After the auction, Lin Ye walked through several herb shops in the city.
By the time night fell…
the entire twenty million spirit stones he had obtained earlier were already gone.
At every shop, he simply bought the most expensive herbs available—clean sweep.
One of those shops even belonged to the Zhang Clan.
The shopkeeper nearly cried tears of joy.
He thought he'd encountered a noble patron.
That single day's revenue reached 1.6 million spirit stones.
He was ecstatic.
After stocking up, Lin Ye returned to the branch hall.
Lei Yongbiao had already arranged resting quarters for all of them.
The core disciples who went out to enjoy the city didn't stay out too late either.
After all, they still had a mission.
No one dared relax too much.
Inside Lin Ye's room
Lin Ye didn't refine pills tonight.
Instead, he took the fifth-grade Blood-Asura herb—
the Ghost-Face Flower—
and tossed it directly into the Blood Sea using his divine sense.
BOOM!
The moment the Ghost-Face Flower sank into the crimson ocean, the entire Blood Sea roared.
A violent surge of Blood Sea energy poured back into Lin Ye's body.
Lin Ye's eyes sharpened with joy.
"So it works."
This endless Blood Sea was truly infinite.
By feeding it Blood-Asura treasures…
its power would actively return to him, allowing him to refine it directly.
A shortcut.
The Blood Sea energy flooded into his Qi Sea.
His aura climbed in a roaring wave—
and his cultivation advanced again.
Qi Sea Realm — Eighth Layer.
But that wasn't all.
Lin Ye's divine sense returned to the Blood Peak—
and saw the "reef" beside it had fully risen above the sea.
"That is…"
His gaze locked onto it.
Carved into the reef…
was a secret art.
Secret Art: Frenzied Blood Curse.
In his past life, Lin Ye had encountered secret arts before.
But secret arts were extremely rare.
Most had long been lost and were impossible to cultivate.
Yet now…
this reef from the Blood Sea carried a complete secret art.
Lin Ye read the inscription.
"Frenzied Blood Curse… ignites the blood throughout the body, temporarily boosting one's strength."
Even with Lin Ye's experience…
the effect shocked him.
Along with the method, the reef also contained a full meridian flow diagram.
Most people would need years to understand something like this.
But Lin Ye?
He had a terrifying foundation.
By the third circulation…
he had already mastered it.
"This is even more difficult than a Star-Breaking grade martial skill…"
"But whether it's stronger or weaker…"
"depends on how it's used."
Lin Ye tested the Frenzied Blood Curse lightly.
Just a small trigger—
and he felt as if something violent was swelling inside his body.
Like someone had forcibly poured explosive power into his veins.
His eyes flashed.
Then he suppressed it immediately.
Branch Hall Dungeon
The three stewards guarding the prison snapped their eyes open at the same time.
Their expressions changed.
"Did you feel that?"
"That… was an Earth Transformation Realm aura."
"It flashed and vanished. Whoever it was—came with bad intentions."
"Stay on full alert."
"Yu Baiji must not escape."
Among the three, Gu Qing stood at the farthest end…
closest to the prisoner.
The prisoner's shoulder blades had been pierced by hooks.
Chains ran through his bones.
Heavy shackles pinned him down.
Gu Qing moved with practiced subtlety.
He flicked a black pill across the floor.
It rolled to the prisoner's feet.
The prisoner—Yu Baiji—wore an iron mask.
Only his eyes were visible.
Those eyes lowered.
His foot moved.
His toes quietly gripped the pill.
No one noticed.
Night attack
Lin Ye was still cultivating when he heard sudden movement outside his window.
His eyes opened instantly.
CRASH!
In the room next to his, someone smashed through the window.
A sword flashed.
Sword qi tore over the rooftop—
tiles exploded into the air.
A cold voice rang out.
"How dare you cause trouble on Wind-Thunder Mystic Sect territory!"
It was Shen Miaoyu.
Her tone was sharp with murderous intent.
Other disciples burst out of their rooms.
Shen Miaoyu's sword strike had been deliberate—
a warning signal.
Three figures sprinted into the darkness, retreating fast.
"Don't chase!" Shen Miaoyu snapped.
"It could be a diversion!"
Several disciples froze, stopping mid-step.
Everyone rushed into the rear courtyard.
And what they saw made their blood run cold.
The three Wind-Riding Birds…
had been poisoned.
Two of them were already dead.
Thin needles were still lodged in their flesh.
"Poisoned… the Wind-Riding Birds?"
Everyone sucked in a breath.
So the mission really wasn't easy.
And the enemy had moved fast.
Without the birds…
they would have to travel over land.
A distance of nearly a hundred and fifty li.
Through Blazing Wind Forest.
Danger everywhere.
And now?
Every step of their return route could be an ambush.
Among the disciples, the strongest were Shen Miaoyu and Jiang Fusheng.
Jiang Fusheng immediately ordered five people to guard the last remaining bird while he checked the corpses.
The two birds were completely dead.
Shen Miaoyu's eyes swept across everyone.
"Is anyone injured?"
No one was hurt.
But one person was missing.
Lin Ye.
Her brows tightened.
Then someone spoke.
"Where is Lin Ye?"
A core disciple named Guo Liangyu sneered.
"He isn't here… doesn't that say enough?"
"That bastard probably colluded with the outsiders and poisoned the birds!"
His tone dripped with certainty—almost as if he'd been waiting for the chance.
Shen Miaoyu frowned.
So did the others.
Guo Liangyu and two companions stormed toward Lin Ye's room—
and found him sitting calmly on a meditation cushion.
Cultivating.
Guo Liangyu's eyes lit up with hatred.
"So it's you!"
"You actually dared betray the sect!"
Without even confirming anything, he slammed his palm forward.
He had always hated Lin Ye.
Now he didn't care whether Lin Ye was guilty—
he wanted to beat him first.
Guo Liangyu was only Qi Sea Realm Third Layer.
Lin Ye didn't even stand.
He raised his hand—
and unleashed a brutal, overwhelming palm of mystic power.
Guo Liangyu's face changed instantly.
Bad—!
Why was Lin Ye's pressure this terrifying?
BOOM!
Lin Ye's palm struck him head-on.
The aura of Qi Sea Realm Eighth Layer crushed him like a mountain.
Guo Liangyu was launched backward like a rag doll.
He crashed into the courtyard with a thunderous impact.
"My arm!"
Guo Liangyu screamed.
His arm was twisted unnaturally, nearly torn off.
It still hung there only because of a thin layer of skin.
Bone was already visible beneath it—
ready to rip through completely.
"What happened?"
Jiang Fusheng arrived just in time, his expression turning grim.
Among core disciples, Jiang Fusheng had ranked within the top twenty last year.
But that ranking hadn't been updated yet—
because his actual strength was already far beyond Xu Ming's.
He was now Qi Sea Realm Seventh Layer.
"Same sect… and you strike this viciously?"
"Lin Ye."
"Submit immediately."
"Come with me to the Enforcement Hall and await judgment!"
Jiang Fusheng stood at Lin Ye's doorway, hands behind his back.
A line of core disciples formed behind him.
It was obvious—
they were all standing with Jiang Fusheng.
Only Shen Miaoyu and another core disciple named Sun Yun did not join the crowd accusing Lin Ye.
Lin Ye calmly dusted off his clothes and stepped outside.
His eyes carried faint authority…
and blatant contempt.
He looked at the group like they were insects.
His voice was flat.
"You really think I owe you anything?"
He had been cultivating peacefully.
And these idiots stormed in barking accusations.
They were nothing but flies—
but if he didn't swat a few dead,
they'd start thinking he was prey.
Jiang Fusheng's eyes turned icy.
"What did you say?"
"Say it again if you have the guts."
His mystic qi already surged beneath his skin.
Even if Lin Ye knelt and apologized now…
it would be too late.
Lin Ye raised his hand and curled his fingers at him.
"Come."
That single motion—
was pure humiliation.
Jiang Fusheng's patience snapped.
His Qi Sea Seventh Layer aura erupted.
A violent pressure flooded the courtyard.
"Today…"
"I'll punish you in Elder Lin Zhonghai's name!"
Even Shen Miaoyu looked startled.
So Jiang Fusheng had already broken through to this realm.
But it was obvious—
Jiang Fusheng was protecting Guo Liangyu.
This was unfair.
And wrong.
She was about to step forward—
when—
BOOM!
A thunderous blast shook the courtyard.
Jiang Fusheng's arm—
shattered.
His body flew backward like he had been hit by a cannon.
He slammed through a courtyard wall, collapsing it completely.
"What?!"
Shen Miaoyu's pupils trembled.
Her face went pale.
She stared at Lin Ye in shock—
as if she were looking at someone she didn't recognize.