List. "Only one of you two can join; we only need nine people," Yun HongLing said, looking at them. "HongLing, let them both join. I''ll step out," Cui Yu said to Yun HongLing. "What, but..." Yun HongLing looked at Cui Yu, but before she could finish, Cui Yu said, "I know what I''m doing; it''ll be fine." Looking at Cui Yu, Yun HongLing seemed to have no choice but eventually said, "Then be careful." Seeing that Yun HongLing''s group now had nine people, the remaining disciples from Yun Yang Sect had no choice but to join Zhao QingHai''s side. Everyone knew that the dangers in the secret land were not a joke; it was definitely safer with more people. Going alone, the risk was undoubtedly several times higher. Li Lin slightly frowned but made no move. Originally, he planned to go alone. With the little dragon by his side, his danger wouldn''t be much, and it would be more convenient for him to cultivate in the secret land. "Lin''er, how about I join you?" Just as Li Lin was pondering, Cui Yu came to his side and whispered. "With me..." Li Lin was stunned. Being with Yun HongLing and others, with Han Feng, Zhan Dao Qu DaoJue, Ba Dao Lao San among them, would undoubtedly be much safer. What was Cui Yu thinking? "Do you want me to go alone?" Cui Yu said to Li Lin. "Then, alright," Li Lin frowned and then softly agreed. "That''s more like it," Cui Yu said with a slight smile. "Wait... Cui Yu, if you''re with this thief, I don''t agree. He will bully you," Yun HongLing immediately protested. "HongLing, it''s okay, I believe Lin''er is not that kind of person," Cui Yu said with a light smile. "Sister, we should go," Han Feng, by Yun HongLing''s side, glanced at everyone unintentionally. "Alright, let''s set off," Yun HongLing glanced at Li Lin and Cui Yu, then said, and the nine people turned and walked forward. "Everyone, let''s go too," Zhao QingHai said lightly, his gaze sweeping over Li Lin before moving forward. Both groups, each with nine people, totaling eighteen, moved forward, leaving only Li Lin and Cui Yu behind. "Cui Yu, it would be much safer if you went with them," Li Lin said softly to Cui Yu by his side. Chapter 329: The Danger of the Secret Land "Could it be that you think I''m ugly, so you''re not too willing to be with me?" Cuiyu said with a slight smile. "Ugly..." Li Lin stared at Cuiyu and said, "If a beautiful woman has the heart of a serpent, I would truly stay away. Beauty and ugliness cannot be discerned by appearance alone. Although men like to look at beautiful women, and I am no exception, I am more afraid of the beauty of a venomous woman." "Is that so? Your words do make some sense." Cuiyu lifted her head, her beautiful eyes gazing at Li Lin, and said, "Then, who do you think is more beautiful, me or Wushuang sister?" "That..." Li Lin raised his eyebrows and said, "That''s a difficult question to answer." "Is that so? What if I insist on you answering?" Cuiyu said. "Wushuang is always the most beautiful in my heart, no matter when. That''s because she lives in my heart. Even if one day she grows old and her appearance changes, she is still the most beautiful. Do you understand what I''m saying?" Li Lin said with a slight smile. "Wushuang sister is very fortunate." After a moment, Cuiyu said softly while looking at Li Lin. "Having her, I am also very fortunate." Li Lin said softly, a smile appearing on the corner of his mouth. "Lin''er, let''s go. We need to reach the place of the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit in three months. This secret land is not small; we need to hurry on our way," Cuiyu said softly. "Little Dragon, come out." Li Lin formed a hand seal and slapped the space beast pouch in his embrace. Suddenly, a yellow light burst forth, then fiercely flew back and landed on Li Lin''s shoulder. "Little Dragon..." Seeing Little Dragon, Cuiyu exclaimed in surprise, "How did Little Dragon get in here? Demonic beasts are not supposed to be able to enter this secret land." "This... I have a little secret method," Li Lin said with a light smile, stroking Little Dragon''s head, and said, "Cuiyu, let''s go." The two went forward, Li Lin observing the surrounding space. Inside this secret land, it was quite similar to the Misty Mountain Range, except that the sky was covered in a gray mist without the sun. The gray mist seemed to envelop the sky. Following what Yun Xiao Tian said, Li Lin went straight ahead. The Martial Spirit Holy Fruit was in the very center of the secret land. If they kept moving forward, they would eventually arrive. Feeling the rich energy strands in the air around him, Li Lin was somewhat helpless. His Yin Yang Spirit Martial Art could not achieve much effect in this secret land; he still had to rely on demonic pills. Going forward, the figures of Yun Hongling and Zhao Qinghai''s teams had long disappeared. The two did not dare to delay, rushing forward with their true qi constantly circulating within their bodies, their minds probing the surroundings. Li Lin did not dare to be careless, and Little Dragon also kept its little head up, vigilantly watching the surroundings. In a valley, shrouded in gray space, two figures were moving forward. "Be careful, there are demonic beasts." As the two rapidly retreated, the valley instantly surged with dozens of demonic beasts, each with a body size of over a hundred meters. Their large bodies were covered in black fur with a glossy sheen, only their tails were bright red, like fire, with ferocious fangs and eyes as big as copper bells, emitting a fierce light, staring at Li Lin and Cuiyu. "Third-stage mid-level Fire Tail Wolves," Cuiyu said softly. In front of these dozen or so huge Fire Tail Wolves, the two appeared very small, but they did not care about these giant creatures. "Boss, a dozen third-stage demonic beasts, I can easily take care of them," Little Dragon''s voice said in Li Lin''s ear. "Don''t act until I say so," Li Lin immediately said. "Roar roar..." The dozen or so third-stage mid-level Fire Tail Wolves roared, completely treating Li Lin and Cuiyu as snacks. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. "Let''s do it." Li Lin and Cuiyu exchanged glances, and their figures instantly disappeared from the spot, dragging out a series of afterimages, their speed incredibly fast, directly causing energy fluctuations. The space ripples in the surrounding space directly opened up. "So fast." Watching Cuiyu''s figure, Li Lin thought to himself, her speed was even faster than his. "Bang!" As their figures moved, several third-stage demonic beasts, which Li Lin naturally did not take seriously, almost instantly burst out. A palm print flashed like lightning, landing on a Fire Tail Wolf. With the explosion, the huge Fire Tail Wolf was directly knocked back a hundred meters by Li Lin. At the same time, a graceful figure also dashed towards a Fire Tail Wolf. Her wrist changed, and a flash of light in her hand, as fast as lightning, struck the body of the Fire Tail Wolf, which was instantly knocked back without much damage but was killed on the spot. "Spiritual power, Cuiyu is a spiritual practitioner," Li Lin said in surprise. He had always found Cuiyu unfathomable and did not expect her to be a spiritual practitioner. "Die." As several Fire Tail Wolves charged again, Li Lin''s hand seals struck out, and the true qi under his feet flashed with a whirlwind, his figure once again turning into a series of afterimages. "Bang bang!" The deep sounds of power explosions spread throughout the valley, the space ripples directly opening up. This series of explosions did not last long, and soon, everything quieted down. The two figures then stood together again, and at this time, the valley had already added a dozen more bodies of Fire Tail Wolves. "I didn''t expect you to be a spiritual practitioner," Li Lin said softly to Cuiyu, having been paying attention all along, but strangely, he could never see through Cuiyu''s strength. "You''re also a triple-system martial artist, let''s go, this will attract many demonic beasts," Cuiyu said to Li Lin. The two immediately disappeared from the spot, and although they kept moving, they did not encounter Yun Hongling and Zhao Qinghai''s teams. "How strange, why is there no night?" In a forest, Li Lin asked in surprise, remembering that he had been in this secret land for about twenty hours. The sky was always covered in white mist, without day or night. "This is a piece of ancient land that fell apart and was sealed by the Yunyang Sect. This space is already separated from the outside world, so naturally, there is no day or night," Cuiyu said. "It seems you know quite a bit about this secret land," Li Lin said. "Be careful..." Just then, Cuiyu shouted, her hand seals rapidly changing, and a dazzling stream of light pierced through space, turning into a light blade, piercing through space with a series of sharp and rapid sonic booms, violently slashing towards the sky. "What is this." Li Lin looked up, but saw a towering tree in the sky. At this moment, all its branches seemed to come alive, covering hundreds of meters around, silently piercing through space and rushing down. "Bang!" A sound explosion in the sky instantly echoed through the space, and a stream of light in Cuiyu''s hand exploded in the sky, blowing apart countless branches and leaves. "Whoosh whoosh..." In the violent aura, several tree trunks, each about a meter in diameter, also seemed to come alive, suddenly rushing down, piercing through space with the speed of lightning. Li Lin''s face changed immediately. The attack power of these tree trunks was definitely not less than that of a fourth-stage early-stage demonic beast. He immediately struck out hand seals, and a huge amount of earth attribute energy surged from all around, a yellow palm print rising to the sky, instantly turning into several vague palm prints, followed by a series of earth-shattering explosions, echoing in the space, a violent aura spreading in the sky... "Bang bang!" The huge sound of explosions echoed in the space above, the violent aura directly overturning the towering tree to the ground, breaking into several pieces scattered around the space. "Run." Cuiyu shouted softly, her body flashing and quickly fleeing forward. "Whoosh whoosh..." In the space, intense disturbances sounded, and countless breaking sounds emerged rapidly. From somewhere in the forest, countless tree vines, the size of arms, broke through the air, thousands upon thousands of vines at first glance. "Run..." Li Lin did not hesitate, his true qi flashing under his feet, using the Floating Light Shadows technique to run forward quickly, feeling that if he were entangled by these tree vines, even if he struggled, it would be difficult to escape. "Cuiyu, what is this?" Li Lin fled quickly but found that even using the Floating Light Shadows technique, he could not catch up with Cuiyu, shocking him again. His speed with the Floating Light Shadows technique was definitely not slow, but Cuiyu''s speed was terrifying. "These are some wood attribute plants from ancient times. In places rich in wood attributes, it''s very likely that they will develop spiritual intelligence and cultivate on their own. Although their spiritual intelligence is low, their vitality is very strong. Being entangled by them is endless trouble; the best way is to run. If you run far enough, they can''t chase," Cuiyu said while fleeing quickly and speaking. "There are such terrifying things." Li Lin sighed in relief and accelerated forward. After half an hour, they finally ran out of the forest, stopping to catch their breath. Behind them, there was no trace of the terrifying tree vines, and they finally breathed a sigh of relief. Li Lin sat on the ground, and Little Dragon was coiled on his shoulder, its little eyes constantly moving around. "I didn''t expect you to cultivate Floating Light Shadows to this extent. Among the younger generation of disciples, only a few people have successfully cultivated Floating Light Shadows. Your speed seems to be not much different from Feiying Lingfeng." Watching Li Lin, Cuiyu said softly. "Your speed is faster than mine, right? You''re a spiritual practitioner; do you also have a speed spirit technique?" Li Lin asked in confusion. Cuiyu was a spiritual practitioner, but her speed was even faster than his Floating Light Shadows. Chapter 330: Just Enough to Pick My Teeth "This is also a kind of secret technique. There are no movement techniques in spirit techniques," Cui Yu said with a slight smile. "Boss, a demon beast is coming, at the fourth-tier level," Little dragon''s voice spread in Li Lin''s mind. "Roar..." From a distance, a huge roar came, and the violent sound waves shook the space like muffled thunder, making Li Lin''s ears somewhat numb. When the roar fell, a huge demon beast appeared in front of the two. This demon beast was massive, with a body size of three hundred meters, covered with sharp spines half a meter in size, spreading out like fish fins. This demon beast was golden all over, with a head somewhat similar to that of a blood lizard. In its gaping mouth, a thick breath spread out, covering the sky with a yellow glow. Its four sturdy claws were also covered with a thick layer of spines, and its tail had a sharp, tens of meters long spike. Under this massive demon beast, a tremendous oppressive force spread out, forcing Li Lin and Cui Yu to mobilize their true qi and spirit power to resist. "A Earth-type demon beast, a fourth-tier mid-stage Ironback Lizard," Li Lin said softly, then a slight smile appeared on his lips. Finally, he encountered a fourth-tier demon beast. He was in need of demon cores. With a demon core, his strength could continuously improve. If he kept taking elixirs, not only would the effects not be as good as those of demon cores, but it would also be too costly. At his current level, Li Lin estimated that even spending tens of millions of gold coins on elixirs would only allow him to barely break through one level. If he reached the level of a martial general, it would be terrifying. He estimated that hundreds of millions of gold coins would not be enough to break through a single level of cultivation. Therefore, to break through in cultivation, he should mainly look to devour martial and spirit practitioners, or to devour demon and spirit cores. "Three years have passed, huh? Humans have come again." Watching Li Lin and Cui Yu, the Ironback Lizard spoke human language, spewing out a huge gust of air. Its strength was not low at the mid-stage of the fourth tier. "Do you really think you can stop us? Get out of the way," Cui Yu said sternly to the Ironback Lizard. "Hmph, such a big tone from a little kid. I''ll just use you to pick my teeth," the Ironback Lizard roared, its aura beginning to surge violently. "Only mid-stage of the fourth tier? Then, your demon core is just right for me to take," Li Lin''s expression darkened. A mid-stage fourth-tier demon core could probably allow him to break through from the fourth level of the Martial Soul to the fifth level. Naturally, he had to claim this demon core. With a change of hand seals, a violent airstream suddenly spun up in Li Lin''s hand, turning into a small tornado vortex that abruptly appeared in the sky. The tornado vortex grew rapidly against the wind, instantly becoming a giant tornado vortex of hundreds of meters. The howling tornado vortex swept up the giant rocks from the ground, which were then crushed into powder by the fierce wind force. "Hmph, I''ll use you to pick my teeth first!" Watching Li Lin, the Ironback Lizard''s anger was because it only felt Li Lin''s fourth level Martial Soul cultivation strength. With a fourth level Martial Soul, it naturally did not fear him. From its huge mouth, a deep roar echoed through the space. Immediately, a surging earth attribute energy flow burst out from its mouth. "Human, die!" The Ironback Lizard''s huge mouth issued a roaring sound, and the surging airflow turned into an attack that struck towards Li Lin. "Despicable beast, seeking death." Li Lin snorted coldly, changing his hand seals again. A massive true qi surged into the tornado vortex, and he shouted deeply, "Wind Rolls the Remnants." As Li Lin''s true qi was injected, the tornado vortex instantly swelled, lifting a layer of soil from the ground. Numerous cracks appeared, and the soil layer swept into the sky, overwhelming everything in its path. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. The two massive forces collided in the air like lightning. At the moment of collision, the space almost became silent, followed by a huge explosion... "Boom boom!" The two forces collided fiercely, releasing terrifying energy. In the sky, energy filled the air violently, and under the terrifying energy, the space began to ripple slightly. At this moment, Li Lin made another move, his true qi forming wings on his back. Using the Wind Wings, combined with Floating Shadow, his body almost turned into a flash of lightning, instantly appearing behind the Ironback Lizard. "Now, die." A faint voice came from Li Lin''s mouth: "Fiery Explosion." With a movement of his hand seals, a palm-sized fireball in his hand spun violently, cutting through the space. The entire space''s temperature suddenly soared, and the powerful aura pressed down, directly enveloping the surrounding space. The fireball quickly expanded, tearing open a fiery arc in the space. A terrifyingly hot oppressive force spread out like a tsunami. Feeling this terrifying force, the Ironback Lizard finally began to fear and retreated, but it was already too late. The terrifying flames dispersed, immediately enveloping it. "Boom boom..." The fireball exploded in mid-air, shaking the space with violent ripples. The unparalleled hot flames swept across the sky, and visibly, the Ironback Lizard was engulfed by the firewave. Its massive body was overwhelmed by a violent and hot force. A mid-stage fourth-tier demon beast, usually difficult for a sixth level Martial Soul to deal with, but that doesn''t mean all sixth level Martial Souls are incapable. Although Li Lin was only at the fourth level of Martial Soul, his actual strength had long exceeded his cultivation level. Killing this Ironback Lizard was not a problem at all. "Sigh..." When all the fiery energy dissipated into nothingness, on the ground in front of them, the Ironback Lizard''s massive body lay charred on the ground. Li Lin, without any politeness, retracted his true qi wings and instantly landed in front of the massive body of the Ironback Lizard. A long sword had already appeared in his hand, slashing towards the Ironback Lizard''s abdomen. "Crack." With a cracking sound, sparks flew. This sword strike, despite the Ironback Lizard''s thick spines, only left a shallow mark on its skin. "Such thick skin," Li Lin muttered. "Lin''er, use this to collect the demon core," Cui Yu said, handing over a black long sword. The sword blade was all black, emitting a smooth black luster, then she handed it to Li Lin. "This is no ordinary item." Holding the black sword, Li Lin immediately felt that it was not a common spirit craftsman''s work. The material was extraordinary. From its luster, it was probably at least crafted by a spirit general, and likely close to the level of a spirit commander. With this material, the black sword was worth at least a million gold coins. At this point, Li Lin had already determined that Cui Yu was not as simple as a common maid, but he could not guess her identity. Along the way, Li Lin had tried to probe, but Cui Yu''s answers were watertight, leaving Li Lin helpless. "Shoo shoo..." With one slash, the hard-as-iron body of the Ironback Lizard was instantly split open from the abdomen, and a mid-stage fourth-tier demon core slid out. The violent energy trembled, and Li Lin quickly collected it into a brocade box. "Crack crack..." "What a pity." Watching the thick hide of the Ironback Lizard, Li Lin felt somewhat pained. If he could have skinned it, its value would have been at least tens of thousands of gold coins. But now, they needed to hurry on their way and didn''t have time to skin the Ironback Lizard. "Here, this sword is not a common item," Li Lin handed the black sword back to Cui Yu. "If you like it, just keep it. Consider it a gift from me," Cui Yu said with a smile. "How could I accept this?" While Li Lin said this modestly, he quickly stored the black sword in his space bag, as if afraid that Cui Yu might change her mind. Such a treasure, worth over a million gold coins, perhaps even more, was not to be missed. "Let''s go. Hong Ling and the others may have already gone far. We need to speed up," Cui Yu said, looking around. In a space without the sun, moon, stars, day, or night, the whole space felt oppressive, especially with the constant danger, making it even more so. "Boom boom..." From the distant sky, a series of sonic booms echoed within the space. In a forest, two blurry figures could be seen launching attacks. "Boom boom!" Massive energy fluctuations, the giant rocks on the ground were directly shattered, and towering trees were uprooted, swept away by the fierce power. When the last bit of violent energy dissipated, Li Lin and Cui Yu''s figures appeared in the space, looking at the body of a late-stage fourth-tier demon beast on the ground. Li Lin said, "The fifth late-stage fourth-tier demon beast." "It must have been over a month now, right? Now we have killed fifteen early-stage fourth-tier demon beasts and ten mid-stage ones," Cui Yu said with a slight smile. "Cui Yu, this demon core is yours," Li Lin said. For the first time in this period, Li Lin, the miser, felt embarrassed. All the demon cores from the beasts they had killed were collected by Li Lin. Now, he had over twenty demon cores. "You keep it. The demon core isn''t of much use to me," Cui Yu said with a slight smile. "Alright then." Li Lin didn''t insist and collected the demon core. During this time, without day and night, they could only estimate the time by counting the hours. They guessed it had been over a month. Chapter 331: Some Ambiguity "Boss, if you don''t let me take action, I''m going to suffocate." Little dragon circled above Li Lin''s shoulder, his voice loudly protesting in Li Lin''s mind. "There will naturally be a chance for you to take action, but now is not the time," Li Lin replied. Moments later, Li Lin took the demon core into his hand. This fist-sized fourth-stage late-phase demon core was releasing terrifying energy in Li Lin''s hand. "Let''s find a place to rest for a while," Cui Yu softly said. "Okay," Li Lin responded. Without the distinction of day and night, during this period, they would find a place to rest after every dozen or so hours. During this time, Li Lin was always practicing normally. Although there was special energy within the secret area, Li Lin''s normal practice was only about the same as the normal practice of ordinary martial artists, unable to achieve the effect of accelerated cultivation. Although he now had quite a few demon cores, Li Lin could not afford to consume them for cultivation now. It would take three months to reach the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit. According to Yun XiaoTian''s tone, the distance was not short. If he consumed the demon cores to prepare for a breakthrough and delayed the time, losing the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit would be a loss not worth the gain. Therefore, Li Lin was now just collecting demon cores, unable to immediately consume them for breakthroughs. In this more than a month''s time, the two of them had killed quite a few fourth-stage demonic beasts. As for third-stage and second-stage demonic beasts, there were even more. Almost the deeper they went, the more demonic beasts there were. Initially, the highest-level demonic beasts were only at the mid-phase of the fourth stage, but in the past few days, late-phase fourth-stage demonic beasts had appeared. Li Lin was not worried about fourth-stage level demonic beasts, but if they encountered fifth-stage level ones, Li Lin was somewhat worried in his heart. Fifth-stage level demonic beasts were not as easy to deal with as fourth-stage ones. In an empty valley, after observing their surroundings for a while, the two decided to rest in this valley for several hours to recuperate and recover their strength. Letting Little dragon guard, Li Lin sat cross-legged, running the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Art, and his body was immediately enveloped in a faint yellow glow. Outside the yellow glow, Li Lin could feel strands of mysterious energy in the air entering his body. With his cultivation, he could simultaneously transform it into true qi and spiritual power, entering his dantian qi sea and the space within his mind. This energy was very mysterious, as if it was an energy that naturally existed between heaven and earth. Entering the body, it could be transformed into pure true qi and spiritual power without much refinement. Still, for Li Lin, due to the constraints of the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Art, the speed of cultivation did not benefit much. Time slowly passed, and both of them entered a state of cultivation. "Sigh" About ten hours later, Li Lin exhaled a breath of foul air, withdrew his hand seal, and stopped cultivating. A flash of sharp light passed through his eyes. Although the speed of cultivation was not fast, it was still a small improvement, several times faster than normal cultivation outside. Looking at Cui Yu beside him, who was still cultivating, a huge amount of spiritual power was also diffusing from her body, enveloping the surrounding area. Slight spatial ripples appeared around her, and within the spatial ripples, strands of energy that were difficult to detect with the naked eye and could only be felt were slowly being absorbed by Cui Yu. Looking at Cui Yu, her features were exquisite, her skin was fair, and her beautiful face had a large, unsightly red blotch. "If it weren''t for this red blotch, she would definitely be a stunning beauty," Li Lin softly said, feeling somewhat regretful in his heart. "Do you think the red blotch on my face is ugly?" Just then, Cui Yu stopped cultivating, her beautiful eyes slightly smiling as she looked at Li Lin. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. "It''s not about being ugly, but it affects your original appearance," Li Lin hesitated for a moment and softly said, "As far as I know, there should be spiritualists who can refine some elixirs to remove this red blotch, right?" "What if it''s removed? Do you also care about beauty and ugliness?" Cui Yu looked at Li Lin. "What I mean is, the heart of admiration is common to all. Perhaps without this red blotch, it could bring a lot of confidence to your life," Li Lin softly said. "Are you saying that without the red blotch on my face, I would have many men pursuing me, like Sister Wushuang?" Cui Yu said. "This..." Li Lin gave a wry smile, not knowing how to answer for a moment, and hesitated to say, "My words do have some of that meaning, but definitely not all." "Then answer me honestly, if the red blotch on my face can never fade, and I''m this ugly, would you marry me?" Cui Yu asked with a slight mischievous smile in her beautiful eyes. "This, you shouldn''t be a woman who can just marry anyone casually, right? You don''t seem like it," Li Lin softly said. "If someone doesn''t care about my appearance and doesn''t care that I am a maid, marrying him would be my fortune," Cui Yu looked at Li Lin, "You haven''t said, if it were you, would you marry me?" "Ha ha, if it were before meeting Wushuang, a woman like you, if willing to marry me, I would naturally want to marry," Li Lin laughed and said. "Are you saying I''m not as good as Sister Wushuang?" Cui Yu said. "Of course not, you and Wushuang are two different people, there''s no comparability. What I mean is, I now have Wushuang, so it''s difficult to accept someone else," Li Lin said. "Then can''t you accept two, or perhaps three people at the same time?" Cui Yu softly said, a slight unusual color flashing in her eyes. "I don''t know, at least not now," Li Lin softly said. "If we put everything aside, this ugly woman, would you marry me?" Cui Yu''s beautiful eyes held a longing look. "I would," Li Lin nodded, knowing Cui Yu as he did, how could she be as simple as she seemed on the surface? Such a woman would not be inferior to any other woman. Having said this, the atmosphere suddenly became somewhat ambiguous, and for a moment, it was somewhat silent. "Having your words, I''m already very happy," Cui Yu softly said, a satisfied look appearing in her beautiful eyes. "You are not an ordinary woman, if you really were to marry me, it would be my gain," Li Lin said. "Then good, if one day, Sister Wushuang doesn''t object, you have to marry me," Cui Yu said with a slight smile, and after speaking, her face also turned somewhat red, and the atmosphere around them became even more ambiguous. "Cough..." Li Lin coughed and said, "Cui Yu, let''s go, we should continue on our way." "Okay," Cui Yu also softly said, and then the two of them continued on their way. Together, the two of them encountered many dangers along the way, but they were also without danger, after all, both of their strengths were extraordinary. As Li Lin got to know Cui Yu better, he was increasingly surprised. He could even vaguely feel that Cui Yu''s strength, even if he went all out, with all his cards laid out, might still be difficult to contend with her. Even if she made a move, he could not see through her cultivation level, but without a doubt, it was definitely above the Spirit General level. In the following days, the demonic beasts they encountered became stronger and stronger, almost all of them being mid-phase and late-phase fourth-stage demonic beasts, with third-stage demonic beasts having not appeared for a long time. Together, the two of them killing late-phase fourth-stage demonic beasts was not a problem. After traveling for more than a dozen hours, the two would find a place to recuperate and practice for a while. After another ten or so days passed, the two of them had not seen Yun HongLing and Zhao QingHai and others, but the number of demon cores Li Lin had increased quite a bit during this process. For ordinary people, demon cores were just exchanged for gold coins or turned into elixirs by spiritualists, but for Li Lin, these demon cores directly represented his strength. With these demon cores, his strength could rapidly progress. In these ten or so days, the most unexpected thing for Li Lin was that he obtained two sets of mid-grade Yellow-level martial arts techniques. While chasing a late-phase fourth-stage demonic beast, he rushed into the beast''s lair and unexpectedly discovered these two martial arts techniques. Li Lin had been doubting his master Yu Yu''s words, saying that martial arts techniques could be obtained within this secret land, and he had not discovered any until now. It seems these martial arts techniques really exist, but they were all on the demonic beasts. After all, only the demonic beasts living in the secret land knew the land best. In these ten or so days, the relationship between Li Lin and Cui Yu suddenly became somewhat ambiguously awkward. Sometimes, when they accidentally touched each other, Cui Yu''s face would immediately turn red. "It''s about time, let''s find a place to rest before continuing," Li Lin said in a mountain forest. Moments later, in an open canyon, the two appeared within it. They chose some open places to stay for safety reasons, so they could also guard against the sneak attacks of demonic beasts. "It''s been almost two months, we should be close to the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit," Li Lin said while sitting cross-legged. "The energy around us is getting stronger, proving that we are heading in the right direction and should be getting closer to the location of the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit," Cui Yu sensed the energy within the space and said. "Let''s rest," Li Lin let Little dragon guard, then closed his eyes and began to cultivate, his body immediately enveloped in a faint yellow light. Watching Li Lin, Cui Yu''s gaze became somewhat dazed, murmuring, "What kind of person is he, still unable to see through him, as if hiding countless secrets." Chapter 332: Ambushed During this period of interaction, as Cuiyu got to know Li Lin more, she paradoxically felt as if she understood him less and less. Perhaps it''s a woman''s nature to grow curious about what she does not understand. Watching Li Lin, who was cultivating, Cuiyu smiled softly, then sat down cross-legged and began her cultivation as well. "Hiss..." Little dragon breathed in and out, raising its head and looking around. As the two of them cultivated, the vast canyon became quiet, with only the slight breeze passing through. It was then, after several hours into their cultivation, an unusual aura silently infiltrated the air in the empty canyon. "Boss, someone is ambushing us." Little dragon''s voice echoed in Li Lin''s mind at the same time Cuiyu''s voice spread out: "Lin''er, be careful." As her voice fell, Cuiyu swiftly formed hand seals, and a dazzling white light enveloped a hundred meters around her, covering both her and Li Lin within it. "Whoosh..." An invisible white light blade instantly struck in front of Li Lin, already beneath the transparent barrier Cuiyu had set up. A huge energy collision occurred, causing spatial ripples to surge violently. The barrier Cuiyu had erected suddenly indented inward, like a giant axe striking glass, instantly cracking the barrier with countless fissures. "Bang!" Cuiyu''s hand seals changed in an instant, and the light on the barrier brightened significantly, repairing the cracks instantly. The indented fracture expanded like an inflated balloon, instantly repelling the light blade. "Spiritual power attack." As Cuiyu repelled the light blade, Li Lin''s brows furrowed, a chill spreading within him. The ambush was a spiritual power attack, and judging by its momentum, it was at the level of a Spiritual General. Li Lin knew even with his eyes closed that apart from Zhao Qinghai of the Zhao family, there would be no one else. Li Lin had already stood up, his gaze filled with a cold light looking towards the canyon outside, and said indifferently, "People from the Zhao family, have you really fallen to the point where you can only rely on ambushes?" "Hehe, just wanted to deal with you earlier. You''re not even worthy of my ambush." With those words, nine figures slowly appeared outside the canyon. The three leading figures were Zhao Qinghai, Zhao Qingtian, and Zeng Chuxiong. "Zhao Qinghai, you really have some nerve. Killing fellow sect members against the rules of Yunyang Sect, you''re in for some serious consequences," Cuiyu said with a stern look as she eyed the newcomers. "You''re Cuiyu, right? I know you''re extraordinary, and this matter doesn''t concern you. Step aside," Zhao Qinghai said with a heavy gaze towards Cuiyu. "What if I don''t step aside?" Cuiyu replied lightly. "Ugly freak, if you don''t step aside, then don''t blame us for being impolite," Zhao Qingtian snorted coldly. "Humph, just with you!" Cuiyu''s expression suddenly turned cold, and a chill began to spread. "Zhao Qinghai, Zhao Qingtian, the Zhao family really dares. You''ve been waiting here for a long time, haven''t you?" Li Lin stepped forward, signaling Cuiyu to step back. It was his trouble to face; he couldn''t let a woman stand up for him. "Not long, but it''s worth it. Today, I want to see who can save you," Zhao Qingtian said, casting a cold gaze on Li Lin. "What do you want?" Li Lin asked calmly, already expecting that in this secret place, the Zhao family would not let him have an easy time. "Don''t you know?" Zhao Qingtian said mockingly with a cold laugh. "I''m afraid you don''t have the capability," Li Lin said again calmly, his gaze fixing on Zhao Qinghai and the others. With Little dragon by his side, and also having Kui Yi, dealing with them wouldn''t be so simple. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. "Let''s try and see," Zhao Qingtian said coldly. "Brother Zhao, the sect master said that killing fellow disciples is forbidden, we..." Wang Ping, a peak ninth-level spiritual master behind Zhao Qingtian, said anxiously, and the other five also looked solemn, watching Li Lin and Zhao Qingtian and others, not daring to make a move. "Humph, who said we''re going to kill that kid? We''re just teaching him a lesson, just make him like Li Dajiang, that''s all. Let him keep his life," Zhao Qingtian said coldly. "Brother Zhao, that''s still not right. Li Lin is Elder Yu''s disciple," a young man in white said. "Humph, you don''t need to act, just watch from the side," Zhao Qinghai glanced over the five disciples and said indifferently. "Li Lin, we can''t do anything about this, sorry," Wang Ping apologized to Li Lin, then the five looked at each other, knowing some of the disputes between Li Lin and Zhao Qingtian. Without needing to act, they wouldn''t be responsible, so they retreated to the outside of the canyon. They couldn''t afford to offend either side, so they could only choose to step back. "It''s alright, you not ganging up on me, I''m already grateful," Li Lin smiled slightly. These people didn''t dare to attack him, probably afraid of trouble from Master Yu Yuqian later. But now that they chose to step back, it did make things a lot easier for him. "Li Lin, today no one can save you," Zhao Qingtian said, looking at Li Lin with an increasingly intense coldness. "Boss, their three strengths are strong. I can only deal with the weakest one, and even killing him will be difficult," Little dragon''s voice said in Li Lin''s mind. "Three Spiritual Generals, two Martial Generals." Li Lin looked at Zhao Qinghai and Zhao Qingtian, with Zeng Chuxiong being handled by Little dragon, Kui Yi also couldn''t handle Zhao Qingtian, Kui Yi''s strength was only enough to contend with Zeng Chuxiong. As for himself, facing Zhao Qinghai would also be challenging. "Lin''er, let me handle Zhao Qinghai. The other two, you''ll have to deal with," Cuiyu stepped in front of Li Lin, glancing at the three. "Can you do it?" Li Lin raised an eyebrow. Zhao Qinghai was a third-level Spiritual General, the first on the Dragon List, a definite powerhouse. Although Cuiyu was strong, facing Zhao Qinghai wouldn''t be easy. "Don''t worry. Killing him might be difficult, but holding him off won''t be a problem," Cuiyu said lightly. "Then I''ll have to trouble you," Li Lin said lightly, not rejecting the kind offer. He indeed needed Cuiyu''s help. If she could hold off Zhao Qinghai, then dealing with Zhao Qingtian and Zeng Chuxiong with Little dragon and Kui Yi would definitely be manageable. "Then you owe me a favor, which you''ll have to pay back double later," Cuiyu smiled lightly. "No problem," Li Lin said lightly. "Humph, Cuiyu, you might as well step back. This matter has nothing to do with you. Why bother getting involved in this mess?" Zhao Qinghai looked at Cuiyu. The strike just now had shown Cuiyu could hold her own against him, shocking him with her strength. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have spent so much effort talking. "This matter is already related to me, and as for you, I haven''t even considered you a threat," Cuiyu said indifferently, her beautiful eyes filled with a spreading chill. "You two deal with Li Lin; I''ll take care of this Cuiyu," Zhao Qinghai''s face grew cold as he said, "Make it quick and leave Li Lin half alive." "Mm," Zhao Qingtian and Zeng Chuxiong nodded slowly and then moved towards Li Lin, their true energy vibrating with each step, leaving indentations in the ground beneath their feet. Li Lin smiled faintly, the coldness at the corners of his mouth growing more intense. "Whoosh..." At that moment, Zhao Qinghai stomped on the ground, and with a change of hand seals, a giant white palm imprint condensed out of thin air, overturning spatial ripples and instantly enveloping Cuiyu. "Lin''er, be careful on your own." As Cuiyu''s voice fell, her figure had already disappeared from the spot, reappearing only to engage in combat with the two spiritual practitioners. A massive spiritual power filled the valley, mixed with soul attacks, causing the five onlookers from the canyon''s edge to watch from afar, their brows furrowed tightly. "Kid, didn''t expect you to have this day," Zhao Qingtian and Zeng Chuxiong approached Li Lin, stopping less than fifty meters away, and began to coldly chuckle. "Do you really think you have the strength?" The smile vanished, leaving only sheer coldness, as an invisible killing aura burst forth again. Li Lin then said to Little dragon, "Little dragon, you can make your move now." "Boss, no problem." "Hiss..." Little dragon leaped from Li Lin''s shoulder, its body instantly swelling to a massive size of over three hundred meters, with scales standing on end and strands of golden flames swirling around, a tremendous pressure spreading, dominating the atmosphere. "How did you bring your beast here..." Zhao Qingtian and the others had already noticed Little dragon, with Zhao Qingtian''s face changing drastically. Inside the secret realm, beasts were not allowed. They truly did not know how Li Lin''s beast had appeared inside. Neither spatial bags nor storage rings could contain living things. "Boss, I can handle the weaker one without a problem, but you need to be careful," Little dragon said, its huge eyes fiercely fixing on Zhao Qingtian and Zeng Chuxiong. "Be careful," Li Lin said, knowing Little dragon''s defense was formidable. Yet, at this moment, Li Lin was still somewhat worried, as Little dragon was only at the mid-tier third level. "I''ll deal with Li Lin; you handle that beast." At this moment, Zhao Qingtian quickly launched an attack, his words directed at Zeng Chuxiong. With a flash of true energy under his feet, his figure dashed towards Li Lin like lightning, his fist, filled with a blazing fire attribute energy, aimed directly at Li Lin''s head without any fanciness. Chapter 333: Contending with the Martial General "Sss..." Almost at the same moment, Zeng Chuxiong instantly pounced towards Little Dragon, holding a blue broadsword in his hand that seemed to appear out of nowhere, bringing with it wisps of mist-like water vapor. A blade light was cleaved out, piercing through space and causing ripples to sway, almost distorting space itself. "Sss..." Little Dragon''s massive body leaped up with incredible agility, using its momentum to collide towards Zeng Chuxiong. As Little Dragon made its move, Li Lin also acted. Between the cold flashes in his eyes, a cyclone flashed under his feet. With slight hesitation, facing Zhao Qingtian''s forceful attack, his eyes turned cold. His hands moved as fast as lightning, unleashing a tremendous surge of earth attribute Qi, a yellow palm print soaring into the sky. "Thousand Hand Rift Palm." The palm print pushed through the spatial ripples, breaking through space as if tearing it apart, slapping heavily just as Zhao Qingtian''s fist mark arrived. "Boom!" The collision of fist and palm caused a terrifying wind, cracking the ground beneath their feet with a loud noise, lifting countless pieces of rock and soil like a tornado. "Thud thud..." Li Lin''s figure was forced back several steps under a tremendous force, quickly covering himself with Qingling Armor. Despite this, his internal Qi blood surged violently, almost spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood. "Second-level Martial General, too strong." Li Lin''s face turned slightly pale, secretly thinking that Zhao Qingtian''s strength was even stronger than he had imagined. "You''re dead." With a cold shout, Zhao Qingtian''s face showed a hint of coldness, his figure flashed, and a fist mark condensed in his hand again, the terrifying wind wreaking havoc, rapidly distorting the space in front of him. "Kui Yi." As Li Lin''s hand seals rapidly changed, a dark green shadow instantly leaped out, then transformed into a streak of light, pouncing towards Zhao Qingtian. "Bang!" The two forces collided directly, and in the midst of a terrifying energy explosion, a metallic figure was slammed hundreds of meters away against a giant rock in the canyon, with a slightly indented fist mark on its chest. "Fourth-level advanced puppet." Zhao Qingtian''s face showed a cold curve, surprised as he looked at Kui Yi getting up again. He hadn''t expected that Li Lin would have such a rare item as a puppet. "Bang bang!" In the distant space, dust and stones flew, with continuous sonic booms. Little Dragon and Zeng Chuxiong were fiercely clashing. Facing Zeng Chuxiong''s attacks, Little Dragon, unable to gain the upper hand, relied on its speed and defense, making Zeng Chuxiong unable to do anything to it. At this moment, the clash between Zhao Qinghai and Cuiyu had reached a terrifying level. Facing Zhao Qinghai, the number one strongman of the Yunyang Sect''s Dragon List, Cuiyu''s figure flickered, drawing specks of light under her feet, dodging the extremely fierce spiritual power attacks with agility. Every collision of spiritual power would explode the space into violent spatial airflows. "Boy, having a puppet won''t save you." At this moment, Zhao Qinghai did not delay, his fist once again clenched, with wisps of flame over his fist mark, his momentum even stronger than before, as a fist mark suddenly burst out! As the fist mark burst out, the surrounding space also rippled, a scorching aura enveloping the space, instantly pressing towards Li Lin. "Fiery Explosion!" "Wind Sweeping Leaves." Li Lin''s expression darkened, his left hand Fiery Explosion and his right hand Wind Sweeping Leaves, two powerful forces condensed out with the speed of lightning, erupting from his body, causing his Qi to surge wildly within his broad meridians. Above his left hand, a palm-sized fireball instantly appeared, the entire space''s temperature suddenly rising, a powerful aura pressing down, enveloping the surrounding space. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Above his right hand, wind attribute energy immediately gathered. A violent airflow within the space began to whirl, like a tornado storm howling and tumbling, lifting a layer of soil, creating countless cracks, and covering the sky, pressing down violently. The two forces collided fiercely with the twisted space fist mark condensed by Zhao Qingtian above, inevitably causing a huge explosion in the sky. "Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!" Space exploded, tearing open a scorching arc, a terrifying pressure spreading out like a tsunami. The terrifying energy filled the air, a massive storm whistling, instantly spreading a violent force in the sky, exploding in a burst of terrifying energy, shaking open a huge wave of scorching terror. Such a shocking scene made the five Yunyang Sect disciples watching from outside the canyon change their faces dramatically. This level of strength was something none of them could achieve. When the violent energy dissipated, Li Lin''s figure was suddenly shaken back tens of meters, staggering backward, his face even paler. Under the violent force, only Li Lin himself knew how his internal Qi blood surged uncontrollably, as if it would shatter his internal organs. If it weren''t for the Qingling Armor, he would not be able to contend with Zhao Qingtian at all. The opponent was a second-level Martial General, and he was a fourth-level Martial Soul. The difference in strength levels was too great. If it were a first-level Martial General, he might still have a chance, but a second-level Martial General''s strength was several times stronger than a first-level Martial General. "Good boy, being able to take my two moves, you do have some skills. But, you won''t have any more chances." Zhao Qingtian stood with his hands behind his back, lightly shaking his right hand behind him, which was also a bit numb. He was absolutely surprised by Li Lin''s strength, which was indeed formidable to this extent. If not removed today, it would be even more difficult in the future. As Zhao Qingtian''s words fell, his slightly numb right hand now held a dark red long sword. The light flashed, and a sword shadow seemed to sweep out from space, with a violent scorching aura cleaving out, the sword light tearing through space with a piercing wind sound, fiercely cleaving towards Li Lin. And if one looked closely, they would see that the space ripples around this sword light were neatly cut off, this sword having reached the point of truly cutting through space. This was enough to show that Zhao Qingtian''s title of "Absolute Sword" was not in vain. His strength, ranked fifth on the Dragon List, was indeed formidable. "Kui Yi, stop him." Li Lin''s face quickly darkened, his hand seals condensing at the same time, with seven-colored lights alternating around his body, a terrifying pressure beginning to gather. "What a terrifying aura." Feeling the aura on Li Lin''s body, Zhao Qingtian''s eyes turned cold, naturally seeing that Li Lin was condensing a terrifying martial skill, his sword light becoming even more violent towards Li Lin. At this moment, in front of Li Lin, Kui Yi suddenly leaped out, swinging his hand, fiercely launching a very fierce gust of wind, directly and fearlessly pouncing towards Zhao Qingtian. At this instant, in the distant fierce battle between Cuiyu and Zhao Qinghai, the two also reached an intense level, with violent spiritual power mixed with soul attacks ravaging the mid-air. Zhao Qinghai waved his hand, spiritual power condensing into an attack of a hundred-meter giant wolf beast, roaring towards Cuiyu. Cuiyu''s expression darkened, her eyebrows slightly frowned, her toes twinkling with light, tapping the ground, her figure leveraging to leap into the air, her waterfall-like black hair spreading out, a violent spiritual power suddenly bursting out from her body, covering the sky and the ground, then transforming into an energy claw print of about a hundred meters, tearing through space towards the giant wolf. "Boom!" The two attacks collided, the power fluctuation exploding, both forces turning into nothingness within the space. "Sss sss..." In the canyon, Little Dragon roared lowly, its massive body moving, kicking up a sky full of broken stones. "Shoo shoo..." Zeng Chuxiong''s blade light broke through the air, a first-level Martial General''s cultivation strength also absolutely not to be underestimated. Even in the outside world, he was an absolute strongman. The blade light wreaked havoc, bringing with it a thick mist, as if the entire space was covered in a fine drizzle, droplets scattering everywhere. A blade light struck Little Dragon''s back, instantly sparking fire on Little Dragon''s thick golden flame scales, leaving a mark. "Bang!" In a flash, Little Dragon''s huge tail swung out, piercing through the air with the force of lightning, heavily striking Zeng Chuxiong''s body. Zeng Chuxiong''s figure then flew backward, his face turning pale in an instant. "Damn puppet." At this moment, facing Kui Yi, Zhao Qingtian also had to cleave his sword light directly at Kui Yi. "Crack crack!" The violent energy collided, and the fierce wind instantly spread, visibly, under Zhao Qingtian''s space-tearing sword light, Kui Yi''s right arm was directly severed, his body instantly shaken flying, and under the violent energy, Zhao Qingtian was also forced to retreat. At this moment, the seven-colored light around Li Lin had already begun to condense instantly, his aura becoming increasingly terrifying. Zhao Qingtian''s face darkened, without any hesitation, naturally not allowing Li Lin to condense this terrifying attack. His feet shook with Qi, his body dragging an afterimage directly rushing up, the long sword cleaving out again. The sword light broke through the air, cutting through the void, causing space to vibrate, the air whistling, creating sonic booms, the sword light bringing with it a spread of afterimages, carrying a terrifying momentum, like a huge net, instantly enveloping Li Lin. "Zhao Qingtian is using the Breaking Gang Sword Technique, this is his trump card." "Li Lin''s martial skill seems very powerful, a very terrifying aura. I didn''t expect Li Lin''s strength to be able to contend with Zhao Qingtian." Chapter 334: Soul Condensate Outside the gorge, the expressions of the five people slightly changed as they quietly discussed among themselves. "Destroying Sword Technique!" Zhao Qingtian let out a deep shout, and a violently chaotic sword net had already crushed down upon Li Lin''s head. At that moment, a sharp and cold light suddenly filled Li Lin''s eyes. In front of him, a multicolored light orb a few meters in size gathered, and within the Dantian Qi Sea, the five-colored martial Dan rapidly circulated. The broad meridians within his body surged like floodwaters into the multicolored light orb, merging together under a force of spiritual power. "Vermilion Bird Art, go." Li Lin shouted loudly, and with the final hand seal made, the light instantly transformed into a phoenix energy bird. The terrifying phoenix energy body instantly turned into dozens of meters in size, its fierce aura soaring to the skies, bringing up towering flames that instantly enveloped a space nearly a thousand meters in size around it. The air burned with a crackling sound, and the terrifying aura raged to the extreme. At this moment, the Vermilion Bird Art, fully condensed by Li Lin with his fourfold Martial Soul cultivation, its power could be imagined. Upon casting the Vermilion Bird Art, Li Lin''s complexion also turned pale again, having fully exerted himself in deploying the Vermilion Bird Art. In an instant, two massive forces of terrifying magnitude collided, like two bombs smashing into each other, and at the point of collision, sparks flew everywhere. Violent airflows spread out, and flames, like light waves, spread out in an arc from the high sky of the gorge. From the ground of the gorge, countless cracks and fissures appeared, layers of soil and giant rocks were swept into the air, followed by a series of sonic booms... "Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" Terrifying gales swept across like a storm, with firewaves spreading within a radius of a thousand meters, coloring the space ripples in crimson. "Thud thud..." The gale swept through, and Li Lin let out a muffled groan from his throat, his body directly shaken and flew twenty to thirty meters away. Despite the defense of the Qingling armor, his body was still surging with blood, unable to suppress a mouthful of fresh blood from spewing out. Zhao Qingtian''s strike was too powerful, even his current deployment of the Vermilion Bird Art couldn''t counter it, and Li Lin''s heart truly became solemn. "Thud thud..." Zhao Qingtian also staggered back dozens of steps, his face turning pale with astonishment, his blood surging within, eyes filled with shock, seemingly not expecting that his opponent could withstand his Destroying Sword Technique. Li Lin''s strength was much stronger than he had imagined. "Zhao Qinghai, you better scram now, or one day I will make your Zhao family disappear in smoke." In the sky, Cuiyu repelled Zhao Qinghai''s attack, cold eyes shooting out, a chill spreading, and her hair vibrating behind her, her aura, at this moment, was nothing like that of a maid. "Humph, a mere maid dares to speak wildly, what do you think you are!" Zhao Qinghai snorted coldly. "Boss, are you okay?" A massive body came to Li Lin''s side, sensing something wrong with the boss. Little Dragon shook off Zeng Chuxiong and hurried over. "I''m fine." Li Lin replied, his gaze fixed on the distant Zhao Qingtian, deciding in his heart that he could only play his last card now. In the gorge, the brief exchange of blows stopped for a moment. Cuiyu''s eyes grew colder as she stared at Zhao Qinghai and coldly said: "Zhao Qinghai, one day, I will make your Zhao family regret it, even your biggest backer in the Yunyang Sect won''t be able to protect your Zhao family." "Big talk, let me see what a little maid like you can do." Zhao Qinghai''s face darkened, though he felt Cuiyu''s extraordinariness, her words enraged him. His hand seals changed, and instantly, a whooshing sound of breaking wind appeared in front of him. "Shoo shoo." In the blink of an eye, a sky full of sharp arrows burst forth from in front of Zhao Qinghai, like a torrential rain, countless sharp arrows enveloping Cuiyu. Each arrow seemed to possess the power to pierce through space, gathering together, their might already terrifying to the extreme. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. "Soul Condensate." Li Lin''s expression changed instantly, Zhao Qinghai''s attack was purely a soul estimate, and it had reached the level of Soul Condensate. Below the level of Soul Martial, it''s hard for spiritual practitioners to materialize soul power, and reaching the level of Soul Condensate is absolutely terrifying. Without absolutely powerful soul power, it''s impossible to achieve, and Li Lin knew at least he couldn''t do it at the moment. His soul power, though stronger than those of the same cultivation level, hadn''t reached such a level to attack purely with Soul Condensate. Cuiyu''s expression became colder, and suddenly, her hand seals began to change, her hair strands becoming straight and parallel, each strand seemingly possessing the power to pierce through space. As her hand seals changed, in just an instant, Cuiyu''s aura surged, and spatial ripples stirred everywhere around her, countless waves like giant waves of the ocean, spreading violently with her as the center. In these violent ripples, the space itself felt heavy, and everyone far away felt as if their souls were being pricked, with waves directly attacking the soul bursting out from these spatial ripples. "Soul Condensate as well." Li Lin was amazed, now feeling an absolute suppression in the depths of his own soul, vaguely feeling a sense of pain. "To have reached such a terrifying level." Li Lin marveled, Cuiyu''s soul power was in no way inferior to Zhao Qinghai''s. Zhao Qinghai was considered the most talented spiritual practitioner in the Yunyang Sect among the younger generation in nearly a thousand years, but Cuiyu, at her age, was even younger by four to five years. Such talent, compared to Zhao Qinghai, was much stronger. In the midst of Li Lin''s amazement, the soul-piercing arrows in the sky and the spatial ripples of soul waves collided instantly, and then energy from both sides was annihilated. The explosive release of violent energy began, and dazzling lights started to emit, making anyone who looked at it feel their souls trembling. This terrifying soul confrontation made Zhao Qinghai and Zeng Chuxiong temporarily stop their attack on Li Lin, surprisedly watching the sky. "Shoo shoo shoo..." This massive force, at this moment, didn''t produce any explosive sounds, only a soul-shaking slicing sound that lightly echoed in the space, spreading a piercingly sharp force everywhere, causing the entire space above the gorge to begin twisting. "Boom!" "Boom!" As this terrifying energy was annihilated, two overwhelming forces respectively struck the two people, who were then shaken and flew away. "Cuiyu." Li Lin, startled, instantly had a swirl of air flash under his feet, his figure leaping out swiftly, landing like lightning just before Cuiyu was about to hit the ground. Bending over, he caught Cuiyu''s thick shoulders and waist with both hands, instantly enveloping her delicate body in his arms. "Thud thud..." Just at that moment, Zhao Qinghai''s hands and feet hit the ground as he staggered back, his face already pale. "Qingtian, Chuxiong, keep going, don''t give them a chance to breathe." Zhao Qinghai landed and urgently spoke to Zhao Qingtian and Zeng Chuxiong. "Lin, I can''t fight any longer, run." Cuiyu said immediately, her complexion at this moment terribly pale, her whole person somewhat weak and listless. "Little Dragon, let''s go." In a flash, Li Lin instantly retracted what could be retracted, a swirl of air flashed under his feet, and he took off with wings on his back, instantly fleeing towards the outside of the gorge. Little Dragon''s massive body suddenly contracted, not a bit slower than Li Lin, also darting towards the outside of the gorge in an instant. "Chase." Zhao Qingtian shouted loudly, his true energy vibrating, and he too directly lunged towards the outside of the gorge. The five disciples of Yunyang Sect outside the gorge, at this moment, did not dare to block Li Lin, immediately clearing the way, but Zhao Qingtian was instantly in pursuit. "Whoosh whoosh..." Zeng Chuxiong and Zhao Qinghai also immediately lunged towards the outside of the gorge, but at this time, Zhao Qinghai''s speed was greatly reduced, probably due to the last attack with Cuiyu, which had definitely affected him. Deploying the Wings of Wind, combined with the technique of light and shadow flicker, Li Lin took off, his speed was originally extremely fast, but at this moment, holding Cuiyu in his arms, his speed was significantly reduced. On the ground, Zhao Qingtian was the first to chase, dragging a trail of afterimages behind him, his speed extremely fast, but as a fire attribute warrior, he was unable to pursue Li Lin in the air. Little Dragon was now on Li Lin''s shoulder, turning its head to look back and said, "Boss, go faster, they are catching up." Li Lin''s true energy surged out to the extreme, his complexion turned a shade paler again, the wings on his back vibrated, and his speed increased once more, leaving a trail of afterimages in the mid-air. Facing the man with a somewhat pale complexion, Cuiyu''s beautiful eyes were fixed on him, silent, her hands unconsciously wrapping around Li Lin''s waist. Not knowing how much time had passed, Little Dragon''s voice came again: "Boss, they can''t catch up anymore." Li Lin once again desperately fled for half an hour, and only then did his figure land on a mountain top. "Sigh..." Retracting the Wings of Wind behind him, Li Lin somewhat regretted not bringing the Celestial Winged Snow Lion with him. With the speed of the Celestial Winged Snow Lion, escaping would have been much easier. After breathing heavily for a few moments, Li Lin looked behind him, and the figures of Zhao Qinghai and the others had long since disappeared from sight. Cuiyu stood up from Li Lin''s arms, her face somehow blushing, then she tied her scattered black hair behind her head, revealing her current somewhat pale complexion. "Cuiyu, how are you?" Li Lin asked with concern. Chapter 335: Ancient Formation "There''s no major problem, just overly exhausted and affected by some repercussions. I didn''t expect Zhao Qinghai''s soul power to be so formidable. However, I believe he''s not much better off than me." Cuiyu said softly, as she popped a medicinal pill into her mouth. "It''s good that you''re okay. This time, you were implicated because of me." Li Lin said softly, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, and also took out a healing pill and put it into his mouth. "Boss, there are demonic beasts approaching, a fifth-level early-stage demonic beast." At this moment, Little Dragon vigilantly watched a part of the forest in the sky, his small eyes shooting out sharp gleams. "Roar roar..." A beastly roar vibrated through the valley, and with a huge tremor in the forest, a gigantic demonic beast, measuring four hundred meters, appeared outside the forest. This demonic beast was a giant python, covered in thick scales, four hundred meters long and tens of meters in diameter. Most bizarrely, this giant python had two huge heads, each with only one giant eye, radiating a bloody and ferocious light, staring at Li Lin and Cuiyu. "It''s a dual-headed water-fire demonic Jiao." Cuiyu''s face also showed some surprise at this moment, sensing the aura of the giant python, which had already reached the early stages of the fifth level. "I didn''t expect it to be this kind of demonic beast. This beast is extremely rare to encounter." Li Lin exclaimed. The dual-headed water-fire demonic Jiao was not an ordinary beast. Just like there are dual-element warriors among humans, this demonic Jiao is a dual-element beast among demonic beasts, with formidable strength. At the level of a fifth-level early-stage demonic beast, its strength is feared to be incomparable even to an average fourth-tier martial general. "This place is an ancient land scattered from the past, so it''s normal to have some extremely rare demonic beasts." Cuiyu said lightly, her gaze also becoming more solemn. "This is bad." Li Lin immediately thought to himself. He was already struggling against Zhao Qingtian, a second-tier martial general, and now facing the dual-headed water-fire demonic Jiao, he was even less capable. "Another three years, and humans have come again." Watching Li Lin and Cuiyu, the dual-headed water-fire demonic Jiao suddenly spoke in human language, its expression somewhat excited, its eyes tightly fixed on Li Lin and Cuiyu. "What should we do?" Cuiyu said next to Li Lin. "Run." Li Lin said lightly. At this moment, they were utterly incapable of fighting again, especially against a fifth-level demonic beast, definitely not having the strength. "Chi..." Little Dragon exhaled a breath, his gaze tightly fixed on the huge dual-headed water-fire demonic Jiao in front of them, and said to Li Lin, "Boss, this dual-headed water-fire demonic Jiao is very powerful, you guys run fast, I''ll hold it off for a while." "No, you''re not its opponent either, we''ll leave together." Li Lin said lightly, treating Little Dragon as close as a brother, naturally, he wouldn''t let Little Dragon stay behind to take risks. "Boss, don''t worry. Although the dual-headed water-fire demonic Jiao is powerful, I can hold it off for a while. It won''t hurt me. You guys go quickly, I will naturally find you later." Little Dragon''s voice said in Li Lin''s mind. "Little Dragon, be careful, don''t take any risks." Li Lin hesitated for a moment, then admonished Little Dragon, and then said to Cuiyu next to him, "Let''s go quickly." As they finished speaking, the two hurriedly fled forward. "Still want to run?" The dual-headed water-fire demonic Jiao said lightly, its huge body swiftly pouncing forward. "Hiss hiss!" At this moment, Little Dragon''s small body suddenly returned to its original size, although it was nearly half smaller than the dual-headed water-fire demonic Jiao, a burst of absolute ferocious aura spread out, seemingly not inferior to Little Dragon. "The aura of a Demon Emperor, not... the aura of a Spirit Emperor, nor..." At this moment, feeling the sudden appearance of Little Dragon, the dual-headed water-fire demonic Jiao instantly stopped its pursuit of Li Lin and Cuiyu in shock. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. "Hiss hiss!" The dual-headed water-fire demonic Jiao hissed deeply, seemingly communicating something with Little Dragon. "Run fast." Li Lin and Cuiyu hurried all the way, not daring to stop, though worried about Little Dragon, but Li Lin also knew of Little Dragon''s extraordinary, at least its defensive power was terrifying. "There''s a dense forest ahead, let''s go into the forest." A dense forest appeared in front of the two, better for hiding. The two hurried into the forest without stopping, with a fifth-level demonic beast behind them. Just then, while both were focused on escaping, they didn''t see outside the dense forest, on a towering tree, there were two big characters written: Forbidden Land. The two walked straight into the dense forest, just focusing on moving forward. "Something seems wrong, why has it gotten a bit dark?" After a moment, Li Lin''s face suddenly changed, stopping in his tracks, looking around. Inside this dense area, there was never day or night, but now it seemed a bit dark, Li Lin immediately sensed something unusual. Cuiyu stood still, her beautiful eyes scanning the surroundings, then with a shocked expression said, "This is bad, we might have entered an ancient formation." "Ancient formation?" Li Lin''s face also darkened, having heard from his master, Yu Yu, that within this dense land were ancient formations, even the strong ones from the Yunyang Sect dared not recklessly intrude, it seems they were really in trouble now. "This dense land itself is an ancient land scattered from the past, it''s not surprising to have ancient formations, but this ancient formation shouldn''t be complete, we now only have to try and see if we can get out." Cuiyu looked around and said. Li Lin also looked around solemnly, still inside the dense forest, surrounded by towering trees, with several winding stone paths around, the originally dim sky was not visible, the whole sky seemed to be enveloped in a layer of black fog, the visibility was dim. "Cuiyu, how much do you know about formations?" Li Lin looked around and asked. "I only know a little bit, maybe not enough to say I understand." Cuiyu said with a bitter smile. In Li Lin''s mind, the knowledge of formations recorded in the Heavenly Spirit Record left by his master, the Holy Hand Spirit, instantly surfaced. His mind probed out, sensing the aura within the surrounding space, after a moment, Li Lin said, "Let''s go to the left and see." The two then went down a stone path on the left, the surrounding space was deadly silent, without even the sound of the wind, everything in the space was like a still painting. This situation also made both of them feel a bit numb in their hearts. "Too quiet, what kind of formation is this?" Two hours later, Li Lin pondered to himself. After walking for two hours, they were still on the stone path, the space within seemed boundless. "I''ve heard of some ancient formations, even martial kings, even martial venerables entering are more likely to meet with misfortune than fortune, hopefully, this ancient formation isn''t some malevolent formation." Cuiyu said lightly. "Be careful..." As Cuiyu''s words just fell, at that moment, under their feet, for some reason, a huge spatial air current vortex suddenly appeared. Under their feet, in an instant, it became a vacuum, as if a huge spatial black hole appeared out of nowhere under their feet, and the two directly fell into the vacuum below. "This is bad." Li Lin''s wings of wind instantly condensed, in this lightning-fast moment, he immediately grabbed Cuiyu. "Huh huh..." The huge spatial air current vortex suddenly roared, like a vortex spinning, Li Lin was about to leap up, but was immediately sucked by a distance, unable to leap out of the vacuum with his wings fluttering. "Damn it." Li Lin cursed silently, his true qi surged out, the wings of wind exerted to the extreme, his body slowly moving upwards, but the vortex below became stronger, sucking his body back in again. "Lin''er, don''t worry about me anymore, there might still be a chance to escape." Being held in Li Lin''s arms, Cuiyu said. "No, I can''t leave you behind since you''re with me, I can''t abandon you, besides you didn''t abandon me in the valley." Li Lin said, his meridians'' true qi surged into the wings of wind, but was utterly unable to escape from the vacuum vortex''s grasp, the sucking force was getting stronger. "But if you''re carrying me, we might both die." Cuiyu said. "Even so, I can''t leave you behind. If we''re unlucky and really going to die, then so be it." Li Lin gritted his teeth and said, although he was not a good person, he couldn''t do such a thing. "Huh huh..." The vacuum vortex became more and more powerful, the roaring sound deafening, the huge suction force had reached a terrifying level, Li Lin was becoming more strained, the huge suction force acting on his body, his body sinking down, the dark sky above slowly disappearing. "You fool, now even if you leave me, you can''t escape." Under this violent suction force, Cuiyu naturally felt this majestic force, blaming Li Lin verbally, but her heart was actually trembling. "Be careful, there seems to be a soul attack inside this vortex." Li Lin said solemnly, in this violent vacuum vortex, there was also a huge invisible force that could absolutely restrain the soul. "Not good, protect your soul." Cuiyu exclaimed, at this moment, Cuiyu felt an invisible energy penetrating into her soul space. Li Lin had already mobilized a majestic spiritual force to protect his own soul pill, but the violent force was getting stronger, his mind was suffering from a huge energy infiltration, becoming dizzy. "Huh huh." The two bodies were now completely sucked into the vacuum vortex, the dark sky above also disappeared, the violent force growing stronger. "Qingling Armor." Under the tearing of this violent force, Li Lin felt as if his internal organs were also vibrating, quickly set up the Qingling Armor. "Think of a way, we''re probably trapped in an ancient formation, otherwise, we''re definitely going to die." Cuiyu said to Li Lin, also setting up a light circle around herself. Chapter 336: Mysterious Powerhouse "I can''t think of a way either," Li Lin said. The surroundings were now dark, with only a faint light, as if they were in a black hole. "Shoo shoo..." Inside the vacuum vortex, another powerful force whistled out, and an even more terrifying vortex howled into existence, quickly enveloping the two of them. "What a powerful force, it''s attacking the soul directly, I can''t hold on." Li Lin shouted in a moment, his mind was ravaged by an invisible force, his soul dan rapidly spinning, his mind becoming heavier and more dizzy. As he finished speaking, Li Lin felt as if he was gradually losing consciousness, his head starting to ache more and more. "Cuiyu, how are you..." Cuiyu shouted, watching Li Lin pass out. As soon as she finished speaking, she too passed out instantly, and as the two lost their ability to resist, their bodies suddenly fell rapidly. It was like an endless pit, and although Li Lin had passed out, he still held Cuiyu in his arms. The vortex, like a bottomless hole, became more rampant and terrifying, swirling and pulling the two down, and at this moment, the two had completely lost consciousness. Just then, on Li Lin''s storage ring, a stream of light was entwined. If Li Lin were awake at this moment, he would definitely notice that on the spiritual jade bed inside the storage ring, a huge energy was fluctuating. Suddenly, a stream of light emerged from the storage ring and entered Li Lin''s forehead. At this moment, Li Lin suddenly opened his eyes, an invisible and terrifying aura expanded, his eyes sparkling like stars, his aura reaching an unprecedented level. An invisible fluctuation shook open the vortex''s force, and he stood in the vacuum vortex out of thin air. "This girl seems not simple," Li Lin said after opening his eyes, looking at the woman in his arms, then his gaze shifted around. "Ancient remnant formation, quite troublesome," Li Lin murmured. After a moment, Li Lin smiled slightly and said, "Luckily, it''s just a remnant formation." As he finished speaking, Li Lin formed a hand seal and suddenly a series of streams of light drew out, tearing open space, and the streams of light disappeared into it. These streams of light, upon close inspection, were seen to be following a strange arc through space. The force of these streams of light pierced through space, completely distorting it and bursting out. If anyone were to see Li Lin''s actions at this moment, they would be startled by such strength, incredibly powerful to an unbelievable extent. As these streams of light were released, the vacuum airflow vortex slowly stopped spinning, the violent force also began to calm down, but at this moment, Li Lin''s forehead was covered in sweat, and his complexion became even paler. "Break," Li Lin said softly, the last stream of light was released into the air in front. "Shhh..." Instantly, the vacuum began to shake violently, followed by a thunderous rumbling. "Crack crack..." In an instant, the vacuum vortex cracked like a shattered mirror and then broke apart into energy smoke and disappeared. A broken and dilapidated building appeared under Li Lin''s feet, surrounded by many towering stone pillars, while piles of rubble were accumulated. "I''m too tired, this kid really makes me worry, I''ll rest first," Li Lin said softly, then closed his eyes, and a stream of light flew out from his forehead and re-entered his storage ring. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. "Bang!" Li Lin''s body instantly weakened and then fell to the ground, coincidentally pressing on Cuiyu. Time slowly passed, and the surrounding space was silent. "Mmm..." After an unknown amount of time, Cuiyu softly hummed and then opened her eyes. In a daze, she felt a body pressing on her. "Mmm..." Li Lin also hummed softly and then opened his eyes. "I''m not dead?" The first thing in Li Lin''s mind was the feeling that he hadn''t died, his mind aching as if he was extremely exhausted. Then Li Lin also felt something soft beneath him, looking down, their eyes met. At that moment, neither of them spoke, and the air was filled with an awkward atmosphere. "Aren''t you going to move?" After a moment, their eyes met, and Cuiyu''s face had already turned as red as a blotch on her face, she lightly opened her lips, looking at Li Lin. "I can''t move, I guess I''ll have to wait a while," Li Lin said softly, his body weak, his muscles and bones aching, unable to move at all, not even slightly. "I can''t move either," Cuiyu said softly, she too was unable to move. The atmosphere became awkward to the extreme, Li Lin could only feel helpless, sensing the soft body beneath him, his chest even softer, almost starting to daydream. Close at hand, the two could clearly hear each other''s breathing, the surroundings silent, the ambiguous atmosphere even thicker. Li Lin couldn''t look away, only staring at Cuiyu''s face, her fair complexion, her elegant beauty without makeup, naturally beautiful. Her delicate face was a bit immature but also revealed a bit of charm, her small and upright nose, her red lips, and her big eyes sparkling, captivating at a glance, this stunning beauty, as if a fairy had descended to the mortal world. "So beautiful, just..." Li Lin couldn''t help but sigh inwardly, those delicate features too beautiful, almost flawless, except for a large blotch that marred the scene. But when Li Lin looked at the blotch on Cuiyu''s face again, his expression suddenly changed. Li Lin now saw that the palm-sized red blotch on Cuiyu''s face was disappearing at a visibly slow pace. As the blotch disappeared, an extremely beautiful face appeared before Li Lin''s eyes, without the blotch, too beautiful, to the point of perfection, any man who glanced at it would be enthralled. To say she was a nation''s downfall would be an understatement to describe this beauty. "Cuiyu, your face blotch...?" Li Lin was immediately surprised, shocked at the revelation that Cuiyu was such a stunning beauty. Cuiyu''s face changed slightly, then she slightly frowned, blinked her eyes, and said, "Has the blotch disappeared?" "Yes, the blotch is gone," Li Lin immediately replied excitedly. Cuiyu said, "I forgot to take the medicine. That medicine could only keep the blotch on my face for half a year. After half a year, the blotch would disappear." "Did you intentionally make the blotch?" Li Lin asked in surprise, unable to understand why such a beautiful woman would intentionally make herself look ugly. Cuiyu didn''t answer, blinked again, and then said to Li Lin, "So, do you like this face, or the one with the blotch?" "This, I think anyone would choose this one. If I said I liked the previous face, you would say I''m lying," Li Lin said lightly. "You''re honest," Cuiyu blinked her beautiful eyes and then said, "You should have recovered some strength by now, aren''t you going to get off? Or do you intend to take advantage?" "Oh, I forgot," Li Lin said, indeed feeling some strength returning, immediately struggling to roll off Cuiyu. "Where is this, how did we get here?" Li Lin struggled to sit cross-legged, looking around. Everywhere were collapsed buildings and rubble, in the distance, several towering stone pillars had broken in the middle, all that met the eye were ruins, exuding an ancient aura. "Quickly recover your strength, lest we face danger again and can''t resist," Cuiyu also struggled to get up, sat cross-legged, put a pill into her mouth, formed a hand seal, and began to regulate her breath. Li Lin also hurriedly put a pill into his mouth and began to regulate his breath. At this moment, his body was extremely weak, his Qi and spiritual power were exhausted to an extreme. As the two regulated their breath, they were each enveloped in a circle of light, and time slowly passed. "Hu..." After several hours, Li Lin was the first to stop regulating his breath, having recovered some strength, the injuries from his fight with Zhao Qingtian also improved a bit, no longer a big problem. Li Lin stood up and began to seriously observe the surroundings. This was a huge square, now in a mess, everywhere were ruins. The square was originally surrounded by a circular palace building, now only a few towering stone pillars remained, a desolate scene, the collapsed giant rocks occupied the entire square. From the huge pile of rocks, it was clear that the building was originally huge, but now only ruins remained. In the distance, there was a patch of green, the sky still a dull gray, the terrain like a huge valley, surrounded by mountains. "What are you looking at?" Cuiyu stood up, her complexion slightly rosier. "How come you again..." Li Lin turned to look at Cuiyu, once again somewhat surprised. Cuiyu''s face had a large, unsightly blotch again. "It''s better to be uglier," Cuiyu said with a slight smile, then looked at Li Lin, blinked her beautiful eyes, and said with a bit of cunning, "If you''re willing to marry me, I''ll show you my original appearance, how about that?" Chapter 337: Mysterious Energy "This..." Li Lin was stunned for a moment. It was false to say he was unmoved by this stunningly beautiful woman, secretly wondering if she was joking or serious. "Alright, I won''t make it difficult for you anymore," Cuiyu said softly. "Let''s look for an exit and see if we can get out." The two then started searching among the rubble, standing on the highest pile of debris. The plaza was truly vast, stretching out for tens of thousands of meters, with what appeared to be an ancient palace that hadn''t completely collapsed in the distance. "Let''s go check out that place," Li Lin said, eyeing the ancient palace in front of them. With a flash of Qi under his feet, he dashed towards it. "Lin''er, be careful," Cuiyu whispered. Moments later, the two were standing outside the ancient palace. From a distance, the palace didn''t seem large, but up close, Li Lin was surprised to find one of its walls stretching two to three hundred meters in length and tens of meters in height. The wall, cracked with huge fissures, exuded an ancient aura. "This aura seems somewhat strange," Li Lin frowned, saying they hadn''t even entered yet but already felt a bizarre energy fluctuating as if there was power pulsating within. "This is the residual power of a strong attack, which hasn''t dissipated into the world because it''s inside this grand formation. Judging by its level, there must have been at least Martial Sovereign level experts battling here," Cuiyu said, furrowing her brows. Li Lin looked around at the massive ruins, guessing it had been at least a thousand years since anyone had been here. The fact that the attack power hadn''t dissipated after thousands of years suggested that only a Martial Sovereign, a top-tier terrifying expert, could possess such power. "Let''s go inside and take a look," Li Lin said lightly. Having come this far, it made no sense not to explore. The palace was not too badly damaged, at least the front part where a large door still stood. Cuiyu, too, was clearly curious, and they both slowly entered through the palace doors. With Qi circulating inside his body, Li Lin was vigilant, observing his surroundings. The interior of the grand palace was dim, supported by several huge stone pillars. The ceiling was cracked open in several places, letting in beams of light. It was very quiet, likely undisturbed for thousands, if not tens of thousands, of years. "It looks like the strong ones from the Yunyang Sect haven''t been here," Cuiyu observed softly. "Be careful." Just then, Li Lin suddenly shouted, pulling Cuiyu back as they quickly retreated. "Whoosh!" Inside the grand hall, the previously quiet and calm space suddenly twisted violently, making a sound like flowing water. As this sound spread, the spatial fluctuations inside the hall became terrifyingly intense. With the energy fluctuating, several half-meter-sized orbs of light appeared in the hall, bringing with them a terrifying aura and what seemed like a tremendous oppressive force. As Li Lin retreated, he looked at the twisting space and the orbs of light within the bizarre fluctuations, feeling an extremely powerful energy fluctuation. This fluctuation was fierce, as if it was about to erupt due to being triggered. "These are the residual attack powers of strong ones, concentrated here," Cuiyu quickly said. "This residual attack power seems to have transformed into energy," Li Lin said as he stood at the palace doorway, watching the orbs of light floating inside. Though they were violently powerful, they no longer seemed like mere attack power but had transformed into streams of energy. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "The residual attack powers of strong ones, after thousands or even tens of thousands of years, have not entirely dissipated but transformed into energy. These energies gathering together still have an attacking nature," Cuiyu whispered beside him. "So much residual attack power not dissipating and gathering here suggests this place is not simple. There might be treasures inside." "Treasures?" Li Lin immediately became interested. "In some sealed spaces, disconnected from heaven and earth, the attack powers of strong ones can remain undissipated for thousands of years. However, these undissipated powers do not usually gather together. Over time, they will eventually dissipate. But the energy within this grand hall is likely the result of many undissipated attack powers converging, indicating there must be some secrets inside," Cuiyu explained softly. "I wonder what secrets there are," Li Lin raised an eyebrow. It seemed that the strong ones from the Yunyang Sect had not been here, making it possible that there could indeed be treasures inside. "Whoosh!" Inside the grand hall, the energy orbs made another series of bizarre sounds, and the space began to fluctuate again, seemingly sensing the presence of Li Lin and Cuiyu. The energy orbs slowly moved towards them. "This is bad, the energy is attacking us," Cuiyu''s face darkened. Feeling the aura of the energy fluctuations, Li Lin frowned. This energy was undoubtedly terrifying. "This energy is derived from attack power, undoubtedly either Qi or the energy of natural elements. I wonder if I can absorb this energy," Li Lin pondered, theorizing that his Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique might be able to absorb it. "Ssshh" At that moment, the energy orbs charged towards them, ripping through the spatial ripples inside the grand hall. "Be careful," Cuiyu shouted, raising her hand slowly and then suddenly clenching it, sending out a burst of energy. "Let''s test the power," Li Lin''s expression darkened, and he launched a yellow palm print with his hands, striking the first energy orb with a powerful blow. "Bang bang!" The two massive energies collided, creating a huge muffled sound as the force rapidly spread. "Thud thud." Li Lin staggered back a few steps, then stared at the orb of light before him, his face turning to shock. "Do not attack these energy bodies," Cuiyu also shouted loudly, seeing that the energy body in front of her was absorbing the spiritual power she had attacked it with, as if sucking it in. "How could this be?" Li Lin was also surprised, seeing his Thousand Hand Crack Seal attack being absorbed by the energy orb. These energy bodies could not only absorb Qi but also spiritual power. "Whoosh!" The surrounding energy orbs quickly converged, absorbing Li Lin''s palm strike in a moment. "These energy bodies will absorb our attack power and become even stronger. We can''t use our attack power anymore," Cuiyu''s face changed dramatically. The orb that absorbed her spiritual power seemed to have grown slightly stronger. "These energy bodies are too strange," Li Lin''s expression became grave as he slowly retreated. The initial strike had given him a sense of the energy bodies'' strength, which seemed comparable to a seventh-level Martial Spirit, not too strong, but their ability to absorb was peculiar. "Whoosh" After absorbing the attack power of Li Lin and Cuiyu, the energy bodies suddenly vibrated and then merged together, seven in total, combining into one. At that moment, the entire grand hall''s space began to fluctuate violently again. "Whoosh" Inside the grand hall, more tiny energy bodies, like raindrops, appeared, seemingly hidden within the hall, and quickly merged with the seven orbs of energy. A two-meter-sized energy body was now fully formed in front of them, its aura climbing significantly. The grand hall was filled with dense, raindrop-like energy bodies, now all merged into one. "The aura has become much stronger," Li Lin frowned deeply. After merging all the energy bodies, the one before them had become volatile, its released aura nearly reaching the level of a ninth-level Martial Spirit or even a Martial General. "What do we do? Although this energy body isn''t too strong, we''re not in a position to deal with it now, and we can''t attack it," Cuiyu said nervously to Li Lin. Li Lin watched the volatile energy body, his injuries not yet healed, and Cuiyu had not recovered much strength either. They were likely unable to handle this energy body. The most troublesome part was that the energy body could absorb both his Qi and Cuiyu''s spiritual power, effectively feeding it energy if they attacked. "Maybe I have a way, but I don''t know if it will work," Li Lin frowned and said. "Then let''s try it. This energy body has already targeted us as food," Cuiyu observed the energy body in front of them. "Hu hu" This terrifying energy body, now directly charging at Li Lin and Cuiyu. "You step back," Li Lin said to Cuiyu behind him. Meanwhile, his hand seals changed, and with a flash of Qi under his feet, he didn''t retreat but advanced instead. "Let''s see if you can absorb me," Li Lin shouted deeply, pushing out a several meters large Qi vortex with both hands, a bizarre force piercing through. Chapter 338: Dual Breakthrough "Ssss!" The rampant energy body now converged with the vortex in Li Lin''s hand in an instant, and the two forces touched each other, yet there was a kind of silent feeling. "Whoosh!" In an instant, Li Lin felt a tremendous devouring force burst out from the energy body, as if it wanted to devour his own Qi. The Qi in his hands was actually flowing towards that energy body, which was somewhat similar to the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Art he practiced. "Devour." At this moment, Li Lin''s expression sank, and he shouted in his heart, as he started to operate the Devouring Force in the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Art. "Whoosh whoosh." The two devouring forces collided instantly, and in the hall, a dazzling whirlwind force suddenly burst out. Both forces wanted to devour each other, but at this moment, it seemed that neither could do anything to the other. Strictly speaking, Li Lin was at a slight disadvantage. "Such a powerful force." Li Lin''s expression darkened, feeling the devouring force on the energy body, which was probably strong enough to reach the level of a Martial General. This was just some residual attacking force left by powerful beings over thousands, or even tens of thousands of years, that had gathered together into energy, which was terrifying. Li Lin was also astonished. With the hand signs changing again, Li Lin sat cross-legged, with the vortex in his hands firmly attached to the energy body, counteracting its devouring. At this moment, he was still at a disadvantage. "Whoosh whoosh..." The two forces intertwined in the hall, with the violent aura spreading out, and the intersecting energy lights also shining with dazzling brilliance. Cui Yu watched Li Lin nervously, with her beautiful eyes, she saw that Li Lin seemed to be at a disadvantage, which made her even more anxious. "Damn it." Li Lin cursed silently at this moment. The energy body was too violent, its devouring force far above his own, and the Qi in his hands was slowly being pulled over by the energy body. Li Lin''s expression became more and more solemn. Once his Qi was devoured by the energy body, the energy body would become more violent, and then he would be in trouble. Li Lin quickly made another hand sign, and within his dantian, the five-colored Martial Pill rapidly spun, releasing a vast amount of Qi energy. Along with it, the Qi vortex in front of Li Lin also became violent. A man and an energy body unfolded a tug-of-war within the hall, with Li Lin always barely counteracting it. As time slowly passed, the solemn expression on Li Lin''s face gradually eased. Through his soul probing, Li Lin felt that the energy body seemed to be somewhat powerless now, and its energy seemed to be fading. These energy bodies were just the residual attacking force left by the powerful beings, which, when consumed a bit, would diminish a bit, becoming naturally weaker and fading away. Li Lin secretly waited, waiting for the energy body to consume itself to a point where it could no longer threaten him, which would be his time to counterattack. Time slowly passed, and Cui Yu also felt the change in the energy body, with her tightly furrowed brows slightly relaxing. Time passed again, and in the silent hall, there were only the sounds of the two forces'' energy fluctuations. The aura on the energy body was slowly fading. This energy body had no intelligence to speak of, naturally did not know how to effectively counter this tug-of-war, which just gave Li Lin the opportunity to counteract. After about a dozen hours, Li Lin''s originally closed eyes suddenly opened, a sharp light shooting out, and he muttered, "Thirty years on the east side of the river, thirty years on the west side, now it''s my turn." With the hand signs changing, the vortex in front of Li Lin suddenly expanded, and at the same time, the devouring force greatly increased. On the energy body, a trace of energy was immediately devoured by the vortex condensed by Li Lin. And with the operation of the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Art in his body, Li Lin felt a shock in his palm, suddenly feeling a small, pure energy, like a tidal wave, being devoured from within the energy body, then pouring into his body. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "It can be refined, just like devouring the heavenly and earthly energies drawn from the three-element and five-combination array, even stronger." Li Lin was immediately surprised in his heart. The energy body could really be refined, and what surprised Li Lin the most was that this energy did not require too much refining by himself. As long as it circulated through the meridians for a round, it could turn into pure Qi entering his dantian Qi sea. At the same time, this energy also generated spiritual power, with about half of the energy turning into pure spiritual power entering his brain space. The bit of energy just devoured, like threading a needle, at this moment, the massive energy within the energy body was being devoured bit by bit by Li Lin, instantly turning into Qi and spiritual power pouring in through the circulation in the meridians. In this state, Li Lin could even clearly feel the gradually strengthening power within his body, especially the spiritual power. His original spiritual power level was at the peak of the fourth layer of spiritual soul, and after a moment, he had already reached the brink of breakthrough. "What a magical energy, absorbing it is much stronger than Qi." Li Lin was shocked at this moment. The energy body was not small, although it had faded a lot, but at this time, it was still equivalent to a practitioner with a cultivation of the seventh or eighth layer of Martial Soul. Devouring martial practitioners or spiritual practitioners, removing the dross and keeping the essence, after one''s own refining, one could only get about one-tenth of the Qi energy and spiritual power energy, but at this moment, this energy body, easily refined, could completely turn into Qi and spiritual power. This was not comparable to devouring martial practitioners or spiritual practitioners. "Spiritual power is about to breakthrough." An hour later, Li Lin already felt that his spiritual power had reached the point of breakthrough. Inside the brain, the soul pill rapidly spun, devouring strands of endless spiritual power. Around Li Lin, at this moment, was suddenly enveloped in an invisible white transparent light circle, a vast spiritual power began to spread out, and the aura fluctuated in the hall. "Spiritual power, this is spiritual power." At the edge of the hall, Cui Yu''s face changed dramatically, watching the spiritual power fluctuations that Li Lin was now suppressing with his Qi. With her insight, she also immediately thought of a terrifying thing: "Dual cultivation of spirit and martial arts, the legendary dual cultivators of spirit and martial arts." "How is it possible, dual cultivation of spirit and martial arts, there really are dual cultivators of spirit and martial arts." Cui Yu seemed unable to believe what she was seeing, but this scene was real in front of her. The aura rapidly climbed, shaking the entire space within the hall, and with a bang in Li Lin''s brain, at this moment, the aura surged up like breaking bamboo. At the same time, the energy body in front of Li Lin, being devoured by Li Lin, increased its speed a lot. Huge amounts of energy entered Li Lin''s body, which could then be converted into Li Lin''s own Qi and spiritual power. With Li Lin''s spiritual power breaking through to the fifth layer of spiritual soul at this moment, the speed of refining the energy body accelerated even more, and the vast energy was rapidly shrinking. After several more hours, when the Qi in the dantian Qi sea reached a full state, the five-colored Martial Pill was also enjoying the nourishment of Qi, and the Qi was gradually expanding to the point of bursting. Li Lin''s body was once again enveloped in a yellow light circle, and a vast aura was climbing upwards. "Bang!" Inside the dantian Qi sea, with a muffled sound, the aura soared, and Li Lin''s aura had reached the level of the fifth layer of Martial Soul, and at the same time, the aura was still rapidly climbing. At this time, the energy body within the hall was only a small half left, but at this time, this energy body had no resistance in front of Li Lin, and could only be devoured by him. "Could he be using a secret method to devour energy for breakthroughs?" Watching Li Lin, Cui Yu at the edge of the hall was once again shocked. The energy body was devoured by Li Lin very quickly, and after another dozen hours or so, the originally huge energy body in front of Li Lin was now only the size of a thumb. "Take!" At this moment, Li Lin''s eyes suddenly opened, and his body was wrapped in a thick pale yellow misty light, the vortex in his hand was withdrawn, turning into a gas entering his palm, followed by the thumb-sized energy body also falling into Li Lin''s hand. With a fist, as the last bit of energy was absorbed by Li Lin, Li Lin''s palm opened, and the thumb-sized energy body had disappeared, turning into a stream of air like a dragon, pouring into his body. Li Lin''s face was full of astonishment at this moment, this energy was too terrifying and magical. If there could be a continuous supply of this kind of energy, he could keep breaking through rapidly. This energy, like the purest heavenly and earthly energy, entering his body, could easily and perfectly merge with his own Qi and spiritual power, leaving no side effects. Feeling his strength at this moment, Li Lin''s mouth curled into a smile. In a short period of time, probably not even three days, he had now reached the peak of the fifth layer of spiritual soul, and at the same time, his martial level had also reached the middle stage of the fifth layer of Martial Soul. A complete breakthrough in one realm, and on the martial level, a breakthrough of one and a half realms. Li Lin himself could only marvel at this speed of breakthrough. "Five layers of Martial Soul..." Feeling the full Qi inside his body, Li Lin''s mouth curled up slightly with a smile, now being able to clearly perceive the soaring strength and the sense of comfort brought by the breakthrough, and even the injuries on his body had healed during this breakthrough. Chapter 339: Mysterious Small Knife At the same time, Li Lin also sighed inwardly. The energy from that miraculous energy body was truly immense and terrifying. If an ordinary martial artist were to devour it, their strength level would likely climb even higher. Because his dantian Qi sea was much larger than that of an ordinary martial artist, the energy needed for a breakthrough was also much greater. If his dantian Qi sea was the same as that of an ordinary martial artist, he probably could have broken through to above the sixth level of Martial Soul. Moreover, within this miraculous energy body, half of it turned into spiritual power. If it had all turned into Qi, he probably would already be at the eighth level of Martial Soul. "What a terrifying and miraculous energy body." Li Lin exclaimed. This energy body was left by some strong being from the past, but it must have been at least a martial artist and spiritual practitioner. Otherwise, it wouldn''t have been possible to separate spiritual power from it. "Lin''er, are you dual cultivating spirit and martial arts?" After seeing Li Lin''s breakthrough, Cui Yu''s voice came over, full of absolute astonishment. "Could you keep it a secret for me?" Li Lin turned slightly, looking at Cui Yu, as his recent breakthrough had unavoidably revealed his dual cultivation identity. "Mm... I won''t let a second person know." Hearing Li Lin''s tacit agreement, Cui Yu''s beautiful eyes flashed with absolute astonishment, then she slowly nodded in response. "Thank you. I don''t want to reveal my dual cultivation yet." Li Lin spoke softly. Although he didn''t trust Cui Yu 100%, he did trust her 99%. Given Cui Yu''s character, if she promised something, it likely wouldn''t be disclosed. "When you were on the Dragon Peak and faced Huang Hu, who ranks thirty-sixth on the Dragon List, you must have used a spiritual technique to defeat him in one move, right?" After her surprise, Cui Yu asked Li Lin. Back at Dragon Peak, when Li Lin defeated Huang Hu in one move, she felt the fluctuation of spiritual power on Li Lin but didn''t think of dual cultivation at that time. After all, even she had never seen a dual cultivator of spirit and martial arts. "Mm!" Li Lin nodded, admitting that when he defeated Huang Hu, he had used the Illusory Spirit Imprint combined with martial techniques, which had a surprisingly good effect. "Then, back in Qingyun Town, were the pills you made all refined by yourself?" Cui Yu asked again. "Indeed, it was not easy to clear the debt I owed you." Li Lin said with a smile. The debt of over eight thousand gold coins had weighed on him like a mountain, but now, he wouldn''t feel the same pressure even for eighty million or eight hundred million gold coins. "Let''s look around and see if there''s anything special in this hall. If the miraculous energy gathered here, it''s likely there are some oddities inside," Cui Yu said. The two then searched inside the hall. The area of the hall was quite large, spanning hundreds of square meters, with some disorder around, cracked walls, and many stones fallen on the ground. Around the hall, there were several inner rooms similar to chambers. After searching the hall twice with their minds expanded, they found nothing. After looking at each other, they moved to the rooms on both sides of the hall to search. These rooms were also empty and dilapidated, with cracked walls and covered in dust, looking completely like an ancient house of ten thousand years. After carefully searching the nine rooms twice, they still found nothing. "Nothing at all." The two returned to the hall disappointed, having searched carefully but found nothing. "It looks like this is just a remnant left by a strong being''s battle, nothing special. Perhaps this was originally a residence of a strong being, but after being killed by another strong being, it was looted, leaving only remnants," Cui Yu spoke lightly. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Li Lin also sighed slightly. It was evident that there had been a battle here, and perhaps Cui Yu was right, if there were treasures, they had been taken by others. The place was empty, but being able to improve his strength significantly here was still a considerable gain. "Let''s go, we should find a way out first," Cui Yu said. "Let''s go." Li Lin spoke lightly, sighed slightly, and with a flash of Qi under his feet, he kicked a piece of broken stone, which then hit the wall with a clang. Then, Li Lin was about to walk out of the hall. "Eh." At this moment, Li Lin''s soul probing detected something unusual, not with the broken stone, but he unintentionally felt that the Qi he released under his foot was dispersing towards a corner of the hall at a slow and invisible speed. With his soul probing, Li Lin had a premonition that he was about to discover something. Following the direction where the bit of Qi was dispersing, Li Lin''s gaze fell on a wall with several cracks. Inside the cracks, there appeared an object the size of a thumb, which Li Lin then picked up. The object was covered in a thick layer of dust without any energy fluctuations, making it indistinguishable upon close inspection. The object was shaped like a mini knife, as light as if it weighed nothing. "Whoosh whoosh..." Li Lin blew on the object, and the dust on it was blown away, revealing a faint golden glow. It was a small knife, with the blade showing a golden color but looking very dim, with several irregular shallow marks, seemingly secret patterns. "What is this?" Cui Yu came over to Li Lin''s side, looking at the small knife in his hand and asked. "I don''t know, it seems to have nothing special." Li Lin spoke softly, probing with his soul, but the small knife seemed to be just an ordinary object without any space inside or any energy fluctuations coming from it. "Try dripping blood to recognize it as master and see if there''s any reaction," Cui Yu suggested. Li Lin formed a hand sign, and a drop of blood from his index finger fell onto the golden knife. The blood flowed and swayed on the blade, and after a moment, it seeped in. "Still no reaction." Watching the golden small knife in his hand, the blood seemed to have seeped in, but a blood mark remained on it and did not completely penetrate. At this moment, the golden small knife remained calm, without any reaction. "It seems to be just an ordinary item, nothing special." Li Lin smiled bitterly. The golden small knife probably wasn''t a treasure, without any aura or energy fluctuations, it didn''t seem related to any treasure. "Let''s go, we need to find a way out quickly, hoping not to get trapped here," Cui Yu spoke lightly. Looking at the golden small knife in his hand, Li Lin was about to throw it away but then thought it would be nice to keep it as a souvenir, so he put the golden small knife into his space bag. Li Lin''s storage ring had never been exposed in front of others, so when collecting items in front of others, he used the space bag on his body. At that instant, Li Lin didn''t see that the blood he dripped on the golden small knife had completely seeped in, and the red blood mark also disappeared. After leaving the dilapidated palace, they continued to the square, looking around, Li Lin said, "I don''t feel like we''re in a formation anymore, could the formation have been broken?" Above, the sky was grey, and Li Lin felt this space was no different from other spaces in the secret land. "There seems to be only one direction to go out. Let''s try it," Cui Yu spoke lightly. On the square, surrounded by mountains, only a canyon extended out in the middle, and the huge building''s ruins were in the center of the deep valley. "Let''s go, it''s worth a try, anyway, we have no other choice," Li Lin spoke lightly, and they both leapt forward. They walked forward carefully, not daring to be careless, but no danger appeared. "Eh, we''re out." Half an hour later, guarding their surroundings cautiously, they walked out of the canyon and found themselves in a familiar place. "This seems to be the dense forest we originally entered." Cui Yu looked at the scenery in front of her with surprise and said. After walking out of the canyon, they found themselves in a dense forest, precisely the one they entered while escaping from the two-headed water-fire demon jiao. "Forbidden area." Li Lin looked around and saw the words "Forbidden Area" written on a towering tree. Sect Master Yun Xiao Tian had said that places marked as forbidden areas should not be entered. In their haste to escape from the two-headed water-fire demon jiao, they had carelessly ignored the warning. "Lin''er, the canyon has disappeared." Cui Yu''s surprised voice came to Li Lin''s ears. When Li Lin turned back, he found that the canyon they had just walked out of had disappeared, as if it vanished into thin air. "Boss, you finally came out, you had me worried to death." Just as Li Lin was surprised by the disappearance of the canyon behind him, the voice of the little dragon came out in his mind. "Whoosh whoosh..." A yellow streak of light flashed like lightning and landed on Li Lin, which was the little dragon. "Little Dragon, are you okay?" Li Lin immediately asked, as he had been worried about Little Dragon. "How could anything happen to me?" Little Dragon''s round little eyes spun, and he affectionately licked Li Lin''s face. "Sss sss..." At this moment, a demon beast several meters in size crawled out, its body covered in blue and red scales, and each of its two heads had only one giant eye, staring at Li Lin and Cui Yu. Chapter 340: The Mysterious Demon King "It''s a dual-headed hydro-pyro demon python." Li Lin and Xiao Yu immediately retreated, facing the fifth-order early-stage beast, the dual-headed hydro-pyro demon python, which had shrunk its body. "Don''t worry, boss, this dual-headed hydro-pyro demon python has already been subdued by me," Little dragon said proudly in Li Lin''s mind. "You subdued it?" Li Lin asked in surprise, looking at Little dragon. "Yes, it has agreed to follow me," Little dragon confirmed, with a hint of pride in his little eyes. "How did you subdue it?" Li Lin asked in surprise. "It said that I have the aura of a Demon Emperor and asked me to take it out. Then, it would submit to me," Little dragon explained, his eyes moving. "Aren''t you afraid it''s deceiving you?" Li Lin asked. "Don''t worry, boss. Demonic beasts are not like humans, who go back on their words. Once a demonic beast promises something, it will definitely do it. After submission, it will not betray. Later on, you can just bring it out in the space beast bag," Little dragon said. "Ssss!" Little dragon raised his head, hissing softly, making a deep hissing sound from his throat, seemingly communicating with the dual-headed hydro-pyro demon python. "Having seen the Demon King''s boss," the dual-headed hydro-pyro demon python suddenly spoke human language to Li Lin. "The Demon King''s boss," Li Lin frowned, finding the title rather unique. "Do you truly submit?" Li Lin asked, looking at the dual-headed hydro-pyro demon python in front of him. "We demonic beasts keep our word, unlike humans. I have already submitted to the Demon King and will not betray, as long as you take me away from this cursed place," the dual-headed hydro-pyro demon python said. Li Lin was aware of the hierarchical system among demonic beasts, similar to the situation in the Misty Mountain Range, where a nine-headed demon python was the Demon King, commanding all the demonic beasts in the range. Strong demonic beasts with high bloodlines were revered as Demon Kings by other beasts. "How long have you been here?" Li Lin asked. "I can''t remember clearly. This place has been sealed by humans, with no sun or moon, but I estimate that I have been here for three thousand years since I was born," the dual-headed hydro-pyro demon python said. "Three thousand years." Li Lin gasped in shock. This was not three hundred years, but three thousand. "Three thousand years, how come you only have the strength of the early fifth-order?" After his surprise, Li Lin asked in confusion. A demonic beast of three thousand years should be terrifying, yet this dual-headed hydro-pyro demon python was only at the early fifth-order. Although its strength was decent, it was puzzling compared to three thousand years. "Li Lin, the secret land here has been sealed. Demonic beasts cannot absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to cultivate, so their cultivation speed is extremely slow, or even impossible," Cui Yu, unaware of Li Lin and Little dragon''s conversation, was listening to the conversation between Li Lin and the dual-headed hydro-pyro demon python. "Exactly, this cursed place has no spiritual energy from heaven and earth, we can''t cultivate, so progress is slow, but it also extends our lifespan. If it weren''t for the holy fruit that emits energy every three years for us to cultivate, all the demonic beasts here would be unable to cultivate," the dual-headed hydro-pyro demon python said. "Holy fruit, are you talking about the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit?" Li Lin asked. "Humans call it the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit," the dual-headed hydro-pyro demon python said. "How many demonic beasts are there in here, above the fifth order?" Li Lin asked the dual-headed hydro-pyro demon python. "Because we cannot cultivate, there are many demonic beasts here, at least tens of thousands. But due to slow cultivation, there are at most a hundred at the fourth-order level, and above the fifth order, besides me, there are three more. One is at the same early fifth-order level as me, one at the mid-fifth-order level, and another at the late fifth-order level," the dual-headed hydro-pyro demon python replied. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Three more," Li Lin slightly frowned, the other three, one at the early fifth-order level, one at the mid-fifth-order level, and one at the late fifth-order level, making four fifth-order level demonic beasts within this secret land. Li Lin pondered for a moment, finding this normal. If there were too many fifth-order demonic beasts here, Yunyang Sect wouldn''t send their top young disciples to this secret land to face death. Four fifth-order demonic beasts, although strong, but among the twenty people who came in, none were weak. "However, there is also a Demon King here, unknown to humans. Humans only know about the existence of us four fifth-order demonic beasts, but they never know that there is a Demon King among us," the dual-headed hydro-pyro demon python said after hesitating. "Another Demon King?" Li Lin''s eyebrows raised. "Boss, I''ve seen that Demon King, a beautiful sister. So, she''s the Demon King, and now she has given her position to me, wanting to meet you, boss," Little dragon''s voice said again. "Little dragon, what level is that Demon King?" Li Lin immediately asked. The Demon King in this secret land, being able to make fifth-order demonic beasts acknowledge it as the Demon King, must at least be at the sixth-order demonic beast level. "It should be at the sixth-order level. That sister is very nice, saying she has something to discuss with you. It seems she knew you were here, so she asked us to wait here for you," Little dragon softly said. Li Lin was momentarily stunned. He and Cui Yu were in the formation, not expecting that a demonic beast knew about them. Li Lin hesitated. Facing a sixth-order demonic beast, he didn''t know whether it had good or bad intentions. "Let''s go, take me to see," Li Lin said lightly. If this sixth-order demonic beast had malicious intentions, he feared he would be unable to escape, even if it was just a sixth-order early-stage beast, equivalent to a martial artist''s second to third Martial Commander level. This strength, within this secret land, which was the domain of demonic beasts, he simply could not escape. Since that demonic beast wanted to meet him, it was better to meet openly. A Demon King unknown to Yunyang Sect, Li Lin was also curious. If the strong individuals of Yunyang Sect knew there was a sixth-order demonic beast here, they probably wouldn''t hesitate to kill it if it couldn''t be subdued, naturally not allowing their disciples to take too much risk here. "The Demon King''s boss, our previous Demon King wants to meet you, follow me," the dual-headed hydro-pyro demon python said to Li Lin. "Let''s go," Li Lin said lightly. "Li Lin, what Demon King, we..." Cui Yu''s expression changed. She couldn''t hear the conversation between Li Lin and Little dragon, naturally not knowing about the former Demon King''s matter. "It''s okay, we''ll just go and see," Li Lin smiled slightly, his eyes signaling to Cui Yu that it should be safe. "The Demon King''s boss, please follow me," the dual-headed hydro-pyro demon python said, then turned and swam forward. Although Cui Yu''s eyes were filled with doubts, she still followed behind Li Lin. Walking through the forest, Li Lin had to use his true qi to keep up with the dual-headed hydro-pyro demon python. After passing through a dense forest, they arrived at a canyon. The entrance to the canyon was not large, with giant rocks standing on both sides. These rocks were as tall as a thousand meters, seemingly chiseled as if by human hands into towering steles reaching the sky. Inside the canyon, there were various caves, peculiar rocks, and the sound of springs. "Forbidden land." On the giant rocks, Li Lin saw the words "Forbidden Land" again, presumably left by strong individuals from Yunyang Sect. His eyebrows slightly furrowed. "This place is a formation. Long ago, humans had come here, but they couldn''t enter. The Demon King lives inside, so for countless years, no one has known about the Demon King''s existence," the dual-headed hydro-pyro demon python said, seeing Li Lin staring at the "Forbidden Land" inscription on the giant rock. "I see." Li Lin thought to himself. It seemed that the Demon King was very familiar with this place, even where Yunyang Sect''s strong individuals couldn''t enter, but the Demon King could live here. There must be an ancient formation inside. Li Lin then followed the dual-headed hydro-pyro demon python into the canyon. The path inside was winding and serene. After walking for a while, they saw several cascading waterfalls and other beautiful sceneries. The canyon was like a constantly changing landscape, majestic and deep, forming a natural and captivatingly beautiful painting. However, the sky above was still a gray haze. Walking into the canyon, Li Lin could clearly feel the presence of many demonic beasts. Suddenly, several demonic beasts appeared in front of Li Lin. "Fourth-order demonic beasts..." On the canyon, several huge demonic beasts stood on the rocks on both sides, all at the fourth-order level, with a few reaching the late fourth-order level. "Roar roar..." On both sides of the canyon, more demonic beasts poked their heads out, third-order demonic beasts, and even second-order ones, in considerable numbers. This was practically a kingdom of demonic beasts. "Ssss!" The dual-headed hydro-pyro demon python hissed softly, and the surrounding demonic beasts immediately quieted down. "The Demon King''s boss, follow me closely. You must not be careless. If you take a wrong step, you will be trapped by the formation. Even the previous Demon King won''t be able to save you. The formations here are very powerful; many human strong individuals dared not enter," the dual-headed hydro-pyro demon python said. Li Lin knew the power of formations and naturally did not dare to act rashly. He followed behind the dual-headed hydro-pyro demon python, walking deeper into the canyon. After passing through, Li Lin saw an ancient palace. At the end of the canyon, surrounded by mountains on three sides and a small lake, a palace rose from the ground, mysterious and quiet. From a distance, the palace seemed to float on the water. The palace, surrounded by the lake, was covered in duckweed, green and clear. Together with the ancient aura emanating from within the palace, it made Li Lin feel as if he was standing in front of an ancient painting. Chapter 341: The Nine-Tailed Fox "It''s really beautiful inside here," Cuiyu couldn''t help but say at this moment. "Follow me," the Water-Fire Dual-Headed Yaojiao spoke lightly, then dived directly into the water surface, its body enveloped in a blue and red glow, swimming straight through the water. With no path around, Li Lin had no choice but to activate the Wings of Wind. He then picked up Cuiyu, their wings flapping, heading towards the palace in the center. At this moment, the two of them holding each other, the atmosphere couldn''t help but become ambiguous. Landing on top of the palace, Li Lin could finally see clearly. The palace was not small; in front was a small square surrounded by stone slabs that seemed to have a history of over ten thousand years, giving off an ancient aura. Around the palace, there were several stone pillars, at least thick enough to require three people to embrace, standing tall, supporting the entire palace. Upon reaching the front of the palace, a faint energy fluctuation spread out. Around the palace, a light fog enveloped the space, making the entire area even more hazy. The palace exuded an ancient and vicissitudinous aura, silent all around, as if it had been standing here for tens of thousands of years. "Sss!" Just then, the palace doors suddenly broke open, the surrounding space''s airflow suddenly expanded, seemingly causing the space to distort. As the doors opened, a faint voice came through: "Come in, everyone!" Hearing this voice, Li Lin was momentarily stunned. It was a woman''s voice, too beautiful, like an oriole coming out of the valley, melodious and lingering, like whispering in a dream, magical to the point where one couldn''t help but want to listen more. "Whoosh!" Following the Water-Fire Dual-Headed Yaojiao into the palace, Li Lin and Cuiyu also entered. Inside, everything was ancient, clean, and tidy, even the walls were free of any dust. "Greetings to the Demon King," the Water-Fire Dual-Headed Yaojiao prostrated itself inside the main hall. At this moment, at the head of this hall, there was a pure white chair, and a figure was sitting there. Looking at this figure, Li Lin was surprised, utterly astonished. It was a woman, an extremely beautiful woman. At a glance, her skin was like creamy jade, breakable by a blow, smooth as silk, soft as reeds, with a pair of gentle eyes that seemed to drip water embedded in a perfect face. This face was too perfect, delicate features, beautiful appearance, this beauty, compared to Cuiyu''s flawless face, was not inferior at all. What''s more important, this beautiful face had an added charm, a demonic, enchanting air, those gentle eyes, though devoid of any superfluous gazes, would make anyone fall deeply into them at a glance. It was a kind of charm that was not frivolous yet full of allure. If the beautiful appearance was surprising to Li Lin, then the overall appearance of this beautiful woman was shocking to him. Below this beautiful woman, there was the body of a demonic beast, sitting on the chair, probably about 1.7 meters tall, with skin white as snow, lustrous and delicate. One could vaguely tell this was the body of a fox demon, and on the chair, there were currently six soft white tails coiling around. "This is the Nine-Tailed Fox," Li Lin exclaimed in amazement. Inside this secret place, there actually existed such a demonic beast. In his mind, Li Lin quickly recalled the information about the Nine-Tailed Fox mentioned in the Heavenly Spirit Record. The Nine-Tailed Fox, also known as the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox, has a very high lineage, an absolute ruler among demonic beasts. After breaking through the seventh rank, it can transform into a human, men looking like flowers of early spring, eyebrows like ink paintings, faces like peach petals, eyes like autumn waves. If it''s a female, then she''s like a flowing breeze, stunningly beautiful, unmatched in beauty, enough to overshadow all others. The most important thing is the bloodline of the Nine-Tailed Fox, an absolute ruler among demonic beasts. In terms of bloodline, even the Winged Snow Lion is inferior. At this moment, with six tails, it indicates that it has reached the sixth rank. Every time a Nine-Tailed Fox breaks through a rank, it grows another tail, with the highest level being the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox. It is said that when the Nine-Tailed Fox reaches the highest level of nine tails, it is comparable to the legendary Martial Emperor. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Nine-Tailed Fox," at this moment, looking at the Nine-Tailed Fox, Cuiyu also showed an absolutely astonished expression. "You are humans, so I transformed into a human form, hoping it would be more acceptable for you," the human-faced, demonic-bodied Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox said lightly, her teeth slightly parted, her breath like orchid. "Sss, sss!" At this moment, the little dragon quickly jumped down from Li Lin''s shoulder, lightning-fast to the Nine-Tailed Fox, affectionately flicking its tongue. "Greetings to the Demon King," Li Lin spoke softly. "I am no longer the Demon King. The current Demon King here is the little dragon. The little dragon told me you have formed a blood pact, you are the big brother of the little dragon, you can call me Bai Ling," the Nine-Tailed Fox looked at Li Lin and said, her gaze carrying an effortless enchantment. "I heard from the little dragon, Miss Bai Ling wanted to see me?" Li Lin was a bit hesitant to meet the gaze of the Nine-Tailed Fox, that natural enchantment tempting him invisibly, that gaze as if magical. "Indeed," the Nine-Tailed Fox glanced at Li Lin and Cuiyu, then said: "Water-Fire Dual-Headed Yaojiao, take this lady out and wait for me, I want to talk alone with the big brother of the little dragon." "Yes," the Water-Fire Dual-Headed Yaojiao complied, turning back to look at Cuiyu, signaling her to go out with it. "Lin''er..." Cuiyu''s face changed slightly, somewhat worried about leaving Li Lin alone. "It''s okay, just wait for me outside," Li Lin spoke lightly. "Be careful," after hesitating for a moment, Cuiyu and the Water-Fire Dual-Headed Yaojiao then also left the main hall. "Hu..." The Nine-Tailed Fox gently shook one of her tails, a wave of invisible energy fluctuation transmitted out, the space immediately vibrated, and the main hall''s door instantly closed. "That lady seems to care a lot about you," the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox looked at Li Lin and said lightly. "We are friends," Li Lin smiled slightly. "I don''t think so. You were trapped in the formation a few days ago, and it seemed somewhat ambiguous," the Nine-Tailed Fox smiled and said: "That lady is not bad, you should not let her down." "You knew we were trapped in that formation?" Li Lin exclaimed in surprise. "I happened to know about it. There are several formations here that I can enter, but I can''t break the formation. The formation is not simple. That you could enter it seems not simple and surprised me," the Nine-Tailed Fox said lightly. "Miss Bai Ling, have you been here for a long time?" Li Lin asked in surprise. "Indeed, from my birth to now, probably five thousand years, or maybe six thousand years," the Nine-Tailed Fox said lightly, a slight sigh in her eyes, revealing a bit of melancholy. "So long...?" Li Lin was astounded. The Water-Fire Dual-Headed Yaojiao had been here for three thousand years, which had already amazed Li Lin, but he hadn''t expected that the Nine-Tailed Fox had been here for five to six thousand years. "Strange, isn''t it? There''s no spiritual energy of heaven and earth here, we demonic beasts can''t cultivate at all. Although it can prolong our lives, it''s just an extension. Without the ability to cultivate to the ultimate, there will still be a day of death. I''ve been here for thousands of years, seeing countless demonic beasts die because they couldn''t cultivate and had to face their end," the Nine-Tailed Fox sighed: "How long has this place been sealed?" Li Lin asked. "When I was young, I once heard some ancient demonic beasts say that this place has been sealed for over ten thousand years," the Nine-Tailed Fox said. "Over ten thousand years." Li Lin was not surprised, the architectural remnants in the formation also had at least ten thousand years of history. "What''s your name?" the Nine-Tailed Fox asked Li Lin. "Li Lin," Li Lin immediately said: "I wonder what Miss Bai Ling is looking for me for, it shouldn''t be just to tell me these things." "Indeed, I''m looking for you because there''s something I want to ask for your help," the Nine-Tailed Fox said to Li Lin. "Miss Bai Ling is at the sixth rank of demonic levels, your strength is much stronger than mine, what could possibly require my help?" Li Lin said. "Strong? If it weren''t for this accursed place, in these thousands of years, even reaching the highest level of the Nine-Tailed Realm wouldn''t be just talk. But in this place, for thousands of years, I''ve been hiding here, barely able to cultivate by relying on the energy released during the maturation of the holy fruits, so I''ve only managed to break through to the sixth rank," the Nine-Tailed Fox, her beautiful face now carrying a hint of coldness, as if the temperature around suddenly dropped, a trace of resentment passed through her eyes, continuing: "Now at the sixth rank, in the outside world, it would be just over a thousand years of life. Here, maybe I can last a few hundred more years, which means, if I don''t leave here, or continue to break through, at most a few hundred years, I will die naturally like other old demonic beasts. But it''s impossible to cultivate here, how to break through is easier said than done." Li Lin was somewhat shocked, what the Nine-Tailed Fox said, Li Lin also understood clearly. Among demonic beasts, a first-rank demonic beast''s lifespan is about a hundred years, after breaking through to the second rank, they can live over two hundred years, and as for sixth-rank demonic beasts, their normal lifespan is just over a thousand years, less than two thousand years. And for martial artists, spiritual practitioners, it''s the same, but compared to demonic beasts, their lifespan is not as long. Normal humans, their lifespan is several decades, at most a hundred years. Becoming a martial disciple, living to over a hundred years old, martial master level, without illness or disaster, living three to four hundred years is not a problem, reaching martial general level, also at most seven to eight hundred years. Only at the martial sovereign, spiritual sovereign level, can one live for thousands of years. Chapter 342: Two Conditions Li Lin still remembered that his bargain master, a peak Spirit Venerable, would have a day of downfall when reaching his limit. Only those in legends who reached the pinnacle of martial arts and the ultimate state of spirit paths could break through the void and pursue the path of immortality. "Boss, Sister Bai Ling means she wants you to take her out of this secret place," Little dragon said to Li Lin. "Li Lin, you understand what I mean, right?" the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit said to Li Lin. "Miss Bai Ling wants me to take you out?" Li Lin said lightly. "Correct. I can only break through and cultivate if I go out. I have been here for thousands of years, and I also want to see the outside world," the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit said lightly. "Humans always talk about fair trade, so you can make any request of me, as long as I can do it." "I don''t know if I can take you out right now," Li Lin said lightly. "If you could bring Little dragon in, you should be able to take us out. You can make any request I can fulfill," the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit said. "You came here probably for what you call the Martial Spirit Holy Fruits. If needed, I can even get you all nine Martial Spirit Holy Fruits. Are you satisfied with this condition?" "Nine Martial Spirit Holy Fruits, I can only consume one. Having more is useless to me. Besides, if I need the Martial Spirit Holy Fruits, I can get them myself," Li Lin said softly. "If I intervene, none of you will be able to get them," the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit said lightly, her expression turning slightly cold. "If that''s true, then Miss Bai Ling would be known by the strong ones in the Yunyang Sect. Then, strong ones from the Yunyang Sect will come here, and Miss Bai Ling wouldn''t want to trouble herself, right?" Li Lin said. "Giggle..." The Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit giggled, the chilliness fading away, revealing a smile capable of toppling cities. "It seems you have other conditions." "I don''t know if I can take Miss Bai Ling out, but I can try," Li Lin said, raising an eyebrow. "If I successfully take Miss Bai Ling out, you agree to two conditions of mine." "You are just a Martial Soul. Do you think you can make conditions with me just because of your relationship with Little dragon and me?" the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit looked at Li Lin, her gentle eyes now bearing a compelling aura. "Sss!" Little dragon quickly flicked its tongue, saying something to the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit. "But just now, Miss Bai Ling, you said yourself that I could make any condition," Li Lin said with a slight smile, showing no fear in front of the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit. However, Li Lin was somewhat worried in his heart. If the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit decided to act against him, he would not stand a chance. The myriad of beasts outside the canyon were enough to leave him with no escape. But Li Lin also understood that the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit relied on him to take her out, so she would definitely not harm him. "Giggle." The Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit let out a silvery giggle, looking down at Little dragon on her body and said, "Little dragon, sister won''t kill him. Look how anxious you are." After speaking to Little dragon, the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit then said to Li Lin again, "Alright, you can state two conditions I can fulfill." "May I ask Miss Bai Ling, can the Martial Spirit Holy Fruits be stored?" Li Lin asked, while also secretly sighing in relief. "If stored in a jade box, they can be preserved, but they will lose a bit of energy, and the effect won''t be as good as consuming them immediately," the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit said. "Then, my two conditions are, first, Miss Bai Ling helps me obtain six Martial Spirit Holy Fruits when the time comes," Li Lin said with a slight smile. "With nine fruits, why only ask for six?" the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit''s beautiful face showed some confusion. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "If Miss Bai Ling takes all nine Martial Spirit Holy Fruits, I''m afraid that the strong ones from the Yunyang Sect will come here for a major cleanup," Li Lin said with a slight smile. "I guess that''s not something Miss Bai Ling would want to see, right?" "Correct. Over the years, to preserve all the beasts, I ordered them not to pick the Martial Spirit Holy Fruits. I didn''t want human strong ones to come and kill all the high-level beasts. Anyway, the beasts here above level five have all consumed them," the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit said. "The remaining three, two of them, Miss Bai Ling can find a way to let them fall into my and that lady''s hands, and one more..." Li Lin paused slightly, "I will inform Miss Bai Ling at that time." In Li Lin''s heart, he also had to leave one for Yun Hongling, regardless of the intention. If the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit took all the Martial Spirit Holy Fruits, the strong ones from the Yunyang Sect would certainly not let it go. "What''s the second condition?" the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit asked Li Lin. "The second condition, I hope that after Miss Bai Ling successfully leaves, she can stay by Little dragon''s side for five years. Little dragon''s current strength is very low, so I hope Miss Bai Ling can protect Little dragon for five years," Li Lin said lightly. But what Li Lin was thinking at the moment was not exactly this. Having the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit stay by Little dragon''s side was undoubtedly staying by his side. Having a sixth-level beast by his side was equivalent to having an extraordinary Martial Commander strong one protecting him. Such a free bodyguard was something he couldn''t miss. "What a cunning kid," the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit''s beautiful face showed, her eyes widened, saying, "Why don''t you just say it directly? Because your strength is not strong, you want me to protect you for five years." "Hehe..." Li Lin chuckled, a bit embarrassed as the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit saw through his intentions, saying, "Indeed, that''s also part of it. Five years, I think, won''t be too long for Miss Bai Ling." "I have been trapped here for thousands of years. Five years is indeed trivial. I agree," the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit did not hesitate. Having spent thousands of years here, five years was indeed nothing to her. "A deal," Li Lin said with a slight smile. In five years, his strength should also reach another level, stepping into the Martial Commander level should be enough. "I promised you, so naturally, I will not go back on my word," the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit nodded. Li Lin chuckled, the corner of his mouth showing a smile, not expecting to have such a good fortune within the secret place. It seems this trip was truly worth it. "Sss!" Little dragon flicked its tongue, also looking extremely happy. "Miss Bai Ling, where is the place of the Martial Spirit Holy Fruits? I have been delayed quite a bit recently, I don''t know if I can still make it," Li Lin said. He had been delayed quite a bit in that formation, and he was somewhat worried now. "Don''t worry, there are still about twenty days before the holy fruits mature. I was about to go there myself. Every time the holy fruits mature, the energy they emit benefits my cultivation. Perhaps this time, I can break through to the mid-stage of level six," the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit said lightly. "I''ll take you there. Below this palace, there''s a passage. In one day, we can reach the place where the holy fruits are underground. You can come with me. There, your cultivation speed will be three times faster than outside. It''s a very secret place. Thousands of years ago, many human strong ones came to explore, and strong ones have come over the years, but they haven''t found that place." "One day to reach there?" Li Lin exclaimed, also amazed that cultivation inside this secret place is generally five times faster than in the outside world. And cultivating in the Holy Pool, as mentioned by the Nine-Tailed Fox, would be three times faster than outside the secret place, which is fifteen times faster than the outside world. Fifteen times the cultivation speed, what a concept. Others cultivate for one year, and you get the effect of fifteen years. The gap is terrifying. Not only that, if you are a dual-element martial artist, then it''s twenty to thirty times faster, and even more for triple-element martial artists. Thinking of this, Li Lin was dumbfounded. The Holy Pool, what exactly is it? If discovered by the Yunyang Sect, it would be a tremendous matter. "Correct. Below this palace is a passage. In one day, we can get there. That is the root of the holy fruits, a place we call the Holy Pool. These thousands of years, I have been able to break through to the current level six by cultivating there for a month every three years," the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit said. Outside the palace, Cui Yu''s eyebrows were tightly knotted, anxiously worried about Li Lin inside. "Human, you don''t have to worry. The former Demon King will not harm the Demon King''s boss," the Dual-Headed Water Fire Demon Jiao said lightly, seeing Cui Yu''s anxious appearance. "Sss!" The door opened, and a figure in a green robe walked out of the palace with a smile. "Lin''er, are you alright? What did the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit talk to you about?" Seeing Li Lin coming out, Cui Yu put away her worried expression. "From now on, call me by my name. I like people calling my name, Bai Ling." Behind Li Lin, the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit, Bai Ling, walked out lightly, putting away her beautiful face. Her four light and agile tails landed on the ground, pure white, emitting a slight translucent luster, and only one of her six tails was visible at this time. "Cui Yu, Miss Bai Ling can let us reach the place of the Martial Spirit Holy Fruits in one day, and we can also cultivate in the Holy Pool, which has many benefits," Li Lin said. "Can we get there within a day?" Cui Yu was also surprised. "Correct, but you must promise me, the place of the Holy Pool, must not be revealed to anyone," the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit, Bai Ling, said. Chapter 343: She is a Monster "That''s natural." Li Lin nodded in agreement. "Come with me. If I hadn''t waited for you for a few days, I would have gone to the Sacred Pool to cultivate already." The nine-tailed fox Bai Ling said lightly, "The Sacred Pool, every three years, only has about a month''s time where it can have that kind of cultivation acceleration effect." The two followed behind the nine-tailed fox and entered the grand hall again. Little dragon also arrived on Li Lin''s shoulder, while the dual-headed hydra followed into the grand hall. Inside the grand hall, under the guidance of the nine-tailed fox Bai Ling, they entered an inner hall and found a hidden stone room. As a faint aura fluctuated around the nine-tailed fox, a two-meter-diameter hole suddenly appeared in the stone room, slowly rotating, emitting astonishing spatial power. "Wormhole, is there actually a wormhole here?" Cui Yu was immediately surprised upon seeing the rotating vacuum hole. "Wormhole?" Li Lin was also somewhat surprised, having heard of this term in his previous life. "This is a wormhole, some people call it a spatial passage. This place was told to me by a dying monster beast powerhouse. It said that this place used to be the territory of a human powerhouse, and the underground wormhole was arranged by that powerhouse. This wormhole directly connects to the location of the Sacred Fruit," the nine-tailed fox said. "This wormhole seems to have some signs of disorder, probably due to some damage, but it should not be a big problem, just that it will affect the speed inside," Cui Yu observed the wormhole. "Is this a wormhole?" Li Lin marveled. The wormhole was pitch black, like a black hole, and faintly emitted a strange suction force. Looking into it, there was a layer of faint white light and an energy diffusion that seemed to carry a bizarre howling sound that could shake the soul. "A wormhole is just a point in two spaces, creating a passage connecting them. Even Martial Lords cannot open wormholes; only legendary Martial Emperors can. Martial Lords can break through space to travel, but they are powerless to open wormholes," Cui Yu said. "Martial Emperor, is there really a Martial Emperor in this world?" Li Lin raised his eyebrows. The legendary Martial Emperor, capable of such formidable power to directly open spatial wormholes, required tremendous strength, beyond moving mountains and seas. Li Lin sighed inwardly. With a wormhole here, it meant that this secret place of the Yunyang Sect was formerly the residence of a Martial Emperor. However, no treasures were left in the architectural ruins. The treasures left by a legendary Martial Emperor, any one of them, would definitely be powerful. "I wonder if one day, I can reach the realm of that legendary Martial Emperor," Li Lin murmured in his heart. "Let''s go in," the nine-tailed fox said lightly, then took the lead and jumped into the wormhole. The dual-headed hydra followed with a leap. Without hesitation, and with a bit of excitement, Li Lin followed with Little dragon and Cui Yu into the wormhole. The moment Li Lin stepped into the wormhole, a rich spatial airflow brushed over him like water, his vision suddenly darkened, and his body felt weightless for a moment before the sensation quickly dissipated. When his vision brightened again, Li Lin found himself in a mysterious passage, two meters in diameter, surrounded by rolling spatial airflow, unable to see its end. Looking through the surrounding spatial airflow, he saw an endless darkness, so profound that it was terrifying, with a deep sense of depth. The entire passage was silent, without any sound. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Despite the quiet, Li Lin could still feel the violent energy fluctuations outside the wormhole, blocked by it. The power to open a passage within space was terrifying. Seeing the wormhole for the first time, Li Lin was quite composed, but still amazed. Everything was beyond his imagination. "Let''s go," the nine-tailed fox said lightly, a flash of light on its body, and then it swiftly moved forward, its speed almost too fast to describe. "What a terrifying speed," Li Lin exclaimed. "There''s no gravity inside the wormhole. Just a little bit of true qi, and the speed will be extremely fast," Cui Yu explained upon seeing Li Lin''s surprise. "Is that so." At this moment, Li Lin became even more curious about Cui Yu''s movement technique. Such a beautiful woman, deliberately disguising herself as ugly and dressing as a maid, knew many secrets. Cui Yu''s background must not be simple. With a flash of true qi under his feet, Li Lin swiftly moved forward, feeling his body flash through space like lightning, then rushed forward. "So fast," Li Lin marveled, his speed tens of times faster than in the outside world. "Boss, it''s really strange in here," Little dragon also marveled, widening his small eyes. "Be careful. If you use too much force, you''ll be repelled by the spatial power," Cui Yu warned, following behind Li Lin. Li Lin then slowed down slightly, his figure flashing instantly through the wormhole. In a mountain range, within a gray space, continuous mountain peaks were connected in a winding manner. In a gorge, four huge monster beast corpses were piled up, all of them at the fourth level, with their abdomens cut open by sharp blades, and their monster cores taken away. In the gorge, nine figures appeared, including Yun Hongling, Han Feng, Zhan Dao Qu Daojue, Ba Dao Long San, Fei Ying Ling Feng, Gui Shou Du Zichun, and others. "Junior sister, we should be close to the location of the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit," Han Feng, with a handsome appearance and a noble air, said to Yun Hongling. In the entire Yunyang Sect, almost everyone knew that the sect leader, Yun Xiaotian, planned to choose a son-in-law from his two disciples, Han Feng and Dong Pan, and Han Feng had a higher chance than his junior brother. Therefore, over the years, Han Feng always treated this junior sister as his future wife, though the competition between the two brothers was not infrequent. However, Yun Hongling had always ignored them, leaving Yun Xiaotian with no choice. "Let''s continue on our way. There are only nine Martial Spirit Sacred Fruits. Everyone, be careful," Yun Hongling said softly, entering the secret place in a green combat outfit, showing her figure''s curves, exuding a heroic and refreshing feeling. "We''ve also encountered many obstacles along the way. It seems like we haven''t met other people," Ba Dao Long San said lightly. "They probably encountered more obstacles. It''s best if they''re too late to arrive. If each of us gets one Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit, there''s no need to fight," Fei Ying Ling Feng said with a light smile. "It''s unlikely. Their strength is not weak," Gui Shou Du Zichun, always gloomy, said. "Who cares? When the time comes, we''ll speak with our strength," Yun Hongling said coyly. "This secret place is truly mysterious. The cultivation speed is actually five times faster. I feel like I should break through again soon," Ba Dao Long San said. "It is very mysterious, but you''re not as terrifying as Hongling, right? She went from the sixth level of Wu Po to the eighth level in two months. That''s terrifying," Fei Ying Ling Feng teased Ba Dao Long San. "Who can compare with her? She''s a tri-elemental martial artist, equivalent to fifteen times the outside cultivation. Two months is like two and a half years of cultivation. She is a monster," Ba Dao Long San glared at Fei Ying Ling Feng, then looked at Yun Hongling in surprise. This cultivation monster was unmatched in the entire Yunyang Sect. Especially after breaking through Wu Po, her cultivation speed was two to three times faster than normal martial artists. That''s the terror of a tri-elemental martial artist. "I guess Li Lin has also made a breakthrough during this time. He''s also a tri-elemental martial artist," Fei Ying Ling Feng said. "Don''t mention that thief in front of me. Whoever mentions him, I''ll be angry with them, hmph," Yun Hongling huffed and then walked forward. The group exchanged glances, smiled bitterly, and followed Yun Hongling. With a ripple in space, several figures emerged from a two-meter-diameter wormhole, bringing a wave of spatial energy. "Are we out?" The wormhole''s wonders left Li Lin extremely shocked. Now out of the wormhole, he was still somewhat astonished. Such a peculiar wormhole directly connected two places, which was quite surprising. "We''ve arrived," the nine-tailed fox Bai Ling, transformed into a one-meter size, slightly raised its head towards Li Lin. "Is this underground?" Li Lin''s gaze was already cast around. This was a cave-like place underground, surrounded by many stalactites hanging in various colors and shapes, forming a beautiful scene with their colorful lights. The cave''s surroundings were smooth and shiny rocks, with thin streams of water flowing on the rock walls, making a dripping sound. "The energy aura here is so rich," Cui Yu said, feeling a strong energy aura around. Chapter 344: Inside the Sacred Pool "This is..." Li Lin was also suddenly surprised. Inside this cave, there was an energy aura similar to the one inside the secret land of the outside world, but this energy aura was much denser than the one outside the secret land. "This is just the edge of the Sacred Pool. Inside the Sacred Pool, the energy is even more terrifying. Prepare yourselves and don''t get hurt by the energy," said Bai Ling, the Nine-Tailed Fox. "Follow me, if you can cultivate in the Sacred Pool for a month, your breakthrough speed will be astonishing." "Sacred Pool." Li Lin murmured softly, somewhat looking forward to following behind the Nine-Tailed Fox along a stone path. Below the stone path was a babbling, crystal-clear underground river. The gentle sound of flowing water was the only sound in this silent cave, "clang." Li Lin kicked a pebble, which made a clanging sound and then rolled away, giving a chilling feeling. "We''re here." After a moment, another cave entrance appeared in front of Li Lin. He stopped in his tracks, a chilling coldness assaulting him. At this moment, Li Lin was still startled by the scene in front of him. Below the entrance of this cave was a huge canyon crack about a hundred meters wide. The crack seemed to have been split open by someone, and on a protruding piece of shiny black rock on the opposite wall, a dense stream of energy was spraying out, hanging in the air and pouring down like a hundred-meter-long white satin ribbon. "Boom boom!" Inside the crack below, a thunderous roar sounded, like thunder or a mountain collapse, startling and breathtaking. Looking down, it was a dark, foggy abyss, seemingly bottomless. "This energy is terrifying." What shocked Li Lin the most was the dense stream of energy spraying out from the protruding shiny black rock on the opposite wall. This stream of energy emitted a tremendously strong energy aura, identical to the energy in the secret land, but many times denser. "Every three years, when the Sacred Fruit matures, only for a month, this massive energy can be attracted. Usually, it disappears without a trace, without any energy at all. I''ve gone down to look for it before, but found nothing," the Nine-Tailed Fox said softly. "Follow me, you will soon see the Sacred Pool," the Nine-Tailed Fox said again. A faint glow enveloped the two-headed water-fire Jiao, and in an instant, it turned into a streak of light, crossing the hundred-meter underground crack and leaping to the opposite rock wall. Li Lin also followed, carrying Cuiyu and Little Dragon, displaying the Wings of Wind, to the opposite rock wall. "Eh, it''s actually like this." Landing on the ground, Li Lin was surprised to see that the dense stream of energy that seemed to be hanging in the air and pouring down was actually violently swirling into a hole a few meters in size in the shiny black rock. This massive stream of energy was actually bursting out from a bottomless crack. A violent energy aura spread out, making Li Lin feel palpitations amidst the majestic energy. "Come on, this is the Sacred Pool," Bai Ling, the Nine-Tailed Fox, said softly, slowly walking towards a cave entrance behind the rock wall that was hard to notice without looking closely. "My God..." Entering the cave, Li Lin''s face changed dramatically, everything inside the cave was even more surprising than what he had seen outside. At this moment, inside the cave was a huge space, covering an area of over a kilometer and a height of hundreds of meters, surrounded by dense fog, making it impossible to see the walls around. In the sky, there were many stalactites hanging upside down, emitting colorful lights. Inside the rock wall, a majestic white energy stream was violently pouring out from a deep hole a few meters in size, causing the space ripples inside the entire space to fluctuate violently. These white energy streams, like ropes, continuously poured into a white pool water of five hundred meters in size. This pool of water was surrounded by white fog, and in the center, there was a vine-like object a hundred meters in size, spreading to the ceiling of the cave, emitting a dense energy aura and an ancient aura that seemed to have existed forever. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. "Whoosh whoosh." Inside the space, the violent energy roared, causing pain throughout Li Lin''s body. True Qi spread out from Li Lin''s body, forming a faint protective circle around him, blocking the energy-induced pain. Cuiyu also set up a layer of transparent and invisible light circle in front of her, with absolute shock in her eyes, this scene also made her unable to help but be shocked. "Boss, the energy here is so strong, I feel that I just need to absorb the energy, and I can break through," Little Dragon''s voice said in Li Lin''s mind. "Greetings to the two Demon Kings." Just when Li Lin was shocked, the water in the pool suddenly fluctuated, and three demon beasts about two meters in size appeared in the space. "Blood Jade Demon Tiger, Taiyin Demon Rabbit, Ni Lin Demon Peng." "My God, they are all these demon beasts." Looking at the three two-meter-sized demon beasts emerging from the pool, Li Lin was stunned. The first demon beast, glowing like jade with traces of blood, exhaled a slight airflow as if roaring, its eyes shining like lamps. The cat-faced creature had long whiskers, and its wide mouth revealed sharp saber teeth, with sharp claws and a long tail like a small broom, looking extremely fierce, with an inherent majesty that made it difficult to look directly at. The second demon beast, covered in blue fur, had long and thin ears, and its blood vessels were clearly visible. Its red eyes shone like two red pearls. It had short forelegs and long hind legs, looking cute, but its aura was so strong that it seemed to suppress Li Lin as well. The third demon beast, with scales around its eyes radiating outwards, had a face like an eagle, completely black, with a large and wide head, sharp claws, and wings, but its body was covered in black scales instead of feathers. Uniquely, on its sharp head, there was a palm-sized scale, the Ni Lin, spreading out like a lotus flower, its aura also extremely formidable. Li Lin had never seen these three demon beasts before, but they were recorded in the Heavenly Spirit Record. Although the bloodlines of these three demon beasts were not as noble as the Tianchi Snow Lion, they were only a thin line away and could definitely be considered as kings among demon beasts. Li Lin felt the aura of these three demon beasts at this moment. The first Blood Jade Demon Tiger was at the early stage of the fifth level, its aura indistinguishable from the two-headed water-fire Jiao. The second Taiyin Demon Rabbit had a stronger aura, already at the middle stage of the fifth level. The third Ni Lin Demon Peng was even more terrifying. Li Lin guessed that this must be the late-stage fifth-level demon beast mentioned by the two-headed water-fire Jiao. Such a demon king, at the late stage of the fifth level, would probably not have a problem contending with a first-level Martial Commander. "Boss, they three demon beasts have now also submitted to me. When you leave, take them with you. In the future, if anyone dares to provoke you, I will deal with them," Little Dragon''s voice said again in Li Lin''s mind. "They have all submitted to you?" Li Lin turned around, surprised, looking at Little Dragon. Including the two-headed water-fire Jiao, these were four fifth-level demon beasts, their strength incredibly terrifying. "Of course, Sister Bai Ling also agreed. From now on, they will follow me," Little Dragon said. "Alright, continue your cultivation. There''s less than a month left, try to break through," the Nine-Tailed Fox said to the Blood Jade Demon Tiger, Taiyin Demon Rabbit, and Ni Lin Demon Peng. The three demon beasts curiously glanced at Li Lin and Cuiyu, then leaped back into the pool water, followed by the two-headed water-fire Jiao diving into the pool water and leaving. "Li Lin, this is the Sacred Pool. Every three years, there''s only one month for us demon beasts to cultivate. What you see in the Sacred Pool now is the Sacred Vine that bears the Sacred Fruit, extending to the ground. There are still more than twenty days before the Sacred Fruit matures. You can now cultivate in the Sacred Pool, and I will send you out to seize the Sacred Fruit when the time comes." After Bai Ling, the Nine-Tailed Fox, finished speaking, she then said to Little Dragon, "Little Dragon, follow me to cultivate. You should be able to break through to the fourth level when you come out." "Hiss hiss!" Little Dragon flicked its tongue, proudly saying to Li Lin, "Boss, I''m going to cultivate. This energy should be very beneficial to me." As soon as the words fell, Little Dragon instantly leaped onto the Nine-Tailed Fox. "Sizzle sizzle!" Then, the Nine-Tailed Fox and Little Dragon jumped into the pool water and disappeared, causing a wave of energy fluctuations to ripple through the space. "Lin''er, this is an ancient place of energy convergence. It must have been a place of cultivation for a powerful being in the past. Somehow, it was obtained by the Yunyang Sect, but the Yunyang Sect doesn''t know the secrets inside," Cuiyu said in surprise. "Ancient place of energy convergence..." Li Lin frowned, he had never heard of such a place before. "Martial artists, spiritual practitioners, demon beasts, spiritual beasts, all rely on the energy of heaven and earth for cultivation. This divine energy here comes from the core of the earth, a special place in nature. Such places were not rare in ancient times. Wherever there is something extraordinary, extraordinary things will emerge. This Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit also appears because of this energy. This energy is of great benefit to our cultivation. Let''s also start cultivating," Cuiyu said softly. Chapter 345: Devouring Energy "En." Li Lin nodded lightly, in the midst of nature, full of profound mysteries and indescribable marvels. Perhaps the origin of this energy is hard to ascertain, but what can be certain is that this energy is tremendously beneficial to martial artists, spiritualists, and even demonic beasts. "Once inside, hasten to absorb it. This is a rare opportunity. Although devouring too much energy can affect one''s foundational cultivation, with only a month''s time, the impact can be negligible. So, during this period, just absorb and refine to your heart''s content. Let''s see who makes the most progress." Cui Yu smiled slightly, and her figure flashed, immediately diving into the pool. At this moment, Li Lin watched the pool, where a majestic stream of energy flowed continuously from the cave walls into it, yet the pool didn''t seem to overflow in the slightest, truly a miraculous sight. At this moment, Li Lin could easily feel a shockingly dense energy fluctuating within the pool, a thick energy slowly dispersing like mist. "Such dense energy, perhaps even my normal cultivation could benefit greatly from it," Li Lin thought to himself. This energy was three times denser than the energy outside in the secret grounds, and his normal cultivation could also achieve significant effects. Looking at the pool, a smile appeared on Li Lin''s lips. With a flicker of an air vortex under his feet and a tap on the ground, he leaped into the pool water. "Sss!" As Li Lin approached the inside of the pool, his body was enveloped in a faint light, isolating him from the sticky pool water. At the same time, Li Lin''s expression changed dramatically, as a pure and unbelievably large energy instantly surrounded him. At this moment, within the pool, a great resistance was also pushing him out, as if trying to expel him from the pool. However, the deeper he went into the pool, the denser the energy Li Lin could feel. "A little deeper, and the cultivation effect will be greater," Li Lin thought to himself. Despite facing a tremendous resistance, he continued to sink deeperten meters, twenty meters, thirty meters, until at fifty meters, the enormous resistance became frighteningly strong, and Li Lin felt he could no longer proceed. "Cultivation." Through the pale yellow light circle in front of him, Li Lin observed his surroundings. The pool water was milky white, filled with a tremendous energy. In this milky-white pool water, Li Lin sat cross-legged, with the pale yellow light circle isolating the pool water. At this moment, huge energies passed through the light circle, surrounding Li Lin. Although the density of this energy had not reached the level where it could be directly devoured, Li Lin felt it was not far off. This dense energy also carried a violent force pressing against him. With a hand seal formed, Li Lin closed his eyes, circulating the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art within his body, entering into cultivation. As he circulated the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art, a great suction force slowly emerged from his body. At this moment, all the pores in his body opened up in an extremely profound state, turning into countless small whirlpools, beginning to devour the surrounding energy. As Li Lin cultivated, the energy within the light circle suddenly fluctuated violently, like countless strands of hair, entering through the pores of Li Lin''s body. As this myriad of hair-like energies entered his body, Li Lin''s entire body violently trembled. The energy was immense, much greater than Li Lin had estimated. "Refine." Li Lin controlled the energies that flowed into his body with his mind, rapidly circulating them along the meridians within his body according to the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art. At this time, Li Lin could clearly feel that the endless energies entering his meridians were being refined at an extremely fast speed, then turning into pure Qi entering his Dantian. At the same time, Li Lin also felt that half of this refined energy turned into spiritual power and entered his mind. The miraculous energy in this pool could simultaneously turn into Qi and spiritual power. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "So fast." At this moment, Li Lin felt for the first time a strange change within his body. With his normal cultivation, the five-colored Martial Dan in his body was spinning at a rapid speed, as if releasing a tremendous energy. The faster the Martial Dan spun, the more Qi it absorbed, causing a huge vortex within the vast Dantian Qi Sea. The vortex in the Dantian Qi Sea, revolving around the rapidly spinning Martial Dan as its center, caused a violent rotation within the entire Dantian Qi Sea in just a few blinks of an eye. This violent rotation generated a tremendous pulling force, accelerating the devouring of any Qi that approached the Dantian Qi Sea. Li Lin suddenly felt that his cultivation speed had become terrifyingly fast, dozens of times faster than his normal cultivation speed. "So, I can do it too. This is the terror of a multi-element martial artist," Li Lin thought to himself in surprise. He had thought his Martial Dan was only one, and although he was a five-element martial artist, his normal cultivation speed had not increased. But now, it seemed not to be the case. His single Martial Dan''s cultivation speed was indeed terrifying. If he was not mistaken, under normal cultivation conditions, a three-element martial artist would be twice as fast as a single-element martial artist, a three-element martial artist three times as fast, and a full-element martial artist naturally five times as fast. Cultivating in the secret grounds, a single-element martial artist''s cultivation speed would increase by five times, a dual-element martial artist by ten times, a three-element martial artist by an incredible fifteen times, and a five-element martial artist by a terrifying twenty-five times. And in this pool, being three times faster than in the secret grounds, if a three-element martial artist''s speed is forty-five times, then a five-element martial artist should be seventy-five times. His cultivation of the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art under normal conditions was surprisingly slow. In the secret grounds, Li Lin had tried, and under normal cultivation conditions, a single-element martial artist''s speed increased by five times, but his was the same as a single-element martial artist''s speed before entering the secret grounds. Now, cultivating in this pool, being three times faster than in the secret grounds, means he is also three times faster than a typical single-element martial artist, equivalent to the speed of a three-element martial artist cultivating in the outside world. Three times faster, Li Lin was surprised, after all, his Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art under normal cultivation conditions was extremely slow. Now, this cultivation speed, dozens of times faster than his normal cultivation, was already not easy. As he continued to devour and refine this energy, Li Lin also felt a subtle change within his body. This energy seemed to have a special miraculous effect, affecting his muscles, bones, and internal organs, continuously forging his body. Although extremely satisfied with this speed of cultivation, Li Lin was also somewhat worried at this time. He was currently at the mid-stage of the fifth level of Martial Soul and needed to break through to the sixth level of Martial Soul. He feared that, with this speed of cultivation, it would be impossible to break through to the sixth level of Martial Soul in a month. "I hope I can break through in spiritual power by then," Li Lin thought to himself, recalling the time in the Three-Element Five-Combination Formation and the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm''s spiritual realm. There, during a breakthrough, he could gather the energy of heaven and earth to devour crazily until he dared not to devour anymore. The energy here could definitely meet the requirements. Now, his spiritual power level had reached the peak of the fifth level of Spirit Soul. Although his spiritual power cultivation speed was not as fast as his Qi cultivation with the speed of a five-element martial artist, it was still three times faster than a normal martial artist. But now, his spiritual power''s cultivation speed in this pool was also like a general spiritualist''s cultivation speed, maybe even a bit faster, meaning his spiritual power could break through at any time. And once his spiritual power broke through, he could use the energy gathered during the breakthrough to devour crazily. By then, he could break through to a level he didn''t want to reach. However, Li Lin also clearly knew that although his spiritual power had reached the peak of the fifth level of Spirit Soul, breaking through to the sixth level of Spirit Soul was not an easy task. But with the help of the energy in this pool, even if the energy needed for the breakthrough was a bottomless pit, he had the confidence to fill it within nearly a month. There was definitely hope to break through to the sixth level of Spirit Soul. And as long as the spiritual power broke through, he could then gather a majestic energy to devour crazily. As time slowly passed, Li Lin was immersed in cultivation, sitting cross-legged within the pool, surrounded by a pale yellow light circle. Outside the light circle, tiny strands of energy continuously passed through the light circle, finally entering his body. After entering this mysterious state of cultivation, Li Lin lost all concept of time. The aura emanating from his body was gradually climbing at a slow pace. Although this speed seemed slow, it was steadily climbing. The aura of his spiritual power level was also doing so, slowly filling up. At this rate, breaking through to the sixth level of Spirit Soul was just a matter of time. It was only uncertain if it could be achieved within the next twenty days. But once the spiritual power broke through first, Li Lin would also use the energy gathered during the breakthrough to devour crazily and achieve a breakthrough. Chapter 346: Jade Breakthrough Time passed slowly in this space, everything fell into a quiet state, except for the majestic flow of energy, which continuously poured into the pond like an eternal stream. "Junior Sister, look quickly, we''ve arrived. That is the location of the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit," said one among a group of nine figures standing on the ground in a forest, consisting of Yun Hongling, Han Feng, Qu Daojue, and six others. At this moment, Dong Pan was excitedly looking ahead and speaking to Yun Hongling. As everyone turned their gaze, they saw a vast plain appearing in the distant space ahead, with an immense expanse. In the center of the plain stood a mountain, not too tall, standing alone on this vast plain. A rich and unique energy aroma wafted from the top of the mountain, spreading in the air above. This aroma made everyone''s spirits tremble, feeling a massive force calling them from afar, their hearts beating in response. "We''ve arrived, indeed. This is the location of the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit." As Yun Hongling followed Dong Pan''s gaze toward the mountain, Zhan Dao Qu Daojue, Fei Ying Lie Feng, and others also noticed the mountain. Instantly, exclamations of surprise were heard from everyone, each filled with shock. Along the way, they had all undergone absolute trials, and now, each of them bore the look of having weathered many storms. Finally, they had reached their destination. "We''ve finally arrived, let''s go and take a look." Feeling the soul-stirring energy, Yun Hongling exclaimed excitedly, her true qi propelling her forward in a leap. "Let''s go." Ba Dao Long San, Gui Shou Du Zichun, and others also quickly followed, each of them excited. Everyone moved swiftly, and in just a moment, they reached the base of the mountain, where a majestic aura began to permeate. This aura also contained a soul-suppressing essence, exerting an absolute suppression on everyone. The mountain was not tall, just a thousand meters high with a diameter of several hundred meters. Surrounding the mountain was an endless vast plain, empty and silent, as if it had been quiet for ten thousand years. At this moment, however, they witnessed a different shocking sight. On the mountain, which was a thousand meters high, a huge vine covered in green light and about a hundred meters in diameter stretched from the ground, winding around the mountain several times like a pillar connecting heaven and earth. This green vine, surrounded by large leaves spreading hundreds of meters wide, enveloped the entire mountain, making it difficult to see the vine from afar. On this vine, near the top of the mountain, hung nine fruits the size of a baby''s fist, red and green in color. Under the massive vine and leaves, these nine small fruits were almost inconspicuous. However, at this moment, a very rich energy emanated from these small fruits, spreading throughout the space, filling this vast area with a rich energy. Only now did everyone realize that the energy of the entire secret place seemed to be emanating from these nine fruits. The immense energy caused spatial ripples to spread out around the fruits. "It''s the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit. This is the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit," Han Feng said excitedly. "It looks like the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit will take a few more days to mature. We''ve arrived a bit early," Zhan Dao Qu Daojue noted, looking at the nine small fruits. "The energy is so rich. Let''s cultivate here for a few days. The energy here is much stronger than in other places. We shouldn''t miss this great opportunity," Yun Hongling suggested lightly. At this moment, everyone also realized that the energy in this space was much richer than elsewhere. The majestic energy spreading out was truly soul-stirring. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. "It looks like we are the first ones here. If no one else arrives by the time the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit matures, we could smoothly harvest them," one of the two young men who joined last among the nine said. "Hmph, that''s a nice thought, but it won''t go as you wish," a sinister voice came through. "Whoosh!" As soon as the voice fell, a figure had already landed in front of the mountain. With a gloomy look and wearing a long robe, it was Zhao Qinghai, ranked first on the Dragon List. "Zhao Qinghai." The faces of the nine changed slightly, each thinking that if no one else arrived in time, they could each smoothly obtain a Martial Spirit Holy Fruit. But now, it seemed unlikely. "Whoosh whoosh" Several swift sounds followed, and in an instant, eight figures landed beside Zhao Qinghai, including Zhao Qingtian and Zeng Chuxiong. "It''s the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit. It really is the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit." This group, too, was shocked and amazed as they looked at the mountain. Yun Hongling glanced at Zhao Qinghai and said indifferently, "You''re here, so what? If you want the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, it depends on your own ability." "Miss Hongling is right. If you want the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, it''s all about your own ability," Zhao Qinghai said lightly. "But I didn''t expect that in just three months, Miss Hongling has already broken through to the eighth level of Martial Soul." "It won''t be long before I break through to the ninth level of Martial Soul. I believe it won''t take long for me to catch up with you," Yun Hongling said with a serious look. "Tri-element martial artists are indeed terrifying," Zhao Qinghai said with a somewhat shocked expression, involuntarily thinking of Li Lin. Having not killed Li Lin last time, considering the cultivation speed of a tri-element martial artist, it would become increasingly difficult to deal with him in the future. "The Martial Spirit Holy Fruit has not yet matured. I think everyone should cultivate on their own for now. Don''t waste time. Cultivating here might speed up the process by six to seven times," Han Feng said lightly. "Alright, then let''s all cultivate. We''re all from the same sect, so there''s no need to worry about anyone attacking while others are cultivating. When the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit matures, we''ll see who''s stronger," Zhao Qinghai said with a laugh. "Hehe, then let''s all cultivate," Zhan Dao Qu Daojue also said with a laugh, though there was a hint of insincerity in his smile. Hearing Zhao Qinghai''s words, Zhan Dao Qu Daojue, Han Feng, Dong Pan, Fei Ying Ling Feng, and the others just smiled along. Everyone knew that those who could come here were not to be underestimated. The Zhao Qinghai brothers were known within the Yunyang Sect for being outwardly kind but extremely ruthless inside, capable of attacking their own sect members from the shadows. But at this moment, everyone did not show any signs of concern. As disciples on the Dragon List, their strengths were not too different, and none were easy to provoke. Zhao Qinghai did not pay much attention to everyone''s reactions. Soon, the two groups of people sat down in circles and began to cultivate. Under the majestic energy, no one wanted to miss this great opportunity for cultivation. Watching everyone, Yun Hongling slowly sat down in a meditative pose, but her gaze inadvertently drifted towards the distance, muttering, "How come cousin and that thief haven''t arrived yet? I hope they haven''t encountered any danger." "Stupid thief, you ignore me even when I''m angry, and you won''t even coax me. If you''re in danger, you deserve it." Looking into the distance, Yun Hongling continued to mutter, "But I hope there''s no danger. I want to teach you a lesson myself." After a while, everyone entered a state of cultivation. On the mountain, the nine Martial Spirit Holy Fruits continued to spread their majestic energy. "Whoosh" A day later, in front of the mountain, among Zhao Qinghai''s group, a young man in white was enveloped in a faint blue glow. His aura began to rapidly climb. "Boom!" Inside his dantian qi sea, a muffled sound echoed, and his aura suddenly surged, breaking through from the eighth level of Martial Soul to the ninth. The young man''s breakthrough attracted the attention of many, and everyone continued to diligently cultivate. Breaking through in this secret place was not a surprising event. Time passed again, and at this moment, no one knew that beneath them, numerous fifth-level beasts and Li Lin were deeply engrossed in cultivation. The energy inside the underground cave was much richer than the space above. Within the underground cave, fluctuations began to surge within the pool, and within a light circle in the milky-white pool water, the aura of jade rapidly climbed, enveloping the entire space in a strong and rich spiritual power. The aura continued to climb for a long time before finally stopping, and at this moment, jade was still in the midst of cultivation. Above the mountain, unknown to anyone, the color of the nine Martial Spirit Holy Fruits began to change, with the green color fading away, and the aura becoming even richer. The entire mountain was enveloped in a vast energy that spread throughout the secret land. As this energy spread, all the beasts in the secret land began to greedily cultivate. For the countless beasts in the secret land, the opportunity to cultivate was rare, so at this moment, they were all striving hard. And unknowingly, around Yun Hongling, a bright green light circle began to shine, her aura starting to climb. The energy from the surroundings was frantically converging, affecting everyone nearby with its insane gathering. Chapter 347: Breaking Through At this moment, the green glow on Yun Hongling''s body had reached a dazzling extent. A massive energy formed a cyclone around her, with true qi permeating out, shaking the spatial ripples and spreading ripples far away. "Another breakthrough, such a monster," many disciples sighed upon feeling the aura from Yun Hongling. In three months, this was her third breakthrough. "Boom!" With a muffled sound from within Yun Hongling''s dantian qi sea, her aura soared like a tornado, with true qi mixed with the energy of heaven and earth rapidly being absorbed into her body. At this moment, her aura had reached the ninth level of Martial Soul in the blink of an eye. "What a monster." People exclaimed in astonishment. Compared to this cultivation monster, they were already dragons and phoenixes among men. Yet, in front of Yun Hongling, they felt utterly inferior. Their cultivation speed was increased fivefold in this secret place. But for Yun Hongling, due to her being a tri-elemental martial artist, her speed was increased fifteenfold. What does this mean? Although it''s only been nearly three months, in reality, Yun Hongling had cultivated for forty-five months, nearly four years. After marveling at Yun Hongling''s breakthrough, everyone continued to focus on their cultivation, eager to make the most of the majestic energy in this place to improve themselves. Inside a cave at the bottom of a pool, the water suddenly began to surge violently, drawing in a continuous flow of air energy from outside the pool, becoming increasingly fierce. After several hours, the surging of the pool became more intense. From within, several beams of light spread out, shooting directly to the top of the cave. Suddenly, a yellow stream of light shot up from the pool, leaping out in an instant. "Roar..." A little dragon''s massive body emerged from the pool, with a head several meters in diameter, now coiling around the holy vine that bore the Martial Spirit Holy Fruits, emitting a daunting aura that roared through the space, bringing a terrifying pressure. The little dragon''s body kept expanding. Its body, over a hundred meters long, with its huge tail and waist still in the pool, its scales shimmering with light, each absorbing the massive energy. The pool continued to churn, waves surging out. Moments later, the little dragon''s body had grown to about five meters in diameter, indicating an even more massive body length. Its sheen became smoother, its aura more terrifying. On the dragon''s head, the third eye, which had been closed, began to open. Surrounded by a mystical glow, the third eye seemed to possess infinite devouring power, separating a small stream of the incoming energy flow into the pool and absorbing it continuously. "Hiss hiss..." Out of the pool shot four beams of light, representing the two-meter-sized dual-headed water-fire demon jiao, blood jade demon tiger, taiyin demon rabbit, and inverse scale demon peng, four fifth-order demonic beasts. "The Demon King is breaking through. Such strong pressure, I thought it was the White Spirit Demon King breaking through," the four demonic beasts looked at the little dragon''s body wrapped in flowing light with a mix of surprise and uncertainty, feeling an involuntary pressure in their souls and bloodlines. "This is the aura of a Demon Emperor," the dual-headed water-fire demon jiao exclaimed, shivering under the pressure of this aura, even their strength couldn''t resist being suppressed. "No, this seems to be the aura of a Spirit Emperor," the taiyin demon rabbit trembled. "The Demon King is condensing its demon core. We must not disturb it, continue cultivating," the inverse scale demon peng said, and the four demonic beasts continued to dive into the pool. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. The little dragon''s aura grew stronger, and its third eye shone even brighter, as if a brilliant light was shooting out. As time passed, the little dragon''s closed eyes suddenly opened, all three eyes visible, letting out a roaring sound... "Roar..." This roar, like a dragon chant, spread out wave after wave. "Eh, there''s a demonic beast," eighteen disciples of the Yunyang Sect suddenly opened their eyes, looking around nervously, but saw no trace of the beast. "That demonic beast''s roar was very strong," Dong Pan said, watching the surroundings vigilantly. "It might be a distant beast breaking through. Let''s continue cultivating," Yun Hongling said lightly, her eyes once again focusing forward, with a hint of worry in her gaze. Inside the pool, in a milky-white world, a pale yellow halo enveloped a figure who was absorbing the pool''s energy like a bottomless pit. Time flies quickly in cultivation. Li Lin, fully immersed in cultivation, forgot about time. This was his first time cultivating in a normal state. Li Lin''s goal was to break through to the sixth level of Spirit Soul. With the energy gathered during the breakthrough, he could continuously devour until he no longer wished to. Breaking through to the sixth level of Spirit Soul, Li Lin planned to directly devour the power to break through to the seventh level of Spirit Soul. True qi could also break through, by then his cultivation would be greatly enhanced to both the seventh level of Martial Soul and Spirit Soul. As for higher levels, it was not wise to be too greedy, as it might affect future cultivation. As time passed, everything outside, including the breakthrough auras of the little dragon and Cui Yu, did not affect Li Lin, who was in a complete state of cultivation. At a certain moment, in the silent milky-white space of the pool, a slight movement finally occurred around Li Lin. "Whoosh whoosh!" The energy within the pool began to surge again, the energy fluctuations suddenly intensified. Around Li Lin, the earthy yellow halo was immediately enveloped by an invisible white transparent halo. The energy in the entire pool, as if drawn by some force, began to crazily converge towards the halo, with strands of energy penetrating the halo, almost visible to the naked eye. In his mind, Li Lin''s soul pill spun rapidly, absorbing the spiritual power to nourish itself while also being uplifted by an invisible force. Li Lin''s aura soared, his entire body''s pores crazily devouring energy, and the energy shock within the halo became more and more intense. Thick energy continuously seeped out from the pool water, then surged towards Li Lin within the halo, becoming denser and denser. In a moment, it gathered around Li Lin to the extent that he could not absorb it fast enough. At this moment, the wild energy continued to converge, and the halo around Li Lin expanded in this violent and dense energy. "Boom!" With a muffled sound in Li Lin''s mind, his aura suddenly soared, reaching the sixth level of Spirit Soul in an instant. The wild energy directly poured into his body, the energy gathering around him shook the entire energy water pool violently, looking extremely spectacular. "Whoosh whoosh!" A massive energy gathered around Li Lin, forming a vortex. The vortex''s rotation speed increased, creating energy waves that fiercely hit Li Lin, emitting loud booming sounds. "Devour." At that moment, Li Lin''s closed eyes suddenly opened, his hand seals changed, and a smile appeared on his lips. The energy gathering around him was directly devoured. Inside his body, the five-colored Martial Pill spun rapidly, ceaselessly devouring the wildly incoming energy. This energy, once refined, could transform into both true qi and spiritual power, flowing into the dantian qi sea and the mind. The majestic true qi flowed through his meridians, which were already wide and robust, but now swelled painfully, showing the energy''s ferocity. In the dantian qi sea, true qi rapidly increased under the crazy surge, quickly reaching the brink of breakthrough. Although originally at the mid-phase of the fifth level of Martial Soul in true qi level, Li Lin''s cultivation speed in true qi had been three times faster than in spiritual power. By the time he broke through to the sixth level of Spirit Soul, Li Lin''s martial level had reached the peak of the fifth level of Martial Soul. At this moment, under the refinement of the devouring power, the breakthrough was imminent. Crazily devouring, crazily refining, at this moment, Li Lin in the pool, brought the miraculous effects of the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Art to the extreme, his cultivation speed incomparable to ordinary people. "Boom!" A muffled sound from within the dantian qi sea spread, and Li Lin''s aura climbed again, breaking through the sixth level of Martial Soul. With this ascent, he devoured even more crazily. As time slowly passed, within the secret place, the grey sky had darkened even more, especially around the location of the Martial Spirit Holy Fruits. Perhaps due to the energy fluctuations, the spatial ripples above the mountain kept shaking. A rich energy fragrance spread out, and on the mountain, the nine small fruits had begun to change from green-red to pink. "Boom..." A clear sound came from the ground, the entire land shaking violently, the massive mountain trembling. "Shush shush..." Eighteen people opened their eyes simultaneously, immediately focusing on the pink Martial Spirit Holy Fruits on the mountain, murmuring, "It''s about to ripen." Chapter 348: The Holy Fruit Matures Eighteen people stood up and gathered into two groups, all eyes fixed on the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit atop the mountain, while also warily watching the nine people opposite them. "Haha, the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit is about to mature." Zhao Qinghai smiled lightly, his eyes slightly gloomy as they landed on the nine people opposite him. "Then it depends on skill to snatch it. There are nine Martial Spirit Holy Fruits, destined that half of us here will not be able to get them." Feiying Lingfeng spoke lightly, his handsome face looking fervently at the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit atop the mountain. "Everything depends on skill." Zhao Qingtian spoke indifferently, as the true qi inside his body began to circulate. He must obtain the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit. "How come he still hasn''t arrived?" Yun Hongling focused on the distance, worry deepening in her eyes. Atop the mountain, the nine Martial Spirit Holy Fruits continued to emanate void-emptying energy fluctuations, the color slowly turning blood-red at an extremely slow pace. The eighteen people waited under the mountain in silence, yet an aura was silently rising among them. The true qi in each person was circulating, waiting for the final moment to burst forth. None present were weaklings, all representatives of the younger generation, and this momentum was evident. Inside the cave, a beautiful figure and five demonic beasts had already appeared outside the energy pool: Cuiyu, Little Dragon, the Dual-Headed Water-Fire Jiao, the Blood Jade Tiger, the Taiyin Rabbit, and the Ni Lin Peng. In the energy pool, violent energy churned intensely, the waves crashing like boiling water. "Monster King, your boss is really terrifying, breaking through for three days straight," Ni Lin Peng said in surprise, watching the energy inside the pool. "Hmph, of course." Little Dragon now spoke human language, circling around Cuiyu''s shoulder. His body shimmered with a yellow light, an invisible aura constantly exuding pressure. "Could it be that dual cultivation of spirit and martial arts has such an effect? This speed of breakthrough is indeed terrifying," Cuiyu watched the pool, her beautiful eyes full of surprise. "Sss sss!" In the energy pool, a massive vine suddenly shook as a stream of light surged along it. "Boom!" The entire mountain also shook violently at this moment. "The Holy Fruit is about to mature," Ni Lin Peng said, looking at the vine. "Why hasn''t the boss come out yet?" Little Dragon''s eyes turned slightly nervous. The boss came for the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, after all. "He should be coming out now." Cuiyu watched the pool, feeling through her heart that the energy inside had reached a peak, the previously boiling surface now calming down. "What a strong aura." The Blood Jade Tiger spoke deeply, sensing a massive energy about to erupt from the pool. "The boss finally came out." Little Dragon''s eyes were tightly fixed on the pool. "Bang!" Just as Little Dragon finished speaking, the previously calm surface of the water exploded as if a ten-thousand-pound boulder had been thrown into it, blasting numerous milk-white water columns straight up to the cave ceiling. The water columns burst open, and finally, Cuiyu and the demonic beasts quickly formed a light circle to avoid being affected. "Roar" As the water columns burst forth, a long howl sounded, bringing up a spray of water that hit the cave ceiling, causing shallow cracks to appear on the darkly glowing rocks. "Whoosh!" A figure in a green robe suddenly leaped out from the pool, carrying tremendous true qi, breaking through the water surface, hovering in the air above the pool for a moment before landing on the ground. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "Seventh level of Martial Soul." Cuiyu''s beautiful eyes widened in shock, sensing the aura released by the figure in the green robe, her face showing absolute astonishment. In less than a month, this person had broken through so fast, from the fifth level of Martial Soul directly to the seventh level. "Finally broke through." Li Lin''s mouth curved into a satisfied smile. Everything was as he had anticipated; the spirit force broke through first, using the energy gathered from the breakthrough, he executed the Devouring Power, achieving continuous breakthroughs. "Peak of the Seventh level of Martial Soul, peak of the Seventh level of Spirit Soul." Feeling the abundant true qi and spirit force inside his body, along with the continuously strengthening soul pill, his soul also benefited from this energy, making Li Lin absolutely satisfied. "Now facing Zhao Qingtian again, I am confident I can absolutely contend with him. Last time I contended with Zhao Qingtian, I was only at the fourth level of Martial Soul, but now at the peak of the seventh level, my strength has increased several times. Contending again, I should be able to do it." "Boss." Little Dragon spoke human language, quickly moving to Li Lin''s shoulder. "Little Dragon, have you broken through to the fourth stage and condensed a demon pill?" Observing Little Dragon now, his body size unchanged but with scales shimmering with a faint flowing light, an invisible pressure revealed, and now Little Dragon could speak human language, Li Lin instantly knew Little Dragon had reached the fourth stage. "Boss, I''ve broken through to the fourth stage, but it''s not a demon pill I''ve condensed, but a spirit pill," Little Dragon''s voice said in Li Lin''s mind, seeming not wanting others to hear. "How could this be, are you a spirit beast?" Li Lin asked in surprise. "I don''t know either. I feel like I''m both a demonic beast and a spirit beast," Little Dragon said. "Sss sss!" In the pool, another stream of light surged along the vine to the rock top, the entire mountain shaking again, a massive energy pressure becoming even more intense. "Monster King, the Holy Fruit is about to mature," the Dual-Headed Water-Fire Jiao said. "Martial Spirit Holy Fruit." Li Lin looked at the vine in the pool, the infinite energy being continuously absorbed by the vine, allowing the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit to appear. "Is Miss Bailin not coming out yet?" Li Lin frowned slightly, waiting for Bailin to help him snatch all the Martial Spirit Holy Fruits. "Monster King''s boss, Bailin Monster King is at a critical moment of breakthrough, already instructing us to help compete for the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit," Ni Lin Peng said to Li Lin. "What Monster King''s boss, my boss, naturally is your boss, from now on you...," Little Dragon''s eyes turned, then said to Ni Lin Peng and the four fifth-stage demonic beasts, "From now on, just call him master." "Yes, Monster King," the four fifth-stage demonic beasts nodded in response. "Then let''s go out," Li Lin smiled slightly, with Ni Lin Peng and the other four fifth-stage demonic beasts making a move, especially the Taiyin Rabbit and Ni Lin Peng, one a mid-fifth-stage demonic beast, the other a late-fifth-stage demonic beast, their strength was enough to compete for the Martial Spirit Holy Fruits. "Master, there''s an exit ahead that leads directly to the outside world, please follow me," Ni Lin Peng said." Lin''er, are you planning to take these demonic beasts to compete for the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit?" Cuiyu''s voice transmission reached Li Lin''s ears. "Indeed." Li Lin also transmitted back. After reaching the Martial Soul level, Li Lin could already perform voice transmission, which was not an extraordinary method. Those at the Martial Soul level could basically perform this step. "Do you plan to take all the Martial Spirit Holy Fruits?" Cuiyu asked in surprise, seeing the lineup of four fifth-stage demonic beasts, the eighteen disciples of Yunyang Sect couldn''t contend. "I won''t take them all, I''ll leave one for you and Hongling, I only want seven." Looking at Cuiyu with a slight smile, Li Lin transmitted again: "Remember, keep everything secret, don''t let anyone find out we are cooperating with the demonic beasts." Cuiyu was momentarily stunned, not expecting Li Lin to actually plan to take all the Martial Spirit Holy Fruits. This would likely disappoint all the other members of the Yunyang Sect, probably making the entire sect''s strong members dumbfounded when they leave the secret realm. "Boom!" The ground shook, along with the mountain, as the giant vine on it, along with the leaves, flashed with light, the space filled with even richer energy, the oppressive air currents slowly swirling. Atop the mountain, the nine small fruits turned increasingly blood-red, their rich energy emitting a kind of magic that made those who saw them unable to resist wanting to take a bite. "The Martial Spirit Holy Fruit is about to mature." Everyone watched the nine Martial Spirit Holy Fruits on the mountain, their fervent gazes growing more intense. At this moment, everyone''s minds were focused on the Martial Spirit Holy Fruits on the mountain, waiting to make their move at the first opportunity. Therefore, when two figures appeared a hundred meters away, no one noticed their arrival. "It seems I arrived just in time." A faint voice spread... With the appearance of this voice, all eighteen people turned their heads, looking towards the back. Everyone''s expression changed, but the most significant changes were seen in Zhao Qinghai, Zhao Qingtian, Zeng Chuxiong, and Yun Hong, though Yun Hongling''s expression changed for a completely different reason than the others. "Haha, Li Lin, I thought you wouldn''t make it in time. It looks like we have two more competitors," Zhandao Qu Dao looked at Li Lin with a big smile, his eyes full of fighting spirit. Cuiyu looked at Qu Dao but could only smile helplessly. Only two more competitors? Several fifth-stage demonic beasts haven''t shown up yet. The Martial Spirit Holy Fruits already have an owner. Chapter 349: Fifth Order Demonic Beast "Being early doesn''t beat coming at the right moment, it seems like you all have been waiting for quite some time." Li Lin''s gaze swept over the crowd, his eyes showing a trace of surprise. Among these eighteen people, those below the level of Martial Soul were basically showing signs of breakthrough, while those above the level of Martial General, judging from their aura, had definitely made considerable progress. "This girl, she really is a cultivation monster." When Li Lin''s gaze landed on Yun Hongling, he was instantly shocked. Yun Hongling had actually reached the ninth layer of Martial Soul. In three months, she had broken through three layers, a speed of cultivation worthy of her reputation as a monster. Li Lin thought to himself, he had also broken through three layers in these three months, but the higher the level, the more difficult it was to make a breakthrough. Compared to him, Yun Hongling''s speed of breakthrough seemed to be even stronger. Frowning, Li Lin then let it go. If he calculated strictly, he had only absorbed energy and made a breakthrough twice in that vast palace ruin and underground rock cave, all within this month. Plus, with the vast Dantian Qi sea inside his body, strictly speaking, Yun Hongling''s monstrous cultivation speed could not compare with his own Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art''s absorption and refinement speed. "Hmph!" Feeling Li Lin''s gaze on her, Yun Hongling snorted softly, the worried look in her eyes disappeared, and she was filled with resentment towards Li Lin again. "Li Lin, your arrival is quite timely. How about a match after the secret ground expedition?" Ba Dao Long San looked at Li Lin and said, "If you lose, stay away from Wushuang Junior Sister, how about that?" "Anytime." Li Lin smiled lightly and then said, "And if I win?" "This..." Ba Dao Long San seemed not to have expected Li Lin to actually agree and hesitated for a moment before saying, "If you win, I, Long San, will serve you from in front and behind in the future. I want to see how strong the man that Wushuang Junior Sister has taken a liking to is." "I''ll be waiting." Li Lin pursed his lips and smiled. "Li Lin, don''t forget our agreement when the time comes." Zhan Dao Qu Dao Jue looked at Li Lin, his gaze sparkling with sharpness. "After we get out, I''m ready anytime." Li Lin''s eyes also flashed with a fighting spirit. Back at the Wanwu Tower, the two had already agreed, guessing that by the time they left the secret ground, his strength might also have reached the level to contend with the third rank on the Dragon List. "A deal is a deal. I''ll be waiting." Zhan Dao Qu Dao Jue smiled lightly. "Hmph!" At this moment, Zhao Qinghai, Zhao Qingtian, and Zeng Chuxiong, who suddenly noticed Li Lin''s arrival, their faces instantly darkened. Last time, they had let him escape, and this man must be dealt with as soon as possible. Zhao Qinghai''s team''s other five people, looking at Li Lin, also showed some changes in their expressions, but they had already decided not to intervene in the matters between Zhao Qinghai''s trio and Li Lin. Being together with Zhao Qinghai and others was only for the competition for the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, and they did not want to provoke either side. Casting a fleeting glance at Zhao Qinghai and others, a cold smile appeared on the corner of Li Lin''s mouth. "Is this the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit?" At this moment, Li Lin looked at the huge vine on the mountain peak in front of him, the energy fluctuations between them, making people feel incredibly shocked. Li Lin''s gaze firmly fixed on the nine small fruits at the top of the mountain, turning gradually redder. The spreading energy gave people a refreshing feeling, as if there was magic calling out to him. At this moment, the spiritual power in his mind and the true qi inside his body were involuntarily attracted and began to flow. "What strong energy, the benefits of consuming it must be terrifying." Li Lin was shocked in his heart, feeling the nine Martial Spirit Holy Fruits, his eyes also showed a hint of eagerness. "Boom!" Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. The mountain shook again, a beam of energy light spread along the huge vine to the top of the mountain, and then poured into the nine small fruits, the color of the fruits instantly turned completely red. "Huff huff..." Just as the mountain''s shaking stopped, another beam of energy spread along the huge vine to the top of the mountain, a massive energy forming a giant energy light circle with a diameter of hundreds of meters, like a volcanic eruption, fiercely shooting up into the sky, forcefully dispersing the air currents in the sky. This massive energy flow, like fireworks, reached its peak in the sky and then exploded into an arc, forming a light curtain hanging in the sky of the entire secret ground, the majestic energy at this moment was also rich to a terrifying level. This scene shocked all onlookers, and at that moment, on the top of the mountain, the nine Martial Spirit Holy Fruits were completely red, a rich fragrance spread, making people drool. "The Martial Spirit Holy Fruits are ripe." It was not clear who spoke, but at this moment, everyone''s gaze was fixed on the nine Martial Spirit Holy Fruits. "Act now." After a moment of shock, powerful surges of true qi burst out from everyone, and they leaped upwards. "Whoosh..." Among them, Fei Ying Ling Feng, Yun Hongling, and Han Feng were the fastest, their feet spinning with air currents, their speed fast as lightning, unsurprisingly, they had all cultivated the Xuan-level initial stage body technique Light Shadow. "Little dragon, get ready!" At this moment, Li Lin''s feet spun with air currents, and Little dragon on his shoulder instantly turned into a streak of light and rushed forward. "Whoosh whoosh..." Twenty figures, at this moment, were like lightning, rushing straight up, only nine people could get the Martial Spirit Holy Fruits, and the faster one''s speed, the greater the chance. "Ha ha, the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit is mine." Fei Ying Ling Feng laughed, in a white robe like snow, his figure was the first to rush to the top of the mountain, directly heading for the nearest Martial Spirit Holy Fruit. But at that moment, on the top of the mountain, suddenly four huge beast shadows appeared. "Roar..." A roar rose to the sky, and four huge demonic beasts suddenly appeared on the top of the mountain, each transforming into a body of hundreds of meters. Fei Ying Ling Feng was about to pick the first Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, when suddenly, a huge shadow appeared faster, with a flap of its wings, the space seemed to be torn apart, a violent stream of air directly knocked him away. "Be careful, there are demonic beasts." "Five demonic beasts, all are fifth-order demonic beasts." "Ni Lin Yao Peng, Tai Yin Yao Tu, Shuang Tou Shui Huo Yao Jiao, Xue Yu Yao Hu, retreat quickly." The eighteen people who had leaped up were instantly forced to land on the mountainside, watching the four huge demonic beasts suddenly appearing on the mountain peak, everyone couldn''t help but gasp. The four huge demonic beasts, with four powerful auras pressing down from the sky, all reached the fifth-order level, among them the highest was the late fifth-order level. "Humans, these holy fruits are ours, you all back off." In the sky, circling in mid-air, the Ni Lin Yao Peng with the greatest pressure said, its body of hundreds of meters was obviously not its largest form, but its surrounding aura was enough to suppress everyone. "Be careful, everyone, work together to deal with the demonic beasts." Yun Hongling immediately shouted, her body already covered in a protective circle. "Ha ha..." A figure in a green robe shot up into the sky, his feet spinning with air currents, directly rushing towards the mountain peak. "Whoosh whoosh." The figure of Cui Yu, also rushing up rapidly, among all the people, only she was the most relaxed, because only she knew that the nine Martial Spirit Holy Fruits had already been pre-determined, and Li Lin''s competition was just a play to make the people of Yunyang Sect believe. "Quick, let''s go together, getting the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit is the most important." Zhao Qinghai shouted loudly, seeing Li Lin taking the lead in rushing to the top of the mountain, he also leaped up. "Hmph, back off." A somewhat immature voice sounded, a yellow streak of light suddenly appeared in front of Zhao Qinghai, the light flashed, transforming into a huge golden snake, its huge mouth open, with an unparalleled pressure rushing towards Zhao Qinghai. "Back off." Zhao Qinghai''s face changed dramatically, he recognized this demonic beast, the strange demonic beast beside Li Lin, his hand seals changing, leaping up, a strange palm print enveloped him. "Quick, let''s go together, getting the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit first." Zhan Dao Qu Dao Jue shouted loudly, his body covered in a light circle, leaping up, his feet bursting with true qi, tapping the ground, and rushing towards the nearby Martial Spirit Holy Fruit. "Back off." But at that moment, after a roar, Shuang Tou Shui Huo Yao Jiao leaped out like lightning, the right head spewing out a scorching flame, directly aiming at Qu Dao Jue. "Whoosh..." Han Feng, Long San, and Du Zichun, their bodies also instantly leaped up like lightning, their true qi vibrating, all aiming for the Martial Spirit Holy Fruits. "Roar!" Xue Yu Yao Hu roared, with Tai Yin Yao Tu suddenly appearing, their tremendous pressure, carrying powerful force, directly blocking in front of the three. "Attack together." The three did not hesitate, Gui Shou Du Zichun, his hands suddenly condensing a claw mark slashing towards Xue Yu Yao Hu. Long San''s hand, a large knife appearing at the same time, a blade wave splitting the space, also directly slashing towards Tai Yin Yao Tu. Han Feng, at this moment, his hand seals forming, his body''s true qi violently bursting out, a huge palm print condensing towards Tai Yin Yao Tu, the three were absolute powerhouses on the Dragon List, also all at the Martial General level, this combined effort was definitely powerful. Chapter 350: Do You Want to Rob? "Charge! We must get the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit." The remaining disciples of Yunyang Sect have also forgotten their fear of the fifth-order beasts, their figures leaping onto the peak like streaks of light. "Back off, all of you." The Contrary Scale Demon Peng coldly shouted, its huge body suddenly expanding to a massive five hundred meters. With a flap of its giant wings, two violent air currents surged out of nowhere. These air currents, like a ferocious tornado, ravaged with fierce winds, directly blasting more than a dozen Yunyang Sect disciples away. "Whoosh..." A green silhouette shot into the sky, instantly heading straight for the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit. With a flash of light on her jade hand, a Martial Spirit Holy Fruit was in her grasp in an instant. "I actually got one." Yun Hongli''s face was surprised. She was ready to contend with the beast, but to her surprise, after she took the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, the surrounding beasts did not stop her, and she easily obtained a Martial Spirit Holy Fruit. "Whoosh! Whoosh!" Two figures, almost at the same moment, each had a flash of light in their hands, and each plucked a Martial Spirit Holy Fruit. The two had no doubts or surprises, sharing a smile. These two were naturally Li Lin and Cui Yu. "Whoosh!" In a flash, another figure rushed up. "Get down." This figure was about to take one of the Martial Spirit Holy Fruits when from above, a strong force shot down. A wind blade attack from a scale of the Contrary Scale Demon Peng broke through the air. Zhao Qingtian''s face turned pale with fright, no longer caring about taking the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, his body retreating rapidly. "Human, you better scram, the Holy Fruit is not for you." At this moment, a shout from the Contrary Scale Demon Peng was heard, followed by a huge light engulfing the remaining six Martial Spirit Holy Fruits on the mountain peak. "Roar roar..." A beast roar resounded high, piercing through the air currents. The Blood Jade Demon Tiger''s body surged with endless strength, its huge front paws creating a claw mark that tore through space, directly forcing Ghost Hand Du Zichun back. Leaping up, it turned into a streak of light several meters in size, landing on the back of the Contrary Scale Demon Peng. "Whoosh." At this moment, the massive blue body of the Taiyin Demon Rabbit also turned into a blue light, landing on the Contrary Scale Demon Peng above. "Bang bang..." In mid-air, a huge energy explosion sounded, the powerful wind forcing War Knife Qu Daojue''s body back dozens of meters. At this moment, the massive body of the Twin-Headed Water Fire Demon Jiao, with its huge tail, was fiercely knocked back onto a giant rock, instantly turning it into powder. "Such strong power." Li Lin, who had just taken a Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, sighed inwardly. War Knife Qu Daojue''s power was actually able to contend with the Twin-Headed Water Fire Demon Jiao. "Ssss!" The massive body of the Twin-Headed Water Fire Demon Jiao leapt up, not dealing with Qu Daojue anymore but also leaping onto the back of the Contrary Scale Demon Peng in the sky. "Hu hu!" In an instant, the Contrary Scale Demon Peng flapped its wings, its body disappearing from the mountain peak like lightning, leaving only a shadow that quickly vanished. From the Contrary Scale Demon Peng taking away six Martial Spirit Holy Fruits to the disappearance of the four fifth-order beasts, it all happened in just two or three seconds. "Bang bang!" On the mountainside below, a huge energy explosion sounded, the vast energy making the little dragon''s huge body retreat, its tail landing and stirring up dust and stones, creating a huge pit instantly. "Thud thud..." Zhao Qinghai''s body light dimmed, also retreating rapidly in front of the little dragon, seemingly not getting much of an advantage. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. "Little Dragon, are you okay?" Li Lin appeared beside the little dragon. He knew some of Zhao Qinghai''s strength, a third-level Spirit General, who might have made much progress here, possibly reaching the peak of the third-level Spirit General. At this moment, Li Lin was naturally worried about the little dragon contending with Zhao Qinghai. "Boss, I''m not afraid of him now. If we join forces, it might be possible to kill him." The little dragon''s voice echoed in Li Lin''s mind. "It seems you''ve broken through to the fourth level, your strength has increased a lot." Li Lin said. "That''s right, this Zhao Qinghai, a third-level Spirit General, I can contend with, but I can''t do anything about him. If you, boss, join in, we might be able to kill him." The little dragon''s eyes whirled, a killing intent spreading. "The Martial Spirit Holy Fruit has been taken by the beasts, what should we do?" "Four fifth-order beasts took away six Martial Spirit Holy Fruits." At this moment, the disciples of Yunyang Sect, looking in the direction where the Contrary Scale Demon Peng disappeared, could only feel helpless. Four fifth-order beasts, including a late-stage fifth-order beast, not coming after them was already good. Chasing after them would be useless. "Who just got the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit?" "Yun Hongli, Cui Yu, and Li Lin, each of them got a Martial Spirit Holy Fruit." All the disciples who did not get the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit immediately turned their attention to Yun Hongli, Cui Yu, and Li Lin. Out of the nine Martial Spirit Holy Fruits, only these three each got one. Everyone looked at the three with somewhat red eyes, and after exchanging glances, everyone''s gaze eventually settled on Cui Yu and Li Lin. Obviously, although Yun Hongli got a Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, no one dared to provoke her, and she was not easy to deal with. Compared to Yun Hongli, Cui Yu and Li Lin seemed easier to handle. "It seems we are in some trouble." Cui Yu moved next to Li Lin, looking at the hot gazes of the people around them. "Is that so." Li Lin smiled faintly, slightly raising his head, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, saying, "Do you now want to rob the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit?" The crowd exchanged glances, War Knife Qu Daojue hesitated for a moment, saying, "Li Lin, we came to this secret place for the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit. Now only you three have got the Martial Spirit Holy Fruits. I want to rob them, but I won''t join others in doing so. How about we have a contest now? If I win, the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit is mine. If you win, I won''t target the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit anymore." "I have the same idea. Teaming up to rob you, I wouldn''t be so shameless. Li Lin, how about we have a contest?" Tyrant Knife Long San also looked towards Li Lin. Flying Eagle Ling Feng, Ghost Hand Du Zichun, and others like Han Feng, Dong Pan, seemed to have the same idea. "Do you all want it, meaning I need to contest with you all at once?" Li Lin looked at War Knife Qu Daojue and the others, saying, "The Martial Spirit Holy Fruit is in my hands, you can''t take it. Even if you want to rob it together, I will destroy the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit. Of course, I''m confident you can''t force me to that point. Besides, with so many of you, even if one of you gets the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, the others will continue to rob. I think you better give up. While the energy in this secret place hasn''t dissipated, it''s better for you to cultivate for three more months." Everyone looked at each other, their faces twitching, knowing that taking the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit from someone else wouldn''t be easy. If the other party really ends up destroying the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, then no one would get it. Hearing Li Lin''s words, some quickly turned their gaze to Cui Yu, who also had a Martial Spirit Holy Fruit. "Hmph, do you think mine is easy to rob? Those who want to rob, come and try." Cui Yu''s gaze darkened, a chill spreading in her beautiful eyes. Looking at Cui Yu, only Zhao Qinghai and a few others'' faces twitched. They all knew Cui Yu''s strength, able to directly contend with Zhao Qinghai. Trying to rob her wouldn''t be easy. Compared to her, perhaps Li Lin''s might be easier to rob. "Whoever dares to rob Cui Yu is against me, and I will never end it with him." Yun Hongli moved to Cui Yu''s side. Looking at Yun Hongli and Cui Yu, everyone exchanged glances and eventually sighed. The three who got the Martial Spirit Holy Fruits were not easy to provoke. "Li Lin, hand over the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, and we will settle our grudges." A cold figure spoke, three figures leaping out, their gazes somewhat gloomy, precisely Zhao Qinghai, Zhao Qingtian, and Zeng Chuxiong. Looking at Zhao Qinghai and the others leaping out, everyone stepped back a bit. "Just with you guys wanting the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, what are you?" Li Lin coldly hummed, now that he and the little dragon had broken through, even the little dragon could contend with Zhao Qinghai. These three, he no longer needed to take seriously. "Kid, you''re seeking death." Zhao Qingtian looked at Li Lin with a gloomy face, his eyes growing colder and filled with undisguised killing intent. Li Lin slowly raised his head, his eyes coldly fixed on Zhao Qingtian, a chill spreading, his body''s murderous aura trembling. Zhao Qingtian felt a chill in his heart under Li Lin''s gaze, finding it strange, then his expression sank again, staring at Li Lin and saying, "Hand over the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, and I''ll spare your life. Otherwise, you know the consequences." Li Lin smiled faintly, with a hint of coldness, saying, "I''ve said, just with the three of you, you''re overestimating yourselves." Zhao Qinghai and Zhao Qingtian''s faces twitched, their killing intent uncontrollably surging, from any perspective, they must deal with Li Lin today. The three exchanged glances, then slowly stepped forward, surrounding Li Lin in the center. Chapter 351: No Longer As Before "Zhao Qinghai, we spar again today." Cuiyu''s graceful figure flashed out, her gaze carrying a chill. At this moment, the aura emanating from her body was no longer that of the inconspicuous maid from before. Now, her aura was like a block of ice, with faint ripples swirling around her, causing Han Feng, Qu Daojue, and others to frown deeply. "Cuiyu, this matter has nothing to do with you. Why must you intervene?" Zhao Qinghai''s face twitched, feeling the aura from Cuiyu, seemingly much stronger than last time, he was extremely shocked. He had never thought that a maid could directly contend with him, the top-ranked powerhouse on the Dragon List. "This matter is now related to me, including your Zhao family, I will not let go." A cold voice came from Cuiyu''s mouth, and the air also suddenly dropped with a chill, making people shiver involuntarily. "Cuiyu, this..." Hearing Cuiyu''s words, Yun Hongling''s face changed drastically. "Hongling, this matter is already related to me. You don''t need to say more. Today, I want to see who dares to touch Li Lin." Cuiyu turned her head and spoke softly to Yun Hongling, then once again her gaze filled with chilling intent as she looked towards Zhao Qinghai and the other two. As Cuiyu''s words fell, all the disciples around felt an intangible momentum. This was no longer a maid; at this moment, the momentum among the people was unparalleled. This momentum had nothing to do with personal strength but was more like the aura of a superior being. The atmosphere in this space instantly became tense, a sense of oppression enveloping everyone''s hearts. "Hmph, you deal with that demon beast and Li Lin, I''ll handle Cuiyu." Zhao Qinghai''s face finally turned completely cold. As his voice fell, he charged towards Cuiyu again. At this moment, he must deal with Li Lin. If Li Lin consumes the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, it would be unimaginable to deal with him later. "Cuiyu, be careful." Li Lin''s voice reached Cuiyu''s ears. "Don''t worry, I have made a breakthrough in the Holy Pool. Zhao Qinghai is no longer my opponent." Cuiyu''s voice reached Li Lin''s ears. "Chi!" At this moment, Zhao Qinghai''s spiritual power surged out without reservation, his figure flashed, and he directly pounced towards Cuiyu. Seeing Zhao Qinghai make his move, Cuiyu''s face gradually turned cold. She stepped forward, her spiritual power circulating, her body shimmered with flowing light, and an invisible spiritual power burst out from her body, spreading waves of spatial ripples around her, a strong aura emanating from her body. Feeling the fluctuations on Cuiyu''s body at this moment, Qu Daojue, Han Feng, Dong Pan, and others were thoroughly astonished. Such momentum was no longer below any of them, and vaguely, it was much stronger. Cuiyu''s strength completely exceeded their expectations. Being able to enter the secret realm, they were already extremely surprised by Cuiyu''s strength. But now, they realized that Cuiyu''s strength was not only powerful but had reached an absolutely terrifying level. "Zhao Qinghai, today I will make you regret it." As Cuiyu''s voice fell, her figure had already disappeared from the spot, and when she reappeared, she was already exchanging blows with Zhao Qinghai. "Bang bang!" The two massive spiritual forces clashed, filling the space with a mix of spiritual attacks and the sound of sonic booms. "Boss, as usual, leave the weaker ones to me." Little dragon''s voice fell, his massive body with upright scales exerted a tremendous pressure, charging directly at Zeng Chuxiong. "Kid, this time, I won''t give you a chance to escape again." Zhao Qingtian''s cold shout had just fallen, his eyes suddenly filled with murderous intent. A powerful true qi condensed into a huge scorching fist imprint, unceremoniously greeting Li Lin. Yun Hongling''s eyes showed a hint of worry, watching Li Lin anxiously. "Hmph" Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. With a cold snort, Li Lin''s expression darkened. He waved his green sleeve robe and charged forward. Even with a fourfold Martial Soul, he was only slightly inferior to Zhao Qingtian. Now, at the peak of the sevenfold Martial Soul, even if he couldn''t kill Zhao Qingtian, he could still stand against him. One Zhao Qingtian, what was there to fear? "Thousand Hand Rupture Seal, break for me." As he waved his sleeve robe, Li Lin once again let out a low shout, a series of palm prints rushed out from his sleeve robe. These palm prints suddenly dragged out a series of afterimages, then instantly converged, creating a strong palm imprint before him. The space immediately stirred with intense fluctuations, and then, a palm imprint collided with Zhao Qingtian''s fist imprint. "Bang bang!" A powerful explosion sound suddenly echoed, as fist and palm met, a terrifying wind cracked the ground beneath their feet, lifting countless fragments of soil and rock like a tornado, and one figure staggered out from the violent aura, it was Zhao Qingtian. At this moment, Li Lin''s body was covered with a Qingling armor, he retreated, but his expression remained indifferent. A punch forced Zhao Qingtian back, his face darkened with shock and absolute surprise. A month ago, Li Lin''s strength was not even close to being able to confront him head-on. But the strike just now showed that Li Lin''s strength had increased several times over the past month. Li Lin glanced at Zhao Qingtian, then his gaze fell on Cuiyu and Little dragon in the distance, his eyes filled with even colder intent. Without further delay, his feet surged with true qi, a majestic true qi surged out from his wide meridians, his figure instantly dragged out a series of afterimages and charged forward, displaying the Floating Light Shifting Shadow technique, his speed was already ghostly fast. "Sevenfold Martial Soul now." At a distance, Han Feng, Qu Daojue, and others'' expressions slightly darkened. They remembered when Li Lin broke through the Martial Soul, it hadn''t been a few months, and now he had reached the sevenfold Martial Soul. This speed seemed even more terrifying than Yun Hongling, the cultivation freak. "Fiery Explosion!" "Wind Rolling Remnants." When Li Lin''s figure reappeared, his hands combined two different types of energy. The two forces erupted, converging with the speed of lightning. A scorching fireball burned through the space, a terrifying spatial airflow roared like a tornado storm, lifting countless cracks and layers of soil into the high sky, overwhelming and pressing down. The two forces, at the same time, enveloped Zhao Qingtian. "Simultaneously displaying two types of attribute martial techniques, how did he do it?" Watching this scene, many were astounded. "How has he become so strong?" Watching Li Lin''s current attack power, Zhao Qingtian''s face suddenly became serious. This was not the attack power of a sevenfold Martial Soul; this strength had already reached the level of a martial general. "Shoo shoo..." A dark red long sword was held in his hand, its sword light cutting through the void, causing spatial tremors. The force of the sword created sonic booms in the space, its light leaving a trail of afterimages, carrying a terrifying force as it coldly moved towards Li Lin. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the two''s attacks collided once again, and with the contact of their powers, loud explosions thundered. "Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!" Space shattered, tearing open a scorching arc as if the entire space was broken, terrifying energy filled the area. On the mountainside, a huge mountain body directly collapsed, the storm spread carrying a terrifying force, flipping over a series of spatial ripples. "Didn''t expect Li Lin''s strength to have reached this step," the people in the distance exclaimed. "Chi!" Within the violent aura, Li Lin''s body directly retreated, his blood energy surging but without serious harm, his gaze under the Qingling armor became even colder. "Chi..." At this moment, Zhao Qingtian also directly retreated, his face turning pale instantly. After two moves, he hadn''t gained any advantage. "Hmph, so this is the fifth on the Dragon List," Li Lin coldly said. With a cold gaze full of surprise, Zhao Qingtian didn''t speak, but couldn''t hide the shock in his heart. "Cuiyu, you insisted on wading into this muddy water, don''t blame me for being ruthless." From the side, Zhao Qinghai''s shout came, his hand signs rapidly changing, and in between the surge of spiritual power, a palm imprint instantly swept out, like thunder, directly sweeping towards Cuiyu. Although the palm imprint was not large, it flickered with a now-you-see-it-now-you-don''t light, the air pressure around instantly suppressed, this palm imprint mixed with a soul attack. "Zhao Qinghai is using the Spirit Splitting Palm, this is his trump card, a Xuan-level primary spirit technique," Dong Pan exclaimed in a slightly surprised tone. "I wonder if Cuiyu can withstand it," Fei Yingling frowned. "Spirit Splitting Palm." Zhao Qinghai shouted loudly, carrying the terrifying palm imprint crashing down. "Zhao Qinghai, your strength is still not enough." At this moment, a sharp shout suddenly came out, Cuiyu''s body, with the changing hand signs, her aura surged, spatial ripples vibrated in all directions, and out of nowhere, a huge palm imprint pressed down. As this palm imprint condensed, all the disciples of Yunyang Sect felt their souls suppressed in an instant, all eyes were shocked as they looked towards Cuiyu. This palm imprint condensed, Cuiyu''s black hair scattered again, she stepped forward, and the palm imprint directly collided with the palm imprint condensed by Zhao Qinghai. "Shoo shoo!" The two strong palm imprints touched, but there wasn''t the huge sound everyone expected, instead, they lightly touched, only a massive spatial ripple vibrated out from the middle. Chapter 352: Mid-Grade Xuan Level Two palm prints overlapped, locked in a brief standoff, when suddenly everyone was amazed to see waves of spiritual power bursting forth from the jade-green palm print. Zhao Qinghai''s palm print was instantly crushed and dispersed by the jade-green palm print in Cuiyu''s hand. "Whoosh!" Zhao Qinghai''s Splitting Spirit Palm burst apart in an instant, ultimately dissipating into nothingness. "Thud, thud!" Zhao Qinghai''s body staggered back a dozen steps. "Pfft..." A mouthful of fresh blood spurted out from Zhao Qinghai''s mouth, his face suddenly turned pale. A sense of shock and disbelief surged in his heart as he stared at Cuiyu, knowing all too well the power of the Splitting Spirit Palm. It was a primary level Xuan-grade spiritual technique, which even a general four-layered Spirit General could hardly withstand directly. Yet now, his Splitting Spirit Palm was directly broken by the maid Cuiyu, seemingly without effort, which he found hard to believe. "How could you possibly break my Splitting Spirit Palm?" Staring at Cuiyu, Zhao Qinghai couldn''t believe what had happened. He was the top of the Dragon List, how could he be defeated by a maid? "Splitting Spirit Palm, just a primary level Xuan-grade spiritual technique, and you thought it was impressive? What I just used, however, was a mid-grade Xuan-level spiritual technique." Cuiyu''s expression darkened as she said, "If it weren''t for not wanting to make things difficult for the Sect Master, I could kill you right now. But your life, next time, I will not be polite in taking it away." "Mid-grade Xuan-level spiritual technique." Hearing Cuiyu''s words, the people in the distance exclaimed in admiration. Even among them, the young elites of the Yunyang Sect, not everyone could cultivate mid-grade Xuan-level martial or spiritual techniques, the highest being only primary level Xuan-grade. Unexpectedly, Cuiyu had used a mid-grade Xuan-level spiritual technique. "Hiss hiss!" The little dragon roared with indignation, its breaths swirling, and its massive body coiled up like a small mountain. Initially, the little dragon''s body was less than three hundred meters long, but at this moment, it had grown to over four hundred meters, with a diameter of seven or eight meters. Its scales slightly expanded, emanating faint golden flames, and its mere presence was enough to astonish Zeng Chuxiong. Staring at the massive body of the little dragon, Zeng Chuxiong was already in a sorry state. Last time, he was able to contend with this beast, but now, he felt utterly incapable of standing against it. "Ssst..." Gritting his teeth, Zeng Chuxiong charged towards the little dragon again, a blue greatsword in his hand stirring up mist-like trails. A slash of the sword cleaved through space, heading straight for the little dragon. The sword light plunged down, reaching the little dragon in an instant. With the strength of a first-tier Martial General, Zeng Chuxiong''s strike was indeed formidable. However, the little dragon remained motionless. As Zeng Chuxiong''s sword came slashing down, the dragon suddenly burst into action. Its massive body leaped up agilely, and with a massive open mouth, a burst of violent golden flames was spewed out. These golden flames soared into the sky, burning the space along their path into smoke, which was then evaporated by the terrifying heat. "Sssss!" Almost simultaneously, Zeng Chuxiong''s sword light also fell under the little dragon''s golden flames, burning up like the space ripples into smoke, also evaporated by the terrifying heat. Faced with such terrifying flames, Zeng Chuxiong''s first thought was to flee. However, how could his speed compare to that of the little dragon? As he was about to retreat, a terrifying golden flame had already reached above his head. "Whoosh!" In the midst of immense fear, a palpitation arose from the depths of Zeng Chuxiong''s heart. His long sword, once again, slashed towards the little dragon. "Hiss hiss!" The little dragon''s massive body pressed down, its mouth spewing terrifying golden flames. Zeng Chuxiong''s sword turned red first, then was burned to a reddish color, and in an instant, under the cover of those terrifying golden flames, with a hot and powerful gust, it pervaded every part of his body. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "Ah..." Facing such extremely terrifying golden flames, Zeng Chuxiong''s inner qi burst forth, forming a protective circle in front of him, which was instantly enveloped by the little dragon''s flames. The flames, penetrating as if through holes, instantly destroyed Zeng Chuxiong''s protective circle, entering his body, causing a burning pain that made Zeng Chuxiong scream in agony. "Pfft!" Zeng Chuxiong spewed out a mouthful of crimson blood, his body shot backward, eventually tumbling down the mountainside. "What a terrifying beast." Qu Daojue, Han Feng, and others exclaimed. Zeng Chuxiong was certainly not weak, a first-tier Martial General, now severely injured under this strange beast''s attack. The terrifying flames made them feel scared even from a distance. "Little dragon, spare his life." Just as the little dragon was about to attack again, Li Lin''s voice came. "Whoosh!" The little dragon''s massive body immediately shrank, and in an instant, it landed on Li Lin''s shoulder, saying, "Boss, why didn''t you let me kill him?" "Killing him would be too easy, anytime. But this is inside the secret ground, killing him would bring big trouble." Li Lin said. In Li Lin''s heart, he indeed wished to kill these people, but killing them under the watchful eyes of everyone inside the secret ground was not advisable. Yun Xiao Tian had already declared that anyone who kills a fellow sect member, no matter who, would be executed, and even their families would suffer. And since the Ten Thousand Year Red Copper had not yet been obtained, and he still needed to stay within the Yunyang Sect, even if he wanted to kill these three, it had to be done secretly. Now was not the time. "Cuiyu, let''s go." Li Lin said to Cuiyu, as the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit must be quickly consumed and refined, or else its effects would greatly diminish. "Okay." Cuiyu slightly retracted her aura and moved to Li Lin''s side. Zhao Qingtian and Zhao Qinghai, the two brothers, twitched as they watched Li Lin and Cuiyu, not daring to make another move. "Zhao Qingtian, Zhao Qinghai, you don''t have the ability to obtain the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit. We''ll take our leave first. This time we let you off, next time, you won''t be so lucky." Li Lin said coldly, glancing at Zhao Qingtian and Zhao Qinghai. With a flap of his qi wings, he took Cuiyu into the air and left. "You thief, you bastard, you didn''t even say a word to me." Seeing Li Lin leaving with Cuiyu, Yun Hongling was so angry that she stamped her feet and shouted loudly at Li Lin. "Junior sister, you should quickly consume the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit. The sooner you take it, the more effective it will be. I''ll protect you while you do." Han Feng came to Yun Hongling''s side and said. "Hmph!" Yun Hongling glared at the disappearing figure of Li Lin in the distance, snorted indignantly, and then suddenly felt aggrieved, her eyes becoming somewhat moist. At this moment, everyone was still in shock. The strength of Li Lin, Cuiyu, and that beast was terrifying. Zhao Qinghai, once the top of the Dragon List, was now only so in name. The real top of the Dragon List should be Cuiyu, not Zhao Qinghai anymore. And Li Lin, who directly contended against Zhao Qingtian, must have reached the top five of the Dragon List. Now that he has obtained another Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, another breakthrough is just a matter of time. His strength will become even more terrifying. Zhao Qinghai and Zhao Qingtian, the two brothers, looked resentful but also helpless. The tide had turned; Li Lin had already established a foundation, and with Cuiyu and that beast, they were utterly incapable of dealing with them. They could only think of a way after leaving the secret ground. The two of them exchanged glances, ultimately swallowing their anger and coldness. Li Lin had obtained a Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, and after consuming it, he would surely break through again, possibly even advancing directly to a Martial General. They estimated that within the next three months inside this secret ground, it would be their turn to hide. "Greetings to the Demon King." Within the underground cavern, the Niscale Demon Peng saluted the little dragon. "How truly miraculous." Li Lin observed the cavern at this moment, the continuous flow of energy that had vanished. The cavern, once shrouded in mist, had now cleared up, with the dark, smooth ceiling of the cave hanging with many stalactites, drop by drop of milky white water slowly dripping into the pool. The water in the pool had also become clearer. At this moment, the huge vine in the center of the pool, no longer glowing, seemed to have turned a bit yellowish, the majestic energy feeling it initially gave off had already returned to calm. "The energy has disappeared." Cuiyu softly said. "The energy in here lasts only for a month and will reappear three years later," the Blood Jade Demon Tiger said. "Master, these are the Holy Fruits." The Niscale Demon Peng spread its wings, and on its wing scales, there were six fruits the size of a baby. As these six Martial Spirit Holy Fruits appeared, the cavern was once again filled with a rich energy aura. "Hehe." Li Lin chuckled mischievously, already taking out five jade boxes, placing five of the Martial Spirit Holy Fruits in them, and the last one was given to the little dragon: "Little dragon, this one is for you to consume." Watching Li Lin, Cuiyu also gave a wry smile. Perhaps she was the only one who knew all this. The rest of the Yunyang Sect thought the remaining six Martial Spirit Holy Fruits were taken by beasts. Who would have thought that all this was arranged by Li Lin in secret, with seven Martial Spirit Holy Fruits now in his possession. "Whoosh!" Just at this moment, a wave rippled in the pool, and then a white figure burst out of the water, it was the Nine-tailed Demon Fox. "Miss Bai Ling, how has your cultivation been?" Watching the aura of the Nine-tailed Demon Fox, Li Lin sensed that within this month, it had definitely become much stronger. Chapter 353: Closed-Door Cultivation for Refinement "It''s about time. The energy in the Sacred Pool has dried up, and continuing to cultivate here is useless. Have you gotten all the Sacred Fruits?" Bai Ling, the Nine-tailed Fox, opened her eyes, which were shooting sharp gleams. "We''ve got them all," Li Lin replied. "Then let''s head back. You all should consume the Sacred Fruits as soon as possible; the sooner, the better. I also need to go into closed-door cultivation again, as I''m probably about to make a breakthrough," the Nine-tailed Fox said softly. As the two of them and their beasts left the cave and re-entered the wormhole, the disciples of the Yunyang Sect on the mountain peaks above also left with no choice. No one had expected that, of the nine Martial Spirit Sacred Fruits, six would be taken by demonic beasts. "Although we didn''t get the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruits, the energy within this secret land won''t fully dissipate until three months later. Let''s all make good use of these three months to cultivate," Fei Yingling said. Everyone smiled wryly. Now, that was all they could do. Fortunately, the energy within the secret land still existed, albeit slowly dissipating. Taking advantage of this for cultivation was indeed much faster than in the outside world. "I''m going to find a place to close-door cultivate and refine the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit," Yun Hongling said. Among the people present, she was the only one who had obtained a Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit. "Consuming the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit, Junior Sister, now at the ninth Martial Soul level, it''s possible to break through to the second Martial General level," Han Feng said softly, his eyes filled with envy, but he dared not harbor any crooked thoughts, nor would he. Everyone nodded slightly, full of envy. The effect of a single Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit, as they had heard from their own masters, was enough to break through two Martial General levels, a tremendously powerful energy. One day later, inside the palace within the canyon, the two of them and their beasts emerged from the wormhole. "Li Lin, you guys go ahead and refine the Sacred Fruit. I''m going into closed-door cultivation to prepare for my breakthrough. It won''t take too long, and by then, we should be able to make it out," Bai Ling, the Nine-tailed Fox, told Li Lin before she disappeared from sight. This ancient palace had many rooms. It was important to consume and refine the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit as soon as possible. Li Lin found a room at random and then began to prepare for the consumption and cultivation of the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit. At this moment, Little dragon and Cui Yu also found their respective places to prepare for the refinement of the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit. The sooner the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit was consumed, the better the effect. Li Lin did not dare to be careless and waste the hard-earned Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit. With a hand gesture, a spirit fruit the size of a baby''s fist appeared in his hand. It was round and thoroughly red, like a red glass ball, transparent and crystal clear. A faint fragrance mixed with a majestic energy spread out, filling the room with this boundless energy. Looking at the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit in his hand, Li Lin could feel that the aura emanating from the fruit was identical to the energy he had absorbed from the energy pool inside the cave. Although small in size, the energy contained within the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit was a compressed form of the pool''s energy, undoubtedly a massive force. "Wondering what level I can break through to after consuming the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit?" Li Lin murmured. With increasingly stronger opponents, he needed to enhance his strength quickly. Although he was no longer afraid of Zhao Qingtian, his true opponent was not Zhao Qingtian but Zhao Wuji, or perhaps Zhao Wuji was not even considered a challenge. For the development of the Flying Spirit Gate and to become a strong practitioner, absolute strength was necessary. For instance, today, if he had enough strength to completely disregard the Yunyang Sect, then he could have killed Zhao Qingtian and others. However, he was still far from being able to contend with the Yunyang Sect. To deal with the Zhao family, he could not act recklessly yet. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Even after this expedition, with Bai Ling, the Nine-tailed Fox, accompanying him for five years, and with Elder Dong and Ghost Fairy Bai Ying in the Flying Spirit Gate, his strength was still not sufficient. Thus, enhancing his own strength was the most important task. Moments later, Li Lin set aside all distractions, sat cross-legged, and once again looked at the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit in his hand before swallowing it. Accompanied by a slightly cool taste, the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit entered his stomach and almost immediately melted, turning into a warm energy that flowed into his body. Just as Li Lin expected the energy from the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit to violently assault his body, he was surprised to find that the energy was not violent at all but extremely gentle, coiling within his body. This majestic but gentle energy turned into fine streams spreading throughout his body, quickly flowing into his meridians, like a gentle white rabbit. This greatly exceeded Li Lin''s expectations. As the energy entered his meridians, Li Lin started to circulate the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art. Bits of energy circulated and refined within his meridians, turning into Qi and spiritual power, entering his dantian Qi sea and brain. Although this massive energy was extremely gentle, it was too vast, filling his meridians to the point of expansion. "Such strong energy," Li Lin thought to himself, ecstatically refining it. This boundless energy would significantly enhance his strength. Feeling the energy from the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit within his body, he realized it was even more than what he had absorbed from the energy pool in the cave over a month. Moments later, the energy was refined at a satisfactory speed into streams of Qi and spiritual power, rushing into his dantian Qi sea and brain. At this moment, Li Lin could clearly feel that the refined Qi and spiritual power were substantial, continuously flowing into his dantian Qi sea and brain. Inside the vast dantian Qi sea, as the external Qi entered, it began to fluctuate. The five-colored Martial Pill within started to slowly rotate, surrounded by a faint five-colored glow. Inside the dantian Qi sea, the Martial Pill was being nourished and strengthened at an imperceptible speed. Bits of Qi were absorbed, making the Martial Pill''s luster even brighter. In the brain, the Soul Pill was also absorbing spiritual power non-stop, strengthening at a slow pace. Everything was progressing slowly. During the refinement of the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit''s energy, Li Lin also felt his bones, meridians, muscles, and internal organs being forged by this energy. In this state of refinement, Li Lin entered a self-forgetting state, controlling the energy from the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit within his body for refinement. Bit by bit, the refined energy turned into Qi, entering his dantian Qi sea. The spaces within the dantian Qi sea and brain were like bottomless pits, absorbing the refined Qi and spiritual power. Li Lin could feel that after reaching the seventh level of Martial Soul and Spirit Soul, the energy needed for a breakthrough was terrifyingly large. Continuing to break through was not something that could be achieved in a short time, but the energy from the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit within his body was vast enough to allow him to refine for a long time. As for the full benefits of completely refining the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit and the final breakthrough level, Li Lin did not know yet, but he was looking forward to it. Inside the room, a faint energy diffused from Li Lin, spreading out and causing ripples in the space, giving it a surreal appearance. Li Lin''s eyes were tightly closed, and after a moment, he was enveloped in a faint earthy yellow light circle, with an invisible white light circle faintly visible within. Energy diffused out and was then absorbed by Li Lin, creating a mysterious cycle of inhalation and exhalation. As he entered a state of absolute cultivation, Li Lin''s expression was calm, unaware of the changes around him. His mind was completely immersed in refining the energy from the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit within his body. The aura around him began to slowly climb. Whether it was Qi or spiritual power, both were slowly strengthening. Although this strengthening speed might seem insignificant, it was actually astonishingly fast. Thanks to the devouring effect of the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art, consuming the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit allowed Li Lin to benefit more than others, showcasing the extraordinary effect of the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art. As Li Lin refined, the energy within the room became denser. Over time, the aura emanating from Li Lin''s body gradually strengthened, wave after wave of vast Qi, spreading out like waves from his body. After refining, the energy from the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit turned into the purest Qi and spiritual power, infusing into Li Lin''s dantian Qi sea and brain, causing his aura to slowly climb... In this way, time passed quickly, and days slowly went by. Atop the peaks of the Yunyang Sect, it was now early winter, and the weather was gradually cooling. The mountains, now less verdant, revealed their majestic stature. In the evening, as the sun set, ancient pines and giant rocks complemented each other, with clouds and the afterglow of the sunset reflecting off each other, making the mountain peaks appear rugged and majestic. In a quiet courtyard on one of the mountain peaks, although it was early winter, there were still many potted plants and even many flowers blooming. On a stone corridor in the courtyard, three figures were playing, chasing each other, their laughter clear and bell-like. Moments later, the three stood on the stone corridor, laughing so hard they bent over. Chapter 354: Preparing for Breakthrough "Wushuang sister, I haven''t been this relaxed in a long time. Since they entered the secret realm, I no longer have to cultivate as desperately as before," a charming and beautiful woman said softly. She was dressed in a red long dress, with a curvaceous figure, a bit of playfulness mixed with charm, and it was Yang Miao. "It''s been four months, right? I wonder who among them will be able to obtain the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit," Li Wushuang tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear, inadvertently exuding a charm, as she gazed at the peaks and spoke lightly. "Anyway, we don''t have a share, so let''s not worry," Du Gu Binglan said lightly, followed by a chuckle, then said to Li Wushuang, "Wushuang sister, you''re probably worried about Lin''er, right?" "You girl, always teasing me," Li Wushuang glared at her, but a smile appeared on her face, and she said softly, "I''m worried that Cuiyu and Lin''er might be in danger." "Don''t worry about that. They''re together, so there shouldn''t be any big danger," Du Gu Binglan said with a mysterious smile. "I hope so," Li Wushuang said. Time passed like sand slipping through fingers. Around the palace in the canyon, the eternal grey haze persisted. Unbeknownst to when, a rich aura began to spread from behind the palace, on a mountain top. At the same time, many beasts in the canyon felt this aura, becoming restless, their gaze fixed on the mountain top. "The Demon King is about to break through again," said a two-headed water-fire demon Jiao on the small plaza outside the palace, gazing intently at the mountain top. "After the Demon King breaks through to the mid-fourth stage, his strength will surpass mine," said the Blood Jade Demon Tiger, its bell-like eyes staring at the mountain top. "Having consumed the Holy Fruit, it''s normal for the Demon King''s strength to break through. It''s just a pity that one can only consume one Holy Fruit. Otherwise, with so many years of consuming Holy Fruits, we could have broken through the seal and escaped," the Ni Lin Demon Peng said, its wings slightly fluttering. "Bai Ling Demon King has cultivated for six thousand years, only to reach the early sixth stage. If it were in the outside world, he would at least reach the eighth stage by now. Once we get out, our cultivation speed will increase," said the Tai Yin Demon Rabbit softly, its voice female and somewhat cute. "Roar..." While these four demon beasts were discussing, a roar like a dragon''s chant broke through the air from the mountain top, the sound majestic and stirring, spreading through space with a tremendous oppressive aura. "Roar..." "Screech..." "Whine..." Inside the canyon, all beasts howled and roared, trembling under the invisible aura. At this moment, the Ni Lin Demon Peng, Tai Yin Demon Rabbit, two-headed water-fire demon Jiao, and Blood Jade Demon Tiger, all fifth-stage demon beasts, were also trembling, feeling an absolute oppression coming from the depths of their blood and souls, unable to resist this force of suppression. "This is the Emperor''s aura. This is the Emperor''s aura," the two-headed water-fire demon Jiao trembled, barely able to breathe under this oppressive aura. "Whine." "Roar!" The four fifth-stage demon beasts couldn''t help but roar, only by roaring could they alleviate some of the suppression from the depths of their souls. Above the mountain, a huge golden light soared into the sky, its aura violently spreading, a massive tail, like a dragon''s, burst out, sweeping a golden flame across the sky, leaving behind a scorching aura. "Swoosh..." A figure leaped out from the ancient palace, it was Cuiyu, staring at the huge commotion on the mountain, Cuiyu''s gaze filled with surprise: "This aura is very familiar, but Little Dragon doesn''t seem to belong to that terrifying clan, this is strange..." This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. The air was tumultuous, the canyon filled with the howling of countless beasts for a long time, and it was only after half an hour that the aura within the mountain gradually subsided. "Swoosh..." A yellow streak of light leaped from the mountain, flashing across the sky. "Greetings to the Demon King." The four fifth-stage demon beasts prostrated in salute. "Cuiyu sister, have you finished your retreat?" The yellow light converged and landed on Cuiyu''s shoulder, it was Little Dragon. "Um, I''ve broken through a few days ago. I didn''t expect you to break through again, your strength must have increased a lot, right?" Cuiyu, fond of the cute Little Dragon on her shoulder, said. "I''ve broken through to the mid-fourth stage. I''m not afraid of Zhao Qinghai anymore. Next time I see him, I''ll properly thrash him," Little Dragon said proudly, raising its little head, its little black eyes turning, filled with pride. "If you want to kill Zhao Qinghai, don''t do it in the secret realm. It will cause trouble for your master. And the Zhao family is very strong. Your master is far from being able to contend with them now, so don''t act recklessly," Cuiyu advised Little Dragon. "Zhao family, can''t even Bai Ling sister handle it?" Little Dragon asked with its little head raised. Cuiyu shook her head, "Even your Bai Ling sister can''t handle it. The Zhao family has more than one Zhao Wuji, so don''t cause trouble for your master." "Hmph, one day, my master and I will deal with the Zhao family properly," Little Dragon said, its eyes emitting a cold light. Time passed quietly, and within the secret realm, there was peace. Inside the ancient palace, a figure often found herself daydreaming, surrounded only by demon beasts, occasionally her gaze would fix on a certain part of the great hall. "What should I do, go back or stay?" the figure murmured, leaning against a corridor pavilion, her slender waist and body forming a charming curve, if not for the red spots on her face, anyone could see she was a stunningly beautiful woman. "Cuiyu sister, what are you thinking about?" Little Dragon''s small body came beside Cuiyu. "I''m wondering why your master hasn''t come out yet, it''s been a month and a half," Cuiyu straightened up, holding Little Dragon in her palm, and said with a light smile. "Don''t worry, I can feel my master''s aura strengthening all the time. Besides, my master has already broken through once, now he''s at the eighth level of Martial Soul," Little Dragon said, then asked, "Cuiyu sister, do you like my master?" "Little devil, what do you know?" Cuiyu chuckled, glaring at Little Dragon. "Humph, I know everything. My master and I have a blood pact, so whatever he''s thinking, I know," Little Dragon''s little eyes spun, then blinked, looking like a mischievous child, endearing to those who saw it. "Oh!" Cuiyu smiled slightly and asked Little Dragon, "Then tell me, besides Wushuang sister, who else does your master like?" "I won''t betray my master!" Little Dragon said, raising its little head, then blinked and said, "Unless you first tell me, do you like my master?" "You!" Cuiyu stared at Little Dragon, annoyed but helpless. "Humph! If you don''t tell me, I won''t tell you," Little Dragon said. Cuiyu glared at Little Dragon, helpless. "Sigh!" Just then, an energy fluctuation came from inside the palace, Cuiyu''s gaze instantly focused on a certain part of the palace: "Another breakthrough?" Inside the room, Li Lin was enveloped in a thick layer of pale yellow light, releasing rich Qi from his body, filling the room with majestic Qi energy. Qi overflowed from his pores, each inhalation and exhalation mysterious, his aura climbing rapidly. This continued for not too long, until a loud explosion from the dantian Qi sea within his body, his aura becoming extremely majestic. In the room, faint traces of heaven and earth energy rapidly condensed, although not vast, similar to the energy in the energy pool. This energy seemed to form a vortex around Li Lin, finally pouring into his body through his pores. The room''s Qi energy also entered Li Lin''s body along with this, the energy infusion lasting only a moment before gradually dissipating. At this moment, the yellow light around Li Lin suddenly vanished, and suddenly, he was enveloped in an invisible white light ring. At this moment, in Li Lin''s mind, the soul pill spun rapidly, his mind filled to bursting with spirit energy, richly absorbed by the soul pill. In this transformation, Li Lin could clearly feel that under the nourishment of spirit energy, the strength of his soul seemed to have consumed a great tonic, constantly strengthening at a rapid pace. With the soul pill''s enhancement, Li Lin felt a slight pain in his mind. The enhancement of the soul pill, that is, the strength of the soul, the energy of the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, was almost the same as the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid in amplifying the soul. Li Lin did not expect the Soul Spirit Divine Liquid to have such an effect on soul strength. In the energy pool, that energy could also strengthen the soul, but not to this extent. Strengthening spirit energy and soul strength are two aspects. The soul strength of spirit practitioners is also varied. The growth of soul strength relies entirely on absorbing spirit energy. Spirit practitioners cultivate spirit energy, not directly the soul. The strength of the soul directly affects the strength of spirit practitioners, so every spirit practitioner hopes their soul strength becomes very strong. However, enhancing soul strength is not an easy task, similar to martial practitioners wanting to strengthen their bodies. And enhancing soul strength for spirit practitioners is much more difficult than martial practitioners strengthening their bodies. At this moment, the enhancement of soul strength by the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit made Li Lin very happy. The stronger the soul strength, in a way, means the stronger the strength. The larger the martial practitioner''s dantian Qi sea and the wider the meridians, the stronger their strength. At the martial practitioner level, he has already been able to contend across levels. Continuous strengthening of the soul strength means that at the spirit practitioner level, he may also be able to contend across levels in the future. Chapter 355: The Pinnacle of the Ninth Layer However, at this moment, the enhancement of soul power also caused Li Lin a lot of pain. Throbbing pains transmitted through his mind, especially at this moment of breakthrough, the influx of violent energy made Li Lin understand what it means to have a splitting headache, as if his head was about to burst open. "Bang!" With a muffled sound coming from his mind, Li Lin''s consciousness was directly blown into confusion, but it gradually improved in an instant. And just at this moment, Li Lin felt that he had broken through to the ninth level of soul spirit. His soul seemed to be several times stronger than before. The current Soul Pill was also more refined and delicate, a notch larger than when at the eighth level of soul spirit. The size of this Soul Pill could only be discerned by oneself, as it was almost invisible to the naked eye. "Whoosh!" A breath of foul air was exhaled, and Li Lin''s eyes suddenly opened, a powerful aura bursting out from within him instantly. "There is still energy that hasn''t been refined, continue." Li Lin said softly, then closed his eyes and continued to cultivate. "Hasn''t it been refined yet?" Cui Yu was slightly surprised. She had refined the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit several days ago and had also made a breakthrough in strength, but Li Lin had not yet. She then realized it was to be expected; her strength was much stronger, so naturally, she would refine the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit faster, while Li Lin, being weaker, would naturally be slower. However, Cui Yu did not know that her assumption was only half right. Li Lin''s strength was not as strong as hers, and the speed of refining was slower. But more importantly, the effect of Li Lin''s Yin Yang Spirit Martial Art allowed him to completely devour the energy transformed by the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit without wasting a bit, gaining much more benefits from the refining. Just like refining a demon pill, ordinary people could only refine it into medicinal pills for consumption, but Li Lin could directly consume and refine it, naturally gaining much more benefits. As Li Lin re-entered the state of cultivation, time passed again, and Cui Yu could only chat with Little dragon (Little Dragon) every day, waiting in this ancient palace. After the Nine-Tailed Fox went into retreat, there was also no movement. As for Little dragon, he was exceedingly happy, wandering around the canyon every day, and before Li Lin went into retreat, he did not forget to release the Bloodthirsty Mantis, Lightning Black Panther, and Green Demon Python, the three third-generation demon beasts from the space beast bag. After arriving at the Yunyang Sect, these three demon beasts were only occasionally let out by Li Lin for a breath of fresh air. Their huge bodies could not be minimized, attracting much attention, and could not stay in the residence like the Blood Lizard. When another ten or so days passed, Li Lin collected his hand seals, and with a breath of foul air expelled, he opened his eyes again, his eyes filled with sharp light, and a powerful aura burst forth from within his body. This outburst of aura lasted only a moment before Li Lin quickly retracted it. "So strong." Feeling the fullness of true qi and the comfort brought by the mental power in his body, Li Lin''s mouth curled into a smile. "It''s just a pity that I couldn''t break through to Martial General and Spirit General, just a bit more." Li Lin murmured. At this moment, his true qi had reached the late phase of the ninth level of Martial Spirit, close to the pinnacle, and his mental power level had even reached the pinnacle of the late phase of the ninth level of Soul Spirit. What excited Li Lin more about the breakthrough in mental power was the enhancement of soul power. Mental power could be cultivated, but there were few ways to cultivate soul power, so the enhancement of soul power was undoubtedly a great gain for him. A Martial Spirit Holy Fruit allowed both his true qi and mental power to breakthrough two levels continuously, from the pinnacle of the seventh level of Martial Spirit and Soul Spirit to the current late phase of the ninth level of Martial Spirit, close to the pinnacle, and the pinnacle of the ninth level of Soul Spirit. Li Lin was quite satisfied, just a little regretful that he couldn''t directly break through to the Martial General level. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The energy of the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit was enough to break through two levels at the edge of the Martial General level, but since Li Lin practiced both spirit and martial arts, and with the vast Qi sea in his Dantian, even after fully refining the energy of the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, he only managed to breakthrough two-tenths in both Martial Spirit and Soul Spirit levels. If he wasn''t practicing both spirit and martial arts, breaking through to the Martial General level would definitely not be a problem. At this moment, Li Lin was even thinking that just consuming a fourth-order late-stage demon pill might be enough to break through to the first level of Martial General, with his mental power level also at the pinnacle of the ninth level of Soul Spirit, allowing him to break through to the first level of Martial General and Soul Spirit in one go. Martial General and Martial Spirit, even now between the ninth level of Martial Spirit and the first level of Martial General, the gap is vast, completely two different levels. If he were to break through to Martial General, his strength would undoubtedly surge again, stepping into the realm of true power, a Martial General''s cultivation in the outside world would also be considered a strong fighter. Breaking through to Martial General, at this moment, is a huge temptation for Li Lin, just consuming another fourth-order late-stage demon pill could achieve a breakthrough. Li Lin at this moment also had an absolute impulse to break through to Martial General, a first-level Martial General, his strength would be greatly enhanced. At the seventh level of Martial Spirit, he could already contend with Zhao Qingtian, a second-level Martial General, and even Li Lin felt that, at the seventh level of Martial Spirit, if he exerted his full strength, it would not be difficult to kill Zhao Qingtian, especially since he had not used his mental power at that time. If he combined it with mental power, killing Zhao Qingtian would not be impossible. Zhao Qingtian is the fifth on the Yunyang Sect''s Dragon List, an absolute standout among the younger generation of the Yunyang Sect, with a cultivation of a second-level Martial General, probably even a typical third-level Martial General would have difficulty dealing with him. Estimating Zhao Qingtian''s strength compared to his own, Li Lin also had a rough understanding of his strength. From the seventh level of Martial Spirit to now the pinnacle of the ninth level of Martial Spirit, his current strength was enough to kill Zhao Qingtian, even Zhao Qinghai, he would not fear. If he were to break through to Martial General, the strength, Li Lin thought about it and was excited, the level of Martial General was beckoning him. "No, I can''t break through." Li Lin gritted his teeth and muttered, took a deep breath, the series of breakthroughs in this period, while his strength surged, Li Lin felt the pleasure within his body, but at this moment, Li Lin also felt a slight restlessness within him, a sign of too rapid breakthroughs and unstable foundation. Another breakthrough, for his future cultivation, would undoubtedly be a significant discount, making future cultivation difficult. "In the short term, I can''t break through again." Li Lin thought about the consequences and broke out in a cold sweat. In the following period, he definitely couldn''t break through again, he must first stabilize his cultivation. Since he could break through at any time, why rush at this moment. "Now my strength is enough, I''ll break through later." After deciding, Li Lin twisted his neck, casually clenched his fist, feeling the true qi within his body, several times stronger than when at the seventh level of Martial Spirit, and couldn''t help but smile slightly. Now, at the ninth level of Martial Spirit, the ninth level of Soul Spirit, at least among the Martial Spirit level, he would have no rivals, among the younger generation, he could also be considered decent. But now Li Lin dared not be as arrogant as before. He had always thought that with the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Art, he would have a place among the younger generation, but after seeing the strong fighters on the Dragon List, Li Lin realized the difference. And after catching up with the strong fighters on the Dragon List, Li Lin met Cui Yu, whose strength, even Zhao Qinghai, could not match now, which shocked Li Lin. Li Lin still remembered when he left the Li family, Uncle Jiang said a sentence: "The Spirit Martial Continent is not as simple as you imagine, there''s always a higher mountain, strong fighters have their stronger counterparts." Li Lin now fully understood, Uncle Jiang was reminding him to always remember, without absolute strength, do not be arrogant, on the Spirit Martial Continent, there are many things he does not know. After getting ready, Li Lin stepped out of the room, estimating it was also time to head towards the exit, after all, there was still a considerable distance to the exit. "Boss." As he walked out of the room, a yellow light leaped towards him, Li Lin raised his hands, and Little dragon had already landed in his palms, spitting and cuddling affectionately. "Did you refine the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit?" Feeling the aura on Little dragon, Li Lin asked. "Yep, I''ve broken through again." Little dragon said proudly, blinking his small eyes. "Good job." Li Lin said, patting Little dragon''s small head. Little dragon''s breakthrough meant he was now at the fourth-order intermediate level. When at the fourth-order initial stage, Little dragon could barely contend with Zhao Qinghai, now, Little dragon''s strength, was probably even above his own, Li Lin thought and was happy in his heart. "Of course, boss, you''re breaking through so fast, I can''t be worse." Little dragon said proudly. "Lin''er, congratulations on your breakthrough, to the ninth level of Martial Spirit, right?" Cui Yu appeared beside Li Lin, her beautiful eyes slightly smiling, her delicate features making Li Lin feel somewhat unnatural after seeing Cui Yu''s peerless beauty, involuntarily thinking of that flawless face without the red spots. Chapter 356: Xuan Level Martial Technique "Ah, reached the ninth level of Martial Soul." Li Lin nodded, sensing the aura from Cuiyu, and said, "You''ve broken through again, haven''t you?" "Ah, after taking the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit, I''ve made another breakthrough." Cuiyu nodded. "What level are you at now?" Li Lin asked curiously. He had never been able to see through Cuiyu''s strength, which perhaps was like his own cultivation of the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Technique, where the level of strength wasn''t something ordinary people could discern. "Second-level Spirit General Peak." Cuiyu nodded lightly. Taking the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit allowed me to break through from a first-level Spirit General to the peak of the second level. Just a little bit more, and I could break through again. "Only a second-level Spirit General? So, in the Sacred Pool, you had just broken through to Spirit General?" Li Lin was surprised. Cuiyu didn''t speak but slightly nodded. "Then at the time of the ninth level Spirit Soul, you were able to contend with Zhao Qinghai?" Li Lin sighed inwardly. When they were attacked back then, Cuiyu contended against Zhao Qinghai, only barely being at a disadvantage. If Cuiyu had just broken through to a first-level Spirit General in the energy pool, then at that time against Zhao Qinghai, Cuiyu''s strength was merely at the ninth level Spirit Soul. Being able to contend against Zhao Qinghai, a third-level Spirit General, was terrifying enough. And since Cuiyu broke through to a first-level Spirit General in the energy pool, he could easily defeat Zhao Qinghai. Such strength was terrifying. "The cultivation technique I practice is special; I can also contend against opponents across levels." Cuiyu nodded, not hiding anything from Li Lin. "Cuiyu, who exactly are you?" At this moment, Li Lin couldn''t help but ask, no longer believing in the maid identity. "Do you really want to know?" Cuiyu asked with a slight smile. "Yes!" Li Lin nodded affirmatively. "But I can''t tell you now. It''s not that I don''t want to tell you, but telling you would have a significant impact on you. When there''s a chance in the future, I will definitely tell you," Cuiyu said, looking at Li Lin with a slight apology. "It''s okay, no matter who you are, you are still my friend," Li Lin replied in relief. "Just a friend?" Cuiyu looked at Li Lin, her eyes carrying an indescribable gaze, stirring something in Li Lin''s heart. "This" Li Lin looked at Cuiyu. Their time together was not without meaning, and the ambiguity between them had said it all. For his sake, Cuiyu got hurt by Zhao Qinghai and didn''t leave him behind when competing for the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit. Li Lin was moved by everything Cuiyu did for him. In every aspect, Li Lin even felt he was reaching for someone out of his league, but now he had Wushuang, and there was also Hongling, that girl. "Alright, you don''t need to answer, I know what you''re thinking," Cuiyu said with a light smile, then added, "Remember what you said, huh? If sister Wushuang agrees, you won''t have any objections, right?" "Hehe." Li Lin could only show a somewhat awkward smile, looking like a child. When facing his opponents, Li Lin wouldn''t frown, but among women, he felt somewhat awkward. "Look at you, all dazed. I really don''t know how sister Wushuang fell for you," Cuiyu glared at Li Lin, then shyly said, "But that''s good too, sister Wushuang doesn''t have to worry about you attracting bees and butterflies outside." "Boss, I''ll take you to a place that will surprise you," suddenly, Little dragon seemed to remember something, raising his little head to Li Lin. "Really? Then take me to see. I want to see what could surprise me," Li Lin said with a slight smile. "Let''s go." Little dragon said mysteriously, then led the way forward. Reaching the grand hall, he had four fifth-level demonic beasts, the Contrary Scale Demonic Pengs, lead the way straight to the back of the palace. Moments later, a small room appeared in front of Li Lin. This room was no different from other rooms, with the door slightly ajar. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "Boss, don''t be surprised when you enter," Little dragon said with a mysterious tone. "Let''s see." Li Lin was curious and pushed open the ajar door, with Cuiyu also following with curiosity and confusion. Upon entering the room, both were almost simultaneously dumbfounded, their expressions taking a long time to recover. "Boss, I told you not to be surprised!" Little dragon said lightly. "Little dragon, where did you get this from?" Looking at everything in front of him, Li Lin was extremely surprised. In the room, a stone table in the center was piled with no less than a hundred jade slips, various attributes emanating. From these attributes, Li Lin could tell that these jade slips were at least of the Yellow-level beginner martial technique level. "This wasn''t my doing; the Contrary Scale Demonic Peng led me here," Little dragon said. "Master, these are human martial techniques, which are useless to us demonic beasts. Every few decades, some human powerhouses come here and scatter some martial techniques. After those humans leave, we collect them. Since they are of no use to us, we''ve placed these martial techniques here," the Contrary Scale Demonic Peng said. "Yellow-level beginner martial technique." "Yellow-level intermediate martial technique." "Yellow-level advanced martial technique." Flipping through the jade slips, Li Lin immediately became excited. These hundred jade slips were all of the Yellow level, much more than the Yellow-level martial techniques in the secret chamber of the Flying Spirit Gate, and most were Yellow-level intermediate martial techniques, with not a few being advanced. Hearing the Contrary Scale Demonic Peng''s words, Li Lin understood that it must have been the strong practitioners of the Yunyang Sect who, to train their disciples, would place some martial techniques in the secret land every few decades. Knowing that these martial techniques would be taken by demonic beasts, they allowed their disciples to kill the beasts to obtain the techniques as a form of training. However, the people of Yunyang Sect probably did not expect that most of the martial techniques would be accumulated in this hidden palace by demonic beasts like the Contrary Scale Demonic Peng. "These two are" Among the pile of martial techniques, Li Lin picked up two jade slips, sensing the attributes emanating from them, one being of wood attribute and the other of water attribute. From the aura emanating from these two jade slips, Li Lin''s heartbeat sped up. "These should be Xuan-level beginner wood attribute martial technique and Xuan-level beginner water attribute martial technique," Cuiyu said next to Li Lin, looking at the numerous martial techniques on the stone table, her gaze surprised but not as much as Li Lin''s. "Xuan-level beginner martial technique." Li Lin''s heartbeat accelerated, his master Yu Yu had mentioned that there were Xuan-level beginner martial techniques in this secret land, and it seemed to be true. Xuan-level beginner martial techniques were treasures in major sects and schools. This level of martial technique, Li Lin knew, was something even his master Yu Yu could not give him more of. High-level Yellow techniques were more plausible, but Xuan-level and Yellow-level were completely different levels. Among his many martial techniques, Li Lin had the Floating Light and Glimpse Shadow at Xuan-level beginner level, and the Soul Blade Technique was also at Xuan-level beginner level. But in terms of martial techniques, he did not yet possess a Xuan-level technique, which was what Li Lin had always desired. A set of Xuan-level beginner martial techniques could be worth an entire second-tier force. Now, with two scrolls of Xuan-level beginner martial techniques, they were definitely treasures. Even martial masters, if they knew a Martial Soul had Xuan-level beginner martial techniques, might not be able to resist lowering their status to rob them. "Cuiyu, you are a Spirit Practitioner; these martial techniques should be of no use to you," Li Lin said, and the two scrolls of Xuan-level beginner martial techniques were already in his spatial bag. "I can''t use them, take them all," Cuiyu glared at Li Lin: "No one is competing with you, look at you." "I''m not worried about you competing with me. You''re cultivating Xuan-level intermediate spirit techniques. I''m just a poor man; you wouldn''t compete with me, right?" Li Lin chuckled and unceremoniously collected the hundred or so Yellow-level martial techniques into his spatial bag. These were all Yellow-level martial techniques, and for Li Lin personally, his cultivation of high-level Yellow techniques was already sufficient. But these Yellow-level martial techniques were immensely important for the Flying Spirit Gate. With these techniques, the development of the Flying Spirit Gate would undoubtedly improve significantly. Seeing Li Lin''s actions, Cuiyu could only smile helplessly. After collecting these martial techniques, Li Lin was satisfied, especially with the two sets of Xuan-level beginner martial techniques. Together with the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit he obtained this time, this trip to the secret land was definitely worthwhile. Inside the secret land, without day or night, after several hours, in a room, Li Lin placed all the jade slips and the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit into his hidden storage ring. Thinking of the remaining five Martial Spirit Sacred Fruits, Li Lin''s mouth curved into a slight smile. These fruits could greatly increase the chance for martial artists and spirit practitioners to become Martial Kings. The Old Poisoner and the Ghost Fairy, currently at the peak of nine levels Spirit Marshal and Martial Marshal, respectively, would have a much greater chance of breaking through to Martial King and Spirit King after taking the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit. If both of them broke through, the strength of the Flying Spirit Gate would undoubtedly increase significantly. And Wushuang, who couldn''t enter the secret land this time, Li Lin thought of leaving a fruit for her when he obtained the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit. And for the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion, taking a fruit could mean a breakthrough to the fourth level was just around the corner. Chapter 357: Dispirited Spirit Dissipation Thinking of all this, Li Lin was overjoyed. In the end, he took out two jade slips in his hand. Li Lin looked at the two jade slips, which were permeated with a rich energy of the wood and water attributes, exactly the two sets of Xuan-level elementary martial arts techniques. "Cultivate the wood attribute martial technique." After hesitating for a moment, Li Lin put the water attribute martial technique into the storage ring. Bai Ling still didn''t know when she would come out of seclusion. In the following time, he could just cultivate this Xuan-level elementary martial technique. A drop of fresh blood dripped onto the jade slip, and as the mind probed into it, a rich wood attribute energy on the jade slip began to tremble, and then a dazzling green light entered Li Lin''s brow. This dazzling green light, in Li Lin''s mind, instantly turned into a massive amount of information. A moment later, the wood attribute energy on the jade slip suddenly dimmed, and Li Lin slowly opened his eyes, with surprise in his eyes. "Dispirited Spirit Dissipation Palm." Li Lin murmured, learning from the information that this Xuan-level elementary wood attribute martial technique was called Dispirited Spirit Dissipation Palm, and its power made Li Lin somewhat speechless. Perhaps this is the tricky and difficult part of the wood attribute martial techniques. According to the cultivation information of the Dispirited Spirit Dissipation Palm, Li Lin learned that this martial technique is a very bizarre one among the Xuan-level elementary martial techniques. Those hit by the Dispirited Spirit Dissipation Palm, even if not injured, would lose a lot of strength. Opponents with slightly lower strength could directly run out of Qi or even be directly killed. Even opponents stronger than oneself, if hit by the Dispirited Spirit Dissipation Palm, would also suffer a massive consumption of strength. The extent of the consumption depends on the strength of the user. Generally speaking, for cultivators of the same level, just being hit by two Dispirited Spirit Dissipation Palms is enough to exhaust them completely and be killed. That is to say, using the Dispirited Spirit Dissipation Palm could directly cause the opponent to suffer a massive consumption of strength, unless the opponent has some secret method, otherwise, the impact can be imagined. "What a bizarre and terrifying martial technique." Li Lin exclaimed in surprise. If he could cultivate this bizarre martial technique, first use the Dispirited Spirit Dissipation Palm to cause the opponent a great consumption, and then instantly kill with full force, it would be like adding wings to a tiger. "Cultivate." A firm light shone in Li Lin''s eyes. After cultivating the Dispirited Spirit Dissipation Palm, he would have one more trump card. With one hand gesture after another, Li Lin''s hands were covered in mysterious green light. In the back mountain of the ancient palace, within a forest, Li Lin''s figure appeared, enveloped in rich wood attribute energy. Mysterious hand gestures condensed, and green palm prints bombarded out. Continuously cultivating like this, Li Lin''s expression was always somewhat solemn. Xuan-level martial techniques were not so easy to cultivate. Without day and night, Li Lin would usually cultivate for several hours and then return to the palace to meditate and stabilize his cultivation. With this stabilization, Li Lin felt his strength not advancing but retreating, and his cultivation level seemed to be slowly regressing in an imperceptible manner. This scared Li Lin into a cold sweat. Li Lin knew that this was not really his cultivation strength regressing but rather continuing to progress. This change was due to breaking through too fast, and the Qi in his body was somewhat turbulent, not fully consolidated. Now, by continuously consolidating his cultivation, his cultivation strength was becoming more solid, seeming like a regression, but in fact, there was no regression at all. Of course, this was just a very slight change, but it also scared Li Lin. This might seem inconsequential, but if his cultivation level were higher in the future, it would be too late to remedy. Just like a skyscraper, if the main beam deviates by a millimeter, it may not be noticeable at first, but if this deviation continues as the building gets higher, the situation can be imagined. Li Lin sighed in relief that he had not continued to break through to the Martial General level. It seems that future breakthroughs should not be as recent, consuming and refining energy as soon as seen, and one must pay attention to consolidating one''s cultivation properly. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. After cultivating for tens of hours, Li Lin would go back to the back mountain to cultivate the Dispirited Spirit Dissipation Palm. As time slowly passed, occasionally, Li Lin would also accompany Cui Yu to wander around the valley. Now, in the entire valley, no demon beast would show hostility towards the two of them, all showing utmost respect. As for Little dragon, he was led by the Niescale Demon Peng and other demon beasts, running around the entire secret area. About twenty days passed like this. In the back mountain, Li Lin was enveloped in a rich green light, hand gestures of profound mystery being made. At the same time, as the hand gestures were made, the Qi inside his body also rapidly circulated in the meridians, and it was vaguely visible that the changes in Li Lin''s hand gestures and the circulation of Qi inside his body seemed to maintain the same rhythm. This not only required extremely high demands on the circulation of Qi but also on the control of the mind. Any slight mistake would make it impossible to activate. In a moment, a green palm print appeared in Li Lin''s hand, trembling and appearing very unstable. "Hisss!" After trembling a few times, the green palm print suddenly collapsed, dissipating into energy in the air. "Ah, Xuan-level martial techniques are indeed difficult to cultivate." Li Lin smiled wryly. Xuan-level martial techniques are probably more than ten times more difficult to cultivate than high-level Yellow techniques. At this moment, deploying high-level Yellow techniques, Li Lin felt he could do it with ease, but cultivating the Dispirited Spirit Dissipation Palm, regarding the circulation of Qi and control of the mind, was not ordinary. He was almost overwhelmed. If not for his decent soul power, which helped a lot in controlling his mind, it would have been even more difficult to cultivate. But even so, having almost been cultivating for twenty days now, he was still unable to smoothly activate the Dispirited Spirit Dissipation Palm. Either the circulation of Qi was chaotic, or the coordination failed, making Li Lin frustrated. And regarding the Qi activation required for the Dispirited Spirit Dissipation Palm, Li Lin also knew after cultivating that to activate the Dispirited Spirit Dissipation Palm once, based on his current level of ninth layer Martial Spirit late stage, if successful in activation, he could probably only perform it twice at most. This was because of his strong Dantian Qi sea. If it were an ordinary ninth layer Martial Spirit, it would be great if they could activate it once, and probably not one in a thousand ninth layer Martial Spirits could activate the Dispirited Spirit Dissipation Palm once. This kind of consumption was indeed too great. According to the information on the Dispirited Spirit Dissipation Palm, cultivators of the same level, if hit twice by the Dispirited Spirit Dissipation Palm, would be exhausted. Li Lin smiled wryly at this moment. If he activated the Dispirited Spirit Dissipation Palm twice, he feared he would be the one exhausted first. Of course, Li Lin also knew that if he broke through to the Martial General level, then activating the Dispirited Spirit Dissipation Palm would become much easier. "How is it, failed again?" Cui Yu''s voice rang in Li Lin''s ears. In the distance, Cui Yu''s figure and Little dragon were sitting on a branch of a towering tree, her slender legs gently swinging under the branch, quietly watching Li Lin cultivating. Although Cui Yu knew that Li Lin was dual-cultivating in spirit and martial arts, she didn''t know Li Lin was a quintuple-element martial artist, always thinking he was a tri-element martial artist of fire, wind, and earth. When she knew Li Lin was cultivating wood attribute martial techniques, she was stunned. Li Lin then directly told Cui Yu that he was cultivating all elements, which shocked Cui Yu even more, calling him a monster, and it took a long time to accept this fact. An all-element martial artist, dual-cultivating in spirit and martial arts, such a monstrous talent made Li Wushuang gasp in shock. "Yeah." Li Lin smiled wryly and nodded, saying, "Xuan-level elementary martial techniques are indeed difficult to cultivate." "You are already doing well. Looking at you, you should be close to successful cultivation. You know, ordinary Martial Spirits, if they cultivate Xuan-level elementary martial techniques, can only sigh in envy. Even some with decent talent, without half a year, don''t even think about successfully cultivating. You''ve only been half a month." Cui Yu said. "Continue." Li Lin smiled slightly, his hands forming mysterious gestures again. With Li Lin''s character, no matter how difficult the task, he would definitely not have any fear. As the hand gestures were made again, the Qi inside Li Lin''s body was instantly mobilized, and the majestic Qi rapidly surged in the meridians, the Qi required to activate the Xuan-level elementary martial techniques was also immensely vast. Even with Li Lin''s current wide and strong meridians, he also felt a swelling pain. "This time, I must succeed." Li Lin bit his teeth secretly. The Soul Blade Technique was also a Xuan-level technique, and he could cultivate it successfully. This Dispirited Spirit Dissipation Palm, he must also be able to cultivate successfully. Controlling the Qi and hand gestures with his mind, Li Lin''s aura also surged a lot. Slightly calming his mind and spirit, Li Lin entered a marvelous state, starting to condense the Dispirited Spirit Dissipation Palm, and a green palm print condensed again in his hand. "Condense." With a low shout in his heart, following a series of complex hand gestures suddenly made and then gathered, Qi surged out from several meridians in Li Lin''s body, then gathering in the palm, Qi leaking from all pores in his body at this moment, but eventually, controlled by an invisible force, converging from all directions and fully condensed together. The hand gestures changed again, and amidst the surge of green light around him, Li Lin''s aura suddenly soared. Under this aura, Cui Yu in the distance also suddenly changed her expression, and Little dragon''s little head immediately tensed up. As the palm print gradually formed, the powerful Qi inside Li Lin''s body was suddenly pulled out by the palm print in his hand, the green light on the palm print surged, and its might also suddenly climbed. Subsequently, a half-meter-sized palm print, resembling a piece of translucent jade, stuck to Li Lin''s palm. Chapter 358: Terrifying Power As the palm imprint was executed, ripples instantly appeared in the surrounding space, with waves of spatial ripples spreading out, among which a huge oppressive aura was diffused. This aura was far beyond what high-level Huang-tier martial techniques could compare to. Feeling this aura, practitioners with lower strength would be absolutely suppressed invisibly. "Gloomy Spirit Vanishing Palm." A gleam of sharp light shot out from Li Lin''s eyes, and at the same time, he pushed his handprint forward, and the jade-like, crystal-clear palm imprint in his hand immediately burst out, eventually turning into a green glow that grew against the wind and swept forward into the empty space. Under this palm imprint, the entire space ripples were shattered, and within the entire space, the spatial ripples violently boiled, roaring up with the green glow palm imprint, and finally exploded loudly, shattering a swath of violent spatial ripples, directly bursting in mid-air, also bringing up a thunderous loud noise. "Bang!" A huge sound explosion echoed in mid-air, and a vast and terrifying energy exploded in an instant like a bomb. The strong wind dispersed, directly enveloping and pressing down within at least a thousand meters in the surrounding space, the strong wind raging, each gust rapidly drawing mysterious arcs, the terrifying strong winds continuously overlapping, forming a net of green light arcs that immediately enveloped an area of thousands of meters in space. "Little dragon, let''s go quickly." At this moment, Cui Yu''s expression suddenly changed dramatically, her figure instantly retreating rapidly. She was not a thousand meters away from Li Lin, just within the coverage of the green light arc. Just after Cui Yu and Little dragon rapidly retreated like lightning, above in the sky, the light arc had already pressed down, not bringing a violent momentum, seemingly falling silently, but it was this seemingly light momentum that shocked Cui Yu. When the light arc pressed down to the ground, the space within a thousand meters seemed to be twisted, as if bending together, an invisible wave of aura instantly spread and proliferated, bringing up a series of spatial ripples, under which a terrifying scene appeared. Within the range affected by the energy ripples, the trees within a thousand meters turned instantly yellow, in an instant, the yellow leaves were swept by the strong wind, spreading instantly, on the ground, silently, the ground cracked, and huge rocks shattered. "Whoosh!" As the energy dissipated in the surrounding space, Cui Yu was already staring dumbfounded from a distance. Under the influence of this energy, within a thousand meters, it was bare as if shaved, several towering trees withered, the ground cracked, countless cracks spread and proliferated, the entire space within a thousand meters was devoid of life. "Did it succeed?" Li Lin stood in the center, watching the commotion he had caused, seemingly a bit disbelieving. "Boss, your palm is too terrifying." Little dragon''s figure arrived next to Li Lin, this attack also made Little dragon feel startled. "It''s just too consuming of true qi." Li Lin smiled faintly, perhaps it was because he had just barely activated it, having just executed the Gloomy Spirit Vanishing Palm, he was almost completely depleted, and Li Lin naturally knew that it was only barely activated, if he practiced more, the power of the Gloomy Spirit Vanishing Palm would be much greater. "You really are terrifying, you actually cultivated a Xuan-tier primary martial technique in half a month." Cui Yu also arrived next to Li Lin, "It''s not completely successful yet, the power is still too small." Li Lin smiled slightly, this was just the first time activating the Gloomy Spirit Vanishing Palm, the power had not reached its maximum yet. "You''re not satisfied after just half a month?" Cui Yu smiled helplessly. With a slight smile, Li Lin was not dissatisfied, but he always had higher demands for himself. In Cui Yu''s surprise, Li Lin immediately began to cultivate again. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "This cultivation maniac." Cui Yu said helplessly. In the following days, as the day to leave approached, Li Lin also became a bit worried. If he couldn''t leave in time, it would be a big trouble to be trapped inside for three years. In the valley, atop a waterfall, two figures sat on a radiant rock, precisely Li Lin and Cui Yu. This valley, with its changing scenery, was indeed refreshing and pleasant to the heart, the valley deep, forming a naturally captivating and beautiful picture. The only downside was that the sky above was always covered in a grey haze. "It''s rare that you''re not cultivating today." Cui Yu said softly. "I also need to rest." Li Lin smiled lightly, watching the waterfall below in the distance, precisely where the ancient palace was, with an ancient and vicarious aura spreading around. At this moment, Li Lin''s heart was always thinking about when the Nine-Tailed Fox Bai Ling would come out of seclusion. "Very soon, we''ll have to leave. In a blink of an eye, it''s been half a year." Cui Yu said with a meaningful look at Li Lin. "Yes, it''s been half a year already." Li Lin smiled slightly, this half year really passed very quickly. "After returning to Yunyang Sect, I might leave Yunyang Sect." Cui Yu lowered her head, watching the cascading waterfall below and said softly. "Leaving Yunyang Sect, are you going back to Qingyun Town?" Li Lin asked. "No, I''m going to a very far place, maybe it will be hard to come out again in the future." Cui Yu said softly. "Oh!" Li Lin didn''t know what to say, responding lightly, then looking at Cui Yu, who was lowering her head, the delicate features of her face, so moving. Hearing the news of Cui Yu''s departure, Li Lin''s heart also jolted, feeling a strange feeling. "What are you looking at?" Feeling Li Lin''s gaze on her, Cui Yu slightly lifted her head, her beautiful eyes looking towards Li Lin. "I''m wondering when you will remove the red spots on your face." Li Lin said with a light smile. "Do you hope I don''t have red spots on my face?" Cui Yu laughed lightly, "Before, you didn''t mind either, others called me an ugly monster, but you didn''t avoid me." "Everyone has a love for beauty. Knowing that you deliberately made these red spots, I still prefer to see you without red spots, which is unrelated to whether I mind or not." Li Lin said lightly. "Since you like it, then I won''t have these red spots anymore." Cui Yu looked at Li Lin, and put a pill into her mouth. As the pill was swallowed, a faint glow flashed over the red spots on Cui Yu''s face, and Li Lin immediately saw that the red spots, about the size of half a palm, were slowly fading away at a visible speed. With the disappearance of the red spots, an extremely beautiful face appeared before Li Lin''s eyes, so beautiful that it was ultimate, the fair face, elegant without makeup, the rosy lips, especially like those bright and sparkling eyes, captivating at a glance, such a beautiful face, as if a fairy had mistakenly entered the mortal world. "Beautiful." Although Li Lin had seen this ultimate beauty before, he was still shocked by it now, this beauty was not inferior to Li Wushuang, in fact, it was slightly better. If one had to find someone to compare, then only the unparalleled beauty of the Nine-Tailed Fox transformed could be compared. "Men all love beauty." Seeing Li Lin staring at her face, Cui Yu glared at Li Lin. "Hehe." Li Lin smiled slightly, such ultimate beauty, probably no man could resist. "Just now, you wanted me to not have red spots, I once swore, if I was willing to show the current look for a man, then he must be my future husband." Looking at Li Lin, Cui Yu said, her bright eyes filled with hopeful expressions. "I..." Li Lin understood Cui Yu''s intentions, he was definitely not a wooden person, such a woman fancying him was already his fortune. "Bang bang..." Just as Li Lin was about to speak, from the direction of the isolated island''s palace, a series of energy explosions were heard, followed by a massive aura surging to the sky. As this aura surged out, Cui Yu also quickly looked towards the ancient palace, a crushing aura pressing down, accompanied by an absolute oppressive force. As this majestic aura appeared, the entire valley''s sky and ground trembled under this powerful aura. Almost at the same time, from within the ancient palace, a snow-white light shadow surged to the sky, suddenly appearing from within the space as if out of nowhere, carrying an absolute might, hovering in the sky above the palace. "Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox." Watching the huge light shadow in the sky, the light shadow was thousands of meters large, with Bai Ling''s true body expanding within, her whole body covered in snow-white fur, delicate and glowing, behind her, six tails hundreds of meters long were piercing through the space like strong winds. Outside the snow-white light shadow, in the space, spatial ripples spread out, a terrifying might spreading. "Roar..." "Howl..." Within the valley, all beasts roared instantly, under the immense pressure, all beasts trembled, at this moment, the only one who could withstand this powerful might was Little dragon. Watching the huge body of the Nine-Tailed Fox in the sky, Li Lin could also feel that astonishing might, Bai Ling''s true body, now completely white, that huge body emanating faint flowing light, vaguely revealing a might that seemed to twist the space itself, such a momentum, shaking to the core. Chapter 359: Transforming into Human Form "Ow..." At this moment, Bai Ling''s true form, the gigantic body of the nine-tailed fox, let out a roar. The soft, white fur on its body instantly stood on end, as an endless gale spread out from its body, causing the entire space to shake. This roar, akin to the howl of a wolf but with a deeper and sharper tone, seemed as if it could tear through space itself. The sound lingered for a long time. Far away, Li Lin and Cui Yu''s faces changed dramatically, their eardrums aching from the noise that seemed to pierce through their souls, prompting them to hurriedly muster their energy to counteract the shock. As the piercing sound faded, Li Lin and Cui Yu were also drenched in cold sweat. Then, they saw the enormous figure of the nine-tailed fox in the sky condense its light and transform into a human silhouette. As the light dissipated and the aura converged, Li Lin saw, to his amazement, the once massive nine-tailed fox transform into an extremely enchanting figure. This figure was graceful and unparalleled, her beautiful face now carried an alluring charm without promiscuity, yet full of seductive allure. "How can this be? Isn''t it only seventh-rank demon beasts that can transform into humans?" At this moment, as the light and shadows in the sky completely dispersed, the enchanting figure clearly appeared in front of Li Lin. This was a complete and beautiful silhouette, no longer half-human, half-fox. This figure was charming, alluring, cold, yet so breathtakingly beautiful that it seemed to make the heavens and earth move. "Look at me now, do I look okay?" At this moment, the figure in the sky instantly crossed through the void to appear in front of Li Lin and Cui Yu. Li Lin was immediately astonished, wondering what is known as a calamity. This appearance was definitely a calamity. In his previous life, he had heard that fox spirits were incomparably beautiful and could bring disaster to the nation; Li Lin did not believe it. But now, he believed without a doubt. The woman before him was so beautiful and enchanting, heartbreakingly gorgeous. Amidst her beauty, there was also a distant coldness and an indolent, icy demeanor, completely embodying her allure. "Beautiful, very beautiful," Li Lin couldn''t help but say. This kind of beauty, Li Lin now could only compare to Cui Yu, but their temperaments were entirely different. If there was a common point to be found, it was that both women possessed a proud temperament. "Miss Bai Ling, you are too beautiful," Cui Yu exclaimed in surprise. For a stunningly beautiful woman to praise another woman''s beauty indicated the extent of Bai Ling''s allure. "I never thought you would be so beautiful, where have the red spots gone?" Bai Ling, looking at Cui Yu, was also surprised. "The red spots were fake," Cui Yu softly said. "I see, it''s my first time seeing someone as beautiful as you," Bai Ling softly said. "Miss Bai Ling, have you broken through to the seventh rank, to be able to..." Li Lin asked, now seeing Bai Ling completely in human form, something only seventh-rank demon beasts could achieve. "Do you think breaking through to the seventh rank is easy?" Bai Ling''s beautiful eyes turned to Li Lin: "To transform into human form, one must reach the seventh rank. To transform from a spiritual beast into a human also requires reaching the sixth rank. And now, like a spiritual beast, I am only transforming, not changing." "Why can you transform at the sixth rank?" Li Lin still didn''t understand. Bai Ling explained, "Whether it''s a spiritual beast or a demon beast, transforming into a human is much more difficult than a human martial artist breaking through to become a Martial King or a Spirit King. To transform a demon beast''s body into a human, one must endure the pain of body forging, with every muscle, bone, and bloodline needing to change. Only then can one truly transform into a human. Transforming into a human accelerates the cultivation speed. As for me, I can only temporarily transform into a human for a short period, at most for an hour, before I revert to my true form." "I still don''t understand," Li Lin asked. Bai Ling smiled slightly, "I have been here for six thousand years, able to cultivate only one month every three years. The rest of the time, I couldn''t cultivate, but I could refine my mindset, which is extremely important for us demon beasts. Over six thousand years, my mindset has reached a certain level, perhaps barely at the eighth-rank demon beast''s level." Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. "Mindset!" Li Lin understood that mindset was not only crucial for demon beasts but also for martial artists and spirit users. Low-level martial artists cultivate true qi, but at a certain level, most of their cultivation is focused on mindset. Some powerful beings have been stuck at a certain peak level for decades or even centuries, naturally due to insufficient true qi. Decades or centuries should be enough to cultivate back the lacking true qi, possibly even with the help of spiritual medicines. These powerful beings cannot break through because their mindset hasn''t reached the necessary level. "My mindset is pretty good, and with these six thousand years, relying on the energy in the Holy Pool for cultivation and having consumed Holy Fruits, I have just broken through to the mid-sixth rank. So, I can do this step, but transforming into a human form can only last about an hour each time, and I cannot conceal my aura. Ordinary human strongmen can easily see my demon beast body," Bai Ling said. "I see," Li Lin suddenly realized. Six thousand years was a terrifying amount of time. Even without cultivation, one''s mindset would reach an extremely high level. Bai Ling''s mindset after six thousand years in this secret place was imaginable. "Miss Bai Ling''s cultivation of mindset is so high, if she goes out, her strength will increase terrifyingly fast, probably within two hundred years, she could break through to the eighth rank," Cui Yu said somewhat shockingly. "Two hundred years," Bai Ling''s enchanting eyes slightly lifted, "Two hundred years is too long, a hundred years should be enough to reach the eighth rank, maybe even less." "One hundred years to reach the eighth rank..." Even the usually calm Cui Yu couldn''t help but be surprised. "Eighth rank," Li Lin was suddenly startled. The eighth rank, equivalent to Martial Sovereign or Spirit Sovereign, was a level of absolute power. "My mindset has already reached the eighth rank, and for us demon beasts, mindset is the hardest to cultivate, but strength is the easiest to improve. So, as long as there is enough energy for me to cultivate, I can continue to break through, except for some resistance when breaking through to the seventh rank," Bai Ling softly said. "Miss Bai Ling, you mean, as long as there is a constant supply of energy for you to cultivate, you can continue to break through?" Li Lin asked. "That''s right," Bai Ling nodded slightly. "Terrifying," Li Lin was instantly petrified. This was even faster than his own Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art''s absorption, Bai Ling''s mindset had reached the eighth rank, just like his Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art, as long as she absorbs, she can break through, without any side effects, because Bai Ling''s mindset was already at the eighth rank. And such a speed of cultivation was unimaginable. "Not only me, but the Reverse Scale Demon Peng, the Tai Yin Demon Rabbit, the Dual-Headed Water-Fire Demon Jiao, the Blood Jade Demon Tiger are also the same, they have been here for over three thousand years, their mindset cultivation has reached the seventh rank. Their cultivation speed will also be very fast," Bai Ling softly said. "Seventh rank, equivalent to Martial King or Spirit King among martial artists and spirit users, absolute powerhouses, this is a windfall," Li Lin was again petrified. The Reverse Scale Demon Peng, the Tai Yin Demon Rabbit, the Dual-Headed Water-Fire Demon Jiao, the Blood Jade Demon Tiger, four fifth-rank demon beasts were already submissive to Little dragonchen. This was no different from being submissive to himself. These four demon beasts were also terrifying. When they break through to the seventh rank, Li Lin would undoubtedly have four Martial Kings by his side, a terrifying prospect. "The exit should be opening soon, we should also go out," Bai Ling softly said. "Yes, there are seven days until the opening day of the exit," Li Lin said. "Seven days, that''s still early, the Reverse Scale Demon Peng''s speed, it will take two days to get here," Bai Ling lightly said. Five days later, outside the canyon, a kilometer-high giant stone stood tall, like a towering monument, with the words "Forbidden Land" on it. Three human figures, four beast shadows, and Little dragon appeared outside the canyon. Bai Ling looked at the canyon, her eyes filled with reluctance to leave. "Miss Bai Ling must be reluctant to leave here," Cui Yu, who had regained her beautiful appearance, said to Bai Ling. "Six thousand years, living here all the time, naturally reluctant," Bai Ling sighed softly, her beautiful eyes slightly dimmed. "If there''s a chance, come back to visit," Cui Yu softly said. "I guess there won''t be much chance. This place has fallen into human hands. A few humans who have come in are very strong, and I can''t provoke them," Bai Ling said. "Miss Bai Ling, what about the Holy Pool inside?" Li Lin softly said, that energy pool was a good thing, it was just a pity he couldn''t take it with him. If he could take it with him, that would be a great fortune. "Only I know the location of the wormhole. Besides, those human strongmen have come into the canyon many times, each time unable to break in, so the Holy Pool is safe for the time being. Consider it my gift to other demon beasts. I hope one day, a demon beast can break the seal with the help of the Holy Pool," Bai Ling said. "Then let''s go, just not sure if we can take you out when the time comes," Li Lin softly said. The energy pool couldn''t be taken away, but entering this secret land, he had already made his investment back. And now, to take Bai Ling and the Reverse Scale Demon Peng and other demon beasts out, although theoretically there should be no problem. Little dragon was also brought in, but Li Lin was still a bit worried. And when going out this time, Li Lin decided to take the four fifth-rank demon beasts and the nine-tailed fox Bai Ling out, even Bai Ling and the Reverse Scale Demon Peng and other demon beasts leaving the secret land, no other demon beasts knew. Li Lin didn''t want the Yunyang Sect to find out immediately that he had taken away all the demon beasts, nor did he want the matter of the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit to be known by the Yunyang Sect. Secretly taking Bai Ling and the Reverse Scale Demon Peng and other demon beasts out was enough. Chapter 360: Leaving the Secret Ground "I hope we can get out. It''s been 6000 years, I don''t want to stay here anymore," Bai Ling sighed. "Caw..." The Nln Yaopeng instantly flapped its wings and rose, its body transforming into a size of several tens of meters, hovering in mid-air. Li Lin, Cuiyu, Little Dragon, Bai Ling, and the Blood Jade Yaohu, among others, subsequently climbed onto the back of the Nln Yaopeng. With a flap of its wings, the Nln Yaopeng created a gust of wind around it, its figure disappearing like lightning from its original spot. Sitting on the back of the Nln Yaopeng, Cuiyu was somewhat dumbfounded. This time, if Li Lin brings Bai Ling and the Nln Yaopeng and other beasts out, it won''t be long before these beasts become extremely powerful. Soon, the continent above will have quite the spectacle to witness. Within the grey and dim space, a dead silence pervaded, as dozens of figures arrived at a valley. "We finally reached the exit," a dozen figures landed in the valley, their auras extremely powerful, they were Qu Daojue, Yun Hongling, Han Feng, Ling Feng, and others. Zhao Qinghai, Zhao Qingtian, and others also followed the group and didnt go their separate ways this time. Not having obtained a single Martial Spirit Fruit, everyone was in a gloomy mood throughout the journey. "This time, Junior Sister''s breakthrough delayed us quite a bit. We thought we wouldn''t make it to the exit, but it looks like we made it just in time," Han Feng said with a slight smile. This time, only Yun Hongling obtained a Martial Spirit Fruit. After consuming and refining it, it took a lot of time, so everyone was exerting their full effort on the way back, afraid of missing the exit timing. "Are you all waiting for me? But you all have also gained quite a lot from your cultivation, right? Qu Daojue, havent you also broken through to the third level of Martial General?" Yun Hongling pouted. In the past six months, half of the disciples had made breakthroughs. Among those at the Martial General level, only one had advanced from the first to the second level of Martial General, and then there was Qu Daojue, who had advanced from the second to the third level of Martial General. Originally, to make the quickest breakthrough in the secret ground, one needed to seize the Martial Spirit Fruit. The top ten disciples on the Dragon List all had the confidence to compete for a Martial Spirit Fruit, but the final outcome was beyond everyone''s expectations. "That''s still not as impressive as you, who became a second-level Martial General after one trip to the secret ground," Qu Daojue said, looking at Yun Hongling with absolute shock in his eyes. His breakthrough to the third level of Martial General was normal, after all, cultivation in the secret ground was accelerated by five times, but Yun Hongling''s cultivation was accelerated by fifteen times. Additionally, she obtained a Martial Spirit Fruit and broke through again, advancing from the sixth level of Martial Spirit to the second level of Martial General in just half a year. The terror of a three-series martial artist had surprised everyone. "It''s a pity that the energy within the secret ground has now dissipated, and cultivating here is no longer useful," Ba Dao Longsan said. "Alas..." A young man at the eighth level of Martial Spirit couldnt help but sigh slightly, "It''s just a pity that this time, six Martial Spirit Fruits were taken away by beasts." Speaking of the Martial Spirit Fruit, everyone had no choice but to feel helpless, each showing a wry smile, especially Zhao Qinghai and Zhao Qingtian, their faces filled with resentment. This time, they got nothing. Initially, they were chasing Li Lin, but in the end, they had to avoid him instead. Walking with Yun Hongling, Han Feng, and others, Zhao Qinghai was undoubtedly worried about being secretly attacked by Li Lin, so they had to stick together with Yun Hongling and others. Under the public eye, Li Lin wouldn''t dare do anything to them. However, both of them were naturally unaware that if Li Lin really wanted to kill them in the secret ground, he wouldn''t need to act personally; letting the Nln Yaopeng and other beasts do it would be enough. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Of course, Li Lin had thought about letting the beasts kill Zhao Qinghai and others, which would prevent the Yunyang Sect from tracing it back to him. However, if the beasts killed Zhao Qinghai and Zhao Qingtian, Li Lin was worried that it would lead to the Zhao family or even the Yunyang Sect hunting the beasts within the secret ground. Once the disappearance of the fifth-order beasts in the secret ground was discovered, and he was seen leaving the secret ground with several beasts, it would eventually be known by others, making it impossible to explain. To kill Zhao Qinghai and others, as his own strength increased, Li Lin was not in a hurry. Now, with his and Little Dragon''s strength, killing the Zhao Qingtian duo was no longer a problem. Zhao Qingtian and Zhao Qinghai, of course, were unaware of Li Lin''s intentions. "The exit should be opening soon," Ghost Hand Du Zichun said lightly. "Why does Li Lin always appear the latest? Does he have to wait until the exit opens to arrive?" Flying Eagle Ling Feng looked back and said. "Li Lin also obtained a Martial Spirit Fruit, I wonder if he has broken through to Martial General," War Knife Qu Daojue said, his eyes filled with fighting spirit. "That cunning thief." Hearing Li Lin''s name, Yun Hongling also felt resentful. Of course, hearing Li Lin''s name made Zhao Qinghai, Zhao Qingtian, and even Zeng Chuxiong uncomfortable. At this moment, Zeng Chuxiong stood behind Zhao Qinghai, half of his face covered in black scars from burns, the result of Little Dragon''s handiwork. Although Zeng Chuxiong survived, his face was ruined. "Ha ha, it seems like someone is thinking of me." Just as War Knife Qu Daojue finished speaking, a laugh suddenly came. "Li Lin." Hearing this voice, everyone immediately thought of one person. As everyone turned around, two figures also appeared in front of them. Seeing the two, everyone was instantly petrified. A stunningly beautiful woman appeared before everyone''s eyes, her fair complexion, elegant and natural beauty without makeup, was born with a mesmerizing charm. With her delicate and straight nose, rosy lips, and bright eyes, she was captivating at a glance. This beauty, to the extreme, was hard to describe in words, leaving everyone staring in awe. "Such a beautiful woman," Flying Eagle Ling Feng murmured softly. "Cuiyu, how did you recover your appearance? Werent you..." Among everyone, only Yun Hongling showed no surprise, but quickly approached Cuiyu with curiosity. "It''s fine, I''ll stay like this from now on," Cuiyu smiled lightly, noticing Yun Hongling''s current aura and expressed her surprise, "Hongling, you''ve actually broken through to the second level of Martial General..." "This is Cuiyu..." Everyone recognized Cuiyu and were dumbfounded by the transformation. "Miss Cuiyu, I didn''t realize you were so beautiful. I, Ling Feng, was blind before, please forgive me." Flying Eagle Ling Feng immediately moved next to Cuiyu, his handsome face showing astonishment. "Miss Cuiyu, I didnt know you were this beautiful before, truly an eye-opener for me," said Ba Dao Longsan, though burly, he squeezed out a gentle smile and approached Cuiyu. "Longsan, are you trying to compete with me?" Flying Eagle Ling Feng immediately challenged Ba Dao Longsan. "Ling Feng, Miss Cuiyu was first noticed by me," Longsan stomped the ground with his massive frame, displaying an impressive aura. Seeing the two act this way, everyone was used to it, as they had competed many times before in pursuit of Li Wushuang, especially on the Earth Dragon Summit. "Longsan, being loud makes you right? Let''s have a duel right now," Flying Eagle Ling Feng refused to be outdone, staring at Longsan. In front of a beauty, one cannot lose momentum, especially since he was not afraid of Longsan. "Fine, lets duel. If anyone loses, they should stay away from Miss Cuiyu," Ba Dao Longsan declared. "Agreed," Flying Eagle Ling Feng responded. "Longsan, Ling Feng, are you really going to duel for me?" Cuiyu smiled lightly at the two, her smile captivating and mesmerizing everyone once again. "Yes," Ba Dao Longsan and Flying Eagle Ling Feng almost said in unison. "Then fine, whoever wins, I''ll give a gift to," Cuiyu smiled again, looking at Li Lin, "But, you have to compete with him. Whoever wins, I''ll give a gift to." "Dueling with Li Lin?" Ba Dao Longsan and Flying Eagle Ling Feng were surprised, and everyone else was puzzled. Li Lin was also stunned, then smiled lightly, understanding Cuiyu''s intention. It seemed he had to make a statement. "Li Lin, I challenge you," Flying Eagle Ling Feng looked at Li Lin, hardly hesitating before speaking. Ba Dao Longsan looked at Li Lin, "Li Lin, after we go out, our duel begins. Three months ago, I already had a combat agreement with Li Lin, and now I''m even more eager." Looking at Cuiyu, their eyes meeting, the understanding between them was clear to them alone. Then, looking at Ba Dao Longsan and Flying Eagle Ling Feng, Li Lin said lightly, "How about atop the Earth Dragon Summit in five days?" "Fine, no problem," the two said in unison. "War Knife Qu Daojue, our battle, also on the Earth Dragon Summit in five days," Li Lin then turned his gaze to War Knife Qu Daojue. "Do you want to compete with all three of us on the same day? A month ago, I broke through to the third level of Martial General. If you''re not confident, you can choose to delay," War Knife Qu Daojue looked at Li Lin. "No need to delay, let''s also do it in five days," Li Lin said with a slight smile, already aware of War Knife Qu Daojue''s breakthrough. Chapter 361: Everyones Surprise The strength of a third-level martial general, Li Lin was also very curious at this moment about where his own strength had reached. If the Warrior Qu JianJue was still a second-level martial general, Li Lin would not have much fighting spirit. Only as a third-level martial general could it arouse Li Lin''s fighting spirit. With his normal strength, now facing a third-level martial general, there should be no problem at all. "Okay, five days later, on the top of Di Long Peak, I will be on time." The fighting spirit of Warrior Qu JianJue surged. Watching Li Lin, CuiYu at this moment revealed a charming smile, and then a voice transmission had already reached Li Lin''s ears: "Li Lin, is this your way of expressing something to me?" Li Lin smiled helplessly and then did not speak. However, he was somewhat worried about the Nine-Tailed Fox Bai Ling and the Reverse Scale Demon Peng and other demonic beasts currently in the spatial beast bag. He wondered if he could successfully take them out of the secret land. If possible, then in the future, he would have a huge hidden force by his side. Especially Bai Ling, with her current mid-stage sixth-level cultivation, equivalent to a strong sixth-level martial commander, plus the high quality of Bai Ling''s bloodline, her strength was definitely much higher than ordinary demonic beasts. After stabilizing her cultivation for a while, dealing with a seventh-level martial commander would not be a problem. During this time, Li Lin''s gaze had already swept over everyone. When his gaze fell on Zhao Qinghai and others, he did not pay much attention. Once outside the secret land, if there was a chance, dealing with these three people would not be too late. "Hong Ling, congratulations on breaking through to the second-level martial general." Li Lin''s final gaze fell on Yun Hongling, surprised at Yun Hongling''s breakthrough. Seeing this stubborn girl glaring at him hatefully, he could only smile bitterly in his heart. "Hmph, you finally decided to pay attention to me?" Yun Hongling glared at Li Lin, then said, "I want you to apologize to me." "Alright, I apologize to you," Li Lin said with a light smile, touching his nose, as if he had not offended this girl at all. It was entirely her being sulky. "Then you promise me, from now on, you won''t make me angry?" Yun Hongling''s expression immediately became much better as she looked at Li Lin. Her lips pouted, and the green tight-fitting outfit highlighted her exquisite curves even more enticingly. Although she was slightly inferior to CuiYu in terms of temperament, she was cuter than CuiYu and could compete with her. "This... okay, I promise you," Li Lin said, feeling somewhat helpless in his heart. This woman''s anger came so suddenly, it was difficult to guarantee, but Wushuang asked him to appease this girl in the secret land, so he considered it a helpless move. "Really?" Yun Hongling seemed somewhat incredulous, looking at Li Lin with suspicion. "Really." Li Lin nodded. "Okay, then I forgive you." Yun Hongling pouted, immediately showing a smile, then walked over to Li Lin''s side, saying, "You little thief, you bad guy, it took you so long to talk to me, next time I really won''t care about you." Without caring about everyone, Yun Hongling took Li Lin''s arm in full view, saying, "After we get out of the secret land, let''s go tell my father that we want to get married." "Ah..." Everyone was stunned, as if they had heard wrong, even Li Lin''s mouth was agape, as if it could fit a duck egg. Zhao Qingtian and Zhao Qinghai''s faces changed drastically at this moment. The relationship involved was too big. If Li Lin and Yun Hongling got married, then the Li family and Li Lin would be even more difficult to deal with. "Sister apprentice, you and Li Lin..." Han Feng and Dong Pan''s faces changed drastically. "Senior brothers, I know you are good to me, but as I have told you before, I only see you as senior brothers," Yun Hongling seriously said to Han Feng and Dong Pan. At this moment, there was no trace of her stubbornness. She turned to look at Li Lin and said, "What, you don''t want to?" Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. "I..." Li Lin looked at Yun Hongling, then at CuiYu, who was also astonished, and said helplessly, "Let''s discuss this matter after we get out!" "Okay, anyway..." Yun Hongling said. "Shh shh..." Just as Yun Hongling''s voice had not yet fallen, the gray sky suddenly stirred as if a storm was brewing, with a burst of light sweeping down, causing a spatial vibration. The whole world suddenly shook violently. "The exit is about to open." Everyone immediately turned their gaze to the sky, and Li Lin''s heart also started to tense. If he couldn''t take Bai Ling and the other demonic beasts out, the loss would be great for him. "Boom" The whole space started to shake, and far away, many demonic beasts began to panic and flee. At the same time, in the center of the sky, a spatial rift hundreds of meters in size slowly spread out, with spatial ripples spreading around. The airflow was like waves in water, gently spreading out, revealing a huge hole. "Whoosh whoosh..." The air inside was thrilling, and the spatial hole looked as if it had been torn open out of thin air. "The exit is open, let''s go!" It''s unclear who said it, but as the words fell, several figures soared into the sky, flashing across the sky like lightning, and went straight into the opened exit. "Finally, we can get out." Again, several breaking wind sounds rose, and several figures flashed past like lightning, rushing into the exit in a race to be the first. "Little thief, let''s go out too," Yun Hongling said softly next to Li Lin. "Let''s go, we''re going out." Li Lin looked up at CuiYu for a moment, and now only the three of them were left. As the words fell, a whirlwind flashed under his feet, and Li Lin leaped out. Just as he entered the exit, his heart was also tense to his throat. "Shh shh..." As the three figures jumped into the exit at the same time, the spatial exit also violently fluctuated, then became illusory, and finally disappeared into space. "Success." Li Lin''s heart immediately relaxed. Outside the Yunyang Sect''s secret land canyon, it was now the deep winter season. The mountains had lost their verdant color, revealing their majestic nature. In the canyon, the huge river was still rushing endlessly. Above, four huge beams of light intersected to open a giant spatial hole, causing the water waves below to surge tens of meters high, and a violent aura filled the entire canyon. On a huge rock in the canyon, more than twenty figures appeared, with powerful auras spreading around. The first person, wearing a light cyan robe flowing with the wind, with a commanding presence and deep eyes focused on the spatial hole, was none other than the Yunyang Sect''s sect master, Yun XiaoTian. Behind him were the Yunyang Sect elders. Zhao Wuji was also among them, with a gloomy gaze looking towards the hole, revealing a faint cold smile, thinking that with two grandsons working together, this time, the Li family''s troublemaker should be able to be eliminated. Among these elders, there were also two beautiful figures, namely Li Wushuang and Du Gu BingLan, who had pleaded with their respective masters to bring them in. Li Wushuang''s expectant gaze showed worry, staring intently at the exit, extremely nervous. "My good disciple, you must make your master proud and be sure to obtain the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit." Elder Yu YuQian stood next to Yun XiaoTian, also looking nervous, rubbing his hands, showing some anxiety. "Here they come..." As the first figure appeared at the exit, all the elders'' eyes lit up, and Elder Yang''s gaze immediately showed a smile. The first one out was his disciple, Qu JianJue. "Whoosh whoosh...!" In just a blink of an eye, more than a dozen figures leaped out from the exit in an instant. "Eh..." At this moment, Yun XiaoTian''s gaze suddenly sharpened, filled with doubt. "Greetings to the sect master, greetings to the masters." More than a dozen figures landed on the rock, and their powerful auras spread out, immediately landing on the rock. "Where''s Lin''er!" Not seeing his beloved disciple, Elder Yu YuQian''s gaze became even more anxious as he stared into the hole. At the same time, Li Wushuang and Du Gu BingLan, not seeing the person they were looking for in the crowd, also became increasingly nervous. Accidents in the secret land were rare, but not unheard of, and their hearts were immediately anxious. "Whoosh whoosh whoosh..." Once again, three figures emerged, their figures light and agile, and then landed on the rock. As the three people came out, the spatial rift in the sky also gradually disappeared. Seeing these three figures, several people finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Greetings to the sect master, greetings to the masters." Li Lin landed on the rock, and in the midst of saluting, his heart completely relaxed, as the Nine-Tailed Fox Bai Ling and all the demonic beasts were successfully brought out. "Good boy, I knew you were fine. Tell your master quickly, did you get the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit?" Elder Yu YuQian immediately stepped forward, eagerly asking Li Lin. "Replying to master, the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, I got one and have already taken it," Li Lin said lightly. "Good, good," Elder Yu YuQian laughed loudly, wishing everyone could hear. "Eh, this is CuiYu." At this moment, while feeling the auras of their disciples, they also saw CuiYu. Such a stunning woman made all the elders very surprised. Chapter 362: Three Sects and Four Schools "Cuiyu..." At this moment, Li Wushuang, after spotting that figure in the green robe, immediately turned his gaze to Cuiyu, and his surprise was imaginable. "Han Feng, has there been any mishap with the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit?" At the same time, Yun Xiao Tian frowned quickly and asked Han Feng. With Yun Xiao Tian''s insight, he could tell how many people had consumed the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit based on the strength of the crowd. Seeing that no one among the people had made significant breakthroughs, he naturally thought that there had been some mishap with the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit. "Master, this time only three people obtained the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit. The other six Martial Spirit Holy Fruits were taken away by demonic beasts," Han Feng replied to Yun Xiao Tian. "Six Martial Spirit Holy Fruits were taken by demonic beasts?" Yun Xiao Tian''s face changed dramatically. "How could this happen?" At this moment, all the elders also learned about the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit from their respective disciples. The Martial Spirit Holy Fruit is the most important treasure of the secret realm expedition. The first thing almost all the elders did was to inquire about the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit. After learning about the situation with the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, all the elders'' faces changed dramatically. "All elders, disciples, let''s go back to the great hall first!" Yun Xiao Tian said with a slightly stern face. "Lin''er, let''s go back to the great hall first." Yu Yu was smiling happily. After all, as long as his disciple had consumed the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, it didn''t matter to him whether others did or did not. Above in the sky, a Blue Jade Wolf Eagle circled and came. Li Lin and his master, Yu Yu, leaped onto the back of the Blue Jade Wolf Eagle. At this time, all the elders were also riding demonic beasts towards the great hall. All the elders were in a somewhat bad mood. Zhao Wuji''s face was even worse. None of his disciples or grandsons had obtained the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit. He also learned about some matters within the secret realm from Zhao Qinghai''s transmission. Watching Li Lin''s figure in the air, a cold intent suddenly spread in his eyes. On the Blue Jade Wolf Eagle, Li Lin was in a good mood at the moment, looking at Li Wushuang behind Elder Xie in the air, his eyes revealed some longing. Below in mid-air, the mountain shadows were vague, the peaks varied in shape, majestic and imposing. The tips of the mountains were hidden and visible in the clouds and mist, and the rolling mountains soon revealed many building complexes situated atop the peaks. "Sigh..." Li Lin took a deep breath. The outside world was much more comfortable than inside the secret realm. The air was much better. After entering the secret realm, Li Lin could now clearly feel that he had never noticed the existence of an invisible energy between heaven and earth. Now coming out from the secret realm, Li Lin could feel that there is an invisible energy within heaven and earth. Everything in heaven and earth cultivates relying on this energy, but in the secret realm, this energy doesn''t exist at all. It didn''t take long for everyone to arrive above the main peak of the Yunyang Sect. Inside the majestic and huge palace, all the elders had helpless expressions on their faces. The elders sat down in order, and at this moment, all the disciples could only stand in the great hall. In the great hall, Han Feng then recounted the situation with the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit from beginning to end. Below the four fifth-order demonic beasts, there was also a late fifth-order demonic beast. Out of nine Martial Spirit Holy Fruits, only three were obtained, and the three Martial Spirit Holy Fruits were obtained by Li Lin, Cuiyu, and Yun Hongling respectively. All the elders immediately turned their gazes to Cuiyu, Li Lin, and Yun Hongling. "The demonic beasts in the secret realm are really bold." Zhao Wuji shouted angrily: "It seems that we cannot let those few fifth-order demonic beasts go." "In the past, those demonic beasts wouldn''t compete for the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit. This year is somewhat abnormal," Elder Xie said lightly. "This time, something is wrong. The demonic beasts taking away six Martial Spirit Holy Fruits might indicate some other mishap within the secret realm. Sect Master, perhaps we should let the strong members of our sect take a look," Elder Yang said lightly. "Elder Yang, I will discuss this matter with the other Spiritual Hall elders before making a decision," Yun Xiao Tian said with a somewhat solemn face, then continued: "There are two more months until the Three Sects and Four Schools Conference. Elders, what do you think are our chances this time?" This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. "This..." Upon hearing about the Three Sects and Four Schools Conference, all the elders immediately turned their gazes to the disciples who had entered the secret realm this time. "The Three Sects and Four Schools Conference, what is that?" Li Lin raised an eyebrow, listening to the discussions among everyone. "Sect Master, based on past situations, at the Three Sects and Four Schools Conference, there are many young disciples with exceptional strength among the various sects. However, our Yunyang Sect''s Zhao Qinghai, Han Feng, Qu Daojue, and others should also be able to compete," Elder Yang said after scanning over the disciples and speaking to Yun Xiao Tian. "Elders, as far as I know, the other sects have been preparing for this Three Sects and Four Schools Conference for a long time. Our Yunyang Sect has not had a disciple in the top three for four consecutive times. If no one enters the top three this time, our Yunyang Sect''s face will really be lost," Yun Xiao Tian scanned over all the elders. "This, entering the top three will be somewhat difficult," Elder Xie said lightly. Upon mentioning the top three, all the elders frowned. The direct disciples of the Yunyang Sect, especially those in the top ten of the Dragon List, are all top contenders among the younger generation, with absolutely terrifying strength. But all the elders were also clear that among the Three Sects and Four Schools, the other sects were not to be underestimated. The strength of the direct disciples would definitely not be inferior to that of the Yunyang Sect. The difficulty of entering the top three was imaginable. "There are two more months until the Three Sects and Four Schools Conference. This time entering the secret realm, we only obtained three Martial Spirit Holy Fruits. It seems that this Three Sects and Four Schools Conference will be quite difficult for our Yunyang Sect," Yun Xiao Tian frowned and said. "Dad, there''s also me for the Three Sects and Four Schools Conference," Yun Hongling said. "You girl, do you think you have a chance just because you''ve reached the second level of Martial General? There won''t be any weaklings in the other sects," Yun Xiao Tian said lightly, seeing his daughter had already reached the second level of Martial General, he was extremely happy. He was well aware of his daughter''s strength; the strength of a second-level Martial General, at least a general third-level Martial General would not be her opponent. "Sect Master, which five disciples will our Yunyang Sect send to participate in the Three Sects and Four Schools Conference this time?" Elder Sun asked. "I''ll think about it some more and decide later," Yun Xiao Tian hesitated for a moment, then continued: "Elders, you may disperse for now." After everyone left, Li Lin also followed his master, Yu Yu, back. Along the way, Yu Yu was somewhat excited. This time, out of twenty disciples, only three obtained the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, and one of them was his disciple, which was no small feat for him. "Master, what is the Three Sects and Four Schools Conference?" On the back of the Blue Jade Wolf Eagle, Li Lin asked Yu Yu. This Three Sects and Four Schools Conference must also be related to the strongest few sects on the Spirit Martial Continent, and Li Lin was extremely curious. "Do you know about the Three Sects and Four Schools?" Yu Yu asked Li Lin with a slight smile. "Yunyang Sect, Myriad Beasts Sect, Tian Sword Sect, Illusion Soul Gate, Return to Origin Gate, Earth Spirit Gate, Xuan Mountain Gate." Li Lin had heard of these seven superpowers known as the Three Sects and Four Schools. "Yes, that''s the Three Sects and Four Schools," Yu Yu nodded and said: "The Three Sects and Four Schools Conference has a long history and is jointly organized by the strongest three sects and four schools on the Spirit Martial Continent every fifteen years. It is symbolic of our unity among the Three Sects and Four Schools to defend against other forces from infiltrating, and also to see the strength of the younger generation among the various sects and schools." "I see," Li Lin said lightly, immediately thinking that the Three Sects and Four Schools themselves are already superpowers, but they still need to join forces to defend against other forces, indicating that this continent is really not simple. "This Three Sects and Four Schools Conference is even more different for our Yunyang Sect, and it is more about our Yunyang Sect''s face. Our Yunyang Sect has not had a disciple enter the top three for four times. According to the rules of the Three Sects and Four Schools, if a sect''s disciple does not enter the top three for five consecutive times, then it must give each of the other six sects three sets of high-grade Xuan level martial techniques and five seven-grade pills each," Yu Yu sighed slightly: "That is to say, if our Yunyang Sect does not have a disciple enter the top three this time, we will owe the other sects a total of eighteen sets of high-grade Xuan level martial techniques and thirty seven-grade pills." "What..." Li Lin''s heartbeat suddenly accelerated. Eighteen sets of high-grade Xuan level martial techniques and thirty seven-grade pills, this Three Sects and Four Schools Conference is completely a gamble among the major forces. Compared to these things, everything he obtained in the secret realm was nothing. At the same time, Li Lin also marveled at the foundation of the Three Sects and Four Schools. The competition among the younger generation allowed them to gamble so big, showing how strong the foundation of the sects was. "Losing these things is not important. These martial techniques and pills are not a small amount for our Yunyang Sect, but compared to that, our Yunyang Sect''s face is more important. So this time, we must have someone enter the top three," Yu Yu said. "Face is worth nothing, I would rather have the martial techniques and pills," Li Lin thought to himself. Eighteen sets of high-grade Xuan level martial techniques and thirty seven-grade pills, if given to him, that would be a huge fortune. After a while, they arrived at the peak of the mountain. After bidding farewell to his master, Yu Yu, Li Lin leaped onto the peak of the mountain. In the blink of an eye, half a year had passed, and time really flew by. "Greetings, master." Li Lin returned to his residence on the mountain peak, and a blood-colored beast shadow came, it was the Blood Lizard. Chapter 363: A Simple Effort "Blood Lizard, where is the Skywing Snow Lion?" Li Lin asked, but the Skywing Snow Lion had not appeared, and there was no trace of its presence on this mountain peak. "Master, the Skywing Snow Lion went to a distant mountain range ten days ago to prepare for its breakthrough. It will probably need a few more days," the Blood Lizard said. "The Skywing Snow Lion''s breakthrough." Li Lin was delighted in his heart. If the Skywing Snow Lion could break through again, it should reach the fourth tier of condensing its demon core. Originally, he had wanted the Skywing Snow Lion to consume the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit to break through to the fourth tier directly. Now, it seems that after the Skywing Snow Lion breaks through to the fourth tier, consuming the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit would be enough to advance to the middle phase of the fourth tier. As for reaching the late phase of the fourth tier, that would probably be difficult. The little dragon had consumed a Martial Spirit Holy Fruit and only advanced from the early phase to the middle phase of the fourth tier. From the mouth of the Nine-tailed Fox Bai Ling, Li Lin learned that the effect of the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit was significantly better for humans than for demon beasts. At night, the sky in the deep cave seemed to darken earlier. After nightfall, the evening wind carried a hint of chill, enveloping the mountains in the night. On the mountain peak, Li Lin''s consciousness probed the surroundings. Then, reaching into his chest, six beams of light instantly appeared from within the space beast pouch. "Chi Chi!" The moment the six beams of light appeared, they transformed into six beast shadows. In an instant, the figures of the little dragon, Bai Ling, the Reversescale Demon Peng, the Taiyin Demon Rabbit, the Twin-headed Water-Fire Demon Jiao, and the Blood Jade Demon Tiger appeared on the mountain peak. "We''re out, we''ve finally come out." "It''s been over three thousand years, we''ve finally left that accursed place." Cheers erupted from the mouths of the Blood Jade Demon Tiger, the Reversescale Demon Peng, and the other demon beasts. Bai Ling''s true form transformed into a one-meter-tall demon fox, her head held high as she gazed at the sky above, feeling the energy between heaven and earth, her body trembling slightly with excitement. "I''m out, after more than six thousand years, I''m finally out." Bai Ling''s body flashed with light, transforming into a stunning figure. Her white fur turned into a pure white dress, standing on the mountain peak as the evening wind passed by, her dress dancing as if a banished immortal had descended to earth. Her beautiful eyes gazed at the vast sky, unable to recover from her astonishment for a long time. "Li Lin, thank you." After a moment, Bai Ling looked at Li Lin and said, her enchanting eyes filled with absolute gratitude. Being trapped in that secret place for over six thousand years, being able to come out was a favor that, perhaps for Li Lin, was nothing, but for her, it was different. "Miss Bai Ling, you don''t have to thank me. It was just a simple effort, and besides, we had an agreement, so you don''t need to thank me," Li Lin said lightly. "From now on, just call me Bai Ling." Looking at Li Lin, Bai Ling said softly, "Although it was a simple effort for you, it was a great kindness to me." "What a strong aura" At this moment, the Blood Lizard, looking at the Reversescale Demon Peng and the other demon beasts, was surprised. Its bloodline was involuntarily suppressed by their presence, feeling that each of these demon beasts had an aura far superior to its own. "Bai Ling, I will still need some time before I can leave here, so for the time being, you will have to stay on this mountain. Also, you must conceal your aura. There are many strong beings here, and if your aura is exposed, it will be easy for others to discover your presence," Li Lin said lightly. "I know. Staying on this mountain is much better than being inside. Don''t worry, I won''t expose my aura, and ordinary people won''t be able to find me," Bai Ling said lightly. "Reversescale Demon Peng, you four demon beasts will have to stay inside the space beast pouch for the time being, lest you be discovered," Li Lin said to the Reversescale Demon Peng and the four demon beasts. During the competition for the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, everyone had seen these four demon beasts. If they were discovered by someone by chance, it would be a big trouble for him. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. "Yes, Master," the four demon beasts of the Reversescale Demon Peng replied. Under the night sky, a beautiful figure was lost in thought. After a moment, looking up at a figure coming from the sky, she revealed a slight smile. "Chi!" Li Lin retracted his Wings of Wind and landed on the mountain peak, looking at Li Wushuang in front of him, and said, "Did you know I would come?" "I don''t care whether you come or not," Li Wushuang said with a stare, "Where is the Skywing Snow Lion? Why did you come by yourself?" "The Skywing Snow Lion is breaking through. I was thinking of you, so I came by myself," Li Lin said with a slight smile. "Still making jokes." Li Wushuang felt very sweet inside and asked, "How is your strength breakthrough going?" "Not bad, I''ve reached the ninth level of the Martial Soul and the ninth level of the Spirit Soul," Li Lin said. "You''ve broken through so quickly." Li Wushuang knew that Li Lin had only been at the fourth level of the Martial Soul before entering the secret land. She didn''t expect such an astonishing breakthrough in just half a year. At this moment, within a courtyard of the Yunyang Sect, Yun Xiaotian and the Black Robe Protector were present, their brows furrowed, showing Yun Xiaotian''s heavy mood. "Sect Master, the events within the secret land this time are extremely unusual," the Protector said, raising his eyebrows. "It''s abnormal. Later on, let a few elders go in and check. But now, with the Three Sects Four Gates Conference approaching, it''s giving me a headache," Yun Xiaotian said. "Zhao Qinghai, Han Feng, Qu Daojue, Dong Pan, and Zhao Qingtian, these five people''s strength is definitely among the best of the younger generation. The lady is also a second-level Martial General, and with her trump card, she might even be able to contend against a fourth-level Martial General. Our Yunyang Sect also has a chance," the Protector said. "Hongling has a trump card, but don''t the people from the other sects and gates have trump cards as well? According to what Han Feng said, Zhao Qinghai and Zhao Qingtian were already defeated by Cuiyu and Li Lin during the competition for the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit. Now that Cuiyu and Li Lin have consumed the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, do you think Zhao Qinghai and Zhao Qingtian can still be their opponents?" Yun Xiaotian said with a light smile. "Cuiyu is really terrifying. Normally unnoticed, but this move has surprised everyone." Mentioning Cuiyu, the Protector couldn''t help but take a deep breath. "I''m not surprised at all by Cuiyu''s strength. It would be strange if Zhao Qinghai were her opponent," Yun Xiaotian said with a mysterious smile, then continued, "But Li Lin''s progress has surprised me." "Sect Master, perhaps we can let Cuiyu, Li Lin, and the lady participate in the Three Sects Four Gates Conference. Then, our hopes might be much greater," the Protector said. "Cuiyu won''t be able to participate. As for Li Lin, whether he is a fierce tiger or a reverse dragon, at least this time, let him also contribute to the Yunyang Sect," Yun Xiaotian said lightly. In the courtyard, Li Lin handed a jade box to Li Wushuang, seriously saying, "Wushuang, close up and refine this Martial Spirit Holy Fruit as soon as possible. The sooner you refine it, the better the effect." "What, Martial Spirit Holy Fruit?" Opening the jade box in her hands and seeing the translucent Martial Spirit Holy Fruit emitting a rich and majestic aura, Li Wushuang was stunned, her face changing dramatically. "Why didn''t you consume the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit you got?" Li Wushuang looked at Li Lin accusingly. Six Martial Spirit Holy Fruits had fallen into the hands of the demon beasts. Seeing the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit in Li Lin''s hand, her first reaction was that Li Lin had not consumed the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit he obtained but had kept it for her. She hadn''t even considered that Li Lin had obtained seven Martial Spirit Holy Fruits by himself. "This is a long story. Just consume it as soon as possible," Li Lin said. As for the matter of the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, it wasn''t that Li Lin didn''t trust Li Wushuang, but it was better for as few people as possible to know about it now. "I don''t want it. You consume it quickly. It will be very beneficial for your future cultivation," Li Wushuang said, handing the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit back to Li Lin. "Consuming it again won''t have any effect on me. Just consume it quickly. And remember, do not let anyone know about this." After saying this, Li Lin left the courtyard to let Li Wushuang consume the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit sooner. Returning to his own mountain peak and looking up at the sky, Li Lin''s expression became somber. Unknowingly, he had been in the Yunyang Sect for a year, and during this year, his cultivation had made decent progress. Leaving the Li family, it had been over two years, almost three years now. "Mother, it won''t be long before I can go back to see you," Li Lin murmured, looking into the distance. In the Yunyang Sect, one could return home every three years. Moreover, as a direct disciple who had reached the level of a Martial General, he could leave freely. Once he obtained the Ten Thousand Year Copper, it would be time to visit his mother. But thinking of the Ten Thousand Year Copper, Li Lin felt a headache. It had been a year, and there was still no clue on how to obtain it. "Uncle Jiang, are you tormenting me?" Li Lin sighed lightly. The Ten Thousand Year Copper was one of the treasures of the Yunyang Sect. How could it be so easily obtained? After sighing for a while, Li Lin raised his eyebrows and then returned to his room to cultivate. A night passed without words. The next morning, when Li Lin stopped cultivating, he felt that his cultivation had solidified a lot recently, and he finally felt at ease. As the disciples who went into the secret land came out, the direct disciples also learned about the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit. Seeing Cuiyu again, many disciples were amazed. Whether it was the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit or Cuiyu''s appearance, for the disciples, it was just astonishment. After all, even if the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit had not been taken by the demon beasts, it would have nothing to do with them, and they would not have their turn to consume it. This time, the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit allowed many people to not obtain it, but among the direct disciples, most were secretly pleased, at least, their gap with those who entered the secret land would not widen further. Chapter 364: Secret Affection Atop the Peak And for Cuiyu, all disciples marveled as if she were a celestial being, with countless pursuers. Many disciples also knew they stood little chance. Thus, at this moment, most of the direct disciples turned their attention to another matter. Five days later, atop the Earth Dragon Peak, Li Lin was to face the challenges of Flying Eagle Ling Feng, Overlord Blade Long San, and War Blade Qu Dao Jue, all in one day. Fighting three battles in a day against absolute powerhouses on the Dragon List was an unprecedented event on Earth Dragon Peak, stirring anticipation among many disciples. While many disciples looked forward to the exciting challenges on Earth Dragon Peak in five days, Li Lin took the opportunity to rest well on the mountain peak. "Stealing half a day of leisure life." On a giant rock at the peak, Li Lin lay flat, basking in the warm winter sun, feeling utterly relaxed. Such comfortable days were indeed rare. "The outside world, even the air feels different." Beside Li Lin, a twenty-centimeter-tall little white fox took a deep breath, its eyes excited as it gazed down the mountain. "Boss, aren''t you practicing today?" The figure of a little dragon coiled on the rock, lazily speaking without moving its body. "Taking a day off to relax." Li Lin stretched lazily, contentedly gazing at the sky, too lazy to move. "Someone''s coming, I''ll leave first." In an instant, Bai Ling''s figure flashed away. "Li Lin, what are you doing lying here?" A tender voice reached Li Lin''s ears, making his scalp tingle. "Hongling, why are you here?" Li Lin immediately sat up, looking at the woman in front of him dressed in a light green palace gown, her black hair coiled up high behind her head, feeling somewhat worried. This temperamental woman''s arrival surely meant no good. "Why can''t I come?" Glaring at Li Lin, Yun Hongling directly sat down beside him, a faint fragrance wafting around, causing Li Lin''s heart to skip a beat. The scent was quite pleasant. "Of course not." Li Lin dared not offend this temperamental woman. "You''re facing Qu Dao Jue, Long San, and Ling Feng in a few days. Are you confident?" Yun Hongling asked. "Hehe, we''ll see when the time comes." Li Lin chuckled lightly, feeling somewhat confident in his heart. "I asked my father about the Three Sects and Four Gates conference. He specifically inquired about you, seemingly intending for you to participate. You must perform well," Yun Hongling said. "The Sect Master wants me to attend the Three Sects and Four Gates conference?" Li Lin raised an eyebrow, lightly said. "My father seems to have that intention, having just asked about you curiously." Looking at Yun Hongling, Li Lin raised an eyebrow, saying, "I don''t want to go." "What, so many people want to go but don''t have the qualifications, and you actually don''t want to go?" Yun Hongling asked in surprise. "Not going." Li Lin lightly said, thinking to himself, this isn''t the old society where everyone aimed to shine for the collective; he wouldn''t bother with things that offered no benefits. "Why?" Yun Hongling asked, puzzled. "This, there''s no why, I just don''t want to go," Li Lin lightly said. "Okay, then I''ll tell my dad. If you don''t want to go, then forget it." Yun Hongling looked somewhat disappointed, having been excited to inform Li Lin so they could attend the Three Sects and Four Gates conference together. "Hongling, do you know about the Ten-Thousand-Year Copper?" Li Lin, eyes twinkling, asked Yun Hongling. "Ten-Thousand-Year Copper, that''s one of my Yunyang Sect''s treasures. Why do you ask?" Yun Hongling asked, puzzled. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. "Just curious. I heard the Yunyang Sect has such a treasure, so I just casually asked." Li Lin''s gaze shifted, lightly said, "Then do you know where the Ten-Thousand-Year Copper is kept?" "Of course, it''s in my father''s hands. What do you want with this information?" Yun Hongling glared at Li Lin, then leaned gently against his shoulder, softly said, "I''ve thought it over. Even if you have Wushuang sister, it doesn''t matter. Just don''t have other women in the future." Feeling the soft fragrance beside him, recalling the feel of that pert buttocks, Li Lin''s heart fluttered, involuntarily wrapping his arm around Yun Hongling''s shoulder, taking the opportunity to hold her in his embrace. "I thought you wouldn''t care about me anymore." Seeing Li Lin embrace her, Yun Hongling clung even tighter to his shoulder. Li Lin didn''t speak, merely smiling slightly. It seemed his charm was especially thriving in the Yunyang Sect. "Ah..." Just as Li Lin was contemplating, a sudden pain came from his shoulder, Yun Hongling having bitten down. "Alright, this is your punishment for ignoring me within the secret area," Yun Hongling lifted her head, looking at Li Lin, noting the shallow bite mark on his clothes, smiled satisfactorily, then asked with some concern, "Does it hurt? Did I bite too hard?" "You tell me if it hurts." Li Lin glared at Yun Hongling, then, feeling a surge of anger, slapped heavily on Yun Hongling''s pert buttocks. A crisp "snap!" echoed. "Little thief, that hurts." Yun Hongling immediately felt pain, glaring at Li Lin tenderly. "Hurt, let me rub it for you." Li Lin, feeling somewhat guilty for using too much force, sheepishly smiled, his palm already on Yun Hongling''s backside, gently pressing down. "You, pervert." Yun Hongling''s face flushed, the pain on her buttocks instantly turning into a tingling sensation, her eyes no longer calm, her heart racing, but she didn''t struggle, instead taking the opportunity to lean closer to Li Lin. Seeing Yun Hongling''s reaction, Li Lin became more daring, his hands gently kneading, slowly moving down from her back. Yun Hongling trembled softly, a current of tingling sensation flowing throughout her body, her limbs growing weak, her face turning even more charmingly radiant. Under the soft touch, Li Lin grew bolder, feeling one hand was not enough, and the second hand also found its use, quickly reaching Yun Hongling''s front, slowly moving up from her slender waist. Yun Hongling completely softened, letting out a soft gasp, inexperienced in the matters of men and women, feeling tingling and at a loss at this moment, completely letting Li Lin have his way. Li Lin, at this moment, could hardly contain himself. Through Yun Hongling''s dress, his palm touched her smooth, soft skin at her abdomen. Just as his hand was about to move up, touching the most tender area, Li Lin caught sight of a stunning figure in the courtyard not far away, watching them. "Cuiyu." Seeing that figure, Li Lin''s passionate heart was as if doused with a bucket of cold water, feeling like being caught in the act. "Cui... Cuiyu." Yun Hongling also came back to her senses, turning to look at the figure in front of her, her face instantly flushing with embarrassment. "Dead thief, you lecher." In a fit of bashful anger, Yun Hongling immediately jumped up, her face red and neck thick, quickly moving behind Cuiyu, shyly explaining, "Cuiyu, it''s not what you think, we were just, just..." "I saw everything, little girl, you even know how to feel shy now." Cuiyu smiled slightly, then turned her gaze to Li Lin and said, "Lin''er, you must treat Hongling well in the future, or I won''t let you off." "I..." Li Lin was somewhat blushing at this moment. "I was actually going to look for Wushuang sister to play, but Wushuang sister was in seclusion. I didn''t expect to find you both here," Cuiyu said lightly. "Cuiyu, it was all this lecher''s fault, it really wasn''t like what you imagined," Yun Hongling continued to explain shyly, her face blushing from her neck up. Li Lin, in this somewhat awkward atmosphere, spent several hours with the two women. Cuiyu showed no signs of jealousy, which greatly surprised Li Lin. After the two women left, Li Lin finally breathed a sigh of relief. In the following days, Li Lin practiced martial arts on the mountain peak, basking in the sun, finding it inconvenient to travel without the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion by his side. On the fourth day, while practicing the Light and Shadow Technique, Li Lin suddenly stopped, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon, his face revealing a hint of a smile. In an instant, a white light flashed across the distant sky, and a white beast, several meters in size, appeared on the mountain peak. The beast was covered in snow-white fur, resembling a lion, with its mane extending to its shoulders and chest, exuding a majestic aura. Its pair of transparent, white wings fluttered slightly, revealing it to be the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion, now reduced in size. "Advanced to the fourth stage." Li Lin smiled slightly, knowing that only a fourth-stage demonic beast could reduce its size. "Greetings, Master." The Heavenly Winged Snow Lion spoke in human language, bowing on the ground, its several-meter-long body still appearing quite large in front of Li Lin. "Good, you''ve advanced quite quickly." Touching the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion''s white fur, Li Lin thought to himself that once the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion reached the stage of the Reversed Scale Demonic Peng, it would be quite formidable. In terms of bloodline, the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion was slightly superior to the Reversed Scale Demonic Peng and the Dual-Headed Water-Fire Demonic Jiao, but still a bit inferior to the Nine-Tailed Fox. Finally, the fifth day arrived. As dawn broke, many disciples began heading to the Earth Dragon Peak. Today''s excitement was something everyone had been looking forward to for five days. Chapter 365: Everyones Expectation These days, the topic of conversation among the senior disciples and direct disciples has been centered on the three challenges taking place on the Earth Dragon Summit today. Zhan Dao Qu Dao Jue, Ba Dao Long San, and Fei Ying Ling Feng, these three are among the top of the direct disciples, and Li Lin is also the most prominent figure in the Yunyang Sect lately. The competition between them is naturally extremely eye-catching. Many disciples know that they don''t have the strength to participate, but the opportunity to witness the top fighters on the Dragon List challenge each other is an exciting event, especially today, with the most talked-about person, Li Lin, planning to take on three challengers by himself, which is even more anticipated. "Hu..." In the room, Li Lin sat cross-legged, slowly exhaling a breath of turbid air. A night''s cultivation had made him clear-minded and bright-eyed, with a vibrant spirit in his eyes. "Big brother, you have three challenges today." Little dragon raised his little head, his body''s flowing light receded, and then he landed on Li Lin''s shoulder. Little dragon also practiced diligently every day, never slacking off, always cultivating alongside Li Lin. "Three challenges, then let''s set off." Li Lin smiled slightly, a fighting spirit emerging in his eyes. Zhan Dao Qu Dao Jue, Ba Dao Long San, Fei Ying Ling Feng, none of them are weak. Fighting against these three, he could gauge his current strength. "Xue Shi, get to the Earth Dragon Summit as fast as possible." Atop the mountain, Li Lin, with Little dragon, leaped onto the broad back of the Sky Wing Snow Lion. "Yes, master." With a low roar, the Sky Wing Snow Lion flapped its wings and took off, its massive body measuring a full four hundred meters. To reach its fastest speed, it had to revert to its largest form, with an absolute kingly aura spreading from its huge body. The vibration of its wings was like stirring up two giant storms, and its body instantly disappeared from its original spot, its speed comparable to lightning. "So fast." On the back of the Sky Wing Snow Lion, Li Lin couldn''t help but exclaim. After breaking through to the fourth tier, the Sky Wing Snow Lion''s speed had increased exponentially, arguably the king of speed among flying beasts. At its current fourth-tier level, it was probably faster than most fifth-tier flying beasts. Early in the morning, the Earth Dragon Summit was already crowded with people, including direct disciples and senior disciples who had applied for entry. The number of people on the Earth Dragon Summit was still increasing, likely reaching two to three thousand by now, with the bustling crowd spreading noise all around. Today''s challenge on the Earth Dragon Summit wasn''t about Dragon List rankings but a personal challenge among direct disciples, so the several guardians of the Dragon List were not involved. However, many guardians, including the chief guardian, were present today. Among the crowd, it wasn''t hard to spot many figures from the Dragon List, like Gui Shou Du Zi Chun and Tie Zhang Kuang Niu, all gathering at the Earth Dragon Summit. At the center of the Earth Dragon Summit, three figures stood quietly in three separate areas. On the left, one wore a white robe, his features as sharp as if carved by a knife, with a distinguished presence and an oppressive aura, none other than Zhan Dao Qu Dao Jue, one of the top three on the list. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The second, with a rugged and sturdy build, his thick eyebrows raised like swords, and a fierce look on his resolute face, exuded a sharp and domineering aura, unmistakably Ba Dao Long San. The third, with a fair and exceptionally handsome face, his deep black eyes shimmering attractively, exuded a noble and elegant air, making him the fascination of all female disciples in the Yunyang Sect, besides Fei Ying Ling Feng, there would be no other. "It''s said that Zhan Dao Qu Dao Jue has broken through to the third level of Martial General in the secret land, now capable of contending with Han Feng without falling short." "Although Fei Ying Ling Feng ranks sixth, his speed is even faster than Han Feng''s, possibly giving Han Feng a tough time." "Ba Dao Long San, with his divine swordsmanship, is definitely not to be underestimated." "Today, Li Lin facing these three simultaneously, it''s likely to be a fierce battle." With one main character yet to arrive, the surrounding disciples naturally focused their discussions on these three. "Look, Cui Yu is here." "It''s said that Fei Ying Ling Feng and Ba Dao Long San challenged Li Lin because of Cui Yu." "Weren''t Fei Ying Ling Feng and Ba Dao Long San pursuing Li WuShuang? How come they''re now dueling Li Lin over Cui Yu?" "Li WuShuang has been with Li Lin for a long time now. Cui Yu seems to have a close relationship with Li Lin too. I heard from those inside the secret land that Cui Yu was alone with Li Lin for half a year. Anything could have happened in that time." "You mean Cui Yu is also involved with Li Lin?" "More than that, including Miss Yun HongLing, now the three most beautiful women in the Yunyang Sect are all connected to Li Lin." "Li Lin is too much, wanting the three most beautiful and powerful women in the Yunyang Sect for himself. If I were Fei Ying Ling Feng, I''d duel him too." "You... it''s a pity you''re nothing. Li Lin could probably defeat you in one move." As the crowd discussed, several figures arrived on Lightning Flying Leopards, drawing all eyes to them. The leading two figures, with their stunning beauty, made the male disciples unable to look away and the female disciples feel inferior. These two were none other than Cui Yu and Yun HongLing, followed by Yang Miao and Du Gu BingLan. Upon the arrival of the four women, the guardians immediately escorted them to a slightly elevated stone platform in the center, where Yun HongLing, Yang Miao, Du Gu BingLan, and Cui Yu received special treatment. "This thief, always liking to arrive late." Yun HongLing lightly commented, glancing around the arena. "HongLing, why do you always call him a thief? Did he really steal something from you?" Cui Yu smiled lightly, her smile mesmerizing many male disciples around. "He..." Yun HongLing''s expression changed, then she said, "Let''s not talk about that thief. Cui Yu, he accepted Fei Ying Ling Feng''s challenge because of you. Tell me honestly, do you also have feelings for him..." "HongLing, I don''t know how to explain this to you, just that..." Cui Yu spoke softly. "I understand, you''ve known that thief for a long time. It''s me..." Yun HongLing''s eyes dimmed. "Silly girl." Looking at Yun HongLing, Cui Yu smiled lightly, "If we can''t let go at this point, we''ll just end up benefiting that guy." "Hmph! I''m just mad that the thief doesn''t tell me anything." Yun HongLing pouted. As time passed, the spectating disciples began to grow restless. "Where''s Li Lin? He''s not scared of Zhan Dao Qu Dao Jue, is he?" "That''s unlikely. Li Lin has never lost on the Earth Dragon Summit. It''s said that he obtained the Martial Spirit Sacred Fruit in the secret land, likely making him even stronger now." "Roar..." From the distant sky, a low roar of a beast echoed, causing many direct disciples'' mounts to become restless. "He''s here." Hearing the roar, everyone knew Li Lin had arrived, as only the Sky Wing Snow Lion''s roar could cause such disturbance among other beasts. In the sky, the massive Sky Wing Snow Lion approached, having shrunk to a dozen meters. As a figure in a green robe descended from the sky, a yellow light instantly landed on Cui Yu''s shoulder. "Little dragon, you guys are really late." Cui Yu gently stroked Little dragon''s head. "It''s the boss who left too late, not me." Little dragon said, raising his little head. Hearing Little dragon speak, the surrounding guardians and Du Gu BingLan, Yang Miao were all astonished. With a flash of true qi under his feet, Li Lin landed in the square below, his gaze casually sweeping over the crowd. He was somewhat surprised to see so many people; today wasn''t the beginning of the month''s competition on the Earth Dragon Summit. As Li Lin entered the arena, all eyes immediately focused on him, with various emotions hidden within their gazes. Chapter 366: Speed Contest "Li Lin, you''re really late. I thought you didn''t dare to come," Ba Dao Long San stared at Li Lin, his aura oppressive, his eyes already burning with the will to fight. "It''s not that I came late, but that you arrived early," Li Lin said lightly. "Then we can begin," Ba Dao Long San said, looking at Li Lin, his body slowly moving forward. "Long San, how about I make the first move? That way, if you lose, it won''t be as embarrassing," Fei Ying Ling Feng also stepped forward slowly, his calm demeanor instantly mesmerizing many of the female disciples around. "A joke. Me, lose? Hmph!" Ba Dao Long San glared at Fei Ying Ling Feng. "If you two are in a hurry, you can come at me together," Li Lin said with a slight smile. Hearing Li Lin''s words, the disciples around could only wipe away cold sweat for Li Lin, facing both Ba Dao Long San and Fei Ying Ling Feng at the same time, perhaps even Zhao Qing Hai, the top of the Dragon List, couldn''t do it. "Li Lin, don''t be too arrogant," Ba Dao Long San stared at Li Lin, his aura fierce, saying, "Later, you''ll be blown away, twisting your tongue." "Only trying will tell," Li Lin said lightly, "Have the two of you decided who will come first? You can both come at me, that''s absolutely fine." Li Lin''s gaze had already swept over the man in white robes in the distance, Zhan Dao Qu Dao Jue, his true opponent for today. Ba Dao Long San and Fei Ying Ling Feng were undoubtedly strong, and Li Lin was very clear about this in his heart, but at this moment, to know his true strength, he could only test it against Zhan Dao Qu Dao Jue. "How arrogant," Fei Ying Ling Feng stepped forward, then said to Ba Dao Long San, "Long San, how about we set our matters aside for now and let me see how much strength Li Lin really has?" "Fine, if you can''t handle it, I''ll take over," Ba Dao Long San stepped back slightly, the two actually had no grudges, just always in opposition, and now they had come to an agreement. "Li Lin, let''s see how far you''ve come after taking the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit," Fei Ying Ling Feng said, his white robe fluttering without wind, the space around them starting to ripple at a speed difficult for the naked eye to detect. "Fei Ying Ling Feng''s speed is extremely fast, reaching a very high realm, even I am a bit slower. Can Li Lin keep up?" Yun Hong Ling hesitated for a moment before saying to Cui Yu. "Have you forgotten? Li Lin has also practiced the Light Flicker, his speed isn''t slow either," Cui Yu said lightly. "Fei Ying Ling Feng, defeat Li Lin, we support you." Many female disciples around were shouting loudly, showing Fei Ying Ling Feng''s popularity among the female disciples of Yun Yang Sect. "It seems you are quite popular," Li Lin said with a pursed smile, looking at the somewhat crazy female disciples around, suddenly feeling that Fei Ying Ling Feng looked a bit like Guan Xi''s brother from his previous life. If there were cameras in this world, then Guan Xi''s brother wouldn''t even compare to a toe of Fei Ying Ling Feng. Thinking this, Li Lin smirked evilly, leaving Fei Ying Ling Feng puzzled, thinking Li Lin was mocking him. "Li Lin, you''ve gone too far. The two women I fancied were both seduced by you. I must teach you a lesson today," Fei Ying Ling Feng said darkly, but he didn''t dare to underestimate Li Lin, knowing well that the top ten disciples of the Dragon List were not to be taken lightly. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Li Lin had resisted Zhao Qing Tian inside the secret land, they had all seen it, but now Fei Ying Ling Feng also had his confidence, his speed, which he believed no one in the younger generation of Yun Yang Sect could surpass. The name Fei Ying was not easily earned. "You make the first move, let''s see how fast you really are," Li Lin said lightly, not taking it lightly either, knowing Fei Ying Ling Feng''s speed was not to be underestimated. "Hehe, Li Lin, you''re really arrogant. Today, I''ll let you know what speed is," Fei Ying Ling Feng said, his Qi shaking, his white robe fluttering, his Qi flashing under his feet, a ripple of Qi shaking the space in front of him, forming a wind whirl, blasting out. Li Lin raised his eyebrows slightly, his eyes flashing, ripples of space starting to shake around him. "This is speed," Fei Ying Ling Feng''s voice sounded as he appeared behind Li Lin, his speed ghostly. "Haha, just a bit slow," Li Lin laughed, his Qi flashing under his feet, his figure also disappearing from the spot, an invisible whirlwind kicking up a large amount of dust on the ground. "Hmph, let''s see if you''re faster or I am," Fei Ying Ling Feng said, his Qi flashing under his feet, turning into a huge whirlwind, his figure tracing a bizarre arc, like a swift whirlwind, leaving behind afterimages, shaking the space ripples, and attacking Li Lin again. Li Lin''s expression was calm, but his heart was somewhat solemn. Fei Ying Ling Feng''s speed was truly as his name suggested, extremely formidable. With a surge of Qi under his feet, a huge impact force, Li Lin''s figure also disappeared from the spot. Now, Li Lin wanted to see how much difference there was between him and Fei Ying Ling Feng in terms of speed. He had also practiced Light Flicker, confident that he had reached a certain level. He had never neglected the practice of Light Flicker. Using Light Flicker, Li Lin''s speed was like an afterimage, with his breakthrough in strength, his control over Light Flicker had also improved. Two afterimages were shuttling through the square, their furious Qi turning into whirlwinds. From a distance, only green and white lights were seen rotating, their speed getting faster and faster. "Good boy, your speed isn''t slow either!" Fei Ying Ling Feng''s face grew heavier, his Qi bursting out under his feet, his speed getting faster and faster. His hand signs slightly changing, Li Lin''s Qi also surged under his feet, the whirlwind skimming the ground, his figure drifting unpredictably, leaving no trace to be found. "Such fast speed, Fei Ying Ling Feng''s speed is indeed incredible." "Li Lin''s speed isn''t slow either, Fei Ying Ling Feng might not be able to do anything for a while." Their speed had amazed everyone, many elders among the upper seats were also surprised, such speed, even they had not much to suppress. On the edge of the square, Zhan Dao Qu Dao Jue stood quietly with his hands behind his back, his expression unchanged, but there was an invisible aura fluctuation around him, making the disciples behind him have to keep their distance. Under this aura, weaker disciples felt very uncomfortable, as if they were being absolutely suppressed. "Streaming Wind Finger." A light shout came from Fei Ying Ling Feng, his figure appearing ghostly, his fingers bending and shooting out, five finger prints breaking through the air, shaking the space ripples, with a strong wind and whistling sound, blasting towards Li Lin. "Whoosh." His mind sensing and probing, within the space, all under his mind''s probe, his Qi under his feet turning into a whirlwind, in everyone''s eyes, Li Lin''s body like flowing light, weaving left and right through Fei Ying Ling Feng''s five finger prints, incredibly dangerous, but narrowly avoiding each one. For Li Lin, this was also enough practice in the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm, being able to move freely among thousands of arrows, now he was adept. "So fast!" Seeing this, everyone was amazed. Among the upper seats, Cui Yu, Yun Hong Ling, and the great protectors were also surprised, Li Lin didn''t even turn his head, able to resolve all of Fei Ying Ling Feng''s attacks, not only requiring extremely fast speed but more importantly, a strong sense of mind, being able to do this was definitely not simple. After a missed strike, without even turning his head, Fei Ying Ling Feng''s expression darkened even more, his Qi howling around him, turning as if there was a suction force emanating, stirring up dust, in an instant, Fei Ying Ling Feng''s speed suddenly increased again, his entire person enveloped in a huge airflow whirlwind, drawing an unpredictable arc across the square, his figure as if disappearing into the whirlwind. Among the people, only a very few could see a faint afterimage, the afterimage unpredictable, weaker individuals could only see the huge whirlwind. "So fast." Li Lin was also surprised, Fei Ying Ling Feng had practiced Light Flicker to this extent, his gaze slightly lifted, his Qi surging under his feet, also suddenly enveloped in a huge whirlwind. "God, this little thief''s Light Flicker has also been practiced to this extent." Yun Hong Ling was dumbfounded in the stands, she had also practiced Light Flicker, naturally knowing how terrifying reaching this step would be, even she hadn''t reached this level yet. Chapter 367: Defeated with a Single Move "A trip to the secret realm, and his strength has increased manifold." On the stands, the Grand Protector exclaimed in amazement. "Whoosh whoosh!" Two vortexes intersected, their speed still increasing. On the outskirts of the square, the whole area was enveloped in a cyclone, with strong winds raging, whipping up a storm-like frenzy on the square. Everyone''s clothes fluttered wildly, as if they were standing in the midst of the wind. "Li Lin, you really surprise me. But let''s see how you dodge this time." Within the whirlwind, a howling wind erupted as the vortex spun wildly, like a tornado. The massive vortex suddenly contracted upwards, turning into a hundred-meter-sized column of air, shooting straight into the sky like a beam of light. In such a ferocious vortex, spatial ripples had already spread out, making space seem twisted. At this moment, two figures, one white and one green, reappeared in everyone''s sight. Flying Eagle Ling Feng, with hand seals condensed, suddenly released a surge of Qi from all around his body. Not to mention his speed as Flying Eagle Ling Feng, but with the cultivation of a Second Level Martial General, his strength was absolutely formidable. Merely relying on speed to rank seventh on the Dragon List was definitely not enough. "Wind-Driving Palm." With a low shout, Flying Eagle Ling Feng released a vast amount of wind attribute energy, tearing the air apart with a piercing whistling sound. The surrounding vortex was instantly enveloped, as if space itself had frozen. A powerful gust filled the air, and a huge palm imprint was heading straight for Li Lin, under which space seemed twisted. "Flying Eagle Ling Feng actually used his Wind-Driving Palm on the second move, his trump card." "Didn''t you see Li Lin''s strength? Without going all out, Flying Eagle Ling Feng probably can''t do anything to Li Lin." Amidst the low murmurs of the crowd, feeling the fierce wind, Li Lin''s Qi flashed rapidly under his feet, and his figure strangely retreated backward. In an instant, his hand seals also abruptly changed. "You can''t dodge this!" Flying Eagle Ling Feng immediately stomped his foot, and a cyclone burst forth, his figure slashing through the void like lightning, carrying the powerful palm imprint crashing towards Li Lin. "Who said I was going to dodge?" With a flash of Qi under his feet, Li Lin suddenly appeared above the square. As Li Lin stopped, the palm imprint and fierce wind attacked again, causing the space to tremble slightly with the violent Qi ripples that directly shook open. At this moment, Li Lin showed a cunning smile, with hand seals already formed. He pushed out his hand seals, and from within his green robe''s long sleeves, his hand suddenly extended. At the same time, a vast amount of earth attribute energy burst forth, converging in the palm imprint like a tidal wave. The power expanded in an instant, with a yellow palm imprint rising into the sky, leaving a series of afterimages. "Thousand Hand Rift Seal." A loud shout came from Li Lin''s mouth. Inside his broad meridians, Qi surged forth. The moment the palm imprint soared into the sky, a series of palm imprint afterimages instantly converged, suddenly condensing into an expanding palm imprint. At this moment, Li Lin, using a high-level Yellow-ranked martial skill, was completely effortless, happening in the blink of an eye. Under everyone''s gaze, the two palm imprints met head-on, completely overlapping, followed by a series of earth-shattering explosions, resonating across the square... "Boom boom!" A violent Qi burst forth in the sky, and in such a strong wind, it swept across like a storm. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Thump thump..." The Qi hadn''t dissipated yet when a white figure staggered back a dozen steps, his complexion pale and his form in disarray. It was Flying Eagle Ling Feng, whose pure white robe was now covered in dust, with several tears from the fierce wind. "Thump!" A pale yellow figure stumbled back two steps, covered in a layer of scale armor, which was Li Lin in his Qing Spirit Armor. The Qi inside his body churned. Flying Eagle Ling Feng''s strike was absolutely powerful, but Li Lin, relying on the Qing Spirit Armor, managed to withstand it. His internal organs vibrated as if shaken, but it was still within his capacity to withstand. Li Lin slightly raised his eyebrows, everything as he had anticipated. At this moment, with his Ninth Level Martial Spirit cultivation, he could completely withstand a Second Level Martial General. "Li Lin, I''ve lost." Watching the figure before him, Flying Eagle Ling Feng shook his sleeve lightly, brushing off the dust on his body, still as graceful and charming as ever. Then, he looked up at Li Lin and said, "Your strength is above mine. There''s no point in continuing the fight. You are above me, but it wouldn''t be easy for you to win. But if I made you use up too much energy, it would just benefit Long San." "Flying Eagle actually admitted defeat." The crowd was surprised again. They had seen the scene unfold, with Flying Eagle Ling Feng being suppressed into an absolute disadvantage with just one move. "Not bad, defeating you wouldn''t be too easy." Li Lin smiled lightly, Flying Eagle Ling Feng wasn''t lying, and added, "But if it were a fight to the death, defeating you wouldn''t be difficult." Watching Li Lin, Flying Eagle Ling Feng didn''t speak. He knew Li Lin wasn''t one to boast without the strength to back it up. Slightly turning his body, Flying Eagle Ling Feng said to Ba Dao Long San, "Long San, aren''t you going to take your turn?" As his words fell, Flying Eagle Ling Feng''s figure instantly retreated, gracefully landing on the ground, unaffected by the defeat. "Long San, speed alone is useless. Watch me deal with him." As Ba Dao Long San spoke, his robust figure landed in front of Li Lin, his aura spreading, immediately cracking the ground beneath him. The overflow of powerful Qi caused the surrounding space to slightly distort. "Li Lin, let me test you. If you lose, you''ll have to stay away from Wushuang." Ba Dao Long San stared at Li Lin. "If you lose, you''ll have to follow my orders. It would be somewhat embarrassing for me then." Li Lin chuckled. "Hmph, you won''t have that chance. I''m not like Ling Feng, just dodging and evading." Ba Dao Long San let out a deep shout, suddenly grasping a large saber in his hand. The saber, about two meters long with a thick back and sharp edge, glimmered with cold light, with a faint flow of light and secret patterns on the blade, clearly not an ordinary item. "Is that so? Then you may make your move." Li Lin spoke lightly, the Qing Spirit Armor around him glowing with a pale yellow light, distorting the surrounding space''s airflow. "Hmph, then I won''t hold back." As Ba Dao Long San''s shout fell, Qi burst forth from his body, his aura surging. With a stomp, a flash of earthy yellow Qi illuminated, and his body shot forward like an arrow, the long saber bringing a streak of saber light across space, carrying a sharp wind that tore through the air, aiming directly at Li Lin. Such a swift and fierce attack, ranking sixth on the Dragon List, was not without reason. "What a fierce attack from Ba Dao." Feeling the sharp Qi approaching, Li Lin frowned, his figure retreating instantly, a smile once again appearing on his face. "Boy, you can''t escape. Try my Ba Dao Technique." Seeing Li Lin retreat like lightning, Long San followed closely, his aura surging once again, enveloping the entire square like an impending storm, and at this moment, the long saber in Ba Dao Long San''s hand shone brightly, casting a sky-full of afterimages. "My God, Ba Dao Long San used his Ba Dao Technique on the first move. Does he intend to defeat Li Lin with just one move?" "Ba Dao Long San''s signature move, last year in the battle against Absolute Sword Zhao Qingtian on the Dragon Summit, Ba Dao Long San only lost to Zhao Qingtian by a hair." "Now Li Lin is in trouble. Ba Dao Long San used his ultimate move on the first strike, fearing Li Lin''s speed, hoping to defeat him with a single move." Everyone was shocked, unable to believe Ba Dao Long San would use his ultimate technique right from the start. Caught off guard, anyone would be at a disadvantage, and they all worried for Li Lin. "Long San is too shameless, using full power on the first move." Yun Hongling''s beautiful eyes widened, watching Li Lin in the arena, already worried. "Don''t worry, Long San''s strength is indeed not bad, but he can''t harm Lin." Cui Yu smiled lightly, fully aware of Li Lin''s strength. There was no suspense; if Li Lin went all out, Long San wouldn''t stand a chance. In that instant, Ba Dao Long San''s long saber drew a series of saber lights, the violent saber light almost covering the sky, each saber light almost tangible, tearing through space, directly splitting the spatial ripples. In the blink of an eye, the saber light, with its domineering and fierce aura, enveloped all the space in front of Li Lin, striking towards him. "No matter what, this is still a high-level Yellow-ranked martial skill." As Ba Dao''s saber light pressed down, Li Lin''s mouth curved up, murmuring. As he spoke, his hand seals were already pushed out. "Earth Barrier Shield." Li Lin uttered softly, waving his hand, and suddenly, a huge earthy yellow shield swept out in front of him, immediately blocking his front. The pervasive and fierce saber light instantly fell upon the shield. Chapter 368: Dominant Defeat "Crack crack crack crack..." A wildly violent slicing noise erupted instantly, and as the blade''s radiance burst forth, it unleashed an incredibly ferocious power. The earthy yellow shield, although extremely strong, was only able to withstand the relentless attacks for a moment before it was cleaved open with countless cracks. "Break!" Ba Dao Long San uttered a slight shout, and the myriad blade lights suddenly converged. At the same time, these numerous blade lights gathered like flowing light, and under the dazzling light, they transformed into a several hundred meters long, fiercely substantial blade light. With an overbearing and unmatched aura, Ba Dao Long San''s momentum reached its peak. He raised his sword, and this powerful and wild blade light, which tore through space, heavily struck the shield. Watching this strike, Zhan Dao Qu Dao Jue and Fei Ying Ling Feng both had a solemn expression on their faces. All of this happened in the blink of an eye, followed by an explosion... "Boom!" The massive shield was split open from the middle, and the ferocious power filled the air, tearing the space apart. "Hiss!" Right after the loud noise, a faint sound came from the shattered shield, and a yellow figure instantly rushed out. As the figure passed, the fierce wind directly hit the figure. "Not good..." Watching the pale yellow figure rushing out, Ba Dao Long San was suddenly stunned. However, in this flash of lightning, everything happened too quickly. The figure had completely exceeded his expectations and was already less than ten meters in front of him. "Long San, be careful." "Fiery Explosion, Wind Sweeping Through the Remaining Clouds." As soon as these words were uttered, the entire space suddenly filled with an aura that made everyone''s hearts flutter. A figure protected by pale yellow scale armor clearly appeared in mid-air. At this moment, Li Lin, with a fireball the size of a palm appearing instantly in his right hand and a violently rotating air current in his left hand. The fireball grew against the wind, and the entire space''s temperature soared rapidly. The powerful aura pressed down, directly enveloping the surrounding space. When the air current was released, it instantly roared and churned like a tornado, causing the ground of the plaza to crack. The ferocious aura spread out, covering the sky and earth. In this moment, two elemental attacks pressed down on Ba Dao Long San, causing his complexion to drastically change. As he rapidly retreated, his body was instantly enveloped in an earthy yellow vortex. Inside the vortex, it seemed as if it was covered with a flow of air like rocks, showing that this was also a defensive martial technique. "Using two elemental attacks at the same time is undoubtedly equivalent to being besieged by two people," the Grand Protector said with a shocked expression as he watched the scene below. "Bang bang!" In this moment of lightning and flint, the fireball immediately expanded and burst open, tearing a scorching arc through the space. A terrifyingly hot pressure spread out like a tidal wave. This terrifyingly hot aura then heavily pressed down on the defensive martial technique arranged by Ba Dao Long San. The unparalleled flames swept across the sky, and under the terrifying temperature, it was visible to the naked eye that Ba Dao Long San''s defensive martial technique was beginning to crack. At this moment, another tremendous force poured down, and a storm expanded, mixed with countless wind blades wreaking havoc. It instantly enveloped Ba Dao Long San within, the storm spreading and exploding open. Under the terrifying aura, the entire plaza was enveloped in this firestorm and windstorm. All eyes were on the plaza, and this scene amazed everyone. Fei Ying Ling Feng took a deep breath in shock when he saw this. "Bang!" A huge figure was directly blasted away from the violent aura, falling tens of meters away. The long sword in his hand was forcefully inserted into the ground of the plaza, and the force of the retreat caused the long sword to drag a crack of tens of meters on the ground before stabilizing his body. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Ba Dao Long San''s embarrassed figure appeared in everyone''s sight, his complexion pale, his clothes partially burnt black by the flames, his hair disheveled, and a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth. "Hiss!" When the wind ceased in the surrounding space, Li Lin''s figure also reappeared, his pale yellow scale armor underneath him showing no significant change. "What kind of defensive martial technique is this?" The Grand Protector watched Li Lin with a puzzled expression. He had always been unable to see through Li Lin''s defensive martial technique, which also amazed him with its defensive power. "Ba Dao Long San lost." "With all his might, Ba Dao Long San lost in one move. Li Lin is too terrifying." A wave of exclamation spread among all the disciples watching. "Li Lin, I lost." Watching Li Lin, Ba Dao Long San wiped the faint blood from the corner of his mouth. His eyes filled with surprise. He never thought that his full-force strike, intended to defeat Li Lin in one fell swoop, would result in his own defeat. "You are already very strong. If not for my defensive martial technique being somewhat extraordinary, it would not have been so easy for me to win against you," Li Lin said lightly, able to win against Long San mainly because he relied on the defense of the Qing Ling armor. Otherwise, he would not dare to make a move so confidently. "Winning is winning; you don''t need to save face for me. From now on, Ba Dao Long San is at your disposal; my word is my bond," Ba Dao Long San said through clenched teeth. "You''re being too serious. I dare not command you. You lost, there''s a small shop at the foot of the mountain that serves good wine. Just invite me to drink today," Li Lin said with a light smile. This bet was entirely a joke. If he really commanded Ba Dao Long San, he didn''t know how many people he would offend, starting with Long San''s master. "Fine, this afternoon, we won''t return until we''re drunk. I found your arrogance a bit unpleasant at first, but now, you''re the person I find most agreeable, even more so than Ling Feng," Ba Dao Long San looked at Li Lin and said, "This friendship, I, Long San, have settled. In the future, if you need help, I won''t spout nonsense about going through fire and water, but I''ll definitely join you in a fight." "Long San, what have I done to you? You''re bringing me into this even though you''re the one who lost and still so happy about it," Fei Ying Ling Feng shouted. "Hehe," Li Lin touched his nose and chuckled. Ba Dao Long San was indeed a man. Such a friend was definitely worth making. "Long San, you go down first. Count me in for the drinking, but wait until I want to make a move," the voice fell, and a figure in a white robe instantly landed beside Ba Dao Long San. Upon landing, he didn''t cause any fluctuations, but his presence was more imposing than Ba Dao Long San''s. The entire plaza was instantly filled with an aura that seemed to solidify the space. "Zhan Dao Qu Dao Jue is finally making a move..." Among the onlookers, silence ensued. "Alright, I''ll leave it to you then. I think only you can deal with him," Ba Dao Long San said to Qu Dao Jue, then leaped to Fei Ying Ling Feng''s side. "I originally thought I would have to wait a few years before you would be qualified to fight me, but now, you''ve surprised me," Zhan Dao Qu Dao Jue looked at Li Lin and said lightly. "I''ve also wanted to fight you for a long time. Now, the opportunity has finally come," Li Lin looked at Qu Dao Jue, his eyes filled with fighting spirit for the first time. In the past, when facing opponents, Li Lin was filled with killing intent, deathly aura, coldness. But now, it was fighting spirit, making his whole body burn with eagerness. At this moment, Li Lin was also looking forward to it, wondering if his Nine Heavy Martial Spirit strength could stand up to Zhan Dao Qu Dao Jue, a Third Level Martial General, under normal conditions. "Can Li Lin still win this battle, facing Zhan Dao Qu Dao Jue?" All eyes were on the center of the arena. Zhan Dao Qu Dao Jue''s name was well-known among the direct disciples, firmly holding the third spot on the Dragon List, always unchallenged. After breaking through again in the secret realm, he had become a Third Level Martial General. Many were already speculating that Zhan Dao Qu Dao Jue''s strength was enough to defeat Han Feng and even Zhao Qing Hai. After all, even when he was a Second Level Martial General, Zhan Dao Qu Dao Jue''s strength was not much different from Han Feng and Zhao Qing Hai''s. And Li Lin, since entering Yun Yang Sect, had always been a prominent figure, never defeated at the top of the Earth Dragon, and having just defeated Fei Ying Ling Feng and Ba Dao Long San, two strong opponents, was at his most prominent. Now, nothing could attract more attention than the clash between these two. The two men in the arena made no moves, just locking eyes and igniting rolling fighting spirit. Their auras gradually became more majestic, suppressing the atmosphere outside the arena, making some of the disciples with lower cultivation levels feel a bit suffocated. "Grand Protector, who do you think has the upper hand between Li Lin and Qu Dao Jue?" In the suppressed atmosphere, a protector couldn''t help asking the Grand Protector. "Both of these men are one in a million. Given time, both will undoubtedly become the absolute powerhouses among the new generation of our Yun Yang Sect, achieving boundless accomplishments. However, right now, I can''t tell who has the upper hand. But regardless, even if Li Lin loses, given his age and talent, he''s already one step ahead," the Grand Protector said hesitantly. "Cui Yu, what do you think?" Hearing the Grand Protector''s words, Yun Hong Ling asked Cui Yu beside her. "If Li Lin doesn''t hold back, Qu Dao Jue will surely lose, and lose miserably," Cui Yu said lightly, her beautiful eyes showing absolute confidence. With dual cultivation of spirit and martial arts, and mastery over all elements, under such strength, Qu Dao Jue, though extremely strong, could not compete. Hearing Cui Yu''s words, several keen-eared protectors were also puzzled. As the two locked eyes, the ground between them, without anyone noticing, had already begun to crack. The cracks spread forward at a steady pace, and the domineering auras of the two at this moment made many of the disciples tremble with fear. Chapter 369: Fierce Duel "Crack crack..." Just as the spreading cracks in front of the two of them met, a sudden clash of two forces erupted from the ground, and a loud explosion sounded out of nowhere... "Boom!" The explosion echoed over the land, and in the middle of the two, after a loud bang, rocks and soil flew into the air, and a violent force wreaked havoc in an instant. "Hisss!" In that moment, the two figures did not retreat but instead leaped up at the same time, with their Qi bursting out. Amid the violent energy, they clashed in the air, palms striking with continuous explosions. After a palm strike, both figures flew back through the air. Strong Qi shook and surged in the air, slowly spreading out like river waves, sending ripples through the space. "Clang!" In the hands of Qu DaoJue, a long pole saber suddenly appeared. It was a battle saber, one meter long, golden as if made of gold. The blade was one meter long, with a smooth body, a wide back, and a thin edge, shining coldly, with a faint saber aura emanating from it. The saber stood upright on the ground, causing cracks to spread around the area... "Nice saber." Li Lin looked at Qu DaoJue. This battle saber was even better than the one used by Ba Dao Long San, it seemed to be at least crafted by a spiritual marshal. "Li Lin, now that I''ve drawn my saber, it''s hard to hold back. Be careful." As soon as Qu DaoJue finished speaking, he charged again, raising his long saber and splitting the space in front of him. At this moment, Qu DaoJue''s momentum was at its peak. In an instant, the saber aura tore through the space and came swiftly, spreading a violent earth attribute Qi. Qu DaoJue''s figure also appeared in Li Lin''s line of sight, the saber aura carrying absolute might. "Come on, let me see how strong the third rank on the Dragon List really is." Li Lin shouted, and with a flash of Qi under his feet, his figure disappeared from the spot, "Saber Technique First Form: Sky-Cleaving Earth-Dropping Slash." "Saber Technique Second Form, Exquisite Shadow Slash." "Saber Technique Third Form, Heaven and Earth Net Slash." ... Qu DaoJue, with each shout, the saber aura below tore through space as if it was being ripped apart, leaving only the shimmering light of the saber aura across the square. "Thousand Hand Splitting Seal." "Wind Sweeps the Remnants." "Explosive Flame." ... Amidst the rising winds and surging clouds, Li Lin''s light shouts echoed one after another, his light yellow figure darting within the saber aura, the explosive sounds of his powerful Qi resonating non-stop across the square. "What strong strength..." Everyone was dumbfounded, such strength was too far beyond them, not at the same level at all. Among the disciples present, very few could participate in such a contest. "Saber Technique Fourth Form, Earthflow Slash." "Earth Gang Shield." ... "Boom boom boom..." Under the huge explosive sounds, waves of energy spread out wave after wave until they finally dissipated in mid-air. The two figures clashed like lightning, with every move meeting with violent force. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Only a few people could clearly see the two figures clashing at high speed in the center, filled with terrifying energy, as if the whole square was about to overturn. When their attacks collided, countless lights scattered, and explosions burst in mid-air... "Bang bang bang bang..." Terrifying and violent Qi surged to the sky, and when the last series of explosive sounds fell, the two figures retreated, each staggering back, their auras somewhat dimmed, and their faces pale. The two stood, with the violent energy in the air slowly dissipating. "Hisss!" Li Lin''s surrounding Qi became violent, his hands drawing mysterious arcs, enveloping himself in dazzling light. As these mysterious hand seals were made, strange lights burst forth in front of him, enveloping his body, causing a weird change in his aura, which became terrifyingly violent. Watching Li Lin''s aura at this moment, Qu DaoJue''s expression changed. Li Lin''s body suddenly shone with seven colors of light, the terrifying energy emitted distorting the space around. "Alright, I''ve lost." Just then, a faint voice suddenly came from Qu DaoJue. Hearing this voice, the crowd fell silent, all eyes on Qu DaoJue. "Hisss!" Li Lin withdrew his hand seals, the terrifying energy gathered slowly retracting into his body, looking at Qu DaoJue, he said, "You haven''t lost yet, you''ve always been suppressing me." "Your last attack, my intuition tells me, if I had taken it, I would have been seriously injured at least, so I''ve lost," Qu DaoJue said calmly. Li Lin smiled slightly without saying anything. With all his strength, he could only barely contend with Qu DaoJue. Without revealing his trump card, he could not win. And regarding his own strength, Li Lin had also gained some understanding. In a normal state, he could already contend with a triple martial general. Hearing Qu DaoJue''s words, a wave of gasps echoed among the onlooking disciples, with everyone previously only seeing Qu DaoJue having the upper hand. But now, Qu DaoJue was admitting defeat. Given Qu DaoJue''s character, he was definitely not someone who would admit defeat easily. "The martial technique Li Lin was about to use was too terrifying. Qu DaoJue''s surrender was a wise decision. I didn''t expect Li Lin''s strength to have reached this level," Yun HongLing softly said, watching the martial technique Li Lin was about to use. She remembered in the Misty Mountain Range, Li Lin''s mysterious martial technique had injured her not lightly. "Didn''t expect Qu DaoJue to admit defeat, Li Lin really has never been defeated." Several protectors looked at each other, their faces filled with surprise. If this had been an official challenge, the ranking on the Dragon List would have been changing again. "Let''s go for a drink," Qu DaoJue said, looking at Li Lin. "Haha, Long San, Ling Feng, let''s go..." Li Lin laughed loudly, his thoughts already notifying the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion in the sky. "Haha, even Qu DaoJue has lost, I don''t feel wronged losing today, let''s go for a drink." Ling Feng laughed, his fourth-order flying beast mount already in the sky. "Whoosh whoosh!" Four flying beasts circled in the sky, with the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion being the most eye-catching, four figures leaping onto their mounts. "Boss, wait for me, I''m coming too." Little dragon''s voice fell, his figure turning into a streak of light, leaping from Cui Yu''s shoulder into mid-air. "Roar..." Seeing its master victorious, the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion was extremely excited, with a low roar, it took off, creating a gust of wind, and instantly left with the other three mounts, the four figures disappearing in an instant. "Li Lin, you''re going for drinks without calling me, how hateful, I''m going too." Yun HongLing shouted at the sky, also calling her Lightning Leopard. "Cui Yu sister, let''s go together." Pulling Cui Yu, two beautiful figures landed on the back of the Lightning Leopard, and then disappeared from the top of the land. Watching the six leave, all the disciples below could not help but sigh. "How could Qu DaoJue lose, he was always having the upper hand, could it be he deliberately let Li Lin win?" "Hmph, with your strength, can you see it? Li Lin''s final trump card was definitely terrifying. Qu DaoJue knew he was going to lose, so he admitted defeat. Li Lin''s strength is now within the top three of the Dragon List." "Defeating Ling Feng and Ba Dao Long San in one move, and making Qu DaoJue admit defeat, this strength is too strong." Amidst the discussions, all the disciples watched the messy square below, still shocked in their hearts. Li Lin''s name was deeply engraved in their minds. Originally, a very few people came with the intention of seeing Li Lin''s defeat, but now, they could only marvel. The results of these three contests quickly spread throughout the Yun Yang Sect like the wind, with many other protectors and elders also receiving the news, each of them surprised beyond measure. Below the Yun Yang Sect, in the new disciples'' area, a small shop was surrounded by thousands of people, with many disciples jumping up to look into the shop, because at this moment, the shop contained several of the most prominent young figures of the Yun Yang Sect, including two stunning beauties. "That''s Qu DaoJue, and also Ba Dao Long San, Ling Feng." "That''s Li Lin, the strongest disciple among the newcomers." "Who are those two stunning beauties, they''re so beautiful." "Just look, but don''t think too much, the one on the left is Miss Yun HongLing, and the one on the right, reportedly a strong contender who entered the secret grounds, named Cui Yu." Amidst the discussions, the shop was bustling, occasionally with laughter spilling out. ... In a courtyard of the Yun Yang Sect, the figure of the Great Protector and Yun XiaoTian were among them. "So, Li Lin''s strength is indeed within the top three of the Dragon List," Yun XiaoTian said, looking out the window, his eyes filled with amazement. Chapter 370 My Father Is Looking for You "His speed is not inferior to Ling Feng''s, defeating Long San with a single move, and forcing Qiu Dao Jue to retreat. Li Lin''s strength has increased too quickly." The Grand Protector said lightly, "And I vaguely feel that Li Lin seems to still have a lot of strength hidden." "Only now you see it? That kid Li Lin, young as he is, is very careful and meticulous. Do you think he would reveal all his strength?" Yun Xiao Tian glanced at the Grand Protector and said, "Now I understand why Li Lin insisted on taking my brother as his master among all the elders." "Master, why is that?" The Grand Protector asked curiously. "Among all the elders, who do you think is the most difficult to deal with?" Yun Xiao Tian asked with a slight smile. "Elder Yu." The Grand Protector did not hesitate to say, "Elder Yu is the most difficult among all the elders. If he gets serious, even you, Master, have to give him some face." "It''s more than just giving some face. If it weren''t for my brother''s talent being not that great, and he also doesn''t have much ambition, otherwise, the position of the sect master would have been his," Yun Xiao Tian said with a wry smile. "Moreover, my brother is extremely protective. If his disciple causes trouble, as long as it''s not too serious, I guess the other elders wouldn''t dare to say much." The Grand Protector''s face slightly stiffened, then he quickly regained his composure and said, "Master means, Li Lin deliberately chose to become a disciple under Elder Yu because he was worried about causing trouble in the Yun Yang Sect, and thus having a backer?" "Exactly. At first, I thought Li Lin was a bit foolish, or it was because of Li Zhong''s reason that he chose to become a disciple under Elder Yu. Now it seems, it''s completely premeditated. This kid''s scheming is not simple," Yun Xiao Tian said. "Master, saying that, I also feel it''s really possible. Li Lin, young as he is, is indeed mature beyond his years and very secretive," the Grand Protector said with a sigh. "He''s not even nineteen yet, right? With such strength, could it be simple?" Yun Xiao Tian sighed, "Now, I''m actually interested in the strong figure behind him. I wonder which strong figure could have taught such a disciple. None of the direct disciples of our Yun Yang Sect can compare. If that strong figure could join our Yun Yang Sect, that would indeed be adding wings to a tiger." "Master, about the Three Sects Four Gates Conference, should Li Lin participate?" the Grand Protector asked lightly. "The Three Sects Four Gates Conference, that kid actually doesn''t want to go," Yun Xiao Tian said. "Doesn''t want to go..." The Grand Protector was very puzzled. "Hong Ling came to tell me, Li Lin, that kid, seems to have no intention of participating in the Three Sects Four Gates Conference," Yun Xiao Tian frowned slightly and said. "With Li Lin''s strength, if he participates, our Yun Yang Sect would also have a better chance. His strength is already within the top three of the Dragon List," the Grand Protector said. "His strength must be concealed. Perhaps this time, our Yun Yang Sect''s face depends on that kid," Yun Xiao Tian sighed. "But, Li Lin said he has no intention of participating in the Three Sects Four Gates Conference. If we force him to participate, I''m afraid it might not be good," the Grand Protector said. "Although I don''t know what that kid is thinking, I can feel that if he doesn''t participate in the Three Sects Four Gates Conference, there must be some reason. It seems I should talk to him," Yun Xiao Tian revealed a hint of a smile. The Grand Protector''s face changed slightly, looking at the sect master''s smile. No matter how he looked, it seemed a bit cunning. He thought to himself that Li Lin might be in trouble. If the sect master starts to scheme, it''s no small matter. "How has the Flying Spirit Gate been moving lately?" Yun Xiao Tian asked lightly. "The Flying Spirit Gate, I don''t know what''s going on, but in a year''s time, it has already grown several times stronger. According to the spies in our sect, it took a lot of effort to find out that recently many strong figures have secretly joined the Flying Spirit Gate. This all, probably the Ghost Martial Sect is still unaware of. Meanwhile, at the edge of the Ancient Region''s Misty Mountain Range, any profitable paths have been stepped on by the Flying Spirit Gate. The medicinal materials within the Misty Mountain Range are now controlled by the Flying Spirit Gate, nine times out of ten. Strangely, other forces dare not inquire," the Grand Protector said lightly. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Yun Xiao Tian did not speak, his brows slightly furrowed, and then he let out a light sigh, "It seems, the Flying Spirit Gate also must have a strong figure sitting in it. Just don''t know to what extent their strength has reached. Originally thought the Flying Spirit Gate was just making small troubles, but now it seems, it''s not just that." "I also feel that the Flying Spirit Gate is not simple. Six of our Yun Yang Sect''s spies went in, and only one came out alive," the Grand Protector said lightly. "If it weren''t for this time we were investigating Li Lin, we wouldn''t have been able to find out that the Flying Spirit Gate has already risen in the dark." "In the future, don''t send people into the Flying Spirit Gate anymore," Yun Xiao Tian said lightly, his eyes flashing a cunning smile, "The Three Sects Four Gates have always wanted to enter the Ancient Region, but they have no chance at all. This time, if we can grasp it, perhaps it''s also an opportunity for us." "Master means..." The Grand Protector''s face changed slightly, then said, "But the Flying Spirit Gate is still too weak, how can it now only be considered a third-rate force." "A third-rate force?" Yun Xiao Tian''s eyebrows slightly raised, "If a third-rate force like the small Flying Spirit Gate monopolizes the medicinal materials within the Misty Mountain Range, it''s completely seeking death. But now there''s not a bit of trouble, can''t this explain the problem? It seems, I have to re-evaluate that kid Li Lin." The day after the Earth Dragon Summit competition, early in the morning, Li Lin woke up with a somewhat groggy head. Yesterday, he had drunk quite a bit with Qiu Dao Jue, Long San, Ling Feng, and others. Drinking alcohol without using true qi to expel it from the body, after all, that would negate the feeling of drinking. "Huh..." Li Lin exhaled a breath of alcohol from his belly and smiled slightly before walking out of the room. "Are you awake? You slept quite heavily last night." In the small hall, a stunningly beautiful figure appeared, it was Bai Ling, who had transformed into human form. "I drank quite a bit yesterday. Are you getting used to it here?" Li Lin asked lightly, not daring to look too much into Bai Ling''s eyes, as her gaze seemed enchanting. "It''s okay, at least it''s much better than there. I just want to go around and see more places," Bai Ling said lightly. "It won''t be long. I''ll take you to see around," Li Lin said lightly. "Someone is looking for you," Bai Ling''s figure disappeared in an instant. Li Lin''s gaze turned towards the courtyard outside, where a beautiful figure had already arrived swiftly. "Little thief, are you there?" As soon as the voice fell, a beautiful figure had already arrived in the small hall, other than Yun Hong Ling, there was no one else. "I thought you weren''t here." Seeing Li Lin in the small hall, Yun Hong Ling immediately came to his side, unreservedly wrapping Li Lin''s hand in her own and leaning gently on Li Lin''s shoulder, saying, "It''s all your fault, making me drink so much yesterday, making my head so dizzy today." "How is it my fault? Yesterday, it was you who wanted to come, and you wanted to drink," Li Lin helplessly glanced at Yun Hong Ling, "I even told you not to drink that much, but you still insisted on drinking." "People didn''t know drinking could make one''s head dizzy!" Looking at Li Lin, Yun Hong Ling said aggrievedly, then suddenly remembered something, "Right, I came to find you because there''s something important." "What is it?" Li Lin asked, this girl seemingly wouldn''t have anything important. "My dad asked me to find you, said he has something to see you for," Yun Hong Ling''s delicate face showed a slight blush, "I suspect my dad wants to talk to us about our matter." "Really?" Li Lin frowned, feeling a bit like meeting the parents for the first time. "I''m just guessing. Otherwise, why would my dad ask us to see him together?" Yun Hong Ling said lightly. "Is that so..." Li Lin''s brow furrowed slightly, already guessing in his mind. In the deep winter season, atop the peaks of the Yun Yang Mountain Range, snow occasionally covered the mountaintops. In a courtyard, Li Lin followed Yun Hong Ling, riding the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion to this place. The courtyard was not large, but it was extremely exquisite. Even in this deep winter season, there were still many green plants. Li Lin learned from Yun Hong Ling that this was where Yun Xiao Tian usually lived. "Greetings, Miss." Outside the courtyard, many Yun Yang Sect disciples saluted. Judging from their aura, almost all were at the Martial Soul cultivation level. Entering the courtyard, the decoration was simple but exuded a dominant aura. "Dad, I''m here." In a small hall, Yun Xiao Tian''s figure was seated, and Yun Hong Ling immediately went over, affectionately sitting next to Yun Xiao Tian. "Greetings, Sect Master." Li Lin saluted, already feeling an invisible pressure coming towards him. Yun Xiao Tian''s strength was too strong, wondering when he could reach such a level. "Li Lin, sit down. Today, I wanted to talk to you about some family matters, no need to be formal," Yun Xiao Tian said lightly. "Thank you, Sect Master." Li Lin did not hesitate and quickly took a seat to one side. "Dad, you called us here, is there something?" Yun Hong Ling asked softly, her cheeks slightly flushed, her voice carrying a hint of a young girl''s spring feelings. Seeing his daughter''s expression, Yun Xiao Tian paused, knowing well what his daughter was thinking. Looking at Li Lin, then at his daughter, a slightly unusual gaze flashed in his eyes. "It''s nothing much," Yun Xiao Tian said with a light smile, then turned to Li Lin, "Li Lin, today we''ll talk about some family matters. Your father, Li Zhong, and I are about the same age, though in the sect, I''m of a higher generation. But back in the day at Yun Yang Sect, we did have some interactions. I wonder how he is doing now?" Chapter 371: Identity Exposed "I''m not too sure about that myself, probably very good." Li Lin said lightly, unexpectedly realizing that Li Zhong had some connections with Yun XiaoTian. It seemed that Li Zhong must have had a pretty good time in the YunYang Sect. "Dad, do you still remember Xiao... Lin''er''s dad?" Yun HongLing immediately became interested. "Indeed, Li Lin''s father, Li Zhong, was also one of the rare talents in our YunYang Sect. It''s a pity that he had to leave the YunYang Sect later due to some matters," Yun XiaoTian said. "When you go back to the Li family, give my regards to your dad." "Thank you, Sect Leader, for your concern. If I can see him, I will definitely convey the message," Li Lin said lightly. Yun XiaoTian glanced at Li Lin, then turned to his daughter and said, "Actually, the reason I called you here today is that there''s something I want to talk to you about." "Sect Leader, please instruct, I''m all ears," Li Lin said lightly, already figuring that Yun XiaoTian had other reasons for calling him over. The previous conversation was just beating around the bush. "Well, I''ll just say it. In principle, some matters of the younger generation should not be interfered with by us older folks. However, HongLing is my only daughter, and her mother passed away early. So, there are some matters I must take care of. Do you understand what I mean?" Yun XiaoTian looked at Li Lin as he spoke. "Dad..." Yun HongLing was shyly lowering her head to her chest at this moment, her eyes sneakily glancing towards Li Lin. "I don''t understand," Li Lin said lightly, his expression unchanged, but in his heart, he understood perfectly. Since Yun XiaoTian did not make his intentions clearer, he decided to continue playing dumb. "Little thief..." Yun HongLing softly scolded, glaring at Li Lin. She understood the meaning, but hated that this little thief pretended not to know. "This..." Yun XiaoTian did not expect Li Lin to play dumb, frowning and saying, "HongLing is my only daughter and also the young miss of YunYang Sect. Therefore, her future husband, even if not a heroic figure, must at least be a dragon among men." "That''s only right. The young miss is naturally not someone just anyone can match," Li Lin said without any change in expression, but his heart sank. His relationship with Yun HongLing was something many in the YunYang Sect had guessed, and Yun XiaoTian could not possibly be unaware. Perhaps Yun XiaoTian was finding him unworthy, thinking that the Li family was not a match for the YunYang Sect. There was definitely more to Yun XiaoTian''s words, but Li Lin did not yet understand his intentions. "Dad, Lin''er just defeated Qu DaoJue yesterday," Yun HongLing glared at Li Lin, then said to Yun XiaoTian. "HongLing, don''t speak for now," Yun XiaoTian glanced at his daughter, then said to Li Lin, "The tri-sect quad-gate convention is approaching, and as you are the son of Li Zhong, who had a relationship with me, I wanted to ask your opinion. I intend to choose a future husband for HongLing from the disciples attending the tri-sect quad-gate convention. What do you think?" Li Lin was now puzzled about what Yun XiaoTian meant. "Sect Leader, HongLing''s lifelong matter is not something I can comment on. Everything naturally depends on the Sect Leader''s wishes," Li Lin said lightly. "Do you not have any opinion?" Yun XiaoTian asked indifferently. "Would the Sect Leader listen to my opinion?" Li Lin said lightly, unable to guess Yun XiaoTian''s true intentions at this moment. "Dad, I..." Yun HongLing''s face changed at this moment, but she was interrupted by Yun XiaoTian before she could speak. "HongLing, wait until later to speak. I''m asking Li Lin." This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Hearing Yun XiaoTian''s words, Yun HongLing had no choice but to hold back her words. "Li Lin, I''ve heard about you and HongLing. Let me be frank, if you can achieve a good result in the tri-sect quad-gate convention, I will consider your matter with HongLing. Otherwise, even if I agree, there are some elders in the Yun family who will not agree," Yun XiaoTian said to Li Lin again. "So, it turns out you want me to participate in the tri-sect quad-gate convention," Li Lin came to his senses. This roundabout way of speaking was probably because Yun XiaoTian hoped he would participate in the convention. Li Lin had already heard from his master Yu Yu about the significance of this convention for the YunYang Sect, especially under its current circumstances. "There must be a catch," Li Lin thought to himself, maintaining his composure. He had already told Yun HongLing he didn''t want to participate in the convention, and Yun XiaoTian must have known this. To ask him again, especially using his daughter as bait, there must be something fishy. "Sect Leader, I understand your meaning. However, I lack strength and dare not take on such a responsibility," Li Lin said, deliberately refusing the invitation to see how much Yun XiaoTian really wanted him to participate. As for using Yun HongLing to pressure him, Li Lin was not afraid. There were plenty of instances of elopement in his previous life. When it came to making a fait accompli, the YunYang Sect could do nothing to him. The key lay with HongLing, not Yun XiaoTian. Li Lin smirked to himself, determined to uncover the hidden agenda. "So, you still don''t want to participate," Yun XiaoTian''s expression changed slightly. "It''s not that I don''t want to participate, but that I dare not take on such a responsibility. My strength is too weak, and I''ve also heard from my master about the importance of this tri-sect quad-gate for our YunYang Sect," Li Lin said lightly, not daring to speak too definitively, at least not to the extent of angering this Sect Leader and potential father-in-law. After the scene he and Yun HongLing witnessed on the mountain peak with Cui Yu, Li Lin officially considered Yun HongLing as his woman. "Little thief, are you really not going to participate?" Yun HongLing could no longer hold back, immediately scolding Li Lin. Initially, she thought her father was the one who disagreed, but now it seemed her father agreed, yet this little thief was hesitating. "I''m afraid I can''t bear the responsibility," Li Lin said lightly. "Li Lin, what if I insist you participate?" Yun XiaoTian''s expression darkened, his gaze landing on Li Lin. "Sect Leader commands, and I naturally will participate. If I fail to meet the expectations, I hope the Sect Leader will not blame me later," Li Lin said lightly, making it clear that how much effort he would put in was up to him. Watching Li Lin, Yun XiaoTian''s gaze flickered, and under this gaze, Li Lin suddenly felt an invisible force pressing down on him. "Ha ha..." After a moment, Yun XiaoTian laughed and said, "Tell me the truth, why don''t you want to participate in the tri-sect quad-gate convention?" "I''ve always spoken the truth, and dare not lie in front of the Sect Leader," Li Lin said lightly, feeling uncomfortable under that pressure. "Have you never lied in front of me?" Yun XiaoTian smiled lightly, watching Li Lin. Under this smile, Li Lin suddenly felt a chill, as if his entire being had been seen through. "I naturally dare not lie in front of the Sect Leader," Li Lin said lightly. "Is that so?" Yun XiaoTian smiled again and said, "Then I wonder if I should address you as Sect Leader Li. Although Flying Spirit Gate is just a third-rate sect, it''s still a sect. After destroying JiuHua Sect, LuoSha Sect, and HeiJian Sect, Sect Leader Li has made quite a name for himself in the Ghost Martial Sect. Your reputation is not small." Hearing Yun XiaoTian''s words, Li Lin was almost instantly stunned, his heart trembling, unable to speak for a long time. The first thought in his mind was, "There must be someone from the YunYang Sect in the ancient domain, or even in Flying Spirit Gate, otherwise, how could they know everything about me? Or could it be that the YunYang Sect has been investigating me?" Li Lin had not expected that he had always been under someone else''s surveillance, thinking no one knew about him. He felt a bit like a clown. "What Flying Spirit Gate, Dad, what''s going on?" Yun HongLing was completely confused at this moment. "I didn''t expect the Sect Leader to know already. I was thinking of finding an opportunity to tell the Sect Leader. If there''s a rule in the YunYang Sect that its disciples cannot serve as sect leaders elsewhere, I''ll resign right away," Li Lin said without any change in expression, quickly recovering from his surprise. After all, what did it matter if he was the Sect Leader of Flying Spirit Gate? It had nothing to do with the YunYang Sect. Besides, there was no conflict between Flying Spirit Gate and the YunYang Sect. Yun XiaoTian''s expression froze again, his gaze fixed on Li Lin. Li Lin''s reaction was unexpected. Yun XiaoTian had thought he had caught Li Lin''s weakness and could make him panic, but Li Lin did not react at all, instead bringing up the rules of the YunYang Sect. According to the rules of the YunYang Sect, disciples are not allowed to join other sects, but there is no rule saying YunYang Sect disciples cannot serve as sect leaders elsewhere. So, this matter really is not something the YunYang Sect can control. Chapter 372: Lets Talk Benefits At first, Yun XiaoTian thought that using his daughter as bait would be enough to make Li Lin wholeheartedly participate in the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference. However, Li Lin did not react as expected, which somewhat embarrassed Yun XiaoTian, making it seem like he was deliberately offering his daughter to him. Yun XiaoTian knew it wouldn''t be difficult to get Li Lin to participate in the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference. His orders were not something Li Lin dared to defy, but Li Lin made it clear that participating and giving it his all were two different matters. Now, Yun XiaoTian planned to make Li Lin give his all in the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference, not just show the level of strength he had been displaying. This time, the conference was of utmost importance to the YunYang Sect, which must have a disciple rank within the top three. Yun XiaoTian was familiar with the strength of the disciples listed on the Dragon Ranking, such as Zhao QingHai, Hua HanFeng, Qu DaoJue, Dong Pan, Zhao QingTian, including his own daughter, Yun HongLing. Although their strength was among the best of the younger generation, entering the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference was not an easy task. Li Lin''s performance at the Earth Dragon Summit yesterday had already proven his strength, and what Yun XiaoTian valued even more was Li Lin''s hidden strength. From the beginning, Yun XiaoTian could feel that Li Lin was concealing his true power, deeply hidden. If Li Lin could be persuaded to fully exert his strength in the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference, a dark horse might truly emerge within the YunYang Sect. Watching Li Lin''s unchanging expression, Yun XiaoTian could only sigh. To reach this level in front of him, this young man''s composure and demeanor were certainly not common. At this moment, Yun XiaoTian even wondered, his daughter, who was always proud and lofty, how she could fall for Li Lin. Now, it seems, the person his daughter chose was truly extraordinary, worthy of being his daughter, her insight was indeed sharp. "There''s no need for that. You are the head of the Flying Spirit Gate, but you are also a disciple of the YunYang Sect, which is also a glory for our sect," Yun XiaoTian said, watching Li Lin. "That''s good, I was still worried that the sect rules wouldn''t allow it," Li Lin replied lightly. "HongLing, go back first. I have some things to discuss with Li Lin," Yun XiaoTian told Yun HongLing. "Dad, what matter can''t even I listen to?" Yun HongLing showed a reluctant demeanor, not wanting to leave. "Go back first, I''ll tell you about it later," Yun XiaoTian said lightly. "Oh," Yun HongLing reluctantly agreed, saying, "Dad, don''t bully Lin''er, okay?" After saying that, she glanced at Li Lin and then slowly walked out of the hall. "Elbow turning outwards, it''s hard to keep a grown daughter at home," Yun XiaoTian couldn''t help but sigh as he watched his daughter leave. "Alright, Li Lin, now that it''s just the two of us, there won''t be a third person hearing our conversation. Can you tell me the truth now?" Yun XiaoTian asked, looking at Li Lin. "What truth does the Sect Master want to know? I''m still somewhat unclear," Li Lin said. "Li Lin, from what I''ve observed, you don''t seem like someone who''s afraid to speak the truth. Tell me, why aren''t you interested in participating in the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference? Ordinary disciples would dream of such an opportunity. This is one of the most lively events on the entire Spirit Martial Continent. Those who participate and achieve good results can become famous overnight. I''m curious, why don''t you want to participate?" Yun XiaoTian asked seriously. "Do you really want to know the truth?" Li Lin asked. "Speak," Yun XiaoTian said, looking at Li Lin. "I have a flaw; if there''s no benefit in it for me, I''m not interested in doing it, so I''m worried about not living up to expectations," Li Lin chuckled lightly, his mind racing. The affairs of the Flying Spirit Gate could be known by the YunYang Sect, and if he didn''t speak some truth now, he might really anger Yun XiaoTian. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. "Hahaha," Yun XiaoTian burst into laughter upon hearing Li Lin''s words. "Participating in the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference, as long as you achieve good results, you will become famous across the continent. Isn''t that a benefit?" Li Lin shook his head slightly, saying, "I don''t value fame that much; something more tangible is better. Sometimes, fame can be harmful." Looking at Li Lin, Yun XiaoTian''s expression became somewhat puzzled and uncertain. After a moment, he said with a serious look, "Do you understand the importance of this Three Sects and Four Gates Conference to our YunYang Sect?" "My master has already told me, I know some," Li Lin replied lightly. "If I give you enough benefits, will you give it your all?" Yun XiaoTian asked, looking at Li Lin. "Hehe, if the Sect Master is willing to take care of me, I would be extremely grateful," Li Lin chuckled, seeing the opportunity for enough benefits, it would be strange not to go. "If you participate in the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference and achieve a good result, how about I give you a set of Profound Mid-Grade Martial Arts?" Yun XiaoTian offered. "Profound Mid-Grade Martial Arts." Li Lin''s face remained expressionless, but internally he thought, if the YunYang Sect loses, they would lose thirty Seventh-Grade Pills and eighteen sets of Profound High-Grade Martial Arts, and the benefit offered to him was only one set of Profound Mid-Grade Martial Arts. Although the Profound Mid-Grade Martial Arts were indeed a treasure, this was just a drop in the ocean in comparison. "Profound Mid-Grade Martial Arts, I''m afraid I might not have the strength to obtain it, worried about letting the Sect Master down," Li Lin said lightly. Li Lin''s implication was clear to Yun XiaoTian, a person of his caliber. Li Lin obviously felt the benefit was not enough. "You''re quite bold, daring to bargain with me," Yun XiaoTian''s expression darkened slightly, feeling somewhat displeased. In principle, as the Sect Master of one of the Three Sects and Four Gates, he was already lowering his stance significantly by asking a disciple to participate in the conference, yet this disciple was pushing his luck. "I dare not, it was the Sect Master who promised me enough benefits. Otherwise, how could I dare to speak up? As long as the Sect Master commands, I will participate in the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference," Li Lin said, sensing Yun XiaoTian''s displeasure. "Fine, I''ll give you enough benefits. As long as you rank within the top three, whatever you want, I''ll give you. But if you don''t achieve a top-three ranking, I''ll deal with you accordingly, and having your master back you up won''t help," Yun XiaoTian said, looking at Li Lin. "Does the Sect Master''s word count, whatever I want, the Sect Master will give?" Li Lin hesitated for a moment before saying determinedly. "Yes, but you must rank within the top three. Otherwise, your bargaining with me will also be dealt with," Yun XiaoTian said with a stern face. Li Lin''s expression changed, and after a moment, he looked up and said, "If I rank within the top three this time, then the Sect Master agreeing to three requests from me will suffice." "Three requests, you really have a big appetite," Yun XiaoTian looked at Li Lin and said, "If you rank within the top three, I''ll agree to one request. If you rank second, I''ll agree to two requests. If you take first place, I''ll agree to three requests. How much benefit you want depends on your own strength." "First place." Li Lin raised his eyebrows. Agreeing to rank within the top three was already a struggle, considering all the outstanding direct disciples from the Three Sects and Four Gates would be competing. Achieving first place was unimaginably difficult. "I''ve said all I needed to say. How much you can achieve depends on your ability," Yun XiaoTian said, looking at Li Lin with a slight smile, his smile containing an undisguised cunning. "As long as the Sect Master''s word counts, I agree," Li Lin said determinedly. "Would I lie to you?" Yun XiaoTian said. "Of course, the Sect Master wouldn''t. Then, I will give my all in this Three Sects and Four Gates Conference," Li Lin said, a hint of a smile crossing his lips. "Alright, you may go now. There are fifty-three days until the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference. It''s not close, so we will set off in a month. You have one month to prepare," Yun XiaoTian said. "I shall take my leave," Li Lin said, then left the courtyard. In the small hall, after Li Lin left, Yun XiaoTian''s face revealed a slight smile. "Sect Master, are you really going to agree to three conditions for Li Lin? What if he makes outrageous demands?" A figure emerged from the inner hall, dressed in a black robe, the Great Protector. "If he really ranks within the top three, let him make outrageous demands. It''s better than our YunYang Sect losing face at the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference," Yun XiaoTian said with a light laugh. "I''m now curious to see just how much strength this boy has hidden. He''s incredibly cunning, and only by offering him some benefits will he put forth his best effort for our YunYang Sect." Outside the courtyard, as soon as Li Lin stepped out, he saw Yun HongLing waiting for him. "Little thief, did my dad say anything to you? Did he bully you?" Yun HongLing asked anxiously. "No, the Sect Master said that as long as I participate in the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference, he will agree to marry you to me," Li Lin said with a chuckle. "Did you agree?" Yun HongLing immediately asked, her cheeks flushing with a hint of shyness. "Of course, I agreed," Li Lin said, touching his nose and smiling wickedly. "You know what''s good for you, hmph!" Yun HongLing huffed, pouting her lips, clearly overjoyed. Chapter 373: Cultivating the Frost Seal After returning to the mountain peak where he resided, Li Lin found Yu Yuqian, his master, arriving excitedly at the peak as well. Yu was thrilled to learn that his precious disciple had defeated three disciples ranked in the top ten of the Dragon List yesterday, including defeating Qu Daojue. This excitement significantly boosted his prestige within the Yunyang Sect. Li Lin also informed his master that he would participate in the tri-sect quad-gate conference and mentioned the three conditions Yun Xiaotian had agreed to. Having his master as a witness would make it harder for Yun Xiaotian to renege on his promises. Although Li Lin felt he might be overly worried, as Yun Xiaotian''s promises seemed unlikely to be broken, he couldn''t be too cautious. The first condition he would request was the ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper, one of the treasures that protected the Yunyang Sect''s mountain. There was a chance Yun Xiaotian might go back on his word. Yu Yuqian was overjoyed to hear his disciple would participate in the tri-sect quad-gate conference. After giving a long list of instructions, he handed over three sets of high-grade Yellow-tier martial arts techniques and several high-grade fourth-level pills to Li Lin, items he had taken directly from the Yunyang Sect''s storeroom. After Yu Yuqian left happily, Li Lin stood on the mountain peak, deep in thought about various matters, including his own affairs with the Flying Spirit Gate. It was surprising to him that the Yunyang Sect was fully aware of these matters, and he wondered if the sect knew about the Old Poisoner and Ghost Fairy as well. The fact that the Yunyang Sect knew about the Flying Spirit Gate but had said nothing felt unusual to Li Lin. It almost confirmed that the Yunyang Sect was investigating him, though he was unsure why. "Under someone else''s roof, one seldom feels safe," Li Lin murmured, looking at the surrounding mountains. Decidedly, the first thing he needed to obtain was the ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper, which would require placing in the top three at the tri-sect quad-gate conferencea daunting task. With determination in his eyes and only a month left, Li Lin knew he had to enhance his strength further. The opportunity for the ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper was worth the effort. At night, when the sky was cloaked in darkness, Li Lin picked up a jade slip in his room. It was imbued with a strong water attribute aura, the second set of Xuan-level beginner martial arts technique he had acquired in the secret grounds. Without hesitation, he dripped a drop of blood into the jade slip. As his mind explored it, a dazzling light transformed into a vast amount of information in his mind. After a moment, the light from the jade slip faded, and its water attribute energy vanished. "Frost Seal," Li Lin muttered, learning from the information that this water system Xuan-level beginner martial art technique was called the Frost Seal. When executed to its extreme, it could freeze thousands of miles. "Time to cultivate," Li Lin''s eyes showed unwavering determination. In a delicate courtyard under the night sky, Cui Yu''s lips curled into a smile. "Cui Yu, are you really with Li Lin" Du Gu Binglan looked at Cui Yu and asked. "This time, I want to make my own decision," Cui Yu said. "But the clan might not agree, given how much they value you," Du Gu Binglan softly said. "I know, but I believe Lin''er will make the clan agree," Cui Yu replied with a smile. "Have you told Li Lin about your identity?" Du Gu Binglan asked. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. "No," Cui Yu shook her head. "Now is not the time. I don''t want to impact him significantly. I''ll tell him when the time is right." "I hope he can satisfy the clan. I''m worried that if the clan finds out, it might cause trouble, even danger for Li Lin. You know how our clan operates," Du Gu Binglan said. "Hmph, if the clan dares to harm Lin''er, I will make them regret it. This time, I must make my own choice," Cui Yu''s eyes flashed with determination. The next morning, as dawn broke, Li Lin was already riding a Winged Snow Lion to the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm. This time, he directly entered the fifth realm to cultivate the Frost Seal. As days passed, Li Lin spent his days in the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm and his nights on the mountain peak. The Yunyang Sect was once again filled with the sounds of his intense cultivation. Soon, Yun Xiaotian announced the five disciples participating in the tri-sect quad-gate conference: Yun Hongling, Zhao Qinghai, Han Feng, Li Lin, and Qu Daojue. Their participation was not surprising and was expected by many, as they were among the strongest of the younger generation in the Yunyang Sect. They all went into seclusion to cultivate further, even Yun Hongling, who had stopped visiting Li Lin. In the following days, the Yunyang Sect remained peaceful, with everyone''s focus shifting back to the tri-sect quad-gate conference. The five participating disciples became the envy of all others, as appearing in the conference was a significant honor watched by the entire continent. Achieving success in the conference could make one famous overnight, a tempting prospect for all disciples. Li Lin continued his rigorous training regimen until, twenty days later, he left the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm with a smile. "Snow Lion, let''s go back," he said, mounting the Winged Snow Lion to return to his residence. Upon arriving, Li Lin was greeted by Du Gu Binglan, who seemed to have been waiting for some time, appearing somewhat anxious. "Lin''er, I was looking for you," Du Gu Binglan said upon seeing him. "What''s the matter?" Li Lin asked. "Someone wants to meet you. Please, come with me now, or you might miss the chance," Du Gu Binglan urged. "Who?" Li Lin inquired with curiosity. "You''ll know when we get there," Du Gu Binglan said, seemingly in a hurry. Puzzled, Li Lin followed Du Gu Binglan on the Winged Snow Lion. Shortly after, they arrived at the peak of the Yunyang Sect''s main mountain, further deepening Li Lin''s confusion. This was not an ordinary place; if Yun Xiaotian wanted to see him, he wouldn''t have sent Du Gu Binglan. At the peak, the surrounding mountains and waves of clouds set a majestic scene, now covered in snow. The square in front of the mountain''s great hall was also blanketed in white. "Who wants to meet me?" Li Lin asked upon reaching the square. "You''ll see. Wait here for a moment; I''ll be right back," Du Gu Binglan said before entering the great hall. Li Lin, still puzzled, waited outside. "Lin''er," a beautiful figure rushed out from the hall moments later, revealing a stunning and delicate figureit was Cui Yu. "Cui Yu, is it you who wanted to meet me?" Li Lin asked, looking at the beautiful woman with a smile. "Yes," Cui Yu replied softly. "I''m about to leave." "Leave" Li Lin''s expression darkened. He had known Cui Yu would have to leave since their time in the secret grounds, but he didn''t expect it to happen so soon. Looking at the beautiful woman before him, Li Lin said, "After you leave, I''ll find time to visit you." Cui Yu smiled slightly, "If you want to visit me, you might not be able to enter my home. Leaving this time, I don''t know when we''ll see each other again." "Is your home a dragon''s den or tiger''s lair, making it so hard to see you?" Li Lin asked, puzzled. "Lin''er, there are some things I should tell you now, but you must promise not to be angry," Cui Yu said, looking into Li Lin''s eyes. "Go ahead," Li Lin replied with a slight smile. "My name isn''t Cui Yu; my real name is Du Gu Jingwen. I''m not Binglan''s maid; actually, she is my maid," Cui Yu revealed. Li Lin was shocked but not entirely surprised. He had suspected Cui Yu''s identity as a maid was doubtful, but hearing it now was still somewhat surprising. "Maybe I should have guessed this earlier," Li Lin said with a smile. "So, I should call you Miss Jingwen from now on." "Stop teasing. I''m about to leave, and I really don''t know when we''ll see each other again. My family is not ordinary. Without absolute strength, you can''t even visit me, and even if you could, it wouldn''t be good for you. But I''ll find a way to see you," Du Gu Jingwen said. "Then take good care of yourself," Li Lin replied gently. "Lin''er, I want to ask you now, can you give me a future if I wait for you?" Du Gu Jingwen looked at Li Lin, her beautiful eyes filled with reluctance. "I will!" Li Lin affirmed. "Although I don''t know about your family yet, I promise, once I have enough strength, I''ll come for you." "Your words are enough for me," Du Gu Jingwen smiled radiantly, then hugged Li Lin tightly, whispering into his ear, "Lin''er, there''s a treasure in the Li family you need to obtain. As for the Zhao family and even the Li family, things are not as simple as you think. Be careful." Chapter 374: Martial King Powerhouse As the voice fell, Du Gu Jingwen had already stepped back from Li Lin''s embrace, her expression turning solemn, revealing an air of proud and cold beauty. "Miss, it''s time for us to leave." At this moment, Li Lin felt a strong presence emanating from the hall. When he turned to look, he saw nine figures emerging from the hall. "What a strong presence." At that moment, Li Lin''s brow furrowed instantly. Among the nine figures who emerged from the hall, aside from Yun Xiao Tian, Yun Hong Ling, and Du Gu Bing Lan, the aura of the remaining six was absolutely powerful, with the weakest among them being at the Martial Commander level. Li Lin had never seen these six individuals before. Leading them was an elder with black long hair, whose aura was restrained, but the air of presence emanating from him was not any less than that of Yun Xiao Tian. "Martial King powerhouse." Li Lin thought to himself, realizing that the strength of this black-haired elder was definitely at the Martial King level. Among the remaining five, although their aura was also restrained, it was not difficult for Li Lin to see that their cultivation was also at the Martial Commander level, not just any Martial Commander, but likely at the eighth or ninth level, their released aura was not any weaker than some of the elders within the Yun Yang Sect. "I understand." Du Gu Jingwen softly said to the black-haired elder approaching her. "Miss, there are some people in the outside world you should not associate with, all of them are useless individuals and trash." The group stopped behind Du Gu Bing Lan, and the leading black-haired elder glanced at Li Lin with some disdain, clearly referring to Li Lin. "Ninth Elder, this is Li Lin, he is my friend. You should be careful with your words." Du Gu Jingwen frowned and said. "Miss, I am only looking out for you. You are still young and unaware of the dangers in the world, not everyone can become friends with the Miss." The white-haired elder glanced at Li Lin again, not taking him seriously, and said indifferently, "You are Li Lin, what kind of person are you?" Li Lin had been watching this elder, and one could imagine the anger in his heart, but he was powerless to react, as the other party was a Martial King level powerhouse. Li Lin guessed that a single cough from the elder could send him flying. But Li Lin was not someone willing to take things lying down. Unable to contend with a Martial King powerhouse, he did not bother to give him another glance, turning to Du Gu Jingwen, "Jingwen, take care of yourself when you go back. One day, I will definitely come to find you." "I know, if I don''t come to find you, I will always be waiting for you." Du Gu Jingwen said. "What a bold young man." The black-haired elder''s face darkened. This young man was actually ignoring him. Anger rose in his heart, and a powerful invisible aura instantly spread towards Li Lin, "The Miss is not someone you can simply decide to visit, are you worthy?" "Ninth Elder, you are a respected elder, please do not disgrace our family." Du Gu Jingwen''s face sank, and she quickly stepped in front of Li Lin. "Chi!" The black-haired elder''s expression instantly darkened, and the invisible aura rushing towards Li Lin was also instantly withdrawn, "Miss, I am entirely considering the clan. The Miss should also be aware of her status. If anything happens to the Miss, I cannot explain it to the clan." "Ninth Elder, Li Lin is a disciple of our Yun Yang Sect. If he has offended in any way, he is but a junior, it''s not worth making a fuss over." Yun Xiao Tian now stepped forward to Li Lin''s side. "Humph!" The black-haired elder glanced at Li Lin indifferently, then said to Du Gu Jingwen, "Miss, we should leave." As the voice fell, a whooshing sound of breaking wind came from the distant sky, and snowflakes on the mountain peak were stirred up, as if a heavy snowfall had begun from mid-air. "Roar..." A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. A roaring sound pierced through space, and a massive beast appeared out of nowhere in the sky. "Ice Wolf of the Sixth Order." Looking at the massive beast in the sky, Li Lin could not help but exclaim. This massive beast was hundreds of meters large, probably not even its largest form. Although it stood in the air without wings, its entire body was snow-white, surrounded by an aura of cold ice. Its eyes were blood-red, its limbs had sharp claws, and its mouth revealed sharp fangs. "Uncle, Jingwen is taking her leave. Thank you for everything during this time." Du Gu Jingwen bowed to Yun Xiao Tian, then said to Yun Hong Ling, "Hong Ling, I''m leaving first. Visit me when you have time." "Uncle?" Hearing Du Gu Jingwen''s words, Li Lin was suddenly surprised, and a bitter smile appeared in his heart. He had suspected when in Qingyun Town how Du Gu Bing Lan and Cui Yu could smoothly join the Yun Yang Sect, and Du Gu Jingwen could stay in the Yun Yang Sect even while pretending to be a maid. It turned out Yun Xiao Tian was Du Gu Jingwen''s uncle. "Jingwen, how could it be troublesome? It''s just that you insisted on pretending to be a maid, which caused you to suffer." Yun Xiao Tian smiled. "Cousin, if it weren''t for attending the Three Sects Four Gates Conference, I would have gone with you." Yun Hong Ling said reluctantly. "Silly girl." Du Gu Jingwen then whispered something in Yun Hong Ling''s ear, finally asking, "Did you remember?" "Cousin, I understand." Yun Hong Ling''s cheeks turned red, she glanced at Li Lin not far away, pouting slightly, and whispered to Du Gu Jingwen. "Lin''er, I''m leaving." Du Gu Jingwen finally came to Li Lin''s side. "How can I find you?" Li Lin asked softly. "When you reach a certain level of strength, you will naturally know how to find me." Du Gu Jingwen looked at Li Lin, her beautiful eyes gleaming with a cunning light, "I''m not around, you have to behave, I''ve already asked Hong Ling to keep an eye on you." "Wait for me, one day, I will definitely come to find you." Watching the beautiful woman in front of him, Li Lin suddenly felt very reluctant to let her go. Looking at Li Lin, Du Gu Jingwen smiled sweetly, nodded, and said, "I will wait for you." As her words fell, a deep gaze between them, Du Gu Jingwen suddenly kissed Li Lin''s cheek, then her delicate body moved, her spiritual power vibrated, and she leaped into the sky, lightly landing on the back of the Sixth Order Ice Wolf. Her black hair fluttered, and with her celestial beauty and temperament, Li Lin began to feel a bit heartbroken. "Lin''er, after you become stronger, be sure to come and find the Miss. Don''t let the Miss wait for you too long." Du Gu Bing Lan slowly came to Li Lin''s side, and after her words fell, her figure also landed on the back of the Ice Wolf. "Let''s go." The black-haired elder called out, his gaze lightly sweeping over Li Lin with disdain, and the six people instantly leaped into the air, the surrounding space slightly shook, as if it twisted. "Young man, don''t dream of punching above your weight. You are not qualified yet. This is just a warning for now. If you dare to pester our Miss, I will kill you, as easy as stepping on an ant." A voice transmission reached Li Lin''s ears, it was that black-haired elder''s voice. "Roar..." A roar rose, and the Ice Wolf leaped forward, its figure swiftly flying forward. On the back of the Ice Wolf, the beautiful figure looked down at the young man in the green robe below, waved her hand, her gaze filled with reluctance, but the distance was getting farther and farther. "Lin''er, I will miss you." A gentle voice reached Li Lin''s ears, the figure already blurred from sight, until even the silhouette of the Ice Wolf disappeared. "Jingwen, you have treated me so well, I will not let you down." Watching the disappearing figure, Li Lin spoke softly, then his gaze turned cold, murmuring, "Old bastard, one day, I, Li Lin, will also kill you, just like stepping on an ant." "Little thief, you will still be able to see your cousin in the future." Yun Hong Ling came to Li Lin''s side and spoke softly. Yun Xiao Tian''s gaze fell on Li Lin, then looked at Yun Hong Ling, and slightly smiled bitterly. Watching the direction Du Gu Jingwen left, Li Lin stood on the mountain peak for a long time before leaving. When night fell, Li Lin finally returned to the mountain peak where he lived. "Boss, what''s wrong with you? You seem to be in a bad mood." In the courtyard, Little dragon came to Li Lin''s shoulder. "It''s nothing." Li Lin patted Little dragon''s little head, "Little dragon, help me guard, I need to close up for a few days." "Okay, no problem." Little dragon said. In the room, Li Lin sat cross-legged, thinking of the black-haired elder, a cold light reappeared in his eyes. Without strength, one could only be humiliated by others. He must strengthen himself as soon as possible. "Let''s prepare for a breakthrough." After a moment, Li Lin collected his emotions. His primary task now was to break through to the Martial General level. His current plan was to enter the top three in the Three Sects Four Gates Conference, then smoothly obtain the ten-thousand-year-old red copper, and then leave the Yun Yang Sect to return to the ancient domain. Leaving the Yun Yang Sect, he would find a way to devour spiritualists and martialists to quickly become stronger. With a hand seal, a fourth-order late-stage demon pill appeared in Li Lin''s hand, emanating a rich earth attribute aura. Without hesitation, Li Lin stuffed the demon pill into his mouth. Having emerged from the secret place for over twenty days, and having not broken through the nine levels of the Martial Soul for nearly four months, Li Lin planned to make another breakthrough. This time, he aimed to break through to the Martial General and Spirit General levels. Chapter 375: Breakthrough to Martial General The time for the tri-sect and quad-school conference is approaching, and Li Lin is thinking that after breaking through to the Martial General and Spirit General levels, his strength will undoubtedly leap forward. At that time, at the tri-sect and quad-school conference, his confidence will undoubtedly be stronger. This is also the reason Li Lin agreed to Yun XiaoTian''s proposal. After breaking through to Martial General, according to Li Lin''s estimation, his current nine-layer Martial Soul could already contend against a third-layer Martial General. After his own breakthrough, he would definitely be able to reach the level of a fifth-layer Martial General. If he were to use his trump card, it would be different. As for this tri-sect and quad-school conference, Li Lin also has some confidence in himself. His current trump cards include the Vermilion Bird Art, the Ethereal Phantom Imprint in combination with martial techniques, and two sets of Xuan-level early-stage attack martial techniques, plus the speed of the Fleeting Shadow Bodily Technique. After breaking through to Martial General, if he were to measure his strength against the direct disciples of YunYang Sect, entering the top three is not without hope. "Hu hu!" The Demon Pill entered his body and immediately began to transform into a massive energy that started to surge and spread within his body. Perhaps because Li Lin was already at the nine-layer Martial Soul, the tremendous energy of a fourth-stage late-phase Demon Pill did not cause too much impact inside Li Lin''s body, though it was not small. Forming a cultivation hand seal, Li Lin quickly entered the state of cultivation, activating the YinYang Spirit Martial Art, and began to refine the massive energy brought by the Demon Pill. After the energy flowed through his meridians for several cycles, it could be transformed into pure True Qi entering his body. As this True Qi continuously entered the Dantian Qi Sea, the five-colored Martial Pill within the Dantian Qi Sea also began to spin faster, and the True Qi became fuller and fuller. The aura around Li Lin also started to grow stronger. After consuming a fourth-stage late-phase Demon Pill, Li Lin also had the confidence to break through to Martial General. And his spiritual level was currently at the peak of the nine-layer Spirit Soul. When the martial level breaks through, the spiritual level will also break through, reaching a first-layer Martial General and a first-layer Spirit General. By then, his strength will definitely reach a new level. Time slowly passed, and Li Lin entered the state of cultivation. The little dragon, the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion, and the Blood Lizard were already guarding outside the courtyard. Inside the room, Li Lin sat cross-legged with his eyes tightly closed. Around him, a faint yellow light circle had enveloped him. Within the faint yellow light circle, if one looked closely, it was not hard to see that strands of True Qi were leaking out of Li Lin''s body, constantly overflowing his body surface, and then being sucked back into his body. This cycle of exhaling and inhaling appeared extremely mysterious. In this state, if there were outsiders present, they would definitely be able to tell that Li Lin was in the state of breakthrough, a state that must not be disturbed. Time passed slowly, and Li Lin had been in the room for seven days, yet there was not much movement. Previously, Li Lin''s breakthroughs, except for some difficulties encountered during the Martial Soul level breakthrough, were generally very smooth, quickly completing the breakthrough. But this time, it seemed to be slower. As the cultivation level increased, even reaching the peak of the nine layers, breaking through further would indeed take much longer. Time passed again, and Li Lin continued to sit like an old monk, with the space around him continuing to be enveloped in a yellow light circle, and the light from the light circle growing brighter. Atop the mountain, a heavy snow began to fall unknowingly, and the majestic mountains were immediately dressed in silver. On the ninth day, a beautiful figure landed on the mountain top, wearing a pale red dress, with a delicate face and an innate elegant and noble temperament, it was Li WuShuang. "WuShuang sister." A yellow light flashed out, and the little dragon landed on Li WuShuang''s jade shoulder. "Little dragon, why are you outside?" Li WuShuang said softly, holding the little dragon in her palm with a light smile, her red dress outlining her captivating curves. "The boss is undergoing closed-door breakthrough, I''m guarding." The little dragon said proudly. "Closed-door breakthrough." Li WuShuang''s eyes turned towards the courtyard and asked, "Little dragon, how long has he been in seclusion?" "It''s been eight days." The little dragon replied. "Eh." At this moment, looking up, her gaze turned towards the courtyard. Inside the courtyard, at this moment, there was an aura rapidly climbing. "The boss has started to break through." The little dragon''s little head instantly turned towards the back, its small eyes excitedly watching behind. Inside the courtyard, an invisible energy was gathering, and then rushed into the courtyard. In the room, the yellow light surrounding Li Lin started to become dazzling, and waves of invisible energy penetrated the light circle into his body, his aura suddenly surged. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings."This guy, this breakthrough, should be to Martial General, right?" Watching the courtyard, Li WuShuang''s beautiful eyes revealed a slight smile. Feeling the aura in the courtyard continuously climbing, Li WuShuang stood outside the courtyard. Above the courtyard, the aura grew stronger, and an invisible force from heaven and earth began to cause spatial ripples above the courtyard, visibly pouring into the courtyard. After a moment, the aura became even stronger. "Hu..." Atop the mountain, a burst of energy roared out of nowhere, and suddenly, the energy in the surrounding space became even more violently turbulent. Above the courtyard, the violent energy seemed to be drawn by some force, converging and rushing into the courtyard. The tremendous energy pressed down, the spatial airflow in the vicinity kept shaking, and waves of fluctuations spread out. Inside the courtyard at this moment, a massive aura began to surge rapidly towards the sky. "This guy, causing such a big fluctuation for a Martial General breakthrough." Feeling this aura, Li WuShuang''s beautiful eyes once again swept across a smile. As the aura climbed, the energy became more violent, and just as the energy began to stabilize, suddenly, another aura began to climb. "Could it be, his spiritual power also broke through." Feeling the two different auras, Li WuShuang slightly raised her eyebrows, quickly thinking of something. Li Lin is dual-cultivating in spirit and martial arts, at this moment, it must be his spiritual power also breaking through. The invisible energy from heaven and earth once again gathered at the top of the mountain, waves of dense energy surged towards the courtyard. And the pouring of this energy lasted for less than a minute before it began to dissipate, and the energy that had gathered in the sky also vanished into the air. "Hu hu!" Inside the courtyard, Li Lin''s tightly closed eyes suddenly opened, and in that instant, a flash of brilliance in his eyes, a powerful momentum, suddenly burst out from his body like a flood. Such momentum, he had already stepped into the threshold of the strong, Martial General strength, on the entire continent, could also be considered a general strong figure. In the midst of the momentum surge, the spatial ripples in the vicinity were even caused to shake, and then the momentum was suddenly retracted by Li Lin, his hand clenched into a fist, and a tuft of yellowish airflow surged out, the space around the fist began to shake, as if to twist the space itself. "Is this the strength of a Martial General?" Li Lin''s mouth curved into an excited smile, feeling the True Qi in his body and the spiritual power in his sea of consciousness at this moment, Li Lin knew, he had finally stepped into the level of Martial General and Spirit General. Li Lin still remembered when he first saw a cultivator at the Martial General level, he could only look up to them, and now, he had finally reached this step. "Tri-sect and quad-school conference." Li Lin loosened his fist, thinking about the upcoming tri-sect and quad-school conference he was about to attend, for the sake of the ten-thousand-year copper, he must enter the top three. His gaze slightly converged, at this moment in Li Lin''s black eyes, there was a hint of chill, the level of Martial General was still not enough, it was not the goal he pursued, far from the goal he pursued. "Old fogey, one day, I will make you like an ant in front of me." The chill passed, Li Lin remembered the black-haired old man who took away Du Gu JingWen, Du Gu JingWen called him the Ninth Elder, remembering the Ninth Elder''s contempt and humiliation towards him on the main peak plaza. What about the Martial King level, the master Saint Hand Spirit Venerable is still at the nine-layer peak Spirit Venerable, one day, I will also be able to reach that step, that day, will be the time I look down upon him. "Thirty years in the east of the river, thirty years in the west, do not bully the young and poor." Taking a deep breath, Li Lin calmed his emotions, he was no longer the Li Lin of the Li family from three years ago, who could be humiliated by anyone, now he, already has the ability to protect himself, has his own foundation, one day, he will also be able to stand on this Spirit Martial Continent, and take his own place. "This girl, has also made quite a breakthrough." With a mental probe, Li Lin already felt the figure outside the courtyard, currently at the eight-layer Martial Soul cultivation level, a Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, indeed made quite a breakthrough. With a slight smile, Li Lin walked out of the room, outside the courtyard, that beautiful figure had already appeared in Li Lin''s sight. "Broken through?" Seeing Li Lin, Li WuShuang did not have any superfluous words, just a slight smile, that smile, but only the young man in the green robe in front of her was fortunate enough to see. "Yes." Looking at the elegant and stunning woman in front of him, Li Lin gently embraced her in his arms. "Not serious." With a coquettish snort, Li WuShuang also gently leaned on that broad chest. "Hehe, I saw it." A laughing voice came, and another beautiful figure landed on the mountain peak from the back of a flying beast, not someone else, but Yun HongLing. Chapter 376: Sudden Change of the Golden Knife Li Wushuang showed a hint of shyness as she emerged from Li Lin''s embrace and said, "How come you''re here, you girl." "Your cultivation strength seems to have increased quite a bit." Li Lin looked at Yun Hongling''s aura with surprise. It had only been a month, and Yun Hongling had been on the verge of the Second Level Martial General, but now, judging from her aura, she had reached the peak of the Second Level Martial General. This progress was absolutely rapid. "My father sent me to tell the little thief that we are leaving for Tianjian City tomorrow and asked the little thief to prepare." Yun Hongling looked at Li Lin and said. "I got it," Li Lin said lightly, noting that the time was about right. Then, the two women stayed on the mountain peak for several hours. Li Lin finally felt at ease as the two women got along well without any jealousy. Even the capricious Yun Hongling seemed to become generous. Li Lin felt that the two women must have reached some sort of understanding. After the two women left, it was already evening. The setting sun shone on the snow-covered peaks, reflecting a glow across the sky. "Li Lin, the three women around you are all very beautiful," said Bai Ling, the Nine-Tailed Fox who had transformed into a human form, with her enchanting eyes smiling lightly at Li Lin. Li Lin chuckled and gazed at Bai Ling, "You are even more beautiful. I doubt there is anyone in this world more beautiful than you." "Is that so" Bai Ling smiled charmingly, obviously very pleased with Li Lin''s words. "Bai Ling, we can leave here tomorrow," Li Lin said. "I wonder if your true body''s aura concealment will be noticed by the powerful?" "My cultivation should have reached the eighth level. Unless it''s a Martial Sovereign or Spirit Sovereign, my aura should not be detectable," Bai Ling''s beautiful eyes shone, "I can finally go out and see the world." "That''s good, then I''ll have to trouble you to revert to your true form and follow me," Li Lin said lightly. "No problem, I''ll be following you for five years anyway, and besides, I have Little dragon for company," Bai Ling smiled slightly, with Little dragon quickly moving to her side. In the room, Li Lin sat cross-legged, preparing for departure tomorrow. After the three sects and four schools'' conference, if he could obtain the ten-thousand-year-old red copper, he would be able to leave the Yunyang Sect. "Eh." Just as Li Lin was organizing the demon pills in his spatial bag, he was suddenly surprised. In the spatial bag, he had obtained dozens of demon pills from a secret place and hadn''t had the chance to transfer them to his storage ring yet. He had originally thought of using the power of these demon pills to break through to the Martial General level, but now that he had already made the breakthrough, the demon pills, being of the fourth level, wouldn''t be of much use. What surprised Li Lin was that, while organizing the spatial bag, he saw the yellow knife he had obtained from the ancient ruins last time. This knife was only the size of a thumb, originally with a somewhat dark yellow color, but now, for some reason, it was emanating a hint of crimson. This color, with a rich bloody scent, made one feel a bit uneasy. "How could this be." Li Lin picked up the knife and examined it closely, noticing that the knife was emitting a faint energy. Frowning, Li Lin felt that this knife was not ordinary and began to probe it with his mind. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. "Chi!" Just as his consciousness entered the knife, a crimson color flowed on the knife, suddenly turning into a dazzling yellow and red light that burst into Li Lin''s forehead. "Not good." Li Lin murmured to himself, but it was too late. The knife turned into a streak of yellow and red light, like lightning, breaking through his forehead and entering his mind. "How could this be." Li Lin''s face changed drastically, suddenly feeling a golden knife recondensing in his mind, directly rushing towards the soul pill in his mind. The soul pill was undoubtedly a very important thing for him. Any damage to it could bring fatal harm. "Stop." Li Lin inhaled sharply in shock, forming hand seals, and a vast spiritual power suddenly surged in his mind, turning into a huge tornado vortex, instantly blocking the path of the golden knife. "Chi chi." At that moment, to Li Lin''s surprise, the golden knife extended a blade aura hundreds of meters long, like a strike from the heavens, thunderously splitting the spiritual power vortex in two. "Pfft!" Li Lin spat out a mouthful of blood, severely damaged by the spiritual power, feeling a sharp pain in his mind. "Damn." At this moment, Li Lin had no time to care about his injuries. His hand seals changed again, and the soul pill in his mind rapidly spun, with soul power bursting out. "Soul Condensation." Li Lin silently commanded, and soul power suddenly condensed into a giant white tiger hundreds of meters large in his mind, exerting an invisible pressure. The white tiger pounced towards the golden blade aura, its claws tearing through space, creating a dazzling light. Soul Condensation, something Li Lin couldn''t do at the spirit level, but now, after the nourishment and breakthrough provided by the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, he was able to condense a soul entity. This huge white tiger was a tangible entity condensed by Li Lin''s soul in his mind, a test of the soul''s strength. Generally, a spirit general could condense weapons or other objects, even small beast shapes, but condensing such a huge tiger shape was not something an ordinary first-level spirit general could do. "Shoo shoo" As the giant white tiger''s claw tore through space, the golden knife suddenly burst out with a vast blade aura again, silently cutting through the void and striking the huge body of the white tiger. "Boom!" Li Lin suddenly felt dizzy, the soul-condensed beast-shaped white tiger split into two in an instant. "Shoo shoo!" The blade aura did not dissipate but continued to rampage, striking the spinning soul pill heavily. "Boom boom" The transparent soul pill instantly shattered, turning into scattered soul power. "Pfft" Li Lin spat out a large mouthful of blood mist and fell onto the bed. With the soul pill shattered, Li Lin''s last vision flashed through his mind: his mother, Li Wushuang, Du Gu Jingwen, Yun Hongling''s figures flashed by, and he lost consciousness. "Boss" Little dragon shouted loudly, and a yellow light instantly rushed into the room, followed by a stunningly beautiful white figure arriving beside Li Lin. "Bai Ling sister, I feel like the boss has been severely injured. Please check on him," Little dragon said anxiously, looking up at Bai Ling. With a serious look, Bai Ling was carefully examining Li Lin, her hand seals slightly changing, and a light from her forehead entered Li Lin''s. "Chi!" In an instant, a violent fluctuation filled the space. As soon as Bai Ling''s light touched Li Lin''s forehead, it was struck by a tremendous force. "Thud thud" Even with Bai Ling''s strength, she staggered back several steps, hitting the wall before stabilizing her delicate body, her face turning pale with shock. "Such a dense bloody and evil aura." Bai Ling''s face turned slightly pale, her eyes filled with horror as she looked at Li Lin. "Bai Ling sister, how is he?" Little dragon anxiously asked. "There''s a tremendous power inside him that even I can''t penetrate," Bai Ling exclaimed. "I feel like I''ve sensed this power somewhere before, but I can''t remember where." "What should we do? The boss is injured. Boss, you can''t have anything happen to you," Little dragon said loudly beside Li Lin, his anxious little eyes constantly moving. "He''s not in danger for now. I just sensed that his aura hasn''t changed. Let''s wait and see," Bai Ling said gravely to Little dragon. At this moment, Li Lin was unconscious, unaware of everything happening in his mind. Just before he passed out, Li Lin only saw his soul pill shattering and dispersing. A shattered soul pill meant certain death, so Li Lin was in despair, as nothing could be more despairing than a shattered soul pill. However, Li Lin didn''t see that as the soul pill shattered and dispersed, even the soul-condensed white tiger split by the knife also started to dissipate into countless fragments. Invisibly, on the golden knife, there was a force like a huge invisible net, with countless fine threads in the net, connecting the scattered soul pill and soul fragments together. These soul fragments began to slowly be drawn towards the yellow knife. The golden knife seemed to possess an invisible energy that completely gathered these soul fragments back together, condensing them into a soul pill. The soul pill was intact, with fine strands of light moving on it. In the blink of an eye, on the soul pill, there were fine strands of soul energy connecting to the golden knife. Chapter 377: Evil Aura Pierces the Sky This sliver of soul energy was immediately swallowed by the blade. Upon the blade, a faint yellow glow began to permeate, as if this tiny soul energy was a great supplement to it. "Whoosh!" The scattered spiritual power around surged once again, encircling and coming forth. The soul pill began to slowly rotate, and at this moment, the golden small knife was also nestled on top of the soul pill, rotating along with it. The soul pill absorbed energy from the spiritual power, slowly strengthening. Meanwhile, the golden small knife was absorbing energy atop the soul pill. With such a cyclical change, everything in Li Lin''s mind returned to normal, the only difference being the addition of a golden small knife nestled on the soul pill. Li Lin was drowsy at this moment, vaguely feeling a bloody and terrifying scene appearing in his mind. In an endless mountain range, a majestic figure held a golden large knife, underfoot were bones piled up like mountains. These bones seemed to be those of humans as well as huge monsters. This scene, where the sky changed color above, could be described as ghosts weeping and gods howling, filled with blood, with evil aura piercing the sky, and rivers of blood... This aura made Li Lin feel as small as an ant. The bloody and evil scene was terrifying to the spirit. "What a strong aura." Li Lin exclaimed loudly. Under this oppressive aura, his heart felt like it was about to shatter, suddenly jumping. "Boss, you''re awake?" Little dragon''s voice sounded in Li Lin''s ear. Li Lin opened his eyes to see Little dragon by his side, and the body of the nine-tailed fox Bai Ling was also in the room. "What happened to me, am I not dead?" Li Lin''s first reaction was that he hadn''t died. His soul pill had clearly shattered, how could he not be dead. Upon closer inspection, Li Lin was immediately surprised. His soul pill, which was clearly shattered, was now intact. The severe soul damage he had suffered was also fully recovered, and next to the soul pill was the peculiar addition of that golden small knife. "How could this be?" After a moment of confusion, Li Lin immediately thought of the golden small knife and the scene in his vague dream. The majestic figure holding a golden small knife was the same as the one in his mind now. Although the size was different, the appearance was exactly the same. "This must not be an ordinary object." Li Lin thought to himself. He hadn''t died, and it must be related to this golden small knife. Regardless, he had survived, which was like getting a second chance at life. Trying to move the golden small knife with his mind, Li Lin found that he couldn''t shake the golden small knife at all. The golden small knife was just continuously rotating with the soul pill. "Boss, what''s with all the shock?" Little dragon asked again. "It''s nothing." Li Lin came back to his senses, looking at the bloodstains on his body, he was also shocked. This time, he had almost been finished. "It''s good that you''re fine. I feel a strange power inside you, one that I can''t even enter. It seems that you''re not simple." Bai Ling spoke lightly. "I should be fine now." Feeling that everything inside was normal, Li Lin then looked out the window, surprised to find that it was already bright outside. Everything had passed so quickly. "Look at me now, can you still recognize me?" Bai Ling transformed into the size of a rat, with a body pure white. If not observed closely, one might think it was just a small white rat, with no aura leaking out, only a faint fragrance wafting. "I can''t recognize you." Li Lin was surprised. Bai Ling''s aura was so deeply concealed, not a trace leaked out. If it were his first time seeing her, he would never have guessed that this was the famous nine-tailed fox. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "As long as we don''t encounter a Spirit Sovereign or a Martial Sovereign, no one should be able to see through me." Bai Ling spoke lightly. "It seems like we should set off today." Inside the Yunyang Sect''s peaks, on the plaza atop the main peak, early in the morning, there were already many figures appearing on the plaza. Besides the protectors, only direct disciples and elders were allowed here. "Lin''er, this time, Master will also accompany you to join in the fun. You must enter the top three to restore some face for our Yunyang Sect." Riding on the back of the Blue Jade Wolf Eagle, Yu Yu spoke. At this moment, Li Lin was sitting on the back of the Blue Jade Wolf Eagle, heading to the main peak with Yu Yu. "Master, I will do my best." Li Lin spoke lightly. At this moment, on Li Lin''s shoulders, Little dragon was coiling on the left side, while Bai Ling, who had shrunk her body, was on the right side. Naturally, Yu Yu could not recognize the identity of the nine-tailed fox Bai Ling. And the Winged Snow Lion and the Blood Lizard, Li Lin also had to store them in the space beast bag. Atop the main peak, the Blue Jade Wolf Eagle circled and descended, Li Lin and Yu Yu landed on the plaza. "Greetings to Elder Yu." A group of protectors saluted, Yu Yu nodded slightly, his face full of smiles. Recently, his disciple had become a celebrity in the Yunyang Sect. As a master, his prestige had also greatly increased, and now, no one in the entire Yunyang Sect spoke of him as a failure anymore. "Li Lin, this time, let''s see who can achieve better results." A tall figure appeared beside Li Lin, wearing a white robe, with an extraordinary demeanor, it was Qu Daojue. "Alright, let''s compete again, haha." Li Lin smiled slightly. Now that he had broken through to Martial General, Li Lin was no longer afraid of Qu Daojue. "Li Lin, perform well this time. The Yunyang Sect is counting on you five." A voice came, it was Qu Daojue''s master, Elder Yang, whose cultivation had reached the Martial King level. "Li Lin, I have high hopes for you, do your best." Another figure also arrived beside Li Lin, it was Li Wushuang''s master, Elder Xie. "Greetings to Elder Yang, Elder Xie, I will do my best." Li Lin spoke lightly, his gaze inadvertently caught Li Wushuang pressing down on the plaza. "Elder Yu, your disciple has been getting stronger recently. The disciple you taught is really something." Seeing Elder Yu, several elders nearby smiled and approached. "Where, where, it''s all Lin''er''s own effort." Yu Yu humbly smiled for once, but his heart was quite pleased. "Roar..." A huge beast roared, and then a huge monster appeared below the mountain peak. This monster was somewhat surprising, its huge body stretching over a hundred meters long, wrapped in thick golden feathers, shining like gold. The monster had a strong aura, its wings creating strong winds when flapping, its body eagle-like, with sharp claws and beak, its eyes piercing like knife blades. "Golden Winged Eagle." Observing this huge golden flying monster in the sky, Li Lin was shocked. The Golden Winged Eagle was not an ordinary flying monster. Its bloodline was not inferior to that of the Reverse Scale Monster Peng, and what shocked Li Lin was the cultivation level of this Golden Winged Eagle. From its aura, it was significantly stronger than the Reverse Scale Monster Peng, definitely at the sixth order. A sixth-order monster mount was extraordinary, just the mount itself was at the level of a Martial Commander. Li Lin''s gaze then moved to the back of the Golden Winged Eagle, where there were also two fourth-order flying monsters, also strong. On the backs of these two fourth-order flying monsters were ten Yunyang Sect disciples at the Martial Soul level. "Greetings to the Sect Master." As four figures leaped down from the back of the Golden Winged Eagle, all elders, protectors, and disciples immediately saluted. The arrivals were Yun Xiao Tian and Yun Hong Ling, with the last two being Han Feng and Dong Pan. "Elders and protectors, we should set off now. We cannot afford any mistakes in this Three Sects Four Gates Conference." Yun Xiao Tian''s gaze lingered on everyone. "Sect Master Brother, we have a chance this time at the Yunyang Sect to enter the top three." Elder Yu Yu chuckled, very confident in his precious disciple. "Brother, I hope you''re right." Yun Xiao Tian smiled, his gaze intentionally or unintentionally falling on Li Lin for a moment, only Li Lin knew, Sect Master Yun Xiao Tian was reminding him of a condition. "Alright, the elders and protectors participating in the Three Sects Four Gates Conference, let''s depart. We need to hurry to Tianjian City now. The other elders and protectors, please take more care of the sect in the meantime." After speaking, Yun Xiao Tian''s figure soared, his true qi vibrating, space seemingly twisted, instantly reaching the back of the Golden Winged Eagle in the sky. "Whoosh whoosh." Several figures leaped into the high sky, and then, several flying monsters appeared in the sky, with Elder Yang, Elder Song, and Elder Xie each going to their own flying monsters. These were all fifth-order monsters, their bloodlines not inferior to Master Yu Yu''s Blue Jade Wolf Eagle. Chapter 378: Arrival at Tianjian City With several protectors and Zhao Qingtian, Zhao Qinghai, Han Feng, and Dong Pan, four people also landed on the back of the Golden Winged Demon Eagle, but Zhao Wuji and the Great Protector were not seen going. "Elder Yu, can I ride your mount to go there?" A red-clothed figure appeared beside Yu Yu, it was Li Wushuang. Li Wushuang looked at Li Lin with a slight smile, seeming also to want to go to Tianjian City. "Of course, no problem." Yu Yu laughed, he had heard about the relationship between Li Wushuang and his disciple, loving the house and its crow, he was also nice to Li Wushuang, last time they met, he even secretly gave her a set of high-level yellow-ranked martial arts techniques, and instructed not to tell others. "Thank you, Elder Yu." Li Wushuang smiled lightly. "Uncle Master, I also want to ride your Blue Jade Wolf Eagle." A tender voice came, and a figure in green appeared beside Yu Yu, it was Yun Hongli. "Well, haha, alright, the three of you ride the Blue Jade Wolf Eagle then, I''ll go ride the Golden Winged Demon Eagle." Yu Yu laughed, looking at Li Lin and Li Wushuang, then at Yun Hongli, decisively he handed over the Blue Jade Wolf Eagle and himself leaped onto the Golden Winged Demon Eagle, not wanting to be the third wheel. "Wushuang sister, I want to go with you, hehe." Yun Hongli giggled, already clinging to Li Wushuang''s side. "Let''s go." Li Wushuang gently smiled. Li Lin gave a bitter smile, then also leaped onto the Blue Jade Wolf Eagle, the two women exchanged smiles, and with a tremor of true qi under their feet, they leaped onto the back of the Blue Jade Wolf Eagle. "Departure." The voice of Yun Xiao Tian echoed in the sky, clearly reaching everyone''s ears, a total of seven huge demonic beasts flapped their wings and moved forward, with the Golden Winged Demon Eagle in the lead, its speed was also the fastest. "This time, we should be able to meet many strong people." Li Lin sighed as his gaze swept over all the members of Yunyang Sect going to the Three Sects Four Gates Conference, thinking about the strength of Yunyang Sect, with Sect Leader Yun Xiao Tian personally going, and with Elder Yang of the Martial King level accompanying, along with Elder Xie, Elder Song, and Master Yu Yu, making a total of four elders, two of Martial King level and two of Martial Commander strength, plus five or six protectors of Martial General cultivation, and twenty disciples of the Martial Spirit level, this strength was absolutely strong, especially with two Martial Commanders and two Martial Kings. The strength of Yunyang Sect going was so strong, Li Lin speculated that the people coming from the other Three Sects and Four Gates would not be any less, this Three Sects Four Gates Conference truly gathered the strong. "Little thief, why are you carrying a little white mouse, isn''t it another terrifying beast like the little dragon?" On the back of the Blue Jade Wolf Eagle, seeing the white spirit on Li Lin''s shoulder, Yun Hongli curiously watched and asked. "Hehe." Li Lin smiled slightly, not wanting Yun Hongli to ask too much about White Spirit, said: "Wushuang, why are you here too?" "What, don''t want me to go?" Li Wushuang pursed her lips and smiled, her beautiful eyes looking at Li Lin, said: "Although only five disciples participate in the Three Sects Four Gates Conference, to avoid the situation where a disciple cannot participate at the last minute, usually a few more disciples will be brought along. My strength is inferior to yours, but I asked Master because I wanted to see, Master always spoils me, so I was able to participate." "So it is." Li Lin smiled slightly: "It''s better for you to go, lest Hongli bully me." "Little thief, when did I bully you." Yun Hongli immediately pouted, looking unconvinced. "Alright Hongli, the Sect Leader and the elders are here." Li Wushuang gently smiled. "By the way, Hongli, is this Three Sects Four Gates Conference held in Tianjian City?" Li Lin asked. "Mm." Yun Hongli nodded: "The Three Sects Four Gates Conference is held in turn at one of the gates each time, the last time it was at the Earth Spirit Gate, this time it''s Tianjian Gate. Tianjian City is the location of Tianjian Gate, from our Yunyang Sect, it takes almost a month''s time, the distance is not short." This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Li Lin''s brow slightly relaxed, Tianjian Gate, also one of the Three Sects and Four Gates, probably has strength not much different from Yunyang Sect, such a colossal entity, wondering when Flying Spirit Gate could reach this step. The Blue Jade Wolf Eagle flew swiftly, opening spatial ripples as it moved, White Spirit''s eyes were curiously watching the surroundings, appearing extremely excited, after coming out of the secret land, this was her first time going out to see around, usually at most just moving around the mountain peak. On the backs of other flying demonic beasts, everyone soon entered a state of cultivation, with a month''s time to reach Tianjian City, it''s not a short time, only through cultivation, they would not feel the time passing long. Watching the scenery below, majestic mountains and peaks stood tall in the view, the mountain tips covered with snow, now approaching early spring, the snow was also melting. The scenery below flew past, Li Lin''s thoughts drifted for a while, then he also sat cross-legged on the back of the Blue Jade Wolf Eagle and began to cultivate. Although this normal cultivation speed was slow, it had the effect of consolidating cultivation, every time after a breakthrough, Li Lin would always properly consolidate his cultivation before daring to continue breaking through. After a while, Li Lin''s eyes closed, entering the state of cultivation. Tianjian City, located near the north of the Lingwu Continent, mentioning Tianjian City, basically no martial artist or spirit user on the Lingwu Continent would not know, because Tianjian City is the location of Tianjian Gate, surrounding Tianjian City, there are vast areas that are Tianjian Gate''s territory. On the territory of Tianjian Gate, there are many forces, and these forces all rely on Tianjian Gate to survive, among these forces, they all think about sending their family''s children into Tianjian Gate, as long as they can become disciples, it''s already bringing glory to the family, if one can become a direct disciple, that''s even better. Tianjian Gate, such a colossal entity standing tall, the disciples in the gate are all individuals of extremely strong talent, especially the direct disciples, each one is like a dragon among men. This time, the Three Sects Four Gates Conference being held in Tianjian City, within Tianjian City, several months ago, there were already many martial artists and spirit users entering, as the Three Sects Four Gates Conference approaches, the number of people entering has become even more. And because the Three Sects Four Gates Conference is held in Tianjian City, Tianjian City started preparations a year ago, first by rebuilding the plaza in the city, and many new buildings were constructed around, everything was rearranged. Time slowly passed, and in a certain part of the sky, there were seven huge demonic beasts flapping their wings, rushing through like lightning, along the way, they brought up visible airwaves, on the backs of the demonic beasts, dozens of people were in the midst of closed-eye cultivation. "Phew." Li Lin exhaled a turbid breath from within his body, stopping the cultivation, his eyes opened, deep and bright as stars. "It''s still early." Looking down, Li Lin immediately took a demonic pill and popped it into his mouth, starting to cultivate again. The Blue Jade Wolf Eagle flapped its wings, its huge body instantly flashed through the mid-air, and among the seven flying demonic beasts, the speed of the Golden Winged Demon Eagle was undoubtedly the fastest. In cultivation, time also passed very quickly, a few days later, Li Lin again stuffed a demonic pill into his mouth, with plenty of demonic pills on him, Li Lin was not afraid to waste, the fourth-grade demonic pills, for his current Martial General level cultivation, the energy provided was relatively small. After two fourth-grade demonic pills, the true qi Li Lin refined only allowed his Martial General level cultivation to climb to the mid-stage of the Martial General level. Not knowing how long had passed, Li Lin, who had been deeply cultivating with closed eyes, slowly opened his eyes again, already hearing Yun Xiao Tian''s voice: "Everyone pay attention, we are about to arrive at Tianjian City, this is already Tianjian Gate''s territory." "We''re about to arrive..." Li Lin exhaled lightly, his heart filled with a bit of excitement, the Three Sects Four Gates Conference, a gathering of strong people, this time, if he could enter the top three, he should also be considered among the best of the young generation in the entire continent. "Little thief, we''re about to arrive, this time at the Three Sects Four Gates Conference, I wonder how the strength of the young generation from other gates is, I do want to see." Yun Hongli''s face showed some excitement. Li Lin looked ahead, overlooking the ground below, in the distance, mountains stretched endlessly, with many vast building complexes, unknowingly, winter had passed, the mountains in the distance, lush green filled the eyes, everywhere releasing a rich vitality, as if trees and grass were all sprouting. "Lin''er, you have to be careful at this Three Sects Four Gates Conference, there will be no weak ones among the other gates." Li Wushuang''s beautiful eyes looked at Li Lin gently. "Mm, I will be careful, I''m not a reckless person." Li Lin said lightly, affectionately glancing at Li Wushuang, among the Three Sects and Four Gates, he indeed needed to be careful. "Look, we should be there." Yun Hongli suddenly said. In the distant sky ahead, only now, a vast complex of buildings had appeared, the area was extremely vast. As far as the eye could see, this vast complex of buildings, even from a distance, one could see a majestic plaza appearing, on it seemed to have something like a pillar reaching straight to the sky. "Phew" As Li Lin looked around, in the sky behind, there were also many demonic beasts flying forward rapidly, from their aura, it seemed none were weak, probably also heading to Tianjian City. Chapter 379: Elder Gu Feng In just a moment, a huge city that seemed to appear and disappear in front of Li Lin''s eyes became clearly visible. "Swish swish..." A powerful aura surged into the sky, and at the same time, a tremendous voice echoed in the mid-air: "The grand arrival of the Yunyang Sect is welcomed, though we are late in greeting. Please, Sect Master Yun, do not take offense." "Elder Gu Feng is too polite. It has been a long time, I hope you are well," Yun XiaoTian''s voice echoed in the space ahead. As his words fell, several black dots in the space ahead rushed forward, and then several flying beasts flapped their wings and approached. On the back of one of the flying beasts, a gray-white figure could slowly be seen. This person appeared to be in his sixties, with long white hair and a face filled with a sense of vicissitudes, wrinkles on his face like sword scars. Behind the old man, there was also a three-foot-long sword on his back, devoid of any decoration, simply wrapped with a gray-white cloth strip, giving it a simple and unadorned feeling. Behind the old man, there were three huge beasts, each carrying a dozen or so middle-aged and young men, each with a long sword on their back, their auras of Martial Spirit and Martial General levels. "What a strong aura," Li Lin couldn''t help but admire the first white-haired elder and the beast he was riding. The white-haired elder''s aura was restrained, but the intangible feeling made it not difficult for Li Lin to find that this person, just like Yun XiaoTian and Elder Yang, was at the Martial King level. And the beast ridden by the white-haired elder also surprised Li Lin; it was a sixth-level flying beast, entirely emerald green, its feathers as clean as if untouched by dust, resembling a wolf but with a coral-like horn on its head. "BiYu Yao Wolf." Although Li Lin had never seen this beast before, he recognized it, a wood-element beast, its bloodline strength not inferior to the Golden Winged Yao Eagle. "Greetings to Sect Master Yun and the elders of the Yunyang Sect." The white-haired elder''s followers, dozens of Martial Generals and Martial Spirits, shouted loudly, their voices echoing in the surrounding space. "Sect Master Yun, please," said the white-haired elder lightly, and the flying beast immediately turned and left. "It''s trouble you, Elder Gu Feng," Yun XiaoTian said heartily, and everyone quickly moved forward. "So strong," Li WuShuang also felt the aura of the white-haired elder, a bit surprised. "WuShuang, in the future, you will also be able to reach that level," Li Lin said lightly, secretly thinking that he too would surely reach the realm of Martial King one day. Several huge flying beasts turned into vague figures, darting towards the great city ahead like lightning, passing over building after building, and a majestic structure appeared in front of everyone. "Sect Master Yun, we have arrived. The sect masters Wei BangYan of GuiYuan Gate and Zhu HongYuan of XuanShan Gate have arrived in TianJian City yesterday," the white-haired elder said lightly from above. The BiYu Yao Wolf he was riding descended first, creating ripples in the space below. "It seems I am not late," Yun XiaoTian said, as the Golden Winged Yao Eagle also descended. Below, there was a vast square where several large beasts landed, and everyone alighted. As Li Lin, Li WuShuang, Yun HongLing, and others looked forward, they were also unavoidably astonished. The square was huge, the ground paved with smooth stone slabs so finely joined that not even a crack was visible, and at the front of the square, a giant stone sword stood tall. Looking at it, the stone was so huge it was terrifying, at least a thousand meters high and several hundred meters wide, looking like a giant standing between heaven and earth, giving off a spectacular and imposing feeling. The giant stone sword pointed straight to the sky, and on the body of the sword, three characters were carved in a dragon and phoenix dance: "TianJian Gate," the font vigorous and powerful, exuding an ancient but sharp and domineering aura. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. "Greetings to Sect Master Yun and the elders of the Yunyang Sect." On the square, hundreds of young people dressed in armor, each with a helmet and a long sword on their back, were neatly saluting. These hundreds of people were also of the first and second levels of Martial Spirit, with a small portion reaching the fourth level of Martial Spirit. "TianJian Gate is indeed full of talented individuals," Yun XiaoTian said with a slight smile. "Sect Master Yun jests. From those few disciples behind you, it''s not hard to see that the younger generation of Yunyang Sect is also full of talented individuals," the elder called Elder Gu Feng had already glanced over Qu DaoJue, Zhao QingHai, Han Feng, Li Lin, and others, then his gaze fell on Yun HongLing and said, "Could this beautiful young lady be HongLing? With three elemental attributes, it should be no one else." "HongLing, come and greet Elder Gu Feng. Elder Gu Feng has seen you when you were younger," Yun XiaoTian said with a slight smile, turning his head to Yun HongLing. Yun HongLing glanced at Li Lin, then like a little sparrow, came to Yun XiaoTian''s side and saluted Elder Gu Feng: "Disciple greets Elder Gu Feng." "No need for formalities. I didn''t expect you to grow up so quickly. A three-elemental warrior, a second-level Martial General, right? I remember you''re not even twenty yet. Such talent is one in a million," Elder Gu Feng exclaimed in surprise. "Elder Gu Feng flatters me. There must be no shortage of such talented young people in TianJian Gate," Yun XiaoTian said lightly. Elder Gu Feng did not answer but chuckled: "Sect Master Yun, this is the core area of TianJian Gate. Please enter the city. We have already arranged accommodation and rest places for everyone from the Yunyang Sect." "After you, Elder Gu Feng," Yun XiaoTian said lightly. "After you," Elder Gu Feng gestured, then led everyone from the Yunyang Sect straight ahead. Following the crowd at a leisurely pace, Li Lin passed through the square, and behind the giant stone sword, a city gate appeared, ten meters high and several meters wide. A glance revealed nearly a hundred young people in armor, each with a long sword on their back, standing upright at the gate. These young people, each with a focused gaze straight ahead, emitted strong auras, their cultivation levels at the eighth or ninth level of Martial Teacher, now serving as gatekeepers. Entering the city gate, Li Lin realized it was a city within a city. The outer area was an endless big city, while the interior was much quieter. The buildings here were rows of magnificent classical courtyard buildings, extending as far as the eye could see. "This is the inner city of TianJian Gate, accessible only to disciples of the sect. Once you all have settled in, you can visit the outer city, which is much busier," Elder Gu Feng said lightly, as if speaking to everyone. "Sect Master Yun, elders of the Yunyang Sect, please stay here. These buildings were recently constructed. If you have any other requests, feel free to speak. We apologize for any inconvenience," Elder Gu Feng said in front of a large courtyard after a moment. The courtyard was not small, just the outside yard alone was several hundred meters across, clearly newly constructed and delicately decorated, pleasing to the eye. "Elder Gu Feng is too polite; this place is very good," Yun XiaoTian said. "After a long journey, please rest first. The day after tomorrow is the meeting of the three sects and four gates. The sect master has been busy with the preparations for the meeting and has specifically asked for your understanding for not being able to welcome you personally," Elder Gu Feng said. "Elder Gu Feng, you''re too kind. Please convey my regards to Elder Gu. We''ll meet the day after tomorrow. Thank you for the trouble," Yun XiaoTian said. "I''ll take my leave first. There are maids and servants in the courtyard for any needs you might have," Elder Gu Feng said, bowing to Yun XiaoTian, then excused himself. "Let''s go inside," Yun XiaoTian said lightly, leading the way into the courtyard. The courtyard was very elegant, with green trees and surrounded by flowers at the entrance, clearly showing that TianJian Gate had put a lot of effort into its arrangement. Inside the courtyard, beyond a long corridor, was a large hall surrounded by dozens of rooms. Ten or so maids and servants had already come out to greet them. A moment later, under the guidance of a maid, Li Lin entered a room. The room was furnished in a fresh and elegant manner, not overly luxurious but comfortable to look at. Li Lin was quite satisfied with the room. "There are many strong people in TianJian Gate," the Nine-Tailed Fox Bai Ling said, jumping onto the bed in the room, speaking lightly. "This is TianJian Gate, one of the three sects and four gates; naturally, there are many strong people," Li Lin said lightly. "I didn''t expect there to be so many strong people among humans," the Nine-Tailed Fox said lightly. "Little thief, my father wants you to go to the great hall," Yun HongLing''s voice came from outside the room at that moment. "Bai Ling, you and Little dragon rest here for now; I''ll be back soon," Li Lin said, then left the room, closing the door behind him. Yun HongLing, dressed in green, showing off her exquisite and tempting figure, was already standing outside the room, and Li WuShuang, wrapped in a pale red long dress, was also there. "HongLing, what does the sect master want with me?" Li Lin asked. "It''s probably about the meeting of the three sects and four gates the day after tomorrow," Yun HongLing said. The three of them headed towards the great hall, encountering Zhao QingHai and Zhao QingTian along the way. The two looked at Li Lin with a flash of coldness in their eyes but were helpless to act. Li Lin no longer paid any mind to these two. To kill them, frankly speaking, was not difficult. If there was an opportunity, he would act later; now was not the time. Li Lin was also always puzzled by the words Du Gu JingWen said when she left, that the Li family and the Zhao family were not so simple, and he must obtain the treasure of the Li family. Chapter 380: The Benefits of Being a Champion The Li family''s treasure, yet Li Lin was completely unaware of it. It seemed like in his memory, the Li family never had any treasures. Could there be some secret involved? But now, he was unable to find an answer. "Li Lin, the day after tomorrow is the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference. Let''s see who performs better then." On the corridor, the figure of Qu Daojue appeared, his upright posture exuding confidence. "Hehe, if you lose, you''re buying me a drink," Li Lin said lightly. "Alright, we won''t return until we''re drunk," Qu Daojue laughed. "Can we not drink? It makes my head dizzy," Yun Hongling suddenly said. "Haha..." Qu Daojue burst into laughter, "Didn''t you drink quite enthusiastically last time?" "Humph!" Hearing Li Lin and others laughing, Zhao Qingtian and Zhao Qinghai couldn''t help but let out a cold snort softly. Everyone entered the great hall, where there were dozens of chairs. At this moment, four elders and the sect master Yun Xiaotian, along with several guardians, were already present. Han Feng and Dong Pan were also among them, while the other disciples were not. "Greetings to the Sect Master and the elders," everyone bowed. "Please, take a seat," Yun Xiaotian said. As everyone was seated, Yun Xiaotian formed a hand seal, and immediately, an arc of light enveloped the great hall, setting up a prohibition. "Alright, I''ve called everyone here to talk to the disciples participating in the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference," Yun Xiaotian said, his gaze fixed on everyone. "Yun Hongling, Zhao Qinghai, Han Feng, Qu Daojue, Li Lin, you five must give it your all. If our Yunyang Sect fails to enter the top three again, you all know the consequences, so you must try your hardest." "The disciples understand," the five responded. "Elder Yang, please explain the rules of the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference to them," Yun Xiaotian said to an elder by his side. "Listen well, you five participating in the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference," Elder Yang said. "According to tradition, each of the Three Sects and Four Gates sends five participants, so there are thirty-five disciples in total. But that''s not all." Elder Yang continued, "Traditionally, the conference is an affair of our Three Sects and Four Gates, but for a long time, it has been allowed for young disciples from other forces to participate, and many do each year." "That''s news to me," Li Lin raised an eyebrow, having never been told this before and thinking it was only for their own disciples. "So, don''t be careless. In the past, many disciples from other forces have achieved remarkable results," Elder Yang said. Looking at the five disciples participating in the conference, Elder Yang continued, "With a significant number of participants, to ensure fairness, there are six days of competition. If no one is eliminated, there will be a match each day. Defeat your opponent to win; lose, and you''re out. If any of you are defeated in the top five, it will cost our sect a set of Xuan-level martial techniques." "A wager?" Li Lin couldn''t help but ask. "Indeed," Elder Yang smiled slightly. "Any disciple in the top five who loses will have to give up a scroll of Xuan-level beginner martial techniques to their opponent. If you''re unlucky enough to lose to a Ling practitioner, our sect will lose a set of Xuan-level beginner spirit techniques. This is a tradition of the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference. Similarly, if you win, you can obtain a scroll of Xuan-level beginner martial techniques. Forces outside the Three Sects and Four Gates must also submit a scroll of Xuan-level beginner martial techniques to participate. If they lose, they lose the technique; if they win, they can also obtain a set of Xuan-level beginner martial techniques." Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. "Hehe, Elder Yang, if we win these Xuan-level beginner martial techniques, do they belong to the sect or to us?" Li Lin suddenly laughed, now keenly interested. Xuan-level low-grade martial techniques were not cheap. "They belong to you. The sect will not take the techniques you win. If you manage to enter the top five, you can win three sets of Xuan-level martial techniques. If you don''t, you might even cause the sect to lose a set of Xuan-level low-grade martial techniques," Yun Xiaotian said, his gaze falling on Li Lin before continuing, "According to the rules of the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference, if any of you manage to get first place, you will receive a set of Xuan-level beginner martial techniques from each of the other six gates of the Three Sects and Four Gates, as well as three high-grade fifth-tier medicinal pills. That means, if any of you gets first place, you can obtain a total of ten sets of Xuan-level beginner martial techniques and eighteen high-grade fifth-tier medicinal pills." "Ten sets of Xuan-level beginner martial techniques, plus eighteen high-grade fifth-tier medicinal pills." Li Lin was absolutely taken aback by this astonishing benefit. A single set of Xuan-level beginner martial techniques was already incredibly valuable, not to mention the fifth-tier high-grade medicinal pills, each worth tens of millions of gold coins. This was truly incredible. "Sect Master, are there rewards for second and third places?" Li Lin asked. "No, only the first place gets rewards. This is just an incentive for the disciples. Our Three Sects and Four Gates have another wager: if any sect fails to have disciples in the top three for five consecutive times, that sect must give each of the other six gates three sets of high-grade Xuan-level martial techniques and five seventh-tier medicinal pills each. Our Yunyang Sect has failed to place in the top three for the last four times," Yun Xiaotian said, his gaze on the five disciples participating in the conference. Hearing Yun Xiaotian''s words, the elders and guardians also showed solemn expressions. If Yunyang Sect lost, as elders and guardians, they would lose face. "Getting first place would be a huge boon," Li Lin thought, considering the immense benefits of first place. However, he mused that achieving first place would not be easy, as he was currently only a first-level Martial General. Li Lin thought to himself that if he had started practicing three years earlier, even two years, his strength would not be limited to a first-level Martial General. It was regrettable that he started late; the disciples of the Three Sects and Four Gates had been trained from a young age, and he had only been practicing for three years. Achieving first place would be extremely difficult. "Alright, let me continue explaining the rules of the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference to you. It starts the day after tomorrow, so pay attention," Elder Yang said under Yun Xiaotian''s signal. He explained that the conference lasts six days, with fifty to sixty participants expected, including those from the Three Sects and Four Gates as well as from other major forces. Some participants even come from ancient domains and Moyun City, with talents and strengths not inferior to theirs. Therefore, they must not be careless... Under Elder Yang''s explanation, Li Lin learned that the conference spans six days, with the first day featuring initial matchups. The number of participants would be reduced by half, leaving twenty to thirty people. The second day would continue with more matchups, reducing the number to around ten. The process would repeat on the third day, leaving fewer than ten participants. The fourth day would again feature matchups, narrowing it down to three finalists for the fifth day''s competition. These three would be the top three of the conference. During these four days, each participant would generally face one matchup, ensuring fairness. If there were multiple matches in one day, it would be unfair to those who had already competed and were facing fresh opponents. The fifth day would determine two finalists through competition, with the winner on the sixth day claiming the first place. The first-place winner would receive a set of Xuan-level beginner martial techniques and five high-grade fifth-tier medicinal pills from each of the major gates. After understanding these details, Yun Xiaotian once again emphasized the importance of this conference. The Yunyang Sect could not afford to lose again. Failing to place in the top three would not only cost them a significant amount of martial techniques and medicinal pills but also damage the sect''s reputation, making them appear inferior to others. An hour later, everyone dispersed, and the five participants in the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference were eager to compete. Winning even one match would net them a set of Xuan-level beginner martial techniques. "Wushuang Sister, let''s go out and have a look around. It''s still early," Yun Hongling said, looking at the sky just after noon, eager to explore outside. "Sure, I''d like to see how lively Tianjian City is," Li Wushuang''s eyes lit up, excited about shopping, something many women enjoy. "Hehe, little thief, you''re coming with us," Yun Hongling said to Li Lin. "I..." Li Lin frowned, "Do I have to go?" Shopping with women was something Li Lin truly found uninteresting, considering it a tedious task. "No way, you must come with me and Wushuang Sister," Yun Hongling insisted, grabbing Li Lin with one hand and Li Wushuang with the other, and they all headed out. Chapter 381: Encounter with Harassment Li Lin had no choice but to follow the two women for a stroll in Tianjian City. On a corridor of the great hall, two figures appeared; they were Yun XiaoTian and Elder Xie. "Master, both Hongling and Wushuang have a deep relationship with Li Lin. Do you also agree with Hongling..." Elder Xie looked towards Yun XiaoTian, clearly implying that it might not be appropriate for Hongling, who is the young miss of Yunyang Sect, to share a husband with others. Sighing, Yun XiaoTian said, "Li Lin is not only close to Wushuang. Although I feel reluctant about Hongling being in such a situation, I dont want to interfere too much in the affairs of the younger generation. As long as that young man doesnt bully Hongling in the future, I have no objections. Let them be." "So, you mean you agree?" Elder Xie asked, somewhat surprised. "What else can I do? This is Li Lins capability. Even if I wanted to intervene, I couldnt. None of the young disciples of Yunyang Sect are to Honglings liking, and theres nothing I can do about it," Yun XiaoTian said with a faint smile, a trace of depth flashing in his eyes that was hard for ordinary people to detect. After leaving the courtyard with the two women, Li Lin soon left the Tianjian Sect and headed straight for the city center, guided by a disciple of the Tianjian Sect. Walking through a long stretch of streets, turning seven corners and eight bends, the trio suddenly heard a bustling noise. A wide street appeared in their sight, almost filled to the brim with people, and a deafening noise spread throughout the space. "Is this Tianjian City?" Li Lin was somewhat surprised by the wide street. "There are really a lot of people here." The street, several meters wide, was almost impenetrable. Li Lin was unaware that as the tri-sect and quad-school conference approached, the flow of people in Tianjian City became increasingly terrifying. Not just during the day, but even at night, the noise was deafening. The population of Tianjian City was now ten times its usual size. With the increase in people, Tianjian City naturally mixed with all sorts of characters. Even with the vast power of the Tianjian Sect, it was impossible to manage all these diverse individuals, though these people still dared not provoke the Tianjian Sect. At that moment, Li Lin witnessed the popularity of Tianjian City. The streets were filled with countless shops and street vendors bustling with activity. Among the lively crowd, there were also many people dressed in unusual attire. From Li Wushuang, Li Lin learned that these oddly dressed individuals were barbarians or semi-barbarians, not to be trifled with as they were ready to fight at any moment. Following the two women, the trio slowed down and leisurely wandered the busy streets. Especially Yun Hongling, curious about everything, darted around various stalls and shops, buying anything that caught her fancy without a second thought. Accompanying the two women shopping, Li Lin surveyed the entire Tianjian City. The city, much larger than Ghost Martial City in the ancient domain, seemed boundless. The size of the city impressed Li Lin. Perhaps because it was the territory of the Tianjian Sect, Li Lin saw many shops selling swords, and most of the people in the crowd carried long swords. Occasionally, disciples of the Tianjian Sect patrolled the streets in armor, all uniformly carrying long swords. Stolen story; please report. The streets were interconnected like a spider web, and the grand scale was astonishing. Li Lin noticed that the buildings in Tianjian City were made of a rare type of rock, extremely hard and difficult for average martial artists to break. Even the paving stones were made of this rock, which, although not particularly precious, was used throughout the city, indicating significant effort and resources. Amazed, Li Lin also noticed that in the midst of this bustling crowd, there was a mix of all sorts of people, creating a chaotic scene. There were quite a few individuals with notable strength, including martial soul cultivators and spirit practitioners mixed among the crowd. Seeing the patrolling disciples of the Tianjian Sect, Li Lin speculated that the mix of various characters in Tianjian City likely meant that it was not very peaceful recently. Despite the powerful presence of the Tianjian Sect, it was impossible to suppress all the diverse elements. Where there are people, there is chaos, as where there is light, there is darkness. The mix of various people meant inevitable chaos. However, Li Lin was not concerned about this. The ancient domain was also chaotic, and he thrived in chaos. He believed that the chaos in Tianjian City, even with the suppression by the Tianjian Sect, would not be too severe compared to the true chaos of the ancient domain, where there were no rules and strength spoke for everything. His goal remained the ancient domain, where he felt most at home. The two women, naturally, had different thoughts, curious about everything around them. At this time, the two women attracted numerous glances. Both were stunningly beautiful, with Li Wushuang exuding elegance and Yun Hongling cute yet tempting. Such women on the street were rare and incomparable to the common crowd. Soon, feeling the gazes on them, Li Wushuang became visibly displeased. With a stern look, she made those staring at them turn away. "Lin''er, Hongling, let''s change streets," Li Wushuang suggested, no longer wishing to stay on this street. "Alright," Li Lin replied, with a slight smile, also feeling the many eyes on them. It was inevitable, given the beauty of the two women, which could cause trouble. After changing streets, the scene was still crowded, with long lines of people and a mixture of shouting, selling, and talking voices blending together. While the two women entered a clothing store, Li Lin, uninterested in clothes, visited a shop selling weapons and medicinal pills. This shop was quite large, with a wide range of items for sale, including medicinal pills, herbs, weapons, refining materials, and martial arts techniques, offering a vast selection. Li Lin found a Seven-Leaf Herb in the medicinal herb section, a rare ingredient for refining items and medicinal pills. He immediately purchased it, thinking it might come in handy later. Despite its high price of ninety thousand gold coins, Li Lin, who was not short of money, bought it without hesitation. As Li Lin was leaving the shop, he noticed a crowd gathered outside, with lewd laughter echoing. "Little girl, where are you going? You''re not locals, right? How about joining us for a drink?" "Haha, these two chicks are damn fine, much better than the ones from the brothel last time." "I like it. Would the two ladies care to join us for some fun?" ... Li Lin''s expression darkened as he made his way through the crowd, already guessing what was happening. Upon reaching the front, he saw about a dozen burly men blocking the way in front of Li Wushuang and Yun Hongling, all dressed in tight clothes with their muscular arms exposed. Li Lin quickly moved to the women''s side. "Get lost, or I won''t be polite," Yun Hongling shouted fiercely. "The chick has a temper, I like that. It makes things more interesting," one of the men commented, their excitement growing with each lewd comment. "Lin''er," Li Wushuang said, frowning as she moved to Li Lin''s side. After reaching the women, Li Lin asked, "Are you alright?" "We''re fine, but these bastards are too despicable," Yun Hongling said angrily, her face showing her fury. As the crowd around them grew, the spectacle of the two beautiful women being harassed attracted even more onlookers. The situation emboldened the group of men, who became more audacious upon seeing Li Lin, a young man, join the women. "Looks like the beauties prefer a pretty boy. This kid is still wet behind the ears; he''s no match for my tenderness," one of the men leered. Li Lin, facing the thirteen men, would not allow anyone to have designs on his women. With a chilling gaze, he coldly ordered, "Dig out one of your eyes each, then scram." Chapter 382: Reunion with an Acquaintance The thirteen burly men were momentarily stunned, and the onlookers were also surprised, seemingly astonished by Li Lin''s tone and boldness. "Ha ha..." Just after the thirteen burly men were stunned, they exchanged glances and burst into uproarious laughter. The one who had spoken, apparently the leader, shook his thick arm and said, "You milk-nosed kid, you misspoke. Now, I''ll give you a chance. Cut off your own tongue, and I''ll let you live. Otherwise, I''ll chop you into eighteen pieces..." "Whoosh!" Before the burly man could finish his sentence, he suddenly clutched his throat, only to see a blazing finger imprint approaching like lightning. Without time to react, his neck instantly felt searing hot, followed by difficulty breathing, and a blood hole burst from the back of his neck. "If that''s the case, then all of you can die." Li Lin''s eyes suddenly flashed with a murderous intent. As he spoke, the true qi under his feet vibrated, and with a flash of an air swirl, his figure vanished on the spot like a ghost. "Whoosh whoosh whoosh..." Few could see Li Lin''s figure clearly. All the onlookers could see were strings of ghost-like afterimages and a series of blazing finger imprints, like lightning sweeping through the space, accompanied by the whistling sound of breaking wind. "He''s a powerful one, run for it." "Bang bang bang..." A series of sonic booms followed. By the time the burly men regained their senses, their faces filled with horror, each of their necks had, unsurprisingly, a finger imprint blood hole. With the blood holes bursting open, sixteen bodies subsequently fell to the ground. Among the crowd, there were also three figures who fell, each with a charred blood hole in the center of their forehead, having been part of the group that harassed the two exceptionally beautiful women. On the ground, sixteen bodies, sixteen blood holes still oozing fresh blood. The thirteen burly men, not one escaped; some were killed before they could even flee two meters. Seeing this scene, everyone around was suddenly terrified. It turns out that this young man was such a terrifying powerhouse. Sixteen people were killed in the blink of an eye. "Hmph, serves you right for seeking death." Yun Hongling coldly snorted, and instantly, a long whip appeared in her hand, whipping around like a spirit snake emerging from its hole. "Snap snap snap..." A series of sonic booms sounded, instantly decapitating several heads from bodies, with blood flowing everywhere. "Whew!" Everyone around took a sharp breath of cold air, realizing that this exceptionally beautiful girl was so ruthlessly vicious. The unlucky men today had provoked these two calamities. "It''s alright, Hongling, don''t dirty your hands." Li Lin retracted his true qi and spoke indifferently to Yun Hongling, looking at the corpses on the ground, he let out a slight breath, his expression unchanging. Two at the first level of Martial Soul, one at the second level, along with a dozen Martial Masters. With such strength, it was effortless for him to kill them without any difficulty. "Hmph, if it were in Yunyang Sect, I would have had their entire families executed to quell the anger in my heart." Yun Hongling retracted her whip, angrily said. "Alright, Hongling, they''re dead now, let it go, don''t be angry anymore." Li Wushuang slightly smiled, her eyebrows furrowing. Killing these people didn''t make her feel any remorse, but the smell of blood was displeasing to her. Seeing this scene, those who were previously eyeing the two women greedily, immediately shifted their gaze, feeling a chill in their hearts, no longer daring to look at the two women again, fearing the same fate would befall them. "Who is causing trouble here during the Three Sects and Four Gates conference?" At that moment, the crowd automatically parted to create a path, as more than twenty disciples from the Tianjian Gate, wearing armor and carrying long swords on their backs, walked in angrily, looking at the bodies on the ground, then at Li Lin and the two women. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "Did you three kill these people?" A leading disciple of the Tianjian Gate stepped forward, sensing the extraordinary aura of the trio, not like ordinary people, his attitude softened a bit. "Yes, I killed them." Li Lin said indifferently, giving the Tianjian Gate youth a look. With the strength of a first-level Martial General, he was already very strong, probably an older disciple of the Tianjian Gate, or someone similar to the law enforcement team of Yunyang Sect. "During the Three Sects and Four Gates conference, any killing is forbidden. Who are you? Please come with us." The youth''s expression slightly hardened as he looked at the trio. "Hmph, how dare the Tianjian Gate." Yun Hongling snorted disdainfully, instantly pulling out a jade token and said, "The grand Tianjian Gate, to think that even a simple stroll by this young lady is not peaceful. When I see your sect leader, I will ask him how Tianjian City can be so chaotic, shame on the Tianjian Gate for being one of the Three Sects and Four Gates." "So, you are friends from Yunyang Sect. We apologize for the disturbance. This matter, I will investigate thoroughly." The leading youth, seeing the jade token in Yun Hongling''s hand, quickly apologized, knowing very well that with the people coming to the Tianjian Gate recently, seeing the trio''s young age, they were likely direct disciples participating in the Three Sects and Four Gates conference, with high statuses, who could not be offended. At this time, allowing disciples from the other Three Sects and Four Gates to encounter trouble in Tianjian City would greatly affect the reputation of the Tianjian Gate. "Are you still taking us back?" Li Lin asked the youth in front of him indifferently. "Dare not, please feel free. If you encounter any inconvenience, feel free to inform us." The youth no longer dared to take the trio back, having just heard that the sect leader of Yunyang Sect had arrived at the Tianjian Gate. Taking these three back would likely spell trouble for himself. "Then we''ll be leaving." Li Lin lightly said, leading the two women to slowly depart. "Those are the scoundrels from the Tianlang Gang, pass the word. From now on, if you see disciples from the Tianlang Gang, kill without mercy. To dare cause trouble during the Three Sects and Four Gates conference, they''re seeking death." As Li Lin and the two women left, the leading youth of the Tianjian Gate angrily commanded behind them. "So, those three were from Yunyang Sect, probably direct disciples participating in the Three Sects and Four Gates conference. Now the Tianlang Gang is in trouble, provoking anyone but had to provoke people from Yunyang Sect." "The Tianlang Gang deserved it. They should have been more cautious recently. The Tianjian Gate is cracking down hard. This time, they truly sought their own death." The onlookers discussed among themselves, their gazes following the distant figures of the trio, many secretly relieved not to have provoked them. "Hmph, I was in a good mood before, but now I''ve lost all interest." Yun Hongling pouted, still somewhat angry. "It''s alright, Hongling, they''re all dead, you don''t need to be angry anymore." Li Wushuang comforted Yun Hongling softly. "How was your shopping? Do you want to go back now?" Li Lin asked the two women gently. "I wanted to browse more, but now I''m not in the mood." Yun Hongling replied softly, "Let''s go back. The day after tomorrow is the Three Sects and Four Gates conference, we should prepare well. This time, our Yunyang Sect must break into the top three." "Let''s go." Li Lin said lightly, having browsed enough, the trio then turned to head back. "Eh..." A moment later, as they passed through a street, the bustling crowd seemed to be gathered around something. "Little thief, let''s go have a look, there might be something exciting to see." Yun Hongling, who was just a bit downhearted, suddenly perked up again. "Be careful." Li Lin hadn''t finished speaking when the wilful girl had already bounced ahead. Li Lin, with no choice, exchanged glances with Li Wushuang, and followed. "Junior sister, take a look at this, it''s millennium crystal jade. If it''s made into a piece of jewelry, it would be very beautiful." Inside a shop selling weapons, pills, and herbs, there was a crowd gathered because there was a woman inside that could make any normal man bleed from the nose at a glance. This woman was dressed too provocatively, and any normal man couldn''t help but take a few more looks. At this moment, the provocative woman was selecting something inside the shop, even the shop assistants were struggling to keep their nosebleeds in check. A young man in white luxurious clothes was following the woman, holding a piece of expensive transparent crystal jade, eagerly trying to please her, his eyes also occasionally sweeping over the woman''s provocative figure. "Senior brother, I don''t really like this millennium crystal jade, let''s go." The provocative woman paid no attention to the gazes around her and slowly walked out. "Wow, I thought there was something exciting to see, but it turns out to be just looking at a woman." Yun Hongling squeezed into the crowd, and upon seeing that the people were only watching a provocatively dressed woman inside a shop, she was greatly disappointed. However, her gaze also swept over the woman a few times, finding the woman''s dress too provocative, making even women want to take a few more looks. "Hongling, be careful. Let''s go back," said Li Wushuang and Li Lin, who also arrived beside Yun Hongling. Li Lin''s gaze also landed on the provocatively dressed woman being watched by everyone. Seeing that enchanting and provocative figure, Li Lin''s expression changed, murmuring, "It''s her, Lan Ling..." Chapter 383: Two Women Compete One could see that this woman was wearing a set of peculiar tight-fitting clothes. The upper part tightly wrapped around her, covering just her chest and the upper half of her stomach, making her bosom stand out more prominently while also revealing her wheat-colored slender waist. Her waist was extremely soft and delicate, as if it would break with just a twist, and her walking was entirely like a graceful snake moving, revealing charming curves. For her lower body, she wore tight-fitting long pants, enveloping her slender legs. Her buttocks were round and perky, making her overall appearance irresistibly seductive. At her waist, she had a pouch with a dagger inserted in it. This addition gave the woman a rebellious aura, like a she-wolf in the forest. Seeing this provocative woman, Li Lin quickly recognized her as Lan Ling, whom he had met before in the Misty Mountain Range. At this moment, Lan Ling''s beautiful eyes lifted and also gazed at Li Lin, looking at the young man in a green robe with a determined face and a hint of a lazy smile at the corners of his mouth. Lan Ling''s expression suddenly changed greatly. Their eyes locked suddenly, as if time had stopped, both intently staring at each other. At this moment, Li Lin remembered how this woman nearly tricked him in the Misty Mountain Range, and he couldn''t help but feel a surge of anger. Li Wushuang and Yun Hongling were originally planning to leave, but when they saw Li Lin''s gaze intertwined with that of the provocative woman, Yun Hongling immediately pouted. "It''s been a long time since we''ve seen each other. I didn''t expect to meet you today." At this moment, Lan Ling''s expression changed slightly, and she had already slowly walked to Li Lin''s side. However, her gaze involuntarily rested on Li Wushuang and Yun Hongling beside him, with a flash of surprise in her eyes at the sight of the two stunning women. "It has been a long time indeed. I have you to thank for that," Li Lin said lightly. He was not the type to show his anger on his face, so there was not much change in his expression, especially since the other party had greeted him first, and it would not be polite to ignore her. He still had that much dignity. "It''s good that you''re okay. However, I didn''t expect you to switch from the dragon to the phoenix, making me busy for nothing," Lan Ling''s gaze swept from Li Wushuang and Yun Hongling back to Li Lin. "This must be the retribution that comes from the dark," Li Lin said lightly, knowing only he understood what Lan Ling was talking about. As the distance closed, a faint fragrance wafted to him. Looking at Lan Ling, her face was still quite delicate, and her skin was wheat-colored, exuding a wild and unruly charm. But he knew well that this woman was a viperous beauty, definitely not someone to provoke lightly. "Lin''er, who is this? You haven''t introduced me," a tender voice came from Yun Hongling''s mouth, soft and charming, like the song of a lark. Yun Hongling had already affectionately taken Li Lin''s arm, her gaze lightly resting on Lan Ling. To those with discernment, this glance was not simple. Li Lin was startled by Yun Hongling''s voice, wondering when this wilful woman had become so tender and affectionate. He then looked at Yun Hongling''s gaze, only able to bitterly smile in his heart, realizing that she must be jealous. At this moment, the surroundings became even livelier, with three stunning women standing together, naturally attracting more attention. "She is" Li Lin frowned slightly, unsure how to introduce Lan Ling to Yun Hongling. At this moment, Lan Ling''s face showed a hint of a smile, and her gaze also had something special, lightly laughing: "I am Lan Ling, a direct disciple of the Beast Sect, a friend of Lin''er. I wonder, miss, who you might be to Lin''er?" "So, you are a direct disciple of the Beast Sect." Yun Hongling smiled lightly, not taking it too seriously. As the young lady of the Cloud Yang Sect, her status was naturally much higher than that of a direct disciple of the Beast Sect. Her lips curled into a slight smile: "I and Wushuang sister are Lin''er''s fiances. When our wedding comes, as Lin''er''s friend, you must remember to attend." At these words, Li Wushuang was taken aback, then smiled lightly, always standing by Li Lin''s side without speaking. Li Lin looked helplessly at Yun Hongling, wondering when he had become her fianc. Although the relationship between the three was clear in their hearts, it had not been officially confirmed yet. It seemed that when this woman became jealous, she was completely transformed. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Lin''er, congratulations, to have two fiances!" Lan Ling smiled lightly, looking at Li Lin, her eyes flashing with a special light, then said: "I''ll be leaving first. I will always remember the days we depended on each other for survival." As Lan Ling spoke, a cunning smile flashed in her eyes, and her slender waist twisted as she began to slowly leave. "Hmph, kid, what is your relationship with my junior sister?" At this moment, a young man in white clothing and elegant attire, who had been looking at Li Lin with displeasure, stepped forward, his gaze also sweeping over Yun Hongling and Li Wushuang before reluctantly moving away. This young man had been displeased since he saw Lan Ling and Li Lin talking softly. Listening to their conversation, it seemed they had a deep relationship, making him quite unhappy. "Senior brother, my relationship with Lin''er is already in the past. Let''s go," Lan Ling turned back and said lightly, her beautiful eyes intentionally filled with deep affection as she looked at Li Lin. "Junior sister, did this kid bully you before? If he bullied you, I will teach him a lesson for you," the man in white said eagerly, glaring fiercely at Li Lin. Li Lin''s expression darkened slightly. Lan Ling was using this tactic again. Back in the Misty Mountain Range, she had deliberately made a young man from the Beast Sect jealous, then used Li Lin to attack him. Now, this young man in white was doing the same, intentionally provoking Li Lin to act. Li Lin restrained his expression and did not respond, preferring to ignore the situation. However, Yun Hongling did not think the same way. Seeing someone speak rudely, she immediately retorted, "Do you think you can take action just because you want to, hmph!" "What do you mean? Do you want to start a fight?" The young man in white''s expression suddenly darkened, not wanting to lose face in front of his junior sister, his gaze lightly resting on Yun Hongling. "If you want to fight, then let''s fight. I''m not afraid of you," Yun Hongling said sternly. "Keke, acting arrogantly in front of my Beast Sect, if it wasn''t for the fact that you''re a woman, you''d be dead by now," the young man in white said coldly. "I..." Yun Hongling was about to speak when Li Lin pulled her back and stepped forward, saying, "I originally didn''t want to bother with you, but my woman is not someone you can insult. It''s not too late to apologize now, otherwise..." Li Lin''s eyes flashed with a cold light. He had not intended to deal with this person, but now that his woman had been insulted, it was a different matter. "Otherwise what, kid? Dare to say that again," the young man in white''s expression darkened, unwilling to fight with a woman, feeling that winning would bring no honor. But seeing the young man in green he had been displeased with step forward, his attitude changed. "Apologize now, and I''ll spare you, otherwise, you will regret it," Li Lin said calmly. "Haha, who do you think you are, daring to speak so boldly," the young man in white coldly shouted, his gaze filled with coldness now focused on Li Lin, his expression suddenly turning ugly. As the argument escalated, more and more people gathered around, many eyes falling on Li Lin and the others. Seeing the situation, everyone could immediately tell that this was likely a dispute caused by jealousy, seemingly about to escalate into physical conflict. "Hmph," a cold snort sounded just as the young man in white finished speaking. At the same time, vital energy surged out, his hand trembling with energy, his fingers bent, a claw mark twisting space as it flashed towards Li Lin like lightning, a young man of considerable stature, a direct disciple of the Beast Sect, naturally not to be underestimated. Li Lin''s expression turned cold, already aware of the young man''s strength, a second-level martial general, definitely not ordinary, showing that the disciples of the Beast Sect were not to be trifled with. Facing the attack of the young man in white, Li Lin''s expression remained calm. A second-level martial general, he did not need to take seriously. His hand sign suddenly changed, his fingers flicking, a fiery shadow finger tearing through space, bringing a fierce wind, lightning-fast towards the young man in white''s claw mark. At this moment, Li Wushuang and Yun Hongling quickly retreated. Li Lin taking action, they were not worried, even Li Wushuang, her expression not showing concern. She knew well that the current Li Lin was no longer the one from the Li family who could be bullied by anyone. "Sss!" Under the claw mark, the young man in white''s vital energy shook, directly catching Li Lin''s finger mark within the claw mark, but his expression suddenly changed. An extremely terrifying temperature suddenly spread from within his hand, white smoke rising from the claw mark in an instant, a sharp pain transmitted, and the young man in white''s face completely darkened. "Hmph!" With a cold snort, the young man in white had not expected the young man before him to be so strong, being caught off guard with one move. However, fortunately, he was not an ordinary person, biting his teeth and enduring the pain. But how could he let it go after suffering a loss? His face darkened with coldness, almost at the same time, a palm print pushed out, a fierce palm wind fiercely slapping towards Li Lin. Chapter 384: A Single Move to Defeat The strength of a second-level martial general was certainly not weak. The attack at this moment was vastly different from the previous claw mark, with a surge of ferocious power bursting forth, causing many of the onlookers to change their faces in panic and retreat hastily. "Hmph!" A definitive coldness crossed Li Lin''s face. With a flash of vital energy beneath his feet, he moved like a fleeting shadow, his figure instantly disappearing from the spot. At this moment, his palm stretched out from his sleeve, forming a hand sign, and a flash of yellow light passed through his hand, bringing a vast amount of earth elemental energy that surged like a tidal wave, instantly converging within the palm print. The young man in white''s palm print came with a fierce wind, and in an instant, his vision blurred, his face changing drastically. Just then, the young man in white saw another figure appearing before him. As a yellowish afterimage of a palm print soared into the sky, it instantly merged into a palm print and collided with his own with a thunderous impact. "Bang!" Suddenly, a loud noise erupted, and the young man in white felt a terrifying force directly rushing into his body, sending him flying backward, crashing heavily and finally landing against a wall on the street after flying more than ten meters. "Crack crack..." The sturdy stone wall could not withstand this immense force, instantly cracking and caving in where the young man in white had hit. "Pfft!" As the young man in white fell from the wall, a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, his face full of disbelief and shock. He had not expected that this young man before him was so formidable that he, a second-level martial general, could be injured with a single move. At this moment, the distant onlookers were all shocked. The aura and wind brought about by the two''s moves were evident to almost everyone present, who were practitioners themselves, clearly understanding the level of strength both individuals possessed. They were at the martial general level, yet the young man in green robe had the power to send his opponent flying with a single move. "Eh." Lan Ling''s beautiful eyes were also full of surprise. She had intended to test Li Lin''s current strength but had not expected it to be so formidable, greatly exceeding her expectations, immediately bringing a peculiar look to her eyes. Witnessing the gaze of everyone around, the young man in white felt as if he had suffered a great humiliation, especially with his junior sister watching. "Kid, I''ll show you how formidable I am." The young man''s face darkened, his hand signs changing as a strange aura began to emerge, his aura seeming to surge at that moment. "Going all out, huh?" Li Lin frowned slightly, knowing well that the strongest ability of the Beast Sect''s disciples lay in their demonic beasts. Each disciple had at least one demonic beast by their side, perhaps even more than one. Lan Ling, for example, had a fiery hawk. "Stop! Who is causing trouble here? Do you not regard the Heavenly Sword Sect with any respect?" A voice shouted, the commotion and crowd already having alerted the Heavenly Sword Sect''s patrol team. Among the crowd, a team of about twenty Heavenly Sword Sect disciples clad in armor and carrying long swords approached, coincidentally the same team that had interacted with Li Lin and others not long ago. The onlookers had already retreated far to watch, avoiding trouble. The young leader of the Heavenly Sword Sect''s patrol team, upon seeing Li Lin, Li Wushuang, and Yun Hongling again, frowned slightly and approached, saying, "It turns out to be friends from the Cloud Yang Sect. Have you encountered any trouble?" "There''s no trouble, just teaching a lesson to someone who doesn''t know better. I''ll be leaving first." Li Lin spoke lightly. With the Heavenly Sword Sect''s people arriving, they couldn''t start a fight. Acting against them in front of the Heavenly Sword Sect would undoubtedly disrespect them, which could escalate into a significant issue, potentially causing trouble for Sect Master Yun Xiaotian. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "Take care," the Heavenly Sword Sect disciples naturally did not dare to stop Li Lin and the others. "Let''s go," Yun Hongling said softly, affectionately taking Li Lin''s arm and glancing at Lan Ling before pulling Li Lin away. "Kid, so you''re from the Cloud Yang Sect. You better not let me encounter you at the tri-sect quad-gate conference tomorrow," the young man in white retracted his aura and shouted loudly, knowing he couldn''t start a fight at this moment. "Who are you, and do you not know that causing trouble in the city is not allowed?" The young Heavenly Sword Sect disciple frowned, hearing the tone of the young man in white, who seemed to have a significant background, his frown deepening. "Hmph, take a good look. I''m from the Beast Sect. What are you going to do about it?" The young man in white took out a jade token, still furious, immediately venting his anger on the Heavenly Sword Sect disciples. "So, it''s friends from the Beast Sect. There''s no issue; you can continue on your way." The young man''s expression changed, not daring to provoke a direct disciple of the Beast Sect. "Senior brother, let''s go," Lan Ling said, watching Li Lin''s retreating figure before lightly speaking to the young man in white and then turning to leave first, her enticing curves drawing all eyes as she passed. "Ah..." Outside the crowd, after walking down a street, Li Lin suddenly cried out in pain. Yun Hongling had twisted his arm with her thumb and index finger, giving it a hard pinch. "Thief, tell me, who exactly is that witch, and what is your relationship with her?" Yun Hongling glared at Li Lin, her beautiful eyes filled with anger, interrogating him like a criminal. "It''s nothing, really nothing," Li Lin rubbed his arm, rolling up his sleeve to see the skin nearly peeling off. This woman was indeed ruthless. "It''s nothing? Then why would she say such things like ''I will always remember the days we relied on each other for survival''? Out with it!" Yun Hongling said angrily. "Miss, we truly have no relationship. If anything, it''s enmity. That woman is a venomous snake; how could she compare to you? Back in the Misty Mountain Range, she poisoned me, nearly costing me my life. Do you think I would have a relationship with her?" Li Lin hurriedly explained, not wanting to be pinched again. "Really?" Yun Hongling stared with bright eyes, still somewhat doubtful. "It''s okay, Hongling. Lin''er wouldn''t lie," Li Wushuang said softly. "Fine, I''ll believe you this time. But if we see that witch again and you give her even one more look, I won''t be so nice," Yun Hongling huffed, then looking at the mark she made on Li Lin''s arm, suddenly said tenderly, "Does it hurt? Let me rub it for you." "No need, it doesn''t hurt," Li Lin didn''t want to be pinched again, quickly moving behind Li Wushuang. No wonder the ancients said, ''choose a virtuous wife''; it really makes sense. "What are you afraid of? Next time you don''t attract bees and butterflies, I won''t pinch you. Cousin Jingwen told me to keep an eye on you," Yun Hongling smiled slightly, her eyes gleaming with triumph. "Little girl, one day I''ll take care of you first, let you also have a taste of pain," Li Lin thought bitterly, a wicked smile crossing his mind, a mischievous fire igniting within him. After a while, the three returned to the Heavenly Sword Sect''s inner city. By evening, they each rested in their own rooms. Li Lin wanted to visit Li Wushuang''s room, but with Sect Master Yun Xiaotian and the elders nearby, it was inconvenient. Back in his room, Li Lin chatted with Bai Ling and Little dragon for a while before starting their cultivation. The night enveloped the vast Heavenly Sword City. Despite being nighttime, the city was still brightly lit as if it were day, bustling just as much as during the day. Li Lin sat cross-legged in his room, enveloped in a faint yellow light. The tri-sect quad-gate conference was the next day, and Li Lin needed to prepare well. The night passed in the blink of an eye. The next morning, Li Lin stopped his cultivation, his eyes opening with a flash of sharpness. Feeling the abundant vital energy and spiritual power in his body, Li Lin couldn''t help but look forward to his performance at the tri-sect quad-gate conference. After getting ready, servants and maids brought him delicious snacks and toiletries, everything well-arranged by the Heavenly Sword Sect. After spending the morning wandering the courtyard, Li Lin was called to Sect Master Yun Xiaotian''s room at noon. "Greetings, Sect Master," Li Lin bowed. "Sit." Yun Xiaotian looked at Li Lin and said, "How are your preparations?" "Almost ready," Li Lin replied without hesitation, sitting down directly in the room. "I just received news that the other sects and gates have also arrived at the Heavenly Sword Sect. This tri-sect quad-gate conference will have a total of fifty-six participants, including thirty-five from our sects and gates and twenty-one from other forces, including those from ancient domains and Mo Yun City," Yun Xiaotian said. "Fifty-six, all of them must be very strong," Li Lin commented, also somewhat impressed. This was indeed one of the most significant events on the continent. "Of course. The young disciples who can participate in the tri-sect quad-gate conference are the absolute best among the younger generation from all the major forces. So, I want to ask you, how confident are you this time?" Yun Xiaotian asked seriously, looking at Li Lin. Chapter 385: Entering the Tournament "I don''t know either." Li Lin shook his head. Without seeing the strength and cultivation level of all the participants, he couldn''t judge either. Moreover, those who dared to participate in the Three Sects and Four Gates Tournament all had their trump cards. Cultivation level was only one aspect. Just like himself, if he played all his trump cards, his strength would not be as simple as his cultivation level suggested. "That''s true." Yun XiaoTian gave a wry smile and said, "I was too anxious. This time, our YunYang Sect cannot afford not to have disciples entering the top three. Even the several Supreme Elders in our sect are paying great attention to this matter." "I will do my best." Li Lin said softly. He wasn''t too surprised about the Supreme Elders of the YunYang Sect. When the secret ground was opened, the aura of those people had reached an absolutely terrifying level. That was the true strength of the YunYang Sect. "This time, my hopes are on you and HongLing." Yun XiaoTian looked at Li Lin, then showed a slight smile and said, "Lin''er, now I will talk to you about a private matter." "Oh, Sect Master, please speak." Li Lin raised his eyebrows and said. "The matter between you and HongLing, although I did not mention it last time, I have seen it. I have only one daughter, and now I want you to tell me personally, how have you decided about HongLing." Yun XiaoTian looked at Li Lin and asked. Li Lin was startled, not expecting Yun XiaoTian to ask about this. He felt a slight heaviness in his heart. Putting aside Yun XiaoTian''s identity as the Sect Master of the YunYang Sect, he was also his future father-in-law. He had already recognized HongLing as his woman, and it was a matter that he would have to face sooner or later. "I will use my life to ensure that HongLing will not be wronged. As for anything else, I cannot guarantee." Li Lin looked up at Yun XiaoTian, not avoiding his gaze anymore. Looking at Li Lin, Yun XiaoTian didn''t speak, seemingly lost in thought. Then, he said with a deep tone, "It''s not my place to interfere too much in the matters of you young people, but now I still have to tell you, if you let HongLing suffer in the future, I will not let you off. Do you understand?" "Disciple thanks the Sect Master for his consent." Li Lin stood up, then bowed, understanding Yun XiaoTian''s intention. He was somewhat touched, having been worried that Yun XiaoTian would oppose. Now it seemed that Yun XiaoTian was not such a difficult and rigid person. "Don''t be too happy too soon." Yun XiaoTian''s expression became serious, and then a sly smile appeared in his eyes. "I haven''t said anything yet. If you want my approval, you must enter the top three of this Three Sects and Four Gates Tournament, otherwise, forget about it." "What" Li Lin was stunned, not expecting Yun XiaoTian to use this as a threat. "Alright, go and prepare well. The first competition of the Three Sects and Four Gates Tournament is tomorrow. Don''t make any mistakes," Yun XiaoTian said. Leaving Yun XiaoTian''s room, Li Lin showed a bitter smile. It seemed that Sect Master Yun XiaoTian was quite cunning, using both threats and inducements to make him give his best effort. To become the master of a sect was indeed not simple. However, at this moment, Li Lin was already thinking about giving his all to enter the top three so that he could have a chance to obtain the Millennium Red Copper. Returning to his room, Li Lin immediately took out a fourth-grade low-level demon pill and swallowed it. For Li Lin, who was at the level of a martial general, half a day and a night were enough to refine a fourth-grade low-level demon pill. Although refining a fourth-grade low-level pill was like dropping a bucket of water on a cart of hay in terms of breaking through his current strength, it could still enhance his strength somewhat. After setting up the Little Dragon as a guardian, Li Lin entered a state of cultivation and was soon enveloped in a pale yellow halo. As time passed slowly, the people in TianJian City became more numerous as the Three Sects and Four Gates Tournament approached. The normally quiet streets were filled with dense crowds. The next day, in TianJian City, it was the early spring season. When the first ray of sunlight rose from the horizon, the azure sky instantly brightened. In TianJian City, the occasional spring breeze passed through, carrying the bustling noise of the city to the distance. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. This day, from early morning, was even busier than usual because the Three Sects and Four Gates Tournament, held once every fifteen years, was taking place today. The Three Sects and Four Gates Tournament, a major event on the continent held once every fifteen years, attracted many martial artists to the streets early in the morning. Among the crowds, one could see some spirit practitioners mixed in, although they were not in large numbers. All the people were heading towards one place, TianJian City Square, the venue for today''s competition. The huge square had been sealed off by the TianJian Gate half a month ago and was only opened today. Otherwise, people would have gone to secure a good spot days ago. Soon after dawn, the streets became bustling and lively. Many people from the shops on the streets closed their shops and headed straight to the square. However, some shops were exceptionally busy today, especially the betting shops. It was unclear where these shops got the information on all the participating disciples, but with fifty-six people, one could bet on who would make it into the top twenty-eight. One could also predict who would enter the top five, top three, or even become the champion. Of course, the odds for these predictions changed daily. Since all the participants had not yet made their moves, most people were hesitant to bet. These betting shops were numerous, with at least one on every street, and the amount of money involved was enormous. Therefore, to run such a betting shop, one needed the support of the TianJian Gate; otherwise, how could the information on these participants be known so clearly before the Three Sects and Four Gates Tournament even started? After hurriedly placing their bets, many gamblers also continued to head towards the square. Today was the day when the young elites of the continent, and even those nurtured by the Three Sects and Four Gates, would compete, arousing great interest among everyone. Everyone wanted to know the gap between themselves and the disciples nurtured by the Three Sects and Four Gates. The disciples nurtured by the Three Sects and Four Gates were rumored to have astonishing talents and strengths. Normally, it was very difficult for ordinary people to see the direct disciples of the Three Sects and Four Gates, especially the top-tier direct disciples. Everyone knew in their hearts that these direct disciples who were able to participate in the Grand Assembly of the Three Sects and Four Schools would almost certainly have boundless prospects within their respective sects or schools in the future. Their future positions would either be as protectors or elders. The status of the protectors and elders within the Three Sects and Four Schools in the outside world can be imagined. And at the Grand Assembly of the Three Sects and Four Schools, the leaders of the Three Sects and Four Schools would basically all attend, along with the elders from their respective sects or schools. Having the opportunity to see the leaders and heads of the Three Sects and Four Schools at the same time was a grand occasion that only came once every fifteen years. Many people had been looking forward to it for months. It was said that the leaders and heads of the Three Sects and Four Schools were each among the top ten powerhouses, and having the opportunity to see seven of the top ten powerhouses at once was something that everyone looked forward to with anticipation and excitement. "Sigh..." When the first ray of light shone into the room through the window, Li Lin exhaled a breath of turbid air from his dantian qi sea. After half a day and a night of cultivation, he had once again refined an early-stage fourth-order inner core. At this moment, Li Lin felt that his cultivation had reached the middle stage of the first level of martial general. Although there seemed to be no significant progress in terms of levels, Li Lin could feel that his strength had indeed increased. Opening his eyes, a sharp light flashed through them. He stretched lazily, feeling the abundant true qi within his body and the spiritual power in his mind. Li Lin smiled slightly, got out of bed, and at this moment, Bai Ling and Little dragon also stopped their cultivation. "Bai Ling, do you want to go and see the Grand Assembly of the Three Sects and Four Schools?" Li Lin asked Bai Ling softly. "Of course, I want to go and see," Bai Ling replied softly. "Boss, you have to give it your all today," Little dragon said, raising his little head. A moment later, inside the hall, the protectors and elders of the Yunyang Sect had already arrived. When Li Lin arrived at the great hall, Yun Hongling, Han Feng, Zhao Qinghai, and Qu Daojue, among others, had also all arrived inside the great hall. "Lin''er, be careful today. Do not be careless," Yu Yu approached Li Lin as soon as she saw her beloved disciple. "I will be careful," Li Lin nodded and said. "Li Lin, our competition begins today," Qu Daojue said with a slight smile. "Alright, I''m waiting," Li Lin replied lightly. "Are the five participating disciples ready?" Yun Xiao Tian''s voice came from outside the hall, and as his voice fell, his figure had already entered the great hall. "The disciples are ready," the five nodded in response. "Then let''s go, someone has come to pick us up outside," Yun Xiao Tian said lightly. As everyone walked out of the great hall, a huge flying beast appeared in the sky, with a body length of over two hundred meters, resembling an eagle, and its aura had reached the fourth-order level. A grey-robed elder took the lead in descending from the back of the flying beast, landing lightly on the ground without stirring a single hem of his robe. "A martial marshal powerhouse," sensing the person''s aura, Li Lin could tell that this person''s cultivation had reached the level of a martial marshal, and his aura was not inferior to the Xie and Song elders. "Greetings to Sect Master Yun and all the elders," the grey-robed elder bowed in front of Yun Xiao Tian. "Elder Shi, you''re too polite," Yun Xiao Tian returned the greeting with his hands together in a slight bow. "Elder Shi, long time no see. Your cultivation has become even more refined," the Elder with the surname Song said with a slight smile. Chapter 386: The Master of Tianjian Sect "Elder Song must have become even more skilled." The grey-robed elder smiled, then said, "Master Yun, the sect leader is already waiting at the plaza. Please come with me, I''ll lead the way for you all." "Please" Yun XiaoTian said lightly. Elder Shi''s true qi flashed around him, causing only a slight ripple in the space around him, and in an instant, his figure arrived on the back of the massive flying beast. "Let''s go." Yun XiaoTian said lightly, his body made no movement, but the space ripples around him shook instantly, and then he seemingly leapt onto the flying beast out of thin air. "The strength of Sect Master Yun is truly astonishing." Seeing Yun XiaoTian displaying this skill, Elder Shi of the Tianjian Sect showed a hint of surprise on his face, clearly aware of the difficulty. "Elder Shi flatters me." Yun XiaoTian said with a light laugh. "Whoosh whoosh" The members of Yunyang Sect also employed their methods, lightly landing on the flying beast. Inside the Tianjian Sect, it was natural to put on a good show and not lose face for the Yunyang Sect. "Let''s go," Elder Shi said lightly, then commanded the flying beast to move forward. The flying beast took off, not flying too high. After a moment, it crossed a cluster of buildings and reached the outer city. A gust of wind passed, and the dense crowd below watched the people on the back of the flying beast with awe and curiosity. Anyone who could ride a flying beast around Tianjian City was known to have a high status. In Tianjian City, there is a rule that no flying mounts are allowed to fly after entering the city. Watching the gazes of the people below, Li Lin smiled lightly. Standing on top of the pyramid, naturally, there would be people looking up to you. In the future, he would surely be able to do the same. As the flying beast flew low, the bustling sounds from the dense crowd below were clearly audible. At this moment, Li Lin''s heart also suddenly surged with excitement. No matter how strong one''s resolve, this was after all the grand meeting of the three sects and four gates, almost the biggest event in the entire continent. Li Lin was still young, and such a grand event would naturally bring out some exuberance and rebelliousness. In his previous life, he did not have this opportunity, but now, he had the chance to show his exuberance and rebelliousness, and he would strive with all his might. "Gentlemen, this time the grand meeting of the three sects and four gates will be held at the plaza of Tianjian City. This plaza has been expanded by our Tianjian Sect again, just to provide enough space for the grand meeting. The inner plaza is 20,000 meters in size, capable of accommodating sixty martial generals and warriors to compete. Apart from the inner plaza where the competing disciples will compete, we have transformed the outer plaza into an arc shape, which can accommodate one million spectators," Elder Shi said to everyone on the flying beast. "Elder Shi, it seems that your Tianjian Sect has put in a lot of effort this time," Elder Song said. "It is our duty. The grand meeting of the three sects and four gates is a major event for our three sects and four gates," Elder Shi said. "You will also earn a lot," Li Lin thought to himself. Holding the grand meeting of the three sects and four gates in Tianjian City would bring in business opportunities far exceeding the investment, and the contributions brought in would be no small sum. "Look, we have arrived." At that moment, Elder Shi pointed to the space ahead. Everyone looked at each other and could see a huge plaza in the distance amidst the endless buildings. The plaza, which was remarkably eye-catching in the midst of the buildings, was circular in shape and, at a glance, appeared to cover an area of 20,000 meters. At this moment, the surroundings of the plaza were crowded with dense figures, resembling ants, and waves of noise were being carried over by the wind. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Let''s go down. The main entrance is now blocked, so we''ll enter through a back passage," Elder Shi commanded, directing the flying beast to enter through the rear. When the flying beast landed on a large platform in the plaza, there were several other fourth-tier flying beasts standing nearby. As everyone alighted from the flying beast, Li Lin saw many disciples of the Tianjian Sect around, each wearing armor and carrying long swords. Under Elder Shi''s lead, the members of Yunyang Sect entered the plaza through the back door without any hindrance, and when they emerged from the plaza, what they saw completely surprised Li Lin. In Li Lin''s memory, the exit they just came out of was like the plaza where the World Cup night of football was held, with a massive plaza in front that was flat and smooth, outrageously large. The stone slabs on the ground were made of an extremely hard rock, which probably even a martial soul practitioner would find difficult to shatter. At this moment, the surrounding area was already filled with dense figures, making the plaza look like a football stadium, extending from low to high, far into the distance. At this time, Li Lin''s preliminary estimate was that the number of people surrounding the plaza was upwards of a million. Just now, Elder Shi had said that the surrounding area of the plaza could accommodate a million spectators. In the first row, Li Lin saw many chairs, presumably for some special guests and people from various powers. Looking at the plaza, Li Lin surveyed the middle of the plaza, which was divided into twenty-eight squares, marked with numbers from one to twenty-eight, probably specially arranged for the upcoming competitions. Around the plaza, Li Lin saw again teams of Tianjian Sect disciples wearing armor, numbering perhaps two to three thousand, each with a formidable aura, maintaining order within the plaza. With so many people, chaos was inevitable. It was clear that the Tianjian Sect was not taking any chances today. If anything happened during the conference, it would greatly affect the sect''s reputation. "Sect Master Yun, please follow me. The people from the other sects have probably already arrived, and the master of our Tianjian Sect has been waiting for a while," Elder Shi said to Yun XiaoTian. "Okay." Yun XiaoTian responded lightly. Then, under Elder Shi''s lead, everyone walked up a set of stairs at the edge of the passageway. The staircase was not short, with about a hundred steps, twenty to thirty meters high. Then, what appeared in front of everyone was a plaza 300 meters in size, supported below by four huge stone pillars. At this moment, there were already three to four hundred chairs, with two to three hundred people already seated. Seeing everyone come up, all eyes were immediately upon them. "Ha ha, Sect Master Yun''s grand arrival, I''ve been busy to the point of dizziness these past few days and have failed to welcome you from afar. Please don''t take offense," a hearty voice came, and as the words fell, a blue figure had already reached the members of Yunyang Sect. "What a strong aura." Li Lin felt an invisible pressure suddenly appear, which flashed by and then completely converged, as if someone was probing their strength. Looking at the person who came, it was a man with long blue hair tied at the back of his head, high forehead, large eyes, eyebrows like knives, eyes like stars, wearing a blue robe, exuding an extraordinary aura, around forty years old. On his back, there was also a golden broadsword. "Master Gu is too polite. We''ve been busy naturally, but today we have met," Yun XiaoTian said with a slight smile. "Master Gu, Gu Jianfeng." Li Lin immediately guessed the identity of the person. Without surprise, this person should be one of the top ten powerhouses, the master of the Tianjian Sect, Gu Jianfeng. "Sect Master Yun, please. The other sect masters and heads are almost all here," Gu Jianfeng gestured with his hand, and the people in front had already stood up. "Sect Master Yun, you are late," a man in a purple robe stepped forward, scanning the people behind Yun XiaoTian and said. "Sect Master Yun, long time no see. It seems the disciples Yunyang Sect brought this time are not weak." "Elder Yang''s strength has greatly improved, congratulations." "I didn''t expect Elder Yu to come as well, that''s rare." ... A series of courteous greetings came, and the group of elders and Yun XiaoTian were surrounded by many people, exchanging polite greetings as if everyone was already acquainted. Li Lin''s gaze swept over the strong individuals, and from their conversations, it was not difficult for Li Lin to guess their identities. Besides the Tianjian Sect''s master Gu Jianfeng, there was also the master of the Huanhun Sect, Ren Changqing, wearing a purple robe, with black short hair, slim and tall, with deep eyes, and an aura completely retracted, giving off an absolute oppression. The master of the Guiyuan Sect, Wei Bangyan, was also among them, with brown short hair, eyebrows somewhat graying, and a somewhat obese figure. Under a white and green robe, his belly seemed quite bulging, but his aura was not inferior to Yun XiaoTian''s, with a gaze that was intimidating. The master of Xuan Shan Sect, Zhu Hongyuan, wearing a black robe, around forty years old, with a few strands of white hair among his black short hair, slender figure, and a pressing aura. When Li Lin saw the master of the Diling Sect, he was somewhat surprised. The master of the Diling Sect was a beautiful woman looking younger than forty, with curved eyebrows, indeed a very beautiful woman, about thirty-five or thirty-six years old, perhaps well-maintained, not showing her real age. But she looked flirtatious and incomparably gorgeous. Li Lin knew that the master of the Diling Sect was called Ouyang XuanYing, and from her aura, she was not inferior to the other sect masters. Chapter 387: The Master of the Beast Sect Surveying these absolute powerhouses, Li Lin also felt a profound stirring in his heart. Behind the crowd, there were also many elders from various factions, with their auras concealed, but at this moment, in this small space, there were so many strong people, making the entire space feel oppressively tense. "There are quite a few strong ones here, quite a few Martial Kings, and also Spirit King powerhouses," the voice of the Nine-tailed Fox Spirit Bai Ling entered Li Lin''s ears. "Spirit King." Li Lin''s gaze swept over and then settled on an elder-looking man among the Earth Spirit Sect, wearing a hemp robe, without any aura fluctuations around him. However, after watching him for a moment, Li Lin found he could not remember his face, guessing by feeling that this person should be a Spirit King level powerhouse. During the pleasantries among the crowd, Li Lin and others naturally did not have the standing to participate. The ones engaging in pleasantries were all big shots, and these young disciples still had a long way to go. Li Lin''s gaze then fell on several groups of young men and women in front of him, totaling five teams, each composed of six or seven young men and women. The men were handsome and dignified, while the women were pretty with graceful figures, revealing their curves. The cultivation levels of these people were not hidden from Li Lin''s observation; without exception, they were all at the Martial General level, and it seemed that several were at the Spirit General level. "The top disciples among the younger generation of the three sects and four gates," Li Lin thought to himself. There were about thirty people in total, the weakest being at the first level of Martial General and the strongest appearing to be at the fourth level of Martial General, with a few that Li Lin found somewhat inscrutable. "Strong, very strong," Li Lin thought to himself. The elites from the three sects and four gates were not to be underestimated, as could be seen from these young men and women. As Li Lin was observing these young men and women, they were also observing each other, well aware that anyone here could potentially become their opponent. Zhao Qinghai and Zhao Qingtian, who were always arrogant, were not acting so arrogantly now, seemingly aware that there were not a few here whose cultivation and strength were not inferior to theirs. "Haha, you guys came really early." Amidst the pleasantries, another hearty laugh came, and then dozens of figures walked up the stairs. The leader, wearing a yellow-patterned robe, was burly, over two meters tall, with eyes like bronze gongs and black hair, appearing to be in his forties, exuding an imposing aura. Behind him were several elders, also with formidable auras. When Li Lin''s gaze turned their way, he recognized two familiar faces, one being the flamboyantly dressed Lan Ling, and the other, a young man in white he had encountered in the outer city the day before. "Beast Sect." Seeing Lan Ling among them, Li Lin knew without guessing that these were people from the Beast Sect. "Master Yin, you''re late." "Haha, I''m not late, just on time," the burly man laughed, stepping forward. "Beast Sect Master Yin E," Li Lin took another look at the burly man, one of the top ten powerhouses, curious about the extent of his cultivation and strength. With the arrival of the Beast Sect''s Master, there was another round of pleasantries and formalities. At this moment, the gaze of the young man in white from the Beast Sect fell on Li Lin, spotting him immediately, especially since Li Lin was standing between Yun Hongli and Li Wushuang, attracting attention. Looking at Li Lin, the young man in white''s expression turned ugly, a trace of anger directed at Li Lin. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Li Lin turned his head slightly, not taking such a person to heart. Scanning around, he saw Lan Ling''s gaze was fixed on him. "Little thief, stop looking around," Yun Hongli''s voice suddenly reached Li Lin''s ears, her jade hand once again wrapping around his arm. Li Lin was immediately frightened into not turning back, knowing how painful it was when this temperamental woman pinched. "I wasn''t looking," Li Lin whispered back. "Everyone, please take a seat. The tri-sect quad-gate conference is about to begin," the voice of Gu Jianfeng loudly said. "Please, take a seat." The guardians and elders each took their seats, and at the front, there were seven large chairs, now taken by the masters and leaders of the three sects and four gates. The small square seemed to extend out of the square itself, perfectly positioned to overlook the entire square below, ingeniously designed. At this moment, Li Lin and other disciples could only stand behind the group of elders and guardians, with disciples from other sects nearby, now closely observing each other. Among all the disciples, four were particularly eye-catching: Li Wushuang, Yun Hongli, Lan Ling, and a female disciple from the Heavenly Sword Gate, wearing a purple long dress, equally stunning. Though slightly less so compared to Li Wushuang, she was by no means inferior to Lan Ling, her demeanor also exceptionally elegant and noble. "Master Gu, I''ve heard that a tri-elemental warrior has emerged in your Heavenly Sword Gate, with very high talent. I wonder who it might be, could you let me see?" As everyone settled down, the Earth Spirit Sect Master Ouyang Xuan spoke with a voice as clear as a young girl''s. "Haha," Gu Jianfeng smiled lightly and turned back, "Roulan, come and meet the masters and leaders." At that moment, the beautiful woman in the purple dress from the Heavenly Sword Gate stepped forward, bowed slightly to the crowd, and said, "Yuan Roulan greets all the masters, leaders, and elders." "Tri-elemental warrior, not bad. The Heavenly Sword Gate really does bring forth talents," Ouyang Xuan smiled lightly, others showing a hint of envy. Having another tri-elemental warrior in the sect was a big deal, promising a future powerhouse if properly nurtured. "Master Yun, I''ve heard your daughter is also a tri-elemental warrior. I haven''t seen her yet, may I know who she is?" Ouyang Xuan then asked Yun Xiaotian next to her. "Hehe," Yun Xiaotian smiled lightly, "My daughter is indeed a tri-elemental warrior, but now we also have another tri-elemental warrior in our sect." As he spoke, Yun Xiaotian turned to look at Yun Hongli and Li Lin, "Hongli, Li Lin, come and greet all the leaders and masters." Li Lin realized that tri-elemental warriors were used by the sects to compete for prestige. He then signaled to the little dragon and Bai Ling on his shoulder to move to Li Wushuang''s shoulder. "Disciple Li Lin (Yun Hongli), greets all the leaders, masters, and elders," Li Lin and Yun Hongli stepped forward, bowing to the crowd. "When did the Yunyang Sect have two tri-elemental warriors?" Seeing two from the Yunyang Sect, the others were surprised. "They joined our sect a few years ago. I hope everyone will take good care of them in the future," Yun Xiaotian said, pleased with the surprise from the crowd. "Tri-elemental warrior." Li Lin''s gaze then fell on Yuan Roulan of the Heavenly Sword Gate, surprised to find another tri-elemental warrior. The gathering of the three sects and four gates seemed to be a convergence of geniuses. Such rare tri-elemental warriors were also present in the Heavenly Sword Gate. Observing Yuan Roulan, in her purple dress with sleeves tied with silk threads into lotus shapes, adding an ethereal quality to her appearance, tall and with a slightly cold beauty. When Li Lin tried to sense Yuan Roulan''s aura, he frowned slightly, realizing he couldn''t perceive it at all. "Master Yun, it turns out your Yunyang Sect has brought out two tri-elemental warriors this time, congratulations," several leaders immediately said. "It looks like the Yunyang Sect should be able to enter the top three this time," Yin E smiled lightly, "Otherwise, Master Yun, we other sects might not be so courteous." "I remember the Yunyang Sect has missed the top three four times already. If no one enters the top three this time, Master Yun might have to spend quite a bit," Master Ren Changqing of the Illusion Soul Gate smiled lightly. Three sets of high-grade Xuan-level martial arts techniques and seventh-grade medicinal pills were not a small amount, a longstanding rule of the tri-sect quad-gate conference, with everyone quite unembarrassed about it. "Cough..." Yun Xiaotian coughed lightly, "There''s one last chance, probably going to disappoint everyone this time." "Is that so? Then we''ll all be waiting, no need for six days, we''ll know in five," Zhu Hongyuan, the leader of the Xuan Mountain Gate, said with a smile. Li Lin, Yun Hongli, and Yuan Roulan of the Heavenly Sword Gate had already moved back, with many disciples from other sects taking another look at the three tri-elemental warriors. Yuan Roulan''s gaze also fell on Li Lin and Yun Hongli, observing them. Standing in this small square, Li Lin then looked down at the massive square below, increasingly crowded as time passed, forming a sea of people, astonishing Li Lin, who had never seen such a scene in his previous life. "It''s about to start," Li Lin thought, feeling a bit excited. "Lin''er, be careful later, aim for a good result. Third Aunt will be very happy to hear about it," Li Wushuang whispered in Li Lin''s ear. Chapter 388: The Tournament Begins "En." Li Lin nodded lightly. Among the disciples from various sects gathered here, Li Lin did not dare to be careless; these people were all strong contenders among the younger generation. Time passed by, and after a while, the grand tournament of the Three Sects and Four Gates finally began under the watchful eyes of millions. "Buzz..." From somewhere above the square, a huge buzzing sound of a bell came, and the noise around it abruptly stopped, immediately bringing silence. Hearing this bell, Gu Jianfeng from the Heavenly Sword Gate slowly stood up, his eyes sharp as he looked around the square. At this moment, all eyes, whether near or far, were fixed on the small platform extending into the square. The gaze fixed on the people on this platform was filled with fervor and awe. Those on it were giants in their own right, the targets everyone aspired to pursue. "Ladies and gentlemen..." Gu Jianfeng looked around the lower space and spoke softly. His voice was not loud, but it echoed in the space as sound waves: "The triennial meeting of the Three Sects and Four Gates has begun once again, this time in our Heavenly Sword City. Now, I declare the Three Sects and Four Gates tournament officially open." "Boom..." The entire space burst into enthusiastic cheers, waves of sound rolling in. Watching the cheering crowd, Gu Jianfeng smiled slightly. After a moment, he said, "The disciples prepared for the first match, please come down. Someone will arrange for you to find your opponents. Everyone, give your best effort. Let me see how high the strength of our younger generation can reach." "Whoosh whoosh..." As Gu Jianfeng''s voice fell, among the seven young men and women from the Heavenly Sword Gate, Yuan Ruolan and four men were the first to leap down, their Qi bursting out from beneath their feet, touching the ground lightly, their bodies gracefully falling from the sky like leaves in the wind. This height was more than thirty meters off the ground, but these five people landed in the center of the square with incredible lightness and beauty, undoubtedly showcasing their extraordinary strength and immediately winning enthusiastic applause from all around. "Whoosh whoosh..." Following that, disciples from other sects, under the guidance of their elders, also lightly touched the ground with their Qi and leaped down, each with their own graceful and light movements, landing inside. Among them, Li Lin caught a glimpse of Lan Ling from the Myriad Beasts Sect and the young man in white, also among them. "Li Lin, you, Hong Ling, and Han Feng have all practiced the Floating Light and Glimpsing Shadow technique. Perform well and don''t tarnish the name of our Yunyang Sect." At this moment, Li Lin heard Yun Xiao Tian''s voice transmission. "Little thief, let''s go down." After Yun Hong Ling spoke, Zhao Qinghai, Qu Daojue, Han Feng, and others were also ready. Five figures, under the watchful eyes of millions, leaped down. In mid-air, as Qu Daojue and Zhao Qinghai were descending, Li Lin, Yun Hong Ling, and Han Feng suddenly erupted two visible streams of Qi from their feet, creating vortexes. With the power of these vortexes, their bodies momentarily did not fall but moved forward parallel to the ground, as if performing a feat only possible for martial generals, standing in the air. Then, the three of them leaped forward, with Yun Hong Ling taking the lead. Her body, like a leaf in the wind, elegantly and lightly drifted down. Her tight-fitting clothes outlined her enticing curves, her beautiful posture like that of a fairy. At the same time, Li Lin and Han Feng turned in mid-air, each performing a 720-degree spin down, bringing a whirl of air with them, their robes fluttering elegantly, and then landing one on each side of Yun Hong Ling. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. "Good..." This entrance by the three immediately won extremely enthusiastic cheers. Among the spectators, there were indeed some who knew the goods. "Master Yun, your Yunyang Sect''s Floating Light and Glimpsing Shadow technique is really not simple, very exquisite. If your Yunyang Sect doesn''t make it into the top three this time, you can compensate one of the three sets of high-grade Xuan-level martial arts you lose with the Floating Light and Glimpsing Shadow technique, how about that?" Myriad Beasts Sect''s Sect Master Yin E said with a light smile. "Ha ha, we''ll know the result in five days. Sect Master Yin, don''t be too hasty." Yun Xiao Tian replied with a light smile, very satisfied with the performance of the three, managing to practice the Floating Light and Glimpsing Shadow technique to such a level was indeed not easy. "Speaking of which, the Yunyang Sect''s Floating Light and Glimpsing Shadow technique is really good. These three disciples have also reached a certain level of mastery, exquisite control of Qi and space. The Yunyang Sect''s disciples this year are indeed very talented." Di Ling Sect''s Sect Master Ou Yang Xuan Ying said. Behind a group of elders and protectors, Li Wushuang looked at the just-performed young man in green robes below, a beautiful smile appearing on her gorgeous face. This young man was no longer the weak boy from the Li family who needed her protection. Now, he has become her haven. On the square, from a passage, twenty-one figures leaped up again, their strong Qi shaking the space as they descended. All twenty-one of them were disciples at the level of martial generals. Li Lin glanced over these twenty-one people, according to what he knew, they were all outstanding young talents from other forces. The rules of the Three Sects and Four Gates tournament allowed those who submitted a scroll of Xuan-level martial arts to participate. These twenty-one people also included several women in tight-fitting clothes, with quite hot figures, all around twenty-four or twenty-five, twenty-two or twenty-three years old. Li Lin glanced over them and did not recognize anyone, so he did not pay further attention. "Whoosh..." Three figures landed beside the now fifty-six participants, all from the Heavenly Sword Gate, including an elder with the cultivation of a martial general, short black hair, and a red robe. Two were dressed as protectors, their cultivation seemingly having broken through to the martial general level, probably at the first or second level. Among the three, the Heavenly Sword Gate protector on the left was holding a half-meter-sized jade box with a fist-sized hole on it. "All participants, listen carefully. During the competition, you can use full strength but must not deliberately kill. Those who deliberately kill will be executed by the tournament. The standard for judgment will be made by me and all the strong from the Three Sects and Four Gates. If the opponent admits defeat, you must not continue to attack. The match is won if the opponent is unable to fight back or verbally admits defeat. During the match, you cannot let protective beasts or beast mounts help. Myriad Beasts Sect disciples can only use their life-linked beasts, and other beasts cannot be summoned. Is that clear?" The red-robed elder from the Heavenly Sword Gate said. "Clear." The fifty-six participants responded in unison. They had already learned these rules from their sect elders. Since it was a draw, it was possible to face a fellow sect member, and they could switch places with the next number if needed until everyone was properly matched. "Then come forward for the draw." After the red-robed elder spoke, the Heavenly Sword Gate protector holding the jade box moved in front of everyone. Participants one by one reached into the jade box and pulled out a jade token. When Li Lin looked at the token he drew, it was number eight. He glanced at Yun Hong Ling''s token, which showed number sixteen. "Find your designated area according to the number." After everyone had drawn a token, the red-robed elder spoke again. "Whoosh..." A flurry of figures, with Qi flashing beneath their feet, began searching for their designated areas. The vast square had already been marked by the disciples of the Heavenly Sword Gate with twenty-eight areas. Those who had drawn tokens only needed to find their numbered area to meet their opponent. "Li Lin, I''m going first." Qu Daojue said to Li Lin and then leaped away. "Little thief, be careful." Yun Hong Ling said softly, her Qi flashing beneath her feet as she searched for her area. Watching the surroundings, Li Lin''s Qi flashed under his feet, and he soon found his designated spot, a wide area marked with the number eight. "Whoosh..." As Li Lin''s figure just landed, a figure glided down, holding a token in hand, which was also number eight. "Yuan Ruolan, a tri-element martial artist." When Li Lin''s gaze fell on the figure that had arrived, he frowned slightly. He had not expected his first opponent to be the Heavenly Sword Gate''s tri-element martial artist, the inscrutable Yuan Ruolan. At this moment, Yuan Ruolan also seemed not to have expected her first match to be against another tri-element martial artist, and her beautiful eyes slightly furrowed. Chapter 389: Lifelong Beast "Elder, we need to switch people." At this moment, hundreds of meters away, a shout was heard. Area 7 was right next to Area 8, and since Area 7 encountered two fellow sect disciples, they had to switch with someone from Area 8. A protector from the Sky Sword Sect had already rushed over instantly. After looking at the jade slips of the two, he then said to one of the youths, "Go to Area 8 to switch opponents." A figure immediately moved to Area 8, and when this figure appeared in Li Lin''s view in Area 8, Li Lin couldn''t help but frown. This person was none other than the white-robed youth from the Myriad Beasts Sect. This was indeed a case of enemies on a narrow road. The white-robed youth from the Myriad Beasts Sect also naturally noticed Li Lin, his gaze turning slightly cold, and without hesitation, he walked up to Yuan Ruolan and replaced her. Yuan Ruolan relaxed her eyebrows, glanced at Li Lin, and then left Area 8. "Buzz..." Once again, a huge and melodious bell sound came, and for a moment, the entire plaza fell silent. "All disciples participating in the tri-sect and quad-gate conference, the first round of competition begins now." Following the words of the red-robed elder from the Sky Sword Sect, a stream of light shot up into the sky, and then exploded in the air, making a huge sonic boom. At this moment, on the huge plaza, dozens of figures had already started fighting without any courtesy. True Qi burst forth suddenly, causing sonic booms to break through the air, and the scene instantly became spectacular, stirring up excitement. As soon as they started fighting, there was no holding back. Although it was not a fight to the death, the outcome was related to a set of Xuan-level beginner martial techniques, which was absolutely tempting. And it was not just for the martial techniques, but also for the fame. No one wanted to lose in the first round in such a disappointing way. Li Lin, however, did not move but just lightly looked at the white-robed youth in front of him. "Kid, I told you not to encounter me in the conference, but it seems even the heavens are not on your side. Today, I will let you know my strength," the white-robed youth said with a cold smile, staring at Li Lin. "Perhaps, it is the heavens that are not on your side," Li Lin said with a light smile, his gaze falling on a space bag-like pouch at the waist of the white-robed youth, raising his eyebrows. Li Lin knew that was the Wan Beast Bag of the Myriad Beasts Sect, and every direct disciple of the Myriad Beasts Sect had a lifelong beast. The strongest strength of this white-robed youth should be to summon his lifelong beast. "Hmph, you took advantage of me last time, do you think your strength can defeat me?" As the white-robed youth''s words fell, True Qi vibrated, and a strong aura burst out from his body, immediately enveloping him in a scorching aura, which seemed to be mixed with flames. In the heart of the white-robed youth, being defeated in one move the day before yesterday, he always believed it was because he was careless and gave the opponent an opportunity. "Fire attribute." Li Lin knew from their encounter the day before yesterday that this youth was a fire attribute martial artist. Li Lin did not speak, his True Qi also vibrated and burst out, a strong aura almost equal to his opponent''s also burst from his body, eventually forming a light yellow halo that enveloped him. At this moment, the two had completely isolated the surrounding noise, focusing intently and staring at each other, their enveloping True Qi breathing in and out, appearing mysterious. At this moment, in Li Lin''s heart, this was his first match in the tri-sect and quad-gate conference, related to a set of Xuan-level beginner martial techniques. He couldn''t be careless; if he capsized in the gutter, it would be too late to cry. The two stared at each other, creating a tense atmosphere. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Wushuang sister, do you think the boss will win?" Little dragon asked with his little head raised on Li Wushuang''s shoulder, his little eyes constantly watching below. "What do you think?" Li Wushuang smiled lightly, turning her beautiful eyes to Little dragon. "The boss will definitely have no problem, it''s just a matter of how many moves it will take to win." Little dragon confidently said, having absolute faith in their boss. "Kid, this time, I''ll let you know my strength." In this tense atmosphere, the white-robed youth''s figure flashed like lightning, carrying a strong claw mark that seemed to tear through the air. Li Lin''s footwork flashed, moving like a shadow. In terms of speed and movement, he had to take advantage. True Qi vibrated, and his figure became blurred. "Shoo..." With lightning speed, the white-robed youth sneered, his body rushing forward, a claw mark aiming directly at Li Lin''s chest. A sound was made, and the claw mark passed directly through Li Lin''s chest without any blood spilling. Instead, Li Lin''s figure was completely dispersed by this claw mark. "Afterimage." The white-robed youth''s face changed dramatically, not expecting his opponent''s speed to reach the point of leaving afterimages. At the same time, his face paled, and his body suddenly retreated. "Wind sweeps the remnants." A light shout came from behind the white-robed youth, and as Li Lin''s figure appeared, a stream of air violently spun up, sweeping towards the white-robed youth. This violent stream of air, like a tornado, howled and churned, starting from the smooth ground, a vortex of air swept up high, overwhelming the white-robed youth. "Void Fire Palm." The white-robed youth, surprised, seemed to be prepared, his hands slightly frantic, pushing out a flame palm print, a violent and scorching aura bursting and spreading, showing it was definitely a high-level Yellow-grade martial technique. The two forces collided, numerous lights scattering, the wind enveloping the flames, and the flames entwining in the storm. Space exploded continuously, followed by a loud explosion in the air. "Boom..." The force spread, a terrifying and violent aura rose to the sky, a storm and flames spreading to a certain space before being extinguished. "Thump thump...!" The force had not completely disappeared, but the white-robed youth''s body staggered back dozens of steps, blood churning wildly inside, a trace of blood leaking from his mouth, his face pale. "Thump!" Li Lin, however, also took two steps back, shook his hands, and then stood with his hands behind his back. Without deploying the Qing Ling Armor, Li Lin had directly repelled and suppressed the white-robed youth with one move. This was not surprising to Li Lin. The white-robed youth was a second-level Martial General, and Li Lin was now a mid-stage first-level Martial General. Although the opponent was a bit stronger in cultivation, Li Lin''s dantian Qi sea was much larger than that of his peers, his meridians were much wider, and his attack power was much greater. Even relying on his body''s defense without deploying the Qing Ling Armor, he was much stronger than his peers. All these factors combined, Li Lin judged that his normal strength was enough to deal with a third-level Martial General, and there was no need to deploy the Qing Ling Armor or other strengths against this second-level Martial General. The journey of the tri-sect and quad-gate conference was still long, and it was not quite appropriate to reveal all his strength now, which could be somewhat disadvantageous to him. "Yun Sect Leader, your Yunyang Sect''s triple-attribute warrior named Li Lin, turns out to be only a first-level Martial General, but his strength seems not weak," said Wei Bangyan, the sect master of Guiyuan Gate, with a slight surprise in his gaze, raising his slightly white eyebrows. At this time, the seniors were all carefully watching the strength of each sect''s disciples, comparing them with their own sect''s disciples. "Wei Sect Master, your sect''s dual-attribute warrior is already a third-level Martial General, and his strength is also not weak," Yun Xiaotian said with a light smile, his gaze also far away on Li Lin outside Area 8, secretly laughing, as he is now the trump card hope of Yunyang Sect, naturally his strength will not be weak. Wiping the bloodstain from the corner of his mouth, the white-robed youth from Myriad Beasts Sect in Area 8 stared at Li Lin, his expression becoming increasingly cold, being suppressed with one move again, which was somewhat unbearable for him. "Kid, your strength is good, but I am from the Myriad Beasts Sect." The white-robed youth snorted coldly, forming a strange hand seal, and then slapped the space bag-like pouch at his waist, immediately a stream of light shot up into the sky. "Roar..." The stream of light rose into the sky, carrying a scorching aura, and then transformed into a huge, tens of meters tall, red giant wolf, a strong aura spreading out. This red giant wolf had hook-like claws, sharp fangs, and its entire body was red, with strands of flame-like aura emanating from its fur. "Fire attribute beast, Flame Wolf, at the early stage of the fifth rank, right?" Watching the suddenly appearing tens of meters tall beast in front of him, Li Lin recognized it as a Flame Wolf, and from its aura, it was already at the early stage of the fifth rank. "Going all out, huh." Li Lin smiled lightly, a fifth-rank early stage beast, it seems, couldn''t trouble him. In the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm, he had encountered many fifth-rank early stage beasts. At this moment, the white-robed youth''s strange hand seal changed rapidly, and suddenly a stream of essence blood spurted out of his mouth, his face turning pale instantly. Unknowingly, a pill also appeared in his hand, the essence blood and pill mixed together, the hand seal changed, and the pill was thrown towards the Flame Wolf. Chapter 390: Playing with Demonic Beasts? "Ow..." The Flame Wolf howled loudly, its voice piercing through space. Opening its gaping maw, it swallowed a Dan pill. Suddenly, as if pulled by some force, its massive body, dozens of meters long, instantly swelled again, transforming into a colossal size of four hundred meters and stood in front of Li Lin, making Li Lin appear as an ant in front of an elephant. "Lin''er, be careful." On the stands, Yu Yu had been focusing his gaze on his precious disciple, uninterested in the other matches. Now, seeing the disciple of the Myriad Beasts Sect summoning his life-bound demonic beast, he began to worry for Li Lin, feeling somewhat uneasy. "Flame Wolf, go." At this moment, after a young man in white lightly shouted, the massive Flame Wolf''s aura surged once again, and its huge body pounced towards Li Lin. This massive Flame Wolf charged forward, its proximity and fierce momentum piercing through space. Its body generated a whistling sound of breaking wind as it moved, carrying a violent force. "Playing with demonic beasts, then? I''ll play along." At this electrifying moment, Li Lin was not the slightest bit nervous; instead, he revealed a slightly sinister and mocking smile. "Ow..." As the Flame Wolf''s hot breath trembled, its massive body shook the space around it, and a fierce aura swept out. As it lunged at Li Lin, its front paw, carrying strands of scorching flames, tore through the spatial ripples and enveloped Li Lin. "Shhh..." With a flash of a whirlwind under his feet and a tap on the ground with one foot, a whirlwind passed over the ground. In an instant, Li Lin leaped backward, his body propelled up, and wings of wind extended from his back, bringing him into mid-air. "Bang!" A loud explosive sound echoed as the Flame Wolf left a claw mark tens of meters in size on the ground where Li Lin had been, instantly creating several cracks in the hard rocky ground and scattering debris, scraping five long cracks on the surface. "Blood Soul Mark." In that lightning-fast moment, Li Lin activated the Blood Soul Mark in his mind. Inside his mind, the Blood Soul Mark, upon activation, produced an energy phantom that quickly transformed into a surge of energy entering his meridians, bursting out from all over his body, and finally condensing on the palm print on Li Lin''s right hand. With the Wings of Wind combined with the technique of fleeting shadows, Li Lin''s speed reached an absolutely terrifying level. As the Flame Wolf''s claw cleaved through the air and it looked up angrily at Li Lin, Li Lin''s figure had already appeared above its huge head. "Ow..." A sound resembling a mix of dragon, phoenix, lion, and tiger roars faintly transmitted from the palm of Li Lin''s hand, where a mysterious seal appeared, resembling but not quite a dragon or a tiger, entirely blood-red, with a towering oppressive force spreading from it. Feeling this immense pressure, the Flame Wolf immediately showed a horrified expression, and its massive body trembled, being suppressed involuntarily. "What martial technique is this? It seems extraordinary." At this moment, sensing the aura of the Blood Soul Mark Li Lin used, many strong individuals in the stands, including Yun XiaoTian, showed puzzled expressions. Even a Spirit King powerhouse from the Earth Spirit Gate fixed his gaze on Li Lin, noticing any slight fluctuation of spirit energy, but at this moment, even the Spirit King could not discern the origin of the palm seal, only vaguely feeling the fluctuation of spirit energy without being able to ascertain it. On Li Wushuang''s shoulder, the Nine-Tailed Fox, Bai Ling, also raised her head, looking at the palm seal Li Lin used, feeling a vague suppression against her. "This kid, really has hidden a lot." Yun XiaoTian raised his eyebrows, then revealed a slight smile. All these episodes happened simultaneously. "Go!" Li Lin softly shouted, flinging the Blood Soul Mark in his hand. The seal, like a tiger hunting, roared with the sound of dragon, phoenix, lion, and tiger roars, fiercely smashing into the Flame Wolf''s forehead, transforming into a burst of blood-colored light and disappearing. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Using the Blood Soul Mark, originally meant to control demonic beasts, also absolutely had the effect of killing and suppressing them, especially when dealing with demonic beasts, it had an absolute suppressive effect, attacking the soul of the demonic beast. Using the Blood Soul Mark to control demonic beasts, Li Lin had to be careful not to damage the beast''s soul, as controlling it afterward wouldn''t be very useful. However, using the Blood Soul Mark against demonic beasts, he had no such concerns and could exert full power. In the blink of an eye, everything happened very quickly. When the Blood Soul Mark smashed into the Flame Wolf''s forehead, it was an absolute soul attack. The massive Flame Wolf instantly became stupefied, then its huge body weakly fell to the ground. "Ptui..." The young man in white suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood at this moment, his face deathly pale. His life-bound demonic beast was severely injured, and he was affected as well. Life-bound demonic beasts and their owners are almost connected, which is why the tournament allowed the disciples of the Myriad Beasts Sect to bring their life-bound demonic beasts to participate. "Thud thud..." The young man in white staggered backward, then collapsed on the ground, vomiting blood again, his eyes dull and head dizzy. He didn''t know the state of the Flame Wolf lying on the ground, which twitched a couple of times before it stopped moving. "Still want to fight?" Li Lin landed, looking at the young man in white and asked, a faint smile hanging on his lips. Although Li Lin didn''t mind making him suffer more, the Myriad Beasts Sect''s master was present at the scene, and Li Lin didn''t want to offend the Myriad Beasts Sect for no reason. "You won." The young man in white said weakly, looking at Li Lin. Only then did he realize the difference between them. "Boss won, it seems like it only took two moves." Little dragon proudly raised his little head, his little eyes blinking excitedly. Above in the stands, Yun XiaoTian and Yu Yu both revealed smiles. "Boom boom boom!" The arena was still filled with explosive sounds, but there were significantly fewer than before. As Li Lin looked around, many had already defeated their opponents. "HongLing." Li Lin''s gaze swept through several areas before finally finding Yun HongLing''s figure, who was currently fighting a robust young man. This young man was at the level of a first-rank Martial General and not a disciple of the three sects and four schools. Under the attack of Yun HongLing''s long whip, he was already in a sorry state, retreating after being hit and stumbling backward. Li Lin smiled slightly, knowing Yun HongLing''s strength. The long whip in her hand was mysterious and unfathomable. As the young man retreated, Yun HongLing pressed her advantage, her long whip creating dozens of whip shadows that cut through the void, whistling continuously. The young man wielded a large saber, using it to block in front of him. However, Yun HongLing''s whip was too peculiar. Among the shadows of the whip, one suddenly burst forth, piercing directly towards the young man''s left shoulder. "Clang!" In a panic, the young man blocked with his saber, not expecting a massive burst of dark energy from the whip shadow. Under the immense force, his body was instantly pushed back, and the saber pierced into the ground, actually tearing a deep crack in the hard rocky surface. "You lost." At that instant, Yun HongLing, with a flash of whirlwind at her feet and employing the technique of fleeting shadows, appeared in front of the young man like a ghost. Her palm, glowing blue, struck out with a ferocious aura, sweeping across the void and crushing down on the young man. "Bang!" The young man had no strength to resist and was directly knocked away, spitting out a trail of blood. With Yun HongLing''s victory, her beautiful eyes also searched through the crowd and soon found Li Lin''s location. Her eyes slightly smiled, her lips pouting. On this grand square, she appeared particularly cute and charming. "Bang!" Explosive sounds continued to erupt, the ferocious noise already drowning out the noise of the crowd. As soon as the participants took the stage, they generally used their full strength in attacks, not opting for a slow drain, because the victor would have another match tomorrow. Spending too much energy today would be extremely disadvantageous for tomorrow, or even the day after. Just moments later, when the last sound wave fell, there was no one left fighting in the arena. "Hum..." The sound of the ancient bell echoed again, followed by the voice of the Elder in Red from the Heavenly Sword Gate: "The first round of the competition is over. All defeated disciples leave the stage. The victorious disciples, come to me to receive a set of Xuan-level beginner martial techniques. Spirit practitioners can receive a set of Xuan-level beginner spirit techniques." As soon as these words were spoken, the remaining twenty-eight people quickly and orderly approached the Elder in Red. A set of Xuan-level beginner martial techniques was extremely valuable for the direct disciples of the three sects and four schools present; it''s not difficult for them to obtain high-level Yellow techniques, but Xuan-level beginner techniques were indeed rare. "Li Lin, we are tied for now." Qu DaoJue approached Li Lin. Among the twenty-eight winners of the first round, Qu DaoJue was also among them, but it seemed he had not won easily. "Continue tomorrow." Li Lin smiled lightly, his gaze sweeping over all the victorious disciples gathered. Zhao QingHai was also among them, but Han Feng was nowhere to be seen, presumably defeated. This was somewhat surprising to Li Lin. Among the other three sects and four schools, Li Lin''s gaze passed over the remaining twenty-eight people. Counting Yun Yang Sect, only Han Feng was unexpectedly defeated, leaving four behind. Chapter 391: The Second Round Begins Inside the gates of the other mountains, it seemed that the Earth Spirit Sect had only two left, while the Heavenly Sword Sect and the Myriad Beasts Sect each had four remaining. The other mountain gates each had three left, and there were nine individuals who were disciples of other forces. That there were nine disciples from other forces entering the second round surprised Li Lin greatly. It seemed that some forces were indeed not simple. From the cultivation of the younger generation of disciples, one could more or less discern the strength of their sects. Everyone then received a set of Xuan-level beginner martial techniques from the hands of a red-robed elder of the Heavenly Sword Sect, which they could choose according to their own attributes. The elder would also inform them of the martial techniques when they were choosing. When it was Li Lin''s turn, he walked up to the red-robed elder, who then said, "You''re Li Lin, right? A tri-elemental warrior with notable strength. What attribute of martial technique do you need?" Looking at Li Lin, the red-robed elder smiled and said, he had been observing everything in the venue, and Li Lin''s performance had taken him by surprise, and he had taken a note of Li Lin. "Elder flatters me. Could I choose a set of Earth attribute Xuan-level beginner martial techniques?" Li Lin bowed slightly and said. "Your main attribute is the Earth attribute, so choosing Earth attribute Xuan-level martial techniques is naturally the best. Here is a set called ''Earth''s Fury,'' provided by the Myriad Beasts Sect. It''s a Xuan-level beginner martial technique. I think it''s quite good. Do you want to choose this set?" Seeing Li Lin''s modesty and politeness, the red-robed elder liked him very much and even introduced the technique to Li Lin. "The elder''s recommendation must be right. I''ll choose this set," Li Lin said lightly. As a Xuan-level beginner martial technique, his first choice was naturally an Earth attribute Xuan-level beginner martial technique, since his main attribute was the Earth attribute, which would make cultivation more convenient. "Here!" The red-robed elder smiled and handed Li Lin a jade slip that was permeated with a rich Earth attribute aura. "Sometimes, it''s not that hard to obtain a Xuan-level beginner martial technique." Li Lin smiled slightly as he took the jade slip, thinking that defeating a second-rank martial general could get him a set of Xuan-level beginner martial techniques, which was not too difficult. Watching the scene of distributing Xuan-level beginner martial techniques in the square made the surrounding spectators go crazy with desire, but they could only watch and envy. At this moment, the disciples had mixed feelings; those who had lost were only depressed, while the winning disciples were happy but also worried about tomorrow''s competition. An hour later, Li Lin had returned to the courtyard arranged by the Heavenly Sword Sect with the people from the Yunyang Sect. Four disciples had won the first round, showing that the elders and Yun Xiao Tian were in a very good mood. Only Han Feng was utterly depressed, always hanging his head low behind his master, Yun Xiao Tian. Back in the courtyard, Yun Xiao Tian immediately ordered Li Lin and the other three disciples who had won to enter tomorrow''s second round to rest well and recover, giving each of them a fifth-grade beginner pill for restoring Qi. "Boss, you did well today," Little Dragon said, jumping onto a chair in the room and speaking lightly. "Of course, I am your boss," Li Lin replied with a smirk. "Don''t be careless. I feel that many people seem extraordinary," Bai Ling, the Nine-tailed Fox, said lightly. "Hmm," Li Lin nodded slightly, also sensing that the participants in the conference had many hidden strengths. He himself was no exception. The first round was just that, and the truly powerful contenders would at least be visible in the third or even the fourth round. By the time they returned to the courtyard, it was already the afternoon. Sitting cross-legged, Li Lin began to meditate and cultivate for tomorrow''s second round. However, Li Lin did not take the fifth-grade pill that Yun Xiao Tian had given him because his exertion today was only two moves. For his vast Dantian Qi sea, such consumption could be recovered in a moment. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. As Li Lin entered a state of cultivation, the entire Heavenly Sword City began to talk about today''s competition, witnessing the strength of the direct disciples under the three sects and four gates. The twenty-eight people entering the second round tomorrow also became the main topic of discussion, with their information prominently displayed on the walls of the betting shops. With everyone''s anticipation, the next day arrived... In the room, Li Lin opened his eyes, a flash of sharpness passing through them. The consumption from yesterday had already recovered, and a night of meditative cultivation made Li Lin feel a surge of power erupting within him. Stretching, his joints cracked pleasantly all over his body. "Today''s second round, I should choose a Fire attribute Xuan-level beginner martial technique," Li Lin murmured to himself. On the square in Heavenly Sword City, early in the morning, it was again crowded with dense figures. When Li Lin arrived at the square on the Heavenly Sword Sect''s flying beast, he saw some people who had come late were crowded outside the square, unable to get in, blocking several major streets around so tightly that water couldn''t get through. Amidst the lively and noisy atmosphere, when today''s twenty-eight disciples took the stage, many lively young men and women had already remembered many names. These twenty-eight people had accumulated quite a fan base in just one day. Hearing the chaotic and boiling shouting, Li Lin raised his eyebrows, also hearing the voices of Yun Hongling, Yuan Ruolan, and Lan Ling among the tumult, and even Qu Daojue had many girls screaming for him, but his own name was nowhere to be heard. "What kind of taste." Li Lin looked around, after listening once more, still finding his name absent, which made him quite frustrated. Wasn''t his performance yesterday good? Could it be that the distance was too far, and the audience couldn''t see clearly? The second round was still decided by drawing lots, just like yesterday. When the twenty-eight people on the stage were all set, a huge bell rang again over the square. "Buzz..." As the bell rang, the surrounding spectators'' noise and shouting also completely quieted down. "Today''s second round, the rules are the same as yesterday." The red-robed elder of the Heavenly Sword Sect was still presiding over the meeting. The twenty-eight people took turns drawing a number jade plaque from a Heavenly Sword Sect enforcer, then went to their respective number areas. "Li Lin, don''t lose today''s second round," Qu Daojue said, his figure already leaping away. "Thief, what number are you?" Yun Hongling came to Li Lin''s side and asked. "Number three." Looking at his number jade plaque, Li Lin said. "I''m in the number five area, so be careful," Yun Hongling told Li Lin, then with a flash of Qi under her feet, she went to the number five area. In the number three area, when Li Lin''s figure landed, there was already a young man in yellow clothes standing in the center, slightly thin, with a flash of sharpness in his eyes. "A peak third-rank martial general, disciple of Xuan Mountain Gate." Li Lin sized up the young man in yellow, judging from the aura he emitted, he had reached the peak of the third-rank martial general, which would also be the strength of the first or second on the Dragon List in the Yunyang Sect. At the same time, the young man in yellow was also sizing up Li Lin, with not much change in his gaze. "I wonder which disciples will make it into the top fourteen today." On the main stand above, the heads of the major mountain gates and sects, as well as the elders, were watching the square below with some solemnity. Today, fourteen out of the twenty-eight would fail, and the competition was definitely fierce. "Let''s see the strength of these young generations." "Buzz..." Among the conversations on the main stand, as another bell rang, the second round began again. The opponents faced each other without any superfluous words, and all figures immediately burst out. In an instant, the spectators only felt a blur before their eyes as a series of light shadows flashed by, followed by the sound of metal clashing and sparks flying up from the center of the arena. Most of the people in the square could only see more than twenty vague shadows moving across the field, with the air being torn apart by the force, causing a whistling sound, and the hard rock floor of the square cracking and spreading due to the collision of Qi. The strength of most of the competitors was quite similar, and even though the actual battle couldn''t be seen, the spectators could imagine the intensity of the competition from the almost indistinguishable momentum. In the number three area, the Qi of the two competitors suddenly surged out, making the space around them suddenly condense. Around Li Lin, a pale yellow Qi circle had already enveloped him. "Clang!" The young man in yellow produced two curved knives, crossed together like a circle, with sharp blades on the perimeter shining coldly. Such weapons were definitely rare. Li Lin raised his eyebrows slightly, realizing he was at a disadvantage without a weapon. "Whiz!" The opponent didn''t say much, and a blue blade light carrying a misty airflow instantly rushed towards Li Lin. Even before the blade light arrived, the fierce Qi had already crushed the rocks on the square, creating cracks. "Floating Light and Glimpse Shadow." Li Lin''s Qi burst under his feet, creating two whirlwinds, and his figure disappeared from the spot. "Whiz, whiz..." The disciple from Xuan Mountain Gate, with definite strong ability, moved extremely fast as well. The pair of curved knives in his hands moved like two tricky snakes, creating two arcs of blade light, cutting through the air and enveloping Li Lin. "Earth Qi Shield." Li Lin lightly shouted, swinging his hand, and a huge earthy yellow shield swept out, allowing the blade light to fall on it. The strong penetration force from the blade light surged, carrying two dark forces, and in just a moment, started to crack the Earth Qi Shield. Chapter 392: Formidable Advancement "Crack..." As the Earth''s Shield completely shattered, Li Lin''s figure suddenly leaped out, a smile appearing on the corner of his mouth, with a palm-sized ball of fire already condensed in his hand. "Explosive Flame." With a low shout, the palm-sized fireball in Li Lin''s hand instantly shot out, the entire space''s temperature surged dramatically, a powerful aura pressing down, directly enveloping the surrounding space and compressing it around the young man in yellow. The young man in yellow''s expression darkened slightly, the blade light on the pair of scimitars he held greatly intensified, his scimitars striking out like lightning, cutting through the air currents, with a trail of blue misty water vapor emerging in front of him. The number of blade light afterimages increased, and as the scimitars changed, the young man in yellow''s complexion also turned pale. Suddenly, his arms trembled, a crisp cracking sound echoed from his joints, and his scimitars had already swept out a shield of blade light, bursting forth. Above the blade light, a thick mist spread, enveloping the air, making the entire space seem to be engulfed in a dense fog. In this flash of lightning, Li Lin''s eyes sharpened, the Explosive Flame was already pushed to its limit, the fireball spun out, immediately expanding rapidly, tearing open a scorching arc in the space, a terrifyingly hot pressure spreading out like a landslide. With the terrifying force pouring down, the young man in yellow was instantly taken aback, feeling the formidable energy, seemingly not expecting the opponent''s strength to be so powerful. "Bang bang..." Energy dispersed, the fireball exploded in mid-air, causing the space to ripple violently, the unparalleled flames sweeping across the sky. At this moment, the blade light condensed by the young man in yellow, under the impact of the terrifying force, visibly shattered into pieces, turning into energy and disappearing into the space. "Bang!" Under the powerful force, both of them were shaken back, their figures crossed in an instant, and then they retreated. Li Lin watched the young man in yellow, the direct disciple of Xuan Mountain Sect, just this one, would not be under Qudao Jue or Han Feng. At this moment, within the entire square, figures flickered, with Qi colliding fiercely, the sound of sonic booms continuously erupted, the powerful Qi colliding together, spreading energy ripples, sweeping the dust on the square clean at any time. Within area three, their eyes met again, watching Li Lin, the young man in yellow''s expression had already become solemn. "Your strength is not weak, I will use my full power now." Watching Li Lin, the young man in yellow said softly, and as his voice fell, his hands shook, and the pair of scimitars were put away, in an instant, a white Qi surged out from his body, and a pair of Qi wings suddenly condensed behind him. "He is also a dual-element warrior." Li Lin watched the young man in yellow, somewhat surprised, the youth had always shown water attributes, but now he had wind attributes as well. "I have wind attributes too." Li Lin, with a slight smile, wind wings expanded behind him, and his figure also rose into the air. Both of them were in mid-air, each surrounded by thick wind attribute Qi, wings flapping, stirring up spatial ripples. "Violent Wind Palm." Without much delay, the young man in yellow shouted, his hands instantly forming seals, a palm print quickly pushed out, the seal wrapped in white turbulent airflow, as the airflow tumbled, bringing powerful Qi like a sweeping gale, compressing the space, beginning to emit sonic booms, the space around the palm print was slightly twisted and illusory. "Master Zhu, I didn''t expect that your disciple is also a dual-element warrior." Yun Xiao Tian watched the young man in yellow competing with Li Lin, and said with a slight smile. "Master Yun, that''s nothing compared to your Yunyang Sect''s two triple-element warriors." Zhu Hongyuan smiled slightly, his gaze also fixed on his disciple, knowing that the Yunyang Sect disciple was a single-tier martial general, although a triple-element warrior, somewhat extraordinary, but his own disciple was a triple-tier dual-element warrior, in his heart, he already considered it a victory. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Yun Xiao Tian smiled slightly, watching Li Lin without any nervousness. "Chi!" The young man in yellow did not delay, his hand seals rapidly changing, the palm print already pressing towards Li Lin, the giant palm print suddenly surged, finally turning into a white circular wind arc, the wind arc enveloping the surrounding space, the violent wind enough to tear apart spatial ripples. Wings flapping, in an instant, the young man in yellow''s body almost turned into a yellow shadow, directly charging towards Li Lin. Raising an eyebrow, Li Lin was not too solemn, his hand seals beginning to change, lightly saying, "Let''s end this quickly." As his voice fell, Li Lin still turned into a blurry green shadow, not retreating but advancing, his figure shooting out, at the same time, in each of his hands, an attack was already condensed. "Thousand Hands Rupture Seal." "Wind Sweep Remnants." As the light shout fell, Li Lin''s hands, suddenly two types of attribute attack force burst out. "To simultaneously deploy two types of attribute attacks, how is this possible?" Seeing this scene, many strong figures in the stands were directly surprised, among these strong ones, there were not a few dual-element warriors, so they knew very well, it''s impossible to simultaneously activate without the same attribute. At this moment, seeing Li Lin''s move, the surprise of a group of strong ones can be imagined, simultaneously activating two types of attributes, undoubtedly is equivalent to two people joining hands in the attack, the power is greatly enhanced. Yun Xiao Tian, Yu Yu Qian, and other Yunyang Sect elders were smiling, their disciple making a good showing, they also felt honored. "The boss is going to win again." On Li Wushuang''s shoulder, the little dragon''s eyes were rolling and said. At this moment, Li Lin''s two attacks were already pressing up, Qi raging in the meridians, with a huge dantian Qi sea and thick meridians, fully able to support the Qi needed to activate two high-level yellow techniques. In the left hand, wind attribute energy immediately gathered. In the entire space, a stream of air violently spun up, like a tornado storm roaring and tumbling, the violent airflow overwhelming and pressing out. In the right hand, a huge earth attribute energy also surged like a tidal wave, emitting bursts of violent power, instantly gathering in the palm print, then a yellow earthy palm print rose to the sky. Terrifying energy filled, a huge wind condensed to the extreme, among the howling wind, mixed with a terrifying palm print. This might seem long in description, but it actually took less than a breath''s time, three huge forces directly collided together at the same time. Terrifying Qi spread, a series of earth-shattering explosion sounds, booming in the space, a violent Qi suddenly spreading in the sky... "Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!" Three forces collided heavily together, in an instant, exploding countless Qi sparks. The scattered Qi carried sharp wind-breaking sounds, slamming hard on the ground, immediately, a series of violent explosion sounds, the hard rock square began to crack and shatter. In mid-air, the terrifying Qi surged out at the center of the three forces'' collision, in an instant, sweeping the high altitude of the square, then spreading to the far reaches of the space before dissipating within the space. Seeing this scene, many spectators on the outskirts were also dumbfounded, among the fourteen teams fighting, this pair in mid-air was undoubtedly the most spectacular. "Simultaneously activating two types of attributes, the power is stronger by half." At the top of the stands, many strong ones were also secretly surprised. "Whoosh..." As the Qi scattered, the figure of the young man in yellow from Xuan Mountain Sect was also heavily shaken down from mid-air, crashing heavily onto the ground. "Pfft..." When the rock cracked, a stream of fresh blood also spurted from the young man in yellow''s mouth, his complexion instantly becoming extremely pale. "I lost." The young man in yellow wiped the fresh blood from his mouth, looking up at Li Lin in the air. In this tri-sect quad-door conference, the disciples of the various sects had been instructed by the elders before taking the stage, that if they felt they were already unable to continue fighting and were certain to lose, then to admit defeat. If they forcibly continued to fight and ended up severely injured, affecting their future foundation, it would not be worth it. So at this moment, the young man in yellow, feeling he was already unable to continue fighting, directly admitted defeat. "You''ve conceded." Putting away the Wind Wings, Li Lin landed on the ground, the first thought in his mind was that he had obtained another set of Xuan-level beginner martial arts techniques. "Master Yun, the triple-element warrior disciple from your sect is really extraordinary, clearly at the strength of a single-tier martial general, yet able to defeat a triple-tier dual-element martial general." On the stands, Gu Jianfeng lightly said, truly admiring in his eyes. "This disciple is somewhat extraordinary, so I brought him to participate in the tri-sect quad-door conference." Yun Xiao Tian smiled slightly, his gaze satisfactorily resting on Li Lin in the distance. At this moment, Li Lin, while watching the center of the arena, also saw Yun Hongling fighting with a red-dressed young woman, whip shadows covering the space, whip shadows breaking through the air, continuously suppressing the opponent. As for Yun Hongling, Li Lin was not worried, this temperamental woman, couldn''t possibly be without a trump card, this round of defeat was almost impossible. "Lan Ling." In area eleven, Li Lin saw the enticing Lan Ling, her figure moving, seduction natural as if heaven-sent, almost making one forget this was a competition. Lan Ling was still wielding a blue long sword, sword shadows enveloping the space, absolutely extraordinary. Li Lin was somewhat surprised, Lan Ling''s strength at this moment, had actually reached the triple-tier martial general level, presumably after returning to the Myriad Beasts Sect, she had obtained some opportunity. Chapter 393: The Fei Yun Sword Technique Finally, Li Lin''s gaze landed on Qudao Jue, who was in the nearby Area 6, and his opponent was Yuan Ruolan, a triple-element warrior from the Heavenly Sword Sect. Under Li Lin''s watchful eye, Qudao Jue''s figure seemed somewhat dim, his face pale and his appearance somewhat disheveled. And Yuan Ruolan at this moment, under her purple dress, her figure was curvy, her aura slightly fluctuating, clearly stronger than Qudao Jue. "Qudao Jue is in trouble now," Li Lin said softly, sighing slightly in his gaze. This draw-based competition, though fair, also had its shortcomings. If a contender, who could definitely have been a second-place contender, encountered a first-place potential contender in the first round, they would inevitably lose in that round. Originally, this person could have entered the top three, but due to bad luck, they were stopped in the first round. This was a flaw in the competition, but there was no helping it; the rules were the rules and wouldn''t account for someone''s luck. "Again." Qudao Jue, despite being at a disadvantage, still had an undiminished domineering aura. With a loud shout, he stomped on the ground, causing it to crack and spread. "Chichichi!" In that moment, Qudao Jue leaped up, his Qi bursting forth, his golden battle saber lifted, directly cleaving through the space in front of him, its saber light slashing through the air, unleashing a torrent of violent Qi. "Battle Saber Fourth Style, Earthflow Saber." The saber light split the space, the force erupting with such power as if to directly tear through space. Yuan Ruolan moved, her long sword lifted, her delicate body disappearing from the spot with lightning speed, a speed that made even Li Lin, watching from afar, somewhat dazzled. "Fei Yun Sword Technique." The moment her figure disappeared, when Yuan Ruolan reappeared, her long sword silently sliced through the space, not even stirring a ripple in the spatial waves. "Shoo shoo!" The sword light and saber light collided like lightning, making not much noise, but the point of impact exploded with a blinding light like fireworks, rapidly shattering the surrounding space into fragments. "Shoo shoo..." Only then did a deep, sharp sound spread, the violent force enough to slice through the spatial ripples. As Qudao Jue''s figure retreated explosively, he had already set up a defensive martial technique, but just as he was shaken back, he suddenly felt a slight numbness in his arms and feet. Looking down quickly, his pupils contracted, and then he found several vines had somehow wrapped around his arms and feet. "Bad." Li Lin''s expression immediately darkened, already knowing the outcome. "You''ve lost. My wood element martial technique is a bit special. If you struggle, it will directly break your limbs," Yuan Ruolan''s voice came just as Qudao Jue was about to struggle. "I''ve lost," Qudao Jue sighed, a look of disappointment in his expression. "This Yuan Ruolan seems to have hidden quite a bit," Li Lin raised an eyebrow. He was very clear about Qudao Jue''s strength, but Yuan Ruolan defeating Qudao Jue seemed not too strained, the only explanation being that this woman had hidden quite a bit. Li Lin''s gaze lingered on this woman for a few more moments, perhaps she would become a formidable opponent for him. "Hum..." The square was once again filled with the sound of a bell, just as Li Lin was focused on Qudao Jue and Yuan Ruolan, the second round had already ended. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "The winning disciples step forward, the losing disciples leave the field," the voice of the red-robed elder from the Heavenly Sword Sect came again. "Zhao Qinghai also lost." When the remaining fourteen people gathered together, Li Lin glanced over and found that only he and Yun Hongling were left from the Yunyang Sect. Zhao Qinghai, with the strength of the top rank on the Dragon List, had unexpectedly lost in the second round. "The strength seems to be quite good," Li Lin''s gaze, at this moment, also rested on a familiar fiery curve among the remaining fourteen people, including Lan Ling. At this moment, Lan Ling''s gaze also flickered and stayed on Li Lin, then a hint of a smile appeared in her eyes. This smile, perhaps because this woman was too enticing, made her gaze seem like a provocative tease filled with desire. "Little thief, don''t look around," Yun Hongling''s voice transmission reached Li Lin''s ears, and Li Lin immediately lowered his head, not daring to offend this tempestuous woman. "Ah, this person seems a bit strange." Just as he lowered his head, the corner of Li Lin''s eye caught a glimpse of a figure on his left side, who seemed to have been watching him. When Li Lin''s gaze turned, that gaze had already retracted, and Li Lin was surprised, because this person was wearing a long robe, his figure slender, but his face was covered with a white scarf, making it impossible to see clearly. Li Lin had seen this person on the first day, his aura at the martial general level, not a disciple from the three sects and four doors, unknown which power he belonged to, so Li Lin hadn''t paid much attention. But now, because this gaze had been fixed on him, Li Lin noticed and faintly felt he might have seen this person before, but this feeling flashed by, and he didn''t think much of it. Among the fourteen people, Li Lin also paid attention, with two not being disciples from the three sects and four doors. The remaining twelve included himself and Yun Hongling from the Yunyang Sect, while the Heavenly Sword Sect had only Yuan Ruolan and a young man in black left. From the Myriad Beasts Sect, there were Lan Ling and another young man, whose aura was also at the triple-tier martial general level. "The remaining fourteen of you, congratulations on advancing to the third round tomorrow. Now, each of you can come forward to receive a set of Xuan-level beginner martial techniques," the red-robed elder from the Heavenly Sword Sect said. Subsequently, everyone excitedly stepped forward to receive their won Xuan-level beginner martial techniques. And now, on the surrounding square, waves of cheers one after another were all for the admiration and enthusiasm for the remaining fourteen disciples. "Li Lin, your strength is extraordinary. I hope tomorrow you can still receive a set of Xuan-level beginner martial techniques from my hands," the red-robed elder from the Heavenly Sword Sect said with a smile when it was Li Lin''s turn. "I will do my best," Li Lin said lightly, eventually choosing a set of fire-element Xuan-level beginner martial techniques, as he had planned. When he returned to the courtyard, Qudao Jue''s expression was consistently downcast. "Li Lin, I lost. I''ll treat you to a drink when we get back. You have to try hard tomorrow and make it into the top three," Qudao Jue said, patting Li Lin''s shoulder after they descended from the flying beast in the courtyard. "Li Lin, Hongling, you two and the elders come with me to the hall," Yun Xiao Tian said. Li Lin asked Little dragon and Bai Ling to go back to their room first, then went to the hall. Inside the hall, there were only four elders and Sect Master Yun Xiao Tian, with Yun Hongling also following Li Lin into the hall. "Lin''er, you did well today. Continue to work hard tomorrow," Yu Yu Qian was overjoyed, his disciple making it into the third round, even Zhao Qinghai, who was first on the Dragon List, and Elder Yang''s disciple Qudao Jue couldn''t make it, adding even more glory to his face. "I will do my best," Li Lin said lightly. "Alright, sit down, everyone. Li Lin, Hongling, you sit down too," Yun Xiao Tian said. Everyone settled down, the other three elders also looked at Li Lin and Yun Hongling with some appreciation. "Li Lin, Hongling, tomorrow is the third round, and now the Yunyang Sect is only left with the two of you. Tomorrow, out of you fourteen, only five can advance to the top five. The third round tomorrow will first narrow down to seven people, and then a draw will decide four people to compete again, leaving two winners. If you want to make it into the top three, tomorrow is undoubtedly the most important. It''s very likely that you''ll have to withstand two matches in a row," Yun Xiao Tian''s gaze fell on Yun Hongling and Li Lin as everyone settled. "Dad, it''s not that difficult. Although their strengths are strong, I feel that making it into the top five shouldn''t be a problem," Yun Hongling said with a light laugh. "Hongling, you must not be careless. The remaining fourteen people are undoubtedly all very strong, and perhaps everyone has some trump cards. The third round tomorrow is when the true strength will fully erupt. Be careful," Yun Xiao Tian warned Yun Hongling. "Dad, I understand," Yun Hongling stuck out her tongue, well aware that none of the remaining fourteen were weak. "Li Lin, the third round tomorrow, now that you''ve seen the competitors, do you have any confidence?" Yun Xiao Tian then asked Li Lin. "I will do my best," Li Lin said with a pursed smile, unsure if he could make it into the third round; it largely depended on luck. If unlucky and he faced a stronger opponent right away, it would be difficult. "You two go back to your rooms and rest well. Be careful tomorrow," Yun Xiao Tian finished, giving each of them another fifth-grade pill. Chapter 394: The Big Shots Bet After returning to the room, Li Lin, Little dragon, and Bai Ling chatted for a few sentences before starting to regulate their breaths. Tomorrow''s third round, the opponent''s strength will also become stronger and stronger, only by maintaining oneself in the best state will there be the greatest hope. Inside the inner city of Tianjian Gate, in a delicate but somewhat ancient courtyard, in a small hall, there were several figures, and these figures were precisely Tianjian Gate''s Sect Master Gu Jianfeng, Elder Gu Feng, Elder Shi, Elder in Red Robe, and also a few other elders, judging from their aura, they were probably also elders of Tianjian Gate. In addition, at this moment, Yuan Ruolan, who was wearing a purple long dress and had a noble temperament, and another young man in black were among them. "Ruolan, it''s been two days, have you seen anyone who could threaten you?" Gu Jianfeng said in the hall. "Master, based on the strength they have shown so far, there should be no one who can threaten me," Yuan Ruolan said softly. "Tomorrow''s third round, be as cautious as possible, if not necessary, try not to reveal your true strength," Gu Jianfeng said. "Disciple understands," Yuan Ruolan responded, with a sharp light flashing in her eyes. "Ruolan is a disciple of our Tianjian Gate that is rare to see in a thousand years, we have sealed off the news for more than a decade, just for this sensational moment in the three sects and four gates competition this time, I believe it will surprise everyone," Elder Gu Feng said with a smile amidst his wrinkled face. "That''s right, with such talent, in the last one hundred and fifty years, in the ten times of the three sects and four gates competition, it is enough to take the first place," Elder Shi laughed. As night fell, Tianjian City was as bright as daylight, everywhere was extraordinarily lively, people in the city, at this moment in taverns, inns, and other places to stay, were all discussing the three sects and four gates competition, tomorrow''s third round, also definitely became the focus of everyone''s discussion. Sometimes, people''s opinions differed, and scenes of loud arguments and banging on tables were common, and even fighting was considered normal. Discussing the daytime battles among the disciples of the three sects and four gates, many warriors in the city were so excited as if they were fighting in the competition themselves. In such a bustling and noisy atmosphere, the night passed quickly, when the sky was still dark before dawn, there was already a vast crowd moving towards the square, today''s top five were to be decided, everyone was extremely looking forward to it, naturally, they could not miss this scene. The streets, which were packed to the brim, were exhausting the patrolling disciples of Tianjian City these days, some of whom had been sleepless for several days. The square could accommodate a million people, but the current flow of people in Tianjian City might have already reached a hundred million. Above the sky, the darkness receded, and a few remaining stars were still hanging in the slightly dark western sky. The morning wind came, bringing a few strands of spring, making people feel refreshed. After a moment, the vast Tianjian City was enveloped in a soft sunlight. As the number of people on Tianjian City''s square increased, from the initial entrance fee of twenty gold coins, by the second round, it had already reached fifty gold coins, as for today''s third round, to enter and watch, it was already necessary to pay eighty gold coins. Eighty gold coins, for ordinary people, was definitely a large sum of money, but the spectators entering the square were mostly warriors and spiritual practitioners, eighty gold coins were not considered very expensive, so no one cared about the cost. With millions of spectators, each paying eighty gold coins, just the entrance fee for one competition amounted to over sixty million, not to mention the positions near the square, besides being reserved for some participating forces from the three sects and four gates, others were charged, and the fees were also sky-high. All in all, for one competition, the entrance fee alone would bring Tianjian Gate over a hundred million gold coins, this was still minor, the real earnings were from the tributes collected by Tianjian Gate during this period. "Whoosh!" If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. After exhaling a turbid breath from his body, Li Lin opened his eyes and looked outside the window, today''s third round was about to begin again. When Li Lin, with Little dragon and Bai Ling''s reduced bodies, stepped outside the room, the people from Yunyang Sect, seeing Little dragon and Bai Ling on Li Lin''s shoulders, were no longer surprised, just knowing Little dragon''s formidable strength, but no one knew about Bai Ling. And as for Little dragon, Yun Xiaotian was always observing him, appearing very curious. "Little thief, you have to enter the top five today," Yun Hongling came to Li Lin''s side, under her tight outfit, wrapping that enticing curve, Li Lin recently felt more and more that Yun Hongling''s figure had improved a lot, if she dressed like Lan Ling, she would probably be even more tempting than Lan Ling. "You too, don''t be careless," Li Lin said lightly, entering the top five, this was definitely not an easy task. Although he knew Yun Hongling had a trump card, Li Lin was still somewhat worried. "Alright, let''s go," Yun Xiaotian said, it was evident, today Yun Xiaotian and several elders were somewhat nervous. To enter the top three, one must first enter the top five, and entering the top five was definitely not an easy task, and they had no certainty. Every morning, flying beasts from Tianjian City would come to pick everyone up to Tianjian City. When Li Lin arrived at the square, the surroundings were already crowded with people, as the disciples from various sects appeared, the surrounding crowd also let out shouts. This time, Li Lin''s mouth revealed a smile, finally, his name appeared among the crowd, it seemed there were quite a few supporters. After the first two rounds of competition, everyone was clear about the rules of the competition. When fourteen people all stood on the stage, it was still the Elder in Red Robe who presided over the competition. With a "buzz" of a bell, the square also quieted down, the Elder in Red Robe from Tianjian Gate announced today''s rules, after one round of competition today leaving seven people, there would still be four people to come on stage to decide the winners. This third round, was also decided by a fair draw to determine the opponent, at this time, the entire square, originally twenty-eight areas, now had changed to seven large areas, each area was about two thousand meters wide. "Number two." Looking at the jade plaque in his hand, Li Lin smiled slightly, wondering who he would face in this third round. "Little thief, I''m number three, what number are you?" Yun Hongling came to Li Lin''s side with her jade plaque in hand. "Number two," Li Lin said lightly. "We have to enter the top five together," Yun Hongling smiled slightly, her beautiful face made several young men around unable to look away. When Li Lin arrived at the number two area, a blue-robed young man was already standing there. "Fourth-level Martial General." Observing the young man in front of him, Li Lin''s eyebrows furrowed, this person Li Lin had noticed before, was a disciple of the Illusion Soul Sect, with the strength of a fourth-level Martial General, much stronger than Han Feng and Qu Daojue, the second and third of Yunyang Sect''s Dragon List. "I guess I need to use some trump cards," Li Lin muttered to himself, his normal strength, competing against a third-level Martial General was already very difficult, now facing a fourth-level Martial General, without using some trump cards, it was extremely difficult to achieve. "Buzz!" The bell rang, and the third round of competition officially began. In the spacious number two area, the two people looked at each other, each sizing up their opponent, no one in a hurry to make a move, at this third round, no one wanted to be careless. "Yun Sect Master, your Yunyang Sect''s tri-elemental martial artist Li Lin, actually met with Ren Sect Master''s Illusion Soul Sect''s strongest young disciple, Chai Qing, this luck is not too good," Wei Bangyan, from Guiyuan Sect, raised his gray-white eyebrows and said to Yun Xiaotian beside him. "Fourth-level Martial General, the young disciples of the Illusion Soul Sect are really extraordinary," Yun Xiaotian also frowned at this moment, a fourth-level Martial General, no matter how Li Lin was, he was only a first-level Martial General, the difference in levels was not generally large. "Hehe, Yun Sect Master, your sect''s Li Lin, is also considered very strong among tri-elemental martial artists, given time, the achievement will definitely be extraordinary," Ren Changqing smiled, his strongest disciple from his sect facing a first-level Martial General, although that was a tri-elemental martial artist, it was impossible to compete against a fourth-level Martial General. "Do you think your sect''s disciple has already won?" Yun Xiaotian said lightly, although worried, but absolutely could not lose face. "Is that so." Ren Changqing smiled slightly, then his eyes flashed with some ill-intentioned light, saying: "Yun Sect Master is so confident in your disciple, then how about we make a separate bet on this match, if my sect''s Chai Qing wins, I will lose to Yun Sect Master a set of high-grade Xuan-level martial arts, if Yun Sect Master''s Li Lin loses, you will have to lose to me a set of high-grade Xuan-level martial arts, Yun Sect Master wouldn''t dare not to, right?" Yun Xiaotian''s eyes flashed, unexpectedly being set up by Ren Changqing, on the surface, Illusion Soul Sect''s Chai Qing definitely had much greater hopes, although he had great hope for Li Lin, but in front of a fourth-level Martial General, a first-level Martial General winning would require an absolute trump card. "Yun Sect Master, you wouldn''t really dare not to, right?" Seeing Yun Xiaotian''s expression, Ren Changqing laughed again. "Just a set of high-grade Xuan-level martial arts, what''s there not to dare," Yun Xiaotian said lightly: "Yun will accompany Ren Sect Master." "Yun Sect Master, Ren Sect Master, if you''re having such fun, don''t leave me out, I also come in, on the surface, Chai Qing seems to have a much greater chance, I also bet on Chai Qing," Yin Ying from Myriad Beasts Sect immediately said. "I''ll also join in, to add to the fun, I also bet on Chai Qing winning." "There''s no reason to leave me out, I also bet on Chai Qing winning." Chapter 395: Revealing Ones Trump Card In this moment, the other six sects from the three sects and four schools, Gu Jianfeng, Wei Bangyan, Ouyang Xuan Ying, and Zhu Hongyuan, all eagerly requested to join. They wouldn''t miss out on an opportunity to gain an advantage. "This..." Yun Xiao Tian couldn''t help but curse silently. These old foxes, each as cunning as a ghost, always finding their way to benefits. At this point, he really couldn''t refuse, knowing full well he had no assurance, he had no choice but to brace himself. "Very well, Yun will take this gamble with you all." Yun Xiao Tian said with a slight smile, his gaze, however, firmly on Li Lin and Chai Qing below, hoping silently that Li Lin would perform well. Otherwise, losing six sets of Xuan-level high-grade martial arts was no small matter. "My dear disciple, you must do your best." Elder Yu Yu murmured upon hearing the bet between Yun Xiao Tian and the various sects. At this moment, because of the bet, almost all the strong practitioners from the various sects focused their attention on Li Lin and Chai Qing. "Bang Bang!" At this moment, many had already clashed, with the sound of explosions echoing instantly. "A first-level Martial General making it to the third round, you''re quite impressive." A young man in a blue robe said lightly, watching Li Lin. "You''re the same." Li Lin replied softly, his true qi flowing within him, and in his meridians, a sound like wind and thunder could faintly be heard. Facing this fourth-level Martial General, Li Lin was not careless. "You make the first move." As the young man in the blue robe finished speaking, a red long stick flashed out of his hand, sweeping across the ground, creating a fierce wind that scattered dust all around and small cracks began to spread across the rocky ground. With the appearance of the young man in the blue robe''s weapon, a faint red true qi barrier also enveloped the surroundings, shaking the space and emitting a fierce aura. The whole space felt oppressive, causing Li Lin to feel somewhat suppressed. Feeling this aura from Chai Qing, Yun Xiao Tian frowned slightly. On the Dragon List of Yun Yang Sect, there was no one with such strength. Li Lin looked up slightly, gazing lightly at the young man in the blue robe in front of him. His true qi surged rapidly within his robust meridians, saying, "Then I won''t be polite..." Before he could finish speaking, Li Lin''s figure had already disappeared from the spot. In that instant, his figure shot out like an arrow, so fast that only a blurry shadow could be seen trailing behind. "Thousand Hand Rupture Seal." Without any probing, Li Lin directly activated the high-grade yellow-level martial art, Thousand Hand Rupture Seal. The opponent''s strength was such that there was no need for probing, he had to give his all. On his palm, waves of continuous earth attribute energy gathered, and the palm seal shot up into the sky, instantly turning into several vague palm seals, like petals of a lotus, enveloping the young man in the blue robe. At this moment, the young man in the blue robe''s gaze suddenly sharpened, and the red long stick in his hand burst out fiercely, forming several stick shadows in mid-air. As the stick shadows appeared, the space seemed to be swept by flames, bringing up an extremely hot breath. The trajectory of the stick shadows suddenly changed, moving rapidly with a continuous entangling attack, instantly blocking towards Li Lin. "It''s surprising that Chai Qing has cultivated the Phantom Gate''s Thousand Heavy Flame Shadow Stick to such a refined level." "Not simple, this stick technique is almost close to a Xuan-level early-stage martial art among the high-grade yellow-level martial arts." "Li Lin''s technique also seems to be a high-grade yellow-level martial art, and he has also cultivated it to a quite profound level." On the upper stands, a group of strong practitioners started discussing the attack techniques used by both, having a good grasp of them. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. "Whoosh whoosh!" In the midst of lightning, the two were like meteors, colliding fiercely with unparalleled impact force, directly hitting each other without any fancy moves, the first sound explosion deafening... "Bang Bang..." Then a series of earth-shattering explosion sounds, a violent aura spread in the sky. The two figures crossed past each other, the stick shadows flying, palm prints overlapping, instantly, sparks splattered, a strong energy ripple spread out from the point of collision. The fierce wind that scattered directly tore the air, the sharp sound of tearing air causing pain in the eardrums. "Whoosh whoosh..." On the stick shadow, in the blink of an eye, dozens of stick shadows burst out, the hot breath drawing dozens of arcs of flames in mid-air. Between the flipping of palm prints, at this moment, also rose up a series of residual palm prints, covering the space like a carpet bombing down. Among the surrounding spectators, countless people looked at the two figures flashing in Area 2 with amazed faces. With their eyesight, most could only see the sparks splashing and the fleeting figures between the stick shadows and palm prints. "Bang Bang!" And such a collision lasted for less than five seconds. After two loud explosions of giant forces, the two figures flashed apart. "Thud thud..." Li Lin''s figure staggered backward, retreating more than a dozen steps before stabilizing his body. His hands felt numb, his true qi surged inside, forcibly suppressing a trace of blood. His appearance was somewhat embarrassed, his face pale, and under his blue robe, several edges were entangled and burned by the opponent''s fire attribute true qi, emitting a burnt smell. "Thud!" The young man from Phantom Gate in the blue robe only stepped back two steps, his aura surging, locking his gaze on Li Lin again. "Fourth-level Martial Generals are too difficult to deal with." Li Lin thought to himself, suppressing the surging true qi inside. Without setting up the Qing Ling Armor, he couldn''t defend against the opponent''s attacks. "It seems that Li Lin, although impressive, simply cannot contend with a fourth-level Martial General due to the gap in strength." On the upper stands, a group of strong practitioners smiled slightly. If Li Lin were to lose, they could win a set of Xuan-level high-grade martial arts, which would be an unexpected gain. Yun Xiao Tian frowned, his expression becoming extremely serious, murmuring, "Li Lin, it''s time for your trump card to be revealed." "You lost, sir." The young man in the blue robe smiled slightly, having no surprise in suppressing his opponent. As he finished speaking, his figure instantly disappeared from the spot, his red long stick dancing in his hand, tearing open space ripples, fiercely pressing down. His momentum seemed to be even stronger than the initial strike. In the young man''s estimation, a first-level Martial General would not be able to withstand his next move. In this flash of lightning, watching the fierce and hot stick shadow pressing down, Li Lin also became somewhat solemn. A fourth-level Martial General''s next strike, without using some methods, he simply couldn''t contend. And now Li Lin was clear, to contend against this fourth-level Martial General by deploying Qing Ling Armor was not impossible, but what he needed was to defeat the opponent, not just contend. "Deploy the trump card." In this lightning-fast moment of thought, Li Lin quickly made a decision, his hand seals forming in an instant. "Phantom Spirit Imprint." Just as the stick shadow pressed down less than ten meters away, Li Lin let out a low shout in his heart. In that instant, a bizarre light spread from his eyes, an invisible bizarre force enveloping the surrounding air. This bizarre force seemed to spread in the air, through the enveloping stick shadow, covering the surrounding space. Watching Li Lin''s eyes, in a flash, the young man in the blue robe''s gaze trembled instantly, an eerie force penetrating his mind in an instant. At this moment, in perfect coordination of spirit and martial arts, Li Lin quickly completed another hand seal, his face darkening as he struck with his left hand, and on his right hand, a vortex of twisted space air flow instantly swept through. "Wind Rolls the Remnants." "Thousand Hand Rupture Seal." A massive wave of earth attribute energy surged like a tidal wave, emitting a series of violent forces, instantly converging in the palm print, a earthy yellow palm print shot up into the sky. This violent palm print instantly turned into several vague remnants, a series of palm print remnants forming a lotus-like sky-covering palm print, colliding fiercely with the pressing stick shadow. The two collided, instantly twisting and compressing the space, followed by a series of earth-shattering explosion sounds, echoing in the space, a violent aura spreading in the sky. "Boom! Boom! Boom!" A series of explosive sounds echoed in mid-air, as the violent energies touched each other, the young man in the blue robe, however, was stunned as if petrified, his attack force briefly entering a state of stagnation. Visibly, both the palm print and the stick shadow disappeared in that instant, and with it, a violent airflow turned into a twisted space tornado, pressing down on the young man in the blue robe. When the young man in the blue robe came back to his senses, his expression had already drastically changed. The entire experience had left him shocked, as if he had suddenly felt dizzy and lost consciousness for a moment, and this was all in the blink of an eye. In an instant, when the young man in the blue robe regained his senses, he was already caught in a terrifying vortex, the violent force of the vortex fiercely pressing down. "What a bizarre attack." "Sect Master Yun, what martial art from your Yun Yang Sect did Li Lin use? It''s so peculiar." "It seems to mix soul attacks, but it''s improbable for a martial artist to use soul attacks." At this moment, seeing the change in the field, a group of strong practitioners were visibly shocked. Chapter 396: Winning the Bet "Damn, Chai Qing is in trouble," Gu Jianfeng said with a surprised expression... A ferocious tornado storm exploded out of nowhere, coupled with the residual force from the Thousand Hands Rift Seal, causing ripples to appear in the space mid-air instantly, followed by a deafening explosion... "Bang! Bang!" The entire space burst open, and the power, which had reached an extreme level of ferocity, spread out. Within this violent force, space seemed to freeze instantly. "Whoosh!" Li Lin''s true qi transformed into a whirlwind under his feet, flashing past, his figure instantly appeared in front of the blue-robed young man among the four generals of the Phantom Soul Gate, and once again, a palm imprint with an afterimage was fiercely launched from his sleeve, gathering into a single palm imprint upon retraction, bringing with it a ferocious force that heavily struck the latter''s chest. With a vast dantian qi sea and broad meridians, plus the mutated five-color martial dan, all these attacks might seem lengthy to describe, but under Li Lin''s execution, it was done in one go, achieving a level of perfection. "Pfft..." This palm imprint directly hit the chest of the blue-robed young man, breaking through his defense with a series of attacks. Now, being hit by such a huge force, he suddenly spat out blood and was sent flying dozens of meters away, crashing to the ground with a bang. "Pfft!" Fresh blood spurted out again as the blue-robed young man struggled to get up with a disheveled face, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief as he stared at Li Lin. "Are you going to continue?" Li Lin looked at the blue-robed young man and asked indifferently. "I lost." With a pale face, the blue-robed young man weakly said, staring blankly at Li Lin, almost unable to believe that he had lost, especially to someone who was only a first-level martial general. "Phew." Hearing the other party admit defeat, Li Lin withdrew his true qi, his complexion also turned pale instantly, as the series of attacks had consumed a significant amount of energy, likely only Li Lin could afford such a consumption. "Haha, well done, good lad," Yu Yu cheered excitedly, clapping his thigh on the stand, which made everyone laugh. "Elder Yu, it''s exciting and all, but don''t slap your thigh so hard," Elder Song immediately said, but seeing Li Lin winning also made him quite excited. "What does my thigh slapping have to do with you?" Elder Yu retorted. "Because you''re slapping my thigh," Elder Song said. "Hehe, got a bit too excited, I''ll be more careful next time," Elder Yu chuckled, not realizing he had slapped Elder Song''s thigh in his excitement. "Good lad, really has some tricks up his sleeve," Yun Xiao Tian chuckled to himself. "A first-level martial general defeating a fourth-level martial general, even though he''s a tri-element martial artist, it''s still quite abnormal." "Especially that strange attack, it seems Chai Qing lost because of that bizarre attack." The strong ones were already whispering in amazement, but Ren Changqing from the Phantom Soul Gate had a very ugly expression, as the strongest disciple of his sect couldn''t even withstand a single blow from a first-level martial general of the Yunyang Sect, which was quite a blow to him. "Yun Sect Master, that strange attack Li Lin used, what martial skill of the Yunyang Sect is that? It''s quite powerful," Gu Jianfeng asked Yun Xiao Tian, surprised. "It''s a secret." Yun Xiao Tian thought to himself, wanting to know as much as the others, then chuckled, "Hehe, fellow sect masters, a bet is a bet, each owes a set of high-grade Xuan-level martial skills." Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. "Yun Sect Master, you''re really not being polite," Gu Jianfeng said with a helpless smile. As the host, he naturally wouldn''t renege on a set of high-grade Xuan-level martial skills, and immediately took out a jade slip to give to Yun Xiao Tian. "Sigh..." The other sect masters sighed in frustration, originally thinking they could gain an advantage, but unexpectedly lost a set of high-grade Xuan-level martial skills, which, though not extremely valuable, was certainly not cheap. After handing over a set of high-grade Xuan-level martial skills to Yun Xiao Tian, they all glared at Ren Changqing, clearly blaming him for the Phantom Soul Gate disciples'' poor performance, as a fourth-level martial general couldn''t even beat a first-level martial general. Ren Changqing felt even more frustrated, as his sect''s disciples were completely defeated, and he also lost a set of high-grade Xuan-level martial skills, wondering whom to blame. "Thank you, fellow sect masters, haha." Yun Xiao Tian was in a great mood, having won six sets of high-grade Xuan-level martial skills, a rare good fortune. In the arena, after Li Lin''s victory, he immediately looked towards area number three, where Yun Hongling was. At that moment, Yun Hongling, like a phantom, dragged out an afterimage, her long whip like a dragon emerging from the sea, enveloping a third-level martial general young man from the Earth Spirit Sect with a sky full of whip shadows. The young man''s complexion drastically changed, holding a large axe, which he swung like splitting mountains, creating axe shadows, but he was unable to find an opening in the overwhelming whip shadows. "Break!" At that moment, the young man fiercely swung his axe, sending out a bizarre and spreading axe light that pierced through space and air like a knife through glass, creating a painful sonic boom. The axe light split open, directly cleaving through the whip shadows in front of him. However, at that moment, when the young man split open the whip shadows, Yun Hongling''s figure had already disappeared from his sight, causing his pupils to dilate as he swiftly retreated with a flash of light under his feet. But it was too late, in that instant, a green silhouette appeared in front of him like a ghost, with a palm imprint like a white lightning silently appearing and then fiercely landing on him. This happened in a flash, and aside from a few, not many could see it clearly, the speed was too fast. "Bang!" At that instant, the palm imprint crushed down, the axe-wielding young man''s defensive circle instantly cracked, and he staggered back several steps. "Pfft!" The young man spat out blood and then sat down on the ground, his complexion turning pale. "I lost..." The young man said, looking at Yun Hongling, no longer having the strength to continue fighting. "Good..." This scene made the Xie surname elder in the stands shout in approval, as two from the Yunyang Sect had already made it into the top seven. "Generally speaking, multi-element martial artists have an advantage." Li Lin looked at Yun Hongling''s victory and smiled slightly, thinking that this girl''s strength was indeed strong. When Li Lin''s gaze turned to the other areas, they had also won their matches. "Buzz!" When the bell rang again, the faces of the sect masters from the Returning Yuan Sect, Xuan Mountain Sect, and Phantom Soul Gate, Wei Bangyan, Zhi Yuan, and Ren Changqing, respectively, showed some helplessness, as their disciples had not even made it into the top seven. "The winners stay, the losers leave," announced the elder of the Heavenly Sword Sect in a red robe. The seven defeated disciples left the field with disappointment, and Li Lin''s gaze immediately fell on the remaining seven. Among the remaining seven, Yun Hongling, Yuan Ruolan, and Lan Ling were included, and among the others, Li Lin recognized one from the Heavenly Sword Sect, a black-clothed young man who strangely did not carry a long sword, but Li Lin could tell that this person was a spiritualist. The second was a woman from the Earth Spirit Sect, dressed in orange embroidered clothes, who, upon closer inspection, was quite beautiful with a fair complexion, a melon-seed face, long eyebrows, and although not very fair-skinned, her figure was graceful and radiant. When Li Lin observed this woman''s cultivation, he was somewhat surprised to find another spiritualist, with a cultivation aura far surpassing Zhao Qinghai, likely at the fourth level of the Spirit General. The last one, who also seemed strange to Li Lin, was a thin young man with a white bandage on his face, whose affiliation was unknown, but who had managed to defeat disciples from the three sects and four gates all the way to the top seven, which was no small feat. "This person is not simple," Li Lin felt vaguely that this thin young man and Yuan Ruolan would be his tough competitors. "Among you seven, four will be drawn again for a match to determine the top five. But now, you seven come forward to receive a set of low-grade Xuan-level martial skills," said the elder of the Heavenly Sword Sect in a red robe. The seven advanced, and this was the third time they had come to receive low-grade Xuan-level martial skills. "Li Lin, well done," the elder in the red robe said with a slight smile and a look of admiration upon seeing Li Lin coming to receive the martial skill again. After all seven had received a set of low-grade Xuan-level martial skills, a Heavenly Sword Sect protector brought out a jade box. "Inside are seven jade tokens, two marked with a one, two marked with a two, and the remaining three are blank jade tokens. Those who draw one and two will compete against each other, and the rest will leave," said the elder in the red robe. "Elder, if we continue to win, can we still receive a set of low-grade Xuan-level martial skills?" a voice asked as soon as the elder in the red robe finished speaking, and it could only be Li Lin. "Of course," the elder in the red robe said with a slight smile, looking at Li Lin: "Any other questions?" Chapter 397: Facing Lan Ling "There''s nothing left." Li Lin smiled slightly, thinking to himself that being able to obtain another Xuan-level elementary martial technique was fine, even if he was drawn to fight. It''s easy to get a set of Xuan-level elementary martial techniques here, but it would not be easy outside. It''s easy to obtain a Xuan-level elementary martial technique here, but if others participating in the conference knew about Li Lin''s thoughts, they would be utterly depressed. In this competition, there are probably not many who would dare to say it''s easy to pass. Hearing Li Lin''s words, the other six also turned their heads to look at him. The seven of them then drew a jade slip from the jade box in front of the Tianjian Sect''s protector one by one. Li Lin was the first to open the jade slip in his hand, which was marked with the number one. "I really ran into it." Li Lin''s heart sank, knowing he must fight another battle to advance to the top five. Three people could advance directly, which, to some extent, meant those three had quite an advantage. "Well, at least I can still get a set of Xuan-level elementary martial techniques." Li Lin smiled slightly. Another battle was no harm, and the Xuan-level elementary martial technique was also valuable. After this store, there would be no next village. "Little thief, I got a blank jade pendant, no need to fight anymore." Yun Hongling happily came to Li Lin''s side, looking at the number one jade plaque in Li Lin''s hand, her mood instantly sank, "Little thief, you got number one, you have to fight another match." "It''s okay." Li Lin said lightly. Although he had just spent a lot, he believed that everyone else had also gone through a round and were greatly exhausted. He was not at a disadvantage, and his Yin Yang Ling Wu Jue recovered very quickly. The delay just now had already allowed him to recover a lot, not to mention his dantian qi sea was vast. "Alright, those with number one and number two jade plaques, come up. The other three, step down." The red-robed elder of the Tianjian Sect said again. "Little thief, be careful, you must enter the top five." Yun Hongling said to Li Lin. "Okay, I will." Li Lin said lightly. After the three with blank jade plaques left the field, there were only four people left. Li Lin glanced over, besides himself, there was the black-clothed youth from the Tianjian Sect, the female spirit practitioner from the Earth Spirit Sect, and one was actually Lan Ling. "Everyone, please come up. The rules remain the same, the two winners will enter the top five and continue the top three competition tomorrow." The red-robed elder of the Tianjian Sect said. Looking at the other three, Li Lin was already in the number one area. Two spirit practitioners, plus a Lan Ling from the Myriad Beasts Sect, seemed to be tough opponents. "Whoosh!" Just as Li Lin reached the number one area, a figure landed, and the air was filled with a seductive fragrance. Exposed long legs, a flat and smooth abdomen, and the tightly wrapped but revealing breasts were indeed Lan Ling. "Lan Ling, good luck!" "Jian Xin''er, we support you." "Kou Zihao, enter the top five." "Li Lin, we support you." Among the spectators, waves of cheering suddenly arose. The people who made it to the top seven had gathered quite a bit of popularity by now. "Seems like my luck isn''t that great." Yun Xiao Tian frowned, seeing that Li Lin had to fight another round, he started to worry again. Another battle might be even tougher than the last. "It might be a bit difficult." Yu Yu also looked more solemn, his hands nervously rubbing on his thighs, his eyes closely watching his precious disciple. Up in the stands, a pair of beautiful eyes also turned somewhat silent, showing a slight frown. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! "Sister Wushuang, you don''t have to worry. With big brother''s strength, entering the top five is too easy." Little dragon''s voice said in Li Wushuang''s ear. "Little dragon, you''re so confident." Li Wushuang turned her head, looking at Little dragon, her brows slightly relaxing. She naturally believed what Little dragon said. "Sister Wushuang, just relax. At least the little thief still has a powerful trump card that he hasn''t used yet." Yun Hongling, who had just left the field with a blank jade pendant, was back in the stands. She always remembered that Li Lin had a terrifying trump card. In the Fog Mountain Range, she was injured at that time. "Yun Sect Leader, guess now, will your sect''s Li Lin win, or will my sect''s Lan Ling win?" On the stands, the Sect Leader of the Myriad Beasts Sect, Yin Yi, looked at Yun Xiao Tian. "Yin Sect Leader, it seems you have high hopes for your disciple." Yun Xiao Tian said lightly. He knew about the Myriad Beasts Sect. The direct disciples all had their own life-bound beasts. The female of the Myriad Beasts Sect had never used her life-bound beast, showing she hadn''t used her full strength, making him even more worried for Li Lin. "Of course, I have hopes for my disciple. Doesn''t the Yunyang Sect hope for their disciples as well?" Yin Yi retorted with a glare. "I also have hopes for my disciples," Yun Xiao Tian said, as morale could not be lost. "Then good. Since Yun Sect Leader also has hopes for his disciples, let''s bet on another round, how about it? The stake is still a set of high-level Xuan martial techniques. Yun Sect Leader just won a set of high-level Xuan martial techniques from me, now you have to give me a chance to recover, hehe." Yin Yi laughed. He had just lost a set of high-level Xuan martial techniques and was hurting, naturally wanting to win it back. "Not bad, I feel the same. Let''s bet on Li Lin and Yin Sect Leader''s disciple, still a set of high-level Xuan martial techniques. Yun Sect Leader won''t refuse us a chance to recover, right?" "That''s right, I''m also betting." ... The various sect leaders immediately said, having just lost a set of high-level Xuan martial techniques, they must win it back now, suddenly becoming interested. "Alright, I''ll accompany you all in another bet." Yun Xiao Tian said, in this situation, he couldn''t refuse and could only agree. ... "Buzz!" Another bell announcing the start of the match rang, and the melodious bell sound echoed over the square. The noisy cheering around suddenly began to quiet down. In the number one area, Li Lin and Lan Ling were among them. In the number two area, the black-clothed youth from the Tianjian Sect and the female spirit practitioner from the Earth Spirit Sect were there. The atmosphere around the two, as the bell sounded, suddenly became tense. Spiritual power vibrated, and the two instantly covered themselves with an invisible light shield. Both were spirit practitioners, both at the level of four-layer spirit generals, their faces showing solemnity. "Whoosh whoosh!" In an instant, as their spiritual power flashed, they fiercely collided, spiritual power mixed with soul attacks, suddenly creating a sonic boom that echoed through the space. The two in the number two area had already clashed fiercely, but in the number one area, the two were just facing each other, with no reaction yet. "Lin''er, brother, I didn''t expect us to meet here." Lan Ling sighed slightly, her beautiful eyes staring at Li Lin, her chest seemingly intentionally pushed up, making her curvaceous figure even more provocative, a tease for any man. "I didn''t expect it either. It seems heaven is good to me, giving me a chance to settle the accounts of the past." Li Lin said lightly, seeing this woman, anger started to surge in his heart. "The accounts of the past, I admit it was my fault first, but you didn''t suffer either. I spent a lot of effort, but what I got were two empty space bags." Lan Ling said lightly, her eyes, however, were looking at Li Lin with a very gentle gaze. "You deserved it." Li Lin said lightly. If he hadn''t been cautious and swapped the Soul Spirit Liquid and other treasures inside, he would have suffered a huge loss. "Lin''er, brother, I didn''t really intend to take your life back then. Don''t you understand my intentions? I thought I would never see you again. When I saw you in the city last time, I''ve been thinking about you these past few days." Lan Ling said softly, her gaze, unabashedly filled with flirtation, fell into Li Lin''s eyes. "Let''s not talk about this. We have different paths and cannot plan together. I appreciate your kindness." Li Lin''s expression darkened. This kind of woman, it''s better to stay away from, who knows when she might betray him again. "You don''t need to guard against me. If I wanted to harm you, you wouldn''t be alive now." Lan Ling said softly, sighing, her beautiful eyes conveying a sense of pity. "Who was it that poisoned me back then?" Li Lin said lightly. "I had no choice because the treasure you obtained was of great use to me, but I really had no intention of killing you. After spending so much time with you, knowing you''re a gentleman who wouldn''t harbor improper thoughts even living under the same roof, so, sister''s heart has already had you in it." Lan Ling said. "What''s going on? The little thief isn''t making a move, and they''re chatting so vigorously." In the stands, Yun Hongling was worried, but now she suddenly became indignantly angry. "Eh..." This scene also made many strong people in the stands somewhat puzzled, these two seemingly had no intention to fight, as if they were catching up on old times. "Forget it, let''s start. Settling our grievances this way, it''s cheap for you." Li Lin''s gaze hardened, and he spoke solemnly. "Lin''er, brother, you really have no compassion for women." Lan Ling sighed softly, "I didn''t want to fight you, but at this moment, for the sake of the Myriad Beasts Sect, I have no choice but to fight you." Chapter 398: Mid-Stage of Fifth Order "Come on, I''m waiting." Li Lin spoke lightly, his true qi already circulating within his body. Aware of the strength of a Blue Spirit Triple Warrior, Li Lin dared not underestimate his opponent. Although he was not afraid of Triple Warriors, Blue Spirit was a direct disciple of the Myriad Beasts Sect, and it was uncertain how powerful her natal demon beast had become. "Giggle, little brother Lin, sister knows you''re strong, so I won''t hold back, okay?" Blue Spirit laughed, her laughter causing her slender waist to twist and her bosom to quiver, presenting a temptation to anyone who saw her. As her laughter ceased, Blue Spirit''s demeanor became serious, and her true qi surged around her. Suddenly, she grasped a blue longsword in her hand, enveloped by a scorching red aura. In an instant, a sword shadow flashed by, her figure swift as lightning, rushing towards Li Lin. With a flicker of his true qi, Li Lin''s figure vanished from where he stood. "Whoosh!" A blade of sword qi slashed down, landing heavily on the ground where Li Lin had just been, instantly cracking the hard rock surface. Seeing Li Lin''s figure disappear, Blue Spirit was momentarily startled but without hesitation, her body was engulfed in a crimson glow, and the fire attribute aura spread out. With the blue longsword in her hand, she quickly launched several sword beams towards her rear. When Li Lin reappeared, he was already behind Blue Spirit, his palm strikes dispersing in the air, twisting the space around them, and then landing on the sword qi Blue Spirit had released. The sword qi Blue Spirit had launched was quickly dissolving into red smoke that scattered into the air, while a powerful energy filled the surrounding space. "Thousand Hands Rift Seal." Suddenly, a palm seal trailed a series of afterimages, fiercely piercing through the air currents and shooting towards Blue Spirit with a wild surge of energy, creating a powerful wave of force. From the first exchange, Blue Spirit''s expression had turned solemn, and now it changed drastically. The speed and strength of her opponent exceeded her expectations. "Fire Shadow Sword Technique." As she swiftly retreated, Blue Spirit let out a delicate shout. Her graceful figure drew an even more enticing line of fire, her longsword emitting a scorching sword light that rushed to meet Li Lin''s palm strike. "Ssssh!" Contrary to expectations, there was no massive sound of impact. The two forces collided, carrying a fierce energy that quickly met. The collision of the two attacks immediately spread a wave of energy in the air, distorting the space. At that moment, Blue Spirit''s figure, like a leaf in the autumn wind, was forced to retreat in embarrassment. She felt a powerful energy hidden within Li Lin''s palm strike, which passed through her sword shadow to hit her hand, then directly penetrated her palm and struck her internal organs with a thunderous impact. "Little brother Lin, I didn''t expect you to be so strong, and I didn''t expect you to be a disciple of the Yunyang Sect. It looks like sister will have to use all her strength today." Stabilizing her stance, Blue Spirit''s expression turned utterly solemn as she focused on Li Lin in front of her. "I didn''t expect that in just over two years, you''ve reached the Triple Warrior level," Li Lin said lightly, observing Blue Spirit. Despite being at a slight disadvantage just now, her allure seemed natural, her breath fluctuating, and her chest heaving more provocatively. "That''s nothing compared to you, little brother Lin. Sister is going to summon her natal demon beast now. If you find yourself unable to match up, you''d better speak up early. I don''t want to hurt you." Blue Spirit revealed a smile again, her eyes tenderly looking at Li Lin, her lips pouting in an undisguised flirtation. "Hmph, that damn enchantress." Yun Hongling was already furiously upset in the stands, but there was nothing she could do, puffing up her cheeks in frustration. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. "Summon your Blazing Fire Eagle then, I''m waiting." Li Lin spoke lightly, his gaze noting Blue Spirit''s proud chest heaving slightly. She sheathed her blue longsword and formed a strange hand seal, then tapped a bag at her waist, similar to a space bag, from which a streak of light shot out instantly. "Gah." The streak of light soared into the sky and transformed into a hundred-meter-sized crimson flying eagle, its presence spreading a formidable aura. The eagle''s talons were sharp as hooks, and its beak was as deadly as the barbs on a sharp knife. "A Mid-Stage Fifth Order Blazing Fire Eagle." At that moment, Yun Xiaotian on the stands was surprised, his expression turning utterly solemn. "Yun Sect Master, I forgot to tell you, my sect''s disciple''s natal demon beast has already broken through to the mid-stage of the fifth order. Among the younger generation, she is the only one who has managed to break through to this level," Myriad Beasts Sect''s Sect Master Yin E smiled slightly, his gaze on Yun Xiaotian carrying a hint of mockery. "This Blazing Fire Eagle must have broken through to the mid-stage of the fifth order some time ago. Although it hasn''t reached the peak of the mid-stage, I estimate that even a Fifth Order Warrior would have difficulty dealing with it now," Gu Jianfeng commented, raising an eyebrow. "Hehe, now I wonder if Li Lin can hold his own. I didn''t expect Sect Master Yin''s disciple to have pushed her natal demon beast to this level," a group of sect leaders said, seemingly waiting to see if Yun Xiaotian could win back the high-level Xuan-tier martial technique he had just lost. "Mid-stage of the fifth order, huh." Li Lin was also surprised at this point. The Blazing Fire Eagle, which was at the third order level back then, had now reached the mid-stage of the fifth order. From its aura, although it had not reached the peak of the mid-stage, he estimated that an ordinary Fifth Order Warrior would indeed have a hard time dealing with it. "Another demon beast." Li Lin lightly raised an eyebrow. If he were to face a Fifth Order Warrior, he might be forced to reveal his trump card again, but now, facing a demon beast, especially a flying one of the fifth order mid-stage, was extremely difficult for others. Compared to facing a Fifth Order Warrior, dealing with a demon beast seemed somewhat easier. However, Li Lin knew he was different. Having gone through numerous hardships and near-death experiences to master the Blood Soul Mark, it was the bane of all demon beasts. While he couldn''t directly control a Mid-Stage Fifth Order demon beast yet, dealing with one shouldn''t be a problem. The Blood Soul Mark had a restraining effect on all demon beasts; otherwise, a king-level beast like the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion wouldn''t have been marked by his Blood Soul Mark. A barely perceptible sly smile appeared on Li Lin''s lips. The Blood Soul Mark left by his master, the Saint Hand Ling Zun, was the nemesis of the Myriad Beasts Sect. Li Lin even wondered if his master had a grudge against the Myriad Beasts Sect, as the Blood Soul Mark was specifically designed to torment them, whether in controlling or attacking demon beasts. During this delay, Blue Spirit formed strange hand seals and spat out a mouthful of blood essence, her face turning pale instantly. She took out a pill, mixed it with her blood essence, and with changing hand seals, threw it towards the Blazing Fire Eagle. "Gah..." The Blazing Fire Eagle roared, its voice piercing through the void. It opened its sharp beak and swallowed the pill. In that instant, its body size explosively increased, with its wings spreading over four hundred meters, covering the space like a blazing red cloud, drastically raising the temperature of the entire area. The aura of the Blazing Fire Eagle also approached a frenzied state. "It''s a Mid-Stage Fifth Order demon beast, the natal demon beast of a direct disciple of the Myriad Beasts Sect." "Li Lin is in trouble now." "Kou Zihao seems to be at a disadvantage too. Jin Xin''er''s soul attack appears to be much stronger." Among the onlookers, the battle among the four was being closely watched, and at that moment, Yuan Ruolan in a purple dress was also intently observing the four. "Blazing Fire Eagle, go." With a light command from Blue Spirit, the Blazing Fire Eagle circling in the sky immediately flapped its wings and rushed towards Li Lin with a burst of violent flames. "Gah gah!" As the Blazing Fire Eagle''s massive body flapped its wings, a fierce energy pierced through the void. Its body, charging forward, created a howling wind, as if breaking through space itself, demonstrating its formidable might. This display of power instilled fear in many of the onlookers around the plaza, given the terrifying nature of this huge Mid-Stage Fifth Order demon beast. Just with a flap of its wings, already close by, the Blazing Fire Eagle''s fiery aura quivered, bringing with it turbulent flames and a fierce aura sweeping out. "Gah gah..." With this immense display of power, the temperature in the surrounding space suddenly became unbearably hot. Then, from the Blazing Fire Eagle''s mouth, a fireball several tens of meters in size was expelled, thunderously tearing through the void, dragging along crimson spatial ripples, and ferociously pressing towards Li Lin. The fireball grew as it caught the wind, continuing to expand, its momentum crushing the air, its ferocious aura growing stronger and stronger. "Fire Flame Burst." At that moment, Li Lin moved, his expression instantly becoming solemn. With a low shout, a whirlwind appeared under his feet, and as he rapidly retreated, a hand seal changed, and a palm-sized fireball burst forth from his right hand, drastically increasing the scorching aura in the space, with a powerful aura pressing down, directly enveloping the surrounding space. Chapter 399: Specializing in Defeating Demonic Beasts In the blink of an eye, Li Lin did not retreat but advanced instead. His figure leaped up, with the Wings of Wind expanding behind him, transforming into a blur that surged forward. At the same time, he pushed forward with his hand sign, and a fireball spun out from his palm, which then rapidly expanded, tearing open a scorching arc through the space. A terrifyingly hot oppressive force spread out like a tidal wave. The fireball also grew with the wind, the terrifying force crushing the space. To everyone''s surprise, two fireballs collided in an instant, and at the moment of collision, everyone could clearly see that the fireball condensed by Li Lin was significantly smaller. "Bang bang..." The two fireballs exploded in mid-air, causing the space to ripple violently. The boundless flames swept across the sky, turning even the ripples in space a reddish color under the terrifying temperature. The firestorm spread over a thousand meters, engulfing both Li Lin''s figure and the Fierce Fire Falcon within it. As the flames surged, covering the sky and the earth, the ground below cracked open with spider-web-like fissures as the entire space was engulfed by the wild flames. Such spreading flame energy caused the surrounding spectators to exclaim in shock. Even the powerful figures from the three sects and four schools couldn''t understand why Li Lin, knowing he was not as strong as the Fierce Fire Falcon, chose to confront it head-on instead of avoiding it with the Cloud Sun Sect''s Floating Light Fleeting Shadow technique. "What is this kid trying to do?" Yun Xiao Tian was also surprised, as this direct confrontation was extremely disadvantageous for Li Lin. Li WuShuang and Yun HongLing were also worried under such circumstances, clearly seeing that this was extremely unfavorable for Li Lin. On Li WuShuang''s right shoulder, Bai Ling watched with slight attention but without much gravity, its body lazily lying on Li WuShuang''s shoulder. "WuShuang sister, you don''t have to worry. A mere mid-stage fifth-order demonic beast won''t be able to hurt our boss," Little dragon said, rolling his eyes disdainfully at the mid-stage fifth-order Fierce Fire Falcon in the sky. Such a beast was not worth its attention. Amidst the surging flames on the plaza, terrifyingly hot energy burst forth under numerous shocked gazes, turning into arcs of flame that shot out, causing the hard rock plaza ground to crack and break. Dust filled the air, and the originally neat plaza was now in ruins. At this moment, within the second area, the victor was already decided, with a female spirit practitioner from the Earth Spirit Sect defeating the black-clothed youth from the Heavenly Sword Gate. As everyone watched the wild flames enveloping the space, unable to see anything clearly inside except for the exploding fireballs and spreading flames, this all lasted only about four or five seconds. When the flame energy finally dissipated within the space, a vaguely visible figure of the Fierce Fire Falcon appeared in everyone''s sight. And at that moment, as the dust and heat began to fade, the figure of the Fierce Fire Falcon''s head revealed a human silhouette above it. This figure had true qi wings on its back, and its body was enveloped in a thick, light yellow glow. Upon closer inspection, one could see that under the light yellow glow, there was armor made of thick scales, covering everything except the eyes and part of the face, even the palms were covered in scales. "What defensive martial skill is this? It''s so powerful," Yin Yi, the sect master of the Myriad Beasts Sect, exclaimed upon seeing the figure in the hot air. At this moment, everyone, without exception, wore expressions of surprise and incredulity. Under the gaze of countless eyes, Li Lin''s figure appeared, and the entire plaza fell silent, with everyone staring at him in amazement. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! "Good lad," Yun Xiao Tian smiled brightly. Li Lin also began to move, his speed describable only as lightning-fast. His yellow-glowing body left a blur as he charged directly at the Fierce Fire Falcon, and some very strong individuals could clearly see a blood-red glow beginning to emanate from Li Lin''s palm... "Aow..." A sound resembling that of dragons, phoenixes, lions, and tigers emanated faintly from Li Lin''s palm. In an instant, a strange seal appeared on his right palm, resembling but not quite a dragon or a tiger, entirely blood-red, with a tremendous oppressive force spreading from it. Under the gaze of countless eyes, Li Lin flicked the strange seal in his hand like a tiger hunting its prey, tearing through space with the sound of dragons, phoenixes, lions, and tigers, fiercely smashing into the Fierce Fire Falcon''s forehead and disappearing into a burst of blood-red light. Feeling this immense oppressive force, the Fierce Fire Falcon was immediately shocked, its huge body trembling, and seemingly suppressed invisibly. "Again, this strange martial skill," the powerful individuals in the stands were surprised once more, all eyes fixed on Li Lin. In the stands, Yuan RuoLan, clad in a purple robe and with a delicate figure, watched Li Lin with a gleam of sharpness flashing in her eyes momentarily. In the blink of an eye, everything happened very quickly. Just as the strange seal smashed into the Fierce Fire Falcon''s forehead, everyone suddenly saw an incredible scene: the huge Fierce Fire Falcon froze like a wooden chicken, and then its massive body fell heavily from the sky to the ground. "Bang!" The ground shook violently as the several hundred meters large body fell, its weight imaginable. "Pfft..." A mouthful of fresh blood spurted from Lan Ling''s mouth, her face suddenly turning pale, her delicate body staggering backward several steps before stabilizing, her eyes filled with shock as she looked at Li Lin. She could fully feel that her mind had been struck hard just now, her soul force injured by Li Lin''s attack, affecting the Fierce Fire Falcon, her bonded demonic beast, as well. "Huff huff..." On the ground, the Fierce Fire Falcon''s massive body, just two seconds after being smashed to the ground, began to flap its wings but could not take flight. Mid-air, Li Lin, now armored in Qing Ling armor, his expression darkened as he began to condense another seal in his hand, ready to strike down... "Lin''er, sister admits defeat," Lan Ling''s face changed drastically, knowing the trouble if her bonded demonic beast were killed. "Thanks for letting me win," Li Lin withdrew his seal, his wings fluttered, Qing Ling armor shed, and he landed on the ground, his green robe fluttering, spreading an invisible force. "Li Lin, well done." "Li Lin, we support you." In that moment, the plaza erupted into thunderous cheers, today''s scene having secured Li Lin''s position in the hearts of many, his popularity soaring. "This feeling, actually not bad," Li Lin also waved for the first time, feeling a surge of excitement in his heart. "Li Lin, we love you." Some lively and bold girls were completely won over, waves of voices washing over him. "This character, hmph," Yun HongLing watched Li Lin and lightly snorted, while Li WuShuang''s eyes sparkled with a gentle smile, a smile that could captivate a city. At this moment, Qu DaoJue also seemed somewhat excited. It was only now that he realized that during their previous contest at the top of the Earth Dragon, Li Lin had never used his full strength. "Hmph!" Only Zhao QingHai and Zhao QingTian, the two brothers, had a cold look of envy, jealousy, and hatred in their eyes. "Clap..." "Lin''er, your master has not doted on you in vain." Yu Yu slapped his thigh with a crisp sound, then jumped up excitedly. Having such a disciple, what more could a master ask for? "Elder Yu, you slapped me again," Elder Song protested loudly but soon also showed a smile, saying, "If your precious disciple can make it into the top three tomorrow, I''ll let you slap me twice more." At this moment, the elders of the Cloud Sun Sect, Elder Yang and Elder Xie, couldn''t help but get a bit excited. Two disciples from the Cloud Sun Sect making it into the top five, especially with Li Lin''s performance in this match, was commendable. His strong advancement had really made the Cloud Sun Sect proud. "Ah..." Yin Yi sighed, showing a look of helpless resignation. His own disciple, with a mid-stage fifth-order bonded demonic beast, had lost. "Hehe, fellow sect leaders, a bet is a bet. A set of high-level Xuan-grade martial techniques, Yun someone won''t be polite," Yun Xiao Tian chuckled, his gaze already on the sect leaders. "Ah..." The sect leaders sighed softly, giving Yin Yi a fierce glare before reluctantly handing over a set of high-level Xuan-grade martial techniques to Yun Xiao Tian. "Sect Master Yun, I have nothing to say in defeat, but you must tell me, what are the origins of those strange martial and defensive techniques used by your disciple, Li Lin?" After Yin Yi handed over a set of high-level Xuan-grade martial techniques, he retracted his hand and looked at Yun Xiao Tian with inquiry. At this moment, all the sect leaders were also curiously looking at Yun Xiao Tian. They were equally curious about the origins of those strange martial and defensive techniques, which were clearly no ordinary skills. Chapter 400: The Slender Young Man "Master Yin, this is a secret of our Yunyang Sect, how can it be leaked casually?" Yun Xiaotian laughed, quickly snatching the high-level Xuan-grade martial arts technique from Yin E''s hands, chuckling gleefully, as six sets of high-level Xuan-grade martial arts techniques were now accounted for. The six sect leaders were depressed, having lost two sets of high-level Xuan-grade martial arts techniques each over two days, causing them great distress, as these were of considerable value. Within the inner city of Tianjian City, after the people of Yunyang Sect returned to the courtyard, Yun Xiaotian was always full of smiles. This time, at the tri-sect and quad-school conference, two disciples of the Yunyang Sect entered the top five, making it hard for him not to smile. In the hall, Yu Yu was constantly excited, feeling immensely proud of his disciple. The other three elders were also overjoyed, as everyone now looked at Li Lin with new respect, only then realizing that Li Lin had always been hiding his true capabilities so deeply. In the hall, only the four elders, Yun Xiaotian, Li Lin, and Yun Hongling were present. After everyone was seated, Yun Xiaotian formed a hand seal, and a light shield enveloped the back of the hall, saying, "Li Lin, Hongling, you both performed well this time, especially Li Lin, which was a surprise to me." Li Lin smiled slightly, fearing that entering the top three tomorrow would not be so easy. However, he was lucky today, having obtained two sets of initial-level Xuan-grade martial arts techniques. In total, over these three days, he had obtained four sets of initial-level Xuan-grade martial arts techniques, which was certainly a significant number. "Li Lin, Hongling, you must be careful when you enter the top three tomorrow. The remaining three are not weak," Yun Xiaotian said, his smile fading as he seriously addressed the two. "I will do my best," Li Lin said softly. "Dad, I still have some tricks up my sleeve, not necessarily without a chance tomorrow," Yun Hongling pouted. "Hongling, you must not be careless. Do you think the remaining three don''t have any tricks up their sleeves?" Yun Xiaotian said lightly, then looked at Li Lin and asked, "Li Lin, among the remaining three, who do you think will be the hardest to deal with?" Li Lin raised his eyebrows, hesitated for a moment, and said, "All three are very difficult to deal with, but I vaguely believe that Yuan Ruolan from Tianjian Sect, who has always been intentionally hiding her strength, probably still has unrevealed capabilities. And there''s another disciple from a different power, the person with a white veil covering his face. Although he has been advancing without causing much of a stir, this person also gives me a very dangerous feeling. So, I guess, the strength of these two might be the hardest to deal with." "Good." Yun Xiaotian looked at Li Lin appreciatively and said, "That Yuan Ruolan from Tianjian Sect must be hiding something. Gu Jianfeng has not been too worried, probably having absolute confidence in Yuan Ruolan. This person will definitely be a strong opponent for you, but the extent of strength will be known tomorrow." After a pause, Yun Xiaotian continued, "As for the young man with a face covered by a white veil, he is undoubtedly a dark horse in this tri-sect and quad-school conference. I and several other sect leaders have been paying attention to him. According to Tianjian Sect''s records, this person comes from a not-so-small power in Moyun City, named Ling Qing. You must also be cautious, as I feel this person has also been hiding his strength." "Hongling, Li Lin, it''s up to you two to enter the top three tomorrow," Elder Yang said to Li Lin and Yun Hongling. "I will do my best," Li Lin nodded. "Li Lin, let me tell you about tomorrow''s rules in advance so you can be prepared," Yun Xiaotian said. "Tomorrow, the competition will not be held together but individually. The five of you will still draw lots to decide, but only four will compete. The remaining one will directly advance to the top three, meaning, if you''re lucky, one of the two from our Yunyang Sect could directly advance to the top three, ensuring our safety." "With five people, and two from our Yunyang Sect, the chances of drawing a direct advancement are quite significant," Yu Yu said, considering the odds of two in five to be quite high. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. "Will there be any low-level Xuan-grade martial arts techniques to win tomorrow?" Li Lin asked lightly. "No, the disciples who enter the top five will not cause the sect to lose any more martial arts techniques," Yun Xiaotian said lightly. "Li Lin, if you enter the top three tomorrow, I will give you a set of low-level Xuan-grade martial arts techniques," Yu Yu chuckled, then said to Yun Xiaotian, "Sect Leader, you don''t mind, right?" "Of course, I don''t mind," Yun Xiaotian said. "Li Lin, if you enter the top three tomorrow, I will also give you a set of low-level Xuan-grade martial arts techniques." A set of initial-level Xuan-grade martial arts techniques was naturally something Yun Xiaotian would not refuse, even letting out a somewhat mischievous laugh. Li Lin had already won twelve sets of high-level Xuan-grade martial arts techniques for him, so a set of low-level Xuan-grade martial arts techniques was trivial in comparison. "Thank you, Sect Leader," Li Lin chuckled. Low-level Xuan-grade martial arts techniques, if not needed for oneself, were good even as gifts. However, at this moment, Li Lin did not know that Yun Xiaotian was so generous because he had already won twelve sets of high-level Xuan-grade martial arts techniques from him. If Li Lin knew this now, with his character, he might have demanded six sets of high-level Xuan-grade martial arts techniques or might have even considered withdrawing from the competition, insisting on a fair share of the benefits for betting his own martial arts techniques. "Li Lin, tell me honestly, did you use your full strength today, or do you still have some reserves?" Yun Xiaotian asked seriously, now having no confidence in tomorrow''s advancement to the top three. At this moment, all the elders also looked towards Li Lin, curious and eagerly waiting for his answer. They also wanted to know if Li Lin, who had already surprised them today, still had any reserves. If he really did, that would be truly terrifying. Feeling everyone''s gaze, Li Lin hesitated slightly, then said, "I did hold back a little. Tomorrow, I will definitely try my best to enter the top three." "Really still have reserves..." The people in the hall were almost petrified. After leaving the hall, Li Lin visited Li Wushuang''s room, spending a moment with Li Wushuang, then, urged by Li Wushuang, Li Lin had to return to his room to start his cultivation. When Li Lin returned to his room, it was already evening. Today''s two competitions had indeed consumed a lot of his energy, and facing Lan Ling, it was fortunate to have the Blood Soul Mark''s restraining effect on demonic beasts, otherwise, it would not have been easy to deal with. "Boss, how are you prepared for entering the top three tomorrow?" Little dragon raised his little head and asked in the room. "Let''s see when the time comes," Li Lin said lightly, hoping not to face the strongest one tomorrow and preferably directly advance to the top three. "The remaining few people seem not simple," Bai Ling said lightly. "Probably everyone has some reserves," Li Lin said lightly. Sitting cross-legged, Li Lin pondered. If he could not directly advance to the top three tomorrow, he might need to reveal some more reserves. Entering the top three would definitely be much more difficult, as both he and Hongling had some reserves not yet shown, and it was unlikely the others didn''t have any. "Cultivation." After pondering for a while, Li Lin began his cultivation, and soon, his body was enveloped in a faint yellow glow. As for what reserves the others had, that would be known tomorrow. The competition for the top three would definitely be the most intense. As time slowly passed, Tianjian City remained bustling, still as bright as daylight, with everyone talking about today''s competition, and Li Lin''s name beginning to be known. The competition for the top three tomorrow also attracted more attention. The five people up to now were undoubtedly the strongest among the younger generation. Even if they lost, they would still be highly regarded. In an exquisite courtyard of Tianjian Sect, Tianjian Sect''s Gu Jianfeng, Elder Gu Feng, Elder Shi, and the red-robed elder, among others, were sitting, including Yuan Ruolan. "Ruolan, how confident are you about the top three tomorrow, with the remaining four?" Gu Jianfeng asked. "Sect Leader, the remaining four seem to have their extraordinary aspects, likely not easy to deal with," Yuan Ruolan said with a serious look. "You must enter the top three tomorrow. Originally, I wanted you to reveal your strength at the last moment. If you encounter a strong opponent tomorrow, it''s okay to reveal it in advance. Anyway, I estimate, among the four, probably no one can threaten you," Gu Jianfeng confidently said. "I will be careful," Yuan Ruolan said lightly. "If Ruolan reveals her final strength tomorrow, I guess everyone will be stunned," Elder Gu Feng laughed. "Haha..." All the elders of Tianjian Sect laughed heartily. Under the night sky, in an inconspicuous inn, it was especially quiet. Every place was brightly lit, only this inn remained as usual, not too bright, but definitely not attracting attention. At this moment, inns throughout Tianjian City were in high demand, but this one was somewhat deserted, causing many passersby to wonder. Some people looking for a place to stay inquired only to find out that the entire inn had been booked with a huge sum of money. Recently, the lodging fees at Tianjian Sect''s inn were exorbitant, being able to book the entire inn showed the extraordinary status of the guests, something ordinary people could not achieve. At this moment, inside a room of the inn, two figures appeared. One of them, with a face covered by a white veil, was the slender young man participating in the tri-sect and quad-school conference. The other person, with black long hair and a slightly sinister aura, appeared to be in his fifties, with no fluctuations in his aura, yet imposing an absolute sense of oppression. Chapter 401: Direct Promotion "Young Master, we just received a message from the realm''s lord. The three sects and four schools have already been paying attention to us recently. The lord advises you to be cautious and suggests it would be best to return early after finding the treasure," said a sinister-looking elder in his fifties. "I understand. I will take care of it after the conference of the three sects and four schools," a deep and husky voice of a young man responded. "For the Young Master, the three sects and four schools should not pose much difficulty. Why is the Young Master so interested? You seem a bit..." the sinister elder hesitated before speaking to the slender young man. "You mean to say I''m being somewhat childish," the young man turned back and looked at the elder, "The competition among the younger generations of the three sects and four schools, if I win, will undoubtedly be a blow to them. This is beneficial for us." "I see, Young Master, your consideration is indeed broad. I admire that," the sinister elder said. In the bustling Sky Sword City, the night passed slowly. As the night faded away unnoticed, and the morning breeze brought a slight chill, the streets filled with crowds heading towards the square again. The competition for the top three today, with its exciting scene from yesterday, naturally could not be missed. "Sigh!" When the first ray of light appeared outside the window, Li Lin exhaled turbid air and opened his eyes, his gaze as bright as the stars in the sky, flashing sharply. "I''ve recovered well." Feeling the abundant Qi in his body and the spiritual power in his mind, Li Lin murmured, a smile also appearing on his lips. Practicing the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Art, although the normal training speed is slow like a snail, the recovery speed is astonishing. Overnight, Li Lin already felt fully recovered. "Big brother, you''ll enter the top three today," Little dragon, upon seeing his elder brother stop meditating, quickly landed on Li Lin''s shoulder, affectionately flicking its tongue. "Let''s go, it''s time to leave," Li Lin said lightly. The weather was clear and sunny, an early spring season with very nice weather. A warm spring breeze blew gently, bringing comfort to the heart. In the vast square of Sky Sword City, from dawn, there was already a surge of people towards the square, and today''s admission fee had reached a hundred gold coins, an increase of twenty gold coins. When Li Lin rode the Sky Sword Sect''s beast, along with the people from Yun Yang Sect, to the square, it was already crowded with people. At the main grandstand, the leaders of the other sects had also arrived, and many of them gave Li Lin a few extra glances. "Not simple," Li Lin''s gaze landed on Yuan Ruolan. From her aura, she was a fourth-level Martial General, but her aura seemed somewhat unstable, which Li Lin found strange. "Little thief, what are you looking at? Don''t look around," Yun Hongling''s voice reached Li Lin''s ears again. Li Lin glanced at Yun Hongling helplessly, feeling quite frustrated. This stubborn girl really was his nemesis. With Yun Yang Sect backing her, he really couldn''t afford to provoke her. "I wonder what tricks Jian Xin''er has up her sleeve." When Li Lin''s gaze landed on the fourth-level Martial General of Di Ling Sect again, he thought that Jian Xin''er must have some trump cards. At this moment, Li Lin noticed a strange phenomenon in this conference of the three sects and four schools; it was dominated by females. Among the top five, only he and the youth in white veil were males, the rest were females, which was quite rare in the conferences of the three sects and four schools. "Lin''er, be careful today when you enter the top three," Li Wushuang said softly to Li Lin. Li Lin nodded slightly, without saying much. Entering the top three was extremely important to him; no matter what, even if it meant revealing his strongest trump card, he had to win the top three. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "Li Lin, enter the top three." "Yuan Ruolan, we support you, enter the top three."... A wave of enthusiastic shouts came, among the millions of spectators, the five participants today had definitely accumulated a lot of popularity. "Buzz!" When the entrance bell rang in the square, four figures instantly leaped down from the grandstand, moving lightly like falling leaves, immediately receiving much applause. A slender figure also leaped up from below, not too conspicuously fast, but this person, now almost simultaneously made the remaining four not dare to underestimate him. A person who could enter the top five in a low-key manner was definitely terrifying. At this moment, the surrounding cheers became silent again. "Today''s rules are the same. Inside the jade box are five jade tokens, two number ones and two number twos. The disciples who get number one will compete first, and the second match will be between the disciples who get number two. The one who gets the blank jade token will directly advance to the top three," the red-robed elder of the Sky Sword Sect said. Li Lin''s heart also became somewhat heavy; if he needed to compete in this round, it undoubtedly meant he had to fight with all his might. Everyone stepped forward in turn and drew a jade token from the jade box in front of the guardian of the Sky Sword Sect. When the five people drew their tokens, they eagerly opened them to see. On the grandstand, the elders of Yun Yang Sect and Yun Xiao Tian were also very nervous. If either Yun Hongling or Li Lin got the blank jade token, Yun Yang Sect could directly advance to the top three, and this time, Yun Yang Sect would not need to lose eighteen sets of high-level Xuan grade martial arts and seventh-grade pills. "It''s me..." When Li Lin opened his jade token, he was suddenly stunned. Li Lin never expected his luck to be so good; he got the blank jade token. "Advance to the top three, the ten-thousand-year red copper is secured," was the first thought that flashed through Li Lin''s mind. According to the agreement with Sect Master Yun Xiao Tian, as long as he entered the top three, he could ask him for a favor. The first thing Li Lin had decided in his heart was that he wanted the ten-thousand-year red copper. "Little thief, I got number two," Yun Hongling looked slightly disappointed at her own jade token, but when she glanced at Li Lin''s jade token, she immediately became happy: "Little thief, you actually got the blank jade token, you''re directly into the top three." "Who got the blank jade token?" the red-robed elder of the Sky Sword Sect asked everyone at this moment. "I did," Li Lin showed his jade token, the blank jade token in his hand. "Li Lin, you''re directly promoted to the top three. You can step down now and prepare for tomorrow''s competition," the red-robed elder smiled slightly and told Li Lin. "Haha, top three!" Yu Yu suddenly laughed out loud, his palm fiercely slapped on Elder Song''s thigh, the slap was powerful and clear. "Yu Elder, you slapped me again," Elder Song said loudly. "I know, you said yesterday, if my disciple enters the top three, you''d let me slap you a couple more times," Yu Elder chuckled. "This..." Elder Song also chuckled, his excitement imaginable. "Haha..." Yun Xiao Tian finally laughed heartily at this moment. Entering the top three, according to the rules, this time Yun Yang Sect''s face was saved. "Master Yun, your Yun Yang Sect''s luck is really good," Gu Jianfeng smiled slightly. "This isn''t just luck; even if we had to fight, there was a chance," Yun Xiao Tian smiled slightly: "Fellow sect masters, I''m sorry this time. I thought I would lose some martial arts to you all, but now it seems, it''s hard even if I wanted to lose." Watching Yun Xiao Tian, everyone could only be helpless. This time, Yun Yang Sect managed to avoid a financial loss, as Li Lin got the chance to be directly promoted. "Hongling, be careful and strive to enter the top three," Li Lin whispered to Yun Hongling, then stepped down from the arena, directly promoted, which made Li Lin breathe a sigh of relief. "Now, the two who got number one start the competition, and the remaining two wait aside," the red-robed elder said as Li Lin stepped down. "Swish swish..." In the arena, when two figures instantly leaped onto the stage, Li Lin''s figure had already reached the main grandstand, watching from above, the vast square at this moment had no number markers. The square, which was a mess and cracked yesterday, had already been repaired by the disciples of the Sky Sword Sect. "Li Lin, well done, entering the top three," seeing Li Lin reach the grandstand, Qu Daojue was the first to come up, looking very excited. At this moment, within the three sects and four schools, many defeated disciples also placed their hopes on Li Lin, including Lan Ling, who was among them, her face still somewhat pale. Watching Li Lin, her eyes were somewhat complicated. Seeing Li Lin, Yun Xiao Tian and the elders and protectors of Yun Yang Sect also smiled at Li Lin, all somewhat excited. "Boss, congratulations on directly entering the top three," a white and a yellow light quickly reached Li Lin''s shoulder, it was Little dragon and Bai Ling. "It''s those two," Li Lin''s gaze focused on the arena below, where two figures had appeared, Jian Xin''er of Di Ling Sect and the slender young man with his face covered by a white veil. "Hongling will face Yuan Ruolan," Li Lin''s mind was suddenly startled, with Di Ling Sect''s Jian Xin''er facing the slender young man in a white veil. Yun Hongling facing Yuan Ruolan was definitely a bit troublesome. "Buzz!" The bell rang over the square again, and the surroundings became quiet once more. At this moment, all eyes in the entire square were on the two people in the center, including the strong individuals from various sects on the grandstands. Chapter 402: The Spiritual Weapon at Hand In the arena, two figures stood apart, their auras unknowingly beginning to spread and suddenly burst forth in the surrounding space. "I wonder who will win this match," Li Lin mused, watching the center of the arena. "Whoosh!" At that moment, Jian Xin''er of the Earth Spirit Sect took the lead, forming hand seals, and a claw mark tore through the air from in front of her, enveloping the slender young man as if twisting the space itself. The slender young man changed the hand seals he was forming, and with a flick of his hand, a blue longsword appeared, shimmering with light and faint, strange water patterns. The sword vibrated slightly, emitting a buzzing sword chant, clearly no ordinary item. In an instant, the slender young man cast a sword technique from his longsword, sending out several sword beams that pierced through spatial ripples towards the claw mark. "Whoosh whoosh..." As the forces collided, their energies instantly clashed and twisted the air around them, then both energies vanished into thin air. "Whoosh!" In the blink of an eye, Jian Xin''er''s spiritual power surged, changing her hand seals and lifting her wrist lightly, sending out a palm strike that tore through space and pressed down on the slender young man. As a spiritual practitioner, Jian Xin''er always maintained a distance from the martial practitioner, as getting too close would only put her at a disadvantage. "Whoosh!" The slender young man slightly sidestepped, his longsword emitting a dazzling sword light, faintly bringing a mist of water, and collided with Jian Xin''er''s palm strike in an instant. The collision exploded with energy, lighting up the sky above with a blinding glow. Jian Xin''er staggered back slightly, her expression becoming serious. Her beautiful eyes focused, and as she formed another hand seal, a dense energy gathered around her, causing violent fluctuations around the space. "Is she going to use a soul attack?" Li Lin''s eyebrows twitched. Martial and spiritual practitioners each had their strengths, and it seemed Jian Xin''er was preparing to launch a soul attack. In an instant, from the center of Jian Xin''er''s brows, a streak of light emerged, gathering the surrounding energy. This light quickly transformed into a huge light blade, which, with a "whoosh," slashed through the sky like lightning towards the slender young man. "It must be a high-level Yellow-tier spiritual technique mixed with a soul attack," Li Lin sensed, guessing that Jian Xin''er''s technique was similar to his own Phantom Spirit Imprint, absolutely formidable. As Li Lin''s gaze then fell on the slender young man, the latter cast a powerful Qi from within, unreservedly bursting forth. With a change in hand seals, his longsword created a lotus-like sword shadow. A surge of water attribute energy violently gathered, breaking through the spatial air currents with roaring sword beams, directly blocking Jian Xin''er''s spiritual light blade. "Whoosh whoosh..." As the forces met, the surrounding space suddenly lit up with a dazzling light, and the energy spread, tearing open numerous air currents. "Thump thump!" As the energy gradually dissipated, Jian Xin''er stumbled back, her complexion turning pale, indicating she was at a disadvantage. The Sect Master of the Earth Spirit Sect, Ouyang Xuan Ying, watched the scene below with a serious expression on her beautiful face. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. In the arena, the slender young man stood calmly, seemingly not intending to pursue his advantage aggressively. "Lin''er, who do you think will win?" Li WuShuang asked softly, her beautiful eyes fixed on the two figures below. "If Jian Xin''er has no more tricks up her sleeve, she might lose," Li Lin replied, then thought to himself, "It''s time for her to use her trump card." At that moment, Jian Xin''er formed a mysterious hand seal, and a peculiar aura spread around her. To everyone''s surprise, she summoned a dazzling light from her palm, which, upon focusing, revealed a green longsword, emanating a strange but undoubtedly powerful energy. "A spiritual weapon!" In that instant, the audience was shocked. The aura emanating from the longsword made it clear to the assembled experts that this was no ordinary sword, but a spiritual weapon. Spiritual weapons were not mere arms; they were powerful treasures, and even the lowest tier was considered an absolute treasure by major forces. "She has a spiritual weapon too?" Li Lin was surprised but not shocked, as Yun HongLing also possessed a spiritual weapon. It seemed this was Jian Xin''er''s final trump card. Instantly, Jian Xin''er activated the spiritual weapon, and the longsword underwent a transformation, spreading a formidable energy. The sword light burst out like fireworks, turning into dozens of sword beams, enveloping the slender young man in a bizarre and overwhelming net. This wasn''t mere Qi transforming into countless sword shadows, but the actual longsword splitting into dozens, sweeping towards the slender young man. The bizarre and violent energy exploded, pressing down and causing a whooshing sound in the space, with sonic booms echoing incessantly. The spatial currents were torn apart, the violent aura enveloping a vast area. Under the onslaught of these dozens of sword beams, the air ''hissed'' as spaces were torn open, and the slender young man started to retreat. The sword beams clung to him like persistent maggots, including a soul attack. Li Lin''s gaze remained fixed on the slender young man, estimating that he must also have a powerful trump card. As the dozens of sword beams closed in, the fierce energy tore open cracks in the ground around him. "Whoosh whoosh!" At that moment, the slender young man slightly lifted his head, his gaze fixed on the sword beams pressing down on him. As his hand seals changed, a robust stream of Qi flowed out, his clothes billowing. Suddenly, to everyone''s surprise, blocks of rock, several meters in size and about a meter thick, appeared in front of him, densely packed and stacked like a tornado. The invisible wind spread, twisting the space to its limits. In that instant, the slender young man was completely enveloped by these layers of rock slabs, covering an area of about three hundred meters, with an extremely violent energy surging towards him. "An earth attribute defensive martial technique, at least at the early Xuan-tier level. That young man is also a dual-system martial artist." The audience was amazed at the powerful earth attribute defensive technique. Li Lin was surprised; the young man''s earth attribute technique was much stronger than his own Earth Shield, at least reaching the early Xuan-tier level. Li Lin could also sense that Jian Xin''er''s soul attack had little effect on the slender young man, which was unexpected unless his soul power was also exceptionally strong. The fact that the opponent had only revealed his water attribute and now his earth attribute was surprising to Li Lin. The triennial gathering of the three sects and four schools was truly extraordinary, with dual and triple-system martial artists being commonplace. At the same time, the dozens of sword beams, with a fierce momentum, collided like meteors under the astonished gazes of many, causing a massive explosion of Qi, which then hit the thick layers of rock slabs. "Hisss!" In that instant, the entire space vibrated, and the fierce wind collided forcefully, causing a deep sonic boom to suddenly resonate... "Boom!" The space exploded, and the deep sonic boom sounded at the point of contact between the sword beams and the rock slabs, sending out powerful ripples that rapidly spread in all directions. Visibly, the rock slabs broke apart, turning into violent energy that was annihilated. The dozens of sword beams, under Jian Xin''er''s hand seal changes, also began to dissipate. "Bang bang!" As the last energy rock slab was cleared by the sword beams, only one remained. "Now that the spiritual weapon is in your hands, its power is still too weak. Now it''s my turn." At that moment, the slender young man spoke in a low and hoarse voice, changing his hand seals again. A surge of water attribute Qi burst into his longsword, causing the sword light to brighten once more, with numerous sword beams shooting out like scattered flowers from the heavens, and the sound of rolling waves faintly emanating from them. "Whoosh whoosh..." Before the sword beams, space was torn apart, and the violent energy filled the area. The ground around the arena cracked and shattered, trembling continuously as the cracks spread rapidly. Jian Xin''er''s complexion changed drastically as she hurriedly formed hand seals, and the now dimly lit spiritual weapon longsword once again shot out light, launching a series of sword shadows. As the two forces of sword beams entangled, it was like a machine cutting through space, each beam causing waves to ripple through the space and spread invisibly around. "Such strong power." The strong practitioners of the three sects and four schools couldn''t help but praise, surprised at the young man''s strength reaching such a level. Chapter 403: The Strength of Two Women At this moment, Li Lin also had a solemn expression, feeling that the strength of this young man had become incredibly formidable, almost to the point of familiarity. "Swish swish..." In the space filled with violent sword lights, a streak of light tore through the spatial airflow, twisting the space as if directly, and from the chaotic space of energy, a figure was fiercely repelled, staggering and retreating directly, it was Jian Xin''er from the Earth Spirit Sect. "Clang!" Jian Xin''er''s spiritual weapon fell to the ground, and a mouthful of fresh blood spurted out, her face pale. Blood was streaming down her left shoulder, already wounded by the opponent. The outcome was decided, Ouyang Xuan Ying of the Earth Spirit Sect slightly stunned, then sighed, originally thinking that a disciple with the cultivation of the fourth level of martial general, plus a spiritual weapon, would definitely have the strength to challenge for first place, but now realizing they couldn''t even enter the top three. At this moment, the leaders of the three sects and four schools exchanged glances, each flashing a similar gleam in their eyes. "Ling Qing wins, enters the top three," announced the voice of the elder in red robes. Jian Xin''er picked up the long sword from the ground, and with a change of hand seals, the long sword mysteriously transformed into a ray of light and merged into her palm, her body swaying as she walked down from the arena. The slim young man with a white gauze covering his face, his expression unseen, quietly stepped back, and as he left the arena, his gaze swept over the stands. Around the square, countless onlookers were immediately astounded. This battle had indeed broadened everyone''s horizons, even more intense than Li Lin''s battle the day before. "The second match, Yun Hongling vs. Yuan Ruolan." "Buzz!" The melodious sound of the bell came again, amidst the astonishment of the crowd, two figures leaped into the arena, revealing their exquisite curves, both beautiful, especially Yun Hongling, who was stunningly beautiful. The appearance of the two women instantly attracted everyone''s attention, watching the two beauties compete was a visual feast. The people of Yun Yang Sect were also nervous at this time, but this nervousness was not as intense as before, as they already had a disciple entering the top three. "Lin''er, who do you think will win between Hongling and Yuan Ruolan?" Li Wushuang asked Li Lin. "Hongling, although a tri-element martial artist, is still at the second level of martial general. Being able to enter the top five without showing her trump card is somewhat lucky. Yuan Ruolan is a fourth-level tri-element martial general, likely also has her own trump card. For Hongling to win, it will not be easy," Li Lin frowned. In the arena, the two women faced each other, both emitting a strong will to fight. Both were considered prodigies, tri-element martial artists, watching each other with a combative spirit. Neither moved, but the entire space was tense, both staring at each other, ready to move at the first sign of action from the opponent. "Swish swish..." In the tense space, two figures suddenly burst forth after a brief pause, several invisible gusts of wind sweeping down, leaving shallow marks on the square. In an instant, a whip shadow and a sword shadow collided fiercely, like meteors, both clear about their formidable opponent. From the beginning, there was no probing or holding back, both strength and speed, whip shadows and sword lights, were maximized in that instant. The entire square echoed with low explosive sounds, completely different from the previous slow and steady match, this one was violent and rapid. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. The figures of the two women flashed, Yuan Ruolan''s long sword enveloped in intense fiery true qi, attacking Yun Hongling with fierce energy, the sharp sword light bringing flames in its path, leaving behind hot ripples in the space. Yun Hongling''s whip shadow was unpredictable, like a venomous snake, using water attribute true qi combined with the whip, making her attacks even more powerful and agile. Such a fierce duel between the two women also garnered nods of approval from the strong spectators, representing the strongest cultivation among the younger generation of the three sects and four schools, both in terms of true qi level and in the cultivation of talent and martial skills, reaching the top level. Li Lin, seeing Yun Hongling seriously fighting for the first time, smiled slightly. This temperamental girl indeed had notable cultivation strength, having not participated in the Dragon List competition, yet her strength was now incomparable to Zhao Qinghai. However, at this moment, Li Lin frowned, feeling that Yun Hongling seemed to be at a disadvantage compared to Yuan Ruolan. "Bang bang!" In the sky, the sound of explosions continued unabated, facing Yun Hongling''s extremely fierce attack, Yuan Ruolan''s expression remained mostly unchanged. "Swish swish..." Yun Hongling drove a myriad of whip shadows through the space, twisting the spatial ripples into a peculiar arc, immediately enveloping Yuan Ruolan. Looking calmly at the surging whip shadows, Yuan Ruolan''s expression sank slightly, and at the same time, the sword light on her hand suddenly intensified. "Crack crack..." Suddenly, a crisp sound was heard, Yuan Ruolan''s long sword at this moment condensed into a violent water attribute energy, which, in a blink of an eye, turned into ice spikes piercing through space, colliding with the whip shadows like lightning. "Water, fire, wood, three elemental attributes," Li Lin watched Yuan Ruolan, her talent not inferior to Yun Hongling, who had no advantage in this aspect. In the collision of these fierce attacks, Yun Hongling''s whip shadows were instantly shattered, dissipating like mist, while the ice spikes still had momentum, directly enveloping Yun Hongling. "Wind Sweeping Remnants." Yun Hongling''s face changed drastically, and a violent air current instantly whirled in her hand, like a tornado roaring and swirling, a terrifying energy filled the space, a huge wind condensed, instantly covering the incoming ice spikes. The storm burst open, and under the explosive force, the numerous ice spikes were torn into shreds, finally disappearing into the space. "Thump thump..." After this attack, Yun Hongling managed to counter the peculiar ice spikes, but her body was still shaken back several steps, her complexion turning somewhat pale. "It''s time for the trump card," Li Lin frowned, Yun Hongling''s strength was clearly not as good as Yuan Ruolan''s. With the same talent, the lower cultivation level meant lower strength. As Yun Hongling was retreating, her expression sank, and between the changes of hand seals, suddenly a mysterious hand seal emerged, followed by a white light mysteriously appearing, a strange energy quickly spreading in the space. "Spiritual weapon," Li Lin''s eyebrows raised, Yun Hongling''s trump card, the palace spiritual weapon, he had been trapped in it before. "Didn''t expect Hongling to have a spiritual weapon on her too. It''s rare for martial artists to activate spiritual weapons," Gu Feng was surprised, then said to Yun Xiao Tian. "This girl has good soul power, so she was given a spiritual weapon to use in the sect. It''s uncertain to what extent she can activate it," Yun Xiao Tian said, his gaze fixed on the arena, becoming serious. At this moment, the white light in the arena burst forth like lightning, suddenly transforming into a huge white palace hundreds of meters in size, Yuan Ruolan''s expression sank, seemingly shocked, her body suddenly retreating like a ghost. "Go." As Yun Hongling activated the white palace, it seemed to consume a great deal, her complexion quickly turning pale. And at this moment, the white palace expanded again, becoming hundreds of meters large, and with a thunderous crash from mid-air, it enveloped the space and pressed down with a fierce aura. Despite Yuan Ruolan''s early retreat, she was still a step too slow and was enveloped by the huge white palace. "This spiritual weapon is extraordinary," Gu Jianfeng was slightly surprised, watching the arena, his expression also becoming surprised, seemingly worried, but then a smile reappeared. "It''s a spiritual weapon." "Only people from the three sects and four schools would have such treasures in their hands. Spiritual weapons are not something ordinary people can possess." "If only I had a spiritual weapon in my hand." At this moment, the surrounding onlookers were all incredibly shocked. For them, a spiritual weapon was an extremely distant thing. Everyone''s gaze was fixed on the white palace. They could only feel that inside the palace, there was an aura that made their souls tremble, the spreading energy making the entire space tremble. Li Lin was also watching, having experienced the power of the spiritual weapon, he knew its fierceness. Now, he was guessing whether Yuan Ruolan could break Yun Hongling''s spiritual weapon. In the arena, Yun Hongling''s hand seals changed, her complexion becoming increasingly pale, indicating the intense struggle within the spiritual weapon. "Eh..." At this moment, the huge white palace began to tremble, and the strong spectators on the stands looked puzzled. "Whoosh whoosh..." A tearing sound came, and the entire white palace trembled violently. Amidst the trembling, countless white lights erupted from the ground. Chapter 404: Quad-Elemental Warrior A white light burst and spread from the ground around the palace, a terrifying power rapidly fluctuated at this moment, causing everyone to instantly change their expressions and become puzzled. In just an instant, while everyone was stunned, the entire massive white palace spirit weapon shot into the sky. A blast of white light burst forth from within the space, directly piercing through the spatial ripples and sweeping out overwhelmingly. Above this terrifying white light, dense wind attribute energy converged. At the same time, this terrifying energy soared into the sky, forming a huge white light sphere over two hundred meters in size. The sphere rotated, directly twisting the space, and finally slammed fiercely onto the white palace. At this moment, Yuan Ruolan''s delicate figure appeared again on the plaza, her aura surging, her purple dress fluttering loudly, and her long hair flying behind her. Each strand of hair seemed to contain powerful energy. "Seventh Rank Martial General." Everyone gasped in shock, as Yuan Ruolan''s aura had reached that of a Seventh Rank Martial General, not the Fourth Rank Martial General she initially revealed. "Bang, bang, bang..." In this instant, the white light sphere exploded, and the wind attribute energy tore through space. The massive white palace activated by Yun Hongling was also shaken open, hit fiercely by a continuous powerful force. "Spurt..." Yun Hongling spurted out a mouthful of blood, and the massive white palace suddenly lost its sustaining power, its light quickly dimming and visibly shrinking into a stream of light, finally landing in Yun Hongling''s hand. "Wind system Xuan-level initial stage martial technique, Seventh Rank Martial General, quad-elemental warrior." At this moment, Li Lin was shocked for the first time. Yuan Ruolan, who had been revealing water, fire, and wood attributes over the past few days, now added wind attribute, making her a quad-elemental warrior. Yuan Ruolan was now a Seventh Rank Martial General, presumably having used some special means to conceal or restrain her strength aura until now, finally unleashing it. "Is Yuan Ruolan from your sect a quad-elemental warrior?" At this time, all the powerhouses turned their attention to Gu Jianfeng, Yun Hongling''s defeat, or Yuan Ruolan''s victory, had already been momentarily forgotten. Even Yun Xiaotian and Elder Yang were surprised and turned their gaze to Gu Jianfeng. "Indeed, Ruolan is a quad-elemental warrior." Seeing everyone''s expressions, Gu Jianfeng smiled satisfactorily. Everyone gasped, quad-elemental warriors, who train four times faster than ordinary people and have many other talents, are absolutely terrifying. A tri-elemental warrior is already enviable and rare, one in ten million. A quad-elemental warrior is even more astonishing, one in a hundred million, only existing in legends. "Quad-elemental warrior." All the sect leaders and elders sighed lightly. A seventh-rank martial general quad-elemental warrior among the younger generation is probably unmatched. Looking at Yuan Ruolan, Yun Hongling''s face was pale, now realizing the true strength of her opponent: a quad-elemental warrior, seventh-rank martial general. Even with a spirit weapon, she stood no chance. Although spirit weapons are powerful, she couldn''t unleash their fullest potential. If she were a spiritual practitioner, perhaps the power would be much greater. "I lost." Yun Hongling wiped the blood from her mouth and said softly to Yuan Ruolan. "The second match, Yuan Ruolan wins, entering the top three," announced the red-robed elder of Tianjian Sect, unsurprised by Yuan Ruolan''s victory. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. "What strong strength, Yuan Ruolan is a quad-elemental warrior." "Did you see? Yuan Ruolan is a Seventh Rank Martial General, she has been hiding her strength." "Quad-elemental warrior, that''s too terrifying, I''ve never heard of anyone being a quad-elemental warrior." Among the millions of spectators, everyone was amazed, resulting in a deafening wave of cheers. Two hours later, in the hall of Tianjian Sect, several elders, Yun Xiaotian, Li Lin, and Yun Hongling were sitting. Yun Hongling took a medicinal pill, her complexion slightly improved but still pale. "How do you feel?" Yun Xiaotian asked with concern. "Dad, I''m fine, it didn''t harm the foundation. I''ll recover after a few days of rest," Yun Hongling said softly. "I didn''t expect Tianjian Sect to hide so deep, a quad-elemental warrior, seventh-rank martial general, who among the younger generation could be an opponent?" Elder Yang sighed lightly. "Quad-elemental warriors are too rare, Tianjian Sect hid it too well," Elder Xie said softly. "As long as someone from our Yunyang Sect enters the top three, it''s good," Yu Yuxian said. "Also, Li Lin could directly advance, otherwise facing any of them, our Yunyang Sect might not have had a chance to enter the top three," Elder Song sighed. "Ling Qing and Yuan Ruolan are both very strong, and Jian Xiner also has a spirit weapon. None of them are weak, and Ling Qing''s strength was evident when he defeated Jian Xiner. I didn''t expect this tri-sect and quad-sect conference to reveal so many powerful individuals," Yun Xiaotian said, then looked at Li Lin with a bitter smile, "It''s also good that Li Lin could directly advance, otherwise it would have been a big problem." In Yun Xiaotian''s heart, he also doubted Li Lin''s ability to compete with those three, considering his luck this time as a relief for Yunyang Sect. "It''s a pity that this time, our Yunyang Sect won''t be able to take first place," Elder Yang sighed softly. "Yuan Ruolan and Ling Qing, both very strong, but Yuan Ruolan seems to have a slight edge. A seventh-rank martial general quad-elemental warrior can directly defeat even an ordinary eighth-rank martial general, not to mention Yuan Ruolan also has a Xuan-level initial stage martial technique," Yun Xiaotian said, "It seems Tianjian Sect put a lot of effort into this tri-sect and quad-sect conference to come out on top." "If our Yunyang Sect also had a quad-elemental warrior, one day, they would definitely become an absolute powerhouse," Elder Xie said. "Lin''er, just do your best in tomorrow''s competition. You''ve already made it to the top three," Yu Yuxian always had confidence in his precious disciple, but now, he had no assurance for tomorrow''s top two competition, not even daring to hope for a miracle, given the gap in strength. "Li Lin, since you''ve directly advanced, you''ll be participating in tomorrow''s top two competition. Yuan Ruolan and Ling Qing will draw lots to decide who will compete against you," Yun Xiaotian said to Li Lin, "Regardless of who you face, just do your best tomorrow. Don''t think too much. Making it to the top three has already been a great achievement for the sect. When we return, I will definitely reward you well." "Yes, Sect Master," Li Lin said softly, not saying much more, his mind occupied with thoughts of Yuan Ruolan and the lean young man, both strong opponents he would find difficult to handle, almost impossible without risking everything. Elders Yang, Xie, and Song also didn''t believe Yunyang Sect could make it to the top two, unless a miracle happened, given the strength of those two. After a while, Li Lin left the hall to return to his room. "Boss, what''s wrong?" Seeing his boss''s concerned expression, Little dragon immediately asked, his small eyes spinning before landing on Li Lin''s shoulder. "Thinking about tomorrow''s competition, the remaining two don''t seem easy to deal with," Li Lin said softly. "Both of them are strong, indeed difficult to deal with. But, you also haven''t used your full strength, do you not have confidence?" Bai Ling lazily lay on a chair, speaking without even lifting his head. "I really don''t have confidence. We''ll see how it goes tomorrow, first try," Li Lin''s mouth curled into a smile. Sitting cross-legged, it was now nearing dusk, and Li Lin entered a state of cultivation. Tomorrow''s top two, he was destined to face one of them. Regardless of who it was, winning seemed unlikely. But Li Lin was not one to concede without a fight, especially since advancing to the top two would allow Yun Xiaotian to grant him an additional request. With such a benefit ahead, he naturally pushed forward. Moments later, Li Lin was enveloped in a pale yellow light, Little dragon and Bai Ling also surrounded by their own lights, all entering a state of cultivation. Outside, with the energy of heaven and earth for cultivation, Bai Ling also continued to diligently cultivate. In Tianjian City, the topic of conversation was Yuan Ruolan, the quad-elemental warrior, like a whirlwind. By evening, almost every person in the vast Tianjian City knew of this news. At the same time, this news also spread from Tianjian City through various channels to countless powers. The emergence of a quad-elemental warrior was shocking, their strength becoming more terrifying with higher cultivation levels. This person, being a direct disciple of Tianjian Sect, drew the attention of all major powers. In the betting shops of Tianjian City, only three people remained: Yuan Ruolan, Ling Qing, and Li Lin. Initially, Li Lin had low odds, but after his astonishing performance in the third round, his odds had become very low, a favorite among the contestants. Chapter 405: The Battle for the Top Two Entering the top two tomorrow, the odds for Li Lin have reached one to three hundred, Yuan Ruolan''s are one to one, and Ling Qing''s are one to two. If Li Lin saw these odds himself, he would definitely be depressed to death. It seems that the entire Tianjian City does not have high hopes for him. From the odds, almost the entire city is favoring Yuan Ruolan, followed by Ling Qing, and Li Lin has been completely excluded. The odds of one to three hundred are too large, an absolute dark horse. As night falls, the sky is enveloped by the night, with a crescent moon hanging in the sky and countless stars blinking non-stop. This quiet night sky, in stark contrast to the lively and bustling Tianjian Gate, at this moment, only one person is enjoying this beautiful night sky alone. Within a quiet inn, on the rooftop, a figure sits on the edge of the roof, clothes fluttering with the night wind, making a whistling sound, this person''s face covered with a white gauze, is Ling Qing who participated in the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference. In the darkness, Ling Qing''s gaze also carries a sharp gleam, in this night, involuntarily exuding a sense of loneliness. "Young master, why aren''t you resting? You have to participate in the competition of the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference tomorrow." A somewhat sinister old man silently arrived on the roof beam, showing absolute respect in his eyes for the lean young man in front of him. "I know. Do you have any new developments regarding the treasure?" The lean young man did not turn around, looking at the crescent moon in the sky. "Recently, there has been some progress, but I''m not sure yet, after all, this news has been around for many years. The treasure seems to have fallen into a small family within Qingyun Town. Once it''s confirmed, I will report to the young master." The sinister old man said. "Mm, try to confirm it as soon as possible. If the treasure is obtained by other forces, it will take us a lot more effort." The lean young man said. "Yes, young master." The sinister old man then said, "Young master, the competition tomorrow, now the whole city is guessing that you and Yuan Ruolan are the most hopeful. Do you really want to defeat Yuan Ruolan?" "Defeating Yuan Ruolan will strike a blow to the Three Sects and Four Gates. A warrior of the seventh level with four systems, I don''t take them seriously." The lean young man''s voice was low and hoarse. "Young master, naturally, will not take Yuan Ruolan seriously. Even the realm lord said, young master''s talent is even stronger than his. As for the other Li Lin, a warrior of three systems, will not be your opponent either." The sinister old man said. "So he is called Li Lin." The lean young man murmured, his voice suddenly trembling a bit. In the bustling Tianjian City, the night slowly passed, and the first ray of light in the east rose, revealing a hint of dawn, a fresh spring breeze came with the morning wind, the distant stars in the sky gradually began to fade. "Hu hu..." Li Lin exhaled a breath of stale air from his body, a night of cultivation, his cultivation slightly improved in a way invisible to the naked eye. "Big brother, it''s all up to you today." Little dragon stopped cultivating, a flash of yellow light around him, he seems to have made a lot of progress recently. "Li Lin, no matter who you encounter today, it''s going to be very troublesome. I also want to know, what other cards you have." Bai Ling said softly. "Hehe." Li Lin chuckled, it seems that today he must reveal his cards, no matter who he encounters, he must go all out. Early in the morning, Tianjian City''s square was already packed with people, not wanting to miss the last two peak battles, the competitions will only get more intense as they progress. When Li Lin arrived at the grandstand of the square with the people of Yunyang Sect, the strong men of the other Three Sects and Four Gates had also arrived. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, all the strong men took their seats, leaving Li Lin, Li Wushuang, Qu Daojue, Han Feng, and others standing. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Yun Hongling''s injuries had not improved much, but she insisted on coming. Li Lin was definitely going to compete today, and she did not want to miss it. Along the way, Yun Xiaotian, Yu Yuqian, Elder Yang, and others seemed not to want to put too much pressure on Li Lin, letting him do his best. Losing was not a problem, as he had already made great contributions to the Yunyang Sect. Only Zhao Qinghai and Zhao Qingtian, the two brothers, had some hatred and mockery in their eyes, hating to see someone they disliked advancing all the way, and now finally facing an opponent, absolutely no chance of winning, they felt extremely satisfied. "Little thief, they are both very strong, be careful. After all, you''ve already made it to the top three, don''t get hurt." Yun Hongling''s face was somewhat pale, knowing the strength of Yuan Ruolan and Ling Qing, she was extremely worried about Li Lin. "Lin''er, just do your best." Li Wushuang said softly, although she knew Li Lin practiced both spirit and martial arts, she didn''t know much about his cards. In the stands, the disciples of the Three Sects and Four Gates also had many eyes on Li Lin and Yuan Ruolan. Yuan Ruolan, undoubtedly, has already made everyone admire and excited, a warrior of the seventh level with four systems, among the younger generation, who could be an opponent. The conference was still being prepared, many disciples of Tianjian Gate were still busy, and the surrounding stands were packed with people. The square, originally capable of accommodating a million people, was probably squeezed in by about one million two hundred thousand people. Although it was crowded, no one felt uncomfortable, but instead, more excited and anticipatory. The crowded square, the boiling noise, continuously lingering in everyone''s ears, converging into waves of sound rising to the sky, feeling this fiery atmosphere, everyone was inevitably infected. At this moment, Yuan Ruolan, in a purple dress, made everyone turn their heads to look, such strength plus the terrifying identity of a four-system warrior, undoubtedly made everyone exclaim. On the square, the cheers for Yuan Ruolan were overwhelming, occasionally there were also voices for Ling Qing. As for the cheers for Li Lin, they were hardly heard. Entering the top two, Li Lin, originally the biggest dark horse in the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference, was immediately suppressed by the powerful moves of Yuan Ruolan and Ling Qing. Everyone knew Li Lin was extraordinary, and knew Li Lin was strong. To participate in the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference, all were strong, but among the strong, there are stronger ones, compared to Yuan Ruolan and Ling Qing, Li Lin seemed to be much weaker, at least for now, it seemed that Li Lin was much weaker than those two. "Big brother, it seems that everyone does not favor you today, but I favor you." Little dragon felt the atmosphere around and said softly to Li Lin. "Hehe, big brother will not let you down." Li Lin chuckled, affectionately touching Little dragon''s little head. "Buzz!" When a melodious bell sounded, the square suddenly became quiet, and at this moment, a million eyes were all focused below, the competitors should take the stage. On the stand, a figure leaped up, a purple dress fluttering, her true qi surging around, her delicate body already drawing a beautiful arc from the stand, and then lightly landing on the ground, not even a speck of dust was stirred, enough to prove her strength. This move, naturally, once again made many people excited. "Little thief, be careful." Yun Hongling said softly. Little dragon and Bai Ling landed on Li Wushuang''s shoulder, under Li Wushuang''s concerned gaze, Li Lin smiled faintly, then focused forward, his true qi surging, a whirlwind under his feet, his figure without any drag, directly jumped down to the field, a whirlwind flashed in mid-air, his figure landed not far from Yuan Ruolan. "Whoosh..." At this moment, a lean figure also leaped up, three figures standing side by side on the field. With the appearance of these three, the tumultuous noise, mixed together, the sound waves rushing to the sky, and looking at the three, all eyes were fiery. These three, the top three of the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference, were enough to represent the strongest among the younger generation of the entire continent. Under the watchful eyes of a million people, the red-robed elder of Tianjian Gate and two protectors slowly took the stage, arriving in front of the three, the red-robed elder spoke loudly, his voice mixed with true qi, enough to resonate throughout the entire square: "After four days of competition, out of the fifty-six participants, now only you three are left. You three are the cream of the crop among the younger generation, and today, one more will be eliminated, leaving the remaining two to compete for first place tomorrow. The first place will be able to obtain a set of Xuan-level beginner martial arts from the Three Sects and Four Gates, as well as supreme honor." When the red-robed elder''s voice fell, the surroundings of the square became somewhat restless again, discussions converging into waves of sound spreading. "Li Lin, you advanced directly yesterday, today you will be the first to take the stage, go ahead." The red-robed elder said to Li Lin. Li Lin was already prepared, lucky to have advanced directly to the top three yesterday, but today it was time to pay the debt, directly taking the stage. "Whoosh..." With a flash of true qi under his feet, Li Lin had already reached the center of the distant square. "You two draw lots to decide who will compete. In the jade box, there are two jade plaques, draw number one to compete, draw the blank jade plaque to advance directly, waiting for the final competition tomorrow." As Li Lin took the stage, the red-robed elder''s words were already spoken to Yuan Ruolan and Ling Qing. When the two each took out a jade slip from the jade box, the atmosphere in the field also became tense, not knowing who would advance directly. "Who got the blank jade slip?" The red-robed elder asked. "Me." A low, hoarse voice came from Ling Qing''s mouth, revealing a blank jade plaque in his hand. Chapter 406: Betting Two for One "Advance directly and wait for the final competition tomorrow," the elder in the red robe said lightly. "Li Lin meets Yuan Ruolan." Above the stands, a crowd of strong figures smirked. Li Lin facing Yuan Ruolan, a seven-star martial general with proficiency in four elements, seemed a foregone conclusion to them. Despite Li Lin''s exceptional talents, the outcome was already decided in the hearts of many. If Li Lin could still win, it would truly be a sight to behold. The members of the Yunyang Sect also frowned slightly, revealing a smile of resignation. Making it to the top three was already beyond their expectations; this competition was more about participation than winning. "Master Yun, what do you think about this match?" Upon hearing that Li Lin would face Yuan Ruolan, Yin E, the sect master of the Myriad Beasts Sect, asked Yun XiaoTian. "This, it''s too early to say anything about the outcome," Yun XiaoTian replied lightly. Although he believed Li Lin didn''t stand much of a chance, as a sect master, he couldn''t demoralize his disciple. "It seems Master Yun still has confidence. I suggest we make another bet with Master Yun. What do you all think?" Gu JianFeng, the head of the Heavenly Sword Sect, raised an eyebrow and looked at Yun XiaoTian. "Master Gu, that''s not necessary," Yun XiaoTian immediately responded, unwilling to be further entangled by these cunning old foxes. A bet now would surely mean a loss. "Master Yun, you can''t be like this. You''ve won two rounds and can''t just walk away now. This round, you have to bet. Your disciple Li Lin has always overcome stronger opponents. There might still be a chance. We won''t take advantage of you. If Li Lin wins, we''ll give Yun Sect two sets of high-grade Xuan-level martial techniques. If Yuan Ruolan wins, Yun Sect just needs to give us one set. Either way, you''re at an advantage," Gu JianFeng said. "This..." Before Yun XiaoTian could finish, Gu JianFeng added: "Master Yun, you can''t look down on your own disciples. If you''re thinking of conceding, then just give us one set of high-grade Xuan-level martial techniques." "I''ll also bet," Yin E said, "Two sets of high-grade Xuan-level martial techniques against one. Master Yun, you''re getting a good deal." "I want in on the action too," Wei BangYan of the Guiyuan Sect said through clenched teeth. ... The remaining sect leaders also joined, compelled by Li Lin''s match against Yuan Ruolan. Although the stakes seemed unfair, the match itself was already uneven, with the outcome nearly certain. The leaders wanted to win back a set of high-grade Xuan-level martial techniques after losing two sets. The thought of losing another two sets was unbearable, especially when they had hoped to win three sets from the Yunyang Sect. Losing four sets in exchange would be a huge loss. Yun XiaoTian''s face soured. This wasn''t a bet; it was a clear attempt at robbery, and he couldn''t refuse. "Alright, Yun will take this bet with the sect masters," Yun XiaoTian said with a forced smile, cursing inwardly: "These foxes, let''s just consider it a win for one round." "Haha, Yunyang Sect, you seem a bit hesitant. No matter, perhaps your disciple Li Lin will surprise us all," Yin E laughed, confident in his assessment of Yun XiaoTian. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The other sect masters also smiled secretly, content with winning back a set. They considered the match a sure win; anything else would be astonishing. "Whoosh!" A purple figure landed on the field, standing in front of Li Lin. It was Yuan Ruolan. Li Lin''s eyes sharpened as he observed the woman before him. Yuan Ruolan seemed to have dressed specially for the occasion, her purple dress accentuating her graceful figure. Her slightly made-up face added to her beauty, and her black hair was tied up with a rose-purple hairpin, highlighting her fair skin. Though not as stunning as Yun HongLing or Li WuShuang, Yuan Ruolan was undeniably beautiful. As Yuan Ruolan entered, the arena fell silent, followed by sighs of regret from the audience. Everyone had already anticipated the outcome. "Li Lin, you are strong, but not enough for today. You can choose to concede," Yuan Ruolan said lightly, glancing at Li Lin. "Really? I''m not one to concede without a fight," Li Lin replied calmly, his expression unflustered. "You do have some backbone," Yuan Ruolan noted with a hint of surprise, then said, "You attack first. With your martial general level, you''re no match for me." "I never take advantage of women. Since you''re a woman, you go first," Li Lin said, still appearing nonchalant. "This guy, is he being polite or just arrogant?" Those watching were surprised by Li Lin''s demeanor. "This kid, unyielding but not losing grace, reminds me of myself," Yu YuQian, an elder, said with a slight smile, pleased with his disciple''s performance. Hearing Yu YuQian''s words, the elders and protectors of the Yunyang Sect almost burst out laughing. Everyone knew Yu YuQian''s demeanor had nothing to do with gracefulness, yet he spoke as if it did. "Let''s see how arrogant you can be," Zhao QingTian and Zhao QingHai, two brothers, watched Li Lin eagerly, enjoying his difficult position against Yuan Ruolan. "This guy, really unlucky," Yun HongLing commented with a pout. "HongLing sister, have some faith in the boss. His strength is not to be underestimated even against a seven-star martial general," Little dragon said, holding his head high. In this moment of general pessimism, Li Lin could only smile wryly. Yuan Ruolan was strong, but the outcome of a real fight was yet to be decided. He had two sets of Xuan-level early-stage martial techniques yet to use, which could be combined with the Illusionary Spirit Mark. With his current strength, if he went all out, not just a seven-star but even an eight-star martial general might find themselves in a difficult position against him. After all, he possessed the Vermilion Bird Art, which was powerful when used with his current strength. If necessary, he could also use the Soul Blade Slash, his last resort. Of course, Li Lin wouldn''t easily reveal his trump cards like the Soul Blade Slash and the Vermilion Bird Art unless absolutely necessary. Exposing these abilities would put his strength in full view of everyone, which wasn''t safe. "So be it, then I won''t hold back," Yuan Ruolan said, her eyes darkening as she unleashed a surge of qi, her hands moving swiftly to launch a powerful palm strike at Li Lin. The strike, shining with a scorching light, was like a golden lightning bolt, shooting towards Li Lin at an incredible speed. "Fast," Li Lin marveled internally at Yuan Ruolan''s astonishing speed, which matched his own. "Whoosh..." As an air vortex formed around him, Li Lin''s figure vanished, leaving behind an afterimage as he donned the Qing Ling Armor for protection. Facing a seven-star martial general, Li Lin knew he needed the Qing Ling Armor to stand a chance. Yuan Ruolan pressed on, her palms fluttering as she launched another powerful strike towards Li Lin. "Thousand Hand Crack Palm!" In an instant, Li Lin''s hands unleashed a mighty pale yellow energy that soared into the sky, forming a tangible palm strike that collided with Yuan Ruolan''s, causing a loud explosion in the air. Both figures were forced back by the impact, Yuan Ruolan taking a slight step back, while Li Lin was pushed back several steps. "Strong," Li Lin was surprised, recognizing the vast gap between a first-star and a seven-star martial general. Without his Qing Ling Armor and innate strength, he wouldn''t have been able to withstand her attack. "This Li Lin is indeed extraordinary," the spectators remarked, surprised by the intense battle. As the two fighters locked eyes again, they charged at each other, their attacks blending into a blur of speed and power. The constant explosions echoed across the arena, a testament to their fierce confrontation. Most onlookers struggled to follow the rapid exchange, puzzled by Li Lin''s strategy. Facing a much stronger opponent, why engage in a battle of attrition, which seemed disadvantageous for a first-star martial general against a seven-star? "Flame Burst!" "Earth Shield!" "Windstorm Sweep!" Li Lin''s voice echoed as he maneuvered through the fierce energies, his attacks resonating nonstop throughout the arena. Chapter 407: Im Also a Quadruple Element User "Breaking Wind Fist." "Entangling Wood Seal." "Heavy Wave Palm." As shouts of attack rang out, the force of fury shook the space, ripping through the airwaves as if tearing them apart, the entire square was under the pressure of vigorous energy, like a series of bombs detonating one after another. For a first-level martial general to withstand a seventh-level martial general so directly, everyone was dumbfounded. Even this momentum alone made everyone take a second look. "Bang Bang Bang..." Under the massive sound of explosions, the force of energy spread wave after wave, only dissipating into thin air after reaching a certain distance. With a flash of yellow light and graceful figures, two people clashed like lightning, every move they made was a collision of ferocious power. Only a few could clearly see the two figures clashing at high speed in the center, filled with terrifying energy, almost as if the entire square was about to be overturned. Seeing this scene, Yun XiaoTian, Elder Yang, and others couldn''t help but nod secretly. Compared to Li Lin''s strength at the moment, Zhao QingHai, the first on the Dragon List, and Han Feng, the second, were far behind. When the two in the center clashed, countless lights scattered, and waves of power exploded in the air... "Boom Boom Boom..." A terrifying and violent aura surged into the sky, palm prints, fist marks, and energy intertwining. When the last series of explosive sounds fell, a figure was directly blasted dozens of meters away. "Bang!" Li Lin heavily smashed onto the ground, the hard rocky ground began to crack, blood surged within him rushing to his throat, bringing a sweet taste to his mouth. Forcing down a mouthful of blood, Li Lin got up. His QingLing armor dimmed slightly, his face a bit pale, revealing a bitter smile. Yuan Ruolan only took a few steps back, her aura fluctuating a bit, looking at Li Lin with some surprise in her beautiful eyes. The two stood there, and the violent energy in the air slowly dissipated. At this moment, as the two figures stood quietly again, an oppressive air enveloped the entire square, making many of the onlookers feel suppressed without realizing it. "Li Lin, I didn''t expect you could force me to use my weapon. You really surprised me," Yuan Ruolan said lightly, looking at Li Lin. "You surprised me too. I''ve been fighting with all my might, yet you haven''t used your full strength," Li Lin said with a bitter smile. "Buzz!" In Yuan Ruolan''s hand, a long sword appeared, "As a disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect, our strength lies in the sword in our hands. Be careful." Holding the long sword, Yuan Ruolan''s aura suddenly changed, her purple dress fluttering without wind, carrying a fierce and dominant aura, showing no sign of weakness. "I will give it my all. To defeat me, we''ll have to see your strength," Li Lin said with a light smile, his aura shaking again, the QingLing armor shining brightly, pushing away the spatial ripples with the air currents whistling around him. At this moment, Yuan Ruolan gave Li Lin a glance, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. From the aura emanating from Li Lin, she suddenly felt oppressed. "It''s about to end. Given time, Li Lin''s achievements will be limitless. But for now, he can''t contend with Yuan Ruolan," Zhu HongYuan, the sect leader of XuanShan Sect, said lightly, his words full of genuine admiration for Li Lin. With their insight, they could naturally see Li Lin''s talent, who was clearly much younger than Yuan Ruolan. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Yun XiaoTian chuckled softly, murmuring, "There''s still one last card to play, isn''t it time to use it?" Back on the main peak of YunYang Sect, when Li Lin clashed with Yun HongLing, the peculiar martial technique he condensed at the end was still remembered by Yun XiaoTian. Li Lin had not used it yet, which made Yun XiaoTian hold a sliver of hope in his heart, perhaps, this dark horse would bring another miracle. At this moment in the arena, under the gaze of a million, the aura around both individuals was rising invisibly. On the stands, many powerhouses watched the two with some astonishment. Around the two, the spatial ripples were shaking, the dominant aura only felt by those close to the square. This oppressive feeling, mostly coming from Yuan Ruolan, left many surprised at Li Lin, who still hadn''t shown much change. Inside the square, silence prevailed, everyone holding their breath, waiting for the final clash between the two. As the aura around both reached a certain level, Yuan Ruolan''s aura also skyrocketed to a terrifying degree, her purple robe fluttering, pushing apart the spatial air currents. Feeling this aura, Li Lin appeared calm on the surface, but the seriousness in his heart was imaginable. Next, Yuan Ruolan would use her full strength, whether he could withstand it was unknown to him. Inside his body, the robust meridians vibrated, feeling the vigorous Qi running like thousands of horses, Li Lin took a deep breath, it was time to reveal some of his cards. "Thousand Hands Rupture Seal." As he set his gaze on that graceful figure, suddenly, a low shout echoed across the square, a deep sound of breaking wind emerged, a vague yellow shadow, in an instant, with a strong aura, rushed towards Yuan Ruolan under countless fiery gazes. Rich earth element energy converged, a palm print carrying a trail of afterimages burst out, heavily smashing towards Yuan Ruolan. The momentum was extremely strong, surprising many. At this moment, it was not difficult for the powerhouses to see that Li Lin''s aura was much less compared to Yuan Ruolan''s. The fact that Li Lin could take the initiative to attack surprised many with his courage and fighting spirit. The two were only about thirty meters apart, a distance that could be crossed in the blink of an eye. On the square, the two quickly approached, locking eyes, Li Lin''s eyes suddenly filled with a bright light, the suppressed fighting spirit for a long time finally erupted and boiled. He had always been restraining his strength, and now, it was time to fully release it. Without moving, the spatial air currents were the first to fluctuate, Yuan Ruolan moved, and amidst the shaking spatial ripples, she raised her long sword, her body disappearing from her original spot at lightning speed. "Flowing Light Sword Technique." In that moment, when Yuan Ruolan''s figure reappeared, she was already above Li Lin''s palm print. The long sword in her hand, a sword light silently cut through the space, not even stirring a ripple. "Shoo Shoo!" The palm print and the sword light collided like lightning, in a moment, the space where they collided burst into dazzling light like fireworks, rapidly shredding the surrounding spatial ripples into fragments. In that moment, visible to the naked eye, Li Lin''s condensed palm print was instantly torn apart by the spreading sword light into pieces and dissipated. "Shoo Shoo..." A violent energy carrying a low sharp sound spread, the ferocity enough to cut through spatial ripples, a burst of sword light spread, covering the space in an instant, pressing down towards Li Lin. "Li Lin has lost." Seeing this scene, on the stands, many powerhouses sighed, Li Lin, as a first-level martial general, had strength that was formidable indeed, capable of directly contending with a typical fifth-level martial general. Unfortunately, Yuan Ruolan was a seventh-level martial general and a quadruple element martial artist. "No, Li Lin seems to have another card up his sleeve." In that instant, many powerhouses almost simultaneously turned their attention to Li Lin. At this moment, Li Lin, trapped by the sword light in the space, closed his eyes, his hand seals condensing, his aura surging. At this moment, Li Lin entered a mysterious state, as a complex hand seal was suddenly formed and retracted, Qi surged through several meridians, converging at the palm, with Qi leaking from all over his body, eventually controlled by an invisible force, all converging together. With a surge of green light around him, Li Lin''s aura suddenly rose, causing the complexions of people on the stands to change drastically. Li Lin''s hand formed a palm print, the robust Qi in his body was suddenly pulled out by the palm print in his hand, the palm print shone with a bright green light, its might also suddenly climbing, then a palm print about half a meter in size, as translucent as a piece of jade, stuck to Li Lin''s palm. "This is our YunYang Sect''s Desolate Spirit Palm," Yun XiaoTian''s face changed drastically, he didn''t know when Li Lin had learned the Desolate Spirit Palm. "Wood attribute, Xuan-level low-rank martial skill." Everyone was amazed, not because Li Lin used a Xuan-level low-rank martial skill, but because of the wood attribute energy Li Lin condensed. Everyone knew Li Lin was always a wind, earth, and fire triple element martial artist, and now Li Lin condensing wood attribute meant only one thing, Li Lin was also a quadruple element martial artist. "Li Lin is a quadruple element martial artist..." The people of YunYang Sect were also instantly petrified. In that blink of an eye, around Li Lin''s condensed palm print, spatial ripples in the surroundings began to ripple, waves of spatial ripples pushing away, emanating a massive oppressive aura. At this moment, Yuan Ruolan''s pressing sword light had already reached in front of Li Lin, everything happened in the blink of an eye. "Desolate Spirit Palm." Chapter 408: Revealing the Trump Card Li Lin opened his eyes, and a sharp glint shot out from his eyes. Without any hesitation, he pushed forward with his handprint, and the jade-like, crystal-clear palm imprint in his hand burst out instantly, eventually turning into a green light that swelled against the wind, pressing down towards the sky-full of sword light coming from Qian Kong Yuan Ruolan. As the palm imprint was pushed out, the violent force shook the entire space, causing the spatial ripples within the entire space to boil violently, and the whistling spatial ripples, along with the green palm imprint, eventually collided with the sky-full of pressing sword light. At this moment, the two forces erupted, shaking the space, and a thunderous explosion burst open. "Bang Bang!" The huge sound of the explosion echoed through the sky, and a terrifying energy, extreme in its magnitude, exploded like a bomb in an instant. Visible to the naked eye, at this moment, the entire square was ravaged by a strong wind, each gust of wind rapidly drawing mysterious arcs, the terrifying gusts of wind continuously overlapping, forming a net of green light arcs in the sky, immediately enveloping the sky-full of sword light. As the light arc pressed down, it did not bring a violent momentum, seemingly falling silently, but this light and fluttering momentum shocked all the powerhouses in the upper stands. At the moment when the light arc pressed down on the sword light, the entire space covered by the light arc twisted as if distorted, an invisible wave of air instantly spread and expanded, bringing up a series of spatial ripples. Under the spread of these ripples, the sword light enveloped within the light arc trembled and struggled constantly. Eventually, countless sword lights dissipated within the light arc, the energy ripples pressed down from the sky, and then pressed onto the ground. The ground, in silence, instantly shattered like broken glass, with numerous cracks spreading out. "Tap Tap" In the midst of this energy annihilation, a graceful figure was directly shaken open, staggering backward while her complexion also turned somewhat pale instantaneously. "What a strange attack." Yuan Ruolan''s long sword was inserted into the stone square, creating cracks several meters long, which finally stabilized her delicate body. When she looked at Li Lin again, she was absolutely surprised. Only she knew that in Li Lin''s attack, her own condensed sword light dissipated instantly, and she, just having been enveloped in it, felt her true qi evaporate and disappear out of thin air. This strange attack was actually able to make her consume nearly one-third of her energy without any defense. This attack was too terrifying. At the same time, Yuan Ruolan was also shocked to know that the Li Lin in front of her was also a quad-elemental warrior. Li Lin took a few steps back, his complexion even paler. Even though he had just broken through to the level of a Martial General, the consumption of activating the Diminishing Spirit Palm was astonishing. "Quad-elemental warrior, another quad-elemental warrior has appeared." The entire square began to boil. After yesterday, another quad-elemental warrior appeared, a rarity among millions of warriors. Yet, here were two of them. "Quad-elemental warrior, this kid has kept it too deep." Yun Xiao Tian, the Elder Yang, Elder Song, Elder Xie, and others exchanged glances, the shock on their faces imaginable. At this moment, in the hearts of these elders, there was a thought: Yun Yang Sect will also have a quad-elemental warrior in the future. "Good one, Yun Xiao Tian, the quad-elemental warrior in your sect has been kept so deep." Myriad Beasts Sect''s Sect Leader Yin E took a deep breath, then glared at Yun Xiao Tian. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. "Yun Sect Leader, you''re too insincere." The other sect leaders also couldn''t help but glance at Yun Xiao Tian, no one expected that Li Lin, who seemed destined to lose, at the last moment, was able to stand against Yuan Ruolan again, revealing his identity as a quad-elemental warrior. Yun Xiao Tian looked innocent, he had just found out about the quad-elemental warrior too. "Quad-elemental warrior, good kid, even deceiving your master, I''ll deal with you later." Elder Yu Yu was so excited that he was trembling, blaming with his mouth, but his eyes were filled with excitement. "Little thief turns out to be a quad-elemental warrior." Yun Hongling puffed her cheeks, her beautiful eyes filled with shock, but at this moment, Li Wushuang was not too surprised. "Are you also a quad-elemental warrior?" Yuan Ruolan looked towards Li Lin, she had always thought she was the only quad-elemental warrior, now another stood before her, naturally, she was unavoidably surprised. "I suppose so." Li Lin said lightly, forcibly suppressing the surging true qi within his body. The activation of the Diminishing Spirit Palm did not cause too much damage to the opponent, at most, it just made the opponent consume a bit more. "You are strong, but in terms of cultivation, you are still lacking. The strength I displayed just now was without reservation, but not my full strength. Next, I will display my trump card, can you still stand against it?" Yuan Ruolan looked towards Li Lin. "I don''t know, but I can tell you, I have not displayed my trump card either, or maybe, I might be able to stand against it." Li Lin said lightly, his pale face still carrying a smile. Calmly looking at Li Lin, Yuan Ruolan began to move again, her body covered in layers of spatial ripples, the entire space trembling violently. As the space trembled, with the sword technique in Yuan Ruolan''s hand, numerous sword lights sprayed out from the space instantly, creating countless spatial ripple traces. As the sword light burst and spread, a terrifying force also rapidly fluctuated, feeling this aura, made one''s breath halt. "Old Sect Leader Gu, the technique Yuan Ruolan is using, should be your Tian Jian Sect''s famous skill, Flowing Cloud Sword Rain, right?" Watching the scene below, Ouyang Xuan Ying asked Gu Jian Feng. "Indeed, I didn''t expect Li Lin''s strength to force Yuan Ruolan to this point." Gu Jian Feng sighed lightly, then turned to Yun Xiao Tian, "Yun Sect Leader, I always thought I hid very deep, but it turns out, the deepest hidden, was you." Yun Xiao Tian gave a bitter smile, his explanation was useless, if he said he just found out Li Lin was a quad-elemental warrior, probably no one would believe it. "Unexpectedly, Li Lin, with the strength of a first-level Martial General, is forcing Yuan Ruolan to use the Tian Jian Sect''s Flowing Cloud Sword Rain. Although this sword technique is only a low-level Xuan rank martial skill, it is very strange and powerful." Yin E commented lightly. "Can Li Lin still stand against it?" At this moment, almost all the powerhouses were thinking about this question. On the field, Li Lin also started to move, his expression solemn. His hands traced mysterious arcs, and a series of bizarre lights burst forth, appearing in front of him, the aura on his body also undergoing a strange change. Strange and mystical lights appeared one after another, soon beginning to converge. Accompanied by the sound of wind and thunder, a terrifying energy aura emanated from the light. This aura was so powerful that even the space around it began to distort, exuding a heartbeat-accelerating presence. As this formidable power merged, within Li Lin''s body, his Qi flowed like a torrential flood through his broad and thick meridians, eventually converging within the terrifying light. At this moment, in front of Yuan Ruolan, sword light wreaked havoc. Inside the space, a violently slow burst shot forth, piercing through the spatial ripples and surging out overwhelmingly. Above this terrifying white light, a dense and terrifying wind energy was carried. The sword light tore through space, and the violent Qi twisted the entire void, making Yuan Ruolan''s exquisite figure surge with an extremely terrifying aura. Her purple long dress rustled, and the three thousand strands of hair on her back whistled and danced. At this moment, each strand of hair seemed to contain powerful Qi. In front of Li Lin, the terrifying heartbeat-accelerating aura also surged up from the plaza into the sky. A divine and colorful light merged, and the surrounding terrifying aura grew even stronger. The violent aura had already twisted the space around it. Li Lin could feel that his current level of martial prowess, combined with the vast Qi stored in his dantian and fully activating the Vermilion Bird Art, made the power of the Vermilion Bird Art seem even more violent than he had imagined. As the colorful light converged, streams of spiritual power secretly merged into the light under Li Lin''s guidance. A dazzling colorful orb of light formed instantly, filled with an incredibly terrifying aura, causing the surrounding void to twist. Chapter 409: Shocking Defeat And this terrifying aura only surged for a moment before it quieted down in front of Li Lin, then under the astonished gazes of millions, it condensed into a hundred-meter-sized crimson energy bird in the sky above the plaza. This energy bird, resembling a phoenix, was entirely crimson, its body like flames, wings spread with flames enveloping it, causing the surrounding space to sway and ripple. "What kind of martial technique is this? There are traces of spiritual power fluctuations." Above the stands, all the strong ones were surprised, feeling the aura of the martial technique Li Lin was condensing, everyone could only be astonished. In this astonishment, no one paid more attention to the faint traces of spiritual power fluctuations, after all, these traces were extremely slight, and people soon thought they had felt wrong. In that instant, the sword glow condensed by Yuan Ruolan had already torn through space. "Shoo shoo." A sky full of sword glows broke through the air, like a torrential rain, countless sword glows appeared in space, pressing down and enveloping the space where Li Lin was, each sword glow seemed to have the power to pierce through space, converging together, the might was already terrifying to the extreme. The violent wind attribute pressed down in the space, waves of space ripples spread wildly around, countless ripples like tornadoes, violently expanding wave by wave. "Flowing Cloud Sword Rain." With a delicate shout, Yuan Ruolan struck out the last sword technique, the space, under the suppression of violent power, became heavy, many onlookers felt their breathing stall. The sky full of sword shadows, like a rain of swords, burst forth from the waves of space, a continuous stream of violent energy cutting through the void, fiercely enveloping towards Li Lin. "Shoo shoo shoo shoo" From the gathering of the attack to this moment, it seems like a long story, but everything happened in less than five seconds, at this moment, the sky full of sword rain piercing through space, carrying violent power, had already reached in front of Li Lin. "Vermilion Bird Art." Li Lin shouted loudly, his eyes shooting out sharp glints, within his body, the vast Qi sea in his dantian, all the true Qi was consumed and merged, his hands struck out the last hand seal, the crimson energy bird in front of him immediately flapped its wings and burst forth, at this moment, Li Lin was already pushing the Vermilion Bird Art with all his might, without any reservation. As this crimson bird sliced through space, its hundred-meter-large body swelled against the wind, flames howling out, its aura once again terrifyingly unleashed, a violent aura surged to the sky, when it met the sword rain pressing down from above, this terrifying phoenix energy bird had already swelled to a terrifying volume of over eight hundred meters. Feeling that terrifying aura, the onlookers nearby suddenly had a feeling of their body hair standing on end, this aura, made people''s hearts palpitate. Above the main stands, a group of strong ones from the three sects and four schools all changed their expressions instantly, their eyes filled with shock. Above the plaza, the crimson phoenix energy body flapped its wings urgently, the space airflow and air were instantly burned into nothingness, when it touched the overwhelming sword rain pressing down, the phoenix phantom instantly condensed into an extremely hot huge fireball, the fireball violently expanded, followed by an explosion that burst open on the stone platform. "Boom! Boom!" Violent flames scattered over the plaza, a terrifying violent aura surged to the sky, the flames directly dispersed, eventually covering the entire plaza of one thousand five hundred meters, enveloping all the sword rain, and this sweeping flame also enveloped both individuals within. "Rumble" The flames began to explode, space rippled with ripples, the ground''s rocky floor began to crack, and then burst open, stones scattered wildly, if not for the plaza''s vastness, it almost scattered to the spectator seats. The flames enveloped all sight, even the strong ones above the stands couldn''t see inside the flames for a moment, they could only look into the flames with solemn expressions. The strong ones from Heavenly Sword Sect, such as Gu Jianfeng and Elder Gu Feng, originally had absolute confidence in Yuan Ruolan. However, seeing Li Lin activate this terrifying martial technique, they suddenly became solemn. With their insight, it was natural to see that Li Lin''s strange and terrifying martial technique was not inferior to Yuan Ruolan''s Flowing Cloud Sword Rain in terms of violent might, and seemed to be even stronger. In the midst of countless shocked gazes, the violent and terrifying aura finally dissipated. Gradually, everything returned to normal, and at this moment, the entire plaza, a space of several kilometers, was a mess, unevenly presented before everyone, the plaza''s rocky ground shattered into pieces, and those pieces and cracks on the ground spread to the distance. Moments later, under the surprised gazes of the crowd, two figures climbed up from a pile of rubble. The two stood at a distance, both pale and dispirited, their appearance disheveled. On Li Lin''s Qing Ling armor, visible to the naked eye, there were several traces of sword shadows. If not for the Qing Ling armor''s strong defense, the consequences would be unimaginable. And at this moment, Yuan Ruolan looked disheveled, her hair messy, and she could only support her body by planting her long sword into the ground. Her purple dress had several edges burned, revealing a palm-sized area of smooth, white skin on her back, and on her abdomen, a flat area the size of a palm was also exposed. On her left leg, the long dress was tattered, with a burnt smell from being scorched, revealing her slender and delicate left leg up to her thigh, the skin smooth and captivating, making Yuan Ruolan look even more charming and irresistible despite her disheveled state. And at this moment, both of their mouths were stained with blood. "Mountain Splitting Palm." The moment Li Lin''s figure appeared, he burst forward again, pushing out a palm strike, fiercely pouncing towards Yuan Ruolan. A residual image was dragged out, Li Lin''s speed, though much slower, was still extremely fast. Yuan Ruolan''s face showed terror, wanting to resist but seemingly powerless, she could only barely condense a hand seal. "Heavenly Sword Sect loses." A shout instantly came, a ghostly figure appeared in front of Yuan Ruolan, a gentle light enveloping Li Lin''s body, dissipating the force around him, it was Elder Gu Feng from the Heavenly Sword Sect. The goal of the Heavenly Sword Sect was simple, even if they lost, they could not let Yuan Ruolan''s injuries be too severe, especially not to the foundation. After all, Yuan Ruolan was extremely important to the Heavenly Sword Sect. Li Lin''s body was limp, and he sat down on the ground again, his face pale to a terrifying degree. The moment he collapsed, he directly stuffed a pill into his mouth. "Li Lin, you have won." Elder Gu Feng looked at Li Lin and said softly, his eyes also filled with admiration for Li Lin. "Whoosh!" At the same time, a light green figure instantly arrived in the arena, helping Li Lin up, saying, "Are you alright? Take a moment to recuperate." "Elder Yang, I''m fine." Li Lin said softly, retracting his Qing Ling armor. The newcomer was Elder Yang from the Yunyang Sect, a Martial King level elder. "Li Lin has won" ... After the silence filled with surprise, the plaza immediately erupted into commotion. A battle between two quad-element martial artists, a first-level martial general defeating a seventh-level martial general, was absolutely shocking. Shouts of "Li Lin" echoed over the plaza, this battle exceeded everyone''s expectations. Yun Xiao Tian laughed again, even getting a bit excited, watching Li Lin below, this young man kept bringing him surprises. "Such talent, it''s too astonishing." Ouyang Xuan Ying, Zhu Hong Yuan, and other strong individuals'' faces changed drastically, then they sighed in admiration, lamenting that their sects did not have such young talents. "Gentlemen Sect Leaders, a bet is a bet. Two sets of high-level Xuan-tier martial techniques as agreed, I graciously accept." While Yun Xiao Tian was excited, he did not forget to collect the bet. Two sets of high-level Xuan-tier martial techniques from each person, a total of twelve sets, this is indeed a significant sum. Everyone exchanged looks, their gazes ultimately fixed harshly on Gu Jianfeng, who had proposed the bet of two sets of martial techniques for one. Now, this loss was substantial. Having lost, everyone, as sect leaders, couldn''t do something as dishonorable as reneging on a bet. In the end, they reluctantly took out two sets of high-level Xuan-tier martial techniques from their storage rings and handed them over to Yun Xiao Tian, each giving Yun Xiao Tian a harsh stare. "Heh heh." Yun Xiao Tian chuckled, ignoring everyone''s gazes. With twelve sets of high-level Xuan-tier martial techniques in hand, his smile was absolutely brilliant. "From now on, I will never bet with you again, Sect Leader Yun. Pretending like you had no confidence, you cheated me out of four sets of high-level Xuan-tier martial techniques," Ren Changqing from the Illusion Soul Sect, with a sullen face, glared at Yun Xiao Tian. Thinking back, he felt completely trapped by Yun Xiao Tian. "Sect Leader Yun, you''re too unscrupulous, hiding the strength of your disciples, just to win a few sets of high-level Xuan-tier martial techniques from us," Zhu Hong Yuan from Xuan Mountain Sect said. "Sect Leader Yun has always been cunning, now I''ve seen it for myself," Ouyang Xuan Ying said helplessly. "Gentlemen, but it was you who wanted to bet with me," Yun Xiao Tian said. "Sect Leader Yun, we were blinded by you. Don''t tell us you didn''t know Li Lin was a quad-element martial artist or his strength," Wei Bangyan from the Return Origin Sect said, his grey eyebrows raised, giving Yun Xiao Tian a contemptuous look. "I" Yun Xiao Tian was at a loss for words. What could he say? He truly didn''t know. If he had known, he wouldn''t have been afraid to bet even his own worth, fearing only that these sect leaders would lose even more. "Heh heh." Yun Xiao Tian just chuckled, winning anyway, what did it matter what they thought. Above the stands, at this moment, Zhao Qing Tian and his brother had faces that couldn''t look any worse. They had thought they would enjoy watching Li Lin being trounced, the thought alone made them happy. But they never expected the outcome to be Li Lin once again shining brilliantly, nor did they expect Li Lin to be a quad-element martial artist. "This little thief, even I was kept in the dark, hmmph," Yun Hongling pouted, but she was happy. In a corner of the plaza, the slender young man with his face covered by a white veil watched the scene, his gaze revealing a bit of surprise, then in a flash, his figure disappeared from the spot. After the assembly dispersed, when Li Lin returned to the courtyard, he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, his complexion slightly improved. "Lin''er, how are your injuries?" Li Wushuang immediately asked with concern. "It''s okay, much better," Li Lin lifted his head, a pale smile on his lips. Resisting Yuan Ruolan with all his might, his injuries were definitely not light. If not for his Qing Ling armor and his incredibly strong physique, he would be in even more trouble now. "Li Lin, there''s one last match tomorrow, can you handle it?" Yun Xiao Tian had many questions for Li Lin but knew it wasn''t the time. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. "Resting for a night should not be a big problem," Li Lin said lightly. Finally reaching the second place, the first place would allow him to obtain a set of Xuan-tier beginner-level martial techniques from each of the three sects and four schools, he had to try for it no matter what. "Lin''er, you''re already injured, it''s okay not to aim for the first place. I''m afraid your injuries might worsen," Yu Yuqian said by Li Lin''s side, her expression full of concern. "Master, I know my own limits and won''t overdo it," Li Lin softly said, looking at his master with deep gratitude in his heart. This master truly loved him with the sincerity of a father''s love. "Go heal your injuries quickly, prepare for tomorrow''s competition, and try not to lose. That Ling Qing is not from our three sects and four schools. If he takes first place, it would be a loss of face for all of us," Yun Xiao Tian said, handing Li Lin three fifth-grade medicinal pills. In his room, Li Lin sat cross-legged, preparing to heal his injuries. "It seems you used all your strength today," Bai Ling said softly to Li Lin in the room. "Yes," Li Lin replied softly. "I almost went all out." "What will you do tomorrow? From what I feel, the person remaining should be stronger than Yuan Ruolan whom you faced today. My feeling shouldn''t be wrong," Bai Ling said softly. "I feel the same," Li Lin frowned, he had also vaguely felt that Ling Qing was more unfathomable than Yuan Ruolan. Thinking back on today''s battle, Li Lin felt somewhat fortunate. Yuan Ruolan''s strength was too formidable, a quad-element martial artist with the strength of a seventh-level martial general, absolutely a standout among the younger generation. His victory this time was due to several factors. First, he had a strong physique and the Qing Ling armor. Secondly, by unexpectedly revealing his fourth elemental attribute, the Melancholy Spirit Vanishing Palm allowed Yuan Ruolan to unexpectedly deplete nearly one-third of her true qi. Without the strange power of the Melancholy Spirit Vanishing Palm depleting Yuan Ruolan''s considerable true qi, Yuan Ruolan would have had the energy to continue fighting, and he would have been the one to lose. Yuan Ruolan''s strength as a quad-element, seventh-level martial general was enough to kill an average eighth-level martial general, almost reaching the peak strength of an eighth-level and nearing that of a ninth-level. His full effort in deploying the Vermilion Bird Art, along with causing her to deplete half her energy, and his strong defense, allowed him to hold on to victory. Thinking about the last match tomorrow, Li Lin felt truly uncertain, not knowing the extent of Ling Qing''s strength. "Little dragon, protect the law," Li Lin said softly. While healing, to prepare for tomorrow''s final match, Li Lin planned to directly consume demon pills to heal and recover. Healing while rapidly regaining true qi, having depleted it all today, although the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Technique recovered quickly, fully recovering by tomorrow morning would be extremely difficult. Consuming demon pills, however, would make it much easier. Swallowing a demon pill, Li Lin immediately entered a state of cultivation, enveloped in a faint yellow aura. Outside the city of Heavenly Sword, the day''s exciting and intense battles had the streets and alleys buzzing afterward. Two quad-element martial artists, with Li Lin emerging as a dark horse again, defeating a seventh-level martial general as a first-level martial general and advancing to the top two C such achievements had many young men and women idolizing him. Across the continent, spies from various forces immediately spread the news to every corner of the land: Yunyang Sect has once again produced a quad-element martial artist, whose talent and strength allowed a first-level martial general to defeat a seventh-level one. This news rapidly spread from Heavenly Sword City. In the betting shops, most people were frustrated, with the majority having placed their bets on Yuan Ruolan, only to lose disastrously. There were those who bet on Li Lin, albeit few, but still, there were some who liked to bet on the underdog. A young master from a semi-prominent family in Heavenly Sword City, on a whim and against everyone''s advice, placed 500,000 gold coins on Li Lin, winning 150 million as a result. This became a popular story in Heavenly Sword City. This made many others even more frustrated. Who could have thought Li Lin was hiding so much depth, a first-level martial general defeating a seventh-level one was too misleading. After the event, the odds in the betting shops for Li Lin changed from 1 to 300 to 3 to 1, while Ling Qing''s odds went to 1 to 3. Other competitors were already out of the running, leaving only two contenders for tomorrow''s final match. In a quiet inn, a slender figure appeared on the eaves, concealing his presence under the night sky, barely visible if not looked at closely. "I thought I would never see you again, but this time, you came to me. You should pay the price." The slender young man gazed at the night sky, murmuring. In a small town, within a large and exquisite courtyard, one of the courtyards housed a kind-looking woman in plain clothes watching the night sky, her eyes filled with expectation, murmuring, "It''s been almost three years in the blink of an eye. It''s time for a visit, I wonder if he''s gotten fatter or thinner." "Madam, you''re thinking about the young master again," a sly-looking young man stood by the woman''s side, his eyes crafty yet spirited, this was Li Xiao Bai. And the woman, naturally, was Lady Luo Lan. "Xiao Bai, why don''t you call him the young master, why call him ''young master''?" Luo Lan said with a light laugh. "It was the young master who asked me to call him that; he said the title ''young master'' sounds like someone who lives off others. I don''t know what he meant," Li Xiao Bai said lightly. "I wonder how Lin''er is doing," Luo Lan said softly. "The lord received news a few days ago that the young master has already become a direct disciple and even went to participate in the Three Sects and Four Schools Conference," Li Xiao Bai said excitedly. "The Three Sects and Four Schools Conference, could it be dangerous?" Luo Lan asked with concern. "Don''t worry, madam, the young master is the most brilliant and courageous fool, nothing will happen to him. I heard from the lord that to participate in the Three Sects and Four Schools Conference, one must be the strongest direct disciple of the Yunyang Sect. Only someone as brilliant and courageous as the young master can participate in the Three Sects and Four Schools Conference," Li Xiao Bai said. "Xiao Bai, what does ''fool'' mean?" Luo Lan asked, puzzled. "The young master said, ''fool'' means brilliant and courageous," Li Xiao Bai explained. "Oh" Luo Lan nodded, somewhat understanding. In Heavenly Sword City, amidst everyone''s anticipation, the final match of the Three Sects and Four Schools Conference finally began. In the midst of continuous, extraordinarily exciting competitions, the entry fee for this final championship battle had reached three hundred basic gold coins, still in high demand and without any discounts, the popularity was unprecedented. As soon as the day began to brighten, the plaza was already packed with people, all wanting to know if Li Lin could still deliver a spectacular and shocking performance today. "Today''s match, I wonder who will win." "I think it''s Li Lin, he has created too many miracles already, even defeating Yuan Ruolan yesterday." "Although Li Lin has the strength to vie for first place, the key issue is that he spent too much energy and was injured yesterday, but Ling Qing remains unscathed, so it seems Li Lin might be at a disadvantage today." "That makes sense, I saw Li Lin defeat Yuan Ruolan yesterday, he was completely drained and also sustained not light injuries. Today''s match against Ling Qing will be difficult." "Ling Qing was able to defeat Jian Xiner, I heard that Jian Xiner even used a spiritual weapon the day before yesterday, showing that Ling Qing''s strength is also extremely formidable." "Regardless, I still support Li Lin." "If Li Lin hadn''t been injured yesterday and hadn''t exhausted himself, I would also support Li Lin, but now, I think Ling Qing has a better chance." As people discussed, dawn broke, and the plaza was filled with an absolutely terrifying number of people. The plaza, capable of accommodating a million people, was now forcefully crammed with between 1.3 to 1.4 million people, the dense crowd resembling a dark swarm of ants. In the courtyard where Yunyang Sect was staying, in the early morning, when everyone from Yunyang Sect was preparing to head to the plaza, they discovered that Li Lin had not yet come out. "The boss is healing and should not be disturbed. He said for you all to go ahead, and he will catch up later." When Yun Xiao Tian went to Li Lin''s room, he was stopped at the door. The beast of the Heavenly Sword Sect was already waiting outside, and the people of Yunyang Sect could only head to the plaza filled with confusion. "Look, people from the Three Sects and Four Schools have arrived." "Woo woo..." A series of huge whooshing sounds echoed through the space, and from afar in the plaza, several large flying beasts carried members of the Three Sects and Four Schools, who stood on their backs. Moments later, figures landed on the top seats of the stands. Watching the figures of the Three Sects and Four Schools, among the spectators, there were many envious glances. Such sects and schools represented absolute major forces. On the top seats, a group of elders and protectors took their seats, while the disciples had to stand. Seeing that Li Lin from the Yunyang Sect had not arrived, some disciples from other sects seemed somewhat surprised. In the Myriad Beasts Sect, Lan Ling, dressed in fiery attire, kept scanning the people from Yunyang Sect, puzzled by Li Lin''s absence. Seeing Lan Ling, Yun Hongling glared fiercely, pouting her lips. If not for being held back by Li Wushuang, she might have continued glaring. In the room, Li Lin was enveloped in a pale yellow light. Within the light, true qi leaked out, filling the room with a strong aura. "Sigh!" With each breath, the leaked true qi was absorbed back into Li Lin''s body, and the pale yellow light gradually dissipated. Feeling a surge of refreshment within, Li Lin couldn''t help but stretch, causing his joints to crackle. "Boss, how''s your recovery?" Little dragon''s voice came, and with a whoosh, he had already leaped onto Li Lin''s shoulder. "Almost there," Li Lin said lightly. At this moment, the true qi within his dantian was full, with no damage, and the minor injuries were also not a big deal, all thanks to his cultivation of the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Technique and his strong physique. "Li Lin, your recovery is really fast," Bai Ling said lightly, astonished at Li Lin''s recovery speed. "Alright, we should go. We should still make it in time," Li Lin said with a slight smile. He had let the others go first because there was still some demon pill energy in his body that had not been completely refined, and his true qi was not yet fully replenished. But now, it seemed it was time for him to head there alone. On the crowded plaza, noises of discussions, arguments, and even disputes mixed together, creating a cacophony that spread wave after wave above the plaza. "Sect Master Yun, your disciple Li Lin hasn''t arrived yet. He''s not too injured to compete, is he?" Yin E''s gaze was on the people from Yunyang Sect, puzzled by Li Lin''s absence. "He''ll be here in a bit. Sect Master Yin, are you thinking of betting again today?" Yun Xiao Tian said with a slight smile. "No betting, not with you anyway," Yin E glared at Yun Xiao Tian and directly refused. He had lost four sets of high-level Xuan-tier martial techniques and felt the loss was too unjust. "That''s right, Sect Master Yun, you''re too unscrupulous," Ouyang Xuan Ying said. Facing the criticisms from various sect leaders, Yun Xiao Tian didn''t mind and chuckled. Winning twenty-four sets of high-level Xuan-tier martial techniques this time was no small amount. He had thought they would lose eighteen sets at this Three Sects and Four Schools Conference, but the outcome was the opposite. "Sect Master Yun, give us an estimate. How likely is your disciple Li Lin to win today? Ling Qing''s strength is undoubtedly extraordinary. If the first place of this Three Sects and Four Schools Conference is taken by another force, it would be a disgrace for us," Gu Jianfeng said seriously among the criticism. "To be honest, I''m not sure. Li Lin was completely exhausted yesterday and had some injuries. When I came over just now, he was still in the midst of adjusting his breath," Yun Xiao Tian said seriously. Speaking of today''s competition, the expressions of the various sect leaders became serious. "Sect Master Yun, no matter what, we are counting on Yunyang Sect today. If the first place is taken by another force, it would be a hit to the reputation of the Three Sects and Four Schools," Ouyang Xuan Ying said. "That Ling Qing''s background is very suspicious. Not to hide it from you all, my Heavenly Sword Sect has spies in Moyun City. I only received news last night that the second-rate force Ling Qing registered with has already undergone changes, and supposedly, it''s related to that new force that has appeared recently," Gu Jianfeng said. "Gu Sect Master, are you talking about the Ling Martial World?" The various leaders exchanged glances, then Wei Bangyan slowly said. "That''s right," Gu Jianfeng nodded slightly. Everyone''s expressions became grave. "Could it be that the Ling Martial World intends to contend with our Three Sects and Four Schools?" Ren Changqing said. "It''s unclear for now. At least up to this point, that force hasn''t made any moves against our Three Sects and Four Schools openly, what they''ve done in the shadows, we don''t know. So, if Ling Qing is from the Ling Martial World, then their motive is simple, undoubtedly aiming to strike at our Three Sects and Four Schools," Ouyang Xuan Ying said. "Let''s discuss the matters of the Ling Martial World another day. This time, we were supposed to discuss this very issue. And this time, the champion of the Three Sects and Four Schools Conference absolutely cannot fall into the hands of another force," Wei Bangyan said. "We have no other choice. Everything now depends on Li Lin," the crowd turned their gaze towards Yun Xiao Tian. "Buzz!" The bustling square fell silent with the familiar buzzing sound, cutting through the noise. On the stands, Yun Xiao Tian''s brow furrowed, noticing that Li Lin had yet to appear at this moment. "Whoosh!" A figure leaped onto the square, slender and face covered with a white veil, it was the most mysterious Ling Qing. The red-robed elder of the Heavenly Sword Sect stepped onto the field again, looking surprised to see only one person in the center. "Why is there only one person? Where is Li Lin?" "I haven''t seen Li Lin at all. He wouldn''t have withdrawn due to severe injuries, would he?" "He really withdrew? I bet 100,000 gold coins on Li Lin!" "You only 100,000? I put 500,000 gold coins on him." The murmurs of speculation about Li Lin''s absence continued to rise. On the square, Ling Qing also looked puzzled, glancing around but without much reaction. "Why hasn''t he come yet?" Yun Hongling looked towards the distant sky with concern. "Where is Li Lin? Did he withdraw?" The noise grew louder, causing the red-robed elder to frown amidst the million-strong crowd''s clamor. "Roar..." Just as everyone frowned, a loud beastly roar came from afar, and a white figure appeared in the sky like lightning. "He''s here," Yun Xiao Tian''s eyebrows lifted, and the people from Yunyang Sect knew who it was upon hearing the roar. "Roar!" Instantly, the white figure arrived above the square, a huge flying beast circled down, a massive snow-white lion with an imposing aura that amazed many. "It''s a Skywing Snow Lion." Those in the know were even more astonished; the Skywing Snow Lion was no ordinary beast. Many powerful individuals on the stands were surprised. On the back of the Skywing Snow Lion stood a figure in green robes, eyes like stars, and a lazy, mischievous smile on his lips, with a small beast on each shoulder. "Li Lin is here." Watching the figure on the massive white beast, Li Lin''s supporters on the square erupted in excitement, including enthusiastic declarations of love from many young women. "This guy, always so high-profile," Li Wushuang smiled as she watched Li Lin. "Sorry for being late," Li Lin said apologetically, looking around, and in the next instant, he was on the stands. Little dragon and Bai Ling jumped onto Li Wushuang''s shoulder, and the Skywing Snow Lion shrank and moved next to Yun Hongling and Li Lin. "Greetings to the Sect Master and all the sect leaders," Li Lin greeted Yun Xiao Tian and the others upon arriving at the stands, then said to Gu Jianfeng, "Sect Leader Gu, I apologize for riding a flying beast in the city due to being in a hurry." "It''s fine, go and participate in the final match," Gu Jianfeng said, not minding the city''s restrictions on flying beasts for ordinary people, seeing Li Lin''s polite demeanor. "Li Lin, you must win first place today at all costs. You can''t let Ling Qing win," Yun Xiao Tian''s voice transmission reached Li Lin''s ears. Li Lin looked towards Yun Xiao Tian without responding. Using voice transmission in front of these powerful individuals could easily be intercepted; it wasn''t safe if there were much stronger individuals around. "Don''t worry, I''ll keep my promise," Yun Xiao Tian''s voice transmission came again, as if he knew what Li Lin was thinking. "How are you feeling, Li Lin?" Ouyang Xuan Ying from the Earth Spirit Sect asked, surprised to feel that Li Lin seemed completely unharmed. Chapter 410: A Practitioner of Three Elements? "Returning to Sect Master Ouyang, I am no longer in serious trouble," Li Lin said with a bow, "I will go to participate in the last competition now." As his voice fell, Li Lin''s body suddenly leaped down into the arena, a whirl of air flashed under his feet, and he landed flawlessly in the center of the arena. "Li Lin, you''ve come at the right time. In this final competition, the winner will receive a set of Xuan-level beginner martial techniques from all the major sects and schools of the three sects and four schools. You may officially start when the bell rings," said the elder in the red robe, whose figure had already retreated. At this moment, many eyes in the VIP stand above were looking at the two people in the arena, absolute celebrities of the Spirit Martial Continent. With their strength, it was also impossible to see through which of the two would win, and even they did not know the outcome. Both of these individuals were hiding too deeply, making this final match even more suspenseful. Many experienced viewers were also slightly shaking their heads. Li Lin''s depth was one thing, but that Ling Qing had always been hiding, giving them all a sense of profound mystery, which also made them feel puzzled. "Buzz!" The melodious bell sound finally rang under the anticipation of countless people and then spread across the plaza. As the bell sound fell, a silent atmosphere suddenly enveloped the entire plaza, a series of fervent gazes fixedly watched the two individuals in the arena. Everyone was clear that perhaps this time''s competition between the three sects and four schools would be the most exciting duel to start. Whether Li Lin would continue to win was also something that everyone looked forward to. In the center of the plaza, just as the bell rang, Li Lin immediately set up his Qing Spirit Armor around him, a very strong aura instantly spread around him. In this final match, Li Lin had no confidence in himself, so he had to make full preparations. In an instant, the true qi inside Li Lin''s body began to tremble, the air fluctuated, and a stream of air ripples that were faintly visible spread out and then quickly extinguished. What Li Lin did not expect was that the opponent did not give any notice and suddenly appeared with a long sword in hand, cutting through the air with a mist sword aura that split the space in an instant. In that moment, Li Lin saw the opponent''s eyes looking at him, as if harboring vengeance, vaguely filled with anger. A whirl of air flashed under his feet, and Li Lin also wanted to know how strong the opponent''s strength was. With a heavy gaze, he also charged forward with an absolutely strong aura. The two figures, like meteors colliding, touched with a bang under the watchful eyes of countless gazes at the moment the bell sound fell, immediately splashing out strong spatial ripples. "Thousand Hands Splitting Gang Seal." Li Lin let out a low shout, and his palm strike cut through the air like a yellow lightning bolt. After dragging out a trail of afterimages, they converged together, and finally, with a force that made space tremble, ferociously met the opponent''s sword aura. "Boom boom!" The sound of explosions followed, a series of explosive sounds of power instantly echoed in the center of the plaza. "Shi shi!" The pressure filled the air, and Li Lin''s figure, like a ghost, reached the ultimate speed, dragging out a trail of afterimages, and then charged towards the slender youth again. "Whoosh whoosh!" A series of sword auras shaped long, the slender youth''s speed was also extremely fast, his sword aura cut through space, suddenly blocking in front of Li Lin. Li Lin was naturally very fast, but within this sword aura, he felt a huge suction force, which made his speed instantly stall, and then a sword aura was already stabbing towards him. "Earth Gang Shield." His face changed drastically, and a yellow energy shield instantly blocked in front of him, the violent earth attribute energy instantly converged, and the surrounding space retreated, forming ripples. Stolen novel; please report. "Crack crack!" The sword aura pressed down, and instantly the momentum of the sword aura increased, like a dragon soaring into the sky, instantly destroying Li Lin''s Earth Gang Shield. The sword aura slightly dispersed, only slightly stalled, and then the sword aura cut through space, breaking the airflow in space, forming an arc of light shadow, and then carrying a sharp gust of wind towards Li Lin''s chest, just feeling the sharp aura, Li Lin''s expression instantly sank. "Wooden Prison Lock." Li Lin, in a moment of haste, several wooden stakes rotated out of thin air, carrying a rich wood attribute energy, rotating rapidly, blocking in front of the swath of sword aura, and finally fiercely collided with that swath of sword aura "Whoosh whoosh..." A low explosion cutting sound suddenly sounded, the sword aura tore through space, several wooden stakes were instantly shredded into pieces, spatial ripples caused waves of fluctuating aura ripples, and then quickly surged, finally spreading out in all directions. "Thud thud!" As the aura extinguished, a huge force poured down, Li Lin''s body trembled violently, his steps stumbled back, each step down, the rock plaza below would show a few cracks. Blood surged inside his body, and it took Li Lin a dozen steps back before he could stabilize his body. The opponent''s strength was absolutely extremely strong. Even now, Li Lin found that he still could not accurately judge the opponent''s strength. The only certainty was that the opponent''s strength was much stronger than his own. Stabilizing his body, Li Lin''s gaze tightly watched the slender youth, indicating that this match was undoubtedly the most difficult one for him. "A Tier-One Martial General, a practitioner of four elements, did you think you were something special?" The slender youth''s low and hoarse voice came out, and as soon as his voice fell, a burst of true qi flashed under his feet, suddenly kicking the ground, and as the rock ground cracked several cracks, his figure charged straight at him again, the long sword in his hand carrying an extremely sharp wind-breaking sound, cutting through the airflow, the violent gust carrying bits of flames, the sword aura like dragging a fire serpent-like figure, lightning-fast piercing through space towards Li Lin. "Fire attribute, a practitioner of three elements?" Li Lin''s eyes flashed with surprise, in the match with Jian Xiner the day before yesterday, Li Lin found that this youth only had earth and water attributes, but now, this youth could activate fire martial techniques, which already proved that this youth was also a practitioner of three elements. "Flame Burst." Li Lin, while surprised, also had no time to be astonished, his body rapidly retreating, a palm-sized fireball was already instantly striking like lightning. The sword aura and the fireball, carrying astonishing energy, touched at the same time, Li Lin''s Flame Burst exploded with a bang, the space was directly torn open a scorching arc, a terrifyingly hot pressure spread out like a tsunami. "Bang bang..." The energy dispersed, the fireball exploded in mid-air, shaking the space with intense ripples, the unmatched hot flames swept across the sky, under the terrifying temperature, even the spatial ripples turned red. As the wave of fire swept through, to the naked eye, only to see that the slender youth burst out with a strong true qi, suddenly a sound like iron blocks clanking. In front of the whole person, a layer of clearly defined rocks instantly appeared, these rocks dense and layered, like a tornado howling and enveloping the outside. The invisible gust spread, the space was already completely twisted, the slender youth''s figure was completely covered by the layered stone defense, letting the wave of fire sweep, but it could not shake it at all. "Bang bang!" The wave of fire exploded, the hot and violent aura blast suddenly sounded in the field, a cold aura blast suddenly swept through but then, on the ground, a crackling sound came. The hard rock plaza ground, cracks like a spider web rapidly spread from the explosion site of the fire. "Such strong defensive power." Li Lin''s face was greatly shocked, this defensive power was too terrifying, the day before yesterday in the match with Jian Xiner, the slender youth also used this weird earth attribute Xuan-level beginner martial technique, which could also be broken by Jian Xiner with a spiritual weapon, but himself, was unable to shake it at all. "A practitioner of three elements." On the VIP stand above, one kind of strong person''s face did not change, also seeing that this mysterious Ling Qing was also a practitioner of three elements. "No, look quickly, this Ling Qing is also a practitioner of four elements." At this moment, Ouyang Xuan''s face greatly changed, at this moment in the plaza, in the blink of an eye, Ling Qing''s back, had already condensed out a pair of true qi wings, this can only be done by wind attribute practitioners. "Actually another practitioner of four elements." All the strong ones could no longer remain calm, this time the competition of the three sects and four schools, actually had three practitioners of four elements appear at once. All the strong ones also paid attention, this Ling Qing had already displayed water attribute, fire attribute, earth attribute, and now this wind attribute, a total of four attributes, one in a billion practitioner of four elements. "A practitioner of four elements." Li Lin at this time was still surprised, never thought that this slender youth was also a practitioner of four elements. "A practitioner of four elements, nothing to be proud of, it''s your own fault for bumping into it, then you can only blame yourself." The hoarse and low voice came from the slender youth in mid-air, as soon as his voice fell, the long sword in the slender youth''s hand was already put away, with his hands starting to weirdly condense. Above the plaza, at this moment, a thick and terrifying energy began to converge, and at this moment, feeling this energy converge, on the VIP stand above, suddenly, the heads of the three sects and four schools, Yunyang Sect Elder Yang, Tianjian Gate Elder Gu Feng, and Diling Gate that Ling King level old man, all involuntarily changed their faces, and then tremblingly stood up. Chapter 411: Practitioner of All Elements In the sky, the slender young man moved his palm, and suddenly, a rustling sound echoed out of nowhere, extending into wooden spikes that appeared out of thin air. With a gentle shake, they pierced through space, hanging in the air like sharp arrows. These wooden spikes covered a space of thousands of meters, densely packed, numbering in the tens of thousands, each the size of a thumb, their sharp energy piercing through spatial ripples with absolutely terrifying momentum. "Wood attribute, Xuan-level beginner martial skill." Li Lin was also surprised, his eyes wide open in astonishment. Just a moment ago, he was surprised that the slender young man was a practitioner of three elements, but in the blink of an eye, the young man had become a practitioner of five elements: earth, fire, water, wind, and wood, a practitioner of all elements. "He is a practitioner of all elements." On the main stand, the seven sect leaders looked at each other, all the powerful figures stood up, practitioners of all elements, even they had only heard of them, and now, a practitioner of all elements had appeared before them. "Go." The slender young man uttered a faint low shout. In that instant, the last strange hand seal condensed in his hand, his arm shook, and thousands of wooden spikes in the sky instantly slashed through the heavens, turning into streams of light, violently stabbing towards Li Lin. "Shoo, shoo!" Thousands of wooden spikes pierced through space like venomous snakes, instantly turning into a blur of light. The spikes were exceptionally sharp, their tips carrying terrifying energy, vaguely breaking through space. "A practitioner of five elements, I''ll stake everything." Li Lin''s expression became extremely solemn, and at this moment, his feet''s true qi turned into a whirlwind, his body rapidly retreating while his hand seals continuously condensed and changed, his complexion also eerily turning pale. "Shoo, shoo!" However, the wooden spikes were too fast, instantly catching up to Li Lin, about to engulf him, the oppressive wind covering him, the whole space twisting. In the next instant, Li Lin''s complexion became even paler, but his eyes suddenly spread with a sharp light. In this breathtaking moment, instead of retreating, Li Lin''s true qi wings spread behind him, and he eerily floated into the air. At this moment, some true powerhouses could see that Li Lin''s hands had condensed two streams of energy in just the past few moments. "Desolate Spirit Palm." With a low shout from Li Lin''s mouth, along with a sudden push of a hand seal, a green light flashed around his body, true qi surged out, and then converged into a palm seal in his palm. The palm seal shone with intense green light. Instantly, a palm seal as translucent as jade adhered to Li Lin''s palm, causing ripples to appear in the surrounding space, emanating a tremendous oppressive aura. The palm seal then burst forth, finally turning into a green light that soared against the wind, sweeping towards the thousands of wooden spikes in the air. The entire space boiled with spatial ripples roaring, following the green light palm seal, finally exploding in mid-air, also causing a thunderous noise. The green wind dispersed, directly covering and crushing within a thousand meters of space. This green wind raged, each gust swiftly drawing mysterious arcs, the terrifying wind continuously overlapping, forming a net of green light arcs, then covering a space of thousands of meters. When the sharp wooden spikes were slashed down, under the coverage of the green light arcs, they began to fade, the foremost sharp spikes quietly vanishing. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. But there were too many wooden spikes, impossible to completely annihilate. The sharp energy could even penetrate the green light arcs, though their speed was significantly slowed at this moment. When the two forces touched, the light arcs crushed, and the space twisted as if a wave of invisible breath spread instantly, bringing a more terrifying scene... "Ice Seal!" With a deep shout echoing through the space, at the moment the green light arcs and thousands of wooden spikes touched, Li Lin condensed another massive energy hand seal of hundreds of meters, suddenly appearing in the air. As this energy hand seal appeared, the temperature in the entire space suddenly dropped sharply, an icy aura spreading, freezing the spatial ripples, the cold air ravaging the space. In the plaza space, a pressing icy aura, like a wave, rapidly fluctuated, the massive energy hand seal appearing before countless shocked eyes. Originally blue, the hand seal turned into a thousand meters large, then, after a brief pause, it burst forth with absolute coldness and energy fluctuations, fiercely colliding with the thousands of wooden spikes in the air. "Crack, crack..." As the energy palm seal was pushed out, instead of the explosive sound expected by everyone, the space where the palm seal passed froze instantly in an extremely bizarre state, the entire space freezing, the chilling coldness ravaging, spectators nearby shuddering from the cold, this chill seeping into their pores. As Li Lin condensed this palm seal again, at the main stand, everyone couldn''t help but tremble, the most excited undoubtedly being Yun Xiao Tian, Elder Yang, followed by Elder Yu, Elder Xie, and everyone from Yunyang Sect. Everyone''s gaze was stunned, at this moment, time seemed to stop, such excitement made people''s hearts flutter. "Water system Xuan-level beginner martial skill, Ice Seal, a martial skill of my Yunyang Sect." "A practitioner of all elements, Li Lin is also a practitioner of all elements." Yun Xiao Tian''s hands supported on the stand, his eyes wide open, mouth agape, shaking uncontrollably, disbelief in his eyes, as if dreaming, but the scene above was real, appearing before his and all the strong figures from the three sects and four schools'' eyes. "Two practitioners of all elements appeared, Li Lin can actually simultaneously activate two Xuan-level beginner offensive skills, unbelievable." Among the surrounding spectators, some were so excited they were speechless, everyone dumbfounded. In the incredulous gazes of everyone, Li Lin''s Desolate Spirit Palm and Ice Seal, two Xuan-level beginner martial skills, two substantial energy fluctuations, collided with Ling Qing''s thousands of wooden spikes at the same time. The collision site of the three attacking forces, ice light, green light, swaths of energy light like substance, crazily rippling, the space becoming distorted under such terrifying energy light collision, the collision of three Xuan-level beginner martial skills was extremely terrifying. In this terrifying power collision, under the surprised gazes, the figures of both were completely engulfed, the violent energy wrapping around, the space twisting, only a few strong figures on the stands could clearly see the inside scene. "Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!" Space exploded, a series of thunderous noises erupted, spatial currents tearing open, thick ice blocks flying, cold air filling the space, as if the entire space was covered in a thick layer of frost. This strong aura truly twisted space, sparks from the power collision bursting, waves of terrifying energy spreading, the entire space began to tremble. In this terrifying energy collision, in the gaze of over a million, everyone was guessing the outcome within the violent wind. Under the watchful eyes of a million, on the plaza, the terrifying chaotic energy fluctuations finally slowly faded away in a series of explosive sounds, the distorted space gradually becoming clear. "Shoo!" At this moment, several wooden spikes pierced through Li Lin''s shoulders and thighs, blood flowing. "Thud, thud..." Li Lin''s body retreated from the air, heavily landing on the ground, his steps cracking the ground. After a dozen steps, Li Lin made several pits on the plaza, tiny cracks spreading. At this moment, everyone could see that in the strong confrontation, Li Lin did not gain any advantage, instead, he was seriously injured. When everyone looked up at the sky again, they were shocked once more. In the sky, Ling Qing''s true qi wings completely retracted, his complexion slightly pale, but not significantly affected. Surprisingly, Ling Qing stood in the air with his true qi wings retracted. Standing in the air, something only Martial Commanders could achieve, below Martial Commander, absolutely impossible. At this moment, Ling Qing''s aura was no longer concealed, freely released, the surrounding space twisted, the aura detected by the powerful figures, not difficult to notice, was that of a first-tier Martial Commander. Not a Martial General, but having stepped into the level of a Martial Commander, Ling Qing is a practitioner of all elements, and also a first-tier Martial Commander. Chapter 412: The Last Resort "Two all-element warriors, one of whom has even reached the first level of Martial Marshal." One shock after another left all the powerhouses unable to cope, making this Three Sects and Four Schools meeting incredibly surprising. It started with triple-element warriors, then the revelation of quadruple-element warriors was already astonishing, but in the end, amidst everyone''s shock, two legendary all-element warriors appeared. However, just as everyone had yet to recover their senses, Ling Qing had already revealed the aura of a first-level Martial Marshal. At such an age, to have broken through to Martial Marshal, such talent was unheard of among those present. Apart from shock, what else could they do? The seven sect leaders and all the elders looked at each other at this moment, unable to maintain their composure any longer, each standing up to focus their attention below. It seemed there was much to discuss, with many sect leaders looking towards Yun XiaoTian for a moment, having many questions to ask, but knowing now was not the time to speak, they exchanged glances and tensely focused again on the scene below. "Good lad, you''re trying to scare your master to death." Yu Yu leaned on the railing of the stand, his excitement imaginable. At this moment, all the direct disciples of the Three Sects and Four Schools, each with a pale shocked face, were regarded as outstanding individuals within their own sects, usually arrogant and looking down on others. But now, observing the two people on stage, they realized what true exceptional talents were. Facing all-element warriors, one even a Martial Marshal, they felt utterly insignificant. Lan Ling, Jian XinEr, and others sighed at their beauty, feeling the gap between them and these two was more than just a little. "Good lad, you''ve kept yourself well hidden." Qu DaoJue clenched his fists, excited beyond measure. Zhao QingHai and Zhao QingTian, the brothers, however, had ashen faces, looking utterly defeated. Li Lin''s identity as an all-element warrior was a huge blow to them, watching their most hated person becoming stronger and stronger, their feelings were indescribable. Despite everything, Li WuShuang remained calm, only concerned and anxious about Li Lin''s injuries, which were obviously not light at this moment. In the arena, Li Lin, watching Ling Qing in the sky, was utterly shocked. He had never imagined Ling Qing to be a Martial Marshal. Although this person was veiled, their age was definitely very young. Such a young first-level Martial Marshal was incredibly shocking. "There are always people better." Li Lin thought of Uncle Jiang''s words again. "Shh shh." As he circulated his true qi, under the flow of his fire attribute qi, the wooden spikes on Li Lin''s shoulders and thighs instantly dissolved. However, the dark energy on the spikes heavily impacted his body. Only Li Lin knew the extent of his injuries. His Qing Ling armor was shattered, and his internal injuries were much worse than those from yesterday''s fight against Yuan RuoLan, even affecting his internal organs. "Didn''t expect you to be an all-element warrior too." The slender young man stood in the air, his eyes filled with absolute surprise, but only he knew that Li Lin''s attack had affected him, consuming a significant amount of his true qi. Fortunately, he discovered it early. "You''re more surprising to me." Li Lin spoke lightly, rapidly adjusting his breath. His heart was already extremely solemn. The opponent was a Martial Marshal; even a first-level Martial Marshal was worlds apart from a Martial General, and he simply could not compete. At this moment, Li Lin was considering how to deal with it. Even at his peak, he was no match, let alone now with injuries. Even if he used his soul blade technique, he probably wouldn''t stand a chance. The power of the soul blade technique was not stronger than the Vermilion Bird Art. Even with Spirit Martial coordination, facing a five-element first-level Martial Marshal, he had no chance of winning. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The difference between a Martial Marshal and a Martial General was too great. The soul blade technique, Vermilion Bird Art, virtual spirit illusion, and the recent simultaneous activation of dual-attribute Xuan-level initial stage attacks were all not enough. "Is there really no way out..." Li Lin frowned, for the first time feeling utterly helpless. The opponent''s strength was too strong, and any strategy seemed futile in the face of absolute power. "No matter if you''re an all-element warrior, you''re still too weak. The Three Sects and Four Schools are nothing more." The slender young man spoke lowly, his voice carrying a hint of coldness. As his voice fell, the slender young man''s aura vibrated again, an invisible energy spreading from his body, distorting the space around him, and the surrounding space ripples expanded and then shattered into extremely fine fragments, annihilating within the space. "What to do?" Li Lin''s expression darkened, facing another attack from the opponent, he was definitely unable to resist, everything seemed futile. "No good, although Li Lin is a five-element warrior, he can no longer withstand." On the main stand above, the strong individuals from the Three Sects and Four Schools all changed their expressions. Losing this battle would be a slap in the face for the Three Sects and Four Schools, where reputation sometimes mattered more than interests. On Li WuShuang''s shoulder, Bai Ling''s gaze seriously focused on the center for the first time. "Boss is really in trouble this time, if it were me facing this person, I probably couldn''t do anything either." Little dragon spoke softly, his small eyes also starting to get anxious. "Whoosh!" At this moment, the slender figure in the sky dived down, his hand forming a claw mark that pierced through space, distorting space with a powerful force that burst out with a blinding light. Under the fierce momentum, the claw mark twisted towards Li Lin, the sharp sound of breaking wind like a howling gale. Above the stands, everyone frowned, this attack, Li Lin, already injured, couldn''t withstand again, even if he used that terrifying martial technique from yesterday. But at this moment, all the strong individuals on the stands still looked at Li Lin with expectation. Li Lin had brought too many surprises, and even though they knew he was no longer able to resist, they still hoped deep down that Li Lin could bring another absolute surprise. As the opponent initiated the attack, Li Lin also moved, a low murmur coming from his mouth: "This is the only way." In that flash of lightning, a cyclone formed under Li Lin''s feet, and his figure immediately disappeared from the spot, combining Floating Light Shading with wind attribute, his speed was absolutely ghostly. In just a brief moment, Li Lin managed to escape from the distorted space of the claw mark, which fell on the plaza, instantly lifting countless stone layers into the high sky, the force of the explosion filling the entire area. "The Floating Light Shading of Yunyang Sect is indeed bizarrely fast." Seeing Li Lin manage to avoid a move, the powerhouses were somewhat surprised; this speed was definitely not ordinary. Yun XiaoTian''s gaze was a bit surprised, but more solemn, not expecting Li Lin to have reached such a proficient level in Floating Light Shading. However, relying on this speed alone, he couldn''t compete with Ling Qing, after all, the opponent was of Martial Marshal level. "Whoosh!" The slender young man''s expression darkened, seemingly surprised by Li Lin''s speed, then dashed towards him like lightning. At this moment, Li Lin dragged out several afterimages on the plaza, running unpredictably. "What is that kid doing?" At this moment, the sect leaders of the Three Sects and Four Schools, along with the ancient style elder, Elder Yang, and others, could naturally see Li Lin stuffing numerous energy objects into his mouth. "Seems like demon cores." "This Li Lin is directly consuming demon cores, what is he trying to do, does he not want to live anymore?" "Directly consuming demon cores, this kid is crazy, and not just a few, this amount of energy is enough to make him explode." At this moment, under the gaze of many powerhouses, Li Lin consecutively stuffed six fourth-stage late-phase demon cores and four fourth-stage mid-phase demon cores into his mouth. In the blink of an eye, these ten demon cores were directly swallowed by Li Lin. The ten demon cores instantly transformed into energy within Li Lin''s meridians, expanding wildly, the true qi energy rampaging within his body like countless wild beasts. Consuming ten demon cores at once, including six fourth-stage late-phase and four fourth-stage mid-phase demon cores, the immense energy exerted on the meridians was imaginable. Even with Li Lin''s broad meridians, he couldn''t withstand it all at once. The violent energy filled his body, causing Li Lin to grit his teeth in pain, large beads of cold sweat instantly breaking out, his internal organs and meridians felt as if they were about to shatter and explode. It was fortunate his meridians were robust; otherwise, Li Lin might have really exploded from the meridian burst right there. If it were someone else, consuming so many demon cores would be suicidal, even consuming one would be. But at this moment, Li Lin knew he had no other options. This was his last resort. The mutated Vermilion Bird Art, incorporating third-party energy, would exponentially increase the power of the Vermilion Bird Art. Previously in the Misty Mountain Range, he had once used it, and its power was several times stronger than the normal Vermilion Bird Art, perhaps even more. At this last moment, Li Lin had no choice but to gamble on merging the mutated Vermilion Bird Art again, hoping it might be able to compete with the opponent. To increase his chances, Li Lin gritted his teeth and consumed ten demon cores at once. Chapter 413: Li Lin Defeated? In the midst of the intense pain within his body, Li Lin did not dare to relax his footsteps. He combined the Floating Light and Shadow technique with his wind attribute, pushing his speed to the extreme, while his hand seals also formed unconsciously. "Pfft!" At this moment, Li Lin once again condensed the Vermilion Bird Art. With the third-party energy transformed from the demon pill injecting into it, a seven-colored light spread out from his hands. Suddenly, Li Lin felt as if he had been struck by a heavy blow, his body momentarily stilled, and a piercing pain throbbed in his mind, causing him to spew out a mouthful of fresh blood. "Bang!" At this time, a palm imprint from Ling Qing in mid-air landed on Li Lin''s back due to his momentary stillness. Under the ferocious power, Li Lin quickly felt the impact, causing the true Qi inside his body to surge even more violently. "The energy from the demon pill is too great, I''ve consumed too much." Li Lin''s face turned pale in an instant, finally realizing this point. In order to enhance the power of the Vermilion Bird Art as much as possible, he had consumed too many demon pills. Integrating them proved too difficult, and he was unable to merge with the Vermilion Bird Art. The energy of the demon pill was so vast that it exceeded his control. "No matter what, it must merge." Li Lin gritted his teeth again. He had no way out now. The whirlwind under his feet formed again, and his figure continued to flee around the plaza like a ghost. He must buy time to condense the Vermilion Bird Art. As the hand seals changed, spiritual power was injected into his mind again, and a seven-colored light shot out from his hands once more. The soul power in his mind began to invisibly control and merge the spreading energy again. At this moment inside Li Lin''s body, true Qi surged, and the massive energy transformed from the demon pill filled his meridians like a flood, causing intense pain that exceeded Li Lin''s tolerance. Blood flowed from the corners of his mouth, but he was still forcefully resisting. "Boom boom boom!" On the plaza, chillingly powerful explosions rang out as attacks from the lean young man fiercely landed on the plaza, instantly causing dust to fly everywhere. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Li Lin''s figure continued to narrowly escape. Even under such ferocious attacks from the lean young man, he was barely able to counter with his speed. Li Lin was in a sorry state, but his speed alone was enough to earn the admiration of the crowd. Such speed was already terrifying. However, at this moment, only a few people and Li Lin himself knew that the situation was getting worse. Li Lin knew very well that although he could narrowly dodge Ling Qing''s attacks, the aftermath of the power each time it struck him was severe. The light from his Qing Ling armor was becoming dimmer. Bearing the intense pain inside his body, Li Lin controlled the energy transformed from ten demon pills and his own true Qi and spiritual power. Under the control of his soul power, the three forces were struggling to merge, and a seven-colored light slowly began to condense. Merging the three forces, especially the power transformed from the ten demon pills, caused the massive and terrifying energy to rampage inside Li Lin''s body. Mixed with the original surging true Qi, his internal organs were also being shaken. This powerful impact, along with the external attacks from Ling Qing, caused internal and external injuries, making Li Lin''s face increasingly pale. Blood had long been spewing from his mouth, and blood from the corners of his mouth kept falling to the ground. Even the pores of his skin were oozing blood, turning him into a blood man. The intense pain inside, the expansion of the meridians, had reached its limit. If the meridians were to expand further, they would burst. "What is this kid doing? Is he seeking death?" The onlookers were increasingly horrified by this scene involving Li Lin. "It must merge, no matter what." Enduring the intense pain, Li Lin finally managed to merge the seven-colored light in front of him. The alternating seven colors appeared somewhat mystical, emitting a terrifying energy that began to distort the surrounding airflows. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Do you feel that? The aura on Li Lin''s body is starting to become terrifying." Ouyang Xuan watched the scene, feeling the change in Li Lin''s aura, his eyes showing some variation. "What a terrifying aura. This aura is getting stronger. This kid seems to be harboring some kind of trump card." The strong ones present also felt the change in Li Lin''s aura, each of them surprised again. In the sky, the lean young man suddenly stopped his attack, watching the ghostly figure of Li Lin below, feeling the seven-colored light diffusing around Li Lin, and frowned slightly. His figure instantly turned into an afterimage and disappeared on the spot. This time, the lean young man''s speed was too eerie, as if directly breaking through the air. With one step, the space in front of him seemed to shorten, his aura surged, and he charged towards Li Lin with a thunderous momentum. "This is bad." At this moment, Li Lin''s heart sank instantly, feeling the opponent''s speed accelerate. Even at his fastest, he could no longer retreat from the opponent. "Affecting the power of space." Li Lin felt helpless. Martial Commanders, each capable of flying, were so because they could affect space after reaching the Martial Commander level. Now, without holding back, the opponent''s speed was like piercing through space. No matter how fast he was, he couldn''t outpace a Martial Commander. In terms of the power of space, he simply couldn''t compare to a Martial Commander. This was the difference in cultivation level. "You can''t escape." In the blink of an eye, the lean young man appeared out of nowhere behind Li Lin, without any hesitation, a palm imprint directly struck down, hitting the Qing Ling armor hard. "Bang!" The incredibly hard Qing Ling armor finally trembled violently under this palm imprint, and a yellow light suddenly dimmed. "Crack crack..." Under the astonished gazes of countless onlookers, the Qing Ling armor, along with a crisp crackling sound, finally burst open. As a yellow light dissipated, it vanished into nothingness. "Pfft!" A stream of blood spurted from Li Lin''s mouth, his body lunged forward and stumbled back, then harshly smashed onto the ground. "Li Lin is defeated." Among the million gazes of the onlookers, there was a sudden uproar. Li Lin was ultimately no match for Ling Qing, who had a Martial Commander''s cultivation. The difference between a Martial General and a Martial Commander was too great, not to mention Li Lin was only a first-level Martial General, a whole level difference. "This is bad." Following this attack, the stands filled with strong ones also suddenly felt anxious. Although Li Lin''s speed was extraordinary, facing Ling Qing, a first-level Martial Commander, he was somewhat powerless. When the energy dispersed, at this moment, among the million gazes, Li Lin, who was slammed to the ground, shook and trembled as he stood up. With the Qing Ling armor gone, Li Lin, in his tattered green robe, reappeared in everyone''s sight, his face pale, his green robe now stained with blood red, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, yet he was wearing a faint smile. This smile, with traces of blood, was chilling to the bone. At this moment, seeing Li Lin still had the strength to stand up, Ling Qing didn''t hesitate at all. His figure pierced through space again, pushing out a palm imprint, as if he bore a grudge against Li Lin, his eyes filled with an absolute chill. Watching Ling Qing attack again, a subtle smile flashed in Li Lin''s deep, dark eyes, with no intention of dodging at all. Watching Li Lin, the million gazes were shocked. Li Lin wasn''t dodging; was he seeking death? Although the rules of the tournament forbade killing the opponent, accidents could happen if one couldn''t stop in time. "What is this kid trying to do?" Yun Xiao Tian heavily pressed his palms on the railing of the stands, his anxiety evident. No matter what, Li Lin absolutely couldn''t have an accident. Even if it meant breaking the rules of the tournament, he would protect Li Lin at all costs. But at this moment, Li Lin was still smiling, his smile carrying a hint of coldness. "Shh!" The lean young man''s figure broke through the air, with a fierce palm imprint pressing down through the air, the powerful aura landing on Li Lin. Without the protection of the Qing Ling armor, even this aura made Li Lin feel a whole-body sting. This palm imprint, if landed, would undoubtedly result in his death. "Be careful, you thief." Yun Hong Ling nervously gripped Li WuShuang''s arm, her worry evident. At that instant, Li Lin suddenly stared at the lean young man and coldly said, "You''ve chased me for so long, had fun? Now it''s my turn." As his words fell, under the terrifying smile on Li Lin''s face, a palm-sized energy body appeared in his right hand. This energy was unusually calm, diffused with seven-colored light. Upon closer inspection, it was a tiny phoenix, its body fiery red like flames, with a seven-colored feather crown on its head and a long tail of seven-colored feathers dragging behind. Its wings spread, bringing flames all around. At this moment, this energy phoenix was extraordinarily tranquil, without any energy fluctuations. Only around this energy body, visible to only a very few, were space ripples directly pushing aside, surrounding it with invisible spatial cracks. This energy, as if not existing in this space, was why no energy fluctuations could be felt within the space. But the invisible spatial cracks around it were enough to astonish the strong ones present. "This is the same as that bizarre martial skill from yesterday, but the aura is different." "That energy is very peculiar, carrying a terrifying aura." The expressions of some strong ones changed again, vaguely sensing the terror in the energy held by Li Lin. Chapter 414: So It Was Her! "Vermilion Bird Art, go." At this moment, Li Lin shouted loudly, the tranquil energy body in his hand carrying invisible spatial fissures, accompanied by a spray of bright red blood from his mouth, pushing the energy body directly towards the thin young man. As Li Lin''s voice fell, the moment the energy was pushed out, it streaked out, and in an instant, the temperature of the entire square suddenly rose. The tranquil energy body, under the gaze of millions, instantly grew against the wind, as if leaping out from another space, from the size of a palm to a volume of one thousand three hundred meters in an instant. Beneath the massive phoenix energy body, flames howled out, a violent aura soared into the sky, bringing up towering flames that instantly enveloped the surroundings, the air sizzling as it burned, terrifying to the extreme. The speed of this energy streaking was terrifyingly fast. At the top of the grandstand, observing the terrifying power contained within the phoenix energy body, strong figures like Gu Jianfeng, Yun Xiaotian, Elder Yang, Elder Gu Feng, and others couldn''t help but change their expressions drastically. At this moment, in the eyes of the thin young man, a look of shock surged. Now, he could truly feel the formidable strength of this terrifying energy, causing him to suddenly feel a palpitation. And this energy body appeared in front of him in just a few streaks. On the square, as the thin young man''s eyes contracted in shock, his expression suddenly turned solemn, and the handprint in his hand suddenly changed. As the handprint was cast, the natural energy between heaven and earth in the square suddenly became extremely violent, a wave of strange and violent energy fluctuations also suddenly rippled through the square, the first to sense this fluctuation were the strong figures from the three sects and four schools, and everyone''s faces changed instantly. In the blink of an eye, the thin young man had complex and profound handprint changes, with the energy fluctuation becoming more violent in front of him, streaks of earth-yellow energy suddenly converged from the space, as if seeping out of nowhere, finally wrapping around him in a crazy whirl. The entire square was now suppressed, a heart-palpitating violent force abruptly emerged, then swept out in all directions. "Earth Gang Seal." A loud shout came from the thin young man''s mouth, and at the same time, a palm imprint had already condensed in front of him, slamming into the massive and fiery energy body that had reached him. This palm imprint was also thousands of meters large, the space ripples directly shattered upon its thrust, its momentum terrifyingly powerful. As the palm imprint burst out, the entire space exploded like a torpedo in water, ripples shooting out. Suddenly, the ground, already cracked with countless fissures, also exploded completely, huge chunks of rock and layers of soil swept out. As the palm imprint passed, it was as terrifying as mountains collapsing during an earthquake, space waves surged, spatial ripples and cracks spread, accompanied by deafening sonic booms, the palm imprint slashed through space like lightning, and the rocky ground of the entire square burst open violently. Just when everyone was astonished to the point of difficulty breathing, these two equally terrifying energies collided, countless lights scattering. "Break for me!" Li Lin shouted loudly, clenched his hand from a distance, a handprint changed, then his fingers bent, the space twisted as if squeezing hard, his face instantly turned pale as ash, again a mouthful of bright red blood sprayed out. In an instant, that massive and astonishing phoenix energy suddenly condensed into a huge fiery fireball, then expanded and exploded, immediately a mountain-collapse and earth-splitting explosion sounded, amidst countless astonished gazes, it resounded across the spacious square like thunder... "Bang bang bang bang bang..." On the square, continuous explosions, flames dispersed and enveloped, the entire square echoed with deafening intense explosion sounds, the thin young man''s palm imprint was also blasted open, a terrifying and violent aura soared into the sky. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. The terrifying force, carrying a scorching temperature, like two storms, swept from the center of the fireball explosion through the space in all directions, the rocks and soil layers flying above the space instantly turned to ash. Outside the square, huge cracks spread, extending to tens of thousands of meters away, then rapidly spreading like a spider web throughout the entire venue. The hard rocky ground, now under the violent force, was like tofu, instantly shattered. Around nearly one million four hundred thousand spectators, at this moment, were all staring dumbfounded, their gazes petrified, shocked at the scene, they could not have imagined that the terrifying force would reach such a terrifying extent. Watching this astonishing force, everyone''s faces were filled with shock and fear, they could hardly imagine that a first-level martial general could unleash such a terrifying attack, it was inconceivable, this power left them shocked. Such power, even the protectors above the grandstand were shocked, at this moment such a terrible attack, if it were them, definitely few could withstand it. Even the elders felt alarmed at this moment, this formidable power, they also had to take seriously, absolutely not to be careless. "What strong power." Qu Daojue clenched his fists tightly, clearly very excited. "The strength of this little thief is too terrifying." Yun Hongling was also dumbstruck at this moment. On Li Wushuang''s shoulders, Little dragon and Bai Ling were also closely watching the scene. After the violent energy dissipated for a long time, more than a million people gradually came back to their senses, and at this moment, the completely devastated square had become like a collapsed mountain. Above the grandstand, Zhao Qinghai and Zhao Qingtian, the two brothers, originally thought that this time, with a martial marshal strong figure appearing, Li Lin would definitely be miserably abused, but who knew that Li Lin still had such a terrifying trump card, this was too shocking. Seeing the attack power Li Lin just unleashed, they were already shocked, previously thinking about killing Li Lin, it seems they themselves are fortunate, Li Lin''s strength, could kill them at any time, thinking of this, the two took a deep breath. On the chaotic square, amidst the shocked gazes of the people, two figures slowly appeared, standing at a distance. Li Lin''s face was pale to a terrifying degree, looking miserable, covered in bloodstains. The thin young man at this moment, already with his clothes torn and tattered, legs, arms, also with many scorch marks, faintly revealing patches of smooth jade-like skin. But at this moment, the white scarf on the thin young man''s face was also torn apart by the violent force, black long hair scattered behind his head, revealing a face that surprised Li Lin. This face, without makeup, appeared somewhat immature, but the immaturity showed hints of allure, the beauty of this face was indescribable, like a celestial being with an outstanding charm, captivating souls, a glance could almost make one lose their soul. A head of black hair now messily hung down to the fine waist, merely bringing out a touch of celestial being tainted with mortal dust, the absolutely beautiful face, exquisite features, looked fragile and elegant. However, at this moment, this absolutely beautiful face, with bloodstains at the corners of her mouth, her complexion pale to the extreme, her breath nearly wilted, her eyes staring at Li Lin in front, were also filled with absolute surprise. "It''s her, the woman from the Misty Mountain Range." Li Lin''s face changed dramatically in shock, no wonder he felt a familiar sensation from this person, it turns out this person was disguising as a man. This woman was the one he saved in the Misty Mountain Range when she was being chased by the nine-headed demon serpent and other monsters. Only later, this woman wanted to kill him, and he casually touched her a few times, thinking he would never see this woman again, but to his surprise, he encountered her here again. At this moment, Li Lin understood why this person had launched such fierce attacks on him from the beginning, as if bearing a grudge, it turns out there really was a grudge. "Pfft..." Watching Li Lin, the stunning woman spat out another mouthful of blood, and immediately collapsed onto the ground. "How dare you, young lad, to injure the young master." Just at this moment, a figure as if breaking through the air from the sky, the moment the voice fell, above Li Lin, a claw imprint broke through the air towards him. This claw imprint was not large, but it completely tore through the space, filled with a slight heart-palpitating spatial fissure, instantly enveloping Li Lin. Feeling this strong and heart-palpitating force, a chill crossed Li Lin''s heart, the entire space was enveloped, he couldn''t move at all, at this moment, Li Lin''s mind suddenly thought, this is a Martial King strong figure. "Who dares." At the same time, Yun Xiaotian''s voice echoed in the square''s sky, as soon as the words were spoken, the figure had already disappeared from the grandstand. Just as the claw imprint was about to crush Li Lin, Yun Xiaotian''s figure suddenly flashed in mid-air, his expression solemn, a huge amount of energy burst out from his body, instantly enveloping the space around Li Lin, the space ripples around Li Lin then rippled like water waves. "Sssss!" The claw imprint twisted space as it pressed down, landing on the space ripples around Li Lin, this huge energy instantly moved like lightning, finally solidifying completely, the claw imprint falling, unable to shake it in the slightest. Chapter 415: The King of Black Demons "Seeking death, daring to intrude on our Three Sects and Four Gates assembly." Yun XiaoTian roared loudly, his voice domineering and unparalleled, like a thunderclap from the ninth heaven, sweeping across the space in this instant. At that moment, a palm imprint in his hand struck directly towards the sky. Just at this moment, the space suddenly shook violently, and at the same time, a dark shadow suddenly appeared from above, with a palm imprint also pressing down from the sky, directly breaking through the space. "Bang bang!" Suddenly, a huge sound of an explosion erupted in mid-air, as the two palm imprints met fiercely, directly tearing open cracks in the space. Under the fierce aura, the surrounding plaza instantly cracked open countless fissures, the massive plaza of twenty thousand meters at this moment completely cracked. The fierce wind raged, causing a scene of chaos among the spectators. In numerous terrified gazes, the space above them actually directly showed cracks due to these two palm imprints, making people feel a chill in their hearts. "Whoosh whoosh!" In this instant, a dozen figures instantly appeared beside Yun XiaoTian, being the other sect leaders, Elder Gao Feng, Elder Yang of the Yun Yang Sect, and Elder Ling Wang of the Earth Spirit Sect, among others. "Thud thud." A figure then took several steps back, clad in a black robe, his gaze somber. "Jie jie, truly worthy of being one of the top ten powerhouses, Yun XiaoTian, Gu JianFeng, we shall meet again." The sinister figure did not delay at all, a light enveloping Ling Qing on the ground, and instantly leaped away. Watching the figure leap away, everyone''s gaze darkened, finding it difficult to pursue, as the strength of the newcomer was not much less than theirs. "It''s the King of Black Demons." Yun XiaoTian shook his arm, his gaze darkening. "Such strong strength, this King of Black Demons has always been active in Mo Yun City, why did he come to our Three Sects and Four Gates territory." Gu JianFeng was also pondering thoughtfully. "Pfft." At this moment, Li Lin''s face turned even paler, and another mouthful of fresh blood was spat out. He had been forcibly enduring until now, and by now, he could no longer hold on, collapsing onto the ground. In that instant, another figure also arrived beside Li Lin, it was Yun XiaoTian. "Sect Master, how is Li Lin!" Elder Yang asked. "This boy, his injuries are not light." Yun XiaoTian squatted beside Li Lin, sending several strands of true qi into Li Lin''s body, also frowning, the injuries were indeed very serious. "Li Lin is really not simple." At this moment, a group of powerhouses surrounded Li Lin, all showing shocked expressions. A first-level Martial General defeating a first-level Martial Commander, such a feat was truly terrifying. Regarding Li Lin''s identity as a full-spectrum martial artist, everyone could only feel envy, jealousy, and hatred in their hearts. A five-spectrum martial artist, whose cultivation speed is five times faster than that of ordinary martial artists, and with higher cultivation, also possesses other talents, which is simply astonishing. Gu JianFeng and Gu Feng looked at Li Lin, also slightly smiling bitterly. Originally, they thought that this time, their Heavenly Sword Gate''s Yuan RuoLan, with the talent of a four-spectrum martial artist and the strength of a seventh-level Martial Commander, would become famous throughout the continent and shock everyone. However, they did not expect that in this Three Sects and Four Gates assembly, not only did Ling Qing appear, but also Li Lin. Both are full-spectrum martial artists, one is a young Martial Commander, and the other a Martial General. What''s even more terrifying is that a first-level Martial General could actually defeat a Martial Commander, which, from any aspect, has absolutely overshadowed Yuan RuoLan. "Hum!" Above the plaza, the Elder in red robes finally came to his senses, followed by a series of melodious bell sounds, everyone also recovered from the shock just now. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "This time, the champion of the Three Sects and Four Gates assembly is Yun Yang Sect''s Li Lin." The voice of the Elder in red robes echoed over the devastated plaza. "Li Lin." "Li Lin..." Suddenly, a wave of fervent cheers surged, in the minds of over a million people, the image of Li Lin had been deeply engraved, the terrifying young man, with that terrifying attacking power, gave them an absolute shock. How Li Lin returned to the courtyard, he himself did not know, his injuries were too severe, coupled with the exhaustion being completely drained, he had passed out. When the assembly dispersed, the powerhouses of the Three Sects and Four Gates left, many people on the plaza remained for a long time, watching the devastated plaza and the final appearance of a Martial King powerhouse tearing open space cracks with a wave of his hand, all of which was too shocking. After the assembly dispersed, Li Lin''s name, along with the mysterious Ling Qing''s name, also spread from Heavenly Sword City in all directions. In Heavenly Sword City, those strong individuals who were unable to enter the venue, upon hearing the descriptions of the thrilling battles from those inside, were all excited and rubbing their hands together, regretting not being able to witness it. The confrontation between two legendary five-spectrum martial artists, with Li Lin even defeating a first-level Martial Commander, among the younger generation, those with such strength are absolutely rare. "Too shocking." Hearing everything that happened inside, the entire Heavenly Sword City boiled over. At this time, dual-spectrum martial artists, triple-spectrum martial artists, could no longer attract anyone''s attention. Even four-spectrum martial artists, in the face of the last two full-spectrum martial artists appearing, completely lost their aura. In front of full-spectrum martial artists, four-spectrum martial artists were far behind. This last confrontation also dealt a huge blow to all the direct disciples of the Three Sects and Four Gates. Originally, these direct disciples, among their respective sects'' direct disciples, were all like dragons and phoenixes among people, but now, having witnessed the strength of Li Lin and Ling Qing, they no longer dare to consider themselves important. In the courtyard where the Yun Yang Sect was staying, in Li Lin''s room, at this moment, several Elders, Yun XiaoTian, Li WuShuang, Yun HongLing were all present, each looking extremely anxious. "Sect Brother Master, how is Lin''er?" Yu YuQian was somewhat restless, looking at Li Lin lying on the bed, his expression extremely anxious. "Brother, rest assured, it''s not a big problem, just the injuries are quite serious, exhausted to the extreme, probably because this kid was forcibly enduring till now, that''s why he passed out now." Yun XiaoTian said. "I didn''t expect Li Lin to actually be a full-spectrum martial artist." Looking at Li Lin on the bed, Elder Yang couldn''t help but sigh, his expression also filled with amazement. "Even a four-spectrum martial artist, I have never seen before, a full-spectrum martial artist, this is too surprising." Elder Xie was also dumbfounded, looking at Li Lin, revealing a surprised smile. "Li Lin''s final use of that bizarre martial skill was also shocking." Elder Song said. "Not just shocking, this kid actually directly took a demon pill, and merged it with that bizarre martial skill, having that terrifying power. Just a slight mistake would have been enough to take his life, his courage is too great." Elder Yang said, "But that bizarre martial skill is even more terrifying, being able to merge the energy of the demon pill for execution. If we could successfully cultivate it, our strength would definitely increase greatly." Hearing Elder Yang''s words, several Elders of the Yun Yang Sect all unintentionally glanced towards Li Lin, desiring such a martial skill. "Li Lin, this kid, has been constantly revealing his trump cards these past few days, one after another. If it wasn''t for this Three Sects and Four Gates assembly, we wouldn''t know when we would discover this kid''s true strength." Elder Xie sighed. Recalling Li Lin''s strong advancement these past few days, all the Elders were shocked in their hearts. "Elder Yu, this time, you really picked up a bargain." Elder Yang half-jokingly said to Yu YuQian, knowing Li Lin''s strength to be so strong, even if it meant fighting, he would have taken this disciple under his wing. Now, all the limelight has been taken by Elder Yu. "Sigh." Elder Xie, Elder Song also looked at Yu YuQian, sighing slightly. If they had known this earlier, they should have fought for this disciple back then. Now, when other Elders of the Three Sects and Four Gates ask, it''s said that Li Lin is the disciple of Yun Yang Sect''s Elder Yu YuQian, now Elder Yu YuQian is indeed famous. "What bargain, the disciple is taught by me, it has nothing to do with you guys." Yu YuQian chuckled. "Sect Master, this time our sect produced a full-spectrum martial artist, I believe the other Elders will also be happy." Elder Yang said. "That may be, but I''m afraid the Yun Yang Sect won''t be able to keep this great god." Yun XiaoTian spoke lightly. "Sect Master means, Li Lin will be like Li Zhong..." Elder Xie frowned. When Li Lin woke up, it was several hours later, and it was nearly dusk. "Boss, you''re awake." Little dragon''s voice was already ringing in Li Lin''s ears. When Li Lin opened his eyes, in the room, several figures were present, Li WuShuang, Yun HongLing, Yun XiaoTian, Master Yu YuQian, and three other Elders were also there. "Lin''er, how do you feel?" Yu YuQian, seeing his precious disciple wake up, immediately asked with concern. "Lin''er." Li WuShuang, Yun HongLing, the two women also hurried to Li Lin''s side. "Master, I''m fine." Li Lin struggled to sit up, feeling the injuries inside his body, indeed not light. "Li Lin, you''re seriously injured, exhausted to the extreme, quickly recuperate, so as not to affect your future cultivation. Other matters, we can talk about later." Yun XiaoTian said, seeing Li Lin wake up, seemed to have relaxed his brows. Chapter 416: Mid-Level Profound Grade "Alright, everyone, please leave and let Li Lin rest and regulate his breath," Yun XiaoTian then said to the crowd. Yu Yu, Li WuShuang, and Yun HongLing said a few words to Li Lin before leaving the room. With everyone gone, only Little Dragon, Bai Ling, and TianChi XueShi remained in the room. "Boss, how do you feel? Are your injuries serious?" Little Dragon asked. "It''s nothing serious. I just need a few days to recover," Li Lin said lightly. "I didn''t expect your strength to have reached this level," Bai Ling said lightly, her bright eyes also filled with surprise. "I''ve been pushing myself to the limit, and this is the consequence," Li Lin said with a wry smile. This was already his strongest trump card. Using this trump card had brought him a lot of suffering, and he was completely drained. If he encountered a real opponent that he couldn''t deal with this move, he would be doomed. "Your trump card is truly terrifying, but you should use it less in the future," Bai Ling said lightly. Li Lin gave a bitter smile, knowing that using his trump card in desperation was not a good thing. Fortunately, he won this time. With the mutated Vermilion Bird Art, he managed to withstand Lin Qing. Thinking of Lin Qing, Li Lin was somewhat surprised. He hadn''t expected it to be her. After the WuDu Mountain Range, to meet again, the timing was indeed curious. "The Four Gods Jue, I wonder where the other three Jues are," Li Lin sighed inwardly. At his level of Martial Master and Martial Spirit, the Vermilion Bird Art was considered a very high-level technique, with formidable power. However, as he encountered stronger and stronger opponents, the power of the Vermilion Bird Art seemed insufficient. If he could find the second Jue of the Four Gods Jue, according to the information above the Vermilion Bird Art, merging two Jues of the Four Gods Jue would be powerful enough to match a high-level Profound Grade martial technique. Then, without mutation, its power would be stronger than the mutated Vermilion Bird Art. However, Li Lin also knew that the remaining three Jues of the Four Gods Jue were unknown, and finding them in the vast LingWu Continent was like finding a needle in a haystack, relying entirely on fate. A slight smile appeared on his lips, remembering that he had won many low-level Profound Grade martial techniques this time, making the trip worthwhile. "Healing." Feeling the injuries inside his body, Li Lin quickly began to heal after taking a fifth-grade healing pill. This time, not only was he completely drained, but his injuries were also very serious. The QingLing armor was shattered, indicating the severity of the injuries. It was the first time someone had directly destroyed his QingLing armor. Li Lin was also shocked by the strength of a Martial Commander. The difference between a Martial Commander and a Martial General was vast. If Lin Qing was a double-layered Martial Commander, he probably wouldn''t have won today. Thinking that his identity as an all-element martial artist was exposed, Li Lin was relieved. It was better this way; from now on, he wouldn''t have to hide and could openly use martial techniques from all elements. Until now, he could only display earth, wind, and fire techniques in public. A moment later, a faint yellow light enveloped Li Lin, and Little Dragon, Bai Ling, and TianChi XueShi also began to cultivate in the room. During Li Lin''s cultivation, his name spread rapidly throughout TianJian City at an astonishing speed. In less than two days, many major cities around knew about Li Lin, an all-element martial artist from YunYang Sect. Three days after the Three Sects and Four Gates Tournament ended, many people had left TianJian City. Although many had departed, TianJian City was still bustling, with a constant stream of people on the streets. On the morning of the fourth day, at dawn, a spring breeze blew, and many trees in TianJian City sprouted new leaves, filling the city with a vibrant vitality. In Li Lin''s room, after resting for four full days, Li Lin finally opened his eyes and slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air from his dantian qi sea. "Phew!" A hint of rosiness appeared on his face. Feeling the injuries inside his body, a glint flashed in Li Lin''s eyes. In four days, he had taken three fifth-grade pills, which were worth nearly ten million gold coins. The expenditure was astonishing. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. "Boss, how are you feeling now?" Little Dragon, sensing that his boss had stopped regulating his breath, stood up straight with his small body and asked. "There''s no serious problem now. I should be able to fully recover after some time," Li Lin said lightly, feeling that his injuries had recovered by forty percent. This was due to his strong physique, which also indicated the severity of his injuries this time. Recovering from injuries was not about continuous healing being the best approach. Li Lin planned to heal slowly, guessing that the YunYang Sect was probably waiting for him. Otherwise, it might be time to return to the YunYang Sect. After storing TianChi XueShi in the space beast bag, Li Lin also left the room. Two hours later, in the hall, Li Lin, Yun HongLing, Yu Yu, Yun XiaoTian, and three other elders were present. "Li Lin, how are you recovering?" Yun XiaoTian asked Li Lin in the hall. "Master, there''s no major issue now," Li Lin said lightly. "That''s good," Yun XiaoTian said, sensing Li Lin''s aura and knowing there probably wasn''t anything serious. He was also somewhat surprised at Li Lin''s healing speed, which was faster than average. The other elders were also secretly amazed, knowing the extent of Li Lin''s injuries. They had thought it would take Li Lin ten days to half a month to leave the house, but it had only been four days, and he was already mostly recovered. "Li Lin, this is the set of low-level Profound Grade martial techniques awarded to you for winning the championship at the Three Sects and Four Gates Tournament. Take good care of them," Yun XiaoTian said, handing Li Lin six jade slips. Li Lin took the six jade slips without any hesitation. From the energy emanating from them, they were definitely low-level Profound Grade martial techniques. He then asked, "Master, wasn''t it the Three Sects and Four Gates? Shouldn''t there be seven gates? Why are there only six sets of low-level Profound Grade martial techniques?" "This" Yun XiaoTian was momentarily taken aback. It was an unwritten rule of the Three Sects and Four Gates that if a disciple from their sect won the championship, along with the martial techniques won along the way, they would already have over a dozen sets. Therefore, their own sect would not give any additional sets. This was not because their sect was unwilling but because these low-level Profound Grade martial techniques were somewhat difficult for martial generals to cultivate. Typically, only single-element and dual-element martial artists would win the championship, and with over a dozen martial techniques, they couldn''t cultivate all of them. Therefore, their own sect would not give any additional sets, and generally, disciples who had won over a dozen low-level Profound Grade martial techniques would not ask their sect for more. Seeing Li Lin directly asking for more, Yun XiaoTian was taken aback and then said, "I thought you already had enough martial techniques, but since you asked, giving you another set wouldn''t hurt." With a slight smile, Yun XiaoTian then took out another set of low-level Profound Grade martial techniques and handed it to Li Lin. "Master, Li Lin has made great contributions to our YunYang Sect this time. A set of low-level Profound Grade martial techniques is what he deserves. Shouldn''t our YunYang Sect also reward him additionally?" Yu Yu immediately said. "Really protective," the other three elders smiled slightly at Yu Yu''s statement, all without any objections in their hearts. Li Lin had indeed made great contributions to the YunYang Sect this time, and some rewards were definitely appropriate. "Brother, you really care for your disciple," Yun XiaoTian gave a bitter smile. Although he also believed that Li Lin had made great contributions to the YunYang Sect this time and deserved some rewards, only he knew that with Li Lin winning the championship, according to the agreement, he had to fulfill three conditions for Li Lin. From what he knew of Li Lin so far, when Li Lin asked for something, it would definitely not be ordinary. It was still uncertain what Li Lin would ask for. "Brother, Li Lin is also your disciple. It''s only right to take care of him," Yu Yu said, his gaze resting on Li Lin as if to say, "Master will definitely fight for your benefits." Yun XiaoTian was speechless and then said to Li Lin, "Li Lin, you have indeed made great contributions to the YunYang Sect this time. I will give you a set of mid-level Profound Grade fire martial techniques called LienYan Quan, which is considered above average among mid-level Profound Grade martial techniques." Saying this, Yun XiaoTian took out another jade slip emanating with rich fire attribute energy and handed it to Li Lin. "Thank you, Master," Li Lin did not hesitate to accept the martial technique. Mid-level Profound Grade martial techniques were another level compared to low-level ones. Seeing Yun XiaoTian take out another set of mid-level Profound Grade martial techniques, Yu Yu finally smiled satisfactorily. "Master, people from TianJian Gate have arrived and request the presence of the Master and the elders in the TianJian Gate hall," a protector of the YunYang Sect reported from outside the hall. "The Three Sects and Four Gates Tournament, heh," Yun XiaoTian smiled lightly and then said to Li Lin, "Li Lin, you performed well this time. I will take you to attend the Three Sects and Four Gates Tournament." "Master, hasn''t the Three Sects and Four Gates Tournament already ended?" Li Lin asked in confusion. "Haha," Elder Yang smiled slightly and said, "The Three Sects and Four Gates Tournament has two meanings. One is the competition among the young disciples of the Three Sects and Four Gates, and the other is the Three Sects and Four Gates meeting held every fifteen years." Looking at Li Lin, Elder Yang continued, "Didn''t you see that the leaders of the major gates came in person? That''s because every fifteen years, we hold a meeting among the Three Sects and Four Gates to discuss the major powers. Generally, only the elders of the major gates can attend. Inviting you means the Master sees potential in you and plans to cultivate you well." Chapter 417: Secret Affair "Train me." Li Lin was slightly startled. There was no need for that; he would leave Yunyang Sect sooner or later. Flying Spirit Gate was truly where he belonged. However, he was very interested in witnessing the grand meeting of the Three Sects and Four Gates, which would be beneficial for Flying Spirit Gate in the future. "Dad, I want to go too." Upon seeing Li Lin was going, Yun Hongling immediately spoke up. "Alright, it''s fine to take you with us." Yun Xiaotian said lightly, showing his deep affection for his treasured daughter. Half an hour later, on a huge, smooth square, Li Lin couldn''t help but be somewhat surprised by the buildings in front of him. On the vast square, laid with smooth flooring, stood a huge palace with giant stone swords replacing columns to support the entire hall. These stone swords were so large that probably two people couldn''t encircle them with their arms, and they were polished to a mirror shine. The palace was grand and majestic, a typical palace architecture, with its roof covered in glossy cyan glazed tiles. Under the sunlight, the cyan light shone brilliantly, imposing and magnificent. Around the palace, stood hundreds of Tianjian Gate disciples on guard, each carrying a long sword and wearing armor, looking orderly and extraordinary. Under the guidance of a Tianjian Gate protector, everyone entered the palace. Inside, the decor was exquisite, with a touch of simplicity, not showing off but giving a solemn feeling. Li Lin followed behind his master Yu Yu. When they entered the palace, they saw the elders and leaders of the Three Sects and Four Gates. Everyone''s aura was completely concealed, but they still gave Li Lin an absolute sense of oppression. Li Lin remembered the moment on the square when Yun Xiaotian made his move, tearing open the space with a casual palm strike, the terrifying power made one''s heart tremble. Only those at the level of Martial King could truly be called strong. With the arrival of Yun Xiaotian and Elder Yang, everyone inevitably exchanged a few pleasantries, and Li Lin also went through the motions of greeting everyone. Li Lin suddenly wondered if Yun Xiaotian brought him to this meeting of the Three Sects and Four Gates to get acquainted with these big shots, knowing them could be of great benefit to him in the future. Li Lin, who had crossed over, knew the importance of relationships, sometimes even more crucial than one''s own strength. But entering such a network still depended on one''s strength. Seeing Li Lin, all the leaders and elders also nodded with a smile. Li Lin''s performance at the meeting was enough to gain everyone''s recognition of this future strong figure, so no one put on airs. As everyone saw Yun Xiaotian bring his disciple, they all speculated about his intentions. After the pleasantries, everyone took their seats. Li Lin and Yun Hongling only had to sit behind Yun Xiaotian and others, in a corner that no one paid much attention to. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. "Lords and elders, it''s been fifteen years since we''ve gathered like this," said Gu Jianfeng at the head of the table. "Haha, time flies. I remember the last meeting of the Three Sects and Four Gates as if it wasn''t that long ago," said Yin Yi, the leader of the Myriad Beasts Sect. ... As the strong figures chatted, Li Lin had no interest in their topics. However, he could tell from their conversation that the alliance of the Three Sects and Four Gates had been going on for quite some time, and each sect''s strength was extremely formidable. Such strength made Li Lin feel the pressure for Flying Spirit Gate to develop. Knowing Yunyang Sect, Flying Spirit Gate''s current strength couldn''t catch up, being centuries-old major sects with terrifying foundations. In a moment of distraction, Li Lin suddenly felt a sharp pain on his thigh C a jade hand was pinching him hard. When Li Lin looked over, he knew it was Yun Hongling, the capricious girl. No one else would do this. But when Li Lin looked at her, he found Yun Hongling gazing at the people in the hall, not even glancing at him, as if she hadn''t pinched him. Li Lin, feeling wronged, didn''t know what he had done to offend her again and decided to ignore it. With the elders in a meeting, he didn''t dare to disturb. But soon after Li Lin turned his gaze back, he felt another sharp pain in the same spot on his thigh. Turning his head swiftly, he saw Yun Hongling''s hand retracting like lightning, still looking forward, ignoring him. Touching his sore thigh, Li Lin dared not make any sound, pretending to be unconcerned in the hall, grinding his teeth in anger. This woman''s habit of biting and pinching people hadn''t changed. Out of frustration, Li Lin couldn''t bear it any longer and reached out to pinch Yun Hongling''s thigh fiercely. Yun Hongling''s body trembled, the sensitive area on her thigh being pinched by Li Lin made her feel both pain and numbness, but she had to endure it. In the hall, even a slightly louder movement could attract the attention of the powerful figures. Glancing at Li Lin, Yun Hongling huffed and then pinched Li Lin back, feeling a bit relieved with a heavy pinch. Li Lin was also furious and reached out to Yun Hongling again. This time, when his hand landed on her thigh, he felt the softness and smoothness. Not moving his hand away, Li Lin gently pinched twice. This action made Yun Hongling tremble all over, such a sensitive area could not withstand teasing, causing her to feel numb all over as if an electric current had passed through. Feeling Yun Hongling''s reaction, Li Lin became more interested, moving his hand on the soft thigh, slowly moving upwards, feeling even better. Just as Li Lin was about to move his hand towards the center, a jade hand pressed down. Yun Hongling''s cheeks were red, trying to stop Li Lin''s hand from moving further. Li Lin, however, was becoming impatient. Although Yun Hongling''s hand was pressing down, his fingers kept teasing and moving slowly towards the center. Yun Hongling felt waves of numbness, becoming somewhat powerless against such teasing. Her cheeks turned as red as watermelon, and if it weren''t for being in the hall, she would have collapsed weakly to the ground. As Li Lin''s hand was about to reach the center, Yun Hongling pressed down hard again. Li Lin, unwilling to stop, tried to force his way towards the center. In a moment of panic, Yun Hongling, trying to protect the last line of defense, pinched Li Lin''s thigh again, this time directly and not letting go. However, Yun Hongling soon felt something was off. The thigh she pinched felt hard as iron and seemed to have some heat. Glancing at it, she realized she was pinching the thigh, thinking she had been too gentle, and increased her strength. "Ah..." This sound came from deep within Li Lin, his hand that was in the middle of Yun Hongling''s thighs instantly retracted like lightning. It''s common knowledge among men that, for ten men, nine lean to the left, and Yun Hongling was sitting on Li Lin''s left, pinching his left leg. Initially, Yun Hongling was pinching his thigh, but Li Lin had reacted, and that part was pressed against his left leg. When Yun Hongling pinched this time, especially since she moved slightly upward, she ended up pinching Li Lin''s sensitive area. Although that part can sometimes be as hard as iron, it is also extremely fragile. Yun Hongling''s pinch, combined with her increased force, was unimaginably painful. However, this pain seemed to stimulate it further, making it even harder. Chapter 418: Returning to Yunyang Sect Upon seeing that Li Lin had ceased his advances, Yun Hongling felt that it was effective and, fearing that Li Lin would continue to tease her, had no intention of removing her hand. Instead, she kept her hand on Li Lin''s left leg, not pinching anymore but gently holding it. It seemed like a warning to Li Lin not to move recklessly. Yun Hongling''s hand gently patted Li Lin''s left leg twice, feeling the firmness beneath her palm and the warmth against her palm, yet she did not look, her gaze still fixed forward. However, her hand moved curiously along that firmness, seemingly finding it strange that Li Lin''s thigh was so solid. The more she thought about it, the stranger it seemed. Yun Hongling then curiously rubbed it a bit before finally moving her hand away, gently resting it at a distance. Li Lin was caught between laughter and tears. This girl was literally killing him. It was an outright tease. The young and vigorous Li Lin could hardly withstand such teasing. Yet, inside this grand hall, surrounded by powerful figures, he found it difficult to restrain himself, wanting to act but unable to, a torment he felt was even more uncomfortable than the days he was integrating the mutated Vermillion Bird technique. "Hmph, if the Lingwu Realm dares to target our three sects and four gates, I''ll make them pay," a light scold came from within the hall, spoken by the Myriad Beasts Sect''s Sect Master, Yin E. "We still don''t know the intentions of the Lingwu Realm, nor do we know their current strength. We don''t even know where the Lingwu Realm is located. Let''s wait until we have some news before making a decision," Yun Xiaotian''s voice followed. Hearing these two voices, Yun Hongling''s hand moved away, but not without pinching that firm spot once more. "Ah" Li Lin cried out in his heart, feeling relieved. If this girl''s hand continued to wander, he would truly collapse, the torment was unbearable, comparable to the ten great tortures of the Qing Dynasty. Meanwhile, Li Lin shifted his attention and became curious about the discussions surrounding the Lingwu Realm, apparently a formidable force. "Anyway, it seems the Lingwu Realm has already started to make moves. We, the three sects and four gates, will keep an eye on them. If there''s any movement, we''ll notify each other. This way, we won''t fear any major incidents," Ouyang Xuan said, her mature and beautiful face showing a trace of seriousness. "That''s all we can do. If this time Ling Qing is indeed a person from the Lingwu Realm, then the Black Ghost King has also joined the Lingwu Realm. If that''s the case, the Lingwu Realm having recruited a powerhouse like the Black Ghost King, their intentions must be far from simple," Gu Jianfeng said lightly. "The Black Ghost King has always been a freelance powerhouse in Mocloud City, not much weaker than us. If he has joined the Lingwu Realm, we''ll need to reassess the strength of the Lingwu Realm," Ren Changqing remarked. "The Lingwu Realm, what kind of force is it? I''ve never heard of it before," Li Lin thought to himself, realizing that the continent was not simple. The family behind Du Gu Jingwen was also powerful. Now, with the emergence of the Lingwu Realm, their power must be considerable. Thinking this, Li Lin sighed inwardly. His own Flying Spirit Gate must grow quickly to avoid being obliterated or swallowed up in future continental upheavals. After settling matters with Yunyang Sect, Li Lin planned his return to Flying Spirit Gate, where it was time for Flying Spirit Gate to emerge and grow, no longer hiding. The discussions among the people lasted for two hours before ending, with the three sects and four gates agreeing to monitor the Lingwu Realm closely, ready to suppress any movements. Li Lin sighed slightly. With the alliance of the three sects and four gates, other powers on the Lingwu Continent had no room to grow, likely to be extinguished by the alliance at the first sign of threat. Fortunately, his Flying Spirit Gate was located in the ancient domain. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Back in the courtyard, Yun Xiaotian informed everyone that they would return to Yunyang Sect the next day. Having been away from Yunyang Sect for over a month, there were many matters that Yun Xiaotian could not neglect for long. Upon returning to the courtyard, Yun Hongling kept a stern gaze on Li Lin, her face slightly flushed. The next morning, under the personal send-off of Tianjian Gate''s Gu Jianfeng, the people of Yunyang Sect once again boarded the Golden Winged Demon Eagle and the Blue Jade Wolf Eagle, among other beasts, to leave Tianjian Gate. Li Lin, Yun Hongling, and Li Wushuang shared a ride on the back of the Blue Jade Wolf Eagle. Riding on the back of the Blue Jade Wolf Eagle, Li Lin looked down at the lush green earth below, letting his thoughts wander for a while before chatting with the two women. Soon after, each of them entered into cultivation. The journey back to Yunyang Sect would take a month, during which they could only pass the time through cultivation. Reflecting on his gains from the three sects and four gates conference, Li Lin felt secretly pleased. With over a dozen Xuan-level early-stage martial techniques and one Xuan-level mid-stage martial technique, such assets were unimaginable for an ordinary second-rate force. Being a disciple of a major sect had its benefits. While Li Lin was pleased, he was unaware that Yun Xiaotian had wagered him and won twenty-four sets of Xuan-level high-order martial techniques. Otherwise, knowing that Li Lin might one day leave Yunyang Sect, Yun Xiaotian would not have been so generous. A single set of Xuan-level mid-stage martial techniques was already a significant gift. Moments later, Li Lin, sitting cross-legged on the back of the Blue Jade Wolf Eagle, was enveloped in a faint yellow aura. Time slowly passed, and Li Lin''s injuries gradually healed. Fortunately, his strong physique sped up the recovery. This injury made Li Lin gasp in shock. Had his physique been weaker, the outcome would have been dire. The strength of a martial master far surpassed that of a martial general. Feeling the power of a martial master, Li Lin looked forward to reaching the first level of martial mastery, believing he could then contend with later stages of martial mastery. A month passed quickly with everyone''s cultivation, not feeling particularly long. Inside the Yunyang Mountain Range, the lush greenery and numerous unnamed wildflowers bloomed in the mountain streams. "Whew!" On the back of the Blue Jade Wolf Eagle, Li Lin exhaled a breath of turbid air, his eyes bright and deep, his aura now surging. "Almost there." Feeling his injuries had healed, Li Lin smiled lazily. After a month, his injuries were fully healed. His inner energy was full and surging, his spiritual power in his mind also at its peak, bringing a sense of comfort throughout his body. Li Lin couldn''t help but stretch. "Lin''er, how are your injuries?" Li Wushuang asked. "It''s okay now, almost healed," Li Lin replied lightly. In this month, not only had his injuries healed, but his cultivation had also slightly improved. "Little thief, we''re about to reach Yunyang Sect," Yun Hongling stopped her cultivation. Li Lin looked down at the undulating mountains below, a continuous range of majestic mountains already visible. Watching the mountain range, Li Lin smiled lightly. After spending a year and a half at Yunyang Sect, he had grown somewhat attached to it. In his mind, Li Lin thought about obtaining the Ten Thousand Year Copper and then leaving Yunyang Sect. He was committed to Flying Spirit Gate, his future belonging only to Flying Spirit Gate. Yunyang Sect was good, but it ultimately belonged to others. Flying Spirit Gate, though currently weak, was his own, the place he should go. Frowning, Li Lin wondered if asking for the Ten Thousand Year Copper would be agreed upon by Yun Xiaotian. The Ten Thousand Year Copper was one of Yunyang Sect''s treasured items, not easily given away. Li Lin knew that Yun Xiaotian, with his status, could make it happen, but involving Yunyang Sect''s treasured item was another matter. He hoped to smoothly obtain the Ten Thousand Year Copper and then leave Yunyang Sect to visit the Li family. Remembering his time at the Li family, his mother''s care, Uncle Jiang''s teachings, and his buddy Li Xiaobai, Li Lin''s smile widened. It had been three years; he wondered how they were. "Little thief, you winning the championship at the three sects and four gates conference really surprised me. You even kept it from me, hmm." Suddenly remembering Li Lin''s secrecy, Yun Hongling huffed, ready to settle scores. Li Lin simply smiled, not saying much. "However, considering you helped my father win a lot of martial techniques, I''ll let you off," Yun Hongling pouted. Her father winning twenty-four sets of Xuan-level high-order martial techniques made her extremely happy. "What martial techniques did you win?" Li Lin asked in confusion. "It was the Sect Master and various mountain gate masters betting on your victory, winning a total of twenty-four sets of Xuan-level high-order martial techniques in three rounds," Li Wushuang explained lightly. "What." Li Lin was nearly overwhelmed. Twenty-four sets of Xuan-level high-order martial techniques were a huge sum for Yunyang Sect. Li Lin knew that if the three sects and four gates conference had not placed Yunyang Sect in the top three, they would have lost eighteen sets of Xuan-level high-order martial techniques. But now, not only had Yunyang Sect not lost, but they had also won twenty-four sets of Xuan-level high-order martial techniques. Chapter 419: Three Matters If added together, it would mean that this time, the Yunyang Sect has obtained forty-two sets of high-grade Xuan-level martial arts techniques. "Old fox," Li Lin muttered, having entered the top three this time, he saved the Yunyang Sect eighteen sets of high-grade Xuan-level martial arts techniques and seventh-grade pills, and also helped Yun Xiao Tian win twenty-four sets of high-grade Xuan-level martial arts techniques. This huge benefit, Yun Xiao Tian actually didn''t mention a word. Li Lin was wondering, Yun Xiao Tian would give him a set of mid-grade Xuan-level martial arts techniques, which was a big move, making him feel moved for a while. Now thinking about it, it wasn''t Yun Xiao Tian being generous, if it weren''t for him helping to win twenty-four sets of high-grade Xuan-level martial arts techniques, he wouldn''t have been so generous. Li Lin couldn''t help but feel resentful in his heart. Yun Xiao Tian used him to win high-grade Xuan-level martial arts techniques, but as the person involved, he didn''t get any benefits and was still fighting desperately. It seems, he needs to find a way to get some benefits back. With a slight sigh, Li Lin also felt depressed. If he had known this at the conference, he could have indirectly threatened Yun Xiao Tian to share some with him. But now, asking for benefits afterwards, the moment has passed, the high-grade Xuan-level martial arts techniques have already gone into Yun Xiao Tian''s pocket, it wouldn''t be easy to ask him to give them up. In the vast mountain range, distant peaks loomed into view, familiar mountains appeared, and after a month''s time, they finally returned to the Yunyang Sect. "The Sect Master has returned." Several huge flying beasts flew over the mountains, and the disciples of the Yunyang Sect, seeing the mounts of the elders and the Sect Master, knew that the Sect Master had come back. "I heard from the guardian a few days ago that our Yunyang Sect won first place in the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference this time." "Who won the first place, Han Feng or Zhao Qinghai, or was it Miss Hongling?" "You don''t know? It was Li Lin who won the first place. I heard that this time, at the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference, there appeared four-system martial artists, and in the end, two all-system martial artists." "Four-system and all-system martial artists, is that possible?" "How is it impossible? I accidentally heard the Great Guardian say that our Yunyang Sect''s Li Lin is a five-system martial artist." "Really? I thought Li Lin was a three-system martial artist." "He''s hiding his strength. His true identity is an all-system martial artist. This time at the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference, he really made a name for himself." "I also heard the Great Guardian and the Second Guardian say that Li Lin, with the strength of a first-level Martial General, displayed a terrifying martial technique and defeated a first-level Martial Marshal, who was also an all-system martial artist." "Li Lin is so amazing, it''s unbelievable." Among the discussions of the Yunyang Sect''s disciples, Li Lin and others have already arrived at the main peak. When the huge flying beasts landed, the elders and guardians who stayed in the Yunyang Sect were already waiting in the square. "Greetings to the Sect Master." The elders and guardians greeted, but their gazes were immediately on Li Lin, measuring him. A few days ago, the Yunyang Sect''s messaging system had sent the results of the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference. When they learned of the news, almost all the elders and guardians took a sharp breath. From the message, Li Lin was an all-system martial artist with the strength of a first-level Martial General, yet he defeated an all-system first-level Martial Marshal, which was unbelievable. "Sect Master, is Li Lin really an all-system martial artist?" Among the elders, Elder Sun couldn''t help but look at Li Lin and ask Yun Xiao Tian. "Indeed." Yun Xiao Tian nodded slightly, clearly understanding the surprise of the elders. He himself was surprised at first. An all-system martial artist, only existed in legends. Hearing Sect Master Yun Xiao Tian''s reply, all the elders and guardians took a sharp breath, looking at Li Lin as if they had seen a ghost. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Among the elders, only Zhao Wuji had a cold look in his eyes. The stronger Li Lin was, the more disadvantageous it was for him. At this moment, Li Lin had already felt Zhao Wuji''s gaze and his heart was also filled with a cold intent. After getting the ten-thousand-year copper, he would slowly deal with the Zhao family. Although the Zhao family was powerful, Li Lin was not afraid to touch them now. With Bai Ling by his side, and the Old Poisoner and Ghost Fairy from the Flying Spirit Gate, he was not afraid of the Zhao family. Originally, Li Lin didn''t pay much attention to the Zhao family, but now he hadn''t learned the full strength of the Zhao family, so he didn''t dare to act rashly. Du Gu Jingwen had reminded him when she left that the Zhao family was not simple. But in Li Lin''s heart, the Zhao family was already an enemy he had to deal with. Amidst the surprised gazes of the elders and guardians, Li Lin followed Yun Xiao Tian to the courtyard where Yun Xiao Tian usually lived. When Li Lin sat down, he was already somewhat nervous, knowing that Yun Xiao Tian called him over probably to discuss the three conditions he had previously mentioned. "Li Lin, winning the championship of the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference this time, you have made great contributions to our Yunyang Sect," Yun Xiao Tian said in the courtyard hall. "You also won a lot of high-grade Xuan-level martial arts techniques for you," Li Lin thought to himself, his face naturally showing no signs, lightly saying, "This is what a disciple should do." "Don''t be so hypocritical. If it weren''t for the three things I promised, you wouldn''t have been so desperate," Yun Xiao Tian looked at Li Lin and then said. "This..." Li Lin smiled slightly and said, "Doing my best for the sect, and with the Sect Master''s promise, of course, I have to work hard." "Don''t speak so nicely. Tell me, what are the three conditions?" Yun Xiao Tian looked at Li Lin and lightly said. Li Lin chuckled and said, "Then I won''t be polite. I believe the Sect Master is not one to go back on his word." "Don''t corner me with your words. Just don''t ask for too much," Yun Xiao Tian glared at Li Lin and said. "The first matter, I want the sect''s ten-thousand-year copper," Li Lin hesitated for a moment and then said through gritted teeth. "What." Yun Xiao Tian almost jumped up, looking at Li Lin in shock. He was thinking about whether Li Lin would ask for too much, but Li Lin really did ask for too much. The ten-thousand-year copper, one of the treasures of the Yunyang Sect, its value was absolutely extraordinary. "Li Lin, do you know what the ten-thousand-year copper is?" After calming his surprise, Yun Xiao Tian asked Li Lin. "I know some, the ten-thousand-year copper is one of the treasures of the Yunyang Sect," Li Lin said lightly, watching Yun Xiao Tian''s expression, his heart sinking, it seems Yun Xiao Tian is really reluctant. "The ten-thousand-year copper, is a refining treasure obtained by our Yunyang Sect''s ancestors a long time ago. Many spirit practitioners of our Yunyang Sect have tried numerous methods and pondered for a long time, but have always been unable to refine it. It can be said that the ten-thousand-year copper has reached the stage of refining divine artifacts. The value of this material for refining divine artifacts can be said to be more important than Earth-level martial techniques," Yun Xiao Tian said, looking at Li Lin. At this moment, Li Lin was shocked, not expecting the ten-thousand-year copper to be so valuable. But after thinking about it, if it wasn''t valuable, how could Uncle Jiang pay attention to it? "Sect Master, I know the value of the ten-thousand-year copper, but I think the Sect Master''s promise is even more valuable," Li Lin said lightly. "Li Lin, it''s basically impossible to give you the ten-thousand-year copper, even if I agree, the elders of the Yunyang Sect''s Spirit Hall might not agree," Yun Xiao Tian frowned and said. "Sect Master, this is just the first matter I proposed, and the Sect Master can''t agree, which surprises me," Li Lin''s expression twitched slightly, knowing the value of the ten-thousand-year copper, now he could only try to secure it as much as possible. "This matter, I can''t answer you now. I need to discuss it with the sect. Let''s talk about the other two matters," Yun Xiao Tian said. Li Lin had no choice but to wait for Yun Xiao Tian''s reply, then said, "The second matter, I hope that if one day, I have a conflict with the Zhao family, the Yunyang Sect must not interfere." "Li Lin, I''m aware of your relationship with Elder Zhao, but Elder Zhao is always an elder of our Yunyang Sect," Yun Xiao Tian looked at Li Lin with a somewhat solemn gaze, then lightly said. "Sect Master, the Li family is also considered an external force of the Yunyang Sect. Since the Sect Master knows about my situation with the Zhao family, I believe the Sect Master doesn''t need me to say more. This is my second condition," Li Lin said lightly. Yun Xiao Tian''s face twitched, then said, "Say the third." "The third matter, I want to leave the Yunyang Sect," Li Lin said lightly. This time, Yun Xiao Tian was not too surprised, looking at Li Lin with a slight sigh, "Can''t the Yunyang Sect keep you?" "I''m just afraid that one day I''ll bring trouble to the Yunyang Sect, please understand, Sect Master," Li Lin said seriously. In his heart, if he was a disciple of the Yunyang Sect, it would be both beneficial and detrimental to the development of the Flying Spirit Gate, but strictly speaking, the disadvantages outweigh the benefits. As a disciple of the Yunyang Sect, developing the Flying Spirit Gate, although it would be somewhat reputable, and people would say that the Flying Spirit Gate has the backing of the Yunyang Sect, making it difficult for ordinary forces to provoke the Flying Spirit Gate. However, the downside is that the first-class forces in the ancient domain have always been guarding against the infiltration of the Three Sects and Four Gates into the ancient domain. Bearing the name of the Yunyang Sect, it would undoubtedly be targeted by the first-class forces in the ancient domain. Chapter 420: The Zhao Family Takes Action Just like in the Lingwu Continent, if a power from the ancient domain were to come to the Lingwu Continent, the Three Sects and Four Gates would show no mercy. Therefore, Li Lin dared not affiliate Flying Spirit Gate with the Yunyang Sect, as that would be equivalent to drawing a death warrant for Flying Spirit Gate. At the same time, Li Lin was also worried that if he were a disciple of Yunyang Sect, and Flying Spirit Gate developed in the future, Yunyang Sect might intervene, which would be disadvantageous to him. He feared that everyone would then think that Flying Spirit Gate was originally part of Yunyang Sect. At this moment, Yun Xiao Tian was also deep in thought. With his sharp insight, he could guess what Li Lin was thinking. He was somewhat surprised by Li Lin''s scheming, which seemed to be higher than he had originally thought. It was only at this moment that he confirmed that Li Lin could no longer become the fierce tiger of Yunyang Sect, but instead, he was a rebellious dragon. Although he had anticipated this day would come, he was still surprised when Li Lin brought it up so soon. He had thought that the third matter Li Lin would discuss with him was about Hong Ling, and he had been ready to give Li Lin a hard time. Unexpectedly, Li Lin did not mention it at all, which somewhat disappointed him. According to what he had seen recently, his daughter was determined to marry only Li Lin, which was a tricky situation. Yun Xiao Tian was pondering, unaware of what Li Lin was thinking. Li Lin had indeed considered discussing Hong Ling among the three matters with Yun Xiao Tian, as it was better for a man to speak up about such things. However, upon further thought, Li Lin decided that there was no need to rush things with Hong Ling. Seeing that Yun Xiao Tian seemed not to oppose, Li Lin could not afford to waste one of the conditions Yun Xiao Tian agreed to on this matter. Even if he and Hong Ling were to face opposition from Yun Xiao Tian later, Li Lin thought they could just present a fait accompli, heh, and then Yun Xiao Tian would have no choice but to agree. "Your three conditions are difficult for me. How about this, come back in three days, and I will give you an answer," Yun Xiao Tian said after hesitating for a while. "Then, the disciple will wait for the Sect Master''s good news," Li Lin said lightly, feeling extremely anxious inside. Of the three matters, what Li Lin valued the most was the first one. If he could not obtain the ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper, it would be even harder for him to find another way. After leaving the courtyard, Li Lin rode the Sky Wing Snow Lion back to his own courtyard. With three days to wait for Yun Xiao Tian''s response, the chance of obtaining the ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper seemed slim. "What''s wrong? You seem to be in a bad mood," said Bai Ling, who had transformed into a peerless beauty, captivating anyone at first glance. However, Li Lin was preoccupied with the matter of the ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper, so he was not as mesmerized by her beauty as before. "I''m just worried about some things whose outcomes I don''t know yet," Li Lin said lightly. "If everything goes smoothly in three days, we can leave here, and you won''t have to hide anymore." "Mm, but I want to break through to the seventh rank sooner, so I can truly have a human body. I still prefer the human body more," Bai Ling said lightly. Looking at Bai Ling''s beautiful face and seductive eyes, Li Lin sighed inwardly. If Bai Ling truly obtained a human body, he wondered how many people would be mesmerized by her. The next day, at the foot of Yunyang Sect''s mountain, a small tavern was filled with several figures, the fragrance of wine overflowing, and shouts echoed out. Outside the tavern, disciples who had heard the news filled the streets, three layers inside and three layers outside. "Did you see that? Let me see." "I saw it, it''s Li Lin, he''s drinking with Zhan Dao Qu Dao Jue, Fei Ying Ling Feng, and Ba Dao Long San." The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Hong Ling Miss and Li WuShuang Sister are also there." "I heard that in this Three Sects and Four Gates conference, Li Lin won the championship." "Not just that, Li Lin revealed his identity as a full-spectrum warrior, advancing powerfully and, with the strength of a first-tier Martial General, directly defeated a first-tier Martial Commander, causing an uproar in Tian Jian City." "Now Li Lin is famous, a five-spectrum warrior, and he has brought honor to our Yunyang Sect. We will have more face when we go out in the future." "If only I were him." "Give it up, if you had one-tenth of Li Lin''s strength, you could become a direct disciple. Dreaming of becoming Li Lin, you wouldn''t have a chance even in your next life. He is a full-spectrum warrior." "Look, how come Peng Chuan Xiong, Yue Bu Qun, Lai Yue Jing, and Yang Wei are also sitting and drinking with Li Lin, Qu Dao Jue, Ling Feng? Their strength is so poor, why?" "Why? They were brothers with Li Lin in the 806 courtyard before, close friends. I heard Li Lin gave them a lot of martial techniques. We better not provoke these four in the future. If we offend Li Lin, we''re finished." "These four guys are really lucky, being able to drink with Li Lin, Zhan Dao Qu Dao Jue, Fei Ying Ling Feng, Ba Dao Long San, and other super strong figures on the Dragon List." As the discussions went on, the tavern only returned to calm a few hours later. Since hosting these Dragon List super strong figures last time, the tavern''s business had been booming. After the Dragon List disciples left this time, it was immediately filled with people. When Li Lin returned to his courtyard in the evening, a day had passed. He sat cross-legged, beginning to cultivate. Meanwhile, he also stuffed a fourth-stage mid-phase demon pill into his mouth. The fourth-stage late-phase demon pills had been completely consumed during the use of the mutated Vermilion Bird Art. Now, he didn''t have many demon pills left on him. Li Lin planned to refine all these demon pills before thinking of ways to breakthrough. Li Lin knew well that his strength would increase faster in the ancient domain. In the chaotic situation of the ancient domain, it would be easier for him to devour Martial Generals and Spiritual Generals, directly absorbing True Qi and spiritual power, which undoubtedly would speed up his strength growth the fastest. Moments later, Li Lin was enveloped in a faint yellow glow, his strength slowly strengthening. Under the night sky, the Yunyang mountain range was shrouded in a hazy starlight, with a cool breeze blowing gently. On a mountain peak, within a courtyard, several figures sat with gloomy auras, each with a somber face. Among them were Zhao Wuji, Zhao Qinghai, Zhao Qingtian, Li Shaohu, and the three protectors Shi Yunsheng. "I can''t believe that bastard is a full-spectrum warrior. It''s impossible. How could he be a full-spectrum warrior?" Li Shaohu kept shaking his head in disbelief, his expression lost. "Li Lin is too lucky, hiding so deeply. We were all deceived. If it weren''t for this Three Sects and Four Gates conference, we wouldn''t have known he was a full-spectrum warrior, capable of defeating a first-tier Martial Commander," Zhao Qinghai seemed to still not have recovered from his shock. "Master, Li Lin has unknowingly grown wings now. It will be even harder for us to deal with him in the future," Shi Yunsheng said to Zhao Wuji. "The wings are just formed, not yet hard. We must act before his wings harden, or it will truly become impossible to take action," Zhao Wuji said grimly. "Grandfather, Li Lin''s strength is too strong now. It might not be easy to take action, especially with that beast, whose strength is not weak," Zhao Qingtian said. "No matter how strong, he is just a first-tier Martial General. Even if he can defeat a first-tier Martial Commander, so what?" Zhao Wuji said coldly. "Yunsheng, you''re going out tomorrow, right?" "Disciple is going to collect this year''s tribute from several cities tomorrow," Shi Yunsheng said. "That''s good. With your strength, you should be able to kill that kid, right?" Zhao Wuji said. "Master means... but Li Lin is now a five-spectrum warrior of the sect. If something happens to him at our hands, it won''t be easy to explain to the sect," Shi Yunsheng hesitated. "What about the sect? We won''t act within the sect. Have you forgotten? It has been three years since the last batch of new disciples entered Yunyang Sect. In a few days, it will be time for them to visit their families. Li Lin will definitely go back, right?" Zhao Wuji sneered. "Master means to kill him on the way?" Shi Yunsheng said. "Exactly. This time we must kill him thoroughly, not giving the kid any chance to grow," Zhao Wuji said. "To make it inconspicuous, Yunsheng, after you leave tomorrow, wait for the kid on the inevitable route from the Wu Du Mountain Range back to Qing Yun Town. Then, kill him directly, unnoticed. Even if someone suspects, without evidence, no one dares to do anything." "Yes, Master," Shi Yunsheng said. "Grandfather, I''ll go too. I must kill that kid with my own hands," Zhao Qingtian said. "Qingtian, your strength is now insufficient to deal with Li Lin. However, to be safe, you two brothers will accompany Shaohu back to the Li family this time. Visit your aunt, and no one will suspect anything. I have arrangements. If there''s a chance, cooperate with our Zhao family members. We must get the treasure in the Li family''s hands," Zhao Wuji said. "Grandfather, are you also planning to take action this time?" Li Shaohu asked. "We''ll see. If possible, I can only take action. The treasure of the Li family is extraordinary. We must act quickly," Zhao Wuji said. Chapter 421: The Crafty Old Fox A night passed slowly, and when the sky began to brighten, Li Lin stopped his cultivation. He had completely refined a fourth-order mid-stage demon core, but his cultivation level had not increased much. He felt that his internal strength had just slightly surpassed the mid-stage Martial General level. "I''m progressing too slowly without fifth-order demon cores and Martial Generals to devour," Li Lin opened his eyes and sighed lightly. It had been over two months since his breakthrough to Martial General, and his cultivation had been advancing slowly. It seemed it was time to leave the Yunyang Sect soon. Several hours later, in Li Wushuang''s courtyard, Li Lin arrived. With nothing else to do, he spent the whole day with Li Wushuang. From her, he learned that in a few days, it would be time for the new disciples to visit their families. "Lin''er, you must miss Third Aunt, right? It''s been three years. I plan to go back too," Li Wushuang said with a pursed smile to Li Lin. "Wushuang, you''re still calling her Third Aunt, shouldn''t you change how you address her now?" Li Lin smiled slightly and pulled the elegant and beautiful woman into his arms to sit down. "How should I change it? If Third Aunt and my dad don''t agree, what do we do?" Li Wushuang frowned with worry, already concerned about the situations they would face when they return. "Don''t worry, I can guarantee they won''t have any objections," Li Lin said lightly. Li Dong from the Li family and his own mother would probably not oppose to him and Wushuang being together; in fact, they would likely actively support it. At this moment, with a beauty in his arms, although they had been meeting regularly over these past two months, Li Lin had not had the chance to be intimate. Normally, in his mountain peak courtyard, with Little dragon and Bai Ling around, it was somewhat inappropriate to make a move. Now here, Li Lin had specifically not brought Little dragon and Bai Ling along, even sending away the Sky Winged Snow Lion, his heart already somewhat restless. "I''m just afraid of being laughed at by my dad, it would be so embarrassing," Li Wushuang lowered her head, soon to return to the Li family, her mood was understandably nervous. "A girl always gets married one day, what''s there to be shy about," Li Lin chuckled, knowing well what Li Wushuang was worried about. Originally cousins, now becoming spouses, this change of status was a bit special, but since they were not blood-related, it was not an issue. At this moment, with a beauty in his arms, Li Lin''s hands naturally started to become restless, gazing at the elegant woman in front of him, her body emitting a faint fragrance, stirring Li Lin''s heart. "Don''t move around." Feeling Li Lin''s hands becoming restless, Li Wushuang trembled, raising her head to glare at him, her eyes, however, becoming somewhat blurred, no longer the naive girl she was, feeling a bit different now. Li Lin could hardly restrain himself, having arranged such an opportunity, naturally, he did not want to miss it. A warmth surged in his heart, his hands becoming even more restless on this exquisite body. "Don''t think nonsense," Li Wushuang glared at Li Lin, sitting in his arms, she could naturally feel something stirring beneath her, already mature enough to know what it was, her face and neck flushed red, her heart pounding wildly. Li Lin would not listen, immediately kissing her on her red lips. "Stop... playing," Li Wushuang could hardly speak, her hands involuntarily resting on his arms, her body already softening. Before they knew it, the two were entangled and made their way into the room. Li Lin''s fingers roamed freely on her delicate body, their tongues intertwined and mingling in such teasing, Li Wushuang almost melted into Li Lin''s arms, completely powerless to resist. Moments later, on the bed, the two rolled around, Li Wushuang unable to refuse what was happening, instead feeling somewhat expectant. Clothes lightly removed, undergarments slipping off, revealing an exquisite and tempting beautiful body... Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. The night, the gentle breeze outside the window, the room filled with heavy breathing, a woman''s moans, again and again, a boundless scene of spring... In Yun Xiao Tian''s courtyard, the Protector was there, seeing Yun Xiao Tian with a frown, said, "Sect Master, have you not decided yet?" "This kid, really puts me in a difficult position. Letting him go, I really can''t bear to, even the several Supreme Elders in the sect are extremely reluctant, and the Ten Thousand Year Red Copper, one of our Yunyang Sect''s treasures, he actually wants it too," sighed Yun Xiao Tian. "I was worried he would ask too much, but I didn''t expect him to have such a big appetite, even wanting the Ten Thousand Year Red Copper," the Protector said helplessly. "The Ten Thousand Year Red Copper has been with our Yunyang Sect for countless years. It''s said that a powerful figure once wanted to refine it and was willing to exchange numerous treasures for it, but our Supreme Elders did not agree. After all, it''s material for refining divine artifacts," Yun Xiao Tian said. "So, what does the Sect Master mean..." Before the Protector could finish, Yun Xiao Tian continued, "We can''t refuse him. I can''t really break my promise in front of him, and the Supreme Elders have also made a decision." "Oh, what did the Supreme Elders say?" the Protector asked. "After discussing for a day, the Supreme Elders decided to agree to all three of Li Lin''s conditions, but, we won''t let him take advantage so easily," Yun Xiao Tian said with a smile that was not quite a smile. "Do the Supreme Elders also agree to not interfere with the Zhao family''s affairs?" the Protector asked. "There was quite a bit of debate among the Supreme Elders, as you know the relationships involved, but in the end, under the pressure of the majority of the Supreme Elders, matters related to the Zhao family''s private affairs are naturally unrelated to our Yunyang Sect. The Li family''s affairs are also unrelated to us. Let the Li family and the Zhao family sort it out themselves," Yun Xiao Tian said. "But giving the Ten Thousand Year Red Copper to Li Lin, isn''t our Yunyang Sect being too generous?" the Protector looked at Yun Xiao Tian. "The Ten Thousand Year Red Copper, left within our Yunyang Sect, is no one able to refine it, it''s like a piece of scrap iron. But giving it away, indeed, is being too generous, so I won''t let him get it easily. If by chance he gets the Ten Thousand Year Red Copper in the end, consider it as giving a favor," Yun Xiao Tian said, a hint of a smile crossing his eyes. "Giving a favor, he''s really going to leave our Yunyang Sect, does the Sect Master still plan to win him over?" the Protector wondered. "If he wants to leave, forcibly keeping him would retain the person but not the heart. This kid is a defiant dragon," Yun Xiao Tian said. "Giving him a favor is also giving a favor to whoever sent him to get the Ten Thousand Year Red Copper." "The Sect Master means, the Ten Thousand Year Red Copper that Li Lin wants, someone asked him to fetch it?" the Protector inquired. "Such a treasure as the Ten Thousand Year Red Copper, ordinary people would not know of its existence, let alone that Li Lin could refine it. There must be someone behind this, and if my guess is not wrong, the person behind Li Lin is probably his earliest master," Yun Xiao Tian explained. The Protector then understood, saying, "To have taught Li Lin to be such an extraordinary disciple, the person behind him must be extraordinary." "The defensive martial skill that Li Lin possesses, and the terrifying martial skill he displayed at the end, are not ordinary. This indicates that the powerhouse behind him is definitely not simple. I''m also very curious now about who this powerful person behind the kid is," Yun Xiao Tian said. ... Two days passed on Yunyang Sect grounds. After two days, within Yun Xiao Tian''s courtyard, Li Lin sat with a bit of nervousness and apprehension. Yun Xiao Tian looked at Li Lin, appraising him for a few moments, then said, "Li Lin, I have discussed your three requests with the Supreme Elders, and we can agree to them." "Thank you, Sect Master," Li Lin was startled, not expecting Yun Xiao Tian to actually agree. "Don''t be too happy too soon. I agree to your three requests, but you must agree to two conditions of mine," Yun Xiao Tian said with a smile that wasn''t quite a smile. "If you don''t agree, then you can forget about your three requests. And don''t say that I''m not keeping my word, it''s just that you can''t do it." "The crafty old fox, could you be any more shameless?" Li Lin thought to himself, but naturally, he wouldn''t say this aloud. This was outright blackmail, a naked threat. Although Li Lin had guessed that getting the Ten Thousand Year Red Copper wouldn''t be so simple, he hadn''t expected Yun Xiao Tian to pull this move, forcing him to agree to two conditions. Li Lin thought to himself that the conditions Yun Xiao Tian was about to propose must be extraordinary. "Sect Master, please state your conditions," Li Lin said lightly, as one must bow their head under the eaves. Even if he objected, it would probably be of no use. Seeing Li Lin not opposing, Yun Xiao Tian seemed somewhat surprised, then said, "You don''t need to worry, I won''t be as demanding as you, and actually, these aren''t really conditions. First, after you leave Yunyang Sect, our Yunyang Sect and your Flying Spirit Gate will form an alliance. How about that?" "Yunyang Sect and Flying Spirit Gate form an alliance?" Li Lin was truly surprised this time, saying, "Sect Master, Flying Spirit Gate is just a third-rate small sect." "That''s not for you to worry about. If Yunyang Sect is willing to form an alliance with your Flying Spirit Gate, you shouldn''t have any objections, right?" Yun Xiao Tian said. "Of course, I have no objections," Li Lin said. "So you mean you agree?" Yun Xiao Tian looked at Li Lin with a meaningful gaze and said lightly. Chapter 422: Entering the Thousand Treasures Vault "Yunyang Sect wants to form an alliance with Flying Spirit Gate, which somewhat flatters Flying Spirit Gate. However, the details of this alliance can be discussed after the Sect Master has asked me to leave Yunyang Sect." Li Lin replied. Yunyang Sect wants to ally with Flying Spirit Gate, but Li Lin is no fool. According to the character of Yun Xiaotian, this old fox, he would never do something that doesn''t benefit him. If he discusses the alliance now, with the Sect Master''s identity pressing down, he would definitely be at a disadvantage. But once he leaves Yunyang Sect, it will be different. At worst, he would just be called Uncle Master. When the two sects form an alliance and discuss the details, he will not be at a loss. "Smart lad." Yun Xiaotian looked at Li Lin, seemingly understanding his intentions at a glance, and said, "Yunyang Sect wants to form an alliance with your Flying Spirit Gate, and you are still worried that Yunyang Sect will take advantage of Flying Spirit Gate. Well, it''s alright to discuss the details later." "I dare not." Li Lin said lightly. "Alright, the second condition, also to your advantage." Yun Xiaotian looked at Li Lin and said, "I plan to settle the marriage between you and Hongling first. You have no objections, right?" "Ah..." Li Lin was dumbfounded, this was another unexpected event. "What, you are unwilling?" Yun Xiaotian looked at Yun Hongling. "Of course not, I am willing. It''s just that this is so sudden, I am a bit surprised." Li Lin chuckled. Being able to resolve this matter was indeed what he hoped for, to avoid future troubles. "I know you won''t only have Hongling. I also know about Wushuang and Jingwen. I won''t make it difficult for you. Just treat Hongling well in the future. If you let her suffer any grievances, I won''t let you off." Yun Xiaotian looked at Li Lin seriously. "I will definitely not let Hongling suffer any grievances, thank you, Sect Master." Li Lin responded seriously, a bow he owed. "First, get engaged. As for the wedding date, you can decide that yourselves. I will also send out the news of your engagement to the three sects and four gates in the next few days." Yun Xiaotian said, looking at Li Lin. "Everything as the Sect Master arranges." Li Lin nodded, getting engaged first was not a problem. "In places with many people, both of you should be careful, like inside the hall of the Tianjian Gate. It would not be good to be seen. Although young people are impulsive, there are times when restraint is necessary." Yun Xiaotian said, smiling but not smiling. Li Lin''s face immediately turned pale. Inside the hall of Tianjian Gate, Yun Xiaotian had actually sensed every move he and Yun Hongling made. This was embarrassing. Li Lin, with his head lowered, had nothing to say but chuckled. "Li Lin, since you agree to these two conditions, then I also agree to your three requests." Yun Xiaotian said, looking at Li Lin''s embarrassed expression and smiled slightly. "Thank you, Sect Master." Li Lin said. "Li Lin, from now on, you are no longer a disciple of Yunyang Sect. But once a teacher, always a father. Elder Yu Yu is your master, so you are still half a disciple of Yunyang Sect. Now, with your relationship with Hongling, whether you are a disciple of Yunyang Sect or not doesn''t really make a difference." Yun Xiaotian smiled. Li Lin smiled slightly. Indeed, with his relationship with Yun Hongling, and Master Yu Yu being Yun Xiaotian''s senior brother, he was still considered half a disciple of Yunyang Sect. However, in his heart, Li Lin did not think so. Without the label of Yunyang Sect, it would be somewhat easier for him to survive in the ancient domain. "By the way, Li Lin, I forgot to tell you. I can give you the Millennium Red Copper, but it''s not an ordinary item. It also depends on whether you have the fate to take it." Yun Xiaotian''s gaze shifted, "The Millennium Red Copper is in our Yunyang Sect''s Thousand Treasures Vault. If you can find it, then take it." "What...?" Li Lin was once again taken aback. Yun Xiaotian was too cunning and deceitful. At this point, he still played this trick. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Yun Xiaotian seemed to have seen through Li Lin''s thoughts and said, "Don''t say I''m going back on my word. The Thousand Treasures Vault contains extraordinary treasures collected by the Yunyang Sect''s ancestors. Any item taken out would cause a sensation. Allowing you into the Thousand Treasures Vault, you can choose three treasures to leave. If you can find the Millennium Red Copper and take it away, then it''s your fate with it. If you can''t take the Millennium Red Copper, then you can only blame yourself. What I can guarantee is that the Millennium Red Copper is in the Thousand Treasures Vault." "Old fox, you really have no shame." Li Lin cursed inwardly. He had no other choice. Yunyang Sect obviously did not want to give him the Millennium Red Copper and did not want to break their promise, so they came up with this cunning plan. The Thousand Treasures Vault, the absolute secret place of Yunyang Sect, even direct disciples, even the Law Protectors, could not enter without permission. All the direct disciples had only heard of it. The treasures in the Thousand Treasures Vault, collected by Yunyang Sect over the years, had to be of extraordinary quality and level to be included. At this moment, Li Lin arrived at the entrance of Yunyang Sect''s Thousand Treasures Vault. The Thousand Treasures Vault was located behind the main hall on the peak of Yunyang Sect. On this vast peak, Li Lin did not know there was a sheer cliff here. Behind the main hall of the peak, from the waist of the peak, passing through the cliff, there was a small peak extending directly out. The area was not large, about three to four hundred meters in size. On the peak, there were odd-shaped rocks and lush greenery, surrounded by many vines, with many wildflowers blooming in the middle. Around the peak, mist lingered, like a fairyland. Looking down from the peak, a stretch of mountains extended, shrouded in mist, which was refreshing to see. On this small peak, there was a cave, not small, with a thick stone door about two meters high and four meters wide, exuding an ancient aura. The stone door was already open, with a hint of darkness inside. "Li Lin, go in. Remember, you can only take out three treasures. I will follow behind you, don''t think about taking more." Yun Xiaotian said to Li Lin, clearly guarding Li Lin as if he were a thief. With his understanding of Li Lin, this lad must be guarded against. Li Lin frowned slightly but had no choice but to go in and look around, hoping to find the Millennium Red Copper. But Uncle Jiang did not say what it looked like, even if it was in front of him, he would not recognize it. With no choice, Li Lin could only enter the Thousand Treasures Vault. As soon as he entered the cave, Li Lin was immediately dumbfounded. The cave was much larger than he had imagined. This was not just a Thousand Treasures Vault; calling it a Ten Thousand Treasures Vault would also be appropriate. The cave was like a large hall, with an area of over two hundred meters. The stone walls inside were smooth, seemingly polished, and there were several long rectangular cabinets made of jade, emitting a soft green-blue fluorescent light. "My goodness, this is Wuling Fat, Luoshi Vine, and Suxin Flower." Looking at everything in front of him, Li Lin was astonished. The first thing he saw was a row of medicinal materials, definitely not ordinary ones. These were extremely rare materials used to refine high-grade pills, such as Wuling Fat, Luoshi Vine, and Suxin Flower, which could be used to refine seventh-grade pills. If these were taken outside, they would definitely cause an absolute sensation. "This is Cold Water Stone and Mica Bright Moon Sand." Li Lin immediately picked up two arm-thick objects, one pure white and one emitting a yellow-white glow, recognized by the Heavenly Record. Li Lin''s eyes were not ordinary, and he recognized these two items at a glance: Cold Water Stone and Mica Bright Moon Sand. These two items were also excellent materials for refining weapons. In weapon refining, the materials determine the type of weapon. Just like medicinal materials, certain materials are needed to refine certain pills. The previously mentioned Wuling Fat, Luoshi Vine, and Suxin Flower could be used to refine seventh-grade pills, and their value was astonishing. And the Cold Water Stone and Mica Bright Moon Sand, if compared to medicinal materials, would be equivalent to materials that could refine seventh-grade high-level pills. "I didn''t expect you to have some insight, even recognizing Cold Water Stone and Mica Bright Moon Sand." Seeing Li Lin''s astonished expression, Yun Xiaotian was slightly surprised. Generally speaking, it was understandable for spirit practitioners to recognize medicinal materials and refining materials. Spirit practitioners usually deal with medicinal materials and refining materials every day. But Li Lin being able to recognize them at a glance naturally surprised Yun Xiaotian. "Fine Steel Crystal Stone." Li Lin was again surprised, picking up a palm-sized blue crystal stone. This blue crystal stone was crystal clear, and its quality was not inferior to Cold Water Stone and Mica Bright Moon Sand. "You recognize this too." Yun Xiaotian frowned slightly, surprised that Li Lin recognized all these refining materials. Yun Xiaotian had a bad feeling. Initially, allowing Li Lin into the Thousand Treasures Vault was because Li Lin was a martial artist, supposedly unfamiliar with refining materials. Finding the Millennium Red Copper would be almost impossible. But seeing Li Lin''s reaction, Yun Xiaotian was genuinely afraid Li Lin would find it. "This spear seems to be no ordinary item." On the second row of jade cabinets, Li Lin picked up a pure white spear. Holding it in his hand, this two-meter-long spear weighed about two hundred pounds, immediately feeling heavy. The spear''s body emitted faint flowing light, revealing many secret patterns. The spear tip shone with a cold light, emitting a heart-palpitating aura. Chapter 423: Earth Sha Xuan Lei "This is the Tyrant Spear, crafted by a Spirit King expert from fine steel and cold stone. Try channeling your true qi into it," Yun XiaoTian said with a slight smile. Upon hearing this, Li Lin slowly channeled a strand of true qi into the Tyrant Spear. "Boom!" Suddenly, the Tyrant Spear heavily fell to the ground, causing a slight tremble. Li Lin''s complexion changed dramatically as well. Just by slightly channeling true qi, the Tyrant Spear suddenly became as heavy as over a thousand kilograms, immediately dropping from his hand. "Hehe, once true qi is channeled into this Tyrant Spear, its weight can freely change, possessing strange and unpredictable abilities. In our Yunyang Sect, there are very few disciples who use spears. I originally planned to give it to Li Dajiang, the Life-Taking Spear, but you''ve rendered him crippled," Yun XiaoTian sighed slightly. "What a great spear." Li Lin became even more astonished by the Tyrant Spear at this moment. A weapon crafted by a Spirit King expert from fine steel and cold stone is truly remarkable. Following that, Li Lin saw many more exceptionally good weapons. If these were put outside, they could cause a frenzy, but here in the Yunyang Sect, they could only be stored in the Thousand Treasure Vault. Inside the cave, every treasure made Li Lin somewhat amazed. They were definitely at the level of true treasures. Looking at the rows of jade cabinets filled with medicinal herbs, crafting materials, and weapons, Li Lin was continuously astounded. This is the gap. Compared to the Yunyang Sect, even the collection of the Flying Spirit Gate is lacking. "Li Lin, you should quickly choose three treasures. As for whether there''s ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper among them, it''s up to you," Yun XiaoTian said with a slight smile upon seeing Li Lin''s gleaming eyes. "Sect Leader, let me look a bit more," Li Lin said lightly. He only had three chances, and he must choose wisely. "Take your time, I''m in no rush," Yun XiaoTian said lightly. "What is this?" On the fourth jade cabinet, Li Lin saw a set of white, thin armor, resembling underwear, made of a seemingly very special material, thin as a cicada''s wing. "This is a set of protective armor, which requires fire attribute to activate. I originally wanted to give it to Hong Ling, but unfortunately, Hong Ling is a martial artist of water, wood, and wind attributes. This protective armor can withstand a full-force attack from an opponent of the same cultivation level without any harm, which is quite remarkable. You can take it, as it will be beneficial for your defense," Yun XiaoTian said. "Such a remarkable treasure." Li Lin was somewhat tempted. His own Qing Ling armor, combined with this armor, would definitely make his defense stronger. However, not knowing whether this defensive armor would still be effective under the Qing Ling armor, and considering that his defense was already quite good, he hesitated for a moment and then put down the protective armor. Yun XiaoTian was somewhat surprised. This protective armor was definitely a good treasure, a life-saving treasure that is generally highly valued by everyone. Unexpectedly, Li Lin was not moved. Looking around the cave, if it were just a single treasure, Li Lin would definitely be very tempted. However, with tens of thousands of treasures together, Li Lin, after being tempted, could only end up dazzled, not knowing how to choose. Li Lin even started to feel a bit dizzy from looking. Accidentally, his gaze landed on a brocade box on the sixth row of jade cabinets, about twenty centimeters long and ten centimeters high. This brocade box was inconspicuous in the cave, but Li Lin knew that anything stored here must be extraordinary. He then opened the brocade box. Inside the brocade box, there were two palm-sized yellow jade slips, emanating a faint earth attribute aura. The more Li Lin stared at these two jade slips, the more he felt their unusualness. It seemed as if there were waves of violent energy contained within, making his heart palpitate the more he looked. "This is no ordinary item. It''s said that this was created by a Martial King peak expert and a Spirit King peak expert after years of research. It''s called Earth Sha Xuan Lei. Inside the jade slips, there''s an attack power equivalent to a Martial Venerable. By channeling true qi, you can throw the Earth Sha Xuan Lei to activate its attack. Although its power cannot compare to a Martial Venerable, its force is enough to kill a six-layer Martial Commander and severely injure a seven-layer Martial Commander. Originally, there were five pieces of Earth Sha Xuan Lei. When our Yunyang Sect obtained them, there were only four left. Hong Ling has always had two pieces, leaving these last two," Yun XiaoTian said. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. "To have such a thing, with sealed attack power inside the jade slips, activated by channeling true qi, is terrifying. Created by a Spirit King and Martial King peak expert, able to kill a six-layer Martial Commander, severely injure a seven-layer Martial Commander, such treasures are monstrous," Li Lin thought to himself. "Sect Leader, these two pieces of Earth Sha Xuan Lei count as one treasure, right? I''ll take this," Li Lin grinned, without any hesitation, directly putting the brocade box into his spatial bag hanging at his waist. "You''re taking this? Although these two pieces of Earth Sha Xuan Lei are somewhat special and definitely extraordinary, they can only be used once and then are gone. There are still many treasures here, stronger than these two pieces of Earth Sha Xuan Lei. You can choose again," Yun XiaoTian said puzzledly to Li Lin, specifically reminding him that the Earth Sha Xuan Lei can only be used once. Although extremely extraordinary, it''s ultimately a one-time-use item. There are many treasures in this Thousand Treasure Vault more precious than the Earth Sha Xuan Lei. "I''ll take this," Li Lin said, clearly seeing that the Earth Sha Xuan Lei, although extraordinary, wasn''t too conspicuous among these treasures. But Li Lin had his own plans. In Li Lin''s heart, what''s most important is to save one''s life. These two pieces of Earth Sha Xuan Lei are definitely good items for saving oneself now. Throwing one can directly kill a six-layer Martial Commander, severely injure a seven-layer Martial Commander. Such good items are undoubtedly the most suitable for him. Seeing Li Lin''s insistence, Yun XiaoTian had no choice. Having these two pieces of Earth Sha Xuan Lei at hand, at least there''s a life-saving means in times of crisis. Perhaps this youngster saw this point. Continuing to search for the second treasure, Li Lin was in a dilemma, not knowing what to choose. The whereabouts of the ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper were still unknown. "Where exactly is the ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper?" Li Lin searched everywhere, his main goal being to find the ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper. Although the cave was not small, searching for items was not easy. With his mind probing around, Li Lin mainly focused his search on crafting materials. Ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper is also a crafting material. Using the process of elimination, Li Lin immediately ruled out all the crafting materials he recognized. There were not a few crafting materials in this Thousand Treasure Vault. After eliminating the majority, Li Lin still had about twenty to thirty types of crafting materials he didn''t recognize. Thinking about the introductions to crafting materials in the Heavenly Spirit Record, Li Lin immediately began to identify and eliminate them one by one. Watching Li Lin''s actions, Yun XiaoTian was becoming more and more amazed. Li Lin seemed to recognize all these crafting materials. After Li Lin eliminated one crafting material after another, in front of him, there were still three crafting materials left. One was a thick-as-an-arm, two-meter-long yellow fine iron, extremely hard. One was a two-meter-long cylindrical object resembling gold, surrounded by a faint flowing light. The last one was a half-meter-tall, one-meter-wide yellow irregular square object, looking inconspicuous. When Li Lin moved these three materials together for comparison, he found that all three crafting materials were extremely heavy. Among them, the last black crafting material was the heaviest, requiring him to exert double the true qi just to move it, weighing at least five to six hundred pounds. Watching Li Lin moving these three crafting materials, Yun XiaoTian''s expression changed imperceptibly, but the corner of his eyes involuntarily twitched, seemingly due to surprise. Li Lin, always observing Yun XiaoTian''s gaze, saw the change in his eyes at that moment, almost confirming that the ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper was among these three crafting materials. After repeatedly examining the other materials, he was basically able to determine they were not ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper. Somewhat relieved to have narrowed down the ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper to these three materials, Li Lin also relaxed a bit, making it easier to find. His gaze then fell on these three crafting materials, probing with his breath, but he couldn''t discover anything. These crafting materials, not having been refined, didn''t have much energy fluctuation, unlike medicinal herbs, where higher-grade ones have greater energy fluctuations. Therefore, just by probing with his breath, Li Lin couldn''t determine which of the three crafting materials was the ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper. However, after a moment, Li Lin''s mouth showed a slight smile, and without further thought, he directly put the third yellow crafting material into his spatial bag, saying, "Sect Leader, I''ll take this." "Li Lin, how did you know this is ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper?" Yun XiaoTian was immediately astounded, his eyes wide open. He had not expected Li Lin to actually recognize the ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper. "Quite simple," Li Lin smiled slightly. "As far as I know, ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper seems to have been researched by many experts in the sect and must have been attempted to be refined, so there would be traces on it. The other two crafting materials were shining brightly, without any traces, so I determined that what I just picked up is ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper." Chapter 424: The Four Divine Techniques "How can you be sure that what you just collected is the ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper among all these refining materials here?" Yun XiaoTian asked seriously. Li Lin smiled again, "Because I seem to recognize the other refining materials, so it''s unlikely to be the ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper." "Do you really recognize them all?" Yun XiaoTian asked in surprise again, then helplessly looked at Li Lin and sighed slightly. Seeing Yun XiaoTian''s expression, Li Lin was somewhat certain again that what he had just collected was indeed the ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper. He couldn''t help but feel a bit of trembling in his heart. When he first touched the ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper, Li Lin could already feel the fluctuations of energy within it, much stronger than the other two refining materials'' energy fluctuations. This is something that ordinary people would find hard to sense, but as a spiritual practitioner, Li Lin had his own advantages in this regard. Taking everything into account, Li Lin dared to choose the third refining material. Concerning the ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper entrusted by Uncle Jiang, Li Lin naturally did not dare to be careless. "Li Lin, the ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper is not an ordinary item. Although our Yun Yang Sect has always been unable to refine this item, as far as I know, many powerful individuals covet it. Therefore, do not leak the news that you possess the ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper, to avoid bringing disaster upon yourself," Yun XiaoTian seriously said to Li Lin. "I understand!" Li Lin nodded lightly. He was naturally clear about this. If people knew that the Yun Yang Sect''s treasure, the ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper, was in his possession, he would probably be hunted every day. "You are no longer a disciple of the Yun Yang Sect, so you don''t have to call me Sect Master. I will announce your engagement with Hong Ling in the next few days. Shouldn''t you also change the way you address me?" Yun XiaoTian looked at Li Lin and smiled slightly. "My apologies, father-in-law." Li Lin was startled, then chuckled. "A teachable lad." Yun XiaoTian smiled slightly, seemingly very satisfied. With a flash of light in his hand, he handed a storage ring to Li Lin, saying, "Carrying a spatial bag is somewhat shabby for my son-in-law. This storage ring is for you. Inside, there is a set of mid-Xuan level Wind Technique ''Three Thousand Flowing Clouds Hand'', which is highly valued by our Yun Yang Sect. Although it is a mid-Xuan level technique, if combined with the Fleeting Shadows technique, its power can approach that of a high-Xuan level. Considering your current strength, it might be difficult to practice a mid-Xuan level technique, so you can practice it later." "Thank you, father-in-law." Li Lin immediately accepted the storage ring. He didn''t care much about the storage ring itself, as he already had several, but he didn''t want to attract attention, so he always carried a spatial bag. However, hearing that there was a mid-Xuan level technique inside the storage ring, Li Lin became interested. Upon inspecting it with his mind, he found indeed there was a mid-Xuan level technique inside. "Calling me father-in-law, I won''t let you suffer. Treat Hong Ling well in the future. She might be a bit arrogant, but she is reasonable. Just indulge her a bit and don''t let her be wronged," Yun XiaoTian said. "I will do my best to love Hong Ling," Li Lin said seriously, speaking from the heart. His woman, of course, deserves his love. Gaining another set of mid-Xuan level techniques made Li Lin very happy. As the saying goes, it''s better to marry well than to work well. This seems to have some truth to it. If it were someone else, calling someone father-in-law and getting a set of mid-Xuan level techniques would be unlikely. "Father-in-law, I heard that you gained quite a lot at the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference?" After directly acknowledging the storage ring with his blood, Li Lin wore it on his hand and thought about Yun XiaoTian''s gains at the conference, which made him feel that the mid-Xuan level technique he just got was nothing special. "Don''t get any ideas. The value of the techniques I won doesn''t compare to the ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper you took. Besides, you''re even taking my daughter away. What more do you want?" Yun XiaoTian seemed to see through Li Lin''s thoughts and immediately silenced him. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. "Hehe, I was just asking casually, no other meaning," Li Lin rolled his eyes. Dealing with his father-in-law, he really couldn''t gain any advantage. But thinking about it, taking away the ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper and even getting his daughter, he should be satisfied. "Let''s go," Yun XiaoTian said to Li Lin. "Father-in-law, I''ve only chosen two treasures. You promised I could choose three. Let me look again." Li Lin wouldn''t leave. He had only taken two treasures and couldn''t miss out on the third. "Sigh," Yun XiaoTian sighed, finally realizing what it meant to "try to steal a chicken only to end up losing the rice." Originally, he wanted to keep the ten-thousand-year-old Red Copper safe, but despite all his efforts, he couldn''t keep it and ended up giving away two more items for free. Watching Li Lin looking down and searching in the Thousand Treasure Vault, Yun XiaoTian also showed a slight smile. After all, the son-in-law is half a son, so it''s okay to take one more item. However, Li Lin didn''t know what to choose at this moment, as there were too many things he wanted. Just as Li Lin hesitated, he suddenly saw a jade slip at the edge of the third jade cabinet. This jade slip had no luster, so when he first entered the Thousand Treasure Vault, his eyes were dazzled by the treasures, and he didn''t notice this jade slip. Seeing this jade slip, Li Lin didn''t pay much attention at first. But the moment he looked at it, he suddenly felt a familiar sensation, as if it was connected to him in some way. This familiar feeling led him to involuntarily walk over and pick up the jade slip. "This jade slip doesn''t have any special features. It has been in our Yun Yang Sect for who knows how long, always just in the Thousand Treasure Vault, so it has been left here without much attention, not knowing what it is," Yun XiaoTian''s voice already spoke from behind as Li Lin picked up the jade slip. Li Lin carefully examined the jade slip, which carried a hint of ancient cyan color, very old, with even some dirt marks on the edges, as if it had been stolen from an ancient tomb. "It''s one of the Four Divine Techniques." The moment Li Lin touched the jade slip, he suddenly remembered the Four Divine Techniques. This jade slip, just like the Vermilion Bird Art Uncle Jiang gave him, had a familiar aura that Li Lin could almost immediately determine it was one of the Four Divine Techniques, although which one it was, he couldn''t be sure at the moment. "I didn''t expect it to be one of the Four Divine Techniques." Li Lin was immediately overjoyed in his heart. The Four Divine Techniques, he was currently seeking them, and unexpectedly, one of the techniques was right inside the Yunyang Sect''s Thousand Treasure Vault. If he hadn''t made this trip, he might never have found it. What is called luck, this is called luck. Li Lin felt that his luck was really good. This way, the old fox, his father-in-law, intended to make it difficult for him to obtain the ten-thousand-year-old red copper, but he didn''t expect to help him get a set of the Four Divine Techniques. He really should thank him properly. Suppressing the excitement in his heart, although Li Lin was ecstatic inside, his face did not show any traces. He then put the jade slip into the storage ring that Yun XiaoTian had just given him and said, "Father-in-law, I will take this." "You want this jade slip." Yun XiaoTian was somewhat surprised, originally thinking that Li Lin would ruthlessly choose an item that he also couldn''t bear to part with. However, he chose a broken jade slip instead, and didn''t say much, then said, "Then go back, you lad have taken quite a bit of advantage this time." "Hehe!" Li Lin chuckled without saying a word, truly gaining a lot from this trip to the Thousand Treasure Vault. After leaving the Thousand Treasure Vault, Li Lin chatted with Yun XiaoTian for a few words and then hurriedly bid farewell to Yun XiaoTian. Upon reaching the peak where he resided, Li Lin quickly entered his room. Sitting cross-legged, Li Lin once again took the jade slip he had obtained from the Thousand Treasure Vault into his hands. The jade slip had a trace of ancient cyan color, very ancient, completely the same as the Vermilion Bird Art he had obtained before. "Boss, what is this?" Little dragon immediately asked Li Lin, his little eyes staring at the jade slip in Li Lin''s hand, also looking very curious. "This is a good thing." Li Lin said lightly, forming a hand seal, and a drop of fresh blood fell onto the jade slip, but there was no change on the jade slip. "How could this be." Li Lin exclaimed in surprise. The same had happened with the Vermilion Bird Art before; after his blood drop, he also could not cultivate it. Later, without realizing it, he was able to cultivate it. Recalling carefully in his mind, Li Lin seemed to think of the time because Little dragon was shedding its skin, and a trace of fresh blood merged into the Vermilion Bird Art, after which he was able to cultivate. "Little dragon, give me a drop of your blood." Li Lin then said to Little dragon. "Boss, what are you going to do?" While Little dragon spoke, a drop of fresh blood was already forced out from a scale on his back. "Just doing a test." Li Lin said, and immediately wiped the jade slip with the fresh blood on Little dragon''s scale. In the room, Bai Ling, who had returned to her original form, was also looking at Li Lin with curiosity. As soon as a drop of blood touched the jade slip, suddenly, a faint luster appeared on the jade slip. Li Lin, seeing the change in the jade slip, was immediately excited. Chapter 425: Obtaining the Xuanwu Technique "So it really is like this, it succeeded." Filled with great joy in his heart, although Li Lin did not know why the blood of the little dragon was needed to activate the Four Divine Techniques, he was extremely happy at this moment. He then closed his eyes and once again injected a stream of soul force into the jade slip. On the ancient green jade slip, at this moment, a dazzling light instantly injected into Li Lin''s brow, and then transformed into a huge influx of information entering Li Lin''s mind. "Roar..." The entire room was enveloped in a blinding light. Within the light, faintly, there were several beast-shaped entities galloping and roaring, all appearing mystical and extraordinary. After a moment, the light receded, and the room returned to normal. A long while later, when Li Lin opened his eyes, his eyes were filled with surprise and joy. The information transmitted from this jade slip was the Xuanwu Technique. The Four Divine Techniques consist of the Qinglong Technique, Baihu Technique, Xuanwu Technique, and Zhuque Technique. The jade slip he had just obtained was the third technique, the Xuanwu Technique. In the Zhuque Technique, Li Lin had already learned that gathering two techniques could be equivalent to a high-level Xuan-tier martial skill, even more powerful than a high-level Xuan-tier martial skill. Just like the Zhuque Technique, although it is equivalent to a high-level Huang-tier martial skill, its power is incomparable to ordinary high-level Huang-tier martial skills. Especially the mutated Zhuque Technique, even the initial-stage Xuan-tier martial skills cannot compare. If one could gather all four Divine Techniques, it would be comparable to a Tian-tier martial skill. How powerful a Tian-tier martial skill could be, Li Lin did not yet know, but the power of Xuan-tier martial skills was already incredible, and the power of Tian-tier martial skills, Li Lin could imagine, must be terrifying. At this moment, obtaining the Xuanwu Technique ignited a thought in Li Lin''s heart. Perhaps he really could one day obtain all four Divine Techniques. At least for now, he had already obtained the Zhuque Technique and Xuanwu Technique. "Boss, what did you just get?" While Li Lin was in surprise, the voice of the little dragon came again, with a hint of confusion in its small eyes. "I obtained a set of mysterious objects, considered martial skills, but strangely, they require your blood to be activated," Li Lin explained to the little dragon and then asked Bai Ling, "Bai Ling, do you know of any martial skills that need to be activated with the blood of monsters or spirit beasts?" Bai Ling shook her head and said, "I don''t know, what you just obtained seems very mysterious." After thinking for a bit, Li Lin felt there was nothing he could do about not knowing. As long as he could successfully cultivate it, cultivating the Xuanwu Technique and integrating it with the Zhuque Technique would be equivalent to a high-level Xuan-tier martial skill, increasing his trump card once again. The next day, within the main hall of the Yunyang Sect''s summit, Du Qingyun and Liu Xin, the disciples of Yun Xiao Tian, on the orders of their master Yun Xiao Tian, gathered all the elders and protectors of the Yunyang Sect, including the outer sect elders. After a moment, in the main hall of the summit, the elders and protectors were seated. Although there were not many elders and protectors, adding up to only forty or fifty people, there were over a hundred outer sect elders alone. "The sect master seems to have something important to announce today," said Elder Xie, looking around with some confusion. It was rare for the Yunyang Sect to have such a grand occasion. "Looking at this situation, it seems that the sect master has a major announcement to make," said Elder Yang softly. "What does the sect master brother want to do? Could it be that something big has happened to our Yunyang Sect?" Yu Yu sat in the most prominent elder''s seat, with a puzzled expression on his face, with Li Lin standing behind him. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Li Lin smiled slightly in his heart. He had also been notified to enter the hall, wondering if Yun Xiao Tian was going to announce to all the elders that he was leaving the Yunyang Sect. Leaving the Yunyang Sect was somewhat unexpected for Li Lin. In ordinary sects, it wouldn''t be an easy matter. The sect might expel you without discussion, but if you wanted to leave on your own, that would be difficult, especially for a sect as large as the Yunyang Sect. But Yun Xiao Tian didn''t say much about Li Lin leaving the sect, which made Li Lin somewhat puzzled. He had thought it would be difficult, especially since he had revealed himself as a practitioner of all martial arts styles, which ordinary sects would not easily let go of. "Greetings to the sect master." As the discussions continued, two figures walked out, Yun Xiao Tian and Yun Hong Ling. Li Lin looked over, Yun Xiao Tian was still in a light green robe, his eyes clear and bright, with a hint of depth, black hair draped over his shoulders, giving off a wild and unrestrained appearance. Li Lin remembered clearly, during the meeting of the three sects and four gates, when Yun Xiao Tian made his move, his power tore through space, showing the strength of a true powerhouse. Now, Yun Xiao Tian''s aura was restrained, smiling, but invisibly, he also exuded a domineering presence that shook the world. Touching his nose, Li Lin knew very well that his father-in-law was not to be trifled with, cunning and powerful, with the backing of a colossal force like the Yunyang Sect, undoubtedly one of the most difficult people to provoke. "Did this girl dress up specially?" Then, as Li Lin''s gaze shifted to Yun Hong Ling beside him, he was somewhat taken aback. Wearing a green long dress, with floral stripes on the long sleeves, her hair tied high, revealing her temples, her eyes as bright as stars, her skin soft and smooth like warm jade, her lips naturally red and luscious, with a hint of blush, she appeared to have dressed up specially. "Everyone, please be at ease." Yun Xiao Tian spoke, already seated at the head of the hall, with Yun Hong Ling gently leaning against her father, looking much more gentle and less petulant than usual. After everyone was seated again, they looked at Yun Xiao Tian with curiosity, waiting for him to announce the major event. "Sect master brother, by gathering everyone here, are you going to announce something big?" Yu Yu asked Yun Xiao Tian. Looking at the protectors and elders in the hall, Yun Xiao Tian''s gaze finally rested on Li Lin for a moment before retracting and lightly saying, "Today, I have gathered the elders and protectors here mainly for two matters." After a pause, Yun Xiao Tian said, "First, from now on, Li Lin is no longer a disciple of Yunyang Sect. From now on, he has nothing to do with Yunyang Sect." "What..." As soon as Yun Xiao Tian''s words fell, all the elders, protectors, and outer sect elders were almost shocked enough to jump up. No one expected that the sect master would expel Li Lin from the sect. Li Lin was a practitioner of all martial arts styles, and expelling him from the Yunyang Sect was puzzling. Zhao Wuji''s expression also changed, then a cold smile appeared on his face. However, two people in the hall were not surprised at all, the great protector and Yun Hong Ling. "Sect master brother, what do you mean by this?" Yu Yu was furious, not caring about the sect master''s title, slamming his seat and jumping up. He was truly angered by the expulsion of his precious disciple from the sect. "Brother, calm down," Yun Xiao Tian smiled slightly, seemingly expecting his brother''s reaction and not surprised at all. "Then you must give me an explanation today. My disciple has just made great contributions to Yunyang Sect and even won twenty-four sets of high-level Xuan-tier martial skills for you, and now you want to expel him from the sect. This is too disheartening," Yu Yu said indignantly. Yun Xiao Tian gave a helpless bitter smile, thinking to himself that Yu Yu''s precious disciple did indeed make great contributions to Yunyang Sect, but he had also taken away one of Yunyang Sect''s treasures yesterday. However, Yun Xiao Tian naturally did not say this aloud. "Sect master, shouldn''t this matter be reconsidered?" one elder said with a slightly stern face, another powerful martial king elder, giving off an extremely formidable aura. "Sect master, please reconsider," said Elder Xie, Elder Yang, Elder Song, and others. Zhao Wuji remained silent, secretly pleased but also puzzled. Normally, a practitioner of all martial arts styles would be heavily nurtured by the sect master, not expelled. The hall was filled with discussions and confusion among the protectors and outer sect elders, all looking at Li Lin. "Everyone, this matter has been decided and does not need further consideration," Yun Xiao Tian said, then continued, "The second matter, my daughter Hong Ling and Li Lin are officially engaged." As these words fell, Yun Hong Ling glanced at Li Lin, not far behind Yu Yu, her head lowered even more, her cheeks blushing. "What." The shock from before had not subsided, and everyone was surprised again. However, this surprise was among the outer sect elders, while the elders and protectors had already heard some rumors. Although it was unexpected, they were not surprised. Everyone was puzzled about what the sect master was planning. Li Lin was expelled from Yunyang Sect and then became the sect''s son-in-law, the reasons behind this were probably unknown to many. "Brother, although Li Lin is no longer a disciple of Yunyang Sect, he is still your disciple, and you won''t lose this disciple," Yun Xiao Tian said to Yu Yu again. Chapter 426: Conditions for Alliance Yu Yuqian''s eyes twinkled as he thought about these two matters, and a smile suddenly appeared on his face. He was not foolish; whether his disciple was a disciple of the Yunyang Sect or not, he was still considered half a disciple of the Yunyang Sect. Essentially, it meant that officially, it had nothing to do with the Yunyang Sect. But now that his cherished disciple had become the Yunyang Sect''s son-in-law, whether or not he was a disciple of the Yunyang Sect made no difference. "Hehe," Yu Yuqian chuckled, seemingly feeling a bit embarrassed for having lost his temper at his fellow sect leader. The elders outside were surprised as they looked at Li Lin. The status of a direct disciple was undoubtedly very high, even higher than these outer elders. Being a direct disciple of the Yunyang Sect, which commands the wind and clouds, his status was probably incomparable even to that of a regular protector. However, hearing that Li Lin had become the sect leader''s future son-in-law, the outer elders were even more astonished. The son-in-law of the sect leader seemed to be even more significant than the status of a direct disciple of the Yunyang Sect. Whether or not he became a disciple of the Yunyang Sect, he was considered part of the Yunyang Sect. "The Li family is going to be lucky." The outer elders sighed secretly. With Li Lin becoming the son-in-law of the Yunyang Sect, the status of the Li family would surely rise, which was imaginable. An hour later, in Yun Xiaotian''s courtyard, two people were sitting, Li Lin and Yun Xiaotian. "Li Lin, now that you''ve got what you wanted and are no longer a disciple of the Yunyang Sect, let''s discuss the alliance between your Flying Spirit Gate and the Yunyang Sect," Yun Xiaotian said in the courtyard. "Please speak, Father-in-law," Li Lin said with a pursed smile, curious about what his father-in-law intended by allying with the Flying Spirit Gate. "You might be able to make decisions for your Flying Spirit Gate." Yun Xiaotian became serious as they discussed official matters. "I have the final say in the Flying Spirit Gate, top to bottom," Li Lin said. Looking at Li Lin, Yun Xiaotian said, "Our Yunyang Sect wants to form an alliance with your Flying Spirit Gate with three conditions. First, our two sects shall be as close as branches of the same tree; if one is in trouble, the other must provide full support." Li Lin nodded slightly. From his perspective, this condition was definitely favorable to his Flying Spirit Gate. "Second, after our two sects form an alliance, we will be as close as branches on the same tree, sharing a common enemy. If your Flying Spirit Gate needs help from the Yunyang Sect in the future for development within the ancient domain, the Yunyang Sect can assist you covertly. However, the Yunyang Sect can''t just help for nothing, as it would also impact our strength. The benefits gained will be distributed based on the number of powerful individuals sent by each sect. You have no objections, right?" Yun Xiaotian smiled. Li Lin''s expression darkened. He now understood Yun Xiaotian''s purpose. No wonder he wanted to form an alliance with the Flying Spirit Gate. The goal was to use the Flying Spirit Gate to extend the Yunyang Sect''s influence into the ancient domain. According to what Li Lin knew, the three sects and four schools had always wanted to extend their influence into the ancient domain but had never found the opportunity. The powers within the ancient domain were not to be underestimated. Now, Yun Xiaotian''s purpose was to infiltrate the ancient domain through the Flying Spirit Gate, which was already established there, and ultimately achieve his goal. "Old fox," Li Lin thought to himself, then smiled slightly, saying, "Naturally, distributing the benefits based on the number of powerful individuals from each sect is fair." Seeing Li Lin not opposing, Yun Xiaotian was somewhat surprised. Given Li Lin''s shrewdness, he was expected to haggle. Yun Xiaotian didn''t know what Li Lin was thinking. The Flying Spirit Gate''s development in the ancient domain, with the Yunyang Sect''s covert support, was definitely a good thing. As for sharing the benefits, Li Lin was not worried. The ancient domain was so vast that the Flying Spirit Gate had difficulty establishing itself there alone. With the Yunyang Sect''s help, the Flying Spirit Gate could take the opportunity to grow and establish itself in the ancient domain. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement, with neither side losing out. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Therefore, Li Lin did not hesitate much before agreeing. Besides, Li Lin had other thoughts. In the ancient domain, compared to the Yunyang Sect, the Flying Spirit Gate was like a local snake against a strong dragon. As the saying goes, a strong dragon can hardly suppress a local snake. When it comes to benefits, it''s uncertain who would outcompete whom. "Third, if your Flying Spirit Gate can rise in the ancient domain, the Yunyang Sect should be able to freely enter the areas under the Flying Spirit Gate''s influence," Yun Xiaotian added. "Father-in-law, this puts me in a difficult position," Li Lin frowned, indicating that this third condition was no trivial matter. Allowing the Yunyang Sect to freely enter the areas under the Flying Spirit Gate''s influence was absolutely unacceptable. It would be like allowing other powers to freely enter the Yunyang Sect''s territory, which the Yunyang Sect would definitely not agree to. "What''s so difficult about it? The Yunyang Sect and the Flying Spirit Gate forming an alliance has already brought many benefits to your Flying Spirit Gate. I''m afraid if the Yunyang Sect were to form an alliance with another sect of similar strength to the Flying Spirit Gate in the ancient domain, many would vie for these three conditions," Yun Xiaotian said with a shifting gaze. "But how many sects can the Yunyang Sect truly trust? If it were so easy to find, the Yunyang Sect probably wouldn''t value the Flying Spirit Gate as much," Li Lin said with a slight smile. The Yunyang Sect infiltrating the ancient domain and allying with other sects wasn''t difficult, but the issue was that the Yunyang Sect couldn''t just trust anyone. If they were betrayed, the Yunyang Sect would suffer a serious blow, which Li Lin was very clear about. Hearing Li Lin''s words, Yun Xiaotian was taken aback, not expecting Li Lin to also consider this point. With a bitter smile, Yun Xiaotian felt helpless. As his son-in-law, he naturally appreciated Li Lin''s cunning and shrewdness, even feeling very satisfied. But as a negotiating opponent, it gave him a headache. He even worried that if he wasn''t careful, he might fall into this young man''s trap and suffer losses without even knowing. "Can the Yunyang Sect truly trust the Flying Spirit Gate completely?" Yun Xiaotian said lightly. "Setting aside the Flying Spirit Gate and the Yunyang Sect, I call you father-in-law. Shouldn''t father-in-law trust his son-in-law?" Li Lin said with a slight smile. "You little..." Yun Xiaotian was stunned, then said, "Then you should also trust your father-in-law. The Yunyang Sect in your Flying Spirit Gate''s territory will definitely not overshadow you. You don''t need to worry too much." "Brothers clear accounts. If the Flying Spirit Gate can rise in the future, the Yunyang Sect can freely operate in the Flying Spirit Gate''s territory, but under the condition that everything follows the Flying Spirit Gate''s rules," Li Lin insisted, not giving in. This was a negotiation, and he could not afford to lose out. "You should know, with the Yunyang Sect and the Flying Spirit Gate forming an alliance, your Flying Spirit Gate has already gained a lot of benefits. I also know that your Flying Spirit Gate probably has some hidden strength, but without the support of the Yunyang Sect, it wouldn''t be easy for your Flying Spirit Gate to rise," Yun Xiaotian pressed, also tightening his stance. "Father-in-law, since you suspect my Flying Spirit Gate has hidden strength, I''m not afraid to tell you, the strength of my Flying Spirit Gate is definitely not as weak as it appears. Without the support of the Yunyang Sect, my Flying Spirit Gate''s rise would just be slower. I''m not short on time," Li Lin said, firmly unwilling to compromise. "You should know, some powers in the ancient domain are not much weaker than the three sects and four schools. It''s not as simple as you imagine," Yun Xiaotian said, now exerting a pressuring aura. "If the Flying Spirit Gate approached the Heavenly Sword Sect, the Earth Spirit Sect, or the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, these sects would probably also be interested in secretly cooperating with the Flying Spirit Gate. The strength of the Flying Spirit Gate is definitely something they would value," Li Lin said, his aura not as strong as Yun Xiaotian''s, but he still showed a rising momentum. Yun Xiaotian''s gaze darkened, looking at Li Lin, he was shocked. He realized he couldn''t suppress this young man at all. This young man was even more cunning than the old foxes within the other sects and schools of the three sects and four schools. "Alright, according to your Flying Spirit Gate''s rules, the Yunyang Sect will be able to freely operate. But let''s add another condition: if the Yunyang Sect is attacked outside the Flying Spirit Gate''s territory, your Flying Spirit Gate must unconditionally provide full support," Yun Xiaotian said. "That''s no problem. Deal," Li Lin''s mouth curved into a smile. "Ah..." Yun Xiaotian sighed lightly, feeling as if he had no other choice but to agree to this young man''s terms. Unknowingly, Yun Xiaotian felt he had suffered a loss again. Then, the father-in-law and son-in-law discussed the detailed specifics in the courtyard. At this time, the various powers within the ancient domain naturally did not know that due to the negotiations between these two men, a turmoil in the ancient domain was about to begin. Two hours later, laughter suddenly echoed from Yun Xiaotian''s courtyard. The laughter, no matter how one heard it, sounded like they were snickering. After leaving Yun Xiaotian''s courtyard, Li Lin rode the Winged Snow Lion back to his own mountain peak, feeling somewhat happy. The matter of forming an alliance with the Yunyang Sect had finally been concluded. At the entrance to Yun Xiaotian''s courtyard, Yun Xiaotian flicked his sleeves, looking down at the continuous mountain ranges below, his mouth curving into a slight smile, muttering, "This young man is not simple at all. It''s okay to suffer a little loss, after all, he is my son-in-law." "Boss, you seem to be in a good mood today," said Little Dragon in the room, as he saw Li Lin, immediately rotating his small eyes and asking. Chapter 427: Ambush on the Way "Little dragon, we can leave here and go back the day after tomorrow," Li Lin said softly, having just discussed this matter with Yun Xiao Tian. The day after tomorrow coincidentally is also the day when Yun Yang Sect''s direct disciples return home for a visit. Although I am no longer a disciple of Yun Yang Sect, leaving the day after tomorrow is just about right. "Can we finally leave?" Bai Ling said softly, appearing quite excited. "Yes, we can leave the day after tomorrow," Li Lin said softly. Thinking about seeing his mother soon made Li Lin very happy. Having left the Li family for three years, these three years have brought too many changes for him, surviving against all odds, enduring hardships all the way, but it was all worth it for him, as he grew step by step. Thinking back to his initial goal, which was just to protect his mother and himself, now he finally has the strength to do so. There''s also something happening the day after tomorrow that Li Lin felt somewhat helpless about. Just now, his father-in-law Yun Xiao Tian mentioned that when he returns this time, Yun Hong Ling will also go with him. After all, it''s only Yun Yang Sect that has announced their engagement, and this matter must be discussed with the Li family. Originally, Yun Xiao Tian wanted to send a protector to visit the Li family in person, but Li Lin refused. The engagement, after all, in Li Lin''s heart, doesn''t have much to do with the Li family; it''s enough if his mother agrees. So, in the end, Yun Xiao Tian decided to let Yun Hong Ling visit the Li family, to meet the people of the Li family. Thinking about Yun Hong Ling visiting the Li family, Li Lin thought his mother would definitely be very happy. After letting his thoughts drift for a while, Li Lin then continued to take a demon pill and started to refine it. The demon pills he had left were running low, and now, fourth-grade demon pills didn''t increase his strength much, but Li Lin didn''t want to waste them. They could still enhance his strength somewhat. After a while, Li Lin entered a state of cultivation. Whenever he had time, he would practice cultivation, a habit he had developed. That day, a message spread among the direct disciples of Yun Yang Sect: Li Lin had left Yun Yang Sect and was no longer a disciple, but then Yun Hong Ling got engaged, which was enough to shock all the direct disciples. Han Feng and Dong Pan could only feel completely helpless. Although their master had the intention, they were not destined for it. The next day, almost all the old and new disciples knew this news, and everyone was discussing it. This situation surprised everyone. On the morning of the third day, on the main peak of Yun Yang Sect, a thirty-meter-sized Heavenly Winged Snow Lion circled at low altitude. Bai Ling and Little dragon''s bodies were lying on the back of the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion, and the shrunken body of the Blood Lizard was lying behind Little dragon. On the main peak plaza, there were several figures, among them Li Lin, Yu Yu Qian, Yun Xiao Tian, Yun Hong Ling, Li Wu Shuang, Elder Xie, the Great Protector, and another person was Yun Hong Ling''s maid, Dong Mei. "Hong Ling, you are not a little girl anymore. When you get to the Li family, don''t be wilful and capricious," Yun Xiao Tian said, looking at his only precious daughter. "Dad, when have I ever been wilful and capricious?" Yun Hong Ling pouted, her face recently a bit flushed. "Lin''er, after you go back, come back to see your master when you have time," Yu Yu Qian also advised his precious disciple at this moment. "I will, master," Li Lin said softly, feeling fortunate to have such a good master. Beside them, Elder Xie was also advising Li Wu Shuang. The relationship between the two disciples was also deep. "Alright, it''s time to leave," Yun Xiao Tian said to everyone after a moment. The three young people bowed and took their leave before finally jumping onto the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "Roar..." After a deep roar from the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion, its wings shook, opening ripples in the space, and it soared into the sky in an instant. Below the sky, one mountain range after another disappeared behind them as they approached the outer areas of the Yun Yang mountain range. In the distance, Li Lin saw many second-grade flying beasts with many disciples sitting on them. "That''s the sect sending the new disciples from three years ago back home for a visit. They have half a year''s time, and after half a year, they will return to the sect," Li Wu Shuang explained to Li Lin, seeing his curiosity. "Half a year," Li Lin thought of the last time he also rode a second-grade flying beast, the Rock Eagle, to Yun Yang Sect. Compared to the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion, it was much slower. Although it''s said to be half a year''s time for these direct disciples to visit home, the long journeys back and forth on the road would waste up to two hours. The journey from the Li family to Yun Yang Sect is also not short. Originally, riding a flying beast like the Rock Eagle would take a month and a half, but now riding the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion, at full speed, Li Lin estimated that half a month would be enough. The speed of the second-grade beast, the Rock Eagle, compared to the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion, is naturally incomparable. "Boss, we are finally going back," Little dragon said, lifting his little head, looking around in the sky. Bai Ling''s shrunken body was quietly watching the distance at this moment. "Little thief, what kind of person is your mother? Will she dislike me?" On the back of the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion, Yun Hong Ling became somewhat nervous, her little face flushed, looking particularly charming. "Hong Ling, so you''re also afraid of meeting your mother-in-law," Li Wu Shuang said with a slight smile, teasing Yun Hong Ling. "Wu Shuang sister, you''re making fun of me again," Yun Hong Ling said shyly, then looked seriously and asked, "Wu Shuang sister, tell me, what''s the little thief''s mother like? Is she fierce?" "Don''t worry, Auntie won''t be fierce at all. She will definitely like you, her daughter-in-law," Li Wu Shuang said with a slight smile. Before Yun Xiao Tian announced Yun Hong Ling and Li Lin''s engagement, she already knew from Li Lin and had already accepted Yun Hong Ling, so she had no jealousy. "Aren''t you also a daughter-in-law?" Yun Hong Ling pouted, then glanced at Li Lin beside her and said, "Lucky for this little thief." The Heavenly Winged Snow Lion flapped its wings rapidly, trailing a long stream of airflow in the sky. After a while, the three began to meditate and cultivate, as it would not be a day or two to reach the Li family. Above a mountain range, a huge flying beast took off, with three figures on it, namely Li Shao Hu, Zhao Qing Tian, and Zhao Qing Hai. "Cousin, do you think this time the Third Protector can successfully kill and intercept that bastard?" Li Shao Hu said coldly on the back of the flying beast. "With Shi Yun Sheng taking action, there should be no problem. That kid''s strength is not bad, but Shi Yun Sheng''s strength has reached the fourth level of Martial Commander. Killing that kid is just a matter of effort," Zhao Qing Tian said coldly. "Cousin, just relax. When you return to the Li family, you will hear about Li Lin''s death. Then we will help you get the treasures of the Li family. Everything will be done without anyone knowing. Who would know?" Zhao Qing Hai said. "But this time Yun Hong Ling is also with that bastard, I''m worried the Third Protector will have trouble making a move," Li Shao Hu said. "Don''t worry about that. Shi Yun Sheng won''t show himself directly. Anyway, this time, that kid is definitely dead. What does it matter if he has good talent or is an all-around martial artist? He''s still going to die," Zhao Qing Tian sneered. At the edge of the Misty Mountain Range, the endless forest and mountain range stretched as far as the eye could see, vast and boundless, with occasionally a flying beast passing by. In the mountains, there was a huge peak, undoubtedly the highest among the surrounding mountains, enough to overlook the surroundings. Atop the peak, a black shadow was sitting cross-legged, dressed in a black robe, even his head was covered with a black cloak, pressed very low, probably even if he lifted his head, his eyes might not be visible. Suddenly, the man in black slightly lifted his head, his body already had a fluctuating aura slowly starting to move. On the back of the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion, Li Lin was not idle, his hands forming seals continuously, his body also emitting light, his body surrounded by an astonishing aura fluctuating unstably. Li Lin was cultivating the Xuan Wu Jue. Cultivating the Xuan Wu Jue was not difficult, just like the Zhu Que Jue, it was equivalent to a high-level yellow-grade martial technique. With Li Lin''s current strength, cultivating the Xuan Wu Jue was easy. However, from the information Li Lin got from the Xuan Wu Jue jade slip, the Zhu Que Jue and Xuan Wu Jue, when performed separately, were only equivalent to high-level yellow-grade martial techniques, but their power could only be compared to high-level Xuan-grade martial techniques when the two were combined. Therefore, cultivating the Xuan Wu Jue was easy, but combining the two was difficult to imagine. Slowly cultivating the Xuan Wu Jue, Li Wu Shuang and Yun Hong Ling were also surrounded by a faint green and blue glow, both cultivating. Only the sound of the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion flapping its wings filled the air, as time quietly passed. "Li Lin, someone is attacking," suddenly, Bai Ling''s voice came into Li Lin''s mind. "Heavenly Winged Snow Lion, retreat," at the same time, Li Lin shouted to the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion, his gaze scanning the surroundings. Little dragon also raised his head alertly, watching the space ahead. Chapter 428: Overestimating Oneself Yun Hongling and Li Wushuang were also instantly awakened at this moment. Just as the two women were awakened, a palm print glowing with light suddenly cleaved through the air in front of them. "Ssss..." Directly piercing through space, amid the huge ripples of space, a ferocious force accompanied by a sharp sound of breaking through the air came rushing, shaking the entire space. "It''s a Martial Marshal expert." Yun Hongling exclaimed in shock, her complexion drastically changing as she saw the palm print pressing down through the air. "Roar roar!" The Winged Snow Lion roared lowly, its body darting to the left like lightning in an attempt to escape, but the palm print was simply too fast. "Bang bang!" The low sound of an explosion reached the front of the Winged Snow Lion in an instant, the violent force already pressing down through the air first, causing Li Lin''s complexion to change drastically, realizing that the attacker was a Martial Marshal expert. Seeing such a powerful force pressing down, Li Lin''s face changed drastically, but he did not panic; instead, a cold smile appeared on his lips. "Ao..." At this moment, a low roar also pierced through space. On the back of the Winged Snow Lion, a white light flashed with a speed even faster than lightning, shooting into the sky. At the same time, a white afterimage pierced through the void, with a sharp breaking wind sound echoing, suddenly a violent force soared explosively. "Bang!" This white afterimage fiercely collided with the palm print coming through the air. When the two forces met, a huge explosion echoed in the sky at the same time, emitting dazzling light from the collision of forces. The violent force dispersed, and the Winged Snow Lion was already thousands of meters away in an instant. "Ao!" A low roar spread out, and at this moment, in the astonished expressions of Li Wushuang and Yun Hongling, a huge demonic beast appeared in mid-air. This gigantic beast, spanning thousands of meters, was like a mountain, covered in snow-white fur, with six bizarre long tails, and hundreds of meters long tails behind it, emitting a strong wind that seemed to pierce through space, surrounded by white fluorescent light. It was the Nine-tailed Fox, Bai Ling, in its true form. "Ao!" Bai Ling, the Nine-tailed Fox, roared, its white soft fur instantly standing on end and spreading, a boundless strong wind burst forth from its body, shaking the entire space. As this majestic aura appeared, the entire sky trembled under this powerful aura, bringing an absolute might. Bai Ling was now hovering in the air above the mountains. "What kind of beast is this!" Yun Hongling and Li Wushuang were dumbfounded by the sight of this huge beast, having not seen where it had come from. In mid-air, at the same time, a black shadow appeared. This person, wearing a black robe and a black hat, trembled all over as he stared at the huge beast, obviously in absolute shock. "Nine-tailed Fox." The man in black trembled as he said, staring at the huge beast in the sky. "Bai Ling, kill this man. Don''t let him escape." Li Lin''s voice came from afar, watching the man in black in the air. Li Lin did not need to think hard to guess that the one who would attempt to ambush and kill him here was mostly from the Zhao family. Apart from the Zhao family, there would be no one else who would go through such trouble to deal with him. Moreover, since returning to the Li family, the only ones who knew of this news were from the Yunyang Sect. "Don''t worry, a mere fourth-level Martial Marshal, I''ll leave him alive for you." Bai Ling''s gaze flashed, and her voice echoed in the space. Around her, a faint aura emerged, clearing the space, spreading a daunting majesty that seemed to twist even the space itself, such a momentum was soul-stirring. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Such a strong aura." Watching the huge beast in the sky and feeling its aura, Yun Hongling and Li Wushuang were both amazed. Hearing Li Lin''s words, they realized that this huge beast was also acquainted with Li Lin. "Escape!" The shadow had almost no hesitation, feeling the aura from Bai Ling''s true form, he dared not stay any longer. The true energy surged under his feet, slightly distorting the space, and his figure instantly disappeared from the spot. "Thinking of escaping, a mere fourth-level Martial Marshal, you''re too weak." As Bai Ling spoke, the air around her surged like a river, echoing a series of explosive sounds. Her huge, bright eyes showed a trace of coldness, and her massive body transformed into a light shadow. The six tails behind her lashed out, piercing through the void with a dazzling white light, covering the man in black with an incredibly fast speed. The speed of a Martial Marshal expert is unimaginable, let alone when compared to the speed of a Nine-tailed Fox, known for its speed, which even the Winged Snow Lion cannot compare to, especially since Bai Ling was already at the mid-stage of the sixth rank. "Ssss!" In just an instant, the six giant tails of Bai Ling''s true form pierced through space, howling with a sharp and formidable force, and from an extremely tricky and fierce angle, instantly trapping the man in black within. The six giant tail shadows extended indefinitely, like a cage, directly locking the man in black from all directions. The tails were surrounded by white light, causing the space to shake. Under the blockade of the six giant tails, the surrounding space was directly twisted, and the airflow was deformed, making it impossible for the man in black to escape. "This is bad." The man in black''s face turned pale with shock, and at the same time, his body rapidly dodged while setting up a protective barrier around himself. His hands quickly formed seals, and then his fingers curled, launching a claw mark enveloped in flames directly at one of the giant tails. The claw mark grew against the wind, reaching hundreds of meters in size in an instant, distorting the space with its strike. "This is the Xuan-level martial technique Fire Shadow Claw of our Yunyang Sect." Seeing this claw mark, Yun Hongling was also surprised from afar. "Bang!" But the man in black probably underestimated Bai Ling''s strength. A space-distorting claw mark directly landed on one of Bai Ling''s giant tails, and Bai Ling did not dodge at all. As soon as the claw mark landed, Bai Ling''s tail shook, and a majestic force shattered the space, fiercely rebounding onto the claw mark. "Pfft..." As the claw mark shattered in the air, a huge rebounding force resonated fiercely onto the man in black''s body, a stream of blood spurting out instantly. At this moment, another of Bai Ling''s giant tails, like a venomous snake, directly circled in mid-air, also like a wind blade howling, bringing up a sharp breaking wind sound, and instantly lashed towards the man in black. The man in black was trapped by the giant tails, and their speed was too fast to be seen clearly. The tail pierced through the space, almost in a flash, appearing in front of the man in black. The white light trembled violently, and then fiercely struck the man in black''s body. "Bang!" The protective barrier in front of the man in black instantly cracked, leaving no room for maneuver. "Pfft!" Another stream of fresh blood spurted out of the man in black''s mouth, the immense force being something he couldn''t resist. "Ssss!" The massive body of the Nine-tailed Fox converged its light, and then transformed into an extremely enchanting white shadow. This white figure was gracefully enchanting, with a beautiful face that carried a seductive and charming air, cold yet so stunningly beautiful that it seemed as if even the heavens and earth would be moved by her presence. "An overestimator dares to ambush." Gentle words spilled from the mouth of this stunning figure, her voice seductive and moving, carrying a lazy and cold air. As her voice fell, a white figure disappeared from the spot in the blink of an eye, and in the next instant, appeared in front of the man in black. A white light surged from her hand, and although the palm print was not large, the aura swirling around her palm directly twisted space. "Transformed into a human, it''s a seventh-rank Nine-tailed Fox!" In the midst of shock, the man in black''s body weakly pushed out a palm print. "Bang!" Bai Ling''s palm print fiercely collided with the man in black''s palm print, and in the moment of contact, the man in black was immediately overwhelmed by a huge force pouring into his body, his arm directly shattered, and amidst severe pain, his body was violently blown away. "Pfft..." Blood mist sprayed out, mixed with shattered organs, as the body of the man in black instantly wilted and fell through the air. "Bang!" When the man in black crashed into the mountains below, the Winged Snow Lion also instantly dived down, and three figures had already leaped from the back of the Winged Snow Lion. On a broken mountain, the man in black lay bloodied on the ground, several figures landed. "He''s still alive. I''ve shattered his dantian and qi sea inside, he can''t move, he''s all yours now." Bai Ling''s stunningly lazy body landed, not even sparing the man in black on the ground another glance, instead, her gaze swept around, exuding a distant coldness and lazy majesty. "So beautiful." At this moment, Yun Hongling and Li Wushuang landed on the ground, staring at Bai Ling in front of them, both astonished and speechless. Bai Ling was too beautiful, unbelievably so, making even women admire her from the bottom of their hearts. At this moment, Li Lin was the first to reach the dying man in black on the ground. The man in black was breathing his last, no longer a threat, but Li Lin still approached him with caution. Then, a yellowish light surged from his hand, knocking off the man in black''s hat. Chapter 429: The Strength of the Zhao Family "Shi Yunsheng." Li Lin''s expression darkened, but he was not very surprised. From the moment this person made a move, Li Lin had suspected it was Shi Yunsheng. If it was someone sent by the Zhao family, with such strength, it could only be Shi Yunsheng. "So, it really is someone from the Zhao family!" A chill spread in Li Lin''s heart, and his eyes, filled with a cold intent, settled on Shi Yunsheng. The Zhao family was truly relentless in their pursuit of him. If Bai Ling hadn''t been by his side this time, the consequences for him would have been unimaginable. "Pfft." "What do you think you''re doing, kid? I am a protector of the Yunyang Sect." Shi Yunsheng spat out another mouthful of blood, his body unable to move and collapsed on the ground, only able to stare at Li Lin, who had approached him, with eyes full of fear. He had never expected that by Li Lin''s side, there would actually be a terrifying seventh-tier demon beast, a Nine-tailed Fox. A seventh-tier demon beast, that was equivalent to the strength of a Martial King. However, during the fight, Shi Yunsheng also had some doubts. The strength of the Nine-tailed Fox was absolutely formidable, but it didn''t seem to be at the seventh-tier level. Yet, the fact that this Nine-tailed Fox could transform into a human indicated that it was a capability only seventh-tier demon beasts possess. Perhaps the Nine-tailed Fox didn''t need to exert its full strength against him. At this moment, Shi Yunsheng naturally did not know that Bai Ling could temporarily transform into a human due to her highly advanced state of mind. "What, you dare to assassinate me and yet fear death? Whether I let you live depends on my mood." Li Lin said coldly, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes. "Third Protector, it''s you..." Yun Hongli and Li Wushuang had been shocked by Bai Ling, but now they turned their attention to Shi Yunsheng lying on the ground, with surprise in their eyes. "Miss Hongli, save me, I am from the Yunyang Sect." Seeing Yun Hongli, Shi Yunsheng''s blood-stained face twitched, as he beseechingly looked at her. "Hmph, you dare to attack me and Lin''er, wait till I tell my father, I''ll make your Shi family suffer, Zhao Wuji won''t be able to protect you." Coldness climbed onto Yun Hongli''s beautiful face. She was capricious, but as the daughter of Yun Xiao Tian, her intelligence was not simple. She had heard about the affairs between Li Lin and the Zhao family, and instantly understood the situation. "Tell me, was it Zhao Wuji who sent you?" Li Lin sneered. "Hmph!" Shi Yunsheng snorted coldly, his eyes filled with hatred. "It''s not necessarily for you to say." Li Lin spoke softly, then to the little dragon on his shoulder, "Little Dragon, you must be hungry, right?" "Hisss!" A streak of light shot out, followed by a low roar. The little dragon''s body expanded to a hundred meters in size, its huge maw opening wide, exuding a bloody and ferocious aura. "I''ll talk, I''ll talk..." Shocked, Shi Yunsheng''s voice hadn''t fallen when his body was instantly swallowed by the little dragon. "Little thief, you should have kept him alive for my father to deal with." Seeing Shi Yunsheng being swallowed by the little dragon, Yun Hongli hurriedly said to Li Lin. "To vent anger, one must rely on oneself." Li Lin spoke lightly. He wouldn''t hand over the person to the Yunyang Sect. Even if Zhao Wuji had undeniable evidence, he could still deny it or admit it without any real consequences from the Yunyang Sect, at most receiving a nominal punishment. "Lin''er, this Third Protector is Elder Zhao''s disciple, it seems this time, the Zhao family is targeting you." Li Wushuang''s brows furrowed. "The Zhao family!" A chill spread in Li Lin''s heart. It was time to deal with the Zhao family. Moments later, everyone mounted the Winged Snow Lion and set off again. On the back of the Winged Snow Lion, Li Wushuang and Yun Hongli looked at the stunning Bai Ling beside them, both incredibly shocked. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. "Have you been looking at me for a long time?" Bai Ling smiled lightly at the two women. "You''re so beautiful." Yun Hongli exclaimed with wide eyes, "You seem even more beautiful than my cousin Du Gu Jingwen." "Is that so." Bai Ling smiled lightly, then said, "Jingwen is beautiful, and so are you two." "Are you a seventh-tier Nine-tailed Fox?" Yun Hongli asked again, initially feeling Bai Ling''s aloof and cold aura, which made them hesitant to speak. But Bai Ling''s smile suddenly felt like a spring breeze, removing the strangeness they felt. Li Wushuang and Yun Hongli then realized that the small white beast that had always been by Li Lin''s side, which looked like a small white mouse, was actually the terrifying Nine-tailed Fox. For Li Lin, the two women now felt that there were too many secrets about him, each more surprising than the last. Li Wushuang was even more surprised. The small white mouse that often sat on her shoulder, she had never thought that it was such a terrifying demon beast. "Call me Bai Ling from now on, I like this name. I''m only at the mid-sixth tier." Bai Ling smiled lightly. "Miss Bai Ling, isn''t it only seventh-tier demon beasts that can transform into humans?" Li Wushuang asked, puzzled. Bai Ling said, "There are some special reasons. Now, I need to revert to my original form." As her words fell, a beautiful silhouette flashed with white light, and then transformed back into a small white beast, no larger than the palm of a hand. The two women couldn''t help but be amazed. The appearance of Bai Ling now, compared to the terrifyingly huge Nine-tailed Fox from before, was a huge difference that would surprise anyone. On the back of the Winged Snow Lion, Li Lin sat cross-legged, his eyes always carrying a trace of coldness. Dealing with the Zhao family was a bit difficult. If it were in the ancient domain, he wouldn''t fear, but here, it was somewhat troublesome. The strength by his side was, after all, limited. "Hongli, do you know who is the strongest in the Zhao family, besides Zhao Wuji?" Li Lin asked Yun Hongli. "It''s Zhao Wuji. Besides him, the Zhao family seems to have two Martial Generals, but their strength is not very high. Only Zhao Wuji is an elder of the Yunyang Sect." Yun Hongli pondered for a moment before speaking. "Three Martial Generals, huh." Li Lin frowned slightly. A family with three Martial Generals was definitely not weak. "That''s right, I remembered. There''s a Supreme Elder in the Yunyang Sect who has a close relationship with the Zhao family, which is why Zhao Wuji has always been so arrogant in our sect." Yun Hongli added. "The Supreme Elder." Li Lin''s heart sank slightly, this was beyond his expectations. "That Supreme Elder is a Spirit King, holding a very high position within the Yunyang Sect," Yun Hongli explained. Li Lin''s expression became more solemn. No wonder Zhao Wuji had always been so arrogant in the Yunyang Sect; it turned out he had the support of a Supreme Elder. Li Lin was curious about which level of Spirit King this elder had reached. "Hongli, what exactly is the relationship between this Supreme Elder and the Zhao family?" After pondering for a moment, Li Lin asked Yun Hongli. "I''m not sure about that. However, the Supreme Elder is definitely not a member of the Zhao family, but they do have a significant relationship," Yun Hongli stated confidently. She was aware of most things within the Yunyang Sect, but not everything. Normally, she wasn''t interested in inquiring about these matters. Li Lin remembered Du Gu Jingwen once mentioned that the Zhao family was not simple, probably because she knew about the significant relationship between the Zhao family and the Spirit King within the Yunyang Sect. "By the way, Hongli, who is Jingwen?" Li Lin asked Yun Hongli, having forgotten to inquire about this before. "I don''t know either. I''ve asked my father, but he never tells me, not even about my mother''s matters," Yun Hongli shook her head again. Li Lin didn''t expect Yun Hongli to be unaware of Du Gu Jingwen''s background, which seemed quite mysterious. After a while, Li Lin stopped pondering and resumed his cultivation posture to practice. Surviving this assassination attempt, Li Lin felt fortunate to have Bai Ling by his side, or else he might have faced a life-threatening situation again. As for Shi Yunsheng, Li Lin didn''t pay much attention to him. With two pieces of Earth Shattering Xuanlei at his disposal, he was confident in handling a fourth-tier Martial General. However, Li Lin was worried about what would happen if Zhao Wuji personally came after him next time. Even with the Earth Shattering Xuanlei, it seemed useless against Zhao Wuji, whose strength had apparently reached the ninth-tier Martial General level. "Still, I need to rely on my own strength," Li Lin thought to himself. In Qingyun Town, life went on as usual, bustling with people on the streets, though the town''s liveliness couldn''t compare to that of larger cities like Tianjian City. The Li family, one of the five major families in Qingyun Town, hadn''t seen much change and continued to maintain its status. However, in recent years, the Qin, Li, and Yang families seemed to have grown slightly stronger. Qin Tianhao of the Qin family, Yang Miao of the Yang family, and the brothers Li Lin and Li Shaohu of the Li family were all direct disciples of the Yunyang Sect, which naturally elevated the status and strength of these three families. Inside the high walls of the Li family mansion, the sprawling courtyards made it quite a sight in Qingyun Town. One day, three figures appeared on the main street of the town, drawing the attention of many onlookers. Among these three, a young man in a green robe stood out, especially with a small demon beast on each shoulder, making them quite the center of attention. Chapter 430: You Silly Hammer At this moment, the youth was accompanied by two stunningly beautiful women on each side, drawing even more attention. Both women possessed exceptional beauty and noble temperament. As soon as they walked onto the street, they immediately caught the gaze of many. "So, this is Qingyun Town, huh? Little thief, did you grow up here when you were a child?" Yun Hongling immediately started chattering upon arriving in Qingyun Town. "Lin''er grew up here when he was a child, but I remember that Lin''er rarely came out to play when he was a child," Li Wushuang said softly. Looking at the streets of Qingyun Town, Li Lin couldn''t help but smile. After half a month, he had finally arrived in Qingyun Town. Thinking that he would be able to see his mother soon, Li Lin was somewhat excited. A moment later, the Li residence was in sight. The continuous stretch of buildings also attested to the Li family''s status in Qingyun Town. In the entire Lingwu Continent, the Li family might not amount to much, but in Qingyun Town, the Li family was a different story. "We''re finally here," Li Lin said softly, looking at the familiar Li residence ahead. "Wushuang sister, please check if my face is dirty. Is this okay?" Yun Hongling immediately asked Li Wushuang, feeling a bit nervous upon seeing the Li residence. "Don''t worry, Auntie will definitely like you," Li Wushuang said with a smile, teasing Yun Hongling for her nervous appearance, but her gaze soon turned to Li Lin, showing her own nervousness. "Let''s go, we''re heading back," Li Lin smiled at Li Wushuang, and then the three of them headed towards the Li residence. Outside the Li family''s courtyard, the gate was open, and several servants came out carrying brooms and buckets. "Make sure to clean the entrance and the beams above more thoroughly," a youth with a somewhat sneaky look, dressed in the attire of the Li family''s chief steward, was directing several servants to clean the entrance. From his attire, it was clear he was one of the high-ranking stewards of the Li family. This sneaky-looking steward, known to everyone in the Li family as Steward Li Xiaobai, was also a well-known figure in Qingyun Town for a simple reason: because Li Xiaobai was formidable. As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together. This saying definitely held true in Qingyun Town. Young masters, noble ladies, and servants all had their own circles of life. Servants would often gather together when they had time to chat about who had the highest salary, which family had the prettiest maids, and their masters'' quirks and flaws. It was perfectly normal for servants from major families to know each other. With many people, conflicts were inevitable. With conflicts, fights were unavoidable. Three years ago, Li Xiaobai was always the one being bullied, but at some point, no one dared to bully him anymore. He could incapacitate someone with just one move. Half a year ago, a servant from the Yang family, one of the five major families, suffered a loss. This servant had a good relationship with his master and even brought his master to seek revenge. This master from the Yang family had the strength of a fourth-level martial artist. A fourth-level martial artist was considered a strong individual in a small town like Qingyun Town. It''s unclear what they were thinking to seek revenge for their servant. The Yang family''s servant brought his master to confront Li Xiaobai on the street boldly. In front of everyone, Li Xiaobai incapacitated the Yang family''s fourth-level martial artist with just one move, leaving him bedridden for a month. The dozen or so servants accompanying the Yang family member were all beaten severely by an enraged Li Xiaobai, with several suffering broken arms and legs. A servant from the Li family taking down a fourth-level martial artist from the Yang family instantly made Li Xiaobai famous. Afterwards, the Yang family dared not provoke the Li family, which had three direct disciples from the Yunyang Sect. The Yang family could not afford to offend them. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. After this incident, Li Xiaobai became a celebrity in Qingyun Town. Somehow, the day after the incident, Li Xiaobai was promoted to a high-ranking steward in the Li family, basically having authority over most matters in the family. Even some of the Li family''s side branch members did not hold as high a status as Li Xiaobai. "Hurry up, this area is still not clean. The young master will be returning soon, so make sure everything is clean," Li Xiaobai shouted. "Steward Xiaobai, I heard the young master is a direct disciple of the Yunyang Sect. Is that true or false?" a servant asked enviously. "Of course, the young master even represented the Yunyang Sect at the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference. When the young master returns, I''ll introduce you to him," Li Xiaobai said proudly. "Steward Xiaobai, just now, Qiuju from the neighboring Qin family came looking for you, but she didn''t find you. She asked me to tell you to remember the appointment after dusk, under the willow tree when the moon rises," a younger servant told Li Xiaobai. "Qiuju, is she the maid of the third young miss from the Qin family?" Li Xiaobai''s beady eyes seemed to be trying to recall. "Steward Xiaobai, you remembered wrong. Qiuju is the maid of the second young miss from the Qin family," the servant corrected him immediately: "Congratulations, Steward Xiaobai. Qiuju is quite beautiful. I heard many people are interested in her, but it seems she has a special affection for you." "You silly hammer," Li Xiaobai suddenly glared, his index finger bent, and the knuckle protruded, immediately landing on the servant''s head, producing a crisp sound. "Steward Xiaobai, what did I say wrong?" the servant touched his head, feeling wronged, not understanding how he had offended Steward Xiaobai. "Look at you, what kind of ambition is that? Am I, Steward Xiaobai, someone who would be interested in a maid? The young master once said, if you''re going to woo, woo a lady of wealth. Let me tell you, I''m interested in their second young miss, not that Qiuju. I''m going to marry a lady of wealth in the future, no, I misspoke, I''m going to marry seven ladies of wealth, a different one for each day of the week, without any repeats," Li Xiaobai said arrogantly, echoing the teachings of his young master. "Thud!" A crisp sound came from the back of Li Xiaobai''s head. "Who hit me..." As Li Xiaobai turned around, a voice said, "Look at you, trying to bully others and already hooking up with a lady of wealth." Li Xiaobai turned around in anger, only to be stunned upon seeing the figure behind him, his small eyes widening by half, and he opened his mouth several times without being able to speak. "What, I hit you, and you want to hit me back? You''ve really grown up, even becoming a high-ranking steward," Li Lin''s figure appeared before Li Xiaobai, smiling slightly. "Young master, how come you''re back? I''ve missed you so much," Li Xiaobai finally regained his senses, immediately rushing forward. "Haha, did you not want me to return?" Li Lin laughed, and the two men hugged each other. Watching this scene, Yun Hongling found it somewhat strange. This little thief and Qu Daojue and the others didn''t seem to have such a good relationship. She curiously observed Li Xiaobai. "Young master, let''s go inside. The madam has been mentioning you these past few days. My ears are almost calloused," the two men separated, and Li Xiaobai immediately said, his face full of excitement. "Xiaobai, seeing your young master, you can''t even see me anymore?" Li Wushuang''s voice came. "Miss, you''re back too. I was so excited to see the young master just now. Greetings, Miss," Li Xiaobai only then noticed Li Wushuang, immediately bowing, but his gaze was captivated by Yun Hongling beside Li Wushuang. Not just Li Xiaobai, but several servants around them were also staring at Li Wushuang and Yun Hongling, utterly shocked. These servants seemed to be new to the Li family and did not recognize Li Wushuang. Such two incredibly beautiful women made them only able to regard them as goddesses in their hearts. "You guys, quickly greet the young master and the miss," after observing Yun Hongling, Li Xiaobai immediately introduced Li Lin to the servants behind him: "This is the most wise and brave young master I''ve told you about." "Gah..." Li Lin felt as if a crow flew through his mind, breaking out in cold sweat, wishing he could kick Li Xiaobai a few times, but what could he do? He had asked him to explain it like that. "Greetings, young master, greetings, miss," the servants greeted with a hint of panic. "Young master, this miss is...?" Li Xiaobai asked again, looking at Yun Hongling, seemingly guessing something. "Why ask so many questions? Hurry and take me inside," Li Lin glared at Li Xiaobai. "Hehe," Li Xiaobai chuckled, saying, "Let''s go, young master. The madam will be very happy to see you back." The four of them then entered the gate. Li Xiaobai seemed to remember something, immediately telling a servant outside: "Zhao Xiaohu, go to the Qin family and tell that Qiuju, tell her second young miss, I won''t be able to make it tonight, I''m not going out." "I heard the miss is also a direct disciple of the Yunyang Sect, with a status even higher than the heads of the families in Qingyun Town." "The miss is so beautiful, like a fairy." "The lady in green beside her is the same, I''ve never seen someone so beautiful before." Chapter 431: Mother-in-law and Daughter-in-law Meet "Li Xiaobai, your cultivation has improved quite fast." On the courtyard corridor, Li Lin said to Li Xiaobai, sensing the aura on Li Xiaobai''s body, which had actually reached the first level of Martial Spirit. Condensing the Martial Dan and breaking through to Martial Spirit, Li Xiaobai had only been cultivating for three years, which was almost no less than the talents of the direct disciples of the Yunyang Sect. "Hehe, that, after I took some elixirs, my cultivation speed increased a lot." Li Xiaobai chuckled, with other people around, he did not mention that Uncle Jiang had given him quite a few elixirs to transform his physique, then said: "The young master''s strength must have become stronger, right?" "Stronger than you, a bit." Li Lin was not modest, attributing Li Xiaobai''s strength probably to Uncle Jiang''s credit. "Young master, you walk slowly, I''ll go ahead and inform the madam." After saying that, Li Xiaobai immediately ran ahead. "Little thief, I''m getting a bit nervous." Yun Hongling became more and more nervous, her heart thumping uncontrollably, she herself didn''t know why she was so nervous. "It''s okay, my mother doesn''t eat people. You, this young lady, who fears nothing, why are you so nervous today?" Li Lin said with a slight smile. "It''s because I''m going to meet your mother, what if she doesn''t like me?" Yun Hongling pouted and glared at Li Lin. "I''ve already called you my father-in-law, shouldn''t you also start calling?" Li Lin smiled slightly, looking at this spoiled girl, sometimes she was quite cute. "I..." Yun Hongling said: "I can''t say it." "Haha." Both Li Lin and Li Wushuang laughed. Outside a delicate small courtyard in the front yard of the Li family, Li Xiaobai''s voice was already loudly coming over: "Madam, madam..." "Xiaobai, what''s with all the fuss?" In the courtyard, a woman in a plain dress and long skirt, Luo Lan, walked into the small courtyard inside, with a faint smile on her face. "Madam, the young master is back." Li Xiaobai ran all the way to tell Luo Lan. "How can it be so fast? According to the time, there should still be a month left, he should still be on the way." Luo Lan said with a slight smile. "Madam, the young master is really back, right outside." Li Xiaobai didn''t expect the madam to disbelieve, so he earnestly said. "Really?" Luo Lan was somewhat skeptical. "Auntie, we are really back." Three figures entered from outside, Li Wushuang was the first to reach Luo Lan''s side. "Wushuang." Luo Lan was stunned, then became happy, saying: "It''s been three years, and you''ve become prettier." "Auntie, you''re teasing me again." Li Wushuang smiled lightly, also leaning close to Luo Lan. "Mother." Looking at the plain-dressed middle-aged woman in front of him, Li Lin approached, carefully examining her, wondering if his mother had suffered in these three years. At this moment, Little dragon and Bai Ling had already jumped down from Li Lin''s shoulder and went into the courtyard on their own. "Lin''er, you''re really back, ah, just now I thought Xiaobai was just joking to make me happy. Let me see, have you lost weight?" Looking at the young man in front of her, Luo Lan''s eyes suddenly became somewhat moist, grabbing Li Lin''s hand and carefully examining him. "Mother, would I lie to you about coming back? Aren''t I right in front of you?" Li Lin said with a slight smile. "Mother heard someone say you fell to the bottom of a cliff, scared me to death, you child." Saying this, Luo Lan couldn''t help but shed tears, back then, she had almost cried her eyes out. "I''m fine, mother, your son, I have a hard life, I won''t die easily." Li Lin said lightly. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "You child, let mother take a good look at you." Luo Lan suddenly smiled, saying: "You''ve grown taller and stronger." "Madam, didn''t I say the young master is back? You still didn''t believe it." Li Xiaobai immediately laughed. "Who is this young lady?" Luo Lan smiled and glanced at Li Xiaobai, then her gaze also noticed another person in the courtyard, looking at Yun Hongling. Although Luo Lan came from a humble background, she could tell from Yun Hongling''s dress and temperament that she was no ordinary person. "Hongling, aren''t you going to greet her?" Li Wushuang teased with a smirk. Yun Hongling, who was usually fearless, now stood somewhat awkwardly in the courtyard. Hearing Li Wushuang''s words, she immediately glared at Li Wushuang, then bit her lip and approached Luo Lan, saying: "Greetings, mother." "This..." Luo Lan was immediately stunned. "Mother, I am Lin''er''s fiance, you are Lin''er''s mother, that makes you my mother too." Without waiting for Li Wushuang and Li Lin to speak, Yun Hongling glared at Li Wushuang and Li Lin, then said to Luo Lan, moving affectionately close to her. Luo Lan was completely stunned, somewhat surprised, and looked at Li Lin and Li Wushuang in amazement. "Auntie, this is Hongling, the daughter of our Yunyang Sect''s sect master, and your future daughter-in-law." Li Wushuang smiled slightly to Luo Lan. "Ah..." Looking at the stunningly beautiful woman beside her, Luo Lan was absolutely astonished at the moment. Although she was not a cultivator, having been with the Li family for many years, she naturally knew what the Yunyang Sect was. At this moment, Luo Lan had never dreamed that this stunningly beautiful woman was the daughter of the Yunyang Sect''s sect master, the sect''s young lady, and now her daughter-in-law, she could hardly believe it. "Mother, she is your daughter-in-law now, if you''re not satisfied, I can find another one." Li Lin said with a slight smile to Luo Lan. "You dare, little thief." Yun Hongling immediately glared at Li Lin, then looked pitifully at Luo Lan: "Mother, look, he bullies me all day long." Yun Hongling acted so pitifully, almost as if she were about to cry, making Li Lin and Li Wushuang change their expressions. "Lin''er, you child, how can you bully Hongling?" Luo Lan believed her, immediately not caring about the son she had just been thinking about day and night, glared at Li Lin, then said tenderly to Yun Hongling: "Hongling, if this naughty boy dares to bully you in the future, just tell mother, I''ll take care of him for you." "Thank you, mother." Yun Hongling immediately smiled, sneakily giving Li Lin a triumphant glance, looking extremely pleased. "Come, mother doesn''t have much to offer, this jade bracelet might not be valuable, but it has always been kept for my daughter-in-law, consider it a meeting gift from me." Luo Lan took off a jade bracelet from her hand and handed it to Yun Hongling. "Thank you, mother." Yun Hongling was immediately happy. Although the jade bracelet was ordinary, it meant something different to her, and she immediately wore it on her wrist. "Getting along as if you''ve known each other for a long time." Li Lin watched this scene and also smiled slightly. "The Yunyang Sect''s young lady, the young master''s fiance." Li Xiaobai was immediately stunned, watching Yun Hongling, then looking at Li Lin, quite surprised, thinking to himself, the young master is really not simple. "You child, bringing my daughter-in-law back, and you didn''t even notify me first." Luo Lan glared at Li Lin, but her eyes showed she was extremely happy. Li Lin smiled helplessly, it seemed that mother had already forgotten about her son now that she had a daughter-in-law. But seeing his mother so happy, Li Lin felt very satisfied. Li Lin and Li Wushuang exchanged smiles, having discussed their future plans together, and decided to talk to their uncle and mother together later. After a while, everyone entered the courtyard, and the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law quickly became affectionate, making Li Lin couldn''t help but sigh. After chatting for a while, Li Wushuang also left the courtyard to visit her parents, as she hadn''t had the chance yet. While the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were chatting happily, Li Lin made a gesture to Li Xiaobai, then left the courtyard, intending to visit Uncle Jiang. Li Lin let Little dragon and Bai Ling wander around on their own first. In Li Lin''s heart, Uncle Jiang held a very important position. On their way, they encountered many servants of the Li family. Li Lin and Li Xiaobai arrived at the courtyard where Uncle Jiang lived, which looked the same as three years ago, even the few withered potted plants in the corner of the wall hadn''t been moved. The courtyard was a bit dilapidated, but it appeared very clean. "Boy, let me see your strength." Just as Li Lin''s figure had entered the courtyard, a voice suddenly came from behind, and a huge force burst forth. "Chi..." With an unchanged expression and a slight smile on his lips, Li Lin''s right foot lightly tapped the ground, his toe whirlwind flashed, and he quickly slid diagonally, instantly avoiding the force from behind. "Shoo!" Just as Li Lin had just avoided the force from behind, that force instantly disappeared into thin air, without causing any disturbance, but another attack came from behind Li Lin. "So fast." Li Lin exclaimed, immediately expanding his spiritual perception, his foot whirlwind enlarged a bit, and he narrowly avoided another attack from behind. "Yi." A doubtful voice came, and then behind Li Lin, another huge force swept over, this power was very strange, seemingly controlling the space, a suction emanating from it, making his own speed slow down a bit. Li Lin''s face showed surprise, the true qi in his body burst out, his foot whirlwind instantly vibrated, forming a wind vortex in front of him, greatly increasing his speed, and with a whoosh, he turned into a green light, escaping the spatial encirclement with an unpredictable arc that was difficult for ordinary people to anticipate. Chapter 432: Reunion with Uncle Jiang Li Xiaobai watched the scene before him, his face changing drastically. He realized he couldn''t see the young master''s figure at all; what he could see was only a residual image. "Whoosh!" A figure appeared out of nowhere, looking old and decrepit, with a flash of brilliance in his eyes that quickly returned to a dull gray. He was dressed in a coarse cloth robe, appearing as if he might fall over just by walking. "Old man, I''ve missed you so much." Li Lin retracted his Qi, immediately arriving by Uncle Jiang''s side. Feeling the level of strength Uncle Jiang had just displayed, Li Lin was quite surprised. He had never been able to discern Uncle Jiang''s level of strength before, and still couldn''t now. "I heard the news that you fell off a cliff and died. I knew you, lad, couldn''t be dead." The old servant Uncle Jiang glanced at Li Lin with his dull gray eyes, his gaze seemingly carrying a hint of admiration. "Lad, I have a big life, can''t die." Li Lin said with a light laugh. "You''ve become a first-level martial general, not bad. You''ve also obtained the Floating Light Shifting Shadow of the Yunyang Sect," Uncle Jiang said lightly. "I''ve fulfilled my mission, Floating Light Shifting Shadow obtained," Li Lin said with a proud smile. "Is there something else?" Uncle Jiang lifted his head, his gaze fixing on Li Lin. "Here it is." After Li Lin spoke, a yellow light suddenly shot out from the storage ring in his hand towards Uncle Jiang. "Shh!" The old servant Uncle Jiang''s hand flashed with light, instantly catching the incoming yellow light. It was a piece of yellow, square, irregular material, half a meter tall and one meter wide, not very eye-catching. However, upon seeing this object, a glint of sharpness reappeared in Uncle Jiang''s eyes. Holding the object in his palm and examining it carefully, Uncle Jiang revealed a smile, then said, "Not bad, lad. You indeed have some skills. The treasure of Yunyang Sect, you actually managed to get your hands on it." "That''s a long story, you think it was easy?" Li Lin said. "Come in, I have something to tell you." After speaking to Li Lin, Uncle Jiang then said to Li Xiaobai, "Li Xiaobai, you go back first." "Yes, Uncle Jiang." Li Xiaobai respectfully answered, then left the courtyard first. Inside a room in the courtyard, Li Lin sat down. The brilliance in Uncle Jiang''s eyes faded, returning to a dull gray. Upon Uncle Jiang''s inquiry, Li Lin shared everything that had happened over the past three years, not excluding even the Saint Hand Spiritual Master. Li Lin had absolute trust in Uncle Jiang. From the nine deaths and one life in the Misty Mountain Range, to the Flying Spirit Gate, then to the Yunyang Sect and the recent Three Sects Four Gates Conference, including how he obtained the Ten Thousand Year Red Copper, Li Lin did not hide anything. As Li Lin recounted each event, Uncle Jiang''s usually calm face also showed changes time and again. "Uncle Jiang, that''s roughly what happened in these three years," Li Lin concluded. "These three years have been anything but simple, indeed your luck," Uncle Jiang said in surprise, then continued, "Saint Hand Spiritual Master, I didn''t expect you to have such a fate with him. Those puppets, formations, and beast controlling techniques, you must practice them well. They will be very useful for you." "Uncle Jiang, you know about the Saint Hand Spiritual Master?" Li Lin asked in surprise. "Not personally, I''ve only heard of him before. He was a super powerhouse among the older generation, his name was extremely renowned throughout the continent," Uncle Jiang said with a smile. Li Lin realized then that his cheap master, the Saint Hand Spiritual Master, had fallen in that cave thousands of years ago. Given that Spiritual Masters could live for quite a long time, it was natural that Uncle Jiang didn''t know the Saint Hand Spiritual Master personally. "I didn''t expect you to win the championship at the Three Sects Four Gates Conference. Your strength is quite impressive," Uncle Jiang said with appreciation, then frowned, "Did you just say that there were full-spectrum warriors at the conference?" This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Yes, there were quad-element warriors, full-spectrum warriors as well," Li Lin said. "Full-spectrum warriors." Uncle Jiang''s expression darkened slightly, lost in thought, then he said, "Right, since you''ve obtained the Ten Thousand Year Red Copper, it''s time I told you about its origins." Li Lin looked at Uncle Jiang, not knowing much about the Ten Thousand Year Red Copper, only having heard some from Yun Xiao Tian''s mouth. "The Ten Thousand Year Red Copper is a treasured material for weapon forging, and it has probably been with the Yunyang Sect for many years. Do you know what the best materials for weapon forging are?" Uncle Jiang asked. "As a disciple knows, the best materials for weapon forging are the legendary Dragon Wood, Qing Ming Stone, Xuan Crystal Essence, and the feathers and horns of dragons and phoenixes above the eighth tier. These are all excellent materials for forging," Li Lin said lightly. The Heavenly Spirit Record provided a comprehensive introduction to forging materials, so he was quite knowledgeable in this aspect. "That''s quite accurate," Uncle Jiang said with a slight smile. "The Dragon Wood, Qing Ming Stone, Xuan Crystal Essence, and the horns and feathers of dragons and phoenixes above the eighth tier you mentioned are indeed great materials. The weapons forged from them can barely be considered divine weapons, but strictly speaking, they are not true divine weapons. These materials are already hard to come by for most people, and weapons made from them are coveted even by Martial Sovereigns." "Uncle Jiang, are you saying that the Ten Thousand Year Red Copper is better than these materials?" Li Lin asked. The Heavenly Spirit Record did not mention the Ten Thousand Year Red Copper, and it listed Dragon Wood as the best forging material. "Of course," Uncle Jiang said with a slight smile. "Now that you''ve reached the Martial General level, there are some things you still don''t know." Looking at Li Lin, Uncle Jiang continued, "The higher the level of strength, the greater the demand for weapons, especially after reaching the Martial King level. The speed of cultivation greatly decreases. For those with average talent, without sufficient support from powerful forces for their cultivation, it might take decades to break through a single level. If they encounter a peer with the same level of cultivation, having a divine weapon can significantly increase their chances of victory." Li Lin nodded slightly. Without a weapon, he often felt at a disadvantage during combat. Weapons can indeed enhance one''s strength at times. "I only came to know about the Ten Thousand Year Red Copper by chance. Although it is better than Dragon Wood, Qing Ming Stone, and other forging materials, as far as I know, it''s not the best material for forging, but it''s still quite good," Uncle Jiang said. "Uncle Jiang, what exactly is the origin of the Ten Thousand Year Red Copper?" Li Lin asked curiously. "The Ten Thousand Year Red Copper comes from ancient times. Nowadays, there are not many forging materials on the continent that are better than it," Uncle Jiang said. "Ancient times." Li Lin frowned, not expecting this. The secret place of the Yunyang Sect was indeed an ancient land. "If you''ve entered the Yunyang Sect, then you must have gone to its secret place. The Ten Thousand Year Red Copper was obtained by the Yunyang Sect from that place," Uncle Jiang said. "Uncle Jiang, you also know about the secret place of the Yunyang Sect?" Li Lin said, realizing that Uncle Jiang''s relationship with the Yunyang Sect was not shallow. "Do you think that''s a secret? Older powerhouses all know about it. You must have eaten the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit from inside the secret place, right? That thing is very beneficial for your future breakthrough to Martial King. It''s a treasure, otherwise, why would I send you to the Yunyang Sect?" Uncle Jiang glared at Li Lin. "Uncle Jiang, do you have some relationship with the Yunyang Sect? You seem to know everything about it," Li Lin exclaimed, as the Yunyang Sect seemed to have no secrets from Uncle Jiang. "The Yunyang Sect wishes," Uncle Jiang glared, then said, "But the Yunyang Sect does have a few powerful old fellows. I didn''t dare to provoke them all back then, otherwise, the Ten Thousand Year Red Copper would have been mine already." "Steal." Li Lin gave Uncle Jiang a look, realizing Uncle Jiang was not exactly a good person. "The Ten Thousand Year Red Copper comes from ancient times. Before the ancient times, many forging materials were stronger than the Ten Thousand Year Red Copper, but now, on the entire continent, there are few materials that can compare to the Ten Thousand Year Red Copper, even among those hidden clans," Uncle Jiang said. "Uncle Jiang, what are hidden clans?" Li Lin asked, feeling a bit heavy-hearted, realizing Uncle Jiang knew many secrets. "Why ask so much? You''ll know as much as your strength allows. Knowing too much might not be good for you," Uncle Jiang said. "You''ve got the Ten Thousand Year Red Copper now. In a while, I''ll help you refine it." "Uncle Jiang, isn''t the Ten Thousand Year Red Copper extremely difficult to refine? Even the Yunyang Sect couldn''t refine it. Can you really do it?" Li Lin was skeptical. "Joke, would I have you fetch it if I couldn''t refine it?" Uncle Jiang said. "It''s true that the Ten Thousand Year Red Copper is very difficult to refine, and even at my peak, it would be very difficult to do so. That''s why the old guys at the Yunyang Sect were at a loss. With my current strength, forcibly refining it would be even more impossible." "Uncle Jiang, are you playing with me? Can you refine it or not?" Li Lin said. "It''s very difficult for me to refine it, but with you, it becomes possible," Uncle Jiang said with a slight smile. "However, it will require you to suffer a bit." "I..." Li Lin was taken aback, wondering if he really could refine it when so many powerful individuals in the Yunyang Sect could not. "There are many methods of refining, and I happen to know one that can refine the Ten Thousand Year Red Copper. You''ll find out when the time comes, but you''ll have to endure quite a bit of hardship," Uncle Jiang said with a slight smile. Chapter 433: Be Gentle After leaving Uncle Jiang''s courtyard, Li Lin first went to the back mountain, releasing three demonic beasts from the spatial beast pouchthe Bloodthirsty Mantis. The back mountain was basically deserted, and Li Lin instructed the three demonic beasts not to harm anyone before he left. "Master." The Nether Scale Demon Peng, Tai Yin Demon Rabbit, Blood Jade Demon Tiger, and the Dual-headed Water-Fire Demon Jiaofour fifth-level demonic beasts were also released by Li Lin. All four beasts concealed their forms. "From now on, you don''t have to stay in the spatial beast pouch. Move freely, but don''t draw attention," Li Lin said. The four fifth-level demonic beasts were visibly excited, shrinking their bodies so that ordinary people could not recognize them. Li Lin then returned to the front courtyard. Along the way, many servants greeted him respectfully. Now, no one dared to treat Li Lin as the useless young master of the past. Outside the courtyard, Li Lin heard his mother and Yun Hongling talking about his childhood. However, Li Lin could only smile slightly at these childhood stories, as they didn''t have much to do with him. Entering the courtyard, Yun Hongling joyfully approached Li Lin, her wrist adorned with a jade bracelet gifted by the Rolan family. In the evening, Li Lin, Yun Hongling, and Mrs. Rolan were chatting when Li Dong and Li Xi, the two brothers, heard that the Miss of Yunyang Sect had arrived at the Li family. They brought many of the Li family''s elders to come over and pay their respects. Seeing Li Wushuang and Li Lin''s face, Yun Hongling also chatted with Li Dong and Li Xi for a bit. Otherwise, a small Li family wouldn''t have caught her attention. Learning that the Miss of Yunyang Sect was engaged to Li Lin, the Li family''s elders were the most excited, bowing and scraping before him. Li Lin didn''t pay much attention to these people. After all, he had been bullied by them in the past. These people were like reeds that swayed with the wind, causing Li Lin to feel displeased. In the entire Li family, the only person Li Lin valued was his uncle Li Dong. After the excitement of the elders, they praised Mrs. Rolan to the skies, saying how she had raised a good son and found a good daughter-in-law. Such flattering words almost made Li Lin feel nauseous. However, Li Lin did not see Li Nan, the second of the Li family, Zhao Hui, or even Li Zhong among these people. After the crowd left, it was already late at night. Yun Hongling naturally stayed in the courtyard, and when Mrs. Rolan urged the two to rest, Yun Hongling, with a blush on her face and head lowered, followed Li Lin into the room. The room was the same as it was three years ago, unchanged, as Li Lin knew his mother had kept it that way. Inside the room, a dim oil lamp cast a faint light. Unlike Yunyang Sect, where rooms were illuminated by Night Pearls, the Li family had not reached such a level. Yun Hongling stood in the room, somewhat at a loss, her head lowered, seemingly anticipating what was to come, her gaze shyly fixed on Li Lin. "Little thief, I have cultivated," Yun Hongling said, glancing at Li Lin. "Hehe, can''t we cultivate tomorrow?" Li Lin chuckled, then lifted Yun Hongling by her waist. He wouldn''t miss this opportunity today. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "What...what are you doing?" Yun Hongling exclaimed, her face flushing. "What do you think? We are now officially engaged," Li Lin whispered, already carrying Yun Hongling to the bed, unable to resist any longer, and gently kissed her. "Little thief..." Yun Hongling was speechless, Li Lin''s kisses rained down on her face, her ears, and finally sealed her lips, causing Yun Hongling to feel dizzy and weak, with no strength to struggle, nor the desire to. Li Lin''s tongue explored Yun Hongling''s mouth, who could only respond awkwardly, relying on instinct. "Um...um...um..." Yun Hongling''s face heated up, her breathing quickened, and her body became increasingly numb. Gradually, Li Lin''s hands began to wander, from her back, slender waist, roaming around. "Little thief, not now, we aren''t married yet." Yun Hongling knew what Li Lin wanted and began to struggle weakly. "I want you to be my woman today!" A surge of passion made it difficult for Li Lin to restrain himself. He pressed down on the woman beneath him, kissing and caressing her madly. After a brief struggle, Yun Hongling began to reciprocate, becoming as docile as a lamb under Li Lin''s actions. Their lips met, feeling Yun Hongling''s cool and soft lips, Li Lin breathed more heavily, deeply kissing, greedily savoring her sweet saliva, tasting this never-before-experienced delicacy. Yun Hongling''s body, soft and numb, trembled from head to toe, a mix of nervousness and excitement. Li Lin looked up, gazing at the woman beneath him, her cheeks flushed, breathing heavily, her beautiful face blurred, her eyes hazy. The two women, though both incredibly beautiful, had vastly different personalities: one refined and elegant, the other fiery and willful. The usually fiery and domineering woman now seemed like a frightened rabbit, curling up her body, her eyes filled with fear, anticipation, and desire. She stared blankly at Li Lin, unable to meet his gaze directly. Li Lin explored her body again, their lips touching lightly like petals falling to the lips, but bringing a tremendous stimulation. Yun Hongling was overwhelmed by Li Lin''s kisses, intoxicated by his strong masculine scent, feeling indescribably comfortable. Li Lin''s hands began to move, slowly trying to remove Yun Hongling''s green dress. Yun Hongling''s heart raced, knowing Li Lin''s intentions. Yet, her primal reaction made her not dodge but rather press her chest out, her arms instinctively wrapping around Li Lin''s waist, holding him tightly as if using all her strength. Soon, only a piece of lingerie remained on Yun Hongling, seemingly made of silk, almost transparent, her skin blushing through it, faintly visible. A beautifully curved, jade-white body appeared before Li Lin''s eyes, the delicate curves barely covered by a pink lingerie and panties, the snowy breasts barely hidden. The body Li Lin had imagined many times was now before his eyes, feeling increasingly heated. The exquisite beauty, delicate features, prominent breasts, slender waist, fair skin, every inch exuding an enticing aura, with a youthful seduction. The room filled with a faint fragrance, a vision of spring. "Hongling, you''re beautiful," Li Lin whispered, captivated by the woman''s aura before him. "You little thief, I''m yours from now on, don''t bully me," Yun Hongling looked up at the man, her gaze falling on his star-like eyes, filled with depth. This face with a hint of wickedness made her heart flutter, perhaps since their time in the Misty Mountains, her heart had been occupied by this "little thief." "I''ve heard it hurts the first time, be gentle," Yun Hongling said, blushing deeply as she closed her eyes, seemingly fully accepting of what was to come next. This fearless woman was now incredibly nervous, her body trembling with tension. She closed her eyes, her ears burning with embarrassment, like a child who had done something wrong. Unfamiliar with what was about to happen, she couldn''t control her racing heart or her rapid breathing. Seeing Yun Hongling''s demeanor, Li Lin smiled gently and kissed her forehead lightly. Then, he slowly removed the last of Yun Hongling''s lingerie, leaving her completely bare. The scent of a virgin wafted from Yun Hongling, who was shyly closing her eyes tight. Looking down at the woman beneath him again, her black, soft hair spread out on the bed. Her small, rosy lips were enchanting. Her body was white as jade, creamy, and slightly flushed, both plump and tender. Her skin was sleek and white, with a pair of breasts firm and upright, topped with a red grape, as red as a strawberry, tempting. Her smooth belly, the dense growth at the junction of her thighs, was like a soft green lawn... "Little thief, remember to be gentle," Yun Hongling quietly half-opened an eye, noticing Li Lin was already bare, and then she closed her eyes again. Li Lin smiled gently, pressing his entire body against the soft body of the woman in his arms. Yun Hongling trembled all over and also extended her tongue into his mouth, mutually sucking. "Uh!" In a candid exchange, the two rubbed against each other, feeling a burning heat throughout their bodies, both emitting hungry sounds, the most primitive hunger. Chapter 434: Visitors to the Li Family Li Lin felt his body burning hot, suffocating, so he frantically moved his hands over the delicate body of the woman beneath him. Yun Hongling couldn''t withstand such teasing, and soon couldn''t bear it, involuntarily twisting her body, her charming demeanor and moving moans transmitted, her body trembling non-stop, that expression truly could drive one mad. After such entanglement for a moment, the mighty dragon finally pressed against the tender Peach Blossom Gate. Then Li Lin lifted his waist, and the dragon instantly entered smoothly. "Ah..." A soft cry broke the silence, also bringing endless spring scenery. Yun Hongling''s secret area finally welcomed its master. Yun Hongling felt a piercing pain, but also a happiness unlike any before, she knew, she had finally become his true woman. Dreams smile with charming dimples, hairpins pressing down on flowers. The mat''s pattern enhances the jade wrist, fragrant sweat soaks the red gauze, at the moment of jade breaking, the man is madly in love, unabashed by passion, turning around to embrace. Thus, the two entangled together, turning clouds and raining, clinging to death, indulging in pleasure! Above the vault of heaven, the night enveloped, the moon hid in the clouds, seemingly unwilling to disturb this peaceful and endless spring night. An hour later, a warm heat surged from within Yun Hongling, making Li Lin''s body numb, his spirit shaken, his body feeling a burst of relief and relaxation, a hot stream also broke through, rushing into Yun Hongling''s body, blooming several times, only after a long while did the clouds disperse and the rain stop, inside the room, it gradually quieted down. The sky was slightly bright, the two were naked and entangled together, quietly nestled in Li Lin''s arms, Yun Hongling''s bright eyes staring straight at Li Lin. "What''s wrong?" Li Lin softly asked, his hand, however, was moving on that perky buttock. "It still hurts, you stinky thief." Yun Hongling said. "Hehe." Li Lin wickedly smiled: "This, you''ll get used to it later." Under the call of Mrs. Luo Lan for breakfast, the two who spent a night of passion finally got up, looking at Yun Hongling''s shy face but flushed appearance, as someone who had been through it, Mrs. Luo Lan naturally understood, revealing a slight smile. The news that the Miss of Yunyang Sect arrived at the Li family and got engaged to Li Lin of the Li family, no one knows who spread it out, this morning, all the prominent people of Qingyun Town, the heads of families like the Qin family, the Yang family, etc., all personally visited the Li family. However, everyone was tactful enough not to ask to see Yun Hongling, the Miss of Yunyang Sect, as they weren''t in a position to meet her, they didn''t have the face for it. But everyone came to the Li family, all brought significant gifts, all knew that the Li family getting connected with the Miss of Yunyang Sect, the future status of the Li family was imaginable, these smaller families, just came to flatter early, otherwise, it would be too late. All day long, Li Dong, Li Xi, and others were busy greeting the prominent families of Qingyun Town, it was indeed dizzying. But at this time, Li Lin was with Yun Hongling, Li Wushuang, Mrs. Luo Lan, Li Xiaobai, Little dragon, Bai Ling on the streets of Qingyun Town. Above them, on the back of a half-meter-sized Nishilin Yaopeng, the Blood Jade Yaohu, the Dual-Headed Water-Fire Yaojiao, the Taiyin Yao Rabbit three demonic beasts sat, following far above in the sky. Accompanying the three on the street, Li Lin, although not very willing, was willing to accompany his mother, under Mrs. Luo Lan''s refusal, Yun Hongling still bought many things to give to her mother-in-law, anything she found beautiful, she directly bought and had it sent to the Li family. Li Lin roughly estimated, probably spent tens of thousands of gold coins, spending tens of thousands of gold coins in this small town, and not on buying pills or refining materials, this is definitely surprising. This immediately caught the attention of the entire town, Li Lin could only smile bitterly because in the end, he was the one paying the gold coins. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Tens of thousands of gold coins, for Li Lin now, was just a drop in the ocean, he didn''t care at all. "Such a waste." Li Xiaobai was different, seeing tens of thousands of gold coins spent in less than half a day, he was dumbfounded, tens of thousands of gold coins, now as a senior manager, he only earns a few gold coins a year, but the Li family was unexpected, allowing him to freely withdraw gold coins from the accounting room every month. Inside the Li family, there was a constant stream of people, the servants of the Li family also knew that Young Master Li Lin had returned and got engaged with the Miss of Yunyang Sect, they were extremely excited and happy, because for this happy event, the Li family specially gave every servant an extra year''s pay, giving an extra year''s pay out of the blue made all the servants grateful to Young Master Li Lin, for them, the strength of the Li family wasn''t as important as getting the gold coins. When Li Lin and the others returned to the Li family, it was already afternoon, once in the courtyard, there was a servant looking like a small manager waiting outside the courtyard. "Young Master, Young Madam, Miss, the master asked me to invite you to the main hall, there are many guests who have been waiting for a long time." The servant, around thirty, short hair, big eyes, seeing Li Lin and others return, immediately greeted them, this servant Li Lin recognized, has been in the Li family for over ten years, raised his eyebrows and asked: "Who is it." Generally, Li Lin didn''t want to see, nor was interested in seeing. Yun Hongling at this time being called Young Madam, also had her face climb up with a hint of blush, always holding Mrs. Luo Lan''s hand, the two were extremely intimate, just like mother and daughter. "Young Master, I heard it''s an elder from Yunyang Sect." The servant said. "Alright, I''ll go now." Li Lin''s eyebrows raised, probably should be an external elder of Yunyang Sect. Then turned back to his mother and said: "Mother, you come with me too!" In Li Lin''s heart, there was also his own arrangement, this time returning to the Li family, mother''s status in the Li family, should also change. "I won''t go, you go is fine." Mrs. Luo Lan said, she had never entered the main hall of the Li family, and didn''t want to enter now, having what she has now, she was already very satisfied. "Auntie, let''s go together, the elder from Yunyang Sect came, probably for Lin''er and Hongling''s marriage, you are Lin''er''s mother, it''s right for you to go." Li Wushuang softly said. "Yeah, mother, let''s go together." Yun Hongling softly said. "Alright." Seeing Li Lin, Yun Hongling speaking, hearing Li Wushuang saying the elder from Yunyang Sect might have come because of her son''s marriage, she then agreed to go to the main hall once. Under the guidance of that servant, Li Lin and the others followed to the main hall. "Elder Liu, Elder Huang, Elder Luo, the three of you and the stewards coming to our Li family is truly an honor." Inside the main hall, Li Dong, in a long robe, said to the three middle-aged men at the top of the hall, below these three, were sitting about a dozen people looking like stewards of Yunyang Sect. "Joking, the Li family now has three direct disciples in our Yunyang Sect, we only got the news today, Li Lin of the Li family, has already got engaged with our Yunyang Sect''s Miss, the future of the Li family is imaginable, we still need to rely on the Li family to support us in the future." A grey-robed middle-aged man said, now in the Li family, didn''t dare to lose the manners. Then the other two middle-aged men also echoed, the Li family is different from before. These three knew very well in their hearts, they were just external elders of Yunyang Sect, generally speaking, their status was much stronger than that of the heads of small families within the territory of Yunyang Sect, an external elder of Yunyang Sect, generally manages a small city, within a small city, there are several towns. But an external elder, after all, is an external elder, moreover, there are highs and lows among external elders, being able to stay in Yunyang Sect as an external elder, compared to those who stay outside, the status is higher. In Yunyang Sect, the status of an external elder is not as high as that of an ordinary direct disciple, compared to the direct disciples on the Dragon List, the external elders are even less so, these external elders have always been paying attention to the situation in the sect, to avoid offending people they shouldn''t offend on their territory, like Li Lin, a prominent figure in Yunyang Sect, along with Li Shaohu, Li Wushuang are also direct disciples of Yunyang Sect, they have long known, and have therefore taken good care of the Li family. And today early in the morning, they only knew Li Lin returned to the Li family, the Miss of Yunyang Sect also arrived at the Li family, and got engaged with Li Lin of the Li family, they came here without an appointment. These three external elders are the responsible persons of several nearby towns, the Miss came to the Li family, they dare not be disrespectful. "Where, these few years, the Li family has also relied on the care of several elders." Li Dong softly said. "Don''t dare, the Li family''s third lady is also the pearl in the palm of our Yunyang Sect''s Elder Zhao, because of this, we are all our own people." Among the three, an elder on the left said, then to Zhao Hui in the hall: "Third lady, you are getting more and more beautiful, next time you see Elder Zhao, please convey our greetings to Elder Zhao." "Definitely." Zhao Hui softly said, at this moment sitting in the hall, but her face could only squeeze out a smile, seemingly not too comfortable. Together with Zhao Hui were three people, their faces also looking not too good, squeezing out smiles to maintain calm, the three were sitting behind Zhao Hui, precisely Li Nan, Zhou Lixing, and Zhou Haiming, three people hearing the recent news about Li Lin in Yunyang Sect, have been restless, they had not spared any effort in helping Zhao Hui torment Li Lin before, now that Li Lin has made a name for himself in Yunyang Sect, their worries can be imagined. Passing through several corridors, Li Lin and others arrived at the main hall, along the way, many servants saluted. Chapter 435: Hong Ling Takes Action "Whoosh!" Little dragon leisurely landed on Li Lin''s shoulder, along with Bai Ling, which made many of the Li family''s servants secretly size them up, feeling endlessly curious in their hearts. Outside the great hall, Luo Lan''s mood became somewhat heavy as she watched the inside of the hall, seemingly unable to move forward, as she had never been to the Li family''s great hall before. "Mother, let''s go in," Li Lin said softly. "Third Aunt, let''s go in," Li WuShuang took Luo Lan''s right hand, and Yun HongLing took her left hand. With the support of the two women, Luo Lan smiled faintly and stepped into the great hall. When Li Lin entered the great hall, his gaze swiftly swept over everyone present. Among the Li family, Li Dong and Li Xi were there, with two middle-aged women by their sides, namely Aunt Huang and Aunt Chen. There was also a woman in a brocade robe among them, exuding a charming aura and a graceful figure, revealing enticing curves. It was Li Mei. Seeing her, Li Lin felt that Li Mei had become even more mature and enchanting than three years ago, with her chest noticeably fuller than before. "Lin''er, the three elders have been waiting for you for a long time," Li Dong stood up immediately upon seeing Li Lin. When a figure appeared in the great hall, everyone inside stood up, including the three Protectors and numerous stewards of the Yunyang Sect, except for Zhao Hui, Li Nan, Zhou LiXing, and Zhou HaiMing, whose faces twitched slightly and did not stand up. "Greetings to the young miss," the three elders and numerous stewards of the Yunyang Sect immediately greeted them. "How did you know I was at the Li family?" Yun HongLing glanced at these few people. She seemed to have only met one of these external elders before and did not recognize the others. "We heard this morning that the young miss had arrived at the Li family, so we came to see the young miss," one of the external elders said. "Oh, do you have any business?" Yun HongLing asked. "No business, we just came to congratulate the young miss on your engagement," the three external elders said. "Miss HongLing, please take the seat of honor," Li Dong quickly said to Yun HongLing. "Uncle, my mother hasn''t sat down, how can I?" Yun HongLing looked at Li Dong. "This..." Li Dong was stunned, seemingly not expecting Yun HongLing to say such a thing, then looked at Luo Lan beside Yun HongLing and said, "Luo Lan, please take a seat." "Mother, please sit," Li Lin also said to his mother. Luo Lan was slightly startled, then, with Li Lin''s support, sat in the seat that seemed to have been reserved for Li Lin and Yun HongLing. Seeing Luo Lan taking a seat, Zhao Hui''s face twitched, and before Luo Lan could sit down, she couldn''t help but say, "Lord, do you remember what the Li family promised me? How can this lowly servant sit in such a place?" "What did you say?" A sharp rebuke came at this moment, and Yun HongLing''s Qi flashed under her feet, instantly appearing in front of Zhao Hui. Her beautiful eyes were filled with coldness, and the atmosphere in the great hall became oppressive around Yun HongLing, who was stronger than anyone present except Li Lin. Seeing Yun HongLing, the young miss of the Yunyang Sect, getting angry, everyone''s expression darkened, and there were some changes, while Zhao Hui''s face twitched again, looking at the temptress in front of her, forcibly suppressing the coldness in her eyes, and said, "Young miss, I was talking about Luo Lan that..." "Apologize to my mother, or don''t blame me for being rude," Yun HongLing did not wait for Zhao Hui to finish, and sharply rebuked. "Young miss, I am Zhao..." "Slap!" A crisp slap sounded, and the only one in the great hall who could see Yun HongLing''s action clearly was Li Lin. With Yun HongLing taking action, Li Lin did not step forward, but the coldness around him was unmistakable. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Yun HongLing''s lightning-fast action was invisible to the others, and Zhao Hui could not dodge it. How could Zhao Hui''s Martial Spirit level strength dodge a slap from Yun HongLing, a Martial General, especially when it was so unexpected? "Hmph, what are you? Don''t use the Zhao family to intimidate, even if Zhao WuJi stood in front of me, what would it matter? If you dare to treat my mother like this again, I''ll make you regret it," Yun HongLing snorted and then returned to Luo Lan''s side, saying, "Mother, please sit, if anyone dares to bother you again, I''ll make them regret it." No one in the great hall dared to speak. Zhao Hui glared fiercely at Yun HongLing but did not dare to say anything, her eyes filled with extreme coldness. She was not foolish enough to speak further, knowing that if she did, she might indeed be more unfortunate today. In terms of strength, she could no longer provoke Li Lin. "Hmph!" Li Lin coldly snorted in his heart. Zhao Hui, now was not the time to deal with her, but her life was already marked by him. Li Nan, Zhou LiXing, and Zhou HaiMing all looked terrified, lowering their heads and not daring to speak, as if they were afraid Li Lin would purposely find trouble with them. This scene was also something the three external elders of the Yunyang Sect did not dare to comment on. The Zhao family had Zhao WuJi, whom they could not provoke, but the young miss Yun HongLing was even more untouchable. Thus, they pretended as if they had seen nothing and did not dare to join the conversation, but they were now aware of the situation in the Li family. Luo Lan did not say anything, watching her daughter-in-law hit someone, she had wanted to stop her, but her voice was not as fast as Yun HongLing''s speed, and in the end, she could only feel helpless. Everyone sat down again, Zhao Hui''s face alternating between green and red, and she could only sit down angrily. "Brother Lin''er, I received news overnight that Brother Lin''er won the championship of the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference. Is it true?" One of the three external elders of the Yunyang Sect said, changing the subject. The news of the championship of the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference had reached them in Qingyun Town just last night. The Three Sects and Four Gates Conference had ended, and the Yunyang Sect''s people immediately returned to the sect on flying beasts. Since Li Lin and others did not delay for a few days and returned on the Winged Snow Lion, the surrounding areas of Qingyun Town naturally received the news only recently. "I guess so. Elder, your news is quite fast," Li Lin said with a light smile. "The champion of the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference." Immediately, everyone in the great hall, especially the Li family, was astonished, and several elders of the Li family became excited. "Congratulations to Brother Lin''er. From now on, becoming an inner elder of the Yunyang Sect is a sure thing for Brother Lin''er," another external elder said, and the stewards of the Yunyang Sect were also astonished. A disciple who won the championship of the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference would definitely become an inner elder of the Yunyang Sect. Plus, with Li Lin being the son-in-law of the Yunyang Sect, even becoming the sect master in the future was a huge possibility. "You all might not know yet, but I have already left the Yunyang Sect, so I am not a member of the Yunyang Sect anymore. I guess you will know this news in a few days," Li Lin said calmly. The people of the Yunyang Sect looked at each other, and so did the Li family, truly not understanding why Li Lin would leave the Yunyang Sect, giving up such a promising future in the sect. However, Li Dong and Li Xi were not too surprised, as they had learned of this from Li WuShuang the night before. "Lin''er, you child, why did you leave the Yunyang Sect? Go and talk to HongLing''s father, and continue to join the Yunyang Sect," Luo Lan was genuinely worried, as joining the Yunyang Sect was a major event in her heart. Her son wanting to leave the Yunyang Sect was beyond worrying. "Mother, it''s okay," Li Lin smiled. "Gentlemen, since we have three Yunyang Sect elders here today, I, on behalf of the Li family, will announce something," Li Dong said to everyone in the great hall. The people in the great hall turned their attention to Li Dong, curious about what he was going to announce. "Lin''er, your grandfather has spoken. From now on, the position of the head of the Li family will be yours," Li Dong looked at Li Lin and said. The great hall immediately focused on Li Lin, with different reactions from everyone. Most supported him, especially the elders of the Li family, but there were a few who did not want this, especially Zhao Hui. Li Lin raised his eyebrows, not expecting the Li family to want to pass the headship to him. A chill spread in Li Lin''s heart. If he did not have what he has today, how would the Li family treat him this way? He would probably still be a nobody in the Li family, bullied and neglected. "Uncle, I''m not interested. Find someone else," Li Lin did not hesitate. He did not even care about the position of a direct disciple of the Yunyang Sect, let alone the head of the Li family. To put it nicely, the position sounded prestigious, but in reality, they just wanted him to protect the Li family. After how the Li family treated Li Lin before, and now trying to please him knowing his strength, Li Lin despised this the most. Li Lin''s direct refusal surprised not only the Li family elders but also Li Dong, who seemed to have expected it, saying, "Lin''er, don''t refuse so quickly. Think about it for a few days." "Uncle, I don''t need to think about it. I respect you and don''t want to make things difficult for you. I can give up the position of a direct disciple of the Yunyang Sect, do you think I would care about the head of the Li family?" Li Lin said lightly. Li Dong sighed slightly, not expecting Li Lin to be so firm. Chapter 436: Dealing with the Zhou Family "Big brother, if Lin''er doesn''t want to be the patriarch, let''s not make it difficult for him," Li Nan said softly, dressed in a brocade robe, looking wealthy, with her hair done up in a bun. However, her face was somewhat unnatural. She did not wish for Li Lin to become the Li family''s patriarch, as that would be disadvantageous for her. It would make it easier for Li Lin to deal with her in the future. Remembering what she had done to Li Lin in the past, she was now worried that Li Lin would retaliate against her. Glancing at Li Nan, the coldness swept over Li Nan, Zhou LiXing, and Zhao HaiMing, saying, "Li Nan, a daughter married off is like water spilled out. You have the cheek to stay and enjoy the Li family''s resources. When you have time, pack up and go back to your Zhou family." Li Lin directly addressed Li Nan by name, it was time to vent for the past Li Lin. Li Nan''s face changed drastically. Inside the great hall, everyone''s attention turned to Li Nan and the others. The Li family''s elders had long had slight grievances about Li Nan and her companions freeloading off the Li family without contributing anything. They were now waiting to see the excitement. "Lin''er, how can you speak to your aunt like this?" Luo Lan immediately grabbed Li Lin, hastily saying to Li Nan, "Your second aunt, Lin''er speaks without a filter, don''t take it to heart." "Mother, is she really my second aunt? Don''t you remember how she insulted you before, how she bullied us, mother and son? This kind of second aunt, does she deserve it?" Li Lin said. "Lin''er, the past is the past. I won''t allow you to mention it again," Luo Lan scolded Li Lin. "Li Lin, you don''t need to be arrogant. What''s wrong with us staying in the Li family? After all, we are also part of the Li family. What are you, don''t think that just because you have some strength, you can show off in the Li family," Zhou LiXing stood up abruptly, looking at Li Lin with a cold expression, though the coldness was somewhat hollow. A grown man being spoken to like this, although he dared not provoke Li Lin, he had to stand up and say something. "Haha, what am I, so what if I am arrogant," Li Lin laughed coldly, then turned and walked towards Zhou LiXing, his eyes filled with coldness, angering Li Nan and the others was intentional by Li Lin. The revenge for Zhao Hui would come later, but the revenge against Li Nan had to be settled today. "Lin''er..." Li Dong''s expression changed, but before he could finish speaking, Li Lin had already turned his head and said, "Uncle, I respect you, don''t make it difficult for me. I have my own measure." "Father." Li WuShuang pulled Li Dong to sit down, knowing Li Lin''s temper. If Li Lin really got upset, the Li family might not be peaceful anymore. "Li Lin, what do you want to do, you dare to make a move?" Zhou LiXing shouted, but his eyes were obviously hesitant. "So what if I make a move," as Li Lin''s eyes flashed with coldness, the true qi under his feet flashed, and a footprint kicked directly towards Zhou LiXing. Zhou LiXing''s face changed drastically, about to defend himself, but with his mere first level of martial soul strength, how could he be Li Lin''s opponent? The speed was not even on the same level. Just when Zhou LiXing felt something was wrong, a footprint had already landed on Zhou LiXing''s lower abdomen. "Bang!" True qi poured out from under his feet, Zhou LiXing''s body was instantly sent flying, then heavily smashed into the wall of the great hall, immediately cracking the wall. "Pfft..." A stream of blood mixed with shattered organs spurted out. Li Lin did not use his full strength with this kick, but it was enough to destroy Zhou LiXing''s dantian qi sea within his body. A bit more force would have been fatal. The lightning-fast strike shocked everyone in the great hall. Only Yun HongLing might have been able to barely see how Li Lin kicked. The others, even the three external elders of the YunYang Sect with their seven or eight levels of martial soul strength, couldn''t clearly see how Li Lin kicked. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Li Lin''s action absolutely shocked everyone. In an instant, all were surprised. Li Dong, Li Xi, and others'' faces also changed drastically. "Zhou LiXing, what you did to me in the past, I''m only returning with one kick, consider yourself lucky," Li Lin did not look at Zhou LiXing on the ground again, but turned to look at Zhao HaiMing, who was shocked at this moment, and coldly said, "Zhao HaiMing, it''s time to settle the accounts from our childhood." "Lin''er, don''t do it," Li Dong shouted loudly, standing up again. "Sss!" Li Dong''s words were completely ignored by Li Lin. A lightning-fast palm strike, true qi vibrated, bringing a ripple in space, shaking. At this moment, Zhao HaiMing only had the strength of a first-level martial master, how could his strength compare to Li Lin''s? There was no comparability at all. "Lin''er." Li Dong''s face changed drastically, his figure about to rush towards Li Lin, but a green shadow flashed in front of Li Dong like lightning. "Uncle, you are WuShuang''s father, I don''t want to make a move against you, you better sit down," Yun HongLing''s figure blocked in front of Li Dong. "Father, Lin''er will have a measure," Li WuShuang also quickly came to Li Dong''s front. When a palm print landed on Zhao HaiMing''s body, Zhao HaiMing''s body was also heavily fallen at the place where Zhou LiXing had just smashed into the great hall''s wall. "Pfft!" Mouthful of blood mixed with shattered organs sprayed out, the person''s life and death uncertain. "I only used one palm against you from our childhood, consider yourself lucky," Li Lin flicked his sleeve, stood with his hands behind his back in the great hall, surrounded by a cold aura. At this moment, the great hall was silent. No one would have thought that at this time, Li Lin would actually make a move against Zhou LiXing. After all, he was also an uncle. The three external elders of the YunYang Sect and the stewards could only remain silent, feeling the aura on Li Lin at this moment, all were surprised. Their strength, simply incomparable, not even close to the sect''s direct disciples. "Li Lin, you bastard, I''ll fight you," Li Nan couldn''t recover for a long time, staring at the blood-covered Zhou LiXing and Zhao HaiMing on the ground, the whole person crazily rushed towards Li Lin. "Haha, bastard, today this bastard will take your life," Li Lin''s body was filled with coldness, the temperature in the great hall dropped suddenly. "Sss!" A palm print was instantly pushed out from Li Lin''s hand, the great hall filled with true qi, space ripples suddenly shaking. "Enough, she is your aunt no matter what," a sigh sounded out of nowhere, and then a figure turned into a streak of light and rushed towards Li Lin. "Hmph, I want to see who can protect her today," a cold shout came from Li Lin''s mouth, true qi surged out, and the momentum suddenly increased, making everyone in the great hall feel a suffocation. "I know you hold grudges against the Li family, it was all my doing. I''ll take this palm," the sigh fell, and a white figure instantly appeared in front of Li Nan. "Bang!" Li Lin''s palm print directly landed on the person, who didn''t even set up a protective aura, taking Li Lin''s palm directly. "Thud thud!" The person staggered backwards several steps, his face instantly turning pale. Li Lin immediately looked at the person. This person was in a white robe, with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, exuding a natural heroism. Seeing this person''s appearance, Li Lin''s heart suddenly sank. This person was indeed his father in this world, the third son of the Li family, Li Zhong. At this moment, Li Lin was momentarily stunned. Perhaps because the blood of the Li family flowed in his veins, striking Li Zhong without any defense made Li Lin momentarily lose his focus. "Your strength is stronger than I imagined. You have grown up," the person looked at Li Lin, and while speaking, a trace of blood trickled from his mouth. "Third brother." "Third brother." Li Zhong and Li Xi''s faces changed drastically, quickly stepping forward. Luo Lan''s face was also panicked at this moment, her gaze fixed on the white-robed figure that appeared in the great hall, completely lost. "Third brother, look at your son, he''s utterly lawless..." Li Nan roared. "Second sister, Lin''er is also your nephew. I won''t say much about what you have done since childhood. This palm is what I owe, and it''s also blocked for you. You should be more careful in the future. Have you ever regarded this nephew in your eyes? You should return to the Zhou family tomorrow," Li Zhong said indifferently to the roaring Li Nan beside him. Li Nan''s expression was stunned, speechless, and stood there in a daze. At this moment, Li Dong and Li Xi had also arrived beside Li Zhong, their gazes could only be helpless. "Everyone, please leave. I want to talk to Lin''er," Li Zhong said to the two with a slight smile, then to everyone in the great hall. "Li Zhong, you finally showed up. You better give me an explanation later," Zhao Hui''s gaze darkened, then angrily left the great hall. The elders of the Li family, as well as the people from the YunYang Sect, also slowly left the great hall. Luo Lan, supported by Li WuShuang, slowly left the great hall, her gaze still on Li Zhong. "Little thief, be careful," Yun HongLing looked at Li Zhong, then said beside Li Lin. "You''re called HongLing, right? How is your father?" Li Zhong gave Yun HongLing a light smile and asked. "My father is very well," Yun HongLing said. "Give my regards to your father. If there''s a chance in the future, I''ll go to the YunYang Sect to drink with him," Li Zhong lightly said, "You should leave now too. I want to talk to Lin''er." Read more chapters: ficcloud. ?m Chapter 437: Father and Son Talk Yun Hongling glanced at the two men before leaving the great hall. Zhou Lixing and Zhou Haiming inside the hall had already been taken away. Inside the great hall, there were only two people standing in the middle, with silence pervading the space. Li Lin came back to his senses, looking at Li Zhong in front of him. His heart was somewhat touched, and for some reason, it began to fluctuate intensely at this moment. "Is Elder Yu doing well?" Li Zhong asked, looking at Li Lin. "Master is very well," Li Lin replied lightly. Li Zhong was also a disciple of Master Yu Yu before, which Li Lin had known for a long time. "That''s good. Although he''s not the best master, he''s definitely a good one," Li Zhong said. "He is indeed a good master," Li Lin said, standing with his hands behind his back. "Just say what you want to say." "If you still harbor resentment towards the Li family and me, then give me another palm strike until your resentment is gone," Li Zhong said calmly, looking at Li Lin, though his heart''s turmoil was unknown to others. "You know about resentment, then why did you let me have any, haha," Li Lin chuckled lightly. "I just want to say, none of this was my wish. The Li family and I have wronged you and your mother. If you kill me now, I will have no complaints. This is what I owe you and your mother," Li Zhong said, his expression still calm but his eyes revealing a sense of helplessness. "Killing you won''t make up for the twenty years of harm my mother and I have suffered," Li Lin said lightly. This was something Li Lin said on behalf of the previous Li Lin and his mother. "I know. When I became the head of the Li family, it was destined that there were things beyond my control. This is the fate of every head of the Li family," Li Zhong sighed. "There''s no need to use the Li family as an excuse. What you owe us can never be repaid," Li Lin snorted coldly. "Do you really hate me that much?" Li Zhong asked, looking at Li Lin, his gaze trembling slightly. "Hate? You''re not worth it. I didn''t know before, but now, you don''t even have the qualifications to make me hate," Li Lin said, then slowly walked towards the exit of the great hall. "Lin''er, I know I have failed, but please believe me, I have always had you and your mother in my heart. Everything was beyond my control. I just wanted to protect you as much as possible," Li Zhong said, watching Li Lin''s back. "Do you think I would believe you? Where were you when my mother and I were bullied? What did the Li family give us?" Li Lin turned back, his eyes filled with hatred. Li Lin didn''t understand why he felt such intense hatred at the moment. Logically, he was just an outsider, but maybe it was the hatred towards the Li family and Li Zhong left in the blood of the previous Li Lin. Looking at Li Lin, Li Zhong''s gaze became empty, and he sighed lightly, "I didn''t expect your hatred to be so deep. Take good care of your mother for me and apologize to her on my behalf." "Hmph, if you want to apologize, do it yourself. I will definitely take good care of my mother. It''s none of your or the Li family''s business," Li Lin said. "The Li family might experience turmoil soon. Protect your mother well. If you don''t want to be the head of the Li family, then so be it. I don''t want you to follow in my footsteps," Li Zhong said. Li Lin didn''t say anything and walked out of the great hall. However, as he turned around again, the corners of his eyes involuntarily moistened. "Is this my destiny?" Inside the great hall, looking at Li Lin''s back, a tear slid down Li Zhong''s empty eyes, and a trace of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth, making him appear very weak. The events in the Li family''s great hall soon became known to all members of the Li family, surprising everyone, including the servants. Li Lin''s actions had deterred everyone in the Li family, but the servants were secretly delighted. The Zhou family father and son had always been arrogant and bullied them, so hearing about their fate brought them joy. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Three external elders and stewards of Yunyang Sect soon found an excuse to leave the Li family. With such events unfolding, they felt it inappropriate to stay any longer. In a courtyard of the Li family, Li Xiaobai was in front of Li Lin, opening a jade box in his hands, and a vast energy suddenly spread out, enough to make his heart beat in sync with it. "Young master, what is this?" Li Xiaobai, now no longer the same as before under Uncle Jiang''s guidance and having undergone a transformation, could immediately sense that the object inside the jade box was no ordinary item, definitely a precious treasure. "This is the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit of Yunyang Sect. Go to Uncle Jiang''s secret chamber to refine and assimilate it. If you have the chance to break through to the Martial King level in the future, this Martial Spirit Holy Fruit will bring you considerable benefits. With your current single-layer Martial Soul cultivation, if you refine it, with some luck, you might break through to around the sixth layer of Martial Soul," Li Lin said softly. The energy contained in the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit was immense, but now that it was out of the secret land, its effect had greatly diminished. If it had been used inside the secret land, Li Xiaobai could potentially break through to the ninth layer of Martial Soul, or even become a Martial General. "That powerful?" Li Xiaobai was astonished. To break through from a single-layer Martial Soul to above the sixth layer, the treasure''s value was unimaginable, making him excited. "Refine it well. Uncle Jiang and I need to go out for a while, probably for a month. By then, you should have finished refining," Li Lin said with a slight smile. While the Li family members privately discussed the events that had occurred, two days later, Li Lin, Little dragon, and the old servant Uncle Jiang appeared in a mountain range hundreds of miles away from the Li family. This mountain range was not small, and in the deep spring season, it was lush and vibrant with life. "Roar!" Two figures leaped down from the back of a Sky-winged Snow Lion, namely the old servant Uncle Jiang and Li Lin. "The Sky-winged Snow Lion is indeed an excellent mount. Not bad," Uncle Jiang said, looking up at the Sky-winged Snow Lion in the sky with some surprise. "Swoosh!" Little dragon breathed out, observing the surroundings with curiosity. "Roar." The Sky-winged Snow Lion shrank to a size of two meters in length and one meter in height, landing next to Li Lin. Its white feathered scales and wings covered its belly, seamlessly hiding any traces. "Uncle Jiang, how long will it take to refine the Ten Thousand Year Red Copper?" Li Lin asked the old servant Uncle Jiang. "I don''t know, maybe about a month," Uncle Jiang replied. "Sky-winged Snow Lion, take the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit and find a place to refine it," Li Lin said, taking out a jade box with a baby fist-sized Martial Spirit Holy Fruit in his hand. "Thank you, master." The Sky-winged Snow Lion said, opening its massive mouth to suck in the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit from Li Lin''s hand, then leaping away. "Boy, you actually gave the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit to the Sky-winged Snow Lion?" Uncle Jiang glared at Li Lin, "How many of Yunyang Sect''s Martial Spirit Holy Fruits did you get?" Uncle Jiang knew Li Lin had already given Li Xiaobai a Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, and now here was another. Li Lin himself had also consumed one, and there were only nine Martial Spirit Holy Fruits in total. This meant others would get fewer. "I got seven," Li Lin said. "Uncle Jiang, do you want one? I still have some." "Never mind, the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit is extraordinary, but it would have been more useful if I had taken it two hundred years ago. Now it wouldn''t be much use to me," Uncle Jiang said. "You getting seven of Yunyang Sect''s Martial Spirit Holy Fruits, those old monsters in Yunyang Sect must be puzzled." "Uncle Jiang, how old are you, really? Over two hundred years old?" Li Lin asked in disbelief. "What''s so strange about that? It''s common for cultivators to live a few hundred years. You just didn''t know. I should be about three hundred years old now, but compared to some old monsters, I''m still lacking," Uncle Jiang explained. Li Lin thought about it; creatures like the Reversed Scale Demon Peng and the Blood Jade Tiger were thousands of years old, and Bai Ling was even six thousand years old. This time, Li Lin only brought Little dragon, leaving the Reversed Scale Demon Peng and Bai Ling to secretly protect his mother at the Li family. "Let''s go. There''s a cave below. I sometimes come here to make elixirs. Refining the Ten Thousand Year Red Copper here won''t attract attention," Uncle Jiang said, then leaped down the gorge in an instant. "Flying in the air." Li Lin watched Uncle Jiang''s departing figure. Away from the Li family, Uncle Jiang no longer appeared frail and aged. Li Lin saw Uncle Jiang flying, a feat that at least required Martial Commander level strength, but he felt Uncle Jiang''s current power was not just that of a Martial Commander. The pressure from Uncle Jiang''s aura felt no weaker than Yun Xiao Tian''s. Uncle Jiang''s true strength had always been a mystery to Li Lin, who then also used his Wind Wings to leap down into the gorge. In the center of the gorge, on a sheer cliff, there appeared a cave, which would be hard to discover without coming down personally. "Sssss..." Many flying beasts were scared off from their perches on the cliff, fluttering away. Inside the cave, Li Lin was surprised by its size, which was several hundred meters in diameter, surrounded by stalactites. The cave floor was flat, and upon closer inspection, there was a faint scent of medicinal herbs. Read more chapters: ficcloud. ?m Chapter 438: The Lifeforce Weapon "Uncle Jiang, do you usually refine pills here?" Li Lin asked. "I rarely come here, but now this place is good for refining ten-thousand-year-old red copper. Whether you can successfully refine it depends on yourself," Uncle Jiang said. "Don''t worry, I can handle a bit of hardship," Li Lin said lightly. "This is not just a bit of hardship; it even involves risk to your life," Uncle Jiang said. "It doesn''t matter. I''ve always come through life and death situations by gritting my teeth, everything will pass," Li Lin said with determination in his eyes. If he couldn''t endure this bit of hardship when Uncle Jiang was using ten-thousand-year-old red copper to forge a weapon for him, it would be a waste of Uncle Jiang''s kindness. "Good lad, I hope you can withstand it later," Uncle Jiang looked at Li Lin and then asked, "What kind of weapon do you need?" "Uncle Jiang, how about a sword, or maybe claws?" Li Lin hesitated before speaking. Among weapons, Li Lin thought swords were not bad, and claws, his white jade silk gloves, were quite powerful. Uncle Jiang glanced at Li Lin and said, "Among swords, spears, swords, and halberds, swords rank third. Though their power is not weak, they are not the best weapon for killing, unless you want to look good with a sword. As for claws, they are extremely powerful but have many weaknesses. At the same time, there are very few martial arts techniques for claws, especially high-level techniques, making it difficult to unleash their strongest power if made into claw weapons." Li Lin''s eyes flashed. Uncle Jiang''s words made sense. Up to now, he hadn''t found any martial arts techniques to match his white jade silk gloves. "A weapon for killing," Li Lin immediately said, "Uncle Jiang, what about making it into a knife?" "Weapons don''t really have a hierarchy; it all depends on the strength of the user. However, in terms of momentum, knives are absolutely the king of weapons. I''ll forge your ten-thousand-year-old red copper into a knife. As for the future levels, that depends on you," Uncle Jiang said lightly. "Humming!" With a gesture from Uncle Jiang, a red light appeared from his brow and fell to the ground, transforming into a huge cauldron about five or six meters in size. This cauldron had nine legs, each with a dragon-shaped object coiling around it. The cauldron was also covered with dense secret patterns. Upon closer inspection, these patterns seemed to be pulsating with energy, as if flames were flowing, emitting a scorching aura that heated up the cave instantly. "Could it be a spiritual weapon, not a mundane object?" Li Lin exclaimed, feeling the ancient aura emanating from the cauldron, which imposed a certain majesty upon a glance. This cauldron was much better than his Fire Dragon Cauldron, definitely not on the same level. "Uncle Jiang, is this cauldron a spiritual weapon?" Li Lin asked in surprise. This cauldron came from Uncle Jiang''s brow, stored within his mind, a feat only a spiritual weapon could achieve. "This is the Nine Dragons Red Flame Cauldron, a ground-level soul spiritual weapon, barely considered at the lower end among ground-level soul spiritual weapons, but it has not yet reached the level of a divine weapon," the old servant said with a slight smile. "Uncle Jiang, are there different types of spiritual weapons?" Li Lin asked. There were records of spiritual weapons in the Heavenly Spirit Records, but they were not very detailed. "Of course," the old servant Uncle Jiang said. "Ordinary spiritual weapons refer to soul spiritual weapons, which are used by spiritual practitioners. Some can also be used by martial artists, but the power is naturally lesser compared to when used by spiritual practitioners. Soul spiritual weapons mainly rely on soul power to activate, and martial artists'' soul power is generally inferior to that of spiritual practitioners, so the power is naturally much less." The old servant Uncle Jiang continued, "There''s also another type of spiritual weapon, the martial spiritual weapon, used by martial artists and activated by true qi. The power is similar to soul spiritual weapons. Spiritual weapons are rare, but martial spiritual weapons are even rarer." Li Lin was somewhat surprised. He thought he knew quite a bit, but there was still much he didn''t know. "Uncle Jiang, why are martial spiritual weapons so rare?" "That''s because martial artists alone cannot forge martial spiritual weapons. Just like martial artists can''t control demon beasts without the help of spiritual practitioners, forging martial spiritual weapons is too difficult and consumes too much of a spiritual practitioner''s energy. Without sufficient benefits, spiritual practitioners would not be willing to help, especially since ordinary spiritual practitioners don''t have the ability to forge spiritual weapons. Moreover, the materials required for forging spiritual weapons are extremely demanding, so ordinary martial artists, even if they spend all their efforts to obtain the materials, won''t have the resources to ask a spiritual practitioner for help," the old servant Uncle Jiang said. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Uncle Jiang, what do you plan to forge for me now, a soul spiritual weapon or a martial spiritual weapon?" Li Lin asked. "If it were before, I could have used the ten-thousand-year-old red copper to forge a soul spiritual weapon for you, but now, I''m willing but powerless, only able to help you forge a martial spiritual weapon. I only know one method to refine the ten-thousand-year-old red copper," Uncle Jiang said. "And this method is somewhat special. If the ten-thousand-year-old red copper is successfully refined, it could potentially be nurtured into a divine weapon in the future. The final result depends on your own efforts." "Uncle Jiang, how many levels are there for spiritual weapons?" Li Lin asked. "Generally, they are divided into heaven, earth, mysterious, and yellow levels. Only when it reaches the heaven level can it be called a divine weapon. My Nine Dragons Red Flame Cauldron is only at the earth level, not yet able to reach the heaven level," the old servant Uncle Jiang said. "Uncle Jiang, do you mean you can refine the ten-thousand-year-old red copper into a divine weapon for me?" Li Lin asked with a delighted smile. "You wish. I''ve said that with my current strength, I can only help you refine the ten-thousand-year-old red copper, which is already quite good. A divine weapon, even at my peak strength, I might not be able to forge. What I''m helping you forge now is just the lowest level yellow-grade martial spiritual weapon," Uncle Jiang glared at Li Lin and said. "What, only a yellow-grade spiritual weapon?" Li Lin was stunned. "Uncle Jiang, wasn''t this material for forging divine weapons? How can it only forge a yellow-grade martial spiritual weapon?" "The ten-thousand-year-old red copper is excellent, but I can''t forge it now," Uncle Jiang said with a slight smile. "But you don''t need to be discouraged. My method is somewhat special. After helping you forge a yellow-grade martial spiritual weapon, it can become your lifeforce martial spiritual weapon." "Lifeforce martial spiritual weapon?" Li Lin said lightly. "Lifeforce spiritual weapon, something everyone wants. Don''t think it''s easy to forge. Even ordinary Spirit Kings can''t forge their own lifeforce soul spiritual weapons, let alone forge a lifeforce martial spiritual weapon for someone else. Even Spirit Lords, although capable of forging their own lifeforce soul spiritual weapons, to forge a lifeforce martial spiritual weapon for a martial artist is like a fool''s dream," Uncle Jiang said proudly, looking at Li Lin as if he didn''t know the value of what he was being offered. "Uncle Jiang, just tell me what a lifeforce spiritual weapon is," Li Lin asked. This was what he really wanted to know. The ten-thousand-year-old red copper, forged into the lowest level yellow-grade martial spiritual weapon, was something Li Lin found hard to accept, especially when Uncle Jiang''s Nine Dragons Red Flame Cauldron was two levels higher. "A lifeforce spiritual weapon is one that is connected to your mind and spirit. Only when connected can it achieve perfect harmony. The most important aspect of a lifeforce martial spiritual weapon is that it can absorb your true qi to advance its level. The ten-thousand-year-old red copper is a material that can be used to forge divine weapons, which means it can eventually break through to the divine weapon level, just needing time. This lifeforce martial spiritual weapon, by absorbing your true qi to advance, will also be much more powerful when you use it. If it becomes a divine weapon in the future, the power of a lifeforce divine weapon will be much stronger than that of ordinary divine weapons. In the long run, forging a lifeforce yellow-grade martial spiritual weapon for you, although currently weaker, will make you happy in the future," Uncle Jiang said. "So that''s how it is." Li Lin immediately smiled and said, "Uncle Jiang, let''s start forging now." As the words fell, Li Lin had already taken out the ten-thousand-year-old red copper, looking forward to the martial spiritual weapon to be forged. Reaching the level of a spiritual weapon was much stronger than ordinary weapons. "Then you should also prepare. The ten-thousand-year-old red copper is an ancient material, extremely difficult to refine, and I only know one method to do it," Uncle Jiang looked at Li Lin and said. "This method requires the most pure essence blood from within your bones, combined with the red flame within my Nine Dragons Red Flame Cauldron, to refine the ten-thousand-year-old red copper, a material of divine weapon level. Missing any component will make it impossible to refine such material." "The most pure essence blood." Li Lin frowned. The Blood Soul Mark he practiced before also required the most pure essence blood, which is extracted from the bone marrow. The pain of living worse than dying, Li Lin still remembered vividly. "What, are you scared? During the process of extracting essence blood, if you''re not careful, you could turn to ashes," Uncle Jiang looked at Li Lin and said. "I''ve never been afraid, let''s do it," Li Lin gritted his teeth. Having already experienced the pain of extracting essence blood once, for the sake of his lifeforce martial spiritual weapon, he could only fight once more. "This essence blood is not extracted in one drop, but over half a month''s time. I hope you can withstand it. Here, take this protective pill, it will help protect you a bit," the old servant Uncle Jiang looked at Li Lin, taking out a white pill and giving it to Li Lin. "A fifth-grade pill." Li Lin took the pill, which was at the middle level of the fifth grade, and swallowed it immediately. "Enter the Nine Dragons Red Flame Cauldron. You just need to protect your own body. I will control the red flame to extract the essence blood," Uncle Jiang instructed Li Lin. "If you really can''t bear it, then shout out. Forcing yourself to resist may endanger your life at any moment." Read more chapters: ficcloud. ?m Chapter 439: Forcing the Refinement of Essence Blood "Boss, be careful," Little dragon said, lifting his little head. "Little dragon, go outside and protect the law," Li Lin said softly. Then, with a flash of true qi under his feet, he directly entered the Nine Dragons Chiyan Ding. The space inside was about four to five meters in size. At the bottom of the cauldron, there were nine dragon heads the size of palms, opening their ferocious mouths, revealing nine holes, from which a scorching breath emanated. This scorching breath was no ordinary thing; just this breath alone seemed to set the air ablaze. If an ordinary person were to enter, they would likely be burned to ashes in a moment. "Put all the space bags and storage rings into the hidden storage ring in your hand, and also remove your clothes to avoid them being burned clean," Uncle Jiang''s voice came. With no choice, Li Lin put all his belongings into the hidden storage ring in his hand and then stripped himself bare. "I''m going to start now. Don''t force yourself to death if you can''t withstand it. We can find a way for the martial spirit weapon later," Uncle Jiang said. "Uncle Jiang, start," Li Lin said. Inside the cave, Uncle Jiang, the old servant, formed hand seals, and a wave of energy surged from his body, then injected into the Nine Dragons Chiyan Ding. "Hiss!" At that moment, the space in front of Li Lin seemed to change instantly, as if he was no longer inside the Nine Dragons Chiyan Ding. Now, he was surrounded by an unfamiliar space, where the scorching temperature was hundreds of times stronger than before. "Whoosh whoosh..." In an instant, a scorching flame appeared out of thin air. Below, the rolling flames were like magma tumbling, and scorching flames erupted from all directions, enveloping him from head to toe. The temperature suddenly soared violently, and the flames turned into strands of energy that directly penetrated Li Lin''s skin into his body. In that sudden moment, Li Lin''s body violently trembled. The flames were too strong, as if they were about to melt him in an instant. "Hiss!" At that instant, a white energy spread from within Li Lin, seeping out from the pores and adhering to the skin, forming a thin crystal layer that relieved the scorching sensation on Li Lin''s skin, protecting it from burns. In a moment, Li Lin''s body was wrapped in a thin white crystal layer. However, the flame energy had already invaded Li Lin''s body, entering directly and gathering again into scorching, terrifying flames at lightning speed. "Ah." Li Lin couldn''t help but let out a painful cry, his complexion instantly turning pale. At the same time, the flames were howling and burning inside Li Lin''s body, transmitting waves of scorching pain. His internal organs were immediately enveloped by the flames. "Kid, protect your internals. Whether you can withstand it depends on yourself," Uncle Jiang''s voice appeared again in Li Lin''s ears. Li Lin changed his hand seals, and a true qi surged out within his body, instantly wrapping around his internal organs, which were the most important parts of the body and absolutely must not be harmed. "Whoosh whoosh..." The external space flames turned into tiny energies, like hair, then gathered again into flames inside his body, burning everywhere inside, making hissing sounds as his body was burned. Although he protected his internal organs, his true qi was being invaded by the flames. Li Lin found that his true qi couldn''t compete with the flames and could only keep emitting a continuous flow of true qi from his dantian, wrapping around his internal organs. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. While he protected his internal organs, the flames ravaged other parts, causing unbearable pain. Li Lin trembled all over, forcibly enduring this terrifying pain. The flames filled his body, burning his meridians and muscles, causing intense pain as the scorching flames traveled through his body. The temperature inside his body surged drastically, to the point where even steel would melt. The agony of withstanding such heat was unimaginable. Under the terrifying high temperature, sweat poured down Li Lin''s face. His meridians, under this high temperature, shriveled up. Originally broad and resilient, they twisted horrifically under the intense heat. Outside the cave, next to the Nine Dragons Chiyan Ding, Uncle Jiang continuously formed hand seals, each emitting an invisible energy that rippled through space. Above the Nine Dragons Chiyan Ding, nine dragon-shaped patterns flowed with scorching light, and hot flames emerged from the central secret patterns, illuminating the cave in a fiery glow, with the temperature rising to a terrifying degree. Inside Li Lin, the terrifying scorching flames penetrated the muscles and wrapped around the bones in an extremely mysterious manner, as if separating the flesh and blood, then wrapping around the entire body''s bones and beginning to burn. This pain of burning bones made Li Lin tremble even more. Biting his teeth tightly, blood flowed from between his teeth. Although Li Lin had experienced this extreme pain once before, it seemed even stronger this time. The pain originated from within the bone marrow, making Li Lin feel an unbearable agony, as if seeking death was not an option. The pain of the flames wrapping around the bones was unimaginable. Enduring such inhuman pain, his flesh and blood nearly withered, and Li Lin felt as if he could hardly hold on any longer. His complexion was extremely pale, but he still resisted desperately. With a life-bound martial spirit weapon, his strength would be much greater. Outside the cave, Uncle Jiang was surprised by everything happening inside the Nine Dragons Chiyan Ding. He was aware of the intense pain and was astonished that Li Lin had persisted. Even more astonishing was his realization of Li Lin''s physical strength. His muscles, bones, internal organs, and meridians were incredibly strong, much stronger than those of his peers. Just his physical body alone could almost compare to a set of high-grade yellow-level defensive martial techniques. With such a strong physical body, Uncle Jiang, with his sharp eye, naturally thought that without having suffered some hardships, one could not have such a strong body. Time slowly passed, and the pain of burning and refining was not something that could produce essence blood instantly. Moreover, what was needed was not a drop of essence blood, but half a month''s worth. After an unknown amount of time, amidst this torment, essence blood finally began to seep out from outside Li Lin''s bones, forming a faint blood membrane over his entire body''s bones. At that moment, Li Lin was overjoyed, finally starting to refine essence blood. The red flames inside his body changed, and the blood membrane wrapped around his bones slowly flowed, moving along the meridians at a slow pace, eventually forming a ball of bright red essence blood. "Done." Inside the cave, Uncle Jiang''s eyes sparkled, and with a hand seal, the ten-thousand-year-old red copper was wrapped in a light and brought into the Nine Dragons Chiyan Ding. "Kid, drip your essence blood onto the ten-thousand-year-old red copper." In front of Li Lin, the square piece of ten-thousand-year-old red copper appeared, and with a lift of his hand, the surrounding flames slowly began to rotate. Accompanied by the rotation of the flames, strands of blood-colored light also slowly emerged from within Li Lin, eventually flowing down his fingertip and dropping a drop of essence blood onto the ten-thousand-year-old red copper. As this drop of essence blood fell onto the ten-thousand-year-old red copper, there was no immediate reaction, but then a surge of Chiyan enveloped it, and the ten-thousand-year-old red copper quickly absorbed the drop of essence blood as if stimulated, instantly. Instantly, the originally pale yellow ten-thousand-year-old red copper gradually started to show a faint trace of blood color. This drop of essence blood seemed to form a spiderweb, covering the ten-thousand-year-old red copper under the wrap of Chiyan, making it appear extremely mystical. "Keep going, kid. Persist for half a month, and the ten-thousand-year-old red copper will be refined," Uncle Jiang''s voice once again entered Li Lin''s ears. An hour later, another drop of essence blood dripped onto the ten-thousand-year-old red copper. With each drop of Li Lin''s essence blood, the red copper became increasingly blood-red, and a strange aura spread from it. At the same time, a terrifying and bizarre power also slowly spread, making everything appear very eerie. Li Lin remained conscious, but his state had entered one similar to a meditating old monk, enduring the severe pain inside his body as if this body was no longer his own. Initially, Li Lin could refine a drop of essence blood every hour. As time passed, it took him two hours to refine a drop, then three hours, and later four hours... In the quiet cave, time swiftly passed, and in a blink of an eye, half a month had gone by. During this half-month, Li Lin''s body was continuously under the fever of flames. Accompanying the refinement of essence blood over this half-month, Li Lin had almost become a skin-and-bones figure, terribly pale, and his breathing was slow and weak. If someone could see Li Lin now, they might think he had already become a dead person. Read more chapters: ficcloud. ?m Chapter 440: Soul Blood Gathering into the Blade Outside the cave, the protective dragon, raising its little head, watched the outside, occasionally looking up at the Nine Dragons Red Flame Cauldron inside the cave. Its small eyes were filled with immense nervousness, as if it could feel the torment and intense pain its master was enduring at this moment. "Kid, it''s almost over, you must hold on," the old servant, Uncle Jiang, muttered as his hand seals changed, aware of the intense pain and risk involved. A slight mishap would turn the person inside the Nine Dragons Red Flame Cauldron into a dead man. "Thump!" Several hours later, within the space enveloped by the red flame, a faint sound suddenly emerged. Then, a drop of essence blood dripped from Li Lin''s finger onto the ten-thousand-year-old red copper. "We''ve succeeded." At this moment, Uncle Jiang suddenly burst into great joy, his hands forming seals like lightning, slicing through the space with invisible energy waves. "Come out, kid." Just then, a figure burst out from within the Nine Dragons Red Flame Cauldron, and Uncle Jiang shouted loudly, his energy continuously pouring into the cauldron. "Shh!" Simultaneously, a ray of light fell inside the cave, revealing a much thinner Li Lin, naked, with a weak vitality and a pale face. Li Lin instantly opened his eyes, which still shone brightly despite everything. He stuffed a pill into his mouth, quickly dressed, and started cultivating immediately after changing his hand seals. At this moment, Uncle Jiang heaved a sigh of relief, his hands forming seals like lightning again, shooting invisible energy into the Nine Dragons Red Flame Cauldron. "Whoosh whoosh!" As Uncle Jiang injected energy into the cauldron, the red flames boiled fiercely, with waves of fire tumultuously rising. Meanwhile, the most bizarre part was the ten-thousand-year-old red copper. The red copper had turned completely blood-red, resembling a solution filled in a glass container, with strands of blood smoothly flowing and a mysterious aura spreading out. "Bang bang!" Within this terrifying flame, a burst sound suddenly echoed, and the ten-thousand-year-old red copper weirdly melted, transforming into a blood-colored energy liquid, with a powerful energy spreading out. This energy spread so fast that even the red flames in the space were instantly pushed back, unable to envelop this terrifying blood-red energy. "Truly a divine material," Uncle Jiang remarked solemnly, his hand seals changing like lightning again. "Awoo awoo awoo..." Suddenly, several beastly roars echoed through the space, resembling dragon chants, followed by nine fire columns rising to the sky. Nine streams of red flame shot out, wrapping around the solution formed from the ten-thousand-year-old red copper, gradually enclosing it. Uncle Jiang''s face turned pale as he formed mysterious and bizarre seals... Inside the cave, silence prevailed, only the howling of the red flames and the sound of energy fluctuations from Uncle Jiang echoed, merging together and resonating within the cave. In this silence, time flew by rapidly. Unknowingly, the solution formed from the ten-thousand-year-old red copper within the Nine Dragons Red Flame Cauldron began to change. The energy started to condense and compress, but strands of blood could still be seen flowing within the solution, emanating a mysterious energy aura around it. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Inside the cave, Li Lin was meditating, his pale face slowly regaining some color, and his body was recovering at an extremely slow rate. Outside the Li family, a huge fourth-tier flying beast circled down, carrying Li ShaoHu, Zhao QingTian, and Zhao QingHai. "Swish swish!" The three figures descended, and the flying beast shrank into a twenty-centimeter-long eagle-like creature, landing on Zhao QingHai''s shoulder. "So, this is the Li family, just average," Zhao QingTian observed. "Cousin, the Li family can''t compare to the Zhao family, but it''s still quite good in Qingyun Town," Li ShaoHu said. "I wonder why aunt stayed with the Li family. It''s much more comfortable back at the Zhao family," Zhao QingTian said. "I wonder if that bastard Li Lin has been killed by the Third Protector," Li ShaoHu said, feeling a heaviness in his steps looking at the Li family. "Don''t worry, cousin. Shi YunSheng dealing with Li Lin is more than enough to kill him," Zhao QingHai sneered. "Let''s go then," Li ShaoHu said gravely, and the three headed towards the Li family. Half a month passed in the cave in a distant valley hundreds of miles from the Li family. "Boom!" A deep explosion sounded from within the Nine Dragons Red Flame Cauldron, flames splattering everywhere, and a blood-red light weirdly spread from inside, its power extremely violent, shaking the entire cauldron. Li Lin suddenly opened his eyes, looking towards the cauldron, surprised by the majestic energy inside, which seemed terrifying but somehow connected to him. "Li Lin, separate a strand of soul power and inject it into the Nine Dragons Red Flame Cauldron," Uncle Jiang said, his face extremely pale, urgently instructing Li Lin. As soon as he finished speaking, he added, "You and the dragon share a blood pact, so the dragon''s soul power won''t resist you. Let the dragon also separate a strand of soul power and merge it with yours before injecting it." "Uncle Jiang, why do we need the dragon''s soul power?" Li Lin asked. "The dragon is a Spirit Emperor Beast. Merging its soul power to form the blade will undoubtedly increase its might, even incorporating some of the dragon''s power, which will be unexpectedly useful against the beast and spirit beast clans'' powerhouses," Uncle Jiang explained. "However, this is just my speculation; no one has tried it before, to my knowledge. You share a blood pact with the dragon, and there''s no resistance in your soul powers. In my opinion, it should be successful." "Dragon," Li Lin didn''t hesitate and immediately called out to the dragon guarding the cave entrance, believing in Uncle Jiang''s ability to enhance the blade''s power. "Boss," the dragon''s figure instantly appeared in front of Li Lin. "Give me some of your soul power," Li Lin said, changing his hand seals, quickly forming several unique seals. With the final seal, his soul pill rotated in his mind, and a strand of white energy emerged from his forehead. "Shh." The dragon stood tall, its body instantly expanding to twenty meters in length, spiraling together. As it grew, its body emitted a yellow glow with golden flames, and from its third eye, a strand of golden energy with traces of flame emerged, falling into Li Lin''s hands. "Merge," Li Lin commanded softly. The soul powers of Li Lin and the dragon instantly merged without any resistance, overlapping in an instant. "Go." With a low shout from Li Lin, the merged soul powers were injected into the Nine Dragons Red Flame Cauldron. "Whoosh whoosh!" As the combined soul powers entered, the flames within the cauldron churned violently, a ferocious energy rising from within. Uncle Jiang, with a solemn gaze towards the cauldron, formed seals like lightning, shouting, "Gather the blade with soul and blood spirit!" Following Uncle Jiang''s shout, the flames within the cauldron rapidly spun, howling ceaselessly without any flames spilling out. At that moment, a huge mysterious energy rapidly spread... As the strange energy within the cauldron intensified, a blood-red light instantly spread from within. "Shh!" At that moment, the merged soul power of Li Lin and the dragon formed a golden-white energy sphere within the cauldron. The sphere shot out rapidly, breaking through the red flames and quickly merging into the solution formed from the ten-thousand-year-old red copper. At that instant, the solution violently trembled. Strands of blinding light continuously shot out from the solution, instantly shining brightly. Then, Uncle Jiang took a deep breath, his seals changing again, casting complex and mysterious seals, continuously injecting secret patterns into the cauldron. "Such powerful strength," Li Lin felt shocked watching Uncle Jiang. The seals he formed seemed to draw invisible cosmic energy into the cauldron. This gathering of cosmic energy made Li Lin feel a tremendous force, causing his entire body to tremble. "At least a Spirit King, or even higher," Li Lin, now of a certain cultivation level and having seen many strong individuals, immediately judged Uncle Jiang''s energy to be at least that of a Spirit King, which was the minimum. "Whoosh whoosh!" Inside the cave, the cosmic energy grew stronger, reaching a terrifying level. Read more chapters: ficcloud. ?m Chapter 441: Undercurrents Stirring "Roar!" Within the Nine Dragons Red Flame Cauldron, a soul-stirring dragon chant echoed, almost vibrating the air. Li Lin could tell that this chant seemed to be emitted by a Little Dragon, carrying a ferocious and mighty aura. Inside the Nine Dragons Red Flame Cauldron, a solution transformed from ten-thousand-year-old red copper trembled violently. In the cave, a confluence of energy from heaven and earth, along with the integration of two soul forces, plus the essence blood power from Li Lin''s body and the energy from Uncle Jiang, amounted to almost four types of energies merging together. Uncle Jiang''s hands continued to form one complex secret seal after another, his complexion turning visibly paler with each seal formed. Li Lin looked at Uncle Jiang, realizing that Uncle Jiang''s artifact refining ability had reached a level he had never heard or seen before. Li Lin found himself increasingly unable to fathom Uncle Jiang''s strength. At this moment, under Uncle Jiang''s manipulation of bizarre secret seals, the violent energy within the Nine Dragons Red Flame Cauldron began to change, slowly forming a multi-colored spinning circle. As this peculiar multi-colored circle spun, a new and strange aura began to spread. This moment again slowly passed until three days later... After three days, the violent energy inside the Nine Dragons Red Flame Cauldron suddenly halted, followed by a blood-red light starting to emanate from within the cauldron. And as this bloody light became brighter and its aura more terrifying, a blood-red energy then spread out from the cauldron... "Transform into a blade." Uncle Jiang''s last bizarre and complex seal was formed, creating a circle of secret runes in mid-air, which then pulled a majestic energy from the cave, fiercely rushing into the Nine Dragons Red Flame Cauldron. "Pfft!" At this moment, Uncle Jiang suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, his complexion turning extremely pale. "Roar..." Just then, from within the Nine Dragons Red Flame Cauldron, a dragon-like roar burst forth, followed by a beam of blood-red light shooting up from the cauldron. "What a powerful aura." As the blood-red light spread, Li Lin''s face changed dramatically. This energy was too strong, carrying an absolutely soul-shaking aura. At the same time, the blood-red light slowly condensed and shrank. Li Lin was extremely surprised, his pupils shrinking. As the blood-red light condensed, a blade about a meter and twenty-three centimeters long appeared before Li Lin. The blade was shockingly impressive, with a single edge, elegant curvature, balanced posture, thicker back tapering down, and the blade''s arc as nimble as a spiritual snake. This arc perfectly outlined its form. The blade, permeated with a blood-red light, had several dragon patterns coiling around the handle, resembling a little dragon resting upon it, with the tail end like a dragon''s head. This blade, enveloped in blood-red light, was at this moment cold and sacred, exuding a tranquil aura, with the blood-red light flickering, casting a ghastly blood-colored light. "Li Lin, quickly use your blood to acknowledge its master. The quicker, the better. You practice the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Art, and this blade contains the energy of ten-thousand-year-old red copper and a lot of energy from heaven and earth. After acknowledging its master, you can gain many benefits," Uncle Jiang immediately said to Li Lin. Without any hesitation, Li Lin''s hand gestures changed, and a drop of blood condensed on his index finger, then swiftly dropped towards the blood blade on the Nine Dragons Red Flame Cauldron. "Ssst!" As the blood dropped, strands of blood-red light slowly flowed out from the blood blade, immediately condensing. "Acknowledge master." Li Lin''s hand formed a complex and profound seal, and with a change in his hand, his right hand drew the blood blade directly into a beam of blood-red light, fiercely shooting into Li Lin''s right hand. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. When this blood-colored light entered Li Lin''s right hand, his body shook violently. At the same time, this blood-colored light wondrously passed through Li Lin''s body''s meridians and finally merged into the Qi sea in his dantian, instantly settling on the position of the five-colored Martial Dan in Li Lin''s dantian at the moment. Strands of energy light were released, quickly impacting the Qi sea within the dantian, causing the Martial Dan to spin rapidly. "Boom!" At the moment the energy of the blood blade was released, Li Lin immediately sat down cross-legged, a dull sound emanated from within his dantian Qi sea, and a blood-colored light spread from Li Lin''s pores, quickly forming a huge blood light about twenty meters in diameter, tightly enveloping Li Lin within it. "Ssst!" The Little Dragon suddenly stood upright, intently watching Li Lin, now enveloped by the blood energy. "Old man, what''s happening to the boss?" The Little Dragon stared for a while before asking Uncle Jiang, the old servant. "You little monster." Hearing the Little Dragon calling him old man, Uncle Jiang couldn''t help but give the Little Dragon a look of mixed emotions, saying, "That kid is absorbing energy for cultivation. The blade forged from ten-thousand-year-old red copper contains tremendous energy from the red copper and the energy of heaven and earth that was gathered during the weapon''s spirit formation. Just after becoming a spirit weapon, most of the energy is concealed, but a small part leaks out, and that kid is absorbing it, which will greatly enhance his cultivation." "How much can the boss break through this time?" The Little Dragon asked, tilting its head. "I''m not sure, but the energy contained in the ten-thousand-year-old red copper is terrifying, not to mention the energy of heaven and earth that was gathered on it. Even a small leakage is very strong. I just hope he doesn''t absorb too much, as what needs to be abandoned should be abandoned. Advancing too quickly is not good for future development," Uncle Jiang said softly. Time slowly passed, and Li Lin sat cross-legged within the blood light, running the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Art, absorbing the massive energy within his body. It had been a long time since he had absorbed energy so freely. Li Lin''s meridians and muscles greedily absorbed the energy. Li Lin''s physique, which had become thinner due to the refinement of essence blood, was gradually recovering under the frenzied absorption of energy. Under the night sky, the moon was particularly bright tonight, casting a bright moonlight over the entire Qingyun Town. Within the Li family, in a courtyard, sat Zhao Hui, Li ShaoHu, Zhao QingTian, and Zhao QingHai, four people. "What''s going on with the Three Protectors? They even failed to kill Li Lin," Li ShaoHu''s expression was very ugly. Ever since he returned to the Li family and heard that Li Lin had returned half a month earlier than them, he was stunned. "It seems that the Three Protectors didn''t encounter the kid and let him escape this disaster," Zhao QingHai said. "This kid must be killed," Zhao Hui''s eyes revealed a cold murderous intent. "Aunt, have you informed the family?" Zhao QingHai asked. "I''ve already notified them more than twenty days ago. In about a month, the family''s experts will come. I didn''t expect the Li family to actually pass the position of family head to that bastard, likely to hand over the Li family''s treasures to him as well. It seems that no matter how much we guarded against that kid, it was in vain. I wasted twenty years. If I had known, we should have acted directly twenty years ago," Zhao Hui said coldly. "Once the family''s experts arrive, we will directly deal with the Li family, and at that time, we can completely eradicate that kid Li Lin," Zhao QingTian said with a cold laugh. "Anyway, I feel uncomfortable every time I see that bastard. I must see him die in front of me," Li ShaoHu said, his eyes filled with killing intent. In the night, within another courtyard of the Li family, a middle-aged man''s silhouette looked out the window. "Who''s there?" The middle-aged man suddenly said softly, his gaze already focusing outside the courtyard. "Dad, why are you still not resting?" A gentle voice came, followed by a figure walking into the room. This person, around twenty years old, had golden hair that fell over her shoulders, a small hair tie at the back of her head with three dazzling colors intertwined, looking extremely noble. Her eyes were golden with hints of brown, and under her brocade robe, her figure was curvaceous. It was Li Mei. "Mei''er, why are you here?" The middle-aged man turned around, his eyes flashing briefly before concealing his aura, wearing a blue robe, looking somewhat similar to Li Mei, indeed the foster son of the old family head of the Li family, Li Bei. "I saw that there was still light in your room, so I came to see," Li Mei said. "You should go practice. Your strength has been progressing slowly lately," Li Bei said. "Dad, no matter how hard I try, it''s useless. Li Lin and Li ShaoHu are already at the level of Martial Soul and Martial General, while I''m only a Martial Master, far behind," Li Mei''s beautiful eyes dimmed, showing her dissatisfaction. "Silly child, your cultivation talent is not inferior to theirs. It''s all my fault. In a while, we should be able to go home. With the support of our family, your cultivation future will definitely not be inferior to Li Lin''s," Li Bei looked at his daughter with a hint of apology. "Dad, isn''t the Li family our home?" Li Mei was clearly puzzled. "The Li family, it''s been more than twenty years. I came to the Li family at the age of eight and have always considered it my home, but after all, it''s not my home," Li Bei sighed softly, then said to his daughter, "Mei''er, in a while, the Li family might undergo great changes. You need to take care of yourself." "Dad, why do you sound a bit strange today?" Li Mei looked at Li Bei curiously. "Silly child, don''t ask too much. You''ll know soon enough," Li Bei said. Hundreds of miles away from the Li family, in a canyon, a violent aura burst forth, spreading the pressure of the king of beasts, causing panic and running among the beasts within the surrounding area. Read more chapters: ficcloud. ?m Chapter 442: The Unmatched Good Knife "Roar..." A huge roar spread from the sky above, and a surge of aura shot up within the mountain range, faintly exuding a fierce and evil spirit. As this roar spread, a tremendous oppressive force strengthened once again, causing the wild beasts in the surrounding mountains to suddenly become frightened and retreat, some lying on the ground trembling all over, not daring to move. "Hu hu..." A strong breath soared up, not knowing when it would be able to settle down. Inside a cave in the canyon, time passed neither quickly nor slowly. As time reached the fifth day again, the blood-colored light that enveloped Li Lin''s body, about twenty meters in size, had now shrunk to one meter in size. It was noticeably clear that the massive energy contained within this blood-colored light was slowly decreasing under Li Lin''s bit by bit absorption. The blood-colored light became less and less. Several hours later, when the last strand of blood-colored light was absorbed into Li Lin''s body through all the pores, the entire cave suddenly experienced a surge of aura dramatically increasing... At this moment, Uncle Jiang, who was meditating, and Little dragon both instantly sensed something, almost simultaneously fixing their gaze towards Li Lin, who was now clearly visible inside the cave with his eyes tightly closed. "Hu hu!" In an instant, a dazzling yellow glow burst out from around Li Lin, followed by a majestic aura spreading from his body, the aura crazily climbing. The violent aura surged out, causing the space within the entire cave to ripple instantly, "The boss is breaking through," Little dragon''s eyes shone with excitement. "Hu hu..." A strong breath burst out from Li Lin''s body suddenly, this breath now stirring an invisible force of heaven and earth, which converged and surged into the cave. As this force of heaven and earth entered Li Lin''s body, the breath began to increase at a terrifying speed. The rise of this aura was extremely frightening, somewhat like an unstoppable force. "Second-level Martial General." ... "Third-level Martial General." ... "Peak of the Third-level Martial General." Feeling the explosive increase of Li Lin''s aura, the old servant''s expression began to grow more and more solemn. "Kid, don''t just focus on the present, absorbing too much energy can harm you in the future," Uncle Jiang murmured, starting to get nervous. In front of this massive breakthrough in strength, it''s hard for anyone to easily refuse this tempting force, but he also deeply knew that coveting a sudden increase in strength would definitely destabilize the foundation, which would have a huge side effect on future cultivation, making progress difficult. However, Uncle Jiang''s worry was apparently unnecessary. Li Lin had faced too many such temptations along his journey, each time suppressing them forcefully, and this time was no exception. At this moment, Li Lin felt his strength skyrocket to the peak of the Third-level Martial General, which was already the limit for his breakthrough. Any further, and he would not be able to control it. In an instant, Li Lin began to form hand seals, and at the same time, a loud muffled sound erupted from within his dantian qi sea... "Boom!" A huge surge of blood-colored energy spread out from Li Lin''s body, this blood-colored energy was extremely violent, and then it dissipated into the space. The far-reaching spread of blood-colored energy made the entire cave filled with this violent energy. As these energies were expelled from the body and dispersed, Li Lin''s internal aura finally stopped climbing and began to fluctuate slightly. After about half an hour, Li Lin''s aura finally completely settled down. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Peak of the Third-level Martial General." Feeling the aura leaking from Li Lin, Uncle Jiang murmured, a smile appearing on his face, murmuring, "This kid, has trained his will quite well." "Chi chi!" At this moment, after Li Lin''s aura stabilized, his eyes suddenly opened, two sharp glints flashed out, lingering for a long time, his gaze becoming even more profound and exquisite. "Hu!" After exhaling a breath of turbid air from his dantian qi sea, Li Lin stood up, feeling the full true qi inside his dantian qi sea, a sense of exhilaration suddenly surged from within his body, all the bones and joints in his body crackled like fireworks, filled with a sense of power. "So comfortable!" Li Lin lightly said, true qi flowing within his meridians, his blue robe rustling, a surge of aura, several times stronger than before the breakthrough, swept out from his body, shaking the spatial ripples and spreading ripples to the far distance. "Boss, you''ve broken through again," Little dragon said happily. Li Lin stretched lazily, having broken through to the peak of the Third-level Martial General, his strength was now completely on a different level compared to when he was at the First-level Martial General. In the ranks of Martial General, each breakthrough was extremely astonishing. "How do you feel, can you merge with the Martial Spirit Weapon?" Uncle Jiang looked at Li Lin, his eyes carrying a hint of a smile. "Hmm." Li Lin lightly said, his hand seals slightly forming, raising his right hand, suddenly a red glow instantly appeared in his hand, a strong aura also spreading with it. "Ao!" The blood light converged, and a sound like a dragon''s chant immediately echoed from the blade. The sound pierced through the cave to the outside of the canyon, instantly causing hundreds of beasts and birds to flee in panic. Li Lin excitedly looked at the knife in his hand, about one meter and twenty-three centimeters long, with the knife handle being about twenty centimeters long, like a little dragon coiling around it. The knife had only one edge, elegantly curved and upward, well-proportioned in posture, with a thicker back gradually thinning downwards, and the curvature of the knife body was as agile as a spirit snake. This curvature was perfectly outlined. The knife was enveloped in a blood-red light, cold and sacred, exuding a tranquil aura. This blood-colored light flickered, flashing with a ghostly blood light, and faintly, there was a murderous aura permeating. On the blade, Li Lin saw several golden secret patterns, on which, faintly, there seemed to be golden flames jumping, and a breath similar to that of a little dragon permeated from them. "An unmatched good knife." Li Lin murmured. This knife was too shocking, and Li Lin liked it very much at first sight, as if the knife was a part of his own body. Just the level of this knife, compared to the large knife of Ba Dao Long San, the war knife of Qu Dao Jue, was completely incomparable, not to mention the knife aura emanating from the blade was not on the same level. "Good knife." Even Uncle Jiang couldn''t help but say, his gaze fixed on the knife in Li Lin''s hand, saying, "This knife was refined using your essence blood as a guide, the knife changes with the person. This knife is filled with a murderous aura, it seems, kid, you have a killing intent in your bones, otherwise, this knife would not have such a heavy murderous aura. This knife, I''m afraid, will not be a benevolent knife in the future, but, it is definitely a good knife. Try to kill less in the future, too much killing, to avoid affecting your future cultivation." "Hmm." Li Lin lightly responded, but holding this knife, Li Lin couldn''t help but feel a surge of killing intent, this killing intent, was actually vaguely able to drive the flow of true qi in his body, as if communicating with spirits. "Good knife." Li Lin sighed inwardly, couldn''t help but infuse true qi into it, and immediately on the knife handle, the dragon head seemed to come alive, once again a dragon chant-like knife sound spread. "I slash." At this moment, Li Lin did not use any knife technique or martial skills, the long knife in his hand swung straight out, immediately a blade light swept out. "Chi!" On the ground of the cave, a crack appeared instantly, a finger-width wide and one meter deep crack spread to the outside of the cave, and a pile of rubble fell down the canyon. "Hu hu!" Li Lin swung out the blade light, drawing out beautiful arcs, the blade light bringing up a sound like tidal waves and lightning strikes, the blade light moved effortlessly, the momentum was majestic like a herd of thousands of horses galloping, or like huge waves hitting the shore, making wide and large moves, the breaking sound like dragon roars and tiger howls, this momentum was overwhelming and clear. "Hu!" True qi retracted, Li Lin held the blood knife in his hand, at this moment, Li Lin could feel within the blade, there was a terrifying power flowing, his true qi cooperating with this power, could flow rapidly, vaguely, Li Lin seemed to hear inside the blade, a very eager joyous sound. "Ka ka..." At this moment, the sound of explosion was continuous, directly below the ground of the cave were rocks, but now this rock ground was like a spider web, cracked with countless fissures. "This knife is still only at the Yellow rank level, when your Martial Spirit Weapon reaches the Earth rank level, it will be able to open up space within the blade," Uncle Jiang said to Li Lin. "Uncle Jiang, only when the spirit weapon reaches the Earth rank level, will it have space?" Li Lin asked. "That''s right, whether it''s a Martial Spirit Weapon or a Soul Spirit Weapon, to have space, it can only reach the Earth rank level. The Yellow rank level and the Mysterious rank level can change size, but cannot have their own space," Uncle Jiang said. "Oh." Li Lin nodded slightly, thinking of Yun Hongling''s palace spirit weapon, that must be a Soul Spirit Weapon, last time he was trapped inside that palace spirit weapon, didn''t expect that spirit weapon to have reached the Earth rank level, Yunyang Sect is really not ordinary. As the daughter of Yun Xiao Tian, that is also not ordinary, a martial artist carrying an Earth rank Soul Spirit Weapon, and also having two pieces of Earth Sha Mysterious Thunder. If an ordinary person encounters it, it''s not a joke. Read more chapters: ficcloud. ?m Chapter 443: Naming it Blood Slaughter "The quality of this blade has exceeded my expectations, but it also nearly overwhelmed me. The reputation of ten thousand year old red copper is well-deserved. If it weren''t for my knowledge of the secret method of refinement, using your essence blood for irrigation, and the fact that the red flame in my Nine Dragons Red Flame Cauldron is no ordinary spirit flame, I wouldn''t have been able to successfully refine it. With the ten thousand year old red copper as the base, your essence blood as the guide, and the addition of a trace of the soul of a dragon spirit beast, the quality of this blade is now top-notch within the yellow tier. Take good care of it, and when it advances to the level of a divine artifact, it shouldn''t take too long," Uncle Jiang said to Li Lin. "Thank you, Uncle Jiang." Li Lin bowed deeply, remembering every bit of Uncle Jiang''s kindness. "This blade has not yet been named. You should give it a name," Uncle Jiang said to Li Lin. "This blade was forged with my essence blood; let''s call it Blood Slaughter," Li Lin said lightly. "Blood Slaughter." Uncle Jiang smiled slightly and said, "What an arrogant and domineering name. Remember my words, don''t engage in too much slaughter in the future, it will affect your cultivation." "Yes, I''ll remember that," Li Lin responded. "This blade is now of the highest quality within the yellow tier, only a step away from the black tier. Do you know what this represents?" Uncle Jiang asked. "Did you not notice anything when you used the blade just now?" Uncle Jiang asked with a slight smile. "I felt like this blade could mobilize my true qi, making a single slash far more powerful than a palm strike," Li Lin pondered for a moment before saying. "Correct, that''s the power of a spirit weapon, especially since your Blood Slaughter is now your life-bound spirit weapon. Spirit weapons are crazily sought after by the strong because they can enhance attack power. A yellow-tier spirit weapon or soul weapon can almost double the strength of martial artists and spirit practitioners. That is to say, with the power of Blood Slaughter alone, one could contend against a martial artist of the second tier with the strength of a first-tier martial artist. If combined with martial skills, the effect is even more pronounced. The same martial skill, when performed with a common weapon and a spirit weapon, can differ in power by more than three times," Uncle Jiang explained. "That powerful?" Li Lin was somewhat surprised. "That''s just a yellow-tier spirit weapon. With a black-tier spirit weapon, a first-tier martial artist could contend against a third-tier one. As for earth-tier spirit weapons, they could kill a third-tier martial artist and barely contend with a fourth-tier. If it reaches the level of a heavenly-tier spirit weapon, which is the so-called divine artifact level, a first-tier martial artist could contend with a fifth-tier martial artist, even kill them," Uncle Jiang said again, then smiled slightly, "But heavenly-tier spirit weapons are too rare, so rare that I''ve never seen one. Even if someone has the materials to forge a divine artifact, it''s definitely not easy to make." "Terrifying," Li Lin exclaimed. He was already at the peak of the third-tier martial artist level, and he estimated that with his enormous dantian qi sea, he could barely contend against an average fifth-tier martial artist. According to Uncle Jiang, if he combined his efforts with Blood Slaughter, even his own strength could kill a sixth-tier martial artist. And after Blood Slaughter advances to the black, earth, and even heavenly-tier divine artifact levels, that would be even more terrifying. But hearing Uncle Jiang say this, advancing to a heavenly-tier spirit weapon, to the level of a divine artifact, is definitely not going to be easy. "Do you think spirit weapons are found everywhere in the world? Not to mention the materials for spirit weapons are extremely hard to find, even the spirit practitioners capable of forging spirit weapons aren''t too many. That''s why those strong ones are crazy about spirit weapons," Uncle Jiang glanced at Li Lin and said, "But enhancing strength several times is also true for martial generals, martial souls, and martial marshals. Once at the level of a martial king, the difference between each tier is like heaven and earth. Relying on spirit weapons to leapfrog challenges becomes extremely difficult." Li Lin nodded slightly, understanding that the higher the level of strength, the bigger the gap naturally becomes. "Having you forge the blade also has some special reasons. Here is a set of mid-tier black-level earth-series blade martial skills called Splitting Sky Nine Strikes. When you can practice up to the last strike, its power approaches that of a high-tier black-level martial skill, which is quite extraordinary. Your main attribute is earth, combined with your current cultivation of Blood Slaughter, the power will definitely not be weak," Uncle Jiang looked at Li Lin, then handed him a jade slip filled with a rich earth attribute aura. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. "Thank you, Uncle Jiang." Li Lin excitedly accepted the jade slip from Uncle Jiang. Nothing given by Uncle Jiang was ever of poor quality. "It''s been a month and a half since you left. Practice this martial skill when you have time. If you don''t go back now, your mother and your little fiance will start to worry," Uncle Jiang said to Li Lin with a slight smile. "Hehe!" Li Lin chuckled as he emerged, having previously told his mother, Yun Hongling, Li Wushuang, and others that he would be gone for about a month. It ended up taking him one and a half months to refine the Blood Slaughter, and looking at the Blood Slaughter in his hands, Li Lin was overjoyed. He finally had a natal martial spirit weapon of his own. Outside the canyon, as two figures leaped up, a Skywing Snow Lion was waiting in mid-air. At this moment, the aura of the Skywing Snow Lion had once again strengthened significantly, its wings spread out, directly shaking up the spatial airflow. "Broken through to the mid-stage of the fourth order," Li Lin smiled slightly. A Martial Spirit Holy Fruit had allowed the Skywing Snow Lion to break through from the early stage of the fourth order to the mid-stage. Ever since the little dragon had consumed the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, Li Lin felt that the breakthrough effect of the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit on demonic beasts seemed to be much weaker than on martial artists and spirit practitioners. If a martial artist consumed it, a single Martial Spirit Holy Fruit could be enough for a first-layer Martial Soul to break through to above the ninth layer, or perhaps even more. Initially, Du Gu Jingwen had taken a Martial Spirit Holy Fruit in a secret place and had broken through from a first-order Martial General to the peak of a second-order Martial General. Breaking through one order at the Martial General level meant advancing by a whole level at the Martial Soul level. However, the effect of the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, now stored in a jade box, had weakened somewhat. The effect was strongest when consumed immediately. "Chi!" The little dragon spit out its tongue, a slight smile appearing in its small eyes, "Snow Lion, it''s good that you''ve broken through. You can''t fall too far behind me." "Snow Lion, back to the Li family," Li Lin said. "Yes, master," the Skywing Snow Lion responded, its massive body radiating a king''s majesty, unmatched by ordinary demonic beasts, not even by the Nether Scale Demonic Peng, Blood Jade Tiger, Lunar Rabbit, or the Dual-Headed Water-Fire Serpent, despite these four also being extraordinary creatures. "I wonder how many levels Li Xiaobai has broken through?" Li Lin mused atop the Skywing Snow Lion. "Li Xiaobai''s cultivation talent isn''t that great, but over these three years, I''ve almost finished transforming his physique. Plus, with the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit you gave him, advancing to Martial King in the future isn''t out of reach. But breaking through further will likely be much harder," Uncle Jiang spoke softly. "Uncle Jiang, thank you for these past three years," Li Lin said, his eyes full of gratitude, knowing that Uncle Jiang had helped train Li Xiaobai because of him. "What''s there to thank for? That blockhead Li Xiaobai has wasted decades'' worth of collected spiritual herbs, worth far beyond your imagination. Do you think he could have broken through to Martial Soul in three years with his talent alone? Someday, you owe me," Uncle Jiang glared at Li Lin. "Uncle Jiang, whatever I have in the future is yours, including my life," Li Lin bowed deeply, grateful for Uncle Jiang''s help over the past three years. Having mistakenly consumed two spiritual pills, he had become a Yin-Yang body, facing death. If not for Uncle Jiang, he would have died long ago. His current strength and the Yin-Yang Martial Spirit Art he practiced were all thanks to Uncle Jiang. "When did you start with this? I''m not swayed by such talk. Hurry back. The Li family will likely see some excitement soon. It seems I can''t stay with the Li family much longer," Uncle Jiang stretched on the back of the Skywing Snow Lion, his previously energetic appearance now reverted to his old and tired demeanor. "Uncle Jiang, is something going to happen to the Li family?" Li Lin asked, puzzled. "Probably. I''ve been with your Li family for over thirty years. Since twenty years ago, your Li family has been a mix of dragons and snakes, quite the spectacle. It won''t be long before a big drama unfolds. Be careful then," Uncle Jiang spoke lightly. "Li Wushuang, why hasn''t that thief returned yet? He said he would be in seclusion for a month, but now it''s been one and a half months," Yun Hongling expressed her worries to Li Wushuang in the Li family courtyard. "Lin''er has the little dragon by his side; he shouldn''t run into any trouble unless..." Li Wushuang frowned, her worries growing. "Could it be the Zhao family has sent another strong person?" Yun Hongling''s beautiful face darkened. "Don''t worry, the young master will be fine," said Li Xiaobai in the courtyard, the only one who knew the young master was out with Uncle Jiang, so the chance of encountering danger was not great. "Xiaobai, you should still send someone to look for Lin''er," Luo Lan said, hearing Yun Hongling and Li Wushuang''s concerns, her own worries intensifying. "Mother, no need to look for me, I''m back," Li Lin''s figure appeared in the courtyard as his voice fell. "I told you the young master would be fine," Li Xiaobai said. Read more chapters: ficcloud. ?m Chapter 444: Midnight Counterattack "Xiao Bai, your breakthrough is impressive." Li Lin''s gaze landed on Li Xiao Bai. In a month and a half, the aura emanating from Li Xiao Bai had already reached the sixth level of the Martial Soul. "Thank you, young master." Li Xiao Bai gratefully said. The breakthrough was so fast, entirely thanks to the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit given by the young master, otherwise, he couldn''t have made such a quick breakthrough. Several hours later, in the small hall of the courtyard, Li Lin''s eyebrows raised slightly, having just learned from Li WuShuang and Li Xiao Bai that Li Shao Hu had returned to the Li family, and even Zhao Qing Tian and Zhao Qing Hai had arrived at the Li family. His gaze turned cold, and a hint of chill crossed Li Lin''s lips, fretting about how to deal with the Zhao family, this was an opportunity delivered to the doorstep. "What are you planning to do, you little thief?" Yun HongLing looked at Li Lin, feeling the chill surrounding him, seemingly also feeling a bit frightened. "What do you think the expressions on Zhao WuJi''s face and the Zhao family''s face would be if Zhao WuJi''s two precious grandsons were to die outside?" Li Lin said lightly, a slight smile appearing on his face. "Lin''er, are you planning to take action at the Li family?" Li WuShuang said, "I''m worried that after you kill Zhao Qing Hai and Zhao Qing Tian, it will provoke a crazy retaliation from the Zhao family." "No matter if I provoke the Zhao family or not, Zhao WuJi has always wanted to put me to death. Shi YunSheng is already an example. Now, it''s my turn to counterattack." Li Lin said with a slight smile. "Little thief, then I''ll help you. It''s not good for you to face them alone." Yun HongLing said. She didn''t care about the Zhao family; she would not be polite to anyone who wanted to harm her man. "HongLing, you don''t need to take action. I have my ways." Li Lin said lightly, "But there''s no hurry, let''s wait until tonight." "Then be careful." Li WuShuang said. "Young master, I have invited the lord and the lady here." At that moment, Li Xiao Bai''s voice came from outside the courtyard. "WuShuang, we happen to have time today, let''s talk to uncle about it." Li Lin looked up with a smile and said to Li WuShuang. "Mm!" Li WuShuang responded lightly, obviously knowing what Li Lin wanted to say, her cheeks suddenly blushing. "Lin''er, did you call me and your aunt here for something?" Three figures then arrived in the small hall. "Uncle, aunt, please have a seat." The arrivals were Li Dong and Mrs. Huang. Li Lin then said to Li Xiao Bai, "Xiao Bai, please invite the lady over." "Young master, please wait." Li Xiao Bai immediately ran to the inner hall to invite the lady. "Dad, Mom." Li WuShuang approached Li Dong and Mrs. Huang, her face even redder, looking somewhat cute. "WuShuang, why is your face so red?" Mrs. Huang looked at Li WuShuang lovingly, a trace of puzzlement crossing her eyes. Li Dong and Mrs. Huang had no children of their own, so they treated Li WuShuang as if she were their own, always loving her dearly. "Mom, I''m fine." Li WuShuang said softly, her voice almost inaudible. "Mom." Outside the small hall, Yun HongLing greeted Mrs. Luo Lan, already going forward to meet her. "Lord." Mrs. Luo Lan entered the small hall, surprised to see Li Dong and Mrs. Huang there. After Mrs. Luo Lan sat down, Li WuShuang''s face became even more flushed, her beautiful face lowered to her chest, her hands fidgeting with her clothes, looking somewhat awkward. "Mom, uncle, aunt, I have something to tell you," Li Lin said to the three. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "Lin''er, just speak your mind." Li Dong looked at Li Lin, then at his daughter''s expression, seeming to guess something. "Lin''er, you''re not planning to leave again, are you?" Looking at Li Lin, Mrs. Luo Lan immediately asked. "Mom, uncle, aunt, WuShuang and I plan to get engaged, and we hope you agree," Li Lin said lightly. "What?" Hearing this, Li Dong, Mrs. Huang, Mrs. Luo Lan, and Li Xiao Bai were all surprised, their gazes then falling on Li Lin and Li WuShuang. "Dad, Mom, Third Aunt, WuShuang and I ask for your blessing," Li WuShuang said, biting her lip and stepping forward to stand beside Li Lin, addressing Li Dong, Mrs. Huang, and Mrs. Luo Lan. At this moment, the three looked at each other, all very surprised, but then they each smiled. Li Dong was the first to say, "You two kids, we thought it was something serious. You being together, we couldn''t be happier." "WuShuang, I''ve always wanted you as my daughter-in-law, but back then, I knew Lin''er wasn''t worthy. Now, it''s good that you''ve come together on your own," Mrs. Luo Lan said with a slight smile, then looked at Yun HongLing, "HongLing, WuShuang and Lin''er..." "Mom, WuShuang sister and Lin''er are already together, so you don''t have to worry about me being unwilling," Yun HongLing said. "You two kids, you should have told us earlier. You being together, I''m also relieved," Mrs. Huang said with a slight smile to Li WuShuang, "A few days ago, your dad and I were still talking about finding you a match. Unexpectedly, you found one yourself. Next time, don''t keep things from your parents." "Mom." Li WuShuang shyly approached Mrs. Huang, glancing at Li Lin from the corner of her eye, feeling relieved in her heart. "Lin''er, since you''re getting engaged, I''ll prepare, announce to the whole town, the Li family will have a feast for three days," Li Dong laughed. "Uncle, that''s not necessary. I don''t like the fuss, and I''d rather not notify the others," Li Lin said lightly. He had no interest in such festivities. "Then it''s up to you, but we still need to notify the Li family members," Li Dong said. Deep into the night, Li Lin stopped his cultivation, a cold light in his eyes. "Lin''er, be careful," Yun HongLing said softly. "Don''t worry." Li Lin pursed his lips in a smile, then walked out of the room. The little dragon, still small in size, continued to hover over Li Lin''s shoulder. In the small hall, Bai Ling, also in her reduced size, was already waiting. A man and two beasts instantly appeared on the continuous courtyard of the Li family, silent, causing no disturbance. "Bai Ling, is there a way to not attract anyone''s attention?" A moment later, atop a courtyard, Li Lin communicated with Bai Ling. "My strength can seal a small area of space. Those weaker than me should not be able to detect it. You can act without worry. Actually, killing a third-level Spirit General and a second-level Martial General, I could do it instantly. Why bother making it so complicated?" Bai Ling''s voice in Li Lin''s ear, her small body instantly turned into a beautiful white shadow, a seductive fragrance spreading around. "I have use for them alive. Killing them directly would be letting them off too easily," Li Lin said coldly, his gaze fixed on a courtyard ahead, the chill beginning to spread. "Both are inside." Bai Ling informed Li Lin as he looked toward a courtyard ahead. "Let''s do it." As Li Lin''s words fell, a whirlwind flashed under his feet, and at the same time, his figure turned into a shadow appearing inside the courtyard. "Who..." Instantly, a shout came from the courtyard, followed by two figures leaping out. "We meet again." Li Lin stood with his hands behind his back, quietly standing in the courtyard, staring at the two figures in front of him, one in a white luxurious robe and the other in a blue robe, a young man, with a cold indifference undisguised in his eyes. "Li Lin." The two, looking at the two figures that had arrived, looked at each other, panic starting to rise in their eyes. These two were the Zhao family''s Zhao Qing Tian and Zhao Qing Hai brothers. The two had been at the Li family for a month but had seen Li Lin for the first time. They thought Li Lin had been killed by Shi YunSheng, but arriving at the Li family, they learned that Li Lin had returned long ago, which made them uneasy. Knowing their strength was no match for Li Lin, they feared Li Lin would act against them. However, in the Li family, they felt safe, believing Li Lin wouldn''t dare to act against them here, which would bring trouble to the Li family. Just waiting a little longer, once the Zhao family''s strong members arrived, everything would be resolved. Seeing Li Lin appearing in the middle of the night, they immediately felt panicked. If Li Lin really acted against them, they would be in trouble. At that moment, observing Li Lin and Bai Ling, their stunning beauty breathtaking, they wondered why such beautiful women always surrounded this young man. With their strength, they could feel the powerful aura emanating from this stunning woman, certainly very formidable. "Li Lin, what do you intend to do?" Zhao Qing Tian asked with a hint of unease. "How is it? You wanted to kill me for a quick resolution, now I feel like you''re a bit scared," Li Lin said with a light smile, mockery in his smile. "Li Lin, this is the Li family. If you dare to act rashly, my Zhao family will definitely level your Li family to the ground," Zhao Qing Hai said with a stern look. "Ha ha," Li Lin laughed, his gaze amusingly fixed on the two, saying, "First, the Li family being leveled to the ground has nothing to do with me. Second, if I kill you two now, no one will know." "Li Lin, if you dare to act recklessly, my Zhao family will not let you go," the two''s faces paled, already feeling the increasingly strong chill from Li Lin. They had seen Li Lin''s ruthlessness before, and now, a cold fear spread from the depths of their hearts, their bodies slowly retreating, looking around as if thinking of escaping. Read more chapters: ficcloud. ?m Chapter 445: You Are a Spirit General "You don''t need to think about escaping. The space has been sealed by me; you can''t escape." Bai Ling''s cold voice sounded as if it came from hell, sending a chill down one''s spine. Hearing Bai Ling''s words, the two became even more terrified. They looked around, only to see the space completely sealed. To seal space, the opponent must be at least at the level of a Martial Marshal. Could it be that this stunning woman has reached the level of a Martial Marshal? "Li Lin, if you kill us, the Zhao family will not let you go. You will die a gruesome death," Zhao Qingtian warned Li Lin in a final threat. "I forgot to tell you, Shi Yunsheng is already dead. Next will be you, and then the entire Zhao family," Li Lin said coldly. "You killed Shi Yunsheng?" The two were even more shocked. They knew of Shi Yunsheng''s strength; he was a fourth-level Martial Marshal. Li Lin''s strength shouldn''t be enough to kill him. They thought Shi Yunsheng hadn''t managed to block Li Lin, allowing him to escape. But now they were surprised to learn that Shi Yunsheng was dead. "Your turn now," Li Lin said coldly, slowly walking towards Zhao Qinghai. Zhao Qinghai and Zhao Qingtian, the two brothers, were terrified. They instantly mobilized their spiritual energy and Qi, then rushed towards Li Lin. "Kid, I''ll fight you to the death." A loud shout rang out. The Zhao brothers had no choice but to fight desperately. Their figures instantly turned into streaks of light, rushing towards Li Lin. "Bai Ling, Zhao Qingtian is yours," Li Lin said, a hint of a sinister smile crossing his lips. "Die." Zhao Qinghai''s figure flashed like lightning, instantly appearing in front of Li Lin. In a moment, his hand seals changed, and a whooshing sound of breaking wind appeared out of thin air. "Whoosh whoosh." In the blink of an eye, in front of Zhao Qinghai, a sharp energy arrow condensed and shot out, carrying the force to pierce through space. This energy arrow, as thick as an arm, caused ripples in the surrounding space, spreading a violent aura. Against Li Lin, Zhao Qinghai had to use the most terrifying soul attack of a spiritualist from the start, his forte. Among his peers, his strength was unmatched. This violent aura made the space feel oppressively heavy. The attack targeted the soul directly. Li Lin, with a strange smile on his lips, had already quietly formed hand seals. As the energy arrow shot through the air, Li Lin''s gaze suddenly lifted, a cyclone flashing under his feet, and his figure vanished on the spot, employing Floating Light and Glimmering Shadow to reach an unparalleled speed. When Li Lin''s figure disappeared, Zhao Qinghai''s soul attack missed, almost brushing past him. As Li Lin''s figure appeared like a ghost, he was already in front of Zhao Qinghai. His hand seals formed, and spiritual energy instantly gathered around him, the terrifying wind pressure twisting the space, spreading a powerful aura. In Li Lin''s hands, a red light condensed, causing space ripples to spread, and the howling wind sounded sharply. "Soul Sword Light Blade." A low shout came from Li Lin''s mouth. His hand seals moved upward, drawing a beautiful crescent arc in front of him. This light and airy momentum instantly dragged up a crescent moon-like glow from the red light in his hands, sweeping through the surrounding air currents. Seeing Li Lin''s condensed attack force, Zhao Qinghai''s face turned pale, whether from shock or fear, his expression froze. The Crescent Moon Red Blade cut through the void, a beautiful strike causing the space to vibrate, generating a sonic boom as the blade''s radiance dragged a beautiful afterimage across the space, then fiercely slashed towards Zhao Qinghai. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. "You are also a Spirit General." When the Crescent Moon Red Blade reached Zhao Qinghai, he finally reacted, his face showing shock as he hurriedly set up an invisible white light in front of him. "Whoosh!" The Crescent Moon Red Blade dragged an afterimage, lightly cutting through Zhao Qinghai''s protective light circle. The light touch was enough to twist Zhao Qinghai''s protective light, causing it to crack and unleash a terrifying energy fluctuation. A fierce power spread, even distorting the surrounding space. "Thud thud" Amidst the spreading energy light, Zhao Qinghai''s body staggered back rapidly, his face pale. At his brow, a shallow blood mark appeared. "Whoosh whoosh." Almost simultaneously, Li Lin''s figure appeared in front of Zhao Qinghai again. Zhao Qinghai rapidly retreated, but his speed was far inferior to Li Lin''s. Li Lin formed a hand seal, his fingers clenched, and he moved like lightning, placing his palm on Zhao Qinghai''s crown. "Ah" As Zhao Qinghai was about to counterattack, a sharp pain suddenly pierced his mind. The spiritual power in his brain was out of his control, being crazily absorbed into the opponent''s body. His scream was piercing, but in Bai Ling''s sealed space, the sound couldn''t spread. At that moment, Zhao Qinghai felt the breath of death and realized Li Lin was also a spiritualist. He never knew Li Lin was a spiritualist. He had too many questions, but no more time or chance to understand. Li Lin dealt with Zhao Qinghai in no more than six seconds. During these six seconds, Zhao Qingtian, who was attacking Li Lin, saw a white figure suddenly appear in front of him. Without hesitation, Zhao Qingtian''s Qi shook under his feet, and he lunged forward, his long sword in hand. The sword''s radiance cut through the void, causing the space to vibrate and generating a sonic boom in the air. The sword''s afterimage spread, carrying a terrifying force directly towards Bai Ling. Such strength was indeed worthy of the title of absolute sword. However, at this moment, Bai Ling made no move. As the violent sword shadows swept towards her, she slightly raised her hand, her gaze becoming dark and mysterious, majestic yet enticing. With a gesture of her hand, the space in front of her twisted, distorting the violent attacking force in the space before her. "Whoosh whoosh" The sword shadows rampaged, instantly dissipating within the space, and the violent energy also dissipated. "Little Martial General, behave yourself," Bai Ling said lightly, her expression calm. With a grasp of her hand, the twisted space instantly enveloped Zhao Qingtian as well. "Shh!" There wasn''t a loud sound of explosion, just the sound of the space whooshing, the twisted space suddenly spiraling together like a vortex. "Ptui!" Zhao Qingtian had no chance to resist and spat out a mouthful of blood. Only now did he realize the strength of the beautiful woman in front of him was enough to easily kill him. If he had known Li Lin had such a strong ally, he would not have dared to confront the Li family. "Whoosh!" The exchange between the four did not require Little dragon''s intervention, who had been watching from a patch of grass nearby. "Bang!" In Li Lin''s hands, Zhao Qinghai had already become a mummified corpse, his spiritual power completely devoured by Li Lin. "The power of the Soul Sword Light Blade is indeed formidable." Li Lin thought to himself. He had just activated the second level of the Soul Sword technique, the Soul Sword Light Blade, which was significantly more powerful than the Soul Sword Slash. Feeling that he had only a bit of strength left after activating the Soul Sword Light Blade, Li Lin guessed that he might not be enough to activate the third level, the Soul Sword Void Annihilation. Although the Soul Sword Slash was only an early-stage Xuan-level spirit technique, its power was extraordinary and overwhelmingly dominant. "Ssst!" With a flicker of spiritual fire in his hand, Li Lin took Zhao Qinghai''s storage ring and immediately incinerated Zhao Qinghai''s body into ashes, leaving only a burnt shadow on the ground. All of this was witnessed by Zhao Qingtian, who watched his elder brother meet such an end, while he himself was already in Bai Ling''s grasp, unable to move. Terror and fear were the words that described Zhao Qingtian''s eyes as he looked at Li Lin. He never expected this outcome. After dealing with Zhao Qinghai''s body, Li Lin''s expression slightly darkened. While devouring Zhao Qinghai''s spiritual power, Li Lin also used the Soul Searching technique and learned some information. The Zhao family''s powerful members were on their way, estimated to arrive at the Li family in more than half a month. This time, it seemed the Zhao family was prepared to act against the Li family directly, aiming for a mysterious treasure of the Li family. However, what exactly this treasure was, even Zhao Qinghai did not know. At the same time, Li Lin also learned that Li Shaohu and Zhao Hui, this mother and son, were still intent on killing him. It appeared he had to deal with these two himself. "This time, there will be a good show to watch." Li Lin smiled faintly. The Zhao family''s actions against the Li family had nothing to do with him. However, if the Li family truly possessed a treasure, he would not be courteous. Li Lin also remembered Du Gu Jingwen mentioning that he must obtain the Li family''s treasure. It seemed it was no ordinary item. "Li Lin, let me go. I was blind to oppose you. It doesn''t matter that you killed my elder brother. I won''t tell anyone. From now on, there will be no one to compete with me for the position of the Zhao family head. Let me go, and I''ll do whatever you ask," Zhao Qingtian pleaded with Li Lin, fear in his eyes. He couldn''t guess what Li Lin would do to him, knowing Li Lin''s cruelty, which made him even more afraid. Read more chapters: ficcloud. ?m Chapter 446: The Second Order Spirit General "There will be something for you to do." Li Lin gave a cold smile, which sent shivers down Zhao Qingtian''s spine. An hour later, within the Li family''s backyard, Li Lin entered the secret chamber of the woodshed once again. Nothing here had changed, and Li Lin felt a sense of familiarity. Everything about him had changed right here. In the secret chamber, Zhao Qingtian was now immobilized by Li Lin, with his meridians and acupoints sealed, unable to move or even speak, his eyes filled with panic. "Sssss!" The little dragon lazily circled in a corner, flicking its tongue in and out. Glancing at Zhao Qingtian, Li Lin frowned. It was uncertain how many powerful individuals from the Zhao family would come this time, and what exactly the Li family''s treasure was. "Little dragon, help me guard." Li Lin said softly. "Don''t worry, boss." The little dragon responded. "Refine." Li Lin said softly, paying no further attention to Zhao Qingtian, having just absorbed the spiritual power of Zhao Qinghai, a peak third-order Spirit General, which was already the limit for his current level of spiritual power. Pulling out the spiritual jade bed, Li Lin sat cross-legged, not forgetting the spiritual jade bed during the absorption and refinement of spiritual power. The bed had a kind of energy that was greatly beneficial to his soul power. Sitting cross-legged on the spiritual jade bed, forming a hand seal, he slowly began to cultivate, waiting to refine the absorbed spiritual power. The spiritual power he absorbed was immense, confirming that Zhao Qinghai''s strength had indeed reached the peak of the third-order Spirit General, and perhaps not far from breaking through to the fourth order. This spiritual power was vast but not violent. Having already been spiritual power, Li Lin could slightly refine it, removing the impurities and keeping the essence, making it usable for himself. After a slight refinement, this spiritual power entered Li Lin''s brain space, where the soul pill began to spin rapidly, absorbing a stream of spiritual power to nourish and strengthen his soul power. Moments later, Li Lin entered a state of cultivation, his body enveloped in a faint, invisible, transparent glow, with his aura gradually increasing. At this time, next to Li Lin''s soul pill, a strange golden knife also nestled on top of the soul pill, rotating with it. Inside the soul pill, a tiny stream of soul power was immediately absorbed into the blade, which began to emanate a faint yellow light. This tiny soul power was continuously sucked from the top of the soul pill, making the golden knife seem like a bottomless pit. Li Lin always knew that this strange golden knife had been absorbing his soul power since it entered his mind, but the absorption rate was very slow, not harming his soul or reducing his soul power. On the contrary, because of the golden knife''s absorption of soul power, the rotation speed of the soul pill became faster, obtaining a large amount of energy from the spiritual power to nourish the soul power. Although the soul power was continuously absorbed by the golden knife, the progress of the soul power was still stronger than usual. The golden knife absorbed energy on the soul pill in this cycle. Li Lin had no choice but to accept it, unable to remove it. Occasionally, every ten days or half a month, Li Lin would try to see if he could move the golden knife, but every time he could not even shake it. Therefore, Li Lin eventually stopped paying attention to it but could determine that the golden knife was no ordinary object, otherwise, it would not have appeared in the secret ruins. Moreover, it seemed that the golden knife would not harm him. "Lingzhe, Li Lin is still a Lingzhe (Spirit Practitioner)." Zhao Qingtian, trapped in the secret chamber and unable to move, felt the aura on Li Lin at this moment and became despondent, just like Zhao Qinghai, beyond his expectations. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Li Lin refined the spiritual power quickly, and the speed of his cultivation level skyrocketing was incredibly fast. The speed of this progress was unbelievably rapid, mainly because the absorbed spiritual power, once slightly refined, could become Li Lin''s own spiritual power, which was somewhat frightening. And the spiritual power of a peak third-order Spirit General was indeed a great supplement for Li Lin, making him feel extremely comfortable. The next day, two major events happened in the Li family. First, Young Master Li Lin and Miss Li Wushuang got engaged, and there was no engagement ceremony, just an announcement by Elder Li Dong to the Li family members. Because of the engagement of Young Master and Miss, the servants of the Li family could once again go to the accounting room to receive a year''s salary as a bonus, which made all the Li family''s servants jump for joy. They silently praised Young Master Li Lin as their god of wealth. Coming back for less than two months, they had already received two years'' worth of salary bonuses. Many servants were envious of the fortune of having two fiances, each a beauty capable of overthrowing states and cities, a fortune that made all men envious. As for the second event, it caused the Li family''s servants to curse in private because two nephews from the Third Lady''s maternal family disappeared into thin air last night, leading the Third Lady to send out all the Li family''s servants to search the streets. Inside the Li family''s main hall, where all the family members gathered, no one knew what had happened the previous night, nor had they heard any noise. However, traces of a fight could be seen in the courtyard, which enraged Zhao Hui, pointing directly at Li Lin, but Li Lin was nowhere to be found early in the morning, and she was helpless. Moreover, with Yun Hongling there, she dared not do much. The disappearance of Zhao Qingtian and Zhao Qinghai, along with the traces of a fight, sent chills down Li Shaohu''s spine. While the Li family was searching for people, on the third day, inside the secret chamber of the woodshed, Li Lin''s aura filled the room, and the entire chamber was enveloped in a dense, invisible, transparent light shield. Inside Li Lin''s brain space, the spiritual power was full, but there was still a vast amount of spiritual power rushing in rapidly. The soul pill spun rapidly, and at this moment, the golden knife attached to the soul pill also absorbed soul power at a much faster rate. "Compress it." Li Lin uttered a low command in his heart, changing his hand seals, and the vast spiritual power was immediately compressed and entered into his brain space. "Boom..." With a muffled sound coming from the brain space, a huge energy surged, and Li Lin''s brain space suddenly compressed, expanding to twice its size in an instant. "Sigh..." At this moment, Li Lin''s aura of spiritual power also skyrocketed, as if there was an omnipresent energy between heaven and earth entering Li Lin''s body along with the invisible light from the spiritual jade bed. At this moment, Li Lin''s brain space also benefited greatly, his soul power receiving a lot of nourishment, and the golden knife also absorbed a lot of soul power. After a long time, Li Lin''s aura finally calmed down, and at this moment, his aura had reached the second order Spirit General. But the refinement continued, and Li Lin did not even open his eyes, continuing to refine. At this moment, half of Zhao Qinghai''s spiritual power had not yet been refined. As time passed, Zhao Qingtian became more and more astonished, witnessing Li Lin''s breakthrough in just a few days. Such a speed of cultivation was absolutely astonishing. Days passed without finding Zhao Qingtian and Zhao Qinghai, and Zhao Hui was on the verge of collapsing. These two nephews were always seen as the future of the entire family, the hope of the Zhao family, each a prodigy among the direct disciples of the Yunyang Sect, absolute powerhouses. The future of such young people was imaginable, but now they had disappeared, along with the traces of a fight in the courtyard, leading Zhao Hui to immediately think of the worst. If something truly happened to these two nephews, it would be a huge blow to the Zhao family, and she would not be able to explain it to the family if something happened to them under her watch. Zhao Hui approached the Li family, but Li Dong was also helpless. The strength of Zhao Qinghai and Zhao Qingtian was not something ordinary people could contend with, especially since they were together. These days, Zhao Hui was sleepless and anxious, but the biggest suspect in her heart was still Li Lin. She had also heard of Li Lin''s strength. If it were against her two nephews, only Li Lin could do it. But she could not understand how, even if her two nephews were defeated, they would not be killed or defeated without a trace. At this moment, Zhao Hui could only wait, waiting for the strong members of the Zhao family to arrive before making any decisions. Inside the secret chamber of the woodshed, on the fifth day, Li Lin''s continuously strengthening aura finally began to calm down. "Sigh..." Li Lin exhaled a breath of turbid air, opened his eyes, which sparkled with energy, feeling the abundant spiritual power in his body, and a smile appeared on his face. His cultivation level had progressed from a first-order Spirit General to the mid-level of a second-order Spirit General, a considerable breakthrough. "Boss." Seeing Li Lin stop cultivating, the little dragon immediately crawled over. Read more chapters: ficcloud. ?m Chapter 447: Cultivating Both Spirit and Martial Arts? "How is your cultivation going? Don''t be lazy," Li Lin asked Little dragon. "I should be about to break through," Little dragon replied, his small eyes turning as a hint of a smile appeared in his eyes. After putting the spiritual jade bed into his storage ring, Li Lin then took out the Fire Dragon Cauldron and once again set his gaze on Zhao Qingtian, slowly saying, "What, are you surprised, or are you shocked?" As his words fell, Li Lin sent a true qi into Zhao Qingtian''s throat, causing Zhao Qingtian to cough violently. Then, with a horrified gaze, Zhao Qingtian looked at Li Lin and said, "You are also a spiritual practitioner, are you the legendary cultivator of both spirit and martial arts?" "Didnt you see it yourself?" Li Lin replied with a faint smile. "Dont kill me, please let me go, I can give you anything you want," Zhao Qingtian begged in fear, his only option now was to plead for mercy. "Don''t worry, I won''t kill you," Li Lin replied with a slight smile. "Really? As long as you dont kill me, I have martial techniques, gold coins, and pills in my storage ring. I can give them all to you, and if that''s not enough, I can get more for you," Zhao Qingtian hurriedly said, his eyes beginning to show a desperate desire to live. "Ha ha," Li Lin laughed and said, "I promise I wont kill you." After saying this, Li Lin no longer paid any attention to Zhao Qingtian. His hand seals changed, and he sat cross-legged in front of the Fire Dragon Cauldron, then took out a lot of materials from his body. These were the materials needed to refine a puppet, and at this moment, Li Lin planned to refine Zhao Qingtian into a living puppet. Having recently broken through to the peak of the Third Level Martial General, Li Lin decided it was not suitable to assimilate so soon, so he planned to refine him into a puppet. Thinking about using Zhao Qingtian to deal with the Zhao family, a cold smile appeared on Li Lin''s lips again. The scene would probably make the Zhao family''s faces look very interesting. Spiritual power was injected into the Fire Dragon Cauldron, and a scorching flame began to howl. Soon, Li Lin put a lot of materials into the Fire Dragon Cauldron. Under the envelopment of the flames, the materials began to slowly refine. This refinement process did not require much technique, and Li Lin was now adept at it, easily beginning the refinement process. Now at the Second Level Spirit General''s strength, Li Lin only needed one day to completely refine all the auxiliary materials. Inside the Fire Dragon Cauldron, there were now balls of pure solution rolling like magma. Feeling the solution inside the Fire Dragon Cauldron, Li Lin smiled slightly, withdrew his hand seals, and turned his gaze back to Zhao Qingtian, saying, "Now it''s your turn." "What are you going to do? You said you wouldn''t kill me," Zhao Qingtian, sensing something, began to tremble all over as the scorching temperature inside the Fire Dragon Cauldron made him shiver in fear. If he hadn''t been restrained, he probably would have collapsed on the ground already. "I indeed wont kill you; I will just make you stronger," Li Lin said with a light smile, his amusement making Zhao Qingtian feel terrified. At this moment, Li Lin indeed did not plan to kill Zhao Qingtian. Using a living person to refine a puppet, the puppet''s strength would increase, similar to a puppet with the strength level of an Eighth Level Martial Soul being refined into a peak Fourth Level After-Phase puppet, equivalent to the peak of a Ninth Level Martial Soul, almost reaching the strength of a First Level Martial General. Originally, the puppet Kui, who was unconscious and considered a living dead when refined, was less effective compared to a true living person puppet. Now, Li Lin decided to refine a true living person puppet. Zhao Qingtian''s strength as a Second Level Martial General was probably at the peak of that level. Li Lin estimated that after refining him into a puppet, the strength might reach the edge of the Fifth Level Middle Phase, which is the strength of a Fourth Level Martial General. With the puppet''s robustness, it would be equivalent to contending against a Fifth Level Martial General. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. A puppet equivalent to the cultivation level of a Fifth Level Martial General would be incredibly strong. At this moment, Li Lin felt even more the terrifying might of his cheap master, the Holy Hand Spirit Sovereign. No wonder even Uncle Jiang admired the Holy Hand Spirit Sovereign as a super-strong figure famous long ago. Everything recorded in the Heavenly Spirit Record was insane and terrifying. "What are you going to do, please let me go," Zhao Qingtian''s eyes trembled with fear, seemingly sensing Li Lin''s cruelty from his teasing gaze. "You''ll know soon," Li Lin said with a calm smile, and then with a change of hand seals, a light enveloped Zhao Qingtian, who was unable to move due to the restraints, and directly threw him into the Fire Dragon Cauldron. "Sizzle!" As soon as Zhao Qingtian''s body entered the Fire Dragon Cauldron, his clothes instantly turned to ashes, and then the surface of his skin began to emit sizzling sounds in the scorching flames, with blood plasma continuously flowing out and evaporating into white vapor in the high temperature of the Fire Dragon Cauldron. "Ah..." A scream erupted from Zhao Qingtian''s mouth, sounding eerily like ghosts wailing, but this scream was short-lived. As soon as he opened his mouth, the flames engulfed him, silencing him immediately. Unable to make a sound, but the pain was still present, it was a fate worse than death. Zhao Qingtian finally understood what Li Lin intended to do; he wanted to refine him into a puppet while still alive. At this moment, Zhao Qingtian was filled with deep regret for provoking such an opponent and for not killing him at all costs when Li Lin was still weak. In the midst of this excruciating pain, Zhao Qingtian was filled with hatred. Now completely restrained, he lacked even the ability to commit suicide and could only endure the unbearable pain, feeling his flesh and bones separating, his hair, skin, and mouth melting, and his blood sizzling as it evaporated in the flames. Li Lin, however, was fully focused on controlling the spiritual fire. At this moment, any carelessness could either burn Zhao Qingtian''s body to ashes if the spiritual fire was too strong, or fail to remove the impurities in the body if it was too weak, not meeting the requirements for refining a puppet. As the spiritual fire continued to refine, Zhao Qingtian''s body became bloodied and blurred, with blood seeping out from his flesh in the flames, suffering excruciatingly. It was a cruel and bloody sight. Li Lin had no compassion for such cruelty; it did not mean he lacked kindness. The one inside the Fire Dragon Cauldron was his enemy, someone who repeatedly sought to kill him. If not for Li Lin''s ability to turn danger into safety multiple times, he would have been dead by now. Showing mercy to an enemy is like digging one''s own grave. Li Lin would not be foolish to that extent. Kindness is not to be shown at such times. As the refinement continued, Li Lin could feel Zhao Qingtian''s body, after the impurities were removed, slowly becoming stronger. The muscles and bones were subtly contracting as if strength was being condensed. This process lasted for two whole days and nights. At this point, Li Lin''s face was somewhat pale, as the consumption was significant. With his current Second Level Spirit General strength, the likely outcome of the refinement was a puppet at the Fifth Level Middle Phase, which would imply considerable expenditure. By now, Zhao Qingtian''s body had turned into a charred color, and a thin layer of flesh membrane had wrapped around this body, significantly increasing its strength multiple times over. The muscles and bones had been thoroughly refined. Looking through the thin flesh membrane wrapping the body, Li Lin could see that Zhao Qingtian''s internal organs were still faintly pulsating, appearing extremely mysterious. However, the color of these organs had also turned to a charred black, no longer the original vibrant red. "Control Soul." When Li Lin changed his hand seals again, an invisible energy burst forth from his brow, entering the brow of Zhao Qingtian''s dried-up body inside the Fire Dragon Cauldron. What Li Lin intended to do was to control Zhao Qingtian''s soul. The most crucial aspect of a puppet refined from a living person is its soul power, allowing the puppet to retain its original soul, filled with wisdom and its own responsive consciousness, while also keeping its cultivated martial techniques from its lifetime, combined with its powerful body, to truly become terrifying and considered a genuinely good puppet. As Li Lin''s soul power instantly entered Zhao Qingtian''s mind space, he was immediately met with a furious attack from Zhao Qingtian''s soul power within. This soul power seemed to have lost control, attacking the foreign power purely on instinct. Zhao Qingtian was not a spiritual practitioner, and although he was a Martial General, his soul power was not particularly strong. During the refinement, his soul power had already been damaged, and by now, it had almost lost all consciousness. At this moment, Zhao Qingtian''s soul power naturally could not compare with Li Lin''s, and it was quickly enveloped and restrained by Li Lin''s soul power. Then, within the Fire Dragon Cauldron, a spiritual fire instantly refined these soul energies. These refined souls turned into smoke, and Li Lin''s soul power instantly merged with them before finally entering deep into the brain of the body. "Puppet Secret Technique, condense for me." Instantly, Li Lin''s eyes burst open, a sharp light shooting out. As his hand seals changed, the solution inside the Fire Dragon Cauldron boiled over and was directly poured onto Zhao Qingtian''s body. "Sizzle..." The scorching hot solution drenched Zhao Qingtian''s body, emitting a sizzling sound. The intense heat surged again, wrapping the body from head to toe in the scorching solution. Every muscle and bone in the body twitched non-stop under the high temperature. Read more chapters: ficcloud. ?m Chapter 448: Cultivating Four Techniques At this moment, as Li Lin''s hand seals changed, streaks of bizarre light also entered Zhao Qingtian''s body. Time slowly passed, and under the infusion of these mysterious and profound lights, the originally vacant gaze in Zhao Qingtian''s body began to slowly reveal a kind of icy and pale light. At this time, Zhao Qingtian''s body, with the irrigation of the solution, turned dark green, emitting a metallic luster tinged with cyan. "Converge for me." Li Lin shouted loudly, and with the final hand seal executed, his face had already turned deathly pale. Refining a level five puppet, this kind of consumption, had almost completely drained Li Lin of his spiritual power. "Huff, huff" In an instant, the aura around the puppet surged, a terrifying aura converged, and this violent power roared, causing the secret chamber to shake. "It''s a success." At this moment, a smile appeared on Li Lin''s lips, the puppet''s strength was enhancing, and a puppet refined from a living person was indeed much stronger. The aura inside the Fire Dragon Cauldron finally stabilized after a long time. When Li Lin executed another hand seal, a figure leaped out from within the Fire Dragon Cauldron and landed on the ground, a puppet''s body also appeared in Li Lin''s view, its body shimmering with a smooth luster, exuding powerful strength. "Level five mid-tier edge." Li Lin murmured to himself, observing the puppet, which had reached the position of level five mid-tier from its aura, and with its powerful body, the puppet''s strength was already capable of contending against a five-layered Spirit General. "From now on, you''ll be called Puppet Two," Li Lin said to the puppet, "Yes, master." The puppet''s lifeless eyes had a sharp glint focusing on Li Lin, its mouth emitting a cold and emotionless voice. Looking at the puppet, although Li Lin''s face was pale, he revealed an absolute smile. In just a few days, he had undoubtedly created a powerful being capable of contending against a five-layered martial general. Looking at the puppet, Li Lin could still clearly see Zhao Qingtian''s original facial features. When it was time to deal with the Zhao family, it would definitely be a surprise for them. Two days later, Li Lin left the firewood room secret chamber. During these two days, Li Lin also repaired Puppet One, which had lost an arm due to Zhao Qingtian in the secret ground, and allowed himself to recuperate and rest. Li Lin also took the opportunity to check the storage rings of Zhao Qingtian and Zhao Qinghai. Inside Zhao Qingtian''s storage ring, there were two sets of mid-tier Yellow Level martial techniques, one set of high-tier Yellow Level martial techniques, the crystal card had over a million gold coins, not much, but also had more than a dozen fourth-grade elixirs, three fifth-grade elixirs. The other miscellaneous items weren''t worth much, but for an ordinary martial general, it was absolutely a huge amount. For Li Lin now, it was average, but still good. Opening Zhao Qinghai''s storage ring took Li Lin quite some effort, almost breaking the storage ring. Because Zhao Qinghai was a spiritualist, his storage ring was imprinted with a soul mark before his death, making it impossible to open directly. Initially, Li Lin couldn''t open it, but later, with Little dragon''s help, using the golden flames from Little dragon''s mouth, they burned off the soul mark on the storage ring. Inside Zhao Qinghai''s storage ring, the haul was much more than Zhao Qingtian''s, with a bunch of medicinal herbs. Li Lin got about ten fifth-grade elixirs, dozens of fourth-grade elixirs, one set of low-tier Xuan Level spiritual technique, and one set of mid-tier Yellow Level spiritual technique. The Xuan Level low-tier spiritual technique, recognized by Li Lin, was what Zhao Qinghai won in the first round of the Three Sects Four Gates Conference, probably he hadn''t had time to cultivate it yet. After organizing these items, when Li Lin returned to his own courtyard, Yun Hongling greeted him, "Little thief, why are you always in retreat? You''ve been in Qingyun Town for over two months, and you''ve spent two months in retreat." Li Lin smiled slightly without saying anything. In these two months, his gains were substantial, and his strength had greatly improved. After seeing his mother, Luo Lan, Li Lin naturally couldn''t avoid being nagged a few times, but listening to the nagging, he felt warmth in his heart. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. At night, although Li Lin and Yun Hongling didn''t need to eat for several months, at the insistence of his mother, they still ate quite a bit. And when the two returned to their room, the air was suddenly filled with a fragrant aroma and the beauty of spring. Inside the room, bodies twisted, charming and seductive. Moments later, the dragon proudly faced the tender entrance of the peach blossom, Li Lin then thrust forward, the dragon penetrating instantly. In the room, the young man and woman made love passionately, enjoying themselves to the fullest, blooming several times before the clouds dispersed and the rain ceased... The next day, Li Lin went to the back mountain of the Li family, and Yun Hongling, Li Wushuang, Little dragon, Bai Ling, and Li Xiaobai also appeared in the back mountain. Creatures like the Contrary Scale Demon Peng, Blood Jade Demon Tiger, and Heavenly Winged Snow Lion also followed in the back mountain. On a hillside, Li Lin held the Bloodlust in his hand, its aura surprising both Li Wushuang and Yun Hongling. The two women were startled at the first sight of Bloodlust, the faintly spreading murderous aura made them pause for a moment. In his hand, Li Lin executed blade techniques, currently cultivating the Xuan Level Earth Series martial technique, Sky-Cleaving Nine Strikes, taught by Uncle Jiang. Cultivating a Xuan Level mid-tier martial technique was as difficult as one could imagine. From the information on the jade slip about cultivating Sky-Cleaving Nine Strikes, Li Lin was very much looking forward to it. Uncle Jiang was right; Sky-Cleaving Nine Strikes was extraordinary. Once cultivated successfully, each strike had the power to tear through space. If one could consecutively execute nine strikes at the final level, its power would be comparable to a Xuan Level high-tier martial technique. With each strike, true qi surged within his body, the power of the cultivation was absolutely not to be underestimated, occasionally causing sonic booms to echo in the space. Besides cultivating Sky-Cleaving Nine Strikes, Li Lin also cultivated two other sets of Xuan Level mid-tier martial techniques and one set of Xuan Level low-tier martial technique. These three martial techniques were the ''Three Thousand Flowing Clouds Hand'', ''Fiery Flame Fist'', and ''Earth''s Fury Roar''. Earth''s Fury Roar was a Xuan Level low-tier martial technique, the first Xuan Level low-tier martial technique Li Lin won at the Three Sects Four Gates Conference. According to the red-robed elder of the Heavenly Sword Gate, it was a martial technique from the Beast Sect. After cultivating it, Li Lin found that Earth''s Fury Roar was extremely powerful, with overwhelming attacking power, exactly the type of martial technique he favored. Once mastered, it possessed the power to split mountains. The ''Three Thousand Flowing Clouds Hand'' and ''Fiery Flame Fist'', both Xuan Level mid-tier martial techniques, were given by Yun Xiaotian. From the cultivation information on the jade slips, Li Lin learned that the ''Fiery Flame Fist'' was among the more dominant fire-based martial techniques, famous for its fierce offensive power. As for the ''Three Thousand Flowing Clouds Hand'', it was a highly valued wind-based martial technique of the Yunyang Sect, known for its unpredictable speed and ghostly movements. Although it was a Xuan Level mid-tier technique, once mastered and combined with Yunyang Sect''s ''Light as Feather'' technique, its power could compare to high-tier Xuan Level martial techniques. Cultivating three sets of Xuan Level mid-tier martial techniques and one set of Xuan Level low-tier martial technique was something probably only Li Lin would dare to do. If it were someone else, they could only stare in amazement. For an average three-layered martial general, cultivating a single set of Xuan Level low-tier martial techniques would already be quite challenging. As Li Lin devoted himself to his cultivation, Li Xiaobai was also not idle, diligently practicing martial techniques. Li Lin had given him two sets of high-tier Yellow Level fire-based martial techniques and one set of Xuan Level low-tier fire-based martial technique. The value of these three martial techniques was something Li Xiaobai was naturally aware of, leaving him astonished and dumbfounded. The generosity of his young master could buy an entire Li family. Having received these three martial techniques, Li Xiaobai was overwhelmed for a long time. He knew from the beginning that following his young master would lead to good fortune, and now it seemed he was truly lucky. However, with Li Xiaobai''s current strength, cultivating a Xuan Level martial technique was still beyond his reach. "This little thief is a cultivation maniac," Yun Hongling commented, watching Li Lin''s intense cultivation. "If he doesn''t work hard, how could he have his current strength? Let him cultivate. With stronger abilities, he can protect himself, and then we won''t have to worry about him," Li Wushuang said with a smile. At night, Li Lin would return to the Li family. He spent his days cultivating martial techniques and his nights resting, occasionally visiting Uncle Jiang. Thus, five days quickly passed. As time went by, Li Lin felt an impending storm brewing within the Li family, a sinister calm before the storm. This was a prelude to an approaching tempest that the servants and the ordinary members of the Li family could not detect. Feeling this atmosphere, Li Lin was somewhat excited, curious about what treasures the Li family might ultimately unveil. He knew he had to be involved when the time came. If there were treasures, he certainly couldn''t be left out. To prepare for the coming storm, Li Lin maintained himself in optimal condition every day, ready to face whatever came his way. The Zhao family''s people, he estimated, would arrive soon. During these five days, one event particularly pleased Li Lin: the Blood Jade Demon Tiger began preparing for a breakthrough four days ago and was expected to succeed soon. Originally at the strength level of a fifth-stage initial phase, the breakthrough would elevate it to the fifth-stage mid-phase. Combined with the formidable nature of demon beasts, contending against a four to five-layered martial general would not be an issue. Moreover, the bloodline of the Blood Jade Demon Tiger was exceptionally noble, not something ordinary demon beasts could compare to. Read more chapters: ficcloud. ?m Chapter 449: The Demon Tiger Breakthrough During this period, Li Lin found an excuse to give the Taiyin Demon Rabbit to his mother, claiming it was to help her pass the boring time. In reality, he wanted the Taiyin Demon Rabbit to stay by his mother''s side at all times, to prevent any accidents. As time passed again, Li Lin was still practicing martial arts every day. However, during these days, aside from making some progress in the Earth Fury technique, he didn''t make much substantial progress in the three mid-grade Xuan-level martial arts: the Sky-Splitting Nine Strikes, the Three Thousand Flowing Clouds Hand, and the Fierce Flame Fist. Mid-grade Xuan-level martial arts were definitely not easy to practice. Originally, Li Lin thought that having successfully practiced the Gloomy Spirit Vanishing Palm and the Ice Seal before reaching the martial general level, he should be able to practice mid-grade Xuan-level martial arts at the martial general level. However, this practice session made Li Lin realize that mid-grade Xuan-level martial arts and low-grade Xuan-level martial arts were completely different concepts, with too great a difficulty gap. He estimated that it would take a lot of time and suffering to successfully practice these three sets of mid-grade Xuan-level martial arts. Li Lin didn''t mind enduring hardships, as he had already experienced plenty. He didn''t believe that with his current strength level, he couldn''t practice mid-grade Xuan-level martial arts. "Roar!" On the seventh day, a huge tiger roar erupted from the distant mountains behind the Li family. At this moment, Li Lin, Li Wushuang, Yun Hongling, Bai Ling, Little dragon, and the Sky Wing Snow Lion were all present on a mountain peak. At this time, in a canyon plain, the Blood Jade Demon Tiger had transformed into a huge body of four to five hundred meters, with a violent aura bursting out and a pressing force coming down. This aura was similar to the Sky Wing Snow Lion''s, possessing a Beast King''s aura, shocking Li Wushuang, Li Lin, and Yun Hongling. Li Wushuang was shocked. When she saw the Blood Jade Demon Tiger and the Twin-Headed Water-Fire Demon Jiao from the back mountain, they had shrunk their bodies and concealed their auras. With her strength, she couldn''t see through them. Now, seeing the Blood Jade Demon Tiger, one could imagine how surprised she was. "My heavens." Li Xiaobai was also dumbfounded. After three years of absence, the young master he grew up with had given him too many shocks. Initially, the young master was so poor, but upon returning, he spent tens of thousands of gold coins and even took out Xuan-level martial arts that could buy the Li family. Now, he realized that the demonic beasts following the young master were so powerful. A fifth-order demonic beast, equivalent to a martial general, was incredibly surprising. "The Blood Jade Demon Tiger, it''s the Blood Jade Demon Tiger from the secret land." Yun Hongling quickly recognized the huge body of the Blood Jade Demon Tiger. A few days ago, when she saw the Blood Jade Demon Tiger, the Antagonistic Dragon Peng, and other demonic beasts on the back mountain, they had all concealed their auras and shrunk to a very small size. Although she felt that these demonic beasts might not be simple, she hadn''t recognized them. At this moment, Yun Hongling instantly recognized them. The fifth-order demonic beast that stole six Martial Spirit Holy Fruits from the secret land included this huge Blood Jade Demon Tiger. Immediately, Yun Hongling''s gaze carefully observed the Antagonistic Dragon Peng and the Twin-Headed Water-Fire Demon Jiao, and upon closer inspection, she recognized them as well. "The Antagonistic Dragon Peng, the Twin-Headed Water-Fire Demon Jiao." Yun Hongling was absolutely shocked. The powerful demonic beasts from the secret land were all by Li Lin''s side. "Little thief, the Martial Spirit Holy Fruits from the secret land were all your doing, right?" Yun Hongling was not foolish. Thinking of all this, she immediately thought of the scene in the secret land. The six Martial Spirit Holy Fruits were mostly taken by this little thief. "Hehe, didn''t I leave one for you?" Li Lin chuckled. Anyway, these demonic beasts were following him, and the matters of the secret land would be discovered one day. Li Lin did not deny it, especially since Yun Hongling was now one of his own. "You little thief, it was really you." Yun Hongling helplessly glared at Li Lin. She remembered when she went to pick that Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, the Antagonistic Dragon Peng did not stop her. Now she knew it was arranged by this little thief, and a sense of happiness surged in her heart. "You have some conscience. I won''t tell my father, or else, he would definitely trouble you." A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Li Lin smiled slightly. The daughter who is married off is like water that has been splashed out. Hongling is still closer to him now. If Yun Xiaotian, that old fox, knew, he would probably be a bit frustrated. "Little thief, the one you placed by Mother''s side, that''s the Taiyin Demon Rabbit, right?" Yun Hongling asked Li Lin. "Yes, there might be some changes in the Li family recently, and I''m worried about Mother," Li Lin said lightly. "Roar!" A huge roar spread from the mouth of the Blood Jade Demon Tiger, its giant eyes opened, and its aura soared, exuding a fierce air. With this roar, a tremendous pressure intensified again, and the wild beasts in the surrounding mountains were immediately startled and fled, while the birds flapped their wings in panic and escaped. In an instant, the huge body of the Blood Jade Demon Tiger suddenly swelled rapidly, and in a moment, the body of the Blood Jade Demon Tiger had grown to more than five hundred meters, with a powerful aura spreading out. "Such a strong aura, it''s probably enough to contend with a fifth-level martial general," Li Lin sighed, watching the Blood Jade Demon Tiger. Although the Blood Jade Demon Tiger''s bloodline was not as noble as the Sky Wing Snow Lion''s or Bai Ling''s true form, the Nine-Tailed Fox, it was still extremely high. A noble bloodline meant stronger strength, not something ordinary demonic beasts could compare with. Although the Blood Jade Demon Tiger had just broken through to the mid-fifth level, from this aura, Li Lin felt that its strength could probably contend with a general fifth-level martial general. "So strong." Both Li Wushuang and Yun Hongling were surprised. "Roar..." After a long time, the aura around the Blood Jade Demon Tiger finally calmed down, and then its body shrank back to the size of Li Lin and Little dragon. "Greetings to the two Demon Kings, Master," the Blood Jade Demon Tiger said to Little dragon, Bai Ling, and Li Lin. "Blood Jade Demon Tiger, your breakthrough was really fast," Li Lin said. "Master, my mindset should have reached the seventh level. Within the breakthrough to the seventh level, my breakthrough speed should not be slow," the Blood Jade Demon Tiger said. Li Lin nodded, something Bai Ling had also mentioned to him earlier. The seventh level was equivalent to the martial king level. It wouldn''t be long before these demonic beasts would become a great help to him. Now, they could already be considered a significant help. "I feel that I should also break through again soon," the Antagonistic Dragon Peng said. "It seems I am also on the verge of a breakthrough," the Twin-Headed Water-Fire Demon Jiao said. Li Lin smiled slightly, especially about the Antagonistic Dragon Peng''s breakthrough. The Antagonistic Dragon Peng was already at the late fifth level, and another breakthrough would bring it to the early sixth level, equivalent to a martial commander. Li Wushuang and Yun Hongling were increasingly surprised by Li Lin. "Let''s go back. It''s about time," Li Lin said, looking at the sky. The breakthrough of the Blood Jade Demon Tiger had brought dusk. Everyone and the beasts then headed back to the Li family. Along the way, Little dragon hovered on Li Lin''s shoulder, while the Antagonistic Dragon Peng, the Blood Jade Demon Tiger, and the Twin-Headed Water-Fire Demon Jiao shrank their bodies and followed behind. Li Wushuang and Yun Hongling watched all this, exchanging glances. With Bai Ling included, such terrifying demonic beasts following Li Lin was too frightening. Back at the courtyard, Luo Lan had already personally cooked a lot of delicious food waiting for the three to come back and eat. Having her son and daughter-in-law by her side during this time made Luo Lan smile every day, thoroughly happy in her heart. With her son like this, she no longer had to worry. Into the night, Li Lin and Yun Hongling were both practicing in meditation. Li Lin was also pondering that the people from the Zhao family should be arriving at the Li family soon. Surrounded by a circle of faint yellow light, Li Lin immediately entered a state of practice, and time slowly passed. Deep spring had gradually passed, and it was now early summer, which was different from deep spring''s beauty. On the ground, numerous unnamed plants were set against the dense greenery around them. In the morning, Qingyun Town was enveloped in a thin mist. The sun had not come out, and the warm wind blowing through the space carried a moist coolness. Outside Qingyun Town, the lush green leaves in the surrounding mountains overlapped, swaying in the wind, presenting a vibrant greenery. When sunlight penetrated through the dense layers of branches and leaves, the ground was filled with coin-sized spots of light. In the mountains, the forest radiated a green light under the sunlight, and the entire Qingyun Town was shrouded in a mist-like fog, with a cool breeze circulating above the land. "Whew!" Li Lin exhaled a breath of turbid air from his body. The recent practice had further consolidated his breakthrough from a few days ago. Both his Qi and spiritual power had become more solid than before. Feeling the Qi and spiritual power within his body, Li Lin showed a smile. If there was a suitable opportunity, he could also swallow Qi and spiritual power again to prepare for the next breakthrough. Qingyun Town was still immersed in the quiet of the morning, but at this moment, outside Qingyun Town, several huge demonic beasts brought a whistling airflow as they flapped their wings and came. In this quiet morning, the sound of the airflow was even more noticeable, sounding like a gust of wind howling past. People in Qingyun Town immediately went to the streets to look up. What appeared in everyone''s eyes were seven huge demonic beasts, with the one in front being the largest, the two behind it slightly smaller, and the last four even smaller. Read more chapters: ficcloud. ?m Chapter 450: Excuse Me In terms of aura, the leading demonic beast was the most formidable. Its wings vibrated, and the space''s airflow expanded instantly, followed by two slightly weaker ones. On the backs of these seven huge demonic beasts, the leading one carried five figures, while the two behind each had twenty figures on their backs. The last four also had about twenty people each. "My goodness, those are fifth-tier demonic beasts." "And two fourth-tier and four third-tier ones." "Who are these people? They seem to be heading towards our Qingyun Town." In Qingyun Town, there were indeed some perceptive individuals who immediately sensed the levels of the demonic beasts from their spreading aura. The seven demonic beasts pressed down through the air, and on the back of the leading massive beast, five figures looked ahead. Among these five, the aura of the middle-aged man in a yellow robe was the strongest. "We''ll arrive at the Li family soon." One of the five, a robust man on the left side with a slender body, said, his eyes sparkling with a sharp gleam. "This time, let''s ask the Li family directly for that treasure. There''s no need to beat around the bush. In fact, we should have done this twenty years ago," said a middle-aged man in gray. "Don''t underestimate the Li family. If the treasure is really with the Li family, their strength shouldn''t be what it seems, and your father wouldn''t have asked you to pay attention to that old man of the Li family," the middle-aged man in the yellow robe said. "Third Uncle, that old man of the Li family is rumored to only have the strength of a Martial General. Even if he''s a ninth-tier Martial General, he shouldn''t be your match," said the first middle-aged man on the right. "Martial General? You''re underestimating the Li family. If that old man really only had the strength of a Martial General, our Zhao family could have taken the treasure directly twenty years ago," the yellow-robed elder said. "Third Uncle, you mean that old man of the Li family has reached the level of a Martial Commander?" asked a muscular man. "That, I don''t know. The Li family is probably not as simple as it appears on the surface. That old man must be hiding something," the yellow-robed elder said. "No matter what, this time, we must get the treasure of the Li family. If the Li family can hand it over, that''s fine. Otherwise, we will level the Li family to the ground," the man in the gray robe said coldly. In Qingyun Town, within the Tianbao Gate, a figure watched the sky, a sharp gleam flashing in his eyes, muttering, "The Zhao family finally couldn''t bear it anymore." If Li Lin were here, he would recognize that this person was the Mr. Wu of the Tianbao Gate. In the courtyard of the Li family''s backyard, Uncle Jiang, old and feeble, suddenly had a faint sharp gleam flash in his eyes, then it disappeared, and he lightly shook his head, murmuring, "It''s been over thirty years without moving. It seems the Li family can''t stay here anymore." In the Li family''s courtyard, Li Lin and Yun Hongling were eating breakfast made by their mother when suddenly, Bai Ling''s voice was heard, saying, "Many people are coming. There''s a fifth-tier demonic beast, a Martial Commander, and three Martial Generals." "So, they''ve finally come," Li Lin raised his eyebrows, expecting the Li family to be very lively today. "Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!" Soon after Bai Ling''s voice fell, a series of urgent bell sounds echoed in the sky above the Li family. Suddenly, all the family members and servants changed their expressions drastically. They knew all too well that this bell would not ring unless the Li family was in danger. "Quickly, gather!" "Quick, all Li family members gather!" Suddenly, the Li family was in chaos. The family members, servants, and disciples all quickly gathered together, their faces filled with surprise and panic. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. "This is the Li family''s emergency bell. A formidable enemy is coming." Hearing the bell, Mrs. Luo Lan''s face changed dramatically, and everyone in the Li family knew what this bell meant, including her. "Mother, don''t worry. It''s okay. Let''s have breakfast first," Li Lin said to Luo Lan with a slight smile, showing no concern. "Roar!" Outside the Li family, a beastly roar sounded. Seven huge flying demonic beasts were already circling the giant square outside the Li family, their formidable aura pressing down and stirring up a large cloud of dust on the square. "Creak..." The Li family''s gate opened, and immediately, hundreds of people rushed out. The leaders were Li family members, roughly around three hundred people, young and old, followed by a hundred male servants. There were no women and children among them, except for several dozen female family members who were also practitioners, not ordinary women and children. But the appearance of these roughly four hundred people changed dramatically when they saw the seven huge demonic beasts in the sky, revealing expressions of shock. "Ha ha..." Outside the Li family, a man in a gray robe on the back of the leading demonic beast laughed heartily. His voice, mixed with true qi, pierced through the space like thunder, saying, "The in-laws are visiting, but the Li family''s welcome is a bit too grand!" "So, it''s the in-laws visiting. I wondered who was coming to the Li family with such pomp. It''s a bit rude of us," a voice mixed with true qi echoed in the space, though this voice was much weaker than the previous one. As the voice fell, about twenty figures stepped out from inside the Li family''s gate. The leader was Li Dong, followed by Li Xi, Li Wushuang, Mrs. Huang, Mrs. Chen, Zhao Hui, Li Shaohu, Li Mei, and next to Li Mei, a middle-aged man resembling Li Mei, her father, and Li Bei, an adopted son of the Li family. There were also several elders of the Li family, seven or eight in total, mostly at the eighth or ninth tier of Martial Master, with no Martial Spirits among them. "Third Uncle, Big Brother, Second Brother," Zhao Hui smiled when she saw the figures on the flying demonic beasts above. "Third Grandfather, First Uncle, Second Uncle," Li Shaohu also showed a hint of joy, then walked over with his mother. "Whoosh whoosh!" At this moment, everyone from the seven huge demonic beasts leaped down to the ground, the fluctuations of their aura revealing that they were about one hundred and twenty or thirty people in total. But this group''s aura was much stronger than that of the Li family''s four hundred people. The Li family members were mostly Martial Masters, with very few at the first or second tier of Martial Master. And the hundred male servants were even less significant, merely for show, as a single fifth-tier Martial Master could easily kill them all. The strength of Li Dong and others at the forefront was also evident. Li Dong and Li Xi were at the Martial Spirit level, with only one at the second tier of Martial Spirit, two at the first tier, and the rest were at the eighth or ninth tier of Martial Master. At this moment, among those who leaped down from the back of the flying beasts, the last eighty people were all at the Martial Master level, with over thirty at the Martial Soul level. Additionally, from their aura, there were also three Martial Generals, and the elder in the yellow robe at the front had already reached the Martial Commander level. There were also two fourth-order demonic beasts and one fifth-order demonic beast. With such a comparison of strength, there was absolutely no comparability, the Li family was far too weak. "Li Dong, the head of the Li family isn''t you, right? Where is Li Zhong?" At this moment, seeing the people of the Li family coming out, the leading group of five people quickly scanned over the bodies of the Li family members. A man in a gray robe spoke. "Mom, slow down." Just then, from within the gates of the Li family, several figures slowly emerged and stepped out in front of the eyes of hundreds of people, a man and a woman supporting a middle-aged beautiful woman, followed by a servant who seemed to be the steward of the Li family. Oddly, this steward-like servant was carrying four backrest chairs on his shoulder, enveloping his entire figure within them. The man had an air of sinister charm, with a yellow snake demonic beast and a white mouse demonic beast on each shoulder, appearing bizarre and peculiar. The woman''s exceedingly beautiful face exhibited an arrogant air. And the middle-aged beautiful woman was holding a small blue rabbit in her arms, palm-sized, looking extremely well-behaved. At this moment, however, what people didn''t see was that on the roof of a courtyard within the Li family, several small demonic beasts had silently appeared, their bodies'' auras completely concealed, without the slightest leakage. Seeing these individuals emerge, everyone couldn''t help but take an extra glance. At this moment, these individuals were none other than Li Lin, Yun Hongling, Li Xiaobai, and Luo Lan, a group of four. "Excuse me." Li Lin shouted in the crowd, not minding the people around him, and directly made his way through the ranks of the Li family''s descendants, finally arriving at a corner. He looked around and then said to Li Xiaobai, "Xiaobai, put down the chairs." "Yes, young master." Li Xiaobai then placed the chairs at the spot designated by Li Lin, arranging four backrest chairs side by side. "Mom, please sit, let''s enjoy the show." Li Lin said with a smile to Luo Lan, then helped Luo Lan to the middle chair. At this moment, Luo Lan did not refuse, because she was shocked and staring at the seven huge demonic beasts in the sky, having never seen such gigantic beasts, she was immediately amazed and lost in thought. Yun Hongling directly sat next to Luo Lan, and the people around didn''t even spare them another glance. "Wushuang, come over and enjoy the show." Standing firm, Li Lin''s gaze swiftly swept across the scene, and finally, with a raised eyebrow, he revealed a hint of a smile and said to Li Wushuang, who was standing next to Li Dong. Read more chapters: ficcloud. ?m Chapter 451: The True Strength of Li Zhong Li Wushuang glanced at Li Lin and then shook her head. She knew Li Lin had no affection for the Li family. Seeing the Zhao family''s approach, it was clear the Li family was in trouble. She understood that Li Lin probably didn''t want to intervene, but her situation was different. She was raised by the Li family, by her foster parents, and with her parents present, she couldn''t leave. It wasn''t that her heart wasn''t with Li Lin, but under the current circumstances, she had to stand with the Li family. Li Lin didn''t speak again. He knew Li Wushuang''s thoughts and didn''t say more, only raising his eyebrows again, pondering something unknown. Then, Li Lin sat down and said to Li Xiaobai next to him, "Xiaobai, have a seat too." The four of them sat about two hundred meters away from the crowd, in a small corner. However, their actions undoubtedly attracted everyone''s attention. Especially the people of the Li family, who originally thought Li Lin would come to help. Seeing that Li Lin had no intention to assist and chose to sit far away, the elders of the Li family, as well as many of the Li descendants, had twitching faces. "You all continue talking. We''re just here to watch the excitement. Don''t mind us," Li Lin said with a smile, feeling everyone''s gaze on him. However, when Li Lin''s gaze swept over the Zhao family, a chill spread through him. He quickly assessed the strength of the Zhao family members. Recognizing all of them, he had previously used Soul Searching Technique on Zhao Qinghai''s mind, making most of the Zhao family familiar to him. The five people in front caught his attention more. The elder in the yellow robe in the middle was Zhao Wuguang, the third brother of Zhao Wuji, a martial commander of the Zhao family with the strength of a five-layered martial commander. Next was Zhao Wuji''s eldest son, Zhao Bo, with the strength of an eight-layered martial general. Zhao Wuji''s second son, Zhao Yu, had mediocre talent similar to Zhao Hui, belonging to the ordinary. Thus, Zhao Yu only had the strength of a seven-layered martial spirit, along with two Zhao family elders, both of whom were five-layered martial generals. And Zhao Qingtian, Zhao Qinghai''s brothers, were Zhao Bo''s sons. When his gaze landed on Zhao Yu, Li Lin recognized him as the man in black who had tried to kill him over three years ago in the back mountains of the Li family. Recognizing the figure, Li Lin''s chill deepened. "Black Feather Demon Eagle." Li Lin glanced at the few demonic beasts in the sky, the leading Black Feather Demon Eagle was at the initial stage of the fifth rank, but with ordinary bloodline and decent speed, which was somewhat advantageous. The other two fourth-rank demonic beasts were at the initial stage, and the four third-rank demonic beasts were not considered a threat by Li Lin. With over thirty martial spirits and the rest being martial masters, this force was dozens of times stronger than the Li family. Li Lin speculated that the Zhao family''s intention seemed to be to annihilate the Li family. The strength of the Zhao family did not concern Li Lin much. The highest, Zhao Wuguang, only had the strength of a five-layered martial commander, which he could easily deal with using a piece of Earth Fiend Thunder. The vengeance against the Zhao family was not forgotten by Li Lin, but now was not the time. He planned to watch the excitement first and then seek revenge. All eyes from the Zhao family were on Li Lin and his group, filled with confusion and uncertainty. "What do you want with me?" A voice slowly emerged from the Li family''s gate as everyone was puzzled by Li Lin and his group. A figure in a white robe appeared, exuding an aura of nobility yet seemed preoccupied. This person was the current head of the Li family, Li Zhong, the third eldest of the Li family. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Li Lin''s gaze darkened upon seeing Li Zhong, showing no further reaction. "Li Zhong, you''ve finally come out," Zhao Bo said, focusing on Li Zhong. "There would always be a day like this," Li Zhong lightly said, stepping in front of the Li family members. His gaze swept over Li Lin and his group, sighing softly, then looking at the Zhao family, "You''ve come to the Li family looking quite aggressive. What is the matter?" "Li Zhong, considering the relationship between our Zhao and Li families, I won''t waste words with you. I know the Li family has a treasure. Hand it over, and we''ll leave immediately. Don''t force me to act, or you''ll regret it," Zhao Bo said again. "A treasure? The Li family has never had any treasures. Your claim is quite strange," Li Zhong lightly said. "If you don''t believe me, feel free to search the Li family." Zhao Bo laughed loudly, a coldness passing through his laughter, "Li Zhong, stop pretending. We all know what''s going on, why put on an act?" "Li Zhong, for the sake of our marriage, hand over that treasure. We can still be husband and wife, and the Li and Zhao families can still be in-laws. It''s for the best for everyone," Zhao Hui said, looking at Li Zhong. "Zhao Hui, our marriage has come to this," Li Zhong said, focusing on Zhao Hui and Li Shaohu, "When you came to the Li family twenty years ago, you had an ulterior motive, didn''t you?" "Hmph, you''ve always been on guard against me in the Li family. Have you ever treated me as your wife?" Zhao Hui looked at Li Zhong, her eyes filled with resentment. "Ha, what a spectacle! The Li family''s daughter-in-law has turned against them. The Li family truly deserves this," a loud laugh came from the corner, loud enough for everyone to hear, and it was Li Lin who laughed. All eyes once again turned to Li Lin and his group. Luo Lan sighed helplessly, whispering something to Li Lin. Li Zhong also looked towards Li Lin, his eyes conveying a sense of helplessness. "Don''t look at me. Continue on. I''m just here to watch the excitement," Li Lin said, looking at everyone, his lips curling into a smile. "Brother, Qingtian and Qinghai have been missing from the Li family for half a month. I suspect it was that kid, Li Lin," Zhao Hui said, her face darkening as she spoke to Zhao Bo. "How could Qinghai and Qingtian be missing? What happened?" Hearing this, the Zhao family''s reaction became intense. Zhao Qinghai and Zhao Qingtian were considered the future of the Zhao family and couldn''t afford any mishaps. "Qinghai and Qingtian have been missing without a trace for half a month. I suspect it was that kid''s doing." All eyes from the Zhao family immediately turned to Zhao Hui, her face twitching slightly as she pointed towards Li Lin, her gaze filled with hatred. "Are you Li Lin?" At this moment, Zhao Bo''s gaze focused on Li Lin, aware of everything related to the Yunyang Sect and naturally knowing of Li Lin. "Mom, did you like the clothes I bought for you last time? I''ll buy you a few more sets tomorrow," Li Lin said to Luo Lan, completely ignoring Zhao Bo. Zhao Bo''s face turned ugly, coldly saying, "Boy, don''t think being with a woman from the Yunyang Sect means no one dares to touch you. Hand over my sons now, or I won''t be polite." "Zhao family old dog, what does your son''s disappearance have to do with me?" Li Lin turned around, a coldness emanating from him. Zhao Bo''s strength as an eight-layered martial general was nothing in Li Lin''s eyes. Even Zhao Wuguang, a five-layered martial commander, was not a concern. A piece of Earth Fiend Thunder could kill him, not to mention he had Bai Ling by his side. "Looking for death," Zhao Bo roared in anger, his dignity challenged. No one had ever dared to call him an old dog. He charged at Li Lin with a burst of true qi, creating an afterimage as he rushed towards Li Lin. Li Lin''s eyes flashed with coldness. "This is still the Li family''s home, not a place for the Zhao family to act recklessly," Li Zhong''s figure flashed, instantly appearing in front of Zhao Bo. "Hiding his strength," Li Lin raised an eyebrow, sensing the aura from Li Zhong, which did not seem like that of a martial spirit. The last time in the Li family''s main hall, Li Zhong took a hit from him without any defense, something a martial spirit couldn''t achieve. "Li Zhong, you can''t stop me," Zhao Bo coldly shouted, determined to deal with Li Lin. His hands formed seals, and his figure, like a ghost, charged at Li Lin again, a claw mark piercing through the air towards Li Lin. Seeing this, Luo Lan became panicked, having never witnessed such a scene before. Zhao Bo''s strength as an eight-layered martial general was extremely fast, the yellow glow piercing through the air, creating spatial ripples. "I also want to know if I can stop you," Li Zhong''s voice sounded, his hands forming seals, flicking his fingers lightly. A flame burst forth from his palm, quickly condensing into a fireball that enveloped the yellow glow. With a hissing sound, the energy burned, turning the yellow glow into white smoke. "Li Zhong, you''ve hidden your strength, but you still can''t stop me," Zhao Bo shouted, changing hand seals. His figure, like a phantom, charged at Li Lin again, a claw mark piercing through the air towards Li Lin. Read more chapters: ficcloud. ?m Chapter 452: A Clean Break "Blocking you is not difficult. Your Zhao family has finally lost patience. Since you''ve decided to act, then let''s settle this once and for all today!" Li Zhong sighed lightly, and from beneath his white robe, a whirlwind surged out. His figure leaped forward, turning into a white shadow that burst forth with the speed of lightning, suddenly closing the distance with Zhao Bo. The speed was lightning-fast, and at that moment, the space around him seemed to twist, carrying a hint of spatial power. "Fleeting Light and Shadow." Li Lin was suddenly surprised. What Li Zhong had used was precisely the Fleeting Light and Shadow technique from the Yunyang Sect, and this speed was even faster than what he could achieve at the moment. "He''s been hiding quite a bit." Li Lin frowned. The spatial changes brought about by Li Zhong made him suddenly think of a Martial Commander. Only a Martial Commander could reach this level. "Li Zhong, you are a Martial Commander." At this moment, Zhao Bo''s voice of surprise came out. "Whoosh!" A flame fist imprint condensed and struck hard against the claw imprint condensed by Zhao Bo, causing the collision of true qi to spread a dazzling light. "Bang!" A deep sound of explosion followed, and Zhao Bo''s figure was instantly knocked back. "Thud thud" Zhao Bo was directly forced back several steps, his face instantly pale, his eyes filled with surprise as he looked towards Li Zhong. "To think he''s reached the level of a Martial Commander." Li Lin was shocked. Li Zhong had indeed reached the level of a Martial Commander, likely a first-level Martial Commander. Frowning, Li Lin was somewhat surprised. It seemed the Li family really had been hiding something. As for Li Zhong, the Li family had widely claimed he was only a Martial Soul. Li Lin had some doubts, given that Li Zhong was, after all, a direct disciple of the Yunyang Sect, rumored to be exceptionally talented. Yet, after leaving the Yunyang Sect, how could he still be just a Martial Soul? "The Li family isn''t something your Zhao family can manipulate as you please. The Li family doesn''t have any treasures. You all should leave." Li Zhong''s figure appeared in the arena, his white robe fluttering, as he looked towards the people of the Zhao family. "Martial Commander!" At this moment, the members of the Li family were also extremely surprised; the family head was actually a Martial Commander, which excited many in the Li family. Li Shaohu looked at his father, seemingly very surprised as well. "Hmph!" A cold snort came from Zhao WuGuang''s mouth, as he stepped forward slightly and said, "Just a first-level Martial Commander, Li Zhong, hand over the treasure and the two people from our Zhao family, or I will exterminate your Li family." "Exterminating the Li family, your Zhao family can''t do it. I assure you, your Zhao family will pay a price too. Besides, my Li family doesn''t have your Zhao family''s people or any treasures." Li Zhong''s expression darkened, and between his brows, a formidable aura spread. "With just the strength of a first-level Martial Commander, you are still too weak," Zhao WuGuang said coldly. "Then let''s try. At the very least, I will make your Zhao family pay a heavy price." Li Zhong spoke gravely, his true qi trembling around him, his aura now completely different from before, like a lion awakening. "Ha ha, Li Zhong, it seems you won''t understand how formidable it is without a fight," Zhao WuGuang said coldly, as a chill began to spread. "Li Zhong, hand over the Li family''s treasure. I don''t want to see the Zhao family exterminate the Li family. After all, we were husband and wife, weren''t we?" Zhao Hui looked at Li Zhong. "Ha ha, husband and wife, when the Zhao family forced me to marry you, it was just to search for the so-called treasure in my Li family. How could we be husband and wife? Things have come to this point, and I, Li Zhong, hereby declare, our marriage is like this robe, cleanly cut in two." Li Zhong''s laughter rang out, sounding somewhat sorrowful. "Crack!" As his words fell, Li Zhong grasped a pale red long sword in his hand, his white robe fluttered, and a piece of the robe was neatly cut off. "Li Zhong, it''s been twenty years, and what you''ve done is cruel enough. I''ve been in the Li family for twenty years, and you''ve been in closed-door cultivation for twenty years. When have you ever cared about me? After all, I bore you a son in the Li family. How can you justify this to me?" Zhao Hui roared loudly, looking at Li Zhong, her face twisted with ferocity. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. In a distant corner, Luo Lan''s body trembled slightly, her heart seemingly experiencing great turmoil. "I don''t owe you anything. It''s the Zhao family that owes you. You are just a pawn of the Zhao family." Li Zhong looked at Zhao Hui, his expression filled with a sense of helplessness, and said, "Today, I don''t care about too much anymore. Twenty years ago, at the Yunyang Sect, did you think I didn''t know? It was your Zhao family who secretly made me take an aphrodisiac, causing me to make a mistake. Your Zhao family schemed meticulously, just so I would marry you and enter the Li family, while also driving me out of the Yunyang Sect. You are a pawn of the Zhao family, and I have become a victim, a victim of both the Li and Zhao families." "So that''s how it is." Hearing Li Zhong''s words, Li Lin finally understood why his master Yu Yu didn''t want to talk about Li Zhong''s affairs at the Yunyang Sect. It turns out there was such a secret involved, probably the Zhao family used this to make Li Zhong marry Zhao Hui. Hearing the reason behind these events, Li Lin seemed to feel less resentment towards Li Zhong, involuntarily raising his eyebrows. "Lin''er, I know you hate your father, but I''ve known about this for a long time. Your father didn''t let me tell you. Your father was also helpless. Don''t hate your father anymore." Luo Lan sighed softly, whispering in Li Lin''s ear. Li Lin didn''t speak, his gaze once again focused on the arena. "You actually can push everything clean. Good for you, Li Zhong, you only have eyes for that cheap maid Luo Lan. Since you are heartless, don''t blame me for being unrighteous." Zhao Hui''s face twisted terrifyingly, her eyes tightly fixed on Li Zhong, her gaze complex, filled with hatred, love, jealousy, and pain, all intertwined together. "Zhao Hui, you slut, I will tear your mouth apart sooner or later." A deep voice shouted from Li Lin''s mouth. Seeing his mother insulted by Zhao Hui, Li Lin''s eyes instantly turned cold. "And you, this little bastard, it''s all because of you. You shouldn''t be alive. Uncle, kill that bastard quickly. Qing Tian and Qing Hai might be in the hands of that bastard." Zhao Hui coldly looked at Li Lin, seemingly finding a vent for her anger, her chilly gaze fixed on him. "Very well, Li family, today you will be exterminated." Zhao WuGuang''s expression turned cold, and with a flicker of true qi around him, he instantly lunged towards Li Lin. "To exterminate the Li family, your Zhao family will also have to pay a price." Li Zhong shouted, his feet generating a whirlwind as his figure dashed towards Zhao WuGuang like lightning. Both figures moved extremely fast, and as the space rippled, they disappeared from their original spots, with only a few being able to see a trace of their figures colliding. "Li Zhong, you, a first-level Martial Commander, are too overconfident." Zhao WuGuang shouted coldly, and suddenly, the space in front of him churned rapidly, causing the entire area to tremble, and then a mist of water spread out, enveloping Li Zhong. Within the mist, the space was instantly twisted together, and a tremendous oppressive force spread out, the ferocity of which made the Li family members astonished. "Xiao Bai, take the madam and retreat." Li Lin immediately said, quickly setting up a yellow light barrier in front of him. His mother was an ordinary person, unable to withstand any impact. "Madam, let''s retreat." Xiao Bai immediately helped Luo Lan to retreat, and Li Lin, with a flash of yellow light, followed in retreat. "Boom!" In the space ahead, the clash between Li Zhong and Zhao WuGuang had caused a huge explosion, the ripple of space-distorting power spreading within the area. "Li Zhong, you''re no match for me." Above them, Zhao WuGuang''s hand movements changed, and a water column burst forth again, this one several meters in diameter, appearing out of nowhere, bringing a sharp whistling wind, with the surrounding space completely distorted. "How could it matter if I''m no match? I, Li Zhong, am not a coward afraid of death." Li Zhong shouted in the arena, his foot stomping the ground hard, and with the sound of an energy explosion, his body surged upwards, enveloped in a red light, carrying a scorching aura. The pale red long sword in his hand executed a sword technique in mid-air, then the sword traced several shadows. The sword light swept through, and then in the air, it turned into hundreds, thousands of beams, tearing through the air and twisting the space, each sword beam bringing a vortex of spatial airflow. "Whizz whizz" In the sky, the sword shadows collided with the water column, the space shook, and then countless water mists and sword shadows disappeared into the sky. "Li Zhong, although you''ve hidden your strength for twenty years, being only a first-level Martial Commander is still too low." Zhao WuGuang''s cold laughter sounded, his hands changing signs again, and in the sky above, a vast water attribute energy pressed down, the entire space suddenly becoming oppressively terrifying. Unnoticed, dark clouds gathered above, enveloping the area. This tremendous water attribute energy gathered, eventually turning into countless water arrows. The water arrows pierced through space, with the tips distorting the airflow, then covering the sky and enveloping Li Zhong. Such formidable power, the area spanning hundreds of meters, was enveloped within, the vast force directly causing spatial vibrations. "Damn it." Li Lin cursed silently, the terrifying attack power now covering too wide an area, enveloping both him and his mother, although not directly attacking them, the aftermath was extremely powerful. Instantly, another yellow light circle enveloped the surroundings. When Li Lin''s gaze returned to the arena, he knew Li Zhong was in trouble. Zhao WuGuang''s strength was far greater than Li Zhong''s. In that brief moment of distraction, Li Zhong''s expression darkened, his hand movements changed, and the temperature around him instantly soared. At the same time, a flame enveloped him, the space around him churning with fire, the numerous water attribute energy water arrows burning into nothingness. Read more chapters: ficcloud. ?m Chapter 453: Holding Hostages "Hmph, break for me." Zhao WuGuang shouted loudly, and in the sky, countless water arrows converged, instantly forming a huge water elemental energy ball, which burst down in an instant. "Crack crack!" The massive water elemental energy ball, formed by the gathering of true Qi, now carried an astonishing momentum. Within the distorted space, it smashed fiercely into the surging flames condensed by Li Zhong. "Boom boom!" The low sound of sonic booms echoed through the space. At this moment, when the flames and the water ball collided, they instantly turned into a mass of blazing yellow and huge blue lights. The two energies collided, and the space was filled with continuous sound waves. The entire space was filled with huge energy ripples spreading out, and the violent power was no less than a massive tornado storm. "Ah..." The energy spread instantly, enveloping the space. Many of the Li family disciples around were unable to retreat in time and were affected by the aftermath. Dozens of them were either dead or severely injured, unable to resist. At this moment, a figure in a white robe was also directly blasted out from within these spatial ripples. "Pfft!" A stream of fresh blood sprayed directly from Li Zhong''s mouth, his body was blasted hundreds of meters away, and then he heavily crashed to the ground, already covered in bloodstains. His strength was still not enough to contend with Zhao WuGuang. At this moment, Li Lin''s heart also trembled instantly, as if feeling a pain in his heart. "Zhong Ge." Luo Lan''s face changed drastically at this moment, and she directly rushed towards Li Zhong. "Despicable maid." From afar, Zhao Hui''s expression turned cold, and with a flash of true Qi under her feet, her figure also rushed forward, her gaze enveloping Luo Lan with a cold intent. Zhao Hui''s speed was extremely fast. With a tremor of Qi around her body, she directly rushed towards Luo Lan. "Hmph!" However, at this moment, Li Lin passed a cold intent but did not make a move. Yun HongLing and Li WuShuang also saw this scene, their faces changed, but they also did not take action. "Luo Lan, run." Li Zhong''s face changed drastically. As he struggled to get up from the ground, a yellow figure instantly appeared in front of him, and then several finger prints were made, rendering Li Zhong unable to move in an instant. "Luo Lan..." Li Dong, Huang Shi, and a few other Li family members'' faces changed drastically at this moment. In an instant, Zhao Hui had already reached Luo Lan''s side. "Despicable maid, die." Zhao Hui coldly said, with fire attribute true Qi trembling, a blazing palm print instantly slapped towards Luo Lan. Luo Lan, deeply worried for Li Zhong, found herself powerless when Zhao Hui appeared in front of her. Being an ordinary person, she was terrified and frozen, unable to move at all when she felt the blazing Qi approaching. "Little martial artist, seeking death." Amidst the tension of many, a blue bunny in Luo Lan''s arms instantly transformed into a dazzling blue light, leaping out with the speed of lightning. As a crisp voice fell, this blue light had already burst to Zhao Hui''s front. "Whoosh whoosh!" The blue light instantly spread, becoming a two-meter-tall blue giant bunny, its fur standing like quills, emitting the aura of a peak fifth-order monster beast. Before Zhao Hui''s palm print, the Taiyin Demon Rabbit directly ignored it. Its short forelimbs, like human arms, then a claw print pierced through the air currents, hitting Zhao Hui hard. "Third sister, be careful." Zhao Bo, Zhao Yu, and other Zhao family powerhouses immediately changed their expressions and shouted out in alarm. But it was clearly too late, the Taiyin Demon Rabbit directly ignored Zhao Hui''s attack, a claw print landed on her body. "Spare her life, capture that despicable maid." Li Lin''s voice also rang out at the same time. "Bang!" If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. With a tremendous force, Zhao Hui''s body was almost like a chain reaction, instantly spraying out a mouthful of fresh blood. And when Zhao Hui''s body was directly blasted away, the Taiyin Demon Rabbit''s claw pierced through the air barrier in a sigh, instantly capturing her in its claws. This scene astonished everyone. Just as everyone was worried for Luo Lan, no one expected that Luo Lan had such a terrifying monster beast on her. At this moment, Luo Lan herself was also stunned, watching the giant blue bunny in front of her, only then realizing that what she had been holding in her arms these days was a monster beast, and not an ordinary one at that. "It''s a mid-stage fifth-order Taiyin Demon Rabbit." Zhao Bo''s face had already changed drastically, and the Zhao family''s powerhouses were also shocked. "Mom, are you okay?" Li Lin, Yun HongLing, and Li XiaoBai had already reached Luo Lan''s side. "Lin''er, quickly save your dad." Luo Lan came back to her senses, but her first worry was Li Zhong. Li Lin sighed lightly, having suffered for twenty years, his mother''s love for Li Zhong was still deep. "Master, how should this person be dealt with?" The Taiyin Demon Rabbit, now two meters in size, with forelimbs like human arms, directly grabbed Zhao Hui. "Quickly release my third sister." Zhao Bo shouted at Li Lin, his gaze carrying a trace of surprise towards him. At this moment, both the Zhao and Li families were on edge. With Li Zhong captured by Zhao WuGuang and Zhao Hui captured by the fifth-order monster beast, at this time, everyone''s gaze was focused on Zhao WuGuang and Li Lin. Li Lin glanced at everyone indifferently, seeming to have been involved in this matter ahead of time. "What a Zhao family, you are becoming bolder and bolder. When I go back, I will definitely let my father take care of your Zhao family." Yun HongLing shouted angrily, her gaze sweeping over with anger. "This matter has nothing to do with Yunyang Sect. Yunyang Sect has already promised not to interfere with the matters between the Li and Zhao families. This matter is also unrelated to you. Although you are the young miss of Yunyang Sect, it''s better for you not to intervene in this matter." Zhao WuGuang''s gaze had already noticed Yun HongLing, and from the information obtained by the Zhao family, he could easily recognize her identity. "Hmph, the Zhao family is really becoming bolder." Yun HongLing immediately scolded. "HongLing, let me handle it." Li Lin signaled Yun HongLing to step back, knowing the Zhao family came prepared for the Li family''s treasure, and would not leave just because of Yun HongLing. "Are you that five-element martial artist Li Lin? Release my Li family''s people, or your father will surely die." Zhao WuGuang''s gaze focused on Li Lin. "Do whatever you like, it has nothing to do with me." Li Lin said indifferently. Zhao WuGuang was stunned, not expecting that Li Zhong could not threaten Li Lin. "Lin''er, please save your dad, mom is begging you." Hearing Li Lin''s words, Luo Lan became anxious and pleaded with Li Lin, seeing Li Zhong captured in Zhao WuGuang''s hands, her heart was extremely worried. "Ha ha, Li Lin, you think a fifth-order monster beast can contend against me? Killing you all would be easy for me." Zhao WuGuang coldly said. "Let''s see, but Zhao Hui will be the first to die." Li Lin smiled faintly, not taking Zhao WuGuang''s threat seriously. With a gesture of his hand, the true Qi trembling, Zhao Hui, who was in the Taiyin Demon Rabbit''s claws, was already lifted into his own hands. At this moment, Zhao Hui was completely terrified, her complexion pallid, her front covered in bloodstains. The Taiyin Demon Rabbit had spared her life but had also taken half of it. Held in Li Lin''s hands, Zhao Hui was left with only fear. She truly hadn''t expected that Luo Lan would have such a powerful fifth-order monster beast, completely beyond her ability to contend. "Boy, you''re threatening me, but I will crush you to dust." Zhao WuGuang glared at Li Lin coldly. "Let''s negotiate, you release the person in your hands, and I will release Zhao Hui." Li Lin''s gaze focused on Zhao WuGuang. "What right do you have to bargain with me." Zhao WuGuang''s expression became even colder. "Then you can kill the person in your hands, and I will also kill Zhao Hui." Li Lin said. "Uncle, save me, great uncle, save me." At this moment, Zhao Hui''s voice was hoarse as she shouted loudly, a mouthful of fresh blood spewing out again. Zhao WuGuang''s face twitched, seemingly displeased by Li Lin''s threat, and then coldly said, "I count to three, and we release people at the same time." "You release first, or else you can kill the person in your hands." Li Lin''s gaze sank, but his face remained largely unflustered. "Boy, I won''t let you off." Zhao WuGuang fiercely said, and with a toss of his hand, he threw Li Zhong to the ground. "Pfft!" This seemed to contain hidden strength, and Li Zhong spat out another mouthful of fresh blood again. "Third brother." "Third brother." "Third uncle." Li Dong, Li Xi, Li WuShuang, and others'' expressions darkened, quickly stepping forward to support Li Zhong. "Kid, quickly release the person, or else, you''ll end up in a pitiful state." Zhao Bo immediately glared at Li Lin and shouted. "WuShuang, have all martial artists below the warrior level in the Li family retreat to the courtyard." Li Lin did not pay attention to Zhao Bo, nor did he release the person, directly speaking to Li WuShuang. Li WuShuang nodded, then said something to Li Dong. Li Dong''s expression slightly darkened, turned back to the Li family members and said, "All Li family disciples, those below the warrior level, retreat to the Li family." "Quickly retreat." Many Li family warriors and martial disciples were already scared stiff by the powerful fighters'' exchange of blows. The power brought with every move was tearing the space apart, changing the weather, something they couldn''t contend against. In a very short time, the over four hundred people from the Li family had now dwindled to less than forty people, including Li Xi, Li Dong, Huang Shi, Chen Shi, Li WuShuang, Li Mei, and the Li family''s adopted son Li Bei. As for Li Nan, he had already left the Li family to return to the Zhou family. "Li Lin, quickly release the person in your hands." Zhao WuGuang slowly approached Li Lin. Read more chapters: ficcloud. ?m Chapter 454: Killing Zhao Hui "Li Lin, release the person in your hands." Zhao WuGuang slowly approached Li Lin. "Zhao family''s old dog, if you take one more step, she will be a corpse." Li Lin said indifferently, looking at Zhao Hui in his hands, with a slight smile on his face. "Li Lin, please release my mother." Li ShaoHu''s face twitched, he stepped forward a few steps to Zhao Bo and the others, looking at Li Lin, but dared not meet his eyes. "Boy, you dare to go back on your word." Zhao WuGuang said angrily, a cold intent spreading out. "What does it matter, since the people of the Zhao family are here today, they all have to die." As Li Lin''s words fell, a killing intent spread out without any disguise. "Hehe." Zhao WuGuang gave a sinister laugh and coldly said, "Just with you, what do you think you are?" "Is that so? Then let me show you." A killing intent crossed the corner of Li Lin''s mouth, his gaze fell on Zhao Hui, and he said, "You wretched servant, weren''t you eager to kill me?" "Li Lin, what do you want to do..." Zhao Hui''s eyes were filled with absolute terror, the coldness emanating from Li Lin had already made her heart tremble, but Zhao Hui''s words were never completed, as she could never speak again. "You dare..." Zhao WuGuang shouted loudly... "Ssst!" A fire shadow finger directly streaked into Zhao Hui''s mouth, and a finger mark with red and white matter sprayed out from the back of her head. "I said I would tear your mouth apart." Li Lin withdrew his hand seal, and Zhao Hui''s body was thrown on the ground. Among the people of the Li family, at this moment, everyone''s faces showed some changes. Li Zhong seemed to want to say something, sighed slightly, but did not speak, looking at Zhao Hui''s body on the ground, his expression seemed to have wilted again. "Ssst!" At this moment, Zhao WuGuang''s figure instantly appeared in front of Li Lin, carrying a strong aura fluctuation, a five-level Martial Marshal, his strength was definitely extraordinary. "My Li family may be small, but the people of the Li family are not something you can just mess with." An old voice instantly pierced through space, a purple shadow appeared like lightning, the figure flickered through the sky, a thick Qi already shaking, easily dispersing the spatial ripples, in just a blink of an eye, it arrived behind Zhao WuGuang, a palm imprint was also instantly struck out. "Bang!" Feeling the momentum behind him, Zhao WuGuang had to stop his charge towards Li Lin, a hand seal was struck out, a mist of water energy twisted space and eerily emerged in front of him, like a solid water shield, blocking the palm imprint in front of him, "Bang! Bang!" The two energies collided, a fierce wind immediately spread out from the point of their contact, shaking the space into ripples. The strong wind spread in the sky, Li Lin again protected his mother, the powerful force of the wind quickly cracked the ground, spreading out a series of cracks. "Thud! Thud!" As the wind dissipated, Zhao WuGuang''s figure staggered back several steps. In the sky, a figure appeared out of nowhere, this person looked to be around seventy years old, in a purple robe, with some white at his temples, clear wrinkles on his face, a face of vicissitudes, but his eyes contained a sharp light. "Li Yu." Looking at the elder in the sky, Li Lin''s gaze sharpened, this person Li Lin had a bit of an impression in his memory, the old head of the Li family, Li Yu, was rumored to be at the level of a Martial General, but from the recent move, and feeling the current fluctuation of Qi, Li Lin could see that Li Yu''s strength had reached the level of a six-level Martial Marshal. "The Li family has always been hiding." Li Lin thought flashed, the Li family having two Martial Marshals, logically, the power of the Li family would expand quite a bit, but the Li family has been hiding their strength, not enlarging the Li family, probably there''s a reason behind it. "Greetings to father." "Greetings to grandfather." "Greetings to the old clan head." Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Li Zhong, Li Dong, Li Xi, Li Bei, Li WuShuang, Li Mei, and the elders of the Li family paid their respects, this was the most significant person in the Li family, and at this moment, probably except for Li Zhong, all the people of the Li family felt Li Yu''s strength, all showing surprised expressions, Li Dong and others were no exception. Li Dong and others, as sons, did not even know their father was a Martial Marshal. "Li Yu, you finally came out." Zhao WuGuang looked at Li Yu in the sky, his face twitched slightly, he was also extremely shocked by Li Yu''s strength. A six-level Martial Marshal, stronger than him by a level. "Zhao WuJi, you should be here too, why not come out together." Li Yu''s gaze looked towards the front space, seemingly sensing something. Li Lin was not too surprised, White Spirit had already sensed that someone was hiding nearby, and not just one person, so at this moment, Li Lin decided to wait and see the situation, today the Li family was indeed lively. "Hehe, Li Yu, Li Zhong, Li Lin, today my Zhao family, must wash the Li family in blood." A sinister voice came, and when the voice fell, a figure had already appeared in the sky, the person was tall, around sixty years of age, with a faint cold smile at the corner of his mouth, his gaze at this moment was extremely sinister, looking at Zhao Hui''s body on the ground, his eyes filled with sorrow, he had just wanted to make a move, but it was too late. "Zhao WuJi." Li Lin looked at the figure appearing in mid-air, Zhao WuJi had actually come from the YunYang Sect. "Zhao WuJi, wash the Li family in blood, I, Li Yu, will definitely not let your Zhao family go." Li Yu stood in the air and said. "Li Yu, is your strength enough? Hand over the treasure, maybe I will leave a bloodline for your Li family." Zhao WuJi said coldly. "There are no treasures in the Li family." Li Yu said. "Haha, such treasures, how could your Li family hide them, if you don''t hand them over, you will regret it too late." Zhao WuJi said coldly, then his gaze directly pressured Li Lin below: "Boy, my daughter''s life, you have to accompany in death." "Old dog, I''m afraid you don''t have the strength." Li Lin''s gaze sank, but his heart was also somewhat solemn, Zhao WuJi''s strength, Earth Sha Xuan Lei could not kill, even White Spirit could not withstand, it seems I need to be careful. "Zhao WuJi, you..." Yun HongLing was about to speak, but was again blocked by Li Lin, signaling Yun HongLing not to interfere, as there had been an agreement with the YunYang Sect beforehand, the affairs between him and the Zhao family were not for the YunYang Sect to intervene in. "Li Yu, I''ll ask you one last time, will you hand over the treasure? If not, I''m determined to wash the Li family in blood." Zhao WuJi said coldly, his whole body emanating a lying spread. "There are no treasures in the Li family, Zhao WuJi, you''ve made a wasted trip." Li Yu''s expression darkened, he said lightly. "Li Yu, don''t you know, when your Li family''s ancestor fled, there were two people, the other one was my Zhao family''s ancestor. That treasure originally belonged to both our families, it has been with your Li family for so long, now, it should be placed with our Zhao family." Zhao WuJi said coldly. "Zhao WuJi, I don''t know what you''re talking about, you might have the wrong person." Li Yu said. "No matter if you admit it or not, after washing the Li family in blood, everything will be known." Zhao WuJi said sinisterly. "From twenty years ago, your Zhao family has been plotting against the Li family, now that it''s out in the open, it''s better. Zhao WuJi, do you really think you, a nine-level Martial Marshal, can definitely win against me?" Li Yu said. "Li Yu, I''ve long known your Li family wouldn''t be just at the Martial General level, a six-level Martial Marshal, but unfortunately, you''re still not enough, having hidden for so long, my Zhao family has also been searching for so long, and finally found it." Zhao WuJi said. "If it''s a battle you want, some friends have also arrived, then let''s all join together." Li Yu''s gaze swept through the surrounding space, his voice echoed in the space, he said lightly. "Haha, the old clan head of the Li family is really formidable." A hearty laugh followed, then a figure appeared in the space in front, the person did not seem remarkable, in his fifties, wearing a gray long robe, standing in the air, his footsteps without any change, yet it seemed as if the space itself was contracting, instantly arriving above everyone. "Mr. Wu." Li Lin''s expression was surprised, White Spirit said there were people around, but Li Lin had not expected it to be the TianBao Sect''s Mr. Wu, even more surprising was that, previously in the TianBao Sect, seeing Mr. Wu did not seem remarkable, now he didn''t expect Mr. Wu to have reached the Martial Marshal level, this aura was not just any ordinary Martial Marshal, compared to Zhao WuJi, it was not inferior, probably also a nine-level Martial Marshal. "To think there are such powerhouses in QingYun Town, truly surprising." Looking at Mr. Wu, Li Yu said lightly, the wrinkles on his face slightly moving. "The old clan head of the Li family has also hidden deep." Mr. Wu said with a light laugh. "Li Bei, you''ve been in the Li family for over twenty years, today is so lively, won''t you come out and join in?" In the sky, Li Yu''s gaze now focused on Li Bei, he said with a slight smile: "You child, have been enduring for so long, it must have been hard on you." "Righteous father, so you knew everything." Li family''s fifth, Li Bei, sighed slightly, then stepped forward slowly, a faint Qi swirling around him, the space seemed to twist, his figure instantly standing in the air. "Martial Marshal." Everyone in the Li family was surprised, only a Martial Marshal could achieve this step, Li Dong, Li Xi, even Li Zhong was somewhat surprised. "It''s really lively." Li Lin raised his eyebrows, regarding Li Bei, Li Lin did not have much of an impression, this Li family''s fifth had always been busy with the Li family''s business outside, not expecting that Li Bei was also of Martial Marshal cultivation, his strength and aura even stronger than Li Zhong, seemingly at the level of a three-level Martial Marshal. "I also found out two years ago, you''ve hidden for so long, was it also for the so-called treasure of the Li family." Looking at his foster son, Li Yu''s expression showed some changes. Read more chapters: ficcloud. ?m Chapter 455: Joining Forces to Eliminate Zhao "Indeed, I am thankful for the care from my foster father over the years, but this is the wish of the clan, and I cannot defy it." Li Bei gave Li Yu a bow and said, "The Li family is also my family. As long as foster father hands over that treasure to us, we will protect the Li family''s well-being from today onwards." As Li Bei''s words fell, he turned to look at the person next to him and said, "Martial Officer Wu, if the Li family hands over that treasure to us today, please lend your strength to protect the Li family''s well-being today." "This is naturally no problem. Old clan leader, hand that treasure over to us, and Li Bei and I will ensure the Li family''s well-being today," Martial Officer Wu said lightly, his figure moving next to Li Bei. "Is Li Bei from the Du Gu family?" Li Lin''s expression darkened, surprised to find that Li Bei was related to the Du Gu family, indicating they were people from within the Du Gu Jingwen family. "What exactly is this treasure of the Li family?" Li Lin wondered, his expression puzzled. He did not know the background of the Du Gu family but was aware it was not inferior to the Yunyang Sect, perhaps even stronger. Now, the Du Gu family was also interested in the Li family''s treasure, indicating it was no ordinary item. "Who exactly are you people, and how do you know about the Li family''s treasure?" Upon seeing Martial Officer Wu and Li Bei, Zhao Wuji and Zhao Wuguang were utterly astonished. They were certain no one else knew about the Li family''s treasure, yet they did not expect others to intervene this time. "The insignificant Zhao family dares to covet that treasure, truly seeking death. Even the ancestor who escaped from your Zhao family back then wasn''t qualified. I advise you to leave quickly. The Zhao family, there are some matters you cannot involve yourselves in," Martial Officer Wu''s expression darkened, his gaze landing on Zhao Wuji, seemingly not taking him seriously. "Who exactly are you, to speak with such arrogance? My Zhao family is not so easily trifled with," Zhao Wuji said with a dark expression, snorting coldly. "Your Zhao family''s reliance is probably that Spirit King from the Yunyang Sect, isn''t it? Even if it''s the Yunyang Sect, what of it? Frogs at the bottom of a well," Martial Officer Wu retorted coldly. Zhao Wuji''s expression darkened, seemingly surprised at Martial Officer Wu''s familiarity with the Zhao family. He stared at Martial Officer Wu, his gaze becoming indecisive. "Lan''er, Lin''er, Hongling, Wushuang, this matter has nothing to do with you, please leave quickly," Li Zhong, who had taken several medicinal pills and was feeling somewhat better, said, glancing at Li Wushuang before speaking to Luo Lan, Li Lin, and Yun Hongling. "I won''t leave. Where can I go? If I were to leave, I would have left from the start. Why bother staying till now?" Luo Lan sighed lightly, having seen a series of surprises and shocks, seemingly accustomed to it now, looking at Li Zhong with complex eyes. "Lin''er, I am not a good father, but now listen to me, take your mother and leave, the farther the better," Li Zhong said to Li Lin. "Humph, no one is getting away today," Zhao Wuji said coldly. "Zhao family''s old dog, I wasn''t planning on leaving anyway, no need for you to keep us," Li Lin snorted coldly, raising an eyebrow, then his gaze landed on Martial Officer Wu, saying, "Martial Officer Wu, long time no see. I was blind to Mount Tai before." "Master Li has been quite remarkable recently, the champion of the Three Sects and Four Gates conference, a notable figure in the Yunyang Sect. My young miss has also mentioned Master Li to me. Today, regarding the Li family, please forgive us," Martial Officer Wu said with a smile. Hearing this conversation between Martial Officer Wu and Li Lin, several members of the Li family were puzzled, wondering when Li Lin had become involved with such a powerful figure. "Martial Officer Wu, the Li family''s treasure has nothing to do with me. However, with the Zhao family here, I guess it won''t be easy for you to obtain it," Li Lin said lightly. "Does Master Li perhaps have a suggestion?" Martial Officer Wu raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "How about we join forces to kill the people from the Zhao family first? As for the Li family''s treasure, Martial Officer Wu can then obtain it by his own means. What do you think?" Li Lin proposed. He had no confidence in facing Zhao Wuji''s strength alone, only Martial Officer Wu could stop him. And he did not intend to let the Zhao family off, so he thought of joining forces with Martial Officer Wu, a familiar figure, to achieve mutual benefits and trust. "That''s actually a good idea, but joining forces with you, I feel a bit at a loss," Martial Officer Wu said with a slight smile, his gaze landing on Li Lin and Yun Hongling, Li Xiaobai, whose strengths, in his eyes, were naturally not enough. Li Lin smiled slightly, clearly understanding Martial Officer Wu''s hint that his own strength was too weak to be worth joining forces with, saying, "Don''t worry, as long as Martial Officer Wu is willing to join forces, I will definitely show a strength that satisfies you, just stopping that old dog from the Zhao family will be enough." "Oh, but I''m a bit worried. After we kill the people from the Zhao family, your Li family might turn against me, and that would be bad for me," Martial Officer Wu''s gaze swept over Li Yu and then said to Li Lin, implying that once the Zhao family was dealt with, Li Yu''s strength as a sixth-level Martial General, without the Zhao family, would make things much easier for the Li family. "Martial Officer Wu, rest assured, I don''t have much of a relationship with the Li family. You can take the Li family''s treasure as you please, and I just want to kill the people from the Zhao family. After that, it will be easier for you to obtain the Li family''s treasure, serving both our needs," Li Lin said with a smile. "Alright, if Master Li can show a strength that satisfies me, I''ll help you stop Zhao Wuji, but I won''t help you deal with anyone else," Martial Officer Wu raised an eyebrow, also aware of the delicate relationship between Li Lin and the Li family, then spoke lightly. However, if he doesn''t show a satisfying strength, he would not take action, unwilling to become someone else''s hired thug and let others reap the benefits. "Haha, Martial Officer Wu is really cautious," Li Lin said with a smirk. "Hmph, do you think you can butcher my Zhao family at will? Kid, I want to see what strength you can bring out," Zhao Wuji''s face looked ugly, his gaze sweeping over Li Yu, Li Bei, and Martial Officer Wu. One''s strength was comparable to his, one a sixth-level Martial General, and one a third-level Martial General. Compared to Zhao Wuguang, who was only a fifth-level Martial General, if the Li family and these newcomers were to join forces, his Zhao family would be at a significant disadvantage. "Zhao Wuji, you old dog, the people you brought from the Zhao family today, none will escape. Next time, I will personally pay a visit to your Zhao family," Li Lin said with a cold laugh. At that moment, on Li Lin''s shoulder, a little dragon instantly moved to the ground. With a flash of yellow light, its body transformed into a massive form, stretching four to five hundred meters in length, with a diameter of over ten meters, and a majestic aura spreading out. In the sky above, the seven demonic beasts brought by the Zhao family instantly panicked, especially the four third-tier demonic beasts, whose bodies began to tremble instantly. From atop the Li family''s courtyard, four beams of light shot into the sky, and four majestic auras pressed down from the sky. In the blink of an eye, two beams of light landed on the ground, transforming into two gigantic demonic beasts. One was a double-headed serpent, not smaller than the little dragon, covered with thick scales. Each head had one huge eye, exuding a bloodthirsty and ferocious light. The second demonic beast was a massive tiger, its body radiant as jade, streaked with traces of blood. The slight breath it exhaled was like a roar, its eyes glowing like lanterns, showing off its fierce light. Its mouth, wide open, revealed sharp saber-like teeth, and its claws and long tail, resembling a small broom, made it appear extremely ferocious, with a natural majesty about it. In the sky, the third demonic beast flapped its wings, its massive body over six hundred meters long, with scales around its eyes radiating outward. Its entire body was covered in sharp, ink-black scales. On its sharp head, there was a palm-sized reverse scale, spreading out like a lotus, its aura absolutely powerful. The fourth demonic beast, entirely white, seemed covered in snow. Its huge head was followed by white mane extending to its shoulders and chest, with a tail several meters long curving and coiling behind it. Its eyes were as large as bronze bells, its mouth roaring continuously, its fangs gleaming coldly, and its roar echoed in the sky. On the back of this massive beast, there were a pair of transparent, white wings, emanating the aura of a demonic king. Simultaneously, the Taiyin demonic rabbit also roared, its two-meter body instantly transforming into several hundred meters in size, its fur blue, with long, thin ears through which blood vessels could be seen clearly. Its red eyes, like two red pearls, and its long hind legs gave off an aura not inferior to the Blood Jade Tiger, even stronger in some aspects. With the appearance of six massive demonic beasts, humans seemed like ants in comparison. The innate gift of the demonic beasts, their powerful physical forms, was something humans could not compare to. "Having seen the Demonic King," the Reverse Scale Demonic Peng, Taiyin Demonic Rabbit, Blood Jade Tiger, and the Double-Headed Water-Fire Serpent, four massive demonic beasts, surrounded the little dragon, along with the Skywing Snow Lion. Six such powerful auras pressed down from the sky, causing those of lesser strength to feel their breathing halt. Read more chapters: ficcloud. ?m Chapter 456: Returning Your Grandson In the skies above, at this moment, the Zhao family''s one fifth-order early-stage demonic beast, two fourth-order demonic beasts, and four third-order demonic beasts, were already scared out of their wits. The Zhao family''s fifth-order demonic beast was also trembling all over at this time. The bloodline of each of these six demonic beasts was above it, and in terms of strength, a fifth-order late-stage peak Niscale Demonic Peng was not something it, at the fifth-order early stage, could compare with. "My god." As these five huge demonic beasts appeared, both the Li family''s and Zhao family''s people were terrified and started, everyone looking at each other, all of them gasping in cold air. Rolan was also absolutely astonished at this moment. So many terrifying behemoths, like towering mountains suddenly appearing in front of her, especially seeing the Taiyin Demonic Rabbit''s body expanding hundreds of times larger, and that small yellow snake that was always circling around her son, was also so terrifying. Li Zhong, Li Dong, and Li Xi were also absolutely shocked at this moment, barely able to imagine that so many terrifying demonic beasts were gathered around Li Lin. "Such terrifying demonic beasts, Li Lin has summoned six terrifying demonic beasts." Inside the Li family''s courtyard, although the Li family members did not dare to go out, there were also some people lying on the walls of the courtyard watching, seeing these six terrifying demonic beasts, all of them were dumbfounded. Outside the Li family, this strong aura and the sound of the recent clashes had already gathered thousands of people in the distance, none daring to come close, but having watched for a long time, seeing so many terrifying demonic beasts now, their shock can be imagined. "Niscale Demonic Peng, Blood Jade Demonic Tiger, Taiyin Demonic Rabbit, Twin-headed Hydrofire Demonic Jiao." Zhao Wujie''s face was horrified, and he exclaimed, "Li Lin, how can the demonic beasts from the secret land be by your side?" "Marshal Wu, do you think we can join forces now?" Li Lin did not pay attention to Zhao Wujie, looking at Marshal Wu and saying. As for Bai Ling, she was still lying on Li Lin''s shoulder, not moving at all. Bai Ling''s strength and identity, Li Lin did not want to expose too early. After all, this was his trump card, and revealing all his trump cards was not a good thing. "Master Li is really extraordinary, having so many exceptional demonic beasts. This Zhao Wujie, leave him to me." Marshal Wu''s eyes swept over the Niscale Demonic Peng and other demonic beasts with surprise, seemingly quite astonished. With his insight, aside from the little dragon, he knew a bit about these demonic beasts. Having so many high-bloodline demonic beasts gathered together was truly terrifying. "Alright, the other people from the Zhao family will be left to me." Li Lin said indifferently, then turned his head to Yun Hongling and Li Xiaobai, "Hongling, Xiaobai, protect mother." At this moment, Bai Ling had silently landed on Yun Hongling''s shoulder. Li Lin had secretly informed Bai Ling to protect his mother, as her safety was the top priority. As his voice fell, Li Lin''s body was enveloped in murderous aura, his true qi trembling, wings of wind expanding behind him, his body soaring into the air, a formless murderous aura spreading out, making several martial generals move. This murderous aura was too dense. Under this murderous aura, the surroundings suddenly became silent, even the air seemed to have solidified. Li Lin''s gaze swept over all the people from the Zhao family, a bone-chilling coldness seeping out from his body. This normally invisible cold murderous aura actually spread out like a wave of qi from his body. In the space, there seemed to be a cool breeze passing by at this moment, those with lower cultivation felt their hearts suddenly cool as if their blood was freezing, their lips trembling. "Such a terrifying murderous aura!" Marshal Wu, Li Yu, and Li Zhong''s faces twitched. Zhao Wujie and Zhao WuGuang felt the killing intent on Li Lin''s body and suddenly had a bad premonition, their gazes becoming frivolous. "Twenty years ago, Zhao Hui secretly sabotaged me so I couldn''t become a martial artist. Several years ago, he tried to kill me several times. Today, it''s time to settle this account." Li Lin''s icy gaze swept over, his voice also turning cold. "Boy, you''re not qualified enough." Zhao Wujie''s face was grave, now that Marshal Wu and Li Lin were joining forces, if Li Yu were added, he would definitely be at a disadvantage. "Haha." Li Lin chuckled coldly, saying, "Zhao Bo, aren''t you looking for your son? Zhao Wujie, don''t you know your two precious grandsons are lost? I''m returning one to you now." As his voice fell, Li Lin formed a hand seal, two rays of light appeared and landed on the ground, then two dark green humanoid puppets appeared in everyone''s sight. "Puppets." Puppets are extremely rare, ordinary people hardly have puppets. Seeing Li Lin summoning puppets, everyone once again underwent some changes, and several powerhouses immediately sensed the aura of the two puppets, one at the fourth level late stage, one at the fifth level mid-stage, their strength definitely not low. "Qingtian." At this moment, the people from the Zhao family looking at puppet two, it was not difficult to recognize, puppet two''s appearance was still seven points similar to Zhao Qingtian, only its face had turned into a dark green metallic color. "You little bastard, what have you done to my son." Zhao Bo couldn''t hold back anymore, almost roaring, seeing Zhao Qingtian''s appearance, he had already guessed. "Your two sons, I killed one, and the other became a puppet." Li Lin sneered. "You little beast, no one can save you today, I must grind your bones to dust." Zhao Wujie was completely enraged at this moment, one grandson was killed, and one was turned into a puppet, these two grandsons had always been regarded as the Zhao family''s greatest hope for the future, with extraordinary talents, expected to become strong in the future, but now, both died at Li Lin''s hands. Zhao Wujie was gnashing his teeth in rage, in a furious rush, his figure lunged at Li Lin, wishing he could tear Li Lin apart immediately. "Zhao Wujie, your opponent is me." Marshal Wu spoke lightly, the space around him rippled instantly, blocking in front of Zhao Wujie in a flash. "Kill, show no mercy." Li Lin''s cold voice echoed in midair. "Roar!" "Screech!" Immediately, a series of huge beast roars echoed through the space, like thunder exploding, six huge demonic beasts, without any delay, the moment Li Lin''s voice fell, the six huge demonic beasts directly charged towards the Zhao family members. The six huge demonic beasts, bringing strong beastly pressure, their huge bodies moving, even the ground was trembling, among them, the Niscale Demonic Peng and the Heavenly Wing Snow Lion directly charged at the Zhao family''s seven demonic beasts. "Roar..." The Heavenly Wing Snow Lion also flapped its wings, immediately generating a gust of wind in the sky, turning into a huge tornado, sweeping up countless stones from the ground and smashing them into gravel, instantly attacking a fourth-order demonic beast. The fourth-order demonic beast trembled, its counterattack weak under the bloodline suppression of the Heavenly Wing Snow Lion, its wings carrying a flame attack towards the Heavenly Wing Snow Lion. The Heavenly Wing Snow Lion was fearless, its howling gust of wind directly collided with the attack, causing a violent explosion in the air, releasing a terrifying energy windstorm, causing a fierce windstorm below. "Fifth-order early stage, die." The Niscale Demonic Peng coldly shouted, its huge body flapping its giant wings, generating two violent gusts of wind out of thin air. Carrying a wild windstorm, it directly overwhelmed the fifth-order early-stage demonic beast. "Roar!" On the ground, the Blood Jade Demonic Tiger roared, its huge body exuding a fierce aura, an endless surge of energy emanating from its body, its massive front claws releasing a claw mark that tore through space, instantly shredding several Zhao family martial artists into pieces. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. At this moment, the Taiyin Demonic Rabbit, with its huge blue body, turned into a streak of blue light, charging into the Zhao family crowd. Its huge body moved incredibly fast, in just a blink of an eye, a Zhao family martial soul cultivator was directly killed. "Bang bang..." Not far away, a huge energy explosion occurred, the fierce windstorm raging below, the Twin-headed Hydrofire Demonic Jiao''s huge body, its tail sweeping fiercely out, immediately turning several martial artists into minced meat. "Ssss!" The little dragon spewed out a mouthful of golden flames, several martial artists, along with a martial soul, were instantly killed. "Boom boom!" Puppet one and puppet two, under Li Lin''s control, fiercely charged towards the Zhao family members, their powerful bodies and attack strength turning them into killing machines. "Ah..." Screams arose from the Zhao family members, they were being slaughtered, unable to withstand the attacks from the six huge demonic beasts and two puppets. Among the Zhao family''s powerhouses, there were only Zhao WuGuang and Zhao Wujie left, plus three martial generals, who were instantly overwhelmed. "Zhao Bo, let you deal with your son then, haha." Li Lin chuckled coldly, ordering puppet two to charge directly at Zhao Bo. "You little bastard, I will not let you go." Zhao Bo''s eyes were bloodshot, the pain of losing his son unimaginable, but he had no choice but to face Li Lin now, as puppet two was already holding a long sword, enveloping him with sword light. A living person turned into a puppet could still mobilize and display their original martial skills, which was also terrifying. Immediately, Zhao Bo had no choice but to start defending, seeing his own son turned into a puppet attacking him, the sorrow in his heart deepened. The remaining two five-tier martial generals from the Zhao family charged up, but at this moment, the Blood Jade Demonic Tiger and the Taiyin Demonic Rabbit''s huge bodies directly blocked them, leaving the Twin-headed Hydrofire Demonic Jiao and the little dragon to slaughter the Zhao family members. "Kill." Inside the Li family, Li Zhong shouted. The remaining thirty or so people from the Li family, including Li Wushuang, also drew their weapons and charged into the fray, chasing after the Zhao family members who were fleeing in terror. "You little beast, die." At this moment, Zhao WuGuang, as if mad, charged directly at Li Lin. "Zhao WuGuang, you stay with me." Li Yu, who had been watching the entire scene, his gaze sank, and his figure instantly charged at Zhao WuGuang. "Bang bang!" The two almost instantly engaged in combat, their attacks distorting space, clashing thunderously, the sound of explosions like thunder. Li Lin glanced around, his mouth curving slightly with a cold intent, his wings of wind unfolded, his figure instantly disappearing from the spot. "Zhao Yu, do you still remember me?" When Li Lin''s figure, carrying a shadow, landed, he was behind a burly man, Zhao Bo''s brother, Zhao Hui''s second brother Zhao Yu, who was also the black-clothed man who had attempted to assassinate Li Lin behind the Li family''s mountain. At a glance, Li Lin could recognize him. "It''s you." The sudden appearance of Li Lin greatly shocked Zhao Yu, knowing he was no match for Li Lin, he immediately turned to flee. "Thinking of running, it''s too late." Li Lin coldly shouted, a whirlwind under his feet, his figure ghostly appearing in front of Zhao Yu, a yellow palm print shooting out, coldly saying, "Die." "Bang!" Zhao Yu had no power to resist, in strength, speed, he was not on the same level, in a moment of desperation, he only managed to erect a light circle in front of him, the light circle like cold ice, exuding a cold air. "Crack." With a crisp sound, immense force poured down, the ice light circle instantly cracked and shattered, turning into energy and dissipating, a palm print not reduced in speed, directly hitting Zhao Yu''s chest. "Spurt..." Zhao Yu immediately spat out blood, his internal organs shattered, his inner energy sea directly collapsed, and in an instant, he was devoid of life. "Second brother." Zhao Bo shouted from afar, but was blocked by puppet two, unable to move, watching helplessly as Zhao Yu was killed. Li Lin did not delay, his figure like a ghost, disappearing again, this time appearing in front of the panicking Li Shaohu. "What do you want to do." Seeing Li Lin suddenly appearing in front of him, Li Shaohu''s face turned ugly with panic, knowing Li Lin''s ruthlessness, falling into Li Lin''s hands, he would be miserable. "You''ve tried to kill me time and again, now it''s my turn." Li Lin coldly said, towards this nominal brother, Li Lin had no feelings, only killing intent, for his enemies, Li Lin never showed mercy. If it weren''t for his luck, he might have died several times by now, so Li Shaohu must die, even if his current strength was not considered by Li Lin, but as long as he was an enemy, he could not be spared. If he couldn''t deal with Li Lin, what if he targeted Li Lin''s family, his friends, then Li Lin would regret it too late. As his voice fell, Li Lin formed a hand seal, a massive earth attribute energy instantly gathering in his palm, then a yellow palm print rose to the sky, bringing a series of afterimages, instantly striking towards Li Shaohu. Li Shaohu, after all, was a person on the Yunyang Sect''s Dragon List, his strength absolutely strong among the younger generation, but compared to Li Lin at this moment, he was far inferior. Seeing Li Lin''s palm print rushing towards him, his face filled with horror, his hands also gathering a mass of earth attribute energy, a huge earth shield appearing in front of him, using Yunyang Sect''s high-grade yellow-level martial technique, Earth''s Firmament Shield. "Crack!" Li Lin''s palm print landed on Li Shaohu''s Earth''s Firmament Shield, instantly causing the shield to crack. The difference in strength levels was too great, and Li Shaohu couldn''t defend against it at all. Clearly visible to the naked eye, the earth shield cracked and then disintegrated into earthy yellow energy, dissipating. A palm print directly penetrated the earthy yellow energy and heavily landed on Li Shaohu''s body. "Spurt!" Li Shaohu''s body directly spewed out a mist of blood and was flung back dozens of meters like a kite with its string cut. "Dad, save me, I don''t want to die, save me." Li Shaohu landed on the ground, but was too concerned with his severe injuries to care, struggling and loudly calling out to Li Zhong for help. "Lin''er, stop." Li Zhong had been watching the entire scene all along, this scene had already been seen by him, but it was too late to stop it. By the time he reacted, Li Zhong''s figure had already rushed over. "Whoosh!" But Li Lin was much closer, reaching Li Shaohu in an instant. Ignoring Li Zhong, Li Lin once again gathered true qi. "Spurt." Li Shaohu struggled but couldn''t get up, staring at Li Lin, his eyes filled with fear, his body trembling, and again spitting out a mouthful of blood. "Lin''er, he''s your brother, after all, you two are brothers." Li Zhong arrived not far away, looking at the scene of Li Lin and Li Shaohu, his expression chaotic, but also helpless, his eyes full of pleading looking at Li Lin. "My brother? From childhood to adulthood, did he ever treat me as a brother? From childhood to adulthood, wasn''t it enough for him to bully me and my mother, repeatedly trying to kill me? If I hadn''t been able to turn danger into safety each time, I''d be dead by now." Li Lin looked at Li Zhong and spoke indifferently. His soul was no longer the original Li Lin, so Li Shaohu wasn''t really his brother, and he had no hesitation. "Lin''er, after all, you both share the same blood." Li Zhong pleaded with Li Lin. "Sharing the same blood, then why is there such a big difference?" Li Lin stared at Li Zhong. "Dad, save me, save me." Li Shaohu struggled and pleaded with blood all over him. "Lin''er, I beg you, brothers shouldn''t be so cruel to each other." Li Zhong said. "Brothers being cruel, no, he doesn''t count. When the Li family was in trouble, he was standing on the Zhao family''s side. If I were in his hands now, do you think he would spare me?" Li Lin stared at Li Zhong. Li Zhong looked at Li Lin, with nothing to say. "Li Shaohu, you''ve always been nothing but a flea in front of me, I could kill you at any time. I could have spared you, but you repeatedly tried to put me to death. Now it''s your turn." As his voice fell, a palm print from Li Lin had already rushed out. "Lin''er, don''t." Li Zhong shouted loudly. "Sss!" The palm print landed on Li Shaohu''s abdomen, but there was no blood or sound of bones breaking. Then, suddenly, a strange light shot from Li Lin''s eyes, fiercely hitting Li Shaohu''s eyes. In an instant, Li Shaohu''s eyes became dull, his fearful and struggling gaze turned murky, his horrified face showing a smile. Li Lin sighed slightly, not knowing why, perhaps because of Li Zhong''s pleading, he couldn''t bring himself to do it in the end. However, Li Lin completely destroyed Li Shaohu''s energy sea, the two martial cores were shattered by Li Lin, and the soul was attacked. Li Shaohu would henceforth be an ordinary idiot, with no chance of healing his shattered energy sea. "I didn''t kill him, are you satisfied now?" Li Lin looked at Li Zhong, then his true qi vibrated, and his figure disappeared from the spot again. Li Zhong''s expression was defeated, already severely injured, and now his face turned even paler, looking at the ground at Li Shaohu, who was now drooling, his expression dull, utterly confused, yet showing a foolish smile, licking his own blood. This scene made Li Zhong sigh deeply. "Boom boom boom!" Outside the Li family, a series of explosions echoed, this fierce battle attracting everyone in Qingyun Town to watch from a distance. Such a high-level battle, with martial generals and martial lords, as well as fifth-order demonic beasts participating, was truly rare in such a small place like Qingyun Town, perhaps once in a hundred years, or even rarer. Everyone was dumbfounded by the shock, and by now, many of the Li family''s outer courtyards had been destroyed by the energy, forcing the Li family''s elderly, women, and children to retreat inside, watching the battle outside. All members of the Li family could only be horrified. "Bang bang!" On the ground, the bodies of seven huge demonic beasts were scattered within a twenty-mile radius, the Zhao family''s seven demonic beasts, without costing the Niscale Demonic Peng and the Heavenly Wing Snow Lion much effort, were already all killed. "Screech!" The Niscale Demonic Peng, with its huge body, was now joining puppet two in attacking Zhao Bo, its thick black scales bearing the brunt of wind blades carrying the power to tear through the air towards Zhao Bo. "Bang!" The Heavenly Wing Snow Lion joined in the slaughter of the Zhao family members, its huge body, with wings like knives, directly slicing a Zhao family martial soul into two. Li Lin''s gaze swept across the entire scene, noticing that only Li Bei had not made a move, also watching the battlefield. Li Lin''s brow furrowed, probably to guard against the Li family. His gaze then fell on a Zhao family elder, a five-tier martial lord, currently battling the Blood Jade Demonic Tiger, Li Lin''s eyes once again filled with cold intent. "Roar!" The Blood Jade Demonic Tiger displayed its ferocious tiger might, its claws tearing through space, its mouth emitting a windstorm like a tornado, fiercely crushing towards a Zhao family five-tier martial lord. That Zhao family elder was not weak, his long sword drawing trails of afterimages, capable of slicing through space, battling the Blood Jade Demonic Tiger evenly. If not for the demonic beast''s formidable body, the Blood Jade Demonic Tiger would have been at a disadvantage. Chapter 457: Killing the Martial Commander "Roar..." On the massive body of the Blood Jade Demon Tiger, another claw mark slammed down, covering a space of over a hundred meters with its sharp and fierce impression, tearing through the spatial air currents and twisting them violently, pressing down fiercely. "Shoo shoo..." The five-fold martial general of the Zhao family, Elder Zhao, swung his long sword again, drawing several sharp sword shadows that counterbalanced the claw mark, with powerful force spreading around, causing intense ripples in the surrounding space. "Ice Seal!" In that instant, as a deep shout echoed through the space, just as Elder Zhao of the five-fold martial general from the Zhao family stepped back, Li Lin eerily appeared behind him, his hands conjuring a huge energy handprint of over a hundred meters that suddenly emerged. And as this energy handprint appeared, the temperature in the entire space plummeted abruptly, a burst of cold air spreading, freezing the spatial ripples, rampaging through the space with chilling air. In this moment, the five-fold martial general turned in horror, but the overwhelming cold air, like waves, was already rapidly oscillating in front of him. "Mystic-level martial technique." The five-fold martial general was horrified, sensing this power, which was not common among martial techniques. Everything happened very fast. The huge energy handprint emerged in the shocked gaze of the five-fold martial general, without any hesitation, bringing a wave of absolute coldness and energy fluctuations, and slammed fiercely into Elder Zhao of the Zhao family. "Shoo shoo!" Elder Zhao of the Zhao family, the five-fold martial general, drew a sky-covering sword shadow with his long sword, filling the space in front of him in just a few breaths. With a shake of his arm, the sword in his hand pushed forward heavily, and the numerous afterimages blocked the space in front of him. Li Lin''s Ice Seal also instantly expanded, freezing the space wherever the palm print passed in a very eerie manner. The entire space froze, and the chilling coldness rampaged, causing many of the people fighting nearby to suddenly shiver. "Sizzle!" In an instant, the sharp sword glow shattered numerous ice fragments within the frozen space. Each sword shadow was extremely violent, but under the pervasive cold air in the air, the space around Elder Zhao of the Zhao family, along with the sword glow, was finally frozen. "Break." Li Lin uttered softly, clenching his hand from afar. "Bang bang!" As the bone-chilling cold air spread, the entire frozen space began to burst violently, followed by earth-shattering explosions that resounded through the space, spreading violently in the sky above, turning the myriad of ice fragments into energy and disappearing. "Spurt!" Elder Zhao of the Zhao family, the five-fold martial general, instantly spurted a mouthful of blood, his face pale with a hint of purple from being frozen, falling to the ground, facing the sky. At this moment, Li Lin, at the peak of the three-fold martial general, along with the full force of his Ice Seal, was more than enough to kill an ordinary five-fold martial general. "Die." A huge beast roar came at the same time, from far out in space. Within the reverse scale on the head of the Nether Scale Demon Peng, a bizarre aura flowed, and a violent and strange aura gathered, with its massive body bringing a huge oppressive force, causing the surrounding space to tremble. Instantly, on the head of the Nether Scale Demon Peng, the reverse scale in the center began to spread like a lotus flower, resembling a blooming rose, a huge airflow spread, pulling the twisted space, eventually forming a huge spatial vortex, with an extremely powerful and violent force, twisting the space and covering Zhao Bo. "Shoo shoo!" Within this twisted space, countless wind blades swept across, and Zhao Bo, under the joint attack of the Nether Scale Demon Peng and the second puppet, was already severely injured. Although he was a martial general of the eighth fold, the Nether Scale Demon Peng was already at the peak of the fifth order, able to support against a martial commander. At this moment, Zhao Bo had no strength to resist, and when a look of horror crossed his eyes, several wind blades had already pierced through his body. "Boom boom boom!" The twisted space completely collapsed and shattered, and the airflow turned into fragments and annihilated. Zhao Bo''s body was bloodied and fell to the ground. "Roar!" With a beast roar, the violent force filled the air, under the joint attack of the Taiyin Demon Rabbit and the Blood Jade Demon Tiger, the remaining Zhao family elder with the strength of a five-fold martial general also directly fell, unable to escape under the siege of two fifth-order mid-stage demon beasts. "Roar roar..." After a series of violent sound explosions, at this time, out of the one hundred and twenty-three people from the Zhao family, except for Zhao WuGuang and Zhao WuJi, the rest were all killed, with corpses strewn across the ground and blood staining a large area of the square. And on the square, only Li ShaoHu, covered in blood, was crazily laughing, licking the blood on the ground as if enjoying a delicious meal. At this time, within the Li family, three Li family elders had fallen, several were severely injured, and both Li Dong and Li Xi had suffered minor injuries. After Li WuShuang killed a three-fold martial soul, he had been protecting his mother, Mrs. Huang. "Li family, I will not let go of your entire Li family. Li Lin, I will definitely grind your bones to dust." Zhao WuJi''s eyes were bloodshot, and his roar was hoarse with anger. This level of anger had reached its peak, with his gloomy face and muscles twisted together. "Bang bang!" With a huge sound explosion echoing through the space, at this moment, Zhao WuJi in front of the martial official could not stop the slaughter of the Zhao family. "Zhao family old dog, this is just the beginning. I will personally visit your Zhao family in the future, determined to leave no chicken or dog alive." Li Lin coldly said, and in the next instant, Li Lin had already displayed the Wings of Wind, standing in the air, with the Nether Scale Demon Peng and the Heavenly Wing Snow Lion circling behind him with their wings flapping. Li Lin''s gaze, at this time, was locked on Zhao WuGuang and Li Yu. Zhao WuGuang seemed to have already suffered some minor injuries, and Li Yu''s strength was much stronger than Zhao WuGuang''s, by a whole level. "Very strong." The attack of the two martial commanders, Li Lin could feel a strong oppressive force, within which there was also a sense of authority. Even the vigorous qi flowing within his body was slightly stagnated. For this kind of authority, Li Lin was not surprised. Among demon beasts, there is a bloodline authority. Among martial artists and spiritual practitioners, the stronger ones invisibly exert a kind of pressure on the weaker ones, which can be called hierarchical authority. At this moment, the slaughter below had come to an end, and everyone''s gaze had also turned to the four martial commanders in the sky. With such attacks, the people of the Li family and those from afar in Qingyun Town could only stare in awe, shocked to their cores. In the sky, Li Yu''s true qi was like a green cloud, enveloping his body, causing the surrounding space to vibrate. Such momentum made Li Lin raise an eyebrow, recognizing Li Yu''s strength as extremely formidable. The Li family had always been hiding their power, perhaps not wanting to attract attention. The treasure of the Li family must be extraordinary. Zhao WuGuang''s gaze was also extremely solemn at this moment. The complete annihilation of the Zhao family exceeded his imagination. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. "Sizzle!" Just after one strike, Li Yu''s figure suddenly moved, a shadow appearing. His figure then appeared in front of Zhao WuGuang like a ghost. Li Lin, watching from afar, was somewhat dazzled. His nominal grandfather, a wood-element martial artist, was inherently tricky and cunning in attack, and his speed was extremely fast. Martial commanders were already capable of manipulating some aspects of spatial force, making their movements extremely swift. Watching Li Yu''s appearance, Zhao WuGuang''s pupils slightly narrowed, but his hands were not slow. A palm imprint instantly withdrew, "sizzle" cutting through the air, carrying a powerful force, and smashed fiercely towards Li Yu. "Boom!" Li Yu, however, did not dodge or evade. With a solemn expression, he waved his purple robe, and a green palm imprint suddenly came out, colliding fiercely together. "Bang bang!" Both were extremely strong, and the force contained in their attacks was terrifying. The space vibrated, spreading with a sharp and powerful force. The two did not retreat, instantly attacking again. In the blink of an eye, they had exchanged more than a dozen moves, each attack incredibly sharp, making the sound of their clashes like thunder. Overall, Li Yu had the upper hand in these powerful attacks, while Zhao WuGuang could only barely maintain his ground. The difference in strength between martial commanders, even by one level, was significant. "Boom!" After another exchange, Zhao WuGuang was again shaken off, his blood surging, and his face turning even paler. Instantly, his expression darkened, and his handprints changed again, with true qi rapidly vibrating within his body, eventually surging out in front of him. As this majestic true qi surged out, a huge palm imprint formed in front of Zhao WuJi, with spatial ripples pushing away around it. "Going for a desperate move?" Li Lin watched from afar, a strange smile crossing his lips. Li Yu, at this moment, with a solemn face, changed his handprints, and green true qi crazily condensed in his palm. "Breaking Cloud Palm!" With a loud shout from Zhao WuGuang, as the shout echoed through the heavens, a palm imprint of about a hundred meters suddenly burst forth from in front of him, cutting through space and slamming towards Li Yu, growing rapidly in the wind. "Withered Wood Palm." Watching Zhao WuGuang''s attack, Li Yu''s pupils slightly narrowed, then he also shouted, and with his shout falling, a massive palm imprint condensed in front of him, eerily emerging and then, with a ferocious wind, fiercely slapped down towards Zhao WuJi. "Both are Mystic-level martial techniques, huh." Li Lin glanced, noting the level of martial techniques of both men. Under the watchful eyes of many shocked onlookers, the two palm imprints containing terrifying attack power finally collided. At that moment, a piercing and ear-piercing sound of explosion, like thunder, roared across the sky, powerful enough to deafen those of lower cultivation. "Boom! Boom! Boom!" The collision of the two palm imprints caused a vast spread of energy ripples, with the space in the sky completely distorted. "Sizzle sizzle!" Within the nearly shattered and twisted space, a yellow figure suddenly retreated from the energy ripples, looking somewhat embarrassed. But at this moment, a figure in a green robe instantly appeared not far from this yellow figure. "Zhao WuGuang, it''s your turn now." A faint voice with a hint of coldness came from Li Lin''s mouth as he appeared behind Zhao WuJi, his eyes also flashing with killing intent, and with a sudden movement of his hand, a yellow light burst forth, suddenly exploding with a blinding yellow brilliance. "Go!" With a flick of his finger, Li Lin shouted loudly, and as his shout fell, the yellow brilliance in his hand turned into a blurry yellow shadow, like lightning, bursting forth. In this moment, anyone could feel the immense and terrifying violent energy contained within this yellow light, which, as it passed through space, brought with it a violent energy spread, yet was silently chilling to the bone. "This is..." At this time, Li Zhong, looking up at the sky, sensed the terrifying energy contained within the yellow light, his face showing surprise and shock, murmuring, "It''s actually the Earth Sha Mystic Thunder." Feeling this aura, Zhao WuGuang was also rapidly shocked, his eyes revealing absolute unease and fear, this kind of aura making a chill emerge from the bottom of his heart. "Earth Sha Mystic Thunder, third brother, run fast." In the distant sky, Zhao WuJi''s voice was hoarsely shouting loudly, knowing the Earth Sha Mystic Thunder of Yunyang Sect, and immediately recognizing it upon seeing it. He really didn''t expect Yun XiaoTian to have given the Earth Sha Mystic Thunder to Li Lin. But at this moment, Zhao WuGuang was already too late to escape. That yellow light flashed across the sky in an instant, cracking the ground, scattering stones, breaking the earth, and finally expanding brightly, like a small meteor, crashing into Zhao WuGuang''s surroundings. Following that, the yellow light exploded like a bomb, the sound of explosion suddenly thundering across the sky... As the yellow light exploded, the rich earth attribute energy suddenly reached a terrifying level, with a space of about a thousand meters around being twisted within it, a terrifying earth attribute energy storm sweeping and filling the space in an instant. Under this terrifying earth attribute energy storm, everyone present, even those in fierce battle like the martial officials and Zhao WuJi, were shocked, with Zhao WuJi''s face becoming even more unsightly. "Boom boom boom!" It was unclear whether it was the terrifying earth attribute energy exploding or the space itself, but the sound of explosion chaotically surrounded Zhao WuGuang, the violent force reaching a level that terrified all martial commanders. Li Yu had already rapidly retreated to a distance when Li Lin made his move, feeling such a powerful attack force, he too felt palpitations. In the distant sky, Li Bei, who had not made a move, now couldn''t help but raise his eyebrows, his gaze filled with shock. The majestic energy qi spread, the terrifying energy ripples causing fear, and in the eyes of everyone watching in stunned silence, the terrifying qi finally began to dissipate. "Boom!" The twisted space returned to normal, and immediately, a body heavily fell from mid-air to the ground, bloodied and in a ghastly state, one arm completely blown away, the yellow robe shattered, covered in blood holes, this person was none other than Zhao WuGuang of the Zhao family. And at this time, Zhao WuGuang was already lifeless, dead. "Zhao WuGuang, the five-fold martial commander, is dead." The people of the Li family were all startled, Zhao WuGuang''s strength was well known to everyone, but no one could have imagined that Zhao WuGuang would be killed by Li Lin in such a manner. Li Yu was also taken aback by the terrifying energy just now. Had he been the target, survival would have been unlikely. "Bang bang!" In the sky, Zhao WuJi and the martial official resisted one move each, then each figure emerged from the violent energy ripples, appearing to be evenly matched in strength. Hovering in mid-air, Zhao WuJi''s gaze fixed on Li Lin, Li Yu, the martial official, Li Zhong, Li Bei, and the others, eventually locking his furious and hateful gaze on Li Lin. "You little beast, I, Zhao WuJi, swear, I will not let you off. I must grind your bones to dust and flatten your Li family to resolve the hatred in my heart." Zhao WuJi glared at Li Lin, his eyes filled with rage, his face cold and twisted. "Old dog, I still have a piece of Earth Sha Mystic Thunder. Would you like me to throw it into your Zhao family for fun?" Li Lin said indifferently, his eyes carrying a hint of mockery. Zhao WuJi was strong, but with the strength Li Lin had by his side, Zhao WuJi was not an easy opponent to deal with. "You will regret this, little beast," Zhao WuJi shouted back, his body shaking with anger, his fury imaginable. "Zhao old dog, this young master has never been afraid. Everything your Zhao family has done to me, today''s revenge is just the beginning. One day, your Zhao family will be left with no chicken or dog alive." Li Lin coldly stated, his body exuding a menacing aura, making everyone present take him seriously. Li Dong, Li Xi, and the others from the Li family now realized Li Lin''s strength had reached such a terrifying level. Recalling the years of endurance within the Li family, everyone felt a chill in their hearts. Unknowingly, in just a few years, the Li family''s once bullied and worthless trash had become a high and mighty figure, even facing nine-fold martial commanders with a confrontational momentum. This transformation shocked all the Li family members. It was a case of "thirty years on the east bank of the river, thirty years on the west," advising not to bully the young and poor. In just over three years, who within the Li family could have imagined that upon Li Lin''s return, he would be so powerful? The once bullied and humiliated trash young master of the Li family now possessed the absolute strength to destroy the Li family. Li Zhong and Li Yu sighed, perhaps already shocked enough by everything. If it weren''t for Li Lin''s presence today, what they would be facing would be the catastrophe of clan extermination. Zhao WuJi''s face twitched, his gaze fixed on the martial official, Li Yu, Li Bei, and the others in the sky. Although exposed, he knew he had no advantage today. One mysterious martial official was already more than he could handle, not to mention if Li Yu were added to the mix, he would be in a difficult position. "It seems that it''s about time. There''s nothing interesting left." At this moment, two figures appeared out of thin air as if breaking through the sky, bringing with them a palpable spatial crack, a daunting aura immediately enveloping the sky above. Feeling this powerful and daunting aura, everyone was involuntarily suppressed, those with lower strength feeling a chill in their hearts. In an instant, two figures flashed out, one in a black robe with a gloomy look, exuding a chilling air, with spatial ripples invisibly spreading around him. "A martial king, the Black Ghost King." Li Lin recognized this person, the martial king who appeared at the three sects and four gates conference. "It''s her." At the same time, Li Lin saw the young and beautiful man beside the Black Ghost King, not unfamiliar to him, the same person who had disguised herself as a man in the Misty Mountain Range, also the stunning beauty, Ling Qing, from the three sects and four gates conference. At this moment, Ling Qing was also looking at Li Lin, her eyes flickering. "Martial king." Li Yu, Li Bei, Li Zhong, the martial official, and Zhao WuJi''s faces all changed dramatically, as the two newcomers, especially the sinister black-robed middle-aged man, had an aura that was clearly at the martial king level. "I didn''t expect to find the Li family here in this little Qingyun Town. Finally." The Black Ghost King''s gaze swept across everyone present, then fixed on Li Yu, with a sinister voice, "You are from the Li family, right? Hand over that treasure, and I''ll spare your life; otherwise, you die." His tone was cold and ruthless, leaving no room for negotiation. "Who are you?" Li Yu was stunned, then asked the Black Ghost King. "You don''t have the right to know that. Just hand over the treasure, or you die," the Black Ghost King coldly replied. "It seems you all want that treasure. But whom should I give it to?" Li Yu looked at the Black Ghost King, then his gaze swept over Zhao WuJi and the martial official. Chapter 458: Bai Ling Takes Action "Of course, it''s best if you leave it to me. If they dare to make a move, I will take their lives." The Black Ghost King said, not taking Zhao WuJi and Mr. Wu and others seriously at all. "Sir, the treasure of the Li family is not something ordinary people can touch. Don''t bring trouble upon yourself," Mr. Wu said with a twitching face. "Don''t think I don''t know who you are. If you are hiding, then just keep hiding. Why bother coming out and muddling the waters? Get lost now," the Black Ghost King said coldly, staring at Mr. Wu. "Who exactly are you, sir?" Mr. Wu seemed extremely shocked, looking at the Black Ghost King and asking. "Could it be that you are the Black Ghost King of Mo Yun City?" Zhao WuJi stared at the Black Ghost King, his expression filled with horror and shock. "Hmph, Yun Yang Sect also wants to muddle the waters, huh." A cold and stern light shot from the eyes of the Black Ghost King, who then lightly said, "Two martial generals also want to join in the fun, go die." As his voice fell, the figure of the Black Ghost King instantly disappeared from the spot, like teleportation, without leaving any afterimages, purely vanishing into thin air. The next moment, the Black Ghost King appeared above Zhao WuJi, and then his right hand sent a palm print tearing through the air, breaking through space with a crack that filled with a terrifying spatial rift, instantly crushing down on Zhao WuJi. At the same time, in that instant, the Black Ghost King''s left hand sent a palm print directly towards Mr. Wu in front of him, blasting out with a palm print that caused a violent tremor in the space, pressing down powerfully, directly breaking through space. Zhao WuJi, with a face full of horror, had no time to counterattack under this powerful aura. As a ninth-level martial general, he was also unable to fight back and had to hastily set up a protective energy circle. Mr. Wu''s face also changed drastically in an instant, wanting to escape, but the space was invisibly controlled by another, making it impossible to escape smoothly. In his haste, he also gathered a powerful true energy, a palm print twisting space and crushing down. "Boom boom!" Suddenly, a huge sonic boom erupted in mid-air, and the protective light circle around Zhao WuJi collapsed under the attack of the Black Ghost King, with great force pouring down, and the next moment, a mouthful of bright red blood began to spray out. "Bang!" In front of Mr. Wu, two palm prints met fiercely, directly tearing open a crack in space in mid-air, under the violent aura, the space around, including the Li family''s courtyard, was turned into ruins, instantly cracking numerous fissures, with strong winds ravaging, almost tearing apart the space. "Pfft..." Mr. Wu almost at the same time, spurted out a mouthful of blood, his face instantly turning extremely pale. "Bang bang!" The bodies of two ninth-level martial generals were shaken and fell heavily to the ground, struggling for a moment before standing up. "Pfft!" The two almost simultaneously spurted out a mouthful of blood mist again, the strength of the Black Ghost King was not something they could contend with. "Shh!" In the midst of everyone''s disbelief, Zhao WuJi''s figure instantly rushed towards the distance, disappearing after a few flashes. At this moment, knowing that there were many opponents among them, he must escape immediately with the last bit of strength after being seriously injured. Li Lin''s expression sank at this moment. With Zhao WuJi seriously injured, if he pursued, he would likely have the opportunity to kill Zhao WuJi. But now, Li Lin was also unable to leave. The Black Ghost King came for the Li family''s mysterious treasure, which he also wanted. His mother was also here, unable to pursue Zhao WuJi. Li Bei immediately went to Mr. Wu''s side. Mr. Wu''s injury was almost the same as Zhao WuJi''s, and at this moment, it seemed that he no longer had the strength to fight again. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. "How strong." Everyone who saw this scene was shocked. It was too shocking. Two martial generals, who were extremely powerful just a moment ago, capable of tearing open space with a wave of their hands, were both seriously injured by a light palm strike from the black-clothed person within one move. This strength was definitely terrifying. "Now, can you hand over the treasure of the Li family to me?" The Black Ghost King, no longer paying attention to Mr. Wu or chasing Zhao WuJi, once again appeared in front of Li Yu. "Sir, your strength is very strong, but unfortunately, the Li family really doesn''t have any treasures. It''s all rumors," Li Yu said with a twitching face, looking at the Black Ghost King. "Don''t think no one knows. If you don''t drink the toast, you''ll have to drink a penalty drink." The Black Ghost King''s face darkened, and with a flick of his hand, a claw print fell in the space in front of Li Yu. Amidst the shock of the Li family, Li Yu''s figure rapidly retreated, but the space twisted instantly, trapping him within it in a moment. Li Lin''s face twitched slightly. This was, after all, a relative in this foreign world. Although there was no emotional connection, seeing Li Yu captured by the Black Ghost King made him extremely uncomfortable. But Li Lin also knew that perhaps Zhao WuJi himself could let Bai Ling fight, but against the Black Ghost King, Bai Ling would not be an opponent, and he was powerless. "Speak, where is the treasure?" The Black Ghost King''s face darkened, his claw print grabbing onto Li Yu, a sinister color spreading out. "I really don''t have any treasure in the Li family." Li Yu''s face turned red, seemingly under immense pressure. "Hmph!" The Black Ghost King snorted coldly, flung his claw print, and then struck down heavily. "Bang!" The claw print wrapped around Li Yu, passing through space, rapidly shrinking and twisting along the way, and then directly smashing onto the ground. "Pfft!" Li Yu spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, his aged face turning extremely pale, the injury more severe than Mr. Wu''s. "Dad!" The Li family members, while shocked, also rushed to Li Yu''s side. "If you don''t hand over the treasure, none of the Li family will escape today. I''ll kill one by one." Hovering in the air, the Black Ghost King''s sinister aura filled the air, his gaze sweeping through the crowd and finally landing on Li Lin, sneering sinisterly, "The champion of the Three Sects and Four Gates tournament, hehe, turns out to be a member of the Li family. Then I''ll start with you." Li Lin''s gaze suddenly sank, his heart shocked. This was big trouble. Against the Black Ghost King, he was no match. "Shh!" In an instant, the Black Ghost King was already in front of Li Lin in mid-air, faster than a ghost, reaching the realm of instant teleportation. "Kid, last time Yun XiaoTian saved you, but this time, no one will save you." The Black Ghost King looked at Li Lin, his face sinking with a sinister expression. "If you dare to kill him, my father and the entire Yun Yang Sect will not let you go." A sharp voice came, and then a green light and beautiful figure had already reached Li Lin''s side. It was Yun HongLing, and at this moment, Bai Ling was lying on her shoulder. "Lin''er." A red figure rushed over, and Li WuShuang also arrived from Li Yu''s side to Li Lin''s side, her beautiful face heavy. "The daughter of Yun XiaoTian, haha, you don''t need to use Yun Yang Sect to talk. Yun Yang Sect is not yet strong enough to press me down." The Black Ghost King said coldly, no longer paying attention to Yun HongLing, his gaze once again falling on Li Yu, coldly saying: "Will you hand over the Li family treasure or not? If not, this champion of the Three Sects and Four Gates tournament will be the first to die." The Li family members looked at each other, Li Yu''s old and pale face twitching, his gaze flickering uncertainly. "Hmph." The Black Ghost King snorted coldly, and at that moment, a light flashed in his hand, and a claw print tore through space, then enveloping towards Li Lin. "Keep him alive, leave him a life." In that instant, a woman dressed as a man lightly opened her lips, a deep voice coming out. The claw print directly grabbed towards Li Lin, the space twisting as it covered, Li Lin''s heart sinking, his body almost instantly setting up the Qing Ling armor in fear, his heart shocked as he retreated explosively. However, Li Lin found that within this space, his speed was absolutely suppressed, the oppressive distance from above quickly crashing down. "Ao!" A low roar, like a wolf howl, rose to the sky, and then a white light flashed, a powerful aura spreading, a bright white light shining brightly. In the blink of an eye, a giant white tail pierced through space, fiercely sweeping out, penetrating space, and fiercely blocking the claw print from above. "Sixth stage mid-phase Nine-Tailed Fox." A surprised voice came from the mouth of the Black Ghost King, his sinister eyes also showing a hint of surprise, his hand claw print suddenly changing, his fingers twisting, and the lightning-like claw print twisting and rolling, then tearing through space towards Bai Ling. "Shoo shoo." In that instant, Bai Ling''s huge body was already enveloping the sky, six giant tails rolling up waves, bringing up sharp wind sounds, six giant tails covering towards the Black Ghost King. "This is..." Everyone was shocked again, Mr. Wu, Li Yu, Li Bei, Li Zhong, and others'' faces changed drastically. "It''s the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox, a sixth stage mid-phase Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox." Everyone''s gaze was filled with surprise as they looked up at the sky, and then their gaze fell on Li Lin, no one knowing how many such powerful monsters Li Lin had. "Sizzle sizzle!" At that moment, in the sky, the Black Ghost King''s claw print spun, suddenly expanding, his five-fingered claw print enlarging like a giant net thousands of meters wide, and then enveloping Bai Ling within it. Chapter 459: Uncle Jiang Makes His Move Bai Ling''s six huge tails flipped and flew, the force of fury making the space wail and nearly shattering it. The violent force in the sky stirred up space ripples and airflow like giant waves. "Be careful, Bai Ling." Li Lin shouted lightly, without any hesitation, he flicked his finger, and suddenly a yellow brilliance in his hand turned into a blurred yellow afterimage, shooting out like lightning. The yellow light contained tremendous and terrifying violent energy, piercing through space and causing violent energy diffusion, which was Li Lin''s second piece of Earth Fiend Xuan Thunder. "Bang!" The claw mark passed through the giant tail and instantly landed on Bai Ling''s huge body, which was severely crushed and fell from mid-air. At this moment, that yellow light also burst towards the Black Ghost Heavenly King. "Hmph, relying on these things, you''re still a bit short." Feeling this aura, the Black Ghost Heavenly King''s face sank, and his hand seals changed like lightning, instantly covering his body with an energy light shield like mist. Instantly, the Earth Fiend Xuan Thunder caused the ground to crack, stones to scatter, and finally, the yellow light flourished, exploding like a small meteor in front of the Black Ghost Heavenly King, and then the yellow light exploded like a bomb, the sound of the explosion thundering in the sky... When the yellow light exploded, the dense earth attribute energy rampaged, distorting the space within a thousand meters, and a terrifying earth attribute energy storm filled the twisted space. At this moment, Bai Ling''s huge body fell to the ground, directly smashing several courtyards of the Li family, then its body shrank, and a mouthful of fresh blood spurted out. "Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" The loud noise echoed in the space, under the violent explosions, the space within a thousand meters was filled with vigorous energy, and when the last bit of energy dissipated, a blue light screen appeared in mid-air. The blue light was unharmed, and the figure of the Black Ghost Heavenly King appeared within it, his expression sinister as he stared at Li Lin. "Kid, let me show you something fierce first." The Earth Fiend Xuan Thunder seemed to have angered the Black Ghost Heavenly King, who coldly snorted and quickly withdrew the blue mist around him, his expression darkened, and in an instant, his body burst out with an energy ripple and charged towards Li Lin like lightning. "Lin''er, run." Inside the Li family, it was unclear whether it was Li Yu or Li Zhong, or Li Zhong''s voice, but it seemed to be too late now. The Black Ghost Heavenly King was too fast, appearing in the air in front of Li Lin in an instant, pushing out a palm print that crushed down, its powerful aura enough to twist space. "Old man, have you seen enough fun? If you don''t make a move, I''m going to die." Just at this moment, Li Lin did not hurry to run, but shouted out loudly. "Damn kid, always causing trouble for me." At the same time, an old voice, somewhat hidden, came out, just as everyone gasped for Li Lin, a palm print with blazing heat suddenly appeared behind the Black Ghost Heavenly King. Around the palm print, space was burned into a circle of black, and a chilling aura also spread in the air at this moment. Feeling the intense heat behind him, the Black Ghost Heavenly King''s face changed drastically, no longer caring about Li Lin, he twisted his palm print and slapped back with his hand while turning around swiftly. "Bang!" In the blink of an eye, two palm prints overlapped like lightning, colliding without making the earth-shattering noise everyone expected. At the moment of the collision, only at the point where the two palm prints touched, a dazzling light burst out in the air, blinding those who dared to look directly, and suddenly, the space above cracked, with flames and mist annihilating in that thrilling space crack. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. "Sss..." In the sky, the Black Ghost Heavenly King''s body was pushed back dozens of meters, his true qi trembling, bringing up a current of air, finally stabilizing his body in mid-air. The Black Ghost Heavenly King, surprised, then looked towards the old figure that appeared out of thin air, surprised that he had not noticed such a powerful presence hidden within the Li family, whose strength he could not see through. However, after this move, he knew that the opponent was a spiritual practitioner. "Who can stand against this Black Ghost Heavenly King, a powerful martial king?" As this thought flashed through the minds of everyone present, they all stared at the old and dragon-like figure in the sky. "Uncle Jiang." When the people of the Li family saw the figure in the sky clearly, they were all shocked and amazed. Everyone was surprised; this person was Uncle Jiang, who had been with the Li family for over thirty years. The usually old and frail Uncle Jiang was now standing in mid-air, having just repelled the Black Ghost Heavenly King. Was this still the same Uncle Jiang who had guarded the Li family''s backyard for over thirty years? Li Wushuang, and the distant Luo Lan, were absolutely stunned at this moment, they had not expected the usually old and frail Uncle Jiang, who nearly stumbled when he walked, to be standing in mid-air. At this moment, the woman disguised as a man also looked towards Uncle Jiang, her gaze equally surprised. In the sky, Uncle Jiang looked down at Li Lin and asked, "Are you alright?" "Uncle Jiang, if you hadn''t come, I would have been in real trouble." Li Lin chuckled, looking at Uncle Jiang''s entrance, dealing with the Black Ghost Heavenly King would definitely not be a problem. "Who are you?" The Black Ghost Heavenly King stared at Uncle Jiang in the sky, his gaze extremely shocked. In mid-air, Uncle Jiang turned his head, glanced at the Black Ghost Heavenly King with a slightly sunken expression, and a cold light shot out from his gray eyes, saying, "This kid may not be my disciple, but he is my person. My people, how could you lay a hand on them? A mere five-layer Martial King, if it were back in the day, I could crush you with a finger." Hearing Uncle Jiang''s words, everyone twitched, this tone was absolutely not small; to say that a finger could crush a five-layer Martial King, how strong must one be. "Hehe..." Only Li Lin chuckled, not doubting Uncle Jiang''s words, Uncle Jiang''s strength was definitely not weak. At this moment, Li Yu, Li Zhong, and others were also surprised. The Li family had such a powerful person for decades, and they had never discovered it. Now, hearing the conversation between Li Lin and Uncle Jiang, they deduced that Li Lin must have been supported by Uncle Jiang from a young age, allowing him to endure for over a decade. The speculation of the Li family was definitely reasonable; otherwise, how could Li Lin have begun practicing without anyone noticing? But they did not know that they were only half right; Li Lin was indeed taught by Uncle Jiang, but not for over a decade, just over three years. Of course, only Li Lin and Uncle Jiang knew about all this; others naturally did not know. At this moment, the side''s Wu Steward, Li Bei, and Li Mei were also extremely surprised. Especially the Wu Steward, his expression and gaze were flickering uncertainly. "Sir, you talk big. Seeing your move just now, it seems you have many hidden ailments. No matter who you are, I advise you not to meddle in others'' affairs. Do you think you can afford to offend the people from the Spiritual Martial World?" The Black Ghost Heavenly King''s expression darkened as he looked at Uncle Jiang. "You''re from the Spiritual Martial World?" Uncle Jiang''s eyes flickered sharply, his gaze fixed on the Black Ghost Heavenly King, as if the calm expression just now had changed. "Yes, it seems you also know about the Spiritual Martial World. Since you know about us, you should know that we are not someone you can afford to provoke." Seeing the fluctuation on Uncle Jiang''s face, the Black Ghost Heavenly King thought Uncle Jiang was somewhat moved. "Ha ha..." A loud laugh suddenly came from Uncle Jiang''s mouth, the laughter piercing through space, breaking clouds and stones alike, stirring up countless space ripples. When the laughter subsided, Uncle Jiang''s gaze had turned ice cold, staring coldly at the Black Ghost Heavenly King, saying, "Spiritual Martial World, since you are from the Spiritual Martial World, then don''t leave." Uncle Jiang''s voice was instantly filled with anger and killing intent, the old and frail appearance completely gone, a chill spreading as the surrounding space ripples began to fluctuate. "People from the Spiritual Martial World." Li Lin raised an eyebrow, at the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference, it seemed that the Spiritual Martial World was mentioned, so this Black Ghost Heavenly King was also from there, "Hmph, it seems you''d rather face punishment than toast. I''d like to see what strength you have to deal with me." The Black Ghost Heavenly King was also fluctuating in expression at this moment, his five-layer Martial King strength would not be frightened off by a few words. As he spoke, the Black Ghost Heavenly King did not dare to be careless, his hand seals changing, his body covered in a blue mist, space ripples spreading out from his body, and in front of him, there seemed to be waves flowing like in a river, making it seem extremely eerie. "Hmph, a mere trick." Uncle Jiang snorted lightly, his hand seals changing, his body enveloped in an invisible light circle, space ripples pushing towards him, a soul-shaking powerful aura spreading. At this moment, those with weaker soul levels began to feel severe pain in their brains. "Spiritual practitioner." Feeling the soul-painful aura at this moment, Wu Steward, Li Bei, Li Yu, Li Zhong, and others were all surprised. Uncle Jiang had been able to stand against the Black Ghost Heavenly King, his strength was at least at the level of a Spiritual King, and hearing Uncle Jiang''s words, perhaps he was far above a Spiritual King in the past. How such a powerful person could be in the Li family was beyond their comprehension. Chapter 460: Fierce Battle "Let me see who you really are." The Black Ghost King''s face darkened, his hand seal changed, and in an instant, his arm trembled, and around his body, a stream of water attribute energy transformed into a water arrow that instantly pierced the sky, lashing out violently towards Uncle Jiang, this water arrow directly shattered the space, the sharp whistling sound of breaking wind almost seemed to tear through the space. Uncle Jiang''s expression darkened, a chill spreading throughout his body, and in his hand, a spirit fire surged up directly, the flames rising, the scorching high temperature caused the space to distort slightly, and then this spirit fire blasted directly towards the Black Ghost King. "Chi!" At this moment, the water arrow burst forth instantly, and in mid-air, the spirit fire surged up, at this moment the two energies collided, the water arrow seemed to not last long, and soon dissipated within the scorching spirit fire. "Hmph." The Black Ghost King''s face darkened, his body enveloped in water waves, his pupils suddenly contracted, a sinister aura spread out, and then a blue light flashed in his hand, a fist wrapped in the majestic water attribute energy, smashed fiercely towards Uncle Jiang. Uncle Jiang''s eyes sparkled, his hand seal changed, his five fingers clenched, and in front of him, the rich spirit fire instantly condensed into a fist, the fist moved, the surging spiritual energy around his body also moved with it, the scorching hot spirit fire fist, like causing a space tremor, the scorching energy, mixed with a strong wind, fiercely met the Black Ghost King''s fist. "What strong soul power." Gazing intently at Uncle Jiang, Li Lin appeared somewhat surprised, the attack power mixed with soul power in Uncle Jiang''s attack had already reached a magnificent level, this was just a bit of the aftermath, and it made him feel quite uncomfortable. "Bai Ling, are you alright?" At this moment, Bai Ling''s body had shrunk, and she was again beside Li Lin. Seeing the blood at the corner of Bai Ling''s mouth, Li Lin immediately asked worriedly. "Just a minor issue, I need some time to heal. My strength is not yet capable of contending with the Martial King, and I no longer have the strength to fight." Bai Ling said. "Bang bang!" The loud noise was deafening, and in that instant, two fist marks in the sky instantly clashed together, the two fist marks touched, fists fiercely collided, immediately flames and water droplets scattered in an instant, space ripples like substance, causing violent energy to form ripples, finally in the high sky, spreading out in all directions like a light screen. "Chi! Chi!" In the sky, the two did not delay at all, and immediately clashed again like lightning, both of their speeds had reached instant transmission, in the blink of an eye, their figures disappeared from the original spot, the next moment they had already clashed hundreds of meters away, such speed, even the Martial Affairs Envoy, Li Yu, and others were unable to see clearly. Immediately, in mid-air, sonic booms were continuous, two figures flickered, each contact between them would produce a huge force sonic boom. Li Lin was shocked as he spied on this battle of the strong, the strength of the two, was definitely terrifying, compared to himself, the difference was too great. Gazing at the two clashing, Li Lin tried his best to release his mind to spy, that Black Ghost King''s strength was really not ordinary, it''s estimated that it wouldn''t be easy for Uncle Jiang to win in a short time. "Li Lin, we meet again." Just as Li Lin was focused on Uncle Jiang and the Black Ghost King, a deep voice fell, Ling Qing had already arrived in front of Li Lin. "We meet again." Li Lin''s gaze lifted, his heart had already become a bit guarded, this woman seemed to have no good intentions towards him. "Your strength, exceeds my expectations, last time you took advantage, this time, you won''t be so lucky." Ling Qing looked at Li Lin, her bright pupils contained a coldness like ice spreading, this coldness made one involuntarily shiver. "You want to fight again, I''m afraid you won''t take any advantage." Li Lin''s gaze darkened. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "Last time was my carelessness, otherwise do you think you could defeat me?" Ling Qing coldly said. Gaze darkening, Li Lin was clear in his heart, last time, indeed he took some advantage, and in the end, both were injured, if not for his strong physique, he would have fallen first. "This time, you won''t have a chance either." Li Lin said indifferently, this time, he had also reached the peak of the third-level Martial General, several times stronger than the initial first-level Martial General, there wouldn''t be a lack of fighting power. "Let''s try then, this time, I won''t give you any chance." Ling Qing coldly said. "Whatever you say, I am your lifesaver, do you really want my life that much." Li Lin spoke lightly, this woman really was relentless towards him. "Hmph, you''re nothing but a shameless person, then I must kill you." Mentioning the lifesaver, Ling Qing seemed to grow even colder, saying, "Give me back my storage ring, and I will let you die a bit more comfortably." "Storage ring." Li Lin''s eyes turned, only then did he remember, Ling Qing''s storage ring was still on him, in the ancient domain, he had tried several times, but there was a restriction inside unable to open, after arriving at Yunyang Sect, he had always forgotten. "Then it depends on your ability." Li Lin spoke lightly, watching Ling Qing in the sky, he smirked: "Actually, your figure is not bad, just the killing intent is a bit too much." "Shameless." Hearing Li Lin''s words, Ling Qing suddenly became furious, her hand seals instantly changed, and in a moment, a rich and terrifying energy began to gather. Li Lin''s gaze changed, this woman was really planning to make a move. "You fake man, obviously a woman, yet pretending, try moving again." Just in this moment, a delicate shout came out. Behind Li Lin, Yun Hongling flashed out, her hand holding a yellow jade slip, she coldly said: "You should have seen the power of the Earth Sha Xuan Lei, try moving, I''ll let you experience the power." At the same time, seeing the yellow jade slip in Yun Hongling''s hand, Ling Qing had witnessed its power, her face suddenly changed greatly, without any hesitation, her figure rapidly retreated. "Li Lin, do you only know how to hide behind women?" Retreating hundreds of meters away, Ling Qing''s eyes coldly focused on Li Lin. "Hmph, stop flirting with my man. Dare to try, and I''ll show you the power of the Earth Fiend Thunderbolt." Yun Hongli scolded sharply, aware that Ling Qing was in fact a woman disguised as a man, and also incredibly beautiful. She then turned her gaze to Li Lin, angrily saying, "You thief, you just said she has a nice figure, are you involved with her?" Hearing Yun Hongli''s words, Ling Qing''s face turned iron blue instantly. "No, absolutely not." Li Lin was sweating coldly, this girl really doesn''t pick occasions to get jealous. No wonder Du Gu Jingwen had her keep an eye on me. "Are you serious?" Yun Hongli was still not reassured, seemingly not quite believing Li Lin''s words. "Really, no." Li Lin''s cold sweat had already reached his forehead. "That''s more like it." Yun Hongli pouted, placing a piece of the Earth Fiend Thunderbolt in Li Lin''s hand, saying, "You''ve used up your two pieces of Earth Fiend Thunderbolt, right? Take this one, and don''t bother with that fake man." "You keep it for self-defense." Li Lin said, knowing Yun Hongli''s strength wasn''t strong, she needed some trump cards. "I still have one piece, one for each of us." Yun Hongli stubbornly pushed the piece of Earth Fiend Thunderbolt into Li Lin''s hand. Li Lin had no choice but to take the Earth Fiend Thunderbolt, otherwise, this girl would be unbearably angry. Anyway, she still had one piece, but it was a pity that the second piece he had thrown out just now didn''t even scratch the Black Ghost King, truly a waste. "Hmph!" Seeing Yun Hongli and Li Lin together, Ling Qing''s face became even colder, coldly watching them but unable to do anything, knowing the mysterious power of the Earth Fiend Thunderbolt in their hands, she dared not confront it. At this moment, Li Lin holding the Earth Fiend Thunderbolt, was also unable to deal with Ling Qing. Firstly, his speed was not as fast as Ling Qing''s, and secondly, although the Earth Fiend Thunderbolt was powerful, it could only achieve the greatest effect by surprise. If the opponent was alert and escaped early, the effect would be much less since the Earth Fiend Thunderbolt had a limited attack range and could only attack once. Yun Hongli glared at Ling Qing, arrogantly glancing over, with the Earth Fiend Thunderbolt, she knew Ling Qing''s strength was formidable, but at this moment, she was not afraid. The three were at a stalemate, and Li Lin smiled lightly, now too lazy to bother with Ling Qing. He then went to his mother''s side, only having Li Xiaobai with her, Li Lin was always worried. At this moment, everyone''s main focus was on the battle between Uncle Jiang and the Black Ghost King in the sky. Li Lin''s gaze did not stay on Ling Qing for long, as the battle situation of Uncle Jiang above was what he should be most concerned about. In the sky, the sound of sonic booms continued, as the two figures flickered and clashed. Each clash of their tremendous strength brought about thunder-like sonic booms, a scene that made the distant spectators of Qingyun Town, who had always been watching the battle, feel terrified. Such a battle between powerful fighters, the small Qingyun Town had never seen before. Peering at the battle between the two, Li Lin frowned slightly. Uncle Jiang had told him before that he had forcibly practiced the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Arts, so he suffered from backlash, and his cultivation was severely damaged. Now it seems, Uncle Jiang''s cultivation has not recovered, and such a battle was definitely disadvantageous for Uncle Jiang. "Lin''er, can Uncle Jiang defeat the Black Ghost King?" Li Wushuang asked Li Lin by his side. "I don''t know." Li Lin softly said, thinking of the Earth-grade soul weapon, the Nine Dragons Red Flame Cauldron, on Uncle Jiang''s body. Its power was absolutely formidable; he should not be defeated. Chapter 461: Rain Shatters the Sky At this moment, Li Lin also wanted to help Uncle Jiang, but his own strength was far from sufficient to step into such a major battle, nor could he help Uncle Jiang. Even if he revealed all his trump cards, in the hands of the Black Ghost Heavenly King, he estimated he would be no more effective than the earth-shattering mysterious thunder, unable to harm even a single hair of the opponent. The strength of a Martial King was undoubtedly like an elephant compared to an ant for a martial general like himself. "Your strength is not bad, continue." The Black Ghost Heavenly King said with a sinister laugh. "A mere Martial King, it''s not your turn to be arrogant in front of me." Uncle Jiang''s voice came from the sky, followed by a majestic surge of spiritual power that enveloped him, shaking the spatial ripples like a giant wave churning in mid-air. Within the violent momentum, a fierce wind wreaked havoc, with flames intermingled and a soul-crushing pressure within it, such terrifying power was to the extent that it made one''s heart tremble. "Go." A loud shout came from the mouth of the Black Ghost Heavenly King, and with the shout, a gigantic blue water Jiao dragon condensed in front of him, resembling a living creature, with wisps of mist entwining it, nearly a thousand meters long, suddenly bursting out with dazzling blue light. Like a dragon soaring to the sky, suspended in the air. "Ao!" The water Jiao dragon roared, bringing a heart-trembling force, tearing through the sky towards Uncle Jiang. "Ga." A sharp beastly cry pierced through the space, and in the astonished gaze of the crowd, in front of Uncle Jiang, a gigantic blazing phoenix rose into the sky from the surging hot spatial ripples, spreading its wings, wrapped in flames, its body massive, over a thousand meters, also resembling a living creature. Instantly, this gigantic flame phoenix turned into a blurred fire shadow, like a huge fireball containing a massive and terrifyingly violent energy, turning the spatial ripples directly red as it passed through space, spreading a tremendous oppressive force, making everyone feel a chill in their hearts. Then, this gigantic terrifying flame phoenix rushed towards the blue giant water Jiao dragon like lightning. "How strong." Seeing the attack power of the Black Ghost Heavenly King and Uncle Jiang, Li Lin gasped in shock. This is what true power is, the attack power of both, already at the level of material condensation. The water attribute energy condensed into a water Jiao dragon, the spiritual power condensed into a fire phoenix, both as if alive, carrying the majesty of beasts, this level of strength, making even Martial Commanders only able to sigh in admiration. Perhaps Martial Commanders could condense objects in their later stages, but the momentum of their attacks could not compare. In the astonished gaze of countless people, two attacks carrying terrifying force streaked across the sky, and finally, like a bomb, collided fiercely. The two gigantic energy beasts collided, and suddenly, the space seemed to freeze, an oppressive silence all around. "Crack, crack!" Suddenly, for a moment, the space crackled, and around the two gigantic energy beasts, spatial ripples began to spread, and then the space crackled again, finally, the entire space started to tremble. "Boom, boom!" Water and fire exploded, bursting forth suddenly, a sound loud enough to rupture eardrums suddenly echoed across the sky, a tremendously terrifying energy storm instantly swept out, spreading for thousands of kilometers. In the blink of an eye, the water Jiao dragon and the fire phoenix exploded, turning into a light curtain that spread across the space. Thunderous explosions echoed through the sky, raindrops and blazing flames, the incompatible water and fire mixed in the sky, finally like a tsunami''s roaring giant wave, sweeping in all directions. "Bang, bang, bang!" A tremendous force swept through the space, turning a swath of buildings into ashes, mixed with many screams, likely many were affected by the collateral damage. Such a battle, any bit of involvement, is enough to cause one to fall. "Hmph, again." The energy had not dissipated, and the two figures collided again like lightning, each attack causing the space to tremble. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. "Boom, boom!" Water mist and flames touched again in the sky, the force exploded, the momentum almost like lightning and thunder, terrifying energy fluctuations, occasionally tearing open a heart-trembling spatial crack in the space. Within the violent energy, the two figures were instantly shaken apart, each retreating hundreds of meters, staring at each other from a distance, their faces now pale. In the sky, within the space where the two were, the air waves kept surging, even the light was much dimmer, as if the light within the space they were in was also affected. "Your strength is indeed not bad, but I feel like you''re somewhat running out of steam. I wonder how much longer you can last." In mid-air, the Black Ghost Heavenly King stared at Uncle Jiang. "Hmph, that''s enough to deal with you." Uncle Jiang''s face was expressionless, his eyes returning to a calm level. "Jie Jie, then let me see how much longer you can last. In my Spirit Martial Realm, we''re actually in need of spirit practitioners like you. If I bring you back, it would indeed be a great achievement." The Black Ghost Heavenly King said with a sinister laugh. As his voice fell, the water-like true qi around his body suddenly burst forth, a surging blue mist suddenly erupted from within him. This blue mist, like the dense fog on the sea surface in the early morning, but without the calm of the early morning sea surface, instead, it brought waves like a giant wave, this blue dense fog charged straight into the sky. At this moment, the might erupting from the Black Ghost Heavenly King''s body seemed to be even stronger than before. Feeling the surging momentum pouring out of the Black Ghost Heavenly King''s body, Uncle Jiang''s face also passed with a trace of solemnity, his spiritual power trembling in secret, his formidable spiritual power also trembling, and his momentum rose again, not weaker than that of the Black Ghost Heavenly King. "Hmph." The Black Ghost Heavenly King let out a cold shout, the water attribute energy around him beginning to converge tumultuously, a series of low humming sounds suddenly arose, the entire sky, at this moment, dense earth attribute energy converging, making the entire space instantly clouded, vaguely bringing the sound of thunder and lightning. This formidable pressure made everyone below change their faces, the dense clouds in between, at this time, there was a strong oppressive force spreading down from the sky, making everyone feel a chill in their hearts. Uncle Jiang''s face twitched, and his hand seals were already changing in secret. Above, the dense water attribute energy converged more and more, the entire vast space, at this time, probably within a radius of three to four thousand kilometers, all was suppressed by this formidable water attribute energy. The dense water attribute energy converged, bringing dense clouds rolling and pressing down, between the clouds, the sound of thunder and lightning seemed to come from the distant sky, making people feel even more heart-trembled. "Ha ha, let me see how you resist this." A sinister cold voice suddenly echoed through the sky, and as the Black Ghost Heavenly King''s voice fell, he pushed out his hand seals, and instantly within a radius of thousands of kilometers in the entire sky, the earth and sky directly trembled, as if the sky was splitting and the earth was cracking. Instantly afterward, under the astonished gaze of countless eyes, only to see in the thick clouds in the sky, with thunderous sounds shaking the earth and sky, a formless energy spread extremely terrifyingly, oppressing the space almost to the point of breaking. At this moment, from within the dense clouds in the sky, suddenly a dense and dazzling blue light pierced through space and burst out from within the clouds. These were sharp blue energy sword bodies, without hilts, dense and numerous, derived from the thunder and lightning pressing down from the dense clouds, each capable of piercing through space. In just an instant, these dense and numerous sharp blue energy sword bodies covered thousands of kilometers like a sudden mountain flood, twisting space, covering the sky and sweeping out, and in a blink of an eye, the eerie blue energy light spread out, finally covering the entire area. "Sky Rain Shattering Sword." The Black Ghost Heavenly King shouted sharply, and with a final hand seal, this sky-covering energy longsword was already crushing towards Uncle Jiang. Dense clouds covered the entire space above, and the light was suddenly swallowed, leaving only darkness, with only the lightning from within the clouds flashing, along with the blue light of the energy longsword, barely allowing one to see clearly within the space. "What is this martial skill, it''s so powerful." Such a terrifying attack made everyone startled, those watching from afar were all shocked, their hearts filled with a chill. "How strong, perhaps it''s a high-level Xuanji martial skill!" At this moment, Li Lin also gasped in cold air, such strength, making him also feel a chill. At this moment, Li Lin was worried for Uncle Jiang. If Uncle Jiang was in his prime, Li Lin naturally wouldn''t worry, but now, Li Lin knew that Uncle Jiang was forcibly practicing the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Art, his strength was not as good as before, although Li Lin did not know Uncle Jiang''s strength in his prime. "Ah..." Just as the Black Ghost Heavenly King''s shout fell, Uncle Jiang sighed softly, and at the same time, he rapidly formed hand seals, and from between his eyebrows, suddenly a light burst out, with it, a tremendously terrifying energy fluctuation was gradually brewing and surging. "Ao ao ao ao!" Just as everyone felt the sudden appearance of this terrifying energy, a series of terrifying dragon chants like sounds echoed in the sky. This sound was extremely high-pitched, falling into everyone''s ears, yet it caused their souls to experience severe pain. Within these dragon chant-like sounds, the terrifying soul fluctuations contained within made everyone suddenly shocked, as if in the depths of their souls, someone was hammering. "Nine Dragons Red Flame Cauldron." Seeing all this, Li Lin knew that Uncle Jiang''s earth-grade top soul weapon, the Nine Dragons Red Flame Cauldron, was finally being used by Uncle Jiang. Chapter 462: The Power of the Spiritual Instrument Above the void, as nine dragon chants resounded, a scorching aura immediately spread in front of Uncle Jiang, with a nine-footed cauldron spiraling into the air before him. As Uncle Jiang''s hand seals changed, the nine-footed cauldron instantly enlarged to a shocking size and momentum, spanning over a thousand meters in an instant. On each of the cauldron''s nine feet, there was a dragon-shaped object spiraling around, and the center was also engraved with dense secret patterns. Energy fluctuated above these secret patterns, and at this moment, a tangible flame flowed, with the scorching aura spreading from the cauldron. At this moment, on top of the nine-footed cauldron, the nine dragon-shaped objects came to life, pressuring the space while condensing a terrifying soul power. This vast soul energy made everyone tremble, including Wu Zhi Shi, Li Yu, Li Zhong, and Li Bei, all of whom showed a look of horror. "A soul spiritual weapon, it must be of the Earth grade." Wu Zhi Shi exclaimed. Earth-grade soul spiritual weapons were only possessed by a very few within the clan, and now, to think that this person had such a terrifying object, his background must be enormous. "Shoo shoo..." All this talk took but a blink of an eye. At this moment, within the thick clouds above, energy blue swords pressed down, piercing through space without the slightest pause, aiming fiercely at Uncle Jiang, causing the entire surrounding space to tremble violently with its terrifying fluctuations. "Aooo aooo aooo..." Inside the cauldron, nine dragon chants pierced through space, and suddenly, nine hundred-meter-wide pillars of fire soared into the sky. These nine pillars of fire, like nine fire dragons, converged into a huge fiery ball nearly a thousand meters in size in the dim space, instantly illuminating a swath of light, like the scorching sun hanging in the sky. Above the terrifying fiery ball, terrible flames spread out, and the nine-footed cauldron buzzed with the sound of dragon chants as it rotated, with the huge fiery ball also spinning and whistling into the air. Its speed was like lightning, creating a vast vortex of flaming aura. "Shoo shoo shoo..." Terrifying blue sword energy swept towards the huge fiery ball, exerting tremendous pressure, and the sky full of blue swords instantly enveloped the fiery ball. "Sss sss!" Numerous blue swords approached the fiery ball but did not last long before they were transformed into energy and extinguished, with more and more blue energy sword bodies piercing through space. "Red flames in the sky, break for me." Uncle Jiang shouted loudly, and a hand seal turned into flowing light and entered the cauldron. "Ao!" A dragon chant pierced through space, and immediately, in the sky above, the aura of the huge fiery ball grew even stronger, whistling and spinning, the massive and terrifying violent energy shook the space, and faintly, the edges of the terrifying fiery ball were seen spreading with spatial cracks. This huge fiery ball then violently collided with the clouds above. At this moment, everyone''s heart was touched, and unease spread among them. Everyone knew that after this move, someone was likely to be defeated. The huge fiery ball now destroyed a swath of blue energy swords, flashing across the sky, and finally, like a flaming meteor, crashed into the clouds. The huge fiery ball entered the thunderous clouds but became instantly silent; at the same time, the dense blue energy swords above the clouds vanished in an instant. A brief silence made everyone''s heartbeat audible in the space, and this unusual silence made people even more frightened. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Finally, an earth-shattering sound burst forth in the sky like thunder... "Bang bang!" The explosion echoed across the sky, and a storm of extreme terror instantly pressed down from above, within the thunderous clouds, a thick flame swept out, immediately covering thousands of kilometers. Under the flames, the thick clouds did not last long before being instantly transformed into energy and disappearing into the air. Under this terrifying energy storm, everyone was shocked, their eyes filled with horror and astonishment, "Bang bang bang!" In the midst of the violent energy explosion, hot red energy quietly spread out, making the entire space tremble. This terrifying wave of fire, finally like a sea wave, spread out. "Puchi!" In the space, the expression of Hei Gui Tian Wang turned to shock as a huge wave of fire hit him directly, and immediately, his chest was struck as if by a heavy hammer, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood, his figure instantly shaken and retreating. "Ao!" Inside the nine-footed cauldron, another dragon chant spread, and immediately, to the naked eye of everyone, the nine-footed cauldron in the sky rotated, and at the same time, the terrifying wave of fire that was sweeping in all directions, was instantly drawn in, as if attracted, into the nine-footed cauldron within thousands of meters of space, and then disappeared, the entire space returning to brightness. The thick clouds in the sky also slowly dissipated, but at this moment, the space in the sky still carried a scorching color, the entire space was hot, reflecting a dark red light, as if it was a red space. At this moment, countless faces were dumbfounded, everyone gasped in cold air, many people were directly sweating coldly. This is the power of the strong, every move is an attack of heavenly and earthly energy, under such power, even Martial Commanders feel powerless, and Martial Generals and Martial Spirits can only feel how insignificant they are. Below, everyone had already set up a defensive circle early on, and now as the circle dispersed, they were all incredibly shocked, staring at the sky, everyone speechless. "Buzz!" In the blink of an eye, the huge nine-footed cauldron flashed with light, instantly shrinking to the size of a palm, and then disappeared from between Uncle Jiang''s eyebrows. "It''s an Earth-grade soul spiritual weapon, you actually have an Earth-grade soul spiritual weapon." Far in the distance, Hei Gui Tian Wang''s face was pale, the corner of his mouth bleeding, the power just activated exceeded his imagination, only he knew that in the attack just now, the fire attack was only on the surface, the real estimate was the pervasive soul attack, that''s what caused his serious injury, such a powerful soul spiritual weapon, it has already reached the Earth-grade level. "Now, it''s my turn to see if you can still withstand me." A sharp light flashed in Uncle Jiang''s eyes, his hand seals changed again, and his spiritual power began to tremble rapidly. "Young master, run." Hei Gui Tian Wang''s voice instantly resounded, and in the next instant, his figure was already by Ling Qing''s side, and in an instant, the two figures swiftly disappeared. With such speed, among those present, only five people could keep up. In the sky, Uncle Jiang''s gaze coldly followed the direction in which Hei Gui Tian Wang fled. "Uncle Jiang." Li Lin immediately frowned, feeling a bad premonition in his heart, and suddenly felt a sense of unease. "Puchi." Just at this moment, Uncle Jiang suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, his already pale face instantly turned even paler. "Uncle Jiang, are you alright, quickly take the medicinal pill." Li Lin immediately used the Wings of Wind to reach Uncle Jiang''s side, holding two high-grade six-level healing pills in his hand, these were the best two six-level pills Li Lin had on him. "Like this, do you think I''m alright?" Uncle Jiang glared at Li Lin, then without being polite, took the two high-grade six-level pills from Li Lin''s hand and stuffed them into his mouth. "Uncle Jiang, you should rest for a while." Li Lin said worriedly, Uncle Jiang did not pursue Hei Gui Tian Wang, Li Lin already felt something was wrong with Uncle Jiang. "It''s all because of you, always causing trouble, now I probably won''t recover." Uncle Jiang looked at Li Lin and said, "It''s a pity, if it were before, a fifth-level Martial King, I could have easily destroyed, but now I''ve ended up both injured." "Uncle Jiang, do you know the people from the Spirit Martial Realm?" Li Lin asked. "Hmph, Spirit Martial Realm." Uncle Jiang suddenly became cold, and then said, "I''m going to the secret chamber to heal for a few days, find me in the secret chamber after three days." As his voice fell, Uncle Jiang''s figure instantly disappeared, Li Lin raised his eyebrows, and then turned his attention back to the ground below. Below, at this moment, was a mess, the vast Li family was now half destroyed, turned into ruins, the square in front of the Li family, the ground cracked like small streams, witnessing the intense battle that had just taken place. After Uncle Jiang disappeared, everyone below had not yet recovered. "Wu Zhi Shi, we have some connections, you should leave as well." In the sky, Li Lin said to Wu Zhi Shi. "I didn''t expect the Li family to have such a strong person, we miscalculated." Wu Zhi Shi gave a bitter smile and said, "Miss was not wrong about you, Young Master Li is really not simple. This time, I was calculated by Li Lin, but next time, I think we will come again, the treasure of the Li family is of great importance, next time we meet, maybe I will have to make a move against Young Master Li." "If you want the treasure, that''s your business, just don''t provoke me, otherwise, I won''t be polite." Li Lin said with a slight smile. Chapter 463: The Book of No Words "Let''s go," Minister Wu said to Li Bei beside him. "Mei''er," Li Bei called out to Li Mei, who then approached Li Bei. "Thank you for raising me, adoptive father." Staring at Li Yu, Li Bei, holding Li Mei, knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times heavily. "You child..." Li Yu sighed slightly, looking extremely helpless. "Grandpa." Li Mei''s eyes began to moisten as well. "Mei''er, Grandpa has always treated you as his own grandson. No matter where you are in the future, you will always be my grandson," Li Yu said with a slight smile on his face. "Mei''er, let''s go," Li Bei said softly. "Brother Lin''er, Sister Wushuang, I''m leaving," Li Mei said to Li Lin in the sky and Li Wushuang ahead. "Master Li, we shall meet again. For the lady''s sake, I''ll remind you that we must obtain the Li family''s treasure. If we can''t get it today, our clan will send stronger people again," Minister Wu said. After his words, he and Li Bei, carrying Li Mei, leaped away. Watching the three disappear, Li Lin exhaled deeply and then landed beside his mother, Luo Lan, who was still in shock. "Big brother," Little dragon, with his body shrunken, landed on Li Lin''s shoulder, along with other magical beasts like the Sky-winged Snow Lion, all of whom had also shrunk their bodies. Inside the collapsed gates of the Li family, the descendants felt the calm outside and walked out with shocked expressions. The battle in the sky they had just witnessed was unimaginably shocking. "Let''s tidy up," Li Yu said, observing the surroundings. The Li family home was half-destroyed, but fortunately, there were not many casualties. "Luo Lan, Zhong''er, Lin''er, come with me," Li Yu said, looking at Luo Lan and Li Lin, then slowly walked towards the Li family''s courtyard. Li Lin hesitated slightly, then supported his mother and followed. Deep within the Li family compound, in the ancestral hall, Li Lin was visiting for the second time. Nothing had changed. In the center of the hall, there was a row of spiritual tablets with the names of the Li family''s ancestors. The hall also contained hundreds of meditation cushions. "Luo Lan, these years, you and your son have suffered. On behalf of the Li family, I offer my apologies," Li Yu said, looking at the spiritual tablets of the ancestors, then turned to Luo Lan. "Master, you are too serious," Luo Lan immediately responded. "These years, I know the life you''ve lived. It''s been hard for you because of the Li family," Li Yu sighed slightly, then looked at Li Lin and said, "Lin''er, do you still harbor resentment towards the Li family?" "It doesn''t matter anymore," Li Lin sighed softly. He considered himself an outsider, feeling angry on behalf of his mother and the deceased Li Lin, but now that the feud was partially avenged and the Li family had been punished, he felt somewhat appeased. "I know you hold resentment. The Li family has wronged you, but you can''t blame your father. He was helpless. If you must hate, hate me, this old man close to death." "Pfft!" As soon as Li Yu finished speaking, he spat out a mouthful of blood, his pale face turning ashen. His energy rapidly declined. "Father, did you use that secret technique?" Li Zhong''s face changed drastically as he rushed to Li Yu''s side. "Without that secret technique, how could I reach the sixth level of Martial General?" Li Yu sighed. "Unfortunately, even with the secret technique, it was in vain. Thankfully, Lin''er protected the Li family this time." "Father, how many levels did you increase with that secret technique?" Li Zhong asked anxiously. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. "Four levels. I was only a second-level Martial General, reaching the sixth level was my limit," Li Yu sighed. "Father, increasing by four levels, you''ll die. How could you..." Li Zhong''s eyes moistened. "Secret technique." Li Lin was surprised to learn that Li Yu was only a second-level Martial General who had increased four levels in strength with a secret technique. The higher the level, the more significant the strength increase. From a second-level to a sixth-level Martial General, the power increase was tens of times greater. "It doesn''t matter. I''m old, and for the Li family, I''ve long been prepared for this day," Li Yu said softly, then looked at Li Lin again. "Lin''er, everyone says the Li family has a treasure. Do you believe it?" "Where there''s smoke, there''s fire," Li Lin said lightly. Looking at Li Lin, Li Yu showed a hint of surprise, then said, "Indeed, our Li family does have a treasure, a shocking treasure. Our Li family has been guarding this treasure for tens of thousands of years, having rooted here in Qingyun Town for over a thousand years." "Shocking treasure," Li Lin raised an eyebrow. "Zhong''er, you tell Lin''er the rest," Li Yu coughed and said to Li Zhong. Li Zhong, looking very solemn after hearing Li Yu''s words, then said to Li Lin, "Lin''er, our Li family''s ancestor''s origins are somewhat complicated. He was originally a Martial King strongman." Li Lin had heard about the Li family''s ancestor being a Martial King strongman before in the ancestral hall and was not too surprised. After tens of thousands of years, having only two Martial Generals in the Li family was still commendable. Any family couldn''t remain unbeaten for tens of thousands of years. Li Zhong continued, "Lin''er, do you know the strength of Martial Emperors and Spirit Emperors?" "Rumors say Martial Emperors and Spirit Emperors can break through the void and live forever," Li Lin said lightly, a story known even to three-year-old children in the Lingwu Continent. "Wrong," Li Zhong looked at Li Lin. "Martial Emperors and Spirit Emperors can traverse space but can''t break through space to live forever." "Then how can one break through space and live forever? Are there higher levels above Martial Emperor and Spirit Emperor?" Li Lin asked, surprised and very interested. "The ages are long past. Perhaps our Li family''s original ancestor knew, but I do not," Li Zhong sighed slightly, then looked at Li Lin. "According to our Li family''s ancestral records, our original ancestor was actually a servant of a ninth-level Martial Emperor. Ten thousand years ago, when that Martial Emperor was besieged, he instructed his two Martial King servants to escape. One of those Martial Kings was our Li family''s ancestor, and the other, judging by today''s events, was the ancestor of the Zhao family." "A ninth-level Martial Emperor was besieged," Li Lin was speechlessly astonished. There were indeed people who had reached the level of Martial Emperor, even a ninth-level Martial Emperor, and a Martial King strongman was merely a servant. Raising an eyebrow, Li Lin said, "That Martial Emperor was besieged, why let two Martial King servants escape?" "As our Li family knows, many strongmen besieged the ninth-level Martial Emperor for a treasure. In the end, the Martial Emperor handed that treasure to our Li family''s ancestor and the Zhao family''s ancestor to take away. To evade pursuit, our ancestor and the Zhao family''s ancestor fled separately, and that treasure has been in our Li family''s possession ever since. That''s the story," Li Zhong said. "What exactly is that treasure?" Li Lin asked. Ten thousand years ago, those who besieged the ninth-level Martial Emperor must have been Martial Emperors themselves, as others wouldn''t dare. A treasure that could incite Martial Emperors to fight must be extraordinary. "It''s a book with no words," Li Zhong looked at Li Lin. "Ancestral legends say there are nine such books in total. Gathering all nine can reveal the secret to breaking through the void and achieving immortality." "A book with no words," Li Lin murmured. Gathering all nine to find the secret of breaking through the void and achieving immortality meant these books were indeed the most coveted secrets among Martial Emperors. "The greatest responsibility of every generation''s head of the Li family is to protect this book with no words. To avoid attracting attention, our Li family has always kept a low profile, but still, we were discovered," Li Zhong sighed. "Cough!" Li Yu coughed again and said, "Lin''er, your father, as the head of the Li family, had to consider the book with no words, which is why you and your mother suffered all these years. Before your father left for Yunyang Sect, he and your mother were deeply in love, and your mother was already pregnant with you. However, after arriving at Yunyang Sect, the Zhao family discovered this, and ultimately pressured your father into marrying Zhao Hui and returning to the Li family. At that time, I had already sensed that the Zhao family might be related to the Martial Emperor servant who escaped with our Li family''s ancestor. To avoid the Zhao family''s suspicion regarding the book with no words, we had your father marry Zhao Hui, hoping to dispel their doubts, making you and your mother the victims." "As the head of the Li family, I had to consider the book with no words, and that''s why you and your mother suffered," Li Zhong looked at Luo Lan and Li Lin, his eyes filled with regret and helplessness. "Zhong brother, I know you had your reasons, and I''ve never blamed you. You don''t need to blame yourself," Luo Lan said, looking at Li Zhong with compassion. Li Lin remained silent, having almost avenged the grievances. Considering the treatment of the original Li Lin and his mother, although it angered him, today''s revelations showed there were reasons behind it. This matter wasn''t something he should dwell on further. Presumably, the original Li Lin would also let go of any grievances knowing this. Chapter 464: The Martial Techniques of the Li Family "Zhong''er, give the item to Lin''er. We can no longer protect it. It won''t be long before more powerful figures come looking for the Li family, and this news will eventually spread." Li Yu said to Li Zhong. "Lin''er, the Wordless Heavenly Book is now entrusted to you. If you can gather all nine volumes of the Wordless Heavenly Book in the future, you might be able to find the secret to breaking through the void and achieving immortality." After Li Zhong spoke to Li Lin, he then said to Luo Lan, "Lan sister, where is the spatial bag I gave you before?" "Brother Zhong, I''ve always kept it with me. You told me not to tell Lin''er, and I never did." Luo Lan took out a spatial bag from her bosom. This spatial bag looked like a sachet and was hard to recognize as a spatial bag without a close inspection. Li Lin was also surprised at this moment. He had seen this sachet on his mother many times and never expected it to be a spatial bag. "Lin''er, I''ve always kept this spatial bag on your mother. There are some items inside, hoping that after you leave the Li family, you can live without worries. But your mother never wanted to leave the Li family. This spatial bag also contains the Wordless Heavenly Book. To protect the Wordless Heavenly Book, I placed it with your mother. I wanted you to take your mother and leave, hoping you wouldn''t get involved and could still protect the Wordless Heavenly Book." Li Zhong handed the spatial bag from Luo Lan''s hands to Li Lin and said, "Open the spatial bag." Hearing this, Li Lin immediately probed with his mind but was puzzled to find that he couldn''t enter the spatial bag with his consciousness. "This spatial bag has a special feature. Only by dropping the blood of a member of the Li family can it be opened. If someone not from the Li family forces it open, it will explode immediately. It was left by an ancestor of the Li family," Li Zhong''s voice echoed in Li Lin''s ears. Li Lin, surprised, dropped a drop of blood into the spatial bag. Immediately, a slight fluctuation flashed on the bag, and Li Lin probed with his mind again. Inside the space, there were tens of thousands of gold coins and some valuable jewelry, showing that his father had indeed made some arrangements. These tens of thousands of gold coins and numerous pieces of jewelry were enough for an ordinary family to live a wealthy life. "What is this?" Inside the spatial bag, a palm-sized jade slip appeared within Li Lin''s mental probe, and he immediately took out the jade slip. Upon inspection, the jade slip was the size of an adult''s palm, square-shaped, with a smooth surface and streamlined edges as if naturally formed, about two centimeters thick. There were no fluctuations of energy from the jade slip, making it seem utterly ordinary. "This is the Wordless Heavenly Book." Li Lin even started to doubt. How could such an ordinary-looking object be the valuable Wordless Heavenly Book? "Try if you can destroy this Wordless Heavenly Book," Li Zhong said softly, seemingly noticing Li Lin''s doubt. Li Lin hesitated for a moment, then tried to snap the jade slip in his hands, starting gently and then using his true qi. In the end, after pouring all his true qi into it, a yellow light flashed in his hands, but he couldn''t damage the ordinary jade slip at all. It remained unchanged. Li Lin was astonished. The jade slip was indeed extraordinary; despite his efforts, it remained intact. "Try injecting a strand of true qi into the Wordless Heavenly Book," Li Zhong suggested. Li Lin injected a strand of true qi into the jade slip, and instantly, the surface of the Wordless Heavenly Book seemed to twist, revealing countless secret patterns that appeared on its surface. Among these patterns, Li Lin vaguely made out the character "Ling" and felt a vast yet exceptionally calm aura flash by before disappearing without a trace. "An extraordinary object." Li Lin thought to himself. He was unaware of the material of the Wordless Heavenly Book, indicating that the origin of this treasure was significant. "It is said that only by gathering all nine volumes of the Wordless Heavenly Book can one discover the secret of breaking through the void and achieving immortality. As for the whereabouts of the remaining eight volumes, the Li family has no knowledge," Li Zhong looked at Li Lin and said, "From now on, the Wordless Heavenly Book is entrusted to you." Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. "Entrusted to me?" Li Lin was startled, not expecting the Li family to so generously entrust the Wordless Heavenly Book to him, which was somewhat surprising. "Indeed, the Wordless Heavenly Book is now entrusted to you," Li Yu said to Li Lin, his gray face turning slightly purplish at this moment. "I''m not interested in becoming the patriarch of the Li family," Li Lin said. He did not want to take on the responsibility of caring for the Li family. He had no interest in the Li family; his sense of belonging was only with his mother. Li Yu and Li Zhong looked at each other, then Li Yu said, "Lin''er, it doesn''t matter if you don''t become the patriarch of the Li family. You still carry the blood of the Li family. All you need to do is support the Li family as much as possible in the future. I don''t want the Li family to fall into ruin." Li Lin remained silent. Supporting the Li family was something he currently needed support for himself; he did not have the strength yet. "Ptui!" Li Yu spat out a mouthful of blood again. "Father." "Master." Li Zhong and Luo Lan''s expressions changed drastically, and they immediately went to support him. Li Yu, at this moment, looked at Li Lin with a pleading gaze, "Lin''er, I can''t hold on much longer. I know the Li family has wronged you and your mother, but please give me some face. If you have the capability in the future, please support the Li family a bit. Don''t let the Li family fall too far. With that, I can face our ancestors even in death." Looking at Li Yu''s pleading eyes, Li Lin was somewhat moved. Although he was not the soul of the Li family, he still carried the blood of the Li family, which he could not deny. "If I have the capability, I will do as you ask," Li Lin said softly. "With your word, I am relieved. I can see that you will be extraordinary one day, and the Li family will depend on you in the future." Li Yu''s purplish face showed a smile, then he said, "Lin''er, you have never called me grandfather from a young age. Can you call me that now?" "Lin''er, call him grandfather," Mrs. Luo immediately said to Li Lin. "Grandfather," Li Lin said softly, letting go of his resentment. After all, he carried the blood of the Li family, and calling him grandfather was not too much. The Li family entrusting him with the Wordless Heavenly Book showed that what the Li family had done to him and his mother was out of helplessness. "Ha ha, good, good, I also have a good grandson now," Li Yu laughed, his purplish face smiling, "I used a secret technique that could enhance my strength by four levels, but it was at the cost of burning my life. Plus, the hit from the Black Ghost King, I can no longer hold on. Before I die, seeing such a descendant in the Li family, I die without regrets." "Father, you can''t die. The Li family still needs you," Li Zhong said softly. "I''ve protected the Wordless Heavenly Book my whole life, making you the patriarch of the Li family has also harmed you. But today, the Wordless Heavenly Book is entrusted to Lin''er, and I no longer have any responsibilities. I''m relieved to die, as everyone has their day to die," Li Yu said to Li Zhong. After speaking, Li Yu then turned to look at Li Lin, "Lin''er, come here." Li Lin stepped forward, standing in front of Li Yu with confusion. Looking at Li Lin, Li Yu said, "Although our Li family is not a great sect or a noble family, our ancestors left behind two extraordinary martial techniques. One is called ''True Martial Jue,'' and the other is ''Dragon Shadow Arm.'' Both were created by a Martial Emperor that an ancestor of the Li family once served. The True Martial Jue is of the initial stage of the Earth level, and the Dragon Shadow Arm is of the middle stage of the Earth level. Both techniques are quite remarkable and can be practiced by martial artists of all attributes." Pausing, Li Yu continued, "I practiced the True Martial Jue, which is a secret technique that can enhance one''s strength. However, I''ve only achieved minor success after decades of practice. This time, forcibly enhancing my strength by four levels has backfired too much, resulting in consequences I cannot bear. Although the True Martial Jue is powerful, it is too harsh on the practitioner and causes significant damage when used. Let me take it with me. I''m afraid it will harm you. As for the Dragon Shadow Arm, I''ve never been able to practice it, not only because it is difficult to practice, but also because the conditions for practicing it are extremely harsh, not something ordinary people can achieve. Such techniques, since our Li family does not have a strong practitioner who can replicate the techniques onto a jade slip, we also fear leaking such techniques. Therefore, the True Martial Jue and Dragon Shadow Arm have always been directly passed down by the patriarch of the Li family upon their death." As soon as he finished speaking, Li Yu''s hands suddenly formed a mysterious seal, and then from his forehead, a light burst out, directly entering Li Lin''s forehead. Li Lin did not resist. This was not a soul attack but a soul message. This light instantly transformed into a vast amount of information in his mind. After a long time, the light finally dissipated, and at this moment, Li Yu had already staggered back several steps, his body wilted, "Lin''er, the Dragon Shadow Arm is now passed on to you. Practice it when you can. If you can succeed in the future, it will become a great asset for you." "Ptui!" The light in Li Yu''s forehead retracted, and he spat out another mouthful of fresh blood. At the same time, his wilted body collapsed onto the cushion. "Father!" "Master!" Li Zhong and Mrs. Luo shouted in shock, but at this moment, Li Yu was already devoid of life. Chapter 465: The Entire Clan Relocates "Grandfather, I will avenge you by killing the Black Ghost King." A cold light suddenly flashed in Li Lin''s eyes. At this moment, Li Lin had completely forgiven the Li family, forgiven everything. Moments later, the news of the death of the old patriarch of the Li family was known to all members of the Li family. The Li family had just suffered a heavy blow, and now with the fall of the old patriarch, the entire Li family was immersed in sorrow. The great battle of the Li family had also spread throughout Qingyun Town. For a time, everyone was talking about it, from the intervention of a fifth-order monster to martial generals and finally martial kings taking action. Those shocking scenes were unforgettable to all. News that the Li family possessed a treasure had also spread among the people of Qingyun Town. The battle among the powerful was for the sake of competing for this treasure. However, what treasure the Li family owned was unknown to anyone. In the afternoon, the battle in Qingyun Town also prompted several external elders from the Yunyang Sect to rush over, but they were soon sent away by Yun Hongling. Li Yu''s funeral did not disturb outsiders; it was not the time for that. He was hastily buried for peace, while the Li family had a lot of matters awaiting attention. In fact, not many members of the Li family had participated in the battle, but it had affected many, causing injuries and casualties. Fortunately, the number of casualties was not too large. Overall, the Li family was not significantly affected by this event. In contrast, the Zhao family suffered heavy losses, with most of their elite forces dying in Qingyun Town, something they had not anticipated before setting out. At night, Li Lin returned to the courtyard. Bai Ling had already gone to the back mountain to recuperate, and Li Lin sent the inverse scale demonic peng and other monsters to protect Bai Ling. Only the little dragon and the Sky Wing Snow Lion remained by his side. "Little thief, the dead cannot be brought back to life; don''t be too sad," Yun Hongling said softly in the room. "Okay," Li Lin replied softly. After all, Li Yu was his grandfather, and regardless of his reasons for passing on the Wordless Heavenly Book and the Dragon Shadow Arm to him, it was a gesture of affection. Therefore, he must kill the Black Ghost King one day. However, Li Lin knew his current strength was far from sufficient to kill the Black Ghost King. As a minor martial general, he was no match for a five-level martial king who could crush him with a casual slap. Thinking of the Wordless Heavenly Book he received during the day, Li Lin sighed. Although the book was a treasure, his current strength was probably insufficient to protect it. If word got out that the Wordless Heavenly Book was in his possession, he would likely have to live a life of hiding. A single Wordless Heavenly Book was of no use; only by gathering nine could one discover the secret to breaking through the void and achieving immortality. For Li Lin, this was a huge temptation, and giving up the Wordless Heavenly Book was out of the question. Li Lin estimated that obtaining the other eight Wordless Heavenly Books would be as difficult as reaching the heavens. Even if he knew where they were, those who possessed such treasures were not to be trifled with. After pondering for a moment, Li Lin stopped thinking about the Wordless Heavenly Book. With his current strength, thinking too much was of no use. Everything still depended on his own strength; without it, he might not even be able to protect the one he had, let alone consider the other eight. "Little thief, what treasure does your Li family have that attracts so many powerful people?" Yun Hongling asked. "I don''t know, let''s cultivate," Li Lin replied lightly. It wasn''t that he didn''t trust Yun Hongling, but the fewer people knew about the Wordless Heavenly Book, the better. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Yun Hongling didn''t ask any further and began to cultivate in a cross-legged position. "Dragon Shadow Arm." While sitting cross-legged, the cultivation information for the Dragon Shadow Arm emerged in Li Lin''s mind, presenting a vast amount of information clearly. During the day, Li Lin hadn''t had the chance to closely examine the Dragon Shadow Arm. This mid-grade earth-level martial technique excited him greatly. He hadn''t expected the Li family to possess such a technique. A mid-grade earth-level martial technique was considered a treasure even in the Yunyang Sect. Understanding the value of a mid-grade earth-level martial technique, Li Lin knew that if it were made public, all martial kings and even martial venerables would crazily compete for it. Such techniques were absolute treasures. As for the power of an earth-level martial technique, Li Lin could imagine how terrifying it was, given that even the initial-stage Xuan-level martial techniques were formidable. He had yet to succeed in cultivating the Xuan-level mid-stage martial techniques like the Three Thousand Flowing Cloud Hand and the Sky-Cleaving Nine Strikes. Thus, cultivating a mid-grade earth-level martial technique was likely beyond his current capabilities. After a moment, Li Lin opened his eyes again, a look of utter shock passing through them. The Dragon Shadow Arm was indeed extraordinary. From the cultivation information on the Dragon Shadow Arm, Li Lin learned it was a unique martial technique that any warrior of any attribute could cultivate, similar to the Qing Ling Armor, which could also be cultivated by warriors of any attribute. What surprised Li Lin was that the conditions for cultivating the Dragon Shadow Arm were incredibly daunting. To cultivate it, one first needed the essence blood of at least a seventh-order dragon clan monster, a requirement daunting enough to dismay anyone. The essence blood of a seventh-order dragon clan monster required killing such a beast, which was akin to seeking death, as seventh-order dragon clan monsters were not to be trifled with. Li Lin was aware of the king-like status of certain monster races, with some even surpassing the Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox. The dragon clan was among these elite races. Killing a seventh-order dragon clan monster, even one at the initial stage, would be more difficult than defeating a four-level martial king. This was just the first condition for cultivation, already daunting to Li Lin. He smiled wryly, thinking that since he hadn''t succeeded in cultivating a mid-grade Xuan-level martial technique, he should not even consider a mid-grade earth-level technique for now. He would wait until a more appropriate time to attempt it. After a moment, Li Lin formed hand seals and entered a state of cultivation, surrounded by a halo of earthy yellow light. The next day, Li Lin was informed to attend a meeting in the Li family hall, where Li Dong, Li Zhong, Li Xi, Huang Shi, Li Wushuang, and several elders of the Li family were present. "Gentlemen, you are all aware of the current situation of the Li family. Please share your thoughts," Li Zhong said, looking at everyone. "This time, our Li family has suffered greatly, and the old patriarch..." one of the elders said. "Let''s all mourn and change. As long as our Li family continues to exist, the old patriarch will be comforted," Li Zhong said softly, his heart filled with unspoken sorrow. "Patriarch, with the Zhao family, the Lingwu Realm, and other powerful individuals coming to our Li family this time, does our Li family really possess some treasure?" an elder of the Li family asked. Although they were elders of the Li family, they had never heard any news of such a treasure. "It''s all rumors. Our Li family has been passed down for thousands of years, and we have never heard of any treasure. I don''t know why this time it has led to others saying our Li family has a treasure," Li Zhong said. The matter of the Wordless Heavenly Book was known only to the patriarchs of the Li family, and now only Li Lin was added to this knowledge. The rest of the Li family elders, even Li Dong and Li Xi, had always been unaware. "Eldest brother, I''m worried that those powerful individuals might return. We should make arrangements in advance. What should we do next?" Li Dong asked with a frown. "I don''t know what''s best..." Li Zhong said softly, then turned to Li Lin and asked, "Lin''er, do you have any suggestions?" Everyone''s gaze then shifted to Li Lin, who now held significant influence in their eyes. Knowing about the formidable forces by Li Lin''s side, all the elders of the Li family viewed him from a new height. Li Lin furrowed his brows and hesitated before saying, "To protect the Li family as much as possible, it would be best for the Li family to disperse and leave Qingyun Town, perhaps returning after ten or twenty years. Those forces might suspect and return before long, and the Li family might not be as lucky as yesterday." "Disperse and leave Qingyun Town?" Everyone''s faces changed. "Lin''er, this is no small matter," Li Dong said, looking at Li Lin. Dispersing and leaving Qingyun Town was equivalent to relocating the entire clan, a significant event. "Moreover, if we disperse and relocate, it seems we don''t have a place to go. What about the many elderly, weak, women, and children?" Li Xi asked. "Where will we go? Qingyun Town is the root of our Li family," many elders questioned with puzzled expressions. Chapter 466: Each With Their Own Plans "But it''s in Qingyun Town, when those powerhouses come to search for the Li family''s treasures and find nothing, they might destroy the Li family in frustration. What I''m talking about is relocating for ten or twenty years. Once things settle down, we can return to Qingyun Town. As for having nowhere to go, that''s simple. Everyone has relatives and friends, right? Just seek refuge with them, and once things have settled, return to Qingyun Town," Li Lin said lightly. "Lin''er, although your plan is feasible, with the clan members scattered, wouldn''t it be even more dangerous? If those powerhouses come searching for the Li family treasures and find nothing, they could easily locate our clan members," Li Zhong worriedly said to Li Lin. "Those powerhouses coming to search for the Li family treasures, even if they don''t find them and see that the Li family members have evacuated, won''t just give up after seeing ordinary members of the Li family; they''ll only look for the clan leader," Li Lin said lightly. Upon hearing this, the Li family members understood. If someone came looking for the Li family, the first person they would seek out naturally would be the clan leader, not the ordinary clan members. "Lin''er, what about the Zhao family? This time, the Zhao family has suffered a great loss, and they probably won''t let us off easily," Li Dong said. "The Zhao family has suffered heavy losses, with most of their elite gone, and Zhao Wuji seriously injured. They are too busy dealing with their own problems to worry about us. For the time being, the Zhao family won''t be able to do much to the Li family," Li Lin said. Hearing Li Lin''s words, everyone felt that they made sense and began to discuss. Under the discussion of the Li family members, all clan members decided to scatter and leave the Li family, returning to Qingyun Town after fifteen years. Everyone was clear that after this incident with the Li family, soon enough, many forces would come rushing over, including the Lingwu Realm and the mysterious family where Li Bei was. After discussing, they decided to prepare to leave that very day. Li Lin sighed inwardly, thinking that dispersing the Li family members was undoubtedly the best way to protect the Li family and minimize the dangers they might face. The powerhouses attracted by the treasures wouldn''t be a problem, as rumors suggested that the Li family also had an absolute powerhouse. They would be afraid to act rashly, but the Lingwu Realm, the Zhao family, and others might seek revenge. Spreading out the Li family members would also minimize losses. After dispersing the Li family members, Li Lin guessed that those coveting the Li family''s treasures, especially the Zhao family, the Lingwu Realm, and the people from the Du Gu family, would most likely target his father Li Zhong and himself. After all, he had already been involved in this matter, and it was very possible that these forces would guess that the treasures were in his possession, making him a target for those powerhouses. When the Li family elders and others dispersed, only Li Zhong, Li Xi, Li Dong, Li Wushuang, Mrs. Huang, Mrs. Chen, and Li Lin were left in the hall. "Fourth brother, what are your plans?" Li Zhong asked Li Xi. "Third brother, I plan to temporarily visit Shaoxiong''s grandfather''s home. It''s quite far from Qingyun Town, and Shaoxiong has been staying there lately. After fifteen years, we can come back, hoping that by then, this matter will have passed," Li Xi said. "That''s fine," Li Zhong immediately asked Li Dong, "Big brother, sister-in-law, what are your plans? Do you have a place to stay?" "We plan to stay at my mother''s home for fifteen years. I haven''t returned for a long time, and now is a good opportunity," Mrs. Huang said to Li Zhong. "Wushuang, do you want to go back with your mother?" Mrs. Huang asked Li Wushuang. "Mother, I promised my master that I would return to the Yunyang Sect for more training. I''ll go to the Yunyang Sect," Li Wushuang said. "Lin''er, what about you? What are your plans?" Li Dong asked Li Lin. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. "Uncle, I''ll see when the time comes. I''ll have a place to go," Li Lin said, though in his heart, he had already decided to return to the ancient domain. It wouldn''t be long before many powerhouses would be looking for him, and he would have to return to the ancient domain. On one hand, to avoid those coveting the Li family''s treasures, and on the other, he was supposed to return to the Flying Spirit Sect. Two years had passed, and now that he had obtained the Ten Thousand Year Red Copper and the Fleeting Shadow, along with the secret alliance with the Yunyang Sect, it was time to develop the Flying Spirit Sect. However, Li Lin was also troubled by one thing at the moment. He had initially planned to take his mother to the ancient domain, but now, with this situation, having his mother by his side would be much more dangerous. Yet, it seemed his mother had nowhere else to go, which made Li Lin quite distressed. Although Li Lin wanted his mother to stay with him for convenience in taking care of her, it was now impossible. "Third brother, what about you?" Li Dong then asked Li Zhong. "I..." Li Zhong hesitated for a moment and said, "I''ll see when the time comes." "Father, why don''t you accompany Mother to the Yunyang Sect?" Li Lin looked up and asked. Everyone immediately turned their attention to Li Lin, as if surprised by his suggestion. Li Zhong''s gaze brightened as he looked at Li Lin, clearly moved. "You plan to send your mother to the Yunyang Sect?" Li Zhong asked Li Lin. "I would be relieved if Mother went to the Yunyang Sect. If you could go too, that would be even better," Li Lin said lightly. Sending his mother to the Yunyang Sect seemed like a decision Li Lin made after much consideration. Given his current situation, sending his mother to the Yunyang Sect was the best option. Although Zhao Wuji was there, Li Lin had nearly dealt with all of his supporters, and Zhao Wuji wouldn''t dare to act rashly at the Yunyang Sect. With Hong Ling and his master there, his mother''s safety wouldn''t be a concern. As for sending his mother to the Yunyang Sect, with a word from Hong Ling and considering his relationship with the Yunyang Sect, there definitely wouldn''t be a problem. If his father Li Zhong could go too, it would undoubtedly be even better. "Your mother going to the Yunyang Sect is definitely a good idea. But you''re still in danger now. It might not be long before we, father and son, become the target of many people''s searches. Don''t you plan to go to the Yunyang Sect?" Li Zhong looked at Li Lin, still emotionally stirred by Li Lin calling him "father." "I have my own place to go. It won''t be easy for anyone who wants to harm me," Li Lin said lightly. Going to the ancient domain, he believed, would make it difficult enough for people to find him. Moreover, with the old poisoner and the Ghost Fairy in the Flying Spirit Sect, along with Bai Ling by his side, he had a small power base. Unless it was a martial king powerhouse, he wasn''t afraid of ordinary people. "By the way, Lin''er, who exactly is Uncle Jiang? Has he been teaching you cultivation since you were young?" Li Xi asked. Hearing about Uncle Jiang, the Li family members turned their attention to Li Lin, understanding the shock Uncle Jiang had given them. They had never dreamed that a servant who had been with the Li family for over thirty years could be such a powerful individual. "Sort of," Li Lin said lightly. "Lin''er, we owe Uncle Jiang a lot this time. Why don''t you take us to thank him?" Li Zhong said. "Father, there''s no need for that. Uncle Jiang doesn''t like crowds. I''ll thank him," Li Lin said, knowing Uncle Jiang wouldn''t care about the Li family''s thanks. The others then inquired about Uncle Jiang, but Li Lin didn''t say much. It wasn''t that he was intentionally hiding anything; he himself didn''t know much about Uncle Jiang''s background. After a while, everyone started to prepare for their departure, reluctant to leave Qingyun Town for fifteen years. Li Lin returned to his courtyard and discussed sending his mother to the Yunyang Sect with Yun Hongling. Yun Hongling naturally had no objections, even feeling overjoyed. Having grown up without a mother, although she had not spent much time with Lady Rolan, she had felt a mother''s love, making their relationship special. However, learning that Li Lin didn''t plan to go to the Yunyang Sect made Yun Hongling quite upset. She insisted on following him wherever he went. Li Lin had to assure her he would visit the Yunyang Sect soon to appease her. Li Lin then found his mother and discussed sending her to the Yunyang Sect. Lady Rolan was worried about Li Lin but agreed after he assured her he would be safe. In the afternoon, the Li family began to disperse their servants, giving each three years'' wages, while the Li family members reluctantly left, each with their own feelings of reluctance. The Li family, numbering in the hundreds, scattered in a chaotic and noisy departure. Li Dong, Li Xi, and others became even busier, as the Li family had many businesses and shops to manage, which couldn''t be arranged in a single day. This dispersal of the entire clan was undoubtedly a significant impact on the Li family, but it was a necessary measure for the safety of the Li family. At night, under the peaceful night sky, in one of the Li family''s courtyards, a young man with a dazed expression sat on the ground, rolling around, his hair messy. This was Li Shaohu, who had been rendered an idiot. "Ah!" Li Zhong sighed softly in the hall. "I spared his life, and that was already my limit," Li Lin''s figure appeared in the hall, his gaze sweeping over Li Shaohu on the ground without any pity. "But he is still your brother," Li Zhong said softly. Chapter 467: A Cordial Invitation to Uncle Jiang "But he has tried to kill me, not just once or twice, but many times." Li Lin said. "I know you''re not at fault, the fault is mine for not teaching him well." Li Zhong said softly, "How did you come here?" "I came to ask you, have you decided to go to Yunyang Sect?" Li Lin said, "If you could go, mother would be happy." "I owe your mother too much, the rest of my life will be dedicated to repaying your mother. Going to Yunyang Sect is fine, and there are also some acquaintances in Yunyang Sect." Li Zhong said. "That''s good." Li Lin smiled slightly, mother should have no regrets from now on. "Lin''er, tell me honestly, do you have any plans?" Li Zhong lifted his gaze and asked Li Lin. "Sort of, I have my own things to do." Li Lin said. "Anyway, be careful in everything. I can''t help you much now. For you, I only have apologies, I owe you too much." Li Zhong said. "Father and son, why say these things." Li Lin smiled slightly. "Right, father and son, why bother saying these things." Li Zhong was slightly stunned, then showed a smile, his demeanor was different at that moment, and everything between the father and son was finally let go at that moment. "Lin''er, I know that with everything you have by your side today, you will definitely be extraordinary in the future. Your grandfather saw this too, that''s why he gave you the Wordless Heavenly Book and the Dragon Shadow Arm. Although you are unwilling to accept the position of the Li family''s head, I hope one day you can accept this position. The Li family will be proud of you in the future." Li Zhong said, a sharp light flashing in his eyes. "Let''s talk about the Li family head matter later. I promised grandfather, as far as possible, I will not stay out of the Li family''s affairs." Li Lin said. "The Wordless Heavenly Book has been guarded by our Li family for ten thousand years, and the responsibility of every Li family head is to protect this Wordless Heavenly Book. I hope you will have the chance to collect all nine Wordless Heavenly Books and uncover the secrets of immortality and breaking through the void." Li Zhong said. Li Lin smiled slightly, collecting all nine Wordless Heavenly Books is definitely not an easy task. His current priority is to strengthen his own power and develop the Flying Spirit Gate. When he has the chance, he will look for the Wordless Heavenly Books later. Although Li Lin does not know much about the Wordless Heavenly Book, the Du Gu family and the Lingwu Realm are all looking for this Wordless Heavenly Book. Li Lin guesses that these people must know something. In the future, he might find out the secrets of the other Wordless Heavenly Books. It was late at night when Li Lin left the courtyard, and the father and son talked a lot. On the third day, in the back mountain of the Li family, Li Lin, Little dragon (Little Dragon), and the Sky Winged Snow Lion appeared. "Greetings to the Demon King." The Nili Monster Peng, the Blood Jade Monster Tiger, the Dual-headed Water-Fire Monster Jiao, and the Taiyin Monster Rabbit quickly saluted in front of Little dragon. These four fifth-order monsters, strictly speaking, were not subjugated to Li Lin, but to Little dragon. "How is Sister Bai Ling?" Little dragon''s small eyes stared at a cave in front of him and asked. "Demon King, Bai Ling is adjusting her breath, her injuries are not light." The Nili Monster Peng replied to Little dragon. Li Lin was somewhat worried at this time. Although Bai Ling''s strength was strong, she was seriously injured by a strike from the Black Ghost King. "Ao!" From the low sky on the left, a deep roar spread, and then a huge aura began to rise, reaching the level of a late fourth-order monster in a moment. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. "The Blood Lizard has finally broken through." Li Lin watched the left side. The Blood Lizard had been preparing to break through a few days ago, just when the Li family was in trouble. The Blood Lizard did not appear, but fortunately, the Blood Lizard''s strength was not too strong, so it didn''t miss much. "Shoo!" At this moment, a white light leaped out of the cave in front, and then turned into a stunningly beautiful woman in mid-air, with a somewhat pale face, it was Bai Ling. "Bai Ling, how are you?" Li Lin asked, feeling that Bai Ling''s aura seemed not very good. "That Black Ghost King is too strong. I''ve been adjusting my breath for three days and have only managed to control the injuries. However, the defense of my Nine-Tailed Fox clan''s true body is not ordinary. Now there''s no big problem, recovery is just a matter of time." Bai Ling said lightly, her face pale, making her seem even more coldly beautiful. "That''s good." Li Lin breathed a sigh of relief. The Black Ghost King was too strong. The Li family''s enemy, plus this Black Ghost King, had been against him twice, and he must seek revenge in the future if he gets the chance. In the evening, inside the secret chamber of the Li family''s woodshed, Li Lin entered the secret chamber, with only Little dragon following him. "Whew!" Inside the woodshed''s secret chamber, Uncle Jiang exhaled a turbid breath from his body, opened his eyes, and a sharp light flashed through his dim eyes, his face also pale. "Uncle Jiang, how are your injuries?" Li Lin asked worriedly. "A bit of a problem." Uncle Jiang looked at Li Lin and said, "I already had injuries, and last time I helped you refine the Blood Slaughter, this time I forcibly activated the Nine Dragons Red Flame Cauldron, it took me more than thirty years to recover this bit of strength, I''m afraid it will take another ten years now." "Uncle Jiang, it''s all because of me." Li Lin bowed deeply, all of these were because Uncle Jiang made a move for him. "Here we go again, it''s not all because of you. The people of Lingwu Realm have grievances with me too, I wouldn''t have let them off even if I knew. It''s just that now, even a minor Black Ghost King I can''t kill." Uncle Jiang sighed slightly, a cold light flashing in his eyes. "Uncle Jiang, what exactly is the Lingwu Realm, and do you have deep hatred with them?" Li Lin asked. "Lingwu Realm is a hidden force, gathering many strong people within it, its strength is immense, but few know of it." Uncle Jiang glanced at Li Lin and said, "My grievances with Lingwu Realm cannot be explained in a short time. Lingwu Realm is not something you can provoke, better not to ask too much." "Uncle Jiang, your enemies are naturally my enemies. I may not be able to provoke Lingwu Realm now, but that doesn''t mean I won''t be able to in the future. One day, I will help you take revenge." Li Lin said earnestly. Looking at Li Lin, Uncle Jiang slowly said, "It''s good that you have this intention, some things you must not get involved in, lest you bring disaster upon yourself. How is the Li family now?" "The Li family has now dispersed and migrated. We will come back after fifteen years." Then Li Lin recounted the affairs of the Li family, including the news of Li Yu''s death. "That''s good, Lingwu Realm will probably come back after a while." Uncle Jiang sighed slightly, then said, "More than thirty years, I''ve gotten used to it here, now I should also leave. This time I made a move, probably it won''t be long before the people of Lingwu Realm find out about my identity, it''s time to change places." "Uncle Jiang, where do you plan to go?" Li Lin asked, from Uncle Jiang''s words, it could be heard that Uncle Jiang and that Lingwu Realm definitely had an extraordinary relationship. "I don''t know, anywhere is fine." Uncle Jiang said lightly. Li Lin''s expression changed slightly and said, "Uncle Jiang, how about going to the ancient domain with me?" "To the ancient domain?" Uncle Jiang looked at Li Lin. "Yes, going to the Flying Spirit Gate, I would be able to see Uncle Jiang often, and the Flying Spirit Gate is now just a small sect, probably the people of Lingwu Realm won''t find you so easily." Li Lin said. "You''re thinking of this old bone of mine, still able to help you stabilize the Flying Spirit Gate, huh." Uncle Jiang glanced at Li Lin and said. "Uncle Jiang, I admit I have thought about it. If you were in the Flying Spirit Gate, you could indeed stabilize it, but that''s definitely not the main reason. I truly hope you would go to the Flying Spirit Gate. At the Flying Spirit Gate, you could recover in peace. If anything happens, I will listen to your orders. It''s better than you running around, and to say something cheesy, you might not consider me a disciple, but I do see you as a master, as family. If you leave, I would miss you." Li Lin said. Looking at Li Lin, Uncle Jiang''s gaze flickered, he didn''t speak, seeming to ponder something. "Old man, my boss has already asked you to go, just go." Little dragon lifted its small head, then jumped onto Uncle Jiang''s shoulder. "You little mischievous creature." Uncle Jiang glared at Little dragon, then said to Li Lin, "Alright, I''ll go to the ancient domain with you, I have nowhere else to go anyway." "Thank you, Uncle Jiang, for agreeing." Li Lin was overjoyed. "Why are you so happy? When we get to the Flying Spirit Gate, you better not cause me trouble. This old bone of mine can''t withstand much more." Uncle Jiang said to Li Lin. "Uncle Jiang, I''m not someone who causes trouble." Li Lin chuckled. "With those monsters around you, plus the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox, along with Little dragon, and your alliance with Yunyang Sect in secret, how can you not cause trouble?" Uncle Jiang said lightly, "The ancient domain is not as simple as you think. Otherwise, the three sects and four gates would have entered long ago, it wouldn''t be your turn." Chapter 468: Visitors from Yunyang "Rest assured, Uncle Jiang, I know my limits and won''t make enemies everywhere," Li Lin said. "You''re not someone who suffers losses easily; I''m not worried about you," Uncle Jiang looked at Li Lin and said, "Since Li Yu has passed away, if I''m not wrong, if the Li family has any treasures, they would definitely be passed on to you. I''m quite curious about what the Li family''s treasure is, given that even the Du Gu family and the Lingwu realm are involved." "Uncle Jiang, have you heard of the Wordless Heavenly Book?" Li Lin hesitated slightly before speaking. In front of Uncle Jiang, he had nothing to hide. "Are you saying the Li family''s treasure is the Wordless Heavenly Book?" Uncle Jiang''s face changed dramatically. "Exactly, it is the Wordless Heavenly Book," Li Lin said. "Quick, let me see it?" Uncle Jiang suddenly trembled, his gaze fixated on Li Lin as he urged. Li Lin took out the Wordless Heavenly Book and handed it to Uncle Jiang. Seeing Uncle Jiang''s reaction, Li Lin guessed that Uncle Jiang must know something about the Wordless Heavenly Book. Taking the jade slip from Li Lin, Uncle Jiang was immediately excited. Then, a flash of light from his hand revealed a secret pattern on the Wordless Heavenly Book, accompanied by a vast aura that flashed by, and the character ''Ling'' on the jade slip also flashed away. "It really is the Wordless Heavenly Book." Looking at the Wordless Heavenly Book in his hands, Uncle Jiang was somewhat excited and then handed the Wordless Heavenly Book back to Li Lin, saying, "You must keep this Wordless Heavenly Book safe. If it leaks out, you will become the target of all top forces on the continent. Even at the peak of my strength, I would have difficulty protecting you." "Uncle Jiang, can the Wordless Heavenly Book really unravel the secrets of breaking through the void and achieving immortality?" Li Lin asked after putting away the Wordless Heavenly Book. "It is said so. If you gather nine Wordless Heavenly Books, you can uncover the secrets of breaking through the void and achieving immortality. But I don''t know the details. Although it is a treasure, if it gets out, it will bring you absolute peril. Moreover, the Zhao family, Du Gu family, and the Lingwu realm are all suspecting you. The Zhao family might not be a concern, but the Lingwu realm and Du Gu family are definitely not forces you can afford to provoke," Uncle Jiang looked at Li Lin and said. "Uncle Jiang, what is the origin of the Du Gu family?" Li Lin asked. "A hidden clan with strong power, stronger than you can imagine, so you don''t need to know about it now. If you want to know, you must have enough strength. With enough strength, you wouldn''t be helpless like you were three days ago when you encountered the Black Ghost King. You should know there are many people stronger than the Black Ghost King in this world," Uncle Jiang said. "I understand, I will definitely work hard to cultivate," Li Lin said, with a determined look flashing in his eyes. The path of the strong, he would definitely be able to join them one day. "With the Yin Yang Lingwu Jue, as long as you are serious and cautious, becoming a strong person is just a matter of time. I am waiting for the day you become a strong person," Uncle Jiang said to Li Lin, a rare smile appearing in his eyes. A moment later, Li Lin left the secret room in the firewood shed. Being able to bring Uncle Jiang to the ancient domain made Li Lin very happy, although it was not his original intention to have Uncle Jiang stay at the Flying Spirit Gate. However, with Uncle Jiang''s broad knowledge, his help to Li Lin was imaginable. When Li Lin walked out of the backyard, his eyebrows suddenly raised, and his gaze was directed towards the void ahead, a powerful aura was approaching. "A strong person is coming." Bai Ling''s figure suddenly appeared on Li Lin''s shoulder. "Whoosh!" Instantly, Li Zhong''s figure also landed beside Li Lin with a serious expression, the father and son looked at each other and turned their gaze towards the distant sky. "Blue Jade Wolf Eagle." In the void ahead, a huge demonic beast appeared, Li Lin suddenly revealed a smile. It was indeed the Blue Jade Wolf Eagle, needless to say, it must be Master Yu Yu coming. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. "Whoosh whoosh!" On the back of the Blue Jade Wolf Eagle, instantly three figures landed, three auras flashed by, it was none other than Elder Yu Yu from Yunyang Sect, Elder Xie, and Elder Song. "Greetings to Master, Elder Xie, Elder Song," Li Lin quickly walked up. "Haha, Lin''er, Master missed you," Elder Yu laughed heartily. "Lin''er, did the Zhao family really come over?" Looking at the current state of the Li family, Elder Song and Elder Xie immediately frowned. Half of the front yard of the Li family was destroyed, the ground around was cracked, and there were numerous deep pits, which they had seen from the sky. "Indeed." Li Lin nodded, guessing that Elder Xie and Elder Song already knew about the Zhao family''s visit. "Disciple greets Master." At this moment, Li Zhong came in front of Elder Yu to pay his respects. Elder Yu looked at Li Zhong, and after a moment, said, "You still remember this old man." "Disciple dares not forget," Li Zhong said, showing absolute respect in front of Elder Yu. "Hmph, dares not forget, have you visited me in twenty years?" Elder Yu lightly snorted. "Disciple deserves death," Li Zhong lowered his head. "Master, please come inside. How come you are here?" Li Lin smiled wryly, immediately taking over the conversation and then led the three into the Li family. A moment later, in a small hall, Li Wushuang and Yun Hongling had already arrived in the small hall, followed by Li Dong, Li Xi, and others. Then, Li Lin recounted the current situation of the Li family to the three, Yun Hongling was also itching with anger towards the Zhao family. However, in this narration, Li Lin glossed over the matters of the demonic beasts and Uncle Jiang. Learning that only Zhao Wujie escaped, Elder Yu, Elder Xie, and Elder Song were also shocked, and the deaths of Zhao Qingtian and Zhao Qinghai were also a helpless matter for the three elders. These two were highly valued disciples of Yunyang Sect. "Master, how come you are here?" Li Lin asked. According to the speed of the Blue Jade Wolf Eagle, it would not take a few days for the three to arrive from Yunyang Sect. They must have set off before the incident at the Li family. "After Zhao Wujie left Yunyang Sect, the Sect Master secretly sent us to visit the Li family. We didn''t expect to still be late," Elder Song said. "It seems like Yun Xiaotian is also paying attention to the Zhao family." Li Lin thought to himself. Just after Zhao Wujie left Yunyang Sect, Yun Xiaotian sent Elder Xie and others to the Li family. This couldn''t be a premonition; it must be that he knew something. Li Lin pondered that it wouldn''t be long before the news about the Li family would reach Yun Xiaotian''s ears. The demonic beasts in his possession would probably also become known to Yunyang Sect. By then, the matter of the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit would also be exposed. "What a Zhao family, they deserve it," Elder Yu lightly snorted, showing no goodwill towards the Zhao family. "Lin''er, what are your plans for the future? Do you want to return to Yunyang Sect with me? Once you''re in Yunyang Sect, I want to see what Zhao Wujie can do to you," Elder Yu then said. "Master, I won''t return to Yunyang Sect this time. I still have things to take care of, and I will visit Master in Yunyang Sect later," Li Lin said. With Elder Xie and Elder Song coming this time, Li Lin also felt relieved about another matter. Li Lin originally planned to send his mother, Yun Hongling, and Li Wushuang to Yunyang Sect first, otherwise, he wouldn''t be at ease. But sending them back and forth would also delay a lot of time. Now that Elder Xie and Elder Song have come, they can return together, which means he can be completely at ease and head directly to the ancient domain. "You''re not planning to return to Yunyang Sect?" Elder Yu worriedly said, "This time the Zhao family has suffered a great loss, Zhao Wujie that old rascal won''t easily let you go." "I will be careful," Li Lin said. "Then where do you plan to go?" Elder Yu was very worried. "I haven''t decided yet, I''ll see when the time comes," Li Lin said. The trip to the ancient domain, Li Lin had not told anyone, even Yun Hongling and Li Wushuang were unaware. Li Lin knew that the fewer people knew about this matter, the better. As for the alliance between Flying Spirit Gate and Yunyang Sect, Li Lin guessed that only Yun Xiaotian and a very few people in Yunyang Sect knew, probably not even Master, Elder Xie, and Elder Song knew, let alone the fact that the alliance between Flying Spirit Gate and Yunyang Sect had not officially started. Everything had to wait until he returned to the Flying Spirit Gate to arrange. After a lengthy discussion, everyone dispersed, and Li Lin also entrusted his master to take care of his mother. Everything seemed to be properly arranged, and Li Lin finally breathed a sigh of relief. Next, he should return to the ancient domain, to enhance his strength and develop the Flying Spirit Gate. The strength of an individual, no matter how strong, seemed somewhat weak. With a large force, one could truly protect everything. Thinking of returning to the ancient domain, Li Lin also couldn''t help but look forward to it. In the past two to almost three years, under the guidance of the ghost fairy Bai Ying, what step had the Flying Spirit Gate''s strength reached? Would it give him a surprise? Thinking of soon returning to the ancient domain, Li Lin couldn''t help but feel a sense of exhilaration. The ancient domain was the place that suited him. At night, on a hillside behind the mountain, the night sky enveloped the heavens, and the moonlight was enchanting. Li Lin stood on the hillside with his hands behind his back, the night wind scattered his black hair, a faint summer fragrance came, under the enchanting moonlight, looking at the sky and the distance, Li Lin murmured, "A man''s journey, should be violent..." Chapter 469: Time for Revenge Li Lin stood on the hillside, hands clasped behind his back, as the night wind scattered his black hair, carrying a faint scent of summer. Under the charming moonlight, he gazed at the sky and the distance, murmuring, "A man''s journey should be violent. Kindness and ruthlessness cannot coexist. A man should kill without mercy. Eternal glory lies in the act of killing. Once, there were bold men, noble and committed. At the slightest offense, they would kill, their lives as light as a feather. There were also heroes and tyrants, killing chaotically, roaming the world, boasting only of their swords and spears. To seek such men now is to grasp at the moon''s reflection. Do you not see, when scholars rise, warriors die, and from then, benevolence and righteousness are praised. When barbarians threw the Central Plains into chaos, scholars fled, and the common people wept. I wish to learn from the ancients, to revive the spirit of valor. Reputation is as dirt to me, I scoff at the kindness of others. With an iron sword at my side, anger leads me to kill. Sharing flesh in wine, my laughter terrifies gods and ghosts. I''d travel a thousand miles to slay my enemies, willing to spend ten weeks stars. Specializing in the way of Tian Guang, to form bonds in the dark. Setting out at dawn, returning at dusk with enemies'' heads. Tired of battle, I long for rest, yet the call to arms suddenly sounds. Leaving my mother at the West Gate, she weeps while I do not. My life pledged to the cause of Han Qing, a man leaves and never returns. In the battle between heaven and earth, the ferocity shocks the underworld. Three steps to kill a man, my heart stops, but my hands do not. Blood flows like ten thousand miles of waves, corpses as pillows on mountains. After battle, warriors rest on enemy corpses, still slaying in their dreams, their smiles bright as moonlight. Daughters, ask not why men are so fierce. Since ancient times, kindness has harmed, truth in morality never found. Do you not see, lions and tigers gain respect by hunting, while the poor deer receives no pity? The world has always been the strong preying on the weak, even with reason, it''s in vain. Ask no more, for a man must do what a man must do. A man''s journey should be fierce. Kindness and ruthlessness cannot coexist. A man''s place is on the battlefield, with the courage of a bear, eyes like a wolf. Born a man, you must kill, not wrap a male body with a female heart. A man never cares for his own life, even in death, he smiles at his foe. A hundred battlefields, every place I wish to blend with the wild grass. Men, do not tremble, here''s a song for you: to kill one is a sin, to slaughter thousands makes a hero. To slaughter nine million makes the hero among heroes. Heroes among heroes, paths differ: to see through the fame of a thousand years of morality, just to live a life of dominance. Caring not for good names but for infamy, killing millions without remorse. Rather be hated by thousands, than not criticized at all. Looking at five thousand years of the world, where is the hero who did not kill?" As he finished speaking, a fierce aura involuntarily emerged from Li Lin, his eyes shooting murderous intent straight into the heavens. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Did you write these words? Such a heavy killing intent, but it inspires boundless courage," a stunningly beautiful white figure appeared beside Li Lin, a little dragon on her shoulder. Her captivating charm, under the bewitching night sky, was overwhelmingly alluring. "It''s not my work, but that of a literary giant from where I come," Li Lin said lightly, his aura subsiding as he slowly exhaled. "Are we leaving tomorrow?" Bai Ling''s voice, carrying an irresistible seduction, lightly opened. "Yes, tomorrow we''ll leave. Once we reach the ancient realm, everything will be different," Li Lin said. "Listening to your words, I fear the place you''re going to might not be so peaceful," Bai Ling caressed the little dragon''s head, her gaze gentle as the charming moon, irresistibly captivating. "Ha ha, how can a true man content himself with tranquility?" Li Lin spoke lightly, having lived an unremarkable past life, he wouldn''t allow this life to be the same. He was here in the Lingwu Continent for a reason. At the first light of dawn, a thin mist shrouded Qingyun Town. Despite the remnants of a battle involving martial kings days ago, the scenery was still dreamlike with mountains and rivers. Early in the morning, scattered figures appeared on the streets, with the scent of wildflowers in the air and shops opening one after another, ready for a day''s business. In front of the Li household, the Lan Yu wolf eagle circled above. Li Lin, Li Zhong, Yu Yu, Yun Hongling, Elder Xie, Li Wushuang, Li Xiaobai, and others were all present. "Father, mother, be careful. I''ll visit you at grandpa''s next time," Li Wushuang reluctantly told Li Dong and Huang. "Wushuang, you too be careful," Li Dong said. With difficult goodbyes, all arrangements for the Li family''s business had been made. Li Dong and Li Xi were heading to their wives'' parents'' homes today, along with Li Zhong, Luo Lan, Yun Hongling, and Li Wushuang. "Lin''er, be careful in everything," Luo Lan said tearfully, looking at Li Lin unwillingly. "Mother, don''t worry. I''ll be fine and will come to pick you up at Yunyang Sect as soon as possible," Li Lin said, knowing he couldn''t keep his mother at Yunyang Sect forever. Once Flying Spirit Gate''s strength was enough, he would bring his mother over. "Lan sister, Lin''er is grown up. You don''t have to worry too much," Li Zhong comforted Luo Lan. "Xiaobai, take good care of yourself. I''ve watched you grow up, just like my own son," Luo Lan said to Li Xiaobai. "Madam, don''t worry. I''ll take good care of myself and the young master," Li Xiaobai assured. "Little thief, remember to visit me at Yunyang Sect early," Yun Hongling glared at Li Lin, her expression reluctant. "I will. Take good care of mother," Li Lin said. "I naturally will. Just don''t flirt with others, or you''ll die miserably," Yun Hongling warned. Hearing Yun Hongling''s words, Luo Lan, Elder Xie, and Li Zhong couldn''t help but laugh. "I know." With the elders present, Li Lin was embarrassed, almost breaking into a cold sweat. Hongling really didn''t choose her words. "Lin''er, visit your master when you can. Don''t be like your father, not returning for twenty years. I''ll consider him no disciple of mine," Yu Yu glared at Li Zhong, then turned to Li Lin, "Be careful out there. Your mother is safe in Yunyang Sect, and I, your master, would lay down my life to ensure her safety." "Thank you, master," Li Lin said. "I will visit master as soon as possible." "Alright, it''s time for everyone to set off. We must go," Elder Xie said. Amid reluctant farewells, everyone mounted the Lan Yu wolf eagle. Luo Lan was also lifted onto the eagle by Li Zhong. At this moment, Li Shao Hu was also taken to Yunyang Sect by Li Zhong. "Little thief, make sure to visit me and Wushuang sister soon," Yun Hongling said before leaping onto the Lan Yu wolf eagle. "Lin''er, take care of yourself. I and Hongling will take good care of the third aunt," Li Wushuang said. Li Lin nodded with a slight smile, signaling Li Wushuang to go first. Although he felt reluctant to part with his two fiances, he knew this was not the time for sentimentalities. Waving goodbye, the Lan Yu wolf eagle took to the skies, its massive body quickly disappearing into the distance. Watching their departure, Li Lin''s gaze lingered for a long time. If Flying Spirit Gate''s influence grew strong enough, he wouldn''t need to send his loved ones to Yunyang Sect. "Lin''er, the Li family is counting on you now," Li Dong said softly to Li Lin. "In fifteen years, I hope the Li family members can return to Qingyun Town." "Fifteen years should be about right," Li Lin said softly, hinting at a deeper meaning. After fifteen years, the matters regarding the Li family''s treasures should fade, and with Flying Spirit Gate and his own strength increased by then, there would be less need for concern. "Lin''er, your uncle is leaving first," Li Xi said, as several carriages had already stopped in front of the Li household. Without flying beasts, the Li family had to rely on horses for travel. Soon after, Li Xi, Li Dong, Huang, and Chen bid farewell and departed in the carriages. With half of the Li household in ruins and the other half silent, Li Lin couldn''t help but sigh at the turn of events, which had far exceeded his original expectations. "Boss, when we return to the ancient realm this time, we should take our revenge," the little dragon Little dragon said, exhaling a breath of air, its small eyes filled with anger. "Revenge for what?" Li Lin asked, turning to look at Little dragon. "That nine-headed demon serpent that chased us for two months last time. This time, I''ll make sure to beat it flat. I''ll chop off all six of its heads," Little dragon recalled the chase in the Misty Mountains with hatred, his breaths sharp and determined. "The nine-headed demon serpent, it''s time for revenge," Li Lin said with a slight smile, thinking it was time for the serpent to face its retribution. Last time, it had chased them all the way to Misty City from the ancient realm. This time, it would be its turn to be unlucky. "I''ll make sure to deal with it properly," Little dragon said, its small eyes blazing with fury. Seeing Little dragon''s demeanor, Li Lin felt a chill for the nine-headed demon serpent. With powerful beings like the Reverse Scale Demon Peng, Blood Jade Tiger, and the Dark Yin Rabbit by his side, the serpent was surely doomed. As night fell again, behind the Li household, Li Lin was followed by a host of beasts, including the Sky Wing Snow Lion, Blood Lizard, Reverse Scale Demon Peng, Dark Yin Rabbit, Twin-Headed Water-Fire Serpent, and Blood Jade Tiger. As for the Bloodthirsty Mantis, Green Demon Python, and the Lightning Black Panther, they were directly stored in Li Lin''s spatial beast bag, and it seemed they were also nearing the fourth tier of power. On Li Lin''s shoulder sat the diminutive Bai Ling, with Little dragon perched above, and Li Xiaobai by his side. Li Lin planned to depart for the ancient realm at night, to avoid unwanted attention. It was possible that spies from other forces were watching the Li family''s movements, so caution was warranted. Li Lin also hoped his journey to the ancient realm would not be quickly discovered by others, as it could be disadvantageous for him. Chapter 470: Understanding Attributes "Young Master, where are we going?" Li Xiaobai asked Li Lin, having never traveled far before. Now that he was about to set out on a long journey, especially by the Young Master''s side, he was very excited. "You''ll know when we get there." Li Lin smiled with pursed lips. Arriving at Flying Spirit Gate, having Li Xiaobai and Liu Yishou join forces would undoubtedly be a great help to himself. "Uncle Jiang." Li Lin suddenly turned his gaze behind him. "Whoosh!" Out of nowhere, a figure appeared like a ghost, it was Uncle Jiang. Uncle Jiang glanced at Li Lin, then his gaze shifted to the monsters behind Li Lin with great surprise, showing a bitter smile, and said, "Let''s set off." "Roar roar..." The Skywing Snow Lion spread its wings and rose, its body expanding to six or seven meters in size, a pressure spreading out as it hovered at low altitude. "Uncle Jiang, let''s go," Li Lin said softly. "En." The space twisted invisibly, a fresh airflow spread, and Uncle Jiang''s figure had already landed on the back of the Skywing Snow Lion. "The strong are truly different." Li Lin envied slightly, his true qi flashed under his feet, he tapped his foot, and his body immediately landed on the back of the Skywing Snow Lion. Li Xiaobai also excitedly jumped onto the back of the Skywing Snow Lion; it was also his first time riding a monster. At this moment, all the monsters had also jumped onto the back of the Skywing Snow Lion, including the Reverse Scale Monster Peng, the Taiyin Monster Rabbit, the Blood Jade Monster Tiger, and the Dual-headed Water-Fire Monster Jiao. They were all delighted not to need to enter the spatial beast bag anymore. Following that, the Skywing Snow Lion turned into a white shadow and disappeared instantly, leaving only a few brave servants to watch over the vast Li family home, which now seemed desolate. "With the Skywing Snow Lion''s current speed, we should be able to cross the Mist Capital Mountain Range in less than a month, right?" Uncle Jiang said while sitting on the back of the Skywing Snow Lion. "That should be enough. The Flying Spirit Gate is at the edge of the ancient domain. Uncle Jiang, you can recuperate in peace at Flying Spirit Gate. Leave everything else to me," Li Lin said. "If not to you, then to whom?" Uncle Jiang glared at Li Lin and then said, "Find me some medicinal materials when the time comes; my injuries need a long time to heal." "Don''t worry, Uncle Jiang, I''ll do my best to arrange everything," Li Lin said. "What a fast speed." Sitting on the back of the Skywing Snow Lion, Li Xiaobai could only keep exclaiming in astonishment. The speed of the Skywing Snow Lion was simply like lightning. Li Lin smiled slightly, and after a moment, he sat cross-legged and began to cultivate, his true qi surging and converging in specific meridians within his body. At this moment, Li Lin was cultivating the Three Thousand Flowing Cloud Hand, each martial skill being activated from within the body had to pass through several specific meridians before converging together to produce tremendous power. Generally speaking, Chen-level martial skills require one or two meridians, Star-level martial skills are more complex, needing three or four meridians. As for Yellow Level martial skills, they are even more complicated, usually involving a dozen or so meridians. True qi surges through these specific meridians before finally converging, invisibly causing a resonance of the attributes of heaven and earth to achieve formidable power. As for Xuanji martial skills, they are even more complex, like fleeting lights and shadows, requiring all the meridians in the legs to be opened, which is unimaginably complicated. The Three Thousand Flowing Cloud Hand that Li Lin was cultivating was of a similar nature, a mid-tier Xuan-level martial skill, requiring true qi to surge out from hundreds of meridians within the body and converge together to form attack power. If even one meridian is wrong, cultivation cannot be successful. Moreover, the true qi must converge at the same speed in hundreds of meridians, and any difference in speed would lead to failure, the difficulty of which can be imagined. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Each time the attack power fails to converge, true qi disperses, and intense pain courses through the body as true qi collides within the meridians, causing Li Lin much suffering. After repeated failures and practice, Li Lin is not one to give up easily. At the martial general level, it is already commendable to practice early-stage Xuan-level martial skills. To practice mid-tier Xuan-level martial skills at the martial general level is rarely achieved by anyone. Practicing Xuan-level martial skills at this level, the difficulty in coordinating the opening of meridians and speed is already a huge gap. Moreover, there are even more difficult aspects. Generally, for a triple martial general like Li Lin, the thickness, width, and toughness of the meridians, having one-third of Li Lin''s would already be an extraordinary feat, not to mention physical constitution. Generally, the meridians and physical constitution of a normal triple martial general wouldn''t even reach one-third of Li Lin''s. Practicing mid-tier Xuan-level martial skills and failing once, the impact force is definitely not trivial. For those with weak meridians, several failures in practicing mid-tier Xuan-level martial skills and the backlash of true qi could lead to meridians breaking and death by bursting, so without sufficient physical constitution and perseverance, practicing Xuan-level martial skills is not so easy. These are already difficult, but there are even more challenging aspects. At the mid-tier Xuan level, the power of the martial skills is immense, invisibly stirring the attributes of energy. When condensing martial skills, the most important aspect is to integrate the attributes of energy, which is much more difficult than merging true qi in specific meridians in the body. This includes control over soul power. Feeling the difficulty of practicing mid-tier Xuan-level martial skills, and thinking about the Dragon Shadow Arm in his body being a mid-tier Earth-level skill, Li Lin didn''t even dare to think about it. After repeated practice and failures, enduring unbearable pain, Li Lin persevered. Besides the Three Thousand Flowing Cloud Hand, there were also the Fierce Flame Fist and the Splitting Sky Nine Strikes, three sets of mid-tier Xuan-level martial skills, and the Earth''s Fury, an early-stage Xuan-level martial skill. Li Lin knew he had enough to practice for a while, and it wouldn''t be a short time to successfully practice these four martial skills. "Young man, when practicing martial skills above the mid-tier Xuan level, don''t just brute force your way through." On the back of the Skywing Snow Lion, Uncle Jiang had been watching Li Lin''s practice, and from his dim eyes, a smile occasionally appeared. "Uncle Jiang, how should I practice?" Li Lin stopped practicing, sweat pouring down his forehead. "Didn''t you notice anything while practicing? At this level of martial skill, it''s not just about using true qi to activate it; you also need to understand." Uncle Jiang said. "Understand?" Li Lin seemed puzzled. "All power comes from heaven and earth. No matter how strong a person''s power is, can it contend with heaven and earth? The power of attributes is contained within heaven and earth. You might not feel it with your current strength, but once you reach the fifth level of the martial commander, you should be able to feel it. After reaching that level, if you want to break through, it''s not just about having enough true qi; understanding is even more important. Otherwise, you won''t be able to continue breaking through," Uncle Jiang explained. "Understanding, is that what''s referred to as mindset?" Li Lin said lightly. "You can be taught. Yes, you could say that. Practicing mid-tier Xuan-level martial skills is extremely difficult for a normal martial commander, as it contains the power of the attributes of heaven and earth. Only by understanding it can you successfully practice it. Generally, cultivators below the fifth level of the martial commander can''t touch this aspect. If you can understand it at the martial general level, the benefits you''ll receive in the future will be much greater. It all depends on you now," Uncle Jiang said. "Uncle Jiang, but I seem to have a hard time understanding that aspect," Li Lin said. "Use the power of the five attributes within your body and slowly understand it. This kind of understanding, to put it simply, is something you can feel but not express in words. It all depends on you," Uncle Jiang said. "Thank you for your guidance, Uncle Jiang." Li Lin said lightly. No wonder he felt like he was about to succeed in condensing his power a few times, but in the end, he always fell short. It seems that what Uncle Jiang mentioned about understanding the power of attributes plays a significant role. With guidance, Li Lin quickly calmed his mind and then mobilized the power of attributes within his body, starting to slowly comprehend it. Five rays of light enveloped his body, placing him in a mysterious state. Watching all this, Uncle Jiang''s eyes once again passed a smile, then he formed a hand seal and began to cultivate. Li Xiaobai had already entered a state of cultivation. Perhaps because he knew his talent wasn''t good, he had always been very diligent in his practice, which made Uncle Jiang quite satisfied. Time slowly passed, and the three of them, along with the monsters, went directly into the Mist Capital Mountain Range. In the midst of summer, within a picturesque mountain range, green trees swayed in the wind, continuous like waves, a lush green color flowing into the clouds. At this time, beneath a cascading waterfall, several figures appeared, among them was the Soul-Commanding Poison Commander Dong WuMing, wearing a black robe, his gaze cold, his presence somewhat elusive, making people dare not approach. This person was indeed the Soul-Commanding Poison Commander Dong WuMing. At this moment, by Dong WuMing''s side, there was a woman of peerless beauty, emitting a mature and enchanting aura, an absolutely stunning woman. Her black hair was coiled up high, and though she wore a simple white dress, it was immaculately white, her beauty radiant, her eyes full of life, looking to be in her late twenties, like a banished immortal. Her whole body carried an air of being above worldly concerns. This attire and White Ling had some similarities, but White Ling had a bit more of a cold and majestic aura, while this woman was naturally Ghost Fairy Bai Ying. Chapter 471: Xintongs Breakthrough "Master, how did Xintong breakthrough so quickly? It''s really terrifying." A girl in eye-catching attire arrived beside Ghost Fairy Bai Ying. This girl, about eighteen or nineteen years old, wore a tight red palace dress that accentuated her busty chest. The skirt was very short, barely covering her rounded, tight buttocks, revealing a long stretch of wheat-colored legs, inevitably leading ones thoughts to wander to what lay beneath the short skirt. This attire was undoubtedly provocative, and this girl was none other than Bai Sasha, who was once naive to the ways of the world, pestering Li Lin for hugs and kisses. "Xintong is born with a poison body. The power of her poison skills is extraordinary, combined with her high talent, that''s why she''s so terrifying," Ghost Fairy Bai Ying turned back to Bai Sasha and said. "Xintong is only thirteen, right? But this breakthrough should make her a third-level Spirit General. That''s too terrifying," next to Bai Sasha stood a woman in a long dress, with big eyes, small mouth, and two dimples, her attire outlined a curvaceous figure. She gave off a sister-next-door vibe, and was the one who had been taking care of Li Xintong, Fang Xinqi. At this moment, Yan Qi was also present, a woman who, three years ago in Huamen Town, was in plain clothes but had now transformed glamorously. Under her long dress, she too wrapped a graceful curve. Everyone was staring at a space in front of them filled with black light. Within this black light, it seemed as if poison gas was entwining around, spreading a chilling aura. A powerful aura was beginning to rise slowly. "The breakthrough has started," Huipoison Marshal Dong WuMing revealed a rare smile in his icy eyes, showing some excitement. "Look at you, is there a need to be so excited?" Ghost Fairy Bai Ying glared at Huipoison Marshal Dong WuMing. "My disciple has become a third-level Spirit General at thirteen. With such talent, how can I not be happy?" Dong WuMing said. "That''s because Xintong is naturally born with a poison body, it has little to do with you," Ghost Fairy Bai Ying glared at Dong WuMing again. "That''s also thanks to my teaching. If you can, go teach one yourself," Huipoison Marshal chuckled. "Hmph!" Ghost Fairy Bai Ying glared at him, and immediately, Dong WuMing dared not say more. In the space ahead, the aura became stronger and stronger. In just a moment, the surrounding space fluctuated violently with the aura skyrocketing, spreading a soul-suppressing aura. "Bang!" A muffled sound came from the space, and at the same time, the black gas surged like a shockwave, instantly enveloping hundreds of meters of space around. A massive and terrifying aura was now at an absolutely horrifying level, causing Fang Xinqi, Bai Sasha, and Yan Qi to change their complexions dramatically. The aura gradually stabilized and then began to solidify. "Sss!" In an instant, the thick black light, carrying a bizarre aura, quickly contracted. As the black light receded, a petite figure was vaguely visible to everyone''s sight. Inside the space, the black light, now accompanied by an invisible celestial energy, was entirely absorbed by the petite figure engulfed by the black light. "Whew!" When the last strand of black light was swallowed by the petite figure, she exhaled a breath of foul air from her body, opened her eyes, and within those bright, watery eyes, there was a flash of intimidating sharpness, which quickly receded. "Master, Sister Bai Ying," the petite figure''s sharpness faded, and she looked towards Huipoison Marshal Dong WuMing and Ghost Fairy Bai Ying. Then she stood up, and immediately, a stunningly beautiful little girl appeared in front of everyone. She was about 1.56 meters tall, wearing a blue dress, with a black shiny braid, thick eyebrows over a pair of black, shiny eyes. Despite the cuteness in her eyes, one could vaguely see a heart-thumping aura. Her face carried a bit of childishness, truly a beautiful budding beauty. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. "Xintong, well done, a third-level Spirit General. I guess Li Lin can''t catch up with you now, haha. When that boy comes back, he will be stunned," Huipoison Marshal Dong WuMing laughed proudly. "Master, maybe my brother is even stronger than me," the beautiful little girl said lightly, and this beautiful girl, other than Li Xintong, was naturally no one else. "That would be difficult, unless his cultivation has been soaring. Otherwise, how could he catch up with your natural poison body," Dong WuMing smiled slightly, then paused, "But that''s not certain. The boy''s strength has also been terrifyingly advancing." "Dong WuMing, Xintong''s talent is excellent, but after all, she is still young. I recently heard that at the once-every-fifteen-years Three Sects and Four Gates Conference, Lin was said to be at the strength of a first-level Martial General but defeated a first-level Martial Commander, winning the championship of the Three Sects and Four Gates Conference. This news should be accurate," Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said with a slight smile to Dong WuMing. "What, a first-level Martial General defeated a first-level Martial Commander?" Dong WuMing was immediately surprised. "It is said that Lin is a multi-elemental martial artist. Now, all major forces probably know this news, but it would be hard for them to imagine that he is the Sect Leader of our Flying Spirit Gate," Bai Ying said. "A first-level Martial General defeating a first-level Martial Commander, that boy is too scary," Dong WuMing was utterly shocked, no longer surprised by the news of Li Lin being a multi-elemental martial artist as he had known about it for some time. "My brother is really amazing," Li Xintong was overjoyed, then said, "Sister Bai Ying, my brother should be coming back, right?" It had been almost three years since she last saw her brother, and she missed him dearly. Because Li Lin called Bai Ying "Sister Bai Ying," Li Xintong had always followed suit. "He should be back soon," Ghost Fairy Bai Ying smiled lightly, "He has been away for so long, now it''s time for him to come back. These past few years, you have made me quite tired. Let''s see him try." "You have worked hard during this time," Dong WuMing looked at Ghost Fairy Bai Ying, obviously aware that it was because of him that Ghost Fairy Bai Ying came to Flying Spirit Gate. "It''s not hard," Ghost Fairy looked back at Dong WuMing, with a warmth in her eyes that outsiders could not see. "Greetings to both venerables," at this moment, a chubby figure came over. This person was not tall, but weighed at least two hundred pounds. "Liu Yishou, what''s the rush?" Bai Ying asked. The person who came was Liu Yishou. When he first joined Flying Spirit Gate, he was almost as thin as a rake, but now, perhaps because he had been thriving in Flying Spirit Gate, eating well, his weight had continuously increased, going from initially thin as a rake to now chubby as a pig. At this moment, Yan Qi, Fang Xinqi, and Bai Sasha couldn''t help but want to laugh at Liu Yishou''s appearance. Originally, Liu Yishou''s looks could be described as sleazy, but now that he had suddenly gained weight, his entire face had undergone a big change. The inverted eyebrows above his triangle eyes now squeezed together like a black dot, and his small eyes, when opened, made it seem like he was squinting, which was quite comical. However, over the years, Liu Yishou had indeed thrived, becoming a prominent figure in the area around the Wudu Mountain Range. There was hardly anyone who didn''t know Liu Yishou in the vicinity of the Wudu Mountain Range. Often, a word from Liu Yishou could cause significant fluctuations in the prices of nearby medicinal materials. "Bai Venerable, I rushed over to Huamen Town and Tuan Mountain Town and found that recently there seem to be many forces'' people entering, making small moves in secret. Also, news from within the Wudu Mountain Range says that many strong people are buying medicinal materials at low prices. If the mercenary groups dont sell, they threaten them. This has a considerable impact on us," Liu Yishou said. "Have you found out which forces are involved?" Bai Ying''s expression darkened slightly. "Back to Bai Venerable, it should be people from Ghost Martial Sect, mixed with some other ordinary forces," Liu Yishou replied. "Continue to investigate. Before any major upheaval, there''s no need to pay them mind. Let them probe further. Once they get bolder, we''ll catch them all in one net," Bai Ying''s eyes flashed with a chill. "I know what to do. I''ll take my leave," Liu Yishou immediately excused himself, not wanting to stay longer in front of the two venerables. The invisible aura from the two venerables made it almost difficult for him to breathe with his strength. "Ghost Martial Sect finally can''t sit still and wants to start probing?" After Liu Yishou left, Dong WuMing said to Bai Ying. "They''ve been patient enough. But now, Flying Spirit Gate is not something Ghost Martial Sect can probe into. If they want to probe, they will have to pay a price," Bai Ying said. Within the Wudu Mountain Range, mountains stretched continuously, and the forest sea surged endlessly. In the early morning, the mountains were shrouded in a thin mist, the sun hadn''t come out, and the breeze blowing through the mountains carried a hint of coolness. The lush green trees in the forest swayed in the morning wind, making a rustling sound. At this moment, in a canyon within the mountain range, two powerful auras were rapidly rising. In the canyon, two giant beasts were emerging. Under the pressure of the two auras, the beasts in the surrounding mountains had long fled far away. The braver ones hid in caves, daring not to come out. Chapter 472: Approaching the Mountain Gate Observing the two massive demonic beasts in the canyon, Li Lin''s lips curled into a smile, not expecting the Taiyin Demonic Rabbit and the Dual-Headed Water-Fire Demonic Jiao to break through at the same time. "Their breakthrough speed is extremely fast. The demonic beasts within the Yunyang Sect''s secret ground, if all were to be released to the outside world, I reckon their breakthrough speed would be just as terrifying," Uncle Jiang remarked, watching the two beasts in the canyon breaking through. Li Lin smiled slightly. The breakthrough of the Taiyin Demonic Rabbit meant it was advancing to the late stages of the fifth rank, while the Dual-Headed Water-Fire Demonic Jiao''s breakthrough indicated it was reaching the middle stages of the fifth rank, both undoubtedly experiencing a significant increase in strength. "Squeak! Squeak!" "Hiss! Hiss!" The two massive demonic beasts roared almost simultaneously, an astonishing aura spreading out as their sizes also surged. As the aura spread, invisible spatial waves radiated within the canyon. The Taiyin Demonic Rabbit was the first to break through its bottleneck, its furious aura causing all nearby beasts to prostrate and tremble. The Dual-Headed Water-Fire Demonic Jiao''s aura followed closely behind, with a layer of water mist and a layer of fire mist overlapping above its two heads, creating a peculiar sight. It took a long while for the aura to stabilize, and at that moment, the two massive demonic beasts shrunk their bodies and leaped into the canyon. "Demonic King, Master, we have broken through and can continue on our way," the Taiyin Demonic Rabbit and the Dual-Headed Water-Fire Demonic Jiao said to Little dragon, Bai Ling, and Li Lin. "Let''s move on," Li Lin said contentedly. The Tianchi Snow Lion then circled back into the sky. Just yesterday, the Taiyin Demonic Rabbit and the Dual-Headed Water-Fire Demonic Jiao were on the verge of breaking through, forcing a halt to allow the two beasts to break through first. "Young Master, how much longer until we reach our destination?" Li Xiaobai asked Li Lin. "Five or six days at most," Li Lin replied. They were now deep within the Misty Mountain Range. With the speed of the Tianchi Snow Lion, it would take four to five days to reach the Flying Spirit Gate. "Boss, we''re also close to the Nine-Headed Demonic Jiao''s territory," Little dragon said proudly, having mentioned seeking revenge on the Nine-Headed Demonic Jiao all along the way. "It should take about two more days to get there," Li Lin said with a slight smile. The Nine-Headed Demonic Jiao had chased him for so long last time, and indeed, it was time to settle the account. "Blood Lizard, take me to your old lair. I''ll chop off that Nine-Headed Demonic Jiao''s head," Little dragon said excitedly, swallowing his words. The humiliation they endured last time from their leader demanded revenge. The Blood Lizard couldn''t help but worry for the Nine-Headed Demonic Jiao, only able to pray for it. Riding on the back of the Tianchi Snow Lion, Li Lin looked down. His current journey to the ancient domain was completely different from the last time. Below the mountain range, mercenary groups of martial artist level strength could occasionally be seen. Li Lin was too lazy to take action. Compared to his current strength, martial artists were too weak, and absorbing them would have no significant effect. Thinking about arriving at the Flying Spirit Gate in a few days, Li Lin''s lips curled into a smile, wondering how Xin Tong, that little girl, was progressing with her poison skill training. Given her innate poison body, her training speed must be incredibly fast. Li Lin was also looking forward to the current strength of the Flying Spirit Gate. Time had flown by quickly; it had been more than two years. With Ghost Fairy Bai Ying sitting in town, the strength of the Flying Spirit Gate must have increased significantly. This time, entering the ancient domain, he urgently needed to enhance his own forces. With these thoughts, Li Lin''s mind wandered for a moment before he resumed practicing martial arts, practicing and comprehending simultaneously. This kept him occupied on the back of the Tianchi Snow Lion. In terms of comprehension, Li Lin still felt somewhat perplexed, aware of the existence of attribute energy but unsure how to comprehend it. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. He knew that comprehending the power of attributes could not be rushed; perhaps one day, inspiration would strike, and he would be able to grasp the essence of attribute energy. Continuing his training, time also continued to pass. Uncle Jiang, Bai Ling, Li Xiaobai, and Little dragon were all practicing as well. Deep within the Misty Mountain Range, a series of peaks shrouded in mist stood tall, surrounded by dense, towering trees, revealing a lush greenery. This area of peaks was a rare sight in the Misty Mountain Range, which was usually characterized by surrounding mountains. This particular cluster of peaks was the only one of its kind within the entire range. Within these peaks, spirit herbs were abundant, far exceeding other areas by more than tenfold. Sometimes, merely taking a few steps between these peaks could yield spirit herbs. However, more experienced mercenary groups knew better than to venture into these peaks, despite being aware of the abundance of spirit herbs compared to other areas. In the past, some brave and capable mercenary groups who entered never returned. Those more experienced groups knew that these peaks were not ordinary places; they were the domain of the Misty Mountain Range''s Demonic King. Previously, when a Stone Ape Demonic King resided here, it was somewhat manageable, and some mercenary groups could still sneak in to gather some herbs. However, once a Nine-Headed Demonic Jiao arrived, the situation became much more difficult. It seemed to dislike humans, showing no mercy to mercenary groups. Since two and a half years ago, many mercenary groups have complained bitterly. The Nine-Headed Demonic Jiao, for some unknown reason, would kill on sight of humans. Not just within the peaks, but even outside, the mere sight of humans by a beast would immediately attract a swarm of beasts. Since then, the Misty Mountain Range has become much more dangerous. Previously, mercenary groups only faced significant risks in dangerous areas and rarely encountered beasts from the Three Realms. But now, even on the outskirts of the Misty Mountain Range, unfortunate encounters with swarms of Three Realms beasts have become common. According to some insiders, the hostility of the Nine-Headed Demonic Jiao within the Misty Mountain Range stemmed from an incident over two years ago when it was provoked by a human and allowed that human to escape. Already harboring a deep hatred for humans, the Nine-Headed Demonic Jiao''s animosity intensified, frequently leading beasts to hunt down mercenary groups within the Misty Mountain Range. Thus, many blame the unidentified individual who initially provoked the Nine-Headed Demonic Jiao, causing unrest for everyone in the Misty Mountain Range. Over the past two years, the presence of the Nine-Headed Demonic Jiao has reduced the number of mercenary groups entering the Misty Mountain Range by a small fraction. Many are fearful of encountering the Nine-Headed Demonic Jiao, from which there is no escape. This has led to a significant decrease in the collection of herbs within the Misty Mountain Range, resulting in a scarcity of medicinal materials. Consequently, the prices of herbs on the edge of the Misty Mountain Range have doubled over the past two years. While the price of herbs has doubled, acquiring them has become even more challenging. As a result, the cost of medicinal pills has also doubled. A second-grade medicinal pill, which used to cost three to four hundred gold coins, now goes for seven to eight hundred gold coins. This price surge has left many merchants in the medicinal pill business flabbergasted, lamenting their lack of stock, as they could have made a fortune. Deep within the cluster of peaks in the Misty Mountain Range, where the mountains reach into the clouds and white mist perpetually swirls, this area has always been a gathering place for demonic beasts. It is here that the most demonic beasts within the entire Misty Mountain Range can be found. From a distance, the roars of demonic beasts within the peaks can occasionally be heard. Inside, third-rank demonic beasts are extremely common, but fourth-rank demonic beasts are rare. For a demonic beast to break through to the fourth rank and condense a demonic core is by no means an easy task. Therefore, most demonic beasts at the late stages of the third rank find themselves unable to progress further. One day, within these peaks, which no one dares enter recently, a faint sound of breaking wind arose. Soon, a massive white demonic beast swiftly approached from afar. With a few flaps of its wings, it arrived outside the peaks. Upon closer inspection, Li Lin, Uncle Jiang, Li Xiaobai, and three others were seen on the beast''s back, along with a group of demonic beasts that had shrunk their bodies and concealed their auras. After learning the location of the Nine-Headed Demonic Jiao''s lair from the Blood Lizard, Li Lin hurried over. Looking into the peaks, Li Lin''s eyes narrowed as he sensed that the area was teeming with demonic beasts and abundant in spiritual herbs. "Blood Lizard, does the Nine-Headed Demonic Jiao reside here?" Li Lin asked the Blood Lizard, who was currently sitting behind the Blood Jade Demonic Tiger. "Master, the Nine-Headed Demonic Jiao, the Stone Ape, and the One-Horned Demonic Ox all live here. I used to live among them as well," the Blood Lizard replied to Li Lin. "Lin''er, what rank is the Nine-Headed Demonic Jiao? Its bloodline isn''t low, and its aura is fierce. It''s quite a remarkable demonic beast," Uncle Jiang, who had heard about Li Lin and Little dragon''s plans to deal with the Nine-Headed Demonic Jiao, was curious. "More than two years ago, it was at the mid-stage of the fifth rank. I don''t know if it has made any breakthroughs since then," Li Lin said. "Mid-stage of the fifth rank, that''s a bit low," Uncle Jiang remarked lightly, as a fifth-rank demonic beast was naturally not much in his eyes. "Nine-Headed Demonic Jiao, this time, I must teach it a lesson," Little dragon said excitedly, showing great interest and excitement. "That Nine-Headed Demonic Jiao must have broken through by now. It''s now at the late-stage of the fifth rank," Bai Ling observed the peaks closely and, after probing with her mind, stated. "Late-stage of the fifth rank," Li Lin was slightly taken aback. The Nine-Headed Demonic Jiao''s breakthrough to the late-stage of the fifth rank would make it somewhat more difficult to deal with. However, it would only be slightly more challenging than dealing with it at the mid-stage of the fifth rank. Overall, dealing with the Nine-Headed Demonic Jiao now wouldn''t be a difficult task. Chapter 473: Revenge Must Be Taken "Boss, let''s go in and peel off the skin of that nine-headed demon serpent first," Little dragon said resentfully. "No need. We just need to shout, and it will come out on its own," Li Lin smiled slightly. The nine-headed demon serpent, furious last time, would surely rush out immediately upon hearing his voice, and then they could directly engage it. As soon as these words fell, Li Lin looked up at the peaks and then shouted, "Nine-headed demon serpent, come out and face your death." The sound, mixed with true energy, echoed within the peaks, sending waves of sound far away, forming reverberations that lingered for a long time. At this moment, just as the echo fell, a huge roar instantly came... "Aow!" In an instant, the space suddenly shook violently. A roar burst forth from within the peaks, followed by a massive airflow sweeping in like a violent wind, causing ripples to spread in waves across the space. "Damned humans, I knew it was you the moment I heard the voice. I didn''t expect you to dare provoke me here," the roar followed by a thunderous shout came from the peaks. The voice turned into sound waves and then spread out like ripples. Just as this shout ended, a massive flapping sound arose, carrying an astonishing force. Then, a gigantic monster appeared in the sky above. This monster was over four hundred meters long, covered with red scales, had five ferocious heads, ten eyes filled with fierce light, and a pair of crimson wings that spanned four hundred meters wide when extended. "Nine-headed demon serpent," Li Lin smiled slightly, eyeing the nine-headed demon serpent. Now, all five heads of the nine-headed demon serpent were of the same size, a symbol that it had advanced to the late fifth stage, its aura much stronger than before. The huge nine-headed demon serpent hovered in the sky. Li Xiao Bai was amazed at the sight. The monster''s body was fierce, emanating a murderous aura that was somewhat heart-palpitating. Looking at the massive figure of the monster in the sky, Uncle Jiang merely glanced with a slight interest, not paying much attention, and Bai Ling, with her reduced stature, also casually glanced without much concern. The nine-headed demon serpent, with its ten giant eyes emitting fierce light, swept over Li Lin, Li Xiao Bai, and Uncle Jiang. "Damned humans, you brought help? No wonder you dared to come here. But today, I will make sure you cannot return," the fierce gaze fixed on Li Lin. Now that the nine-headed demon serpent had advanced to the late fifth stage, it was much more confident. "Aow!" As its words fell, a fierce glance swept across, and the nine-headed demon serpent roared proudly. "Hu hu!" Immediately, a series of breaths burst forth from the mountains, and faint roars of monsters could be heard. At the same time, the ground trembled, and dozens of massive auras soared into the sky. Flight-capable monsters rapidly approached, large flying monsters over a hundred meters in size, second and third stage monsters, totaling about two hundred. At this moment, on the ground, within the peaks, also came the sounds of thousands of monsters charging. There were over two hundred third-stage monsters, and the rest were second-stage monsters. Among these beasts, there were also five gigantic monsters, the largest being the two leading ones. The leading one, a giant ape over one hundred and fifty meters tall, lacked fur and was completely covered by a greenish-white carapace, resembling a stone ape. Another, nearly as large as the stone ape, had a green body, a single horn on its head, nostrils larger than a baby''s, and fierce eyes. It wasn''t as tall as the Stone Ape King, at one hundred and fifty meters, but its massive size spanned over four hundred meters. Li Lin raised an eyebrow; these were the Stone Ape King and the Single-Horned Demon Bull. From their aura, the Stone Ape King had advanced from the early fifth stage to the mid-fifth stage, and the Single-Horned Demon Bull, previously at the late fourth stage, had now reached the early fifth stage. It seemed the Nine-Headed Demon Serpent, Stone Ape King, and Single-Horned Demon Bull had all made breakthroughs. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Apart from the Stone Ape King and Single-Horned Demon Bull on the ground, there was also a mid-fourth stage monster and two early-fourth stage monsters. "Roar roar!" Over a thousand monsters rampaged, their roars unceasing. This place was indeed the main base of the monsters in the Misty Mountain Range. "Master, so many monsters," Li Xiao Bai said, naturally curious and amazed at the sight of over a thousand large monsters, their aura and the spectacle imaginable. The commotion in the monsters'' base also attracted the attention of nearby mercenary groups. "Human, you are doomed today. I will tear you apart alive," the nine-headed demon serpent roared triumphantly, having found its enemy after several years. At this moment, the nine-headed demon serpent thought of tearing the humans before it apart, feeling a sense of relief, completely unaware that its tragic days were about to begin. "Hmph, nine-headed demon serpent, today I must peel off your skin," Little dragon''s small body had already leaped onto the head of the Inverse Scale Demon Peng, standing tall, with anger spreading in his eyes. "Little one, you have the aura of a Demon Emperor. I won''t deal with you; you can leave. The human before me is my target," the nine-headed demon serpent said to the small Little dragon, feeling the aura on Little dragon last time, thus not daring to act. That aura, which made its soul tremble, filled it with fear. "Nine-headed demon serpent, I''m afraid you won''t have that chance," Li Lin smiled slightly. Although the nine-headed demon serpent had advanced to the late fifth stage with a high bloodline, it was similar to the Taiyin Demon Rabbit and the Blood Jade Demon Tiger. The nine-headed demon serpent''s breakthrough was recent; its strength had not been at the late fifth stage for long, probably comparable to the Taiyin Demon Rabbit. The Inverse Scale Demon Peng had long been at the peak of the late fifth stage, more than enough to handle it alone, plus the Taiyin Demon Rabbit, the nine-headed demon serpent was definitely in a dire situation now. "Damned human, I will make you regret your arrogance," the nine-headed demon serpent suddenly roared, its huge figure swiftly flapping its wings, then charging directly. "Inverse Scale Demon Peng, attack," Little dragon couldn''t help but shout first. "Gaga!" In an instant, a roar pierced through the clouds, sounding from the back of the Skywing Snow Lion. The Inverse Scale Demon Peng, having reduced its size and concealed its aura, suddenly leaped, and as it did, its body rapidly enlarged. Its massive body, even larger than the nine-headed demon serpent, spread its might, unreservedly pressing down on the Nine Heavens Demon Serpent. The nine-headed demon serpent, about to attack Li Lin, suddenly saw the Inverse Scale Demon Peng in front of it, felt the immense aura and might, and its attack involuntarily halted. "Nine-headed demon serpent, seeking death." At this moment of hesitation from the nine-headed demon serpent, the Inverse Scale Demon Peng did not hesitate to charge forward, its immense might causing wind blades to slice directly at the nine-headed demon serpent. "Late fifth-stage peak." The nine-headed demon serpent was shocked, realizing the opponent''s aura far surpassed its own, and its huge body quickly retreated, saying, "Inverse Scale Demon Peng, why do you help humans?" "It''s the Demon King''s boss. If you want to kill the Demon King''s boss, then you must die," the Inverse Scale Demon Peng shouted loudly, its huge body closely pursuing. Little dragon, at this moment, having grown to a hundred meters in size on the back of the Inverse Scale Demon Peng, with a majestic posture, said, "Inverse Scale Demon Peng, chase. I want to skin this nine-headed demon serpent alive and chop off its five heads." "I dare you." The nine-headed demon serpent, also a Demon King within the Misty Mountain Range, had its own imposing aura. Knowing it might be difficult to deal with the opponent but not without the strength to fight, immediately stopped retreating. Its huge body now filled with murderous intent, one of the heads suddenly spewed out a massive flame, tearing through the space in front of it, leaving behind searing space ripples. "Hu hu!" The Inverse Scale Demon Peng took flight, its wings beating rapidly, creating a massive tornado that twisted space and dispersed the terrifying flames, friction causing sparks to fly like fireworks. "Aow!" Frustrated by the ineffective attack, the nine-headed demon serpent roared, its five giant heads also roaring continuously. The body of the nine-headed demon serpent twisted bizarrely, its gaze dark and focused on the Inverse Scale Demon Peng. Suddenly, with a ''swoosh'', a crimson light flashed like lightning, breaking through the void in an instant, revealing itself in front of the Inverse Scale Demon Penga terrifyingly large tail. This tail, carrying formidable strength, pressed down fiercely. "Back off," Little dragon shouted loudly. Without waiting for the Inverse Scale Demon Peng to act, it opened its huge mouth, and between breaths, a terrifyingly hot golden flame spewed out, burning the space to suddenly contract, spreading a scorching red color at lightning speed across the space ripples. "Hu hu!" At this moment, the nine-headed demon serpent''s giant tail was immediately swept by Little dragon''s flame. "Aow!" Wherever the golden flame passed, the nine-headed demon serpent immediately let out a pained scream. The thick red scales on its tail suddenly felt an unbearable scorching pain from the temperature, causing the tail to suffer excruciatingly. Chapter 474: The Great Demon Beast Battle "Roar roar..." Upon seeing the Demon King at a disadvantage, the demon beasts underground immediately began to roar. In the void below, the towering Stone Ape Demon King, standing at a height of 150 meters, suddenly saw a burst of yellow light shoot up from its huge forelimbs, attacking directly towards the Sky-winged Snow Lion. "Roar." The massive Single-horned Demon Ox, at this moment, saw a column of water shoot up from its horn, directly pouncing towards the Sky-winged Snow Lion. "Hiss hiss." "Roar!" At this moment, without waiting for Li Lin to recover, the Two-headed Water-Fire Demon Jiao suddenly leaped down from the sky. When its body was in the void, flames suddenly pressed down from its two heads, and its huge body suddenly swung its giant tail, striking fiercely towards the Stone Ape Demon King. The Blood Jade Demon Tiger also refused to show weakness. After a tiger''s roar, as its huge body pressed down from the void, it also returned to its original enormous size. Immediately, from within its ferocious giant mouth, a burst of violent yellow light blocked the Single-horned Demon Ox''s column of water. "Taiyin Demon Rabbit, Blood Lizard, you two go as well, teach those demon beasts a lesson," Li Lin said with a somber face. "Yes, master." The two demon beasts responded, and immediately their bodies also pressed down from the void, with two auras spreading out. The Blood Lizard was already at the late stage of the fourth rank, with an extraordinary momentum. As for the Taiyin Demon Rabbit, there''s even less need to say, with a late fifth rank aura, it immediately caused the color of the Nine-headed Demon Jiao in the sky to drastically change. "Bang bang!" "Roar!" As these several demon beasts pounced down, the void below immediately filled with continuous sonic booms. "Another late fifth rank." The Nine-headed Demon Jiao in the sky immediately became solemn. Facing two late fifth rank level demon beasts, it knew it was not a match. "Shoo shoo!" At this moment, the Niscale Demon Peng did not give the Nine-headed Demon Jiao time to be solemn. Its wings swept across the sky, and among its right wing, the black scales on the edge suddenly burst out with countless wind blades like a chain of blades, cutting towards the Nine-headed Demon Jiao. The wind blades carried a gust of wind attribute, with a piercing wind-breaking sound bursting out from them. The Nine-headed Demon Jiao could only spit out flames from its mouth, with the flames and lightning spreading out, then catching those countless wind blades, immediately bringing up countless sounds of sonic booms. "Hu hu!" At this moment, the two hundred flying demon beasts in the distance took off, beginning to prepare to pounce towards the Sky-winged Snow Lion. "Roar roar!" The Sky-winged Snow Lion let out a loud and clear roar towards the sky, a massive aura of the Demon Beast King instantly spreading out. In the sky, the two hundred flying demon beasts that were about to pounce towards the Sky-winged Snow Lion immediately started to panic, trembling all over, not daring to approach any closer. "Nine-headed Demon Jiao, I said today I would peel your skin." Little dragon''s voice echoed loudly in the sky, with golden flames in its mouth, not knowing when, once again burning on the body of the Nine-headed Demon Jiao. At this moment, although Little dragon was only at the mid-fourth rank, the golden flames in its mouth were not something the Nine-headed Demon Jiao could withstand. Once the golden flames appeared, the Nine-headed Demon Jiao had no choice but to dodge. If it were hit by Little dragon''s golden flames, it would only have a screaming fate. Together with the Niscale Demon Peng, whose strength was already above the Nine-headed Demon Jiao, the Nine-headed Demon Jiao was immediately suppressed, looking extremely embarrassed. Below, at this moment, with the Taiyin Demon Rabbit, Blood Jade Demon Tiger, Two-headed Water-Fire Demon Jiao, and the Blood Lizard, these four demon beasts below, a thousand beasts dared not approach. The Taiyin Demon Rabbit and the Two-headed Water-Fire Demon Jiao faced the Stone Ape Demon King. The Taiyin Demon Rabbit was already at the late fifth rank, much stronger than the Stone Ape Demon King''s strength. Together with the Two-headed Water-Fire Demon Jiao, whose strength level was almost the same as the Stone Ape Demon King, the bloodline of these two demon beasts was also higher than that of the Stone Ape Demon King. Under the joint attack of the Taiyin Demon Rabbit and the Two-headed Water-Fire Demon Jiao, the Stone Ape Demon King roared continuously, also screaming continuously. Its strong defense, under the siege of the Taiyin Demon Rabbit and the Two-headed Water-Fire Demon Jiao, could not withstand it. The Taiyin Demon Rabbit''s claws had already left long marks on the thick armored body of the Stone Ape Demon King. The blood of the Stone Ape Demon King had already soaked through the thick armor. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. "Bang bang." The Blood Jade Demon Tiger, at this moment, its sharp tiger claws tore through space like lightning, causing the Single-horned Demon Ox to roar in agony, with blood dripping all over its thick ox back, simply not a match for the Blood Jade Demon Tiger. With the Taiyin Demon Rabbit, Blood Jade Demon Tiger, Two-headed Water-Fire Demon Jiao present, the Blood Lizard at this moment could not help much. Its fourth rank late stage cultivation was much less. So now, the massive body of the Blood Lizard was just watching from the side. With demon beasts like the Taiyin Demon Rabbit present, at this moment inside the mountain peak, the thousand demon beasts did not dare to come out, trembling and slowly retreating one by one. Li Lin, on the back of the Sky-winged Snow Lion, watched all this. All this was not much different from what Li Lin originally thought. With demon beasts like the Niscale Demon Peng present, dealing with the Nine-headed Demon Jiao and the Stone Ape Demon King was simply easy. What Li Lin did not expect was that both the Stone Ape Demon King and the Nine-headed Demon Jiao had once again made breakthroughs. "Bang bang!" "Roar!" Inside the mountain peak, roars continued, boulders scattered, and the massive bodies of the demon beasts swept through, often causing boulders to collapse and large trees to be cut in half, with the ground trembling and shaking. The Stone Ape Demon King and the Single-horned Demon Ox were becoming less and less able to withstand it, completely just taking a beating. "Young Master, a fifth rank demon pill is very valuable." Watching the Taiyin Demon Rabbit and others already taking the upper hand, Li Xiaobai immediately thought of the demon pill. A fifth rank demon pill, absolutely very valuable. "Kid, you''re not planning to kill them, are you?" Uncle Jiang raised his eyebrows and said to Li Lin. Li Lin hesitated for a moment, then replied, "Let''s keep them, they''ll be of some use." Uncle Jiang looked at the group of demon beasts below, not saying anything further. Watching the Stone Ape Demon King and the Single-horned Demon Ox, Li Lin originally intended to kill these two fifth rank demon beasts, one a fifth rank mid-stage demon pill and one a fifth rank early-stage demon pill. This would have been of great use to him after refining, as he had already reached the point where he could breakthrough by swallowing. However, considering the strength of these two fifth rank demon beasts was already quite good, especially the Stone Ape Demon King, which was at the fifth rank mid-stage, its strength was equivalent to a fifth or sixth rank martial general. Such strength was also among the strong in the world of martial artists. Moreover, being in the Misty Mountain Range, a dangerous area, with these few demon beasts present, it was always uninhabited. The abundance of medicinal herbs inside was something Li Lin was very clear about. Thinking of this, Li Lin did not want to kill these two demon beasts anymore. Subduing these two demon beasts was almost the same as subduing all the demon beasts in the dangerous area, which would be of great help to the Flying Spirit Gate. "Sss sss!" A streak of blue lightning flashed by, and at the same time, the Taiyin Demon Rabbit''s claw once again landed on the chest of the Stone Ape Demon King. With one claw, even the Stone Ape Demon King''s strong defense was left bloodied. If it were an ordinary demon beast, one claw from the Taiyin Demon Rabbit would have been enough to tear it into two halves. "Sss sss!" Before the Stone Ape Demon King could roar out, a mouthful of flames was sprayed from the mouth of the Two-headed Water-Fire Demon Jiao. The scorching flames directly enveloped the Stone Ape Demon King, immediately causing the Stone Ape Demon King to scream continuously. "Sss!" In an instant, Li Lin''s Wings of Wind expanded, and with a cyclone flashing under his feet, his body hovered in the air in front of the Stone Ape Demon King. At this moment, Li Lin''s body was only about the size of one of the Stone Ape Demon King''s eyes, undoubtedly like an ant in front of an elephant. "Stone Ape Demon King, are you willing to submit?" Li Lin spoke. "Submit to you humans? That''s impossible," roared the Stone Ape Demon King. Li Lin was not surprised. If demon beasts could be subdued just by relying on strength, then anyone could subdue them. His Blood Soul Mark would have no use, and even spiritualists would not be much of use. Demon beasts have an absolute aversion to humans. Sometimes, even if it means death, they would not submit to humans. This is like humans in general, where ordinary warriors would rather die than become mounts for demon beasts. "Little dragon, come over and help me," Li Lin''s thought had already reached Little dragon''s mind. To control the Stone Ape Demon King, Li Lin knew that although he could barely do it now, it would definitely be extremely troublesome. But with Little dragon''s help, it would be much easier. "Boss, I''m coming." Little dragon''s body directly leaped down from the Niscale Demon Peng, and when it landed on the ground from a height of hundreds of meters, it had already transformed into four hundred meters in length, coiling around the middle of the mountain peak, resembling a small mountain. A massive oppressive force immediately caused the Stone Ape Demon King''s expression to drastically change. "Help me control it, I''ll set up the Blood Soul Mark," Li Lin''s voice said into Little dragon''s ear. "Roar roar..." The Stone Ape Demon King felt absolute panic, wanting to escape but unable to. With Little dragon in front and the Two-headed Water-Fire Demon Jiao and the Taiyin Demon Rabbit behind, there was simply no way to escape. "Sss sss." Facing the fifth rank mid-stage demon beast, Little dragon, at this moment with the fourth rank mid-stage cultivation, was not afraid at all, taking the initiative to attack. Its massive body twisted, and its coiling body changed like lightning. On its yellow scales, flames hissed seductively, and at the same time, its giant tail whipped towards the Stone Ape Demon King like lightning. As the giant tail swept across, a series of spatial ripples stirred in the half-air. The Stone Ape Demon King, already feeling insufficient confidence, roared out. Its huge forelimbs swung a punch that seemed to pierce through space, carrying a burst of violent yellow light, smashing fiercely towards Little dragon''s giant tail. "Shoo!" Little dragon''s speed was extremely fast, so fast that even Li Lin often envied it. At this moment, as the Stone Ape Demon King''s punch came down, Little dragon''s giant tail instantly drew a strange arc, piercing through space, bouncing up and down from above, and finally fiercely whipping towards the Stone Ape Demon King''s giant leg. Chapter 475: Capturing Two Beasts "Bang!" This strike, as if hitting a giant peak, resounded with a huge sound of power exploding. "Roar roar!" It was unclear whether the Stone Monkey Demon King was angry or in pain, but it immediately roared. However, the force of the dragon''s strike only made the Stone Monkey Demon King''s massive body retreat three steps, which shows the terrifying nature of its defensive power. "Human, I will kill you first." The intelligence of a fifth-order demon beast is no different from that of humans. At the moment when the Stone Monkey Demon King was repelled, it suddenly attacked Li Lin, seeing him as the weakest in terms of strength and the leader among the humans. Killing him might ensure its safety. "Shoo shoo..." As the shout fell, the Stone Monkey Demon King''s huge forelimbs swung out, carrying a streak of yellow light. Its giant palm, with curved fingertips like claws, pierced through the air, and the surrounding air was directly displaced by the force, filled with yellow light, as if it was going to tear apart space itself, and instantly rushed towards Li Lin. "How dare you, vile beast." Li Lin let out a cold shout, and as he formed hand signs, a massive surge of earth attribute energy exploded from all around, releasing a tidal force of ferocity, instantly converging in the palm print that shot up into the sky. The palm print, trailing a series of afterimages, instantly converged like lightning, and then directly collided with the Stone Monkey Demon King''s claw mark. The two massive forces instantly touched, and then a series of earth-shattering explosions resounded through the space, a violent aura violently spreading in the sky... "Boom boom boom..." The huge explosion sound echoed among the peaks, the force of the explosion scattering wildly, and Li Lin''s body slightly retreated. The Stone Monkey Demon King''s strength was indeed formidable, causing some turmoil in his blood, but it was nothing serious. The Stone Monkey Demon King''s cultivation was in the mid-fifth order, its strength equivalent to a martial general of the fifth or sixth level. Li Lin was not afraid of such strength and could directly confront it without issue. "Thump thump!" After one attack, the Stone Monkey Demon King''s massive body was also shaken back several steps, looking extremely surprised. It had thought the human before it was the easiest to deal with, but his strength was also formidable. In that instant, a streak of yellow light flashed, and the dragon''s body reappeared in front of the Stone Monkey Demon King, its scales glowing with yellow light and a hint of golden flames. The Stone Monkey Demon King was greatly startled, its huge body retreating explosively. "Roar! ..." The dragon let out a roar from its mouth, the sound echoing like a dragon''s chant in the surrounding area, its powerful aura spreading even more violently. This roar seemed to carry a great oppressive force, causing all demon beasts to prostrate and tremble under its aura, even the Blood Lizard, the Twin-Headed Water-Fire Demon Jiao, and others felt panic. On the back of the Skywing Snow Lion, Uncle Jiang watched the dragon, his eyes flashing with a sharp light. All of this happened very quickly. In this moment, the dragon''s huge body stood tall, even taller than the Stone Monkey Demon King, and then from the third eye between the dragon''s brows, a blinding light instantly enveloped the Stone Monkey Demon King. The Stone Monkey Demon King, while retreating, suddenly had a moment of dullness in its gaze, its body instantly unable to move. "Blood Soul Mark." Li Lin uttered softly, and in the blink of an eye, hand signs converged, a sound of dragon, phoenix, lion, and tiger beast roars faintly transmitted from his palm, followed by an eerie mark appearing in his palm. The mark, resembling a dragon yet not a dragon, a tiger yet not a tiger, with a formidable oppressive force spreading from it. In that instant, Li Lin did not hesitate. The Blood Soul Mark was thrown, brutally smashing into the Stone Monkey Demon King''s forehead, turning into a cluster of blood-colored light and disappearing. In mid-air, Li Lin continued to release a series of palm prints without stopping, changing and emitting a series of eerie glows that directly fell into the Stone Monkey Demon King''s forehead. Stolen novel; please report. As the third eye of the dragon''s blinding light disappeared, following Li Lin''s series of eerie glows entering the Stone Monkey Demon King''s forehead, the dull look in the Stone Monkey Demon King''s eyes seemed to struggle. "Beast Control Technique, Suppress." Li Lin uttered lightly, once again a blinding light shot into the Stone Monkey Demon King''s forehead, carrying a formidable oppressive force, brutally spreading and crushing out. With this final hand print executed, the Stone Monkey Demon King also stopped struggling. When its eyes regained clarity, it looked at Li Lin with submission. "Master." In the canyon, the Stone Monkey Demon King, which had just vowed never to submit and was fierce, now respectfully saluted Li Lin. Watching all this, Li Xiaobai was extremely surprised. Uncle Jiang at this moment, was also somewhat shocked. Although Li Lin had already talked to him about the Beast Control Technique, seeing it with his own eyes, with his discernment, he naturally understood the subtlety and eeriness of it. "Roar!" On the side of the mountain, amidst continuous explosive sounds, under the attack of the Blood Jade Tiger, the body of the One-Horned Demon Bull was already weakening, its strength unable to contend with the Blood Jade Tiger. "Shoo!" After Li Lin had set the Blood Soul Mark inside the Stone Monkey, he did not stay any longer. In the next moment, he appeared above the massive body of the One-Horned Demon Bull. "Blood Soul Mark." Li Lin uttered lightly, a mark resembling a dragon and a tiger directly forcibly inserted into the One-Horned Demon Bull''s forehead, carrying a formidable oppressive force and the sound of dragon, phoenix, lion, and tiger roars, brutally smashing into the One-Horned Demon Bull''s forehead, turning into a cluster of blood-colored light and disappearing. As Li Lin''s hand signs kept changing, the One-Horned Demon Bull had already started to become dull. Forcibly setting the Blood Soul Mark on the Stone Monkey Demon King, Li Lin knew there would be some trouble. The strength of the One-Horned Demon Bull was indeed weaker, and forcibly setting the Blood Soul Mark was not too difficult. With a series of hand signs executed, it didn''t take long before the last hand sign with eerie glow was injected into the One-Horned Demon Bull. Li Lin''s face also turned somewhat pale. Although the Blood Soul Mark was extraordinary, it was not something that could be easily used. This kind of consumption was enormous, especially in terms of soul power, absolutely massive. Having set Blood Soul Marks on two fifth-order demon beasts, Li Lin was already somewhat exhausted. "Master." The One-Horned Demon Bull, as Li Lin withdrew his hand signs, had already been subdued. "Roar, damn humans." The changes below were observed by the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, but with the Antagonist Feather Peng present, it was somewhat preoccupied. "Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, now it''s time to skin you." The dragon shouted loudly, its body shrinking to a hundred meters, and in an instant, it leaped onto the back of the Antagonist Feather Peng again. "Shoo shoo!" The Antagonist Feather Peng once again condensed a blade of light to attack the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao. "Shoo..." "Damn humans, I will not let you off." Seeing the situation turning dire, the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao''s figure explosively retreated, no longer daring to stay, its body turning into a streak of blood-colored light, instantly fleeing. "Antagonist Feather Peng, pursue." The dragon shouted loudly, and the Antagonist Feather Peng immediately flapped its wings to chase. Watching the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao flee, Li Lin frowned, then spoke a few words to the Stone Monkey and the One-Horned Demon Bull before quickly leaping onto the back of the Skywing Snow Lion. The Taiyin Demon Rabbit, the Twin-Headed Water-Fire Demon Jiao, the Blood Lizard, the Blood Jade Tiger, and a few other large demon beasts shrank their bodies and followed Li Lin onto the Skywing Snow Lion. "Do you want me to take action and directly kill the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao?" Bai Ling''s voice reached Li Lin''s ears. "No need." Li Lin smiled slightly. The direction in which the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao was fleeing was towards the ancient domain. Originally, it had chased him throughout the entire Misty Mountain Range; now, it was its turn to taste that feeling. "Skywing Snow Lion, chase at full speed." Li Lin commanded softly. "Roar..." The Skywing Snow Lion flapped its wings at full speed to chase, its massive body turning into a streak of white light, flashing through the sky like lightning. As the king of flying demon beasts, although the Skywing Snow Lion''s strength was not as great as the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao and the Antagonist Feather Peng, its speed was not much slower. Above the Misty Mountain Range, roars thundered through the sky, and the large demon beast figures passed by, the airflow they brought up blowing the forest within the mountain range into chaos, like a river of airflow flowing through the mountains. "Roar!" "Ga..." A series of roars were deafening, echoing in the sky. All the mercenary groups and teams within the mountain range looked up through the gaps in the trees and saw two massive demon beasts sweeping past, their formidable presence chilling everyone. "What powerful demon beasts, the one in front seems to be the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao." "The Nine-Headed Demon Jiao seems to be fleeing for its life, being chased by the demon beast behind it." "It''s said that the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao is a late fifth-order demon beast, strong and formidable, yet it''s being chased by the demon beast behind it. Could it be that there''s another fierce and formidable demon beast appearing in the Misty Mountain Range?" "The demon beasts in the Misty Mountain Range are getting stronger and stronger. Our mercenary group''s harvest from entering the Misty Mountain Range will decrease, and the danger will increase. This is not good news for us." "Let''s secure all the herbs we have. With a formidable demon beast appearing in the Misty Mountain Range again, it won''t be long before the prices of herbs rise." "Look, there''s another demon beast also chasing the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, and there are people on it." "Could it be that someone is chasing the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao? Who did the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao provoke?" As discussions among the many mercenary groups in the Misty Mountain Range continued, the three massive demon beasts had already flashed by. "Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, let''s see where you can escape to." The dragon''s loud shout echoed in mid-air. "I''ll see how long you can chase." The Nine-Headed Demon Jiao roared, the ten huge eyes on its five heads showing fierce glares, desperately fleeing forward at full speed. Chapter 476: Entering the Flying Spirit Gate At this moment, the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao truly did not know how that damned human from before managed to find so many demon beasts with strength not inferior to its own, rendering it unable to contend. It guessed that if it fell into the human''s hands, it would truly be skinned and deboned. "Shoo shoo!" The Contrary Scale Demon Peng pursued all the way, occasionally closing the distance and spewing out wind blades from its mouth, directly pressing towards the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao. "Ao!" Sometimes, a few of the wind blades would land on the giant tail of the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, causing it to scream in agony and roar painfully, while most of the wind blades fell into the mountains below, directly destroying towering trees and causing them to collapse. "Bang bang!" The sound of sonic booms echoed continuously in the sky above, as all the mercenary groups looked up and watched, dumbfounded. "Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, you can''t escape," Little Dragon shouted excitedly, pursuing the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao across the mountains, overjoyed in his heart. The Nine-Headed Demon Jiao was furious, but it had no choice but to flee for its life. However, the speed of the Contrary Scale Demon Peng was not below its own, seeming to be even faster, so each time it was attacked, it had no choice but to desperately flee. Li Xiaobai, on the back of the Skywing Snow Lion, watched the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao fleeing far ahead in the sky, also feeling helpless, not knowing how the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao managed to offend his young master and Little Dragon. Now, it was completely being tortured. If they really wanted to kill it, it probably wouldn''t be difficult. The Nine-Headed Demon Jiao deployed all its methods while being pursued, but to no avail. The Contrary Scale Demon Peng''s strength was above its own, and with speed also faster, it simply could not escape and could only desperately flee. Occasionally, it was caught up by the Contrary Scale Demon Peng and hit by a burst of wind blades, as well as the flames from Little Dragon''s mouth that also landed on its giant tail. The Nine-Headed Demon Jiao was still furiously resisting, barely holding on. By the second day, the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao was already on the verge of collapse, having been pursued for a day and night, its body covered in wounds. By the third day, the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao was gasping for air, its appearance ghastly to behold, with injuries from wind blades and burns from flames all over its body. "Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, enjoying the taste? We''re just getting started," Little Dragon shouted proudly, as the Contrary Scale Demon Peng swept another wave of wind blades towards it, sharp piercing wind noises filling the sky. "Ao!" The Nine-Headed Demon Jiao once again desperately fled, but its giant tail was still struck by several wind blades, dozens of crimson scales fell off, and it roared in unbearable pain. Outside the Misty Mountain Range, there were no longer any forests or mountains, only a distant mountain range revealing its outline in the distance. Beyond the mountain range, there were continuous buildings, winding to the end of one''s sight, not knowing how wide it was. Outside the Misty Mountain Range, it was now much busier than before, with a continuous stretch of buildings, bustling streets crowded with people, and a variety of decorations, attracting all kinds of people. "Ao ao!" At the edge of the Misty Mountain Range, suddenly a beastly roar thundered, echoing in the sky. "Look, isn''t that the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao!" "Why has the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao come out? Could it be planning to attack the ancient domain?" At the edge of the Misty Mountain Range, countless gazes were instantly cast towards the sky, turning dumbfounded and panicked, as not many dared to provoke the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao. "How long do you plan to chase me?" The Nine-Headed Demon Jiao was about to collapse, glancing back, its aura much weaker now. "Shoo shoo!" The Contrary Scale Demon Peng did not reply, flapping its wings, a huge vortex of airflow swept directly towards it, creating a tornado-like phenomenon in mid-air, barely distorting the space. "Damn it." The Nine-Headed Demon Jiao''s expression changed drastically, its giant tail thrashing, fiercely striking towards the vortex of airflow. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. "Chi chi!" From Little Dragon''s giant mouth, a golden flame was sprayed out again, enveloping the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao like a fire column. "Bang bang bang!" Explosions rang out in the sky, with violent winds and scattering flames. "Ao ao!" The Nine-Headed Demon Jiao once again screamed and roared continuously, its huge body forced to desperately flee again. "Three demon beasts, the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao is being pursued by two other demon beasts behind it. What are those two demon beasts capable of, to chase the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao to such a state?" "Such strong demon beasts, too formidable. Those two demon beasts don''t seem to be from the Misty Mountain Range!" Amid countless shocked gazes, the huge body of the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao fled forward again, roaring lowly along the way, but still unable to escape the pursuit behind it. "We''re in the ancient domain now, haven''t been here for a long time." On the back of the Skywing Snow Lion, Uncle Jiang looked beyond the Misty Mountain Range, gazing into the distance, and sighed slightly. "Uncle Jiang, we have a few more hours, and we should be able to reach the Flying Spirit Gate," Li Lin said, looking towards the edge of the ancient domain, also feeling a sense of familiarity. The ancient domain, that''s where he belongs. "Whoosh..." The Skywing Snow Lion transformed into a streak of light, rushing forward, leaving only a trail in mid-air. "This seems to be the Skywing Snow Lion, the Sect Master''s Skywing Snow Lion, the Sect Master is back." At the edge of the Misty Mountain Range, dozens of figures looked up into the sky, the lead bald fatty watching the Skywing Snow Lion in the sky, suddenly excitedly said. "Huang Brother, was that white demon beast just now the Sect Master''s mount?" A youth curiously asked. "Of course, that''s the Skywing Snow Lion, only the Sect Master has such a demon beast as a mount, incredibly fast." The bald fatty said, and this person was Huang Boran of the Flying Spirit Gate, now stationed outside the Misty Mountain Range, among them, a minor leader, having a bit of fame in the area around the edge of the Misty Mountain Range. "I''ve only heard of the Sect Master exterminating the Rakshasa Gate and the Jiuhua Gate, I haven''t seen the Sect Master myself." "I haven''t seen the Sect Master either, I heard the Sect Master is very young." "Stop talking about the Sect Master, be careful I deal with you, go on patrol, and after patrolling, I''ll take you to meet the Sect Master." Huang Boran said, now speaking with a certain authority, immediately the people behind him respectfully followed. "Four demon beasts, one of the demon beasts behind has a human, possibly a mount, could it be that a human powerhouse is pursuing the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao." "Who exactly has that terrifying demon beast capable of pursuing the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao." At the edge of the Misty Mountain Range, after several huge demon beasts disappeared, people were still discussing. "Ao ao..." The Nine-Headed Demon Jiao kept screaming and roaring, behind Little Dragon, the Contrary Scale Demon Peng not giving relentless pursuit, but torturing it along the way. Wave after wave of wind blade and flame attacks, the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao was in a pitiable state. A few hours later, looking down below, Li Lin''s mouth curved into a smile, taking a deep breath, they had arrived at the Flying Spirit Mountain Range, the Flying Spirit Gate was ahead. "Little Dragon, stop the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, don''t let it escape anymore." Li Lin communicated with Little Dragon in his mind, having arrived on the territory of the Flying Spirit Gate, these few days of pursuing the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao was enough. "Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, we won''t chase you now, Contrary Scale Demon Peng, stop that Nine-Headed Demon Jiao." Little Dragon shouted, then ordered the Contrary Scale Demon Peng to fully block the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao. "Yes, Demon King." "Ga!" The Contrary Scale Demon Peng screeched, flapping its wings rapidly, its speed suddenly accelerating again, like lightning, directly chasing after it, one-third faster than before. "Ao ao..." Above the Flying Spirit Gate Mountain Range, roars faintly came, within the Flying Spirit Gate, many disciples looked up in confusion. "Whoosh whoosh..." Two figures instantly leaped out from within the Flying Spirit Gate, standing in the air, then looked forward. "It''s the two Enforcers coming out." "Seen the two Enforcers." Inside the Flying Spirit Gate, all the disciples immediately paid their respects. Soul Enchanter Poison Commander Dong Wuming, Ghost Fairy Bai Ying, both had a grave expression, their senses probing forward, Soul Enchanter Poison Commander Dong Wuming said, "A strong aura is coming towards the Flying Spirit Gate." "Who could it be?" Ghost Fairy Bai Ying''s beautiful eyes deepened. "Ao ao..." In the distant sky, continuous roars, but in just a moment, a huge crimson demon beast figure appeared in the sky. "It''s the Misty Mountain Range''s Nine-Headed Demon Jiao." Soul Enchanter Poison Commander Dong Wuming was somewhat surprised. "There are demon beasts chasing behind, the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao seems to be fleeing for its life." Ghost Fairy Bai Ying raised an eyebrow. "Ga!" The Contrary Scale Demon Peng screeched, its figure turning into a black streak of light, bringing up a huge current of air, and in a moment, blocked in front of the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao. "Damn it, what exactly do you want?" The Nine-Headed Demon Jiao looked at Little Dragon and the Contrary Scale Demon Peng, its fierce five heads now devoid of the initial murderous aura, ten eyes lifeless, almost in a wilted state. "I said I would skin you." Little Dragon shouted, once again spewing out a mouthful of golden flames directly at it, the golden flames too powerful, the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao dared not contend, but at this moment had no choice but to spit out a flame from the middle head to resist. "Whoosh whoosh!" The two flames met, turning into two towering pillars of fire colliding together, the sky immediately churning with flames. "That looks like Little Dragon." Soul Enchanter Poison Commander Dong Wuming and Ghost Fairy Bai Ying''s expressions changed at once, seeing Little Dragon immediately made them think of Li Lin. "Roar..." As Soul Enchanter Poison Commander Dong Wuming and Ghost Fairy Bai Ying''s gaze turned towards the sky ahead, a roar they were familiar with suddenly came, and suddenly, a huge white demon beast had already appeared in their field of vision, both of them immediately showing a smile, knowing who had arrived. Chapter 477: Absolute Shock "Boom." In the sky, flames scattered, and space ripples surged into a crimson color, with a huge sonic boom spreading the energy of the flames everywhere. Inside the Flying Spirit Gate, this tremendous noise had already caused everyone to run outside, all staring in horror at the demon beast in the sky. At this moment, all the elders and protectors of the Flying Spirit Gate had also hurriedly arrived outside the Flying Spirit Gate. "Nine-headed Demon Jiao, go down for me." Niscale Demon Peng shouted loudly, its huge body''s aura spreading to the extreme. Suddenly, a strange flow of aura began from the niscale on its head, a violent and bizarre aura converging, the huge body carrying a tremendous oppressive force, making the surrounding space tremble. Feeling this aura, the Nine-headed Demon Jiao''s expression changed drastically, sensing a dangerous aura. But in just an instant, on the head of the Niscale Demon Peng, the niscale at the center started to spread like a lotus, a huge airflow spread out, the space twisted and finally turned into a huge spatial vortex, spreading out with extremely strong and violent power, sweeping towards the Nine-headed Demon Jiao. "Ao ao!" The Nine-headed Demon Jiao roared repeatedly, its huge body''s scales spreading, its body suddenly emanating a scorching flame, enveloping itself entirely. "Shoo shoo!" Within the twisted airflow of space, countless wind blades swept across, the violent airflow directly breaking through hundreds of meters of space, with several wind blades already piercing through the body of the Nine-headed Demon Jiao. "Boom boom boom!" The twisted space completely collapsed and shattered, the airflow turned into fragments and annihilated, the sky above in chaos, the violent aura spreading around like a light curtain. "What a powerful demon beast." The people of the Flying Spirit Gate were shocked at this scene. "Boom!" In the sky, the huge body of the Nine-headed Demon Jiao was fiercely crushed down onto the ground, shaking the ground, with five of its heads spraying fresh blood. "Ao!" The Nine-headed Demon Jiao roared, then struggled up again, its huge body coiling like a small mountain, its crimson wings now tightly wrapped around its abdomen, its aura beginning to weaken. "This seems to be the Sect Master''s demon beast." "Look, ahead is the Sect Master''s mount, the Sect Master has returned." At this moment, many people below also noticed the little dragon and the Skywinged Snow Lion, and some of the older disciples were naturally familiar with the Skywinged Snow Lion and the little dragon. "It''s the Skywinged Snow Lion, brother has returned." Among the crowd, a beautiful girl immediately squeezed out of the crowd, her petite body already rushing forward. "Nine-headed Demon Jiao, let you know I''m not easy to mess with." The little dragon leaped down, its body expanding again in mid-air to over four hundred meters long, a tremendous oppressive aura spreading out from its body. "Shoo..." Almost at the same time, the little dragon''s huge tail instantly swept down, tearing open space ripples like smashing down heavily, bringing up a terrifying wave of energy, the energy wave also mixed with a huge oppressive force, diving down, targeting the Nine-headed Demon Jiao. The Nine-headed Demon Jiao''s expression drastically changed, its weakened aura gathering again, instantly raising its crimson giant tail, greeting with a hint of scorching flame. "Boom!" The two giant tails collided and entangled together, instantly exploding with a deafening sonic boom. "Boom!" Among the loud noise, it was visible to the naked eye, the thick scales on the crimson giant tail of the Nine-headed Demon Jiao cracked piece by piece, immediately a bloodstained scene, the huge body also directly flung by the little dragon hundreds of meters away, fiercely crashing into a mountain. "Nine-headed Demon Jiao, I told you I would skin you, chop off your head." The little dragon approached the Nine-headed Demon Jiao with a menacing aura, its huge mouth exhaling breaths. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. "Little dragon, give me some face, leave this Nine-headed Demon Jiao to me." Just then, a figure instantly arrived next to the little dragon, it was the Soul Poison Commander Dong WuMing. "Old man, what do you want it for?" The little dragon glanced at Soul Poison Commander Dong WuMing, naturally familiar with him, and with a retraction of its killing aura, said to Soul Poison Commander Dong WuMing. "I just need a mount, this Nine-headed Demon Jiao can barely make do, why don''t you leave it to me." Soul Poison Commander Dong WuMing chuckled at the little dragon, he was indeed lacking a mount, and had the idea to subdue the Nine-headed Demon Jiao last time, now it just so happened. "Ask my boss!" The little dragon glanced at Soul Poison Commander Dong WuMing and said, knowing Soul Poison Commander Dong WuMing''s identity, the little dragon had to give face to the boss. "Little dragon, Elder Dong needs a mount, so give the Nine-headed Demon Jiao to Elder Dong." Li Lin appeared on the ground at some point, smiled slightly, and said to Soul Poison Commander Dong WuMing: "Elder Dong, I''m back." "Back is back, making such a big fuss, afraid I wouldn''t know you''re back, huh? I thought someone dared to attack the Flying Spirit Gate." Soul Poison Commander Dong WuMing looked at Li Lin, squinted slightly, then smiled: "I''ll take the Nine-headed Demon Jiao, you go about your business." As the words fell, Soul Poison Commander Dong WuMing was already excitedly in front of the severely injured Nine-headed Demon Jiao, saying: "Nine-headed Demon Jiao, you remember me, right?" "Human Spirit Commander, it''s you?" The Nine-headed Demon Jiao naturally remembered Soul Poison Commander Dong WuMing, having once fought a great battle in the Misty Mountain Range. "Right, being my mount isn''t too humiliating for you, are you willing to be my mount?" Soul Poison Commander Dong WuMing stared at the Nine-headed Demon Jiao and said. "I refuse to be a mount for you despicable humans." The Nine-headed Demon Jiao said deeply, unwilling to become a human mount at this point. "It''s not about letting you agree, refuse the toast only to drink the forfeit." Soul Poison Commander Dong WuMing was not a man of soft words, his expression suddenly darkened, his hands casting seals, a black light emanating a pungent and unpleasant smell, then spreading and injecting into the Nine-headed Demon Jiao''s head, beginning to forcibly subdue the Nine-headed Demon Jiao. Watching the Old Poisoner, Li Lin smiled slightly, the strength of the Old Poisoner as a Ninth Realm Spirit Commander, it was not difficult to forcibly subdue the Nine-headed Demon Jiao. Li Lin himself had no intention of killing the Nine-headed Demon Jiao, at the later stage of the fifth level, after reaching the peak of the later stage of the fifth level, the strength was comparable to a First Realm Martial Commander, it would be a pity to kill such a demon beast if he could subdue it. Now that Soul Poison Commander Dong WuMing wanted it as a mount, Li Lin naturally had no objections, the mount of Soul Poison Commander Dong WuMing, undoubtedly, would also equal to the strength of the Flying Spirit Gate. "Brother." Just then, a petite figure rushed to Li Lin''s side. When Li Lin turned his gaze to the petite figure in front of him, his lips curved into a smile. This was a beautiful little girl, with a sleek black braid, thick eyebrows over a pair of shiny black eyes, her face carrying a hint of immature charm, a complete beauty in the making. "Little girl, you''ve grown a lot, haven''t you missed me?" Li Lin said with a smile, the little girl in front of him was his beloved sister. "Yep yep, I think about brother every day." Li Xin Tong nodded earnestly, then threw herself into Li Lin''s arms. "Brother missed you too." Holding the little girl in his arms, Li Lin felt a warmth in his heart, realizing he had become the concern of this little girl. "The Sect Master has returned." "Quick, all disciples gather, the Sect Master has returned." Among the crowd, Hu Nan Sheng, Chang Lei, Chen Xin Jie, Zhou Yu Hou and other elders, along with Zhang Xiao, Liu Ya Lei, Yang Li and other protectors, now looking at the returning Sect Master, immediately called for all disciples to gather. "Let brother take a look, have you grown prettier?" A moment later, Li Xin Tong emerged from Li Lin''s embrace, her eyes already filled with joy and tears. Li Lin smiled, wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. The little girl was now half-grown, with delicate features, fair skin, and a cute face, she was bound to become an absolute beauty in the future. "Brother, you won''t leave again this time, will you?" Li Xin Tong opened her big eyes and asked. "Yep, I won''t leave for a short time." Li Lin said lightly, but then he suddenly felt the aura emanating from Li Xin Tong, his expression drastically changed, utterly shocked: "Xin Tong, you''ve broken through to the Third Realm Spirit General?" "Xin Tong broke through to the Third Realm Spirit General a few days ago." A figure of Ghost Fairy Bai Ying had already reached Li Lin''s ears. "Thirteen years old, Third Realm Spirit General." Li Lin was absolutely shocked, the Third Realm Spirit General, Zhao Qing Hai being a Third Realm Spirit General was already the number one on the Yun Yang Sect''s Dragon List, and in terms of age, Zhao Qing Hai was a full ten years older than Li Xin Tong, and in terms of cultivation time, Li Xin Tong had only been cultivating for a little over three years, while Zhao Qing Hai had probably been cultivating since he was a child. Comparing the two, the speed of Li Xin Tong''s strength and cultivation progress was absolutely terrifying. Moreover, Li Xin Tong was only thirteen years old now, this would shock everyone on the continent. "Ying Sister." Li Lin turned slightly, smiling at the woman in white in front of him, a beauty that would dismay the country and sway the city, mature and charming, with her hair high up, radiant, her eyes full of life, like a banished fairy, exuding an ethereal aura, he said, "Ying Sister, I''m back." "It''s about time you came back, your role as the absentee Sect Master was almost up, if you didn''t come back, I was planning to drag you back." Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said softly. "Shoo shoo..." The Skywinged Snow Lion circled and came, at this moment two figures leapt down from the sky, it was Uncle Jiang and Li Xiao Bai, followed by a group of demon beasts leaping down from the Skywinged Snow Lion''s back. "Greetings, Sect Master." Voices converged and spread out, indeed creating a considerable momentum. At this moment, outside the Flying Spirit Gate, there were no less than one thousand five hundred disciples, leading were Zheng Ying, Zhou Yu Hou, Hu Nan Sheng, Chang Lei, and Ding Cheng Jie among the elders, followed by Zhang Xiao, Lin Feng, Hou Bai Long, Sun Xiao Ming, Liu Ya Lei, Yang Li and other protectors, and the rest were various disciples of the Flying Spirit Gate. Chapter 478: Settling Everything Li Lin raised his head, his gaze briefly sweeping over the crowd, noting quite a few unfamiliar figures, but mostly, he had an impression of the majority. "Dispense with the formalities." Li Lin spoke lightly, his voice tinged with a hint of true Qi, clear enough for everyone to hear. "Thank you, Sect Leader." The crowd spoke in unison, many of the newly joined disciples were stealthily sizing up Li Lin, curious and surprised to see such a young Sect Leader. "Sect Leader..." Seeing this scene, Li XiaoBai was stunned, his eyes wide and his mouth agape. Before he left, he had no knowledge of the Flying Spirit Sect. Along the way, the young master and Uncle Jiang had mentioned it occasionally, but he never knew when his young master became the Sect Leader here. Seeing the number of people and many strong figures, his young master was definitely doing well here, certainly better than in the Li family. "Roar!" A roaring sound came from the side, and as everyone''s gaze followed, they saw the nine-headed demon dragon, now shrunken to a few meters long, obediently standing in front of the Soul Summoning Poison Marshal Dong WuMing, who had a smile on his face. "All settled." The Soul Summoning Poison Marshal approached Li Lin, looking up at the sky at the Antagonistic Dragon Peng and asked, "Kid, where did you get this Antagonistic Dragon Peng from?" "This isn''t mine; it belongs to Little dragon." Li Lin smiled slightly, indicating that the Antagonistic Dragon Peng and other monsters were submissive to Little dragon, not himself. "Uncle Jiang, this is the Flying Spirit Sect." Li Lin then said to Uncle Jiang by his side. Uncle Jiang''s gaze had already swept over the disciples of the Flying Spirit Sect and finally settled on Ghost Fairy Bai Ying and the Soul Summoning Poison Marshal Dong WuMing. "To establish a foothold in the ancient realm, strength alone is not enough. Compared to many powers in the ancient realm, it is still weak. We need to continue developing our forces." Uncle Jiang spoke softly. As he finished speaking, Uncle Jiang''s gaze fell again on Dong WuMing and the two, saying, "Nine Layers Spirit Marshal, Nine Layers Martial Marshal, your strength is probing me. If it were in the past, I wouldn''t have been so patient. After you break through to Martial King and Spirit King, your strength will be barely sufficient." At this moment, Ghost Fairy Bai Ying and the Soul Summoning Poison Marshal Dong WuMing were utterly stunned. They were not only shocked by Uncle Jiang''s words but also because their careful probing was immediately noticed by him, revealing his formidable strength. Both were initially curious about Li Lin''s respectful treatment of this old man, hence the attempt to probe. They hadn''t expected the old man''s strength to be so formidable. Just by intending to probe, they were detected, indicating at least the strength of a Spirit King or Martial King, which was no ordinary feat. "We were merely curious; please forgive us, senior." Dong WuMing and the Ghost Fairy immediately bowed in apology. "No harm done." Uncle Jiang looked at them, then turned to Ghost Fairy Bai Ying, "You''ve been at the peak of Nine Layers Martial Marshal for a long time now. Your comprehension isn''t enough. The level of your martial force is already very high, and further cultivation won''t have much effect. Understand well, and the day to break through to Martial King won''t be far." "Thank you for your guidance, senior." Ghost Fairy Bai Ying was thoroughly shocked. She didn''t expect her strength and even her cultivation bottleneck to be clearly discerned by the other party silently. The other party''s strength must be terrifyingly high. "And you, I don''t know by what method you cultivated your poison skills so quickly, but it''s harmful to you. To break through further is difficult, unless you find some extremely poisonous substances to aid your cultivation. Also, your state of mind is unstable, which could be a big problem in the future. Stabilize your mind, and there''s still time." Uncle Jiang then turned to Dong WuMing. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. "Thank... thank you, senior." Dong WuMing, always proud and haughty, was now completely subdued by Uncle Jiang''s few words. The accuracy of his observations left him in awe. Li Lin watched with a slight smile as both showed strong prowess, but compared to Uncle Jiang, the difference was naturally huge. "Arrange a place for me to close up." Uncle Jiang then said to Li Lin. "Follow me, Uncle Jiang." Li Lin responded, leading Uncle Jiang and Li XiaoBai into the Flying Spirit Sect. Inside, everything seemed unchanged, much like before. As the disciples dispersed under the instruction of Elder Zheng Ying and Elder Zhou YuHou, their gaze lingered on the retreating figure of their Sect Leader. "The Sect Leader is really young. I thought he would be much older." "I guess he''s about twenty? I wonder how strong the Sect Leader is?" Amidst the disciples'' discussions, Li Lin had already led Uncle Jiang to the secret chamber behind the Flying Spirit Sect''s main hall, originally reserved for the sect''s treasures. This chamber was very suitable for seclusion. Thinking of Uncle Jiang''s needs, Li Lin had considered this chamber a perfect place for his cultivation. "My healing won''t be short. Send me some medicinal herbs in seven days. Some herbs might be hard to find, but they are necessary." Inside the chamber, Uncle Jiang seemed satisfied and handed Li Lin a list of herbs. Li Lin glanced at it, "I''ll take care of it, and deliver them to Uncle Jiang on time." After settling Uncle Jiang, Li Lin then left the chamber to go to his own palace courtyard, which also hadn''t changed much. The courtyard, built against the mountain and near water, faintly echoed the sound of a waterfall from behind the mountain, surrounded by lush, green trees. "Greetings, Sect Leader." Outside the courtyard, three figures were busy. Seeing Li Lin, they immediately greeted him. They were Fang XinQi, Yan Qi, and Bai ShaSha. "Dispense with the formalities." Li Lin said, observing the three women, who had changed a lot over the years. Bai ShaSha, still in her provocative attire, her chest prominent, seemingly having developed further over the years, wore a very short skirt barely covering her round and tight buttocks, exposing long wheat-colored legs, likely causing many disciples to nosebleed. "Sect Leader, where have you been? It took you so long to return." Fang XinQi said, having spent the most time with Li Lin, and living under the same roof, she felt less estranged. "Just had some things to take care of. You''ve become even more beautiful." Li Lin smiled slightly. Fang XinQi wasn''t a stunning beauty, but with large eyes and small lips, and her figure outlined by her attire, she was quite pleasant to look at. "Sect Leader, you''ve learned to tease now." Fang XinQi''s face flushed with a shy blush, her eyes showing a hint of happiness. "ShaSha, what''s wrong?" Li Lin''s gaze landed on Bai ShaSha, who was hiding behind Fang XinQi. "Hmph, you lecher." Bai ShaSha glared at Li Lin, "I now know what those symbols mean." Li Lin was momentarily taken aback, also feeling a bit embarrassed, then his gaze shifted to Yan Qi, who had undergone the most transformation among the three, from a coarse cloth girl in Tuan Mountain Town to a graceful figure in long gowns. "Yan Qi, have you visited your parents?" Li Lin asked. Yan Qi had strong spiritual power discovered late, but in less than three years, she had become a Third Layer Spiritualist, making rapid progress. "Thank you, Sect Leader, for your concern. I visited them a few days ago. My parents also asked me to thank you for your care." Yan Qi bowed, filled with gratitude. Her parents were now comfortably settled in Tuan Mountain Town, their business expanded several times over, thanks to the Flying Spirit Sect, and she had become a spiritualist, all thanks to the young man before her. "Next time, I''ll send them my regards. You are a disciple of the Flying Spirit Sect, it''s only right for us to look after them." Li Lin said gently. "Brother." A clear voice came, and Li XinTong leapt out from the courtyard, excitedly approaching Li Lin. "Brother, didn''t you say you''d bring mother here? Why didn''t you bring her?" Li XinTong looked up at Li Lin with wide eyes. Li Lin smiled slightly, having promised the girl to bring his mother to the Flying Spirit Sect, "There was a slight mishap. I''ll bring your godmother next time." "Oh." The girl blinked. "Young master, are you really the Sect Leader here?" Li XiaoBai walked out from the courtyard, Li Lin had asked Li XinTong to show him around earlier. "What do you think?" Li Lin smiled slightly. "Young master, this place is really nice. We can bring the madam here later." Li XiaoBai looked around. "Yes, familiarize yourself with the place. I''ll have tasks for you later." Li Lin told Li XiaoBai. "Yes, young master." Li XiaoBai responded. Entering the palace courtyard, Li Lin returned to his room, everything remained unchanged from when he last left the Flying Spirit Sect. Chapter 479: True Strength Emerging from his room, Li Lin immediately headed to the back mountain, where Little dragon (Little Dragon) and the Skywing Snow Lion, along with the Contrary Scale Demon Peng and other demonic beasts, had already arrived. From within his spatial beast pouch, Li Lin also released the Green Demon Python, the Bloodthirsty Demon Mantis, and the Lightning Black Panther into the back mountain. "Boss, the Contrary Scale Demon Peng is ready to breakthrough," Little dragon landed on Li Lin''s shoulder. Li Lin''s gaze followed the aura he sensed to a pile of earth in the back mountain, where the Contrary Scale Demon Peng was now crawling, seemingly at the brink of breaking through from the fifth to the sixth levela significant hurdle that couldn''t be overcome in just a few days. With a slight smile, Li Lin felt a bit of anticipation, knowing that once the Contrary Scale Demon Peng successfully broke through to the sixth level, it would be equivalent to having a martial commander-level powerhouse. "Lin''er, I also plan to go into seclusion for some time. My injuries haven''t fully healed yet, and I need to take this opportunity to cultivate and strive for a breakthrough to the seventh level as soon as possible," Bai Ling''s voice came to Li Lin''s ear. "Go into seclusion in the secret chamber," Li Lin said lightly, acknowledging that although Bai Ling''s injuries were treated along the way, they were far from fully healed. In the back mountain, there were now two cave secret chambers, and Li Lin took Bai Ling to the newly excavated one. "I need to go into seclusion for quite some time. If you need my help, call me out of seclusion," Bai Ling told Li Lin. "Rest assured and focus on your seclusion," Li Lin said lightly, then left the cave secret chamber. Inside the back mountain, Li Lin arranged for the Blood Jade Demon Tiger, the Dual-Headed Water-Fire Demon Jiao, the Taiyin Demon Rabbit, the Blood Lizard, the Green Demon Python, the Bloodthirsty Demon Mantis, and other demonic beasts. After everything was arranged, when Li Lin returned to the palace courtyard, it was already near dusk. The palace courtyard was now extremely lively. The Soul Ensnaring Poisonous Commander Dong Wuming, the Ghost Fairy, Bai Sasha, Fang Xinqi, Yan Qi, and now including Li Lin and Li Xiaobai, were residing in this courtyard. However, the courtyard''s rooms were plentiful and not overcrowded. As nightfall just enveloped the sky, Li Lin was cultivating in his room when he heard the voice of the Ghost Fairy Bai Ying: "Lin''er, come with me." Outside the courtyard, Li Lin''s figure immediately appeared outside, where under the dim night, there were already two figures, one black and one white, under the night sky. "Old Dong, Sister Ying, calling me out so late, is there something important?" Li Lin asked. "Now that you have returned to the Flying Spirit Gate, it''s time to hand over the foundation of the sect to you," Bai Ying said lightly, her white clothes as pure as snow under the night sky, her beauty and fragrance unparalleled, making it hard to believe she was decades old. "Sister Ying, I''ve had a general look at the Flying Spirit Gate''s strength today. Are you saying that the Flying Spirit Gate has been hiding its true strength?" Li Lin raised his eyebrows, having had a rough idea of the Flying Spirit Gate''s strength. Though the external strength wasn''t entirely known, overall, there had been some enhancement, with many elders and protectors making breakthroughs. "Do you think the strength of the Flying Spirit Gate these past two years is just that? You''re underestimating us old folks," Dong Wuming stared at Li Lin and said, "Now, let''s show you the true strength of the Flying Spirit Gate over these past two years." "The true strength," Li Lin raised an eyebrow, a slight smile on his lips, indicating that the Ghost Fairy Bai Ying and the Old Poisoner, Dong Wuming, had been quite busy these past two years. "Due to the interest in the medicinal herbs of the Misty Mountain Range over these past two years, many powers have been paying attention to the Flying Spirit Gate. Now, within the sect, I have several spies from major powers under my control, and dozens have been killed. So, the real strength of the Flying Spirit Gate has been kept in the dark," Bai Ying said lightly. "Call your Skywing Snow Lion here; it''s not a short distance." This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. With a whistle, Li Lin secretly called over the Skywing Snow Lion and Little dragon. The three of them leaped onto the Skywing Snow Lion and, following the direction indicated by the Ghost Fairy Bai Ying, silently left the Flying Spirit Gate. "Old Dong, Sister Ying, how strong is the Flying Spirit Gate''s true strength now?" On the back of the Skywing Snow Lion, Li Lin couldn''t help but ask the two of them, filled with anticipation and curiosity. "You''ll know when we get there. It shouldn''t disappoint you," Dong Wuming said. "The forces we''ve developed over these past two years have employed some extraordinary methods. Just be aware that during extraordinary times, using extraordinary measures is a necessary evil." "I understand," Li Lin smiled slightly, knowing that Dong Wuming''s "extraordinary measures" likely involved using poison pills for control. Developing a formidable force in over two years naturally required some unconventional methods. "I''ve already notified them during the day. They''re probably waiting for us by now. Once you arrive, this foundation will also be handed over to you," the Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said. "Kid, who exactly was the senior who came with you today?" Dong Wuming asked Li Lin. "Don''t hide it from me. That was definitely a strong person. I wonder how you managed to invite him." At that moment, the Ghost Fairy Bai Ying also looked curiously at Li Lin, naturally curious about the identity of the mysterious strong person from earlier. Li Lin smiled slightly and said, "To not hide it from Old Dong, he is considered my benefactor. However, I have always been dull, so I have not yet formally become his disciple." "What? With your talent and monstrous strength, that senior is still not satisfied?" Dong Wuming was shocked. He knew Li Lin''s talent and strength. Li Lin had just won the championship of the Three Sects and Four Sects competition. To think someone would not be satisfied with such a disciple was terrifying. Li Lin smiled. It wasn''t that his benefactor, Uncle Jiang, was dissatisfied with him; it was just that Uncle Jiang refused to formally accept him as a disciple, leaving Li Lin helpless. "Lin''er, there''s one more thing you need to be aware of. I''ve roughly found the foundation for you, all strong individuals I''ve selected, each with their own specialties. However, they are also somewhat arrogant. Although they obey me, they might not necessarily obey you. You need to be prepared. Although I and the Old Poisoner have made them join the Flying Spirit Gate, it''s up to you to truly win their loyalty," the Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said. Li Lin nodded slightly. The art of managing people is indeed complicated. If there really are strong and exceptional individuals, they are likely to have their own temperaments. Truly winning them over is definitely not an easy task. The Skywing Snow Lion spread its wings and flew, almost silently disappearing into the distance under the night sky. Inside a grand hall, eight figures were seated, among them six men and two women. One of the women, in her late twenties, had skin as white as snow and features as beautiful as a painting, truly a stunning beauty. Dressed in a gorgeous palace gown, her radiant beauty made even the most splendid attire seem dull by comparison, her demeanor exuding nobility. The second woman, in her mid-twenties, had a melon-seed face, long eyebrows, and slightly darker skin, but her graceful figure and radiant complexion, especially her eyes, were like clear water, truly like glowing pearls and luminous jade, exuding a subtle elegance, somewhat resembling Li Wushuang. Among the six men, all appeared middle-aged, each dressed in long robes or sturdy attire. The youngest among them, probably in his early twenties but extremely obese, was none other than Liu Yishou. "Liu Yishou, do you know what matter Priestess Bai has called us here for? I still have many matters to attend to," a man in yellow robes asked Liu Yishou. This man had thick eyebrows, broad shoulders, and exuded a fierce aura. "I''m not sure either. I just rushed back from Huamen Town. Priestess Bai insisted I come, otherwise, she would have the Punishment Hall deal with me," Liu Yishou said, narrowing his small eyes. "Liu Yishou, if you fall into my Punishment Hall, I won''t show any favoritism. Just giving you a heads-up," a man in black robes said, in his late thirties or early forties, his gaze always carrying a chill as he looked at Liu Yishou. "Ouyang Hall Master, who doesn''t know about your impartiality? Even bribing you is useless. But let me tell you, next time your Punishment Hall comes asking me for money, I''ll handle it by the book as well," Liu Yishou said lightly, chuckling. "Ye Hall Master, since you''re in charge of the Dark Hall, do you know why Priestess Bai has summoned us today?" a man in his forties, wearing splendid robes, asked the stunningly beautiful woman. His gaze was profound, and a noticeable black mole above his eye corner made him stand out. The beautiful woman smiled, her voice as sweet as a newly awakened oriole, and said, "Kang Hall Master, I''m not aware either. Master didn''t inform us sisters; she just asked me to notify you all to come here." "This is strange. Priestess Bai has summoned the Dark Hall, the Martial Hall, the Punishment Hall, the Metal Hall, and the Spirit Hall to gather, with only the current External Hall''s leader absent. This should mean something extremely important," the man in yellow robes commented. "We might as well wait a bit longer; Priestess Bai should be arriving soon," Liu Yishou suggested. "By the way, Liu Yishou, among us, you''re the only one who has met the sect leader. They say the sect leader is still a youth. Tell us, what kind of person is the sect leader?" a young man in blue robes asked Liu Yishou. This man had the stature of a tall tree, sturdy and robust, with short, spiky black hair, exuding stubbornness. Chapter 480: The Secret Hall of the Spirit Gate "Vice Hall Master Li, I advise you not to underestimate the Sect Leader, or you will regret it," Liu Yishou said lightly. "Is that so? I shall have to meet him someday," said the man in the blue robe. "Liu Yishou, I heard from our junior sister that the Sect Leader is a handsome young man. I wonder if that''s true," asked the elegant woman in her mid-twenties. Liu Yishou chuckled and replied, "Of course." "Liu Yishou, I''ve found out that your Spirit Hall has made a fortune this month. A bunch of herbs were bought at a low price and sold at a high price, doubling the price. I guess many people are cursing you right now," said the stunningly beautiful woman in her late twenties, who was also just referred to as Hall Master Ye. Her beautiful eyes sparkled with intelligence. Although she spoke gently, her presence was so commanding that it made people dare not approach her. "I made a little profit. I didn''t want to raise the prices so high, but I had no choice. Now, the Secret Hall, Martial Hall, Punishment Hall, and the Outer Hall all rely on my Golden Hall. I have to explain to the Sect Leader in the future, so I had to raise the prices," Liu Yishou said with a hint of grievance. "Liu Yishou, don''t drag my Spirit Hall into this. Without my Spirit Hall''s pills, what would you sell? My Spirit Hall does not need your Golden Hall''s support." "Hehe, Hall Master Kang is right. My Spirit Hall does not need the support of my Golden Hall," Liu Yishou hastily replied with a chuckle. "Liu Yishou, our Martial Hall''s expenses have increased this month. Shouldn''t you allocate some funds to us?" the man in the yellow robe said to Liu Yishou. "See, just after mentioning a lack of money, Hall Master Huangfu comes asking for more. I''m under a lot of pressure," Liu Yishou said helplessly. Under the night sky, it took another two hours before the Skywing Snow Lion reached a mountain range. "We''ve arrived," Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said. Li Lin watched the continuous mountain ranges below, a huge mountain peak with a winding stone path cutting through the sky like a shock, leading directly to the mountain top, where many palatial courtyards were built. "This is a branch base," Li Lin raised an eyebrow. This was not any ordinary place, but the former Rakshasa Gate''s nest that became a branch base of the Flying Spirit Gate after he had destroyed the Rakshasa Gate. "Indeed, I asked someone to meet you at the branch base. This is also where we usually communicate. Now, it has become the main base of the Flying Spirit Gate''s Spirit Hall," Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said. "Secret Hall?" Li Lin was slightly puzzled. This must have been established by Ghost Fairy Bai Ying in the two years he was away at Yunyang Sect, as there was no Secret Hall when he left the Flying Spirit Gate. "The Secret Hall is specifically for collecting intelligence and information. Every day, we can receive news from major powers across the ancient domain and the Spirit Martial Continent. We have basically covered all first-tier powers in the ancient domain, and a small half of second-tier powers are yet to be covered. Of course, it''s only the surface information of the major powers that we can probe into. It''s not easy to delve into the internal affairs of these powers, but we''re currently finding ways to infiltrate them," Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said. "A news network covering the entire ancient domain and the Spirit Martial Continent?" Li Lin couldn''t help but be surprised. This was definitely astonishing. "This is a huge project. After you left, the first thing I did was establish this Secret Hall. In over two years, the Secret Hall alone has consumed no less than two hundred million gold coins. So far, the Secret Hall has just begun to take shape and show effectiveness. So, it''s good timing for you to come back now. The Flying Spirit Gate is quite poor; you need to think of something," Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said with a slight smile. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. "Two hundred million gold coins, definitely worth it. Even if it were five hundred million gold coins or one billion gold coins, it would still be worth it," Li Lin thought to himself. A news network covering the central areas of the ancient domain and the Spirit Martial Continent has little use for an ordinary sect, but for a major sect, it is essential. Coming from his previous life, Li Lin naturally understood the importance of intelligence warfare. Sometimes, whoever has the quicker information can win. Having a vast news network is a necessity for any major sect or school. Li Lin also knew that once his identity in the Flying Spirit Gate was known to the Yunyang Sect, it meant that the Yunyang Sect also had its own information network in the ancient domain. "It looks like Sister Ying and Elder Dong have worked hard these past two years," Li Lin said, paying his respects to the two. "Kid, don''t just say nice things. Let''s go down; it''s time for you to see the true strength of the Flying Spirit Gate over these two years," Poison Commander Dong Wu Ming said. The three of them leaped down from the Skywing Snow Lion to the mountain top. The little dragon always proudly circled around Li Lin''s shoulder. After instructing the Skywing Snow Lion to wait nearby, Li Lin proceeded with Poison Commander Dong Wu Ming and Ghost Fairy Bai Ying. This former Rakshasa Gate, now the Flying Spirit Gate''s branch base on the mountain top, was unknowingly planted with bamboo. The night wind caressed the bamboo, making a whooshing sound, casting shadows on the mountain top that resembled ghostly claws under the night sky. Li Lin was wondering when his expression suddenly changed in shock, "Sister Ying, you''ve set up a formation here." "Indeed, this is a large formation I set up outside my previous residence. I''ve placed it here. Even a ninth-tier martial general who doesn''t understand formations would find it difficult to enter. Over these two years, several spies from various powers have died inside. This is the main base of the Secret Hall, so naturally, we need to be cautious," Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said, "Just follow me, and don''t get trapped in the formation." "Truly worthy of Ghost Fairy Bai Ying," Li Lin thought to himself. At this moment, he truly felt the terrifying aspect of Ghost Fairy Bai Ying. Passing through the surrounding bamboo, a huge building appeared before Li Lin''s eyes, the former main hall of the Rakshasa Gate, which had been renovated and expanded. "Greetings to the two protectors," two disciples of the warrior level appeared in front of them, immediately saluting upon seeing Poison Commander Dong Wu Ming and Ghost Fairy Bai Ying. "We didn''t know the Sect Leader had arrived, please forgive us," when the two Flying Spirit Gate disciples turned their gaze to Li Lin, who was with Poison Commander Dong Wu Ming, their expressions changed dramatically. These two were originally disciples who had surrendered from the Jiuhua Gate and were now considered old disciples of the Flying Spirit Gate, so they naturally recognized Li Lin. The ordinary disciples of the Flying Spirit Gate initially did not know that the Sect Leader had left the sect, but as time passed, many disciples came to know that the Sect Leader was not in the Flying Spirit Gate. Seeing the Sect Leader suddenly appear, these two disciples were naturally startled. "Rise," Li Lin said lightly, and the two disciples stood up. "Have all the Hall Masters arrived?" Ghost Fairy Bai Ying asked. "Replying to the protector, all the Hall Masters have arrived," a disciple said. "Sect Leader, let''s go inside," Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said. In front of others, whether it was Poison Commander Dong Wu Ming or Ghost Fairy Bai Ying, they all addressed Li Lin as the Sect Leader. Li Lin nodded and followed them into the main hall. Inside the main hall, Liu Yishou and others were waiting. Suddenly, several people raised their eyebrows, standing up, sensing through their minds that someone was approaching the main hall. Naturally, it could only be the two protectors. However, at this moment, several people''s expressions flashed with confusion. Their senses told them that three people were coming to the main hall, not just two protectors but another person as well. Seeing everyone standing up, Liu Yishou also immediately stood, guessing that it must be the two protectors who had arrived. His strength was not as great as the others, so he naturally couldn''t sense the arrival. As everyone stood, three figures had already appeared and walked into the main hall. "Greetings to the two protectors," eight people immediately saluted. "You all arrived quite early, no need for formalities," Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said. At this moment, everyone''s gaze fell on Li Lin, observing this young man in his twenties. Wearing a blue robe, with a calm gaze and a faint smile on his lips, especially the proud yellow serpent beast on his shoulder, he stood out. "Liu Yishou greets the Sect Leader," seeing the young man in the blue robe, Liu Yishou''s eyes suddenly lit up with excitement, quickly saluting. "Sect Leader," the expressions of everyone changed somewhat, realizing that this young man was the Sect Leader of the Flying Spirit Gate. Looking at him, he really seemed quite young. "Liu Yishou, you''ve gotten fatter, rise," Li Lin said lightly, glancing at everyone in the main hall before finally focusing on Liu Yishou. Liu Yishou''s change was far beyond Li Lin''s imagination; in two years, he had become this fat. Chapter 481: The Six Halls of Lingmen At this moment, what shocked Li Lin even more was the other seven people inside the great hall. From their aura, Li Lin could tell that among these seven, there were five Martial Commanders, one Ninth Level Martial General, and one Spirit Commander. Shocked, Li Lin was absolutely astonished. Was this the trump card that Ghost Fairy Bai Ying and Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing intended to hand over to him? Five Martial Commanders, one Spirit Commander, and one Ninth Level Martial General. Such a level of strength was indeed extremely impressive. If Ghost Fairy Bai Ying and Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing were included, the strength of the Flying Spirit Gate could now be considered slightly above a second-tier force. However, Li Lin calmed his shock and once again swept his gaze lightly over everyone present. After Liu Yi stood up, the gazes of the remaining seven directly fell on Li Lin, sizing him up. Each of them slightly furrowed their brows, unable to discern Li Lin''s strength. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is our sect leader. Please, show your respects," Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said, her voice carrying a hint of icy coldness as her gaze swept over the crowd. The seven looked at each other, seemingly reluctant, but did not dare to disobey Ghost Fairy Bai Ying''s words and were about to come forward to salute. "Forget the formalities," Li Lin waved his hand, knowing from their expressions that they would not easily submit to him. Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing and Ghost Fairy Bai Ying did not say much and then said to Li Lin, "Sect leader, please take the main seat." "Okay," Li Lin responded lightly and walked towards the seat under everyone''s gaze. As he passed by a beautiful woman around twenty-four or twenty-five years old, his true qi flashed under his feet, and a whirlwind appeared instantaneously. At the same time, his body lunged directly towards the woman. The woman was startled and immediately her expression darkened. She tapped her foot, and wind-attribute true qi burst out around her, retreating explosively backwards. "Chi chi!" In that instant, Li Lin''s body turned into a shadow, and the whirlwind under his feet whirled like a mini tornado, violently shaking the surrounding space as if twisting it. The beautiful woman''s face changed drastically. She felt as if she was being dragged, directly affecting her speed of retreat. As the woman was about to exert her full strength to break free, the next moment, her surroundings were enveloped in a faint sound of airflow, causing ripples in the air around her. "So it was a line, I thought it was a worm," a calm voice said next to the beautiful woman''s ear, followed by a hand gently landing on her right shoulder, causing a gentle breeze to sweep across her neck. In that instant, the woman''s expression changed drastically, her face turning pale with shock. "Look, I thought it was a worm, but it was just a line," Li Lin''s voice said lightly, picking up a thread from the woman''s shoulder. "Such terrifying speed, it''s too frightening." At this moment, almost everyone was thinking about Li Lin''s speed, including Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing and Ghost Fairy Bai Ying. Li Lin''s speed was definitely terrifying. The great hall fell silent as they looked at Li Lin, who had managed to pick up a thread from the woman''s clothing in an instant, which could have been equivalent to taking her life. Although it was a surprise attack, leaving no chance for defense, it was an unfair advantage, yet it was a real demonstration of speed. Everyone knew that the woman was a wind-attribute martial artist with fast speed, but to be approached so easily showed how formidable the opponent was. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The woman herself was sweating coldly. Although she was unprepared, she felt that the sect leader''s speed was absolutely terrifying, possibly beyond her even with full preparation. "This thread made me mistake it for a worm, burn it then," Li Lin said indifferently, a burst of fire-attribute true qi flickering from his hand, burning the thread to ashes. At that moment, a chill spread around Li Lin, eventually returning to calm. But at this moment, everyone''s expression changed, realizing that the sect leader was not simply mistaking a thread for a worm but sending a message, indicating that he should not be underestimated. "Thank you, sect leader," the elegant and beautiful woman said, her expression changing slightly, still feeling uneasy. "Everyone, please take your seats," Li Lin said lightly, his true qi converging back, returning to his calm demeanor, though his heart was still fluctuating. He had intentionally displayed his strength, knowing that without showing any power, these people might not take him seriously. But to achieve the desired effect with his current strength of a Third Level Martial General was challenging. The only option was to use his lightning-fast speed combined with wind attribute to surprise a Ninth Level Martial General, which was not a problem. However, the opponent was also of wind attribute, and if the distance was slightly longer, he could have embarrassed himself instead of establishing authority. But in showing his speed, Li Lin had not truly established his authority as these Martial Commanders would not easily submit. Everyone sat down, and Li Lin took his place at the center without any hesitation, with Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing and Ghost Fairy Bai Ying sitting on either side. As everyone settled back into their seats, their expressions varied. "Ladies and gentlemen, please introduce yourselves to the sect leader, so he can get to know you better. Hall Master Kang, let''s start with your Spirit Hall," Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing said, his cold presence making everyone feel a chill, showing their respect for him and Ghost Fairy Bai Ying, whose identities were known when they joined the Flying Spirit Gate. "Greetings to the sect leader, I am Kang ZiYun of the Spirit Hall, a Third Level Spirit Commander, currently acting as the Hall Master of the Spirit Hall," a man in his forties in a fine robe stood up and said, emphasizing his title of Third Level Spirit Commander, clearly indicating his significant strength. Li Lin observed him, having already noticed his profound gaze and a striking black mole at the corner of his eye. A Third Level Spirit Commander''s strength was indeed formidable, a rank that could qualify as an elder within the three sects and four halls. It was a mystery where Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing and Ghost Fairy Bai Ying found such a powerful individual. "Greetings to the sect leader, I am Ye Fei, a First Level Wind Attribute Martial Commander, currently acting as the Hall Master of the Dark Hall," said a stunningly beautiful woman in her late twenties, standing up to address Li Lin. Her voice was as pleasant as a young oriole, and her demeanor was calm and smiling, making her quite appealing. "Greetings to the sect leader, I am Ye Mei, a Ninth Level Wind Attribute Martial General, currently acting as the Deputy Hall Master of the Dark Hall," said the woman Li Lin had approached earlier. Her eyes were clear as water, and her expression carried a subtle elegance, but her gaze towards Li Lin still showed some fluctuation. "Greetings to the sect leader, I am Huangfu QiSong, a Third Level Earth Attribute Martial Commander, currently acting as the Hall Master of the Martial Hall," a sturdy man in a tight yellow robe stood up and said. Li Lin observed him, noting his broad shoulders and robust build, radiating a fierce aura. A Third Level Martial Commander''s strength placed him among the protectors within the three sects and four halls. "Greetings to the sect leader, I am Li ChiZheng, a Second Level Fire Attribute Martial Commander, currently acting as the Deputy Hall Master of the Martial Hall," said a half-middle-aged man in blue. Observing him, Li Lin noted that he was not yet in his thirties and not quite middle-aged. He was tall and strong, with short, thick black hair, resembling a hedgehog. A Second Level Martial Commander''s strength was very satisfying to Li Lin, marking him as a formidable fighter at the Martial Commander level. "Greetings to the sect leader, I am Ouyang LengJi, a Third Level Wood Attribute Martial Commander, currently acting as the Hall Master of the Punishment Hall," said a man in a black long robe. He appeared to be in his late thirties, with a cold gaze and an authoritative aura. "Greetings to the sect leader, I am Jiang YuanGuan, a First Level Water Attribute Martial Commander, currently acting as the Deputy Hall Master of the Punishment Hall," said the last man in a blue long robe, with a somewhat soft and sinister look in his eyes. After everyone had introduced themselves, it was Liu Yi''s turn, who immediately performed a formal salute and said, "Sect leader, Protector Bai has appointed me as the acting Deputy Hall Master of the Metal Hall." Chapter 482: The Strength of the Martial Hall "Please, take your seats, everyone." After the introductions were finished, Li Lin spoke lightly, listening to everyone''s introductions, Li Lin gained a preliminary understanding of them. However, all the current hall masters are acting temporarily, presumably Ghost Fairy Bai Ying is waiting for me to finalize everything. "Leader, there are currently six halls: the Dark Hall, Martial Hall, Punishment Hall, Gold Hall, Spirit Hall, and Outer Hall. The Dark Hall is responsible for collecting all intelligence information, the Martial Hall is responsible for training elite disciples and represents the true strength of our Flying Spirit Sect, the Punishment Hall oversees legal punishments, dealing with traitors within the sect and captives from outside. The Gold Hall manages all the business of the Flying Spirit Sect and is the source of all our expenditures. The Spirit Hall is responsible for refining pills and weapons, which the Gold Hall then sells. The Outer Hall mainly handles all matters within the territory of the Flying Spirit Sect, representing our superficial strength," Poison Duke Dong WuMing explained to Li Lin. Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said, "Leader, the Dark Hall is currently led by Ye Fei, who also has a certain reputation in the ancient realm, known as the Ghost Shadow Rakshasa. Ye Fei and Ye Mei are real sisters and have been my nominal disciples for many years. They were pulled into the Flying Spirit Sect by me two years ago." Li Lin nodded slightly. Ye Fei and Ye Mei, no wonder they looked about four or five points similar. So, they were real sisters and Ghost Fairy Bai Ying''s nominal disciples. Presumably, it was because of Ghost Fairy Bai Ying that they came to the Flying Spirit Sect. Those who could be taken in as nominal disciples by Ghost Fairy are definitely extraordinary. "Leader, the Martial Hall is currently led by Huangfu QiSong, who is also famous in the ancient realm and known as Iron Fist," Ghost Fairy Bai Ying then said to Huangfu QiSong, "Hall Master Huangfu, how is the progress recently?" "Responding to the patron, the Martial Hall currently has 5,000 disciples, 4,000 of whom are at the Warrior level, 800 are at the Master level, including about one hundred at the eighth and ninth levels of the Master stage, and seventy at the Spirit stage, but only eighteen are at the eighth and ninth levels of the Spirit stage. As for those at the General level, there are only nine in total," Huangfu QiSong said. "So many people," Li Lin was secretly surprised. He did not expect that there were so many people in the Martial Hall, with Master level disciples reaching over 800, several dozen at the Spirit level, and nine at the General level. This structure meant that the Flying Spirit Sect was now enough to be considered a second-tier force. "Leader, the Martial Hall''s people are currently all trained by Hall Master Huangfu and Hall Master Li in the Wudu Mountain Range. I guess nobody knows the strength of our Flying Spirit Sect''s Martial Hall yet. This is the force we have developed over the past two years," sensing Li Lin''s surprise, Ghost Fairy Bai Ying spoke softly. Li Lin nodded slightly. The strength of the Flying Spirit Sect was all hidden for now. When the day comes for the Flying Spirit Sect''s strength to burst forth, it will surely surprise many people. "Leader, the Punishment Hall is currently led by Hall Master Ouyang Lengji, who is proficient in hundreds of tortures that make life worse than death, known as the Flying Knife. The deputy hall master is also a master of legal punishments. The Punishment Hall does not have many people, but each one is skilled, including several at the Spirit level and five at the General level, responsible for all the punishments within the Flying Spirit Sect, directly under the command of the leader, only obeying the leader," Ghost Fairy Bai Ying continued. Li Lin nodded inwardly. The Punishment Hall has a huge responsibility. As the Flying Spirit Sect grows, the number of members will not just be counted by tens of thousands. When betrayal occurs, without the Punishment Hall, it would be impossible to deter others, and the selection for the Punishment Hall is not something just anyone can do. "Ling Hall''s Hall Master Kang is currently in charge of the entire Spirit Hall. At present, our Flying Spirit Sect has four at the Spirit stage and nine at the Master stage. The number is small, but we have tried our best," Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said. Having so many spirit practitioners, Li Lin was already very satisfied. Spirit practitioners are rare, and being able to find so many must have not been easy for Poison Duke Dong WuMing and Ghost Fairy Bai Ying. "The Gold Hall currently has no suitable hall master, but Liu YiShou has performed well these two years, supporting the entire Flying Spirit Sect. Without the Gold Hall, our sect would hardly be able to sustain itself. So, Liu YiShou is currently acting as the deputy hall master of the Gold Hall. As for the Outer Hall, there is also no candidate for the hall master yet. Currently, Zhang MingTao and Huang BoRan are assisting in charge, but they also do not know of the existence of the Outer Hall. Now, besides those present, even the elders and protectors of the Flying Spirit Sect do not know of the existence of these six halls," Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "These two years, thank you, Elder Dong and Sister Ying." When Ghost Fairy Bai Ying''s words fell, Li Lin stood up, respectfully saluted the two, greatly exceeding Li Lin''s original expectations in just over two years. "Haha, Leader, you''re too polite," Poison Duke Dong WuMing laughed heartily, but his heart was extremely pleased, as Li Lin''s public salute to him represented his respect. "Leader, the family property is handed over to you now, but currently, there are still a lot of troublesome matters that you need to handle," Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said to Li Lin. Li Lin nodded slightly, now truly understanding Ghost Fairy Bai Ying. No wonder Poison Duke Dong WuMing said that many major sects had invited Ghost Fairy Bai Ying to join them. Now, it seems I have picked up a great bargain. If I were to do these things myself, it probably wouldn''t be possible in just over two years, not to mention gathering such a group of powerful individuals in such a short time. "Liu YiShou, all the troubles are because your Gold Hall can''t supply enough. Tell us about the troubles you''ve encountered," Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said. "Leader, Patron Bai." Liu YiShou stood up again and said, "As the Dark Hall and Martial Hall develop larger and larger, it was fine at the beginning, and the Gold Hall could barely maintain, but now, it''s completely overwhelming. A few days ago, we sold all the accumulated medicinal materials, earning only twice as much. If it wasn''t for the need for gold coins, this batch of medicinal materials could have increased threefold in seven days. However, even after selling the last of the medicinal materials, it probably won''t last long. Now, the number of mercenary groups entering the Wudu Mountain Range has decreased by a small half, because the Nine-Headed Demon Serpent targets humans, so half of them dare not enter. There are also many forces disguising as mercenary groups entering the ancient realm to forcibly buy medicinal materials, which greatly affects us. In addition, Tuan Mountain Town and Huamen Town now also have many forces hoarding medicinal materials, trying to compete with our Flying Spirit Sect, making it increasingly difficult for us." Li Lin frowned. It seemed that as the Flying Spirit Sect developed, the lack of money was severe. The Flying Spirit Sect only had two small towns and the edge of the Wudu Mountain Range to sustain the current structure and continue developing. At this stage, it''s estimated that the treasures left by the Flying Spirit Sect were almost used up. This kind of expenditure is not a small amount. At this moment, Li Lin also felt the sensation of being poor again, a kind of poverty that was not ordinary. When short on money, it would be astronomical, not just a few hundred thousand or million gold coins. "Leader, the number of people in the Martial Hall has increased again, and the cost of food, drink, and living is not a small amount. Now, we''re probably short of fifty million gold coins. Fifty million gold coins can only last a month, so please instruct," Huangfu QiSong said, looking at Li Lin. At this time, everyone also looked at Li Lin with meaningful glances. Huangfu QiSong directly asked the leader for money, and everyone knew that Huangfu QiSong was doing this deliberately, seemingly wanting to see if the leader could come up with the money. Li Lin smiled slightly, how could he not know Huangfu QiSong''s intentions, and immediately said, "Only fifty million?" With a serious expression, Li Lin said, "Hall Master Huangfu, I don''t have that much gold on me. If you''re in a hurry, I can give you fifty million in three days, or one hundred million in ten days. You choose." Everyone looked at each other, thinking that the leader''s words were quite bold. One hundred million gold coins was not a small amount, especially since it''s not only the Martial Hall that''s short of money; basically, all the halls are in need. Providing one hundred million gold coins to the Martial Hall was definitely not easy. "Leader, it''s not too urgent for now, I can still hold on for a few days, so let''s go with ten days later," Huangfu QiSong said. An additional five days meant half more, so naturally, he chose ten days later, also to see if the leader''s words were reliable. "Leader, the Dark Hall is at a critical time for development, and we''re also short of funds. Please instruct," Ghost Shadow Rakshasa said with a light smile, her beautiful eyes looking at Li Lin. "In ten days, I''ll give it to you all at once," Li Lin said calmly, looking at everyone. It seemed that these people all intended to test him. If he couldn''t come up with the money now, it would probably be difficult to command them in the future. Just gold coins, Li Lin was not too concerned about it at the moment. He didn''t have many gold coins on him, but he had many valuable items. A set of high-level yellow techniques was worth tens of millions, some nearly one hundred million gold coins. If he sold a set of low-level mysterious techniques, it would probably make everyone go crazy. Hearing Li Lin''s tone, everyone was also looking forward to the outcome, to see how this young leader would settle this. "Hall Master Huangfu, Hall Master Ye, you want gold coins, but you also need to help me with something," Li Lin''s gaze swept over everyone, finally landing on Huangfu QiSong and Ye Fei, and said, "How about this, Hall Master Ye, immediately spread the message throughout the ancient realm and your current information network, widely distribute the message that in ten days, there will be an auction in Huamen Town, including a Level 5 Puppet, high-grade Level 6 pills, and high-level yellow techniques for auction." Chapter 483: The Path to Rise "Sect Leader, are these items going to be auctioned?" Ye Fei raised her beautiful eyes in surprise, her stunning face showing a hint of astonishment. At this moment, everyone appeared somewhat perplexed. Fifth-level puppets, high-grade Yellow-tier martial arts, and high-grade sixth-tier medicinal pills were absolutely rare treasures. Ordinary people would not bring out such items for sale. "Indeed, also notify all areas that the Flying Spirit Trade Firm will auction a set of Fire-attribute Xuan-level beginner martial arts and a set of Earth-attribute Xuan-level beginner martial arts at that time," Li Lin said to Ye Fei. "What?" Suddenly, everyone seated was shocked and dumbfounded. The auction of high-grade Yellow-tier martial arts was already incredible, and now they were planning to auction Xuan-level beginner martial arts. Such level of martial arts, even for larger sects and factions, were absolutely forbidden to be leaked. Nobody would use Xuan-level beginner martial arts for auction, let alone two sets at once. "Sect Leader, are we really going to auction Xuan-level beginner martial arts?" Ye Fei asked with a flash in her beautiful eyes, surprised and also puzzled whether the Sect Leader really had Xuan-level beginner martial arts. Having two sets of Xuan-level beginner martial arts was definitely not something an ordinary person could possess. "Just do as I say," Li Lin lightly said to Ye Fei, then turned his gaze to Huangfu Qisong, "Huangfu Hall Master, your martial hall is to build an auction venue capable of accommodating twenty thousand people in Hua Men Town within ten days. This auction will be managed by your martial hall, but do not reveal too much strength, nor let others know the relationship between the martial hall and Flying Spirit Gate, at least not now, or you alone will be held accountable. Remember, you only have ten days. After ten days, I want to see a satisfactory auction venue. For other matters, you can discuss solutions with Jin Hall. If there are other issues, Jin Hall will find the elders of Flying Spirit Gate to resolve," Li Lin said. "Managed by my martial hall?" Huangfu Qisong seemed a bit surprised. "If Huangfu Hall Master thinks he can''t do it, then I''ll let someone else handle it," Li Lin said, looking at Huangfu Qisong. "No problem, it will definitely be done in ten days," Huangfu Qisong said through clenched teeth. "Sect Leader, with only ten days'' time, not many people who hear about the auction will be able to make it to Hua Men Town. Isn''t it a bit rushed?" Ye Fei asked. "I know. Although the message has been sent, only some forces and powerhouses within the ancient domain will be able to make it to Hua Men Town. The items we are auctioning are not aimed at ordinary people. I believe plenty of powerful and influential parties will be interested, and ten days is enough for many to arrive. Just send out the message," Li Lin said. "Yes, Sect Leader," Ye Fei replied. Listening to Li Lin''s arrangements, Hui Hun Poison Marshal Dong Wuming and Ghost Fairy Bai Ying, though their expressions changed slightly, did not ask anything more at the moment. "Is there anything else? If not, then only Liu Yishou and the two Hall Masters from the Punishment Hall should stay. The rest of the Hall Masters may leave. We are short on time, minor matters can be discussed later," Li Lin''s gaze swept over everyone again. "Yes, we will take our leave," Ye Fei, Ye Mei, Huangfu Qisong, Li Chi Zheng, and others immediately took their leave. Soon, only Ouyang Lengji, Jiang Yuanguan, the two Hall Masters of the Punishment Hall, and Liu Yishou were left in the hall. "Sect Leader, do you have any instructions?" Liu Yishou asked Li Lin, clearly understanding that the Sect Leader had something to instruct him since he was asked to stay. "Tell me, how is Jin Hall doing now, what do I need to do?" Li Lin asked. Both the martial hall and the dark hall were short of money, and all support points were on Jin Hall. Liu Yishou didn''t say anything just now, but Li Lin was clear that Jin Hall was probably in absolute difficulty. "Sect Leader," Liu Yishou looked at Ouyang Lengji, seemingly hesitating to speak. Jin Hall was facing significant trouble, he naturally wouldn''t trouble the Sect Leader in front of everyone, which is why he hadn''t spoken earlier. "Ouyang Hall Master and Jiang Hall Master are our own people, speak up," Li Lin knew what Liu Yishou was probably thinking and immediately said. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. "Sect Leader, Jin Hall is currently lacking many things. The medicinal herbs in the Wudu Mountain Range have been greatly affected recently, with many forces going in to forcibly purchase herbs. Moreover, many forces are hoarding herbs in Tuan Mountain Town and Hua Men Town, competing with us on price, intending to drag down Flying Spirit Trade Firm. These forces seem to be working together, and we are having a hard time sustaining," Liu Yishou said. Li Lin pondered for a moment, then asked, "Liu Yishou, how have Hua Men Town and Tuan Mountain Town developed recently?" "Reporting to the Sect Leader, both Hua Men Town and Tuan Mountain Town have expanded by more than half compared to before, and the flow of people has also increased significantly, all thanks to the medicinal herbs from the Wudu Mountain Range, driving many people to Hua Men Town and then Tuan Mountain Town," Liu Yishou paused for a moment, then narrowed his eyes slightly, "However, Tianxing Town is the territory of the Ghost Martial Sect. Within the Ghost Martial Sect, there has always been their own mercenary group harvesting medicinal herbs and capturing demonic beasts for sale in the Wudu Mountain Range. Although we have taken away a lot of business in Tianxing Town, it only accounts for a small portion. Now, it''s likely that the Ghost Martial Sect is targeting Flying Spirit Gate, but the Ghost Martial Sect has not shown themselves openly." "Ghost Martial Sect." Li Lin murmured lightly, then after a moment, he looked at Liu Yishou, "Liu Yishou, arrange for a hundred skilled disciples to wait for me in the sect early tomorrow morning." "Yes," Liu Yishou didn''t ask why, but immediately agreed. "The two Hall Masters of the Punishment Hall, please wait for me at the entrance of the Wudu Mountain Range early tomorrow morning. We will take a few days to tour inside the Wudu Mountain Range," Li Lin said lightly. "Yes," Ouyang Lengji and Jiang Yuanguan hesitated for a moment before agreeing. "Then you may go busy yourselves," Li Lin indicated for the three to leave. After they left, only Hui Hun Poison Marshal Dong Wuming, Ghost Fairy Bai Ying, and Li Lin were left in the hall. "You young rascal, you''re not really planning to sell Xuan-level beginner martial arts, are you?" Hui Hun Poison Marshal Dong Wuming asked Li Lin. "Old Dong, of course, these are to be sold," Li Lin chuckled. "You rascal, those are Xuan-level beginner martial arts. Once sold, they can''t be bought back," Hui Hun Poison Marshal Dong Wuming said. Xuan-level martial arts wouldn''t be sold by anyone, at most, they would be traded for other items. "Lin''er, you must have other plans, right?" Ghost Fairy Bai Ying raised her eyebrows and said to Li Lin. "Correct," Li Lin lightly said, "Without offering something tempting for sale, how could Hua Men Town become lively? We are going to sell the Xuan-level martial arts, but we will buy them back later." Li Lin chuckled lightly, obviously reluctant to part with the Xuan-level beginner fifth-level martial arts. "You mean to swap the dragon for the phoenix, sell them, and then buy them back yourself?" Hui Hun Poison Marshal Dong Wuming''s expression changed. "I only want the popularity of Hua Men Town. After ten days, selling a puppet and sixth-tier medicinal pills should be enough. I believe Hua Men Town will definitely become very lively," Li Lin smiled. "Your real purpose must be more than just these," Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said lightly. "Now, Flying Spirit Gate has many people, and relying on Hua Men Town and Flying Spirit Gate alone is no longer sufficient to support the development of Flying Spirit Gate," Li Lin smiled slightly, then solemnly said to Hui Hun Poison Marshal Dong Wuming and Ghost Fairy Bai Ying, "Old Dong, Sister Ying, the kid wants to take action now, do you have any objections?" Hui Hun Poison Marshal Dong Wuming and Ghost Fairy Bai Ying became serious, and then Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said, "Taking action now, are you confident? You need to be prepared. When revealing the strength of Flying Spirit Gate, we will first have to confront the Ghost Martial Sect head-on, and then we will likely face caution from many forces. At that time, Flying Spirit Gate might be besieged on all sides. Flying Spirit Gate''s current strength can barely be considered a second-tier force, but we have developed late and too rapidly, so it will not be easy to secure a foothold." Li Lin raised his eyebrows, then revealed a smile, understanding the big picture that Ghost Fairy Bai Ying saw. Once a new force rises, it''s easy to form a situation of being besieged on all sides, becoming a direct threat to other forces, and further development will undoubtedly be extremely difficult. "Old Dong, Sister Ying, even if we end up in a situation of being besieged on all sides, we are not afraid," Li Lin said lightly, "I won''t hide from you two, this time returning to Flying Spirit Gate, I have secretly allied with Yunyang Sect. The condition is allowing Yunyang Sect to enter the ancient domain. If Flying Spirit Gate encounters any problems, we can seek help from Yunyang Sect''s strong practitioners at any time." "Yunyang Sect." Hui Hun Poison Marshal Dong Wuming and Ghost Fairy Bai Ying frowned, understanding the advantages and disadvantages in a moment, "We must not be used by Yunyang Sect, becoming their stepping stone. Yunyang Sect is not simple." "It should be reliable. Besides, they want to use Flying Spirit Gate to enter the ancient domain, and we also want to use them to develop Flying Spirit Gate," Li Lin said lightly. "I heard that Yunyang Sect''s Miss and you are engaged, is that true?" Ghost Fairy Bai Ying looked at Li Lin and asked. "Yes," Li Lin nodded, guessing that this must be the work of Flying Spirit Gate''s information network. "You rascal, you really have a way. After visiting Yunyang Sect once, you deceived Yunyang Sect''s Miss. It seems that Yunyang Sect can indeed be relied upon," Hui Hun Poison Marshal Dong Wuming said, "But we also need to be prepared for defense." "Of course, until the end, we cannot use Yunyang Sect''s trump card. Once Yunyang Sect enters the ancient domain, the waves it causes will not be ordinary," Li Lin said. Chapter 484: A Small Gift "With your wisdom, I guess you''ve already planned everything. I don''t need to worry anymore. You have the martial hall solely responsible for the auction and even bring out Xuan-level martial arts to cause such a sensation. Are you trying to attract attention? Can you tell me your real purpose? I''m a bit puzzled right now." Ghost Fairy Bai Ying looked at Li Lin with her beautiful eyes, filled with surprise, as she couldn''t guess Li Lin''s true intentions. Li Lin was very surprised that Ghost Fairy Bai Ying could know his purpose. Fortunately, Ghost Fairy Bai Ying was not his enemy; having such an enemy would definitely be troublesome. "I have three purposes," Li Lin said lightly. "First, I will organize two more auctions in the future. After a while, I plan to merge Hua Men Town and Tuan Mountain Town into a large town. This firstly requires popularity. Without sufficient attractiveness, it cannot be achieved." "You use Xuan-level martial arts as a lure. Hua Men Town will inevitably become bustling. The auction of Xuan-level martial arts will involve various major forces in the ancient domain, and many independent strong practitioners will likely come back. At the same time, we must worry about people taking the opportunity to cause trouble," Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said. Li Lin nodded slightly, then continued, "Second, starting from tomorrow, the entire Wudu Mountain Range, especially on the side of the ancient domain, must be under the control of Flying Spirit Gate. The medicinal herbs within the entire Wudu Mountain Range absolutely cannot be leaked to the outside. Moreover, in the future, if the three sects and four gates want to enter the ancient domain, they must first pass through the Wudu Mountain Range. This place is not important now, but it will become the barrier of Flying Spirit Gate in the future." "Controlling the Wudu Mountain Range will not be easy. There are many forces eyeing the medicinal herbs on the edge of the ancient domain. If you control all the medicinal herbs, you''re undoubtedly cutting off many forces'' lifelines," Hui Hun Poison Marshal Dong Wuming said. "Old Dong, you''ve subdued the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao, and I''ve also subdued the Stone Ape Demon King and the One-Horned Demon Bull recently. It''s not difficult to control the medicinal herbs within the Wudu Mountain Range. As for the people from other forces inside, I will personally enter the Wudu Mountain Range tomorrow. This time, all people from all forces inside will be killed without mercy. Ordinary mercenary groups will be allowed to leave the Wudu Mountain Range; those who violate this will not blame me for being ruthless," Li Lin said, a hint of coldness passing through his eyes. "Lin''er, doing this will truly provoke a war," Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said with a changed expression. "With the auction going on, most of these forces'' attention will be on the auction in Hua Men Town for a while. By the time they realize what''s happening, the Wudu Mountain Range will have been mostly dealt with by me in ten days. As for provoking a war, that''s exactly what I''m hoping for. Although Flying Spirit Gate''s power is not weak now, it''s still not enough. The fastest way to develop is only through war," Li Lin said. "Fostering war through war, it looks like you''re really going to take action," Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said softly. "When that day comes, the ancient domain will no longer be peaceful." "Third, the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao''s base contains many medicinal herbs. With many people in Hua Men Town this time, I''ll go retrieve the medicinal herbs. Then, with the changes in the Wudu Mountain Range, I believe the price of medicinal herbs will soar. We''ll sell them at a high price to those forces hoarding herbs. Flying Spirit Gate just happens to need a lot of money for development. When the Wudu Mountain Range returns to normal, we''ll lower the price of the medicinal herbs. There will be a time for them to cry. When they can''t help but sell their herbs, we''ll raise the price again," Li Lin''s mouth curled into a cold smile again. "You really are ruthless," Hui Hun Poison Marshal Dong Wuming sighed, clearly understanding the reasoning. If he truly controlled the Wudu Mountain Range, on the edge of the ancient domain, it would undoubtedly mean controlling the lifeline of medicinal herbs. Then, the price would be entirely up to him. If those forces hoarding medicinal herbs were to sell off in large quantities, they would definitely suffer a huge loss. But just after selling, the price would immediately increase, probably causing many to bleed with anger. Li Lin smiled slightly. This is a monopoly. Only when you have the strength to monopolize something, then you can have the final say. Of course, all this is only possible with absolute strength. "You''re going into the ancient domain tomorrow. Some of the mercenary groups from the major forces are quite strong. Be careful. Do you want me to accompany you?" Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said to Li Lin. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Sister Ying, that''s not necessary. The mercenary groups in the Wudu Mountain Range, even those sent by the major forces, are at most at the martial general level. If there were martial commanders among them, the Nine-Headed Demon Jiao wouldn''t have been able to be so rampant for so long. Having Ouyang Lengji and Jiang Yuanguan from the Punishment Hall accompany me is enough," Li Lin said. "After the news of the auction is released, Flying Spirit Gate needs both of you to stay behind. Additionally, I have gifts for Old Dong and Sister Ying. You should take them soon for better effects." After saying this, Li Lin took out two jade boxes and handed them to Ghost Fairy Bai Ying and Hui Hun Poison Marshal Dong Wuming. "Bringing us gifts, you''re considerate. Let me see," Hui Hun Poison Marshal Dong Wuming said unceremoniously, quickly taking the jade box and opening it. Ghost Fairy Bai Ying smiled beautifully, pleased to receive a gift, and gently opened the jade box, allowing a wave of energy to spread. In that moment, the expressions of Hui Hun Poison Marshal Dong Wuming and Ghost Fairy Bai Ying changed drastically, feeling the contents of the jade box. They hesitated for a moment, then became surprised. Hui Hun Poison Marshal Dong Wuming was the first to excitedly ask, "Kid, you''re back from Yunyang Sect. Is this the legendary Martial Spirit Holy Fruit from Yunyang Sect?" "Correct. The Martial Spirit Holy Fruit might not significantly enhance Old Dong and Sister Ying''s strength, but for breaking through to the martial king and spirit king levels, it definitely has a tremendous effect," Li Lin said lightly. "The Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, really the legendary Martial Spirit Holy Fruit from Yunyang Sect." Ghost Fairy Bai Ying was somewhat excited. The importance of the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit can be imagined. For ninth-level martial commanders and ninth-level spirit commanders, it''s even more of a treasure. The effect of enhancing strength can be ignored, but what they value is the chance of breaking through to the martial king and spirit king levels, which increases to fifty percent after taking the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit. And the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit has always been controlled by Yunyang Sect. Such a treasure is not known to many, and Yunyang Sect is not a place others can covet or touch. Apart from the outstanding direct disciples within Yunyang Sect, it''s virtually impossible for outsiders to obtain such a treasure. For martial commanders and spirit commanders, such a treasure is absolutely a deadly temptation. Lower-level cultivators might still value the strength enhancement effect of the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit and might not feel that the effect of enhancing the chance to break through to the martial king and spirit king levels is the most important. "Kid, I accept this gift, thank you," Hui Hun Poison Marshal looked at Li Lin, gratitude shining in his eyes. He naturally knew the effect of this treasure on him. "Old Dong, saying thank you to me, isn''t that treating me as an outsider?" Li Lin said lightly. "That was a slip of the tongue," Hui Hun Poison Marshal Dong Wuming laughed. "Lin''er, I also can''t refuse this gift. With this Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, I believe I won''t need much time to break through. Thank you," Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said softly. "I hope Sister Ying breaks through soon. By then, Flying Spirit Gate will have a martial king powerhouse," Li Lin said lightly. "Lin''er, Uncle Jiang you invited yesterday is at least at the martial king or spirit king level, right? It should not be just any martial king or spirit king level. With him presiding, Flying Spirit Gate now also has a trump card," Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said. "Sister Ying, Uncle Jiang has some injuries and is inconvenient to take action in the short term. So, Flying Spirit Gate still needs to wait for Sister Ying and Old Dong to break through," Li Lin said lightly. "I''ve been stuck at the peak of the ninth-level martial commander for a while now. With this Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, plus Uncle Jiang''s guidance yesterday, I think I also have a chance to break through soon. After the auction, I''ll try to break through in seclusion. Hopefully, I can make it," Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said. "Sister Ying, there''s another item for you," Li Lin said with a slight smile, taking out a jade slip with an energy fluctuation, vaguely echoing with a sound wave. "A Xuan-level beginner martial arts technique." Ghost Fairy Bai Ying immediately sensed that it was a set of martial arts techniques, a set of Xuan-level beginner martial arts techniques, and began to feel puzzled by the energy fluctuation on the jade slip. "This is a somewhat special martial arts technique. At the tri-sect and quad-gate conference, I saw this set of martial arts techniques and specifically kept it. It''s said to have been brought out by the Illusionary Soul Sect, called ''Heavenly Sound Soul Subduing Melody''. It can be practiced by any attribute, but the practitioner must be proficient in music theory. I think it should be suitable for Sister Ying," Li Lin said lightly, handing the martial arts jade slip to Ghost Fairy Bai Ying. At the tri-sect and quad-gate conference, Li Lin saw this set of martial arts techniques and planned to give it to Ghost Fairy Bai Ying. Music-based martial arts techniques are absolutely rare, even rarer than defensive martial arts techniques, and are extremely difficult to come across. "Indeed, music-based martial arts techniques. I''ve been searching for decades and only found a set of Yellow-level beginner music-based martial arts techniques. A Xuan-level beginner music-based martial arts technique, this is the first time I''ve seen it," Ghost Fairy Bai Ying was once again somewhat excited. As someone who loves music, she wanted a set of music-based martial arts techniques, but if the level was too low and the power too weak, it would be useless to her. Now, this Xuan-level beginner music-based martial arts technique is absolutely the most suitable for her. "Lin''er, I know if I say thank you, you''ll say I''m treating you as an outsider again, but I still want to say thank you. The Martial Spirit Holy Fruit and the ''Heavenly Sound Soul Subduing Melody'' are both extremely important to me," Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said. Chapter 485: Returning to the Mountains "If anyone should say thank you, it is I who should say thanks to you two. The Flying Spirit Gate owes much to both of you during this time." Li Lin bowed again, deeply remembering the contributions made by the Soul Summoning Poison Lord Dong Wuming and the Ghost Fairy Bai Ying to the Flying Spirit Gate. "Haha." Dong Wuming, the Soul Summoning Poison Lord, and Bai Ying, the Ghost Fairy, both smiled slightly, showing a satisfied smile in their eyes. "Lin''er, currently, no other disciples know about your matters in the Yunyang Sect, nor do they know that you were originally a disciple of the Yunyang Sect. Whether you want to tell them or not is up to you. However, the people from the Dark Hall have been gathering information on all the major forces, and I estimate that my two nominal disciples now suspect that you were the champion at the Three Sects and Four Gates Tournament. They asked me, and I''ve covered for you," said the Ghost Fairy Bai Ying. "For now, it''s better not to tell them. Also, try to ensure that the older disciples do not mention my name in the future," Li Lin said lightly. At this moment, Li Lin was also worried about the affairs of the Li family, which would sooner or later be investigated by others coming to the Flying Spirit Gate. If his name was widely known, it would be easy for the major forces to find him. This was a concern that Li Lin could not ignore at the moment. When Li Lin, accompanied by the Soul Summoning Poison Lord Dong Wuming and the Ghost Fairy Bai Ying, returned to the Flying Spirit Gate under the cover of night, it was already the third watch of the night. Along the way, Li Lin discussed with the two of them the future development of the Flying Spirit Gate. This time, Li Lin was planning to make the Flying Spirit Gate rise thoroughly. Early the next day, dawn broke in the east of the Flying Spirit Gate, and the morning light dispersed. Li Lin walked out from the courtyard, having practiced for three hours last night until daybreak. "Sigh!" Breathing in the fresh air of the early morning, Li Lin felt a sense of exhilaration within him, thinking about entering the Wudu Mountain Range today, his mouth curled into a smile. It had been a long time since he had made a breakthrough, and this time, he intended to fully absorb and advance. "Young Master." Li Xiaobai had also walked out of the courtyard by now. "Xiaobai, gather the medicinal herbs Jiang Uncle needs from Liu Yishou when the time comes, then deliver them to Jiang Uncle. For now, you''ll stay with Liu Yishou and get familiar with everything within the Flying Spirit Gate," Li Lin instructed Li Xiaobai. "I understand, Young Master," Li Xiaobai said. "Greetings, Sect Leader." Liu Yishou hurriedly arrived outside the courtyard, looking somewhat tired, likely having been exhausted all night. "Is everything ready?" Li Lin asked. "Replying to the Sect Leader, a hundred agile disciples have been arranged, led by Zhang Xiao, the Great Protector, and Zhang Mingtao, all waiting outside at your command," Liu Yishou reported to Li Lin. "Good." Li Lin nodded slightly, then said to Liu Yishou, "Liu Yishou, this is Li Xiaobai. Take good care of him in the next few days and get him familiar with everything in the Flying Spirit Gate. Also, Li Xiaobai has a list of medicinal herbs that you must manage to gather." "Yes, Sect Leader," Liu Yishou replied, looking at Li Xiaobai. The Sect Leader seemed to trust this person greatly, so naturally, he did not dare to offend. "Brother, where are you going again? I want to go too." A tender voice sounded, and a small figure had already arrived next to Li Lin. "Xin Tong, I''m going to the Wudu Mountain Range for a few days and will be back in a few days. It''s not convenient to take you this time. You should practice well, and I''ll take you there when I have time," Li Lin said gently. "Alright then, but you must come back soon," Li Xin Tong pouted. "I will, I''ll be back in a few days," Li Lin said gently. "Sect Leader, you''re going out again? Be careful," Fang Xin Qi, Bai Sha Sha, and Yan Qi, the three women, had already returned. At the same time, the Soul Summoning Poison Lord Dong Wuming and the Ghost Fairy Bai Ying also stepped out of the courtyard. "Okay." Li Lin nodded slightly, then said to the Ghost Fairy Bai Ying, "Ying Sister, I''ll go first. Arrange the rest." "I''ll arrange it now. Let a few elders personally go to the edge of the Wudu Mountain Range, and have the Vice Hall Master of the Martial Hall assist in secret. Starting today, the Wudu Mountain Range will be completely sealed off, with no unauthorized entry or exit," the Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Little dragon, let''s go," Li Lin said to the little dragon on his shoulder. "Roar" Amidst a low roar, the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion circled and arrived. On the back of the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion, there were also the Blood Lizard, the Dual-Headed Water-Fire Jiao, the Blood Jade Tiger, and the Tai Yin Rabbit, these four demonic beasts. Li Lin jumped onto the back of the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion and then disappeared into the distance. "The ancient domain, this time it''s going to be turbulent," the Ghost Fairy Bai Ying and the Soul Summoning Poison Lord Dong Wuming looked at each other and muttered as they watched Li Lin''s figure on the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion''s back disappear into the sky. "Old fellow, your eye for talent is not bad this time, you didn''t choose wrong," the Ghost Fairy Bai Ying glanced at the Soul Summoning Poison Lord Dong Wuming and said lightly. "This kid is cunning and ruthless but also values loyalty greatly, which I like," the Soul Summoning Poison Lord Dong Wuming said lightly, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. "You''re wrong, this kid Lin''er is not only cunning and ruthless but also thick-skinned and dark-hearted, deeply scheming. Just the auction event alone, with one arrow and three targets, I am inferior. With him around, the ancient domain this time is probably going to be in complete chaos," the Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said lightly. Outside the Flying Spirit Gate, in the low sky, a hundred Flying Spirit Gate disciples jumped onto the back of the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion, among them, the highest had a Martial Master level of six stages, and the lowest also had a level of one stage, all selected by Liu Yishou and several Protector Elders as the strongest disciples in the Flying Spirit Gate currently. The body of the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion, over four hundred meters in size, carrying a hundred people, was an easy task. The huge body also did not feel crowded, and the disciples were excited to be able to ride the Sect Leader''s mount for once. "Greetings, Sect Leader." On the back of the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion, Zhang Xiao and Zhang Mingtao saluted. "Great Protector, Zhang Mingtao, prepare yourselves. I''ll take you into the Wudu Mountain Range. Then, collect the medicinal herbs at the fastest speed. After seven days, I''ll arrange for you to come back," Li Lin instructed the two, his gaze fixed on them. Zhang Xiao was originally at the ninth stage of the Martial General level but now had reached the second stage of the Martial General level, and Zhang Mingtao was also at the seventh stage of the Martial Master level, which was quite an improvement. "Yes, Sect Leader," the two replied. Inside the Wudu Mountain Range, the undulating mountains stretched as far as the eye could see, now deep in summer, with layers of heat floating in the sky, softening the leaves. However, inside the mountains, it was cool. "Hall Master, why did the Sect Leader let us enter the Wudu Mountain Range? What exactly does he want to do?" On the edge of the mountains, on a remote mountaintop away from the crowd, stood two figures, Ouyang Lengji and Jiang Yuan, both with a somber aura and a sense of keeping others at bay. "We''ll know in time," Ouyang Lengji seemed to have no extra words, speaking lightly. "Huangfu Qisong and Ye Fei seem to be somewhat dissatisfied," Jiang Yuan said lightly, his gaze unchanging. "To command respect is not so easy. Aren''t we also waiting to see how this Sect Leader can convince us completely?" Ouyang Lengji said indifferently. "Whoosh whoosh!" In the sky, a huge demonic beast flew over, and when the two looked up into the sky, they were somewhat surprised, saying, "That seems to be the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion." "The two Hall Masters have been waiting for a long time. Please come aboard," Li Lin''s voice reached the two''s ears. The two exchanged glances, their true energy flickering, and space seemed to twist as they leaped onto the back of the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion. "Greetings, Sect Leader." The two merely gave a brief salute. "The two of you can practice for a while. It will take two days to arrive," Li Lin said lightly, as the fastest speed of the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion to the original base of the Nine-Headed Jiao would take two days. Li Lin originally intended to bring the Nine-Headed Jiao, but it was also recovering from injuries, having been severely beaten by Little dragon and the Inverse Scale Demonic Peng for several days, so the Nine-Headed Jiao''s injuries were not light. Ouyang Lengji and Jiang Yuan''s gaze swept over the shrunken Tai Yin Rabbit, the Dual-Headed Water-Fire Jiao, the Blood Jade Tiger, and the Blood Lizard, seeming somewhat puzzled, as if they had noticed something but were not sure, then they sat cross-legged on the back of the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion and began to adjust their breathing. Neither spoke much, their aura always somewhat somber. Li Lin no longer paid attention to the two, mentally commanding the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion to hurry forward. As Li Lin and the others entered the Wudu Mountain Range, a message had already spread from the previous night, on the edge of the Wudu Mountain Range, in a small town called Hua Men Town, there would be a huge auction in ten days. This auction was said to be extraordinary, not only featuring extremely rare fifth-level puppets and late sixth-grade medicinal pills but also high-level Yellow grade martial arts techniques. What was most surprising was that this time, it was said that there would be Xuan level martial arts techniques for auction, undoubtedly the most shocking. Many forces that heard the news first began to prepare to participate. The message was spreading farther and farther. Two days later, within the dangerous area of the Wudu Mountain Range, amidst the continuous peaks shrouded in fog, surrounded by towering trees showing a verdant scene. "Sigh!" Li Lin exhaled a breath of turbid air from within, opening his eyes which flickered with a sharp gleam, looking down at the ground below, Li Lin revealed a smile. Having arrived in the Wudu Mountain Range, he could now fully absorb true energy. "Everyone, we have arrived." "This must be the dangerous area within the Wudu Mountain Range." "I heard that there are many third-level demonic beasts here, as well as fourth and fifth-level ones." Looking down, the hundred Flying Spirit Gate disciples whispered among themselves, wondering if they were indeed going to enter this dangerous area today. Chapter 486: People of Tianyi Sect Ouyang Lengji and Jiang Yuan also stopped their cultivation, looking down from the sky. "Roar roar..." At this moment, the roars of demonic beasts came, echoing among the peaks. Then, to everyone''s astonishment, a large group of demonic beasts gathered. Currently, there were two massive beasts as large as mountains, with hundreds of flying demonic beasts pressing down from the sky, their presence causing the hundred disciples of the Flying Spirit Gate to be extremely terrified. The first of the two beasts was a giant ape, its body not covered in fur but entirely in a bluish-white carapace, resembling stone. The second massive beast was entirely green, with a single horn on its head and fierce eyes. It wasn''t as tall as the Stone Ape King, standing at 150 meters, but its body spanned over 400 meters, radiating a formidable aura. "It''s the Stone Ape King and the Single-Horned Demonic Bull," Jiang Yuan seemed familiar with the demonic beasts within the Wudu Mountain Range, his face changing instantly. "They are fifth-level demonic beasts," Zhang Xiao, Zhang Mingtao, and others were terrified, knowing they were no match for these beasts. "Greetings, master." To everyone''s surprise, the two massive beasts respectfully spoke human language to the sky above. "Stone Ape, Single-Horned Demonic Bull, how goes the task I assigned you?" Li Lin spoke as the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion circled down to the lower sky. "Master, several human mercenary groups have entered these past few days, all have been killed by us, not allowing anyone in," the Stone Ape looked at Li Lin. "Single-Horned Demonic Bull, arrange for the demonic beasts to lead my people inside to gather medicinal herbs. In four days, find flying demonic beasts to lead my people out, without mistake," Li Lin instructed, looking at the Single-Horned Demonic Bull. "Yes, master," the Single-Horned Demonic Bull responded. "Great Protector, Zhang Mingtao, lead the disciples to gather the medicinal herbs. Leave on time in four days and hurry back to the Flying Spirit Gate to hand over the herbs to Liu Yishou," Li Lin then turned to address Zhang Xiao and Zhang Mingtao. However, by this moment, Zhang Xiao and Zhang Mingtao were already stunned, shocked when the two terrifying fifth-level demonic beasts called the Sect Leader their master. "What are you waiting for? Hurry down and gather the herbs, or face the sect''s punishment," Li Lin looked at them again. "Yes, Sect Leader," they recovered, and immediately Zhang Xiao told the Flying Spirit Gate disciples on the back of the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion, "Quickly go down and gather the herbs, fast." The disciples were even more surprised than Zhang Xiao and Zhang Mingtao. Regaining their senses, they flashed their Qi under their feet and jumped off the back of the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion. But at this moment, everyone was too shocked for words. After landing, they looked up at the thousands of massive beasts, feeling like ants. Although their strength was at least at the Martial Master level, capable of contending with lower-level third-stage demonic beasts, they couldn''t help but feel a bit apprehensive, especially in the presence of the two most massive beasts, whose formidable aura made their breaths catch. "Stone Ape, let your beasts out. Directly kill any mercenary groups you see. Also, take two hundred flying demonic beasts with me to search for large mercenary groups," Li Lin told the Stone Ape. "Roar roar..." "Ow!" "Whoo..." With a roar from the Stone Ape King, the valley was filled with continuous beastly roars echoing through space. As the roar ceased, all the beasts within the mountains burst forth, their momentum earth-shattering, like an earthquake. Seeing this, Zhang Xiao and others who had just landed had to quickly dodge to the side. The sight of thousands of beasts stampeding out could easily trample a Martial Master to death if not careful. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. On the back of the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion, Ouyang Lengji and Jiang Yuan also showed some changes in their expressions. With their strength, they weren''t too surprised by the Stone Ape King and the Single-Horned Demonic Bull, but they were extremely shocked to see that Li Lin had tamed these two beasts. Taming demonic beasts was definitely not an easy task. If it were that simple, strong beings would have already tamed the demonic beasts in the Wudu Mountain Range, claiming dominance instead of leaving these beasts to rule the area. After all, this region is still the domain of humans, not the ancestral demonic forest in the Southern Origin, which is the true territory of demonic beasts. "Stone Ape, come with me," Li Lin said lightly. "Yes, master," the Stone Ape responded, its massive body instantly shrinking. After a flash of yellow light, its body had transformed into the size of 1.8 meters, resembling a human, and with a flash, it jumped onto the back of the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion. "Ga..." Two hundred flying demonic beasts circled the area, creating a massive air current that roared through the forest below like a sweeping gale. Li Lin mentally commanded the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion to take off. The giant body of the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion disappeared from its original location in an instant, though its speed had significantly slowed down. "Ga ga!" In the sky, the two hundred flying demonic beasts following behind the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion dispersed, flying off in all directions. Three hours later, on the back of the Heavenly Winged Snow Lion in the sky, Little dragon raised his head and said, "Big brother, there are quite a few people below." "Let''s go down," Li Lin said lightly, having already scoped out everything with his mental probing. "Everyone be careful, there are flying demonic beasts approaching." Within a mountain range, about thirty figures looked up at the sky, already on guard, quickly and adeptly forming a circle. These thirty or so people were almost all dressed in sturdy clothing, including three or four female Martial Masters among them. Their ages varied, with the youngest looking to be around twenty-four or twenty-five. The leader was a man in yellow clothes. "Whoosh whoosh!" After a massive flying demonic beast circled in the low sky, several figures swiftly descended from above. The thirty or so people watched the newcomers, their expressions changing, noticing only three people, accompanied by a few small demonic beasts. Li Lin''s gaze had already swept over these people from mid-air. A mercenary group of over thirty people could only be considered average. However, these thirty-plus people were in the dangerous area, and although they weren''t many, their strength was not weak. The leader was a triple-layer Martial General, and there was also a single-layer Martial General, five Martial Souls, and the rest were Martial Masters. This composition wouldn''t be typical for an ordinary mercenary group, as any normal mercenary group with two Martial General powerhouses would have at least two to three hundred members. Observing this mercenary group, Li Lin could almost guess which mountain gate force they belonged to; they were definitely not an ordinary mercenary group. "Which sect are you from?" Li Lin''s gaze finally rested on the thirty or so people, especially on the leader, a quadruple-layer Martial General in yellow clothes, who was warily holding a broadsword and sizing up Li Lin and his companions. "We are from the Tianyi Sect. Who might you be?" the man in yellow clothes asked, observing Li Lin and on guard against him and his group. In the Wudu Mountain Range, they could be ambushed by other mercenary groups at any time. Besides their own team, anyone could be an adversary. "Tianyi Sect, your sect leader is called Jing Wenkun, right?" Li Lin said lightly. He had met Tianyi Sect''s sect leader, Jing Wenkun, at the Ghost Martial Sect before. The Tianyi Sect, like the Flying Spirit Gate, was an external force of the Ghost Martial Sect. "Indeed, you know our sect leader," the leading man in yellow clothes replied, seemingly a bit relieved from the tension. "I do know him, but you shouldn''t have come to the Wudu Mountain Range." Before his words finished, Li Lin disappeared from his spot, leaving a trail of afterimages, moving as swiftly as a specter. "Prepare for battle," the leading man''s expression changed drastically, and he shouted loudly, his broadsword swiftly drawing several dazzling arcs in the air, filled with lethal agility like a venomous snake. "Swish swish!" Several broadsword beams were instantly directed at Li Lin. This quadruple-layer Martial General''s strength was indeed not bad, making him a somewhat strong figure. "You''re too slow," Li Lin''s voice floated lightly. As the broadsword beams were launched, Li Lin''s afterimages changed abruptly again. His footwork and speed increased once more, dodging the beams in an almost teleportative manner and charging forward again. This sudden change shocked the quadruple-layer Martial General. His broadsword fiercely swept out, with a forceful energy causing a faint arc of light at the edge of the blade. The sharp sound of breaking wind whistled incessantly, as the blade seemingly tore through space, fiercely directed at Li Lin once again. Feeling the oppressive wind coming his way, with spatial energy filling the air, Li Lin smiled lightly. His Qi flashed around him, and suddenly, with an absolutely bizarre and unbelievable speed, he dodged the blade again. "Bang!" The blade heavily struck the ground, causing a loud explosion on impact. A half-meter-wide crack instantly spread out on the ground, branching off and then striking a towering tree, which was split from the base upwards, creating a series of crackling noises. "Stay still for me." Suddenly, Li Lin appeared silently beside the man in yellow clothes. As his voice spread, his figure moved like a hawk preying, with several finger strikes bursting out, carrying a skin-tingling force. Chapter 487: Devouring Two Generals The large man in yellow sensed something was amiss early on, but in that instant, it exceeded his reaction time. Before he could respond, several finger imprints of true Qi violently smashed into him, instantly sealing his blood vessels and acupoints, solidifying his true Qi, and rendering his body immobile. "What incredible speed," Ouyang Lengji and Jiang Yuan observed Li Lin, their eyes showing a hint of approval. Such speed was something they would find very difficult to contend with. "And you." After capturing the quadruple-level martial general, in the next moment, Li Lin''s figure appeared beside the stunned single-level martial general. The face of the single-level martial general changed drastically, and in a panic, he hastily set up a blue misty light shield. But before the blue misty shield could be fully deployed, Li Lin''s figure had already appeared with a trace of coldness. His palm imprint, trailing shadows, instantly landed on the blue misty shield. "Bang!" As the palm imprint crushed down, a cracking sound was heard, and the blue mist instantly cracked. In that instant, Li Lin changed the hand imprint in his hand, and at the same time, turned his palm into a finger, with several finger imprints instantly landing on the body of the single-level martial general. "Whoosh whoosh" As the finger imprints landed, they brought up a series of deep, tearing wind sounds. When the sound disappeared, the single-level martial general was already captured in Li Lin''s hand. All of this happened in a very short time. Li Lin captured two martial generals in just a few blinks of an eye, one single-level and one quadruple-level martial general already in his hands. The thirty or so people from Tianyi Sect had already turned pale with shock. They had hardly reacted, as the opponent''s speed was too fast, and his strength was absolutely formidable. For Li Lin, dealing with a single-level martial general was naturally effortless at his current strength, and even a quadruple-level martial general posed no difficulty. His own peak triple-level martial general''s strength had already surpassed that of a quadruple-level martial general, not to mention that this quadruple-level martial general was not one of the top disciples from the three sects and four factions. The top disciples from the three sects and four factions, each of their strengths was several times stronger than their cultivation level. Now, dealing with these ordinary quadruple-level martial generals was naturally no difficulty for him, especially with the fleeting shadow body technique combined with the wind attribute, his speed was far beyond what a quadruple-level martial general could compare. "Roar" The Winged Snow Lion shrank its body and circled within the mountain range. Li Lin, holding two martial generals, directly jumped onto the Winged Snow Lion, his voice spreading, "Little Dragon, Shiyuan, kill them all, leave none behind." As his words fell, the Winged Snow Lion flapped its wings and soared into the high sky. "Don''t worry, boss." Little Dragon''s body instantly expanded, and a huge pressure burst forth, its huge body directly lunging towards the people of Tianyi Sect. "Hiss!" "Roar!" "Chirp!" At this moment, seeing Little Dragon start to attack, the Dual-Headed Aquatic and Fire Jiao, the Blood Jade Tiger, and the Taiyin Rabbit, three huge beasts also charged into the sky one after another. Their demonic aura emerged, restoring their huge bodies, and with a great pressure, they crushed down. "Whoosh!" The Dual-Headed Aquatic and Fire Jiao, with its huge body, opened its blood-filled mouth, suddenly a flame pressed down, and in an instant, its tail swept across, directly breaking several large trees at their waists. After a roar from the Blood Jade Tiger, its huge body also returned to its original large size, immediately its ferocious mouth crushed down, a suction force spun out, three disciples from Tianyi Sect were directly swallowed into its belly. The Taiyin Rabbit, with its huge body leaping out, its forelimbs'' sharp claws instantly tore one of the Tianyi Sect''s martial souls into pieces. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The Blood Lizard and the Stone Ape Demon King also instantly enlarged their bodies and charged forward. At this moment, with several beasts attacking, the space was filled with explosive sounds. The ground shook, beast roars echoed, and towering trees were broken at their waists. The entire space was in chaos, completely filled with the might of these beasts. At this moment, the thirty or so disciples of Tianyi Sect were absolutely dumbfounded. Under the formidable demonic might, they were stunned in place, and most of the disciples had completely forgotten to flee for their lives. "It''s the Blood Lizard!" "That''s... actually a late-stage fifth-order Taiyin Rabbit, and there''s also a mid-stage fifth-order Blood Jade Tiger and Dual-Headed Aquatic and Fire Jiao." At this moment, Ouyang Lengji and Jiang Yuan were completely shocked. They had some suspicions that these beasts were not simple, and with their eyesight and strength, they could also see some clues. But at this moment, seeing these terrifying beasts, their hearts couldn''t help but be shocked. A late-stage fifth-order Taiyin Rabbit, along with the Stone Ape Demon King and Dual-Headed Aquatic and Fire Jiao, plus the Blood Jade Tiger, three mid-stage fifth-order beasts, even the Yellow Serpent was absolutely extraordinary, its aura made them feel terrified. The two exchanged glances, a look of surprise in their eyes. How could there be so many beasts around this sect leader, and they were not ordinary beasts. "Bang bang bang!" Within the space, the sound of explosions in less than two minutes, the thirty or so disciples of Tianyi Sect were all killed, none escaped. Under these powerful beasts, their strength was no match. Ouyang Lengji and Jiang Yuan didn''t need to make a move. Watching the few powerful beasts make their move, their faces changed for a long time. In the high sky, on the back of the Winged Snow Lion, Li Lin sat cross-legged, beside him were already two dried corpses. The secrets of the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique, Li Lin did not want Ouyang Lengji to know, so he had to let the Winged Snow Lion to the high sky, so he could make his move to devour. Devouring the true Qi of these two martial generals, Li Lin knew that as long as he immediately refined it, he could break through to a quadruple-level martial general. However, recently he had no time to break through immediately, so he had to make a brief stop. In these days, his goal was to deal with all the large mercenary groups, the time was very tight, and the area of the Misty Mountain Range was not small, it was very difficult to search in a few days, so he had to ask the Stone Ape Demon King to command two hundred flying beasts to search together. "Whoosh!" When Li Lin came down to the ground again, within a few thousand meters, it was already a mess, but there were only a few bodies, most of the people were directly eaten by the beasts. "Master." The Taiyin Rabbit had already shrunk its body and, with its forelimbs, handed over thirty or so space bags to Li Lin. Li Lin took the thirty or so space bags and noted the surprised expressions of Ouyang Lengji and Jiang Yuan, then said to them, "Let''s go, sect leaders." "Yes, sect leader," they replied, their respect for Li Lin visibly increased. "Whoosh whoosh" All the beasts shrank their bodies and, transforming into streaks of light, landed on the back of the Winged Snow Lion. The ease with which the beasts had acted was as if they had barely exerted themselves at all. On the back of the Winged Snow Lion, when Ouyang Lengji and Jiang Yuan looked at these beasts again, their gazes were distinctly different. "Sect leader, are we entering the Misty Mountain Range to deal with all the mercenary groups?" Ouyang Lengji asked, his expression now free of surprise, returning to his usual sinister demeanor. "Not all of them. We only need to deal with some of the larger mercenary groups," Li Lin replied lightly. To deal with all the mercenary groups was unnecessary and impractical. Besides, with the Stone Ape commanding thousands of beasts in a frenzied hunt for mercenary groups, that would be enough for them. Moreover, Li Lin estimated that at this moment, the Ghost Fairy Bai Ying should have arranged for people from the Flying Spirit Gate to enter the outskirts of the Misty Mountain Range, with a strict order that only exit was allowed, no entry. Those who left, if they were not truly from mercenary groups but other sect forces, would be killed on the spot. In short, within these ten days, it was crucial to take control of the entire Misty Mountain Range to secure the medicinal resources, which was closely related to his upcoming plans. There was no room for error. Continuing to hunt for mercenary groups, Li Lin found time to refine the true Qi he had just devoured. Devouring a quadruple-level martial general and a single-level martial general had reached his limit. Sitting cross-legged to refine, the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique circulated, and strands of refined true Qi energy steadily entered the Dantian Qi sea. "Gaga" An hour later, in the distant sky, the cries of beasts were heard, with several flying beasts circling in the nearby sky. Li Lin stopped refining and opened his eyes. "Master, not far ahead, we''ve found a large mercenary group, estimated to have over a hundred people," the Stone Ape said to Li Lin. "Let the flying beasts lead the way. We''ll head over now," Li Lin stated. A mercenary group with over a hundred people would be considered a second-tier mercenary group. Half an hour later, in a gorge, when Li Lin and his party along with the beasts leaped down from the back of the Winged Snow Lion in the low sky, the hundred or so people in the gorge were already watching the three of them and the beasts. This was a second-tier mercenary group of over a hundred people, led by only four martial souls and two spirit masters, one eight-layer spirit master, and one nine-layer spirit master, proving that this mercenary group was indeed respectable. The hundred or so people in the mercenary group seemed to sense the oddity of the three arrivals and the four-tier flying beast they rode, their faces immediately changing. The leader, a four-level martial soul practitioner, immediately asked, "Gentlemen, what guidance do you have for us? We are the Iron Blood Mercenary Group." "Who you are doesn''t matter much to me. Hand over all your space bags, and I can spare your lives. I don''t want to make things difficult for you, and I don''t want to make your wives, children, and parents sad. If you don''t hand them over, then you''ll have no choice but to die. I''m not without mercy," Li Lin said, looking at them. Chapter 488: The Breakthrough Begins "Sir, what do you mean by this? We are not easy to provoke either." A triple-spirit martial artist immediately stepped forward and said. With his strength, how could he possibly know the capabilities of Ouyang Lu, Jiang Yuan, and Li Lin? They had been involved in road robberies before, both as perpetrators and victims. They thought they had a fighting chance this time, especially since they had over a hundred people with them. "Seeking death." Li Lin''s gaze turned cold in an instant. As soon as he finished speaking, five fiery finger marks tore through the spatial ripples, bringing about a series of deep, oppressive whooshing sounds as the five finger marks streaked towards the triple-spirit martial artist like lightning. "So fast..." The triple-spirit martial artist didn''t even have time to react. Before he could finish his sentence, five bloody holes appeared on his chest, and blood spurted out. His pupils contracted as he fell to the ground unwillingly. "Hisss!" Without waiting for the leader''s order, Little dragon (Little Dragon) transformed into a streak of yellow light and leaped out like lightning. In the next instant, it had bitten a ninth-tier martial master on the neck. "Gu gu!" The Taiyin Demon Rabbit flashed with blue light, its speed astonishingly fast. Its forelimbs'' claws instantly pierced through the chest of a spirit martial artist. The claws went through, bringing with them shattered internal organs. The spirit martial artist had no way to counter the attack of the Taiyin Demon Rabbit. In that instant, the Blood Jade Demon Tiger, the Dual-headed Water-Fire Demon Jiao, the Blood Lizard, and the Stone Ape also pounced forward. The two third-tier and two second-tier flying demonic beasts that had just led the way also joined the battle. "Roar roar..." "Hisss hisss!" "Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!" A series of beastly roars and sonic booms erupted, spreading a tremendous demonic aura. In an instant, the mercenaries numbering in the hundreds started screaming in terror. Ouyang Lengji and Jiang Yuan''s expressions changed slightly, about to take action, but Li Lin''s voice had already reached them... "There''s no need for the two hall masters to make a move." Li Lin stood with his hands behind his back and spoke lightly. With Little dragon leading a group of demonic beasts, it was easy to kill these hundred or so people. The expressions of the two changed slightly, but they didn''t speak. At this moment, they were somewhat aware of this sect master''s decisive and ruthless style. Even they couldn''t help but feel a change of color in the face of this seemingly smiling sect master, whose actions were extremely decisive and ruthless. "Whoosh!" Surveying the entire scene, Li Lin''s gaze suddenly became grave. A cyclone flashed under his feet, and his body quickly disappeared from the spot. "Spare his life, Stone Ape." A kilometer away, the face of the ninth-tier spirit master of the mercenary group was ashen. The huge Stone Ape''s palm print came crashing down, and he, a ninth-tier spirit master, had no way to resist. "Yes, master." Suddenly, the Stone Ape withdrew its palm print, its huge body pounced towards another triple-tier martial master, turning him into mincemeat in an instant. "Ninth-tier spirit master, now you have two choices. First, follow me. Second, die immediately. Choose for yourself." Li Lin looked at the ninth-tier spirit master before him and said. "Sir, I am willing to follow you." As a spirit practitioner, especially a ninth-tier spirit master who was always proud and arrogant, but at this moment, after just experiencing a moment of life and death, hearing Li Lin''s words was like finding a lifesaver. After all, no one wants to die. Glancing around, Li Lin''s figure once again disappeared from the spot. Under the Dual-headed Water-Fire Demon Jiao, the eighth-tier spirit master was also pale, trembling all over. In the mouth of the Dual-headed Water-Fire Demon Jiao, a torrential flame was already pressing down, about to engulf and burn him to ashes. "Spare his life, Demon Jiao." When Li Lin''s figure appeared, the huge body of the Dual-headed Water-Fire Demon Jiao quickly retreated, and the flame vanished into thin air, leaving the eighth-tier spirit master trembling. "Two choices, first, follow me. Second, die immediately. You choose as well?" Li Lin''s figure appeared next to the eighth-tier spirit master and said. "Sir, I am willing to follow you." This eighth-tier spirit master made his choice between life and death. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "The two hall masters, these two are now handed over to you. Later, you can transfer them to the Spirit Hall. If anything happens, I will only look for you." Moments later, Li Lin brought the eighth-tier and ninth-tier spirit masters to Ouyang Lengji and Jiang Yuan. These two surrendered and joined. Before, it was their own choice; now, naturally, it was handed over to the Punishment Hall. As for these two spirit masters, Li Lin originally wanted to devour them, but now being a second-tier spirit general, devouring a fourth-tier spirit core would not be very effective. Devouring a ninth-tier spirit master, the effect could be imagined. Keeping these two, if they join the Flying Spirit Gate''s Spirit Hall, which was short of people, would be more useful. Just now, if the two were not willing, devouring them would not be too late. "Yes, sect master." At this moment, Ouyang Lengji and Jiang Yuan immediately responded. Li Lin''s gaze once again turned towards the canyon. The slaughter had ended, and this could hardly be called a battle but rather a massacre. The mercenary group of over a hundred people was no match for these few demonic beasts. "The Taiyin Demon Rabbit collected a dozen space bags and handed them to Li Lin. Not everyone in the mercenary group of over a hundred people had space bags on them." The two spirit masters watched as all their companions were killed, utterly unable to stop it, constantly guessing in their hearts who this young man in green robes was, to have so many terrifying demonic beasts by his side. "Let''s go." After tidying up everything, Li Lin spoke lightly to the people and then leaped onto the Sky-winged Snow Lion again. On the back of the Sky-winged Snow Lion, Li Lin once again took the opportunity to refine the true qi swallowed inside his body. As time slowly passed, with the arrangement of the Stone Ape Demon King''s search, three hours later, Li Lin once again received news of a second-rate force''s mercenary group. And Li Lin''s target this time was actually all the mercenary groups in the dangerous area. Outside the dangerous area, basically, those with very weak strength would stay there. Those with slightly stronger strength would go into the dangerous area, where, after all, there were more medicinal herbs, and some even wanted to capture some demonic beasts to sell. Li Lin''s figure once again landed on a mountain peak. A mercenary group of over a hundred people was gathering nearby, led by a martial soul of the sixth tier, and among the mercenary group, there was also a ninth-tier spirit master. Just after a brief exchange of words, the slaughter began again. When several demonic beasts revealed their huge bodies, the hundreds of mercenaries only then started to fear, but by then it was too late. At the edge of the Wudu Mountain Range, it was bustling with activity. Two days ago, the Flying Spirit Gate, with thousands of people, grandly sealed off most of the exits of the Wudu Mountain Range, allowing exit but not entry, causing hundreds of mercenaries to curse and complain. "How can this be allowed, the Wudu Mountain Range has always been open to all, your Flying Spirit Gate is going too far." Inside the exit of the Wudu Mountain Range, hundreds of mercenaries gathered together. "The Flying Spirit Gate is going too far, we have always been free to enter and exit the Wudu Mountain Range." "Let us in quickly, does your Flying Spirit Gate want to make enemies of all mercenaries." Many mercenaries spoke loudly, but at the entrance, it was already sealed off, with several elders and protectors of the Flying Spirit Gate personally present. "I''ll say it again, from now on, the Wudu Mountain Range is the territory of the Flying Spirit Gate. If you want to enter, you can, but keep quiet and wait for our sect master''s arrangement, otherwise, trespassing will be met with death." At the entrance, Hunan Sheng shouted loudly. "You guys at the Flying Spirit Gate don''t be too excessive..." "Whoosh whoosh..." A mercenary hadn''t finished speaking when a sword light instantly pierced through his chest. A figure landed in front of him, precisely the protector of the Flying Spirit Gate, Liu Yaray. Liu Yaray, more than three years ago, was a seventh-tier martial soul, and now he had stepped into the first tier of martial generals. "If anyone else talks nonsense, kill without mercy." Liu Yaray''s gaze became stern, a chill passing through. Although these mercenary groups had several members, this was still only a small part, but their strength was not outstanding. Those with strong strength, reaching the level of martial generals, could easily join a sect, at the level of protectors and elders. Generally, mercenary groups exceeding martial generals are very rare, mostly large mercenary groups, with possibly four to five hundred members, almost comparable to a small sect. After directly killing a mercenary, the crowd quieted down a lot, but anger was still rampant among them. These nearby mercenaries all made their living within the Wudu Mountain Range, and now with the mountain range sealed off, they would be in trouble. Seeing that the Flying Spirit Gate was serious, the mercenaries dared not speak any further, but they did not disperse, and the number of people continued to increase. On the fourth day inside the Wudu Mountain Range, in a canyon, several demonic beasts guarded the entrance. At this moment, a figure in green robes sat cross-legged, surrounded by a faint yellow light circle, and his aura was climbing. Inside Li Lin, the martial core in his dantian qi sea was spinning rapidly, and the true qi in the dantian qi sea was already in a saturated state. At this moment, the energy swallowed by Li Lin was continuously refined by the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Art, finally turning into pure true qi flowing from the meridians into the dantian qi sea. Li Lin''s aura climbed for about half an hour or so, as if encountering some bottleneck, and finally began to gradually weaken. As the climbing aura weakened, the earthy yellow light swirls formed around Li Lin began to become denser. The refined true qi passed through the meridians, circulating around the meridians in a loop, and finally still entered the dantian qi sea. At this moment, true qi filled every part of his body. Outside Li Lin, true qi leaked out from all over his body, emitting an earthy yellow light from the surface of his body. The more intense the true qi leaked, the more intense the yellow light became, and his entire body was enveloped in a yellow light shield with a diameter of several tens of meters. Chapter 489: Two Mercenary Groups Within this wonderful sensation, Li Lin could even vaguely feel that the meridians, bones, muscles, and the five viscera and six bowels within his body were all emitting a comfortable feeling that only he could sense. At this moment, his body was receiving the maximum nourishment. The level of cultivation determines the robustness of the body. This is because, during each breakthrough, martial artists would obtain the greatest benefits possible from the breakthrough, which directly allows the body to be forged to the greatest extent. At this moment, the true qi swallowed by Li Lin was still being refined incessantly. The true qi filling his meridians was becoming increasingly saturated, almost to the point of expansion. Under the continuous infusion of the refined true qi, his body even started to tremble slightly. At some point, Li Lin changed the gesture of his hands, and a strand of thick true qi surged out from within his body, eventually being sucked in like an earthy yellow whirlpool. The true qi that had been meandering through the meridians within his body surged rapidly in an instant. "Whoosh whoosh..." Li Lin''s aura suddenly climbed again, almost simultaneously, as if bringing up a series of low, muffled sounds. His aura broke through the bottleneck and soared. On a rock, two figures were watching the canyon, precisely Ouyang Lengji and Jiang Yuan. "So, the sect master''s strength was only at the third-tier martial general, and now he has only broken through to the fourth-tier martial general." Jiang Yuan''s aura trembled slightly, now truly understanding that the sect master''s cultivation was only at the third-tier martial general, and the recent breakthrough reached the fourth-tier martial general. "Strength and cultivation level are completely different. The sect master is not simple," Ouyang Lengji said indifferently, his aura always giving off a stern presence. Moments later, the yellow glow around Li Lin was completely absorbed into his body. Opening his eyes, a sharp light was revealed in them, feeling a sense of fullness within his body. "I''ve reached the fourth-tier martial general." Feeling the true qi within his body, a smile hung on Li Lin''s lips. His consciousness probed inside, and the five-colored martial core in the dantian qi sea became more solid. The dantian qi sea had doubled in size compared to when he was a third-tier martial general. The true qi in the dantian qi sea was surging, filled with a powerful sense of force. At this moment, Li Lin also felt that the dantian qi sea within him was absorbing the true qi in the dantian qi sea. The absorption seemed to be becoming more intimate with him at a pace difficult to detect, as if it wanted to completely integrate with him. Breaking through to the fourth-tier martial general, Li Lin let out a long sigh of relief. He was already at the peak of the third-tier martial general, so the breakthrough was just a natural progression. With the breakthrough, most of the energy from the swallowed true qi had been consumed, and a small portion was yet to be refined. He could swallow again later, and there was no hurry to refine it now. Over these two days, Li Lin took the opportunity to practice whenever he could, continuously searching for mercenary groups. The practice was intermittent, but he had also reached the point of breakthrough. After all, refining true qi directly at such a speed was terrifying. "Whoosh!" Li Lin exhaled a long breath, and his dark eyes became even deeper, making it seem as if one was looking at the stars in the sky. Feeling the true qi within him, Li Lin estimated that his strength had increased significantly again. Now, even with his body''s normal strength, he was capable of contending against a sixth-tier martial general. If he used some techniques, his strength would be considered on a different level. It had been four days since he entered the Wudu Mountain Range. It was only in these two days that he started targeting mercenary groups. In two days, Li Lin remembered that he had acted against a dozen mercenary groups, killing up to a thousand people, all by the hands of several demonic beasts. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Among these thousands of mercenaries, the space bags collected were also quite a harvest, and the value of the medicinal herbs and other items inside was astonishing. As for killing a thousand people, although Li Lin felt slightly reluctant, he was clear that a man''s actions should be fierce. Matters and benevolence do not coexist. If he were to show mercy, he would be the one to die. Although these mercenary groups died innocently, having chosen to be mercenaries, they were clearly aware of the dangers. Thus, dying in such a manner was normal. If he wanted to develop the Flying Spirit Gate, he could not afford to show mercy. Throughout history, immortal deeds were all achieved through killing. Morality and ethics have always been mere lip service. "Ga!" In the sky, several flying demonic beasts screeched as they came. "Roar..." The Stone Ape roared lightly, seemingly communicating something to the flying demonic beasts. "Master, two large mercenary groups have been found ahead, seeming to be in a dispute. There are about four hundred people in total," the Stone Ape said to Li Lin. "Let''s go," Li Lin said lightly. The Sky-winged Snow Lion flapped its wings, and when everyone leaped onto it, there were already five more people than two days ago. During this time, in addition to the original ninth-tier and eighth-tier spirit masters, Li Lin had taken in another ninth-tier spirit master, a seventh-tier spirit master, and finally, a first-tier spirit soul. These five spirit practitioners dared not show any arrogance along the way and did not dare to flee. Not to mention the terrifying demonic beasts, the two men emitting a sinister aura had already warned them. If they tried to escape, they would end up in a situation worse than death. They knew their strength was not enough to contend against these beasts and martial artists. On the bank of a wide canyon surrounded by lush green forests, several flying demonic beasts were circling in the sky at an unknown time. At this moment, on the riverbank of the canyon, under a sea of trees, there was a steep canyon clearing surrounded by a range of continuous mountains. At this time, on this wide riverbank, hundreds of figures appeared, seemingly from two forces based on their clothing and formation, creating a tense atmosphere. Among the two groups, one consisted of about three hundred and fifty-six people, all in combat attire, clearly a mercenary group. The other group, however, was dressed in long robes and included several women, numbering only about sixty. But at this moment, these sixty people had surrounded the three hundred and fifty-six in the center. Among the hundreds surrounded, several burly men stood with serious expressions at the forefront of the crowd, their weapons drawn, eyes fixed on their surroundings. "Sir, who exactly are you?" A middle-aged man around forty from the mercenary group asked the surrounding sixty or so people, his expression extremely solemn. His aura indicated that he had reached the level of a sixth-tier martial general, which was quite impressive. "Don''t worry about who we are. Hand over all the medicinal herbs you have, and we will purchase them. Otherwise, you will all have to die," a fifty-year-old man from the group of sixty slowly said, revealing a face full of sternness. His aura completely suppressed that of the sixth-tier martial general, having reached the level of an eighth-tier martial general. "Sir, but the price you''re offering is two-thirds less than what the Flying Spirit Gate offers outside. We all have to make a living, and we can''t give it to you," the leader of the mercenary group said with a twitching face. Three to four hundred people had toiled in the Wudu Mountain Range for several months to earn a good sum. Now, they encountered a blockade purchasing medicinal herbs, with the opposing side''s overall strength being very strong, leaving them no chance to contend. But if they handed over the medicinal herbs, they would suffer a huge loss. The earnings of these few hundred people over the months were worth tens of millions of gold coins. If they were to give them to the other party, they could only get three million at most, losing six to seven million, a significant sum. "Hmph, if you don''t hand them over, you only have death," another man in his forties from the sixty people coldly snorted, his true qi trembling, indicating his strength had reached the level of a seventh-tier martial general. Although the sixty people were few in number, they had a stern look in their eyes, seemingly not putting the mercenary group of over three hundred people in their eyes at all. "Don''t go too far. If we fight, you will also suffer heavy losses. We are not easy to provoke," the leader of the mercenary group, a sixth-tier martial general, coldly said. The people of the mercenary group, having been through the grinder in the Wudu Mountain Range, were not easy to provoke. Living a life on the edge, their murderous aura was extremely sharp. Even in death, they were likely to fight back. "Why bother? How about this, I''ll give you an additional 10% on the price. Hand over the space bags, and I won''t lay a hand on you. Otherwise, you know the consequences," the eighth-tier martial general elder said to the leader of the mercenary group, sensing the aura of the mercenary group. They were not afraid of a hard fight, but their own casualties were inevitable. "That''s still only half the price of the Flying Spirit Gate. If you can offer 90% of the Flying Spirit Gate''s price, we''ll accept the loss. But at the current price, we can''t accept it," the leader of the mercenary group said, looking up. With a huge sum at stake, he had to fight for it. Chapter 490: Ulterior Motives "Hmph, refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit, courting death." The octuple martial general elder finally could no longer restrain himself, coldly huffed, and a gloomy blue Qi burst forth from within his body, looking at the sextuple martial general of the mercenary group with a ferocious gaze, and sent forth a palm print directly from his hand, a violent force immediately surged out of the space. "Brothers, let''s fight with all we''ve got." The sextuple martial general shook his long sword, his face became solemn for a moment, then he clenched his teeth and surged forth, a bright yellow Qi burst out from within him, followed by a furious shout, his figure dashed towards the octuple martial general like a fading shadow, his cultivation and strength were not low either. "Let''s go all out." Behind the leader of the mercenary group, a group of mercenaries hurried to follow, Qi also diffused out from them, although most of them were not very strong, but at this moment, when they gathered together, they also had a significant momentum. "Hey hey, so you want to fight to the death!" Among the group of fifty or sixty people, a giant man with the strength of a septuple martial general coldly shouted, saying to those around: "All disciples take action, kill without mercy." As his shout fell, those who were originally coldly looking at these three hundred plus mercenaries, suddenly shadows flickered and they moved up, each gripping their weapons, attacking the approaching mercenaries. At this time, the septuple martial general took the lead and rushed up, his hand seals forming a palm print, which he fiercely slashed down, sending a palm light over dozens of meters long, directly blasting several leading mercenaries tens of meters away, all spitting blood and becoming unconscious. "Kill..." The death and blood of these few did not make the mercenaries scared, but rather spurred them to resist even more. Mercenaries who had rolled in the Misty Mountain Range knew, in such situations, being cowardly would only lead to more slaughter. The group of fifty or sixty people quickly surrounded the mercenaries, weapons tightly gripped, directly breaking into the crowd. Although they were much fewer in number, their momentum was obviously much stronger, and overall strength was also not just a little bit higher. Among these fifty or sixty people, there were about ten who were quintuple or sextuple martial souls, the lowest level of strength was also above octuple martial instructors. And among those in the mercenary group, three hundred fifty-sixty people, but most were one or two level martial instructors, there were also many at the level of eight or nine level martial warriors. The two groups clashed together at this moment, fierce Qi burst forth immediately, both sides fought with red eyes. Although the mercenaries were not as strong, their combat experience was much stronger, and their coordination was extremely tacit. However, the small team of fifty or sixty people, these people seemed to have less combat experience than the mercenaries, but they won in strength being obviously stronger. For a while, the two sides could still fight together, but upon closer inspection, the mercenaries were at a disadvantage, after all, in the face of absolute strength, they were still weaker. "Two hall masters, have you seen anything?" Far above in the sky, standing on the back of a Winged Snow Lion, Li Lin stood with his hands behind his back, watching the battlefield by the river gorge below, then turned to ask Ouyang Lengji and Jiang Yuanwei behind him. "Sect leader, that small team is obviously not from the mercenary group. According to the clues from the Dark Hall, they are probably people from the major forces within the ancient domain who sneaked in to buy medicinal materials." Ouyang Lengji glanced at the battlefield below, after spending these two days together, Ouyang Lengji and Jiang Yuanwei seemed to have developed a bit more respect for Li Lin. "Let''s wait for them to suffer mutual losses, then we can go down and clean up the aftermath." Jiang Yuanwei said lightly, his voice carried a sinister tone. "No, let''s go down and take a look now." Li Lin''s lips curved up, revealing a sly smile. "Bang bang!" Above the river gorge, sounds of explosions echoed through space, with people constantly falling and screaming. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. In the mercenary group, at this moment, the sextuple martial general leading the group had the most solemn face, his killing intent flaring, his sword sweeping across, currently engaging with the octuple martial general. "I''ll fight you with all I''ve got." The sextuple martial general burst forth with Qi, his figure flashing up, and after being repelled by the opponent, he directly attacked the octuple martial general again. This strike seemed to use all his strength, instantly the sword light enveloped the surrounding space, fierce Qi burst out, directly lifting a layer of soil from the ground. "Septuple martial general, you are no match for me." The octuple martial general elder coldly shouted, his hand seals flipping, violent water attribute energy gathered, seeming to suddenly have countless palm prints rising into the sky, then crashing down with overwhelming force. "Bang bang bang!" The collision of palm prints and sword light caused a metallic sound, accompanied by sparks, then an energy ripple burst out, violent Qi tore through space ripples, enveloping the space above like a screen. "Ptui!" In the midst of the violent Qi ripples, the sextuple martial general of the mercenary group had a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth, but his momentum became even more fierce, his figure retreating dozens of steps, a trace of blood at his mouth, fiercely staring at the octuple martial general in front. At this moment, the octuple martial general watching the battlefield changed his expression, although his people had the upper hand, at this time, there were also familiar faces falling, and not a few were injured. "Now, I give you one last chance." The octuple martial general looked at the sextuple martial general, his brows slightly furrowed, scanning the battlefield, knowing that he could not delay any longer, mutual losses were not what he wanted, his inner Qi trembling, blue Qi enveloping his body like mist, already planning to make his full effort. "Hmph, even if I die, I won''t let you take any advantage." The sextuple martial general coldly shouted, his eyes filled with a fierce gaze. "Hmph, then go die." The octuple martial general''s gaze darkened, ready to make his move again. "Ha ha, I didn''t expect to encounter people from the Ghost Martial Sect in the Misty Mountain Range, it''s really not easy." Just at this moment, a faint laugh suddenly echoed in the sky, eventually resonating above. As the voice fell, a massive airflow roared from above, and from atop a huge white monster, three figures leaped down, the one in front, wearing a blue robe, on his left shoulder, a small yellow snake monster continuously flicking its tongue, its small eyes filled with a murderous aura. Behind this person, there were two strong men, each emitting a gloomy aura, invisibly carrying a feeling that made people extremely uncomfortable. Following the three, there were also several monsters, among them a monkey-like monster, about the height of a person, covered in thick armor, the other monsters were all very small. As these several people appeared, the hundreds of people who were in the midst of battle also could not help but stop their fighting, all looking towards these three people with puzzled and curious gazes. "You are... Li Lin, the sect leader of the Flying Spirit Gate." However, at this moment, among the group of fifty or sixty people, the octuple martial general looked towards Li Lin, his face suddenly changed dramatically, then quickly concealed his surprise. "The elder has a good memory, still recognizing me." Li Lin pursed his lips and smiled, he recognized this elder, having seen him at the Ghost Martial Sect''s sect conference before, an elder of the Ghost Martial Sect. "Sect leader Li came just in time, this mercenary group dared to oppose our Ghost Martial Sect, let''s kill these people together." The one speaking was the septuple martial general from the Ghost Martial Sect, his gaze cold, not putting Li Lin in his eyes at all. The Flying Spirit Gate is an outer force of the Ghost Martial Sect, obedient to the Ghost Martial Sect, he wouldn''t consider the Flying Spirit Gate important. "Ghost Martial Sect, Flying Spirit Gate." At this moment, the people of the mercenary group had already regrouped, the strongest among them were also three martial generals, the strongest being the injured sextuple martial general, there was also a quintuple martial general and a single martial general, showing that this mercenary group was definitely not weak, among the mercenary groups in the entire Misty Mountain Range, already considered a first-rate force. Hearing the conversation between these mysterious newcomers and the group of the octuple martial general, the faces of the mercenary group became solemn again. The original people turned out to be from the Ghost Martial Sect, and the newcomers were the sect leader of the Flying Spirit Gate, and the two people behind them, judging from their aura, should also not be low in strength. The leading figures of the mercenary group became even more solemn, the relationship between the Ghost Martial Sect and the Flying Spirit Gate, there was probably no one nearby who didn''t know, the Flying Spirit Gate is an outer strength of the Ghost Martial Sect, the outskirts of the Misty Mountain Range are said to be under the control of the Flying Spirit Gate, but in reality, it''s the Ghost Martial Sect managing, at this moment, probably the Flying Spirit Gate would also hesitate to help the Ghost Martial Sect against them. Li Lin pursed his lips and smiled, ignoring the septuple martial general, this person Li Lin had also seen in the Ghost Martial Sect, also an elder of the Ghost Martial Sect. Li Lin turned around, his gaze fixed on the mercenary group which had already lost many people, originally three hundred sixty people, now only left with two hundred eighty or ninety people, many injured, but the remaining people were basically also of somewhat higher strength. "Three martial generals, seven martial souls." Li Lin observed the people of the mercenary group, this strength compared to the original Flying Spirit Gate was much stronger, absolutely considered good. Chapter 491: Never Caught My Eye "Do you want to die or live, give me an answer?" Li Lin''s gaze landed on the leader of the six-level martial generals. "What does it matter whether we want to die or live?" The gaze of that leading six-level martial general fell on Ouyang Lengji and Jiang Yuanguan, feeling their extraordinary presence with his strength, before replying to Li Lin. "If you want to die, I don''t mind killing you. If you want to live, then there are conditions." Li Lin said lightly. At this moment, the eyes of several leaders of the mercenary group were all fixed on Li Lin, including a five-level martial general clothed in dark red attire, his clothing bearing numerous bloodstains, uncertain whether they were his own or his opponent''s, looked at Li Lin with a hint of confusion and asked, "What are the conditions?" "I won''t hesitate to kill more if you''re not one of mine. So, join my Flying Spirit Gate, and I can spare your lives. Also, I will deal with the people from Ghost Martial Sect for you." Li Lin smiled slightly, his face still carrying that calm expression. Hearing Li Lin''s words, the people from the mercenary group looked at each other, apparently quite surprised. "Hmph! Flying Spirit Gate, you''re quite bold. Don''t forget your identity," the seven-level martial general from Ghost Martial Sect couldn''t restrain himself any longer, glaring coldly at Li Lin. Li Lin glanced coldly at that seven-level martial general from Ghost Martial Sect, a chill shooting out from his gaze before asking the leaders of the mercenary group again, "I''ll ask you once more, join Flying Spirit Gate, or die." The leaders of the mercenary group exchanged glances, and then the leading six-level martial general said, "We don''t know what kind of treatment we will receive if we join Flying Spirit Gate. If it''s going to be tough for us, then we would rather die after putting up a fight." "Still have some backbone." Li Lin looked at the leader of the mercenary group, "Join Flying Spirit Gate, and I promise you won''t be mistreated or regret it." "In that case, if you can take care of the people from Ghost Martial Sect for us, joining Flying Spirit Gate is also an option," the leading martial generals of the mercenary group seemed to have reached a consensus, the six-level martial general finally gritted his teeth and said. "Good, you won''t regret this." Li Lin smiled slightly, subduing this mercenary group. With the strength of this group, Flying Spirit Gate''s power had once again increased. Ouyang Lengji and Jiang Yuanguan exchanged meaningful glances, surprised at how easily their sect leader had subdued the mercenary group, thinking to themselves that this young sect leader really knew how to seize an opportunity. "Hey hey, quite a bold Flying Spirit Gate. Do you want to be annihilated? You are just an external force of Ghost Martial Sect, quite audacious," the seven-level martial general from Ghost Martial Sect, having been ignored by Li Lin twice, was completely enraged. "Annihilate? With just Ghost Martial Sect? You know the purpose of Ghost Martial Sect entering the Foggy Mountain Range; don''t tell me you think Flying Spirit Gate doesn''t exist," Li Lin finally turned his gaze to the people from Ghost Martial Sect, a chill spreading in his eyes. Feeling the chill gradually emanating from Li Lin''s words, that seven-level martial general from Ghost Martial Sect''s skin tightened, his face twitching as he said, "What does Ghost Martial Sect entering the Foggy Mountain Range have to do with Flying Spirit Gate? Don''t forget, Ghost Martial Sect is the master of the Foggy Mountain Range. Have you forgotten your identity? Is Flying Spirit Gate planning to revolt?" "From now on, the Foggy Mountain Range belongs to Flying Spirit Gate, and has nothing to do with Ghost Martial Sect," Li Lin said lightly. "Since you''re here, then stay; no need to leave the Foggy Mountain Range." "With just you, kid, I''m afraid you''re not strong enough," the seven-level martial general coldly said. At the sect conference three years ago, all from Ghost Martial Sect had some understanding of Li Lin, and he was no exception. Being only at the martial master level three years ago, he naturally did not take him seriously now. The people from the mercenary group were closely gathered together at this moment, the leaders among them also puzzled. This young man in green robe seemed to be the sect leader of Flying Spirit Gate, but there were only three of them. Could they really contend against the people from Ghost Martial Sect? Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. "A seven-level martial general, at least, I don''t take you seriously," Li Lin said lightly. "Hmph, such big words, kid. Let me see if you have the guts to back them up," the seven-level martial general from Ghost Martial Sect could no longer restrain himself. As his voice fell, his expression turned cold, and with a fierce stomp, his Qi vibrated around him as he charged directly at Li Lin. "How dare you" Jiang Yuanguan coldly said, his face twitching. They hadn''t made a move throughout the journey, just about to act, but Li Lin''s voice was already heard, "I''ll handle this person." As soon as the words fell, Li Lin''s figure instantly disappeared from the spot, vanishing like a ghost. Ouyang Lengji and Jiang Yuanguan''s expressions changed slightly, but they did not make a move, their gazes instantly focusing on the front. "Swoosh!" The seven-level martial general from Ghost Martial Sect, charging directly at Li Lin, suddenly saw Li Lin disappear from the spot, his eyes widening in shock. He quickly retracted his Qi, stopping in place. "Today, I will let you know whether Flying Spirit Gate has the right," as the figure of the seven-level martial general from Ghost Martial Sect just paused, Li Lin''s figure instantly appeared in front of him, less than twenty meters away. "Hehe, such a young brat, so arrogant," the seven-level martial general from Ghost Martial Sect sneered coldly with a sinister gaze. Ignoring the man''s cold laughter, Li Lin merely glanced at him and said, "You can make your move. If I make a move, you won''t even have the chance to." "Arrogant," Ouyang Lengji and Jiang Yuanguan''s gazes flickered, their sect leader was only a four-level martial general, and the opponent was a seven-level martial general, this arrogance was not small. At this moment, next to the eight-level martial general of Ghost Martial Sect, there was also a five-level martial general. These two strong individuals from Ghost Martial Sect also showed slight changes in expression, but they did not stop the seven-level martial general from acting against Li Lin, also wanting to test the strength of these three from Flying Spirit Gate. With their strength, they were actually more worried about the two people behind Li Lin, feeling somewhat uncomfortable from their aura. "Kid, you''re too arrogant and ignorant. Today, I will let you know that Flying Spirit Gate cannot contend against Ghost Martial Sect, nor can you contend against me," hearing Li Lin''s words, the eyes of the seven-level martial general from Ghost Martial Sect grew even colder. Although he had been unable to gauge Li Lin''s strength, Li Lin was only at the martial master level three years ago. In three years, advancing to the martial soul, at most reaching the five-level martial soul, was already quite remarkable. This young brat couldn''t possibly be his match. As his voice fell, the Qi of the seven-level martial general from Ghost Martial Sect vibrated, the airflow in front of him expanding, his hand seals changing rapidly, and a wave of water attribute Qi instantly condensed into a ten-meter-long palm imprint. The space around the palm imprint violently surged, and although the palm imprint was not large, it carried a sharp and powerful momentum, crashing towards Li Lin. "Swoosh!" Li Lin smiled faintly, a cyclone under his feet instantly flashed, and his figure disappeared from the spot like lightning, the palm imprint nearly grazing his chest as it flew by. "Swoosh swoosh!" The hand seals of the seven-level martial general from Ghost Martial Sect changed rapidly, the palm imprint suddenly retracted, the space ripples quickly converging, missing with one strike. His eyes clearly paused for a moment, obviously surprised by Li Lin''s speed, but this moment of astonishment lasted less than an instant. Suddenly, the eyes of the seven-level martial general sharpened, his hand seals changing again, pushing out a hand seal, his Qi instantly covering the sky and earth, a violent momentum crashing down. Simultaneously, a wave of water attribute energy also gathered, the dense water attribute energy converging like a stream. Instantly, all of this converged in front of him into a howling water vortex, the space around trembling, obviously, the seven-level martial general''s face could not bear the earlier miss. This move was intended to kill Li Lin with all his might. "Kid, die," with a cold shout, the seven-level martial general''s killing intent surged, the massive water vortex rapidly spinning, carrying a deafening whooshing sound as it expanded rapidly, a terrifying aura and fierce pressure emanating from within. The airflow around the space was completely twisted, like a tornado sweeping open, then fiercely enveloping Li Lin. This attack was somewhat similar to Li Lin''s Angry Sea Roar, but the level of this martial technique was much stronger, seeming to reach the mid-tier yellow level. For a second-tier force like Ghost Martial Sect, elders in the sect could not compare with the direct disciples of major sects and schools; not everyone had high-tier yellow level martial techniques. Generally speaking, having mid-tier yellow level martial techniques was already quite good, and high-tier yellow level martial techniques, in second-tier forces, were only cultivated by the strongest few elders. At this moment, this massive force instantly enveloped Li Lin, the whooshing sound echoing through the space, the terrifying aura instantly sweeping open like a hurricane. In an instant, the range covered by this violent force had reached eight or nine hundred meters, the formidable pressure causing Ouyang Lengji and Jiang Yuanguan to involuntarily shake their gazes. "Swoosh swoosh!" The little dragon had already reached the back of the Blood Jade Demon Tiger, watching the big boss without worry, its small eyes revealing a hint of amusement. Chapter 492: The Power of the Flying Dagger Just as the swirling vortex of water was bearing down, the members of the mercenary group also took a sharp intake of breath for Li Lin, wondering if this young man could really hold his ground against a seventh-level Martial General. "Chi!" At this moment, Li Lin made his move, a faint yellow light diffusing around him in an instant, and to the surprise of many, his body was soon enveloped in thick scale armor. "Phantom Spirit Imprint." In that instant, a cold fierceness shot from Li Lin''s eyes, a low shout echoed in his heart, followed by a sudden spread of eerie light from his eyes, enveloping the surrounding air with an invisible, strange power. This eerie force seemed to spread through the air, passing through the raging water vortex, and suddenly enveloping the seventh-level Martial General of the Ghost Martial Sect. In the next moment, the Martial General''s gaze trembled, a strange power instantly infiltrated his mind, leaving his gaze dull. At this moment, the terrifying water attribute attack also paused for an instant, its fierce and violent aura fading away immediately. "Seventh-level Martial General, die." As Li Lin''s spirit martial skills synergized perfectly, his hand seals were swiftly formed, followed by a powerful slap. "Frost Seal!" A low shout filled with killing intent echoed through the space, and in an instant, a massive energy handprint, hundreds of meters in size, suddenly appeared. As this energy handprint materialized, the temperature around it plummeted, a violent frost aura spreading, freezing the surging spatial ripples in place. The cold air ravaged the space, spreading like waves rapidly throughout. At this moment, in the astonished gazes of countless people, a blue-white palm imprint in Li Lin''s hand brought forth an absolute coldness and energy fluctuation, slamming fiercely into the seventh-level Martial General of the Ghost Martial Sect. "It''s a Xuan-level initial stage martial skill, the Sect Master is a tri-element martial artist." In this instant, both Ouyang Lengji and Jiang Yuan''s expressions drastically changed. In the past two days, they had been surprised by the Sect Master''s display of wind and earth attributes, but now, seeing this water attribute, they were completely unsettled. "Crack crack" As the Frost Seal was launched, instead of any sound of explosion, the space where the palm passed froze in a very eerie manner. At this moment, the vortex attack formed by the seventh-level Martial General was instantly frozen into ice at an absolute speed, freezing the entire space with a coldness that filled the air. Even the river''s edge a kilometer away turned into thick ice under this coldness, stopping the water flow. A series of tangible blue energy lights crazily surged, distorting the space with the terrifying energy turmoil. The bone-chilling coldness spread from everyone''s pores, and with Li Lin''s current fourth-level Martial General strength, using the Frost Seal, its power was many times stronger. "This is bad." At this moment, even the eighth-level Martial General of the Ghost Martial Sect felt a chill in his heart. But at this moment, before the seventh-level Martial General could react, the entire space was completely frozen, his body and the water attribute around him turning into thick ice, encasing him. "Die, explode." Li Lin remotely clenched his five fingers, launching a handprint. "Boom!" Suddenly, the space exploded, bursting forth with thunderous noises, tearing the air open, thick ice blocks flying, filling the space with cold air, as if the entire space was enveloped in a thick layer of frost. Under this power, everyone around had no choice but to retreat. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. The space was instantly compressed and twisted together under this violent force, filling with a destructive power that made even Ouyang Lengji and Jiang Yuan''s faces twitch. When the shattered ice dissipated in the space, everyone stared in horror. The body of the seventh-level Martial General stood still, his gaze frozen as if petrified. "Crack crack!" Under everyone''s incredulous gazes, the body of the seventh-level Martial General cracked like shattered glass, then exploded into pieces, his blood also frozen into ice. With just one move, a seventh-level Martial General was killed, a once arrogant Martial General lost his life in an instant. This horrifying scene sent chills down the spines of most onlookers. Killing a seventh-level Martial General with just one move required immense strength. At this moment, the hundreds of members of the mercenary group were all dumbfounded. Who could have imagined that this young man''s strength was so terrifying? On the back of a Sky Wing Snow Lion, four Spirit Masters and a Spirit Soul also took a sharp breath. The Sect Master of the Flying Spirit Gate not only possessed a group of terrifying monsters but also such formidable strength. Ouyang Lengji and Jiang Yuan looked at each other again, no longer underestimating the Sect Master. With such age and strength as a tri-element martial artist, it''s no wonder that the Ghost Fairy and Soul Summoning Poison Duke joined the Flying Spirit Gate. This Sect Master was not an ordinary young man. "Li Lin, how daring of you to kill an elder of my Ghost Martial Sect. We will not let this go," the eighth-level Martial General of the Ghost Martial Sect began to panic, realizing Li Lin''s strength exceeded his imagination. "Ouyang Sect Leader, this eighth-level Martial General is yours," Li Lin''s voice reached Ouyang Lengji. "Yes, Sect Master." As Ouyang Lengji''s voice fell, the space around him seemed to twist, and his figure vanished instantly, appearing in front of the eighth-level Martial General like lightning, exuding an aura only possessed by a Martial Marshal. "He''s a Martial Marshal." The eighth-level Martial General''s face changed dramatically, having sensed the man''s extraordinariness but not expecting him to be a Martial Marshal. A chill spread through his heart, and without hesitation, he set up a protective barrier and fled. Facing a Martial Marshal, he knew he stood no chance. "Die." Ouyang Lengji didn''t hesitate. As the eighth-level Martial General burst into the sky, just as he started to move, Ouyang Lengji''s eyes turned cold, his hands launching several green streaks of light like lightning. These green streaks of light cut through the space, whistling like lightning across the sky, piercing through with an unrivaled sharpness, spreading a strange force, sending chills through everyone''s hearts. Visibly, the space in front of these green streaks twisted, then accurately and fiercely hit the eighth-level Martial General''s protective barrier. "Shoo shoo" The green streaks of light eerily landed on the protective barrier, which then instantly cracked and shattered. As the green streaks penetrated the eighth-level Martial General''s body, a powerful force burst forth. "Shoo shoo!" With sounds like metal snapping, the eighth-level Martial General was sent flying back, spewing a mist of blood, leaving a long trail of blood on the ground as he trembled, blood trickling down, his pupils dilating before he fell to the ground with his blood. "Shoo shoo" In a flash, the green streaks of light returned to Ouyang Lengji''s hands, killing an eighth-level Martial General without any emotion in his eyes, only an increasingly cold aura surrounding him. "He''s a Martial Marshal." A few Martial Generals from the mercenary group were dumbstruck, and the rest of the people couldn''t help but swallow hard, their gazes filled with fear as they glanced at Li Lin and Ouyang Lengji. The strength of these two was too formidable. "Everyone, run!" The remaining members of the Ghost Martial Sect exchanged glances, then, as if by mutual agreement, chose to flee. Facing the strength just displayed by Li Lin and Ouyang Lengji, they knew they stood no chance and fleeing was their only option. "Sect Master, leave the rest to me," Ouyang Lengji said coolly, looking indifferently at the rapidly escaping members of the Ghost Martial Sect, his gaze spreading a cold intent. "Leave that fifth-level Martial General to me," Li Lin said lightly. "Shoo shoo shoo" In an instant, Ouyang Lengji''s hands were enveloped in a spreading green glow. This green light emerged and spread, quickly covering a vast area with an absolutely terrifying speed. A series of whistling sounds echoed again as he launched a flurry of green streaks of light. The eerie green light split into two, then four, and in the blink of an eye, it turned into dozens of streaks of light. The sharp whistling sound resonated, and in the dumbfounded gazes of all, these dozens of green streaks of light struck all the fleeing disciples of the Ghost Martial Sect like lightning in a no-man''s land. "Boom boom" A series of muffled explosion sounds echoed, and the dozens of Ghost Martial Sect disciples, from the weakest to the strongest, including those with Martial Soul cultivation, suddenly exploded in a bizarre manner, a burst of green light soaring into the sky before vanishing into thin air. The series of deep explosion sounds left everyone present dumbfounded and horrified. With just one move, dozens were killed, chilling them to the depths of their souls with such a strange method of killing. They were greatly enlightened and absolutely shocked by the opponent''s formidable strength. Chapter 493: Leaving One Behind "Bang bang bang..." A series of explosive sounds rang out. In just a few blinks of an eye, as the body of the second-to-last member of the Ghost Martial Sect burst open, the green light around Ouyang Lengji slowly dissipated, and that strange, invisible fluctuation also faded away into nothingness. At this time, in the Ghost Martial Sect, there was only one last Quintuple Martial General left, and this person was already trembling with fright, his eyes filled with horror. "Master, there''s one left." Ouyang Lengji returned to Li Lin''s side and said. "Worthy of the name of Flying Knife." Li Lin spoke lightly. Ouyang Lengji''s flying knives were tricky and venomous; the people chosen by the Ghost Fairy were indeed extraordinary. "You flatter me, Master." Ouyang Lengji spoke lightly, always maintaining his eerie aura. "What are you going to do? The Ghost Martial Sect will not let you go. If you let me go, I''ll act as if I know nothing." The last Martial General of the Ghost Martial Sect looked at Li Lin as he slowly approached, his expression becoming more and more panicked, lacking even the courage to make a move, perhaps knowing that it would be futile. "The Ghost Martial Sect, I no longer regard it." As Li Lin''s words fell, a cyclone flashed under his feet, and at the same time, he rapidly charged towards that Quintuple Martial General. "I''ll fight you with all I''ve got." With a panic-stricken light shout, the Quintuple Martial General''s body surged with blazing fire attribute true qi, instantly condensing a several meters large flame fist imprint in front of him, shattering the spatial ripples, bringing up a sharp breaking wind sound, and fiercely smashing towards Li Lin. The fist imprint grew exponentially against the wind, and in the next instant, it had transformed into a hundred meters in size. The howling fist imprint flames spread out, directly engulfing the space around Li Lin, completely wrapping him within. At this moment, even though everyone already knew of Li Lin''s strength, having killed a Septuple Martial General with just one move, they were still somewhat worried about him being swept away by the attack of this Quintuple Martial General. As everyone''s worried gazes were cast towards the space enveloped in flames, the flames dispersed into vigorous qi, and the spatial ripples turned a reddish color. However, at this time, a shocking scene occurred. When the flames dissipated, within everyone''s sight, the fist of the Ghost Martial Sect''s Quintuple Martial General had landed on Li Lin''s chest. "How could this be." Everyone was surprised. How could Li Lin be hit by that Quintuple Martial General? The Quintuple Martial General''s face turned pale in an instant. Only he knew clearly that his punch, as if hitting steel, sent a sharp pain directly through his hand. "Hmph!" Li Lin''s eyes shot with a fierce light, and in a flash, several finger imprints directly hit the Quintuple Martial General''s body, and in the next instant, he was immobilized. With the strength of a Quadruple Martial General, Li Lin, now wearing the Qing Ling Armor, was able to withstand a strike from this Quintuple Martial General. Although his internal qi and blood were surging, he was absolutely unharmed. "What a strong defense." Ouyang Lengji, Jiang Yuan, and the three Martial Generals of the mercenary group were also shocked, the defense capable of directly withstanding a hit from a Quintuple Martial General was indeed terrifying. "Little Dragon, collect all the storage rings and space bags." As his words fell, Li Lin had already disappeared with the Quintuple Martial General. Watching the people of the Ghost Martial Sect, in just a moment, without any major battle, all were killed. The several hundred mercenaries seemed to have not yet recovered. The three Martial Generals of the Ghost Martial Sect were also defeated in one move. The strength of the people from Flying Spirit Gate was too strong. The Tai Yin Yao Rabbit, the Stone Ape, the Blood Jade Yao Tiger, and other ultimate beasts skillfully collected the space bags. The two killed Martial Generals were also carrying storage rings. When Li Lin reappeared in everyone''s sight, the corner of his mouth was already curved in a smile, and the Quintuple Martial General was nowhere to be seen. "Master." The tiny Tai Yin Yao Rabbit now had two storage rings and a space bag collected in its front paws. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Collecting the storage rings and space bags, Li Lin''s corner of the mouth smiled again. It seems the Ghost Martial Sect''s harvest in the Misty Mountain Range during this period was not small, even exceeding Li Lin''s expectations. "This is the Blood Dissolving Bone Corroding Pill. Without the antidote in a year, your body will rot and die. Each of you three take one. After a year, I will give you the antidote." Li Lin approached the three Martial Generals of the mercenary group, already taking out three Blood Dissolving Bone Corroding Pills concocted by the soul-hunting poison expert Dong WuMing. Seeing the Blood Dissolving Bone Corroding Pills, Ouyang Lengji and Jiang Yuan''s expressions also changed instantly. They both joined Flying Spirit Gate by being forced to take this Blood Dissolving Bone Corroding Pill. Seeing it now, their hearts were somewhat stirred. "What, you don''t want to take it? If you truly join Flying Spirit Gate, I will naturally give you the antidote after a year." Li Lin spoke lightly, his gaze falling on the three, already filled with a cold intent. The three looked at each other, then without any choice, each took a Blood Dissolving Bone Corroding Pill from Li Lin''s hand and swallowed it. Li Lin smiled satisfactorily and said to the three, "This is a wise choice. I believe you won''t regret it. After you go out, directly find the elders of Flying Spirit Gate. Now, the beasts in the Misty Mountain Range will no longer attack you. Hurry out." "Yes, Master." The three replied. "Ga ga..." In the sky above, several flying beasts screamed again, "Master, ahead we''ve discovered another large mercenary group, about five hundred people." The Stone Ape said to Li Lin. "Let''s go, the two hall masters." Li Lin spoke lightly and leaped onto the Heavenly Wing Snow Lion. As the Heavenly Wing Snow Lion disappeared into the sky, the nearly three hundred members of the mercenary group left behind were somewhat helpless, watching the sky and then the leading Sextuple Martial General said, "Let''s go, everyone. Joining Flying Spirit Gate, at least we''ve saved our lives. We''ve earned it." As time passed, overnight, two thousand well-trained martial artists poured into Hua Men Town. Judging from their aura, their strength was not weak, but at this time, these two thousand people were busy constructing a huge building. The building covered tens of thousands of meters, rising rapidly from the ground, with the two thousand people working day and night. At the edge of Hua Men Town, another group of people were also busy constructing several small buildings. The people of Hua Men Town were naturally familiar with them; these were disciples of Flying Spirit Gate. "Everyone, hurry up, we need to finish all the construction within seven days." Two figures shuttle among the crowd, one sleazy and fat, the other sly-looking, precisely Liu YiShou and Li XiaoBai. "Xiaobai brother, do you think building two hundred inns will be enough?" Amid the bustling construction, Liu YiShou asked Li XiaoBai, having learned that the Master and Li XiaoBai grew up together, Liu YiShou''s way of addressing Li XiaoBai had changed. "With so many people coming to the auction, two hundred inns are definitely not enough. But it''s good that we have fewer inns; when there''s a shortage, we can raise the price. Only when there''s a demand exceeding supply can we make money." Li XiaoBai said. "Everyone, hurry, speed up!" Liu YiShou once again urged loudly. As the news of the auction in Hua Men Town spread, the number of people entering Hua Men Town began to gradually increase, with a constant stream of people pouring into Hua Men Town. And once the news of the auction spread, it immediately surprised all the surrounding forces. Level 5 puppets, high-grade level 6 medicinal pills, Xuan-level beginner martial arts, these were all treasures. Immediately, the nearby forces were the first to head towards Hua Men Town. Such treasures are rare to come by for auction, and any force with some strength would not miss it. Small forces, knowing they wouldn''t be able to compete, also wouldn''t miss the opportunity to watch the excitement. On the Ghost Martial Sect, at this moment, on top of a towering peak, in the main hall, sat many figures. The two at the head were Dai DaoZi and Dai GangZi. "Master, the auction in Hua Men Town, whether true or false, what should we do now?" In the main hall, a Ghost Martial Sect elder in his fifties asked Dai DaoZi. "If there really are level 5 puppets, high-grade level 6 medicinal pills, Xuan-level beginner martial arts, then we, Ghost Martial Sect, cannot miss out. After all, this is happening on our turf. High-grade level 6 medicinal pills, Xuan-level beginner martial arts, these are things even our Ghost Martial Sect cannot produce. Who has such treasures to auction?" A Ghost Martial Sect elder in his forties wearing a white robe said. "Hua Men Town is Flying Spirit Gate''s territory. Could it be them?" "According to our spies in Hua Men Town, it''s a mysterious force, not Flying Spirit Gate. I don''t think Flying Spirit Gate has such treasures." Dai DaoZi looked at everyone, his brow furrowed and said, "Gentlemen, this auction is too peculiar. We should be more cautious. This time, I will personally make a trip to see if there really are high-grade level 6 medicinal pills and Xuan-level beginner martial arts. If there are, then we, Ghost Martial Sect, will try our best to acquire them." "Big brother, your personal visit might not be appropriate. The Ghost Martial Sect cannot be without a master. Moreover, these years, Flying Spirit Gate has been very mysterious. We have had several secret confrontations with Flying Spirit Gate. If big brother goes, it might not be good if an accident happens. Let me go instead." Dai GangZi said. Hearing Dai GangZi''s words, many elders knew that the master and deputy master have always been at odds. Going to the auction, if there really were Xuan-level martial arts and high-grade level 6 medicinal pills, it would naturally fall into the hands of whoever gets them. Both would likely not miss this opportunity. Hearing Dai GangZi''s words, Dai DaoZi''s expression remained unchanged, and said, "Second brother, precisely because we have had several secret confrontations with Flying Spirit Gate, I want to take this opportunity to personally visit Flying Spirit Gate to see who the powerful Ling Shuai of Flying Spirit Gate really is. These years, Flying Spirit Gate has been unnaturally quiet." Chapter 494: Martial Commanders Deterrence "Big brother, let me go to Flying Spirit Gate. You stay in the sect. I''ll go and meet with Flying Spirit Gate first," Dai Gangzi said with a darkened face. "Second brother, no need to say more. You stay in the sect. I''ll personally take a trip to Flying Spirit Gate," Dai Daozi said. He knew what Dai Gangzi was thinking. If there were indeed sixth-grade high-level Dan medicines and Xuan-level early-stage martial techniques, then naturally, he would want to obtain them himself. Hearing that Dai Daozi had decided, Dai Gangzi''s face looked somewhat displeased, his face twitched twice, but he did not speak any further. "Sect master, Elder Huang, Elder Bai, and Elder Qin have been inside the Misty City Mountain Range for four months now. They should be coming back, right?" an elder said. "It''s about time. I guess the three elders must have gained a lot this time. Flying Spirit Gate thinks they can compete with us, but they are not qualified yet," an elder in blue robes said with a proud laugh. Time passed again, and above a high altitude in the Misty City Mountain Range, on the back of a Winged Snow Lion, Li Lin slowly exhaled a turbid breath from his body, feeling the true qi within him. At this moment, it had reached the mid-stage of the fourth level Martial General. In these days, he had refined the true qi energy of a fifth level Martial General from the Ghost Martial Sect and the remaining true qi energy in his body. Additionally, after devouring a fifth level Martial General from a large mercenary group the day before yesterday, his cultivation had only reached the mid-stage level of a fourth level Martial General. However, in these few days, he had also devoured two spirit souls with the cultivation of spirit practitioners, slightly improving his spiritual power level. Moreover, he had also recruited a few spirit masters and two spirit souls for Flying Spirit Gate. "Master, we have arrived. That mercenary group is below us, probably about three hundred people," Shi Yuan said softly. "Three hundred people, there should be a Martial General among them," Li Lin said softly. A three hundred people mercenary group is considered a medium-sized mercenary group, probably with a first-level or second-level Martial General. Now, with his cultivation level, devouring martial artists below the fifth level Martial General''s cultivation, the effect is not very good. "Sect Master, do we plan to subdue or kill this mercenary group?" Jiang Yuan observed asked Li Lin. After spending these days together, at this moment, Jiang Yuan no longer dared to underestimate this Sect Master. Unconsciously, he had grown quite respectful in his heart. "How many mercenary groups have we subdued these days?" Li Lin asked. "Sect Master, in these five days, we have subdued seven mercenary groups, totaling about eighteen hundred people. We have also killed eleven small and large mercenary groups, with a total of more than two thousand people," Jiang Yuan observed replied. "Let''s go down. If they can be subdued, keep them; if not, kill them directly," Li Lin said lightly. Hearing Li Lin''s words, the several spirit practitioners on the back of the Winged Snow Lion all felt a sinking feeling in their hearts. These days, they had come to understand what a calamity star was. This young man, when he made his move, was absolutely merciless. "Whoosh whoosh..." When the three people and beasts leaped down from the low altitude into the mountain range, in just a moment, the space was filled with several sounds of beast roars, followed by screams echoing through. Above the low altitude, the eight or nine spirit practitioners watching below were looking at each other, feeling helpless and secretly glad that they had known their place. If they did not submit, then they would only have the fate of being killed. In just a moment, when Li Lin jumped back onto the Winged Snow Lion, he had once again devoured the true qi of a first-level Martial General and collected quite a few space bags. The harvest was quite good. "Master, there is another large mercenary group ahead, probably about five hundred people," Shi Yuan said. "Let''s go over," Li Lin said lightly, with a smile on his lips. A five hundred people mercenary group, if they cannot be subdued, then there might be Martial Generals to devour. A five hundred people mercenary group might have two or three Martial Generals in it. "Whoosh whoosh..." The Winged Snow Lion flapped its wings, and its huge body instantly disappeared from its original place. During this period, almost all the mercenary groups in the dangerous areas of the Misty City Mountain Range suffered a devastating blow. Of course, those who submitted to Flying Spirit Gate would not have any problems. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. However, all this was still unknown outside the Misty City Mountain Range, as the news had not spread that fast. At the edge of the Misty City Mountain Range, as Flying Spirit Gate sealed off the entrance, more and more mercenary groups and teams began to gather. In just the ninth day, the number had reached no less than three thousand people, already far exceeding the number of people in Flying Spirit Gate. The vast edge of the Misty City Mountain Range has always been the territory where mercenary groups make their livelihood. All the mercenary groups combined probably total up to ten thousand people, plus there are many small teams, creating the prosperity of medicinal materials at the edge of the Misty City Mountain Range. Now, with Flying Spirit Gate sealing off the edge of the Misty City Mountain Range, it immediately caused dissatisfaction among all the mercenary groups. Such actions, even the Ghost Martial Sect did not dare to take before, offending all mercenary groups, was not something to be taken lightly. Among all the mercenaries, there were not a few with the cultivation of Martial Generals. "Flying Spirit Gate has gone too far. It''s one thing to demand tribute, but now they want to monopolize the Misty City Mountain Range. You need to give an explanation to all the mercenary groups." "If Flying Spirit Gate doesn''t give us an explanation, then don''t blame us for being rude." "Does Flying Spirit Gate really think they are the masters of the Misty City Mountain Range? The real masters of the Misty City Mountain Range are us, the mercenary groups." As more and more mercenaries gathered, even those mercenary groups resting in Tianxing Town heard the news and rushed to the Misty City Mountain Range in these two days. With the increasing number of people, Flying Spirit Gate was initially able to maintain control, but as the number of people continued to grow, Flying Spirit Gate was no longer able to maintain control. "I give you Flying Spirit Gate half an hour to retreat, or else all the mercenary groups will take action against Flying Spirit Gate." At the entrance of the Misty City Mountain Range, there were no fewer than ten Martial Generals surrounding a group of Flying Spirit Gate''s protectors and elders. Ordinary mercenary groups only have cultivators with the cultivation of Martial Souls. But now, these were the leaders of several large mercenary groups. At the edge of the Misty City Mountain Range, they were absolutely well-known. These large mercenary groups were not ordinary mercenary groups. Their strength was not inferior to a sect. Usually, when they entered the Misty City Mountain Range, they operated in the dangerous areas. Going in once a year was enough to sustain them for a year. Now, with Flying Spirit Gate sealing off the Misty City Mountain Range, the impact on these large mercenary groups was even greater. "You better back off. To enter the Misty City Mountain Range, you will have to wait for our Sect Master''s command. Whoever dares to break into the Misty City Mountain Range will be killed without mercy," Hu Nansheng said in a light shout. However, facing the several large mercenary groups'' Martial Generals, the elders and protectors of Flying Spirit Gate were also unable to suppress them. Their strength only included Liu Yalai, a Martial General, who was a first-level Martial General and was not really able to contend with these mercenaries. With both protectors not present, they were also panicking internally. "Hmph, just with you guys, I really want to see how much strength Flying Spirit Gate has to dare to seal off the Misty City Mountain Range," a fifth-level Martial General said coldly, his gaze coldly looking at the people of Flying Spirit Gate. For these large mercenary groups, sometimes they did not care about Flying Spirit Gate at all, nor would they pay tribute, naturally not putting Flying Spirit Gate in their eyes. The elders of Flying Spirit Gate looked at each other, without the protectors and Sect Master present, they did not know how to handle the situation. They could deter ordinary mercenary groups naturally, but these were several large mercenary groups, naturally unable to be deterred. "Just a small Martial General daring to cause trouble, die," just as the elders of Flying Spirit Gate were at a loss, a light shout came. Suddenly, a figure dragged a shadow and arrived. The speed of this shadow was incredibly fast. When people just saw this shadow appear, the next moment, this shadow had already appeared in front of that fifth-level Martial General with a scorching aura. "Sss!" Along with a spread of scorching breath, the surrounding space for hundreds of meters was twisted, and a violent flame suddenly surged out in the space. Suddenly, the space twisted, and the flames quickly turned into a solid-like flame space. "Boom!" In the blink of an eye, this flame space directly exploded, a huge explosion sound carrying violent spatial fluctuations. As the flames exploded, it was as if there were ripples spreading out around, filling the entire space with a terrifying scorching energy that made one''s heart chill. "Ah..." Screams suddenly spread out, this terrifying flame space explosion affected hundreds of mercenaries nearby. The flames swept through, burning the space with a hissing sound. Under the terrifying high temperature, dozens of people were directly burned to ashes, and those with stronger strength were severely injured and retreated. "Bang!" At the moment the flame space exploded, two fist imprints appeared out of nowhere, finally directly hitting a fifth-level Martial General and a fourth-level Martial General nearby. The majestic scorching force, like a volcano, erupted with extremely terrifying power at this moment, destroying everything directly and pouring onto the bodies of these two Martial Generals like lightning. The two Martial Generals did not even have time to react before a pressure of rank overwhelmed them, a chill emerging in their hearts. In an instant, a scorching tremendous force poured into their bodies. Only then did they know that a Martial Commander powerhouse had arrived. "Pfft!" A mouthful of fresh blood spurted out, and the two Martial Generals'' bodies were directly smashed down to the ground by a fierce punch, creating a deep crack several meters long on the ground below. The ground instantly cracked, and several towering trees nearby also exploded, sending wood chips flying everywhere. As the aura of force disappeared in the surroundings, a blue-robed figure appeared, and the fourth and fifth-level Martial Generals were already breathless, their bodies completely smashed into the ground, their entire bodies charred, and their insides completely destroyed by the scorching force. "It''s a Martial Commander powerhouse." The surrounding mercenary powerhouses and Flying Spirit Gate members like Hu Nansheng, Zhou Yuhou, Liu Yalai, etc., all had horrified expressions on their faces. Chapter 495: Breaking Through the Sixth Rank "Listen up, everyone. Anyone who dares to cause trouble will be killed without mercy. If you want to enter the Misty Mountain Range, then wait patiently for the notification from the Flying Spirit Gate." The person in the blue robe scanned the mercenaries around him with a sharp gaze. This person was Li Chi Zheng, the Deputy Hall Master of the Martial Hall, secretly stationed at the edge of the Misty Mountain Range on orders. As his words fell, Li Chi Zheng''s body flashed with true energy, and then the space around him seemed to twist as his figure suddenly disappeared. Lightning-fast, he killed two martial generals. Now, the more than three thousand mercenaries fell silent, no longer daring to cause trouble. The appearance of a martial commander-level powerhouse was beyond their ability to contend with. Inside the Flying Spirit Gate, elders like Hu Nan Sheng, Zhou Yu Hou, and Liu Ya Lei were puzzled. Who exactly was this person, and why was he helping the Flying Spirit Gate? They were all greatly puzzled. At the edge of the Misty Mountain Range, atop a mountain, a dozen figures appeared, including Li Lin and Ouyang Leng Ji. "Whoosh!" A figure in a blue robe landed on the mountain top in an instant, the aura around his body causing the space to slightly distort. "Sect Master, the people have been killed. I doubt anyone will dare to cause trouble now." The person was indeed Li Chi Zheng. Li Lin''s gaze was fixed on the entrance of the Misty Mountain Range, anticipating this outcome. If sealing off the Misty Mountain Range had been easy, the Ghost Martial Sect would have handed it over to the Rakshasa Gate long ago, and later to the Flying Spirit Gate. Sealing off the Misty Mountain Range meant making enemies of all mercenaries, who lived their lives on the edge of the blade. Without absolute strength, they would not be easily provoked. "Deputy Hall Master Li, I''ll leave this place in your hands. If anything goes wrong, you will be held accountable," Li Lin said lightly, then turned to Ouyang Leng Ji, "Hall Master Ouyang, I entrust these people to you. Hand them over to the Spirit Hall. During this time, it''s likely that Huamen Town won''t be peaceful. Your Punishment Hall will need to put in more effort." "As you command," Ouyang Leng Ji responded. "Whoosh whoosh" As Li Lin mounted the Winged Snow Lion and left again, only a dozen spirit practitioners remained on the mountain top. The strongest among them possessed four spirit souls, one of whom had a six-fold spirit soul. Also present were Ouyang Leng Ji, Jiang Yuan Guan, and Li Chi Zheng. Li Chi Zheng''s gaze fell on the dozen spirit practitioners, his expression changing slightly as he asked, "Hall Master Ouyang, have you been to the interior of the Misty Mountain Range these days?" "Indeed." Ouyang Leng Ji did not elaborate further, his gaze steady. He turned to the dozen spirit practitioners, "Follow me. Although you are now disciples of the Flying Spirit Gate, if you fall into the hands of my Punishment Hall, it won''t be pleasant. Do not even think about betrayal, or you will regret it." "Yes, Hall Master Ouyang." The spirit practitioners responded. No one doubted the consequences. As spirit practitioners, although they considered themselves exceptional, they knew they were nothing before absolute strength. "Boss, I''m about to break through. After arriving at the Flying Spirit Gate, I need to go into seclusion for a few days," Little dragon happily said to Li Lin from the back of the Winged Snow Lion. "En, after your breakthrough, your strength will increase significantly," Li Lin said. "Of course," Little dragon said proudly. Li Lin smiled slightly. Every time Little dragon broke through, his strength surged. After the next breakthrough, he should reach the late fourth rank. It was normal for his strength to surge by then. With Little dragon''s exceptional strength, he could likely contend with anyone below the rank of martial commander. It would still take some time to reach the Flying Spirit Gate. Li Lin once again sat cross-legged to cultivate, as there was still a substantial amount of true energy within his body that had not been refined. In the last two days, Li Lin had devoured a fifth-rank martial general and two fourth-rank martial generals. Coupled with continuous refining, his cultivation level was nearing the late stage of the fourth-rank martial general. According to Li Lin''s estimate, after refining the true energy within his body, he would definitely be able to break through to the fifth-rank martial general. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Li Lin was very satisfied with his progress over the past nine days. After refining the true energy within his body, he would be able to break through to the fifth-rank martial general. This progress, from the third-rank martial general to now, was absolutely terrifying. As for the gains from this period, Li Lin was extremely satisfied. He had subdued ten mercenary groups, with over two thousand people in total. The leaders were mostly controlled by the Blood Devouring Bone Eroding Pill, making betrayal unlikely. This force, when assembled, would not be weak. These mercenaries, who had been mixing in the dangerous areas of the Misty Mountain Range, were much stronger than the average sect disciples. With the Misty Mountain Range under his control, more people were needed, and the Flying Spirit Gate was indeed short of manpower. As for the herbs and other items collected from many mercenary groups, Li Lin was also very satisfied. He had mainly targeted large mercenary groups, and a few fake ones were likely sent by nearby sects. The treasures they carried were astonishing. All the gains put together, Li Lin estimated that if converted into gold coins, they would amount to nearly two hundred million gold coins. In a few days, the large mercenary groups within the dangerous areas of the Misty Mountain Range were swept clean by two hundred flying beasts. This was equivalent to half a year''s supply of herbs for the entire Misty Mountain Range, now gathered together in abundance. As for the ten subdued mercenary groups, Li Lin did not confiscate their herbs, which would eventually fall into the hands of the Flying Spirit Gate. An hour later, the Flying Spirit Gate was in sight. As the Winged Snow Lion circled above, Flying Spirit Gate disciples came forward to greet them. "Such a strong aura." In the back mountains, Li Lin could already feel a powerful aura rising. "Boss, the Reverse Scale Demon Peng is beginning to break through," Little dragon stood upright, lifting his little head high, his whiskers fluttering, his little eyes looking towards the back mountains. "Finally beginning to break through." When Li Lin arrived at the back mountains, two figures, one white and one black, instantly appeared above the back mountains as well. They were the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong Wu Ming and the Ghost Fairy Bai Ying. "Such a strong aura." Dong Wu Ming and Bai Ying looked forward, their eyes showing surprise. Li Lin''s gaze was also fixed on the Reverse Scale Demon Peng, which was now circling in the low sky. At this moment, the entire space was filled with a surge of energy. The enormous body of the Reverse Scale Demon Peng, already expanded to five hundred meters, looked like a thick dark cloud covering the low sky. Its aura had reached an absolutely formidable level. "Whoosh!" A delicate figure leaped from a distance, landing beside Li Lin, also immediately looking towards the source of the energy spreading in the sky. "Brother, is the Reverse Scale Demon Peng breaking through?" Li Xin Tong''s beautiful eyes widened in surprise when she felt the immense energy. "Yes, the Reverse Scale Demon Peng is beginning to break through," Li Lin said lightly. Just as Li Lin finished speaking, the energy in the low sky became extremely turbulent. Strong heavenly and earthly energies rapidly gathered, forming a vortex above the massive body of the Reverse Scale Demon Peng. Finally, all the energy poured into the Reverse Scale Demon Peng''s head, where the lotus-like reverse scale pattern was located. The influx of strong heavenly and earthly energies caused the Reverse Scale Demon Peng''s aura to soar, shaking the surrounding space. At this moment, the space around the Reverse Scale Demon Peng completely distorted. "Such a strong aura in the back mountains." "Such powerful energy." Inside the Flying Spirit Gate, many disciples were shocked and ran to the square, looking towards the back mountains where the terrifying aura was gathering. This fearsome aura made their hearts tremble. In the back mountains, the huge energy gathered only lasted for a short while. When the last bit of energy poured into the Reverse Scale Demon Peng''s head, its closed eyes finally snapped open. A fierce and sharp light shot out from its huge eyes, like copper bells. At that moment, a formidable aura burst forth from the Reverse Scale Demon Peng, covering the sky and the earth. The aura surged out, breaking through the space and shooting straight into the sky like a column of air. This incredibly strong aura immediately caused everyone in the Flying Spirit Gate to look towards the back mountains in shock, shouting in surprise. A massive aura surged into the sky. As this aura burst forth, a crushing pressure descended, bringing with it an absolute dominance. At this moment, the entire back mountain, both the sky and the ground, trembled under this powerful aura. "Ga ga" Almost at the same time, the Reverse Scale Demon Peng''s massive body fluttered its wings, suddenly bringing forth an absolute dominance. Its body expanded again. Five hundred and ten meters, five hundred and thirty meters, five hundred and sixty meters. Until it reached six hundred meters, the Reverse Scale Demon Peng''s entire body''s black scales nearly stood upright, each black reverse scale emitting a wind that seemed to pierce through space, causing it to tremble nonstop. The thick reverse scales opened up space ripples, spreading a frightening dominance. Watching the Reverse Scale Demon Peng''s body in the sky, now six hundred meters in size, Li Lin could feel the astonishing dominance. The Reverse Scale Demon Peng''s massive body was pitch-black, faintly exuding a power that seemed to twist space itself. Such an aura was heart-shaking. The wind from the reverse scales spread out from its body, shaking the entire space. "Ga" The Reverse Scale Demon Peng roared, its roar sharp as if it could pierce through space. Chapter 496: Eve of the Auction The piercing shriek lingered long in the air, causing pain to the eardrums of those who heard it. When the sharp, cutting sound finally dissipated, the energy between heaven and earth faded away. At this moment, the aura emanating from the Niscale Demon''s body had reached the early stages of the sixth rank. As the aura retracted, the Niscale Demon''s Peng''s huge body immediately shrank to half a meter in size and flapped its wings to the side of Li Lin and Little dragon. "Your Majesty, the Demon King." The Niscale Demon Peng saluted Little dragon. Although its aura had been retracted, the invisible presence it emitted was different, causing an involuntary sense of oppression in those who saw it. Observing the Niscale Demon Peng, both the Soul-Ensnaring Poison Duke Dong WuMing and the Ghost Fairy Bai Ying showed slight changes in their expressions. A demon beast at the early stage of the sixth rank was equivalent to a Martial Duke warrior. Even though the Niscale Demon Peng had just broken through, it was feared that with its own body, it could contend against a double Martial Duke. "Big brother, I''m ready to break through as well," said Little dragon. After licking Li Lin''s cheek, he leaped down the mountain range. The Blood Jade Demon Tiger, the Tai Yin Demon Rabbit, the Twin-Headed Water-Fire Demon Jiao, and the Niscale Demon Peng also entered the back mountain following him. "Bai sister, your aura seems to have strengthened?" At this moment, Li Lin felt that just ten days had passed, and there was something subtly different about the aura of Ghost Fairy Bai Ying, which seemed to fluctuate slightly. "I took the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit. The effect of the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit is indeed as legendary. After this auction is over, I plan to prepare for my breakthrough immediately," said Ghost Fairy Bai Ying. "En, congratulations to Bai sister," said Li Lin, estimating that a Martial Spirit Holy Fruit would have many benefits for Ghost Fairy Bai Ying. If Ghost Fairy Bai Ying breaks through to the Martial King level, then the strength of the Flying Spirit Sect would be completely different with a Martial King powerhouse in it. Although Li Lin knew that Uncle Jiang was in the Flying Spirit Sect, Uncle Jiang couldn''t just take action casually. Until the very last moment, one absolutely must not disturb Uncle Jiang''s healing. In a sect without a Martial King powerhouse, no matter how many Martial Dukes and Martial Generals there are, they won''t be significant. With a Martial King level cultivator sitting in the sect, the status will be different. "Your return is timely; the auction is the day after tomorrow. Hua Men Town is extremely lively now. I went there yesterday and sensed many covert auras. I estimate that many Martial Dukes have arrived in Hua Men Town. It seems the temptation of Xuan-level early-stage martial techniques is quite substantial," said the Soul-Ensnaring Poison Duke Dong WuMing. "That''s natural. The more people come, the better," Li Lin said with a smirk. The more lively it is, the more advantageous it is for him. Returning to the courtyard, Li Lin and the Soul-Ensnaring Poison Duke Dong WuMing, along with Ghost Fairy Bai Ying, discussed everything about the Misty Mountain Range, including killing thousands of mercenaries and subduing more than two thousand mercenaries and over a dozen spiritual practitioners, significantly strengthening the Flying Spirit Sect. Hearing all this, the Soul-Ensnaring Poison Duke Dong WuMing and Ghost Fairy Bai Ying were surprised at first but then not so much. Li Lin had already given them enough surprises, and by now, they were somewhat numb to it. "Ghost Martial Sect actually has people in the Misty Mountain Range. You killed three Martial Generals, which has weakened the Ghost Martial Sect. What are your plans next?" asked the Soul-Ensnaring Poison Duke Dong WuMing. "Our first target now is the Ghost Martial Sect. If we count the powerhouses, our Flying Spirit Sect''s strength is now slightly better than the Ghost Martial Sect''s. However, a direct confrontation would result in mutual damage, and other forces might take advantage of the situation. A complete victory, directly disintegrating the Ghost Martial Sect, would undoubtedly be the best," Li Lin said lightly. "Disintegrating the Ghost Martial Sect, that might be difficult. Inside the Ghost Martial Sect, that Old Ghost Dai''s strength is not weak. Even I would find it hard to kill him. If we destroy his Ghost Martial Sect and he goes mad, it would be extremely detrimental to the Flying Spirit Sect," said the Soul-Ensnaring Poison Duke Dong WuMing. "That is troublesome. We''ll see when the time comes. Before destroying the Ghost Martial Sect, we''ll first kill him," Li Lin said lightly, a chill spreading. Li Lin naturally understood what the Old Poisoner meant. The strongest in the Ghost Martial Sect was also a ninth-level Martial Duke. Even if the Old Poisoner took action, it would be possible to defeat him but not to kill him. Among peers, unless there is overwhelming power, it is generally difficult to kill the opponent. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Destroying the Ghost Martial Sect, by then, Old Ghost Dai and the Flying Spirit Sect would inevitably be at loggerheads, and the trouble for the Flying Spirit Sect can be imagined. At this time, Li Lin also had another concern. The relationship between the Ling Tian Sect and the Ghost Martial Sect seemed not shallow. If he destroyed the Ghost Martial Sect, whether he would provoke the Ling Tian Sect was unknown. Thinking of the Ling Tian Sect, Li Lin couldn''t help but think of Lv XiaoLing. After he escaped last time, that girl was probably furious. The next time he sees that girl, he needs to be careful. The strength of the Ling Tian Sect might not be comparable to the Yun Yang Sect, but it was probably not far off. He still couldn''t afford to provoke them now. In the evening, in the palace courtyard, Li XiaoBai and Liu YiShou had already come after hearing the news. "Young Master." "Sect Master." Both of them saluted and stood respectfully to the side. Then, through their narration, Li Lin also learned about the changes in Hua Men Town over the nine days. In nine days, the Martial Hall''s Huangfu QiSong really did lead people to build a huge auction house in Hua Men Town, which had just been completed, including the decoration, capable of accommodating about twenty thousand people. At this time, Hua Men Town was bustling with people, more than twenty times busier than usual, with tens of thousands of people estimated to have arrived. Hua Men Town was crowded to the point of being impenetrable. Now, most of the people from the Flying Spirit Sect had been dispatched to Hua Men Town, but it was still not enough. What surprised Li Lin was that Li XiaoBai had built two hundred inns in Hua Men Town, which had just been completed and were already in high demand. With tens of thousands of people pouring into the small Hua Men Town, it was clear that two hundred inns were far from enough. Two hundred inns, totaling only about four to five thousand rooms with simple facilities and rushed completion, now had an accommodation fee of twenty gold coins per night. The nightly income had reached a hundred thousand gold coins, which would have been unbelievable at two gold coins in the past. This made Li Lin look at Li XiaoBai in a new light. People with a sly look have an absolute talent for business. In the future, together with Liu YiShou, he could be at ease. The position of the Gold Hall, from the moment Li Lin learned of it, had been planned for Li XiaoBai. Although there was some personal interest involved, Li Lin naturally would not treat Li XiaoBai unfairly. Apart from a bit of personal interest, Li Lin was not the kind of person who practiced nepotism. Li XiaoBai''s cleverness was clear to Li Lin. Over the years, under Uncle Jiang''s guidance, Li XiaoBai had learned a lot, just lacking experience. As long as he underwent more trials, he would definitely be able to help a lot in the future. As for the position of the master of the Gold Hall, although it could be decided by a word from Li Lin now, Li Lin knew that directly letting Li XiaoBai take the position now would be putting him in a difficult position. First, not to mention Liu YiShou''s certain reputation in the Gold Hall, it is feared that the other halls would not easily accept Li XiaoBai, as everyone has a sense of xenophobia. Moreover, the other hall masters were not ordinary people. Without their recognition, Li XiaoBai would not have a position in the six halls. Therefore, for now, Li Lin also wanted to let Li XiaoBai familiarize himself with the environment, first establish his prestige, and secondly, whether Li XiaoBai was suitable for the Gold Hall would depend on himself. This inn matter, Li Lin was quite satisfied with. Li XiaoBai''s brain was not inferior to Liu YiShou''s. If the two of them joined forces in the future, they could naturally maintain the development of the Gold Hall. However, Li Lin also knew that both of them still needed a lot of trials. "Liu YiShou, have you received the medicinal materials from Guardian Zhang Xiao?" asked Li Lin. Shi Yuan had learned from the flying demonic beast that Zhang Xiao and Zhang MingTao had left the Misty Mountain Range. Li Lin estimated that the medicinal materials should have also arrived in Liu YiShou''s hands by now. "Sect Master, all the medicinal materials were received yesterday. Where did these medicinal materials come from? There are so many?" When mentioning the medicinal materials, Liu YiShou suddenly remembered and was immediately shocked. After receiving that small mountain of medicinal materials from Guardian Zhang Xiao yesterday, he was almost surprised to faint. Li Lin smiled slightly and then asked, "How much are those medicinal materials worth, and how long can they support your Gold Hall?" "Replying to the Sect Master, those medicinal materials are mostly aimed at refining high-grade elixirs. I have already asked the master of the Ling Hall to check. Among them, there are materials for refining fifth and sixth-grade elixirs, and most of them are for refining third and fourth-grade big demons'' elixirs, estimated to be worth more than two hundred million gold coins. After I sell them at a high price in a few days, doubling the price is also possible," Liu YiShou said excitedly. Three years ago, he could never have imagined that he, Liu YiShou, would also have a day of great development. Now, the gold coins passing through his hands ranged from tens of thousands to over ten million, which excited him. "I have some more here, also estimated to be worth two hundred million gold coins. You should sell them as soon as possible. Within two months, no medicinal materials will flow out of the Misty Mountain Range. You decide the price yourself. Sell half within two days. Both the Martial Hall and the Dark Hall are waiting for the gold coins," Li Lin handed Liu YiShou a bunch of space bags and storage rings. "Yes, Sect Master." Receiving a bunch of space bags and storage rings, Liu YiShou was already dumbfounded. Then he asked, "Sect Master, is it true that within three months, no medicinal materials will flow out of the Misty Mountain Range?" "That''s right. From now on, the Misty Mountain Range will be under the control of our Flying Spirit Sect, and the medicinal materials will be in our hands. As for the other forces hoarding medicinal materials, you can take revenge or bear grudges as you see fit," Li Lin said with a smirk. Chapter 497: The Arrival of Ghost Martial Sect "Are the Misty Mountain Ranges under our control?" Liu Yishou took a sharp breath in surprise. Being in control of the entire Misty Mountains, he was very aware of what this meant. If it were true, it undoubtedly meant that Flying Spirit Gate was now in control of the entire ancient realm''s border medicinal market. "Go ahead and manage it. From now on, the medicinal herbs from the Misty Mountains will be managed by you and Li Xiaobai together." After Li Lin finished speaking, his gaze fell on Li Xiaobai, saying, "Li Xiaobai, you need to get familiar with the medicinal materials as soon as possible. There will be other tasks for you to handle in the future." "Yes, Young Master," Li Xiaobai responded. As night fell, Li Lin let his thoughts wander for a moment, thinking about the auction that would take place the day after tomorrow. He then entered a state of cultivation, operating the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Technique inside his body. Bit by bit, his true qi was refined and then entered into the Dantian Qi Sea within him, his aura also improving synchronously at this time. Moments later, Li Lin was enveloped in a faint yellow light. The next morning, on the outskirts of Flying Spirit Mountain, at a glance, the secret forest blocked the entire sky, with only slivers of light piercing through the dense leaves. It was early in the morning. In the distance of the forest, it looked lush and green, with dewdrops rolling off the leaves one by one, making a ticking sound. "Brother, you haven''t taken me out to play for a long time." In the back mountain of Flying Spirit Gate, a white mythical beast soared into the sky and then disappeared. On the back of the Sky Wing Snow Lion were Li Lin, Li Xintong, Li Xiaobai, Liu Yishou, Bai Sasha, Yan Qi, and Fang Xiaoxi. Li Lin planned to visit Huamen Town today. He would feel at ease only after seeing it himself. Naturally, Li Xintong would follow him. Bai Sasha, upon seeing this, immediately requested to go as well. Seeing that the three ladies all wanted to visit Huamen Town, Li Lin simply decided to take them all. Among the three ladies, Li Lin knew that Bai Sasha was the bravest and the least afraid of him. Fang Xiaoxi naturally revered him, while Yan Qi was the most timid. For Li Lin, living under the same roof, he did not regard them as outsiders. On the back of the Sky Wing Snow Lion, Li Xintong was extremely excited, chattering nonstop. Although Li Xintong was now a Triple Spirit General, considered a strong figure, she was still a thirteen-year-old girl at heart, unable to avoid the temptation to play. With the speed of the Sky Wing Snow Lion, they arrived at Huamen Town within an hour. Li Lin walked into Huamen Town from afar. At this moment, observing Huamen Town, Li Lin was quite surprised. This small Huamen Town had expanded more than twice its size compared to three years ago, much larger than Qingyun Town, covering an area of several hundred thousand meters. The crowded buildings and the streets were already packed with a bustling crowd. Even before entering the town, waves of noise and commotion were spreading. Everywhere was bustling with people, a scene of extraordinary liveliness. "Why is it so lively today? So many people," Fang Xiaoxi exclaimed in surprise. She would also come to Huamen Town usually but had never seen so many people. "Brother, I want to play," Li Xintong said, even more excited, pulling Li Lin''s hand and rushing into the crowd. The streets, now repaved, were undoubtedly wider than before, bustling with a dense crowd, far exceeding Li Lin''s expectations. The streets now crisscrossed more than before. Among the crowd, Li Lin observed everyone, his senses probing. Undoubtedly, the vast majority were martial artists, and occasionally, he could sense many spiritualists among them. Finally, Li Lin arrived at the auction venue that had sprung up in just ten days. The massive building covered tens of thousands of meters, standing twenty meters tall, circular in shape, constructed of thick rock and green bricks, grand in appearance and imposing in stature. "Spirit Flying Sect." These three words were inscribed on the massive building. Li Lin was slightly stunned. Flying Spirit Gate, Spirit Flying Sect, these names probably only someone as uninhibited as Huangfu Qisong could think of. However, it was just a name, not really a big deal. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. To complete this in ten days, Li Lin was extremely satisfied. Outside the building, many sturdy men stood in neat rows, and it seemed the people of Huamen Town knew this was the location of tomorrow''s auction, curiously observing, naturally attracting a crowd. Looking at those sturdy men, Li Lin could tell they were at the martial artist level, with the leaders being two Spirit Souls, probably from the Martial Hall. These Martial Hall people were obviously much stronger than the ordinary disciples of Flying Spirit Gate, their aura much sharper. This aura and strength were unrelated, but rather a kind of presence, an invisible force. From these people, Li Lin could somewhat understand Huangfu Qisong. Although arrogant towards himself, it was evident from the Martial Hall disciples that those trained were indeed commendable. The people chosen by Ghost Fairy Bai Ying were indeed not wrong. "Seen Sect Master." Moments later, inside the Flying Spirit Commerce in the very center of Huamen Town, a group of disciples saluted. Li Lin looked over the Flying Spirit Commerce, which had expanded to ten times its size, spanning three floors, definitely the largest shop in Huamen Town dealing in elixirs, medicinal materials, and weapons. After observing for a moment, Li Lin was very satisfied. From the changes in Huamen Town, it was clear that Liu Yishou had indeed put in a lot of effort. Early in the morning, they arrived in Huamen Town, and it wasn''t until noon that Bai Sasha and the other ladies finished their shopping spree and left reluctantly. Far from Huamen Town, everyone once again leaped onto the Sky Wing Snow Lion and left, while this time Li Xiaobai and Liu Yishou stayed behind in the Flying Spirit Commerce. There were still many things to handle in the commerce, and the two of them did not have time to wander around. However, in the evening, Li Lin notified Liu Yishou to inform the other four halls to meet at the branch at night, as he had arrangements to make. Flying Spirit Gate''s six halls still had no one to head the Outer Hall, and Li Lin could only put it aside for now, lacking suitable candidates. Zhang Mingtao, Huang Boran, and others were clearly not strong enough to be in charge of the Outer Hall. The candidates in Li Lin''s mind had to be at least as strong as Ouyang Lengji and others. With the development of Flying Spirit Gate, being too weak simply would not suffice to hold down the Outer Hall. On the back of the Sky Wing Snow Lion, the ladies were excitedly discussing the various cosmetics, clothes, and long skirts they had purchased, leaving Li Lin shaking his head with a wry smile. Just as Li Lin returned to Flying Spirit Gate, he received news that the sect master of Ghost Martial Sect had personally arrived at Flying Spirit Gate. "Sect Master, the envoy from Ghost Martial Sect is currently in the main hall, being entertained by Elder Zheng Ying," Zhang Mingtao said. Li Lin''s brow furrowed; the purpose of Ghost Martial Sect''s visit was probably related to the auction. As for whether there were other reasons, it was unknown. The envoy from Ghost Martial Sect, Ghost Fairy Bai Ying, and Soul Summoning Poison Duke Dong Wuming, of course, would not show up. Their involvement in Flying Spirit Gate''s affairs was still unknown to outsiders, and even among Flying Spirit Gate''s disciples, only a few elders and protectors knew their true identities. "Unexpectedly, Flying Spirit Gate has developed rapidly in recent years. In just three years, it''s truly impressive," a hearty laugh sounded from within the Flying Spirit Gate main hall. "Elder Dai is too kind. We cannot compare to Ghost Martial Sect," Zheng Ying''s voice spread. "Knowing that Elder Dai has come, it''s our fault for not welcoming you personally. Please forgive us, Elder Dai." Outside the main hall, Li Lin''s figure had already appeared, a faint smile on his face, without much concern. "Greetings, Sect Master." Inside the main hall, Zheng Ying, Chen Xinjie, Ding Chengjie, three elders, and Lin Feng, Sun Xiaoming, two protectors stood up to salute upon seeing Li Lin arrive. Li Lin gestured for everyone to be at ease and then walked into the main hall. "Little Brother Lin has done no wrong. I came uninvited and disturbed you," said a hearty voice from inside the main hall. The speaker, a man in his forties, tall and with piercing eyes, short black hair, exuded an aura that spread around him, also emitting a lethal aura, was none other than Dai Daozi, the sect master of Ghost Martial Sect. "Greetings, Sect Master Dai." Li Lin gave a slight bow. Back in Ghost Martial Sect, Dai Gangzi, with his Triple Spirit Marshal strength, had once overwhelmed him, making it hard for him to breathe. But now, Li Lin clearly felt that Dai Daozi could no longer suppress him. With the strength of a Triple Spirit Marshal, Dai Daozi''s strength was only comparable to Huangfu Qisong, Li Chi Zheng, Ouyang Lengji, and others. Having seen Ghost Fairy and Soul Summoning Poison Duke Dong Wuming''s development over three years, Flying Spirit Gate now had the strength to contend with Ghost Martial Sect. "Elder Du also came, my respects." Li Lin''s gaze finally fell on Du Yunshan beside Dai Daozi, sweeping over, noting that the envoys from Ghost Martial Sect included four martial generals and over ten Spirit Souls. Only Du Yunshan had Li Lin dealt with a few times before; the rest, with Li Lin''s current strength, naturally did not need to be concerned. "Sect Master Li is too polite." Du Yunshan returned the greeting. In Flying Spirit Gate, regardless of Li Lin''s strength, as the head of the sect, and knowing Li Lin''s good relationship with the young miss of Lingtian Gate, he naturally did not dare to act arrogantly. Li Lin then sat directly at the top of the main hall, his gaze sweeping over the people from Ghost Martial Sect, once again addressing Dai Daozi, "Sect Master Dai''s visit, is there something important?" Chapter 498: Auction Arrangements "I heard about a bustling auction taking place in Huamen Town and came to join in the excitement. Who knew that Huamen Town is now so crowded that it''s impossible to find a place to stay? Since Flying Spirit Sect is nearby, I came to impose for a bit. Today, I will have to stay at young brother Lin''s place," Dai Daozi said lightly. "It''s an honor for our Flying Spirit Sect. Master Dai, please feel free to stay. I will have my disciples arrange accommodations for you shortly," Li Lin said lightly, though he was pondering that with Dai Daozi''s status as the sect master of Ghost Martial Sect, entering an inn wouldnt have been too difficult, even without revealing his identity. Finding a place to stay wouldn''t be a challenge for these strong individuals from Ghost Martial Sect. Perhaps Dai Daozi and his people took this opportunity to probe into Flying Spirit Sect. However, it''s undeniable that Ghost Martial Sect is extremely interested in the auction as well, with the promise of Xuan-level beginner martial techniques and sixth-grade elixirs, which are absolutely attractive to Ghost Martial Sect. "Then I''ll impose upon your hospitality," Dai Daozi said with an unchanged expression, then lightly added: "Young brother Lin, this auction is happening right in your Huamen Town. Do you know which power is behind it?" "That, I''m not sure of. A few days ago, a mysterious person approached our Flying Spirit Sect and made a satisfactory contribution, saying that they wanted to hold an auction in Huamen Town. That''s all I know," Li Lin said, not revealing too much. "It seems the auction isn''t simple," Dai Daozi remarked lightly. "I heard that the auction will feature Xuan-level beginner martial techniques. I was planning to check it out tomorrow myself, but now that Master Dai is going, I guess I won''t stand a chance," Li Lin said with a light smile. "Young brother Lin jests. If you''re interested and can afford the price, naturally, you can obtain it," Dai Daozi said lightly. Inside Ghost Martial Sect at this moment, several martial generals and soul warriors all showed a hint of a smile, thinking to themselves that Flying Spirit Sect even dreaming of getting their hands on a Xuan-level beginner martial technique is laughable. Probably ten Flying Spirit Sects combined wouldn''t be able to afford a set of Xuan-level beginner martial techniques. However, with Dai Daozi present in Flying Spirit Sect, it wasn''t appropriate for them to laugh out loud. Li Lin then exchanged a few pleasantries with Dai Daozi and ordered Zheng Ying to lead the people from Ghost Martial Sect to their accommodations, before returning to his residence. "Lin''er, Dai Daozi''s visit to Flying Spirit Sect is probably not simple. They are naturally interested in the auction, and it seems they also want to probe our Flying Spirit Sect. Just now, Dai Daozi attempted to probe into our minds, but he was unable to find anything about me and the old immortal," Ghost Fairy and Cuihun Dushuai had already been waiting in the courtyard''s hall after Li Lin returned to his residence. "Let them probe. We will do what we need to do. Tomorrow''s auction is important; we must have Elder Dong and Sister Ying secretly support us," Li Lin said. "Don''t worry. With us here, there won''t be any big trouble," Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said. As night fell, the bamboo forest was bathed in moonlight, with branches dancing wildly, as if countless ghostly claws were tearing through the sky, adding an eerie touch to the bamboo forest with the howling night wind. "Greetings, Sect Master." A figure emerged from the bamboo forest, greeted by two disciples of Flying Spirit Sect. "Have all the hall masters arrived?" The newcomer was Li Lin, who did not bring Ghost Fairy and Cuihun Dushuai Dong Wuming with him this time to the branch because of Dai Daozi''s presence in Flying Spirit Sect. Li Lin did not want any exposure. "Replying to the Sect Master, all the hall masters have arrived," a Flying Spirit Sect disciple responded. Inside the branch, nine figures were already seated in the hall, including Guiying Luocha Ye Fei, the sisters Ye Mei, Huangfu Qisong, Li Chizheng, Ouyang Lengji, Jiang Yuanguan, Liu Yishou, Kang Zi Yun, and the last one was Li Xiaobai. When Li Xiaobai arrived at this branch and saw people like Guiying Luocha Ye Fei, he was shocked by the strength of these individuals, almost dumbfounded, realizing that Flying Spirit Sect still hid such formidable strength. Seeing Liu Yishou bringing Li Xiaobai in, the others were quite surprised, later learning from Liu Yishou''s mouth that this newcomer, Li Xiaobai, was a favored person of the Sect Master. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "Ouyang Lengji, you''ve found quite a few people for my Ling Hall. My hall is in need of people right now, so I thank you in advance. Next time there''s a good elixir, I''ll save one for you," Kang Zi Yun said to Ouyang Lengji in the hall. "Kang Zi Yun, these people were found by the Sect Master for you, not related to me. They were just passed through my Punishment Hall to you," Ouyang Lengji said. "Ouyang Hall Master, I heard you and the Sect Master entered the Misty Mountain Range for a few days. It seems your attitude towards the Sect Master has improved a lot, hehe," Guiying Luocha Ye Fei laughed charmingly, her beautiful face blooming with a smile that was pleasing to the eye. "Gentlemen, the Sect Master is not as simple as you think. I advise you not to seek trouble in the future," Ouyang Lengji said indifferently, his expression still stern. "The Sect Master has arrived," Kang Zi Yun announced. As Kang Zi Yun''s words fell, a figure in a green robe flashed into the hall. "Greetings, Sect Master." "My lord." Liu Yishou and Li Xiaobai were the first to salute, followed by Ouyang Lengji and Jiang Yuanguan also standing up to greet. Seeing Ouyang Lengji and Jiang Yuanguan greeting so promptly seemed to puzzle the others, including Guiying Luocha, Iron Fist Huangfu Qisong, who were slightly surprised and also stood up to greet. "Please, take your seats," Li Lin said as he glanced over and then sat at the head of the hall. "Ouyang Hall Master, your Martial Hall performed well this time. Tomorrow it''s up to you guys. If things go well, the one billion gold coins you want will be given to you tomorrow," Li Lin said lightly. "Sect Master, the auction tomorrow, you can''t leave it to our Martial Hall. It''s not our expertise," Huangfu Qisong said. "Of course, I''m not asking you to take care of everything. Your Martial Hall just needs to handle the perimeter. I visited Huamen Town today and saw a large number of people. Those who want to enter the auction tomorrow, your Martial Hall will charge a minimum of twenty gold coins per person. As for the first row of the hundred positions, each will be charged a thousand gold coins, the second row eight hundred gold coins, and the third row six hundred gold coins per person. This way, the entrance fee alone will be enough for your Martial Hall to collect half a million gold coins," Li Lin said lightly. "Charging so much?" Ouyang Lengji was somewhat surprised; that was no small fee. "Those interested in attending the auction won''t care about this amount of gold coins. With the current population in Huamen Town exceeding thirty thousand, even higher prices will still attract attendees," Li Lin said with a slight smile. "Ye Hall Masters, the most important task tomorrow will be given to you," Li Lin''s gaze landed on the sisters Guiying Luocha Ye Fei and Ye Mei. Li Lin was slightly surprised by their stunning beauty but did not show it on his face. Li Wushuang and Yun Hongling''s beauty was also above these two women. However, these two women, especially Guiying Luocha Ye Fei, had a mature charm that Li Wushuang and Yun Hongling could not compare to at the moment. "May I ask what task the Sect Master has for us sisters tomorrow?" Ye Fei asked with a slight smile, her beautiful eyes gazing at Li Lin. Her every move was incredibly charming, seemingly deliberately flirting with Li Lin. "Tomorrow''s auction requires the personal participation of the Ye Hall Masters. Among the people present, probably only you two can take on such an important task," Li Lin said. His gaze stayed on Guiying Luocha Ye Fei, his heart sinking slightly; this woman seemed to be testing his resolve. "Sect Master, you mentioned that tomorrow''s main attractions are a fifth-grade puppet, sixth-grade high-level elixirs, and Xuan-level beginner martial techniques. Shouldn''t these items be handed over to us sisters first? Otherwise, we won''t be able to perform tomorrow," Ye Mei said lightly, her gaze calm without any fluctuations. She lacked Ye Fei''s charming maturity but had an elegance that made the sisters uniquely appealing. Li Lin raised an eyebrow, secretly thinking that Ye Mei was not ordinary. He smiled slightly, formed a hand seal, and from a prepared storage ring in his hand, a dark green light shot out and landed in front of the two women. He then lightly said, "This is a fifth-grade mid-level living puppet. I have erased the soul imprint. You just need to set your own soul imprint to activate it. It has the strength to kill a sixth-stage martial general without any problems." A dark green puppet appeared before everyone, its body shining with a smooth luster, emanating strong power, with energy fluctuations faintly visible within. "This is indeed a fifth-grade mid-level puppet." Although most of the people present were martial masters, puppets were extremely rare. Seeing one now, they couldn''t help but express their amazement. And this puppet was actually refined by Li Lin, named Kui''er. Li Lin''s own strength had long surpassed Kui''er''s, so he no longer needed this puppet. Having the opportunity to auction it off was not a bad idea, as it would definitely attract a lot of attention to Huamen Town. "Ye Hall Master, what do you think this fifth-grade mid-level puppet could fetch at the auction?" Li Lin asked Guiying Luocha Ye Fei. "Sect Master, a fifth-grade mid-level puppet is something few people would be willing to auction off. It''s definitely considered a rare treasure. If we were to estimate its price, it would be at least twenty million gold coins," Guiying Luocha Ye Fei replied. "These are two sixth-grade high-level elixirs, Nurturing Spirit Transformation Pills, among the highest grade in sixth-grade elixirs, nearing seventh-grade elixirs. They are very effective for enhancing breakthroughs for Spirit Kings and Martial Kings. Their minimum value should be eighty million gold coins. We''ll auction them together tomorrow," Li Lin said with a light laugh, handing two jade boxes to Guiying Luocha Ye Fei. These two sixth-grade high-level elixirs were some of the few remaining in Flying Spirit Sect. For this auction, Li Lin had to reluctantly part with them. Although the elixirs were precious, as long as there were enough medicinal ingredients, they could be refined again in the future. Chapter 499: Treasure Distribution in the Grand Hall "Yng Shn Hu Wng Dan." Ye Fei and Ye Mei, the two women, stretched their white wrists out of their sleeves, each opening a jade box. A shocking energy spread out, making anyone who smelled it feel a sway in their spirit. "It is indeed a high-grade sixth-tier medicinal pill." The two women exclaimed. At this moment, feeling the aura of this medicinal pill, Kang Zi Yun''s face also changed dramatically. A high-grade sixth-tier medicinal pillcurrently, his strength was only enough to refine a low-grade sixth-tier medicinal pill. However, this Yng Shn Hu Wng Dan was a pill very close to the seventh tier among the high-grade sixth-tier medicinal pills. "The auction fees for the fifth-grade mid-tier puppet and these two Yng Shn Hu Wng Dan will be given to the An Tang (Dark Hall) and Wu Tang (Martial Hall) to share evenly. I believe this should cover the expenses of the An Tang and Wu Tang for a while!" Li Lin said. "Sect Master, are we really going to auction the Yng Shn Hu Wng Dan?" Gui Ying Luo Sha Ye Fei''s pretty face changed. It was a pity to auction such a pill; they were extremely reluctant. "Auction it. Also, this Xuan-level low-tier fire attribute martial technique, Red Lotus Chi Yan, and the earth attribute Xuan-level low-tier martial technique, Split Mountain Jue, will be auctioned together." Li Lin handed over the jade slips containing the two sets of martial techniques, rich in earth and fire attributes, to Gui Ying Luo Sha Ye Fei. "Sect Master, are you really auctioning Xuan-level low-tier martial techniques?" Gui Ying Luo Sha received the jade slips, and from the attribute energy flowing from these slips, it was clear these were Xuan-level low-tier martial techniques. At this moment, their hearts were also shocked and heated. If these were wind attribute martial techniques, she would have tried everything to buy them. "Gulp!" At this moment, feeling the attributes of these two sets of Xuan-level low-tier martial techniques, earth and fire, Huang Fu Qi Song and Li Chi Zheng swallowed their saliva. These were just right for their cultivation. Xuan-level low-tier martial techniques were something they had always dreamed of. With their cultivation level of triple Martial Marshal, because they were always independent cultivators, they had only managed to practice a high-tier yellow-level martial technique, which took a lot of effort to obtain. As for Xuan-level martial techniques, the major sects absolutely would not leak them, so they could not obtain them. The difference between Xuan-level low-tier martial techniques and high-tier yellow-level martial techniques was like a huge gap, with significantly greater power. Seeing Li Lin really take out Xuan-level low-tier martial techniques for auction, Kang Zi Yun''s face also changed. Xuan-level low-tier martial techniques were not just valuable; having them meant more than what an ordinary person could possess, especially when taking out two sets at once. At this moment, Ouyang Leng Ji and Jiang Yuan Guan''s faces also changed. They had seen the Sect Master activate Xuan-level low-tier martial techniques in the Wudu Mountain Range. Now knowing the Sect Master had Xuan-level low-tier martial techniques, they felt surprised again. "Indeed, these two sets of Xuan-level low-tier martial techniques will be auctioned." Li Lin smiled slightly. "Sect Master, but these are Xuan-level low-tier martial techniques, how can we auction them off?" Huang Fu Qi Song couldn''t hold back any longer, looking at Li Lin with a look that seemed to say, "You''re wasting assets," yet his gaze was fervently fixed on the Xuan-level low-tier martial techniques in Gui Ying Luo Sha''s hands. "Huang Fu Hall Master, if you are interested, you can also participate in the auction. Then these two sets of Xuan-level low-tier martial techniques will be yours." Li Lin said lightly. "Sect Master, how much will these Xuan-level low-tier martial techniques be auctioned for?" Huang Fu Qi Song immediately widened his eyes, showing great interest. "If we convert it into gold coins, about three billion gold coins." Li Lin said indifferently. He was naturally aware that three billion gold coins were just the price of the Xuan-level low-tier martial techniques, not their true value. Xuan-level low-tier martial techniques, who would auction them off? The price is just on the surface; their value is far more than that. These Xuan-level martial techniques are priceless treasures, so hearing that there was an auction of Xuan-level low-tier martial techniques in Hua Men Town this time brought such a sensational effect. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Gulp!" Huang Fu Qi Song swallowed his saliva again. Even if it were really possible to buy Xuan-level low-tier martial techniques for three billion gold coins, he did not have them. He was originally just an independent cultivator, although he had the strength of a triple Martial Marshal, his own assets were not much. "Sect Master, could it be a bit cheaper?" Huang Fu Qi Song said, now looking at Li Lin with a much more amiable gaze, full of longing. The temptation of Xuan-level low-tier martial techniques was too great for him. Hearing Huang Fu Qi Song''s words, everyone was surprised. Huang Fu Qi Song, for the sake of Xuan-level low-tier martial techniques, was really lowering his face. "Huang Fu Hall Master, Li Hall Master, you have contributed to the construction of the auction venue and the covert deterrence of the Wudu Mountain Range. I always reward contributions and punish failures. How about this, you two name your price for these two sets of Xuan-level martial techniques, and they will be yours in the end." Li Lin said to Huang Fu Qi Song and Li Chi Zheng. "Sect Master, we really don''t have the capital to participate in the auction." Li Chi Zheng said. "Congratulations to Huang Fu Hall Master and Li Hall Master." At this moment, Gui Ying Luo Sha Ye Fei''s expression changed, then she smiled slightly to Huang Fu Qi Song and Li Chi Zheng. "What joy is there?" The two asked in confusion. "You two are really blockheads. The Sect Master means that these two sets of Xuan-level low-tier martial techniques can be obtained by you at the auction tomorrow. You can bid as you please, and then directly take away these Xuan-level martial techniques. The Sect Master''s intention is not really to sell the Xuan-level low-tier martial techniques, but to use them to attract people to Hua Men Town." Gui Ying Luo Sha smiled slightly, then said to Li Lin: "Sect Master, I guess I''m right." "Indeed, as the person in charge of the Dark Hall." Li Lin nodded slightly. "Sect Master, you mean these two sets of Xuan-level low-tier martial techniques are directly given to us?" Huang Fu Qi Song seemed to still be somewhat incredulous. "Huang Fu Hall Master and Li Hall Master have recently made contributions; it is only right to reward contributions." Li Lin nodded. Although a set of Xuan-level low-tier martial techniques was valuable, he had always intended to use Xuan-level low-tier martial techniques to cultivate the strength of Flying Spirit Gate. Now, giving them to Huang Fu Qi Song and others was undoubtedly the most appropriate choice. "Thank you, Sect Master." Huang Fu Qi Song and Li Chi Zheng looked at each other, then bowed respectfully, grateful. A set of Xuan-level low-tier martial techniques had already made them have a good impression of this young Sect Master. Seeing Huang Fu Qi Song and Li Chi Zheng would get a set of Xuan-level low-tier martial techniques tomorrow, the rest were envious, including Ouyang Leng Ji and Jiang Yuan Guan, whose usually calm and stern gaze began to waver. "Ouyang Hall Master, Jiang Hall Master, these wood attribute and water attribute Xuan-level low-tier martial techniques are yours. You have also worked hard in the Wudu Mountain Range these days." As Li Lin spoke, two sets of martial technique jade slips had already fallen in front of the two. "These are Xuan-level low-tier martial techniques." Each of them took the martial technique jade slips, and from the aura emanating from them, it was easy to know that these were indeed Xuan-level low-tier martial techniques. "Two Ye Hall Masters, here are two sets of wind attribute Xuan-level low-tier martial techniques. Take them. Tomorrow''s auction will depend on you." In front of everyone''s astonished gaze, Li Lin once again released two white lights that streaked out, and two sets of wind attribute martial technique jade slips fell in front of Gui Ying Luo Sha Ye Fei and Ye Mei. "Kang Hall Master, I don''t have a Xuan-level low-tier spiritual technique, but I have some things here. See if they are suitable." Finally, Li Lin handed a jade slip to Kang Zi Yun. Kang Zi Yun took the jade slip, feeling the energy emanating from it. Immediately, a drop of blood fell into it, his eyes closed tightly, and then a burst of soul energy light immediately injected into Kang Zi Yun''s mind and disappeared. After a moment, Kang Zi Yun opened his eyes again, his eyes full of surprise, almost trembling, and said, "Thank you, Sect Master. This is definitely stronger than a set of Xuan-level spiritual techniques." "That''s good. Inside there is the method of cultivating spiritual herbs and a type of Yao Ling Dan. It''s handed over to your Ling Hall to arrange as soon as possible." Li Lin said lightly. "Yes, Sect Master." At this moment, Kang Zi Yun no longer had the pride of a triple Spiritual Master in front of Li Lin, his expression filled with gratitude and respect. Li Lin gave him not just any item but a sliver of soul energy separated from his own mind. This soul energy contained some alchemy methods that could be taught, selected from the jade slip given by Uncle Jiang and some methods of refining formations, puppets, and weapons selected from the Heavenly Spirit Record, all of which Li Lin thought could be taught. Separating this sliver of energy information from his mind was very simple for Li Lin now and did not require much soul power. But for Kang Zi Yun, it was a treasure. The things recorded in the Heavenly Spirit Record by the Saint Hand Spiritual Sovereign and Uncle Jiang''s insights on alchemy, especially those methods of refining puppets and formations, are absolutely no less valuable than Xuan-level low-tier spiritual techniques for a spiritualist. Li Lin also had his own plans. He had always intended to cultivate medicinal herbs. Although the herbs from the Wudu Mountain Range could support Flying Spirit Gate for now, it was not as good as cultivating his own. In the future, as Flying Spirit Gate developed, the consumption would be even greater. Handing this task to the Ling Hall was perfect, as the Ling Hall was comprised of spiritualists. If all goes well, it won''t be long before Flying Spirit Gate can use their own cultivated herbs. Chapter 500: A Casual Breakthrough Meanwhile, following the demon beast Tianchi Snow Lion''s breakthrough to the fourth-tier level, its cultivation speed had significantly slowed. In fact, this was the case for all demon beasts; after breaking through to the fourth tier, their cultivation speed would greatly reduce. Therefore, Li Lin had no choice but to prepare to concoct a type of demon spirit pill recorded in the Heavenly Spirit Record. This pill, once consumed by both demon beasts and spirit beasts, could enhance their cultivation levels. Assigning this task to the Spirit Hall not only saved him a lot of effort but also made it possible for him to gradually cultivate a large army of demon beasts in the future. Inside the great hall, everyone received a set of Xuan-level early-stage martial arts techniques. At this moment, they were all extremely excited. They looked at Li Lin with newfound respect, as he was able to produce six sets of Xuan-level early-stage martial arts techniques in one go, something none of them could achieve. The crowd, excitedly bowing again, showed much more respect this time. Finally, Li Lin once again handed over a puppet to Liu Yishou in front of everyone. The werewolf puppet he had given to Liu Yishou was too low-level, and Liu Yishou''s strength was too weak. For Liu Yishou''s safety, and because the puppet was of little use to himself now, Li Lin decided to give it to Liu Yishou, which could somewhat ensure his safety. This action once again surprised everyone. The sect leader was indeed profound and unfathomable. They wondered how many more Xuan-level martial techniques and puppets he had. Li Lin then instructed everyone about the auction happening the next day before taking Li Xiaobai and leaving, leaving everyone inside the great hall excitedly discussing for a while before dispersing. Upon returning to the Flying Spirit Sect''s courtyard, Li Lin could feel a subtle aura probing out from within the Flying Spirit Sect, but it vanished in a flash. Raising an eyebrow, Li Lin knew it was Dai Daozi but didn''t mind. He was no longer concerned about the Ghost Martial Sect but worried whether the Lingtian Sect would support them. After intentionally causing some fluctuations, Li Lin and Li Xiaobai returned to their palace courtyard. Sitting cross-legged, he continued to refine the True Qi energy within his body that he hadn''t fully assimilated yet. After circulating the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Art, in just a moment, the True Qi energy devoured from within was refined into pure True Qi and entered Li Lin''s Dantian Qi Sea. Moments later, a layer of earthy-yellow light enveloped Li Lin. With each breath, the earthy-yellow light circle slightly fluctuated, appearing extremely profound. The next morning, the morning breeze blew through the Flying Spirit Gate, carrying the fragrance of trees from the surrounding mountains. Outside the palace courtyard in the back mountain, several figures appeared, including the Soul Summoning Poison Marshal Dong WuMing, Ghost Fairy Bai Ying, Li XinTong, Fang XinQi, Bai ShaSha, Yan Qi, and Li Xiaobai. "It''s so late, and that kid is still cultivating. Today is the auction, and he''s not going earlier," said the Soul Summoning Poison Marshal, boldly speaking while looking at the courtyard. "Let''s go over first," suggested Ghost Fairy Bai Ying lightly. Just as Ghost Fairy Bai Ying''s words fell, suddenly, a surge of energy erupted within the courtyard. Soul Summoning Poison Marshal Dong WuMing and Ghost Fairy Bai Ying quickly looked back towards the courtyard, both showing surprise on their faces. With their level of strength, they naturally knew someone inside was making a breakthrough. And at this moment, the only one in the courtyard was Li Lin, who was breaking through. Outside the courtyard, an invisible force of heaven and earth energy caused ripples in space, then rushed into a room within the courtyard, accompanied by a surging aura that quickly ascended. The fluctuation of this energy did not last long, and the surging aura soon disappeared. "It seems to be a fifth-tier Martial General now," speculated the Soul Summoning Poison Marshal Dong WuMing, raising an eyebrow. "The speed of Lin''er''s cultivation is simply unbelievable," sighed Ghost Fairy Bai Ying, her face full of astonishment. Inside the room, at this moment, the earthy-yellow light surrounding Li Lin was completely absorbed into his body. His eyes opened, and a sharp gleam flashed through them. At the same time, a formidable aura burst forth from within his body, which quickly receded, leaving no trace of fluctuation visible. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! "A fifth-tier Martial General now. It''s not too difficult to improve a martial artist''s cultivation," Li Lin felt the vast True Qi within his body. At his current level as a fifth-tier Martial General, supported by the immense True Qi in his Dantian Qi Sea, even using his normal strength, he could probably kill a seventh-tier Martial General. If he were to fuse with the normal Vermilion Bird Art, he might even severely injure a first-tier Martial Commander. The difference in strength between a fifth-tier Martial General and a first-tier Martial Commander is immensely huge. Frowning, Li Lin thought about his spiritual power cultivation and frowned slightly. Compared to absorbing martial artists, absorbing spirit users was much more difficult, as spirit users were rarer. While martial artists were common, spirit users were not. "Today''s the auction. Let''s go watch the excitement," Li Lin said lightly, getting ready, and with a flick of his robe, he stepped out of the courtyard. "You broke through again?" Just as Li Lin walked out of the courtyard, the voice of the Soul Summoning Poison Marshal Dong WuMing reached his ears. "Coincidentally, I just practiced a bit, and I didn''t expect to break through again," Li Lin replied with a slight smile, touching his nose. "A monster," the Soul Summoning Poison Marshal Dong WuMing glared at Li Lin but was helpless. He definitely didn''t believe it was just casual cultivation. Li Lin must have other secrets, but it was clear that his cultivation speed was astonishingly fast, leaving him speechless. "Brother, I can''t keep up with you again," Li XinTong, who had dressed up carefully today, fluttered to Li Lin''s side like a butterfly. Her delicate features made people marvel. When she grows up, she will definitely be a devastating beauty. "XinTong is already very strong. When your brother was your age, he wasn''t even a martial artist," Li Lin said with a gentle smile. Back when Li Lin was thirteen, he was just the worthless young master of the Li family. "Lin''er, it''s time to go to the auction. Dai Daozi and the others are waiting for you. We, the old immortals, will go ahead and watch from the shadows. Today there might be many powerful people, and it''s hard to say if someone will cause trouble. Be extra careful," Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said lightly. "Ying sister, Dong elder, then you go ahead. I''ll follow soon," Li Lin said lightly. "Whoosh whoosh..." The Soul Summoning Poison Marshal Dong WuMing and Ghost Fairy Bai Ying''s figures immediately twisted with spatial ripples, disappearing from their original location. Looking at their strength, Li Lin could only envy them. Martial Commander and Spirit Commander powerhouses, especially at the later stages like the Soul Summoning Poison Marshal Dong WuMing and Ghost Fairy Bai Ying at the ninth-tier Martial Commander and ninth-tier Spirit Commander levels, had reached a certain level of spatial control. If he, Li Lin, reached the Martial Commander level, combined with the wind attribute and the Floating Light Shadow technique, his speed would likely be even faster. "Good morning, Sect Leader Dai. Did you rest well last night?" Outside the Flying Spirit Gate, Li Lin appeared just as Dai Daozi and Du Yunshan had just arrived. "Greetings, Sect Leader," said Zheng Ying and the others also outside the Flying Spirit Gate. "Thanks for the hospitality, young brother Lin. I had a good rest," Dai Daozi said with a slight smile. "Bullshit," Li Lin thought to himself, suspecting Dai Daozi was probably spying on the strength of the Flying Spirit Gate last night. Without revealing anything on his face, he said, "Sect Leader Dai, the auction starts today. As the host, the Flying Spirit Gate has already made arrangements for you all. Let''s go together." "You''ve gone to a lot of trouble, young brother Lin," said Dai Daozi, his gaze unchanged. "Whoosh whoosh..." Outside the Flying Spirit Gate, a massive black eagle demon beast approached, flapping its wings. The black eagle demon beast was over a hundred meters in size and, judging from its aura, was also at the early fourth-tier level, though its body had shrunk. "Roar..." High in the sky, the Tianchi Snow Lion seemed to deliberately bully the black eagle, roaring and then flapping its wings, mixed with the aura of the king of demon beasts. In terms of cultivation level, the Tianchi Snow Lion was higher than the black eagle demon beast and, combined with its bloodline''s power, immediately made the black eagle weak, its wings flailing as if it was about to fall. "A fourth-tier mid-level Tianchi Snow Lion." Instantly, the Tianchi Snow Lion''s massive body shrank to a hundred meters, circling in the sky with a pressure that made the people of the Ghost Martial Sect slightly change their expression. A fourth-tier mid-level Tianchi Snow Lion was completely on a different level compared to their Ghost Martial Sect''s black eagle demon beast. "Sect Leader Dai, let''s go," Li Lin said with a slight smile, knowing the Tianchi Snow Lion looked down on that black eagle demon beast, deliberately making it look bad. As soon as he finished speaking, he leaped onto the low-flying Tianchi Snow Lion''s back. Li XinTong, Fang XiaoQi, Yan Qi, Bai ShaSha, and Li Xiaobai followed him. This rare auction, Bai ShaSha and the other three girls had already told Li Lin they wanted to go together, and Li Lin did not refuse. Looking at Li Lin''s Tianchi Snow Lion, Dai Daozi''s face passed a helpless look without revealing anything. His true Qi flashed, and he immediately leaped onto the black eagle demon beast. Compared to the Flying Spirit Gate''s mounts, his Ghost Martial Sect''s were much inferior. Then the people of the Ghost Martial Sect leaped onto the black eagle demon beast, and both demon beasts took off towards Huamen Town. What made the Ghost Martial Sect even more speechless was that the black eagle demon beast dared not approach the Tianchi Snow Lion along the way, only daring to follow behind. The aura of the king of demon beasts on the Tianchi Snow Lion made it not dare to overstep, making the Ghost Martial Sect''s people grit their teeth in frustration, only able to follow behind the Tianchi Snow Lion. Today was the day of the auction in Huamen Town. In the ancient domain, auctions were not uncommon, but they were generally held in larger cities. Holding an auction in a small town like Huamen Town was indeed rare. Chapter 501: Minor Troubles Especially with the presence of level 5 puppets, rank 6 high-grade Dan medicines, and Xuan-level martial techniques, these are treasures that even some of the big city auctions would not have. Therefore, when the news of the auction in Huamen Town was released, it attracted a lot of attention in just ten short days, with almost all the forces nearby entering Huamen Town. Of course, this does not exclude some people whose rationality is covered by greed. What kind of place is the ancient domain? It is entirely based on strength. There are naturally people who have the idea of robbing the auction items. Such things have also happened in other places of the ancient domain. And when the news of the auction was released, many people were guessing which power would hold an auction in Huamen Town. The first thing many people thought of was the Flying Spirit Gate, but after thinking about it, let alone the Flying Spirit Gate, even the Ghost Martial Sect could not make such a big move. Later, when they saw that it was written as Ling Fei Sect on the auction, people no longer thought of the Flying Spirit Gate. The strength of the Flying Spirit Gate, no one would believe that a Flying Spirit Gate could make such a big move. Ten days is not a long time, but the news of the auction in Huamen Town spread very fast. Those powers that had time to come all rushed here at night. As the auction approached, more and more people from all over the ancient domain came rushing. Almost everyone is extremely interested in the rank 6 high-grade Dan medicine and the Xuan-level martial techniques. And such a level of auction is very rare to see even in big city auctions, so naturally, it attracts more and more people. Today, the auction begins, and the number of people in Huamen Town has reached a terrifying level. The dense crowd arrived outside the Ling Fei Sect from early in the morning, surrounding several main streets around the Ling Fei Sect were overcrowded, and the whole Huamen Town was packed with people. The preliminary estimate is that the number has reached no less than 200,000. When Li Lin arrived at Huamen Town, he was also greatly surprised by this crowd. It was twice as much as what Li Lin saw yesterday, a flow of 200,000 people, while the normal daily flow in Huamen Town is only about 100,000, which is now increased by half, and this half of the people should all be here for the auction. Such a lively scene did not surprise Li Lin too much. If the flow of people in Huamen Town is compared with that of Tian Jian City, then it is far behind. At the last Three Sects Four Gates conference, the number of people in Tian Jian City was counted in billions. Huamen Town is far too behind compared to Tian Jian City. Outside the Ling Fei Sect, early in the morning, stood people in tight outfits like stone pillars, each carrying a fierce aura, their bodies trembling with energy, a total of more than 500 people standing in order at the gate of the Ling Fei Sect. Feeling this momentum also made those who were queuing to enter the auction dare not make too much noise. Among the crowd, Li Lin also nodded slightly. The people of the Martial Hall, just with this momentum, can see that they are not weak. The Martial Hall managed by Huangfu Qi Song, although he has not seen it yet, is already quite satisfactory. By Li Lin''s side, Dai Daozi and other people from the Ghost Martial Sect were also looking at the people in front of the Ling Fei Sect, their eyes also showing some surprise. "What''s the meaning of this, a 40 gold coin entry fee, where does your Ling Fei Sect get off, might as well go rob." At this moment, a loud voice came from the crowd. When people''s gazes turned, a middle-aged man in blue was shouting loudly. "A 40 gold coin entry fee, if you want to enter, then enter; if not, then get lost." In front of the Ling Fei Sect, a man in a tight outfit immediately shouted back. "What a joke, this is robbery. Huamen Town is not your Ling Fei Sect''s territory, right? Today, I''m going to go in and see who dares to stop me." The middle-aged man in blue shouted. "Intruders will be killed." The man in the tight outfit shouted lightly, gesturing with his hand, and suddenly, in front of the Ling Fei Sect, those hundreds of men in tight outfits suddenly moved, bursting out with fierce auras, turning their gazes towards the middle-aged man in blue. "Who dares to act recklessly." The middle-aged man in blue was not to be outdone, and after a cold shout, more than twenty figures suddenly leaped out behind him, each shaking with a not weak aura. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Ha-ha, Master Jing, what''s going on with you?" At this moment, more than a dozen figures appeared on the scene, it was Dai Daozi and others from the Ghost Martial Sect. Li Lin followed among them, sweeping his gaze over, already knowing that the middle-aged man in blue was Jing Wenkun, the sect master of Tian Yi Men, with two martial generals and six martial souls beside him, the rest were martial masters. A few days ago, in the Misty Mountain Range, there were forces from Tian Yi Men mixed in, and they were wiped out by him in the end. "Met Sect Master Dai." Jing Wenkun and others suddenly saw Dai Daozi and others, their faces even more joyful, and then said, "Sect Master Dai, you came just in time. This Huamen Town is the territory of the Ghost Martial Sect, this Ling Fei Sect is really too presumptuous." Dai Daozi already knew about the situation and his expression changed slightly, his gaze then fell on the man in black tight outfits. "Who dares to be presumptuous in my Ling Fei Sect." A light shout came, outside the gate of the Ling Fei Sect, several figures flashed out, and when the words fell, a total of five people had already landed in the scene, their auras trembling, all with martial general cultivation, the strongest being an eighth-layer martial general. Li Lin saw in his eyes, these five people should also be from the Martial Hall, five martial generals, the highest being an eighth-layer martial general, also considered among the strong. "What is Ling Fei Sect, this place is not your Ling Fei Sect''s territory." Jing Wenkun, with Dai Daozi by his side, suddenly became more arrogant, feeling the arrival of the five martial generals, but not taking them seriously. "My Ling Fei Sect is here, then it is the territory of Ling Fei Sect. I don''t care who you are, get lost immediately, or you will be killed without mercy." The leading eighth-layer martial general snorted coldly, but his gaze swept over Dai Daozi, and he was obviously slightly stunned, already feeling the level of Dai Daozi''s cultivation. "Sect Master Li, this is your Flying Spirit Gate''s place to make decisions, you see how to handle it." Dai Daozi''s expression changed slightly, his gaze looking towards Li Lin. Jing Wenkun had already seen Li Lin, but did not pay much attention. Although he knew that three years ago, Flying Spirit Gate had destroyed Jiu Hua Sect, he was somewhat wary of Flying Spirit Gate, but did not pay much attention to Li Lin himself. Three years ago, although Li Lin shone brightly at the sect conference, he was only among the younger generation of disciples, with his six-layer martial general strength, he naturally would not take Li Lin too seriously. So when he saw Li Lin by Dai Daozi''s side, he didn''t even greet him. Li Lin''s gaze slightly raised, stepping forward slowly, this commotion also made the already crowded streets even more packed. "Sect Master Jing, what exactly is going on?" Li Lin stepped forward indifferently. "So, it''s Sect Master Li, you''ve come at the right time. I remember that this Huamen Town is managed by your Flying Spirit Gate, right? We are all family, your Huamen Town has an auction, yet you ask for an entry fee from my Tian Yi Men, is this not disregarding my Tian Yi Men, not regarding the Ghost Martial Sect, your Flying Spirit Gate is also not managing Huamen Town well, otherwise, let my Tian Yi Men manage it." Jing Wenkun looked at Li Lin, but did not take it to heart. "Does your Tian Yi Men qualify?" Suddenly, Li Lin''s expression sank, saying, "Ling Fei Sect, within my Flying Spirit Gate''s territory, has already paid enough tribute to my Flying Spirit Gate. Collecting tribute is Ling Fei Sect''s business, my Flying Spirit Gate and your Tian Yi Men are not our own people, your Tian Yi Men does not qualify. If you want to enter, pay the entry fee; if not, get lost. Making trouble on my Flying Spirit Gate''s territory, you, Jing Wenkun, are not qualified." Li Lin''s words fell, and immediately Jing Wenkun, Dai Daozi''s expressions greatly changed. Dai Daozi originally wanted Li Lin to solve the trouble of Ling Fei Sect, Tian Yi Men is an external force of the Ghost Martial Sect, he naturally wanted to protect it. "Li Lin, what did you say, I''ll give you a chance to say it again." Jing Wenkun, after all, is a sect master, being rebuked by Li Lin like this, immediately lost all face, his gaze coldly staring at Li Lin. "Jing Wenkun, you better get out of Huamen Town, otherwise, tomorrow I will destroy your Tian Yi Men." Li Lin said indifferently, his expression cold, but his gaze did not change much, a six-layer martial general, he is now not unable to kill. "Ha ha ha" Jing Wenkun immediately laughed loudly and coldly, under the watchful eyes of the public, his face could no longer hang, stopped laughing coldly, and said, "Li Lin, your Flying Spirit Gate''s guts are getting bigger and bigger, today I want to see what strength you have to speak so arrogantly." As the words fell, Jing Wenkun laughed coldly, his foot stomped down hard, his hand suddenly a stream of fire attribute true qi, like a fire python coming out of its hole, shooting towards Li Lin, not teaching this kid a lesson, how could his face come back. Dai Daozi did not stop Jing Wenkun''s move at all, his intentions are probably self-evident, also wanting to take the opportunity to understand Flying Spirit Gate. Li Lin slightly raised his eyes, a chill somehow already shot out, just as Jing Wenkun''s fire attribute true qi attack came, his foot also lightly stomped, a stream of fire attribute true qi also burst out around him, bringing up a circle of spatial ripples shaking, finally colliding with that of Jing Wenkun''s fire attribute. "Bang bang!" With a dull thunderous sound, a huge energy dispersed at the collision, the surrounding crowd was too late to retreat, many people were already affected. Chapter 502: Killing Jing Wenkun "Hmph." With a single attack, Li Lin directly countered Jing Wenkun, which surprised Jing Wenkun and made it increasingly hard for him to maintain his composure. Without thinking too much, his gaze suddenly turned icy, and his burning qi burst forth explosively. With a push of his foot, his body appeared in front of Li Lin in the blink of an eye. His fist, wrapped in tangible flames, brought a hissing sound that burned the air, and he ferociously slammed it towards Li Lin. A chill passed through Li Lin''s eyes again, and a cyclone surged under his feet. Instantly, his body left an afterimage and disappeared from its original spot, moving as swiftly as a ghost. "Chi!" Jing Wenkun''s fist, enveloped in flames, flew diagonally past Li Lin''s figure amid the astonishment of the onlookers, creating a ripple in the space that resonated with a whistling sound. Failing to hit Li Lin again, Jing Wenkun''s expression grew even darker. His fists circled back, and with the flames roaring, he suddenly felt Li Lin''s presence behind him and smashed his fist without hesitation. The space inside rippled instantly, opening up like a vortex. The strike of a sixth-tier martial general was indeed terrifying. As everyone was once again astonished, Li Lin''s figure had just appeared behind Jing Wenkun when a fist mark came crashing down, landing squarely on Li Lin with incredible speed. "Bang!" A loud noise erupted in the air, and Li Lin was smashed to pieces. Many were shocked, expecting a scene of bones scattered and blood splattered everywhere. However, at that moment, there was no such scene as anticipated. Li Lin''s figure exploded and then vanished. "It was an afterimage." Jing Wenkun had just sneered, only to realize at that moment that he had only hit an afterimage. The opponent''s speed was too fast, and in an instant, Jing Wenkun felt the air behind him solidify, sending a chill down his spine. "Acting recklessly in my Flying Spirit Gate, seeking death." As a voice filled with killing intent spread, everyone''s gaze saw Li Lin''s figure appearing behind Jing Wenkun just as he smashed his fist on the afterimage. "Shoo!" Unknown when, Li Lin''s hands were clad in white jade silk gloves. With true qi infused, the sharp gloves were enveloped by dense fire attribute qi, with flames dancing seductively like ghostly claws. Suddenly, the extremely sharp claw mark, with a fiercely hot momentum, tore through the air, leaving a blurred crimson claw mark afterimage in mid-air. In that instant, under the watchful eyes of everyone, the claw mark plunged directly into Jing Wenkun''s head with the speed of lightning. "Crack, crack!" A bone-chilling sound of bones breaking echoed instantly. In that moment, Jing Wenkun''s skull completely shattered, and the contents of his head spurted out. Jing Wenkun didn''t even have the chance to scream before he fell dead. Li Lin retracted the white jade silk gloves, his figure landing in the arena, without giving the corpse another glance, said, "Jing Wenkun of Tian Yi Sect dared to strike at me, within three days, my Flying Spirit Gate will annihilate Tian Yi Sect." "Who''s causing trouble here?" The crowd stirred, and only then a large group from Flying Spirit Gate arrived, led by Huang Boran and Zhang Mingtao. "Disciples pay respects to the Sect Master." Upon seeing the Sect Master, Huang Boran and Zhang Mingtao immediately greeted him with a salute, followed by a respectful salute from dozens of Flying Spirit Gate disciples. "Zhang Mingtao, Huang Boran, notify the elders and protectors in the sect, Tian Yi Sect dared to provoke our Flying Spirit Gate, immediately lead people to annihilate Tian Yi Sect," Li Lin ordered. "Yes, Sect Master," Zhang Mingtao and Huang Boran responded. All this left the surrounding crowd in surprise, not yet recovered from their astonishment. Even the martial generals from various martial halls were stunned. Ordinary disciples did not know that the martial halls were established by Flying Spirit Gate, and only a few people within each hall knew about the relationship between the halls and Flying Spirit Gate, for secrecy. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Ghost Martial Sect''s Dai Daozi and others'' expressions changed drastically at this moment. Li Lin''s instant killing of Jing Wenkun, and his intent to annihilate Tian Yi Sect, was done right in front of Ghost Martial Sect''s Sect Master, clearly showing no regard for Ghost Martial Sect. Dai Daozi had a chance to save Jing Wenkun but was shocked by Li Lin''s strength and wanted to see if Li Lin really dared to kill Jing Wenkun and disregard Ghost Martial Sect. With Jing Wenkun dead, Dai Daozi realized that Flying Spirit Gate truly no longer saw Ghost Martial Sect as a concern. "Brother, are you alright? This person dared to attack Brother; dying like this is too easy for him." Li Xin Tong approached Li Lin, her bright eyes glaring at Jing Wenkun''s corpse on the ground, without any discomfort. Having practiced poison arts and witnessed Li Lin''s killings three years ago, Li Xin Tong, though only thirteen, had a tempered will; such bloodshed naturally did not affect her, unlike Yan Qi and Bai Shasha, who could hardly bear to look. "Sect Master Dai, the auction has started, let''s go." Li Lin could feel Dai Daozi''s mood, probably feeling uncomfortable, which was exactly what he wanted, or else why would he find an excuse to act against the forces around him? As Li Lin finished speaking, he led Li Xin Tong, Li Xiao Bai, and others towards the interior of Ling Fei Sect. "So, it''s the Sect Master of Flying Spirit Gate, we''ve reserved seats for everyone." The eighth-tier martial general greeted Li Lin, instantly killing the Sect Master of Tian Yi Sect and directly threatening to annihilate Tian Yi Sect, showcasing a terrifying aura that even unsettled several martial generals. "Lead the way," Li Lin said lightly, ignoring Ghost Martial Sect and others, and followed the black-clothed martial general into the auction. "Sect Master, Flying Spirit Gate is too presumptuous." Watching Li Lin''s back as he entered Ling Fei Sect, a Ghost Martial Sect elder coldly said. "Let''s go," Dai Daozi lightly said, his gaze slightly sighing, signaling the Ghost Martial Sect elder not to say more. His expression had become serious. Everything Li Lin had done made him realize the worst-case scenario; Flying Spirit Gate was clearly provoking Ghost Martial Sect, and even if he acted now, it would likely only complicate matters further without absolute strength, how could Flying Spirit Gate provoke them in front of him? The remaining Tian Yi Sect members had already disappeared without a trace amidst the chaos. Among the onlookers, some were familiar with Tian Yi Sect and were shocked by the turn of events. "If you want to enter the auction, hurry up; it''s about to start. The entry fee is forty gold coins. Those who don''t want to enter, please leave early. Those who cause trouble will be killed without mercy," a black-clothed person announced loudly. The square suddenly became unusually quiet for a few seconds. With even martial generals being killed, who would dare to cause trouble? "Is that young man in the green robe the Sect Master of Flying Spirit Gate?" "His strength is formidable. Jing Wenkun was a powerful figure in his own right, yet he was killed in a single move." "He had it coming. Three years ago, Flying Spirit Gate annihilated both the Luo Sha Sect and the Jiu Hua Sect. Now that Tian Yi Sect has provoked them, it''s time for Tian Yi Sect to be wiped out." Amidst the crowd''s discussions, Li Lin had already been led by the eighth-tier martial general into the auction. A spacious auction hall appeared before Li Lin, massive in size and spanning two floors. The first floor was ten meters high, surrounding a large stone platform that stretched and wound around thirty rows of seats, extending to the second floor like a spiral staircase. Just the first floor alone, Li Lin estimated, could seat fifteen to sixteen thousand people. "Sect Master Li, your seats are on the second floor." The eighth-tier martial general led Li Lin to the second floor, which could accommodate four to five thousand people. The very front was reserved for some powerful sects, each area fixed and capable of accommodating about twenty people. "Sect Master Li, these front boxes are prepared for some powerful sects, each costing fifty thousand gold coins." The eighth-tier martial general led Li Lin to one of the front boxes and, with a meaningful bow, then left. "Fifty thousand gold coins." Li Lin was stunned for a moment. He had asked Huangfu Qisong to charge one thousand gold coins per seat the night before, not expecting Huangfu Qisong to charge so much. That was a box of twenty seats, originally twenty thousand gold coins, now increased to fifty thousand, more than doubling. The entry fee outside, originally stated as twenty, was now forty, significantly more expensive than before. Li Lin smiled wryly, realizing he really wasn''t ruthless enough. By this time, Li Lin''s gaze surveying the surroundings, the second floor was already filled with no fewer than three thousand people, with more people still making their way up. Looking down at the hall below, the vast hall was gradually filled to the brim, a sea of people, their noisy chatter merging together, making the auction lively with voices. "Lin''er, you''ve acted a bit early with your intimidation. The Ghost Martial Sect might start paying attention to Flying Spirit Gate ahead of time." As Li Lin, Li Xin Tong, and Li Xiao Bai settled down, a voice transmission from Ghost Fairy reached Li Lin''s ears. Li Lin looked around but did not see Ghost Fairy Bai Ying''s figure. "Kid, stop looking. I''m on the second floor. You''ve attracted quite a few powerful old ghosts here today. Looks like there will be some excitement to watch," the voice transmission from Poison Handsome Dong WuMing reached Li Lin''s ears. Chapter 503: The Auction Begins Li Lin''s heart skipped a beat, and his gaze swiftly shifted towards his surroundings. On this second floor, he could faintly sense many restrained and hidden auras, indicating that this auction had truly attracted a number of powerful figures. Among those Li Lin observed on the second floor, many people automatically grouped together. At a glance, it was clear there were many factions present, with martial generals appearing to be everywhere. Among them, several men and women also caught Li Lin''s attention, as they were all at the level of spiritual generals. Martial generals and spiritual generals, practitioners of such levels, are not commonly seen in Huamen Town, yet there are quite a few present at this auction. Li Lin sighed inwardly. The ancient domain was indeed not simple, a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, with no shortage of powerful individuals. A single auction had attracted so many. "Qianshan Sect." On the left side, Li Lin saw several familiar figures, who were people from the Qianshan Sect. The Qianshan Sect, along with Jiuhua Sect, Tianyi Sect, and Luosha Sect, were all peripheral forces of the Ghost Martial Sect. At this moment, the grandson of the Qianshan Sect''s leader, Sun Yishan, was together with several elders from the sect. The people from Qianshan Sect were whispering among themselves, their topics unknown. "Greetings to Sect Leader Dai." In a blink of an eye, Dai Daozi and others also entered the second floor, for whom Li Lin had already arranged seating. Upon seeing Dai Daozi and his party, the people from Qianshan Sect immediately went up to greet them. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, both parties separated, and Dai Daozi and his group sat in a square area next to Li Lin. "Sect Leader Dai, I hope you are satisfied with this seat. I specifically reserved it for you from the Lingfei Sect." Li Lin smiled slightly, seemingly forgetting the incident where he had killed Jing Wenkun, blatantly disregarding the Ghost Martial Sect. "Thank you, Brother Lin, for arranging this." Dai Daozi replied with a light smile, appearing unconcerned about the previous events, though it was obvious to everyone. "It''s only right, I, as a host from Lingfei Sect, should offer hospitality," said Li Lin. As time passed, the second floor became almost crowded. Li Lin noticed several individuals with the strength of martial commanders among the crowd, and there were even more martial generals. The entire auction hall was packed. "Buzz!" In the bustling auction hall, a melodious bell sound suddenly rang out, and under its influence, the noise gradually subsided until it was completely silent. At this moment, all eyes involuntarily turned towards the large stone platform in the middle, everyone waiting for the auction to begin. Under the gaze of thousands, dozens of individuals dressed in tight outfits slowly stepped out, totaling over eighty people, emerging from within the auction. Each one of them was at the level of martial souls, and they positioned themselves around the central stone platform. Eighty martial souls, such strength, made many forces within the auction take notice. Li Lin nodded slightly, satisfied with the strength of the Martial Hall, now a sharp tool in the hands of Lingfei Sect. Then, from an exit below the auction stage, two figures slowly emerged, moving gracefully under the gaze of countless eyes to the stone platform, their presence clear to all twenty thousand attendees. Both women were extremely beautiful, with about a sixty percent resemblance between them. One had hair like clouds and mist, charming and graceful, while the other was elegant and refreshing. Both were undoubtedly stunning. "Isn''t that the Guiying Luosha sisters, Ye Fei?" Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. "Guiying Luosha actually belongs to Lingfei Sect. No wonder there''s been no news of Guiying Luosha for three years. They''ve joined Lingfei Sect." As the crowd discussed, the two women stood gracefully on the platform, smiling and scanning the crowd. Their gaze unintentionally lingered a bit longer on Li Lin. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for attending Lingfei Sect''s auction. We believe the items on auction today will satisfy everyone. However, the best is yet to come. We sisters will start with some common items as a warm-up. Please bid actively and don''t let us sisters down." Ye Fei smiled lightly, her stunning beauty making it hard for anyone to look away. As she finished speaking, Ye Mei took out a brocade box, which when opened, revealed a pill exuding a rich medicinal fragrance. "This is a basic pill, the Vein Protection Pill, effective in strengthening meridians. I believe everyone here knows its value, so I won''t elaborate further. Starting at one million gold coins, each bid increment is one hundred thousand gold coins. Please start bidding." "1.1 million gold coins." "1.2 million gold coins." ... Following Ye Fei''s announcement, bids started coming in, the first item itself being a fifth-grade pill, which raised expectations for what was to come. A fifth-grade pill was already quite extraordinary. "1.7 million gold coins, any higher?" said the Guiying Luosha in a delicate voice. "1.7 million gold coins, sold." After a round of bidding, the Vein Protection Pill was sold for 1.7 million gold coins, surprising Li Lin. Normally, this pill would go for no more than 1.2 million gold coins. It seemed that auctioning was indeed the way to get the highest price for a pill. However, Li Lin also recognized the role played by the Guiying Luosha sisters. If it had been Ouyang Lengji and Jiang Yuan Guan conducting the auction, the price would have likely been much lower. The Guiying Luosha sisters then brought out many extraordinary items for auction, including fifth-grade pills, weapons, rare medicinal herbs, and yellow-level martial arts. Li Lin guessed that these items were likely obtained by Ye Fei from Liu Yishou. As the bidding went on, items that were worth one million gold coins were sold for hundreds of thousands more, making Li Lin decide that more auctions should be held in the future. In a blink of an eye, more than a dozen extraordinary items were auctioned, bringing the total to around thirty million gold coins, a significant amount. The atmosphere in the auction hall was buzzing with excitement, and Bai Sasa and other women were also eagerly watching, seemingly wanting to bid. "Ladies and gentlemen, it''s time for today''s highlight, a fifth-level intermediate puppet, crafted from a living person. It can activate the martial skills of its previous life. Imprint it with a soul mark, and it will be your most loyal bodyguard, never betraying its master. Its strength is enough to kill martial generals of the fifth or sixth level." As Guiying Luosha finished speaking, a dark green puppet appeared on the platform from a storage ring, its surface shimmering with energy flows, containing immense power. Those of lower cultivation levels felt a strong oppressive force upon seeing this puppet. "It''s truly a fifth-level puppet. The person who could craft such a puppet is no ordinary individual." "This is not just any puppet; it''s crafted from a living person, extremely cruel. However, such puppets are the most powerful, though certainly not cheap." Seeing the puppet, Li Lin''s gaze swept across the hall, noticing that many powerful individuals were focused on it. A fifth-level intermediate puppet was more valuable than a fifth-grade pill, equivalent to having a martial general of the fifth or sixth level by one''s side, its value self-evident. "A fifth-level intermediate puppet, starting at twenty million gold coins, with a minimum bid increment of three hundred thousand gold coins." As Guiying Luosha''s voice fell, the hall fell into a brief silence, the starting price of twenty million gold coins beyond the reach of ordinary people. "21 million gold coins." After a moment, a voice from the second floor, presumably from a powerful faction, made the first bid. Li Lin''s gaze followed, estimating it to be a formidable force. "21.3 million gold coins." ... With the first bid, more bids followed, mainly from people on the second floor, the price beyond what ordinary individuals could afford. After a few minutes, the price of the fifth-level intermediate puppet had risen to thirty-nine million gold coins. Finally, a martial general of the ninth level from the second floor won the puppet for thirty-nine million gold coins. Li Lin was very satisfied with this price, higher than his own estimate by several million gold coins. "Next, we will auction what everyone has been eagerly anticipating, the sixth-grade high-level pill, the Spirit Nourishing King Pill." As Ye Fei spoke, she blinked, and two brocade boxes appeared in her hands, scanning the crowd. Her smile slightly faded as she continued, "A sixth-grade high-level pill, the Spirit Nourishing King Pill, greatly benefits spirit practitioners and martial artists in breaking through to the Martial King or Spirit King levels. An absolute treasure, its value cannot be measured in gold coins, but today, Lingfei Sect is auctioning two Spirit Nourishing King Pills." As Guiying Luosha finished speaking, the brocade boxes opened, releasing a dense medicinal energy that filled the entire auction hall. In that instant, Li Lin suddenly felt numerous hidden auras on the second floor stirring, seemingly many were here specifically for the Spirit Nourishing King Pill. Chapter 504: One Billion Gold Coins "The auction for the first sixth-grade high-tier Nourishing Spirit Transformation Pill starts now, with a starting price of 70 million gold coins. Each bid must be at least 500,000 gold coins higher." As Gui Ying Luo Sha''s voice fell, countless gazes were fixed on the brocade box in his hand. A sixth-grade high-tier medicinal pill, its value definitely could not be measured in gold coins. Now, someone was auctioning it off, and some even thought that the Ling Fei Sect was foolish. "75 million gold coins." Above on the second floor, the bidder was Dai Daozi, directly raising the bid to 75 million gold coins. Li Lin glanced sideways, surprised that Dai Daozi was also interested in the Nourishing Spirit Transformation Pill. This pill was indeed good, beneficial for breaking through to the Martial King and Spirit King levels, but Li Lin knew that the effect of this pill in this aspect was not as good as the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit. Anyway, he didn''t need it, but the energy contained in this Nourishing Spirit Transformation Pill was of great use to him. "76 million gold coins." ... Following Dai Daozi''s bid, the bidding voices immediately surged one after another on the second floor. The few people Li Lin had been observing, suspected to be Martial Generals in terms of cultivation, all started bidding. And now, the huge price meant that not many people in the entire auction could afford to bid. Those who did bid were usually from some powerful factions. Li Lin took the opportunity to probe these powers, which seemed to be located not too far from the ancient domain''s edge; too far, and they couldn''t make it to Hua Men Town. "93 million gold coins." Ten minutes later, the price of the Nourishing Spirit Transformation Pill was raised to 93 million. Li Lin wasn''t too surprised by this price. For those in need, the value of the Nourishing Spirit Transformation Pill could hardly be measured in gold coins. If it weren''t for Ling Fei Sect''s current need for gold coins, Li Lin himself wouldn''t have auctioned off a sixth-grade high-tier medicinal pill, which was quite wasteful. But now, for the development of Ling Fei Sect, he could only be wasteful once, and it would be manageable after some time. Secretly sizing up those suspected Martial General powerhouses, Li Lin frowned slightly. It would be great if he could recruit them into Ling Fei Sect, but that was obviously difficult. In this bidding war, the first Nourishing Spirit Transformation Pill was eventually sold for 103 million gold coins. It seemed that a few more people wanted to raise the bid but might have refrained due to financial reasons, all appearing disheartened. As the second Nourishing Spirit Transformation Pill was presented, the frenzied bidding surprised Li Lin again. Knowing there were two pills, many had set their sights on the second one, considering the first merely a test of the waters. The price of the second Nourishing Spirit Transformation Pill quickly soared to 110 million and continued to skyrocket. This brought a smile to Li Lin''s face, as the price had exceeded his expectations. With these gold coins, Ling Fei Sect''s recent development would be sufficient, and it was expected that some of the medicinal materials in Ling Fei Commerce had also been dealt with by Liu Yishou. These numbers, ranging from tens of millions to hundreds of millions, although Li Xiao Bai had been greatly enlightened recently, he was still somewhat surprised at the moment. The price surged again, causing Gui Ying Luo Sha Ye Fei on the stone platform to glance at Li Lin with a smile, seemingly intentional. "150 million gold coins," declared an elder in a red robe among the crowd on the second floor. "150.05 million gold coins," Dai Daozi gritted his teeth and bid. "160 million," stated an elder in plain clothes without any aura. This kind of pricing immediately delighted those who had just auctioned the Nourishing Spirit Transformation Pill, as the difference was several tens of millions of gold coins. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The price of 160 million was indeed astonishing. Although the Nourishing Spirit Transformation Pill could not be measured in gold coins, the price was too high for Dai Daozi to raise further, especially since this was a sixth-grade high-tier medicinal pill. Rare as it might be, there was a limit to what one was willing to pay. The Nourishing Spirit Transformation Pill was eventually bought by the elder in plain clothes for 160 million gold coins. Li Lin sized up this elder in plain clothes, definitely a Martial General powerhouse, though his exact level was unclear, but he must not be just any Martial General. "That''s Old Man Lu Shan, an eight-fold Martial General. I''ve had a few encounters with him in the past," seemingly knowing that Li Lin was observing the elder in plain clothes, Ghost Fairy Bai Ying''s voice transmission reached Li Lin''s ears. "Eight-fold Martial General." Li Lin was taken aback, indeed, there were many strong figures here. There were not a few Martial Generals on the second floor; no wonder Uncle Jiang and Yun Xiao Tian and others had told him not to underestimate the ancient domain. With the purchase of the Nourishing Spirit Transformation Pill for 160 million gold coins, many eyes were also on the elder in plain clothes, but he did not respond to the outside world''s gaze at all. Li Lin''s gaze inadvertently saw Dai Daozi appearing quite disappointed. The two stunningly beautiful ladies on the stone platform, seeing the high price of the Nourishing Spirit Transformation Pill, also revealed smiles. Both involuntarily looked towards Li Lin on the second floor. However, Li Lin just glanced over and did not linger on the two women. His gaze seemed to inadvertently make both women flash a hint of dimness in their eyes, especially Gui Ying Luo Sha Ye Fei. She couldn''t understand why any man looking at her wouldn''t take a few more glances. Only this sect leader, young as he was, seemed not to show much interest in her. Her eyebrows couldn''t help but slightly darken, then she turned her gaze back to the surroundings, saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, the next item for auction is a set of fire-element Xuan-level beginner martial techniques, Red Lotus Chi Flame." Saying this, Gui Ying Luo Sha Ye Fei gently raised her hand, and a jade slip emanating fire attribute energy was immediately held up. Looking at that jade slip, all eyes in the auction became much hotter. Many were already clenching their fists, ready to make it their own. Xuan-level beginner martial techniques, even a sixth-grade high-tier medicinal pill could not compare. "This is definitely a Xuan-level beginner martial technique. Everyone can bid with confidence," Gui Ying Luo Sha Ye Fei chuckled, her smile charming and seductive, immediately causing many men to secretly swallow their saliva, almost bleeding from the nose. However, those who had heard of Gui Ying Luo Sha didn''t dare to look more, as Gui Ying Luo Sha Ye Fei also had a certain reputation in the ancient domain. Underneath her stunning appearance, she was absolutely decisive and efficient in action. "This Xuan-level beginner martial technique will now be auctioned. You should know that auctioning a Xuan-level beginner martial technique is extremely rare. Don''t miss out!" Gui Ying Luo Sha Ye Fei smiled again, then said, "The starting price is 300 million gold coins, with each bid at least 5 million gold coins higher. Let''s start now." Gui Ying Luo Sha Ye Fei directly set the price at 300 million gold coins, knowing well that this was just for show. This Xuan-level beginner martial technique already had an owner. 300 million gold coins, the price announced by Gui Ying Luo Sha Ye Fei, immediately silenced the auction hall, followed by a bid increase. "301 million gold coins." "301.5 million gold coins." "302 million." After a moment of silence, the venue suddenly became noisy again. Bid after bid, all from powerful figures concealing their auras. Judging from the feeling, they were all Martial Generals. With the appearance of this Xuan-level beginner martial technique, Li Lin discovered at least a dozen suspected Martial Generals. Hearing the rising prices, Li Lin was surprised and could only marvel at the fervor for the Xuan-level beginner martial technique, obviously far exceeding his expectations. It seems the allure of the Xuan-level beginner martial technique was indeed great. "450 million..." A high bid was made, and the venue quieted down again... "500 million gold coins." Just moments later, a robust voice came from the crowd on the first floor, it was Li Chi Zheng. "505 million," Dai Daozi gritted his teeth nearby. "600 million gold coins," Li Chi Zheng glared at Dai Daozi and directly bid 600 million. "605 million gold coins," Dai Daozi bit back. "700 million gold coins," Li Chi Zheng was not afraid. This fire-element Xuan-level beginner martial technique was already his, how could it fall into others'' hands? After all, he didn''t have to pay the final gold coins himself, so the price could be raised arbitrarily. Dai Daozi''s expression turned unpleasant at this point. His 5 million increase was met with a direct 100 million increase from the other side, completely disregarding him. This was a huge blow to his face, especially since many in the auction knew him. Losing face like this was a big deal. "800 million." On the second floor, another bid came from a man in his forties that Li Lin hadn''t noticed before. The price of 800 million gold coins made Li Lin take notice; the price was terrifying. This Xuan-level martial technique was indeed not ordinary. "1 billion gold coins." Li Chi Zheng seemed unafraid of making a big deal, directly bidding 1 billion gold coins, silencing the crowd again. "1 billion gold coins, any higher bids?" Gui Ying Luo Sha Ye Fei smiled slightly, scanning the crowd before saying, "Sold for 1 billion gold coins." Chapter 505: Taking Action Dai Daozi''s gaze fiercely fixed on Li Zhengchi on the first floor, his eyes darkening. He couldn''t produce ten billion gold coins on his own, and it was clear that the person below was deliberately opposing him. As everyone was amazed by the ten billion gold coins, Guiying Luosha Ye Fei once again produced a jade slip in his hand that was imbued with the energy of the Earth attribute. Looking at the jade slip, the attention of the entire auction became even more fervent. "Today''s last set of Earth attribute Xuan-level beginner martial arts starts at three billion gold coins," Guiying Luosha Ye Fei said with a light laugh. After a brief silence in the venue, the bidding voices resumed, incessantly. In a very short period of time, the bid for the Xuan-level beginner Earth attribute martial arts was raised to nine billion gold coins. "Thirteen billion gold coins." A loud shout came through, and within the crowd, Tiequan Huangfu Qisong blended in and bid thirteen billion gold coins directly. For a moment, no one else made an offer. Thirteen billion gold coins were already beyond what ordinary forces could afford. Dai Daozi, beside Li Lin, was again so angry that he was blowing his beard and staring. The price exceeded his tolerance. He didnt get anything from the auction, and one could imagine how he felt. With the last auction item thrown out, the auction also came to an end. The Guiying Luosha sisters had already stepped down from the stone platform and were out of sight. The auctioned items were already arranged for collection upon payment. Li Lin pursed his lips and smiled. This auction was undoubtedly a success, and it was feared that after the results of this auction were spread, Huamentown would become even busier. "Brother Lin''er, we''ll take our leave first. Sorry for any trouble caused, and when you have time, do visit my Ghost Martial Sect," Dai Daozi stood up and then said to Li Lin. "Definitely, definitely. I will surely visit the Ghost Martial Sect next time," Li Lin said lightly. After bidding farewell, Dai Daozi hurriedly left with the people of the Ghost Martial Sect. Li Lin''s lips curved into a smile, guessing Dai Daozi and his people had things to busy themselves with after returning. "Sect Master, Flying Spirit Sect intends to annihilate Tianyi Sect, what should we do?" Outside the auction, the people from the Ghost Martial Sect hurried out, and a Ghost Martial Sect elder immediately said to Dai Daozi. "Let''s go back and discuss," Dai Daozi''s expression darkened. After the auction, within a small hall, nine figures sat, with Li Lin, Huisoul Poison General Dong WuMing, Ghost Fairy Bai Ying, and others at the head. The rest included Guiying Luosha Ye Fei, the Ye sisters, Tiequan Huangfu Qisong, Li Chi Zheng, along with Ouyang Lengji and Kang Zi Yun all among them. As for Jiang Yuan Guan, he continued to guard the edge of the Misty Mountain Range and did not attend today''s auction. "Sect Master, is Tianyi Sect really going to be annihilated?" Ghost Fairy Bai Ying asked Li Lin. "Of course, it will be annihilated. Let''s foster growth through battle; otherwise, Flying Spirit Sect''s territory won''t be able to support its development any longer," Li Lin said lightly. Li Lin had long thought about it; Flying Spirit Sect only had two small towns, and no matter how much strength was stored, it was far from enough. They could only strive for more territory. "Sect Master, let our Martial Hall take care of Tianyi Sect. It''s time for our Martial Hall''s disciples to show their faces. Each of them has been trained by me to be eager for battle, and annihilating Tianyi Sect will be easy," Huangfu Qisong said, his attitude much improved after obtaining a Xuan-level beginner martial technique. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. "Sect Master Huangfu, I will personally take care of Tianyi Sect. Tonight, you will take a thousand elite troops to Qianshan Sect, and by tomorrow, I want you to flatten Qianshan Sect without any mistakes," Li Lin''s gaze suddenly became serious as he looked at Huangfu Qisong. As Li Lin became serious, a pressure slowly spread, not from strength, but from his very being, a suffocating pressure that made everyone in the small hall, including Ouyang Lengji, Huangfu Qisong, and Ye Fei, feel oppressed. This pressure, which seemed naturally domineering, as if stemming from one''s bones, had grown alongside Li Lin''s strength and Flying Spirit Sect''s expansion. Previously constrained by circumstances, Li Lin was no longer the insignificant wastrel of the past; his domineering aura was now increasingly evident. "Who told you to ride horses?" Li Lin said with a slight smile: "Starting today, your Martial Hall will be equipped with three hundred second-tier flying beasts and thirty third-tier flying beasts. Is that enough?" "Three hundred flying beasts, Sect Master, are you joking?" Huangfu Qisong and Li Chi Zheng were immediately surprised. Having three hundred flying beasts was something ordinary sects couldn''t dream of, and Flying Spirit Sect hadn''t been known to possess any flying beasts. "Take my token, by evening, Shi Hui should bring the flying beasts to you. From now on, Shi Hui will stay with your Martial Hall to help you manage the beasts," Li Lin handed a white token to Huangfu Qisong, which he had made a few days ago. "Shi Hui," Huangfu Qisong''s expression darkened, "Sect Master, are you talking about the Stone Ape King in the Misty Mountain Range? It''s said to have reached the mid-fifth tier in strength." "Correct, Shi Hui has been subdued by me. I''ve arranged for it to wait at the edge of the Misty Mountain Range this evening, along with three hundred thirty flying beasts. From now on, your Martial Hall will be responsible for them," Li Lin said lightly, having instructed Shi Hui before leaving the Misty Mountain Range. "Sect Master, you''ve subdued the Stone Ape King?" Huangfu Qisong was astonished. "What''s so surprising about that? The Nine-Headed Yao Jiao has become Dong''s mount. From now on, the beasts in the Misty Mountain Range will be Flying Spirit Sect''s strength," Li Lin said lightly. Hearing Li Lin''s words, Kang Zi Yun, the Guiying Luosha Ye sisters, Huangfu Qisong, and Li Chi Zheng were all astonished. "Sect Master, with flying beasts, we can reach Qianshan Sect overnight and annihilate them by tomorrow," Huangfu Qisong said excitedly. With flying beasts, his Martial Hall''s strength would be significantly enhanced. "Sect Master, the former base of Jiu Hua Sect is now a sub-branch of Ghost Martial Sect, right?" Li Lin turned to Li Chi Zheng and asked. "Sect Master, are you planning to annihilate even the sub-branch of Ghost Martial Sect?" Li Chi Zheng said. "Take five hundred men, ride the flying beasts, and rush to the sub-branch of Ghost Martial Sect at the former base of Jiu Hua Sect overnight. Completely uproot Ghost Martial Sect''s sub-branch. If you can capture any Martial Generals and Spirit Generals alive, do so. I have a use for them," Li Lin said. "Yes, Sect Master," Li Chi Zheng replied. "Sect Master, you''ve planned this all along, haven''t you?" Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said lightly. "Yes," Li Lin nodded, having planned everything in advance. The arrangement with Shi Hui to prepare the flying beasts was all part of the plan, though Tianyi Sect was an unexpected factor. Originally, Li Lin thought to cause trouble during the auction, providing an excuse to eliminate one of them. "Now that we''re fully confronting Ghost Martial Sect, they will retaliate against Flying Spirit Sect. Although we''re not afraid, losing eight hundred to kill a thousand is a loss for Flying Spirit Sect at this stage," Huisoul Poison General Dong WuMing said lightly. "No, Ghost Martial Sect can wait. With the Martial Hall annihilating Qianshan Sect and Ghost Martial Sect''s sub-branch, Ghost Martial Sect will be too busy dealing with these mysterious forces to pay attention to Flying Spirit Sect," Li Lin revealed a cold smile. Ouyang Lengji, Huangfu Qisong, and Ye Fei exchanged looks, their expressions changing. They couldn''t help but see their Sect Master in a new light. "Sect Master, we''ll go make arrangements now," Huangfu Qisong and Li Chi Zheng said. "If you two are leaving, let Dong and Sister Ying see you off. Otherwise, you''ll have no small amount of trouble," Li Lin said, having finished giving instructions, his lips curling into a smile, a stark contrast to his serious demeanor just moments ago. This left everyone in the small hall puzzled again. The Sect Master was indeed no simple character; the aura he exuded had made them feel pressured. At this moment, Huangfu Qisong and Li Chi Zheng were confused. Huangfu Qisong said, "Sect Master, is there someone who dares to block my way?" "It''s not about blocking you, but robbing you. Although you two have obtained Xuan-level beginner martial techniques, you''ve been marked by several Martial Generals. As soon as you leave Huamentown, someone will make a move on you," Li Lin said with a laugh, having noticed many Martial Generals eyeing Huangfu Qisong and Li Chi Zheng during the auction, their gazes far from friendly. In the ancient domain, such incidents were not uncommon. Chapter 506: Green Fire Old Ghost "Hmph, I want to see who has such audacity. Let them taste my iron fist," Huangfu QiSong said coldly, a chill spreading out from him. "Hall Master Huangfu, you must not be careless. Do you really think you can contend with Old Man Lushan''s strength?" Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said. "Old Man Lushan, it''s this old ghost." Huangfu QiSong''s face changed instantly, showing extreme wariness towards Old Man Lushan. His expression became somber as he said, "How come this old ghost has also come." "It''s not just Old Man Lushan. The Green Fire Old Ghost has also come. Their target is likely Deputy Hall Master Li''s fire-element Xuan-level beginner martial technique," Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said. "What, this old ghost has come too." Li Chi''s face immediately darkened. "It''s just that these two are the strongest. The others are not worth worrying about," HuiHun DuShuai Dong WuMing said lightly. Outside the auction, when Li Lin went out, Li XiaoBai was leading Li XinTong and others into the Flying Spirit Trade Company not far away. "Sect Master, half of the medicinal materials have been dealt with, and the price is good. The Foggy Mountain Range has been sealed off, and now there''s a shortage of medicinal materials, so the price of all medicinal materials is rising daily," Liu Yi reported to Li Lin in a small hall of the Flying Spirit Trade Company. "Just proceed as planned," Li Lin said. A moment later, after giving a few instructions to Liu Yi and Li XiaoBai, Li Lin left the Flying Spirit Trade Company with Li XinTong, Bai ShaSha, Yan Qi, and Fang XinQi. On the back of a Snow Lion with Heavenly Wings, Bai ShaSha and the two ladies were still discussing the auction, showing great interest. Li Lin''s gaze was fixed on the distant horizon. On a vast mountain range, Li Lin smiled slightly and commanded the Snow Lion with Heavenly Wings to enter the mountains. A moment later, in Li Lin''s gaze, two figures appeared in the distance before the mountains, none other than Iron Fist Huangfu QiSong and Li Chi. Commanding the Snow Lion with Heavenly Wings to hover still, Li Lin''s gaze was fixed on the distance, expecting a good show soon. Huangfu QiSong and Li Chi had attracted quite a few powerhouses. Under normal circumstances, Li Lin would not dare to come and watch, but now knowing that HuiHun DuShuai Dong WuMing and Ghost Fairy Bai Ying were nearby, he felt not much in danger. This scene of robbing treasures was something he could witness. In the mountains, it was a hot summer afternoon, and the scorching sun was enveloping the sky above, leaving the trees in the mountain range somewhat wilted. "Come out if you''re here," Huangfu QiSong looked up into the sky in the mountains. At this moment, a sudden sound of breaking wind echoed, and space ripples swayed as five streaks of light came like lightning. When the light receded, five figures appeared in mid-air, each looking at the others, their expressions changing slightly. "Old Man Lushan." "Green Fire Old Ghost." When the three''s gaze met the other two, they were first stunned, then surprised. "The Xuan-level beginner martial technique is not something anyone can touch. Those not strong enough, leave now, or face death," one of the figures in plain clothes said coldly, a sinister aura emanating from his eyes. The three hesitated slightly, then swiftly left. Instantly, only two figures remained in the sky, the plain-clothed elder and a thin elder in a green and red robe, who looked skeletal, with bulging eyes and skin clinging to bones, giving off a ghostly aura. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "Lushan, you''re not dead yet." The sinister elder said to the plain-clothed one, his tone icy as if from the netherworld. "Green Fire Old Ghost, neither are you. You cultivate fire, I cultivate earth. One for each, how about we don''t interfere with each other?" the plain-clothed elder proposed. "Fine, one for each, we''ll stay out of each other''s way," the sinister elder seemed to agree, and at this moment, they did not consider Iron Fist Huangfu QiSong and others below them a threat. "Ha ha, Old Man Lushan, Green Fire Old Ghost, you guys discuss it. We''ll leave you to it," Iron Fist Huangfu QiSong laughed, and with that, he and Li Chi leaped into the air and left. "Hmph, where do you think you''re going?" the sinister elder shouted, his qi bursting out. "Green Fire Old Ghost, it''s not your turn to be arrogant here." At that moment, a sharp voice rang out, and suddenly, a white streak of light appeared in the sky ahead, revealing a lady in a white plain dress with a beautiful face that had a mature charm, and the aura emanating from her body made both the Green Fire Old Ghost and Old Man Lushan look surprised. "Ghost Fairy Bai Ying, it''s you!" In that instant, Old Man Lushan, who was about to chase after Huangfu QiSong and Li Chi, stopped dead in his tracks, shocked at the sight of Ghost Fairy Bai Ying. "You''re Ghost Fairy Bai Ying." At this time, the Green Fire Old Ghost''s expression also changed, his gaze becoming solemn. "Green Fire Old Ghost, those two are mine. If you dare touch them, I''ll flatten your lair," Ghost Fairy warned, her beautiful face showing a coldness that was absolutely chilling. "So it''s Ghost Fairy''s people. I''ll leave first, we''ll meet again." The Green Fire Old Ghost''s face twitched, and he left in an instant. "Eh, Snow Lion with Heavenly Wings." At this moment, a light exclamation sounded, and the Green Fire Old Ghost''s figure appeared above the Snow Lion with Heavenly Wings. "Kid, the Snow Lion with Heavenly Wings is mine now. You can leave, and I''ll spare your lives," the Green Fire Old Ghost said joyfully, not even looking at Li Lin. Li Lin had seen everything, not expecting the Green Fire Old Ghost to covet his Snow Lion with Heavenly Wings. Looking at the Green Fire Old Ghost, Li Lin''s expression slightly darkened, "Green Fire Old Ghost, you better leave, or you''ll regret it." "Milksop, seeking death," the Green Fire Old Ghost did not intend to waste words, ignoring Li Lin and launching an attack with fierce and scorching qi bursting from his body, instantly heating the surrounding air. "Green Fire Old Ghost, you''re seeking death." A dark shout echoed through the space, and suddenly, a figure in a black robe appeared, casting a hand seal that immediately filled the area with thick black poison smoke. In an instant, a palm print condensed within the poison smoke, creating spatial ripples and causing a thunderous explosion in the air. The palm struck, directly distorting space and pressing down on the Green Fire Old Ghost. "HuiHun DuShuai Dong WuMing!" The sudden turn of events caused the Green Fire Old Ghost''s face to drastically change, even more so than when he saw Ghost Fairy, and in shock, he countered with a palm strike that created a fierce energy ripple in the air, clashing directly through space. "Boom boom!" The two palm strikes met, creating a vast surge of energy that twisted the space around the mountain range. The sheer force forced Li Lin to retreat rapidly, as the spreading energy contained deadly poison, showcasing HuiHun DuShuai Dong WuMing''s terrifying ability. Fighting him required utmost caution to avoid fatal consequences. The explosive energy spread, forming a black smoke shield with a pungent smell. In the explosion, the Green Fire Old Ghost was sent flying, stabilizing his body hundreds of meters away. His already ghostly pale face turned even paler. "Master, kill him for XinTong. He bullied brother," Li XinTong pouted from a distance. "Green Fire Old Ghost, you brought this upon yourself," the figure that appeared was HuiHun DuShuai Dong WuMing. "Dong WuMing, I have no grievances with you. Why attack me?" the Green Fire Old Ghost''s face darkened, staring at HuiHun DuShuai, his expression extremely solemn. "Didn''t you hear? The person you were about to attack has my disciple among them. Shouldn''t I deal with you?" HuiHun DuShuai said coldly, his black robe swirling with dark light, even the surrounding space showing signs of dark qi. "I didn''t know that was your disciple," the Green Fire Old Ghost''s face was very ugly. "That''s your problem. My disciple is not someone you can just decide to attack," HuiHun DuShuai Dong WuMing said coldly. "What do you want?" the Green Fire Old Ghost''s expression was getting worse. "Kill you, as my disciple said," HuiHun DuShuai Dong WuMing stated lightly. "Dong WuMing, even if I leave, you''d find it hard to keep me," the Green Fire Old Ghost gritted his teeth. "Is that so? What if I join?" A charming voice came, and Ghost Fairy Bai Ying appeared, blocking the Green Fire Old Ghost''s retreat. "Ghost Fairy Bai Ying, Dong WuMing, are you two together?" The Green Fire Old Ghost''s expression showed a trace of panic for the first time. Either of them was more notorious than him, and facing one would be difficult, let alone both together. "Hmph!" HuiHun DuShuai Dong WuMing didn''t answer, just snorted coldly, and instantly, a hand seal was formed, gathering an invisible energy in the air, causing the entire space to tremble. Chapter 507: Subduing the Green Fire In an instant, the entire space was filled with a soul attack, followed by a vast expanse of poisonous fog that enveloped an area two thousand meters across. The poisonous fog, along with the spreading overwhelming energy and the pungent, unpleasant odor, seemed to suppress the entire heavens and earth at that moment. The face of the Green Fire Elder ghost turned to horror. He quickly formed hand seals, and a layer of green flames enveloped his body in an instant, swirling around him like a fire shield, making it difficult for the poisonous fog to get close. "Green Fire Elder, you''re still lacking a bit." The Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing coldly stated, forming hand seals again. A bizarre black gleam in his left and right hands shot through the void towards the Green Fire Elder, directly tearing the space apart like spirit snakes emerging from their holes. When the two black gleams suddenly hit the green flames surrounding the Green Fire Elder, a massive energy collision occurred, causing energy ripples to explode like waves. "Boom! Boom!......" The space thundered with explosive sounds, and under the immense energy explosion, the Green Fire Elder''s green flames instantly burst apart. The entire mid-air was shrouded in a thick black fog, filled with a pungent and unpleasant odor, directly penetrating the green flames and enveloping the Green Fire Elder. "Whoosh!" Without any hesitation, the Green Fire Elder immediately fled. Dong WuMing''s body was filled with poison, and each attack contained deadly poison as well as the most formidable soul attacks, making him the most formidable opponent to provoke. Therefore, the Green Fire Elder dared not contend. "Green Fire Elder, where do you think you''re escaping to?" In the poisonous fog that covered the space, the moment the Green Fire Elder leaped away, Dong WuMing''s figure twisted through space and appeared behind him, condensing a black fog claw mark that directly grabbed towards the Green Fire Elder. As the claw mark tore through the air, the space''s airflow violently stirred, carrying a chilling and mighty aura that explosively pressed down from Dong WuMing''s hand, tearing through the void with a series of sonic booms. "Dong WuMing, I''ll fight you with all I''ve got." The Green Fire Elder shouted grimly. With no way to escape, he could only resist. His expression darkened, and a fierce light flashed in his eyes. With a roar, his true energy surged, spreading a scorching energy throughout the surrounding space, then transforming into a gigantic flame pillar hundreds of meters tall, shaking the entire space under the majestic heat. "What strong power." Li Lin was extremely surprised from a distance. Although the Green Fire Elder''s strength was not as strong as the Old Poisoner, his strength should also be at the level of an eighth-rank Martial Commander, a true powerhouse. In the ancient realm, there indeed were many strong individuals. In an instant, the flame energy pillar collided fiercely with Dong WuMing''s claw mark. "Boom" Upon collision, terrifying energy ripples surged across the sky, and within the lower mountain range, several peaks were directly destroyed by the residual energy, as if the mountains were collapsing. The terrifying wind spread out, and once again, a thick black fog emerged in the space. The protective light around the Green Fire Elder seemed to be corroded, instantly turning into white smoke layer by layer. "Thud thud......" The Green Fire Elder staggered back, retreating rapidly through the air, with muffled sounds coming from his throat, clearly injured. "Green Fire Elder, you shouldn''t have stayed." Suddenly, as the Green Fire Elder''s figure was yet to stabilize, a sharp shout sounded, and the entire space began to ripple. The surrounding space twisted, and a mighty force surged out explosively. "Whoosh whoosh......" Ghost Fairy Bai Ying condensed a thousand-meter-long white palm print that swiftly tore through the space, directly distorting the space. In the next instant, it was already crushing down on the Green Fire Elder from above, with a furious aura rising to the sky. A severe energy fluctuation emanated ripples and waves, causing palpitations. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. In a panic, the Green Fire Elder attempted to set up a protective circle again, his eyes filled with fear. Instantly, the palm print crushed down on him, causing the space''s ripples to spread like giant waves, severely distorting a vast space in the mountain range above, then the space deformed, beginning to expand... "Bang bang......" Deafening explosions echoed through the heavens, and a terrifying energy storm swept across like a hurricane, shaking the entire sky as if an earthquake occurred, with several more peaks within the surrounding mountains being forcefully destroyed by the residual force. "Pfft......" Within the violent energy, a figure was forcefully blasted away, spewing a mist of blood from his mouth, his face instantly turning pale. "Green Fire Elder, die." Dong WuMing let out a defiant shout, his figure ghostly appearing behind the retreating Green Fire Elder, with a black fog emerging from his hands. The fog spread a pungent, unpleasant odor. Standing proudly in the air, Dong WuMing''s spiritual power surged, and the dense black fog suddenly transformed into thousands of black threads, each as thin as hair, piercing through space and instantly enveloping the Green Fire Elder''s surrounding space. In just an instant, these thousands of black threads enveloped a space of tens of meters like a silkworm cocoon, including the Green Fire Elder within. Watching this scene, Li Lin smiled slightly. Dong WuMing and Ghost Fairy Bai Ying were undoubtedly among the top powerhouses among the Martial Commanders and Spirit Commanders. Ghost Fairy Bai Ying was already at the peak of the ninth level, and Dong WuMing''s poison skills and soul attacks were also extremely formidable and terrifying. The Green Fire Elder was definitely a powerhouse. If he were alone outside, there wouldn''t be many who dared to provoke him. But it seems that the Green Fire Elder was rather unlucky today, encountering Ghost Fairy Bai Ying and Dong WuMing, two even more terrifying individuals. Moreover, with these two joining forces, the Green Fire Elder was doomed. From afar, Li Lin was puzzled as he watched another figure standing in the air, the Deer Mountain Elder, who seemed to have no intention of leaving and had been watching from a distance. In the sky, the silkworm cocoon of poison threads gradually shrank, turning into a size of three meters, completely distorting the surrounding space. Its violent energy nearly tore open a spatial rift. "Dong Elder, how about sparing his life?" Li Lin hesitated for a moment before speaking to Dong WuMing. "Talk to him. It''s not hard to spare his life," Dong WuMing said. "Green Fire Elder, it''s up to you whether you want to live or die." The Skywing Snow Lion approached from above, and Li Lin looked into the silkworm cocoon of poison threads and spoke lightly. "Boy, who exactly are you? Let me go, and we''ll not cross paths in the future." Inside the silkworm cocoon, the Green Fire Elder''s grim voice came through. From his tone, it was clear that he was not in a good condition. "Dong Elder, if he''s being unreasonable, just kill him. Leave his body to me to refine into a puppet. A puppet refined from the corpse of an eighth-rank Martial Commander would be quite good," Li Lin spoke lightly. "Boy, you dare," the Green Fire Elder shouted grimly from within the silkworm cocoon. "Green Fire Elder, see if I dare," Dong WuMing coldly shouted, changing the seals in his hand, and another wave of poison fog was injected into the silkworm cocoon. "Ah..." The Green Fire Elder screamed, apparently undergoing some torment. "Alright, boy, state your conditions," the Green Fire Elder quickly said loudly from within the silkworm cocoon. "Join my Flying Spirit Sect, and I''ll ask Dong Elder to spare your life," Li Lin spoke lightly. "What Flying Spirit Sect, I''ve never heard of it..." "Ah..." Before the Green Fire Elder could finish speaking, he screamed again, apparently receiving another ''greeting'' from Dong WuMing. "I''ll join, I''ll join your Flying Spirit Sect," the Green Fire Elder shouted loudly, his voice mixed with a hint of fear. "Shh!" Dong WuMing changed the hand seals again, and a streak of light was shot into the silkworm cocoon, saying, "There''s a Blood Devouring Bone Dissolving Pill in front of you, take it." "Dong WuMing, don''t go too far," the Green Fire Elder shouted loudly. "Whether you take it or not is up to you. You choose," Dong WuMing spoke lightly. "Fine, I''ll take it." After a moment, the Green Fire Elder''s voice came out again, sounding somewhat dispirited. "Haha, then I''ll spare your life," Dong WuMing changed the hand seals, and the space-twisting silkworm cocoon spun, instantly transforming into a sky full of black gleam energy that dispersed, and in an instant, this sky full of black gleam eerily burrowed into Dong WuMing''s body. In the sky, the figure of the Green Fire Elder appeared again, his face paler than ever, resembling a ghost from the netherworld, with bloodstains mixed with black at the corners of his mouth, and even his eyes were covered in black, clearly having suffered a lot just now. "Green Fire Elder, welcome to the Flying Spirit Sect," Li Lin smiled slightly, the Green Fire Elder being a notorious powerhouse in the ancient realm. Now with him joining the Flying Spirit Sect, the sect''s strength has invisibly increased again. The Green Fire Elder''s face was pale, his eyes filled with anger as he stared at Li Lin, but he was helpless, saying, "Boy, who exactly are you?" "Head of the Flying Spirit Sect." Seeing the anger on the Green Fire Elder''s face, Li Lin was not displeased. He could guess the Green Fire Elder''s mood. Trying to steal without success and ending up having to take the Blood Devouring Bone Dissolving Pill, he must be full of resentment and anger. "Deer Mountain, you''ve watched for so long and still not satisfied, do you also wish to die?" Dong WuMing''s gaze then darkened, turning towards the Deer Mountain Elder who had been lingering in the space ahead. Chapter 508: Because of Love "Dong WuMing, I know I''m not as strong as you, but I came to see Bai Ying. What does this have to do with you?" A figure leaped into the air, it was the old man in plain clothes from Lushan, tall and thin, like a bamboo pole, seemingly as if a gust of wind could knock him over. However, at this moment, the aura emanating from the Lushan old man was not to be underestimated. Especially those gloomy eyes, clearly not benevolent. Li Lin raised his eyebrows. This elderly man was the one who had auctioned off a Yang Shen Hua Wang Dan at the auction. Bai Ying, the Ghost Fairy, said she had met him a few times, but now it seemed, it was probably more complicated than that. "Lushan, you should leave." Ghost Fairy Bai Ying lightly lifted her beautiful eyes, looking at Elder Lushan. "Bai Ying, I won''t leave. I''ve been looking for you for twenty years, thinking you were no longer in the ancient domain. Now that I''ve seen you, I certainly won''t leave." Elder Lushan looked at Ghost Fairy Bai Ying, his gaze filled with deep affection. "Lushan, if you don''t leave, then I''ll make you unable to leave ever again." Dong WuMing, the Soul Summoning Poison Commander, his expression darkened. "Dong WuMing, then kill me. After all, Bai Ying has been avoiding me for twenty years. Dying in front of Bai Ying, I''m willing." Elder Lushan sighed lightly, not fearing Dong WuMing, the Soul Summoning Poison Commander at all. "A love triangle." Li Lin''s face showed surprise, it was clear from Elder Lushan''s words. He had always been pursuing Ghost Fairy Bai Ying, but the Ghost Fairy had a special affection for the Old Poisoner. This was indeed a love triangle. "Lushan, you better leave quickly." Ghost Fairy Bai Ying softly said. "I won''t leave today unless you kill me." Elder Lushan declared, deeply in love. "Why do you torture yourself?" Ghost Fairy Bai Ying''s beautiful eyes flickered slightly, her face showing helplessness. Li Lin smirked, it was clear that Ghost Fairy Bai Ying had no interest in Elder Lushan, but knowing how deeply Elder Lushan loved her, how could she kill him? Women are like this, even if they dislike someone, knowing that person loves them, they likely won''t kill them. Seeing this scene, Li Lin was reminded of Lv Xiaoling. Back then, under duress, he had said some insincere words, unlike Elder Lushan, who truly loved deeply. "Lushan, you do have some reputation, I''ve never seen anyone as shameless as you." Dong WuMing, the Soul Summoning Poison Commander said. "Dong WuMing, I know Bai Ying''s heart is with you. For decades, my heart has never changed, but you, because of those trivial matters, became well-known in the ancient domain. With this, I am more deserving of Bai Ying than you." Elder Lushan declared loudly. "Lushan, if you bring up the past again, I will truly kill you." Dong WuMing, the Soul Summoning Poison Commander, immediately retorted. "I''m not afraid of you. After all, Bai Ying has been avoiding me for twenty years, and I''ve lived long enough. Killing me would be a relief." Elder Lushan said fearlessly. "Elder Lushan is really sentimental, rare, very rare." Li Lin''s voice rang out. "Young man, you''re also here to join in the fun." Dong WuMing, the Soul Summoning Poison Commander, glared at Li Lin. "Old Dong, the young man just saw that Elder Lushan is sincerely in love, which is truly commendable. If you kill him, that would be a pity." Li Lin smirked and said, "Old man, I''m starting to like you." Elder Lushan glanced at Li Lin and then said. "Then thank you for liking me, old man from Lushan." Li Lin smiled. "Alright, old immortal, let''s go." Ghost Fairy Bai Ying softly said. "Hmph." Dong WuMing, the Soul Summoning Poison Commander, snorted and said to Li Lin, "You''re still not leaving? What kind of love is this?" "Ha ha." Li Lin laughed heartily, thinking to himself, it seems the Old Poisoner Dong WuMing is also jealous. "Swoosh swoosh" This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Ghost Fairy Bai Ying and Dong WuMing, the Soul Summoning Poison Commander, their figures distorted space as if by magic, then disappeared into thin air. In the sky, at this moment, only Li Lin, Qing Huo Old Ghost, and Elder Lushan were left, along with Yan Qi, Fang XinQi, and Bai ShaSha on the back of the Sky Winged Snow Lion, who had just witnessed a great battle and were still not back to their senses. "Qing Huo Old Ghost, let''s go too." Li Lin said to Qing Huo Old Ghost in the sky. Qing Huo Old Ghost took out a pill and stuffed it into his mouth, clearly unwilling, but at this moment, there was no choice but to swallow the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing''s Blood Devouring Bone Dissolving Pill, forced to submit to others. He cursed silently, landing on the back of the Sky Winged Snow Lion. "Roar" The Sky Winged Snow Lion flapped its wings and moved forward. Li Lin''s eyes flashed with a strange light, paying no attention to Elder Lushan. "Young man, how about we discuss something?" Suddenly, from behind the Sky Winged Snow Lion, Elder Lushan swiftly flew parallel to the Sky Winged Snow Lion. "Please speak, old man from Lushan." Li Lin smirked lightly, already guessing what Elder Lushan was up to. "Is Ghost Fairy Bai Ying also a member of your so-called Flying Spirit Gate?" Elder Lushan looked at Li Lin, his gaze flickering. "No comment." Li Lin said lightly. "Young man, even if you don''t say it, I know. How about this, let me join your Flying Spirit Gate." Elder Lushan looked at Li Lin. "Here is a Blood Devouring Bone Dissolving Pill. If you take it, you can join Flying Spirit Gate." Li Lin hesitated for a moment, then took out a Blood Devouring Bone Dissolving Pill. "Young man, don''t go too far. It''s your fortune that I, the handsome one, am willing to join your unknown Flying Spirit Gate. My patience is limited. If I kill you now, I''m afraid no one can save you." Elder Lushan''s gaze suddenly became stern, emitting a chilling glare. Li Lin smiled faintly. Elder Lushan''s deep love for Ghost Fairy was true, but he was definitely not a benevolent person. From the expressions on the faces of Iron Fist Huangfu QiSong and Li ChiZheng, it was clear that Elder Lushan was feared and notorious. "Old man from Lushan, if I were afraid of you, would Ghost Fairy and the Soul Summoning Poison Commander have left me to leave first? Your threats are useless against me. If you want to kill me, just try." Li Lin''s expression darkened as he spoke coldly, "But don''t blame me for not warning you. If you dare to make a move, I will make sure your death is extremely miserable." Observing the coldness in Li Lin''s eyes, Elder Lushan''s face twitched, his gaze uncertain. Then, his expression softened, revealing a smile, "Young man, I''m not easily frightened. But since you belong to Bai Ying, I won''t touch you. However, tell me, has Bai Ying joined your so-called Flying Spirit Gate?" "No comment. If you want to know, you must first take the Blood Devouring Bone Dissolving Pill and join Flying Spirit Gate." Li Lin said. Elder Lushan''s face twitched, seemingly hesitating, then gritted his teeth, "Young man, if Ghost Fairy Bai Ying is in Flying Spirit Gate, I might consider joining. But let me make it clear, don''t order me around. Unless it''s something big, don''t bother me. I''m joining Flying Spirit Gate only for Ghost Fairy Bai Ying. If you dare to threaten me with Dong WuMing''s Blood Devouring Bone Dissolving Pill later, I''ll make sure you regret it." "Ha ha, of course. Having Elder Lushan join Flying Spirit Gate is a great honor. We won''t bother you without a significant reason." Li Lin smiled slightly, handing the Blood Devouring Bone Dissolving Pill to Elder Lushan. "Lushan, you really are pathetic." Qing Huo Old Ghost looked at Elder Lushan and coldly said. "Qing Huo Old Ghost, shut your mouth. Look at yourself, beaten half to death, and yet you obediently joined Flying Spirit Gate. I''m different. I''m doing this for love." Elder Lushan glared at Qing Huo Old Ghost and swallowed the Blood Devouring Bone Dissolving Pill without hesitation. "Hmph." Qing Huo Old Ghost glared back, touching a sore spot. An hour later, within the palace courtyard of Flying Spirit Gate''s back mountain, the Soul Summoning Poison Commander and Ghost Fairy were seated in the small hall. "Master, your strength is truly formidable. That Qing Huo Old Ghost was no match for you today." Li XinTong blinked her big eyes next to the Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing. "Of course, I didn''t even use my full strength. Qing Huo Old Ghost naturally is no match for me." Dong WuMing, the Soul Summoning Poison Commander, brightened up with his precious disciple''s praise, feeling very pleased. "XinTong also wants to become as powerful as Master one day." Li XinTong said. "As long as XinTong works hard in her cultivation, surpassing your master is just a matter of time." Dong WuMing, the Soul Summoning Poison Commander, said with a smile. "Lin''er, is Qing Huo Old Ghost settled in?" Ghost Fairy Bai Ying asked Li Lin. "He''s settled in, currently healing in Flying Spirit Gate." Li Lin replied softly. "Young man, Elder Lushan was brought back too, right?" Dong WuMing, the Soul Summoning Poison Commander, looked at Li Lin with a smile. "Old Dong, your foresight is indeed divine." Li Lin smirked. "Nonsense, what kind of person do you think I am? I don''t know, Elder Lushan''s strength is definitely not weak, possibly even stronger than Qing Huo Old Ghost. If there''s a chance, you naturally wouldn''t let it go." Dong WuMing, the Soul Summoning Poison Commander, said. "Old Dong, if you dislike Lushan, I can let him leave. Everything is up to you." Li Lin said seriously, knowing the Soul Summoning Poison Commander had feelings for Ghost Fairy Bai Ying. His actions might have made the Old Poisoner uncomfortable. "You think too much of me. If I really wanted to kill Elder Lushan, he wouldn''t be alive now. Since he wants to join Flying Spirit Gate, it''s indeed a great help for us." Dong WuMing, the Soul Summoning Poison Commander, replied. "That''s good to hear from Old Dong. I was somewhat worried about how you''d feel." Li Lin smiled slightly, "Old Dong, since Lushan is so deeply in love with Sister Bai Ying, perhaps it''s time for you to show your feelings, haha." Chapter 509: Bai Yings Retreat "You dare to mock me now, boy." Poisonous Commander Dong WuMing glared at Li Lin unhappily. "Old immortal, did Lin''er say anything wrong?" Ghost Fairy Bai Ying glared back at Poisonous Commander Dong WuMing, causing his face to darken as he lowered his head, though his gaze darted back to Li Lin once more. Li Lin observed this interaction, noting that over the past few years, the relationship between the Old Poisoner and the Ghost Fairy had indeed improved significantly. "Lin''er, this auction has unexpectedly brought Qinghuo LaoGui and Lushan Laoren to join Flying Spirit Gate, which is beyond my expectations. However, this is good. With these two in Flying Spirit Gate, I can retreat with peace of mind for a while," Ghost Fairy Bai Ying said. "Does Sister Ying plan to break through to the rank of Martial King?" Li Lin asked. "I have been at the peak of the Nine Heavy Martial Commanders for some time now. After taking the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, I feel capable of breaking through, so I plan to retreat and attempt to break through to Martial King. I hope it goes smoothly," Ghost Fairy Bai Ying explained. "Sister Ying, rest assured in your retreat. Everything else is still under my watch. When Sister Ying successfully breaks through to Martial King, that will be the time for Flying Spirit Gate''s official rise," Li Lin said, thinking to himself that if Flying Spirit Gate had a Martial King to oversee it, things would indeed be very different. In the evening, within the great hall of Flying Spirit Gate, Zheng Ying and Chen XinJie stood before Li Lin. "Sect Leader, the team headed to TianYi Men has already departed, led by Elder Zhou YuHou and Protector Liu YaLei, with a total of eight hundred Flying Spirit Gate disciples," Zheng Ying reported. "I know," Li Lin frowned, thinking that excluding the six halls Flying Spirit Gate has outside, their strength was still quite weak. The team to TianYi Men, led only by Zhou YuHou and Liu YaLei, with other elders and protectors staying to guard the Misty Mountain Range. Even though Jing WenKun had been killed by him, Zhou YuHou and Liu YaLei''s strength was not enough to annihilate TianYi Men. "Sect Leader, I think it might be difficult for Elder Zhou and Protector Liu to annihilate TianYi Men," Chen XinJie said softly. "It takes four days to reach TianYi Men at full speed. I will personally make a trip there," Li Lin said lightly. "Zheng Ying, how are things at Misty Mountain Range?" Li Lin asked. "Sect Leader, I just came back yesterday. Basically, no one dares to cause trouble anymore, but many mercenaries have gathered, probably numbering five or six thousand," Zheng Ying reported. "That''s not a problem. Inform all the elders and protectors in Misty Mountain Range that anyone who comes out should have all their medicinal herbs confiscated. Those who resist shall be killed without mercy," Li Lin said sternly, then proceeded to give a few more instructions before leaving the great hall. As night fell, a loud boom suddenly echoed through Misty Mountain Range, followed by a large flock of flying beasts rising into the night sky, disappearing into the darkness. At night, stars hung in the sky, a late breeze swept through, and all creatures gradually fell into a deep sleep. In his room, Li Lin sat cross-legged, soon enveloped in a yellow glow. Having broken through two levels consecutively recently, Li Lin didn''t dare to be careless. Next, he planned to stabilize his cultivation before heading to TianYi Men, estimating that it would only take half a day with the TianChi Snow Lion. It wouldn''t be too late to go after Zhou YuHou and others were nearly there. A night passed in silence. The next morning, before the waterfall on the back mountain, Li Lin sat cross-legged on a smooth rock, surrounded by five types of elemental forces. The five-colored energy swirled in front of Li Lin, who seemed to reach an extremely profound state. Moments later, Li Lin''s eyes suddenly opened, a flash of sharpness passing by, as he muttered, "It feels like I''ve got a bit of an insight." Instantly, various hand seals were formed, with strong fluctuations of energy occasionally producing explosive sounds. Li Lin was then immersed in the practice of martial arts techniques. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. In the great hall of Ghost Martial Sect, all the elders and the two, Dai DaoZi and Dai GangZi, sat with extremely serious expressions. "Sect Leader, Flying Spirit Gate is rebelling. It looks like we shouldn''t have tolerated Flying Spirit Gate these past two years. Now, Flying Spirit Gate doesn''t put our Ghost Martial Sect in their eyes at all," a Ghost Martial Sect Martial General elder exclaimed angrily, one of the elders who had gone to HuaMen Town with Dai DaoZi. "Indeed, we have been too tolerant towards Flying Spirit Gate. Since they annihilated LuoSha Men, they''ve been ambitious and have never truly submitted to our Ghost Martial Sect. Sect Leader, it''s time to let Flying Spirit Gate know that they are just an external force of our Ghost Martial Sect," a blue-clad Ghost Martial Sect elder said. Dai DaoZi, with a very serious expression, responded after hearing this, "It''s not difficult to deal with Flying Spirit Gate, but there''s a Spirit Marshal in Flying Spirit Gate whom we haven''t been able to identify. That''s the key. If we act rashly, we might invite bigger troubles." "The Sect Leader has considered thoroughly. However, Flying Spirit Gate is clearly provoking our Ghost Martial Sect now. They''ve declared their intention to annihilate TianYi Men, which is essentially declaring war on us. If TianYi Men is really annihilated, our Ghost Martial Sect will lose face," the first elder said with a raging momentum. "Second brother, what''s your opinion?" Dai DaoZi turned to Dai GangZi. "Big brother, you''re the Sect Leader. You have to make the decision on this matter," Dai GangZi replied lightly, seemingly indifferent. Dai DaoZi''s face subtly darkened, then he addressed the elders, "Regarding Flying Spirit Gate, I will consult the old Sect Leader. As for TianYi Men, if Flying Spirit Gate dares to annihilate TianYi Men, I want to see what Flying Spirit Gate is capable of." He continued, "Elder Zhou, take a hundred elite disciples to TianYi Men to defend. Let''s see if Flying Spirit Gate truly dares to attack. With your strength, no one under Martial Marshal should be able to defeat you. As long as the Spirit Marshal of Flying Spirit Gate doesn''t appear, you should be able to counter Flying Spirit Gate. Moreover, Jing WenKun is dead, and TianYi Men is likely in chaos now. To avoid unnecessary trouble, it''s better for you to be stationed at TianYi Men. From now on, TianYi Men will also become a branch of our Ghost Martial Sect. Those who resist shall be killed without mercy." "Yes, Sect Leader," a yellow-clad elder in his fifties responded, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "If Flying Spirit Gate dares to go to TianYi Men, then I''ll make sure they can never return." In HuaMen Town, with the auction featuring high-grade level six medicinal pills and beginner-level Xuan techniques, the news spread, attracting even more attention. With Misty Mountain Range locked down for over ten days, the supply of medicinal herbs within has been cut off, causing the prices of medicinal materials to soar. Now, only HuaMen Town occasionally has a small supply of medicinal herbs, drawing countless merchants. The originally bustling TianXing Town saw a sudden drop in its supply of medicinal herbs, causing the flow of people to gradually shift towards HuaMen Town, reducing the bustle of TianXing Town day by day. In the back mountain of Flying Spirit Gate, the sounds of sonic booms only quieted down at night. After tidying up, Li Lin showed a satisfied smile and returned from the back mountain. The day''s cultivation seemed quite effective. Li Lin returned to the courtyard, spent some time with Li XinTong, and then resumed his cultivation in his room, soon enveloped in a layer of yellow light. In the deep of the night, a large flock of flying beasts approached from afar, entering Misty Mountain Range and disappearing into the darkness. The next morning, as the sky brightened, Li Lin appeared in the branch of Flying Spirit Gate, now the base of the Dark Hall. Inside the great hall, everyone was seated, including Huangfu QiSong and Li ChiZheng, both of whom also appeared, still with a faint aura of killing intent lingering around them. Apart from them, there were three people bound by restraints, looking terrified at everyone in the hall. Among these three, one was a fourth-level Martial General, one a second-level Spirit General, and another a fifth-level Spirit Soul. The fourth-level Martial General was none other than the head of QianShan Men, Sun ZiShan. "Sect Leader, we''ve captured QianShan Men''s leader Sun ZiShan and two of the sect''s spiritual practitioners. Most of the QianShan Men disciples were killed, with a few escaping in the chaos. Please instruct us," Huangfu QiSong reported to Li Lin. "Sect Leader, there were only two Spirit Masters in the Ghost Martial Sect branch, both of whom were killed in the chaos by me, and the entire branch was destroyed. Out of about five hundred Ghost Martial Sect branch disciples, probably only a few dozen managed to escape. Several Martial Souls and a third-level Martial General were all killed. We''ve gained quite a lot this time," Li ChiZheng reported. "Good, hard work, Hall Master Huangfu and Hall Master Li. The gains from this operation will be entirely allocated to your Martial Hall for development," Li Lin said with a satisfied smile, his gaze having already swept over Sun ZiShan and the others. "Thank you, Sect Leader," Huangfu QiSong and Li ChiZheng both said. "Head Sun, we meet again," Li Lin''s gaze fell on Sun ZiShan. "You... you are all together..." Sun ZiShan''s face was filled with shock. He never expected the mysterious force that descended upon QianShan Men last night, wreaking havoc, to be from Flying Spirit Gate. "Indeed," Li Lin''s gaze did not linger on Sun ZiShan, considering a fourth-level Martial General beneath his concern. "Master, the flow of people in HuaMen Town is increasing day by day. With so many people and limited personnel from Flying Spirit Gate, it''s difficult to maintain order," Li XiaoBai reported. Li Lin''s eyes darkened, then he said, "XiaoBai, start building a city. Connect Tuan Mountain Town and HuaMen Town to form a large city. This will be the foundation of Flying Spirit Gate from now on. Also, it''s time to massively develop Flying Spirit Gate." ... Chapter 510: Little Dragons Breakthrough "Leader, connecting Tuan Mountain Town and Hua Men Town is a huge project," Ghost Shadow Assassin Ye Fei said with a sparkle in her eyes. "We can take our time, we have plenty of it," Li Lin said. At noon, inside a secret chamber behind the Flying Spirit Gate''s mountain, Li Lin''s gaze settled on three people restricted by a ban in front of him, eventually focusing on the Double Spirit General, and said, "Double Spirit General, you have decent strength. I''ll give you a chance to join my Flying Spirit Gate, and I can spare your life." "Do you really intend for me to join the Flying Spirit Gate by treating me this way?" The Double Spirit General looked at Li Lin, pride evident in his gaze. Being a Double Spirit General gave him a certain amount of pride, making him somewhat of a figure at the fringes of the ancient domain. "What do you think you are? Just a Double Spirit General. Whether or not you join won''t make a big difference to the Flying Spirit Gate. I can''t be bothered to wear down your pride," Li Lin''s expression suddenly darkened, his hand forming a seal secretly, and a surge of spiritual power began to fluctuate. "You are also a Spirit General," he suddenly sensed the aura on Li Lin and was greatly shocked. Li Lin didn''t reply, his expression turned cold, and a claw seal landed on the Double Spirit General''s crown. A devouring force surged out, and in a moment, the Double Spirit General let out a miserable scream and turned into a dry corpse, which was then burned to ashes under the spiritual fire in Li Lin''s hand. This scene greatly changed the expressions of the remaining Five Spirit Souls and Sun Zi Shan. "And you." Li Lin then moved to the side of the Five Martial Souls, his palm striking down in the same manner. In just a moment, the Five Martial Souls also became a dry corpse, and eventually, the corpse was turned into ashes under the spiritual fire in Li Lin''s hand. "Aren''t you a martial artist? How come you are a spirit person..." When Li Lin''s gaze turned to Sun Zi Shan again, Sun Zi Shan''s eyes were filled with horror. "In this world, there are those who cultivate both spirit and martial arts," Li Lin said, ignoring Sun Zi Shan. He then took out a spirit jade bed from his storage ring, sat cross-legged, formed a hand seal, and slowly began to refine the spiritual power he had devoured. The spiritual power he devoured was not small, one from a Double Spirit General and another from a Five Martial Souls. After some refining to remove the dross and keep the essence, it could be used by him. At this moment, the spiritual power he had devoured entered Li Lin''s mind after a bit of refining. The soul pill rotated, moisturizing the soul pill while the strange golden knife kept spinning tirelessly, always absorbing the soul power within the soul pill. Unseen, the soul power in Li Lin''s mind became stronger and stronger. After a while, Li Lin entered a state of cultivation, surrounded by a faint invisible light, and his aura was slowly increasing. The speed of this progress was incredibly fast, to an unbelievable extent. The spiritual power, once refined, could become Li Lin''s own spiritual power, and this speed was somewhat frightening. Seeing this scene, Sun Zi Shan was only shocked. It was only now that he realized that the leader of the Flying Spirit Gate was the legendary cultivator of both spirit and martial arts. After one night, Li Lin stopped cultivating the next morning. He exhaled a breath of turbid air and opened his eyes, feeling the spiritual power in his mind. Li Lin was extremely satisfied, although he had not yet broken through to the next level, it wasn''t far off. After putting away the spirit jade bed, Li Lin approached the terrified Sun Zi Shan again. "Leader Li, please don''t kill me. I can join the Flying Spirit Gate, and I''ll do whatever you ask." The once proud leader was now panic-stricken and fearful in front of Li Lin. "Too bad, you know something I didn''t want others to know," Li Lin said with a light smile, and then a claw seal landed on Sun Zi Shan''s crown. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Moments later, Li Lin left the secret chamber to continue comprehending the elemental power under the waterfall. Hours later, he began to practice martial techniques, with sounds of sonic booms echoing in the sky behind the mountain. "This kid''s martial techniques aren''t ordinary," Poison Commander Hui Hun was somewhat surprised on a mountain top, then shook his head and disappeared from the spot. Another whole day passed, and Li Lin was continuously practicing various martial techniques. In the evening, just as Li Lin was about to pack up and return, a majestic aura began to slowly rise from several mountains away. Feeling this aura, Li Lin''s brows lifted, and with a swirl of air under his feet, he disappeared on the spot. "Greetings, Master." On a hillside, when Li Lin appeared, the Reverse Scale Demon Peng, Blood Jade Demon Tiger, Tai Yin Demon Rabbit, and other demons had already been waiting. At that moment, far away, Li Lin saw that Little Dragon''s body was beginning to be enveloped in dazzling light, a strange and terrifying force began to rise. This aura, with its terrifying and violent power, seemed capable of piercing directly through one''s soul. As the aura climbed, enveloped in dazzling yellow light, Little Dragon''s body instantly transformed, growing over four hundred meters tall, its scales expanding, and a huge aura spreading out, drawing in a massive amount of invisible energy from heaven and earth. "Little Dragon is breaking through," Li Lin''s heart leaped with joy, a smile appearing on his lips. As Little Dragon''s body continued to grow in strength with the rise in aura. "Four hundred and twenty meters, four hundred and forty meters..." As Little Dragon''s body grew, its scales became clearer, with a hint of golden flames faintly visible on its body. As Little Dragon''s aura reached a frenzied state, other demons like the Blood Lizard, Bloodthirsty Mantis, and Lightning Black Panther were instantly suppressed, even the Reverse Scale Demon Peng and Tai Yin Demon Rabbit trembled slightly. "Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!" Just then, three figures suddenly leaped from three directions and landed beside Li Lin. "What a strong aura, what kind of demon is this?" The first figure, undoubtedly Poison Commander Hui Hun Dong Wu Ming, with the other two being Qing Huo Old Ghost and Lu Shan Old Man. At this moment, Qing Huo Old Ghost and Lu Shan Old Man, looking at the huge body of Little Dragon, showed surprised and amazed expressions. At this moment, Little Dragon''s body, with densely packed scales, seemed to be absorbing the energy from heaven and earth. In the sky, a massive amount of strange energy converged, creating large spatial ripples, like waves rolling. Around Little Dragon, the yellow scales gathered light, eventually forming a yellow beam of light spreading out. The beam of light shot straight into the sky, carrying a breath that made one''s heart palpitate, creating a terrifying pressure in the space. In an instant, Little Dragon''s huge body soared into the sky, standing upright like a pillar, its massive tail standing on the ground, its scales glowing with flowing light, each scale absorbing a massive amount of invisible energy from heaven and earth. At this moment, Little Dragon''s luster became smoother, its aura more terrifying. And on Little Dragon''s head, the third vertical eye began to open unknowingly. In the sky, the invisible energy from heaven and earth was being continuously absorbed through the third eye. "What a strong pressure, this is not an ordinary demon," Qing Huo Old Ghost''s face showed horror, Lu Shan Old Man also kept staring at Little Dragon''s huge body. As time passed, Little Dragon''s closed eyes suddenly opened, three eyes appearing at once, and a roar echoed... "This roar, like a dragon''s chant, spread out wave after wave, making the Reverse Scale Demon Peng, Tai Yin Demon Rabbit, and other demons prostrate on the ground, even Poison Commander Hui Hun, Qing Huo Old Ghost, and Lu Shan Old Man were suddenly shocked in their hearts. Little Dragon''s roar, with its powerful aura, spread even further. When the dragon-like sound returned to calm, Little Dragon''s body flashed with yellow light, returning to its original size. "Boss, I''ve broken through," in an instant, with a flash of yellow light, Little Dragon''s voice reached Li Lin''s ears, and then a streak of light like lightning landed on Li Lin''s shoulder. "Not enough, you need to continue to practice hard," Li Lin petted the Little Dragon on his shoulder, patting its little head. Now that Little Dragon had broken through to the late Four Tribulations stage, with Little Dragon''s abnormal strength, it wouldn''t be difficult to kill anyone below a Martial Commander. "Got it, Boss," Little Dragon''s increasingly bright eyes glared at the Boss, then continuously showed affection by licking Li Lin''s cheek. "Greetings, Demon King," the Reverse Scale Demon Peng and others bowed, all prostrating on the ground. "Rise," Little Dragon stood proudly on Li Lin''s shoulder, issuing orders. Seeing the Reverse Scale Demon Peng, Blood Jade Demon Tiger, Tai Yin Demon Rabbit, Dual-Headed Water-Fire Demon Jiao, and other demons, along with Qing Huo Old Ghost and Lu Shan Old Man, their faces changed again, filled with doubt. "Qing Huo Old Ghost, how are your injuries?" Seeing Qing Huo Old Ghost beside him, Poison Commander Hui Hun Dong Wu Ming asked. "Much better," in front of Poison Commander Hui Hun Dong Wu Ming, Qing Huo Old Ghost didn''t dare to show any arrogance. "Lu Shan, you''ve also joined the Flying Spirit Gate, which is surprising to me," Poison Commander Hui Hun Dong Wu Ming glanced at Lu Shan Old Man beside him. "Dong Wu Ming, with Bai Ying in the Flying Spirit Gate, naturally, I have to stay here. Being close to the water tower gets the moon first; I won''t give you the chance to take advantage," Lu Shan Old Man said. Chapter 511: In Tianyi City "Take your time approaching the pavilion by the water; I''ll go ahead." Huisoul Poison Commander Dong WuMing gave Elder Lushan a glance and then leapt away. "You two will have to stay at Flying Spirit Gate for now. I''ve been busy these days. In a few days, I will arrange for both of you to undergo the entry ceremony." "It''s no bother. As long as I can meet Bai Ying, I''m fine." Elder Lushan smiled slightly. "Qinghuo old ghost, I know you were forced into Flying Spirit Gate and certainly resent it, but I believe, you will not be disappointed with Flying Spirit Gate in the future." Li Lin said, looking directly at Qinghuo old ghost. Qinghuo old ghost didn''t speak. His gaze flickered, wondering what he was thinking. The night sky was covered again, the starry sky possessing the coolness of a summer night. Under the starlight, the sky was not purely black but showed an endless deep blue, extending far and wide. In the room, Li Lin once again sat cross-legged, practicing cultivation. After a while, his body was enveloped in a yellow glow until dawn. As dawn broke, the pale blue sky was dotted with a few remaining stars, the earth was hazy, like covered in silver-gray gauze. Soon, the morning light lifted the night''s gauze, and outside Flying Spirit Gate, a morning breeze began to blow. In the mountains behind Flying Spirit Gate, in the morning, the celestial-winged snow lion flapped its wings and turned into a white shadow disappearing into the sky at an extreme speed. "Boss, where are we going?" On the back of the celestial-winged snow lion, Little dragon raised his little head and asked. Behind Little dragon, there were the Niscale demon peng, Blood Jade demon tiger, Taiyin demon rabbit, Double-headed water-fire demon jiao, and the Blood lizard, five demon beasts following. "We''re going to Tianyi Gate." Li Lin said softly, a smile appearing in his eyes. Today was the fourth day since the auction, and he estimated that Ghost Martial Sect should be ready for Tianyi Gate. Li Lin wasn''t worried about Ghost Martial Sect now, aside from Dai Daozi, Dai Gangzi, and the Old Poisoner mentioned by Old Ghost Dai. Li Lin didn''t care about anyone else, even if Dai Daozi himself was in Tianyi Gate, Li Lin was not afraid. Niscale demon peng had already broken through to the initial stage of the sixth rank, its speed now even the celestial-winged snow lion couldn''t catch up with. Having Niscale demon peng by his side, even if encountering Dai Daozi, he definitely had the power to escape. Moreover, Li Lin had also considered that he still had a piece of Earth Sha Xuanlei given by Yun Hongling. Even a seventh-rank Martial Commander could be severely injured with it, let alone killing Dai Daozi and Dai Gangzi would be a waste of Earth Sha Xuanlei. So, aside from worrying about Old Ghost Dai in Tianyi Gate, Li Lin was not concerned about anyone else. And regarding the Old Poisoner''s mention of Old Ghost Dai being in Tianyi Gate, Li Lin was sure this was impossible, estimating Old Ghost Dai would only be guarding within Ghost Martial Sect. On the back of the celestial-winged snow lion, Li Lin then sat cross-legged, refining the true qi energy swallowed from Sunzi Mountain, and after a moment, entered the state of cultivation. The stronghold of Tianyi Gate was located in the rather famous Tianchuan Plain, which housed Tianyi City, a renowned small city in the vicinity. Its area, compared to Huamen Town and Tuan Mountain Town, was incomparable, probably about ten times the size of both towns combined. In Tianyi City, buildings rose and fell, and the population was indeed over a million. Surrounded by roads in all directions and leveraging the plains, Tianyi City was exceptionally bustling and lively. The location of Tianyi Gate was right in the center of Tianyi City, with a vast area and grand buildings, far more formidable than Flying Spirit Gate now. "Elder Zhou, a scout riding a flying demon beast reported that Flying Spirit Gate has a thousand troops coming our way, and they should be able to enter the city in half an hour." Inside the grand hall of Tianyi Gate, a man in his thirties at the first level of Martial Soul spoke to an elder in yellow clothes in his fifties who was seated at the top. "Did they find any strong individuals?" The elder in his fifties asked the man, then his gaze fell on two corpses on the ground, as if there had been a confrontation just before. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "It seems like Zhou Yuhou from Flying Spirit Gate is leading, and another, Liu Yawei, who was a former elder of Jiuhua Gate and surrendered to Flying Spirit Gate, has average strength. Liu Yawei is at the first level of Martial General, while Zhou Yuhou is just at Martial Soul." The thirty-year-old man said lightly. "Hmph, with this level of strength, a thousand troops dare to storm Tianyi City, it''s simply seeking death." The elder in his fifties said disdainfully. "Elder Zhou, do you think there might be strong individuals hidden within Flying Spirit Gate?" The thirty-year-old man hesitated and then asked lightly, "The Sect Master told us to be cautious in all matters." "Hmph, the Sect Master is just too cautious, which is why Flying Spirit Gate does not take our Ghost Martial Sect seriously these years. If our Ghost Martial Sect does not teach Flying Spirit Gate a lesson this time, we will have no face in the future." The elder in his fifties said bitterly, "This time, I will make sure Flying Spirit Gate comes but cannot leave, severely damaging Flying Spirit Gate, and let them know that Flying Spirit Gate is just a peripheral force of our Ghost Martial Sect, and Ghost Martial Sect is the master." "What Elder Zhou said makes sense. What should we do now?" The thirty-year-old man asked. "Open the city gate, call back all disciples of Tianyi Gate, I want to have a tough battle with Flying Spirit Gate, and directly destroy them." After saying this, the elder in his fifties turned his gaze to ten or so Martial Souls, one second-level Martial General, and one first-level Spirit General, saying, "You are all people of Tianyi Gate, and in the future, you will also be part of our Ghost Martial Sect. No objections, right?" "What Elder Zhou said is right. Tianyi Gate and Ghost Martial Sect are originally one family. Now, dealing with Flying Spirit Gate is the priority. Flying Spirit Gate''s Li Lin killed our Sect Master, so we ask Elder Huang to take revenge." Inside the grand hall, a group of former elders and protectors of Tianyi Gate looked at the two corpses on the ground, then said to the elder in yellow clothes. "If you''re wise, then that''s for the best. Whether it''s Tianyi Gate or Flying Spirit Gate, you are just peripheral forces of Ghost Martial Sect. Now, follow me to exterminate the people from Flying Spirit Gate." The elder in his fifties said sternly, his robe fluttering as he stepped out of the grand hall. "Charge..." Outside Tianyi City, a thousand riders came galloping, stirring up a cloud of dust. This momentum was not to be underestimated; it was Zhou Yuhou, Liu Yawei, and a thousand disciples of Flying Spirit Gate who had hurried over from several towns to reach Tianyi City. "Look, the Sect Master has arrived." Everyone looked up. In the sky ahead, a huge white demon beast was already circling at low altitude. The pressure from the white demon beast made the thousand cavalry somewhat unruly. However, at this moment, seeing the figure in a green robe on the back of the huge demon beast, the people of Flying Spirit Gate immediately became agitated. Most of these thousand disciples were old disciples from three years ago, who all genuinely respected the Sect Master. The Sect Master''s deeds within Flying Spirit Gate were well remembered and often boasted about to the new disciples. This time, coming to destroy Tianyi Gate without the Sect Master, the disciples were loud but lacked a backbone, feeling somewhat underconfident. Now, seeing the Sect Master had arrived at Tianyi City, everything was different. As for some of the new disciples, they had also heard some of the old disciples'' boasts about the Sect Master, but having not seen him in person, they were somewhat skeptical. They wondered if the young Sect Master was as formidable as the old disciples claimed. "Greetings, Sect Master." Everyone saluted, with Zhou Yuhou and Liu Yawei already leading the way to the celestial-winged snow lion. "Sect Master, this is Tianyi City, and Tianyi Gate is within the city," Zhou Yuhou said. "Wuu wuu..." Inside Tianyi City, a series of deep and urgent sounds echoed, seeming to signal danger. On the back of the celestial-winged snow lion, Li Lin stood with his hands behind his back, looking ahead, and said, "All disciples, enter the city. Someone is already waiting to welcome us." As his voice fell, the celestial-winged snow lion led the way, crossing the city walls and entering. Li Lin, relying on the speed of the celestial-winged snow lion, arrived even faster than Zhou Yuhou and the others. "All disciples, enter the city. Today, we will destroy Tianyi Gate," Zhou Yuhou shouted. "Destroy Tianyi Gate!" The thousand disciples of Flying Spirit Gate immediately spurred their horses, charging into the city. The vast city was now suffused with a tense atmosphere, the urgent danger signal causing all shops and pedestrians in Tianyi City to hide inside their houses. In Tianyi City, every household''s doors and windows were tightly closed. Adults held their children, daring not to breathe too loudly. Occasionally, a child who ran outside would be quickly brought back in by an adult and the door shut immediately. The wide streets became instantly silent, with street stalls left unattended everywhere. "Charge..." A thousand riders stormed in, causing the ground to tremble as they galloped from the city gate into the city. "It seems they are prepared." From atop the celestial-winged snow lion, Li Lin looked down with a cold smile on his lips. In front of Tianyi Gate, a vast square was surrounded by three thousand Tianyi Gate disciples, all in a tense formation. Amid their tense expressions, there was also an air of imminent conflict. "Roar..." A beast''s roar echoed from the sky, spreading waves of sound, making everyone look up. At that moment, a huge white demon beast flew in, and in an instant, it was overhead. A massive gust swept across the square as if a giant wind had passed. "Shoo shoo..." From the back of the huge white demon beast, a figure leaped down. The newcomer was dressed in a green robe, with deep eyes, and a small yellow demon beast on his shoulder. Following him, several more small demon beasts leaped down, following the young man. "Charge!" Ahead on the main road, a thousand riders came thundering, stopping before the vast square of Tianyi Gate. Chapter 512: The Ninefold Martial General "Li Lin, has your Flying Spirit Gate turned against us?" In front of the Tianyi Gate, a middle-aged man in yellow robes stared at Li Lin, his eyes trembling with a cold light. Li Lin''s gaze swept across, his lips slightly raised in indifference, and his eyebrows faintly lifted. This person was not a stranger to Li Lin; he was an elder of the Ghost Martial Sect, whom he had seen at the sect''s grand meeting. When in the Misty Mountain Range, he devoured a fivefold martial general elder. From the Soul Searching Technique used, he learned that this person was named Zhou Ming, a ninefold martial general close to the peak level, ranked fourth in strength within the Ghost Martial Sect. There was also a piece of gossip that Li Lin learned from the brain of a fivefold martial general of the Ghost Martial Sect in the Misty Mountain Range. This person was Dai Gangzi''s man. Not everyone in the Ghost Martial Sect was united; the brothers Dai Daozi and Dai Gangzi were always at odds. With a sweep of his gaze, Li Lin had taken in everyone present. There were about a dozen martial souls, as well as a second-level spirit general, a first-level martial general, and the rest included two spirit souls and several spirit masters. "People from the Ghost Martial Sect." Behind Zhou Ming, Li Lin looked towards a hundred or so people dressed in Ghost Martial Sect attire, all of whom were at the martial master level, presumably the elite disciples of the Ghost Martial Sect. "Dai Daozi really made his move." Li Lin smirked, guessing that Dai Daozi had arranged for people to rush to Tianyi Gate immediately after returning from Huamen Town. "Li Lin, have you gone deaf? Did you not hear me speaking?" Seeing that Li Lin did not respond, Zhou Ming''s gaze darkened. "Boss, let me take him down." Little dragon''s small eyes suddenly flashed with ferocity, and a murderous aura began to spread out. Those round eyes were now filled with killing intent, staring at Zhou Ming. "No, leave this person to me. The rest are yours to deal with. Try to capture the spirit users for me," Li Lin said to Little dragon. Turning his head to look at Zhou Yu and Liu Ya, he continued, "Elder Zhou, Protector Liu, just watch. Chase down anyone who tries to escape." "Don''t worry, boss. With these people, it will be easy." Little dragon''s confidence shone through, and he then turned his head back to the demonic beasts behind him, "Did you hear the boss''s orders? Capture the spirit users, kill all the others." "Roar" Five streaks of light shot into the sky instantly, four landed on the square in front of them, and one soared upwards, instantly bringing a terrifying aura that pressed down on the space. In the blink of an eye, five huge demonic beasts appeared before everyone. The first beast was a giant tiger, shining like jade, with a slight airflow from its mouth as if it was roaring. Its eyes shone brightly, and its mouth, filled with sharp sword-like teeth and fierce claws, exuded a tremendous aura of might. Next to this giant tiger was a double-headed giant python, covered in thick scales and emitting a bloody, ferocious light from its eyes. Its body was nearly five hundred meters long. A giant blue beast stood beside the double-headed giant python. Its body was hundreds of meters long, covered in blue fur, and its presence was overwhelming. The last beast was covered in blood-like scales, with a fierce and formidable aura spreading around it. "Roar" In the sky, the body of the Skywinged Snow Lion expanded again, its mouth roaring continuously, its fangs gleaming with cold light, and its massive roar echoing in the sky. Beside the Skywinged Snow Lion, the Anti-scale Demon Peng spread its gigantic body over six hundred meters wide, with anti-scale sharp claws, its presence the most formidable among all the beasts, capable of distorting spatial ripples with its wings. "Hiss!" At this moment, Little dragon''s body instantly moved from Li Lin''s shoulder to the ground. A yellow light flashed, and his body transformed into a huge form, hundreds of meters long and tens of meters in diameter, with a powerful aura spreading out. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. "Woo woo" The presence of these mountainous beasts pressed down from the sky, causing the thousand riders of the Flying Spirit Gate to panic, their bodies trembling. The immense pressure was something these ordinary horses could not withstand. The appearance of six gigantic beasts, with such formidable auras pressing down, caused those of lower strength to feel a suffocation. "My God" "They are fifth-order demonic beasts." "There are sixth-order demonic beasts above, the black eagle in the sky is a sixth-order beast." At this moment, countless people within Tianyi Gate dropped their weapons in chaos, trembling with fear, and looked at each other, gasping in shock. Zhou Ming, watching the sudden appearance of these beasts, had his face change drastically, especially when his gaze landed on the Anti-scale Demon Peng in the sky. His expression turned even more horrified, realizing it was a sixth-order beast. A sixth-order beast, with strength comparable to a martial commander, was something his own strength could not contend with. Even as a ninefold martial general, he was no match. "Kill them," Li Lin''s cold voice emanated without any hesitation. Li Lin had never intended to spare the people of Tianyi Gate. "Roar." "Gah!" Giant beast roars thundered through the space, like thunder exploding, the massive group of demonic beasts, without any delay, surged forward with their formidable beastly might. Their huge bodies moved, shaking the ground as they charged forward. "Roar" The Anti-scale Demon Peng and the Skywinged Snow Lion flapped their wings, each creating a gust of wind in the sky, which turned into a giant tornado that swept across the area, pressing down instantly. "Boom boom!" In an instant, the Blood Jade Tiger, with its formidable presence, unleashed a claw attack that tore through space, instantly tearing several disciples of Tianyi Gate into pieces. "Run, run fast, we''re no match for these beasts." The disciples of Tianyi Gate descended into chaos, screams echoing as they faced these massive beasts, incapable of mounting any effective attack. "Zhou Ming, it''s your turn now." Li Lin appeared in front of Zhou Ming like a ghost, his demeanor indifferent to the surrounding slaughter and screams. "How could you have so many beasts" Zhou Ming''s face paled in shock, still not having recovered from the revelation. With a sixth-order beast by Li Lin''s side, he was completely outmatched. He had originally planned to wipe out everyone from the Flying Spirit Gate, but now, everything had exceeded his expectations. "Let me see, the strength of a ninefold martial general." Li Lin spoke lightly, his expression darkening. Currently at the strength of a fivefold martial general, Li Lin was eager to know how far he was from a ninefold martial general. He was looking forward to the outcome himself. As soon as the words fell, a whirlwind flashed under Li Lin''s feet, he touched the ground and charged towards Zhou Ming at an extremely fast speed. Zhou Ming instantly snapped back to reality, his face twitching as his expression turned cold. "Kid, I''ll capture you first," Zhou Ming thought, deciding to capture Li Lin first, believing that would make things easier. This was the only way he saw fit at the moment. Making up his mind, Zhou Ming instantly unleashed the water attribute true qi within his body to its limit. His hand seals changed rapidly, and a claw imprint burst forth in front of him, pressing down with a tricky attack that carried the force capable of shaking spatial ripples, sweeping over the ground. "Green Spirit Armor." In that instant, Li Lin was surrounded by the Green Spirit Armor. His hands formed complex seals rapidly, and true qi surged through his meridians, converging in his palm. Around him, a massive amount of wood attribute energy gathered from all directions like strands of hair. In that moment, Li Lin''s body shone brightly with green light, his aura dramatically rising. A palm imprint, half a meter in size and as clear as jade, adhered to Li Lin''s palm. The space around him rippled, creating waves of spatial ripples spreading out. "Melancholic Soul Extinguishing Palm." A sharp light shot from Li Lin''s eyes as he pushed forward, and the jade-like palm imprint burst forth, turning into a growing green light that met Zhou Ming''s claw imprint in the air. Facing Zhou Ming, a ninefold martial general, Li Lin did not hold back and directly used the Xuan-level low-grade martial technique, Melancholic Soul Extinguishing Palm. He feared that ordinary martial techniques would not be able to withstand Zhou Ming''s strength. Suddenly feeling such a formidable aura, Zhou Ming''s face turned to surprise. He had not expected Li Lin''s strength to cause such a disturbance. In an instant, the space within the entire area boiled, and the howling spatial ripples, along with the green palm imprint, collided with the overwhelming water attribute energy claw imprint. The explosion shattered a vast area of violent spatial ripples and detonated in mid-air. "Boom!" A massive sound of explosion echoed in the air, a terrifyingly powerful energy burst forth like a bomb, spreading out. The energy dissipated, the wind raged, and each gust of wind traced mysterious arcs, overlapping continuously like a net of green light arcs, then enveloping an area of thousands of meters. The next instant, as the light arc pressed down silently, when it reached the ground, the space within a kilometer twisted as if a wave of invisible aura spread out rapidly. "Damn it." Suddenly, Zhou Ming''s face drastically changed. Within the green light arc, a tremendous force poured down, directly draining his true qi. In an instant, he lost over a third of his energy. This bizarre martial technique was terrifyingly powerful. Chapter 513: Devouring Zhou Ming "Thud thud..." Zhou Ming''s body was directly repelled, the opponent''s attack power had reached the peak level of an eighth-tier Martial General, almost infinitely close to a ninth-tier Martial General. However, Zhou Ming had distinctly felt that the opponent was only a fifth-tier Martial General just before, this power was too terrifying. "Thud thud..." Li Lin''s body was also being directly repelled at this moment. With the protection of the Qing Ling Armor and a surge of blood qi within his body, Zhou Ming''s strength, close to the peak of a ninth-tier Martial General and only a step away from Martial Marshal, was absolutely formidable. However, at the same time as being repelled, Li Lin formed a strange hand seal in an instant. True qi burst out from specific meridians on his arm. Suddenly, with a fist clenched and a loud shout, "Earth''s Fury!" As Li Lin''s shout fell, his inner true qi burst out overwhelmingly, rapidly condensing into a yellowish-brown fist imprint in front of him, carrying an extremely terrifying momentum, and then raising a horrifying gale with its roar. Just as Li Lin stabilized his body after being repelled, he immediately bent down on one knee, and this punch shattered the space, heavily smashing onto the ground in front of him. With this punch, the ground in front of Li Lin suddenly cracked open, revealing a fissure tens of meters wide, instantly spreading towards Zhou Ming in front with a shocking speed. "Crack crack..." The ground shook violently like an earthquake, instantly cracking up to the front of Zhou Ming. The terrifying power poured out like a flood near Zhou Ming, only to hear a crackling sound, immediately the ground within a radius of more than a thousand meters around Zhou Ming completely cracked, spreading like a spider web, with rubble shooting out, carrying a gale that penetrated space. At this moment, Zhou Ming was completely terrified, the violent power was too horrifying, and this martial technique, just like the one just before, was not ordinary, probably reaching the initial stage of the Xuan level. In panic, Zhou Ming''s figure rapidly retreated, and a thick mist of water energy shield was instantly deployed around him. However, within a radius of more than a thousand meters, the ground was completely cracked, Zhou Ming was unable to retreat at this moment, Li Lin''s attack was too fast, so fast that he was caught off guard. "Bang bang!" The ground cracked and then began to explode, the entire area of thousands of meters like a mountain collapse and ground fissure sinking. Within a kilometer space, an indestructible terrifying power surged skyward, opening up spatial ripples at the same time, instantly enveloping Zhou Ming. Outside Zhou Ming, the dense mist of water shield cracked, the cracks spreading and then also violently shattered. A surge of airwave force instantly fell on Zhou Ming, directly blasting him flying out, eventually heavily falling to the ground. "Pfft! Pfft..." At the same time, such terrifying power almost instantly affected a space of more than a thousand meters, immediately causing hundreds of Tianyi Sect disciples nearby to spit out blood, their bodies blasted flying and crashing, skidding on the ground for hundreds of meters, dead or alive, at this moment, no one among these hundreds of people went to check, but most likely were either dead or seriously injured. This shows that on the ground, Li Lin''s "Earth''s Fury" destroyed a plaza of more than a thousand meters, the ground blasted and sank, revealing a deep pit of thousands of meters, this violent power was truly horrifying. "Pfft..." At this time, Zhou Ming also spat out a mouthful of blood mist with a shocked expression, his complexion extremely pale, struggling to get up, his gaze already somewhat panic-stricken and surprised towards Li Lin. Countering Li Lin''s first move, the Melancholic Spirit Vanishing Palm, he was not injured and even faintly had the upper hand, but was consumed nearly one-third of his true qi under the eerie effect of the Melancholic Spirit Vanishing Palm. Now, countering Li Lin''s recently mastered "Earth''s Fury," plus Li Lin''s instant attack, he had not expected Li Lin''s speed to be so fast, hence he was injured. Three years ago, he had witnessed Li Lin''s strength as only that of a Martial Master, but three years later, his strength as a ninth-tier Martial General, was severely injured in two moves, this all left him horrified. At this time, he also realized, Li Lin was a tri-elemental martial artist, back at the sect conference of the Ghost Martial Sect, Li Lin had displayed earth and fire attributes, just now he displayed wood attribute, the opponent turned out to be a tri-elemental martial artist. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Li Lin stood still, indeed a ninth-tier Martial General''s strength was strong, his own consecutive attacks with two Xuan-level low-grade martial techniques, only slightly injured him, to kill him, he had to use another trump card, although Li Lin wanted to try the power of Xuan-level mid-grade martial techniques at this time, unfortunately, he hasn''t reached the level to activate several sets of Xuan-level mid-grade martial techniques. "Shh..." Li Lin''s figure moved again, with a whirlwind under his feet, his figure disappeared on the spot like a ghost, only a faint green afterimage could be seen. "Water Mist Annihilation Technique." Seeing Li Lin making a move again, Zhou Ming gritted his teeth and formed a hand seal, instantly, a vast water attribute gathered around him, the edges of his body starting to distort as if, the terrifying energy aftermath spreading across the sky, at this moment, Zhou Ming''s aura also crazily surged. "Shh shh..." The entire space was instantly condensed with blue mist, covering the entire area in an instant, the powerful aura spreading, the space ripples violently shaking. "Phantom Spirit Seal." When Li Lin''s figure was maximally close to Zhou Ming, a strange light shot out from his eyes, the fluctuation of his aura, an omnipresent mysterious attacking force, immediately enveloped towards Zhou Ming. In an instant, Zhou Ming looked towards Li Lin, and immediately, his eyes glazed over, his mind assaulted. At that moment, as his mind was under attack, his first reaction was undoubtedly realizing that the other party was still a spirit practitioner. "Cold Ice Seal!" At that very instant, following a deep shout that echoed through the space, a massive energy handprint, hundreds of meters in size, suddenly materialized in his hand. The entire space suddenly experienced a rapid drop in temperature, a cold icy energy spread out, freezing the spatial ripples, and the cold air ravaged the space. "Go." With the last handprint struck, Li Lin coldly shouted, pushing out this massive energy palm print. In that moment, an intense cold icy energy surged like waves, rapidly spreading out. As the palm print passed, the space instantly froze in a very strange state, causing everyone fighting nearby to suddenly shiver. "Ssst!" The pervasive cold icy energy in the air immediately sealed the space around Zhou Ming, followed by a loud sonic boom echoing through the space... "Bang bang!" The entire frozen space began to violently burst apart, the bone-chilling cold icy energy spreading out, a violent force exploded overhead, and the shattered ice turned into energy and disappeared. Under such a ferocious attack, the force swept across space, making the entire space of over a thousand meters turbid. When the force dissipated, Zhou Ming''s figure reappeared within it. Looking at Li Lin in front of him, Zhou Ming''s eyes were filled with terror, and his complexion had turned dreadfully pale. "Ptui!" As his body trembled, Zhou Ming suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, mixed with shattered organs. The blood, carrying a tinge of purple from being frozen, weakly looked at Li Lin: "You''re still a spirit..." "Come here." Li Lin coldly said, and as his voice fell, several finger seals instantly landed on Zhou Ming. At this moment, Zhou Ming had no power to resist and was immediately restrained. Li Lin''s gaze then swept across the entire square, where the sounds of fierce combat echoed like continuous thunder. Underneath several large beasts, countless warriors became easy prey. Zhou Yu Hou and other Flying Spirit Gate disciples had also joined the outer battlefield, pursuing the fleeing disciples of Tian Yi Sect. Scanning over, Li Lin raised an eyebrow; the disciples of Tian Yi Sect had no power to resist. "Whoosh..." Leaping forward, Li Lin, carrying Zhou Ming, immediately entered the Tian Yi Sect''s grand hall, into a quiet room. There, Li Lin looked at Zhou Ming with a cold smirk. Zhou Ming, utterly terrified, was also silenced, unable to speak, looking extremely weak. "A Ninth Level Martial General, severely injured, should be able to devour now," Li Lin muttered. Then, between his hands, a swirl of Qi turned into a spinning airflow, and with a thunderous motion, it was affixed to Zhou Ming''s heavenly spirit cover. Under a tremendous devouring force, Zhou Ming''s face twisted ferociously, and after a moment, he turned into a dried corpse. Under the spiritual fire in Li Lin''s palm, he immediately turned into ashes. "Such a majestic Qi," Li Lin muttered, his complexion slightly reddening as if he was overstuffed from binge eating. Under the severe injury and weakened state of Zhou Ming, a Ninth Level Martial General, Li Lin had originally estimated that he could easily devour him. However, he hadn''t anticipated that even under severe injury, Zhou Ming''s Qi would be so vast. Having completed the devouring, Li Lin had reached his limit; any more and he would have to give up. This might be what is called ''a starving camel is still bigger than a horse.'' Even under severe injury, the Qi in Zhou Ming''s dantian was not to be underestimated. Feeling the energy of the Qi he had devoured, Li Lin estimated that after refining it, he could break through to the Sixth Level Martial General, with some to spare. Having also employed the Soul Searching technique just now, Li Lin had obtained much information from Zhou Ming''s mind about the Ghost Martial Sect. With this information, knowing oneself and the enemy, it would be much easier to deal with the Ghost Martial Sect. At this moment, Li Lin also had a general understanding of his own strength. With the strength of a Fifth Level Martial General, leveraging the vast dantian Qi sea, strong physique, and speed advantage, he could generally contend against a Seventh Level Martial General without issue, but killing them might be somewhat difficult. Chapter 514: On the Ghost Martial Sect If you add the continuous attacks of Xuan-level early-stage martial techniques, it is no problem to contend against an eight-layer martial general. Combined with the Virtual Spirit Phantom Seal, that would be enough to deal with a nine-layer martial general. Of course, Li Lin was also aware that this level of strength was only in comparison to general martial generals. Although Zhou Ming was a nine-layer martial general, in terms of martial techniques, coming from the Ghost Martial Sect without any Xuan-level techniques, his strength was normal, not like the disciples of the big sects and schools who generally have much higher strength than their cultivation would suggest. Li Lin thought to himself, if Zhou Ming were Ba Dao Long San of the Yunyang Sect, or other figures like Zhan Dao Qu Dao and Fei Ying Ling Feng, who likely also possessed the strength of nine-layer martial generals, then as a five-layer martial general himself, he would only be able to desperately fight them. Therefore, his current level of strength could only be compared to general martial practitioners. If he encountered a martial practitioner with hidden cards, he would have to reassess. As for his own strength against martial marshals, Li Lin was somewhat uncertain. After all, there is a huge difference between martial marshals and martial generals. He had no problem dealing with Zhou Ming, but Zhou Ming was not someone whose cultivation was infinitely close to that of a martial marshal, so it was hard to judge now. But at this time, Li Lin also had some confidence in his own strength. After all, he still had some cards unplayed. He guessed that if he now faced a first-layer martial marshal, although there is a huge gap between the cultivation of a martial marshal and that of a martial general, it was really hard to say whose deer would be captured. After sorting things out, with a flick of his sleeve robe, Li Lin once again arrived at the square. At this time, the earth-shattering battle cries on the square were nearing their end. With the help of several terrifying demon beasts, the Flying Spirit Gate was completely victorious. Thousands of Tian Yi Sect disciples were present, but not many corpses were seen, as most became the snacks of several demon beasts. However, the square could be described as a river of blood. The huge pit created by Li Lin''s Earth-shaking Roar was now soaked with fresh blood, forming a huge blood pit. "Master, the spiritual practitioners you wanted are all here, a few have been killed." The Shadow Yin Demon Rabbit''s body shrank to about two meters, its short forepaws dyed red, and a blue glow wrapped around several figures and instantly threw them on the ground. Li Lin glanced over, a total of five spiritual practitioners, the strongest being a second-layer spiritual general, one fourth-layer spiritual soul, one first-layer spiritual soul, and two spiritual masters. Five spiritual practitioners, Li Lin revealed a hint of a smile. This was another stepping stone for his spiritual power improvement. "Boss, it''s all settled." Little dragon''s small body jumped onto Li Lin''s shoulder, a murderous aura faintly visible around him, as with several huge demon beasts, they all shrank their bodies, and the square was nearing its end. "Little dragon, your strength has increased a lot." Li Lin said softly. Just now, a first-layer martial general of the Tian Yi Sect was instantly swallowed by Little dragon, this strength, compared to before Little dragon''s breakthrough, was much stronger. "Master, the Tian Yi Sect has been annihilated. Hundreds of Tian Yi Sect disciples fled, and the rest were all killed. Fifty-six disciples of the Flying Spirit Gate fell, and there are more than four hundred injured." An hour later, Liu Ya Lei reported to Li Lin. "Master, this is the Tian Yi Sect''s loot." Zhou Yu Hou handed Li Lin many space bags, the entire Tian Yi Sect was almost completely looted, a task Zhou Yu Hou did without needing Li Lin''s orders. "Let''s head back to the Flying Spirit Gate. Do not disturb the people in the city." Li Lin instructed. The Flying Spirit Gate lost more than fifty people, but it was a complete victory. The disciples of the Flying Spirit Gate did not participate in the core battle. If it were only up to the disciples of the Flying Spirit Gate to annihilate the Tian Yi Sect, it would obviously be impossible. "Master, do we not want the Tian Yi Sect?" Zhou Yu Hou suddenly said. "Who said we don''t want it? You lead the disciples back first, make no mistakes." Li Lin said lightly, his gaze fixed on Zhou Yu Hou. "Yes, Master." Zhou Yu Hou felt a chill in his heart and dared not ask anything more. Li Lin turned his gaze back to the Tian Yi Sect. This place would eventually be his, but now was not the time to take control in the hands of the Flying Spirit Gate. He guessed that this wouldn''t be too far off. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Moments later, the Sky Wing Snow Lion flapped its wings and roared, its huge body disappearing into the sky. On the back of the Sky Wing Snow Lion were five restrained spiritual practitioners and several small demon beasts. On the back of the Sky Wing Snow Lion, Li Lin sat cross-legged, surrounded by a circle of yellow light, refining the true qi energy he had swallowed. The few spiritual practitioners on the back of the Sky Wing Snow Lion looked panicked, but were completely restrained and could not move at all. In Tian Yi City, as the terrifying battle cries ended, only the brave opened their doors and windows, starting to head towards the blood-scented square. And not everyone had hidden during the battle; within the passersby in Tian Yi City, there were martial practitioners, including some with the cultivation of martial souls, and even a few martial generals. These martial practitioners had been watching the battle on the square from afar, hiding so as not to reveal themselves, and could only secretly peek. When the demon beasts and disciples of the Flying Spirit Gate left, these people dared to show themselves, each staring at the square in shock. What had just happened was clearly seen by many, the Master of the Flying Spirit Gate, with several terrifying demon beasts, swept through the Tian Yi Sect without mercy, personally killing a nine-layer martial general from the Ghost Martial Sect. The square littered with corpses made many ordinary people vomit. "The Tian Yi Sect has been annihilated, even the Ghost Martial Sect couldn''t protect it." "The demon beasts of the Flying Spirit Gate are too terrifying, the disciples of the Tian Yi Sect were completely no match." "I heard that a few days ago in Hua Men Town, the Master of the Tian Yi Sect, Jing Wen Kun, was causing trouble, which is the territory of the Flying Spirit Gate. It''s said that the Master of the Flying Spirit Gate killed Jing Wen Kun then, declaring that he would annihilate the Tian Yi Sect. I didn''t expect him to act so quickly." "The Tian Yi Sect is also unlucky, to cause trouble on the territory of the Flying Spirit Gate. It seems that the Flying Spirit Gate no longer regards the Ghost Martial Sect as a threat." "There should be a good show to watch. The Ghost Martial Sect should make a move against the Flying Spirit Gate this time." "Although the Ghost Martial Sect is strong, the Master of the Flying Spirit Gate seems to have a sixth-order demon beast by his side now, the Ghost Martial Sect might not have an easy time dealing with it." Amidst the discussions of the crowd, the news of the Tian Yi Sect being annihilated by the Flying Spirit Gate spread like the wind, immediately attracting a lot of attention. After dusk, Li Lin had already returned to the Flying Spirit Gate without causing much disturbance, directly entering the secret chamber in the back mountain to cultivate. Time slowly passed, and in the deep summer season, outside Hua Men Town, a grand city-building plan began. Buildings started to rise from the ground, and the popularity of Hua Men Town was growing day by day. As the closure of the Misty Mountain Range got longer, the price of medicinal herbs started to get more expensive, driving up the price of pills as well. In Hua Men Town, only the Flying Spirit Trade Hall was still selling a small amount of medicinal herbs. Every day, a large group of medicinal herb merchants would line up outside the Flying Spirit Trade Hall early in the morning, waiting for the sale of medicinal herbs. The small amount of medicinal herbs was far from meeting the demand every day, which made the prices even higher. Every day, Li Xiao Bai and Liu Yi Shou, standing inside the Flying Spirit Trade Hall, were smiling ear to ear. Just three days after Li Lin annihilated the Tian Yi Sect, several large mercenary groups suddenly appeared in Hua Men Town from the Misty Mountain Range, each bringing a large amount of medicinal herbs. The appearance of these mercenary groups immediately attracted the pursuit of all medicinal herb merchants. The medicinal herbs in the hands of the dozen or so mercenary groups were bought at sky-high prices within a day. At night, in the back hall of the Flying Spirit Trade Hall, if those medicinal herb merchants saw it, they would definitely recognize that the leaders of these dozen mercenary groups were currently gathered in the back hall of the Flying Spirit Trade Hall. The leaders of these dozen mercenary groups were all martial generals. And the people of these mercenary groups were the ones Li Lin had subdued in the Misty Mountain Range more than ten days ago. In the back hall of the Flying Spirit Trade Hall, Li Xiao Bai and Liu Yi Shou were also among them. "Gentlemen, leaders, you have worked hard." Li Xiao Bai said lightly. "Don''t mention it, we''re all doing our best for the Flying Spirit Gate." The leaders of the dozen mercenary groups said, all having taken the Blood Devouring Bone Dissolving Pill, and at this moment, these people would not betray the Flying Spirit Gate. "Gentlemen, leaders, the Master has already instructed that from now on, you will be responsible for the entire Misty Mountain Range. You can also gather medicinal herbs in the dangerous areas. At the same time, there are thousands of mercenaries who cannot enter the Misty Mountain Range, you can develop your mercenary groups on a large scale. In half a year, whoever''s mercenary group has developed the largest, will then be responsible for the entire Misty Mountain Range. Remember, for now, do not tell anyone about your relationship with the Flying Spirit Gate." Li Xiao Bai said to everyone. The leaders of the mercenary groups looked at each other and then left. In the city of Ghost Martial, as the sun set, a red glow shone, illuminating the entire massive mountain body of the Ghost Martial Sect. "Gentlemen, elders, the three elders who entered the Misty Mountain Range should be coming out by now, right? Why haven''t they arrived yet?" Dai Dao Zi said with a grave expression in the grand hall of the Ghost Martial Sect. "Probably the three elders were delayed by something. With their strength, it''s unlikely that anything major would happen." An elder dressed in blue said. "In Tian Xing Town, the shortage of medicinal herbs has been long and has caused a great impact. If the three elders don''t bring out medicinal herbs soon, Tian Xing Town is likely to suffer a huge loss." Another elder said. "It''s all the damn Flying Spirit Gate, getting more and more excessive. Master, what did the old sect master say? Is there any plan to act against the Flying Spirit Gate?" A yellow-robed elder said. Chapter 515: The Sixth-Tier Martial General "The old sect master has instructed that we endure a little longer, to see what Flying Spirit Gate intends to do next, before making a decision." Dai Daozi''s gaze darkened, and then he spoke softly. "Master, it''s bad, something major has happened." Outside the great hall, a disciple of the Ghost Martial Sect, with the cultivation of a martial soul, hurried into the hall, his expression one of panic. "What has you so flustered?" Inside the great hall, a group of elders and protectors were discussing important matters. Seeing this disciple rushing in flustered, Dai Daozi''s expression changed instantly, and he asked sternly. "Master, our branch at Jiuhua Mountain was suddenly destroyed by a mysterious force four days ago," said the disciple, panicked. "What..." Suddenly, inside the great hall, Dai Daozi and the elders and protectors'' expressions changed dramatically. "Master, it''s a disaster." At this moment, another disciple of the Ghost Martial Sect, with the cultivation of a martial soul, hurried into the great hall from outside, panic-stricken. "What now?" Dai Daozi said heavily. "Master, we just received news that Qianshan Gate was destroyed by a mysterious force at dawn four days ago; the entire Qianshan Gate no longer exists." "Qianshan Gate has been destroyed too..." Inside the great hall, everyone''s faces turned to shock again, all eyes subsequently turned to Dai Daozi. "Master, it''s bad. We just received news that Tianyi Gate was destroyed three days ago; Elder Zhou was killed by Flying Spirit Gate, and all one hundred elite disciples of our Ghost Martial Sect were also killed." Yet another disciple of the Ghost Martial Sect, with the cultivation of a martial soul, rushed into the great hall, panicked. Dai Daozi''s expression was extremely grave, a coldness flashed in his eyes, and he fiercely slapped his hand on the chair. "Crack..." The chair immediately shattered into ashes, and Dai Daozi''s complexion turned iron blue: "Investigate, find out who is behind the destruction of Qianshan Gate and Jiuhua Mountain branch. Flying Spirit Gate, this time, our Ghost Martial Sect will no longer tolerate." "Whoosh whoosh..." While the Ghost Martial Sect was in chaos and fury, within a secret chamber behind Flying Spirit Gate, Li Lin''s aura was rising at this moment. Unknown when it began, the space within the chamber started to fluctuate violently, a surge of earthy yellow light burst forth around Li Lin, then, like curtains of light, it wrapped around his body, and finally, following his breath, it entered his body through every pore, cycling repeatedly. As time slowly passed, the earthy yellow light inside Li Lin became more and more intense, and his skin also gradually emitted strands of yellow light. Suddenly, an invisible force of heaven and earth began to converge in the chamber, then entered Li Lin''s body. At this moment, several spiritual practitioners inside the chamber were looking increasingly alarmed, knowing that Li Lin, who had been cultivating for several days, was starting to break through. Li Lin''s aura grew stronger and stronger, and as the invisible heaven and earth energy continuously poured into him, rapid changes were happening inside his body. With each breakthrough, even if it was a minor one, Li Lin could feel a slight transformation in his body. The muscles, bones, internal organs, blood vessels, and meridians inside his body would undergo different enhancements, making his body stronger and stronger. Meanwhile, with every breakthrough, Li Lin could clearly feel his dantian qi sea expanding as if enlarging after each breakthrough. The larger the dantian qi sea, the more true qi it could contain. The more true qi, the stronger his power. As Li Lin''s aura continued to strengthen, the invisible energy fluctuations inside the chamber became more and more intense, and finally, billions of pores all over Li Lin''s body greedily absorbed all the energy flowing into his body, and at this moment, the entire chamber was enveloped in a dense yellow light. After about half an hour, the chamber''s yellow light was completely absorbed by Li Lin, and everything began to return to normal, revealing Li Lin''s figure sitting cross-legged. However, at this moment, an imposing aura emanated invisibly from Li Lin''s body. In just a moment, this formidable aura was completely retracted, without any leakage. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "Sigh!" Li Lin exhaled a long breath from his dantian qi sea, slowly opened his eyes, his deep black pupils now even more profound. "I''m now a sixth-tier martial general." Feeling the vast true qi within his body, Li Lin smiled satisfactorily. Stretching his arms, he gently smiled, feeling that at this moment, whether it was his muscles and bones or his internal organs, all were much stronger than when he was a fifth-tier martial general. Satisfied with his body''s strength, Li Lin himself was very pleased. If comparing the robustness of his body alone, his body could be compared to high-level defensive martial techniques. In just a few days, he had broken through again, and for this speed, Li Lin was very satisfied. Even for martial generals with excellent talents, without a year''s time, they definitely couldn''t break through. Ordinary martial artists reaching the level of martial general, probably without three to five years, don''t even think about breaking through. But now, he could break through in just a few days, indeed a joyous matter. "Continue refining." Li Lin pursed his lips in a smile, swallowing the true qi inside Zhou Ming''s body, and as he expected, breaking through to the sixth-tier martial general, but there was still residual true qi energy inside his body. Although Zhou Ming was severely injured, the true qi in his body was absolutely vast, after all, he was a ninth-tier martial general powerhouse. A moment later, Li Lin entered the state of cultivation again, immediately enveloped in a faint yellow light. Above Ghost Martial City, within a rock wall, there was a stone door about one person tall. Dai Daozi stood outside, gazing respectfully at the stone door, saying, "Father, have you made a decision?" "Tianyi Gate, Qianshan Gate, Jiuhua Mountain branch, these three incidents seem complicated, but upon closer examination, it may not be so simple. It seems that someone had arranged this long ago." An old voice came from inside the stone door. "Father, do you mean there is someone behind this, specifically targeting our Ghost Martial Sect?" Dai Daozi asked. "Destroying Jiuhua Mountain, Tianyi Gate, Qianshan Gate, and even killing Zhou Ming, this is not something an ordinary force can do. The Li Lin from Flying Spirit Gate you mentioned has a sixth-order beast with him, is that true?" The old voice inside the door continued to ask. "According to the information we received, it should be a sixth-order early-stage Reverse Scales Demon Peng," Dai Daozi said softly. "Reverse Scales Demon Peng." The voice inside seemed somewhat surprised, then said, "Our Ghost Martial Sect is located at the outer edges of the Misty Mountain Range, at the very outskirts of the ancient domain. The three sects and four gates of the Spirit Martial Continent have always coveted the ancient domain. Could it be the people from the Beast Sect?" "Father suspects that Flying Spirit Gate is related to the Beast Sect?" Dai Daozi said with a grave expression. "It''s just a speculation. Only the Beast Sect has the capability to possess so many beasts. We cannot rule out the forces that have been wanting to deal with our Ghost Martial Sect over the years. In any case, this matter is not simple." The voice from inside the stone door came again. "Father, what should we do now? If we don''t take action this time, I''m afraid everyone will think our Ghost Martial Sect is easy to bully, and I don''t know how many people are laughing at our Ghost Martial Sect right now." Dai Daozi said softly. "Regardless, this time our Ghost Martial Sect naturally has to take action. But over the years, who exactly is the powerful spirit commander inside Flying Spirit Gate, no one has known." The voice inside sighed slightly. "So, father means..." "You and your brother discuss it. One of you personally go, one to clarify our Ghost Martial Sect''s stance, and second to probe who exactly is the spirit commander inside Flying Spirit Gate." The voice inside the stone door spoke again after a moment. Inside the back mountain of Flying Spirit Gate, on the second day Li Lin refined the true qi inside his body, his eyes opened again. "Sigh..." A breath of turbid air was exhaled from his body at the same time, a glint of sharp light flashed through Li Lin''s eyes, he stretched lazily, and his bones crackled, a sense of comfort instantly surged. Feeling the level of true qi inside his body, Li Lin estimated that if he could swallow another sixth-tier martial general now, he should be able to reach the mid-stage of the sixth-tier martial general. However, he had almost reached his limit in terms of breakthroughs in the level of true qi recently, so Li Lin did not dare to continue swallowing and breaking through. Li Lin stood up and then set his gaze on those five spiritual practitioners. After swallowing these few spiritual practitioners, Li Lin estimated that he could break through to the third-tier spiritual realm. His gaze, carrying a hint of a faint cold smile, finally settled on the practitioner with the cultivation of a second-tier spiritual general. The second-tier spiritual general was terrified, as if feeling what Li Lin was about to do, but was completely restrained and unable to speak. "A second-tier spiritual general, not bad." Li Lin smiled indifferently, a surge of swallowing power burst from his hand, and then in the eyes of the other four spiritual practitioners, it landed on the heavenly spirit cover of this second-tier martial general. Half an hour later, five dry corpses turned into ashes under the spiritual fire in Li Lin''s palm. "Continue refining." Li Lin had no intention of leaving the secret chamber. After taking out the spiritual jade bed, he immediately began to refine and swallow the spiritual power. When refining spiritual power, Li Lin would always take out the spiritual jade bed. The spiritual jade bed has a significant amplifying effect on both spiritual power and soul power, definitely a rare treasure. A moment later, a cultivation hand seal was formed, and Li Lin was already enveloped in an invisible transparent light circle. Inside Ghost Martial City, on this day, two thousand iron cavalry thundered out, galloping all the way, stirring up dust and flying. In the sky above, on the back of a huge flying beast, there were more than twenty figures, with Dai Gangzi at the forefront. Chapter 516: Breaking into the Third Tier of Spiritual Generals Behind Dai Gangzi were six or seven martial generals, including one seventh-tier martial general and one eighth-tier martial general, along with more than a dozen protectors, all of whom were at the eighth and ninth tier of martial souls. At this moment, Dai Gangzi''s face seemed extremely ugly, filled with a hint of hatred amidst the gloom. "Vice Sect Master, we need to hurry. It will take about seven days for the two thousand disciples of the Ghost Martial Sect to reach Flying Spirit Gate," an elder of the Ghost Martial Sect said to Dai Gangzi on the back of the flying beast. "No matter how many days it takes, Dai Daozi actually dared to pin this matter on me, hmph!" Dai Gangzi said with resentment. "Vice Sect Master, if we can successfully destroy Flying Spirit Gate, it will be an opportunity for us. In the next sect master election, it will likely be the vice sect master''s turn," said an elder with the cultivation of a seventh-tier martial general. "Do you think it''s that easy? I heard that there''s a powerful spirit commander in Flying Spirit Gate. Dai Daozi must be afraid to act rashly himself, so he used the sect master''s command to pressure me. One day, the position of sect master will be mine," Dai Gangzi said through gritted teeth. "Vice Sect Master, once we destroy Flying Spirit Gate this time, the old sect master will surely hand over the position of sect master to you," said the eighth-tier martial general. "Flying Spirit Gate, I want to see what kind of strong people are really in this insignificant Flying Spirit Gate," Dai Gangzi sneered, clenching his fists tightly, a surge of qi leaking out from his body, creating ripples in the surrounding space, making the flying beast beneath him tremble. Inside the secret chamber, Li Lin was enveloped in a faint, invisible, transparent light, and his aura was slowly rising. At this moment, next to the soul pill in Li Lin''s mind, an eerie golden knife was nestled on top of the soul pill, rotating with it. The blade began to exude strands of yellow light, absorbing the fine soul energy from the soul pill continuously. The golden knife, like a bottomless pit, kept absorbing the soul force within the soul pill. After devouring a spiritual general, two spiritual souls, and two spiritual masters, Li Lin''s speed of refining spiritual power was very fast, and his cultivation level was also rising rapidly. It''s not clear when it started, but the aura around Li Lin filled the entire secret chamber, which was also enveloped in a dense, invisible, transparent light shield. At this moment, in Li Lin''s mind, the spiritual power was abundant, the soul pill was spinning rapidly, and the invisible, transparent light shield around him suddenly became extremely dazzling. An invisible heavenly and earthly energy also converged from all directions, rushing into Li Lin''s body. "Bang..." With a muffled sound emanating from the space in Li Lin''s mind, a massive energy fluctuation arose, and the spiritual power within suddenly compressed, causing the space in his mind to expand by a fold in an instant. "Sigh..." At this moment, the aura of spiritual power around Li Lin also soared instantly. Indistinctly, within the secret chamber, an omnipresent energy from heaven and earth accompanied it into Li Lin''s body. On the spiritual jade bed, a faint light was also surging into Li Lin''s body. At this moment, Li Lin also benefited greatly, his soul force was nourished in an instant, and the golden knife also absorbed a lot of soul force. The benefits of each breakthrough were astonishing. A moment later, the aura around Li Lin calmed down, and by then, Li Lin had reached the third tier of spiritual generals. The breakthrough in spiritual power was always a bit slower than the breakthrough in true qi for Li Lin. After all, martial artists were everywhere, but spiritual practitioners were not so easily found, especially now that Li Lin knew he could only devour spiritual generals. Devouring spiritual souls and spiritual masters wouldn''t be of much use to him. Feeling the spiritual power in his mind at this moment, Li Lin pursed his lips in a smile. Having broken through to the third tier of spiritual generals, he wondered if he could now activate the third level of the knife soul technique. The second layer, knife soul light blade, was much stronger than the first layer, knife soul slash, and the power of the third layer, knife soul void annihilation, must be absolutely terrifying. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. In a few days'' time, having broken through to the sixth-tier martial general and the third-tier spiritual general, Li Lin was quite satisfied. Now, facing a first-tier martial marshal, he should definitely have the strength to compete. After tidying up and stretching, Li Lin left the back mountain secret chamber and headed to his living courtyard. It had been six days since he closed himself off for cultivation. "Big brother." In the courtyard, Li XinTong was playing joyfully with a little dragon. Seeing Li Lin enter the courtyard, she immediately jumped onto his shoulder. "Brother..." Li XinTong fluttered into Li Lin''s arms like a butterfly. "Little girl, you''re a fourth-tier spiritual general?" Feeling the aura on Li XinTong, Li Lin was astonished, almost stunned. Li Lin''s strength had reached the fourth tier of spiritual generals. "What are you surprised about? XinTong has a natural poison body, and spiritual power is continuously supplied from within the poison body. Breaking through is frighteningly fast," Dong WuMing appeared in Li Lin''s view. "You''ve broken through again?" Dong WuMing frowned slightly, sensing the aura on Li Lin, then said, "You''re a freak. I really don''t know how you cultivate. I''ve seen fast cultivation, but never as fast as yours." Li Lin smiled slightly, touching his nose with his index finger without saying anything. "The matters of Tianyi Gate, Jiuhua Mountain, and Qianshan Gate have been buzzing. How do you plan to handle it? Ghost Martial Sect probably can''t hold back any longer. Even if they don''t know about the existence of the martial hall, it won''t be long before the first fire reaches Flying Spirit Gate," Dong WuMing said to Li Lin. Li Lin''s gaze flickered. Having destroyed the branch of Jiuhua Mountain''s Ghost Martial Sect and Qianshan Gate, Li Lin had already anticipated that although Ghost Martial Sect was troubled, they couldn''t focus all their attention on Flying Spirit Gate. However, since they couldn''t find the martial hall, it was very likely they would vent their anger on Flying Spirit Gate, using it as an example to warn others. "Let''s wait for their move and then figure out how to deal with it," Li Lin said lightly. Then, Li Lin and Dong WuMing discussed the initiation ceremony for Qinghuo Old Ghost and Lushan Old Man. On Dong WuMing''s suggestion, considering the strength of Qinghuo Old Ghost and Lushan Old Man, they were also appointed to the position of venerables. Li Lin didn''t object to the Old Poisoner''s suggestion; after all, it was just a title. In the afternoon, Li Xiaobai and Liu Yishou returned to Flying Spirit Gate, and Li Lin learned about the recent situation of Flying Spirit Gate from them. Everything was under his control. Huamen Town was being built, and the flow of people was increasing. On the outskirts of the Misty Mountain Range, with the support of several mercenary groups, everything was going smoothly. Some small mercenary groups were willing to join the larger ones. Those who were unwilling had no choice but to leave. After several deterrent actions, no one dared to cause trouble. "Master, we have gathered all the materials needed for refining sixth-grade pills, and we''ve collected most of the materials for fifth-grade pills. The materials for refining first to fourth-grade pills have already been allocated to the mercenary groups for distribution. The prices have quadrupled. Just on these materials alone, our Flying Spirit Trade has made a net profit of one billion gold coins," Li Xiaobai said to Li Lin, becoming more proficient in understanding medicinal materials. "A net profit of one billion." Li Lin smiled, indeed not a small sum. "Since three days ago, we''ve been selling medicinal materials at normal prices every day at Flying Spirit Trade. Although there''s a limit on the quantity sold, it has caused the prices of medicinal materials to fall back. Once the next batch of medicinal materials from the Misty Mountain Range arrives and we sell them at normal prices, the major powers will become restless. When they start selling off in large numbers, we''ll secretly buy them up and raise the prices again, making us another few hundred million gold coins," Liu Yishou said excitedly. "Master, although we''ve made a lot recently, the construction of Huamen Town is consuming a terrifying amount. The development of the martial hall by Huangfu Hall Master and the shadow hall by Ye Hall Master is also consuming a shocking amount," Li Xiaobai said. Li Lin frowned. Although they had made a lot recently, the expenses were equally terrifying. Not being a shopkeeper, Li Lin now fully understood that being a sect master was not an easy task. Li Lin continued to learn from them that the medicinal materials in the Misty Mountain Range were being picked by the mercenary groups arranged by Li Xiaobai and Liu Yishou. For the auction of Lingfei Sect, Liu Yishou was planning to start a small one, using it as an opportunity to attract more people to Huamen Town, which also increased the tributes to the town. After the two left, Li Lin asked Liu Yishou to arrange for the elders and protectors who could return to Flying Spirit Gate to come back, as there was an announcement to make tomorrow. After arranging everything, it was nearly dusk. In his room, Li Lin sat cross-legged, thinking about recent events. Although Ghost Martial Sect couldn''t find the martial hall, they were likely to act against Flying Spirit Gate soon. With so many incidents happening in Ghost Martial Sect recently, they would definitely find a force to make an example of. As for whether Ghost Martial Sect would continue to be wary of the powerful spirit commander in Flying Spirit Gate and not dare to act rashly, Li Lin didn''t know. But he estimated that Ghost Martial Sect''s patience was limited and they wouldn''t keep holding back. Chapter 517: Planning by the Moment and by the Inch Ghost Martial Sect is dealing with Flying Spirit Gate in such a way that even Li Lin himself cannot be sure of now. However, no matter how Ghost Martial Sect deals with Flying Spirit Gate, Li Lin is not afraid. With the hidden strength that Flying Spirit Gate has today, it would not be too difficult to eliminate Ghost Martial Sect. The only concern Li Lin has is that it might cause too big of a stir. At that time, Flying Spirit Gate would truly be exposed in front of all forces, which would be of no benefit to the development of Flying Spirit Gate. "Those who plan by the moment cannot plan for a lifetime; those who plan by the inch cannot plan for the entire world." Li Lin muttered to himself. He must think carefully about this incident. Although Flying Spirit Gate is now somewhat famous, everything is still under Ghost Martial Sect. If Ghost Martial Sect is replaced by Flying Spirit Gate, then the development of Flying Spirit Gate will no longer be as simple as it is now. This matter of Ghost Martial Sect, he must strategize comprehensively and look far ahead. A moment later, Li Lin was immersed in cultivation, enveloped in a pale yellow light, as time slowly passed by. The next morning, when the east turned white, the earth was still covered in a thin layer of gauze. In the mountains of Flying Spirit, at a glance, the foggy air seemed like a fairyland. Under the mountain waterfall, Li Lin stretched lazily, took a deep breath, and enjoyed the morning air that was free of dust but carried a hint of sweetness, which was completely pure. "Cultivation." Li Lin smiled lightly and then started to form hand seals, beginning his martial arts cultivation. Occasionally, the sound of sonic booms could be heard echoing through the sky. In Flying Spirit Gate, many elders and protectors returned to the sect early in the morning, and the direct disciples also returned one after another. At this time, the other disciples were guessing that the sect leader must have something to announce today. In the past few days, since Elder Zhou Yuhou returned, many disciples had heard that the sect leader, accompanied by several terrifying demonic beasts, had wiped out Tianyi Sect and even killed a nine-tiered martial general of Ghost Martial Sect. This made some of the new disciples who had joined Flying Spirit Gate in the last three years realize that the young sect leader, who usually looked smiling and amiable, was terrifying once he made a move. In the morning, in the back mountain, Li Lin was practicing when Li Xiaobai hurriedly approached: "Young Master, all the elders and protectors who could return have already returned, and the direct disciples are already waiting in the main hall." "I know, I''ll be right there." Li Lin stopped his cultivation, retracted his Qi, slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air from his heart, and left the back mountain. Inside the main hall of Flying Spirit Gate, the elders and protectors were seated, including the first elder Zheng Ying, the second elder Zhou Yuhou, the great protector Zhang Xiao, and direct disciples like Zhang Mingtao, Huang Boran, and Fang Xinqi. The number of people seemed quite substantial, nearly reaching two hundred. The main hall was quiet, but there were also some whispers, seemingly discussing what the sect leader would announce today. At that moment, several figures arrived outside the main hall, with one person in a green robe leading the way, carrying a small yellow snake demon beast on his shoulder and holding a beautiful girl of about thirteen or fourteen years old. "Greetings to the sect leader, greetings to the envoys." All the elders, protectors, and direct disciples saluted. The arrivals were Li Lin, Li Xintong, and Dong WuMing. At this moment, Dong WuMing was accompanied by the emaciated, sinister-faced Green Fire Ghost and the lean Deer Mountain Elder, resembling a bamboo pole. Li Lin walked straight to the top of the main hall, shook his green robe, and sat down authoritatively, displaying an invisible domineering presence that even Dong WuMing took a second glance at. "Everyone, please rise." Li Lin said lightly, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the main hall. This was essentially the full strength of Flying Spirit Gate at the moment. Although the strength had improved a lot compared to three years ago, and was much stronger than the former Flying Spirit Gate, Li Lin was still not satisfied. Fortunately, there were the halls developed by Ghost Fairy Bai Ying and Dong WuMing over the years. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Everyone sat down, and under Liu Yishou''s arrangement, seats were also arranged for the Green Fire Ghost and Deer Mountain Elder. The gaze of the Green Fire Ghost and Deer Mountain Elder also fell on everyone in the main hall. With such strength, they naturally did not think highly of it and did not pay much attention. "Everyone, today there are two matters to announce. First, today, Flying Spirit Gate will have two more envoys joining, namely the Green Fire Envoy and Deer Mountain Envoy. Second, Li Xiaobai joins Flying Spirit Gate as an elder, and Liu Yishou, who has been managing the Flying Spirit Commerce effectively over the years, is also promoted to the position of elder," Li Lin said, looking at everyone. Everyone had already been sizing up the Green Fire Ghost and Deer Mountain Elder, curious about their identities. Even Liu Yishou did not know the strength levels of these powerful individuals. However, becoming an envoy of Flying Spirit Gate meant they had formidable strength, and all Flying Spirit Gate disciples could imagine this. Immediately, all elders, protectors, and disciples stood up and saluted the Green Fire Ghost and Deer Mountain Elder: "Greetings to the Green Fire Envoy, Deer Mountain Envoy." After the disciples saluted, this moment also moved the Green Fire Ghost and Deer Mountain Elder somewhat. Subsequently, an initiation ceremony took place in the main hall, which was somewhat tedious and complex. Interestingly, the Green Fire Ghost and Deer Mountain Elder seriously completed it, seemingly enjoying the respect from the disciples and protectors. After everything was completed, it was already noon. Li Lin then briefly praised the achievements of the elders and protectors over the past three years, complimented the disciples, making them happy, but then his expression darkened, urging everyone to diligently practice. After leaving the main hall, Li Lin returned to the courtyard. Instantly, a flying demonic beast circled overhead, screeching. Dong WuMing soared into the sky and took a jade slip from the claws of the flying demonic beast. "Dong Elder, has the Dark Hall discovered some important news?" Li Lin asked lightly. This flying demonic beast belonged to the Dark Hall, carrying a jade slip specially refined by Ghost Fairy Bai Ying and Dong WuMing, difficult for outsiders to open, used for passing messages. Without significant news, the Dark Hall generally would not directly notify Flying Spirit Gate. Dong WuMing input a thought into the jade slip, then frowned, saying, "The Dark Hall has sent news. Two thousand people from Ghost Martial Sect are heading straight for Flying Spirit Gate, expected to arrive in two days. The group is led by the deputy sect leader of Ghost Martial Sect, along with several martial general elders and more than a dozen martial souls." "Hmph, they''re finally here." Li Lin''s expression darkened instantly, not surprised at all. "Ye Fei has already notified the other halls to discuss this matter in the Dark Hall tonight. What do you plan to do?" Dong WuMing asked lightly, not too worried. After all, Ghost Martial Sect was no match for Flying Spirit Gate now. "I can''t decide for now. Let''s discuss it tonight." Li Lin looked up at the sky, a trace of coldness in his gaze. As night fell, within Flying Spirit Gate, the Snow Lion with Heavenly Wings took flight, disappearing into the sky in an instant. "Dong WuMing, where are we going?" On the back of the Snow Lion with Heavenly Wings, Deer Mountain Elder asked Dong WuMing. At this moment, Li Lin, Dong WuMing, Deer Mountain Elder, Green Fire Ghost, and Little dragon were all present. "You''ll know soon enough. What''s the hurry?" Dong WuMing glared at Deer Mountain Elder. In the Dark Hall''s main hall, everyone was already seated, including the deputy hall master of the Punishment Hall, Jiang YuanGuang. "Hmph, Ghost Martial Sect is really seeking death. Flying Spirit Gate is not something it can provoke now. I think we should just eliminate it," Huangfu Qisong said lightly, already aware of the news about Ghost Martial Sect''s approach. The people were discussing this matter. "Huangfu Hall Master, if we wanted to eliminate Ghost Martial Sect, the sect leader would have done so already. The sect leader must have arranged something, or else he wouldn''t provoke Ghost Martial Sect," Guiying Luocha Ye Fei said. "Ghost Martial Sect is not difficult to deal with; it''s up to the sect leader''s arrangement," Kang ZiYun said lightly. "Our Flying Spirit Gate is not yet suitable for a direct confrontation with Ghost Martial Sect. This could be detrimental to the long-term development of Flying Spirit Gate," Ye MeiMei said with a light tone. "It seems you all have a new view of the sect leader," Ouyang Lengji said coldly, rarely speaking up among the people. "This..." Everyone was momentarily embarrassed, not knowing what to say. "Ouyang Hall Master, you''re right. Although the sect leader is young, he is not simple. He has subdued the demonic beasts in the Misty Mountain Range, earned a lot from an auction, controlled all the medicinal herbs in the Misty Mountain Range, showed courage and strategy by directly killing Jing Wenkun, swept through Tianyi Sect, and even personally killed Zhou Ming of Ghost Martial Sect. He is brave and wise, rewarding based on merit without shortchanging us. I, Iron Fist Huangfu Qisong, was somewhat unconvinced before, but now I am completely convinced," Huangfu Qisong said, lifting his gaze lightly. "Ha ha..." It was not easy to convince Iron Fist Huangfu Qisong. Outside the main hall, four figures appeared, namely Li Lin, Soul Summoning Poison Commander Dong WuMing, Deer Mountain Elder, and Green Fire Ghost. "Greetings to the sect leader." Everyone in the main hall saluted, then turned their curious gazes to Deer Mountain Elder and Green Fire Ghost. Chapter 518: Formulating a Plan At this moment, Tiequan Huangfu Qisong and Li Chi were both quite surprised. They had seen these two individuals before; they were the same elderly men from Lushan and the Green Fire Ghost who had demanded their Xuan-level martial techniques that day. Simultaneously, Elder Lushan and the Green Fire Ghost were also extremely surprised. After arriving at this dark hall and seeing the Ghost Fairy sisters, they were already quite amazed. However, when they entered the great hall and saw all the martial commanders present, their expressions became even more pleased. "The auction of the Lingfei Sect, you... you and Flying Spirit Gate..." Elder Lushan and the Green Fire Ghost were suddenly at a loss for words, staring at the Ye sisters of the Ghost Shadow Rakshasa, as well as Tiequan Huangfu Qisong, Li Chi, and the others. Seeing everyone present, they realized that the people at the Lingfei Sect''s auction that day were actually from the Flying Spirit Gate. "Lords of the hall, let me introduce to you, our Flying Spirit Gate has gained two new elders, the Green Fire Ghost and Elder Lushan. With them, the strength of our Flying Spirit Gate has now become even stronger," Li Lin said indifferently to the people who were puzzled by the appearance of Elder Lushan and the Green Fire Ghost. "So, they are Elder Lushan and the Green Fire Ghost," Ouyang Lengji and the others from the Ghost Shadow Rakshasa were suddenly a bit surprised. In the ancient domain, Elder Lushan and the Green Fire Ghost were absolutely notorious figures. Hearing Li Lin say that these two notorious figures had joined the Flying Spirit Gate, naturally made everyone feel quite puzzled. "Have met Elder Lushan, Elder Green Fire," the people from the Ghost Shadow Rakshasa bowed in greeting. The elders of the Flying Spirit Gate naturally held a higher status than them. "No need for formalities," Elder Lushan and the Green Fire Ghost said lightly to everyone, then turned their gazes to Li Lin, seeming extremely puzzled. "Elders, the Lingfei Sect is also the Flying Spirit Gate. The auction that day was all conducted in secret by the Flying Spirit Gate," Li Lin said with a slight smile, knowing the confusion of the two. "Are you saying they are all from the Flying Spirit Gate?" The Green Fire Ghost stared at the Ye sisters of the Ghost Shadow Rakshasa, Tiequan Huangfu Qisong, Flying Knife Ouyang Lengji, and the others, and asked. "Exactly. The Flying Spirit Gate secretly operates the Dark Hall, Martial Hall, Punishment Hall, Gold Hall, Spirit Hall, and Outer Hall. These are all the hall masters and represent the true strength of our Flying Spirit Gate," Li Lin said lightly, then introduced everyone to Elder Lushan and the Green Fire Ghost. "By the way, does that mean the 160 million gold coins I auctioned off also went to the Flying Spirit Gate?" Elder Lushan seemed to remember something and then asked Li Lin. "Exactly. The 160 million gold coins Elder Lushan spent on buying the God Transforming Pill actually went to the Flying Spirit Gate," Li Lin said with a smile. "Flying Spirit Gate, Lingfei Sect, I wonder how many people were deceived," Elder Lushan sighed suddenly. At this moment, Elder Lushan and the Green Fire Ghost had a new understanding of the Flying Spirit Gate. They had never thought that the strength of the Flying Spirit Gate was hidden to such an extent, and that there were so many martial commanders in it. After everyone was seated, they converged their puzzled expressions. The Ghost Shadow Rakshasa''s Ye sisters'' beautiful eyes turned serious, and Ye addressed Li Lin, "Sect leader, according to the information obtained by our Dark Hall, the people from the Ghost Martial Sect will arrive at the Flying Spirit Gate within two days. How should we respond now?" "What do you all think?" Li Lin''s gaze remained unchanged as he looked at everyone in the great hall. "Sect leader, why fear the Ghost Martial Sect? We just need to eliminate the Ghost Martial Sect. With our current strength, we don''t fear them at all," Huangfu Qisong said. "Dealing with the Ghost Martial Sect isn''t too difficult, but it''s hard to guarantee that our Flying Spirit Gate won''t suffer significant damage," Ouyang Lengji said. "Now doesn''t seem like the right time to take major action against the Ghost Martial Sect," the Ghost Shadow Rakshasa''s Ye said. Li Xiaobai and Liu Yishou could not interject in this matter and remained silent. Li Lin''s gaze shifted from everyone to the Ghost Shadow Rakshasa''s Ye, "Hall Master Ye, what''s your opinion?" Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Ye was slightly stunned, seemingly not expecting Li Lin to ask for her opinion specifically. Then, with a smile, her beautiful eyes intentionally or unintentionally met Li Lin''s gaze, making her stunning face appear even more charming, "Sect leader, our opponent is not the Ghost Martial Sect. If the Ghost Martial Sect is not eliminated, our only opponent will be the Ghost Martial Sect. If the Ghost Martial Sect is eliminated, our opponents will increase, and each one will not be inferior to the Ghost Martial Sect, unless our Flying Spirit Gate has absolute strength. Otherwise, it''s not advisable to provoke them." Li Lin remained silent, then his gaze landed on Ye Mei, "Vice Hall Master Ye, do you have any opinions?" Ye Mei slightly raised her head, her slender eyebrows on her melon-seed face adding a touch of elegant tranquility to her appearance. Her eyes, like clear water, looked up at Li Lin, "If the sect leader is asking this way, then you must have already made a decision. Please share your plan with us." Li Lin smiled slightly, inwardly a bit startled. The Ye sisters really were extraordinary. "Hall Master Ye, can you confirm that the only martial commander from the Ghost Martial Sect coming here is Dai Gangzi?" Li Lin asked Ye again. "In the Ghost Martial Sect, our Dark Hall has expended a lot of effort and planted undercover agents. It should be correct; the leader only has the strength of Dai Gangzi," the Ghost Shadow Rakshasa''s Ye said. "Elder Lushan, Elder Green Fire, how about you two take action this time?" Li Lin said to Elder Lushan and the Green Fire Ghost. "That Dai Gangzi, a third-level martial commander, I alone can easily kill him," the Green Fire Ghost''s skeletal face twitched slightly, saying sinisterly. "Of course, I know that Elder Green Fire''s strength can easily kill Dai Gangzi, but I don''t need him dead; I need him alive. Just to be safe, it''s better for both Elder Lushan and Elder Green Fire to take action together, to capture Dai Gangzi quickly and efficiently. We can''t afford any mistakes in capturing Dai Gangzi; it all depends on you two elders," Li Lin said lightly. "I have no problem," Elder Lushan said. A third-level martial master, he naturally did not take it seriously. "It''s just a small effort," the Green Fire Ghost said. "Ouyang Hall Master, your Punishment Hall can make a third-level martial commander wish for death but unable to die, right?" Li Lin then said to Ouyang Lengji. "Making him wish he could live but unable to die, and wish for death but unable to die, is absolutely no problem," Ouyang Lengji said. Li Lin smiled slightly, thinking to himself that whether this opportunity could be successful depended on luck. If it could be successful, the path of the Flying Spirit Gate would be much smoother in the future. Late at night, after returning to the courtyard, Li Lin raised his eyebrows, seemingly pondering something, then began to practice cultivation. After a moment, he was enveloped in a circle of earthy yellow light. The next morning, when the sun shone through the fresh mist, gently sprinkling on all things in the world, creating a delightful scene. When the dazzling morning glow appeared in the east, the air was filled with a thin mist like a light veil. On the river in front of the Flying Spirit mountain range, the eastern sunlight cast a swath of rosy light, shining with golden brilliance on the water surface, occasionally accompanied by the crisp sound of bird calls. In the back mountain of the Flying Spirit Gate, Li Lin''s figure appeared, continuing to practice his martial skills. Bursts of sonic booms began to echo. When tired from practicing, Li Lin would sit cross-legged and begin to comprehend his elemental power. Spending the whole day in cultivation, Li Lin would return to the courtyard in the evening, the corners of his mouth revealing a slight smile, seemingly having gained something. Another day passed, and life in the Flying Spirit Gate was as usual, without much change. At night, Li Lin once again began to practice cultivation. On the third day, in the morning, Li Lin was practicing martial skills in the back mountain when a flying beast of not very large size circled above and arrived. "Has it finally arrived?" Li Lin looked up, his gaze flickering, and a cold smile appeared on his lips. Dozens of miles outside the Flying Spirit Gate, a vast array of iron cavalry raised a huge cloud of dust as they galloped along, attracting quite a lot of attention. "It''s the people from the Ghost Martial Sect, on the flying beast above, seems to be the vice sect master of the Ghost Martial Sect, Dai Gangzi." "So many people, with such a menacing momentum, what does the Ghost Martial Sect intend to do?" "Ahead is the Flying Spirit Gate. No need to guess, these people from the Ghost Martial Sect are probably heading there. Some time ago, I heard that the Flying Spirit Gate annihilated the Tianyi Sect and even killed an elder of the Ghost Martial Sect, probably angering the Ghost Martial Sect. With this momentum, Dai Gangzi''s personal visit is to annihilate the Flying Spirit Gate." "Let''s go see. The Flying Spirit Gate is in trouble now, with Dai Gangzi coming in person." Outside the Flying Spirit Gate, everything seemed extremely quiet, when suddenly, a rumbling sound approached from afar. "Clang clang..." The sound of iron cavalry galloping came roaring, and after a moment, two thousand figures appeared in front of the Flying Spirit Gate, kicking up dust into the air. In the lead, there was also a huge flying beast. "Stop..." Moments later, these two thousand figures had already approached within a kilometer of the Flying Spirit Gate, and the iron cavalry abruptly stopped, creating a huge wave of wind that swept up dust. In the sky, the flying beast circled at low altitude, with more than twenty gazes staring at the inside of the Flying Spirit Gate. "Vice Sect Master, this is the Flying Spirit Gate," said an old man in a yellow robe on the back of the flying beast. Dai Gangzi''s expression darkened, his mind seemingly probing something. "Dai Gangzi, we meet again," a light laughter came, and from within the Flying Spirit Gate, a massive flying beast took off, it was the Snow Lion with Heavenly Wings. "Roar roar..." The Snow Lion with Heavenly Wings roared, its massive sound wave mixed with the pressure of a demonic beast quickly spreading. "Woo woo..." Immediately, the horses on the ground neighed in distress, and the flying beast ridden by Dai Gangzi in the sky was also panicked, trembling all over. Only after the roar of the Snow Lion with Heavenly Wings disappeared did it recover. Chapter 519: Capturing Daigangzi "Kid, your Flying Spirit Gate is getting bolder by the day. Today, my sect must flatten your little Flying Spirit Gate." Daigangzi had been watching Li Lin from atop the sky-winged snow lion, his gaze sweeping over both the snow lion and the little dragon on Li Lin''s shoulder, before finally locking coldly onto Li Lin himself. "Ha ha, Daigangzi, with just you, you think you can take on the Flying Spirit Gate?" Li Lin said lightly, with a calm smile on his face. "Hmph, I want to see what makes your Flying Spirit Gate think it can contend with me," Daigangzi coldly stared at Li Lin and said. "Ha ha, if you''re capable, then kill me first. I''m afraid you, Daigangzi, don''t have the strength; otherwise, why would you still be just a vice sect leader? Better roll back to where you came from, I might spare your life," Li Lin said calmly, smiling. "Kid seeking death, killing you would be as easy as flipping my hand," Daigangzi immediately said angrily. "Then come and try, I''m afraid you''re just all bark and no bite. Otherwise, why wouldn''t the position of the sect leader of the Ghost Martial Sect fall into your hands?" Li Lin said with a teasing smile. "Kid, prepare to die." Daigangzi said angrily, the space around him seeming to twist as he instantly charged towards Li Lin, a majestic true qi vibrating, as if the entire space was twisting in an instant. "Whoosh!" At the same moment, the sky-winged snow lion flapped its wings and rose, the two streams of air expelled in an instant turning into a streak of white light, shooting forward into the void. "Kid, where do you think you''re escaping to?" Daigangzi shouted angrily, his body flashing like lightning chasing through the air, his martial prowess not inferior to the current speed of the sky-winged snow lion. "Daigangzi, if you''re capable, then come. I''m afraid you don''t have the ability," Li Lin laughed loudly as the sky-winged snow lion rapidly soared into the distant sky. "Don''t think you can escape just because you have the sky-winged snow lion." Daigangzi furiously pursued, instantly crossing several mountain tops, and in the next moment, had disappeared into the mid-air. In front of the Flying Spirit Gate, those two thousand disciples of the Ghost Martial Sect stood frozen in place, as did the few martial generals and elders flying in the air, watching as Daigangzi chased after Li Lin. Now, they didn''t know whether to charge into the Flying Spirit Gate or to stay outside. In the end, they looked at each other and decided to stay outside the Flying Spirit Gate, waiting for Daigangzi to return. Inside the Flying Spirit Gate, everything was eerily quiet, as if completely unaware of the arrival of people from the Ghost Martial Sect, surprisingly quiet. In the distance, many people were gathering outside the Flying Spirit Gate, wanting to see the excitement, but this scene left many surprised. They had expected a fierce battle, but it was eerily quiet instead. "Swoosh" The sky-winged snow lion flapped its wings rapidly and flew at lightning speed, reaching its fastest velocity. "Boss, Daigangzi is catching up." Li Lin stood on the back of the sky-winged snow lion with his hands behind his back, the little dragon turning its head to watch Daigangzi, who was catching up like lightning, the distance gradually closing. The sky-winged snow lion''s current speed seemed unable to shake off Daigangzi. "Daigangzi, hurry up, your speed seems too slow," Li Lin turned his head and said with a slight smile. "Kid, you''re seeking death," Daigangzi shouted loudly. "Swoosh swoosh" In an instant, a man and a beast flashed across the sky, having already left the Flying Spirit Mountain Range. In just a moment, the distance between the man and the beast had rapidly closed, and Daigangzi''s face grew increasingly grim. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "Swoosh!" At that moment, above a mountain range, the sky-winged snow lion suddenly turned back and stopped, spiraling uncertainly in the air. Li Lin stood with his hands behind his back, a sly smile on his face. Instantly, Li Lin''s gaze followed the previous direction, a faint sound of wind and thunder arising. Shortly after, Daigangzi''s figure appeared in front of him, charging fiercely. "Swoosh!" Seeing Li Lin standing still, Daigangzi seemed to sense something, instantly halting his momentum. A cold gaze fixed on Li Lin, he said, "Kid, realized you can''t escape, huh?" "Daigangzi, isn''t that a joke? Why would I need to escape?" Li Lin said calmly. "Then prepare to die. Today, I will show you that the Flying Spirit Gate is merely an outer force of the Ghost Martial Sect," Daigangzi said coldly. "Daigangzi, haven''t you ever wondered why Daizizi sent you here?" Li Lin suddenly turned serious, his gaze freezing as he looked at Daigangzi. Hearing Li Lin''s words, Daigangzi''s face twitched, then he said, "It doesn''t matter who comes; either of us is enough to wipe out your Flying Spirit Gate." Seeing Daigangzi''s expression, Li Lin subtly let a smile slip, saying, "Ha ha, we shall see. Do you really think you can handle me? Look behind you." Upon hearing this, Daigangzi''s face turned shockingly pale, as if sensing something. He immediately turned to look behind him, and his face turned drastically pale. Unbeknownst to him, two figures had silently appeared behind him. These two, one dressed in plain clothes with a sinister aura vibrating from his eyes, and the other in a blue and red robe, looked emaciated, with bulging eyes and skin clinging to his bones, giving off a ghostly vibe. "You are Elder Lushan and Green Fire Ghost," Daigangzi said, looking at the two newcomers. Despite never having met these two, their notorious reputations and appearances were familiar to him, especially the sinister aura emanating from them, reminding him instantly of the notorious figures within the ancient realm. "Has Daigangzi''s son become so arrogant?" Elder Lushan said lightly, his gaze chillingly sharp. The two arrivals were none other than Elder Lushan and Green Fire Ghost. "Are you two elders related to the Flying Spirit Gate? If so, I''ll leave right now," seeing the two, Daigangzi immediately lost his arrogance, knowing he couldn''t afford to be bold in front of these infamous figures. "Hmph, coming and going as you please, do you think we have time to play with you?" Green Fire Ghost said coldly, his voice chilling, making Daigangzi feel cold inside. "I didn''t know the two elders were here at Flying Spirit Gate; my apologies. I''ll make sure my father thanks the two elders personally another day," Daigangzi said to the two. "Joke, threatening us with Daigangzi? What if Daigangzi himself came?" Elder Lushan said darkly, his true qi suddenly surging out. "Elder, it''s not difficult for you to deal with me, but if something happens to me, do you think my father will let you go?" Daigangzi''s face changed dramatically. "Lu Mountain, always so talkative," Green Fire Ghost said coldly, not bothering with Daigangzi, his gaze fiercely shooting out. With a step, his figure flashed towards Daigangzi like a ghost. In that moment, a powerful, scorching true qi burst forth from within him, instantly heating up the surrounding air, pressing towards Daigangzi. Daigangzi''s face turned extremely ugly; he never expected the Flying Spirit Gate to have notorious figures like Elder Lushan and Green Fire Ghost. He had no choice but to flee desperately. "Swoosh!" Daigangzi fled at once, his true qi distorting space, darting to the side, his body immediately enveloped in a dazzling wind-attribute true qi shield. "As if you could escape, dream on," Green Fire Ghost''s voice echoed coldly through the space. In an instant, a scorching Qing fire palm print condensed, stirring space ripples, and with a swipe, it twisted space, crushing down on Daigangzi, the scorching aura immediately causing the sky to violently shake, the palm print piercing through space, booming towards its target. The vast space twisted instantly, and Daigangzi, trying to escape rapidly, was caught in a massive suction force, his speed greatly reduced. Behind him, the scorching palm print was pressing down. Already retreated to the distant sky, Li Lin watched this scene in amazement. Daigangzi''s strength was undoubtedly strong, at the third level of Martial Commander, something Li Lin could not contend with. But now, under Green Fire Ghost''s attack, he was completely incomparable. The difference between a third-level Martial Commander and an eighth-level Martial Commander was too vast, a whole five levels of cultivation strength apart. At the Martial Commander level, the difference between each level was like a chasm, with each level representing a significant difference. Now, five levels apart, Daigangzi was no match for Green Fire Ghost. "Boom boom!" At that moment, Green Fire Ghost''s palm print directly hit the space behind Daigangzi. Whether in speed or momentum, Daigangzi was no match. A towering scorching aura spread instantly, distorting the entire space. Under this terrifying force, a powerful scorching force swept over Daigangzi, the brutal scorching Qing fire energy spreading out, as if burning the space, instantly destroying Daigangzi''s protective qi shield. "Bang bang." Under the huge explosive sound, flames surged, and Daigangzi''s body was directly knocked flying, spitting out a mouthful of blood. "Green Fire Ghost, why so forceful, what if you killed him?" Elder Lushan''s voice spread, and at the same time, a figure ghostly passed through space, instantly appearing in front of the retreating Daigangzi, his hands casting several finger prints with yellow light, instantly landing on Daigangzi''s body. "Whiz whiz" Several finger prints landed directly, Daigangzi had no power to resist, and was instantly restrained. Chapter 520: The Realm of Mystery "This isn''t dead yet." Green Fire Ghost''s body, surrounded by blazing green flames, withdrew them, erasing the air currents around. In their joint effort, Dai Gangzi was captured in one move. "Sect Leader, he''s alive, I''ll leave him to you." Elder Lushan, with a sphere of yellow light enveloping in his hand, directly threw Dai Gangzi towards Li Lin. "Thank you both for your hard work." Li Lin smiled with pursed lips. Dai Gangzi, a three-star Martial Commander, was captured in one move. The strength of Green Fire Ghost and Elder Lushan was truly extraordinary. It could only be considered Dai Gangzi''s bad luck. Inside the dark hall of Flying Spirit Gate, at this moment, Ouyang Lengji, Huangfu Qisong, Ghost Shadow Assassin Ye Fei, and others were all seated. "The Sect Leader has arrived," Ouyang Lengji said. Everyone stood up. At this moment, outside the great hall, Li Lin''s figure had already walked into the hall, holding Dai Gangzi, who was completely restrained. "We greet the Sect Leader." Everyone saluted, looking at Dai Gangzi as if no one felt surprised. With Elder Lushan and Green Fire Ghost working together, even Old Ghost Dai from Ghost Martial Sect would have a fighting chance, let alone Dai Gangzi. "Ouyang Hall Master, I''ll leave Dai Gangzi to you," Li Lin said lightly. "Yes, Sect Leader," Ouyang Lengji responded. "Flying Knife Ouyang Lengji, Ghost Shadow Assassin Ye Fei, Iron Fist Huangfu Qisong, Li Chi Zheng..." Although Dai Gangzi was restrained, his eyes could still see, and when his gaze landed on these Martial Commanders in the hall, his eyes filled with shock. These people were not unknown in the ancient domain, and he naturally knew some of them. At this moment, his heart couldn''t fathom that within Flying Spirit Gate, there were so many strong figures. "Dai Gangzi, you really aren''t lucky. Dai Daozi sent you here just for us to kill..." Ouyang Lengji looked at Dai Gangzi and said. "Ouyang Hall Master, you talk too much." Before Ouyang Lengji could finish, Li Lin immediately scolded. "Yes, Sect Leader." Ouyang Lengji immediately stopped, looking at Dai Gangzi with sympathy. At this moment, Dai Gangzi''s face changed drastically. His body couldn''t move, and the true energy inside him was completely sealed. His facial muscles twitched, and although his voice wasn''t restrained, he trembled, "Who exactly are you people, and why are you targeting my Ghost Martial Sect?" "Dai Gangzi, it seems you''re the only one who doesn''t know. Targeting your Ghost Martial Sect doesn''t interest me. Ouyang Hall Master, take him away," Li Lin said indifferently. "Yes, Sect Leader." Ouyang Lengji immediately left the hall with Dai Gangzi. Watching Ouyang Lengji leave, Ghost Shadow Assassin Ye Fei said, "Sect Leader, will Dai Gangzi take the bait?" "Whether he takes the bait or not doesn''t matter. If he does, let him live a bit longer; we can avoid a lot of trouble. If not, we''ll have a bit of trouble, but I hope it will work," Li Lin smiled with pursed lips, a strange light flashing in his eyes. "He should take the bait. I believe there are people who aren''t afraid of death, but Dai Gangzi is definitely not one of them." "Sect Leader, what exactly are you planning? Can you let me know in advance? Otherwise, I''m going to be sick from the suspense," Huangfu Qisong looked at Li Lin with eyes full of confusion. "Huangfu Hall Master, you''ll know when the time comes. Your task now is to develop the Martial Hall well. I believe it won''t be long before your Martial Hall becomes very useful," Li Lin said with a smile. After Li Lin spoke, he turned his gaze to Ye Fei, "Hall Master Ye, are you confident in your voice-changing skill?" The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Ghost Shadow Assassin Ye Fei, with a mature charm, looked at Li Lin and said, "Sect Leader, I''m 80% confident." "Eighty percent, that''s worth a try," Li Lin said lightly. "My lord, what about those from Ghost Martial Sect outside Flying Spirit Gate now?" Li Xiao Bai asked. "Dai Gangzi doesn''t return, they dare not enter Flying Spirit Gate, nor dare to leave. Let''s have Ouyang Hall Master give Dai Gangzi a few days of hardship first. People only truly seize any chance for life when facing the fear of death. Then, anything can be done," Li Lin said with a light smile. Looking at Li Lin, Ye Fei and her sister looked at each other, their eyes showing some fluctuations. "Ah..." Suddenly, a scream came from somewhere, sounding like Dai Gangzi''s voice, full of agony and pain as if he was enduring unbearable torture. "Ouyang Hall Master has a type of marrow-eating blood ant that can burrow into people''s orifices and pores, enter the marrow and blood vessels, feeding on marrow and blood but not taking lives. It seems Ouyang Hall Master has used these marrow-eating blood ants," Ghost Shadow Assassin said lightly. "Ouyang Hall Master''s methods of torture are not less terrifying than those of the marrow-eating blood ants. Dai Gangzi probably has his share of suffering," Li Chi Zheng said. Several hours later, within Flying Spirit Gate, Li Lin''s figure appeared in the backyard courtyard. "How is it going?" Dong Wu Ming asked Li Lin in the courtyard. "Everything is proceeding according to plan," Li Lin said with a slight smile. "How confident are you?" Dong Wu Ming asked, also looking curiously at Li Lin. "At least 80% confident. Dai Gangzi is not willing to die," Li Lin said lightly. "After Dai Gangzi takes the bait, it will be troublesome for Elder Dong to take a long trip." As Li Lin spoke, his gaze turned towards the mountains behind, as if some decisions were still undecided. "If I have to do the killing alone, it won''t be easy. If it really comes down to it, we''ll include Green Fire Ghost and Elder Lushan in the plan. With a fight, we should be able to do it," Dong Wu Ming said lightly. "Okay." Li Lin nodded slightly. Moments later, in the mountains, Li Lin began to practice martial arts again, ignoring the people from Ghost Martial Sect outside Flying Spirit Gate. Inside Flying Spirit Gate, most of the disciples knew that thousands from Ghost Martial Sect were surrounding the gate. Each one wanted to rush out but was scolded by the elders and protectors. "When will the Vice Sect Leader return?" Outside Flying Spirit Gate, on the back of a flying beast, all the elders and protectors of Ghost Martial Sect looked puzzled. "What do we do now? I heard that Flying Spirit Gate has many beasts, including sixth-order beasts. If Flying Spirit Gate starts to attack us, we might not be able to resist." "What can we do? Let''s wait for the Vice Sect Leader to return." "Could the Vice Sect Leader be in danger?" "With the Vice Sect Leader''s three-star Martial Commander strength and wind attribute, ordinary people can''t keep the Vice Sect Leader." Amidst the discussion of the elders of Ghost Martial Sect, the disciples'' hearts became restless over time. However, Flying Spirit Gate remained inactive, relaxing the tense nerves of Ghost Martial Sect a bit. At night, Li Lin returned from the mountains, smiling as if satisfied with the day''s cultivation. In his room, Li Lin continued to immerse himself in cultivation. With the recent rapid absorption and breakthroughs, Li Lin started to stabilize his cultivation whenever he had time. A silent night passed in the tense atmosphere, and Flying Spirit Gate remained calm. The next morning, in the mountains behind Flying Spirit Gate, the waterfall poured down like a curtain, crashing into the deep pool and causing waves to spread. Beside the waterfall, on a luminous rock, Li Lin sat cross-legged, surrounded not by five-colored light but by a dense wind attribute light. Moments later, Li Lin''s figure suddenly moved, crossing the water surface instantly. As his hands formed seals, carrying true energy, they danced into a phantom. Wherever his body passed, the air seemed to be swept by a gust. Time passed slowly from morning until evening, with Li Lin completely immersed in this mysterious state. With each hand seal change, it seemed almost possible to twist space, and his speed increased. At this moment, Li Lin was fully focused on this cultivation, as if merging with the wind attribute in a mysterious realm, feeling no passage of time. Even when a beautiful figure approached the waterfall, Li Lin was unaware. As the final hand seal concluded, and the true energy vibrated, Li Lin''s speed increased further, his hands moving so fast they seemed to distort space. In this state, Li Lin unconsciously made progress in a mysterious way, yet he couldn''t feel it himself. "Bai Ling sister, the boss seems different today." Near the waterfall, little dragon''s small body circled around a beautiful figure''s shoulder, staring in surprise at Li Lin in the air. "He has entered a state of attribute comprehension. With his level of strength, entering this state is very difficult. We shouldn''t disturb him. This state is rare and beneficial," Bai Ling looked at Li Lin in the air, surprised. In the air, Li Lin''s figure moved continuously, appearing in another place instantly, with afterimages nearly invisible, elusive. "Shh!" In the air, Li Lin''s figure suddenly stood still, eyes closed, entering an extremely mysterious state. Chapter 521: Shocking Movement At the same time, Li Lins hand seals began to gather mysteriously, and as the seals formed, the wind attribute in the sky, as if drawn, suddenly converged overhead from all directions. As the dense wind attribute gathered to a certain extent, a thick layer of clouds suddenly emerged above Li Lins head, followed by an extremely powerful invisible force that began to spread. In the sky, the thick cloud cover almost gathered and enveloped the two thousand meters of mid-air, showing signs of further expansion, and the entire mid-air was shaking with a kind of terrifying spatial fluctuation. At this moment, Bai Ling and little dragon, from a distance, immediately noticed a change in their expression, sensing a dangerous aura. Li Lin continued to form his hand seals, not too fast, seemingly encountering some resistance. However, at this time, the space between the mountains and heavens was violently rippling, and within these ripples, the thick cloud layer suddenly stirred up strange ripples. In an instant, Li Lin in mid-air abruptly opened his eyes, his eyes shooting out sharp glints, and the oppressive thick cloud layer in front of him suddenly churned, bringing up a terrifying ripple that surged through the space, faintly overlapping. In the next moment, visible to the naked eye, numerous hand seals within the thick cloud layer mysteriously spread out, causing the surrounding space to fracture inch by inch. Three Thousand Flowing Clouds Hand. A low shout emerged from Li Lins mouth, and with the final hand seal struck, his robe sleeves waved heavily. As the robe fluttered, a hand seal was withdrawn, and a vast surge of true qi burst forth from his hands. At this moment, countless hand seals swept out from within the thick cloud layer. The space trembled instantly, countless hand seals burst from the cloud, striking down with almost destructive speed, faster than light, and in an instant, these numerous hand seals mysteriously converged together again. As countless hand seals converged, the space slightly fluctuated, and at the moment these thousands of hand seals touched, the space shook abruptly, and an absolutely powerful energy began to spread. At this time, a gigantic palm print, over one thousand five hundred meters in size, converged in the sky, emerging from beneath the thick clouds, instantly engulfing the cloud layer... A calm spatial ripple slowly emanated from the giant palm print, yet even this calm ripple seemed to nearly shatter the suppressed space. In the next instant, the palm print swept out and then fiercely struck down towards the lake below the waterfall. The palm print hit the water, and at the moment of contact with the water surface, it submerged and disappeared, followed by a violent surge emerging out of nowhere, with a terrifying fluctuation rippling forth, and suddenly an explosion resounded... Boom! Boom! Boom! The explosion sounded from within the water body, followed by the water body resembling a tsunami, water waves surging up hundreds of meters, the space instantly shattered. Water waves towered, the waterfall flowed backward, mountains collapsed, the earth split, the space trembled, the sound moved through the heavens, and a terrifying power swept through the space like a storm, bringing up a huge wave, immediately within a few miles around, as if a violent rainstorm swept through, the power raging amidst it, within Flying Spirit Gate, suddenly thousands of disciples rushed out, each looking towards the back mountain, at this moment, the back mountain was changing dramatically. Outside the Flying Spirit Gate, two thousand disciples of the Ghost Martial Sect suddenly heard the explosion from within the Flying Spirit Gate, in the distant sky, suddenly winds and clouds surged, an invisible chill spreading from within their hearts. Two thousand cavalry also immediately neighed incessantly. Boom, boom, boom Outside the water area, the ground trembled and exploded, immediately countless cracks spread out. Swoosh, swoosh Several figures arrived instantly, it was Dong WuMing leading Li XinTong, along with Elder Lushan and Green Fire Ghost. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. At this moment, Dong WuMing and Elder Lushan, Green Fire Ghost looked around, all with a look of great surprise. Did it succeed? In the sky above, Li Lins face was pale, but his expression was extremely excited. Kid, are you trying to dismantle the Flying Spirit Gate? Dong WuMing, dumbfounded after seeing everything around, immediately stared at Li Lin in the sky and shouted. Li Lin then noticed the space below, at this moment, the massive thousand-meter-wide water body, the water level had reduced by nearly two meters, almost revealing the bottom, the ground along the edge cracked, some cracks were up to one meter deep, nearly a thousand meters long, the soil layer overturned, the surroundings already completely destroyed by himself. Seeing all this, Li Lin suddenly paused, his gaze falling on the people around, saying, Sorry, I didnt expect to cause such a big disturbance. Boss, the martial skill you just used was too powerful, Li Lin landed on the ground, little dragon immediately jumped onto Li Lins shoulder. Kid, what martial skill did you just use? Dong WuMing asked Li Lin, this strong presence also moved him. I barely cultivated a Xuan-level mid-tier martial skill, Li Lin spoke lightly, several months had passed, and somehow, just now he had managed to activate the Three Thousand Flowing Clouds Hand, although its power was much stronger compared to the Desolate Spirit Extinguishing Palm and Cold Ice Seal, but Li Lin knew he had only barely activated it, and this kind of consumption was absolutely shocking, fortunately, he was now a six-tier Martial General, along with a vast Dantian Qi Sea, otherwise, he feared even a single-tier Martial Marshal might not be able to activate it, it was still an unknown. Xuan-level mid-tier martial skill. Green Fire Ghost, Elder Lushan, even Soul-Calling Poisonous Marshal Dong WuMing were all suddenly surprised, not just because Li Lin possessed a Xuan-level mid-tier martial skill, with their strength, they naturally knew what it meant to cultivate a Xuan-level mid-tier martial skill at the Martial General level, it was almost an impossible thing. Bai Ling, why did you leave seclusion, hows your recovery? Seeing Bai Ling, this absolutely beautiful, enchanting, and breathtaking woman, Li Lin immediately asked. I have fully recovered, and my strength has also improved quite a bit, close to another breakthrough, Bai Ling spoke softly, her figure enchantingly beautiful to the extreme, her face exuding a mix of enchanting and icy beauty, enchanting, gorgeous, cold, yet so breathtaking, as if the world itself was moved by her beauty. Thats good, I need your help for something, Li Lin pursed his lips and smiled, Bai Ling was close to another breakthrough, Li Lin estimated that it might be the late sixth tier or the peak of the late sixth tier, if so, her strength might not be under Dong WuMing. Kid, who is this? Dong WuMing asked Li Lin, at this time Dong WuMing, Green Fire Ghost, Elder Lushan, and Li XinTong, all after being amazed by everything caused by Li Lin, their gazes curiously turned towards Bai Ling. Staring at the stunningly beautiful, enchanting, and lazy woman in front of him, Dong WuMing and the others could faintly sense an extremely dangerous aura emanating from this woman. This is Miss Bai Ling, Li Lin spoke lightly, these three had not seen Bai Ling before, so their surprise was not strange to Li Lin. And Old Poisoner, though he had seen Bai Lings true form, was also unaware of Bai Lings existence. I really dislike you prying into my strength, youre not at that level yet, Bai Ling suddenly turned her gaze cold, looking towards Elder Lushan, her enchanting, majestic, and cold gaze making Elder Lushan shiver instantly. Miss Bai Ling, I didnt mean to offend, please forgive me, Elder Lushan spoke to Dong WuMing, unafraid, but now under Bai Lings coldness, he felt a chill rise in his heart. Seeing Liners face, Ill spare you this time, Bai Ling spoke softly. Sister, youre so beautiful, Ive never seen such a beautiful sister before, at this time, Li XinTong wasnt scared by Bai Lings coldness, instead innocently approached Bai Ling. Little girl, how come you and your brother both learned to be so sweet with your words, Bai Ling smiled slightly, her coldness receding, her eyes revealing a gentle smile towards Li XinTong, it was rare for Bai Ling to show such a smile. Observing Bai Ling, at this moment Dong WuMing also felt puzzled, this extremely beautiful woman was obviously a strong figure, he wondered where Li Lin had found her. As night fell, the night sky enveloped the heavens, within the night, in Li Lins room, little dragons small body coiled around Bai Lings hand, appearing very affectionate. Bai Ling, the time youve transformed into a human seems to have increased quite a bit, inside the room, Li Lin said, from evening until now, it had been two hours, and Bai Ling had been in human form all this time. My strength should now be at the peak of the sixth tier, along with my state of mind, I should be able to maintain my human form for about six or seven hours, Bai Ling smiled. Li Lin revealed a slight smile, the peak of the sixth tier, her strength had once again greatly increased. How would your strength fare against a nine-tier Martial Marshal now? Li Lin asked. It wouldnt be a problem, killing might be a bit difficult, but its not impossible, Bai Ling spoke lightly. Thats good, Li Lin smiled contentedly, the worries of the past few days could now be set aside. A moment later, Li Lins gaze shifted from the window towards the distant sky, a hint of a mysterious smile appearing on his lips, sitting cross-legged, Li Lin began to recall the profound state he had entered during the day, which had allowed him to successfully cultivate the Three Thousand Flowing Clouds Hand, a skill he had been unable to master for months. Within that profound state, Li Lin seemed to have realized something, but it was all hazy and intangible, as if he had suddenly become very close to the wind attribute, this state of mind indescribable in words, only comprehensible by feeling, not transmissible by speech. Chapter 522: The Eightfold Martial General Recalling that profound realm, Li Lin estimated that the Three Thousand Flowing Clouds Hand was barely a success in cultivation. Having found this sensation, he reckoned that soon his Split Sky Nine Strikes and Fierce Flame Fist would also be successfully cultivated, especially the Split Sky Nine Strikes. If cultivated successfully, combined with the Blood Slaughter, Li Lin was extremely eager, predicting it would be another major trump card for him. He also had now the Vermilion Bird Art and the Black Tortoise Art, with the Black Tortoise Art already mastered by Li Lin. However, since mastering the Black Tortoise Art, he had not used it recently and had not encountered any strong opponents in a while. After letting his thoughts wander for a moment, he then entered a state of cultivation, his body suddenly enveloped in a ring of yellow light. Outside the Flying Spirit Gate, under a moonless and windy night, two days and one night had passed. The two thousand disciples of the Ghost Martial Sect were becoming increasingly impatient. At the gate of the Flying Spirit Gate, they were at a loss, unable to advance or retreat, not knowing what to do. "What should we do now? What exactly happened to the vice sect leader?" "Could something unexpected have happened to the vice sect leader?" "If something had happened to the vice sect leader, I guess the Flying Spirit Gate would have acted by now, but they have been inactive for these two days, which is very strange." "Why hasn''t the vice sect leader come back yet? What should we do now?" On the back of a flying beast, the elders and protectors of the Ghost Martial Sect had also landed on the ground and were continuously watching the interior of the Flying Spirit Gate, unsure of what to do. "Ah..." Within a stone chamber, screams of agony continued to emerge, the sound horribly mournful. Inside the stone chamber was Dai Gangzi, who was restrained all over but his arms stretched out and hung from the ceiling of the chamber. His shoulder blades were pierced directly by two large iron hooks, his body dripping with blood. Dai Gangzi was naked, his body covered with tiny blood-red ants, densely packed, crawling under his skin, his blood slowly oozing out mixed with bits of red and white material, disgustingly nauseating. "Ah..." Dai Gangzi screamed miserably, his face pale, with the blood-red ants even moving in his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose. "Ouyang Lengji, why must you treat me this way? Just kill me." Dai Gangzi screamed miserably. At this moment, the horrifying blood-red ants were able to bite through his Martial Marshal body into his shin bones, the pain of devouring blood and bone marrow was unbearable. "Dai Gangzi, I don''t really want to trouble you, just killing you would spare me the hassle, and I do sympathize with you, but if there''s anyone to blame, it''s yourself." Ouyang Lengji said coldly, unmoved by Dai Gangzi''s screams. "Ouyang Lengji, what do you mean by this? Who else would do this to me?" Dai Gangzi wailed. "The sect leader has instructed me not to tell, I cannot disclose." Ouyang Lengji said. "Ouyang Lengji, if you are a man, tell me who is behind this before I die." Dai Gangzi said, speaking with blood streaming from his mouth. "Dai Gangzi, all I can do for you is to let you die sooner to lessen your suffering. You should know, the order I received was to torture you for seven days and nights before killing you." Ouyang Lengji stated. "Ouyang Lengji, I beg you, let me die knowing why. Who wants you to torture me like this, who bears such deep hatred against me?" Dai Gangzi wailed. "Don''t you really know why? Why last time someone from your Ghost Martial Sect came to the Flying Spirit Gate, but didn''t act against the Flying Spirit Gate, instead sending you here? Such a simple thing, and you don''t know? It''s a pity for you, no wonder you can''t sit in the position of sect leader." Ouyang Lengji sneered. "You''re talking about Dai Daozi, it must be him, he''s the one torturing me. He''s afraid the next sect leader''s position might fall into my hands, he''s the one targeting me." Dai Gangzi suddenly shouted loudly. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Not too stupid, but I didn''t say anything." Ouyang Lengji sneered. "Ouyang Hall Master, someone has come, you need to go out for a moment." Just then, outside the stone chamber, a beautiful shadow appeared, it was Ghost Shadow Rakshasa Ye Fei. "Ye Hall Master, who has come?" Ouyang Lengji asked Lengji inquired, stepping out of the stone chamber. "Someone from the Ghost Martial Sect has come to check if Dai Gangzi is dead or alive, and to have us torment him a bit more before killing him," Ye Fei''s voice came vaguely from outside the chamber. "Dai Daozi, although we are half-brothers from different mothers, I never imagined you would treat me this way," Dai Gangzi said bitterly, his eyes filled with hatred and blood. "Heaven has not forsaken me, this is my chance to survive, I must not die," just then, a sudden joy appeared on Dai Gangzi''s face. He felt that within his body, among the several restrictions placed, one was beginning to weaken and loosen. Once this restriction was lifted, he would be able to regain his strength and eventually escape from here. Suppressing his overwhelming joy, Dai Gangzi continued to scream in agony as the restrictions loosened, the pain of his bone marrow being devoured still continuing. Meanwhile, he was thinking of ways to break through the blocked meridians and acupoints. Not far from the chamber, several figures revealed slight smiles. "The restrictions set by the Lushan patron should start to loosen soon, in a few hours, Dai Gangzi should be able to break free. Then, we''ll just put on a show," Ouyang Lengji said. "The sect master is indeed ruthless. It would be hard for Dai Gangzi not to believe it now. I now respect the sect master deeply," Huangfu Qisong commented. "This sect master is really something," the usually reticent Ye Mei said, her beautiful eyes lifting slightly as she spoke: "Whoever offends the sect master must really regret it later." Late at night, during the hour of zi, the sky above was obscured by thin night clouds, with a few residual stars hanging in the sky, a gentle night breeze blowing through. Outside the Flying Spirit Gate, all was silent, the two thousand disciples of the Ghost Martial Sect were also beginning their cultivation at this time. Suddenly, an invisible force seemed to spread with the night wind at an alarming rate. "Hisss" Suddenly, among the elders of the Ghost Martial Sect, a gust of wind appeared out of nowhere, instantly distorting the space. "Someone is ambushing, get ready!" the elders shouted loudly, but before their voices fell, a white figure had already flashed past them, moving so fast that they could not see clearly, the space twisting momentarily and all was over in an instant. "Who is ambushing, Flying Spirit Gate is attacking!" "Run!" The Ghost Martial Sect instantly became chaotic. As everyone scrambled to their feet, all was quiet again, with no one from the Flying Spirit Gate having rushed out. "Everyone calm down, what are you panicking about?" an elder of the Ghost Martial Sect shouted loudly. After a moment of confusion, the two thousand disciples of the Ghost Martial Sect gradually quieted down. "Something''s wrong, Elder Liu is missing." "How can Elder Liu be missing? He was just here." In that instant, several elders and protectors suddenly realized that one of their own had silently disappeared. "Be on your guard, a powerful enemy is ambushing!" The remaining elders were immediately alarmed, the sudden disappearance of an elder chilling their hearts, and from then on, no more disturbances occurred. In the back mountain, a figure in white clothes, breathtakingly beautiful, appeared, holding an elder of the Ghost Martial Sect. This person was absolutely terrified; he hadn''t had any chance to resist and was captured in an instant by the opponent. This level of power was truly frightening. "You''ve worked hard," Li Lin appeared in front of Bai Ling, who was holding the captured Ghost Martial Sect elder, a slight smile crossing his face. "It''s up to you now, my human form can only maintain as it is now, I''m going to rest," Bai Ling said, and her shadowy figure turned into a white light and disappeared in an instant. "Elder Liu, long time no see," Li Lin said to the Ghost Martial Sect elder in front of him inside a secret chamber in the back mountain. This elder from the Ghost Martial Sect had made some impression on Li Lin in the past; an Eightfold Martial General, certainly not weak. "Sect Master Li, what do you want to do, I am an elder of the Ghost Martial Sect," the elder watched Li Lin, panic evident in his eyes. "An elder of the Ghost Martial Sect, do you think thats worth something?" Li Lin said lightly, and as his words fell, a mysterious palm print was already pressing on the elders crown. After a scream, in a moment, Li Lin''s hand held a mummified corpse. With a flash of spirit fire, the corpse instantly turned to ashes. Li Lin was not concerned with all this; at this moment, his cheeks were somewhat flushed, devouring an Eightfold Martial General had made him feel somewhat full, but it was still within his tolerance. Li Lin estimated in his heart that after fully assimilating the true qi of this Eightfold Martial General, breaking through to the Sevenfold Martial General should also be no problem. Raising his eyebrows slightly, from the elder''s mind, he discovered quite a few useful pieces of information using the Spirit Searching Technique. Li Lin then sat cross-legged, circulating the Yin Yang Spirit Martial Art, and began to cultivate slowly. Meanwhile, outside the Flying Spirit Gate, a sense of inexplicable panic was brewing. All disciples of the Ghost Martial Sect felt a fear growing in their hearts. The cultivation and power of Elder Liu, an Eightfold Martial General, had vanished in an instant, casting a shadow of fear over everyone''s heart. Yet until dawn, no further incidents occurred, but the mysteriously vanished Elder Liu was indeed gone without a trace. The surrounding elders recalled that moment in the middle of the night, when space twisted and a white light flashed by, certainly the work of a powerful entity, whose strength was enough to claim their lives instantly.