《I Have Countless Clones》


 Chapter 1

    A Confusing World


    ¡°Hey, handsome, are you interested in signing up for the martial arts school¡¯s training ss?¡±


    On the way home, a beautiful girl in a tight fitness suit stopped Lin Shen and enthusiastically handed him a flier.


    Lin Shen stopped to look at the flier.


    The words ¡°Calm Sun Martial Arts School¡± immediately came into view.


    ¡°Our martial arts school is a formal institution officially authorized by the Three Sect Prefecture. In terms of its scale and the quality of teaching, it¡¯s second to none in the entire Dragonside City!¡±


    Seeing Lin Shen stop, the girl immediately seized the opportunity to persuade him.


    ¡°No matter which of the three fundamental cultivation techniques you follow and what stage you¡¯ve reached, our school can tailor the most suitable course for you. Moreover, there will be instructors at the Long Breath Stage teaching you personally!¡±


    Lin Shen smiled and took the flier. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    The girl had heard simr words thousands of times. Of course, she could tell Lin Shen¡¯s perfunctory tone. She continued to persuade him, unwilling to give up.


    ¡°We happen to have a discount recently. The registration fee is 20% off now. The basic course will only cost you 7,999 spirit coins!¡±


    Lin Shen was still unmoved. He smiled faintly and turned to leave while the girl watched him in disappointment. He soon disappeared into the crowd.


    About five minutester, Lin Shen arrived at the bus stop. A No. 32 bus happened to pull over at the bus stop. The front and back doors opened with a creak.


    Lin Shen followed the crowd and boarded the bus. He took out a one-dor spirit coin and threw it into the coin box. Then, he found a seat by the window in a corner and sat down.


    Not long after, the bus drove out of the station.


    Looking at the scenery outside the window quickly thrown behind him, Lin Shen heaved a sigh of relief with an indescribable expression.


    It had been almost a week since he arrived in this world. He was familiar with most of the people and environment around him.


    Who would have thought he would wake up in another world after going to sleep as usual?


    This world was, in a sense, simr to his previous world. At first nce, there were many simrities. For example, the high-rise buildings along the street, the endless stream of cars, and even the clothes of passers-by were simr.


    However, after looking closer, Lin Shen realized that wasn¡¯t the case.


    As far as he knew, there was no such thing as a country in this world. All cities were ruled by organizations called sects.


    For example, Dragonside City, the city he was currently in, was located on the East Sea Path, one of the Five Great Paths of the East Divine Continent. It was a prosperous city under the joint rule of the Raging Waves Sect, Azure Frost Sect, and Nine Suns Sect. Its area was 7,500 square kilometers, and its poption exceeded 3.5 million. There were also more than ten vassal cities. It was one of the few behemoths in the East Sea Path.


    What maintained the ruling position of these sects was powerful martial strength that transcended the mortal world!


    ¡°Extraordinary powers¡­¡±


    Lin Shen muttered to himself.


    The level of military technology in this world was so low that it made one¡¯s hair stand on end. It was almost still stuck in the era of cold weapons.


    Firearms like guns, cannonballs, and tanks were familiar to him in his previous life, but there was no sign of them here.


    In contrast, the martial arts and immortal techniques that only existed in fantasy in his previous life were widely known here.


    In Dragonside City, all teenagers who had reached the age of 15 could start the path of cultivation and choose one of the fundamental cultivation techniques of the three great sects.


    Those who seeded in their studies could participate in the annual examination and fight for the opportunity to enter the academies affiliated with the three major sects.


    This world valued martial arts and strength over anything else. Therefore, joining the three great sects was almost everyone¡¯s dream.


    Once one was lucky enough to be a cultivator, one could rise to the upper ss and enjoy privileges and status that ordinary people couldn¡¯t imagine.


    Because of this, countless students would cultivate day and night every year to reach that goal.


    The previous owner of Lin Shen¡¯s body was no exception.


    His current body was only 18 years old, and he was a student from Dragonside City¡¯s Willow Academy who was about to participate in the final examination. The cultivation technique he practiced was the Origin Breathing Technique and the zing Sun Palm.


    The Original Breathing Technique was the orthodox entry-level cultivation technique for cultivators in Dragonside City or even most of the East Divine Continent.


    As a cultivator achieved higher cultivation levels, their cultivation methods would gradually show discrepancies. However, the introductory cultivation methods were almost the same.


    Therefore, all the teenagers in Dragonside City, regardless of whether they were born noble or poor, would start off by practicing the Origin Breathing Technique.


    As for the zing Sun Palm, it was the fundamental martial arts technique of the Nine Suns Sect.


    Lin Shen had been practicing these two cultivation techniques for more than two years but had only be proficient in the Origin Breathing Technique. His cultivation level had only reached the third level of the Qi Transformation Stage, and he could barely be ranked in the middle or lower echelons of the entire Willow Academy. His cultivation talent was ordinary at best.


    With such poor talent and strength, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to obtain the qualifications to participate in the exam, let alone join the academies that were affiliated with the three great sects.


    That was if nothing unexpected happened!


    As his mind wandered off, the bus had already arrived at the destination.


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes refocused, and he got out of the back door.


    Since he had alreadye to his world, it would be useless to me fate.


    The only thing he could do was to ept the truth and think of a way to survive better in this world.


    Fortunately, Lin Shen was alone before and after his transmigration.


    He didn¡¯t need to worry about breaking anyone¡¯s heart because of his disappearance, nor did he need to face unfamiliar andplicated interpersonal rtionships after transmigration.


    The only ones he needed to be familiar with were the teachers and students of the academy.


    After careful probing for a few days, Lin Shen had grown familiar with the people around him without arousing any suspicion.


    After passing through a remote alley, he saw a dpidated apartment building.


    It was more than 30 years old.


    Many tiles had fallen off the outer walls, and the mottled walls still had traces of withered vines. The stairs were covered in rust, and when one stepped on them, they would make an ear-piercing creaking sound as if they would copse at any moment. It was terrifying.


    As soon as he stepped onto the corridor on the third floor, he ran into a bald, middle-aged man.


    It was Liu De, who lived next door to Lin Shen. He was currently divorced and worked in a real estate agency.


    ...


    Holding a briefcase and wearing a suit, he seemed on his way to work overtime in the office. When he saw Lin Shen, he smiled and greeted him.


    ¡°You¡¯re back. ss ended so early today.¡±


    Lin Shen nodded politely and smiled.


    He didn¡¯t interact much with this neighbor and usually only greeted him when passing.


    After exchanging a few pleasantries, Lin Shen bade farewell to Liu De and walked towards his room at the end of the corridor.


    Liu De shook his head slightly as he watched Lin Shen leave.


    He remembered Lin Shen as the most hardworking student he had ever seen. Other than attending sses, Lin Shen spent all his time cultivating.


    Unfortunately, the boy didn¡¯t have the talent and never achieved anything.


    ¡°So many people apply to the three major academies every year, but fewer than one in a hundred of them will seed in the end. Those academies are so hard to get in. Most of them are like me, working in an office for the rest of their lives!¡±


    Liu De sighed and walked down the stairs.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t know what Liu De was thinking, nor would he care.


    ...


    The previous owner of this body would have no hope of entering the three major academies in this life.


    However, from the moment he came into this world, that changed!


    Click!


    Lin Shen pushed open the door of the apartment and walked in.


    The lights in the living room were off, and the curtains on the balcony were closed. The room was rather dim.


    Lin Shen came to the center of the living room. He didn¡¯t make any movements, but two shadows suddenly separated from his body andnded four or five steps away. They solidified at an astonishing speed.


    If other people were in the room, they would definitely be shocked.


    The two solidified figures looked exactly like Lin Shen, be it their size, facial features, or temperament. They seemed to be carved from the same mold!

 Chapter 2

    Two Clones


    When Lin Shen looked the other two people in the eye, he didn¡¯t seem surprised at all.


    Not long after he came to this world, he suddenly realized there were two little figures in his mind. They looked exactly like him but were miniature in their size.


    What was even more shocking was that these two little figures could cultivate in his mind. They didn¡¯t know what fatigue was and cultivated day and night. Moreover, the increase in their cultivation strength could all be reflected back to his own body!


    He suddenly had two clones with outstanding cultivation speed!


    Lin Shen was pleasantly surprised.


    Today was the day for him to test the results.


    Lin Shen activated his mind, and countless gray lines instantly appeared in front of him, interweaving into lines of distinctive words.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Above average]


    [Stage: Qi Transformation Level 3, 92%]


    [Technique: Original Breathing Technique (Proficient 78%), zing Sun Palm (Beginner 46%)]


    [Number of clones: 2 (40%)]


    It was a very simple panel.


    Lin Shen looked past the first three items and stopped at thest one.


    In an instant, the words became blurry, and the lines quickly formed new words.


    [Clone 1]


    [Talent: Perseverance]


    [Realm: Qi Transformation Level 3 92%+5%]


    [Current Cultivation: Original Breathing Technique (Proficient 75%+10%), zing Sun Palm (Beginner 46%+5%)]


    [Clone 2]


    [Talent: Above average]


    [Stage: Qi Transformation Level 3 92%+6%]


    [Current Cultivation: Original Breathing Technique (Proficient 75%+12%), zing Sun Palm (Beginner 46%+6%)]


    ¡°Nice!¡±


    A smile appeared on Lin Shen¡¯s face.


    In five days, both clones had improved at least 10% in the Origin Breathing Technique and about 5% in the zing Sun Palm.


    That was a considerable improvement!


    When he created the two clones five days ago, the progress of the Origin Breathing Technique was only 75%.


    After five days, his own progress only increased by 3% and was now 78%.


    His clones were much more efficient!


    That shouldn¡¯t be a surprise. After all, he couldn¡¯t cultivate without stopping or sleeping like his clones.


    It was worth mentioning that in the same cultivation time, Clone 2 had made much bigger progress than Clone 1¡¯s. This was all thanks to his talent.


    [Above average: Cultivation Speed+20%]


    Clone 1¡¯s talent was rtively strange.


    [Indomitable Perseverance: Resistance +50%, Stamina Recovery Speed +30%, Wound Recovery Speed +30%]


    The clones could cultivate and provide feedback to his own body. Other than that, Lin Shen could also choose one of his clones¡¯ talents to give to himself to obtain the same effect.


    Talents could be changed at any time, but he could only have one at a time.


    He had chosen the ¡°Above Average¡± talent that could increase his cultivation speed.


    ¡°Since there¡¯s an Above Average, there should be more powerful talents, such as Outstanding.¡± The idea suddenly struck Lin Shen.


    If Above Average could increase his cultivation speed by 20%, how much more efficient could a more advanced talent be?


    Lin Shen¡¯s heartbeat quickened a little as he looked at the bottom of the interface.


    [Clone 3]


    [Condensing. Current progress: 40%]


    ¡°With 8% progress every day, I¡¯ll have a new clone in eight days. I hope I can have a stronger talent by then!¡±


    Lin Shen then concentrated on the two motionless clones.


    With a thought, the two clones instantly turned into two streaks of white light and entered his body with a whoosh.


    The next second.


    Arge number of cultivation memories andprehension suddenly appeared in Lin Shen¡¯s mind.


    Meanwhile, he trembled slightly, and endless crisp sounds erupted from his body. It was as if his flesh and bones were constantly being beaten and tempered, bing even tighter and stronger.


    Itsted for seven to eight seconds before the sound slowly disappeared.


    Lin Shen opened his eyes and exhaled the waste air in his chest. His spirit had visibly been lifted.


    When he looked at the interface again, the ¡°Stage¡± had changed to ¡°Qi Transformation Level 4, 1%¡±!


    ¡°I¡¯ve finally made a breakthrough!¡±


    Lin Shen genuinely felt happy.


    ...


    The previous owner of this body had been stuck at Level 3 for more than half a year. He finally broke through to Level 4!


    ¡°This cheat code is so useful. The efficiency of these two clones alone is more than ten times what I used to be!¡±


    Lin Shen was filled with joy.


    The path of cultivation was divided into stages. From low to high, the stages were known as Qi Transformation, Long Breath, and Bright Aperture.


    Each stage was further divided into nine levels.


    Among them, the Qi Transformation Stage marked the beginning of cultivation. Cultivators of this stage had to temper their bodies for a long time and guide their cultivation with their breathing. They would do this until their essence and blood were full. Only then could they sense Qi.


    This was the so-called refinement of essence into qi.


    All students of Willow Academy were at this stage, but there were differences in levels.


    Once one had a sense of Qi, they could break through from the Qi Transformation Stage to the Long Breath Stage.


    Cultivators of this stage had an abundance of Qi, and their bodies naturally generated the cirction of inner essence. With every breath they took, a great amount of strength would burst forth. A casual strike from them could weigh a few tons. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say they could defeat a hundred people at once.


    Those with profound cultivation knowledge could channel Qi throughout their bodies, causing their bodies to transform and prolong their lives.


    ...


    Cultivators who had reached the Long Breath Stage would be considered elites in Dragonside City and obtain an enviable social status.


    For example, most of the teachers in Willow Academy were at the Long Breath Stage.


    Calm Sun Martial Arts School, that distributed fliers earlier, imed to have Long Breath cultivators personally guiding their students. It was a gimmick they used to attract people to sign up.


    As for the Bright Aperture Stage, the cultivators¡¯ physical strength was not much different from those of the Long Breath Stage. However, with the nourishment of true essence, the soul would gradually be stronger. Their spirit aperture would slowly open up, and they would have incredible spiritual responses.


    Cultivators who had reached this stage could begin to use some extraordinary abilities, such as talismans and spells.


    In Dragonside City, Bright Aperture cultivators were all considered to be high and mighty figures by ordinary people!


    The three stages above were together known as the three mortal stages. They were the peak of mortal cultivation.


    Once one transcended to a higher realm, one would be able to leap out of the fence and wash away the residual of this world. From then on, they would step onto the ultimate path of the cultivation world.


    This world had amon name for such people¡ªcultivator masters!


    The ruling ss of Dragonside City was made up of cultivator masters!


    Limited by his background and knowledge, Lin Shen knew very little about cultivator masters. However, from what he could remember, he felt cultivator masters were very simr to the immortal cultivators he knew of.


    They could both fly on clouds and control water and fire!


    They could also travel the world freely and live forever!


    He wondered if the two were essentially the same and only differed in the way they were addressed.


    After thinking about it for a while, Lin Shen shook his head and temporarily threw this doubt to the back of his mind.


    Cultivator masters were too far away from him now.


    He was still a distance away from Bright Aperture and Long Breath Stages, not to mention the cultivator masters. It was better not to bite off more than he could chew.


    The most important thing now was to increase his strength as soon as possible so that he could obtain the qualifications to participate in the examination!


    Without his clones, Lin Shen might find a suitable job after graduation and live his life as an office worker.


    But now that he had the clones, everything was different.


    Lin Shen could rely on his clones to rise to the top of this world. Once he had seen enough, he wouldn¡¯t want to be an ordinary person.


    Joining the academies affiliated with the three major sects was his first step toward that future.


    The four essential elements of cultivation were wealth, techniques,panionship, and location.


    [Lin Shen, who came from a welfare institute and had to rely on official subsidies for his tuition and living expenses, was verycking in all four aspects.


    His predecessor¡¯s progress had been slow, and he was unable to break through to Level 4 of the Qi Transformation Stage. Apart from his mediocre talent, it was also because he was impoverished and didn¡¯t have the money to buy a lot of meat to make up for his energy consumption.


    If one didn¡¯t have enough meat to convert his essence into energy and blood, the cultivation process would cost them twice the effort with only half the oue.


    Only by joining the academies affiliated with the three major sects and entering a higher-level cultivation institute could he obtain sufficient resources and powerful cultivation techniques, and only then would his cultivation path be smoother.


    Therefore, Lin Shen¡¯s top priority was to obtain the qualifications to participate in the examination!

 Chapter 3

    Zero Consumption Distance


    ¡°If I want to qualify for the examination, I have to be at least at the fifth level of the Qi Transformation Stage. To be more secure, I have to reach Level 6 of the Qi Transformation Stage!¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes flickered as he summoned the interface.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Above Average]


    [Stage: Qi Transformation Level 4, 1%]


    [Technique: Original Breathing Technique (Proficient 96%), zing Sun Palm (Beginner 57%)]


    [Number of clones: 2 (40%)]


    ¡°The Origin Breathing Technique is only 4% away from breaking through to Greater Mastery. If the two clones cultivate together, I can do it in one day!¡±


    Lin Shen nodded to himself.


    The higher the level of the Origin Breathing Technique, the faster he could refine his body.


    With the Origin Breathing Technique at Greater Mastery and the help of his clones, it wouldn¡¯t be long before he could break through to the fifth level of the Qi Transformation Stage.


    Taking a deep breath, Lin Shen calmed himself down and headed for the kitchen. He took out one kilogram of beef he had bought the day before from the fridge and started cooking dinner.


    After living independently for a long time, Lin Shen perfected his culinary skills.


    In less than half an hour, he cooked a te of stir-fried beef and 4.5kg of noodles. He sat down at the dining table and wolfed them down.


    After dinner, Lin Shen didn¡¯t take a break. Instead, he sat cross-legged in the living room and began to meditate. He transformed the food he had just eaten into essence and blood to temper his body.


    As his chest rose and fell rhythmically, a rushing sound gradually came out of his body, like a surging river.


    It was the sound of blood circting rapidly in his body.


    During the cultivation of the breathing technique, a person¡¯s muscles, bones, and even skin would be nourished by essence and blood, and they would be firmer and stronger.


    About half an hourter.


    Lin Shen opened his eyes and let out a long breath. White smoke visible to the naked eye extended for four to five inches before slowly dissipating.


    After resting for a few seconds, Lin Shen summoned the interface and took a look. As expected, his cultivation progress was still at the fourth level of the Qi Transformation Stage, 1%.


    Lin Shen wasn¡¯t surprised. If the increase were less than 1%, it wouldn¡¯t be disyed on the interface.


    ¡°What a pity. If I had eaten that amount of spirit beast meat, my cultivation progress would have increased by at least 1%!¡±


    Spirit beast meat contained abundant energy that far exceeded ordinary meat. It was very suitable for low-level cultivators and had an obvious effect on tempering the body and strengthening the blood essence.


    However, the price of spirit beast meat also far exceeded that of ordinary meat.


    The price of half a kilo of the lowest-grade spirit beast meat was as high as 1,000 spirit coins. It was even more than Lin Shen¡¯s monthly allowance. He simply couldn¡¯t afford it.


    ¡°If I had enough spirit beast meat, my cultivation speed would at least double!¡±


    Lin Shen sighed softly.


    After some research, he discovered that his clones could also speed up the tempering of his body and increase his cultivation speed by eating food.


    Other than that, he could also materialize his clones and control their movements as he did just now.


    Not only did the clones look identical to him, but their strength was also the same as his.


    However, the clones could only stay within a limited range.


    The clones could exist for a long time without Lin Shen expending any energy when they were within 30m of him.


    He called that distance the zero consumption distance.


    Once the clones moved further than that, their existence would begin to consume Lin Shen¡¯s stamina.


    Lin Shen had experimented before. He could only maintain a clone for about half a minute at most when it was 150m away from him. After that, he would be exhausted and could no longer maintain the existence of the clone.


    If the number of clones increased to two, the duration would be reduced by half.


    This disappointed Lin Shen.


    When he first discovered this system, he had dreamed of staying at home and controlling thousands of clones from thousands of miles away.


    From the looks of it, this was purely wishful thinking.


    A mere 30-meter radius meant his clones couldn¡¯t even walk out of the block where the apartment building was located.


    ¡°If only I could extend the zero consumption distance.¡±


    Lin Shen muttered to himself. He then summoned a clone and let it leave the apartment building to take a walk.


    However, he immediately discovered something different.


    The clone¡¯s zero consumption distance had extended to 40m!


    Overjoyed, Lin Shen started his experiment.


    Before long, he summarized the changes in his clones.


    ¡°The zero consumption distance has indeed been extended to 40 meters, and a single clone¡¯s half-minute range has also increased to 200m¡­¡±


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t think for long and quickly understood the reason.


    The only thing different about him now was that he had broken through to the fourth level of the Qi Transformation Stage.


    Apparently, the increase could extend the clones¡¯ zero consumption distance.


    The energy consumption after exceeding the zero consumption distance remained the same. With the increase in his level, the duration and range of a clone¡¯s activity would naturally increase.


    The discovery surprised Lin Shen.


    This way, as his strength increased, his clone would eventually be able to move freely within a wide range.


    ...


    When that happened, controlling thousands of clones from thousands of miles away might not be a dream anymore!


    After a while, Lin Shen came back to his senses from the surprise. He thought for a moment and quickly came up with a n.


    Before the third clone took shape, the most effective way to increase the efficiency of cultivation was undoubtedly to eat spirit beast meat.


    If he wanted to buy spirit beast meat, he had to have enough money.


    Lin Shen grew up in a welfare institute and could receive a monthly allowance.


    However, that bit of money could barely cover his daily expenses. He didn¡¯t have the spare money to buy spirit beast meat.


    If he wanted to eat spirit beast meat, he had to think of other ways.


    ¡°Looks like I have to think of a way to earn some money.¡±


    ...


    Early next morning.


    Lin Shen came to Willow Academy as usual.


    ...


    The ss hadn¡¯t started yet, and the ssroom was in chaos. Many students were fooling around, and the room was as noisy as an open market.


    Lin Shen came to his seat and turned around to see his deskmate, Zheng Hongsheng, busy copying homework.


    Although Dragonside City valued martial prowess, other courses weren¡¯t ignored. Students still had to learn various courses at school.


    After all, most people wouldn¡¯t have the chance to be cultivators in the end. They could only be office workers, and it was still necessary for them to learn the corresponding basic knowledge.


    ¡°Is he copying yours again?¡± Lin Shen smiled and asked Xu Yuan, who was sitting in front of him.


    Xu Yuan turned around and shrugged. ¡°I had no choice. He held my hand and begged me since early in the morning. I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and had to let him copy mine.¡±


    Lin Shen smiled without saying anything. He put down his backpack and sat in his seat.


    Simr things happened every day, and he was used to it.


    ¡°Stopining. I¡¯ll buy you dinner after school!¡± Zheng Hongsheng kept writing without looking up. ¡°I was too tired from practicingst night, so I didn¡¯t have time to do my homework.¡±


    Xu Yuan rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Bullshit. I know you too well. I would believe it when Lin Shen says he practiced all night, but you? You must have spent that time ying games!¡±


    Zheng Hongsheng chuckled and didn¡¯t refute. It was obvious that Xu Yuan was right.


    The bell rang, and the teacher walked into the ssroom with the teaching n. Zheng Hongsheng finished copying his homework at thest moment and heaved a sigh of relief.


    The morning sses were boring courses. After four sessions, most of the students were already sleepy.


    However, as soon as the bell rang, the teacher announced the end of ss. Everyone was instantly revived and rushed out of the ssroom towards the canteen.


    Most of the students who practiced martial arts had shocking appetites. By noon, many students were starving.


    Lin Shen was no exception. He rushed to the canteen with Xu Yuan and Zheng Hongsheng.


    Lunch at Willow Academy was buffet-styled, and the cost was already included in the tuition fees.


    For students like Lin Shen who came from the welfare institute, the tuition fees were covered by the Three Sect Prefecture, so this lunch was free for him.


    This was also one of the few asions that Lin Shen could eat as much as he wanted.


    From this point of view, Dragonside City was run in a rather humane manner.


    As the ruling ss, the three major sects were all orthodox forces, so their style was rather mild.


    The heretic sects were quite the opposite. The living conditions in the cities they ruled were very harsh, and the people were in agony.


    For example, in Seawatch City, which was under the jurisdiction of the Blood Sea Sect, it was said that thews were very strict, and death penalties were carried out all the time.


    Criminals sentenced to death would be used to make Blood Souls, which Blood Sea Sect disciples would use against their enemies. Their methods were extremely cruel.


    Sometimes, Lin Shen was d that he had transmigrated to Dragonside City.


    If he went to Seawatch City instead, he would most likely be living in agony now.

 Chapter 4

    Cultivation Lesson


    The afternoon consisted of cultivation sses, and the students were obviously much more enthusiastic than in the morning.


    Compared to boring cultural knowledge, students were more interested in cultivation, even though most of them couldn¡¯t even participate in the final examination.


    There were a total of three courses in cultivation, which corresponded to the fundamental cultivation techniques of the three major sects.


    The zing Sun Palm of the Nine Suns Sect!


    High Waves of the Raging Waves Sect!


    Catkin Palm of the Azure Frost Sect!


    ording to the cultivation technique, students could only choose one of the three courses.


    Zheng Hongsheng, Xu Yuan, and Lin Shen all practiced the zing Sun Palm, so the three of them attended the same course.


    In the spacious and bright stadium.


    The students dispersed and focused on practicing the zing Sun Palm. They followed the instructions to the tee.


    Kong Hong, the instructor, walked back and forth in the crowd and would give guidance and correct the students¡¯ mistakes from time to time.


    ¡°Don¡¯t use brute force. Sense the strength of your body and correct it when needed.


    ¡°Your arms, chest, waist, abdomen, thighs, and even all other muscles in the body have to participate in the exerting of force.


    ¡°When you can integrate your essence and blood into the technique, and when your hand movement creates a zing red heat wave, you¡¯ve reached Proficient in this technique!¡±


    Zheng Hongsheng and Xu Yuan curled their lips.


    Proficient?


    Apart from the children of influential families, only a handful of people in the Willow Academy could reach Proficient in the zing Sun Palm.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t pay attention to their reactions. He focused on cultivating the zing Sun Palm and waspletely immersed in his own world.


    Just like the Origin Breathing Technique, the zing Sun Palm could also temper the body.


    The two techniques worked in different ways. The zing Sun Palm was used more in battles, as the tempering effect wasn¡¯t as obvious as the Origin Breathing Technique.


    Because of this, Lin Shen had spent most of his energy on cultivating the Origin Breathing Technique and had only reached Beginner in the zing Sun Palm.


    However, this was also the norm for most students.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Moving fists made endless whistling sounds in the stadium, and sometimes it sounded as if the air was torn apart.


    Kong Hong walked slowly into the crowd, his eyes scanning the crowd.


    Suddenly.


    His gaze paused andnded on Lin Shen, who was a few steps away. Kong Hong eximed softly.


    ¡°Qi Transformation Level 4!¡±


    As a Long Breath cultivator and a teacher for many years, Kong Hong¡¯s judgment was not to be underestimated.


    Just from Lin Shen¡¯s subtle movements, he could tell that Lin Shen¡¯s body had already reached the fourth level of the Qi Transformation Stage.


    ¡°I remember Lin Shen was only at the third level yesterday¡­¡± Kong Hong seemed surprised.


    At that point, Lin Shen had alreadypleted a set of palm techniques. His top was already drenched in sweat, and a faint white steam rose from his exposed neck and arms.


    He summoned the interface and saw that the progress of the zing Sun Palm was still at Beginner 57%. There was no increase.


    Lin Shen was not discouraged.


    ording to his past experience, he had to practice six to seven sets of palm techniques on average to increase his progress by 1%.


    Although that was far slower than his clones, he never ckened in his daily cultivation.


    Even the smallest effort would count. Although he wasn¡¯t very talented, as long as he kept practicing, he would improve in the end.


    ¡°Did you make a breakthroughst night?¡±


    Hearing the gentle voice, Lin Shen turned around and saw Kong Hong beside him, looking at him with a smile.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Kong.¡± Lin Shen nodded.


    Hearing this, the smile on Kong Hong¡¯s face widened, and he patted Lin Shen on his shoulder.


    ¡°Good job! Keep up the good work!¡±


    Apart from the disciples of influential families, a person at the fourth level of the Qi Transformation Stage was already outstanding among ordinary students.


    Kong Hong knew that Lin Shen was an orphan from a welfare institute. The boy was impoverished and barely had any cultivation resources. His perseverance and hard work were what took him so far, which was very rare.


    After giving Lin Shen a few more words of encouragement, Kong Hong turned around and continued his patrol.


    As soon as he left, Zheng Hongsheng and Xu Yuan rushed over, their faces filled with surprise.


    ¡°That¡¯s so impressive, Lin Shen! You¡¯ve broken through to the fourth level of the Qi Transformation Stage!¡±


    Xu Yuan couldn¡¯t hide the envy in his eyes.


    For ordinary students, that was already an impressive achievement.


    In their entire ss, there were only five or six people who had reached the fourth level of the Qi Transformation Stage.


    Seeing their envious and surprised gazes, Lin Shen only shook his head slightly.


    ¡°I still have so much to do.¡±


    Compared to his expectations for the future, this breakthrough was only a small improvement.


    Lin Shen meant every word he said, but Xu Yuan and Zheng Hongsheng only thought that he was being humble and didn¡¯t take it seriously at all.


    ...


    ¡°I have to work harder. I must break through to the fourth level of the Qi Transformation Stage before the exam!¡± Xu Yuan said seriously.


    He believed he was much more talented than Lin Shen. Since thetter could break through to the fourth level so quickly, he could definitely do the same.


    Zheng Hongsheng¡¯s eyes flickered as well.


    Everything was fine when the three of them were all at the third level. None of them was better than the others.


    Now that Lin Shen was one step ahead, the other two immediately becamepetitive.


    Among the three people, Zheng Hongsheng was the most talented. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have reached the third level like Xu Yuan and Lin Shen when he only made some sporadic effort in his cultivation.


    He believed if he cultivated diligently like Lin Shen, he would soon reach the fourth level or even surpass Lin Shen!


    Seeing the changes in their expressions, Lin Shen immediately guessed what they were thinking, but he didn¡¯t care.


    While they were chatting, the two clones were cultivating in his mind.


    With his clones, his cultivation efficiency had already reached a level that was beyond ordinary people¡¯s imagination.


    ¡­


    ...


    When ss was about to end, Kong Hong pped his hands to catch the students¡¯ attention.


    ¡°Alright, stop for a moment, ande here!¡±


    After the students lined up, Kong Hong cleared his throat and raised his voice.


    ¡°I have an announcement to make. On the 15th of next month, the academy will hold apetition. Only third-year students are allowed to sign up. Students who get into the top ten will receive generous rewards!¡±


    As soon as he said this, there was amotion among the students.


    Someone immediately raised their hand and asked, ¡°Sir, what¡¯s the reward?¡±


    Kong Hong didn¡¯t keep them in suspense and simply said,


    ¡°The reward for first ce is a bottle of Origin Pills; for second to fourth ce, six pills; and for fifth to tenth, three pills.¡±


    The crowd was in an uproar.


    ¡°Holy crap, the Origin Pill?!¡±


    ¡°The academy is so generous!¡±


    ¡°What a generous reward!¡±


    Many students¡¯ eyes lit up.


    Lin Shen¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    The name of the pill suggested it to be a medicine that assisted in cultivating the Origin Breathing Technique. It could greatly increase the cultivation efficiency of the technique and help the tempering of the body.


    Although it was only a low-level medicinal pill, it was a luxury item to ordinary people.


    The price of the Origin Pill on the market was 5,000 spirit coins per pill, which was more than the monthly ie of an ordinary office worker. Lin Shen¡¯s monthly allowance was only 800 spirit coins.


    A bottle contained 12 pills and was worth 60,000 spirit coins. To the students here, that was undoubtedly a huge sum of money.


    Even Zheng Hongsheng, who came from a wealthy family, couldn¡¯t help but feel tempted when he heard the contents of the reward.


    However, he soon shook his head in frustration.


    ¡°The rewards are generous, but bing the top ten is easier said than done. With those disciples of the influential families around, how can ordinary students like us obtain the rewards?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true!¡± Xu Yuan snorted. ¡°How would those guys care about such a small reward? They have eaten countless Origin Pills since they were young. I reckon they won¡¯t even participate in thispetition!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Those guys have always been arrogant¡­ But even so, there are so many capable students in the third year. Our chances of getting into the top ten are very slim.¡±


    This time, Xu Yuan had nothing to say.


    Excluding the disciples of influential families, there were more than ten graduating sses in the third year of Willow Academy. At least seven or eight students had reached the fifth level of the Qi Transformation Stage and above. There were also thirty or forty people at the fourth level. Xu and Zheng were only at the third level, and it was almost impossible for them to enter the top ten.


    Lin Shen had some hope, but it wasn¡¯t very high.


    ¡°The Origin Pill¡­¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes flickered.


    Obviously, thispetition was thest benefit given to graduating students by the academy before the examination, especially to ordinary students.


    The examination was two months away. If he could obtain the Origin Pill, even if he only had three, he might reach another level!


    Without a doubt, thispetition was a rare opportunity.


    This was even more so for Lin Shen, who currentlycked cultivation resources.


    ¡°The 15th of next month¡­ There¡¯s still nearly a month!¡±


    Lin Shen pursed his lips and already had a n in mind.


    No matter what, he had to get the Origin Pill!

 Chapter 5

    Mastery in the Breathing Technique


    After the announcement, Kong Hong waved his hand to dismiss the students.


    Zheng Hongsheng turned around and called out to Xu Yuan and Lin Shen.


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s go eat. It¡¯s my treat today!¡±


    Lin Shen shook his head. ¡°You two go ahead. I still have something to ask Mr. Kong.¡±


    Without waiting for the two of them to respond, he strode towards Kong Hong, leaving Zheng Hongsheng and Xu Yuan puzzled.


    ¡°Sir.¡±


    Upon hearing the voice, Kong Hong turned around and saw that it was Lin Shen. A gentle smile appeared on his face.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Sir, I want to ask you if there are any part-time jobs suitable for students?¡±


    Kong Hong was stunned for a moment before he understood.


    Many less fortunate students like Lin Shen would work part-time in order to cover their cultivation resources. He had encountered many cases in the past.


    Kong Hong had always been happy to help such students within his capabilities.


    He had introduced many part-time jobs to his students in the past. Lin Shen had probably heard about this and came to ask for his help.


    ¡°If you came to ask me yesterday, I don¡¯t think I can help you. But now that you¡¯ve made it to the fourth level, it¡¯s much simpler. I happen to have a part-time job for you.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Lin Shen asked.


    ¡°A training partner at the Calm Sun Martial Arts School.¡±


    Lin Shen hesitated.


    Calm Sun Martial Arts School¡­ Wasn¡¯t it the martial arts school that distributed fliers on the road yesterday?


    ¡°Although it¡¯s a tough job, it pays well.¡± Kong Hong nced at Lin Shen. ¡°However, if you don¡¯t think it¡¯s suitable, I can introduce you to other easier part-time jobs.¡±


    As soon as he said that, Lin Shen said without hesitation, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Mr. Kong. A training partner is fine!¡±


    Easier jobs wouldn¡¯t pay as well. Now that he needed a lot of money, of course, he wanted a job with a higher wage.


    Maybe it would be tough, but could it be tougher than cultivating day after day?


    Seeing Lin Shen¡¯s determination, Kong Hong agreed. He nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll talk to my acquaintances at Calm Sun Martial Arts School. You can drop byter.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Sir!¡±


    ¡­


    When he came out of the stadium, Zheng Hongsheng and Xu Yuan had already left.


    Lin Shen went to the locker room to change his clothes before leaving the academy.


    However, he didn¡¯t go to Calm Sun Martial Arts School immediately. Instead, he returned home first.


    In the living room, Lin Shen examined the cultivation progress of his two clones.


    [Clone 1]


    [Talent: Perseverance]


    [Stage: Qi Transformation Level 4 1%+0%]


    [Current Cultivation: Original Breathing Technique (Proficient 96%+2%), zing Sun Palm (Beginner 57%+1%)]


    [Clone 2]


    [Talent: Above Average]


    [Stage: Qi Transformation Level 4 1%+0%]


    [Current Cultivation: Original Breathing Technique (Proficient 96%+2%), zing Sun Palm (Beginner 57%+1%)]


    As expected, the cultivation progress of the two clones hadn¡¯t changed.


    ¡°I was right. After reaching the fourth level, the cultivation efficiency of Proficient Origin Breathing Technique has decreased greatly.¡±


    Lin Shen muttered to himself.


    Before, the progress of the two clones would have increased by at least 1%.


    ¡°Fortunately, thest 4% of the Origin Breathing Technique ispleted!¡±


    Without hesitation, Lin Shen directly fused with his clones.


    In an instant, countless cultivation memories andprehensions of the Origin Breathing Technique appeared in the depths of his mind. His understanding of the Origin Breathing Technique instantly jumped to another level.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Above Average]


    [Stage: Qi Transformation Level 4, 1%]


    [Cultivation Technique: Original Breathing Technique (Mastery 0%), zing Sun Palm (Beginner 59%)]


    [Number of clones: 2 (48%)]


    Lin Shen heaved a long sigh of relief, his eyes filled with joy.


    He had finally reached Mastery in the breathing technique!


    In this way, his cultivation speed would recover to the same level as before or even faster.


    Suppressing the joy in his heart, Lin Shen checked Clone 1¡¯s talent.


    [Perseverance: Resistance +50%, Stamina Recovery Speed +30%, Wound Recovery Speed +30%]


    ...


    That was why Lin Shen took the job as the training partner without hesitation.


    To put it bluntly, a training partner in a martial arts school was a punching bag. Naturally, they had to withstand a beating!


    The Perseverance talent was undoubtedly very suitable for this part-time job.


    With a thought, the talent on the interface changed from Above Average to Perseverance.


    In an instant, Lin Shen vaguely felt that his body had undergone some kind of change. The skin, flesh, and even bones all over his body seemed to have be denser and stronger.


    ¡°Is this the effect of Perseverance?¡±


    A smile shed across Lin Shen¡¯s face. He picked up the backpack on the coffee table and slung it over his shoulder. Without another word, he walked towards the door.


    ¡­


    As one of the top ten martial arts schools in Dragonside City, Calm Sun Martial Arts School upied an entire floor of the business building in the prime location of the city center. The decoration was very luxurious.


    When he walked into the bright lobby, he was greeted by a smiling girl in professional attire.


    ¡°Wee to Calm Sun Martial Arts School. How can I help you?¡±


    ...


    Lin Shen cut to the chase. ¡°I¡¯m here to apply for the position as a training partner. Mr. Kong Hong from Willow Academy rmended me.¡±


    The girl smiled and didn¡¯t change her manner just because Lin Shen was here to apply for a job. She said mildly,


    ¡°Alright, please wait a moment.¡±


    She then went inside.


    In a couple of minutes, a bald, burly man walked out and sized Lin Shen up.


    ¡°Are you Lin Shen?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    ¡°My name is Gao Jun. I¡¯m the supervisor here. You can call me Mr. Gao. Kong Hong has told me about the part-time job. I don¡¯t have any objections, but you have to pass the trial first. Let¡¯s be candid here. Being a training partner in a martial arts school is a very hard job. You¡¯ll get injured all the time. If you can¡¯t take it, I advise you to take another part-time job early!¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Lin Shen said calmly.


    Gao Jun nodded and didn¡¯t say anything else. He turned around and walked inside.


    ¡°Come with me. Let¡¯s find a ce to test your strength!¡±


    Lin Shen immediately followed him.


    The two of them passed through the lobby and came to a long passageway.


    On both sides of the passage were spacious fighting rooms. The walls facing the corridor were reced by wide transparent ss.


    Through the ss, he could see that most of thebat rooms were already filled with people practicing in pairs.


    Moreover, one of the pairs was usually wearing thick protective gear, while the other was only wearing light training clothes.


    ¡°Those people are all training partners.¡± Gao Jun pointed at the people wearing protective gear.


    Under the swift and violent attacks of their opponents, most of the training partners seemed to be struggling and could barely parry the strikes. From time to time, they would grimace in pain when they were hit. One could feel the pain just by watching them.


    Gao Jun nced at Lin Shen from the corner of his eye. Seeing that thetter remained unperturbed, he nodded to himself.


    ¡°Looks like the student Kong Hong introduced this time will be fine.¡±

 Chapter 6

    Strange Kid


    At the end of the corridor, Gao Jun stopped in front of an emptybat room.


    Just as he was about to open the door, the door of the room opposite suddenly opened, and a slim, tall young man walked out.


    Seeing the young man, Gao Jun paused. He smiled warmly and greeted the young man, ¡°Young Master Yang, I see you¡¯re here to cultivate today.¡±


    ¡°Gao, you came at the right time. I¡­¡± The young man noddedzily. Halfway through his sentence, he suddenly noticed Lin Shen and raised his eyebrows. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡±


    Gao Jun immediately said, ¡°He¡¯s here to apply for the job as a training partner today. I was going to test him.¡±


    The young man darted around and chuckled. ¡°Good. I just finished warming up and was about to find a training partner myself. Why don¡¯t I give him a go?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Gao Jun looked hesitant.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled!¡± The young man didn¡¯t give him a chance to say anything else and made the decision. ¡°What¡¯s there to worry about? I¡¯m not the kind of pervert who likes to torture and beat up their training partner!¡±


    How could Gao Jun refuse after hearing that? He could only agree with a bitter smile.


    When the young man returned to the fighting room to prepare, Gao Jun whispered to Lin Shen, ¡°Young Master Yang is an important client of our school. You must be carefulter. As long as you can satisfy Young Master Yang, you¡¯ll pass the test!¡±


    Lin Shen was sharp and understood the hidden meaning in Gao Jun¡¯s words. ¡°Is Young Master Yang very powerful?¡±


    Gao Jun gave him a long look and said solemnly, ¡°He¡¯s at Level 7 of the Qi Transformation Stage and Proficient in the zing Sun Palm. What do you think?¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s lips twitched.


    That man could crush him!


    Seeing Lin Shen was silent, Gao Jun thought he wanted to back out, so he immediately said,


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s very normal for our customers to be stronger than their training partners. Just put on more protective gearter!¡±


    After a pause, Gao Jun added, as if he wasn¡¯t worried enough.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay you a regr wage for this session. It¡¯ll be 500 spirit coins an hour!¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes lit up slightly, and he nodded without hesitation.


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Seeing Lin Shen had agreed, Gao Jun secretly heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly brought Lin Shen to put on his protective gear.


    After putting the entire cowhide protective gear on Lin Shen, Gao Jun still felt it wasn¡¯t enough. He took out a few strengthened ceramic tes and inserted them into the special pockets on the cowhide protective gear.


    This way, Lin Shen would have double protection!


    Gao Jun sized Lin Shen up a few times and nodded in satisfaction. He then brought Lin Shen back to thebat room.


    Thebat room was very spacious and was nearly 200 square meters. The floor was covered with ayer of non-slip rubber, and the surrounding walls were filled with leather bags.


    Yang Zhongyi was standing in the corner, hitting a human-shaped wooden stake. When he heard the sound, he turned around and saw the fully-geared Lin Shen. He couldn¡¯t help but be stunned for a moment before bursting outughing.


    ¡°Gao, you¡¯re too careful.¡±


    ¡°I just want Young Master Yang to have more fun. You¡¯re strong. If I don¡¯t put enough gear on the kid, I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be on his feet for long.¡± Gao Jun smiled apologetically.


    Yang Zhongyi smiled indifferently and looked at Lin Shen.


    ¡°Ready?¡±


    Lin Shen had already warmed up before he came in. Hearing what Yang Zhongyi said, he immediately stood on the spot more than ten meters away from Yang, and his reaction was his reply.


    Although his opponent was very strong, Lin Shen was more than eager to try.


    Yang Zhongyi looked about the same age as Lin Shen and was probably a student at some academy.


    Yang had such cultivation achievement at such a young age, and Gao Jun had much respect for him. It was obvious that he was the child of some influential family.


    Lin Shen had heard of the strength of such people in school, but he had never seen them fight in person. He had long wanted to see it with his own eyes.


    Now, he could see the difference between him and these geniuses!


    Noticing Lin Shen¡¯s eager gaze, Yang Zhongyi was slightly stunned. Then, the corners of his mouth curled slightly, and he found the teenager rather interesting.


    ¡°Let¡¯s begin!¡±


    Yang Zhongyimanded.


    As soon as he finished speaking, he jumped out like a tiger hunting for food. In the blink of an eye, he had crossed more than ten meters. He reached Lin Shen at lightning speed and struck down.


    A dull sound of air being torn apart suddenly exploded in Lin Shen¡¯s ears!


    Together came a surging heat wave.


    It was the zing Sun Palm!


    Lin Shen¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he dodged.


    However,pared to Yang Zhongyi¡¯s swift attack, his dodging movements were much slower.


    He only had time to half-dodge the blow when Yang Zhongyi¡¯s burning palmnded heavily on his left shoulder!


    Lin Shen felt as if he had been struck by the tail of a giant python. The strengthened ceramic piece stuck on the left shoulder shattered with a bang. He couldn¡¯t help but take a few steps back.


    Yang Zhongyi had long learned from Gao Jun that Lin Shen was only at the fourth level of the Qi Transformation Stage.


    Based on his experience, an ordinary training partner at that level would be sent flying by his zing Sun Palm, even with the double protection. They would only be able to catch their breath after four to five seconds.


    However, Lin Shen only took a few steps back, grimaced, and assumed a defensive posture again.


    Seeing this, Yang Zhongyi couldn¡¯t help but feel surprised.


    This boy seemed to be more durable than he had expected!


    Yang Zhongyi was instantly interested.


    Since Lin Shen looked very resistant, he could attack freely.


    ...


    Yang Zhongyi grinned and attacked again.


    Continuous sounds of blows rang out in thebat room.


    Under Yang Zhongyi¡¯s storm-like attacks, Lin Shen could only parry and dodge.


    Even so, he stood firm like a reef in a stormy sea.


    Yang¡¯s force was powerful enough to shatter hard stones. After being weakened by the cowhide and the ceramic tes, it could make Lin Shen stagger a few steps back at most. More often than not, he would only sway a little and adjust his posture before Yang Zhongyi attacked again.


    Gao Jun was secretly speechless.


    ¡°How strange. He¡¯s only at Level 4 of the Qi Transformation Stage, and it doesn¡¯t look like he has practiced some technique that could enhance his defensive ability. However, he¡¯s so resistant to beatings, and his tolerance level is so high!¡±


    After the initial shock, Gao Jun couldn¡¯t help but rejoice.


    ¡°Looks like I¡¯ve really discovered a good one this time. With this level of endurance, he only needs to make a couple of breakthroughs and some training before he bes one of our second-best training partners!¡±


    In martial arts school, getting beaten up wasn¡¯t enough for a good training partner. More importantly, a training partner needed to help the clients get familiar with theirbat techniques, point out their shorings, and guide them to make corrections.


    To achieve this, the training partner needed to be highly capable, and they must have excellent eyesight, react quickly, and have amplebat experience.


    ...


    The training partner who could do all those things was usually the top training partner in a martial arts school and was well-respected.


    However, their most important feature was still being able to withstand a beating!


    If a training partner was beaten to the ground in a few minutes, how could they guide their clients?

 Chapter 7

    Perseverance


    About half an hourter.


    The training ended.


    Lin Shen stood on the spot, panting and sweating profusely as if he had just been fished out of the water.


    Most of the strengthened ceramic tes in the shield pocket had been shattered. Although he wasn¡¯t injured, he felt dull pain all over his body. Those ces were probably bruised.


    Seeing that Yang Zhongyi was only breathing a little faster, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly.


    They were only three levels apart, but the difference in their strength was so great.


    It seemed that he had a long way to go before he could catch up with the disciples of the influential families.


    He wasn¡¯t worried. With his clones around, Lin Shen believed it wouldn¡¯t be long before he caught up to them and even surpassed them.


    Taking a deep breath, Lin Shen stretched his body.


    Although it happened in a subtle way, he could feel the pain in his body quickly subsiding, and his stamina was quickly recovering.


    The Perseverance talent was apparently doing its job!


    Not far away, Yang Zhongyi let out a long sigh and gave Lin Shen a thumbs up.


    ¡°Impressive! Even the silver-tier coaches here can¡¯t take a beating like you!¡±


    Yang Zhongyi turned to look at Gao Jun.


    ¡°Gao, let him be my training partner in the future, and I¡¯ll pay the price of a silver-tier training partner. How does that sound?¡±


    Gao Jun was stunned for a moment. When he realized what Yang had offered, he immediately beamed with joy and agreed.


    ¡°No problem, Young Master Yang!¡±


    After seeing Lin Shen¡¯s potential, Gao Jun made up his mind to recruit the boy. Now that he heard Yang Zhongyi wanted the boy as a training partner, he naturally wouldn¡¯t refuse.


    Under Gao Jun¡¯s instructions, a staff member soon brought a contract and a pen.


    Gao Jun pointed at the contract and exined to Lin Shen,


    ¡°It¡¯s your first day as a training partner here. Usually, you should start from the bronze tier. However, you¡¯re quite lucky. Young Master Yang thinks highly of you and is willing to pay the price of a silver-tier training partner, 1,000 spirit coins an hour.¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes lit up.


    1,000 spirit coins per hour!


    That was more than his monthly allowance!


    He knew a training partner in a martial arts school paid well, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be so high!


    If he worked two to three hours a day, the sry would be enough to buy a few kilos of spirit beast meat. It would help his cultivation efficiency greatly.


    On second thought, although the sry was high, it wasn¡¯t an easy job.


    Lin Shen had only practiced with Yang Zhongyi for about half an hour, but his entire body was aching.


    And this was with the help of Perseverance.


    Other people might not even be able to work for a full hour a day.


    The money earned might not be enough to make up for the damage to the body.


    His head was racing, but Lin Shen didn¡¯t think for too long. He skimmed through the contract and didn¡¯t see any loopholes. Then, he signed his name.


    Yang Zhongyi waited patiently at the side until Lin Shen signed his name.


    He then smiled at Lin Shen. ¡°Are you done resting? Can wee again?¡±


    Lin Shen nced at him. This Young Master Yang behaved quite differently from the rich heirs he had heard of before. Although his words and actions were a little frivolous, he didn¡¯t show any arrogance. At least he wasn¡¯t condescending or showing any superiority.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it!¡±


    Lin Shen moved his neck around.


    In just a short while, the soreness was mostly gone, and his stamina had almost recovered.


    Perseverance was such an incredible talent!


    When Yang Zhongyi saw this, a trace of surprise shed in his eyes, but he immediately smiled.


    Only such an opponent could satisfy him!


    Sounds of exchanging blows filled the fighting room once again!


    ¡­


    It was past eight in the evening


    when Lin Shen returned to the apartment and sat on the sofa.


    ¡°Fortunately, I have Perseverance. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t havested for an hour.¡±


    After all, Yang Zhongyi was at Level 7 of the Qi Transformation Stage. Practicing with such an expert for an hour was a considerable burden for Lin Shen at the moment.


    Fortunately, his efforts had paid off!


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw the bag beside him.


    The sry of the training partners was paid on the same day.


    After the training session, he received 1,000 spirit coins from Gao Jun on the spot. On the way back, he bought half a kilo of white-headed pork.


    The White-Headed Pig was one of the spirit beasts that Dragonside City had bred on arge scale. Its meat was of the lowest grade among themercially produced spirit beast meats. However, it was still spirit beast meat, and half a kilo had cost a total of 1,000 spirit coins.


    This was the first time Lin Shen had seen real spirit beast meat. It looked no different from ordinary pork except that the color was a little brighter.


    ¡°I wonder how it tastes.¡±


    ...


    Lin Shen took the pork into the kitchen to start working on it.


    In less than twenty minutes, he made three bowls of lean meat noodles.


    Lin Shen summoned his two clones and sat around the dining table, eating heartily.


    To be honest, the white-headed pork didn¡¯t taste very nice. It was even worse than ordinary pork.


    However, after he chewed and swallowed it, it was as if he had swallowed a warm current. The sensation suddenly exploded in his abdomen and quickly entered his limbs and bones. His muscles and tendons seemed to have been soaked in a ball of warm water. A strange yetfortable feeling spread throughout his entire body.


    ¡°No wonder it¡¯s said that spirit beast meat is very beneficial to the body!¡±


    Lin Shen heaved a sigh in satisfaction and went on eating.


    Before long, he and his two clones finished the meal like a tornado. Then, they immediately sat cross-legged and began to meditate.


    Inside their bodies, where one couldn¡¯t see with naked eyes, the gastrointestinal tracts of the three of them were wriggling ten times faster than that of ordinary people. They quickly digested the spirit beast meat, turning it into energy that was constantly being absorbed by their bodies.


    Lin Shen felt that his body had be a shriveled sponge that was greedily devouring the converted energy.


    Under the stimtion of the burning energy, the essence and blood in his body quickly tempered every muscle and bone.


    ...


    After seven to eight minutes, the movements in his body slowly stopped.


    Lin Shen opened his eyes and summoned the interface immediately.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Above Average]


    [Stage: Qi Transformation Level 4 4%]


    [Cultivation Technique: Original Breathing Technique (Mastery 0%), zing Sun Palm (Beginner 59%)]


    [Number of clones: 2 (48%)]


    ¡°My cultivation progress increased by 3%!¡±


    Lin Shen was pleasantly surprised.


    ¡°No wonder the spirit beast meat is so expensive. One cultivation session after eating is equivalent to five to six days of cultivation in the past!¡±


    That was why rich young heirs like Yang Zhongyi were already at the seventh level of the Qi Transformation Stage when they were about the same age.


    Those young masters ate spirit beast meat and medicinal pills every day. It was impossible for his cultivation speed not to be fast.


    He checked his two clones and saw their cultivation progress had also increased by 3%.


    After retracting his two clones, Lin Shen¡¯s cultivation level became ¡°Qi Transformation Stage level 4, 10%¡±.


    ¡°At this rate, as long as I eat spirit beast meat every day, my cultivation will increase by at least ten percent a day. In seven days at most, I¡¯ll reach the fifth level of the Qi Transformation Stage!¡±


    Lin Shen took a deep breath, his eyes filled with joy.


    Other people would scoff and think Lin Shen was dreaming when they were told he made it from Level 4 to Level 5 in eight days.


    All the elite students in the third year of Willow Academy had cultivated for more than half a year before breaking through from the fourth level to the fifth level of the Qi Transformation Stage.


    Even the disciples of influential families with sufficient cultivation resources could only shorten this time by half at most.


    Rising one level in eight days


    was simply unheard of!


    Lin Shen realized once more the profundity and power of his clone. He couldn¡¯t help but feel excited.

 Chapter 8

    Cultivation Family


    In the cultivation ss.


    Lin Shen finished practicing the zing Sun Palm. He stopped in satisfaction and let out a long breath.


    [zing Sun Palm (Beginner 60%)]


    ¡°It only increased by 1% in three days. That¡¯s too slow. As expected, I have to rely on my clones.


    ¡°After breaking through to the fifth level, I¡¯ll let Clone 1 focus on cultivating the zing Sun Palm.¡±


    Naturally, there was nock of battles in thepetition. Those with higher cultivation levels wouldn¡¯t necessarily win. Martial techniques were also a very important factor.


    A student with Proficient zing Sun Palm at the fourth level of the Qi Transformation Stage might be able to defeat a student with Beginner zing Sun Palm at the fifth level.


    Although not many ordinary students in Willow Academy had reached Proficient in the zing Sun Palm, there were at least four or five of them.


    If Lin Shen wanted to obtain a good ranking in thepetition, he¡¯d better reach Proficient in the zing Sun Palm!


    With a n in mind, Lin Shen heaved a sigh of relief. He turned around and saw Kong Hong standing a few meters away, sizing him with a strange expression.


    ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°¡®I¡¯ve heard from Gao.¡± Kong Hong looked at Lin Shen in surprise. ¡°Initially, I didn¡¯t believe him when he said that your resistance to attacks was outstanding, but now it seems true!¡±


    He had to believe it. All new training partners would feel sore the next day, but Lin Shen was still alive and kicking.


    Kong Hong had observed him for a while and confirmed that not only didn¡¯t Lin Shen have any bruises, but he was also full of energy. He didn¡¯t look like he had been a sandbag for an hour yesterday.


    That was strange. Lin Shen wasn¡¯t cultivating a technique that enhanced his defensive ability. Where did he get such outstanding resistance?


    Hearing Kong Hong¡¯s doubts, Lin Shen could only shrug and smile.


    He couldn¡¯t say that he had a cheat code, right?


    After thinking for a moment, Kong Hong could only tell himself that it was Lin Shen¡¯s natural physical advantage, just like some people were born with divine strength.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re so suitable for this part-time job, work hard, and buy more spirit beast meat to nourish yourself. Improve your cultivation level and try to get a good ranking in thepetition.¡±


    After giving Lin Shen some encouragement, Kong Hong turned around and left.


    After ss, Lin Shen had just changed his clothes and walked out of the stadium when Zheng Hongsheng caught up to him from behind and threw an arm over Lin Shen¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Lin Shen, what did Mr. Kong say to you just now?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You went to talk to him yesterday.¡± Xu Yuan also came from behind and walked side by side with the two of them.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just asked Mr. Kong to help me find a part-time job.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°It seems Mr. Kong introduces part-time jobs to his students every year.¡±


    Zheng Hongsheng and Xu Yuan knew Lin Shen¡¯s financial situation very well and understood why he needed a part-time job. In order not to hurt their good friend¡¯s pride, the two of them chuckled and tacitly changed the topic.


    ¡°Xu Yuan, I heard that you¡¯re dating Qian Hui from ss B?¡± Zheng Hongsheng suddenly winked at Xu Yuan and said with a smile, ¡°Good job, bro. You got a girlfriend without breaking a sweat.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Lin Shen looked at Xu Yuan in surprise.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to Zheng Hongsheng¡¯s nonsense.¡± Xu Yuan cleared his throat. ¡°We haven¡¯t officially confirmed our rtionship yet.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time. I don¡¯t care. When you close the deal, you¡¯re going to have to buy us dinner.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    Xu Yuan agreed without hesitation. He couldn¡¯t help but smile, apparently very pleased.


    At this moment, there was amotion ahead.


    Zheng Hongsheng looked in the direction of the noise, and his eyes widened.


    ¡°Holy crap! It¡¯s them. Why are they here at this time?¡±


    Lin Shen turned around, and his expression changed slightly.


    The people Zheng Hongsheng was talking about were a group of young men and women.


    There were about ten of them, all of whom were well-dressed, and their demeanor carried a faint sense of arrogance.


    The disciples of influential families!


    Those words immediately appeared in Lin Shen¡¯s mind.


    In Willow Academy, these people of influential cultivation families were actually a very special group.


    They rarely interacted with ordinary students and hardly ever came to the academy. When they did show up, they seemed to be symbolically fulfilling their school obligations.


    However, that was understandable. After all, cultivation families had deep foundations and could hire Bright Aperture cultivators or even real cultivator masters to guide their disciples in their cultivation. There was no need for them toe to the academy to listen to a group of Long Breath teachers.


    Because of this, in Willow Academy, or any other academy, these people and ordinary students were two very separate groups.


    Most of the disciples of influential families looked down on ordinary students. Even if ordinary students took the initiative to approach them and try to get close to them, they would be ignored.


    At this moment, more than ten disciples of influential families appeared in the academy at the same time, and they immediately attracted the attention of many students, who gathered around and pointed at them.


    ¡°The leader is Yan Xing, right?¡±


    ¡°And Zhao Xueying!¡±


    ¡°What are they doing to her at this time?¡±


    ¡°Who knows.¡±


    Lin Shen sized up the group in a discreet manner.


    Among the ten or so people, a man and a woman were the most eye-catching. They were surrounded by the others like stars surrounding the moon.


    The two of them were Yan Xing and Zhao Xueying.


    ...


    Yan Xing was tall and had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes. He had a transcendent temperament about him as if no one here was worthy of his attention.


    Zhao Xueying wasn¡¯t as showy, but her back was straight as she walked, and her footsteps were light and smooth. She also gave off an aura that couldn¡¯t be ignored.


    Most of the male students were looking at her.


    In addition to her talent, Zhao Xueying was also a beautiful woman with fair skin and fuller breasts than other girls of her own age.


    Her breasts heaved up and down as she walked, and the boys¡¯ eyes moved with them.


    Lin Shen suddenly thought of something. He patted Zheng Hongsheng, whose eyes were about to pop out, and asked in a low voice,


    ¡°Do you know who Yang Zhongyi is?¡±


    Zheng Hongsheng came back to his senses and said without thinking, ¡°Of course, I do. He¡¯s the young master of the Yang family, one of the five famous families. Everybody in the academy knows who he is.¡±


    Lin Shen said, ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±


    Xu Yuan said, ¡°Neither do I.¡±


    Zheng Hongsheng almost choked.


    ...


    It was not until Lin Shen signaled him with his eyes to keep talking that he exined reluctantly.


    There were many cultivation families in Dragonside City. ording to their backgrounds, they were ranked from top to bottom into three great surnames, five famous families, and ten preeminent ns. They were collectively called the eighteen influential families.


    Many of the high-ranking officials of the three great sects that ruled Dragonside City came from these eighteen families.


    Any member of these families was undoubtedly a colossus to ordinary people!


    Yang Zhongyi¡¯s Yang family and Yan Xing¡¯s Yan family were two of the five famous families.


    The Zhao Family that Zhao Xueying came from was one of the three great surnames.


    Other than these eighteen cultivation families, there were also many cultivation families that had once been glorious but had now declined.


    They were called humble families.


    In terms of their tradition and strength, they were only slightly better than some cultivation families that began to rise two to three generations ago.


    After listening to Zheng Hongsheng¡¯s exnation, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue in wonder.


    He didn¡¯t know the cultivation families had so much background information.


    More importantly, Yang Zhongyi was much more famous than he had thought.


    When he thought about it again, it was very rare that someone like Yang Zhongyi would talk to him like an equal.


    He found Yang much more likable than those other disciples of influential families, who did things their own way and looked at the surrounding students with arrogance and contempt.


    Shaking his head, Lin Shen looked away from those people and patted Zheng Hongsheng and Xu Yuan.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The two of them came back to their senses and left the academy with Lin Shen.

 Chapter 9

    Yellow-scarved Warrior


    After leaving school, Lin Shen went to Calm Sun Martial Arts School as usual for his part-time job.


    After yesterday¡¯s experience, Lin Shen was rtively calmer on his second day and performed better. He also had fewer bruises than yesterday.


    After an hour of training, he left the martial arts school with 1,000 spirit coins.


    On his way, Lin Shen still bought half a kilo of white-headed pork from the spirit beast meat shop.


    The thought of increasing his cultivation progress by a lotter made his footsteps lighter.


    He was still rejoicing when he heard shouts from behind.


    Lin Shen looked over his shoulder. In the dim light, he saw a tall and burly figure rush out of the corner at the end of the street and run in his direction inrge strides.


    Under the bright moonlight, Lin Shen quickly saw the figure¡¯s face.


    It was a strong man in armor and a yellow scarf on his head. He held a spiked club in his hand and ran like a ferocious beast, creating a gust of wind.


    ¡°Yellow-scarved warrior?!¡±


    Lin Shen soon recognized the person and couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes in shock.


    Of course, he recognized the most well-known talisman puppet among the cultivation practitioners. However, he never expected to see a yellow-scarved warrior in the residential area at night.


    He was still in a daze when several men rushed out of the corner. They were all dressed in ck uniforms and held swords in their hands. Their expressions were cold and solemn as they chased after the yellow-scarved warrior.


    Seeing Lin Shen, the expression of the man in the lead changed slightly. He hurriedly shouted,


    ¡°Martial Enforcement Hall is chasing criminals. Stay out of our way!¡±


    Lin Shen narrowed his eyes.


    The Martial Enforcement Hall was a well-knownw enforcement organization under the jurisdiction of the Three Sects Prefecture in Dragonside City. It specialized in capturing cultivators whomitted crimes and vited thews of the city. It was extremely famous among cultivators.


    He looked at the chests of those men and saw their uniforms were indeed embroidered with the exclusive mythological beast pattern of the Martial Enforcement Hall.


    Seeing this, Lin Shen quickly retreated to the side of the road without a word. He had no intention of helping the Martial Enforcement Hall stop the criminals.


    He wasn¡¯t joking. Although the yellow-scarved warrior was the lowest grade of talisman puppet, it still had the strength of the Long Breath Stage. How could a Qi Transformation student like him stop it?


    If he really charged forward, he would be smashed into a pulp by the yellow-scarved warrior.


    Fortunately, the warrior didn¡¯t pay any attention to Lin Shen. It sped past without slowing down at all.


    Immediately after it, men of the Martial Execution Hall also swept past like a violent wind. Without even looking at Lin Shen, they chased after the yellow-scarved warrior into the night.


    ¡°The person with a yellow-scarved warrior as a talisman puppet can¡¯t be an ordinary criminal. I wonder where he came from and what crime he hasmitted.¡±


    Lin Shen muttered to himself.


    However, he quickly threw this doubt to the back of his mind. In any case, it had nothing to do with him.


    Shaking his head, Lin Shen continued on his way.


    In order to avoid encountering the group of people again, he simply changed directions and took a detour to return to his apartment.


    ¡­


    Under the moonlight.


    The groups of men chased after the warrior, and in the blink of an eye, they were over a kilometer away.


    The yellow-scarved warrior was known for his extraordinary strength, but speed wasn¡¯t his forte. In the end, he couldn¡¯t outrun the members of the Martial Enforcement Hall, and the distance between the two sides gradually shortened.


    Four to five minutester, the leader, Han Wu, was within a hundred meters of the yellow-scarved warrior.


    He suddenly shouted and pounced forward like a tiger. The steel saber in his hand suddenly shed out.


    In an instant.


    One could almost hear the sound ofke waves hitting the shore, followed by an ear-piercing whistling sound.


    Blue wave-like saber energy suddenly tore through the air and attacked the yellow-scarved warrior from behind at lightning speed.


    The yellow-scarved warrior seemed to have sensed the fatal threat of the saber energy behind him. He had no choice but to stop, turn around, and swing his spiked club fiercely!


    BOOM!


    The spiked club and the saber energy collided violently in the air!


    The huge impact instantly tore the saber energy into pieces, and the yellow-scarved warrior staggered back by the momentum.


    Taking advantage of this opportunity, members of the Martial Enforcement Hall caught up with the warrior. They tacitly spread out and surrounded the talisman puppet.


    ¡°The talisman puppet is controlled by someone. It doesn¡¯t have any intelligence to speak of. There¡¯s no need to waste your breath on it. Kill it!¡± Han Wu caught up with the warrior in a fewrge strides and shouted in a deep voice.


    The moment he finished speaking, he turned into a moving shadow and charged at the yellow-scarved warrior.


    Seeing this, the others followed suit.


    Although the yellow-scarved warrior was valiant, he couldn¡¯t withstand the group attack. In a short while, he was covered in wounds. In the end, he was beheaded by the leader of the men. With a bang, he turned into smoke and disappeared, leaving only a broken talisman slowly floating to the ground.


    Han Wu quickly scanned the area and frowned.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have it.¡±


    The others were also stunned. They looked around but found nothing.


    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be the case. I saw this yellow-scarved warrior kill someone and snatch the treasure. The item should still be on him!¡±


    ¡°Could it have been taken away by Tian Dian?¡±


    ¡°Damn it! That guy is as slippery as fish. We went after him so many times, but he escaped every single time!¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. That guy killed more than twenty cultivators and took countless treasures. It won¡¯t be easy to catch him!¡±


    Han Wu rubbed his brows in frustration.


    ...


    The criminal known as Tian Dian wasn¡¯t an advanced cultivator. He was only at the eighth level of the Qi Transformation Stage.


    His martial techniques weren¡¯t as good as disciples from the three great sects, but he carried many talismans and treasures he had snatched from other cultivators.


    Every time he was surrounded, he could use the talismans and treasures to break out and escape.


    Moreover, he was very cunning. Most of the time, he didn¡¯t take action himself. Instead, he hid in the dark and controlled the talisman puppet to rob and kill other cultivators.


    Han Wu and his subordinates had been pursuing Tian Dian for more than three months. They had ambushed and surrounded him no less than five times, but every time, they had failed on the verge of sess. For this, he had been reprimanded by his superiors countless times.


    Not only did he fail to catch Tian Dian this time, but he also lost the object he was after. He would probably be scolded by his superiors when he returned.


    The idea gave Han Wu a headache.


    One of his subordinates leaned over and whispered, ¡°Captain, could that yellow-scarved warrior have hidden it somewhere while escaping?¡±


    Han Wu frowned.


    The night was dark as they chased, and many passersby had blocked their vision along the way. Even if the yellow-scarved warrior really had hidden the item halfway, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to spot it.


    After hesitating for a while, Han Wu sighed and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and search the way we came!¡±


    ...


    Even though there was little hope of finding it, he still had to make a trip. What if he was lucky?


    The subordinates looked at each other and nodded weakly.


    Han Wu pped one of his subordinates on the head and said angrily,


    ¡°Why are you all so depressed? Everyone, cheer up!


    ¡°We¡¯ve been chasing Tian Dian for more than three months. No matter how many talismans he has, he should have used them up by now. I know we¡¯ll catch him next time!¡±


    After being lectured by Han Wu, his subordinates¡¯ morale rose a little. They perked up and searched along the way they came.

 Chapter 10

    The Third Clone


    Bumping into the Martial Enforcement Hall chasing criminals was just a small interlude, and Lin Shen quickly forgot about it.


    From then on, other than attending sses and spending two hours a day traveling to and from the martial arts school, he focused all his attention on cultivation.


    The two clones also cultivated day and night, showing no fatigue.


    Time passed quickly.


    A weekter, Lin Shen finally made a breakthrough.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Above Average]


    [Stage: Qi Transformation Level 5, 2%]


    [Technique: Original Breathing Technique (Mastery 32%), zing Sun Palm (Beginner 77%)]


    [Number of clones: 2 (100%)]


    ¡°Qi Transformation Level 5!¡±


    Lin Shen heaved a sigh of relief, and a heartfelt smile appeared on his face.


    His cultivation level increased faster than he had expected. It only took him a total of eight days to break through from the fourth Level 4 to Level 5.


    If other people heard about such a shocking cultivation speed, their eyes would pop in astonishment.


    ¡°Moreover, the third clone¡¯s creation progress has reached 100%!¡±


    Lin Shen looked at the two clones sitting cross-legged opposite him. With a thought, a blurry shadow suddenly separated from his body, and walked a few meters away before stopping.


    The shadow quickly condensed. In the blink of an eye, it turned into a human who looked exactly like him.


    [Clone 3]


    [Talent: Pure Yang Body]


    [Stage: Qi Transformation Level 5, 2%]


    [Current Cultivation: None]


    ¡°Pure Yang body?¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s expression changed, and he immediately focused on the new clone.


    [Pure Yang Body: Cultivation speed of Yang-type cultivation techniques +300%, power of Yang-type cultivation techniques +100%]


    Lin Shen gasped.


    Cultivation speed increased by 300%?


    What kind of concept was this?


    Wait!


    Lin Shen suddenly realized that the zing Sun Palm was a Yang-type cultivation technique!


    Overjoyed, Lin Shen immediately let Clone 3 cultivate the zing Sun Palm.


    Soon, the sound of whistling wind resonated in the living room.


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes gradually lit up as he watched.


    It waspletely different from how he usually cultivated the zing Sun Palm. Clone 3¡¯s palm technique movements had something spiritual about it, which wasn¡¯t stiff or sluggish at all.


    He had only seen such movements in one person.


    That was Kong Hong, who was in charge of teaching them cultivation sses.


    Back when he taught his student the zing Sun Palm, Kong Hong had demonstrated a few movements.


    It was said that Kong Hong¡¯s zing Sun Palm had already reached Mastery.


    ¡°Is this the effect of the Pure Yang Body¡­¡±


    Lin Shen muttered to himself in surprise.


    After Clone 3 finished practicing the zing Sun Palm, Lin Shen immediately looked at the interface.


    [Clone 3]


    [Talent: Pure Yang Body]


    [Stage: Qi Transformation Level 5, 2%]


    [Current Cultivation: zing Sun Palm (Beginner 77%+1%)]


    ¡°A 1% increase in progress after one practice?!¡±


    Lin Shen was pleasantly surprised.


    Even Clone 2, who had the talent Above Average, had to cultivate the zing Sun Palm six to seven times to increase its progress by 1%.


    Compared to Clone 3, that was so weak!


    Lin Shen looked up at Clone 3 as if he was looking at a rare treasure.


    He had reached the fifth level of the Qi Transformation Stage. In the entire Willow Academy, he could be ranked in the top ten among ordinary students.


    If he could make some achievement in the zing Sun Palm, it was almost certain that he would obtain a ranking in thepetition!


    If his zing Sun Palm could reach Master, then he would at least have an 80% chance of obtaining first ce!


    Clone 3 certainly came at the right time.


    It took a while for Lin Shen to calm down from his ecstasy. He looked at Clone 3 and saw it was only panting slightly despite having practiced a whole set of the palm technique, whereas he would sweat profusely after practicing the palm technique.


    ...


    It further emphasized the Pure Yang Body was particrly efficient in cultivating Yang-type cultivation techniques!


    ¡°Next, I¡¯ll let Clone 3 focus on cultivating the zing Sun Palm. As for the Origin Breathing Technique, I¡¯ll leave it to Clone 1 and Clone 2!¡±


    Lin Shen quickly made up his mind.


    Other than that, he could also switch talents at any time ording to the situation.


    He would switch to Perseverance when working part-time at the martial arts school.


    When cultivating the zing Sun Palm, he would switch to the Pure Yang Body.


    When cultivating the Original Breathing Technique, he would switch to Above Average.


    If he could exclude the fact that he needed to sleep and rest, his cultivation efficiency was about as good as his clones.


    ¡°I wonder how long it will take to create the fourth clone?¡±


    [Clone 4]


    [Forming. Current progress: 0%]


    ...


    Lin Shen was overwhelmed with emotions as he watched the interface.


    As the number of clones increased, his strength would only increase faster and faster!


    Sooner orter, he would surpass those so-called geniuses!


    ¡­


    In the spacious and bright gymnasium, dozens of students were practicing the zing Sun Palm.


    Kong Hong casually walked back and forth in the crowd, looking around and asionally correcting the mistakes of the students.


    When he walked past Lin Shen, he nced at this student whom he favored and nodded to himself. Then, he continued walking forward.


    However, after taking a few steps, Kong Hong suddenly turned around and walked back. He widened his eyes and looked at Lin Shen, his gaze gradually filled with surprise.


    ¡°Qi Transformation Stage, Level 5?!¡±


    Kong Hong subconsciously rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was hallucinating.


    However, no matter how many times he looked at it, the aura that erupted from Lin Shen¡¯s body and the strength he disyed with his every move proved that he had indeed advanced to the fifth level of the Qi Transformation Stage.


    After pausing for a moment, Kong Hong couldn¡¯t help but interrupt Lin Shen¡¯s cultivation. He asked hesitantly,


    ¡°Lin Shen, have you broken through to the fifth level of the Qi Transformation Stage?¡±


    Lin Shen stopped his practice and nodded calmly. ¡°Yes, Mr. Kong.¡±


    Even though Kong Hong had anticipated this, when he heard Lin Shen admit it, Kong Hong couldn¡¯t help but gasp.


    It had only been eight days since Lin Shen advanced to the fourth level, wasn¡¯t it?


    He made another breakthrough in such a short time. That speed was incredible!


    Kong Hong wondered if he had made a mistake. Could Lin Shen be a genius that only appeared once in a hundred years?


    Seeing Kong Hong standing rooted to the ground with his mouth agape, Lin Shen cleared his throat and gave the exnation he had long prepared.


    ¡°Speaking of which, I have to thank you, Mr. Kong. If you hadn¡¯t introduced me to that part-time job, which provided me with the money to buy spirit beast meat, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to break through so quickly!¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Kong Hong was stunned.


    When he thought about it, if Lin Shen really were a genius, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to stay unnoticed for two years.


    He decided Lin Shen probably was. He had the spirit beast meat to assist in his cultivation now, which was why he had advanced by leaps and bounds. He probably had umted a long time before making this achievement.


    Kong Hong didn¡¯t feel so shocked when he thought about it that way.


    That had to be it. The idea of rising by one level in eight days was simply too incredible.


    Even so, Kong Hong¡¯s evaluation of Lin Shen still increased greatly.


    What a rare talent!


    Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t skillful enough in the zing Sun Palm, which was only at the Beginner level.


    If he reached Proficient, he would have little problem entering the top ten in thepetition in 20 days.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t know what Kong Hong was thinking. Seeing that Kong Hong seemed to have epted his exnation, he heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Looks like I have to find a technique to restrain my aura. Otherwise, I¡¯ll attract the attention of others every time,¡± Lin Shen thought to himself.


    While Kong Hong had calmed down, the students around Lin Shen were in an uproar.


    ¡°Lin Shen has broken through to the fifth level of the Qi Transformation Stage?!¡±


    ¡°Shit! Is this for real? Didn¡¯t he just advance to the fourth levelst week?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Kong said it himself. It has to be true!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so fast!¡±


    ¡°This time, our ss also has students at the fifth level!¡±


    ¡°This cultivation level can definitely put him in the top ten of our year!¡±


    Everyone discussed among themselves, and many people looked at Lin Shen in surprise.


    Zheng Hongsheng and Xu Yuan were the most shocked.


    They never expected that Lin Shen would actually break through again after only eight days!


    He was usually so quiet and ordinary, but why did his cultivation level rise so fast recently that he seemed to be on a rocket ride?

 Chapter 11

    yboy


    After ss, it took Lin Shen quite some effort to deal with the students gathering around him to ask questions.


    When the crowd finally dispersed, there was already ayer of sweat on his forehead, which showed how much effort he had put in.


    Lin Shen suddenly missed his past self. Other than having a good rtionship with Zheng Hongsheng and Xu Yuan, he didn¡¯t have much of a presence in the ss, nor did he need to deal with people he wasn¡¯t familiar with.


    ¡°Lin Shen, have you been enlightened recently or something? How did you make such rapid progress?¡±


    At some point, Zheng Hongsheng came over and sized Lin Shen up as if he was looking at an unbelievable existence.


    Beside him, Xu Yuan had the same expression.


    They had thought they would catch up with Lin Shen as long as they worked harder. Now, it seemed that they had been too optimistic.


    With Lin Shen¡¯s speed, they couldn¡¯t catch up no matter how hard they tried!


    Having no other choice, Lin Shen had to repeat the reason he had just given. Finally, his two friends epted this exnation and didn¡¯t ask further.


    Lin Shen took the opportunity to change the topic and asked Xu Yuan, ¡°Where¡¯s your date? Has she be your girlfriend?¡±


    As expected, Xu Yuan¡¯s attention was diverted. He nodded shyly.


    Zheng Hongsheng threw shoulder around Xu Yuan¡¯s and chuckled. ¡°When are you going to introduce her to us?¡±


    ¡°Soon.¡± Xu Yuan chuckled. ¡°We¡¯ll go karaoke then, my treat!¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s a deal!¡±


    ¡­


    [Clone 3]


    [Talent: Pure Yang Body]


    [Stage: Qi Transformation Level 5, 2%]


    [Current Cultivation: zing Sun Palm (Beginner 77%+10%)]


    After returning to the apartment, Lin Shen immediately checked the cultivation progress of Clone 3, and the results satisfied him.


    It had increased his progress by 10% in a day!


    At this speed, by this time tomorrow, his zing Sun Palm would reach Proficient.


    ¡°Pure Yang Body is so impressive!¡±


    After a moment of joy, Lin Shen came back to his senses and thought about the cultivation method to restrain his aura.


    Compared to ordinary martial arts cultivation techniques, those that could restrain one¡¯s aura were hard toe by, but they did exist.


    However, Lin Shen had very little opportunity to find one.


    He thought for a long time and realized the only way he could obtain this kind of technique was through the True Martial Pavilion.


    The True Martial Pavilion was a shop in Dragonside City that specialized in selling all kinds of martial arts cultivation techniques. It was also the only business organization designated by the three sects that could legally sell them.


    The Origin Breathing Technique and zing Sun Palm that Lin Shen cultivated were both purchased from the True Martial Pavilion.


    Other than the True Martial Pavilion, any other shops that dared to openly sell martial cultivation techniques would be banned and punished by the Three Sect Prefecture.


    However, other than the Origin Breathing Technique and the three fundamental cultivation techniques, the other cultivation techniques sold in the True Martial Pavilion were incredibly expensive. They could easily cost tens or even hundreds of thousands of spirit coins, if not millions. It was far from what Lin Shen could afford.


    ¡°The price of a cultivation technique that can restrain one¡¯s aura will only be more expensive than ordinary ones. With my current financial resources, I can¡¯t afford it at all.¡±


    Shaking his head, Lin Shen temporarily put this matter aside and summoned the interface to look at the bottom.


    [Clone 4]


    [Condensing, current progress: 5%]


    ¡°It¡¯ll take 20 days to create it at 5% a day.¡±


    Lin Shen grew excited.


    In another 19 days, he would have another clone. After that, his cultivation speed would increase to a new level.


    It was worth mentioning that Lin Shen had experimented with the range of the clones¡¯ movements.


    As expected, after breaking through to the fifth level, the zero consumption distance had been extended to 50m.


    A single clone could already move around 300m away for half a minute.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. At least in the vicinity of the apartment building, the clone can materialize at will!¡±


    ¡­


    In thebat room in the Calm Sun Martial Arts School.


    Yang Zhongyi struck Lin Shen¡¯s left shoulder with a p, and the strengthened ceramic te shattered with a bang. However, Lin Shen only swayed slightly before he quickly adjusted himself. He put both arms in front of him to parry the attack and assumed a defensive posture.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Yang Zhongyi looked at him in surprise and said uncertainty,


    ¡°You seem to have be much stronger.¡±


    Many people already knew about the breakthrough, and Lin Shen didn¡¯t intend to hide it. Hearing this, he admitted frankly, ¡°I just broke through to the fifth level of the Qi Transformation Stage yesterday.¡±


    Yang Zhongyi raised his eyebrows.


    He didn¡¯t know that Lin Shen had just broken through to the fourth level the week before, so he wasn¡¯t very surprised. Instead, heughed loudly.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. This way, you canst longer. Why don¡¯t we extend our training time to two hours from today?¡±


    Lin Shen was slightly stunned. Then, he nodded without hesitation.


    ¡°No problem!¡±


    ...


    If he could earn more money, he wouldn¡¯t say no to that.


    In any case, with the talent of Perseverance, he could recover quickly, no matter how painful or tiring he was


    Once they reached an agreement, the training continued.


    In the corridor outside thebat room, Gao Jun looked at Lin Shen, who was already at ease under Yang Zhongyi¡¯s fierce attack, and sighed inwardly.


    ¡°This kid is great. It hasn¡¯t been long, but he¡¯s already a good training partner. Kong Hong is quite good at teaching students.¡±


    Two hours passed in the blink of an eye.


    Before leaving, Yang Zhongyi casually said to Lin Shen, ¡°By the way, I heard that there had been cultivator criminals appearing in the eastern districts recently. You live there, right? Be careful on your way back.¡±


    Lin Shen paused in the middle of removing the protective gear. He recalled the yellow-scarved warrior he had met the week before, and his heart skipped a beat.


    However, he quickly came back to his senses and smiled at Yang Zhongyi.


    ¡°I see. Thank you for the heads up!¡±


    ]Yang Zhongyiughed heartily, waved his hand, and left the room.


    ...


    During this period of time, Lin Shen and Yang Zhongyi had be much closer. asionally, they could even talk andugh.


    Unlike the disciples of influential families Lin Shen had seen before, Yang Zhongyi wasn¡¯t only friendly to Lin Shen, but he was also approachable to the others in Calm Sun Martial Arts School. He was yful and easygoing, and everyone had a good impression of him.


    Other than being a frivolous guy that liked to flirt with the receptionists, he didn¡¯t have other unpleasant shorings.


    Even his frivolity wasn¡¯t seen as a w. At least the receptionists he flirted with didn¡¯t resist. Instead, they rather enjoyed it.


    Lin Shen had seen them smile at Yang Zhongyi several times.


    Yang was a powerful and good-looking yboy.


    This was Lin Shen¡¯s impression of Yang Zhongyi.


    The only thing that puzzled him was that as a disciple of an influential family, Yang Zhongyi could have hired an expert to be his training partner at home. There was no need for him toe to Calm Sun Martial Arts School every day.


    However, it was Yang Zhongyi¡¯s private matter. Although Lin Shen was puzzled, he didn¡¯t have the intention to run any reckless investigation.


    After walking out of Calm Sun Martial Arts School, Lin Shen walked towards the apartment.


    When he passed by the shop selling spirit beast meat, he went in to buy white-headed pork as usual.


    As his cultivation level rose, Lin Shen ate much more, and his digestive ability greatly increased, far exceeding what he had before.


    Half a kilo of spirit beast meat a day was far from the maximum amount that Lin Shen and his two clones could absorb, not to mention that he had a new clone now.


    However, because he was short of money, Lin Shen could only buy half a kilo a day.


    Now that his sry as a training partner had doubled, he was much richer. He didn¡¯t hesitate to double his daily portion of spirit beast meat.


    Lin Shen made money just to buy resources to improve his cultivation. He wouldn¡¯t be stingy in this aspect.


    On the way back, Lin Shen looked at the bag of spirit beast meat in his hand and was especially happy.


    However, on his way home, his expression suddenly changed. He quickly looked around.


    He didn¡¯t know if it was his imagination, but at that moment, he seemed to feel a malicious gaze on him.


    However, after looking around, he didn¡¯t find anything unusual.


    When he focused again, the strange feeling of being stared at had already disappeared.


    ¡°Did I imagine it?¡±


    Lin Shen frowned slightly and kept walking.


    That strange never returned until he reached his apartment.


    Lin Shenughed at himself. He took out his key, opened the door, and walked in.

 Chapter 12

    Night Attack


    Two dayster.


    In the living room of the apartment.


    As the three clones transformed into streams of light and entered Lin Shen¡¯s body, countless memories andprehension of cultivating the zing Sun Palm suddenly surged into the depths of his mind. His understanding of this martial technique instantly rose to a new level.


    After a while, Lin Shen let out a long breath, and a bright light shed in his eyes.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Pure Yang Body]


    [Stage: Qi Transformation Level 5, 25%]


    [Technique: Original Breathing Technique (Mastery 40%), zing Sun Palm (Mastery 11%)]


    [Number of clones: 3 (15%)]


    ¡°I¡¯ve finally reached Proficient!¡±


    Lin Shen took a deep breath and suddenly struck out.


    The air was instantly torn apart, making a dull whistling sound. At the same time, a scorching heat wave surged up and swept forward with his moving palms!


    The temperature in the living room suddenly soared!


    ¡°Awesome!¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes lit up.


    At Beginner, the zing Sun Palm was mostly used to temper the body, but at Proficient, it could be used in actualbat, and its might shouldn¡¯t be underestimated!


    ¡°With my current strength, it won¡¯t be a problem for me to get into the top ten in thepetition.¡±


    A smile appeared on Lin Shen¡¯s face.


    It wasn¡¯t easy to cultivate martial techniques. Without a teacher to guide him, it was extremely difficult to achieve any results.


    Private martial arts training courses were very expensive. Calm Sun Martial Arts School¡¯s basic course costs 7,999 spirit coins at a 20% discount. It wasn¡¯t something ordinary families could afford.


    Therefore, children from ordinary families usually only came into contact with martial techniques during cultivation sses in high school.


    They had only cultivated for a short period of time, so very few of them could reach Proficient.


    In the entire Willow Academy, no more than five ordinary students had achieved Proficient in the zing Sun Palm.


    Not a single one of them had reached Mastery.


    Only a disciple of an influential family like Yang Zhongyi, who had been taught by a great teacher since he was young and had sufficient cultivation resources, could achieve Proficient in a martial arts technique at such a young age.


    ¡°After reaching Proficient in the zing Sun Palm, I¡¯ve slowed down in my cultivation speed. Clone 3 can only increase his progress by 8 to 9% a day. Together with my own, I can probably increase by about 10% a day!¡±


    Lin Shen estimated.


    In nine days at most, he would be able to reach Mastery in the zing Sun Palm.


    Thepetition was still twenty days away!


    He would have more than enough time!


    ¡°Twenty days should be enough for me to break through to the sixth level.


    ¡°With the sixth level of the Qi Transformation Stage and Mastery in the zing Sun Palm, it shouldn¡¯t be difficult for me to take first ce in thepetition!¡±


    Lin Shen smiled a little.


    In high spirits, he practiced the zing Sun Palm again before washing up and going to bed.


    ¡­


    The night was dark.


    The bright moonlight poured down on the quiet street like water as if covering it with a thinyer of white gauze.


    In a shadowy corner where the moonlight couldn¡¯t reach, a tall and thin man was staring at the apartment building opposite him.


    Suddenly, he ran out of his hiding ce and silently rushed towards the apartment building like a ghost.


    The old stairs that would usually creak when stepped on seemed to have fallen asleep under his feet. There was no sound at all.


    Within seconds, the man reached the room at the end of the corridor on the third floor. He threw out a Silent Talisman and stuck it to the door. Then, he shattered the lock with his palm, and the door instantly opened a crack.


    The man jumped inside, making no sounds throughout the entire process.


    The dim apartment was silent, and the owner had already gone to bed.


    The man quickly nced around, and his gaze finallynded on the tightly shut bedroom door.


    He threw out another Silent Talisman, using the same trick to quietly open the bedroom door.


    Even though the Silent Talisman isted all sounds, the moment the door opened, Lin Shen, who was on the bed, still woke up with a start and was about to jump up from the bed.


    However, as soon as he moved, the man raised his hand. A talisman instantly flew out of his hand and struck Lin Shen¡¯s chest like a stream of light.


    Lin Shen froze andy back on the bed as if he had lost all his strength. His eyes rolled around in shock and confusion.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to struggle. You¡¯re a Qi Transformation cultivator who hasn¡¯t gained any spiritual essence yet. You can¡¯t break free from an Immobilizing Talisman!¡±


    Tian Dian sneered and walked to the bed. He looked down at Lin Shen and asked coldly,


    ¡°Where is it?¡±


    ¡°Where is what?¡±


    BANG!


    Tian Dian punched Lin Shen in the abdomen. Thetter immediately let out a muffled groan, and his face turned red from the pain. However, he couldn¡¯t react because of the talisman.¡±


    ...


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you again. Where is it?¡±


    Lin Shen panted a few times to suppress his anger and said bitterly, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    He was genuinely confused.


    The stranger in front of him didn¡¯t look like a burr.


    Normally, burrs wouldn¡¯t choose such dpidated apartment buildings as their targets, let alone use high-end things like Immobilizing Talismans.


    That Immobilizing Talisman was probably more valuable than all Lin Shen¡¯s possessions put together.


    Moreover, this man wanted him to hand over something right away¡­ Lin Shen had no idea what he was talking about.


    Seeing the change in Lin Shen¡¯s expression, Tian Dian frowned, but he quickly rxed.


    It seemed this kid had no idea that he had ced that thing on him.


    That made sense. After finding out Lin Shen¡¯s identity and where he lived, Tian Dian waited outside the apartment for two days, but he never saw any traces of the Martial Enforcement Hall.


    Tian Dian knew if Lin Shen had discovered that thing, he would have reported it to the Martial Enforcement Hall long ago. However, the boy had remained silent until now.


    ...


    After figuring that out, Tian Dian asked coldly, ¡°Where¡¯s the backpack you often carry around?¡±


    Lin Shen was surprised. His eyes flickered as he said, ¡°It¡¯s on the sofa in the living room.¡±


    Tian Dian turned around and walked towards the living room without hesitation, leaving Lin Shen lying on the bed.


    Tian Dian had investigated this kid¡¯s cultivation level and knew he was at the fifth level of the Qi Transformation Stage at most. Even if it was a head-on battle, Tian Dian was 100% sure he could kill the boy,


    not to mention that this kid was still frozen by the Immobilizing Talisman.


    Tian Dian trusted the effect of the talisman very much.


    The moment he walked into the living room, Tian Dian saw the backpack on the sofa.


    He quickly marched forward, opened the bag, and fumbled around. Soon, a look of joy appeared on his face.


    When he took his hand out of the bag, there was a jade slip in his palm.


    After confirming that the jade slip was intact, Tian Dian immediately heaved a sigh of relief.


    With a flip of his wrist, the jade slip instantly disappeared. Tian Dian turned around and looked in the direction of the bedroom. A sinister and ruthless smile shed across his face.


    Since the item had been found, there was no need to keep the boy alive!


    Tian Dian grinned and strode back to the bedroom.


    Lin Shen was still lying on the bed, motionless.


    Tian Dian took a few steps forward and suddenly realized something was wrong.


    Where was the Immobilizing Talisman?


    Why did the talisman on Lin Shen¡¯s chest disappear?


    Click!


    Suddenly, there was a slight movement behind him.


    Tian Dian was suddenly rmed and immediately wanted to turn around.


    However, just as he turned around, a palm with a scorching heat wave tore through the air andnded heavily on his chest.


    At the same time, he heard an angry voice.


    ¡°Go to hell!¡±

 Chapter 13

    Trapped by Clones


    Thump!


    The dull sound of exchanging blows echoed in the quiet room.


    Lin Shen¡¯s strike was filled with anger, and he spared no effort.


    Caught off guard, Tian Dian didn¡¯t have time to defend himself. He took the full force of the blow and spat out arge mouthful of blood. He flew backward and hit the wall with a bang.


    Under the moonlight that shone in through the window, he could see there was a ck hole in the shape of a palm on the chest of Tian Dian¡¯s shirt. The exposed skin was burnt and bloody, and there was a faint smell of something burning.


    Tian Dian¡¯s face twisted in pain, but he had time to vent his rage. His eyes widened when he looked at Lin Shen in the doorway. When he saw the other Lin Shen, who had jumped up from the bed, he looked like he had seen a ghost.


    ¡°Does he have a twin?


    ¡°No, this kid is an orphan and grew up in a welfare institute. He doesn¡¯t have any siblings!


    ¡°Moreover, even if they¡¯re brothers, they can¡¯t look so alike. They have the same facial features, build, and temperament. They look like two peas from the same pod!¡±


    Before Tian Dian could figure it out, the Lin Shen in the doorway was already pouncing at him with an expressionless face.


    Seeing this, Tian Dian could only suppress his shock and anger. He endured the pain of facing the attack.


    Although he was injured by the ambush, he was still a Qi Transformation Stage Level-8 expert. Dealing with a mere Level-5 cultivator was a piece of cake. As soon as they exchanged blows, he gained the upper hand.


    The next second, Tian Dian was frozen on the spot when he saw what the other Lin Shen was doing with a sidelong nce.


    A clone left Lin Shen¡¯s body as a blurry shadow, but it quickly condensed at a visible speed.


    In the blink of an eye, another Lin Shen appeared in the room.


    ¡°!!!¡±


    Tian Dian was dumbfounded.


    ¡°Is that a clone?


    ¡°Can this kid be a cultivator master?¡±


    Tian Dian had nevere into contact with real cultivator masters before, but he had heard they had all kinds of mysterious abilities. There was no guarantee that they wouldn¡¯t have such strange abilities!


    However, he immediately denied his spection.


    ¡°This kid can¡¯t be a cultivator master!


    ¡°Otherwise, he could have ambushed and killed me with a single strike the moment I entered the room. There was no need for so much trouble!


    ¡°But if that wasn¡¯t the case, what¡¯s happening now?¡±


    For a moment, Tian Dian felt his head buzzing, and he was filled with bewilderment.


    In his daze, he was almost hit by Lin Shen. Cold sweat broke out on his back, and he immediately focused on the battle.


    Before long, Clone 1 joined the battle against Tian Dian.


    In the blink of an eye, the two clones joined forces and fought fiercely with Tian Dian in the small bedroom.


    A few steps away, Lin Shen watched the battle intently as he moved toward the door.


    Clone 1 had the Perseverance talent and was extremely resistant to attacks. Because it was a clone, it wasn¡¯t afraid of death. It didn¡¯t have any intention of defending itself at all and didn¡¯t mind getting injured in the battle.


    If it was any other time, Tian Dian wouldn¡¯t be afraid at all. He was three levels higher and had richbat experience. He could have killed his opponents without getting injured at all.


    However, he was seriously injured now, and his opponent wasn¡¯t afraid of death. The battle became quite tough.


    What shocked Tian Dian even more was the other Lin Shen.


    His zing Sun Palm was extraordinarily fierce, and as his palm struck out, waves of heat roiled about, and it was crimson red like fire. Everywhere the palms passed, the air would warp, and it was horrifying!


    It was a sign that he had mastered the zing Sun Palm!


    Tian Dian was extremely shocked.


    He had never imagined that an orphan from a welfare institute could reach Mastery in the zing Sun Palm at such a young age!


    Lin Shen was equally surprised.


    The Pure Yang Body could improve the power of a Yang-type cultivation technique by 100%, but this was the first time he had seen the effect in actualbat. The power was beyond his expectations.


    The talent could almost raise the palm technique by a whole level.


    Lin Shen was still hesitating if he should summon Clone 2 to participate in the battle, but now, he was relieved.


    Clone 1 and Clone 3 were enough to deal with this criminal!


    Yes, this man was a criminal!


    Lin Shen had already figured out what was going on.


    Recently, his schedule had always been very regr. He couldn¡¯t remembering into contact with a master at thete stage of the Qi Transformation Stage, let alone bing enemies.


    No matter how hard he thought about it, the only special event happened on the night ten days ago when he encountered the Martial Enforcement Hall¡¯s pursuit of a criminal.


    This man was most likely the maniptor behind the yellow-scarved warrior. With the Martial Enforcement Hall at his heel, he had used some method to put an important thing into Lin Shen¡¯s shoulder bag and waited until tonight to retrieve it.


    ¡°What an undeserved cmity¡­¡±


    Lin Ze couldn¡¯t help but grimace.


    Why did this happen to him? He had provoked a vicious criminal for nothing on his way home.


    If it weren¡¯t for his clones, he would have died for no reason tonight!


    While Lin Shen was pondering the question, the fight in the bedroom had already reached its climax.


    Surrounded by the two ferocious clones, Tian Dian was in an even more dangerous situation.


    As time passed, the two clones umted some serious injuries, but they also inflicted many injuries on Tian Dian.


    ...


    The old and new injuries added together, and Tian Dian could feel waves of weakness fill his body.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t let this continue. Even if I kill these two clones, I¡¯ll be seriously injured and lose my ability to fight. When that happens, I¡¯ll be at that kid¡¯s mercy!¡±


    Tian Dian nced at Lin Shen as his head spun.


    ¡°That kid is the real one. When I kill him, these two clones will almost certainly disappear!¡±


    Tian Dian was a decisive person and quickly made up his mind. With a flip of his wrist, a steel saber glinted in his palm.


    He suddenly let out a low shout, and the moving de shone a crescent moon. It tore through the air and struck the chests of the two clones almost simultaneously.


    Blood sttered, and the two clones were sent flying backward like kites with their strings cut.


    Taking advantage of this opportunity, Tian Dian gathered his remaining strength and pounced at Lin Shen, who had already retreated to the doorway. The steel saber in his hand pressed forward, aiming for Lin Shen¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    A sinister and cruel smile appeared on Tian Dian¡¯s face.


    The next second, the smile on his face froze.


    ...


    A shadow quickly split out from Lin Shen¡¯s body, turning into a solid figure in the blink of an eye and blocking the path between Lin Shen and Tian Dian.


    Another ¡°Lin Shen¡±!


    Swoosh!


    There was the dull sound of a de piercing through flesh.


    The sharp de stabbed into ¡°Lin Shen¡¯s¡± heart without any obstruction and was buried in his chest.


    Tian Dian didn¡¯t look happy at all after hitting the enemy with a single strike. Instead, he looked horrified.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Tian Dian was shocked and wanted to pull out his weapon to distance himself from his enemy.


    The next moment, ¡°Lin Shen¡± suddenly stretched out his hands and grabbed Tian Dian¡¯s wrists tightly.


    At the same time,


    Tian Dian heard a gust of wind behind him, and the two clones, who had just caught their breath, charged at him with waving palms at the same time!


    The fear of death took over him. Tian Dian¡¯s expression changed drastically as he opened his mouth to scream.


    ¡°Spare¡­¡±


    He only managed to speak a word before he stopped abruptly.


    The palms of the two clonesnded on Tian Dian¡¯s back and the back of his head at the same time. The zing and powerful force instantly destroyed his life force!


    Tian Dian¡¯s eyes bulged, and his throat made a few gurgling sounds. The light in his eyes quickly dissipated, and his body instantly went limp. He was dead!

 Chapter 14

    Storage Jade te


    The room returned to silence in the blink of an eye.


    Lin Shen looked at the motionless Tian Dian with a solemn expression.


    He only heaved a long sigh of relief after the two clones went forward to check Tian Dian and confirmed that thetter was really dead.


    When he rxed, Lin Shen realized that the clothes on his back were already drenched in a cold sweat.


    He smiled bitterly, feeling lucky.


    This tall and thin man was at least a Level 7 or Level 8 of the Qi Transformation Stage. If he hadn¡¯t taken his opponent by surprise and injured him in an ambush, he might not have been able to win this battle!


    Moreover, if this man had another Immobilization Talisman, Lin Shen might have been the one who died tonight!


    After calming himself down, Lin Shen gestured for his two clones to separate Tian Dian from Clone 2.


    The moment Tian Dian stabbed Clone 2, Lin Shen felt his heart tighten. The pain was excruciating as if an invisible hand had pinched it hard.


    Although the intense pain onlysted for a moment, he still felt enlightened.


    Now, he saw that Clone 2 was indeed dead.


    Lin Shen sighed.


    He didn¡¯t participate in the battle and kept Clone 2 to thest just to prevent Tian Dian¡¯s final counterattack.


    It turned out that his caution was necessary.


    If not for Clone 2, he would have been seriously injured, if not dead.


    ¡°I wonder if the clone can be summoned again after it dies?¡±


    Lin Shen frowned.


    If he couldn¡¯t, he would suffer a huge loss.


    Just as this thought appeared in his mind, Lin Shen saw Clone 2¡¯s corpse suddenly distort. It looked like a reflection in ake that had been hit by a stone and slowly disappeared.


    [His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly summoned the interface. As expected, he found a new line of words on it.


    [Clone 2 (Death), Remaining Resurrection Time: 23:59:59]


    Lin Shen heaved a sigh of relief.


    As long as it could be resurrected!


    Inparison, a mere 24-hour cooldown time wasn¡¯t worth mentioning.


    ¡°As for this corpse¡­ What should I do with it?¡±


    Lin Shen looked at Tian Dian¡¯s corpse and felt troubled.


    Anyone else would have handed over the corpse of a burr to the Martial Enforcement Hall immediately after killing them. Perhaps they could even obtain a considerable bounty.


    However, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t do that. Otherwise, how could he exin that a student at the fifth level of the Qi Transformation Stage had killed a vicious criminal at the eighth level of that stage?


    If he made up a random reason, he couldn¡¯t guarantee the people from the Martial Execution Hall wouldn¡¯t find any clues from Tian Dian¡¯s corpse.


    If the secret of his clone was leaked, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    ¡°Forget it. Let me find out what this guy is here to get first.¡±


    Unable to reach a conclusion, Lin Shen decided to search for the corpse first.


    A Qi Transformation Stage Level 8 cultivator must have many good things on him.


    To his surprise, after searching for a while, Lin Shen realized that Tian Dian had very few things on him. Other than an exquisite jade stone, there was nothing else.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s a pauper?¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s lips twitched.


    However, after he carefully examined the jade, he looked pleasantly surprised.


    ¡°A storage jade te!¡±


    The piece of jade found on Tian Dian¡¯s body was the legendary storage jade talisman!


    As the name suggested, a storage jade te was a jade te that had a storage function. It was simr to the legendary spatial rings, cosmos sacks, and storage bracelets.


    However, thetter was a magic tool that only cultivator masters could use.


    As for storage jade tes, they were created by cultivators and were used to store items for low-level cultivators.


    Although its storage capacity was far inferior to magical storage tools like spatial rings, it was a very precious treasure to low-level cultivators.


    The market price of a storage jade te was as high as 500,000 spirit coins, which was more expensive than many martial arts cultivation techniques.


    ¡°Ordinary Longevity Realm cultivators can¡¯t afford to use storage jade tes, but this guy actually has one!¡±


    Lin Shen clicked his tongue in wonder. When he came back to his senses, he immediately focused his mind and prepared to open the storage jade te.


    Unlike magical storage tools, storage jade tes didn¡¯t have a restriction, and anyone could open them.


    The next moment.


    With a crash, arge pile of items appeared on the floor in front of Lin Shen.


    There was a mountain of spirit coins, a pile of bottles, four books, half a dozen weapons, and many clothes and daily necessities. Lin Shen was dazzled.


    Suppressing the pleasant surprise in his heart, Lin Shen immediately examined the items carefully.


    Firstly, there were 400 to 500 spirit coins. More than half of them were worth 1,000 face values, and the rest were mostly worth 100 face values.


    After a careful count, the total amount was more than 330,000 spirit coins!


    It was a huge sum of money!


    ...


    ¡°I¡¯m rich!¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes were filled with joy.


    330,000 spirit coins were enough for him to eat as much spirit beast meat as he wanted in the next month. His cultivation speed would definitely increase greatly!


    Suppressing his ecstasy, Lin Shen looked at the other seven or eight jade bottles.


    As if to prevent using them by mistake, the bottles and jars werebeled with their names and functions.


    What surprised Lin Shen was that there were four bottles of Essence Tempering Pills!


    This was a medicinal pill that had a miraculous effect on tempering the body and strengthening vitality. When consumed during cultivation, it could increase efficiency and speed up the improvement of one¡¯s cultivation.


    Although the effect of the Essence Tempering Pill wasn¡¯t as good as the Origin Pill, it was still a rare treat for Qi Transformation cultivators.


    These four bottles were worth at least 150,000 spirit coins!


    In addition to the Essence Tempering Pills, there were also two bottles of Spring Awn Pills and a bottle of Face Changing Pills.


    The former was a healing pillmonly used by cultivators with rtively good effects.


    ...


    Thetter was used to change one¡¯s appearance. It was probably a tool that Tian Dian usually used to avoid the pursuit of the Martial Enforcement Hall.


    Thest jade bottle didn¡¯t contain pills but had a poison called Melting Liquid.


    Its effect could be seen from its name.


    Lin Shen looked at the Melting Liquid and clicked his tongue a few times. He already had an idea. He turned to look at Tian Dian and sighed.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t expect this thing to be used on you one day, did you?¡±


    He picked out the clothes, food, daily necessities, and other misceneous items and ced them aside. Thest few things were a jade te and four books.


    Lin Shen picked up the jade te and looked at it carefully.


    This thing looked like a jade stone. It was about five to six centimeters long and two fingers wide. It was lustrous, translucent, and felt slightly cold to the touch.


    Jade tes were usually used to store cultivation techniques or cultivators¡¯prehension of their practice. Only cultivators of the Bright Aperture Stage or above who had spiritual responses could read the information inside.


    Because of this, only Bright Aperture Stage cultivators or cultivator masters would use such an item. It was extremely valuable.


    ¡°Could this be what this guy put in my shoulder bag?¡± Lin Shen wondered.


    On second thought, that was very likely.


    After all, there were only so many valuable things in the storage jade te.


    If those bottles, jars, or books were put in his shoulder bag, he would have noticed them by now.


    Only small and exquisite items like jade tes were easier to ignore.


    ¡°Who cares? It¡¯s useless to think about it now.¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Lin Shen no longer hesitated and ced the jade te back into the storage jade te.


    No matter what was stored in this jade te, he couldn¡¯t read it now. He had to wait until he broke through to the Bright Aperture Stage.


    After that, Lin Shen turned his gaze to the four books.


    One of them seemed to be a notebook. Lin Shen flipped through a few pages and put it aside, preparing to read it carefully in the future.


    The other three books gave him a huge surprise.


    ¡°Shadows¡±, ¡°Mortal Restrain¡±, and ¡°Meltdown¡±.


    These three books were all secret technique manuals!

 Chapter 15

    Talent Renewal


    Lin Shen happily picked up the three cultivation technique manuals and flipped through them carefully. The more he read, the brighter his eyes became.


    Among the three secret manuals, one was the cultivation technique he urgently needed to restrain his essence. It was the ¡°Mortal Restrain¡±.


    ¡°The timing is perfect!¡±


    Lin Shen looked at Tian Dian¡¯s corpse and sighed.


    Initially, he felt unlucky to have been targeted by a viin for no reason.


    But now, it seemed that fortune and misfortune hade to him simultaneously.


    The battle tonight was dangerous, but the reward, in the end, was also generous.


    Just these three cultivation technique manuals were worth the danger tonight, not to mention the pile of spirit coins and medicinal pills.


    Aside from Mortal Restrain, Shadow was a movement technique, and Meltdown was a Yang-type martial skill.


    ¡°A Yang-type cultivation technique¡­ I can give it to Clone 3!¡±


    Lin Shen excitedly flipped open the secret manual, but when he saw the content, he couldn¡¯t help but be greatly disappointed.


    Meltdown could only be cultivated whenbined with Qi and inner essence.


    In other words, this was a martial technique that could only be cultivated by cultivators of the Long Breath Stage and above.


    ¡°No wonder I didn¡¯t see him use this martial technique earlier¡­ Wait. He didn¡¯t seem to have used a movement technique, either. Is it possible that he has just obtained the books and hasn¡¯t had the time to cultivate the techniques yet?¡±


    Lin Shen was puzzled.


    However, he didn¡¯t know that ever since Tian Dian obtained the secret manuals, he had been chased everywhere by the Martial Execution Hall for the past few months. He couldn¡¯t even sleep well, let alone find the time to cultivate.


    In the end, the secret manuals he had painstakingly obtained became Lin Shen¡¯s possessions.


    He couldn¡¯t cultivate Meltdown for the time being, but Mortal Restrain and Shadows were fine.


    Lin Shen decided to reach Beginner in these two cultivation techniques as soon as possible.


    After putting everything back into the storage jade te, Lin Shen opened the window and looked out. Seeing that his surroundings were quiet and there were no pedestrians on the street, he immediately carried Tian Dian¡¯s corpse and jumped out of the window.


    The apartment building was located in the corner of the East District. There were many remote parks and wastnds that had been in disrepair for years.


    Lin Shen found a random wastnd and melted the corpse with Melting Liquid. Then, he covered it with ayer of sand to remove all the traces. After that, he quietly returned to the apartment.


    It waste at night, and Lin Shen had just experienced a dangerous battle. Although he wasn¡¯t injured, his mind was already extremely exhausted. Hence, he suppressed the thought of starting a cultivation technique right away and went to bed.


    The night passed uneventfully.


    The next day, Lin Shen called Xu Yuan and asked for the day off.


    Some neighbors came to ask about the strangemotion the night before, and he casually made up an excuse before sending them away. Only then did he heave a sigh of relief and close the door.


    ¡°Looks like I have to move as soon as possible. It¡¯s best to find a ce with no neighbors around.¡±


    In the future, as the number of his clones increased, themotion during cultivation would definitely get louder. If he continued to live in this apartment building, sooner orter, someone would discover something.


    In fact, Lin Shen had long wanted to move.


    However, he had always been short of money. He didn¡¯t even have enough spirit coins to buy meat. How could he spare any money to pay for a higher rent?


    Fortunately, he received a huge sum of moneyst night, and now, he could afford to move.


    After returning to the living room, Lin Shen took out Mortal Restrain¡¯s manual from his storage jade te and flipped through it again.


    After carefully reading the secret manual from beginning to end twice and making sure he hadn¡¯t missed anything, Lin Shen sat cross-legged in the living room and focused on his mind. Together with the two clones in his mind, he began toprehend the cultivation technique.


    It wasn¡¯t easy to cultivate martial arts techniques. It would usually take more than ten days to over a month to reach Beginner.


    Those with slightly poor talent might need several months before barely reaching Beginner.


    When the previous Lin Shen cultivated the zing Sun Palm, it took him more than three months to barely get there.


    Lin Shen wanted to see if his clones could shorten the time needed to reach Beginner.


    ording to the description in the secret manual, Mortal Restrain was easier to learn than martial arts techniques.


    After all, it was only a technique to restrain one¡¯s aura. Although it was rare, it wasn¡¯t veryplicated.


    Throughout the day, other than eating and taking a shower, Lin Shen had been immersed inprehending Mortal Restrain and only stoppedte at night.


    After retrieving the two clones, although the words ¡°Mortal Restrain¡± didn¡¯t appear on the interface, arge amount ofprehension and understanding of the technique instantly appeared in Lin Shen¡¯s mind.


    ¡°As expected, the clones are effective inprehending the cultivation technique as well!¡±


    Lin Shen nodded to himself.


    This way, it shouldn¡¯t take him long to reach Beginner in Mortal Restrain.


    Standing up and stretching himself, Lin Shen summoned the interface and realized the cooldown time for Clone 2 only had a little over three minutes left.


    He waited patiently for a while. When the countdown reached zero, he immediately summoned Clone 2.


    The resurrected Clone 2 didn¡¯t seem to have changed much. The wound on its chest had already recovered.


    However, when Lin Shen took a closer look, he couldn¡¯t help but exim softly.


    [Clone 2]


    [Talent: Blooming Health]


    [Stage: Qi Transformation Level 5, 25%]


    [Current Cultivation: None]


    His talent had changed from Above Average to Blooming Health!


    [Blooming Health: Physical Strength+30%, Physical Enhancement Technique Cultivation Speed+10%]


    ...


    Lin Shen was stunned.


    After the clone was revived, its talent would also be renewed!


    After the initial shock, Lin Shen seemed pleasantly surprised.


    This meant he could change the clones¡¯ talents repeatedly.


    The effect of talent on his clone was obvious. Just look at Clone 3. The talent of Pure Yang Body allowed it to cultivate a Yang-type cultivation technique at twice the speed of the other clones!


    Although Perseverance wasn¡¯t that impressive, without this talent, Lin Shen wouldn¡¯t have been able to earn his first bucket of gold through his part-time job,


    nor could he sessfully kill Tian Dian in the battle the night before!


    A good talent could greatly increase the cultivation efficiency of the clone or y a huge role in other aspects.


    In the long run, it would be more beneficial to him!


    ¡°Blooming Health¡­¡±


    Lin Shen pondered for a moment.


    ...


    This talent was much worse than Pure Yang Body and Perseverance.


    Increasing his physical strength by 30% was only useful in the Qi Transformation Stage. After all, in a battle between Qi Transformation Stage cultivators, physical strength yed an important role.


    However, after reaching the Long Breath Stage and obtaining Qi, the importance of one¡¯s physical strength would be greatly reduced. Thepetition was on whose had more Qi and whose martial arts techniques were more proficient.


    As for the buff that increased the cultivation speed of physical enhancement techniques by 10%, it was even weaker than Above Average, which increased the cultivation speed by 20%.


    Without hesitation, Lin Shen decided to change this talent.


    Since he could change his talent repeatedly, he naturally had to continue this process until he found a good one.


    At the very least, it couldn¡¯t be worse than Above Average.


    The only problem was that it would take a long time for the clone to revive.


    He had to wait a full day!


    It greatly limited the number of times he could change his talent.


    If he revived a clone too many times, it would undoubtedly slow down the speed of his improvement.


    ¡°I hope I¡¯m lucky and won¡¯t waste too much time.¡±


    Lin Shen looked at the revived Clone 2, patted its shoulder, and took out a steel knife from his storage jade te.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, bro.¡±

 Chapter 16

    God¡¯s Jealousy


    Because he had to move house, Lin Shen asked the school for another three days off.


    With more than 300,000 spirit coins on him, Lin Shen was confident of his wealth. He spent generously and finally rented a stand-alone house in the suburbs. It was fully furnished, and all he needed was his luggage.


    The house was located in the East District and near the district center. However, there were norge entertainment venues or transportation stations in the vicinity. It was a quiet ce in the bustling city.


    At first, Lin Shen wanted to rent a vi. The gates were guarded, and security guards patrolled at night. It was far safer than apartment buildings.


    However, on second thought, if he had more clones in the future and needed them to take action, the safety of the vi area would be an obstacle.


    Therefore, after thinking about it, Lin Shen finally chose a stand-alone house in the suburbs.


    As for his safety¡­ He would let his clone guard the house in the night in the future.


    In any case, his clone wouldn¡¯t be tired and didn¡¯t need to sleep.


    After running around for two days, the new house was rented. Lin Shen moved to his new residence on the third day.


    Surprisingly, after three days of cultivation, the two clones had finally reached Beginner in Mortal Restrain.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Perseverance]


    [Stage: Qi Transformation Level 5, 25%]


    [Cultivation Technique: Original Breathing Technique (Mastery 40%), zing Sun Palm (Mastery 11%), Mortal Restrain (Beginner 1%)]


    [Number of clones: 3 (35%)]


    Seeing the ¡°Mortal Restrain¡± on the interface, Lin Shen nodded in satisfaction.


    As long as he made it to Beginner, improving the level of Mortal Restrain would be much easier. He only needed to cultivate step by step and make constant progress.


    There was a full-length mirror embedded in the wardrobe in the bedroom. Lin Shen stood in front of it and silently activated Mortal Restrain.


    In an instant,


    the young man in the mirror seemed to have undergone some kind of change. It was as if a stone with sharp edges had been rubbed t and smooth. He seemed to have lost his sharpness and be ordinary-looking.


    ¡°Nice!¡±


    Lin Shen nodded in satisfaction.


    At Beginner, Mortal Restrain could already hide most of his aura. He looked about the same as at the third level of the Qi Transformation Stage.


    If he reached Proficient or even Mastery, he might be able to disguise himself as an ordinary harmless person.


    With Mortal Restrain, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about attracting attention if he made rapid breakthroughs in the future.


    After experimenting with the effects of Mortal Restrain, Lin Shen returned to the living room and summoned the interface.


    [Clone 2 (Dead), Remaining Resurrection Time: 00: 12: 39]


    A look of helplessness shed across Lin Shen¡¯s eyes when he saw the countdown.


    In the past three days, Clone 2 had been revived twice, and his talent had also been renewed twice.


    However, he wasn¡¯t happy with any of the new talents.


    [Fast as Lightning: Movement technique +50%, Concealing technique +30%]


    [No Desire: Resistance to illusions +50%, Human Desire -50%, Willpower +50%]


    The first talent, ¡°Fast as Lightning¡±, wasn¡¯t a bad one.


    The problem was the only movement technique manual Lin Shen had was Shadows, and he hadn¡¯t reached Beginner yet. This talent was temporarily useless.


    The second talent, No Desire, was also hard to pinpoint.


    The increase in willpower and resistance to illusions wasn¡¯t bad, but the side effect of 50% less Human Desire was very annoying.


    The purpose of cultivation was longevity and freedom. If he became a heartless person, no matter how long he lived or how strong he was, life would be boring.


    More importantly, these two talents were almost useless at this stage.


    What Lin Shen wanted was a talent that could speed up his cultivation!


    The twelve-minute countdown soon ended.


    Lin Shen took a deep breath and rubbed his hands. For some reason, he felt like he was ying a gacha game from the past.


    ¡°Please let me have a good talent!¡±


    The shadow of a clone left his body and stood in the middle of the living room.


    [Clone 2]


    [Talent: God¡¯s Jealousy]


    [Stage: Qi Transformation Level 5, 25%]


    [Current Cultivation: None]


    ¡°God¡¯s Jealousy?¡±


    Lin Shen was slightly stunned and immediately looked at the description.


    [God¡¯s Jealousy: Cultivation speed +100%, lifespan -50%]


    There was a strange look on Lin Shen¡¯s face.


    This talent seemed alright.


    Although the side effects of halving one¡¯s lifespan were a little detrimental, the clone didn¡¯t need a long lifespan, anyway.


    Inparison, doubling the cultivation speed was very powerful!


    ...


    It had far exceeded the 20% intermediate of Above Average.


    The only thing he cared about was whether he should use this talent on himself.


    Even though the effect would disappear as soon as the talent was switched, the effect of -50% lifespan was still disturbing.


    Fortunately, the 50% decrease was in his lifespan. If 50 years were to be taken from him, Lin Shen would never switch to that talent.


    Because if he had less than 50 years left, that effect might kill him instantly.


    The thought of that made Lin Shen shudder.


    After some thought, Lin Shen finally decided not to renew the talent.


    If he continued, he might not find a better oue than this one. He¡¯d better not take any more risks.


    ¡­


    The next day was Saturday, and there was no ss.


    After breakfast, Lin Shen summoned his three clones and prepared to start cultivating.


    ...


    With a flick of his wrist, a bottle of Essence Tempering Pills appeared in his palm.


    ¡°I wonder how effective this pill is.¡±


    Strictly speaking, this was the first time Lin Shen had used medicinal pills to assist in his cultivation.


    To someone growing up in a welfare institute, spirit beast meat was already a luxury. He couldn¡¯t evene into contact with medicinal pills.


    If Tian Dian hadn¡¯t ¡°kindly¡± sent him this huge gift, he would probably have had to wait until after thepetition if he wanted to take medicinal pills to assist in his cultivation.


    Taking out four Essence Tempering Pills, Lin Shen handed one to each of his three clones and stuffed the remaining one into his mouth. With a gulp, he swallowed the pill.


    Almost instantly, a warm current burst out from his dantian and streamed into his limbs and bones.


    Lin Shen calmed his mind and immediately began to cultivate.


    It took Lin Shen, Clone 1, and Clone 3 more than three hours to digest the medicinal power of the Essence Tempering Pill.


    As for Clone 2, who had the talent of God¡¯s Jealousy, had already digested the medicinal power more than an hour ago. The time it took was only half of Lin Shen and the other two clones.


    Looking at the interface again, Lin Shen saw their cultivation progress had all increased by 5%.


    ¡°I¡¯m now eating a kilo of spirit beast meat at a time. Even after circting my energy to digest it, my cultivation progress will only increase by 3%. The effect of one Essence Tempering Pill is almost equivalent to more than 1.5kg of spirit beast meat!¡±


    A smile shed across Lin Shen¡¯s face.


    There were a total of twelve Essence Tempering Pills in a bottle. Judging from the situation, a little more than a bottle of it was sufficient to raise him to the sixth level of the Qi Transformation Stage.


    ¡°Clone 2 cultivates faster. I¡¯ll let it take the pill and cultivate the Origin Breathing Technique.


    ¡°Clone 3 will continue to cultivate the zing Sun Palm and try to reach Mastery as soon as possible.


    ¡°As for Clone 1, he will specialize inprehending Shadows and asionally cultivates Mortal Restrain.¡±


    Lin Shen thought about the arrangements for the next few days.


    Although he had a huge sum of money on hand now, cultivation resources were extremely expensive. Just buying 4kg of spirit beast meat every day would cost more than 200,000 spirit coins a month.


    With the rent and other expenses, the 300,000 spirit coins could onlyst him for a little over a month.


    If he didn¡¯t try to earn some money, he would be left with nothing sooner orter.


    Therefore, he had to keep his part-time job in the martial arts school.


    During the day, he would attend sses and work part-time. At night, he would take the Essence Tempering Pills with his clones to cultivate.


    Perfect!

 Chapter 17

    Reading Notes


    Crisp pping sounds resonated in the spacious fighting room, asionally apanied by the sound of cracked ceramic.


    Yang Zhongyi¡¯s palms pped out like lightning, forming an imprable curtain of shadows that enveloped Lin Shen with scorching air waves.


    Facing his opponent¡¯s fast and fierce attacks, Lin Shen remained as unperturbed as a reef standing firm in the storm.


    He nimbly dodged Yang Zhongyi¡¯s palm strike. When he couldn¡¯t dodge, he would quickly adjust his movements and used the intact strengthened ceramic tes on his body to withstand the attack to minimize the damage.


    After another four to five minutes, they suddenly retreated at the same time, putting distance between them.


    ¡°That was great! Let¡¯s rest for a while.¡±


    Yang Zhongyi took a towel from the shelf, wiped his sweat, and casually threw another one to Lin Shen.


    Seeing Lin Shen take off the protective mask and wipe the sweat off his face, Yang Zhongyi couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly.


    When Lin Shen first became a training partner, he could barelyst an hour, but now, Lin Shen couldst two hours under Yang¡¯s full-on attack.


    Although the double protections helped a lot, hisbat strength was still quite outstanding.


    [Ä£ºý]At least, Yang Zhongyi had never seen an ordinary student like Lin Shen.


    ¡°Speaking of which, why haven¡¯t youe to school for the past few days? I almost thought you had given up on this part-time job.¡±


    As he wiped his sweat, Yang Zhongyi casually chatted with Lin Shen.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been busy moving for the past few days. I only finished yesterday.¡±


    Yang Zhongyi finally understood.


    In fact, Lin Shen hadn¡¯t found out Yang Zhongyi was also a student of Willow Academy until recently.


    Like most of the disciples of influential families, Yang Zhongyi rarely went to the academy. He spent more time in Taiyang Martial Arts School than in the academy, so Lin Shen didn¡¯t recognize him at first.


    After chatting for about twenty minutes, Yang Zhongyi stretched his arms sideways and looked at Lin Shen with raised eyebrows.


    ¡°Are you done resting? Shall we continue?¡±


    Lin Shen nodded and suddenly asked, ¡°Can I fight back?¡±


    Yang Zhongyi was stunned for a moment before he grinned.


    ¡°No problem, as long as you¡¯re not afraid of getting beaten to the ground!¡±


    Lin Shen smiled and got up to prepare for the battle.


    The dangerous battle with Tian Dian the other night made Lin Shen realize one of his weaknesses¡ªhe had too littlebat experience!


    At the end of the day, he was just a student. He cultivated by the book, only practiced palm techniques in cultivation sses. He had very littlebat experience.


    Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have had to sacrifice Clone 2 to kill Tian Dian that night when he had the advantage of ambushing Tian Dian.


    In light of this, Lin Shen felt he should ovee this weakness.


    After thinking about it, only training with Yang Zhongyi could achieve this goal.


    Although it was training but now actual battle, he could still gain a little experience.


    But first of all, he had to be able to fight back during the training, instead of spending the entire time defending himself.


    After some preparation, the two of them quickly began a new round of training.


    The protective gear provided by Tai Yang Martial Arts School was exquisite. Although it weighed more than 5kg after the strengthened ceramic tes, it didn¡¯t affect the movement of his limbs. His speed was lowered slightly, but it didn¡¯t affect his ability to attack and parry.


    When Yang Zhongyi heard Lin Shen¡¯s request to fight back, he felt Lin Shen had overestimated himself. Yagg Zhongyi only agreed because he found it interesting.


    However, as soon as they started fighting, he realized he had underestimated Lin Shen.


    When Lin Shen used the zing Sun Palm, it shocked Yang Zhongyi even more.


    ¡°Mastery in zing Sun Palm!¡±


    Yang Zhongyi looked at Lin Shen in surprise.


    He thought he had outstanding talent and sufficient cultivation resources. However, he had only reached Proficient in the zing Sun Palm.


    Who would have thought that Lin Shen, an ordinary student from a welfare institute, could have reached the same level in the zing Sun Palm as him?


    ¡°Could this guy actually be a genius?¡±


    Yang Zhongyi¡¯s battle intent was ignited after the initial shock. He shouted, and his attacks became more and more ferocious.


    ¡­


    Dinner was still a sumptuous spirit beast meat feast. Lin Shen and his three clones finished all the food like a tornado and began to meditate as usual.


    After that, the three clones cultivated separately. Lin Shen took out the notebook left behind by Tian Dian from his storage jade te and sat on the sofa to read it.


    The content recorded in the notebook was a little messy. There were insights and understandings about cultivation, as well as some of Tian Dian¡¯s daily experiences.


    Although Tian Dian¡¯s cultivation technique wasn¡¯t one of the three fundamental ones, cultivation techniques could beprehended by analogy, and hisprehension was quite useful to Lin Shen.


    However, what attracted Lin Shen the most was Tian Dian¡¯s experience in the notes,


    especially the ck market mentioned in it!


    Just as there was light and darkness, no matter how prosperous a city was, there were dark corners where light couldn¡¯t shine.


    Dragonside City was no exception.


    Among the five major districts of Dragonside City, the most prosperous Central District was the core area of the entire city. More than 80% of the influential people of the city could be found there. It was said that most of the cultivator masters lived there.


    The second was the Western District, a business district, and the Southern District, where the middle ss lived. Apart from Central District, they were the most prosperous districts of the four.


    The Eastern District was, in general, where themoner lived. Lin Shen¡¯s previous apartment building and his new residence were both located here.


    Willow Academy was also located in the Eastern District.


    ...


    The Northern District was an industrial area.


    In private, it was also known as the slum.


    This was because arge number of poverty-stricken people lived there. Not only was it far less prosperous than the other four districts, but the public order was also extremely chaotic. The crime rate was the highest among the five districts and far exceeded the second.


    In fact, if Lin Shen hadn¡¯t revealed some cultivation talent when he was young and obtained the allowance from the Three Sect Prefecture, someone like him who came from a welfare institute would usually end up in the Northern District.


    They would either be exploited byrgepanies or factories for the rest of their lives and live on a meager sry or fall into the darkness and be rats in the gutter, losing their lives in battle someday in the future.


    Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but sigh when he recalled what the North District was like.


    Heposed himself and continued to browse through the notes.


    The so-called ck market referred to a street in the Northern District.


    The ck market was just a name used by outsiders. People living on that street were more used to calling their residence ¡°ck street¡±.


    It was a gray area not affected by thew with its own order and appearance.


    On ck street, many items that were prohibited from circting outside could be bought.


    ...


    For example, there were pills that had both obvious effects and powerful side effects,


    cursed artifacts,


    medium materials needed to cultivate some evil technique,


    rare herbs of unknown origin,


    and even somebody¡¯s life.


    Tian Dian had clearly stayed on the ck street for a long time.


    The notes on what he saw on the ck street ounted for almost a quarter of the entire diary.


    Lin Shen devoured the notes.


    Although the welfare institute he came from was in the Northern District, he had never been to ck street.


    Reading the notes had opened his eyes.


    His pupils contracted when he saw thest page.


    This page recorded Tian Dian finding a medicinal liquid called the Condensing Liquid when he was purchasing medicinal pills in a shop on ck street.


    The so-called Condensing Liquid was a by-product of the Condensing Pill.


    To put it bluntly, it was a liquid waste.


    However, the Condensing Pill was a precious pill used by Long Breath Stage cultivators to increase their Qi. Even if its liquid waste contained a rich amount of energy and was still effective for Qi Transformation Stage cultivators, on the other hand, the Condensing Liquid had a huge w.


    As a by-product of the refining process, it was mixed with arge number of impurities. In professional terms, it contained intense pill poison.


    [It would cause irreparable damage to the user, causing their lifespan to decrease.


    In other words, the user would be using their lifespan to exchange for cultivation achievement!


    Because of this, even though the Condensing Liquid¡¯s effect was as good as the Essence Tempering Pill, very few people were interested in it.


    Other than some desperate cultivators, almost no one would buy such a thing.


    A thought suddenly shed through Lin Shen¡¯s mind when he saw this.


    Others might be afraid of the toxin, but he wasn¡¯t!


    He could let his clone use the Condensing Liquid,


    especially Clone 2, who had the talent of God¡¯s Jealousy.


    Since its lifespan had been halved, reducing it a little wouldn¡¯t matter much.


    Compared to the powerful medicinal effects, the side-effect of shortening one¡¯s lifespan was nothing.


    More importantly, the Condensing Liquid was very cheap!


    One liter of it had the same effect as a bottle of Energy Tempering Pills, but the price was only 2,000 spirit coins, which was cheaper than one Energy Tempering Pill.


    To Lin Shen, that was the top quality with the lowest price!


    ¡°There are still more than three bottles of Essence Tempering Pills left, which can take me to the seventh level at most. At that time, if I don¡¯t have any new medicinal pills, my cultivation speed will definitely decrease significantly!¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes flickered, and he quickly made up his mind.


    ¡°Looks like I have to pay a visit to the ck street!¡±

 Chapter 18

    Be Popr


    ¡°You were away for so many days. What have you been doing?¡±


    The following week, Lin Shen returned to ss. Just as he sat down, Zheng Hongsheng and Xu Yuan came over and asked why he had been absent.


    Lin Shen could only repeat the excuse and tell them he was moving house.


    Zheng Hongsheng didn¡¯t suspect anything and seemed surprised.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know working as a training partner could be so profitable!¡±


    After the initial surprise, Zheng Hongsheng forgot about it and changed the subject with a smile.


    ¡°Xu Yuan was going to buy us dinnerst week, but you just happened to be away, so he had to postpone it. Now that you¡¯re back, we can have a feast after school today!¡±


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Xu Yuan nced at Zheng Hongsheng and scolded him jokingly, ¡°I only said I would treat you guys to karaoke, which doesn¡¯t include dinner. I¡¯m not as rich as you, Tycoon Zheng!¡±


    Zheng Hongsheng shook his head and chuckled. He didn¡¯t mind being called ¡°Tycoon Zheng¡± and was rather smug about it.


    He patted Xu Yuan¡¯s shoulder and winked. ¡°I know you¡¯ve gotten a girlfriend recently, and your expenses have increased a lot. Alright, I understand. I¡¯ll buy you dinner, but I won¡¯t let you off for karaoke!¡±


    Xu Yuan scolded with a smile and agreed. Then, he looked at Lin Shen. ¡°Lin Shen, what do you think? Are you free tonight?¡±


    Lin Shen thought about it. Recently, he had spent all his time cultivating, moving house, and working part-time. Even with the help of his clones, he still felt overwhelmed. It had indeed been a long time since he had rxed.


    Thinking of this, he nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine with me!¡±


    Lin Shen rarely participated in such activities in the past. Seeing that he had agreed, Zheng Hongsheng and Xu Yuan were very happy.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s settled then. After school, we¡¯ll pick up Xu Yuan¡¯s girlfriend first before going to dinner!¡±


    After they decided to go out at night, Zheng Hongsheng and Xu Yuan became noticeably restless. They fidgeted the entire day and even made frequent mistakes in cultivation ss. Kong Hong reprimanded them.


    The contrast was especially obvious whenpared to Lin Shen.


    Because it was widely known that he had reached Level 5 in the Qi Transformation Stage, Lin Shen didn¡¯t use Mortal Restrain to conceal his cultivation level.


    However, when he was practicing the zing Sun Palm in the cultivation ss, he deliberately lowered its level and pretended he was still at Beginner.


    Otherwise, he would attract too much attention if they noticed he had made breakthroughs in both his cultivation and his palm technique in a week.


    After school, Xu Yuan went to pick up his girlfriend first, while Lin Shen and Zheng Hongsheng went to the entrance of the academy, where they had agreed to meet.


    While waiting, Lin Shen casually asked about Xu Yuan¡¯s girlfriend.


    ¡°Her name is Qian Hui. She¡¯s from ss Two. Her family background is about the same as Xu Yuan¡¯s. As for her cultivation level, she¡¯s at the third level of the Qi Transformation Stage, like Xu Yuan. I guess you can say they¡¯re of equal social status, right?¡± Zheng Hongsheng said slowly.


    At this point, Zheng Hongsheng elbowed Lin Shen in his rib, revealing his signature mischievous smile.


    ¡°What about you? Do you have any girls you like? Recently, many girls have been asking Xu Yuan and me about you. I think they¡¯re very interested in you.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Lin Shen was a little surprised. He had no idea at all.


    As if seeing through Lin Shen¡¯s doubts, Zheng Hongsheng said impatiently, ¡°Of course, you don¡¯t know. You leave for the martial arts school as soon as our ss ends. They didn¡¯t even have the chance to get closer to you.


    ¡°To be honest, a few of them are really nice. Do you want to give them a go?¡±


    Zheng Hongsheng¡¯s tone was filled with envy.


    Although Lin Shen was handsome, he didn¡¯t have a good family background and was only a mediocre student. In the past, his reputation among the girls in his ss was ordinary at most.


    But recently, he suddenly disyed his exceptional talent. With his umtion, his cultivation level soared to the fifth level of the Qi Transformation Stage in a short period of time. He had caused quite a stir in the third grade and had suddenly be a popr person among girls.


    Compared to his good looks and outstanding talent, the shoring of having a poor family background wasn¡¯t worth mentioning.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t know he had unknowingly be a rising star in the eyes of girls. He was a little surprised when he heard this.


    However, he shook his head decisively.


    ¡°Forget it. Please turn them down for me.¡±


    He didn¡¯t have the energy to waste on romance right now.


    Zheng Hongsheng rolled his eyes. He really couldn¡¯t understand what Lin Shen was thinking.


    ¡°What fun is there in cultivating all day long? Getting a girlfriend and spending some quality time with her is much happier. It won¡¯t take up too much cultivation time either.¡±


    Seeing Zheng Hongsheng¡¯s expression, Lin Shen guessed what he was thinking, but he didn¡¯t exin further. He turned to look into the distance, and his pupils contracted a little.


    ¡°They¡¯re here.¡±


    Zheng Hongsheng turned around and saw Xu Yuan and a girl walking toward them, holding each other¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Let me introduce you to my girlfriend, Qian Hui.¡±


    Xu Yuan pointed at the girl and spoke to Lin Shen and Zheng Hongsheng with a smile. Then, he pointed at them and introduced them to the girl.


    ¡°This is Zheng Hongsheng, and this is Lin Shen. They are the friends I told you about.¡±


    Qian Hui wasn¡¯t very pretty, but she was a petite girl with delicate facial features. She was the type that boys wanted to protect.


    After hearing Xu Yuan¡¯s introduction, she greeted them with a smile. Her gaze focused on Lin Shen for a moment, and her sparkling eyes flickered with curiosity.


    ¡°You¡¯re Lin Shen? I¡¯ve heard about you. Mr. Kong often praised you in ss, saying that you¡¯re down-to-earth and have great perseverance. That¡¯s why you were able to umte strength and break through two levels in a short period of time. He even asked us to learn from you!¡±


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry.


    It turned out his ¡°reputation¡± was spread by Kong Hong!


    ¡°Mr. Kong spoke too highly of me.¡± Lin Shen waved his hand, not wanting to talk about this topic anymore. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Zheng Hongsheng had already decided where to eat. It was in a nearby restaurant, and the four of them immediately headed for their destination.


    Unlike her appearance suggested, Qian Hui was rather talkative. Zheng Hongsheng¡¯s buffoonery also helped, and everybody enjoyed the meal.


    The only thing that made Lin Shen feel a little awkward was that during the meal, Qian Hui had been enthusiastically trying to introduce her friends to him. Lin Shen had spent a lot of effort to brush her off.


    After dinner, everyone happily proceeded to the next venue, which was the Blue Rose Karaoke near Willow Academy.


    ...


    Because it was closer to the academy, most of the customers were students from the academy.


    The owner seemed to consider the students to be his target customers from the start. The decoration here was on the refreshing and simple side. It did not have the dark and ambiguous atmosphere of ordinary karaoke.


    Xu Yuan had booked a private room in advance. After the group arrived at Blue Rose, they directly entered the room. The waiter served them soft drinks and snacks, and they began to sing to their hearts¡¯ content.


    Lin Shen wasn¡¯t very good at singing, but he didn¡¯t want to disappoint the others. Under the cheers of the crowd, he sang two songs. As expected, Zheng Hongsheng and Xu Yuanughed at him. Qian Hui was also amused and giggled.


    Just as they enjoyed the lively atmosphere, the door of the private room was suddenly pushed open. A tall and burly young man with a gloomy expression rushed in with a few others.

 Chapter 19

    Implication


    The sudden change stunned everyone in the private room.


    Xu Yuan and Qian Hui¡¯s expressions changed when they saw who those people were.


    The tall young man leading the group looked around the private room. When he saw Xu Yuan and Qian Hui, he immediately sneered.


    ¡°I see the two of you are in a good mood. You¡¯re actually in the mood to sing karaoke!¡±


    Xu Yuan took a step forward and blocked his girlfriend behind him. He said with a straight face, ¡°Zhou Zhihai, what are you doing here? This is our private room. You¡¯re not wee here. Get lost!¡±


    Zhou Zhihai¡¯s face darkened. He pointed at Xu Yuan and scolded, ¡°Xu, you stole my woman and still dare to be so arrogant to me. Do you really think I won¡¯t hit you?¡±


    At the side, Zheng Hongsheng saw that the intruders had ill intentions and wanted to step forward to mediate the fight. When he heard this, he immediately stopped and looked at Xu Yuan in shock.


    Even Lin Shen raised his eyebrows.


    ¡°Bullshit! Zhou Zhihai, don¡¯t nder me!¡± Xu Yuanfeng¡¯s face turned red.


    Zhou Zhihai sneered. ¡°Am I wrong? If you hadn¡¯t interfered, would Qian Hui have broken up with me?¡±


    This time, before Xu Yuan could retort, Qian Hui, who had been hiding behind him, suddenly stepped forward. She mustered her courage and shouted,


    ¡°Zhou Zhihai, that¡¯s not true! We broke up three months ago. At that time, I didn¡¯t even know Xu Yuan. Our breakup had nothing to do with him!¡±


    Zhou Zhihai nced at Qian Hui from the corner of his eyes and snorted coldly. ¡°You can say whatever you want. No one can tell if you¡¯re telling the truth. Anyway, I can¡¯t take this lying down. If I don¡¯t teach you two a lesson today, nobody will respect me in the future!¡±


    With that, he walked toward the two of them in an aggressive manner.


    Seeing this, Zheng Hongsheng smiled awkwardly and blocked Zhou Zhihai¡¯s way. He tried to dissuade him, ¡°Let¡¯s talk things out. Zhou Zhihai, we¡¯re all from the same academy and will meet on a daily basis. There¡¯s no need to be so angry.


    ¡°I¡¯ve known Xu Yuan for a long time. I know his personality. He¡¯s definitely not the kind of person who would interfere with other people¡¯s rtionships. There must be a misunderstanding between the two of you!¡±


    As he spoke, Zheng Hongsheng turned around and gave Xu Yuan a look, indicating for him to stop talking.


    Zhou Zhihai was quite famous in Willow Academy. Not only was he at Level 5 of the Qi Transformation Stage, but he also came from a declining old family.


    Although it wasn¡¯t as impressive as the eighteen influential families, it wasn¡¯t something ordinary students like them could afford to offend.


    Under such circumstances, it was better to settle things peacefully. Admitting defeat and losing some dignity wasn¡¯t such a big deal.


    However, even though Zheng Hongsheng had thought it through, Zhou Zhihai wasn¡¯t going to let them off easily. He simply pushed Zheng Hongsheng away.


    Caught off guard, Zheng Hongsheng cried out and fell to the ground. His back hit the corner of the coffee table, and he grimaced in pain.


    Zhou Zhihai nced at him disdainfully and sneered. ¡°Who do you think you are? How dare you block my way? Hear this. Today, I¡¯ll teach that Xu a lesson and let you know that there are some people you can¡¯t mess with!¡±


    As soon as Zhou Zhihai finished speaking, the four young men behind him took a step forward with ferocious looks in their eyes.


    Although Xu Yuan was very afraid of Zhou Zhihai, he still had some courage. Zhou had provoked and humiliated him in front of his buddies and girlfriend, and he could no longer suppress his anger. He looked up and red at Zhou Zhihai.


    ¡°Zhou Zhihai, if you want to fight, bring it on. Do you think I¡¯m afraid of you?¡±


    Zhou Zhihai grinned and clenched his fists.


    ¡°Very good. I hope you can still be so tough in a moment.¡±


    After that, he looked at Zheng Hongsheng and Lin Shen, pointed at the two of them, and instructed hispanions behind him, ¡°Teach these two guys a lesson too!¡±


    The four young menughed when they heard this. They split up and walked toward Zheng Hongsheng and Lin Shen with unfriendly expressions.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid!¡± Zheng Hongsheng was shocked. He didn¡¯t expect these people to be so arrogant.


    Xu Yuan¡¯s expression also changed. He said angrily, ¡°Zhou Zhihai, do whatever you want to me. Don¡¯t mess with my friends!¡±


    ¡°Well, they can only me themselves for making friends with the wrong person. I¡¯ll teach them a lesson today¡­¡±


    Before Zhou Zhihai could finish, he was interrupted by a miserable howl.


    He turned around just in time to see one of hispanions being kicked away and mmed into the wall.


    Before he could react, anotherpanion was punched in the stomach. He immediately knelt on the ground, his face turning purple. He held his stomach and couldn¡¯t even speak.


    Lin Shen, who had easily taken care of the two men, pped his hands and looked at Zhou Zhihai calmly.


    ¡°ming others for your own problems isn¡¯t a good habit. If I were you, I would leave the private room immediately.¡±


    Although Zhou Zhihai had a bad temper, he wasn¡¯t a fool.


    The two men lying on the ground weren¡¯t strong, but they were still at the third level of the Qi Transformation Stage. However, they were easily knocked down. Zhou realized Lin Shen was very likely at the fifth level of the Qi Transformation Stage.


    Zhou Zhihai didn¡¯t act rashly. He sized Lin Shen up and narrowed his eyes. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    One of his friends seemed to have recognized Lin Shen and hurriedly ran to Zhou Zhihai¡¯s side to whisper a few words.


    Zhou Zhihai¡¯s expression changed as he looked at Lin Shen in surprise.


    ¡°So you¡¯re Lin Shen!¡±


    The news that Lin Shen had broken through to the fifth level of the Qi Transformation Stage in a short period of time had already spread throughout the entire third grade. Naturally, Zhou Zhihai had heard of it.


    However, he didn¡¯t know Lin Shen was Xu Yuan¡¯s friend.


    If he had known Lin Shen was here, he would have only targeted Xu Yuan and Qian Hui just now and not dragged Lin Shen into this.


    After all, an elite student at the fifth level of the Qi Transformation Stage was quite troublesome.


    However, his twopanions were still lying on the ground. If he let Lin Shen go just like that, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain his prestige among hispanions in the future.


    At this point, he could only attack!


    ¡°Luckily, this guy is said to have just broken through to the fifth level and. His cultivation hasn¡¯t stabilized yet. I think I have a good chance of defeating him.¡±


    As his thoughts raced, Zhou Zhihai had already made up his mind. He snorted heavily.


    ¡°You have a sharp tongue, but I¡¯d like to see what you can do to me.¡±


    Before Lin Shen could respond, Zhou Zhihai had already pounced at him, giving Lin Shen no time to react.


    ...


    ¡°Shame on you!¡±


    Xu Yuan cursed and wanted to help Lin Shen, but he was blocked by Zhou Zhihai¡¯s friends.


    On the other side, Zheng Hongsheng had just gotten up from the ground when he was blocked by another man.


    After all, Zheng Hongsheng was still a student. He was young and impetuous. Seeing how aggressive Zhou Zhihai and his friends had been, anger filled Zheng Hongsheng¡¯s chest. He simply shouted and charged at them.


    In the blink of an eye,


    the private room became a chaotic battlefield.


    The six youngsters fought fiercely. Shouts and the muffled sounds of colliding fists and flesh rang out continuously.


    Qian Hui, the only girl in the room, and the two boys knocked down by Lin Shen had yet to catch their breath on the ground and didn¡¯t participate in the battle.


    Seeing the six of them fight, Qian Hui was so frightened that her face turned pale. She repeatedly shouted,


    ¡°Stop fighting!¡±


    ...

 Chapter 20

    I¡¯ll Take It


    Qian Hui screamed, but her voice was quickly suppressed by themotion of the fight.


    The six fighting men turned a deaf ear.


    Crack!


    Lin Shen¡¯s kick missed its target and hit the ss te on the coffee table, instantly shattering a corner of it.


    Since he started cultivating, this was the first time he had fought an opponent of the same level.


    His previous opponents, be it Tian Dian or Yang Zhongyi, were two or three levels higher than Lin Shen.


    Without relying on his clones, Lin Shen wasn¡¯t their match at all.


    However, Zhou Zhihai was different. He was a Qi Transformation Stage Level 5 cultivator, and there wasn¡¯t a significant difference between his and Lin Shen¡¯s capability.


    Furthermore, although Lin Shen didn¡¯t have muchbat experience, he still faced a life-and-death battle. He had even taken a life. In terms of his mentality, he could easily crush someone like Zhou Zhihai, who usually only knew how to bully the weak.


    The training sessions these days had given him considerable resistance to pain, allowing him to fight at will in battles.


    Zhou Zhihai, on the other hand, would grimace whenever he took a punch. Sometimes he didn¡¯t need to dodge the attack, but he subconsciously did it because he was afraid of the pain.


    In just a few minutes, Lin Shen had the upper hand and firmly suppressed Zhou Zhihai, who was restrained in his movements.


    Zhou Zhihai was no longer as confident as he was in the beginning. All that was left was fear and astonishment.


    Lin Shen¡¯s strength had far exceeded his expectations.


    After taking another kick, Zhou Zhihai turned ashen. The anger in his chest finally suppressed his rationality. He activated the zing Sun Palm and attacked Lin Shen.


    Although the others in the private room were also fighting, they had been paying attention to the battle between Lin Shen and Zhou Zhihai from the corner of their eyes. When they saw this, their expressions changed.


    Although they were fighting, they still had some sense. They knew that they couldn¡¯t use martial arts techniques. Otherwise, they would be in big trouble if there were casualties.


    No one thought Zhou Zhihai would be so furious that he would use the zing Sun Palm at this moment.


    Even though he had only reached Beginner, if he wasn¡¯t careful, he might have severely injured Lin Shen!


    ¡°Watch out!¡±


    Xu Yuan and Zheng Hongsheng shouted anxiously at the same time.


    Lin Shen heard them, but his expression remained calm.


    His training experience these days had made him ustomed to simr attacks. When he saw this, he calmly pped out with a backhand and met the attack with the same technique.


    Shockingly, when Lin Shen struck out with his palm, a scorching scarlet red wave of air surged, and it rolled forward like a tsunami. The air seemed to be scalded as it retreated rapidly to the sides, forming a distortion that was visible to the naked eye!


    Compared to Zhou Zhihai¡¯s ordinary strike, the phenomenon produced by Lin Shen¡¯s strike was extraordinary.


    Everyone in the private room was dumbfounded.


    ¡°His zing Sun Palm has reached Proficient!¡±


    Zhou Zhihai¡¯s expression changed drastically. He immediately wanted to retract his palm, but it was toote.


    Under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes,


    the two palms collide heavily!


    In an instant, they heard a miserable scream. Zhou Zhihai was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string. Hended heavily on the ground and held his wrist as he screamed.


    Under the bright light in the private room, everyone saw his right palm seemed to have been burned by a red-hot iron. The skin on his palm was burnt and bloody, and there was a burnt smell in the air.


    The Proficient zing Sun Palm was extremely powerful. When Lin Shen trained with Yang Zhongyi, he had to wear leather protective gear and strengthened ceramic tes before he dared to take Yang¡¯s zing Sun Palm head-on. Even so, he was still shaken as if his blood surged.


    One could imagine what would happen if he took the strike without any protection!


    Luckily, Lin Shen was using Perseverance, not Pure Yang Body at the time.


    Even someone as strong as Tian Dian was severely injured by the zing Sun Palm of Clone 3.


    As for Zhou Zhihai, his cultivation was far inferior to Tian Dian. Hit by the zing Sun Palm with the enhancement of the Pure Yang Body talent, he would most likely lose his right hand!


    The fighting lot stopped at some point and stared at the scene in front of them.


    The turn of the event exceeded everyone¡¯s expectations.


    They had thought after Zhou Zhihai suddenly abandoned all scruples and used the zing Sun Palm, Lin Shen would be caught off guard and severely injured.


    Unexpectedly, Lin Shen injured Zhou Zhihai!


    Not only had Lin Shen¡¯s cultivation reached the fifth level of the Qi Transformation Stage, but he had also achieved Proficient in the zing Sun Palm!


    Zheng Hongsheng and Xu Yuan looked at Lin Shen in a daze as if this was the first time they had met their good friend they had known for almost three years.


    ¡°Ah!!¡±


    Zhou Zhihai clutched his injured palm and rolled on the ground, wailing.


    The miserable screams quickly woke up their stunnedpanions. They couldn¡¯t care less about anything else. They hurriedly helped Zhou Zhihai up and wanted to leave right away.


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡±


    Lin Shen said calmly.


    The four boys stiffened as if someone had pressed the pause button.


    One of them turned around stiffly and said with a trembling voice, ¡°W-What else do you want¡­¡±


    No wonder he acted like this. He was frightened by Lin Shen¡¯s strike.


    Even someone as powerful as Zhou Zhihai was beaten to such a miserable state!


    If Lin Shen didn¡¯t let them go, they would end up more miserable than Zhou Zhihai.


    While he was trembling in fear, Lin Shen pointed at the messy private room and say calmly,


    ...


    ¡°Do you want to leave after destroying this ce?¡±


    The four boys were stunned. When they came back to their senses, they quickly took out their spirit coins and put two to three thousand on the coffee table. Then, they helped Zhou Zhihai to his feet and left in a hurry.


    The private room quickly returned to silence.


    Zheng Hongsheng, Xu Yuan, and Qian Hui looked at one another speechlessly.


    There was a long pause.


    Xu Yuan spoke slowly, his face full of guilt, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have dragged you into this because of me.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? It¡¯s not your fault. It was Zhou Zhihai who deliberately provoked you. Do you think we would just watch you get beaten up?¡±


    Zheng Hongsheng patted Xu Yuan¡¯s shoulder, then looked at Lin Shen in surprise and clicked his tongue.


    ¡°You¡¯ve hidden well, Lin Shen. I didn¡¯t expect you to have reached Proficient in zing Sun Palm. Even that Zhou Zhihai isn¡¯t your match. You¡¯ve never given us any hints!¡±


    Lin Shen could tell that Zheng Hongsheng wanted to change the topic to ease Xu Yuan¡¯s guilt and embarrassment, so he shrugged cooperatively and said, ¡°I can¡¯t possibly tell everyone that I¡¯ve reached Proficient in zing Sun Palm, right?¡±


    Xu Yuan and the other two couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    ...


    Qian Hui looked at Lin Shen with admiration. ¡°You¡¯re really amazing, Lin Shen. Not many people in the entire grade have your strength!¡±


    Xu Yuan and Zheng Hongsheng nodded in agreement.


    In the entire Willow Academy, there were only a handful of ordinary students who had reached the fifth level of the Qi Transformation Stage and Proficient in the zing Sun Palm.


    Lin Shen smiled without denying it.


    He had already set his goal to a higher level. Defeating a mere Zhou Zhihai was nothing to be proud of.


    After such a thing happened, they weren¡¯t in the mood to stay here anymore.


    Zheng Hongsheng picked up the spirit coins on the coffee table and went to discuss thepensation with the people of Blue Rose.


    Xu Yuan leaned over to Lin Shen and whispered, ¡°Zhou Zhihai is a petty person who seeks revenge for the smallest grievance. Hui broke up with him because she couldn¡¯t stand this. You injured him tonight, and he definitely won¡¯t take this lying down. He¡¯ll most likely seek revenge on you. You have to be careful from now on!¡±


    After a pause, he sighed and looked guilty again. He opened his mouth to speak.


    Seeing this, Lin Shen immediately raised his hand to interrupt.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything else.¡±


    Lin Shen smiled faintly.


    ¡°As for revenge, if Zhou Zhihai makes a move, I¡¯ll take it!¡±

 Chapter 21

    ck Street


    Perhaps Zhou Zhihai needed to recuperate, his revenge never seemed to happen.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t care about it and devoted himself to cultivation.


    With three clones cultivating at the same time and the help of the Essence Tempering Pills and spirit beast meat, his cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds.


    On the third day after the Blue Rose incident, Lin Shen sessfully broke through to the sixth level of the Qi Transformation Stage.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: God¡¯s Jealousy]


    [Stage: Qi Transformation Level 6, 2%]


    [Cultivation Technique: Original Breathing Technique (Mastery 55%), zing Sun Palm (Mastery 52%), Mortal Restrain (Beginner 5%)]


    [Number of clones: 3 (64%)]


    A smile shed across Lin Shen¡¯s eyes as he watched the interface.


    He had reached Level 6 in the Qi Transformation. In the entire Willow Academy, students who could reach this cultivation level were either from the eighteen influential families or declining old families.


    None of them were ordinary students.


    If the news of him reaching Level 6 became widely known, it would probably cause a new wave ofmotion in the academy!


    When that happened, he would truly be an influential figure in the academy!


    Of course, Lin Shen wouldn¡¯t let that happen.


    He had cultivated Mortal Restrain just to hide his true cultivation level.


    He would wait a while before revealing his real cultivation level. That way, it wouldn¡¯t look too conspicuous.


    ¡°The progress of the zing Sun Palm has passed 50%. I should be able to reach Mastery in six to seven days!¡±


    Lin Shen had verified the power of the zing Sun Palm many times in actualbat. This fundamental martial art technique of the Nine Suns Sect couldn¡¯t be underestimated.


    At Proficient, the technique could turn a pair of palms into a branding iron. While burning the enemy¡¯s flesh and skin, it could also destroy the enemy¡¯s internal organs with zing force.


    It made Lin Shen¡¯s scalp tingle when he imagined how powerful the technique would be if he reached Mastery.


    ¡°The progress of the Origin Breathing Technique is also above 50%. I should be able to break through to Perfection in half a month at most. After that, my cultivation speed will increase by another level!


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I haven¡¯t been able to reach Beginner in Shadows yet.¡±


    Compared to Mortal Restrain, it was much harder to reach Beginner in Shadows. Clone 1¡¯s Perseverance couldn¡¯t speed up the cultivation process, so there were no signs of him reaching Beginner any time soon.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be able to form the fourth clone in eight days. After that, I¡¯ll let the fourth cloneprehend Shadows together.¡±


    Lin Shen quickly made up his mind and turned his attention to the medicinal pill.


    He took out an Essence Tempering Pill and swallowed it before meditating.


    After his cultivation level increased, the speed at which Lin Shen digested the medicinal power of the Essence Tempering Pill had increased significantly.


    Under the effect of God¡¯s Jealousy, in just an hour, the medicinal power of a pill waspletely absorbed, and his progress increased by 3%.


    ¡°As expected, after my level increased, the effect of the Essence Tempering Pill has decreased a lot.¡±


    Lin Shen did some calctions.


    There were still 34 Essence Tempering Pills left, which couldst him until he broke through to Level 7.


    However, after that, he would have to buy new medicinal pills or find other substitutes.


    ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to make a trip to the ck street.¡±


    Lin Shen recalled the Condensing Liquid he had seen in Tian Dian¡¯s notebook.


    He still had more than 200,000 spirit coins on hand. It looked like a lot, but in fact, they wouldn¡¯tst him all that long.


    Purchasing spirit beast meat alone was a huge expense. He didn¡¯t have the extra money to buy more Essence Tempering Pills.


    The Condensing Liquid¡¯s medicinal effect wasn¡¯t much worse than the Essence Tempering Pill, but the price was less than one-tenth of thetter. Under such circumstances, it was undoubtedly an excellent substitute.


    As for the shoring of reducing one¡¯s lifespan, it wasn¡¯t worth mentioning to Lin Shen.


    Seeing that it was already past nine in the evening, Lin Shen thought for a moment and decided that there was no time like the present. He would go to the ck street now and prepare enough Condensing Liquid before he used up the Essence Tempering Pills.


    Thinking of this, Lin Shen immediately flipped his wrist, and a bottle of Face Changing Pills appeared in his palm.


    He opened the cork and tilted the bottle slightly. A round pill rolled into his palm.


    Lin Shen strode to the full-length mirror embedded in the side of the bedroom cab and swallowed the pill.


    Under Lin Shen watched himself in the mirror in amazement, his facial features, face shape, eyebrows, and even the skin color were rapidly changing.


    There were no major changes to any part of his face, but when they werebined, the final result produced apletely different face.


    ¡°The effect of this Face Changing Pill is almostparable to a stic surgery!¡±


    Lin Shen clicked his tongue in wonder.


    The effect of a Face Changing Pill couldst for 24 hours. Before the effect wore off, other than cultivator masters with spiritual senses, no cultivator could see through the true appearance of the person who took the pill.


    This was a must-have item for almost every outsider who entered the ck street.


    If one had to name a w, it was that one couldn¡¯t control the result of the Face Changing Pill changed into. Before taking it, one would never know what kind of appearance one would change into.


    If the result was an extremely beautiful or ugly face, it would undoubtedly attract a lot of attention, which was against the user¡¯s intention of disguising themselves, and the pill would be wasted.


    After everything was ready, Lin Shen jumped down from the balcony and made a few more leaps afternding. He quickly disappeared into the night.


    ¡­


    The Eastern District wasn¡¯t like the bustling Southern District and Western District. At night, silence and darkness enveloped most of the area. Only a few traffic routes were lit.


    ...


    Lin Shen deliberately avoided the streetmps and walked on dark corners.


    After breaking through to the sixth level of the Qi Transformation Stage, his physical strength had far exceeded that of the professional athletes in his previous life.


    The speed of the 100-meter sprint in his previous life was just a normal speed for him now.


    Coupled with Perseverance¡¯s unique effect of recovery speed of +30%, Lin Shen didn¡¯t have to worry about using up his strength and could run at full speed for a long time.


    Hence, in less than half an hour, he entered the Northern District from the Eastern District.


    The Northern District was even quieter and darker than the Eastern District.


    Looking down from the sky, it was like a huge beast that had fallen into a deep sleep but was about to devour people at any moment.


    After running wildly in the dark for another twenty minutes, Lin Shen finally arrived at his destination.


    In the dark and silent Northern District in the middle of the night, the ck street was one of the few ces that still had activities.


    Standing at the street entrance and looking inside, he could see many shadows moving around on the street.


    The street was nked by a mixture of shops and residential buildings. Most of the shops that were open at night had half-closed doors. The dim andzy lighting out from the crack of the door was the only light source on the ck street.


    ...


    Touching his slightly stiff face, Lin Shen strode into the ck street.


    The few people walking towards him nced at him and looked away with disinterest.


    Most of the people who entered the ck street had taken Face Changing Pills. All they saw was someone else¡¯s changed appearance.


    Investigating other people¡¯s identities was one of the most meaningless actions here. At the same time, it was also the easiest thing to get someone into trouble.


    The store that sells Condensing Liquid mentioned in Tian Dian¡¯s notes is located in the middle of ck street.


    Lin Shen walked slowly and observed the shops along the way.


    As mentioned in the notes, there were all kinds of shops on the ck street.


    Pills, weapons, talismans, cultivation technique manuals, rare herbs¡­ Everything could be found here. He almost felt dazzled.


    Lin Shen even saw a shop selling demon beasts.


    When he passed by the door, he could hear the roars of beasts and the ferocious aura that soared into the sky.


    Raising demon beasts was forbidden in Dragonside City.


    Unless approved by the Three Sect Prefecture, once anyone was discovered to be holding demon beasts in secret, they would immediately face the ferocious punishment of the Martial Enforcement Hall!


    Although Lin Shen saw many things along the way, he had no intention of buying anything.


    The ck street was filled with all sorts of people and goods of various qualities. It was easy for outsiders who came to the ck street for the first time to buy fake goods, and their money would be swindled out of their pockets.


    Therefore, Lin Shen had the principle of observing carefully before buying anything. No matter how hard the shop owners tried to promote their goods with their glib tongues, he was unmoved. Many shop owners rolled their eyes at him along the way.


    Aftering out of another shop, Lin Shen continued to walk along the street. The door of a shop five to six meters ahead suddenly opened, and a figure flew out. He fell to the ground in a sorry state and cried out in pain.


    A two-meter-tall burly man walked out of the door and pointed at the person on the ground as he cursed.


    ¡°Old fool, do you want to die? I¡¯m ck Bear! Remember that name! How dare you dine and dash here!¡±

 Chapter 22

    The Elderly Man Who Sells Secret Manuals


    Lin Shen stopped in his tracks and looked over curiously.


    The person who was thrown out of the shop by the burly man was a sloppy elderly man with gray hair and tattered clothes.


    His goatee had oily rice grains stuck to it, and his ck eyes rolled around. It was obvious that he was thinking about something indecent.


    ¡°Mr. ck, please do me a favor. I¡¯ve been starving for three days. I had no choice but to do this. Please don¡¯t be made. Put it on my ount, and I¡¯ll pay you back!¡±


    The elderly man nimbly got up from the ground and didn¡¯t look like he had just been kicked at all. He squeezed his wrinkled and wretched face and smiled obsequiously at the burly man.


    However, the burly man wouldn¡¯t buy it. He sneered and pointed at the elderly man¡¯s nose.


    ¡°First of all, my nickname is ck Bear, but my surname isn¡¯t ck!


    ¡°Secondly, I¡¯m not in the charity business. You have to pay when youe to my restaurant to eat. Put it on your ount? No way! If you can¡¯t pay me now, I¡¯ll break your legs!¡±


    The elderly man seemed to have been frightened by the burly man¡¯s fierce expression. He couldn¡¯t help but swallow. When he looked around and spotted Lin Shen nearby, his eyes immediately lit up. He took a few steps and rushed to Lin Shen¡¯s side. He coughed and said with a solemn expression,


    ¡°Young man, I can see you have an extraordinary bone structure. You¡¯re a rare cultivation genius. I have a few cultivation technique manuals here. Fate has brought us together, so I¡¯ll sell them to you at a cheaper price. One thousand spirit coins for one book!¡±


    Lin Shen looked at the elderly man in surprise, impressed by his thick skin.


    To be able to say such words to a passerby who had watched the entire process, this man had to have the thickest skin in the world.


    However, wasn¡¯t it toote to pretend to be an expert living in seclusion now?


    ¡°Does he take me for a fool?¡±


    As if sensing the disdain in Lin Shen¡¯s eyes, the elderly man cleared his throat and said,


    ¡°If you think it¡¯s too expensive, 500, no, 300 spirit coins will do!¡±


    Lin Shen turned around and left without another word.


    If he were in a novel, this elderly man would most likely be an expert traveling freely in the world. By chance, he received a little favor from Lin Shen, so he gave thetter a cultivation technique manual unmatched in this world. From then on, Lin Shen would step onto the path of bing an invincible man!


    However, the novel was still a novel. In reality, Lin Shen was more inclined to believe that this elderly man was a pure hoodwinker.


    Seeing Lin Shen leave without hesitation, the elderly man was dumbfounded.


    When he came back to his senses, he immediately howled and fell to the ground. He wrapped his arms around Lin Shen¡¯s thigh and cried, ¡°Young man, saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. Can you bring yourself to see an elderly man like me have my legs broken?¡±


    Holy shit!


    ¡°What a drastic change! He can¡¯t fool me, so he¡¯s going to morally coerce me!¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s lips twitched.


    Unable to stand the elderly man, he could only look at the burly ck bear and asked, ¡°How much does he owe you?¡±


    ck Bear snorted. ¡°20 spirit coins.¡±


    Lin Shen was stunned and looked at the elderly man in shock.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even have 20 spirit coins?¡±


    The elderly man smiled awkwardly and stammered, ¡°How about¡­ I sell the secret manual to you for 20 spirit coins?¡±


    Lin Shen held his forehead and sighed. He still took the money and handed it to ck Bear.


    It was just 20 spirit coins. He would think it as his good deed for the day.


    ck Bear took the money and red at the elderly man. He said fiercely, ¡°Don¡¯t let me see you again!¡±


    With that, he walked into the shop without looking back.


    Seeing this, the elderly man let out a sigh of relief. He patted his knees and stood up. He smiled at Lin Shen ingratiatingly and said, ¡°Good people will be rewarded. Thank you, young man.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t .¡± Lin Shen waved his hand to interrupt him. ¡°We agreed on 20 spirit coins for a secret manual. Give it to me.¡±


    Although he didn¡¯t have high hopes for the secret manual that the elderly man mentioned, he had already spent the money, so he might as well take a look at that secret manual.


    What if he could pick up a bargain?


    The elderly man chuckled and searched his clothes. He took out three tattered secret manuals from some unknown pocket.


    ¡°I¡¯m not bragging, but these three secret manuals are all good stuff. I¡¯ve kept them for many years and can¡¯t bear to sell them. If I didn¡¯t have any choice today, I wouldn¡¯t have taken them out for sale.¡±


    Lin Shen rolled his eyes and ignored the old man¡¯s boasting.


    Thetter didn¡¯t mind it. He pointed at one of the secret manuals and said confidently, ¡°For example, I obtained this Dragon Spear from a cultivator three years ago. It¡¯s a rare and powerful cultivation technique!¡±


    Dragon Spear?


    Lin Shen raised his eyebrows. This name sounded quite domineering.


    Moreover, it was a spear technique that was rtively rare among weapon-type martial techniques!


    Compared to fists, palms, fingers, ws, legs, and other martial techniques, weapon-type martial techniques could gain advantage more easily in battle.


    After all, having a weapon was always more advantageous than bare hands.


    However, in terms of tempering the body and strengthening vitality, using bare hands was more effective than using weapons.


    Therefore, rookies who had just started cultivating would often choose martial techniques like fists, palms, fingers, ws, and legs.


    Even the fundamental martial arts of the three great sects were palm techniques or fist techniques.


    Only after breaking through to the Long Breath Stage would cultivators choose weapon-type martial techniques.


    Other than that, some Qi Transformation Stage cultivators who felt that their cultivation could no longer advance would also begin to cultivate weapons-type martial techniques to increase their actualbat ability.


    Lin Shen felt he would break through to the Long Breath Stage sooner orter, so when he heard it was a weapon-type martial technique, he immediately became more serious.


    The elderly man continued. ¡°This spear technique emphasizes the transformation between gentle and rough moves. It advances and retreats like the wind while switching between light and slow movements and flying up and down. Coupled with the eight movements of poking, coiling, blocking, taking, picking, pointing, and pulling, it¡¯s even more powerful. It can easily make women cry for their lives. From then on, they¡¯ll do whatever you say¡­¡±


    At first, Lin Shen listened carefully, but the more he listened, the more he felt that something was off. By the end, his face hadpletely darkened.


    ...


    What a lecher!


    He red at the elderly man and snapped, ¡°Not this one!¡±


    ¡°Are you not interested in Dragon Spear? It¡¯s alright. I also have this Demon Subduing Staff. As the saying goes, the spear is like a swimming dragon, and the staff is like falling rain. The spear technique emphasizes fierceness and ferocity. The staff technique highlights an attack that is as dense as rain. It can attack from both far and close. It¡¯s flexible with endless variations!¡±


    The corners of Lin Shen¡¯s eyes twitched slightly. ¡°Which demon can you subdue with this Demon Subduing Staff?¡±


    ¡°The evil female type, of course!¡± the elderly man said matter-of-factly.


    Lin Shen took a deep breath and resisted the urge to p the elderly man¡¯s head. He asked, ¡°What about thest secret manual?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not interested in the Demon Subduing Staff?¡± The elderly man smacked his lips and scratched his head. He pointed at thest secret manual and said, ¡°Thisst is called ck & White Scripture and is a technique thatbines the Mysterious Fairy Scripture and the Goddess Scripture¡­¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Shen knew where the conversation was going. He raised his hand weakly to interrupt the elderly man.


    ¡°Alright, alright. Take back your three manuals. I¡¯m not interested.¡±


    The elderly man¡¯s eyes widened. He looked like those movie and drama enthusiasts in Lin Shen¡¯s previous life who were excited to introduce a new TV series to other people but found thetter uninterested.


    However, his gaze quickly moved downward andnded below Lin Shen¡¯s navel. He muttered, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so well-endowed. It¡¯s good to be young. You don¡¯t even care about such a precious cultivation technique.¡±


    ...

 Chapter 23

    Rejection


    Noticing the elderly man¡¯s gaze, Lin Shen was offended. He stopped the meaningless conversation and randomly picked one of the three secret manuals.


    ¡°Alright, cut the crap. We¡¯re even now. Goodbye!¡±


    Without waiting for the elderly man¡¯s response, he left in a hurry.


    Lin Shen feared if he stayed any longer, he wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand this wretched elderly man and beat him up.


    The elderly man¡¯s energetic voice came from behind.


    ¡°If you find it effective,e back and visit me again!¡±


    Lin Shen quickened his pace without looking back.


    It wasn¡¯t until he was a distance away that he took out the secret manual and took a look.


    It was Dragon Spear.


    Lin Shen flipped open the secret manual and skimmed through it.


    To his disappointment, it was filled with unsightly drawings and words.


    ¡°I knew it. How can a real powerful cultivation technique be obtained so easily? Hermits and unknown experts only exist in novels and movies. They can¡¯t be found in the real world.¡±


    Shaking his head, Lin Shen put away the Dragon Spear.


    After all, he had spent 20 spirit coins on it. It would be a waste to throw it away. He would put it next to his pillow when he returned home to remind himself day and night that he couldn¡¯t take any chances in the future.


    Ten minutester, he arrived at the shop mentioned in the notebook.


    From the outside, the shop looked like an ordinary grocery store. There was nothing special about it.


    He pushed open the half-closed door, and the only light came from an incandescentmp. The dim light gave off a sinister atmosphere.


    Behind the counter facing the door, a chubby, balding middle-aged man was focused on a magazine. His expression was extremely serious.


    Had it not been for the scantily d woman on the cover of the magazine, Lin Shen would have thought the man was studying academic knowledge.


    Hearing Lin Shen¡¯s footsteps, the balding shop owner reluctantly looked away from the magazine and looked up at Lin Shen. He sized him up a few times and said coldly, ¡°What do you want to buy?¡±


    ¡°Condensing Liquid,¡± Lin Shen answered, looking around the shop with subtle movements.


    There were only two shelves in the cramped shop, and on them were some seemingly worthless goods.


    After taking a few nces, Lin Shen retracted his gaze with little interest.


    The items disyed on the shelves were obviously meant to fool the public. The truly valuable goods were probably hidden elsewhere.


    That was normal. In a chaotic ce like the ck street, openly cing valuable things outside was no different from inviting thieves and burrs toe and snatch them!


    Hearing what Lin Shen said, the balding owner looked at him in surprise. It was probably very rare for anyone to buy something as useless as Condensing Liquid.


    However, he had no intention of probing further and directly asked, ¡°2,000 spirit coins per liter. How much do you want?¡±


    ¡°Five liters!¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s understanding of the Condensing Liquid all came from the notebook. The specific effects of the liquid had yet to be verified, so he didn¡¯t dare to buy too much at once.


    Five liters of Condensed Liquid wasparable to five bottles of Essence Tempering Pills. If everything went smoothly, this much would be enough for him to advance his cultivation from the seventh to the eighth level of the Qi Transformation Stage.


    It wouldn¡¯t be toote to buy more after he made sure the Condensing Liquid was really effective.


    Not many people wouldpete with him over such a thing.


    The balding shop owner seemed to think only the poorest people would buy the Condensing Liquid, so he had no intention of trying to sell other goods to Lin Shen. He said very little this whole time. After taking the money, he took out a small box from under the counter.


    Lin Shen took a look. The box was filled with reagent bottles containing a light green liquid. Each was about 100ml, and there were 50 in total.


    After all the bottles were counted for, Lin Shen turned around and left with the box.


    He didn¡¯t put the box into his storage jade te on the spot.


    One shouldn¡¯t reveal one¡¯s wealth. The storage jade te was extremely precious. If one didn¡¯t have sufficient strength but dared to use it on a ck street, it would be no different from a child carrying gold through a busy street. They would probably get mobbed before they even walked out of the ck street.


    On the way back, Lin Shen left the ck street smoothly.


    After running for more than half an hour under the night sky, he sessfully returned to the apartment with the Condensing Liquid.


    Looking at the box of Condensing Liquid, Lin Shen smiled from the bottom of his heart.


    With the Essence Tempering Pills and the Condensing Liquid, he didn¡¯t need to worry aboutcking cultivation resources before breaking through to Level 8.


    Moreover, if he could obtain first ce in thepetition, he could obtain another bottle of Origin Pills.


    ¡°Thepetition is in eight days.¡±


    Lin Shen looked at the dark night outside the window, his eyes flickering.


    ¡­


    In the brightly lit suite, Yan Xing leanedzily on the sofa and stared at the crystal chandelier on the ceiling without saying a word.


    Since he didn¡¯t speak, Zhou Zhihai, who was sitting opposite him, didn¡¯t dare to speak without permission. He could only suppress his anxiety and wait quietly. Soon, a thinyer of sweat appeared on his forehead.


    After a long while,


    Yan Xing started talking slowly. His tone didn¡¯t reveal anything.


    ¡°You want me to help you teach Lin Shen a lesson?¡±


    Zhou Zhihai secretly heaved a sigh of relief. He didn¡¯t wipe his sweat and hurriedly said, ¡°Mr. Yan, that kid has gone too far. In private, he has no respect for us influential families. If we don¡¯t teach him a lesson and what he did spreads, wouldn¡¯t it ruin the reputation of our families?¡±


    ¡°Reputation?¡±


    Yan Xing nced at Zhou Zhihai indifferently.


    ¡°You lost to Lin Shen in a one-on-one battle. Your skills are inferior. If you really had any reputation, you would have lost it long ago.¡±


    ...


    Zhou Zhihai¡¯s expression froze, and more sweat immediately appeared on his forehead. He summoned up his courage and said,


    ¡°Mr. Yan¡­¡±


    But as soon as he spoke, Yan Xing raised his hand and cut him off.


    ¡°I won¡¯t interfere in this matter. You¡¯re on your own.¡±


    Zhou Zhihai was shocked. ¡°Mr. Yan!¡±


    Unfortunately, Yan Xing didn¡¯t want to talk to him anymore. He raised his finger, and a bodyguard beside him immediately pressed Zhou Zhihai¡¯s shoulder and said in a deep voice, ¡°Mr. Zhou, sorry about this!¡±


    Zhou Zhihai¡¯s expression changed several times. In the end, he lowered his head dejectedly and walked out of the room under the escort of his bodyguards.


    Yan Xing watched as Zhou Zhihai disappeared behind the door, and a look of contempt shed in his eyes.


    ¡°What an insatiable man! I only let you follow me around because you¡¯re from one of the declining old families. You actually want to use me to stand up for you. How incredible!¡±


    With a snort, Yan Xing¡¯s eyes flickered, and he summoned a bodyguard.


    ¡°Investigate Lin Shen¡¯s background!¡±


    ...


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± The bodyguard replied and left.


    In the blink of an eye, only Yan Xing was left in the suite.


    ]He leaned back on the leather sofa and looked up at the crystal chandelier above his head.


    ¡°Amoner genius? Interesting.¡±


    ¡­


    Zhou Zhihai walked out of the hall with a gloomy expression.


    Hispanions, who had been waiting impatiently outside, immediately went forward and asked anxiously,


    ¡°Hai, how did it go?¡±


    ¡°Did Mr. Yan agree to help?¡±


    Zhou Zhihai¡¯s face twitched as he shook his head with a darkened face.


    Everyone was disappointed.


    ¡°If Mr. Yan doesn¡¯t make a move, how are we going to get back at that boy?¡±


    ¡°What else can we do? Lin Shen is so powerful. We¡¯re not his match at all!¡±


    Hearing this, Zhou Zhihai¡¯s face darkened. He felt a dull pain in his right palm, which had already recovered as if the humiliation and pain from that night had reappeared.


    His expression changed indeterminately for a moment before he suddenly gritted his teeth and said fiercely,


    ¡°Even if Mr. Yan doesn¡¯t help me, I must teach Lin Shen a lesson!


    ¡°If I don¡¯t take revenge for that p, I won¡¯t be able to take this lying down!¡±

 Chapter 24

    Meeting the Martial Hall Again


    Time flew by.


    Three dayster, with the help of the Essence Tempering Pills, Lin Shen sessfully broke through to the seventh level of the Qi Transformation Stage.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: God¡¯s Jealousy]


    [Stage: Qi Transformation Level 7, 4%]


    [Cultivation Technique: Original Breathing Technique (Mastery 68%), zing Sun Palm (Proficient 80%), Mortal Restrain (Beginner 8%)]


    [Number of clones: 3 (80%)]


    ¡°I¡¯ve reached Level 7 in the Qi Transformation Stage!¡±


    Lin Shen heaved a long sigh of relief, his heart filled with joy.


    In less than a month, he had soared from the fourth to the seventh level of the Qi Transformation Stage. The speed at which his strength increased was simply shocking!


    All of this was thanks to his clone!


    Lin Shen looked at the three clones around him and sighed.


    He only had three clones now. When the number of clones increased to two digits in the future, how shocking would his cultivation speed be?


    After a long while, Lin Shen recovered from his joy.


    In order to break through to the seventh level, he had used up all the Essence Tempering Pills. Now, he only had the Condensing Liquid left.


    Lin Shen took out the box of Condensing Liquid he bought from the ck street from his storage jade te. He picked up a tube and threw it to Clone 2.


    After catching it, Clone 2 immediately removed the cork, raised his head, and poured the medicinal liquid into his mouth, drinking it in one gulp.


    As the medicinal power spread, a burning pain suddenly filled Clone 2. It was as if he had drunk hotva instead of medicinal liquid.


    Enduring the pain, Clone 2 sat cross-legged and began to meditate to digest the medicinal power.


    It took more than half an hour for Clone 2 topletely absorb the medicinal power. However, his face was a little pale, and his spirit was visibly weaker.


    ¡°The notes are right. This thing is really harmful to the body.¡±


    Lin Shen looked at the interface. Fortunately, Clone 2¡¯s cultivation progress had increased by 2%.


    This effect was not beyond his expectations.


    As his cultivation level increased, the effects of rare herbs of the same level would definitely be greatly reduced. Otherwise, the disciples of influential families would be able to cultivate the Long Breath Stage by taking pills alone. If that were the case, Yang Zhongyi wouldn¡¯t still be at the seventh level of the Qi Transformation Stage.


    In addition, if one consumed too many of the same medicinal pills, they would also develop resistance to their medicinal properties, further reducing the medicinal effects.


    Lin Shen was already quite satisfied that 100ml of Condensed Liquid could increase his cultivation progress by 2%.


    In fact, it was probably because of the digitization of the interface. Otherwise, under normal circumstances, the effect of Essence Tempering Pills and Condensing Liquid on cultivation wouldn¡¯t be so obvious.


    ¡°Looks like I have to find another opportunity to go to the ck market.¡±


    Now that he had confirmed the effects of the Condensing Liquid, he naturally had to go on a shopping spree.


    ording to Lin Shen¡¯s estimation, if he wanted to break through to the ninth level of the Qi Transformation Stage, he would need at least twenty to thirty liters of Condensing Liquid. The amount of Condensing Liquid needed to break through to the Long Breath Stage was evenrger.


    The five liters of Condensing Liquid he had now was far from enough!


    However, considering he had just been to the ck street three days ago, buying arge amount of Condensing Liquid twice in a short period of time would undoubtedly attract a lot of attention. Lin Shen thought about it and decided to go to the ck street in a few days.


    For now, he would use the five liters of Condensing Liquid.


    He let Clone 2 continue to cultivate with the Condensing Liquid while the other two clones focused on cultivating the zing Sun Palm andprehending Shadows.


    Currently, he was only 20% away from reaching Mastery in the zing Sun Palm. ording to Lin Shen¡¯s estimation, he should be able to make a sessful breakthrough before thepetition.


    On the other hand, he had been working on Shadows for days. Even though he had gained a lot, it was as if there was a thin barrier between them, and he couldn¡¯t really achieve the Beginner stage.


    ¡°The efficiency ofprehending alone is still a little low.¡±


    Lin Shen muttered to himself. Then, he switched to God¡¯s Jealousy and began toprehend Shadows as well.


    ¡­


    ¡°Lin Shen, has Zhou Zhihai been causing trouble for you recently?¡±


    When school was about to end, Xu Yuan suddenly turned around and asked Lin Shen in a low voice.


    Seeing Lin Shen shake his head, Zheng Hongsheng and Xu Yuan looked at each other in surprise.


    ¡°How strange. Has that Zhou Zhihai changed his personality? This doesn¡¯t seem to fit his usual vengeful style!¡±


    ¡°Is it possible he¡¯s afraid of Lin Shen?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s possible.¡±


    Listening to their conversation, Lin Shen smiled indifferently.


    He would deal with whatever came his way. Regardless of whether Zhou Zhihai took revenge or not, he just had to continue to focus on bing stronger.


    As long as he had enough strength, all schemes and plots were nothing to be afraid of.


    There were no cultivation sses today, and they had knowledge-acquired courses in the afternoon.


    After ss, he patted the podium to attract the students¡¯ attention and announced loudly,


    ¡°Mr. Kong Hong asked me to inform everyone that the registration deadline for thepetition is approaching. Students who are interested but have yet to register have to hurry up!¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Shen immediately pped his forehead.


    He had been so busy cultivating these past few days that he had forgotten he hadn¡¯t signed up for thepetition.


    He would be so frustrated if he were eliminated for such a reason.


    ...


    At the thought of this, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t be bothered to talk to Zheng Hongsheng and Xu Yuan anymore. He gave them a random exnation and ran towards Kong Hong¡¯s office.


    Kong Hong¡¯s office and Lin Shen¡¯s ssroom happened to be on opposite ends of the same floor.


    When Lin Shen arrived at the office, the door was pushed open, and three men in ck uniforms walked out.


    Lin Shen vaguely found their faces familiar. It was not until he looked down and saw the mythological beast pattern on their chests that he suddenly remembered where he had seen them before.


    They were the members of the Martial Enforcement Hall who had chased after the yellow-scarved warrior that night!


    Lin Shen¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He quietly brushed past the three of them and entered the office.


    Han Wu took a few steps and suddenly stopped in his tracks. He turned around with a puzzled expression and happened to see Lin Shen¡¯s back disappear at the office door.


    ¡°What is it, Captain?¡± one of his men asked suspiciously.


    ¡°That person looks familiar. I think I¡¯ve seen him somewhere before,¡± Han Wu said thoughtfully.


    The two subordinates looked at each other.


    As the g officer of the Martial Enforcement Hall, Han Wu was an influential figure. How could he know a Qi Transformation Stage student?


    ...


    That was unless that person was a disciple of one of the eighteen influential families!


    However, if that was the case, the two of them should have an impression of him.


    After thinking for a moment, Han Wu shook his head and stopped trying.


    That night, when he was chasing after the yellow-scarved warrior, he had encountered at least dozens of pedestrians along the way. Lin Shen was inconspicuous among these people. No matter how good Han Wu¡¯s memory was, it was impossible for him to remember a passerby he had met by chance after half a month.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. There¡¯s still a lot of work to do. Thank you for working overtime tonight.¡±


    ¡°Gosh, Tian Dian hasn¡¯t been arrested yet, and a new case has appeared. I¡¯m really exhausted!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where that damn Tian Dian went. We searched for more than half a month with dozens of people, but we couldn¡¯t find any clues. It¡¯s really strange!¡±


    ¡°Could he have escaped from Dragonside City?¡±


    ¡°Impossible. He¡¯s not a cultivator master. He can¡¯t break out of the city¡¯s protection formation. Without the tokens of the three major sects, he can¡¯t leave the city at all!¡±


    ¡°Then maybe he¡¯s dead in a corner somewhere.¡±


    ¡°If only that was the case¡­¡±

 Chapter 25

    Quota of the Examination


    Hearing the voices outside gradually fade away, Lin Shen secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    After all, he killed Tian Dian and destroyed his corpse. It was inevitable that he would feel a little guilty when he encountered the members of the Martial Enforcement Hall who had been pursuing Tian Dian.


    Fortunately, they didn¡¯t seem to remember him at all.


    After calming himself down, Lin Shen walked toward Kong Hong¡¯s desk.


    Kong Hong also noticed Lin Shen, and a gentle smile appeared on his face.


    ¡°I was just looking for you. You haven¡¯t signed up for thepetition, right?¡±


    ¡°I forgot about it before and only remembered it just now.¡±


    Kong Hong couldn¡¯t help butugh. He took out a form and asked Lin Shen to fill in the registration information.


    As Lin Shen wrote, he pretended to ask casually, ¡°Sir, I saw the people from the Martial Enforcement Hall just now. What are they doing in the academy?¡±


    Kong Hong didn¡¯t suspect anything. He sighed and said, ¡°There was a murder in the Northern District yesterday. One of the victims was a student from our academy. The people from the Martial Enforcement Hall came to ask about that student.¡±


    Murder in the Northern District?


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he immediately asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure either.¡± Kong Hong shook his head. ¡°The people from the Martial Execution Hall said it was confidential and couldn¡¯t reveal the details of the case.¡±


    After a pause, he nced at Lin Shen and reminded him,


    ¡°You¡¯d better stay clear of the Northern District for a while.¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He thought Kong Hong was referring to his trip to the ck street.


    However, he quickly realized it was impossible for Kong Hong to know about this. Kong Hong was most likely referring to the welfare institute in the Northern District and asking him not to return there for the time being.


    As expected, Kong Hong continued, ¡°When thingse down over there, you can find an opportunity to visit the welfare institute again.¡±


    Lin Shen rxed slightly and nodded in agreement.


    ¡°By the way,¡± Kong Hong suddenly remembered something and looked at Lin Shen with bright eyes. ¡°I heard some students discussing you this morning. They said you had reached Proficient in zing Sun Palm. Is that true?¡±


    When he used the zing Sun Palm at Blue Rose, Lin Shen was mentally prepared for the news to get out. He wasn¡¯t surprised when he heard this. He nodded and said, ¡°Yes, I reached Proficient a few days ago.¡±


    Hearing Lin Shen admitted it himself, Kong Hong looked like he couldn¡¯t conceal his surprise.


    Lin Shen¡¯s previous two breakthroughs had already surprised Kong Hong a lot. Who would have thought that in less than a few days, Lin Shen would actually surprise him again?


    He was Proficient in zing Sun Palm and had reached Level 5 in the Qi Transformation Stage. Such capability was enough to rank him in the top five among the ordinary students in the entire Willow Academy.


    In fact, he was even more outstanding than some disciples of influential families!


    Kong Hong couldn¡¯t help but feel secretly amazed. Why didn¡¯t he realize Lin Shen was a genius before?


    ¡°Good. You¡¯ve improved much faster than I expected!¡±


    Kong Hong looked at the student in front of him with admiration in his eyes.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be a problem for you to get into the top five in thispetition. If you work hard, you might even get into the top three!¡±


    Lin Shen smiled without denying it.


    If Kong Hong knew he had already reached the seventh level of the Qi Transformation Stage and was only one step away from mastering the zing Sun Palm, his eyes would definitely pop out.


    However, Lin Shen was constantly using Mortal Restrain in front of others. The cultivation level he disyed was only at the fifth level of the Qi Transformation Stage. No matter how sharp Kong Hong¡¯s eyesight was, he couldn¡¯t see through Lin Shen¡¯s true cultivation level.


    ¡°The exam is still two months away. I presume you¡¯re going to register for the exam, right?¡± Kong Hong asked.


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    Kong Hong nodded and didn¡¯t ask Lin Shen which of the three academies he wanted to apply for.


    Generally speaking, if one chose to cultivate the fundamental cultivation technique of a sect, they would definitely apply to the academy affiliated to that sect in the future.


    On the other hand, Lin Shen cultivated the zing Sun Palm, so it was obvious which academy he would apply to.


    ¡°The notice of the examination has been sent out. Our academy has been allocated 30 spots this year.¡±


    ]Kong Hong took a sip of tea to moisten his throat and continued,


    ¡°I won¡¯t lie to you. Out of these thirty spots, twenty-three have already been upied by the disciples of influential families. The remaining seven spots will be divided among ordinary students like you.¡±


    Lin Shen nodded calmly.


    This kind of thing was verymon in various academies. It was alreadymon knowledge that the disciples of influential families would upy most of the spots in the examination.


    In fact, this wasn¡¯t unfair.


    After all, the cultivation conditions of the disciples of influential families far exceeded that of ordinary students, so their strength naturally far exceeded that of ordinary students as well.


    Very few disciples had cultivation levels lower than the fifth level of the Qi Transformation Stage.


    Their achievements in martial arts techniques also far surpassed ordinary students.


    Judging by their capability, it wasn¡¯t strange for them to upy arge number of spots in the examination.


    Kong Hong continued, ¡°There are only a few ways for ordinary students to get a spot in the examination.¡±


    ¡°Firstly, students at Level 6 of the Qi Transformation Stage or higher can be exempted from the assessment and obtain a spot in the examination!¡±


    When he said this, Kong Hong¡¯s tone was very ordinary, and he didn¡¯t notice the sh of light in Lin Shen¡¯s eyes.


    From Kong Hong¡¯s point of view, having one such ordinary student a year was already a big achievement.


    Ordinary students who could reach the fifth level of the Qi Transformation Stage were already considered outstanding.


    This year, there were only five or six people in Willow Academy who had reached this level.


    Therefore, he would never have thought Lin Shen had already risen to the seventh level!


    ...


    ¡°Secondly, if you obtain the top two positions in thepetition, you can also be exempted from the assessment and obtain a spot in the examination.


    ¡°Thest method is to pass the academy¡¯s assessment after signing up. Only after that can you obtain a spot in the examination.¡±


    After saying the three methods, Kong Hong looked at Lin Shen and smiled.


    ¡°With your current capability, you¡¯ll definitely get one of the remaining seven spots. The only difference is whether you get it in the second or third way.


    ¡°If you can get into the top two in thepetition, it¡¯ll save you a lot of trouble. You can also obtain the reward of the Origin Pill. It¡¯ll be very beneficial to you. Therefore, you have to work hard in thepetition!¡±


    ¡°I understand. Thank you, Mr. Kong!¡± Lin Shen nodded calmly.


    Seeing Lin Shen¡¯s ¡°determined¡± expression, Kong Hong nodded in satisfaction.


    He admired this student from the bottom of his heart because Lin Shen had a poor family background but relied on hard work to be the best among ordinary students. Naturally, Kong Hong looked forward to seeing Lin Shen shine in thepetition.


    The teacher¡¯s work made him yearn to see his students breaking the cocoon and turning into butterflies with his help.


    While drinking tea, Kong Hong had already thought about it. If Lin Shen didn¡¯t get into the top two in thepetition, he would personally buy some Origin Pills for Lin Shen.


    He believed with his help and encouragement, Lin Shen would quickly recover from the frustration of losing thepetition. He would be reborn from the ashes and make breakthroughs. Then, he would shock the world and enter the Nine Yang Academy in the final examination.


    ...


    After that, Kong Hong himself would also be famous because of Lin Shen and became a great teacher whom everyone respected. He would be promoted to the headmaster of Willow Academy. He was almost done thinking about his speech after that.


    Kong Hong was so happy that he couldn¡¯t stop smiling.

 Chapter 26

    Bone Mapping Technique


    Time flew by.


    In the blink of an eye, another four days passed.


    Under the diligent cultivation of Clone 3, Lin Shen finally reached Mastery in zing Sun Palm.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Pure Yang Body]


    [Stage: Qi Transformation Level 7, 48%]


    [Cultivation Technique: Original Breathing Technique (Mastery 84%), zing Sun Palm (Mastery 2%), Mortal Restrain (Beginner 16%)]


    [Number of clones: 3 (94%)]


    ¡°Finally!¡±


    Lin Shen looked at the interface, and a smile appeared on his face.


    Even among the disciples of influential families, there were not many who could reach Mastery in their fundamental martial arts techniques at his age.


    For example, Yang Zhongyi¡¯s zing Sun Palm was Proficient.


    With Lin Shen¡¯s current strength, he was no longer inferior to Yang Zhongyi.


    If Yang Zhongyi didn¡¯t have any other cards up his sleeves, Lin Shen was even confident that he could defeat Yang Zhongyi in a head-on battle!


    Only a month ago, he could only barely hold on under Yang Zhongyi¡¯s attack despite being fully armed. The thought made Lin Shen rather emotional.


    It was worth mentioning that after breaking through to the seventh level of the Qi Transformation Stage, the clones¡¯ zero consumption distance had unsurprisingly been extended to 70m.


    Moreover, his current physical strength and vitality were enough to maintain a clone for at most a minute at a distance of about 500m.


    At least in the vi where Lin Shen lived, the three clones could already move freely.


    Of course, Lin Shen usually wouldn¡¯t materialize his clones unless it was necessary.


    His clone was his greatest secret. No matter how careful he was, it wasn¡¯t too much!


    ¡°The fourth clone is almostplete. After thepetition tomorrow, I should be able to condense a new clone!¡±


    Lin Shen grew excited.


    What he looked forward to the most was undoubtedly his new clone.


    With each additional clone, his cultivation speed would increase greatly.


    More importantly, he could gain new talent.


    Lin Shen couldn¡¯t wait to see what talent his fourth clone could obtain!


    ¡°I hope I can get a talent that can increase my cultivation speed!¡±


    Lin Shen muttered softly and immediately looked at the Origin Breathing Technique on the interface.


    ¡°The progress of the Origin Breathing Technique has also exceeded 80%. I should be able to reach Perfection in four to five days at most!¡±


    Lin Shen nced at Clone 2, who had been frantically consuming Condensing Liquid to aid his cultivation for the past three days. Now, he had already used two liters of the liquid.


    The result was his cultivation progress had quickly increased by about 40%.


    However, at the same time, he was getting paler by the day. His face had a bluish color, and he looked sickly.


    This was a sign that the pill poison had umted too much.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I can¡¯t see its lifespan. I wonder how long it canst.¡±


    Lin Shen looked at the sky outside. Night had fallen.


    ¡°The remaining three liters of Condensing Liquid canst for five days at most. I have to go to the ck street to buy more.¡±


    Looking at the night sky outside, Lin Shen didn¡¯t dy. He changed his clothes, took out the Face Changing Pill, and swallowed one. Then, he jumped out of the balcony.


    Under the dim night sky, he ran wildly in the direction of the Northern District along shadows and corners.


    ¡­


    It was his second time visiting the ck street, and Lin Shen was no longer as curious as before. He went straight to the shop that sold Condensing Liquid.


    The same balding owner was sitting behind the counter.


    Just likest time, he was still reading an ¡°academic magazine¡± with great interest.


    ¡°Thirty liters of Condensing Liquid!¡±


    Lin Shen knocked on the counter and feigned a hoarse voice.


    The shop owner looked up at him andzily said,


    ¡°I only have ten liters left. If you want more,e back some other time.¡±


    Lin Shen frowned slightly but didn¡¯t hesitate. He nodded and said, ¡°Ten liters, then!¡±


    The transaction was quicklypleted. Lin Shen carried a box in each hand and walked out of the shop.


    Since he had already bought the items, he didn¡¯t want to stay on the ck street any longer. He immediately walked back the way he came and prepared to return to the Eastern District.


    However, when he passed by a shop, he heard a muffled bang. The door of the shop was pushed open from the inside, and a person was thrown out. He fell to the ground and cried out in pain.


    [Lin Shen stopped in his tracks with a strange expression on his face.


    Why did this situation look so familiar?


    When he took a closer look, he realized the person lying on the ground was none other than the elderly man who sold the ¡°secret manuals¡±!


    ¡°Damn you, old fool! How dare you use our service for free? You must have some balls! I¡¯ll teach you a lesson today!¡±


    ...


    A scrawny man with shifty eyes walked out of the shop cursing, followed by two fierce-looking men.


    The two men red at the elderly man with unfriendly expressions. Their eyes were fierce as they clenched their fists, making cracking sounds.


    Lin Shen looked at the suggestive pink lighting from inside the shop and the poster of the exposed woman on the wall beside the door. He immediately understood what kind of shop this was, and the corners of his mouth couldn¡¯t help but twitch.


    What a freeloader!


    Lin Shen looked at the elderly man speechlessly.


    It was one thing for him to dine and dashst time, but this time, he actually tried to take advantage of such a ce. He really had a death wish!


    This was the ck street!


    A chaotic gray area!


    It wasn¡¯t as simple as breaking thew if one tried to take things from here without paying.


    If they met an evil person, they might not even live to see the sun the next day!


    How did this elderly man survive until now?


    ...


    Under the gaze of the thin man, the two burly men approached the elderly man with cold smiles. From the looks of it, they clearly nned to teach thetter a lesson that would be engraved in his heart.


    ¡°Wait, wait a minute¡­¡±


    The elderly man was so frightened that he was sweating profusely. His eyes darted around as he turned his head from side to side. Suddenly, he saw Lin Shen and was overjoyed. He looked like a drowning person who had found a straw and said anxiously, ¡°Young man, we meet again. Please help me!¡±


    Lin Shen pursed his lips and was about to speak when his heart suddenly trembled.


    Every time he took the Face Changing Pill, he would have a new face. His current appearance waspletely different from thest time he saw the elderly man. How did thetter recognize him?


    Only cultivator masters could ignore the effects of the Face Changing Pill and see the true appearance of the person who consumed it. Could this elderly man be one of the legendary mighty cultivators?


    However, seeing his sloppy clothes and wretched appearance, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t associate him with a high and mighty cultivator master.


    Hearing the elderly man, the thin man raised his hand to signal the two burly men to stop and nced sideways at Lin Shen.


    ¡°You know each other?¡±


    Before Lin Shen could speak, the elderly man had already jumped up from the ground and quickly ran to his side.


    ¡°Young man, it¡¯s an emergency. Please help me one more time!¡±


    Lin Shen suppressed the surprise in his mind and pretended to be puzzled.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got the wrong person, haven¡¯t you? Have we met before?¡±


    The old man chuckled and lowered his voice.


    ¡°Young man, the Face Changing Pill can only change a person¡¯s appearance, but not their body shape or bone structure. I might not be good at anything else, but I know the Bone Mapping Technique. I¡¯m confident that I won¡¯t mistake you for someone else. Last time, you spent 20 spirit coins to buy a Dragon Spear from me, right?¡±

 Chapter 27

    Assassin Agency


    Bone mapping technique?


    Lin Shen was stunned. He didn¡¯t know someone in this world could actually recognize people based on their bone structure!


    Since the elderly man mentioned Lin Shen bought Dragon Spear with 20 spirit coins, he was obviously not bluffing.


    At the very least, Lin Shen would rather believe the elderly man could recognize people through their bone structures than him being a cultivator master.


    All the thoughts quickly went through Lin Shen¡¯s mind. Lin Shen stopped feigning a puzzled expression, nced at the elderly man, and snapped at him.


    ¡°Even if you can recognize me, don¡¯t expect me to help you a second time!¡±


    With that, he was about to leave.


    Of course, the elderly man wouldn¡¯t let his only savior leave. He anxiously stopped Lin Shen.


    ¡°Wait a minute, young man. I won¡¯t let you help me for nothing this time¡­¡±


    Lin Shen cut him off. ¡°I don¡¯t need your secret manuals.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a secret manual. I have a piece of important information about you!¡±


    Lin Shen raised his eyebrows. ¡°Important information about me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I promise it¡¯ll be worthwhile!¡±


    Seeing Lin Shen stop, the elderly man heaved a sigh of relief and smiled apologetically.


    ¡°If you help me this time, I¡¯ll tell you the information.¡±


    Lin Shen wouldn¡¯t have it. ¡°Tell me the information first.¡±


    ¡°Well ¡­¡±


    ¡°Forget it!¡±


    ¡°No, no, no¡­¡± The elderly man quickly stopped Lin Shen and agreed with a bitter expression. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    Only then did Lin Shen stop to listen.


    The elderly man cleared his throat and said in a low voice, ¡°Someone wants you dead!¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s pupils contracted, but he didn¡¯t say anything. He used his eyes to signal the elderly man to continue.


    ¡°Someone spent 300,000 spirit coins on your life in Lurking Snake. The bounty was just put up this morning!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s Lurking Snake?¡±


    ¡°The most famous assassin agency on the ck street. They specialize in epting employers¡¯ assassination requests. After that, they¡¯ll post the requests for someone to take the order, and Lurking Snake will take amission!¡±


    ¡°Who wants to kill me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡± The elderly man spread out his hands and then revealed a fawning smile. ¡°How about that? This information is enough for you to help me once!¡±


    Lin Shen took a deep breath and calmed down. He turned to look at the thin man and the others.


    ¡°How much does he owe you?¡±


    ¡°500 spirit coins!¡±


    Without another word, Lin Shen threw out five spirit coins worth 100 each.


    After receiving the spirit coins, the petite man¡¯s gloomy expression immediately eased a lot. He red fiercely at the elderly man and returned to the shop with his men.


    After the three of them entered the shop, Lin Shen turned to the elderly man and asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Well, my surname is Wu. Many people call me Old Wu.¡±


    Lin Shen nodded. ¡°Take me to Lurking Snake.¡±


    He wanted to see if Old Wu was telling the truth.


    If Old Wu was lying, Lin Shen would kick this liar¡¯s ass.


    If what Old Wu said was true, Lin Shen would have to think of a way to stop it.


    Old Wu had obviously guessed what Lin Shen was thinking. He chuckled and turned around to lead the way.


    As an assassin¡¯s agent, Lurking Snake¡¯s headquarters was naturally located in the darkest part of the ck street.


    Led by Old Wu, the two of them took many turns and walked for a while. Finally, they entered a small alley and stopped in front of an iron door.


    ¡°This is Lurking Snake¡¯s headquarters.¡± Old Wu pointed at the iron gate.


    Lin Shen looked around.


    They were in the back alley of a building.


    The iron gate was in the middle of the alley. The walls on both sides were mottled. On the right was a spiral irondder covered in rust. On the left were ck garbage bags piled up like a small mountain, emitting a nauseating stench.


    The door was covered with a sheet of iron, and someone had painted malicious graffiti on it with chalk.


    There was no handle on the door. It was bare except for an inconspicuous keyhole and a peephole.


    Old Wu was smart enough to knock on the door.


    Light footsteps came from behind the iron door. Someone approached and seemed to be checking the identity of the people outside through the peephole.


    After a few seconds, the iron door creaked open. A tall man with a tattoo on his right arm poked half of his body out and frowned at Old Wu.


    ¡°Old Wu, what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t Ie?¡± Old Wu snorted. ¡°Didn¡¯t I bring someone here a few days ago?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite easy for you to earn your guide fee!¡± The tall man clicked his tongue and looked at Lin Shen. He sized him up expressionlessly. ¡°Are you here to make an order or ept one?¡±


    ]Lin Shen immediately understood what he meant and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m taking an order!¡±


    ...


    The tall man gave him a long look and moved aside.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Lin Shen and Old Wu walked in.


    Behind the door was a cramped room. Other than two sofas, there was no other furniture.


    Three burly men with pugnacious looks sat on the sofa and looked at Lin Shen and Old Wu warily. Clearly, they were some sort of guards.


    There was an entrance at the far end of the room and a long corridor behind it.


    The tall man led Lin Shen and Old Wu through the corridor and finally arrived at a ce that looked like a bar.


    There were seven or eight people scattered in the dim bar. They were either drinking silently or quietly reading a stack of paper.


    The tall man pointed at a man in a bartender¡¯s uniform behind the bar and said to Lin Shen, ¡°Just talk to him if you want to take an order.¡±


    Without waiting for Lin Shen¡¯s response, he turned around and left.


    ¡°Are things done so casually here?¡± Lin Shen asked in a low voice.


    ...


    Old Wu grinned. ¡°Assassin agencies are existences that can¡¯t see the light of day. How can they have the right to check the identity of someone who wants to take an order? As long as you can pay the mission deposit, who cares about your background and strength?¡±


    Lin Shen nodded in understanding and walked towards the bar.


    The bartender had long noticed his and Old Wu¡¯s presence. Seeing Lin Shen walk over, he casually threw a list over and wiped his ss as he said,


    ¡°It¡¯s your first time here, right? This is the mission brief. Pick the mission you want to ept first. Then look for me to get the detailed mission description!


    ¡°First of all, you have to pay a per-mission fee to view the details of a mission. In addition, you have to pay a 10% deposit in advance for epting the mission. If you fail toplete the mission after the deadline, the deposit will not be refunded. If youplete the mission, this 10% deposit will be considered ourmission.¡±


    Lin Shen nodded. Without another word, he picked up the list and looked at it carefully.


    ¡°No. of target: 1. Mid-level personnel of apany. Qi Transformation Level 6. Difficulty rating: D medium. Reward: 400,000. Time limit: 10 days.¡±


    ¡°No. of target: 1. Martial arts school instructor. Qi Transformation Level 9. Difficulty rating: D advanced. Reward: 650,000. Time limit: 15 days.¡±


    ¡°No. of target: 1. Ordinary member of the Martial Enforcement Hall. Qi Transformation Level 9. Difficulty rating: C medium. Reward: 1.5 million. Time limit: 30 days.¡±


    The description of the missions on the list was very concise.


    Lin Shen even saw the mission to assassinate a member of the Martial Enforcement Hall.


    The member was also at Level 9 of the Qi Transformation Stage, but the reward was more than twice that of the previous one. The difficulty ranking was also two levels higher.


    But it was very normal.


    After all, assassinating a member of the Martial Enforcement Hall was no different from stroking a tiger¡¯s whiskers. Afterward, the Martial Enforcement Hall would spare no effort to get back at the assassin!


    Who would dare to ept such a mission?


    They might not have the chance to spend the money they earned from this mission!


    However, Lurking Snake dared to ept such a mission, which meant it must be extremely well-connected.


    Lin Shen clicked his tongue in wonder and continued reading.


    Suddenly, his expression froze.


    ¡°No. of target: 1. Student of Willow Academy. Qi Transformation Level 5. Difficulty Rating: D minor Reward: 300,000. Time limit: 10 days.¡±

 Chapter 28

    The Fastest Way to Solve the Problem


    Lin Shen narrowed his eyes at the message on the brief.


    If he had guessed right, this should be the bounty targeted at him.


    Without hesitation, Lin Shen pointed at the message and said to the bartender in a deep voice,


    ¡°I want to see the details of this mission!¡±


    The bartender nced up.


    ¡°1,000 spirit coins!¡±


    Lin Shen secretly clicked his tongue. Looking at the mission content alone would cost him 1,000 spirit coins. What a lucrative business!


    After paying 1,000 spirit coins, the bartender searched under the bar for a while and quickly handed him a document.


    Lin Shen took it and had a look.


    As expected, it was his information.


    This included his year and ss at the academy, his home address, his background, and detailed information about his strength.


    Even his part-time job at Calm Sun Martial Arts School was listed.


    Other than that, there was also a full-length photo of him.


    Judging from the background, it was taken secretly when he was on his way home from martial arts school.


    Only then did Lin Shen understand why Old Wu knew that someone had posted an order in Lurking Snake to assassinate him.


    However, what puzzled him was one had to pay to browse through this information. Old Wu had no money, so how did he see this information?


    Had he also epted missions from Lurking Snake?


    Lin Shen nced at Old Wu, who was not far away. Thetter was secretly sizing up the dazzling array of wine in the wine cab while swallowing from time to time.


    ¡°Weird guy.¡±


    Lin Shen stopped looking at him and returned his attention to the information in his hand.


    ¡°Unfortunately, this information is outdated.¡±


    If someone really had epted this mission to assassinate Lin Shen, they would realize they had to face a Qi Transformation Stage Level Seven cultivator who had mastered the zing Sun Palm!


    Not just one, but four!


    Even so, Lin Shen wouldn¡¯t let others ept this mission.


    If the person who epted the mission was a Long Breath Stage cultivator, he would be in big trouble.


    Lin Shen wouldn¡¯t take chances on matters that concerned his life.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ept this mission!¡±


    The bartender finally stopped wiping his ss and nced at Lin Shen expressionlessly.


    ¡°The deposit is 30,000!¡±


    Lin Shen pretended to take money out of his pocket, but in fact, he took out 30,000 spirit coins from his storage jade te and ced them on the bar.


    While the bartender was counting, he pretended to ask casually,


    ¡°Is your information on the target urate?¡±


    ¡°The information is provided by the client. If there¡¯s any mistake, we¡¯ll deduct half of the client¡¯s deposit aspensation for the person taking the order!¡± The bartender said without looking up.


    Of course, there was one more thing he didn¡¯t say.


    If the assassin who epted the mission died because of the wrong information, the deposit would naturally be Lurking Snake¡¯s.


    Lin Shen also saw it. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly. No matter which world or industry it was, money always ruled.


    ¡°How do I get paid for killing the target?¡±


    ¡°Provide us with the target¡¯s corpse or head, or use a photographic stone to record the entire assassination process. After verifying with the client that there are no mistakes, we will give the reward to you on the spot!¡±


    ¡°What if the client dies in the course of my mission?¡±


    ¡°The mission will be canceled, and the deposit will be returned. We¡¯ll pay you another 30% of your mission deposit aspensation!¡±


    Lin Shen nodded and left with the file.


    After walking out of the alley, Old Wu chuckled.


    ¡°How was that? I didn¡¯t lie to you, right? This news is worth 500 spirit coins, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Lin Shen nced at him with a faint smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s worth it, but if I see you taking things for free again, what are you going to use to exchange for my help?¡±


    Old Wu¡¯s smile froze. He cleared his throat and smiled awkwardly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been short of money recently. I¡¯m usually aw-abiding citizen.¡±


    Lin Shen smiled without saying anything.


    If the people on the ck street were good citizens, that would be the biggest joke.


    Seeing that Lin Shen didn¡¯t believe him, Old Wu pretended to sigh and turned to leave. He seemed rather disappointed from behind.


    ¡°Why is there no basic trust between people¡­¡±


    He gradually disappeared into the night.


    Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    To call Old Wu a fool was underestimating him.


    ...


    At the very least, a real fool wouldn¡¯t know bone mapping, nor would he suppress his curiosity. This whole time, Old Wu never asked Lin Shen why he had epted the mission to assassinate himself and how he nned to deal with it.


    However, Old Wu wasn¡¯t a smart person.


    No smart person would be a freeload on the ck street all the time.


    All in all, he was a very strange and mysterious guy.


    Shaking his head, Lin Shen temporarily put the matter of Old Wu to the back of his mind and turned to think about the mission.


    Naturally, he had epted the mission to assassinate himself to prevent other assassins from epting it.


    As long as someone epted a mission, no one else could interfere until the time limit of the mission ended.


    At least for the next ten days, Lin Shen didn¡¯t have to worry about assassinsing to his door to harm him.


    As for how to deal with the mission¡­


    To be honest, Lin Shen had thought about using his clone to pretend to be the target toplete this mission.


    He coulde up with an incident of assassinating the ¡°target¡±, record the process with a photographic stone, and hand it to Lurking Snake. He would be able toplete the mission and receive 300,000 spirit coins as his reward.


    ...


    After the clone materialized, it was identical to him in both appearance and cultivation level. No matter how powerful the people of Lurking Snake were, they couldn¡¯t tell the two apart.


    However, after thinking about it carefully, Lin Shen rejected this tempting idea.


    When submitting the mission, the people from Lurking Snake couldn¡¯t tell if it was the real target.


    However, when the person who issued the mission saw Lin Shen was still alive and kicking, they would definitely question Lurking Snake.


    When that happened, Lurking Snake couldn¡¯t find the person who epted the mission, so they would definitely focus their investigation on Lin Shen.


    Once this mysterious assassin agency got involved in the investigation, his secret clones would very probably get exposed.


    Although the huge sum of 300,000 spirit coins was very tempting, it wasn¡¯t as important as the secret of his clones.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t want to cause unnecessary trouble.


    He had his clones with him. Even without 300,000 spirit coins, he could quickly increase his strength. There was no need to take such a meaningless risk.


    Moreover, he had a better solution than faking his own death.


    What was the faster solution to solve a problem?


    There was only one answer, and that was to get rid of the person who raised the question!


    As long as the client who issued the mission was killed within the 10-day limit, the mission would naturally be canceled.


    As for the client¡­


    A faint light shed in Lin Shen¡¯s eyes.


    He usually lived in seclusion. Other than attending sses and his part-time job, he spent almost all his time cultivating. He didn¡¯t interact with any unnecessary people, let alone make enemies.


    The only person who had a conflict with him recently was Zhou Zhihai!


    However, Lin Shen didn¡¯t expect Zhou Zhihai to be so narrow-minded.


    It was just an ordinary conflict, but Zhou Zhihai would hire assassins to kill him!


    If he hadn¡¯t found out about the mission from Old Wu by chance, he would have been in big trouble!


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes flickered for a moment before he quickly made up his mind.


    Since Zhou Zhihai was so ruthless, Lin Shen decided to return the favor in the same manner!

 Chapter 29 Opening of the Competition

    Chapter 29 Opening of the Competition


    "Lin Shen, over here!"


    As soon as he stepped into the field, Lin Shen saw Zheng Hongsheng waving at him from not far away.


    Beside them stood Xu Yuan and Qian Hui.


    Lin Shen smiled and quickly walked up to them to greet them.


    "Have you been here long?"


    "We have!"


    Zheng Hongsheng chuckled.


    "Many people must being to watch such apetition. If you don''te early, we won''t be able to upy a good position!"


    Lin Shen looked around and agreed with Zheng Hongsheng.


    The empty space in the middle of the spacious sports ground was used as thepetition arena. The area surrounding it had long been filled with densely packed people.


    It was crowded, noisy, and much livelier than an open market.


    Not only the third-year students but many first- and second-year students also came to watch the battle.


    Most of the students had excited expressions on their faces. Clearly, they were looking forward to the uingpetition.


    In a corner of the sports field,


    more than ten teachers stood together and whispered to one another.


    Kong Hong was among them.


    When he saw Lin Shen, he even smiled and nodded at thetter.


    Lin Shen had just nodded back at him when he was interrupted by Zheng Hongsheng, who hade over to his side.


    "Lin Shen, I''ve asked around!


    "Including you, there are a total of 31 participants in thispetition. All of them are students at the fourth level of the Qi Transformation Stage and above!"


    There were no restrictions on the cultivation level of the participants. Any third-year students could sign up.


    However, students below the fourth level of the Qi Transformation Stage couldn''t possibly get into the top ten. Participating in thepetition was just a waste of time and energy. Therefore, all the applicants were elite students above the fourth level.


    "You have to pay special attention to five of them. They''ve all reached the fifth level of the Qi Transformation Stage. Three of them are Proficient in the zing Sun Palm just like you. They''re quite capable. If you encounter them, you have to be careful!"


    Before Lin Shen could speak, Qian Hui smiled and said,


    "Don''t worry, Lin Shen is so powerful. He''ll definitely get into the top ten!"


    "Not just the top ten!" Xu Yuan smiled and continued, "It''s not like you haven''t seen Lin Shen''s strength. It won''t be a problem for him to enter the top four!"


    Lin Shen smiled faintly but didn''t say anything.


    At this moment, there was amotion in the crowd.


    They looked in the direction of the voice and saw the crowd at the side of the sports field suddenly parted, leaving a path for someone.


    A group of people walked through that path with their heads held high and chests puffed out. They went straight to the front of the spectating crowd.


    Zheng Hongsheng eximed.


    "Why are they here to watch the battle?"


    The sudden appearance of the disciples of influential families immediately attracted the attention of most people.


    Yan Xing and Zhao Xueying, who were in the lead, were like fireflies in the night. They were especially eye-catching.


    "It''s Yan Xing and Zhao Xue Ying!"


    "Why are these people here? Are they also participating in thepetition?"


    "That''s impossible. I''ve asked around. Among the participants of thepetition, only Su Nian from ss Five is from a declining old family. Apart from her, there are no other disciples of influential families!"


    "In that case, they''re only here to watch the battle?"


    "Most likely."


    The surrounding crowd discussed animatedly and pointed at the disciples of influential families.


    Lin Shen''s gaze passed Yan Xing and Zhao Xueying andnded on Zhou Zhihai, who was at the back of the crowd.


    Thetter happened to look over at this moment.


    The moment their eyes met, a cold glint shed across Zhou Zhihai''s eyes before he retracted his gaze.


    Zheng Hongsheng and Xu Yuan also noticed Zhou Zhihai.


    Seeing Zhou Zhihai turn his head away after a nce, Zheng Hongsheng couldn''t help but grin.


    "Ha! Zhou Zhihai is indeed afraid of Lin Shen. He doesn''t even dare to look at him!"


    "He''s a guy who bullies the weak and fears the strong!" Xu Yuan echoed.


    Lin Shen smiled without denying it.


    Only he understood why Zhou Zhihai restrained his malice just now. That was because even greater malice was already brewing.


    At this moment, Lin Shen suddenly sensed another gaze. He followed his senses and saw it was Yang Zhongyi.


    He was also among those disciples of influential families.


    Seeing Lin Shen look over, Yang Zhongyi smiled and waved at him, attracting the attention of many disciples beside him, but he didn''t care at all.


    Lin Shen smiled and raised his hand in greeting as well.


    Ten minutester,


    a teacher walked to the center of the sports field and raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet.


    "Thepetition is about to begin. We''ll start with the first round ofpetition. Students whose names are called, please stand in the middle of the arena!


    "Remember, thepetition is only used topare notes. Don''t go beyond the limit. Those who deliberately act ruthlessly and injure their opponents will not only be disqualified from thepetition, but they will also be severely punished by the academy!"


    Looking around, the teacher nodded in satisfaction when he saw the students were all listening quietly.


    "Let thepetition begin. The firstpetition will be between Huang Weiqing and Shi Jun!"


    As soon as the teacher finished speaking, two boys walked out of the crowd.


    Under everyone''s watchful eyes, the two of them quickly walked to the center of the arena, stood still, and looked at each other aggressively.


    The moment the referee announced the start of the battle, the two of them immediately rushed toward each other. In the blink of an eye, they were in a fierce battle.


    "Huang Weiqing is from ss 4, and Shi Jun is from ss 8. Both of them are at Qi Transformation Stage Level 4 and Beginner in zing Sun Palm. Their strengths are about the same," Zheng Hongsheng exined in a low voice.


    Just as he said, Huang Weiqing and Shi Juna€TMs strengths were about the same.


    The two of them fought for four to five minutes. In the end, Shi Jun was slightly better and sent Huang Weiqing flying with a palm strike. Huang fell to the ground and couldn''t get up for a long time.


    The referee nced at Huang Weiqing and announced loudly,


    "Shi Jun is the winner!"


    Shi Jun was filled with joy. He took an Energy Recovery Pill from the referee and walked off the stage under the envious gazes of the surrounding people.


    After catching his breath, Huang Weiqing got up dejectedly and left the sports field. He didn''t even want to watch the next match.


    "Next round, Sun Jie and Qi Guangyuan!"


    Another two people walked out of the crowd and entered thepetition arena.


    As the participants went on stage one after another, winners were also announced in turn. The atmosphere in the venue gradually rose.


    When the first Level-5 student appeared, the atmosphere on the sports field instantly reached its peak.


    There were even excited screams from the crowd as if they were fans who had seen their idol.


    At first, Lin Shen was surprised at why the people around him were so excited. However, when he saw the appearance of the person who went on stage, he immediately came to a realization.


    The student was a boy. He wasn''t very tall. At 1.7m tall, he was thin and fragile-looking, and his skin was pale as if he hadn''t been exposed to the sun all year round.


    How should one describe his looks? He could easily be mistaken for a girl.


    If it weren''t for his male uniform, Lin Shen would definitely have thought he was a pretty girl.


    In fact, many boys were shouting excitedly.


    "Who is he?" Lin Shen turned to ask Zheng Hongsheng.


    Zheng Hongsheng said without thinking,


    "He''s the one I mentioned earlier, the only student from a declining old family among the participants. He''s Su Nian, from ss 12.


    "Don''t be fooled by his fragile appearance. It''s said that he already stepped into the fifth level three months ago. He has even cultivated the zing Sun Palm to the Mastery Stage!


    "In thispetition, he''s the participant with the highest chance of obtaining first ce!"

 Chapter 30

    No Suspense


    Most of the declining old families were cultivation families that had declined for several generations. Their foundation was far inferior to the existing eighteen influential families.


    Because of that, students who came from declining old families were generally weaker than the disciples of influential families.


    Zhou Zhihai was one of the former, and so was Su Nian.


    At Level 5 of the Qi Transformation Stage, they were outstanding among ordinary students, butpared to Yan Xing, Zhao Xueying, and Yang Zhongyi, who were disciples of influential families, they were far inferior.


    Even so, Su Nian¡¯s strength was one of the best in thispetition.


    Under everyone¡¯s pitiful gazes, Su Nian¡¯s opponent, a boy at the fourth level of the Qi Transformation Stage, walked into the arena with a bitter expression.


    He seemed to be muttering words like ¡°unlucky¡± and ¡°bad day¡±. Clearly, he knew he wasn¡¯t Su Nian¡¯s match.


    And that was the truth. The boy could only withstand Su Nian¡¯s punch for less than half a minute before he was sent flying. Su Nian didn¡¯t even use the zing Sun Palm in the process.


    ¡°Su Nian wins!¡±


    Su Nian took the Energy Recovery Pill and walked out of the arena without saying a word.


    The match continued.


    Lin Shenter discovered that thepetition was either between two people at the fourth level of the Qi Transformation Stage or between one Level-4 student and one Level-5 student. There had never been a situation where two people were both at the fifth level.


    Obviously, the duels weren¡¯tpletely random.


    Even when the participants of the fifteenth round went on stage, Lin Shen¡¯s name was still not called.


    He was a bye.


    31 participants were fighting one-on-one battles. Naturally, there was a bye.


    ¡°What a lucky bastard!¡± Zhou Zhihai snorted.


    As soon as he finished speaking, Yang Zhongyi turned around and smiled.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you know best whether Lin Shen is lucky or not? Zhou Zhihai, after all, you lost to Lin Shen.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Zhou Zhihai immediately flushed. He wanted to refute Yang Zhongyi, but he couldn¡¯t say anything. He could only re at Yang.


    Yang Zhongyi smiled disdainfully and turned his head away, ignoring him.


    The surrounding disciples of influential families looked at one other in silence.


    Although they didn¡¯te to ss often, they weren¡¯tpletely ignorant of what went on in the academy.


    At the very least, they knew about the ordinary students in the academy who had reached the fifth level of the Qi Transformation Stage.


    Among them was Lin Shen.


    With Lin Shen¡¯s strength, passing the first round was a certainty.


    Even if he had a bye, he didn¡¯t need that kind of luck to get through.


    Zhou Zhihai¡¯s words didn¡¯t make sense. Naturally, no one was willing to speak up for him.


    As if sensing the atmosphere around him, Zhou Zhihai turned his head away resentfully and didn¡¯t say anything else.


    After a ten-minute break, the second round of thepetition began.


    Eight people were to be eliminated, and there were no byes in this round.


    Lin Shen¡¯s opponent was a student at the fourth level of the Qi Transformation Stage. He easily defeated his opponent and advanced.


    In just over an hour, the top eight were decided.


    As expected, including Lin Shen, the five students who had reached the fifth level of the Qi Transformation Stage were all present.


    The remaining three were also outstanding students at the fourth level of the Qi Transformation Stage.


    At this point, eight of the ten spots that could obtain the reward had already been upied.


    The remaining two spots would be decided among the participants who were eliminated in the second round.


    But that was yet to happen.


    Next was the quarterfinals.


    Lin Shen and Su Nian¡¯s opponents were both students at the fourth level of the Qi Transformation Stage. They easily won their rounds.


    The final match of the quarterfinals was a duel between two students at the fifth level of the Qi Transformation Stage.


    The two of them had simr cultivation levels, and their zing Sun Palms had both reached the Proficient stage. Because of that, their battle was especially intense, and the surrounding people shouted.


    Even when the winner was decided, the surrounding students were still a little unsatisfied.


    ¡°Elites at the fifth level of the Qi Transformation Stage are spectacr! The battle was so intense!¡±


    ¡°It made my blood boil!¡±


    ¡°The top four are all at the fifth level of the Qi Transformation Stage. This is going to be interesting!¡±


    ¡°Hurry up and start. I can¡¯t wait!¡±


    Zheng Hongsheng and Xu Yuan were also unusually excited.


    ¡°I knew Lin Shen would enter the top four!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll have six Origin Pills!¡±


    The rewards for the second to fourth ce in thepetition were six Origin Pills.


    Even if Lin Shen lost next, he would still be able to obtain this reward.


    That had reached Zheng Hongsheng and Xu Yuan¡¯s best expectations of thispetition.


    ...


    Unless Lin Shen got first ce, the rewards for the second to the fourth ce were no different.


    It wasn¡¯t easy for Lin Shen to get first ce. Apart from anything else, Su Nian was a very strong opponent!


    Compared to Zheng Hongsheng and Xu Yuan¡¯s excitement, Lin Shen appeared very calm. Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that Zheng and Xu were the ones who advanced to the semifinals.


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes flickered when he looked in Zhou Zhihai¡¯s direction. He suddenly turned around and walked out of the crowd.


    ¡°Lin Shen, where are you going? The semifinals are about to begin!¡± Xu Yuan looked puzzled.


    ¡°I need to use the bathroom.¡±


    Lin Shen waved his hand without looking back.


    Fortunately, he didn¡¯t leave for long and returned to the field in less than two minutes.


    At this moment, the referee had already announced the names for the first match.


    ¡°Su Nian, Wang Weichao!¡±


    The two people whose names were called stepped into the center of the arena at the same time.


    ...


    The atmosphere heightened, and the students watching the battle widened their eyes, fearing they would miss any scene that would happen next.


    At the center of the arena, Wang Weichao stared at Su Nian as if he was facing a great enemy.


    Facing this opponent who had the highest chance of winning first ce, Wang Weichao didn¡¯t dare to underestimate Su Nian or ck off at all.


    The moment the referee gave the order, Wang Weichao suddenly let out a low shout. With a thrust of his feet, he pounced on Su Nian like a lion hunting a rabbit.


    As long as he could gain the upper hand, his chances of defeating Su Nian would increase by at least 20%!


    Unfortunately, things didn¡¯t go as nned.


    When Wang Weichao reached Su Nian, what greeted him was a scarlet palm wrapped in rolling heat waves!


    That usually slender and fair palm was now emitting a zing red light. The surrounding airflow seemed to have been set on fire, and the rolling heat waves swept forward like tidal waves.


    BOOM!


    Wang Weichao had no time to react at all. In an instant, he was hit by the rolling heat wave and was sent flying with a scream.


    Afternding, he wailed and rolled on the ground. His exposed skin was red, as if it was scalded by boiling water.


    Swoosh!


    The referee ran to Wang Weichao and squatted down to help him up. He quickly fed Wang Weichao a medicinal pill.


    As the medicinal power spread, the redness on Wang Weichao¡¯s skin quickly faded.


    Seeing this, the judge secretly heaved a sigh of relief. When he looked up at Su Nian again, his eyes were filled with surprise.


    ¡°Qi Transformation Stage Level 6! Mastery in zing Sun Palm!¡±


    The surrounding crowd suddenly fell silent.


    ]Then, there was an uproar.


    ¡°Really? Su Nian broke through to the sixth level of the Qi Transformation Stage?!¡±


    ¡°Mastery in zing Sun Palm?!¡±


    ¡°Unbelievable!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡±


    Exmations rang out continuously.


    Initially, they had thought that it would be a fierce battle between matching opponents. Who would have thought Su Nian had already advanced to the sixth level of the Qi Transformation Stage? He had even reached Mastery in the zing Sun Palm and defeated his opponent with a single strike!


    With such strength, how could any ordinary student be his match?


    There was no suspense at all about who would get first ce in thispetition!

 Chapter 31

    Recreate the Scene


    ¡°He¡¯s actually at the sixth level of the Qi Transformation Stage¡­¡±


    Xu Yuan was speechless.


    He turned to look at Zheng Hongsheng and realized thetter also had a shocked expression.


    The two of them looked at each other and sighed in unison.


    It seemed there was no hope for Lin Shen to win thepetition.


    With the strength Su Nian had just demonstrated, no one in the entire third grade would be his match.


    ¡°Ha¡­¡±


    Zhou Zhihai looked in Lin Shen¡¯s direction and took pleasure in thetter¡¯s misfortune.


    With Su Nian around, Lin Shen could forget about getting first ce.


    He nced at Yang Zhongyi and felt even more satisfied when he saw thetter and narrowed his eyes without saying a word.


    In front of the crowd, Zhao Xueying¡¯s gaze fell on Su Nian, and her expression changed slightly.


    ¡°Another genius has appeared in the Su family.¡±


    Yan Xing smiled faintly and looked at Su Nian in a condescending way.


    ¡°He¡¯s only at the sixth level of the Qi Transformation Stage.


    ¡°At least a dozen people here who are as capable as him, not to mention you and me.¡±


    As soon as these words were spoken, many disciples of influential families smiled with a sense of superiority.


    Zhao Xueying pursed her lips and didn¡¯t argue with Yan Xing.


    The dozen or so disciples mentioned by Yan Xing were all from the eighteen influential families. The resources they possessed were not something Su Nian, who came from a declining old family, couldpare to.


    However, their cultivation levels were the same as Su Nian¡¯s, making them the inferior ones.


    If Su Nian had the same cultivation resources, his achievements might not be inferior to Zhao Xueying and Yan Xing¡¯s!


    ¡°There¡¯s no doubt who the winner of thispetition will be. We don¡¯t need to watch it anymore. Shall we go?¡± Yan Xing said.


    But Zhao Xue Ying shook her head.


    ¡°I want to keep watching.¡±


    It was rare to see a member of the declining old families reach Mastery in the zing Sun Palm. She wanted to observe his palm technique and perhaps gain some knowledge.


    Yan Xing looked at the girl¡¯s beautiful side profile. His eyes flickered, and he smiled gently.


    ¡°Since you want to watch it, I¡¯ll stay with you.¡±


    Zhao Xue Ying frowned slightly but didn¡¯t say anything. She just looked at the arena.


    After Wang Weichao was helped out of the arena, the second match soon began.


    Lin Shen¡¯s opponent was a student named Liu Shaoming.


    Looking at Lin Shen, Liu Shaoming couldn¡¯t help but feel lucky.


    He was d he wasn¡¯t assigned to be Su Nian¡¯s opponent. Otherwise, not only would he definitely lose, but he would also be seriously injured.


    Thinking of Wang Weichao¡¯s tragic state just now, Liu Shaoming felt a little apprehensive.


    Inparison, Lin Shen was undoubtedly much easier to deal with.


    It was said that Lin Shen had only advanced to the fifth level of the Qi Transformation Stage not long ago. There was a high chance that his cultivation had yet to stabilize. Liu Shaoming was quite confident in defeating Lin Shen.


    ¡°There¡¯s no hope of getting first ce, but second ce isn¡¯t bad either. This way, I can still get rmended for the academy¡¯s entrance examination!¡±


    Thinking of this, Liu Shaoming was slightly excited. His gaze on Lin Shen was instantly filled with eagerness.


    At the same time, many of the surrounding students who were watching the battle also discussed in low voices.


    ¡°I wonder who will win, Lin Shen or Liu Shaoming?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. Both of them are at the fifth level of the Qi Transformation Stage. There¡¯s not much difference in their strength.¡±


    ¡°Who cares? We all know who will be the first.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t say that. The second ce can guarantee a ce in the academy entrance examination. It¡¯s quite different from the third and fourth ce!¡±


    Hearing the discussions around them, the teachers had different expressions.


    They had never heard of Su Nian¡¯s advancement to the sixth level and Mastery in the zing Sun Palm until today. The scene just now had really shocked them.


    The former teacher of ss 12, Jiang Tao, was beaming with joy. He was so happy that he couldn¡¯t keep his mouth closed


    With a Qi Transformation Stage Level 6 student in his ss, his bonus at the end of the year would definitely be much higher. How could he not be happy?


    Seeing the envious and jealous gazes of the other teachers, Jiang Tao smiled so widely that his mouth was about to split open.


    ¡°I knew it. Su Nian has outstanding talent and is willing to work hard. I knew he would definitely break through to the sixth level of the Qi Transformation Stage before the exam. Look, I was right!¡±


    His boastful words made the teachers secretly purse their lips.


    ¡°He¡¯s just lucky. He happens to have an outstanding student in his ss. What¡¯s there to be proud of?¡±


    Kong Hong had an indescribable look on his face.


    At first, he held a little hope that Lin Shen would get first ce in thepetition, but now it seemed there was no hope.


    The difference in strength between the two levels wasn¡¯t so easy to make up for, not to mention that Su Nian¡¯s zing Sun Palm had reached Mastery.


    If nothing went wrong, Su Nian should be the winner of thispetition.


    Fortunately, Lin Shen was already in the top four. Even if he lost, he could still obtain the reward of six Origin Pills.


    ...


    That would reach his expectations of participating in thepetition.


    If he could defeat Liu Shaoming, even if he lost to Su Nian, he would still get a spot in the academy entrance examination.


    ¡°It all depends on the oue of this match¡­¡±


    Kong Hong muttered to himself as he focused on the arena.


    Under the expectant and excited gazes of the people around him, the referee raised his hand high and swung it down.


    The battle began!


    Swoosh!


    Liu Shaoming leaped out and pounced at Lin Shen aggressively.


    Just like Wang Weichao, he also wanted to be the first to make a move.


    ¡°Wang Weichao lost his game because he was unlucky. He had to fight Su Nian, but my situation isn¡¯t the same. The difference in strength between Lin Shen and me isn¡¯t big. As long as I can take the initiative and drag the battle into my rhythm, I¡¯ll be the final winner!¡±


    As these thoughts ran through his mind, Liu Shaoming couldn¡¯t help but reveal an excited smile, as if he could already foresee his victory.


    ...


    Almost in the blink of an eye, Liu Shaoming had already rushed to within two meters of Lin Shen.


    Even now, Lin Shen still made no move.


    The spectators were secretly puzzled, almost suspecting that Lin Shen was preparing to give up.


    At this moment, Lin Shen finally made a move.


    Facing the aggressive Liu Shaoming, Lin Shen only calmly waved his palm. It was as fast as lightning and arrived first.


    A zing red light suddenly came into view!


    Wherever Lin Shen¡¯s palm passed, the air looked like water sshed onto hot oil and instantly boiled!


    Countless scorching heat waves visible to the naked eye appeared out of thin air and crushed Liu Shaoming like an avnche. Under thetter¡¯s horrified gaze, they collide heavily with his body.


    ¡°Ah!!!¡±


    With a miserable scream, Liu Shaoming flew back at a faster speed than when he came. He fell heavily to the ground, his entire body burning red like a cooked shrimp. He curled up and rolled back and forth.


    The buzzing discussions around them stopped abruptly.


    Everyone looked at the scene in astonishment.


    On the huge sports field, other than Liu Shaoming¡¯s screams, there was no other sound.


    How familiar this scene was!


    It was the recap of the battle between Su Nian and Wang Weichao!


    What that meant was obvious!


    Swoosh!


    All the gazes of the spectatorsnded on Lin Shen.


    Shock, astonishment, amazement, disbelief¡­ There were all kinds of emotions.


    By now, how could they not understand Lin Shen had reached Level 6 of the Qi Transformation Stage just as Su Nian and his zing Sun Palm had also reached Mastery?

 Chapter 32

    What Bloody Cultivation Speed Is This?


    Shocking!


    Stunned!


    All the teachers and students on the sports field froze on the spot for a long time.


    After a long while, the referee suddenly came back to his senses. He hurriedly came to Liu Shaoming¡¯s side and fed him a healing pill. Then, he looked at Lin Shen in surprise and slowly said,


    ¡°Lin Shen is the winner!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding crowd seemed to havee back to their senses and immediately erupted into an uproar.


    ¡°Oh my god! Lin Shen has also advanced to the sixth level of the Qi Transformation Stage!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also the zing Sun Palm! That was definitely the power of Mastery in zing Sun Palm!¡±


    ¡°Unbelievable! Didn¡¯t Lin Shen just break through to the fifth level of the Qi Transformation Stage not long ago? How did he break through again so quickly? How did he do it?¡±


    ¡°This is incredible!¡±


    Exmations continued.


    Compared to Su Nian, who came from a declining old family, Lin Shen¡¯s breakthrough to the sixth level of the Qi Transformation Stage and his Master in the zing Sun Palm undoubtedly shocked everyone present.


    After all, many people knew Lin Shen was from a welfare institute. His family was even poorer than most ordinary students. It was obvious how scarce cultivation resources he usually had.


    Under such circumstances, he was still able to possess such strength, so how could they not be extremely shocked?


    ¡°H-how is this possible?!¡±


    Zhou Zhihai¡¯s eyes widened as if he had seen a ghost.


    Lin Shen broke through to the fifth level of the Qi Transformation Stage not long ago. Shortly after that, he had actually advanced to the sixth level of the Qi Transformation Stage!


    Moreover, he had even reached Mastery in the zing Sun Palm!


    What kind of cultivation speed was this?


    Suddenly, Zhou Zhihai seemed to have thought of something, and his expression turned extremely ugly.


    ¡°Oh my god, Lin Shen is so fierce¡­¡±


    Yang Zhongyi was speechless.


    He was undoubtedly the one who was the most astonished.


    For the past month, he had practiced with Lin Shen almost every day.


    Lin Shen was very weak at first and could only wear protective gear to barely withstand Yang Zhongyi¡¯s strikes. Now, he had defeated an elite student at the fifth level of the Qi Transformation Stage with a single palm strike. The flying speed at which Lin Shen¡¯s strength increased was jaw-dropping.


    ¡°Qi Transformation Stage Level Six and Mastery in the zing Sun Palm¡­ With that strength, I can¡¯t guarantee I¡¯ll win if I were his opponent¡­¡±


    The corners of Yang Zhongyi¡¯s mouth twitched, and he looked rather embarrassed.


    The speed at which Lin Shen¡¯s strength increased made him feel like he had cultivated for nothing!


    Other disciples of influential families looked at one another with a mixture of feelings.


    ¡°Such shocking talent!¡±


    Zhao Xueying couldn¡¯t look away from Lin Shen, her eyes flickering


    ¡°Why has such talent been unknown in the past?¡±


    Yan Xing narrowed his eyes and continued,


    ¡°I heard that a teacher said Lin Shen had umted a lot of experience before demonstrating his ability.¡±


    ¡°umted a lot of experience?¡±


    Zhao Xueying frowned in confusion. After a moment, she rxed her eyebrows and nodded thoughtfully.


    That seemed to be the only exnation.


    However, the person who said this was already stunned on the spot. His mouth was agape and he couldn¡¯t say anything for a long time.


    ]It was only when a teacher patted Kong Hong¡¯s shoulder that he recovered from his shock.


    ¡°Not bad, Kong. You hid it so well. I didn¡¯t know there was such a genius in your ss!¡±


    Kong Hong shook his head with a bitter smile. ¡°I don¡¯t even know it myself, let alone you guys.¡±


    No one would have thought Lin Shen would be so ferocious.


    He had hoped Lin Shen could shine in the sparringpetition, but Lin Shen¡¯s performance had exceeded his expectations.


    It would be an understatement to call his performance spectacr.


    ¡°However, where did this kid learn the cultivation method to restrain his aura? Even I was even fooled!¡± Kong Hong was secretly puzzled.


    However, this doubt was quickly reced by surprise.


    No matter what, having a genius like Lin Shen in ss was definitely good news for Kong Hong.


    The other teachers also understood this point. They congratted Kong Hong one after another. Kong Hong was so happy that he couldn¡¯t close his mouth.


    Jiang Tao, the former teacher of ss 12, pursed his lips as jealousy surged in his heart.


    They had the same achievements, but one was from a declining old family, while the other was from a welfare institute. It was needless to say who was more talented.


    With Lin Shen around, the surprise Su Nian brought was immediately reduced.


    In a corner of the field, Su Nian looked at Lin Shen. He couldn¡¯t help but clench his fists, his eyes shing with a strong fighting spirit.


    For a moment, the entire sports field was enveloped in the shock brought about by Lin Shen.


    However, Lin Shen himself had a calm expression.


    ...


    Taking the Energy Recovery Pill from the referee, Lin Shen slowly walked down the stage.


    Xu Yuan and Zheng Hongsheng looked at him as if they were looking at a monster.


    ¡°When did you make the breakthrough? You kept us in the dark!¡±


    ¡°If I were you, I would have spread it around. I can¡¯t believe how you could hold it in until now. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you told me you had broken through to the seventh level next time!¡±


    Xu Yuan and Zheng Hongsheng¡¯s repeatedints made Lin Shen a little overwhelmed.


    Qian Hui watched from the side with a smile. After the three of them finishedughing, she said,


    ¡°This time, Lin Shen really has a chance of getting first ce!¡±


    Xu Yuan and Zheng Hongsheng looked at each other, nodding their heads in agreement.


    Just now, they were still regretting that Lin Shen had no hope of obtaining first ce, but in the blink of an eye, Lin Shen shocked them.


    ording to the current situation, Lin Shen¡¯s ce in the entrance examination was already set in stone. The only difference was whether he could defeat Su Nian and obtain first ce.


    After hesitating for a few seconds, Zheng Hongsheng couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Lin Shen, are you sure you can defeat Su Nian?¡±


    ...


    Lin Shen smiled faintly. ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see.¡±


    The ten-minute break soon passed, and thest match was finally about to begin.


    Under everyone¡¯s expectant and excited gazes, Lin Shen and Su Nian both came to the center of the arena and stood facing each other from 20 meters away.


    Compared to Su Nian¡¯s high spirits, Lin Shen seemed unusually calm.


    Seeing his opponent¡¯s expression, Su Nian frowned imperceptibly, but he quickly rxed.


    No matter what the opponent¡¯s mentality was, he had to do his best to defeat them!


    ¡°Begin!¡±


    Following the referee¡¯s order, the two of them charged out almost at the same time.


    Most of the students only saw a figure sh in front of them. Lin Shen and Su Nian had already collided with each other at the center of the arena!


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The two of them met each other¡¯s palms with their palms and used their strength to attack each other. Even though they were both bare-handed, their momentum was like two iron-armored bronze men that weighed more than 500kg colliding with each other, emitting a dull and deafening bang that was like thunder!


    What was even more shocking was in the blink of an eye, their surroundings were enveloped by a scarlet heat wave.


    From afar, it looked like an inverted bowl-shaped red fog had appeared in the center of the arena.


    The rapidly rising temperature made the students closest to thepetition venue pale, and they retreated one after another.


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome!¡±


    ¡°Is this the power of Mastery in the zing Sun Palm¡­¡±


    ¡°If it were me, I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand a single round!¡±


    The students were speechless, but they couldn¡¯t bear to look away. Their eyes were fixed on the battle in the center of the arena.


    In their opinion, the two sides were evenly matched. It was such a fierce battle!


    However, the teachers, as well as Yan Xing, Zhao Xueying, Yang Zhongyi, and the other disciples of influential families, gradually widened their eyes.


    Their levels were higher, which was why they could see things more clearly.


    In the battle in the red fog, Lin Shen clearly had the upper hand!

 Chapter 33

    First ce in the Competition


    Lin Shen¡¯s true strength was far above Su Nian¡¯s.


    Even if he didn¡¯t use his true cultivation at the seventh level of the Qi Transformation Stage and only switched to the Pure Yang Body talent, he was confident he could defeat Su Nian in two to three rounds.


    However, if he did that, the impact would definitely be much greater than before.


    Lin Shen felt that he had already attracted much attention and didn¡¯t intend to cause another uproar.


    Therefore, he suppressed his cultivation to the sixth level, and his talent was only switched to Perseverance.


    Even so, he still firmly suppressed Su Nian!


    Perseverance provided Resistance +50% and Stamina Recovery +30%, which was an insane improvement,


    especially in a battle between two people of the same stage.


    As time passed, Su Nian¡¯s stamina gradually ran out. His body temperature was also extremely high from being in the rolling heat wave for a long time. He was sweating profusely.


    On the contrary, Lin Shen was still in high spirits. His footsteps were steady, and there was no sign of exhaustion.


    As they fought, Su Nian began to doubt himself.


    ¡°We¡¯re both at the sixth level of the Qi Transformation Stage, but why is there such a huge gap between us?¡±


    The crowd watching the battle gradually saw the clues and seemed surprised.


    ¡°Lin Shen seems to have the upper hand. Right?¡±


    ¡°Have some confidence and drop the ¡®seems¡¯. It¡¯s so obvious. Can¡¯t you tell?¡±


    ¡°Impressive. He can suppress Su Nian to this extent despite being at the same cultivation level!¡±


    ¡°Even the disciples of influential families aren¡¯t that strong!¡±


    Hearing the discussions around them, the mouths of the disciples of the aristocratic families twitched slightly, but they couldn¡¯t say anything to refute.


    Other than Yan Xing, Zhao Xueying, Yang Zhongyi, and a few others, the rest of them weren¡¯t sure they couldst longer if they were in Su Nian¡¯s position.


    Lin Shen¡¯s strength far exceeded their expectations.


    Zhou Zhihai¡¯s face was so dark that it looked like water was about to drip from it.


    He realized that he had underestimated Lin Shen¡¯s strength.


    This way, the intelligence he gave to those people had to be corrected as soon as possible!


    While everyone was eximing in surprise, thepetition finally came to an end.


    Lin Shen was bing more fierce as he fought, and Su Nian finally couldn¡¯t hold on anymore. After almost being hit by Lin Shen¡¯s palm, he helplessly chose to admit defeat.


    ¡°You¡¯re good!¡±


    Su Nian took a deep breath and stared at Lin Shen with bright eyes.


    ¡°I hope I¡¯ll have a chance to fight you next time!¡±


    ¡°That was a good game.¡±


    Lin Shenughed inwardly. From Su Nian¡¯s appearance alone, one wouldn¡¯t know he was so belligerent.


    Wow!


    When thepetition ended, deafening cheers came from the crowd.


    Countless gazesnded on Lin Shen, filled with surprise, curiosity, admiration, envy, and all kinds of other emotions.


    Before thepetition began, no one had expected Lin Shen to win in the end!


    They also didn¡¯t expect Lin Shen to still be able to suppress Su Nian after thetter disyed his powerful strength!


    Lin Shen¡¯s performance today was really stunning!


    What a dark horse!


    What a genius!


    In an instant, Lin Shen undoubtedly became the center of attention!


    After the finals, several rounds ofpetition took ce until the ninth and tenth ces were decided. Thepetition officially ended, followed by a short award ceremony.


    When he took the jade bottle containing the Origin Pills from the dean, Lin Shen heaved a sigh of relief inwardly.


    With this bottle of Original Pills and the Condensing Liquid he bought from the ck street, he believed it wouldn¡¯t take long for him to break through to the ninth level of the Qi Transformation Stage!


    ¡°The exam is in a month. I¡¯m looking forward to seeing your performance!¡±


    The dean smiled gently at Lin Shen and Su Nian.


    Both of them pursed their lips and nodded.


    After the award ceremony, Kong Hong found Lin Shen and gave him a few words of encouragement before leaving.


    Although Kong Hong could no longer turn a caterpir into a butterfly, he was still very happy that there was a genius student in his ss.


    Not long after Kong Hong left, Yang Zhongyi walked over.


    ¡°Man, you hid it well. I didn¡¯t even notice you had broken through. Today, you¡¯ve shocked everyone!¡±


    Yang Zhongyi smiled and punched Lin Shen¡¯s chest, his demeanor much more intimate than before.


    Lin Shen smiled without denying it. He knew better than to believe that.


    Although Yang Zhongyi seemed approachable, it was just his habit.


    Deep down, Yang Zhongyi didn¡¯t really treat him as an equal.


    It didn¡¯t mean Yang Zhongyi was hypocritical or pretentious. His behavior came more from his upbringing and the habit he had formed.


    ...


    For example, a big entrepreneur might be humble and polite to amoner, but in his heart, he couldn¡¯t possibly treat thetter as an existence of the same status as him.


    It was a kind of condescending humility. It meant cultivation, bearing, or politeness, but it did not mean respect at all.


    That was unless thetter showed value worthy of the former¡¯s attention.


    And Lin Shen had just revealed this value!


    The talent and strength he disyed in thepetition had clearly been recognized by Yang Zhongyi.


    Only then did Yang Zhongyi truly treat him as an equal.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t feel that there was anything toin about.


    Only the strong could be respected and acknowledged by others. That was very realistic, but it was an irrefutable principle.


    Many thoughts shed through Lin Shen¡¯s mind, but his expression didn¡¯t change. He looked at Su Nian, who was beside Yang Zhongyi, and said in surprise,


    ¡°Do you know each other?¡±


    ¡°More than that. We know each other very well.¡±


    ...


    Yang Zhongyi hugged Su Nian¡¯s shoulder affectionately.


    Su Nian shook off his hand with a look of disdain and rolled his eyes.


    Don¡¯t touch me. If one didn¡¯t know better, they would suspect your sexual orientation!¡±


    ¡°Bah!¡±


    Yang Zhongyi immediately gave Su Nian the middle finger.


    ¡°My sexual orientation can¡¯t be more obvious. Everybody knows I like cat girls the most. As for you, well, I heard that you have many male fans in the academy.¡±


    Watching the two of them bicker, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but shake his head andugh.


    He could tell the two of them were indeed on good terms.


    ¡°By the way, Lin Shen, are you free tonight? Dinner¡¯s on me. Let¡¯s celebrate that you became the winner of thepetition,¡± Yang Zhongyi said with a smile.


    Su Nian also looked at Lin Shen.


    Because of his own situation, he had a good impression of Lin Shen, who had relied on his perseverance and hard work to achieve his current achievements despite his poor family background.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t hesitate for long and quickly agreed.


    He happened to have something to ask Yang Zhongyi.


    He turned around and said a few words to Xu Yuan and Zheng Hongsheng before leaving with Su Nian and Yang Zhongyi.


    Seeing this scene, many students around were immediately disappointed.


    They had wanted to get close to Lin Shen, but before they could act on that, Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian beat them to it.


    In the crowd, Zhou Zhihai looked at Lin Shen from behind with an extremely ugly expression.


    ¡°So what if you¡¯re first in thepetition? I¡¯ll let you be smug for now. In a few days, you won¡¯t live to participate in the examination!¡±


    Zhou Zhihai snorted and left the sports field.


    Not long after he left the academy, a figure suddenly blocked his path.


    Zhou Zhihai frowned and looked up. The person blocking the way was an ordinary-looking man of medium height.


    He was in a bad mood. Seeing this, he cursed without thinking,


    ¡°Get lost!¡±


    The man wasn¡¯t angry. He looked at Zhou Zhihai expressionlessly and spoke slowly.


    ¡°The information you provided was quite wrong!¡±


    Zhou Zhihai¡¯s pupils contracted. ¡°Lurking Snake sent¡­¡±


    Halfway through his sentence, he suddenly became rmed and looked at the crowd around him. His expression changed several times as he whispered,


    ¡°We can¡¯t talk here. Come with me!¡±


    With that, he walked towards an alley not far away.


    The man narrowed his eyes and followed Zhou Zhihai without a word.

 Chapter 34

    me the Clone, Not Me


    The two of them walked into the dark alley one after another.


    Only when they were far away from the crowd and the surroundings were quiet did Zhou Zhihai turn around and say,


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to get the information wrong either. Who would have thought Lin Shen¡¯s strength could increase so quickly¡­ Has anyone epted the mission?¡±


    Unexpectedly, a faint smile appeared on the man¡¯s face when he heard Zhou Zhihai¡¯s question.


    ¡°It really is you.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Zhou Zhihai looked at the man in astonishment. He immediately realized what was going on, and his expression changed drastically.


    ¡°You¡¯re not from Lurking Snake!¡±


    Zhou Zhihai suddenly felt extremely uneasy. Without thinking, he quickly backed away.


    Unfortunately, it was toote.


    A blinding red light suddenly lit up in his vision. It was like a zing sun breaking through the clouds and instantly tearing apart the darkness in the alley!


    Seeing this, Zhou Zhihai widened his eyes in shock and eximed,


    ¡°You¡¯ve reached Perfection in zing Sun Palm!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, a scorching heat wave swept over like a tidal wave, drowning him as he watched in horror.


    Thump!


    Zhou Zhihai was sent flying like a kite with a broken string!


    While he was still in mid-air, he spat out arge mouthful of blood. The blood was extremely hot, and before itnded on the ground, it evaporated into arge cloud of blood mist.


    Thump!


    Zhou Zhihai fell heavily to the ground. His entire body seemed to have been burnt by fire, and his limbs couldn¡¯t stop twitching.


    Under the dim light, one could see a red palm print on his chest. Large blisters appeared on his skin, and in the blink of an eye, they melted into a blood-red color. Finally, they dried up and looked like burnt leather.


    The power of the zing Sun Palm in Perfection enhanced by the Pure Yang Body was extremely powerful. Zhou Zhihai took this blow head-on and was hit at a vital spot like his chest. His internal organs were almost cooked. As he panted violently, he exhaled white smoke that was visible to the naked eye. It was obvious that he didn¡¯t have long to live.


    ¡°Heh¡­ Heh¡­¡±


    Zhou Zhihai¡¯s face contorted in pain. Veins popped out of his red neck as he stared at the man in front of him.


    He was filled with despair, horror, and confusion.


    He couldn¡¯t figure out who this person was and why he was attacked.


    Unfortunately, he no longer had the chance to know the answer to this question.


    Zhou Zhihai could clearly feel his life force rapidly draining away.


    Before he fell into the eternal darkness, the scene left behind in his vision was the man slowly distorted and disappearing like a reflection in theke hit by a stone.


    ¡­


    At the entrance of the academy more than 200m away,


    Yang Zhongyi was calling Lin Shen and Su Nian to get into the car when he suddenly saw amotion in the crowd in the distance.


    Many people screamed loudly, and he could vaguely hear the words ¡°dead¡± and ¡°Willow Academy¡±.


    A few students from the academy ran back with panicked expressions and rushed toward the academy¡¯s entrance. It seemed they wanted to inform the teacher.


    Yang Zhongyi reached out to stop one of them and asked,


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    The student recognized Yang Zhongyi. Seeing who was asking, he had to answer the question.


    ¡°Someone died in the alley ahead!¡±


    ¡°Who is it? Someone from our academy?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s Zhou Zhihai!¡±


    Yang Zhongyi was shocked.


    At this moment, a series of ripping sounds suddenly came from behind. A few figures passed by at lightning speed and rushed towards the distant alley.


    They were the teachers who had rushed over after hearing the news.


    Seeing this, Yang Zhongyi immediately followed them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look!¡±


    Lin Shen and Su Nian looked at each other and followed Yang Zhongyi right away.


    When the three of them arrived at the entrance of the alley, it was already surrounded by people.


    ¡°I heard Zhou Zhihai was dead?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I took a look just now. He died miserably. His body was blood-red, like a cooked prawn!¡±


    ¡°Why does it sound like a sign of being hit by the zing Sun Palm?¡±


    The crowd discussed animatedly.


    After all, Zhou Zhihai was a student of Willow Academy, but he died in its vicinity. Naturally, many people stopped to watch themotion.


    Some pitied him, some were scared, and some people gloated.


    Because Zhou Zhihai was a disciple of an influential family, he often tyrannized the academy. Now that he had died tragically in the alley, those who had been bullied by him would only feel he deserved it.


    With Yang Zhongyi leading the way, the three teenagers sessfully squeezed into the front of the crowd.


    ...


    In the dark alley, three teachers were examining the corpses with solemn expressions.


    The leader was Kong Hong.


    ¡°What a powerful palm force!¡±


    Kong Hong stared at the charred palm print on the corpse¡¯s chest in astonishment.


    ¡°zing energy seeped into his body. Not only were his internal organs almost roasted, but more than half of his blood had also evaporated. It¡¯s very likely that the perpetrator¡¯s zing Sun Palm has already reached Perfection!¡±


    Hearing this, the two teachers beside him immediately took a deep breath, their faces filled with shock.


    Perfection in zing Sun Palm!


    Only a handful of teachers in the entire Willow Academy could reach this level of martial arts technique!


    For example, the three of them had only reached Mastery in zing Sun Palm.


    ¡°In that case, the perpetrator should be a Long Breath Stage cultivator!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very likely. Even if they¡¯re not that, they should be at least at theter stage of the Qi Transformation Stage!¡±


    ...


    Kong Hong¡¯s expression was abnormally solemn.


    It wasn¡¯t easy to cultivate any martial technique, even the most basic ones, to Perfection!


    Although Mastery and Perfection were only one step away, many cultivators would never be able to cross this threshold in their entire lives.


    For example, the three of them had been stuck at Mastery for seven to eight years and had yet to break through this barrier.


    Talent wasn¡¯t the only factor. It was also because they needed to divert their attention to cultivate other martial techniques.


    No matter what, since the perpetrator was able to reach Perfection in zing Sun Palm, they had to have an advanced cultivation level.


    Even if they weren¡¯t at the Long Breath Stage, they were definitely at the eighth or ninth level of the Qi Transformation Stage!


    ¡°We need to report this!¡±


    Kong Hong rubbed the space between his eyebrows in frustration. With such a sudden incident, the teachers would be very busy for a while.


    Suddenly, Kong Hong recalled something and instructed the others,


    ¡°We also have to inform the Martial Enforcement Hall!


    ¡°Didn¡¯t one of our students die in the Northern District some time ago? Zhou Zhihai¡¯s death might have something to do with this!¡±


    The two teachers looked at each other and nodded heavily.


    At the entrance of the alley,


    Yang Zhongyi heard the three teachers¡¯ analysis clearly. His eyes flickered slightly as he subconsciously nced at Lin Shen.


    To be honest, the moment he heard Zhou Zhihai was killed, he immediately thought of Lin Shen.


    After all, Lin Shen was the only one who had a conflict with Zhou Zhihai and had the ability to kill thetter.


    However, Lin Shen was by Yang Zhongyi¡¯s side when Zhou Zhihai died. Apart from that, judging by the analysis of the three teachers, Lin Shen¡¯s strength didn¡¯t match that of the perpetrator.


    As for hiring someone to kill Zhou Zhihai, how could Lin Shen, who came from a welfare institute, have the financial resources and channels?


    Thinking of this, Yang Zhongyi couldn¡¯t help but mock himself.


    He had really let his imagination run wild. How did it involve Lin Shen?


    Zhou Zhihai had always been arrogant and despotic. There were countless people who hated him. Anyhow, it wasn¡¯t Lin Shen¡¯s turn to take revenge.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t know the thoughts shing through Yang Zhongyi¡¯s mind. Even if he did, he wouldn¡¯t care.


    He looked calmly at the scene not far away with an unperturbed expression. There was nothing suspicious about him.


    He thought, ¡°What do my clone¡¯s actions have anything to do with me?¡±

 Chapter 35

    Cat Girl


    ¡°Who do you think killed Zhou Zhihai?¡±


    In the spacious carriage, Yang Zhongyi asked curiously as he drank a cold drink.


    He wasn¡¯t on good terms with Zhou Zhihai. If anything, they were almost hostile toward each other.


    Therefore, he didn¡¯t feel pity for Zhou Zhihai¡¯s death. He was purely curious.


    Next to him, Su Nian looked at the scenery outside the window and said without turning his head,


    ¡°That¡¯s what the Martial Enforcement Hall should be concerned about.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just curious.¡±


    Yang Zhongyi spread his hands.


    ¡°Moreover, the Martial Enforcement Hall will probably have a headache this time. ording to the description of the passerby, the person who killed Zhou Zhihai didn¡¯te out after entering the alley. It was as if he disappeared into thin air.¡±


    ¡°Plenty of cultivators can fly over roofs and walk on walls.¡±


    ¡°But that alley is between two tall buildings. The walls on both sides are more than 50m tall. He couldn¡¯t fly over the walls with a Flying Feather Talisman, let alone movement techniques, unless that person was a cultivator master!¡±


    Su Nian shrugged and didn¡¯t retort.


    Despite bickering with Yang Zhongyi, Su Nian pretty much thought in the same line. The person who killed Zhou Zhihai clearly had some tricks up his sleeve. There were almost no traces left behind. The Martial Enforcement Hall would probably have a hard time to find him.


    Moreover, the Martial Enforcement Hall seemed to be busy investigating another matter recently. They probably wouldn¡¯t have much energy to spend on Zhou Zhihai.


    At the end of the day, Zhou Zhihai came from a declining old family and wasn¡¯t a member of the eighteen influential families. The Martial Enforcement Hall probably wouldn¡¯t pay much attention to him.


    When Su Nian thought of this, he couldn¡¯t help butugh at himself.


    As if sensing Su Nian¡¯s emotions, Yang Zhongyi cleared his throat, looked out of the car window, and changed the topic.


    ¡°Here we are.¡±


    As they spoke, the car slowly stopped in front of a building.


    Getting out of the car, Lin Shen looked up, and his eyes lit up.


    The building in front of him had a European style. The exterior design was very fashionable, and it looked like a clubhouse.


    From the number of luxury cars in the parking lot, one could tell not only was business booming here, but the people visiting her were also either rich or of high social status.


    The guards and attendants standing outside the front gate were all wearing neat uniforms.


    Centered around the entrance of the clubhouse, they used their sharps and cautious gazes to scan every face that appeared in their sight.


    All the people with bad appearances and suspicious behaviors would be chased away as quickly as possible without alerting anyone.


    Yang Zhongyi casually threw the key to the waiter who weed him and led Lin Shen and Su Nian in.


    The main colors of the bright first-floor hall were gold and linen gray. In the middle of the dome hung an exquisite bronze European-styled chandelier. The marble pirs on both sides of the aisle were decorated with gorgeous wall decorations. There was a soft red carpet under their feet. The decorations that they saw were luxurious and elegant.


    It was obvious Yang Zhongyi was a regr here. After entering the hall, he waved the waiter away and brought his two friends to a spacious room on the third floor.


    ¡°The service here is quite nice, and the food is delicious. Of course, the activity on the fourth floor is even better. I rmend you try it. I¡¯ll cover all the expenses tonight!¡± Yang Zhongyi winked at Lin Shen and smiled.


    Judging by his expression, Lin Shen knew it was definitely not a decent activity.


    Not long after they sat down, there was a knock on the door.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    As soon as Yang Zhongyi said that, the door opened from the outside, and two beautiful girls walked in with food.


    Lin Shen¡¯s gaze immediatelynded on the top of their heads.


    Cat ears?


    As expected, they both had furry tails on their buttocks. One was gray, and one was white.


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyesight was extremely sharp now. He immediately saw the two girls¡¯ cat ears and tails were genuine parts of their bodies and not decorations. He was even more surprised.


    The two girls set the food and bowed before leaving. Only after that did Lin Shen look at Yang Zhongyi inquiringly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a feature of the Night Dream Club.¡±


    Yang Zhongyi picked up a piece of cow tongue with his chopsticks and threw it into his mouth. As he chewed, he exined,


    ¡°All the waitresses in this club are catgirls except for the receptionists.¡±


    ¡°Catgirl¡­ Is that a cat demon in human form?¡±


    Lin Shen had vaguely sensed that the two girls carried a strong cultivation aura. They were at least at the fourth or fifth level of the Qi Transformation Stage.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the same.¡±


    Yang Zhongyi shook his head.


    ¡°The catgirls here were originally cats that had gained spiritual intelligence. They only became like this after taking the Transformation Pill. They are products of forced growth. They¡¯re nothingpared to the demon beasts that have passed the Human Tribtion and obtained human forms!¡±


    Lin Shen was enlightened.


    That made sense. It was said the demon beasts that had sessfully passed the Human Tribtion were almost as powerful as real cultivator masters. How could they be waitressing in a club?


    However, this club could use so many cat girls who had taken Transformation Pills as waitresses. It must be very well-connected.


    With his doubts resolved, Lin Shen turned his attention to the table full of delicacies. He didn¡¯t stand on ceremony and started enjoying the food. He chatted with Yang Zhongyi as he ate.


    Su Nian didn¡¯t speak much and only interjected asionally. The atmosphere between the three of them was rather harmonious.


    As they chatted, the topic turned to the academy entrance examination.


    ¡°Every year, the three great sects will each allocate 500 spots for the examination. In the end, each sect will only ept 200 people who have sessfully passed the examination. That¡¯s less than half of the quota they give!¡±


    As a disciple of an influential family, Yang Zhongyi knew this very well.


    ...


    Lin Shen was also listening very carefully.


    The main reason why he epted Yang Zhongyi¡¯s invitation was to ask about the examination.


    ¡°What¡¯s the form of the exam?¡±


    ]¡±There¡¯s no fixed format. The assessment for the three great sects is different every year, but it¡¯s essentially the same. In the end, it still depends on each person¡¯s cultivation and martial technique level!¡±


    Lin Shen nodded slightly. That made sense.


    ]¡±Don¡¯t worry. With your current strength, you¡¯ll definitely pass the examination!¡±


    Yang Zhongyi smiled and nced at Su Nian.


    It¡¯s the same for Su. It won¡¯t be so certain if he¡¯s only at the sixth level of the Qi Transformation Stage. However, with Mastery in the zing Sun Palm, he¡¯ll definitely pass the examination if nothing goes wrong.¡±


    Su Nian put down his chopsticks and said solemnly,


    ¡°I want more than pass the exam. I also want to get a good ranking. This concerns how many cultivation resources we can obtain after entering the academies.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lin Shen was instantly interested.


    ...


    Yang Zhongyi smiled and exined patiently.


    With his exnation, Lin Shen gradually came to a realization.


    Initially, Lin Shen thought the academies should be simr to universities in his previous life, except that the academies taught cultivation courses.


    However, after listening to Yang Zhongyi¡¯s story, he realized that he had misunderstood.


    The academies affiliated with the three major sects didn¡¯t have a curriculum. All the disciples cultivated on their own, while the academies were only responsible for providing cultivation venues, medicinal pills, cultivation techniques, rare and exotic herbs, and other cultivation resources.


    Of course, none of this was free.


    Apart from exchanging contribution points, every disciple could receive a fixed amount of cultivation resources every month ording to their cultivation level and status.


    As for the disciples who had just entered the academies, the number of cultivation resources they could obtain every month depended on their performance in the entrance examination.


    The better their performance was, the more cultivation resources they could obtain.


    In short, thepetition between the disciples of the academies over cultivation resources was especially intense, far exceeding the imagination of outsiders.


    Thepetition had even started at the beginning of the examination.

 Chapter 36

    The Fourth Clone


    While Lin Shen and the other two were talking, in another private room in the clubhouse, another conversation was also going on.


    ¡°So what if he¡¯s first in thepetition?¡±


    L¨¹ Zijun grunted heavily, and he didn¡¯t conceal the disdain on his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s just apetition between ordinary students. Only someone like Su Nian who came from a declining old family will participate.


    ¡°The real proof of strength is the exam next month!


    ¡°Only those who perform well in the exam are the true elites and geniuses!¡±


    In the luxuriously decorated private room, more than 20 disciples of influential families were sitting around. All of them had obtained the qualifications to take the examination.


    Yan Xing and Zhao Xueying were also among them.


    Hearing L¨¹ Zijun¡¯s words, most of the people seemed to agree with him.


    They felt the so-calledpetition wasn¡¯t presentable, so they didn¡¯t register to participate.


    Otherwise, those ordinary students wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance.


    However, there were also people who objected.


    ¡°I agree with you, but that may not apply to all of them. Lin Shen and Su Nian both have extraordinary capabilities. After all, they¡¯ve reached Mastery in zing Sun Palm. Not many of us have reached that level yet.¡±


    The disciples of influential families had sufficient cultivation resources to support them, and their cultivation levels generally far exceeded ordinary students.


    However, for things like martial techniques, even with the guidance of a master teacher, it was very difficult to improve quickly without sufficient talent.


    Of the 20 or so people here, no more than five of them had reached Mastery in zing Sun Palm, Yan Xing and Zhao Xueying included.


    No one had reached Perfection.


    ¡°Those two are indeed talented.¡±


    L¨¹ Zijun shrugged and snorted.


    ¡°But that¡¯s all.


    ¡°The exam tests a person¡¯s overall strength, including cultivation, the level andbination of martial techniques, and actualbat skills!


    ¡°Lin Shen and Su Nian are alright in their cultivation and martial technique levels, but they have nothing special in other aspects.


    ¡°That¡¯s especially the case with Lin Shen. He¡¯s not even from a declining old family, and the only martial technique he cultivates is the zing Sun Palm. He doesn¡¯t even have a movement technique. He¡¯s far inferior to us!


    ¡°As for actualbat techniques¡­ They¡¯re also very ordinary!¡±


    L¨¹ Zijun wanted to criticize Lin Shen some more on thest point, but he immediately recalled the battle between Lin Shen and Su Nian earlier that day.


    Strictly speaking, Lin Shen¡¯sbat skills weren¡¯t much inferior to theirs. L¨¹ Zijun realized it would sound too deliberate if he belittled Lin Shen in that aspect, so he changed his choice of words to y it off.


    However, many people nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Zijun is right. Although Lin Shen and Su Nian are worthy of our attention, we don¡¯t feel threatened.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. All of us have prepared for the examination for a long time. Why should we be afraid of amoner and a member of the declining old families?¡±


    ¡°The ones who are truly worthy of our attention are the disciples of influential families from other schools. I¡¯ve received news: many more of them are participating in the Nine Suns Academy¡¯s examination this year than in previous years!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not worried. I can¡¯t wait to show my might in the entrance examination!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re bragging. You¡¯re only at the sixth level of the Qi Transformation Stage. Do you think that¡¯s mighty enough for you to boast about? Young Master Yan Feng and Sister Ying will be the ones to demonstrate their mighty power!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Young Master Yan and Sister Ying are definitely the best among the participants!¡±


    Hearing everyone¡¯s ttery, Yan Xing only smiled faintly and took a sip of tea.


    He didn¡¯t take their argument to heart.


    Or rather, he had never taken Lin Shen and Su Nian seriously this whole time.


    They were only at the sixth level of the Qi Transformation Stage. It was not worth his attention.


    If they hadn¡¯t reached Mastery in the zing Sun Palm, he wouldn¡¯t even be surprised.


    As for the so-called geniusmoners, he didn¡¯t think much of it at all.


    In the path of cultivation, wealth,panions, techniques, andnd were indispensable.


    Without sufficient resources, one couldn¡¯t go far, no matter how talented they were.


    The gap betweenmoners and disciples of influential families wasn¡¯t something that mere talent could make up for.


    ¡°However, Lin Shen is worth nurturing. I¡¯ll wait and see after the exam. If his performance is outstanding enough, I¡¯ll give him a chance to stay with me,¡± Yan Xing thought to himself.


    After entering the academy, he had to try to build his own team.


    Someone like Lin Shen was still worth training and cozying up to.


    At the very least, he was stronger than trash like Zhou Zhihai!


    As he was thinking, he suddenly heard the sound of a chair being pushed away.


    Zhao Xueying spoke after that.


    ¡°I¡¯m full. See you.¡±


    Yan Xing came back to his senses. He immediately stood up and smiled warmly at Zhao Xueying.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a ride.¡±


    ¡°No, thanks.¡±


    Zhao Xue Ying tly refused.


    ¡°Also, don¡¯t invite me for such boring dinners in the future.¡±


    ...


    Yan Xing¡¯s smile froze. Before he could say anything, Zhao Xueying had already turned around and left without showing him any respect.


    He watched Zhao Xueying walk out of the door, a grim look flickering in his eyes.


    ¡­


    The dinner in the clubhousested until past ten in the evening. Everybody enjoyed themselves.


    Lin Shen got his wish and obtained a lot of information about the examination from Yang Zhongyi.


    After dinner, he politely declined Yang Zhongyi¡¯s suggestion to stay and experience the service on the fourth floor. He left the clubhouse with Su Nian, who was also uninterested.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go to Calm Sun Martial Arts School when I find the time. We can exchange a few blows!¡±


    Before they parted, Su Nian said to Lin Shen with bright eyes.


    From his expression, Lin Shen knew Su Nan was still brooding over his defeat in thepetition and wanted to get back at him.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±


    An opponent could increase hisbat experience. Lin Shen naturally wouldn¡¯t refuse.


    ...


    When he returned home, Lin Shen immediately summoned Clone 2 and gave it an Origin Pill. Then, he meditated to test the effect of the pill.


    After that, he summoned the interface.


    [Clone 4]


    [Condensationplete. Current progress: 100%]


    After twenty days, the fourth clone was finallypleted!


    Lin Shen suppressed his joy. With a thought, a shadow instantly separated from his body and quickly condensed into a figure.


    [Clone 4]


    [Talent: Talented Alchemist]


    [Stage: Qi Transformation Level 7, 48%]


    [Current Cultivation: None]


    ¡°Talented Alchemist? What kind of talent is this?¡±


    Lin Shen was very curious and immediately looked more closely.


    [Talented Alchemist: Alchemy Sess Rate +30%, Pill Quality Improvement Probability +50%]


    ¡°Alchemy-rted talent¡­¡±


    Lin Shen was slightly disappointed.


    Alchemists had an extremely high status in Dragonside City and belonged to the upper ss.


    An official alchemist of the lowest level wouldn¡¯t be inferior to a cultivator master in terms of status.


    But there was a problem. To be an alchemist, one had to at least be in the Bright Aperture Stage. They also had to have huge financial support. Lin Shen couldn¡¯t satisfy either of those conditions.


    To say the least, even if he could meet the conditions, he didn¡¯t want to be an alchemist.


    He wanted to be a cultivator master, who had the power of his own.


    Of course, even if he couldn¡¯t specialize in alchemy, he could still work on it as a part-time task.


    When he had the time in the future, Lin Shen didn¡¯t mind learning alchemy.


    However, at this stage, alchemy-rted talent was useless to him.


    Fortunately, Lin Shen didn¡¯t expect to get an outstanding talent in one go. He quickly calmed down his disappointment and let Clone 4mit suicide. He would wait for the talent to refresh tomorrow.


    An hourter, Clone 2 finished absorbing the medicinal power of the Origin Pill, and its cultivation progress increased by 3%.


    ¡°Good. The effect is much better than the Essence Tempering Pill and Condensing Liquid!¡±


    Joy shed across Lin Shen¡¯s eyes.


    A bottle of twelve Origin Pills could increase his cultivation progress by a total of 36%.


    Together with a liter of Condensing Liquid, it was enough for him to break through to Level 8 of the Qi Transformation Level Stage!

 Chapter 37

    Outstanding Martial Arts


    After thepetition, Lin Shen realized no matter where he went, people would point at him.


    ording to Zheng Hongsheng, he was already a famous figure in the academy.


    Among the ordinary students, he was even more renowned than many disciples of influential families.


    Zheng Hongsheng had an envious expression when he said this.


    However, Lin Shen didn¡¯t want that kind of fame.


    He had no interest in bing an influential figure, nor was he in the mood to deal with all kinds of interpersonal rtionships useless for improving his strength.


    After being surrounded by many students trying to socialize with him several times, Lin Shen simply ran to Kong Hong¡¯s office to apply for leave.


    ¡°You¡¯re taking a month off?¡±


    Kong Hong looked at Lin Shen in surprise.


    ¡°Yes, I want to spend the next month focusing on preparing for the exam,¡± Lin Shen nodded.


    Kong Hong came to a realization.


    The final exam was only a month away. An outstanding student like Lin Shen, who had already obtained the qualifications to participate in the exam, naturally wanted to use more time on cultivation instead of wasting it on knowledge-acquired courses.


    There were many simr examples in previous years.


    The academy had always been very considerate in that aspect and approved all the requests.


    Therefore, Kong Hong didn¡¯t think for long and directly approved Lin Shen¡¯s leave.


    ¡°I hope you do well in the academy entrance examination. Try your best to get outstanding results. That¡¯ll be very beneficial to you after you enter the academy,¡± Kong Hong said meaningfully.


    Lin Shen had already learned the corresponding information from Yang Zhongyi. He nodded calmly.


    After leaving the office, Lin Shen returned to the ssroom and told the news to Zheng Hongsheng and Xu Yuan before leaving without hesitation.


    Once he was gone, a buzz of discussion immediately started in the ssroom.


    ¡°I heard Lin Shen won¡¯t being to ss anymore.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense. If you had obtained the qualifications for the examination, you would definitely want to focus on cultivation for the next month as well. Who would still attend those useless knowledge-acquired courses?¡±


    ¡°Lin Shen is going to soar into the sky in the future. I¡¯m so envious!¡±


    ¡°He can¡¯t help it. He¡¯s a genius. Gosh, if only I had Lin Shen¡¯s talent.¡±


    ¡°Go to bed early tonight. Your wish wille true in your dreams.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Listening to the discussions around them, Zheng Hongsheng and Xu Yuan looked at each other withplicated expressions.


    Just a month ago, Lin Shen was just like them and was an inconspicuous person in the ss.


    Who would have thought Lin Shen would advance by leaps and bounds in such a short period of time? His strength had increased greatly, and he had even obtained first ce in thepetition. He was now an influential figure in the academy with a bright future.


    They could tell Lin Shen would eventually rise to a height that they could never reach.


    When they thought of this, they were filled with a mixture of emotions, and their feelings were extremelyplicated.


    ¡­


    In the following period of time, Lin Shen could focus on his cultivation.


    Other than taking the time to go to Calm Sun Martial Arts School as a part-time training partner every day, he spent the rest of his time at home cultivating.


    ]With sufficient medicinal pills and spirit beast meat, his strength increased at an astonishing speed.


    Finally, five dayster, Lin Shen sessfully broke through to Level 8 of the Qi Transformation Stage.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: God¡¯s Jealousy]


    [Stage: Qi Transformation Level 8, 3%]


    [Technique: Original Breathing Technique (Perfection), zing Sun Palm (Mastery 24%), Mortal Restrain (Beginner 24%), Shadows (Beginner 3%)]


    [Number of clones: 4 (10%)]


    Lin Shen made a few movements on the spot and nodded in satisfaction.


    After breaking through to Qi Transformation Level 8, he could clearly feel his physical strength had increased significantly.


    ¡°My Origin Breathing Technique has also reached Perfection. My cultivation speed will increase again!


    ¡°There¡¯s also Shadows. Afterprehending it for so many days, I¡¯ve finally sessfully reached Beginner!¡±


    Lin Shen happily heaved a sigh of relief. His eyes flickered slightly, and he suddenly disappeared from the spot. When he reappeared, he was already five to six meters away.


    In the spacious living room, Lin Shen kept reappearing in different spots. He moved like a ghost and was as fast as lightning.


    He looked like a child who had just gotten his hands on a new toy. He tried the technique for five to six minutes before stopping, still wanting to try more.


    ¡°No wonder it took me so long toprehend. The power of this movement technique is indeed extraordinary!¡±


    Lin Shen couldn¡¯t hide his excitement.


    With Shadows, his actualbat ability had undoubtedly increased greatly, and his survivability in battles had also jumped to another level.


    ¡°This is only the Beginner level. When I reach Mastery or even Perfection, I wonder how fast I can go.¡±


    Lin Shen was very excited.


    Shadows was clearly a martial technique with great potential. Even at the Long Breath Stage, it could still y a role that couldn¡¯t be underestimated!


    ¡°Next, I¡¯ll have to arrange for a clone to specialize in cultivating Shadows.¡±


    ...


    With a thought, Lin Shen summoned the interface.


    Clone 4 (Dead), Remaining Resurrection Time: 00: 02: 49]


    In the past five days, Clone 4 had revived a total of four times. Unfortunately, the new talents didn¡¯t meet Lin Shen¡¯s requirements.


    For example, there was Mediocre, which didn¡¯t have any bonus effects.


    There was Handsome, which increased charm by 30%.


    There was Knowledgeable, which improved memory by 50%.


    There was even Adverse Fortune, which reduced luck by 50%.


    All four talents were useless for increasing one¡¯s strength.


    Thest one was especially annoying.


    ¡°Last time I had to refresh the talent three times before getting God¡¯s Jealousy. This time, it has been four times, but a single one was useful.¡±


    Lin Shen shook his head helplessly.


    ...


    He hoped he could get a talent with better effects this time. It would be best if it could increase his cultivation speed.


    The two minutes passed in the blink of an eye. Lin Shen took a deep breath and summoned Clone 4 with a pious attitude.


    With a nce, his eyes lit up.


    [Superior Martial Arts: Martial Technique Cultivation Speed+100%, Martial Technique Power+50%, Combat Skills+50%]


    ¡°This talent¡­ is pretty good!¡±


    Lin Shen smiled.


    Although it wasn¡¯t as good as God¡¯s Jealousy, which increased cultivation speed by 100%, the effect of increasing the cultivation speed of martial techniques by 100% was already good enough. It was very beneficial to his future cultivation of the zing Sun Palm and Shadows.


    In addition, Martial Technique Power+50% and Combat Skills+50% were equally powerful. They could increase Lin Shen¡¯sbat ability to a new level.


    Considering the exam was in a month, this talent might be quite useful.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I can only have one talent at a time. Otherwise, if I could use Pure Yang Body and Superior Martial Arts at the same time, I would probably be invincible when fighting against people below the Long Breath Stage!¡±


    Lin Shen felt it was a pity.


    He wondered if this would change as his cultivation level increased in the future, just as the way the materialization of his clones did.


    After a while, Lin Shen restrained his thoughts and turned to test the consumption of his clone¡¯s physical form.


    As expected, the clone¡¯s zero consumption distance had increased to 80m.


    Moreover, his current physical strength and vitality could sustain a clone to move at a distance of about 700m for as long as a minute.


    To be honest, this amount of time and distance was only barely satisfactory. It was far from letting his clone move freely.


    However, it was enough to help Lin Shen achieve some goals every once in a while,


    such as killing a certain person.


    Lin Shen was in no hurry. As his cultivation level increased, his clones would eventually be an existence simr to the incarnation of a legendary cultivator master. When that happened, he would be able to control them freely without the restriction of distance.


    [Clone 5]


    [Condensing. Current progress: 10%]


    ¡°The progress is 2% every day. It¡¯ll take me 50 days to condense the fifth clone¡­ I have to wait until after the exam.¡±


    Lin Shen looked out the window at the night sky, his eyes flickering.


    The next step was to continue cultivating and wait for the examination to arrive.

 Chapter 38

    Hunt in the Dark


    The dark night was like a pitch-ck curtain that enveloped the entire ck street.


    There was only a little lighting out of shops on the big street. It looked even more sinister at night.


    Walking on the dark street, Lin Shen looked at the shops on both sides and pursed his lips.


    This was his third timeing to the ck street.


    The first two times were to buy the Condensing Liquid, but this time, his main purpose was to get back the deposit from Lurking Snake.


    In order not to appear too abrupt, Lin Shen deliberately waited five days after Zhou Zhihai¡¯s death before visiting Lurking Snake again.


    He remembered the location of the alley very clearly. Soon, he arrived at the iron door and reached out to knock on it.


    After a round of questions and answers, the man guarding the door moved aside and let Lin Shen in.


    It was the same dim bar. As usual, there were only over half a dozen customers.


    Behind the counter was the same bartender who had received Lin Shenst time. He was meticulously wiping a transparent ss.


    Lin Shen went straight to the bar counter and knocked on it. He feigned a hoarse voice and said,


    ¡°Mission D2201 is misinformed!¡±


    The bartender stopped wiping, nced at him, and took out a document from under the bar counter. He flipped through it for a while before nodding.


    ¡°The information is indeed wrong, but there¡¯s no need to continue the mission. The person who issued the mission is already dead. ording to the rules, 30% of the mission deposit will be given to you aspensation.¡±


    Lin Shen frowned. ¡°If the information is wrong, shouldn¡¯t mypensation be half of the deposit?¡±


    The bartender nced at him but said nothing.


    ¡°Damn this profiteer!¡±


    Lin Shen cursed under his breath and said, ¡°Give me the deposit andpensation!¡±


    The bartender quickly counted the spirit coins and handed them to him.


    Lin Shen counted the coins and realized 30% of the deposit was as many as 40,000 to 50,000 spirit coins.


    ¡°Is the down payment half of the mission reward? Damn these profiteers!¡±


    After cursing Lurking Snake again, Lin Shen put away the spirit coins and left the bar without looking back.


    After walking out of the alley, Lin Shen didn¡¯t leave the ck street immediately. Instead, he rushed to the shop that sold Condensing Liquid.


    After breaking through to Qi Transformation Level 8, the cultivation progress of every 100ml of Condensing Liquid had decreased sharply to less than 1%. On average, 300ml of Condensing Liquid could only increase the cultivation progress by 1%.


    Lin Shen only had less than 12 liters of Condensing Liquid left. After absorbing all of it, his cultivation progress would increase by at most 40%. It was far from enough for him to break through again.


    There was still a huge gap in cultivation resources, and he needed to buy arge amount of Condensing Liquid.


    ¡­


    In a dark corner of the alley,


    Hao Tu leaned against the wall and stood with his arms crossed. His fingers kept tapping his arms, and his eyes were filled with impatience.


    A few minutester, a figure suddenly appeared a short distance away. After looking around for a while, the figure seemed to have spotted Hao Tu and slowly approached him.


    After seeing the other party¡¯s face under the moonlight, Hao Tu couldn¡¯t help but curse softly.


    ¡°What took you so long? Where have you been?¡±


    ¡°Calm down. I went to look for a target.¡±


    Dai Geng smiled obsequiously but involuntarily began toin.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what the Boss is thinking. He actually asked us toe to the ck street to catch out prey. The cultivators here are all smart. They can¡¯t be easy to catch!¡±


    At the mention of this, Hao Tu felt his dissipated anger surge again. He lowered his voice and scolded,


    ¡°Why do you have the nerve to say that?


    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t killed a student from Willow Academy the other day and attracted the Martial Enforcement Hall¡¯s attention, we wouldn¡¯t have gone to such a remote ce to look for prey!¡±


    Dai Geng cringed and said embarrassedly, ¡°How would I know that kid was a student of Willow Academy¡­¡±


    After a pause, he said indignantly,


    ¡°Speaking of which, another student from Willow Academy died a few days ago, and that goddamn Martial Enforcement Hall actually suspects that we did it. Damn it! If I find out who dared to frame us, I¡¯ll definitely make him suffer!¡±


    Hao Tu snorted coldly.


    ¡°Mind your own business first. Don¡¯t forget what Boss said. If we can¡¯t hand over the prey tonight, we¡¯ll make up the numbers!¡±


    Dai Geng shuddered at his words and swallowed involuntarily.


    Seeing this, Hao Tu despised Dai Geng inwardly. He didn¡¯t care about thetter anymore. Instead, he said coldly,


    ¡°You said you were looking for a target. Did you find a suitable one?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Dai Geng quickly nodded and gestured for Hao Tu to follow him. Then, he turned around and led the way.


    Not long after, the two arrived at a shop more than 200m away.


    ¡°Target¡¯s in there now.¡±


    Dai Geng pointed at the shop. Through the gap in the open door, they could vaguely see figures moving inside.


    Hao Tu sized it up carefully and quickly recalled it was a shop that sold medicinal pills. He had visited it a few times in the past, and Dai Geng was a regr customer here.


    ¡°Thest few times I came to buy pills, I had a chat with the shop owner. He told me a guy hade twice to buy more than ten liters of Condensing Liquid. Although that guy used a Face Changing Pill, it was most likely the same person, so he left a deep impression on the shop owner!¡±


    ¡°Is the target you¡¯re talking about the person who bought the Condensing Liquid?¡±


    ...


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    Dai Geng nodded heavily, a sinister smile appearing on his face.


    ¡°Only Qi Transformation cultivators would use the Condensing Liquid. If the two of us work together, we can easily handle that person!¡±


    Hao Tu pondered for a moment, and a faint light shed in his eyes.


    the Condensing Liquid was a by-product of the Condensing Pill. It was true. Only Qi Transformation cultivators would use it to aid their cultivation.


    Moreover, because of the side effects of reducing one¡¯s lifespan, only cultivators who had been stuck at the ninth level of the Qi Transformation Stage for many years and had no hope of breaking through would take the risk to use it. If they could break through to the Long Breath Stage, their lifespan would be extended.


    In other words, the target that Dai Geng mentioned was most likely a Qi Transformation Stage Level Nine cultivator!


    He and Dai Geng were both at that cultivation level. If the two of them fought against one, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to kill that person.


    Hao Tu quickly made up his mind and nodded decisively.


    ¡°We¡¯ll do as you say!


    ¡°Let¡¯s take action after the target leaves the ck street!¡±


    ...


    The ck street was a gray area with chaotic order. It was very suitable for killing people in the middle of the night, but it was also because of this that Hao Tu didn¡¯t want to make a move here.


    Who knew if someone wouldn¡¯t try to still their reward after they took out the target?


    They didn¡¯t want to work so hard but only let others benefit from it.


    Just in case, it was better to attack outside the ck street!


    Dai Geng naturally understood this point and nodded heavily.


    After confirming their goal, the two of them rxed a little.


    Recently, the higher-ups had been pressing them because they urgently needed arge number of cultivator corpses. However, they had been hiding everywhere because of the pursuit of the Martial Enforcement Hall and didn¡¯t have the time to find prey.


    In the end, they had no choice but to run to the ck street.


    The target in front of them was the first prey they had found sinceing here!


    As long as they captured this prey and handed it to the higher-ups, they could buy themselves some time.


    Thinking of this, Hao Tu and Dai Geng heaved a sigh of relief.


    When they looked at the shop again, their eyes were filled with cold killing intent.

 Chapter 39

    Counter Ambush


    Aftering out of the shop, Lin Shen looked at the two boxes of Condensing Liquid in his hands and smiled.


    Although he had only bought ten liters, with the inventory he had, he would have just about enough to break through to the ninth level of the Qi Transformation Stage.


    The thought of breaking through again soon made Lin Shen feel full of energy. He wished he could return home and start cultivating now.


    Carrying the boxes, Lin Shen strode toward the entrance of the ck street.


    Ten minutester, he had already left the ck street and was about to return to the Eastern District when he suddenly stopped and narrowed his eyes.


    Twenty meters away in the dark street, a man of medium height with a thin face blocked Lin Shen¡¯s way and looked at him with a sneer.


    Lin Shen narrowed his eyes and nced back from the corner of his eye. As expected, he realized there was another figure behind him.


    A man in his thirties also blocked Lin Shen¡¯s escape route with an unfriendly expression.


    ¡°Who are you? Why are you blocking my way?¡±


    Lin Shen asked expressionlessly. From the corner of his eye, he quietly looked around for a way out.


    Dai Geng, who was at the front, seemed to have noticed Lin Shen¡¯s slight movement and sneered.


    ¡°Stop stalling for time. There are two of us, and you¡¯d be dreaming if you think you can escape. Be a good¡­¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by the impatient Hao Tu.


    ¡°Cut the crap! The longer we dy, the more trouble there will be. Hurry up and take him down!¡±


    Dai Geng pursed his lips unhappily but didn¡¯t dare to refute. He could only vent his anger on this fellow in front of him and charge Lin Shen with a murderous aura.


    Unexpectedly, Lin Shen was a step faster than him. He moved suddenly and rushed into the nearby alley like a bolt of lightning.


    In the short few seconds just now, Lin Shen had observed his surroundings. The paths in front and behind were blocked by enemies that had appeared out of nowhere. The only way to escape was through the alley beside him.


    Dai Geng¡¯s expression changed slightly when seeing Lin Shen rush into the alley, but Hao Tu remained calm as he said indifferently,


    ¡°That alley is a dead end!¡±


    Hearing this, Dai Geng heaved a sigh of relief. A cold smile appeared on his face again. Without saying a word, he chased after Lin Shen.


    The alley was only about a hundred meters. The second half of the alley was a fork in the road. There was a smaller alley on both sides, but just like the main alley, those two were also dead ends.


    The moment he rushed to the fork, Lin Shen acutely noticed this.


    As soon as Hao Tu and Dai Geng shed into the alley, they saw Lin Shen standing at the back of the fork in the road. He was frowning as he looked at the high wall in front of him.


    ¡°You have nowhere to go!¡±


    Dai Gengughed proudly and stared at Lin Shen like a cat ying with a mouse. He slowly approached thetter.


    This act of toying with his prey made Hao Tu frown.


    He had always been cautious. Every time he attacked, he would do his best to take out his opponent quickly and avoid unnecessary trouble.


    However, it just so happened that he had a mentally twistedpanion like Dai Geng, who always liked to y with his prey and took pleasure in watching his prey struggle and get terrified before death.


    Suppressing his dissatisfaction, Hao Tu reminded Dai Geng.


    ¡°Be careful. This guy is very fast. He must have cultivated some kind of movement technique!¡±


    As he spoke, Hao Tu approached Lin Shen with an expressionless face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. In such a narrow alley, no matter how good your movement technique is, it won¡¯t be of much use!¡±


    Dai Geng grinned hideously. He suddenly sped up as he charged toward Lin Shen like a lion pouncing on a rabbit.


    Seeing this, Lin Shen took a few steps back, as if he was frightened.


    However, in the next second, when Dai Geng rushed to the fork in the road, two figures suddenly rushed out of the alley on both sides and attacked Dai Geng from both sides.


    Amidst the muffled sound of air being torn apart, the scorching palm force carried rolling waves as it crushed toward Dai Geng like an avnche.


    Dai Geng¡¯s mind waspletely focused on Lin Shen, who wasn¡¯t far ahead. He didn¡¯t expect there would be people lying in ambush on both sides. Caught off guard, he didn¡¯t have time to dodge at all. He could only watch as the two burning red palms struck him without any fancy moves.


    Thump!


    Two dull ps sounded almost at the same time.


    Dai Geng¡¯s face contorted violently. Before he could let out a miserable cry, Lin Shen, who was originally five to six meters away, had already appeared in front of him like a ghost. Under Dai Geng¡¯s horrified gaze, Lin Shen mmed his palm heavily on Dai Geng¡¯s chest.


    With a muffled bang, Dai Geng suddenly stiffened. Then, he went limp, and the light of life in his eyes quickly disappeared. In the blink of an eye, he was dead.


    This series of actions was as fast as lightning. By the time Hao Tu, who was a few steps behind, realized what had happened, Dai Geng had already died.


    ¡°Dai!¡±


    Hao Tu¡¯s eyes widened as he roared and charged at Lin Shen.


    Lin Shen was fearless. Together with his two clones, he charged toward the enemy.


    As soon as he realized the alley was a dead end, he decided to turn around and counterattack. Before the two enemies rushed into the alley, he summoned the two clones without hesitation and let them lie in ambush on both sides of the fork. Then, he pretended to be weak to lure his enemy to take the initiative to attack. Taking that opportunity, Lin Shen made the lethal strike.


    Clone 3 had Pure Yang Body, and Clone 4 had Superior Martial Arts. Together with Lin Shen himself, who had also switched to Pure Yang Body, Lin Shen was confident the three of them could severely injure even a Long Breath Stage cultivator with a single move.


    Fortunately for him, his enemies were clearly not Long Breath Stage cultivators.


    After getting rid of one enemy, the remaining one was much easier to deal with!


    After exchanging a few blows, Lin Shen already knew the enemy in front of him was only a Level Nine Qi Transformation Stage cultivator.


    Even without the help of his clones, he could deal with this one alone.


    Compared to Lin Shen¡¯s relief, Hao Tu was furious.


    They had thought they would be able to ambush the target easily, but in the end, not only did they fail to take down the target, but one of them was also ambushed and killed.


    Looking at the three people surrounding him, Hao Tu couldn¡¯t figure out when the twins got there.


    ...


    ¡°Is it possible they already knew Dai Geng and I wereing?


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡±


    Hao Tu was puzzled.


    However, he soon didn¡¯t have the time to think about this problem.


    His opponents were unexpectedly powerful. Their cultivation levels weren¡¯t high, but their martial techniques were shockingly good!


    The corner of Hao Tu¡¯s eyes twitched as he looked at the faint shadow of the zing Sun Palm in his opponents¡¯ movement and sensed the scorching heat wave in the air.


    This was clearly a sign that someone had reached Perfection in the zing Sun Palm.


    More importantly, there wasn¡¯t just one person. Two of the enemies could do that!


    Although the third one was slightly weaker, his zing Sun Palm was at least at Mastery and was only a step away from reaching Perfection!


    ¡°Damn it! Where did these three peoplee from?¡±


    Hao Tu groaned inwardly.


    ...


    It was rare toe across a Qi Transformation Stage cultivator who had reached Perfection in a martial technique. Now, two of them had appeared at the same time!


    What was going on?


    If Dai Geng was still alive, Hao Tu would definitely scold him. What kind of target had he found?


    Dai Geng said the target was easy to attack, but he was clearly a tough nut to crack!

 Chapter 40

    Cat General


    Bang! Bang!


    The muffled sound of fists and palms colliding echoed in the narrow alley.


    Hao Tu¡¯s five fingers curled into ws and tore five bloody wounds on one of his opponents¡¯ arms.


    However, in the next second, he was also hit in the side by another person.


    The scorching energy that prated his body brought him iparably intense pain. For a moment, he almost suspected that his internal organs had been roasted.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Hao Tu¡¯s face twitched in pain. He was shocked and furious.


    He wasn¡¯t sure he could defeat any of the three people in a one-on-one battle, let alone when the three people attacked him together.


    As soon as the battle began, he was beaten to the point of being unable to defend himself. He was in constant danger,


    and almost lost his life several times!


    If this continued, he would definitely die here!


    Hao Tu nced at the exit of the alley from the corner of his eye. He wanted to escape, but Lin Shen had long been prepared for this. His two clones had been firmly blocking the path to the exit. They would rather get injured than take a step aside. Hao Tu felt both angry and helpless.


    When Hao Tu saw the situation was getting worse, his expression changed indeterminately for a moment. He suddenly gritted his teeth fiercely as if he¡¯d made up his mind.


    He endured Lin Shen¡¯s palm strike and pulled away slightly. With a flip of his wrist, a ck object that looked like a token suddenly appeared in his palm.


    With the token in his hand, Hao Tu had a solemn look on his face. He muttered something under his breath and spoke quickly.


    Lin Shen felt something was wrong. Just as he tried to stop Hao Tu, thetter had already stopped. Hao Tu suddenly raised his head and looked at Lin Shen, a cold smile filled with killing intent on his face.


    The next second.


    A domineering aura suddenly descended and enveloped the entire alley!


    Under Lin Shen¡¯s surprised gaze, arge number of ripples suddenly appeared in the void in the middle of the alley. A tall and dignified figure walked out of thin air.


    It had green eyes and a protruding mouth, and its sharp ears were pointed at the sky.


    Bronze curving tes covered its shoulders, and there was a crying ghost¡¯s head on its waistband.


    The crown was tied with bright yellow pheasant feathers, and its shoulders were wrapped in long white silk.


    It was a white cat covered in scale armor and standing on its hind legs!


    There was also an unsheathed sword at its waist!


    Lin Shen was stunned.


    What kind of a creature was this?


    A cat demon?


    But it didn¡¯t seem to be the case.


    Before Lin Shen could figure it out, the cat demon had already pulled out the long sword at its waist and stabbed at him with a threatening aura!


    Without thinking, Lin Shen and his two clones immediately reacted to the attack.


    The sharp nk of the sword instantly tore through the silence of the night!


    In an instant, the alley was invaded by strong energy and coldness!


    As soon as they started exchanging blows, Lin Shen was shocked.


    This armored and sword-wielding cat demon was far stronger than the person just now. It had clearly reached the Long Breath Stage!


    Its sword technique was iparably exquisite. The silver sword light densely covered the void, almost illuminating the entire alley with ayer of the silver aura.


    As the continuous sword force was disyed, endless sword light instantly spread out like a storm and enveloped Lin Shen and his two clones.


    The situation took a sharp turn for the worse!


    Having no weapons, Lin Shen and his two clones didn¡¯t dare fight the cat demon directly. They could only keep dodging and were in a sorry state.


    When Hao Tu saw this, he secretly heaved a sigh of relief, but then he felt a little pained.


    He had spent a lot of effort to obtain this token. It could summon one fraction of the Cat General¡¯s clone.


    Although it was only a clone, it had the cultivation of the early stage of the Long Breath Stage and exquisite sword techniques. It was enough to fight two ordinary cultivators of the same level.


    Killing three mere Qi Transformation cultivators was not a problem at all!


    The only drawback was that it would take at least a month before it could be used again!


    This meant Hao Tu would lose his strongest trump card in the next month.


    However,pared to losing his life, this price was still eptable!


    Just as Hao Tu was thinking about this, his eyes suddenly widened.


    Two shadows separated from Lin Shen¡¯s body and quickly condensed into solid figures a few meters away.


    In the blink of an eye, two more identical clones appeared in the alley.


    ¡°What¡­¡±


    Hao Tu looked at the two new clones with his mouth agape. Then, he looked at the pair of ¡°twin brothers¡± from earlier as if he had seen a ghost.


    The cat general seemed to be shocked as well, but it quickly returned to normal and continued to attack Lin Shen and his clones.


    Clone 1 and Clone 2, who had just appeared, were inferior to the other two clones in terms ofbat strength. However, with two more helpers, Lin Shen¡¯s situation finally improved a little.


    ¡°Is this an ability that can make clones?¡±


    After a long while, Hao Tu recovered from his shock.


    ...


    At this point, how could he not understand that the so-called ¡°twin brothers¡± weren¡¯t real humans at all, but the clones of that guy?


    However, Lin Shen had taken a Face Changing Pill, so Hao Tu didn¡¯t think in this direction at first.


    After figuring this out, Hao Tu only became more surprised and bewildered.


    Logically speaking, only cultivators at the Bright Aperture Stage or above could have abilities like casting spells. This target in front of him was only at the Qi Transformation Stage. How could he have the ability to do this?


    If it was the effect of a talisman, Hao Tu had never heard of talismans with simr effects.


    What was going on?


    Hao Tu was still confused when he suddenly realized two of the five people attacking the cat general had left the battle and rushed toward him.


    Hao Tu¡¯s expression changed when he saw this. He knew his enemy had discovered the weakness of the God Seeking Token.


    Once the cat general¡¯s clone was activated, it wouldn¡¯t disappear until it killed the enemy or died at the enemy¡¯s hands.


    If a Qi Transformation Stage cultivator wanted to crack the God Seeking Token, the best way was to kill the holder first.


    Hao Tu didn¡¯t expect the other party to react and understand this point so quickly.


    ...


    Using Shadows, Lin Shen and Clone 3 arrived in front of Hao Tu almost instantly. They pped out a surging heat wave that swept forward, dragging Hao Tu into the siege again.


    In order to get rid of Hao Tu as soon as possible, Lin Shen didn¡¯t hold back this time and attacked with all his might.


    Clone 3pletely gave up on defense and attacked Hao Tu, not caring at all about receiving injuries.


    Under their fierce attacks, Hao Tu¡¯s situation was even more dangerous than when he was besieged by the three enemies.


    He had only exchanged more than ten blows but had received four or five wounds already. He was so shocked that his forehead was covered in a cold sweat. He shouted anxiously,


    ¡°Divine Lord, help me!¡±


    Swoosh!


    A sharp moving noise suddenly burst out, and a biting cold killing intent spread.


    The sword shed, piercing through the void like a bolt of lightning and stabbing toward Clone 1.


    The cat general¡¯s attack was meant to force back Clone 1 so that the cat general could free itself to save the holder of the token. Unexpectedly, Clone 1 didn¡¯t even look at the iing sword and allowed it to stab into its chest. It reached out at lightning speed and grabbed the cat general¡¯s wrist tightly.


    At the same time, the other two clones also rushed over. One gripped the cat general¡¯s other arm tightly, while the other wrapped its arms around the cat general¡¯s legs.


    In the blink of an eye, the three of them held the cat general tightly.


    The cat general had never seen such a shameless fighting style. It couldn¡¯t help but be stunned. When it came back to its senses, it suddenly exerted strength, wanting to break free.


    However, the three clones only grunted and didn¡¯t let go.


    Seeing this scene from the corner of his eye, Hao Tu almost cked out.


    That was so shameless!

 Chapter 41 - 41 Token

    41 Token


    Without the help of the cat general, Hao Tu was no match for Lin Shen and Clone 3.


    While Hao Tu was flustered, Lin Shen activated the Shadows movement technique. In a sh, he instantly appeared behind Hao Tu and struck his back.


    With the help of his Pure Yang body, Lin Shen¡¯s zing Sun Palm was as powerful as one that had reached Perfection. In an instant, a fierce, zing force transformed into a violent wave that struck out.


    Feeling the threating from behind him, Hao Tu immediately felt his scalp tingle, and the fear of death instantly enveloped him.


    He shouted in shock and anger. Without thinking, he turned around and counterattacked. His five fingers curved into ws that tore through the air and grabbed fiercely at Lin Shen¡¯s iing palm.


    Unexpectedly, Lin Shen¡¯s strike was only a red herring. He swayed and dodged to the side to avoid Hao Tu¡¯s w. He wouldn¡¯t fight Hao Tu head-on at all.


    Hao Tu was slightly stunned. Then, he suddenly realized what was about to happen, and his expression changed.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Unfortunately, it was toote.


    In the next moment, a scorching heat wave suddenly erupted behind him. A scarlet palm struck Hao Tu¡¯s back heavily with an iparable force.


    Thump!


    Hao Tu felt as if he had been struck by lightning, and his body trembled violently as if he had been electrocuted. After that, he flew forward like a cannonball and smashed into the alley wall with a bang!


    Instantly, blood sttered and gravel flew everywhere!


    Swoosh!


    Lin Shen¡¯s figure shed a few times and reappeared in front of Hao Tu. He threw a backhand punch and hit Hao Tu¡¯s throat.


    Crack!


    There was the sound of bones cracking.


    Hao Tu¡¯s eyes suddenly bulged, and blue veins popped out on his forehead. Unwillingness and despair appeared on his face. In the end, he froze, and his head tilted. He was no longer alive.


    Not far away,


    the cat general, who had just escaped the joint attack of the three clones, paused. It turned around and took a long look at Lin Shen. Then, it sheathed its sword and slowly dissipated into the air.


    Seeing this scene, Lin Shen heaved a sigh of relief.


    Compared to the dead Hao Tu, the cat general gave him even more pressure.


    After all, it was a Long Breath Stage cultivator. Even with the help of four clones, he didn¡¯t have much confidence in defeating it.


    Fortunately, he was right. As long as the person who summoned the cat general died, the cat general would naturally disappear.


    After calming himself down, Lin Shen retracted his clones and squatted in front of the two corpses. He began to search for them.


    He couldn¡¯t figure out why these two people hade to ambush him. The only person he remembered who had a conflict with him was already dead, and these two didn¡¯t look like they knew the truth and wanted to avenge him.


    ¡°Could someone from the ck street follow me here because they saw my money and wanted to kill me?¡±


    As soon as this thought appeared, Lin Shen shook his head and rejected it.


    He had only bought two boxes of Condensing Liquid on the ck street tonight. The total value was no more than 20,000 spirit coins. It was not enough to make two cultivators at the ninth level of the Qi Transformation Stage have wrong ideas.


    But if that wasn¡¯t the reason, what was?


    Lin Shen was confused.


    The two attackers didn¡¯t have any storage jade tes on them, so they didn¡¯t carry many things with them. It didn¡¯t take Lin Shen long to search through them. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t find anything that could prove their identities. He only found some spirit coins, which added up to only two to three thousand.


    Other than that, there was the token that summoned the cat general.


    The token wasn¡¯t big, but it was unexpectedly heavy.


    Lin Shen looked at it carefully. The token was wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. It was about half the size of a palm. There was a colorful picture of a white cat holding a sword engraved on it. It was vivid and lifelike, and the drawing was the cat general he saw just now.


    There was also a circle of exquisite stones embedded at the edge of the token. Lin Shen counted and saw there were a total of 19 stones.


    There were nine embedded on the left and right sides, and thergest one was in the middle of the token.


    ¡°How do I use this token?¡±


    Lin Shen fumbled around for a long time but still couldn¡¯t find the trick to using it. Having no choice, he could only put it away and prepare to study it carefully when he had time.


    After using the Melting Liquid to melt the corpse and briefly cleaning up the scene, Lin Shen quickly left.


    ¡­


    Nothing else happened on the way back. Lin Shen returned home without any incident and heaved a long sigh of relief.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I still don¡¯t know who those two people were.¡±


    Lin Shen sighed softly.


    However, if he was given another chance, he would still kill those two fellows.


    Keeping the enemy alive to interrogate them for information was something that could only be done when he had a huge advantage and victory was in his grasp. Even so, he might still fail at thest moment.


    At that time, he didn¡¯t know the identity and strength of his enemies. The first thing Lin Shen had to consider was protecting his own life.


    Then, the cat general left him with no room to hold back.


    ¡°Forget it. If they¡¯re really after me, we¡¯ll meet again in the future. I¡¯ll just be more careful next time.¡±


    Lin Shen quickly made up his mind.


    However, in his opinion, the two of them were most likely not here for who he really was.


    Recalling the killings taking ce in the Northern District that Kong Hong had mentioned before, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but fall into deep thought.


    A momentter, he came back to his senses and shook his head, putting this matter to the back of his mind for the time being. Instead, he thought about his next arrangements.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already obtained the Condensing Liquid. I shouldn¡¯t need any other resources before I reach the ninth level of Qi Transformation. I can focus on cultivating for a while.¡±


    ...


    Lin Shen quickly made the arrangement.


    Clone 2, who had the talent of God¡¯s Jealousy, naturally focused on absorbing the Condensing Liquid to increase its cultivation.


    Clone 3, who had the Pure Yang Body, would focus on cultivating the zing Sun Palm. He wanted to reach Perfection before the exam.


    The remaining two clones focused on cultivating Shadows.


    The practicality of Shadows had already been verified in tonight¡¯s battle.


    If not for Shadows¡¯ agility, Lin Shen would have to pay a huge price to kill those two criminals.


    The importance of movement techniques in actualbat was obvious!


    If he could cultivate Shadows to Proficient or even Mastery realm before the exam, he would be more confident in obtaining outstanding results in the exam!


    ¡°If the two clones cultivate with me, I should be able to reach Proficient in more than 20 days. I¡¯m not sure about Mastery, but it¡¯s still possible.¡±


    After muttering to himself for a moment, Lin Shen suddenly thought of the battle with the cat general tonight.


    The cat¡¯s fierce sword technique really gave him a huge pressure.


    ...


    ¡°It¡¯s still too disadvantageous to be unarmed in actualbat.


    ¡°However, if I practice weapon-rted martial techniques now, it¡¯ll slow down the speed of my cultivation. Moreover, they aren¡¯t so easy to find.¡±


    Lin Shen thought for a moment and came up with apromise. That was to cultivate the Physical Enhancement martial technique.


    In this way, not only could he temper his body and strengthen his vitality, but he also had the confidence to resist weapon-type martial techniques.


    However, there were other problems. Just like weapon-type skills, an ordinary civilian like him had no way of obtaining a suitable Physical Enhancement martial technique.


    ¡°A powerful martial technique is still too difficult to find¡­¡±

 Chapter 42 - 42 The Huge Difference

    42 The Huge Difference


    Time flew by before anybody noticed it.


    Lin Shen was immersed in his cultivation, and before he knew it, it was half a monthter.


    Under the diligent cultivation of him and his two clones, Shadows finally reached Proficient.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: God¡¯s Jealousy]


    [Stage: Qi Transformation Level 8, 78%]


    [Technique: Original Breathing Technique (Perfection), zing Sun Palm (Mastery 75%), Mortal Restrain (Beginner 53%), Shadows (Proficient 25%)]


    [Number of clones: 4 (40%)]


    ¡°God¡¯s Jealousy and Superior Martial Arts are indeed useful.¡±


    Looking at the data on the interface, Lin Shen smiled from the bottom of his heart.


    In half a month, not only had Shadows reached Proficient, but it had also exceeded 25% of his expected progress.


    At this speed, it would not be a problem for him to reach Mastery before the examination.


    ¡°I¡¯m still 25% away from reaching Perfection in the zing Sun Palm. I¡¯ll need seven to eight days at most. By then, Clone 3 will be free to cultivate Shadows.¡±


    As long as he could break through to the ninth level of Qi Transformation, together with Perfection in the zing Sun Palm and Mastery in Shadows, Lin Shen was confident he could fight a Long Breath Stage cultivator alone!


    Looking up at the clock, Lin Shen packed up and prepared to leave.


    He still had to work part-time at the martial arts school.


    He had already spent most of the spirit coins he obtained from Tian Dian. There were only fewer than 70,000 spirit coins left.


    This was all thanks to thepensation of 45,000 coins. Otherwise, he would have even less.


    ¡°My rent and the spirit beast meat cost quite a lot. With the ie from my part-time job in the martial arts school, I can onlyst for ten days at most.


    ¡°But that¡¯s alright. The exam is in ten days. As long as I can get into the Nine Yang Academy, the monthly allowance will be enough to cover my expenses. Moreover, I heard the academy also gave out generous schrships.¡±


    ¡­


    When he arrived at the martial arts school, Yang Zhongyi was already waiting in thebat room.


    Su Nian was there as well.


    Seeing Lin Shen arrive, Yang Zhongyi immediately waved excitedly.


    ¡°Here! I¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time. I¡¯ve just finished warming up. Let¡¯s begin now!¡±


    Ever since thepetition, Lin Shen no longer needed to wear protective gear when fighting Yang Zhongyi.


    With his cultivation at the sixth level of Qi Transformation and Mastery in the zing Sun Palm, he could already fight Yang Zhongyi as an equal.


    However, Lin Shen nned to make another ¡°small¡± breakthrough today.


    Hence, after fighting for a moment, Yang Zhongyi shouted anxiously,


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    He pulled away and looked at Lin Shen in astonishment.


    ¡°Y-you broke through to the seventh level of Qi Transformation?!¡±


    Su Nian was also extremely shocked.


    ¡°It only happened yesterday.¡± Lin Shen nodded calmly.


    He prepared to ¡°gradually¡± improve his cultivation level in front of others so that he wouldn¡¯t reveal too much at once during the exam and cause a hugemotion.


    It had already been 20 days since thepetition, so it was a good time to break through ¡°again¡±.


    Even so, Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian were still dumbfounded. They stared at Lin Shen with their eyes wide open, unable to recover for a long time.


    That should be happening!


    It had only been less than a month, and he had made another breakthrough!


    He was on a rocket ride!


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re a monster!¡±


    Yang Zhongyi sighed, feeling a little tired.


    With his previous cultivation level, he could still suppress Lin Shen, but now, they were at the same level.


    Lin Shen¡¯s zing Sun Palm was a level higher than his.


    Under such circumstances, Yang Zhongyi was no match for Lin Shen.


    Not long ago, he could beat Lin Shen up. How did it turn around in the blink of an eye?


    When he thought of this, Yang Zhongyi couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    Yang Zhongyi often considered himself a genius, but he didn¡¯t hold a candle to Lin Shen inparison!


    Su Nian also looked adrift.


    After losing Lin Shen in thepetition, he secretly made up his mind to surpass Lin Shen in the exam. For this, he spent more time on cultivation than before.


    He hadn¡¯t achieved anything yet, but in just half a month, Lin Shen had already broken through to the seventh level of Qi Transformation!


    Was the difference between people really that great?


    ¡°With your current strength, you¡¯re even one of the best among the disciples of influential families!¡± Yang Zhongyi sighed.


    Lin Shen instantly became interested and asked Yang Zhongyi about the strength of the disciples of influential families.


    ...


    Seeing that Lin Shen was interested, Yang Zhongyi didn¡¯t hide anything. He simply sat cross-legged on the floor and exined everything to Lin Shen.


    ¡°In the outside world, people oftenin that the disciples of influential families take up too many spots in the examinations. Most of the people who enter the academies are also from those families, so the outsiders suspect that there¡¯s a conspiracy. However, that¡¯s not the case.


    ¡°In the cultivation world, the strong prey on the weak. The strong are respected, and everything is based on one¡¯s strength. The three major sects¡¯ academies are no exception. If you¡¯re not strong enough, you can¡¯t join the academies, even if you¡¯re one of the disciples of the influential families or the direct descent of the three major ns!


    ¡°However, the resources that the disciples of influential families can enjoy far exceed that of ordinary people, so they are generally stronger. Naturally, they can upy more spots. Although this is very cruel, it¡¯s an indisputable fact.


    ¡°As for someone with my strength¡­¡±


    Yang Zhongyi pointed at himself.


    ¡°Among the disciples of influential families, I¡¯m only considered above average. People like Yan Xing and Zhao Xueying are the true prodigies!¡±


    Lin Shen nodded slightly.


    Almost everyone in Willow Academy knew about Yan Xing and Zhao Xueying. Every time these two people were mentioned, they were referred to as ¡°peerless genius¡± and ¡°elite¡±.


    Over the past three years, Lin Shen¡¯s ears had almost gotten calluses from hearing those names.


    ¡°Yan Xing has already reached the eighth level of Qi Transformation. Like you, the zing Sun Palm is also at Mastery. Other than that, it¡¯s said he¡¯s also cultivated other martial techniques. I¡¯m not too sure what they are.


    ...


    ¡°Zhao Xueying is said to be even more outstanding than Yan Xing. She was already at the eighth level three months ago. Even if she hasn¡¯t broken through to the ninth level yet, she¡¯s probably very close!¡±


    ¡°What about her martial arts skills?¡± Lin Shen asked curiously.


    ¡°She¡¯s at Mastery in the zing Sun Palm. I¡¯m not sure about other things.¡±


    Yang Zhongyi spread his hands.


    ¡°Zhao Xueying is very low-key. She¡¯s not like Yan Xing, who assumes an air wherever he goes. From what I know, she¡¯s even more hard-working than Su Nian. She¡¯s a martial arts fanatic who¡¯s obsessed with cultivation.¡±


    Su Nian was silent. Apparently, he agreed with Yang Zhongyi.


    Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly.


    The disciples of influential families didn¡¯tck resources or guidance from famous teachers. As long as they had a little talent, their achievements would far exceed ordinary people¡¯s.


    As for those who were more talented, their achievements would far exceed their peers. Ordinary people could never catch up.


    If not for his clones, Lin Shen would never have been able to catch up to this group of people.


    ¡°Lin, I have high hopes for you!¡±


    Yang Zhongyi chuckled and patted Lin Shen¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Although you can¡¯tpare to the top few people like Yan Xing and Zhao Xueying, your strength has already exceeded 80% of the disciples of influential families!


    ¡°In this exam, you will definitely surprise everyone and achieve an unexpectedly good result!¡±

 Chapter 43 - 43 Cat General’s Request

    43 Cat General¡¯s Request


    Lin Shen only smiled at Yang Zhongyi¡¯s praise.


    His goal wasn¡¯t only to achieve good results as Yang Zhongyi had said.


    This concerned the cultivation resources he could obtain in the academy in the future, so he had to do his best.


    Since he had to do it, he wouldn¡¯t spare any effort!


    Of course, there was no need to tell Yang Zhongyi that.


    It was already night when he left the martial arts school.


    When Lin Shen passed by the spirit beast meat store, he bought some spirit beast meat as usual. The night had set in when he headed home.


    The weather didn¡¯t seem to be too good tonight. An extremely faint fog had appeared on the streets at some point, making the night sky a little hazy.


    The street in the distance was even more blurry, making it difficult to see anything clearly.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t think much of it at first, but as he walked, he suddenly realized something was wrong.


    ¡°It¡¯s too quiet!¡±


    Although the East District wasn¡¯t as prosperous as the Central District and the West District, it should be a scene of feasting and revelry at this hour.


    Even if the path he chose was a little remote, there should be some people nearby.


    There was no sound of cars or people in the distance. Everything was so quiet as if he was the only one left in the entire world.


    ¡°The fog is getting thicker!¡±


    Lin Shen looked around. The fog on the street had be thicker when he wasn¡¯t looking.


    Looking around, he could only see the scene within a radius of 20 to 30 meters. Beyond that, everything was a blur. He could only vaguely make out the outline of buildings. Each of them was like a demon baring its fangs and brandishing its ws, looking especially terrifying in the night.


    Lin Shen tensed up and observed his surroundings warily.


    At this moment, he saw something from the corner of his eye. He turned around and realized there was something on the corner of the street 20 meters away.


    Nothing was there ten seconds ago!


    Lin Shen narrowed his eyes. After some thought, he took a step forward and carefully approached the object.


    As he got closer, he realized that the thing that had suddenly appeared was a shrine.


    The shrine was about a meter tall. It had a mahogany base and an open door. Inside was an exquisitely carved, lifelike statue.


    Upon closer inspection, it was the cat general he had seen half a month ago!


    Thud!


    Just as Lin Shen was feeling bewildered, the statue in the shrine suddenly opened its eyes, revealing gem-like green pupils.


    Its dark green pupils spun once. The statue stretched and jumped out of the shrine. Afternding, it expanded rapidly as if it was inted. In the blink of an eye, it became a tall and burly cat general.


    The cat general stretched its neck, putting one hand on its waist and the other on the hilt of its sword.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, cultivator, for inviting you over in such a manner. Please forgive me for offending you!¡±


    Its voice was unexpectedly gentle and kind.


    Lin Shen was stunned. He hesitated for a moment and asked,


    ¡°Divine Lord, what can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°I need your help.¡±


    The cat general didn¡¯t stand on ceremony and went straight to the point.


    ¡°I have a friend in the secr world who¡¯s being hunted down by viins. If possible, I would like to ask you to help save my friend.¡±


    Lin Shen was stunned. He didn¡¯t expect the cat general would make such a request.


    From the situation that night, the cat general was much stronger than him. If even the cat general being ouldn¡¯t solve the problem, what could he do?


    As if sensing Lin Shen¡¯s confusion, the cat general exined gently,


    ¡°I can¡¯t interfere in the affairs of the mortal world, so I can only seek the help of cultivators.¡±


    The cat general pointed at Lin Shen¡¯s pocket, where the storage jade te was.


    ¡°In return, I can help you remove the restriction of the God Seeking Token. From now on, you can use it to summon a fraction of my clone to help once every month.¡±


    Lin Shen finally understood how the criminal from that night had obtained the God Seeking Token. That fellow had also made a simr deal with the cat general.


    Recalling the capability of the cat general¡¯s clone, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but feel tempted.


    It was a Long Breath Stage cultivator. At the critical moment, it could be a powerful trump card that could turn the situation around!


    After hesitating for a few seconds, Lin Shen asked in a low voice, ¡°That friend of yours¡­ What¡¯s his background?¡±


    The cat general didn¡¯t hide anything and answered truthfully, ¡°It¡¯s a spiritual cat that has gained intelligence.¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Who is chasing it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a group of viins who specialize in hunting spiritual cats. They call themselves the Night Grinders.¡±


    The cat general¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. Its dark green pupils flickered with a cold light, and there was a hint of anger.


    ¡°This group of viins searches for spiritual cats that have developed intelligence inside and outside Dragonside City. They forcefully feed the cats manifestation pills and transform them into human forms. Then, they tame the cats and sell them to filthy ces to be maids!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Lin Shen recalled the Night Dream Club that Yang Zhongyi had brought him to not long ago.


    Were those catgirls obtained through this method?


    As for the Night Grinders¡­


    ...


    Lin Shen knew the names ¡°grinder¡± and ¡°night deity¡±.


    However, both of them were nicknames for rats.


    The name ¡®Night Grinders¡¯¡­ Did it refer to rats being more powerful than cats?


    Suppressing the confusion in his heart, Lin Shen continued.


    ¡°How powerful are those people?¡±


    ¡°As far as I know, most of its members are Qi Transformation cultivators.¡±


    Lin Shen nodded indifferently.


    He had some reservations about the cat general¡¯s information.


    Even if the cat general didn¡¯t lie to him, he couldn¡¯t guarantee that the information was urate. Divine beings weren¡¯t omnipotent.


    Even if the information was urate, ¡°most of them are cultivators at the Qi Transformation stage¡± meant there were cultivators stronger than that.


    Lin Shen wasn¡¯t afraid of any Qi Transformation cultivator now, but he still had to maintain reverence for higher-level cultivators.


    ...


    He didn¡¯t want to provoke enemies at the Long Breath Stage or even higher.


    As if sensing Lin Shen¡¯s concerns, the cat general said slowly,


    ¡°That friend of mine is currently in the North District, surrounded by that group of viins. You only need to help it break out safely and reach the East District.


    ¡°In return, apart from the God Seeking Token, I can also give you a powerful martial technique!¡±


    The cat general¡¯sst sentence made Lin Shen¡¯s eyes light up.


    ¡°What martial technique?¡±


    The cat general flipped its wrist, and a book suddenly appeared in its palm. On the front page were the words ¡°Dragon Roar Through the Clouds¡±.


    ¡°This martial technique is a sound wave technique. It uses sound to injure and even kill people. It¡¯s released by a Long Breath Stage cultivator with spiritual essence. It can also use sound to create vigorous energy, fighting back enemies without attacking or injuring them without making contact. In terms of power, it¡¯s much more outstanding than your zing Sun Palm.¡±


    Lin Shen was instantly tempted.


    Just half a month ago, he was still worrying about where to find a martial technique to perfect his actualbat ability. Who would have thought he would run into one here? The timing was perfect.


    Although this ¡°Dragon Roar Through the Clouds¡± wasn¡¯t the Physical Enhancement martial technique he wanted the most, it was equally powerful. More importantly, he could still use it after breaking through to the Long Breath Stage. It would be even more powerful after that!


    Even so, Lin Shen still didn¡¯t agree in a rush. He thought for a moment and said,


    ¡°Divine Lord, please forgive me. Can I give you an answer tomorrow?¡±


    The rescue mission was quite urgent, but the cat general¡¯s temper was unexpectedly mild. Hearing this, it didn¡¯t re up. Instead, it nodded with a gentle expression.


    ¡°If you make up your mind, take out the God Seeking Token from the storage jade te. It¡¯ll lead you to where my friend is hiding.¡±


    ¡°I see!¡±


    The cat general didn¡¯t say anything else. It nodded at Lin Shen and slowly dissipated into the air.


    At the same time, the shrine and the surrounding fog also disappeared.


    Not long after, the streets regained their rity. The entire world seemed to havee alive all of a sudden. The sound of cars and people came from afar again.


    Lin Shen knew he had returned to reality.


    ¡°Speaking of which, what was that just now? An array formation? Or an illusion?¡±

 Chapter 44 - 44 Unofficial God and Night Grinders

    44 Unofficial God and Night Grinders


    The next morning, Lin Shen went straight to the central library.


    His understanding of the cat general was limited to the fact that it was an unofficial god and nothing more.


    Before considering whether to agree to the cat general¡¯s request, Lin Shen had to understand what kind of existence the other party was.


    Dragonside Library, which was located in the central area, was thergest among all the libraries opened to the public in Dragonside City. It had the most books and the mostplete variety.


    The entire library was divided into four floors, which were all connected. Every floor was filled with densely packed bookcases. At a nce, there were probably no less than a million books.


    If Lin Shen were to slowly search for it on his own, it would take him a long time to find the information he wanted.


    Therefore, he made a prompt decision and spent 200 spirit coins to get a librarian to help him find books and information about the unofficial god.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Lin Shen to find information about the cat general.


    ording to the book¡¯s description, although the cat general wasn¡¯t a legitimate god and was only an unofficial god, it cultivated on the orthodox path. It was different from the evil gods, who walked the unorthodox path and did strange things, sacrificing people¡¯s lives for cultivation.


    Such unofficial gods paid the most attention to karma. They wouldn¡¯t interfere in the affairs of the mortal world, nor did they easily harm the lives of innocent civilians. Their actions were upright.


    ¡°In that case, the cat general¡¯s deal should be sincere.¡± Lin Shen looked thoughtful.


    That was true. If the cat general was an existence like some evil god, why would it care so much? It would kill or save someone on its own. There was no need to ask him.


    In other words, as long as he sessfully rescued the cat general¡¯s friend, he would be able to obtain the God Seeking Token and Dragon Roar Through the Clouds promised by the cat general!


    After pondering for a moment, Lin Shen stood up and put the book back. Then, he left the library.


    ¡­


    Calm Sun Martial Arts School.


    Lin Shen came to thebat room where he often found Yang Zhongyi. He took a closer look and saw thetter was indeed inside, continuously hitting a humanoid iron puppet.


    Judging from his sweat, he had been practicing here for a while.


    He had probably been shocked by Lin Shen¡¯s breakthrough yesterday, so he had increased his cultivation time.


    When he heard the door open, Yang Zhongyi turned around and looked surprised.


    ¡°Why are you here so early today? It¡¯s not even noon yet.¡±


    ¡°I have something to ask you.¡±


    Lin Shen went straight to the point.


    ¡°Where did that club you took me tost time find those catgirls?¡±


    Hearing this unexpected question, Yang Zhongyi was bewildered for a moment before smiling suggestively.


    ¡°Why? Have you finally realized the beauty of catgirls? Why don¡¯t I bring you there tonight? I guarantee you¡¯ll never forget the experience!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡±


    Lin Shen was caught betweenughter and tears and simply told the truth.


    ¡°I heard some news that someone specializes in hunting spiritual cats. After feeding them manifestation pills, they¡¯ll sell the cats to some entertainment venues¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but Yang Zhongyi already understood what Lin Shen meant. The smile on his face disappeared, and he frowned.


    ¡°I¡¯ve also heard of such things. I¡¯m not sure about the other ces, but the catgirls of the Night Dream Club definitely came through formal channels. They bought spirit cats from the Three Sect Prefecture¡¯s animal training park and domesticated the cats themselves.


    ¡°In fact, with the Night Dream Club¡¯s background and connections, there¡¯s no need for them to buy spiritual cats from illegal traffickers. They won¡¯t deal with those people.¡±


    Lin Shen nodded in relief.


    He didn¡¯t doubt the authenticity of Yang Zhongyi¡¯s words. There was no need for thetter to lie about this.


    ¡°Lin, why are you suddenly asking this?¡± Yang Zhongyi looked at him in confusion.


    Instead of answering, Lin Shen asked, ¡°Do you know about the Night Grinders?¡±


    ¡°Night Grinders?¡±


    Yang Zhongyi raised his eyebrows.


    ¡°Did you get into trouble with them?¡±


    ¡°We did have some conflicts,¡± Lin Shen said vaguely.


    Yang Zhongyi didn¡¯t suspect anything and said,


    ¡°Night Grinders is a domineering name, but it¡¯s just an inferior organization. It¡¯s said they had more than a hundred people at their peak. However, they have taken a hard blow from the Martial Enforcement Hall recently. I think there are only 20 to 30 people left now.¡±


    ¡°I heard most of their members are Qi Transformation cultivators?¡± Lin Shen asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. The leader of the Night Grinders is called Luo Yi. He¡¯s a criminal on the wanted list of the Martial Enforcement Hall. He¡¯s a cultivator at the first level of the Long Breath Stage and has some strength.


    ¡°Apart from him, the other members are only Qi Transformation cultivators. Most of them are at the early stage or mid-stage only. They don¡¯t pose that much threat and can only bully those spiritual cats that have just developed intelligence.¡±


    Spiritual beasts generally had a characteristic. The older they were, the stronger they became.


    As for the spirit cat that had just developed intelligence, it only knew some illusion techniques at most and could only handle ordinary people and early-stage Qi Transformation cultivators.


    Any cultivator at the fifth or sixth level of Qi Transformation could easily deal with a spiritual cat that had just developed intelligence.


    The Night Grinders specialized in attacking such spiritual cats. It was no wonder that Yang Zhongyi looked down on them.


    ¡°Lin, do you need my help?¡± Yang Zhongyi asked.


    Although the Night Grinders weren¡¯t a threatening force, that was only to the Martial Enforcement Hall and the influential families.


    To ordinary people, it was still an existence that they couldn¡¯t provoke.


    Although Lin Shen was quite capable, he was still just a student. If he wasn¡¯t careful, the Night Grinders could give him a hard time.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Thank you,¡± Lin Shen declined with a smile.


    ...


    Yang Zhongyi gave him a long look and patted his shoulder without saying anything.


    ¡°If you need my help, feel free to ask.¡±


    The two of them then tacitly changed the topic and started training.


    After training for a while, Lin Shen left the martial arts school and returned home.


    His main purpose foring to see Yang Zhongyi today was to see if he could obtain information about the Night Grinders.


    He was very satisfied with the result.


    ording to Yang Zhongyi¡¯s description, the strongest person in the Night Grinders was Luo Yi, who was at the Long Breath Stage.


    With Lin Shen¡¯s current strength, even if he ran into Luo Yi, he would have a high chance of killing him.


    As for the remaining Qi Transformation members, they wouldn¡¯t give him much trouble.


    As long as he wasn¡¯t surrounded by more than twenty people at the same time, Lin Shen was confident he could destroy his opponent with his clones.


    Of course, it didn¡¯t mean there was no risk against the Night Grinders.


    ...


    However,pared to the benefits that could be obtained, this risk was still eptable.


    ¡°God Seeking Token and Dragon Roar Through the Clouds¡­¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes flickered.


    The God Seeking Token was good news, but the Dragon Roar Through the Clouds was even more attractive to him.


    A powerful martial arts technique could greatly increase a cultivator¡¯sbat ability.


    If Lin Shen could obtain the Dragon Roar Through the Clouds, he would have a greater chance of defeating the top geniuses of those influential families in the uing exam.


    Lin Shen had a deep understanding of how difficult it was to obtain martial arts techniques.


    Now that there was a rare opportunity to obtain a powerful one, and the risk was controble, Lin Shen naturally didn¡¯t want to give up so easily.


    After thinking for a moment, Lin Shen quickly made up his mind.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡±

 Chapter 45 - 45 Black Cat

    45 ck Cat


    Night had set in.


    The moonlight shone on the ground like mercury, bringing a hazy beauty to the quiet street.


    It was abnormally quiet in the North District at night, so quiet that it was even a little eerie.


    In a corner shrouded in shadows, Lin Shen stood against the wall. He touched his stiff face after taking the Face Changing Pill. After thinking for a while, he was still worried. He took out a fox mask from his storage jade te and put it on.


    After doing all this, he took out the God Seeking Token and studied it carefully in his palm.


    Under the moonlight, the token shone with a hazy luster.


    ¡°Speaking of which, how do I use this thing?¡±


    Just as this thought appeared in his mind, Lin Shen suddenly felt the token in his palm move slightly. It suddenly rose a few centimeters.


    ¡°To the north.¡±


    Lin Shen perked up and immediately jumped out of the shadows, rushing towards his destination ording to the token¡¯s guidance.


    Running in the middle of the night while wearing a mask was undoubtedly very suspicious.


    However, when it was nighttime in the North District, there were few people hanging around outside. There were almost no pedestrians on the empty streets, and only a few drunkards walked by asionally.


    Along the way, very few shops were still open at night. In addition, Lin Shen specialized in choosing dark corners to walk in, so no one noticed him.


    Ten minutester, Lin Shen stopped in front of a two-story house.


    The residence upied arge area. Although it only had two floors, the decoration was stylish, and there was also a grass-covered front yard. The people who lived here were obviously rich.


    Lin Shen nced at the God Seeking Token in his hand.


    After arriving here, the God Seeking Token stopped moving. Instead, it heated up slightly. Clearly, the target he was looking for was in the residence in front of him.


    Lin Shen looked around and saw no one was paying attention to him. He strode to the wall and jumped lightly. He reached out and pressed against the wall. With a little press of his hand, he easily climbed over the wall and silentlynded on the grass in the front yard.


    However, he had just stabilized himself and started to observe his surroundings when a ck shadow suddenly rushed out from the corner.


    Lin Shen took a closer look. It was a dog with pure white fur and the size of a calf.


    This family had a dog!


    Seeing that the white dog was about to bark, Lin Shen became a little nervous. He rushed forward at lightning speed to stop it, but just as he moved, he suddenly heard a voice.


    ¡°Wait, Cotton, don¡¯t bark!¡±


    The voice was as tender as a seven or eight-year-old girl¡¯s, but it was as pleasant and clear as a mountain spring.


    Lin Shen looked in the direction of the voice in surprise and saw a ck cat slowly walking out from behind the white dog.


    Under the bright moonlight, the ck cat¡¯s fur emitted a glossy and smooth luster. Its body was slender and long, showing beautiful curves. Its footsteps were light and nimble, carrying a dreamy beauty.


    There was also an exquisite golden bell tied to her slender neck with a red belt.


    For a moment, Lin Shen actually had the illusion that he was looking at a rich youngdy taking azy stroll in her courtyard.


    After stopping the white dog, the ck cat used her gem-like ice-blue eyes to size up Lin Shen. The suspicious look in her eyes was rather human-like.


    ¡°I sense a very familiar aura from you. Who are you?¡±


    If Lin Shen had some doubts just now, when he heard the ck cat speak humannguage, he immediately knew who the cat was.


    This ck cat could actually speak the humannguage!


    Apart from a few special examples, under normal circumstances, spiritual beasts that could speak the humannguage were close to the Manifestation Stage, which wasparable to the Bright Aperture Stage in humans.


    However, if this ck cat really had that kind of cultivation level, logically speaking, she wouldn¡¯t have been chased around by the Night Grinders.


    She could kill all members of the Night Grinders with a single p!


    Moreover, Lin Shen didn¡¯t sense any powerful aura from the ck cat.


    Lin Shen was bewildered, but he didn¡¯t show it on his face. Instead, he waved the God Seeking Token in his hand at the ck cat.


    ¡°The cat general asked me to bring you out of the North District.¡±


    The ck cat¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard this. Her gazended on the token in Lin Shen¡¯s hand. After carefully observing it for a moment, she nodded happily.


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed the general¡¯s token. In that case, you¡¯re really here to save me. That¡¯s great!¡±


    The ck cat couldn¡¯t hide the joy in her voice.


    She had been chased by the Night Grinders for almost a month and had been fleeing for most of the time. Although she had finally found a rtively safe hiding ce, she had used up most of her strength.


    If the Night Grinders found her again, she probably wouldn¡¯t even have the strength to cast an illusion to escape.


    Fortunately, someone finally came to save her!


    Indeed, there was always a way out!


    ¡°There¡¯s no time to lose. Let¡¯s leave now. The Night Grinders have been appearing in the vicinity for the past few days. I suspect they¡¯re about to discover this ce!¡±


    Lin Shen nodded and looked at the white dog that had been quietly squatting at the side with its tongue out.


    The ck cat turned to the white dog.


    ¡°Cotton, thank you for helping me for the past few days. When it¡¯s safe, I¡¯lle back for you again. I¡¯ll treat you to delicious canned cat food!¡±


    ¡°Woof!¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t dogs eat canned cat food? I find canned dog food quite delicious!¡±


    ¡°Woof!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me not toe? How can I do that? You helped me. I¡¯m not an ungrateful cat. I have to repay you in the future!¡±


    ¡°Woof!¡±


    ...


    ¡°Alright, alright. I know you¡¯re worried about me. I¡¯ll leave now. Don¡¯t rush me. Remember to be careful when I leave. Those bad people mighte here.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Lin Shen nced at the ck cat in resignation. Even he could tell what the white dog meant. Why couldn¡¯t this ck cat tell?


    Fortunately, themunication between the cat and dog didn¡¯t take long. The ck cat quickly finished bidding farewell to the white dog and jumped lightly onto Lin Shen¡¯s shoulder.


    Her movements were light and agile. Even the bell on her neck didn¡¯t ring at all.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± The ck cat said happily.


    Lin Shen climbed over the wall without hesitation.


    However, as soon as hended, he saw a few figures sh past from the corner of his eye.


    He turned around and happened to see four or five men appear at the end of the street. Their gazesnded on Lin Shen and the ck cat on his shoulder.


    ¡°Found it! It¡¯s that spiritual cat!¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s the guy with the mask?¡±


    ...


    ¡°Who cares? Let¡¯s take him down together. Don¡¯t let that cunning ck cat escape again!¡±


    The group of people rushed over aggressively.


    Without another word, Lin Shen turned around and started running. He used Shadows to run wildly, moving so fast that the ck cat on his shoulder swayed non-stop. She had no choice but to grab onto his clothes tightly to stabilize herself.


    ¡°Where are we going now?¡±


    ¡°To the East District. When we get there, the cat general wille and pick us up.¡±


    Lin Shen replied casually as he nced behind him from the corner of his eye.


    After running for a distance, only two people who also cultivated movement techniques were behind him. The rest had long been left behind.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that Shadows is more inclined to short-distance movement and jumping. It¡¯s a little disadvantageous to use it for running long distances. Otherwise, it would be easy to shake off these people with Proficient Shadows!¡±


    Lin Shen looked around. There were shadows in the distance. It was obvious the people behind him weren¡¯t the only ones hunting the ck cat. The other members of the Night Grinders were also gathering from other directions.


    At this rate, he and the ck cat would most likely be caught up by the Night Grinders before they reached the East District.


    ¡°I have to think of a way to get rid of them!¡± Lin Shen¡¯s mind raced.


    Just as he was thinking, two men suddenly rushed out from the corner ahead. After discovering them, the two men immediately waved the des at them.

 Chapter 46 - 46 Brainless

    46 Brainless


    The cold glint of the saber de instantly tore through the night and shed at Lin Shen¡¯s head with an ear-piercing sound.


    Lin Shen tilted his body slightly and dodged the de without changing his expression. He pped out with his palm and hit the chest of the man with the saber.


    The moment he encountered the enemy, Lin Shen had already switched his talent to Superior Martial Arts.


    With the 50% enhancement of the martial technique, zing Sun Palm at the Mastery stage was extremely fierce. The man with the saber didn¡¯t even have time to scream before he fainted from the pain.


    !!


    At that moment, the other man had just reached Lin Shen. When he saw this, his expression changed drastically, and his movements couldn¡¯t help but slow down a little.


    In that instant, Lin Shen had already rushed forward like a whirlwind. He used Shadows to run to the man¡¯s side and struck out with his palm again.


    Thump!


    The man crashed heavily into the wall, and his body slid down to the ground. The man became silent and limp.


    This sudden confrontation ended as soon as it happened. Lin Shen quickly took out the two men with actions as fast as lightning.


    The ck cat didn¡¯t see anything clearly. She only saw a figure sh past, and the two Night Grinders¡¯ thugs had already fallen to the ground and be motionless.


    This scene made her eyes widen.


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome!¡±


    When she came back to her senses, the ck cat couldn¡¯t help but tug at the clothes on Lin Shen¡¯s shoulders in excitement.


    ¡°No wonder the general sent you to save me. You¡¯re so powerful! The two bad guys fell to the ground in the blink of an eye!¡±


    In her excitement, the ck cat forgot to lower her voice. her melodious child-like voice traveled far in the night.


    Lin Shen was about to remind her when he heard a sounding from the alley on the right.


    ¡°I-I think I heard something over there.¡±


    ¡°Really? Why didn¡¯t I hear that? You must be drunk!¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s drunk? I¡¯m not drunk. I can still drink!¡±


    Two drunkards walked out of the alley with their arms around each other¡¯s shoulders. They were each holding a can of beer and waving it around.


    The next second, they suddenly stopped. Their eyes widened when they saw the scene in the middle of the street.


    A strange person wearing a mask had a ck cat coiled on his shoulder.


    Two men were lying unconscious on the ground.


    Not far away, two cold steel des fell on the ground.


    This scene inevitably reminded people of the phrase ¡°dark nights are great for murder¡±.


    As the night breeze blew, the two drunkards shivered in unison.


    After a moment of silence, one of them suddenly mumbled,


    ¡°After drinking too much, I really want to be. Is there a ce nearby to relieve myself¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he naturally turned around and walked towards the alley he came from.


    The other person hurriedly followed him and shouted,


    ¡°Beer? Where¡¯s my beer? I want more!¡±


    The two of them disappeared into the alley in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°The two men are so drunk that they can¡¯t even speak properly.¡± The ck cat was amused.


    Lin Shen nced at her and vaguely realized something. This little fellow wasn¡¯t pretending. She really was a little dumb.


    What a waste of her good looks!


    Lin Shen thought to himself. He didn¡¯t even look at the two people on the ground and quickly left the scene.


    He already had an idea of how to get rid of the Night Grinders.


    A momentter,


    Lin Shen brought the ck cat to an abandoned park. He grabbed the back of the ck cat¡¯s neck, lifted her off his shoulder, and stuffed her into the flowers.


    At the same time, he summoned a clone and took out a spare mask from his storage jade te.


    By the time the ck cat got up from the bushes, the clone had already disappeared at the entrance of the park.


    ¡°I think I saw a ck shadow sh past just now.¡± The ck cat sized up her surroundings in confusion.


    ¡°Really? Why didn¡¯t I see it? You must have been mistaken,¡± Lin Shen said perfunctorily.


    ¡°Is, is that so?¡±


    The ck cat was skeptical. Suddenly, she seemed to have thought of something. She shrank her head and trembled in fear.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be a ghost, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Why would a spiritual beast be afraid of ghosts?


    Lin Shen was speechless. He then hid in the flowers as well.


    The ck cat seemed to believe the figure just now was really a ghost. She squeezed into Lin Shen¡¯s arms in fear and grabbed the front of his clothes tightly, not daring to let go.


    Ignoring this silly cat, Lin Shen focused on checking the movements of his clone.


    After leaving the park, his clone ran straight to the West District under Lin Shen¡¯s control. It didn¡¯t try to hide its movement at all. As expected, it immediately attracted the attention of the Night Grinders.


    The Night Grinders¡¯ thugs gathered around the clone, and the shouts gradually faded into the distance.


    700 meters!


    ...


    800 meters!


    900 meters!


    Lin Shen estimated the distance. When the clone was about a kilometer away from him, he controlled the clone to rush into an alley. The moment it was out of the enemy¡¯s sight, he retrieved the clone.


    At the same time, he jumped out of the bushes and rushed towards the East District with the ck cat in his arms.


    If Lin Shen could, he wanted his clone to bring the Night Grinders further away, but his strength and spiritual energy were almost exhausted.


    As he ran, Lin Shen stuffed a few Energy Recovery Pills into his mouth to recover his energy.


    Fortunately, there was a one-kilometer buffer. By the time the Night Grinders realized they had been lured away, it would be toote.


    Ten minutester, Lin Shen brought the ck cat to the East District.


    The moment he stepped into the East District, Lin Shen heaved a sigh of relief.


    He was lucky tonight. He didn¡¯t encounter Luo Yi, the leader of the Night Grinders, and only ran into some Qi Transformation thugs. Otherwise, even with the clone to lure the enemies away, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape so easily.


    Just as he was rejoicing, a heavy fog suddenly enveloped him.


    ...


    The familiar scene made Lin Shen¡¯s expression change. He knew the cat general hade to pick him up.


    As expected, the next second, the cat general¡¯s majestic figure slowly appeared from the fog.


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work, cultivator!¡±


    The cat general nodded at Lin Shen with a gentle expression. Then, it looked at the ck cat and smiled.


    ¡°Ai, long time no see.¡±


    ¡°General!¡±


    Ai jumped off Lin Shen¡¯s shoulder and quickly walked to the cat general. She looked up at thetter, her ice-blue eyes shing with joy.


    ¡°I almost couldn¡¯t see you again. Those bad guys are so awful. They kept chasing me. Fortunately, you found someone to save me!¡±


    The cat general smiled and looked up at Lin Shen. It raised its wrist, and a secret manual flew out.


    Lin Shen immediately caught it and took a closer look. It was the martial arts manual of the Dragon Roar Through the Clouds.


    The cat general then pointed, and Lin Shen felt the God Seeking Token in his palm tremble slightly. He looked down and realized that one of the 19 rune stones embedded at the edge of the God Seeking Token had already lit up.


    ¡°This is the reward I promised you. There¡¯s the martial technique and the God Seeking Token.¡±


    The cat general said gently,


    ¡°With the God Seeking Token, you can summon my incarnation. Its cultivation level is about the first level of the Long Breath Stage. But remember, every time you use the God Seeking Token, you¡¯ll have to wait for a month before using it again!¡±


    Lin Shen nodded heavily and took a deep breath to suppress the excitement in his heart.


    He hadn¡¯t taken the risk to face the Night Grinders in vain. He had finally received a generous reward!


    The God Seeking Token aside, the Dragon Roar Through the Clouds could also resolve his urgent need.


    As long as he cultivated this martial technique to the beginner level, his strength could wee another leap!


    ¡°Cultivator.¡±


    The cat general¡¯s warm voice rang out again, pulling Lin Shen back to reality from his excitement.


    He stared at Lin Shen with sincerity in his eyes.


    ¡°Do you want to make another deal with me?¡±

 Chapter 47 - 47 Too Generous

    47 Too Generous


    The cat general¡¯s words stunned Lin Shen.


    His eyes shed, and he asked curiously, ¡°What deal?¡±


    The cat general nced at Ai.


    ¡°I want you to take care of Ai.¡±


    !!


    As soon as the cat general said this, both Lin Shen and Ai were stunned.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stay by Ai¡¯s side all the time, and Ai is innocent. She can¡¯t live in Dragonside City alone, so I hope you can take care of her.¡±


    Lin Shen nced at Ai and thought to himself that the cat general was making an understatement. She wasn¡¯t just naive; she was rather dumb.


    If she really lived alone in Linlong City, she might be caught at any time.


    Lin Shen was a little curious about how Ai couldst so long under the siege of the Night Grinders.


    Many thoughts shed through his mind in an instant. Lin Shen pursed his lips and shook his head to stop his imagination.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    Apart from the Dragon Roar Through the Clouds and the God Seeking Token, the reason why Lin Shen agreed to save Ai tonight because this was a one-time deal.


    The Night Grinders did not know his true identity. After tonight, he would no longer need to interact with the Night Grinders.


    However, it would be different if he agreed to the cat general¡¯s request.


    No one could guarantee the Night Grinders wouldn¡¯te after Ai again.


    If that really happened, Lin Shen would no longer be able to stay out of it. He would have to face the Night Grinders head-on.


    Although he wasn¡¯t afraid of the Night Grinders, he didn¡¯t want to provoke such trouble for nothing.


    No matter what reward the cat general offered, Lin Shen had no intention of agreeing¡­


    ¡°In return, I can give you another powerful martial technique.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Lin Shen cleared his throat.


    ¡°Pardon me for asking, but what martial technique is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a Physical Enhancement martial technique, but it can only be cultivated with the cooperation of spiritual essence.¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s expression changed.


    If it required thebination of spiritual essence, it meant the martial technique could only be cultivated by those at the Long Breath Stage.


    However, he wanted a Physical Enhancement martial technique now because he wanted to increase hisbat ability without slowing down the improvement of his cultivation level.


    Once he broke through to the Long Breath Stage, he could choose to cultivate weapon-type martial techniques. Physical Enhancement martial techniques wouldn¡¯t be as attractive to him as now.


    Still, a powerful martial technique at the Long Breath Stage was still very precious.


    Lin Shen was a little tempted.


    As if sensing Lin Shen¡¯s hesitation, the cat general seized the opportunity and continued.


    ¡°Apart from martial techniques, I can also open more restrictions on your God Seeking Token.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The rune stones embedded in the God Seeking Token are restrictions. The more rune stones lit up, the fewer restrictions the God Seeking Token will have, and the higher the cultivation level of the incarnation it can summon!¡±


    Lin Shen was enlightened. So that was the effect of those rune stones.


    That exined a lot of things. If the mighty God Seeking Token could only summon a Long Breath Stage incarnation, that would be too weak.


    Martial arts and the effect of increasing the God Seeking Token¡­


    Lin Shen was even more tempted.


    ¡°I can also get Ai to sign a soul contract with you.¡± The cat general threw out another offer.


    A soul contract was one of the mostmon contracts in the cultivation world. It was usually used to tame spiritual beasts.


    Whenever a cultivator raised a spiritual beast, they would first sign a soul contract with it.


    Once the contract was established, the spiritual beast would be loyal to their master and obey their orders.


    Moreover, once the cultivator died, the spiritual beasts would also lose their lives.


    It meant as long as a soul contract was signed, the spiritual beasts would never be able to betray their masters in their lives.


    Simr contracts includedw contracts and blood contracts.


    The former was a contractmonly used by orthodox sects, while thetter was a contractmonly used by heretic ones.


    However, these two types of contracts were more extensive and flexible than soul contracts.


    Lin Shen nced at Ai, who seemed confused but didn¡¯t object to the cat general¡¯s words.


    In any case, with the soul contract, Lin Shen¡¯s biggest concern about adopting Ai was mostly resolved.


    However, there was another very realistic problem.


    ¡°Divine Lord, to be honest, with my current financial resources, I can¡¯t afford to raise a spiritual beast!¡± Lin Shen shrugged.


    To a certain extent, raising a spiritual beast was more expensive than raising a person.


    Most spiritual beasts needed to eat meat and even spirit beast meat every day to survive.


    Some special spiritual beasts even had to eat rare herbs every day. The cost was huge, and it was almost as expensive as nurturing a cultivator.


    Lin Shen was already struggling to make ends meet. He wished he could break a spirit coin into two and use it. How could he still have the energy to raise a spiritual cat?


    ...


    But unexpectedly, after hearing Lin Shen¡¯s words, the cat general only smiled faintly and turned to look at Ai.


    ¡°Ai, take out the stone you found earlier.¡±


    Ai nodded obediently. She used her paw to touch the golden bell on her neck. When she retracted her paw, there was a stone on it.


    Lin Shen raised his eyebrows in surprise. It turned out the bell was a storage treasure like the storage jade te!


    ¡°You recognize this thing, right?¡±


    The cat general took the stone and threw it at Lin Shen.


    Lin Shen reached out to catch it with a puzzled expression. He looked at it carefully, and a look of surprise gradually appeared on his face.


    He could feel the faint spiritual aura emitted by this stone.


    ¡°Is this an essence stone?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The cat general nodded.


    After getting the cat general¡¯s confirmation, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but take a deep breath.


    ...


    The essence stone was a mystical object containing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. It was a necessity for cultivators to cultivate, replenish their spiritual energy, refine spiritual artifacts and pills, and even set up formations. It was very expensive.


    Although the essence stone in Lin Shen¡¯s hand was only the size of a pinky and not even a low-grade one. At most, it could be considered a broken essence stone. However, if sold on the market, it could be worth at least 200 to 300 thousand spirit coins.


    This broken essence stone alone was enough to cover his living and cultivation expenses for a month!


    ¡°Ai is very sensitive to natural spiritual energy and is very good at finding essence stones and rare herbs. She found this essence stone by ident. With this ability, I don¡¯t think you need to worry too much about her expenses,¡± the cat general said slowly.


    Lin Shen took a deep breath and looked at Ai in surprise.


    ¡°No wonder you look so silly. It turns out you¡¯re making up your intelligence with treasure-hunting skills!


    With this powerful ability, she could afford to cover his living expenses as well, not to mention raising herself!


    At that moment, Lin Shen wanted to hug Ai and ask her to be his sugar daddy.


    ¡°What do you think, cultivator? Do you want to make this deal with me?¡± The cat general stared at Lin Shen.


    After hesitating for a moment, Lin Shen finally nodded.


    ¡°Alright, I agree!¡±


    He had no choice. The offer was too generous!


    The martial technique, the God Seeking Token, and Ai¡¯s treasure-hunting ability were all very beneficial to him. He really couldn¡¯t bring himself to say no.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it! What¡¯s there to be afraid of?


    ¡°The Night Grinders are nothing!


    If nothing worked, he still had the God Seeking Token. If the Night Grinders didn¡¯t give up and came to find trouble with him, he would make sure that those guys never returned!


    Seeing that Lin Shen had agreed, a smile appeared on the cat general¡¯s face. Its whiskers even trembled a few times, which showed how happy he was.


    Seeing this, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously,


    ¡°Divine Lord, do you trust me that much?¡±

 Chapter 48 - 48 I’m Not That Stupid

    48 I¡¯m Not That Stupid


    He could see the cat generally cared about Ai very much, like an elder caring for a junior.


    But Lin Shen found it strange.


    He had only met the cat general three times. How could the cat general trust him with Ai?


    Once he signed the soul contract, Ai would be bound to him forever.


    !!


    Unless he took the initiative to cancel the soul contract, Ai¡¯s life and death wouldpletely depend on his thoughts in the future.


    ¡°I¡¯m confident about my judgment on characters.¡±


    The cat general smiled and turned to look at Ai.


    ¡°Ai, stay by Lin Shen¡¯s side from now on. Be good and don¡¯t make trouble.¡±


    ¡°I understand, General.¡±


    Ai nodded, looking perplexed.


    Seeing this, the cat general didn¡¯t say anything else. It pointed at Ai, and she trembled slightly. A wisp of dense green light suddenly surged out and slowly floated in front of Lin Shen.


    Lin Shen also had some understanding of soul contracts and knew how to sign them. He didn¡¯t resist. As he silently chanted the soul contract incantation, he guided this wisp of soul into the space between his eyebrows.


    The next second, he suddenly felt an indescribable connection deep in his mind, and the source was Ai.


    At the same time, Ai also sensed the change. She looked at Lin Shen in a daze and felt closer to the human in front of her.


    After signing the soul contract, the cat general pointed with its finger again.


    The God Seeking Token in Lin Shen¡¯s hand heated up once more.


    This time, four more rune stones embedded at the edge of the God Seeking Token lit up.


    Including the previous one, five had lit up so far.


    ¡°The God Seeking Token can summon an incarnation of the fifth level of the Long Breath Stage now.¡± The cat general slowly retracted its palm.


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes lit up.


    An incarnation of the fifth level of the Long Breath Stage!


    Even if Luo Yi, the leader of the Night Grinders came, he wouldn¡¯t be afraid at all!


    With this God Seeking Token and his clones, even if all the members of Night Grinders came after him, they wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything to him.


    Lin Shen waspletely relieved now.


    When he looked at the God Seeking Token in his hand again, his eyes couldn¡¯t help but flicker.


    There were a total of 19 rune stones on the God Seeking Token. Every time one was lit up, the cultivation of the incarnation summoned would increase by a level.


    If all of them were lit up, wouldn¡¯t he be able to summon a cultivator master?


    At the thought of this, Lin Shen felt excited.


    Now, he hoped that the cat general would ask him for a few more favors.


    ¡°Also, this is the martial technique I promised you.¡± The cat general took out another secret manual.


    Lin Shen took the manual and looked at it. There were three big words written on it.


    Forbidden Golden Armor!


    ¡°It¡¯s a Physical Enhancement. In addition to Meltdown, I now have two Long Breath Stage martial techniques!¡±


    Lin Shen nodded to himself.


    At the very least, after breaking through to the Long Breath Stage, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about not having any martial techniques to cultivate.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll leave Ai in your care from now on!¡± The cat general said solemnly.


    ¡°I will!¡± Lin Shen replied with a serious expression.


    The cat general nodded and looked at Ai. It didn¡¯t say anything else and slowly disappeared into the air.


    The fog on the street slowly faded and finally disappeared.


    Lin Shen bent down, picked up Ai, and walked toward his house.


    Ai looked around curiously and sized up the surroundings.


    ¡°Is this the East District? There are so many tall buildings. It looks much more prosperous than the North District!¡±


    ¡°The Central District and the West District are even more prosperous. I¡¯ll show you around in the future.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡±


    Ai seemed to be in a good mood. After signing a soul contract with a stranger, she didn¡¯t look confused or uneasy at all.


    Her casual demeanor made Lin Shen smile.


    When she got home and saw the spacious vi, Ai was even happier.


    ¡°It¡¯s a big house. Am I going to live here from now on? By the way, which room am I staying in?¡±


    ¡°You can choose any room on the first floor, but remember, you can¡¯t go up to the second floor without my permission.¡±


    After adopting Ai, Lin Shen¡¯s biggest concern was whether the secret of his clones would be exposed.


    They had signed a soul contract, and Ai couldn¡¯t betray him. She was probably the one creature that he could trust the most. However, Lin Shen still didn¡¯t n to let Ai know the secret of his clones yet.


    Naturally, the fewer people who knew about it, the better.


    Fortunately, most of the time, the clones could stay in his mind and cultivate.


    asionally, when they needed to materialize, they could do so on the second floor.


    ...


    When they lived together for a while, Ai might discover some clues, but Lin Shen felt that with Ai¡¯s intelligence, he should be able to fool her easily.


    Ai, who didn¡¯t know that she was being looked down upon, asked innocently,


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I just go up to the second floor?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask. If you behave yourself, I¡¯ll buy you canned cat food.¡±


    ¡°I promise I¡¯ll be good!¡±


    Ai nodded repeatedly. She was almost drooling.


    ¡°I want Xianchan¡¯s canned cat food!¡±


    Lin Shen took out his phone and searched. Soon, he found the price of that brand.


    200 spirit coins per jar!


    Moreover, each jar only contained 180 grams!


    ¡°That¡¯s almost as expensive as spirit beast meat!¡±


    ...


    Lin Shen cursed inwardly, but on second thought, he felt relieved.


    The cat could pay for her own food. With the treasure-hunting skill, one rare herb she found would be enough to buy hundreds of cans of food.


    However, this ability wasn¡¯t very useful in Dragonside City. She might lead him to a shop that sold rare herbs.


    She could be quite useful in the wild!


    When he was strong enough, he could take Ai out of the city to search for treasures.


    Lin Shen nodded to himself. He looked at Ai, who was looking at him expectantly and smiled.


    ¡°Canned cat food is fine, but you have to promise to go treasure hunting with me outside the city in the future.¡±


    ¡°No problem!¡± Ai agreed without thinking. She said loudly, ¡°I want ten cans of cat food a day!¡±


    Ten cans of cat food a day meant 300 cans a month, making a total of 60,000 spirit coins.


    Lin Shen behaved like a capitalist and decisively rejected the request.


    ¡°That¡¯s too many. Five a day at most!¡±


    ¡°Nine!¡±


    ¡°No, six!¡±


    ¡°Eight!¡±


    Lin Shen nced at Ai and smiled.


    ¡°Tell you what. How about I give you forty cans a week?¡±


    Ai was stunned. She reached out her ws and tried to calcte, but her four wsbined weren¡¯t enough. After calcting for a long time, she finally raised her head and carefully said,


    ¡°I think that¡¯s too many.¡±


    Lin Shen patted her head and smiled.


    ¡°Thirty-five cans a week, then¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Ai nodded happily.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. In the future, I¡¯ll give you thirty-five cans every week. You can decide how much you eat a day. If you finish them all at once, you won¡¯t be able to eat for the next few days. Don¡¯te crying to me,¡± Lin Shen reminded kindly.


    Ai snorted.


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m not that stupid!¡±

 Chapter 49 - 49 Common Hobbies

    49 Common Hobbies


    After agreeing to buy Ai canned cat food the next day, Lin Shen let her find a ce to rest and went up to the second floor.


    After returning to the bedroom and closing the door, Lin Shen took out two martial arts manuals and ced them in front of him.


    Dragon Roar Through the Clouds and Forbidden Golden Armor.


    Needless to say, the Forbidden Golden Armor could only be cultivated after he reached the Long Breath Stage. He would just keep it for the time being.


    However, he had to start cultivating the Dragon Roar Through the Clouds as soon as possible and tried to reach Beginner before the examination.


    After pondering for a moment, Lin Shen quickly made up his mind.


    ¡°Clone 2 will continue to cultivate the Original Breathing Technique. The other clones will cultivate the zing Sun Palm and Shadows first. When the zing Sun Palm reaches Perfection and Shadows reaches Mastery, they will start toprehend the Dragon Roar Through the Clouds with all their might!


    ¡°In addition, I have to find time to apply for a breeding permit for Ai.¡±


    In Dragonside City, anyone who wanted to raise spiritual beasts had to report to the Three Sect Prefecture and apply for permission.


    If Lin Shen wanted to adopt Ai openly, this procedure was inevitable.


    Fortunately, he was a cultivator, so it was rtively easier for him to obtain permission to raise spiritual beasts than ordinary people.


    ¡­


    Early next morning.


    Lin Shen arrived at Calm Sun Martial Arts School early again and found Yang Zhongyi, who was cultivating martial arts.


    ¡°You¡¯re here so early today. Do you have something to discuss with me again?¡± Yang Zhongyi teased.


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    Lin Shen smiled and took out the piece of essence stone.


    ¡°I want to sell this thing. Do you have any channels?¡±


    ¡°Is that a piece of essence stone?¡± Yang Zhongyi recognized it at a nce and clicked his tongue in wonder. ¡°This is good stuff!¡±


    He didn¡¯t ask where Lin Shen had obtained the piece. He took the item and smiled.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take care of it for you. I guarantee the price won¡¯t be lower than the market price. I¡¯ll transfer the money to your ount afterward.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Lin Shen smiled.


    Fragments of essence stones were rare to ordinary cultivators, but disciples of influential families like Yang Zhongyi had probably seen many of them.


    Lin Shen felt it was better to let Yang Zhongyi sell the item than to sell it himself. At least, he didn¡¯t have to worry about the price being ruthlessly lowered.


    After settling the matter of selling the piece, Lin Shen asked about the process of applying for permission to raise spiritual beasts.


    ¡°You want to raise a spiritual beast? What spiritual beast?¡±


    ¡°A spiritual cat.¡±


    Yang Zhongyi was slightly stunned. He obviously thought of Lin Shen asking him about the catgirls and the Night Grinders the day before, and a meaningful glint shed across his eyes.


    However, he didn¡¯t ask further and only said with a smile,


    ¡°That¡¯s easy. I have an acquaintance in the Three Sect Prefecture. I¡¯ll give you a contact numberter and tell him about it. You can go to see him tomorrow. I guarantee it will be done quickly!¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Lin Shen thanked her again, his tone serious and sincere.


    From the moment they met until now, Yang Zhongyi had already helped him many times without asking for anything in return. No matter what the reason was behind it, Lin Shen felt he owed Yang Zhongyi one.


    Hearing the meaning in Lin Shen¡¯s tone, Yang Zhongyi smiled and patted his shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. We¡¯re friends with amon hobby now!¡±


    ¡°What kind of hobby?¡±


    ¡°You like cats, and I like catgirls. We¡¯re both cat lovers!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡­


    After leaving Calm Sun Martial Arts School, Lin Shen followed the address he found in advance and found a shop with a good reputation that specialized in selling domestic spiritual beast food. With a wave of his hand, he ordered ten boxes of canned cat food.


    After paying the fee and agreeing to send the food to his ce, Lin Shen left the shop.


    The shop was extremely efficient. When Lin Shen returned to his house, the delivery truck was already waiting there.


    He sighed at the delivery and moved the boxes out of the truck. After the delivery man left, Lin Shen had just closed the door when Ai ran over.


    ¡°Are these all canned cat food?¡±


    Ai looked at the pile of boxes with sparkling eyes. After hearing Lin Shen¡¯s confirmation, she looked so happy that she was about to faint.


    ¡°Canned cat food! so much canned cat food¡­¡±


    Although they had only known each other for less than two days, Lin Shen already knew Ai¡¯s gluttonous nature. He didn¡¯t mind her reaction. He opened the box, counted 35 cans of cat food, and ced them in front of Ai.


    ¡°Here. This is your food for the week.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Lin Shen. You¡¯re really a good person!¡±


    Ai jumped onto the can and rolled around happily.


    Lin Shen stroked Ai¡¯s head and looked at her lovingly as if he were looking at a silly kid.


    ¡°By the way, I¡¯ll bring you to Three Sect Prefecture tomorrow to apply for a breeding permit. Remember not to speak.¡±


    Lin Shen had never heard of a spiritual cat like Ai, who was only at the Qi Transformation Stage but could speak humannguage.


    In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, it was better for her to pretend to be an ordinary spiritual cat.


    Ai was surrounded by canned cat food, so she agreed without thinking.


    ...


    After putting the remaining boxes into the storage jade te, Lin Shen went to the second floor and started cultivating.


    Yang Zhongyi was extremely efficient. The next morning, he transferred the money from selling the essence stone to Lin Shen¡¯s ount. It was a total of 250,000 spirit coins, and it temporarily resolved his urgent need.


    At least for the next half a month, Lin Shen would no longer have to worry about his daily life and cultivation expenses.


    From then on, apart from applying for a breeding permit, he focused all his energy on cultivating.


    With Yang Zhongyi¡¯s connection, the process of applying for the breeding permit was very smooth.


    In less than three days, he had obtained the breeding certificate.


    At the same time, his cultivation progress also went smoothly.


    Five dayster, Lin Shen¡¯s zing Sun Palm sessfully reached Perfection.


    Just like the Origin Breathing Technique, the zing Sun Palm couldn¡¯t be improved further after reaching Perfection.


    ¡°I wonder if any martial techniques can be improved beyond Perfection.¡±


    Lin Shen thought to himself.


    ...


    However, although his martial arts techniques could no longer be improved, with the enhancement of Pure Yang Body, the power of the zing Sun Palm he was still a level higher than Perfection.


    The 100% enhancement was quite significant!


    ¡°Shadows has finally reached Mastery as well!


    With a thought, Lin Shen summoned the interface.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: God¡¯s Jealousy]


    [Stage: Level 8 Qi Transformation, 95%]


    [Cultivation technique: Origin Breathing Technique (Perfection), zing Sun Palm (Perfection), Mortal Restrain (Beginner, 62%), Shadows (Mastery, 2%)]


    [Number of clones: 4 (54%)]


    With the efforts of him and his three clones, Shadows finally reached Mastery today.


    Lin Shen suddenly shifted. In the blink of an eye, he moved five to six times in the bedroom. His speed was more than 50% as fast as when he was at the Proficient level.


    ¡°Shadows is indeed more suitable for closebat!¡±


    Lin Shen nodded in satisfaction.


    In addition, his cultivation was only 5% away from breaking through to the ninth level of Qi Transformation.


    ¡°There are still three days until the exam. There¡¯s more than enough time for me to break through to the ninth level.¡±


    ¡°All that¡¯s left is toprehend the Dragon Roar Through the Clouds!¡±


    Lin Shen took out the secret manual and looked at the words on it. His eyes flickered slightly.


    In the next three days, only Clone 2 continued to cultivate the Origin Breathing Technique. He and the other three clones had to focus onprehending the Dragon Roar Through the Clouds and try to reach Beginner before the day of the examination.


    It wasn¡¯t easy.


    Back then, when he and his clonesprehended Shadows, it took them more than ten days to reach Beginner.


    The Dragon Roar Through the Clouds was clearly a martial technique of a higher level than Shadows. Even with him and his three clonesprehending it together, it was still difficult to reach Beginner in three days.


    If not for his Superior Martial Arts talent, Lin Shen wouldn¡¯t have had any expectations.


    ¡°Just do it!¡±


    Lin Shen took a deep breath, opened the manual, and began toprehend it.

 Chapter 50 - 50 Day of the Examination

    50 Day of the Examination


    Three days passed in the blink of an eye.


    On the day of the examination, ording to Willow Academy¡¯s notice, Lin Shen arrived at the academy¡¯s entrance early in the morning.


    When he got there, there were already six people waiting at the door.


    Apart from Su Nian, there were also Wang Chaowei and Liu Shaoming whom he had met during thepetition. The other three were also familiar faces. They were all rather famous third-year students.


    Including Lin Shen, the seven people present were ordinary students of the Willow Academy who were participating in this year¡¯s examination.


    They would take a private bus to the examination venue.


    As for the other 23 disciples of influential families who were participating in the examination, they would get there in their own vehicles.


    In fact, Su Nian could also choose the same method as the other disciples of influential families. However, he had always been independent. In addition, with Lin Shen around, he chose to gather at the academy and set off with the others.


    ¡°Looks like I¡¯m thest to arrive.¡± Lin Shen smiled and greeted Su Nian.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not time yet.¡±


    When he saw Lin Shen, a smile appeared on Su Nian¡¯s calm face. It was as if flowers were blooming in spring. He was as beautiful as a picture, and the boys beside him were stunned.


    Even Lin Shen was a little stunned. When he came back to his senses, he hurriedly repeated in his head, ¡°That¡¯s a man.¡±


    After reciting it several times, he secretly wiped his sweat.


    That was close. He had almost stepped into an unknown area.


    No one knew how Su Nian turned out his way. He was a man, but he was even more beautiful than a woman. It was incredible.


    Su Nian didn¡¯t care about the expressions and reactions of the people around him. He was already used to simr gazes and could ignore them.


    After talking for a moment, Lin Shen saw the car slowly drive toward them from the corner of his eye. It then stopped in front of the academy.


    Kong Hong got out of the car and nced around. Seeing that everyone was there, he waved at them.


    ¡°Get in.¡±


    Everyone filed into the car.


    There were less than ten people on the spacious bus. Apart from the seven students, there was only Kong Hong and the driver.


    ¡°I won¡¯t say anything else. I believe you¡¯ve already made a lot of preparations for today.¡±


    After the car started, Kong Hong came to the middle of the aisle. He looked at the seven students solemnly and said,


    ¡°What you need to do next is to do your best and achieve outstanding results in the exam!


    ¡°As long as you can sessfully enter the Nine Yang Academy, you will have a bright future!¡±


    His simple words made Liu Shaoming and the others¡¯ eyes light up with excitement.


    Entering the Nine Yang Academy was a dream for students like them since they were young.


    Now that the opportunity to realize their dreams was right in front of them, as long as they took this step, they would be able to wee a new and bright life. How could this not make them extremely excited?


    Apart from Lin Shen and Su Nian, the other five candidates in the carriage were so excited that their faces turned red.


    Kong Hong¡¯s gaze swept across the calm Lin Shen and Su Nian, and a hint of admiration shed across his eyes.


    Among the seven intermediate candidates, he was most optimistic about Lin Shen and Su Nian.


    Especially Lin Shen. It wasn¡¯t easy for him to have such achievements despite his poor family background.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity. If Lin Shen had been born a disciple of influential families, even if he was only one of the ten preeminent families, his achievements would probably not be inferior to Yan Xing and Zhao Xueying!¡±


    Kong Hong sighed in his heart.


    As a teacher, he had experienced at least 20 examinations over the years. He had a deeper understanding than others of the gap between the disciples of influential families and ordinary students.


    The gap between the two was like heaven and earth, and it wasn¡¯t so easy to cross.


    Ordinary studentscked powerful martial arts techniques and the guidance of a master. No matter how outstanding their talent was, it was difficult for them to grow faster than the top disciples of influential families.


    After all, thetter had equally outstanding talent but sufficient cultivation resources.


    Fortunately, with Lin Shen¡¯s strength, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for him to enter the Nine Yang Academy,¡± Kong Hong thought to himself.


    He restrained his distracting thoughts and continued loudly.


    ¡°Someone will be in charge of exining the specific rules of the examination when we arrive at the scene. Now, you guys should conserve your energy and prepare for the next examination!¡±


    After saying this, Kong Hong did not say anything else and returned to his seat in the front row.


    Seeing this, Lin Shen and Su Nian closed their eyes at the same time and leaned back in their chairs to rest.


    The other five looked restless.


    Nervousness, uneasiness, and excitement, all kinds of emotions emerged one after another, making it impossible for them to calm down.


    Liu Shaoming secretly nced at Lin Shen and couldn¡¯t help but clench his fists.


    In thepetition, although he had obtained third ce, he still couldn¡¯t feel happy.


    After all, he had been defeated by Lin Shen in one move in front of everyone, and he had been defeated in an extremely miserable manner.


    In the eyes of the others, Liu Shaoming had be a stepping stone to Lin Shen¡¯s glorious achievements. This made him very indignant.


    ¡°Thanks to the Origin Pill, I¡¯ve already broken through to the sixth level of Qi Transformation. As long as I get better results than Lin Shen in the next exam, I can prove to everyone I¡¯m not weaker than Lin Shen!¡±


    Liu Shaoming clenched his fists and took a deep breath to encourage himself.


    The carriage soon fell silent, and only the low sound of an engine could be heard.


    Half an hourter, the bus sessfully arrived at the location of the examination, a manor in the suburbs.


    After entering the manor, Kong Hong separated from the students and headed to the exclusive waiting area for the teachers.


    ...


    As for Lin Shen and the others, they went to the square that had been specially opened as a rendezvous point.


    When they got there, they realized there were already 400 to 500 teenagers gathered in the square.


    At a nce, the ce was packed. They were all young men and women who were 18 or 19 years old and brimming with vitality.


    It was worth mentioning that the crowd was clearly divided into two sides.


    The side with fewer people only had about a hundred. Their expressions and actions were a little reserved. Although they tried their best to hide it, one could still see they were a little nervous.


    The other side had more people, and all of them had confident smiles on their faces. Their demeanor was calm, and they held their heads high.


    They gathered in groups of twos and threes and chatted softly. From time to time, they would let out lowughter.


    asionally, they would look at the crowd on the other side and subconsciously give thetter a condescending nce, revealing their superiority.


    It might not be obvious on ordinary days, but on a special asion like the exam, the estrangement between ordinary students and the disciples of influential families was apparent.


    ¡°Social ss is so boring.¡±


    Su Nian snorted and walked straight to the corner.


    ...


    Lin Shen smiled and followed him.


    ¡°You two are finally here.¡±


    Yang Zhongyi ran out of nowhere and came to the two of them with a smile.


    Liu Shaoming and the others had wanted to stay with Lin Shen and Su Nian, but when they saw Yang Zhongyiing over, they immediately stopped and looked at each other.


    After hesitating for a few seconds, they turned around and left, walking towards the side where many ordinary students were gathered.


    Yang Zhongyi didn¡¯t care about Liu Shaoming and the others. He came to Lin Shen and Su Nian¡¯s side and smiled smugly.


    ¡°How are you doing? Are you confident about the exam? You need to be careful about me. My zing Sun Palm has also reached Mastery. I¡¯m as capable as the two of you!¡±


    Su Nian nced at Yang Zhongyi and said indifferently, ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯ve broken through to the seventh level of Qi Transformation.¡±


    Yang Zhongyi was stunned when he heard this. He sized up Su Nian a few times and said doubtfully,


    ¡°Really? How did you break through so quickly? I remember you advanced to the sixth level less than two months ago, right?¡±


    Su Nian didn¡¯t say anything and only nced at Lin Shen.


    He meant Lin Shen was even faster.


    That was especially convincing, and Yang Zhongyi was instantly speechless.

 Chapter 51 - 51 Gathering of Elites

    51 Gathering of Elites


    At this moment, Yang Zhongyi suddenly focused his gaze and looked behind his left shoulder


    Puzzled, Lin Shen and Su Nian followed his gaze and happened to see Yan Xing slowly walking over.


    ¡°Nice to meet you. My name is Yan Xing.¡±


    To their surprise, Yan Xing was actually here for Lin Shen. He reached out to him with a smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m Lin Shen.¡±


    Lin Shen raised his eyebrows and shook hands with Yan Xing without batting an eyelid.


    ¡°What can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just want to get to know you. After the exam, perhaps we can find an opportunity to talk. Also, I wish you good luck with the exam!¡±


    After saying this, Yan Xing turned around and nodded slightly at Yang Zhongyi. Then, he left without looking back. He didn¡¯t even nce at Su Nian the entire time.


    Lin Shen asked in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s he here for?¡±


    ¡°What else do you think? He¡¯s here to rope you in and wants you to be his underling.¡±


    Yang Zhongyi spread his hands and curled his lips.


    ¡°Master Yang is used to being high and mighty. He doesn¡¯t even want to put down his arrogance when trying to rope you in!¡±


    Lin Shen shook his head andughed.


    Roping him in as ackey?


    Then this young master would be disappointed.


    After the exam ended, Yan Xing probably wouldn¡¯t have the slightest intention ofmunicating with Lin Shen anymore.


    ¡­


    ¡°Young Master Yan, why did you talk to Lin Shen?¡±


    As soon as Yan Xing returned to the crowd, L¨¹ Zijun came over and asked curiously.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t dere war, did you?¡± someone teased.


    ¡°Bullshit! With Young Master Yan¡¯s strength, is there a need to dere war on Lin Shen? That boy isn¡¯t worth the attention!¡±¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Young Master Yan¡¯s opponents should be people like Xue Feng and Chong Yan!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡±


    The group of disciples of influential families quickly changed the topic and began to talk about the information of the other candidates.


    L¨¹ Zijun nced at Yan Xing and rolled his eyes. He quickly understood what it was about and looked at Lin Shen in disdain.


    Why did he need to rope in an ordinary student?


    So what if his talent was outstanding? With his background, his future achievements would definitely be limited.


    If Yan Xing wanted to rope in a student, he had to at least find someone from a declining old family, such as Su Nian.


    Only such a person could be qualified to join his team!


    Yan Xing didn¡¯t notice Lu Zijun¡¯s reaction. He walked to Zhao Xueying¡¯s side and said,


    ¡°I heard Xue Feng and Chong Yanhe have already broken through to the eighth level of Qi Transformation. Their martial arts are also extraordinary. In this exam, they should be our strongest opponents!¡±


    Yan Xing had long understood Zhao Xueying¡¯s personality. He knew if he talked to her about anything else, Zhao Xueying would probably ignore him.


    However, she was obsessed with cultivation. As long as he talked to her about the strength of the other examinees, Zhao Xueying would most likely talk to him.


    As expected, after hearing Yan Xing¡¯s words, Zhao Xueying¡¯s expression changed, and she nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ve also heard of them. It¡¯s said that their strength can¡¯t be underestimated. They¡¯re indeed troublesome opponents!¡±


    Yan Xing smiled slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve asked around. Of the candidates for the Nine Yang Academy¡¯s examination this time only Xue Feng, Chong Yanhe, you, and I are the direct descendants of the three families and the five great sects. If nothing goes wrong, the chief disciple should be one of the four of us!¡±


    Zhao Xueying nced at Yan Xing. Her clear and bright eyes narrowed slightly as she said firmly,


    ¡°It must be me!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true!¡±


    Although Yan Xing had feelings for Zhao Xueying, he wouldn¡¯t admit defeat on such a matter.


    ¡°I¡¯m also determined to obtain the position of the chief disciple!¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°There are a lot of strong opponents in this exam.¡±


    Yang Zhongyi counted with his fingers.


    ¡°Yan Xing and Zhao Xueying aside, there¡¯s also Xue Feng from the Xue family and Chong Yanhe from the Chong family. These four are all elites whose cultivation has definitely reached the eighth level of Qi Transformation!


    ¡°There¡¯s also the examinees who have reached Level 7 of Qi Transformation. There are at least 30 to 40 of them. They¡¯re basically all disciples of influential families!¡±


    At this point, Yang Zhongyi nced at Lin Shen.


    As far as he knew, Lin Shen was the only ordinary student with a Level 7 Qi Transformation cultivation in this exam.


    Of course, only he and Su Nian knew about it so far. Otherwise, when Yan Xing came to rope Lin Shen in just now, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have been so condescending.


    ¡°Based on the information I¡¯ve gathered, the Nine Yang Academy¡¯s examination this year is the most difficult in the past decade. All elites have gathered here!


    ¡°The candidates from the Raging Waves Academy and Azure Frost Academy are far inferior to the ones here!¡±


    Su Nian wasn¡¯t affected by Yang Zhongyi¡¯s words. He still looked calm.


    Lin Shen smiled and didn¡¯t say anything either.


    ...


    Seeing the way they were, Yang Zhongyi couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes. He didn¡¯t feel a sense of aplishment at all.


    However, he still continued. ¡°We don¡¯t have any hope of bing the chief disciple, and the chances of getting into the top ten are slim. However, we still have some confidence in getting into the top twenty. If we can get into the top twenty, the treatment we receive after entering the Nine Yang Academy will be pretty good!¡±


    This time, Su Nian finally nodded in agreement.


    Just like Yang Zhongyi, he was also aiming for the top twenty.


    ¡°Lin Shen, what about you? What¡¯s your aim?¡± Su Nian suddenly asked Lin Shen.


    However, before Lin Shen could answer, he was suddenly interrupted by amotion.


    The three of them turned around and happened to see a group of people walking into the square.


    Leading them were two elderly men with white hair, but they were hale and hearty. Their faces were glowing, and their skin was tight.


    The two of them were wearing long coats, one ck and one white. Their footsteps were light, and they looked like immortals.


    ¡°They¡¯re the tutors of the Nine Yang Academy!¡± Yang Zhongyi said in a low voice.


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes flickered.


    ...


    He had done a lot of research on Nine Yang Academy, so he naturally knew what position the tutors held.


    The Nine Yang Academy was divided into two houses.


    The head of the upper house was the archimandrite, who was in charge of the entire academy.


    The lower house had three institute heads who were responsible for all the matters in the lower house.


    The tutors were in charge of specific matters.


    The position of a tutor sounded simr to that of a teacher at Willow Academy, but in terms of status and power, it far exceeded thetter.


    All the tutors of the Nine Yang Academy werete-stage Bright Aperture cultivators!


    They were only a step away from advancing to a cultivator master!


    With the arrival of the two tutors, the buzzing discussion in the square quickly disappeared. Everyone looked at the neers.


    Under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes, the two tutors came to the front of the crowd and sat down on the chairs prepared beforehand. Then, they looked around with piercing eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m Cai Zhonggu, the tutor of the Nine Yang Academy,¡± the ck-robed elder said loudly.


    ¡°I¡¯m Ke Ya, and I¡¯m also a tutor of the Nine Yang Academy,¡± the white-robed elder said.


    Their voices weren¡¯t loud, but they spread throughout the entire square, and everyone could hear them clearly.


    After introducing himself, Ke Ya turned to look at a young man beside him.


    Thetter immediately took a step forward and said solemnly,


    ¡°The disciples have been counted. All 500 candidates are present. None of them are absent!¡±


    Ke Ya nodded in satisfaction. He turned around and waved his hand.


    ¡°I won¡¯t say anything else. The specific rules of this year¡¯s examination are all here. Take a closer look!¡±


    Following Ke Ya¡¯s actions, arge amount of mist suddenly surged out of the void. It gathered and condensed into words that lined up neatly in the air above the square.


    With a swish, everyone looked at the sky.


    Lin Shen also looked over and read it carefully.

 Chapter 52 - 52 Special Assessment and Rules

    52 Special Assessment and Rules


    It was a little different from what Lin Shen had expected.


    He had originally thought the examination would consist of races like thepetition he attended before, but it was far from what he had expected.


    The form of this year¡¯s examination was ¡°formation survival¡±,


    and the name of the formation was ¡°fog formation¡±!


    At the start of the examination, all the candidates would enter the formation. What they needed to do was to continuously obtain more points while trying to stay in the formation.


    There are three ways to obtain points.


    The first was to kill the fog beasts.


    The fog beasts were guardian creatures condensed by the fog formation. They would continuously attack any creature in the formation.


    The examinee would get one point for killing a Level 1 Qi Transformation fog beast, and two points for killing a Level 2 Qi Transformation fog beast, and so on.


    The second method was rtively special. With each minute a candidate stayed in the formation, they would obtain one point.


    Thest method was to find the altar that existed somewhere in the formation.


    There was a formation g on the altar. Those who held a g for a minute would get 200 points.


    Every examinee who entered the formation would receive a jade talisman in a moment. The jade talisman contained divine intelligence. Not only could it record the number and strength of the fog beasts killed and convert them into points, but it could also sense that the examinee was in fatal danger. When that happened, it could also take the initiative to release a protective wall to protect the examinee and ensure they wouldn¡¯t die.


    Of course, once thetter situation urred, it meant the examinee was eliminated and couldn¡¯t continue to obtain points.


    In the end, the candidates who ranked in the top 200 would be disciples of the Nine Yang Academy!


    What was worth mentioning was that examinees weren¡¯t allowed to attack other examinees in the fog formation. Vitors would be directly eliminated and leave the formation.


    The only exception was the area with the altar.


    In this area, examinees could attack each other without any punishment.


    In addition, the fog formation prohibited the use of all cultivation treasures, talismans, pills, and other external items, excluding storage items and ordinary weapons.


    ¡°Formation survival? I¡¯ve never heard of such a form of examination!¡±


    ¡°You can obtain points as long as you stay in the formation? This rule is too strange!¡±


    ¡°Forget about the first two, what¡¯s with the third method? The person who finds the formation g can get 200 points directly. It¡¯s the same as killing ten fog beasts at the fifth level of Qi Transformation. This is purely a test of luck. Isn¡¯t it unfair?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand. That¡¯s called one¡¯s fate. Apart from talent and hard work, fate is also a very important factor in the path of cultivation. All the people who can make great achievements will have some great opportunity written in their fate.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Luck is also a part of one¡¯s strength.¡±


    ¡°We can only attack other candidates in the altar¡¯s area¡­¡±


    Discussions seemed to go on and on.


    The form of the examination this time was clearly beyond many people¡¯s expectations.


    Many people, including the disciples of influential families, looked surprised.


    Lin Shen saw this and asked Yang Zhongyi, ¡°Didn¡¯t your disciples of influential families get information on the examination in advance?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡±


    Yang Zhongyi chuckled.


    ¡°The influential families aren¡¯t the only force in the Nine Suns Sect. How can they let us do whatever we want? Moreover, our families disdain doing such dirty things. Don¡¯t think too low of us.¡±


    Only then did Lin Shen understand.


    However, he heard Yang Zhongyi say,


    ¡°But I¡¯ve heard of this fog formation before.¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°Tell me in detail!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much either. I only know the main power of the fog formationes from the ¡®treasure fog¡¯ gathered in the formation. This fog can condense into fog beasts that are no different from actual spiritual beasts, which will attack cultivators who enter the formation.


    ¡°The fewer people there are in the formation, the more concentrated the treasure fog will be, and the more powerful the condensed fog beasts will be. At first, they¡¯re only at the Qi Transformation Stage. When there are only two or three people left in the formation, perhaps they¡¯ll encounter Long Breath Stage fog beasts!¡±


    Lin Shen was enlightened.


    No wonder the second method of obtaining points depended on the time spent in the formation.


    The examination this time wasn¡¯t only to test the candidate¡¯sbat ability and luck, but also their survivability in battle.


    ¡°Silence!¡±


    A clear shout resonated in the air, suppressing everyone¡¯s discussion.


    Ke Ya¡¯s gaze was like a sword as it swept across the crowd. Everywhere it passed, be it ordinary students or disciples of influential families, they all shut their mouths.


    ¡°The specific rules are listed in the water screen above. Those who have objections can choose to withdraw!¡±


    Ke Ya¡¯s solemn expression softened after he waited for a moment and saw no onee forward,


    ¡°Very good. Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s begin the examination. Master Cai, please.¡±


    Cai Zhonggu nodded slightly. With a flip of his wrist, a formation disk filled with talismans appeared in his palm.


    Without any movement, the formation disk suddenly emitted a blinding light that instantly filled every inch of the square.


    The examinees felt their vision go nk in an instant, and they subconsciously covered their eyes.


    By the time the light dissipated, the 500 examinees in the square had already disappeared.


    Cai Zhonggu then reached out to fiddle with the formation disk. In an instant, the void in front of him surged and quickly condensed into a huge water curtain that was more than ten meters wide and thirty meters long.


    The water screen was divided into small areas, and light and shadow surged on it. It was the scene of the examinees inside the fog formation.


    Looking at the image on the water screen, Cai Zhonggu nodded slightly with a smile on his face.


    ...


    ¡°There are many good candidates this year. They¡¯re probably the best batch in the past ten years!¡±


    Ke Ya nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Indeed. Zhao Xueying, Yan Xing, Xue Feng, and Chong Yanhe. Any one of these four people is good enough to win first ce in the previous exams, but they came together this year.


    ¡°This just shows our sect is prospering. The disciples our academy recruits are only getting more outstanding every year. In my opinion, this is a good thing. Our academy will probably be the champion in the next grandpetition!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± A smile appeared on Ke Ya¡¯s face. He suddenly changed the topic. ¡°Who do you think will win first ce this year?¡±


    ¡°Well ¡­¡±


    Cai Zhonggu looked hesitant. After thinking for a while, he said carefully,


    ¡°These four people are all at the eighth level of Qi Transformation. Their cultivation levels are almost the same. The only thing that differs is their martial arts achievements.


    ¡°As far as I know, these four people have all reached Mastery in the zing Sun Palm. There¡¯s no difference there. The key is still the level of the other martial techniques they have mastered.¡±


    Ke Ya nodded slightly.


    All of these four people were talented, it was indeed difficult to determine the winner without a real battle.


    ...


    However, the only thing they could be sure of was that the top scorer of this year¡¯s exam would definitely be among these four.


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s wait and see.¡±


    Ke Ya didn¡¯t say anything else as he stared at the water curtain.


    Cai Zhonggu also collected his thoughts and looked at the water curtain.

 Chapter 53 - 53 Very Rare

    53 Very Rare


    When his vision returned to normal, Lin Shen realized he was in a strange ce.


    Looking around, he saw the ce he was at was very spacious. It was estimated to be more than 10,000 square meters,rger than a football field. It looked like a hall.


    Under his feet was a floor made of limestone bs. High walls surrounded him, and a huge door was embedded in each wall.


    There were clouds and mist behind the door, making it impossible to see anything inside.


    !!


    However, what was even more eye-catching was the lingering clouds above his head, looking like ayer of pure white gauze.


    ¡°Is this the fog formation¡­¡±


    Lin Shen muttered to himself. Suddenly, he felt something hard in his palm. He looked down and realized a jade talisman had appeared in his hand.


    There was a number 0 in the middle.


    Lin Shen instantly understood. This should be the jade talisman mentioned in the rules that also had the effect of recording scores and protecting people.


    After carefully putting away the jade talisman, Lin Shen chose a random direction to walk in.


    The examination this time was on surviving in the formation, not challenging it. In other words, it was the same no matter which door he chose.


    The only difference was that if he was lucky, he might encounter the one with the altar.


    However, Lin Shen had only taken a few steps when he suddenly heard whistling soundsing from above.


    When he raised his head, the clouds and mist in the sky surged violently and condensed at an astonishing speed, forming ferocious beasts with horns on their foreheads and looking like tigers with wings.


    In the blink of an eye, more than ten ferocious beasts appeared in the sky. All of them roared like thunder and swooped towards Lin Shen with a murderous aura.


    ¡°Fog beasts!¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s gaze focused, and he struck out with his palm at lightning speed, hitting the head of a charging fog beast. Thetter didn¡¯t even make a sound before instantly exploding into fog that filled the sky.


    This attack exceeded Lin Shen¡¯s expectations. Only after killing a few more fog beasts did hee to a realization.


    These fog beasts looked extremely ferocious, but they were actually only at the first level of Qi Transformation.


    He didn¡¯t even need to use any martial arts techniques and could kill them with a casual strike.


    The weakest candidates who were qualified to participate in the examination were at the fifth level of Qi Transformation. It was simply too easy to deal with these fog beasts.


    But soon, Lin Shen realized that something was wrong.


    Every time he killed a fog beast, the fog would return to the sky and condense into a new fog beast. It would pounce down again without stopping.


    Every second, there were no fewer than ten fog beasts surrounding him.


    After walking less than 100 meters, Lin Shen had already killed more than 20 fog beasts, and there were more than 20 points on the jade talisman.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to exhaust the candidates¡¯ physical strength!¡±


    Lin Shen clicked his tongue.


    Generally speaking, a cultivator at the fifth level of Qi Transformation could deal with seven to eight opponents of the first level at the same time.


    A few outstanding people could even fight ten of them alone.


    However, even if the cultivator won in the end, they would be drained of their energy.


    Moreover, he was facing more than ten opponents who could quickly revive after death. Ordinary cultivators at the fifth level of Qi Transformation would probably be exhausted before long.


    As expected, when Lin Shen broke through the encirclement and arrived at the door at the end of the left side of the hall, he suddenly felt the strength of the surrounding fog beasts be stronger, almost reaching the second level of Qi Transformation.


    It had only been less than five minutes since they entered the fog formation.


    ¡°Were dozens of people eliminated at once?¡±


    Lin Shen sighed and waved his palm to kill the fog beast in front of him before stepping into the door.


    His vision blurred, and when he came back to his senses, Lin Shen realized he was in a hall again.


    It was surrounded by the same high walls and paved with bluestone.


    Another four doors were filled with mist.


    Roar!


    Amidst furious thunderous roars, more than ten fog beasts quickly condensed and charged towards Lin Shen.


    Lin Shen¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he calmly weed the attack.


    In a ce where others couldn¡¯t see, his talent had already been switched to Perseverance.


    The exam this time wasn¡¯t only apetition of who could kill the most fog beasts, but also apetition of who couldst longer in the fog formation.


    If he persisted for a long time, not only would he obtain more points, but the probability of finding the altar would also be higher.


    If he used too much energy in order to kill more fog beasts in the early stages, when the fog beasts became strongerter, he might be quickly eliminated.


    Therefore, Lin Shen didn¡¯t exterminate the fog beasts with all his might. Instead, he tried his best to maintain a bnced state of energy consumption and recovery.


    With the Perseverance talent, he was confident he had a huge advantage over the other candidates in terms of physical strength.


    ¡­


    Three minutes after the exam began.


    Lights and shadows shed in the square one after another, and oval shields appeared out of thin air.


    The shields then dissipated, revealing the dejected and depressed examinees.


    These were all people who had lost in the battle with the fog beasts and were eliminated from the fog formation.


    The person with the highest score among them only had 20 to 30 points. He had definitely been excluded from the admission list of the academy.


    ¡°The exam is too hard!¡±


    ...


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Those fog beasts will revive after being killed. How can we fight them?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve only scored over 20 points. I can¡¯t even enter the top 400, let alone the top 200. I¡¯ll definitely be at the bottom of the ranking!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no hope now¡­¡±


    Lamentations rose and fell, and many examinees fell to the ground dejectedly, their faces pale.


    Ke Ya and Cai Zhonggu acted as if they didn¡¯t see it.


    They had seen simr scenes countless times, and their hearts were already as hard as steel.


    The cultivation path was long and dangerous.


    It was filled with thorns, so it was better for those who didn¡¯t have the talent to give up early. It would do them good.


    On the water screen, light and shadow surged. The examinees were fighting the fog beasts with all their might.


    Some were trapped by the fog beasts and couldn¡¯t break out. They could only hold on bitterly.


    Some of them broke through the encirclement of the fog beasts and entered the doors to search for the altar.


    ...


    At the same time,


    a ranking board appeared at the corner of the water screen. On it were the names and scores of the examinees.


    First ce, Zhao Xueying, 128 points.


    Second ce, Yan Xing, 126 points.


    Third ce, Chong Yanhe, 125 points.


    Fourth ce, Xue Feng, 123 points.


    Fifth ce, Wei Cheng, 95 points.


    ¡­


    As time passed, the names and points on the rankings kept changing drastically.


    The closer one got to the end of the rankings, the more frequent the changes.


    Although the rankings of Zhao Xueying and the other three were also constantly changing, they still firmly upied the top four positions. Moreover, there was an obvious gap between them and the examinees behind.


    At this moment, Cai Zhonggu suddenly eximed and pointed at a name on the rankings.


    ¡°Who is this person?¡±


    Ke Ya looked in the direction he was pointing at. It was an examinee named Lin Shen. He had 85 points and was ranked 23rd.


    ¡°Lin Shen? That¡¯s a rather unfamiliar name.¡± Ke Ya frowned in confusion.


    He more or less had some impression of the disciples of influential families participating in this year¡¯s examination. However, this candidate called Lin Shen was very unfamiliar.


    Ke Ya immediately summoned the disciple beside him and asked thetter to check the name.


    Soon, the disciple replied,


    ¡°Lin Shen isn¡¯t a disciple of an influential family.¡±


    Cai Zhonggu and Ke Ya were stunned.


    The two of them looked at each other and saw the surprise in each other¡¯s eyes.


    An ordinary student could actually squeeze into the top 30?


    That was very rare!

 Chapter 54 - 54 Four People in the Same Hall

    54 Four People in the Same Hall


    ¡°Which academy is he from? What¡¯s his cultivation level?¡±


    When he returned to his senses, Ke Ya immediately asked.


    The disciple quickly flipped through the list and replied respectfully,


    ¡°Sir, Lin Shen is a student of the Willow Academy. He was born in a welfare institution. He¡¯s at the sixth level of Qi Transformation and has reached Mastery in the zing Sun Palm.¡±


    !!


    Welfare institution?!


    Ke Ya and Cai Zhonggu were truly shocked.


    It was obvious how impoverished a student from a welfare institution would be. How could he cultivate to the sixth level of Qi Transformation?


    Moreover, he had even reached Mastery in the zing Sun Palm!


    It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say he was overflowing with talent!


    Instantly, the two tutors were very interested in Lin Shen.


    Cai Zhonggu gently pushed the formation disk, and the water curtain immediately changed. The scene regarding Lin Shen quickly erged and appeared in front of the two of them.


    In the image, Lin Shen was fighting the fog beasts in the middle of the hall.


    As more and more candidates were eliminated, the strength of the fog beast had already increased to the second level of Qi Transformation.


    Despite being surrounded by more than ten fog beasts at the second level of Qi Transformation, Lin Shen remained calm. He moved like a whirlwind as he jumped and dodged among the beasts. No matter how the fog beasts pounced, they couldn¡¯t even touch the corner of his clothes.


    Every time he attacked, he would definitely kill a fog beast.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s only at the sixth level of Qi Transformation!¡± Ke Ya¡¯s eyes shed.


    ¡°Indeed!¡± Cai Zhonggu agreed.


    A cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Transformation couldn¡¯t be as rxed as Lin Shen when facing the siege of more than ten fog beasts.


    He was at least at the seventh level of Qi Transformation!


    ¡°Most likely, he broke through just before the exam.¡±


    Cai Zhonggu said with a smile. He was even more amazed by Lin Shen¡¯s talent.


    If the disciples of influential families had reached the seventh level of Qi Transformation at this age, he would at most praise them.


    However, if it was an ordinary student from a welfare institution, this achievement would be extraordinary. It was simply amazing!


    ¡°He¡¯s very promising!¡± Ke Ya also looked impressed. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be a problem for him to get into the top 30 of the exam!¡±


    The disciples waiting for orders at the side all looked at Lin Shen enviously.


    Since the two tutors had said so, they must be right!


    It was almost a sure bet that he would be an inner sect disciple in the future. There was no need to mention how bright his future was.


    It was really enviable!


    ¡­


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t know someone was evaluating his performance outside.


    He focused all his attention on the battle with the fog beast.


    It had been more than ten minutes since he entered the fog formation, and he was already in the fourth hall, but unfortunately, he hadn¡¯t been able to find the altar.


    After more than ten minutes of fighting, the score disyed on the jade token was close to 300 points.


    After passing through another door, Lin Shen arrived at the new hall.


    At the same time, a tall boy rushed out of the door on the left side of the hall.


    The two of them noticed each other at the same time and were stunned.


    After they realized what was going on, Lin Shen and the tall boy tacitly didn¡¯tmunicate. They looked at each other and each chose a door.


    The clouds above the hall surged, and dozens of fog beasts quickly condensed. They split into two waves and roared towards Lin Shen and the tall boy.


    The tall boy quickly nced at them, and his expression changed.


    ¡°Twenty-two?! Damn it, the number has increased again!¡±


    Cursing under his breath, the tall boy had no choice but to brace himself and fight. As he desperately resisted the attacks of the beasts, he approached the door with difficulty.


    He was only at the sixth level of Qi Transformation. Facing the fog beasts that were almost twice as strong as before, it was already very difficult for him to fight them head-on.


    The moment he stopped, he would be surrounded by the beasts until he was exhausted and eliminated!


    His only hope now was to find an altar and obtain the formation g.


    In that case, he would be able to get 200 more points. With the nearly 200 points he had now, he still had a high chance of squeezing into the top 200.


    ¡°If I had known this year¡¯s examination would be like this, I would have learned a movement technique. When fighting doesn¡¯t work, stalling for time with speed is a good idea!¡±


    The tall boy groaned inwardly. He subconsciously nced in Lin Shen¡¯s direction from the corner of his eye, wanting to see if the other person was having a hard time like him.


    However, he was dumbfounded.


    Lin Shen seemed to be taking a leisurely stroll in the courtyard as he approached the door at a moderate pace. Wherever he passed, fog beasts scattered into clouds!


    The ferocious attacks of the beasts were like a spring breeze to him. They couldn¡¯t slow him down at all!


    ¡°Where did this persone from? Why is he so fierce?¡±


    The tall boy was dumbfounded.


    In his daze, he made a mistake in dodging. A fog beast took the opportunity to approach and bite his throat.


    The tall boy suddenly woke up and blocked in a hurry. However, more fog beasts had already taken the opportunity to surround him and drowned him in the blink of an eye.


    ...


    In the next second, a dazzling stream of light suddenly shook off the beasts and shot out, disappearing into the sky.


    Lin Shen, who was about to step into the door, suddenly felt something. He turned his head and looked in the direction where the stream of light had disappeared. He mourned for half a second sympathetically before stepping into the door and disappearing.


    His vision blurred for a moment before it quickly regained rity.


    Lin Shen¡¯s gaze quickly swept across the surroundings, and in the blink of an eye, he took in the situation in the hall.


    What surprised him was that the hall this time waspletely different from before. In the middle stood a five-meter-tall tform. It waspletely made of granite and had a smooth surface.


    In the center of the high tform, a two-meter-tall scarlet g stood upright, fluttering without wind.


    The altar!


    The formation g!


    200 points!


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes lit up.


    At this moment, the other three doors in the hall suddenly fluctuated, and three figures rushed out.


    ...


    The three of them immediately noticed the g on the high tform, and their faces lit up. However, they spotted the others and stopped in their tracks, all looking rmed.


    Instantly, the hall fell into a strange silence.


    The hall where the altar was located was different from the other halls. There were no clouds in the sky, which meant no fog beasts would appear.


    At this moment, there were only four examinees in the huge hall.


    However, none of the four candidates, including Lin Shen, rushed to the altar.


    One had to hold the formation g for a minute to obtain points. Even if a person was the first to snatch the g, they might not be able to keep it until the end.


    On the contrary, whoever attacked rashly at this moment would instantly be the target of the joint attack of the other three!


    Therefore, the four of them stood on the spot at the same time and sized each other up silently.


    To Lin Shen¡¯s surprise, the person who came out from the door on his left was Yan Xing, who had speciallye to rope him in before the exam began.


    Yan Xing also noticed Lin Shen and looked at him intensely. Then, he shifted his gaze and looked at the boy opposite him. A hint of fear shed across his eyes.


    ¡°What a coincidence, Xue Feng!¡±


    Xue Feng?


    Lin Shen raised his eyebrows and looked at the boy.


    He wasn¡¯t tall and had ordinary facial features. In terms of appearance, he was the kind of person one wouldn¡¯t notice in the crowd. However, his eyes were sharp like an unsheathed sword, and he exuded a powerful aura.


    Was he Xue Feng, one of the four most promising candidates ording to Yang Zhongyi?

 Chapter 55 - 55 I Refuse

    55 I Refuse


    In the square.


    The two tutors who had been paying attention to Lin Shen also saw the scene of the four of them in the hall at the first moment. Their expressions changed.


    ¡°Yan Xing and Xue Feng. I didn¡¯t expect them to meet so soon.¡±


    ¡°This must be the first batch of candidates to find the altar.¡±


    Ke Ya looked at the rankings.


    Currently, most of the examinees¡¯ scores were between 100 and 200.


    Even Zhao Xueying and the other three who were ranked in the top four only had more than 300 points. The difference between them was only 20 to 30 points.


    At this moment, whoever obtained the formation g would immediately be able to leave the others far behind.


    Therefore, be it Yan Xing or Xue Feng, they were determined to get the g. There would definitely be a fierce battle between the two.


    As for Lin Shen and the other examinee¡­


    Ke Ya looked at Lin Shen on the screen and shook his head slightly.


    In the battle just now, Lin Shen had demonstrated his outstanding ability.


    If there were other candidates, even if they were also at the seventh level of Qi Transformation, Lin Shen would still have a high chance of keeping the g with his exquisite martial techniques.


    However, his opponents were Yan Xing and Xue Feng!


    The strength of these two people had already far surpassed the other examinees. They were existences on apletely different level.


    It was basically impossible for Lin Shen to get the g.


    His best option was to leave the hall immediately to avoid being involved in the battle between Yan Xing and Xue Feng.


    Otherwise, even if he wasn¡¯t defeated and eliminated by the two of them, once he was injured or exhausted, it would still have negative effects on his future action.


    However, after a while, Lin Shen and the other boy on the screen remained motionless, having no intention to leave.


    Seeing this, Ke Ya frowned and sighed softly.


    ¡°Greed is a great enemy¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Hearing Yan Xing¡¯s greeting, Xue Feng only nced at him and didn¡¯t respond.


    Yan Xing was familiar with Xue Feng¡¯s personality, so he didn¡¯t mind. He turned to look at Lin Shen and another boy and suddenly said,


    ¡°Xue Feng, let¡¯s get rid of the other two first, then we¡¯ll see who¡¯s better. Whoever wins will take the formation g. How about that?¡±


    This time, Xue Feng quickly responded and nodded without hesitation.


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    The other boy¡¯s expression changed drastically.


    Although he was a cultivator at the seventh level of Qi Transformation and thought he was quite strong, he had no chance of winning against Yan Xing or Xue Feng.


    However, he couldn¡¯t bear to give up on the formation g just like that.


    After all, that was a total of 200 points!


    As long as he obtained it, he had a high chance of entering the top ten!


    While the boy was hesitating, Xue Feng had already rushed toward him without a word.


    At the same time,


    Yan Xing also strode towards Lin Shen and looked down at him.


    ¡°Lin Shen, I¡¯ll give you a chance. If you turn around and leave now, I promise I won¡¯t attack you!¡±


    In Yan Xing¡¯s understanding, it was impossible for Lin Shen, who was only at the sixth level of Qi Transformation, to be his match.


    If not for the fact that he had to recruit Lin Shen in the future, Yan Xing wouldn¡¯t have said anything else and would have attacked right away.


    As long as Lin Shen wasn¡¯t stupid, he would definitely ept Yan Xing¡¯s suggestion and leave the hall.


    However, the answer was beyond his expectations. Lin Shen smiled faintly and said,


    ¡°I refuse.¡±


    Yan Xing¡¯s eyes narrowed, and a dark look shed across his eyes.


    However, he quickly returned to normal. There was a hint of mockery and sharpness in his gaze as he looked at Lin Shen.


    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, don¡¯t me me for being merciless!¡±


    Since Lin Shen wouldn¡¯t cherish the opportunity, Yan Xing didn¡¯t intend to hold back.


    He deemed Lin Shen a guy without self-awareness. Even if Lin Shen had some talent, Yan Xing didn¡¯t think Lin Shen was qualified to follow him.


    He might as well eliminate Lin Shen here and let Lin Shen understand the difference betweenmoners and disciples of influential families!


    As his thoughts raced, Yan Xing had already made up his mind. He suddenly exerted strength under his feet and rushed out like lightning. His speed was astonishing. In the blink of an eye, he crossed more than ten meters and instantly arrived in front of Lin Shen. He pped out heavily!


    A zing wave of air swept out like a violent wave, attacking Lin Shen with a mighty roar like thunder.


    Before the shockwave arrived, the temperature in the surrounding air had already soared rapidly, to the extent that the air faintly distorted. This clearly showed how shocking the might of this strike was!


    Yan Xing attacked with all his might. With thebination of the eighth level of Qi Transformation and Mastery in the zing Sun Palm, even someone as powerful as Xue Feng didn¡¯t dare to take it head-on.


    At this moment, both Xue Feng, who had been watching from the corner of his eye, and all the people watching the battle outside, thought about the same thing.


    ¡°Lin Shen is finished!¡±


    Regret, confusion, ridicule, gloating¡­ Everyone had different expressions.


    ...


    Only Lin Shen, the person involved, had a calm expression.


    Facing Yan Xing¡¯s fierce attack, he didn¡¯t retreat but advanced. He also struck out with his palm.


    In the next second, as if a zing sun was slowly rising, a dazzling scarlet light suddenly erupted. An even more violent heatwave appeared out of thin air, crushing the heatwave that Yan Xing swung out. Then, it swept forward without stopping. Under Yan Xing¡¯s stunned gaze, it crashed into him with an overwhelming force!


    BOOM!


    Yan Xing was thrown far away like a kite with a broken string. One could vaguely see his body enveloped by a faint green halo at some point.


    Before he could fall to the ground, he turned into a stream of light and disappeared into the sky.


    The hall fell silent.


    Not far away, Xue Feng and another boy had stopped and were staring at them in disbelief.


    ¡°Yan Xing has lost¡­ How¡¯s that possible¡­¡±


    The boy swallowed and looked at Lin Shen as if he had seen a ghost.


    Even Xue Feng widened his eyes in shock. He was no longer as calm as he was a moment ago.


    ...


    He would never have thought the battle would turn out like that.


    Not only did Yan Xing fail to defeat his opponent, he was even eliminated by his opponent!


    How was this possible?!


    For a moment, Xue Feng wondered if he was hallucinating.


    Yan Xing was a cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Transformation. Even Xue Feng couldn¡¯t defeat Yan Xing in a single move!


    ¡°Where did this persone from?


    ¡°Why is he so powerful, but I¡¯ve never heard anything about him before?¡±


    While Xue Feng was shocked, the spectators outside were also dumbfounded.


    Most of the eliminated candidates hadn¡¯t left. Instead, they stayed in the square to watch the battle. Therefore, they saw the scene clearly. The crowd instantly erupted into a hugemotion.


    ¡°Holy crap! Yan Xing was defeated!¡±


    ¡°How is that possible¡­ Am I seeing things?¡±


    ¡°Who is this person? He actually defeated Yan Xing in one move!¡±


    ¡°I know who he is. He¡¯s Lin Shen from Willow Academy, but why did I hear he¡¯s only at the sixth level of Qi Transformation?¡±


    ¡°Impossible. No matter how I look at it, his strength is far beyond the sixth level!¡±


    Exmations rang out continuously.


    Everyone was shocked by the scene just now.


    Yan Xing was one of the four seeded candidates in this examination. He had a chance of obtaining the chief position!


    However, he was defeated by the unknown Lin Shen in one move!


    If they hadn¡¯t seen it with their own eyes, they wouldn¡¯t have believed such a ridiculous thing!


    At this moment, a light shed in the square, and Yan Xing appeared out of thin air.


    He stood rooted to the ground in adrift, as if he had yet to understand what had happened.


    It was not until a few secondster that Yan Xing suddenly came back to his senses. His face instantly turned pale.

 Chapter 56 - 56 Soaring Ranking

    56 Soaring Ranking


    Swoosh!


    In an instant, countless gazes focused on Yan Xing.


    Pity, surprise, ridicule, gloating¡­


    In the past, although Yan Xing was also the center of attention, other people always looked at him with reverence or admiration. There had never been a situation like today.


    Yan Xing¡¯s pale face turned purple when he noticed the gazes around him. His hands were clenched tightly, and he didn¡¯t even notice his nails had dug into his flesh.


    He lowered his head. His eyes were red and filled with hatred.


    ¡°He¡¯s reached Perfection in zing Sun Palm!¡±


    Cai Zhonggu suddenly murmurred.


    His eyesight was very sharp, and he immediately saw the value of Lin Shen¡¯s attack just now.


    That was a sign unique to Perfection-level zing Sun Palm!


    Ke Ya was equally astonished.


    ¡°There¡¯s more. Perfection in zing Sun Palm alone isn¡¯t enough to defeat Yan Xing in one move. The cultivation level Lin Shen revealed just now was definitely not inferior to Yan Xing¡¯s. That attack was at least at the eighth level of Qi Transformation!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding disciples, who had just recovered from their initial astonishment, gasped again.


    Lin Shen was at the eighth level of Qi Transformation and had reached Perfection in zing Sun Palm. Where did this guye from?


    Was Lin Shen really amoner from a welfare institution?


    Could he be an illegitimate son of some influential family¡¯s head?


    ¡°His talent¡­ is outstanding!¡±


    After pondering for a long time, Cai Zhonggu finally squeezed out this sentence.


    Ke Ya remained silent, but from his expression, his thoughts were simr to Cai Zhonggu¡¯s.


    With his eighth level of Qi Transformation and Perfection in zing Sun Palm, he would be among the top cultivators evenpared to the disciples of influential families.


    Even Zhao Xueying and the other three were only at this level.


    It was unbelievable that an ordinary student could make such achievements!


    The two tutors looked at each other, and the same thought appeared in their minds.


    Would an ordinary student be the top student of this year¡¯s examination?


    ¡­


    The outside world was in an uproar, but the hall was deadly silent.


    Xue Feng and the other boy tensed up and stared at Lin Shen as if they were facing a great enemy. It was as if Lin Shen was some prehistoric beast.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t care at all and slowly retracted his palm.


    Although he had defeated Yan Xing with one move, in fact, he hadn¡¯t even used his full strength in that strike just now.


    His talent was still Perseverance, and he didn¡¯t switch to Pure Yang body or Superior Martial Arts.


    As it turned out, the genius of the top influential family that he looked up to in the past had already been surpassed by him. Yan Xiang was even far behind him.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Perseverance]


    [Stage: Level 9 Qi Transformation, 2%]


    [Cultivation technique: Origin Breathing Technique (Perfection), zing Sun Palm (Perfection), Mortal Restrain (Beginner, 62%), Shadows (Mastery, 4%), Dragon Roar Through the Clouds (Beginner, 3%)]


    [Number of Clones: 4 (60%)]


    Lin Shen heaved a sigh of relief and turned to look at Xue Feng and the boy.


    Xue Feng tensed up and subconsciously tightened his muscles.


    The other boy couldn¡¯t help but take a step back.


    He looked at Xue Feng, then at Lin Shen. His expression changed for a moment before he gritted his teeth and left the hall.


    Xue Feng alone was already very difficult to deal with, and now there was a guy even more terrifying than him. This formation g wasn¡¯t something he could covet at all. If he stayed any longer, he would definitely follow in Yan Xing¡¯s footsteps!


    Once the boy left, only Lin Shen and Xue Feng were left in the hall.


    Lin Shen¡¯s expression was calm, but Xue Feng¡¯s expression was solemn as he quickly thought of a countermeasure.


    Yan Xing was too careless. If he hadn¡¯t underestimated his opponent, he wouldn¡¯t have lost so quickly and miserably.


    With his strength, it was absolutely impossible for him to be killed by a single strike.


    Of course, Lin Shen¡¯s strength was unquestionable, and he was clearly much stronger than Yan Xing.


    At the very least, Xue Feng had no confidence in defeating Lin Shen!


    After a brief stalemate, Xue Feng suddenly said,


    ¡°I¡¯m Xue Feng. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Lin Shen.¡±


    Xue Feng searched his memory, but he couldn¡¯t remember any disciple of influential families with this name.


    There didn¡¯t seem to be any Lin family among the eighteen influential families.


    Could hee from a declining old family?


    Taking a deep look at Lin Shen, Xue Feng said in a deep voice,


    ...


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember you!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around and left without hesitation.


    Lin Shen raised his eyebrows. He was a little surprised that Xue Feng had given up so easily.


    However, he didn¡¯t think too much about it. No matter what, it was good to avoid a battle.


    Lin Shen strode to the altar and leaped onto it. He quickly took a few steps and pulled out the formation g.


    A minuteter, the g trembled slightly before dissipating into mist and disappearing.


    At the same time, the score on the jade talisman instantly increased by 200 points to just over 500 points!


    ¡°If other people haven¡¯t obtained any formation gs, I should be in first ce now, right?¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes flickered as he looked around. A thought suddenly shed across his mind.


    ¡°Speaking of which, there are no fog beasts here. Can the examinees stay here forever and earn points by stalling?¡±


    The thought of using the loophole shed across his mind, but he immediately rejected it.


    ...


    There was no reason for the Nine Yang Academy not to notice such an obvious loophole. If the examinee really did that, there was a high chance he would go for wool ande home shorn.


    Shaking his head, Lin Shen expelled this thought from his mind. He jumped off the altar and casually chose one of the three doors before stepping in.


    ¡­


    In the square.


    On the ranking list on the water screen, Lin Shen¡¯s ranking instantly jumped over 20 ces, rising to the top in one go.


    First ce, Lin Shen, 503 points.


    Second ce, Zhao Xueying, 389 points.


    Third ce, Chong Yanhe, 372 points.


    Fourth ce, Xue Feng, 365 points.


    Fifth ce, Yan Xing, 323 points.


    Sixth ce, Wei Cheng, 320 points.


    ¡­


    In an instant, Lin Shen had a much higher score than everyone behind him.


    At this moment, there were nearly 200 eliminated candidates in the square.


    Seeing the changes on the ranking list, many examinees eximed.


    ¡°He¡¯s first now!¡±


    ¡°After all, he has just scored 200 points¡­ Who would have thought Xue Feng would give up without even fighting?¡±


    ¡°Of course, he would. Lin Shen defeated Yan Xing with a single palm strike. If you were Xue Feng, would you fight that kind of person? You might as well save your energy and kill a few more fog beasts!¡±


    ¡°An ordinary student actually became first. I¡¯ve really learned something today!¡±


    ¡°Those disciples of influential families won¡¯t have the face to show off their superiority in front of us!¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? The exam hasn¡¯t ended yet. Can you guarantee Lin Shen will always be in the first ce?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s more than one formation g in the fog formation. If one of Chong Yanhe, Zhao Xueying, and Xue Feng gets a formation g, they¡¯ll surpass Lin Shen immediately. What¡¯s there to be proud of?¡±


    The discussion quickly turned into an argument.


    It was rare for a person like Lin Shen to appear, so the ordinary students naturally praised and marveled at him. They took the opportunity to vent their anger at being looked down upon by the disciples of influential families.


    Thetter couldn¡¯t stand it, so they retorted on the spot.


    The two sides immediately quarreled, and the tension seemed to be rising.


    ¡°Silence! Anyone who dares to make any more noise will be removed from the square immediately!¡±


    Ke Ya¡¯s shout interrupted the crowd.


    Only then did the candidates shut their mouths. They didn¡¯t dare to offend a tutor.


    Seeing that everyone had quietened down, Ke Ya went back to look at the water screen.

 Chapter 57 - 57 Supreme Yang Swordplay and Condensed Strings

    57 Supreme Yang Swordy and Condensed Strings


    As time passed, more and more examinees left the fog formation and returned to the square.


    It had only been half an hour since the start of the exam, but the number of examinees in the square was already close to 300.


    From the moment these people left the fog formation, their scores stopped changing, and they could only watch as the scores of the candidates on the rankings kept increasing.


    Once someone was kicked out of the top 200, that person¡¯s face would turn pale, and they would lower their head dejectedly.


    About four to five minutester, Liu Shaoming returned to the square.


    He immediately looked at the water screen and started searching from the 200th ce. Soon, he found his name in 175th ce.


    Seeing this, Liu Shaoming heaved a sigh of relief, and an uncontroble joy appeared on his face.


    The scores of the people below the 190th ce on the list had stopped changing.


    In other words, he had already confirmed his ce in the top 200!


    Liu Shaoming¡¯s long-cherished dream was realized in a day. At this moment, he only felt a surge of emotions and wished he could let out a long cry on the spot.


    ¡°I wonder how the others are doing?¡±


    After calming down, Liu Shaoming looked around and quickly found Wang Weichao in the crowd. He hurried toward thetter.


    ¡°Weichao, how are your results?¡±


    Wang Weichao turned around and saw Liu Shaoming. A bitter smile appeared on his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m ranked below 250. I¡¯m definitely going to be eliminated.¡±


    Seeing Wang Weichao¡¯s dejected expression, Liu Shaoming restrained his joy and patted Wang Weichao¡¯s shoulder tofort him.


    Suddenly, he thought of something and asked,


    ¡°By the way, where are the others? Where¡¯s Lin Shen?¡±


    Before the exam, Liu Shaoming had even secretly encouraged himself to surpass Lin Shen.


    Now that he had confirmed he would be epted by the Nine Yang Academy, he felt a huge weight lift off his shoulders. Naturally, he was concerned about Lin Shen¡¯s condition.


    Liu Shaoming has exceeded his own expectations. He was about 170th on the list and was one of the best among the ordinary Willow Academy students who had been epted by the Nine Yang Academy in the past.


    Even if Lin Shen was stronger than him, he didn¡¯t think Lin Shen would be able to get better results than him.


    To Liu Shaoming¡¯s surprise, Wang Weichao had a strange expression when he heard the question.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Liu Shaoming looked puzzled.


    ¡°Take a look for yourself.¡± Wang Weichao pointed at the rankings.


    Liu Shaoming felt strange. Did Lin Shen get good results as well?


    Even so, Wang Weichao didn¡¯t need to have that look¡­ Holy crap!


    Liu Shaoming was dumbfounded as he looked at the first ce on the rankings. His eyes almost popped out.


    Lin Shen¡¯s name was right there above Zhao Xueying, Chong Yanhe, Xue Feng, and the other prodigies.


    Liu Shaoming couldn¡¯t help but rub his eyes. He almost thought he was seeing things.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    After confirming that he wasn¡¯t hallucinating, Liu Shaoming looked at Wang Weichao in confusion.


    Wang Weichao looked in Yan Xing¡¯s direction and exined in a low voice.


    A momentter,


    Liu Shaoming heard what had happened and looked like he was in a trance. He felt he was in a dream.


    Lin Shen had defeated Yan Xing, scared off Xue Feng, and even got the formation g.


    Why did all of this sound like a story?


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it feel like a fantasy?¡±


    Wang Weichao patted Liu Shaoming¡¯s shoulder with an understanding expression.


    Just a few minutes ago, he, who had just learned what had happened from the others, had the same expression.


    Who would have thought Lin Shen would be so strong?


    Yan Xing was a famous genius among the candidates this year. He was one of the top disciples of influential families.


    However, such a person was defeated by Lin Shen in one move. Even though Yan Xing had underestimated his opponent, Lin Shen¡¯s strength was unquestionable.


    After a long silence, Liu Shaoming couldn¡¯t help but sigh deeply.


    He suddenly felt his previous goal of surpassing Lin Shen was a little ridiculous.


    Lin Shen was far beyond his reach!


    He was still in a daze when there was a suddenmotion around him. Liu Shaoming woke up and looked up. He realized everyone around him was staring at the sky with their eyes wide open. Hence, he also looked up and was immediately shocked.


    On the water screen was the magnified image of Chong Yanhe and Zhao Xueying fighting fiercely. Not far from them, there was a formation g standing on an altar.


    ¡°It¡¯s Zhao Xueying and Chong Yanhe!¡±


    ¡°The two of them ran into each other!¡±


    ¡°Damn, both of them are so powerful!¡±


    Everyone stared fixedly at the water screen, afraid of missing any scene.


    Strictly speaking, this was the first time the seeded candidates had really fought.


    Xue Feng and Yan Xing didn¡¯te into contact just now. Although Yan Xing fought with Lin Shen, he lost too quickly and didn¡¯t feel real at all.


    ...


    It was only at this moment that thepetition between Chong Yanhe and Zhao Xueying allowed everyone to truly witness the strength of the top geniuses of influential families.


    Both parties in the battle had clearly cultivated some kind of movement technique. Their speed was as fast as lightning. At the most intense moment of the battle, most of the spectators could only see two afterimages colliding. The muffled sounds of palms hitting palms were endless.


    ¡°Good!¡± Cai Zhonggu nodded with a smile. ¡°Both of them have reached Proficient in Moving Star Steps. They¡¯re not far from reaching Mastery!¡±


    Ke Ya also revealed an approving smile.


    The two of them didn¡¯tment on the oue of this battle because they knew neither Chong Yanhe nor Zhao Xueying had revealed their true trump cards.


    As if sensing the thoughts of the two tutors, the image suddenly lit up with a scarlet sword light. It tore through the heat waves that had been enveloping both sides of the battle and pierced through the void toward Zhao Xueying like a bolt of lightning.


    Zhao Xueying retreated rapidly, and at the critical moment, she barely dodged the sharp sword light.


    ¡°It¡¯s a sword! Chong Yanhe used his weapon!¡±


    ¡°That seems to be the Supreme Yang Swordy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s the Supreme Yang Swordy! I¡¯ve seen the elders in my n use it before!¡±


    ¡°Chong Yanhe has cultivated a weapon-type martial technique!¡±


    ...


    Many people were shocked.


    Even Ke Ya and Cai Zhonggu looked surprised.


    ¡°Supreme Yang Swordy¡­ Looks like Chong Yanhe is determined to get the position of the chief disciple!¡± Cai Zhonggu sighed.


    The effect of weapon-type martial techniques in tempering the body was clearly much inferior to bare-handed martial techniques.


    Unless they wanted to increase theirbat ability, students usually wouldn¡¯t cultivate weapon-type martial techniques.


    Chong Yanhe didn¡¯t need to fight often, so there was obviously only one reason why he cultivated weapon-type martial techniques¡ªthe exam!


    Chong Yanhe had clearly made ample preparations for this examination!


    On the screen, Zhao Xueying was clearly shocked as well. A hint of surprise shed across her beautiful face.


    However, she didn¡¯t panic because of this. From the beginning to the end, she remained calm.


    Facing Chong Yanhe, who was attacking again with his sword, Zhao Xueying narrowed her eyes, and she suddenly pointed her finger in front of her.


    A red string appeared in an instant and extended from the void. Wherever it passed, the void emitted a sizzling sound like burning wood. In the next second, the sword light shattered. Chong Yanhe¡¯s expression changed drastically, and he rolled to the side without caring about his image, barely dodging the red string that swept past him.


    When he got up again, the long sword in his hand cracked and fell to the ground. The cut melted and turned red as if the sword had been corroded by high-temperature mes for a long time.


    ¡°Condensed Strings!¡±


    In front of the water screen, Ke Ya and Cai Zhonggu were both shocked.

 Chapter 58 - 58 Accelerated Change

    58 elerated Change


    The sudden change attracted everyone¡¯s attention.


    They had thought after using the Supreme Yang Swordy, Chong Yanhe would have the upper hand. Who would have thought he would be beaten into a sorry state by Zhao Xueying in the blink of an eye?


    Looking at the slowly dissipating red string on the screen, many examinees looked confused.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Did she release her spiritual essence?¡±


    ¡°Impossible. The release of spiritual essence is a technique that only cultivators at the Long Breath Stage can master. Zhao Xueying is only at the Qi Transformation Stage!¡±


    ¡°Then how do you exin what just happened?¡±


    ¡°You ignorant people. You don¡¯t even know Condensed Strings!¡±


    ¡°Condensed Strings? The number one martial technique in the Qi Transformation Stage?¡±


    Shock quickly spread through the crowd. Many people looked at Zhao Xueying with utter astonishment.


    Condensed Strings were the Zhao family¡¯s most powerful technique. Many people thought it to be the number one martial technique in the Qi Transformation Stage!


    It was because it could allow a Qi Transformation cultivator to unleash an attack simr to the release of spiritual essence!


    Just this alone allowed Condensed Strings to surpass most Qi Transformation martial techniques!


    Moreover, even at the Long Breath Stage, the Condensed Strings could still unleash extraordinary power.


    This was also amon characteristic of powerful martial techniques!


    ¡°The Zhao family has a peerless genius!¡±


    Ke Ya couldn¡¯t help but feel amazed.


    Cai Zhonggu also agreed.


    Zhao Xueying was already at the eighth level of Qi Transformation. Coupled with the Condensed Strings, even if she was only at Beginner, no one below the Long Breath Stage would be her match.


    It was obvious who would be the chief disciple!


    In the image, Chong Yanhe¡¯s face was livid. With a flip of his wrist, another long sword instantly appeared in his hand.


    He held his sword horizontally in front of him and stared at Zhao Xueying as if he was facing a great enemy.


    The girl¡¯s expression was indifferent. With a swipe of her finger, a red string instantly tore through the void and whooshed toward Chong Yanhe like a long whip.


    Chong Yanhe had some understanding of Condensed Strings. He knew although this red string looked thin, it was condensed from the purest and most refined zing energy. It was enough to break iron. Ordinary weapons couldn¡¯t withstand it at all. Anything the strings touched would be melted, just like his long sword just now.


    Therefore, Chong Yanhe didn¡¯t dare to face the iing red string head-on and dodged it without thinking.


    However, in the next second, another red string tore through the air.


    Swoosh!


    In a short span of two to three breaths, dozens of red strings appeared in the void. They intertwined and enveloped Chong Yanhe. He was unable to fight back and could only dodge awkwardly.


    After gritting his teeth and enduring for a few minutes, Chong Yanhe finally couldn¡¯t help but admit defeat.


    ¡°I admit my defeat. Zhao Xueying, I¡¯ll give you this g. We¡¯ll stop fighting now!¡±


    Swoosh!


    The red strings that filled the sky suddenly dissipated, revealing Chong Yanhe¡¯s battered and exhausted figure.


    He looked at Zhao Xueying gloomily and left without another word.


    Zhao Xueying watched with a calm expression until Chong Yanhe disappeared through the door. Only then did she board the altar and pull out the g.


    A minuteter, Zhao Xueying¡¯s score soared by 200 points. Her ranking instantly surpassed Lin Shen¡¯s, and she regained first ce.


    First ce, Zhao Xueying, 802 points.


    Second ce, Lin Shen, 785 points.


    Third ce, Xue Feng, 583 points.


    Fourth ce, Chong Yanhe, 562 points.


    Fifth ce, Wei Cheng, 330 points.


    Sixth ce, Yan Xing, 323 points.


    ¡°Zhao Xueying is back in the first ce!¡±


    ¡°Haha, I knew it. Zhao Xueying will definitely surpass Lin Shen!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be proud of? Lin Shen is less than 20 points away. He¡¯ll definitely catch up soon!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re dreaming. Zhao Xueying has mastered the Condensed Strings. Lin Shen is no match for her at all!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with the noise? We¡¯ll know if we continue watching!¡±


    After all, they had just been warned by Ke Ya. Although the ordinary students and disciples of influential families present were bickering, they didn¡¯t dare to argue loudly anymore. They red at each other before turning their heads resentfully and returning their attention to the water screen.


    The change in the first ce was like a switch being pressed.


    In the time that followed, the changes in the rankings became more and more drastic.


    One after another, people discovered the altar, and often several people discovered it at the same time. As a result, several battles broke out.


    The loser would be driven out of the fog formation, while the winner would rise high in the rankings.


    As more and more examinees left, the fog beasts quickly became stronger, eliminating more examinees.


    Everything was elerating!


    It was an hour after the exam began.


    ...


    There were less than twenty images left on the water screen.


    This also meant that there were less than twenty examinees left in the fog formation.


    Among them, the one ranked at the bottom had already exceeded 500 points.


    After another four to five minutes, two more candidates were driven out of the fog formation. In the next moment, all the fog beasts suddenly raised their heads and roared, their strength breaking through to the sixth level of Qi Transformation.


    That was thest straw. The examinees, who were already struggling to hold on to their limits, could no longer resist. They were drowned and suppressed by the fog beasts and immediately turned into streams of light that flew into the sky.


    More than ten candidates suddenly appeared in the square!


    ¡°Heh¡­ Heh¡­¡±


    Yang Zhongyi took a few deep breaths and wiped his cold sweat. It took him a while toe back to his senses.


    He looked around and immediately noticed Su Nian, who was a few meters away.


    ¡°Haha, Su Nian, you¡¯re out too. Looks like you didn¡¯tst longer than me!¡±


    Su Nian¡¯s face was slightly pale, and his forehead was covered in sweat. This was a sign that he had exhausted too much energy.


    ...


    Hearing Yang Zhongyi¡¯s words, he nced at him angrily and looked at the rankings on the water screen.


    Yang Zhongyi also looked up. He was also very concerned about his results.


    12th ce, Yang Zhongyi, 786 points


    15th ce, Su Nian, 773 points


    ¡°Haha, my ranking is higher than yours. Su Nian, you have to admit I¡¯m stronger than you now!¡±


    Yang Zhongyiughed proudly. After a few seconds, he didn¡¯t hear a response. He turned around and saw Su Nian standing rooted to the ground in a daze. His eyes were fixed as if he had seen something unbelievable.


    ¡°Hey, Su, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Yang Zhongyi pushed his friend¡¯s shoulder in confusion.


    He was just three ces behind him. There was no need to be so shocked, right?


    Su Nian didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he pointed at the rankings with a nk expression.


    Yang Zhongyi turned around in confusion. In the next second, his eyes widened.


    ¡°Shit! What¡¯s going on? Why is Lin Shen in second ce?¡±


    Yang Zhongyi¡¯s face was filled with disbelief.


    When he came back to his senses, he quickly pulled over an examinee beside him and asked some questions.


    A momentter, Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian, who had learned what had happened, looked at each other. They were both inexplicably shocked and couldn¡¯t regain their senses for a long time.


    Actually, before the exam, they had vaguely guessed Lin Shen¡¯s strength must have increased.


    After all, even the two of them had broken through at thest minute. It was impossible for Lin Shen to still be at the same level.


    However, the two of them didn¡¯t expect Lin Shen¡¯s progress to be so shocking. Even Yan Xing was defeated by him!


    Right, Yan Xing!


    Yang Zhongyi suddenly looked up at the rankings. After searching for a while, he quickly found Yan Xing at the back of the rankings.


    142nd ce, Yan Xing, 323 points.


    As one of the four seeded candidates, Yan Xing was publicly acknowledged as one of the candidates with the highest chance of obtaining the chief disciple¡¯s position. Now, he had fallen to the point where he couldn¡¯t even enter the top 100. It really could make one¡¯s jaw drop.


    Yang Zhongyi looked around and quickly found Yan Xing in the corner of the square.


    Thetter was staring fixedly at the water screen with bloodshot eyes and twitching cheeks. He seemed as if he¡¯d seen the enemy that killed his father andpletely lost his usual arrogance.

 Chapter 59 - 59 Just A Little More

    59 Just A Little More


    Yang Zhongyi couldn¡¯t help but sigh when he saw Yan Xing¡¯s expression.


    He had a bad impression of Yan Xing, but he couldn¡¯t help but sympathize with thetter.


    142nd ce. It didn¡¯t take a genius to know how humiliating this was to Yan Xing, who had always thought highly of himself!


    Thinking about how Yan Xing hade to rope Lin Shen in before the examination and wanted to recruit thetter as a follower, Yang Zhongyi felt fate could be such a strange thing.


    ¡°That¡¯s why people can¡¯t always put themselves in a high position. Otherwise, they might fall very badly one day.¡±


    ¡°What are you mumbling about?¡± Su Nian turned around and asked in confusion.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Yang Zhongyi shrugged and turned his attention back to the water screen. ¡°How many people are left in the fog formation?¡±


    ¡°Just four. Zhao Xueying, Xue Feng, Chong Yanhe¡­ and Lin Shen!¡±


    The huge water screen was divided into four areas, each ying the battle scene of one of the four people.


    After more than ten candidates were expelled from the fog formation at the same time, the strength of the fog beast increased further and directly broke through to the seventh level of Qi Transformation. They were even close to reaching the eighth level.


    At this moment, the four of them were surrounded by more than 20 fog beasts.


    Under the relentless attacks of the fog beasts, Xue Feng and Chong Yanhe found it difficult to move. They couldn¡¯t even take a step closer to the door dozens of meters away. They werepletely confined to their spot and were struggling to hold on.


    Inparison, Zhao Xueying was undoubtedly much calmer.


    The power of the Condensed Strings was extremely powerful. Wherever the red stings passed, the fog beasts scattered into clouds.


    After a while, Zhao Xueying was within five meters of the door.


    However, what was even more shocking was Lin Shen¡¯s performance.


    Facing the fog beasts charging at him from all directions, Lin Shen moved like an electric snake. His feet barely touched the ground as he moved through the gaps between the fog beasts. asionally, he would make a sharp turn, but his speed didn¡¯t slow down at all, as if he was gliding along the ground.


    There were more than twenty fog beasts, but none of them could even touch the corner of his clothes. Instead, their bodies were shattered, and fog filled the air.


    ¡°He¡¯s so fast!¡±


    ¡°What movement technique is this?¡±


    ¡°Moving Star Steps? No, it doesn¡¯t look like it¡­¡±


    The crowd was filled with exmations.


    Ke Ya and Cai Zhonggu looked at each other in surprise.


    ¡°Is this Shadows?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, and he¡¯s reached Mastery at least!¡±


    Cai Zhonggu couldn¡¯t help but feel amazed.


    Mastery in Shadows.


    Perfection in zing Sun Palm.


    Students at this age could be considered outstanding if they could achieve either of these two achievements.


    However, Lin Shen had both. His talent in martial arts was simply astonishing!


    Ke Ya was more thoughtful.


    Shadows was an outstanding martial technique that was almost as excellent as Moving Star Steps. Where did Lin Shen, a student from a welfare institution, obtain this martial technique?


    ¡°Could it be a gift from an expert?¡±


    After pondering for a moment, Ke Ya shook his head and threw this doubt to the back of his mind.


    Even the Martial Enforcement Hall wouldn¡¯t question cultivators over such matters. Moreover, he was only the tutor of an academy, so there was no need for him to investigate further.


    After all, Shadows wasn¡¯t some unorthodox cultivation technique.


    Looking over, Lin Shen and Zhao Xueying had already broken out of the group of beasts and rushed into the door almost at the same time.


    In the next second, exmations suddenly rose from the crowd.


    Lin Shen and Zhao Xueying appeared in the same scene.


    The two of them entered the same hall!


    What was even more unexpected was that there was an altar in the middle of the hall. There was a formation g on it.


    Almost at the same time, Lin Shen and Zhao Xueying discovered each other and were stunned.


    Zhao Xueying was impressed by thismoner genius who had obtained first ce in Willow Academy¡¯spetition.


    But that was all.


    She didn¡¯t know Lin Shen had defeated Yan Xing. She still thought Lin Shen was at the sixth level of Qi Transformation. When she saw him, she didn¡¯t take it to heart and rushed towards the altar.


    But Lin Shen was faster than her!


    Under the full power of Mastery Shadows, Lin Shen almost turned into an afterimage. In an instant, he crossed dozens of meters andnded on the altar. He reached out to grab the formation g at lightning speed.


    Seeing this scene, Zhao Xueying was shocked. Without any time to think, she drew a horizontal line with her finger. A red string tore through the void and quickly whipped toward Lin Shen.


    Lin Shen was about to grab the g pole when he sensed a strong threating from his side. Having no choice, he could only give up and retreat, stopping at the edge of the altar.


    At the same time, Zhao Xueying also ascended the altar.


    The two of them sized up each other from 30 meters away with the formation g in the middle.


    ¡°That red string¡­ Did she release her spiritual essence?¡±


    Lin Shen frowned slightly, but he quickly denied this spection.


    If Zhao Xueying had already advanced to the Long Breath Stage, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to dodge that attack so easily.


    ...


    It was most likely some special martial technique!


    However, Zhao Xueying was only more shocked than Lin Shen.


    From the brief exchange of blows just now, she acutely realized she had severely underestimated Lin Shen¡¯s strength.


    He was far beyond the sixth level of Qi Transformation!


    What was going on?


    Zhao Xueying was disturbed.


    It had only been a month since theyst met. Why had Lin Shen¡¯s strength increased so much?


    However, now wasn¡¯t the time to think about this. Zhao Xueying quickly focused on the situation in front of her.


    At this point, there were probably very few candidates left in the fog formation.


    The exam was alreadying to an end. As long as she obtained this formation g, she should be able to take first ce!


    Lin Shen also realized this and narrowed his eyes.


    ...


    The air around them suddenly froze.


    The atmosphere that could erupt at any moment spread through the water screen and infected the crowd in the square.


    Everyone subconsciously slowed their breaths and stared at the water curtain with widened eyes.


    They all knew the next confrontation would affect the position of the chief disciple!


    The silent confrontationsted for more than ten seconds. In the next moment, Lin Shen suddenly rushed towards Zhao Xueying like a bolt of lightning. He was the first to attack.


    In the blink of an eye, he was five meters away from Zhao Xueying. With a wave of his palm, heat waves swept forward like raging waves hitting the shore.


    Swoosh!


    An ear-piercing sound of air being torn apart suddenly rang out. Dozens of red strings instantly tore the zing wave into pieces. The air was still torn apart as it attacked Lin Shen, forcing him to stop his charge and start dodging.


    A corner of the altar was instantly enveloped by dense red strings. It was like an airtight cage that imprisoned Lin Shen. He couldn¡¯t stop dodging. If he was slightly dyed, he would be drowned by the Condensed Strings and lose!


    This was the strength of the number one martial technique in the Qi Transformation Stage!


    The power of the Condensed Strings was enough to break metal. Even a Physical Enhancement martial technique of the same level couldn¡¯t withstand the Condensed Strings for more than a minute.


    Ordinary weapons also couldn¡¯t withstand a casual strike from the Condensed Strings. Unless one held an enchanted armament, there was no way to resist it.


    In the exam that prohibited the use of enchanted armaments, Condensed Strings was almost invincible!


    Seeing that Lin Shen waspletely surrounded by Condensed Strings, Ke Ya and Cai Zhonggu sighed in unison.


    ¡°We have a winner.¡±


    ¡°What a pity. If not for the Condensed Strings, Lin Shen might have had a chance of winning.¡±


    A look of pity shed across the faces of the two tutors.


    The surrounding spectators were in an uproar.


    ¡°Looks like there¡¯s no suspense.¡±


    ¡°In the end, Zhao Xueying still won. It makes sense. Dark horses are rare toe by.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already good enough. Lin Shen is now in second ce. Have you seen any ordinary students in the past exams get such results?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. It¡¯s an honorable defeat!¡±


    Hearing the discussions around him, Yang Zhongyi could not help but sigh.


    ¡°What a pity. He was almost there!¡±


    ¡°He already did a great job!¡± Su Nian said, but he couldn¡¯t hide the regret on his face.


    However, just as everyone thought everything had settled, the situation changed.


    They heard the clear roar of a dragon from the water screen!

 Chapter 60 - 60 Unprecedented Record

    60 Unprecedented Record


    The sudden roar instantly suppressed the buzzing discussion in the square.


    Everyone was shocked and looked at the water screen.


    On the screen, the Condensed Strings around Lin Shen had somehow decreased by nearly half. It was obvious they had be much sparser.


    Many people looked puzzled, wondering what had just happened.


    !!


    But soon, they no longer had to wonder.


    Lin Shen suddenly let out a long roar. The sound wave seemed to have materialized and exploded in all directions like a tsunami!


    Arge visible distortion suddenly appeared in the void. Wherever it passed, the Condensed Strings exploded and dissipated.


    In an instant, the Condensed Strings surrounding Lin Shen disappearedpletely.


    Not far away, Zhao Xueying staggered and almost fell to the ground.


    When she finally stabilized herself and looked up at Lin Shen again, her pale face was filled with shock.


    There was a sudden silence in the square, followed by an uproar.


    ¡°What martial technique was that?¡±


    ¡°Impressive. Even the Condensed Strings were destroyed!¡±


    ¡°Anyone know what that was? I¡¯d like to know.¡±


    Most of the examinees revealed nk and shocked expressions. They had never seen such a martial technique before.


    A few quick-witted people looked at the two tutors.


    Ke Ya and Cai Zhonggu were equally shocked.


    ¡°A soundwave martial technique!¡±


    ¡°Lin Shen actually cultivated such a martial technique!¡±


    Even with Ke Ya and Cai Zhonggu¡¯s knowledge, they were still shocked by Lin Shen.


    After Perfection in zing Sun Palm and Mastery in Shadows, Lin Shen actually cultivated a sound wave martial technique that was incredibly powerful!


    From the looks of it, it was as powerful as Condensed Strings!


    How many martial techniques had he mastered?


    Ke Ya and Cai Zhonggu were shocked.


    In the hall, Zhao Xueying looked at Lin Shen with a solemn and fearful gaze.


    Previously, when Lin Shen was resisting the Condensed Strings, his Perfection zing Sun Palm had already shocked her.


    If not for the Condensed Strings, Zhao Xueying wouldn¡¯t have been confident that she could defeat Lin Shen.


    However, who would have thought that in the blink of an eye, Lin Shen coulde up with a powerful martial technique that was as fierce as the Condensed Strings?


    For a moment, Lin Shen seemed unfathomable to the girl.


    On the other side, Lin Shen felt relieved.


    He didn¡¯t know much about the Condensed Strings, but he could tell how powerful this martial technique was. Fortunately, the Dragon Roar Through the Clouds didn¡¯t disappoint him and sessfully cracked the Condensed Strings.


    His three days of studying the Dragon Roar Through the Clouds hadn¡¯t been in vain!


    After calming down, Lin Shen immediately rushed towards Zhao Xueying and brazenlyunched a counterattack.


    In that short exchange of blows just now, he already understood Zhao Xueying¡¯s strength level.


    Her cultivation was at the eighth level of Qi Transformation, and she had exquisite movement techniques. Together with that powerful martial technique that was simr to the release of spiritual essence, her truebat strength was as good as a cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Transformation.


    Neither of the two criminals that Lin Shen had killed in the northern district that night would be Zhao Xueying¡¯s match!


    Even with the cat general¡¯s clone that night, Zhao Xueying could still put up a fight!


    But that was all!


    With a thought, Lin Shen rushed in front of Zhao Xueying. He suddenly opened his mouth and shouted, producing a materialized sound wave that destroyed Zhao Xueying¡¯s Condensed Strings in one go. Then, he leaned forward andunched a storm of attacks!


    In terms of cultivation, Zhao Xueying was a level lower than Lin Shen.


    In terms of martial arts, be it the zing Sun Palm or movement technique, Zhao Xueying was also a level lower than Lin Shen.


    The Condensed Strings were her only advantage, but it was suppressed by the Dragon Roar Through the Clouds.


    Zhao Xueying no longer had any means to fight Lin Shen!


    For the first time in her life, when facing someone her age, Zhao Xueying felt a deep sense of powerlessness.


    The examinees in the square were even more dumbfounded.


    ¡°Oh my god¡­ Zhao Xueying is actually at a disadvantage!¡±


    ¡°Lin Shen is too fierce!¡±


    ¡°This is ridiculous. Is this guy really not a disciple of an influential family?¡±


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m dreaming¡­¡±


    Countless astonished gazes focused on the screen.


    Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian¡¯s eyes were wide open.


    They never expected Lin Shen to be so powerful.


    ¡°Lin usually hides himself too well. His strength has definitely reached the ninth level of Qi Transformation!¡± Yang Zhongyi muttered to himself.


    Su Nian pursed his lips, his expression indescribable.


    ...


    At this moment, he suddenly realized the huge difference between him and Lin Shen.


    In the corner of the square, Yan Xing clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.


    However, his face was even paler.


    After being expelled from the fog formation, he could still lie to himself that he had underestimated his enemy, which was why Lin Shen had taken advantage of the situation.


    If they fought openly, Lin Shen might not be able to defeat him!


    However, when he saw the scene in front of him, thest bit of hope had disappeared!


    If they really fought head-on, he would still not be Lin Shen¡¯s match!


    In front of the water screen, Ke Ya and Cai Zhonggu took a deep breath. Astonishment appeared in their eyes.


    At this point, how could they not see that Lin Shen had been holding back?


    This young man had clearly reached the ninth level of Qi Transformation!


    Cai Zhonggu opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.


    ...


    He had been a tutor for so many years and had been the host for dozens of examinations, but he had never seen a candidate as special as Lin Shen.


    As an ordinary student, his strength was even more outstanding than the top disciples of influential families. It was simply unbelievable!


    While everyone was shocked, the battle on the screen had alreadye to an end.


    A clear roar that sounded like a dragon rang in Zhao Xueying¡¯s ears. She felt the blood surging in her chest and involuntarily took a step back.


    Before she could catch her breath, Lin Shen had already appeared behind her like a ghost and pped her mercilessly.


    The moment his palm¡¯s zing energy was about to touch Zhao Xueying¡¯s back, a faint green halo suddenly appeared and blocked Lin Shen¡¯s palm.


    Zhao Xueying froze, and a bitter smile appeared on her face.


    In the next second, she turned into a stream of light and rushed into the sky.


    Zhao Xueying had lost!


    It took a few seconds for everyone to recover from the shock of this fact.


    An uproar immediately broke out in the square.


    As early as when Lin Shen and Zhao Xueying fought, Xue Feng and Chong Yanhe couldn¡¯t withstand the surrounding fog beasts and left the fog formation.


    At this moment, with Zhao Xueying being chased away, Lin Shen was the only one left in the fog formation.


    Furthermore, there was a formation g beside him.


    In other words, the oue was set!


    The first ce in this examination was determined!


    ¡°It¡¯s over. There¡¯s no doubt that Lin Shen will be first ce!¡±


    ¡°This is the first time an ordinary student has obtained the first seat!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s unprecedented!¡±


    ¡°Unbelievable. Lin Shen is so awesome!¡±


    Shock, surprise, admiration, envy¡­ All kinds of gazes were focused on Lin Shen.


    In the history of the Nine Yang Academy¡¯s examination, this was the first time an ordinary student had obtained the position of chief disciple. Lin Shen had already set an unprecedented record, and it was likely that no one would be able to do so in the future!

 Chapter 61 - 61 Has She Always Been So Straightforward

    61 Has She Always Been So Straightforward


    First ce, Lin Shen, 1,156 points.


    Second ce, Zhao Xueying, 948 points.


    Third ce, Xue Feng, 899 points.


    Fourth ce, Chong Yanhe, 892 points.


    Fifth ce, Wei Cheng, 803 points.


    ¡­


    As the formation g turned into clouds and dissipated in the air, Lin Shen¡¯s score soared by 200 points again. He was in the first ce and had more than 200 points more than Zhao Xueying, the second ce.


    Ke Ya and Cai Zhonggu looked at each other and saw the amazement in each other¡¯s eyes.


    In the past, although there were people who defeated the disciples of the 18 cultivation families and obtained first ce in the examination, they were still from the declining old families and could almost be considered disciples of influential families.


    As for ordinary students, this was the first time they had seen one after so many years.


    Once this news spread, it would cause a hugemotion in the Nine Yang Academy!


    After sighing for a moment, Ke Ya turned to Cai Zhonggu and said,


    ¡°Master Cai, since Lin Shen is the only one left, and he¡¯s already ranked first, why don¡¯t we end the examination here?¡±


    ¡°I agree. There¡¯s no need to continue.¡±


    Cai Zhonggu nodded with a smile. He swiped his hand across the formation disk and instantly, the water curtain in midair fluctuated. The image dissipated, leaving only the rankings.


    At the same time,


    a light shed in the square, and Lin Shen appeared out of thin air in front of the crowd.


    Swoosh!


    In an instant, countless gazesnded on him.


    Lin Shen was a little stunned.


    He was about to head to the next hall to continue hunting the fog beasts and searching for formation gs when a thick fog suddenly appeared in front of him. When he came back to his senses, he had already returned to the square.


    Moreover, many examinees were staring at him as if they were looking at some strange creature.


    Just as he was feeling puzzled, Lin Shen noticed the water curtain in the air from the corner of his eye. He turned around and was instantly enlightened.


    It turned out the exam had ended and he had already gotten first ce.


    What a pity. He was already prepared to fight the Long Breath Stage fog beasts. Who would have thought it would end so quickly?


    ¡°Not bad, kid!¡±


    At some point, Yang Zhongyi arrived beside Lin Shen and punched his shoulder, his face full of surprise.


    ¡°Although I told you to amaze the world with a single feat, this is too shocking. You directly went for the chief disciple!¡±


    Su Nian, who had also arrived, looked at Lin Shen with aplicated expression.


    ¡°I was just lucky,¡± Lin Shen said with a faint smile.


    He meant it. Without the two formation gs, he would have 400 points less. In that case, he really couldn¡¯t guarantee he would win first ce.


    After all, apart from the formation gs, his score was about the same as Zhao Xueying.


    However, Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian didn¡¯t think that way.


    It was indeed lucky that he discovered the formation gs, but what kind of opponents did Lin Shen face those two times?


    Yan Xing, Xue Feng, Zhao Xueying¡­ All of them were strong candidates with great potential!


    To be able to defeat these people and obtain the formation gs was proof of Lin Shen¡¯s strength!


    At this moment, Ke Ya¡¯s voice suddenly echoed throughout the entire square.


    ¡°The exam is over. The top 200 candidates can stay. The rest can leave!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the square was filled with sighs.


    The examinees who failed to enter the top 200 left with dejected expressions. Those who stayed behind were overjoyed.


    After everyone had left, Ke Ya looked around and slowly said,


    ¡°First of all, congrattions on passing the examination. From today onwards, you¡¯re all members of the Nine Yang Academy!¡±


    Without waiting for the candidates to celebrate, Ke Ya changed the topic.


    ¡°However, remember not to get carried away and rx because even if you enter the academy, it doesn¡¯t mean you can definitely graduate!


    ¡°Thepetition in the academy is far more intense than you can imagine.¡±


    Ke Ya swept his gaze across all the candidates and said meaningfully,


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll experience this soon!¡±


    After a few seconds of silence, Cai Zhonggu said,


    ¡°You have a month to prepare. One month from today, you¡¯ll enter the academy and officially begin your cultivation journey!¡±


    After saying this, the two tutors didn¡¯t say anything else and turned to leave with the disciples.


    However, before leaving, the two of them nodded at Lin Shen with smiles and warm expressions, making the examinees who saw this scene very envious.


    After the two tutors left, the square became lively again.


    Many candidates immediately squeezed around Lin Shen.


    ¡°Brother Shen, are you freeter? Shall we have a meal together?¡±


    ...


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s just celebrate with everyone for passing the examination!¡±


    ¡°Brother Shen, I don¡¯t quite understand some martial arts questions. May I ask you?¡±


    ¡°Brother Shen, we¡¯ll be fellow disciples from now on. I feel so honored!¡±


    The crowd almost drowned Lin Shen, making him feel like a panda in the zoo.


    Lin Shen had defeated a group of prodigies with a crushing advantage and obtained the position of a chief disciple, which set a record. Apart from the disciples of the 18 cultivation families who could still be reserved, the rest, be it ordinary students or disciples of the declining old families, immediately came up to get close to him.


    After all, anyone who wasn¡¯t blind could tell Lin Shen had a bright future.


    If they didn¡¯t build a good rtionship with him now, it would be toote to get close to him when he really became outstanding in the future.


    After spending a lot of effort, Lin Shen finally managed to brush off the surrounding crowd.


    Once the crowd dispersed, he rolled his eyes at Yang Zhongyi, who was smiling and watching the show. Then, he looked to the other side.


    Zhao Xueying was standing five meters away, staring at him with her clear eyes.


    It was also because of Zhao Xueying¡¯s presence that the crowd dispersed so quickly.


    ...


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Lin Shen asked.


    ¡°What martial technique did you use just now?¡± Zhao Xueying asked.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not polite to ask about other people¡¯s martial techniques.¡±


    To Lin Shen¡¯s surprise, after hearing this, Zhao Xueying was slightly stunned. She actually nodded and admitted her mistake.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. That was rude. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s alright. Is there anything else?¡±


    Zhao Xueying shook her head and said seriously,


    ¡°You¡¯re very strong. I hold no grudge toward you, but I won¡¯t give up just like that. I¡¯ll definitely defeat you in the future!¡±


    Without waiting for Lin Shen¡¯s response, she turned around and left.


    Lin Shen turned to look at Yang Zhongyi. ¡°Has she always been so straightforward?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a martial arts practitioner. You¡¯ll get used to it.¡±


    Yang Zhongyi spread out his hands and suddenly leaned closer, whispering,


    ¡°I heard you offended Yan Xing badly this time. You have to be careful. That guy isn¡¯t as broad-minded as he seems to be. He¡¯s very petty!¡±


    Lin Shen smiled and nodded calmly. ¡°I understand.¡±


    Seeing this, Yang Zhongyi didn¡¯t say anything else. He waved his hand and smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Night Dream Club to celebrate. My treat tonight!¡±


    In order to avoid being pestered by others again, the three of them didn¡¯t stay any longer and hurriedly left the square.

 Chapter 62 - 62 Level Challenge and Elimination

    62 Level Challenge and Elimination


    s


    When they returned to the manor, Kong Hong was already waiting there.


    He had already learned about the examination from the candidates who had left early. At this moment, he was still adrift and stood rooted to the ground.


    It was only when he saw Lin Shene out that he snapped out of his daze and looked at Lin Shen in surprise.


    Over the past few months, Lin Shen had brought him one surprise after another.


    Every time he thought Lin Shen had reached his limit, thetter would often surprise him more.


    Now, he had even obtained the position of a chief disciple!


    This was undoubtedly the first time in the history of the Nine Yang Academy!


    Kong Hong didn¡¯t know how to describe his feelings. His chest was filled with shock and admiration.


    Only when Lin Shen came closer did Kong Hong calm down slightly. He smiled and said,


    ¡°The academy will definitely give you a handsome reward for winning first ce in the examination this time. Remember toe to the academy to collect it tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°I see. Thank you, Mr. Kong.¡±


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t take Willow Academy¡¯s bus. Instead, he left with Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian.


    Watching the three of them leave, Kong Hong slowly looked away and sighed with emotion.


    ¡°This time, the academy will probably be in an uproar!¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Cheers!¡±


    In the spacious and bright private room, Lin Shen, Yang Zhongyi, and Su Nian sat together and raised their sses.


    ¡°Lin is famous this time. He¡¯s the first new champion in the history of the Nine Yang Academy who didn¡¯te from an influential family!¡±


    Yang Zhongyi gulped down a full ss of beer in one go and shook his head as he sighed.


    ¡°Zhao Xueying, Xue Feng, Chong Yanhe¡­ There were so many powerful people this year, but they were all defeated by Lin. If someone told me so before the exam, I would never have believed it!¡±


    ¡°Lin Shen was indeed stunning today,¡± Su Nian agreed.


    ¡°Alright, stop praising me.¡± Lin Shen shook his head andughed. ¡°The two of you have also entered the top 15.¡±


    At the mention of this, a smug smile appeared on Yang Zhongyi¡¯s face.


    Even for a direct descendant of the five great ns like him, being able to obtain 12th ce in the exam wasn¡¯t an easy task.


    Moreover, there were many elites in this year¡¯s examination. Thepetition was far more intense than in previous years, and the ranking was even more precious.]


    The corners of Su Nian¡¯s mouth curled up into a smile.


    Although he was far inferior to Lin Shen, 15th ce had already met his expectations.


    ¡°Yang, tell me about the Nine Yang Academy,¡± Lin Shen suddenly said.


    Although he had investigated the Nine Yang Academy in private, there were some things that outsiders couldn¡¯t know.


    Only someone like Yang Zhongyi, who came from one of the 18 cultivation families, could have a deeper understanding of the Nine Yang Academy through the family¡¯s channels.


    Su Nian also looked like he was listening.


    Due to his family background, his understanding of the Nine Yang Academy wasn¡¯t much better than Lin Shen¡¯s.


    Hearing this, Yang Zhongyi naturally had no objections. He organized his thoughts and began to speak slowly.


    ¡°I think you all know the Nine Yang Academy is divided into upper and lower houses. The upper house is too far away from us, so let¡¯s not talk about it for now. As for the lower house, the disciples are divided into four levels ording to their status. From the highest to the lowest, they¡¯re Heaven, Earth, ck, and Yellow.


    ¡°The cultivation resources that disciples can obtain are also different depending on their level. The difference in cultivation resources between the two levels is huge, so the disciples of the academies are all eager to increase their levels.¡±


    ¡°Then how do I increase my level?¡± Su Nian asked.


    Yang Zhongyi picked up a mouthful of food unhurriedly and continued,


    ¡°The number of disciples of each level is fixed.


    ¡°For example, Heaven, the highest level, has 50 spots. If an Earth disciple wants to increase his level, he can only defeat a Heaven disciple and rece him!


    ¡°It¡¯s the same if a ck disciple wants to be an Earth disciple.


    ¡°Every three months, the academy will hold a level challenge. The lower-level disciples can apply to challenge the higher-level disciples. As long as they seed, they can rece them!¡±


    ¡°Then what level are we freshmen at?¡± Lin Shen asked.


    ¡°As far as I know, there are a total of 571 people in the lower house. There are 50 Heaven-rank disciples, 100 Earth-rank disciples, 200 ck-rank disciples, and the remaining 221 are Yellow-rank disciples.


    ¡°There are a total of 300 spots for Yellow-level disciples. In other words, the top 79 new students in this year¡¯s exam will be Yellow-level disciples. The remaining 121 new students will have no rank and will only be given the least cultivation resources.¡±


    Lin Shen and Su Nian couldn¡¯t help but be stunned. They didn¡¯t expect the Nine Yang Academy to have such a rule.


    Suddenly, Su Nian thought of something and hurriedly said,


    ¡°That¡¯s not right, Zhongyi. I remember that the Nine Yang Academy has a five-year system. Every year, they recruit 200 disciples. Even if one batch of disciples has already graduated, there should still be 800 disciples left.¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s expression changed. He suddenly recalled what Ke Ya had said after the exam.


    ¡°Entering the academy doesn¡¯t mean that you can sessfully graduate.¡±


    As expected, Yang Zhongyi said,


    ¡°Every year, the lower house eliminates thest fifty disciples. In addition, there are those who have Qi Deviation while cultivating and those who died while carrying out missions. All kinds of idents resulted in the death of disciples. 500 people is already quite a lot!¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes flickered.


    It was no wonder people said that thepetition in the Nine Yang Academy was especially intense. Now, it seemed that it was indeed true.


    ¡°Fifty disciples are eliminated every year¡­ Isn¡¯t that too unfair to the disciples whoe inter?¡± Su Nian frowned and questioned. ¡°They have at least a year less cultivation time than the older students, but they have to face the samepetition. They¡¯re at a disadvantage.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡±


    ...


    Yang Zhongyi spread his hands.


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as true fairness in this world. If we really have to be particr, the difference in talents between cultivators is the greatest unfairness!


    ¡°Moreover, in the eyes of the high-ranking officials, if a disciple is outstanding enough, even if they cultivate less than others, they will definitely be able to stand out. Only those with insufficient talent and who didn¡¯t work hard enough will be eliminated!


    ¡°No matter how many such people are eliminated, the high-ranking officials won¡¯t feel sorry.


    ¡°To be honest, although this method is a little harsh, it also makes the disciples of the academy more outstanding every year. This is an indisputable fact!¡±


    Su Nian was speechless.


    ¡°Of course, those eliminated disciples aren¡¯t abandoned. They can choose to be outer disciples of the Nine Suns Sect and take on various basic positions. They can also join the Martial Enforcement Hall and have a carefree future.¡±


    Yang Zhongyi poured a ss of wine for Lin Shen and Su Nian respectively and continued.


    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t just worry about the others. You should also think about yourself.


    ¡°There¡¯s still a month before we report to the academy. We still have an obstacle to face.¡±


    Lin Shen was surprised. ¡°What obstacle?¡±


    ...


    ¡°The guided battle!¡±


    Yang Zhongyi chuckled and took a sip of wine.


    ¡°It¡¯s said to be an asion where senior brothers and sisters give guidance to junior ones who have just entered the academy, but the senior students are actually dealing us a head-on blow at the first encounter!¡±

 Chapter 63 - 63 Yan Jingren

    63 Yan Jingren


    A head-on blow?


    Lin Shen and Su Nian looked at each other and frowned slightly.


    Seeing their confusion, Yang Zhongyi put down his wine ss and exined,


    ¡°This is a tradition of the Nine Yang Academy.


    ¡°Every year, when the new students enter the academy, the older students will discuss and choose ten people from the Yellow disciples, who willpete with the new students on behalf of the Yellow disciples. The losers will have to go to the spirit mine outside the city to dig for ore for three days.¡±


    Digging ores for three days was nothing to cultivators with blooming health, but it was definitely embarrassing. The loser would be humiliated.


    Su Nian frowned and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t this pure bullying?¡±


    It was obvious thepetition was extremely disadvantageous for the new students.


    The older students had at least one more year of cultivation time than the new students, and those who could enter the Nine Yang Academy were definitely talented. Even if they only had one more year of cultivation time, it was enough to widen the gap.


    The weakest person representing the yellow-level disciples would be a cultivator at the ninth level of the Qi Transformation Stage. There might even be someone at the Long Breath Stage. How could the new students win?


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. This is something that the institute heads and tutors have tacitly agreed to. Perhaps they feel this is a training for the new students so that we can deeply experience the cruelty of thepetition in the college.


    ¡°Moreover, in thepetition every year, the older students will take out some resources as a stake. As long as the new students win against the senior students, they can take away the prize. Moreover, the senior students are usually more restrained and won¡¯t let the new students lose too badly.¡±


    At this point, Yang Zhongyi paused and looked at Lin Shen.


    ¡°However, things are probably different this year. It¡¯s mainly because of you, Lin. You¡¯re the first person in the history of the academy who isn¡¯t from an influential family or even the declining old families but has be the chief disciple. Many senior students from influential families must find you the least favorite person. They might make things difficult for you in the guided battle and directly ask you to take the challenge!¡±


    As soon as he said this, Su Nian frowned.


    On the other hand, Lin Shen had a calm expression as he smiled faintly.


    ¡°We¡¯ll deal with whateveres our way.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re very calm, but don¡¯t let your guard down. Your performance in the entrance examination has probably reached those people¡¯s ears. If they want toe after you, they¡¯ll most likely send out disciples of the Long Breath Stage. Even you won¡¯t be able to defeat one of those!¡±


    Lin Shen smiled and took a sip of wine.


    Long Breath Stage¡­ Even now, he was confident that with the enhancement of his talent, he could fight against a Long Breath Stage cultivator.


    Moreover, he might break through to the Long Breath Stage in a month.


    At that time, nobody knew how the battle would end.


    ¡­


    Central district.


    In a building that was 50 to 60 floors high.


    Ding!


    The elevator stopped on the fiftieth floor. The door slowly opened, and Yan Xing walked out with a gloomy expression.


    There was already a waiter waiting outside. When they saw Yan Xing, they immediately bowed and said,


    ¡°Young Master Yan!¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s my brother?¡±


    ¡°In Cultivation Room 2.¡±


    Yan Xing nodded and walked past the waiter. He passed through a long bright corridor and finally stopped in front of a room.


    He was about to knock on the door when a voice came from inside.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Yan Xing paused, pushed open the door, and walked in.


    The lights in the cultivation room were off. As the door was pushed open, the light outside suddenly poured in, vaguely illuminating the figure in the middle of the room.


    It was a man in his twenties. He was tall and handsome. He was wearing a white training suit with his eyes closed. He was sitting cross-legged on the floor as if he had just finished meditating.


    The moment Yan Xing stepped into the cultivation room, the man suddenly opened his eyes.


    In an instant, the darkness in the cultivation room seemed to have been frozen on a piece of white paper. Then, someone quickly erased it with an eraser. Every inch of light shed and dispersed the darkness, giving people the illusion that an electric arc had exploded out of thin air, illuminating the room.


    There seemed to be lightning in the room!


    Yan Xing was stunned on the spot. Then, he revealed an ecstatic expression.


    ¡°Brother, you¡¯ve broken through to the Bright Aperture Stage!¡±


    Yan Jingren smiled and nodded. ¡°I broke through when I was in seclusion three days ago. I didn¡¯t have time to report it to the family yet.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean you can apply to the upper house for a challenge?¡± Yan Xing said happily.


    ¡°It¡¯s still early.¡±


    Yan Jingren shook his head slightly.


    ¡°Among the top ten disciples of the upper house, even Han Yue, who¡¯s rankedst, has been in the Bright Aperture Stage for half a year. My stage hasn¡¯t stabilized yet, so I don¡¯t think I can defeat him for the time being. The challenge can wait.¡±


    At this point, Yan Jingren¡¯s smile disappeared, and he nced at Yan Xing indifferently.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about me. Yan Xing, I heard you were ranked in the 180s in this exam.¡±


    Yan Xing¡¯s expression froze. He opened his mouth to exin, but in the end, he hesitated and lowered his head.


    ¡°In the past 20 years, no one among the direct descendants of the 18 cultivation families has ever obtained a ranking beyond 100 in the exam. The news has already spread. Now, our family has be a joke in the circle of influential families.¡±


    Yan Jingren¡¯s tone was calm, but there was a terrifying pressure. Just a few words made Yan Xing break out in cold sweat.


    ¡°The family elders are very dissatisfied with you. There are even people who propose to reduce your resource quota in the family and distribute it to other talented disciples.¡±


    Yan Xing¡¯s expression changed.


    ...


    The Yan family was one of the five great sects. Geniuses gathered within the family n, and thepetition was extremely intense.


    There were people of the same age who were more talented than Yan Xing, but his father was the current head of the Yan family, so he had priority in obtaining the family¡¯s resources. That was why he had his current achievements.


    Once the resources were reduced and distributed to the other cultivation geniuses, it would not be long before he would be reced by those people and lose his current status!


    It would be toote to catch up by then!


    At the thought of this, Yan Xing panicked and looked at Yan Jingren pleadingly.


    ¡°Brother, you have to help me!¡±


    Yan Jingren said calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Father has already suppressed the suggestion. When the news of me breaking through to the Bright Aperture Stage reaches the n, no one will talk about this matter anymore.¡±


    Before Yan Xing could heave a sigh of relief, Yan Jingren continued,


    ¡°But this can¡¯t happen again. If you don¡¯t perform well in the academy and give others something to use against you, Father and I won¡¯t be able to help you anymore!¡±


    ¡°I understand!¡± Yan Xing¡¯s expression turned solemn as he nodded heavily.


    After a pause, Yan Xing¡¯s expression suddenly darkened. He gritted his teeth and said,


    ...


    ¡°About Lin Shen¡­¡±


    Yan Jingren nced at him and said expressionlessly,


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this. A meremoner has be the new chief disciple, and many disciples of influential families can¡¯t stand this. In the guided battle in a month, there will naturally be people who will make Lin Shen suffer!¡±


    Yan Xing¡¯s expression was gloomy. He gritted his teeth and didn¡¯t say anything.


    Yan Jingren saw this and sighed inwardly.


    Generally speaking, the influential families would extend an olive branch to a talentedmoner like Lin Shen. If they failed to recruit him, they would then secretly suppress him.


    However, looking at Yan Xing¡¯s expression, he knew recruiting Lin Shen wouldn¡¯t be an option.


    Shaking his head, Yan Jingren thought for a moment and said calmly,


    ¡°Peng Xinyuan and Kuang Bao are both Yellow-level disciples. I¡¯ll tell them to fight for a spot in the guided battle. When the timees, they¡¯ll deal with Lin Shen.¡±


    As soon as he said this, Yan Xing¡¯s eyes lit up, and his gloomy expression finally lit up.


    ¡°Thank you, Brother!¡±


    Yan Xing clenched his fists tightly, and a look of relief shed in his eyes.


    Lin Shen wasn¡¯t born into an influential family, so those senior students wouldn¡¯t go easy on him.


    Yan Jingren would also add fuel to the me. When the time came, Lin Shen would suffer a crushing defeat in front of everyone, and he wouldn¡¯t have the face to call himself the number one freshman anymore!


    Furthermore, no one could predict what would happen in a battle. If they could injure Lin Shen and make him stay in bed for a few months, by the time he recovered, he would probably have been surpassed by many people.


    At that time, even if Lin Shen wasn¡¯t eliminated, he wouldn¡¯t be able to cause any trouble in the academy.


    Thinking of this, Yan Xing grinned maliciously.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you be smug for now. Let¡¯s see if you can still smile in a month!¡±

 Chapter 64 - 64 The Benefits of Strength

    64 The Benefits of Strength


    As soon as he returned home, Lin Shen saw a ck shadow pounce on him. He almost subconsciously pped it with his palm, but he stopped when he saw it was Ai.


    ¡°Lin Shen, you¡¯re finally back!¡±


    Ai grabbed Lin Shen¡¯s shirt and looked at him with teary eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lin Shen was confused.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my canned cat food?¡±


    Lin Shen patted his forehead and finally remembered today was the day to give canned cat food to Ai. He immediately took out the can from his storage jade te.


    The pile of cans in front of her made Ai¡¯s resentment turn into joy. She immediately pried open a can with her ws and ate it.


    ¡°How many days have you been hungry? Why are you eating so quickly?¡± Lin Shen asked curiously.


    Speaking of this, Ai suddenly became teary-eyed again.


    ¡°I was counting the cans. I thought I would eat seven cans a day, but I finished all the cans in five days. I¡¯ve been starving for the past three days. You have no idea how I got through it!¡±


    Lin Shen was embarrassed.


    He had been busyprehending the Dragon Roar Through the Clouds for the past few days, so he really didn¡¯t have time to care about Ai.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry. In the future, when you finish your cans, just ask me for more.¡±


    Ai nced at him and nodded. ¡°Lin Shen, you¡¯re a good person!¡±


    Lin Shen was embarrassed again.


    He felt bad for tricking such a silly kid.


    After finally calming Ai down, Lin Shen watched the cat enjoy the canned cat food. He heaved a sigh of relief and went up to the second floor.


    The exam had ended, and he still had a month before reporting to the academy.


    In this month, he could spend all his energy on cultivating.


    ¡°I have to continue cultivating Shadows and Dragon Roar Through the Clouds. I have to reach Perfection as soon as possible!¡±


    Whether it was Shadows or Dragon Roar Through the Clouds, their practicality and strength had already been verified in the exam.


    Especially the Dragon Roar Through the Clouds. It gave Lin Shen many surprises.


    After the examination ended, Lin Shen learned from Yang Zhongyi that Zhao Xueying had used Condensed Strings, which was known as the number one martial technique in the Qi Transformation Stage.


    Dragon Roar Through the Clouds could suppress the Condensed Strings partly because of the nature of the two techniques, but it was enough to show how powerful the Dragon Roar Through the Clouds was.


    The cat general didn¡¯t lie to him. This was indeed a powerful martial technique!


    Once one cultivates it to Perfection, even someone as strong as a Long Breath Stage cultivator wouldn¡¯t dare to face them head-on!


    ¡°I have to continue improving my cultivation and break through to the Long Breath Stage as soon as possible!¡±


    Lin Shen summoned the interface.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: God¡¯s Jealousy]


    [Stage: Level 9 Qi Transformation, 2%]


    [Cultivation technique: Origin Breathing Technique (Perfection), zing Sun Palm (Perfection), Mortal Restrain (Beginner, 62%), Shadows (Mastery, 4%), Dragon Roar Through the Clouds (Beginner, 3%)]


    [Number of Clones: 4 (62%)]


    ¡°I¡¯ve used up all the Condensing Liquid. I have to go to the ck street to buy more.¡±


    Lin Shen pondered for a moment.


    Thanks to the existence of his hidden system, there was no bottleneck when he cultivated. As long as his progress reached the threshold, he could directly make the breakthrough.


    In other words, as long as he had enough cultivation resources, Lin Shen was confident he could break through to the Long Breath Stage within a month.


    The main obstacle was that cultivation resources weren¡¯t easy to find.


    The supply of Condensing Liquid in that shop on the ck street was limited. Every once in a while, they would stock a little over ten liters of Condensing Liquid. Even if Lin Shen bought all of them, he wouldn¡¯t have enough to cultivate.


    However, if he wanted to buy Essence Tempering Pills or Origin Pills to assist in his cultivation, the 200,000-odd spirit coins he had were far from enough.


    Unless he could sell a few more essence stone fragments!


    Lin Shen looked in the direction of the stairs and thought for a moment before shaking his head.


    The Night Grinders were probably still looking for Ai. It was better not to let Ai go out for the time being.


    Besides, how could it be so easy to find essence stone fragments?


    He¡¯d better go to the ck street first.


    Moreover, there was also a reward from the Willow Academy. He would go and collect it tomorrow.


    ¡­


    The next morning.


    Lin Shen arrived at Willow Academy.


    Willow Academy was already on holiday at this time, and there were very few people in the academy.


    However, this suited Lin Shen. He didn¡¯t have to worry about being surrounded.


    When he arrived at the office on the top floor of the Academic Affairs Building, Kong Hong was already waiting for him inside. He Xianglin, the dean of Huailiu Academy, was also there.


    ¡°The genius of our academy is here.¡±


    As soon as Lin Shen walked into the office, He Xianglin greeted him personally with a smile. His actions and expressions were much more enthusiastic than when he was giving out prizes during thepetition.


    ...


    Kong Hong saw this and couldn¡¯t help but curse inwardly.


    Previously, when He Xianglin saw the other students who had entered the Nine Yang Academy, he was very reserved. He wasn¡¯t as enthusiastic as he was now. He was even a little attentive.


    However, Kong Hong could understand the contrast.


    After all, Lin Shen was different from the other students who had entered the Nine Yang Academy.


    He was the chief of the examination, and he was amoner. His talent was simply amazing!


    Such a genius would definitely have a bright future!


    In fact, as long as he was willing to ept the recruitment of the influential families, advancing to a cultivator master in the future was almost a sure bet. It would definitely be beneficial to build a good rtionship with him now.


    Although He Xianglin was the dean of Willow Academy, he was only a Bright Aperture cultivator. He naturally didn¡¯t dare to neglect a potential genius like Lin Shen who might advance to a cultivator master in the future.


    After exchanging pleasantries for a while, He Xianglin finally cut to the chase and gave the academy¡¯s rewards to Lin Shen.


    This included 200,000 spirit coins, five bottles of Origin Pills, and a set of standard low-level talismans.


    There were a total of 12 low-level talismans in a set. There were six types of talismans, including the Heart Cleansing Talisman, the Flying Feather Talisman, the Protection Talisman, the Cleansing Talisman, the Evil Warding Talisman, and the Divine Weapon Talisman. There were two talismans of each type.


    ...


    Although they were low-level talismans, the market price of each talisman was no less than 2,000 spirit coins.


    The price of the most expensive Divine Weapon Talisman was even as high as 10,000 spirit coins per piece!


    This set of standard low-level talismans was worth more than 60,000 spirit coins!


    Coupled with 200,000 spirit coins and five bottles of Origin Pills, the total value of this reward was nearly 600,000. It was extremely generous!


    Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but sigh. This was the first time he had experienced the benefits of strength.


    And it was foreseeable that this was only the beginning.


    After thanking the dean, Lin Shen politely declined his invitation to have lunch together and left Willow Academy.


    With 200,000 spirit coins in hand and the money from selling the essence stone fragments previously, Lin Shen was now at the richest moment of his life.


    Comparatively, the sry of the martial arts school¡¯s training partner wasn¡¯t worth mentioning.


    Considering he would enter the academy in a month and probably wouldn¡¯t have time to go to the Calm Sun Martial Arts School in the future, Lin Shen decided to make a trip there and resign from Gao Jun.


    Gao Jun had long heard Lin Shen had be the new top student of the Nine Yang Academy this year. While he was amazed, he didn¡¯t expect to keep this employer. He immediately agreed politely, and when Lin Shen left, Gao Jun even walked Lin Shen to the door.


    After returning home, Lin Shen immediately went to the bedroom and locked the door. He summoned his clone, took out the Origin Pill, and began to cultivate.


    As expected, after advancing to the ninth level of Qi Transformation, the effects of the Origin Pill on him were no longer as good as before.


    On average, six Origin Pills only increased his cultivation progress by 1%.


    ¡°This is even with the enhancement of my talent. If it were anyone else, the effect of the Origin Pill would probably be even worse!¡± Lin Shen sighed.


    There were a total of 60 Origin Pills in five bottles, which would only increase his cultivation progress by 10%. It was far from enough for him to break through to the Long Breath Stage.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go to the ck Street tonight.¡±

 Chapter 65 - 65 That’s Not a Problem

    65 That¡¯s Not a Problem


    Night had set in.


    The dark night enveloped the entire ck street.


    It had been more than half a month since he was here, and this ce was still as gloomy and cold as ever.


    On both sides of the dark street, the doors of various shops were half-closed. The passers-by were all in a hurry, and everyone there felt sneaky.


    !!


    That included Lin Shen.


    After learning the lesson of being recognized by the elderly man, Lin Shen put on a long ck robe before entering the ck street.


    Apart from using the Face Changing Pill, he also wore a mask.


    With such threeyers of concealment, even if the elderly man stood in front of Lin Shen again, he would not be able to recognize him.


    Lin Shen arrived at the shop with ease and knocked on the counter.


    ¡°I want some Condensing Liquid.¡±


    The boss nced at him and took out a box of Condensing Liquid from under the counter.


    Lin Shen nced at it and frowned slightly.


    ¡°Only ten liters?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all we have,¡± the boss saidzily.


    Lin Shen sighed inwardly, paid the boss, and took the Condensing Liquid.


    ¡°Ten liters of Condensing Liquid can increase my cultivation progress by at most 20%. The gap is still huge!¡±


    Walking out of the shop, Lin Shen frowned.


    He still had less than 400,000 spirit coins on hand. If he used them all to buy Origin Pills, he could only buy six bottles at most, which would increase his cultivation progress by no more than 12%. He was still more than 50% away from breaking through to the Long Breath Stage.


    ¡°Origin Pills are still too expensive. I wish there were other pills as cheap and useful as Condensing Liquid.¡±


    Lin Shen thought to himself.


    Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, he saw a person sitting by the roadside. He turned around and saw it was Old Wu.


    Old Wu was holding a pig trotter and sitting by the roadside, munching on it with relish. The beard under his chin was covered in grease.


    Old Wu also noticed Lin Shen. After taking a look, he looked away and continued eating. Clearly, he didn¡¯t recognize Lin Shen in his ¡°full armor¡±.


    Lin Shen had no intention of greeting the elderly man, so he continued walking. However, after taking a few steps, he suddenly stopped and turned around to walk toward the elderly man.


    Noticing his actions, the elderly man was puzzled at first. Then, he rolled his eyes and chuckled.


    ¡°Young man, I see you have extraordinary bone structure. You¡¯re a cultivation genius, one in a million¡­¡±


    Lin Shen raised his hand and cut Old Wu off.


    ¡°Stop, Old Wu. I¡¯m not buying your secret manual.¡±


    The elderly man was stunned. He sized Lin Shen up and said hesitantly, ¡°You are¡­¡±


    ¡°20 spirit coins and Lurking Snake,¡± Lin Shen said calmly.


    As soon as these two keywords were mentioned, Old Wu immediately came to a realization and recognized Lin Shen.


    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡±


    He nced at Lin Shen¡¯s attire and chuckled.


    ¡°You¡¯ve put on quite a fewyers of clothes this time. From the looks of it, you probably won¡¯t take the initiative to talk to me if you don¡¯t have any questions to ask me. Do you need my help with something?¡±


    Lin Shen took a long look at the elderly man. He was indeed very shrewd.


    He didn¡¯t beat around the bush and went straight to the point.


    ¡°Do you know where I can buy things like Condensing Liquid or simr pills and rare herbs in the ck street?¡±


    Old Wu was stunned when he heard this. He nced at Lin Shen and frowned.


    ¡°Seriously? Although I don¡¯t know your exact cultivation level, I can tell it¡¯s definitely not lower than the sixth level of Qi Transformation. With your age, you¡¯re already pretty good. There¡¯s no need to use something like Condensing Liquid to increase your strength. It¡¯ll have serious consequences.¡±


    Lin Shen was about to speak when Old Wu raised his hand to stop him.


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t tell me the reason. Curiosity gets a cat killed. The more I know, the faster I¡¯ll die. I still want to live for a few more years.¡±


    After a pause, the elderly man continued.


    ¡°But you asked the right person. I might not be familiar with other things, but this is my area of expertise!¡±


    Old Wu stroked his beard as if he wanted to look like a sage. Unfortunately, the pig trotter in his handpletely ruined the atmosphere.


    He wanted to throw away the pig trotter, but he couldn¡¯t bear to do it.


    Lin Shen found it funny and urged Old Wu, ¡°Alright, stop fiddling with your pig trotter. I¡¯ll buy you dinnerter. Answer my question first.¡±


    Upon hearing that there was free food, Old Wu immediately perked up and said,


    ¡°There are many rare herbs with effects simr to Condensing Liquid, such as Blood Boiling Powder, Snake Orchid, Poison me Mushroom¡­¡±


    Old Wu listed more than ten kinds of pills and rare herbs in one go.


    ¡°All those things can be used to assist in cultivation and temper the body to strengthen one¡¯s vitality. However, there are also various side effects. It can either reduce one¡¯s lifespan or damage one¡¯s foundation, making one unable to advance to a cultivator master for the rest of their life. In serious cases, it can even cause one to be mentally deranged and develop mental obstacles. Unless one has no choice, they definitely won¡¯t eat these things!¡±


    Old Wu¡¯s tone was rarely solemn, and the consequences he mentioned were each more serious than thest.


    However, the more Lin Shen listened, the brighter his eyes became.


    Reducing lifespan and damaging the foundation?


    That wouldn¡¯t be an issue!


    ...


    It was fine as long as it could increase his cultivation level!


    In any case, he wasn¡¯t the one eating them!


    Suppressing the surprise in his heart, Lin Shen hurriedly asked, ¡°Where are these things sold on the ck street?¡±


    Old Wu¡¯s expression froze. He didn¡¯t expect Lin Shen wouldn¡¯t listen to a single word he said. The young man still insisted on buying those medicinal pills and rare herbs with powerful side effects.


    Despite his criticisms, Old Wu still answered honestly,


    ¡°There are a few stores that should sell it.¡±


    ¡°Show me!¡±


    ¡°I can, but¡­¡±


    Old Wu chuckled and rubbed his hands.


    Lin Shen took out 200 spirit coins and stuffed them into Old Wu¡¯s hand.


    With the reward, Old Wu was instantly full of energy. He immediately turned around and led the way for Lin Shen.


    ...


    Old Wu didn¡¯t seem to be a trustworthy person, but since he was paid to do so, he didn¡¯t lie to Lin Shen. Soon, he brought Lin Shen to four or five shops and sessfully obtained many of the medicinal pills and rare herbs mentioned previously.


    The three bottles of Blood Boiling Powder cost 3,000 spirit coins each.


    The two Snake Orchids were each worth 5,000 spirit coins.


    The two Poison me Mushrooms cost 8,000 spirit coins each.


    ording to Old Wu, these things were more effective than the Condensing Liquid.


    Of course, the side effects were also more powerful.


    However, Lin Shen didn¡¯t care at all. As long as he saw them, he would buy them without hesitation.


    By the time the two of them had walked through four or five shops, the horizon was already getting brighter.


    Seeing this, Lin Shen thought for a moment and turned around.


    ¡°Old Wu, how about we make a deal? Help me collect these pills and rare herbs, and I¡¯ll give you spirit coins. How about that?¡±


    He still had to focus on cultivating next and didn¡¯t have that much time to run back and forth. He might as well spend some money to get Old Wu¡¯s help.


    Old Wu was happily counting the spirit coins Lin Shen had given him. When he heard this, he agreed without thinking.


    ¡°No problem, but you have to give me the funds to buy it first. I don¡¯t have the money to pay in advance.¡±


    Lin Shen nodded slightly.


    Despite that, the two of them were still strangers. Lin Shen didn¡¯t give too much money at once. He only gave 30,000 spirit coins to Old Wu. Even if Old Wu escaped with the money, Lin Shen wouldn¡¯t lose too much.


    However, in Lin Shen¡¯s opinion, although Old Wu was greedy and liked to take advantage of others, he wasn¡¯t the type to run off with the money.

 Chapter 66 - 66 Military Bug

    66 Military Bug


    Ai had already fallen asleep when Lin Shen returned home with the things he bought.


    Lin Shen lightened his footsteps and went to the bedroom on the second floor. After closing the door, he immediately summoned Clone 2.


    Condensing Liquid, Blood Boiling Powder, Snake Orchid, and Poison me Mushroom.


    There were a total of four kinds of pills and rare herbs.


    Lin Shen had Clone 2 use them one by one. He spent more than three hours testing each effect.


    As expected, after breaking through to the ninth level of Qi Transformation, the effect of the Condensing Liquid had greatly weakened.


    500 milliliters of Condensing Liquid only increased his cultivation progress by 1%.


    The other three were slightly better.


    A bottle of Blood Boiling Powder finally contributed 4% of his cultivation progress.


    A Snake Orchid increased his cultivation progress by about 6%.


    The Poison me Mushrooms had the best effect. Just one mushroom had increased his cultivation progress by nearly 9%.


    In total, Lin Shen had spent more than 30,000 spirit coins on the Blood Boiling Powder, Snake Orchid, and Poison me Mushroom that he had bought tonight.


    However, it was enough to increase his cultivation progress by nearly 40%!


    If he spent the same amount on Origin Pills, his cultivation would only increase by 1%.


    The difference between the two was like the difference between heaven and earth!


    Of course, there was a huge price to pay for such a huge gap.


    After a round of experiments, Clone 2¡¯s face had already turned pale. It almost looked lifeless, making people worry that it would fall to the ground and die in the next second.


    ¡°Clone 2¡¯s lifespan has already been halved. It has gone through so many experiments recently. I wonder how long it canst?


    ¡°I hope it can at leastst until I break through to the Long Breath Stage.¡±


    Lin Shen shook his head and let Clone 2 continue cultivating while he sat down and meditated.


    At the same time, the other three clones in his mind also began to cultivate martial techniques.


    Currently, among the cultivation techniques and martial techniques that Lin Shen had been practicing, only Mortal Restrain, Shadows, and Dragon Roar Through the Clouds had yet to reach Perfection.


    Among them, the Mortal Restrain could wait because Beginner was enough for the time being. There was no need to advance it anymore. He could just practice in his free time.


    As for the other two martial techniques, Lin Shen nned to focus on cultivating Shadows to Perfection before switching to Dragon Roar Through the Clouds.


    ¡­


    Time flew by.


    Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.


    The three clones cultivated at full strength, and Shadows finally reached Perfection.


    Apart from that, with the help of the Origin Pill, Condensing Liquid, Snake Orchid, and a series of other pills and rare herbs, Lin Shen¡¯s cultivation had also improved significantly.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: God¡¯s Jealousy]


    [Stage: Level 9 Qi Transformation, 75%]


    [Cultivation technique: Origin Breathing Technique (Perfection), zing Sun Palm (Perfection), Mortal Restrain (Beginner, 64%), Shadows (Perfection), Dragon Roar Through the Clouds (Beginner, 5%)]


    [Number of clones: 4 (80%)]


    ¡°I¡¯m only 25% away from breaking through to the Long Breath Stage!¡±


    A look of joy shed across Lin Shen¡¯s eyes when he looked at the data on the interface,


    By now, Old Wu should have already bought the things Lin Shen needed.


    Another batch of pills or rare herbs like the Blood Boiling Powder and the Snake Orchid, he should be able to cultivate to the Long Breath Stage.


    ¡°The fifth clone is almostplete. I only need to wait for ten days!¡±


    Lin Shen was overjoyed.


    When the fifth clone waspleted, his cultivation speed would increase again.


    It would be even better if he could get a powerful talent like Superior Martial Arts!


    Calming himself down, Lin Shen closed the interface and looked out the window.


    The night was dark, and the moon was high. It was a good time to head to the ck street.


    Jumping down from the bed, Lin Shen packed his things and prepared to go to the ck street to get something from Old Wu.


    But just as he was about to jump out of the window, he heard a rustling sound outside the door, followed by Ai¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Lin Shen! Lin Shen!¡±


    Lin Shen frowned and turned around to open the door.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Didn¡¯t I tell you not toe to the second floor without my permission?¡±


    Ai jumped onto Lin Shen¡¯s shoulder, grabbed his clothes tightly, and looked out of the window uneasily.


    ¡°I sense a familiar energy. I think the Night Grinders are nearby!¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s gaze froze. The Night Grinders had followed them here?


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡±


    ¡°The smell of those bad guys from the Night Grinders is terrible. I won¡¯t make a mistake. They¡¯re nearby!¡±


    ...


    ¡°I see.¡± Lin Shen nodded solemnly.


    Although he didn¡¯t know if the Night Grinders were here for him and Ai, there was no harm in being cautious. It was better to leave this ce first.


    Lin Shen took out two Protection Talismans from his storage jade te and stuck them on himself and Ai.


    Although they were only low-level talismans, their effect shouldn¡¯t be underestimated.


    A Protection Talisman was enough to withstand four to five full-on attacks from a cultivator at the early stage of the Long Breath Stage!


    Before the effect of the Protection Talisman wore off, the holder wouldn¡¯t suffer any physical damage!


    Immediately after that, Lin Shen stuck a Flying Feather Talisman on himself.


    The moment the talisman took effect, Lin Shen felt his body suddenly be iparably light, and the gravity seemed to have disappeared by more than half.


    He leaped lightly andnded by the window. Then, he flipped over andnded soundlessly on the street behind the vi.


    It waste at night, and the streets were quiet. There was no one in sight.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t dy and immediately left with Ai.


    ...


    With the help of the Flying Feather Talisman, the man and cat moved quickly and silently. In the blink of an eye, they were more than a kilometer away from the vi.


    However, Ai quickly issued a warning.


    ¡°Lin Shen, I feel that energy approaching us. They¡¯re so fast!¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s heart lurched slightly.


    Although the Flying Feather Talisman couldn¡¯t greatly increase one¡¯s movement speed like the Divine Strider Talisman, it could still increase one¡¯s speed by making one¡¯s body light.


    He had also been using his perfected Shadows with all his might along the way.


    After increasing his speed twice, he was actually unable to shake off the pursuers. Instead, his enemy had gradually closed the distance between them. Could the pursuers be Long Breath Stage cultivators?


    Tap, tap, tap!


    Just as he was feeling puzzled, a strange sound suddenly came from behind. It sounded a little like charging horses, but themotion was much smaller.


    Lin Shen frowned and looked back. He saw a group of strange-looking monsters breaking through the darkness and charging over brazenly.


    These monsters were more than an inch tall. Their upper bodies were humanoid, but their lower bodies were like horses. They had six legs and were covered in cold armor. All of them were holding weapons. Some of them even carried bows and arrows, looking like cavalrymen but only a few sizes smaller.


    There were at least 300 to 400 of them. They were densely packed as they charged forward. They were small, but they gave off the majestic aura of a thousand troops galloping unhindered and destroying everything in their path!


    Lin Shen was shocked.


    ¡°What kind of monster is this?¡±


    Ai screamed in fear and hugged Lin Shen¡¯s neck tightly.


    ¡°So many bugs! I¡¯m so scared of bugs!¡±


    Bugs?


    Lin Shen¡¯s expression changed, and he asked, ¡°Do you know what kind of monster this is?¡±


    ¡°They, they¡¯re Military Bugs, a kind of very terrifying demonic beast!¡±

 Chapter 67 - 67 Lin Shen Is So Valuable

    67 Lin Shen Is So Valuable


    Military Bugs?


    A hint of doubt shed across Lin Shen¡¯s eyes.


    What kind of monsters were they?


    Lin Shen still wanted to ask, but the Military Bugs were already less than ten meters away from him. Having no other choice, he could only stop and turn around to fight.


    !!


    Under the night sky, the densely packed Military Bugs formed a formation and charged forward like a ck tide. The weapons in their hands flickered coldly and were terrifying!


    Lin Shen took a deep breath and suddenly opened his mouth to shout.


    In an instant, a clear roar that sounded like a dragon¡¯s roar burst out. Countless solid sound waves swept forward like ripples and hit the swarm of insects that were charging over.


    The charging Military Bugs seemed to have collided with a huge wall. The twenty-odd Military Bugs at the front didn¡¯t even have time to scream before they exploded into a blood mist that filled the sky!


    The soundwaves continued to charge into the bugs and instantly shattered their formation!


    ¡°Hide!¡±


    Lin Shen pulled Ai off his shoulder and threw her onto the wall on his right. Then, he jumped out and took advantage of the chaos of the Military Bugs¡¯ formation. He used the zing Sun Palm to turn more than ten Military Bugs into charcoal.


    After exchanging a few blows, Lin Shen quickly realized these Military Bugs weren¡¯t as powerful as he had expected.


    Although they were faster than the wind, and their weapons were sharp, they were at most at the third or fourth level of Qi Transformation.


    To Lin Shen, one palm was enough to kill one. With the zing Sun Palm, he could kill arge number of bugs with one strike. It didn¡¯t seem to be as scary as Ai said.


    However, on second thought, he realized the Military Bugs might not be especially powerful individually, but they had an astonishing number and could even form a formation to charge at their enemies!


    If Lin Shen hadn¡¯t used the Dragon Roar Through the Clouds to break the charge of the Military Bug, he might have been flustered and in danger even though he was at the ninth level of the Qi Transformation Stage.


    Once these Military Bugs appeared on arge scale, they would still be very troublesome for ordinary Qi Transformation cultivators.


    ¡°There should be someone controlling the Military Bug. Who could it be? Luo Yi?¡±


    Lin Shen thought quickly in his mind as he killed the Military Bugs.


    After the early-stage chaos, the Military Bugs quickly reorganized their attacks.


    Under themand of a small number of Military Bugs that were clearlyrger, the swarm quickly dispersed. They either shot arrows from afar, attacked from the front, or climbed along the wall to sneak up behind Lin Shen.


    In the blink of an eye, hundreds of Military Bugs formed an airtight encirclement and attacked Lin Shen fearlessly!


    However, Lin Shen remained calm andposed in the face of the tidal wave of attacks from the Military Bugs.


    With the Protection Talisman, he didn¡¯t need to care about the arrows and sneak attacks of the Military Bugs. The bugs couldn¡¯t break through the protection of the Protection Talisman.


    He only needed to kill the Military Bugs around him with all his might.


    When too many Military Bugs surrounded him, Lin Shen would immediately use the Dragon Roar Through the Clouds to push back the surrounding bugs and break out of the circle.


    After a few times, the army of bugs didn¡¯t hurt Lin Shen at all. Instead, nearly 200 of them were killed, and they suffered heavy losses!


    Seeing that if this continued, the army of bugs would be wiped out before they could kill Lin Shen, the mastermind finally couldn¡¯t sit still anymore.


    Screech!


    A sharp flute sound suddenly rang out.


    The moment they heard the voice, the remaining Military Bugs froze and retreated without hesitation. In the blink of an eye, they retreated to a spot about 30 meters away from Lin Shen. Then, they parted like a tide, clearing a path, and a figure slowly walked out.


    Under the moonlight, Lin Shen quickly saw the person¡¯s face.


    The man looked to be about 35 years old. His face was thin and slightly pale, and there were dark circles under his eyes. He looked like he had just stayed up for two days.


    He was also a little gloomy. The way he looked at Lin Shen was as cold as a poisonous snake.


    ¡°No wonder you¡¯re the chief disciple of the Nine Yang Academy this year. You do have some strength. Even my Military Bugs can¡¯t do anything to you!¡± The man sneered.


    Just then, a small head suddenly popped out from the wall next to him. It was Ai.


    She pointed at the man and shouted, ¡°Lin Shen, this bad guy is Luo Yi!¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes flickered.


    The one chasing them was indeed the leader of the Night Grinders!


    As soon as Ai finished speaking, Luo Yi¡¯s cold eyes swept over like lightning, scaring Ai so much that her head shrank back.


    But very quickly, she remembered she still had Lin Shen on her side, and her courage instantly increased. She stuck her head out again and snorted angrily.


    ¡°You awful man! Don¡¯t even think about taking me back!¡±


    Unexpectedly, Luo Yi smiled disdainfully when he heard that.


    ¡°Stupid cat, do you really think I¡¯m here for you? You¡¯re overestimating yourself!¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s expression changed, and he was a little surprised.


    Wasn¡¯t Luo Yi here to capture Ai?


    As if sensing Lin Shen¡¯s confusion, Luo Yi chuckled.


    ¡°No one works in a low-profit industry like catching and selling spiritual cats anymore. I¡¯ve long changed professions. My new employer pays me well. The reward for capturing a cultivator is hundreds of thousands of spirit coins. How about that? Isn¡¯t it very generous?¡±


    In the end, Luo Yi stared at Lin Shen with a sinister smile.


    Lin Shen frowned slightly. ¡°Are you here for me?¡±


    ¡°Bingo!¡±


    Luo Yi snapped his fingers.


    As if he felt victory was in his grasp, Luo Yi wanted to enjoy the expression of a mouse caught by a cat. He actually had the mood to exin to Lin Shen.


    ¡°Someone finds you talented and has taken a fancy to your body, so they offered three million spirit coins to buy your life!


    ...


    ¡°The top freshman is indeed a valuable title. Your price is also several times higher than others!¡±


    As soon as he said this, Ai, who was on the wall, was shocked before Lin Shen could react.


    Three¡­ three million?!


    How much canned cat food could Lin Shen buy with that amount of money?


    Was Lin Shen that valuable?


    Ai widened her eyes and looked at Lin Shen in admiration. Thetter in her eyes suddenly became especially majestic.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t know what Ai was thinking. After hearing Luo Yi¡¯s words, he was shocked.


    It sounded like someone wanted to do something with his body!


    Unorthodox cultivation techniques? Pills refined from human flesh? Weapons filled with human souls?


    Many spections shed across Lin Shen¡¯s mind.


    At this moment, Luo Yi, who hadn¡¯t been able to see any panic or fear on Lin Shen¡¯s face, finally lost his patience. He stopped talking nonsense with Lin Shen and charged forward with his weapon in hand. He sneered and pounced at Lin Shen.


    ...


    Luo Yi¡¯s weapon was a horizontal saber that reflected a cold light under the moonlight.


    As he shed the saber, quicksand-like saber energy immediately appeared in the air and attacked Lin Shen ferociously.


    Quicksand Saber Manual!


    Lin Shen immediately recognized the saber technique Luo Yi was using.


    Quicksand Saber Manual and Raging Waves Sect¡¯s Blue Wave Saber were the two most widely practiced saber techniques in Dragonside City.


    Of course, this didn¡¯t mean those saber techniques weren¡¯t strong.


    On the contrary, Quicksand Saber Manual was said to beprehended by an expert from the unforeseen circumstances and despair in the desert. The saber technique constantly sought life from the extreme, so it was unpredictable and impossible to guard against.

 Chapter 68 - 68 Trying to Escape? Too Late!

    68 Trying to Escape? Too Late!


    Luo Yi had immersed himself in the Quicksand Saber Manual for many years and had long cultivated this martial technique to Mastery.


    Once it was used, the saber beam was like a sandstorm in the desert. It was fierce and endless, covering the sky and earth as it enveloped Lin Shen!


    Lin Shen¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. He opened his mouth and let out a long roar. A surging sound wave swept out and collided heavily with the saber light that filled the sky. Both of them exploded!


    Taking advantage of this opportunity, Lin Shen didn¡¯t retreat but advanced instead. He pounced forward and engaged in closebat with Luo Yi in the blink of an eye!


    !!


    As a Long Breath Stage cultivator, Luo Yi believed in terms of cultivation andbat experience, he was enough to crush Lin Shen, who was only at the ninth level of Qi Transformation and was only a student.


    But when they really started fighting, he realized he had underestimated Lin Shen.


    Lin Shen¡¯s martial techniques were so exquisite that he had far exceeded the level of ordinary Qi Transformation cultivators.


    He had reached Perfection in both Shadows and zing Sun Palm and even knew a powerful sound-type martial technique!


    It was hard to imagine how a young man who was not even 20 years old could cultivate to such an exquisite level while mastering three powerful martial skills at the same time.


    What shocked Luo Yi, even more, was the martial arts skills that Lin Shen had disyed in the battle. He didn¡¯t look like a student who had just graduated from an ordinary school at all.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on with this guy?¡±


    Luo Yi was bewildered.


    In fact, the moment the battle began, Lin Shen had already switched his talent to Superior Martial Arts.


    [Superior Martial Arts: Martial Technique Cultivation Speed+100%, Martial Technique Power+50%, Combat Skills+50%]


    The bonus effect brought about by his talent allowed Lin Shen to hold his ground even when facing a Long Breath Stage cultivator.


    As a result, Luo Yi even had a feeling that if he hadn¡¯t had his formidable weapon, he might not have been Lin Shen¡¯s match!


    This made Luo Yi very angry, and he attacked even more mercilessly.


    He didn¡¯t believe he would lose to a young man who wasn¡¯t even 20 years old!


    At this moment, Lin Shen suddenly retreated.


    Luo Yi was slightly stunned. When he regained his senses, he snorted and chased after Lin Shen without hesitation.


    ¡°Trying to escape? It¡¯s toote!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I was running away.¡±


    Lin Shen smiled.


    The reason why he fought Luo Yi head-on was mainly to test the gap between him and a true Long Breath Stage cultivator.


    He was very satisfied with the result.


    Excluding the effect of the saber, he was already on par with an expert at the first level of the Long Breath Stage!


    Since he had already gotten the answer he wanted, Lin Shen naturally didn¡¯t want to keep fighting with Luo Yi.


    He was unarmed right now. Unless he summoned his clones, he could at most repel Luo Yi and not kill him.


    Fortunately, his clone wasn¡¯t his only trump card!


    With a flip of his wrist, a token filled with rune stones appeared in Lin Shen¡¯s palm.


    Holding the token, Lin Shen quickly chanted an incantation.


    In an instant, the void in front of him distorted, and arge number of ripples appeared out of thin air. The cat general ced his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist and slowly walked out.


    ¡°The cat general!¡±


    Luo Yi¡¯s expression changed drastically when he saw this. He looked at the token in Lin Shen¡¯s hand in shock.


    ¡°God Seeking Token! Dai Geng and Hao Tu died in your hands!¡±


    Lin Shen raised his eyebrows and quickly realized Luo Yi was talking about the two criminals who ambushed him that night.


    In that case, those two people were also hired by the new boss that Luo Yi mentioned just now!


    Lin Shen was enlightened.


    He finally understood why the two of them had attacked him. It turned out they had taken a fancy to his body and treated him as prey.


    ¡°What an undeserved cmity¡­¡±


    Realizing that he was just unlucky that night and had been treated as prey, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but feel speechless.


    However, he quicklyposed himself and said solemnly to the cat general,


    ¡°Divine Lord, I¡¯ll have to trouble you!¡±


    ¡°No worries.¡±


    The cat general nodded gently and patted the hilt of the sword at his waist.


    In an instant, the sword vibrated and buzzed.


    Amidst the trembling sound, a beam of light suddenly flew up. It pierced through the void like a bolt of lightning and flew toward Luo Yi.


    Luo Yi¡¯s expression changed instantly.


    He had long heard of the cat general¡¯s God Seeking Token. He knew the strength of this clone depended on the number of rune stones lit up on the God Seeking Token.


    In that nce just now, Luo Yi had seen the number of luminating rune stones on the token in Lin Shen¡¯s hand.


    There were a total of five!


    In other words, the cat general¡¯s clone was at least at the fifth level of the Long Breath Stage!


    It wasn¡¯t an existence that Luo Yi could fight against at all!


    Without any hesitation, Luo Yi retreated and made the decision to escape.


    ...


    At the same time, the Military Bugs, who had been standing motionlessly at the back, charged at the cat general in unison, wanting to stop him and buy time for Luo Yi to escape.


    Unfortunately, just as Luo Yi turned around and before he could run far, he suddenly felt a sh in front of him. Lin Shen had already blocked his path and was looking at him with a faint smile.


    ¡°Trying to escape? It¡¯s toote!¡±


    Luo Yi had just said the same thing a moment ago. Now that it came out of Lin Shen¡¯s mouth, it became rather sarcastic.


    Luo Yi was so angry that his face turned green. He shouted angrily and swung his saber at Lin Shen, wanting to force him back so that he could escape.


    Lin Shen was fearless and dodged to meet the attack.


    The Protection Talisman on him still had most of its effect left. It was enough to offset the sharpness of Luo Yi¡¯s weapon in a short period of time, so Lin Shen wasn¡¯t afraid.


    In just a few breaths of time, the battle on the other side had ended.


    The Military Bugs were first ughtered by Lin Shen, and there were only about a hundred of them left. Now that they were facing the stronger cat general, the oue was obvious. In the blink of an eye, they werepletely ughtered by the cold sword light.


    After dealing with the Military Bugs, the cat general rushed toward Luo Yi without stopping.


    When he saw this scene from the corner of his eye, Luo Yi instantly felt a chill run down his spine. He was so frightened that his scalp went numb.


    ...


    If the cat general and Lin Shen joined forces, how could he survive?


    At the thought of this, Luo Yi was terrified and shouted anxiously,


    ¡°Wait a minute, Lin Shen!! We can talk about it!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Shen smiled. ¡°Tell me who sent you first.¡±


    Luo Yi¡¯s expression froze, and he hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ve made aw contract with them. If their identities are exposed, I¡¯ll immediately lose my life!¡±


    The effect of thew contract was irrefutable. Once it was made, thew would be established. It couldn¡¯t be faked at all.


    If Luo Yi had really made aw contract to not reveal the secret of the organization behind him, he would definitely not be able to say it.


    The moment he said the first word, he would be dead!


    ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing to talk about.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth!¡±


    Luo Yi was flustered and exasperated. In a moment of distraction, he made a wrong move and was almost beheaded by the cat general. Instantly, he became even more terrified.


    ¡°I can give you whatever you want. What do you want? Money? Martial techniques? Or pills?¡±


    Lin Shen was unmoved. He wouldn¡¯t trade with a jackal. Otherwise, no one knew when the jackal would bite back.


    The best way was to kill this jackal for good!

 Chapter 69 - 69 Senior Brother of the Martial Enforcement Hall

    69 Senior Brother of the Martial Enforcement Hall


    Seeing that he couldn¡¯t touch Lin Shen, Luo Yi finally despaired. He shouted angrily and pounced toward Lin Shen, wanting to fight to the death with him.


    Unfortunately, this idea was destined to note true.


    Lin Shen tapped the tip of his foot and flew backward as if he was pulled by a thread. He decisively escaped from the battle.


    Luo Yi had the cat general to deal with. There was no need for Lin Shen to interfere in case the enemy retaliated before he died.


    !!


    Not long after, Luo Yi was covered in injuries due to the great disparity in strength. In the end, the cat general stabbed him in the chest. His eyes bulged, and his face was filled with unwillingness and despair. He fell to the ground and died!


    Swoosh!


    The cat general sheathed its sword and nodded at Lin Shen. Then, it looked at Ai and slowly disappeared into the air.


    Lin Shen heaved a long sigh of relief and put away the God Seeking Token. He strode to Luo Yi and squatted down to search for the corpse.


    As expected, Luo Yi didn¡¯t have anything that could prove his identity or was rted to his new boss.


    Apart from a few spirit coins, there was only a small jade box.


    Lin Shen opened it and saw a light gray nt about ten centimeters long. It looked a little like ginseng.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    At some point, Ai hade to Lin Shen¡¯s side. She sized up the gray nt in the jade box curiously, tilted her head, and muttered,


    ¡°This thing has a very dense spiritual energy, but it feels so cold.¡±


    Lin Shen raised his eyebrows.


    Ai was very sensitive to natural spiritual energy. Since she said so, this thing was most likely some kind of rare herb.


    Furthermore, Luo Yi was carrying it with him so preciously, it must have some value!


    Lin Shen decided to put it away first. He would think of a way to investigate the origin of this thingter.


    After putting away the items, Lin Shen stood up and was about to use the Melting Liquid to deal with the corpse when he suddenly heard quick footsteps behind him. His heart skipped a beat.


    Was it Luo Yi¡¯s aplice?


    Lin Shen turned around warily, but the next moment, he was slightly stunned.


    The people approaching him were wearing the same uniform. There was a mythological beast pattern embroidered on their chests. They were members of the Martial Enforcement Hall!


    Moreover, the leader was an old acquaintance, the g officer of the Martial Enforcement Hall whom Lin Shen had met twice.


    After seeing Lin Shen¡¯s face, Han Wu was also stunned. He hesitated, clearly finding Lin Shen very familiar.


    ¡°You are¡­ a student of Willow Academy?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Lin Shen nodded and thought,


    ¡°Alright, there was no need to get rid of the corpse now!¡±


    Han Wu and the others quickly noticed the corpse at Lin Shen¡¯s feet, and their expressions changed slightly. When they looked at Lin Shen again, their eyes were filled with scrutiny and vignce.


    It was Han Wu¡¯s turn to lead the team on duty tonight.


    Just as they were patrolling outside, they suddenly received news that cultivators were fighting on the streets in the East District. There were even spiritual beasts involved.


    Hence, Han Wu immediately rushed over with his men. Who would have thought that he would see such a scene?


    To be honest, if he hadn¡¯t recognized Lin Shen as a student of Willow Academy, Han Wu would have already arrested him.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Han Wu stared at Lin Shen solemnly.


    From the looks of it, if he didn¡¯t like Lin Shen¡¯s answer, he would probably take Lin Shen down.


    ¡°This guy¡¯s name is Luo Yi, the leader of the Night Grinders. He suddenly came to assassinate me tonight and said he was ordered by his new boss to take away my body.¡±


    Lin Shen exined calmly, not panicking at all.


    Luo Yi was a well-known wanted criminal on the Martial Enforcement Hall¡¯s list, and he was the one who took the initiative to attack Lin Shen. Even if Lin Shen killed Luo Yi, it was justified self-defense. It wouldn¡¯t even be considered excessive self-defense. There was no need to worry at all.


    Upon hearing that the corpse on the ground was Luo Yi, the leader of the Night Grinders, Han Wu and the others were shocked. When they heard the rest of the story, their expressions changed.


    Lin Shen also vaguely heard a young member of the Martial Enforcement Hall mutter, ¡°It¡¯s that group of bastards again.¡±


    After checking the corpse and confirming that it was Luo Yi, Han Wu and the others immediately rxed.


    When they came back to their senses, they suddenly realized that something was amiss.


    Luo Yi was a Long Breath Stage cultivator!


    Although he was only at the first level of the Long Breath Stage, it was impossible for him to die at the hands of a Qi Transformation cultivator.


    Could this young student be a Long Breath Stage cultivator?


    Facing Han Wu and the others¡¯ questioning gazes, Lin Shen shrugged and pretended to take something out of his pocket. He then waved the God Seeking Token at them.


    ¡°This thing saved my life.¡±


    ¡°This is¡­ the God Seeking Token!¡±


    After all, Han Wu was experienced and knowledgeable. He immediately recognized the origin of the token and was enlightened.


    The clones summoned by the God Seeking Token were at least at the Long Breath Stage.


    With this token, it wasn¡¯t surprising that this young man could kill Luo Yi.


    Only then did Han Wu realize he had yet to ask the name of the person in front of him. He casually asked,


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ...


    ¡°I¡¯m Lin Shen.¡±


    Han Wu nodded slightly and suddenly reacted in the next second. He widened his eyes and looked at Lin Shen.


    ¡°Your name is Lin Shen?¡±


    The other members of the Martial Enforcement Hall also turned around and looked at Lin Shen with surprise and curiosity.


    ¡°He¡¯s Lin Shen? The new chief disciple of the Nine Yang Academy this year?¡±


    ¡°It should be him. He¡¯s a student from Willow Academy and is called Lin Shen. Apart from him, there¡¯s no one else.¡±


    ¡°Tsk tsk, I didn¡¯t expect to see the rumoredmoner genius here!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said he¡¯s at the ninth level of the Qi Transformation realm, and his attainments in martial arts are even higher than the eldest daughter of the Zhao family. No wonder even¡­ they took a fancy to him and especially sent a Long Breath Stage cultivator to attack him!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t expect that even the Martial Enforcement Hall knew about him. This news spread too quickly.


    At this moment, Han Wu had already recovered from his shock. Seeing Lin Shen¡¯s strange expression, he coughed lightly and said,


    ...


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be surprised. Many people in the Martial Enforcement Hall came from the Nine Yang Academy, so they naturally have a close rtionship with the school. Therefore, they have always known some news earlier than other ces. Speaking of which, I once cultivated in the Nine Yang Academy as well.¡±


    Lin Shen recalled what Yang Zhongyi had once said and suddenly understood. He smiled at Han Wu.


    ¡°Senior Brother! Han¡±


    ¡°You tter me.¡±


    Han Wu waved his hand and sighed.


    ¡°Back then, I didn¡¯t graduate from the Nine Yang Academy. In the fourth year, I was eliminated. Later, I joined the Martial Enforcement Hall and worked for seven to eight years before reaching my current position¡­¡±


    As if feeling he shouldn¡¯t talk about this to Lin Shen, Han Wu changed the topic.


    ¡°Leave this to us. Go back first. Be careful in the future. Try not to go outte at night. Those people might attack you!


    ¡°However, you don¡¯t have to worry too much. Once you enter the Nine Yang Academy, you¡¯ll be beyond their reach. They¡¯ll never be bold enough to go after you in the Nine Yang Academy!


    ¡°By the way, my name is Han Wu. I¡¯m the g officer of the Martial Enforcement Hall. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, you cane to the Martial Enforcement Hall to look for me. Just mention my name.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Thank you, Senior Brother Han!¡±


    After chatting with Han Wu for a while, Lin Shen bid farewell and left.


    Ai stayed quietly at the side from the beginning to the end, remembering Lin Shen¡¯s instructions. Don¡¯t speak when there are outsiders around.


    It was only when Lin Shen was about to leave that she obediently jumped onto his shoulder.


    Han Wu and the others didn¡¯t pay attention to Ai. They just thought it was an ordinary spiritual cat raised by Lin Shen.


    In the blink of an eye, the man and cat disappeared into the night.

 Chapter 70 - 70 Blood Spirit Pills

    70 Blood Spirit Pills


    It wasn¡¯t until Lin Shen disappeared from sight that someone teased,


    ¡°Boss, I¡¯ve never seen you treat anyone so well.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Another person added.


    ¡°Lin Shen is the firstmoner chief disciple of the Nine Yang Academy. In the future, he¡¯ll at least be an inner disciple of the Nine Yang Sect. His future is limitless. Of course, Boss Han will look at him in a different light!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If we met under different circumstances, I would have wanted to build a rtionship with Lin She. Perhaps I would have gotten into his good books.¡±


    ¡°I wonder if he has a girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, leave that boy alone! Why don¡¯t you take a look at your age?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m as beautiful as a flower. So what if I¡¯m a little older? Perhaps Lin Shen likes an older girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡±


    Han Wu stopped his noisy subordinates to prevent the topic from deviating further.


    ¡°Hurry up and clean up the scene. Also, pack up the corpses and bring them back.¡±


    After a pause, Han Wu thought of something and said,


    ¡°By the way, Yao, send Luo Yi¡¯s bounty to Lin Shen tomorrow.¡±


    The man called Yao nodded. His eyes darted around, and he suddenly said,


    ¡°Boss, I heard something a few days ago. Many disciples of influential families in the Nine Yang Academy seem to be secretly nning to give Lin Shen a head-on blow during the guided battle for new students!¡±


    Han Wu frowned. After a moment, he shook his head and sighed.


    The influential families had been looking down on ordinary cultivators for a long time.


    The upper echelons of those families were still alright. They knew how to be gentle, and they mainly tried to win over and divide themon cultivators. If there was really no other way, they would suppress them.


    However, most of the disciples of influential families were young and impetuous. They didn¡¯t understand these things at all or disdained them.


    Most people were immersed in the sense of superiority toward civilian cultivators and looked down on thetter.


    It was obvious that these people would never allow amoner to surpass them. They would definitely spare no effort to suppress Lin Shen.


    And the guided battle was obviously an excellent excuse!


    Thinking of this, Han Wu sighed again.


    Although he looked down on the actions of those disciples of influential families, he couldn¡¯t help much in this matter.


    She could only hope Lin Shen wouldn¡¯t be defeated because of this.


    ¡°Although Lin Shen is very powerful, at the end of the day, he¡¯s just a new student. He¡¯s most likely not a match for those seniors. He might suffer a huge loss this time!¡± Yao was still nagging.


    Han Wu waved his hand to interrupt him.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. When we get back, we must work on finding all the members of the Night Grinders. We must interrogate them and find out their detailed contact with the Wild Wolves!¡±


    ¡°Recently, the Wild Wolves have be more and more active. They¡¯ve even dragged organizations like the Night Grinders into the water. I¡¯m worried they¡¯re nning some big move. We have to find them and get rid of them as soon as possible!¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss!¡±


    Everyone responded in unison.


    ¡­


    After returning home, Lin Shen didn¡¯t rest. Instead, afterforting Ai, he quietly left the vi and rushed to the ck street.


    Tonight¡¯s attack reminded Lin Shen again.


    As he stood out, he gradually became the target of some people.


    There was nock of people who had malicious intentions toward him!


    In order to deal with any malicious intent, he had to increase his strength as soon as possible!


    Advancing to the Long Breath Stage was imminent!


    Therefore, Lin Shen was prepared to obtain the pills and rare herbs as soon as possible before starting to break through to the Long Breath Stage.


    Half an hourter,


    Lin Shen arrived at the ck street.


    ording to his previous agreement with Old Wu, he went to an alley beside a restaurant. There, he saw Old Wu sitting on the ground and dozing off against the wall.


    ¡°Old Wu.¡±


    Lin Shen went forward and shook Old Wu.


    Thetter opened his eyes in a daze. When he saw that it was Lin Shen, he yawned, picked up a package beside him, and threw it at him.


    ¡°Here, the medicinal pills and rare herbs I bought recently are all inside.¡±


    Lin Shen opened the package and looked through the things before nodding in satisfaction.


    These things were enough for him to cultivate the Long Breath Stage!


    Suddenly, Lin Shen thought of something. He took out the jade box he had found on Luo Yi¡¯s body, opened it, and handed it to Old Wu.


    ¡°Old Wu, do you know what this is?¡±


    Old Wu took a look and was surprised.


    ¡°Yin Extreme Grass? That¡¯s good stuff. Where did you get it?¡±


    ...


    Instead of answering, Lin Shen asked, ¡°What¡¯s the use of this thing?¡±


    ¡°The Yin Extreme Grass is one of the main materials needed to refine many Yin attribute medicinal pills. It¡¯s rare and expensive, but its most famous characteristic is that it can be used to refine a medicinal pill!¡±


    Seeing Old Wu¡¯s mysterious look, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously,


    ¡°What pill?¡±


    Old Wu stroked his beard and said calmly, ¡°Blood Spirit Pills!¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    Even someone like him, who came from an ordinary background and didn¡¯t know much about the cultivation world, had heard of the ferocious reputation of the Blood Spirit Pills.


    This was an unorthodox pill refined from the flesh and bones of cultivators!


    After consumption, it could increase one¡¯s cultivation.


    Furthermore, it could be effective on cultivators of any stage before they became cultivator masters. The effect was significant.


    Because of this, many unorthodox cultivators liked to refine Blood Spirit Pills to increase their cultivation.


    ...


    However, because the Blood Spirit Pills were too cruel to make, the cultivators didn¡¯t want to be materials to refine the Blood Spirit Pills one day. Therefore, they all joined forces to kill the unorthodox cultivators who dared to refine the Blood Spirit Pills.


    Even the heretic and sinister sects which had always done strange things didn¡¯t dare to risk the world¡¯s condemnation to refine Blood Spirit Pills in order not to attract the attention of the righteous sects¡ªat least on the surface!


    As time passed, the Blood Spirit Pills almost disappeared without a trace in the cultivation circle. They only existed in casual conversation.


    If Old Wu hadn¡¯t suddenly mentioned it, Lin Shen wouldn¡¯t have thought of this.


    ¡°Is this Yin Extreme Grass used to refine Blood Spirit Pills?¡±


    Lin Shen looked at the jade box in his hand, and a hint of seriousness shed across his eyes.


    Thinking of Luo Yi¡¯s motive for looking for him tonight, that was very possible.


    Perhaps the reason why the people behind Luo Yi captured him was to refine the Blood Spirit Pills!


    ¡°Lin Shen, why are you in a daze?¡± Old Wu waved his hand in front of Lin Shen.


    Lin Shen immediately came back to his senses and shook his head. He said perfunctorily, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Then, he took out 30,000 spirit coins and handed them to Old Wu, asking thetter to help him collect more medicinal pills and rare herbs.


    Old Wu agreed without hesitation.


    Of course, he wouldn¡¯t reject something that could earn him money.


    With the package, Lin Shen quickly returned to the eastern vi.


    The next morning, someone from the Martial Enforcement Hall came to the door and said they were there to deliver Luo Yi¡¯s bounty, which was 500,000 spirit coins.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t hesitate and epted it.


    After advancing to the Long Breath Stage, he would only need to spend more money. He wouldn¡¯tin about the amount.


    After sending off the people from the Martial Enforcement Hall, Lin Shen returned to his bedroom on the second floor to continue cultivating.


    In the following days, he had to devote his energy and mind to cultivation.

 Chapter 71 - 71 Advancing to the Long Breath Stage

    71 Advancing to the Long Breath Stage


    In the quiet bedroom.


    The curtains were tightly closed, and not a single ray of sunlight entered. The entire bedroom seemed a little dim.


    Lin Shen sat cross-legged on the ground with his eyes closed. His chest rose and fell slowly in a certain pattern.


    In a ce that others couldn¡¯t see with the naked eye, Lin Shen¡¯s muscles, tendons, bones, and blood were constantly trembling slightly, like a plucked string.


    !!


    At a certain moment, wisps of extremely faint airflow suddenly seeped out of the constantly trembling muscles, bones, and blood.


    Under the guidance of some invisible force, these airflows slowly flowed in his body along a mysterious channel.


    At first, the airflow was intermittent, and the flow was a little sluggish.


    It was as if a person was stumbling forward, staggering from time to time.


    However, as time passed, the flow of air became smoother.


    In the end, even if Lin Shen didn¡¯t deliberately guide it, the airflow could automatically circte ording to the predetermined channel.


    After nine repetitions, all the airflow slowly returned to his abdomen and gathered into a ball, motionless.


    In the next moment.


    Lin Shen felt as if there was a light knock on the back of his head. A clear and melodious sound suddenly sounded in his ears. His vision first lit up, and right on the heels of that, saliva was excreted and entered his throat. He suddenly felt like he had been reborn.


    The Long Breath Stage!


    A breakthrough!


    Lin Shen suddenly opened his eyes, and an uncontroble ecstasy appeared on his face.


    ¡°I¡¯ve finally made a breakthrough!¡±


    The Long Breath Stage and the Qi Transformation Stage were worlds apart.


    It wasn¡¯t difficult for ordinary people to reach the Qi Transformation realm as long as they worked hard.


    However, talent and hard work were indispensable in the Long Breath Stage.


    Many Qi Transformation cultivators had been stuck at this stage for their entire lives, but they had never been able to advance further!


    To be able to advance to the Long Breath Stage at this age, Lin Shen was undoubtedly a genius!


    At the same time, it meant that he had be an elite in Dragonside City!


    Taking a deep breath, Lin Shen calmed the ecstasy in his heart and focused on sensing the airflow in his body, imagining it circting along his meridians.


    As expected, as soon as he thought of it, the thin stream of heat went to whichever part of his body he focused on.


    Everywhere it passed, his muscles seemed to be filled with blood and ready to attack. However, it wasn¡¯t the kind of tightness that one had to pull the bowstring to its limit. Instead, it was rxed and abnormallyfortable.


    ¡°So this is the spiritual essence¡­¡±


    Lin Shen heaved a long sigh of relief. He felt as if his entire body was soaking in a hot spring. The blood, essence, muscles, and bones in his body were clean and wless, and his organs were flexible and powerful.


    With a thought, the spiritual essence in his body surged like a tide.


    His thoughts changed again, and it turned into a gentle feeling, like a spring breeze.


    This power overflowed, and the feeling of being able to control it freely was especially intoxicating!


    Getting up from the ground, Lin Shen quickly walked to the full-length mirror in the bedroom and looked at it.


    After he broke through, his entire aura had undergone an obvious change. There was a faint sense of transcendence.


    His face looked like it was covered in ayer of translucent jade. He was in high spirits, and his eyes were as bright as the stars.


    After admiring himself for a moment, Lin Shen turned his gaze to the solid wooden bed beside him. With a thought, he strode to the bed and stretched out his left hand to gently lift it.


    Immediately, with a creaking sound, the thick wooden bed rose from the ground and was steadily lifted about 20 centimeters above the ground. It didn¡¯t shake at all.


    Lin Shen held on for more than ten seconds. Then, he put down the wooden bed and looked at his hands in surprise.


    Previously, although he could lift the wooden bed with one hand, it still felt a little strenuous.


    However, he didn¡¯t use much strength just now to lift the entire wooden bed. The whole process was effortless, as easy as picking up a small stone by the roadside.


    His strength had increased by more than a few timespared to when he was in the Qi Transformation Stage!


    ¡°I heard Long Breath Stage cultivators¡¯ spiritual essence would flow through their bodies, and a great power bursts out with every breath. Looks like the legend is true!¡±


    A smile appeared on Lin Shen¡¯s face.


    Only by experiencing it personally could he understand the disparity between the Qi Transformation Stage and the Long Breath Stage!


    It made sense. With his martial arts attainments and powerful talent, he could easily defeat cultivators at the ninth level of Qi Transformation. It wouldn¡¯t be a problem for him to fight seven or eight of them alone.


    However, he could only fight to a draw with Luo Yi, who was at the first level of the Long Breath Stage.


    That proved the difference between the two stages!


    However, Lin Shen was now confident that if Luo Yi appeared again, he would be able to kill him within 20 rounds!


    There was no need to use the God Seeking Token at all!


    After calming himself down, Lin Shen summoned the interface.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: God¡¯s Jealousy]


    [Stage: Long Breath Level 1, 1%]


    [Cultivation technique: Origin Breathing Technique (Perfection), zing Sun Palm (Perfection), Mortal Restrain (Beginner 75%), Shadows (Perfection), Dragon Roar Through the Clouds (Proficient 12%)]


    [Number of clones: 4 (94%)]


    ...


    Having cultivated for the past few days, he also reached Proficient in Dragon Roar Through the Clouds.


    ¡°Speaking of which, I can start on the Forbidden Golden Armor and Meltdown now!¡±


    Lin Shen immediately took out the secret manuals for the Forbidden Golden Armor and Meltdown from his storage jade te.


    Both martial techniques were martial techniques that could only be cultivated by those at the Long Breath Stage. Now that he had broken through, he could finally start cultivating.


    Among them, the Forbidden Golden Armor was a Physical Enhancement martial technique.


    Meltdown was a palm technique that specialized in defeating all kinds of weapons with its extreme Yang palm force. It could melt metal. To a certain extent, it was quite simr to Condensed Strings.


    With Meltdown, even if Lin Shen faced weapons with his bare hands in the future, he wouldn¡¯t have to be as restrained as before.


    Without any dy, Lin Shen immediately summoned four clones.


    Meltdown was a Yang-attribute martial technique, so it was suitable for Clone 3, who had pure Yang Body talent.


    Clone 1 and Clone 4 were in charge ofprehending Forbidden Golden Armor.


    As for Clone 2¡­


    ...


    Lin Shen looked at Clone 2 in surprise.


    Clone 2 had been lifeless and looked like it would die at any moment, but it looked much better today and no longer looked sickly.


    After some thought, Lin Shen quickly understood.


    After breaking through to the Long Breath Stage, a cultivator¡¯s body would undergo a metamorphosis. His illness would be dispelled, and his life would be prolonged. It was said his lifespan would increase by at least 60 years.


    It seemed it was because of the increase in lifespan that Clone 2 had such a change.


    ¡°Good. This way, Clone 2 can stillst longer.¡±


    Lin Shen nodded in satisfaction. He took out a Snake Orchid and let Clone 2 consume it before starting to meditate and cultivate.


    ¡°I¡¯m still 6% away from condensing the fifth clone. I still need three days.¡±


    At the thought that the fifth clone was about to be condensed, Lin Shen felt excited.


    After that, his cultivation speed would reach another level!


    The key was still his talent!


    So far, every clone¡¯s talent had brought great benefits to Lin Shen.


    Even Perseverance, which seemed to have the least effect, had helped him ovee many difficulties.


    This also made Lin Shen look forward to the new talent.


    After a while, Lin Shen calmed down slightly and sat cross-legged. He restrained his distracting thoughts and began to meditate.

 Chapter 72 - 72 Show of Force

    72 Show of Force


    About two hourster.


    Lin Shen and Clone 2 opened their eyes at the same time.


    The medicinal strength of the Snake Orchid had already been absorbed. Clone 2¡¯s cultivation progress had increased by 1%, less than a fifth of what it was before.


    ¡°As expected, after my breakthrough, the effect of the Snake Orchid also decreased greatly.¡±


    Lin Shen shook his head slightly.


    He looked at the interface again. After two hours of cultivation, his cultivation progress hadn¡¯t increased by 1%.


    This was even under the effect of Heaven¡¯s Jealousy¡¯s cultivation speed of +100%.


    ¡°After all, the Origin Breathing Technique is only a fundamental cultivation technique. Even at Perfection, it has very limited effects on cultivation in the Long Breath Stage.¡±


    ¡°Looks like before I get my hands on a cultivation technique at the Long Breath Stage, my cultivation will increase very slowly.¡±


    There might be cultivation techniques for cultivators at the Long Breath Stage on the ck street, but Lin Shen didn¡¯t intend to buy them there.


    In any case, he only needed to wait another ten days or so before starting his cultivation in the Nine Yang Academy.


    At that time, he could naturally exchange for the most authentic cultivation technique of the Long Breath Stage.


    There was no need to rush.


    Of course, this didn¡¯t mean Lin Shen wouldn¡¯t cultivate for the next ten days.


    If the cultivation technique was inefficient, he would use pills to make up for it.


    Including the reward for killing Luo Yi, Lin Shen still had about 800,000 spirit coins.


    It could be used to purchase the Condensing Pills that Long Breath Stage cultivators often used to assist in their cultivation.


    After making up his mind, Lin Shen waited for his clones to memorize the contents of the martial arts manual before taking them all back and letting them work in his mind.


    As for him, he went downstairs and was going to go out to buy pills.


    As soon as he walked down the stairs, Lin Shen saw Ai lying on the sofa in the living room, dozing off.


    Ever since she came to Lin Shen¡¯s house, Ai couldn¡¯t go out and had to eat and sleep all day. The only exception was that every night, she would run to the balcony to bask in the moonlight.


    ording to her, she was absorbing the essence of the moonlight to cultivate.


    Due to the special nature of spiritual beasts, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t tell if Ai¡¯s cultivation level had changed.


    However, two days ago, she came over to show off her cultivation breakthrough to Lin Shen.


    ¡°Speaking of which, what¡¯s the difference between the cultivation stages of spiritual beasts and humans?¡±


    Lin Shen was puzzled.


    After pondering for a moment, he shook his head and put this doubt aside for the time being.


    At this moment, Ai seemed to have sensed Lin Shening downstairs. She opened her eyes and looked up at Lin Shen in a daze.


    ¡°Am I dreaming? Why do I feel you look different?¡±


    Lin Shen said with a smile,


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re dreaming now.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Ai was relieved and went back to sleep.


    Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help butugh. He shook his head and left the vi.


    Thergest pill store in Dragonside City was undoubtedly the True Martial Pavilion.


    That¡¯s right. Not only did the True Martial Pavilion sell martial techniques and cultivation techniques, but it also sold things like pills, rare herbs, talismans, and spiritual artifacts.


    Any item rted to cultivation could be found in the True Martial Pavilion as long as it wasn¡¯t a very rare treasure on the market or prohibited from circting by the Three Sect Prefecture.


    The Condensing Pill was no exception.


    Lin Shen¡¯s destination this time was a branch of the True Martial Pavilion in the East District.


    Ten minutester,


    Lin Shen appeared in front of a fashionable six-story building.


    Through the transparent ss door, one could clearly see the spacious lobby on the first floor. It was evenrger than a football field.


    ¡°A branch in the East District is already so luxurious. Should I say that it¡¯s indeed thergest business organization in Dragonside City?¡±


    Lin Shen sighed, pushed open the door, and walked in.


    At this moment, there were many customers in the shop.


    Among them, the pill section had the most people.


    Next was the martial arts cultivation technique area.


    There were the fewest customers in the spiritual artifact area.


    After all, spiritual artifacts could only be used with spiritual essence.


    If one wasn¡¯t a Long Breath Stage cultivator, even if one obtained a spiritual artifact, it would be no different from an ordinary weapon.


    Furthermore, spiritual artifacts were extremely expensive. Many Long Breath Stage cultivators couldn¡¯t even afford them.


    After entering, Lin Shen paused for a moment before walking straight toward the pill section.


    There were many types of pills in the pill area, but they were separated into clear sections, and the signs were very clear and concise. It didn¡¯t take Lin Shen long to find the cab where the Condensing Pills were ced.


    However, when he saw the price, he couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue.


    ...


    A bottle of Condensing Pills would cost as much as 360,000 spirit coins!


    On average, one Condensing Pill would cost 30,000 Spirit Coins, which was six times more than an Origin Pill!


    ¡°No wonder it¡¯s said the further you cultivate, the more money you spend. I¡¯m only at the Long Breath Stage, but the cost of buying pills is already so high. How much will it cost when I reach the Bright Aperture Stage?¡±


    Lin Shen grimaced.


    He thought with 800,000 spirit coins on him, he had be somewhat affluent.


    From the looks of it, he was still among the poor.


    However, although the pill was expensive, he still had to buy it. Lin Shen gritted his teeth and bought two bottles at once.


    ¡°It¡¯s back to square one.¡±


    Lin Shen sighed with emotion. He took the two bottles of Condensing Pills and walked to the cashier to pay the bill.


    ¡°Two bottles of Condensing Pills. That¡¯ll be 720,000 spirit coins, please.¡±


    The girl at the cashier sized up Lin Shen curiously. She was very surprised that a young man who looked to be less than 20 years old would actuallye to buy Condensing Pills.


    ...


    Was he buying them for the elders in the family?


    The girl thought about it and felt that should be the case.


    This young man couldn¡¯t be a Long Breath Stage cultivator, right?


    How talented did he have to be?


    After paying for the pills, the girl packed them for Lin Shen. He took the bag and turned to leave without hesitation, preparing to go back and test the effects of the Condensing Pill.


    ¡°I hope the effect of the pill is worth this price!¡±


    At this moment, two young men happened to push open the door and enter. As they brushed past Lin Shen, one of them suddenly eximed in a low voice.


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡±


    As he spoke, the young man reached out to grab Lin Shen¡¯s shoulder, wanting to stop him.


    Unexpectedly, Lin Shen shrank his shoulder, and his body turned slightly to the side. He dodged this grab by a hair¡¯s breadth.


    The young man was stunned, and his palm froze in midair. He didn¡¯t expect he would fail to handle a Qi Transformation cultivator.


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    Lin Shen took a step back and calmly looked at the two people in front of him.


    The young man came back to his senses, and his face flushed slightly under hispanion¡¯s teasing gaze. He seemed to be a little irritated by the humiliation. He snorted coldly and said,


    ¡°You must be Lin Shen!¡±


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t answer this useless question.


    The young man had clearly recognized him and wasn¡¯t exactly asking.


    As expected, the young man immediately said,


    ¡°My name is Peng Xinyuan, and he¡¯s Kuang Bao. We are both Yellow-Level disciples of the Nine Yang Academy!¡±


    Lin Shen remained silent and only looked at the two of them indifferently.


    If it were any other time, Lin Shen might have chatted with the two Senior Brothers of the academy out of courtesy.


    However, Peng Xinyuan¡¯s actions just now were enough to show the two of them didn¡¯te with good intentions.


    Lin Shen naturally wouldn¡¯t be nice to such people.


    Peng Xinyuan and Kuang Bao narrowed their eyes in displeasure.


    ¡°The chief disciple is indeed different. How arrogant!¡±


    Peng Xinyuan sneered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think you can be arrogant in front of us just because you¡¯ve be thetest top disciple. After all, you¡¯re just a bumpkin. You can be smug outside. When you enter the academy, you¡¯ll realize how cruel the world of cultivators is!


    ¡°There, background and connections are everything! Without sufficient resources to support you, no matter how talented you are, it won¡¯t be long before you be an ordinary person!¡±

 Chapter 73 - 73 Clone 5

    73 Clone


    In the face of Peng Xinyuan and Kuang Bao¡¯s threatening actions, Lin Shen was unmoved. He looked at the two of them in disdain, as if he was asking them if they had no better things to do.


    ¡°That¡¯s what you stopped me for?¡±


    Peng Xinyuan and Kuang Bao didn¡¯t expect Lin Shen to have such a reaction. They were both stunned. When they came back to their senses, they were extremely angry.


    ¡°Kuang Bao and I will be participating in the guided battle on the day of the new students¡¯ registration. We¡¯ll even challenge you to a battle. We¡¯ll let you experience the difference in strength between the disciples of influential families and the bumpkins!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. I understand. Thank you for informing me in advance.¡±


    Lin Shen nodded perfunctorily. Those who didn¡¯t know better would think he was coaxing a naughty and insensible child.


    Peng Xinyuan and Kuang Bao were getting angrier and angrier. Just as they were about to throw a tantrum, they were suddenly interrupted by a pleasant voice.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    The two of them turned around and were stunned to find Zhao Xueying standing a few meters away, looking at them indifferently.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. We just want to chat with Lin Shen,¡± Kuang Bao said hurriedly.


    Peng Xinyuan also nodded stiffly.


    It was an open secret that Zhao Xueying couldn¡¯t stand the domineering behavior of the disciples of influential families.


    If she knew they were showing off to Lin Shen, who knew what she would do?


    Peng Xinyuan and Kuang Bao were only from the coteral branches of the ten preeminent families. They didn¡¯t dare to provoke Zhao Xueying, who was from one of the three major families and was a direct descendant.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Zhao Xueying didn¡¯t say a word. She just stared at Peng Xinyuan and Kuang Bao quietly.


    Although she was straightforward, she wasn¡¯t an ignorant fool. Naturally, she wouldn¡¯t believe their lies.


    Facing Zhao Xueying¡¯s silent gaze, Peng Xinyuan and Kuang Bao quickly couldn¡¯t take it anymore and fled.


    However, before they left, they red at Lin Shen again.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t care at all. He had never taken it to heart when it came to clowns like them.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Zhao Xueying walked over and asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, thank you.¡±


    Lin Shen waved his hand and thanked her.


    Although he would be fine if Zhao Xueying didn¡¯t appear, she was still kind-hearted, and he had to ept this favor.


    Hearing this, Zhao Xueying nodded slightly. She thought for a moment and reminded him,


    ¡°Peng Xinyuan and Kuang Bao are both Long Breath Stage cultivators. You have to be careful.¡±


    Obviously, she had also heard about Peng Xinyuan and Kuang Bao representing the Yellow disciples in the guided battle.


    ¡°I will.¡±


    Lin Shen smiled faintly, his expression calm and confident.


    Zhao Xueying was adrift for a moment. When she came back to her senses, she couldn¡¯t help but feel puzzled.


    Why was Lin Shen so calm?


    If it were anyone else, even if they didn¡¯t panic, they wouldn¡¯t be able to stay so calm when they heard two Long Breath Stage cultivators were preparing to make things difficult for them, right?


    Unfortunately, Lin Shen didn¡¯t intend to exin so much. He quickly bade farewell and left.


    After watching Lin Shen walk out of the shop, Zhao Xueying was stunned for a while. Then, she brought the goods she had just picked to the front desk.


    ¡°Miss Zhao!¡±


    The receptionist immediately recognized Zhao Xueying and knew that she was a VIP customer of the True Martial Pavilion. She immediately bowed respectfully.


    Zhao Xueying nodded and handed the items to the receptionist to settle. Suddenly, she thought of something and asked,


    ¡°What did that guy buy?¡±


    ¡°That young man? He bought two bottles of Condensing Pills.¡±


    Thud!


    The porcin bottle in Zhao Xueying¡¯s hand fell onto the counter and rolled a few times, almost falling to the ground.


    However, the girl couldn¡¯t care less about this.


    She suddenly turned her head and looked in the direction where Lin Shen had left, her eyes filled with shock.


    Condensing Pills?


    Could Lin Shen have broken through to the Long Breath Stage?!


    ¡­


    When Lin Shen got home, Ai was still sleeping.


    ¡°Speaking of which, now that I¡¯ve broken through to the Long Breath Stage, it¡¯s time for me to go outside the city to train.¡±


    Lin Shen suddenly thought.


    The wilderness of this world wasn¡¯t as safe as in his previous life. Instead, it was filled with danger.


    There were mountain spirits and strange beasts,


    as well as demons and monsters!


    In this world, those creatures weren¡¯t just a fantasy or legend. They were real.


    If one did not have enough strength, they would be food for the spiritual beasts if they weren¡¯t careful when leaving Dragonside City.


    ...


    Therefore, many civilians in Dragonside City had never stepped out of the city in their lives.


    Themunication between cities was mostly done through cultivators.


    Previously, when he was still at the Qi Transformation stage, Lin Shen naturally wouldn¡¯t be ambitious and wanted to go out to train.


    However, things were different now. He was already a Long Breath Stage cultivator and had exquisite martial techniques. He already had enough strength to go out.


    At the same time, he could try Ai¡¯s treasure-hunting ability. Maybe he could find some treasures!


    ¡°I heard the Nine Yang Academy had some meritorious missions that needed to be carried out outside the city. When the timees, I can also ept some missions.¡±


    Lin Shen made up his mind and returned to his bedroom on the second floor. He closed the door and prepared to cultivate.


    Taking out the Condensing Pills from his storage jade te, Lin Shen summoned Clone 2 and handed it one. He also took one. Then, the two of them sat down cross-legged, closed their eyes, and started cultivating.


    About an hourter.


    Lin Shen and Clone 2 opened their eyes at the same time.


    Lin Shen immediately summoned the interface.


    ...


    ¡°My cultivation progress has increased by 3%. Not bad!¡±


    There were a total of 24 Condensing Pills in the two bottles, which could increase his cultivation progress by about 72%. This was still within Lin Shen¡¯s expectations.


    Coupled with his daily cultivation and eating of spirit beast meat, he would be able to break through to the second level of the Long Breath Stage in at most half a month.


    That was when the other three clones were focused on cultivating martial techniques.


    ¡°However, if I want to continue improving my cultivation, I need more Condensing Pills or even better pills than them!¡±


    Lin Shen turned to look out the window in the direction of the central area.


    ¡°I hope I can get enough cultivation resources in the academy.¡±


    After calming himself down, Lin Shen looked at the interface again.


    [Clone 5]


    [Condensing, current progress: 96%]


    ¡°Two more days!¡±


    ¡­


    Two days passed in the blink of an eye.


    With Clone 2 working day and night, the two bottles of Condensing Pills had been used up.


    Lin Shen¡¯s cultivation level also soared to Level 1 of the Long Breath Stage, 74%.


    At the same time,


    The condensation progress of the fifth clone had finally reached 100%.


    Without hesitation, Lin Shen immediately summoned his fifth clone.


    As a shadow separated from his body and quickly condensed into a clone in the middle of the bedroom, arge number of words appeared in front of Lin Shen.


    [Clone 5]


    [Talent: Swordsman]


    [Stage: Long Breath Level 1, 74%]


    [Current Cultivation: None]


    ¡°Swordsman?¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s expression changed, and he immediately focused on the new clone.


    [Swordsman: Sword technique power +20%, Swordsmanship cultivation speed +20%]


    Lin Shen was slightly disappointed.


    To be honest, this talent wasn¡¯t bad.


    Not only could it increase the cultivation speed of the sword technique, but it could also strengthen its power.


    Considering that Lin Shen might choose to cultivate weapon-type martial techniques next, this talent might be useful.


    The problem was that the 20% increase was too low.


    50% would be more like it.


    Should he change it?


    Lin Shen hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth and making up his mind.


    Yes!


    He had to find a formidable talent!

 Chapter 74 - 74 Testify by Killing

    74 Testify by Killing


    Another eight days passed.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: God¡¯s Jealousy]


    [Stage: Long Breath Level 1, 82%]


    !!


    [Cultivation techniques: Origin Breathing Technique (Perfection), zing Sun Palm (Perfection), Shadows (Perfection), Mortal Restrain (Beginner, 94%), Dragon Roar Through the Clouds (Proficient, 25%), Meltdown (Beginner, 17%), Forbidden Golden Armor (Beginner, 3%)]


    [Number of clones: 5 (8%)]


    Looking at the data on the interface, Lin Shen heaved a long sigh of relief, and a heartfelt smile appeared on his face.


    After more than ten days, he finally reached Beginner in Meltdown and Forbidden Golden Armor.


    In this way, his martial arts system was even more perfected.


    For speed, he had Shadows!


    For defense, he had Forbidden Golden Armor!


    For attack, he had zing Sun Palm!


    For group battles, he had Dragon Roar Through the Clouds!


    He had the Meltdown Technique to deal with weapons!


    Although he wasn¡¯t without weaknesses, at least there were no obvious ws.


    ¡°It would be even better if I could master another long-range attack martial technique!¡±


    Although the Dragon Roar Through the Clouds could also be used to attack enemies from afar, the distance was still very limited.


    Even Proficient Dragon Roar Through the Clouds could only attack enemies within 50 meters.


    Beyond this distance, its power would be greatly weakened.


    This was when he could use his spiritual essence to perform Dragon Roar Through the Clouds after advancing to the Long Breath Stage.


    If he was at the Qi Transformation Stage, the attack radius of Dragon Roar Through the Clouds was 20 meters at most.


    This was the natural inadequacy of sound wave martial techniques.


    Inparison, hidden-weapons martial techniques could release finger energy, palm force, and other martial techniques from afar, and the attack range would be further.


    ¡°Also, it¡¯s best to choose a weapon-type martial technique.¡±


    Lin Shen thought to himself.


    To cultivators, cultivation was the most important, but martial techniques were also an indispensable part of strength.


    Within his power, he had to perfect the martial arts system as much as possible to maximize hisbat strength.


    Moreover, Lin Shen had many clones, so he didn¡¯t need to worry about diverting his attention like other cultivators.


    Aftering back to his senses, Lin Shen continued to look at the interface.


    The sixth clone was already condensing. However, just like the previous few times, the time taken for the new clone to condense increased again.


    On average, it would only increase by 1% in a day.


    It would take a full 100 days toplete the process.


    ¡°More than three months¡­ It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s not particrly long.¡±


    Apart from that, Lin Shen also tested the consumption of clone materialization during this period of time.


    After breaking through to the Long Breath Stage, the clone¡¯s consumption-free radius had increased greatly to about 200 meters.


    A single clone was enough to maintain a distance of about a thousand meters from Lin Shen for about five minutes.


    However, after the distance was extended to 2,000 meters, the duration of its existence would drop sharply to about a minute.


    Although it was far from meeting Lin Shen¡¯s expectations, it was already much better than when he was at the Qi Transformation Stage.


    ¡°Next is the talent of the clone.¡±


    Lin Shen looked at the void in front of him.


    [Clone 5 (Death State), Remaining Resurrection Time: 00: 04: 34]


    During this period of time, Clone 5 had revived a total of seven times. Unfortunately, none of the talents was what Lin Shen wanted.


    [Full of Power: Physical Strength +30%, Stamina +50%]


    [Good Eyes and Ears: Hearing +30%, Vision +30%]


    [Warrior:bat skills+20%,bat skillprehension speed+50%]


    [Less Talented: Cultivation Speed -30%]


    [Weak and Sick: Constitution -50%, Cultivation Speed -20%, Probability of Sickness +100%, Lifespan -30%]


    [Inspiration: Chance of epiphany +30%]


    [Deadly Aim: Hidden weapon cultivation technique cultivation speed +50%, hidden weapon cultivation technique power +30%, uracy +50%]


    Of the seven talents, only three were eptable. They were Inspiration, Deadly Aim, and Full of Power.


    However, after careful thought, he finally gave up on these three talents.


    ording to his personal experience during this period of time, the bonus effect of his talent was based on his original standard.


    In other words, if Lin Shen¡¯s epiphany probability was 0.01%, then Inspiration could only increase the probability to 0.013%.


    There was almost no difference between the two.


    ...


    Therefore, Inspiration wasn¡¯t very useful.


    As for Deadly Aim, although the enhancement effect was satisfactory, it was still too limited. It was only effective with hidden weapon cultivation techniques.


    Although Lin Shen was prepared to cultivate long-range attack-type martial techniques, he didn¡¯t intend to choose the hidden weapon.


    He was more inclined to techniques that allowed him to release finger force, palm force, and other types of energy from afar.


    Compared to the first two, Full of Power was slightly better.


    If Lin Shen was still in the Qi Transformation Stage, he might have chosen this.


    However, after a cultivator advanced to the Long Breath Stage, theirbat strength mostly depended on their spiritual essence.


    The effects of physical strength were greatly reduced, so the enhancement effect of Full of Power was naturally not as attractive.


    While he was lost in his thoughts, the resurrection time hade to an end.


    The moment the countdown reached zero, Lin Shen revived and summoned Clone 5.


    [Clone 5]


    ...


    [Talent: Testify by Killing]


    [Stage: Long Breath Level 1, 82%]


    [Current Cultivation: None]


    Testify by Killing?


    This talent sounded extraordinary!


    Lin Shen immediately took a closer look.


    [Testify by Killing: Attack-type cultivation technique cultivation speed+50%,bat skillprehension speed+100%. Every time you kill a living being, there is a certain chance of obtaining an epiphany and increasing your cultivation or martial technique progress (The higher the cultivation level of the living being you kill, the higher the probability)]


    ¡°What great talent!¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes lit up.


    This talent was much better than Full of Power or Deadly Aim!


    The cultivation speed of attack-type cultivation techniques would be increased by 50%. That was a wide range.


    zing Sun Palm, Dragon Roar Through the Clouds, and Meltdown were all covered. This talent had far exceeded the limitations of hidden weapon martial techniques only.


    The speed ofprehension ofbat skills would increase by 100%. Although it wasn¡¯t as good as increasingbat skills by 100%, it was also extremely beneficial to Lin Shen¡¯s growth in the long run.


    However, what surprised Lin Shen, even more, was thest effect.


    ¡°Every time you kill a living being, there is a certain chance of obtaining an epiphany and increasing your cultivation or martial technique progress.¡±


    This meant he could quickly increase his cultivation and martial arts stage through killing in the future!


    There were spiritual beasts everywhere outside Dragonside City.


    They were perfect for improving his cultivation level!


    ¡°Looks like I have to make a trip outside the city!¡±


    Lin Shen was filled with joy. He wished he could go outside the city to train and test the effect of Testify by Killing right now.


    However, in the end, he suppressed that thought.


    ¡°I know nothing about the situation outside the city now. It¡¯s better to wait until I¡¯m fully prepared before setting off.


    ¡°Besides, in two days, I¡¯ll have to report to the academy.¡±


    Lin Shen looked up in the direction of the central area,


    which was where Nine Yang Academy was located.


    ¡°After the registration, I¡¯ll prepare to train myself outside the city.¡±


    Lin Shen quickly came up with a n. He restrained his distracting thoughts and continued cultivating.


    Now that his fifth clone had been condensed, his cultivation speed had increased by another level.


    There were still two days left. If he focused on one martial technique, he might be able to raise the Forbidden Golden Armor or Meltdown by another stage.

 Chapter 75 - 75 Nine Yang Academy

    75 Nine Yang Academy


    ¡°Lin Shen, over here!¡±


    Lin Shen had just walked out of the house when he saw a ck car parked by the roadside. Yang Zhongyi leaned against the car door and waved at him with a smile.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Su Nian?¡±


    Lin Shen greeted Yang Zhongyi. He looked around, but he didn¡¯t see Su Nian.


    As soon as he asked the question, the window of the backseat rolled down, revealing Su Nian¡¯s face.


    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s here. Let¡¯s go. There¡¯s still an hour before the gathering time. Don¡¯t bete.¡±


    Yang Zhongyi asked Lin Shen to get into the car.


    Not long after, the car slowly started and drove steadily towards the central area.


    In the car, Yang Zhongyi asked Lin Shen and Su Nian,


    ¡°How¡¯s the preparation going? When we arrive at the academyter, we¡¯ll be ¡®guided¡¯ by the senior students.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only been a month. What¡¯s there to prepare?¡± Su Nian shook his head slightly.


    He had a point. In just a month, be it cultivation or martial arts stage, they wouldn¡¯t have enough time to make a breakthrough. There was indeed nothing to prepare.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. At most, I¡¯ll go to the spirit mine to work for three days. It¡¯ll temper my body!¡± Yang Zhongyi patted Su Nian¡¯s shoulder with a smile.


    Su Nian nodded and then nced at Lin Shen.


    Yang Zhongyi understood what he meant. He turned to Lin Shen and said,


    ¡°Lin, why don¡¯t you say you¡¯re injured and can¡¯t fight today? With so many eyes watching, I don¡¯t think those guys will dare to openly force you to fight!¡±


    Lin Shen shook his head slightly. ¡°This reason is toome. They won¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°Furthermore, what if someone offers to treat my injuries? They¡¯ll find out the truth right away. That way, they¡¯ll still get what they want.¡±


    Those senior students had nned to embarrass Lin Shen in the guided battle. If they found him pretending to be injured and avoiding the battle, Lin Shen would also lose his reputation.


    Yang Zhongyi also knew it wasn¡¯t a good solution, and he sighed in resignation.


    ¡°That¡¯s better than getting hurt!


    ¡°If someone is ruthless, you¡¯ll spend a few months recuperating, and your cultivation progress would be greatly reduced!¡±


    In a ce like the academy, wherepetition was abnormally intense, it was obvious that the consequences would be dire if one¡¯s strength didn¡¯t improve for a few months.


    With Lin Shen¡¯s strength and talent, although he wouldn¡¯t be eliminated if that happened, the difficulty of raising his level would undoubtedly increase significantly.


    However, Lin Shen didn¡¯t mind at all. He smiled calmly and said,


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know what to do.¡±


    Seeing this, Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian looked at each other in resignation.


    While they were talking, the car had already left the East District and entered the Central District.


    Speaking of which, this was the first time Lin Shen had entered the central area.


    Unlike the other four districts, the central district was the only district in Dragonside City that required permission to enter.


    Non-residents or persons without a permission were prohibited from entering the central area.


    If Lin Shen hadn¡¯t been admitted to the Nine Yang Academy, an ordinary student like him might never have had the chance to enter the central area of his life.


    Nine Suns Sect, Raging Waves Sect, Azure Frost Sect, and their respective affiliated academies were all located in the central area.


    Lin Shen originally thought the central area would be a steel forest filled with tall buildings, but when he really arrived there, what he saw was very different from what he had expected.


    It was hard to find a building more than ten stories tall, let alone very tall ones.


    If not for the fact that he knew they were on the right route, Lin Shen would have thought he had arrived at another East District.


    Another thing that surprised him was that the traffic here was very sparse, far less than in other districts.


    In the middle of the wide road, there were all kinds of mounts running.


    Green-Headed Golden Eye Beast, Heavenly Net Foal, Crimson Suanni, Night Illumination Leopard¡­


    They were all spiritual beasts!


    There was nock of spiritual beasts at the Long Breath Stage!


    Cultivators swaggered through the streets on spiritual beasts. Such a scene was definitely not seen in the other four districts.


    In a daze, Lin Shen thought he had arrived in another city.


    Yang Zhongyi had clearly been to the central area many times and was already used to the situation here. Seeing Lin Shen¡¯s surprised expression, he smiled and exined,


    ¡°The central area is allowed for spiritual beasts to pass through. As long as the person riding is at the Long Breath Stage or above and reports to the Three Sect Prefecture in advance.¡±


    As he spoke, a whistling sound suddenly came from the sky, approaching from afar.


    Lin Shen and the other two hurriedly looked out of the car window and saw a dazzling sword light streak across the sky and quickly disappear at the horizon.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Sword Escape!¡±


    Yang Zhongyi looked envious.


    ¡°Only cultivator masters are allowed to fly in the central area. That person must be a sword cultivator!¡±


    Su Nian asked, ¡°How do you know it¡¯s a sword cultivator? Perhaps it¡¯s another type of cultivator master.¡±


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Yang Zhongyi denied it without thinking. ¡°All cultivators can cultivate escape techniques, but only sword cultivators can use Sword Escape!¡±


    Lin Shen stared in the direction where the sword light disappeared, and a glint shed across his eyes.


    ...


    ¡°A cultivator master¡­¡±


    One day, he would also fly above the Central District!


    ¡­


    Twenty minutester.


    The car slowed to a stop.


    Lin Shen got out of the car and was stunned.


    What greeted his eyes was a vastplex of buildings. It looked like a park.


    However, looking through the open door, there was only emptiness. There were very few people, and no matter how one looked at it, it didn¡¯t look like an academy.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. The Nine Yang Academy isn¡¯t here.¡±


    Yang Zhongyi patted Lin Shen¡¯s shoulder and led the way in.


    Lin Shen wanted to ask why they were there, but seeing that Su Nian also walked in calmly, he suppressed the doubts in his heart and followed.


    ...


    Led by Yang Zhongyi, the three of them quickly arrived at a building.


    The interior of the building was bright and magnificent. The floor, ceiling, and surrounding walls were all made of some kind of jade. Although he couldn¡¯t tell the exact material, he knew it was expensive.


    Countless dense patterns were engraved on the surface of the jade. They wereplicated and mysterious, making one feel they were impressive.


    In addition, there were two Xiezhi stone sculptures near the door, one on each side.


    The moment Lin Shen and the other two stepped through the door, the two Xiezhi stone statues turned their heads in unison and looked at them. There seemed to be a light shing in their eyes.


    In the next second, the Xiezhi statue on the right slowly opened its mouth. Its tone was low and solemn.


    ¡°Lin Shen, Yang Zhongyi, and Su Nian are all new students of the Nine Yang Academy. Their identities have been verified. There are no traces of spells disguising them. They are indeed themselves. You are allowed to pass!¡±


    The Xiezhi statue on the left followed up.


    ¡°Do you wish to enter the academy?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Yang Zhongyi quickly replied.


    The moment he said that, Lin Shen suddenly felt a bright light in front of him. His vision was white, and he couldn¡¯t see anything. It was as if he was in a pure white world.


    This sudden phenomenon onlysted for three to four seconds. Then, the white color quickly receded like a tide.


    When his vision returned to normal, Lin Shen was surprised to find that he was actually standing on a field filled with sunlight. The air was filled with the unique fresh smell of nts.


    When he looked up again, he could vaguely see a group of buildings built against a mountain in the distance. The terrain was different, and the buildingplex waspletely made up of wood.

 Chapter 76 - 76 I have countless clones, is it post worthy?

    "An alternate space... The Nine Yang Academy is actually in an alternate space!"


    Even Lin Shen couldn''t help but be amazed when he saw this scene.


    Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian had long known where the Nine Yang Academy was, so they were very calm.


    "Rather than calling it an alternate space, it''s more appropriate to describe it as a paradise."


    Yang Zhongyi chuckled and said, "The spiritual essence here is much richer than outside. We can''t feel it clearly now, but after advancing to the Bright Aperture Stage, it''ll be a different feeling!"


    Lin Shen sensed it carefully and indeed realized his body had clearly be much lighter. He felt like he was transparent from the inside out.


    He couldn''t sense or absorb the spiritual essence, but his body was nourished by it.


    When he reached the Bright Aperture Stage and opened his spiritual aperture, he would be able to gradually sense spiritual essence, and the effect would be even more obvious.


    "A blessed ce..."


    Lin Shen took a deep breath and suppressed the surprise in his heart. He walked towards the buildings in the distance with Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian.


    At the entrance of the buildingplex stood a huge door that was nearly 100 meters tall and 30 meters wide. There were threerge words engraved on it-Nine Yang Academy!


    There were already nearly 200 people waiting in front of the door. Without exception, they were all new students this year.


    Many people noticed Lin Shen''s arrival immediately and went forward to greet him. They were so enthusiastic that it was difficult to resist.


    The disciples of the influential families also looked at him.


    Among them were Zhao Xueying and Yan Xing.


    Lin Shen didn''t know if it was his imagination, but he felt Zhao Xueying was looking at him strangely.


    She looked surprised and hesitant.


    However, Lin Shen didn''t think too much about it. He walked forward while responding to the enthusiastic greetings of the people around him.


    As for Yan Xing... Lin Shenpletely ignored him.


    Seeing this scene, Yan Xing couldn''t help but clench his fists tightly, his face ashen.


    When L¨¹ Zijun saw this, he whispered,


    "Young Master Yan, bear with it for now. After today, that brat will no longer have the confidence to be arrogant!"


    Hearing this, Yan Xing took a deep breath and suppressed the anger in his heart. He gritted his teeth and snorted at Lin Shen''s back.


    He wanted to see if Lin Shen could still be as calm as he was now!


    In a corner of the crowd.


    Xue Feng and Chong Yanhe stood side by side and stared at Lin Shen''s back.


    "Is Lin Shen really that powerful?"


    "Didn''t you see thepetition between Lin Shen and Zhao Xueying that day?"


    "I came outter than you. By then, the battle between the two of them had already ended." Chong Yanhe shook his head regretfully.


    Xue Feng shrugged. "In any case, I''m definitely not Lin Shen''s match. This guy is a fierce person who defeated Yan Xing in one strike!"


    "Is that so?"


    Chong Yanhe narrowed his eyes.


    From the looks of it, he was obviously still skeptical.


    Seeing this, Xue Feng curled his lips.


    Chong Yanhe was stubborn and strong-headed. He clearly knew Lin Shen''s strength from others, but he refused to believe itpletely. He had to witness it with his own eyes.


    After cursing inwardly, Xue Feng suddenly remembered something. He poked Chong Yanhe''s arm and whispered, "I heard the Yan family wants to give Lin Shen a hard time."


    Chong Yanhe nced at him and corrected him.


    "It''s not the Yan family but Yan Jingren. Yan Xing has probably begged him for help. Peng Xinyuan and Kuang Bao are among the Yellow-level disciples participating in the guided battle this year."


    "So it''s those two fellows!" Xue Feng suddenly realized.


    Yan Jingren was an influential figure in the lower house. He had many followers all year round, including Peng Xinyuan and Kuang Bao. Logically speaking, these two people shouldn''t be participating in the guided battle. With their unusual choice, it was obvious that they were instructed by Yan Jingren.


    Did Yan Xing go to his seniors toin and take revenge after losing his own battle?


    Xue Feng nced at Yan Xing, who wasn''t far away, with disdain in his eyes.


    Themotion in the crowd quickly subsided, and Lin Shen finally heaved a sigh of relief.


    After that, more and more people arrived.


    There were still more than ten minutes before the gathering time, and the 200 new students had already arrived.


    When the time came, two figures suddenly rushed over from afar.


    Their speed was as fast as lightning, and in the blink of an eye, they arrived in front of everyone.


    The figure suddenly stopped and revealed the faces of two young men in their twenties. They were dressed in ck robes and had an imposing aura.


    The two of them looked around, and the person on the left slowly nodded.


    "Very good. All 200 people are here!"


    "Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters, wee to the Nine Yang Academy. My name is You Hai, and I''m a ck-rank disciple of the lower house. Beside me is Yan Wansheng, also a ck-rank disciple of the lower house. Under the orders of the tutor, the two of us are in charge of leading the new students today."


    "Thank you, Senior Brother!" everyone said in unison.


    Yan Wansheng smiled. "There''s no time to lose. Let''s go in first."


    Under the lead of Senior Brothers Yan Wansheng and You Hai, the new students entered the door one after another.


    Behind the door was a mountain path that was nearly a thousand meters long. On both sides, there were stone Xiezhi statues ced at regr intervals. The style was exactly the same as the two stone Xiezhi statues in the previous building.


    Every time someone passed by, the Xiezhi stone statue''s eyes would light up.


    Seeing that many people were curiously sizing up the Xiezhi stone sculpture, You Hai smiled and exined,


    "These are Xiezhi Talisman Puppets. They have the ability to differentiate between truth and false. They can see through heretic and evil intentions. Any disguise below the level of a cultivator master has no ce to hide in front of them. Furthermore, every Xiezhi Talisman Puppet here has thebat strength of the Long Breath Stage." Many new students were immediately surprised.


    The seemingly ordinary stone statues had such a powerful ability.


    More importantly, the Xiezhi Talisman Puppets sounded expensive, and there were at least a hundred Xiezhi stone sculptures on this mountain path. Just this alone showed how rich the Nine Yang Academy was!


    After passing through the mountain path, everyone arrived at a square.


    The square was wide, and it was estimated to be more than 10,000 square meters. It was ring-shaped, and dozens of thick stone pirs that were 40 to 50 meters tall stood at the edge. The surface was engraved with dense mysterious patterns that looked like formations. When the new students stepped into the square, they realized there were already many people there.


    They were all young men and women in their twenties. Like You Hai and Yan Wansheng, they were all wearing Daoist robes and exuded an extraordinary aura.


    They stood in groups of twos and threes. Their gazes were either scrutinizing, half-smiling, or curious as they kept sizing up the new students.


    Lin Shen and the other two looked at each other and understood.


    It was obvious that these people in the square were the Yellow-level disciples who hade to "guide" them today!


    "Senior Brother You, Senior Brother Yan!"


    A tall young man stepped out from the crowd and cupped his hands at You Hai and Yan Wansheng.


    "Thank you for greeting the new students!"


    "There''s no need for pleasantries." Yan Wansheng waved his hand. "I know the rules. I''ll leave the rest to you for now.."

 Chapter 77 - 77 Guided battle

    Chapter 77 ¨C Guided battle


    "Thank you, Senior Brother!"


    The young man smiled and cupped his hands again.


    Soon after.


    He turned to look at the new students and said loudly, "Junior Brothers and Sisters, my name is Meng Dong. Wee to the Nine Yang Academy. I''m sorry to stop you here, but I believe many of you already know the reason."


    As soon as he finished speaking, a buzz of discussion sounded among the new students, but not many people looked confused.


    Clearly, just as Meng Dong had said, most people already knew about the guided battle.


    Seeing this, the smile on Meng Dong''s face widened as he continued, "The academy''s traditions cannot be abolished. Every year, when new students enter the academy, the older students will send ten people to spar with their Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters. This year is no exception. This is a guided battle.


    "In addition, every time we send out a person, we will set up a corresponding bet. As long as the Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters here can win, they can take the bet.


    "With a limit of three hours, as long as Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters can defeat the ten Senior Brothers and Sisters we send, your side will win. Otherwise, our side will win. The loser will have to receive punishment and go to the essence stone mine outside the city to mine for three days!"


    Just as Meng Dong finished speaking, someone from the new intermediate students shouted, "Senior Brother Meng, is it okay to fight in turns?"


    Meng Dong smiled calmly and said indifferently, "It''s alright. As long as you don''t fight repeatedly, you can send as many Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters as you want.


    "However, there''s another rule. You''re not allowed to use items like talismans and pills. Of course, weapons are an exception."


    The crowd''s discussions became even louder.


    Many new students rubbed their palms together with eager expressions.


    They might not be a match for the seniors in a one-on-one battle.


    However, if they fought one after another, they might have a chance of winning.


    After all, no matter how powerful the seniors were, there were only ten of them, while they had a total of 200!


    The ratio was twenty to one. It shouldn''t be difficult to win by exhausting the stamina of the seniors, right?


    All the senior students, including Meng Dong, had faint smiles on their faces when they saw the expressions of the new students.


    In the crowd, Lin Shen suddenly felt two malicious gazes on him. He turned around and happened to meet Peng Xinyuan and Kuang Bao''s gazes.


    The two of them stared at Lin Shen with sinister gazes. When they saw him looking over, cold smiles appeared on their faces.


    Lin Shen was unmoved. He calmly looked away and ignored them.


    On the other hand, Meng Dong had already finished exining the rules. He turned around and looked at the seniors.


    "Who wants to go first?"


    The seniors looked to the side of the square. There were ten people standing there. They were the ten Yellow-level disciples chosen to participate in the guided battle.


    Peng Xinyuan and Kuang Bao were among them.


    However, the two of them didn''t move immediately. Instead, a short and strong young man stood up.


    "T''ll go first."


    The young man strode to the center of the square and stood still, looking at the new students with bright eyes.


    "Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters, my name is Qiao He, a Yellow-level disciple of the lower house. Let me lead the way for the first round of the guided battle."


    As he spoke, he took out a palm-sized piece of ck iron.


    "As for the bet, I don''t have anything good on me. Let''s use this ck iron as a bet. Is that okay, Meng Dong?"


    Thest sentence was directed at Meng Dong.


    Meng Dong smiled and nodded.


    "The guidance battle doesn''t have a rigid rule on how much the seniors have to bet, but ording to the unwritten rules, the value of the bet is usually no less than 300,000 spirit coins. This ck iron of yours weighs at least 20 to 30 kilograms, which is at least 500,000 spirit coins. It''s more than enough to be used as a bet."


    The new students who originally didn''t think much of Qjao He''s iron ingot widened their eyes in shock when they heard Meng Dong''s words.


    When they looked at the ck iron in Qiao He''s hand again, their gazes had already be eager.


    500,000 spirit coins!


    It was enough to buy six to seven bottles of Origin Pills!


    Lin Shen was also a little surprised.


    Were these senior students so generous?


    He casually took out a piece of ck iron worth at least 500,000 spirit coins as a bet!


    And this wasn''t even good stuff?


    From the looks of it, the resources provided by the Nine Yang Academy were much more abundant than he had expected.


    With the high-value bet, the new students became more and more restless. Soon, someone couldn''t help but stand up.


    "I''ll be the first!"


    A tall young man with thick ck eyebrows walked out of the crowd.


    "It''s Zhou Peijun!"


    "I remember him. He seems to be in the top 30 of the exam!"


    "That''s right. He was ranked 25th. His cultivation is at the seventh level of Qi Transformation!"


    "Seventh level of Qi Transformation? No wonder he dared to be the first to go up. It seems like he has confidence in himself!"


    Under everyone''s gaze, Zhou Peijun came to the center of the square and stood still. He cupped his hands at Qiao He from more than ten meters away.


    "I''m Zhou Peijun. Nice to meet you, Senior Brother Qiao!"


    Qiao He smiled and nodded. His expression was calm. It was obvious he didn''t take Zhou Peijun seriously.


    Seeing this, Zhou Peijun was furious. He said, "Senior Brother, be careful." Then, he rushed towards Qiao He.


    Whew!


    A scorching heat wave surged forward!


    Zhou Peijun attacked with all his might. His Mastery zing Sun Palm sted out brazenly, sweeping toward his opponent with the scorching waves that filled the sky.


    The crowd immediately let out a low cry.


    Yang Zhongyi raised his eyebrows and clicked his tongue in wonder.


    "IT have some impressions of Zhou Peijun. During the examination, he seemed to have only reached Proficient in zing Sun Palm. Now, he has reached Mastery. Looks like this guy''s strength has increased a lot this month!"


    Su Nian nodded in agreement.


    When a martial arts technique was advanced by a stage, it would increase one''s overall strength.


    For example, if his zing Sun Palm reached Perfection, his overall strength would increase by at least 20%!


    Therefore, martial techniques were the most important factor in evaluating a cultivator''s strength!


    "What a pity. If I had another month, I would have at least an 80%


    chance of reaching Perfection in zing Sun Palm!"


    Su Nian felt a little regretful and suddenly nced at Lin Shen.


    Actually, from the moment they met just now, he had wanted to ask Lin Shen.


    With Lin Shen''s talent, even if it was only a month, his strength would probably increase greatly.


    However, after hesitating for a while, Su Nian still didn''t ask.


    At this moment, the crowd burst into an uproar.


    The situation on the field suddenly changed. Zhou Peijun, who was pouncing aggressively at Qiao He, was unexpectedly sent flying by Qiao He''s punch and couldn''t fight back at all.


    Thump!


    Zhou Peijun fell heavily to the ground. He clutched his chest and groaned a few times. His face turned red.


    Half of it was pain, and the other half was a shame.


    He had entered the arena in an imposing manner, but in the end, he was defeated in such a sorry state. Furthermore, under the gaze of so many people, he was really embarrassed.


    "You did well, Junior Brother Zhou!"


    Qiao He smiled and cupped his hands. Then, he looked at the crowd.


    "Which Junior Brother or Junior Sister is going to challenge me next?"

 Chapter 78 - 78 Selfishness

    Chapter 78 ¨C Selfishness


    As soon as Qiao He finished speaking, the square fell silent.


    The group of new students looked at each other in silence.


    Zhou Peijun was at the seventh level of Qi Transformation. He was considered one of the best new students, but he couldn''t even withstand a single blow from Qiao He.


    Those who were weaker than Zhou Peijun would only be humiliated if they went up.


    It was only then that many new students realized that this guided battle wasn''t as simple as they had imagined.


    Although the senior students in front of them were the weakest in the Nine Yang Academy, they were undoubtedly very troublesome enemies for the new students!


    Of course, Qiao He had clearly not broken through to the Long Breath Stage yet. No matter how strong he was, there was still a limit.


    As long as the new students went on stage to challenge him one by one, at most 20 to 30 people would exhaust Qiao He''s stamina. At that time, defeating Qiao He wouldn''t be a problem at all.


    But the problem was, who was willing to be one of those twenty to thirty people?


    Human nature was selfish. No one wanted to sacrifice themselves to help others. Instead, they wanted to be the lucky person who defeated Qiao He in the end and obtained the ck iron.


    Under such circumstances, most people didn''t want to volunteer.


    The strange silencested for a long time. Finally, a shout broke the silence in the square.


    "I''ll do it!"


    Chong Yanhe walked out of the crowd and strode towards the center of the arena.


    As a direct descendant of the Chong family, one of the five great families, Chong Yanhe didn''t covet a mere piece of ck iron like other new students.


    Inparison, he hoped to spar with the senior students of the academy and test the difference in strength between him and them.


    Qiao He clearly knew Chong Yanhe. Seeing thetter, Qiao He finally became a little more serious and wasn''t as casual as before.


    Even so, he still had no intention of drawing the weapon at his waist.


    "Aren''t you going to use a weapon?" Chong Yanhe held his sword and frowned. "I don''t need you to go easy on me!"


    "Don''t get me wrong, I''m not doing that." Qiao He smiled.


    "It''s just that I don''t think I need a weapon to deal with you."


    Chong Yanhe''s expression immediately darkened, and anger shed in his eyes. Without saying anything else, he dashed forward, brandishing his sword at Qiao He.


    Compared to Zhou Peijun, Chong Yanhe was clearly superior in both cultivation and martial arts attainments.


    Moreover, after a month of cultivation, his swordsmanship had clearly be more exquisite than before.


    The fierce sword light tore through the void and swept towards Qiao He with a red heat wave that seemed to want to drown him.


    Qiao He chuckled. Instead of retreating, he advanced and met the attack with his bare fists.


    In the blink of an eye, the two opponents were engaged in a fierce battle!


    It turned out Qiao He wasn''t boasting.


    Although without using his weapon, Qiao He could no longer defeat his opponent with a destructive force like he did with Zhou Peijun.


    Even so, he still firmly held the upper hand and suppressed Chong Yanhe not long after.


    "Damn, these seniors are really amazing!"


    Yang Zhongyi was speechless as he gritted his teeth.


    "Not only does he have a high cultivation level, but his martial arts attainments are all shockingly high. Qiao He is using the Vajra Samadhi Fist, right? From the strength of his punch, he''s at least at Proficient!" Vajra Samadhi Fist?


    Lin Shen''s gaze shifted slightly.


    He had heard of this fist technique before.


    It was said to be a Yang-attribute martial technique. Its moves were iparably wondrous, and it also possessed a firm force. The strike was powerful and sharp, and it was very impressive.


    The key was that this martial technique could be cultivated and used from the Qi Transformation Stage to the Bright Aperture Stage.


    Moreover, its power was extraordinary, and the technique was weed by many cultivators.


    Qiao He was at Proficient in Vajra Samadhi Fist. Even most cultivators at the Long Breath realm who cultivated the same martial technique had only reached this stage.


    No wonder Qiao He dared to be so arrogant. He didn''t use a weapon to fight Chong Yanhe because he had something to rely on!


    As Lin Shen''s thoughts raced, the battle had alreadye to an end.


    Even with the advantage of a weapon, Chong Yanhe was still not Qiao He''s match. After more than 50 rounds, Qiao He knocked away Chong Yanhe''s sword with a punch and punched thetter on the shoulder.


    Chong Yanhe immediately grunted and took a few steps back, almost staggering and falling to the ground.


    After catching his breath, Chong Yanhe didn''t look too happy, but he didn''t say anything. He cupped his hands and walked down the arena without looking back.


    Seeing this scene, the new students immediately buzzed.


    Even Chong Yanhe, who was ranked in the top five of the exam, was defeated. How could they fight?


    "Is there anyone else who wants to challenge me?" Qiao He looked down at the new students.


    "Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters, you won''t admit defeat so quickly, right?"


    The new students looked at each other.


    Many people turned to look at Xue Feng, Zhao Xueying, and Lin Shen.


    Apart from Chong Yanhe, these three were the most powerful among the new students.


    At the moment, only they had a chance of defeating Qiao He.


    To their disappointment, Xue Feng just stood therezily with his arms crossed. He had no intention of challenging Qiao He.


    For some reason, Zhao Xueying looked adrift as if she was deep in thought. From time to time, she would nce at Lin Shen.


    As the top new student, Lin Shen also looked calm as if he didn''t realize how disadvantageous the current situation was for the new students.


    Seeing this, many new students couldn''t help but feel dejected.


    The seniors had only sent one person, and the new students already felt helpless. Was the difference in strength between them and the seniors really so great?


    Seeing the reaction of the new students, Qiao He couldn''t help butugh inwardly.


    In fact, if the new students were united, they might be able to defeat the senior students.


    However, in the past few years, there had never been a new student who defeated a senior student. The reason was none other than selfishness.


    Actually, thinking about it, it made sense.There was a deep estrangement between ordinary students and disciples of influential families. It was almost impossible for them to be united.


    Even the ordinary students or new students from the disciples of influential families weren''t united among their own. They also had their own thoughts. Working together was easier said than done.


    Even without the temptation of the bet, the new students wouldn''t be able to unite.


    Therefore, after so many years, the new students could defeat at most two or three senior students in the guided battle, let alone win the battle.


    Most of the time, the battle took ce like this. Just one senior student could make all the new students dejected and silent.


    After waiting for a while, seeing that no new students came forward, Qiao He pursed his lips and turned to look at Meng Dong with a shrug.


    Meng Dong was about to speak when someone suddenly spoke.


    "Isn''t the top new student this year very powerful? Why didn''t he go on stage to challenge Qiao He? Is he scared?"


    Meng Dong turned around and saw that it was Peng Xinyuan who spoke. A meaningful look shed in his eyes.


    The seniors, who had been quiet and motionless, also had strange looks in their eyes. They looked at Lin Shen in the crowd with different expressions.


    Even freshmen like Xue Feng and Chong Yanhe had heard about Peng Xinyuan and Kuang Bao''s n to deal with Lin Shen, so the senior students naturally knew about it.


    Hearing Peng Xinyuan''s words, the new students also looked at Lin Shen.


    Instantly, Lin Shen became the center of attention in the square..

 Chapter 79 - 79 One Strike

    Chapter79 - 79 One Strike


    Their gazesnded on Lin Shen, and the seniors discussed animatedly.


    "Is that Lin Shen?"


    "He doesn''t seem all that special."


    "I heard he was at the ninth level of the Qi Transformation Stage and has even reached Perfection in zing Sun Palm!"


    "That''s not all. You guys know about Condensed Strings, right? I heard Lin Shen has mastered a sound wave martial technique that could suppress Condensed Strings!"


    "Really? He even has such a rare martial technique?"


    "So what? In terms of martial arts attainments, any one of us here is at least as good as him!"


    Many senior students agreed with thest sentence.


    The senior students present had cultivated in the academy for at least a year.


    Their cultivation levels might not be higher than Lin Shen''s, but in terms of martial arts attainments, no one would think they were inferior to him.


    Qiao He thought so too.


    He knew Peng Xinyuan was bullying Lin Shen and forcing him to go on stage, but Qiao He didn''t care about this.


    To be honest, Qiao He also wanted to fight Lin Shen, the first top freshman in the history of the Nine Yang Academy who wasn''t from an influential family.


    If Qiao He could defeat Lin Shen in a head-on battle, his reputation in the academy would definitely soar.


    Such a good opportunity was rare!


    Hence, Qiao He immediately looked at Lin Shen and raised his voice. "Junior Brother Lin, do you want to spar with me?"


    Peng Xinyuan and Kuang Bao looked at each other and smiled.


    The expectation was already so high. If Lin Shen still didn''t go on stage, he would definitely bebeled as a coward.


    It didn''t matter if a cultivator was weaker. He just had to work hard to cultivate and improve.


    However, if he didn''t have the fearless heart to ovee all obstacles and defeat the strong, then no matter how talented he was, his final achievements would definitely be very limited.


    The path of cultivation didn''t only depend on talent. The mentality was also an indispensable and important factor.


    Furthermore...


    Peng Xinyuan looked at the wooden building in the distance. He could vaguely see a few figures in the corridor on the third floor.


    Not only were the new students and seniors present for today''s guided battle, but several institute heads and tutors were also paying attention to the new students¡¯ performance.


    Whether Lin Shen was afraid to fight or suffer a miserable defeat, it would lower his value in the eyes of the institute head and tutors.


    As for Lin Shen, he was a disciple from amoner background. If he didn''t gain the recognition of the institute head and tutors, he would definitely have a hard time in the academy in the future!


    At the thought of this, Peng Xinyuan smiled and looked at Lin Shen mockingly.


    "I want to see how you deal with this situation!"


    Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian frowned and looked at Lin Shen worriedly.


    On the other hand, Lin Shen remained calm in the face of everyone''s expectant or amused gazes.


    Lin Shen slowly walked out of the crowd and stood in the middle of the square.


    "Senior Brother Qiao, nice to meet you."


    "Nice to meet you, Junior Brother Lin."


    Excitement shed in Qiao He''s eyes as he pulled out the weapon at his waist for the first time.


    The sharp de glinted under the sunlight, making one''s heart palpitate.


    "Junior Brother Lin, don''t you use weapons?"


    "I didn''t cultivate any weapon-type martial techniques."


    Qiao He was stunned, then came to a realization.


    Lin Shen wasn''t from an influential family, so it wasn''t surprising that he didn''t have any weapon-type martial techniques.


    Even so, Qiao He had no intention of abandoning his weapon.


    The guided battle didn''t prohibit the use of weapons, and he cultivated weapon-type martial techniques. He didn''t feel using weapons was taking advantage of Lin Shen.


    Moreover, Lin Shen was the top new student. Like him, he was at the ninth level of Qi Transformation. His strength couldn''t be underestimated.


    If he lost to Lin Shen because he didn''t use his weapon, he would probably regret it! Go all out!


    That was the only thought in Qiao He''s mind.


    The center of the square quickly fell silent. The two of them faced each other from afar, and the surrounding air seemed to have be stagnant.


    Sensing that something was about to erupt, the new students couldn''t help but discuss among themselves.


    "I wonder who will win?"


    "It''s hard to say. Their cultivation levels are about the same."


    "Senior Brother Qiao has a higher chance of winning. After all, he has the advantage of a weapon, and his martial arts attainments are very high!"


    "Lin Shen''s attainments in martial arts aren''t weak either, right?"


    "Stop talking. We''ll know once we watch the battle!"


    The discussion quickly disappeared. Everyone held their breaths and stared at the center of the square.


    Qiao He had wanted Lin Shen to attack first because of his seniority, but seeing that thetter had been standing there calmly without moving, he finally exhausted his patience. He suddenly let out a low shout and shed his saber forward.


    Swoosh!


    The air seemed to burn in an instant, and arge wave of air resembling a fire cloud suddenly appeared. As Qiao He''s saber rolled forward, it swept toward Lin Shen with an iparably powerful aura.


    Burning Cloud de!


    During the exam, Yan Xing also used this saber technique.


    However, in terms of momentum and power, Yan Xing was clearly far inferior to Qiao He.


    With this sh, everyone present had the illusion that their vision was filled with fire clouds!


    The new students with weaker willpower almost thought that they were in a sea of fire. They immediately broke out in cold sweats.


    Meng Dong''s eyes lit up.


    "Mastery! Qiao He''s Burning Cloud Saber has broken through again!" Then, he shook his head regretfully.


    Mastery Spirit Burning Cloud Saber was extremely ferocious. Lin Shen, who was unarmed, couldn''t deal with it at all.


    What a pity. If Qiao He hadn''t broken through, Lin Shen still had a chance of winning.


    Thinking of this, Meng Dong couldn''t help but look at Lin Shen with a hint of regret.


    At the same time, many senior students also discovered the profundity of Qiao He''s saber move and looked surprised.


    Peng Xinyuan and Kuang Bao were overjoyed.


    It seemed like there was no need for them to make a move. Qiao He was enough to defeat Lin Shen!


    Sympathy, regret, worry, gloating... Under the gazes of many people around him, Lin Shen remained calm. It was only when the fire cloud approached that he casually pped out.


    It was only an ordinary palm strike, and he didn''t even use any martial techniques. However, when the mighty fire cloud collided with the slender palm, it was as if it had collided with an iron wall and instantly shattered!


    The fire clouds that filled the sky suddenly dissipated, and the cold de was suddenly grabbed by a hand!


    Qiao He was shocked and exerted all his strength, but no matter how the de buzzed, it couldn''t break free from that palm.


    "What happened?"


    Qiao He looked over in shock. Only then did he realize the surface of Lin Shen''s palm was covered in ayer of force that was almost invisible to the naked eye.


    Even though theyer of energy was very thin, it was firmly protecting his palm. No matter how sharp the long saber was, it couldn''t hurt his palm at all.


    "Spiritual essence!"


    Qiao He''s expression changed.


    The moment Qjao He eximed, Lin Shen suddenly closed his fingers. With an ear-piercing sound, he twisted the front of the long saber into a ball.


    Before Qiao He could react, Lin Shen struck him in the chest.


    In an instant, Qiao He was sent flying like a kite with a broken string.


    He fell to the ground with a bang, and before he could howl in pain, he fainted and lost consciousness.


    Silence!


    Everybody fell silent!


    Whether it was the seniors or the new students, everyone was dumbfounded as they watched this scene. Their mouths were wide open, and they were speechless for a long time..

 Chapter 80 - 80 Long Breath Stage New Student

    Chapter 80 - 80 Long Breath Stage New Student


    The huge square fell into a dead silence!


    Everyone heard Qiao He''s shout.


    It was spiritual essence!


    The symbol of a Long Breath Stage cultivator!


    Lin Shen had actually broken through to the Long Breath Stage!


    Even if someone suspected they had misheard it, when they looked at Qiao He lying motionless on the ground, they no longer had any doubts.


    Qiao He was a cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Transformation and had exquisite martial techniques, but he was knocked out by Lin Shen with a casual p.


    No one would believe Lin Shen wasn''t at the Long Breath Stage!


    After a long while, the crowd came back to their senses and instantly caused a hugemotion.


    "Lin Shen has actually advanced to the Long Breath Stage!"


    "Damn! That was so fast!"


    "Unbelievable! It''s only been a month!"


    "Is this guy a monster? His strength has increased so quickly!"


    Exmations rang out continuously.


    Everyone was shocked by the scene in front of them.


    No one expected Lin Shen to have already broken through to the Long Breath Stage.


    "Shit... Lin is incredible!"


    Yang Zhongyi looked at Lin Shen in shock.


    Su Nian couldn''t help but take a deep breath.


    He had expected that Lin Shen''s strength would definitely increase this month, but he had never expected Lin Shen to advance to the Long Breath Stage!


    At this moment, Su Nian felt like he was in a dream.


    "As expected..."


    Zhao Xueying muttered as she looked at Lin Shen withplicated feelings.


    After meeting Lin Shen at the True Martial Pavilion, she suspected Lin Shen might have already broken through to the Long Breath Stage, which was why he went to buy Condensing Pills.


    That spection was too far a stretch that she had never been able to believe it.


    Only then did Zhao Xueying confirm her guess.


    After the surprise, she was filled with shock.


    Zhao Xueying felt she was talented enough. She had been called a genius since she was young, but now, she was simply too pale inparison with Lin Shen.


    "How is that possible..."


    Yan Xing stood rooted to the ground in a daze, his face filled with disbelief.


    No matter what, he didn''t expect Lin Shen to already be a Long Breath Stage cultivator.


    "Did you see that? Lin Shen is incredible, right?"


    Xue Feng sighed and elbowed Chong Yanhe''s waist with a faint smile.


    "How is it? Do you still want to fight Lin Shen?"


    The corners of Chong Yanhe''s eyes twitched slightly, and he was already speechless.


    "Fight? Fight my ass!"


    Even Qiao He had been knocked out by Lin Shen with a casual p.


    Chong Yanhe had lost his battle against Qiao He. If he went up, he would only end up in an even more sorry state!


    Since the establishment of the Nine Yang Academy, there had never been a new student who had reached the Long Breath Stage!


    The highest record any student had maintained so far was to break through to the Long Breath Stage two months after entering the academy.


    It had been five years since the record was created.


    Who would have thought the record would be broken by Lin Shen today?


    Furthermore, he had directly risen by a stage!


    "Is he even human..."


    "Awesome!"


    "Qiao He didn''t lose in vain!"


    "Are all the new students nowadays so talented?"


    Peng Xinyuan and Kuang Bao''s expressions turned ugly when they heard the discussions around them. They couldn''t help but clench their fists.


    The development of the situation waspletely beyond their expectations.


    This way, even if they defeated Lin Shen here today, thetter''s status and reputation in the academy wouldn''t be affected at all!


    A Long Breath Stage new student!


    Anyone who wasn''t stupid could see Lin Shen''s potential and value.


    Even if he lost the guided battle, the institute head and tutors would never look down on him!


    Themotion in the squarested for a while before Meng Dong recovered from his shock. He called a few disciples to carry Qiao He down and looked at Lin Shen with aplicated expression.


    "Junior Brother Lin, you''ve won this round!"


    "Thank you."


    Lin Shen nodded calmly. There was no excitement or joy on his face at all.


    Meng Dong looked at Lin Shen and threw him Qjao He''s ck iron.


    "That''s the promised bet."


    "Thank you, Senior Brother Meng."


    Lin Shen put away the ck iron and looked calmly at the seniors.


    Although he didn''t speak, everyone understood what he meant at the moment.


    "Who''s next?"


    Silence.


    This time, it was the senior disciples¡¯ turn to look at each other.


    In particr, the remaining nine people representing the Yellow disciples were even more speechless.


    After a moment of stalemate, seven of them turned to look at Peng Xinyuan and Kuang Bao.


    In the past guided battles, because the opponents were only a group of new students at the Qi Transformation Stage, the representatives sent by the Yellow-level disciples were often at the Qi Transformation Stage as well.


    At most, they would include a Long Breath Stage cultivator as insurance.


    And this year, because of Lin Shen, two Long Breath Stage cultivators, Peng Xinyuan and Kuang Bao, unprecedentedly appeared among the representatives.


    This backup n was to ensure that the "n" was foolproof.


    ording to past years'' experience, Long Breath Stage disciples usually didn''t need to make a move. Just Qi Transformation Stage disciples were enough to defeat new students.


    Even Peng Xinyuan and Kuang Bao didn''t think they needed to fight.


    However, the backup n would actually be put into use!


    When Lin Shen revealed the strength of the Long Breath Stage, the other Qi Transformation disciples were no longer his match.


    Only those at the Long Breath Stage could deal with him.


    Right now, only Peng Xinyuan and Kuang Bao could fight Lin Shen.


    "What should we do? Xinyuan, are we still going to fight him?"


    Kuang Bao asked in a low voice that only the two of them could hear.


    Peng Xinyuan''s expression changed several times. In the end, he gritted his teeth and said, "Of course, we have to make a move! Young Master Yan told us to defeat Lin Shen ruthlessly in the guided battle. As for the rest, it''s not something we need to consider!"


    Kuang Bao thought about it and agreed. Although the development of the situation was beyond their expectations, what they wanted to do remained unchanged. They had to defeat Lin Shen.


    As for whether the impact would be as expected, it wasn''t something they had to consider.


    In short, they didn''t want to achieve anything, but they also didn''t want to make any mistakes.


    With that in mind, Kuang Bao made up his mind and said in a deep voice, "In that case, I''ll deal with Lin Shen!"


    Peng Xinyuan nced at him. "Are you sure?"


    "Don''t worry. He has just advanced to the Long Breath Stage. I can easily deal with him!"


    Kuang Bao smiled confidently.


    His confidence was genuine.


    Although Lin Shen''s advancement to the Long Breath Stage was shocking, one could understand after thinking about it carefully.


    Kuang Bao advanced to the Long Breath Stage for half a year. His stage was stable, and he was proficient in martial arts. Lin Shen had just advanced not long ago and hadn''t even had the time to cultivate weapon-type martial arts. It was clear who was the superior one. Peng Xinyuan quickly understood this and nodded at Kuang Bao.


    Kuang Bao''s expression turned serious as he strode toward the center of the square.


    "Lin Shen, let me fight you!"


    Wow!


    Even though they had already guessed it, when they saw Kuang Bao, a Long Breath Stage disciple, enter the arena with their own eyes, the new students couldn''t help but exim softly.


    Many new students looked at Lin Shen with vague reverence and admiration.


    No matter what the oue of this battle was, in their eyes, Lin Shen''s status was already on par with those senior students..

 Chapter 81 - 81 Meltdown! Extraordinary Martial Arts Attainments! (1)

    Chapter 81: Meltdown! Extraordinary Martial Arts Attainments! (1)


    Seeing that it was Kuang Bao, Lin Shen wasn''t surprised at all.


    He had long expected that these two people would never give up.


    Meng Dong looked at Kuang Bao and asked, "Junior Brother Kuang, what are you going to use as a bet?"


    Kuang Bao hesitated for a few seconds and took out a thumb-sized porcin bottle from his storage jade te.


    "There are five drops of Mystic Bone Liquid here. Is that enough for the stakes?"


    Meng Dong took the jade bottle and examined it. He smiled and nodded.


    "It''s enough."


    As if he was worried that Lin Shen and the new students didn''t know the value of this thing, Meng Dong even patiently exined.


    "The Mystic Bone Liquid can strengthen a cultivator''s skin, flesh, and bones. The effect is limited if consumed orally, but it can greatly increase the efficiency of martial technique cultivation when used to assist in cultivating martial techniques like Physical Enhancement!


    "The price of a drop of Mystic Bone Liquid is about 200,000 spirit coins on the market!"


    Ssss!


    Many of the new students took a deep breath and looked at the porcin bottle with eager eyes.


    A drop of Mystic Bone Liquid was worth 200,000 spirit coins, so the contents in this porcin bottle would be worth more than a million spirit coins!


    For a moment, many new students looked at Kuang Bao in surprise.


    They didn''t expect this Senior Brother to be so generous that he took out treasures worth millions as a bet.


    They didn''t know Kuang Bao didn''t have a choice.


    A million spirit coins was also arge sum to him.


    If possible, he didn''t want to take out the Mystic Bone Liquid.


    However, ording to the unwritten rules of the past years, once a Long Breath Stage disciple fought, the bet they took out had to match their status as a Long Breath Stage cultivator. A mere ck iron was definitely not enough.


    Even if Meng Dong didn''t say anything, Kuang Bao couldn''t bring himself to do so. Therefore, he could only grit his teeth and take out the Mystic Bone Liquid.


    However, on second thought, the Mystic Bone Liquid was just a bet. As long as he defeated Lin Shen, he could get it back. Kuang Bao immediately felt assured.


    "I''ll just leave it with Meng Dong for the time being!"


    Kuang Bao''s eyes flickered. When he looked up at Lin Shen again, his eyes were filled with a cold smile.


    Lin Shen didn''t care about Kuang Bao''s gaze. His gazended on the porcin bottle in Meng Dong''s hand, and he smiled to himself.


    What a timely gift!


    This Mystic Bone Liquid could be used to cultivate the Forbidden Golden Armor!


    As Meng Dong pulled away, the air in the middle of the square suddenly became intense.


    The surrounding spectators subconsciously slowed down their breathing and stared fixedly at the arena, afraid that they would miss anything.


    Everyone wanted to know who would win thispetition!


    "Su, what do you think? Who will win?" Yang Zhongyi leaned over and asked in a low voice.


    Su Nian hesitated and shook his head with a frown.


    "Hard to say."


    Although he said that, Su Nian was still more worried about Lin Shen.


    Although Kuang Bao was only at the first level of the Long Breath Stage, it had been a long time since he had made the advancement. In addition, Kuang Bao had the advantage of using a weapon. If they really fought, Lin Shen was still at a greater disadvantage.


    In fact, most of the people around them had simr thoughts and didn''t think highly of Lin Shen.


    Zhao Xueying also subconsciously clenched her fists. A rare trace of nervousness appeared on her usually calm face.


    Perhaps it was because they were both freshmen, but she didn''t want Lin Shen to lose from the bottom of her heart.


    Under everyone''s excited or nervous gazes, the battle in the middle of the square suddenly started.


    Kuang Bao was the first to attack.


    With a nging sound, the long saber in Kuang Bao''s hand suddenly shed forward in the air. In an instant, the saber light shed, and the scarlet cloud burned brightly, turning into a rapidly spinning scarlet light that aimed for Lin Shen''s head!


    Kuang Bao was also using Mastery Burning Cloud Saber, but in terms of momentum and power, the force was far superior to Qiao He''s. The difference between the two was like the difference between heaven and earth!


    That was the difference between having spiritual essence!


    Under the cirction of spiritual essence, the power of any martial technique would more than double!


    "What a shocking aura!"


    Many Qj Transformation disciples were shaken by Kuang Bao''s saber.


    To be honest, they would definitely be devoured and minced by the saber light and scarlet cloud if they faced this fierce strike!


    However, to everyone''s surprise, Lin Shen''s response to the sharp saber beam was exactly the same as when he fought Qjao He previously. He still struck out with his palm.


    Seeing this scene, everyone''s expressions changed.


    Many people couldn''t help but cry out.


    A look of astonishment shed across Kuang Bao''s eyes before it turned into a sneer and ridicule.


    Although Lin Shen looked very carefree when he destroyed Qiao He''s weapon with his bare hand just now, that was because he had taken advantage of his spiritual essence!


    Kuang Bao was at the Long Breath Stage, and his weapon was wrapped in spiritual essence, so Lin Shen''s move would no longer work.


    However, Lin Shen still dared to use the same trick again. How stupid!


    "Idiot!"


    Kuang Bao sneered in his heart and increased the strength in his hands.


    ng!


    Under the shocked gazes of the surrounding people, the saber and palm collided violently in the void!


    What made everyone''s jaws drop was that the anticipated scene never happened, and there was no sshing blood.


    When the sharp steel de struck Lin Shen''s palm, it actually made a crisp sound like metal colliding.


    In the next second, Kuang Bao suddenly let out a miserable cry. He quickly let go of the hilt of his saber as if he had been scalded. He covered his palm and retreated as he looked at Lin Shen in horror.


    Everyone quickly looked over and was shocked to discover that Kuang Bao''s steel saber had turnedpletely red. The de was twisted and deformed, and the handle of the wooden sheath had exploded like charred wood.. It was as if it had been thrown into a furnace for a long time!

 Chapter 82 - 82 Meltdown! Extraordinary Martial Arts Attainments! (2)

    Chapter 82: Meltdown! Extraordinary Martial ArtsAttainments! (2)


    "What happened?"


    "Was that a martial technique? zing Sun Palm?"


    "Impossible. When did the zing Sun Palm have such power? Even the Perfection stage couldn''t do that."


    "This power is too terrifying!"


    Many senior students were shocked.


    Kuang Bao''s steel saber was a product of the Nine Yang Academy''s Artificial Pavilion. Although it wasn''t an enchanted armament, it was still a Hundred Refinement weapon. Its quality was much better than ordinary superior weapons. Even if it was set on fire for more than half an hour, it wouldn''t turn red or distort. Who would have thought that it would be destroyed and deformed by Lin Shen in a single blow?


    "Does anyone know what martial technique this is?"


    "I think I know what it is. He seems to be using Meltdown!"


    "Meltdown? That powerful martial technique worth eight merit points in the Merit Department?"


    "It should be. I remember Meltdown specializes in disarming all kinds of weapons and can melt metal. Ordinary weapons can''t withstand it at alll


    "I didn''t expect Lin Shen to actually cultivate such a powerful martial technique!"


    "As far as I know, Lin Shen had already demonstrated three martial techniques in the exam. With the addition of the Meltdown... Is this guy really a new student? Where did he get so much energy and time to cultivate so many martial techniques at the same time?"


    The senior students all looked distressed.


    When they had just entered the academy, those who could master three martial techniques at the same time were already outstanding.


    However, Lin Shen had mastered four of them at the same time!


    Furthermore, his zing Sun Palm seemed to have reached Perfection.


    Thispletely went against the principle of biting off more than one could chew!


    How did he do that?


    Amidst the cries of surprise, the senior students who had said their martial arts attainments weren''t inferior to Lin Shen''s blushed and looked embarrassed.


    Peng Xinyuan stared at Lin Shen with a livid expression, his head filled with bewilderment.


    "Damn it! Where did he find Meltdown?"


    However, the most shocking one was Kuang Bao.


    He held his burnt palm tightly, his face contorting in pain as he red at Lin Shen in shock and anger.


    "Meltdown! You..."


    Unfortunately, Lin Shen didn''t intend to waste his breath on Kuang Bao. He dashed forward and was attacking Kuang Bao again.


    Kuang Bao was shocked and furious, but he could only brace himself to face the attack.


    He immediately took out a spare weapon from his storage jade te, but his dominant hand had long been injured. The power of the Burning Cloud Saber wasn''t even half of what it was before.


    Coupled with the fact that the weapon was restrained by Meltdown, Kuang Bao didn''t dare to fight Lin Shen head-on.


    With all the restraints, Kuang Bao didn''t stand a chance. He was beaten to the point that he was in a sorry state.


    Seeing this scene, everyone was silent.


    Just a moment ago, they were still feeling regretful and sympathetic for Lin Shen. Who would have thought that in the blink of an eye, he would gain the upper hand in the battle with Kuang Bao?


    Now, Kuang Bao was about to be defeated!


    Such a sudden change made the spectators a little absent-minded.


    Whew!


    Under the full strength of Perfection-stage Shadows, Lin Shen almost turned into an afterimage as he shed around Kuang Bao, forcing thetter to parry in a fluster.


    Kuang Bao was bound to make a mistake after defending himself for a while. After a wrong move, he heard a tooth-numbing crunch. The long saber in his hand was once again pinched into a red metal ball by Lin Shen.


    Kuang Bao''s expression changed.


    However, this time, before he could take out a new weapon, Lin Shen had already moved like a whirlwind. He suddenly arrived behind Kuang Bao and struck thetter on his back.


    In an instant, many people couldn''t help but close their eyes.


    Meltdown was so powerful. It could even melt steel, let alone flesh and blood.


    As expected, in the next second, an extremely miserable scream rang out. Kuang Bao was sent flying forward andnded heavily on the ground with a thump.


    One could clearly see that the clothes on his back hadpletely turned to ashes, and the exposed flesh was burned and bleeding. It was a tragic sight!


    There was a faint burnt smell in the air.


    One could imagine that if not for the protection of his spiritual essence, Kuang Bao would have definitely lost his life.


    Even so, Kuang Bao had already fainted from the intense pain andy motionless on the ground.


    n | | | n


    Even though they had expected this when they saw Kuang Bao lose to Lin Shen with their own eyes, the people nearby still gasped.


    Many people looked at the scene in front of them in a daze, their hearts filled with disbelief.


    The senior students were in a daze.


    This was the first time they had seen a new student defeat a senior at the Long Breath Stage in a guided battle!


    This was the first time since the establishment of the Nine Yang Academy!


    After being stunned for a few seconds, Meng Dong seemed to have woken up from a dream. He looked at Lin Shen in surprise and immediately announced loudly,


    "Junior Brother Lin wins this round!"


    With that, he threw the porcin bottle containing the Mystic Bone Liquid at Lin Shen.


    Lin Shen casually took it and put it away. Then, he looked at Peng Xinyuan indifferently.


    At the same time, everyone turned to look at Peng Xinyuan.


    The pressure was suddenly on him.


    Now that Kuang Bao had been defeated, he was the only one among the senior representatives who could fight Lin Shen.


    If even he lost, then the new students would undoubtedly win the guided battle.


    If that were the case, it would be big news!


    Peng Xinyuan''s face twitched when he saw all the gazes, and he walked to the center of the arena with a dark expression.


    This action immediately ignited the crowd, and the excited atmosphere quickly spread among them.


    "Peng Xinyuan is finally going to make a move!"


    "It''s thest battle!"


    "Tsk tsk, I didn''t expect the older students to be forced to this extent by the new students one day!"


    "It can''t be helped. No one knew someone like Lin Shen would show up this year!"


    The senior students sighed.


    The new students were unable to contain their excitement.


    The only simrity was that everyone was staring at the center of the arena, eagerly anticipating the start of this battle.


    Under everyone''s watchful eyes, Peng Xinyuan came to the center of the arena and stood still. Without waiting for Meng Dong to speak, he threw him a wooden box that was about a foot long.


    "There are three Golden Flying Arrows in it!:


    Meng Dong opened it and took a look. Sure enough, there were three-foot-long golden arrows in the wooden box. The surface of the arrows was engraved with dense runes, exuding a soul-stirring aura of metal.


    "That''s right, it''s indeed the Golden Flying Arrow!"


    Meng Dong''s eyes lit up, and he nodded with a smile.


    "Although the Golden Flying Arrow is only a disposable treasure, its power is unparalleled. If used properly, one Golden Flying Arrow can even easily injure an early-stage Longevity Breath cultivator!


    "One Golden Flying Arrow is sold for 500,000 spirit coins in True Martial Pavilion. These three arrows are worth a total of 1.5 million spirit coins. It''s enough to be used as a bet!"


    The new students eximed again.


    Especially ordinary students.


    Initially, they thought the ck iron was already expensive enough.


    They didn''t expect to see Mystic Bone Liquid which was worth a million and the treasure which was worth as much as 1.5 million spirit coins.


    They had nevere into contact with so many precious treasures.


    Today, they learned something new!


    Lin Shen nodded to himself. This was the main reason why he stood up to fight without hesitation even though he knew someone was plotting against him.


    The bets that the seniors took out were all good stuff!


    After defeating Peng Xinyuan, the value of the items he obtained today would exceed three million spirit coins!


    He hadn''t even umted so many spirit coins before!


    They were virtually sending him gifts!


    Thinking of this, Lin Shen looked at Peng Xinyuan with a much gentler gaze.


    Noticing Lin Shen''s gaze, Peng Xinyuan became even angrier. He snorted coldly and flipped his wrist. A two-foot-long scarlet sword appeared in his palm.


    Peng Xinyuan didn''t make any moves, but the longsword in his hand instantly lit up with a dazzling red light, and torrential waves of fire surged out from the tip of the sword, extending nearly half a meter.


    As the red light breathed in and out, the fire waves surged. An iparably zing aura suddenly spread out, and the temperature in the surrounding air instantly soared!


    The sudden change caused amotion in the surrounding crowd.


    "Three Suns Talisman Sword!"


    Yang Zhongyi''s expression suddenly changed, and he red at Peng Xinyuan.


    "What a shameless fellow! He''s actually using an enchanted armament!"


    Su Nian''s expression changed as well.


    Enchanted armaments, as the name suggested, referred to weapons and tools that had already entered the ranks of treasures. They possessed unimaginable power and far exceeded ordinary weapons!


    A suitable enchanted armament could greatly increase a cultivator''sbat strength!


    More importantly, enchanted armaments weren''t as fragile as ordinary weapons.


    Even Meltdown couldn''t easily cause damage to enchanted armaments.


    Peng Xinyuan took out his enchanted armament, which happened to counter Lin Shen''s Meltdown!

 Chapter 83 -83 Forbidden Golden Armor! Terrifying Potential! (1)

    Chapter 83: Forbidden Golden Armor! Terrifying Potential! (1)


    "Three Suns Talisman Sword?"


    "Peng Xinyuan is really good! Where did he get the enchanted armament?"


    "That''s not right. The Three Suns Talisman Sword costs 10 merit points. Where did Peng Xinyuan get so many merit points? Doesn''t he need to exchange for cultivation resources?"


    "What do you think? Just think about who''s Peng Xinyuan''s patron!" The senior students discussed animatedly.


    Many people even had envious expressions.


    It was the dream of many Long Breath Stage cultivators to have a handy enchanted armament.


    However, it wasn''t easy to make enchanted armaments, and most of them were in the hands of the three major sects. They were almost never sold on the market. Even the True Martial Pavilion didn''t sell them.


    No matter how many spirit coins one spent, one couldn''t easily purchase an enchanted armament.


    The only way to obtain an enchanted armament was to join the three major sects, including their affiliated academies.


    For example, the Nine Yang Academy''s merits department had the Three Yang Talisman Sword, an enchanted armament that could be exchanged for.


    However, the exchange conditions were extremely high. Only a very small number of Yellow-rank disciples could gather enough merit points to exchange for the Three Yang Talisman Sword.


    Peng Xinyuan wasn''t one of them.


    Then it was obvious where his Three Yang Talisman Sword came from.


    "The Yan brothers are really putting in a lot of effort!"


    Xue Feng looked at Yan Xing, who was sneering not far away and couldn''t help but grin.


    Looking at Yan Xing''s previous reaction, the Yan brothers clearly didn''t know Lin Shen had already advanced to the Long Breath Stage.


    Under such circumstances, they still sent Peng Xinyuan and Kuang Bao, two Long Breath Stage disciples. They also gave Peng Xinyuan an enchanted armament. They were determined to suppress Lin Shen at all costs!


    But then again, because they had been so cautious, from the moment Kuang Bao was defeated, their n to suppress Lin Shen might havepletely failed.


    After all, Peng Xinyuan and Kuang Bao''s strengths were about the same. They were both at the first level of the Long Breath Stage.


    Kuang Bao had suffered a crushing defeat at Lin Shen''s hands, and Peng Xinyuan was probably no better.


    Who would have thought Lin Shen would be so strong?


    Not only had he advanced to the Long Breath Stage, but he had also cultivated an iparably powerful martial technique like Meltdown!


    "Unfortunately, Meltdown''s greatest advantage no longer exists in the face of the Three Yang Talisman Sword. In fact, Lin Shen is at a disadvantage. To a Long Breath Stage cultivator, the advantage that an enchanted armament can bring is too great!"


    Xue Feng sighed.


    Chong Yanhe frowned and opened his mouth, but in the end, he didn''t say anything.


    As a disciple of influential families, he knew the power of enchanted armaments better than anyone else.


    Facing Peng Xinyuan, who had the Three Yang Talisman Sword in his hand, although Lin Shen might not lose the battle his chances of winning had greatly decreased.


    Thispetition wasn''t looking good for Lin Shen.


    In the crowd, Zhao Xueying stared at the Three Suns Talisman Sword in Peng Xinyuan''s hand and frowned.


    With the Three Yang Talisman Sword in hand, Peng Xinyuan was much more confident. When he heard the exmations from the surroundings, he couldn''t help but smile smugly.


    "So what if you have Meltdown? I don''t believe you can destroy my Three Yang Talisman Sword!"


    With a loudugh, Peng Xinyuan suddenly took a step forward and shed down with the talisman sword in his hand.


    In an instant, the red light on the de exploded. It instantly covered a distance of seven to eight meters and turned into a heat wave that swept toward Lin Shen!


    In the heat wave that assaulted Lin Shen, there was also the sharpness unique to the talisman sword that directly pressed against Lin Shen''s chest!


    A sharp and short sword cry rang out in the air!


    Lin Shen''s expression didn''t change. He suddenly opened his mouth and shouted. The surging sound waves distorted the air, leaving visible traces. They crashed into the iing heat wave like billows hitting the shore!


    BOOM!


    The heat wave and sound wave both copsed and shattered, turning into a gust of violent wind.


    Peng Xinyuan''s talisman sword shed through the wind. The cold tip of the sword continued to charge at Lin Shen!


    Instead of retreating, Lin Shen advanced. He reached out and grabbed the iing sword edge.


    Swoosh!


    Like a piece of red-hot iron falling into the water, the Three Suns Talisman Sword instantly sizzled, and wisps of white smoke suddenly rose from the sword.


    Peng Xinyuan was shocked when he saw this. He quickly retreated and looked at the talisman sword in his hand.


    To his relief, there were only a few faint finger marks on the sword. It wasn''t damaged and could be recovered after nurturing it with spiritual essence for a period of time.


    "Did you see that? Your Meltdown is useless against the Three Suns Talisman Sword!"


    Peng Xinyuan''s expression became even morecent. Heughed loudly and rushed forward again. The longsword in his hand shed down at Lin Shen.


    Lin Shen clicked his tongue and felt a little regretful.


    In the past two days, he had only cultivated Meltdown to Proficient.


    If he was given a little more time to raise Meltdown to Perfection, together with the enhancement of his Pure Yang Body talent, he might be able to cause damage to the Three Yang Talisman Sword!


    But now, Lin Shen was only unafraid of the Three Yang Rune Sword. It was impossible for him to destroy his opponent''s weapon like before. Even so, Lin Shen didn''t panic because of this.


    After all, Meltdown wasn''t his only trump card!


    As his thoughts raced, Lin Shen already had a n in mind.


    ng! ng! ng!


    The deafening sound of metal shing echoed in the air above the square!


    Lin Shen and Peng Xinyuan almost turned into two balls of afterimages as they flew around the center of the square.


    They were colliding and intersecting.


    Every time the two of them shed, arge red cloud-like wave of fire would burst out, asionally apanied by waves of dragon roars!


    Many people watching the battle were dazzled.


    This was especially true for the new students. Many of them were dumbfounded.

 Chapter 84 - 84 Forbidden Golden Armor! Terrifying Potential! (2)

    Chapter 84: Forbidden Golden Armor! Terrifying Potential! (2)


    If they hadn''t seen it with their own eyes, they would never have imagined that one of the parties in this intense battle was actually a new student like them!


    They would never expect a person could resist the power of an enchanted armament with his bare hands!


    Relying on the power of the talisman sword, Peng Xinyuan rarely defended himself and focused more on attacking.


    His attacks were swift and fierce. As he brandished his talisman sword, countless surging waves of fire appeared around him, like a wide-open beast''s mouth that ruthlessly devoured Lin Shen.


    On the other hand, Lin Shen was dodging most of the time.


    Relying on his movement technique that was clearly more exquisite than Peng Xinyuan''s, he kept dodging the attack of the sword light and fire waves.


    asionally, when he really couldn''t withstand it, he would use Meltdown to resist the Talisman Sword''s edge.


    They were in a deadlock.


    As they fought, Peng Xinyuan gradually lost his Patience.


    He had thought with the Three Yang Talisman Sword, defeating Lin Shen would be a piece of cake. However, Lin Shen was so difficult to deal with and had relied on his superb martial arts techniques to fight Peng Xinyuan to a draw.


    At this point, Peng Xinyuan''s patience was almost exhausted, and he gradually couldn''t control his anxiety.


    Swoosh!


    Peng Xinyuan struck out with his sword. He thought Lin Shen would dodge like before, but unexpectedly, Lin Shen charged forward without dodging.


    Seeing this, Peng Xinyuan was stunned at first, then he looked ecstatic.


    "You asked for it!"


    Overjoyed, Peng Xinyuan mobilized his spiritual essence without hesitation and injected it into the talisman sword.


    The sharp sword instantly shone brightly, almost turning into a ball of dazzling mes. It pierced through the void like a bolt of lightning and stabbed towards Lin Shen!


    Peng Xinyuan was very confident. Even with the protection of spiritual essence, this strike was enough to seriously injure Lin Shen and make him lose hisbat strength, thuspletely losing this battle!


    Thinking of this, Peng Xinyuan couldn''t help but smile.


    The surrounding spectators also let out low gasps of shock.


    They couldn''t understand why Lin Shen would do such a rash thing.


    If this was a real life and death battle, how was this any different from tempting fate?


    Under many shocked and puzzled gazes, the mes formed by the talisman sword quickly arrived in front of Lin Shen.


    However, just as the mes were about to hit Lin Shen, thetter suddenly shed with a dark golden light!


    The dark golden light was as thin as a cicada''s wing, as if it could be broken with a poke. However, when the talisman sword with zing mes struck it, it let out a muffled sound. The tip of the sword seemed to have been hit and was unable to advance an inch.


    Peng Xinyuan''s eyes widened in disbelief. He exerted his strength and stabbed fiercely. The talisman sword were pushed on both ends, and the de instantly bent like an arc, but it couldn''t break through that thinyer of dark golden light!


    "How is this possible?!"


    Peng Xinyuan looked like he had seen a ghost.


    What was that? It could actually block the Three Suns Talisman Sword.


    Unfortunately, he didn''t have much time to be shocked or confused.


    Taking advantage of this short moment, Lin Shen pounced forward and struck down with Meltdown!


    In order to defeat Lin Shen in one go, Peng Xinyuan had already used 100% of his strength in that attack just now. At this moment, he had exhausted all his strength and had yet to recover. How could he have the strength to dodge and defend himself? He could only watch helplessly as Lin Shen''s palmnded on his chest and abdomen.


    Thump!


    Peng Xinyuan was sent flying with a muffled sound. He spat out a mouthful of blood in midair.


    Phew!


    As soon as the blood left his mouth, it vaporized into a blood mist that filled the sky. That was how high the temperature was.


    When everyone looked at Peng Xinyuan again, they saw his chest and abdomen were already charred ck. It was a tragic sight!


    Thump!


    Peng Xinyuan fell heavily to the ground. Before he could even say a word, his head tilted, and he lost consciousness.


    The square returned to silence in the blink of an eye.


    No one made a sound.


    Everyone watched this scene with their mouths agape for a long time.


    From the moment Lin Shen took the initiative to face the talisman sword until Peng Xinyuan fell to the ground and fainted, the whole process onlysted a few seconds.


    A second ago, everyone was still puzzled by Lin Shen''s "recklessness"


    and felt sorry for him. The next second, they realized Peng Xinyuan was lying on the ground motionless, obviously having lost the game.


    Such a sudden change stunned many people. They stood rooted to the ground, their minds nk.


    After a long while, the crowd seemed to have woken up from a dream and suddenly burst into an uproar.


    "Lin Shen won?"


    "Oh my god... What''s going on?"


    "What was thatyer of dark golden light on Lin Shen''s body just now?


    A Physical Enhancement martial technique?"


    "What kind of Physical Enhancement martial technique is so powerful that even the Three Yang Talisman Sword can''t injure it at all? Even the Crimson Cloud Physical Enhancement doesn''t have a such strong defense!"


    Crimson Cloud Physical Enhancement was a famous Physical Enhancement martial technique in the Nine Suns Sect.


    Many disciples of the Nine Yang Academy who cultivated the Physical Enhancement martial technique chose to cultivate the Crimson Cloud.


    However, even at Mastery, Crimson Cloud Physical Enhancement couldn''t block the full-strength attack of an opponent of the same level with the Three Yang Talisman Sword.


    Could Lin Shen have cultivated a Physical Enhancement martial technique that was even more powerful than the Crimson Cloud Physical Enhancement?


    "This should be his fifth martial technique..."


    "That''s right, it''s the fifth..."


    "At this age, he cultivated five martial arts techniques at the same time, and all of them are quite advanced. His talent is incredible!"


    "I''ve never seen such a genius!"


    The senior students looked at Lin Shen in surprise.


    They had thought four martial arts techniques were already powerful enough, but Lin Shen had once again surprised them. In the blink of an eye, he had revealed another powerful martial arts technique.


    The senior students had cultivated for a year or two more than Lin Shen, but it didn''t change anything. Apart from the breathing technique, they had only mastered four or five martial arts techniques.


    They were far inferior to Lin Shen!


    Making suchparisons could be so frustrating!


    In the middle of the square, Meng Dong was stunned for a long time before he slowly came back to his senses. He looked at Lin Shen with mixed emotions.


    "Junior Brother Lin wins this round!"


    As Meng Dong announced the results of thepetition in a loud voice, the mor in the surroundings instantly became even louder.


    With Peng Xinyuan''s defeat, anyone could see the oue of this guided battle without suspense.


    Even Peng Xinyuan and Kuang Bao, two Long Breath Stage disciples, had been defeated by Lin Shen. How could the remaining seven Qi Transformation Stage disciples be Lin Shen''s match?


    That was the truth. After the seven people gathered together and discussed in low voices for a moment, one of them walked out of the crowd and made the announcement.


    "We admit our defeat. This time, Lin Shen... I mean, Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters won the battle!"


    Wow!


    The freshmen immediately burst into cheers.


    Apart from a very small number of people, most of the new students felt happy from the bottom of their hearts.


    After all, no one was really willing to go to the spirit mine outside the city to mine for three days.


    "Good job, Lin!"


    Yang Zhongyi waved his fist excitedly.


    "This guy really surprises us every time!"


    Su Nian nodded with a smile.


    During the three consecutive matches, he thought Lin Shen was going to lose many times. Who would have thought Lin Shen would surprise him every time?


    Zhao Xueying let out a long sigh of relief. She pursed her lips, and a bright smile appeared on her face.


    In a corner of the crowd.


    Yan Xing stood rooted to the ground in a daze.


    Li Zijun and the others stood around him, looking at each other. They were all dejected and couldn''t say a word.


    Not far away, Xue Feng saw this scene and mockery shed in his eyes.


    "This time, the Yan brothers went for wool and came home shorn. Not only did they fail to suppress Lin Shen, but they also became a stepping stone for Lin Shen''s reputation to soar. Hehe..."


    Chong Yanhe cast a sidelong nce at Xue Feng. "You''ve been criticizing the Yan brothers since just now. Why? Do you have a grudge against those two?"


    "I just don''t like them." Xue Feng shrugged. "However, it''s true that there are some conflicts between our two families."


    Chong Yanhe nodded in understanding and didn''t ask further. Instead, he turned to look at Lin Shen, his eyes flickering.


    "After today, Lin Shen''s name will definitely spread throughout the entire academy!"


    Xue Feng nodded in agreement.


    "That''s right. On the day he entered the academy, he defeated two Long Breath Stage disciples and led the new students to win the guided battle. This is the first time since the establishment of the academy.


    What Su Liuying couldn''t do back then was done by Lin Shen.. I dare say that not only the lower house, but even the upper house will probably pay attention to Lin Shen!"

 Chapter 85- 85 Advancing to Black Rank, Risk, and Opportunity (1)

    Chapter 85: Advancing to ck Rank, Risk, and Opportunity (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Just as the square was bustling with noise, on a wooden building a thousand meters away, four or five people in long robes with extraordinary bearings saw the scene just now with different expressions.


    If a senior student was here, he would be able to recognize that the people standing there were all tutors and heads of the academy.


    The leader was Si Yuanpei, one of the three institute heads of the lower house.


    "Forbidden Golden Armor..."


    Si Yuanpei muttered to himself. There was no change in his expression.


    After a moment, he spoke again.


    "Master Ke."


    Ke Ya immediately took a step forward.


    "Yes, Master Si. What can I do for you?"


    "Is there a vacancy for ck-rank disciples?"


    Ke Ya thought for a moment and replied, "Two days ago, a ck-rank disciple identally died while on a mission. Thetest round of disciple-level challenges was held five days ago, so we can''t rece the candidates in time. Therefore, the new candidates will be decided by the tutors after some discussion."


    "There''s no need to negotiate. Let Lin Shen fill the spot."


    As soon as he said this, all the tutors present, including Ke Ya, were stunned.


    After being stunned for a moment, Ke Ya hesitated and said, "Master Si, I''m afraid this isn''t appropriate. Although Lin Shen is talented and has extraordinary strength, he''s only outstanding among the new students. Even among the Yellow-rank disciples, he''s not the best, let alone among ck-rank ones.


    "If we promote Lin Shen to a ck-rank disciple all of a sudden, I''m afraid he''ll be the target of public criticism!"


    Si Yuanpei wasn''t angry when he heard the objection. He ced his hands behind his back and said calmly, "Is Lin Shen not the target of public criticism now?"


    "Well ..."


    Ke Ya was speechless.


    Ke Ya had long heard that some disciples of influential families had joined forces to suppress Lin Shen in the guided battle.


    But the academy had always encouragedpetition and adhere to thews of the jungle where the strong preyed on the weak, so he didn''t interfere to stop it.


    To be honest, Lin Shen''s performance today surprised Ke Ya.


    However, he also understood after today, while Lin Shen''s reputation in the academy would soar, he would probably encounter even more hostility.


    It would eithere from disciples of influential families who didn''t like him or the senior students who were afraid he would take their spots and snatch their resources.


    Just as Si Yuanpei had said, even if Lin Shen didn''t advance to a ck-rank disciple, he was already the target of public criticism!


    As his thoughts raced, Ke Ya quickly understood Si Yuanpei''s intentions.


    Since Lin Shen was already the target of public criticism, he might as well give Lin Shen a push.


    This would undoubtedly give Lin Shen more unwanted attention, but at the same time, it would also allow him to obtain more resources and opportunities!


    If Lin Shen could get through this, he would definitely have a more promising future.


    Wait!


    Ke Ya''s heart skipped a beat.


    Although he stayed in the academy all year round, he also had a deep understanding of the struggles of the sects and factions.


    The academy was a miniature version of the sect, and there was nock of power struggles inside.


    As far as he knew, Si Yuanpei seemed to be at odds with the influential families.


    The purpose of this decision might be to groom Lin Shen into an example against influential families!


    Advancing to a ck-rank disciple was Si Yuanpei''s test for Lin Shen!


    At this thought, Ke Ya suddenly came to a realization. He shut his mouth and did not say anything else.


    He didn''t want to get involved in the battle between the two forces.


    However, while Ke Ya remained silent, another tutor stood up and said, "Lord, Lin Shen is from a poor background, but he cultivates many powerful martial techniques. Could there be someone else behind him..."


    He didn''t finish the sentence, but everyone understood what he meant.


    Ke Ya nced at the tutor and recognized him as Si Yuanpei''s trusted subordinate. He was most likely worried that Lin Shen had the support of other influential families.


    However, before Si Yuanpei could speak, another tutor chuckled and said, "I know a little about this. ording to Banner Officer Han Wu of the Martial Hall, Lin Shen has a God Seeking Token that belongs to the cat general. He also has a spiritual cat by his side."


    The tutors were instantly relieved.


    The person who had the cat general''s God Seeking Token had most likely made some kind of deal with the cat general. If nothing went wrong, those martial techniques should have been obtained from the cat general.


    That Divine Lord had a lot of connections with the three major sects of Dragonside City.


    After more than a thousand years, the cat general had collected countless martial techniques of the three great sects.


    Logically speaking, these martial techniques shouldn''t be allowed to be circted by the cat general. However, the high-ranking official of the three sects turned a blind eye to it. Naturally, the people below wouldn''t interfere in this matter.


    As time passed, it became what it was today.


    "The path of cultivation is filled with obstacles. Without the will and determination to face difficulties head-on, how can one achieve the Great Dao?"


    Si Yuanpei looked in the direction of the square, then turned around nd left the corridor.


    "I''ll leave the rest to you."


    The tutors bowed in unison.


    "See you, Master Si!"


    In the middle of the square.


    Taking the wooden box containing the Golden Flying Arrow from Meng Dong, Lin Shen couldn''t help but sigh inwardly.


    If such a gamble happened a few more times, he wouldn''t have to worry about cultivation resources for the next month.


    Unfortunately, the remaining seven Yellow-rank disciples admitted defeat without even fighting. Otherwise, he could still win some resources.


    "Congrattions, Junior Brother Lin!"


    Meng Dong cupped his hands at Lin Shen with a smile.


    Although he had lost the guided battle and had to go to the spirit mine outside the city to mine for three days, Meng Dong didn''t look unhappy at all. Instead, he was rather enthusiastic about Lin Shen.


    Lin Shen smiled and was about to speak when he was interrupted by the sound of air being torn.


    He turned around and saw a stream of light approaching from afar. It approached the square at an astonishing speed andnded in the center of the square in the blink of an eye.


    The light dissipated, revealing the figure inside..

 Chapter 86 - 86 Advancing to Black Rank, Risk and Opportunity (2)

    Chapter 86: Advancing to ck Rank, Risk and Opportunity (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    It was a young man in his twenties. A talisman on his leg was slowly turning into ashes and dissipating.


    "I came with Master Si''s order!"


    The young man shouted loudly, attracting everyone''s attention.


    "Lin Shen has performed exceptionally well and is overflowing with talent. From today onwards, he will be promoted to ck rank!"


    The square suddenly fell silent.


    Soon after.


    The crowd instantly erupted.


    "No way, a ck-rank disciple?"


    "You''re not kidding, are you?"


    "Ridiculous! A new student advancing to a ck-rank disciple? I''ve never heard of it!"


    "Did Master Si really say that?"


    The crowd was in an uproar, and countless people shouted their doubts aloud.


    This was especially true for the senior students, who couldn''t believe their eyes.


    It was no wonder that they were so agitated. This news was simply too shocking.


    Since the establishment of the academy, there had never been a new student who became a ck-rank disciple as soon as he entered the academy!


    Yes, Lin Shen was indeed powerful and had shocking talent, but he was only a new student after all.


    There were many Yellow-rank disciples who were stronger than Lin Shen. It wasn''t his turn to be promoted to a ck-rank disciple!


    What about the Yellow-rank disciples?


    "Silence!"


    The young man suddenly shouted. His voice containing spiritual essence spread out like muffled thunder, instantly suppressing themotion in the square.


    He looked around with eyes as sharp as a bolt of lightning and said calmly, "This is Master Si''s decision. If anyone has any objections, you can report it to Master Si!"


    Everyone''s expressions froze.


    Who was he kidding?


    With Master Si''s authority, how could he have the time to deal with these Yellow-rank disciples?


    After shocking everyone with his words, the young man no longer paid attention to them. He turned around and went up to Lin Shen. His indifferent expression changed, and a gentle smile appeared on his face.


    "Junior Brother Lin, ording to Master Ke''s instructions, I''ll be in charge of showing you around the academy."


    Only then did Lin Shen recover from the shock of advancing to a ck-rank disciple. He nced at Meng Dong when he heard this.


    Thetter immediately said, "This is Senior Brother Kou Ming, a ck-rank disciple!"


    "Senior Brother Kou, Thank you!"


    Kou Ming waved his hand amiably. "We''re all ck-rank disciples.


    Junior Brother Lin, you don''t have to be so polite."


    Meng Dong was speechless as he watched this.


    He had met Senior Brother Kou Ming a few times before, and thetter was usually not so easy to talk to. But now, he was so kind to Lin Shen.


    It seemed Master Si thought highly of Lin Shen.


    Meng Dong was thinking about this when Lin Shen turned around and said,


    "Senior Brother Meng, thank you for your help."


    Meng Dong was shocked and hurriedly waved his hand.


    "I''m not a Senior Brother. Senior Brother Lin, you can just call me Junior Brother or Meng Dong!"


    Lin Shen was slightly stunned.


    Kou Ming exined with a smile,


    "Junior Brother Lin, the disciples of the same rank in the academy are ranked ording to their age. The disciples of different ranks are ranked ording to their ranks. You''re already a ck-rank disciple now. ording to the rules, Yellow-rank disciples should call you Senior Brother!"


    Lin Shen was stunned. He didn''t expect there to be such a rule.


    However, on second thought, he realized this might be another interpretation of their strength.


    Sighing to himself, Lin Shen turned around and waved at Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian before following Kou Ming out of the square.


    The guided battle had already ended. Lin Shen didn''t want to stay and be surrounded likest time, so he left with Kou Ming first.


    With a ck-rank disciple like Kou Ming around, those disciples who wanted to build a good rtionship with Lin Shen didn''t dare to approach him. They could only watch helplessly as the two of them disappeared at the exit of the square.


    It was not until the two of them left that the quiet square became noisy again.


    "Is Lin Shen really a ck-rank disciple?"


    "Senior Brother Kou is a ck-rank disciple. Even he personally came to wee Lin Shen. Looks like it''s true!"


    "He became a ck-rank disciple as soon as he entered the academy.


    This is like reaching the heavens in a single step. I''m so envious!"


    Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian looked at each other, still in a daze.


    How did Lin Shen suddenly be a ck-rank disciple?


    What was going on?


    On the other hand, Zhao Xueying, Xue Feng, and Chong Yanhe were deep in their thoughts.


    Not long after.


    Kou Ming brought Lin Shen to arge courtyard.


    On the que at the entrance of the courtyard were the words "Merit Hall".


    "Junior Brother Lin, this is the Merit Hall. This is the ce where all the disciples who enter the academy will interact the most in the future!"


    Lin Shen nodded slightly.


    He had long learned from Yang Zhongyi that apart from the fixed resources that the academy''s disciples were allocated ording to their status and level every month if they wanted to obtain more cultivation resources, they had toplete the missions issued by the academy and obtain merit points to exchange for them.


    Whether it was epting missions or exchanging resources, they were all carried out in the Merit Hall in front of him.


    The two of them walked side by side into the courtyard.


    After passing through the courtyard, Lin Shen saw a long and spacious corridor.


    Kou Ming pointed to the left and said, "Going in from here is the ce to ept missions. Come. I''ll show you."


    The two of them then passed through the corridor and arrived at a hall filled with tall cabs.


    Looking over, the cabs were neatly arranged. There were rows of horizontal logs on them, and every row was filled with dense wooden tablets.


    If one took a closer look, one would notice the wooden tablets were filled with tiny words.


    "These wooden tablets are all about the mission."


    Kou Ming casually took off one and handed it to Lin Shen.


    Lin Shen thanked him and took it to take a closer look.


    "Ten-day shift in the spiritual mine outside the city. Requirement: Qi Transformation Stage. Reward: 30 merit points!"


    He looked at the other wooden tablets.


    "Assist in handling misceneous matters in the Alchemy Division for half a month. Requirement: Qi TransformationStage. Reward: 40 merit points!


    "Collect five wood spirit herbs that are at least 30 years old. Reward: 80 Merit Points!


    "Head to the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range to kill a white-eyed demonic spirit tiger. One needs to retrieve the tiger''s spine as proof.


    Requirement: Long Breath Stage. Reward: a minor merit!


    "15 kilometers west of the city, there''s a suspected appearance of a spiritual beast in the Jade Water Lake. Go and investigate. If you find a spiritual beast, you need to find detailed information about its strength. Requirement: Long Breath Stage. Reward: three minor merits!


    The array of missions dazzled Lin Shen.


    He looked around. There were at least 20 to 30 simr cabs in the hall. If every wooden tablet on each cab represented a mission, the number of missions would be at least 1,000 to 2,000.


    Nine Yang Academy had no more than 800 disciples, including this year''s new students.


    Would they be able toplete so many missions?


    Seeing the change in Lin Shen''s expression, Kou Ming thought for a moment and understood what he was puzzled about. He exined with a smile,


    "Junior Brother Lin, although there are many missions here, more than half of them are collection missions, such as this."


    Kou Ming pointed at the wooden tablet with the mission to collect wood spirit herbs.


    "Most of these missions are issued by the Alchemy Division and the Artifact Pavilion. These two ces require arge number of materials to refine various pills, weapons, and enchanted armaments all year round, so they often issue bounties for various materials in the hall.


    These missions will be announced here almost around the year. Even if someonepletes them, they won''t take down the wooden token."


    Lin Shen was enlightened. So these were all permanent missions.


    Kou Ming smiled and continued, "Let me tell you in detail about the types of missions. The missions in the Merit Hall can roughly be divided into four types. The collection type I told you about just now is one of them. In addition, there is intelligence, crusade, and duty."


    With Kou Ming''s exnation, Lin Shen gradually gained a rough understanding of the missions.


    The so-called intelligence mission was usually to investigate the situation inside and outside the city.


    For example, whether there were spiritual beasts or unorthodox cultivators hiding.


    Such missions are often subject to high levels of uncertainty.


    Sometimes they were only false rms, and sometimes they contained an unforeseen great danger.


    Therefore, the disciples of the academy would be extremely cautious when epting such missions, afraid that they would identally step into a trap.


    Crusade-type missions, as the name suggested, were rted tobat.


    The content of such missions was often to exterminate spiritual beasts, demons, and all kinds of mutated creatures.


    Because they needed to fight, it was more dangerous, but the rewards were often more generous.


    As for thest type of duty mission, the content was usually to guard the various spirit mines and beast fields outside the city or to assist in the academy''s Artifact Pavilion, Alchemy Division, and herb garden.


    There was almost no danger in such missions, but inparison, the reward was the lowest among the four types..

 Chapter 87 - 87 Merit and Exchange! Kou Mings Reminder!(1)

    Chapter 87: Merit and Exchange! Kou Ming''s Reminder!(1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    There were also missions outside of the four categories, but the number was very small. Kou Ming only briefly mentioned them.


    After listening to Kou Ming''s exnation, Lin Shen had a rough idea of how to ept the mission in the future.


    Right after that,


    Kou Ming brought Lin Shen to another hall on the right side of the corridor.


    "This is a ce to exchange resources."


    Kou Ming strode to a cab and knocked on it.


    "Please give me an exchange list."


    The person standing behind the cab immediately handed over a list.


    Kou Ming handed it to Lin Shen.


    "Pills, weapons, enchanted armaments, martial techniques, talismans, rare herbs... Basically, all the resources we need for cultivation can be found here. As long as you have enough merit points, you don''t have to worry aboutcking cultivation resources in the academy!"


    Lin Shen took the list and flipped through it carefully.


    The first was the pill portion.


    Essence Tempering Pill, 4 Merit Points/Bottle (12 pieces).


    Origin Pills, 6 Merit Points/Bottle (12 pieces)


    Condensing Pills, 36 Merit Points/Bottle (12 pieces)


    Prime Pills, 50 Merit Points/Piece


    "A bottle of Condensing Pills in the True Martial Pavilion is priced at 360,000 spirit coins. In that case, one merit point is worth about 10,000 spirit coins!"


    Lin Shen couldn''t help but click his tongue.


    In the mission he saw just now, the lowest reward was 30 merit points, which was a total of 300,000 spirit coins!


    Thinking about how he had obtained a treasure worth 3,000,000 spirit coins in a day, Lin Shen couldn''t help but sigh.


    Just two months ago, he was worried about a few thousand spirit coins.


    However, as his strength increased, the amount of money he came into contact with becamerger andrger. Now, he had assets that were worth millions.


    Moreover, any mission hepleted would earn him hundreds of thousands of spirit coins.


    In the past, it would have been unimaginable.


    "As expected, as my cultivation level rises, money bes just a number."


    Calming himself down, Lin Shen continued reading.


    After the pills were the weapons.


    Excellent grade long saber/sword (Ordinary), 5 Merit Points/piece.


    Hundred Refinement grade long saber/sword (Ordinary), 30 Merit Points/piece.


    Storage jade te, 50 merit points/piece.


    Seven Stars Sword (Ordinary/Talisman Weapon), one minor merit/piece


    Storage bag (enchanted armament), 3 minor merit/piece.


    Bind Yang Robe (enchanted armament), five minor merits/set


    Three Yang Talisman Sword (enchanted armament), ten minor merits/piece.


    Lin Shen was dazzled by the dense array of weapons and enchanted armaments. There were probably hundreds of them!


    He even saw the Three Suns Talisman Sword inside!


    Lin Shen really wanted this powerful enchanted armament that could withstand Meltdown.


    Unfortunately, the Three Yang Talisman Sword could only be exchanged for ten minor merits.


    Judging from the mission reward just now, ten minor merits was clearly not a small amount. Lin Shen could only temporarily suppress is desire.


    Apart from the weapons and enchanted armaments listed on the list, there were also options to customize weapons.


    Spears, whips, axes, ropes, hammers, all kinds of hidden weapons... As long as one could afford to pay the merits, Artifact Pavilion could ustomize the weapons you needed.


    Of course, such customized weapons were often expensive.


    Therefore, unless they cultivated special martial techniques, most disciples were more inclined to use the standard weapons on the list. Lin Shen continued reading.


    When he flipped to the next page, his eyes lit up.


    Moving Star Steps, two minor merits.


    Burning Cloud Saber, three minor merits.


    Supreme Yang Swordy, four minor merits.


    Vajra Samadhi Fist, five minor merits.


    Crimson Cloud Physical Enhancement, seven minor merits.


    Meltdown, eight minor merits.


    Essence Sword Finger, ten minor merits.


    Compared to pills or enchanted armaments, the exchange conditions for martial techniques were clearly higher.


    Lin Shen was also surprised to discover that Meltdown was among them.


    Moreover, the exchange requirement was as high as eight minor merits. It was even more expensive than enchanted armaments like the Bind Yang Gown. It was almostparable to the Three Yang Talisman Sword!


    As he continued reading, Lin Shen''s eyes lit up.


    Golden Crow Scripture, one medium merit!


    Behind the martial techniques and cultivation techniques on the list, there were descriptions of their specific power, cultivation conditions, and so on written in small fonts.


    The cultivation condition of the Golden Crow Scripture happened to be the Long Breath Stage.


    This was a cultivation technique at the Long Breath Stage!


    "Finally found it!"


    Lin Shen was delighted.


    After advancing to the Long Breath Stage, the efficiency of the Origin Breathing Technique had greatly decreased. Back then, Lin Shen had wanted to enter the Nine Yang Academy and looked for cultivation techniques at the Long Breath Stage.


    Fortunately, the results didn''t disappoint him. There was indeed a Long Breath Stage cultivation technique in the Nine Yang Academy that could be exchanged for!


    However, one medium merit...


    Lin Shen pondered for a moment and raised his head to ask Kou Ming for guidance.


    "Senior Brother Kou, is there any exnation for the merits?"


    Kou Ming smiled and exined patiently,


    "From low to high, merits are divided into merit points, minor merit, medium merit, and major merit. The rarer the item, the higher the merit level needed to exchange for it.


    "Higher merits can be exchanged for lower merits in a ratio of 1:10. For example, one major merit can be exchanged into ten medium merits.


    It''s the same with medium merits and minor merits. However, minor merits and merit points are an exception. A minor merit can be exchanged into 100 merit points.


    "Of course, it''s limited to exchanging upper-level merit points for lower-level merit points. The reverse is not possible."


    Lin Shen was enlightened, and then his heart skipped a beat.


    In that case, Meltdown''s eight minor merits were worth eight million spirit coins!


    It turned out that Tian Dian had given him a generous gift!


    Lin Shen couldn''t help but sigh.


    Unfortunately, Nine Yang Academy prohibited disciples from privately teaching martial techniques. Otherwise, he might be able to earn a small fortune by peddling Meltdown manual.


    At this moment, Kou Ming suddenly chuckled and asked,


    "Junior Brother Lin, do you want to exchange for the Golden Crow Scripture?"


    Lin Shen''s expression changed. He nodded and said, "That''s right. Does Senior Brother have any advice for me?"


    "Not really."


    Kou Mingughed.


    "Every disciple who advances to the Long Breath Stage in the academy can obtain the Golden Crow Scripture for free. There''s no need to waste merit points in exchange for it.."

 Chapter 88 - 88 Merit and Exchange! Kou Mings Reminder!(2)

    Chapter 88: Merit and Exchange! Kou Ming''s Reminder!(2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Lin Shen was stunned. He pointed at the list and said in surprise, "But here..."


    "That''s for disciples at the Qi Transformation Stage. Some disciples feel they can''t stay in the academy until they graduate, so they risk their lives to earn merit points to exchange for the Golden Crow Scripture so that they can continue cultivating when they advance to the Long Breath Stage one day after leaving the academy."


    "I see." Lin Shen was enlightened.


    After that, he flipped through the list of talismans, rare herbs, and so on.


    As expected, there were also more varieties than he could count in each category.


    Lin Shen was very tempted by a lot of things.


    However, as soon as he saw the merit points needed to exchange for them, Lin Shen shook his head. He suppressed his excitement and looked away.


    After spending more than ten minutes, Lin Shen roughly browsed through the list and got a general idea.


    "T almost forgot about something."


    Kou Ming suddenly smacked his forehead and smiled.


    "Junior Brother Lin, you are now a ck-rank disciple. ording to the academy''s rules, you can receive three minor merits every month.


    This is one of the benefits of being a ck-rank disciple."


    Three minor merits!


    Lin Shen was secretly amazed.


    That was equivalent to three million spirit coins!


    And it was only one of the benefits!


    The Nine Yang Academy was indeed rich!


    "Senior Brother Kou, how are the benefits of the other ranks?"


    "Disciples without any rank can get 30 merit points every month.


    Yellow-rank disciples get one small merit every month. As for Heaven-rank and Earth-level disciples, they get one medium merit and five minor merits every month, respectively."


    Lin Shen nodded.


    The difference in treatment between each level was quite big.


    One or two months wouldn''t make much, but after an entire year, the gap would umte to dozens of minor merits!


    No wonder so many disciples wanted to climb up the ranks!


    "Exchanging resources requires an identity token. Let''s go, Junior Brother Lin. I''ll take you to get an identity token now."


    The two of them then left the Merit Hall.


    On the way, when they passed by some wooden buildings built against a mountain, Kou Ming pointed at them.


    "Junior Brother Lin, that''s where the disciples live!"


    Lin Shen looked over. Although those wooden buildings weren''t luxurious, they were still elegant and had an antique feel to them.


    Moreover, he didn''t know if it was his imagination, but he felt this ce looked more beautiful than others. After looking at it for a long time, he actually felt rxed.


    Noticing Lin Shen''s surprise, Kou Ming exined with a smile, "The wooden buildings in that ce have all been set up with array formations, including the Spirit Gathering Array, the Silent Array, the Heart Cleansing Array, the House Protection Array, and many other array formations. They increase the efficiency of cultivation, provide soundproof function, protect the disciples, and calm one''s mind. In terms of spiritual essence density, they''re almost at the Teaching Room level!"


    Lin Shen''s expression changed.


    The cultivation grounds of cultivators were collectively called cave abodes.


    Depending on the number of essence lodes and the amount of spiritual essence, the abodes could be divided into six levels: Heavenly ce, Blessed Land, True Pce, Essence Prefecture, Profound Cottage, and Teaching Room.


    Among them, the first two levels were extremely rare, and they were naturally nurtured by the heavens and earth. No one could create them.


    No matter how powerful a cultivator master was, they could only move Heavenly ces and Blessed Lands around but never create them out of thin air.


    Any Heavenly ce or Blessed Land could be the foundation of a sect.


    Therefore, every time a new Heavenly ce or Blessed Land was found in history, severalrge cities would fight for it. Blood would spill, and there would be countless casualties.


    As far as Lin Shen knew, the headquarters of the three major sects in Dragonside City were three Blessed Lands.


    As for the space where the Nine Yang Academy was located, although it was called a Blessed Land by the disciples, it was actually just an Essence Prefecture. It wasn''t even a True Pce, let alone a Heavenly ce.


    Even so, the Nine Yang Academy was already a cultivation holynd that many cultivators yearned for.


    Any cave abode was precious.


    Even the Teaching Room was a panacea for cultivators below the level of a cultivator master!


    It was the kind that could take effect for a long time!


    At the thought that the hundreds of wooden buildings in the distance were all Teaching Rooms, Lin Shen couldn''t help but click his tongue.


    He once again experienced the wealth of the Nine Yang Academy.


    "ording to the concentration of spiritual essence, the Teaching Rooms there are divided into four grades: A, B, C, and D. The higher the grade of the disciple, the higher the grade of the Teaching Room they can be assigned to. ording to the rules, ck-rank disciples can be assigned to a C-grade Teaching Room to live in."


    Kou Ming chuckled.


    "Of course, the academy doesn''t force its disciples to live here. They an also live outside."


    Lin Shenughed and shook his head.


    With a cave abode that could increase the efficiency of cultivation, who would be willing to stay outside?


    Unless they were those disciples of influential families who could obtain a better cultivation environment.


    Kou Ming clearly knew which one Lin Shen would choose, so he just said it casually. He smiled and continued to lead the way.


    Not long after.


    The two of them arrived at a crowded courtyard.


    Looking over, Lin Shen saw a que hanging on the door of the courtyard. On it were the words "Internal Affairs Department".


    Disciples in Daoist robes were hurrying in and out.


    When they walked through the door, they happened to pass by a simple-looking man who looked to be in his thirties.


    Kou Ming took a few steps forward and stopped the man.


    "Tao, wait!"


    The man looked up and saw that it was Kou Ming. A smile immediately appeared on his face.


    "Brother Kou, why do you have time toe to the Internal Affairs Department? Are you here to inspect us?"


    From his demeanor, it was obvious he was very familiar with Kou Ming.


    "What are you talking about?"


    Kou Ming scolded jokingly and introduced Lin Shen to him.


    "This is Junior Brother Lin. He just reported to the academy today and is now a ck-rank disciple."


    At first, Tao listened with a smile, but when he heard thest sentence, his smile froze, and he looked at Kou Ming in shock..

 Chapter 89 - 89 Merit and Exchange! Kou Mings Reminder!(3)

    Chapter 89: Merit and Exchange! Kou Ming''s Reminder!(3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    "ck-rank disciple?"


    Lin Shen had just reported to the academy today, so he was a new student.


    But how could a new student be a ck-rank disciple?


    Tao wondered if he had heard it correctly.


    "Yes, he''s a ck-rank disciple!"


    Kou Ming chuckled, clearly very satisfied with Tao''s astonishment.


    "Junior Brother Lin defeated the senior students in the guided battle and performed exceptionally well. Master Si personally ordered him to be promoted to a ck-rank disciple!"


    Tao was immediately filled with deep veneration. When he looked at Lin Shen again, his expression was already fawning and solicitous.


    The genius that Master Si valued would definitely have a bright future.


    He couldn''t be neglected!


    "Nice to meet you. My name is Tao Zongbao. You can call me Old Tao!"


    "Nice to meet you. Just call me Lin Shen." Lin Shen cupped his hands.


    After exchanging a few pleasantries, Kou Ming went straight to the point.


    "Tao, I brought Junior Brother Lin here to collect his identity token and Daoist robe. In addition, Junior Brother Lin has already advanced to the Long Breath Stage, so bring him a Golden Crow Scripture while you''re at it."


    Tao Zongbao almost bit his tongue when he heard this. He couldn''t help but swallow.


    A Long Breath Stage new student!


    Gosh! no wonder Master Si personally ordered him to be promoted to a ck-rank disciple!


    He was so talented!


    Thinking of this, Tao Zongbao didn''t dare to be negligent. He immediately asked someone to bring the things over.


    Not long after.


    Three sets of Daoist robes, an identity token of unknown material, a jade talisman the size of a finger, and a blue secret manual with the words "Golden Crow Scripture" written on the front was handed to Lin Shen.


    "Fellow Daoist Lin, your three minor merits have been distributed this month. With your identity token, you can go to the Merit Hall to exchange for cultivation resources at any time.


    "Also, this is the token of Teaching Room C171. Only by holding this token can you open the Teaching Room. I''ve already arranged for someone to clean it. There are all the furniture and supplies inside.


    "If you need anything else in the future, feel free toe to me. I''ll do everything in my power to help you!" Tao Zongbao patted his chest and smiled.


    Lin Shen thanked him and put everything away.


    After walking out of the Internal Affairs Department, Kou Ming smiled and said,


    "Tao is a deacon of the Internal Affairs Department. Although he doesn''t have a high status, he''s been with the academy for a long time and has a lot of connections. He can''t resolve big matters, but he''s the man to go to for minor issues. In the future, if you encounter any difficulty in the future, you can look for his help."


    Lin Shen''s heart skipped a beat. He nodded calmly and smiled. "I understand."


    "Alright, my mission ispleted. I won''t disturb you anymore."


    At this point, Kou Ming hesitated and suddenly lowered his voice.


    "Junior Brother Lin, let me remind you. The academy''s rank challenge is held every three months, and thest one ended five days ago. There are less than three months left until the next one.


    "With your current situation, many people must be onto you. They''re waiting for the rank challenge to rece you as a ck-rank disciple. You have to be prepared!"


    Lin Shen''s expression turned serious as he nodded solemnly.


    "I understand. Thank you for your reminder, Senior Brother!"


    Kou Ming patted Lin Shen''s shoulder and left without saying anything else.


    He reminded Lin Shen mainly because he valued Lin Shen''s potential and wanted to give him a good impression in advance.


    Of course, more importantly, as a ck-rank disciple, Lin Shen''s existence did not affect his interests. In fact, it was beneficial to him.


    As long as Lin Shen was around, most of the Yellow-rank disciples would definitelye after him. In three months, there would be fewer people challenging Kou Ming.


    After watching Kou Ming leave, Lin Shen left the Internal Affairs Department.


    He didn''t go to Teaching Room C-171 immediately. Instead, he returned the way he came and arrived at the Merit Hall.


    In the Mission Hall.


    Lin Shen slowly moved between the shelves, his gaze quickly sweeping across the wooden tablets.


    Not long after.


    He found his target.


    "Collecting ck iron of a purity of at least 95%. Reward: 2 merit points/kg!"


    As expected!


    A look of joy appeared on Lin Shen''s face. He flipped his wrist, and something appeared in his palm.


    It was the ck iron he had won from Qiao He!

 Chapter 90 - 90 Beginner in Golden Crow Scripture (1)

    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    When Lin Shen heard from Kou Ming most of the collection missions were issued by the Artifact Pavilion and the Alchemy Division, he had an idea. He guessed there was a high chance that some of these missions would need ck iron.


    After all, ck iron was one of the mostmonly used materials for forging weapons and even enchanted armaments.


    The result was just as he had expected.


    Lin Shen immediately took off the wooden token.


    Just as he was about to hand over the mission, he nced at a wooden token on the left from the corner of his eye. He immediately let out a low cry and stopped in his tracks.


    "Collect a Yin Extreme Grass no less than 30 years. Reward: 80 merit points!"


    "There''s also Yin Extreme Grass!"


    Lin Shen was overjoyed.


    The Yin Extreme Grass he obtained from Luo Yi was almost useless to him. It would be best if he could exchange it for merit points!


    Lin Shen took off the wooden token without hesitation. Then, he went to the counter near the door and ced the two wooden tokens on the counter.


    "Excuse me, I have missions to hand over."


    Standing behind the counter was a young girl with delicate features.


    She looked to be about 20 years old.


    She seemed to have seen many disciples directlye over with wooden tokens to hand over missions. Seeing this, she wasn''t surprised. She picked up the wooden token with familiarity and took a look. Then, she took the ck iron and Yin Extreme Grass from Lin Shen and skillfully weighed the iron, and determined the grass''s age. After a moment, the girl looked up and smiled.


    "ck iron weighs 12kg, which is a total of 48 merit points. The Yin Extreme Grass is between 30 and 40 years old. You have fulfilled the mission condition. The reward is 80 merit points. Together, you''ll be rewarded 128 merit points. Please show me your identity token!"


    Lin Shen handed over his identity token.


    The girl took the token and checked it. After confirming there were no mistakes, she took a brush and began to write and draw on a nk notebook.


    From Lin Shen''s angle, he could see the ck calligraphy and paintings on the page appear one after another before quickly disappearing.


    When the girl put down the brush, the notebook was still nk. The girl smiled and handed the token back.


    "128 merit points have been registered."


    Lin Shen clicked his tongue in wonder. He guessed the brush and the notebook were probably some kinds of enchanted armaments.


    After thanking her, Lin Shen left with his identity token and prepared to exchange for resources.


    After watching Lin Shen walk out of the hall, the girl behind the


    counter tilted her head in confusion.


    "How strange. That person looks unfamiliar. Is there such a person among the ck-rank disciples? Did he just advance in the rank challenge a few days ago?


    "But I don''t think I''ve seen this person among the Yellow-rank disciples either."


    Lin Shen arrived at the hall where resources were exchanged.


    He flipped through the list and began to think about what to exchange for.


    The martial techniques were definitely what he wanted the most.


    For example, the Essence Sword Finger was worth ten minor merits.


    It was a powerful martial technique that could release sword energy with one''s fingers. It could be used to perfect his martial technique system.


    In addition, there was also the Supreme Yang Swordy which was worth four minor merits. It could make up for hisck of weapon-type martial techniques.


    Unfortunately, Lin Shen only had three minor merits at the moment.


    He couldn''t even afford the Supreme Yang Swordy, let alone the Essence Sword Finger.


    "Forget it. I''ll cultivate Dragon Roar Through the Clouds, Forbidden Golden Armor, and Meltdown to Perfection first. After that, I should have enough merit points to exchange for martial techniques."


    Lin Shen also wanted enchanted armaments, the Bind Yang Gown, and the Three Yang Talisman Sword.


    However, just like martial techniques, he couldn''t afford them at the moment.


    Fortunately, the pills were something he could afford.


    One bottle of Condensing Pills cost 36 merit points. Lin Shen immediately exchanged for three bottles.


    Three bottles of Condensing Pills were enough tost him for a while.


    As for the three minor merits, he nned to save them up for the time being.


    After all, once minor merit was exchanged for merit points, it could never be exchanged back.


    Many of the precious items on the list could only be exchanged with minor merits.


    After exchanging for the Condensing Pills, Lin Shen rushed to the residential area.


    On the mountain path surrounded by wooden buildings, many disciples in Daoist robes came and went in a hurry.


    However, when Lin Shen stepped onto the mountain path, the surrounding atmosphere suddenly changed. Many people subconsciously slowed down and looked at him at the same time, pointing and whispering.


    "Is that Lin Shen?"


    "That''s right. He''s the new chief disciple of the new students who defeated two Long Breath Stage disciples!"


    "I heard Master Si even promoted him to a ck-rank disciple!"


    "Damn, I''m so envious! It took me two years to be a ck-rank disciple, but he became one the moment he entered the academy!"


    "It couldn''t be helped. He''s insanely talented. He''s a new student at the Long Breath Stage! This is the first time since the establishment of the academy. Isn''t that incredible?"


    It was obvious the news of the guided battle had already spread.


    Along the way, Lin Shen became a panda in the zoo, and countless people surrounded and pointed at him.


    Fortunately, it didn''t take long for him to find Building C171. He immediately opened the door with the token and hid inside.


    The surroundings suddenly fell silent. The array formation of the wooden building blocked all the gazes.


    This ce had be a small ind isted from the world.


    Lin Shen heaved a long sigh of relief. He looked around and checked the environment in the wooden building.


    The wooden building was spacious and had two floors.


    There was a living room, a kitchen, and a balcony.


    There were also three bedrooms, each with a separate bathroom.


    In addition, there was also a modified cultivation room. The floor and walls inside were covered with ayer of metal that looked like iron or copper. It was extremely hard and was probably more than enough to withstand the attacks of a Long Breath Stage cultivator. It was enough to deal with daily martial arts cultivation.


    In order to match the overall style of the academy, the decorations in the wooden building were antique and elegant..

 Chapter 91 - 91 Beginner in Golden Crow Scripture (2)

    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    However, the interior didn''t feel cheap. Instead, it was veryfortable and showed a lot of consideration.


    "Nice!"


    A smile appeared on Lin Shen''s face. He was very satisfied with his residence for the next five years.


    What made him even happier was that ever since he entered, he could feel the air filled with a spiritual aura.


    Bathed in this spiritual aura, Lin Shen felt his body was nourished from the inside out. It was as if his entire body had been cleansed.


    He hadn''t even started cultivating yet.


    One could imagine how shocking the speed of cultivation would be if one cultivated in such an environment!


    "If the effects of a C-grade Teaching Room are already so shocking, what effects would a B-grade or even A-grade Teaching Room have?"


    Lin Shen couldn''t help but think in excitement.


    After a while, he came back to his senses and calmed down. He went to the cultivation room and sat cross-legged. He took out the Golden Crow Scripture and began toprehend it.


    Although the Golden Crow Scripture was a cultivation technique at the Long Breath Stage, it wasn''t very difficult.


    It was even simpler than Shadows.


    Lin Shen and his five clonesprehended it at the same time.


    Coupled with the enhancement of his talent, it only took half a day for him to sessfully reach the Beginner stage of the Golden Crow Scripture.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: God''s Jealousy]


    [Stage: Long Breath Level 1, 86%]


    [Cultivation techniques: Golden Crow Scripture (Beginner 1%), zing Sun Palm (Perfection), Shadows (Perfection), Dragon Roar Through the Clouds (Proficient 28%), Meltdown (Proficient 4%), Mortal Restrain (Proficient 2%), Forbidden Golden Armor (Beginner 16%)]


    [Number of clones: 5 (10%)]


    "The Origin Breathing Technique has been reced."


    Lin Shen was slightly stunned.


    Fortunately, this didn''t affect other aspects. After calming himself down, Lin Shen took out a Condensing Pill and swallowed it before starting to cultivate.


    After cultivating the Golden Crow Scripture, his cultivation speed indeed increased greatly. In less than an hour, the medicinal power of a Condensing Pill had beenpletely digested.


    Lin Shen rested for a while and continued to take the Condensing Pill to cultivate.


    At the same time, the five clones in his mind also began to cultivate.


    The three clones with pure Yang bodies, Superior Martial Arts, and Testify by Killing focused on cultivating martial techniques.


    The two clones with Perseverance and God''s Jealousy focused on cultivating the Golden Crow Scripture.


    The wooden building fell into silence in the blink of an eye.


    In the dark cultivation room.


    Yan Jingren sat cross-legged on the floor. His eyes were closed, and his chest was rising and falling slowly in a mysterious pattern.


    A few meters away, Yan Xing knelt on the ground. He lowered his head dejectedly, his face pale and silent.


    The cultivation room was silent, but the atmosphere was especially heavy, giving out a terrifying pressure.


    In just a moment, Yan Xing''s back was drenched in a cold sweat.


    After a while, Yan Jingren finally let out a long breath and opened his eyes from his cultivation.


    In an instant, it was as if lightning had shed in the dark room, making Yan Xing subconsciously close his eyes.


    When he opened his eyes again, he met his brother''s indifferent gaze.


    Yan Xing had been in awe and worship of his big brother since he was young. When Yan Jingren looked at him, he couldn''t help but tremble.


    Yan Jingren sighed inwardly and spoke slowly.


    "You''re not to me for this failure."


    The stern reprimand Yan Xing expected didn''t happen. When Yan Xing heard what his brother said, he couldn''t help but feel a little stunned.


    He raised his head and looked at his brother in shock.


    "Your arrangements were already careful enough, but the increase in Lin Shen''s strength was astonishing, exceeding everyone''s imagination. This time, you were bound to lose!"


    "Brother..."


    Yan Xing''s face flushed red as he clenched his fists tightly.


    Yan Jingren''s words made him heave a sigh of relief. At the same time, he felt indignant and humiliated.


    His big brother had always had high standards and didn''t praise others easily. However, he was amazed by Lin Shen, his enemy. It was really depressing!


    Yan Xing''s expression changed several times. He gritted his teeth and was about to ask Yan Jingren to help him again when he heard thetter said in a low voice, "This is the end of Lin Shen''s incident."


    "Brother!"


    Yan Xing was shocked. He opened his mouth to speak, but when he met Yan Jingren''s unquestionable gaze, he swallowed his words.


    "You didn''t enter the academy to deal with Lin Shen. Your main goal is to increase your strength!"


    Yan Jingren nced at Yan Xing indifferently. With a flick of his sleeve, an exquisite porcin bottlended lightly on the floor in front of Yan Xing.


    "There''s a Breath Gathering Pill inside. Take it."


    Yan Xing was stunned. When he regained his senses, he looked at the porcin bottle in surprise.


    How precious was the Breath Gathering Pill!


    A single Breath Gathering Pill could allow a cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Transformation to break through the bottleneck and give birth to a sense of Qj to advance to the Long Breath Stage. It would save him countless times and effort!


    More importantly, there were no side effects!


    He wouldn''t have to worry about his foundation being unstable!


    Even the Yan family, one of the five great sects, couldn''t casually give away such a pill.


    There were many disciples in the Yan family, and countless people with outstanding aptitude were eyeing the Breath Gathering Pill.


    Yan Jingren had probably obtained the pill after breaking through to the Bright Aperture Stage.


    "Thank you, Big Brother!" Yan Xing looked grateful.


    "Don''t get too happy. If you can''t advance to the Long Breath Stage before the next level challenge, not only the family elders, but Father will also bepletely disappointed!"


    "Don''t worry, Brother. It won''t take three months. I promise I''ll advance to the Long Breath Stage within a month!"


    Yan Xing said confidently.


    With the Breath Gathering Pill, if he couldn''t break through to the Long Breath Stage within a month, he could simply give up on cultivation!


    Yan Jingren''s cold and solemn expression softened slightly when he heard Yan Xing''s promise.


    "Recently, the Tiger Tribe demons in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range have be restless again. There are spiritual beasts appearing in the periphery of the mountain range one after another and attacking the disciples of the three major sects. It''s very likely that a battle will break out between Dragonside City and the Tiger Tribe soon!


    "ording to past years'' experience, when the timees, the disciples of the four ranks will head to the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range to kill spiritual beasts and assist the sect in the battle. It will be a good opportunity to earn a lot of merit points. You can''t miss it!


    "Therefore, you have to spend all your energy and mind on cultivation and increase your strength as soon as possible!"


    "I understand, Brother!"


    Yan Xing''s expression was solemn as he nodded heavily.


    "As for Lin Shen..."


    Yan Jingren changed the topic.


    "Si Yuanpei made an exception and promoted Lin Shen to a ck-rank disciple. He most likely wants to nurture Lin Shen to suppress the power of the academy''s influential families. However, he thinks too highly of Lin Shen.


    "Peng Xinyuan and Kuang Bao are barely above average among the Yellow-rank disciples. There are many Yellow-rank disciples who are stronger than them, and some of them are even at the fourth level of the Long Breath Stage!


    "When the level challengees in three months, Lin Shen will have to face these people''s challenges. With his strength, it''s still unknown if he can keep his position as a ck-rank disciple."


    Although Yan Jingren said that the result was unknown, his indifferent tone actually revealed he didn''t think highly of Lin Shen.


    The higher the cultivation stage, the greater the gap between the two levels.


    In terms of cultivation, the ability of a Level-2 Long Breath Stage cultivator was enough to surpass a Level-1 one.


    Unless the difference in martial technique attainments between the two sides was too great, it was basically impossible for one to defeat someone above their level.


    It was true that Lin Shen was extremely talented in martial arts. If he encountered someone at the second level of the Long Breath Stage whose attainments in martial arts were slightly inferior, it might not be a problem for him to fight someone above his level.


    However, the top few Yellow-rank disciples were also very skilled in martial arts.


    It would be very difficult for Lin Shen to defeat those people above his level.


    Even if Lin Shen could really defeat an opponent one level higher than him, could he still defeat an opponent two or even three levels higher than him?


    Unless Lin Shen could break through to the fourth level of the Long Breath Stage in just three months, the chances of him retaining his ck-rank disciple spot were very slim.


    However, if he wanted to do this, the difficulty would probably be even higher than a new student steadily upying a ck-rank disciple spot!


    After thinking this through, Yan Xing made up his mind, and a smile appeared on his face.


    He clenched the porcin bottle in his hand tightly and secretly made up his mind.


    He had to break through to the Long Breath Stage as soon as possible..


    Then, he would shock everyone in the level challenge three monthster and take back the glory that belonged to him!

 Chapter 92 - 92 Mission Selection and Training (1)

    Chapter 92: Mission Selection and Training (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    What happened on the day of the new students¡¯ registration day quickly spread throughout the entire Nine Yang Academy like a hurricane. As expected, it caused a huge uproar.


    Ever since the establishment of the Nine Yang Academy, this was the first time the senior students had lost to the new students in the guided battle.


    It was the first time a new student had defeated two Long Breath Stage disciples in a row.


    It was also the first time a new student had be a ck-rank disciple as soon as he entered the academy!


    Lin Shen had set many unprecedented records at once.


    Originally, Lin Shen was already quite famous in the Nine Yang Academy because he was the first top new student who didn''te from an influential family.


    Now, after this battle, his reputation skyrocketed. He had be an influential figure in the Nine Yang Academy!


    However, at the same time, many people were very dissatisfied with Lin Shen''s exceptional promotion to a ck-rank disciple.


    If the order hadn''te from Si Yuanpei, there would have been amotion among the disciples.


    Although no one dared to protest openly, many Yellow-rank disciples were already nning secretly, preparing to challenge Lin Shen in the rank challenge three monthster and snatch his ck-rank disciple spot.


    After all, no matter how powerful a new student was, they were only new students.


    Lin Shen was only at the first level of the Long Breath Stage. Wouldn''t it be a waste not to crush such an easy target?


    Just as themotion spread, Lin Shen, the person involved, paid no attention to the outside world and waspletely immersed in cultivation.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: God''s Jealousy]


    [Stage: Long Breath Level 2, 82%]


    [Cultivation techniques: Golden Crow Scripture (Proficient 5%), zing Sun Palm (Perfection), Shadows (Perfection), Meltdown (Proficient 76%), Dragon Roar Through the Clouds (Proficient 54%), Forbidden Golden Armor (Proficient 45%), Mortal Restrain (Proficient


    12%)]


    [Number of clones: 5 (20%)]


    After cultivating for ten days, not only did Lin Shen sessfully break through to the second level of the Long Breath Stage, but he also sessfully advanced the Golden Crow Scripture to Proficient.


    The other martial techniques had also improved to varying degrees.


    Forbidden Golden Armor had even broken through to Proficient with the help of the Mystic Bone Liquid!


    Moreover, the progress of the martial technique has almost reached 50%!


    "The Mystic Bone Liquid is really useful. Unfortunately, there are only five drops.


    "I think I can exchange it in the Merit Hall."


    Lin Shen recalled that Mystic Bone Liquid cost 20 merit points per drop.


    He estimated that if he had another 20 to 30 drops of Mystic Bone Liquid, he should be able to cultivate the Forbidden Golden Armor to Perfection in a month.


    However, after thinking about it, Lin Shen finally gave up on this tempting idea.


    Currently, there were still many things that required merit points. He couldn''t spend them on exchanging for the Mystic Bone Liquid.


    After all, even without the Mystic Bone Liquid, Forbidden Golden Armor could still reach Perfection. It would only take more time.


    Moreover, he still had the talent of Testify by Killing to quickly increase his martial arts stage.


    "After breaking through to the second level of the Long Breath Stage, the effect of the Condensing Pill has also decreased.


    "A Condensing Pill can only increase my cultivation progress by 2%. It looks like the pill will be useless before I reach the fifth level of the Long Breath Stage."


    Lin Shen recalled another pill he had seen in the Merit Hall: the Prime Pill.


    It was a precious pill that was more effective than the Condensing Pill and was also suitable for Long Breath Stage cultivators to assist in their cultivation.


    However, the price was also shockingly high. 50 merit points could only be exchanged for one pill. It was more than ten times more expensive than the Condensing Pill!


    With his current wealth, he couldn''t afford it for the time being.


    Shaking his head, Lin Shen got up and left the wooden building, preparing to fill his stomach first.


    To make it easier for the disciples to eat, there were many canteens in the Nine Yang Academy.


    One of them happened to be near the residential area.


    The canteen offered a wide variety of food. It was delicious and, more importantly, free.


    The meat was freely provided to the disciples.


    Of course, it was only limited to ordinary meat.


    If one wanted to eat spirit beast meat, one would have to pay with merit points.


    In fact, the canteen could even provide demon beast meat with more energy. Even for Long Breath Stage cultivators, it had extraordinary effects and could strengthen the spiritual essence.


    However, the price was dozens or hundreds of merit points per kilo, and it had stopped many disciples.


    After breaking through to the Long Breath Stage, no matter how much ordinary meat Lin Shen ate, he could only fill his stomach.


    If he wanted to increase his cultivation efficiency, he had to at least eat spirit beast meat.


    Therefore, he had spent a lot of merit points on buying spirit beast meat over the past few days.


    After 10 days, Lin Shen only had three minor merits left, and his merit points had long been used up.


    "I have to ept a few missions. Otherwise, I''ll be left empty-handed."


    After dinner, Lin Shen didn''t go to the Merit Hall. Instead, he rushed to the Internal Affairs Department.


    As soon as he stepped into the Internal Affairs Department, he bumped into a young man.


    When the other party saw Lin Shen, he was stunned at first. Then, he looked pleasantly surprised and weed Lin Shen.


    "Senior Brother Lin, what brings you to the Internal Affairs Department?"


    Lin Shen was stunned. "Do you know me?"


    "Of course!" The young man rubbed his hands and chuckled. "Senior Brother Lin is now a famous figure in the academy. Everyone in the academy knows you. Who wouldn''t recognize you?"


    Lin Shen wasn''t used to being respectfully addressed as Senior Brother by someone who was obviously much older than him. He casually exchanged a few pleasantries and expressed his intentions.


    "Master Tao? I think he''s inside. Senior Brother Lin, wait a moment. I''ll tell Master Tao now!"


    After saying that, the young man left in a hurry. He didn''t even say his name.


    Lin Shen couldn''t help butugh.


    After a moment, Tao Zongbao strode over and cupped his hands at Lin Shen with a smile from seven to eight meters away..

 Chapter 93 - 93 Mission Selection and Training (2)

    Chapter 93: Mission Selection and Training (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    "Fellow Daoist Lin, long time no see. I was talking to Kou Ming about you yesterday. How have you been?"


    "Thank you for your concern, Master Tao and Senior Brother Kou. I''ve been busy cultivating recently, so I didn''t go out much." Lin Shen smiled and nodded in greeting.


    "That''s good. You''re very talented. You should focus on cultivating. Your future will definitely be limitless!"


    Tao Zongbao didn''t hesitate when he said all those mushy things. Then, he smiled and asked,


    "Fellow Daoist Lin, what brings you to the Internal Affairs Department? If you need my help, feel free to ask!"


    "I do have something to trouble Master Tao with."


    Lin Shen deliberated over his words and slowly asked, "Master Tao, do you have channels to obtain special herbs or pills that have powerful side effects but can increase the efficiency of cultivation, such as the Snake Orchid or the Blood Boiling Powder?"


    Tao Zongbao was stunned. He seemed to have thought of something and had an extremely strange expression.


    "Fellow Daoist Lin, even Master Si admires and acknowledges your talent. As long as you follow the prescribed order and cultivate steadily, you''ll one day be a cultivator master. Even if you fall into a low point, you''ll be able to make aeback sooner orter. There''s really no need to take the risk..."


    If it were any other time, Tao Zongbao wouldn''t have thought too much about it.


    However, Lin Shen''s record had been spreading like wildfire recently.


    Many Yellow-rank disciples had even publicly announced that they would rece Lin Shen as a ck-rank disciple in three months.


    Tao Zongbao immediately thought Lin Shen couldn''t withstand the pressure, so he wanted to take a shortcut to increase his strength so that he could keep his spot as a ck-rank disciple in the level challenge three monthster.


    Seeing that Tao Zongbao looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated, Lin Shen knew he was mistaken. He hurriedly said, "Master Tao, I''m not looking for these things for myself. I need them for other uses!"


    He wasn''t lying. After all, those things were indeed not used by himself.


    Seeing Lin Shen''s bright eyes and solemn expression, Tao Zongbao didn''t feel Lin Shen was hiding something, so he was relieved.


    Come to think of it, Lin Shen didn''t look like such an impulsive person.


    Why would he risk his future?


    With all his doubts gone, Tao Zongbao smiled again and thought for a moment.


    "Although these kinds of things are rare, many disciples in the academy have identally obtained them when they were training outside. However, because the price-performance ratio isn''t high, they have always been difficult to sell. If someone is willing to buy them, I believe the disciples won''t turn down the offer. However..."


    Lin Shen understood and immediately said, "I can buy it with merit points!"


    Tao Zongbao''s smile broadened.


    "Then there''s no problem. Don''t worry, Fellow Daoist Lin. I promise to get a fair price for you!"


    "Thank you, Master Tao!"


    The two of them tacitly didn''t talk about the difference in selling and purchasing prices.


    Since Lin Shen had asked for a favor, he had to pay Tao Zongbao a little fee.


    Lin Shen didn''t care what price Tao Zongbao would buy things from others. As long as the final price he gave didn''t exceed his expectations, it was fine.


    Moreover, he didn''t think Tao Zongbao would be stupid enough to offend him for a little benefit.


    If Tao Zongbao was really so short-sighted, he wouldn''t have been able to climb to the position of a deacon of the Internal Affairs Department.


    After leaving the Internal Affairs Department, Lin Shen heaved a sigh of relief and looked overjoyed.


    After a few searches by Old Wu, most of the rare herbs and pills on the ck street that had simr effects to Condensing Liquid had been consumed by Clone 2.


    Recently, Old Wu had collected fewer and fewer rare herbs and pills each time.


    It was foreseeable that it wouldn''t be long before there were no simr rare herbs and pills on the ck street.


    That was why Lin Shen had set his sights on the Nine Yang Academy.


    However, what disappointed him was that there were no simr items on the exchange list of the Merit Hall.


    Probably not many disciples would exchange for such things. The academy didn''t want to see disciples use these things to take shortcuts either, so they simply removed them from the list.


    Kou Ming happened to introduce Tao Zongbao to Lin Shen.


    At that moment, Lin Shen had an idea. He wanted to ask Tao Zongbao to look for him.


    That was why he took a trip to the Internal Affairs Department today.


    Tao Zongbao didn''t disappoint Lin Shen. He agreed to help right away.


    It was worth mentioning that the Nine Yang Academy prohibited disciples from exchanging merit points.


    However, when there were policies, there were countermeasures. Since merit points couldn''t be traded, the disciples would trade items that were exchanged with merit points.


    The academy couldn''t forbid disciples from exchanging items, right? Hence, a disguised merit points transaction was created.


    "I have to earn a lot of merit points as soon as possible!"


    If he wanted to trade for enough rare herbs or pills, Lin Shen''s current three minor merits were clearly far from enough.


    Thinking of this, Lin Shen immediately rushed to the Merit Hall.


    The Mission Hall again was still filled with wooden tablets as usual.


    Lin Shen concentrated and carefully searched through the wooden tablets.


    He first eliminated intelligence missions.


    The uncertainty of this kind of mission was too great. If he encountered unexpected danger, it would be toote to cry!


    Secondly, the duty-type mission was also ruled out by Lin Shen.


    Not only was the reward for this kind of mission low, but the missions also took a long time. It was safe, but the cost-performance ratio was too low.


    Excluding the two types of missions, the only ones left were the collection and crusade types.


    The former didn''t need to ept the mission beforehand. He could wait until he obtained the item before taking the corresponding wooden token toplete the mission.


    Therefore, Lin Shen''s attention was mainly on the crusade missions..

 Chapter 94 - 94 Mission Selection and Training (3)

    Chapter 94: Mission Selection and Training (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Most of the crusade missions were outside the city.


    Dragonside City was adjacent to the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range.


    The north and east of the city were surrounded by endless mountains, which gave it its name.


    In this vast mountain range, there were many demon tribes and countless demons.


    Therefore, most of the targets of the crusade missions were the


    demons and demons in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range.


    The remaining small portion of the targets were demons living in the vastkes and swamps to the west of Dragonside City and in the fields to the east.


    The focus of Lin Shen''s selection was on missions rted to the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range.


    After all,pared to thekes and swamps in the west and the wilderness in the east of the city, there were undoubtedly more natural treasures in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range.


    With a treasure hunter like Ai around, Lin Shen had to make good use of it.


    "Head to the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range to kill a white-eyed demonic spirit tiger. One needs to retrieve the tiger''s spine as proof.


    Requirement: Long Breath Stage. Reward: one minor merit!"


    "Eliminate the mountain spirit monkeys entrenched on Fiery Mountain. One needs to retrieve the head of the mountain spirit monkey''s leader as proof. Requirement: Long Breath Stage. Reward: three minor merits!"


    "Head to the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range to kill a hundred Arrow Birds. One needs to retrieve their sharp beaks as proof. Requirement: Long Breath Stage. Reward: two minor merits."


    After a while, Lin Shen quickly selected five missions and headed to the counter near the entrance of the hall with the wooden tablets.


    The person behind the counter was still the girl who had registered his meritsst time.


    The girl''s eyes lit up when she saw Lin Shen.


    Last time, she didn''t know Lin Shen and found him very unfamiliar.


    It wasn''t until she heard about the guided battle that she realized that the person she met that day was this year''s new chief disciple!


    Now that she met Lin Shen again, the girl recognized him immediately.


    She smiled and started chatting with Lin Shen, calling him Senior Brother Lin.


    Lin Shen was also happy to chat with the pretty girl. He casually chatted along as he registered the missions.


    Only then did he know the girl''s name was Jiao Yu.


    "Alright, Senior Brother Lin, the missions have been registered. Afterpleting the missions, just bring the proofs back here and hand them over.


    "This is a token to leave the city. Afterpleting the missions, you have to hand them back. Only one person can leave the city with this token, and the time limit is a month. After exceeding that time, the token will lose its effect. If there are still missions that haven''t beenpleted by then, you cane to me to get a new token.


    "Also, this is the map of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range. Every disciple who epts a mission outside the city for the first time can obtain a map for free!"


    Jiao Yu handed over a map.


    It detailed the terrain of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range and also marked the location and distribution of the various demon tribes and spiritual beasts.


    The closer one got to the periphery of the mountain range, the more detailed the information was.


    Lin Shen was overjoyed when he saw this. He had been worried about where to buy a map of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range, but he didn''t expect the academy to be so considerate as to give him one for free.


    "The map is updated every three months. After that, you''ll need to buy it with merit points."


    Jiao Yu reminded him again.


    "Also, I suggest you buy some Flying Feather Talismans, Light Body Talismans, and Guiding Talismans. They might be useful outside!"


    "Thank you!"


    Lin Shen smiled and thanked Jiao Yu.


    After leaving the Mission Hall, he turned around and went to the Exchange Hall again, using a small merit to exchange for a Beast Taming Pouch.


    The Beast Taming Bag was a talisman artifact that could temporarily serve as a habitat for spiritual beasts, making it convenient for cultivators to carry spiritual beasts around.


    Considering that Lin Shen had to bring Ai along to search for treasures, having a Beast Taming Pouch would undoubtedly be much more convenient.


    As for the talismans that Jiao Yu mentioned, Lin Shen nned to go to the True Martial Pavilion and buy them with spirit coins, so he wouldn''t waste his merit points..

 Chapter 95 - 95 Spiritual Beast Cultivation System (1)

    Chapter 95: Spiritual Beast Cultivation System (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    On his way home, Lin Shen went to the True Martial Pavilion to buy talismans. He then went straight home.


    Although he had already moved into the academy, he hadn''t terminated the lease on the vi.


    On one hand, he wanted a ce to stay outside the academy.


    On the other hand, it was to give Ai a ce to live.


    Although the Nine Yang Academy didn''t prohibit disciples from bringing spiritual beasts in, the beasts had to be kept in containers like Beast Taming Pouches. They weren''t allowed to walk around freely.


    With Ai''s personality, she could stay that way for a few days, but she probably couldn''t stand it over a long period.


    "When I have more money, I can probably buy a house of my own. That way, I won''t have to rent a house anymore."


    Lin Shen thought to himself.


    Back home, Ai was sleeping on the sofa as usual. There were a few empty cans of cat food on the coffee table.


    Even when Lin Shen walked to the sofa, Ai still didn''t notice him and was still fast asleep.


    "What a silly cat. If a burres in, she''ll probably get caught and sold on the market."


    Lin Shen grabbed the back of Ai''s neck and lifted her off the sofa.


    Only then did Ai open her eyes in a daze. When she saw that it was Lin Shen, she immediately muttered.


    "Am I dreaming again..."


    Lin Shen knocked her head.


    "It''s too early to dream!"


    Ai cried out in pain. When she realized she wasn''t dreaming, her eyes widened.


    "Lin Shen, you''re back!


    "Where have you been these days? I haven''t seen youe back.


    "By the way, I''ve finished my cat food. Do you have any on you?"


    After waking up, the cat instantly turned into a chatterbox and couldn''t


    stop talking.


    "Didn''t I tell you? I went to the academy to stay for a while."


    Lin Shen put her down and cut her off.


    "Did anything happen at home while I was away?"


    "No. Apart from me, there''s no one else at home."


    "That''s good." Lin Shen nodded slightly. He sized up Ai and suddenly asked, "How''s your cultivation recently?"


    Speaking of this, Ai immediately perked up and raised her head proudly.


    "I just broke through a few days ago!"


    A breakthrough?


    Lin Shen raised his eyebrows in surprise.


    While staying in the academy, he was busy cultivating, but he still took the time to visit the library in the academy.


    The volume and quality of the Nine Yang Academy''s library surpassed that of Dragonside City''srgest public library.


    Lin Shen had learned a lot of knowledge in the library, including information about the cultivation system of spiritual beasts.


    Simr to the three stages of the human race, the cultivation system of spiritual beasts before taking the human form was roughly divided into three stages.


    The first was the Spirit Awakening Stage.


    As the name suggested, spiritual beasts in this stage had only just gained sentience and were in the initial stages of cultivation. They generally didn''t have muchbat strength.


    Ferocious beasts like lions, tigers, wolves, and leopards could rely on their sharp ws and teeth to protect themselves.


    However, spiritual beasts like cats were almost helpless against human


    cultivators.


    Only Ai''s special bloodline allowed her to escape from the Night Grinders.


    Even so, if not for Lin Shen''s help back then, she probably wouldn''t have been able to escape the fate of being caught.


    Therefore, Spirit Awakening spiritual beasts were usually not too threatening.


    Spiritual beasts allowed to be raised in Dragonside City were mostly at this stage.


    However, after breaking through the Spirit Awakening Stage, the power of spiritual beasts would undergo a tremendous change.


    A ferocious beast whose strength and speed were already above that of ordinary people would have its physical strength improved to an astonishing level.


    Their ws and fangs alone were as sharp and hard as excellent weapons and could easily break rocks and trees.


    As for spiritual beasts like cats and foxes, although they didn''t have powerful physical abilities, their illusion abilities would be greatly improved.


    Be it survivability orbat ability, they were iparable to when the beasts were in the Spirit Awakening Stage.


    Because of that, this stage was also known as the Ascension Stage.


    It represented a beast that had broken out of the cocoon and be a butterfly. It was time to ascend and transform.


    Above the Ascension Stage was the Enlightening Stage.


    Spiritual beasts at this stage were only one step away from taking the human form.


    By now, the spiritual beast had awakened the inherited bloodline in their bodies. While their strength improved, they would also awaken various mysterious abilities ording to their inherited bloodline. They could control water, summon fire, escape into the ground, and even ride the wind.


    There were all kinds of strange and mysterious abilities.


    In short, the Spirit Awakening, Ascension, and Enlightenment Stages of spiritual beasts roughly correspond to the Qi Transformation, Long Breath, and Bright Aperture Stages of human cultivators.


    When the beasts sessfully took human form, they would be able to transcend the limitations of their bodies. Just like human cultivator masters, they would have the qualifications to take the path of cultivation toward immortality.


    For spiritual beasts of this stage, cultivators often no longer called them spiritual beasts, but beast cultivators.


    What was worth mentioning was that the specific division of the three stages of a spiritual beast wasn''t as detailed as that of a human cultivator. Each stage was roughly divided into the early phase, mid-phase, andte phase.


    ording to Lin Shen''s observation, Ai should be in the mid-phase of the Spirit Awakening Stage when they made the contract.


    During this period of time, she broke through once, which meant she was in thete phase of the Spirit Awakening Stage now.


    If she broke through again now, she would have reached the Ascension Stage.


    Lin Shen was a little surprised for a moment. It was rare to see an Ascension Stage spiritual beast in Dragonside City, let alone a spiritual beast like this cat, which was hard to survive.


    If that were true, Ai''s cultivation speed would be amazing..

 Chapter 96 - 96 Spiritual Beast Cultivation System (2)

    Chapter 96: Spiritual Beast Cultivation System (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Ai was almost as fast as Lin Shen!


    "Have you really broken through to the Ascension Stage?"


    "The Ascension Stage?"


    Ai tilted her head in confusion. Obviously, she didn''t know the stages of the spiritual beast cultivation system.


    Lin Shen could only patiently exin it to her.


    Hearing this, Ai suddenly realized something and looked excited.


    "No wonder I feel I can control my illusions better. So this is the Ascension Stage!"


    Lin Shen suddenly became interested and said, "Ai, cast an illusion on me!"


    "Huh?" Ai was stunned.


    "Just do as I say. Don''t worry. It''ll be fine."


    Since Lin Shen insisted, Ai nodded slowly.


    In the next second, Lin Shen''s vision suddenly distorted. The living room instantly disappeared, reced by a dim and wide open space.


    Countless cylindrical metal objects the size of millstones were piled up around the space.


    These cylindrical metal objects stacked on top of each other, forming pirs that were nearly 100 meters tall. They were arranged in a disorderly manner, surrounding Lin Shen in the middle like a maze.


    Lin Shen looked around and raised his eyebrows in surprise.


    It was different from the illusion he had imagined.


    Upon closer inspection, Lin Shen wanted to roll his eyes.


    The cylindrical metal objects were cat food cans that had been magnified countless times!


    "What a glutton..."


    Lin Shen was speechless. He shook his head and began to observe the surrounding environment.


    He had to admit that the scene created by the illusion was very realistic.


    When he touched the cans, he could feel the unique coldness of the metal.


    The fragrance of meat in the air was also very real.


    Lin Shen then used Shadows to sprint for more than a few kilometers, but he realized that he was still in the maze formed by the canned cat food and couldn''t walk out.


    Seeing this, Lin Shen stopped in his tracks. After thinking for a few seconds, he suddenly opened his mouth and let out a long roar.


    The dragon''s roar turned into sound waves that spread out violently.


    Wherever it passed, the surrounding scenery instantly rippled like a stone thrown into a calmke.


    Seeing this scene, Lin Shen already had an idea. He decisively stopped using Dragon Roar Through the Clouds.


    If the illusion was broken, the spiritual beast itself would suffer a certain bacsh. He didn''t want to hurt Ai.


    "Okay, Ai, you can stop the illusion now."


    The surrounding scene instantly distorted and dissipated.


    In the blink of an eye, Lin Shen realized he was back in the living room.


    However, he still stood where he was without moving, as if his previous running around was just a dream.


    "This illusion technique is indeed magical!"


    Lin Shen clicked his tongue in wonder and looked at Ai in admiration.


    It seemed the little fellow had really broken through to the Ascension Stage.


    Otherwise, the illusion technique cast by a Spirit Awakening spiritual beast alone wouldn''t have been able to trap a Long Breath Stage cultivator like him.


    It was good news. At least Ai had enough power to protect herself.


    Any other cultivator at the first or second level of the Long Breath Stage might not be able to escape from that illusion.


    However, that was also because Ai''s illusion was mainly aimed at trapping him.


    If she had tried to attack her enemy with the illusion, the restraining effect might not have been so powerful.


    Lin Shen''s mind was racing, but he didn''t let it show. He smiled and patted Ai''s head.


    "Good. It''s very impressive."


    Ai grinned happily.


    After a few words of praise, Lin Shen got down to business. "Ai, get ready. Come out of the city with meter."


    "Outside the city? Why, I''ve heard the general say it''s dangerous out there."


    "Training and treasure hunting. Aren''t you very sensitive to natural spiritual essence? Perhaps you can find some natural treasures. That way, we can sell them and exchange them for spirit coins to buy you a lot of canned cat food."


    Hearing thest sentence, Ai immediately threw all her doubts to the back of her mind and nodded like a chick pecking at rice.


    "T understand. I''ll work hard to find treasures!"


    With the canned cat food as her aim, Ai was very motivated. She was also very cooperative when Lin Shen asked her to enter the Beast Taming Pouch.


    Putting away the Beast Taming Pouch, Lin Shen left the vi in a hurry and rushed out of the city.


    When Dragonside City was first established, the cultivators and mighty figures of the three major sects gathered and worked together to establish a protection array for the city. It had been working for more than a thousand years.


    For a thousand years, this array had been protecting the safety of Dragonside City.


    There were rumors of spiritual beasts appearing in the surrounding cities from time to time, but such incidents had almost never happened in Dragonside City.


    Even the demon tribes in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range never dared to attack this heavily guarded city when the conflict with Dragonside City was at its most intense. At most, they would harass the surrounding subordinate cities.


    Dragonside City had been able to maintain peace and stability for a long time, and it was all thanks to this great array.


    Because of that, Dragonside City had strict rules regarding entry and exit.


    Everyone had to hold a token issued by the three major sects to enter and exit Dragonside City.


    Furthermore, different tokens had different restrictions. If one used the wrong token, one might be trapped in the array. They might even be interrogated and captured by the guardians of the three major sects.


    Fortunately, Lin Shen''s journey out of the city was very smooth.


    Half an hourter, he appeared in the wilderness outside Dragonside City.


    The nearest entrance to the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range was more than 30 miles away from Dragonside City. Lin Shen didn''t raise any spiritual beasts that he could ride, so he could only travel on foot.


    "I wish I could fly on a sword one day."


    Lin Shen thought of the sword light that he had seen flying across the sky on the day of the examination, and he couldn''t help but look forward to it.


    Unfortunately, the cultivator master stage was still too far away, so he could only think about it now..

 Chapter 97 - 97 Spiritual Beast Cultivation System (3)

    Chapter 97: Spiritual Beast Cultivation System (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    "After I go back this time, I have to buy a mountable spiritual beast. I think I can find one in the Merit Hall."


    Fortunately, although it was a little tiring to travel on foot, Lin Shen had listened to Jiao Yu''s suggestion and bought some talismans in advance. Among them was a Divine Movement Talisman that was especially used to travel, so he was moving pretty fast.


    In less than half an hour, Lin Shen arrived at the outskirts of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range.


    "The closest is Mount Firon. Let''s deal with the mountain spirit monkeys there first!"


    After checking the map, Lin Shen quickly decided on the destination for the first stop.


    Among the few missions he chose, the reward for clearing the mountain spirit monkeys was the highest, which was as high as three minor merits.


    This was because ording to the mission description, there were 30 to 40 spirit monkeys in Mount Firon, and most of them were in the early phase of the Ascension Stage.


    Their leader was even at the mid-phase.


    Logically speaking, even disciples at the third or fourth level of the Long Breath Stage wouldn''t dare to ept such a mission, let alone disciples at the first or second level.


    Only Lin Shen had the confidence to ept such a mission.


    With his clones around, he alone was equivalent to six people! "After crossing those two mountains, we''ll reach Mount Firon."


    Lin Shen looked up and strode up the mountain without any dy.


    There were rtively few spiritual beasts in the periphery of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range, but more than 80% of them were at the Ascension Stage. Even for Long Breath Stage cultivators, it was still rather dangerous.


    This was also the reason why any crusade mission rted to the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range had to be carried out by a disciple of the Long Breath Stage.


    Along the way, Lin Shen was very careful. He even pasted a Protection Talisman and a Flying Feather Talisman on his chest, ready to activate them at any time.


    Not long after, Lin Shen was acutely aware of a nauseating stench blown his way.


    His heart skipped a beat. He immediately stopped and observed his surroundings.


    Sure enough, in the next moment, he heard a rustling sound in front of him. Four huge wolves with pitch-ck fur and the size of buffaloes slowly walked out from behind the tree.


    As soon as they appeared, they immediately spread out and blocked Lin Shen''s escape route from four directions. Then, they opened their mouths and let out low growls. Their exposed fangs dripped with sticky saliva, and they looked extremely ferocious.


    "Demon wolves..."


    Lin Shen narrowed his eyes.


    These four demon wolves were clearly at the Ascension Stage.


    Only Ascension Stage spiritual beasts would have such an obvious change in appearance.


    Just as Lin Shen sized up the four demon wolves, thetter was also observing Lin Shen. A human-like cruelty and ridicule shed across the four pairs of beast eyes.


    They seemed to be certain that this human cultivator in front of them could no longer escape and was destined to be their food.


    The confrontation didn''tst long. The four demon wolves suddenly let out a low roar and rushed forward at lightning speed. They bared their fangs and pounced ferociously at Lin Shen.


    If it were anyone else, their first reaction would be to dodge when the four demon wolves attacked from different directions.


    However, Lin Shen stood rooted to the ground and didn''t dodge at all.


    Instead, he turned his hand and struck the demon wolf in front of him.


    Thud!


    The iparably sharp fangs of the demon wolves bit Lin Shen''s shoulders, waist, and thighs, but the impact only made a muffled sound as if they had hit leather. Not only didn''t they cause any damage to Lin Shen, but they were also shaken by the huge recoil. It hurt their fangs, making their heads sway.


    Taking advantage of this opportunity, Lin Shen pressed his palm on the head of one of the demon wolves.


    Immediately, there was a miserable howl. The demon wolf convulsed violently as if it had been electrocuted, and its head emitted waves of charred smell like roasted meat.


    In just a few seconds, its body went limp.


    When Lin Shen released his grip, the demon wolf immediately fell to the ground and dropped dead!


    The remaining three demon wolves were stunned by the unexpected scene.


    Before he could react, Lin Shen turned around and used Meltdown again, killing another demon wolf at lightning speed.


    It was only at this moment that the remaining two demon wolves snapped out of their daze. A human-like horror appeared in their beast eyes.


    They finally understood this human cultivator in front of them was much stronger than the humans they had encountered before!


    Unfortunately, it was already toote for them to realize that. Lin Shen wouldn''t let his prey escape.


    With the Forbidden Golden Armor on him, Lin Shen didn''t need to care about the attacks of the two demon wolves.


    On the other hand, his Meltdown could even destroy a Hundred Refinement weapon in one strike. The only thing on the wolves that could withstand a hit from Meltdown was the pair of fangs.


    If Lin Shen struck them on other parts of their bodies, they would either die or be severely injured.


    In just a few seconds, the remaining two demon wolves followed in the footsteps of theirpanions.


    The moment he killed thest demon wolf, Lin Shen felt his brain tremble slightly as if he had been enlightened. Something seemed to have surged in his mind.


    The talent effect of Testify by Killing was triggered!

 Chapter 98 - 98 Cunning Hare (1)

    Chapter 98: Cunning Hare (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Lin Shen was overjoyed and immediately focused his senses.


    The information that suddenly appeared in his mind was about Meltdown''s cultivation insights and understanding.


    Looking at the interface again, Meltdown''s cultivation progress had already be "Proficient, 86%".


    In an instant, it increased by a full 10%!


    "Awesome! That''s great!"


    Lin Shen was filled with joy.


    Although it was only a 10% cultivation progress, it would take at least three to four days for the Superior Martial Arts clone to cultivate.


    He had only killed a demon wolf to achieve that effect. Testify by Killing was indeed iparably powerful!


    "It''s a pity that the probability of triggering it is a little low. Four Ascension Stage spiritual beasts only triggered it once. That''s a 25% probability."


    Lin Shen shook his head. Only four samples weren''t enough to test the exact probability.


    He had to hunt more spiritual beasts to get the statistics!


    Under the effect of Testify by Killing, the boring and arduous process of hunting spiritual beasts immediately became a joyous process of quickly increasing his strength.


    Lin Shen felt full of motivation.


    After the initial pleasant surprise, he looked at the demon wolves!


    corpses on the ground. He didn''t waste them and put the dead bodies into his storage jade te.


    A demon wolf at the early phase of the Ascension Stage was still quite useful.


    For example, those iparably hard fangs could be used to refine weapons.


    There was also the wolf meat. Although it wasn''tparable to the Bright Aperture spiritual beast meat sold in the Nine Yang Academy''s canteen, it was still spiritual beast meat. It was as good as some artificially cultivated fine spiritual beast meat.


    Even if he didn''t sell the meat, he could still eat it as a snack.


    However, the wolf meat might not taste that good.


    After packing up the demon wolf''s corpse, Lin Shen continued forward.


    There were countless spiritual beasts in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range. Although those in the outermost area had been constantly killed by cultivators, there were still spiritual beasts surging out from the depths of the mountain range.


    As far as Lin Shen knew, the frequency of spiritual beasts appearing seemed to be higher than before.


    Was there a demon tribe behind this?


    Before long, Lin Shen encountered another three demon wolves.


    After a clean kill, it didn''t trigger the effect of Testify by Killing.


    Lin Shen wasn''t discouraged and continued his trip.


    By the time he crossed the mountain, he had killed more than ten demon wolves.


    The effect of Testify by Killing had only been triggered once.


    Lin Shen was a little disappointed, but on second thought, the effect of Testify by Killing was so powerful. Even if the possibility of triggering it was lower than 10%, it was already good enough.


    He would just have to kill more spiritual beasts.


    After calming down, Lin Shen summoned Ai.


    The outermost ring of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range had been plundered by the academy disciples of the three great sects countless times over the years. They had turned over every stone, and any rare and precious herbs that were slightly valuable had long been taken away. It was impossible for him to find anything.


    That was why Lin Shen didn''t take Ai out at first.


    "I think we''re deep enough. If we''re lucky, we might be able to find something good!"


    Lin Shen scratched Ai''s chin and smiled.


    "Ai, the treasure hunt is about to begin. You have to work hard."


    "Don''t treat me like an ordinary cat!"


    Ai protested Lin Shen''s action of scratching her chin, but her narrowed eyes showed she clearly enjoyed it.


    After ying for a while, they began to search for treasures.


    Aiy on Lin Shen''s shoulder, looking left and right. From time to time, she would raise her chubby ws to point the way.


    She was surprisingly efficient. Not long after, he brought Lin Shen to a corner under a big tree and found her target.


    It was grass that was only three inches tall, and it was green like emeralds!


    "This is... wood spirit herb!"


    Lin Shen''s eyes lit up, and he carefully dug out the herb.


    He had seen the mission to collect wood spirit herbs in the mission hall.


    The requirement was five wood spirit herbs that were no less than 30 years old, and the reward was 80 merit points.


    In other words, this wood spirit herb was worth 16 merit points!


    Lin Shen was very happy to have a good start not long after the treasure hunt began. He praised Ai generously, making her smile.


    In the following period of time, the man and the cat searched around the mountain.


    Only when they were attacked by spiritual beasts would Lin Shen temporarily put Ai into the Beast Taming Pouch and release her again after getting rid of the beasts.


    Two hourster.


    Three wood spirit herbs, an ebony root, and two frost flowers were added to Lin Shen''s storage jade te.


    The total value was about 120 merit points.


    It was enough to exchange for three bottles of Condensing Pills!


    Lin Shen was satisfied.


    Other Long Breath Stage disciples might not even gain so much after entering the mountain for three to four days.


    And he only used half a day.


    The difference was simply too great!


    It was all thanks to Ai!


    Looking at Ai, who was looking around to sense the natural spiritual essence on his shoulder, Lin Shen couldn''t help but sigh.


    It seemed to agree to the cat general''s request of adopting Ai was indeed the right thing to do.


    With Ai''s treasure-hunting ability, he could earn a lot of merit points in a short time and exchange them for resources to quickly increase his strength.


    After sighing for a moment, Lin Shen restrained his emotions and continued to search for treasures.


    In the battle just now, the effect of Testify by Killing was triggered again.


    This time, there was an increase in his cultivation.


    It directly increased Lin Shen''s cultivation progress by 6%, and he was 88% at the second level of Long Breath!


    At this rate, he might be able to break through to the third level of the Long Breath Stage by the end of this training!


    Thinking of this, Lin Shen became even more motivated.

 Chapter 99 - 99 Cunning Hare (2)

    Chapter 99: Cunning Hare (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Ten minutester, Ai found another treasure.


    Ice Shards!


    It was a resin crystal taken from a tree trunk that was more than 500 years old. It looked like crushed sugar and was fragrant and cool. It contained rich spiritual essence and had the effect of calming one''s mind. It was a very precious spice.


    Many cultivators at the Bright Aperture Stage would light up a piece of Ice Shard when they cultivated. While calming their minds, it could also increase their cultivation efficiency.


    50g of Ice Shards was worth as much as 50 merit points in the Merit Hall.


    As for the piece that Lin Shen had found, it was at least 350 to 400g, which was equivalent to 300 to 400 merit points!


    Without a doubt, it was his greatest gain since he entered the mountain!


    "What a treat!"


    Lin Shen''s smile widened.


    Seeing Lin Shen''s happy expression, Ai asked curiously, "Is this thing very precious? How many cans of food can it be exchanged for?"


    Lin Shen couldn''t help butugh. Just as he was about to answer, he heard a strange rustling sound.


    Instantly, Lin Shen tensed up and turned to look in the direction of the noise, assuming a vignt posture.


    In the next second, a white creature rushed out of the bushes in front of him.


    When he took a closer look, it was a white rabbit.


    The rabbit was clearly heavily injured and was covered in blood. There were many wounds on its body, and it seemed to be inflicted by some beast w. It was a shocking sight.


    The white rabbit didn''t expect there to be someone outside the bushes.


    It was stunned for a moment. When it realized what it was seeing, it wanted to escape. However, it fell to the ground after a few steps. It twitched a few times before it stopped moving.


    Was it dead?


    Lin Shen was surprised.


    After some thought, he picked up a stone from the ground and injected spiritual essence into it before throwing it at the white rabbit.


    The stone tore through the air and hit the white rabbit like a bullet. A bloody hole appeared, but the white rabbit didn''t react at all.


    Lin Shen still didn''t let down his guard. He secretly activated Forbidden Golden Armor and walked forward to observe the rabbit. A momentter, he finally confirmed the white rabbit was really dead.


    Thud.


    Ai jumped down from Lin Shen''s shoulder andnded beside the white rabbit. She was a little intimidated by the miserable scene.


    "That''s cruel. Which bad guy did this?"


    "Judging by the w marks and the residual beast energy, it should be a spiritual beast transformed from a ferocious beast like a tiger or leopard."


    Lin Shen flipped through the white rabbit''s corpse and was perplexed.


    This white rabbit didn''t look like an ordinary animal.


    In fact, it was impossible for ordinary animals to escape from the ws of a spiritual beast. Moreover, the rabble could still move after suffering such serious injuries.


    Suddenly, Lin Shen thought of a kind of spiritual beast and took out a small knife from his storage jade te. He cut open the fur on the white rabbit''s abdomen and reached inside to search.


    "What are you doing?" Ai asked curiously.


    "To verify something."


    Lin Shen replied casually. Suddenly, his expression changed, and he retracted his palm.


    There were two balls of bloody internal organs on his hand.


    Surprisingly, the internal organs, which should have been very soft, made a crisp sound like metal colliding.


    "I was right!"


    Lin Shen''s eyes lit up.


    "This is not an ordinary rabbit, but a Cunning Hare!"


    "Cunning Hare?" Ai asked. "What''s that?"


    "It''s a type of spiritual beast that looks very simr to rabbits. The male ones are yellow, and the female ones are white. It feeds on pills, stones, and metal. Over time, its internal organ will be a metal of better quality than ck iron. It can be used to refine sabers, swords, and enchanted armaments. It can greatly increase the weapon''s sharpness!"


    Ai was confused. She only knew this rabbit seemed to be worth a lot of cans of food.


    Lin Shen stared at the internal organs in his hand.


    He had found information on Cunning Hare in the Nine Yang Academy''s library.


    ording to the description in the information, the higher the quality of the stones and metal the Cunning Hare ate, the closer the color of the internal organs was to ck, and the more precious it would be.


    The internal organs of the Cunning Hare in front of him werepletely ck and of unquestionable superior quality. It was obvious the rabbit had eaten arge number of precious stones and metal when it was alive.


    If he was right, there must be a rare mineral vein near this Cunning Hare''s nest!


    Lin Shen grew excited.


    A rare metal vein, even if it was only a small-scale one, was invaluable!


    Even if he didn''t have the time and energy to exploit the mine, he could still obtain a huge reward if he reported it to the sect!


    Lin Shen didn''t expect to make such a rewarding discovery on his first training trip.


    It was better to act than to be tempted. Lin Shen immediately put away Cunning Hare''s internal organ and followed the path that Cunning Hare hade from, preparing to search all the way.


    However, just as he passed through the bushes, he heard a deafening roar from his right. Immediately, a gust of evil wind blew his way. The howling wind stirred up arge number of fallen leaves, like a thick white python crashing toward him.


    In a sh, Lin Shen quickly put Ai into the Beast Taming Pouch without thinking. At the same time, he opened his mouth and made a dragon roar.


    The violent wind and the sound wave collide heavily in the void. With a bang, they both exploded and turned into airwaves that spread out.


    "ROAR!"


    A huge and ferocious figure roared and jumped out of the airwaves. It stopped seven to eight meters away from Lin Xiu and stared at him covetously.


    It was a terrifying giant tiger.


    The giant tiger was as ck as ink, but its pupils werepletely white. The whiteness in its eyes contrasted with the darkness on its body, making a terrifying sight.


    "White-eyed spirit tiger!"


    Lin Shen''s heart skipped a beat.


    There were many demon tribes in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range, and their strength varied. However, it was publicly acknowledged that the Tiger, Python, Bear, Fox, and Eagle Tribes were the strongest.


    The white-eyed spirit tiger was the most well-known spiritual beast in the Tiger Tribe.


    This kind of spiritual beast had the strength of the Ascension Stage when it reached adulthood. Not only did it have a strong body and sharp ws, but it could also stir up violent winds when it ran. At the Ascension Stage, it had a trace of wind control ability that only Enlightening Stage spiritual beasts had. Its bloodline was very powerful.


    Among the few missions that Lin Shen had epted this time, one of them was to kill a white-eyed spirit tiger.


    Lin Shen had wanted to find traces of the white-eyed spirit tiger, but he didn''t expect the beast to jump out on his own.


    At this moment, Lin Shen suddenly noticed that the white-eyed spirit tiger''s head tilted slightly as if the tiger was looking at the bushes behind him.


    Lin Shen''s heart stirred as his gazended on the bloodstains on the ws of the tiger. He immediately came to a realization.


    So the tiger was chasing after that Cunning Hare!


    After understanding this, Lin Shen wasn''t shocked but delighted.


    The white-eyed spirit tiger was worth a minor merit. Since it hade knocking on his door, he definitely couldn''t let it go!


    Lin Shen''s eyes shed as he brazenly charged at the tiger.


    White-eyed spirit tigers were ferocious beasts. They were powerful and had a domineering position on this mountain. They had killed and repelled countless human cultivators.


    Seeing that the human cultivator in front of him actually dared to take the initiative to attack, the tiger was instantly furious. It roared and pounced forward fiercely, swinging its ws at Lin Ze''s head.


    Lin Shen didn''t dodge. He let the tiger''s sharp ws grab his chest and abdomen as he pped out with his palm.


    When his Forbidden Golden Armor was still at Beginner, he could already withstand the attack of an enchanted armament like the Three Yang Talisman Sword head-on. Now, Lin Shen''s Forbidden Golden Armor had already reached Proficient, and its defense had increased by more than a few times!


    Although the ws of the tiger were iparably sharp, they were still far inferior to the Three Suns Talisman Sword. When the wnded on Lin Shen, it immediately let out a muffled sound and couldn''t advance an inch!


    The tiger couldn''t help but be stunned.


    It had never seen a human cultivator so resistant to attacks.


    While he was in a daze, Lin Shen''s palm had already pressed heavily on its head.


    Swoosh!


    There was a burning sound like a piece of red iron pressing down on flesh.


    The tiger let out a tragic howl as it retreated in fear. There was already a burning wound on its head, and one of its eyes was destroyed!


    Lin Shen raised his eyebrows.


    This tiger was much stronger than the spiritual beasts he had encountered previously. It was probably not far from the mid-stage of the Ascension Stage. Otherwise, how could it still scream so loudly after suffering a strike by Proficient Meltdown?


    Lin Shen seized the opportunity to pursue the tiger. He made the move and charged toward the tiger like a gust of wind..

 Chapter 100 - 100 Treasure Gold Cloud Sand

    Chapter 100: Treasure Gold Cloud Sand


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Roar! Roar!


    The thunderous roar of a tiger reverberated in the sky above the forest.


    All the small animals within a one-kilometer radius fled in panic, afraid of angering the tyrant of the mountain.


    However, what they didn''t know was that the tyrant, who used to run wild in the forest, was now in a sorry state.


    A spiritual beast like the white-eyed spirit tiger was used to attacking their enemies with their fangs and ws. This was also the most powerful weapon they had on them. It was not inferior to a Hundred Refinement weapon.


    In the past, the tiger had encountered human cultivators who cultivated Physical Enhancement-type martial techniques. It could withstand attacks, but its ws could still injure those people.


    However, the person in front of him was even harder than ck iron!


    No matter how it bit and swung its ws, it couldn''t break through the dark golden light on the human''s body!


    After fighting for a while, the tiger even felt its sharp teeth and ws begin to ache.


    The man and tiger fought for only a short while, but the tiger was already covered in wounds. There were many burning wounds that spurted blood as the tiger roared in pain.


    On the other hand, Lin Shen was still unharmed and calm.


    With the Forbidden Golden Armor, Lin Shen was already invincible in this battle.


    Before his spiritual essence was exhausted, the tiger could forget about injuring him!


    Without having to worry about defense, Lin Shen attacked in an iparably fierce way.


    He used zing Sun Palm and Meltdown interchangeably.


    asionally, he would use Dragon Roar Through the Clouds, making the tiger suffer indescribably. It couldn''t raise its head at all.


    It wanted to escape, but every time it made a move, Lin Shen would stop it.


    The speed of Shadows at the Perfection stage made Lin Shen move as fast as the tiger.


    The tiger felt extremely aggrieved facing an enemy that it could neither defeat nor escape from!


    After seven to eight minutes of bitter fighting, the tiger finally couldn''t hold on anymore. With a sad cry, it was pped in the head. The zing spiritual essence that prated its body instantly destroyed all its vitality!


    Thump!


    The heavy body of the tiger fell to the ground, stirring up dust.


    Lin Shen slowly put down his palm and heaved a sigh of relief.


    Strictly speaking, this was his first real battle after advancing to the Long Breath Stage.


    The guided battles were just sparring. The spiritual beasts he had encountered before were too weak, so he couldn''t use his full strength.


    Only the battle with the tiger was his first life-and-death battle.


    This also gave Lin Shen a clearer understanding of his own strength level.


    Although he was only at the second level of the Long Breath Stage, with his many powerful martial techniques, Lin Shen wasn''t afraid at all even if he faced a third-level Long Breath Stage cultivator.


    If he were to add on talents like Superior Martial Arts or pure Yang Body, Lin Shen was even confident that he could defeat opponents at the fourth or fifth level of the Long Breath Stage.


    After all, a buff that increased the power of martial arts techniques by 50% was incredible!


    The only thing that disappointed Lin Shen was that the talent effect of Testify by Killing hadn''t been triggered.


    Shaking his head, Lin Shen put the corpse of the tiger into his storage jade te. He nned to cut open the corpse and take out the tiger''s spine when he returned.


    "I''ll get a minor merit for this!"


    Lin Shen pped his hands in satisfaction.


    After entering the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range for half a day, he had already obtained a minor merit and 500 to 600 merit points. It was a huge harvest.


    This time, he had brought enough food for him to stay in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range for half a month.


    When he returned after the training, he might be able to exchange for the Three Yang Talisman Sword or the Essence Sword Finger!


    After Ai came out again, she looked at Lin Shen in confusion.


    "Lin Shen, what happened?"


    Lin Shen had put her into the Beast Taming Pouch so quickly that Ai didn''t see what had happened.


    "It''s just a spiritual beast. I''ve taken care of it."


    Hearing that the spiritual beast had been dealt with, Ai was relieved and didn''t ask further. She quietlyy on Lin Shen''s shoulder.


    Lin Shen continued to search. After walking for a distance, he quickly discovered a string of small footprints on the ground. From the shape and size, it should be Cunning Hare, so he followed the footprints and searched.


    However, he had never especially learned tracking in the wilderness.


    He wasn''t like Bright Aperture cultivators who could rely on spiritual responses to search for things. Therefore, it didn''t take long for him to lose track.


    Lin Shen had no choice but to ask Ai,


    "Did you sense any natural spiritual essence?"


    Ai focused for a while and shook her head in frustration.


    Helpless, Lin Shen could only use a tedious method. Using the location of thest footprint as the starting point, he searched in three other directions.


    Although this method was time-consuming, it was the most likely method to find the Cunning Hare''s nest.


    By the time the sky turned yellow, Lin Shen had already explored two of the directions. Unfortunately, he found nothing.


    "There''s only one direction left!"


    Lin Shen nced at Ai, who immediately gave him a look that said, "Leave it to me."


    After all, this wasn''t only about Lin Shen, but also about her canned cat food!


    Ten minutester, Ai suddenly called out.


    "I sense it!"


    She pointed to the left.


    "It''s over there!"


    Lin Shen perked up and immediately ran in the direction Ai pointed.


    Unexpectedly, after running for 400 to 500 meters in the mountains, Ai still didn''t let Lin Shen stop. She only said that the natural spiritual essence was getting clearer and denser.


    Lin Shen wasn''t shocked but delighted.


    The richer the spiritual essence, the more precious the source of the spiritual essence was!


    Finally, the man and cat stopped running.


    Lin Shen looked over and saw a mountain wall covered in vines..

 Chapter 101 - 101Treasure Gold Cloud Sand (2)

    Chapter 101: Treasure Gold Cloud Sand (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    However, if one looked carefully, they would discover a cave in the corner of the mountain wall, but the opening was covered by fallen tree vines and was easily missed.


    "The source of the spiritual essence is inside!" Ai pointed at the cave and said.


    Lin Shen nodded and walked a few steps quickly. After thinking for a while, he stopped and took out a Guiding Talisman. He pointed it in the direction of the cave and shook it hard.


    The talisman ignited on its own!


    The name of the Guiding Talisman contained the word "guiding", but it wasn''t used to guide the way. Instead, it was used to distinguish the dangerous aura of evil spirits or demons in the surrounding area so that people could avoid it in time.


    As the talisman burned, a strange fluctuation instantly swept out. With Lin Shen as the center, it spread to a radius of 100 meters, transmitting all the aura fluctuations into Lin Shen''s mind.


    There was no reaction!


    This meant that there were no ghosts, evil spirits, or demons within a hundred meters.


    Lin Shen was still on guard. He let Ai return to the Beast Taming Pouch first. Then, with a thought, a clone immediately separated from his body and carefully walked toward the cave.


    The cave wasn''t big. Behind the opening was a passageway that could only amodate three people. There were some unknown ores emitting fluorescent light embedded in the walls on both sides. This was the only light source in the cave.


    The dim light made the passage a little blurry, and it looked quite scary.


    Looking up, the darkness ahead was like a beast''s mouth waiting for an uninvited guest to barge in.


    Fortunately, the passage was only about a hundred meters.


    After passing through it, the clone walked into a rather spacious cave.


    The moment the clone walked in, its gaze was immediately attracted by the golden light in the depths of the cave.


    When it looked again, it saw a sparkling golden sand vein, winding through the cracks in the mountain wall like a golden belt.


    There was also a lot of golden sand scattered on the ground. It was as bright as gold coins and was extremely eye-catching in the dark cave.


    "That''s..."


    Lin Shen controlled his clone to take a few steps forward and take a piece of golden sand to examine it carefully. He was pleasantly surprised.


    "It''s Treasure Gold Cloud Sand!"


    Treasure Gold Cloud Sand was a type of spiritual sand.


    The so-called spiritual sand referred to the mineral sand that contained the abundant spiritual essence of the Five Elements. It had a wide range of uses.


    It could be used on cultivation techniques of the corresponding attributes.


    It could also be used to refine powerful treasures and weapons.


    In fact, when cultivator masters broke through, they would also use a very small amount of special spiritual sand.


    Because of this, spiritual sand was very expensive.


    Even the lowest grade spiritual sand was much more expensive than the gold of the same weight.


    Treasure Gold Cloud Sand was light in texture, but it was as hard as ck iron. It naturally contained Metal energy and was a material used to refine many offensive enchanted armaments. Needless to say, it was very valuable.


    There was a mission to collect Treasure Gold Cloud Sand in the Mission


    Hall.


    The reward of 5kg of Treasure Gold Cloud Sand was a minor merit!


    Although the mineral vein in front of him was only five to six meters long and a meter wide, he could easily dig out 150 to 200 kg of Treasure Gold Cloud Sand!


    Maybe even more!


    At the very least, it would bring Lin Shen 30 to 40 minor merits. How could he not be overjoyed?


    "I''ll be rich!"


    Outside the cave, Lin Shen took a deep breath and suppressed the ecstasy in his heart. He controlled his clone to carefully investigate the cave.


    There were many small footprints on the ground nearby. From the shape, they should have been left by Cunning Hare.


    There were also some wild beast feces scattered in the corner of the cave.


    Other than that, there were no other traces.


    It was obvious that this was a treasure trove that had yet to be discovered!


    "Who would have thought there was a vein of Treasure Gold Cloud Sand hidden here!"


    Lin Shen sighed.


    If it weren''t for Ai, he wouldn''t have found this cave.


    After entering the cave, Lin Shen put away his clone and nced back and forth a few times before picking up some sand from the ground.


    The cloud sand wasn''t a big chunk, but it was full of spirituality. It was smooth and full, almost giving him the illusion that it was alive.


    "Good. It''s superior-grade Treasure Gold Cloud Sand!"


    Lin Shen nodded to himself.


    The spiritual sand needed to be dug out with a special jade-pick talisman weapon so that its spirituality wouldn''t be harmed. Lin Shen didn''t expect to find a sand vein in advance, so he didn''t prepare the tool. He could only put away the Treasure Gold Cloud Sand that was scattered on the ground first and prepare toe back to dig up more after he returned to the academy and gathered all the tools.


    "Fortunately, this ce is rtively hidden. No one should discover this cave for the time being."


    Lin Shen muttered to himself.


    Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, he heard footsteps outside, followed by a deep voice.


    "There''s a cave here."


    Another cold voice followed.


    "This ce looks quite hidden. That''s good. Stay here for the next few days and try not to go out to avoid being spotted."


    "How much longer do I have to be out here?"


    "What''s the hurry? Since we''ve promised you, we''ll definitely let you return to Dragonside City. However, the Martial Enforcement Hall seems to be nning something recently. The higher-ups suspect they''re targeting us, so don''t act rashly for the time being. After the storm passes, we''ll help you arrange a new identity and bring you into the city."


    "I hope you won''t go back on your word!"


    "Don''t worry. We didn''t spend so much effort to help you enter the city to hand you over to the Martial Enforcement Hall." The cold voiceughed softly.


    The deep voice snorted.


    "I heard you''ve been secretly using cultivators to refine Blood Spirit Pills!"


    Blood Spirit Pills?!


    Lin Shen was shocked.


    Could these two people be in cahoots with Luo Yi?


    Just as he was feeling bewildered, he heard the cold voice continue.


    "Don''t worry. We won''t use our own people to refine pills. Moreover, after joining us, as long as you make a great contribution, you might be able to obtain a Blood Spirit Pill to try. Hehe..."


    The deep voice didn''t refute, but his breathing became slightly heavier.


    Clearly, the Blood Spirit Pills were quite tempting to him.


    To cultivators who were still in the third mortal stages, as long as they didn''t mind the source of the pills, the Blood Spirit Pills were undoubtedly extremely precious and nourishing!


    After a moment, the deep voice said in a low voice, "Alright, I''ll wait for your news here!"


    "Very well, then..."


    The cold voice was interrupted by a hissing sound.


    It sounded like a snake flicking its tongue.


    Before Lin Shen could figure it out, he heard a furious voiceing from outside the cave.


    "There''s someone in the cave!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, a sizzling noise that sounded like scales rubbing against the ground quickly approached.


    In less than a second, a thick ck shadow rushed into the cave.


    Under the dim light, Lin Shen quickly saw what it was. It was a huge python that was as thick as a bucket and covered in ck scales.


    Hiss! Hiss!


    The ck python quickly discovered Lin Shen in the cave. Without hesitation, it opened its bloody mouth and pounced over.


    A fishy smell immediately filled Lin Shen''s nostrils.


    His expression turned cold as he left the spot like a whirlwind.


    In the next second, the ck python crashed into the stone wall of the cave like a cannonball. With a bang, the wall cracks like a spider-web, and countless pieces of sand and gravel were scattered on the ground.


    The ck python only shook its head before continuing to attack Lin Shen.


    "An Ascension Stage spiritual beast!"


    Lin Shen''s eyes flickered.


    This ck python was almost as strong as the tiger he had killed previously!


    Fortunately, the ck python''s huge body was clearly too big for the cave, and it couldn''t attack as freely as it wanted. Its movements were obviously hindered.


    Considering there were still two enemies outside, Lin Shen didn''t dy. He directly switched to his Pure Yang Body talent. Taking advantage of the moment when the ck python turned around and slowed down, he circled behind it and leaped up. He waved his palm, bringing with it an iparably scorching air wave that mmed down heavily.


    Thump!


    The ck python couldn''t dodge in time and suffered a blow to its head from Lin Shen.


    The hard scales that were strong enough to crack hard rocks without any damage were as fragile as tofu in front of Meltdown which had its power doubled. The scales were instantly melted and charred by the extreme temperature, and rolling zing spiritual essence entered the ck python''s head.


    The scales around the ck python''s head instantly exploded, and a blood mist filled the air, dyeing the monotonous cave red!


    The huge python swayed a few times before falling to the ground with a bang, motionless and lifeless.


    At the same time,


    Arge amount of information appeared in Lin Shen''s mind. It was about Meltdown''sprehension.


    Moreover, the information density far exceeded the previous two times.


    He summoned the interface and saw the cultivation progress of Meltdown had changed from "Proficient 86%" to "Mastery 1%"!


    In an instant, his cultivation progress increased by 15%!


    Lin Shen was overjoyed.


    At this moment, two people suddenly rushed into the cave.


    When they saw the badly mangled head of the ck python lying on the ground, their expressions changed.


    One of them looked at Lin Shen in shock and anger and gritted his teeth.


    "Where did this little bastarde from? How dare he kill my ck-Scaled Python!"

 Chapter 102 -102 The Brave Victory (1)

    Chapter 102: The Brave Victory (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Recovering from the pleasant surprise of his progress, Lin Shen narrowed his eyes and looked at the two people in front of him.


    The person ring at him was a pale man with sunken eyes. His voice was as cold as a venomous snake.


    Standing beside him was a man who looked to be in his thirties. He had a weathered face, a beard, and a long saber at his waist.


    He kept sizing up the ck-scaled Python''s corpse. When he looked at Lin Shen again, there was a cold glint in his eyes.


    "Meltdown! You''re from the Nine Suns Sect!"


    Lin Shen didn''t answer and looked at the two of them calmly.


    Seeing this, the gloomy man snorted.


    "Whether or not you''re from the Nine Suns Sect, you''ll have to pay with your life for killing my python. It just so happens that I haven''tpleted my quota for pill ingredients this month, so I''ll just use you to make up the numbers!"


    After saying that, the gloomy man was about to step forward, but he was stopped by the bearded man.


    "Wait."


    "What? You''re not thinking of helping him, are you?"


    The gloomy man suddenly turned his head and looked coldly at the bearded man.


    The bearded man didn''t care at all and pointed behind Lin Shen.


    "Look there."


    The gloomy man frowned and looked over. In the next second, he was suddenly stunned. Then, he became ecstatic.


    "It''s Treasure Gold Cloud Sand!"


    The gloomy manughed.


    "There''s actually a Treasure Gold Cloud Sand vein in this cave. I''m so lucky!"


    The anger brought about by the death of the python was swept away.


    The gloomy man chuckled and was overjoyed.


    "Kid, you''re quite lucky. I was going to torture you before killing you, but I''ve changed my mind now. On ount of the Treasure Gold Cloud Sand vein you gave me, I can leave your corpse intact!"


    "Wait. I want half of this sand vein!" The bearded man suddenly said.


    The gloomy man frowned as he looked at the bearded man. His gaze flickered for a few seconds before his frown suddenly rxed. He said with a fake smile,


    "Alright, we discovered it together so we''ll split it equally, but I''ll leave this kid to you!"


    The bearded man nced at him and nodded slightly. Without a word, he pulled out the long saber at his waist and strode towards Lin Shen.


    He wasn''t afraid that Ding Leng would do something behind his back.


    He was personally recruited by Ding Leng''s superiors. No matter how bold Ding Leng was, he wouldn''t dare to harm the bearded man.


    Or rather, a Treasure Gold Cloud Sand vein that was less than ten meters long wasn''t worth Ding Leng''s effort.


    The moment he walked to the middle of the cave and was five meters away from Lin Shen, the bearded man suddenly leaned forward. In the next second, he crossed five meters like a bolt of lightning and instantly arrived in front of Lin Shen.


    Silver light instantly enveloped Lin Shen''s entire body.


    In the blink of an eye, the bearded man stabbed Lin Shen in his brows, throat, heart, and navel. His speed was as fast as lightning, and no one could see him in time.


    Ding Leng''s heart skipped a beat when he saw this. He was intimidated, but at the same time, he was secretly amazed.


    It was no wonder that Yuan Lifei could survive in the dangerous Dragon Abyss Mountain Range alone for so many years. His strength was indeed not to be underestimated.


    With this quick saber move, not many people on the same stage as him were his match!


    Ding Leng was d he hadn''t been blinded by greed and attacked Yuan Lifei. Otherwise, he might not have been the final winner.


    Just as Ding Leng was thinking about it in fear, the next thing that happened made him dumbfounded, and he was terrified and astonished.


    Yuan Lifei''s four saber strikesnded on his opponent''s body, causing dark golden sparks to fly everywhere. However, the tip of his saber was unable to pierce through his opponent''s body. It was as if his saber had struck a piece of leather, emitting a dull thud!


    This scene stunned Ding Leng.


    Even Yuan Lifei couldn''t help but cry out in rm.


    "Physical Enhancement!"


    While Yuan Lifei was in a daze, Lin Shen had already reached out with his hand


    At the critical moment, Yuan Lifei only had time to block with his saber, but in the next second, he heard an ear-piercing crunch. The sharp and hard saber in his hand had already twisted into a ball from the middle, and it was immediately destroyed.


    Yuan Lifei was shocked. He knew something was wrong and immediately wanted to retreat. However, Lin Shen was faster than him.


    A palm with a zing force had already torn through the air andnded heavily on his chest.


    Crack!


    A crisp sound came from Yuan Lifei''s body. A bright green light appeared out of thin air and firmly blocked Lin Shen''s palm.


    Taking advantage of this opportunity, Yuan Lifei retreated at lightning speed, putting a distance of seven to eight meters between them.


    Yuan Lifei touched the shattered jade pendant on his chest, and his face was so dark that it looked like a stormy sky.


    If not for the protective jade pendant blocking that palm just now, he would have been seriously injured or even died.


    Yuan Lifei had been in the martial world for many years, but he had suffered a huge loss at the hands of a brat who was still wet behind the ears. He felt extremely humiliated and resentful.


    "Kid, which family are you from?"


    Yuan Lifei stared at Lin Shen with a livid expression.


    Even if there was the factor of his negligence, this kid had still withstood several of his attacks without being injured. He even almost injured Yuan Lifei severely. This strength was enough to shock anyone!


    To have such strength at such a young age, he had to be a disciple of the 18 cultivation families!


    It was even very likely that he was a direct descendant of the three great families or the five great sects!


    Lin Shen smiled. "Take a wild guess."


    Yuan Lifei narrowed his eyes.


    A cold killing intent appeared in Ding Leng''s eyes as well.


    Both of them thought highly of themselves. How could they allow a brat to tease them, even if the other party was a genius?


    With a cold snort, Yuan Lifei didn''t embarrass himself anymore.


    Instead, he charged at Lin Shen with his saber. The cold saber light turned into a silver light that shed and enveloped Lin Shen..

 Chapter 103 -103 The Brave Victory (2)

    Chapter 103: The Brave Victory (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    The muffled sounds went on and on.


    Yuan Lifei''s saber had always been fast and unstoppable, but it had now met its nemesis.


    No matter how the saber shed and cut, apart from creating sparkles in the dark golden light that covered Lin Shen, it was unable to cause any damage to him.


    Yuan Lifei had never fought such an irritating battle before. He was so angry that his face became darker and darker. At the same time, he gritted his teeth and made up his mind.


    In that case, he would beat this kid until his spiritual essence was exhausted, and he couldn''t use this Physical Enhancement technique anymore!


    Ding Leng was watching on the side, and he was experienced in battles.


    He quickly saw through Yuan Lifei''s n and nodded to himself.


    "This kid is a little strange. His martial arts attainments are too strong for someone of his age. Even Yuan Lifei''s fast saber was suppressed.


    Fortunately, Yuan Lifei''s cultivation is several levels higher than this kid''s. Otherwise, it''s had to say who will win!


    "Yuan Lifei is an expert at the sixth level of the Long Breath Stage.


    "This kid is at most at the second level of the Long Breath Stage.


    "With a difference of four levels, Yuan Lifei should have no problem killing the boy."


    At most, it would take some effort.


    On the other side, Lin Shen felt a little regretful.


    Just now, he had the idea of taking advantage of the enemy''s carelessness to kill one of them first.


    However, Yuan Lifei actually had something like a Protection Talisman on him, and Lin Shen''s strike didn''t work out as nned.


    Now that the enemy was rmed, it was impossible to catch them off guard.


    The bearded man with the saber was extremely powerful, and his saber technique was exquisite.


    The saber technique was suppressed by Forbidden Golden Armor, and Lin Shen had the enhancement of his pure Yang body talent.


    Otherwise, Lin Shen would have long been at a disadvantage.


    Even so, his current situation wasn''t looking good.


    Although Forbidden Golden Armor was powerful, it consumed a lot of spiritual essence. If the stalemate continued for a long time, he would lose in the end.


    "Looks like I have to use my trump card!"


    Lin Shen nced at Ding Leng, who was a few steps away.


    From the conversation between Ding Leng and Yuan Lifei, it was not difficult to guess that Ding Leng was also an expert as powerful as Yuan Lifei.


    It wasn''t safe enough to summon the cat general to deal with two middle-phase Long-Breath Stage experts.


    In that case, Lin Shen could only use his clones!


    Lin Shen quickly made up his mind.


    He wasn''t one to drag things out. He immediately waved his palm and forced Yuan Lifei to retreat. While Yuan Lifei was retreating, a shadow suddenly separated from Lin Shen andnded a few steps away before it materialized.


    In the blink of an eye, an identical "Lin Shen" appeared in the cave!


    Seeing this, Yuan Lifei and Ding Leng were dumbfounded.


    "What is this?"


    "A spell technique? No, that''s impossible. This kid isn''t a Bright Aperture Stage cultivator!"


    Yuan Lifei and Ding Leng were astonished.


    If not for the fact that they had just witnessed Lin Shen''s strength, they would have thought they had encountered a Bright Aperture Stage cultivator.


    But if this kid wasn''t, how could they exin the phenomenon in front of him?


    Long Breath Stage cultivators didn''t have the ability to cast spells!


    "Boy, what kind of sorcery is this?"


    Ding Leng stared at Lin Shen warily. A long sword had already appeared in his hand.


    Seeing this sudden change, he no longer looked like a cat ying with a mouse. Instead, he looked like he was facing a great enemy.


    Spells were extremely dangerous to any Long Breath Stage cultivator!


    Even if this kid was very likely an imposter, they had no choice but to deal with him carefully!


    Unfortunately for them, Lin Shen didn''t have the habit of exining his abilities to the enemy. Without another word, he summoned another clone and immediately controlled it to charge at the two of them.


    Another one?!


    Yuan Lifei and Ding Leng were both shocked, but reality didn''t give them much time to think. As the clones approached, the two of them could only suppress their surprise and brace themselves to fight.


    Lin Shen summoned two clones with Superior Martial Arts and Pure Yang Body, respectively.


    With the enhancement of their talent, the true strength of the two clones was almost at the fifth level of the Long Breath Stage.


    As soon as they started fighting, they exchanged blows with Yuan Lifei and Ding Leng.


    Lin Shen nced at Ding Leng.


    Just as he had expected, Ding Leng''s strength was not inferior to Yuan Lifei''s.


    They were both at the sixth level of the Long Breath Stage, but Ding Leng used a sword technique that was simr to the Azure Wave Sword of the Raging Waves Sect. However, it had an additional cold and terrifying aura.


    After watching the battle for a moment and confirming that his clone wasn''t in danger of being defeated, Lin Shen charged at Yuan Lifei without any hesitation. He prepared to join forces with his Pure Yang Body clone and get rid of one enemy first.


    Yuan Lifei''s situation immediately took a turn for the worse.


    The two opponents had iron shells that couldn''t be broken no matter how hard they fought. Their Meltdown had even almost reached Perfection and was extremely ferocious.


    In just a short while, Yuan Lifei had already lost three or four of his long sabers. He was so shocked that he broke out in a cold sweat.


    At this moment, he was extremely regretful. He should have tried harder to obtain an enchanted armament-level saber. That way, he wouldn''t have to be so restrained as now!


    Creak!


    With the ear-piercing sound of metal twisting, another long saber was destroyed.


    Yuan Lifei rolled on the ground in a sorry state, narrowly avoiding Lin Shen''s palm strike. At the same time, he took out thest spare weapon from his storage jade te. There was a bitter taste in his mouth.


    When he first entered the cave, he would never have imagined that he would end up in such a sorry state.


    This kid was simply too strange!


    Not only was he powerful at such a young age, but he also knew a strange spell that was suspected to create clones!


    When did the Nine Suns Sect have such a member?


    Shocked, Yuan Lifei couldn''t help but think of escaping.


    Discretion is the better part of valor. He decided to leave this ce first. Anyway, the sand vein wouldn''t run away. He could always bring people to dig up the Treasure Gold Cloud Sandter.


    At that time, if that kid was still here, he could deal with him together to take revenge for today!


    With a n in mind, Yuan Lifei defended himself against Lin Shen''s attacks while thinking of a way to escape.


    As for Ding Leng, he was on his own!


    Lin Shen acutely sensed Yuan Lifei''s abnormality. After a brief observation, he saw through his opponent''s n, and his eyes flickered.


    After fighting for a while, Yuan Lifei finally seized the opportunity and repelled the clone with a powerful sh. He then dodged Lin Shen''s pursuit and rushed towards the exit of the cave like a bolt of lightning.


    In the blink of an eye, Yuan Lifei ran to the edge of the opening.


    As long as he reached the pathway, he would be safe. Just as Yuan Lifei''s face lit up with joy, he suddenly heard a clear roar that sounded


    like a dragon.


    In the next second, a solid sound wave surged over and mmed into Yuan Lifei''s back like a tsunami.


    Thump!


    Yuan Lifei crashed into the wall next to the exit. He felt as if his internal organs had been squeezed together. Blood spurted out of his nose and throat, filling the air with redness.


    From the moment Yuan Lifei turned around and fled to the moment Lin Shen used Dragon Roar Through the Clouds, everything happened in the blink of an eye.


    It was not until Yuan Lifei fell to the ground that Ding Leng realized what had happened. He was furious and shocked.


    He was furious that Yuan Lifei wanted to leave him behind.


    What shocked them was that Lin Shen actually cultivated sound-wave martial arts!


    How many powerful martial techniques did this kid master?


    While Ding Leng was still shocked and furious, Lin Shen had already rushed to Yuan Lifei''s side. He lifted his leg and kicked Yuan Lifei''s throat while thetter was still lying on the ground.


    There was a cracking sound, and Yuan Lifei''s eyes bulged, his face turning purple.


    He gurgled as if he wanted to say something, but before he could speak, his body twitched as if he had been electrocuted. Then, his body went limp, and he stopped moving. His face was still filled with disbelief and despair.


    A look of contempt shed across Lin Shen''s eyes.


    In fact, if Yuan Lifei hadn''t lost his courage and wanted to escape, he wouldn''t have been defeated so quickly.


    It was said a brave person would always win in an unavoidable confrontation, and it made sense.


    After dealing with Yuan Lifei, Lin Shen turned to look at Ding Leng.


    The moment Ding Leng met Lin Shen''s indifferent gaze, his heart skipped a beat. He felt a chill run down his spine, and his scalp went numb.


    When Yuan Lifei was still alive, the two of them might not have been able to defeat Lin Shen even if they joined forces, let alone now that he was alone.


    No matter how he looked at it, the situation wasn''t good!

 Chapter 104 - 104 Kill Them All (1)

    Chapter 104: Kill Them All (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    "Wait a minute!"


    Ding Leng wasn''t a stubborn person. When he saw the situation wasn''t looking good, he immediately shouted,


    "I don''t want this Treasure Gold Cloud Sand anymore. Let''s stop here!"


    Seeing that Lin Shen didn''t answer and only looked at him indifferently, Ding Leng gritted his teeth and said, "Don''t think I''m begging for mercy. I have a trump card. If you insist on fighting the battle, we''ll fight to the death!"


    "You''ll die. I won''t!"


    Lin Shen didn''t give Ding Leng any more time to talk nonsense. With a move of his feet, he had already rushed out.


    At the same time, the two clones also rushed towards Ding Leng from two other directions, forming a siege.


    Seeing this, Ding Leng''s face darkened, and he shouted sternly, "You made me do this!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, his body suddenly emitted a dull sound like a torrent. He shouted loudly, and all the pores on his body opened wide. In an instant, blood mist surged out, dyeing his entire body red!


    A ferocious aura that was like a prehistoric beast suddenly spread out.


    Swoosh!


    Ding Leng suddenly swung his saber. As the silver light shed, blood burst out of the clone''s body. It retreated quickly, and there was a wound on his abdomen.


    Forbidden Golden Armor was broken!


    Lin Shen narrowed his eyes.


    Ding Leng, on the other hand, sneered and swung his saber.


    The cave immediately lit up with a piercingly cold saber beam. The saber beam that filled the air transformed into a dense that enveloped Lin Shen and his two clones.


    Lin Shen immediately felt Ding Leng''s strength had increased greatly.


    It had increased by at least one level!


    Moreover, the power of his saber technique had also increased greatly.


    Even Forbidden Golden Armor could no longerpletely block Ding Leng''s attack.


    Furthermore, because of the blood mist that enveloped the de, Meltdown could no longer easily destroy the de.


    Every time the palm with zing spiritual essence touched the blood mist on the surface of the de, it would emit a sizzling sound like boiling oil. The spiritual essence and the blood mist would cancel each other out.


    Lin Shen and his two clones were actually at a disadvantage!


    "Hahaha, kid, I gave you a chance to live, but you didn''t cherish it. It''s toote to regret now!"


    Ding Lengughed wildly.


    Lin Shen was unmoved, and his eyes flickered.


    Obviously, Ding Leng had executed some sort of martial technique that temporarily increased his strength, and his cultivation had drastically risen to Level 7 of the Long Breath Stage in a short period of time!


    Such martial techniques often had very strong aftereffects and couldn''t be used recklessly.


    That was why Ding Leng hadpromised with Lin Shen just now and only used his martial technique when he was forced to.


    Even so, Lin Shen didn''t regret it.


    If he was given another chance, he would still not let Ding Leng off.


    It wasn''t only to hide the existence of the Treasure Gold Cloud Sand vein, but also to protect the secret of his clone!


    The moment he summoned his clones, he had made up his mind not to let Ding Leng and hispanion leave the cave alive!


    Ding Leng''s savageughter resounded throughout the entire cave, but Lin Shen''s expression was still calm. With a thought, a shadow separated from his body.


    Another clone appeared out of thin air!


    Theughter stopped abruptly. Ding Leng looked at the third clone in shock, and his face twitched.


    However, he quickly recovered from his shock and gritted his teeth.


    So what if he had another clone?


    It still couldn''t change the oue!


    And that was the truth. The third clone with God''s Jealousy was rankedst among the clones. It was only at the third or fourth level of the Long Breath Stage.


    Even with this clone, Lin Shen could only barely withstand Ding Leng.


    Seeing this, Ding Leng felt relieved andughed.


    "That''s all you can do. They''re just clones. I''ll kill them all!"


    "Is that so?"


    Lin Shen smiled.


    In the next second, two shadows instantly separated from his body.


    Afternding, they quickly materialized.


    QL


    Ding Leng''s smile froze on his face. He was dumbfounded as if he had seen a ghost.


    Two more?!


    Ding Leng''s forehead was immediately covered in a thinyer of cold sweat, and his face was a little distorted.


    Although he had shouted arrogantly just now, saying he would kill them all. In fact, with one more clone, the situation would instantly turn around. It was his turn to be at a disadvantage.


    But there were two more now!


    Ding Leng was on the brink of tears.


    These clones appeared one after another. Was there no end to them?


    How many clones did this kid have?


    In the blink of an eye, Lin Shen and his five clones surrounded Ding Leng andunched a fierce attack at the same time.


    Lin Shen and his clones were connected in mind as if they were one.


    When they cooperated, their tacit understanding was even better than ordinary people working together.


    The six of them joined forces and attacked like a raging storm!


    For a moment, Ding Leng felt like he was surrounded by an army, and there were enemies from all directions!


    The tables had turned. In less than ten seconds, Ding Leng had been pped several times. If not for the blood mist on his body, he would have been lying on the ground.


    However, the price he had to pay was that the blood mist had clearly be much fainter.


    It was obvious this sudden increase in strength couldst for long.


    As time passed, Ding Leng couldn''t help but reveal an anxious expression.


    He could already feel the spiritual essence in his body beginning to stagnate.


    Before long, the increase in strength brought about by the Blood Explosion Technique would dissipate.


    When that happened, not only would he be beaten back to his original state, but he would even fall into the weakness caused by the aftereffects of the Blood Explosion Technique. Any of the clones could easily kill him, let alone five!


    Thinking of this, Ding Leng became more and more anxious. He quickly thought of a countermeasure..

 Chapter 105 - 105 Kill Them All (2)

    Chapter 105: Kill Them All (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Escape?


    If he could escape, he would have done it already. There was no need for him to use the Blood Explosion Spell!


    Mutual destruction?


    He didn''t even know which one of them was the real Lin Shen. How could he bring his enemy down?


    He had a 1/6 sess rate, so he couldn''t muster the courage to make the bet!


    As he thought about it, Ding Leng suddenly felt that something was wrong.


    This kid could clearly finish him off quickly, but why did his attacks seem to be slowing down?


    Ding Leng suddenly came to his senses. This kid was clearly stalling for time. He wanted to wait for the effect of the Blood Explosion to disappear!


    He was right.


    Lin Shen indeed had this idea.


    Although he could kill Ding Leng with his full strength, thetter''s final counterattack might also lead to the death of his clone.


    Lin Shen didn''t want to lose a clone here, so he might as well stall for time.


    When the effect of his enemy''s martial technique disappeared and the side effects began to backfire, he could easily take care of this man.


    Unfortunately, it was toote for Ding Leng to realize it.


    At this moment, the blood mist on his body was so thin that it was almost invisible.


    After he was struck by a clone once more, Ding Leng stiffened abruptly, and the color on his face faded away. His vitality, energy, and spirit were visibly declining at a rapid rate.


    Blood Explosion''s effect disappeared!


    The aftereffects had already begun to surface.


    Taking advantage of this moment, Lin Shen and his five clonesunched a fierce attack at the same time.


    The surging zing spiritual essence almost materialized, dyeing the entire cave red.


    "No!"


    Ding Leng''s eyes were wide open, and his face was filled with horror.


    In the next second, a surging heat wave swept over and drowned him!


    BOOM!


    With a loud bang, the cave seemed to tremble, and countless rocks fell.


    The five clones instantly dissipated. Lin Shen put down his hand and retreated,nding four to five meters away.


    Ding Leng had already turned into a corpse on the ground and was dead!


    Lin Shen ignored the corpse on the ground and focused on experiencing the enlightenment that emerged in his mind.


    The moment he killed Yuan Lifei and Ding Leng, the effect of Testify by Killing was triggered.


    The first time, the effect increased the cultivation progress of his Forbidden Golden Armor by 12%.


    The second time increased his cultivation by 7%.


    At this point, Lin Shen''s cultivation level had already reached Level 2, 98%. He was only a step away from breaking through to Level 3.


    "As expected, the probability of triggering the talent effect is higher if I kill creatures with higher cultivation levels than me!"


    Lin Shen heaved a sigh of relief.


    After half a day of fighting in the mountain, he had a rough understanding of the effect of Testify by Killing.


    For example, ordinary creatures like sparrows, mountain rats, and snakes without any cultivation wouldn''t trigger the talent effect of Testify by Killing no matter how many he killed.


    Perhaps the probability wasn''t zero, but it was definitely very low.


    It was very likely that even if he killed ten thousand of them, he might not be able to trigger the talent effect once.


    Even if it was triggered, the increase it provided was probably pitifully small.


    Then there were those whose cultivation levels were lower than his.


    For example, the probability of triggering the effect by killing a Spirit Awakening spiritual beast was about one in a thousand.


    The increase was also very weak.


    asionally, the effect would give increase by 1% or 2%. Most of the time, it was lower than 1%.


    Then, there were those with cultivation levels that were simr to his.


    For example, the probability of triggering it by killing an Ascension Stage spiritual beast was about 1% to 2%. The increased range was also rtively considerable.


    And the one with the highest probability of triggering the effect was undoubtedly when he killed a creature with a higher cultivation level than him.


    For example, the two people on the ground had both triggered the talent effect of Testify by Killing.


    Of course, because the number of kills was small, he couldn''t test the specific probability of triggering it for the time being.


    It was worth mentioning that the increase after triggering the talent effect wasn''t fixed.


    Sometimes, there would be situations where killing creatures of a lower stage would trigger the talent effect, but the increase would be higher than killing creatures of a higher stage.


    For example, after killing the ck-scaled Python, his improvement was much greater than when he killed Yuan Lifei and Ding Leng.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Testify by Killing]


    [Stage: Long Breath Stage Level 2, 98%]


    [Cultivation techniques: Golden Crow Scripture (Proficient 9%), zing Sun Palm (Perfection), Shadows (Perfection), Meltdown (Mastery 1%), Dragon Roar Through the Clouds (Proficient 65%), Forbidden Golden Armor (Proficient 62%), Mortal Restrain (Proficient 12%)]


    [Number of clones: 5 (22%)]


    Looking at the data on the interface, Lin Shen smiled.


    After entering the mountain for half a day, the increase in his cultivation and martial technique stage wasparable to the gains from cultivating for four to five days.


    Testify by Killing was indeed a useful weapon that could quickly increase one''s strength!


    The only troublesome thing was that every time he killed an enemy, he had to switch to Testify by Killing.


    This would inevitably affect the battle.


    Of course,pared to the benefits of Testify by Killing, this inconvenience waspletely eptable.


    Calming himself down, Lin Shen looked at the two corpses on the ground and began to search through them.


    Both of them had storage equipment on them. What surprised Lin Shen was that Ding Leng''s storage equipment was actually a storage bag.


    "That''s right. This is just the right time to upgrade my gear. I don''t


    have to spend three minor merits to exchange for it at the Merit Hall!"


    Lin Shen looked delighted and hurriedly opened the storage bag.


    Just like the storage jade te, the storage bag didn''t have any restrictions. Anyone could open it.


    The space inside was about 300 to 400 square meters, which far exceeded the storage jade te.


    Lin Shen quickly examined it. The space in the storage bag was mostly filled. Most of it was all kinds of survival supplies. It was probably Ding Leng''s preparation for this trip, or he was nning to give it to Yuan Lifei..

 Chapter 106 - 106 Kill Them All (3)

    Chapter 106: Kill Them All (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    There were also a lot of spirit coins. After a rough count, Lin Shen found about a million.


    "As expected of a Long Breath Stage cultivator, he''s really rich!"


    As he checked, Lin Shen became even more joyful.


    Apart from the spirit coins, there were also arge number of rare herbs in the storage bag.


    Wood spirit herbs, ice shards, ebony roots... Most of them were specialties of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range.


    There were even two Spirit Breath Fruits!


    It was said that the fruit was the main ingredient for the Breath Gathering Pill that could allow a Level 9 Qi Transformation cultivator to directly advance to the Long Breath Stage without any side effects.


    Its value was obvious.


    Other than that, there were also many precious herbs that were ranked in the Mission Hall. Lin Shen could easily exchange them for a few minor merits and 200 to 300 merit points.


    Lin Shen even found a bottle of Prime Pills inside.


    He opened it and saw that there were still three pills left!


    "I''ve hit the jackpot!"


    Lin Shen couldn''t help but smile.


    A horse wouldn''t grow strong without night grass, and a man would not be rich without windfalls. The sayings were right!


    No wonder so many people liked to kill and rob. The gains were too easy to obtain!


    Of course, it was also very easy to go for wool ande home shorn.


    He might even lose his life.


    Just like the two people on the ground.


    Overjoyed, Lin Shen turned his gaze to Yuan Lifei.


    Unfortunately, the oue disappointed him. Yuan Lifei''s storage equipment was only a storage jade te. Most of the things inside were all kinds of spiritual beast meat and spiritual beast skin. There was only a small amount of rare herbs. It was much less valuable than Ding Leng''s.


    The only thing that made Lin Shen slightly happy was that he found a few jade picks in the storage jade te.


    Yuan Lifei had most likely prepared them to mine mineral veins in the forest in case he found any. Now, they were going to help Lin Shen.


    "With these jade picks, I won''t have to go back and forth to Dragonside City anymore!"


    Lin Shen smiled and deftly sorted out the things in Yuan Lifei''s storage jade te and his own things before putting them into his storage bag.


    After some thought, he put away the corpses of Ding Leng, Yuan Lifei, and the ck-Scaled Python. Then, he went outside and found a ce far away from the cave. He threw the corpses on the ground.


    After doing all this, Lin Shen walked further away and found a ce to hide and watched the corpses from there.


    From the conversation between Yuan Lifei and Ding Leng, they were probably both criminals on the wanted list of the Martial Enforcement Hall.


    If he could hand over their corpses to the Martial Enforcement Hall, he might be able to exchange them for a bounty, just like when he killed Luo Yist time.


    However, the cultivation levels of the two people he killed this time were too high. He definitely couldn''t use the cat general''s God Seeking Token as an excuse.


    Once he handed the corpses over to the Martial Enforcement Hall, how would he exin how he killed the two of them?


    After thinking about it, Lin Shen could only give up on that n.


    The ck-Scaled Python was a spiritual beast raised by Ding Leng. It was also too eye-catching, so Lin Shen got rid of it as well.


    A momentter, a spiritual beast attracted by the smell of blood devoured the corpses of the two men and the python, leaving only some remains.


    Cultivators or spiritual beasts died every day in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range. There were simply too many simr remains. No one would think twice about the identity of these remains, let alone link them to Lin Shen.


    "It''s a pity that I''ve used up the Melting Liquid. Otherwise, it would be easier to clean up.


    "Speaking of which, I wonder if there''s Melting Liquid on the ck street? If there is, I have to buy some."


    Lin Shen felt that he was getting better and better at destroying the evidence.


    Shaking his head, he got up and left, returning to the cave. He took out the jade pick and began to dig out the Treasure Gold Cloud Sand.


    In the next few days, he nned to dig out all the Treasure Gold Cloud Sand and take it away.


    Two dayster.


    Looking at the pile of Treasure Gold Cloud Sand in his storage bag, Lin Shen was overjoyed.


    These were all merit points!


    From the looks of it, he could exchange for all kinds of martial techniques and enchanted armaments when he returned.


    Even so, Lin Shen had no intention of returning to the academy right away.


    Such a training opportunity didn''t happen on a daily basis. Of course, he had to stay here for a while before returning.


    In any case, he still had arge number of daily necessities obtained from Ding Leng and Yuan Lifei in his storage bag. There was more than enough to let him stay in the mountains for a month or two.


    What was worth mentioning was that in the past two days of digging up the Treasure Gold Cloud Sand, the clones'' cultivation hadn''t stopped.


    After two days, Lin Shen had sessfully broken through to the third level of the Long Breath Stage.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Testify by Killing]


    [Stage: Long Breath Level 3, 5%]


    [Cultivation techniques: Golden Crow Scripture (Proficient 15%), zing Sun Palm (Perfection), Shadows (Perfection), Meltdown (Mastery 7%), Dragon Roar Through the Clouds (Proficient 73%), Forbidden Golden Armor (Proficient 68%), Mortal Restrain (Proficient 15%)]


    [Number of clones: 5 (24%)]


    "I''ve taken care of the Treasure Gold Cloud Sand. Next, I can go all out to hunt spiritual beasts to increase my strength!"


    Lin Shen looked at the words "Testify by Killing" in the talent column, and his eyes flickered..

 Chapter 107 - 107 Mountain Phantom Hair (1)

    Chapter 107: Mountain Phantom Hair (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    At noon, at the foot of Mount Firon.


    Four young men and women came together and sized up the forest in the mountains.


    "This is Mount Firon."


    Zheng Weirong looked at the forest on the mountain and turned around to tell hispanion.


    "Aew the Mountain Sprites here?" Bai Xiaotong asked.


    "They should be. I heard the Mountain Sprites have appeared on Mount Firon for a few months. Even the Merit Hall has issued a clean-up mission. However, because there are too many of them, it''s too difficult to kill them all, so no one haspleted that mission yet."


    Bai Xiaotong pursed her lips. "Then the reward must be too low.


    Otherwise, a Heaven-rank disciple would have taken action long ago."


    Zheng Weirong smiled and didn''t say anything. He was tacitly agreeing with Bai Xiaotong.


    As far as he knew, the reward for clearing the Mountain Sprites was only three minor merits.


    As for the missions epted by Heaven-rank disciples, the rewards were at least a few medium merits. Of course, they wouldn''t be interested in just three minor merits.


    Even Earth-rank disciples were often not very enthusiastic about the mission was only worth three minor merits.


    Zheng Weirong nced at Ai Jingting and Yan Dao behind him.


    Otherwise, those two would have been aware of this mission.


    Bai Xiaotong came to Ai Jingting''s side and said with a smile, "Since there''s a group of Mountain Sprites on Mount Firon, there''s most likely also a Mountain Phantom. If you''re lucky, you might be able to obtain the Mountain Phantom''s hair today!"


    Ai Jingting smiled gently. "Thank you for your kind words, Junior Sister Bai."


    Mountain Phantoms were also known as Mountain Ghost Kings.


    Wherever they went, Mountain Sprites would follow them.


    Thus, Mountain Phantoms often appeared in ces with arge number of Mountain Sprites.


    As she needed Mountain Phantom''s hair to refine the me Spirit Pills, Ai Jingting had been searching for Mountain Phantoms recently.


    Unfortunately, Mountain Phantoms were rare and often appeared in the depths of dangerous mountain ranges. They were extremely difficult to find, so she had yet to find anything.


    She identally found out yesterday that there was a group of Mountain Sprites on Mount Firon, so she rushed over.


    "There''s no time to lose. Let''s hurry up the mountain."


    Yan Dao also spoke at this time, looking at Ai Jingting with a smile.


    "Junior Sister Ai, don''t worry. I''ll definitely help you get the Mountain Phantom''s hair today!"


    His tone was filled with confidence.


    Yan Dao indeed had the confidence to say this.


    As an Earth-rank disciple of the Nine Yang Academy, he was at Level 7 of the Long Breath Stage. Furthermore, his martial arts were exquisite.


    He had enchanted armaments, and his strength was definitely one of the best among his peers.


    Mountain Phantoms on Mount Firon was at most at the mid-phase of the Ascension Stabe. With Yan Dao''s strength, killing a Mountain Phantom was a piece of cake.


    Hearing this, Ai Jingting only smiled and pursed her lips without saying anything.


    Zheng Weirong and Bai Xiaotong looked at each other, a hint of a smile shing across their eyes.


    Everyone knew Yan Dao had fallen in love with Ai Jingting. Because of this, when he heard that Ai Jingting wanted to find someone to go to Mount Firon with, he immediately volunteered. It was too obvious.


    Unfortunately, Ai Jingting had a simple personality and usually ignored men. Apart from cultivating, she was devoted to alchemy only. No matter how hard Yan Dao tried to please her, she only kept a respectful distance. Until now, Yan Dao had never been able to win her heart.


    Even so, Yan Dao still wouldn''t give up.


    "The me Spirit Pills are superior pills. If Senior Sister Ai can obtain the Mountain Phantom''s hair this time and sessfully refine the me Spirit Pills, she''ll be promoted to an official alchemist soon.


    After that, she''ll be as important as an upper-house disciple. Her future will be limitless!"


    Zheng Weirong nced at Ai Jingting, unable to hide the envy in his heart.


    A skilled alchemist''s status in the Nine Suns Sect was not much lower than a cultivator master.


    In fact, because they could refine many precious pills, their status was extraordinary. Even cultivator masters wouldn''t dare to underestimate them.


    Therefore, bing an alchemist was just as promising a path as bing a cultivator master.


    Unfortunately, the field of alchemy was too dependent on talent. Those with insufficient talent, no matter how hard they worked, their achievements would ultimately be very limited.


    Many people with insufficient aptitude couldn''t be even the lowest-grade alchemist in their entire lives and had to remain alchemy apprentices.


    At Ai Jingting''s age, she was already halfway to bing an alchemist.


    It was enough to show how talented she was.


    After chatting for a while, the group made their way up the mountain.


    The four of them were quite capable, and even the weakest among them, Bai Xiaotong, was at the Fourth Level of the Long Breath Stage.


    However, they were still cautious along the way, paying close attention to their surroundings in case the strange creatures attacked them.


    However, after walking for a distance, Yan Dao suddenly eximed in a low voice. His gazended on the ground 50 to 60 meters to the right.


    The other three followed his gaze and couldn''t help but be slightly stunned.


    They saw a humanoid monster with extremely long limbs and a ferocious expression lying motionless there. It was a Mountain Sprite.


    Zheng Weirong took a few steps forward to examine it. A momentter, he revealed a surprised expression.


    "It''s already dead. From the wounds on its body, it should be killed by a cultivator!"


    Bai Xiaotong also walked over. After taking a few nces, she said in surprise, "The traces of Meltdown! It was a disciple of our academy!"


    Yan Dao nodded and stared at the Mountain Sprite''s corpse for a while before muttering,


    "Judging by its size, it should be at the early phase of the Ascension Stage. There are only wounds on its head and no blood on its ws.


    This means it was killed in one strike. The attacker didn''t give the Mountain Sprite any chance to fight back."


    Zheng Weirong and Bai Xiaotong were both surprised.


    Even they could barely kill an early-phase Ascension Stage spiritual beast in one strike.. Could the person who beat them to it also be a ck-rank disciple of the academy?

 Chapter 108 - 108 Mountain Phantom Hair (2)

    Chapter 108: Mountain Phantom Hair (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    "Oh no, could that person have gotten to the Mountain Phantom first?"


    Bai Xiaotong suddenly became worried.


    When Yan Dao heard this, he smiled and said, "Don''t worry. From the traces nearby, there''s only one attacker. The Mountain Phantom is a mid-phase Ascension spiritual beast, and it also has many Mountain Sprites by its side. If one wants to kill so many spiritual beasts alone, they have to be an Earth-rank disciple!"


    Earth-rank disciples were generally at Level 6 or 7 of the Long Breath Stage. With enchanted armaments, it wouldn''t be a problem for them to deal with a group of Mountain Phantoms and Mountain Sprites.


    However, unless there was a special reason, Earth-rank disciples would usually train in the depths of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range and note to an outer mountain peak like Mount Firon.


    Therefore, that person was most likely just a ck-rank disciple.


    And with the strength of a ck-rank disciple, it was indeed impossible for them to deal with a group of Mountain Phantoms and Mountain Sprites alone.


    At the thought of this, Zheng Weirong and Bai Xiaotong heaved a sigh of relief.


    Ai Jingting''s slightly furrowed brows rxed.


    Seeing this, Yan Dao smiled and led the way up the mountain.


    "Let''s go and see which Junior Brother or Junior Sister beat us to it."


    The four of them immediately sped up the mountain.


    Along the way, as expected, they saw many Mountain Sprites??corpses one after another. Most of them were at the early phase of the Ascension Stage, and there were only individual ones at the beginning, but gradually, they appeared in threes and fours.


    No matter how many there were, all the Mountain Sprites were killed with one strike. Their heads were charred by the high temperature.


    Not only were Zheng Weirong and Bai Xiaotong speechless, but even Yan Dao and Ai Jingting looked serious.


    "That''s Mastery, no, Perfection-stage Meltdown!"


    Yan Dao''s expression was slightly solemn. He was no longer as unconcerned as before.


    Meltdown was extremely difficult to cultivate. Many Long Breath Stage disciples had focused on this martial technique for a year or two, but they had only reached Proficient.


    As far as Yan Dao knew, there were only two disciples in the lower-house who could cultivate Meltdown to Perfection.


    And those two were both Heaven-rank disciples!


    Yan Dao was surprised and doubtful. He wasn''t so sure about his spection anymore.


    Could he be wrong? Was that person on the mountain not a ck-rank disciple, but was actually one of the two Heaven-rank disciples?


    Aftering back to his senses, he involuntarily quickened his pace up the mountain.


    The other three also increased their speed.


    Before long, the four of them arrived near the top of the mountain.


    From more than 100 meters away, Yan Dao and the others could hear angry roars and miserable criesing from afar.


    The four of them looked at each other and quickly ran in the direction of the voice.


    Soon, they arrived at the location of the battle.


    What they saw was an abnormally intense battle.


    One side of the battle was a group of spiritual monsters.


    The leader was a spiritual monster riding a white-head tiger. It had a big nose and thick lips, and there was a tree branch with leaves around its waist. It had strange indigo skin, and its aura was ferocious.


    Around it were seven or eight Mountain Sprites.


    On the other side of the battle was a young man who looked to be about 20 years old. He was unarmed. Even though he was fighting against many monsters alone, his expression was still calm, and he didn''t panic at all.


    There were already four to five Mountain Sprite corpses lying on the ground around them. Without exception, their heads were charred ck, just like the Mountain Sprite corpses that Yan Dao and the others had seen earlier.


    Clearly, the person who killed those Mountain Sprites was this young man.


    "Why does he look a little familiar?" Zheng Weirong hesitated.


    As soon as he finished speaking, Bai Xiaotong cried out, "Lin Shen! That person is Lin Shen!"


    "Lin Shen?"


    Zheng Weirong was stunned for a moment before he quickly reacted and widened his eyes in shock.


    "The Lin Shen who was promoted to a ck-rank disciple as soon as he entered the academy?"


    "Who else could it be? I didn''t expect to meet him here!"


    Bai Xiaotong''s eyes sparkled with excitement.


    Even the usually calm and elegant Ai Jingting seemed a little intrigued.


    She stared at Lin Shen without blinking, clearly very interested in this rumored genius.


    At this moment, Zheng Weirong suddenly spoke.


    "That''s not right. Didn''t I hear Lin Shen had just advanced to the Long Breath Stage not long ago? Logically speaking, he should only be at the first level of the Long Breath Stage. But from the looks of it, he''s at least at the third level!"


    Upon hearing Zheng Weirong''s words, Bai Xiaotong and Ai Jingting also came to their senses. Surprises appeared on their faces.


    He was right.


    It was rumored that Lin Shen''s attainments in martial arts were extremely high. He cultivated many powerful martial arts techniques, and all of them were quite advanced. He could even fight opponents above his level.


    However, no matter how superb his martial techniques were, if his cultivation was only at the first level of the Long Breath Stage, it was impossible for him to defeat a group of Mountain Phantoms and Mountain Sprites alone!


    It was obvious that either the rumors were wrong, or his cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds in the past month.


    If it was thetter, then Lin Shen''s talent was simply terrifying to the extreme!


    "I didn''t expect Lin Shen to hide it so well. Many people are still saying that Lin Shen definitely won''t be able to keep his spot as a ck-rank disciple. I really want them to see what we''re seeing now."


    Bai Xiaotong''s pretty face was filled with amazement.


    Zheng Weirong nodded in agreement. Just based on the strength that Lin Shen had disyed, he was more than a level stronger than many ck-rank disciples.


    At the very least, he and Bai Xiaotong were far weaker than Lin Shen.


    It seemed the rumors were wrong. Although Lin Shen was a new student, his true strength had long reached the level of a ck-rank disciple.


    No wonder Master Si specially made him a ck-rank disciple. As expected, Master Si had sharp eyes!


    Thinking of how many Yellow-rank disciples had been rubbing their fists and preparing to challenge Lin Shen in the next rank challenge, Zheng Weirong couldn''t help but mourn for them for a few seconds..

 Chapter 109 - 109 Mountain Phantom Hair (3)

    Chapter 109: Mountain Phantom Hair (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    He wondered what their expressions would be when they met Lin Shen and discovered his true strength.


    As he sighed with emotion inwardly, Zheng Weirong was just about to chime in when he suddenly saw Yan Dao''s gloomy expression from the corner of his eye, and his heart instantly lurched. He instantly swallowed the words that were at the tip of his tongue.


    "I almost forgot. The Yan family and Lin Shen have a lot of grudges!"


    Zheng Weirong thought to himself and quickly gave Bai Xiaotong a look.


    Bai Xiaotong took the hint. She stuck out her tongue and didn''t say anything else.


    At this moment, the battle not far away hade to an end.


    Under the powerful might of Meltdown, seven or eight Mountain Sprites had already turned into charred corpses andy on the ground.


    In the blink of an eye, only Mountain Phantom was left standing.


    Under Lin Shen''s attack, it was flustered and in a sorry state. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell its defeat was only a matter of time.


    And that was the truth.


    A few secondster, Lin Shen opened his mouth and shouted. His dragon voice pierced through Mountain Phantom''s ears, making it dizzy. Its body swayed as if it was drunk.


    Lin Shen took the opportunity to dash behind Mountain Phantom like a gust of wind. He reached out to the back of Mountain Phantom and struck with a zing force.


    In an instant, Mountain Phantom''s body trembled violently, and its eyes bulged. All the life in its body was instantly extinguished.


    Thump!


    The Mountain Phantom fell heavily to the ground and was dead.


    Lin Shen slowly retracted his palm and turned to look at Ai Jingting and the others.


    The moment the four of them arrived at the top of the mountain, Lin Shen had already sensed them. However, seeing that they didn''t do anything other than stop and watch the battle, he ignored them.


    Lin Shen nced at the weapons in their hands and had an idea of who they were.


    The ordinary-grade weapons produced by the Nine Yang Academy''s Artifact Pavilion were all standardized and had their own unique markings.


    The weapons in these four people''s hands were produced by the Artifact Pavilion. Clearly, they were also disciples of the Nine Yang Academy, but he didn''t know which rank they were.


    Lin Shen wasn''t interested in investigating. He sized them up a few times before looking away. He took out a dagger and began to cut the Mountain Phantom''s hair.


    The most valuable thing on the Mountain Phantom was its hair. It could be used as a medicinal ingredient or to refine special weapons like whips and rope. It had a wide range of uses.


    Lin Shen remembered there was a corresponding collection mission in the Merit Hall. The reward seemed to be 300 to 400 merit points.


    Therefore, when Lin Shen fought with the Mountain Phantom, he deliberately avoided that strand of hair.


    Otherwise, with his strength, he would have long finished off the Mountain Phantom.


    As for the Mountain Sprite''s hair, it was worthless. Its flesh and blood didn''t contain spiritual essence like many spiritual beasts. Even if he ate it, it wouldn''t provide the spiritual essence needed to cultivate. Lin Shen directly ignored and abandoned their corpses.


    Before long, Lin Shen finished cutting the Mountain Phantom''s hair.


    He then cut off the Mountain Phantom''s head and put it away, preparing to go back and use it as a mission certificate.


    After doing all this, he got up and was about to leave when he was stopped by a gentle voice.


    "Junior Brother Lin, please wait."


    Lin Shen turned around and saw it was the gentle woman among the four.


    "My name is Ai Jingting, an Earth-rank disciple of the Nine Yang Academy."


    Seeing Lin Shen look over, Ai Jingting introduced herself.


    Lin Shen nodded slightly. Even when he heard the person in front of him was an Earth-rank disciple, his expression didn''t change at all.


    "Can I help you?"


    "I want to ask Junior Brother Lin for a favor. Can you give me the Mountain Phantom''s hair? I can exchange them with pills."


    Ai Jingting said slowly. Her sincere expression and gentle tone made people like her.


    Lin Shen raised his eyebrows and asked, "How do you want to trade?"


    "If you don''t mind, I can use the Prime Pill to exchange for it."


    Seeing that Lin Shen was a little tempted, Ai Jingting heaved a sigh of relief. With a flip of her wrist, an exquisite porcin bottle appeared in her fair palm.


    "I''ll use these ten Prime Pills to exchange for the hair of the Mountain Phantom with you. How about that?"


    Ai Jingting''s eyes were filled with anticipation.


    The Mountain Phantom''s hair was one of the indispensable materials to refine the me Spirit Pills. It was very important to her.


    Whether or not she could be promoted to an official alchemy master depended on this.


    Lin Shen was tempted.


    Ten Prime Pills were worth 500 merit points, which had already exceeded the actual value of Mountain Phantom''s hair by arge margin. It was a sweet deal for him.


    In any case, the Mountain Phantom''s hair was useless to him. At most, he could exchange it for merit points. He might as well exchange it for the Prime Pills with Ai Jingting.


    After thinking for a moment, Lin Shen made up his mind and was about to speak.


    But at this moment, Yan Dao suddenly spoke.


    "Ten Prime Pills for the hair of the Mountain Phantom. You took advantage of this deal. What''s there to hesitate about?"


    Ai Jingting frowned when she heard this.


    Zheng Weirong and Bai Xiaotong also cursed inwardly at the same time.


    As expected, Lin Shen turned to look at Yan Dao. He sized him up and said with a faint smile,


    "And who might you be?"

 Chapter 110 - 110 Strange Father and Son (1)

    Chapter 110: Strange Father and Son (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    After meeting Lin Shen, Yan Dao had been suppressing his dissatisfaction and anger toward Lin Shen and trying not to show it.


    When Ai Jingting talked to Lin Shen nicely, thetter seemed to be ignoring her. Seeing this, Yan Dao finally couldn''t help butsh out.


    However, as soon as he said that, Yan Dao regretted it.


    It would be terrible if he ruined Ai Jingting''s deal and made her angry with him.


    However, at this point, Yan Dao didn''t want to admit defeat in front of Lin Shen. He could only brace himself and snort.


    "I''m Yan Dao, an Earth-rank disciple!"


    "So, it''s Senior Brother Yan."


    Lin Shen realized something.


    No wonder he felt that this person''s gaze on him was inexplicably hostile.


    He thought that it was his imagination, but it turned out that this man was from the Yan family.


    Lin Shen smiled and turned to Ai Jingting.


    "Senior Sister Ai, the hair of the Mountain Phantom will be yours if you give me eleven Prime Pills."


    Ai Jingting was stunned.


    Yan Dao was furious.


    "Mountain Phantom''s hair is worth at most 300 to 400 merit points.


    Ten Prime Pills is already a generous offer. You still want to increase the price?"


    Lin Shen nced at Yan Dao and said with a smile, "Twelve Prime Pills."


    "You''re asking for too much!"


    "Thirteen Prime Pills."


    Yan Dao was angry to the point that the veins on his forehead bulged, and he was about to speak again when Zheng Weirong and Bai Xiaotong couldn''t bear to watch any longer. They rushed forward to stop him.


    "Senior Brother Yan, calm down!"


    "That''s right, Senior Brother Yan. Senior Sister Ai is the one who needs the Mountain Phantom''s hair. Just leave this matter to herself!"


    While dissuading Yan Dao, Zheng Weirong didn''t forget to drop the hint that the person who wanted to exchange for the Mountain Phantom''s hair was Ai Jingting, so that Lin Shen wouldn''t vent his anger on her.


    Lin Shen was very sharp, so he naturally understood what Zheng Weirong was suggesting.


    However, he didn''t care about that. When they were with such a useless teammate, they naturally had to realize that they would be hindered by him.


    "How is it, Senior Sister Ai? Do you want to trade?"


    Looking at the smiling young man in front of her, Ai Jingting wanted to sigh, but she still nodded without hesitation.


    "Yegl"


    Lin Shen took the porcin bottle and checked it. After confirming that there were thirteen Prime Pills, he handed the Mountain Phantom''s hair to Ai Jingting.


    "By the way, let me remind you, Senior Sister Ai. One is marked by thepany one keeps. If you spend too much time with idiots, your intelligence will also decrease. It''s better to keep a distance from such people."


    After saying that, without waiting for the enraged Yan Dao to scold him, Lin Shen smiled and left the mountaintop without looking back.


    A strange glint shed across Ai Jingting''s eyes after she watched Lin Shen disappear from her sight.


    "Junior Sister Ai, I..."


    After calming down, Yan Dao wanted to exin but was interrupted by Ai Jingting''s gentle voice.


    "It''s okay, Senior Brother Yan. I know you didn''t do it on purpose. Don''t take it to heart.


    "It''s gettingte. Let''s go back."


    After that, she headed down the mountain.


    Yan Dao''s face turned slightly pale.


    He would rather Ai Jingtingin to him or throw a tantrum. Either way, it was better than this gentle and indifferent attitude.


    She seemed to be kind and gentle, but in fact, it meant she didn''t treat him as someone close to her at all. That was why she was so polite.


    After leaving Mount Firon, Lin Shen returned to Dragonside City.


    He had already stayed in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range for more than half a month. It was time to go back.


    Lin Shen summoned the interface.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Testify by Killing]


    [Stage: Long Breath Level 3, 76%]


    [Cultivation techniques: Golden Crow Scripture (Proficient 35%), zing Sun Palm (Perfection), Shadows (Perfection), Meltdown (Perfection), Forbidden Golden Armor (Greater mastery 15%), Dragon Roar Through the Clouds (Mastery 11%), Mortal Restrain (Proficient 21%)]


    [Number of clones: 5 (39%)]


    In the past half a month or so in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range, Lin Shen hadn''t cultivated the Golden Crow Scripture much. The increase in his cultivation level was entirely due to the increase in his talent through Testify by Killing.


    Therefore, his improvement was a little slow. He had yet to break through to the fourth level of the Long Breath Stage.


    Inparison, the increase in martial arts was significant.


    Forbidden Golden Armor and Dragon Roar Through the Clouds had both reached Mastery.


    Meltdown had even reached Perfection.


    His strength had increased significantly!


    "It was indeed effective to hunt spiritual beasts and increase my strength with Testify by Killing. It''s just that it''s a little tiring.


    "After I go back and rest for a while, I''lle to the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range to train again."


    Lin Shen happily made his decision.


    After returning to Dragonside City, Lin Shen first sent Ai back to the vi and instructed her to stay at home and cultivate. After leaving behind arge pile of canned cat food, he returned to the Nine Yang Academy without stopping.


    After passing through the teleportation array and seeing nothing but white, Lin Shen quickly returned to the Nine Yang Academy.


    The disciplesing and going on the mountain path were in a hurry as usual.


    Here, the pace seemed to never slow down. All the disciples were racing against time to increase their strength.


    Lin Shen had thought that after so many days, the impact of the guided battle should have subsided a lot.


    However, when he stepped onto the mountain path, he still felt many gazes on him. Many disciples were pointing at him on the way.


    Lin Shen sighed in resignation and ignored them. He rushed straight to the Merit Hall.


    When he arrived at the Mission Hall, Jiao Yu was still on duty behind the counter.


    Seeing Lin Shen, Jiao Yu immediately smiled.


    "Senior Brother Lin, you''re back!"


    Lin Shen nodded with a smile and said, "I want to submit some missions. Junior Sister, please give me a hand.."

 Chapter 111 - 111 Strange Father and Son (2)

    Chapter 111: Strange Father and Son (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    "No problem. Senior Brother Lin, show me the items. If there''s a corresponding mission, I''ll help you register here," Jiao Yu said with a smile.


    But soon, she couldn''t smile anymore.


    There were wood spirit herbs, ebony roots, frost flowers, ice shards, and even Treasure Gold Cloud Sand!


    As Lin Shen took out one rare herb after another, Jiao Yu''s eyes widened.


    Especially toward the end, when she saw that Lin Shen had taken out so much Treasure Gold Cloud Sand that it had piled up into a small mountain, her eyes were filled with disbelief.


    "There are so many things..."


    Jiao Yu almost suspected that Lin Shen had emptied a certain mountain. Otherwise, how could he have collected so many things?


    Ordinary Long Breath Stage disciples would probably not have such shocking gains even after training outside for more than half a year!


    Themotion here quickly attracted the attention of many disciples.


    When they saw therge pile of rare herbs and spiritual beast bones near the counter, everyone was dumbfounded.


    "Damn, there are so many natural treasures?"


    "There''s even Treasure Gold Cloud Sand, and there''s so much of it. It must weigh hundreds of kilograms!"


    "What a great harvest! Who''s so amazing?"


    "Lin Shen! It''s actually him!"


    There was an uproar in the hall.


    The storm of the guided battle had just passed, and Lin Shen was still the center of everyone''s conversation over the past few days.


    Just now, many people were talking about him. Who would have thought that in the blink of an eye, they would see the very person bringing arge pile of natural treasures to submit the mission?


    After a long while, Jiao Yu recovered from her shock and looked at Lin Shen in admiration. Then, she began to take inventory.


    There were many things and misceneous items. It took nearly an hour for Jiao Yu to count everything and register the corresponding missions. The merit points were then put into Lin Shen''s identity token.


    In the end, Lin Shen obtained a total of 54 minor merits and 893 merit points.


    When she handed the identity token to Lin Shen, Jiao Yu still looked a little dazed.


    Many Long Breath Stage disciples might not be able to earn so many merit points even after staying in the academy for two to three years.


    Lin Shen had only made a trip to the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range, but he had already achieved a goal that others could only achieve in two to three years. It was really unbelievable!


    "Thank you."


    Lin Shen took the token, and joy shed across his eyes.


    The gains from this trip were far beyond his expectations.


    Apart from the huge amount of merit points, there were also Prime Pills, storage bags, and many rare herbs that weren''t needed for the missions but were worth a lot.


    If necessary, he could sell them for spirit coins. It was also a considerable amount of wealth.


    There was no need to mention the increase in his strength.


    The benefits of this training were indescribable!


    Putting away the token, Lin Shen casually asked, "Junior Sister Jiao, has anything happened in the academy recently?"


    Jiao Yu came back to her senses and shook her head after some thought.


    "Nothing happened... By the way, there''s something that you might be interested in!"


    "What is it?" Lin Shen asked curiously.


    "A few days ago, the Martial Enforcement Hall issued a mission in the Dao College to recruit Long Breath Stage disciples to help capture criminals. The reward is three minor merits. If you perform well and make contributions, there will be additional merit rewards. Many disciples epted the mission."


    Martial Enforcement Hall? Assist in capturing criminals?


    Lin Shen was very surprised.


    Was there no one left in the Martial Enforcement Hall? Why did theye to the academy to recruit people?


    Seeing Lin Shen''s confusion, Jiao Yu smiled and exined, "This isn''t the first time the Martial Enforcement Hall has done this.


    Simr things have happened two or three times in the past. Usually, the Martial Enforcement Hall would only do this if they were carrying out arge-scale operation.


    "Furthermore, in such missions, the disciples of the academy usually don''t have to face the criminals directly. Most of the time, they carry out missions such as searching, investigating, and encircling. It''s not too dangerous, and the remuneration is high. Therefore, it''s very popr among the disciples."


    Lin Shen was enlightened.


    On second thought, it wasn''t surprising for the Martial Enforcement Hall to recruit helpers in the academy on short notice.


    After all, many academy disciples were Long Breath Stage cultivators.


    In terms of martial arts, they were stronger than many members of the Martial Enforcement Hall.


    When the Martial Enforcement Hallcked manpower, it was indeed a good choice to recruit helpers from the Nine Yang Academy.


    Speaking of which, this was also a type of internship.


    After all, many disciples who were eliminated from the academy would


    eventually join the Martial Enforcement Hall.


    "Senior Brother Lin, do you want to ept this mission?" Jiao Yu asked.


    Lin Shen only asked, "What about the mission content?"


    "They didn''t say the specifics. The Martial Enforcement Hall said that it was to keep it a secret. The only thing we know is that the disciples who ept the mission and pass the screening have to be on standby for the next month. Once they receive the news, they have to immediately go to the designated location before they''re assigned missions."


    Three minor merits a month...


    To ordinary Long Breath Stage disciples, this reward was indeed considerable.


    After all, a Long Breath Stage disciple could only obtain a small merit after guarding the spirit mine outside the city for a month.


    Although it wasn''t dangerous, one had to spend most of their time patrolling and guarding.


    The mission of the Martial Enforcement Hall was different. Although they had to be on standby for a month, the disciples could continue cultivating during this period and not waste time.


    No wonder so many disciples rushed to sign up.


    Even Lin Shen, who had just obtained more than 50 small merits, was a little tempted.


    Although he had gained a great deal this time, he couldn''t encounter something like the Treasure Gold Cloud Sand vein every time he trained. The road to earning merit points wasn''t always a smooth sailing. He couldn''t miss out on a good mission with high rewards..

 Chapter 112 -112 Strange Father and Son (3)

    Chapter 112: Strange Father and Son (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    After pondering for a moment, Lin Shen decided to ept the mission.


    He had just returned from training outside and didn''t n to go out of the city for the time being. Coincidentally, this mission was not dangerous, so he treated it as a vacation.


    Moreover, he also wanted to see how the Martial Enforcement Hall captured criminals on the spot.


    After epting the mission and chatting with Jiao Yu for a while, Lin Shen prepared to exchange for martial techniques and enchanted armaments.


    With arge amount of merit points in hand, he could exchange all the martial techniques and enchanted armaments he had been longing for!


    At the thought of this, Lin Shen''s footsteps became lighter.


    However, before he could walk out of the door, he saw a person rushing into the hall aggressively. He strode towards the counter and mmed his palm on the counter.


    "I want to take on a mission, the one from the Martial Enforcement Hall!"


    Jiao Yu obviously knew the person. Hearing this, she looked troubled said helplessly,


    "Senior Brother Leng, Master Leng has made it very clear that you''re not allowed to ept any missions that involvebat. Don''t make things difficult for me."


    The young man addressed as Senior Brother Leng was furious when he heard that. He mmed the counter again.


    "I''m a disciple of the academy. I have the right to ept missions.


    What right do you have to stop me?"


    "Rut that''s what vonr father. Mascter Teno. aid T a ) Sram eva sawn OD) wrasse ann


    "I don''t care!"


    Senior Brother Leng interrupted Jiao Yu impatiently and said arrogantly,


    "In any case, I have to ept the recruitment mission of the Martial Execution Hall today. If you don''t process it for me, I won''t be so polite anymore!"


    Jiao Yu frowned and hesitated for a few seconds. In the end, she gritted her teeth and said in a low voice,


    "I''m sorry, Senior Brother Leng. I can''t go against Master Leng''s orders."


    "You!!!"


    Senior Brother Leng was furious and raised his hand to p Jiao Yu.


    The girl didn''t expect Senior Brother Leng would really attack her. Her beautiful face immediately turned pale, and she subconsciously closed her eyes.


    However, after waiting for a few seconds, she didn''t feel the expected pain.


    Jiao Yu opened her eyes in confusion. Only then did she realize that Senior Brother Leng''s wrist was tightly held, and he couldn''t move.


    It was Lin Shen who made a move in time and stopped Senior Brother Leng.


    "If you really have the guts, go to your father and ask him to cancel the order. What''s the point of bullying a girl?"


    Lin Shen shook off Senior Brother Leng''s wrist and took a step forward to shield Jiao Yu. He looked at thetter indifferently.


    "And who are you? Why are you so nosy?"


    Senior Brother Leng rubbed his wrist and red at Lin Shen.


    "Get out of my way, or I won''t be so polite!"


    Lin Shen didn''t give in. He still stood there calmly.


    Seeing this, anger surged in Senior Brother Leng''s eyes. He gritted his teeth and said, "Very well. In that case, I''ll..."


    "You''ll what?!"


    He was cut off by someone with a deep voice.


    Everyone was shocked and turned to look in the direction of the speaker. Only then did they realize that someone else had joined them.


    The person was about 40 years old. He had a meager face and energetic eyes. He was wearing a ck robe and exuded an extraordinary aura.


    When Senior Brother Leng saw who it was, he wasn''t arrogant and furious just now. He looked like he had been sshed with cold water.


    His shoulders slumped, and he stammered, unable to speak.


    At the same time, Jiao Yu let out a low cry.


    "Master Leng!"


    Lin Shen looked at the person and realized thetter was Senior Brother Leng''s father.


    Master Leng nced at Jiao Yu and Lin Shen. His gaze paused on Lin Shen for a moment before he nodded at him. Without saying anything, he turned around and left the hall.


    "Come with me!"


    Senior Brother Leng said nothing and left the hall dejectedly like a defeated rooster.


    Watching the two of them disappear at the entrance of the hall, Lin Shen shook his head to himself.


    What a strange pair of father and son.


    Turning around, Lin Shen realized that Jiao Yu was looking at him with sparkling eyes.


    "Senior Brother Lin, you were so awesome just now! Thank you for helping me!"


    "It''s nothing."


    Lin Shen waved his hand and casually asked, "What''s with that guy just now?"


    Jiao Yu came back to her senses and stuck out her tongue in the direction where Senior Brother Leng had left. She made a face and replied,


    "That was Leng Xing. He''s the son of Master Leng. His father doesn''t allow him to ept any battle-rted missions, so hees here from time to time to cause trouble."


    "Why is that?"


    Lin Shen was very surprised.


    Why would a father do that?


    Cultivation wasn''t something that could be achieved by diligent effort.


    Fighting and killing were also indispensable!


    The cultivation of many martial techniques required one toprehend through battles. Therefore, many cultivators took the initiative to enter ces densely popted with spiritual beasts in order to obtain an epiphany between life and death and break through the bottleneck.


    Fighting was also a part of cultivation.


    Wouldn''t it dy his son''s improvement if Master Leng didn''t allow his son to participate in battles?


    Moreover, Leng Guangting was a tutor. Logically speaking, he should know that better than other people.


    "Everyone is guessing that it has something to do with Master Leng''s deceased eldest son!"


    Jiao Yu said in a mysterious tone,


    "Master Leng''s eldest son is also a disciple of the academy. However, he went missing two years ago when he entered the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range to train. We haven''t been able to find any traces of him until now. We can basically confirm that he''s dead. After that, Master Leng has only one son, Leng Xing.


    "Perhaps he doesn''t want his only son to die in danger again. Master Leng strictly forbids Leng Xing from epting any missions that are slightly more dangerous. Everyone in the academy knows about this."


    Lin Shen was stunned.


    He didn''t expect there to be such a reason..

 Chapter 113 Major Exchange (1)

    Chapter 113 Major Exchange (1)


    After leaving the Merit Hall and walking behind his father for a moment, Leng Xing finally couldn''t help but speak.


    "Father, just let me¡­"


    Before he could finish, Leng Guangting cut him off without looking back.


    "No!


    "How many times do I have to tell you? Just stay in the academy and cultivate. I''ll support you with all the resources. You don''t have to run around for some merit points like others!"


    "But¡­"


    Leng Xing still wanted to argue, but he was interrupted by Leng Guangting again.


    "Enough! No more discussions!"


    Leng Xing wanted to say something but hesitated. In the end, he lowered his head dejectedly and submitted to his father''s dignity as usual.


    After a moment of silence, Leng Xing suddenly said,


    "Father, who was that person just now? Do you know him?"


    Leng Guangting turned around and nced at his son. There was no expression on his face as he said calmly,


    "That was Lin Shen."


    "Lin Shen? The one who was promoted to a ck-rank disciple the moment he entered the academy?"


    Seeing his father nod slightly, Leng Xing was shocked. He didn''t expect that the person he met by chance was the rumored genius.


    However, he immediately snorted and said hatefully,


    "No wonder that guy dared to challenge me! He''s just a new student. He''s so arrogant just because he has be a little famous. If I had known earlier, I would have taught him a lesson!"


    It was rumored that Lin Shen was powerful and had even defeated a Long Breath Stage disciple, but Leng Xing wasn''t afraid at all.


    Not only was he a ck-rank disciple, but he was also at the fourth level of the Long Breath Stage. He believed that it wouldn''t be a problem for him to defeat Lin Shen.


    Recalling how Lin Shen had looked down on him just now, Leng Xing couldn''t help but grit his teeth in anger.


    Seeing the change in Leng Xing''s expression, Leng Guangting frowned slightly and said solemnly,


    "Don''t get any funny ideas. I''m warning you. Don''t provoke Lin Shen!"


    the ck rank is extremely slim. When the rank challenge ends, Master Si will definitely be greatly disappointed with him and won''t protect him anymore. At that time, you won''t have to do anything. Leng Xing was stunned. "Why?"


    "Lin Shen is the g that Master Si personally raised. Before the next level challenge, Master Si definitely won''t let him suffer any setbacks or difficulties. If you don''t want to get into trouble, you''d better behave."


    Seeing that Leng Xing was still unconvinced, Leng Guangting sighed and said,


    "Lin Shen has only been cultivating for a short period of time, so the possibility of him remaining in the ck rank is extremely slim. When the rank challenge ends, Master Si will definitely be greatly disappointed with him and won''t protect him anymore. At that time, you won''t have to do anything. There will be many people hitting Lin Shen when he''s down."


    ¡­


    The incident of the father and son was just a small interlude. After expressing his amazement, Lin Shen threw it to the back of his mind.


    After leaving the Mission Hall, Lin Shen went to the Exchange Hall.


    Including his previous savings, he now had a total of 56 minor merits and more than 800 merit points. He was unprecedentedly rich.


    Arriving at the Exchange Hall, Lin Shen first exchanged for the Supreme Yang Swordy and the Essence Sword Finger without hesitation. There cost him a total of 14 minor merits.


    Immediately after that, Lin Shen exchanged for a Bind Yang Gown.


    This was a defensive enchanted armament worth five minor merits.


    Even though Lin Shen already had Forbidden Golden Armor, no one would say no to more defense.


    The Bind Yang Gown was white, but the color could change ording to the wearer''s wishes.


    There were criss-cross patterns on the fabric and was as smooth as water to the touch and wouldn''t get stained by any dust.


    It could be crumbled into a ball the size of a fist but would return to its original state without any wrinkles when released.


    Lin Shen patted the Bind Yang Gown on his body. The robe automatically unfolded and quickly wrapped around his body, shrinking and adjusting to his size.


    With another thought, Lin Shen saw the Bind Yang Gown sh and instantly turn into an ordinary coat that wasmonly seen on the street outside.


    "Good. I can change its appearance at will, and that''s indeed very convenient."


    Lin Shen nodded to himself.


    Any enchanted armament in the form of clothes had a simr effect of changing its appearance.


    Lin Shen had only heard of it in the past, but this was the first time he had seen it with his own eyes. He couldn''t help but be a little surprised.


    "With the protection of this Bind Yang Gown and Forbidden Golden Armor that''s stronger than steel, ordinary cultivators at the fourth or fifth level of the Long Breath Stage will probably not be able to hurt me!"


    After being happy for a moment, Lin Shen turned his attention back to the exchange list and fell into deep thought.


    Before this, he had already thought of exchanging it for the Three Suns Talisman Sword. However, when he looked at the list, he hesitated.


    After exchanging for the Essence Sword Finger, Supreme Yang Swordy, and Bind Yang Gown, Lin Shen had a total of 37 minor merits left. He could exchange them for enchanted armaments superior to the Three Yang Talisman Sword.


    Enchanted armaments were divided into three grades: upper, middle, and lower.


    The Three Yang Talisman Sword was a lower-grade enchanted armament. Above that was the middle-grade Six Yang Talisman Sword and the upper-grade Nine Yang Talisman Sword!


    Among them, the Nine Yang Talisman Sword required five medium merits, so there was no need to think about it for the time being.


    However, the Six Yang Talisman Sword only required twenty minor merits, which Lin Shen could afford now.


    After thinking for a moment, Lin Shen finally exchanged for the Six Yang Talisman Sword.


    Since he had enough merit points, he had to exchange for more powerful enchanted armaments.


    After all, this was a life-saving item.


    After that, Lin Shen spent another six minor merits to exchange for six Seven Star Swords and kept them in his storage bag.


    After the clone separated and materialized, ordinary clothes would also be separated, but weapons and enchanted armaments wouldn''t.


    To prevent his clones from not having no weapons to use after materializing and to hide among the clones, Lin Shen simply exchanged for six identical weapons.


    Immediately after, Lin Shen exchanged ten bottles of Condensing Pills in one go and spent 360 merit points in total.


    "These Condensing Pills should be enough for me to break through to the fifth level!"


    After everything, Lin Shen still had 15 minor merits left.

 Chapter 114 - 114 Major Exchange (2)

    Chapter 114: Major Exchange (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    After some thought, he opened the exchange list for spiritual beasts.


    Lin Shen had long thought about exchanging for a spiritual beast that he could ride on after getting back. After all, he would have to travel back and forth between Dragonside City and the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range in the future. He couldn''t possibly travel on foot every time, right?


    After flipping through it for a while, Lin Shen chose a spiritual beast called the Giant-horned Deer.


    The Giant-horned Deer was a demon beast that was very good at long-distance running.


    The mature ones were at thete-phase of the Spirit Awakening Stage.


    Of course, that was only its cultivation level.


    Spiritual beasts that were especially tamed to be mounts were generally not good at fighting battles.


    In battles, they probably couldn''t even defeat a mid-phase Spirit Enlightening spiritual beast transformed from a ferocious beast.


    However, the advantage of the Giant-horned Deer was that it only cost five minor merits.


    Of course, there were also spiritual beasts with powerfulbat strength and long-distance running abilities on the list, but the exchange price was very intimidating. The cheapest one cost a medium merit.


    There were even cranes, golden-feathered eagles, and other flying spiritual beasts.


    The price of these flying spiritual beasts was even more shocking. They were easily worth five to six medium merits.


    Lin Shen couldn''t afford them for the time being, and he didn''t intend to get one either.


    After all, it was just a tool for traveling. There was no need to spend so many merit points on it.


    After exchanging for the Giant-horned Deer, Lin Shen then spent a minor merit on a Beast Taming Pouch because one pouch could only amodate one spiritual beast.


    He went to the Beast Taming Garden to choose the Giant-horned Deer and create a contract with it. After that, Lin Shen officially had a second spiritual beast.


    After doing all this, Lin Shen didn''t exchange for anything else.


    Instead, he kept his merit points for emergencies.


    The deal with Tao Zongbao would probably require a lot of merit points.


    After leaving the Exchange Hall, Lin Shen turned to the Internal Affairs Department.


    This time, Lin Shen didn''t need anyone to announce his arrival. As soon as he stepped into the Internal Affairs Department, he bumped into Tao Zongbao.


    Upon seeing Lin Shen, Tao Zongbao immediately looked delighted. He pulled Lin Shen to a quiet corner and rubbed his hands.


    "Fellow Daoist Lin, I''ve already made some progress with what you asked me to do. I''ve contacted many people and discussed the price with them. We can close the deal whenever you want to. Here''s the list.


    Take a look."


    Tao Zongbao handed over a list. Lin Shen took it and saw that there were at least 20 to 30 types of natural treasures listed on it. Without exception, they were all simr to the effects of the Snake Orchid and the Poison me Mushroom.


    The price wasn''t high, but it wasn''t low either.


    In total, it would cost two minor merits and more than 400 merit points.


    Seeing how eager Tao Zongbao was, Lin Shen knew he would definitely make a lot of money in this deal.


    However, Lin Shen didn''t mind. If he wanted their help, he naturally had to give them enough benefits.


    Tao Zongbao carefully said, "If you don''t like the price, we can discuss it."


    "That won''t be necessary."


    Lin Shenughed heartily.


    "I trust Master Tao. I''ve already prepared the merit points. We can trade now."


    Tao Zongbao was overjoyed. At the same time, he was secretly shocked.


    Two minor merits and 400 merit points were a considerable amount.


    Lin Shen, a disciple who had just entered the academy, was actually able to earn so many merit points in such a short period of time. He was truly impressive!


    Instantly, Lin Shen became more and more mysterious in Tao Zongbao''s mind.


    After setting the deal, Tao Zongbao immediately got busy. He went to the Merit Hall with Lin Shen first to exchange the items that the trading partner wanted. Then, he took the items and traded them with the sellers one by one.


    It was not until the sky turned yellow and the sun was about to set that Tao Zongbao returned to the Merit Hall with sweat all over his forehead.


    "Fellow Daoist Lin, I didn''t let you down. I''ve obtained everything!"


    "Thank you for your hard work!"


    Lin Shen put everything into his storage bag and exchanged a few more pleasantries with Tao Zongbao before returning to the wooden building where he lived.


    After more than half a month, the room was still neat and clean. Under the effect of the array formation, everything looked brand new without any dust.


    Without any dy, Lin Shen went straight to the training room and sat down cross-legged. He collected his thoughts and began to read the Essence Sword Finger and Supreme Yang Swordy manuals.


    After memorizing the contents of the secret manual, he asked his clones to startprehending the martial techniques.


    The Superior Martial Arts clone was in charge ofprehending the Essence Sword Finger.


    The Pure Yang Body clone wouldprehend the Supreme Yang Swordy.


    As for the Testify by Killing clone and Perseverance clone, they continued to cultivate other martial techniques.


    Lin Shen and the clone of God''s Jealousy focused on cultivating the Golden Crow Scripture.


    With arge number of Condensing Pills and natural treasures, Lin Shen was confident that he could break through to Level 5 of the Long Breath Stage in a month.


    The night was dark and gloomy.


    The gentle moonlight cast a hazy glow, adding a sense of tranquility to the street.


    The streets were well-lit, but it was dark inside a small building.


    A figure in a ck robe and a ghost mask sat cross-legged on the ground, motionless like a statue.


    After a moment, the figure suddenly moved and turned to look at the balcony.


    In the next second, there was the sound of clothes fluttering. The light dimmed slightly, and a figure appeared on the balcony.


    The person was also wearing a ck robe. He didn''t wear a mask, but his face was hidden in the shadow of the hat brim, so his face couldn''t be seen clearly.


    The masked man stared at the person without any expression, his tone slightly cold.


    "You''rete."


    The ck-robed man didn''t care at all and said indifferently, "You know my special circumstances. I can''t take random actions. It''s already very difficult for me toe here to see you."


    The masked man snorted and seemed to understand this. He didn''t say anything else about it and changed the topic.


    "The Martial Enforcement Hall has been acting a little strange recently.


    Do you know what''s going on?"


    The ck-robed man shook his head.


    "Ever since the previous few failed missions, the Martial Enforcement Hall has begun to suspect that there are spies among their own people.


    They only dispatch a few trustworthy teams for their operations against the Wild Wolves now. Even if they don''t have enough manpower, they would rather recruit people from the three major academies than mobilize other teams. It''s very difficult for me to find any more information now.


    "However, I suspect that the Martial Enforcement Hall has discovered one of our strongholds. It''s very likely that they''ll attack that stronghold next!"


    The masked man was shocked. "The stronghold has been discovered?


    Damn it, we have to evacuate our men quickly!"


    However, the ck-robed man said solemnly,


    "No!


    "We still don''t know which stronghold has been targeted. If we want to evacuate, we have to evacuate the people from all the strongholds.


    However, if we do that, themotion will be too great. The Martial Enforcement Hall might be secretly monitoring us now, waiting for us to panic so that they can dig out more clues. We can''t give them that chance!"


    "Then what do you suggest we do?"


    "We don''t do anything!"


    A cold light shed in the ck-robed man''s eyes.


    "In any case, different strongholds don''t contact each other and don''t know each other''s existence. We''re the only ones who know about all the strongholds. Even if one of the strongholds is destroyed by the Martial Enforcement Hall, they won''t be able to get any more clues. If necessary, we can only sacrifice the stronghold that they''ve targeted.


    It''s better than exposing more clues!"


    The masked man fell silent. After a moment, he gritted his teeth and said hatefully,


    "Are we going to admit defeat just like that? The Martial Enforcement Hall has been suppressing us all these years. We don''t know how many people have died at their hands. Recently, two people went missing in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range. I suspect that they have already been taken by the Martial Enforcement Hall!"


    "A little impatience will spoil great ns!"


    The ck-robed man flicked his sleeves and said indifferently, "As long as we have the Blood Spirit Pills, we can recruit an endless stream of people. We can afford the small sacrifice!"


    At this point, the ck-robed man nced at the masked man, and a meaningful look suddenly shed in his eyes.


    "But if you really can''t take this lying down, I have a good idea."


    The masked man was slightly stunned. "What is it?"


    Swoosh!


    A ck shadow shot out from the ck-robed man''s sleeve andnded in front of the masked man.


    "This is an interesting item I recently obtained. I''ll give it to you."


    Puzzled, the masked man picked up the item and examined it carefully.


    This thing was about the size of a basketball. Its surface was bumpy and filled with dense round holes. It looked like a beehive, but it emitted an iparably ferocious and bloody aura.


    "That''s..."


    The masked man quickly recognized its origin, and his eyes under the mask immediately lit up.


    "Hehe, it''s indeed good stuff. If it''s used well, it might be able to teach those guys from the Martial Enforcement Hall a memorable lesson!"


    A sinisterugh echoed in the room, making one''s hair stand on end..

 Chapter 115 - 115 Death of the Clone (1)

    Chapter 115: Death of the Clone (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Time passed in the blink of an eye.


    More than half a month had passed, but Lin Shen had yet to receive any news from the Martial Enforcement Hall. He was happy to immerse himself in cultivation.


    With the support of sufficient pills, spiritual beast meat, and arge number of natural treasures, Lin Shen''s cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds. He only used three days to break through to the fourth level of the Long Breath Stage. Then, he used another 23 days to break through to the fifth level.


    Apart from that, Dragon Roar Through the Clouds and Forbidden Golden Armor had both reached Perfection.


    He also reached Beginner in both Supreme Yang Swordy and Essence Sword Finger.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: God''s Jealousy]


    [Stage: Long Breath Level 5, 4%]


    [Cultivation techniques: Golden Crow Scripture (Proficient 94%), zing Sun Palm (Perfection), Shadows (Perfection), Meltdown (Perfection), Forbidden Golden Armor (Perfection), Dragon Roar Through the Clouds (Perfection), Mortal Restrain (Proficient 45%), Supreme Yang Swordy (Beginner 56%), Essence Sword Finger (Beginner 25%)]


    [Number of clones: 5 (68%)]


    "I''ve finally broken through!"


    Lin Shen was overjoyed.


    During this period of cultivation, he had already used up all the natural treasures he had obtained from Tao Zongbao. He only had less than a bottle of Condensing Pills left.


    The cultivation resources he had spent were worth at least ten million spirit coins!


    In the past, it would be unimaginable!


    Fortunately, he had finally gained something from his efforts and sessfully advanced to the fifth level of the Long Breath Stage.


    "Now that my martial arts system is basically perfected, I just need to continuously increase my stage!"


    Lin Shen was overwhelmed with emotions.


    He now had a total of five martial techniques that had reached Perfection.


    At his age, it was simply unimaginable.


    Most of the disciples who entered the academy at the same time as him, and even the older students who had cultivated for a year or two more than him, had only learned three to four martial techniques.


    Furthermore, very few of them had reached Mastery, let alone Perfection.


    Not to mention that he had also cultivated the other two martial techniques.


    If news of this got out, many people''s jaws would drop.


    With his cultivation at Level 5 of the Long Breath Stage and many martial arts techniques, Lin Shen''s strength was already more than a little stronger than a month ago.


    If he encountered Yuan Lifei and Ding Leng now, Lin Shen was confident that he could kill the two of them alone without relying on his clones!


    Calming down from his joy, Lin Shen looked at the remaining half bottle of Condensing Pills beside him and took it. He threw his head back and swallowed the remaining six pills at once before starting to cultivate.


    After advancing to the fifth level, the effect of the Condensing Pill on him was almost negligible.


    Even if he consumed all six at the same time, the medicinal power could onlyst him for half an hour before hepletely digested them.


    His cultivation progress had only increased by about 1%.


    "Looks like I have to change to a higher-grade pill."


    Lin Shen''s eyes flickered. He took out a Prime Pill from his storage bag and swallowed it. Then, he continued cultivating.


    This time, he only opened his eyes after nearly two hours and heaved a sigh of relief.


    "It increased my cultivation progress by 3%. Not bad."


    Lin Shen nodded to himself.


    He first obtained three Prime Pills from Ding Leng, then used the Mountain Phantom''s hair to trade for Ai Jingting''s 13 pills. He had a total of 16.


    Now that he had used one, there were still 15 left. It was enough to take him halfway through the fifth level of the Long Breath Stage "In the future, I''ll use the Prime Pill to assist in my cultivation."


    Lin Shen had a n in mind.


    Just as he was about to continue consuming the Prime Pill, Lin Shen suddenly sensed something, and he immediately summoned the clone with God''s Jealousy.


    After the clone materialized, it immediately fell to the ground with a plop and didn''t move.


    Upon closer inspection, the clone''s eyes were lifeless. It was dead!


    Dead?!


    Lin Shen was stunned.


    When he returned to his senses, he was caught betweenughter and tears.


    Why did this clone suddenly die?


    However, on second thought, it seemed reasonable.


    To increase his cultivation, Lin Shen had been feeding God''s Jealousy''s clone with arge number of rare herbs that would reduce its lifespan, which was decreasing every day. That didn''t help with its already shortened lifespan. It was already a miracle that the clone couldst this long.


    "It''s a pity that I''ve lost God''s Jealousy."


    Lin Shen sighed softly.


    The disappearance of God''s Jealousy meant that not only did Lin Shen lose the powerful buff of cultivation speed +100%, but it also meant that he would no longer be able to let his clone consume rare herbs that reduced lifespan to quickly increase his strength in the future.


    Unless he was willing to let his other clones do this...


    Wait!


    It didn''t seem impossible!


    Lin Shen rubbed his chin and fell into deep thought.


    Superior Martial Arts, Testify by Killing, and the Pure Yang Gody were rather precious, and couldn''t touch those clones.


    However, as Lin Shen''s strength increased, especially after breaking through to the Long Breath Stage, Perseverance was getting less and less important. Maybe that clone could take over the previous clone''s task.


    "I''ll see what talent I getter."


    A few steps away, the clone slowly dissipated.


    [Clone 2 (Dead), Remaining Resurrection Time: 23:59:21]


    Without the enhancement of God''s Jealousy, Lin Shen''s efficiency immediately decreased greatly when he cultivated the Golden Crow Scripture.


    He simply switched to Superior Martial Arts and cultivated martial arts instead.


    The next afternoon.


    Lin Shen went to the Merit Hall to exchange for some Prime Pills.


    However, as soon as he walked out of his residence, he saw a small paper crane swaying outside.


    Seeing Lin Shene out, the paper crane immediately pped its wings and flew over.


    Lin Shen reached out his hand and saw the paper crane obedientlynd in his palm. Then, with a sh of light, it automatically opened into a letter.


    "A flying paper crane letter?"


    Lin Shen clicked his tongue in wonder and picked up the letter to read it..

 Chapter 116 - 116 Death of the Clone (2)

    Chapter 116: Death of the Clone (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    The letter came from the Martial Enforcement Hall. He was being summoned.


    "Finally."


    Lin Shen smiled. With a sh of red light in his palm, he turned the letter into ashes. Then, he turned around and walked towards the exit of the academy.


    Half an hourter,


    Lin Shen arrived at the headquarters of the Martial Enforcement Hall in the Central District. It was a group of buildings that upied arge area.


    After showing the guard his Nine Yang Academy disciple identity token and exining why he was there, Lin Shen was quickly brought to a ce that looked like a gymnasium.


    When he arrived, there were already many people inside.


    There were no less than 50 people.


    What surprised Lin Shen was that Zhao Xueying was among them.


    The Martial Enforcement Hall was recruiting Long Breath Stage disciples this time.


    To be able to stay here meant that Zhao Xueying had already broken through to the Long Breath Stage!


    More than a month ago, she was only at the eighth level of the Qi Transformation Stage.


    "Has she consumed some natural treasure or pills that can quickly increase her strength?"


    Zhao Xueying was a direct descendant of one of the three major ns.


    Lin Shen fell into deep thought.


    At this moment, Zhao Xueying also noticed Lin Shen''s arrival and a glint shed across her eyes.


    After hesitating for a moment, she pursed her lips and walked towards Lin Shen.


    "You epted this mission too?"


    Zhao Xueying was indeed not good at chatting with others, so she asked an obvious question.


    Which of the academy''s disciples here didn''t ept the Martial Enforcement Hall''s mission?


    After clearing his throat, Lin Shen nodded and casually asked, "Have you heard anything about this mission?"


    Zhao Xueying shook her head. "The Martial Enforcement Hall is rather strict about keeping the contents of this mission a secret. They haven''t said what they want us to do."


    This answer wasn''t surprising. After all, if it was really a highly confidential mission, the Martial Enforcement Hall would definitely not tell them the details until the moment before the mission began.


    In any case, the disciples were only in charge of some peripheral work.


    Even if they didn''t know the contents of the mission in advance, it wouldn''t affect them much.


    Zhao Xueying wasn''t good at chatting, and Lin Shen had no intention of developing his rtionship with the girl. After chatting for a little while, the two of them fell silent.


    Lin Shen didn''t mind. He looked around, observing the surrounding crowd.


    In just a short while, there were already more than 70 people in the hall.


    Upon closer inspection, he saw although these 70 people were gathered in twos and threes, they were vaguely divided into three groups.


    There were about thirty people in the innermost area, and Lin Shen had a vague impression of many of them. He probably had seen them in the academy.


    Clearly, these thirty people were all from the Nine Yang Academy.


    There were less than 20 people in the middle. More than two-thirds of them were young and beautiful girls. They were very lively and attracted the attention of many boys.


    Recalling the rumors that the Azure Frost Sect had much more female disciples than males, it was obvious which academy these people belonged to.


    The remaining twenty or so people near the entrance were obviously Raging Waves Academy''s disciples.


    "I didn''t expect to see so many people from the three academies."


    Lin Shen muttered to himself.


    After the number of people exceeded 80, people stoppeding in.


    After a while, the door opened, and four to five people in the Martial Enforcement Hall uniform strode in.


    The person in the lead was an old acquaintance. It was the g officer Han Wu.


    "Quiet!"


    Han Wu shouted loudly, immediately suppressing the surrounding discussion.


    When everyone was looking at him, Han Wu raised his voice.


    "First of all, thank you all for participating in this mission. Next, we will divide you into teams of four to six people. Now, please gather with your teammates when your name is called!"


    Han Wu waved his hand, and a subordinate immediately took a step forward and loudly read out the numbers and members of each team.


    The distribution of the teams clearly took into ount the academy that the members belonged to. Those from the same academy would be assigned to the same team.


    Coincidentally, Lin Shen was ced in the same group as Zhao Xueying.


    Furthermore, the other two teammates in the team were actually disciples of the Azure Frost Academy, and they were both girls.


    "Nice to meet you. My name is She Shuying."


    The first girl to introduce herself was a short-haired girl. She was tall and gave off a valiant aura.


    The other girl was petite and had a delicate temperament. She was the type of girl that boys would easily want to protect.


    "My name is Zuo Manman."


    "I''m Lin Shen."


    "Zhao Xueying."


    Yu Shuying was obviously an outgoing and cheerful person. After introducing another, she immediately asked excitedly, "I heard that your academy has a new Long Breath Stage student this year. Is that true?"


    Zuo Manman was also curious.


    After all, a new student at the Long Breath Stage was considered extraordinary in all academies.


    Hearing this, Zhao Xueying had a strange expression. She nced at Lin Shen and nodded slightly.


    "It''s true."


    "It''s actually true!" Yu Shuying looked surprised. "I thought the rumors were exaggerated. I didn''t expect that someone had really advanced to the Long Breath Stage before entering the academy. I already think the top new disciple of my academy this year is quite impressive, and he''s only at the ninth level of the Qi Transformation Stage. I guess there''s always someone better out there."


    Yu Shuying''s face was filled with amazement as she praised the


    disciples of other academies without care.


    Zuo Manman asked curiously, "Did that person participate in this mission?"


    "That''s right!" Yu Shuying looked around. "Is he here?"


    Zhao Xueying nced at Lin Shen again, her eyes saying, "It''s your turn."


    This time, it didn''t take a genius to figure out what that meant. The two girls'' eyes widened, and they looked at Lin Shen in shock.


    "You''re that new student?"


    Lin Shen shrugged and said with a smile, "I didn''t expect my reputation to spread so far. Even the people from the other academies have heard about it."


    When she came back to her senses, Yu Shuying clicked her tongue and sized up Lin Shen, as if she was looking at some strange creature.


    "To be honest, I thought that geniuses who could advance to the Long Breath Stage before entering the academy would definitely be extremely arrogant. They would walk around with their heads held up high. I didn''t expect you to be so approachable. It''s beyond my expectations."


    Lin Shen couldn''t help butugh. "Your impression is too stereotypical."


    "Really?" Yu Shuying pursed her lips. "There are many people like that."


    From the looks of it, she seemed to have met many such people.


    However, when Lin Shen thought about the disciples of influential families he had encountered before, he somewhat understood her.


    After learning that Lin Shen was the person involved in the rumors, the two girls'' interest in Lin Shen immediately increased, and they kept asking all kinds of questions out of curiosity.


    Zhao Xueying chimed in from time to time.


    Three beautiful girls surrounded Lin Shen, making many boys around envious.


    After a while, seeing that everyone was more or less familiar with their team, Han Wu shouted,


    "Everyone, quiet down. Next, we''ll assign the missions!"


    Hearing that the highlight of the show had arrived, everyone immediately quietened down and looked at Han Wu.


    Upon seeing this, Han Wu nodded in satisfaction and gestured to the people beside him. Soon, someone took out a formation disk, and after fiddling with it for a moment, a water screen condensed above everyone''s heads.


    Everyone looked at it.


    The water screen was showing a manor.


    The image gave a panoramic view of the entire manor''syout and surrounding environment.


    Numerous numbers were marked at the various traffic routes and intersections around the manor.


    "The numbers on it are your team numbers, representing the location you''ll guard!"


    Han Wu looked around with a solemn expression.


    "After the mission begins, all teams will immediately head to their respective positions. Your mission is to stop anyone who tries to escape from the encirclement. Once someone tries to break out, take them down immediately. If the other party resists fiercely, you don''t have to ask for instructions and kill them directly!


    "You mustn''t let anyone go! Do you understand?!"


    His powerful words spread throughout the venue, and all the disciples had solemn expressions. They shouted in unison, "Understood!"


    "Very good!"


    Han Wu nodded in satisfaction. He took the formation disk from his subordinate and pressed it a few times.


    In an instant, the formation disk lit up with specks of light as countless tiny blobs of light dispersed in all directions.


    At the same time, everyone felt their feet tremble slightly. The entire venue seemed to have jolted.


    Just as they were bewildered, they were shocked to find that bright patterns suddenly appeared on the floor beneath their feet.


    The dense patterns intertwined and quickly outlined a huge array formation. The light it emitted became brighter and brighter.


    This familiar scene reminded Lin Shen of the first time he entered the Nine Yang Academy.


    A teleportation formation!


    "Let''s go!"


    Han Wu''s calm and powerful voice rang in everyone''s ears.


    In the next second, Lin Shen felt everything suddenly lit up, and his vision instantly turned white..

 Chapter 117 - 117 Hell Hornet (1)

    Chapter 117: Hell Ho (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Southern District In a manor in the suburbs.


    The manor was quiet and dark under the night sky. There were only a few lights.


    Looking down from the sky, one could see the buildings of various heights, the wide courtyard, the t grass... All of them showed the extravagance of the manor and the wealth of the master behind it.


    A few guards walked past the entrance of the manor with wolfhounds and shlights in their hands. They looked rather absent-minded.


    As Southern District was where the rich gathered, the public security here was second only to the Central District in Dragonside City. Few criminals dared to cause trouble here, and theft and robbery were unheard of.


    Therefore, the few guards were very rxed. The patrol was just for show.


    But tonight, an ident happened.


    A burst of light suddenly tore through the night and descended in front of the manor.


    The sudden light made the guards subconsciously close their eyes.


    When the light disappeared and they opened their eyes again, they were shocked to discover that arge group of people had appeared in front of them.


    Before the guards could react, they heard some whooshing sounds.


    Dozens of steel balls tore through the air and shot out like bullets, piercing through the security guards and the wolfhounds.


    They were dead before they knew what was going on.


    The leader, Han Wu, watched this scene with an indifferent gaze.


    "Those who can work in this manor are either official members of the Wild Wolves or their minions. If we fightter, you don''t have to hold back!


    "The mission starts now. Remember, no one is allowed to escape!"


    "Yegl"


    The disciples of the academy participating in the mission immediately dispersed and headed to their respective locations ording to the map in their minds.


    Lin Shen and the other three were no exception. They looked at each other and moved at the same time.


    The encirclement formed by the disciples was divided into threeyers, surrounding the manor tightly.


    The location where Lin Shen''s team was stationed happened to be on the outermost thirdyer, which was a little far away.


    Halfway through, the four of them suddenly heard a whistling sounding from the sky.


    Looking up, he saw arge number of figures appear in the sky above the manor.


    Hundreds of Martial Enforcement Hall members rode cranes, golden-feathered eagles, and other flying spiritual beasts. They descended from the sky with weapons in their hands and charged into the manor aggressively.


    Such a grand formation immediately attracted the attention of the people inside and outside the manor.


    In an instant, countless lights lit up everywhere in the manor, and shouts could be heard.


    The shouts quickly turned into battle cries and miserable howls.


    Even though they were hundreds of meters away, they could feel the brutality and bloodshed in the manor!


    "Let''s go."


    Lin Shen, who had experienced the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range, was already immune to killing and bloodshed. After taking a few nces, he retracted his gaze and continued to rush to the location.


    Yu Shuying and Zuo Manman weren''t surprised at all.


    Both of them were seniors of the Azure Frost Academy. They had experienced life-and-death battles like this many times and were already used to it.


    This was the first time Zhao Xueying had experienced such a scene. She couldn''t help but feel a little dazed.


    It wasn''t until Lin Shen and the other two ran more than ten meters away that she snapped out of her daze and hurriedly followed them.


    Not long after.


    The four of them arrived at the location.


    Looking over, they happened to be at the entrance of a forest path.


    On both sides of the path were dark forests, and in front of him was an empty space. There was no obstruction at all, and they could see everything at a nce.


    Once someone ran in this direction, they would be able to see it


    immediately.


    "I wonder if anyone will escape this way?"


    Yu Shuying looked into the distance for a while. Unfortunately, they were already more than a thousand meters away from the manor, and there was a high wall blocking them. She couldn''t see anything at all and could only hear faint shouts.


    "Better not," said Zuo Manman, pursing her lips.


    Although they weren''t afraid of fighting, it was naturally better if they didn''t have to fight. She wanted to stay here peacefully for a night and then leave tomorrow with the reward of three minor merits.


    Many disciples epted the Martial Enforcement Hall''s mission precisely because of this.


    "IT heard from Banner Officer Han that the people in this manor are members of an organization called Wild Wolves. Have any of you heard of them?" Yu Shuying suddenly asked.


    Zuo Manman shook her head in confusion.


    Lin Shen''s eyes flickered.


    He knew about the existence of Wild Wolves, and he had fought with them more than once.


    However, his understanding of this organization was limited to the fact that it was an unorthodox group that secretly killed cultivators and used them to refine Blood Spirit Pills.


    Other than that, he knew very little.


    At this moment, Lin Shen saw Zhao Xueying''s expression change from the corner of his eye, so he turned around and asked, "You know about Wild Wolves?"


    Zhao Xueying nodded and said solemnly, "I''ve heard of it. It''s said to be rted to the recent disappearance of many cultivators in Dragon City. ording to the evidence gathered by the Martial Enforcement Hall, it''s very likely that the Wild Wolves are secretly refining Blood Spirit Pills!"


    "Blood Spirit Pills!"


    Yu Shuying and Zuo Manman eximed at the same time.


    All cultivators had heard of Blood Spirit Pills.


    This iparably evil pill was one of the things that many orthodox cultivators hated the most!


    However, Lin Shen remained calm, and a knowing look shed across his eyes.


    He had long heard of the Blood Spirit Pills from Ding Leng. Now, he was just confirming it again.


    "They actually refined Blood Spirit Pills. These people deserve to die!"


    Yu Shuying gritted her teeth.


    "That''s right!"


    Zuo Manman nodded heavily, her face solemn.


    The existence of the Blood Spirit Pills posed the greatest threat to cultivators like them who had yet to advance to cultivator masters.


    This was because no one knew if they would one day be the ingredients of Blood Spirit Pills..

 Chapter 118 - 118 Hell Hornet (2)

    Chapter 118: Hell Ho (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    If that was really the case, they wouldn''t be able to rest in peace even if they died!


    At the thought of this, the two of them felt more supportive of tonight''s operation.


    Lin Shen looked at Zhao Xueying, indicating for her to continue.


    "The Wild Wolves'' whereabouts are secretive. Most of the members are in one-way contact. Even if we asionally capture a few members, it''s very difficult to interrogate them and find more clues. It''s rare to see such an operation tonight. This should be the Martial Enforcement Hall''srgest capture operation against the Wild Wolves in recent years!


    "In addition, ording to the Martial Enforcement Hall''s investigation, there''s a high chance that there''s more than one cultivator master inside the organization!" Zhao Xueying said solemnly.


    Lin Shen nodded slightly, not surprised.


    It was impossible for the Wild Wolves to survive under the eyes of the Martial Enforcement Hall for so many years without the support of cultivator masters.


    Thinking about how he had been targeted by such a faction previously, Lin Shen couldn''t help but feel lucky.


    Thankfully, the Wild Wolves underestimated the speed at which his strength increased. They only sent Luo Yi to attack him. Otherwise, if they sent a Bright Aperture Stage cultivator, he wouldn''t have been about to do anything even with the cat general''s God Seeking Token.


    "Looks like I have to be more careful from now on."


    Lin Shen thought to himself.


    Even so, he wasn''t too worried.


    After all, he spent most of his time in the academy. No matter how much the Wild Wolves coveted him, it was impossible for them to wait outside the academy 24/7 for him toe out.


    Moreover, it was obvious from the Martial Enforcement Hall''s actions tonight.


    In the future, the Martial Enforcement Hall''s search for the Wild Wolves would only be more and more intense. Thetter might not have the time to focus on him.


    Lin Shen nced at the manor.


    As time passed, the battle cries there began to gradually weaken.


    Scattered battle sounds came from the firstyer of the encirclement.


    It was obvious that someone was trying to fight their way out.


    Unfortunately, the disciples guarding the periphery were all Long Breath Stage cultivators with extraordinary strength. It wasn''t easy to break out of the encirclement.


    In just a moment, themotion over there quickly disappeared.


    Just as the four people thought that there would be no more incidents tonight, a change suddenly happened!


    In the direction of the manor, themotion suddenly rose again. It was even more noisy than before.


    "What happened?"


    Lin Shen and the other three looked at each other.


    Suddenly, Lin Shen frowned.


    "Can you hear something?"


    Zhao Xueying and the other two were stunned. They quickly focused their attention and listened. Indeed, they heard a faint buzzing sound mixed in with the distant battle cries. It was like the sound of wings pping when some insect flew.


    "What''s going on?" Yu Shuying looked puzzled.


    In just a short while, the shouts in the direction of the manor had weakened a lot.


    On the contrary, the buzzing sound of the insect''s wings was clearer and denser, and it seemed to be approaching them.


    Soon, shouts and battle cries came from ahead.


    Lin Shen and his team looked at each other, and their expressions became abnormally solemn.


    They realized that something had clearly happened in the manor. The members of the Martial Enforcement Hall who had attacked the manor were probably dead.


    And now, the source of the abnormality was attacking the encirclement formed by the academy''s disciples. It would probably not be long before it reached them.


    "What should we do?" Yu Shuying looked at the other three hesitantly.


    To be honest, the best way to deal with this was to turn around and leave.


    After all, even the Martial Enforcement Hall members in the manor had been defeated. One could imagine how powerful and terrifying the enemy was. What could a group of academy disciples like them do?


    However, they had epted the mission after all. If they fled without doing anything, it would be difficult to exin when they returned.


    Zuo Manman and Zhao Xueying also frowned and looked hesitant.


    However, they didn''t hesitate for long. In the next second, they heard Lin Shen say in a deep voice,


    "It''s here!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, the buzzing suddenly became louder.


    They looked up and saw arge group of ck shadows rushing over at high speed toward them.


    Under the moonlight, they quickly saw what it was.


    They were monsters that looked like wasps, but they were the size of an adult male''s fist. They had a pair of blood-redpound eyes and pincer-like jaws.


    "Hell Hos!" Zhao Xueying cried out.


    "You recognize those spiritual beasts?" Lin Shen turned to look at Zhao Xueying.


    The girl nodded with a slightly pale face and quickly said, "It''s said that the Hell Hoes from a pus and blood hell. It likes to enter its prey''s body and devour its flesh, tendons, and bones, which is used as nutrients to give birth to offspring. It''s an extremely ferocious poisonous insect!"


    Yu Shuying and Zuo Manman''s faces turned pale.


    Women tended to be afraid of insects, and even cultivators weren''t immune to them.


    It was fine if it was an ordinary insect, but a ferocious poisonous insect like Hell Ho really made Yu Shuying and Zuo Manman feel scared and repulsive from the bottom of their hearts.


    Even Zhao Xueying couldn''t help but tighten her grip on the longsword in her hand and purse her lips tightly.


    Lin Shen wasn''t afraid of insects, but what puzzled him was why this kind of poisonous insect that was said to havee from hell would appear here.


    The Martial Enforcement Hall clearly didn''t know that there were arge number of Hell Hos here. Otherwise, they wouldn''t have been defeated unprepared.


    Unfortunately, reality didn''t give Lin Shen much room to think. In just a few seconds, the hundreds of Hell Hos had already rushed to within 30 meters of them.


    Lin Shen immediately took action. He suddenly opened his mouth and let out a long roar. The sound wave seemed to have materialized and exploded in all directions like a tsunami, causing arge ripple in the air.


    Wherever the ripples passed, the Hell Hos instantly exploded.


    Blood sttered everywhere, turning into a red color that filled the sky!


    In an instant, more than twenty Hell Hos died!


    This scene undoubtedly gave the three girls great confidence.


    Zhao Xueying''s eyes lit up.


    "Awesome!"


    Yu Shuying and Zuo Manman also looked at Lin Shen in pleasant surprise. They didn''t expect this new chief disciple of the Nine Yang Academy to be so powerful.


    ng!


    There was suddenly the sound of a drawing sword.


    Along sword had appeared in Lin Shen''s hand when the others weren''t looking. With a wave, mes instantly appeared out of thin air.


    A few Hell Hos that had charged forward were instantly engulfed by the fire and turned into ashes before they could even react.


    Zhao Xueying, who was preparing to participate in the battle, saw this scene from the corner of her eye, and her eyes widened.


    Six Yang Talisman Sword?!


    Why did Lin Shen have such an enchanted armament?


    Zhao Xueying was stunned.


    The Six Yang Talisman Sword was a middle-grade enchanted armament worth 20 minor merits. Lin Shen was a freshman who had been in the academy for less than two months. Where did he get so many merit points to exchange for the sword?


    Swoosh!


    She heard the noise of something flying fast in the air.


    Zhao Xueying only felt a gust of wind brush past her ear. Then, she heard a sorrowful cry behind her.


    She turned around and saw a Hell Ho a few meters away. Its head had been pierced through, and it fell to the ground with a plop. It twitched a few times and stopped moving.


    "Stay focused in battle!" Lin Shen nced at Zhao Xueying and continued to attack the swarm of insects.


    Zhao Xueying blushed and quickly focused on dealing with the insects.


    However, she was even more shocked.


    Now that she thought about it, that gust of wind was clearly the Essence Sword Finger!


    Lin Shen actually cultivated the Essence Sword Finger!


    Lin Shen waved his long sword rapidly, emitting scarlet light to kill the insects. The sword technique he used was clearly the Supreme Yang Swordy!


    Six Yang Talisman Sword, Essence Sword Finger, and Supreme Yang Swordy... to exchange for these three enchanted armaments and martial techniques required a total of 34 minor merits!


    Zhao Xueying felt Lin Shen was more like a disciple of influential families than she was.


    Even with the support of her family, she couldn''te up with more than 30 minor merits at this stage.


    Zhao Xueying felt she knew even less about Lin Shen.


    Lin Shen didn''t know what Zhao Xueying was thinking. He was focused on dealing with the swarm of insects in front of him.


    After fighting for a short while, he was already confident of what he was doing.


    "They''re probably at thete-phase of the Spirit Awakening Stage. It''s not difficult to deal with an individual one, but there are a lot of them."


    There were about 300 to 400 Hell Hos attacking them.


    This number was already very shocking.


    Other four-member teams at the first or second level of the Spirit Awakening Stage would have been eaten up by three to four hundredte-phase Spirit Awakening Stage Hell Hos.


    Fortunately, Lin Shen was around.


    He alone had blocked nearly half of Hell Ho''s attacks.


    With Forbidden Golden Armor, Lin Shen didn''t have to worry about Hell Ho''s poisonous jaws at all. He just had to focus on killing the poisonous insects.


    The Six-Yang Talisman Sword in his hand seemed to have turned into a ball of light that was dancing rapidly. It minced the Hell Hos who dared to approach.


    In just two to three minutes, as many as 50 to 60 Hell Hos had died under Lin Shen''s de


    The three girls'' eyes sparkled, and their morale was greatly boosted.


    At the same time.


    while Lin Shen and the others were fighting the insect swarm, two figures were watching the battle from the treetop half a kilometer away..

 Chapter 119 - 119 I Never Said I Wanted to Escape (1)

    Chapter 119: I Never Said I Wanted to Escape (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    "What a fierce kid. Even the Hell Hos can''t do anything to him!"


    Ji Lu squinted at the battle in the distance and chuckled.


    "Judging by skills, he''s at least a ck-rank disciple from the Nine Yang Academy. I thought that all the people who came were Yellow-rank disciples from the three academies. I didn''t expect there to be a surprise!"


    Wan Zhaokun nced at him and said indifferently.


    "That kid isn''t weak. He also has three Long Breath Stage disciples with him. Even if the two of us join forces, it will still take some effort to take him down. We''ve already captured enough people tonight. It''s better not toplicate matters. Let''s leave quickly. The reinforcements from the Martial Enforcement Hall should be arriving soon."


    "Wan, why are you always so timid? The two of us haven''t done anything recently. We''ve been on standby for nearly a month. Now that the Martial Enforcement Hall has finally taken action, and we''vee so far, we can''t leave with just a few captives."


    "What else do you want?"


    "How can a few pill ingredients be enough? This kid''s cultivation is already so profound at such a young age, so he must be full of spirituality. If he''s captured and refined into pills, I''m quite confident that he can turn into a few second-grade Blood Spirit Pills. Don''t you want them?"


    Wan Zhaokun''s eyes shed. He was obviously tempted.


    Ji Lu saw this and chuckled.


    "If you find it troublesome, help me hold the line and stop the three girls. Let me deal with that kid personally. How about that?"


    Wan Chaokun''s eyes flickered for a moment. In the end, he couldn''t resist the temptation of the second-grade Blood Spirit Pills and gritted his teeth.


    "Alright, but you have to end the battle quickly. I don''t want to bump into the reinforcements of the Martial Hallter!"


    "Don''t worry. I know what I''m doing!"


    Seeing that hispanion had agreed, Ji Lu was delighted. When he turned to look at Lin Shen in the distance, his eyes glowed with greed, and he looked like a hungry wolf seeing its prey.


    Phew!


    The sharp and short swooshing noise echoed in the sky above the forest.


    Although Lin Shen''s Supreme Yang Swordy was only at Beginner, with the enhancement of his cultivation level and the Six Yang Talisman Sword, its power was still unparalleled.


    The indestructible scorching energy pierced out from the tip of the sword one after another, turning into zing waves of fire that exploded in all directions, burning Hell Ho into charred corpses one after another. They fell to the ground like dumplings falling into the water.


    The air around Lin Shen felt like boiling water!


    In the end, even Zhao Xueying and the other two couldn''t help but pull away. They retreated more than ten meters before they could withstand the heat wave.


    Yu Shuying and Zuo Manman looked at Lin Shen in shock.


    If they didn''t know that Lin Shen was a new student of the Nine Yang Academy this year, they would have thought that he was a senior student who had cultivated for two to three years.


    His capability was incredible!


    Zhao Xueying was even more shocked.


    The strength that Lin Shen disyed at this moment was undoubtedly several times stronger than a month ago!


    In just a month, his strength had increased by leaps and bounds again!


    Zhao Xueying''s mind was in turmoil. For a moment, she didn''t know how to express her shock.


    Swoosh!


    The cold sword light pierced through a Hell Ho''s head like a bolt of lightning, and the mes on the de burned it to ashes!


    Lin Shen suddenly felt his mind tremble slightly. Arge amount of understanding of the Supreme Yang Swordy instantly emerged.


    He was overjoyed.


    This was already the second time since the battle that the Testify by Killing talent effect had been triggered!


    The Hell Ho was only ate-phase Spirit Awakening Stage spiritual beast, the probability of triggering the effect of Testify by Killing after killing it was only about 0.1%.


    However, as long as there were enough of them, the probability was still considerable.


    Triggering the effect twice increased Lin Shen''s cultivation progress by 9%.


    "There are still dozens of Hell Hos. If I''m lucky, I might be able to trigger another one!"


    Lin Shen''s spirits were lifted. He raised his sword and bravely charged at the swarm of insects.


    There was nothing more exciting than improving one''s strength!


    But at this moment, a warning suddenly surged in the depths of Lin Shen''s mind. In the next second, there was a sudden sound of something flying toward him from behind.


    At the critical moment, Lin Shen didn''t hesitate to switch to Perseverance and activate the Protection Talisman on his chest.


    The moment he was done, a sharp force hit his back heavily!


    Swoosh!


    The Protection Talisman on Lin Shen''s chest suddenly lit up with a red light and quickly turned into ashes and dissipated.


    After being blocked by the Protection Talisman, a portion of the fierce energy was instantly negated.


    Immediately after, a dark golden light shed behind Lin Shen. He activated the Forbidden Golden Armor and blocked the sharp force. At the same time, Lin Shen used the force of this attack to fly forward.


    The attacker wanted to go after Lin Shen, but Shen pointed back without looking back. A wisp of fierce energy shot out and headed straight for the attacker''s face.


    The attacker had no choice but to dodge.


    With a sizzling sound, the streak of energy hit the tree and instantly pierced through the thick trunk, leaving a hole.


    Ji Lu''s pupils constricted slightly.


    "Essence Sword Finger. Heh, you know quite a lot of martial arts techniques. Good. I''m getting more and more interested in you!"


    Lin Shen had already caught his breath and was looking at the person coldly.


    If not for his quick reaction, he would have been severely injured even with the Forbidden Golden Armor and Bind Yang Gown.


    Seeing Lin Shen''s cold gaze, Ji Lu narrowed his eyes. Just as he was about to mock Lin Shen, he suddenly recalled hispanion''s instructions and could only suppress this thought. He spat and swung his saber at Lin Shen.


    Lin Shen''s eyes turned cold as he charged forward fearlessly..

 Chapter 120 - 120 I Never Said I Wanted to Escape (2)

    Chapter 120: I Never Said I Wanted to Escape (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Only the Wild Wolves would appear here at this time and attack him without a word.


    This group of vicious criminals used human beings to refine pills, and it would be useless trying to talk to them. The only way to survive was to kill them.


    In an instant.


    With a ng, sparks shed as the saber and sword intertwined like lightning.


    For a moment, the energy spread, and the temperature dropped.


    It was only at this moment that Zhao Xueying and the other two girls woke up from the initial shock. They quickly killed the remaining Hell Hos and wanted to aid Lin Shen.


    However, just as they moved, a middle-aged man with long and narrow eyes and an expressionless face blocked their path.


    As soon as he appeared, Wan Zhaokun didn''t waste his breath and attacked the three women without showing any emotions.


    His thin fingers curled into ws, tearing through the air and emitting a sharp and ear-piercing sound. The three women''s expressions changed slightly, and they had no choice but to stop and face the attack.


    In the blink of an eye, the six people were engaged in a fierce battle on the forest path!


    ng! ng! ng!


    In an instant, the longsword in Lin Shen''s hand collided with the enemy''s de more than ten times, and sparks flew everywhere.


    As sparks shed, Lin Shen''s eyes also flickered.


    The attacker in front of him was extremely powerful. He was even stronger than Ding Leng and Yuan Lifei. His cultivation had most likely reached the seventh level of the Long Breath Stage, and his saber technique was iparably fierce.


    In addition, the middle-aged man who stopped the three women was as capable as the man in front of him.


    He alonepletely suppressed the three women, who could barely fight back.


    Lin Shen''s heart skipped a beat when he saw this scene from the corner of his eye.


    "Even with my talent, I can only fight against this one guy at most.


    Once that middle-aged man defeats the three of them, I''ll be in big trouble if he joins forces with this guy!"


    As his mind raced, Lin Shen quickly had an idea.


    At this moment, Ji Lu acutely sensed Lin Shen''s concern with the battle on the other side and sneered.


    "Boy, you still have the energy to care about others?"


    As he spoke, Ji Lu''s attacks became even more ferocious.


    Lin Shen had yet to switch to Superior Martial Arts or Pure Yang Body, so he was clearly at a disadvantage when fighting Ji Lu.


    Ji Lu didn''t suspect anything. He thought Lin Shen was young after all.


    "No matter how talented he is, his cultivation and strength can''t be as good as mine because I''ve been in the Long Breath Stage for many years." Therefore, Ji Lu was rather calm.


    He even began to fantasize about the wonderful scene of his cultivation level rising after obtaining the second-grade Blood Spirit Pills.


    After the recent battles, Lin Shen was no longer a rookie whockedbat experience. He took advantage of Ji Lu''s momentary distraction and made a prompt decision to let out a long roar.


    The sound wave that assaulted his face instantly stopped Ji Lu''s attack, and the blood in his chest surged.


    However, he had seen Lin Shen use this move to kill Hell Hos before, so he was already prepared. Seeing this, he immediately pulled away. At the same time, he waved the steel saber in his hand, blocking the area in front of him to prevent Lin Shen from taking the opportunity tounch a sneak attack.


    However, when he caught his breath and took a closer look, he was stunned to discover that Lin Shen was already 50 meters away, running wildly into the depths of the forest.


    "Damn that boy!"


    Feeling that he had been teased, Ji Lu was furious and chased after Lin Shen.


    Under the night sky, the two of them ran through the dark forest one after another. In the blink of an eye, they had run more than a thousand meters and were far away from their original location.


    In the hazy night and with the obstruction of the trees, they could no longer see the battle between Wan Zhaokun and the three girls.


    Only then did Lin Shen stop and turn around to look at Ji Lu.


    "Why aren''t you running anymore?"


    Ji Lu gripped his saber and sneered.


    "I never said I was running away."


    Lin Shen smiled faintly.


    He had never thought of running away. Otherwise, with his Shadows at the Perfection stage, Ji Lu would never have caught up with him.


    Looking at Lin Shen''s calm expression, Ji Lu finally realized that something was wrong, but he still didn''t believe that this boy would be his match.


    "Boy, you have a sharp tongue!"


    Ji Lu forced himself to calm down. He took out a Divine Weapon Talisman and pped it on the de. As the talisman burned to ashes, the de seemed to be coated with ayer of ice. In an instant, it shone with a cold light.


    The Divine Weapon Talisman had the effect of strengthening weapons and increasing their hardness and sharpness.


    It was also because of the Divine Weapon Talisman that Ji Lu could hold a Hundred Refinement Weapon and barely contend with the Six Yang Talisman Sword for a short period of time.


    In fact, the Six Yang Talisman Sword was also one of the reasons why Ji Lu insisted on killing Lin Shen.


    Although he was a Long Breath Stage cultivator, he didn''t even have a low-grade enchanted armament, let alone a middle-grade one.


    The moment he saw the Six Yang Talisman Sword, Ji Lu was envious and determined to have it.


    "Let me see what you''re up to!"


    Ji Lu sneered. His gaze asionally swept past the Six Yang Talisman Sword in Lin Shen''s hand, and undisguised greed shed across his eyes.


    Lin Shen didn''t care at all and smiled.


    "I lured you here, of course. No one else can see our battle from here."


    Ji Lu narrowed his eyes and snorted.


    "From the sound of it, do you still have any trump cards? Feel free to use them all. I''ll let you know..."


    Before he could finish speaking, the glint of the de suddenly lit up in the night, tearing through the darkness. Ji Lu had already rushed in front of Lin Shen and shed down with his saber. Only then did he growl.


    "Diel"


    Ji Lu was abnormally cunning. How could he really allow Lin Shen to calmly use his trump card? While attracting Lin Shen''s attention, he brazenly took the initiative to attack.


    However, Lin Shen saw iting. Seeing this, he chuckled and pressed his fingers together. A wisp of iparably fast and sharp wind instantly shot out.


    Ji Lu had witnessed the power of the Essence Sword Finger before. His expression turned stern as he dodged to the side without hesitation.


    After dodging the finger wind, Ji Lu was about to continue attacking Lin Shen, but in the next second, he suddenly froze on the spot. His eyes widened as if he had seen a ghost.


    He saw five Lin Shen in front of him.


    Be it their appearance, clothes, or temperament, they were exactly the same!


    It waste at night, and they were in a quiet and dark forest. Looking at this scene, Ji Lu couldn''t help but feel a chill run down his spine.


    What the hell was going on?


    Was it a spell of some divine power?


    Before he could figure it out, the five identical people had already charged at him with their swords!


    In an instant, the sword shadows that filled the sky enveloped him like a storm!


    After summoning his clones, Lin Shen put away the Six Yang Talisman Sword and switched to the Seven Star Sword to conceal himself.


    Although the Seven Star Sword wasn''t an enchanted armament, as a talisman weapon, it was as hard and sharp as a Hundred Refinement Weapon enhanced by the Divine Weapon Talisman.


    The sound of metal colliding echoed in the dense forest!


    Ji Lu only felt that he was surrounded by piercingly cold sword lights.


    He was like a small boat in a tempestuous sea, in danger of capsizing at any time.


    In just a short while, there were many new wounds on his body.


    Ji Lu felt his scalp go numb. He was shocked and furious. He was no longer as smug as before.


    He couldn''t understand how Lin Shen had be five people.


    Unfortunately, he would never know the answer.


    After switching to the Pure Yang body talent, Lin Shen was already on par with Ji Lu.


    Now, with the addition of the four clones, he had theplete advantage.


    After a few seconds, Ji Lu let out a miserable cry. He was stabbed in the abdomen by a sword, and his movement suddenly slowed down for a moment.


    Before he could recover, a fierce scarlet glint had already swept over from all directions, and it instantly drowned him!


    Swoosh!


    The light soon died down.


    After the shadows that filled the sky dissipated, Ji Lu was covered in blood.


    His eyes were wide open, and his face was filled with unwillingness and despair. However, his eyes had already lost their luster. His body swayed slightly, and he fell to the ground with a bang.


    Lin Shen put away his sword and looked at the corpse on the ground.


    He heaved a sigh of relief.


    Without any dy, Lin Shen quickly searched Ji Lu''s corpse and put away the storage bag he had found. Then, he took out the Melting Liquid that Old Wu had bought on the ck street. He melted the corpse with ease and briefly cleaned up the area. After confirming that he hadn''t missed anything, he rushed back to his team..

 Chapter 121 - 121 New Talent (1)

    Chapter 121: New Talent (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions On the forest path.


    The battle continued.


    Facing the powerful Wan Zhaokun, the three girls could barely hold him off.


    If not for Zhao Xueying''s many talismans, they wouldn''t have been able tost until now.


    After a while, Wan Zhaokun gradually felt frustrated.


    He didn''t want to stay here for too long. He was afraid that if he dyed any longer, he would bump into the reinforcements of the Martial Enforcement Hall. He only wanted to take care of the three people in front of him and give Ji Lu a hand.


    However, these three girls were very difficult to deal with!


    The girl with the unperturbed expression was especially the case. Not only did the Three Yang Talisman Sword in her hand counter his Wolf Soul w, but she also had all kinds of talismans.


    In just four to five minutes, she had thrown out 20 to 30 talismans!


    There were even powerful talismans like the Li Fire Talisman that could instantly kill mid-stage Ascension Stage spiritual beasts!


    If Wan Zhaokun hadn''t been alert and dodged in time, he would have almost failed his mission!


    It was also because of this that he became more and more careful after that, so he was unable to take down the three women for a long time.


    Wan Zhaokun''s eyes flickered for a few seconds before he suddenly spoke coldly.


    "Yourpanion has already abandoned you and fled. No one wille to save you. Do the smart thing and surrender. I can spare your lives!"


    Yu Shuying and Zuo Manman froze.


    However, in the next second, they heard Zhao Xueying''s cold and calm voice.


    "Don''t listen to his nonsense. The Wild Wolves are extremely evil people who use people to refine pills. The words of such a person aren''t trustworthy!"


    Yu Shuying and Zuo Manman were rmed, and their expressions turned solemn.


    That''s right!


    They were facing the Wild Wolves, an evil organization that would use cultivators to refine Blood Spirit Pills!


    How could such a person''s words be trusted?


    Wan Zhaokun was secretly angry and red at Zhao Xueying with a dark gaze.


    The girl was fearless. She pursed her lips and continued, "Also, Lin Shen isn''t someone who will run away at thest minute!"


    Wan Zhaokun snorted coldly. "Why are you speaking up for him? Is that kid your man?"


    Zhao Xueying blushed and red at Wan Zhaokun. She pursed her lips and didn''t say anything.


    In fact, she wasn''t very familiar with Lin Shen. However, for some reason, she didn''t think that Lin Shen would abandon hispanions and escape.


    Seeing that he had failed to shake them, Wan Zhaokun didn''t say anything else. He wanted to continue attacking the three women, but he suddenly stopped in his tracks. His ears twitched slightly, and he looked bewildered.


    Was that a scream?


    Was it from Ji Lu?


    The night was quiet, and the sound spread far and wide. The three girls could all vaguely make out the screamsing from afar.


    Yu Shuying and Zuo Manman''s expressions changed slightly. They thought that Lin Shen had been caught by the enemy and had already been killed.


    Only Zhao Xueying keenly noticed the change in Wan Zhaokun''s expression. A shocking thought suddenly shed across her mind.


    Could it be...


    Before she could figure it out, Wan Zhaokun attacked again with a dark expression


    Things might change, and Wan Zhaokun did not intend to dy any longer. Even if he was injured, he had to quickly take the three women down and rush to Ji Lu to see what was going on.


    The battle resumed. Wan Zhaokun''s attacks were even more ferocious than before, making the three girlsin inwardly.


    Right at this moment, there came the sound of something moving very fast. It reached them in the blink of an eye.


    Wan Zhaokun had just turned his head to look when he heard a roar.


    In the next second, the sound struck him like a tidal wave.


    Wan Zhaokun immediately grunted and took a few steps back. When he finally suppressed the blood in his throat, he looked up, and his expression changed drastically.


    The three girls were pleasantly surprised.


    "Lin Shen!"


    It was none other than Lin Shen!


    Seeing that Lin Shen was here but Ji Lu was nowhere to be seen, Wan Zhaokun immediately had a very bad feeling.


    "Has Ji Lu been..."


    The moment this thought appeared, Wan Zhaokun rejected it fiercely.


    Impossible. How could Ji Lu die under the hands of a young brat who was still wet behind the ears?


    Lin Shen ignored Wan Zhaokun''s bewildered gaze and turned to the three girls.


    "Get out of here. I''ll hold him back!"


    The girls were also very puzzled as to why Lin Shen could return unscathed while the enemy was nowhere to be seen. However, they also understood that now wasn''t the time to fuss about this.


    None of the three were the hesitant type. They knew that they would only be a burden to Lin Shen if they stayed here, so they did as they were told.


    "Be careful!"


    Zhao Xueying gave Lin Shen a long look before turning to leave.


    Yu Shuying and Zuo Manman quickly followed.


    Wan Zhaokun acted as if he didn''t see the three women leave. He just stared at Lin Shen as if he was facing a great enemy.


    "What did you do to Ji Lu?"


    After the three girls disappeared from his sight, Lin Shen turned to look at Wan Zhaokun and smiled faintly.


    "Do you want to see yourpanion? Easy, I''ll give you a ride to hell!"


    The moment he finished speaking, Lin Shen had already charged out.


    He raised his sword and attacked Wan Zhaokun.


    Wan Zhaokun''s pupils contracted. He bent his fingers into ws and was about to fight when his expression changed drastically. He couldn''t believe his eyes.


    Under the moonlight, Lin Shen suddenly blurred. In the next moment, he split into five identical "Lin Shen"!


    "What is this?!"


    Wan Zhaokun was horrified and backed away.


    However, the five "Lin Shen" was as fast as Lightning. In the blink of an eye, they caught up to him and attacked together with their swords.


    The sword energy surged like a storm..

 Chapter 122 - 122 New Talent (2)

    Chapter 122: New Talent (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    In his shock, Wan Zhaokun could only raise his arms to protect his head.


    In the next second, bright lights drowned him.


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    In less than a second, Wan Zhaokun''s chest, abdomen, arms, thighs, and crotch were stabbed dozens of times.


    He had obviously cultivated some kind of Physical Enhancement martial technique. The ce where the sword hit emitted a muffled sound as if it had hit leather.


    However, this kind of Physical Enhancement martial technique wasn''t as powerful as the Forbidden Golden Armor. It wasn''t enough topletely block the attacks of Lin Shen and his clones.


    Moreover, they were using the Seven Star Sword, a talisman weapon that was only inferior to enchanted armaments!


    By the time the light that filled the sky disappeared, there were already dozens of wounds on Wan Zhaokun''s body. Blood flowed down, dyeing him red.


    Wan Zhaokun''s face was pale, and a trace of fear shed across his eyes.


    At this moment, he was finally certain that Ji Lu was doomed. He also understood why this young man in front of him could kill Ji Lu.


    This strange technique was simply terrifying!


    This guy was clearly only at the Long Breath Stage. How could he use a strange spell that even someone at the Bright Aperture Stage might not be able to use?


    Wan Zhaokun was puzzled.


    Unfortunately, he would never know the answer.


    Before he could catch his breath, Lin Shen had already attacked again.


    Fiery sword energy soared into the sky, and beams of scarlet light almost filled Wan Zhaokun''s vision.


    Wan Zhaokun was not good at movement techniques, let alone being surrounded by others.


    Having no other option, he could only raise his arms again.


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    The dull thuds of hitting leather burst forth again in an endless stream.


    But in the next moment, Wan Zhaokun felt a sharp pain in his chest.


    He looked down in shock and realized that a sword had pierced through his chest.


    There were also mysterious red patterns engraved on the tip of the sword.


    Six Yang Talisman Sword!


    How could he have forgotten that this kid had the Six Yang Talisman Sword?!


    Wan Zhaokun widened his eyes and died with remaining grievances!


    Swoosh!


    Lin Shen pulled out the talisman sword. The scorching heat instantly vaporized the blood on the sword, restoring it to a clean and bright state.


    Whew!


    Letting out a long sigh of relief, Lin Shen summoned the interface.


    The moment Wan Zhaokun died, the effect of Testify by Killing was triggered.


    To Lin Shen''s joy, his cultivation level had increased by 12% this time!


    "As expected, it''s better to kill monsters above your level. Once the talent effect is triggered, the increase is very impressive!"


    After calming himself down, Lin Shen retracted his clones and found the storage bag on Wan Zhaokun''s body. Then, he brought the corpse to the ce where Ji Lu''s corpse was disposed of. He used the same trick again and used Melting Liquid to get rid of the corpse.


    "I''ll have toe up with a reason to fool them."


    Lin Shen wasn''t prepared to let others know about any cultivator he killed with his clones, lest his secret be exposed.


    Therefore, when he Killed the men of the Wild Wolves, he tried his best to get out of the three girls'' sight before taking action to ensure that no one would see his clones.


    After cleaning up the scene, Lin Shen rushed in the direction where Zhao Xueying and the other two had left.


    However, before he could run far, he heard the cries of birds in the distance. He looked up and happened to see hundreds of flying spiritual beasts break through the night and sh across the sky, flying quickly in the direction of the manor.


    "Are the reinforcements here?"


    Lin Shen muttered to himself.


    Suddenly, he saw a few flying spiritual beasts stop. He could vaguely see a few figures whispering to each other and pointing in his direction.


    Immediately after, the flying spiritual beast suddenly changed its direction and swooped down. In a short while, itnded in front of him.


    "Lin Shen!"


    Before the flying spiritual beast could stabilize itself, Zhao Xueying impatiently jumped down from its back and quickly ran toward him.


    She sized him up a few times, her eyes filled with surprise.


    Yu Shuying and Zuo Manman followed closely behind. When they saw that Lin Shen didn''t look like he was seriously injured, they immediately heaved a sigh of relief.


    "I''m so d that you''re fine!"


    "We were so worried about you!"


    The two girls spoke at the same time.


    "Don''t worry. I''m fine."


    Lin Shen smiled and looked at the Martial Enforcement Hall members sitting on the back of the flying spiritual beast behind the three women.


    "Why are you with the reinforcements from the Martial Enforcement Hall?"


    "We met them halfway and told them about you. We wanted to bring people to save you quickly."


    Zhao Xueying exined. In the end, she suddenly remembered something and looked puzzled.


    "By the way, where are the Wild Wolves?"


    Yu Shuying and Zuo Manman also looked puzzled.


    On the way here, they thought that Lin Shen was doomed. Who would have thought that Lin Shen would be standing here alive and kicking, while the cold and cruel middle-aged man from before was nowhere to be seen?


    "He ran away halfway through the fight. Just like the previous person, I think they must have received the news that the Martial Enforcement Hall''s reinforcements are approaching, so they don''t want to fight with us anymore and just leave," Lin Shen said without changing his expression.


    The three girls didn''t suspect anything.


    After all, they had witnessed the strength of the two Wild Wolves. The three of them would never have thought that Lin Shen could kill those two!


    Hearing that the enemy had left, Zhao Xueying and the other two heaved a sigh of relief.


    They couldn''t help much if they stayed, and they didn''t want to take up the flying spiritual beasts of the Martial Enforcement Hall, so they talked to the Martial Enforcement Hall members who sent them down and returned to the Central District.


    At dawn, the four of them finally arrived at their destination.


    Before they parted, Yu Shuying and Zuo Manman excitedly exchanged contact information with Lin Shen, saying that they would visit him when they had time. They smiled and left after that..

 Chapter 123 - 123 New Talent (3)

    Chapter 123: New Talent (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    "Let''s go back too," Lin Shen said to Zhao Xueying.


    She nced at him and nodded with a smile.


    Lin Shen returned to the wooden building where the Nine Yang Academy lived.


    After closing the door, Lin Shen immediately activated the interface.


    He took out his spoils of the night¡ªtwo storage pouches¡ªand began to examine them.


    The first was the storage bag from Ji Lu.


    Apart from some daily necessities and spirit coins, there were only a few Hundred Refinement steel sabers, some natural treasures, and medicinal pills.


    Lin Shen skipped the weapons and checked the treasures one by one.


    The result was somewhat disappointing. The most valuable ones were actually three stalks of Yin Extreme Grass, which only cost more than 200 merit points.


    However, the pills gave Lin Shen a surprise.


    Apart from themon Energy Recovery Pill and Spring Awn Pill, there were also two bottles of Prime Pills!


    He opened it and saw that the porcin bottles were still full. There were a total of 24 Prime Pills!


    "These two bottles of Prime Pills are enough for me to cultivate to the sixth level of the Long Breath Stage!"


    A smile appeared on Lin Shen''s face, and he was in a good mood.


    After sorting out the valuables, Lin Shen then checked the storage bag he had obtained from Wan Zhaokun.


    Unfortunately, there were no Prime Pills inside, only some daily necessities and spirit coins.


    Just like Ji Lu, there were also four stalks of Yin Extreme Grass.


    It wasn''t a surprise since the Yin Extreme Grass was one of the materials used to refine the Blood Spirit Pills.


    What surprised Lin Shen was that he also found something that looked like a beehive in the storage bag. The bloody and ferocious aura emitted from it was very simr to Hell Hos.


    "Did those Hell Hose from this thing?"


    Lin Shen was deep in thought.


    He had read in some books that some cultivator masters would specially refine the spiritual beast nest and carry it with them. When the battle started, they would release groups of spiritual beasts to kill the enemy.


    This beehive-like thing was very likely the refined demon beast nest described in the books.


    "Looks like those two guys are the masterminds behind the incident in the manor!"


    Lin Shen clicked his tongue and was pleasantly surprised.


    ording to the description in the books, even if the demon beasts inside this refined nest were all dead, given enough time, new spiritual beasts could still be hatched.


    "Unfortunately, this thing can only be used after refining again."


    Lin Shen felt a little regretful.


    If he wanted to refine this Hell Ho nest, he had to be at least at the Bright Aperture Stage. He couldn''t use it for the time being.


    "Forget it, this nest needs time to hatch new Hell Hos anyway."


    After putting away Hell Ho''s nest, Lin Shen continued to check the storage bag and quickly found two more secret manuals.


    Iron Scale Technique.


    Wolf Soul w.


    "Is there a palm technique for Physical Enhancement techniques?"


    Lin Shen recalled the martial technique Wan Zhaokun had used before and shook his head slightly.


    If it were before he obtained Forbidden Golden Armor and Meltdown, he might have been very happy to obtain these two martial arts manuals.


    However, things were different now. Be it the Iron Scale Technique or the Wolf Soul w, their power was clearly inferior to Forbidden Golden Armor and Meltdown.


    Since he had already cultivated higher-level martial techniques, there was naturally no need to cultivate low-level martial techniques of the same type.


    "I''ll keep it for now. Maybe I can sell it for a good price in the future."


    After putting away the secret manual, Lin Shen smiled in satisfaction.


    Although it was dangerous to fight the Wild Wolves, he gained a lot in the end.


    Be it the two people he had met in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range or the two people tonight, they had brought him a lot of benefits.


    Lin Shen even hoped that there would be more incidents like this.


    Aftering back to his senses from his joy, Lin Shen suddenly thought of something. He hurriedly summoned the interface and looked over. Indeed, he realized that the cooldown time for his clone''s resurrection had ended.


    Without hesitation, Lin Shen immediately summoned his clone.


    As the clone materialized, its information appeared.


    [Clone 2]


    [Talent: Analogy]


    [Stage: Long Breath Level 5, 26%]


    [Current Cultivation: None]


    "Analogy?"


    Lin Shen curiously checked the effects of his talent.


    [Analogy: For every additional Perfection martial technique, martial technique cultivation speed +10% (Maximum 200%), martial technique power +5% (Maximum 100%)]

 Chapter 124 - 124 Secret of War (1)

    Chapter 124: Secret of War (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    This talent seemed to be very powerful!


    Lin Shen''s eyes lit up.


    A Perfection martial technique could increase the cultivation speed and power of a martial technique by 10%.


    It didn''t seem much, but that was the effect on all martial techniques!


    All martial techniques, regardless of type, could be enhanced and improved by this talent.


    Moreover, it also had a lot of potential.


    After raising it to its limit, it could increase the cultivation speed of martial arts techniques by up to 200% and the power of martial arts techniques by 100%. The effect was double that of Superior Martial Arts!


    Although Pure Yang Body could provide a 300% increase in martial arts cultivation speed and a 100% increase in martial arts power, it was only effective on Yang attribute cultivation techniques.


    On the other hand, Analogy was a talent that could be used in all martial techniques. It was obviously the superior one!


    "The only problem is that it''s not easy to reach the upper limit. I have to reach Perfection in twenty martial techniques."


    The martial techniques that Lin Shen had cultivated to Perfection were zing Sun Palm, Meltdown, Shadows, Dragon Roar Through the Clouds, and Forbidden Golden Armor.


    There were only five.


    As a result, he would have a 50% increase in the cultivation speed of martial arts and a 25% increase in the power of martial arts. It was only half the effect of the Superior Martial Arts talent.


    "But it doesn''t matter. I just need to cultivate more martial techniques.


    The upper limit is high enough for the effort!"


    Lin Shen smiled brightly and decided to ept this talent. He didn''t want to take his chance with a new one.


    "It''s my lucky day. In the past, I had to revive the clone at least four to five times to obtain a good talent. This time, I hit the jackpot on the first go!


    "As for martial techniques..."


    Lin Shen thought of Iron Scale and Wolf Soul w that he had just obtained and shook his head with a smile.


    He had just said that he didn''t need to cultivate these two martial techniques. Who would have thought that he would eat his words in the blink of an eye?


    In order to raise Analogy to the upper limit as soon as possible, he had to practice these two martial techniques.


    "I''ll reach Perfection in Essence Sword Finger and Supreme Yang Swordy first before cultivating the Iron Scale Technique and the Wolf Soul w. After these four martial techniques all reach Perfection, I''ll go to the Merit Hall to see if there are any suitable martial techniques to exchange for!"


    There were countless martial techniques in the Merit Hall. As long as one had enough merit points, they wouldn''t have to worry about not having martial techniques to cultivate.


    Lin Shen didn''t have to worry about this at all.


    "I''ll keep cultivating!"


    Even though he hadn''t slept the entire night and had just experienced a series of intense battles, Lin Shen was still in high spirits. He didn''t go to bed and directly went to the cultivation room.


    As usual, the three clones of the Pure Yang Body, Superior Martial Arts, and Analogy were in charge of cultivating martial arts.


    Lin Shen and the remaining two clones focused on cultivating the Golden Crow Scripture.


    Time quickly passed as he cultivated.


    In the blink of an eye, it was the next day.


    Lin Shen left the wooden building and rushed toward the Merit Hall.


    Before he stepped into the Mission Hall, Lin Shen could hear themotion from afar. It was as lively as a market.


    When he walked in, he realized that many disciples had gathered inside. They were gathered in twos and threes and whispering to each other as if they were discussing something intensely. The entire hall was much livelier than usual.


    Lin Shen came to the counter and asked Jiao Yu, "Did something happen?"


    Jiao Yu turned around when she heard the voice. When she saw that it was Lin Shen, a bright smile bloomed on her face.


    "Senior Brother Lin, I knew you would be fine!"


    Lin Shen was slightly stunned. Then, he realized that the girl was talking about the Martial Enforcement Hall mission.


    As expected, Jiao Yu continued,


    "It''s all because of the Martial Enforcement Hall''s mission. Senior Brother Lin, you were there that night. You should know that there was an ident on the mission.


    "I heard that tens of thousands of Hell Hos appeared in the manor that night. The Martial Enforcement Hall was caught off guard and suffered heavy casualties. Even the disciples of the three great academies who participated in the mission suffered heavy casualties.


    It''s said that more than twenty disciples of our academy died. This is the most severe loss in recent years!"


    Lin Shen was shocked.


    Although he had long known that the academy disciples participating in the mission would definitely suffer significant losses, the number of casualties still exceeded his expectations.


    There were only about 30 people in total. More than 20 people had died at once. The casualty rate was more than two-thirds. That was some heavy loss.


    Lin Shen couldn''t help but rejoice.


    Fortunately, he was assigned to guard the outermost area of the encirclement. By the time Hell Hos broke out of the encirclement and reached them, there were only 200 to 300 of them left.


    If they were on the front line, they would have to face at least a thousand Hell Hos.


    Even he would find it difficult to deal with such a number ofte-phase Spirit Awakening Stage spiritual beasts.


    However, on second thought, if he hadn''t stayed at the outermostyer of the encirclement, he might not have been targeted by Wan Zhaokun and Ji Lu.


    It was only because he had the clones. Anyone else would definitely end up bing the ingredients of those pills.


    From this point of view, staying in the outermost area wasn''t really a lucky thing.


    It was a mixture of blessing and misfortune.


    After sighing, Lin Shen was also a little happy.


    That spiritual beast nest could summon tens of thousands of Hell Hos. It seemed to be even more powerful than he had expected!


    After breaking through to the Bright Aperture Stage, he could refine it and would have another powerful trump card!


    Suppressing the joy in his heart, Lin Shen pointed at the people in the hall and asked,


    "Why do these people look so excited?"


    Jiao Yu curled his lips and whispered,


    "The disciples who died in this mission are either ck-rank or Yellow-rank disciples. Some people are naturally very happy that more than 20 spots were vacated at once."


    Lin Shen understood. He swept his gaze across the excited disciples and shook his head.


    "By the way,"


    Jiao Yu suddenly said.


    "Senior Brother Lin, because of the incident in this mission, the Martial Enforcement Hall has decided to increase the reward to five minor merits. I''ll help you register now.."

 Chapter 125 - 125 Secrets of War (2)

    Chapter 125: Secrets of War (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Lin Shen smiled and nodded.


    It was naturally a good thing to have two more minor merits.


    After the registration, Lin Shen now had fifteen minor merits.


    Apart from the remaining four minor merits from before, there were also five minor merits for the mission reward. The remaining six minor merits were the past two months'' fixed benefit for ck-rank disciples.


    "Speaking of which, there''s still a month before the rank challenge,"


    Lin Shen suddenly remembered.


    However, he immediately threw this matter to the back of his mind.


    Many people were curious about whether Lin Shen could keep his spot as a ck-rank disciple or not, but he wasn''t concerned at all.


    After leaving the Mission Hall, Lin Shen returned to the wooden building and prepared to continue cultivating.


    On the way, a person walked toward him. It was Leng Xing, who had a conflict with him in the Mission Hall that day.


    Lin Shen had a deep impression of this Senior Brother, who had been forbidden by his father to ept anybat missions.


    Leng Xing also remembered Lin Shen well. When he saw Lin Shen, he immediately red at him.


    Seeing this, Lin Shen smiled and walked away without arguing with him.


    Watching Lin Shen walking away, Leng Xing spat on the ground.


    "What are you so proud of? Let''s see if you can still smile in a month!"


    Just as he reached the wooden building, Lin Shen saw a paper crane flying around outside the door.


    "Another flying crane. Who is it this time?"


    Lin Shen grabbed the paper crane in surprise.


    This time, the paper crane was made of a folded talisman. After opening it, he immediately heard a familiar voice.


    "Lin,e to the Night Dream Club when you''re free. Su and I will wait for you here."


    After sending the message, the sound-transmitting talisman quickly turned into ashes and dissipated.


    "Yang..."


    Lin Shen smiled slightly. He had been busy cultivating for the past two months after entering the academy and had yet to meet up with Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian, so he canceled his cultivation n and rushed out of the academy.


    When they arrived at the Night Dream Club, the sky was already dark.


    Yang Zhongyi had clearly made arrangements. As soon as Lin Shen stepped into the Night Dream Club, a waiter immediately weed him.


    "Mr. Lin, Young Master Yang and Young Master Su are already waiting for you in the private room on the third floor."


    Lin Shen nodded slightly and was led to the third floor by the waiter.


    After opening the door of the private room, he saw Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian sitting on both sides of the table. Beside each of them was a beautiful cat girl.


    Yang Zhongyiyzily on the cat girl''sp, sipping the wine handed over by her fair hand with a satisfied expression.


    Su Nian, on the other hand, was sitting upright with his back straight.


    He didn''t even look at the girl beside him.


    Instead, the cat girl stared at his side profile intently. Her cheeks were flushed, and her gaze was infatuated.


    Hearing the door open, Yang Zhongyi looked up and immediately smiled. He sat up and greeted Lin Shen.


    "Lin, you''ve finally appeared. If I didn''t see you, I would have thought that you were missing!"


    Lin Shen sat down at the side of the table facing the door. He picked up some snacks and mumbled as he chewed.


    "I was busy cultivating."


    He was just saying it casually, but Yang Zhongyi seemed to have misunderstood. His eyes narrowed slightly as he waved his hand silently.


    The two cat girls immediately stood up and bowed slightly. Then, they left the private room and closed the door.


    After they were gone, Yang Zhongyi looked at Lin Shen and said solemnly,


    "Are you confident about the rank challenge next month?"


    Hearing this, Su Nian immediately turned around and looked over with a serious expression.


    The two of them had witnessed the uproar in the Nine Yang Academy recently. They knew many people couldn''t wait to challenge Lin Shen and snatch his ck-rank disciple spot.


    In the rank challenge next month, Lin Shen would face a lot of pressure!


    Lin Shen was stunned by the sudden question. When he realized what they meant, he couldn''t help butugh.


    "That''s what you invited me here for?"


    Seeing Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian''s serious expressions, Lin Shen said calmly,


    "Don''t worry. I''m not so weak that I can''t even keep what I have."


    Seeing Lin Shen''s unexpected confidence, Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian couldn''t help but be stunned.


    Initially, they were worried that Lin Shen wouldn''t be confident about the rank challenge and wanted to encourage him. But now, it seemed that he didn''t take it to heart at all.


    Didn''t Lin Shen realize what kind of difficulty he was going to face next?


    It was good to not lose confidence, but he shouldn''t be blindly confident.


    After hesitating for a moment, Yang Zhongyi still felt that he had to remind Lin Shen.


    "Lin, it''s not that I want to intimidate you, but there are many powerful people among the Yellow-rank disciples. Based on what I know, Duan Hao and Cheng Xipeng both threatened to challenge you in public.


    They''re both at Level 4 of the Long Breath Stage. They''re not easy to deal with!"


    "That''s right!"


    Su Nian nodded as well.


    "I''ve also heard of these two names. Be it Duan Hao or Cheng Xipeng, their strength is enough to be ranked in the top five among the Yellow-rank disciples. Furthermore, these two are seniors who have been in the academy for more than three years. Their attainments in martial arts are extremely high. Even though you might not be their match!"


    "I see. Thank you for your information." Lin Shen smiled without many reactions.


    Seeing that Lin Shen was still calm, Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian felt a little resigned.


    However, they also knew that Lin Shen was a person with his own opinions. Once he decided on something, it would be very difficult to persuade him, so they could only stop trying..

 Chapter 126 - 126 Secrets of War (3)

    Chapter 126: Secrets of War (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    "If youck pills or natural treasures, don''t hesitate to tell me." Yang Zhongyi patted Lin Shen''s shoulder.


    Lin Shen looked at him steadily and nodded.


    "Thank you!"


    This time, his tone was much more sincere.


    From their previous interactions, Lin Shen had noticed that although Yang Zhongyi was a descendant of the Yang family, one of the five great families, he seemed to be in a delicate situation there.


    At the very least, the resources he had were far inferior to Yan Xing, Xue Feng, and Chong Yanhe, who were also disciples of the five great families.


    It was even worse than some of the disciples of the ten prestigious houses.


    Otherwise, with Yang Zhongyi''s aptitude, he wouldn''t still be at the Qi Transformation Stage.


    In a time like this, Yang Zhongyi was willing to spare his resources to help Lin Shen. If he didn''t treat him as a true friend, he wouldn''t have done this at all.


    Keeping this thought in mind, Lin Shen changed the topic.


    "Let''s not talk about me. What about you guys? How have you been recently?"


    "What else can we do? Su and I are only at the Qi Transformation Stage.


    We can''t ept many crusade missions that allow us to go out. We can only ept some on-duty missions to earn some hard money."


    Despite pretending to be pitiful, Yang Zhongyi couldn''t help but smile.


    "However, my cultivation level increased quite quickly. I just broke through to the ninth level of Qi Transformation yesterday. That''s why I invited you and Su out to drink and celebrate!"


    Lin Shen nodded to himself.


    Yang Zhongyi had already been stuck at the seventh level of Qi Transformation for quite some time. After entering the academy, his cultivation resources had increased, and he had umted a lot. It was reasonable for him to break through two stages in two months.


    "What about you?" Lin Shen looked at Su Nian.


    Su Nian took a sip of wine and said calmly, "Even Zhongyi has broken through. How can I be worse than him?"


    "Hey, Su, what do you mean? Are you saying that my aptitude is inferior to yours?"


    "Isn''t that the truth?"


    "Bullshit! Lin is a different story, but how can I be worse than you?"


    "I broke through to the ninth level of Qi Transformation seven days earlier than you."


    "It''s only seven days. What can that prove?"


    Lin Shen was caught betweenughter and tears as he watched the two of them bicker. He shook his head.


    Suddenly, he remembered something. He took out two walnut-sized green gem-like fruits from his storage bag and ced them on the table.


    This sudden action immediately attracted Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian''s attention. The two of them stopped bickering and turned around.


    "Lin, what are these?" Yang Zhongyi asked curiously.


    "Spirit Breath Fruit."


    "So it''s the Spirit... Spirit Breath Fruit?!"


    Yang Zhongyi widened his eyes in shock.


    As a disciple of influential families, he naturally had heard of them.


    This was the most important main material for refining the Breath Gathering Pill!


    Su Nian looked surprised.


    The Spirit Breath Fruit was very difficult to find. Even the Merit Hall didn''t have it. Where did Lin Shen get it?


    However, what shocked them even more was that Lin Shen picked up a Spirit Breath Fruit with each hand and ced it in front of the two of them.


    "I have no use for them. I believe it''ll be of greater use in your hands."


    "Lin..."


    Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian were both shocked and looked at Lin Shen in a daze.


    The Spirit Breath Fruit was abnormally rare. Even if Lin Shen had no use for it, he could exchange it for items worth at least seven or eight minor merits. However, he had given it to them without hesitation, which was really touching.


    "Don''t be so sentimental."


    Lin Shen scolded jokingly.


    "Let me make this clear first. I''m only in charge of giving you the Spirit Breath Fruit. As for the other materials needed to refine the Breath Gathering Pill and the alchemist, you have to find them yourselves."


    Yang Zhongyi came back to his senses and put away the Spirit Breath Fruit. He patted his chest andughed.


    "Don''t worry, leave the alchemy to me. I still have some connections!"


    Su Nian also couldn''t hide his joy.


    The most difficult part of refining the Breath Gathering Pill was to find the Spirit Breath Fruit.


    As for alchemists, it was rtively easier to find.


    They could always spend some merit points to get the alchemists of the Nine Yang Academy''s Alchemy Pavilion to help them. The Merit Hall had this exchange program.


    As long as they refined the Breath Gathering Pill, with their cultivation level, they could directly advance to the Long Breath Stage after consuming the pills.


    How could they not be overjoyed?


    Lin Shen had helped them so much this time!


    However, Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian both knew that it would sound too polite to say words of gratitude right now. They could only hide their feelings.


    With everyone in a good mood, the atmosphere in the private room became even more lively.


    After everyone had a few drinks, Yang Zhongyi finally talked about the real reason why he had invited Lin Shen over.


    "A demon tribe in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range?" Lin Shen raised his eyebrows in surprise.


    "That''s right." Yang Zhongyi nodded. "You should know about the five great demonic divisions of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range, right?"


    Of course, Lin Shen knew.


    There were many demon tribes in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range, and their strengths varied. However, it was publicly acknowledged that the tiger, python, bear, fox, and eagle tribes were the strongest.


    Therefore, they were called the five great demonic tribes by human cultivators.


    "The five great demonic tribes live in the depths of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range all year round. Apart from a few low-level spiritual beasts, they rarely appear outside the mountain range. However, they have been acting abnormally recently!


    "Apart from the Fox Tribe, which is secretive all year round, and the Eagle Tribe, which is arrogant and rarely interacts with other tribes, the Tiger, Python, and Bear Tribes have been appearing in the periphery of the mountain range recently and attacking cultivators.


    Many cultivators in Dragonside City have already died at their hands.


    The three great sects are furious because of this. ording to the news I received, it won''t be long before the three great sects join forces tounch a counterattack against the three demonic tribes!


    "ording to past years'' experience, our academy should also send disciples to participate in the battle. This is also a good opportunity for the disciples to earn a lot of merit points!"


    Lin Shen was surprised.


    This was the first time he had heard of such a secret.


    Fighting against the demons... That seemed to be a good idea!


    Earning merit points wasn''t the most important thing to him. The key was that he could take the opportunity to activate the effect of Testify by Killing. It might be a great opportunity to quickly increase his strength!


    Thinking of this, Lin Shen couldn''t help but feel tempted.


    Su Nian''s eyes were bright as well, and it was obvious that he was also quite tempted. Of course, he would do it to earn more merit points.


    In fact, any academy disciple with a bit of ambition wouldn''t reject such an opportunity.


    Although it was dangerous to fight with the demons, how could one not encounter danger if one wanted to increase their strength?


    As long as there were enough benefits, many disciples would jump at the opportunity!


    "When will it be?" Lin Shen asked.


    Yang Zhongyi pondered for a moment and slowly said, "Such arge-scale war usually requires a lot of preparation time. I think we should wait until after the rank challenge." Lin Shen nodded to himself.


    That was good news. At that time, he should have broken through to the sixth level of the Long Breath Stage, or even reached the seventh level. He could also condense his sixth clone, which would significantly increase his strength.. He would probably be able to achieve more on the battlefield!

 Chapter 127 - 127 Rank Challenge (1)

    Chapter 127: Rank Challenge (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Days and months sh by as quickly as a weaver''s shuttle.


    In the blink of an eye, more than half a month passed.


    With a sufficient supply of Prime Pills, Lin Shen''s cultivation level increased rapidly, and he sessfully broke through to the sixth level of the Long Breath Stage.


    The three clones cultivated day and night, and he finally reached Perfection in the Essence Sword Finger and Supreme Yang Swordy.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Analogy]


    [Stage: Long Breath Level 6, 35%]


    [Cultivation technique: Golden Crow Scripture (Mastery 42%)...


    Supreme Yang Swordy (Perfection), Essence Sword Finger (Perfection), Mortal Restrain (Proficient 78%)]


    [Number of clones: 5 (94%)]


    Compared to the Essence Sword Finger, the Supreme Yang Swordy was easier to cultivate. With the Pure Yang Body''s effect of cultivation speed of +300%, he had long reached Perfection.


    After that, Lin Shen spent most of his energy cultivating the Essence Sword Finger. It was only today that he finally reached Perfection.


    Sitting cross-legged on the floor of the training room, Lin Shen suddenly opened his eyes and pointed with his finger.


    In an instant, there was a low swooshing sound. A streak of ferocious energy shot out from his fingertip and hit the metal wall not far away, leaving a small hole two to three centimeters deep.


    Seeing this scene, Lin Shen smiled in satisfaction.


    The wall of the training room was made of special material. He had experimented with it. Even with the power of Perfection Meltdown, he could only leave a palm mark of about one centimeter deep on the wall.


    By that standard, the power of the Perfection-stage Essence Sword Finger far exceeded that of the Perfection-stage Meltdown!


    Of course, Meltdown''s attack used an open palm, while Essence Sword Finger was in the form of a streak of energy. It was naturally more prative.


    "I''ve also reached Mastery in the Golden Crow Scripture!" Lin Shen pondered for a moment.


    ording to the information he had obtained, the Golden Crow Scripture was a cultivation technique of the Long Breath Stage. After breaking through to the Bright Aperture Stage, its efficiency would be minimal. At that point, he would also need to change the cultivation technique.


    Fortunately, as long as the academy''s disciples advanced to the Bright Aperture Stage, they would be given a high-level cultivation technique that was simr to the Golden Crow Scripture for free. There was no need to worry about this.


    "Unfortunately, the Golden Crow Scripture isn''t considered a martial technique. Even if it is cultivated to Perfection, it''s not included in the talent bonus of Analogy."


    So far, Lin Shen had already mastered seven Perfection-stage martial techniques.


    The talent effect of Analogy also became "Martial Technique Cultivation Speed+70%" and "Martial Technique Power+35%".


    Superior Martial Arts, Pure Yang Body, Analogy... The talent effects of all three clones greatly increased the cultivation speed of martial techniques.


    In addition, Lin Shen could switch talents at any time.


    He and three clones cultivated at the same time. His current martial technique cultivation speed had already reached an extremely shocking level!


    In less than a month, he had cultivated the Essence Sword Finger and Supreme Yang Swordy from Beginner to Perfection. That speed was enough to astonish all his fellow disciples!


    Many disciples might not even be able to cultivate the Supreme Yang Swordy to Mastery, let alone Perfection, even if they spent an entire year.


    Not to mention the more difficult Essence Sword Finger!


    As for the power of the martial technique, other than Perseverance, the talents of the four clones all had the effect of increasing the power of martial techniques.


    However, without summoning his clone, Lin Shen could only use one talent at a time, so the effect wasn''t as shocking as the cultivation speed of his martial techniques.


    "I''wonder if my talent slot will increase after I break through to the Bright Aperture Stage."


    After letting his thoughts drift for a moment, Lin Shen shook his head and dispelled the distracting thoughts, focusing again on the matter at hand.


    Now that he had reached Perfection in the Essence Sword Finger and Supreme Yang Swordy, it was time to change to new martial techniques.


    Lin Shen took out the Iron Scale Technique and the Wolf Soul w manuals from his storage bag. He got rid of his distracting thoughts and focused on reading them carefully.


    After memorizing the text, he began toprehend it with his clones.


    Compared to martial techniques like the Forbidden Golden Armor and Meltdown, the Iron Scale Technique and the Wolf Soul w were clearly of a lower grade, so they were also easier to cultivate.


    In just three days, he reached Beginner in the two martial techniques.


    In another two days, he sessfully reached Proficient in the Iron Scale Technique.


    Standing in the middle of the training room, Lin Shen willed the spiritual essence in his body to circte rapidly, and ayer of dark light instantly appeared on his skin.


    Upon closer inspection, one could see that theyer of light was vaguely in the shape of countless small scales. It looked like Lin Shen was wearing an illusory fish scale armor.


    After experiencing it for himself, Lin Shen realized that the Iron Scale Technique was indeed much inferior to the Forbidden Golden Armor.


    However, considering that cultivating this martial technique was only to increase the effect of his Analogy talent, Lin Shen didn''t care.


    "Both martial techniques are rtively easy to cultivate. In about ten days, I should be able to reach Perfection in them both."


    Even so, Lin Shen didn''t continue cultivating. Instead, he stretched and walked towards the door of the training room, preparing to rest for the day.


    After all, tomorrow was the day of the rank challenge.


    He had to conserve his energy.


    The rank challenge that was held once every three months was the biggest event in the Nine Yang Academy.


    After all, the rank of a disciple was rted to the benefits they could enjoy.


    One mere rank apart could make a great difference after three months of umtion.


    Therefore, every disciple wanted to climb up!


    The rank challenge was the only way for them to achieve their goal!


    The rank challenge wouldst for three days.


    The first two days were challenges between the disciples of the lower house, and thest day was for the disciples of the lower house to challenge those of the upper house.


    During this period, the challenges would take ce from lower to higher ranks.


    Rankless disciples would challenge Yellow-rank disciples first. If there were no rankless disciples in the academy, this step would be skipped..

 Chapter 128 - 128 Rank Challenge (2)

    Chapter 128: Rank Challenge (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    After that, the Yellow-rank disciples would challenge the ck-rank ones, then the ck-rank disciples would challenge the Earth-rank ones, and so on.


    The Nine Yang Academy also set several rules for the challenges.


    First, everyone who challenged a higher-rank disciple had to pay a certain amount of merit points.


    For example, if a Yellow-rank disciple wanted to challenge a ck-rank disciple, he had to pay a minor merit.


    Regardless of the oue, this small merit would go to the ck-rank disciple who was challenged.


    This rule was to prevent low-rank disciples from challenging at random to try their luck.


    Secondly, more than one low-rank disciple could challenge the same high-rank disciple. Thetter didn''t have to ept all of them, but they had to ept at least three challenges.


    The order of challenges may be determined by the challenger through negotiation.


    If the negotiation failed, the cultivation level would be the priority. The challenger with a higher cultivation level could go first. If the cultivation level was the same, the tutor would randomly choose one.


    Every time a challenger was defeated, the challenged person would get an hour of rest.


    Thirdly, the disciples who sessfully advanced and the disciples whose rank dropped would no longer ept challenges from others.


    However, disciples who were challenged and lost their rank could challenge other high-rank disciples. If they seeded, they could recover their rank.


    These were the most important rules of the Nine Yang Academy''s rank challenge.


    Of course, there were other rules, but they were just minor details.


    It was worth mentioning that the rank challenge happened to take ce in the square where the guided battle was held.


    When Lin Shen arrived, he realized that a two-meter-tall tform had appeared in the middle of the square. There were stone pirs engraved with mysterious patterns standing around them. It looked like some kind of array formation.


    Most likely, it should be some kind of protective array formation to prevent the aftershock of the battle on the tform from affecting the surrounding spectators.


    Apart from the empty space within ten meters of the tform, the other parts of the square were already filled with people. It was a bustling scene.


    "Probably all 700 people from the entire lower house are here..."


    Lin Shen was secretly amazed.


    However, after thinking about it, it made sense. There was no such thing as taking leave for a rank challenge.


    Whether it was because one was injured and couldn''te to the scene personally, or because one happened to be cultivating in seclusion or going out to train, as long as one wasn''t present when they were challenged, they would be deemed to have lost the challenge.


    The rules were that cruel!


    Just as he was sighing, he heard a familiar voicee from not far away.


    "Lin, over here!"


    Lin Shen looked in the direction of the voice and saw Yang Zhongyi waving at him from more than 20 meters away. Su Nian was standing beside him.


    "You always take your time. Why? The protagonist is always thest to appear, right?"


    Before Lin Shen could say anything, Yang Zhongyi punched his shoulder and teased him.


    "What protagonist?"


    "Isn''t it obvious?"


    Yang Zhongyi gestured at his surroundings with his eyes.


    "You''re the most eye-catching person in the entire square today!"


    Just as Yang Zhongyi had said, Lin Shen''s arrival attracted the attention of many people.


    As far as he could see, many disciples were pointing in his direction, and many of them had malicious gazes.


    "Look, it''s Lin Shen!"


    "Tsk tsk, he actually came!"


    "Of course, he''s here. If he doesn''te, he''ll lose his rank!"


    "What''s the difference? Do you really think Lin Shen can keep his spot as a ck-rank disciple? Don''t be naive!"


    Hearing the discussions, Lin Shen wasn''t affected at all, as if he hadn''t heard them.


    There would never be a shortage of people who gloated over others??misfortune. He could just ignore them. There was no need to argue with them because it was just a waste of energy.


    "Being considered the protagonist isn''t too bad."


    Lin Shen smiled without denying it.


    "On such an asion, the protagonist will usually kill anyone who stands in his way. Perhaps I can surprise everyone today."


    "If only that were true."


    Yang Zhongyi only thought that Lin Shen was having fun in his misery and didn''t take his words seriously at all. He lowered his voice andforted Lin Shen.


    "It doesn''t matter even if you lose your rank as a ck-rank disciple.


    With your aptitude and strength, you''ll be able to snatch it back sooner orter. There''s no need to rush!"


    Su Nian also echoed, "That''s right. Your talent is obvious to all. It''s only a matter of time before you advance to a ck-rank disciple or even higher. You don''t have to take it to heart!"


    Lin Shen was amused and touched by theirforting words, but he didn''t intend to exin further. He changed the topic.


    "What about the two of you? Have you used the Spirit Breath Fruit from before?"


    At the mention of this, Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian smiled happily.


    "Thanks to you, we found an alchemist to refine the Breath Gathering Pill. We''ve already sessfully advanced to the Long Breath Stage!"


    Yang Zhongyi said with a smile.


    After advancing to the Long Breath Stage, he and Su Nian would almost certainly remain Yellow-rank disciples.


    The difference between Yellow-rank disciples??cultivation levels was thergest in the Nine Yang Academy. They ranged from the seventh level of the Qj Transformation Stage to the fourth level of the Long Breath Stage.


    As for the other three ranks, the disciples??cultivation levels were at most two or three stages apart.


    Therefore, no one would ignore the other Qi Transformation Stage disciples ande to challenge two Long Breath Stage ones.


    Of course, Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian didn''t intend to challenge the ck-rank disciples.


    Apart from Lin Shen, the abnormality, the weakest ck-rank disciples were Level-4 Long Breath Stage cultivators. Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian had just broken through, and there was no chance of them seeding in challenging a ck-rank disciple!


    Not only did they not have to worry about being challenged, but they also had no intention of challenging others. Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian were two of the most rxed people in the square.


    The only person they were worried about was Lin Shen.


    About ten minutester, a cry suddenly came from the sky.


    More than ten snow-white cranes with wingspans of more than two meters flew over from afar and arrived in the sky above the square in the blink of an eye.


    After circling a few times, the crane slowlynded on the square. The tutors on their backs jumped andnded lightly on the stage.


    The square instantly fell silent. All the academy disciples shut their mouths and watched the tutors descend from the sky.


    The leader was Ke Ya.


    With him in the lead, the tutors came to the seats that had been prepared long ago and sat down.


    Immediately after, Ke Ya''s gaze swept around like lightning. He waved his hand and cut to the chase.


    "Let''s begin."


    The deacon who had been waiting at the side took a step forward and shouted,


    "The Yellow-rank disciple challenge begins now!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, someone rushed onto the tform impatiently. Before he could stabilize himself, his loud voice spread throughout the square.


    "Zhai Guangdong wants to challenge Yellow-rank disciple Tang Rongquan!"


    The Yellow-rank disciple''s face darkened when his name was called. He snorted.


    Although the rank challenge was a custom, as the party being challenged, some of them would inevitably feel that the other party had underestimated them. As a result, they were usually in a bad mood.


    The deacon in charge didn''t agree immediately. Instead, he looked around and asked,


    "Any other challengers?"


    No one answered. The deacon nodded expressionlessly and looked at Tang Rongquan.


    "Tang Rongquan, do you want to ept the challenge?"


    Of course, he would. If he didn''t ept it, he would be considered defeated without a fight.


    Tang Rongquan cursed inwardly and used his reaction as an answer. He quickly took a few steps and jumped onto the high tform.


    The battle broke out in the blink of an eye, but it ended very quickly.


    In the end, Tang Rong won and sessfully defended his position as a Yellow-rank disciple.


    However, the next two battles ended with the challenger''s victory.


    This wasn''t surprising. 79 Yellow-rank disciples were new students this year like the rankless ones, and their strength was actually not much different.


    However, some of them were a little unlucky and didn''t get a good ranking in the examination. That was why they missed the Yellow-rank disciple spot.


    And now, it was time for them to take back what should have been theirs!


    In just over an hour, more than ten Yellow-rank disciples had their spots taken away and became rankless disciples.


    These people were all freshmen without exception.


    As for the senior students, there were very few who dared to challenge them.


    As expected, the few challengers also failed.


    At this moment.


    There was a suddenmotion in the crowd.


    Lin Shen looked in the direction of the noise and saw a figure leap onto the tform with a saber in hand.


    It was Yan Xing!

 Chapter 129 - 129 Competing to Challenge (1)

    Chapter 129: Competing to Challenge (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Yan Xing was considered famous in the Nine Yang Academy.


    It wasn''t because he was talented and powerful.


    Rather, it was because he was a direct descendant of one of the five great ns, the Yan n. Yet, he was ranked at the bottom of the examinations in an unprecedented manner. After entering the academy, he didn''t even get a spot as a Yellow-rank disciple.


    Because of this, countless people mocked Yan Xing in private.


    However, no one was surprised to see Yan Xing enter the arena.


    Instead, they felt that it was only natural.


    If he hadn''t been unlucky enough to bump into Lin Shen, with Yan Xing''s strength, he would have been a Yellow-rank disciple long ago.


    It was expected that he would go on stage at this time.


    Yan Xing''s challenge target was a Qi Transformation Stage senior student.


    When he heard Yan Xing pick him, the senior student looked like he was going to be sick.


    The result was as expected. As soon as the battle began, the senior student was sent flying by Yan Xing''s strike and fell to the ground, where hey for a long time.


    "As expected, Yan Xing has also advanced to the Long Breath Stage!"


    "After all, he''s a direct descendant of the Yan family and has a big brother like Yan Jingren. He has a lot of resources. It''s not surprising for him to advance to the Long Breath Stage."


    "That''s right. I heard that Zhao Xueying, Xue Feng, and a few others have also advanced to the Long Breath Stage."


    Discussions seemed to go on and on.


    Yan Xing was expressionless. He nced in Lin Shen''s direction, and a cold glint shed across his eyes before he walked down the tform.


    After Yan Xing, no one issued another challenge.


    After waiting for a minute or two, seeing that no one went on stage, the deacon announced loudly that the Yellow-rank disciple challenge had ended. Next, the ck-rank disciple challenge would begin.


    As soon as he finished speaking, at least half of the people in the square looked at Lin Shen.


    There were all kinds of gazes, such as gloating, ridicule, pity, curiosity, anticipation...


    In an instant, Lin Shen became the most eye-catching presence in the square.


    Almost everyone knew that in the ck-rank disciple challenge, the first person to be challenged would definitely be Lin Shen.


    And that was the truth. After more than ten seconds of strange silence, the first disciple jumped out.


    "Luo Bochun wants to challenge ck-rank disciple Lin Shen!"


    Luo Bochun''s actions seemed to have turned on a switch. The next moment, many disciples walked out of the crowd.


    "Zhan Binglong wants to challenge ck-rank disciple Lin Shen!"


    "Wang Bing wants to challenge ck-rank disciple Lin Shen!"


    "Shen Cheng wants to challenge ck-rank disciple Lin Shen!"


    In the blink of an eye, more than 20 disciples stood on the tform.


    Even though they had expected this, this scene still stunned many people.


    Throughout the previous rank challenges, there had never been more than 20 Yellow-rank disciples fighting to challenge the same ck-rank disciple.


    The scene surprised many people.


    On the high tform, more than 20 challengers stared at Lin Shen with bright eyes.


    Not all of them disliked Lin Shen and challenged him out of jealousy.


    Most of them were only nning to pick on the weak.


    It had only been three months since Lin Shen entered the academy, so they decided he couldn''t have exceeded the third level of the Long Breath Stage. He was definitely the weakest ck-rank disciple!


    And he was probably the weakest one in history!


    Such a candidate would only show up every ten years or so. If they didn''t challenge him now, they would waste the opportunity!


    "Oh my god! Duan Hao, Cheng Xipeng, Luo Bochun, Zhan Binglong...


    None of them have a cultivation level lower than the third level of the Long Breath Stage. What a lineup!"


    "After participating in so many rank challenges, this is the first time I''ve seen such a situation!"


    "Lin Shen is in trouble now!"


    "Hey, look over there!"


    There was a suddenmotion in the crowd. Another person had jumped onto the high tform.


    It was Yan Xing, who had just be a Yellow-rank disciple!


    His gaze was like a sharp sword that shot straight at Lin Shen, and his face was filled with unconcealed provocation.


    Noticing Yan Xing''s gaze, Lin Shen smiled and remained unmoved.


    "Why is Yan Xing here too?" Yang Zhongyi frowned.


    Su Nian nced at Yan Xing and frowned. "He probably wants to take revenge for what happened during the exam!"


    In a corner of the square.


    The tutors watched this with meaningful expressions.


    Ke Ya''s gazended on Lin Shen, and his emotions were slightlyplicated.


    To be honest, he had a good impression of Lin Shen.


    He came from an ordinary background, but he had nock of hard work and perseverance. His talent was shockingly outstanding. In time, he would definitely have extraordinary achievements.


    However, he was dragged into the vortex of the sect''s conflict and was pushed onto this stage.


    Once Lin Shen lost his spot as a ck-rank disciple, even if he didn''t have to worry about his future, a temporary low couldn''t be avoided. Ke Ya only hoped that even if Lin Shen hit the bottom, he would be able to get out of it as soon as possible.


    After Yan Xing came up, the number of challengers increased to 25.


    Looking at the crowd on the stage, the deacon in charge was obviously a little stunned. He had never seen such a situation before.


    After a while, the deacon came back to his senses and asked hesitantly, "Which one of you will go first?"


    The challengers looked at each other in silence.


    It was obvious that no one wanted to give up this rare opportunity. Seeing this, the deacon was about to speak when someone said, "I''l go first!"


    Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and realized that it was Yan Xing.


    He looked around and swept his cold gaze across the challengers on the stage.


    "Any of you have a problem with that?"


    The expressions of the group of challengers instantly froze. Many people''s eyes shed with anger, but they couldn''t say anything to the object.


    They could mock Yan Xing in private, but they didn''t dare to offend this direct descendant of the Yan family and Yan Jingren''s younger brother..

 Chapter 130 Competing to Challenge (2)

    Chapter 130 Competing to Challenge (2)


    Not everyone had Lin Shen''s astonishing talent and could receive Master Si''s protection.


    If one offended Yan Xing, their life in the academy wouldn''t be very difficult.


    Seeing everyone''s angry expressions, Yan Xing snorted with disdain. He immediately turned to look at Duan Hao and Cheng Xipeng.


    Among the challengers on the stage, only Duan Hao and Cheng Xipeng could make him slightly apprehensive.


    Although the two of them came from the ten preeminent families, they had connections with the Xue family and the Chong family, respectively. If they really wanted to argue, they might not be afraid of Yan Xing or give in.


    Unexpectedly, seeing Yan Xing''s aggressive gaze, Duan Hao smiled and raised his hand in an inviting gesture.


    "Junior Brother Yan, you can go first."


    Cheng Xipeng looked at Duan Hao in surprise. He hesitated for a moment and wanted to say something. In the end, he remained silent.


    The two people who were at the forefront of the challenge had backed off. The others naturally had nothing to say, and they were unwilling to offend Yan Xing. They all remained silent.


    Seeing this, Yan Xing smiled proudly. He suddenly turned around and stared fixedly at Lin Shen below the stage.


    "Lin Shen, do you dare toe up and fight me?"


    As soon as he said this, many gazes focused on Lin Shen.


    Compared to Duan Hao and Cheng Xipeng, or other Yellow-rank disciples at Level 3 of the Long Breath Stage, Yan Xing, who had just advanced not long ago, had a cultivation level that was closer to Lin Shen''s.


    Therefore, thepetition between these two people was undoubtedly more interesting!


    For a moment, many disciples looked expectant and excited.


    Under everyone''s gaze, Lin Shen smiled faintly.


    "Why wouldn''t I dare?"


    As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly moved and crossed more than 20 meters in the blink of an eye, appearing on the high tform.


    This sudden move caused the surrounding crowd to exim softly.


    Many challengers felt their hearts skip a beat.


    With such an extraordinary speed, if he suddenly used it in battle, it was very likely to catch them off, guard.


    Yan Xing was also shocked, but he quickly recovered and sneered inwardly.


    As long as he was on guard, what if Lin Shen was fast?


    Moreover, after cultivating in seclusion for a while, he had long reached the second level of the Long Breath Stage.


    It was also because of this that Yan Xing had the confidence to go on stage to challenge Lin Shen.


    He made up his mind. Today, he would defeat Lin Shen ruthlessly and make everyone know that he was stronger and more outstanding than Lin Shen!


    "The first challenger has been decided. The rest of you, leave the stage," the deacon said in a low voice.


    The other challengers looked at each other and reluctantly walked down the tform.


    Quite a number of people sighed, looking as if someone had lost a piece of cooked meat that was about to reach their mouths.


    Walking down the tform, Cheng Xipeng finally couldn''t hold it back anymore. He poked Duan Hao''s arm and asked in a low voice,


    "Duan Hao, what are you nning? Why did you give the opportunity to challenge Lin Shen to Yan Xing? Others might be afraid of him, but I don''t believe that you''re afraid too!"


    Although Cheng Xipeng was at the fourth level of the Long Breath Stage, a great number of ck-rank disciples were also at this level.


    He didn''t have full confidence that he would seed in challenging other ck-rank disciples.


    Therefore, he also didn''t want to give up this opportunity.


    If he didn''t know Duan Hao well and knew that thetter wasn''t someone who would give in to Yan Xing for no reason, Cheng Xipeng wouldn''t have backed down at all.


    Duan Hao nced at Cheng Xipeng with a faint smile.


    "What''s the hurry? How can Lin Shen be defeated so easily?"


    "What do you mean by that?"


    "You know about the recruitment mission of the Martial Enforcement Hall some time ago, right?"


    "Of course."


    Cheng Xipeng nodded without thinking.


    That matter had blown up quite a bit, and it had spread throughout the academy. How could he not know?


    "But what does this have to do with what you just said?"


    Duan Hao smiled mysteriously and said in a low voice,


    "I happened to hear from a member of my n who works in the Martial Enforcement Hall that Lin Shen also participated in that mission. Not only did he and his three teammates kill hundreds of Hell Hos, but they also sessfully escaped from two unorthodox cultivators at the seventh level of the Long Breath Stage!"


    Cheng Xipeng was shocked when he heard this. He gaped for a few seconds before he said hesitantly,


    "Could it be the other three people in his team¡­"


    Duan Hao understood what he meant. He shook his head and said, "I''ve asked around about the three of them. One of them is our academy''s Zhao Xueying. She''s at most at the second level of the Long Breath Stage. The other two are from the Azure Frost Academy. I''m not sure of their exact strength, but ording to my brother, they won''t exceed the third level of the Long Breath Stage!"


    Cheng Xipeng immediately fell silent.


    If this was true, it undoubtedly meant that their previous estimation of Lin Shen''s strength was ridiculously wrong.


    It was very likely that Lin Shen''s strength and cultivation far exceeded everyone''s imagination. He was definitely not just at Level 2 or 3.


    If that were the case, challenging Lin Shen might be the wrong choice.


    "What do you n to do?" Cheng Xipeng looked at Duan Hao.


    Duan Hao pouted and gestured to Yan Xing, who was on the high tform.


    "That''s why I asked Yan Xing to go up first to test Lin Shen''s strength. If Lin Shen is really much stronger than we expected, then we should give up the challenge immediately and change to other targets to avoid wasting merit points for nothing!"


    After saying that, Duan Hao realized that Cheng Xipeng was staring at him intently. His gaze was strange as if he was seeing him for the first time.


    "¡­What''s wrong?"


    "Why didn''t I realize before that you were so despicable and cunning?"


    Duan Hao almost choked. He rolled his eyes and snorted. "I''m nning before taking action. I''m being cautious!"


    Cheng Xipengughed and patted his shoulder.


    "Alright, alright. We''ll do as you say. Let''s take a look first!"


    The two of themughed and joked for a while before returning their attention to the high tform.


    As the challengers left one after another, only Lin Shen and Yan Xing were left on the high tform.


    The air gradually filled with a sinister atmosphere.


    Yan Xing stared at Lin Shen, his gaze as cold as a sword.


    "You were lucky enough to be in the limelight during the examination and guided battle. However, you won''t be so lucky today!"


    Lin Shen smiled and said, "It''s not a good habit to attribute everything to luck."


    "I hope that when you lose to meter, you''ll still be as sharp-tongued as you are now!"


    Yan Xing''s face twitched, but he didn''t say anything else. With a flip of his wrist, a scarlet longsword engraved with profound runes fell into his palm.


    He didn''t make any movements, but the sword instantly burned and ignited a surging and scorching me wave!


    Even though they were more than 20 meters away, the audience could still feel the surging heat wave.


    "Six Yang Talisman Sword!"


    Exmations immediately rose around the high tform, mixed with many envious gazes.


    A smug smile appeared on Yan Xing''s face.


    The rank challenge didn''t prohibit the use of enchanted armaments.


    As long as it wasn''t a special enchanted armament that clearly vited the fairness of thepetition or an item like a talisman, everything else could be used.


    After all, weapons were also part of a cultivator''s strength.


    Yan Xing had once seen the astonishing defense of the Forbidden Golden Armor. He thought that he couldn''t break through Lin Shen''s defense with ordinary methods.


    Therefore, he racked his brains and begged his big brother again. Finally, he obtained a Six Yang Talisman Sword.


    With the power of a middle-grade enchanted armament, Yan Xing was confident that he could crack Lin Shen''s Forbidden Golden Armor!


    "If the Three Yang Talisman Sword can''t break your Physical Enhancement technique, the Six Yang Talisman Sword should do the trick!"


    Yan Xing sneered inwardly and suddenly rushed forward. He raised his sword and stabbed out, brazenly charging at Lin Shen.


    The surrounding spectators were instantly energized. They focused their gazes and held their breaths, preparing to witness the next battle.


    However, in the next second, they were all stunned on the spot.


    With a crisp ng, Yan Xing''s sword suddenly stabbed into Lin Shen''s chest!


    However, there was no sshing blood!


    On the contrary, the tip of the sword stopped at Lin Shen''s chest, not moving at all. No matter how hard Yan Xing exerted his strength and how the mes surged, he couldn''t advance an inch!


    Silence!


    Dead silence!


    No one made a sound.


    Yan Xing was stunned on the spot. He looked nkly at the ce where the tip of the sword touched Lin Shen''s chest, his face filled with disbelief.

 Chapter 131 Hard Nut (1)

    Chapter 131 Hard Nut (1)


    Lin Shen had a deep understanding of how powerful the Six Yang Talisman Sword was.


    After all, he had one.


    A good middle-grade enchanted armament could increase the strength of a Long Breath Stage


    cultivator by at least ten to twenty percent.


    If Yan Xing had held the Six Yang Talisman Sword and his cultivation level was at the second level of


    the Long Breath Stage during the guided battle, he might really have been able to break Lin Shen''s


    Forbidden Golden Armor.


    After all, Lin Shen''s Forbidden Golden Armor was only at Beginner at that time, and he didn''t have a


    defensive enchanted armament like the Bind Yang Gown.


    However, things were different now. Not only was Lin Shen''s Forbidden Golden Armor already at


    Perfection, but he was also wearing the Bind Yang Gown. His defense was simply extraordinary!


    Even if Yan Xing was one or two levels higher than now, he wouldn''t be able to hurt Lin Shen!


    The square was silent.


    Everyone felt as if they had fallen into a dream. It took them a long time toe back to their


    senses. They drew in their breaths when they saw the scene on the tform.


    What did they see?


    Lin Shen had withstood the attack of the Six Yang Talisman Sword head-on with his physical body


    and was unscathed!


    It was unbelievable!


    "Am I seeing things?"


    "Damn, that''s the Six Yang Talisman Sword! He can even resist it with his own body?


    "Is he wearing some kind of defensive enchanted armament?"


    "So what? If you wore the Bind Yang Gown, would you dare to block the Six Yang Talisman Sword


    head-on?"


    "¡­"


    The crowd was in an uproar.


    Everyone was shocked by the scene in front of them.


    Yan Xing''s mind went nk.


    "H-how is this possible?!"


    Yan Xing looked at the talisman sword in his hand in disbelief. He felt his head buzz and his mind


    went nk.


    He couldn''t understand.


    This was the Six Yang Talisman Sword!


    A powerful middle-grade enchanted armament!


    How did Lin Shen dare to use his physical body to block the full-strength attack of the Six Yang


    Talisman Sword without any injuries?


    Yan Xing raised his head and looked at Lin Shen in shock. His face was no longer as confident and


    smug as before. Instead, it was filled with panic and confusion.


    Unfortunately, Lin Shen had no intention of exining his doubts to him. After giving him a bright


    smile, he struck with his palm.


    In an instant, there was a muffled bang. Yan Xing flew far away like a kite with a broken string and


    fell heavily to the ground. His entire body was like a cooked shrimp, burning red!


    How powerful was Meltdown at Perfection!


    Even though the Bind Yang Gown offset most of the zing force, the remaining force still severely


    injured Yan Xing.


    The intense pain made his face contort, and his eyes almost popped out of their sockets. He only had


    time to twitch a few times before his head tilted to the side, and he fainted.


    Lin Shen slowly put down his palm. His gaze swept across the Six Yang Talisman Sword that had


    fallen to the ground, and he felt a little regretful.


    If not for the fact that everyone was watching, he would have dly epted this Six Yang Talisman


    Sword. It was just right for his clones to use.


    If all five clones were holding the Six-Yang Talisman Swords, that scene would be wonderful!


    However, Lin Shen immediately came back to his senses and shook his head involuntarily.


    Was he addicted to killing and taking spoils of war recently? Why would he think of this now?


    While Lin Shen''s thoughts were wandering, there was already an uproar around the tform.


    The result of thepetition was beyond everyone''s expectations!


    They never expected that Yan Xing, who was at Level 2 of the Long Breath Stage and even had a


    powerful enchanted armament like the Six Yang Talisman Sword, was actually not Lin Shen''s match!


    In the crowd.


    Duan Hao and Cheng Xipeng looked at each other with expressions of lingering fear.


    "You were right. Lin Shen is indeed hiding his strength!"


    Cheng Xipeng swallowed and looked sad.


    Fortunately, he had listened to Duan Hao and let Yan Xing go on stage to test Lin Shen''s strength


    first. Otherwise, he might have been the one lying on the ground!


    Duan Hao also felt somewhat fortunate, and he sighed deeply.


    "Lin Shen has definitely exceeded the fourth level of the Long Breath Stage. With his unfathomable


    martial arts attainments, even a disciple of the fifth level of the Long Breath Stage wouldn''t be his


    match, let alone the two of us. Looks like we can only give up this time!"


    Cheng Xipeng nodded without hesitation.


    He didn''t want to be as miserable as Yan Xing!


    "¡­ Actually, I should have known!"


    Yang Zhongyi looked at Su Nian, who was staring nkly at him and sighed.


    "With Lin''s personality, he must be confident about the game if he looked so calm. To think that


    we''re still worried for him."


    Su Nian came back to his senses and nodded silently.


    Whether it was during the big examination or the guided battle, Lin Shen disyed an extremely


    shocking strength.


    In fact, they should have expected this. To others, increasing their cultivation by one or two levels in


    three months was already considered a rapid improvement.


    But to someone like Lin Shen, one or two levels might just be the beginning!


    This fellow couldn''t be measured bymon sense!


    At the tutor''s seat.


    Ke Ya looked at Lin Shen and was silent for a long time before letting out a long sigh.


    "Master Si is so discerning¡­"


    At this point, anyone with a discerning eye could tell that Lin Shen would definitely keep his position


    as a ck-rank disciple.


    They were right.


    When the deacon in charge of hosting the challenge recovered from his shock and asked who else


    wanted to challenge Lin Shen, everyone fell silent.


    Who was he kidding?


    No one would do that!


    He had thought that Lin Shen was an easy target, but from the looks of it, he was clearly a tough nut


    to crack, his bones were as hard as ck iron!


    Challenging such an opponent was no different from giving merit points away for nothing.


    Hence, all the challengers gave up.

 Chapter 132 Hard Nut (2)

    Chapter 132 Hard Nut (2)


    When Lin Shen saw this, he suddenly felt a little regretful. Maybe he should have kept a lower profile. Should he have hidden his strength first and tricked these people to go on stage so that he could get their merit points?


    "Forget it, these people aren''t fools. I''ll only deceive a couple of them at most. It''s not worth that effort."


    At the deacon''s signal, Lin Shen turned around and left the tform.


    "Bro, you''ve kept a secret from us again!"


    As soon as he returned to the crowd, Yang Zhongyi punched Lin Shen in the shoulder.


    Lin Shen smiled and said, "I''ve always said that it won''t be a problem."


    Yang Zhongyi thought about it and agreed. Lin Shen seemed to have said that he wanted to shock everyone, and he had indeed done it.


    "Congrattions, Lin Shen," Su Nian said with a smile.


    Lin Shen smiled. "Congratte meter."


    Those words stunned Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian, and they both looked surprised.


    However, Lin Shen didn''t exin further. He smiled and looked at the high tform.


    The ck-rank disciple''s challenge continued.


    At the same time.


    On the north side of the square, in the area where Earth-rank disciples gathered.


    Ai Jingting, Bai Xiaotong, and Zheng Weirong slowly came back to their senses.


    "That''s amazing!"


    Bai Xiaotong''s eyes sparkled.


    "I didn''t expect Lin Shen to be able to withstand the Six Yang Talisman Sword head-on. He''s so strong!"


    Zheng Weirong nodded in amazement.


    "I heard that Lin Shen cultivated some kind of extremely powerful Physical Enhancement martial technique. From the looks of it, the rumors are true. He can even withstand the Six Yang Talisman Sword. This Physical Enhancement martial technique is much stronger than the Crimson Cloud Physical Enhancement!"


    Even someone as elegant as Ai Jingting looked surprised.


    She had been in the Nine Yang Academy for more than three years, but she had never seen someone as enigmatic as Lin Shen.


    Yan Dao saw the change in Ai Jingting''s expression, and he sneered with jealousy.


    "Lin Shen must have a defensive enchanted armament on him!


    "Otherwise, how could he resist a middle-grade enchanted armament with his physical body? Even a Heaven-rank disciple can''t do that!"


    Bai Xiaotong and Zheng Weirong were speechless. They looked at inwardly.


    Just as someone had said just now, even if Lin Shen was wearing a each other and kept their mouths shut, but they were retorting inwardly.


    Just as someone had said just now, even if Lin Shen was wearing a defensive enchanted armament like the Bind Yang Gown, it was already very impressive that he could block the Six Yang Talisman Sword unscathed!


    If Yan Dao didn''t like it,


    he could try to do that himself.


    However, the two of them also knew that Yan Dao had a deep prejudice against Lin Shen, so nothing they said would change his mind. Hence, they simply kept quiet.


    Ai Jingting nced at Yan Dao and frowned slightly.


    Although she didn''t have any feelings for Yan Dao, she at least felt that he was humble, calm, and magnanimous.


    But now, it seemed that she had misjudged him.


    The humility and magnanimity that Yan Dao had shown in the past were clearly built on the condescending sense of superiority brought about by his strength and family background.


    Facing people who were inferior to him, he was naturally willing to appear humble and magnanimous to show his upbringing.


    However, once he met someone who didn''t care about his family background and was more talented than him, his pretense of superiority would be torn off, and his narrow-minded nature would be exposed!


    Such a person was obviously not worth socializing with!


    "I''ve gathered almost all the materials needed to refine the me Spirit Pills. When I refine the me Spirit Pills, I''ll give one to Yan Dao to thank him for his help during this period of time. After that, I''ll keep a distance from him."


    Ai Jingting secretly made up her mind.


    Yan Dao didn''t know that the girl he liked had already ruled him out. He went on to criticize Lin Shen.


    "Cultivating Physical Enhancement martial arts techniques is the most arduous and unrewarding. Just a middle- or superior-grade defensive enchanted armament is enough to match many Physical Enhancement martial arts techniques. Moreover, no matter how well one cultivates such martial arts techniques, it''s useless. In the end, they can''t withstand a truly powerful enchanted armament!


    "Lin Shen can block the Six Yang Talisman Sword, but can he block the Nine Yang Talisman Sword?"


    Bai Xiaotong and Zheng Weirong rolled their eyes.


    If that were the case, no one would need to cultivate martial arts anymore. Wouldn''t it be enough topete on who had more enchanted armaments?


    Of course, they wouldn''t say it out loud.


    Like Ai Jingting, the two of them realized Yan Dao''s narrow-minded nature hidden under the surface.


    No matter what, Yan Dao was an Earth-rank disciple who was one level higher than them and came from an influential family. They didn''t want to offend this Senior Brother who wasn''t to be trifled with.


    Seeing that Bai Xiaotong and Zheng Weirong were silent, Yan Dao thought that the two of them had been rendered speechless by his words. He immediately became even more smug.


    On the high tform.


    One by one, the disciples went up and came down.


    Those who had won the challenge smiled brightly, unable to contain their joy.


    Those who failed the challenge, or lost their rank would look dejected.


    In the afternoon, the ck-rank disciple challenge finally ended.


    More than 50 ck-rank disciples were challenged.


    More than two-thirds of them held their positions.


    The remaining dozen or so people lost their spots as ck-rank disciples and fell back to bing Yellow-rank disciples.


    Among the disciples who seeded in the challenge were Duan Hao and Cheng Xipeng.


    There was no pause in the middle of the level challenge. The people here were all strong cultivators. Missing a meal wouldn''t affect them. Therefore, as soon as the ck-rank disciple challenge ended, the Earth-rank disciple challenge immediately began.


    Compared to the previous two ranks, the number of people participating in the Earth-rank disciple challenge was much fewer.


    After all, there were only two hundred ck-rank disciples.


    Those who had just advanced were secretly rejoicing,


    Those who had finally managed to keep their ck-rank disciple spots felt lucky and had no intention of challenging anyone at all.


    There were also those who felt that they weren''t strong enough to challenge higher-ups.


    There were only a dozen or so people who truly had the courage and strength to challenge an Earth-rank disciple.


    These people often had to fight for a long time before there was a winner.


    By the time the fourteenth challenge ended, the sky was already faintly yellow.


    The deacon in charge looked at the sky and raised his voice.


    "Anyone else wants to challenge other disciples?"


    As he said this, the deacon was already prepared to announce the end of today''s rank challenge.


    ording to his experience, the challengers should be almost up.


    Unexpectedly, a calm voice spoke.


    "Me."


    In the next moment, a figure appeared on the high tform as if he emerged from thin air.


    The moment the audience saw who it was, they fell silent, and there was an uproar right on the heels of that.


    "Lin Shen?"


    "He wants to challenge an Earth-rank disciple?"


    "Is he crazy? How long has he been a ck-rank disciple?"


    The square instantly became noisy. Everyone was shocked by Lin Shen''s sudden action and discussed it animatedly.


    It was already very shocking that Lin Shen had defeated Yan Xing in an instant and disyed unimaginable strength, sessfully protecting his spot as a ck-rank disciple.


    Who would have thought that he wasn''t satisfied and even wanted to challenge an Earth-rank disciple?


    Wasn''t he too confident?


    After all, Lin Shen had only been in the academy for three months!


    For a moment, many disciples looked at Lin Shen in shock and confusion.


    Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian were also stunned.


    Before the two of them could react, Lin Shen had already ascended the tform.


    It was only then that they understood what Lin Shen meant by "congratte meter".


    It turned out that he was already prepared to challenge an Earth-rank disciple!


    "That''s Lin. He scares us to death every time. Incredible!" Yang Zhongyi sighed.


    Su Nian was silent for a long time before he finally said something.


    was speechless for a long time.


    This young man really had unexpected actions every time.


    "You''ll get used to it."


    On the other side.


    The tutors were also shocked.


    They also didn''t expect Lin Shen to do this.


    Ke Ya looked at Lin Shen on the stage with a strange expression and was speechless for a long time.


    This young man really had unexpected actions every time.


    Looking at Lin Shen, who was already on stage for the second time, the deacon was a little surprised. He was stunned for a moment before he hesitated and said,


    "Are you sure you want to challenge an Earth-rank disciple?"


    "Yes." Lin Shen nodded slightly.


    "So who are you going to challenge?"


    Lin Shen smiled faintly and turned to look at the north side of the square.


    "ck-rank disciple, Lin Shen, wants to challenge Earth-rank disciple, Yan Dao!"


    His clear voice instantly spread throughout the entire square, and the square fell silent.


    Zheng Weirong and Bai Xiaotong were dumbfounded. They stood rooted to the ground with their mouths agape.


    After a moment, the two of them came back to their senses and turned to look at Yan Dao. They realized that Senior Brother Yan was already gritting his teeth, and his expression was so dark that it seemed like water was about to drip down.

 Chapter 133 Frustration Came Fast (1)

    Chapter 133 Frustration Came Fast (1)


    "Arrogant brat!"


    Yan Dao gritted his teeth and red at Lin Shen on the stage, the veins on his forehead bulging.


    He never expected that not only did Lin Shen want to challenge an Earth-rank disciple, but he also wanted to challenge him!


    Lin Shen didn''t take him seriously at all!


    "Do you really think I''m an easy target?!"


    Yan Dao snorted coldly and strode towards the high tform.


    Behind him, Bai Xiaotong and Zheng Weirong looked at each other.


    "Why would Lin Shen challenge Senior Brother Yan?"


    "Isn''t it obvious? Lin Shen already has a lot of conflict with the Yan family, not to mention the incident at Mount Firon. Yan Xing is still unconscious now!"


    "You''re right¡­"


    The two of them muttered softly.


    Ai Jingting had a strange expression on her face. Lin Shen''s actions also far exceeded her expectations.


    At this moment, as Yan Dao ascended the high tform, the atmosphere in the square immediately climbed to the highest point.


    "Lin Shen is going to fight the Yan family to the end!"


    "Yan Dao is from the Yan family? Can anyone tell us about Senior Brother Yan''s strength?"


    "I happen to know that Senior Brother Yan is at the seventh level of the Long Breath Stage!"


    "Seventh level? Wouldn''t that make him one of the weakest Earth-rank disciples?"


    Earth-rank disciples were generally between the seventh and ninth levels of the Long Breath Stage.


    Very few people had reached the ninth level, and the number didn''t exceed 20.


    Most of them were at the eighth level.


    As for those at the seventh level, they were the weakest ones.


    However, as soon as he finished speaking, someone immediately shook his head and refuted.


    "You''re wrong. Although Senior Brother Yan is at the seventh level, his attainments in martial arts are stronger than many Earth-rank disciples. I heard his Moving Star Steps and Spirit Burning Cloud Saber have already reached Perfection!"


    As soon as he said this, many people in the crowd cried out in surprise.


    Moving Star Steps and Spirit Burning Cloud Saber weremon martial arts techniques in the Nine Yang Academy. Many disciples cultivated them.


    However, only ten to twenty percent of them could reach Mastery.


    There were even fewer who could reach Perfection.


    To be able to cultivate two martial techniques to Perfection meant Senior Brother Yan was indeed very capable in his martial techniques.


    "In terms of martial arts attainments, Lin Shen isn''t inferior to Senior Brother Yan, right?"


    "I think Lin Shen is better than Senior Brother Yan in this aspect. Didn''t you see that his Physical Enhancement martial technique can even block the Six Yang Talisman Sword?"


    "Even so, Lin Shen won''t stand a chance. After all, Senior Brother Yan''s cultivation level is higher than his!"


    Many people agreed with thest bit.


    From Lin Shen''s performance just now, it was very likely that he had already broken through to the fourth or even fifth level of the Long Breath Stage.


    This was already extremely shocking!


    After all, Lin Shen had only been in the academy for three months!


    After such a short period of time, many disciples were still cultivating diligently to break through to the Long Breath Stage!


    However, even if he was at the fifth level of the Long Breath Stage, the possibility of defeating Yan Dao, who was at the seventh level, was still very low.


    The difference between the two stages wasn''t something that martial techniques could make up for¡ªnot to mention that Yan Dao''s attainments in martial techniques were quite high as well.


    After a round of arguments, the majority of people felt that Lin Shen''s chances of winning were low.


    Of course, more people were impressed that Lin Shen had the guts to challenge an Earth-rank disciple. Although his chances of winning were low, it was an admirable move in itself!


    Even if he lost, it would not be a big deal.


    On the high tform, Yan Dao had already calmed down.


    Hearing the discussions around him, he snorted coldly. When he looked at Lin Shen, there was a cold glint in his eyes.


    "I really don''t know where you got the courage to challenge me?"


    His cold words did not change Lin Shen''s expression at all. Instead, he smiled faintly.


    "The Nine Yang Academy established a rank challenge system with the intention of encouraging disciples topete with each other and face difficulties head-on, right?"


    After a pause, without waiting for Yan Dao to reply, Lin Shen added with a faint smile.


    "Of course. Challenging you isn''t exactly going up against the odds."


    Yan Dao was stunned for a few seconds before he realized what Lin Shen meant. He immediately flew into a rage.


    In his anger, Yan Dao didn''t say anything else. With a ng, he drew his saber and charged at Lin Shen.


    As an Earth-rank disciple, Yan Dao was much richer than Yellow-rank and ck-rank disciples. The weapon in his hand was a long saber that was as good as the Six Yang Talisman Sword. It was also a middle-grade enchanted armament.


    The de tore through the air, and a zing wave of mes instantly appeared. Coupled with the iparably sharp and scorching force of Spirit Burning Cloud Saber, the momentum was shocking!


    However, when this saber shed out, Yan Dao was shocked to discover that what swept over was also iparably zing and surging waves, and it even contained ferocious sword energy!


    BOOM!


    The two powerful waves collide heavily in the middle of the high tform like a high-speed train. In an instant, violent airwaves suddenly erupted, turning into visible distortions that quickly swept out and finally collided fiercely with the edge of the high tform!


    Boom!


    The stone pirs erected around the tform suddenly lit up, and a circle of faint green light appeared out of thin air, enveloping the entire tform like an inverted jade bowl.


    The violent airwave collided with the green light and instantly disappeared without a trace.


    However, the deafening sound spread out, causing many disciples who were closer to the tform to feel their chests tighten.


    However, they couldn''t care less. They stared at the high tform without blinking, afraid that they would miss any scene.


    Whew!


    The airwaves dissipated, and the dust fell to the ground. They could see what was happening on the tform again.


    Lin Shen and Yan Dao were still more than ten meters apart. The ground between the two of them had long been covered in cracks and was faintly charred. That showed how shocking the power of the confrontation just now was!

 Chapter 134 Frustration Came Fast (2)

    134 Frustration Came Fast (2)


    Lin Shen''s expression was still calm.


    On the other hand, Yan Dao was shocked.


    Supreme Yang Swordy!


    Furthermore, it was a Perfection-stage Supreme Yang Swordy!


    Yan Dao''s pupils contracted slightly.


    He had fought many times with an Earth-rank disciple who had reached Mastery in the Supreme Yang Swordy and was quite familiar with it.


    As for Lin Shen''s attack just now, the ferocity of the sword aura had far exceeded that Earth-rank disciple!


    Without a doubt, Lin Shen''s Supreme Yang Swordy had already reached Perfection!


    Yan Dao gritted his teeth and charged at Lin Shen again.


    Lin Shen also raised his sword to meet the attack without hesitation.


    In the blink of an eye, the two sides engaged in a fierce battle in the middle of the high tform. As swords and sabers shed, the sound of metal shing resonated.


    In terms of cultivation, Yan Dao, who was at Level 7 of the Long Breath Stage, was a level higher than Lin Shen.


    If it was any other opponent, this difference in cultivation was enough to determine the oue!


    Unfortunately, this didn''t work with Lin Shen.


    Yan Dao had reached Perfection in Spirit Burning Cloud Saber, and Lin Shen had reached Perfection in Supreme Yang Swordy.


    Yan Dao had reached Perfection in Moving Star Steps, while Lin Shen''s Shadows had also reached Perfection.


    Furthermore, Lin Shen had reached Perfection in Forbidden Golden Armor!


    The powerful defense brought about by the Perfection-stage Forbidden Golden Armor and the Bind Yang Gown meant Lin Shen had no need to invest too much energy in defense. He focused onunching a fierce attack on his opponent.


    On the other hand, although Yan Dao was also wearing the Bind Yang Gown, he didn''t dare to receive the Six Yang Talisman Sword head-on like Lin Shen did. He couldn''t fight as freely as he wanted.


    As time passed, he was actually in a rather sorry state.


    Seeing this scene, the spectators fell into a strange silence.


    No one expected the battle situation to develop like this. Yan Dao, who had a higher cultivation level, was actually at a disadvantage.


    that in the blink of an eye, he would be beaten to a pulp by Lin Shen with the Physical Enhancement 17:25


    martial arts technique? The humiliation came too soon!


    If it weren''t for the fact that it was happening right in front of their eyes, they wouldn''t have believed such a ridiculous thing!


    Bai Xiaotong and Zheng Weirong looked at each other with a strange looks in their eyes.


    Just now, Yan Dao was still sneering at the Physical Enhancement martial arts technique and boasting shamelessly that cultivating it was an extremely thankless task. Who would have thought that in the blink of an eye, he would be beaten to a pulp by Lin Shen with the Physical Enhancement martial arts technique? The humiliation came too soon!


    Yan Dao seemed to have noticed the surprised gazes around him. His face turned red, and he felt extremely embarrassed.


    He had just made a bold statement, but in the blink of an eye, he was beaten into such a sorry state. This was no less than a great humiliation to Yan Dao, who had always thought highly of himself.


    In his anger, he desperately circted his spiritual essence into the weapon in his hand, creating even more surging mes to attack Lin Shen!


    Those who could be Earth-rank disciples were all experienced inbat.


    Despite the disadvantageous situation, Yan Dao quickly thought of a way to win.


    Since he couldn''tpete in martial techniques, he would use his cultivation level as an advantage!


    The higher one''s cultivation level was, the higher the quality and quantity of one''s spiritual essence.


    In terms of spiritual essence, he didn''t think Lin Shen would be his match.


    Activating an enchanted armament consumed a lot of spiritual essences. As long as he exhausted Lin Shen''s spiritual essence, Lin Shen would lose the benefits of the Six Yang Talisman Sword and would be at his mercy!


    Lin Shen immediately sensed something amiss from the change in his opponent''s attack. After thinking for a moment, he understood and couldn''t help but smile.


    "In terms of spiritual essence, I indeed don''t have much of an advantage. Unfortunately, I don''t n to continue ying this game with you."


    After exchanging blows with Yan Dao, Lin Shen had a rough understanding of his strength after the breakthrough.


    Without any talent, he was powerful enough to defeat opponents at the seventh level of the Long Breath Stage.


    He could even put up a fight against someone at the eighth Level of the Long Breath Stage!


    And if he used his talent¡­


    Lin Shen''s eyes flickered, and he instantly switched to Pure Yang Body.


    In the next second, Yan Dao felt that the power of Lin Shen''s sword technique had suddenly increased by arge margin!


    The zing sword energy and surging mes suddenly grew stronger, almost suffocating people.


    "What happened?"


    Yan Dao was shocked.


    Why did Lin Shen''s strength suddenly increase so much?


    However, the intense battle didn''t give him much time to think.


    The Pure Yang Body had the effect of Yang attribute martial technique''s power +100%, and the power of Lin Shen''s Supreme Yang Swordy reached an extremely terrifying level.


    The surrounding disciples quickly realized that something was wrong.


    On the high tform, the heat wave and fire cloud were originally evenly matched, but the former suddenly grew stronger, suppressing thetter in the blink of an eye.


    Just as everyone was bewildered, they heard a scream filled with pain. A figure broke through the fire cloud and fell heavily to the ground with a bang.


    Everyone quickly took a closer look. It was Yan Dao.


    At this moment, he was in an extremely sorry state. There were sword wounds all over his body, but the wounds were burned by the high temperature, so no blood flowed out.


    Even so, it was a shocking sight!


    Swoosh!


    An air-piercing sound rang out as Lin Shen appeared in front of Yan Dao like a ghost. He raised his arm slightly and pointed the tip of his sword at Yan Dao''s throat.


    Looking at the cold sword tip in front of him, Yan Dao turned extremely pale.


    No one made a sound.


    Everyone looked at the scene in front of them in a daze. Their mouths were agape for a long time.


    After a long while, an uproar broke out in the crowd.


    "Lin Shen won?!"


    "Unbelievable, he actually seeded in the challenge!"


    "Damn, that''s unbelievable!"


    Everybody cried out in surprise.


    Shock, disbelief, admiration, astonishment¡­ All kinds of gazes focused on Lin Shen.


    At this moment, Lin Shen undoubtedly became the center of the entire square.


    "Senior Brother Yan has lost¡­"


    Zheng Weirong seemed to be in a daze, and he still couldn''t recover from his shock.


    Although he had long felt that Yan Dao''s situation wasn''t good, when Yan Dao was really defeated in front of him, he felt like he was dreaming.


    After all, a disciple who had just entered the academy for three months had taken the initiative to challenge an Earth-rank disciple and had even seeded. This sounded unbelievable!


    Bai Xiaotong''s eyes were sparkling as she stared at Lin Shen''s back with admiration.


    Even Ai Jingting was a little dazed. She looked at Lin Shen in a daze, not knowing what to think.


    In a corner of the square, the tutors sighed.


    "This young man is very talented!"


    "That''s right. To be an Earth-rank disciple in three months, this is the first time I''ve seen it in so many years."


    "Speaking of which, Master Si has a good eye. When Master Si promoted Lin Shen to a ck-rank disciple, I actually had objections. I didn''t expect Lin Shen to guard his position, but also take another step forward!"


    Listening to his colleagues'' exmations, Ke Ya also had aplicated expression.


    He never expected Lin Shen to reach this far.


    Back when Su Liuying was in the academy, he was publicly acknowledged as a peerless genius that only appeared once in a hundred years.


    Even so, it took Su Liuying nearly a year to advance to an Earth-rank disciple.


    Inparison, Lin Shen was undoubtedly better than Su Liuying!


    "A true genius¡­"


    A strange glint shed across Ke Ya''s eyes.


    After the challenge ended, Lin Shen sessfully advanced to an Earth-rank disciple.


    Under countless astonished gazes, he calmly walked down the tform.


    As expected, Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian looked at him in amazement.


    "Although I''ve already guessed it, you''re still shocked!" Yang Zhongyi sighed.


    Su Nian asked directly, "Lin Shen, what level are you now?"


    Lin Shen didn''t hide it and said honestly, "Level 6."


    Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian immediately took a deep breath and looked shocked.


    In three months, he had advanced from Level 1 to Level 6. That speed was simply unbelievable!


    However, Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian quickly regained theirposure.


    Ever since they met, Lin Shen had shocked them repeatedly. Now, they were already a little numb.


    Even if Lin Shen suddenly told them a few monthster that he had broken through to the Bright Aperture Stage, they would probably not be too surprised.


    After Lin Shen, no one else went on stage to challenge him. The Earth-rank disciple rank challenge immediately ended.


    The Heaven-rank disciple challenge was held the next day.


    Lin Shen didn''t go to watch it because the sixth clone had already been formed.

 Chapter 135 - 135: Clone 6, Well-Versed (1)

    Chapter 135: Clone 6, Well-Versed (1)


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Henyee Trantions<strong> Editor: </strong>Henyee Trantions


    The rank challenge ended very quickly.


    The second day¡¯s Heaven-rank disciple challenge onlysted for half a day before it ended.


    A total of five Earth-rank disciples sessfully advanced.


    On the third day, the challenge of the upper house disciples also ended in half a day.


    Only two Heaven-rank disciples issued challenges, but they both failed.


    Although the rank challenge had ended, the uproar caused by it was still brewing.


    Even the headquarters of the Nine Suns Sect had heard of it!


    After all, he was the first genius to advance to the Earth rank in just three months since the establishment of the Nine Yang Academy!


    Just as the outside world was in an uproar because of this matter, Lin Shen stayed in his residence.


    On the second day after Lin Shen won the challenge, Lin Shen had his sixth clone.


    Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have the good luck he had when he drew Analogy. The talent he drew for the first time wasn¡¯t to Lin Shen¡¯s liking, so he began to refresh his clone for new talents.


    It took him six days.


    [Sword Freak: The power of sword-type martial techniques increased by 50%. The cultivation speed of sword-type martial techniques increased by 50%]


    [LowTalent: Cultivation Speed -50%]


    [Clear Heart and Few Desires: Resistance to illusion effects +30%, Human Desire -30%, Willpower +30% |


    [Cold-Blooded and Heartless: Combat power +10%, Charm -50%]


    [Never Getting Drunk: Alcohol tolerance +200%]


    Lin Shen wasn¡¯t satisfied with the talent he had drawn the first five times.


    The only one that was slightly better was the Sword Freak.


    However, it was only a 50% bonus, and it was limited to sword technique. It was far inferior to Superior Martial Arts and Pure Yang Body.


    After thinking about it, Lin Shen finally gave up and chose to find better talent.


    After the sixth refresh, he finally obtained a seemingly special talent.


    I Well-Versed: After cultivating the same type of martial technique to Perfection, they can fuse together to break through to a higher stage. ]


    ¡°Fuse martial techniques¡­¡±


    Lin Shen was very curious. He thought about it and switched to this talent for himself before looking at the interface.


    To his surprise, all the Perfection-stage martial techniques now had words behind them, saying that they could be fused.


    Lin Shen pondered for a moment. In the end, he couldn¡¯t suppress his curiosity and tried to fuse Meltdown and zing Sun Palm.


    In the next second, the zing Sun Palm (Perfection) and Meltdown (Perfection) on the cultivation technique column disappeared at the same time, reced by something new. ¡°Unnamed martial technique (Perfection 25%)!¡±


    ¡°I can keep improving a Perfection-stage technique?!¡±


    Lin Shen was pleasantly surprised.


    So this was what it meant to be able to break through to a higher stage!


    As long as he continued to fuse martial techniques, they could break through to a stage higher than Perfection!


    Recovering from his surprise, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t wait to use the new martial technique.


    After a round of testing, he realized that the power of his new martial technique had clearly increased.


    Furthermore, the moves were more like Meltdown. It was as if the zing Sun Palm¡¯s characteristics had been fused into Meltdown, and thetter could generate a higher temperature when activated.


    ¡°It seems that after the fusion of martial techniques, stronger martial techniques will manifest more.


    ¡°Rather than fusing, it¡¯s more like a high-level martial technique devouring low-level martial techniques to strengthen and break through.¡±


    Lin Shen thought to himself.


    In any case, it was a good thing that the power of martial techniques became stronger.


    More importantly, after switching to Analogy, he realized that the effect of his talent wasn¡¯t weakened at all.


    This meant that the fusion of Perfection-stage martial techniques wouldn¡¯t reduce the effect of Analogy. There would be no conflict between the two talents.


    Lin Shen heaved a sigh of relief.


    Well-versed was undoubtedly a great talent that could allow one¡¯s martial arts to break through the limits and reach the next level.


    He couldn¡¯t bear to give up such a good talent.


    Furthermore, Well-versed talent could also cooperate with Analogy.


    In order to increase the effect of Analogy, Lin Shen happened to need to cultivate arge number of Perfection-stage martial techniques. These Perfection-stage martial techniques could be used to fuse and make breakthroughs!


    ¡°Very good!¡±


    A heartfelt smile appeared on Lin Shen¡¯s face.


    In this way, the Forbidden Golden Armor, Shadows, and other martial techniques could be raised to a higher stage!


    However, the prerequisite was that he had to cultivate enough Perfection-level martial techniques of the same type.


    Lin Shen looked at the Iron Scale Technique and Wolf Soul w in the cultivation technique column.


    After cultivating these two martial techniques to Perfection, he could use them as materials for the advancement of the Forbidden Golden Armor and Meltdown.


    ¡°I¡¯ll still call the new martial technique Meltdown!¡±


    After naming the new martial technique, Lin Shen calmed himself down and immediately devoted himself to cultivating.


    To facilitate the fusion of martial techniques as soon as possible, Lin Shen simply put aside the cultivation of the Golden Crow Scripture for the time being and cultivated the Iron Scale Technique and Wolf Soul w with all his might.


    With an additional clone, Lin Shen¡¯s cultivation speed increased by another level.


    He and the six clones cultivated at the same time, and his martial techniques improved by leaps and bounds.


    In just five days, the Iron Scale Technique reached Perfection.


    After that, Lin Shen spent another seven days cultivating the Wolf Soul w to Perfection.


    After fusing the two martial techniques with the Forbidden Golden Armor and Meltdown, there was indeed a new change in the martial technique stage.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Well-versed]


    [Stage: Level 6,15%]


    [Cultivation techniques: Golden Crow Scripture (42% Mastery), Meltdown (50% Perfection), Forbidden Golden Armor (25% Perfection), Shadows (Perfection), Dragon Roar Through the Clouds (Perfection), Supreme Yang Swordy (Perfection), Essence Sword Finger (Perfection), Mortal Restrain (Proficient 78%) ]

 Chapter 136 - 136: Clone 6, Well-Versed (2)

    Chapter 136: Clone 6, Well-Versed (2)


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Henyee Trantions<strong> Editor: </strong>Henyee Trantions


    [Number of clones: 6 (9%)]


    ¡°One Perfection-stage martial technique increases the progress by 25%, doesn¡¯t it?


    ¡°In that case, only five Perfection-stage martial techniques of the same type can create a higher-stage martial technique.¡±


    Lin Shen muttered to himself thoughtfully.


    This condition was not too harsh.


    For ordinary cultivators, cultivating five martial techniques to Perfection was undoubtedly as difficult as ascending to the heavens.


    One might not be able to do it even if one spent seven to eight years.


    After all, it was easy to reach Proficient and Mastery, but it was very difficult to reach Perfection without sufficient talent and certain opportunities.


    However, he was different. With his clone, there was no bottleneck for him to cultivate martial techniques.


    As long as he was willing to invest time in cultivation, he would be able to continuously improve his stage. It was only a matter of time before he broke through to Perfection.


    Moreover, with the enhancement of his talent, he could cultivate martial techniques at a tremendous speed.


    What was worth mentioning was that in the past few days, Lin Shen had also verified one thing.


    The progress of Perfection-stage martial techniques could only be increased by fusing Perfection-stage martial techniques.


    Apart from that, no matter how much time he spent cultivating, the new Meltdown¡¯s progress wouldn¡¯t increase by even one percent.


    ¡°Meltdown only needs to fuse two more martial techniques to break through. The Forbidden Golden Armor needs three.


    ¡°With five martial techniques, 1 can cultivate them to Perfection in two months at most.


    ¡°Wait, actually, it might be faster to go to the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range to improve the martial arts through Testify by Killing.¡±


    Lin Shen suddenly thought.


    Considering that he would definitely need arge number of martial arts techniques to increase his martial arts stage in the future, he would need a lot of merit points.


    If he went to the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range to train, he couldplete the mission and earn merit points. It was killing two birds with one stone!


    Thinking of this, Lin Shen quickly made a decision.


    He would go to the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range to train!


    ¡°I¡¯ll go to the Merit Hall to exchange for martial techniques first!¡±


    Thinking of this, Lin Shen immediately went out and rushed to the Merit Hall.


    The seventh clone¡¯s condensation progress was 0.5% per day.


    In other words, it would take a full 200 days to condense.


    This wasn¡¯t beyond Lin Shen¡¯s expectations.


    In fact, the condensation time of the previous clones had already shown the corresponding pattern.


    Each one needed more time than the previous one.


    By the time the eighth or ninth clone was formed, the time needed to condense it would probably be measured in years.


    Not long after, Lin Shen arrived at the Exchange Hall.


    After receiving the exchange list from the staff on duty at the counter, he immediately flipped to the martial technique list and carefully browsed through it.


    As a thousand-year-old sect, the Nine Suns Sect had an iparably deep foundation and collected thousands of martial techniques.


    Even if only a portion of it was ced in the academy for the disciples to exchange, there were still more than a thousand of them.


    However, there were many types of martial techniques.


    In the non-weapon category alone, there were palm, fist, finger, leg, movement technique, Physical Enhancement, sound wave, and so on.


    As for weapons, there was a dazzling array of them.


    Sabers, swords, spears, halberds, axes, whips, truncheons, hammers, spears¡­ You name it.


    In addition, there were all kinds of hidden weapons.


    Therefore, even if there were thousands of martial skills, there were still not many martial skills of the same type.


    After spending more than ten minutes browsing through the entire martial arts exchange list, Lin Shen finally found only 42 palm techniques and 23 Physical Enhancement martial arts.


    After thinking for a moment, Lin Shen quickly chose the martial technique he wanted to exchange for.


    Bronze Hammer Hand, two minor merits.


    Sky Rainbow Palm, two minor merits.


    Bone Forging Technique, three minor merits.


    Great Rock Scripture, five minor merits.


    Divine Elephant Technique, five minor merits.


    Lin Shen originally had 15 minor merits. During the level challenge, he had obtained a minor merit from Yan Xing, but when he challenged Yan Dao, he paid another two minor merits. After that, he only had 14 minor merits left.


    However, after advancing to an Earth-rank disciple, his monthly fixed treatment increased to five minor merits.


    Moreover, he had already received this month¡¯s merit points, so he now had a total of 19 minor merits.


    The five martial techniques cost a total of 17 minor merits. After exchanging them, he only had two minor merits left.


    This was also because Lin Shen had specially chosen less expensive martial techniques. Otherwise, 19 minor merits points would probably not be enough.


    ¡°Looks like I have to earn merit points quickly.¡±


    These five martial techniques could only allow Meltdown and Forbidden Golden Armor to break through. After that, there were still martial techniques like Shadows and the Supreme Yang Swordy that needed to break through.


    It would require a lot of merit points!


    After leaving the Exchange Hall, Lin Shen turned around and walked towards the Mission Hall, preparing to choose a mission.


    After spending some time, he chose seven or eight suitable missions. Lin Shen went to the counter to register and receive the token. He saw Jiao Yu¡¯s bright smile.


    When Lin Shen stepped into the hall, the girl had already noticed him. Her gaze was fixed on Lin Shen. It was only when Lin Shen came to the counter that she smiled and said, ¡°Senior Brother Lin, congrattions on bing an Earth-rank disciple!¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Lin Shen smiled and nodded. He didn¡¯t ask how Jiao Yu knew.


    Being on duty in a ce like the Mission Hall, Jiao Yu was probably more well-informed than him. It wasn¡¯t surprising that he knew about this.


    Not to mention that this matter had already caused quite a stir in the academy.


    Jiao Yu smiled. As she helped Lin Shen register the mission, she secretly sized up Lin Shen from time to time, her eyes filled with surprise.


    Who knew how shocked she was when she heard that Lin Shen had advanced to an Earth-rank disciple?


    He was dumbfounded.


    Not long ago, she was still worried about whether Lin Shen could keep his spot as a ck-rank disciple.


    Who would have thought that Lin Shen would directly be an Earth-rank disciple?


    Being promoted to an Earth-rank disciple three months after entering the academy waspletely beyond Jiao Yu¡¯s understanding.


    This Senior Brother, who seemed mysterious at first, became even more unfathomable!


    Not long after.


    Mission registration waspleted.


    When arranging the mission, Jiao Yu suddenly thought of something and reminded Lin Shen.


    ¡°By the way, Senior Brother Lin, ording to the other disciples who came back from training, there seems to be many spiritual beasts outside the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range recently. Remember to be careful when you go there!¡±


    Lin Shen was slightly stunned. He recalled what Yang Zhongyi had once mentioned to him, and a thoughtful look shed across his eyes.


    However, he quickly regained his senses and smiled at Jiao Yu.


    ¡°I see. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±


    Jiao Yu smiled brightly and watched Lin Shen walk out of the Mission Hall.


    After leaving the Merit Hall, Lin Shen didn¡¯t leave the city immediately. Instead, he returned to the wooden building and prepared toprehend the five martial techniques for Beginner.


    In any case, he had epted a lot of missions this time. The time limit of the talisman was two months, so it wasn¡¯t a problem to dy for a few days.


    Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.


    After cultivating with all his might, he sessfully reached Beginner in the five martial techniques.


    Looking at the five additional martial techniques in the cultivation technique column on the interface, Lin Shen nodded in satisfaction.


    Next, he had to rely on the Testify by Killing talent to increase his martial arts stage.


    Without any dy, Lin Shen immediately left the Nine Yang Academy and returned to his vi in the East District.


    Not long ago, he had gone to the True Martial Pavilion to sell a portion of the natural treasures in exchange for enough spirit coins and bought the vi at a premium.


    Now, this vi was his property.


    After advancing to the Long Breath Stage, Lin Shen no longer needed to worry about money.


    Any of the natural treasures in the storage bag could be sold for hundreds of thousands of spirit coins in the True Martial Pavilion.


    In fact, this was also why cultivators were at the top of the socialdder in society.


    The higher the cultivation level of a cultivator, the lower their dependence on money.


    A fraction of what they earned might be a sum that ordinary people would never be able to earn even if they worked hard for their entire lives.


    Money was just a number to them.


    What really interested them was no longer something that money could buy.


    For example, various enchanted armaments, advanced pills, and advanced martial arts techniques.


    These things weren¡¯t circted in the market at all. Apart from joining the three major sects and their affiliated academies, it was almost impossible to obtain them through other normal means, no matter how much money was spent.


    In the world of cultivators, circting currency wasn¡¯t spirit coins, but other more valuable items.


    For example, in the Nine Yang Academy, merit points were the currency.


    As far as Lin Shen knew, the mostmon currency in the Nine Suns Sect was essence stones.


    For example, the essence stone fragments he got from AL.

 Chapter 137 - 137: Onto the Path (1)

    Chapter 137: Onto the Path (1)


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Henyee Trantions<strong> Editor: </strong>Henyee Trantions


    When he got home, Lin Shen was surprised to find that Ai wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡°Where did the little guy go?¡±


    Lin Shen nced at the empty cans on the coffee table in the living room.


    Now that he didn¡¯t have to worry about money, Ai¡¯s food had also be much better.


    The canned cat food that she was eating had been changed to an even more expensive brand, ¡°Wu Yuan ¡±. The market price was 5,000 spirit coins per can, which far exceeded the price of spirit beast meat.


    However, correspondingly, even for Ascension Stage spiritual beasts, this kind of canned cat food had a certain effect on increasing their cultivation efficiency.


    After sitting in the living room for a while, Lin Shen heard a slight movement on the balcony. He turned around and saw Ai jumping onto the balcony.


    The little guy quickly realized that there was someone in the living room. When she looked up and saw that it was Lin Shen, she immediately shouted in surprise,


    ¡°Lin Shen, you¡¯re back!¡±


    Lin Shen smiled and rubbed Ai¡¯s head.


    ¡°Where have you been?¡±


    ¡°I went to see General.¡± Ai raised her head and said, ¡°But he seemed to be busy with something. He didn¡¯t have time to y with me, so 1 came back.¡±


    After a pause, Ai said excitedly,


    ¡°Lin Shen, are you bringing me out of the city again this time?¡±


    Thest time they came back from outside the city, Lin Shen had changed the brand of canned cat food for her. He had even bought a lot of cans in one go, allowing her to live a blissful life of eating canned cat food whenever she wanted.


    Ai felt like she was in paradise. She was simply too happy.


    Therefore, when it came to going out to train, she was even more enthusiastic than Lin Shen.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Get ready. We¡¯ll leave in a moment.¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s great!¡±


    Ai was overjoyed.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to prepare. Let¡¯s set off now!¡±


    Looking at Ai¡¯s eager expression, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    This little guy was really easy to understand.


    Hence, the man and cat left the house and rushed out of the city.


    Compared to the first time he came to the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range, Lin Shen had improved significantly.


    Not only did his cultivation increase, but he also had two powerful martial techniques that surpassed Perfection.


    Therefore, he was no longer satisfied with the outermost area of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range. Instead, he tried to explore deeper.


    Naturally, the spiritual beasts they encountered along the way were even more ferocious and fierce. There were almost no spiritual beasts below the Ascension Stage, and there were evente-stage Ascension Stage ones.


    However, Lin Shen wasn¡¯t afraid at all.


    With his current strength, as long as he didn¡¯t encounter an Enlightening Stage spiritual beast, his life wouldn¡¯t be in danger.


    There was no need to worry too much about this.


    Enlightening Stage spiritual beasts were only one step away from manifestation and were very powerful. Most of them were the backbone of a certain demon tribe and wouldn¡¯t wander outside.


    Ordinary cultivators might not be able to find it even if they deliberately searched, let alone encounter them by chance.


    If someone really ran into such a beast, he had to be really unlucky.


    After Lin Shen broke through to Level 6 of the Long Breath Stage, his clones¡¯ zero consumption distance had increased to about 400 meters.


    A single clone could maintain a distance of about 2,000 meters from Lin Shen for about five minutes.


    However, after the distance was extended to 3,000 meters, the duration of its existence would drop sharply to about a minute.


    This was also why Lin Shen didn¡¯t summon his Testify by Killing clones to hunt spiritual beasts together.


    There was no need for his main body and clone to search for spiritual beasts at the same time when they were only 400 meters apart. This would instead expose the secret of his clone.


    He might have been identally discovered by some cultivator who happened to pass by.


    As for sending the clone to a further distance, Lin Shen decisively gave up on this idea, considering that he had to continuously consume his stamina and that the duration was very short.


    At the end of the day, although the consumption of the clones was much lower than before, it was still far from being able to move around at ease.


    Lin Shen estimated that he would only be able to do that when he became a true cultivator master.


    Thump!


    The spiritual beast¡¯s huge body fell far away and hit a tree trunk more than 20 meters away.


    The force directly broke the thick tree trunk at the waist, and the spiritual beast let out a miserable cry and fell heavily to the ground.


    Before it could get up, several sharp sword lights tore through the air and attacked. They hit the spiritual beast¡¯s forehead, neck, and back almost at the same time!


    The miserable howls stopped abruptly.


    The spiritual beast died in the blink of an eye!


    After confirming that the spiritual beast had indeed lost its vitality, the three people who surrounded it heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Damn it, thiste-phase Ascension Stage spiritual beast is really difficult to deal with. The three of us are at the fifth or sixth level of the Long Breath Stage, and we almost couldn¡¯t kill this beast!¡±


    ¡°Be content. The white-eyed spirit tiger isn¡¯t an ordinary spiritual beast. This kind of spiritual beast has a strange bloodline and is generally stronger than spiritual beasts of the same level. It¡¯s already a big deal that we can kill it.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. Skin it and extract the bones. Ate-stage Ascension Stage white-eyed spirit tiger has many good treasures on it!¡±


    At the mention of this, the three of them immediately perked up.


    Killing a white-eyed spirit tiger would give one a minor merit reward.


    As for this tiger, it win at thete phase of the Ascension Stage. The reward was even higher, and it had three minor merits.


    Excluding the tiger spine that needed to be submitted as proof of the mission, the remaining flesh, bones, and blood would also give them dozens of merit points.


    Even if the three of them split it equally, it was still a considerable amount.


    The three of them began to dissect the tiger¡¯s corpse.


    ¡°I have to exchange for a storage bag when I go back this time. Otherwise, I¡¯ll have to dissect the corpse on the spot every time. It¡¯s a waste of time!¡±


    ¡°A storage bag costs three minor merits. I can¡¯t bear to spend that much money. With these merits, I¡¯d rather exchange for a few Prime Pills to increase my cultivation.¡±


    The three of them made small talk as they busied themselves..

 Chapter 138 Onto the Path (2)

    Chapter 138 Onto the Path (2)


    They were still using storage jade tes, so their storage space was very limited.


    In order to save space, every time they killed a spiritual beast, they had to dissect it on the spot and abandon the excess internal organs, leaving only valuable flesh, bones, and a few organs.


    At this moment, one of them suddenly raised his head and looked around in confusion.


    "Did you hear anything?"


    As soon as he said this, the other two immediately stopped what they were doing and looked around warily.


    The Dragon Abyss Mountain Range was rife with danger. If one wasn''t careful, one would lose their life. Therefore, any cultivator who entered the mountain range would be on guard at the slightest movement.


    However, after waiting quietly for a while, the two of them didn''t find any clues. They looked at theirpanion who had spoken at the beginning in confusion.


    Thetter shrugged. "Maybe I''m overthinking¡­"


    Before he could finish speaking, a gust of evil wind suddenly swept over from the front, causing the surrounding trees to sway and countless leaves to rustle.


    Roar!


    A low and ferocious beast roared as a white-eyed spirit tiger leaped out andnded in front of the three of them.


    The sudden appearance of the spiritual beast shocked the three of them and they subconsciously assumed abat posture.


    However, when they regained their senses, the three of them were overjoyed.


    Another white-eyed spirit tiger!


    This was a huge amount of merit points!


    They were so lucky!


    The three of them looked at each other and slowly walked forward with tacit understanding. They surrounded the white-eyed spirit tiger.


    However, they had only walked halfway when they suddenly heard a series of beast roars. A few more gusts of evil wind swept up, and four white-eyed spirit tigers jumped out, staring at the three of them covetously.


    At this moment, the joy on their faces froze, and they turned pale.


    "Five!!!"


    Under the cold and fierce gazes of the five tigers, the three cultivators turned pale and couldn''t help but tremble.


    If there were only two tigers, they could still barely deal with them if they gave all they had.


    If there were three tigers, they could at least escape.


    However, with the five tigers, their chances of escaping were extremely slim


    "Hehe, look what I found. Three human cultivators!"


    It was a low and hoarse voice.


    A tall figure slowly walked out from behind the white-eyed spirit tigers. Its back was facing the sunlight, casting a shadow.


    It was apletely ck tiger demon with pale eyes and a pair of wide wings on its back.


    Just by looking at these characteristics, it wasn''t much different from the other tigers here.


    The only difference was that it walked upright like a human!


    Its three-meter-tall body stood upright. Its limbs were slightly thinner, but they were even longer. The sharp ws at the ends of its fingers shone with a cold metallic luster under the sunlight.


    The moment they saw the tiger demon, the three cultivators were instantly stunned. They almost squeezed out a trembling cry from their throats.


    "An Enlightening Stage spiritual beast¡­"


    Enlightening Stage spiritual beasts might not be able to walk upright and speak humannguage, but only Enlightening Stage spiritual beasts could do this!


    The appearance of the tiger demon crushed thest bit of hope the three cultivators had.


    Instantly, despair appeared in their eyes.


    Seeing their expressions, the tiger demon revealed human-like cruelty and joy.


    "Since the snack hase to me, I won''t stand on ceremony. I''m hungry."


    As soon as it said this, the three cultivators'' expressions changed.


    However, before they could react, they suddenly felt a figure sh in front of them. The tiger demon had already disappeared from its spot.


    In the next second, there was a muffled sound, like the sound of a spurting fountain.


    The two cultivators standing on the right suddenly felt the side of their faces turn warm. They turned around and were shocked to find that theirpanion on the left had be a headless corpse. Warm blood was gushing out of his broken neck and sshing on their faces.


    A few meters away, the tiger demon held a head with a sinister smile on its face. It brought the head close to its mouth and bit down. Red and yellow matter sttered in all directions.


    "Delicious! It''s so delicious! It''s been a long time since I''ve eaten human flesh!"


    The tiger demonughed heartily. It finished the entire head in a few bites, crunching the flesh and bones. Then, it looked at the remaining two cultivators with sinister smiles and pounced forward.


    "Ah!!!"


    Miserable cries reverberated in the sky above the forest.


    A momentter, the tiger demon patted its slightly round belly in satisfaction and roughly wiped the blood from the corners of its mouth.


    "The flesh of human cultivators is still as delicious as ever. It''s a pity that they''re only at the Long Breath Stage. If they were at the Bright Aperture Stage, the taste would definitely be even more delicious!"


    The tiger demon grinned as a reminiscent expression appeared on its ferocious face. It was as though it had really tasted the flesh of Bright Aperture Stage cultivators.


    A momentter, its expression changed, and there was a terrifying and cruel light in its eyes. It waved its hand and shouted.


    "Go, boys. Kill all the humans within a hundred miles!"


    "ROAR!"


    A series of tiger roars suddenly erupted.


    Countless white-eyed spirit tigers pounced out from the forest behind the tiger demon, sweeping in all directions like a flood.


    ¡­


    "Meow!"


    Ai yawnedzily. She looked at Lin Shen, who was in a daze, then turned around and closed her eyes, returning to her nap.


    Under the shade of the tree, Lin Shen sat cross-legged on the ground and focused on checking the interface.


    In the blink of an eye, they had already stayed in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range for more than a month.


    Apart from hunting spiritual beasts, he had been searching for treasures with Ai.


    Unfortunately, he wasn''t as lucky asst time. He didn''t find treasures like the Treasure Gold Cloud Sand. He only found some more ordinary natural treasures.


    However, with time, he had umted a considerable amount.


    Ai was usually silly, but she was very trustworthy when it came to treasure hunting.


    Of course, the natural treasures were only the secondary goal of Lin Shen''s training trip. What really made him happy was the improvement of his martial techniques.


    During this period of time, Lin Shen gradually figured out a pattern.


    The target of improvement after the effect of Testify by Killing wasrgely rted to the martial technique Lin Shen used to kill the spiritual beast.


    For example, during the process of killing the spiritual beast, if he only used the Bronze Hammer Hand martial technique from the beginning to the end and was lucky enough to trigger the talent effect, there was a high chance that the cultivation speed of the Bronze Hammer Hand would increase.


    After realizing this, Lin Shen began to consciously control the use of martial arts techniques. In the battle, he tried his best to only use a few martial arts techniques that needed to be upgraded.


    As expected, after a while, his efficiency had clearly improved.


    In a month, Bronze Hammer Hand, Bone Forging Technique, and Giant Rock Scripture had all reached Perfection. Lin Shen had fused them into Forbidden Golden Armor and Meltdown respectively.


    Just now, Sky Rainbow Palm had finally reached Perfection.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Well-versed]


    [Stage: Long Breath Level 6, 89%]


    [Cultivation techniques: Golden Crow Scripture (75% Mastery), Meltdown (75% Perfection), Forbidden Golden Armor (75% Perfection), Sky Rainbow Palm (Perfection), Divine Elephant Technique (35% Mastery)¡­]


    [Number of clones: 6 (27%)]


    "I can finally break through!"


    Lin Shen heaved a sigh of relief and focused his mind to fuse the Perfection-stage Sky Rainbow Palm into Meltdown.


    In an instant, the words "Meltdown (Perfection 75%)" were distorted. A few secondster, it suddenly became "Meltdown (0%)".


    Lin Shen suddenly felt a slight tremble in the depths of his mind, and countless insights and understandings surged out like a tide. Be it in quality or quantity, they far exceeded any previous martial arts stage breakthrough!


    After a long while, Lin Shen finally digested this information. He slowly opened his eyes and smiled happily from the bottom of his heart.


    "So this is a Path-stage martial technique!"


    Lin Shen was overwhelmed with emotions.


    Although he had not tested it in actualbat, he could already sense from the information in his mind that the power of a Path-stage martial technique far surpassed a Perfection-stage one!


    If a Perfection stage martial technique was still within the range of a martial technique, then a Path-stage martial technique had already reached a levelparable to a spell!


    That was the level of the Bright Aperture Stage and even cultivator masters!


    "I haven''t fused so many martial techniques in vain!"


    Lin Shen was filled with joy.


    What surprised him even more was that the Path-stage martial technique could actually continue to improve.


    "I wonder what stage I''ll reach next?"


    After letting his thoughts wander for a moment, Lin Shen came back to his senses and called for Ai to get up. He prepared to continue hunting spiritual beasts to increase the stage of the Divine Elephant Technique so that he couldplete the breakthrough of the Forbidden Golden Armor as soon as possible.


    At the same time, he could also test the power of the Path-stage Meltdown!


    Just as Lin Shen was about to move, he suddenly heard a faint beast roar from afar.

 Chapter 139 Enlightening Stage Spiritual Beast (1)

    Chapter 139 Enlightening Stage Spiritual Beast (1)


    "That sound¡­ White-eyed spirit tigers!"


    Lin Shen had killed at least seven or eight white-eyed spirit tigers in the past few days, and he was already very familiar with such sounds. He immediately recognized them.


    To his surprise, the roarsing from afar were particrly loud.


    By the sound of it, there were hundreds of tigers.


    "What happened?"


    Somehow, Lin Shen had a bad feeling.


    This was the first time he had such a feeling since he entered the Dragon Abyss Mountain.


    After hesitating for a moment, Lin Shen suppressed his curiosity and summoned his clone to investigate. He put Ai back into the Beast Taming Pouch, then ran in the opposite direction from the beasts'' roar.


    Anyway, he was only 60% away from the Perfection stage in his Diving Elephant Technique. He could go into seclusion for two or three days after he went back to the academy, and the technique would reach Perfection. There was no need to take the risk.


    If something really happened, he would cry his eyes out!


    When Lin Shen reached Mount Firon, he heard the sound of something ripping through the air behind him.


    Looking over his shoulder, he saw a flying spiritual beast moving toward him with two men and a woman on its back. They were covered in blood and looked panic-stricken.


    As they flew, the three of them would look over their shoulders every now and then, as if some terrifying creature was chasing them.


    Suddenly, the girl spotted Lin Shen, and her face paled a little.


    She shouted, "Run! There are many white-eyed spirit tigers behind us!"


    As a matter of fact, the girl didn''t need to remind him. Lin Shen could already see countless white beasts 700 to 800m behind them and was rushing in their direction at a tremendous speed. They were blowing sand and pebbles along the way, and it was quite a scene.


    A few cultivators were running as fast as they could in front of the tornado.


    Unfortunately, they weren''t as fast as the tigers. Before long, they were caught up and drowned out by the wind.


    Blood sshed everywhere.


    Shocked, Lin Shen took out a Strider Talisman, smacked it on his leg, and activated it. He then activated Shadows and ran as fast as he could.


    There were at least a hundred white whirlwinds chasing them, which meant that there were at least a hundred tigers!


    No matter how confident Lin Shen was, he couldn''t say that he could handle hundreds of Ascension Stage spiritual beasts.


    Judging by the looks on the three people''s faces, the tigers weren''t the only things chasing them.


    The tigers couldn''t fly, and the three of them had a flying spiritual beast. Why were they injured so badly?


    "If I had known, I would have exchanged for a flying spiritual beast. The Giant-horned Deer can''t run fast in the woods!"


    Lin Shen shook his head.


    In the end, the Strider Talisman and Shadows couldn''t outrun the tigers thatweres riding the wind.


    Before long, Lin Shen was caught up by the gust of wind.


    Four or five tigers charged at him with their mouths wide open.


    The three people in the sky couldn''t bring themselves to watch it.


    To them, once the tigers caught up with him, Lin Shen would end up like all the other cultivators.


    But what happened next far exceeded their expectations.


    Facing the charging tigers, Lin Shen remained unperturbed. He then struck out with his sword.


    Instantly, sword light shot up into the sky, and countless scarlet red des swept out like a storm, attacking the tigers.


    The tigers were only early-stage Ascension beasts, and there was no way they could withstand the power of the Supreme Yang Swordy, which was enhanced by the Pure Yang Body. Blood gushed out of their bodies before they turned into mists of blood again!


    Thump! Thump!


    There were a few thumps, and four or five dead bodies fell to the ground. They were charred ck and were no longer breathing.


    Not only were the three people in the air dumbfounded by Lin Shen''s decisive strike, but even the wind seemed to slow down a little. It was obvious that the tigers were all intimidated by Lin Shen''s ferocity as well!


    Taking advantage of the dy, Lin Shen dashed off for over 100m.


    Coming back to their senses, the tigers were furious. They roared and chased after Lin Shen again.


    An intense pursuit immediately took ce in the forest.


    Every time the white-eyed tigers finally caught up to Lin Shen, they would be killed by thetter''s iparably fierce attacks. Then, they would break out and escape.


    During the chase, the number of white-eyed tigers that died under Lin Shen''s hands had increased to more than 30.


    The tigers didn''t notice anything amiss, but the three cultivators watching from above saw it clearly. They couldn''t help but be dumbfounded.


    "This fellow is so fierce! The Ascension Stage white-eyed tigers can''t even withstand a single move from him. He killed them just like that!"


    "It''s more than that. Look at those white-eyed tigers. Their attacks can''t even scratch that person''s skin. That person either cultivates some extremely powerful Physical Enhancement martial technique, or he must be carrying an extremely powerful defensive enchanted armament!"


    "At this rate, he might really be able to escape!"


    "I think he''s using the Supreme Yang Swordy. At this age, he should be a disciple of the Nine Yang Academy. Strange, I know most of the Heaven-rank disciples there. There doesn''t seem to be such a person among them?"


    As the two young men discussed, the girl beside them couldn''t stand it anymore and urged,


    "How can you guys still be so carefree? If we don''t escape quickly, the tigers will catch up to us again!"


    At the mention of the tigers, the two young men paled and shuddered.

 Chapter 140 - 140: Enlightening Stage Spiritual Beast (2)

    Chapter 140: Enlightening Stage Spiritual Beast (2)


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Henyee Trantions<strong> Editor: </strong>Henyee Trantions


    Not long ago, they had personally witnessed more than ten Long Breath Stage cultivators being torn to pieces by that terrifying tiger demon. The scene was as bloody and cruel as a nightmare!


    Had it not been for the flying spiritual beast, they would have be a part of the scattered flesh on the ground as well!


    Even so, they couldn¡¯t let out a breath of relief just yet.


    After all, the white-eyed spirit tiger of the Ascension Stage could ride the wind. The Enlightenment Stage tiger demon was definitely capable enough to do that.


    Time was of the essence here. That terrifying tiger demon might catch up with them at any moment!


    If possible, they couldn¡¯t wait to teleport back to Dragonside City.


    However, at the girl¡¯s words, the owner of the flying spiritual beast smiled bitterly.


    ¡°I want to move faster, but the tripod eagle is injured and can¡¯t move fast enough.¡±


    The girl was baffled. She looked down and saw a few bloody cuts on the eagle¡¯s belly and right wing. It was a ghastly sight.


    It was a miracle that the bird could still fly this far.


    Seeing this, the girl was rendered speechless and looked frustrated.


    The other teenager tried tofort her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll be able to leave Dragon Abyss Mountain once we¡¯re over this mountain. I don¡¯t believe that that tiger demon will dare to leave the area¡­¡±


    As soon as he said that, there was a rumbling sound.


    In the distance, a streak of white wind tore through the sky like a streak of lightning and headed their way.


    The three of them felt a suffocating sensation in their chests and heard the howling wind in their ears. When they came back to themselves and looked over their shoulders, they were shocked to find a giant tiger demon with wings on its back.


    ¡°Do you think you can get away from me?¡±


    The tiger demon grinned maliciously at the pale-faced trio.


    ¡°If I, Bai Teng, let the three of you escape, I¡¯ll be aughing stock!¡±


    Those cold words shattered the girl¡¯sst bit of hope. She suddenly screamed, jumped off the eagle¡¯s back, and charged at Bai Teng.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna kill you!¡±


    ¡°Fighting to the death is something only the capable ones are qualified to do. You¡¯re not worth it!¡±


    Bai Tengughed. With a wave of his hand, he caught the girl and her sword between his palms. He then closed his fingers.


    There was a muffled sound like an exploding ball of water. The girl didn¡¯t even have time to scream before her upper body was crushed into a pulp!


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that too easy a death for you?¡±


    Throwing away the dead body as if it was garbage, Bai Teng grinned at the pale-faced teenagers.


    However, he then looked down at Lin Shen, who was fighting the white-eyed spirit tigers. There was an intrigued look in his eyes.


    ¡°Forget it. That kid down there looks more interesting. I¡¯d better get rid of you as soon as possible and go have some fun!¡±


    As soon as he said those words, the two teenagers were overwhelmed by a sense of fear. Unfortunately, before they could react, they felt a sharp pain in their heads, and they lost consciousness forever.


    After casually smashing their heads and killing the tripod eagle, Bai Teng looked down at Lin Shen.


    As soon as Bai Teng stopped the three people in mid-air, Lin Shen felt a sense of crisis.


    Even from hundreds of meters away, he could sense the lethal threating from that tiger demon.


    It was a sense of crisis that Ascension Stage spiritual beasts couldn¡¯t create!


    There was no doubt that it was an Enlightening Stage spiritual beast!


    Without hesitation, Lin Shen picked up his speed and fled out of the Dragon Abyss Mountain. Even when the tigers caught up with him, he didn¡¯t turn around to fend them off. Instead, he used Forbidden Golden Armor and Bind Yang Gown to withstand the attacks and even used the momentum to speed up!


    In the blink of an eye, Lin Shen was over the top of the mountain. In the distance, he could already make out the stone tablet at the border of the Dragon Abyss Mountain.


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s not bad at all. He¡¯s a little better than those useless people!¡±


    Bai Teng grinned. With a p of his wings, he charged out like a bolt of lightning and arrived behind Lin Shen in the blink of an eye. His sharp ws tore through the air and struck down at Lin Shen¡¯s back with an ear-splitting sonic boom!


    Lin Shen¡¯s scalp went numb, but he didn¡¯t have time to dodge and was struck on the back by the tiger¡¯s ws!


    Ayer of white light instantly lit up, and it was the light of the Protection Talisman, but it soon dissipated!


    Immediately after that, dim yellow light lit up, and the Bind Yang Gown was activated.


    This time, the lightsted a little longer before it dimmed.


    Thest one was the dark golden glow of the Forbidden Golden Armor.


    Thump!


    With a dull thump, Lin Shen flew away like a kite with its string cut.


    However, Bai Teng didn¡¯t look happy at all. Instead, he frowned and realized that something wasn¡¯t right.


    For a split second, he didn¡¯t feel like he had hit flesh and blood, but an indestructible iron armor!


    When he looked up again, he saw that Lin Shen had adjusted his position before she knew it. He rolled around after he hit the ground, then got up and kept running.


    That strike didn¡¯t injure him!


    Seeing this, Bai Teng was surprised at first, then furious. He shouted and ran after Lin Shen.


    ¡°An Enlightening Stage spiritual beast is indeed very capable!¡±


    As he ran, Lin Shen tried his best to adjust his breathing and calm the surging blood in his chest.


    The faint pain on his back made him have lingering fears.


    If his Forbidden Golden Armor hadn¡¯t reached Perfection, he would have been severely injured even if he didn¡¯t die!


    When that happened, even if he summoned his clones, he would probably not be able to defeat that terrifying tiger demon.


    However, after being wed by the tiger demon, the Bind Yang Gown had already been damaged. Without some repair, he wouldn¡¯t be able to use it for the time being.


    There were still quite a few Protection Talismans left. However, they and the Forbidden Golden Armor alone wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the tiger demon¡¯s second strike.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that the Forbidden Golden Armor hasn¡¯t reached the Path stage. Otherwise, it would be much easier to escape!¡±


    At this critical moment, Lin Shen quickly had an idea.


    A sharp whistle quickly came from behind, apanied by a pressure that was so heavy that it made one¡¯s heart palpitate.


    Bai Teng¡¯s speed was astonishing. In the blink of an eye, he was less than five meters behind Lin Shen.


    What Lin Shen did just now made Bai Teng rather angry. He decided not to show mercy anymore and wanted to crush this damned human with the crudest method.


    Amidst the ear-piercing sound of the air being torn apart, Bai Teng w grabbed fiercely at Lin Shen¡¯s back!


    It was foreseeable that once Lin Shen was caught, he would have his heart ripped out!


    ¡°Go to hell!¡±


    Bai Tengughed sinisterly and growled.


    But at this moment, Lin Shen, who was running with his head lowered, suddenly turned around and pped out with his palm.


    A dazzling scarlet light instantly appeared, quickly condensing into a huge hand that was ten feet tall. Carrying an iparably mighty aura and surging heat waves, it crushed down on Bai Teng like an avnche!


    Bai Teng didn¡¯t expect Lin Shen to have such a move. He waspletely unprepared and was caught off guard by the huge red hand. As the fire waves that filled the sky dissipated, his tall body was directly sted into the ground!


    Instantly, dust rose from all directions.


    ¡°ROAR!¡±


    In just a few seconds, there was a deafening roar.


    A strong wind blew, instantly blowing away the dust in the sky.


    In the middle of the charred ground that was covered in cracks, Bai Teng roared at the sky. His body emitted a ferocious aura that soared into the sky.


    One could see that his back was charred ck. He had been injured by the attack just now.


    ¡°A Path stage martial technique! Damn that human kid!¡±


    Ever since he had advanced to the Enlightening Stage, Bai Teng had never suffered such a huge loss at the hands of a mere Long Breath Stage cultivator. He was shocked and furious.


    In his anger, a pale wind instantly swept up around him, howling as he rushed in the direction Lin Shen had left.


    Unfortunately, with this dy, Lin Shen had already rushed out of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range.


    After leaving the forest, he immediately summoned the Giant-horned Deer and rushed toward Dragonside City.


    Swoosh!


    The violent wind stopped at the stone tablet at the border of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range and dissipated with a bang, revealing Bai Teng¡¯s figure.


    His eyes were red as he red at Lin Shen in the distance. His expression changed for a moment, but in the end, he didn¡¯t dare to walk out of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range.


    There were cultivator masters patrolling within a 50-kilometer radius of Dragonside City all year round. If he dared to step out of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range, he would probably be discovered in no time.


    A cultivator master could arrive in a few breaths and kill him without breaking a sweat!


    Although Bai Teng was angry, he hadn¡¯t lost his mind. Naturally, he was unwilling to sacrifice his life for a mere human brat.


    ¡°Damn human brat, you¡¯d better not let me see you again. Otherwise, I¡¯ll definitely tear you into pieces!¡±


    His angry roar resounded in the wilderness..

 Chapter 141 - 141: War Outbreak (1)

    Chapter 141: War Outbreak (1)


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Henyee Trantions<strong> Editor: </strong>Henyee Trantions


    After leaving the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range, Lin Shen heaved a sigh of relief when he realized that the Enlightening Stage tiger demon hadn¡¯t caught up with him.


    However, he didn¡¯t rx and continued to run.


    It was only when he returned to Dragonside City that he was relieved.


    As soon as he rxed, Lin Shen immediately realized that the clothes on his back were already drenched in cold sweat.


    ¡°That was close. If not for the Path-stage Meltdown, I would probably have died there!¡±


    Recalling how powerful and terrifying that tiger demon was, Lin Shen still had lingering fears.


    But right after that, a wave of ecstasy surged in his chest.


    Even such a powerful tiger demon was still sted into the ground by Path-stage Meltdown. That was how powerful Path-stage martial techniques were!


    ¡°Not many opponents at the Long Breath Stage would be able to withstand a single strike!


    ¡°If a Path-stage martial technique is already so powerful, how powerful will it be after breaking through to a higher stage?¡±


    Lin Shen was instantly filled with anticipation for the stage after Path.


    In this battle, he had killed more than 40 white-eyed spirit tigers. There was nock ofte-phase Ascension Stage beasts among them. As a result, the effect of Testify by Killing had been triggered twice, increasing his cultivation level and Divine Elephant Technique¡¯s progress by 8% and 12%, respectively.


    At this point, Lin Shen¡¯s cultivation level had already reached Level 6, 97%. He was only a step away from breaking through to Level 7.


    After returning to the Nine Yang Academy, Lin Shen acutely sensed that the atmosphere around him was different from before.


    The disciples came and went in a hurry with a sense of urgency in their steps, as well as uneasiness and excitement on their faces.


    It seemed that a great battle wasing!


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes flickered as he quickened his pace towards the Merit Hall.


    When he arrived at the Mission Hall, Lin Shen was surprised to find that the hall, which was usually filled with people, was now deste and cold. There were almost no people.


    Jiao Yu was on duty behind the counter. When he saw Lin Shen, she looked pleasantly surprised.


    ¡°Senior Brother Lin, I¡¯m so d you¡¯re fine!¡±


    Lin Shen was even more certain of his spection, but he still asked,


    ¡°The academy seems a little different from usual. Is it because of what happened in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range?¡±


    Jiao Yu¡¯s pretty face turned solemn as she nodded heavily.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. A few hours ago, the Tiger Division, the Bear Division, and the Python Division jointly sent arge number of spiritual beasts to attack all the human cultivators in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range. Many disciples of our academy couldn¡¯t escape, and we suffered heavy casualties!¡±


    As expected!


    Lin Shen¡¯s heart lurched slightly.


    Fortunately, he didn¡¯t go too deep into the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range and left immediately after sensing that something was wrong. Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    ¡°What did the Three Sect Prefecture say?¡± Lin Shen asked.


    Three Sect Prefecture would definitely react to such an important matter.


    ¡°The Three Sect Prefecture has issued a wartime alert and a notice that they¡¯ll attack the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range in ten days to kill the three demonic divisions. The headmaster has also issued an order to gather the disciples. All disciples whose cultivation has reached the Long Breath Stage and above must gather to participate in the battle in ten days!¡±


    As expected, Yang Zhongyi was right!


    In the end, a war broke out between Dragonside City and the three demonic divisions!


    Lin Shen sighed inwardly.


    Even so, he didn¡¯t mind participating in the battle. Instead, he was slightly looking forward to it.


    After all, although the war was abnormally dangerous, the reward was also incredible.


    The merit points he could obtain would be significant. More importantly, he could kill arge number of spiritual beasts and trigger the effect of the Testify by Killing talent to quickly increase his strength.


    After a huge battle, his cultivation might break through another level, or he might master another Path-stage martial technique.


    ¡°There are still ten days. It¡¯s enough for me to raise my cultivation level to the seventh level of the Long Breath Stage and cultivate the Forbidden Golden Armor to Path stage!¡±


    The power of a Path-stage martial technique had been thoroughly verified not long ago.


    With two Path-stage martial techniques in hand, Lin Shen felt that even if he was on an extremely dangerous battlefield, he would have enough strength to protect himself!


    With a n in mind, Lin Shen didn¡¯t dy any longer and began to turn in the mission.


    He had gained a lot in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range and alsopleted five to six crusade missions. In the end, he had obtained a total of 23 minor merits and 438 merit points!


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I didn¡¯t have time to retrieve the spines of the tigers I killed just then. Otherwise, I would have made another 40-odd minor merits!¡±


    Lin Shen felt a little regretful.


    White-eyed spirit tigers weren¡¯t thatmon.


    After training in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range for nearly two months, he had only encountered four white-eyed spirit tigers in total.


    Furthermore, they were all alone. There had never been a case of two tigers appearing together.


    The Tiger Division had sent arge number of white-eyed spirit tigers to attack human cultivators. Such a thing happens once every four to five years at most.


    After thanking Jiao Yu, Lin Shen immediately left the Mission Hall and came to the Exchange Hall.


    With the merit points he had earned this time, the savings from before, and the five minor merits he received this month as his Earth-rank disciple benefit, Lin Shen now had a total of 30 minor merits and more than 500 merit points.


    Lin Shen was prepared to use all these merit points to exchange for martial techniques.


    Apart from Meltdown and Forbidden Golden Armor, he was also prepared to cultivate a Path-stage movement technique and sword technique each.


    The movement technique first.


    Strictly speaking, Shadows was only slightly higher in its grade than zing Sun Palm. It was far inferior to powerful martial techniques like Meltdown or Forbidden Golden Armor.


    Therefore, Lin Shen didn¡¯t n to use Shadows as the main body of the fusion of martial techniques. Instead, he nned to choose another stronger martial technique..

 Chapter 142 - 142: War Outbreak (2)

    Chapter 142: War Outbreak (2)


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Henyee Trantions<strong> Editor: </strong>Henyee Trantions


    After browsing for a while, he quickly chose his target.


    Cloud Dragon Rhythm. It would cost him ten minor merits.


    From the merit points required to exchange, one could tell that this was a movement technique that was slightly better than Meltdown. Thetter only required eight minor merits.


    ording to the description attached to the martial technique, once the Cloud Dragon Rhythm was used, one would be moving as fast as a dragon swimming in the sky. When cultivated to the highest depths, it could even let one rise more than 100 feet from the ground. One could also fly a thousand feet without relying on external objects. It was almost like they were using a flying spell!


    From the description alone, this martial technique was much stronger than Shadows!


    Therefore, Lin Shen exchanged for this martial technique without hesitation.


    ording to the rules, a Path-stage martial technique required the fusion of five martial techniques.


    Therefore, apart from Cloud Dragon Rhythm and Shadows, Lin Shen chose three more movement techniques.


    Moving Star Steps, two minor merits.


    Golden Goose Technique, three minor merits.


    No Trace, four minor merits.


    After a round of exchange, Lin Shen only had n minor merits left.


    After some thought, Lin Shen simply exchanged for three more palm techniques, preparing to use them to increase his Meltdown stage.


    At this point, he had already used up all the minor merits he had.


    After that, Lin Shen spent another 500 merit points to exchange for ten Prime Pills before leaving the Merit Hall.


    As soon as he walked out of the Merit Hall, a paper crane flew over and slowly stopped in front of him.


    Lin Shen raised his eyebrows and reached out to catch the paper crane. The paper soon unfolded, and Yang Zhongyi¡¯s voice came from it, asking Lin Shen to meet him at the Night Dream Club.


    Coincidentally, Lin Shen also wanted to ask about the war, so he was happy to go.


    About half an hourter.


    Lin Shen appeared at the entrance of the Night Dream Club.


    What surprised him was that the number of guards at the entrance was clearly much more than the previous few times he came.


    Arge number of burly guards patrolled back and forth. Their sharp gazes swept past every passerby, not letting go of any suspicion.


    Fortunately, Lin Shen could barely be considered a regr customer. The waiter at the door recognized him immediately and let him in without asking any questions.


    Led by the waiter, Lin Shen arrived at the third floor.


    It was the same private room. Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian were already waiting for him inside.


    After the waiter left, Lin Shen immediately asked curiously about the nightclub.


    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure about that either. It seems like the club was invaded a few days ago, and many guards were injured, so the security was increased.¡±


    Yang Zhongyi shrugged and changed the topic.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this. Lin, have you heard that Dragonside City is going to start a war with the three great demonic tribes?¡±


    Lin Shen nodded slightly. ¡°I just returned from the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range today.¡±


    Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian were shocked.


    ¡°You encountered the demonic army of the three demonic tribes?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The white-eyed spirit tigers and an Enlightenment Stage tiger demon. 1 almost didn¡¯t make it back.¡± Lin Shen sighed.


    Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian almost jumped up from their seats.


    ¡°Shit! You encountered an Enlightening Stage tiger demon? How did you manage to escape?¡±


    Yang Zhongyi sized up Lin Shen a few times. Seeing that he didn¡¯t look injured, he immediately had an extremely strange expression.


    He didn¡¯t suspect that Lin Shen was bragging. With his current reputation, there was really no need for him to do such a thing.


    Moreover, Lin Shen wasn¡¯t a vain person who liked to show off.


    However, it only shocked Yang Zhongyi more.


    That was an Enlightening Stage spiritual beast!


    If a Long Breath Stage disciple encountered such a spiritual beast, they would basically die!


    However, not only did Lin Shen sessfully escape, but he also looked unscathed. How could they not be shocked?


    Su Nian also stared at Lin Shen with a strange gaze as if he was looking at some unbelievable creature.


    ¡°I was just lucky.¡± Lin Shen waved his hand and changed the topic. ¡°Yang, have you heard any news rted to the war?¡±


    Yang Zhongyi came back to his senses and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve asked around. In this war with the three demonic tribes, the three great sects are each responsible for dealing with one tribe. The target of the Nine Suns Sect is the Tiger Tribe!


    ¡°Once the battle begins, the main force of the sect will charge straight into the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range to attack the Tiger Tribe¡¯sir. What our academy needs to do is to be responsible for eliminating the spiritual beasts of the Tiger Tribe at the periphery and clearing the obstacles for the main force of the sect to open up a path to the Tiger Tribe¡¯sir!¡±


    This arrangement made Lin Shen and Su Nian heave a sigh of relief.


    It was a good thing that they didn¡¯t have to face the main force of the Tiger Tribe.


    In fact, it made sense. Unless the Nine Suns Sect had lost their minds, it was impossible for them to get the academy¡¯s disciples to attack the Tiger Tribe¡¯sir together. At most, the disciples would be sent to guard the periphery and clean up the small fries.


    Of course, even if it was to clear out the minions, the mission was still a difficult one.


    After all, the Ascension Stage or Enlightening Stage spiritual beasts were only minionspared to the cultivators of the Nine Suns Sect and the Tiger Tribe.


    To the academy¡¯s disciples, they were still difficult enemies!


    ¡°In addition, the academy¡¯s arrangements have been made.¡±


    Yang Zhongyi continued.


    ¡°When the timees, the disciples will split into three teams. Each team will be led by two tutors and three upper-house disciples. They will start to clean up the beasts on the various mountains from different directions!¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t the upper house have ten leading disciples? Where¡¯s the remaining one?¡± Su Nian asked curiously.


    ¡°You mean Senior Brother Shen Zening? He¡¯s not with us. 1 heard that he¡¯ll enter the depths of the mountain range with the main force of the sect,¡± Yang Zhongyi said.


    Lin Shen¡¯s expression changed.


    He had heard of Shen Zening before.


    He was the head of the Nine Yang Academy¡¯s top ten disciples and came from a preeminent family.


    For someone who wasn¡¯t from a top family, he was able to firmly upy the spot as the top disciple of the ten disciples of the upper house, he had to be extremely talented..

 Chapter 143 - 143: War Outbreak (3)

    Chapter 143: War Outbreak (3)


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Henyee Trantions<strong> Editor: </strong>Henyee Trantions


    The headquarters of the sect had appointed him to participate in the main battle with the intention of training him.


    ¡°No matter what, this is a good opportunity to earn merit points. There are still ten days left. We have to be fully prepared!¡±


    At this point, Yang Zhongyi smiled and looked at Lin Shen.


    ¡°Speaking of which, it¡¯s all thanks to Lin. This time, 1 advanced to the Long Breath Stage and made a name for myself in my family. 1 even obtained a middle-grade enchanted armament. I¡¯ll definitely obtain more in this war!¡±


    Envy shed across Su Nian¡¯s eyes.


    Although he was a core disciple supported by his family, his family¡¯s heritage was far inferior to the Yang family. Therefore, he only had a Three Suns Talisman Sword.


    Lin Shen smiled and didn¡¯t say anything.


    He had already used his Six Yang Talisman Sword and Bind Yang Gown in the rank challenge. Su Nian and Yang Zhongyi knew it clearly, so there was no need to say anything else.


    ¡°Here!¡±


    Yang Zhongyi raised his ss and said loudly,


    ¡°I wish us sess on the battlefield and a great harvest! Cheers!¡±


    Lin Shen and Su Nian looked at each other and smiled. They also raised their sses.


    ¡°Cheers!¡±


    The three of them clinked their sses together, making a crisp sound.


    With the help of the Prime Pill, Lin Shen broke through to Level 7 of the Long Breath Stage that night.


    After another two days, his Divine Elephant Technique sessfully reached Perfection.


    After fusing with the Divine Elephant Technique, the Forbidden Golden Armor broke through to the Path stage as expected.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Well-versed]


    [Stage: Long Breath Level 7, 20%]


    [Cultivation techniques: Golden Crow Scripture (78% Mastery), Meltdown (Path 0%), Forbidden Golden Armor (Path 0%)¡­]


    [Number of clones: 6 (28%)]


    Sitting cross-legged in the middle of the training room, Lin Shen thought about something, and his body instantly lit up with a dazzling dark golden light.


    Surprisingly, the dark gold light this time waspletely different from before. It was no longer a thinyer, but a faintly discernible illusory armor shape!


    It looked as if Lin Shen was wearing translucent dark gold armor. His entire body had an indestructible texture, making him look majestic!


    ¡°This is the Path-stage Forbidden Golden Armor¡­¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes lit up.


    He tried to hit it with his fists, but it actually made a crisp sound like metal colliding.


    ¡°Nice!¡±


    Lin Shen nodded in satisfaction, his eyes shing with surprise.


    Although he had yet to undergo an actualbat test, he could already feel the powerful defense of the Path-stage Forbidden Golden Armor.


    ¡°Next, it¡¯s time to fuse the movement techniques. I also have to continue improving my Meltdown!¡±


    Lin Shen looked at the secret manual beside him.


    ¡°There are still eight days before the expedition to the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range. It¡¯s probably toote to cultivate martial techniques. I¡¯ll reach Beginner first and use Testify by Killing on the battlefield!¡±


    Lin Shen quickly made up his mind. He summoned all six clones and began toprehend the secret manual.


    After reaching Perfection in the Divine Elephant Technique, the number of Perfection-stage martial techniques that Lin Shen had mastered increased to 14.


    The talent effect of Analogy also soared to martial arts cultivation speed +140% and martial arts power +70%!


    In terms of talent, it had already surpassed Superior Martial Arts and was almost as good as Pure Yang Body.


    Moreover, in terms of martial arts cultivation alone, Analogy was undoubtedly more useful than Pure Yang Body.


    After all, among the martial techniques that Lin Shen had chosen, there were very few that belonged to the Yang attribute. Pure Yang Body couldn¡¯t y its role at all.


    Therefore, when he cultivated martial arts these few days, Lin Shen switched to Analogy most of the time.


    Under the full effort of himself and six clones, hisprehension of martial techniques advanced by leaps and bounds. It was almost as if he was cultivating one technique a day.


    Cloud Dragon Rhythm was more difficult to cultivate. It took him two days to reach Beginner.


    The day before the expedition to the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range, all four movement techniques and three palm techniques reached Beginner.


    In addition, Lin Shen also took the time to use his spiritual essence to nurture the damaged Bind Yang Gown. Finally, he managed to restore this enchanted armament to its original state before the battle began.


    At this point, Lin Shen had already made all the necessary preparations. He was just waiting for the day..

 Chapter 144 - 144: Disciples of the Upper-House

    Chapter 144: Disciples of the Upper-House


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Henyee Trantions<strong> Editor: </strong>Henyee Trantions


    On the day of their departure.


    More than 500 Long Breath Stage disciples of the Nine Yang Academy gathered outside the east gate of Dragonside City.


    A deacon was announcing the names of the team members.


    The disciples were divided into three groups of about 180 people each.


    Disciples of the four levels were distributed equally.


    Unfortunately, Lin Shen wasn¡¯t with Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian. The two of them were on another team.


    It was a boisterous scene.


    The disciples were either excited or nervous about the uing war. They gathered in groups of twos and threes and chatted loudly.


    However, not long after, the discussion was suppressed by a low whistle.


    Arge shadow suddenly fell from the ground, almost enveloping the crowd.


    Everyone looked up in shock and realized that three huge objects had appeared in the sky.


    They were three towering pagodas!


    The tower was divided into seven floors. It had six corners, vermilion pirs, round windows, and exquisite golden bells hanging on the eaves, each with a lifelike divine beast stone sculpture sitting on it. There was a Qi-Gathering Copper Cbash at the top of the pagoda.


    The majestic pagodas slowly descended from the sky. The clouds at the bottom of the pagoda shone with auspicious clouds, making one dazzled.


    To be honest, Lin Shen had guessed many ways to head to the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range. He thought they would either ride flying spiritual beasts or go through a temporary teleportation array. However, he never expected the Nine Yang Academy to directly mobilize flying Dharma treasures!


    This kind of pagoda that could fly in the air was definitely of a higher grade than an enchanted armament. It was a true Dharma treasure!


    While Lin Shen was very surprised, the surrounding disciples also sighed repeatedly.


    Not long after, the three towersnded on the ground at the same time.


    Just as the disciples were wondering how to go up, they saw the Copper Cbash on the top of the three pagodas spew out dense fog at the same time. The fog reached the disciples and turned into clouds that surrounded them. They floated up toward the pagodas.


    In a short while, more than 500 disciples had all ascended the three towers.


    As soon as hended and stabilized himself, Lin Shen sized up his surroundings curiously.


    He was currently on the first floor of the tower.


    This ce had been set up as an open-air martial arts arena. At a nce, it was extremely spacious.


    There were already more than 20 people standing in the middle of the martial arts arena.


    It was obvious that five people among them were leaders.


    Two stood in the front and three at the back.


    The two people standing at the front were about 40 to 50 years old. They had extraordinary bearings and were hale and hearty. From their attire, they were undoubtedly the tutors of the academy.


    The three people standing at the back were young men in their twenties.


    ¡°It¡¯s Senior Brother Xie Jingsheng!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also Senior Brother Jiang Hao and Senior Brother Mu Chuanhua!¡±


    ¡°In that case, these three Senior Brothers will be leading the team this time!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re quite lucky. These three Senior Brothers are all extremely powerful, especially Senior Brother Xie Jingsheng. He¡¯s publicly recognized as one of the top three disciples in the upper house!¡±


    Hearing the discussions around him, Lin Shen fell into deep thought.


    After learning from Yang Zhongyi that the disciples were led by the upper-house disciples, he specially went to find out more about thetter.


    Therefore, he had an impression of the three people in front of him.


    Standing in the middle was a tall young man with a smile on his face. He was the Xie Jingsheng that everyone was talking about. In his third year in the academy, he had be one of the top ten disciples in the upper house. This year, he had directly reached the top three. Be it talent or strength, he was second to none in the academy!


    More importantly, this Senior Brother Xie wasn¡¯t from an aristocratic family but was a truemoner!


    As a result, there was a saying in the academy that if Xie Jingsheng was born into an influential family, then the head of the top ten disciples in the upper house would probably not be Shen Zening, but him!


    Standing on Xie Jingsheng¡¯s right was Jiang Hao. He was dressed appropriately and looked arrogant.


    On his left was Mu Chuanhua. He was fat and had a warm smile on his face, making people think of Maitreya.


    ¡°Silence!¡±


    One of the two tutors standing at the front suddenly spoke.


    His deep and sonorous voice immediately suppressed the discussions of the disciples.


    The pagodas instantly fell silent. All the disciples shut their mouths and looked at the two tutors.


    Seeing this, the tutor nodded in satisfaction and said in a deep voice,


    ¡°The operation to eliminate the spiritual beasts of the Tiger Tribe will be coordinated and directed by the three upper-house disciples. Unless you¡¯re surrounded by arge number of spiritual beasts, Master Shi and I won¡¯t interfere. Good luck!¡±


    After saying this, the two tutors left the first floor without any hesitation.


    In the following period of time, they would hold down and preside over the lowest level of the pagoda. Unless the disciples were in danger of being wiped out, they wouldn¡¯t interfere.


    This war was also a form of training for the disciples!


    After the two tutors left, Xie Jingsheng stepped forward and waved his hand with a smile.


    ¡°Junior Brothers and Sisters, don¡¯t be nervous. Take a seat.¡±


    Many seats had already been ced in the martial arts arena.


    At the head of the table were Xie Jingsheng, Jiang Hao, and Mu Chuanhua.


    The other disciples sat on the left and right sides ording to their levels and ages.


    Lin Shen had been in the academy for the shortest time, so he was sitting at the end of the Earth-rank disciples.


    As they were divided into three teams, there were only more than ten Heaven-rank disciples and a little over thirty Earth-rank disciples here.


    Without exception, these people were all senior students who had been in the academy for three to four years. They were already familiar with each other.


    Hence, Lin Shen was especially conspicuous among them.


    Immediately, he attracted strange gazes. There was curiosity, Envy, and even faint hostility..

 Chapter 145 - 145: Disciples of the Upper House (2)

    Chapter 145: Disciples of the Upper House (2)


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Henyee Trantions<strong> Editor: </strong>Henyee Trantions


    Even the three upper-house disciples on the main seats looked over.


    ¡°This must be Junior Brother Lin,¡± Xie Jingsheng suddenly said with a smile.


    Lin Shen cupped his hands calmly and said, ¡°Greetings, Senior Brother Xie!¡±


    ¡°No need for formalities.¡±


    Xie Jingsheng smiled and waved his hand with a warm expression.


    ¡°Junior Brother Lin is unbelievably talented. Even the Master praises you. We have to hang out more often in the future.¡±


    Lin Shen was stunned. ¡°Senior Brother Xie¡¯s Master is¡­¡±


    Mu Chuanhua suddenly chimed in, ¡°Junior Brother Lin, you don¡¯t know, right? Senior Brother Xie is studying under Master Si, who promoted you to a ck-rank disciple!¡±


    Lin Shen was enlightened and a little surprised.


    The academy didn¡¯t prohibit the house masters from taking in disciples, but such examples had always been extremely rare.


    It was because the housemaster was a high-ranking member of the academy¡¯s upper echelons. If they took in a disciple of the academy, there was a hidden worry of favoritism and unfairness. It was easy to attract criticism, so very few housemasters would do this.


    That was why Lin Shen hadn¡¯t thought of this at first.


    Not many people knew about this. At least, he didn¡¯t hear about it when he asked around.


    ¡°Thank you for clearing my doubts, Senior Brother Mu!¡±


    After thanking Mu Chuanhua, Lin Shen cupped his hands at Xie Jingsheng.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it, Senior Brother Xie!¡±


    Seeing that Lin Shen didn¡¯t resist his friendship, Xie Jingsheng smiled.


    He expressed his friendship with Lin Shen only because of his master¡¯s promotion of Lin Shen, but also because Lin Shen was from amoner family like him.


    In a ce like the Nine Yang Academy, where the disciples of influential families were predominant, it was naturally easier formoner disciples to get close to each other.


    Seeing the friendly exchange between Xie Jingsheng and Lin Shen, many disciples couldn¡¯t help but look envious or jealous.


    Xie Jingsheng was a disciple of the upper house and Si Yuanpei¡¯s disciple. If Lin Shen built a rtionship with him, he would undoubtedly have a big tree to rely on in the academy in the future.


    Seeing that everyone was already seated, Xie Jingsheng didn¡¯t dy any longer. He took out a restriction token and injected spiritual essence to activate it.


    In the next second, the pagoda rumbled and shook. Clouds gathered at the bottom of the pagoda, carrying the huge pagoda as it slowly rose. In a short while, it reached a thousand feet in the sky. Then, it broke through the clouds and flew towards the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range.


    There was an array formation around the pagoda. Once it was activated, even Enlightening Stage spiritual beasts would be about to do anything. The disciples sat in the middle and could attack or retreat at will. They coulde and go as they pleased.


    The pagoda was extremely fast. As it flew, the wind howled incessantly. However, the people inside weren¡¯t affected by the wind at all.


    In just a moment, the rolling majestic mountains appeared in his vision.


    Xie Jingsheng waved his hand, and a disciple immediately carried out the sandalwood table that had been prepared and ced it in the middle of everyone.


    On the sandalwood table was andscape map. On it was the terrain of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range.


    The map looked no different from the map that the Merit Hall gave to the disciples who went out for the first time for free. However, as Xie Jingsheng waved his hand, colorful mist immediately appeared above the map and quickly condensed into mountain peaks.


    If one observed carefully, one would discover that these connected mountains were actually the three-dimensional Dragon Abyss Mountain Range.


    At this moment, the pagoda had just entered the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range and stopped above one of the mountains.


    Xie Jingsheng pointed with his fingers, and the image of one of the mountains above the sandalwood table erged rapidly. It was the mountain below the pagoda.


    At the same time, hundreds of soybean-sized balls of light appeared out of thin air.


    They were red and yellow dots, some darker and some lighter. Most of them were yellow, and only about twenty were a light shade of red. Only one red dot on the mountainside was slightly darker.


    The disciple standing at the side swept his gaze around and quickly said,


    ¡°Senior Brothers and Sisters, this mountain is called Lijian Mountain. There is a total of one mid-phase Ascension Stage spiritual beast, 23 early-phase ones, and 86 Spirit Awakening Stage spiritual beasts!¡±


    Xie Jingsheng nodded slightly and looked around. He smiled and said,


    ¡°Which Junior Brother or Junior Sister is willing to start the first battle?¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the dozen or so Yellow-rank disciples sitting at the end impatiently walked out of the crowd and volunteered.


    The Heaven, Earth, and ck-rank disciples sat quietly without saying a word.


    In a battle like this, the disciples of the academy already had a tacit understanding.


    Everyone present was here to obtain merit points. It was in everyone¡¯s interest to share the benefit instead of letting a few people take all the credit.


    The demon beasts on the outer mountains of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range were generally weaker. Naturally, they would be left to the rtively weak Yellow-rank disciples to deal with so that they could earn some merit points.


    The deeper they went, the stronger the demon beasts they encountered became. Higher-rank disciples would have to take action. Only then would they be able to obtain merit points.


    ¡°Thank you, Junior Brothers and Sisters!¡±


    Xie Jingsheng granted their requests with a smile and raised his hand.


    Immediately, someone handed over smooth and wless jade tokens.


    They were called merit tokens. It was an item used by the Nine Yang Academy and even the Nine Suns Sect to record the number of demons the disciples killed.


    Every time a disciple killed a spiritual beast, they would be able to extract a trace of its blood essence and inject it into the jade token. The stronger the demon beast, the more blood essence they would be able to extract.


    Afterward, the disciple would go to the Merit Hall with the token, where his merit would be measured ording to the amount of blood essence.


    The dozen or so Yellow-rank disciples took the tokens with excited expressions on their faces. They walked toward the edge of the pagoda one after another. With a leap, clouds appeared and sent them to the mountain below.


    Not long after.


    Beast roars and battle cries came from below.


    About half an hourter, the dozen or so Yellow-rank disciples returned to the tower.


    Although everyone was injured, there was a heartfelt smile on their faces.


    The original crystal clear jade tokens now had traces of blood-red patterns swimming in them like worms. It was the blood essence they had absorbed after killing the spiritual beasts.


    ording to the rules of the Nine Yang Academy, a token full of blood essence could be exchanged for twenty minor merits!


    Those with less than a minor merit would be given merit points.


    After such a battle, these Yellow-rank disciples would obtain at least two or three minor merits!


    In the past, even if they killed the same number of demon beasts, the merit points they obtained might not even be half of what they had now.


    This was also the main reason why the disciples were eager to participate in the battle.


    The merit points obtained from killing spiritual beasts during the war were far more than usual!


    After clearing a mountain, the pagoda continued to fly forward.


    The pagoda would only stop when they reached the next mountain. Then, thendscape map on the table would reveal the number of demon beasts on the mountain and their cultivation level.


    At this moment, they were still in the periphery of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range. The demonic beasts they encountered were generally not strong. At most, they were at the mid-phase of the Immortal Ascension Stage. Therefore, the ones who attacked along the way were all ck and Yellow-rank disciples.


    Including Lin Shen, the group of Heaven-rank and Earth-rank disciples sat still from the beginning to the end.


    This was also the difference between human cultivators and spiritual beasts.


    Human cultivators had martial techniques, weapons, and talismans, but most spiritual beasts could only rely on their instincts and ws to fight. Therefore, when their cultivation levels were simr, the human cultivators would often win in the end.


    A Yellow-rank disciple at Level 2 to 3 was enough to contend with or even defeat an ordinary mid-phase Ascension Stage spiritual beast.


    Only spiritual beasts with special bloodlines like white-eyed spirit tigers could contend with human cultivators of the same level.


    In the following period of time, they maintained this pattern of clearing the area while advancing steadily.


    For three consecutive days, the pagoda only wandered around the outermost area of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range to the west. It had almost killed all the spiritual beasts in the surrounding mountains.


    Lin Shen calcted in his heart. In the past three days, they had killed at least two to three thousand beasts.


    However, more than 70% of them were only Spirit Awakening Stage spiritual beasts.


    Ascension Stage spiritual beasts only ounted for a small portion.


    As for the white-eyed spirit tigers, there were even fewer of them. There were only thirty to forty of them.


    Lin Shen wondered if therge group of white-eyed spirit tigers that he saw that day had fled when they saw that the situation was turning south.


    On the fourth day, after the disciples finished their breakfast and gathered in the martial arts arena as usual, the three upper-house disciples discussed for a while and finally gave the order to go deeper into the mountain..

 Chapter 146 - 146: None of Your Business (1)

    Chapter 146: None of Your Business (1)


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Henyee Trantions<strong> Editor: </strong>Henyee Trantions


    As soon as the three upper house disciples gave the order, the Heaven and Earth-rank disciples were all excited.


    Lin Shen was no exception.


    He had expected a fierce battle after they entered the Dragon Abyss Mountain, but as it turned out, he didn¡¯t need to do anything.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t want to stand out and broke the tacit agreement by participating in the battle, so he had no choice but to sit there like the other disciples.


    Luckily, the clones had been cultivating in his mind, so he didn¡¯t waste any time.


    Over the past few days, he had reached Mastery in Moving Star Steps.


    And now, that wait was finally going to end.


    As the pagoda went deeper into the Dragon Abyss Mountain, it was time for the Heaven and Earth-rank disciples to take the stage.


    Before long, the pagoda stopped above a bare hill.


    The corresponding mountain peaks were soon shown on the map.


    There were at least 300 balls of light this time, far more than any previous mountains.


    About 60% of them were red.


    Seven to eight dots of light were blood-red, which were obvious signs ofte-phase Ascension Stage spiritual beasts.


    Xie Jingsheng raised his hand, and the image on the map changed again. It was as if the clouds had parted, and a mountain view appeared out of thin air. It then erged.


    In the blink of an eye, they saw hundreds of white-eyed spirit tigers gathering together and staring at the sky.


    ¡°From now on, the tough battles will begin.¡±


    Xie Jingsheng looked at the Heaven and Earth-rank disciples on both sides and smiled.


    ¡°Junior Brothers and Sisters, it¡¯s your turn.¡±


    There were around 200 Ascension Stage spiritual beasts down there, and neither the Heaven nor Earth-rank disciples were their match. Working together was the best choice.


    The others all nodded in unison.


    Soon, the group of Heaven and Earth-rank disciples descended on a cloud.


    Xie Jingsheng, Mu Chuanhua, and Jiang Hao sat there quietly.


    Mere Ascension Stage spiritual beasts weren¡¯t worth their effort.


    Their job was to fight Enlightening Stage spiritual beasts.


    It was only a matter of time before they ran into such spiritual beasts. All they had to do now was to conserve their energy and prepare for the uing war.


    All the Yellow-rank and ck-rank disciples held their breaths and watched thendscape with rapt attention.


    In a matter of seconds, all 50 disciples were 20m away from the top of the mountain. Before the clouds even touched down, many of them had put a Flying Feather Talisman on themselves, jumped off, and charged at the spiritual beasts.


    Xie Jingsheng chuckled.


    ¡± I see that they¡¯re all motivated.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡± Mu Chuanhua grinned. ¡°That way, we can save some energy before the Enlightening Stage spiritual beasts show up.¡±


    Xie Jingsheng nodded with a smile.


    Jiang Hao pursed his lips and didn¡¯t reply.


    The battle on the mountain peak soon reached its climax.


    The weakest of the disciples were at Level-7 of the Long Breath Stage. Moreover, they had been cultivating in the academy for three years and had an ample amount of enchanted armament and talismans. Any one of them could fight three to four mid-phase Ascension spiritual beasts on their own!


    Even if they faced ate-phase Ascension Stage spiritual beast, they would definitely win in a one-on-one battle!


    Therefore, although the spiritual beasts had the advantage in numbers, as time passed, they gradually became the ones at a disadvantage. Under the fierce attacks of the disciples, they retreated step by step.


    Swoosh!


    With a sharp and short sound, Lin Shen bent his fingers into ws and grabbed at the head of a white-eyed spirit tiger.


    Thetter¡¯s skull, which was as hard as iron, was as fragile as tofu under Lin Shen¡¯s ws. It was instantly pierced through, leaving behind five shocking finger holes, from which blood gushed out.


    Before it could even scream, the tiger fell to the ground, dead.


    In order to more efficiently trigger the effect of the Testify by Killing talent, Lin Shen didn¡¯t use the Six Yang Talisman Sword. Instead, he used various palm techniques and w techniques that had yet to reach Perfection to fight the enemy. The movement techniques he used were also the ones he had just reached Beginner in the past few days.


    Even though the martial technique he used was far from powerful, and their stage wasn¡¯t advanced, with his cultivation at Level 7 of the Long Breath Stage, there were still very few spiritual beasts that couldst ten rounds against Lin Shen.


    In just four to five minutes, Lin Shen had killed more than ten spiritual beasts.


    It wasn¡¯t outstanding among the disciples, but it wasn¡¯t too bad either.


    However, in the eyes of some people, it didn¡¯t match Lin Shen¡¯s reputation.


    ¡°Strange, didn¡¯t they say that Lin Shen¡¯s attainments in martial arts are very high? Why doesn¡¯t it look like it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. 1 remember that in the previous disciple-level challenge, Lin Shen even used the Supreme Yang Swordy and the Six Yang Talisman Sword. Why is he unarmed now?¡±


    ¡°This martial technique seems to be the Iron w?¡±


    ¡°That w technique worth three minor merits? Didn¡¯t Lin Shen cultivate Meltdown? Why didn¡¯t he use that?¡±


    The disciples in the tower discussed animatedly. Many of them looked puzzled.


    Most of them had seen Lin Shen¡¯s performance in the disciple rank challenge with their own eyes. No matter how envious they looked on the surface, they had to admit that Lin Shen¡¯s martial arts attainments far exceeded cultivators of the same level.


    Because of this, many people were confused..

 Chapter 147 - 147: It’s None of Your Business (2)

    Chapter 147: It¡¯s None of Your Business (2)


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Henyee Trantions<strong> Editor: </strong>Henyee Trantions


    A hint of doubt shed across Xie Jingsheng and Mu Chuanhua¡¯s eyes.


    They didn¡¯t watch the lower house disciple¡¯s rank challenge, but they had heard rumors about Lin Shen afterward. However, it seemed that Lin Shen wasn¡¯t as outstanding as he was said to be.


    Jiang Hao watched him for a while and curled his lips.


    ¡°I thought that the rumoredmoner genius was outstanding, but he¡¯s just so-so!¡±


    Xie Jingsheng frowned slightly and nced at Jiang Hao.


    He knew that Jiang Hao thought highly of himself and had always been proud of the bloodline of influential families. He looked down on themoners in the academy, but most of the time, he buried it in his heart and wouldn¡¯t speak bluntly.


    And now, he was so straightforward in expressing his disdain for Lin Shen. It was most likely because of Xie Jingsheng.


    A month ago, the Nine Suns Sect bestowed the academy with a batch of Golden Marrow Pills. Due to the limited number, only three of the top ten disciples could obtain them.


    For this reason, the ten great disciples even sparred in private to decide the ownership of the Golden Marrow Pill.


    In that battle, Jiang Hao was defeated by Xie Jingsheng and missed the opportunity to get the Golden Marrow Pill.


    Jiang Hao had always disliked Xie Jingsheng, who wasn¡¯t from an influential family. After this incident, he secretly hated him.


    Jiang Hao had also seen Xie Jingsheng expressing his affection for Lin Shen just now. It was very likely that he had targeted Lin Shen because of this, which was why he had belittled him.


    Xie Jingsheng pondered and said, ¡°Since Junior Brother Lin can advance to an Earth-rank disciple, there¡¯s naturally no doubt about his strength. 1 guess he might have some considerations.¡±


    Jiang Hao sneered and said, ¡°What considerations can there be? We¡¯re in a life and death battle with the Tiger Tribe¡¯s demons, not a spar between disciples. Does he want to hold back?¡±


    ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll know when we ask Junior Brother Linter.¡±


    Xie Jingsheng smiled and didn¡¯t argue with Jiang Hao. He casually skipped the topic.


    Seeing this, Jiang Hao snorted and didn¡¯t say anything else.


    Mu Chuanhua smiled as he watched the two of them fight. He didn¡¯t interrupt and only sat quietly at the side to watch the show.


    He didn¡¯t want to be enemies with Xie Jingsheng, but he also didn¡¯t want to offend a narrow-minded fellow like Jiang Hao. Therefore, he didn¡¯t help either side and just watched from the sidelines.


    If even Mu Chuanhua was like this, the other disciples didn¡¯t dare to interrupt. They all looked down and pretended not to hear the conversation between the two upper-house disciples.


    The battle on the mountain peak quickly came to an end.


    As expected, all the spiritual beasts were wiped out. The price that the academy¡¯s disciples paid was that one of them was identally torn in the chest by the tiger and was severely injured.


    Even so, with the physical strength of a Long Breath Stage cultivator, coupled with the nourishment of medicinal pills, he would recover in four to five days at most.


    At this moment, the tower didn¡¯tck medicinal pills at all.


    For this war, the Nine Yang Academy¡¯s pill pavilion had stored arge number of medicinal pills to recover injuries and spiritual essence on the pagodas. There was enough to sustain the disciples for several months.


    The disciples who had returned triumphantly returned to the tower with their heads held high, ready to receive the cheers of the crowd. However, they were greeted with a strange silence.


    Even the slowest person could sense that something was wrong with the atmosphere.


    Soon, they discovered the source of this strange atmosphere. The ck-rank and Yellow-rank disciples who stayed behind kept looking back and forth between Lin Shen and the three upper-house disciples.


    Lin Shen also realized this, but he didn¡¯t care at all. He calmly returned to his seat and sat down.


    As soon as he sat down, he saw Xie Jingsheng turn around and ask him with a smile,


    ¡°Junior Brother Lin, 1 saw that you didn¡¯t seem to be using your usual martial technique just now. Why?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Shen immediately understood what was going on. It turned out that these upper house disciples had been watching him just now.


    Lin Shenughed inwardly and shook his head, but he remained calm. He smiled and said,


    ?I¡¯ve recently cultivated a few new martial techniques, so I want to take this opportunity to train in actualbat.¡±


    Before Xie Jingsheng could speak, Jiang Hao red at him and sneered.


    ¡°You used the Iron w and Golden Goose Technique just now, right? These two martial techniques are below average among martial techniques in the academy. You already have Meltdown and Shadows. Why do you still need to cultivate the Iron w and Golden Goose Technique?¡±


    Lin Shen nced at Jiang Hao and acutely sensed the hostility in thetter¡¯s words. Although he was puzzled as to why Jiang Hao wanted to find fault with him, Lin Shen didn¡¯t intend to spoil him. He immediately chuckled and said,


    ¡°What? Does the academy forbid its disciples from cultivating more than one type of martial arts?¡±


    Jiang Hao was dumbfounded.


    Of course, the academy didn¡¯t have such a rule.


    It was just that no disciple would do such a thing, which was a waste of their time and energy.


    However, he couldn¡¯t question Lin Shen with that, so he had to swallow his anger.


    To his surprise, Lin Shen went on.


    ¡°Senior Brother Jiang, I didn¡¯t know you cared so much about me. You even have to worry about my cultivation skills. How considerate of you!¡±


    It sounded like she was praising Jiang Hao, but anyone could tell what he meant. He was actually saying, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡±


    Hardly anyone here was an idiot, and they all reacted differently when they heard what Lin Shen said.


    Mu Chuanhua¡¯s cheeks twitched, and he was obviously trying to suppress hisughter.


    Many of the lower house disciples pursed their lips as well, fearing that they might burst outughing. They also looked at Lin Shen in amazement and admiration.


    Lin Shen was bold enough to confront a disciple of the upper house like this!


    Jiang Hao¡¯s face was livid. He had gripped the chair so hard that his knuckles had turned white. It was obvious how frustrated he was.


    Ever since his breakthrough, no disciple of the lower house had dared to talk to him like that!


    That damn bumpkin!


    Jiang Hao was about to lose his temper when Xie Jingsheng interjected with a smile.


    ¡°I admire you for that as well, Junior Brother Jiang. When you¡¯re busy cultivating, you¡¯re always caring for your juniors. You¡¯re indeed a role model!¡±


    Xie Jingsheng wasn¡¯t easy to handle either. He cut off Jiang Hao¡¯s chance to re up and stabbed him in the back. After that, he raised his hand and brushed it off.


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving forward. We need to clear two more mountains before sunset!¡±


    As soon as he said that, the pagoda shook and kept moving forward.


    Jiang Hao¡¯s face turned livid, but it was toote to lose his temper now, and he had no excuse. He could only give Lin Shen a dirty look and let it drop.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t think much of it. He looked away and went back to the battle.


    Because he hadn¡¯t exerted his full power, he had only killed over twenty spiritual beasts.


    The effect of Testify by Killing had only been activated once, but the improvement was astonishing. It directly increased the level of Iron w by 25%!


    Lin Shen wasn¡¯t surprised.


    He had already discovered this pattern during his training in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range some time ago.


    The lower the grade and stage of the martial technique, the more obvious the increase after triggering the effect of Testify by Killing.


    Moreover, as his cultivation increased, the benchmark of this low-level martial technique would further increase.


    For example, when he was only at Level 4 or 5 of the Long Breath Stage, low-level martial techniques like Wolf Soul w and Iron w would rarely increase by more than 15% at the Beginner stage.


    However, after he reached Level 7, the increase in low-level Beginner stage martial techniques was usually about 20%. Sometimes, it would even increase by 25% like just now.


    It could be foreseen that after he broke through to the Bright Aperture stage and triggered the effect of Testify by Killing by killing an Enlightening Stage spiritual beast, perhaps it could directly raise a low-level martial technique by a stage!


    At the thought of this, Lin Shen grew excited.


    After calming himself down, he closed his eyes and began to conserve his energy.


    After what happened just now, the disciples didn¡¯t dare to talk loudly anymore. The martial arts arena fell into a strange silence. It was not until the pagoda reached the next mountain that Xie Jingsheng gave the order to move out.


    It was still the Heaven-rank and Earth-rank disciples who attacked.


    Lin Shen got up and leaped out of the pagoda, descending from the sky under the support of the clouds.


    He wanted to take advantage of this war to fuse a Path-stage movement technique!

 Chapter 148 - 148: Difference Between Bright Aperture and Long Breath (1)

    Chapter 148: Difference Between Bright Aperture and Long Breath (1)


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Henyee Trantions<strong> Editor: </strong>Henyee Trantions


    In the next five days, the pagodas swept over the mountains one after another. Wherever they passed, all the spiritual beasts were killed.


    With that magicalndscape map, the spiritual beasts had nowhere to hide. No matter how hidden they were, they would be discovered and eliminated.


    Without exception, those who attacked were all Heaven-rank and Earth-rank disciples.


    The ck-rank and Yellow-rank disciples weren¡¯t strong enough to fight, and the three upper house disciples wanted to preserve their strength. As long as the Enlightening Stage spiritual beasts didn¡¯t appear, they would stay put.


    Due to the previous conflict, the focus of thendscape map was on Lin Shen every time he went out to fight.


    Because of this, the disciples witnessed the miracle of Lin Shen¡¯s Iron w and Golden Goose Technique going from Beginner to Proficient, and then from Proficient to Mastery in just five days!


    Their initial surprise and confusion gradually turned into shock and disbelief.


    Although many people felt that Lin Shen was wasting his energy and time cultivating multiple simr martial arts techniques, it didn¡¯t stop them from being inexplicably shocked by Lin Shen¡¯s cultivation speed.


    In five days, he cultivated two martial techniques from Beginner to Mastery.


    What kind of cultivation speed was that?


    Was this guy even human?


    For a moment, many disciples were shocked beyond words.


    Even Xie Jingsheng was secretly shocked.


    ¡°No wonder Master thinks so highly of Junior Brother Lin. His cultivation talent is simply the best in the academy. Even Shen Zening is far inferior!¡±


    Jiang Hao stared at the map, his expression fluctuating.


    Fortunately, not long after, the focus of thendscape map changed to someone else.


    Because of this, no one saw the sudden increase in the power of Lin Shen¡¯s martial arts technique.


    <li>? ?</li>


    ¡°I¡¯ve finally broken through!¡±


    Sensing the martial artsprehension and understanding that suddenly appeared in his mind, Lin Shen smiled.


    After fighting spiritual beasts for five days, he had finally cultivated the Iron w and Golden Goose Technique to Perfection.


    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s faster to improve martial techniques with Testify by Killing. If I cultivated normally, I would have to spend at least twice as much time cultivating both martial techniques to Perfection!¡±


    Considering that Path-stage movement technique had to be based on the Cloud Dragon Rhythm, Lin Shen didn¡¯t fuse Golden Goose Technique and Shadows for the time being. He only fused the Iron w into Meltdown.


    In the next second, the Meltdown¡¯s progress jumped slightly and instantly became Meltdown (Path 5%)!


    ¡°Only 5%?¡±


    Lin Shen frowned.


    This increase was a little too insignificant!


    But soon, his brows rxed again.


    He had already verified the power of Path-stage Meltdown. With his Long Breath Stage cultivation, he could even injure an Enlightening Stage spiritual beast. It was indeed powerful.


    If even the Path stage was so powerful, one could imagine how shocking the higher stages were!


    It wasn¡¯t surprising that the conditions for a breakthrough were harsher!


    At most, he would spend more time cultivating more martial techniques.


    Aftering back to his senses, Lin Shen continued to hunt spiritual beasts. This time, he no longer used the Iron w and Golden Goose Technique. Instead, he began to use new martial techniques.


    Cloud Dragon Rhythm and Strange Hands!


    A new round of martial arts upgrades had begun!


    After the battle ended, the disciples returned to the pagoda.


    Although they were still full of energy, they couldn¡¯t hide the fatigue on their faces.


    Although they had killed thousands of spiritual beasts, the disciples weren¡¯t without casualties.


    Thanks to sufficient logistical support, less than two figure of disciples had died in battle.


    However, at this point, the disciples had almost reached their limits.


    Xie Jingsheng swept his gaze across the disciples and said solemnly,


    ¡°Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters, the sect has sent a message. In three days, at noon, the sect¡¯s army will attack the Tiger Tribe¡¯sir. Now, we only need to clear a little over ten mountains and wait for the sect¡¯s army to arrive. Then our mission will be aplished!¡±


    As soon as he said this, the disciples heaved a sigh of relief, and they all looked overjoyed.


    It was finally going to end!


    Over the past few days, even among the Yellow-rank disciples who had killed the fewest beasts, nearly half of the token was filled with the blood essence of spiritual beasts. It was equivalent to ten minor merits.


    If it were any other time, it might take two to three months for them to gain so much.


    But now, they had only used less than half a month. This trip had been quite rewarding.


    A smile appeared on Lin Shen¡¯s face.


    There were three tokens filled with the blood essence of spiritual beasts in his storage bag. In addition, one of them was already more than half full. He had more than 70 minor merits, and his gains were much greater than when he found the Treasure Gold Cloud Sand in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range!


    ¡°This amount of merit points is enough for me to exchange for another 10 to 20 palm techniques. After I cultivate them all to Perfection, it should be enough to make Meltdown reach a higher stage!¡±


    Lin Shen was overjoyed.


    After the disciples calmed down, Xie Jingsheng drove the pagoda forward.


    However, not long after, the pagoda shook violently. A few secondster, it shook violently again.


    Everyone was shocked and quickly turned their heads to look. Only then did they realize in shock that the pagoda had been surrounded by countless gusts of pale wind.


    There were 30 to 40 pirs of wind, and each pir was more than five meters in diameter. They whistled as they continuously smashed into the pagoda, and the momentum was vast and terrifying!


    ¡°Enlightening Stage white-eyed spirit tigers!¡±


    Xie Jingsheng¡¯s smile faded, and he sat up straight, his face solemn.


    ¡°These guys have been hiding for so long. They¡¯re finally willing to appear!¡±


    Mu Chuanhua narrowed his eyes. ¡°They must have guessed that the main force of our sect is about to arrive, so they want to take advantage of this opportunity to finish us off. Heh, these demons are quite ruthless. They didn¡¯t hesitate to sacrifice their own nsmen outside to exhaust our strength.. They only appeared now to take the spoils!¡±

 Chapter 149 - 149: Difference Between Bright Aperture and Long Breath (2)

    Chapter 149: Difference Between Bright Aperture and Long Breath (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    ¡°If they¡¯re not ruthless, they won¡¯t be called demons,¡± Jiang Hao sneered and said coldly. ¡°But they came at the right time. Hurry up and get rid of this group of beasts so that we can wrap up early!¡±


    Jiang Hao had been holding his frustration for the past few days and had no way to vent. He was so aggrieved.


    Now that the Tiger Tribe had led an army to attack, it was a good opportunity for him to vent his anger!


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The powerful white wind kept hitting the pagoda!


    However, the pagoda¡¯s restrictions were exquisite and almost indestructible. Even if cultivator masters came, they wouldn¡¯t be able to break through the restrictions in a short time, let alone a few Enlightening Stage beasts.


    Therefore, after attacking for a while, the beasts who hadunched a sneak attack seemed to understand that they couldn¡¯t do anything to the pagoda. They simply dispersed the wind and revealed themselves.


    In an instant, five ferocious tiger demons standing upright like humans with wings on their backs appeared in the sky.


    With the pagoda as the center, countless spiritual beasts appeared in the surrounding mountains. They covered the entire mountain, and there were no less than a thousand of them.


    Even though they knew that they were safe in the pagoda, many disciples still turned slightly pale when they saw the shocking number of spiritual beasts in front of them. They looked scared.


    ¡°Human cultivators, what¡¯s the point of hiding? Do you dare toe out and fight me?¡±


    A deep voice resounded in the sky like rolling thunder.


    The one who spoke was the tallest of the five tiger demons.


    He was nearly four meters tall, with golden eyes and protruding lips. There were stripes on his head, and his chest and abdomen were broad. He held a huge battle-ax in both hands. His body was extremely majestic and mighty, and his expression carried a look of superiority.


    The arrogant words of the tiger demon made many disciples rather angry.


    Jiang Hao suddenly stood up and said to Xie Jingsheng in a deep voice,


    ¡°Senior Brother Xie, the demons are so arrogant. If we don¡¯t teach them a lesson, won¡¯t the Nine Suns Sect¡¯s reputation be tarnished? Since they want to fight, we might as well fulfill their wish!¡±


    Without waiting for Xie Jingsheng to respond, he rushed out of the tower impatiently.


    Xie Jingsheng shook his head slightly but didn¡¯t stop him.


    Although the pagoda was impregnable, it didn¡¯t have the ability to attack.


    If they stayed in the pagoda, they wouldn¡¯t be afraid of the Tiger Tribe, but at the same time, they wouldn¡¯t be able toplete the mission of clearing the obstacles for the sect.


    Therefore, a battle with the Tiger Tribe was inevitable.


    If they could kill one or two Enlightening Stage spirit tigers before the battle, they would suffer fewer lossester.


    This was also why Xie Jingsheng didn¡¯t stop Jiang Hao.


    After jumping out of the pagoda, Jiang Hao suddenly lit up with a faint green light. He instantly became as light as a feather as he floated in the sky without any support.


    ng!


    Jiang Hao drew the sword at his waist and looked around with his head held high. A trace of arrogance and contempt appeared on his face as he said coldly, ¡°Bloodthirsty bastard, who wants to fight me?¡±


    Upon hearing this, the four tiger demons in the air were instantly enraged as they cursed.


    One of them was a burly tiger demon. His fur was bright yellow with pitch-ck stripes, but his forehead was snow-white. He jumped out and shouted evilly, ¡°Arrogant human brat, I¡¯ll take you on!¡±


    Without waiting for Jiang Hao to respond, he swung his axes murderously.


    Jiang Hao wasn¡¯t intimidated. He sneered and raised his sword to meet the attack.


    In the blink of an eye, the two sides engaged in a fierce battle in the air.


    On the pagoda¡¯s martial arts arena, a group of disciples from the lower house held their breaths and stared fixedly at the battle in the sky.


    This was the first time most of them had seen a Bright Aperture Stage cultivator fight against an Enlightening Stage beast. Naturally, they couldn¡¯t bear to miss any scene.


    Lin Shen was no exception. He watched the battle outside the pagoda with rapt attention.


    The ck-striped tiger demon was extremely strong. As he brandished his axes, they whistled in the wind. Thunderous roars rang out endlessly. Just looking at him made one shudder from the bottom of their hearts!


    If he were to fight a Long Breath Stage cultivator, thetter¡¯s flesh would probably be scraped off!


    However, such a fierce wind had no effect on Jiang Hao. Before it could touch him, it would be destroyed by the sharp sword light and dissipate into nothingness.


    After several exchanges, not only didn¡¯t the ck-spotted tiger demon gain the upper hand, but he was also stabbed by the sword beams that were as fast as lightning several times. A few bloody wounds immediately appeared on its body.


    This minor injury was nothing to the thick-skinned ck-spotted tiger demon, but itpletely aroused his ferocity.


    ¡°ROAR!¡±


    The ck-spotted tiger demon roared angrily at the sky. Suddenly, the two axes shed fiercely. Apanied by the deafening sound of metal shing, a sinister green wind suddenly appeared between the two axes. It wrapped around the surface of the axes like a poisonous snake!


    The next moment, the ck-spotted tiger demon pounced at Jiang Hao and struck down at him with the axes.


    The wind howled again, but this time, it was apanied by a miserable wail.


    The disciple on the pagoda felt their heads spinning when they heard that. They were almost in a trance-like state, and they paled in unison.


    However, Jiang Hao, who was facing this attack head-on, didn¡¯t panic at all. Instead, heughed and swung his sword forward.


    It was just an ordinary strike, but when it was thrust out, a red light suddenly zed. It was as if three suns had appeared out of thin air. Carrying extremely scorching mes, they swept toward the ck-spotted tiger demon.


    Xie Jingsheng and Mu Chuanhua¡¯s eyes lit up when they saw this.


    ¡°Three suns at once!¡± Mu Chuanhua eximed. ¡°Junior Brother Jiang¡¯s Nine Divine Sun Sword has reached another level!¡±


    As soon as he said this, some disciples from the lower house couldn¡¯t help but ask in confusion,


    ¡°Senior Brother Mu, is Senior Brother Jiang using the Nine Divine Sun Sword? I¡¯ve also cultivated this sword technique, and I¡¯ve already attained Mastery, but it¡¯s far from being as impressive as this!¡±


    Many Heaven-rank disciples nodded.


    Nine Divine Sun Sword could be exchanged in the Merit Hall.


    Many disciples who cultivated the Supreme Yang Swordy would switch to the more powerful Nine Divine Sun Sword after their cultivation level increased.


    There were 50 Heaven-rank disciples in the Nine Yang Academy¡¯s lower house, and at least ten of them cultivated the Nine Divine Sun Sword. However, no matter what stage they were in, they would definitely not be able to disy the same shocking might as Jiang Hao!


    Mu Chuanhuaughed when he heard this. He didn¡¯t mind his Junior Brothers¡¯ doubts and exined patiently,


    ¡°There¡¯s no harm in telling you. This involves the difference between the Bright Aperture Stage and the Long Breath Stage.


    ¡°After a cultivator advances to the Bright Aperture Stage, their physical strength and spiritual essence won¡¯t exceed the Long Breath Stage by much. The key is that their soul will be nourished by spiritual essence and grow rapidly, gradually producing spirit resonance. This spirit resonance is the most important difference between the two stages.


    ¡°With spirit resonance, Bright Aperture Stage cultivators can use spirit supplement like cinnabar and peach wood to create effects such as summoning wind and rain. In other words, they can cast spells!


    ¡°Other than that, after gaining spirit resonance, cultivators will undergo earth-shattering changes in martial techniques. Their understanding andprehension of martial techniques will be easier. On the surface, it¡¯ll look like the cultivation speed of martial techniques will increase greatly. As long as there¡¯s enough time, they can reach Perfection in any martial technique!¡±


    This was the first time many disciples of the lower house had heard of such a secret. They couldn¡¯t help but feel surprised, and yearning looks appeared on their faces.


    They all knew how difficult it was to cultivate martial techniques.


    It wasn¡¯t easy to cultivate a martial technique to Mastery, let alone Perfection.


    Reaching Perfection was something that could only be chanced upon by luck. Talent and opportunities were indispensable either.


    Without that most crucial epiphany, they would never be able to reach Perfection!


    ording to Mu Chuanhua, this problem didn¡¯t exist with Bright Aperture Stage cultivators. As long as they were willing to put in the effort, it was only a matter of time before they cultivated their martial techniques to Perfection. How could they not be envious?


    However, Mu Chuanhua¡¯s subsequent words shocked them again.


    ¡°However, Perfection isn¡¯t the end. Bright Aperture Stage cultivators with outstanding talent can reach beyond Perfection and let the martial techniques reach a new level. Martial techniques of that stage are no less powerful than spells!¡±


    The disciples were dumbfounded. They didn¡¯t expect there to be a higher stage after Perfection.


    A disciple swallowed and couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously, ¡°Senior Brother Mu, what stage is that?¡±


    Mu Chuanhua smiled and said,


    ¡°It¡¯s called Path!¡±

 Chapter 150 - 150: Die (1)

    Chapter 150: Die (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions


    Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Path!


    The disciples couldn¡¯t imagine what it would be like.


    They had never thought that martial techniques could reach the same level as spells.


    In their understanding, the power of spells far surpassed martial techniques. The two were simply iparable.


    However, after hearing Mu Chuanhua¡¯s exnation, they realized that their previous understanding waspletely wrong!


    As long as one reached Path, martial techniques could also have powerparable to spells!


    For a moment, many disciples couldn¡¯t help but feel excited.


    However, on second thought, they had to advance to the Bright Aperture Stage and awaken their spirit resonance before they could cultivate Path-stage martial techniques. They immediately felt as if cold water had been poured on them and were depressed.


    It was easier said than done to advance to the Bright Aperture Stage!


    ¡°Senior Brother Mu, do I have to be in the Bright Aperture Stage to cultivate Path-stage martial techniques?¡± A disciple couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Mu Chuanhua chuckled and said, ¡°That¡¯s not true. It¡¯s said that some geniuses with peerless aptitude can cultivate Path-stage martial techniques in the Long Breath Stage. However, I¡¯ve only heard of it and have never seen it with my own eyes.¡±


    Initially, many disciples still had hope when they heard the first sentence, but after Mu Chuanhua exined everything, they all looked dejected.


    He had only heard of it but had never seen it before¡­ Wasn¡¯t this something that only existed in theory?


    That was as good as saying that such a thing was impossible.


    At this moment, someone suddenly asked,


    ¡°Senior Brother Mu, are there any higher stages of martial arts above Path?¡±


    Mu Chuanhua turned around and saw that it was Lin Shen who spoke. He chuckled and said,


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that. Even if there is, it¡¯s most likely beyond the Bright Aperture Stage. It¡¯s not something we cane into contact with.¡±


    From the corner of his eye, he saw that the disciples were curious again. Mu Chuanhua shook his head slightly and said,


    ¡°Don¡¯t bite off more than you can chew. If you have the time to think about this, why don¡¯t you focus on cultivating the martial technique you already have to Perfection?¡±


    Hearing Mu Chuanhua¡¯s words, the disciples of the lower house revealed embarrassed expressions and didn¡¯t ask further.


    While they were talking, the battle outside the pagoda hade to an end.


    The ck-spotted tiger demon was clearly weaker than the Enlightening Stage tiger demon that Lin Shen had encountered previously. Facing Jiang Hao¡¯s Path-stage Nine Divine Sun Sword, the tiger struggled for a moment before finally showing signs of weakness.


    Jiang Hao instantly grasped this opportunity. The longsword in his hand trembled, and amidst the surging waves of fire, three zing suns appeared once again. They stirred up a heatwave that filled the sky as they swept toward the ck-spotted tiger demon, instantly drowning him!


    The stalwart tiger demon watching from the sidelines had a sudden change in expression when he saw this. He wanted to help, but the moment he moved, two streaks of energy locked onto him at the same time. If he made a move, he would immediately be attacked by powerful forces.


    When he looked at his other threepanions, he saw they stood on the spot with bewildered expressions as well. Obviously, they¡¯d threatened the same way.


    The stalwart tiger demon focused his attention and investigated. Soon, he realized that the source of the energy came from the lowest level of the pagoda!


    ¡°There are still two more Bright Aperture Stage cultivators!¡±


    The hearts of the tiger demon sank.


    He had originally sensed that there were only three Bright Aperture Stage cultivators in this tower, so he brought his subordinates to ambush the humans.


    Unexpectedly, the defense of the pagoda was beyond expectation. After a long time, the tigers couldn¡¯t break it, so they lured the cultivators out to fight.


    In the end, not only were the opponents unexpectedly powerful, but there were also two more Bright Aperture Stage cultivators who had hidden extremely well!


    To be able to hide from the demon tiger¡¯s senses, the two cultivators were at least at the seventh level of the Bright Aperture Stage!


    The realization made the stalwart tiger demon¡¯s heart sink to the bottom.


    If there were only three Bright Aperture Stage cultivators, even if they couldn¡¯t defeat the individual cultivators, with their numbers advantage, the stalwart 1 tiger demon wasn¡¯t worried about a total defeat.


    However, with the additional two advanced Bright Aperture Stage cultivators, the situation would be extremely disadvantageous for the tigers!


    While the stalwart tiger demon was secretly shocked, he suddenly heard a familiar scream.


    Looking up, he saw Jiang Hao shing the neck of the ck-spotted tiger demon. Arge head immediately soared into the sky!


    Upon seeing this scene, the stalwart tiger demon was astonished. Without any hesitation, he shot nces at hispanions and made up their minds to retreat.


    At the same time.


    On the tower, Xie Jingsheng¡¯s eyes suddenly moved as if he had heard something. His expression suddenly turned solemn as he said in a low voice,


    ¡°Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters, the two tutors have given orders. The demons outside have the intention to escape. They ordered us to intercept them and kill all the demons of the Tiger Tribe here!¡±


    At this moment, the disciples¡¯ morale was high. When they heard this, they agreed in unison. They jumped out of the pagoda one after another and charged toward the demon beasts on the mountain below.


    Xie Jingsheng and Mu Chuanhua looked at each other and leaped out of the pagoda at the same time. Their bodies glowed with green light as they charged toward the tiger demons.


    The tiger demons didn¡¯t expect their opponent to move so quickly. Before they could react, their opponent had alreadyunched a fierce attack. Caught off guard, they could only brace themselves and fight.


    Mu Chuanhua was the first to face a tiger demon.


    Unexpectedly, Mu Chuanhua¡¯s weapon was a rarely-seen copper hammer. As he swung it, strong winds surged. The power was shocking.


    On the other side, Xie Jingsheng found the stalwart tiger demon and his otherpanion. The spear in his hand flickered as it transformed into dense cold light that enveloped the two tiger demons. He was actually not at a disadvantage against the two tigers!


    At the same time, Jiang Hao, who had just killed the ck-spotted tiger demon,ughed loudly as he found a new enemy¡ªanother white-eyed tiger demon.


    In the sky, three Bright Aperture Stage cultivators and four Enlightening Stage demons fought fiercely..

 Chapter 151 - 151: Die (2)

    Chapter 151: Die (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    On the mountain below, a group of Long Breath Stage disciples was also engaged in a fierce battle with the demon beasts all over the mountain!


    There were a total of three mountains filled with spiritual beasts. Lin Shen chose the one with the most spiritual beasts.


    As soon as hended, his hands stretched out, and at practically the same time, he pped the heads of the three Ascension Stage spiritual beasts that pounced over, and then he passed by them.


    As for the three spiritual beasts, they continued to pounce forward. After flying for more than ten meters, they fell heavily to the ground and stopped moving. They were already dead!


    Without even looking, Lin Shen flew toward the group of spiritual beasts like a tiger entering a flock of sheep, creating a storm of blood!


    With the Forbidden Golden Armor and Bind Yang Gown, Lin Shen was least afraid of a siege.


    The other disciples often traveled together in groups of three or four and faced the enemy with their backs against each other, afraid that they would identally fall into a situation of being attacked from behind.


    However, Lin Shen wasn¡¯t afraid at all. No matter how the sharp ws and fangs of the spiritual beastnded on his body, they only made a muffled sound, as if they had hit a piece of leather. They couldn¡¯t even injure a single strand of his hair. Instead, he turned around and pped them to death!


    In just four to five seconds, a circle of demon beast corpses had alreadyid around Lin Shen.


    Such a ferocious performance immediately attracted the attention of many disciples.


    While the surrounding disciples were secretly speechless at Lin Shen¡¯s strength, their morale also soared at the same time. They shouted and charged at the spiritual beasts.


    Lin Shen did not care about the gazes around him. Instead, he waspletely immersed in the battle.


    The number of spiritual beasts far exceeded the number of disciples in the academy. On average, each academy¡¯s disciple had to face seven to eight spiritual beasts.


    And with Lin Shen¡¯s eye-catching performance, he would attract even more spiritual beasts to besiege him.


    Almost every second, he was surrounded by four to five spiritual beasts.


    Every time a spiritual beast fell, another would follow.


    However, Lin Shen didn¡¯t panic at all. Instead, he was willing to endure it.


    Every ten seconds or so, he could sense the effect of Testify by Killing!


    In a ce that others couldn¡¯t see, his martial arts stage was increasing at an astonishing speed!


    Cloud Dragon Rhythm (Beginner 32%)¡­ Cloud Dragon Rhythm (Beginner 44%)¡­ Cloud Dragon Rhythm (Beginner 58%)¡­


    Strange Hands (Beginner 45%)- Strange Hands (Beginner 70%)¡­ Strange Hands (Beginner 93%)-


    Ten minutester, both Strange Hands and Cloud Dragon Rhythm broke through to Proficient!


    The breakthrough in martial techniques further increased Lin Shen¡¯s efficiency in killing spiritual beasts!


    This feeling of his strength increasing in a virtuous cycle made Lin Shen feel refreshed. He almost wanted to look up at the sky and roar.


    In order to vent the surging emotions in his heart, he could only attack the surrounding spiritual beasts even more fiercely.


    As time passed, the surrounding spiritual beasts gradually lost their initial ferocity. They began to suffer.


    If they could speak humannguage, they would have started cursing long ago!


    He had never seen a human cultivator who became more and more ferocious as he fought!


    More importantly, he was even harder than ck iron. Their ws couldn¡¯t tear through his flesh, and their teeth couldn¡¯t bite through it either. No matter how they attacked, he was unscathed!


    How could they fight such an opponent?


    Just as Lin Shen was immersed in the pleasure brought about by his rapid increase in strength, Jiang Hao encountered trouble.


    Originally, with the momentum of killing the ck-spotted tiger demon, he wanted to quickly kill the second enemy in one go.


    After he started fighting, he realized that the enemy was much stronger than he had expected!


    ¡°Human brat, do you think I¡¯m trash like the ck Fiend?¡±


    Bai Teng smiled sinisterly as he raised the steel fork in his hand. The corners of his mouth curled up, revealing his sharp teeth.


    ¡°I have the white-eyed bloodline. How can trash demons like the ck Fiendpare to me?¡±


    Jiang Hao¡¯s expression was dark, and he didn¡¯t say a word. He dodged the steel fork and shed down.


    The white-eyed bloodline was the royal family of the Tiger Tribe!


    Tiger-type spiritual beasts with the white-eyed bloodline were often stronger than spiritual beasts of the same level.


    Moreover, the purer the bloodline, the stronger they were.


    This was the case for this white-eyed tiger demon.


    Although he was only at the early-phase of the Enlightening Stage, hisbat strength was abnormally powerful. Even if Jiang Hao had the advantage of an enchanted armament, he would probably only be able to barely resist the tiger at his peak.


    He had just experienced an intense battle. Although he had won sessfully, he had consumed a lot of energy.


    Now that he was facing the white-eyed tiger demon, he was already at a disadvantage. It was naturally more difficult for him to withstand the attack.


    Bai Teng was extremely experienced in fighting. He soon noticed that Jiang Hao¡¯s follow-up strikes weren¡¯t strong enough. The sinister smile on his face widened, and he immediately quickened his attack. The steel fork in his hand was instantly wrapped in ayer of pale evil wind, and he stabbed Jiang Hao!


    In an instant, Jiang Hao retreated repeatedly, almost backing into the pagoda.


    Actually, Jiang Hao only needed to retreat into the pagoda and get a temporary respite.


    However, he had always been an extremely arrogant person. How could he allow himself to run away from the hands of the crude and lowly demons? In his anger, he shouted, and the longsword in his hand shone brightly. He once again used the Nine Divine Sun Sword!


    Three zing suns instantly appeared in the air. As Jiang Hao¡¯s longsword stabbed out, they crashed into Bai Teng like meteors!


    In the blink of an eye, Bai Teng was drowned by blinding mes!


    Extreme heat waves swept out in all directions like a hurricane, and explosions seemed never to end.


    Seeing this scene, Jiang Hao heaved a sigh of relief as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He was delighted.


    However, right at this moment, a sharp w suddenly broke through the airwaves and pierced through space like a bolt of lightning. In the blink of an eye, it arrived in front of Jiang Hao and fiercely struck his chest!


    Jiang Hao didn¡¯t expect such a change. He was caught off guard and was hit by the sharp ws!


    In an instant, blood sshed everywhere. With a miserable scream, Jiang Hao fell into the pagoda like a cannonball and smashed into the ground with a bang, creating arge crack.


    His head tilted to the side, and he lost consciousness.


    The airwave dissipated, revealing Bai Teng.


    He was also in a sorry state. His entire body was covered in burnt wounds, and the fur on his chest had been burned away, leaving behind a shockingly huge wound!


    Even though tiger demons were renowned for their tough skin and ability to withstand beatings, it was still not easy for them to endure such injuries.


    Looking at Jiang Hao in the pagoda, Bai Teng spat maliciously.


    ck Fiend¡¯s tragic death was still fresh in his mind. How could he not guard against Jiang Hao¡¯s Nine Divine Sun Sword? He had already thought of a countermeasure.


    Taking advantage of the time when Jiang Hao used the Nine Divine Sun Sword, Bai Teng endured heavy injuries and finally got the chance to kill his opponent with one strike.


    If not for the two Bright Aperture Stage cultivators¡¯ secret interference, he would have definitely dug out Jiang Hao¡¯s heart.


    ¡°These damn human cultivators always put on a high and mighty attitude. They treat us as pirs to sharpen their disciples. One day, I¡¯ll kill these bastards!¡±


    Bai Teng cursed and spat.


    Even so, he knew very well that if not for the sake of training the disciples, the two Bright Aperture Stage cultivators on the first floor of the pagoda would have attacked long ago.


    With their strength and cultivation, once they attacked, no demons here would survive.


    On the other hand, they still had a chance to escape in this situation.


    Bai Teng looked around, wondering if he should take the opportunity to escape or turn around to help hispanions.


    However, he suddenly paused. In the next second, as if he had seen the enemy who had killed his father, he was suddenly filled with anger.


    When Jiang Hao was defeated, Xie Jingsheng and Mu Chuanhua noticed it immediately.


    Their hearts skipped a beat.


    Their power was bnced when the three of them fought against the four tigers.


    As long as Xie Jingsheng defeated his opponent, he would be able to aid Mu Chuanhua and Jiang Hao.


    Both Xie Jingsheng and Mu Chuanhua were confident about this.


    Who would have thought that Jiang Hao would lose so quickly?


    Once Jiang Hao fell, Xie Jingsheng and Mu Chuanhua would have to fight an extra Enlightening Stage tiger. Without a doubt, the current bnce was broken.


    If things went wrong, Xie Jingsheng and Mu Chuanhua would be in danger!


    However, just as Xie Jingsheng and Mu Chuanhua were feeling worried, they saw from the corner of their eyes that the white-eyed spirit tiger didn¡¯t even look at them. Instead, his eyes were bloodshot as he charged toward a mountain below in anger.


    He roared as he ran.


    ¡°You human brat! You¡¯re dead!¡±

 Chapter 152 - 152: Kill an Enlightening Stage Beast (1)

    Chapter 152: Kill an Enlightening Stage Beast (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    The sudden change immediately attracted everyone¡¯s attention.


    Even the tiger demons cast astonished gazes. They had no idea why Bai Teng was so furious.


    The biting cold killing intent woke Lin Shen up immediately. He turned to look at Bai Teng, who was charging at him with a murderous aura. He was at first puzzled, but then he came to a realization.


    He shouldn¡¯t be med for not recognizing the beast.


    The white-eyed spirit tigers all looked simr.


    He didn¡¯t expect that among the white-eyed spirit tigers surrounding the pagoda, one would happen to be the one that he tricked the other day.


    Thump!


    Bai Tengnded heavily on the ground. His heavy and muscr body smashed a deep pit in the ground, and he sent a demon beast in his way flying. He red at Lin Shen with bloodshot eyes, and a sinister sneer appeared on his face.


    ¡°Kid, I¡¯ve finally found you! I still remember clearly how you hurt mest time. I¡¯ll definitely tear you into pieces today!¡±


    Lin Shen was speechless.


    Wasn¡¯t it just a p? Did he have to act like he had seen the enemy who had killed his father?


    ¡°Besides, didn¡¯t you hit back then?¡±


    While Lin Shen was cursing inwardly, Xie Jingsheng and the others were shocked.


    What did they hear?


    Lin Shen had once injured that white-eyed spirit tiger before?!


    How was that possible?


    The tiger was an Enlightening Stage beast!


    If a Long Breath Stage cultivator encountered an Enlightening Stage spiritual beast, they would be lucky to survive. Injuring the other party would be dreaming!


    If it was Lin Shen who said this, everyone would definitely think that he was bragging.


    However, the one who said that was the white-eyed spirit tiger. He wouldn¡¯t lie to expose his shorings, right?


    Instantly, the disciples looked at Lin Shen in shock!


    How incredible!


    He could even injure an Enlightening Stage beast!


    Bai Teng quickly sensed the gazes around him and immediately realized that he seemed to have exposed the humiliation he had suffered at the hands of a Long Breath Stage cultivator. He immediately flew into a rage out of humiliation. Without saying anything else, he shouted and pounced at Lin Shen.


    Facing an Enlightening Stage beast, Lin Shen didn¡¯t dare to use his palm technique that hadn¡¯t reached the Perfection Stage. He immediately took out the Six Yang Sword and waved it, causing arge wave of fire to sweep forward. At the same time, he used the Cloud Dragon Rhythm and retreated far away.


    Bai Teng became angrier and angrier when he missed.


    If not for the fact that he was seriously injured in the battle with Jiang Hao, that attack just now would definitely have killed this kid!


    The defeat in front of everyone made Bai Teng furious. The ferocity in his bones waspletely aroused. He immediately roared, and a ferocious aura suddenly surged from his body.


    Under the horrified gazes of the surrounding disciples, countless white tornadoes condensed out of thin air and wrapped around Bai Teng¡¯s body.


    The clouds followed the dragon, and the wind followed the tiger!


    Tiger demons were great at controlling the wind. With the help of the wind, they were even more capable.


    Bai Teng pounced at Lin Shen, moving much faster than before. He moved like a blurry, pale shadow, and in a split second, he was in front of Lin Shen. His sharp ws smashed down at Lin Shen¡¯s head with a gust of wind!


    Even from afar, the other disciples could sense how terrifying the strike was.


    One could tell if Lin Shen was hit, he wouldn¡¯t be able to survive even with his Physical Enhancement technique.


    Up in the sky, Xie Jingsheng and Mu Chuanhua nched when they saw this.


    The two of them wanted to go to Bai Teng¡¯s aid, but they were stopped by the tiger demons they were fighting. They could only watch as Bai Teng¡¯s wsnded on Lin Shen.


    Many disciples couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for him.


    But there was no blooshcd!


    The next second, the golden light intensified.


    As everyone watched in astonishment, Lin Shen suddenly glowed with a dazzling dark golden light, and an illusory armor-like light appeared out of thin air, enveloping him!


    Bai Teng then struck the golden armor with his sharp ws, making a loud nk.


    Everyone watched as Lin Shen swayed slightly, then casually drew out his Six Yang Talisman Sword and struck down at Bai Teng¡¯s neck.


    The other disciples were dumbfounded, and their eyes widened.


    Xie Jingsheng was stunned.


    Mu Chuanhua eximed in astonishment.


    ¡°Path-stage martial technique!¡±


    A phenomenon appeared when the Path-stage martial technique was used. It was even like a spell. This was a characteristic particr to Path-stage martial techniques.


    The illusionary golden armor around Lin Shen¡¯s body was clearly the embodiment of a Path-stage martial technique!


    Xie Jingsheng and Mu Chuanhua were shocked.c


    They never expected that Lin Shen would actually reach Path in a martial technique at the Long Breath Stage!


    The two tutors on the ground floor of the pagoda were equally shocked.


    The two of them looked at each other and could see the shock and amazement in each other¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°To be able to Path at the Long Breath Stage¡­ He¡¯s a genius!¡±


    Master Shi took a deep breath, looking utterly amazed.


    The other tutor also nodded in bewilderment and retracted the sword talisman in his hand.


    When Bai Teng pounced on Lin Shen, he was already prepared to save thetter.


    Forget about the other disciples. Lin Shen was a disciple that Master Si had high hopes for, and he was also a genius that the academy had been very popr with recently. Nothing must happen here.


    However, before he could make a move, he saw Lin Shen use a Path-stage martial technique. He was simply astonished.


    A Long Breath Stage cultivator mastering a Path-stage martial technique was something that only existed in theory!


    At least in Dragonside City, he had never heard of anyone who could do it.


    Even Su Liuying, who was so talented that he could defeat all disciples in the entire academy back then, only mastered the Path-stage martial technique after advancing to the Bright Aperture Stage..

 Chapter 153 - 153: Kill an Enlightening Stage Beast (2)

    Chapter 153: Kill an Enlightening Stage Beast (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to describe Lin Shen¡¯s current performance as shocking!


    Thinking of this, the two tutors became even more curious about Lin Shen. They decided to temporarily put aside the idea of attacking the tiger and see how Lin Shen was going to deal with that Enlightening Stage tiger demon.


    With the Path-stage Physical Enhancement technique, even if Lin Shen couldn¡¯t defeat the heavily injured white-eyed tiger demon, it should not be a problem for him to protect himself.


    At this moment, countless gazes were focused on Lin Shen.


    Even the three tiger demons in the sky couldn¡¯t help but look over in horror.


    They had never thought that one day, they would actually see a Path-stage martial technique on a Long Breath Stage cultivator!


    When did the Nine Suns Sect have such an astonishingly talented young disciple?


    Bai Teng was equally shocked.


    However, he wasn¡¯t shocked that Lin Shen had a Path-stage martial technique. After all, he had been injured by Lin Shen¡¯s Path-stage martial technique back then. How could he not know this?


    What truly shocked him was that what Lin Shen used at this moment wasn¡¯t the Path-stage martial technique that injured him back then, but another one!


    This human kid had actually mastered two Path-stage martial techniques at the same time?!


    Bai Teng¡¯s emotion was in turmoil.


    However, he could no longer immerse himself in shock. As Lin Shen swung his sword, iparably sharp sword energy shed toward his neck!


    Caught off guard, Bai Teng had to lean backward.


    Although he avoided being decapitated, the scorching wound on his chest and abdomen had received a vicious sword strike. The intense pain made Bai Teng let out a miserable cry.


    The pain made Bai Teng even angrier. He swung his ws at Lin Shen without care.


    His weapon had long been destroyed in the fierce battle with Jiang Hao. At this moment, he could only rely on his bare hands to fight.


    However, although the bodies of Enlightening Stage demons were iparably powerful, they were still inferior to enchanted armaments, not to mention that the Six Yang Talisman Sword was a middle-grade enchanted armament.


    After a few head-on shes, Bai Teng¡¯s sharp ws had a few charred holes, and he suffered quite a bit.


    II


    Damn that brat!


    II


    Bai Teng roared repeatedly.


    However, Lin Shen¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. With the powerful defense of the Path-stage Forbidden Golden Armor, he wasn¡¯t afraid of Bai Teng, who was unarmed. He struck back the sword, leaving wounds on Bai Teng¡¯s body.


    Although these wounds were insignificant to the Enlightening Stage demon, they would umte, and Bai Teng, who was already seriously injured, soon felt him getting weak.


    Bai Teng instantly became alert. He knew that if he continued fighting, even if he didn¡¯t lose to Lin Shen, he would lose hisst chance to escape. Therefore, he gritted his teeth and quickly made up his mind.


    ¡°ROAR!¡±


    A deafening tiger roar resounded through the forest.


    At the same time, a thunderous wind howled.


    Countless pale and evil winds blew up from the top of the mountain in an instant. A few disciples and spiritual beasts who couldn¡¯t dodge in time were touched by the evil wind and didn¡¯t even have the time to scream. They were instantly corroded, their bones melted, and they exploded into a blood mist that filled the sky!


    Seeing this terrifying scene, the expressions of the nearby disciples changed drastically, and they scrambled back.


    Even the spiritual beasts whimpered in fear and left.


    In the blink of an eye, the mountaintop where Lin Shen and Bai Teng were at was filled with evil winds.


    The air was filled with whiteness. Sand and stones flew everywhere, and there was a loud bang. One couldn¡¯t see the situation inside at all.


    At the same time.


    Surrounded by the evil wind, Lin Shen acutely sensed that a strange power was constantly corroding the golden armor phantom on his body.


    In just two to three seconds, the golden color became visibly dimmer.


    At this rate, the golden armor would probably dissipate in less than two minutes!


    Lin Shen¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    It was obvious that this was the tiger¡¯s trump card.


    After all, the tiger never used this move even when he was injured in the battle against Jiang Hao. It was most likely because of some seque or side effects.


    Now that he had used it, it was obvious that he was determined to kill Lin Shen!


    Even so, there was no fear on Lin Shen¡¯s face. Instead, he observed his surroundings with a solemn expression.


    Soon, the ear-piercing sound of ws tearing through the air came from the right.


    Bai Teng appeared from the evil wind and charged at Lin Shen with a ferocious expression.


    Just as Lin Shen had guessed, Bone Eroding Wind was Bai Teng¡¯s most powerful trump card. It was also the mystical ability that he had awakened after advancing to the Enlightening Stage.


    However, although this ability was powerful, once it was used, it could onlyst for three to four minutes at most. After that, he would fall into a weakened state because of excessive consumption. It was a move that would either kill or save him!


    Therefore, unless it was absolutely necessary, Bai Teng rarely used Bone Eroding Wind.


    ¡°As long as I kill this kid before the Bone Eroding Wind disappears, I can use the wind to escape!


    ¡°The wind has the effect of blocking perception. Even those two Bright Aperture Stage cultivators can¡¯t stop me from leaving!¡±


    As these thoughts raced through Bai Teng¡¯s mind, a sinister smile appeared on his face.


    But at this moment, he suddenly saw Lin Shen turn around and smile at him.


    Bai Teng¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Before he could figure out what Lin Shen meant, he saw thetter¡¯s figure suddenly blur.


    Under Bai Teng¡¯s shocked gaze, Lin Shen suddenly split into seven.


    ¡°What is this?!


    II


    Bai Teng was shocked and couldn¡¯t believe his eyes.


    Spells? Clones?


    However, reality didn¡¯t give him any time to be surprised. In the next second, he saw the seven ¡°Lin Shen¡± jump apart and surround him from all directions.


    In a sh, the seven of them raised their palms at the same time.


    In an instant, a dazzling scarlet light surged forth and quickly condensed into a huge hand that was ten feet long. Carrying an iparably mighty aura and surging heat waves, it crushed toward Bai Teng like an avnche!


    Path-stage Meltdown!


    With his previous experience, Bai Teng had been secretly guarding against Lin Shen¡¯s Meltdown. However, he didn¡¯t expect Lin Shen to have clones, or that he would have to face seven Meltdowns at the same time!


    Despair finally appeared in Bai Teng¡¯s eyes when he saw seven iparably huge scarlet palms attacking from all directions at the same time.


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    BOOM!


    An ear-splitting boom interrupted Bai Teng¡¯s desperate cry!


    Seven crimson palms instantly submerged Bai Teng. The surging hot palm force and mes exploded, and a shock wave visible to the naked eye spread out in all directions from the point of collision!


    At the bottom floor of the pagoda, the two tutors suddenly stood up and stared at the mountain in the distance with furrowed brows.


    ¡°Bone Eroding Wind! I didn¡¯t expect this white-eyed spirit tiger to have such a trick up his sleeves!¡±


    ir


    What should we do? Should we attack?


    ii


    Master Shi only hesitated for a moment before nodding decisively.


    ¡°Attack!


    II


    Although they had long made it clear that they wouldn¡¯t easily interfere in the battle between disciples and spiritual beasts, Lin Shen was special after all. Moreover, the cultivation level of the Enlightening Stage spiritual beasts had long exceeded the capability of the Long Breath Stage disciples. They weren¡¯t afraid of being criticized if they attacked now.


    After making the decision, the two tutors were about to leave the pagoda.


    However, in the next second, the two of them suddenly stopped and raised their heads to look in the direction of the mountain. Their faces were filled with surprise and doubt.


    Looking over, the pale evil wind that pervaded the top of the mountain had been dyed withyers of red at some point, as if a bright sun was about to break out!


    In the next moment, an earth-shattering bang suddenly erupted.


    The entire mountain seemed to tremble. Boundless surging scarlet airwaves broke through the violent wind and swept in all directions. In an instant, they swept away the pale evil wind that enveloped the mountain!


    The disciples and spiritual beasts who were fighting stopped at the same time and widened their eyes to look at the mountain.


    The mountaintop that had returned to its empty state was already in ruins. There were potholes, cracks, and charred gravel scattered all over the ground.


    In the center of the mess stood two figures.


    Lin Shen stood up straight, holding the talisman sword in his hand, looking rxed and calm.


    Opposite him was someone who waspletely charred ck and almost impossible to recognize.


    It was none other than Bai Teng.


    Whew!


    A breeze blew past, and Bai Teng¡¯s charred body swayed a few times before falling to the ground with a bang, motionless and silent..

 Chapter 154 - 154: Eye Opener (1)

    Chapter 154: Eye Opener (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Silence!


    A hush fell over the crowd.


    No one on the vast battlefield made a sound.


    Both the disciples of the academy and the members of the Tiger Tribe watched this with open mouths.


    No one had expected that an Enlightening Stage demon would be defeated by a mere Long Breath Stage cultivator!


    In the tower, the two tutors looked at Lin Shen in a daze. They were stunned and couldn¡¯t speak for a long time.


    After a long time, the two of them came back to their senses and looked at each other.


    ¡°Did you see it clearly?¡± Master Shi hesitated.


    Master Gong shook his head. ¡°Bone Erosion Wind has the effect of obscuring spirit resonance.¡±


    They looked at each other, shocked and confused.


    They really couldn¡¯t understand how Lin Shen had killed that Mystic Enlightening realm white-eyed spirit tiger.


    In their original expectations, Lin Shen could at most protect himself.


    ¡°That red light just now¡­ Could it be another Path-stage martial technique?¡± Master Shi suddenly said.


    ¡°You mean¡­ Lin Shen has mastered two Path-stage martial techniques?¡± Master Gong was shocked and instinctively wanted to deny that spection. After all, it was already shocking enough for a Long Breath Stage cultivator to master one Path-stage martial technique!


    Mastering two types at the same time?


    It was unimaginable!


    However, on second thought, if that wasn¡¯t the case, how could they exin how Lin Shen killed the Enlightening Stage white-eyed spirit tiger?


    Previously, when Lin Shen used the Path-stage martial technique, Master Gong was sure that it was a Physical Enhancement martial technique. It could defend Lin Shen well enough but didn¡¯t do much in attacking enemies. It was impossible for Lin Shen to use it to kill the white-eyed tiger demon.


    It seemed that only Master Shi¡¯s guess could exin the current situation.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, that would be incredible¡­¡± Master Gong muttered.


    At the same time, Xie Jingsheng, who was high in the sky, had alsoe back to his senses. He suppressed the surprise and immediately circted his energy to raising his voice,


    ¡°Junior Brother Lin has won and killed the white-eyed tiger demon. Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters, follow me to kill the monsters of the Tiger Tribe!¡± His clear voice instantly spread for miles. The disciples immediately recovered from their shock and erupted into loud cheers. Their morale soared as they aggressively charged toward the spiritual beasts.


    Because of Bai Teng¡¯s unexpected defeat, the Tiger Tribe¡¯s morale instantly plummeted to rock bottom.


    Under such circumstances, how could they withstand the disciples? In an instant, they were forced to retreat, gradually showing signs of failing.


    At this point, the remaining three tiger demons understand that the situation was hopeless. They all thought about retreating.


    Xie Jingsheng immediately saw through the enemy¡¯s n and smiled faintly. ¡°Junior Brother Lin is brilliant. As his Senior Brother, I can¡¯t fall behind!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he activated his spiritual essence and stabbed forward with the spear in his hand!


    There seemed to be a rumble of thunder. A golden rainbow pierced through the sky from top to bottom and attacked a tiger demon like a bolt of lightning!


    A Path-stage martial technique!


    The tiger demon was still in shock at Bai Teng being killed by a Long Breath Stage cultivator and hadn¡¯te back to his senses yet. By the time he reacted, it was toote. The golden rainbow instantly pierced through his chest, and he died on the spot!


    The remaining two tiger demons were terrified when they saw this. Without thinking, they tried to flee.


    Unfortunately, Xie Jingsheng and Mu Chuanhua soon caught up and intercepted them. Having no other choice, they could only brace themselves and fight.


    However, they had lost their momentum and strength. Their defeat was destined.


    On the mountain below, Lin Shen heaved a sigh of relief after killing Bai Teng. Then, he charged toward the other spiritual beasts without stopping.


    Now was a good time to pursue victory. If he could kill more spiritual beasts, he would be able to trigger the effect of Testify by Killing a few more times!


    The battle quickly turned into a one-sided ughter. Not long after, the two tiger demons died, and the spiritual beasts fled with the cultivators at their heels.


    It wasn¡¯t until sunset that the disciples returned to the pagoda excitedly.


    At this moment, Jiang Hao had already woken up after a round of treatment.


    He was sitting in his seat in a daze, and his expression was still a little sluggish.


    He had already learned from the disciple in charge of treating him that Lin Shen had used a Path-stage martial technique to kill Bai Teng.


    When Jiang Hao heard this, his first reaction was disbelief.


    However, when he saw Bai Teng¡¯s charred corpse and heard the disciples¡¯ discussions and exmations, he finally had to admit the truth.


    After the suspicion disappeared, a strong sense of loss and disbelief surged in the depths of his heart.


    He believed himself to be extremely talented. He had only been in the academy for three years, but he had already advanced to the Bright Aperture Stage. He had also cultivated the Nine Divine Sun Sword to Path at only the third level of the Bright Aperture Stage. He felt he was more talented than anyone else!


    He thought Shen Zoning, Xie Jingsheng, and some others were only more advanced than him because they entered the academy a year earlier.


    In a few more years, he was 100% confident that he could surpass Shen Zoning and Xie Jingsheng.


    His talent and strength far exceeded his peers giving Jiang Hao strong confidence.


    However, today, his confidence was shattered!


    Lin Shen had grasped a Path-stage martial technique at the Long Breath Stage.


    This kind of thing only existed in rumors, but now, it had really happened!


    Compared to that, Jiang Hao¡¯s talent and strength which he was proud of suddenly seemed insignificant!


    His pride had been crushed. This made Jiang Hao feel a strong sense of loss.


    What was even more uneptable was that the person who had shattered his pride was Lin Shen, whom he had mocked and despised not long ago!


    Moreover, Lin Shen had killed the white-eyed tiger demon that had severely injured Jiang Hao!


    How ironic!


    Jiang Hao even had the illusion that many disciples were secretly mocking him..

 Chapter 155 - 155: Eye Opener (2)

    Chapter 155: Eye Opener (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    The gazes thatnded on him seemed to be filled with mockery and disdain. This made Jiang Hao ufortable, and he almost wanted to turn around and leave.


    Seeing the change in Jiang Hao¡¯s expression, Xie Jingsheng couldn¡¯t help but shake his head.


    Cultivators should be calm and indifferent. Jiang Hao seemed to have a long way to go in terms of his temperament and bearing.


    Shaking his head, Xie Jingsheng ignored Jiang Hao. He turned around and smiled. He went up to Lin Shen, who had returned to the pagoda and chuckled.


    ¡°Junior Brother Lin, you really gave us a huge surprise! I didn¡¯t expect to see a Long Breath Stage cultivator killing an Enlightenment Stage beast in my lifetime!¡±


    ¡°Senior Brother, you tter me. I was just lucky. That white-eyed tiger demon was seriously injured, to begin with. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to kill it.¡± Lin Shen smiled indifferently.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the case.¡± Mu Chuanhua walked over and chuckled. ¡°The injured Enlightening Stage beast is still an Enlightening Stage one. How many people can kill an Enlightening Stage beast like Junior Brother Lin? You¡¯re being too humble!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, everyone around him immediately agreed.


    ¡°Senior Brother Mu is right!¡±


    ¡°If it were me facing that white-eyed tiger demon, I wouldn¡¯t be able tost a single round!¡±


    ¡°Senior Brother Lin is such a humble person! How noble of him!¡±


    Seeing that the two upper house disciples were full of praise for Lin Shen, many disciples immediately joined the army of sucking up to him.


    In any case, it wasn¡¯t like they would lose anything by saying something nice.


    Moreover, many people wanted to get closer to Lin Shen.


    He was a peerless genius who could master a Path-stage martial technique at the Long Breath Stage!


    His future was definitely promising!


    If they didn¡¯t take advantage of this opportunity to get closer to him, he might ignore them in the future!


    For a moment, Lin Shen was surrounded by the disciples.


    On the other hand, Jiang Hao, who had sacrificed himself to severely injure the white-eyed tiger demon, was ignored and sat alone.


    Seeing this scene, Jiang Hao felt suffocated. He couldn¡¯t vent his anger and felt simply too aggrieved.


    After a while, Xie Jingsheng dispersed the crowd and let everyone recuperate and rest. After all, there were still more than ten mountains to sweep.


    The crowd dispersed as instructed. Lin Shen heaved a sigh of relief and informed Xie Jingsheng and Mu Chuanhua before returning to his room on the third floor. He closed the door and began to check the gains from this battle. Although this battle was thrilling, the gains were also abnormally abundant.


    During the battle, the effect of Testify by Killing had been triggered more than 20 times!


    It was partly because Lin Shen had killed a lot of spiritual beasts, and partly because the quality of the spiritual beasts was high.


    Arge proportion of the spiritual beasts that died at Lin Shen¡¯s hands were mid- andte-phase Ascension Stage beasts.


    ¡°Iron w, Golden Goose Technique, Strange Hand, and Cloud Dragon Rhythm¡­ A total of four martial techniques have reached Perfection!¡±


    Lin Shen was filled with joy.


    The battle with Bai Teng sessfully triggered the effect of Testify by Killing, and it happened to be on the Cloud Dragon Rhythm.


    It allowed this martial technique to rise from Mastery 23% directly to Perfection!


    Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but sigh. The higher the stage, the more dangerous it was to kill monsters, but once he seeded, the benefits would be shocking.


    This way, he could start fusing his movement techniques.


    Without hesitation, Lin Shen immediately began to integrate Cloud Dragon Rhythm, Shadows, and Golden Goose Technique.


    Not long after, a new martial technique appeared on the interface.


    [Unnamed martial technique (Perfection 50%)]


    As usual, Lin Shen named it Cloud Dragon Rhythm.


    ¡°I¡¯m still two Perfection-stage martial techniques away from another


    Path-stage martial technique.¡±


    Lin Shen was very excited.


    After calming himself down, he continued to fuse the Strange Hand into Meltdown. As expected, his progress increased by 5%.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Well-versed]


    [Stage: Long Breath Level 7, 34%]


    [Cultivation techniques: Golden Crow Scripture (83% Mastery), Meltdown (10% Path), Forbidden Golden Armor (0% Path), Cloud Dragon Rhythm (50% Perfection), Dragon Roar Through the Clouds (Perfection), Supreme Yang Swordy (Perfection), Essence Sword Finger (Perfection), Mortal Restrain (92% Proficient)]


    [Number of clones: 6 (33%)]


    What was worth mentioning was that as the four new martial techniques reached Perfection, Analogy also increased again.


    ¡°Martial arts cultivation speed +180%, martial arts power +90%!


    ¡°I¡¯m still two Perfection-stage martial techniques away from raising the effect of my talent to the maximum.¡±


    A smile shed across Lin Shen¡¯s face.


    He took out the Energy Recovery Pill from his storage bag and swallowed it. Then, he began to recover the True Qi he had consumed.


    At the same time, the six clones in his mind began to cultivate Moving Star Steps and Traceless Snow Steps.


    After defeating the Tiger Tribe¡¯s vanguard, they didn¡¯t encounter any decent resistance on the way.


    The pagoda flew over in an overwhelming manner and encountered very few spiritual beasts.


    They probably realized that they were no match for the disciples and decided to flee.


    Lin Shen was disappointed.


    Three dayster, at noon.


    The pagoda hovered above the mountaintop. Everyone, including the three upper house disciples, stood quietly on the first level and looked up at the sky, as if they were waiting for something.


    Even the two tutors appeared. They stood with their hands behind their backs and their eyes closed.


    After about half an hour, the two tutors suddenly opened their eyes at the same time and looked up at the sky in the distance.


    ¡°They¡¯re here!¡± Master Shi said in a deep voice.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the clouds above the distant mountain peak suddenly stirred. A huge block suddenly broke through the clouds and flew out, casting arge shadow on the mountain peak.


    Even though they were thousands of meters away, everyone still had the illusion that their vision had darkened slightly. It was as if their entire vision had been filled by that huge presence..

 Chapter 156 - 156: Eye Opener (3)

    Chapter 156: Eye Opener (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Taking a closer look, they saw that the huge object was a flying pce.


    Each side of the flying pce was nearly a thousand meters long, and the building was more than five hundred meters tall. There was a three-story watchtower on each of the four corners. It was made of ck bricks, golden tiles, and jade stage copper pirs. There was a dense colorful aura around it.


    ¡°It¡¯s the sect¡¯s Tianshu Flying Pce!¡±


    Xie Jingsheng looked surprised.


    The other disciples had simr expressions.


    Everyone was shocked by the enormous flying pce.


    Lin Shen was no exception.


    It was hard to imagine how much manpower and material resources were needed to create such a thing.


    ¡°Although there are no spaceships or starships in the world of cultivators, this Tianshu Flying Pce isn¡¯t much different,¡± Lin Shen sighed inwardly.


    Unlike the pagoda that the disciples were currently in, the Tianshu Flying Pce in front of them not only had many array formations and restrictions, but it was also impregnable. It also had powerful offensive capabilities. It was a true weapon of war!


    Furthermore, there were pavilions, corridors, ponds, and gardens in it. Even if there were a thousand people living inside, it would not be crowded. In terms of the living environment, it far exceeded the pagoda.


    Under the surprised gazes of many disciples, the Tianshu Flying Pce flew over the pagoda without stopping and toward the depths of the mountain range.


    That was where the Tiger Tribe¡¯sir was!


    ¡°The real war is about to begin!¡± Xie Jingsheng whispered.


    Lin Shen heard this clearly and nodded in agreement.


    Although they had been fighting fiercely for the past few days, it was nothingpared to the battle between the Nine Suns Sect and the Tiger Tribe!


    The ones who would decide the oue of a war would always be those high and mighty cultivator masters.


    They were just scavengers who helped the sect sweep away the minions along the way.


    Now that they hadpleted their mission, the rest was up to the main army of the sect.


    After looking into the distance for a moment, Master Shi retracted his gaze and ordered in a low voice.


    ¡°Return to the city!¡±


    Xie Jingsheng and the other disciples immediately bowed respectfully.


    Not long after, the pagoda changed direction and flew toward Dragonsidc City.


    When the pagoda arrived at the east gate of Dragonside City, the other two groups had already returned and were gathered together, excitedly chatting about what they had seen and heard in the past few days or showing off their achievements.


    Lin Shen rode a cloud and slowly descended from the pagoda. His clothes were already clean and tidy again.


    The Bind Yang Gown had an automatic cleaning function, to begin with. In addition, Lin Shen even used the Cleansing Talisman to clean his hands, feet, and face. At this moment, he didn¡¯t look like he had just experienced a war that hadsted for more than half a month.


    As soon as hended, Yang Zhongyi was the first to notice him.


    ¡°Lin!¡±


    Waving his hand, Yang Zhongyi walked over with a smile.


    Su Nian followed beside him with a faint smile on his face.


    Lin Shen sized up the two of them and smiled.


    ¡°Looks like you guys have gained a lot recently.¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± Yang Zhongyi chuckled.


    Despite what he said, there was a big smile on his face. Lin Shen knew Yang Zhongyi must have had a fruitful experience and was secretly delighted.


    As expected, Su Nian revealed the truth.


    ¡°This guy got two essence-absorbing tokens full of blood essence andughed all the way here from the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range.¡±


    ¡°Stop talking about me. Didn¡¯t you also get two full tokens? Aren¡¯t you happy?¡± Yang Zhongyi rolled his eyes at Su Nian.


    Lin Shen smiled as he watched the two of them bicker.


    For a Yellow-rank disciple, it was already impressive enough to obtain two essence-absorbing tokens full of blood essence. It would earn them a total of 4.0 minor merits.


    ¡°What about you, Lin Shen?¡± Su Nian suddenly asked Lin Shen.


    Lin Shen smiled.


    He had obtained much more tokens than Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian.


    Especially in the battle where he killed Bai Teng, the blood essence he absorbed was more than enough to fill two tokens.


    Now, he had as many as eight tokens full of blood essence, and one was more than half full. In total, he could exchange for more than 170 minor merits!


    He had earned more merit points than he hadbined in the past. It was incredible!


    ¡°No wonder so many disciples can¡¯t wait to go to war. As long as you have enough strength, the battlefield is indeed a good ce to obtain arge number of merit points.¡±


    As this thought shed through his mind, Lin Shen was about to answer the question when he heard amotion. He turned around and saw a young man in his twenties surrounded by many disciples who were showering him with ttery.


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes flickered, and he asked curiously, ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±


    Yang Zhongyi took a look and pursed his lips. ¡°Yan Jingren, Yan Xing¡¯s elder brother.¡±


    Lin Shen nodded. No wonder he looked a little familiar. Yan Jingren¡¯s facial features were quite simr to Yan Xing¡¯s.


    ¡°It¡¯s said that Yan Jingren killed an Enlightening Stage demon a few days ago. He¡¯s probably feeling smug now.¡±


    Because of Yan Xing, Yang Zhongyi didn¡¯t have a good impression of Yan Jingren, so his tone was a little impolite.


    ¡°He¡¯s in the Bright Aperture Stage. If you ask me, what¡¯s there to be smug about killing an Enlightening Stage demon? If he¡¯s really powerful, why didn¡¯t he kill one when he was in the Long Breath Stage?¡±


    A disciple beside Yang Zhongyi was probably Yan Jingren¡¯s supporter. When he heard this, he immediately turned around and red at Yang Zhongyi.


    ¡°A Long Breath Stage cultivator killing an Enlightening Stage beast? That¡¯s the funniest joke I¡¯ve ever heard. Even if you¡¯re jealous of Senior Brother Yan and want to pick on him, you should at least pick something reasonable. Why are you talking about such an impossible thing?¡±


    As the disciple sneered, he realized that for some reason, the people around him were staring at him with strange expressions, as if they were looking at a fellow who had never seen the world..

 Chapter 157 - 157: Underground Spirit Cave (1)

    Chapter 157: Underground Spirit Cave (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    The disciple looked around in confusion, not understanding why everyone was looking at him strangely.


    It wasn¡¯t until a good friend ran up to his ear and whispered a few words that the disciple looked at Lin Shen in disbelief. Then, his face turned red, and he hurriedly lowered his head and walked away.


    At this moment, the news that Lin Shen had mastered a Path-stage martial technique and killed an Enlightening Stage white-eyed tiger demon had already quickly spread in the crowd.


    Instantly, countless gazes of surprise, shock, and admiration focused on Lin Shen.


    Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian also found out what had happened. While they were shocked, they didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry.


    Lin Shen was indeed Lin Shen. No matter where he went, he could always create shocking news.


    In the crowd, Yan Jingren took a long look at Lin Shen and turned to leave.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t stay any longer. Before the people who wanted to get close to him surrounded him, he left the scene with Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian.


    After returning to the Nine Yang Academy, Lin Shen didn¡¯t return to the wooden building immediately. Instead, he rushed straight to the Merit Hall.


    In thest three days of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range, although he didn¡¯t kill many spiritual beasts, his clones cultivated day and night, allowing his Moving Star Steps to reach Perfection.


    After the fusion, Cloud Dragon Rhythm had already reached 75% Perfection.


    Once his Traceless Snow Steps reached Perfection, the Cloud Dragon Rhythm would advance to Path.


    Arriving at the Merit Hall, Lin Shen first went to the Mission Hall to exchange the tokens for merit points.


    The person on duty today wasn¡¯t Jiao Yu, but an unfamiliar girl.


    Seeing Lin Shen take out nine merit tokens, eight of which were full, the girl was dumbfounded.


    This was the first time she had seen a Long Breath Stage disciple exchange so many tokens for merit points!


    Fortunately, she quickly recognized that the person was the academy¡¯s most popr disciple, Lin Shen. Hence, she suppressed the shock and quickly registered the tokens for him.


    A momentter, he obtained 173 minor merits!


    Lin Shen then arrived at the Exchange Hall.


    Opening the martial arts exchange list, his gaze firstnded on the sword technique.


    Apart from palm techniques, Physical Enhancement techniques, and movement techniques, he also nned to cultivate a weapon-type Path-stage martial technique.


    With the Perfection Supreme Yang Swordy, sword techniques were undoubtedly the first choice.


    ¡°However, the level of the Supreme Yang Swordy is a little low. It¡¯s only on the same level as Shadows. It¡¯s not suitable to be the main body of the fusion martial technique. It¡¯s best to choose a more powerful sword technique!¡±


    Lin Shen suddenly thought of the Nine Divine Sun Sword that Jiang Hao had used to kill the ck-spotted tiger demon.


    That seemed to be a good sword technique.


    He immediately looked at the list and quickly found his target.


    Nine Divine Sun Sword, 12 minor merits.


    ¡°It requires more merit points than Meltdown!¡±


    Lin Shen raised his eyebrows in surprise, then he was overjoyed.


    The more merit points it cost, the stronger this sword technique would be!


    Furthermore, Lin Shen had seen the power of the Nine Divine Sun Sword after it had reached Path.


    Jiang Hao could already heavily injure an Enlightening Stage tiger demon with just three suns. If he cultivated nine suns, he would probably be able to instantly kill an Enlightening Stage white-eyed tiger demon.


    Thinking of this, Lin Shen no longer hesitated and decided to choose this sword technique.


    After that, Lin Shen chose three more sword techniques.


    South Mountain Sword, two minor merits.


    Sinking Sand Sword, three minor merits.


    Flying Eagle Sword, three minor merits.


    The four sword techniques cost him a total of 20 minor merits.


    Immediately after, Lin Shen exchanged for another 15 palm techniques and five Physical Enhancement martial arts techniques.


    After everything was settled, he only had three minor merits left.


    Among the remaining Physical Enhancement martial arts on the exchange list, the cheapest required five minor merits.


    ¡°Merit points are used up so fast. No matter how many merit points there are, it¡¯s not enough.¡±


    Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    In just a moment, therge number of merit points he had just obtained was almostpletely spent.


    ¡°However, 20 martial techniques are enough tost me for a while!¡±


    Lin Shen did some calctions in his heart. 20 palm techniques were enough to raise the progress of Meltdown to 100%.


    At that time, he would still need quite a few Physical Enhancement techniques.


    If he wanted to exchange for more, he would probably need 80 to 90 minor merits.


    However, he didn¡¯t know how long the war in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range wouldst. For the time being, he could forget about carrying out missions there.


    There were many rted missions in theke and swamp to the west of Dragonside City and the wilderness to the east. He could always earn merit points there.


    However, after thinking about it, Lin Shen decided not to carry out the mission for the time being. He would cultivate and fuse all the martial techniques in his hands first.


    ¡°Unfortunately, there arc too few demon beasts in the west and east. The hunting efficiency is too low, so it¡¯s not suitable to work on the effect of ¡°Testify by Killing.¡±


    Lin Shen felt a little regretful. It seemed like he could only cultivate in seclusion during this period of time.


    After calming himself down, Lin Shen thought for a moment and used the remaining three minor merits to exchange for three Seven Star Swords.


    Currently, he only had one Six Yang Talisman Swordwhicht was an enchanted armament. In addition, he had five Seven Star Swords that were talisman weapons.


    However, with his clones, there were a total of seven of them. Six weapons were simply not enough. The remaining one could only be used as a Hundred Refinement Weapon.


    ¡°When will everyone have a Six Yang Talisman Sword?¡± Lin Shen sighed inwardly.


    When he came back to his senses, he left the Merit Hall with a pile of martial technique manuals.


    Eight dayster.


    Deep in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range.


    The huge Tianshu Flying Pce was propped up on a cloud.


    In the main hall, dozens of people sat opposite each other.


    The person in the main seat had a long nose and a wide forehead. His eyes were like those of an eagle, and he was extremely majestic. He was twice as strong as an ordinary person. At a nce, his aura was simply terrifying..

 Chapter 158 - 158: Underground Spirit Cave (2)

    Chapter 158: Underground Spirit Cave (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions


    Editor: Henyee Trantions


    There were more than 20 people sitting under the golden and bronze pirs on both sides, and more than 500 disciples stood outside the hall.


    Huo Enrong sat on the high tform and looked around with bright eyes. He said in a low voice,


    ¡°Everyone, after a month of intense fighting, the Tiger Tribe¡¯s main force is less than 10% of what it used to be. The remaining demons are all at the White Tiger Mountain ahead. As long as we take down the White Tiger Mountain and exterminate the Tiger Tribe¡¯s demons, we¡¯ll win this battle!¡±


    As soon as he said this, everyone perked up and revealed eager expressions.


    After a series of fierce battles, most of the Tiger Tribe¡¯s remaining forces had been annihted. Even their leader, Bai Xiao, had been killed by Elder Huo. Now, the Tiger Tribe only had a group of old, weak, and crippled soldiers left. Exterminating them was as easy as flipping one¡¯s hand!


    The most important thing was that the White Tiger Mountain was the Tiger Tribe¡¯sir. If they took it down, they would be able to im a lot of credits. This was undoubtedly a huge contribution that could be easily obtained. Anyone would be tempted!


    Huo Enrong¡¯s eyes flickered.


    He was one of the leaders of the three Tianshu Flying Pces and had killed Tiger Tribe¡¯s leader, Bai Xiao. After the battle, he would be rewarded for his contributions, so there was no need for him topete with others for credit.


    After a moment of silence, Huo Enrong looked at the two people on his left and right.


    ¡°Fellow Daoist Yan, Fellow Daoist Xue, which one of you would like to make the trip?¡±


    Yan Jinting, who was sitting on the left, looked up at Xue Sizhuang and said with flickering eyes,


    ¡°Fellow Daoist Xue, you just led a group of people to kill more than ten demon cultivator masters yesterday. Your spiritual essence hasn¡¯t recovered yet. Why don¡¯t you let me do this?¡±


    Xue Sizhuang stroked his beard when he heard that. There was no change in his expression as he chuckled and said, ¡°Thank you for being so considerate, Fellow Daoist Yan.¡±


    Yan Jinting smiled faintly. He stood up and bowed to Huo Enrong and Xue Sizhuang before walking out of the hall.


    With a long howl, a White Feather Harrier spread its wings and flew over. Itnded at his feet and allowed him to step on its back before it flew down.


    At the same time, four to five people in the hall stood up and left the Flying Pce with the 30 to 40 disciples outside the hall. They turned into streams of light and followed closely behind Yan Jinting, rushing aggressively toward White Tiger Mountain.


    Without exception, these people were all from the Yan family. They were also the Yan family¡¯s foundation in the Nine Suns Sect.


    Xue Sizhuang shook his head slightly as he watched the dozens of rays of light leave.


    The Yan family wasn¡¯t what it used to be!


    Being one of the five great families, it had only mobilized six cultivator masters during the battle with the Tiger Tribe.


    The Yang and Xue families, which were also two of the five great families, had mobilized more than ten cultivator masters this time round.


    Ever since the previous family had passed away, there had been no Mystic Light Stage cultivator master in the Yan family for thirty years. Even Yan Zhongrong, the current family head, was only at thete-phase Spirit Nurturing Stage and couldn¡¯t break through the most critical threshold.


    To this day, the backbone of the Yan family in this generation was no longer worthy of the reputation of the five great families. It was still considered one because of its past glory.


    If this went on, the Yan family would probably be reced by the top few families in the ten less preeminent families in less than ten years, and they would fall to that rank as well.


    If such a situation really happened, the family ns that had been suppressed by the Yan family in the past would probably jump out and kick them when they were down.


    ¡°How time flies¡­¡± Xue Sizhuang whispered imperceptibly.


    Huo Enrong looked up at him and closed his eyes to rest.


    After leaving the Flying Pce, Yan Jinting led his nsmen straight to the White Tiger Mountain.


    Under the continuous attack of the Nine Suns Sect, most of the demon cultivators of the Tiger Tribe had died in battle. There wasn¡¯t a single high-level demon cultivator left.


    At this moment, apart from those who were seriously injured and in seclusion to recuperate, there were only a few early-phase Spirit Nurturing beast cultivators in the tribe, and they were no match for Yan Jinting and the others.


    In less than half an hour, all the demon cultivators were killed.


    The group of Yan family cultivator masters arrived at the cave abode on the White Tiger Mountain with unstoppable momentum.


    Thump!


    Yan Jinting waved his sleeve, and the few demons blocking his way instantly exploded into a blood mist that filled the sky. He didn¡¯t even look at them. The next moment, he appeared in front of a tiger demon who was frantically trying to escape. He reached out at lightning speed and grabbed thetter¡¯s neck.


    The tiger demon was mighty and majestic, and its aura was fierce. It was obvious that its strength was extraordinary. However, in Yan Jinting¡¯s hands, it was like a chick being strangled. I couldn¡¯t resist at all.


    Yan Jinting¡¯s gaze swept across the tiger demon, and he suddenly eximed in a low voice.


    ¡°What a rich white-eyed bloodline. Who is Bai Xiao to you?¡±


    Although the tiger demon¡¯s life was in the hands of others, he was still unyielding. When he heard this, he snorted and didn¡¯t answer.


    Yan Jinting¡¯s eyes shed. He snorted and said, ¡°Judging from the density of your bloodline, you¡¯re most likely the direct descendant of that bastard.¡±


    As soon as he said this, the tiger demon fell for it. His face flushed red as he said angrily,


    ¡°Don¡¯t you insult my father!¡±


    ¡°Bai Xiao¡¯s son?¡± Yan Jinting chuckled. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that the demon I casually captured was actually Bai Xiao¡¯s son. Very good. I happen to have something to ask you.¡±


    After a pause, Yan Jinting nced at the tiger demon who was ring at him, and a cold smile shed across his face.


    ¡°But you don¡¯t look like you¡¯ll answer me obediently. I won¡¯t waste my effort. I¡¯ll just search for the answer from your primordial spirit!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Yan Zhongrong pressed his other palm on the tiger demon¡¯s head.


    In the next moment, the tiger demon¡¯s eyes bulged, and its face contorted. Its body twitched as if it was electrocuted and was experiencing extreme pain. Thick veins burst out from its forehead, neck, and arms.


    After a long while, the tiger demon suddenly twitched. Then, its body went limp, and the light in its eyes quickly dissipated.


    Yan Jinting casually threw away the corpse, his face filled with surprise.


    ¡°An underground spirit cave! There¡¯s actually an underground spirit cave hidden in the depths of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range!


    ¡°No wonder. The Tiger Tribe is obviously much weaker than Dragonside City, but they took the initiative to provoke us. They did that to open up the underground spirit cave. Heh, it¡¯s a pity that they were exterminated before they could fulfill their long-cherished wish!


    ¡°Those two groups of idiots from the Bear Tribe and the Python Tribe were dragged into this situation without knowing anything. They sacrificed themselves for nothing. Now, this underground spirit cave will benefit us!¡±


    Yan Jinting narrowed his eyes and stood rooted to the ground, his expression changing.


    Swoosh!


    The sound of clothes fluttering could be heard. A disciple of the Yan family stepped into the courtyard and quickly came behind Yan Jinting. He bowed and said,


    ¡°Elder Yan, the demons who dared to resist in the cave abode have been killed. The rest have been captured and are waiting to be dealt with!¡±


    The disciple said respectfully, but there was no response for a long time. He couldn¡¯t help but feel puzzled. Just as he was about to look up, he heard Yan Jinting¡¯s cold voice.


    ¡°Kill them all!¡±


    ¡°Ah? Elder¡­¡±


    The disciple looked up in shock, thinking that he had heard wrongly.


    The resistance forces of the White Tiger Cave Mansion had already been destroyed. The remaining demons were nothing to worry about. ording to the usual practice, they would usually be captured and sign a ve contract before being sent to be used as ves.


    Even if they didn¡¯t use them, they could sell them for arge sum of essence stones.


    The Nine Suns Sect was arge sect and needed manpower in many ces. The demon ves were easy to sell.


    This was also the main reason why Yan Jinting took the initiative to attack White Tiger Mountain in the beginning.


    As the first influential family to take down the White Tiger Cave Mansion, they had many ways to deal with ves. They could secretly keep some ves for themselves. This was also what the Nine Suns Sect tacitly agreed to.


    But now, Yan Jinting had ordered the killing of all the captives.


    The Yan family¡¯s losses weren¡¯t the biggest issue. How were they going to exin it to the sect in the future?


    However, before the disciple could finish speaking, Yan Jinting had already turned around. He stared at him coldly and said word by word,


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear my orders? Kill all the prisoners! Leave no one alive!¡±


    The disciple met Yan Jinting¡¯s cold gaze and immediately shivered. He hurriedly lowered his head and agreed.


    ¡°Yes, Elder Yan. I-I¡¯ll pass the order now!¡±


    After saying that, he hurriedly left the courtyard.


    Yan Jinting only retracted his gaze when his disciple disappeared at the entrance of the courtyard. He looked around, and his expression had already turned into determination.


    He suddenly waved his sleeve, and arge wave of mes surged out in an instant. It quickly swept in all directions, engulfing everything in its path.


    In the blink of an eye, the huge courtyard turned into a sea of fire!

 Chapter 159 - 159: Fastest Promotion in History (1)

    Chapter 159: Fastest Promotion in History (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Whoosh!


    In the training room, there were the sounds of clothes fluttering in the air.


    Lin Shen moved continuously. While he was as fast as a dragon swimming in the sky, he also carried an ethereal aura. It was very beautiful.


    When his speed reached its peak, an illusory shadow of a dragon appeared around Lin Shen. His speed suddenly soared, and even his figure became blurry as if he was in a cloud.


    After a long time, Lin Shen stopped and was amazed.


    ¡°The speed of the Path-stage Cloud Dragon Rhythm is indeed astonishing. It¡¯s not something Shadows canpare to!¡±


    After returning to Dragonside City from the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range, Lin Shen waspletely immersed in martial arts cultivation.


    Apart from going back to the vi once to check on Ai and leaving a pile of canned cat food, he almost never left the house.


    Under such circumstances, his cultivation and strength have advanced by leaps and bounds.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Well-versed]


    [Stage: Long Breath Stage Level 8,12%]


    [Cultivation techniques: Golden Crow Scripture (Perfection), Meltdown (10% Path), Forbidden Golden Armor (0% Path), Cloud Dragon Rhythm (0% Path), Nine Divine Sun Sword (75% Perfection), Dragon Roar Through the Clouds (Perfection), Essence Sword Finger (Perfection), Mortal Restrain (34% Mastery), Eagle Sword Technique (21% Mastery)]


    [Number of clones: 6 (49%)]


    Apart from reaching Path in Cloud Dragon Rhythm, three other sword techniques also reached Perfection.


    That included the Nine Divine Sun Sword.


    Now, he only needed Eagle Sword Technique to raise the Nine Divine Sun Sword to Path.


    Apart from that, Golden Crow Scripture had also reached Perfection.


    ¡°Unfortunately, cultivation techniques can¡¯t be fused and superimposed.¡±


    Lin Shen felt a little regretful.


    However, he immediatelyughed and shook his head, thinking that he was a little greedy.


    It was already good enough that martial arts techniques could be fused to increase one¡¯s stage. Many people wanted it but didn¡¯t have it. He should be satisfied.


    In addition, although he had spent most of his energy cultivating martial techniques in the past month, his cultivation level hadn¡¯t stopped rising, and he had sessfully broken through to Level 8 of the Long Breath Stage.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that all my merit points are used to exchange for martial techniques. I don¡¯t have any extra merit points to exchange for the Prime Pill. Otherwise, my cultivation speed would be faster.¡±


    Lin Shen thought to himself.


    What was worth mentioning was that after Heaven¡¯s Jealousy¡¯s clone died of old age, he no longer consumed natural treasures like the Snake Orchid to forcefully increase his cultivation level.


    It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t bear to use his clones, but Tao Zongbao didn¡¯t have any more supplies.


    There was ultimately a limit to the number of disciples in the academy who possessed such treasures. Lin Shen almost drained all such treasures thest time he traded.


    If he wanted to trade for another batch, he would probably have to wait for a period of time. He would have to wait for the disciples to ¡°umte¡± the supply.


    Even so, Lin Shen didn¡¯t really care.


    As his cultivation level increased, the effects of natural treasures like the Snake Orchid also decreased greatly. Now, their effect was only icing on the cake. It didn¡¯t matter even if he didn¡¯t have them.


    With his current cultivation speed, even if most of his clones were used to cultivate martial techniques, he was still much faster than ordinary disciples!


    ¡°Now that the war is over, there¡¯s no need to be in a hurry to increase mybat strength for the time being. I can slow down my martial arts cultivation and focus more on increasing my cultivation level.¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Lin Shen quickly came up with a n.


    Perseverance and Well-versed clones were in charge of cultivating Golden Crow Scripture. The talents of the remaining four clones were all beneficial to martial arts cultivation, so they could focus on cultivating martial arts.


    After arranging cultivation missions for his clones, Lin Shen got up and stretched, preparing to go out.


    The canned cat food for Ai should be finished by now. It was time to replenish her pantry.


    ¡°When she takes her human form, she can look after herself, and I won¡¯t have to worry about her all day.¡±


    Lin Shen estimated that with Ai¡¯s cultivation speed that far exceeded that of ordinary spiritual cats, she should be able to take her human form in four to five years at most.


    That speed was already terrifying.


    Although there were many spiritual beasts, their cultivation speed was never as fast as human cultivators.


    This was because they had to spend most of their time awakening their intelligence.


    Even after that, they were restrained by the shackles of their beast forms, and their cultivation speed was abnormally slow.


    Even demons with rare bloodlines like the white-eyed tiger demons would need more than a hundred years to cultivate to the Enlightening Stage, let alone ordinary spiritual beasts.


    Using that much time, most of the rtively talented human cultivators would have be cultivator masters.


    Because of this, the forces of the demon race were far inferior to the forces of the human race. For thousands of years, they had been suppressed by thetter and couldn¡¯t raise their heads.


    If not for the fact that the human race was divided into heretic and orthodox sects who fought endlessly with each other, which upied arge portion of the energy of both sides, the spiritual beasts would have long lost a ce to live in this world!


    In short, Ai¡¯s cultivation speed was definitely extremely rare among spiritual beasts.


    While his thoughts were flying, Lin Shen unknowingly walked out of the B-rank area.


    Ever since he was promoted to an Earth-rank disciple, his residence had been changed to a B-rank Teaching Room.


    Along the way, Lin Shen realized that many disciples were pointing at him and whispering to each other.


    Lin Shen was secretly surprised. It had already been a month since the battle at the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range. Hadn¡¯t things calmed down yet?


    Just as he was feeling puzzled, he suddenly heard a surprised voice.


    ¡°Senior Brother Lin!¡±


    Lin Shen turned around and saw a man and a woman standing a few meters away, looking at him in surprise.


    The two of them looked familiar.


    After thinking for a while, Lin Shen quickly recalled that these two were the two disciples he had met on Mount Firon with Yan Dao and Ai Jingting..

 Chapter 160 - 16o: Fastest Promotion in History (2)

    Chapter 16o: Fastest Promotion in History (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Seeing Lin Shen turn around, the male disciple immediately said,


    ¡°Senior Brother Lin, we¡¯ve met before. My name is Zheng Weirong.¡±


    ¡°My name is Bai Xiaotong!¡± the girl said with a smile.


    They were rather friendly. Although Lin Shen didn¡¯t like the two people who had once teamed up with Yan Dao, he still greeted them back.


    ¡°Senior Brother Lin, are you going to the Internal Affairs Department to change your identity token?¡± Bai Xiaotong asked with a smile.


    ¡°Identity token?¡± Lin Shen was stunned.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Bai Xiaotong didn¡¯t notice Lin Shen¡¯s confusion and continued. ¡°We just returned from the Internal Affairs Department. I heard from Master Tao that you haven¡¯t gone to change your Heaven-rank disciple identity token yet.¡±


    Lin Shen was really stunned.


    When did he be a Heaven-rank disciple?


    Wasn¡¯t there still seven or eight days before the next round of rank challenge?


    Zheng Weirong was smarter. He quickly realized from Lin Shen¡¯s expression that he still didn¡¯t know what had happened and hurriedly exined.


    After hearing Zheng Weirong¡¯s exnation, Lin Shen finally understood.


    It turned out that in the battle with the Tiger Tribe, the Nine Yang Academy had lost many disciples.


    After the war ended, there were vacancies in all four ranks.


    At that time, there was still about a month before the disciple rank challenge, so the tutors had to discuss and decide on the candidates.


    As expected, the tutors unanimously approved Lin Shen, who had shone brilliantly in the war and performed stunningly, as one of the candidates for the Heaven-rank disciple.


    Hence, he was promoted to a Heaven-rank disciple!


    As soon as this news was released, it immediately caused a huge uproar in the academy.


    It had been less than half a year since Lin Shen entered the academy.


    Most of the disciples who entered the academy at the same time as him were Yellow-rank disciples. There were even some who remained rankless.


    No one had be a ck-rank disciple!


    However, Lin Shen had already climbed to the position of a Heaven-rank disciple!


    The difference was simply too great!


    Ever since the establishment of the Nine Yang Academy, no disciple had been able to rise from a Yellow-rank to a Heaven-rank disciple in less than half a year!


    This speed was simply unbelievable!


    However, no one objected to this decision.


    There wasn¡¯t even any criticism in private.


    After all, Lin Shen¡¯s achievements were obvious to all.


    In the battle with the Tiger Tribe, he had revealed a Path-stage martial technique that only those at the Bright Aperture Stage could master and even killed an Enlightenment Stage white-eyed tiger demon!


    Even though the white-eyed tiger demon had already been seriously injured, it was still at the Enlightening Stage. The fact that Lin Shen could kill an Enlightening Stage demon as a Long Breath Stage cultivator was enough to shut everyone up!


    As soon as the news came out, all the Heaven-rank disciples remained silent.


    All of them understood that even without the promotion of the tutors, Lin Shen could still be promoted to a Heaven-rank disciple when the disciple rank challenge arrived.


    When that happened, apart from a few elite disciples who had already advanced to the Bright Aperture Stage, no matter which Heaven-rank disciple Lin Shen chose to challenge, that person didn¡¯t have much chance of winning.


    Since that was the case, it was better to let Lin Shen level up through promotion.


    This way, no one would suffer losses.


    Hence, under the academy¡¯s public support or tacit agreement, Lin Shen became the fastest-promoted Heaven-rank disciple in the history of the Nine Yang Academy!


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to be promoted to a Heaven-rank disciple after seclusion.¡±


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry.


    However, when he came back to his senses, he was still quite happy.


    After all, a Heaven-rank disciple would receive a medium merit every month and could move into a Grade-A Teaching Room with a higher concentration of spiritual essence. It was naturally a good thing to be promoted.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Lin Shen thanked the two of them.


    Zheng Weirong and Bai Xiaotong hurriedly waved their hands. Apart from their enthusiasm, there was also a hint of reverence.


    Although Lin Shen was younger than them, the world of cultivators had always emphasized that the strong came first.


    Whoever had a higher cultivation level would be respected and revered by others.


    Lin Shen was already a Heaven-rank disciple at such a young age. His future would only be even more limitless.


    To Zheng Weirong and Bai Xiaotong, Lin Shen was already equivalent to the ten high and mighty disciples of the upper house. He was an existence that they couldn¡¯tpare to.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t know what the two people in front of him were thinking. He suddenly thought of something and asked,


    ¡°How was the war between the sect and the Tiger Tribe?¡±


    Zheng Weirong hurriedly replied, ¡°The war ended half a month ago. Our sect won aplete victory, and the Tiger Tribe¡¯s demons were almostpletely wiped out. Only a small number of demons fled in time and scattered into the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range. However, those demons are no longer a threat. The Tiger Tribe has already be history!¡±


    Lin Shen clicked his tongue, but he was not very surprised.


    After all, the Nine Suns Sect was superior to the Tiger Tribe in terms of foundation and strength.


    In the past, the Tiger Tribe lived deep in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range and had a geographical advantage. They could still barely contend with the Nine Suns Sect.


    However, for some reason, they took the initiative to provoke Dragonside City and even sent their main force to fight head-on when the Nine Suns Sect was marching. This action was no different from courting death!


    It wasn¡¯t surprising that the entire tribe would be destroyed in the end!


    Just as Lin Shen was sighing, he heard Bai Xiaotong suddenly say indignantly,


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that the Yan family is too ruthless. Otherwise, our academy would definitely be able to obtain a batch of spiritual beasts this time. I would also be able to spend fewer merit points to exchange for abat spiritual beast!¡±


    Hearing the words ¡°Yan family¡±, Lin Shen¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the Yan family?¡±


    Zheng Weirong took over and said, ¡°It¡¯s said that the Yan family was in charge of attacking the Tiger Tribe¡¯s nest, the White Tiger Mountain Cave Abode. However, the Yan family was too heavy-handed and killed all the demons on the White Tiger Mountain. Not a single captive was left. Even the Cave Abode was burned to ruins, and its spirituality was greatly reduced.


    ¡°After this battle, the sect barely obtained any spoils of war on White Tiger


    Mountain. The Yan family also suffered many criticisms.¡±


    Bai Xiaotong curled her lips and snorted.


    ¡°In my opinion, the Yan family clearly did it on purpose. Otherwise, how could they be so heavy-handed in a normal attack?¡±


    Zheng Weirongughed and shook his head. ¡°Then what does the Yan Family want? Doing this won¡¯t do them any good at all. Instead, they will lose a lot.


    II


    Besides, the sect has already punished the Yan family. Don¡¯tin anymore. Be careful not to be heard by others. When the timees, the Yan family will find trouble with you!¡±


    There were quite a number of Yan family disciples in the academy. Bai Xiaotong stuck out her tongue and didn¡¯t say anything else.


    Lin Shen, on the other hand, looked thoughtful.


    However, he quickly put this matter to the back of his mind.


    Whether there was something fishy going on or not, it had nothing to do with him.


    After chatting with Zheng Weirong for a while more, Lin Shen bade farewell and left, rushing straight to the Internal Affairs Department.


    As soon as he walked into the Internal Affairs Department, he met his old acquaintance, Tao Zongbao.


    Seeing Lin Shen, Tao Zongbao was stunned for a moment before revealing a warm and surprised smile.


    ¡°Fellow Daoist Lin, it¡¯s been a while. No wonder I heard magpies calling this morning. It¡¯s because an esteemed guest hase!¡±


    How could he find magpies in the Cave Abode?


    Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help butugh, but he only cupped his hands and smiled.


    ¡°Long time no see, Deacon Tao.¡±


    The two of them exchanged a few pleasantries before Lin Shen exined his intentions.


    Tao Zongbao immediately brought him to the inner courtyard to settle the procedures.


    Not long after, Lin Shen received a new identity token and the activation token for the Grade-A Teaching Room.


    ¡°Congrattions, Fellow Daoist Lin.¡±


    Tao Zongbao was congratted with a face full of smiles, and his expression was even more enthusiastic and attentive than before.


    ¡°You became a Heaven-rank disciple in less than half a year after entering the academy. You¡¯re the only one in the academy. Looks like it won¡¯t be long before you can enter the upper house!¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your kind words.¡± Lin Shen smiled faintly.


    Tao Zongbao was a smart person. He could tell that Lin Shen had other matters to attend to, so he didn¡¯t say anything else and politely sent him out.


    Watching Lin Shen leave, Tao Zongbao couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    When Kou Ming introduced Lin Shen to him back then, he guessed that Lin Shen would shock the academy sooner orter.


    Who would have thought that it woulde so quickly and shockingly?


    As a result, he could no longer see the limits of Lin Shen¡¯s future!


    ¡°Forget it. No matter what, I have some rtionship with Fellow Daoist Lin. Even if I can¡¯t cozy up to him, it¡¯ll be a topic of conversation in the future¡­¡±


    Tao Zongbao thought happily.


    Back at the vi.


    As soon as Lin Shen entered, he saw Ai lying on the sofa, stretching her bodyfortably.


    Hearing the door open, Ai looked up and saw Lin Shen. A human-like surprise immediately appeared on her face.


    ¡°Lin Shen, you¡¯re back!¡±


    Lin Shen smiled as he watched Ai jump onto his shoulder.


    ¡°Has anything happened recently?¡±


    It was just a casual question, but Ai nodded.


    ¡°I went to see the general two days ago. He said he wanted to meet with you..¡±

 Chapter 161 - 161: The Wealthy Cat General (1)

    Chapter 161: The Wealthy Cat General (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    ¡°The cat general wants to see me?¡±


    Lin Shen was slightly stunned.


    ¡°What can I do for the divine lord?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± Ai shook her head. ¡°The general only said that he wanted to meet you. You just need to go to the street where we first met tonight. You¡¯ll find him.¡±


    Lin Shen nodded, looking pensive. He had an idea.


    If everything went as nned, the cat general probably needed his help again.


    And it probably had something to do with spirit cats.


    After all, as a Divine Lord, the cat general rarely cared about worldly matters. Only the spirit cat n could make him so concerned.


    Lin Shen patted Ai¡¯s head and smiled.


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll go to see the cat general tonight.¡±


    If the cat general¡¯s request wasn¡¯t too difficult, Lin Shen wouldn¡¯t mind helping him.


    After all, the cat general was very generous. As long as he helped him, the remuneration would be very impressive. It would be a chance to earn extra money.


    At night, Lin Shen left Ai at home and rushed to the meeting ce alone.


    The moment he stepped into that street, the mist suddenly appeared in front of him. The street under the night sky instantly became dreamy.


    Looking ahead again, that familiar shrine had appeared out of thin air in the middle of the street.


    As Lin Shen looked over, the dazed eyes of the cat statue on the shrine instantly became lively, and the pupils rolled around.


    In the next second, the statue jumped down from the shrine and turned into the tall and mighty cat general in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Long time no see, cultivator.¡±


    Lin Shen greeted him with a smile and went straight to the point.


    ¡°Divine Lord, why did you summon me?¡±


    ¡°I need a favor.¡±


    As expected!


    Lin Shen¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained unchanged.


    ¡°Divine Lord, do tell.¡±


    The cat general didn¡¯t exin immediately. Instead, he turned to look at a shadowy corner not far away and said gently,


    ¡°Come out.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the shadow suddenly swayed, and then a graceful figure slowly walked out.


    It was a girl.


    The girl was about 20 years old. She looked as exquisite as a porcin doll. She was petite but with great curves. She had an indescribable wild aura from head to toe. Coupled with her close-fitting clothes, she was quite a tempting creature.


    However, what was even more surprising was that the girl had a pair of small ck furry ears on her head and a tail of the same color hanging behind her butt.


    A catgirl?


    Lin Shen was surprised. He sized up the girl curiously but didn¡¯t say anything. He quietly waited for the cat general to exin.


    ¡°She¡¯s Tang Yue, an Ascension Stage cat demon.¡± The cat general pointed at the girl and introduced her.


    An Ascension Stage catgirl?


    Lin Shen¡¯s heart skipped a beat. In that case, this girl must have been a spirit cat who had taken the manifestation pill.


    The demons who had taken the manifestation pill had basically lost the possibility of transcending Human Tribtion.


    Therefore, unless they were certain that they would never have the chance to transcend the Human Tribtion in their lives, no demon would easily consume the manifestation pill, let alone when they were in the Ascension Stage.


    Those who would do this were mostly the demons who had been captured by the humans and used as ves.


    As if guessing Lin Shen¡¯s thoughts, the cat general exined,


    ¡°Tang Yue was once forcefully fed a manifestation pill by those who nned to tame and train her into a maid. Fortunately, she was saved in time. Now, she¡¯s already a member of Sinking Moon.¡±


    ¡°Sinking Moon?¡± Lin Shen raised his eyebrows.


    ¡°Sinking Moon is an organization that specializes in rescuing spirit cats imprisoned by viins!¡± It was Tang Yue who spoke.


    The girl¡¯s expression was solemn, and her gem-like eyes shone with a clear luster under the moonlight.


    ¡°The members of the organization are all spirit cats that have been rescued like me. We are determined to try our best to save all the spirit cats that have encountered disaster in this city!¡±


    Although he had vaguely expected this, Lin Shen was still surprised when he heard Tang Yue say it herself.


    He didn¡¯t expect that there would be such a faction formed purely by cat demons in Dragonside City.


    Did the Martial Enforcement Hall not know?


    Lin Shen nced at the cat general and vaguely understood.


    With the ability of the Martial Enforcement Hall, it was impossible for them to not know about it. For this organization to be established and exist, it was most likely because of the cat general¡¯s protection.


    Speaking of which, since there was a faction formed by spirit cats, what about other types of spiritual beasts?


    After all, catgirls weren¡¯t the only type of spiritual beasts in Dragonside City in a simr situation. There were also canine girls, mermaids, and so on.


    Many thoughts shed through his mind in an instant, but Lin Shen didn¡¯t let his face betray him.


    He could roughly guess what the cat general and Tang Yue were going to ask him for help with.


    As expected, the next second, Tang Yue said,


    ¡°A month ago, we discovered a ce in Silverscale City where arge number of spirit cats were imprisoned. After that, we tried to infiltrate it, but the other party was heavily guarded. We were discovered before we could find where the cats were locked up. In the end, not only did we fail to save those spirit cats, but we also suffered heavy losses!¡±


    Silverscale City was one of the subordinate cities of Dragonside City.


    As the name suggested, the city was only a subsidiary town of Dragonside City. It wasn¡¯t valued by Dragonside City either because of its geographical environment or because of theck of resources around it.


    They only received limited protection from Dragonside City by paying tribute to thetter every year.


    However, the subordinate city wasn¡¯t protected by the city protection array, nor did it have the headquarters of the three great sects preside over it. Therefore, it was often more chaotic than Dragonside City. Under the fake peace, there was nock of darkness.


    It wasn¡¯t surprising for an organization to appear in a ce like Silverscale City to train and sell spirit cats.


    ¡°Do you want me to sneak in with you and save the imprisoned cats?¡±

 Chapter 162 - 162: The Wealthy Cat General (2)

    Chapter 162: The Wealthy Cat General (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Tang Yue looked at Lin Shen sincerely. ¡°You¡¯re a cultivator of the general values. You must be very strong. Please help us!¡±


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t give her a straight answer and only asked,


    ¡°How many guards are there? How strong are they?¡±


    ¡°We caught a guard and interrogated him. ording to him, there shouldn¡¯t be more than 50 guards, most of whom are at the Qi Transformation Stage. There are only seven or eight elites at the Long Breath Stage. The strongest captain is at the seventh level of the Long Breath Stage!¡±


    At this point, Tang Yue¡¯s expression darkened.


    ¡°After that, we fought with the guards there. The information we obtained from the interrogation is quite urate.¡±


    From the looks of it, Sinking Moon had probably suffered heavy losses in that operation.


    ¡°What about the person in charge of that ce?¡± Lin Shen asked.


    Tang Yue hesitated and shook her head.


    ¡°We¡¯re not too sure either. ording to that guard, their master has been living in seclusion all year round. His actions are very secretive, and he rarely interacts with guards like them. We only know that that master is an apothecary.¡±


    An apothecary?


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes flickered.


    He had heard of this profession.


    From the name, one could tell that an apothecary was a professional who was good at identifying and handling medicinal ingredients. They were usually the assistant of an alchemist.


    Very few powerful apothecaries could also refine some low-grade pills like the Spring Awn Pill and the Energy Recovery Pill.


    Of course,pared to alchemists, apothecaries were far inferior in their status.


    Generally speaking, apothecaries were apprentice alchemists who had never been able to advance to an official alchemist.


    They felt that they couldn¡¯t make any progress in alchemy, so they became apothecaries.


    Although they were far inferior to alchemists, they were still the elites of Dragonside City, and their status wasn¡¯t inferior to some Bright Aperture Stage cultivators.


    In short, apothecaries could already livefortably in Dragonside City, so why would theye to a ce like Silverscale City where there were all sorts of people?


    However, since their master was an apothecary, the strength of the guards in his residence wouldn¡¯t be too strong.


    With the power of an apothecary, hiring some Long Breath Stage cultivators to be guards was already as good as it could get. Bright Aperture Stage cultivators were out of the question.


    Even if there was something fishy about that ce, the guards shouldn¡¯t be much stronger than what Sinking Moon had discovered.


    Seeing Lin Shen in deep thought, Tang Yue couldn¡¯t help but clench her fists nervously.


    If they had any other choice, they wouldn¡¯t havee to beg the cat general.


    The cat general couldn¡¯t interfere in worldly affairs as he liked. Even if he could, the ce where the spirit cats were imprisoned was far away in Silverscale City. The cat general couldn¡¯t reach it.


    Therefore, after thinking about it, she could only seek help from other human cultivators.


    ording to the cat general, this young man was powerful and was the best candidate to help them.


    Hence, Tang Yue ced all her hopes on Lin Shen.


    The cat general nced at Lin Shen and said gently,


    ¡°Cultivator, this shouldn¡¯t be difficult for you. As a reward for helping Sinking Moon, I can remove five moreyers of the restriction on your God Seeking Token. Furthermore, I can fulfill this promise now.¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s expression changed slightly.


    The God Seeking Token in his hand had already lit up five rune stones. If he lit up another five, the summoned cat general incarnation would have the cultivation of the first level of the Bright Aperture Stage!


    That was Bright Aperture Stagebat strength!


    Although Lin Shen had just killed an Enlightening Stage tiger demon not long ago, that was because the tiger demon had been seriously injured.


    If he were to face an Enlightening Stage tiger demon at its peak, he would most likely run away.


    Although the Path-stage martial technique was powerful, he was only at the Long Breath Stage. Against Bright Aperture or Enlightening Stage cultivators, he could protect himself, but he didn¡¯t have much hope of winning.


    Therefore, if he had a Bright Aperture Stage helper, even if he could only summon it once a month, it would still give him a huge sense of security!


    The cat general had offered Lin Shen exactly what he needed.


    With the God Seeking Token that lit up 10 rune stones, Lin Shen was much more confident about this trip.


    Lin Shen was actually tempted, but he still didn¡¯t show it. He wanted to fight for more remuneration for himself.


    The cat general nced at him and took out a stack of talismans.


    ¡°This is the Hidden Fog Talisman. It can condense a fog barrier and block one¡¯s body and senses. Unless one is a cultivator with spiritual consciousness, no cultivator can break through the fog barrier. Whether it¡¯s to confuse the enemy¡¯s vision in battle or to escape, it¡¯s extremely useful!¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Of course, he knew about the Hidden Fog Talisman.


    This was a superior-grade talisman that was much superior to the Flying Feather Talisman and the Divine Weapon Talisman.


    The exchange price in the Merit Hall was as high as three minor merits!


    Those merit points were enough to exchange for a martial technique, but it could only exchange for a one-time use talisman. That was how precious this Hidden Fog Talisman was!


    More importantly, this Hidden Fog Talisman was very suitable for Lin Shen¡¯s clones!


    Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but nce at the cat general. He immediately met thetter¡¯s meaningful gaze.


    Lin Shen secretly clicked his tongue and decided to push it further.


    ¡°Divine Lord, I still need some weapons.¡±


    A smile shed in the cat general¡¯s eyes. He took out three Six Yang Talisman Swords without hesitation.


    ¡°Most of the martial techniques you cultivate are of the Yang attribute. The Six Yang Talisman Sword is the mostpatible with them.¡±


    How generous!


    This was the thought that appeared in Lin Shen¡¯s mind at this moment.


    The cat general was as generous as ever.


    With three Six Yang Talisman Swords and the twelve Hidden Fog Talismans, the total value was close to a hundred minor merits!


    Not to mention the God Seeking Token!


    Hence, Lin Shen no longer hesitated and nodded in agreement.


    Tang Yue was still wondering why Lin Shen wanted so many weapons. Did he want to sell them?


    However, she quickly forgot about this matter. When she heard that Lin Shen had agreed to help, she was overjoyed.


    ¡°When are we leaving?¡± Tang Yue asked impatiently.


    Lin Shen thought for a moment and said, ¡°Silverscale City is more than 200 kilometers away from Dragonside City. If we leave now, it might be dawn by the time we get there. That¡¯s not a good time for our operation. Let¡¯s set off tomorrow morning.¡±


    After a pause, Lin Shen asked, ¡°Where are yourpanions?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re all waiting in Silverscale City!¡± Tang Yue answered.


    Lin Shen nodded slightly. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. We¡¯ll gather at the east gate tomorrow. By the way, do you have a token to leave the city?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Tang Yue said without thinking. ¡°The general gave us a token that allows us to enter and leave Dragonside City at will.¡±


    No wonder Sinking Moon could travel between Silverscale City and Dragonside City at will!


    Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but nce at the cat general. This Divine Lord was really resourceful. He could even obtain an entry token from Dragonside City.


    After agreeing on the time and ce, Lin Shen left.


    Tang Yue remained by the cat general¡¯s side.


    She nced at the cat general and hesitated.


    The cat general smiled and said, ¡°If you have anything to ask, just say it.¡±


    Tang Yue hesitated, but in the end, she couldn¡¯t help but ask the question.


    ¡°General, I¡¯m not doubting Lin Shen¡¯s strength, but the target this time is very troublesome. Shouldn¡¯t we find a few more helpers?¡±


    The cat general smiled and said, ¡°After all, you¡¯re all a little eye-catching. It¡¯s better not to let too many people know. Lin Shen has already adopted Ai. He doesn¡¯t have any prejudice against spirit cats like ordinary people do. He¡¯s the best candidate to help you.


    ¡°As for his strength¡­¡±


    A meaningful smile appeared on the cat general¡¯s face.


    ¡°Although he¡¯s only one person. In a real fight, even ten cultivators of the same cultivation level might not be his match.¡±


    Tang Yue was stunned.


    More than ten cultivators?


    Was that even possible?


    No matter how high one¡¯s attainments in martial arts and how rich one¡¯sbat experience was, fighting against four or five cultivators at the same time was usually the limit.


    One against more than ten?


    No matter how she thought about it, it was a little unbelievable.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that the person who said this was the cat general that Tang Yue respected, she would definitely think that he was spouting nonsense.


    However, it only made her even more puzzled.


    Turning to look in the direction where Lin Shen had left, Tang Yue suddenly felt that this human cultivator seemed to be hiding many secrets..

 Chapter 163 - 163: Do You Mind Adopting Another One (1)

    Chapter 163: Do You Mind Adopting Another One (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Back at the vi, Ai was absorbing the moonlight on the balcony.


    Seeing this, Lin Shen didn¡¯t disturb her.


    In fact, he didn¡¯t want the innocent cat to know about this.


    After returning to the bedroom on the second floor, Lin Shen took out the God Seeking Token and took a look.


    Of the neen rune stones embedded in this token, ten had already been lit up.


    ¡°Every time a rune stone lights up, the incarnation¡¯s cultivation level will increase by a level. When all the rune stones are lit up, the cat general incarnation summoned should have the strength of a cultivator master!¡±


    Lin Shen grew excited.


    If he had a trump card of a cultivator master¡¯sbat strength, he could go to many ces in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range and find treasures more easily.


    ¡°And the Six-Yang Talisman Swords!¡±


    Lin Shen looked at the storage bag and smiled a little.


    Previously, he was still thinking of umting merit points to exchange for a few talisman swords. He didn¡¯t expect to obtain three tonight.


    Furthermore, it was a middle-grade enchanted armament like the Six Yang Talisman Sword!


    He already had four Six-Yang Talisman Swords.


    Once he summoned his clones and used various enchanted armaments, even a Level-9 Long Breath Stage cultivator wouldn¡¯tst more than a few rounds against him.


    ¡°Speaking of which, up until now, I¡¯ve only summoned clones to fight ordinary enemies together. Would it be better if I cultivated moves like array formations?¡±


    The more Lin Shen thought about it, the more he felt that it was a good idea.


    He already had six clones now, and there would be more in the future. If he continued to attack the enemy with ordinary attacks, when the number of clones increased to a certain extent, he would undoubtedly encounter a situation where the marginal effect of each clone was decreasing.


    After all, it wasn¡¯t always ¡°the more people the better¡± when fighting enemies, no matter how well the clones worked together.


    However, array formations were different.


    There were as many array formations as stars in the world. The number of people needed in a formation ranged from two to three people to as many as a hundred.


    As long as they cooperated well, they could unleash a shocking power that far exceeded thebined strength of numbers!


    As for Lin Shen, he and his many clones could fight as one. Cultivating array formations for him would be like giving tiger wings!


    ¡°I wonder if there are any array formations in the Merit Hall that can be exchanged?


    ¡°When I return from Silverscale City, I¡¯ll go to the Merit Hall to take a look!¡±


    The next morning.


    Lin Shen arrived at the east gate to find Tang Yue already waiting there.


    What surprised Lin Shen was that Tang Yue was wearing casual clothes. The cat ears on her head and the tail behind her back had disappeared without a trace. Apart from her exquisite appearance, she looked like a young girl that could be seen everywhere.


    Those who didn¡¯t know would never have thought that she was a cat demon.


    Did she take a Face Changing Pill?


    No, that wasn¡¯t it. The Face Changing Pill only had the effect of changing one¡¯s facial features. It couldn¡¯t make the cat¡¯s ears and tail go away.


    Lin Shen was curious and immediately asked,


    ¡°Where are your ears and tail?¡±


    Tang Yue was about to raise her hand to greet Lin Shen when she heard this. She was stunned for a moment before she reacted and said,


    ¡°This is an illusion spellbined with the disguise of a pill. When we walk outside, we use this method to cover our ears and tails.¡±


    Only then did Lin Shene to a realization. At the same time, he felt that it was a pity.


    Since it was a disguise that could only work with an illusion spell, he couldn¡¯t master it for the time being.


    If he wanted to cultivate illusion techniques, he had to at least be at the Bright Aperture Stage.


    After satisfying his curiosity, Lin Shen didn¡¯t dy any longer and immediately left Dragonside City with Tang Yue.


    With the Giant-horned Deer as a means of transportation, the two of them traveled fast and arrived at Silverscale City at noon.


    Silverscale City wasn¡¯t protected by a city-wide formation. It could only build tall and thick walls that surrounded the entire city.


    The city wall was made of iron granite, which was as hard as steel. It was also enhanced with many array talismans and restrictions. Once activated, it could attack enemies on the ground and in the air at the same time.


    Therefore, although the city wall looked rather primitive, its defense couldn¡¯t be underestimated.


    At the very least, even if thousands of demons below the cultivator master level attacked the city, they could forget about breaking through the city wall without paying a heavy price!


    However, in other aspects, the performance of the city wall was far inferior to the city protection array of Dragonside City.


    For example, as long as the demons didn¡¯t attack arge scale, it wasn¡¯t difficult for one or two demons to infiltrate the city.


    After all, the city wall wasn¡¯t like the Great City Protection Formation, which could prevent foreign enemies from infiltrating around the clock.


    Because of this, there were incidents of spiritual beasts injuring people in Silverscale City.


    Or rather, it wasn¡¯t just Silverscale City. All the subordinate cities were in simr situations.


    After showing his Nine Yang Academy disciple identity token, Lin Shen and Tang Yue sessfully passed the city gate checkpoint.


    The captain of the guards even escorted the two of them into the city.


    It wasn¡¯t until the two of them were far away that the captain heaved a sigh of relief. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and returned to the city wall.


    A young soldier at the side finally couldn¡¯t help but ask,


    ¡°Captain, aren¡¯t they just two Long Breath Stage cultivators? You¡¯re one, too? Why were you so respectful to them?¡±


    The captain turned around and red at him. He scolded angrily,


    ¡°You know nothing! Are those two ordinary Long Breath Stage cultivators? Didn¡¯t you see that young man¡¯s identity token? He¡¯s a disciple of the Nine Yang Academy!¡±


    ¡°So what if he¡¯s a disciple of the Nine Yang Academy¡­¡± the young soldier muttered indignantly.


    ¡°Well, if he¡¯s just a Yellow- or ck-rank disciple, of course I wouldn¡¯t take him so seriously, but that young man is a Heaven-rank disciple!¡±


    The young soldier was stunned. Then, his eyes widened as if he had just woken up from a dream.


    ¡°Really? He looks to be around 20 years old at most. Is he a Heaven-rank disciple already?¡±


    No matter how ignorant the young soldier was, he understood what the words ¡°Heaven-rank disciple¡± meant.


    It was almost synonymous with genius and a bright future!


    Especially since that person just now looked so young!

 Chapter 164 - 164: Do You Mind Adopting Another One (2)

    Chapter 164: Do You Mind Adopting Another One (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    If he was already a Heaven-rank disciple at the age of twenty, wouldn¡¯t he be a cultivator master in another seven to eight years?


    Only then did the young soldier understand why the captain was so respectful to that person.


    ¡°Experience is everything! Captain, you¡¯re so knowledgeable that you can even recognize a Heaven-rank disciple¡¯s identity token!¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve been guarding this city gate for over seven years. I¡¯ve seen at least a thousand disciples from the three great academies. I can recognize any identity token at a nce!¡±


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t know that the two soldiers were talking behind his back.


    After entering the city, he quickly arrived at an inconspicuous residential building under Tang Yue¡¯s lead.


    He opened the door and walked in. It was only when he reached the living room door that Lin Shen realized that they weren¡¯t alone.


    ¡°It¡¯s rumored that spirit cats are good at hiding. That seems to be true. I can barely sense their aura!¡±


    Lin Shen was secretly amazed.


    If he was more than ten meters away with a wall between them, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to sense the spirit cats on the other side.


    Of course, this was only if their cultivation levels were simr.


    If it was a spirit cat in the Spirit Awakening Stage, no matter how well it hid, it wouldn¡¯t be able to escape his detection.


    However, for Bright Aperture Stage cultivators who had awakened spirit resonance, the effect of the spirit cat¡¯s concealment ability would be greatly reduced.


    Even an Enlightening Stage cat demon couldn¡¯t hide from a Bright Aperture Stage cultivator at close range.


    When he arrived at the living room, Lin Shen looked around.


    There were a total of seven people in the living room. All of them were beautiful women, ranging fromte teens tote 20s. They all had different temperaments, some lively, some gentle, and some elegant. At a nce, they were exceptionally stunning.


    What was worth mentioning was that just like Tang Yue, the seven women had concealed their cat ears and tails. Apart from their outstanding looks, they looked no different from ordinary women.


    As Lin Shen studied the women, they were also curiously observing him.


    They were either openly sizing him up


    or pretend to be inadvertently observing him.


    If it were anyone else, they would most likely be at a loss and blush when they were stared at by seven beauties. However, Lin Shen knew the true form of these spirit cats, and he wasn¡¯t affected at all.


    After a long time, the oldest of them all stepped forward and broke the silence.


    ¡°This must be Master Lin Shen. Thank you foring all the way from Dragonside City to help us!


    ¡°My name is Tang Ying. I guess you can call me the leader of the Sinking Moon.¡±


    ¡°Just call me Lin Shen.¡± Lin Shen nodded in greeting. ¡°Are all the people from Sinking Moon here?¡±


    Tang Ying shook her head. ¡°Only some of the members are here. Considering that the operation tonight will be dangerous, I only gathered my sisters in the Ascension Stage.¡±


    Eight Ascension Stage cat demons?


    Lin Shen nodded to himself.


    It seemed that Sinking Moon¡¯s overall strength was stronger than he had expected.


    At least, it was much stronger than the Night Grinders back then.


    However, the Sinking Moon shouldn¡¯t have been established for long. Otherwise, how could the Night Grinders have the chance to capture spirit cats everywhere?


    ¡°Tell me what we¡¯re going to do next.¡±


    Without any small talk, Lin Shen went straight to the point.


    Tang Ying was naturally happy about this. She also wanted to save her nsmen as soon as possible.


    ¡°The operation is set for tonight. It¡¯ll be easier for us to cast illusions and hide our auras!¡±


    As Tang Ying spoke, she carefully observed Lin Shen¡¯s expression.


    Seeing that he nodded in agreement, she continued.


    ¡°This is the target location.¡±


    A map had already been ced on the coffee table in the living room. Tang Ying pointed at a ce marked with a red circle.


    ¡°This was originally a manor, but after that apothecary moved in, he built a wall along the manor and even recruited quite a number of capable men as guards. Therefore, it¡¯s no different from a small castle now. It¡¯s much more difficult to infiltrate than an ordinary manor.


    ¡°In addition, ording to the information we receivedst time, there are about 50 regr guards, and only seven or eight of them have the cultivation of the Long Breath Stage. However, after we alerted the enemyst time, it¡¯s very likely that they¡¯ll increase the number of guards. We have to consider this in advance!¡±


    Tang Ying patiently exined the situation in the manor in detail.


    Clearly, before Lin Shen came, they had already made sufficient preparations. This also made Lin Shen feel their strong determination to save their own kind.


    Unfortunately, under the same cultivation level, thebat strength of spiritual beasts was generally inferior to human cultivators.


    Moreover, the spirit cat race wasn¡¯t good at directbat.


    Therefore, even if Sinking Moon had as many Ascension Stage cat demons as the Long Breath Stage guards in the manor, there was a high chance that they wouldn¡¯t be a match.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know the exact location of where the spirit cats are kept. We¡¯ve captured a few guards and servants for interrogation, but we haven¡¯t obtained any information. I think the ce should be a secret. Only people of higher status in the manor know.


    ¡°After the operation begins, we¡¯ll be in charge of attracting the attention of the guards at the gate. Meanwhile, Lord Lin Shen and Tang Yue will sneak into the manor and find an opportunity to capture people like the manager and interrogate them about the location of the spirit cat!¡±


    Tang Ying turned to look at Tang Yue and Lin Shen with solemn expression.


    ¡°After finding the ce, Tang Yue will inform us immediately. We will create amotion ording to the situation and attract the attention of the guards in the manor. You¡¯ll take the opportunity to save the spirit cats and leave the manor!¡±


    It was a standard n without serious loopholes.


    Lin Shen had nothing to add.


    If he had to find a w in this n, it was that there were no contingency or alternative ns..

 Chapter 165 - 165: Do You Mind Adopting Another One (3)

    Chapter 165: Do You Mind Adopting Another One (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    If something went wrong in the middle, it could easily cause the n to fail.


    When that happened, he would either have to leave decisively or rely on his martial strength to save the cats!


    To be honest, if not for the fact that he wasn¡¯t sure if the target manor still had any hidden reinforcers, Lin Shen would have wanted to barge in through the front door.


    As long as he killed everyone who blocked his way, the infiltration would be sessful!


    As these thoughts ran through his mind, Lin Shen remained calm and nodded slightly.


    Seeing this, Tang Ying secretly heaved a sigh of relief, and joy shed across her eyes.


    Although she wasn¡¯t very clear about Lin Shen¡¯s strength, since the cat general trusted Lin Shen so much, he must be very powerful.


    With Lin Shen¡¯s participation, their chances of rescuing their nsmen increased greatly.


    After discussing the n, Tang Ying immediately left with herpanions to make preparations, leaving Lin Shen, Tang Yue, and another cat called Tang Mei in the living room.


    Tang Mei was the youngest among all the cat demons. When Tang Ying was exining the n, her eyes had been rolling around. She was clearly a lively and active cat.


    As expected, as soon as Tang Ying left, she immediately jumped in front of Lin Shen and asked curiously,


    ¡°Master Lin Shen, I heard that you have an Ascension Stages spirit cat. Is that true?¡±


    Lin Shen nced at the girl and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s true. Why?¡±


    Tang Mei¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard this. Her eyes darted around, and she suddenly asked, ¡°Then do you mind having another Ascension Stage spirit cat that has taken her human form?¡±


    Lin Shen was stunned. Before he could answer, Tang Yue had already strode over. She skillfully grabbed Tang Mei¡¯s ear and pulled her away from Lin Shen.


    ¡°Tang Mei, don¡¯t cause trouble for Master Lin Shen!¡±


    Tang Mei cried out in pain a few times and finally broke free. She hurriedly ran behind Lin Shen and stuck her head out.


    ¡°It¡¯s not trouble! I¡¯m such a cute cat demon. How can Master Lin Shen not like me, right?¡±


    Thest sentence was directed at Lin Shen.


    Lin Shen was caught betweenughter and tears. He asked curiously, ¡°Why did you suddenly say this?¡±


    Tang Mei stuck out her tongue yfully and said, ¡°I heard from the cat general that you feed that adopted spirit cat expensive canned spirit beast meat and cat food every day. Moreover, she can eat as much as she wants. I¡¯m so envious!¡±


    Hearing this reason, Lin Shen was instantly speechless.


    Shouldn¡¯t cats be a symbol of wit and elegance?


    Why were there so many foodies among the spirit cats he met?


    Lin Shen shook his head andughed, not taking it to heart.


    After Tang Yue ¡°threatened¡± to snitch on Tang Ying, Tang Mei finally stopped.


    However, she still couldn¡¯t sit still. After a while, she pestered Lin Shen with questions.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t mind. He chatted with Tang Mei as a way to pass the time.


    During the conversation, he identally learned that Sinking Moon had attacked a ce where catgirls were used as maids three months ago.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Shen¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He asked tentatively,


    ¡°Is that ce called the Night Dream Club?¡±


    ¡°How did you know?¡± Tang Mei widened her eyes in surprise.


    Lin Shen shook his head andughed.


    No wonder that when he went to the Night Dream Club previously, he heard that it was attacked, and several catgirls were kidnapped. It turned out that it was Sinking Moon¡¯s doing.


    ¡°The Night Dream Club is also involved in the illegal trade of spirit cats?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± It was Tang Yue who answered. ¡°We didn¡¯t know about it beforehand. It wasn¡¯t until the nsmen were brought out that they told us that the club was different from other ces. Later, we even sent those nsmen back.¡±


    ording to Tang Yue¡¯s exnation, the spirit cat n was in a difficult situation in Dragonside City.


    Even Sinking Moon, which was protected by the cat general, had to keep a low profile. The members had to hide their identities when they went out every day.


    Most of the spirit cats were living a precarious life.


    Inparison, being able to work in a ce like the Night Dream Club was already a very good arrangement for them.


    It was true that the catgirls in the guild hall didn¡¯t have much freedom.


    However, life there was stable, and they had a sry.


    Compared to the days of hiding and escaping, it was already extremely rare.


    There were only a few cat demons like Sinking Moon who were willing to risk their lives to save their own kind.


    Seeing Tang Yue calmly recount these things as if she was already used to it, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but feel a little emotional.


    Dragonside City was ultimately the territory of the human race. If the demons wanted to survive here, they would inevitably encounter many difficulties.


    Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, it was night.


    Tang Ying rushed back, indicating that everything had been arranged.


    Hence, there was no time to lose. Lin Shen and Tang Yue immediately set off and rushed to the target manor..

 Chapter 166 - 166: Not an Ordinary Long Breath Stage Cultivator (1)

    Chapter 166: Not an Ordinary Long Breath Stage Cultivator (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    It waste at night, the time when ordinary people fell asleep.


    In the dark forest, Lin Shen sized up the manor in the distance.


    ¡°That¡¯s the target manor? It does look more like a castle than a manor.¡±


    The tall city wall and the patrolling guards on it showed that the manor was heavily guarded.


    In Dragonside City, such a manor would undoubtedly be very eye-catching.


    However, in a ce like Silverscale City, the manor wasn¡¯t the only house surrounded by tall walls.


    Tang Yue stood quietly beside Lin Shen.


    After about ten minutes, her expression suddenly changed, and she said softly,


    ¡°It¡¯s done!¡±


    Lin Shen nodded slightly. With a sh, he rushed toward the manor in the distance.


    Tang Yue followed closely behind.


    The two of them were swift and silent. In just two to three seconds, they passed through the empty road three to four hundred meters long in the manor and arrived at the bottom of the high wall.


    Smack!


    Lin Shen quickly pped three talismans on his body.


    Apart from the Flying Feather Talisman and the Light Body Talisman, there was also a concealment talisman that reduced one¡¯s aura.


    Naturally, Sinking Moon had prepared all the talismans in advance.


    Tang Yue also pasted talismans on herself.


    The spirit cat race was already good at stealth. After activating the talisman, their movements became even more undetectable.


    If Tang Yue hadn¡¯t been by Lin Shen¡¯s side, he would not have felt her presence.


    After activating the talisman, the two of them immediately climbed up the high wall.


    There were seven or eight guards scattered on the wall. Some were standing guard, while others were patrolling back and forth.


    The strange thing was that when Lin Shen and Tang Yue reached the top of the wall, these people ignored them and continued doing their own things.


    If one observed carefully, one would notice that these guards were in a daze. They had unknowingly fallen into an illusion.


    Without stopping, Lin Shen and Tang Yue quickly passed through the wall and sessfully entered the manor.


    Beforeing, Tang Yue had already told Lin Shen about theyout and environment of the manor. The two of them passed through the front courtyard and the outer courtyard without stopping and entered the inner courtyard.


    The outlines of buildings gradually appeared.


    After avoiding the two teams of patrolling guards, Lin Shen and Tang Yue quickly discovered a servant who was alone.


    Without hesitation, Lin Shen captured him and quickly interrogated him about the butler¡¯s location.


    As the manager of all the misceneous items and personnel in the manor, the butler definitely knew everything about the manor like the back of his hand.


    Apart from the owner of the manor, the butler would definitely know where the spirit cat was imprisoned.


    After getting the answer he wanted, Lin Shen knocked the servant unconscious and stuffed him into a nearby rockery. Then, he rushed to his destination with Tang Yue.


    Not long, the two of them arrived at the back of a building that was still lit up.


    The room the butler lived in happened to be on the top floor. Lin Shen and Tang Yue quietly climbed up the outer wall and pressed on the corridor window. When they exhaled their spiritual essence, there was a crack, and the window opened slightly.


    The two of them entered in a single file and silentlynded in the corridor.


    The butler¡¯s room was on the right at the end of the corridor.


    When Lin Shen and Tang Yue snuck in, a woman in a maid¡¯s uniform wasing out of that room. She looked disheveledii/4CE and her face was flushed as if she had just had some intensive activity.


    The woman bowed into the room and closed the door. She turned around and saw Lin Shen and Tang Yue.


    At first, she thought they were servants in the manor and felt a little guilty.


    However, when she saw the masks on Lin Shen and Tang Yue¡¯s faces, she suddenly realized who they were.


    In her shock, the woman¡¯s expression immediately changed. She was so frightened that she took a step back, took a deep breath, and prepared to scream. Unfortunately, it took her too much time to inhale. Lin Shen rushed to her side and hit the back of the woman¡¯s head with the side of his palm.


    The woman fainted without even making a sound. Her body swayed, and she was about to fall forward, but Lin Shen caught her in time and gently ced her on the ground.


    He turned around and gestured to Tang Yue. He then pressed his palm on the door handle, using his spiritual essence to break the lock.


    Hearing the sound of the door opening, the middle-aged man lying on the bed opened his eyes in confusion. Just as he was about to look up, a slender and strong palm had already reached out at lightning speed and grabbed his neck ruthlessly.


    ¡°!!!¡±


    The terrifying forceing from that hand made the middle-aged man feel as if his neck had be a fragile rotten wood. With just a little force, it would be broken with a crack.


    The middle-aged man immediately struggled violently.


    Unfortunately, the physical strength of the Level-9 Qi Transformation Stage that he was usually proud of was useless at this moment.


    A momentter, the middle-aged man¡¯s face had already turned purple-red. His eyes were round and bulging, and his veins were popping. He looked like he was about to suffocate.


    It was only then that Lin Shen rxed his grip slightly, allowing the middle-aged man to pant heavily.


    ¡°If you want to live, answer my question obediently. If you lie, you won¡¯t see the sun tomorrow morning. Do you understand?¡±


    The middle-aged man, who had just been on the verge of death, was filled with fear at this moment. When he heard this, he immediately used all his strength to nod repeatedly, afraid that Lin Shen would really break his neck.


    ¡°Where are you keeping the spirit cats?¡± Lin Shen asked coldly.


    The middle-aged man¡¯s expression changed, and he looked hesitant. However, in the next second, he felt the hand on his neck tighten.. He was so frightened that he hurriedly said, ¡°It¡¯s in the underground prison of this building!¡±

 Chapter 167 - 167: Not an Ordinary Long Breath Stage Cultivator

    Chapter 167: Not an Ordinary Long Breath Stage Cultivator


    (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Lin Shen and Tang Yue looked at each other in surprise.


    Unexpectedly, their destination was right under their feet!


    Lin Shen immediately made a decision. He grabbed the middle-aged man and said in a deep voice,


    ¡°Lead the way!¡±


    A hint of reluctance shed across the middle-aged man¡¯s eyes. In the end, he sumbed to the fear of death and led the way for Lin Shen with a pale face.


    Perhaps it was because the matter of imprisoning the spirit cats had kept a secret, apart from the middle-aged butler and the maid who had been knocked out by Lin Shen, there was no one else in the building.


    Along the way down from the top floor, they didn¡¯t encounter any other servants or guards.


    Not long after, the three of them stopped in front of an iron door.


    Under Lin Shen¡¯s cold gaze, the butler shakily took out a key and opened the iron door.


    As soon as the iron door opened, Tang Yue rushed in impatiently.


    A few secondster, the sounds of cats meowing could be heard from inside.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t go in. He stood at the door and waited patiently for a while.


    Soon, Tang Yue walked out with more than 20 spirit cats behind her.


    Most of these spirit cats had dull fur and were emaciated. It was obvious that they didn¡¯t have a good life here.


    However, after knowing that he was about to leave the Sea of Bitterness, his eyes still shed with joy.


    After seeing Lin Shen, many spirit cats looked at him curiously.


    Tang Yue nodded slightly at Lin Shen.


    ¡°I¡¯ve asked them. All the nsmen who were captured during this period of time were imprisoned here. In addition, some of them were taken out of this cell and never returned.¡±


    Lin Shen turned to look at the butler. Thetter immediately shuddered and waved his hands in fear.


    ¡°It¡¯s none of my business. I¡¯m just following Master¡¯s instructions. I don¡¯t know why he took those spirit cats away!¡±


    Seeing that the butler didn¡¯t seem to be lying, Lin Shen immediately lost interest and ended the conversation. With a crack, he broke the butler¡¯s neck.


    After throwing away the corpse, Lin Shen said to Tang Yue, ¡°Contact yourpanions.¡±


    Tang Yue nodded and didn¡¯t even look at the corpse on the ground.


    Toward these viins who harmed herpanions, she wished she could kill them herself!


    While Tang Yue was contacting herpanions, Jing Hai sat cross-legged on the ground in the medicine room on the second floor of the main building of in the center of the manor. He frowned at the ck waste pill in front of him with a gloomy expression.


    As he was in his own territory, there was no need to hide his identity, so he did not wear the ferocious ghost mask.


    However, the figure sitting opposite him was dressed in his usual ck robe and mask.


    ¡°So, this is the new pill you mentioned?¡±


    The ck-robed man looked at the waste pill on the ground, and his indifferent tone carried a trace of dissatisfaction.


    Jing Hai looked up at him and snorted.


    ¡°Every new pill has to experience thousands of failures. It¡¯s already not easy for me to have such achievements in just two months!¡±


    The ck-robed man said indifferently, ¡°You are an apothecary, not an alchemist.¡±


    Jing Hai suddenly raised his head and stared at the ck-robed man. His eyes flickered with intense anger and unwillingness.


    ¡°My alchemy skills isn;t inferior to those irresponsible bastards! If I were a cultivator master, I would have been an official alchemist long ago!¡±


    ¡°Then you should focus on collecting cultivators as ingredients of you pills instead of distracting yourself with other things.¡± The ck-robed man softened his tone, not wanting to agitate hispanions.


    Jing Hai also calmed down at this moment and said coldly, ¡°It¡¯s easy for you to say! The Martial Enforcement Hall is chasing us so closely. We can barely protect ourselves now, let alone capturing cultivators!¡±


    After a pause, Jing Hai¡¯s eyes flickered.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since the two lords sent any new messages, right? Can you contact them?¡±


    The ck-robed man was silent for a moment. Clearly, the answer was no.


    Jing Hai sneered. ¡°Looks like they¡¯re nning to give up on us. At this point, unless one of us breaks through the bottleneck and bes a cultivator master, it¡¯s only a matter of time before the organization is annihted by the Martial Enforcement Hall! How about it? Do you still n to stop me now?¡±


    After a long silence, the ck-robed man sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to stop you. It¡¯s just that using the demons to refine Blood Spirit Pills is an unprecedented thing. The chances of sess are extremely slim. I don¡¯t want you to waste too much time and energy on this and dy your business.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that!¡±


    Jing Hai waved his hand and remained stubborn.


    ¡°Just focus on collecting the pill ingredient. As long as you have the ingredients, send them to me directly. I guarantee that you won¡¯t miss out on refining pills!


    ¡°As for the matters here, you don¡¯t have to worry about it. If it doesn¡¯t work, it¡¯s fine. If it seeds, we can use this to turn the situation around. Isn¡¯t that a great thing?


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of attracting the attention of people by capturing spirit cats everywhere?¡± The ck-robed man said in a low voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a group of wandering spirit cats. No one will care about them. What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡±


    ¡°The cat general of Dragonside City¡­¡±


    ¡°You also know that it¡¯s Dragonside City. No matter how powerful an unofficial god is, what can he do about Silverscale City?¡±


    Seeing that he couldn¡¯t persuade Jing Hai, the ck-robed man sighed and shook his head.


    Jing Hai cast a sidelong nce at the ck-robed man and changed the topic. ¡°Don¡¯t just talk about me. How are things on your side? Didn¡¯t you say that you found a top-notch ingredient?¡¯


    At the mention of this, the eyes under the ck-robed man¡¯s mask shed, and he nodded slightly.


    ¡°That person is indeed an excpetional ingredient!¡±


    The ck-robed man¡¯s praise made Jing Hai curious. He leaned forward slightly and looked intrigued.


    ¡°Better than the ingredient you¡¯ve been preparing for years?¡±


    The ck-robed man chuckled. ¡°If I can use him to refine Blood Spirit Pills, I¡¯m almost certain that I¡¯ll break through the bottleneck!¡±


    Jing Hai was shocked, but then he was overjoyed.


    ¡°Then what are you waiting for? Hurry up and take that person down!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple.¡± The ck-robed man shook his head slightly. ¡°That person is now a popr genius in the Nine Yang Academy. Everyone is watching him. If I¡¯m reckless, even if I seed in taking him down, I¡¯ll be exposed.¡±


    ¡°So what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Let me think about it.¡±


    Jing Hai clicked his tongue in disapproval.


    The ck-robed man didn¡¯t mind and said unhurriedly,


    ¡°That person can¡¯t be underestimated. It won¡¯t be easy for me to capture him alive without attracting the attention of others.¡±


    Jing Hai was skeptical.


    ¡°Why is a meredisciple worthy of your attention? Is he a disciple of the upper house?¡±


    ¡°No, he¡¯s just a Heaven-rank disciple.¡±


    ¡°A Bright Aperture Stage Heaven-rank disciple?¡±


    ¡°Long Breath Stage.¡±


    The corner of Jing Hai¡¯s mouth twitched, and he flicked his sleeve angrily.


    ¡°He¡¯s just a junior at the Long Breath Stage. Why are you being so seriously? With your cultivation level, wouldn¡¯t it be easy for you to deal with a disciple at the Long Breath Stage?¡±


    The ck-robed man shook his head slightly. ¡°He¡¯s not an ordinary Long Breath Stage cultivator.¡±


    Jing Hai didn¡¯t believe him at all and sneered. ¡°How special can a mere Long Breath Stage cultivator be?¡±


    ¡°He cultivated a Path-stage martial technique.¡±


    Jing Hai¡¯s expression froze, and he looked extremely shocked.


    After a long while, he squeezed out a sentence.


    ¡°Are you telling the truth?¡±


    The ck-robed man nced at him but didn¡¯t answer.


    Jing Hai didn¡¯t really doubt the ck-robed man¡¯s words. He only asked because he was too shocked.


    Even with his many years of experience, he had never seen a Path-stage martial technique mastered by someone at the Long Breath Stage.


    He didn¡¯t expect that someone could really achieve such an impossible task!


    ¡°No wonder you value him so much¡­¡±


    After recovering from his shock, Jing Hai¡¯s eyes lit up.


    To be able to cultivate a Path-stage martial technique at the Long Breath Stage, his talent and spirituality were unparalleled!


    If such a genius was used to refine Blood Spirit Pills, he would probably be able to refine third-grade Blood Spirit Pills at the very least!


    If one was lucky, they could have a Grade-4. Blood Spirit Pill!


    If that was the case, their long-cherished wish would definitelye true!


    Thinking of this, Jing Hai grew excited. He wished he could capture that person and refine pills now..

 Chapter 168 - 168: Common Disaster of Alchemists (1)

    Chapter 168: Common Disaster of Alchemists (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    ¡°What¡¯s that person¡¯s name? What¡¯s his background?¡± Jing Hai asked impatiently.


    The ck-robed man immediately saw through hispanion¡¯s intention and frowned. ¡°I¡¯ve said it before. That person is a special case. If we want to take him down, we have to make a thorough n!¡±


    Jing Hai chuckled.


    ¡°You¡¯re afraid of exposing your identity, but I¡¯m not!


    ¡°I¡¯ve been living in seclusion all these years. The people of Silverscale City only think of me as a talented apothecary. No one knows my true identity. As long as I¡¯m careful, I don¡¯t have to worry about the Nine Yang Academy finding out about me!¡±


    Jing Hai¡¯s tone was filled with confidence.


    Hearing this, the ck-robed man fell silent as if he was a little shaken.


    Jing Hai saw this and took advantage of his hesitation. He waved his hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s settled then. The longer we dy, the more trouble there will be. I¡¯ll take action in a few days. The sooner we break through the bottleneck, the sooner we can reorganize the organization and get through the current predicament!¡±


    After a moment of silence, the ck-robed man finally nodded and recounted Lin Shen¡¯s information.


    Jing Hai smiled when heard this. Before he could say anything, his gaze suddenly focused, and his expression became iparably cold.


    The ck-robed man raised his eyebrows. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. A group of animals has barged into my territory!¡±


    Jing Hai sneered, and cold killing intent appeared in his eyes.


    ¡°What a bunch of ignorant animals. They were lucky enough to escapest time, but they still dare toe back. They really have a death wish!


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll use you as the ingredients for tonight¡¯s pill refinement!¡±


    The ck-robed man lost interest when he heard this. He stood up and prepared to leave.


    ¡°Take care. I won¡¯t see you off. When we catch the person and refine him into a pill, we¡¯ll drink a few more cups!¡± Jing Hai said.


    The ck-robed man waved his hand without looking back. His figure suddenly blurred, and in the next moment, he had already disappeared from the spot.


    Jing Hai wasn¡¯t surprised and waved his sleeve.


    In an instant, mist appeared out of thin air and quickly condensed into a water mirror in front of him.


    In the mirror, a man and a woman were walking out of a building with a group of spirit cats.


    The scene brought a killing intent to Jing Hai¡¯s eyes. He instantly disappeared from the spot.


    The moment he walked out of the building, Lin Shen immediately heard a considerablemotion in the distance.


    Looking over, one could vaguely see mes soaring into the sky.


    It was obvious that Tang Ying and the others had already begun to take action.


    Seeing this, Lin Shen and Tang Yue immediately rushed in the opposite direction with the spirit cats.


    Most of the guards and servants in the manor were attracted by the fire, and there were only a few left nearby.


    Along the way, Lin Shen knocked out the servants he met and threw them to the side of the road.


    It wasn¡¯t until they reached the outer courtyard that they met a team of patrolling guards.


    From the looks of it, they were in a hurry and seemed to be rushing to the ce where themotion came from.


    Seeing a figure approaching from afar, the leader immediately shouted,


    ¡°Who¡¯s that over there? Stop!¡±


    Lin Shen ignored him and pointed at the air.


    In an instant, there was a sharp and short sound of air being torn apart. A wisp of iparably sharp energy shot out and pierced through the center of the captain¡¯s forehead like an arrow!


    The poor guard captain didn¡¯t even have time to scream before he died on the spot!


    The guards didn¡¯t expect that the person opposite them would attack just like that. Even the captain of the team, who was at the third level of the Long Breath Stage, was instantly killed. They immediately panicked.


    ¡°Captain!¡±


    ¡°Quickly! Blow the whistle and call for help!¡±


    ¡°Wait, he¡¯sing at us! Ah!!¡±


    Before the guards could recover from their panic, Lin Shen had already rushed into the crowd like a ghost and waved his palms repeatedly.


    As the palm wind surged, this group of guards, who were only at the Qi Transformation Stage, died one after another. In an instant, they were all wiped out, turning into corpses and falling to the ground.


    Tang Yue was speechless.


    Although she could handle these guards, she definitely couldn¡¯t be as casual and rxed as Lin Shen!


    And from the looks of it, Lin Shen had clearly not used his full strength!


    At this moment, Tang Yue finally understood why the cat general was full of praise for Lin Shen¡¯s strength.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Lin Shen voice woke Tang Yue up.


    She stopped her distracting thoughts and followed Lin Shen.


    Under the night sky, the group of men and cats ran towards the gate of the manor.


    On the way, they encountered four or five more guards. Among them, there was a captain at the Long Breath Stage. However, he was only at the second or third level. Lin Shen didn¡¯t even draw his weapon and easily took care of him.


    Before long, they arrived at the front courtyard.


    Seeing this, Tang Yue immediately perked up.


    After passing through this courtyard, there would be a high wall a hundred meters away. After that wall, they would be able to leave this manor!


    However, just as joy appeared on her face, a muffled thunder suddenly came from behind.


    Tang Yue was rmed.


    The demon¡¯s sharp intuition gave her goosebumps. She felt a chill run down her spine.


    In her fear, the girl turned her head to look behind her. From the corner of her eye, she happened to see a chain of zing white light tearing through the void and attacking at high speed!


    There were countless things that the demons feared the most in their lives. There was no doubt that lightning was one of them.


    Especially demons who had yet to pass the Human Tribtion, they were most afraid of lightning. The brilliant heavenly power contained in it was enough to destroy their bodies and souls!


    A sense of death instantly overwhelmed her.


    Despair appeared on Tang Yue¡¯s pretty face.


    At the critical moment, a scorching wave of air suddenly came from the side.


    Crimson light instantly filled her vision.


    Under Tang Yue¡¯s dumbfounded gaze, a huge red palm appeared out of thin air and faced the zing white light!


    BOOM!


    A deafening roar resounded in the sky above the manor!

 Chapter 169 - 169: Common Disaster of Alchemists (2)

    Chapter 169: Common Disaster of Alchemists (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    The chain of white light shattered the giant red palm, but it also lost all of its power and disappeared into the air.


    Apart from the scorched ground below the collision point, there was nothing. There were no signs of a confrontation a moment ago.


    Whoosh!


    The sound of clothes fluttering could be heard.


    An old man with gray hair and a gloomy expressionnded in the courtyard and blocked the way of Lin Shen and the others. His cold gazended on Lin Shen like an arrow, and his eyes narrowed slightly.


    ¡°Path-stage Meltdown! You¡¯re a disciple of the Nine Suns Sect?¡±


    Jing Hai¡¯s tone carried a trace of uncertainty.


    Initially, he thought that the intruders were just a bunch of cat demons. He didn¡¯t expect that there was actually a disciple of the Nine Suns Sect among them!


    Was this disciple acting alone just to help this group of cat demons?


    Or did the Nine Suns Sect discover his hidden identity and speciallye here to capture him?


    After all, Jing Hai was experienced enough. His mind raced, and he quickly figured it out.


    If it was thetter case, then there would be more than one Nine Suns Sky Sect disciple in the manor.


    It was most likely the former.


    Thinking of this, Jing Hai made up his mind, and a cold smile appeared on his face again.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re here, don¡¯t even think about leaving. Be a good boy and be my alchemy material!¡±


    Amidst hisughter, Jing Hai pressed his index and middle fingers together. He was swift like the wind as he drew out 10 distorted paths in the air. Traces of green light were like imprints that condensed in midair and transformed into the calligraphy character of lightning.


    As soon as the character took shape, Jing Hai immediately pressed forward with his palms.


    In the next moment, a zing chain of white light appeared again and shot toward Lin Shen like an arrow!


    He had turned his spiritual essence into a talisman! It was Lightning Palm!


    Lin Shen¡¯s heart trembled.


    Even though the scene just now had already given him the answer, he still held onto the hope that the old man might have used some kind of talisman.


    However, the current situation had finally shattered thest trace of his hope.


    Drawing talismans in the air was something that could only be done when one¡¯s cultivation reached an extremely high stage!


    When a person¡¯s soul was strengthened to a certain extent, they could awaken their spirit resonance and use the spirit supplement medium to draw talismans in the air!


    In other words, a spell!


    To do that, one had to break through to the Bright Aperture Stage first!


    In other words, the old man was a Bright Aperture Stage cultivator!


    The owner of this manor, an apothecary, was actually a Bright Aperture Stage cultivator?


    Lin Shen was shocked.


    However, the enemy was aggressive and didn¡¯t give him any time to think.


    Facing the iing lightning, Lin Shen activated the Forbidden Golden Armor without thinking.


    In the next moment, the shadow of a majestic golden armor appeared out of thin air and enveloped Lin Shen¡¯s entire body.


    Crackle!


    The zing white lightning struck the golden armor, and with a bang, dazzling electric currents exploded, turning the surrounding grass into charcoal. Sparks flew, but Lin Shen, who was in the center of the lightning, was unscathed.


    ¡°Path-stage Physical Enhancement martial technique!¡±


    Jing Hai¡¯s pupils were constricted.


    It wasn¡¯t rare for Bright Aperture Stage cultivators to master Path-stage martial techniques, but there weren¡¯t many Bright Aperture Stage cultivators who mastered two such martial techniques at the same time.


    No wonder this person dared to barge into the manor. It seemed that he had some skills!


    Because of his preconceived notions, Jing Hai still thought that Lin Shen was a Bright Aperture Stage cultivator.


    At the same time, Tang Yue was dumbfounded.


    On one hand, she was shocked that the owner of the manor was actually a Bright Aperture Stage cultivator.


    On the other hand, she was also shocked by Lin Shen¡¯s strength.


    He had actually Path in his martial technique!


    Two of them!


    He even blocked the spell attacks of a Bright Aperture Stage cultivator twice in a row!


    Tang Yue was shocked.


    How could she thing that she had already understood how powerful Lin Shen was?


    However, it was only at this moment that she realized that she had still far underestimated Lin Shen. Thetter¡¯s strength far exceeded her imagination!


    Lin Shen¡¯s voice suddenly woke Tang Yue up from her daze.


    ¡°Tang Yue, take your people and leave!¡±


    Tang Yue was stunned. When she realized what he had said, her expression changed drastically. She was about to speak when Lin Shen interrupted her.


    ¡°You¡¯re too weak. You¡¯ll only drag me down if you stay!¡±


    Tang Yue¡¯s expression froze.


    However, she also understood that Lin Shen was telling the truth.


    With her Ascension Stage cultivation, she couldn¡¯t even survive a single exchange with Jing Hai. If she stayed, she would either be tempting fate for nothing or be a burden to Lin Shen.


    It was even more the case with the other spirit cats.


    Even the aftershock of a battle would probably take their lives!


    After all, Tang Yue wasn¡¯t a shy person. Once she thought it through, she no longer hesitated. She took a long look at Lin Shen, gritted her teeth, and called for the spirit cats to leave.


    ¡°You want to leave? Have you asked for my permission?¡±


    Jing Hai snorted coldly and was about to stop the cats when he suddenly saw someone moving fast from the corner of his eye. Lin Shen had already arrived in front of him. He waved the longsword in his hand repeatedly, forming waves of sword light that enveloped Jing Hai.


    The dazzling sword light made Jing Hai¡¯s expression freeze.


    After all, it was an attack from a cultivator he thought to be at the same level as him. He didn¡¯t dare to underestimate Lin Shen, so he could only give up on stopping Tang Yue. He wiped his palm, and a long sword appeared out of thin air.


    In the next moment, there was an endless sound of metal colliding, and sparks burst out!


    In just two to three seconds, the two of them had exchanged no less than 50 blows!


    By the time the two of them separated, Tang Yue had already walked far away with the spirit cats. They had almost disappeared into the hazy night.


    However, at this moment, Jing Hai could no longer care about them.


    His gaze was fixed on Lin Shen, and his eyes flickered with surprise.


    In that head-on sh just now, he was surprised to discover that his opponent¡¯s strength didn¡¯t seem to be as powerful as he had expected.


    ¡°You¡¯re not a Bright Aperture Stage cultivator! You¡¯re at the Long Breath Stage!¡±


    Jing Hai sized up Lin Shen, and his eyes gradually lit up with surprise.


    ¡°Long Breath Stage, Path-stage martial technique, and Nine Suns Sect¡­ Hahaha, so you¡¯re Lin Shen!


    ¡°I searched high and low for you, and vo!


    ¡°I was just thinking about how to capture you. I didn¡¯t expect you to actually bring yourself to my doorstep. Even the heavens are looking after me. Hahaha¡­¡±


    Xu Yuan¡¯scent and excitedughter rang out in the night.


    Lin Shen raised his eyebrows.


    Judging from the words of the fellow, it seemed that the other party had been nning to attack him for a long time!


    But why?


    Many thoughts shed through Lin Shen¡¯s mind, and he blurted out,


    ¡°You¡¯re from the Wild Wolves!


    II


    Theughter stopped abruptly.


    Jing Hai looked at Lin Shen with a hint of surprise in his eyes.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so smart. You guessed my identity so quickly!¡±


    As expected!


    Lin Shen remained calm despite the discovery.


    ¡°Since when did the Wild Wolves go after spirit cats? Isn¡¯t your target the cultivators?¡±


    ¡°You even know about such things? Looks like you know quite a lot.¡±


    Jing Hai could tell what Lin Shen was trying to get out of him, but he was in a good mood and was certain that Lin Shen wouldn¡¯t be able to escape from him, so he didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°I used those spirit cats to experiment with a new breed of Blood Spirit Pills. Unfortunately, I haven¡¯t had any results yet.


    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter. After I capture you and refine you into Blood Spirit Pills, I¡¯ll be able to break through the bottleneck and be a cultivator master. At that time, with my cultivation and skills, I¡¯ll be able to refine a new breed of Blood Spirit Pills!¡±


    Lin Shen acutely sensed the key point in Jing Hai¡¯s words.


    ¡°You¡¯re at the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    Jing Hai stood proudly with his hands behind his back.


    However, Lin Shen¡¯s following words enraged him.


    ¡°Really? But why do I feel that you don¡¯t look like someone at the ninth level?


    You feel a little weak!¡±


    Jing Hai was stunned for a moment before he flew into a rage.


    In fact, this was also amon problem for alchemists.


    Alchemists spent most of their lives researching and refining medicinal pills without any distractions.


    Although relying on pills, their cultivation levels were the same as ordinary cultivators, and their martial arts attainments andbat techniques were far inferior to thetter.


    Because of this, alchemists were known to be weak among their peers!


    Very weak.


    An alchemist at the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage might not be able to defeat an ordinary cultivator at the third level.


    As an apothecary, Jing Hai was not much better than an alchemist in this aspect.


    Usually, he did not think much of it. Now that he was pointed out by a junior in the Long Breath Stage and even mocked for being weak, how could he hold it in? He was immediately furious!


    ¡°Young man, you are too arrogant!¡±


    As he shouted, Jing Hai rushed toward Lin Shen with a murderous expression..

 Chapter 170 - 170: It’s My Turn (1)

    Chapter 170: It¡¯s My Turn (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    There was no qualitative difference between the physical strength and spiritual essence of Bright Aperture Stage and the Long Breath Stage cultivators.


    Even if the former was stronger, it was very limited.


    The true power of the Bright Aperture Stage was in the Path-stage martial techniques and spells.


    As an apothecary, Jing Hai usually spent most of his time studying medicinal herbs and pills. How could he have the time to cultivate Path-stage martial techniques?


    At most, he cultivated some spells to protect himself.


    But even so, with these spells, he was enough to crush ordinary Long Breath Stage cultivators!


    Many Long Breath Stage cultivators had died at Jing Hai¡¯s hands. When had he ever been looked down upon and mocked by a junior of the Long Breath Stage? He was furious, and he attacked mercilessly!


    With a loud shout, Jing Hai touched the sword with his fingers.


    Wherever his finger passed, a zing red light quickly covered the sword.


    In the blink of an eye, the sword turned into a streak of red light.


    Jing Hai shed down the sword, and in an instant, there was a hiss. Countless red threads separated from the de and whipped toward Lin Shen.


    Each of these red lines was condensed from the purest firepower. With a slight vibration, mes spewed out!


    Dozens of red threads intersected and sealed the courtyard within a hundred meters in the blink of an eye. There were almost no gaps!


    Any other Long Breath Stage cultivator wouldn¡¯t have the chance to dodge this peerlessly fierce attack. Apart from turning into charcoal, there was no other oue.


    But Lin Shen was different.


    He didn¡¯t need to dodge at all. As soon as the golden armor appeared, he directly charged toward Jing Hai against the red threads that filled the sky!


    Swoosh!


    The thin red threadsnded on the golden armor, emitting a dull sound like iron melting.


    The golden-armored quickly dimmed, but in the end, it held on until Lin Shen rushed out of the encirclement of the red threads and arrived less than ten meters in front of Jing Hai.


    Seeing this, Jing Hai was shocked.


    Usually, when the Lightning Palm or the Crimson Melting Silk was used, killing a Long Breath Stage cultivator would be as easy as flipping his hand.


    However, both of them were useless to Lin Shen!


    Jin Hai¡¯s attack was either blocked or counteracted!


    For a moment, Jing Hai panicked.


    At this moment, Lin Shen had already taken a few steps forward and mmed out with Meltdown.


    Wow!


    As the mes surged, the huge red palm appeared again and smashed Jing Hai from above.


    However, the moment the giant palm touched Jing Hai, thetter¡¯s body suddenly lit up, and a dazzling pure white light appeared.


    BOOM!


    The crimson palm struck the white light, causing it to tremble incessantly. However, it was unable to destroy the white light and could only slowly dissipate.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±


    Jing Hai had just recovered from his shock when he immediatelyughed proudly.


    ¡°Boy, it¡¯s still too early for you to break the defense of my Cloud Suppression Robe!¡±


    ¡°Cloud Suppression Robe? What level is this enchanted armament?¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s long-umted attack failed, but there was no disappointment on his face. Instead, he asked with interest.


    Looking at Lin Shen¡¯s calm and collected appearance, Jing Hai stoppedughing. The corners of his eyes twitched slightly as he snorted heavily.


    ¡°Tell you what? This Cloud Suppression Robe of mine is a superior-grade enchanted armament. Even if you have a Path-stage martial technique, you can¡¯t hurt me. If you¡¯re smart, I advise you to surrender now. Perhaps you can live for a while longer with good food and drinks!¡±


    Lin Shen was unmoved and didn¡¯t believe Jing Hai¡¯s bragging at all.


    If it was a Dharma treasure, he might not have been able to hurt Jing Hai.


    Although superior-grade enchanted armaments had a strong defense, they weren¡¯t indestructible.


    No matter how strong the defense was, there was a limit.


    It could block one of his strikes, but could it block dozens or hundreds of attacks?


    Seeing the change in Lin Shen¡¯s expression, Jing Hai was displeased. He finally realized that this kid in front of him wasn¡¯t a coward who could be frightened silly with just a few words. It would be a waste of effort to continue threatening him.


    ¡°Fine. Since that¡¯s the case, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless! I¡¯ll chop off your limbs first. As long as you¡¯re alive, it won¡¯t affect the quality of my pills!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Jing Hai suddenly reached into his pocket. When he retracted his hand, there was already a handful of golden beans in his palm.


    He raised his hand and threw the golden beans into the air. When theynded, they had already transformed into mighty yellow-scarved warriors!


    Compared to the yellow-scarved warrior that Lin Shen had seen before, the ones that Jing Hai had summoned were taller and stronger. They had powerful auras, and their cultivation levels were probably no lower than the fifth level of the Long Breath Stage!


    As soon as they stood still, more than twenty yellow-scarved warriors immediately brandished their copper hammers or steel mace and charged at Lin Shen.


    ¡°Think you¡¯re the only one who¡¯ll call for help?¡±


    Lin Shen chuckled and took out the God Seeking Token without hesitation. He quickly chanted an incantation.


    In an instant, the void in front of him distorted, and arge number of ripples appeared out of thin air. The cat general ced his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist and slowly walked out.


    Swoosh!


    The cold sword light tore through the night!


    The yellow-scarved warrior at the front only saw a sh of light before his eyes. In the next instant, his massive head shot into the sky!


    The headless body took a few steps forward and fell to the ground with a bang, slowly dissipating like a reflection in the water.


    As for the sword beam, it continued charging at the other yellow-scarved warriors. It transformed into a ball of swirling light that rapidly reaped the lives of the yellow-scarved warriors!


    ¡°The cat general!¡±


    Jing Hai¡¯s pupils constricted.


    He suspected since Lin Shen was involved with the spirit cat race, it was very likely that he had the God Seeking Token.


    However, he didn¡¯t expect Lin Shen to have such a deep rtionship with the cat general. The God Seeking Token in his possession could actually summon a Bright Aperture Stage Divine Lord¡¯s incarnation!


    Although it was only at the first level of the Bright Aperture Stage, it was already quite troublesome for Jing Hai..

 Chapter 171 - 171: It’s My Turn (2)

    Chapter 171: It¡¯s My Turn (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    And there was Lin Shen, who was so powerful that he didn¡¯t look like a cultivator of the Long Breath Stage at all!


    Only then did Jin Hai realize why the man in the ck robe kept saying that it wouldn¡¯t be easy to take Lin Shen down and had to think about it?


    Seeing that the cat general and Lin Shen were about to kill all the yellow-scarved warriors, Jin Hai gritted his teeth and took out a talisman from his storage bag.


    Just then, the cat general happened to kill thest yellow-scarved warrior. When he turned around and saw the talisman in Jin Hai¡¯s hand, his expression turned solemn.


    ¡°The sword talisman!


    <li>I</li>


    Lin Shen was about to ask what the talisman was when Jin Hai flicked his fingers, and the talisman burst into mes. It then turned into a sword.


    The de was illusory and gave off an intimidating sharp feeling.


    Even from over 20m away, Lin Shen could still feel the sharp energying at him. He even felt as if his cheek was being scratched!


    The next second, there was a long whooshing sound, as if a red-hot brand had been put in ice water. The rainbow-colored sword energy pierced through the air like a streak of lightning and headed straight for Lin Shen.


    Without hesitation, Lin Shen activated his Cloud Dragon Rhythm and dashed off.


    However, the sword¡¯s energy seemed to have eyes of its own. It changed direction and kept shooting at Lin Shen.


    ¡°It has a navigation system?¡± Lin Shen was surprised.


    Luckily, although the sword energy was astonishingly fast, it was still inferior to the Path-stage Cloud Dragon Rhythm. It was still unable to catch up with Lin Shen.


    Jin Hai gritted his teeth and was shocked and furious.


    ¡°Damn it! What¡¯s wrong with this kid? Does he have a third Path-stage technique?¡±


    Gritting his teeth, he took out another sword talisman and activated a second streak of rainbow sword energy.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try to dodge two of them!¡±


    Swoosh!


    There was the muffled sound of air being torn apart.


    Lin Shen looked out of the corner of his eye and saw another streak of sword energying his way. His heart skipped a beat.


    However, at that moment, Lin Shen¡¯s vision darkened a little, and the cat general blocked his way. With a sh, his sword shed with the rainbow sword energy.


    The sword and the sword energy shattered almost instantly.


    The cat general stumbled back, but before he could steady himself, the second streak of sword energy pierced his chest, and he froze.


    A gust of wind blew, and the cat general¡¯s body gradually disintegrated, turning into ash.


    ¡°Divine Lord!¡± Lin Shen was astonished.


    The cat general waved his hand without looking back and said in a low voice, ¡°That¡¯s a sword talisman. The sword energy will never stop before it hits the enemy. You can only block it, not dodge it¡­¡±


    The cat general disappeared after that.


    Ever since Lin Shen obtained the God Seeking Token, this was the first time that the cat general was killed in battle.


    ¡°Hahaha!


    <li>I</li>


    She heard Jin Hai¡¯s gloatingughter.


    ¡°He¡¯s right. The sword talisman can only be blocked and not dodged, but can you do that? Hahaha¡­¡±


    Lin Shen narrowed his eyes and didn¡¯t reply.


    Even the Bright Aperture Stage incarnation of the cat general was only able to fend off one streak of sword energy before being killed.


    No matter how confident Lin Shen was, he couldn¡¯t guarantee that he could withstand the sword energy.


    Maybe he could, but he wouldn¡¯t risk his own life.


    Luckily, he didn¡¯t have to risk his life.


    Seeing that Lin Shen¡¯s expression remained unchanged, Jin Hai gradually stoppedughing. Instead of having the satisfaction of suppressing his enemy, he was filled with frustration. Without another word, he took out another sword talisman.


    ¡°I can¡¯t hold back anymore. The longer I wait, the more trouble I¡¯ll have. Although it¡¯s a pity to kill this kid, we can still use his body to refine pills. We won¡¯t be able to refine any Level-4 Blood Spirit Pills, but Level-3 ones are more than enough!¡±


    There was a cold look in his eyes. Jin Hai flicked his sword talisman without hesitation, and another streak of rainbow-colored sword energy charged Lin Shen.


    To Jin Hai¡¯s surprise, Lin Shen didn¡¯t use his movement technique this time. Instead, he stood where he was.


    By the look of it, he was going to withstand the sword energy.


    ¡°How bold! I¡¯d like to see how you¡¯re going to withstand that sword energy!¡±


    Jin Hai smirked.


    However, the next second, the smile froze on his face, and he couldn¡¯t believe his eyes.


    A shadow suddenly separated from Lin Shen and materialized in front of him, turning into a second ¡°Lin Shen¡±.


    Swoosh!


    The sword energy struck the second ¡°Lin Shen¡±.


    A dark golden light suddenly lit up in the dark.


    Under the attack of the sword energy, the shadow of the golden armor on ¡°Lin Shen¡±sted for less than a second before it shattered.


    However, most of the sword energy was gone as well, and the remaining energy hit ¡°Lin Shen¡±, knocking him away. He spat out a mouthful of blood when he hit the ground.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    Jin Hai¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment.


    A clone? A spell?


    Wasn¡¯t this boy a Long Breath Stage cultivator?


    Why did she know spells?


    Jin Hai was astonished and couldn¡¯t figure it out no matter how hard he tried.


    Meanwhile, Lin Shen let out a breath of relief.


    The clone was only severely injured by the sword energy but wasn¡¯t killed on the spot. The defense ability of Forbidden Golden Armor was quite trustworthy.


    By then, Jin Hai hade back to himself, and when he looked at Lin Shen again, his eyes were filled with astonishment. He felt a chill run down his spine, which almost extinguished the excitement in Liao Yuan¡¯s chest.


    Trouble!


    This kid was going to bring disaster to them one day!


    He had to kill him here!


    At that thought, Jin Hai took out another sword talisman and charged Lin Shen.


    But the same thing happened again.


    Lin Shen created another clone, which blocked the sword energy at the cost of being severely injured.


    Jin Hai stiffened and took out another sword talisman.


    But the result was the same. The third clone blocked the sword.


    Jin Hai¡¯s eyes went bloodshot red, and he was furious when he saw his actions fail repeatedly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it! Let¡¯s see how many clones you have left!¡±


    Jin Hai took out two sword talismans and activated two streaks of sword energy at once.


    But nothing changed.


    With a thought, Lin Shen summoned two clones at the same time, blocking the sword energy.


    Was it ever going to end?


    Jin Hai stumbled back in fright. When he tried to take out the sword talisman again, he realized that it had been used up.


    The sword talismans were both powerful and precious. Jin Hai had umted them for so many years, but he only had seven of them. Before he knew it, he had used them up.


    Jin Hai nched right away.


    Lin Shen smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s my turn to fight back!¡±


    With a thought, thest clone appeared. Together with Lin Shen, they charged at Jin Hai with their Six-Yang Talisman Swords.


    After using all seven sword talismans in a row, Jin Hai had almost drained his spiritual essence, and he could no longer use any spells. He could only rely on his lousy martial arts to fight Lin Shen and his clones. He was no longer as intimidating as he was a moment ago!


    Now that the sword energy was no longer a threat, Lin Shen could do whatever he wanted. Cloud Dragon Rhythm exerted all its power, and Cloud Dragon¡¯s image gradually appeared on him.


    As soon as the Shadow Dragon appeared, Lin Shen and his clone moved even faster, and they almost turned into afterimages.


    Jin Hai had never been good at fighting, and the repeated defeats only made him more flustered. He kept making mistakes during the fight.


    Had it not been for the fact that his cultivation level was so much higher than Lin Shen¡¯s and that he had the superior-grade robe, he would have been killed by Lin Shen already!


    Even so, the light around Jin Hai began to dim.


    A momentter, theyer of pure white light flickered and dissipated like a popped bubble.


    The next moment.


    Lin Shen and his clone struck out at the same time. Two giant red palms appeared and struck down Jin Hai from both sides. Jin Hai watched in astonishment as the palms smashed into him like a mountain!


    BOOM!


    mes and airwaves engulfed Jin Hai..

 Chapter 172 - 172:1 Have to Get Stronger (1)

    Chapter 172:1 Have to Get Stronger (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    The tidal wave of mes almost burned the grass to the ground.


    After a long while, the me slowly dissipated, revealing what was going on beneath.


    Jin Haiy motionlessly on the ground. He was charred from head to toe. If his chest hadn¡¯t been heaving, anyone would have thought that he was dead.


    ¡°The superior-grade enchanted armament is amazing! He¡¯s still alive!¡±


    Lin Shen looked surprised.


    The clone walked up to Jin Hai with a talisman sword.


    Jin Hai¡¯s eyes flickered. He wanted to say something, but before he could speak, the clone had pierced his throat.


    It didn¡¯t give him any chance at all!


    The light in Jin Hai¡¯s eyes soon faded, and he was no longer alive.


    After making sure that Jin Hai was dead, Lin Shen let out a breath of relief.


    The Bright Aperture Stage was as tough as it should be. Even though the apothecary was only a Bright Aperture Stage that wasn¡¯t good at fighting, he still almost killed Lin Shen.


    If Jing Hai had three more, no, two more sword talismans, Lin Shen would be the one lying on the ground.


    Even if they won in the end, Lin Shen would have to pay a high price.


    After the cat general died, he could only be summoned again after a month.


    With all five of them severely injured, it would take them a while to recover.


    ¡°I hope my rewards are worth it.¡±


    Lin Shen quickly searched the body and found a storage ring.


    ¡°A storage ring! That¡¯s great!¡±


    The storage ring was a middle-grade enchanted armament, and it was much more spacious than an inferior-grade one. The Merit Hall sold it for seven minor merits.


    Lin Shen happily opened the ring and saw a lot of things inside.


    There were daily necessities, spirit coins, rare and precious herbs, talismans, bottles, and cans¡­ There were so many of them that it was dazzling.


    Considering that they were still in the enemy¡¯s territory, Lin Shen didn¡¯t know if other Bright Aperture enemies would show up. In the end, he gave up on the idea of counting the spoils of war and put away his storage ring. He would take his time to do it when he got back.


    He then took the Cloud Suppression Rob off Jin Hai¡¯s body.


    The formidable power of the enchanted arm had been demonstrated in this battle.


    Had it not been for the Cloud Suppression Rob, it would have been much easier for Lin Shen to kill Jin Hai.


    That was how effective an enchanted arm could be in improving a cultivator¡¯s survival ability.


    Unfortunately, Cloud Suppression Rob had been severely injured in the battle and wouldn¡¯t recover without a few months of nourishment with spiritual essence.


    Despite that, Lin Shen was still very happy.


    Once the Cloud Suppression Robe recovered its energy, with this formidable defensive enchanted arm, Lin Shen would be able to survive much more difficult battles.


    ¡°With the addition of the superior-grade enchanted armament and the Forbidden Golden Armor, only a handful of people below the Bright Aperture Stage can injure me!¡±


    After waking up from his rejoicing, Lin Shen put away the Cloud Suppression Robe, left the scene without hesitation, and headed for the front gate of the manor.


    About half an hour after Lin Shen left, a figure suddenly showed up.


    It was none other than the man in the ck robe.


    Looking around the devastated courtyard, he finally saw Jin Hai¡¯s dead body in the center of the charred ground. He clenched his fists.


    A momentter, he bellowed and flicked his sleeve. With a rumble, a streak of lightning covered a distance of over loom and struck a thick por tree on the other side!


    In a matter of seconds, the tree was charred to a crisp!


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t stop after he left the manor. He headed straight for the rendezvous point.


    However, he was only halfway there when he saw Tang Yue and Tang Ying rushing toward him with a team of cat demons.


    The cat demons were pleasantly surprised when they saw Lin Shen.


    ¡°Master Lin Shen! Are you alright?¡±


    Tang Ying quickly ran up to Lin Shen and looked him up and down. Seeing that he only looked a little disheveled and didn¡¯t seem injured, she let out a breath of relief.


    ¡°I heard from Tang Yue that you ran into a Bright Aperture cultivator, and I was going to help you!¡±


    If even Lin Shen wasn¡¯t the enemy¡¯s match, with the cats¡¯ capability, they would only be tempting fate.


    However, the look on Tang Ying¡¯s face was very serious when she said those words.


    The other cat demons looked equally ready to face their fate.


    Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but feel touched.


    As a member of the demon race, these cat demons valued friendship more than many other humans.


    It made sense. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have found a force like the Sinking Moon.


    Lin Shen waved at Tang Ying with a smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine.


    ¡°Where are the spirit cats we¡¯ve saved?¡±


    Tang Ying immediately said, ¡°I¡¯ve put them in a safe ce!¡±


    Lin Shen nodded and said, ¡°This isn¡¯t the ce to talk. Let¡¯s go back first.¡±


    The cat demons left Lin Shen right away.


    Now that their goal had been achieved, Lin Shen and the other cat demons naturally wouldn¡¯t stay in Silvcrscale City for much longer. They decided to leave that very night and go back to Dragonside City.


    They could walk through the city gate in broad daylight, but it wasn¡¯t easy to do that when they had twenty or so spirit cats.


    Luckily, the city wall had a lot of loopholes, and the spirit cats were good at illusions. After some effort, they were finally able to leave Silvcrscale City before sunrise.


    With the token from the cat general, it was much easier to go back to Dragonside City.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t go with the cat demons. Instead, he went straight back to his vi in the Eastern District.


    It was early in the morning when he got back, and the sun was shining brightly outside..


    <center>Sorry for the inconvenience. Thank you very much!</center>

 Chapter 173 - 173:1 Have to Get Stronger (2)

    Chapter 173:1 Have to Get Stronger (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Ai had just finished her night of cultivation and was walking into the living room when she saw the travel-worn Lin Shen. She was baffled.


    ¡°Lin Shen, where did you go?¡±


    All of a sudden, Ai¡¯s nose twitched, and she tilted her head in bewilderment. She quickly ran to Lin Shen¡¯s side and sniffed again. Finally, she was sure.


    ¡°You smell like other cats!


    II


    The little guy shouted.


    ¡°You went to see other cats behind my back!¡±


    Lin Shen was speechless.


    What was that all about?!


    After getting clunked in the head, the cat finally quieted down and went to sleep on the couch.


    Lin Shen ignored her and went straight up to the second floor.


    Closing the door, he took out his storage ring and started counting the spoils of war.


    He skipped all the daily necessities and spirit coins.


    There were a lot of rare and precious herbs. If he could turn them into the


    Merit Hall for the collection mission, he would be able to exchange them for 20 to 30 minor merits


    Most of the talismans were low-level ones that weremonly used, such as the Flexibility Talisman and the Flying Feather Talisman.


    Among them, the most valuable ones were the ones that could sharpen weapons.


    However, to Lin Shen, who had four Six Sun Talisman Swords, such a talisman was rather redundant.


    Lin Shen was pleasantly surprised by the pills.


    Apart frommon pills like the Energy Restoration Pill, the Spring Awn Pill, and the Face Changing Pill, he also found quite a few Prime Pills.


    There were more than seven bottles in total.


    It was more than enough for him to break through to Level 9!


    Apart from that, there were two bottles of Nurturing Pills and a bottle of me Spirit Pills.


    Both were supplementary pillsmonly used by cultivators of the Bright Aperture Stage.


    The former could nourish one¡¯s soul and strengthen one¡¯s spirit resonance.


    Thetter could refine one¡¯s body and bring it closer to a perfected state.


    It was even more effective on cultivators who had cultivated Yang attribute cultivation techniques.


    However, without the guidance of the spirit resonance, one could easily go berserk and suffer from Qi Deviation.


    Therefore, it could only be consumed by those at the Bright Aperture Stage who had awakened their spirit resonance.


    Both pills were exorbitantly expensive, and the prices in the Merit Hall were measured by medium merit.


    ¡°He was indeed an apothecary. He has so many good pills on her!


    H


    Lin Shen sighed with emotion.


    Although he couldn¡¯t use the Nurturing Pills and me Spirit Pills at the moment, he could use them to solidify his cultivation when he reached the Bright Aperture Stage.


    It was worth mentioning that there were quite a few pills in the storage ring, which could be used to help his clones recover from their injuries. Lin Shen estimated that they would be back to their peak state in a few days.


    Lin Shen then found a few bottles of strange powder.


    Picking up a handful of powder, Lin Shen examined it carefully, then took a sniff. He had a faint idea.


    Looking at the ¡°Thunder¡± sticker on the bottle, he was even more certain.


    ¡°It¡¯s a powder made from the wood struck by a thunderbolt!¡±


    As the name suggested, it was a tree that had been struck by natural lightning.


    Although the lightning had destroyed the trees¡¯ vitality, they still contained a streak of lightning energy that could ward off evil and protect homes.


    Of course, it could also be used as a spiritual catalyst to activate a spell!


    When cultivators in the Bright Aperture Stage used spells, they usually needed a spirit supplement as the medium.


    Different spells required different spiritual essence.


    Common spiritual supplements included peach wood, cinnabar, mercury, and so on.


    The rarer ones were the lightning-struck wood powder, which could be used as a spiritual guide to activate the Lightning Palm.


    The lightning wood powder was quite precious. Once Lin Shen reached the Bright Aperture Stage, he would be able to use it when he cultivated the Lightning Palm.


    After checking everything, Lin Shen smiled broadly.


    The storage ring, the Cloud Suppression Robe, the Spirit Restoration Pill, and the Prime Pill¡­ It was a rewarding night!


    It was worth the risk of fighting a Bright Aperture cultivator to death!


    ¡°Come to think of it, the Wild Wolves and I are really connected by fate. I¡¯ve run into a lot of people from that faction so far, and I¡¯ve obtained a lot of good stuff from them. They¡¯re so generous!¡±


    Lin Shen mumbled jokingly.


    Putting away the storage ring, Lin Shen didn¡¯t take a break. Instead, he walked out of his bedroom and was ready to go back to Nine Yang Academy.


    Although he had won the battle the night before, it had also made him realize that he wasn¡¯t powerful enough.


    Even in the small Silverscale City, there were cultivators that were much more capable than him, let alone in Dragonside City.


    If he hadn¡¯t run into an apothecary the night before, but abat cultivator, he would have been in a lot of trouble!


    ¡°Without bing a cultivator master, I won¡¯t be able to protect myself in this world!


    ¡°I have to get stronger!¡±


    When he got back to the first floor, Ai was already asleep. Lin Shen left the vi without disturbing her and was ready to go back to the Teaching Room of the Nine Yang Academy.


    There, he would have more spiritual essence, which would speed up his absorption of the Prime Pill and increase the efficiency of his cultivation.


    With the seven bottles of Prime Pills in his storage ring, he would reach Level 9 in less than half a month.


    Time flew by, and half a month had passed.


    In the training room of Teaching Room No. 32.


    Holding his sword, Lin Shen stood ramrod straight with a solemn look on his face.


    All of a sudden, he struck out with his sword, and the room was instantly filled with red light. Five resplendent circles of light appeared out of thin air, and they swept out with scorching heat!


    BOOM!


    Waves of light smashed into the wall.


    The hard wall made from a special material turned red and almost began to melt. It took a while for the color to fade, and the wall was back to normal.


    Seeing this, Lin Shen let out a breath of relief.


    After Meltdown, Cloud Dragon Rhythm, and Forbidden Golden Armor, his Nine Divine Sun Sword had finally reached Path, bing the fourth skill he had mastered!


    To Lin Shen¡¯s pleasant surprise, the Nine Divine Sun Sword, which had just reached Path, was able to activate five suns at once!


    It was much more powerful than when Jiang Hao used all three suns.


    If Jiang Hao knew that he had reached this stage after cultivating the Nine Divine Sun Sword for only two months, he would probably be so shocked that he would start doubting his existence.


    Putting away the Six Sun Talisman Sword, Lin Shen activated the interface.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Well-versed]


    [Stage: Long Breath Level 9,18%]]


    [Cultivation techniques: Golden Crow Scripture (Perfection), Meltdown (Path 20%), Forbidden Golden Armor (Path 10%), Cloud Dragon Rhythm (Path 0%), Nine Divine Sun Sword (Path 0%), Dragon Roar Through the Clouds (Perfection), Essence Sword Finger (Perfection), Mortal Restrain (Perfection)]


    [Number of clones: 6 (57%)]


    Apart from the Nine Divine Sun Sword, Lin Shen had also cultivated two palm techniques and two Physical Enhancement martial arts techniques to Perfection, increasing Meltdown and Forbidden Golden Armor¡¯s progress by 10% each.


    Now that the talent effect of Analogy had been raised to the limit, the effect of ¡°Martial Arts Cultivation Speed+200%¡± allowed Lin Shen¡¯s martial arts cultivation speed to reach a very shocking level, and he became more and more proficient in cultivating martial arts.


    However, the most important thing was the breakthrough in his cultivation level.


    After using up all the Prime Pills, Lin Shen finally broke through to the ninth level of the Long Breath Stage. He wasn¡¯t far from advancing to the Bright Aperture Stage.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that after breaking through to the ninth level of the Long Breath Stage, the effect of the Prime Pill has greatly weakened. Now, the progress of one Prime Pill can¡¯t even increase my level by 1%.¡±


    Lin Shen felt a little regretful.


    However, he did not take it to heart.


    If the effect of the Prime Pill wasn¡¯t good, he could just spend more time on his cultivation.


    With his current cultivation speed, even without the help of pills, he could advance to the Bright Aperture Stage in a month at most.


    After stretching, Lin Shen walked out of the training room and nned to make a trip to the Merit Hall.


    He had to go to the Merit Hall to exchange the rare herbs he obtained from Jing Hai for merit points.


    In addition, he had to see if there were any suitable array formations to exchange for.


    It was time to put the matter of cultivating array formations on the agenda.


    If he could use an array formation with his clones in the battle with Jing Hai, killing Jing Hai would undoubtedly have been much easier.


    When he arrived at the entrance of the Merit Hall, the exchange hall was filled with people as usual.


    Lin Shen was about to go to the counter to get the exchange list when he heard amotion.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Why would I lie to you? You just came back from outside, so you don¡¯t know. This matter has long spread throughout the academy!¡±


    ¡°Tsk tsk, Yan Jingren just advanced to the Bright Aperture Stage less than a year ago, and he¡¯s already advanced to the upper house! By the way, who did he challenge?¡±


    ¡°Who else could it be? It¡¯s Han Yue from the Han family. Poor Han family. They only had one upper house disciple in the past ten years. In the end, he was squeezed out not long after he got there.¡±


    ¡°I remember that Han Yue is at the third level of the Bright Aperture Stage. Yan Jingren can defeat him, so he¡¯s at least at the same cultivation level. His strength has improved very quickly!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not strange. Yan Jingren¡¯s talent is obvious to all. He¡¯s much better than his younger brother.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    At the mention of Yan Xing, the two of them seemed to have thought of something andughed softly.


    Not far away, a trace of surprise shed across Lin Shen¡¯s eyes.


    Yan Jingren had been promoted to an upper house disciple?


    <center>Sorry for the inconvenience. Thank you very much!</center>

 Chapter 174 - 174: Array Formation Selection, Cave Abode

    Chapter 174: Array Formation Selection, Cave Abode


    Competition (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    The upper house.


    It was a very special ce in the academy.


    The disciples who could be promoted to the upper house were all the geniuses with the best strength and talent in the academyaC,


    Be it the resources they could enjoy or their status in the academy, the disciples of the upper house were far superior to those of the lower house.


    In fact, it could be seen from the battle with the Tiger Tribe.


    If the disciples of the lower house were soldiers, then those of the upper house were generals in charge ofmanding!


    The difference in status between the two was simply too great!


    In addition, the upper house also had the nickname of the sect Elders¡¯ hidden courtyard.


    This was because more than 80% of the Nine Suns Sect¡¯s Elders had been in the Nine Yang Academy¡¯s upper court when they were young.


    As time passed, the upper house disciples also became a symbol of hope to be sect Elders in the future.


    In the Nine Suns Dao College, the upper house was a ce that countless disciples yearned for and fought for!


    However, it wasn¡¯t easy to be a disciple of the upper house.


    They had topete with many geniuses and defeat countless elites just to fight for the ten spots in the upper house!


    Lin Shen had learned about the top ten disciples of the upper house, but he didn¡¯t know much. He only knew their names and backgrounds.


    The only thing he could be sure of was that if he wanted to be one of the top ten disciples of the upper house, advancing to the Bright Aperture Stage was a necessary condition!


    Of course, it was only a necessary condition, not a sufficient one.


    There was nock of Heaven-rank disciples in the Bright Aperture Stage, but not everyone could advance to the upper house.


    ¡°Yan Jingren¡­¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes flickered.


    He didn¡¯t know much about Yan Jingren either.


    Themunication between the two of them was only limited to that glimpse at the east gate.


    However,pared to Yan Xing, who looked strong on the outside but was weak on the inside, Yan Jingren gave Lin Shen an even more dangerous feeling.


    After being in a daze for a moment, Lin Shen shook his head and threw this matter to the back of his mind.


    Regardless of whether he would interact with Yan Jingren in the future, there was only one thing he needed to do now, and that was to increase his strength.


    Lin Shen opened the exchange list and began to search.


    As expected, he found array formations on the list.


    Great Five Elements Sword Formation, ten minor merits


    Seven-section Array of Unmoving Mountain, 15 minor merits.


    Nine Pces Interlocking Sword Formation, 20 minor merits


    Lin Shen quickly browsed through it and rejoiced.


    There were unexpectedly as many as thirty to forty array formations on the list.


    They ranged from the Yin Yang Duality Formation and the Tripartite Formation that required the fewest people, to the Heavenly Lotus Formation and the Spiral Hundred Shadow Formation which had more than a hundred people.


    ¡°Looks like the Nine Suns Sect pays quite a lot of attention to the coordination between their disciples.¡±


    A smile appeared on Lin Shen¡¯s face as he carefully thought about which one to choose.


    He now had a total of six clones. Including himself, there were seven people. Logically speaking, he should choose seven people to set up the array formation.


    However, it wasn¡¯t that simple.


    The battle was ever-changing. Lin Shen couldn¡¯t guarantee that every time he wanted to line up to fight the enemy, all his six clones would be avable.


    If one of them was missing, the seven-man array formation would be useless.


    However, it would be a waste to choose an array formation that required five or six people.


    It wasn¡¯t always the case, but usually, the more people there were, the stronger the array formation would be.


    Lin Shen immediately fell into deep thought.


    ¡°In terms of practicality, the Great Five Elements Sword Formation seems good enough.¡±


    ording to the description of the array formation, the Great Five Elements Sword Formation was formed by five people. They lined up like plum blossoms and surrounded the enemy in the middle. The sword formation flowed, and the longswords converged into a bright light that attacked the enemy from all directions!


    The five of them attacked at the same time. Their attacks would be airtight and filled with boundless power!


    More importantly, the five of them were only the minimum number of people needed to form the Great Five Elements Sword Formation.


    If necessary, ten, fifteen, or twenty people could also use the Great Five Elements Sword Formation.


    With five people in a group, the Great Five Elements Sword Formation could include at most 125 people at the same time!


    The more people there were, the stronger the formation!


    If he chose the Great Five Elements Sword Formation, even if Lin Shen only had four clones by his side, he could still gather enough people to line up.


    Moreover, when the number of clones increased to nine in the future, he could also continue to use the Great Five Elements Sword Formation.


    ¡°However, the Seven-section Array of Unmoving Mountain doesn¡¯t seem bad either!¡± Lin Shen looked at the other array formation.


    The Seven-section Array of Unmoving Mountain was an iparably exquisite array formation deduced by a cultivator master when he was observing the towering mountain.


    This array formation was exquisite because the number of people in the array formation was extremely agile.


    Even two men could use this array formation.


    If there were three people, they would be able to attack and defend, and their power would increase greatly.


    If there were four people, they would be twice as powerful as the three of them.


    The more people there were, the more powerful the formation would be.


    If one had to point out what it wascking, it was that the array formation could include seven people at most.


    Looking at the two array formations, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but fall into deep thought.


    The Seven-section Array of Unmoving Mountain was powerful and agile, but the upper limit of the number of people was low.


    The upper limit of the Great Five Elements Sword Formation was much higher, but the number of people lined up had to be multiples of five, so it was rtively less agile.


    Both of them had their own merits, and it was really difficult to choose!


    After thinking for a while, Lin Shen finally decided to choose both!


    At most, he would just spend more time practicing.


    As long as he could increase his strength, he didn¡¯t mind spending some time.


    The two array formations cost him 25 minor merits.


    Lin Shen went to the Mission Hall and handed in the rare herbs he had obtained from Jing Hai and received 32 major merits.


    After exchanging for two array formations, he only had seven minor merits and one medium merit left.


    The only medium merit was the fixed monthly benefit for Heaven-rank disciples.


    After some thought, Lin Shen spent another two minor merits to exchange for three Concealment Talismans and three Invisibility Talismans.


    When he sneaked into that manor, he was surprised to find that the Concealment Talisman was quite useful..

 Chapter 175 - 175: Array Formation Selection, Cave Abode

    Chapter 175: Array Formation Selection, Cave Abode


    Competition (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Whether it was infiltration or escape, they were both very practical.


    The only w was that the Concealment Talisman could only conceal one¡¯s aura but not one¡¯s figure.


    In order to make up for this, Lin Shen exchanged for the Invisibility Talisman.


    It could hide one¡¯s body, but it could not hide one¡¯s aura.


    Thebination of the two talismans was just right.


    ¡°If I use it together with the Hidden Fog Talisman, the effect should be better.¡±


    Lin Shen suddenly realized that he had quite a few simr items.


    However, it was just in case. If he really encountered danger, he had a way to escape.


    After doing all this, Lin Shen left the Merit Hall. Just as he walked out of the door, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.


    On the mountain path a hundred meters away, four people were discussing something intensely, as if they were arguing.


    What surprised Lin Shen was that he knew all four of them.


    Apart from Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian, the other two were Yan Xing and Leng Xing.


    ¡°Why are the four of them together?¡±


    Lin Shen was puzzled and simply walked toward the four of them.


    As he moved closer, he heard the sounds of the four of them quarreling.


    ¡°Yang Zhongyi, be smart. I¡¯m already doing you a favor by being willing to exchange something with you. Otherwise, when Senior Brother Yan takes away your spot, you won¡¯t get anything!¡±


    ¡°Pfft! Others might be afraid of Yan Jingren, but I¡¯m not. The academy has its rules. Even if he¡¯s a disciple of the upper house, would he dare to break the rules and snatch my spot?¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re turning down my offer!¡±


    ¡°What? Do you want to pick a fight? It¡¯s not that I look down on you, Leng Xing. You haven¡¯t even killed many spiritual beasts. If you really start a fight, don¡¯t cry from my beatingter!¡±


    ¡°You!!!¡±


    Leng Xing was furious. He was so angry that the veins on his forehead popped out, but in the end, he didn¡¯t dare to attack.


    Just as Yang Zhongyi had said, because of his father¡¯s ban, he really didn¡¯t have much experience fighting spiritual beasts. His fights with the disciples were limited to sparring, so hisbat experience was limited.


    Even though his cultivation was one or two levels higher than Yang Zhongyi, he would probably not be able to gain any advantage if they really fought.


    Su Nian and Yan Xing stood at the side and watched the two of them bicker without saying a word.


    However, the former looked calm, while thetter had a gloomy expression.


    At this moment, they heard a familiar voice.


    ¡°A lot of things are going on. Do you mind me joining you?¡±


    Yang Zhongyi turned around and looked in the direction of the voice. He immediatelyughed.


    ¡°Lin, why are you here?¡±


    A faint smile appeared on Su Nian¡¯s face.


    Yan Xing and Leng Xing were shocked.


    This was especially true for Yan Xing. The moment he saw Lin Shen, his expression changed drastically, and he subconsciously took a half-step back. When he realized what he had done, his face instantly turned purple, and he looked extremely embarrassed.


    Su Nian looked at Yan Xing sympathetically.


    That subconscious action showed how traumatic Lin Shen had made Yan Xing in the rank challenge.


    Leng Xing wasn¡¯t afraid of Lin Shen at all. After his shock, he immediately sneered.


    ¡°You¡¯re everywhere!¡±


    Lin Shen smiled. ¡°After all, I often have to ept missions and go out. From time to time, I have to make a trip to the Merit Hall. My life isn¡¯t as easy as yours. You can live off your father¡¯s palm.¡±


    That expression wasn¡¯t used in this world. However, Leng Xing wasn¡¯t stupid. He immediately understood and became even angrier.


    He was about to scold Lin Shen, but Yan Xing stopped him and gave him a look.


    Let¡¯s go. There¡¯s no need to waste our breath on them!¡±


    With Lin Shen here, they wouldn¡¯t be able to take advantage of Yang Zhongyi no matter what. They might as well leave immediately to avoid the frustration.


    Leng Xing soon realized it, but he still felt indignant. He red at Lin Shen and turned to leave with Yan Xing.


    A spoiled child.


    Lin Shen shook his head secretly and turned to look at the two of them.


    ¡°What were you arguing about?


    Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian looked at each other in resignation.


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of the White Tiger Mountain.¡±


    Upon hearing the words ¡°White Tiger Mountain¡±, Lin Shen¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly asked for the details.


    After listening to Yang Zhongyi¡¯s exnation, he finally understood why the two of them had quarreled with Yan Xing and Leng Xing.


    It turned out that after the Tiger Tribe was annihted, there was an internal dispute within the Nine Suns Sect about how to deal with the White Tiger Mountain.


    White Tiger Mountain was an Essence Prefecture-level Cave Abode. The spiritual essence was as dense as the Cave Abode where the Nine Yang Academy was located.


    Although the Cave Abode of White Tiger Mountain had been damaged and the spiritual essence density had decreased drastically because of the Yan family¡¯s mistake during the crusade, it could be restored to its original state as long as it was mended properly.


    A Cave Abode deep in the mountain range like this could be built into a medicinal garden to nurture herbs.


    They could also be turned into a beast-taming garden to train and nurture spirit beasts.


    There were simply too many uses, and the ce was highly valuable.


    Therefore, even if they had to pay a considerable price to repair the Cave Abode, many people still fought to take down White Tiger Mountain.


    Around White Tiger Mountain, the various factions in the sect, including the eighteen influential families, engaged in an intensepetition.


    In the end, White Tiger Mountain was taken over by the Yan family!


    ¡°It¡¯s said that the Yan family paid a huge price to take down the White Tiger Mountain. They gave up several herb gardens and beast-taming gardens and even a small essence stone mine!¡±


    Yang Zhongyi clicked his tongue.


    ¡°In order to revitalize their n, the Yans have staked everything on this!¡±


    ¡°From what you¡¯re saying, the Yan family doesn¡¯t seem to be doing well?¡± Lin Shen asked curiously.


    Yang Zhongyi curled his lips and said, ¡°That¡¯s an understatement. If the situation doesn¡¯t change, the Yan family will withdraw from the ranks of the five great ns in less than ten years. However, now that they have obtained the White Tiger Mountain Cave Abode, it¡¯s hard to say what¡¯ll happen. They might make aeback!


    Of course, if the Yan family doesn¡¯t manage the White Tiger Mountain Cave Abode well, the situation will definitely be worse. Perhaps ten yearster, they will directly fall out of the ranks of the eighteen influential families!¡± Yang Zhongyi gloated.


    ¡°And then? What does this have to do with your argument?¡± Lin Shen asked.


    Yang Zhongyi spread his hands and continued, ¡°If the Yan family wants to repair the Cave Abode, they naturally need arge number of people and materials. Therefore, they¡¯re recruiting people through the sect in the Nine Yang Academy. The rewards are also very generous. Many people want to go, but unfortunately, there are limited spots. In the end, they only chose a portion of the candidates.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where Leng Xing heard that I was participating in the mission, so he came to me and wanted to trade spots with me. How could I agree to it? Hence, we quarreled.¡±


    Lin Shen was enlightened. He thought to himself that Leng Xing was really persistent and tried all kinds of ways to get out.


    Since he couldn¡¯t ept any mission in the Merit, he decided he would find someone to exchange spots in private so that he could go to the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range.


    His father, Master Leng, probably didn¡¯t know.


    Thinking of this, Lin Shen suddenly felt a little puzzled.


    Isn¡¯t Yan Xing a member of the Yan family? Why didn¡¯t Leng Xing ask Yan Xing for help? Why did he especiallye to look for you?¡±


    As soon as he said this, Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian gave him strange looks.


    After staring at Lin Shen for a few seconds, Yang Zhongyi cleared his throat and exined,


    Ever since he lost to you in the disciple rank challengest time, Yan Xing¡¯s status in the Yan family has plummeted. Many resources have been distributed to a few more talented nsmen. He can¡¯t even protect himself now. How can he have the energy to help Leng Xing?


    He can only give Leng Xing moral support by using Yan Jingren¡¯s reputation, but I won¡¯t fall for it!¡±


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t expect himself to be the cause. ¡°What about Yan Jingren?¡±


    Not long after Yan Jingren became a disciple of the upper house, he followed the elders of the n into the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range. It¡¯s said that he went to collect the materials to repair the Cave Abode.¡±


    At this point, Yang Zhongyi nced at Lin Shen, hugged his shoulder, and chuckled.


    Speaking of which, Lin, when are you going to challenge the upper house disciples? I hope it¡¯s going to be Yan Jingren. Take his spot. Otherwise, Yan Xing will be arrogant to everyone just because his brother is a disciple of the upper house!¡±


    Lin Shen shook his head in amusement. ¡°Do you think I ate an immortal pill? How can I be that fast? I¡¯m still at the Long Breath Stage!¡±


    ¡°Your cultivation progress sure looks like you¡¯ve eaten immortal pills!¡±


    Yang Zhongyi muttered. Then, he chuckled and shook his head.


    I¡¯m very confident in you. With your talent, it won¡¯t be long before you advance to the Bright Aperture Stage.. At that time, with your martial arts attainments, won¡¯t it be easy for you to defeat Yan Jingren?¡±

 Chapter 176 - 176: Bright Aperture Stage (1)

    Chapter 176: Bright Aperture Stage (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Back at the wooden building.


    Lin Shen went straight to the training room, summoned his clone, and began to practice array formations.


    He had actually considered challenging the upper house disciples that Yang Zhongyi had mentioned.


    However, that was only after he advanced to the Bright Aperture Stage.


    At this stage, his most important mission was to break through to the Bright Aperture Stage and master the Great Five Elements Sword Formation and the Seven-section Array of Unmoving Mountain.


    After that, Lin Shen postponed the cultivation of martial techniques and devoted himself to cultivating the Golden Crow Scripture.


    asionally, when he was tired from cultivating, he would summon his clones to cultivate array formations.


    The greatest difficulty in cultivating such an array formation was actually cooperation.


    However, this wasn¡¯t a problem for Lin Shen and his clones at all.


    Their greatest advantage was their tacit understanding.


    They looked like seven people, but they were actually one person.


    When cultivating array formations, he naturally made rapid progress.


    During this period, Lin Shen¡¯s cultivation level also steadily increased.


    Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, more than half a month had passed.


    In the training room, Lin Shen sat cross-legged and didn¡¯t move. He seemed to be asleep.


    As time passed, the sound of running water gradually filled the room, mixed with the muffled sound of drums.


    If one listened carefully, they would discover that these sounds actually came from Lin Shen¡¯s body.


    Lin Shen, who was immersed in cultivation, felt his heart beating like a drum. The surging blood in his body was ringing in his ears like a tide.


    Every acupuncture point in his body was throbbing vigorously, as if a hammer was constantly hitting every part of his body. Even his joints and fascia were trembling.


    Lin Shen guarded his mind and ignored the noise. He focused on circting the Golden Crow Scripture.


    After circting his spiritual essence countless times, Lin Shen suddenly felt his surroundings fall silent.


    It was a feeling of extreme silence!


    It was as if the world hadn¡¯t been created, the Primordial Chaos hadn¡¯t passed, and nothing had been formed!


    In a daze, Lin Shen forgot about his own world. His mind and consciousness seemed to be indistinct.


    After an unknown period of time, a spark of inspiration suddenly appeared in his mind.


    This bit of spiritual light was like a giant axe that split the world openly, instantly making the entire chaotic world clear.


    Lin Shen¡¯s consciousness quickly returned. He seemed to hear the sound of swords colliding in his ears as if a rusty lock had fallen to the ground. His entire body suddenly became iparably light, and he felt like he had been reborn.


    After an unknown period of time, Lin Shen opened his eyes. At that moment, a bright light burst out, making the entire training room seem to sh.


    There seemed to be lightning in the room!


    He had reached the Bright Aperture Stage!


    Lin Shen stood up and felt that his entire body was iparably agile. Every move he made was as if he was riding a cloud. Everything was different as if he had changed into another body.


    That was the truth. After advancing to the Bright Aperture Stage, he could no longer be called a ¡°human¡±. Instead, he was half a step into the ranks of immortal cultivators!


    In his ecstasy, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but raise his head and roar.


    Fortunately, he was in the wooden building and was isted by the array formation. His voice wouldn¡¯t spread outside. Otherwise, many people would look at him.


    After a long while, Lin Shen finally stopped.


    However, in the next moment, he suddenly waved his palm to the right. A huge scarlet palm appeared out of thin air and smashed heavily against the wall seven to eight meters away like a meteor!


    After a thunderous roar, a huge red palm print appeared on the hard wall. Its surface was as red as a soldering iron, and liquid metal flowed down like molten iron.


    Seeing this scene, Lin Shen rejoiced.


    After advancing to the Bright Aperture Stage, the power of martial techniques had only increased by one or two levels. However, the consumption of spiritual essence and stamina had decreased by more than half!


    This was because of the strengthening of the soul and the awakening of the spirit resonance. Cultivators could use martial techniques in a more subtle and precise way.


    To put it simply, he had reached the microscopic stage.


    Because of this, the cultivation speed of the Bright Aperture Stage would increase greatly, and the power of the martial techniques they executed would also increase.


    Lin Shen put down his hand and took a deep breath to calm the surging emotions in his chest. Then, he summoned the interface.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Well-versed]


    [Stage: Bright Aperture Level 1,1%]


    [Cultivation techniques: Golden Crow Scripture (Perfection), Meltdown (Path 20%), Forbidden Golden Armor (Path 10%), Cloud Dragon Rhythm (Path o%), Nine Divine Sun Sword (Path 0%), Dragon Roar Through the Clouds (Perfection), Essence Sword Finger (Perfection), Mortal Restrain (Perfection)]


    [Number of clones: 6 (67%)]


    ¡°I¡¯m not at the true Bright Aperture Stage yet. I still have to cultivate spells!¡±


    Lin Shen pondered for a moment.


    The power of the Bright Aperture Stagey in the Path-stage martial techniques and spells.


    Although he had mastered four Path-stage martial techniques, he still knew no spells yet.


    He had to cultivate a spell technique before he could be considered a true Bright Aperture cultivator.


    ¡°I still have to go to the Internal Affairs Department to receive a new Bright Aperture Stage cultivation technique.¡±


    After breaking through to a higher stage, he naturally had to change the Golden Crow Scripture to a new cultivation technique.


    Suddenly, Lin Shen thought of something. With a flip of his wrist, something appeared in his palm.


    The two-finger-wide jade tube was small and translucent, and its entire body was sparkling.


    This jade tube was obtained by Lin Shen after he killed a criminal called Tian Dian.


    However, because the jade tube could only be read by cultivators at the Bright Aperture Stage, he had put it aside until now.


    Now that he had advanced to the Bright Aperture Stage, and his spirit resonance had awakened, he could read the jade tube.


    Without any hesitation, Lin Shen immediately focused his mind and mobilized the faint spiritual light to ¡°touch¡± the jade tube in his hand..

 Chapter 177 - 177: Bright Aperture Stage (2)

    Chapter 177: Bright Aperture Stage (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions


    Editor: Henyee Trantions


    In the next second, as if an eggshell had been broken, the image of the jade tube in Lin Shen¡¯s mind suddenly shattered.


    Right on the heels of that.


    In an instant, his mind was filled with many things. It was as if an entire room had been stuffed.


    After a while, Lin Shen finally digested the information that had suddenly appeared in his mind. The overflowing feeling also disappeared.


    Opening his eyes, Lin Shen¡¯s eyes were filled with surprise.


    Seven Arts Sword Energy!


    What was recorded in the jade tube was a powerful spell!


    ¡°It¡¯s actually a spell! No wonder that person came to attack me in the middle of the night to take back the jade tube. I wonder where he got this spell?¡±


    Previously, out of curiosity, Lin Shen had flipped through the list of spells exchanged in the Merit Hall. There didn¡¯t seem to be a spell called the Seven Arts Sword Energy.


    In other words, this spell was very likely not from the Nine Yang Academy.


    After thinking for a moment, Lin Shen stopped hesitating.


    No matter what, he had to cultivate the technique he obtained.


    He put the jade tube aside for the time being and prepared toe back toprehend and cultivateter. He then took out something that looked like a beehive from his storage ring.


    Hell Ho¡¯s nest!


    Back then, he obtained this demon beast nest from the Long Breath Stage cultivators of the Wild Wolves.


    When Lin Shen obtained this nest, the Hell Hos inside had already been killed. It was empty.


    However, when he held it in his hand, he could acutely sense the revival of life in the deepest part of the nest with his spirit resonance.


    As long as he refined the nest, he could use this bit of life force to hatch Hell Hos again.


    ¡°Although Hell Ho is only ate-phase Spirit Awakening Stage spiritual beast, it wins in numbers. Once the scale reaches three to four thousand, even Bright Aperture Stage cultivators will have a hard time. This nest can be a trump card at a critical moment!¡±


    Lin Shen nodded to himself and decided to refine Hell Ho¡¯s nest.


    As for the method to refine the nest, he had long seen it in the academy¡¯s library.


    Such techniques were public knowledge in the Nine Yang Academy, just like the Soul Contract and Dharmic Contract.


    The refinement method wasn¡¯t difficult. The key was that one¡¯s cultivation had to reach a certain stage.


    Thinking of this, Lin Shen immediately restrained his distracting thoughts, condensed some spirit resonance, and began to refine Hell Ho¡¯s nest.


    Under the continuous injection of spiritual essence, the life force in the deepest part of the nest quickly grew like a balloon that had been filled with air.


    At the same time, Lin Shen¡¯s spirit resonance was also constantly invading the nest, gradually turning it into its own ¡°shape.¡±


    After about two hours, the refinement of the nest was finallypleted.


    Lin Shen heaved a long sigh of relief and looked at Hell Ho¡¯s nest with bright eyes.


    The nest trembled slightly, and seven or eight ck shadows flew out of the ck hole.


    As soon as they left the cave, the ck shadows expanded at an astonishing speed. In the blink of an eye, they transformed into wasps that were the size of an adult man¡¯s fist. They had a pair of blood-redpound eyes and a huge jaw that was like pincers.


    II


    It¡¯s done!


    II


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes shed with joy.


    The nest had been sessfully refined. From now on, the Hell Hos born in the nest would be controlled by his will.


    Next, he just needed to inject spiritual essence into the nest regrly and catalyze it to hatch Hell Hos.


    Of course, it was fine if he didn¡¯t inject spiritual essence. However, the speed at which the nest hatched Hell Ho would be very slow.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t care about this at all.


    He had so many clones who could take turns injecting spiritual essence into Hell Ho¡¯s nest every day. He did not need to care about the consumption at all.


    ¡°Also, I can consume the Spirit Nurturing Pills and me Spirit Pills I obtained previously.¡±


    Lin Shen took out a Spirit Nourishing Pill, raised his head, and swallowed it. Then, he began to cultivate.


    Although it was a little inefficient because he hadn¡¯t switched to a new cultivation technique, the medicinal efficacy of the Spirit Nurturing Pill was stillpletely digested after more than an hour.


    Lin Shen acutely felt that his mind was bing clearer.


    That was a sign of the strengthening of the soul!


    The cultivation of the Bright Aperture Stage was essentially the process of strengthening the soul and spirit resonance.


    When one¡¯s soul grew to a certain extent, it would split and give birth to spiritual consciousness. At that time, one¡¯s True Qi would also transform into spiritual essence. At that time, one would truly step into the cultivator master stage and onto the starting point of the path to immortality!


    After calming himself down, Lin Shen summoned the interface and looked at it. His cultivation had already increased by 3%.


    ¡°There are still 23 Spirit Nurturing Pills in my storage ring. They should be able to get me to over 70% of the first level.¡±


    Lin Shen nodded in satisfaction.


    With the help of the Spirit Nurturing Pills, he should be able to break through to the second level of the Bright Aperture Stage in at most half a month after changing his cultivation technique.


    When that happened, it was almost time for the disciple rank challenge.


    When he came back to his senses, Lin Shen took out another me Spirit Pill and swallowed it.


    The me Spirit Pills couldn¡¯t increase one¡¯s cultivation stage like the Spirit Nurturing Pills, but they were also very important to cleanse one¡¯s marrow and bones and promote the perfection of the body. It couldy the foundation of a cultivator and was very beneficial to one¡¯s future cultivation.


    In fact, the exchange price of the me Spirit Pills was several times higher than the Spirit Nurturing Pills in the Merit Hall.


    From this, one could see how precious it was.


    Lin Shen had obtained a whole bottle of 12 me Spirit Pills from Jing Hai.


    However, when he consumed the fourth pill, he clearly felt that the effect of the elevation was almost negligible, and the medicinal effect lingered in his body.


    ¡°It¡¯s said that Bright Aperture Stage cultivators usually need to consume six to eight me Spirit Pills to reach perfection in their bodies. After that, consuming them will have no effect. I¡¯m only at the fourth one, but I¡¯ve already reached my limit?¡±


    Lin Shen was very surprised.


    After thinking about it, he could only me it on the many martial techniques he had cultivated.


    After all, martial techniques had a tempering effect on the body. It was most likely because he had cultivated too many martial techniques that his body was far more refined and stronger than ordinary Bright Aperture Stage cultivators.


    It was a good thing to be able to save on pills. Lin Shen put away the pills, stood up, and left the training room.


    Exchange Hall.


    Lin Shen flipped through the exchange list.


    Water Mirror Technique, three medium merits.


    Ride Wind Technique, three medium merits.


    Lightning Palm, five medium merits.


    Crimson Melting Silk, eight medium merits.


    Paperman Movement Technique, ten medium merits.


    Five Qi Suppression, one major merit.


    There were no less than a hundred spells, and Lin Shen was overwhelmed with emotions. He wished he could take them all down and cultivate them.


    However, the cheapest spell required three medium merits.


    The stronger ones, such as the Lightning Palm and the Red Melting Silk that Lin Shen had seen in Jing Hai¡¯s hands, required five to eight medium merits.


    Not to mention the spells that would cost him major merits.


    Currently, Lin Shen only had two medium merits on hand, and they were a fixed monthly benefit for Heaven-rank disciples. He couldn¡¯t even exchange for the cheapest spells.


    ¡°Looks like I have to go out to train and do missions as soon as possible!¡± Lin Shen sighed softly.


    Fortunately, the war with the three demonic tribes had already ended two to three months ago, so the effects of the war should have been eliminated.


    If he went to the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range now, he wouldn¡¯t encounter any idents.


    ¡°I definitely have to exchange for the Lightning Palm. This spell is quite lethal to the demons. I can¡¯t miss the Water Mirror Technique and the Wind Riding Technique¡­¡±


    As the name suggested, the Water Mirror Technique was a technique that gathered water spiritual essence to form a water mirror that reflected the situation within a certain range. It was one of the indispensable techniques for cultivators to investigate their surroundings in the wilderness.


    The Ride Wind Technique was no exception. Riding the wind was the dream of all low-level cultivators.


    These three techniques alone required n medium merits.


    Apart from that, Lin Shen also took a fancy to many spells. This made him feel that he still needed a lot of merit points.


    ¡°When I cultivate the Seven Arts Sword Energy, I¡¯ll make a trip to the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range!¡±


    After making up his mind, Lin Shen flipped through the pills and quickly found the Spirit Nurturing Pills and me Spirit Pills.


    Spirit Nurturing Pill, one medium merit/bottle


    me Spirit Pills, five medium merit/bottle


    ¡°Indeed, me Spirit Pills are much more expensive than Nurturing Pills.¡±


    Lin Shen no longer needed the me Spirit Pills. After some thought, he gritted his teeth and exchanged the two medium merit skills for two bottles of Spirit Nurturing Pills.


    ¡°With these two bottles of Spirit Nurturing Pills, the time it takes for me to break through to the second level of the Bright Aperture Stage will be greatly reduced. At that time, it will be much safer to go to the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range!¡±


    After exchanging for pills, Lin Shen rushed to the Internal Affairs Department.


    He had just announced his identity to the disciples of the Internal Affairs Department when Tao Zongbao rushed out. He was holding a brush in his hand as if he had been busy with official matters. He hade in a hurry.


    Before he arrived, enthusiasticughter came from afar.


    ¡°Fellow Daoist Lin, why didn¡¯t you tell me you wereing? I could have greeted you properly!¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t want to trouble Deacon Tao.¡± Lin Shen smiled.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for formalities between us,¡± Tao Zongbaoughed. ¡°Fellow Daoist Lin, why are you here today? If you need my help, just let me know!¡±


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t hesitate when he heard this. He smiled faintly and said, ¡°I¡¯m here to receive the Nine Yang Scripture.¡±


    The Nine Suns Scripture was a cultivation technique at the Bright Aperture Stage that was unique to the Nine Suns Sect.


    Thud!


    The brush in Tao Zongbao¡¯s hand fell to the ground, but he couldn¡¯t care less. His mouth was wide open as he looked at Lin Shen in shock.


    Nine Yang Scripture?


    Had Lin Shen advanced to the Bright Aperture Stage?

 Chapter 178 - 178: Talent Change (1)

    Chapter 178: Talent Change (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Tao Zongbao was filled with disbelief.


    With a hint of doubt, he couldn¡¯t help but said tentatively,


    ¡°Well, Fellow Daoist Lin, as you know, the academy¡¯s rules state that only disciples who have advanced to the Bright Aperture Stage can¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but the meaning was obvious.


    When Lin Shen heard this, he smiled slightly and wasn¡¯t offended. He raised his fingers casually and drew in the air.


    As he moved his fingertip, streaks of green light gradually appeared in the air, giving off an ethereal and mysterious feeling.


    Tao Zongbao was dumbfounded.


    He was using spiritual light to draw a talisman in the air!


    This was a technique that only those in the Bright Aperture Stage had!


    Although Lin Shen hadn¡¯t cultivated any spells and couldn¡¯t draw aplete talisman, he could still show off his skills.


    After a long while, Tao Zongbao suddenly shivered and woke up from his daze. When he looked at Lin Shen again, his eyes were filled with amazement. ¡°Fellow Daoist Lin is indeed talented. You actually advanced to the Bright Aperture Stage so quickly¡­ I offended you just now. Please forgive me!¡± Tao Zongbao said awkwardly, afraid that Lin Shen would be dissatisfied with his probing just now.


    After learning that Lin Shen had already advanced to the Bright Aperture Stage, his reverence for this young man had reached a new height.


    In less than a year after entering the academy, he had broken through to the Bright Aperture Stage!


    This was the first time he had seen such a genius in his life!


    As long as nothing went wrong, he would definitely have a ce in the higher-ups of the sect in the future!


    How could a mere academy deacon like Tao Zongbao dare to slight and offend such a person with great potential?


    Hearing this, Lin Shen waved his hand to show that he didn¡¯t mind and reminded Tao Zongbao again.


    ¡°What about the Nine Yang Scripture?¡±


    Tao Zongbao seemed to have woken up from a dream and hurriedly apologized. He called over a disciple and instructed him to bring over the Nine Yang Scripture. He stayed where he was and carefully apanied Lin Shen. His expression and actions were even more respectful than before.


    Before long, the disciple returned with a secret manual. It was the Nine Yang Scripture that Lin Shen needed.


    ¡°Thank you, Deacon Tao.¡± Lin Shen took the Nine Yang Scripture and thanked Tao Zongbao with a smile.


    Thetter quickly shook his head and put on a fawning smile.


    ¡°This is my responsibility. If Fellow Daoist Lin has any requests in the future, just let me know. I¡¯ll do everything within my capability!¡±


    Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help butugh. However, he immediately thought of something.


    ¡°About the matter of collecting the natural treasures¡­¡±


    Tao Zongbao immediately patted his chest and agreed. ¡°The disciples should have umted some recently. I¡¯ll send someone to contact them!¡±


    Lin Shen thanked him with a smile and left the Internal Affairs Department.


    After sending Lin Shen out the door and watching him walk away, Tao Zongbao couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    ¡°If this news spreads, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll cause a hugemotion in the academy again!¡±


    After signing for a while, Tao Zongbao came back to his senses and hurriedly summoned the disciples, instructing them to start contacting people.


    After returning to the wooden building, Lin Shen immediately opened the Nine Yang Scripture and began toprehend it.


    He and the six clones worked on it together, and he only used a day to reach Beginner in the Nine Yang Scripture.


    As expected, the Golden Crow Scripture in the cultivation technique column had already been reced by the Nine Yang Scripture.


    After advancing to the Bright Aperture Stage, the talent of the clones also changed.


    For example, the Pure Yang Body¡¯s talent effect became ¡®Yang-element martial techniques/spell techniques cultivation speed +300%, Yang-element martial techniques/spell techniques power +100%¡¯!


    There were also simr changes to Analogy and Testify by Killing.


    [Analogy: For every additional Perfection-stage martial technique/spell technique, the cultivation speed of the martial technique/spell technique will increase by 10% (Maximum 200%), the power of the martial technique/spell technique will increase by 5% (Maximum 100%)]


    [Testify by Killing: Attack-type martial techniques/spell techniques cultivation speed+50%,bat skillprehension speed+100%. Every time you kill a living being, there is a certain chance of obtaining an epiphany. Increase your cultivation level/martial techniques/spell technique progress (The higher the cultivation level of a living being, the higher the probability)]


    Compared to the previous effects, the effects of these three talents now all included spells.


    Obviously, it meant that the effect of talent could also be used on spells.


    As for Perseverance, Superior Martial Arts, and Well-versed, the effect of these talents was the same as before.


    This change made Lin Shen heave a sigh of relief.


    What he was most worried about was that the effect of his talent wouldn¡¯t work on spells.


    If that were the case, it would definitely greatly reduce the efficiency of his cultivation and affect his strength.


    Fortunately, the worst didn¡¯t happen.


    He was a little disappointed that well-versed was ineffective against spells.


    As for the fact that his Superior Martial Arts hadn¡¯t changed, Lin Shen wasn¡¯t too disappointed.


    When he was fighting enemies now, most of the time, he would use Testify by Killing.


    Only when facing a very troublesome enemy would he choose to use Pure Yang Body or Analogy depending on the situation.


    Superior Martial Arts were rarely used.


    Most of the time, the clone used this talent to cultivate martial techniques.


    ¡°Speaking of which, the effect of Perseverance is falling behind my development. Should I change it and find a new talent?¡± Lin Shen suddenly thought.


    Perseverance¡¯s talent effect was ¡°Resistance +50%, Stamina Recovery +30%, Injury Recovery +30%¡±.


    Among them, the ability to withstand blows was effective to his body only.


    However, he had the Cloud Suppression Robe on the outside and the Forbidden Golden Armor on the inside. There was almost no need for him to purely rely on his body to resist the enemy¡¯s attacks.


    If things really developed to that stage, the enemy¡¯s strength would definitely far surpass his. Even if his resistance was doubled, it wouldn¡¯t change the


    oue..

 Chapter 179 - 179: Talent Change (2)

    Chapter 179: Talent Change (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    A 30% increase in Stamina Recovery Speed was even more useless.


    In a battle between cultivators at the Long Breath Stage and above, the true focus was on spiritual essence.


    As long as one¡¯s spiritual essence wasn¡¯t exhausted, their stamina wouldn¡¯t either.


    Overall, the ¡°injury recovery speed +30%¡± seemed to be the only eptable effect.


    However, it was still far inferior to the other five talents.


    After thinking for a moment, Lin Shen quickly made up his mind.


    He would refresh his talent!


    Of course, not now.


    Tao Zongbao should be able to collect a batch of natural treasures soon. Lin Shen would let the Perseverance clone digest them before refreshing the talent.


    It was to maximize efficiency.


    After making up his mind, Lin Shen took a deep breath, restrained his distracting thoughts, and began toprehend Seven Arts Sword Energy


    Before mastering any spells, he wouldn¡¯t be a true Bright Aperture Stage cultivator.


    Whether it was cultivating or using spells, he would need spirit supplements.


    Different spells required different spirit supplements, but most of them had something to do with Yin and Yang or the Five Elements.


    For example, the Seven Arts Sword Energy required golden energy, which was part of the Five Elements.


    This kind of spirit supplement was rtively easy to find.


    Basically, any natural treasure rting to metal contained golden energy, but the quantity differed.


    For example, there was a lot of ck iron in Lin Shen¡¯s storage ring. It was mostly the spoils of war obtained after killing his enemies. He could draw out the golden energy from there.


    Also, the Golden Flying Arrow that he won in the guidance battle also contained golden energy.


    For the foreseeable future, Lin Shen wouldn¡¯t have to worry aboutcking spirit supplements for Seven Arts Sword Energy.


    Lin Shen took out a piece of ck iron and extracted a trace of golden energy from it before trying to cultivate Seven Arts Sword Energy.


    What surprised him was that his clone actually didn¡¯t need spirit supplements to cultivate spells!


    At first, Lin Shen was very surprised and couldn¡¯t figure out why that was.


    But on second thought, if it could be exined, why would it be called a shortcut?


    Hence, he epted it with a clear conscience.


    Spells were much more difficult to cultivate than ordinary martial techniques, and it was almost as difficult as cultivating Path-stage martial techniques.


    Lin Shen cultivated the Nine Yang Scripture as heprehended spells. He forgot the passage of time.


    While Lin Shen was immersed in his cultivation, the news of his advancement to the Bright Aperture Stage had already spread throughout the academy like the wind. As expected, it caused a huge uproar.


    ¡°Bright Aperture Stage¡­¡±


    Xie Jingsheng stared at the paper crane in his hand in a daze, unable to recover for a long time.


    He knew he was exceptionally talented. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to suppress all the disciples of influential families with hismoner background.


    Even though he had his tutor¡¯s support, if he wasn¡¯t talented enough, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to do this.


    This was something that even the disciples of influential families couldn¡¯t deny!


    Even so, it still took him more than two years to break through to the Bright Aperture Stage after entering the academy.


    As for Lin Shen?


    It had been less than a year since he entered the academy.


    To be able to advance to the Bright Aperture Stage in such a short period of time, just how much potential did Lin Shen have?


    After a long while, Xie Jingsheng recovered from his shock. He sighed and bowed slightly to the tall figure in front of him.


    ¡°Master, you¡¯re very perceptive and have long discovered how extraordinary Junior Brother Lin is!¡±


    Si Yuanpei sat upright with his eyes closed. Only then did he slowly open his eyes and shake his head.


    ¡°Lin Shen is doing even better than I expected.


    ¡°It seems that the upper house will have another disciple who isn¡¯t from an influential family in the rank challenge in two months.¡±


    Xie Jingsheng was stunned. He frowned and said, ¡°Master, Junior Brother Lin has just advanced to the Bright Aperture Stage. Among the upper house disciples, even Yan Jingren, who has just been promoted, is at the third level of the Bright Aperture Stage. No matter how talented Junior Brother Lin is, he shouldn¡¯t have be strong enough to defeat Yan Jingren in just two months, right?¡±


    Si Yuanpei said calmly, ¡°Has Lin Shen made any achievements that were within everyone¡¯s expectations?¡±


    Xie Jingsheng was speechless.


    He wavered when he thought of the Path-stage martial technique that Lin Shen had already mastered before his breakthrough.


    ¡°See? I was right!


    II


    In the Night Dream Club, Yang Zhongyi mmed the table andughed.


    ¡°I knew it. When Lin cultivates, it¡¯s like he ate an immortal pill. I knew it wouldn¡¯t be long before he advanced to the Bright Aperture Stage. Look, he broke through in less than a month. I have sharp eyes, don¡¯t I?¡±


    Su Nian rolled his eyes and ignored Yang Zhongyi¡¯s bragging.


    However, under the calm surface, he was also inexplicably shocked.


    He had guessed that Lin Shen would definitely advance to the Bright Aperture Stage soon, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be so fast!


    He and Yang Zhongyi were only at Level 3 of the Long Breath Stage. Lin Shen¡¯s help had shortened the time needed to break through the bottleneck of the Qi Transformation Stage. Otherwise, they might only be at Level 1 of the Long Breath Stage now.


    Su Nian, Yang Zhongyi, and Lin Shen¡¯s cultivation levels used to be simr back then, but now, the difference was like heaven and earth. Su Nian couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    Even Su Nian¡¯s cousin, who had been the most talented disciple in the academy back then and had left many legends in the sect until now, was probably now as talented as Lin Shen.


    ¡°Bright Aperture Stage? Really?¡±


    Leng Xing stared nkly at the flying crane messenger in his hand, his eyes filled with disbelief.


    Although he had always heard about how talented Lin Shen was, he had never really seen it.


    Only then did he truly realize how incredible Lin Shen¡¯s talent was!


    A twenty-year-old Bright Aperture Stage cultivator!


    Bing a cultivator master before the age of 25 was a sure bet for Lin Shen!


    To say that he would have a bright future would be an understatement!


    Yan Xing stood next to Leng Xin, looking as if he was in a daze.


    Losing miserably to Lin Shen in the disciple rank challenge had always been his nightmare.


    Even now, he had yet to get over it. Otherwise, when he saw Lin Shen previously, he wouldn¡¯t have seemed so scared.


    Yan Xing had thought of cultivating to increase his strength so that he could defeat Lin Shen one day and cure his trauma.


    However, after the battle with the Tiger Tribe, the news that Lin Shen had mastered a Path-stage martial technique and killed an Enlightening Stage demon gave Yan Xing a heavy blow. His determination almost copsed.


    Before he could recover from that shock, there was news of Lin Shen advancing to the Bright Aperture Stage!


    At this moment, Yan Xing finally realized how big the gap between him and Lin Shen was!


    He would probably never be able to defeat Lin Shen in a head-on confrontation in his life!


    ¡°Yan Xing, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Noticing that Yan Xing¡¯s face was pale, Leng Xing pushed his shoulder in confusion.


    Yan Xing came back to his senses and forced a smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡±


    Leng Xing didn¡¯t think too much about it. Instead, he frowned and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Lin Shen to be so talented. He¡¯s already at the Bright Aperture Stage now. After a while, won¡¯t he be able to challenge the upper house disciples?¡±


    Yan Xing¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    Among the top ten disciples of the upper house, Yan Jingren was the least experienced and had the lowest cultivation level. Considering the grudge between Lin Shen and the Yan family, if he really wanted to challenge the upper house disciples, it was obvious who he would choose as the target!


    However, Yan Xing immediately calmed down.


    Currently, his family was doing their best to open the underground spirit cave in the depths of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range. Once it was sessfully opened, his brother¡¯s cultivation would definitely advance by leaps and bounds.


    At that time, if Lin Shen dared to challenge his brother, he would definitely be beaten up until his teeth were all over the ground!


    Right?


    Yan Xing wanted to p himself when that question came into his mind.


    How could he doubt his brother¡¯s strength?


    On the other side, Leng Xing didn¡¯t notice that Yan Xing¡¯s expression was changing. He had already forgotten about Lin Shen and started sighing.


    ¡°I wonder which bastard spread the news to my father. He has confiscated my token for the city gate. What should I do?¡±


    Yan Xing came back to his senses and secretly shook his head.


    He really didn¡¯t know what Master Leng was thinking. What was wrong with going out of the city to train? Did he have to watch his son like watching a prisoner?


    If he was afraid that his only son would be in danger, he could just give him a few more enchanted armaments to protect himself.


    He couldn¡¯t keep his son in the city forever, right?

 Chapter 180 - 180: Not Fair (1)

    Chapter 180: Not Fair (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    A monthter.


    In the training room, Lin Shen looked at the interface in front of him and smiled from the bottom of his heart.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Analogy]


    [Stage: Bright Aperture Level 2, 22%]


    [Cultivation techniques: Nine Yang Scripture (Proficient 4%), Meltdown (Path 30%), Forbidden Golden Armor (Path 10%), Cloud Dragon Rhythm (Path 0%), Nine Divine Sun Sword (Path 0%)¡­]


    [Spells: Seven Arts Sword Energy (Level 1, 23%)]


    [Number of clones: 6 (82%)]


    After a month of cultivation, he finally mastered the Seven Arts Sword Energy.


    Unlike martial arts, spells weren¡¯t divided into Beginner, Proficient, Mastery, Perfection, and so on. There were only levels.


    Moreover, each spell had a different number of levels.


    For example, the Seven Arts Sword Energy had a total of seven levels.


    Every time he reached a higher level, there would be an additional streak of sword energy.


    When he reached the seventh level, seven streaks of sword energy would be released at the same time. Even iron and hard rocks would be reduced to dust!


    In just three days of cultivation, Lin Shen had used 25kg of ck iron.


    Towards the end, he simply handed the Seven Arts Sword Energy to his clone to cultivate while he focused on cultivating the Nine Yang Scripture.


    If he were to cultivate on his own, he would probably have to consume 200 to 300 kg of ck iron to reach his current progress. It would be worth more than a thousand merit points!


    ¡°No wonder people say that cultivating spells costs a lot of money!¡± Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    Any other cultivator would probably have to spend dozens or hundreds of minor merits to cultivate a spell to the third or fourth level.


    Even for Bright Aperture Stage cultivators, it was quite a burden.


    Shaking his head, Lin Shen restrained his distracting thoughts and returned his attention to the interface.


    Apart from the Seven Arts Sword Energy, with sufficient Spirit Nurturing Pills, he had also sessfully broken through to the second level of the Bright Aperture Stage. He had even advanced his cultivation by more than 20%.


    Even the Nine Yang Scripture had reached Proficient.


    In addition, two palm techniques had also reached Perfection, increasing the progress of Meltdown by 10%.


    ¡°Cultivation, martial techniques, spells¡­ I feel like there are still many things to cultivate. I still don¡¯t have enough clones!¡±


    Lin Shen thought greedily.


    He looked at the interface. He was still 18% away from condensing his new clone, which meant that he still needed to wait another 36 days.


    ¡°Just a little more than a month. I¡¯m getting there!¡±


    After closing the interface, Lin Shen got up from the ground, stretched, and left the training room.


    He had been in the academy for almost three months. It was time to go out. He wondered how Ai was doing.


    Fortunately, just in case, he had left a lot of canned cat food in the vi. She probably wouldn¡¯t starve.


    In addition, he had to test his clones.


    Lin Shen was very curious. After advancing to the Bright Aperture Stage, what would happen when he let the clones out?


    The Nine Yang Academy wasn¡¯t a good ce to take the test. He had to go somewhere else.


    Before leaving, Lin Shen went to the Internal Affairs Department to look for Tao Zongbao.


    As expected, after a month, Tao Zongbao had alreadypleted Lin Shen¡¯s request. He had even paid those disciples with his own merit points and traded the natural treasures Lin Shen needed in advance. He was just waiting for him toe and collect them.


    This saved Lin Shen a lot of time.


    He couldn¡¯t help but feel amazed. Deacon Tao really knew how to treat his clients.


    Lin Shen wasn¡¯t a stingy person. The treasures he had collected were worth a total of three minor merits and 218 merit points. He simply gave Tao Zongbao a me Spirit Pill.


    The nominal value of the two was about the same.


    However, the me Spirit Pills could only be exchanged with medium merits. If one were to be precise, its value was definitely higher than three minor merits and 200 merit points.


    Even if the price was ten minor merits, people would still want to buy that pill.


    Tao Zongbao was so happy that he couldn¡¯t stop grinning. He felt that it was the right decision to cozy up to Lin Shen.


    Back at the vi in the Eastern District.


    Unexpectedly, Ai wasn¡¯t at home.


    What surprised Lin Shen even more was that the living room wasn¡¯t filled with empty cans. Instead, it was clean and tidy. It was obvious that someone had carefully cleaned it not long ago.


    ¡°Ai doesn¡¯t like to clean up.¡±


    After some thought, Lin Shen had a vague idea.


    Only the spirit cats of Sinking Moon would make Ai willingly go with them.


    Lin Shen wasn¡¯t worried about what they would do to Ai, so he threw the question to the back of his mind.


    It wasn¡¯t easy to test his clone in broad daylight, so Lin Shen sat down in the living room to cultivate. He would wait until it was dark.


    After half an hour, he already had an idea of the changes in the clone after advancing to the Bright Aperture Stage.


    The first was the zero consumption distance. It had increased from about six hundred meters to about a thousand meters. It had almost doubled!


    Next was the range of activity of individual clones.


    At a position, about 3,000 meters away from Lin Shen, a single clone couldst for about five minutes.


    However, after the distance was extended to 5,000 meters, the duration of its existence would drop sharply to about a minute.


    Compared to the Long Breath Stage, the clone¡¯s freedom of movement and duration had clearly increased significantly


    This was especially true for the 1,000-metcr zero consumption distance. This meant that Lin Shen could do many things more easily in the future.


    ¡°If there are enough pills to recover spiritual essence and energy, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for the clone tost for more than ten minutes at a position of about 3,000 meters from me!¡±


    Lin Shen rubbed the storage ring on his finger and smiled.


    There happened to be arge number of medicinal pills from Jing Hai in his storage ring. Among them were Energy Recovery Pills and Origin Recovery Pills that could restore one¡¯s spiritual essence. Moreover, there were many of them..

 Chapter 181 - 181: Not Fair (2)

    Chapter 181: Not Fair (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    ¡°At this rate, when I break through to the Bright Aperture Stage, the clone¡¯s zero consumption distance should increase to three to four thousand meters!


    II


    After obtaining the answer he wanted, Lin Shen retracted his clone in satisfaction and returned to his bedroom to continue cultivating.


    The biggest change to his daily life after advancing to the Bright Aperture Stage was that he needed much less sleep.


    The strengthening of his soul made him full of spirit and energy all the time. Unless he was exhausted from fighting, he only needed to sleep for an hour or two a day.


    With this trend, it could be foreseen that after bing a cultivator master, he could basically bid farewell to sleep.


    It was rumored that cultivator masters also used meditation as a substitute for sleep and spiritual essence as a substitute for food.


    When he arrived at the bedroom, Lin Shen patted his forehead. He suddenly remembered the natural treasure he had just obtained today and was about to summon his Perseverance clone when his heart suddenly skipped a beat.


    After awakening his spirit resonance, his senses had be even sharper. Even his subconscious awareness of danger seemed to have be sharper than before.


    At this moment, Lin Shen felt as if some kind of malice was directed at him!


    Trusting his intuition, Lin Shen activated the Forbidden Golden Armor without thinking. At the same time, he turned around and happened to see a strange scene.


    The shadow in the corner of the bedroom protruded out of thin air as if it had been pinched out of y. Then, an invisible palm quickly shaped it into a human form.


    In the next second, the darkness on the humanoid surface receded like a tide, revealing a person wearing a ck robe and a mask.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Lin Shen flipped his wrist, and the Six Yang Talisman Sword instantlynded in his palm.


    He held the talisman sword in his hand and stared at the figure that had suddenly appeared in front of him as if he was facing a great enemy. His expression was very serious.


    He sensed extreme danger from the person in front of him!


    It was even more terrifying and dangerous than the feeling Jing Hai gave him that night!


    A Bright Aperture Stage cultivator!


    Furthermore, he was at least an expert at the fourth or fifth level of the Bright Aperture Stage!


    The ck-robed man raised his head slightly and nced at Lin Shen from behind the mask. His indifferent voice sounded a little dull.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already guessed, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re from the Wild Wolves!¡± Lin Shen narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re really smart.¡±


    The ck-robed man nced at the spiritual light on Lin Shen¡¯s fingertip. It was a sign that the spirit resonance had condensed and was preparing to cast a spell.


    ¡°You have incredible talent and strength. Jing Hai underestimated you, so he deserved to die in your hands.¡±


    The ck-robed man¡¯s tone was calm, but it carried a sinister coldness like a poisonous snake slithering across one¡¯s chest, making them feel a chill involuntarily.


    Seeing this, Lin Shen no longer hesitated and immediately pointed forward with his fingers.


    In an instant, a streak of sword-shaped sword energy pierced through the void and shot toward the ck-robed man like a bolt of lightning!


    Swoosh!


    There was a sharp and short sound of air being torn apart in the bedroom.


    Facing the fierce sword energy, the ck-robed man calmly stretched out his palm. His five fingers bent into a w and grabbed at the air. In an instant, dense clouds of white, green, blue, red, and yellow colors suddenly appeared and intertwined to meet the sword energy!


    In the blink of an eye, the two sides collided fiercely in the void!


    The sword energy was like a hot knife cutting through butter, but the five-colored ball of energy seemed to be resisting hardness with softness. It wrapped around the sword energy. Then, it spun and instantly wiped out thetter!


    ¡°What?<sup>1</sup>


    II


    The ck-robed man seemed a little surprised.


    ¡°This sword energy¡­ Is it Seven Arts Sword Energy? You actually cultivated such a spell technique!¡±


    The ck-robed man originally thought that Lin Shen had at most cultivated a beginner-level spell like the Lightning Palm or the Red Melting Silk. He didn¡¯t expect it to be the Seven Arts Sword Energy!


    He had once seen this spell in a book. It was said to have been created by a sword cultivator.


    Among cultivators, sword cultivators were famous for their powerfulbat strength. The spells they created were naturally also famous for their powerful strength!


    The Seven Arts Sword Energy was no exception!


    Not only were there very few people who knew this spell, but it was also extremely rare. The difficulty of cultivating it far exceeded that of the Lightning Palm and the Red Fusion Silk!


    ording to the description in the books, cultivators with slightly weaker talent would probably take several years to cultivate it sessfully.


    Lin Shen had only advanced to the Bright Aperture Stage for a month, but he had already mastered the Seven Arts Sword Energy!


    ¡°Can this kid be sword cultivator material too?¡±


    The ck-robed man¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was a very wise decision to capture Lin Shen tonight.


    Otherwise, if Lin Shen continued to grow, even he might not be this kid¡¯s match!


    At the thought of this, the ck-robed man¡¯s gaze turned cold. He stretched out his hand and grabbed it again. This time, his palm was facing the floor below.


    As he moved, the shadows on the floor of the room instantly surged violently like boiling water. Right on the heels of that, several lumps suddenly protruded, turning into several evil ghost heads. They bared their teeth and pounced at Lin Shen!


    Lin Shen¡¯s expression was solemn as he stabbed out with the longsword in his hand. Amidst the zing red light, five dazzling scarlet balls of light appeared out of thin air and crushed out with the sharp sword energy.


    Those evil spirit heads were obviously some kind of unorthodox technique that couldn¡¯t resist Yang cultivation techniques, not to mention that the Nine Divine Sun Sword was a brilliant Yang-attribute martial technique.


    In almost a single exchange, several evil ghost heads were minced into ashes by the sword energy and scorching waves!


    II


    Nine Divine Sun Sword! Five Suns at once!


    II


    The corners of the ck-robed man¡¯s eyes twitched. The fear in his eyes intensified, and he attacked even more mercilessly.


    He reached out and grabbed the five-colored ball of energy from the void again. Then, with a p of his hand, the ball attacked Lin Shen!


    As early as when the Seven Arts Sword Energy was easily blocked by the ck-robed man, Lin Shen¡¯s heart had already sunk to the bottom.


    The ck-robed man in front of him was extraordinarily strong. He was more than a level stronger than Lin Shen had guessed at the beginning.


    From his tone when he mentioned Jing Hai, he was as powerful as thetter and was very likely at the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage.


    However, the ck-robed man wasn¡¯t an alchemist or apothecary, but a genuinebat-type cultivator!


    In other words, Lin Shen was facing a true ninth-level Bright Aperture Stage cultivator!


    Lin Shen was confident that he could defeat an opponent at the third or fourth level of the Bright Aperture Stage if he used all his strength.


    He felt that he could even fight cultivators at the fifth or sixth level.


    However, the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage¡­ He had better think of a way to escape!


    As if sensing Lin Shen¡¯s thoughts, the ck-robed man snorted coldly and calmly took out a palm-sized item.


    Upon closer inspection, it was an inkstone that was as ck as ink.


    An inkstone?


    Lin Shen frowned as he resisted the five-colored energy ball.


    In the next second, he saw the ck-robed man throw the inkstone up.


    After it left his hand, the inkstone spun a few times in the air as if it had a mind of its own. At first, it was only the size of a palm, but in the blink of an eye, it expanded to the size of a house.


    The bedroom was only 20 to 30 square meters. How could it amodate such a huge object? With a loud bang, the walls and ceiling copsed, and countless pieces of gravel fell.


    However, Lin Shen could no longer care about the house.


    A dull thunderous whistling sound rang in his ears. The iparably huge inkstone in the air was smashing down on him with a domineering aura that could crush everything.


    Lin Shen almost couldn¡¯t help but curse.


    At this point, how could he not see that the inkstone was clearly a Dharma treasure above the level of an enchanted armament?


    It wasn¡¯t fair to use such a treasure to deal with a Bright Aperture Stage cultivator who had just made the breakthrough.


    Unfortunately, the curses couldn¡¯t stop the inkstone from falling!


    In the next moment, there was a bang.


    The inkstone had already smashed heavily into Lin Shen, sting him through the floor and into the living room on the first floor. Instantly, there was a loud bang, and dust rose everywhere!


    The ck-robed man waved his hand, and the inkstone quickly shrank and rolled back into his hand.


    Immediately after, he put his fingers together, and a strong wind surged around him. It lifted him off the ground andnded in the pit not far away.


    The ck-robed man¡¯s eyes narrowed as he swept his gaze across the smoke-filled living room below. His expression didn¡¯t rx at all.


    Although the inkstone was extremely powerful, based on his understanding of Lin Shen, that kid would at most be severely injured and would definitely not die because of this. He might even still have somebat strength left!


    He wasn¡¯t Jing Hai and wouldn¡¯t underestimate Lin Shen.. Since he had taken the risk of exposing his identity this time, he would definitely not let Lin Shen escape!

 Chapter 182 - 182: Clever Escape (1)

    Chapter 182: Clever Escape (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    The bright moonlight shone through the hole in the roof and sprinkled on the messy living room.


    For a moment, it was silent, with only the asional rustling sound of gravel falling.


    The ck-robed man looked around solemnly.


    At this moment, a sizzling sound suddenly filled the silent living room.


    Before the ck-robed man could find the direction of the voice, he saw that arge amount of water, smoke, and clouds had appeared in the living room. In the blink of an eye, it formed a fog barrier.


    The entire living room turned white!


    Everything around him suddenly became indistinct. As the light shifted, things became elusive.


    ¡°Hidden Fog Talisman!¡±


    The ck-robed man raised his eyebrows.


    Just as he was about to cast a spell to disperse the fog, he suddenly saw a figure sh past from the corner of his eye. In the blink of an eye, he rushed to the entrance and broke through the door with a bang, running out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it!¡±


    The ck-robed man snorted coldly. In a sh, he appeared on the street outside.


    Considering that it might be a smokescreen cast by Lin Shen, he also took out an illusion-breaking talisman and shook his finger. The talisman instantly ignited on its own without any wind, turning into a ball of golden light that covered his eyes.


    Looking closely, the ck-robed man nodded slightly. He was convinced that it was Lin Shen.


    Seeing this, he didn¡¯t dy any longer and chased after the figure in the distance.


    He had to capture this kid as soon as possible so that he wouldn¡¯t bump into the Martial Enforcement Hall members who came to check.


    Before long, the ck-robed man disappeared into the night.


    The ruined vi was silent again.


    After a moment, there was a sudden crash, and the rubble in the corner of the ruins scattered. A figure slowly stood up.


    ¡°That was close. I almost lost my life!¡±


    Patting the dust off his body, Lin Shen heaved a long sigh of relief.


    The ck-robed man¡¯s Dharma treasure was indeed very powerful. If not for the fact that he had summoned his clone under the cover of the dust the moment he was hit, he would have been severely injured.


    That man was at the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage and coupled with the powerful Dharma treasure, his strength was already not something Lin Shen could contend with.


    If he wasn¡¯t careful, he might not even be able to survive, let alone escape!


    Therefore, when hended in the living room on the first floor, Lin Shen decisively used the Hidden Fog Talisman and let his clone pretend to escape. Meanwhile, he quickly pasted a Concealment Talisman and an Invisibility Talisman on his body to eliminate his aura and hide under the ruins.


    Fortunately, luck was on Lin Shen¡¯s side.


    Perhaps themotion caused by the inkstone attack was too great, affecting the judgment of the ck-robed man. Coupled with the effect of the Hidden Fog Talisman blocking his senses, he didn¡¯t notice Lin Shen¡¯s trick.


    To ensure that his clone wouldn¡¯t be recognized, Lin Shen even let it carry a storage bag and a Six Yang Talisman Sword.


    ¡°The two items add up to more than 20 minor merits. This is a huge loss.¡± Lin Shen sighed.


    This was the first time he hadn¡¯t obtained any spoils of war from the enemy. Instead, he had suffered a loss.


    Sighing again, Lin Shenposed himself and chased after the ck-robed man.


    Now wasn¡¯t the time to heave a sigh of relief.


    If the clone was too far away from himself, it would quickly disappear. At that time, the ck-robed man would immediately realize that something was wrong and return to hunt him down.


    Lin Shen could not guarantee that he, who was injured and on the verge of exhausting his spiritual essence and stamina, could sessfully escape back to the academy before being captured by the ck-robed man.


    Besides¡­ even if he escaped back to the academy, it didn¡¯t mean that he would be safe!


    Lin Shen¡¯s gaze turned slightly cold as he recalled the five-colored ball of energy that the ck-robed man had just used.


    No matter how he looked at it, the characteristics of that spell were very simr to the description of the ¡°Five Tranquil Energy¡± he had seen on the Merit Hall¡¯s exchange list!


    It was a technique unique to the Nine Suns Sect!


    In other words, the ck-robed man was very likely a member of the Nine Suns Sect or even the Nine Yang Academy!


    At the thought of this, Lin Shen shuddered.


    The people of the Wild Wolves were hiding in the Nine Yang Academy, and they were plotting against him. No matter how he thought about it, it made his blood curdle.


    How could one guard against one¡¯s enemy around the clock?


    If he didn¡¯t find out who that person was, he wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep well for the rest of his life!


    Therefore, it was best to use his clone to stall the ck-robed man until dawn.


    Even if the ck-robed man was given ten times the courage, he wouldn¡¯t dare tomit murder in broad daylight!


    Then, he would take this opportunity to find the ck-robed man¡¯s hiding ce. After that¡­


    A dark light shed across Lin Shen¡¯s eyes as he quickened his pace and ran forward.


    As he ran, he took out the Energy Recovery Pill and Revival Pill from his storage ring and consumed them. He mobilized his spiritual essence to quickly digest the medicinal effects.


    At this moment, the distance between him and his clone had already exceeded 2,000 meters, and the spiritual essence in his body was constantly being consumed.


    A few minutester, Lin Shen¡¯s expression changed slightly.


    ¡°Has it been caught¡­¡±


    Without stopping, Lin Shen took this opportunity to quickly close the distance between him and his clone.


    With the Concealment Talisman and Invisibility Talisman, as long as he didn¡¯t get within 500 meters of the ck-robed man and stayed in an open area, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about being noticed by the ck-robed man.


    After all, spirit resonance wasn¡¯t like spiritual consciousness. Not only was it extremely prative, but it could also scan and sense auras.


    As expected, after grabbing the clone, the ck-robed man immediately changed directions and ran toward the South District.


    ¡°This guy hiding in the South District?¡±


    Lin Shen was surprised.


    The South District was known as the ce where the rich gathered. There were even many cultivators who lived there.


    However, on second thought, the Wild Wolves¡¯ stronghold discovered by the Martial Enforcement Hall was also in the South District.


    ¡°Do the people of the Wild Wolves believe that the most dangerous ce is the safest ce?¡±

 Chapter 183 - 183: Clever Escape (2)

    Chapter 183: Clever Escape (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Lin Shen cursed silently, but he didn¡¯t have time to think too much about it. He lowered his head and hurried on.


    The ck-robed man was much faster than the clone. If he rxed a little, he would be left far behind.


    Along the way, Lin Shen tried his best to keep the distance between himself and his clone within 1,500 meters so that he could reduce his consumption. At the same time, he ate the pills without any hesitation.


    Even so, the spiritual essence in his body was still decreasing at a slow but firm speed.


    Ten minutester, just as Lin Shen¡¯s spiritual essence was about to run out, the clone finally stopped moving.


    Seeing this, Lin Shen secretly heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly increased his speed. He finally managed to close the distance to a zero consumption distance of 1,000 meters before his spiritual essence was exhausted.


    After stuffing another handful of pills and recovering some spiritual essence, Lin Shen used the cover of the night and carefully approached the spot where his clone had stopped.


    Before long, a courtyard came into view.


    ¡°This is the guy¡¯s hideout?¡±


    In the shadows under the tree a hundred meters away, Lin Shen narrowed his eyes and sized up the courtyard in the distance.


    It looked like an ordinary courtyard. There was nothing wrong with it.


    Looking at the surrounding buildings, this area was clearly a high-end residential area.


    Moreover, this low-key but elegant architectural style was more like the type that cultivators preferred.


    Most of the people living here should be cultivators.


    ¡°Looks like this is only that guy¡¯s residence and not the Wild Wolves¡¯ stronghold.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t just any wealthy residential area in the South District. If the Wild Wolves could build a stronghold in such a ce filled with cultivators, the Martial Enforcement Hall wouldn¡¯t need to do any work.


    ¡°I wonder who lives here.¡±


    Lin Shen felt that he was about to discover the true identity of the ck-robed man.


    Unfortunately, the clone seemed to have been knocked unconscious by the ck-robed man. Lin Shen couldn¡¯t share what the clone saw and heard. He could only sense the location of the clone.


    Standing in the shadows, Lin Shen weighed his options.


    A momentter, he made up his mind.


    Central District, Martial Enforcement Hall headquarters.


    In the conference room on the top floor of the central building.


    All the g officers of the Martial Enforcement Hall branches in the four districts, as well as the four principals and deputy hall masters of the headquarters, were gathered together.


    Strangely, the conference room was dead silent. No one spoke.


    Everyone lowered their heads in silence, stealing nces at the figure sitting at the head of the table from time to time.


    The person who was secretly being watched by many higher-ups of the Martial Enforcement Hall was a beautiful woman.


    The woman looked to be in herte twenties. She had gentle features and was wearing a long white dress that fluttered in the wind. Her hair was tied into a high bun, and she had a narrow waist and long legs. Anyone who saw her would be amazed by her beauty.


    However, the Martial Enforcement Hall higher-ups didn¡¯t look at her with any surprise or admiration. Instead, they looked at her with fear and respect.


    After a long silence, the woman looked around and nced at everyone.


    ¡°It¡¯s been three months since I gave the order to hunt for the Wild Wolves.


    ¡°You¡¯ve only caught a group of minions, but there¡¯s not a single key member. Can anyone give me an exnation?¡±


    There was a moment of silence.


    No one answered.


    Many people who knew the hall master very well tensed up, preparing to face the uing storm.


    Sure enough, in the next second, there was a muffled bang.


    The woman mmed the table heavily. She frowned as she flew into a rage.


    ¡°What are you guys doing? Do you spend all your time in nightclubs with those demon girls? Aren¡¯t you afraid that you won¡¯t be able to get it up when you return home? Your wives should castrate you all! If you can¡¯tplete the mission, I¡¯ll send you all to the mines!¡±


    The woman no longer seemed as gentle and graceful as before.


    However, the meeting room was silent. Everyone knew their hall master¡¯s fiery temper and was already used to it. No one dared to say anything and only lowered their heads.


    Seeing this, the woman was so angry that sheughed. ¡°To think that you guys are still men. Can¡¯t anyone give me a promise and say that there¡¯s no problem?¡±


    A few vice hall masters shook their heads secretly when they heard thedy¡¯s rude words. They thought to themselves, ¡°Our hall master is an elegant and beautiful woman. Even though her name sounds like a niece, she has a fiery temper. When she speaks, she¡¯s like a shrew cursing in the street.¡±


    After scolding everyone, Xia Mengran vented her anger. She turned to look at a deputy hall master and asked coldly,


    ¡°Have you investigated the incident in Silverscale City?¡±


    The vice hall master hurriedly sat up straight and replied, ¡°Yes. The owner of the manor is an apothecary called Jing Hai. He¡¯s a secret member of the Wild Wolves. We¡¯ve checked Jing Hai¡¯s corpse. When he was alive, he was at the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage. If I¡¯m not wrong, he should be one of the backbones of the Wild Wolves!¡±


    Hearing this, Xia Mengran softened slightly. She nodded and asked,


    ¡°Who killed Jing Hai?¡±


    The deputy hall master immediately looked hesitant. It was only when Xia Mengran¡¯s sharp gaze fell on him that he braced himself and said,


    ¡°When our people from Silverscale City arrived, the owner, steward, and guards of the manor were all dead. The servants who survived were all ordinary people. They knew nothing about the secrets of the manor. They only knew that a group of cat demons invaded the manor that night.¡±


    ¡°Cat demons?¡± Xia Mengran frowned slightly. ¡°You mean Jing Hai was killed by spirit cats? But why?¡±


    ¡°We found many alchemy tools and materials in the manor. Based on them, we guess that Jing Hai has very likely been using the cat demons as materials to study and refine new types of Blood Spirit Pills!¡±


    As soon as he said this, there was amotion in the conference room. Many people looked stunned.


    Using the demons to refine Blood Spirit Pills?


    was simply unheard of!


    Were the Wild Wolves crazy? They had been using cultivators to refine pills, but now, they were even after spiritual beasts!


    Xia Mengran ignored the shock of the others and frowned. ¡°So, the cat demons killed him to take revenge?


    ¡°But Jing Hai is at the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage. No matter how weak he was in battles, a group of Ascension Stage cat demons couldn¡¯t kill him. Could there be Enlightening Stage cat demons hiding in Silverscale City?¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Xia Mengran waved her hand in frustration.


    ¡°Forget it. Killing Wild Wolves isn¡¯t a big deal. As long as that Enlightening Stage cat demon doesn¡¯te out to cause trouble again, I don¡¯t care where she is. Cheng, continue to investigate Silverscale City. You must follow the clues and dig out the other core members of the Wild Wolves!¡±


    The deputy Hall Masterined inwardly, but he didn¡¯t dare to show it. He braced himself and agreed.


    At this moment, there was a knock on the door.


    Xia Mengran frowned and said in a deep voice, ¡°Come in!¡±


    The door opened, and a young Martial Enforcement Hall member walked in. He said loudly, ¡°Ma¡¯am, a cultivator battle has happened in the Eastern District. From the aura, the two sides should be at the Bright Aperture Stage!¡±


    Xia Mengran waved her hand angrily. ¡°Then arrest them all. Do you need me to tell you what to do?


    He swallowed his saliva and said in a low voice, ¡°Not long after that battle, someone discovered a group of Hell Hos in the Southern District!¡±


    II


    Hell Hos?¡± Cheng frowned and looked at the g officer in charge of the Southern District. ¡°Liu, I remember that when the Martial Enforcement Hall wiped out the Wild Wolves¡¯ stronghold in the Southern District, didn¡¯t arge number of Hell Hos appear?¡±


    The g officer nodded without thinking. ¡°That¡¯s right. That time, the Wild Wolves tricked us. Not only did our division suffer heavy losses, but many disciples of the three academies that we recruited at thest minute also died. Because of this, I was severely reprimanded by the archimandrite of the three academies!¡±


    At the mention of this matter, the g officer, looked like he had a deep grudge.


    II


    Bright Aperture Stage and Hell Ho. Could it be the Wild Wolves?¡± Cheng guessed with a frown.


    Xia Mengran waved her hand and ordered without hesitation.


    ¡°Who cares what it is? Let¡¯s capture them at the scene and interrogate them slowly! Cheng, you¡­ Forget it, I¡¯ll do it myself!¡±


    As soon as she said this, everyone was shocked.


    He quickly stopped her. ¡°You mustn¡¯t do that. You¡¯ve been cultivating the 28th spiritual seal for more than two months. You¡¯re only three days away from sess. You mustn¡¯t do anything now, or all your efforts will be in vain!¡±


    Xia Mengran red at him and was about to re up, but she knew that Cheng had a point. She could only grit her teeth and suppress her anger, smashing the table angrily.


    ¡°Damn it, if I had known that this divine seal was so troublesome, I wouldn¡¯t have chosen this lousy cultivation technique back then!¡±


    Everyone looked at each other and remained silent, pretending not to hear these words.


    After Xia Mengran vented her anger, she looked up and saw that everyone was still stunned. She immediately red at them. ¡°What are you waiting for? If anyone escapes, don¡¯t bothering back. Hl send you all to the mine outside the city!¡±


    Only then did everyone leave the room.


    A momentter,


    a group of fully armed cultivators rushed out of the Martial Enforcement Hall toward the Southern District..

 Chapter 184 - 184: Unscrupulous (1)

    Chapter 184: Unscrupulous (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    In the dark hall.


    ¡°Lin Shen¡± slowly opened his eyes. After a brief moment of absent-mindedness, he woke up all of a sudden. He wanted to jump to his feet but realized that he seemed to have been frozen on the spot. He couldn¡¯t move and could only lie t on the ground.


    ¡°Stop struggling. Even someone at Level-2 Bright Aperture won¡¯t be able to break free in an hour.¡±


    He heard an indifferent voice.


    ¡°Lin Shen¡± tried his best to look in the direction of the sound. From where hey, he could see the giant cauldron in the center of the hall.


    The cauldron was made of fine brass and was as tall as a grown man. It had three legs and two ears, and the surface was covered withplicated patterns. It gave off a cold, eerie glow.


    Meanwhile, a fire had been lit under the cauldron, and white smoke was rising out of the four holes in the lid.


    With his back to Lin Shen, the man stood in front of the cauldron with his hands behind his back, as if he was observing the contents.


    ¡°It¡¯s too bad that Jin Hai is dead. Without him, I won¡¯t have much hope in refining a Level-4 Blood Spirit Pill. After all, I¡¯m not as good as he is in alchemy. Luckily, a Level-3 Blood Spirit Pill is more than enough.¡±


    He slowly turned around as he spoke.


    He wasn¡¯t wearing a mask at the moment, and the hood of his robe was pulled back, revealing his face.


    Lin Shen¡¯s pupils contracted when he saw the face.


    ¡°Master Leng!¡±


    It was none other than Leng Guangting, the tutor of the Nine Yang Academy and Leng Xing¡¯s father!


    ¡°Surprised, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    The man in the ck robe nced at Lin Shen, his face emotionless.


    ¡°The tutor of the Nine Yang Academy is the backbone of the infamous Wild Wolves. That¡¯s unbelievable, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s indeed surprising.¡±


    Lin Shen had a strange look on his face.


    Although he had a hunch that the man was from the Nine Yang Academy, he didn¡¯t expect it to be Leng Guangting, who had always kept a low profile.


    However, the tutor was said to be from a declining old family, which was a respectable background. Why would he join an unorthodox force like the Wild Wolves, let alone be a senior member?


    As if he had noticed Lin Shen¡¯s confusion, a strange look flickered in Leng Guangting¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°A hundred years ago, the Leng family was still one of the eighteen influential families, but ever since then, our status declined, and our forces kept declining. As a result, we were finally kicked out of the eighteen and became a declining old family.


    ¡°Although they¡¯re still respectable families, the declining old families aren¡¯t much better thanmoners. Even the eighteen influential families, which should be of the same level, have been looking down on them.


    ¡°To regain our former glory, everyone in the Leng family is determined to revitalize our family and be one of the eighteen influential families again. I¡¯ve been taught that way since I was little. I have to work hard and be a cultivator master to revitalize our n. However, there¡¯s always a limit. I¡¯m not talented enough, and I¡¯ll never be able to break through the bottleneck and be a cultivator master!


    ¡°Without a cultivator master, a family can¡¯t be considered a respectable cultivation family, and that¡¯s an unwritten rule between major families. Even if it¡¯s a declining old family, the family has to have at least one cultivator master. If a family doesn¡¯t have a cultivator master for more than ten years, they¡¯ll be stripped of their title and banished to themoner ss.


    ¡°The Leng family hasn¡¯t had a cultivator master since my father passed away.¡±


    Lin Shen only spoke until now.


    ¡°So, you want to use the Blood Spirit Pills to break through your bottleneck¡­ But why are you telling me all this now? Are you trying to find an excuse for yourself or make yourself feel at ease?¡±


    The corner of Leng Guangting¡¯s mouth twitched a little as if he was smiling. He ignored Lin Shen¡¯s sarcasm and said quietly,


    ¡°The path of cultivation is endless, and longevity is hard toe by. Many people will do anything they can just to get out of the cage and have a glimpse of the peak. Blood Spirit Pills may sound cruel, but in fact, there are many crueler and darker things in the world. Everyone is after power!


    ¡°I don¡¯t regret what I¡¯ve done. Why should I feel uneasy?¡±


    After that, Leng Guang sighed and sounded rather lonely.


    ¡°I¡¯ve kept those words to myself, and I haven¡¯t even told my wife and children. Now that I¡¯ve said them aloud, I feel much more relieved.¡±


    Lin Shen smiled. ¡°I think I¡¯ve done something nice.¡±


    Leng Guangting turned to look at him with flickering eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯ve surprised me. By now, you should have guessed what I was going to do, but why aren¡¯t you afraid?¡±


    ¡°Will you let me go if I¡¯m scared?¡± Lin Shen asked calmly.


    Leng Guangting smiled, nced at the cauldron, and nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time. That¡¯s enough chit-chat. It¡¯s time for thest step of the refinement.¡±


    When his long-cherished dream was about toe true, even Leng Guangting couldn¡¯t help but blush.


    With a wave of his sleeve, he opened the lid of the cauldron, and white smoke gushed out, rushing toward the ceiling.


    A strange aroma filled the air.


    Lin Shen¡¯s nostrils twitched, and he smelled something sweet.


    It was like removing the rusty taste from one¡¯s blood and mixing it with some sugar.


    While he was letting one¡¯s imagination run wild, Leng Guangting marched in, picked up Lin Shen, and headed for the cauldron.


    Lin Shen spoke before he was thrown in..

 Chapter 185 - 185: Unscrupulous (1)

    Chapter 185: Unscrupulous (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    ¡°I¡¯m curious. If you hadn¡¯t caught me, how were you going to break through your bottleneck and be a cultivator master?¡±


    Leng Guangting paused, frowned, and gave Lin Shen a strange look, wondering why Lin Shen was still in the mood to ask such an irrelevant question at a time like this.


    But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t think of any way for Lin Shen to get through this hopeless situation.


    After a few seconds of silence, Leng Guangting went on.


    ¡°I prepared a Pill Man, but now that I have a better one like you, there¡¯s no need to use it anymore.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Lin Shen smiled slightly with a meaningful gaze.


    Somehow, Leng Guangting felt uneasy.


    He frowned and pondered for a moment but still couldn¡¯t find the source of the anxiety, so he decided to stop thinking about it. He tossed Lin Shen into the cauldron, then reached out, grabbed the lid, and closed it with a thump.


    The next second, mes erupted from under the cauldron, which rumbled slightly.


    Leng Guangting clenched his fists in excitement.


    He immediately took a deep breath to calm himself down and focused on what was going on in the cauldron.


    As time went by, the shaking of the cauldron gradually subsided. However, the white smokeing out of it didn¡¯t decrease at all. Instead, it grew denser, and there was a faint yellow color in it.


    Leng Guangting sniffed and realized that something wasn¡¯t right. He immediately flipped the lid off and looked inside.


    Instead of the Level 3 Blood Spirit Pills he had been thinking about day and night, he saw several ck pills.


    Failure pills!


    Leng Guangting paled.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? There were no mistakes in the procedure or the materials. How could it fail?¡±


    Leng Guangting murmured in disbelief.


    Just then, a hubbub of noise came from outside, which was faintly mixed with shouting and what sounded like the buzzing of insects.


    The noise grew louder, but Leng Guangting didn¡¯t seem to hear it. He just stood there in a daze.


    For some unknown reason, he had failed to refine the pill that he had put so much hope in. It was such a hard blow that he couldn¡¯t ept it.


    A momentter, the front door burst open, and Leng Xing rushed in, looking terrified.


    ¡°Father, a group of Hell Hos suddenly rushed in from outside, followed by people from the Martial Enforcement Hall. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with these people, but they actually want to search our residence. How ridiculous!¡±


    The words ¡°Martial Enforcement Hall¡± seemed to have triggered a certain nerve in Leng Guangting. He slowly turned around and looked at Leng Xing.


    ¡°The Martial Enforcement Hall is here?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. They¡¯re led bymanders and g officers. I wonder what happened.¡±


    Leng Xing didn¡¯t notice his father¡¯s strange behavior and was stillining indignantly.


    ¡°We were clearly the victims of the spiritual beast attack, but they suspected that we were rted to that group of Hell Hos and insisted on searching our house. Right now, the steward is bringing people to stop the Martial Enforcement Hall. I reckon they won¡¯t be able to stall for long. Father, you still have to go out to preside over the overall situation¡­¡±


    As he spoke, Leng Xing finally sensed that something was wrong and looked at his adrift father in confusion.


    ¡°Father?¡±


    Leng Guangting ignored his son, his expression bleak.


    ¡°In the end, I still have to do it.¡±


    ¡°Father, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Leng Xing asked curiously.


    Leng Guangting didn¡¯t answer. He suddenly turned his head and stared at Leng Xing.


    For some reason, that indifferent gaze made Leng Xing slightly panic, and a chill ran down his spine.


    Outside the courtyard.


    Seeing arge group of people from the Martial Enforcement Hall chase after the Hell Hos into the courtyard, Lin Shen smiled.


    As expected, because of the previous Wild Wolves stronghold in the Southern District, the Martial Enforcement Hall attached great importance to the appearance of Hell Hos. They actually sent arge number of people over.


    Lin Shen even recognized a few of them as the general g officers of the four major districts.


    They were all experts at the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage.


    With these people and hundreds of Martial Enforcement Hall members, Leng Guangting would definitely be finished.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that a clone was sacrificed.¡±


    Lin Shen shook his head.


    In order not to alert Leng Guangting, he didn¡¯t retract his clone. Instead, he let it disappear automatically after it died.


    It was a pity that the people from the Martial Enforcement Hall came a littlete. Otherwise, the death of the clone could be avoided.


    Fortunately, he already nned to refresh the talent of the Perseverance clone. It didn¡¯t matter if it was gone now.


    He had to think of a good reason to exin his role in this matter.


    Of course, it would be best if Leng Guangting died in battle. In that case, no one would know that he was involved.


    After hesitating for a moment, Lin Shen rushed out of the shadows and quietly approached the courtyard not far away.


    The courtyard was already in chaos. No one noticed that an uninvited guest had barged in.


    The journey to the courtyard was smooth and without idents. Lin Shen happened to see the people from the Martial Enforcement Hall break through the guards of the courtyard and begin to search the surroundings.


    Not long after, the Martial Enforcement Hall made a discovery.


    ¡°Sir, we found a secret door inside. It leads to a catb. It seems to be quite big!¡±


    A g officer reported to a burly middle-aged man in the lead.


    Lin Shen recognized that the middle-aged man was the general g officer of the Southern District. His name seemed to be Yuan Ming.


    Hearing his subordinate¡¯s report, Yuan Ming immediately waved his hand.


    ¡°Search it!


    ¡°There¡¯s actually a catb in the residence of the academy¡¯s tutor. Looks like we might be able to gain something this time!¡±


    Yuan Ming chuckled and led the way in.


    The other two general g officers looked at each other and hesitated for a moment before following him.


    There was something wrong with what happened tonight. That group of Hell Hos seemed to have deliberately lured them over.


    After discovering their arrival, the manager¡¯s behavior was also very strange. He actually immediately gathered people to block them outside and refused to let them in no matter what.


    Such an abnormal reaction immediately aroused the suspicion of the experienced general g officers.


    Others might be afraid of the tutors of the Nine Yang Academy, but they weren¡¯t. Furthermore, Hall Master Xia had given a definite order. If they didn¡¯t gain anything, they would definitely suffer when they returned. Therefore, the three of them decided to charge in.


    They didn¡¯t expect to find something.


    Could Master Leng really have some unspeakable secret?


    The group quickly arrived at the secret door and rushed in without stopping.


    As soon as they entered, Lin Shen silently appeared behind them.


    With the help of the Concealment Talisman, the Invisibility Talisman, and the Cloud Dragon Rhythm, no one noticed him along the way.


    The general g officers of the Martial Enforcement Hall were also focused on the catb and didn¡¯t notice that there was an additional man behind them.


    The catb was indeedrge. It was at least two to three timesrger than the courtyard on the ground.


    Fortunately, the buildings in this area were far from each other. Otherwise, someone would have noticed that an outsider was among them long ago.


    After circling around, the people from the Martial Enforcement Hall arrived at the room at the end of the catb.


    The door was wide open, and dim light came from inside.


    The three general g officers looked at each other and paused for a moment. Then, they strode into the room.


    In the dark hall, the mes below the cauldron had already been extinguished. Only a few pearls embedded in the ceiling emitted a dim light, making the surroundings look even more sinister.


    Leng Guangting sat cross-legged beside the cauldron and stared at the pill in his hand with an inexplicable expression.


    Even the arrival of the people from the Martial Enforcement Hall didn¡¯t make him look away for a moment.


    Yuan Ming, who was the leader, frowned and was about to step forward when he suddenly nced at the pill in Leng Guangting¡¯s hand. He was stunned.


    The pill waspletely red, smooth, and round like a superior-ss ruby. It also emitted some kind of magical power, making people unwilling to look away after taking a look.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    Yuan Ming¡¯s eyes widened as if he suddenly thought of something. He took a deep breath and indeed, he realized that there was a strange sweet smell in the air.


    Yuan Ming was no stranger to this smell. His expression changed as he looked at Leng Guangting in shock.


    ¡°A Blood Spirit Pill!


    ¡°Leng Guangting, you¡¯ve really colluded with the Wild Wolves!¡±

 Chapter 186 - 186: Too Much Information (1)

    Chapter 186: Too Much Information (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    The hall was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.


    All the members of the Martial Enforcement Hall were stunned by Yuan Ming¡¯s words. They looked at Leng Guangting in disbelief.


    The tutor of the Nine Yang Academy and a ninth-level Bright Aperture Stage cultivator was actually a notorious member of the Wild Wolves?


    That was too ridiculous!


    Many people were skeptical, but when they looked at Leng Guangting, who didn¡¯t say a word and didn¡¯t refute at all, and then at the other two general g officers with serious expressions, they finally confirmed that what Yuan Ming said was true!


    Leng Guangting was really a member of the Wild Wolves!


    In that case, the red pill in his hand was the Blood Spirit Pill!


    Many people present had never seen Blood Spirit Pills before and couldn¡¯t help but nce at it.


    To be honest, the Blood Spirit Pill looked good, but when one thought about how this pill contained the essence of a cultivator¡¯s flesh and blood, they felt a chill run down their spine.


    ¡°Leng Guangting, are you crazy?¡± Yuan Ming said coldly.


    Among the three general g officers, he knew the Leng family the best. He knew the Leng family¡¯s current situation. After discovering that Leng Guangting was secretly refining Blood Spirit Pills, he quickly understood the reason for his actions.


    ¡°You should know the consequences of refining the Blood Spirit Pills. You¡¯re pushing the Leng family into a fire pit!¡±


    Leng Guangting finally raised his head and nced at Yuan Ming indifferently.


    ¡°It¡¯s useless to say anything more. Master Yuan, I¡¯m not smart enough and have fallen into this state. I¡¯ve got nothing to say.¡±


    Yuan Ming frowned and said in a deep voice, ¡°Surrender, Leng Guangting. On ount that we¡¯re both from declining old families, as long as your family¡­¡± Halfway through his sentence, Yuan Ming suddenly remembered that the Leng family only had a few members. Leng Guangting¡¯s family was the only one left in the entire n.


    Leng Xing was his only child.


    Thinking of this, Yuan Ming quickly changed his choice of words.


    ¡°As long as your son doesn¡¯t participate in the Wild Wolves¡¯ business, I can plead with the higher-ups on your behalf and protect thest descendant of the Leng family!¡±


    Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Leng Guangting didn¡¯t waver, nor did he refuse. Instead, he revealed an inexplicable expression.


    ¡°That¡¯s no one.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thest direct descendant of the Leng family.¡± Leng Guangting shook his head slightly.


    Yuan Ming frowned in confusion. ¡°Isn¡¯t there still Leng Xing¡­¡±


    Yuan Ming suddenly stopped talking and stared at the Blood Spirit Pill in Leng Guangting¡¯s hand with his eyes wide open. A terrifying thought suddenly shed across his mind, causing him to swallow.


    As if to verify his guess, Leng Guangting suddenly smiled and said quietly, ¡°Actually, the Blood Spirit Pills have another unknown characteristic. The effect of the Blood Spirit Pills refined by direct blood rtives will be even stronger. Moreover, the closer the blood rtionship, the better the effect.¡± Leng Guangting¡¯s calm voice echoed in the hall.


    There wasplete silence.


    Everyone looked at Leng Guangting in a daze.


    The faint smile on thetter¡¯s face was like the crudest demon¡¯s smile in their eyes, making their blood curdle.


    At this moment, all the members of the Martial Enforcement Hall couldn¡¯t help but feel a chill run down their spines.


    ¡°Madness! That¡¯s true madness!¡±


    Yuan Ming looked at Leng Guangting in horror.


    ¡°In order to increase your strength, you¡¯ve killed your own son!¡±


    Suddenly, Yuan Ming seemed to have thought of something. He widened his eyes and said,


    ¡°Two years ago, your eldest son went missing in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range. Ever since then, your cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds. In just two months, you broke through from the sixth level of the Bright Aperture Stage to the ninth level. Could it be¡­¡±


    Leng Guangting didn¡¯t answer, but the smile on his face became more meaningful.


    Everyone gasped and looked at Leng Guangting in shock, unable to say anything for a long time.


    Yuan Ming even had an even darker guess. The Leng family had fewer and fewer people left throughout the years, so it might be Leng Guangting who secretly did it¡­


    It was terrifying to think about it!


    Lin Shen, who was secretly watching this scene, was also extremely shocked.


    He didn¡¯t expect that Leng Guangting was referring to his son when he talked about the pill ingredients he had been keeping for a long time.


    How ruthless!


    To increase his power, he was even willing to kill his own son!


    Moreover, not one, but both of his sons had been used to refine pills. He was simply crazy!


    Only then did Lin Shen understand why Leng Guangting had always forbidden Leng Xing from going out to train. It wasn¡¯t because he was really worried about Leng Xing, but because he was afraid that something would happen to the ingredient he had painstakingly nurtured for many years!


    Poor Leng Xing had been kept in the dark from the beginning to the end. He had been thinking about how to avoid his father¡¯s detection and go out to train. Little did he know that his tragic fate had already been decided.


    ¡°Even if Leng Guangting really refines me into Blood Spirit Pill and sessfully advances to a cultivator master, he probably won¡¯t let Leng Xing off in the future!¡±


    Lin Shen knew very well how ruthless and selfish people like Leng Guangting were.


    His talent was insufficient. If he used the Blood Spirit Pills to forcefully advance to a cultivator master, his future achievements would definitely be very limited.


    Once he encountered a bottleneck again, he would have to use the same method.


    Blood was thicker than water. In his eyes, his son was just a pill to increase his strength.


    Thinking of this, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but shudder.


    At this moment, Yuan Ming had already recovered from his shock, and his expression was solemn.


    He didn¡¯t say anything else and secretly winked at the other two general g officers.


    Leng Guangting had obviously fallen into the demonic path. Persuading such a person was useless. He would take him down and hand him over to the sect to deal with!


    The three general g officers quickly reached a tacit understanding with their nces. In the next second, they attacked at the same time and pounced on Leng Guangting!


    However, after rushing for five to six meters, the three of them felt their vision blur at the same time. When they came back to their senses, they realized that they were back at the entrance of the hall..

 Chapter 187 - 187: Too Much Information (2)

    Chapter 187: Too Much Information (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    ¡°Imminent Skyline!¡± Yuan Ming¡¯s expression changed.


    ¡°Master Yuan, you have sharp eyes!¡± Leng Guangting nodded slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve already set up a maze in this hall. Although I¡¯m not a master of array formations, and the maze I set up can¡¯t be considered exquisite, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem to trap everyone here for half an hour!¡±


    The expressions of Yuan Ming and the other two changed drastically. Clearly, they had all realized what Leng Guangting was nning to do with that time.


    As expected, in the next moment, Leng Guangting swallowed the Blood Spirit Pill and closed his eyes to digest the medicinal effects.


    ¡°No! Stop him!¡±


    Yuan Ming shouted anxiously. The moment he finished speaking, he charged forward.


    In fact, even without his reminder, the other two general g officers had already rushed out.


    The three of them were at the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage. Originally, it would have been easy for them to defeat Leng Guangting, who was also at the same level.


    However, once Leng Guangting became a cultivator master after consuming the Blood Spirit Pill, the situation would be reversed!


    It would be too easy for a cultivator master, even if he had just advanced, to kill everyone present!


    This was the difference between a cultivator master and a cultivator!


    Cultivators were still in the category of mortals, but cultivator masters had already jumped out of the cage of ¡°humans¡± and truly stepped onto the immortal path!


    The difference in strength between the two was indescribable!


    Therefore, they had to stop Leng Guangting from sessfully digesting the Blood Spirit Pill!


    Unfortunately, although the idea was good, it was disappointing when implemented.


    No matter how hard Yuan Ming and the other two ran, they couldn¡¯t get within 20 meters of Leng Guangting.


    Usually, they would return to the gate in the blink of an eye.


    Even if they threw hidden weapons and released finger energy, they couldn¡¯t touch Leng Guangting.


    Those 20 to 30 meters were as far as ten thousand miles!


    ¡°Damn this maze!¡±


    Yuan Ming couldn¡¯t help but curse.


    All along, he had only heard of Imminent Skyline, but this was the first time he had experienced it personally.


    This array formation was indeed as troublesome as the legends said. Once cultivators fell into it, unless they had spells or innate divine powers that could break through illusions, they could only wait obediently for the spiritual essence of the array formation to be exhausted before they could escape!


    However, if they were to stay obediently in the array for half an hour, they would have to face a powerful cultivator master after they left!


    They would still have no chance of surviving!


    What should they do?


    Yuan Ming and the other two general g officers looked at each other with bitter smiles on their faces.


    There was nothing they could do!


    Even the three general g officers were in such a state. The other members of the Martial Enforcement Hall were even more helpless.


    They could only try to break the array again and again in vain, hoping for a miracle to happen.


    At the same time.


    Lin Shen, who was hiding outside the hall, was caught betweenughter and tears. The range of the maze wasn¡¯t only limited to the hall but also included the area within a 100-meter radius around it.


    As a result, he was trapped in the array and couldn¡¯t leave.


    ¡°I¡¯ve gotten myself into trouble by watching the show. If I had known, I would have sent my clone in.¡±


    Lin Shen shook his head. However, it was toote to regret it now. He could only improvise.


    If it really didn¡¯t work, he could just wait for the maze to dissipate before summoning all his clones and escaping in different directions.


    Even a cultivator master wouldn¡¯t be able to capture everyone at once. As long as he wasn¡¯t too unlucky, he would most likely be able to escape.


    Moreover, there were people from the Martial Enforcement Hall here. Even if they couldn¡¯t defeat Leng Guangting, they could at least stall for a moment and give him time to escape.


    After thinking for a moment, Lin Shen felt that this method was very feasible.


    Shaking his head with a bitter smile, Lin Shen thought of other countermeasures in his mind while paying attention to the situation in the hall.


    The people from the Martial Enforcement Hall were still persistently trying to break the array, but unfortunately, it was useless.


    Gradually, Yuan Ming and the other two stopped wasting their energy and looked at each other with bitter smiles.


    ¡°Damn it. If I had known that I would encounter such a situation, I would have asked Master Cheng toe over no matter what!¡±


    ¡°Who would have thought that Leng Guangting would actually use his son to refine pills and even n to use this to advance to a cultivator master?¡±


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have asked Master Cheng to stop Master Xia at the headquarters just now. Otherwise, with Master Xia around, Leng Guangting would be nothing.¡±


    The two general g officers expressed their regrets one after another. Yuan Ming became impatient and couldn¡¯t help but interrupt.


    ¡°Alright, what¡¯s the point of saying such things now? You might as well conserve your energy and save it for the next battle!


    ¡°Once the formation is broken, we¡¯ll immediately send a signal to the headquarters. With the strength of the hall masters, it¡¯ll take at most two minutes for us to rush here. We just have to survive this period of time!¡±


    What else could the two general g officers say? They could only nod silently.


    However, the three of them, including Yuan Ming, knew very well that it was almost impossible tost two minutes against a cultivator master.


    By the time the hall masters arrived, they would probably only see corpses on the ground.


    As the tutor of the academy, Leng Guangting must have a token to leave the city. By then, he would have left Dragonside City long ago.


    As if sensing the thoughts of the three general g officers, the other members of the Martial Enforcement Hall also stopped.


    A deste atmosphere gradually spread among the crowd.


    As time passed, the aura on Leng Guangting¡¯s body gradually changed.


    After realizing this, Yuan Ming and the others felt even more bitter.


    Ten secondster, Leng Guangting¡¯s aura had almost reached his peak, and he was only one step away from the legendary threshold.


    As long as he improved a little more, he could break through the barrier that cultivators dreamed of and step into the immortal path!

 Chapter 188 - 188: Too Much Information (3)

    Chapter 188: Too Much Information (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    However, to everyone¡¯s surprise, Leng Guangting¡¯s aura stopped rising at this moment.


    After a while, the strength of his spiritual essence remained unchanged and stagnant.


    Yuan Ming and the others were bewildered.


    What happened?


    While they were puzzled, Leng Guangting suddenly opened his eyes, which were bloodshot red, and he almost let out a low growl from his throat.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t break through!


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I break through? Why?!¡±


    Everyone from the Martial Enforcement Hall was shocked at first, but then they were overjoyed.


    From the sound of it, Leng Guangting didn¡¯t seem to have sessfully advanced to a cultivator master!


    This was undoubtedly a huge surprise!


    ¡°Impossible! I¡¯ve nned it out! This Blood Spirit Pill should have allowed me to break through the bottleneck. Why didn¡¯t I seed?!¡±


    Leng Guangting was still venting and roaring. He was no longer as calm as before.


    It had already made him furious when he failed to use Lin Shen to make pills. However, because of Leng Xing¡¯s existence and the hope of advancing to a cultivator master, he had barely restrained himself and wasn¡¯tpletely disappointed.


    But now that his only hope was gone, how could he withstand the despair and


    Seeing Leng Guangting¡¯s bloodshot eyes, Yuan Ming and the others looked at each other.


    Although they were surprised, they were also very confused.


    With Leng Guangting¡¯s scheme so far, he definitely wouldn¡¯t make a mistake on such an important matter.


    Since he was certain that the Blood Spirit Pill could allow him to break through, nothing should have gone wrong.


    Logically speaking, this shouldn¡¯t have happened.


    At this moment, someone in the crowd suddenly said,


    ¡°Is there a possibility that¡­ Leng Xing isn¡¯t Leng Guangting¡¯s biological son?¡±


    Everybody instantly fell silent.


    They were all stunned.


    Even Leng Guangting stopped roaring and stood rooted to the ground.


    Come to think of it, that seemed to make sense.


    If Leng Xing wasn¡¯t Leng Guangting¡¯s biological son, everything could be exined.


    On second thought, Leng Xing wasn¡¯t all that talented. If he wasn¡¯t rted to Leng Guangting, the Blood Spirit Pill refined with him as ingredients would probably have very limited effects on a Level-9 Bright Aperture Stage cultivator.


    But after Leng Guangting took the Blood Spirit Pills, although he didn¡¯t break through the bottleneck, his strength visibly increased.


    From this, it could be deduced that Leng Xing and Leng Guangting were rted by blood.


    Leng Xing wasn¡¯t his biological son, but they were rted by blood¡­


    That was a lot of information!


    For a moment, the entire hall fell into a strange silence.


    Everyone from the Martial Enforcement Hall looked at Leng Guangting strangely, and pity appeared in their eyes.


    Lin Shen, who was outside the door, was also dumbfounded.


    How could he hear such exciting gossip in a fight?


    In the hall.


    Leng Guangting¡¯s expression changed when he saw everyone¡¯s pitiful gazes, and his face gradually became extremely distorted. Finally, he couldn¡¯t help but spit out a mouthful of blood.


    ¡°Bitch!¡±


    A mournful roar of grief and indignation resounded throughout the hall!


    Yuan Ming and the others also came to their senses at this moment. They hid the pity on their faces, and their expressions turned solemn.


    Even a vicious tiger wouldn¡¯t eat its cubs. Leng Guangting had killed his own son. What was there to pity about such a person?


    Yuan Ming carefully focused his senses and discovered that the faint suppression in the air had already disappeared. He was immediately overjoyed and shouted,


    ¡°The maze has disappeared. Attack!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he rushed toward Leng Guangting without hesitation.


    The other two general g officers snapped out of their daze and rushed forward.


    Although Leng Guangting was abnormally angry, he didn¡¯t want to surrender. He immediately fought back, and the two sides fought fiercely in the blink of an eye!


    Boom! Boom!


    The hall was instantly filled with endless explosions.


    Leng Guangting and the three general g officers were the only ones who could be considered real opponents to each other.


    Even if the others wanted to approach, they were quickly forced back by the aftershock of the battle and could only watch from the side.


    Three against one. The three general g officers seemed to have the advantage in numbers, but in fact, the battle situation was not very advantageous to them.


    Although the Blood Spirit Pill didn¡¯t allow Leng Guangting to advance to a cultivator master, he was getting there. His strength increased greatly, far exceeding that of ordinary ninth-level Bright Aperture Stage cultivators.


    Coupled with the fact that the inkstone was a Dharma treasure, Leng Guangting actually had the upper hand.


    The others watched anxiously from the side, but they couldn¡¯t help.


    Suddenly, a g officer pped his forehead and scolded his subordinate beside him, ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and send a signal for help!¡±


    The subordinate immediately came back to his senses. He hurriedly took out a pearl the size of a longan and threw it into the sky.


    The pearl shot up like a sharp arrow. When it touched the ceiling, it unexpectedly wasn¡¯t stopped. Instead, it passed through as if it had entered the water and reached the sky outside the courtyard. Then, it exploded!


    In an instant, the sky above the courtyard was dyed with an aurora-like red halo!


    Seeing this, Leng Guangting grew nervous. He couldn¡¯t care about anything else and attacked even more fiercely.


    This time, Yuan Ming and the other two suffered!


    After a few breaths, Leng Guangting suffered a blow from Yuan Ming and sent a general g officer flying with the inkstone, severely injuring thetter.


    Not long after, he exchanged injuries for injuries and severely injured another general g officer.


    In just a short while, two of the three general g officers had fallen to the ground with heavy injuries, leaving only Yuan Ming struggling to hold on.


    The three of them were no match for Leng Guangting. It was even more difficult when he was the only one left.


    As expected, with a muffled whistle, Yuan Ming was smashed into the ground by the inkstone. He was embedded into the floor and couldn¡¯t make a sound.


    Everyone from the Martial Enforcement Hall turned pale with fright and looked at Leng Guangting as if they were facing a great enemy.


    However, thetter didn¡¯t even look at them. He didn¡¯t even give Yuan Ming and the other two ast hit. He only pointed upward.


    Deafening roars filled the room. The inkstone hit twoyers of ceilings and opened a passageway that reached the sky above the courtyard.


    Leng Guangting then rode the wind and flew straight up. After a slight pause, he flew toward the east and disappeared into the night in the blink of an eye..

 Chapter 189 - 189: Seems to Have Forgotten Something (1)

    Chapter 189: Seems to Have Forgotten Something (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Under the night sky.


    Leng Guangting¡¯s face was terrifyingly pale, and his eyes were so dark that they looked like they were about to drip water.


    Everything that happened tonight far exceeded his expectations, and it made all his years of nning fail.


    Leng Guangting gritted his teeth at the thought of not being able to be a cultivator master despite paying such a high cost.


    But now wasn¡¯t the time to be regretful.


    Now that his identity had been exposed, the Martial Enforcement Hall would definitelye after him.


    The most important thing now was to escape from Dragonside City as soon as possible.


    As long as he could leave the city and enter the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range before the cultivators of the Martial Enforcement Hall reacted, he would at least be able to keep his life.


    As for what happened after that¡­


    Leng Guangting¡¯s expression changed several times, and he suddenly gritted his teeth.


    If it came to it, he could just join the Blood Sea Sect!


    In fact, there was something he had never told Jing Hai.


    He had been secretly investigating the two masterminds behind the creation of the Wild Wolves. ording to his investigation, those two seemed to be connected to the Blood Sea Sect of Seawatch City.


    If that was the case, with this rtionship, the Blood Sea Sect would most likely take him in.


    He was an expert at the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage and would be quite valuable to the Blood Sea Sect. With the unscrupulous style of the sect, they probably wouldn¡¯t reject him.


    The other towns might be worried about the Nine Suns Sect¡¯s reaction after protecting him, but the Blood Sea Sect, which had always been on bad terms with Dragonside City, would definitely not have such concerns.


    They might even do this on purpose to disgust Dragonside City.


    Thinking of this, Leng Guangting slightly calmed down.


    As his mind rxed, the injuries in his body could no longer be suppressed. He vomited a mouthful of blood.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Leng Guangting wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his expression dark.


    Although he had quickly defeated Yuan Ming and the other two, he had also paid the price of serious injuries. At this moment, his strength was not even 20% of his peak.


    Fortunately, the g officers of the Martial Enforcement Hall were all frightened by him. No one dared to chase after him. Otherwise, he would most likely not be able to leave Dragonside City today!


    While Leng Guangting was secretly rejoicing, he suddenly heard an ear-piercing sound.


    His expression changed drastically. Without thinking, he turned sideways and narrowly dodged the sharp sword energy aimed at his back. However, blood exploded on his shoulder.


    After receiving this blow, Leng Guangting¡¯s spiritual essence was diverted, and the strong wind around him immediately dissipated with a bang, causing him to fall to the ground.


    Fortunately, he was quite agile and was a Bright Aperture expert, which was why he survived the fall.


    Even so, Leng Guangting was still in a sorry state.


    However, he could no longer care about his appearance. After getting up from the ground, he immediately pped an Armor Token on his body. A faint golden light immediately lit up around him, and it seemed indestructible.


    After doing all this, Leng Guangting was shocked to discover that there was arge amount of water vapor and smoke around him. The empty road turned white in the blink of an eye, and he couldn¡¯t see anything.


    Seeing this scene, Leng Guangting grew uneasy, and a name suddenly appeared in his mind.


    In the next second, something sharp suddenly attacked him from behind. Without thinking, Leng Guangting struck out with his palm.


    The zing white chain of light and the sharp sword energy collided violently in the void, and both exploded and were annihted!


    Taking advantage of this opportunity, Leng Guangting saw the true appearance of the sword energy, and his face instantly became especially distorted.


    ¡°Seven Arts Sword Energy! It really is you! Lin Shen!¡±


    Everything that happened tonight could trace back to Lin Shen.


    Although Leng Guangting didn¡¯t know what method Lin Shen used to escape from the cauldron, those people from the Martial Enforcement Hall were undoubtedly lured here by him!


    It was all because of this teenager that his many years of nning was ruined in one day!


    The person Leng Guangting hated the most right now was undoubtedly Lin Shen!


    He even hated Lin Shen more than he hated his wife!


    He couldn¡¯t wait to skin Lin Shen alive and chew on his bones!


    ¡°Little bastard! Come out! What¡¯s the point of hiding?¡±


    Leng Guangting¡¯s eyes were red as he looked around. His hair was disheveled, and his face was distorted. He no longer had the elegant demeanor from before. He had already gone crazy.


    ¡°That¡¯s not for you to say.¡±


    A mocking voice came from the right.


    Leng Guangting suddenly turned his head and waved his hand without hesitation. A bolt of lightning instantly shot out.


    Swoosh!


    A sword energy appeared out of thin air and blocked the lightning. Both of them dissipated.


    ¡°Found you!¡±


    Leng Guangting¡¯s eyes were filled with murderous intent. He was about to charge forward.


    But in the next second, a familiar voice came from behind.


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Leng Guangting turned around in shock and saw Lin Shen standing more than ten meters behind him, looking at him with a faint smile.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Leng Guangting was stunned. The Seven Arts Sword Energy had clearly attacked from the front right. Could the Seven Arts Sword Energy change directions?


    Before Leng Guangting could figure it out, five streaks of sword energy suddenly attacked him from all directions at the same time, piercing through the void like lightning.


    In his shock, Leng Guangting only had time to block one of the streaks, but he was almost hit by the remaining four at the same time!


    Although Leng Guangting had casually blocked the Seven Arts Sword Energy several times, it didn¡¯t mean that this spell wasn¡¯t powerful.


    On the contrary, this sword aura spell created by a mighty figure was shockingly powerful, so Leng Guangting always used spells to counter it, not daring to let the Seven Arts Sword Energy hit him at all.


    But this time, because his attention was attracted by Lin Shen¡¯s sudden appearance, he was taken by surprise and fell for it..

 Chapter 190 - 190: Seems to Have Forgotten Something (2)

    Chapter 190: Seems to Have Forgotten Something (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Almost instantly, the faint golden light on Leng Guangting¡¯s body shed and then shattered!


    The momentum of the sword hit Leng Guangting!


    In an instant, he seemed to have been struck by lightning. His face turned pale, and he spat out a mouthful of blood!


    Leng Guangting¡¯s defensive enchanted armament had long been destroyed in the previous battle. Now, he waspletely relying on his physical body.


    Even though the power of the four streaks of Seven Arts Sword Energy had been weakened by more than half after destroying the token, it was still not something that a human body couldn¡¯t withstand!


    In an instant, Leng Guangting, who was already seriously injured, almost fainted. He bit his tongue hard and relied on the pain to stay awake.


    At this moment, six people rushed out of the white fog at lightning speed. They held long swords and pounced at him.


    Seeing this, Leng Guangting shouted with a ferocious expression. He threw out the inkstone. In the blink of an eye, it became the size of a house and spun around with an overwhelming aura!


    In an instant, there were three consecutive muffled sounds. Three figures charging over were instantly sent flying and smashed into the outer wall of the building more than ten meters away.


    However, just as the inkstone was about to hit the fourth figure, it suddenly stopped, shrank, and fell to the ground.


    A few meters away, Leng Guangting¡¯s face was as pale as paper.


    The inkstone consumed a lot of spiritual essence to begin with, and he was in a severely injured state. His spiritual essence had long been reduced to less than 10%.


    Just then, he struck with Palm Lightnings twice, then used the inkstone to send the three clones flying. The remaining spiritual essence in his body was instantly sucked dry, and he no longer had the strength to control the Dharma treasure.


    Taking advantage of this moment, the remaining three clones charged forward like lightning.


    Leng Guangting only had time to take out a talisman and activated his blood essence to release lightning to repel two clones. In the next second, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He looked down and saw that a Six Yang Talisman Sword had already pierced deep into his chest!


    An intense weakness burst out of his body like a tide, and the light in Leng Guangting¡¯s eyes quickly dimmed.


    He raised his head to look at Lin Shen in front of him, then looked around and saw all the other ¡°Lin Shen¡± slowly got up. Be it their faces or his aura, they were exactly the same as the person in front of him. Doubt and confusion shed across his eyes, but in the end, they all turned into unwillingness and despair.


    Swoosh!


    Lin Shen pulled out his talisman sword and shed Leng Guangting¡¯s head off. After confirming that he was deader than dead, he quickly took off the storage ring on Leng Guangting¡¯s hand and picked up the inkstone. Then, he put away his clones and quickly left the scene.


    Not long after Lin Shen left, four streams of light tore through the sky and approached. In the blink of an eye, theynded in the middle of the road.


    The light dissipated, revealing three men and one woman.


    The four of them looked at the headless corpse on the ground at the same time. With a sweep of their spiritual sense, they could clearly see the surrounding situation.


    ¡°This aura¡­ is a little strange!¡± A look of surprise shed across Cheng Sheng¡¯s face.


    Xia Mengran and the other two vice hall masters also frowned.


    From their senses, there were only two different auras at the scene.


    Apart from Leng Guangting, the remaining aura shoulde from the person who killed him.


    However, the aura left behind by that person was extremely strange.


    The aura of a cultivator was as conspicuous as fire in the senses of a cultivator master.


    Different auras had different strengths, so the intensity of the ¡°mes¡± would also be different.


    Experienced cultivator masters could roughly deduce the number of people fighting and the process of the battle.


    However, the remaining aura at the scene¡­ How should they put it? If not for the fact that there were only two different auras at the scene, they would have thought that this was a chaotic battle between six or seven people.


    ¡°Cheng!¡±


    Xia Mengran turned to look at Cheng Sheng.


    Thetter took the hint and immediately activated his spiritual sense to chase after the remaining aura.


    However, after a while, Chong Sheng returned and shook his head slightly at Xia Mengran.


    ¡°The other party is very cunning. He should have a talisman or Dharma treasure to hide his aura. It¡¯s been a long time since the battle. I lost track of his aura halfway.¡±


    Xia Mengran frowned, but she knew that she couldn¡¯t me Cheng Sheng. She could only grit her teeth and suppress her anger.


    Cheng Sheng nced at her and said carefully, ¡°Ma¡¯am, if I¡¯m correct, that person should be the mastermind who manipted Hell Hos and lured us to Leng Guangting¡¯s residence. He took advantage of the battle between Leng Guangting and Yuan Ming and attacked when Leng Guangting fled in panic¡­¡± ¡°Do I need you to tell me that?¡± Xia Mengran cut Cheng Sheng off. ¡°I won¡¯t let go of anyone who dares to use the Martial Enforcement Hall as a pawn. Go and find them. If you can¡¯t find them, I¡¯ll only me you!¡±


    The three hall masters looked at each other and nodded in unison.


    After circling around Dragonside City and making sure that no one was following him, Lin Shen returned to the Nine Yang Academy.


    After returning to the wooden building, Lin Shen sorted out the entire matter.


    Leng Guangting was already dead, and he had never revealed any information about Lin Shen. The others probably wouldn¡¯t think that Leng Guangting¡¯s death was rted to him.


    If there were any other loopholes, it would be the battle in the vi.


    Themotion caused by the battle was so great that the entire vi turned into ruins. Unless everyone in the Martial Enforcement Hall was blind or deaf, it was impossible for them not to react.


    How to exin this matter was a problem.


    After thinking for a moment, Lin Shen made up his mind. He temporarily put this matter aside and took out the inkstone and storage ring he had obtained from Leng Guangting.


    The inkstone that wasn¡¯t activated by spiritual essence was only the size of a palm. It looked like an ordinary inkstone..

 Chapter 191 - 191: Seems to Have Forgotten Something (3)

    Chapter 191: Seems to Have Forgotten Something (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    However, Lin Shen, who had personally experienced its power, knew how terrifying this inkstone was!


    Above enchanted armaments, there was also something called a mystic weapon!


    It was even more powerful than an enchanted armament!


    The difference between the two was like the difference between an enchanted armament and an ordinary object!


    And this inkstone was obviously a profound armament.


    ¡°I¡¯ve hit the jackpot!¡±


    Lin Shen couldn¡¯t stop grinning.


    With a profound armament in his hands, hisbat strength would undoubtedly soar.


    ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s hard to say where this inkstone came from. I can¡¯t use it in front of others.¡± Lin Shen sighed regretfully.


    However, on second thought, he didn¡¯t need the inkstone under normal circumstances.


    On asions where he needed to use the inkstone, he would either be training outside or in a situation likest night. No matter what, he didn¡¯t have to worry about others guessing the origins of the inkstone.


    ¡°Next, I have to find time to refine this profound armament!¡±


    Suppressing the joy, Lin Shen put away the inkstone and checked the storage ring.


    As a ninth-level Bright Aperture Stage cultivator, Leng Guangting had to have a lot of wealth!


    As expected, the items in the storage ring gave Lin Shen a huge surprise.


    First, there were a shocking number of talismans.


    There was no need to mention the low-level talismans such as the Flying Feather Talisman, the Light Body Talisman, and the Cleansing Talisman. There were stacks of each of them.


    There were also expensive talismans like Concealment Talismans, Invisibility Talismans, and Illusion-breaking Talismans. There were at least 20 to 30 of each.


    However, what surprised Lin Shen even more were the two Vajra Talismans and three Five Thunder Talismans.


    As the name suggests, the Vajra Talisman was a defensive talisman simr to the Protection Talisman. However, its defensive effect was much better.


    The Five Thunder Talisman was an offensive talisman that could release the power of lightning simr to the Palm Thunder.


    The lightning that Leng Guangting used to repel the two clones at thest moment came from the Five Thunder Talisman.


    If Leng Guangting hadn¡¯t run out of spiritual essence, he might have been able to fight Lin Shen for a while more with the many talismans in his storage ring.


    However, these had now be Lin Shen¡¯s spoils of war!


    There were also many weapons.


    There were plenty of Hundred Refinement weapons. More importantly, there were five Six Yang Talisman Swords!


    ¡°This time, my clones will each have a weapon!¡±


    Lin Shen originally had four Six-Yang Talisman Swords, but Leng Guangting had snatched one away. Clearly, that one was among the five here. Now, Lin Shen had eight in total!


    It was enough for him and his six clones to use. There was still one left.


    ¡°What¡¯s this!¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. With a thought, a scarlet longsword immediately appeared in his palm.


    The longsword was very simr to the Six Yang Talisman Sword. The body of the sword was also engraved with countless profound andplicated patterns.


    Just by holding it, he could already feel the shocking burning sensation emitted by the sword before he injected spiritual essence into it!


    One could imagine how terrifying the me wave would be once it was activated!


    ¡°Is it a Nine Suns Talisman Sword? No, it doesn¡¯t seem like it. The Nine Suns Talisman Sword isn¡¯t that powerful. It¡¯s almostparable to that inkstone!¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Lin Shen could only put aside his doubts and decided to find an opportunity to investigate itter.


    No matter what, it was undoubtedly a great thing to have a Dharma treasure that was clearly superior to an enchanted armament.


    Lin Shen continued to check the storage ring and soon made another discovery.


    Arge number of martial technique manuals!


    There were over a thousand of them!


    Lin Shen roughly counted them. There were more than a thousand martial techniques, including almost all the martial techniques that could be exchanged for in the Merit Hall!


    ¡°Tsk tsk, is Leng Guangting preparing to build a cultivation technique pavilion? There are so many martial arts techniques. I wonder how long it took him to collect them all?¡±


    Lin Shen clicked his tongue in wonder.


    However, on second thought, ording to what Leng Guangting had said before, the Leng family was one of the eighteen influential families a hundred years ago and had a deep foundation.


    Although the family was in decline now, there were still plenty of things left. These martial techniques might have been passed down by the Leng family¡¯s ancestors.


    Shaking his head to dispel any unnecessary thoughts, Lin Shen didn¡¯t dwell on it.


    In any case, this was a great thing for him.


    These martial techniques were enough for him to cultivate a few Path-stage martial techniques to a higher stage.


    In this way, he wouldn¡¯t have to spend merit points to exchange for martial techniques in the Merit Hall!


    Lin Shen was surprised again as he examined the contents.


    Spell technique manuals!


    There were a total of eight spells!


    Water Mirror Technique, Wind Riding Technique, Lightning Palm, Five Qi Suppression Technique, Paper Man Movement Technique, Fixed Body Curse, Ghost Barbarian Head, and Shadow-staying Technique!


    Among them, the first six were spells provided by the Nine Yang Academy¡¯s Merit Hall.


    He had never heard of the other two.


    Lin Shen recalled the battle with Leng Guangting in the vi.


    The Ghost Barbarian Head should be the head of the evil ghosts summoned by Leng Guangting.


    As for the Shadow-staying Technique, it should be the spell that Leng Guangting used to appear out of thin air from the shadows.


    ¡°As expected of the tutor of the academy. He has so many martial techniques and spells on him!¡±


    Lin Shen naturally had to cultivate the first six spells, which would save him a lot of merit points.


    The Shadow-staying Technique seemed to be some kind of escape technique, so he naturally had to cultivate it.


    He decided to abandon Ghost Barbarian Head.


    It was obviously an unorthodox technique. Even if he practiced it, he couldn¡¯t use it in front of others. Otherwise, how could he exin where he found it?


    More importantly, this spell wasn¡¯t very powerful. Lin Shen had many offensive methods, so he didn¡¯t need this spell at all. There was no need to waste time on it.


    ¡°What a great harvest!¡±


    Lin Shen was overjoyed.


    Talismans, enchanted armaments, martial techniques, spells¡­ Just as he had expected, as the tutor of the academy and a ninth-level Bright Aperture Stage cultivator, Leng Guangting had a lot of good stuff on him.


    ¡°There are so many martial techniques and spells. I¡¯ll be busy next!¡±


    Lin Shen heaved a long sigh of relief. He wasn¡¯t going to sleep. Instead, he would keep cultivating while he was still energetic.


    However, he vaguely felt that he had forgotten something.


    ¡°Meow!¡±


    Ai burped and walked home with satisfaction.


    Sinking Moon¡¯s sisters were really good people. Not only did they y with her, but they also treated her to all kinds of delicious food.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring Lin Shen along next time!¡±


    Ai thought happily.


    Ai walked to the back of the vi. As usual, she was about to enter from the balcony, but when she looked up, she saw ruins all over the ground.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my home?!¡±

 Chapter 192 - 192: Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt (1)

    Chapter 192: Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Just as Lin Shen had guessed, the next morning, the Martial Enforcement Hall came straight to the Nine Yang Academy to ask about what had happened the night before.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t hide anything and told them about the attack.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t reveal Leng Guangting¡¯s identity. He only said that the attacker was an unknown person and was very powerful. He was lucky enough to escape.


    The g officer of the Martial Enforcement Hall didn¡¯t say anything and left after the inquiry.


    It wasn¡¯t until they walked out of the Nine Yang Academy that an officer said,


    ¡°Sir, this is too much of a coincidence. Not long after Lin Shen was attacked, something happened to Leng Guangting. Could the two be rted?¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡±


    The g officer frowned and looked at the entrance of the Nine Yang Academy behind him.


    ¡°However, if the Bright Aperture Stage cultivator who attacked Lin Shen really was Leng Guangting, how did Lin Shen escape from him?¡±


    The officer who asked the question was instantly stunned and didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Indeed, Leng Guangting¡¯s strength was obvious to all.


    Even before consuming the Blood Spirit Pill, Leng Guangting, who had a profound armament, was undoubtedly one of the best among the many ninth-level Bright Aperture Stage cultivators.


    Although Lin Shen was a genius, he had just advanced to the Bright Aperture Stage. No matter how they thought about it, it was impossible for him to escape from Leng Guangting.


    Could it be that someone else had attacked Lin Shen?


    The g officer continued, ¡°Moreover, although Leng Guangting was already seriously injured when he escaped, it¡¯s impossible for Lin Shen to kill him alone, let alone in such a short period of time. It had to be a cultivator at the sixth or seventh level of the Bright Aperture Stage!¡±


    Everyone felt that it made sense.


    ¡°Then it seems like Lin Shen has nothing to do with this.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t this mean that we have another case? We also have to find the culprit who attacked Lin Shen!¡±


    ¡°Gosh, looks like we¡¯ll be busy for a while!¡±


    ¡°If you have the time toin, why don¡¯t you think of a way to resolve the matter? The officers in the meetingst night were told off by Hall Master Xia. They¡¯ll probably vent their anger on uster!¡±


    Hearing the g officer¡¯s words, everyone immediately wailed.


    After the people from the Martial Enforcement Hall left, Lin Shen suddenly thought of Ai.


    The vi had already turned into ruins, so she probably had nowhere to go now.


    Sure enough, when he returned to the ruins of the vi, he saw Ai standing in the ruins, looking like she had been struck by a bolt from the blue.


    When she saw Lin Shen, she pounced on him with tears in her eyes.


    After some effort, Lin Shenforted Ai and asked her to stay at Sinking Moon for a few days. She woulde back after he bought a new ce.


    Late at night, in the academy¡¯s wooden building.


    Lin Shen sat on the floor of the training room and looked at the void in front of him.


    [Clone 1 (Dead), Remaining Resurrection Time: 00: 02:12]


    Time passed minute by minute. The moment it reached zero, Lin Shen summoned his clone without hesitation.


    However, when he took a closer look at his talent, his expression immediately became rather strange.


    [Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt: Cultivation Speed +200%, Lifespan -80%]


    Was this the advanced version of God¡¯s Jealousy?


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry, but he was immediately lost in his thoughts.


    Cultivation speed +200%. This was undoubtedly a super talent!


    It was twice as fast as God¡¯s Jealousy!


    Even if the side effects of lifespan decreasing by 80% were a little exaggerated, Lin Shen didn¡¯t intend to give up.


    ¡°The lifespan of Bright Aperture Stage cultivators can generally reach 170 to 180 years. After deducting 80%, they can still live to their thirties.¡±


    Lin Shen nodded to himself.


    In that case, the clone still had more than ten years left.


    That was long enough.


    However, in this case, he couldn¡¯t let this clone consume any more heavenly treasures that would reduce its lifespan.


    Otherwise, his clone might die in a few months.


    Lin Shen couldn¡¯t bear to lose the powerful buff that increased his cultivation speed by 200%.


    ¡°Let the Superior Martial Arts clone take it.¡±


    Currently, among the clones, the Superior Martial Arts talent was rtively the easiest to rece. Even if it was gone, Lin Shen wouldn¡¯t feel sorry. He might even be able to change to a better talent.


    ¡°However, it¡¯s better not to switch talents casually. If I identally screw myself over, I won¡¯t even have a ce to cry.¡±


    Shadow-staying TechniqueLin Shen thought for a moment and restrained the thought of using Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt on himself.


    After all, there was too little room for mistakes with this talent. The user would only have 20% of their lifespan left. If his lifespan wasn¡¯t 170 or 180 years as he had expected and was 150 or even lower, he might drop dead suddenly.


    Although the possibility wasn¡¯t high, Lin Shen still didn¡¯t want to take the risk.


    In any case, it would take him a little longer to cultivate. It didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°God¡¯s Jealousy and Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt. I wonder if there are any more exaggerated talents than these two.¡±


    After his thoughts scattered for a moment, Lin Shen focused on cultivating.


    In the following period of time, Lin Shen took the time to refine the inkstone and sessfully controlled this profound armament.


    After that, he made a few trips to the Eastern District to find a new house. After Ai moved in, he stayed in the academy and focused on cultivating.


    A month passed in the blink of an eye.


    With Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt, Lin Shen¡¯s cultivation progressed very quickly. In a month, he sessfully advanced to the third level of the Bright Aperture Stage.


    During this period, he also sessfully mastered four spells, the Water Mirror Technique, the Riding Wind Technique, the Lightning Palm Technique, and the Paper Man Movement Technique.


    At the same time, he cultivated four palm techniques to Perfection and advanced Meltdown¡¯s stage.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Analogy]


    [Stage: Bright Aperture Level 3,18%]


    [Cultivation techniques: Nine Yang Scripture (Proficient 57%), Meltdown (Path 50%), Forbidden Golden Armor (Path 10%), Cloud Dragon Rhythm (Path 0%), Nine Divine Sun Sword (Path 0%)¡­]

 Chapter 193 - 193: Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt (2)

    Chapter 193: Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    [Spells: Seven Arts Sword Energy (Level 1, 89%), Palm Lightning (Level 1, 45%), Paper Man Movement Technique (Level 1, 23%), Riding Wind Technique (Level 1,16%), Water Mirror Technique (Level 1, 8%)]


    [Number of clones: 6 (97%)]


    Looking at the data on the interface, Lin Shen nodded in satisfaction.


    Meltdown was only half a step away from breaking through. Then he would have ten Perfection palm techniques.


    With his current cultivation speed, if he cultivated with all his might, he would be able to break through in about a month.


    Of course, Lin Shen didn¡¯t intend to do so. That wouldn¡¯t be efficient enough.


    Inparison, Testify by Killing was more efficient.


    ¡°Speaking of which, it¡¯s been a while since I left the city. It¡¯s time to do some missions. Not only can I benefit from the effect of Testify by Killing, but I can also earn some merit points in exchange for the Nurturing Pill.¡±


    Calming himself down, Lin Shen looked at the spell column on the interface.


    Because most of his energy was spent on improving his cultivation and martial techniques, as well as cultivating new spells, the Seven Arts Sword Energy had yet to break through to the second level.


    But it was getting there.


    With the talent of Testify by Killing, he might be able to break through after triggering the effect twice!


    As for the four new spells, he only cultivated the Water Mirror Technique and the Riding Wind Technique because they would help him to train in the wilderness. Therefore, afterprehending them, he didn¡¯t invest too much energy in ]them.


    He was cultivating as he saw fit.


    As for the Lightning Palm, although it was a rtively basic spell, it was quite powerful. It could counter demons and ghosts, and more importantly, it didn¡¯t consume much spiritual essence.


    In a situation where the opponent wasn¡¯t strong, the Palm Lightning would be Lin Shen¡¯s mostmonly used spell.


    The name Paper Man Movement Technique was very misleading. Just by looking at the name, one might think that it was a spell to move items around, but in fact, it was a type of talisman technique.


    This spell was to cut the talisman paper into the shape of paper men or paper beasts and use them as a spirit supplement. Then, he would summon paper soldiers and control them.


    The so-called paper soldiers were actually simr to talisman puppets.


    They were more convenient to make. They didn¡¯t need arge number of materials like the talisman puppet. He would only need a talisman paper.


    However, in this way, the strength of the paper soldiers was very much a test of the spellcaster¡¯s talent.


    If the caster¡¯s attainments in spells were profound enough, the paper soldiers he made would naturally be powerful and could even kill Enlightening Stage spiritual beasts.


    However, if one¡¯s attainments in spells were too poor, their paper soldiers would have difficulty in dealing with spiritual beasts of the Spirit Awakening Stage.


    In short, the entry-level of this special spell was extremely low, but its upper limit was also unbelievably high.


    At this thought, Lin Shen took out a yellow talisman from his storage ring.


    The talisman paper had already been cut into a human shape. The handiwork was quite exquisite.


    This was the spirit supplement to use the Paper Man Movement Technique.


    There were many simr things, and they were all from Leng Guangting¡¯s storage ring. They were all spirit supplements for various spells, and they all belonged to Lin Shen, now


    The talisman paper was just the ordinary yellow type.


    Such talismans could be divided into five grades ording to the craftsmanship and the value of the materials: gold, silver, purple, blue, and yellow.


    Among them, the golden talisman made of golden thread paper was of the highest grade, and the yellow talisman made of ordinary yellow paper was the lowest.


    The level of the talisman paper would also affect the strength of the paper soldiers, but it wasn¡¯t as obvious as the spellcaster¡¯s attainments.


    There were only purple, blue, and yellow talisman papers in Leng Guangting¡¯s collection.


    There were only two or three purple ones among them.


    There were about 20 to 30 pieces of blue paper.


    There were hundreds of yellow talismans, and they were all tailored spirit supplements, which were enough to cover Lin Shen for a while.


    After ying with the talisman for a while, Lin Shen put it away and stood up to leave the training room.


    Today was the disciple rank challenge that happened once every three months.


    Probably no Earth-rank disciples would do the stupid thing to challenge Lin Shen, a Bright Aperture Stage cultivator, but there might be people who wanted to take chances, so he still went to watch the challenge.


    At first, Lin Shen wondered if he should challenge the upper house disciples. However, after asking around, he realized that he actually had to apply for it at least two months in advance to challenge the upper house disciples.


    After all, the disciples of the upper house were all busy. They would often cultivate in seclusion for months or go on long trips to gain experience. If they didn¡¯t apply for it in advance, the upper house disciples might not have time to show up.


    In that aspect, the upper house disciples still had preferential treatmentpared to the lower house ones.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll wait for next time.¡±


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t mind. He made the application and pointed out that he wanted to challenge Yan Jingren.


    Then, before the disciple rank challenge ended that day, this news spread throughout the academy like a hurricane.


    Nowadays, countless people in the academy paid attention to any news rted to Lin Shen, not to mention something like challenging a disciple of the upper house.


    As expected, this news caused quite a stir in the academy.


    Before the disciple rank challenge ended this time, many people were already looking forward to the challenge three monthster.


    ¡°Hahaha, I knew it. After breaking through to the Bright Aperture Stage, you¡¯ll definitely challenge Yan Jingren. It¡¯s as I expected!¡±


    Yang Zhongyiughed and patted Lin Shen¡¯s shoulder.


    Looking at his excited expression, those who didn¡¯t know better would think that he wanted to challenge Yan Jingren.


    What was worth mentioning was that Yang Zhongyi had originally epted the mission to repair the White Tiger Mountain Cave Abode and collect materials in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range. He had only rushed back at thest minute for the disciple rank challenge.


    In this rank challenge, he and Su Nian had sessfully advanced to ck-rank disciples.


    ¡°Lin Shen, I heard that you were assassinatedst month,¡± Su Nian suddenly said.


    Yang Zhongyi was shocked. He widened his eyes in shock.. ¡°Is that true, Lin?¡±

 Chapter 194 - 194: Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt (3)

    Chapter 194: Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Lin Shen smiled. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±


    In other words, he admitted it.


    ¡°Who was the assassin?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    ¡°The Martial Enforcement Hall didn¡¯t catch the assassin?¡±


    ¡°I heard they¡¯re still investigating!¡±


    ¡°In that case, we haven¡¯t found the person yet.¡± Yang Zhongyi frowned. ¡°Lin, why don¡¯t you stay in the academy for the time being?¡±


    Those who dared to assassinate Lin Shen were definitely Bright Aperture Stage cultivators.


    The thought of being targeted by a Bright Aperture Stage assassin sent a chill down one¡¯s spine!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    Seeing that Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian were about to say something else, Lin Shen cut them off.


    What a joke. Others might not know, but how could he not know? The so-called ¡°assassin¡± had long been beheaded. It was impossible for him to assassinate Lin Shen again.


    ¡°Have you all heard about Master Leng?¡± Lin Shen changed the topic.


    As expected, Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian were immediately distracted.


    ¡°I heard a little.¡± Su Nian sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Master Leng to secretly refine Blood Spirit Pills. What a surprise.¡±


    Among the three people present, Su Nian was undoubtedly the one who could understand the situation of Leng Guangting the most.


    There were many simrities between the Su family and the Leng family.


    A hundred years ago, they were both among the eighteen influential families.


    A hundred yearster, they had both fallen into the ranks of the declining old families.


    However, unlike the Leng family, the Su family had long given up on returning to the eighteen influential families because of an incident a few years ago, so they didn¡¯t have a deep obsession like Leng Guangting, which led them astray.


    Yang Zhongyi also sighed.


    After the news of Leng Guangting spread, it caused a stir in the academy.


    No one expected that this tutor, who usually kept a low profile, would actually do so many evil things in secret.


    The day after the disciple rank challenge.


    Lin Shen arrived at the Merit Hall.


    Behind the counter in the Mission Hall, Jiao Yu was on duty. When she saw Lin Shen, a bright smile immediately bloomed on her face.


    ¡°Senior Brother Lin, are you here to ept missions?¡±


    Lin Shen smiled at the girl and nodded. Then, he slowly patrolled the shelves.


    With a nce, he was surprised to find that there were fewer missions rted to the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range. It seemed that there were less than half of what it was before.


    Out of curiosity, Lin Shen came to the counter and asked Jiao Yu.


    Jiao Yu exined,


    ¡°That is the aftereffect of the war between Dragonside City and the three demonic tribes.


    ¡°In that war, almost 70 to 80% of the spiritual beasts in the periphery of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range were killed. They still haven¡¯t recovered, so most of the rted missions are gone.


    ¡°However, Senior Brother Lin, don¡¯t worry. It should gradually recover in about six months.¡±


    Jiao Yu said with certainty.


    There were a huge number of spiritual beasts, and low-level spiritual beasts were as hard to kill as weeds.


    Usually, after killing a bunch of them, a new batch would appear before long.


    Due to the unique geographical environment, the spiritual essence in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range was richer than in other ces, which was very beneficial to the growth of spiritual beasts.


    Therefore, every year, countless spiritual beasts migrated to the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range and fought with other spiritual beasts for territory.


    Every year, more spiritual beasts die in territorial battles than at the hands of human cultivators.


    Therefore, although there were only a few spiritual beasts in the periphery of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range now, it wouldn¡¯t be long before they returned to the situation where there were too many beasts.


    After hearing Jiao Yu¡¯s words, Lin Shen finally understood. Then, he fell into deep thought.


    If all the spiritual beasts in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range were killed, he wouldn¡¯t be able to trigger Testify by Killing. Where should he go now?


    Seeing Lin Shen¡¯s distress, Jiao Yu thought for a moment and said,


    ¡°Senior Brother Lin, if you don¡¯t know what mission to ept, I have a suggestion.¡±


    Lin Shen looked up in surprise and asked curiously, ¡°What suggestion?¡±


    Jiao Yu took out a piece of parchment and handed it to Lin Shen.


    ¡°Senior Brother Lin, you can take a look at this.¡±


    Lin Shen took it, and his eyes gradually lit up.


    On the parchment was a quest.


    ording to the description, there was a creature called the Iron Bone Fish in ake to the west of Dragonside City.


    This creature was shaped like a carp, and its bones were ck. It was very suitable for forging into a weapon.


    A small amount of ck iron bones could increase the sess rate of forging enchanted armaments by 20%. Its value was apparent.


    The mission was to collect this ck iron bone. The reward was two medium merits for every half a kilo.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t really care about merits.


    This Iron Bone Fish wasn¡¯t considered a spiritual beast and was almost not threatening.


    The meat of the Iron Bone Fish was delicious. Moreover, eating it could increase the physical strength of the spiritual beasts, so it was extremely popr among them.


    As long as there were Iron Bone Fish in theke, there would definitely be one or more demon tribes around.


    This parchment made manykes with Iron Bone Fish.


    In other words, as long as Lin Shen went near thesekes, he would definitely encounter arge number of demons.


    Lin Shen immediately smiled and nodded at Jiao Yu. ¡°Thank you for your suggestion, Junior Sister. This mission suits me very well!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d to help!¡± Jiao Yu smiled and helped Lin Shen register.


    While Jiao Yu was registering, Lin Shen feigned a casual tone, ¡°By the way, I heard from someone a few days ago that there seems to be a more powerful Dharma treasure above the Nine Yang Talisman Sword. Have you heard of it, Junior Sister?¡±


    Jiao Yu didn¡¯t suspect anything and casually replied, ¡°Senior Brother, you¡¯re talking about the Pure Yang Talisman sword, right?¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she pretended to be puzzled. ¡°Pure Yang Talisman Sword?¡±


    ¡°The Pure Yang Talisman Sword is also an enchanted armament, but its quality is far above the Nine Yang Talisman Sword. It¡¯s said that it¡¯s only slightly inferior to profound armaments. It¡¯s roughly equivalent to the difference between an enchanted armament and a talisman weapon.¡±


    The quality was above that of a superior-grade enchanted armament, but it hadn¡¯t reached the level of a profound armament. What was that?


    A supreme-grade enchanted armament?


    Lin Shen muttered to himself, but his expression remained unchanged as he continued to ask,


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t I seen a pure Yang talisman sword in the Merit Hall?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because the Merit Hall can only exchange for superior-grade enchanted armaments and below. Therefore, pure Yang Talisman Swords are not included in the exchange.¡±


    Seeing that Lin Shen seemed to be very interested, Jiao Yu said a few more words.


    ¡°However, I heard that in the past, there were upper house disciples who spent arge number of merit points to exchange for multiple Nine Yang Talisman Swords. Then, they obtained the refinement method from the tutor. They refined and fused the Nine Yang Talisman Swords step by step. After wiping away the impurities, the sword returned to the Pure Yang stage and finally became the Pure Yang Talisman Sword!


    ¡°With that pure Yang talisman sword, that upper house disciple is said to have be the leader of the ten upper house disciples!¡±


    Lin Shen no longer cared about thest sentence.


    He already knew in his heart that the sword in the storage ring was likely a pure Yang talisman sword.


    As a tutor, it wasn¡¯t difficult for Leng Guangting to refine such a Pure Yang sword.


    At the thought that it was a powerful enchanted armament second only to profound armaments, Lin Shen was pleasantly surprised.


    The Ink Peak inkstone and the Pure Yang Talisman Sword were two treasures thatplemented each other.. It greatly increased hisbat strength!

 Chapter 195 - 195: Marry You (1)

    Chapter 195: Marry You (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    After leaving the Merit Hall, Lin Shen was ready to leave the city.


    However, before he left, he went to the True Martial Pavilion in the central area and bought a lot of Energy Restoration Pills and Revival Pills.


    There were still quite a few pills left in the ring, and they had toe from Jin Hai and Leng Guangting. However, Lin Shen thought that he might need to consume a lot of pills on this trip, so he bought a few more just in case.


    Both types of pills were avable in the Merit Hall, but Lin Shen didn¡¯t want to waste his merit points, so he came to the True Martial Pavilion to purchase them.


    Needless to say, he had plenty of spirit coins at the moment.


    He had the wealth of both Level-9 Bright Aperture cultivators, and the total spirit coins had reached nine figures.


    However, spirit coins weren¡¯t very useful to Lin Shen now, so he didn¡¯t care too much.


    After returning to the newly bought vi in the Eastern District, Lin Shen took Ai with him and rushed to the city gate.


    During this period of time, Ai became more and more familiar with Sinking Moon¡¯s spirit cats.


    Therefore, Lin Shen simply gave Sinking Moon arge sum of spirit coins and asked them to help take care of Ai.


    Naturally, the spirit cats wouldn¡¯t reject their benefactor¡¯s request and agreed readily.


    Therefore, when Lin Shen wasn¡¯t around, Ai stayed with Sinking Moon.


    Only when he went out of the city to train would Lin Shen bring Ai, a treasure-hunting expert.


    After leaving the west gate, Lin Shen released the Giant-horned Deer and rode the spiritual beast straight to the Great Swamp of the West.


    The so-called Great Swamp of the West was a vastke more than 200 miles west of Dragonside City. It covered an area of nearly a million square kilometers and contained countlesskes, swamps, and inds.


    Although the spiritual energy in the Great Lake of the West was not as rich as in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range, because of its special geographical environment, it was very suitable for aquatic demons to live in. Therefore, there were also countless demons living here.


    With the Giant-horned Deer as a means of transportation, Lin Shen only used half a day to arrive at the Great Swamp of the West.


    On the way, he only encountered a few ignorant demons who wanted to treat him as food, but he casually dealt with them.


    Standing in front of ake, Lin Shen took out a map from his storage ring and unfolded it to read it carefully.


    The map was exchanged from the Merit Hall.


    The price was not high, only about ten merit points.


    However, the water terrain drawn on it was very detailed. It even marked the number and strength of the demons near the variouske inds.


    Of course, the demons were brutal and often killed each other. Coupled with the fact that human cultivators came to kill them from time to time, the territory changed very quickly.


    A spirit fish might upy an area today. Tomorrow, it might belong to a spirit turtle.


    No matter how diligent the Merit Hall was in updating, it could not catch up to this change.


    Therefore, the information on the map could only be used as a reference.


    If one trusted all the information and acted ordingly, he might suffer a huge loss at any time.


    ording to the terrain on the map, the nearestke with Iron Bone Fish was more than 50 kilometers away.


    There were only two Enlightening Stage demons near theke. One was a Water Snake, and the other was an Inky Prawn. Their cultivation levels were only at the mid-phase of the Enlightening Stage, and they each led hundreds of nsmen to cultivate near theke.


    ¡°Two Enlightening Stage demons¡­¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes flickered.


    With the ck Peak Inkstone and the Pure Yang Talisman Sword in hand, and with his current strength, it was easy for him to deal with a mid-phase Enlightenment spiritual beast.


    If he summoned his clone, he could easily kill ate-phasc Enlightening Stage one.


    After all, an Enlightening Stage spiritual beast was notparable to a ninth-level Bright Aperture cultivator. It was much weaker.


    Aftering back to his senses, Lin Shen summoned his Testify by Killing clone.


    After breaking through to the Bright Aperture Stage, the zero consumption distance of the clone¡¯s physical form increased to a thousand meters.


    This distance was almost enough for his Testify by Killing clone to hunt spiritual beasts in the wilderness with Lin Shen.


    Just in case, Lin Shen got his clone to take the Face Changing Pill. Then, he pulled away and maintained a distance of about 2,000 meters from his clone.


    Although there was consumption at this distance, Lin Shen could afford it. He just had to eat some pills every once in a while to recover his spiritual essence.


    The two of them split up and rushed towards their destination at the same time, hunting spiritual beasts along the way.


    During this period, Lin Shen released Ai as usual and let her lie on his shoulder to carry out the important task of treasure hunting.


    Perhaps it was because Lin Shen looked like an easy target all by himself, before long, a group of demons targeted him.


    In a pond not far away on the left, the calm water suddenly surged. As waves sshed, a group of fish monsters and prawn demons suddenly rushed out, screaming as they charged at Lin Shen.


    These demons looked extremely strange. They looked like fish and shrimps that had grown limbs and had been magnified hundreds of times. They even held weapons like spears in their hands. However, when they charged, they did not have any formation and were in a mess.


    Lin Shen looked around and immediately lost interest.


    The group of demons in front of him was only at the Spirit Awakening Stage. Even if he killed them all, he would most likely not be able to trigger the effect of Testify by Killing.


    As his cultivation level increased, the standard to trigger the effect of Testify by Killing also increased.


    With his current cultivation at the third level of the Bright Aperture Stage, it was almost impossible for him to trigger the talent effect by killing demons below the Ascension Stage.


    However, every time he triggered the talent effect, the improvement was more and more impressive.


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes flickered. He simply took out two talismans and threw them out.


    The paper talisman grew in size and turned into two paper soldiers that were over seven feet tall. They charged at the demons as soon as theynded..

 Chapter 196 - 196: Marry You (2)

    Chapter 196: Marry You (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    The fish monsters and shrimp demons seemed to have never seen paper soldiers before and were shocked by the scene in front of them.


    When they came back to their senses, the two paper soldiers had already arrived in front of them. Their weapons shed horizontally, and in an instant, two huge heads soared into the sky.


    Lin Shen had just reached Beginner in the Paper Man Movement Technique and had only cultivated it to the first level. He had also used the weakest yellow talisman.


    However, he was already at the third level of the Bright Aperture Stage. No matter how weak the paper soldiers he summoned were, they were at the third or fourth level of the Long Breath Stage. It was simply too easy for them to deal with a group of Spirit Awakening Stage demons!


    In an instant, the two paper soldiers were like tigers entering a flock of sheep, ughtering the demons!


    The seemingly thin and fragile paper knife was like a divine weapon when it shed at the demon¡¯s body. It pierced through the scales and flesh without any resistance, causing the demon to wail and bleed!


    In just a moment, dozens of fish monsters and prawn demons were ughtered by the two paper soldiers.


    Lin Shen nodded to himself.


    Although the Paper Man Movement Technique was not a spell specially created for an attack, it was still powerful in battle.


    At this moment, Ai suddenly leaned close to Lin Shen¡¯s ear and whispered,


    ¡°Lin Shen, there¡¯s a sneaky creature over there!¡±


    Lin Shen looked in the direction Ai was pointing. He saw a fish monster hiding behind a rock two to three hundred meters away, looking over.


    Unlike the other strange fish monsters, the appearance of the demon was closer to that of a human. The curves of its limbs were smoother, and it was obvious that its cultivation level was higher than the other demons.


    Lin Shen thought for a moment and understood.


    There were many swamps in the Great Swamp of the West. Every ce was upied by some powerful demon. They used this as their territory to recruit soldiers.


    If he guessed correctly, that fish monster should be the major demon upying thiske and the leader of this group of demons.


    Of course, it was only a major demon in the title. There were no powerful demons in the periphery of the entire Great Swamp. The most powerful ones were only at the early phase of the Enlightenment Stage. Most of the time, they would be at the Ascension Stage.


    With a smile, Lin Shen drew a line in the air with his fingers. Green streaks of light that looked like imprints immediately appeared in the air before condensing into the word ¡°Thunder¡±.


    In the next second, the word ¡°Thunder¡± shone brightly and turned into a white lightning arrow that shot toward the fish monster hundreds of meters away!


    Seeing this, the fish monster let out a strange cry and wanted to dodge. Unfortunately, no matter how fast it was, it could not be faster than lightning. In the next second, it was struck by the palm lightning. Its body twitched and fell back into the water.


    Lin Shen was a little surprised that it was so weak.


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s only an Ascension Stage demon.¡±


    At this moment, the paper soldiers had already killed all the fish monsters and prawn demons. Lin Shen simply used the Riding Wind Technique and lifted himself off the ground. He floated along the water toward the fish monster leader not far away.


    The fish monster leader finally caught its breath. When it looked up and saw that the terrifying human cultivator had already approached, it was immediately frightened out of its wits. It knelt down without hesitation and shouted.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t understand the demonnguage. Just as he was about to finish the fish monster leader off, he saw from the corner of his eye that Ai was listening very seriously and nodding from time to time. He was a little surprised.


    ¡°You understand what it¡¯s saying?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Ai nodded matter-of-factly, then looked at Lin Shen in surprise, as if wondering why he asked such a question.


    ¡°I¡¯m also a demon, so of course, I can understand what it says.¡±


    Lin Shen was slightly stunned, and then he thought for a moment.


    It seemed that the demons weren¡¯t like ordinary beasts, who would have different sounds due to the difference in their species. Instead, all demons could understand each other.


    The human race had only established a rtively unifiednguage system after thousands of years of development.


    However, the demons did not have this process. How could they unify theirnguage?


    Were they born with it?


    After thinking for a moment, Lin Shen shook his head and decided not to dwell on it.


    Thinking about such things in the cultivation world was the same as talking about physics and mechanics in the martial arts world. It was a waste of effort.


    ¡°What did it say?¡± Lin Shen pointed at the fish monster leader.


    ¡°He says he works for King Snakehead. You can¡¯t kill him. Otherwise, King Snakehead will definitelye after you!¡±


    ¡°Who is King Snakehead?¡±


    As if he understood Lin Shen¡¯s words, the fish monster leader spoke again.


    Ai dutifully tranted. ¡°He says that King Snakehead is the lord of the Mystic Stele Lake 250 kilometers away. He has many demon generals under him and is a famous demon king in the Great Swamp of the West!¡±


    An idea dawned on Lin Shen. He casually flicked his finger, and a streak of energy pierced through the fish monster leader¡¯s head, instantly killing it.


    How funny. Even if it wanted to show it was connected, it should have chosen a better one. No matter how powerful that demon king 250km away was, how could he scare anyone?


    Putting down his hand, Lin Shen looked around, shook his head, and turned to leave.


    The corpses of the Spirit Awakening Stage monsters were worthless, but the fish monster leader still had some valuable materials on it.


    However, looking at that slimy body, Lin Shen immediately lost interest in collecting it.


    Besides, he didn¡¯t care about those materials now, so he didn¡¯t n to waste time.


    As expected, after this round of battle, the effect of Testify by Killing was not triggered.


    But the clone gave Lin Shen a surprise. It soon triggered the talent effect once, increasing the progress of the Lightning Palm by 8%!


    ¡°Nice!¡±


    Joy shed across Lin Shen¡¯s eyes.


    With a clone hunting demons together, it was indeed much more efficient than before.


    Unfortunately, the 1km distance was still too short, and the hunting range ovepped. When the zero consumption distance was extended in the future, the hunting efficiency would be improved a little..

 Chapter 197 - 197: Marry You (3)

    Chapter 197: Marry You (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    After calming himself down, Lin Shen continued forward.


    Along the way, the demons he encountered were left to the two paper soldiers. He would only attack when an Ascension Stage demon appeared.


    Because they were still on the periphery of the Great Swamp of the West, they did not encounter any Enlightening Stage demons along the way. The most capable ones were a couple ofte-phase Ascension Stage demons.


    What disappointed Lin Shen was that he did not find many natural treasures along the way.


    ¡°As expected, the density of the spiritual essence matters. The Great Swamp of the West doesn¡¯t have as many treasures as the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range.¡±


    Lin Shen had already expected this. He quicklyposed himself and continued on his way.


    Because he had been hunting spiritual beasts along the way, he didn¡¯t cover much distance. He only walked more than 10km when it was dark.


    Seeing that the night had set in, Lin Shen knew it was not suitable to travel anymore, so he found a reef ind. After wiping out the demons on the ind, he took over the nest and used it as his ce to spend the night.


    There were quite a lot of dry rations in his Interspatial Ring. Even if he did not cook anything, he could still fill his stomach.


    However, Lin Shen did not intend to make himself suffer. Moreover, this was not the depths of the Great Swamp, so he was not afraid of attracting the attention of the demon cultivators. Therefore, he soon started a fire and prepared to cook some hot food.


    At the same time, the clone two miles away suddenly disappeared and was recalled by Lin Shen. He nned to summon it tomorrow to avoid wasting his spiritual essence.


    Not long after.


    The food in the pot boiled, and the fragrance spread far and wide.


    Aiy on Lin Shen¡¯s knee and stared at the food in the pot, almost drooling.


    While cooking, Lin Shen took the time to look at the interface.


    After a day of training, the Seven Arts Sword Energy, Lightning Palm, and Paper Man Movement Technique had all improved to varying degrees.


    Among them, the Paper Man Movement Technique improved the fastest, increasing by 38%.


    The Seven Arts Sword Energy improved the least, only 8%, but his stage progress had already reached 95%. As long as he triggered the talent effect again, he would be able to break through to the second level.


    In terms of martial arts, although the talent effects weren¡¯t triggered many times because the techniques were used less, the techniques were also at low levels. After a few times, three new martial arts had reached Proficient, and one had even reached Mastery.


    At this rate, he should be able to reach Perfection in all of them tomorrow.


    At the same time, the clones in his mind were also constantlyprehending new martial techniques.


    Lin Shen estimated that after this trip to the Great Swamp of the West, Meltdown should be able to break through to the Path stage.


    ¡°The power of a Path-stage martial technique isparable to a spell technique. I wonder how powerful it will be above that?¡±


    Lin Shen grew excited.


    He had gone to the academy¡¯s library to investigate, but unfortunately, he could not find any information about the martial techniques after Path. There was even very little information about Path-stage martial techniques.


    ¡°Perhaps I can ask Senior Brother Xie and the others for guidance.¡± Lin Shen thought of Xie Jingsheng and Mu Chuanhua.


    Back then, information about the Path-stage martial techniques also came from these two people.


    Perhaps they knew something.


    Just as he was thinking, Lin Shen¡¯s expression suddenly changed. He looked up at the shore of the reef ind.


    It was dark there, and he couldn¡¯t see anything clearly at all. However, with the help of Lin Shen¡¯s mental power, he could clearly sense that some creature was quietly watching him in the darkness.


    Lin Shen narrowed his eyes, and a talisman sword appeared in his palm.


    Soon, Ai also sensed the arrival of an uninvited guest. She immediately jumped onto Lin Shen¡¯s shoulder.


    After realizing that it had been exposed, the creature finally stopped hiding and slowly walked out of the darkness.


    The flickering mes quickly shone on the creature. It was a fox!


    The fox had ming red fur from head to toe without a spec of another color. One could vaguely see that it was smooth and supple before, but now it was covered in dust and mud. There were also many dark red bloodstains that had dried up. It looked very miserable.


    Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but be stunned.


    This was the Great Swamp of the West. How could there be a fox here?


    The Dragon Abyss Mountain Range was a more suitable ce.


    No matter what, an ordinary fox would never appear in such a ce at this time. It was undoubtedly a spirit fox.


    Lin Shen raised his spiritual essence and became vignt.


    After the red fox took a few steps forward, it stopped at the edge of the firelight¡¯s range. It could let Lin Shen see its face clearly, but it would not move too close to rm him.


    After that, the red fox looked at the food in the pot, and a trace of desire shed in its lively eyes.


    After a moment of silence, Lin Shen took out a pottery bowl and scooped a bowl of food from the pot. He threw out the bowl, whichnded lightly in front of the red fox without spilling a drop.


    ¡°Eat,¡± Lin Shen said.


    The red fox nced at him, and a human-like look of gratitude shed in its eyes. It lowered its head and quietly ate the food.


    Even though the fox was obviously very hungry, the red fox was still eating calmly. It was as elegant as a youngdy from a wealthy family, giving people a pleasant feeling.


    A momentter, the red fox, who had finished eating, picked up the pottery bowl and ced it a few meters away from Lin Shen. It nodded at him slightly, then jumped into the night and disappeared.


    ¡°What a strange fox,¡± Ai mumbled.


    ¡°From the looks of it, it should be a spiritual beast that identally entered the Great Swamp of the West,¡± Lin Shen said thoughtfully.


    At this moment, Ai suddenly asked curiously,


    ¡°Lin Shen, did you give that fox food because you wanted her to repay you with her body after she bes a beauty?¡±


    Lin Shen almost choked. ¡°What nonsense have you been reading recently?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t. Sister Tang Mei told me. She said that men used to save spiritual beasts like white snakes or foxes. Then, the spiritual beasts cultivated sessfully and returned to be their wives after taking human forms.¡±


    Speaking of this, Ai looked at Lin Shen shyly and cupped her cheeks with her ws.


    ¡°Lin Shen, when you promised the general to take care of me, did you also want me to be your wife?¡±


    II II


    Lin Shen made up his mind.. The next time he met Tang Mei, he would smack her on the head!

 Chapter 198 - 198: Solicitation (1)

    Chapter 198: Solicitation (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Five dayster.


    On a small hill.


    Lin Shen looked into the distance at the Green Reed Pond a thousand meters away, his eyes flickering.


    A few decades ago, the pond was a shallow beach. Now, it was covered byke water and was hundreds of feet deep.


    From afar, it was a beautiful scene under the sunlight.


    Unfortunately, a group of demons who were fighting in the pond destroyed the beautiful scenery!


    Green Reed Pond was Lin Shen¡¯s first destination for this trip.


    There were many Iron Bone Fish living in the water.


    Around the rights of these Iron Bone Fish, a battle would break out between the two demon tribes every once in a while.


    However, the two sides were simr in strength, and neither could do anything to the other, so they were in a stalemate.


    ¡°Looks like I came at the right time.¡±


    Lin Shen looked up.


    In the sky a hundred meters above the water, two ck clouds were intertwining with each other. The sound of metal colliding came from inside, apanied by loud shouts from time to time.


    It was the battle between the two leaders of the demon race!


    After watching the battle for a while, Lin Shen had a rough understanding of the strength of both sides.


    Fortunately, the information marked on the map was correct. These two demons were indeed only at the mid-phase of the Enlightening Stage.


    The nsmen of the two tribes below were at the Ascension Stage and the Spirit Awakening Stage. There were about 400 to 500 of them, so there was nothing to be afraid of.


    Lin Shen summoned the interface and looked at it.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Testify by Killing]


    [Stage: Bright Aperture Level 3, 75%]


    [Cultivation techniques: Nine Yang Scripture (Proficient 71%), Meltdown (Path 65%), Forbidden Golden Armor (Path 15%), Cloud Dragon Rhythm (Path 5%), Nine Divine Sun Sword (Path 10%)¡­]


    [Spells: Seven Arts Sword Energy (Level 2, 23%), Lightning Palm (Level 2, 12%), Paper Man Movement Technique (Level 2, 5%), Fixed Body Curse (Level 1,34% ), Riding Wind Technique (Level 1,18%), Water Mirror Technique (Leveli, 12%)]


    [Number of clones: 6 (99%)]


    After five days of training, his martial techniques and spells had improved significantly.


    In the past five days, he had reached Perfection in seven martial techniques, improving four Path-stage martial techniques by different degrees.


    However, his progress was still greater with spells.


    The Seven Arts Sword Energy, Lightning Palm, and Paper Man Movement Technique had all broken through to the second level!


    Meanwhile, the clones had alsoprehended the Fixed Body Spell to Beginner.


    As a result, the number of spells Lin Shen had mastered had increased to six.


    ¡°Only Five Qi Suppression and the Shadow-staying Technique left.¡±


    Lin Shen nodded to himself.


    When he and his clone hunted spiritual beasts together, they were shockingly efficient.


    As he went deeper into the Great Swamp of the West, the demons he encountered became stronger and stronger. The number of times his Testify by Killing talent was triggered also increased, making his martial techniques and spells improve faster and faster.


    As a result, the clone 1km away also began to be injured.


    After all, his clone did not have Dharma treasures like the ck Peak Inkstone, Pure Yang Talisman Sword, and Cloud Suppression Robe like himself.


    Apart from the Six Yang Talisman Sword and Bind Yang Gown, the clone only had some spirit supplements and recovery pills for casting spells.


    In terms ofbat strength, the Testify by Killing clone was much weaker than Lin Shen himself. In a prolonged battle, injuries were inevitable.


    At this moment, the clone had just finished a battle and was recuperating and recovering his spiritual essence.


    Since there would be a series of battles ahead, Lin Shen simply retracted his clone and let it recuperate. He might need to use his cler.


    As for Ai, she had long been put into the Beast Taming Pouch.


    After swallowing a few Energy Recovery Pills and Revival Pills, Lin Shen seized the time to recover his spiritual essence while watching the battle in the distance.


    The battle was at a stalemate. Both sides seemed to be tired of continuing and retreated.


    The two demons cursed at each other in the air for a while before bringing the nsmen back to their respective nests.


    Lin Shen pondered for a moment and quickly made his choice. He quietly followed the demons on the right.


    Lin Chong returned to his nest with a dark expression. He found an excuse to whip a few servants to vent his anger. Then, he ordered someone to bring a few jars of wine and drank them inrge mouthfuls.


    ¡°Damn it, that damned Inky Prawn alwayses to oppose me!


    ¡°Just you wait. When I break through to thete phase of the Enlightening Stage, I¡¯ll use him as a sacrifice!¡±


    After cursing a few times, Lin Chong went back to his drinking.


    He was the only one in the spacious stone house.


    All the demons under him knew his temper. Every time he returned from a fierce battle, he would re up and drink. No one would approach him at this time to find trouble. Therefore, they sneaked away early. Those servants had suffered a whipping for nothing.


    Lin Chong didn¡¯t mind and drank happily alone.


    At this moment, there was a suddenmotion outside.


    At first, Lin Chong thought that his subordinates were fooling around. Because he was drinking happily, he ignored them. However, themotion became louder and louder, making him unable to hold it in anymore. He threw the wine bowl in his hand to the ground and cursed,


    ¡°Which bastard is making a ruckus outside? Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m drinking?¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, a subordinate stumbled in. Before Lin Chong could scold him, he knelt on the ground with a plop, looking panicked.


    ¡°My, my king, someone has broken in. He, he killed many of our brothers!¡±


    Lin Chong was stunned for a moment before he flew into a rage.


    ¡°Mo Zhao has gone too far. He can¡¯t gain any advantage in a head-on battle, yet he took the opportunity to sneak attack us!¡±


    He thought that Mo Zhao had led his men to attack his nest and became furious. He picked up the spear beside him and strode out..

 Chapter 199 - 199: Solicitation (2)

    Chapter 199: Solicitation (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    The poor little demon wanted to exin more, but when he came back to his senses, he realized that his king had already disappeared. He could only stand rooted to the ground, not knowing what to do.


    Lin Chong came outside angrily and looked over with his snake eyes.


    However, what greeted his eyes was not the chaotic battle between the demons that he had expected. Instead, his subordinates were besieging a human cultivator!


    No, calling it a siege was actually ttering his subordinates.


    They clearly had the advantage in numbers, but his subordinates were killed by the enemy one by one. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that they were not the human¡¯s match at all. It was only a matter of time before they were defeated.


    Seeing this, Lin Chong could not help but feel stunned.


    Where did this human cultivatore from? He actually came here to cause trouble?


    When he came back to his senses, Lin Chong was even angrier.


    A human cultivator actually dared to charge into hisir alone. It was obvious that the human did not take him seriously!


    How could Lin Chong tolerate this?


    He immediately shouted and charged at Lin Shen with the spear.


    ¡°Where did this brate from? How dare you behave atrociously in my territory? You must have a death wish!¡±


    Lin Shen turned around and smiled.


    The boss had finally appeared!


    Lin Shen casually threw out a dozen talismans, turning them into a group of paper soldiers that attacked the surrounding demons. Without another word, he turned around and faced Lin Chong.


    Swoosh!


    Lin Shen attacked with all his might. As the zing and sharp sword aura filled the air, five dazzling suns appeared out of thin air and smashed toward Lin Chong with an aura that could crush everything!


    Seeing this scene, Lin Chong couldn¡¯t help but pale slightly. He immediately realized that the person in front of him was more powerful than any cultivators he had encountered in the past. The anger in his chest instantly disappeared, and his expression turned solemn.


    He raised his spear, and the air around him immediately rustled. Arge amount of faintly ck water suddenly appeared.


    In the next moment, as the spear stabbed out, the water that filled the sky swept towards the five suns!


    In an instant, the water and the brilliant sun collided fiercely in the sky!


    Immediately, there was a sizzling sound, as if cold water had been poured on a piece of red-hot iron. Arge amount of mist spread and enveloped an area of hundreds of meters.


    Lin Chong¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly dodged to the side. As expected, he heard an ear-piercing sound of air being torn apart the next moment. Two streaks of sword energy that looked like des brushed past him!


    At such a close distance, Lin Chong could feel the terrifying power of the energy, and he immediately broke out in cold sweat.


    However, before he could heave a sigh of relief, he heard a dull whistling sound above his head.


    He looked up in shock and saw a huge red palm gradually erging in his vision!


    BOOM!


    Lin Chong fell from the sky like a cannonball and was sted deep into the ground by the huge palm that descended from the sky!


    Apart from the Seven Arts Sword Energy, the other strongest killer move that Lin Shen had mastered was Meltdown!


    In fact, Meltdown, whose stage had progressed by more than half, was even slightly more powerful than the Seven Arts Sword Energy, which was only at the second level.


    Being hit head-on by Meltdown without the protection of a defensive enchanted armament, even an Enlightening Stage demon would suffer.


    When the dust dissipated, the surrounding demons were shocked to discover that their king was lying in the pit with a charred body. He looked extremely miserable.


    ¡°Damn humans¡­¡±


    Lin Chong cursed angrily.


    However, before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by the sharp sound of a sword. Lin Shen had already charged over with his sword again. Halfway through, he jabbed with his finger, and a Palm Lightning descended from the sky.


    The zing white lightning shocked Lin Chong. He stopped cursing and hurriedly stood up to block the attack.


    Unfortunately, he was inferior to Lin Shen, to begin with. Now that he had lost the initiative and was suppressed from beginning to end, he was no match for Lin Shen at all!


    When the demons finally worked together to destroy the dozen or so paper soldiers, they turned around and saw Lin Chong beheaded by a sword. His huge and ferocious snake head soared into the sky!


    Swoosh!


    Blood sttered everywhere!


    The headless corpse fell heavily to the ground. It twitched violently as if it had been electrocuted for a moment before it died.


    The surrounding demons were stunned on the spot as they watched the scene in front of them with their mouths agape.


    They never expected their powerful and terrifying king to die so easily at the hands of a young human cultivator.


    After killing Lin Chong, Lin Shen did not stop at all. Strong winds wrapped around him, and he jumped around a few times among the demons like lightning, quickly reaping lives.


    Only then did the remaining demons wake up from their dreams and scream in fear as they fled in all directions.


    Unfortunately, no matter how fast they were, they could not be faster than the Riding Wind Technique. Before they could run out of the nest, they were killed by Lin Shen¡¯s sword.


    A momentter, Lin Shen put away his sword and stood up. He looked around. There was no longer a demon standing in the huge nest!


    He focused on the information in his mind. He had triggered Testify by Killing a total of six times. It was not much, but it was good enough.


    Among them, the biggest increase came from Lin Chong. It directly increased his Seven Arts Sword Energy by 18%, and his stage increased by nearly 20%!


    ¡°The Enlightening Stage demons helped me improve so much!¡±


    Lin Shen sighed inwardly.


    Unfortunately, although there were many Enlightening Stage demons in the Great Swamp of the West, they were either leaders or demon generals ofrge demon tribes. They had many subordinates around them, so it was not easy to kill them.


    Although it was rtively easy for Lin Shen to deal with Lin Chong this time, that was because he had chosen a good time.


    Coincidentally, this demon tribe had just experienced a fierce battle and was exhausted. The great demon, Lin Chong, also consumed a lot of energy. That was why Lin Shen had taken advantage of the loophole and did not spend much effort to kill him..

 Chapter 200 - 200: Solicitation (3)

    Chapter 200: Solicitation (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    If it were any other time, if he wanted to kill an Enlightening Stage demon and hundreds of Ascension Stage and Spirit Awakening Stage demons, Lin Shen would have to summon his clones to attack together.


    When he came back to his senses, Lin Shen began to clean up the battlefield.


    However, to his disappointment, this group of demons was impoverished. There were not many valuable items in the nest. Most of them were scrap metal that had been collected from somewhere.


    The only thing that could be considered valuable was the ck Iron Bone.


    Most of the demons did not know any weapon refinement techniques. Even if they obtained the ck iron bone, they could not use it. They could only throw it away, and Lin Shen took advantage of it.


    ¡°About two to three kilos. They can be exchanged for seven to eight medium merits. That¡¯s nice.¡±


    Satisfied, he put away the ck iron bone. Lin Shen didn¡¯t bother to rest. He left this nest without stopping and rushed toward another demon settlement.


    Taking advantage of the fact that his opponent had just ended the battle and had yet to recover, he nned to wipe out the two demon tribes in one go.


    One kilometer to the west of Green Reed Pond.


    A simple and crude tribe with wooden houses and stone buildings.


    Mo Zhao sat cross-legged behind the stone table. His brows were furrowed as he fumbled with the wine bowl, looking hesitant.


    Opposite him sat a green-skinned demon in ck armor.


    The ck-armored demon took a sip of the wine and frowned, seemingly dissatisfied with the taste. He curled his lips and put down the bowl.


    He looked up at Mo Zhao and smiled calmly.


    ¡°Brother Mo, why are you hesitating? Many others want to defect to our king, but they don¡¯t have the means. Now that this opportunity is in front of you, why are you still hesitating?¡±


    Mo Zhao collected his thoughts and smiled awkwardly.


    ¡°Envoy Wu, please forgive me. After all, this concerns the entire tribe. I have to think about it, right?¡±


    Wu Jing gave him a sidelong nce and said indifferently,


    ¡°Brother Mo, let¡¯s not beat around the bush. The most powerful of the little demons outside is only at thete phase of the Ascension Stage. There are as many of these demons as you want in the entire Great Swamp. I can always recruit more. They¡¯re insignificant. I don¡¯t believe you really care about them.¡±


    Hearing this, Mo Zhao chuckled, but he did not retort. It was obvious that he had agreed.


    Seeing this, Wu Jing snorted and continuedzily,


    ¡°I know that you just can¡¯t bear to part with the Iron Bone Fish here, but you have to know that as long as you serve our king, there are plenty of natural treasures to take. Why do you care about a mere Iron Bone Fish?


    ¡°When the timees, as long as you make a contribution, the king will be happy and reward you with things that are much more precious than this Iron Bone Fish!¡±


    Wu Jing¡¯s mouth was dry from all the talking, but he saw that Mo Zhao only smiled and did not say anything. He finally understood that he could not convince this cunning old demon by himself. He could only reveal his trump card.


    ¡°Brother Mo, our king said that as long as youe over, he will give you the position of a demon general and a Golden Marrow Pill!¡±


    As soon as he said this, Mo Zhao¡¯s muddy eyes lit up.


    The demons were born with a savage nature, and very few of them were good at refining pills and weapons.


    Because of this, most demons relied on themselves to cultivate diligently. The more ruthless ones would devour the flesh and blood of humans to absorb their essence.


    Mo Zhao had cultivated for more than 200 years, but he had consumed no more than ten decent pills, let alone a supreme-grade pill like the Golden Marrow Pill!


    The Golden Marrow Pill could not immediately increase one¡¯s cultivation level, but it could allow a cultivator to enter a strange state of dividing their soul and spiritual consciousness within three days after consuming the pill.


    To put it simply, it was to experience the stage of a cultivator master in advance!


    If one cultivated in this state, his cultivation level would increase by leaps and bounds!


    One day was equivalent to several months!


    Especially for the demons, the effect of the Golden Marrow Pill was even stronger.


    One Golden Marrow Pill could increase one¡¯s cultivation by at least ten years!


    Mo Zhao could not help but swallow when he thought about the powerful effects of the Golden Marrow Pill.


    Seeing Mo Zhao¡¯s excited expression, Wu Jing was pleased.


    ¡°How is it, Brother Mo? Is this condition generous enough? If you¡¯re still not satisfied, then I have no choice but to go to see Lin Chong!¡±


    Towards the end, Wu Jing¡¯s tone had a hint of threat.


    Mo Zhao finally couldn¡¯t resist the temptation and threat. He squeezed out a smile and said,


    ¡°Envoy Wu, you are being too serious. How can I not know what¡¯s good for me? It¡¯s my honor that King Snakehead thinks so highly of me. From now on, I will definitely follow King Snakehead¡¯s lead!¡±


    Hearing this, Wu Jing rxed and he nodded in satisfaction.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. Don¡¯t worry, our king has always been generous. He¡¯ll definitely treat you well.¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course. Please take care of me in the future, Brother Wu!¡±


    Mo Zhao took advantage of the situation and immediately changed the way he addressed the envoy to Brother Wu. He then stuffed something in Wu Jing¡¯s hand.


    Wu Jing nced at it from the corner of his eye. When he saw that it was a low-grade spirit stone, he was immediately overjoyed. He took it and nodded repeatedly.


    ¡°Of course, of course. We¡¯ll be colleagues in the future, so we naturally have to take care of each other!¡±


    After exchanging a few pleasantries, Mo Zhao rolled his eyes and probed, ¡°Brother Wu, what about Lin Chong?¡±


    Wu Jing understood and said with a smile, ¡°Lord Wu Luo leads the team this time. When he sent me here, he only gave me one demon general spot. Now that it¡¯s on you, Brother Mo, Lin Chong naturally has no chance. However, I can still make the decision to make him a deputy general.


    ¡°In a while, we can head to Chong Lin¡¯s ce and ask him if he is willing to join King Snakehead. If Chong Lin knows what¡¯s good for him and takes the offer, he will be under your jurisdiction. If he doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s good for him, well¡­¡±


    Mo Zhao¡¯s eyes lit up.


    When he thought about how he would be able to show off in front of his old opponentter and even suppress him in the future, Mo Zhao felt refreshed. It was as if he had drunk a jar of fine wine. He wished he could leave now.


    But at this moment, a small demon suddenly rushed in from outside.


    ¡°My king, an enemy, suddenly charged into our tribe. Many of our brothers were killed!¡±


    Mo Zhao nced at Wu Jing and red at his subordinate. ¡°Call me General from nowon!¡±


    After that, he asked, ¡°Tell me, what enemy is it? Is it Lin Chong?¡±

 Chapter 201 - 201: You’re in Trouble (1)

    Chapter 201: You¡¯re in Trouble (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    ¡°No, no!¡±


    The little demon stammered, unable to hide his panic.


    ¡°It¡¯s a human cultivator!¡±


    A human cultivator?


    Mo Zhao snorted. ¡°A bunch of trash. It¡¯s just a human cultivator, so just kill him. You¡¯re here to disturb my discussion with Brother Wu. What¡¯s the use of you?¡±


    The little demon said with a bitter face, ¡°My king, that human cultivator is too powerful. He killed Mo Wei, Mo Chuang, and a few other lords!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Mo Zhao paled a little.


    Mo Wei, Mo Chuang, and the others were all his capable subordinates. They were all at thete phase of the Ascension Stage, but they were easily killed by the enemy. The cultivator was most likely a Bright Aperture Stage one!


    Although Wu Jing did not know the cultivation level of Mo Wei and Mo Chuang, he could guess from Mo Zhao¡¯s expression. He immediately grinned.


    ¡°Brother Mo, you have an uninvited guest. Why don¡¯t we go out and take a look?¡±


    Mo Zhao was delighted when he heard this. Wu Jing was in thete phase of the Enlightening Stage. With his help, Mo Zhao would not have to be afraid even if the person was at the seventh or eighth level of the Bright Aperture Stage.


    Hence, he immediately nodded.


    ¡°Thank you, Brother Wu!¡±


    Without any dy, the two demons walked out together.


    As soon as they walked out of the stone house, Wu Jing and Mo Zhao heard car-splitting battle criesing from afar.


    With the sharp senses of the Enlightenment Stage, they could even sense the sharp sword intent that soared into the sky in the distance.


    Mo Zhao¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    Wu Jing, on the other hand, raised his eyebrows and seemed increasingly interested.


    ¡°This sword intent must be from someone of an orthodox sect. I wonder which one of the three major sects in Dragonside City he¡¯s from¡±


    There were only tworge cities within a 5000 km radius of the Great Swamp of the West, Dragonside City and Seawatch City.


    As for the majestic sword intent that soared into the sky, it did not contain any heretic energy. Naturally, it could not havee from the Blood Sea Sect. In that case, the human could onlye from one of the three major sects of Dragonside City.


    Wu Jing chuckled. Without waiting for Mo Zhao to reply, he dashed toward the location of the battle.


    Mo Zhao quickly followed.


    In the blink of an eye, the two demons arrived at the entrance of the tribe.


    This ce had already turned into ruins. The doors, stone walls, and the surrounding wooden houses and stone buildings had all copsed. It looked like a tornado had passed through, and the ground was in a mess.


    Hundreds of demon corpsesy on the ground, and blood almost soaked the ground.


    Seeing this, even though Mo Zhao did not care much about his subordinate, he still paled. His cold gazended on the slender figure not far away.


    Even in the battle with Lin Chong¡¯s tribe shortly before this, less than a third of the tribe had died.


    Losing so many nsmen was a p on Mo Zhao¡¯s face!


    Wu Jing did not even look at the corpses on the ground. He looked at the person with interest.


    ¡°Which of the three major sects of Dragonside City are you a disciple of?¡±


    Lin Shen looked at Wu Jing, then at Mo Zhao, and frowned imperceptibly.


    Why were there two Enlightening Stage demons?


    Was the information on the map wrong?


    That was impossible. If that was the case, why didn¡¯t the other Enlightening Stage demon attack when this tribe was fighting with Lin Chong?


    Moreover¡­


    Lin Shen¡¯s gaze swept across the majestic ck armor on Wu Jing¡¯s body, then looked at Mo Zhao, who was only wearing a piece of leather armor, as well as the demons around him, who did not even have leather armor. Most of them only had a rag wrapped around their waists, and Lin Shen fell into deep thought.


    This green-skinned demon with bulging eyes was most likely not from this demon tribe, but an outsider.


    Seeing that Lin Shen did not say a word and only sized him up impudently, Wu Jing gradually became displeased, and a cold light flickered in his eyes.


    At this moment, Lin Shen suddenly turned around and rushed into the distance.


    Wu Jing and Mo Zhao were stunned when they saw this. They were enraged when they came back to their senses.


    He came and went as he pleased. Did he take them seriously?


    Wu Jing was the fastest. In the blink of an eye, countless ck fog appeared on his body. In the next moment, he turned into a ck cloud and chased after Lin Shen.


    Mo Zhao wanted to follow them, but when he saw the gloomy nsmen from the corner of his eye, he hesitated and stayed.


    ¡°That human kid is only at the third or fourth level of the Bright Aperture Stage. Wu Jing is more than enough to capture and kill him. I won¡¯t be of much help even if I go. It¡¯s better to stay here to prevent that fellow, Lin Chong, from taking advantage of the situation.¡±


    Hearing the sound of something moving fast behind him, Lin Shen turned around and narrowed his eyes.


    After discovering that there were two Enlightening Stage demons in the tribe, he immediately gave up on the idea of fighting.


    He was here to increase his strength, not to fight to the death.


    It was one thing for him to deal with an Enlightening Stage Inky Prawn Spirit, but there was also a demon whose cultivation was clearly even higher. Even if he could win in the end, he would have to pay a considerable price.


    Lin Shen did not intend to take the risk of his life, so before the other party could react, he decisively turned around and left.


    It was expected that the other party woulde after him, but what he did not expect was that only the green-skinned demon had followed him.


    ¡°Looks like I¡¯ve been underestimated.¡±


    A smile appeared on Lin Shen¡¯s face.


    ¡°But that¡¯s a good thing.¡±


    Being an aquatic creature, Wu Jing wasn¡¯t very good at flying. After riding the ck cloud for a long time, he was still unable to shorten the distance between himself and Lin Shen. He gradually became frustrated.


    ¡°Damned human cultivators. All they know is to run away!¡±


    Wu Jing cursed and hesitated.


    He hade with a mission this time, so he could not waste too much time on unrted matters. After all,pleting Lord Wu Luo¡¯s instructions was the most important thing, and he could not afford to make a mistake..

 Chapter 202 - 202: You Are in Trouble (2)

    Chapter 202: You Are in Trouble (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Thinking of this, Wu Jing red at the figure in front of him and nned to give up on the chase.


    But at this moment, he suddenly realized that Lin Shen had slowed down.


    Wu Jing thought that Lin Shen¡¯s spiritual essence was insufficient. When he saw this, he couldn¡¯t help but be overjoyed. He sped up and rushed over.


    In the blink of an eye, rolling ck clouds blocked Lin Shen¡¯s path. Wu Jing appeared from within with a cold smile on his face.


    ¡°You think you can get away from me?¡±


    II II


    Lin Shen was speechless. If he hadn¡¯t taken the initiative to slow down, this demon wouldn¡¯t have been able to stop him no matter what. How silly!


    He didn¡¯t n to waste his breath on this demon and immediately struck out with his sword.


    ¡°How can a kid at the third or fourth level of the Bright Aperture Stage be my match?!¡±


    Wu Jing sneered and waved the bronze hammer in his hand. He nned to show this kid the difference between their strength, but the next moment, his eyes suddenly widened.


    Lin Shen¡¯s figure suddenly blurred, and then he split into seven!


    In the blink of an eye, there were seven enemies in front of him!


    ¡°A clone spell?!¡±


    Wu Jing was shocked. He didn¡¯t expect the kid to know such a superior spell.


    However, he quickly suppressed the shock and regained hisposure.


    Most of the clones created by such spells only had 10 to 20% of the spellcaster¡¯s strength. The clones were rather weak inbats, so most of the time, they were used to disrupt the opponent¡¯s perception.


    Because of this, this spell was especially effective when one tried to escape.


    Unless one cultivated a spell that could see through illusions or had something like an illusion-breaking talisman, it was very difficult to distinguish one¡¯s true body with just one¡¯s perception.


    If one hesitated for a moment, their enemy might have already escaped.


    However, in a direct attack, the clone spell was much less useful.


    Wu Jing brandished his bronze hammer with a sinister smile, stirring up a surging ck hurricane that swept in all directions, and it charged at the seven ¡°Lin Shen¡± who were rushing over.


    This move didn¡¯t pose much of a threat to Lin Shen, but Wu Jing believed the weak clones wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it.


    Wu Jing thought he could tell who were the clones from the way they handled the attack.


    He secretly activated his spiritual essence. The moment he found which one was the real enemy, he wouldunch a lightning strike and severely injured his opponent in one go.


    However, what happened next far exceeded his expectations.


    All seven Lin Shen shone brightly with golden light at the same time, enveloping them with ayer of indestructible golden armor. They didn¡¯t dodge the ck wind that wasing at them and collided with it!


    The violent ck windnded on the golden-armored, but the effect was like a spring breeze brushing past one¡¯s face. It didn¡¯t even slow them down.


    The seven ¡°Lin Shen¡± broke through the ck wind without stopping. Their movements were exactly the same as they leaped forward.


    Seeing this, Wu Jing paled.


    How was that possible?


    The clones were actually as powerful as the spellcaster!


    Was it not a clone spell?


    Before Wu Jing could figure it out, the seven ¡°Lin Shen¡± had already attacked at the same time.


    Invisible sword energy, crimson palm, five suns, lightning chains¡­ Ferocious attacks that covered the sky instantly drowned him like a tide!


    BOOM!


    A dull thunderous roar burst forth from the sky!


    The rolling scorching waves carried the sword energy and spread in all directions, instantly turning a few demons who hade out of the water and were curious to see what was going on into ashes.


    The other demons nearby were frightened out of their wits when they saw this. They hurriedly fled.


    Even the aftermath of the battle was so powerful, so there was no need to mention Wu Jing¡¯s situation at the center of the attack.


    Swoosh!


    A figure broke through the airwaves and fled into the distance.


    Itwas Wu Jing!


    However, he was no longer as majestic as a moment ago. The profound armor on his body had long been broken, revealing the bloody flesh under it. There were even many charred spots.


    When experts fought, everything changed fast. Often, one would be defeated if they weren¡¯t careful.


    This was the case for Wu Jing.


    When he dealt with Lin Shen¡¯s clones as an ordinary clone spell, he was already destined to be defeated!


    He was caught off guard and suffered thebined attack of seven Bright Aperture experts. He was already doing a great job by being able to escape.


    The strong wind around Lin Shen surged, and he chased after Wu Jing.


    The six clones also caught up.


    When he turned around and saw this scene, Wu Jing had an iparably terrified expression on his ugly fish face.


    He had never felt more regretful.


    If he had known that this human brat was so powerful, he would never have chased after him alone!


    However, it was toote for regrets.


    Lin Shen was much faster than Wu Jing. In a moment, he had already caught up to the demon. He stabbed out with his finger, and two streaks of invisible sword energy instantly shot out like arrows, heading straight for the back of Wu Jing.


    At the same time, the six clones also used the Seven Arts Sword Energy.


    In the blink of an eye, the sword energy in the sky whistled and rushed forward like a storm.


    Wu Jing¡¯s expression changed drastically as he hurriedly waved his bronze hammer to block the attack.


    However, he could block four or five streaks of energy, but he couldn¡¯t block all fourteen of them.


    Before long, his shoulders, abdomen, and limbs were pierced by the energy, and he fell from the sky with a wail.


    Before he couldnd, another streak tore through the air like lightning and struck him between the brows.


    He was a thete phase of the Enlightening Stage, but he had only fought back a few times since the beginning of the battle before he was killed.


    Plop!


    The corpse fell heavily on the ground.


    Lin Shen ignored it and focused on sensing the his changes.


    The effect of Testify by Killing was triggered as expected!

 Chapter 203 - 203: You Are in Trouble (3)

    Chapter 203: You Are in Trouble (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Furthermore, it was the Seven Arts Sword Energy that was improved!


    The progress rose by 32%, and the Seven Arts Sword Energy reached 76% of the second level.


    ¡°As expected of ate-phase Enlightening Stage demon. The increase is twice as much as when I usually trigger the talent effect!¡± Lin Shen clicked his tongue in wonder.


    Strictly speaking, ate-phase Enlightening Stage demon was as powerful as a cultivator at the seventh to ninth levels of the Bright Aperture Stage.


    Lin Shen had surpassed at least four levels by killing Wu Jing. It was understandable that he had such a huge improvement.


    After searching the corpses of Wu Jing, Lin Shen didn¡¯t find many spoils of war. There were only two valuable items.


    One was the pair of bronze hammers, which was a low-grade enchanted armament.


    Although Lin Shen had no use for it, there was nock of disciples who used copper hammers in the academy. If he sold it, he could exchange it for a lot of merit points.


    The second item surprised Lin Shen. It was actually a low-grade essence stone.


    He had obtained essence stone fragments from the cat general in the past, but this was the first time he hade into contact with essence stones of a higher grade.


    ¡°Nice! This is good stuff!¡±


    A smile appeared on Lin Shen¡¯s face.


    The Merit Hall had a mission to collect essence stones.


    The reward for one low-grade essence stone was five medium merits.


    That was enough to exchange for a Nine Yang Talisman Sword!


    Of course, Lin Shen didn¡¯t intend to exchange the low-grade essence stone for five medium merits.


    After bing a cultivator master, he would need essence stones in many ces, including when he cultivated. At that time, he would probably feel that essence stones were far from enough.


    Using low-grade essence stones to exchange for merit points was a short-sighted act.


    After putting away the essence stone, Lin Shen used Meltdown to st the corpse into ashes. Then, he turned around and flew toward Mo Zhao¡¯s tribe.


    In the tribe.


    After arranging for his subordinates to clean up the corpses and carry the injured nsmen down for treatment, Mo Zhao returned to the stone house and waited for Wu Jing to return.


    Although there was an ident and his subordinates had suffered heavy losses, considering that Wu Jing had already personally gone hunting down the murderer, Mo Zhao felt much more relieved.


    To be honest, it wasn¡¯t a bad thing to lose more than half of his subordinates.


    After all, it wouldn¡¯t be long before he joined King Snakehead. He couldn¡¯t bring a bunch of weaklings over and make themugh at him.


    Taking this opportunity, he could eliminate some of the old and weak ones.


    Thinking of this, Mo Zhao felt much happier.


    However, the most important thing was his meeting with Lin Chong.


    Lin Chong had been going against him and fighting for the ownership of Green Reed Pond. Now, he finally had a chance to p Lin Chong¡¯s face. It was simply too satisfying!


    ¡°I hope he rejects Wu Jing¡¯s suggestion. That way, I can use Wu Jing to kill him!¡±


    Mo Zhao thought maliciously.


    Of course, it was just a thought. Mo Zhao didn¡¯t think that Lin Chong would be so stupid.


    However, even if Lin Chong agreed, he would be Mo Zhao¡¯s subordinate in the future. That idea made Mo Zhao even happier.


    After letting his imagination run wild for a while, Mo Zhao suddenly came back to his senses and looked outside.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t Wu Jing back yet? That human was just a cultivator at the third or fourth level of the Bright Aperture Stage. Why has it taken so long? Could Wu Jing have lost that kid?¡±


    For some reason, Mo Zhao suddenly felt uneasy.


    At this moment, there was amotion outside.


    Mo Zhao thought that Wu Jing had returned and felt relieved. He wanted to go out to greet Wu Jing, but he quickly realized that something was wrong.


    BOOM!


    The ceiling suddenly copsed and exploded. As gravel flew in all directions, a huge inkstone descended from the sky. It smashed toward Mo Zhao¡¯s head like a mountain!


    Mo Zhao¡¯s expression changed drastically.


    At the critical moment, he only had time to shout angrily and struck the half-moon steel fork in his hand upward. Countless ck water gushed out as the fork mmed into the inkstone!


    BOOM!


    As soon as they collided, the surging ck water instantly dissipated, and the inkstone continued to press down!


    ¡°A profound armament!¡±


    Mo Zhao was horrified. He didn¡¯t expect the enemy to have a profound armament-level Dharma treasure.


    In the next moment, ck Peak Inkstone smashed him and his weapon into the ground!


    Instantly, there was a loud bang, and dust rose everywhere.


    Above the stone house, Lin Shen raised his fingers. The ck Peak Inkstone immediately floated up and returned to his palm.


    The stone house had long disappeared and was reced by a huge pit.


    Meanwhile, Mo Zhao was lying in the middle of the pit, covered in wounds.


    His eyes were filled with shock and confusion when he saw Lin Shen.


    He could not understand. Didn¡¯t Wu Jing go after this person?


    Why was the kid here while Wu Jing was nowhere to be seen?


    Could it be¡­


    A terrifying thought suddenly shed through Mo Zhao¡¯s mind.


    Judging from the current situation, that was very likely the truth!


    Thinking of this, Mo Zhao was scared out of his wits and immediately begged for mercy.


    ¡°Master, please spare my life! Don¡¯t kill me!¡±


    Lin Shen was unmoved. He threw the ck Peak Inkstone and it expanded in the wind. It smashed down again with a domineering aura that could crush everything.


    BOOM!


    Mo Zhao was dead!


    All around him, the demons were already dumbfounded.


    It was only when Lin Shen turned to them that the demons snapped out of their daze and screamed as they fled in all directions.


    Lin Shen moved as fast as lightning, and in the blink of an eye, he killed all the demons.


    After this round of battle, another sword technique and a movement technique reached Perfection. They were all fused into the Nine Divine Sun Sword and the Cloud Dragon Rhythm, increasing their progress by 5% each.


    Killing Mo Zhao also triggered the talent effect, increasing his cultivation by 10%.


    After the battle ended, Lin Shen searched the entire tribe as usual. The result was simr to the previous tribe. The only valuable spoils of war were a pile of ck iron bones.


    ¡°It seems that the demon tribes on the periphery of the Great Swamp of the West are very poor.¡±


    Shaking his head, Lin Shen turned around and walked towards Green Reed Pond.


    On the way here, he nced at the Green Reed Pond. There were many Iron Bone Fish in the clear water. He could grab them and take out the ck Iron Bones.


    However, just as he walked out of the tribe, Lin Shen stopped in his tracks.


    More than ten meters away, a red fox was standing there.


    She had washed herself. There was less dirt and blood on her body, and her fur had be smooth and shiny, but Lin Shen still recognized that the red fox was the one he had met that night.


    The red fox looked past Lin Shen at the tribe behind him and suddenly spoke.


    ¡°You¡¯re in trouble..¡±

 Chapter 204 - 204: Incarnation (1)

    Chapter 204: Incarnation (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    The mist was like a veil, covering the surface of theke.


    A cool breeze blew past, causing this thin veil to slowly flow. Smoke rippled, creating a beautiful scene.


    Such a wonderful scene was rare.


    The Fog Ethereal Lake had lots of essence lotus flowers. This thing was born from the essence of theke water. It was very beneficial to the Water race. Ordinary aquatic creatures could gain intelligence and embark on the path of cultivation after eating it.


    On the other hand, spiritual beasts at the Spirit Awakening Stage that had already activated their intelligence could also elerate their transformation speed after consuming the flower, allowing them to break through to the Ascension Stage earlier.


    Because of this, the lotus was coveted by countless demons.


    Many demon tribes even collected essence lotuses wantonly to nurture their tribesmen.


    As for the Fog Ethereal Lake, which was rich in lotuses, it naturally became a treasurend that many demon tribespeted for.


    Almost every day, countless demons would fight to the death around theke.


    But today was very different.


    The usually noisyke was unusually quiet today.


    Not a single demon could be seen within a few kilometers of theke, let alone on the shore.


    And the reason for this was because of the majestic Flying Pce that hovered a thousand feet above theke!


    Compared to the Nine Suns Sect¡¯s exquisite and ssic Heaven¡¯s Pivot Flying Pce, the flying pce above theke had a more primitive and ferocious aura.


    However, that didn¡¯t mean that it was simple. The Flying Pce was also filled with carefully-designed things.


    At this moment.


    In the bright and spacious hall of the Flying Pce.


    Dozens of strange-looking demons sat cross-legged opposite each other.


    If there were human cultivators here, they would definitely be shocked.


    Although the demons all had fangs, scales, and hard skin, the shape of their bodies and limbs was very simr to humans.


    This meant that they were all in thete phase of the Enlightening Stage. They were only short of passing the Human Tribtion before they could shed their beast bodies and transform into human forms. From then on, they would embark on the path of cultivation.


    Any one of these demons was powerful enough to be the leader of a demon tribe elsewhere.


    However, in this ancient hall, they were all sitting upright with their heads lowered.


    The source of their obedience was a handsome young man with exquisite features sitting on the highest seat in the hall.


    The young man closed his eyes slightly and leaned against the recliner. He looked rxed andzy.


    If not for the ferocious demons in the hall, anyone would think that he was just an ordinary young man.


    The hall was silent, and the demon¡¯s eyes were focused on their posture. Just then, a faint cracking sound came from the corner.


    The demons suddenly raised their heads and looked in the direction of the noise. They saw that on a cab stand in a corner of the hall, a Life Spirit Talisman in the fourth row of the third column had shattered.


    Seeing this, many demons paled.


    ¡°Whose life talisman is it?¡±


    The young man asked leisurely from the seat of honor.


    A demon general at the front stepped forward and answered respectfully, ¡°My lord, it¡¯s Wu Jing¡¯s!¡±


    ¡°Which demon race is he in charge of?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Lin Chong and Mo Zhao from Green Reed Pond. Both of them are only at the middle phase of the Enlightening Stage!¡±


    After a pause, the demon general added,


    ¡°My lord, although Wu Jing isn¡¯t the most powerful one among us, two middle-phase Enlightening Stage demons couldn¡¯t have handled him either. Something must have happened!¡±


    The young man slowly opened his eyes. A bright light shed in his eyes, and the corners of his lips curled up slightly.


    ¡°We¡¯ll know if something went wrong when we go and take a look.¡±


    The demon general immediately cupped his hands and said, ¡°I¡¯ll ept the task!¡±


    The young man smiled faintly. ¡°No, I¡¯m going to make the trip myself.¡±


    The demon general was stunned, and so were the other demons.


    They wanted to stop him, but before they could speak, they were stopped by the youth.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already made up my mind. There¡¯s no need to say anything else. Besides, I¡¯m not really leaving the pce.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the demons suddenly remembered the young man¡¯s ability, so they shut their mouths and didn¡¯t say anything else.


    The young man smiled. He didn¡¯t make any movements, but an identical figure suddenly appeared out of the blud beside him.


    Apart from a slightly dazed expression and lifeless eyes, this figure¡¯s facial features, build, and demeanor were exactly the same as that of the young man. It was difficult to tell one from the other.


    ¡°Go.¡± The young man waved his hand.


    ¡°Wu Luo¡± nodded stiffly. He took a step forward and instantly disappeared like a phantom.


    ¡°You¡¯re in trouble.¡±


    The red fox spoke slowly.


    Her voice was clear and pleasant, like the sound of a mountain creek flowing.


    Lin Shen raised his eyebrows slightly. He wasn¡¯t all that surprised that the red fox could speak humannguage.


    He had already guessed that this red fox wasn¡¯t an ordinary demon.


    If ordinary fox demons appeared in the Great Swamp of the West, they would have long been captured and stewed by the ferocious Water race. How could they appear in front of him alive and kicking?


    The red fox was at least at the Enlightening Stage.


    Lin Shen¡¯s mind raced, but his expression remained unchanged. He asked, ¡°What trouble do I have?¡±


    ¡°Earlier, you killed Demon General Wu Jing, who was under themand of the King Snakehead, or Wu Li, the lord of the Mystic Stele Lake,¡± said the fox.


    Lin Shen narrowed his eyes.


    Did this scarlet fox see how he killed Wu Jing just now?


    However, Lin Shen immediately felt relieved.


    He was already at the Bright Aperture Stage now. Even if someone saw his clone, he could use his spells as an excuse. There was no need to guard his secret like before.


    ¡°The Mystical Stele Lake is more than 300 km away from here.¡±


    Lin Shen wasn¡¯t worried at all about the so-called King Snakehead.


    By the time Wu Li knew that his subordinates had been killed, Lin Shen would have already run far away.


    No matter how powerful Wu Li was, would he be able to find Lin Shen in the vast swamp?


    Perhaps he could, but he would definitely have to pay a considerable price..

 Chapter 205 - 205: Incarnation (2)

    Chapter 205: Incarnation (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    It was hard to imagine that a cultivator master would go that far for the sake of a mere Enlightening Stage demon.


    The red fox understood what Lin Shen meant and shook her head.


    ¡°Recently, Wu Li has been recruiting troops. For this reason, he has sent out a few generals to subdue the demons. At this moment, one of the generals, Wu Luo, is at the Fog Illumination Lake, which is less than 50 km away.¡±


    ¡°Based on how they did things before when Wu Jing is ordered to go out, he must have left a life talisman near Wu Luo. As soon as Wu Jing dies, Wu Luo will know. If I¡¯m not wrong, the subordinates sent by Wu Luo should be on the way here!¡±


    At this point, the red fox looked at Lin Shen and said gently,


    ¡°Therefore, you¡¯d better leave the Great Swamp of the West now!¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Shen felt his heart sink a little.


    He didn¡¯t suspect that the red fox was lying because there was no need for her to do that.


    In any case, it was better to believe her than not.


    If the red fox was lying, he wouldn¡¯t lose anything by leaving the Great Swamp a little early.


    If she was right, he would be able to avoid a cmity because of this.


    It was obvious which was more important!


    Lin Shen was also a decisive person. When he thought of this, he no longer hesitated. He immediately summoned the Giant-horned Deer and rode on its back.


    Before setting off, Lin Shen looked at the red fox and suddenly said,


    ¡°You¡¯re not a native demon of the Great Swamp of the West, are you?¡±


    The red fox admitted frankly, ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve been living in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range previously, but for some reason, I came to the swamp for the time being. I¡¯m nning to return now.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to give you a lift?¡±


    The red fox was stunned. It looked at Lin Shen, nodded, and jumped onto the back of the Giant-horned Deer.


    After the red fox sat down, Lin Shen immediately set off, rushing back the way he had entered the Great Swamp.


    It wasn¡¯t that Lin Shen didn¡¯t want to use the Riding Wind Technique, but it was only good at short-distance floating and moving. However, when it came to long-distance running, it really couldn¡¯tpare to the Giant-horned Deer that had been specially modified and nurtured for this.


    On the way, Lin Shen asked curiously,


    ¡°Why did you tell me this information? Was it just to repay me for that meal?¡±


    The red fox nodded slightly. ¡°I will repay the kindness. Grandmother taught me this since I was young.¡±


    Lin Shen looked at the red fox in surprise.


    On second thought, he realized although most of the demons were cruel and ruthless, there were some pure-hearted ones.


    For example, there was Ai and Sinking Moon.


    It didn¡¯t seem strange to have some fox demons who wanted to repay the kindness.


    Shaking his head, Lin Shen restrained his distracting thoughts and focused on his journey.


    In less than half an hour, the Giant-horned Deer had already run more than 30km.


    They were already halfway out of the swamp.


    At this moment, the red fox suddenly raised her head and looked at the sky behind Lin Shen. A serious look shed across her eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s here!¡±


    Even without her reminder, Lin Shen could already feel the pressure rapidly approaching from behind.


    It was a powerful pressure that made one¡¯s chest feel stuffy!


    It was as if a heavy rock had rolled down from his chest, making it difficult for him to breathe!


    A strong sense of danger surged from the depths of Lin Shen¡¯s heart!


    It was much stronger than when he faced Leng Guangting!


    The person who came was obviously not more powerful than an Enlightening Stage demon.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Wu Luo!¡±


    The red fox turned around and let out a low cry.


    ¡°He¡¯s actually here in person!¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    The generals guarding the Demon King were all demon cultivators!


    A demon cultivator had personallye out to hunt him down?


    Weren¡¯t they thinking too highly of him?


    But soon after, the red fox let out a low exmation.


    ¡°Wait, that¡¯s not right. This aura doesn¡¯t look like a cultivator master. Could it be one of Wu Luo¡¯s incarnations?¡±


    ¡°What incarnation?¡± Lin Shen hurriedly asked.


    ¡°Wu Luo¡¯s original form is a Hcluo Fish. It¡¯s a rare beast with ten bodies and one head. It¡¯s said that Wu Luo used a mystic technique to cultivate his other nine bodies into incarnations. Apart from using them to attack the enemy during battles, they can also be controlled from afar!¡±


    Lin Shen was shocked.


    Wasn¡¯t this simr to his clone?


    No, in terms of moving distance alone, it was even more powerful than his clone.


    After all, his clone couldn¡¯t even stay 5km away, let alone fifty!


    While he was amazed, Lin Shen heard the red fox say, ¡°However, I heard that these nine incarnations have just taken shape. Each of them only has 30% of his full strength.¡±


    Lin Shen immediately felt a little relieved.


    If Wu Luo really came over personally or his incarnation had the same strength as himself, Lin Shen could just lie down on the spot and wait for death. There was no need to waste his effort to escape!


    Even so, the current situation was far from satisfactory.


    A cultivator master was extremely powerful. Even if with 30% of his strength, Wu Luo was far from someone Lin Shen could fight head-on!


    What should he do?


    Lin Shen¡¯s thoughts raced as he frantically thought of countermeasures.


    At this moment, a barely noticeable sound came from behind, as if a breeze had blown over.


    Lin Shen instantly felt his hair stand on end. Without thinking, he reached out and picked up the red fox. Then, he rolled forward on the ground for about ten meters. He didn¡¯t even have time to breathe as he quickly stood up and stabilized himself.


    When he looked up, he happened to see the Giant-horned Deer being brushed by a ball of mist that was as dense as clouds and emitted a faint silver luster.


    Before it could even scream, the Giant-horned Deer¡¯s flesh and bones melted in an instant, disappearing without a trace.


    Seeing this scene, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but feel a chill run down his spine..

 Chapter 206 Incarnation (3)

    206 Incarnation (3)


    "Be careful. This is Sunflower Water spiritual essence. It can even turn low-grade enchanted armaments into nothingness once it makes contact!" The red fox reminded Lin Shen.


    Lin Shen''s expression became even more solemn.


    It could even melt a low-grade enchanted armament. Although the Cloud Suppression Robe on him was a superior-grade enchanted armament, it probably wouldn''t be able to withstand the Sunflower Water spiritual essence more than a few times.


    Without hesitation, Lin Shen used the Riding Wind Technique and pped a series of talismans that could increase speed onto his body. He turned into a blurry afterimage and fled into the distance.


    Regardless of the duration, with the support of the Riding Wind Technique and the talisman, Lin Shen''s current speed had already surpassed the Giant-horned Deer.


    Even so, he still looked very grave.


    As expected, not long after, the familiar sound of a breeze came from behind.


    Lin Shen nced back from the corner of his eye and saw a cloud of sunflower water spiritual essenceing towards him.


    He immediately dodged to the side, and the shadow of a cloud dragon appeared on his body. With the help of the Cloud Dragon Rhythm, he was as fast as lightning.


    However, although the sunflower water spiritual essence looked slow, it was extraordinarily fast. It turned a corner and continued to chase after Lin Shen.


    Seeing that he couldn''t dodge, Lin Shen made a prompt decision. He stabbed out with his fingers, and two streaks of Seven Arts Sword Energy pierced through the void like lightning, shooting toward the Sunflower Water spiritual essence. Then, he pped out with Meltdown!


    Swoosh!


    The Seven Arts Sword Energy, which could pierce through iron, disappeared instantly after hitting the Sunflower Water spiritual essence.


    The Sunflower Water spiritual essence rolled up slightly and melted the red palm into nothingness again, hitting Lin Shen without stopping!


    A golden light suddenly bloomed, and the shadow of the golden armor appeared.


    However, the Forbidden Golden Armor that had always resisted the enemy''s attacks in the past onlysted for less than a blink of an eye before it dimmed and disappeared.


    Immediately, anotheryer of cloud light appeared and enveloped Lin Shen''s entire body.


    After being weakened many times, the Sunflower Water spiritual essence was no longer as aggressive as before. After a moment of stalemate, it finally returned to nothing!


    Seeing this, Lin Shen couldn''t help but smile bitterly inwardly.


    The Seven Arts Sword Energy, Meltdown, Forbidden Golden Armor, and Cloud Suppression Robe barely blocked the enemy''s attack after weakening the attack with four means.


    Moreover, he could feel that the Cloud Suppression Robe had already been damaged.


    This was only a strike with 30% of a cultivator master''s strength, and the power was already terrifying!


    Indeed, cultivator masters were as frightening as they were said to be.


    Previously, Lin Shen had only heard about how powerful they were, but now, he finally understood.


    It waspletely different from the Bright Aperture Stage cultivators!


    "There''s no way I can fight this battle!" Lin Shen said bitterly.


    A stream of light approached from afar and stopped a hundred meters away from Lin Shen. When it revealed itself, it was a handsome youth.


    Wu Luo fixed his gaze on Lin Shen. Although his facial features were slightly sluggish, one could still tell that he was interested in Lin Shen.


    "Interesting. You''re only at the third level of the Bright Aperture Stage, but you managed to block a mouthful of Sunflower Water spiritual essence without any injuries. Even if it only has 30% of its power now, it was still very hard.


    "Judging from the martial technique you used just now, you''re from the Nine Suns Sect, right?"


    Although it was a question, he was very certain.


    Lin Shen admitted it frankly.


    Although both sides were enemies, he still showed the necessary respect for cultivators.


    Wu Luo had no intention of humiliating Lin Shen. Instead, he praised him.


    "The Nine Suns Sect is indeed worthy of being an orthodox sect that hassted for thousands of years. They do have a way of nurturing junior disciples. There are only a handful of juniors in the entire Great Swamp of the West who have such cultivation and martial arts attainments at such a young age!"


    "Unfortunately, I have no choice but to kill you today!


    "I won''t take advantage of you. As long as you can escape the Great Swamp of the West from this incarnation of mine, the matter of killing Wu Jing will be written off. I won''t find trouble with you for this matter in the future!"


    What else could Lin Shen say? He could only nod in agreement.


    "It''s a deal!"


    The moment he finished speaking, he was already a hundred meters away. He ran into the distance like a gust of wind.


    Wu Luo smiled indifferently and spat out two balls of Sunflower Water spiritual essence. In the blink of an eye, it was behind Lin Shen.


    Lin Shen had no choice but to turn around and fight back.


    He used Meltdown, Nine Divine Sun Sword, Seven Arts Sword Energy, and Palm Lightning. He even took out the only three purple talismans in his storage ring. He summoned three paper soldiers at the ninth level of the Long Breath Stage to face the Sunflower Water spiritual essence.


    Under the bombardment of all kinds of martial arts techniques, he finally managed to block two balls of Sunflower Water spiritual essence!


    However, the next moment, he opened his mouth and spat out three more mouthfuls of that spiritual essence.


    Lin Shen couldn''t help but curse inwardly. Was there no end to this?!


    It wasn''t that he didn''t want to summon his clones, but even if he did, he was still not Wu Luo''s match.


    His clones were his final trump card. If he still couldn''t escape his current predicament after using them, everything would be over.


    It was better to hide that skill first and use it at the critical moment. Perhaps it could have an unexpected effect.


    Just as Lin Shen was dealing with the Sunflower Water spiritual essence, he heard a familiar voice in his mind.


    "Lin Shen!"


    It was the voice of the red fox!


    Lin Shen''s heart skipped a beat as he nced around from the corner of his eye.


    After rolling down from the Giant-horned Deer, the red fox disappeared.


    Lin Shen had thought that it had already escaped, but it seemed that it was still hiding nearby.


    However, what puzzled them was that Wu Luo didn''t seem to have noticed the red fox.


    "I''m using a voice transmission technique tomunicate with you. Be careful not to let Wu Luo notice it."


    Lin Shen''s expression remained unchanged as he continued to focus on resisting the Sunflower Water spiritual essence.


    "I have a way to help you escape from the Great Swamp of the West. However, I need your help to attract Wu Luo''s attention. It''ll only be a second!"


    Lin Shen didn''t say anything. He didn''t know the technique and couldn''t respond, so he could only take action.


    In the next second, Lin Shen''s figure suddenly blurred, and in the blink of an eye, he split into seven. At the same time, he attacked with all his might, instantly shattering three balls of Sunflower Water spiritual essence. He then attacked Wu Luo.


    Crimson palm, invisible sword energy, zing white lightning¡­ Colorful attacks instantly covered the sky and earth as they surged toward Wu Luo!

 Chapter 207 - 207: Chess Piece and Chessboard (1)

    Chapter 207: Chess Piece and Chessboard (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    ¡°A clone spell?¡±


    The sudden change surprised Wu Luo.


    Then, his expression changed slightly.


    This was because he acutely sensed that the strength of these clones didn¡¯t decrease at all!


    After all, the ¡°Wu Luo¡± here was only an incarnation with 30% of his full strength. He could still deal with Lin Shen alone with ease, but he was no longer as calm as before when facing the seven ¡°Lin Shen¡±.


    With a serious look on his face, Wu Luo opened his mouth and spat out 18 mouthfuls of Sunflower Water spiritual essence. In an instant, clouds and mist surged around him, protecting him.


    The sword energy and lightning that attacked like a stormnded on the clouds and mist like a spring breeze, having no effect on Wu Luo.


    When the attacks dissipated, there were still two-thirds of the spiritual essence left in the eighteen balls of energy.


    Wu Luo, who was protected by the Sunflower Water spiritual essence, waspletely unharmed.


    However, when Wu Luo separated the spiritual essence, he was surprised to find that he was no longer where he was before. In front of him was a rolling rockynd and dense forest.


    There was no one around. Where was Lin Shen?


    Wu Luo¡¯s gaze froze. He released his spiritual consciousness, but when it spread to a radius of 100 meters, it was as if he had hit a solid wall and couldn¡¯t advance any further.


    ¡°An illusion!¡±


    After joining forces with his clone, Lin Shen suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder. He turned around and saw that it was a red fox.


    ¡°Quick! Let¡¯s leave now!¡± the red fox said anxiously.


    The situation was urgent, so Lin Shen didn¡¯t ask any more questions. He immediately turned around and left, not even having the time to see the results of his joint attack with his clones.


    After running for 20 to 30 kilometers, Lin Shen still didn¡¯t see Wu Luo chasing after him. Only then did he feel slightly relieved. He couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously,


    ¡°What did you do to Wu Luo?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just an illusion,¡± the red fox said. ¡°But it can¡¯t dy him for long. At most, in another fifteen minutes, he¡¯ll be able to break free of the illusion and continue chasing us!¡±


    Lin Shen was surprised.


    Although Wu Luo¡¯s incarnation only had 30% of his full strength, it was already much stronger than many ninth-level Bright Aperture cultivators.


    The red fox could actually use an illusion to trap Wu Luo¡¯s incarnation. She had to be rather powerful.


    It seemed that the red fox wasn¡¯t an ordinary Enlightening Stage demon!


    However, although he was surprised, Lin Shen didn¡¯t probe further.


    No matter what, the red fox had saved his life.


    After calming himself down, Lin Shen pped a few more talismans on his body and continued to speed up.


    Without the Giant-horned Deer, he could only keep using the Riding Wind Technique.


    Fortunately, he had brought a lot of Revival Pills with him before he set off, so he could still keep going.


    About ten minutester, Lin Shen could already see the boundary stone of the Great Swamp of the West on the horizon.


    As long as he passed that spot, he would have won the bet with Wu Luo!


    At this moment, Lin Shen¡¯s expression suddenly changed. He turned around and saw a cloud of water in the distance cutting through the sky like a meteor and rushing over.


    Itwas Wu Luo!


    Lin Shen¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he immediately summoned his clones.


    As soon as they appeared, the six clones immediately charged toward Wu Luo, while Lin Shen took the opportunity to speed up and rush toward the boundary stone.


    Wu Luo narrowed his eyes and raised his hand. A clone that had rushed to the front was instantly struck by lightning and flew back at a faster speed than when it came.


    Then, he stretched out his hand and pointed. A green light shot out in an instant. It circled around like a whirlwind. With a muffled bang, the five clones that surrounded him were sent flying.


    Wu Luo didn¡¯t even pause for a moment. He shot straight at Lin Shen like a stream of light, and in the blink of an eye, the distance between the two sides was reduced to less than 100 meters.


    Swoosh!


    With an air-piercing sound, the green light went straight for Lin Shen¡¯s back!


    At the critical moment, Lin Shen suddenly threw something backward.


    The air suddenly darkened. Amidst a dull whistling sound, a pitch-ck inkstone appeared at some point. At first, it was only the size of a palm, but in the blink of an eye, it expanded to a radius of dozens of feet. With an iparably domineering and violent aura, it crashed toward the green light! ng!


    It was like the sound of a bronze bell ringing!


    After the collision, the green light and the inkstone shook at the same time and retreated to their respective masters.


    Wu Luo waved his sleeve, and the green light disappeared. A hint of surprise shed in his eyes.


    ¡°A profound armament!¡±


    He didn¡¯t expect the young human cultivator in front of him to have a Dharma treasure.


    Could this person be a direct descendant of the Nine Suns Sect¡¯s influential ns?


    Wu Luo was puzzled, but he didn¡¯t continue to attack.


    Because of the dy just now, Lin Shen had already rushed past the boundary stone and walked out of the Great Swamp of the West.


    ording to the agreement, Wu Luo had lost this bet!


    Although he had lost the bet, Wu Luo didn¡¯t look angry at all. He narrowed his eyes and looked at the red fox on Lin Shen¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Why did the Haoshan Fox ne to the Great Swamp of the West instead of staying in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range?¡±


    The red fox jumped down from Lin Shen¡¯s shoulder and bent her limbs slightly as if she was bowing to Wu Luo.


    ¡°I¡¯ve offended you just now. Please forgive me. However, the bet didn¡¯t say that he couldn¡¯t find help, so my actions couldn¡¯t be considered a vition of the rules. I believe General Wu Luo won¡¯t hold it against us.¡±


    ¡°You fox demons are as cunning as ever.¡±


    Wu Luo casually waved his hand and said,


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m not interested in arguing with you. You¡¯ve won the bet, so we¡¯ll let the matter of killing Wu Jing rest. There¡¯s nothing toin about dying on the battlefield in a head-on battle. However, you, a fox demon, can¡¯t take another step into the Great Swamp of the West.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave now,¡± the red fox said gently.


    Wu Luo didn¡¯t say anything else. After giving Lin Shen a long look, he turned into a stream of light and left without looking back.


    Watching Wu Luo disappear into the horizon, Lin Shen heaved a sigh of relief..

 Chapter 208 - 208: Chess Piece and Chessboard (2)

    Chapter 208: Chess Piece and Chessboard (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    He was a little worried that Wu Luo would go back on his word. Fortunately, Wu Luo kept his promise and didn¡¯t continue to attack him.


    It was rumored that the most important thing for cultivators was karma. Once they made a promise, even without the restriction of the blood oath, they wouldn¡¯t dare to vite it easily. From the looks of it, it was most likely true.


    When he came back to his senses, Lin Shen looked at the red fox.


    As soon as he rxed, he realized that the light in the fox¡¯s eyes had dimmed a lot. The luster of its fur wasn¡¯t as bright as before, and it looked very tired.


    Clearly, it wasn¡¯t as easy to trap Wu Luo as it sounded.


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    The red fox shook her head, hesitated, and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about my background?¡±


    Lin Shen smiled. ¡°You¡¯re from the Fox Tribe, right?¡±


    Although Lin Shen had never heard of the Haoshan Fox, apart from the demons of the five demon tribes, there was clearly no one else who could make Wu Luo remember its name.


    ¡°You¡¯re indeed a smart young man!¡±


    Without knowing it, the red fox had also changed the way she addressed Lin Shen.


    ¡°Alright, stop ttering me. You probably need my help with something, right? Just say it.¡±


    In fact, Lin Shen had already guessed it.


    If it was just for the sake of a meal, the red fox would at most tell him information about Wu Luo. Why would she risk her life to help him escape from Wu Luo¡¯s pursuit?


    No matter how kind-hearted a demon was, they wouldn¡¯t sacrifice themselves for others.


    Therefore, Lin Shen guessed that the red fox most likely had something to ask of him.


    Hearing Lin Shen¡¯s words, the red fox was really surprised. A strange light shed in her eyes as she looked at him.


    She stopped being pretentious and spoke frankly.


    ¡°I do have something I need your help with!¡±


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Lin Shen said calmly.


    ¡°Two months ago, my n was attacked by a group of human cultivators. Many of my nsmen were captured alive. Only I managed to escape with a few of my nsmen.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you want me to help save your nsmen?¡± Lin Shen raised his eyebrows.


    The red fox stared at Lin Shen. The answer was obvious.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t reply immediately. He thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Do you know the identities of those attackers?¡±


    The fox nodded. ¡°They¡¯re from the Nine Suns Sect.¡±


    Lin Shen was speechless.


    ¡°You want me, a member of the Nine Suns Sect, to save some demons captured by the Nine Suns Sect? What a strange idea!¡±


    However, the red fox then exined,


    ¡°I¡¯m not making things difficult for you. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve captured a few people for interrogation. Although they came from the Nine Suns Sect, their actions weren¡¯t under the orders of the authorities. Instead, they were following orders of the heads of their n!¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s expression changed, and he said in a low voice, ¡°The attackers are from the Yan family, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    The red fox was stunned and asked curiously, ¡°That¡¯s indeed the case. How did you know?¡±


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t answer. His eyes flickered.


    As expected!


    In the past few months, there had been no news of the Nine Suns Sect targeting the Fox Tribe, but someone had attacked them.


    The Fox Tribe had always kept a low profile. They lived deep in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range all year round and only the Yan family carrying out a mission in the mountain range could attack the Fox Tribe without being discovered.


    However, why did the Yan family attack the Fox Tribe instead of repairing the White Tiger Mountain Cave Abode?


    Moreover, from what the red fox said, the Yan family had captured arge number of fox demons alive. What were they trying to do?


    The more Lin Shen thought about it, the more he felt that something was wrong.


    The Yan family was obviously plotting something!


    Lin Shen nced at the red fox and suddenly asked, ¡°Although the Fox Tribe is ranked at the bottom of the five great demonic tribes, you¡¯re still a powerful demonic tribe. How could you be so easily defeated by the Yan family?¡±


    The Yan family had already weakened, and their strength was only slightly better than the preeminent ns.


    Even if the five great families were still at their peak, they could forget about exterminating a demonic tribe by the force of a single family.


    The entire Nine Suns Sect had to go all out to exterminate the Tiger Tribe.


    Even if the Fox Tribe was inferior to the Tiger Tribe, it wasn¡¯t something that a mere Yan family could deal with.


    A human-like bitter smile shed through the fox¡¯s eyes when she heard this.


    ¡°Young Master, you might not know this, but our Fox Tribe is different from the Tiger Tribe, Python Tribe, and Bear Tribe. We never had any desire to fight for power. We only want to live in seclusion in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range. In order to better hide our whereabouts, 300 years ago, the Fox Tribe was divided into more than ten smaller tribes and found various ces to live. The Haoshan Fox is one of them.


    ¡°Our tribe only has about a thousand members and only three cultivator masters. In order to capture us, the Yan family sent seven to eight cultivator masters at once. We weren¡¯t their match at all!¡±


    Lin Shen was enlightened. He didn¡¯t expect there to hear such a secret.


    No wonder the Fox Tribe was the most secretive among the five great demonic tribes. It turned out that they were scattered.


    With a smaller target, it was naturally easier to hide.


    However, there was also a shoring. Once the nest was discovered by enemies with ill intentions, it would be much harder for the smaller tribe to resist an attack.


    The Haoshan Fox was an example.


    ¡°Why did the Yan family want to capture you?¡± Lin Shen then asked.


    The Yan family was currently in charge of repairing the White Tiger Cave Abode. They would definitely not run to the depths of the mountains to kill demons out of boredom. Furthermore, they had chosen a demon like the spirit fox that was difficult to locate, let alone capture alive!


    There must be some secret behind this!


    At the mention of this, the fox¡¯s expression suddenly became much more solemn.


    ¡°ording to my investigation, the Yan family must have discovered an underground spirit cave!¡±


    An underground spirit cave?


    Lin Shen was stunned.


    The so-called spirit cave could be seen as another form of Cave Abode..

 Chapter 209 - 209: Chess Piece and Chessboard (3)

    Chapter 209: Chess Piece and Chessboard (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Both of them had a high concentration of spiritual essence, and they were both secluded locations.


    The difference was that Cave Abodes often existed in alternate spaces with peaceful spiritual essence. Most of them didn¡¯t have living beings inside.


    Even if there was, the threat was negligible.


    Therefore, Cave Abodes were often transformed into ces like sects or academies by cultivator masters and mighty figures at a high price.


    However, the spirit cave was different.


    Most spirit caves existed in the form of caves and catbs, and spiritual essence was rtively active. Cultivators couldn¡¯t absorb it passively, so they had to absorb it voluntarily.


    Also, there were a lot of spiritual essence-induced creatures in spirit caves.


    These spirit monsters were hot-tempered and would attack all non-spirit monsters that entered the spirit cave.


    Because of that, spirit caves were often not feasible to modify.


    Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that the spirit cave was inferior to the Cave Abode.


    On the contrary, because of the active spiritual essence, it was easier for cultivators to absorb the spiritual essence in the spirit cave.


    The efficiency of cultivating in the spirit cave was several times higher than outside!


    Other than that, there was a lot of good stuff on the spirit monsters in the spirit cave.


    Therefore, most of the time, the spirit cave was used as a ce to train disciples.


    Not only could it increase the disciples¡¯bat ability, but it could also increase their cultivation efficiency. It was killing two birds with one stone.


    To any sect, the spirit cave was as important as the Cave Abode.


    In terms of importance, the spirit cave was even more important than the Profound Cottage and the Teaching Room, the two lower-grade Cave Abode!


    Lin Shen never expected that the Yan family would actually find an underground spirit cave.


    How did theye by it?


    Wait!


    Lin Shen suddenly thought of the war between the Nine Suns Sect and the Tiger Tribe not long ago.


    When the Yan family attacked the White Tiger Mountain, they ruthlessly killed all the demons there, causing a hugemotion in the sect.


    After that, the Yan family was even punished by the sect.


    Now that Lin Shen thought about it, the Yan family had probably found out about the existence of the underground spirit cave at that time. To keep this secret to themselves, they had simply killed all the demons on White Tiger Mountain!


    After that, they paid a huge price to obtain the White Tiger Mountain Cave Abode.


    On the surface, it looked like they were putting everything on the line and using the White Tiger Mountain Cave Abode as a way to revive the family in the future. In fact, it was to find a reasonable cover for them to open the underground spirit cave in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range!


    The Yan family¡¯s true target wasn¡¯t the White Tiger Mountain Cave Abode at all, but the underground spirit cave!


    ¡°No wonder the Yan family has to recruit people everywhere to collect materials. It turns out that most of their people are working in the underground spirit cave!¡±


    Lin Shen was enlightened.


    Now that he thought about it, it was obvious that there was a premeditated n behind all the strange actions of the Yan family!


    They actually wanted to hide it from the sect and take the underground spirit cave for themselves!


    Such actions were no different from betraying the sect. If the sect found out, they would definitely punish the Yan family!


    Lin Shen felt overwhelmed.


    That was too big a secret for him to keep.


    Once exposed, it would definitely cause a huge earthquake in the sect!


    As for him, a mere Bright Aperture Stage disciple, if he was implicated, he would be crushed into dust if he wasn¡¯t careful!


    ¡°Did the Yan family capture your nsmen alive to open the underground spirit cave?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    The red fox nodded.


    ¡°The opening of the underground spirit cave is a huge project. Following the prescribed order requires a lot of manpower and resources. The Nine Suns Sect would have been able to afford it. However, the Yan family doesn¡¯t have the strength. That¡¯s why they¡¯re using the blood sacrifice method!¡±


    ¡°Blood sacrifice?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an unorthodox technique that requires arge amount of the flesh and blood essence of cultivators or spirit beasts. If it¡¯s a cultivator master, the effect would be even better!¡±


    Lin Shen looked thoughtful.


    It seemed that the Tiger Tribe had gone around hunting human cultivators in order to use blood sacrifices to open the spirit cave underground.


    Now, it was the Yan family¡¯s turn.


    The Yan family naturally wouldn¡¯t attack the human cultivators, or they would definitely attract the attention of the three major sects in Dragonside City.


    As a result, the Fox Tribe, which was well-hidden and rarely paid attention to, naturally became the best target for blood sacrifice.


    ¡°Do you have any conclusive evidence to prove that the Yan family is secretly opening the underground spirit cave?¡± Lin Shen asked.


    The red fox hesitated for a moment before spitting out a bead.


    It was only the size of a longan. It waspletely green and emitted a terrifying sinister feeling.


    Upon closer inspection, one could even see a pale and frightened little person imprisoned in the bead.


    ¡°There¡¯s a Yan family disciple¡¯s primordial spirit imprisoned in this Imprisonment Bead. He¡¯s the son of an Elder of the Yan family and knows the entire incident.¡±


    Lin Shen gave the red fox a long look and didn¡¯t say anything. He then took the Imprisonment Bead.


    ¡°I can¡¯t promise you anything. I can only say I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    This was a serious matter, and Lin Shen wasn¡¯tpletely confident.


    Lin Shen wouldn¡¯t have gotten involved in such a matter, but he had a grudge against the Yan family. If the Yan n relied on the underground spirit cave to grow stronger, it would be extremely disadvantageous to his future development in the sect. Moreover, he needed to repay the red fox for saving his life.


    Anyone below the level of a cultivator master was an ant.


    Unless he became a cultivator master, he would always be an insignificant pawn in the sect.


    No matter how talented he was, it was the same.


    The Great Path was endless, and longevity was difficult to obtain. Many talented people had died on the path of cultivation.


    In the end, potential was only potential. Before it was transformed into true strength, it would always be an illusion.


    If a chess piece was recklessly involved in the game of chess, it would only be the first to be sacrificed!


    The fox understood this. She nodded, and there was gratitude in her eyes.


    ¡°Our tribe will remember your kindness. One day, we will definitely repay you!¡±


    Lin Shen waved his hand. ¡°You saved my life. You don¡¯t owe me anything.¡±


    After a pause, he continued, ¡°Even if the Yan family is exposed, your nsmen won¡¯t regain their freedom. Have you thought about this?¡±


    The red fox was silent. After a while, she said quietly, ¡°No matter what, only by staying alive can there be a chance. Even if we lose our freedom, it¡¯s better than bing a blood sacrifice.¡±


    Lin Shen nced at her and nodded without saying anything else..

 Chapter 210 - 210: Astonishing Everyone (1)

    Chapter 210: Astonishing Everyone (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Although Wu Luo had clearly stated that the matter of killing Wu Jing would be written off and that he would no longer find trouble with Lin Shen over this matter, Lin Shen still had no intention of entering the Great Swamp of the West. After separating from the red fox, he immediately returned to Dragonside City.


    Before parting, the red fox gave Lin Shen a talisman to contact her.


    As long as he entered the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range and injected spiritual essence into the talisman, she would be able to sense its location ande to meet Lin Shen.


    Lin Shen then learned the name of the red fox: Qiu Li.


    The Haoshan Foxes all took Qiu as their surname.


    After returning to the Nine Yang Academy, Lin Shen didn¡¯t have time to catch his breath. He found Yang Zhongyi and went straight to the point.


    ¡°Is there a way for me to meet Senior Brother Xie Jingsheng?¡±


    Yang Zhongyi was slightly stunned and asked in surprise, ¡°Why are you looking for Senior Brother Xie? Do you want to ask about challenging the upper house disciples?¡±


    ¡°It has nothing to do with this. I¡¯m looking for him for something else,¡± Lin Shen said vaguely.


    After all, this matter was very important. The fewer people who knew about it, the better.


    Seeing that Lin Shen was unwilling to say more, Yang Zhongyi didn¡¯t ask further. He patted his chest and agreed.


    ¡°It¡¯s a piece of cake. Wait for my news!¡±


    Yang Zhongyi was still very efficient.


    In the evening, Lin Shen met Xie Jingsheng as he wished.


    Although the upper and lower houses were both in the Nine Yang Academy, they were separated into different areas.


    Only the upper house disciples who held the corresponding token could enter the upper house.


    The density of spiritual essence in the residences of the upper house disciples far exceeded that of the lower house disciples.


    Even the ss-A Teaching Room where Heaven-rank disciples lived was far inferior.


    As soon as he stepped into the wooden building, Lin Shen immediately felt the spiritual energy in the air.


    As the spiritual essence washed over him, he immediately feltfortable inside and out.


    ¡°The spiritual essence is so rich!¡± Lin Shen eximed.


    He estimated that this residence had most likely reached the level of the Profound Cottage.


    Cultivating in such a ce with abundant spiritual essence, it was impossible for one¡¯s cultivation to slow down!


    Xie Jingsheng, who was walking side by side with Lin Shen, smiled and said, ¡°With Junior Brother Lin¡¯s ability, it won¡¯t be long before you can have a ce here.¡±


    Xie Jingsheng was sincere, but he was also amazed.


    He had never seen anyone making progress as fast as Lin Shen.


    In less than a year after entering the academy, Lin Shen had already reached the Bright Aperture Stage!


    Moreover, Xie Jingsheng heard that Lin Shen had already reported that he wanted to challenge Yan Jingren.


    If he really seeded, Lin Shen would undoubtedly be the person who used the shortest time to be an upper-house disciple since the establishment of the Nine Yang Academy!


    His aptitude was simply breathtaking!


    Except¡­


    Xie Jingsheng suddenly thought of something and reminded Lin Shen.


    ¡°Junior Brother Lin, I met Junior Brother Yan a few days ago. His cultivation seems to have improved a lot recently. You have to be careful during the disciple rank challenge in three months!¡±


    ¡°I might not be able to wait until then!¡±


    Lin Shen thought to himself. His expression turned solemn as he said in a low voice, ¡°I happen to have something rted to the Yan family that I want to tell Senior Brother Xie!¡±


    The two of them walked into the living room. Seeing Lin Shen¡¯s extremely serious expression, Xie Jingsheng was slightly stunned. He pointed at the coffee table in front of him.


    ¡°Junior Brother Lin, please sit down.¡±


    Lin Shen sat down and immediately started talking about the underground spirit cave.


    He didn¡¯t hide the source of the information and told Xie Jingsheng that it came from Qiu Li.


    Of course, he omitted the incident with Wu Luo.


    Hearing this, Xie Jingsheng was shocked and speechless for a long time.


    The Yan family wanted to keep the underground spirit cave for themselves behind the sect¡¯s back. That was a very big deal.


    Once the news spread, it would definitely cause a hugemotion in the sect!


    Xie Jingsheng was extremely sharp and immediately understood why Lin Shen had told him about this. He nodded solemnly.


    ¡°I understand what you mean. I¡¯ll go and see my Master now. Before that, please don¡¯t tell anyone!¡±


    ¡°I understand!¡±


    Lin Shen also nodded solemnly. He took out the Imprisonment Bead and handed it to Xie Jingsheng.


    This was a serious matter. Xie Jingsheng didn¡¯t dare to dy. He immediately stood up after receiving the Imprisonment Bead.


    ¡°Junior Brother Lin, excuse me!¡±


    As soon as he said that, Xie Jingsheng rushed out.


    Watching Xie Jingsheng hurrying off, Lin Shen secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    If he wanted to expose the Yan family¡¯s scheme, he had to get someone with enough authority to do it.


    As a disciple of the lower house, he definitely didn¡¯t have that power.


    Although Xie Jingsheng was a disciple of the upper house, he was also not important enough.


    Of all the people Lin Shen knew, only Si Yuanpei had that kind of influence.


    As a cultivator master and one of the heads of the lower house, Si Yuanpei had a high status even in the Nine Yang Sect.


    More importantly, he wasn¡¯t from an influential family and was even opposing them.


    If he knew what the Yan family had done in private, he would definitely not cover up for the Yan family, let alone let go of this great opportunity to weaken the power of the influential families!


    In this way, the Yan family would most likely not be able to escape the cmity!


    What was more, Lin Shen could hide in the background and didn¡¯t have to endure the uing storm!


    ¡°It¡¯ll be up to the higher-ups of the sect now.¡±


    After handing over the Imprisonment Bead, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t interfere with anything else.


    He didn¡¯t want to waste his energy on getting worried, so he simply threw this matter to the back of his mind.


    After leaving the upper house, Lin Shen went straight to the Merit Hall.


    After handing over all the ck iron bones he had obtained on this trip, he obtained a total of 18 medium merits.


    After that, Lin Shen went to the Exchange Hall and exchanged all his medium merits for Spirit Nourishing Pills.


    ¡°These Spirit Nourishing Pills should be enough for me to break through to the fifth level of the Bright Aperture Stage!¡±


    Looking at the 15 bottles of Spirit Nourishing Pills in his storage ring, Lin Shen grew excited..

 Chapter 211 - 211: Astonishing Everyone (2)

    Chapter 211: Astonishing Everyone (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    After feeling powerless when facing Wu Luo¡¯s incarnation, Lin Shen became even more eager for power.


    Only by bing a cultivator master as soon as possible could he have the ability to protect himself in this world.


    He would no longer be just a pawn on the chessboard but had the qualifications to dominate the chessboard and look down on everyone!


    After returning to the wooden building, Lin Shen went straight to the training room.


    He didn¡¯t start cultivating immediately. Instead, he summoned the interface and looked at thest column.


    [Number of clones: 6 (100%)]


    It had been a full 200 days since he started condensing his sixth clone.


    Today, the seventh clone was finallyplete!


    Taking a deep breath, Lin Shen calmed himself down and immediately summoned his seventh clone.


    A shadow separated from and materialized.


    In the blink of an eye, the seventh clone appeared in front of Lin Shen.


    [Clone 7]


    [Talent: Amaze the World]


    [Stage: Bright Aperture Level 3, 85%]


    [Current Cultivation: None]


    ¡°Amaze the World? What kind of talent is this?¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s curiosity was piqued, and he took a closer look.


    He didn¡¯t know how to react.


    [Amaze the World: Nurture vital essence with your body and your will. umtes essence and releases it in the next attack. The longer you umte it, the stronger the attack.]


    Lin Shen was taken by surprise.


    This talent was somewhat simr to a martial technique he had heard of called the Saber Nurturing Technique.


    This martial technique focused on nurturing the saber with one¡¯s will and essence so that the saber would be iparably sharp.


    Usually, the practitioner rarely made a move and constantly nurtured and umted his saber intent.


    It was only at the moment when they attacked that an earth-shattering power erupted!


    It was a very strange martial technique.


    The talent Amaze the World seemed to have the same effect as saber-nurturing.


    The longer it was nurtured, the stronger the attack would be when one attacked. It would shock everyone who was watching.


    Lin Shen hesitated.


    How should he put it? He didn¡¯t know how he felt about this talent.


    Amaze the World was useless for his cultivation. Be it cultivating martial techniques or the Nine Yang Scripture, it wouldn¡¯t help with anything.


    He had to go out to train from time to time and hunt spiritual beasts, and this talent wasn¡¯t suitable for that asion.


    However, on the other hand, this talent was very suitable to be used as a trump card.


    He could make his seventh clone focus on cultivating and not participate in battles to continue nurturing his essence.


    He would summon it at the critical moment to turn the situation around!


    The seventh clone with the talent of Amaze the World couldpletely be his killer move!


    Recalling the scene of being chased by Wu Luo¡¯s incarnation not long ago, Lin Shen finally made up his mind.


    It was time for him to have a true trump card!


    After making his decision, Lin Shen no longer hesitated and retracted his seventh clone.


    In the future, unless he encountered a very troublesome powerful enemy, his seventh clone could just stay in his mind and cultivate peace.


    After calming himself down, Lin Shen summoned his Superior Martial Arts clone and took out the treasures he had traded from Tao Zongbao¡¯s storage ring. He handed them all to him to consume.


    After Heaven¡¯s Jealousy¡¯s talent disappeared, this heavy responsibility could only fall on the Superior Martial Arts clone.


    As for the Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt clone, it was better not to waste its remaining lifespan.


    Taking out the Spirit Nurturing Pill, Lin Shen restrained his distracting thoughts and began to cultivate.


    Apart from breaking through to the fifth level of the Bright Aperture Stage, he also prepared to make some progress in Meltdown.


    Lin Shen had been looking forward to the martial arts stage after Path for a long time.


    He only needed to reach Perfection in seven more palm techniques, and Meltdown would break through to a higher stage!


    Deep in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range.


    In an inconspicuous mountain range.


    With a cry, a crane descended from the sky andnded in front of a huge cave in the mountain.


    Yan Jingren jumped down from its back. With a wave of his sleeve, he put away the crane and strode into the cave.


    Behind the cave entrance was a wide passageway that could amodate more than ten people at the same time.


    There were pearls embedded every four to five meters on both sides of the passage, and they emitted a gentle light that illuminated the entire passage as if it was daytime.


    There were two people guarding the entrance of the cave.


    Seeing Yan Jingren enter, the two of them immediately bowed and greeted him.


    ¡°Young Master!¡±


    Yan Jingren nodded indifferently and asked casually, ¡°Is my uncle here?¡±


    ¡°Elder Yan has been here for a while.¡±


    Hearing this, Yan Jingren immediately quickened his pace and walked in.


    After passing through a long passageway, Yan Jingren didn¡¯t walk for much longer before the view suddenly opened up. He had already arrived at a brightly lit catb.


    The catb was extremely spacious. It was in the shape of an inverted bowl, and there were traces of man-made excavation everywhere. Many ces at the edge were slightly rough. It was obvious that it had just been excavated and expanded not long ago.


    After entering the catb, Yan Jingren immediately looked at the cave in the middle.


    The cave was about twenty to thirty meters long, and it was abnormally deep inside. There were also faint howls that sounded like a violent wind, which was extremely terrifying.


    From afar, it looked like a beast¡¯s mouth that was waiting for an uninvited guest to barge in.


    Around the cave, there was ayer of white jade that looked like a well.


    Yan Jingren nced around and quickly found Yan Jinting standing near the periphery.


    ¡°Uncle Jinting!¡±


    Yan Jinting had long sensed Yan Jingren¡¯s arrival. He turned around and scanned with his spiritual consciousness. A smile immediately appeared on his face.


    ¡°Jingren, you broke through again?¡±


    Although it was a question, his tone was very firm.


    A smile appeared on Yan Jingren¡¯s face. He nodded and said, ¡°I just broke through to the fourth level of the Bright Aperture Stage three days ago.¡±


    He turned to look at the cave, and his eyes flickered with excitement.


    ¡°This spirit cave is indeed as amazing as the rumors say. I¡¯ve only cultivated in it for a month, but it¡¯s alreadyparable to three to four months of hard work in the past.. If I can cultivate in it for two to three years, I¡¯m 70% sure of bing a cultivator master!¡±

 Chapter 212 - 212: Amaze the World (3)

    Chapter 212: Amaze the World (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    It was extremely difficult to be a cultivator master.


    Many cultivators would never be able to break through this barrier in their entire lives!


    To have a 70% chance of bing a cultivator master was already an extremely high probability!


    Not to mention that it would only take him two to three years.


    Hearing this, the smile on Yan Jinting¡¯s face widened.


    In the entire family, Yan Jingren was his favorite junior member.


    This nephew of his was talented and had a calm temperament. He was someone who would achieve great things and had a limitless future!


    If nothing went wrong, Jan Jingren would most likely be the next head of the Yan family.


    Inparison, his other nephew, Yan Xing, was a disappointment.


    He was a descendant of a prestigious family, and the family had invested so many resources into him, but he was repeatedly defeated by amoner. It was really disappointing!


    Shaking his head, Yan Jinting returned his gaze to the cave.


    ¡°The spirit cave has yet to be fully opened, and its aura hasn¡¯tpletely calmed down yet. Amodating four to five people is already its limit. Furthermore, they need toe out in a month at most. Otherwise, the consequences will be unimaginable!¡±


    After reminding him, Yan Jinting changed the topic andforted him.


    ¡°However, this situation won¡¯tst for long. The captives of the Haoshan Fox n have already been transferred to the belly of the mountain. From tomorrow onward, they can carry out the blood sacrifices one after another. In at most three months, the spirit cave will bepletely opened!¡±


    Toward the end, even with Yan Jinting¡¯s cultivation as a cultivator master, he couldn¡¯t help but speak in excitement.


    This time, the Yan family had staked everything on this. They had practically gambled the fate of the entire family n just for this spirit cave in front of them.


    As long as they couldpletely control the spirit cave, the revival of the family was just around the corner!


    In at most ten years, the Yan family would recover its prosperity from a hundred years ago!


    They might even be on par with the three major families!


    In time, the Yan family would definitely be the most powerful family in Dragonside City!


    Thinking of this, Yan Jinting could not help but feel excited.


    The light in Yan Jingren¡¯s eyes burned brighter.


    At this moment, hurried footsteps interrupted their conversation.


    Yan Jingren looked back and saw Yan Xing walking out of the passageway in a hurry.


    ¡°Brother¡­¡±


    Yan Xing had just called out when he saw Yan Jinting standing beside Yan Jingren. His voice immediately weakened, and he subconsciously flinched a little.


    ¡°Uncle, you¡¯re here.¡±


    Yan Jinting nced at him indifferently and frowned imperceptibly.


    Yan Jingren knew that his uncle was dissatisfied with Yan Xing. Worried that he would scold the boy, he hurriedly said, ¡°What happened? Why do you look so anxious?¡±


    Only then did Yan Xing remember the serious matter at hand.


    ¡°Brother, I just returned from the Nine Yang Academy. 1 heard that Lin Shen has already reported to the upper house and is preparing to challenge you in the disciple rank challenge in three months. He¡¯s simply going too far!¡±


    Looking at Yan Xing¡¯s indignant expression, Yan Jingren couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    ¡°Lin Shen is a Heaven-rank disciple of the lower house and has already broken through to the Bright Aperture Stage. Isn¡¯t it normal for him to challenge the upper house disciples?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    Yan Xing¡¯s expression froze for a moment before he muttered,


    ¡°But Lin Shen didn¡¯t choose to challenge any other upper house disciples. It¡¯s obvious that he¡¯s after the Yan family. Aren¡¯t you angry?¡±


    Yan Jingren stared at Yan Xing and couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly.


    He had only been promoted to an upper house disciple for three months. To the others, he was the weakest of the upper house disciples. Anyone who wanted to challenge the upper house disciples would most likely choose him. That was very normal.


    Even if Lin Shen was really after him, so what?


    He just had to defeat Lin Shen fair and square!


    What was there to be anxious and angry about?


    Right now, the entire family was busy trying to open the spirit cave. They were risking their lives for the future of the family.


    As a direct descendant of the Yan family, Yan Xing ced his attention on an unrted person like Lin Shen and refused to let go of his past grudges.


    At best, it could be said that he didn¡¯t know the severity of the matter and couldn¡¯t see the big picture.


    To put it bluntly, he was short-sighted.


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Yan Jinting couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. He snorted coldly and left with a flick of his sleeve.


    ¡°Brother, uncle is¡­¡±


    Yan Xing had yet to realize his mistake. When he saw Yan Jinting leave angrily, he was at a loss.


    Yan Jingren sighed inwardly again, but he didn¡¯t let it show. Instead, he said calmly,


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about Lin Shen anymore. I know what to do.


    ¡°In addition, it¡¯s time for you to focus on cultivating. I¡¯ve helped you get a spot in the next group to enter the spirit cave. A month will be enough for your cultivation to increase by one or two levels. You must cherish this opportunity.¡±


    Hearing this, Yan Xing was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly.


    ¡°Yes, brother. I¡¯ll definitely cultivate diligently in the spirit cave!¡±


    He was already at the fifth level of the Long Breath Stage. If he could enter the spirit cave to cultivate for a month, he would have no problem advancing to the sixth level.


    If everything went smoothly, he might even break through to Level 7.


    If that were the case, in the disciple rank challenge three monthster, he would definitely be promoted to an Earth-rank disciple!


    Hearing Yan Xing¡¯s promise, Yan Jingren felt more at ease.


    ¡°Alright, cultivate well from now on. Don¡¯t pay attention to unimportant things.


    ¡°In three months, we¡¯ll return to the Nine Yang Academy together.¡±


    At such a time, they had to do things as usual and not to get anyone rmed.


    Therefore, on the disciple rank challenge day, they still had to return to the Nine Yang Academy.


    As for Lin Shen¡¯s challenge, Yan Jingren didn¡¯t take it to heart.


    With the spirit cave, he would have broken through to the fifth level of the Bright Aperture Stage three monthster.


    At that time, even people like Jiang Hao and Mu Chuanhua wouldn¡¯t be his match, let alone Lin Shen, who had just advanced to the Bright Aperture Stage.


    The most important thing now was topletely open the spirit cave as soon as possible..

 Chapter 213 - 213: Cleaning House (1)

    Chapter 213: Cleaning House (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Time flew by.


    Three monthster.


    In the training room.


    Lin Shen sat cross-legged on the ground with his eyes closed, his chest slowly heaving.


    After an unknown period of time, he suddenly opened his eyes. In an instant, as if lightning had shed, the entire training room suddenly lit up.


    ¡°I¡¯ve finally broken through¡­¡±


    Lin Shen heaved a long sigh of relief, unable to hide the joy on his face.


    His cultivation progress was even smoother than he had expected.


    Originally, he expected to advance to the fifth level of the Bright Aperture Stage. However, after three months, he had already reached the sixth level.


    He almost made a breakthrough each month, and that was incredible!


    However, what made Lin Shen even happier was that his Path-stage martial technique had finally broken through to a higher stage!


    Moreover, it didn¡¯t just happen to Meltdown. The Forbidden Golden Armor had also broken through at the same time!


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Analogy]


    [Stage: Bright Aperture Level 6,12%]


    [Cultivation techniques: Nine Yang Scripture (85% greater mastery), Meltdown (True Martial), Forbidden Golden Armor (True Martial), Cloud Dragon Rhythm (30% Path), Nine Divine Sun Sword (25% Path)¡­]


    [Spells: Seven Arts Sword Energy (Level 4, 23%), Palm Lightning (Level 4, 18%), Paper Man Movement Technique (Level 3, 45%), Fixation Curse (Level 3, 12%), Riding Wind Technique (Level 3, 45%), Water Mirror Technique (Level 1, 45%)]


    [Number of clones: 7 (18%)]


    True Martial!


    This was the martial arts stage after Path.


    ¡°Unfortunately, when I met Senior Brother Xie previously, I was only concerned about the spirit cave underground and forgot to ask him for guidance on True Martial techniques.¡±


    Lin Shen felt a little regretful.


    He immediately threw this to the back of his mind.


    Although he didn¡¯t know about True Martial techniques before, after reaching this stage, he had a certain understanding of its power.


    ¡°The power is at least four to five times that of a Path martial technique! Perhaps more!¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes shed with joy.


    He suddenly had the confidence that if he faced Wu Luo¡¯s incarnation again, with the True Martial Meltdown and Forbidden Golden Armor, he would definitely have the strength to fight his opponent this time. There was no need to escape in panic!


    ¡°If Path corresponds to the Bright Aperture Stage, then does True Martial correspond to the cultivator master stage?¡±


    Lin Shen was a little uncertain. After all, he had yet to verify the power of a True Martial technique in actualbat.


    He didn¡¯t dare to use it in the training room.


    Thest time he tested the power of Path-stage Meltdown, he almost destroyed the training room.


    The training room would definitely not be able to withstand the power of a True Martial technique.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go to the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range tomorrow to try it on a spiritual beast!¡±


    Lin Shen had a n in mind and looked at the interface.


    After advancing to True Martial, there was no progress bar after the martial technique. Clearly, True Martial was the highest stage.


    This made him feel slightly regretful.


    It would be great if he could keep improving.


    Apart from the True Martial techniques, his spell techniques had also improved to varying degrees.


    The Seven Arts Sword Energy had reached the fourth level, and he could already release four streaks of sword energy at the same time.


    The Lightning Palm and Paper Man Movement Technique had also reached the fourth level.


    ording to the description in the secret manual, these two spells could only reach the fifth level at most.


    In other words, the two spells were only one step away from perfection.


    As for the other three spells, Lin Shen didn¡¯t put much effort into them, so the improvement wasn¡¯t much.


    At first, Lin Shen wanted to focus on cultivating the Riding Wind Technique.


    After all, being chased by Wu Luo¡¯s incarnation made him realize the importance of escape techniques.


    However, on second thought, he realized that after the Cloud Dragon Rhythm reached True Martial, its speed would definitely be much higher than the Riding Wind Technique.


    Even if he cultivated the Riding Wind Technique at the fifth level, it would be much slower.


    There was no need to spend too much time on the Riding Wind Technique.


    This spell was mostly used to float in the air, making it easier for Lin Shen to cross some terrain when he was training in the wild.


    Moreover, perhaps after reaching True Martial, the Cloud Dragon Rhythm could also have the ability to fly like the Riding Wind Technique.


    ¡°No matter what, I have to reach True Martial in the Cloud Dragon Rhythm. As for the Riding Wind Technique, I¡¯ll decide after that!¡±


    With a n in mind, Lin Shen turned his attention back to the interface.


    After three months, the progress of condensing the eighth clone had already reached 18%.


    The average speed was 1% every five days.


    At this rate, it would take a full 500 days for the eighth clone toplete.


    ¡°More than a year¡­¡±


    Lin Shen pondered for a moment.


    As the number of clones increased, it took more and more time to condense the new ones.


    At this rate, it would probably take three to four years to condense the ninth clone.


    However, on second thought, as his strength increased, especially after bing a cultivator master, he would no longer need to eat or rest. The time he spent in seclusion would probably be calcted by years.


    From the looks of it, three to four years didn¡¯t seem all that long.


    ¡°Forget it. Seven clones are enough for now!¡±


    Sensing the clones cultivating in his mind, Lin Shen smiled.


    With seven clones and various talents, his cultivation speed was ten to twenty times that of ordinary cultivators!


    Cultivating for a month was equivalent to a year or two of hard work for others!


    It far exceeded the so-called geniuses


    ¡°At the sixth level of the Bright Aperture Stage and with True Martial techniques, spells, and talent, ordinary ninth-level Bright Aperture cultivators are no longer my match!¡±


    Lin Shen was overwhelmed with emotions.


    Compared to three months ago, his strength had improved by leaps and bounds.


    He was as powerful as someone at the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage.


    If he included his clones¡­ With eight ninth-level Bright Aperture cultivators working together and using an array formation, Lin Shen was confident that he could defeat even Wu Luo¡¯s incarnation!


    After a long while, Lin Shen finally calmed down.


    He stood up and left the training room. He was perplexed when he went outside and looked in the direction of the square..

 Chapter 214 - 214: Cleaning House (2)

    Chapter 214: Cleaning House (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Three months passed, but the sect didn¡¯t take any action. Be it the Nine Suns Sect or the Nine Yang Academy, everything was as peaceful as ever.


    ¡°What are the high-ranking officials of the sect thinking?¡±


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t believe that Xie Jingsheng hadn¡¯t reported the news to Si Yuanpei. It was unlikely that thetter wouldn¡¯t report it to the sect either.


    The peaceful situation was more likely because the officials of the sect were waiting for something.


    Suppressing his doubts, Lin Shen walked towards the square.


    Today was the disciple rank challenge day which happened once every three months.


    When Lin Shen arrived at the square, he saw that it was already crowded. The atmosphere was abnormally lively.


    After some effort, Lin Shen found Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian in the crowd.


    Both of them looked travel-worn, clearly having just returned from the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range.


    Lin Shen¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and a thoughtful look shed across his eyes.


    At this moment, Yang Zhongyi also noticed Lin Shen and walked over with a smile.


    ¡°I thought that you had lost track of time while cultivating in seclusion. 1 was going to look for you.¡±


    ¡°Have all the disciples returned from the White Tiger Mountain?¡± Lin Shen suddenly asked.


    ¡°Of course, today is the disciple rank challenge.¡±


    Yang Zhongyi looked at Lin Shen strangely, wondering why he would ask such an obvious question.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t mind his reply. He looked around and soon found Yan Xing in the crowd.


    Unexpectedly, Yan Jingren was also there.


    Normally, the upper house disciples wouldn¡¯te to watch the lower house disciples¡¯ challenge. They would usually only appear two dayster when the upper house disciples were challenged.


    Because of this, Yan Jingren attracted many strange gazes.


    However, everyone knew that Lin Shen wanted to challenge Yan Jingren. Most people thought that Yan Jingren had returned to the academy early because of this.


    After figuring this out, many people immediately darted back and forth between Lin Shen and Yan Jingren as they pointed excitedly.


    ¡°How is it, Lin? Are you confident in the challenge in two days?¡± Yang Zhongyi leaned closer and asked in a low voice.


    Su Nian also looked at Lin Shen inquisitively.


    Although the two of them believed in Lin Shen¡¯s strength and talent, his opponent was a disciple of the upper house after all. Furthermore, he was Yan Jingren, who was also famous for his talent in the academy. No matter what, they were still a little worried.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Lin Shen smiled faintly and didn¡¯t say anything else.


    Seeing Yan Jingren here, he had a vague feeling that the disciple rank challenge today might not take ce.


    Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian looked at each other in confusion. They felt that Lin Shen¡¯s behavior was a little strange.


    However, they only thought that Lin Shen was like this because of the challenge two dayster, so they didn¡¯t press him.


    At this moment, there was amotion in the crowd.


    Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian turned around and were stunned.


    A group of people strode into the square. Wherever they passed, the crowd parted like seawater, clearing a path.


    Looking over, they saw the person in the lead was tall and ordinary-looking, but he had a dignified aura. He was the leader of the ten disciples of the upper house, Shen Zening!


    Behind him were eight young men and women with extraordinary bearings.


    Xie Jingsheng, Mu Chuanhua, Jiang Hao¡­ All of them were upper-house disciples.


    Together with Yan Jingren, who was already in the square, all the ten disciples of the upper house were present.


    ¡°It¡¯s Senior Brother Shen!¡±


    ¡°Senior Brother Xie, Senior Brother Mu, and the others are here too!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the asion? Why are all the upper house disciples here?¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    The crowd discussed animatedly, and many disciples looked stunned.


    Even on the day of the upper house challenge, the top ten disciples might not all appear, let alone today, which was only the day of the lower house challenge.


    What was going on?


    Many people looked at each other, feeling that something was amiss.


    In a corner of the square, Yan Xing was surprised to see Shen Zening and the others.


    ¡°Brother, why are Shen Zening and the others here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Yan Xing was stunned. He turned to look at Yan Jingren and realized that his brother¡¯s expression had be extremely solemn.


    He soon realized something was off.


    The upper house disciples must have something unusual to do here today.


    Yan Jingren was also one of the top ten disciples of the upper house, but he waspletely unaware of the asion and was clearly excluded. This was undoubtedly a very bad sign.


    Yan Xing started to panic when he thought of this.


    With Shen Zening in the lead, the nine upper house disciples stood in front of the crowd and looked around.


    The square immediately fell silent.


    Everyone stared at the upper house disciples, waiting for them to exin the reason for showing up here today.


    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Shen Zening took a step forward and said loudly,


    ¡°We¡¯re here today on the orders of the archimandrite to read the sect¡¯s decree!¡±


    As soon as he said this, the disciples were all astonished, but they didn¡¯t dare to interrupt Shen Zening and only listened attentively.


    In the next moment, Shen Zening took out a decree and threw it into the air.


    In an instant, a green light appeared. The decree hovered in the air, and the figure of an old man in a Daoist robe slowly appeared on it.


    Disciples with sharp eyes immediately recognized that it was the Disciplinary Elder of the Nine Suns Sect.


    The old man spoke slowly, his deep voice spreading throughout the entire square.


    ¡°The Yan family has disregarded the gratitude of the sect and intends to annex the spirit cave under the White Tiger Mountain. It¡¯s equivalent to betraying the sect. Their crimes must be punished. Today, ording to the Sect Master¡¯s decree, we will clean up the sect and destroy the Yan family!¡±


    Traitors! The sect was cleaning house!


    As soon as he said this, the entire square fell silent. One could even hear a pin drop on the ground.


    Countless shocked gazes turned to members of the Yan family..

 Chapter 215 - 215: Cleaning House (3)

    Chapter 215: Cleaning House (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Yan Jingren¡¯s expression had already changed drastically.


    Yan Xing¡¯s face was pale, and his legs were trembling.


    After being stunned for a few seconds, he suddenly screamed, ¡°nder! This is all nder! The Yan family didn¡¯t betray the sect!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Zening¡¯s gaze shot over like a sharp sword as he spoke in a solemn voice.


    ¡°Since the decree has been issued, there must be conclusive evidence. At this point, there¡¯s no room for you to quibble!¡±


    As if to confirm Shen Zening¡¯s words, more than ten streams of light suddenly rose from afar. After pausing in the air for a moment, they rushed toward the entrance of the academy like meteors.


    ¡°The archimandrite, the various institute heads, and the tutor have already set off for the White Tiger Mountain. Together with the cultivator masters of the sect, they will exterminate the Yan family.¡±


    Shen Zening looked at the pale-faced Yan family members who had despair in their eyes.


    ¡°Surrender!¡±


    There were more than twenty Yan family disciples present. At this moment, they were all gathered together.


    Including Yan Xing, these disciples had all turned ghastly pale.


    Not all of them knew about the spirit cave. When they heard it from Shen Zening, apart from being shocked, many people were also at a loss.


    Yan Jingren nced at the expressionless and sharp-eyed upper house disciples, then at the ashen-faced Yan family disciples. He sighed inwardly and understood that the situation was hopeless. He couldn¡¯t help but feel dejected.


    They had paid such a huge price, but now, they failed and ended up in such a state.


    The officials of the sect had clearly reached a consensus to destroy their Yan family.


    With the strength of the Yan family alone, it was impossible to resist the colossus of the sect.


    The Yan family¡¯s demise was a foregone conclusion!


    However, Yan Jingren couldn¡¯t figure out what went wrong.


    However, it was useless to figure that out now. Yan Jingren knew that even if he asked Shen Zening, thetter wouldn¡¯t tell him. He might as well not waste his effort.


    However, he wouldn¡¯t surrender without putting up a fight.


    Taking a deep breath, Yan Jingren suddenly took out a sword. He looked at Shen Zening and expressed his attitude with his actions.


    . when he saw this.


    ¡°The archimandrite has decreed that anyone who kills Yan Jingren will receive three Golden Essence Pills!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the square changed.


    The disciples looked at Yan Jingren with eager eyes.


    That was the Golden Marrow Pill!


    It was a precious pill that could allow one toprehend the cultivator master stage in advance and could greatly increase one¡¯s cultivation efficiency!


    If the value of the Golden Essence Pill was calcted using merit points, it would be worth at least a hundred medium merits!


    Of course, no one would be willing to sell the Golden Marrow Pill.


    However, when they came back to their senses, most of the disciples looked rather regretful.


    Yan Jingren was at the Bright Aperture Stage. Only disciples at that stage could deal with him. The Long Breath Stage disciples could forget about it.


    Yan Jingren¡¯s expression darkened when he heard what Shen Zening said.


    It was obvious that the Nine Yang Academy had already sealed the gate. The Yan family members in the academy were like birds in a cage. There was no hope of escaping.


    Even if the academy wasn¡¯t sealed off, their chances of escaping were still very slim.


    There were nine upper-house disciples and hundreds of lower house disciples. Unless Yan Jingren became a cultivator master on the spot, it was impossible for him to break out.


    Under such circumstances, the archimandrite still issued such a decree. He was clearly preparing to use Yan Jingren to train his disciples!


    Yan Jingren took a deep breath and suppressed the anger in his heart. He regained hisposure.


    Since he couldn¡¯t escape, he could only fight!


    Perhaps he could drag someone down with him before he died!


    Seeing the change in Yan Jingren¡¯s expression, Shen Zening asked in a solemn voice,


    ¡°Which junior brother wants to take the challenge?¡±


    As soon as he said this, the eyes of the upper house disciples flickered.


    Even for the upper house disciples like them, the temptation of the Golden Marrow Pill was very great.


    Not to mention that there were three of them!


    Everyone wanted to get this reward.


    However, they had to think carefully when their opponent was Yan Jingren.


    Yan Jingren was already at the third level of the Bright Aperture Stage half a year ago. Now that half a year had passed and he had the help of the spirit cave, his strength had probably increased greatly.


    Furthermore, he was a cornered beast in this battle. He would definitely give it his all. If they weren¡¯t careful, not only would they not be able to kill Yan Jingren, but they would also suffer a huge loss. They had to consider it carefully.


    As for joining forces¡­ Their opponent was already cornered. It would be such a humiliation if they had to fight him together.


    Moreover, who would be willing to share the Golden Marrow Pills with others?


    Seeing that the upper house disciples were silent and hesitant, Yan Jingren couldn¡¯t help but mock them.


    ¡°What, no one dares toe up and fight me?¡±


    The disciples of the upper house were all proud and arrogant. How could they tolerate the ridicule of Yan Jingren, who was about to die? They were all enraged.


    Someone immediately stepped out from the crowd and snorted.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be arrogant about? Yan Jingren, let me fight you!¡±


    It was Jiang Hao.


    Jiang Hao had oncepeted with Xie Jingsheng for the Golden Essence Pill. Unfortunately, he was defeated in the end and missed the opportunity to obtain the pill.


    Because of this, he was obsessed with obtaining the Golden Marrow Pill. He had long been eager for the rewards of the three Golden Marrow Pills. However, he felt that Yan Jingren was quite powerful and wasn¡¯t confident that he could win. He wanted to wait for a moment and let the others test Yan Jingren¡¯s strength before taking action.


    Who would have thought that Yan Jingren would be so arrogant and mock them so tantly?


    How could Jiang Hao endure this? He stopped hesitating and stepped forward.


    ¡°The Yan family has just obtained the underground spirit cave. Even if Yan Jingren can enter it to cultivate, it wouldn¡¯t have been long. No matter how big his improvement is, it¡¯ll be limited. I entered the upper house a year earlier than him. I don¡¯t believe I can¡¯t defeat this guy!¡±


    As his thoughts raced, Jiang Hao calmed down a little. With a flip of his wrist, a Nine Yang Talisman Sword appeared out of thin air in his palm. The cold tip of the sword was pointed at Yan Jingren.


    ¡°Today, 1¡¯11 let you have a taste of my Nine Divine Sun Sword!¡±


    Yan Jingren narrowed his eyes and revealed a cold smile.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait.¡±


    The moment he said thest word, Yan Jingren had already stabbed out with his sword and shot toward Jiang Hao like a bolt of lightning.


    Thetter smiled coldly and charged forward fearlessly.


    In the blink of an eye, they were engaged in a fierce battle!

 Chapter 216 - 216: Belated Challenge (1)

    Chapter 216: Bted Challenge (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    The violent airwaves swept in all directions with sharp sword energy. The surrounding people immediately fell back to avoid being identally injured.


    Looking at the surging waves in the center of the square and the sword energy shooting in all directions, Yang Zhongyi was speechless.


    ¡°The disciples of the upper house are indeed powerful!¡±


    Su Nian nodded in agreement, his gaze fixed on the battle on the field.


    The other disciples were also watching intently.


    It was rare for the disciples of the upper house to fight.


    Even if it was a disciple rank challenge, not everyone would challenge the upper house disciples every time.


    Moreover, the battle was different from ordinarypetitions. It was a true life-and-death battle!


    If they could learn something from it, it would be a considerable gain for them.


    In the crowd, Lin Shen watched with flickering eyes.


    He was the calmest among the lower house disciples.


    After all, he had already expected this to happen.


    However, it was a little unexpected that the sect would suddenly attack three monthster.


    However, Lin Shen already had a vague idea of why this was the case.


    After taking over the White Tiger Mountain Cave Abode, the Yan family issued a recruitment mission through the Nine Yang Academy thatsted for more than half a year.


    During this period, arge number of disciples surged into the White Tiger Mountain.


    If the sect wanted to exterminate the Yan family, they needed to figure out how to avoid implicating these disciples.


    If they simply asked the disciples in the White Tiger Mountain to return, they might alert the enemy.


    That was why the higher-ups of the sect had specially chosen the day or the rank challenge.


    After all, on this day, all the disciples would return to the Nine Yang Academy. There was no need to worry that the Yan family would be suspicious.


    However, Lin Shen vaguely felt that this might not be the only reason.


    Three months was still a little too long. Many things could happen. The higher-ups of the sect should have thought about that.


    With the temperament and actions of those high and mighty officials of the sect, would they be willing to dy the action and take the risk of being detected by the Yan family just for the safety of a group of disciples?


    The answer was obviously debatable!


    Lin Shen was more inclined toward the higher-ups of the sect having other considerations.


    If he wanted it to sound like a conspiracy, he would guess they had dyed the action because they only wanted to take everything after the Yan family opened the underground spirit cave.


    In this way, not only could they eliminate the traitors, but they could also obtain apletely open spirit cave, killing two birds with one stone!


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then the Yan family has been used by the sect, who will make sure that the Yan family has nothing left!¡±


    Lin Shen clicked his tongue.


    However, this was only a spection.


    Moreover, even if it was true, it had nothing to do with him.


    He would only be happy about what happened to the Yan family¡¯s and wouldn¡¯t pity them at all.


    While Lin Shen¡¯s thoughts were racing, the battle became even more fierce.


    Both parties in the battle were at the Bright Aperture Stage and were good at using swords. As they shed, the sound of swords rang incessantly. Sword energy attacked in all directions, and the temperature dropped. asionally, there were spells like Lightning Palm. It was qutie intimidating.


    In just a short moment, the area within 500 meters of the battlefield had turned into ruins. The stone bs were shattered, and everything was in a mess.


    The spectating disciples fell back again and again until they were almost at the edge of the square.


    Many disciples were secretly speechless. They were shocked by the strength of Yan Jingren and Jiang Hao.


    The upper house disciples remained where they were, unaffected by the aftershocks of the battle.


    Compared to the disciples of the lower house, they had a clearer view of the situation on the battlefield. Their expressions were solemn.


    ¡°From the looks of it, Yan Jingren has most likely broken through to the fifth level of the Bright Aperture Stage. Jiang Hao isn¡¯t his match!¡± Xie Jingsheng frowned.


    Mu Chuanhua couldn¡¯t help but look surprised. ¡°The spirit cave is that powerful? Yan Jingren was only at the third level half a year ago, but he broke through two levels in such a short time!¡±


    The expressions of the other upper house disciples changed when they heard this, and they looked excited.


    If they could also enter the spirit cave to cultivate, wouldn¡¯t their cultivation advance quickly like Yan Jingren?


    BOOM!


    A thunderous roar came from the arena!


    Two zing white lightning bolts were annihted by the collision. As the air waves surged in the sky, Jiang Hao retreated seven to eight meters before he could stop himself. He looked at Yan Jingren in shock.


    He never expected that Yan Jingren¡¯s cultivation level would increase so quickly in just a few months. He had also reached the fifth level of the Bright Aperture Stage!


    Without a higher cultivation level, Jiang Hao no longer had the confidence to defeat Yan Jingren with just his martial techniques.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Jiang Hao¡¯s expression was gloomy.


    He wanted to retreat, but he had just boasted that he wanted Yan Jingren to see how powerful he was. If he retreated like this, what prestige would he have in the academy in the future?


    Thinking of this, Jiang Hao made up his mind.


    ¡°Forget it. If I can get three Golden Marrow Pills, it¡¯ll be enough to make up for my losses!¡±


    The battle was urgent. After making up his mind, Jiang Hao no longer hesitated. He decisively took out a medicinal pill and swallowed it.


    Xie Jingsheng and the others had sharp eyes. When they saw the pill that Jiang Hao had swallowed, they were surprised.


    ¡°zing Blood Pill!¡±


    That spiritual essence wasn¡¯t divided into the Five Elements and Yin-Yang attributes.


    Only when using martial techniques or spells would different attributes be disyed.


    However, some special pills could allow spiritual essence to temporarily possess a certain attribute.


    The zing Blood Pill was one of such special pills.


    Half an hour after consuming the pill, the spiritual essence of the user would temporarily transform into Yang-type spiritual essence. The power of any Yang-type martial technique or spell would greatly increase!


    In a life and death battle, if the timing was right, the pill could be a trump card that could turn the situation around!

 Chapter 217 - 217: Belated Challenge (2)

    Chapter 217: Bted Challenge (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Because of this, the zing Blood Pill was popr among many cultivators.


    However, it wasn¡¯t easy to make the zing Blood Pill. In terms of its value, it was as precious as the Golden Marrow Pill, if not better.


    It wasn¡¯t easy for even the upper house disciples to obtain one.


    It was obvious that this pill was one of Jiang Hao¡¯s life-saving trump cards.


    By using it, Jiang Hao had already started to risk his life and was determined to kill Yan Jingren.


    After consuming the Fierce Blood Pill, Jiang Hao¡¯s skin immediately became red. Wisps of white smoke emitted from his body, and he suddenly had a fierce aura!


    ¡°Again!¡±


    Sensing the vigorous Yang attribute spiritual essence in his body, Jiang Hao felt much more confident. He shouted and attacked Yan Jingren again, using his best martial technique.


    In an instant, five bright red balls of light appeared and swept toward Yan Jingren with countless sharp sword intent!


    ¡°Five suns!¡±


    The surrounding spectators gasped.


    Many disciples looked surprised.


    Even though they didn¡¯t know about the zing Blood Pill, they knew the Nine Divine Sun Sword very well.


    In the entire academy, only Jiang Hao could use the Nine Divine Sun Sword to the point where five suns were unleashed at the same time!


    Xie Jingsheng and the others were also secretly shocked.


    After losing to the tiger demon in the battle at the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range, Jiang Hao went into seclusion to cultivate diligently, and his Nine Divine Sun Sword reached a higher level.


    However, he had only cultivated it to the point where four suns would appear.


    But now, with a thrust of his sword, five suns rose at the same time. It was clearly the credit of the zing Blood Pill!


    As soon as the five zing suns appeared, the entire square was instantly filled with heat waves. It was as if they were in a volcano, and the heat was oppressive!


    If the audience felt that way, one could only imagine how Yan Jingren, who was facing this attack head-on, felt.


    However, there was no panic on his face. Instead, he sneered and calmly took out a small green tablet from his sleeve. ¡°Go!¡±


    The small green tablet stopped in the air. In the blink of an eye, it expanded into a huge object that was 10m long. It rushed toward the suns with a rumbling sound.


    The sword energy that could crush metal hit the giant tablet, emitting a clear sound like metal colliding, but it couldn¡¯t cause any damage to the giant tablet!


    Before Jiang Hao could react, the giant tablet had already crushed the five balls of light and pressed down on him!


    Jiang Hao¡¯s expression changed drastically. He turned around and wanted to escape the attack range of the giant tablet.


    However, he immediately discovered to his horror that there seemed to be a strange power enveloping his entire body. No matter how hard he tried, it was difficult for him to move. He swayed as if he had fallen into a swamp.


    Suddenly, the light above him darkened, and the monument fell. Jiang Hao shouted and raised his sword with both hands.


    After a loud bang, he managed to block the giant tablet. However, he seemed to be unable to withstand the force and was slowly pressed down into the ground.


    Seeing that Jiang Hao was about to bepletely suppressed, there was a sudden soft cry. The surrounding people only saw a light sh in front of their eyes. The huge tablet seemed to have suffered a heavy blow and quickly shrank back into Yan Jingren¡¯s hand.


    Yan Jingren nced at Shen Zening and said coldly, ¡°Senior Brother Shen, are you going to fight me personally?¡±


    Shen Zening shook his head slightly and nced at Jiang Hao.


    Jiang Hao, who had escaped a cmity, blushed. He lowered his head in shame and returned to the crowd.


    At this point, how could the crowd not understand?


    Jiang Hao had lost this battle!


    There was a moment of silence.


    No one expected Jiang Hao, who was ranked higher than Yan Jingren among the upper house disciples, to be defeated by Yan Jingren.


    Moreover, some disciples who knew better could already tell that the small green tablet was clearly some profound armament!


    Unless they also had profound armaments, who else among the upper house disciples could be Yan Jingren¡¯s match?


    Did they have to count on Shen Zening?


    With Shen Zening¡¯s strength and cultivation, he could indeed easily take down Yan Jingren.


    However, if that happened, the academy¡¯s reputation would be tarnished.


    The disciples of the upper and lower houses had gathered here, but no one could take down the traitor. They even needed the chief disciple to take action. Wouldn¡¯t it be embarrassing if word got out?


    Xie Jingsheng and the other upper house disciples hesitated for a moment.


    Yan Jingren¡¯s strength was obvious to all.


    Just the cultivation of the fifth level of the Bright Aperture Stage was already very terrifying.


    Apart from Shen Zening, only Xie Jingsheng, who was at the sixth level of the Bright Aperture Stage, could suppress Yan Jingren in the entire upper house.


    However, Xie Jingsheng wasn¡¯t from an influential family. Although his master was the head of the house, the resources he had were inferior to the disciples of influential families.


    He had only one or two superior-grade enchanted armaments, let alone profound armaments.


    Without a suitable Dharma treasure, he wasn¡¯t confident in defeating Yan Jingren.


    Yan Jingren didn¡¯t say anything. He just looked at the people in front of him mockingly.


    The silence was embarrassing. Just then, someone spoke in a calm voice.


    ¡°Since no one volunteers, why don¡¯t 1 do it?¡±


    The sudden voice shocked everyone, and they all looked in the direction of the speaker.


    With a nce, they were all extremely shocked.


    Lin Shen!


    How could it be him?


    All the disciples knew that Lin Shen was originally going to challenge Yan Jingren today, but with the decree from the sect, everyone had long forgotten about this matter.


    After Yan Jingren defeated Jiang Hao, no one thought about the rank challenge.


    After all, even Jiang Hao, who had been in the upper house for nearly two years, wasn¡¯t Yan Jingren¡¯s match. How could Lin Shen deal with Yan Jingren?


    Under such circumstances, how could they not be shocked to see Lin Shen step out of the crowd and challenge Yan Jingren?

 Chapter 218 - 218: Belated Challenge (3)

    Chapter 218: Bted Challenge (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Xie Jingsheng was also shocked and hurriedly said, ¡°Junior Brother Lin, don¡¯t be rash!¡±


    He was the only one here who knew that the information on Yan family¡¯s intention to monopolize the spirit cave came from Lin Shen. Whether it was for the purpose of protecting the information source or out of admiration for this Junior Brother, he couldn¡¯t watch Lin Shen get injured.


    However, when Lin Shen heard this, he only nodded at Xie Jingsheng before continuing to walk toward Yan Jingren.


    Xie Jingsheng panicked when he saw this. He wanted to stop Lin Shen, but he couldn¡¯t find a suitable excuse.


    At the same time, the other upper house disciples who had regained their senses all shook their heads.


    Even they weren¡¯t confident of defeating Yan Jingren. What could Lin Shen do?


    Shen Zening raised his eyebrows, and a strange light shed in his eyes.


    He had heard of Lin Shen¡¯s deeds and his astonishing talent.


    However, aptitude was one thing, but strength was another.


    It was said that Lin Shen had only advanced to the Bright Aperture Stage for half a year. He couldn¡¯t possibly be Yan Jingren¡¯s match.


    However, everyone was watching, and Shen Zening couldn¡¯t force Lin Shen toe back. That would be too demoralizing.


    While he was hesitating, Lin Shen had already stepped into the arena.


    Yan Jingren was also a little surprised, but he quickly came back to his senses and stared at Lin Shen coldly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to still dare to go on stage at a time like this!¡±


    ¡°Three months ago, I said that I wanted to fight you. Now, I¡¯m just fulfilling my words.¡±


    Lin Shen smiled indifferently.


    ¡°And isn¡¯t that what you want?¡±


    Yan Jingren was silent and narrowed his eyes.


    Just as Lin Shen had said, with Lin Shen¡¯s previous conflict with the Yan family, if he could find an opportunity to kill Lin Shen, he wouldn¡¯t miss it. It would be his pleasure to do so.


    However, what puzzled him was that Lin Shen had clearly watched his battle with Jiang Hao and knew his strength very well, but he still took the initiative to ept the challenge. Did Lin Shen think that he could defeat him?


    At the thought of this, Yan Jingren couldn¡¯t help but feel perplexed.


    However, he immediately threw away the distracting thoughts and focused on the current situation.


    There was no point in thinking too much. He would just attack!


    Lin Shen¡¯s talent was obvious to all. It would not be an exaggeration to describe him as a peerless genius. If he could kill Lin Shen, he could at least cause some damage to the Nine Suns Sect to avenge the extermination of his family.


    The only problem was how to kill Lin Shen before Shen Zening interfered.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t know what Yan Jingren was thinking, but it wasn¡¯t difficult to guess. However, he didn¡¯t care. With a flip of his wrist, a Nine Yang Talisman Sword appeared in his palm.


    The Pure Yang talisman Word was too eye-catching. He didn¡¯t want to use it in front of so many people.


    The Nine Yang Talisman Sword would do the trick.


    As Lin Shen took out his weapon, the square quickly fell silent.


    A solemn and heavy atmosphere gradually spread in the air.


    Everyone held their breaths and stared intently at the arena, waiting for this unexpected but anticipated challenge!


    ng!


    The sharp and short sword cry suddenly tore through the silence!


    At the same moment, two blurry figures collide heavily like streams of light.


    In the next moment, there was a ng. As sparks shed, the two swords intertwined like lightning. They danced and flew around with all kinds of movements.


    The biting cold sword energy instantly spread out.


    Yan Jingren¡¯s expression was cold as he stabbed out with his sword. An indestructible force was spat out from the tip of the sword and attacked Lin Shen like a storm. The air instantly felt like boiling water.


    Facing such a fierce attack, Lin Shen remained calm. The talisman sword in his hand spun into a ball of rapidly jumping light, making an airtight defense, shattering the iing sword energy one by one.


    The two of them didn¡¯t use any martial techniques or spells. They only fought with their cultivation and sword techniques.


    Even so, the sword energy that filled the sky still made the disciples tremble in fear.


    ¡°What powerful sword energy!¡±


    ¡°Forget about Yan Jingren. 1 didn¡¯t expect Lin Shen¡¯s swordsmanship to be so powerful!¡±


    ¡°It seems like Lin Shen and Yan Jingren are evenly matched!¡±


    ¡°Unbelievable. What stage has Lin Shen¡¯s cultivation reached?¡±


    Everybody cried out in surprise.


    Many disciples were shocked.


    They had thought that Lin Shen would most likely be at a disadvantage against Yan Jingren if he wasn¡¯tpletely defeated.


    But now, it seemed like the two of them were evenly matched.


    While the disciples of the lower house were surprised, Xie Jingsheng and the other upper house disciples were dumbfounded.


    Aftering back to their senses, they took a deep breath.


    The sixth level of the Bright Aperture Stage!


    Lin Shen had actually reached the sixth level of the Bright Aperture Stage. He was even one stage higher than Yan Jingren!


    Even when they saw Jiang Hao lose to Yan Jingren, they weren¡¯t so shocked.


    ¡°How is this possible¡­ How did this guy cultivate? That¡¯s unbelievable!¡± An upper house disciple muttered in shock.


    Those were words that all the upper house disciples present wanted to say. Many of them nodded involuntarily.


    Xie Jingsheng was a little stunned and stood rooted to the ground.


    He never expected that Lin Shen¡¯s cultivation level was actually as high as his!


    More than half a year ago, Lin Shen was only at the Long Breath Stage!


    Xie Jingsheng felt as if he had fallen into a dream. His mind was adrift.


    Jiang Hao was bbergasted and speechless.


    Yan Jingren had an excuse. After all, with the help of the spirit cave, it was reasonable for his cultivation to advance by leaps and bounds.


    But what was going on with Lin Shen?


    His cultivation speed was simply unbelievable!


    What should the other people do?


    ¡°Junior Brother Lin has hidden his strength well!¡± A look of surprise appeared on Shen Zening¡¯s face.


    Under everyone¡¯s shocked and surprised gazes, the two people fighting on the stage suddenly separated and retreated at the same time.


    Yan Jingren frowned, unable to hide the shock in his eyes.


    He was also shocked by the cultivation and strength Lin Shen had revealed.


    He had advanced to the Bright Aperture Stage earlier than Lin Shen, and with the help of the spirit cave, he had reached the fifth level.


    However, not only had Lin Shen cultivated for a shorter period of time than him, but he also didn¡¯t have a spirit cave to speed up his cultivation. However, Lin Shen¡¯s cultivation was a level higher than his!


    How talented could he be?!


    After recovering from his shock, Yan Jingren suddenly had a murderous intention.


    The more outstanding Lin Shen¡¯s performance was, the greater the losses the Nine Suns Sect would suffer after killing him!

 Chapter 219 - 219: Regret Is Useless (1)

    Chapter 219: Regret Is Useless (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Sensing Yan Jingren¡¯s killing intent, Lin Shen was unmoved. He smiled faintly and stabbed out with his sword.


    Killing intent filled Yan Jingren¡¯s chest, but he didn¡¯t intend to try his sword on Lin Shen anymore. He suddenly stretched out his palm, bent his fingers into ws, and grabbed at the air.


    In an instant, dense balls of air of white, green, blue, red, and yellow colors suddenly appeared. They intertwined and charged toward Lin Shen.


    Five Qi Suppression!


    Lin Shen had seen Leng Guangting use this spell before, so he recognized it immediately.


    ¡°A spell? It¡¯s impolite not to reciprocate. Here¡¯s mine!¡±


    The moment he finished speaking, Lin Shen stabbed out with his fingers. Four streaks of invisible sword energy that looked like des pierced through the void like lightning, heading toward the five-colored ball of air!


    Leng Guangting¡¯s Five Qi Suppression could easily defeat the Seven Arts Sword Energy, but Yan Jingren didn¡¯t have that kind of cultivation level.


    Not to mention that Lin Shen¡¯s cultivation level and spell stage were much higher than before.


    As soon as they collided, the four strands of sword energy suddenly spun and twisted, and they obliterated the ball of five colored qi without a trace.


    Only two of the four strands of sword energy were gone, and the remaining two tore through the void and attacked Yan Jingren with iparably ferocious sword intent!


    Yan Jingren¡¯s expression changed slightly. He stabbed with his long sword and destroyed a strand of sword energy in the blink of an eye.


    There was nothing he could do with the remaining sword energy. It hit his chest but was blocked by ayer of faint yellow mystic light that suddenly appeared.


    Yan Jingren felt slightly relieved. Fortunately, he had a superior-grade defensive enchanted armament on him. Otherwise, he would have been injured.


    But right after that, he couldn¡¯t help but feel intimidated.


    Even with his vast knowledge, he couldn¡¯t tell what spell Lin Shen was using. It was so powerful and had far surpassed his Five Qi Suppression!


    Moreover, even his spell wasn¡¯t Lin Shen¡¯s match.


    Yan Jingren suddenly gritted his teeth and leaped into the air. He shouted when he was above Lin Shen¡¯s head and stabbed him with his sword.


    In an instant, a gust of wind swept up in the air, stirring like a tide and causing his clothes to flutter. A boundless force descended from the sky and wrapped Lin Shen in a cyclone, making it difficult for him to escape.


    Xie Jingsheng¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°It¡¯s the Cloudscraper Sword!¡±


    The Cloudscraper Sword was Yan Jingren¡¯s best martial technique. It had long reached Path.


    Back then, when he challenged the upper house disciples, Yan Jingren used this move to defeat Han Yue.


    After half a year, his Cloudscraper Sword seemed to have improved again. When activated it seemed to have the power to sweep the wind and clouds!


    Seeing the power of Yan Jingren¡¯s sword, the surrounding crowd couldn¡¯t help but exim.


    Only Lin Shen remained calm andposed.


    ¡°A martial technique this time? About time!¡±


    Lin Shenughed loudly and stabbed out with his sword as well, showing no fear.


    As soon as this sword energy appeared, many people recognized that Lin Shen was using the Nine Divine Sun Sword. They all frowned.


    Jiang Hao managed to summon five suns, but even his Nine Divine Sun Sword had been destroyed by Yan Jingren. Could Lin Shen¡¯s attainments in the Nine Divine Sun Sword be stronger than Jiang Hao¡¯s?


    What was the use of using the same move?


    However, they soon realized how wrong they were. The nine suns that suddenly rose in their vision instantly took everyone¡¯s breath away.


    All nine suns!


    The ultimate form of the Nine Divine Sun Sword!


    Everyone was dumbfounded, feeling as if they had fallen into a dream.


    BOOM!


    The invisible force surrounding Lin Shen instantly shattered!


    The nine suns burned off the cyclone and annihted the violent wind. Then, they collide heavily with Yan Jingren like meteors.


    Crack!


    The faint yellow mystic light that appeared on Yan Jingren¡¯s body onlysted for a moment before disappearing. He was sent flying far away.


    He finally regained his bnce andnded on the ground. Before he could speak, he felt a sweet taste in his throat, and blood spurted out.


    No one made a sound.


    Everyone looked at what was happening in a daze, their mouths agape for a long time.


    Jiang Hao¡¯s mind went nk, and he felt his head buzzing.


    He had immersed himself in the Nine Divine Sun Sword for many years and had spent an unknown amount of time and effort before he managed to cultivate the Nine Divine Sun Sword to the point where four suns could be unleashed.


    With the help of the zing Blood Pill, he could barely summon five suns.


    But Lin Shen had already reached the stage where the nine suns appeared together!


    It was far above Jiang Hao¡¯s level!


    Jiang Hao couldn¡¯t live with such a huge disparity!


    ¡°What a powerful Nine Divine Sun Sword!¡±


    Shen Zening was amazed.


    ¡°He has almost reached True Martial!


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Junior Brother Lin¡¯s martial arts talent is extremely outstanding. He could master a Path martial arts technique when he was at the Long Breath Stage. I wasn¡¯t misinformed!¡±


    Hearing this, Xie Jingsheng and the others¡¯ hearts skipped a beat.


    True Martial was the highest stage of martial techniques!


    The Great Path wasn¡¯t far. If one was determined, one would naturally be one with the world!


    A martial technique that had reached this stage had surpassed the scope of martial techniques and reached the realm of Dharmic Dao.


    It was rumored that even cultivator masters wouldn¡¯t dare to underestimate a True Martial technique executed by a cultivator at the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage.


    One could tell that Shen Zening thought very highly of Lin Shen.


    Lin Shen¡¯s nine suns were indeed worthy of such praise!


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t know Shen Zening¡¯s evaluation of him. If he did, he would probably praise Shen Zening for his judgment and knowledge.


    Under normal circumstances, he would only be able to unleash six suns at once.


    However, in that instant, Lin Shen had switched to Pure Yang Body.


    Under the enhancement of the Yang attribute martial technique¡¯s power +100%, the power of this sword had explosively increased to the point of summoning nine suns!

 Chapter 220 - 220: Regret Is Useless (2)

    Chapter 220: Regret Is Useless (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    By then, Yan Jingren had already caught his breath. He looked at Lin Shen in astonishment.


    Cultivation, spells, and martial techniques!


    Lin Shen was actually superior to him in all three aspects!


    Once upon a time, Lin Shen was just a talentedmoner whom Yan Jingren could easily defeat. But now, he had already grown to this extent!


    Yan Jingren was dazzled for a moment.


    However, he was a tough person after all. He quickly came back to his senses and gritted his teeth.


    Since he was inferior in spells and martial techniques, he had topete with his Dharma treasures!


    He didn¡¯t believe that amoner like Lin Shen, who was a disciple without the support of a master, would have a profound armament!


    With a thought, Yan Jingren took out the small green tablet again and threw it into the sky as he shouted,


    ¡°Go!¡±


    The small green tablet expanded in the wind, and in the blink of an eye, it turned into a huge tablet that was 10m tall. It rumbled as it charged toward Lin Shen.


    The scene of Jiang Hao¡¯s defeat was still vivid in their minds. When they saw the giant tablet crushing toward Lin Shen, everyone couldn¡¯t help but widen their eyes.


    Xie Jingsheng and the other upper house disciples were even more anxious.


    Shen Zening narrowed his eyes and moved his palms slightly. He was already prepared to help Lin Shen at any time.


    However, to everyone¡¯s surprise, Lin Shen stood rooted to the ground in the face of the huge stone tablet that crushed over like a mountain.


    BOOM!


    Under everyone¡¯s shocked and dumbfounded gazes, the giant tablet crashed into Lin Shen with a force that could split a mountain!


    With a loud explosion, Lin Shen suddenly became a foot shorter.


    Yan Jingren was delighted, but when he took a closer look, his expression froze.


    Lin Shen stood there without moving as if he didn¡¯t notice the attack.


    At some point, ayer of golden armor appeared on his body.


    The armor was condensed from light, but it was lifelike. Many dazzling golden armor pieces seemed to be real.


    Just by looking at it, it gave off an indestructible and firm feeling!


    No matter how the giant tablet crushed down from above, causing sparks to shoot out, the golden armor on Lin Shen¡¯s body didn¡¯t budge at all. It didn¡¯t even cave in.


    When Yan Jingren saw Lin Shen be a few inches shorter just now, it was because the b stone under Lin Shen¡¯s feet shattered under the pressure. His feet were embedded in the ground.


    Seeing this scene, Yan Jingren was shocked.


    He was well aware of the power of the tablet and thought that as long as Lin Shen was hit, he would either die or be crippled. However, Yan Jingren didn¡¯t expect Lin Shen to bepletely unharmed. He was stunned on the spot.


    The other people were even more dumbfounded.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Martial techniques? Or spells?¡±


    ¡°What kind of martial arts technique is so powerful that it can even block a profound armament without any injuries?¡±


    Many disciples were bewildered.


    However, the upper house disciples were even more shocked.


    They looked at each other, and a shocking thought shed through their minds.


    Mu Chuanhua swallowed and turned to look at Shen Zening. He hesitated and said, ¡°Senior Brother Shen, that¡­¡±


    Seeing everyone¡¯s inquiring gazes, Shen Zening nodded with a solemn expression.


    ¡°There¡¯s no mistake. Junior Brother Lin used a True Martial technique!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Xie Jingsheng and the others gasped in shock.


    Lin Shen had even mastered a True Martial technique!


    It was unbelievable!


    Xie Jingsheng stared at Lin Shen¡¯s back in a daze, feeling like he was in a dream.


    Back then, when Lin Shen mastered a Path-stage martial technique as a Long Breath Stage cultivator, it had already shocked many people.


    Even the tutors praised him.


    As if that wasn¡¯t outstanding enough, Lin Shen had even mastered a True Martial technique!


    That was a powerful martial arts stage that could allow a Bright Aperture Stage cultivator to shake a cultivator master!


    Junior Brother Lin was simply impressive!


    Under countless shocked gazes, the golden armor on Lin Shen¡¯s body slowly dissipated.


    Lin Shen nced at the tablet that flew back to Yan Jingren¡¯s hand, and a strange glint shed across his eyes.


    ¡°Nice Dharma treasure!¡±


    Yan Jingren thought that Lin Shen was mocking him, and his expression darkened.


    Little did he know that Lin Shen was speaking the truth from the bottom of his heart.


    Although he easily blocked the attack of the tablet, that was because the Forbidden Golden Armor was a True Martial technique with shocking defense.


    In terms of power, the tablet was as powerful as his inkstone.


    It was only because Yan Jingren¡¯s cultivation level wasn¡¯t high enough. If it were someone at the ninth level of the Bright Aperture stage, even if Lin Shen could block the tablet, it wouldn¡¯t be as easy as now.


    Seeing the change in Yan Jingren¡¯s expression, Lin Shen smiled and didn¡¯t exin further.


    ¡°Courtesy calls for reciprocity. It¡¯s my turn!¡±


    Although Lin Shen had the inkstone, he couldn¡¯t use it in front of everyone.


    But it didn¡¯t matter. The inkstone wasn¡¯t his only trump card.


    Amidst hisughter, Lin Shen suddenly pressed his palm forward.


    Following his movements, the void suddenly whistled loudly, like countless rolling logs and rocks.


    Under everyone¡¯s shocked gazes, a thick and condensed scarlet palm appeared out of thin air and spread out for a hundred meters. It cut through the blue sky and smashed toward Yan Jingren!


    When he heard Lin Shen¡¯s words, Yan Jingren was rmed. He didn¡¯t dare to underestimate Lin Shen anymore.


    However, no matter how he thought about it, he didn¡¯t expect Lin Shen¡¯s move to be so terrifying!


    As the huge red palm descended from the sky, Yan Jingren instantly felt that his sight was filled with zing red light. It was like a mountain was hanging above him, and the peak was about to copse!


    Before the attack arrived, the pressure already made him feel suffocated.


    Yan Jingren¡¯s expression changed drastically. He could only take out the tablet again and turn it into a huge tablet to meet the huge red palm!


    BOOM!


    For a moment, it was as if two meteors had collided head-on in the sky.. The entire ground and even the sky seemed to shake!

 Chapter 221 - 221: Regret Is Useless (3)

    Chapter 221: Regret Is Useless (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    The ground within a radius of loom instantly sank, creating a deep pit that was several meters deep and more than loom in diameter.


    The disciples who had already retreated to the edge of the square had no choice but to retreat again. They circted their spiritual essence together and barely blocked the violent wind and waves.


    As soon as they stabilized themselves, they couldn¡¯t care less about catching their breath and immediately looked at the arena.


    The crimson palm and the t ridge stele were in a deadlock in midair.


    Yan Jingren¡¯s eyes were red, and the veins on his forehead were bulging. He controlled the tablet to block the red palm, not daring to be distracted at all.


    On the other hand, Lin Shen was calm andposed.


    Looking at how Yan Jingren was trying his best, Lin Shen smiled faintly and pressed his palm down a little bit more.


    Following his movement, the huge red palm in the air burned with red light. It suddenly pressed down, and the t ridge tablet trembled violently, emitting the sizzling sound of burning flesh!


    At the level of profound armaments, Dharma treasures had to be refined before they could be used at will. Therefore, Dharma treasures were often very closely rted to the person controlling them.


    Yan Jingren naturally didn¡¯t feel well after the tablet suffered a heavy blow. He felt his vision turn ck and spat out a mouthful of blood. He was about to faint.


    Before he could catch his breath, the huge red palm pressed down again.


    This time, Yan Jingren finally couldn¡¯t hold on anymore. His face turned pale, and he let out a miserable cry. The tablet in midair lost its momentum and fell to the ground.


    The crimson palm descended from the sky like a hot knife through butter and hit Yan Jingren!


    Instantly, there was a loud bang, and dust rose everywhere!


    When the dust disappeared, everyone looked over and realized that Yan Jingren had long disappeared without a trace. He had already been sted into nothingness by the scarlet palm!


    The hundreds of disciples in the square looked at the scene in a daze. They felt their mouths dry and couldn¡¯t say a word.


    Yan Jingren had lost!


    ¡°How, how is that possible¡­¡±


    Yan Xing¡¯s face was pale as he looked at the deep pit in the field. His legs went weak, and he knelt on the ground.


    He couldn¡¯t believe that his brother, who was iparably powerful in his eyes, would actually lose to Lin Shen!


    At this moment, he felt as if his beliefs had copsed!


    After a while, the crowd in the square gradually came back to their senses.


    Countless astonished, admiring, and shocked gazes focused on Lin Shen.


    Yan Jingren¡¯s strength was obvious to all, but Lin Shen could defeat him so easily. His strength and cultivation were simply amazing!


    Even Xie Jingsheng, Mu Chuanhua, and a few other upper-house disciples were far inferior to Lin Shen.


    In the entire Nine Yang Academy, only Shen Zening, the chief disciple, could bepared to him!


    As for the other upper house disciples, they were still distracted.


    Having seen the Forbidden Golden Armor that Lin Shen used, they could see that it was clearly at the True Martial stage!


    Other than that, what kind of martial technique could suppress profound armaments?


    Having figured that out, they couldn¡¯t help but feel shaken to the core.


    Lin Shen had actually mastered two True Martial techniques!


    His martial arts talent was too terrifying!


    It was simply hard to believe!


    Recovering from their shock, Xie Jingsheng and the others exchanged a nce, their eyes filled withplicated emotions.


    Although they didn¡¯t want to admit it, the strength Lin Shen had just disyed far exceeded theirs.


    Other things aside, they wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand Lin Shen¡¯s True Martial technique!


    Yan Jingren was at the fifth level of the Bright Aperture Stage, but he couldn¡¯t withstand a True Martial technique even with a profound armament in hand. It was even more impossible for them, who didn¡¯t have a profound armament to protect themselves, to be Lin Shen¡¯s match!


    Recalling that Lin Shen had only been in the academy for a little more than a year, Xie Jingsheng and the others couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    If it was more than a year ago, they would never have thought that there would be such a genius in this world!


    Shen Zening was also greatly affected.


    After a long silence, he sighed.


    ¡°After today, Junior Brother Lin will be a member of the upper house.¡±


    The other upper house disciples didn¡¯t say anything and only nodded in agreement.


    Lin Shen had more than enough strength to enter the upper house.


    He had killed Yan Jingren in front of everyone. It was only natural for him to rece Yan Jingren as a disciple of the upper house.


    Among the crowd, only Jiang Hao lowered his head and didn¡¯t say a word.


    If there was a crack in the ground, he would probably want to find a hole to hide in.


    Previously, in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range, he had been defeated by an Enlightening Stage tiger demon. It was Lin Shen who had killed that tiger demonter.


    The same thing happened again. Yan Jingren had defeated Jiang Hao, and Lin Shen had since defeated him.


    After being ¡°avenged¡± by Lin Shen twice in a row, Jiang Hao felt utterly humiliated. Now, he only hoped that everyone would forget about him. He didn¡¯t dare to make a sound and attract the attention of the others.


    Fortunately, the upper house disciples ignored Jiang Hao.


    Shen Zening waved his hand and said indifferently, ¡°Junior Brothers, the Yan family will definitely be exterminated. I¡¯ll leave the rest of the Yans to you.¡±


    The disciples of the lower house were already very excited after watching the battle just now. When they heard this, they immediately agreed in unison. Then, they looked at the twenty or so Yan family members with unfriendly expressions.


    The most powerful person, Yan Jingren, was already dead. The remaining members were all at the Long Breath Stage. There wasn¡¯t a single Bright Aperture Stage cultivator. There was nothing to be afraid of.


    Facing many cold gazes, all the Yan family members, including Yan Xing, lost their hope.


    In the next moment, countless weapons drowned them!


    There was no suspense in the oue of the battle.


    Less than 30 people were facing more than 500 people. The morale of the former had already fallen to rock bottom. The difference in strength between the two sides was simply too great!


    In just ten seconds, all the twenty Yan family nsmen turned into corpses on the ground.


    Looking at Yan Xing¡¯s bloody corpse, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    Strictly speaking, he was the one who caused the Yan family to fall into such a state.


    If Yan Xing had known that this would happen, would he havee to find trouble with Lin Shen?


    This question only stayed in Lin Shen¡¯s mind for a moment before he threw it to the back of his mind.


    There was no need to dwell on spilled water..

 Chapter 222 - 222: Forging Spirit Meridians (1)

    Chapter 222: Forging Spirit Meridians (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    The house-cleaning battle of the Nine Suns Sect didn¡¯tst long.


    That evening, news came from White Tiger Mountain that the Yan family had been annihted.


    Including the family head, Yan Zhongrong, the seventeen cultivators of the Yan family had all died in battle.


    No one below the cultivator master level survived.


    At this point, the Yan family was officially removed from the Nine Suns Sect.


    The eighteen influential families had also be seventeen.


    Even though the Yan family had been annihted, the consequences were still brewing in the Nine Suns Sect.


    However, all of this had little to do with the Nine Yang Academy.


    Compared to the subsequent storm caused by the Yan family¡¯s destruction, the impact of Lin Shen killing Yan Jingren was even greater.


    For the next few days, Lin Shen¡¯s name appeared in almost everyone¡¯s conversation.


    However, the person involved had no time to care about such things.


    On the third day after killing Yan Jingren, Lin Shen received Xie Jingsheng¡¯s invitation and entered the upper house again.


    As soon as they met, Xie Jingsheng smiled and said, ¡°Junior Brother Lin, follow me. Master wants to see you.¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    He had a deep impression of Si Yuanpei.


    He had either passively or actively interacted with Si Yuanpei when he was promoted to a ck-rank disciple and when he exposed the Yan family for monopolizing the spirit cave,


    However, even though they had crossed paths, he had never seen Si Yuanpei in person.


    Now, they were finally going to meet!


    Lin Shen nodded slightly and walked side by side with Xie Jingsheng.


    On the way, Lin Shen asked about the spirit cave.


    The fact that Yan Jingren¡¯s strength had skyrocketed with the help of the spirit cave caused quite a stir in the academy.


    Many disciples were very envious of the spirit cave because of this. They yearned to use the spirit cave to quickly increase their cultivation like Yan Jingren.


    Lin Shen was no exception.


    Although he had clones and his cultivation speed far exceeded others, no one would say no to faster cultivation speed.


    If the spirit cave could allow his cultivation to advance by leaps and bounds, he wouldn¡¯t reject an opportunity.


    As Si Yuanpei¡¯s disciple, Xie Jingsheng knew more information than ordinary disciples. He didn¡¯t hide anything and smiled.


    ¡°The sect has already found the underground spirit cave, and it has beenpletely activated. 1 reckon that it won¡¯t be long before the sect releases the quotas, allowing the disciples to enter the spirit cave to cultivate. At that time, our academy should also receive a batch of quotas.¡±


    When he mentioned that the spirit cave had beenpletely opened, a meaningful glint shed across Xie Jingsheng¡¯s eyes.


    Lin Shen immediately understood.


    His previous guess was probably right.


    The sect had waited a while before taking action because they wanted to use the Yan family to open the spirit cave.


    It was a pity that the Yan family had paid such a huge price, but in the end, it was all for others.


    Before long, they arrived at a wooden building.


    Xie Jingsheng stopped at the door and smiled at Lin Shen. ¡°Junior Brother, 1¡¯11 leave you here.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Senior Brother!¡±


    After watching Xie Jingsheng leave, Lin Shen calmed down and turned around to knock on the door.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    A deep voice came from behind the door.


    Lin Shen pushed the door open and entered. Inside was an ancient tea room.


    There was only a short table and two rush cushions inside.


    An old man with white hair sat on the cushion near the inner side.


    He was unusually tall. Even though he was sitting, his straight body still gave off a majestic pressure.


    His eyes were bright and piercing, and his gaze was as sharp as a sword.


    ¡°Master Si.¡± Lin Shen bowed slightly.


    He still had to show the minimum respect to this institute head and cultivator master.


    ¡°Have a seat.¡±


    Si Yuanpei pointed at the rush cushion in front of him. His face seemed stern and solemn, but his tone and expression were unexpectedly gentle.


    After Lin Shen sat down, Si Yuanpei swept his sleeve across the short table. A few items instantly appeared on the originally empty tabletop.


    There were two tokens, a ring, and a jade tube.


    ¡°You¡¯ve contributed greatly to the extermination of the Yan family this time. The sect has never mistreated anyone who has contributed. From today onwards, you¡¯re a disciple of the upper house!¡±


    Si Yuanpei pointed at the two tokens on the table and said unhurriedly,


    ¡°This is the identity token of a disciple of the upper house and the token to enter the upper house.¡±


    Lin Shen nodded slightly but didn¡¯t say anything.


    It was natural for him to advance to be a disciple of the upper house.


    Even without the sect¡¯s reward, it was only a matter of time before he became a disciple of the upper house.


    The sect definitely knew this and wouldn¡¯t use the status of an upper-house disciple as a reward. This was just in passing. The real reward should be something else.


    As expected, Si Yuanpei then pointed at the ring.


    ¡°The items in this ring are rewards from the sect for your contributions this time.¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s gazended on the storage ring.


    Since Si Yuanpei had personally delivered the storage ring to him, the contents inside must be impressive.


    However, now wasn¡¯t the time to check. Lin Shen nodded slightly, and his gaze immediatelynded on thest jade tube.


    Noticing his gaze, Si Yuanpei said solemnly,


    ¡°On the path of cultivation, bing a cultivator master is the most important starting point. This stage is extremely crucial. Now that you¡¯ve advanced to the sixth level of the Bright Aperture Stage, you¡¯re not far from that barrier. It¡¯s time to learn some things about bing a cultivator master.


    ¡°This jade tube contains some of my insights on bing a cultivator master. Take it back and read it carefully.¡±


    Lin Shen was slightly stunned, but he immediately understood that this was a personal gift from Si Yuanpei.


    He couldn¡¯t help but be overjoyed.


    He had no idea how to be a cultivator master and wasn¡¯t sure if he would be able to seed after reaching the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage. Just as he was thinking about how to collect information about bing a cultivator master, he received such a timely gift..

 Chapter 223 - 223: Forging Spirit Meridians (2)

    Chapter 223: Forging Spirit Meridians (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Si Yuanpei¡¯s help was right on time!


    ¡°Thank you, Master Si!¡± Lin Shen said sincerely.


    Master Si nced at him and smiled.


    ¡°When you first joined the academy, I made you a ck-rank disciple. Although it was to help you grow faster, it still brought you a lot of trouble. This jade tube is yourpensation.¡±


    Lin Shen was dazed for a moment before he broke intoughter.


    So, that was why.


    Afterughing for a moment, Lin Shen suddenly remembered something and asked, ¡°Master Si, may I ask how the Haoshan Foxes are doing¡­¡±


    After a moment of silence, Si Yuanpei said slowly, ¡°The Haoshan Foxes have yed a part in discovering the Yan family¡¯s n in time. The sect owes them a big favor. After we destroy the Yan family, we release all the Haoshan Foxes they¡¯ve caught in secret.¡±


    Lin Shen was surprised.


    He didn¡¯t expect that the sect would let Haoshan Foxes go so easily.


    After all, three of the five great demonic tribes were gone, and the most secretive ones were the Fox and Eagle tribes.


    Why would the sect miss such a great opportunity to weaken the Fox Tribe?


    Even if the Haoshan Foxes had contributed to the Yan family¡¯s downfall, the most the sect would do was spare their lives. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to use the soul contract to restrict their freedom and let the sect control them in the future?


    As if sensing Lin Shen¡¯s confusion, Si Yuanpei said indifferently, ¡°When the sect rushed to the mountain peak where the spirit cave was, less than 10% of the Haoshan Foxes were still alive. Most of them had been used by the Yan family as blood sacrifices.¡±


    Lin Shen was enlightened, and then he sighed.


    It turned out that because the Haoshan Fox n had already suffered heavy casualties, the sect couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and simply let them go.


    After this incident, the Haoshan Fox n probably wouldn¡¯t be able to recover for hundreds of years. They no longer posed a threat.


    Just as he was sighing, he suddenly heard Si Yuanpei say, ¡°You have a way to contact that fox demon called Qiu Li, right?¡±


    There was nothing to hide. Lin Shen admitted frankly.


    ¡°Be careful of that fox demon,¡± Si Yuanpei said.


    Lin Shen immediately looked puzzled. ¡°Master Si, could you be more specific?¡±


    Si Yuanpei nced at him and said, ¡°She¡¯s a demon cultivator.¡±


    After being stunned for a few seconds, Lin Shen suddenly realized what Si Yuanpei meant and immediately widened his eyes in shock.


    Qiu Li was a demon of the cultivator master realm?


    However, he didn¡¯t sense any powerful aura from Qiu Li that day.


    Moreover, if Qiu Li was a demon cultivator, how could she not be able to deal with Wu Luo¡¯s incarnation?


    Fortunately, Si Yuanpei quickly gave him an exnation.


    ¡°Qiu Li is the daughter of the current leader of the Haoshan Fox n. She was severely injured in the battle with Yan Zhongrong.¡±


    That was why.


    Lin Shen was a little stunned.


    Unexpectedly, he had unknowinglye into contact with a demon cultivator and even had the experience of going through life and death together.


    Fate was indeed a strange thing.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be long before the sect opens the spirit cave to the disciples. At that time, the disciples of the academy will also be among the candidates. In view of your contributions this time, I will fight for a spot for you. 1 hope you can make good use of this opportunity,¡± Si Yuanpei suddenly said.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t know if it was his imagination, but he felt that Si Yuanpei¡¯s tone was more meaningful than it sounded.


    However, before he could figure it out, Si Yuanpei waved his hand, indicating that he could leave.


    Lin Shen could only stand up and leave.


    Walking out of the wooden building, Xie Jingsheng was waiting outside. When he saw Lin Shen, he weed thetter with a smile.


    ¡°Congrattions, Junior Brother Lin. From now on, we¡¯re both upper-house disciples!¡±


    Lin Shen thanked him and asked about the treatment of the upper house disciples.


    Xie Jingsheng naturally answered all his questions.


    After listening to his exnation, Lin Shen gradually understood.


    Compared to the disciples of the lower house, the treatment of the upper house disciples was much better.


    Firstly, he could obtain five medium merits every month.


    Secondly, he could have a courtyard equivalent to the level of Profound Cottage in the upper house.


    In addition, when the disciples of the upper house encountered difficulties in their cultivation, they could spend merit points to consult the house head.


    This wasn¡¯t to be underestimated. The path of cultivation was filled with obstacles. If one had a great teacher to guide them, they would be able to avoid many detours which would be greatly beneficial to their cultivation.


    This might not be useful to the disciples of the top families, but it was very beneficial to disciples from the declining old families ormoners.


    Finally, the upper house disciples would be rewarded with pills, Dharma treasures, and other resources by the sect every once in a while.


    Of course, the distribution depended on thepetition between the disciples.


    After hearing Xie Jingsheng¡¯s words, Lin Shen nodded to himself.


    Although he didn¡¯t really need the house head for guidance on the difficulties of cultivation, the courtyard with fixed monthly merits was still very nice.


    The two of them chatted as they walked. Soon, they arrived at the entrance of an ancient and elegant courtyard.


    It was obvious that this was Lin Shen¡¯s residence in the upper house.


    After leading the way, Xie Jingsheng didn¡¯t stay any longer and bid farewell to Lin Shen.


    After watching him walk away, Lin Shen took out the token to activate the restriction and stepped into the courtyard.


    He didn¡¯t feel anything outside, but after stepping into the courtyard, Lin Shen instantly felt the dense spiritual essence in the air. The density was more than a level higher than the Teaching Room where Heaven-rank disciples lived.


    ¡°What a rich spiritual essence. Cultivating here is at least two times as efficient as outside!¡± Lin Shen was impressed.


    Theyout of the courtyard wasn¡¯t luxurious, but it was unique and exquisite. It suited his taste.


    After walking around and familiarizing himself with the environment of the courtyard, Lin Shen came to the training room and sat cross-legged. He took out the storage ring and jade tube he had obtained from Si Yuanpei..

 Chapter 224 - 224: Forging Spirit Meridians (3)

    Chapter 224: Forging Spirit Meridians (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    After pondering for a moment, Lin Shen first picked up the jade tube, injected his mental power into it, and read it carefully.


    He was very interested in the records of bing a cultivator master that Si Yuanpei mentioned.


    There was a lot of content recorded in the jade tube. Lin Shen calmed down and read it quietly. As time passed, his eyes became brighter and brighter.


    Just as Si Yuanpei had said, the contents of the jade tube were all about how to be a cultivator master.


    After reaching the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage, if a cultivator wanted to advance further and break through the cage to be a cultivator master, they had to forge their spirit meridians first.


    Only by establishing a spirit meridian could one transform True Qi into spiritual essence, obtain spiritual consciousness, and be reborn into the immortal path.


    The number of spirit meridians cast would also greatly affect the upper limit of a cultivator master¡¯s future achievements.


    In the cultivation world, spirit meridians were divided into five grades ording to the number of spirit meridians.


    Among them, the fifth grade only needed one to forge nine spirit meridians.


    This was also the lowest requirement to be a cultivator master.


    The higher the grade of the spirit meridian, the greater the potential of the cultivator master, and vice versa.


    A cultivator who advanced with a fifth-grade spirit meridian was almost destined to never break through to the Spirit umtion Stage in his life.


    From the moment he advanced, he wasbeled as having a dark future.


    Fourth-grade spirit meridians needed one to forge 18 spirit meridians, and there was a chance of breaking through to the Spirit umtion Stage in the future.


    Third-grade spirit meridians required 27 spirit meridians.


    If nothing went wrong, breaking through to the Spirit umtion Stage was almost a sure bet.


    The second-grade spirit meridians needed as many as 36 spirit meridians, but once one seeded, their future would be bright, and their achievements would be extraordinary!


    The current archimandrite of the Nine Suns Sect had be a cultivator master with a second-grade spirit meridian!


    As for the first-grade spirit meridians, they were only heard in rumors. Those who had such fortuitous encounters were all famous figures in their sects.


    Perhaps there was once someone in the East Sea Path who became a cultivator master with a first-grade spirit meridian, but there had never been such a person in the Nine Suns Sect.


    If one wanted to form a first-grade spirit meridian, he needed to forge as many as 45 spirit meridians!


    The more spirit meridians there were, the more difficult it was to forge. It required countless time, energy, and resources.


    Those who could forge 20 to 30 spirit meridians and had third-grade spirit meridians were already considered to have a bright future.


    If one wanted to forge 45 spirit meridians, one needed to have the right talent, resources, and opportunities at the same time. Only those with a deep background and great perseverance could do it!


    ¡°Level-one spirit meridian¡­¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes flickered, and he grew excited.


    Ordinary cultivators were already very satisfied to be able to attain a fourth-grade spirit meridian.


    Even the disciples of influential families only aimed for third- or second-grade spirit meridians.


    Almost no one had any unrealistic hopes of attaining a first-grade spirit meridian.


    After all, it was beyond their reach.


    However, Lin Shen was different. With his clones, he had to challenge the highest-grade spirit meridian.


    Only by solidifying his foundation could he climb to a higher stage in the future!


    After calming himself down, Lin Shen continued to read.


    Forging a spirit meridian required a medicinal pill called the Cast Spirit Pill.


    Depending on the cultivator¡¯s talent, the number of Cast Spirit Pills needed to forge a spirit meridian would also differ.


    A talented person might only need one Cast Spirit Pill to forge their first spirit meridian.


    Some people with inferior talent might not even be able to forge their first spirit meridian after consuming four to five Cast Spirit Pills.


    Many cultivators with insufficient aptitude had invested countless energy and resources in their lives. After forging seven to eight spirit meridians, they couldn¡¯t advance any further. Even until their deaths, they couldn¡¯t forge thest spirit meridian and had to pass away filled with unwillingness and regret.


    For example, Leng Guangting was like that.


    However, the only simrity was that the more spirit meridians one had forged, the more Spirit Pills were needed to forge an additional one.


    ¡°I wonder how many Cast Spirit Pills I need to forge my first spirit meridian?¡±


    Lin Shen thought to himself.


    Cast Spirit Pills were extremely precious.


    The jade tube mentioned that there were Cast Spirit Pills avable for exchange in the Merit Hall.


    However, the price of one pill was as high as ten medium merits, which was as expensive as ten bottles of Spirit Nurturing Pills!


    If one wanted to forge a spirit meridian, even if it was only a fifth-grade spirit meridian, one would need dozens or hundreds of Cast Spirit Pills. Ordinary cultivators couldn¡¯t afford it.


    ¡°Unless it¡¯s a disciple of influential families or someone like Senior Brother Xie who has the support of a teacher, just collecting the Cast Spirit Pills is enough to stump many people!¡± Lin Shen sighed inwardly.


    Suddenly, his gaze paused as he saw a description in the jade tube.


    ording to the description, the most important and expensive material to refine Cast Spirit Pills was called spirit dust. It was the essence left behind by the body of a spirit monster called the Earth Essence after its death.


    However, the Earth Essence was found in the depths of the ground, where spiritual essence was dense.


    Underground spirit caves were one of those ces!


    At this point, Lin Shen finally understood what Si Yuanpei¡¯s instructions meant.


    There was arge amount of Earth Essence in the spirit cave in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range. If he could enter the spirit cave, it would undoubtedly be a great opportunity to collect spirit dust.


    As long as he had enough spirit dust, he could find the other materials himself and go to the pill pavilion to ask the alchemists to help refine the Cast Spirit Pills. The price he had to pay would be far less than simply exchanging for the Cast Spirit Pills from the Merit Hall.


    It was undoubtedly very beneficial to amoner disciple like him who didn¡¯t have the support of many families.


    ¡°Looks like I have to make a trip to the underground spirit cave!¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes flickered, and he quickly made up his mind.


    If he wanted to forge a first-grade spirit meridian, he would definitely need a lot of Cast Spirit Pills.


    He didn¡¯t know how long it would take to gather enough Cast Spirit Pills just by earning merit points.


    Inparison, it was undoubtedly more efficient to go to the spirit cave to hunt for Earth Essences and collect spirit dust.


    Lin Shen flipped through the contents of the jade tube again. After making sure that he hadn¡¯t missed anything, he put away the jade tube.


    Just as he was about to pick up the storage ring, a thought suddenly shed through his mind.


    Establishing a spirit meridian was easy at first and gradually became difficult. Since that was the case, could he let his clones each establish a spirit meridian before fusing it into his body?


    With seven clones and himself, there were eight people. As long as each of them forged six spirit meridians, there would be more than 45 in total..

 Chapter 225 - 225: True Disciples and Secrets (1)

    Chapter 225: True Disciples and Secrets (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    The more Lin Shen thought about it, the more excited he became.


    If this n was feasible, forging a first-grade spirit meridian would only be as difficult as forging six spirit meridians for him.


    It might even be less difficult than that!


    He could also let his clone immediately fuse with his main body every time it sessfully forged a spirit meridian. Then, his clone would forge again.


    In this way, every clone would be forging its first spirit meridian all the time.


    At the thought of this, Lin Shen felt very excited.


    If he could seed, he might be able to achieve the legendary first-grade spirit meridian without spending much effort and time!


    ¡°It¡¯s worth a try!¡±


    Lin Shen quickly made a decision. He would immediately try it after advancing to the ninth level of the Bright Aperture.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what¡¯s in the ring first.¡±


    Lin Shen picked up the storage ring and began to examine the items inside.


    Unexpectedly, he saw a familiar green tablet inside.


    It was the profound armament that Yan Jingren had once used!


    Other than that, there was also a superior-grade defensive enchanted armament and a superior-grade magic sword in the storage ring. They were both enchanted armaments that used to belong to Yan Jingren.


    ¡°Did they just return the spoils of war to me?¡± Lin Shen smiled.


    The two superior-grade enchanted armaments weren¡¯t all that impressive. He already had the Cloud Suppression Robe and the Pure Yang Talisman Sword. He also had a Nine Yang Talisman Sword. He had no use for these two enchanted armaments and could only use them as a backup.


    Lin Shen had long been envious of the tablet when he fought with Yan Jingren.


    Although he already had the ck Peak Inkstone, no cultivator wouldin about having too many profound armaments.


    Moreover, offensive Dharma treasures like the ck Peak Inkstone and the t Hill Tablet weren¡¯t like robes and talisman swords. As long as he had enough spiritual essence, he could control them all at once. Naturally, the more, the better.


    Just as he was rejoicing, Lin Shen suddenly realized that there was a ball of cloth beside the tablet. He took it out and realized that it was a long robe.


    There was a pattern on the surface of the robe. It was as smooth as water and wasn¡¯t stained with dust. When he pinched it with his hand and released it, it returned to its original state without any creases. It was obviously not an ordinary item.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes lit up. He hurriedly used his mental power on the robe, and some information instantly appeared in his mind.


    ¡°As expected, this is also a profound armament!¡± Lin Shen was overjoyed.


    When refining Dharma treasures of profound armaments grade and above, the refiner would inject a trace of mental force into them. It contained the name, power, and usage method of this profound armament.


    Cultivators only needed to investigate with their mental force to obtain information about profound armaments.


    However, enchanted armaments didn¡¯t receive such treatment.


    The robe in Lin Shen¡¯s hand was a profound armament robe called the Heavenly Star Robe.


    It was obvious thatpared to the spoils of war that he deserved, this robe was the real reward given to him by the sect.


    Aftering back to his senses from his joy, Lin Shen threw out the Heavenly Star Robe that had curled into a ball.


    The robe immediately unfolded and transformed into a ck Daoist robe that spread in the air. There were runes on the robe, as well as the sun, the moon, and the stars. Hidden in the pattern was the rule of Nature.


    A momentter, the robe stopped illuminating andnded on Lin Shen¡¯s body, wrapping around him.


    Lin Shen stretched his limbs and realized that the robe was a perfect fit.


    This was to be expected.


    Even the Bind Yang Gown, which was of an inferior-grade enchanted armament, had the ability to change its appearance as well, let alone a profound armament.


    Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but nod in satisfaction. With this robe protecting him and the True Martial Realm Forbidden Golden Armor, no one in the Bright Aperture Stage could hurt him.


    After calming himself down, Lin Shen continued to check the other items.


    Apart from Dharma treasures, there were also many pills in the storage ring.


    Among them was the reward for killing Yan Jingren¡ªthree Golden Marrow Pills!


    ¡°Good. The three pills are enough for me to break through to the seventh level of the Bright Aperture Stage!¡±


    Lin Shen was overjoyed.


    The Golden Marrow Pill could allow a cultivator to enter a strange state of separating their soul within three days after consuming the pill. Their spiritual senses would gradually develop and they would be able to sense the cultivator master¡¯s stage in advance.


    If one cultivated in this state, their cultivation would advance by leaps and bounds!


    One day¡¯s work was equivalent to several months!


    After breaking through to the sixth level of the Bright Aperture Stage, the Spirit Nurturing Pill no longer had much effect on Lin Shen. The Golden Marrow Pill came right in time.


    Apart from the Golden Marrow Pills, there was also a bottle of pills in the storage ring.


    Lin Shen took it out and looked at it. The name on the porcin bottle indicated that it contained the Cast Spirit Pill that he had been thinking about just now.


    He opened the bottle and counted. There were a total of 12 pills!


    ¡°What a timely gift!¡±


    A smile appeared on Lin Shen¡¯s face.


    Now that he already had the Cast Spirit Pills, all he had to do was advance to the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage.


    Thinking of this, Lin Shen immediately took out a Golden Marrow Pill and swallowed it.


    As the medicinal power spread, he suddenly felt that his mind was much clearer. The entire world became different, and he had a clearer feeling than before.


    At the same time, his perception became much sharper.


    Even if he closed his eyes, he could clearly ¡°see¡± his surroundings.


    With a thought, this perception instantly passed through the wall, quickly spreading in all directions.


    In an instant, everything in the courtyard was reflected in his mind.


    Lin Shen understood. This should be the so-called spiritual consciousness.


    The Golden Marrow Pill could allow the user to experience the cultivator master¡¯s stage, but it was actually to strengthen the soul and allow it to create spiritual senses in a short period of time.


    Strictly speaking, it was only a part of the sensation of the cultivator master¡¯s stage.


    Even so, it was still extremely powerful for Bright Aperture Stage cultivators!


    At this moment, Lin Shen could clearly feel the rich spiritual essence drifting in the air..

 Chapter 226 - 226: True Disciple and Secrets (2)

    Chapter 226: True Disciple and Secrets (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    With a thought, the invisible spiritual consciousness that filled his body instantly turned into vortexes that absorbed the spiritual essence in the air into his body.


    His cultivation speed was more than ten times faster than when he cultivated the Nine Yang Scripture!


    The feeling of spiritual essence surging into his body was especially refreshing. Lin Shen waspletely immersed in the rapid increase in his cultivation.


    Nine dayster.


    All three Golden Marrow Pills were consumed by Lin Shen.


    His cultivation also broke through to the seventh level of the Bright Aperture Stage as he wished!


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Analogy]


    [Stage: Seventh level of the Bright Aperture Stage, 23%]


    [Cultivation techniques: Nine Yang Scripture (Perfection), Meltdown (True Martial), Forbidden Golden Armor (True Martial), Cloud Dragon Rhythm (Path, 45%), Nine Divine Sun Sword (Path, 35%)¡­]


    [Spells: Seven Arts Sword Energy (Level 4, 78%), Lightning Palm (Level 4, 34%), Paper Man Movement Technique (Level 3, 67%), Fixed Body Curse (Level 3, 20%), Riding Wind Technique (Level 3, 48%), Water Mirror Technique (Level 1, 47% )]


    [Number of clones: 7 (20%)]


    ¡°I¡¯ve finally broken through. The Nine Yang Scripture has also reached Perfection.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I only have three Golden Marrow Pills. If 1 had ten more, 1 might be able to break through to the ninth level!¡±


    Looking at the interface, Lin Shen thought regretfully.


    However, he also knew that this thought was a little too greedy.


    The Golden Marrow Pill was extremely precious. Back then, when Jiang Hao and Xie Jingsheng sparred, the reward was only one Golden Marrow Pill.


    This time, he was able to obtain three Golden Essence Pills. It was a reward specially set up by the academy to temper its disciples.


    This kind of thing could only be chanced upon by luck.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just wait and see when 1 can enter the spirit cave.¡±


    After advancing to the seventh level of the Bright Aperture Stage, the Spirit Nurturing Pill was no longer effective on Lin Shen.


    The Golden Marrow Pills had been used up.


    If he wanted to improve his cultivation, he could only rely on hard work.


    Even if Lin Shen had seven clones, it would take at least a few months to reach 100% in the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage.


    However, if he could enter the spirit cave, he might be able to achieve his goal within a month.


    ¡°The Cloud Dragon Rhythm and the Nine Divine Sun Sword should also reach True Martial as soon as possible!¡±


    Lin Shen did some calctions.


    The Cloud Dragon Rhythm was still short of eleven Perfection movement techniques before reaching True Martial.


    The Nine Divine Sun Sword still needed thirteen more.


    With his current cultivation speed, if he focused on cultivating martial techniques, he would be able to cultivate two martial techniques to True Martial in about a month.


    With two more True Martial techniques, his strength would increase by at least 10 to 20%. He would also be more confident in entering the spirit cave to hunt Earth Essences.


    Earth Essences weren¡¯t weak at all. In fact, they couldn¡¯t be weak if they lived in ces with rich spiritual essence. The weakest Earth Essence was as powerful as an Enlightening Stage spiritual beast!


    After a while, Lin Shen dispelled the distracting thoughts and calmed down to continue cultivating. Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat.


    Through the token, he sensed that someone was visiting.


    Lin Shen immediately stood up and went to the courtyard outside. With a wave of his hand, the restriction on the door immediately switched off. He saw Xie Jingsheng standing at the door with a smile.


    ¡°Senior Brother Xie.¡±


    Xie Jingsheng sized him up a few times with a deep smile.


    ¡°Congrattions on advancing to the next level, Junior Brother Lin!¡±


    Xie Jingsheng knew that Lin Shen had obtained three Golden Marrow Pills, so he wasn¡¯t surprised that Lin Shen had broken through again in just nine days. However, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly. Lin Shen had only entered the academy for a year, but his cultivation level was already on par with Xie Jingsheng¡¯s. That was some incredible talent!


    After thanking Xie Jingsheng, Lin Shen weed him in before asking why he was there.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to tell you that the sect has already sent people to investigate the spirit cave and confirmed that there¡¯s nothing missing. Therefore, from today onwards, it¡¯s officially open to the disciples, and they can enter in batches.


    ¡°And you and I are among the first batch of disciples to enter the spirit cave!¡±


    Lin Shen was overjoyed.


    He had thought that he would have to wait for a month or two, but he did not expect to be able to enter the spirit cave so quickly.


    ¡°When?¡± Lin Shen quickly asked.


    ¡°In five days,¡± Xie Jingsheng said. ¡°Junior Brother Mu, Junior Brother Fu, and ten Heaven-rank disciples from the lower house will be apanying us.¡±


    The Junior Brother Mu that Xie Jingsheng was referring to was Mu Chuanhua.


    As for Junior Brother Fu, Lin Shen guessed that he should be Fu Weifang, who was also a disciple of the upper house.


    However, only four upper-house disciples were entering the spirit cave, which surprised Lin Shen.


    ¡°Where are Senior Brother Shen and the others?¡±


    Xie Jingsheng understood what Lin Shen meant and exined, ¡°The others have chores to attend to. As for Senior Brother Shen¡­¡±


    At this point, Xie Jingsheng paused, and envy and admiration shed in his eyes.


    ¡°Senior Brother Shen has already started cultivating in seclusion five days ago and is preparing to forge a spirit meridian!¡±


    Lin Shen was shocked.


    Back then, when he saw Shen Zening easily defeat the tablet and save Jiang Hao from Yan Jingren, he guessed that Shen Zening¡¯s cultivation level must be extremely high. He didn¡¯t expect him to already be at the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage and had already begun to forge a spirit meridian.


    His strength had already far exceeded the other upper-house disciples!


    After all, before Lin Shen advanced to the upper house, Xie Jingsheng, who was ranked second, was only at the sixth level of the Bright Aperture Stage. He was three stages lower than Shen Zening.


    From this point of view, Shen Zening was on apletely different level from the other upper-house disciples!


    ¡°With Senior Brother Shen¡¯s potential, he can at least forge a third-grade spirit meridian or even a second-grade spirit meridian!¡±


    Xie Jingsheng¡¯s face was filled with undisguised envy.


    ¡°Senior Brother Shen will be leaving the academy in about half a year. If he can be a cultivator master before that, he will be a true disciple after officially joining the sect.. He¡¯ll rise in no time!¡±

 Chapter 227 - 227: True Disciple and Secrets (3)

    Chapter 227: True Disciple and Secrets (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    ¡°A true disciple?¡± Lin Shen looked puzzled.


    Xie Jingsheng pped his forehead. Only then did he remember that with Lin Shen¡¯s background, he probably didn¡¯t know about these things. He patiently exined,


    ¡°When you entered the academy, you should have heard of the academy¡¯s rules for eliminating disciples, right?¡±


    Lin Shen nodded.


    Of course, he had heard of it. It was Yang Zhongyi who told him.


    Every year, the Nine Yang Academy would eliminate the 50 disciples rankedst in terms of strength and cultivation.


    In fact, the academy had just eliminated 50 people not long ago.


    ¡°Most of the disciples who are eliminated from the academy will be outer sect disciples of the sect. These are also the lowest-level disciples of the sect. Above them are inner sect disciples and true disciples!¡±


    Xie Jingsheng spoke slowly.


    ¡°All disciples who can stay in the Nine Yang Academy for five years can join the sect after graduation and be inner sect disciples. They can enjoy more resources than outer sect disciples and learn stronger cultivation techniques!


    ¡°If you can be a cultivator master in those five years, you can immediately graduate from the academy and be a true disciple of the sect. The sect will bestow you with arge number of pills, books, and natural treasures. If you¡¯re lucky enough to obtain the favor of an Elder and let him take you in as a disciple, you can almost look down on your peers among the sect¡¯s disciples!¡±


    Xie Jingsheng¡¯s tone was filled with yearning.


    Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously, ¡°Until now, how many people in the academy have be true disciples as soon as they graduate?¡±


    ¡°Very few,¡± Xie Jingsheng answered without thinking. ¡°Since the establishment of the Nine Yang Academy, there were only three people who became cultivator masters in five years. The most recent one was three years ago.¡±


    Three years ago?


    Lin Shen suddenly thought of a name.


    Ever since he entered the academy, he had heard of this name many times.


    Before him, that person was the first to win first ce as a disciple from the declining old families.


    That person had even set a record of breaking through to the Long Breath Stage two months after entering the academy. No one had broken it for a full five years, until Lin Shen¡¯s arrival.


    Lin Shen had heard many disciplesparing him to that person.


    ¡°Senior Brother Xie, are you talking about Su Liuying?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve also heard of Su Liuying?¡±


    Xie Jingsheng looked at Lin Shen in surprise, but he thought of something and immediately felt relieved.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Since the establishment of the academy, Su Liuying was the third person to graduate as a cultivator master and became a true disciple. At the same time, she was also the disciple who spent the least time advancing to a cultivator master. It only took her less than four years!


    ¡°Moreover, she forged an extremely rare second-grade spirit meridian! You wouldn¡¯t see such a talented person in a¡­¡±


    At this point, Xie Jingsheng suddenly paused and realized something.


    The Junior Brother Lin sitting in front of him was already at the Long Breath Stage before he even entered the academy. He had even broken through to the seventh level of the Bright Aperture Stage in just a year!


    In terms of talent, Lin Shen was much more outstanding than Su Liuying!


    At this rate, he might be a cultivator master in less than three years!


    Moreover, Lin Shen wasn¡¯t too unlucky, the spirit meridian he forged would definitely not be lower than grade three. There was even a high chance that he would forge a grade-two spirit meridian!


    At the thought of this, Xie Jingsheng swallowed the praise that was about toe out of his mouth. He coughed to hide his embarrassment.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t know what Xie Jingsheng was thinking. Seeing that he had stopped talking, he took the initiative to ask, ¡°What¡¯s Su Liuying¡¯s current cultivation level?¡±


    As soon as he asked that, Xie Jingsheng¡¯s expression immediately became strange.


    Lin Shen was puzzled and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Senior Brother Xie?¡±


    Xie Jingsheng cleared his throat and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure either.¡±


    Lin Shen was stunned.


    ording to Xie Jingsheng, Su Liuying would definitely be the center of attention in the Nine Suns Sect. Her every move would definitely attract countless attention.


    Even if he did not know her exact cultivation level, he should know her general cultivation stage.


    Seeing Lin Shen¡¯s surprise, Xie Jingsheng could only exin, ¡°In fact, Su Liuying isn¡¯t in the sect now. Two years ago, she had already betrayed the sect and disappeared.¡±


    She had betrayed the sect!


    Lin Shen was really shocked this time and hurriedly asked about the details.


    Xie Jingsheng shook his head slightly. ¡°1 don¡¯t know the details either. At that time, 1 had just entered the academy. 1 only knew that it had caused a sensation. It was said that more than ten cultivator masters died in that incident!


    ¡°The Su family had a chance of returning to the ranks of the eighteen influential families because of the rise of Su Liuying. However, after that incident, they couldn¡¯t recover and even declined even more than before.¡±


    Lin Shen was silent. He didn¡¯t expect there to be such a secret behind this.


    In that case, Su Liuying should be Su Nian¡¯s rtive from the same n.


    However, he had never heard Su Nian mention her name.


    However, on second thought, Su Liuying¡¯s betrayal had dealt a very heavy blow to the Su family. It was understandable that Su Nian didn¡¯t want to mention this rtive.


    A momentter, Xie Jingsheng quickly changed the topic and returned to the main topic.


    ¡°Junior Brother Lin, we¡¯ll gather at the east gate in five days. From there, we¡¯ll set off for the spirit cave. This time, we¡¯ll stay in the spirit cave for a month. Just in case, you¡¯d better bring enough supplies and pills and make sufficient preparations.¡±


    Lin Shen nodded.


    After chatting for a while, Xie Jingsheng bade farewell and left.


    After sending Xie Jingsheng off, Lin Shen returned to the training room and prepared to continue cultivating.


    There were still five days before he had to head to the spirit cave. He nned to increase the progress of the Cloud Dragon Rhythm and the Nine Divine Sun Sword.


    When he arrived at the spirit cave, he would use it to kill Earth Essences to increase his talent. Perhaps he could reach True Martial in both the Cloud Dragon Rhythm and the Nine Divine Sun Sword.


    Of course, the most important thing after entering the spirit cave was to increase his cultivation level.


    ¡°One month should be enough for me to raise my cultivation to 100% of the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage. When Ie out of the spirit cave, I can start forging spirit meridians!¡±


    At the thought that it would not be long before he could advance to a cultivator master, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but feel excited.


    After a while, he calmed down and began to focus on cultivating.


    Not long after, the sound of clothes fluttering in the air and swords shing reverberated in the training room..

 Chapter 228 - 228: Opening of the Spirit Cave (1)

    Chapter 228: Opening of the Spirit Cave (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyc? Trantions


    Five dayster.


    At the east gate of Dragonside City.


    Lin Shen walked out of the city gate and arrived at the agreed meeting ce. Apart from him, everyone else was already there.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have kept you waiting!<sup>11</sup>


    Xie Jingsheng weed him and waved his hand with a smile.


    ¡°There<sup>r</sup>s still half an hour before the agreed time. You¡¯re notte.¡±


    The few 1 leaven-rank disciples immediately spoke in unison.


    ¡°We¡¯re here early.¡±


    ¡°Senior Brother Lin, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    They were all smiles as they looked at Lin Shen with a faint fawning gaze.


    After the battle with Yan Jingren, Lin Shen had be publicly acknowledged as the second strongest disciple in the academy after Shen Zening.


    Furthermore, although he was the second strongest, Lin Shen entered the academy three years after Shen Zening.


    Three yearster, if nothing went wrong, Lin Shen¡¯s strength and cultivation would definitely surpass the current Shen Zening.


    From this point of view, Lin Shen¡¯s future was clearly much brighter than Shen Zening¡¯s.


    The disciples of the lower house couldn¡¯t wait to curry favor with him. How could they throw a tantrum over such a small matter?


    Lin Shen knew what these people were thinking, but he didn¡¯t care. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he looked at the others.


    He met Mu Chuanhua and Fu Weifang when they surrounded Yan Jingren that day.


    Most of the remaining ten Heaven-rank disciples looked unfamiliar.


    This was also because Lin Shen spent most of his time in the academy cultivating. Apart from Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian, he barely interacted with anyone. Therefore, he knew very few people.


    However, he had some impression of one person.


    It was Ai Jingting, whom he had met once on Mount Firon.


    He remembered that she had even used 13 Prime Pills to exchange for Mountain Phantom¡¯s hair.


    Seeing Lin Shen look over, Ai Jingting nodded slightly at him. ¡°Long time no see, Senior Brother Lin.¡±


    As soon as she said this, Ai Jingting found it hard to describe her feelings.


    She still remembered that when she met Lin Shen a year ago, he was only a ck-rank disciple and had to call her Senior Sister.


    Who would have thought that when they met again today, he would already be a disciple of the upper house? Moreover, he was a peerless genius in the academy. The status and form of address between them had also been reversed. Lt was really hard to describe the feeling.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t think too much about it. He nodded in return before looking away.


    Since everyone had arrived, Xie Jingsheng didn¡¯t dy any longer and announced, ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s set off now.¡±


    As he spoke, he waved his hand, and everyone suddenly felt their vision darken. A flying ship had appeared out of thin air in front of them.


    The flying ship was thirty to forty meters long and more than ten meters tall. There was a ferocious dragon head at the front and two crocodile tails at the back. In the middle was a three-story building that looked quite elegant.


    The group of Heaven-rank disciples was shocked by the sudden appearance of the flying ship.


    When they came back to their senses, a disciple¡¯s eyes lit up, and he said with a burning gaze, ¡°Senior Brother Xie, is this the Dragon Tooth Flying Ship?¡±


    Xie Jingsheng nced ar him and nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Hearing this, the Heaven-rank disciples were envious and amazed.


    The Dragon Tooth Flying Ship was a profound armament-grade flying Dharma treasure. Although it couldn¡¯tpare to the famous Sky Pivot Flying Pce of the Nine Suns Sect, it was still a rare treasure.


    In the Nine Suns Sect, only cultivator masters were qualified to possess it.


    Xie Jingsheng¡¯s flying ship was obviously borrowed from his Master.


    He had most likely borrowed it from Master Si because their destination was in the depths of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range.


    With this Dragon Tooth Flying Ship, not only could they quickly reach their destination, but they would also be iparably safe along the way.


    The restrictions on the Dragon Tooth Flying Ship were enough to withstand the attacks of any demon that hadn¡¯t be a demon cultivator yet.


    Surprised, everyone boarded the Dragon Tooth Flying Ship.


    ¡°Everyone, take a break. We ll reach our destination in two hours at most,¡± Xie Jingsheng said with a smile.


    Everyone sat down.


    Lin Shen sat beside Xie Jingsheng and chatted with him in a low voice. As he spoke, he asked about Ai Jingting¡¯s background.


    It wasn¡¯t that Lin Shen was interested in Ai Jingting¡¯s beauty, but he had long discovered that almost all the Heaven-rank disciples who were going to the spirit cave this time were at the Bright Aperture Stage. Only Ai Jingting was at the Long Breath Stage.


    This made Lin Shen wonder if Ai Jingting had some background and had taken a shortcut.


    Xie Jingshengughed and shook his head when he heard that. He exined, ¡°Junior Sister Ai really has a background. However, she relied on her own ability to obtain a spot to enter the spirit cave this time.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lin Shen was instantly interested.


    ¡°You¡¯re usually focused on cultivating and don¡¯t pay much attention to the academy¡¯s matters, right?¡± Xie Jingsheng said with a smile. ¡°Junior Sister Ai is quite famous in the academy. She¡¯s extremely talented in alchemy and is the most outstanding genius alchemist in the academy!


    ¡°Although she¡¯s only at the Long Breath Stage, she was able to refine me Spirit Pills by herself half a year ago and became an official alchemist. This is unique in the academy. Many alchemists in the alchemy pavilion are even less skilled than her!¡±


    Lin Shen looked at Ai Jingting in surprise. He didn¡¯t expect this gentle-looking girl to be an alchemy genius.


    ¡°Then why does she want to enter the spirit cave?¡± Lin Shen asked.


    Alchemists did not care much about cultivation. Even if they wanted to increase their cultivation, logically speaking, they wouldn¡¯t go to a ce like a spirit cave where there was a certain level of danger. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to use pills to increase their cultivation safely?


    Xie Jingsheng smiled and said, ¡°This is the first time we¡¯ve entered a spirit cave, so we know nothing about the situation inside. It¡¯s best to find someone familiar with rhe spirit cave to travel with. Junior Sister Ai¡¯s Master has entered the spirit cave many times and knows a lot about it, so 1 asked Junior Sister Ai to ask her Master for advice..¡±

 Chapter 229 - 229: Opening of the Spirit Cave (2)

    Chapter 229: Opening of the Spirit Cave (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    ¡°Junior Sister Ai happened to want to go to the spirit cave to find a rare ingredient, so she agreed to travel with us.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Lin Shen nodded.


    After chatting for a while, the two of them closed their eyes to rest and conserve their energy for the uing trip to the spirit cave.


    As it turned out, Xie Jingsheng wasn¡¯t exaggerating. The Dragon Tooth Flying Ship was indeed extremely fast. It was almost as fast as the legendary flying sword. In less than two hours, a bare mountain appeared in their vision.


    There were disciples riding cranes patrolling above the mountain peak. When they saw the flying ship, they immediately weed it.


    ¡°May 1 have your name, please?¡±


    Xie Jingsheng flew out of the flying ship and handed over his identity token.


    ¡°We are disciples of the Nine Yang Academy.¡±


    The guard was only an outer sect disciple. When he heard that the visitors were from the Nine Yang Academy and saw that the identity token was from an upper-house disciple, he didn¡¯t dare to be negligent. He immediately checked the token before letting the flying ship pass.


    Afternding on the mountainside, everyone got off the flying ship. Xie Jingsheng put away the flying ship and led everyone inside.


    Before long, a passageway with pearls embedded in the wall appeared in front of him.


    After passing through a long passageway, they arrived at a much wider ce. It was a brightly lit catb.


    As soon as he entered the catb, Lin Shen could clearly feel that the concentration of spiritual essence here was much higher than outside. It had almost reached the level of a Cave Abode at the Teaching Room level.


    The source of the spiritual essence was a cave in the middle of the catb.


    The mouth of the cave was about 20 to 30 meters long. It was abnormally deep inside, and there were faint howls that were like a violent wind. It looked quite creepy.


    The cave was surrounded by ayer of white jade that looked like the wall of a well.


    At this moment, there were more than ten people standing beside that barrier. All of them were dressed in the same attire, exuding a vigorous aura.


    Lin Shen vaguely felt that these people¡¯s clothes were a little familiar. Just as he was feeling puzzled, he heard the conversation of the other upper-house disciples.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s the uniform of inner sect disciples!¡±


    ¡°These people are inner sect disciples? They want to enter the spirit cave too?¡±


    Upon hearing the voice, Mu Chuanhua turned around and said with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s right. There are a total of 30 spots in the spirit cave. Apart from the 15 people from our academy, there are also 15 inner sect disciples.¡±


    Only then did the disciples of the lower house feel relieved. They couldn¡¯t help but cast curious gazes at the inner sect disciples.


    As Heaven-rank disciples, it was almost a sure bet that they would graduate from the academy and be inner-sect disciples.


    In terms of status, they weren¡¯t much different from this group of inner-sect disciples.


    Even so, they weren¡¯t official disciples after all. They were still a little reserved when facing inner sect disciples.


    These inner sect disciples all had powerful auras and were at least at the fifth or sixth level of the Bright Aperture Stage.


    In the Nine Yang Academy, they would be treated as upper-house disciples and were much stronger than them.


    Lin Shen looked at the group of inner sect disciples and wasn¡¯t very surprised.


    Outer sect disciples weren¡¯t qualified to enter the spirit cave, while true disciples were all cultivator masters. The spirit cave wasn¡¯t of much use to them, so they naturally wouldn¡¯te.


    Therefore, only inner sect disciples would enter the spirit cave.


    Before taking the Golden Marrow Pills, Lin Shen might have wondered why the spirit cave wasn¡¯t very useful to cultivator masters.


    However, after experiencing the power of a cultivator master¡¯s stage, he understood.


    The spirit cave could greatly increase the efficiency of cultivators because the spiritual essence was very active and could be absorbed by cultivators.


    Unlike ordinary Cave Abodes, cultivators below the level of a cultivator master could only passively ept the infiltration of spiritual essence, so the efficiency was naturally slow.


    However, cultivator masters had already created their spiritual senses. Even if they were in the Cave Abode, they could take the initiative to absorb the surrounding spiritual essence.


    With the same concentration of spiritual essence, a spirit cave was no different from a Cave Abode to them.


    In fact, the Cave Abode was better than the spirit cave.


    After all, there were no hostile creatures in the Cave Abode. They could focus on cultivating.


    At this moment, the group of inner sect disciples beside the battlement also noticed the arrival of Lin Shen and the others.


    The leader, a tall and handsome man, turned his head and looked over. His gazended on Xie Jingsheng, and his expression immediately turned cold.


    When Xie Jingsheng approached, he greeted him with a fake smile.


    ¡°Long time no see, Junior Brother Xie. How have you been?¡±


    Xie Jingsheng smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Senior Brother Peng, everything is fine.¡±


    ¡°Why are you leading the team this time? Where¡¯s Junior Brother Shen Zening?¡±


    ¡°Senior Brother Shen entered seclusion not long ago and is preparing to forge a spirit meridian.¡±


    As soon as he said this, the inner sect disciples were stunned. When they came back to their senses, they immediately looked envious or jealous.


    Only Senior Brother Peng quickly regained hisposure after the astonishment. He snorted and said indifferently,


    ¡°Junior Brother Shen is indeed the chief disciple of the upper house. This time, he can at least form a third-grade spirit meridian.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your kind words, Senior Brother!¡± Xie Jingsheng smiled.


    Even the slowest person could tell that the two of them didn¡¯t seem to be on good terms.


    The disciples of the lower house couldn¡¯t help but look at each other, not knowing what to do.


    Lin Shen was also a little curious. He approached Mu Chuanhua and asked in a low voice, ¡°Senior Brother Mu, who¡¯s that?¡±


    Seeing that it was Lin Shen, Mu Chuanhua hurriedly said in a low voice, ¡°That¡¯s Senior Brother Peng Junqin. He¡¯s from the Peng family, one of the ten preeminent families.¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes shed as if he had understood something.


    He vaguely remembered that the Peng family and the Yan family seemed to be on good terms. It even used to be dependent on the Yan family.


    It was said that Peng Xinyuan, who had made things difficult for Lin Shen during the guided battle, followed Yan Jingren¡¯s lead..

 Chapter 230 - 230: Opening the Spirit Cave (3)

    Chapter 230: Opening the Spirit Cave (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    The fall of the Yan family was a hard blow to the Peng family.


    Considering that on the surface, Si Yuanpei was the one who led the sect to destroy the Yan family this time, apart from the senior officials of the sect, almost no one knew that Lin Shen was the one who provided the information.


    Therefore, the Peng family most likely med what had happened on Si Yuanpei.


    As Si Yuanpei¡¯s disciple, Xie Jingsheng naturally didn¡¯t receive a warm wee.


    ¡°There are many demons in the spirit cave, and it¡¯s abnormally dangerous. Junior Brother Xie, you have to be careful this time.¡± Peng Junqin narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother Peng.¡± Xie Jingsheng was unmoved and still had a faint smile on his face.


    Seeing Xie Jingsheng¡¯s unaffected look, Peng Junqin finally gave up on the verbal confrontation. He snorted and didn¡¯t say anything else.


    Xie Jingsheng smiled and led everyone to the side.


    ¡°After we enter the spirit cave, all of us will disperse to different ces. 1 have some tokens here that have already absorbed a trace of everyone¡¯s aura. With them, we can roughly sense the locations of others so that we can gather togetherter.¡±


    As he spoke, Xie Jingsheng handed each of them a token and a sheepskin scroll.


    ¡°There¡¯s nock of danger in the spirit cave. Everyone, it¡¯s best to quickly find the others and meet up after entering the spirit cave.


    ¡°In addition, this is a map drawn by the sect¡¯s cultivator masters when they explored the spirit cave. There are some particrly dangerous locations marked on it. Try your best to avoid these locations when you¡¯re investigating the spirit cave.¡±


    Everyone nodded.


    There were many spiritual monsters in the spirit cave. If one wanted to absorb spiritual essence and cultivate in peace, one had to be lucky enough to find a secluded ce without spiritual monsters or havepanions guarding them.


    This was also one of the reasons why they formed a team to enter the spirit cave. That way, they could take turns guarding one another and cultivate.


    Seeing that everyone had understood, Xie Jingsheng didn¡¯t say anything else. He turned to look at the cave in the encirclement and waited for the spirit cave to open.


    The eye of the spirit cave would only open once a month. Each time, it would onlyst for an hour before closing.


    If one wanted to open it again, one would have to wait a month.


    A momentter, muffled thunder suddenly rang out in the catb. Everyone subconsciously looked at the cave eye


    At some point in time, arge amount of silver light had already appeared in the dark eye of the cave. It intertwined to form a vortex-like ball of light that slowly sank down.


    A warden beside the battlement was d when he saw this. He raised his voice and said, ¡°It¡¯s time. The spirit cave has opened. Everyone, please hurry up and enter!¡±


    Peng Junqin and hispanions reacted the fastest. As soon as the warden finished speaking, they jumped into the hole without any hesitation and disappeared almost the moment they entered.


    Seeing this, Xie Jingsheng said, ¡°Let¡¯s go in too.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the robe on his body glowed with a faint white light, protecting him. Then, he jumped into the eye of the cave.


    The others either activated their robes or circted their spiritual essence to wrap their bodies. With a bang, they burrowed into the vortex and disappeared.


    Not long after, apart from the warden, there was no one else in the catb.


    Seeing this, Lin Shen didn¡¯t dy. With a thought, his robe immediately shed with a hazy light. Looking at the rapidly spinning vortex, he took a deep breath and jumped down.


    The moment he entered the cave, Lin Shen suddenly felt his body freeze. He felt as if he had fallen into the sea. He was involuntarily carried down by an invisible force and couldn¡¯t break free at all. He could only carefully protect himself with the Heavenly Star Robe.


    He didn¡¯t know how long the feelingsted.


    At some point, Lin Shen suddenly felt the invisible force around him intensify, wrapping around him and rushing down.


    In the next moment, he felt as if he had broken through a barrier. His body suddenly became light, and the pressure from beforepletely dissipated. He was free-falling.


    Lin Shen hurriedly used the Riding Wind Technique to stabilize himself in midair. Then, he looked around.


    He was in a cave that was about 300 to 400 meters wide. It was very spacious.


    The stctites hanging from the dome were like sharp stakes.


    In all directions, there were densely packed caves leading to unknown ces.


    ¡°Is this the interior of the spirit cave? It looks very spacious.¡±


    Lin Shen looked around for a moment and focused on sensing the spiritual energy around him.


    ¡°What dense spiritual essence! It¡¯s even better than my courtyard in the upper house!¡± Lin Shen was secretly amazed.


    His courtyard in the upper house was a Profound Cottage-level Cave Abode. The next level would be the Essence Prefecture, which was on the same level as the Nine Yang Academy.


    However, the Nine Yang Academy had been modified by cultivator masters. Most of the spiritual essence was concentrated in the wooden buildings of the Teaching Room, the courtyards of the Profound Cottage, or the residence of the tutors.


    Apart from those few ces, the density of spiritual energy in the other ces was only slightly better than in the outside world.


    Lin Shen usually stayed in the Nine Yang Academy, so he hadn¡¯t realized the difference.


    It was only now that he truly understood how abundant the spiritual energy in the Essence Prefecture was.


    Lin Shen tried to circte the Nine Yang Scripture and instantly felt the rich spiritual essence around him rush into his pores.


    In just a short while, he felt his soul strengthen a little.


    Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but be overjoyed. With such abundant spiritual essence, if he could find a secluded ce and summon all his clones, he could calm down and cultivate. It wouldn¡¯t be a problem for him to enter the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage in a month.


    With this in mind, Lin Shen wasn¡¯t in a hurry to meet up with Xie Jingsheng and the others.


    With his clones around, he wasn¡¯t afraid that no one would guard him when he cultivated. He didn¡¯t need to team up with others at all.


    Inparison, he was more free on his own.


    The only problem was that without Ai Jingting, who was familiar with the spirit cave, he might be caught in an ident.


    ¡°However, it won¡¯t be toote to meet them when 1 really encounter such a situation.¡±


    Lin Shen felt that with his current strength, as long as he didn¡¯t encounter a cultivator master-level spirit monster, he didn¡¯t have to worry at all.


    Even if there were such demons in the spirit cave, they had long been dealt with by the sect¡¯s cultivator masters who explored the ce. Therefore, there was no need to worry.


    After calming himself down, Lin Shen took out the map that Xie Jingsheng had given him and looked at it carefully..

 Chapter 231 - 231: Blood Sea Sect (1)

    Chapter 231: Blood Sea Sect (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Looking closely, the terrain on the map wasplicated. Dense tunnels crisscrossed each other. Without the map in hand, it was indeed easy to lose his bearings.


    There were more than ten ces marked with red dots on the map, indicating that there were many spiritual monsters there and that they were dangerous.


    Any other cultivators who entered the spirit cave would definitely stay away from those ces.


    But Lin Shen was different.


    Apart from cultivating, his other goal in entering the spirit cave was to hunt Earth Essences to collect spirit dust and use his Testify by Killing talent to increase his strength.


    Therefore, these dangerous ces on the map that others avoided like the gue were spots for Lin Shen to gain experience and collect resources.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take a look at these ces first. If I can find a secluded ce suitable for cultivation on the way, it¡¯ll be even more convenient.¡±


    After taking a few more nces, Lin Shen put away the map and flew toward the nearest gathering point of the spiritual monsters marked on the map.


    After flying for about half an hour, Lin Shen estimated that he was about to reach his destination. Just as he was about to summon his clones to search for traces of the spirit monsters, he suddenly heard a low roar.


    He turned his head and looked in the direction of the sound. He saw that there was a fog a hundred meters ahead. It was white, and he could vaguely see several ck shadows shing inside.


    Lin Shen immediately gathered his spiritual essence in his eyes to see the true forms of the ck shadows in the fog.


    They were all grayish-white spirits that looked a little simr to stone lions but had the heads of ferocious and ugly evil spirits!


    ¡°Earth Essence!¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes lit up.


    The appearance of the demons in front of him was exactly the same as the description of the Earth Essence he had seen in the jade tube. Clearly, they were the legendary Earth Essence.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t expect himself to be so lucky. Not long after entering the spirit cave, he met his main target. He immediately drew his sword and rushed forward without hesitation.


    Earth Essence was violent and fierce. When they saw that their prey actually dared to take the initiative to attack them, they were furious and immediately roared as it pounced out of the fog.


    For the sake of improving his Cloud Dragon Rhythm and Nine Divine Sun Sword, Lin Shen didn¡¯t use any spells or other martial arts techniques. He only used his new movement techniques and sword techniques to deal with the enemy.


    Even so, with his Level-8 Bright Aperture Stage cultivation and the Pure Yang Talisman Sword¡¯s astonishing might, he still easily gained the upper hand.


    The four Earth Essences weren¡¯t strong. They were about as strong as a demon at the middle phase of the Enlightening Stage.


    In less than half an hour, Lin Shen had killed all four Earth Essences.


    After falling to the ground and dying, the four Earth Essences quickly turned into clouds and drifted away, leaving only a small handful of light green powder on the spot.


    Lin Shen pinched a small handful and looked at it for a moment. There was a smile on his lips.


    That was the spiritual dust he was looking for!


    After carefully putting the spirit dust into the jade bottle he had prepared, Lin Shen continued forward.


    There weren¡¯t many opportunities to enter the spirit cave. He wanted to take this opportunity to collect as much spirit dust as possible so that he could refine Cast Spirit Pills when he returned.


    As he went deeper, more and more Earth Essences appeared along the way. Their strength also became stronger and stronger, and Earth Essences in thete phase of the Enlightening Stage gradually appeared.


    However, to Lin Shen, there was no difference. He would just spend more effort to kill them.


    After walking for a while, Lin Shen discovered a rtively quiet cave, so he simply summoned his clones and let them take turns guarding and cultivating in the cave.


    As for him and his Testify by Killing clone, they used the cave as the center point and searched in different directions, hunting Earth Essences along the way.


    After advancing to the seventh level of the Bright Aperture Stage, the zero consumption distance of the clones had increased to about 1,500 meters.


    This distance was nothing in the vast spirit cave.


    However, there was an advantage to having a spirit cave. The spiritual essence was active and abundant. Even if his spiritual essence was on the verge of running out, Lin Shen only needed to circte the Nine Yang Scripture for a moment to replenish more than half of it. He didn¡¯t have to worry about the consumption of his clones at all.


    Under such circumstances, it didn¡¯t matter even if he and his clones were a little far apart.


    As he cultivated, he hunted Earth Essences and collected spirit dust. Just like that, Lin Shen immersed himself in cultivation and battle. Before he knew it, ten days had passed.


    The vast area he was in was indeed a dangerous ce marked on the map. There were unexpectedly many Earth Essences.


    In ten days, five to six hundred Earth Essences had died under his and his clone¡¯s hands.


    It was only then that Lin Shen clearly felt the Earth Essence in this area began to thin out.


    After returning to the cave where his clones were cultivating, Lin Shen summoned the interface. A heartfelt smile appeared on his face.


    He had gained a lot in the past ten days.


    Not only had he sessfully broken through to the eighth level of the Bright Aperture Stage, but his Cloud Dragon Rhythm and Nine Divine Sun Sword had also made significant progress.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Testify by Killing]


    [Stage: Eighth level of Bright Aperture, 45%]


    [Cultivation techniques: Nine Yang Scripture (Perfection), Meltdown (True Martial), Forbidden Golden Armor (True Martial), Cloud Dragon Rhythm (Path 85%), Nine Divine Sun Sword (Path 50%)¡­]


    [Spells: Seven Arts Sword Energy (Level 4, 92%), Lightning Palm (Level 4, 56%), Paper Man Movement Technique (Level 3, 83%), Fixation Curse (Level 3, 25%), Riding Wind Technique (Level 3, 74%), Water Mirror Technique (Level 1, 55%)]


    [Number of clones: 7 (22%)]


    ¡°No wonder so many cultivators flock to the spirit cave. This is indeed a cultivation treasurend!¡±


    Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    In just ten days, he had broken through a stage. There were still twenty days left. It was more than enough to reach 100% of the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage.


    He had improved so quickly because of his clones..

 Chapter 232 - 232: Blood Sea Sect (2)

    Chapter 232: Blood Sea Sect (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    It shouldn¡¯t be a problem for ordinary cultivators to break through a stage in a month in a ce like this.


    The benefits of this spirit cave to cultivators were truly astonishing!


    ¡°The Cloud Dragon Rhythm stillcks three Perfection movement techniques. I should be able to break through in three to four days.¡±


    Lin Shen pondered for a moment and looked outside the cave.


    ¡°However, I¡¯ve dealt with most of the Earth Essence within a 3,000-meter radius. It¡¯s time to change to another ce.¡±


    Lin Shen took out the map and swept his gaze across it. Soon, he found the second location where many spirit monsters were.


    It was about seven to eight kilometers away.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go here!¡±


    Lin Shen made a prompt decision. He retracted his clones and left the cave, using the Riding Wind Technique to rush toward his destination.


    Halfway there, Lin Shen suddenly saw a figure from the corner of his eye. He turned around and couldn¡¯t help but stop.


    A corpse was lying on a rock pir a hundred meters away!


    When he got closer, he saw that the face looked familiar. It was one of the disciples from the lower house who had entered the spirit cave with him.


    Lin Shen narrowed his eyes and looked around warily. After finding nothing abnormal, he carefully approached the corpse.


    The corpse¡¯s skin was deathly pale, without the slightest trace of blood. It was as if all the blood in its body had been sucked dry, and there was still a terrified expression on its face.


    Lin Shen studied it for a moment and took out a guiding talisman. After activating it, he threw it at the corpse. As expected, he found a residual evil aura on it.


    His expression became even more solemn.


    The spirit monsters in the spirit cave were naturally formed and not evil.


    If this disciple had died at the hands of a spirit monster, there shouldn¡¯t have been any evil aura left on his corpse.


    It was impossible for such a ce with abundant spiritual essence to have evil creatures.


    Then, the answer was obvious.


    This person was killed by another human being.


    But what Lin Shen couldn¡¯t understand was who would use an evil spell to kill this disciple of the lower house.


    PengJunqin?


    No, that was impossible!


    No matter how dissatisfied Peng Junqin was with Xie Jingsheng, he wouldn¡¯t have vented his anger on other academy disciples.


    He wouldn¡¯t have done such a serious thing as if he had lost his mind.


    Moreover, Peng Junqin came from a preeminent family and was an orthodox disciple. He shouldn¡¯t know any evil spells.


    But if that wasn¡¯t the case, who did it?


    Someone other than them and Peng Junqin?


    Lin Shen shook his head again.


    They were the first batch of disciples to enter the spirit cave. If there were others in the spirit cave, why would the sect hide it from them?


    Why would they kill their own people?


    He only became more perplexed, so he stopped hesitating and stood up.


    No matter what, an ident must have happened to the academy disciples who entered the spirit cave.


    After all, Lin Shen was a member of the academy. He couldn¡¯t stay out of it.


    Lin Shen took out the token that Xie Jingsheng had given him from his storage ring. He focused his senses, and his expression quickly changed.


    ¡°It¡¯s not far. It¡¯s quite close.¡±


    Without any dy, Lin Shen flew in the direction he had sensed.


    Not long after, there was amotion in the distance.


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes flickered, and he picked up his speed.


    As he got closer, the voice gradually became clearer. It was the sound of a battle, mixed with the conversation of a man and a woman.


    After turning around a rock wall, the sound suddenly became clear, and there was the scene of the battle.


    In a slightly sunken clearing, Ai Jingting was bearing standing. Her beautiful face was pale, and her snow-white dress was stained with blood.


    Beside her feety a man.


    From his appearance and clothes, he was also one of the disciples from the lower house who had entered with Lin Shen.


    Only, right now, he wasn¡¯t moving at all. He made no sound and was probably dead.


    Ai Jingting was holding a half-meter-tall green tree. Its leaves were lush and green.


    There were many fruits in the tree crown. They were only the size of a thumb. They looked colorful and bright.


    A dense green light dissipated from the green tree, turning into a light barrier with a radius of two meters, enveloping Ai Jingting and the disciples on the ground.


    The light barrier seemed thin, but it was abnormally sturdy. No matter how the two people in front of him attacked, it remained unaffected.


    The two people attacking the light barrier were a man and a woman, both in their mid-20s.


    The man¡¯s face was thin, and he was wearing a ck robe. His long and narrow eyes were as cold as a poisonous snake as he kept looking at Ai Jingting.


    The woman was wearing a revealing dress, showing her snow-white stomach and limbs. Her chest was full, and her expression was flirtatious. She emitted a bewitching aura.


    The woman held a blood-colored whip and kept whipping the light shield while giggling.


    ¡°I advise you to surrender quickly. Yourpanions are all dead. No one can save you. Why struggle? If you surrender obediently, you can suffer less!¡±


    The man nodded and smiled sinisterly.


    ¡°Although this treasure of yours is powerful, you¡¯re only at the Long Breath Stage. You can onlyst for another fifteen minutes at most. After that, you¡¯ll still suffer a crushing defeat. Why don¡¯t you obey me? Not only will 1 not kill you, but I¡¯ll also let you experience unprecedented bliss!¡±


    As he spoke, the man kept eyeing Ai Jingting. Greed shed in his eyes.


    Hearing the desire in the man¡¯s tone, the woman immediately frowned in dissatisfaction.


    ¡°Senior Brother, you said that you would turn these two into blood souls for me. Are you going back on your word?¡±


    The man smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°Junior Sister, the person on the ground is yours. However, this woman is beautiful. It¡¯s a pity to use her to refine the blood soul. Leave her to me..¡±

 Chapter 233 - 233: Blood Sea Sect (3)

    Chapter 233: Blood Sea Sect (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    The bewitching woman snorted coldly. Just as she was about to refuse, she suddenly rolled her eyes and pointed at the green tree in Ai Jingting¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Alright, you can have her, but that treasure is mine!¡±


    The man¡¯s expression froze.


    The power of this green tree was obvious to all. It could withstand their joint attack for nearly half an hour, so it was at least a middle-grade profound armament.


    Although the beautiful girl was precious, she couldn¡¯tpare to such a treasure.


    He couldn¡¯t bear to exchange the green tree for Ai Jingting!


    Thinking of this, the man smiled embarrassedly and didn¡¯t mention wanting Ai Jingting for himself anymore.


    The bewitching woman saw this and curled her lips in disdain.


    On the other side, Ai Jingting felt bitter as she watched the two of them discuss how to deal with her as if she wasn¡¯t there.


    Just as the man had guessed, although the treasure given to her by her Master was powerful, her cultivation was still too weak. It was already her limit tost for half an hour.


    If it weren¡¯t for the abundance of spiritual essence here, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to hold on for so long.


    Even so, she could already feel waves of weaknessing from her body. Clearly, her spiritual essence couldn¡¯tst long.


    Once she lost the protection of the tree, what awaited her would definitely be an extremely miserable oue!


    Thinking of this, Ai Jingting couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of despair.


    The man and the woman also saw that Ai Jingting was at the end of her rope. They immediately stopped holding back.


    A red light shed, and a blood-colored figure separated from each of them.


    The two figures floated and swayed. Their bodies were faintly discernible, showing a translucent and illusory texture, like ghosts.


    After leaving their bodies, the two blood shadows paused in the air for a moment before pouncing on Ai Jingting.


    The blood shadow was bare-handed, and its attack method was extremely simple. It only used a pair of sharp ws to tear and scratch.


    However, there were traces of cold blood energy in the attack. When it touched the light shield, it immediately emitted a terrifying sizzling sound.


    Under the frenzied attacks of the two blood shadows, the light barrier visibly dimmed.


    Seeing this, Ai Jingting turned even paler.


    On the other hand, the man and the bewitching woman were extremely proud.


    But at this moment, there was suddenly a sharp and short sound of air being torn apart.


    The bewitching woman felt a chill in her back. A strong sense of danger suddenly surged in the depths of her chest, and she felt her scalp tickled.


    At the critical moment, the jade pendant on her neck suddenly emitted a dazzling green light that enveloped her entire body in the blink of an eye.


    In the next second, four streaks of ferocious sword energy hit her.


    The green light covering the woman suddenly shed and then shattered.


    Only two of the four streaks of sword energy dissipated, and the remaining two continued to attack her.


    However, the woman took the chance to react. She twisted her waist and dodged to the side, sessfully avoiding being hit in her vital points. However, one of her snow-white arms was minced into a blood mist that filled the sky, and blood instantly surged like a fountain from the cut on her shoulder!


    The woman let out a shrill, but she didn¡¯t have the time to breathe. She used her remaining hand to make a gesture. The blood shadow that was attacking the light shield immediately turned around and quickly pounced in the direction of the sword energy.


    At the same time, the man sensed danger approaching.


    A huge scarlet palm that was a hundred meters long had appeared above the cave. It descended from the sky with a domineering aura that could crush everything and smash down at him!


    Before the attack arrived, the terrifying pressure made him almost suffocate.


    The horror of death instantly enveloped him. The man¡¯s face was almost distorted. With a sudden shout, another blood shadow separated from his body and pounced toward the scarlet palm.


    At the same time, his robe shone brightly. A heavy mountain shadow appeared out of thin air and enveloped him.


    Unfortunately, all of this was useless in front of the True Martial Meltdown.


    As soon as the blood shadow touched the crimson palm, it was like ice falling into magma. It meltedpletely in an instant and turned into a wisp of green smoke that dissipated.


    The crimson palmnded on the man with a bang, smashing him and the illusion of the mountain into the ground.


    When the scarlet palm dissipated, there was only scorched earth on the ground. The man was nowhere to be found.


    When she saw this from the corner of her eye, the woman was instantly terrified out of her wits, and she didna?TMt even have the time to look at who hadunched a sneak attack on her before she screamed and turned around to flee.


    However, before she could get far, a huge green tablet flew over like a meteor and crashed into her, sending her flying. She fell to the ground and couldn¡¯t move.


    The blood shadow that had flown out earlier had already disappeared.


    In a sh, Lin Shen appeared in front of the woman and walked toward her with an expressionless face.


    The woman looked up and said in a panic, ¡°No, don¡¯t kill me. I¡¯ll agree to whatever you want me to do¡­¡±


    Halfway through her sentence, Lin Shen had already stabbed his sword into her heart. He activated his spiritual essence and instantly shattered her heart.


    With the death of the woman, the cave immediately became quiet again.


    Ai Jingting looked at the slender figure not far away in a daze. She was stunned on the spot and couldn¡¯t recover from her shock.


    She had thought that she would die here today and was filled with despair. She almost wanted tomit suicide. But in the next moment, Lin Shen descended from the sky and killed the two enemies as easily as crushing dry weeds!


    Ai Jingting felt like she was in a dream!


    ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    It was only when Lin Shen walked closer that Ai Jingting suddenly woke up from her daze. She hurriedly shook her head.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine. Why are you here?¡±


    As soon as she said that, Ai Jingting blushed and realized that she had asked a stupid question.


    With the token in hand, it wasn¡¯t surprising that Lin Shen could find her.


    Fortunately, Lin Shen didn??t mind the question and asked, ¡°Who were those two people?¡±


    At the mention of this, Ai Jingting suddenly turned serious.


    ¡°They were disciples of the Blood Sea Sect!¡±

 Chapter 234 - 234: Blood Threadworm (1)

    Chapter 234: Blood Threadworm (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Blood Sea Sect.


    It was a heretic sect that ruled Seawatch City.


    Unlike Dragonside City, the Blood Sea Sect was the only sect in Seawatch City.


    The Blood Sea Sect¡¯s strength naturally far exceeded that of the Nine Suns Sect, Azure Frost Sect, and Raging Waves Sect.


    Only by joining forces could the three sects fight against the Blood Sea Sect.


    As a heretic sect, the Blood Sea Sect was known for its ruthlessness. Killing people and refining their souls was amon urrence for them.


    Blood Sea Sect disciples could refine the souls of ordinary people and even cultivators into puppets that could be used to kill enemies in battle.


    Such a puppet was called a blood soul.


    Previously, when Lin Shen heard the bewitching woman mention the blood soul while talking to that man, he guessed that they were disciples of the Blood Sea Sect.


    Now that he heard what Ai Jingting said, there was no doubt about it.


    ¡°In that case, those blood shadows just now must be the unique blood souls of the Blood Sea Sect!¡± Lin Shen thought to himself.


    After regaining his senses, he asked Ai Jingting what had happened.


    Ai Jingting smiled bitterly and told him everything.


    After entering the spirit cave, they immediately approached each other following what they sensed on the tokens.


    In just two days, everyone except Lin Shen had gathered together.


    Because time was precious and they couldn¡¯t find Lin Shen, they could only find a temporary, quiet ce to cultivate.


    At first, everything went quite smoothly. More than ten people took turns to guard and clean up the demons attracted by the human aura. The rest of the time could be used to cultivate.


    After ten days, everyone¡¯s cultivation had increased significantly.


    Ai Jingting, in particr, had vaguely touched the bottleneck of the Bright Aperture Stage. She would break through soon.


    But today, a group of Blood Sea Sect disciples appeared out of nowhere and attacked them unexpectedly.


    A fierce battle separated the disciples.


    Ai Jingting and the two disciples from the lower house ended up together, but then they were caught up by two Blood Sea Sect disciples, the man, and woman from earlier.


    The two of them were at the sixth or seventh level of the Bright Aperture Stage. Ai Jingting and the two disciples of the lower house weren¡¯t their matches at all.


    They tried to flee, but in the end, the two disciples from the lower house died tragically under the hands of the Blood Sea Sect disciples. Only Ai Jingting relied on the profound armament treasure tree to hold on until now.


    If Lin Shen hadn¡¯t appeared, she wouldn¡¯t have survived. She might have been even more miserable than the two disciples from the lower house.


    At this point, Ai Jingting still had lingering fears. She looked at Lin Shen with gratitude and surprise.


    She was naturally grateful because Lin Shen had saved her.


    She was surprised because of what she had witnessed.


    Ai Jingting knew very well how powerful those two Blood Sea Sect disciples were.


    In her opinion, those two people were as capable as Yan Jingren.


    But Lin Shen killed one and seriously injured the other.


    In just three to four seconds, the two Blood Sea Sect disciples were dead.


    This strength was simply breathtaking!


    ¡°Compared to the day of the disciple rank challenge, Lin Shen has be much stronger!¡± Ai Jingting sighed inwardly.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t know what Ai Jingting was thinking. His attention waspletely on the Blood Sea Sect disciples.


    ¡°The eye of the spirit cave is located in the middle of the mountain. The sect has set upyers of guards within a five-kilometer radius. How did the Blood Sea Sect enter the spirit cave?¡± Lin Shen frowned and pondered.


    Ai Jingting also looked puzzled.


    ¡°ording to my observations, those Blood Sea Sect disciples seem to be quite familiar with the surrounding terrain. 1 think they might have already been in the spirit cave for a long time. They might even have entered the spirit cave earlier than us!¡±


    Lin Shen thought for a moment and suddenly said, ¡°Could there be another entrance in the spirit cave that we don¡¯t know about? The people from the Blood Sea Sect might havee in from there!¡±


    This possibility shocked Ai Jingting.


    But when she came back to her senses, she felt that Lin Shen might have the right exnation.


    If that wasn¡¯t the case, there was no way to exin how the Blood Sea Sect managed to hide from the Nine Suns Sect and appear in the spirit cave.


    ¡°What should we do?¡± Ai Jingting looked worried.


    Lin Shen pondered.


    The appearance of the Blood Sea Sect was really beyond his expectations.


    Most importantly, he didn¡¯t know why the Blood Sea Sect attacked them.


    Was it purely out of hatred for the Nine Suns Sect, or was there another reason?


    After thinking for a moment, Lin Shen decided not to dwell on it.


    ¡°No matter what, the most important thing now is to find Senior Brother Xie and the others!¡±


    Ai Jingting felt that it made sense.


    They should meet up with Xie Jingsheng and the others first before making ns.


    After making up his mind, Lin Shen didn¡¯t dy. He immediately got Ai Jingting to point the way and rushed toward the ce where they were scattered.


    With the tokens in their hands, as long as they were close enough, it shouldn¡¯t be difficult to find the location of Xie Jingsheng and the others.


    In an empty space covered in jagged rocks.


    Shouts and battle cries went on and on. The light of spells and martial techniques crisscrossed, almost dyeing the sky above the cave with a multitude of colors.


    However, under thisyer of enchanting colors, there was a brutal battle.


    On one side were more than 20 Blood Sea Sect disciples in ck robes with blood-colored waves embroidered on their sleeves.


    On the other side were Xie Jingsheng, Peng Junqin, and others.


    Thirty people entered the spirit cave 10 days ago, but there were less than twenty people here. Furthermore, all of them were injured and looked rather miserable.


    Xie Jingsheng brandished his sword and forced back the Blood Sea Sect disciple in front of him. He moved as fast as a whirlwind and arrived beside a disciple of the lower house blocking the enemy¡¯s sneak attack in time.


    When the disciple heard themotion, he turned around and broke out in cold sweat. He hurriedly thanked Xie Jingsheng..

 Chapter 235 - 235: Blood Threadworm (2)

    Chapter 235: Blood Threadworm (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    ¡°Be careful!¡± Xie Jingsheng did not say anything else. He reminded hispanions and continued to attack the other enemies.


    He nced at the situation around him from the corner of his eye, and his heart sank.


    The Blood Sea Sect had far more people than them. Moreover, all of them were at the Bright Aperture Stage and were very powerful. If they hadn¡¯t run into Peng Junqin and the others, they would have been surrounded and killed by their enemies.


    Even so, the current situation was far from good.


    They had never thought that there would be people from the Blood Sea Sect in the spirit cave. Their usual defense training was against demons, so they were easily ambushed by the Blood Sea Sect and caught off guard.


    Of the ten disciples who came with Xie Jingsheng, three had already died in battle, and another three had been scattered in the battle. He didn¡¯t know if they were dead or alive.


    Among the upper house disciples, Fu Weifang was severely injured. Not only had hepletely lost hisbat strength, but he had also be a burden.


    Peng Junqin and the other inner sect disciples were slightly better, but four of them were killed by the Blood Sea Sect¡¯s sneak attack.


    Although they had temporarily joined forces, they were all injured and didn¡¯t have the advantage in numbers. They werepletely suppressed.


    If that was the case, they could risk their lives to break out of the encirclement. At least a few of them would be able to escape.


    After that, they could find a ce to hide. When the spirit cave opened again in 20 days, they would be able to leave from here and report to the sect.


    However, the Blood Sea Sect¡¯s strength wasn¡¯t limited to this.


    With this thought in mind, Xie Jingsheng couldn¡¯t help but look at a tall figure a hundred meters away.


    It was a man in histe 20s. He had deeply set facial features and was abnormally burly. He was very intimidating.


    It was this person who suddenly attacked just now and severely injured Fu Weifang in a single move.


    If Xie Jingsheng and the others hadn¡¯t risked their lives to save him, and if Peng Junqin hadn¡¯t taken out the Five Qi God-subduing Token to temporarily force the man back, Fu Weifang would have died on the spot.


    ¡°This person is definitely at the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage. He might even have forged a few spirit meridians!¡±


    Xie Jingsheng was secretly shocked, but he also felt bitter.


    More than twenty Blood Sea Sect disciples were already very troublesome. Together with a man with unfathomable strength, they might really die here today.


    At this moment, he suddenly heard a scream.


    An inner sect disciple was caught off guard and was pierced by a blood soul. The cold blood energy immediately made him slow down.


    In that instant, over half a dozen blood souls had already surrounded him and pounced on him, biting and gnawing crazily. Flesh and blood sttered everywhere.


    However, before he could scream, the inner sect disciple waspletely eaten up, not even his bones were left.


    It happened so fast that Peng Junqin didn¡¯t even have time to save the disciple. His expression instantly became extremely gloomy.


    An inner sect disciple approached with an anxious expression and said in a low voice, ¡°Senior Brother Peng, we can¡¯t hold on much longer. Hurry up and use the Five Qi God-subduing Token!¡±


    Peng Junqin hesitated.


    The Five Qi God-subduing Token was a treasure that he had specially borrowed from the elders of the n to ensure that he was safe and sound during this trip to the spirit cave.


    This treasure was a profound armament made by a cultivator master of the Nine Suns Sect after coincidentally obtaining some inspiration from the sect¡¯s spell, Five Qi Suppression. It was specialized in defeating Yin items and was very effective against spirits like the Earth Essence that were nourished by spiritual essence and were born from the Five Elements.


    As for the Blood Sea Sect¡¯s blood soul, it was also a Yin item, so it was extremely restrained by the Five Qi God-subduing Token.


    In fact,pared to demons like the Earth Essence, the Five Qi God-subduing Token was even more lethal to evil beings like the blood souls.


    However, although it was powerful, the Five Qi God-subduing Token consumed much more spiritual essence than ordinary profound armaments.


    Although Peng Junqin was at the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage, he had yet to forge his spirit meridians, and his spiritual essence had yet to begin to transform. If he used the Five Qi God-subduing Token, he would only be able tost for 15 minutes at most.


    They were in a lot of danger at the moment, and the Five Qi God-subduing Token was his final trump card. Once he used it and still couldn¡¯t turn the situation around, he would be at the mercy of the enemies!


    Not to mention¡­


    Peng Junqin looked at the burly man not far away.


    That person gave him a very strong sense of threat.


    He had kept the Five Qi God-subduing Token and not used it because he was afraid of that person and wanted to keep his trump card just in case.


    However, the current situation didn¡¯t seem to allow him to hold back anymore.


    Seeing Peng Junqin¡¯s hesitation, the inner sect disciple said anxiously, ¡°Senior Brother Peng, we can¡¯t dy any longer. Otherwise, once there are more casualties, our situation will only get worse!¡±


    Peng Junqin took a deep breath and finally made up his mind. He took out a palm-sized jade token from his storage ring and threw it at a Blood Sea Sect disciple holding a blood-colored de.


    The Blood Sea Sect disciple saw a ck shadow thrown at him from the corner of his eye and subconsciously controlled the blood soul beside him to pounce at it.


    However, before the blood could touch the jade token, the air lit up. A five-colored fog suddenly surged out of the jade token and swept toward the blood soul. In a sh, the blood soul disappeared.


    The blood soul was connected to the cultivator¡¯s soul. Now that it was suddenly destroyed, the Blood Sea Sect disciple immediately screamed and spat out a mouthful of blood. His body went limp, and he fell to the ground.


    The surrounding Blood Sea Sect disciples were shocked when they saw this. They took a few steps back with fear on their faces..

 Chapter 236 - 236: Blood Threadworm (3)

    Chapter 236: Blood Threadworm (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    The inner sect disciples of the Nine Suns Sect cheered in excitement.


    A smug look shed across Peng Junqin¡¯s face. He controlled the Five Qi


    God-subduing Token to continue attacking the other Blood Sea Sect disciples, wanting to take this opportunity to kill a few more enemies.


    But at this moment, a line of blood suddenly hit the Five Qi God-subduing Token. With a ng, the token was pushed back.


    Peng Junqin was shocked. He raised his head and saw the tall man put down his hand.


    The tall man repelled the Five Qi God-subduing Token with a single strike, instantly raising the morale of the Blood Sea Sect disciples who had fallen back. They all shouted excitedly, saying that Senior Brother Jiang was amazing.


    Peng Junqin seemed to have thought of something when he heard Senior Brother Jiang¡¯s name. His expression changed drastically as he blurted out, ¡°You are Jiang Wanying!¡±


    The tall man raised his eyebrows and sized up Peng Junqin a few times.


    ¡°Since you know my name, you can¡¯t be an ordinary disciple in the Nine Suns Sect. Tell me your name. You have the right to let me know your name before you die!¡±


    Peng Junqin was infuriated by Jiang Wanying¡¯s disdainful tone, but he didn¡¯t retort. Instead, he let out a cold snort.


    ¡°Jiang Wanying, don¡¯t think that you can defeat us just because you have the advantage in numbers. The Five Qi God-subduing Token in my hand isn¡¯t to be trifled with!¡±


    Jiang Wanying ced his hands behind his back and nced at Peng Junqin with disdain.


    ¡°Advantage in numbers? You think too highly of yourself!¡±


    He waved his sleeve and said coldly,


    ¡°You guys take care of the others!¡±


    He nned to personally deal with Peng Junqin and the inner disciples.


    The Blood Sea Sect disciples who were besieging Peng Junqin and the others responded in unison. Without hesitation, they abandoned their target and turned to attack the people from the academy.


    Seeing this scene, not only weren¡¯t the inner sect disciples rxed, but their expressions became even more solemn.


    Seeing their expressions, Jiang Wanying sneered. Suddenly, a red light shed on his body, and three blood shadows left his body and pounced at the inner sect disciples with a murderous aura.


    Compared to the blood souls summoned by the other disciples in Blood Sea Sect, Jiang Wanying¡¯s were clearly more condensed. In the dark cave, if one didn¡¯t observe carefully, one would not be able to tell those blood souls from ordinary people.


    This alone showed that Jiang Wanying¡¯s cultivation was far above all the other Blood Sea Sect disciples!


    Seeing the three blood souls charging toward his fellow disciples, Peng Junqin was about to activate the Five Qi God-subduing Token to kill them when he heard Jiang Wanying¡¯s sinister sneer.


    ¡°You still have time to care about others?¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Peng Junqin suddenly felt a cold auraing from his side. He nced at it from the corner of his eye and saw a blood-colored threading at him at high speed.


    As a heretic sect, the Blood Sea Sect disciples had many strange and inexplicable methods. Peng Junqin didn¡¯t dare to try his luck, so he immediately turned the Five Qi God-subduing Token around to face it.


    With a ng, the blood thread hit the Five Qi God-subduing Token. Both sides trembled and flew backward.


    With this pause, Peng Junqin finally saw the true appearance of the blood line that blocked the Five Qi God-subduing Token twice in a row. It was a blood-colored poisonous insect the size of a pebble!


    The attack failed, and the blood insect pounced over again. Peng Junqin didn¡¯t dare to underestimate it and hurriedly controlled the Five Qi God-subduing Token to meet it.


    The blood insect and the jade pendant collided several times in the air, and each time, they were equally matched.


    Peng Junqin was shocked and bewildered.


    No matter how one looked at it, this blood insect was a Yin item. Facing the Five Qi God-subduing Token that specialized in restraining Yin items, it could fight evenly without being at a disadvantage. It just wasn¡¯t normal!


    In another sh, the blood insect trembled violently, but it didn¡¯t take a step back. On the other hand, the Five Qi God-subduing Token retreated quite a few meters.


    When Peng Junqin saw this, he suddenly realized that something was wrong and hurriedly put away the Five Qi God-subduing Token. With a look, he realized that the spiritual light on the treasure had dimmed a lot. It was obvious that it had suffered considerable damage.


    Seeing this, Peng Junqin had a sh of inspiration. He suddenly thought of a strange spell unique to the Blood Sea Sect and couldn¡¯t help but cry out in surprise.


    ¡°Blood Threadworm!¡±


    Hearing Peng Junqi¡¯s exmation, Jiang Wanying snorted coldly.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite knowledgeable!¡±


    Peng Junqin¡¯s heart sank.


    The Blood Threadworm was a well-known brutal spell of the Blood Sea Sect.


    It was called a spell, but it could also be said to be an extremely special beast-taming technique.


    After the Blood Sea Sect disciples advanced to the Bright Aperture Stage, they would imnt an insect egg in their bodies and hatch it with spiritual essence. Then, they would summon it outside their bodies and feed it with a vast amount of human and beast flesh to nurture it into an insect.


    This insect beast was called the Blood Threadworm.


    Not only could the Blood Threadworm taint Dharma treasures and wear down spiritual light, but it could also devour flesh and blood to nourish itself.


    In a battle with the enemy, once the worm felt exhausted, it would take the initiative to devour the enemy¡¯s flesh and blood, turning it into nutrients to nourishitselfs and replenishitsr consumption.


    At an advanced stage, the blood insects could cover the sky and the earth. No matter how high one¡¯s cultivation level was, one could only try to avoid them.


    Peng Junqin didn¡¯t expect to be so unlucky as to encounter a Blood Sea Sect expert who had cultivated the Blood Threadworm.


    Although the Five Qi God-subduing Token specialized in restraining Yin items, the Blood Threadworm also countered Dharma treasures. Both sides were equally matched and restrained. The advantage of the Five Qi God-subduing Token instantly disappeared.


    If it was any other time, Peng Junqing might have been able to give it his all. After all, although the Blood Threadworm could wear down the spiritual light of Dharma treasures, it would consume its own life force.


    As a profound armament, the Five Qi God-subduing Token had abundant spiritual light. It was enough tost until the Blood Threadworm¡¯s vitality was exhausted.


    However, the problem was that there were other people around. To the Blood Threadworms, they were all great supplements to replenish their vitality. It was simply wishful thinking to use the Five Qi God-subduing Token to exhaust them!


    As if to verify his guess, the Blood Threadworm suddenly turned around and pounced at a Nine Suns Sect disciple not far away.


    Peng Junqin¡¯s expression changed drastically as he shouted anxiously, ¡°Watch out!¡±


    Unfortunately, it was toote. The Blood Threadworm was extremely fast, and the inner sect disciple couldn¡¯t dodge in time. With a poof, the blood thread pierced through his chest, and he fell to the ground. Before he could even scream, his flesh and blood were sucked dry.


    The Blood Threadworm crawled out of the shriveled corpse. Its entire body was filled with blood energy, and it had already recovered to its peak.


    Peng Junqin¡¯s scalp went numb as he watched. He felt a chill run down his spine..

 Chapter 237 - 237: Leave Your Corpse In One Piece (1)

    Chapter 237: Leave Your Corpse In One Piece (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    As Jiang Wanying made his move, the situation took a sharp turn for the worse.


    Jiang Wanying¡¯s three blood souls alone made it difficult for the inner sect disciples to withstand. They could only do their best.


    Even someone as strong as Peng Junqin was suppressed by a Blood Threadworm.


    Jiang Wanying hadpletely single-handedly beaten Peng Junqin and the others until they were in a sorry state.


    Seeing this, Xie Jingsheng and the others were even more shocked.


    However, at this moment, they were surrounded by the Blood Sea Sect disciples and couldn¡¯t even take care of themselves, let alone help the other side.


    After absorbing the flesh and blood essence of an inner sect disciple, the Blood Threadworm replenished its exhausted vitality and turned around to charge at Peng Junqin again.


    He had no choice but to brace himself and control the Five Qi God-subduing Token to face the attack.


    In less than half an hour, the spiritual light on the Five Qi God-subduing Token dimmed a lot, making Peng Junqin¡¯s heart ache.


    At this moment, the Blood Threadworm turned around and pounced on another inner sect disciple. In the blink of an eye, it devoured his flesh and blood, replenishing the life force it had consumed.


    However, this wasn¡¯t what shocked Peng Junqin even more.


    Jiang Wanying seemed to be tired of the prolonged fighting. He sneered and threw out another beam of blood light.


    It was another Blood Threadworm!


    Seeing the two Blood Threadworms charging over, Peng Junqin felt like his soul was about to leave his body. He couldn¡¯t care less about anything else and suddenly turned around to flee into the distance.


    This scene stunned the surrounding inner sect disciples.


    Even Jiang Wanying couldn¡¯t help but be stunned, and heughed loudly when he recovered from his shock. Hisughter was filled with disdain.


    ¡°So these are the disciples of the Nine Suns Sect. That man actually ran away at thest moment, abandoning the lives of their fellow sect members. How unyielding!¡±


    Laughter spread far and wide.


    The Nine Suns Sect disciples¡¯ faces flushed red with anger and humiliation.


    There was anger toward Jiang Wanying.


    However, most of it was shock, anger, and disbelief at Peng Junqin for abandoning them and escaping alone!


    Peng Junqin also heard Jiang Wanying¡¯s words, and his face twitched, but he didn¡¯t slow down in the slightest.


    No matter how important his dignity was, his life was more important.


    As long as there was life, there was hope. Once he escaped sessfully, he would leave the spirit cave to report to the sect and bring people back to kill this group of Blood Sea Sect disciples to take revenge.


    As for Xie Jingsheng and the others, as well as the remaining inner sect disciples, if nothing went wrong, they would all die here today.


    Since everyone would die, no one would publicize the fact that he had run away!


    Thinking of this, Peng Junqin became even more determined to escape. He sped up again.


    Seeing this, Jiang Wanying sneered.


    ¡°You want to escape? You¡¯ll have to ask me first!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, blood light surged around his body. He turned into a blurry blood shadow and shot out like lightning. He was actually faster than Peng Junqin.


    The two of them disappeared into the horizon in the blink of an eye.


    Once Jiang Wanying left, the three blood souls naturally disappeared.


    However, the situation of the Nine Suns Sect members didn¡¯t improve.


    Although the Blood Sea Sect no longer had Jiang Wanying with them, they also didn¡¯t have Peng Junqin and his Five Qi God-subduing Token.


    With the two of them offsetting each other, the Blood Sea Sect disciples, who had the advantage in numbers, still had the upper hand.


    As time passed, the Nine Suns Sect gradually showed signs of defeat.


    Xie Jingsheng saw this and couldn¡¯t help but feel bitter.


    ¡°If Junior Brother Lin is here, there might be a chance!¡± Xie Jingsheng suddenly thought.


    With Lin Shen¡¯s power, he was as capable as seven or eight people put together.


    Even if he couldn¡¯t defeat the Blood Sea Sect, he wouldn¡¯t be defeated.


    It was a pity that ever since they entered the spirit cave, they hadn¡¯t found any traces of Lin Shen. Even the token couldn¡¯t sense anything and didn¡¯t know where he had gone.


    Xie Jingsheng didn¡¯t believe that anything would happen to Lin Shen.


    With Lin Shen¡¯s strength, the spirit monsters in the spirit cave would not pose much of a threat to him.


    Unless Lin Shen jumped into a dangerous area with many spiritual monsters.


    At this moment, two figures suddenly appeared in the distance and quickly approached.


    Xie Jingsheng nced over and was pleasantly surprised.


    ¡°Lin Shen!¡±


    It was Lin Shen and Ai Jingting.


    The Blood Sea Sect disciples also noticed the person.


    A few Blood Sea Sect disciples recognized Ai Jingting and knew that she was only at the Long Breath Stage. Seeing that Lin Shen was with her, they treated him as a disciple of the lower house and did not take it to heart.


    After exchanging nces, the few of them smiled sinisterly and rushed forward.


    Lin Shen¡¯s gaze first swept across Xie Jingsheng and the others. Seeing that although they were all injured, they were fortunately still alive, he felt slightly relieved. Then, he turned to look at the Blood Sea Sect disciples who were rushing toward him.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    As he approached, the Blood Sea Sect disciple in the lead shouted and attacked Lin Shen.


    Unfortunately, a streak of sword energy moved faster.


    The sword light pierced through the air like lightning and swept past the neck of the Blood Sea Sect disciple. A head instantly flew into the sky.


    Thump!


    The headless corpse took a few steps forward, and then it fell to the ground with a bang. The blood that spurted out of its broken neck fanned out a few meters in front of it.


    The other two Blood Sea Sect disciples who were a few steps behind were shocked when they saw this. Before they could react, the scarlet sword light had already turned an arc and swept across their necks like lightning!


    In an instant, two more heads flew up!


    In a sh, the three Blood Sea Sect disciples were all beheaded.


    The sudden change shocked everyone.


    While the Nine Suns Sect disciples were pleasantly surprised, the Blood Sea Sect disciples were horrified.


    ¡°Kill him!¡±


    A Blood Sea Sect disciple shouted loudly and rushed towards Lin Shen with a murderous expression..

 Chapter 238 - 238: Leave Your Corpse In One Piece (2)

    Chapter 238: Leave Your Corpse In One Piece (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    At this moment, the others also saw how powerful Lin Shen was. They immediately abandoned Xie Jingsheng and divided more than half of their men to surround Lin Shen, nning to deal with this greatest threat first!


    Xie Jingsheng and the others¡¯ expressions changed slightly when they saw this. They wanted to stop the Blood Sea Sect disciples.


    But before they could do anything, he suddenly heard a sharp sound of air being torn apart.


    Among the Blood Sea Sect disciples who rushed toward Lin Shen, the four who were the fastest suddenly seemed to have been struck by lightning. Their bodies twitched violently for a moment before they copsed to the ground.


    Everyone was shocked and looked over. Only then did they realize that a fist-sized bloody hole had appeared in the chests of the four people, and blood was flowing out.


    Before they could recover from their shock, the sound of air being torn apart rang out again. Another four Blood Sea Sect disciples fell to the ground and died!


    This time, everyone finally saw clearly that the four people were killed by four streaks of invisible sword energy. The energy was faster than lightning, and it arrived in almost the blink of an eye. The Blood Sea Sect disciples who were killed had no time to react!


    In just a breath¡¯s time, eight people had died at the hands of Lin Shen.


    The remaining Blood Sea Sect disciples were horrified. They realized they had run into a difficult opponent.


    The person in front of them was clearly an iparably powerful expert. He was even more powerful than the Nine Suns Sect disciple with the Five Qi God-subduing Token!


    Thinking of this, they had no intention of fighting anymore and turned to flee.


    How could Lin Shen let them escape? The Seven Arts Sword Energy shot out and killed over ten Blood Sea Sect disciples.


    Testify by Killing talent was sessfully triggered, allowing the Seven Arts Sword Energy, which was already close to breaking through, to sessfully reach the fifth level.


    Lin Shen nodded to himself, but his expression remained unchanged as he walked up to Xie Jingsheng and the others.


    ¡°Senior Brother Xie, Senior Brother Mu, are you alright?¡±


    Xie Jingsheng and Mu Chuanhua were overjoyed,ughing heartily when they heard this.


    ¡°We were almost in trouble, but with you here, we¡¯ll be fine!¡±


    ¡°Junior Brother Lin, you came in time. It¡¯s all thanks to you that we were lucky enough to survive!¡±


    The other disciples also cast grateful gazes at Lin Shen.


    The scene of Lin Shen killing more than twenty Blood Sea Sect disciples with a single move shocked them.


    The enemies that they couldn¡¯t deal with even if they tried their best were easily eliminated by Lin Shen alone.


    Such a stark difference made them exim in admiration!


    Even Xie Jingsheng and Mu Chuanhua were secretly shocked.


    Compared to the time when he killed Yan Jingren, Lin Shen had clearly risen to a new level. He had already left the two of them far behind.


    It was obvious that Lin Shen had gained a lot in the spirit cave recently.


    Compared to the people from the academy, the inner sect disciples on the other side were even more shocked.


    When they met the people from the academy at the entrance, their attention was focused on the two veteran upper-house disciples, Xie Jingsheng and Mu Chuanhua. They didn¡¯t notice Lin Shen at all.


    Who would have thought that this young man, who didn¡¯t stand out, was the strongest among them!


    He was even better than Peng Junqin!


    The group of inner sect disciples looked at each other in bewilderment. When did such a powerful figure appear in the Nine Yang Academy?


    Recovering from his surprise, Xie Jingsheng asked about Lin Shen¡¯s whereabouts during this period of time.


    Lin Shen casually brushed them off. Saying that he couldn¡¯t find them, so he found a nearby ce to cultivate.


    Fortunately, Xie Jingsheng and the others didn¡¯t suspect anything. They didn¡¯t expect Lin Shen to take the initiative to go to the ces marked on the map that they had deliberately distanced themselves from.


    When Xie Jingsheng found out about Lin Shen and Ai Jingting¡¯s encounter and that the other two disciples had already died, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    He had thought that this trip to the spirit cave would be very smooth and that he would be able to return in a month. Who would have thought that he would run into people from the Blood Sea Sect? As a result, there were heavy casualties. Not only did nearly half of the academy disciples die, but the remaining ones were also severely injured.


    Xie Jingsheng was also puzzled by the sudden appearance of the Blood Sea Sect disciples.


    It was only when Ai Jingting said Lin Shen¡¯s spection that they suddenly became so light.


    ¡°Junior Brother Lin has a point!¡± Xie Jingsheng nodded with a solemn expression. ¡°There¡¯s most likely another entrance to the spirit cave. We have to report this news to the sect as soon as possible!¡±


    Everyone nodded in agreement.


    Lin Shen said solemnly, ¡°It¡¯s better for us to leave this ce first. That Jiang Wanying might return at any time!¡±


    Everyone snapped out of their daze and agreed.


    Xie Jingsheng took out the map and pointed to a ce marked with a door pattern.


    ¡°The exit of the spirit cave is here. Let¡¯s go there and find a ce to hide. We¡¯ll leave as soon as the spirit cave opens in twenty days!¡±


    After this incident, the people from the academy were no longer interested in cultivating. They only wanted to leave the spirit cave as soon as possible. They had no objections to the suggestion.


    As for the inner sect disciples, they were filled with shame and gratitude after Peng Junqin abandoned them before being saved by Lin Shen. Naturally, they would not object.


    Thus, everyone quickly reached an agreement and immediately rushed toward the entrance.


    However, because of their injuries and the excessive consumption of their spiritual essence, they weren¡¯t moving very fast.


    About half an hourter, they suddenly felt a cold and powerful aura behind them, and it was approaching them at high speed.


    Xie Jingsheng and the others had witnessed Jiang Wanying¡¯s attack, so they immediately recognized that the aura behind them belonged to that man..

 Chapter 239 - 239: Leave Your Corpse In One Piece (3)

    Chapter 239: Leave Your Corpse In One Piece (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    ¡°Oh no! Jiang Wanying is chasing after us!¡±


    ¡°What should we do?¡±


    Many people¡¯s expressions changed.


    They had all witnessed Jiang Wanying¡¯s strength. Even with Lin Shen by their side, they still didn¡¯t have the slightest confidence in defeating Jiang Wanying.


    It was already toote for them to escape. The group of injured cultivators couldn¡¯t outrun Jiang Wanying at all.


    Xie Jingsheng¡¯s expression changed several times. He suddenly gritted his teeth and was about to say that he would stay behind to cover the retreat and let the others escape first, but before he could say anything, Lin Shen spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll distract him. You guys go first!¡±


    Everyone looked at Lin Shen in shock, while Xie Jingsheng, Ai Jingting, and the others were shocked.


    ¡°No, Junior Brother Lin, that Jiang Wanying is abnormally powerful. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re not his match alone!¡± Xie Jingsheng objected.


    Ai Jingting quickly nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s too dangerous for you to be alone!¡±


    Lin Shen said calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t n to fight to the death with Jiang Wanying. I¡¯ll just stall him for a while. When you¡¯re far away, I¡¯ll find an opportunity to escape.¡±


    Seeing that Xie Jingsheng and the others were still hesitating, Lin Shen emphasized.


    ¡°There¡¯s no time to lose. Leave quickly, or it¡¯ll be toote!¡±


    After all, Xie Jingsheng wasn¡¯t a newbie. Knowing that this was not the time to be wishy-washy, he finally stopped hesitating. He took a long look at Lin Shen and said solemnly, ¡°Take care, Junior Brother Lin!¡±


    After making the decision, everyone picked up their speed.


    Lin Shen calmly watched as everyone left. Then, he turned around and faced Jiang Wanying.


    The reason why he stayed behind to cover the retreat was naturally not because he was sacrificing himself.


    Lin Shen had long learned of Jiang Wanying¡¯s strength from Xie Jingsheng. He felt that he could deal with that man, so he persuaded Xie Jingsheng and the others to leave.


    With such arge group of burdens, he couldn¡¯t fight Jiang Wanying as freely as he wanted.


    On the other hand, he would be much more at ease on his own. Regardless of whether he was fighting or retreating, there was no need to worry.


    Furthermore, he hade to the spirit cave to break through to the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage as soon as possible. Naturally, he didn¡¯t intend to waste the remaining time on hiding.


    Therefore, it was undoubtedly most suitable for him to act alone.


    Jiang Wanying saw the actions of the Nine Suns Sect members from afar. Seeing this, he didn¡¯t stop them. Instead, he stopped 30 to 40 meters away from Lin Shen and sized him up a few times, a cold glint shing in his eyes.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re the one who killed my Junior Brothers!¡±


    Jiang Wanying was about to catch up to Peng Junqin, but thetter suddenly took out a treasure, and his speed suddenly increased by several times, shaking him off in the blink of an eye.


    Having no other choice, Jiang Wanying had to return to the ce where the battle had started. However, he was shocked and furious to discover that all the Blood Sea Sect disciples had been annihted.


    In a fit of rage, Jiang Wanying followed the remnant aura along the way and aggressively chased after Lin Shen.


    He had examined the corpses of the Blood Sea Sect disciples and found that they had all died under some kind of sword energy. Moreover, they had all been killed in one strike. After thinking for a moment, he understood that a capable cultivator must have suddenly appeared and saved Xie Jingsheng and the others.


    Lin Shen¡¯s face was unfamiliar, and he didn¡¯t belong to any of the groups from before. He also stayed behind alone to cover the retreat. It was obvious who he was.


    Hearing Jiang Wanying¡¯s question, Lin Shen didn¡¯t say a word. He only calmly took out his Pure Yang Talisman Sword.


    Jiang Wanying already had an answer in his mind. He didn¡¯t care if Lin Shen admitted it or not. He looked at him and nodded.


    ¡°You¡¯re much more courageous than the guy who ran away just now. To show my admiration for you, I can leave your corpse intact!¡±


    Lin Shen smiled and didn¡¯t argue. Without another word, he raised his sword and rushed toward Jiang Wanying.


    A cold light shed in Jiang Wanying¡¯s eyes. Three blood souls instantly left his body and charged forward with a murderous aura.


    Although Jiang Wanying was at the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage, he had already forged 32 spirit meridians in his body and was only a step away from having a second-grade spirit meridian. His spiritual essence was extremely dense, and his strength far exceeded that of ordinary ninth-level Bright Aperture Stage cultivators.


    As for these three blood souls, he had spent countless efforts to refine them. Their strength wasparable to ordinary cultivators at the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage!


    Under thebined attack of three blood souls, ordinary cultivators at the eighth level of Bright Aperture Stage would probably die in a few rounds.


    Unfortunately, they didn¡¯t encounter an ordinary eighth-level Bright Aperture Stage cultivator, but a monster that couldn¡¯t be measured bymon sense!


    Before the three blood souls could reach Lin Shen, a huge scarlet palm appeared out of thin air and spread out for a hundred meters. It cut through the blue sky and smashed down from the sky!


    Caught off guard, the three blood souls couldn¡¯t dodge in time and were immediately struck by the scarlet palm!


    As the scorching force and mes swept past, the thick color on the three blood souls immediately dimmed. Their erratic movements were no longer as fast as before.


    Jiang Wanying, who was calmly watching Lin Shen¡¯s final struggle, couldn¡¯t help but cry out in surprise.


    ¡°True Martial technique!¡±


    This kid had actually mastered a True Martial technique!


    Jiang Wanying¡¯s heart was in turmoil. He never expected to see the legendary True Martial technique here!


    He could clearly sense the power of Nature contained in the scarlet palm.


    Apart from the legendary True Martial techniques, no other martial technique had such power!


    Jiang Wanying naturally understood what True Martial meant.


    When he recovered from his shock, he looked pleasantly surprised.


    Those who could master True Martial techniques were definitely worthy of the title of peerless geniuses. If he could kill this kid here, it would undoubtedly be a considerable loss to the Nine Suns Sect.


    Thinking of this, the killing intent in Jiang Wanying¡¯s heart intensified, and he no longer held back. He immediately shouted angrily, and blood light surged around his body, turning into a huge blood-colored hand that was more than ten meters long. It pped down fiercely at Lin Shen!


    But in the next moment, dazzling golden armor suddenly appeared and enveloped Lin Shen.


    The giant blood-red hand hit the golden armor and made a muffled sound. The golden armor was unscathed.


    Seeing this, Jiang Wanying was stunned, and his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.


    Another True Martial technique?!

 Chapter 240 - 240: That’s It (1)

    Chapter 240: That¡¯s It (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    To be able to grasp one True Martial technique was enough to be called a genius!


    The young man had mastered two!


    Jiang Wanying was so shocked that he couldn¡¯t say anything for a moment.


    Lin Shen acutely sensed that Jiang Wanying was in a daze. He immediately switched to his nure Yang talent and stabbed out with his sword.


    A blinding light instantly erupted in the air.


    Nine dazzling balls of light appeared and crashed into the three blood souls like meteors!


    The Nine Divine Sun Sword was the most effective against Yin-type items, not to mention that the three blood souls had already lost quite a bit of their vitality to Meltdown. Under the ming energy, the three blood souls instantly melted away like snow melting under the heat.


    With the death of his blood souls, Jiang Wanying instantly felt as if he had been struck by lightning. A fishy taste surged in his throat, and a trace of blood appeared at the corner of his mouth.


    ¡°Damn that brat!¡±


    Jiang Wanying was furious. Who would have thought that all his three blood souls would be killed by this kid?


    It wasn¡¯t easy to create a blood soul. Apart from needing a top-notch cultivator¡¯s primordial spirit, it also required arge amount of time and energy.


    Once these three blood souls died, he would need at least half a year to refine them again!


    That didn¡¯t include the time needed to find his new primordial spirit!


    Jiang Wanying was furious that all his efforts had gone to waste.


    Jiang Wanying¡¯s killing intent toward Lin Shen was unprecedented. He shouted and rushed toward Lin Shen with a ferocious expression.


    Halfway through, he waved his sleeve, and a ck python suddenly flew out. It bent in the air and turned into a six-foot-long g.


    Jiang Wanying reached out and grabbed it. With a shake of his hand, the sound of waves instantly burst out into the air. Blood-colored waves surged and swept toward Lin Shen with a shocking momentum!


    At a nce, Lin Shen immediately guessed that the g in Jiang Wanying¡¯s hand should be a profound armament.


    Seeing this, Lin Shen smiled and waved his hand. A ck inkstone spun and was thrown out. It expanded in the wind and turned into a huge inkstone the size of a house. It rumbled toward the sea of blood.


    BOOM!


    The powerful force instantly shattered the sea of blood, which scattered into countless blood-colored water droplets!


    The inkstone also retreated and returned to the top of Lin Shen¡¯s head.


    Both sides were evenly matched!


    Jiang Wanying was shocked.


    ¡°He has a profound armament too!¡±


    A cold light shed in Jiang Wanying¡¯s eyes, and he waved the g again, sending out arge wave of bloody waves.


    Lin Shen was fearless as he controlled the inkstone to meet the attack.


    However, he suddenly saw two extremely thin streaks of red lighting from the side from the corner of his eye. They were shockingly fast and hit his chest and abdomen at the same time.


    Seeing this, Jiang Wanying was overjoyed.


    Under the cover of the blood waves, he quietly released two Blood Threadworms in order to severely injure Lin Shen when he was unprepared. As expected, he seeded in one strike!


    The Blood Threadworms were ferocious. Moreover, Lin Shen was hit by two at the same time. Jiang Wanying thought unless this kid had a profound armament protecting him, he would be severely injured even if he didn¡¯t die!


    However, he was only happy for a brief moment. The next moment, Jiang Wanying¡¯s expression suddenly froze.


    A faint mystic light instantly lit up on Lin Shen¡¯s body. Although it was as thin as paper, it firmly blocked the two Blood Threadworms.


    Jiang Wanying¡¯s face twitched as he looked at theyer of profound light. He gritted his teeth and spat out a few words.


    ¡°A profound armament!¡±


    Another profound armament!


    Furthermore, it was a defensive profound armament!


    Jiang Wanying was both envious and surprised.


    As an outstanding figure of the Blood Sea Sect¡¯s younger generation and a disciple of an Elder of the sect, he was well-treated and enjoyed high status in the sect. However, no matter how much effort he put in, he only had one profound armament, the Blood Wave Banner.


    This kid looked to be in his early twenties. At such a young age, he already had two profound armaments. Where did this persone from?


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t care about Jiang Wanying¡¯s reaction. After fighting the two Blood Threadworms for a moment, he quickly discovered the abnormality of the Heavenly Star Robe.


    The spiritual light on the robe was clearly much dimmer.


    After thinking for a moment, Lin Shen immediately realized why that was.


    The two worms released by Jiang Wanying most likely had heretic properties that devoured the power of the spiritual light.


    ¡°The sinister methods of heretic sects are indeed treacherous!¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    Although he didn¡¯t have much experience fighting against heretic sects, he knew that this thing was very effective against Dharma treasures.


    Even for a profound armament like the Heavenly Star Robe, if the Blood Threadworms continued to devour the spiritual light, the spiritual light would be greatly damaged, which would require much nourishment afterward, or get damaged perpetually and fall to the level of an enchanted armament.


    Either way, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t ept it.


    He wanted to kill the two Blood Threadworms, but they were as fast as lightning. Even the abnormally fast Seven Arts Sword Energy couldn¡¯t catch up to them.


    Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t an impossible task.


    As his mind raced, Lin Shen already had a n.


    On the other hand, seeing that the two Blood Threadworms had taken up more than half of Lin Shen¡¯s energy, Jiang Wanying calmed down slightly.


    He finally had a way to defeat this kid!


    Taking a deep breath, Jiang Wanying nned to quicken his attack and kill Lin Shen in one go. Then, he would extract Lin Shen¡¯s primordial spirit and refine it into a blood soul.


    With Lin Shen¡¯s aptitude and strength, the new blood soul might far exceed the previous three. It could make up for some of Jiang Wanying¡¯s losses.


    But at this moment, Jiang Wanying suddenly saw Lin Shen throw two talisman swords into the air at the two Blood Threadworms.


    After two sizzling sounds, the flying swords collided with the Blood Threadworms, and the spiritual essence attached to them instantly melted away. They turned into a pile of ordinary iron and fell to the ground. The Blood Threadworms¡¯ color also dimmed a little.


    !!!


    Jiang Wanying was stunned.


    Before he coulde back to his senses, he saw Lin Shen throw some more enchanted armaments again. This time, there were over half a dozen of them..

 Chapter 241 - 241: That’s It (2)

    Chapter 241: That¡¯s It (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Lin Shen had a lot of enchanted armaments in his storage ring!


    Apart from the inferior-grade enchanted armaments he obtained from the Enlightening Stage demons he killed not long ago, there were also the swords and robes of the Blood Sea Sect disciples he had just killed.


    There were at least 20 to 30 of them!


    Lin Shen had no use for these inferior-grade enchanted armaments at all. Even if he exchanged them for merit points, they wouldn¡¯t be worth much, so he didn¡¯t mind throwing them out at all.


    After the two Blood Threadworms devoured all the spiritual light from the enchanted armaments, their life force was also exhausted, and they faded away.


    Jiang Wanying almost spat out another mouthful of blood, and he was extremely frustrated.


    Refining Blood Threadworms was extremely difficult and even more troublesome than refining blood souls.


    So far, he had only refined two Blood Threadworms. He had always treated them as treasures and had killed countless opponents with them.


    However, he encountered someone like Lin Shen, who used all kinds of precious enchanted armaments to stop the worms. The treasures were thrown out one after another like scrap metal.


    This was the first time Jiang Wanying had seen someone kill Blood Threadworms in such a way!


    With three blood souls and two Blood Threadworms, Jiang Wanying suffered heavy losses to Lin Shen.


    Years of hard work had gone down the drain!


    After losing his blood souls and Blood Threadworms, he had lost at least 30 to 40% of his strength!


    His heart ached so much that it felt like it was bleeding. At this moment, Jiang Wanying wished he could skin Lin Shen, break his bones, eat his flesh, and drink his blood.


    However, despite his anger, Jiang Wanying didn¡¯t let his anger get in the way. He knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything to Lin Shen even if he continued fighting. In fact, he might even die here, so he intended to retreat.


    ¡°Elder Wu should be at the entrance of the Nine Suns Sect¡¯s spirit cave by now and should have already started setting up the array formation. I have to bring back the news here so that Elder Wu won¡¯t let the Nine Suns Sect disciples escape. If that happens, all our previous efforts will be in vain!¡±


    Jiang Wanying was decisive. Seeing that he couldn¡¯t kill Lin Shen, he decided to leave.


    In any case, when the exit of the spirit cave was sealed, this group of Nine Suns Sect disciples, including this kid, would be trapped.


    When the reinforcements arrived, these people would be at the Blood Sea Sect¡¯s mercy.


    Jiang Wanying decided he would have enough time to torture Lin Shenter.


    After ncing at Lin Shen coldly, he turned around and wanted to leave, but the next moment, he felt an invisible force envelop him and lock him in ce.


    Fixed Body Spell?


    Jiang Wanying snorted in disdain. He spat out his spiritual essence and shattered the invisible force that enveloped him.


    Lin Shen¡¯s Fixed Body Spell was only at the third level. He had never thought that it would be of much use to a cultivator at Jiang Wanying¡¯s level. It was just to slightly dy him.


    Taking advantage of this moment of dy, Lin Shen had already raised his sword and charged forward. The sword light spread out like a storm and enveloped Jiang Wanying.


    ¡°Jiang Wanying, you were so confident just now, and now you¡¯re nning to escape? Looks like you¡¯re just so-so!¡±


    Lin Shenughed wholeheartedly.


    Jiang Wanying¡¯s eyes shed with embarrassment, but he couldn¡¯t refute it.


    After all, he had just said that he would leave Lin Shen¡¯s corpse intact. In the end, he was trying to flee from the battle. No matter how one looked at it, it was very ironic.


    ¡°Boy, don¡¯t be so arrogant. In a few days, when you fall into my hands, I¡¯ll definitely make you wish you were dead!¡± Jiang Wanying said hatefully.


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes flickered. He could tell that there was another meaning behind Jiang Wanying¡¯s words.


    However, now wasn¡¯t the time to think about that. His gaze turned cold as he sneered.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t have that chance!¡±


    The moment he finished speaking, Lin Shen suddenly blurred, and he instantly split into seven.


    Apart from the Amaze the World clone, he summoned the remaining six clones.


    The sudden change shocked Jiang Wanying.


    ¡°A clone spell?!¡±


    While he was in shock, the seven ¡°Lin Shens¡± had already spread out and surrounded Jiang Wanying. Their long swords crossed the sky, and sword energy that was as heavy as a mountain spread out, pressing down heavily on Jiang Wanying.


    The Seven-section Array of Unmoving Mountain!


    Jiang Wanying was knowledgeable and immediately recognized that this was some kind of array formation. His expression changed drastically.


    He made a prompt decision to break out of the encirclement, but just as he made a move, the sword light that filled the sky crushed down, covering his entire vision.


    Jiang Wanying originally thought that Lin Shen¡¯s clone would only have a portion of his full strength.


    However, after they really fought, he was shocked to discover that these clones had exactly the same cultivation level as Lin Shen, and they were evenly matched!


    This discovery made Jiang Wanying¡¯s heart sink to the bottom.


    If the clone only had a portion of Lin Shen¡¯s strength, then the array formation would have an imperfect w. It wouldn¡¯t be difficult for him to break out at the cost of some injuries.


    But now, this hope had been shattered!


    The seven ¡°Lin Shens¡± were equal in strength and worked as one. Their cooperation was extremely tacit, and they were almost equivalent to one person. Their formation was almost perfect.


    Even if there was a small w, it wasn¡¯t something that Jiang Wanying, who wasn¡¯t familiar with array formations, could find.


    As the Seven-section Array of Unmoving Mountain reached its peak, Jiang Wanying instantly felt that he was attacked by enemies from all directions. Layers of sword energy swept over like tempestuous waves, almost drowning him.


    For a moment, Jiang Wanying felt as if he was facing thebined attack of dozens of cultivators. He was in a sorry state.


    In just seven to eight seconds, he had many fresh wounds.


    Seeing that Jiang Wanying had fallen into the array and could no longer escape, Lin Shen decided to cultivate his sword techniques. He now only used low-level martial techniques..

 Chapter 242 - 242: That’s It (3)

    Chapter 242: That¡¯s It (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Otherwise, Jiang Wanying would have died long ago.


    However, Jiang Wanying didn¡¯t know that. Seeing that Lin Shen hadn¡¯t used any True Martial techniques and had only used some low-level martial techniques, he thought that Lin Shen was deliberately teasing him. He was filled with monstrous anger.


    As an elite disciple of the Blood Sea Sect, he naturally had his pride. Previously, he was already extremely frustrated when he was defeated and had to flee for the sake of the sect. How could he tolerate being humiliated like this?


    Jiang Wanying¡¯s eyes were filled with anger, as if he was going to fight to his death.


    He roared and no longer held back. Thick blood light surged out of his body, and he instantly turned into a blood shadow that pounced forward.


    Lin Shen immediately sensed Jiang Wanying¡¯s intentions. Seeing this, he narrowed his eyes and said coldly, ¡°Since you want to die, I¡¯ll fulfill your wish!¡±


    He thrust his sword forward, unleashing the Nine Divine Sun Sword.


    At the same time, the six clones used the same technique.


    In an instant, dozens of brilliant suns rose from all directions, carrying arge amount of golden fiery energy that drowned Jiang Wanying.


    By the time the energy dissipated, the surroundings had already be empty. Jiang Wanying was nowhere to be seen. His flesh, blood, and bones had all melted, leaving not a trace.


    Lin Shen arrived at the spot where Jiang Wanying had disappeared. He picked up the banner and a storage ring.


    After putting away his things, Lin Shen looked in the direction where Xie Jingsheng and the others had left. He activated the Riding Wind Technique and turned to fly in another direction.


    He found a secluded cave and summoned a clone to guard the entrance of the cave. Then, he took out the banner and storage ring he had obtained from Jiang Wanying and examined them carefully.


    The banner waspletely ck, and there were blood-colored waves embroidered on the front. Just looking at it made one smell blood.


    Lin Shen activated his spiritual essence to refine the banner and quickly learned the name and origin of this Dharma treasure.


    As expected, this Dharma treasure called the Blood Wave Banner was indeed a profound armament.


    It was a unique Dharma treasure especially refined by the Blood Sea Sect¡¯s Weapon Refinement Elder. Coupled with the Blood Sea Sect¡¯s cultivation technique, it could unleash greater power.


    This disappointed Lin Shen.


    This Dharma treasure was clearly sinister. When itnded in the hands of cultivators other than Blood Sea Sect disciples, its power was greatly reduced, and the user couldn¡¯t unleash its full power.


    To Lin Shen, it was far inferior to the ck Peak Inkstone and the tablet.


    After throwing the Blood Wave Banner back into his storage ring, Lin Shen turned to check Jiang Wanying¡¯s storage ring.


    He was pleasantly surprised.


    There were actually two bottles of Cast Spirit Pills in this storage ring, a total of 18 pills!


    ¡°How lucky!¡±


    Lin Shen smiled happily.


    One of the reasons why he entered the spirit cave this time was to collect the spirit dust needed to refine Spirit Pills.


    However, if he could get his hands on Cast Spirit Pills, it would be even more convenient.


    He now had a total of thirty Cast Spirit Pills, which were enough for him to forge at least five to six spirit meridians!


    After the moment of joy, Lin Shen put away the pills and took out the map.


    There were still twenty days before the spirit cave opened. He didn¡¯t n to meet up with Xie Jingsheng and the others now. Instead, he nned to find another ce to cultivate while hunting Earth Essences.


    He would meet up with them shortly before the opening day.


    However, Lin Shen had a faint feeling that from what Jiang Wanying had said previously, the Blood Sea Sect seemed to be plotting something.


    Perhaps something else would happen.


    After pondering for a while, Lin Shen shook his head and temporarily threw this matter to the back of his mind.


    No matter what, the most important thing now was to increase his strength.


    No matter what schemes the Blood Sea Sect had, as long as he had enough strength, he could crush them and break the n by sheer force.


    After choosing a location with many spiritual monsters on the map, Lin Shen immediately left the cave and rushed toward his destination.


    At the same time.


    Hundreds of kilometers away.


    The Nine Suns Sect disciples, who were already exhausted, finally couldn¡¯t hold on any longer and stopped while panting.


    Xie Jingsheng turned around to take a look, and his tense expression rxed slightly.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ve run so far and eliminated the aura along the way. Jiang Wanying shouldn¡¯t be able to catch up any time soon!¡±


    As soon as he said this, many people heaved a sigh of relief.


    Ai Jingting looked worried and frowned. ¡°1 wonder if Senior Brother Lin has gotten away?¡±


    Xie Jingsheng was actually very worried, but he still pretended to be calm andforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Junior Brother Lin has always been resourceful. Since he said that he¡¯s confident in escaping, he¡¯ll definitely be fine!¡±


    Ai Jingting nodded and didn¡¯t say anything else. However, she still couldn¡¯t hide the worry in her eyes.


    Xie Jingsheng looked around and saw that everyone was exhausted. He said, ¡°Let¡¯s find a ce to rest for a few days. When we recover, we¡¯ll head to the exit of the spirit cave.¡±


    Everyone was already worn out, but they were only standing because of their willpower. When they heard this, they nodded in agreement.


    Xie Jingsheng took out the map and nned to find a cave with fewer spiritual monsters nearby to rest. Suddenly, his expression changed. He turned his head to look at a huge strange rock dozens of meters away and shouted in a low voice.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there? Come out!¡±


    Everyone was shocked. After they realized what it meant, they looked at the strange stone as if they were facing a great enemy.


    Under everyone¡¯s vignt gazes, a person slowly walked out from behind the strange rock.


    Everyone recognized that familiar face. It was Peng Junqin, who had abandoned them not long ago and fled!


    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡±


    Xie Jingsheng was shocked and red at Peng Junqin.


    ¡°You should be ashamed to have shown up here!¡±


    Everyone from the academy also cast angry gazes at him.


    Even the inner sect disciples of the Nine Suns Sect had strange expressions as they looked at him with disdain.


    Retreating at thest minute and abandoning his fellow disciples was despicable behavior in any sect!


    Previously, they had thought that Senior Brother Peng Junqin was a figure worthy of following. Now, it seemed that he was a selfish and timid fellow!


    Inparison, the academy disciple named Lin Shen was extremely courageous and admirable!

 Chapter 243 - 243: Spiritual Meridian Accomplished (1)

    Chapter 243: Spiritual Meridian Aplished (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    The corner of Peng Junqin¡¯s eyes twitched when he saw the angry and contemptuous looks the others gave him.


    ¡°The situation was critical at that time. Even if 1 stayed, I would only be tempting fate with you. I might as well preserve my life. After leaving the spirit cave, I¡¯ll report the situation here to the higher-ups of the sect. It¡¯s better than beingpletely wiped out!¡±


    Peng Junqin¡¯s words sounded reasonable, but no one here was stupid. How could they not know that this was just an excuse Peng Junqin found after the incident?


    Xie Jingsheng sneered, ¡°What a good excuse you¡¯vee up with. Unfortunately, no matter how much you quibble, it won¡¯t change the fact that you abandoned your fellow disciples and fled at thest minute. When we leave the spirit cave, I¡¯ll definitely report it to the Elders!¡±


    Peng Junqin¡¯s eyes shed with anger, but in the end, he was in the wrong. He coldly snorted and didn¡¯t say anything else.


    Ignoring him, Xie Jingsheng quickly decided on a ce to rest and set off with everyone.


    After arriving at the chosen cave, everyone gathered their strength to clean up the demons around the cave and set up an array formation to cover their tracks and protect themselves. Only then did they eat the pills and begin to recover from their injuries.


    Peng Junqin also shamelessly followed.


    After all, they were from the same sect. Although everyone despised Peng Junqin¡¯s actions, they didn¡¯t chase him away. They just ignored him and pretended that this person wasn¡¯t around.


    Under the nourishment of the abundant spiritual essence, everyone¡¯s injuries recovered extremely fast.


    Three dayster, everyone had mostly recovered.


    However, Lin Shen was still nowhere to be seen.


    This time, even Xie Jingsheng couldn¡¯t help but feel worried. He looked very concerned.


    ¡°Senior Brother Xie, Senior Brother Lin hasn¡¯te to meet us for so long. Something must have happened. Why don¡¯t we go out and investigate?¡± Ai Jingting said worriedly.


    She was very grateful that Lin Shen had saved her life, and she felt even more uneasy about the current situation.


    Xie Jingsheng felt the same.


    If he was alone, he would definitely go out to look for Lin Shen without hesitation.


    However, he still had the responsibility to look after a group of disciples. If they ran into Jiang Wanying while searching for Lin Shen, they wouldn¡¯t have a second chance to escape.


    Eor a moment, Xie Jingsheng couldn¡¯t help but hesitate.


    At this moment, someone snorted.


    It was Peng Junqin.


    Over the past few days, he had been despised by everyone and had been holding back his anger. Now that he heard the conversation between Ai Jingting and Xie Jingsheng, he finally couldn¡¯t help but speak.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid Lin Shen is long dead!¡±


    ¡°What did you say?!¡± Xie Jingsheng was furious and red at Peng Junqin.


    Ai Jingting and the others also red at him.


    As soon as he said that, Peng Junqin no longer had any scruples and sneered.


    ¡°What a bunch of ignorant people!


    ¡°Jiang Wanying is one of the few elite disciples of the Blood Sea Sect¡¯s younger generation. Not only has he reached the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage, but he has also forged more than 30 spirit meridians. If not for the sake of attaining a second-grade spirit meridian, he would have advanced to a cultivator master long ago!


    ¡°With Jiang Wanying¡¯s strength, he¡¯s almost invincible in the Bright Aperture Stage. Lin Shen isn¡¯t even at the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage yet. How can he withstand Jiang Wanying? I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s already been turned into a blood soul¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡±


    Xie Jingsheng interrupted Peng Junqin with a livid expression.


    ¡°Peng Junqin, it¡¯s one thing for you to abandon your fellow disciples¡¯ lives, but you even cursed your fellow disciples. Do you have any shame?¡±


    Peng Junqin dared to say those words in public because he already had nothing to lose. He wasn¡¯t angry when he heard this but only sneered.


    ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth so that you won¡¯t have any wishful thinking!


    Xie Jingsheng stared at Peng Junqin. He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. It was obvious how angry he was.


    Ai Jingting pursed her lips, her face slightly pale.


    The others also looked at each other in silence.


    Although Peng Junqin was despicable, his words made sense.


    The power that Jiang Wanying had disyed previously was obvious to all. It had already far surpassed ordinary ninth-level Bright Aperture Stage cultivators.


    Although Lin Shen¡¯s strength was extraordinary, he was still inferior to Jiang Wanying.


    At this moment, he had yet to appear and meet up with them. He was probably dead!


    No one said a word. Peng Junqin didn¡¯t want to provoke Xie Jingsheng anymore, so he kept his mouth shut. The cave instantly fell silent.


    Everyone was in a bad mood.


    Time flew by.


    In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed.


    In the silent cave, Lin Shen sat quietly with his eyes closed. The aura around his body slowly moved.


    After an unknown period of time, he suddenly opened his eyes. In an instant, it was as if lightning had shed, and the dark cave seemed to have lit up for a moment.


    Lin Shen heaved a long sigh of relief and was filled with joy.


    After concentrating on cultivating for 15 days, he finally raised his cultivation to the peak of the Bright Aperture Stage!


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Analogy]


    [Stage: Bright Aperture Level 9,100%]


    [Cultivation techniques: Nine Yang Scripture (Perfection), Meltdown (True Martial), Forbidden Golden Armor (True Martial), Cloud Dragon Rhythm (True Martial), Nine Divine Sun Sword (True Martial)¡­]


    [Spells: Seven Arts Sword Energy (Level 6, 45%), Lightning Palm (Level 4, 78%), Paper Man Movement Technique (Level 4,12%), Immobilizing Spell (Level 3, 67%), Riding Wind Technique (Level 4, 23%), Water Mirror Technique (Level 1, 89%)]


    [Number of clones: 7 (26%)]


    ¡°I can finally start forging spirit meridians!¡±


    Lin Shen smiled happily.


    Apart from cultivating, he didn¡¯t miss out on hunting Earth Essences these few days.


    With the help from Testify by Killing talent, Cloud Dragon Rhythm and Nine Divine Sun Sword both reached True Martial..

 Chapter 244 - 244: Spiritual Meridian Accomplished (2)

    Chapter 244: Spiritual Meridian Aplished (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    At this point, Lin Shen had already mastered four True Martial techniques!


    In addition, his spells had also improved to varying degrees.


    Among them, the Seven Arts Sword Energy improved the most and reached the sixth level. It was only a step away from the seventh level, which was the perfected form.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to cultivate martial techniques anymore, and I can temporarily put aside the spells. Next, I can focus on forging spirit meridians!¡± Lin Shen took out the map and nced at it.


    The cave he was in wasn¡¯t far from the entrance of the spirit cave. If he traveled at full speed, he would arrive in a day at most.


    There were still five days before the entrance to the spirit cave opened.


    In other words, he still had four days to forge a spirit meridian.


    At this moment, Lin Shen urgently wanted to verify if it was possible to forge spirit meridians with his clones. Hence, he immediately summoned his clones.


    In an instant, the clones with Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt and Analogy appeared in front of him.


    With a thought from Lin Shen, the two clones immediately sat down cross-legged. They took the Cast Spirit Pills from Lin Shen and swallowed them before closing their eyes.


    At the same time, Lin Shen also took a pill.


    The method to forge a spirit meridian was mentioned in the jade tube that Si Yuanpei had given him, and he had long memorized it. He took a deep breath, calmed his mind, and began to forge a spirit meridian.


    As soon as the pill entered his stomach, it immediately turned into a warm current that sank into his dantian. The blood vessels in his limbs and bones suddenly expanded, and the heat rushed to his head. After circling around, it went from his chest to his abdomen and flowed all the way down to his feet.


    Lin Shen activated his mental cultivation technique and wrapped his spiritual essence around the medicinal power of the pills. He began to move around the secret acupoints in his body, breaking through the various shackles that restricted him.


    Wherever the medicinal power passed, a faint light track slowly appeared.


    That was a spirit meridian!


    The process of forging spirit meridians was actually to open up extraordinary meridians in the human body that could absorb and amodate the spiritual essence of heaven and earth.


    The more spirit meridians there were, the more spiritual essence the human body could contain, and the faster it could absorb the spiritual essence of heaven and earth.


    Nine was thergest single digit. When the number of spirit meridians reached nine, it could begin to transform True Qi into spiritual essence.


    Once one seeded, they would be able to sever the shackles that bound them to the mortal world and obtain an immortal body that was suitable for cultivating high-grade cultivation techniques.


    At this point, cultivators would break through the cage and officially embark on the path of immortal cultivation!


    About half a dayter, the Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt clone¡¯s body suddenly trembled slightly, and a buzzing sound came from its body.


    The spirit meridian was formed!


    After a few hours, the Analogy clone opened its eyes, took the second Cast Spirit Pill, and continued cultivating.


    Then, Lin Shen himself also consumed the second Cast Spirit Pill.


    Time quickly passed as he cultivated.


    In the blink of an eye, it was the next day.


    Lin Shen felt the spirit meridian forming in his body and couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    In order to forge this spirit meridian, he used a total of five Cast Spirit Pills. ording to the jade tube¡¯s description, a cultivator who spent five Cast Spirit Pills to forge the first spirit meridian could only be said to have an ordinary aptitude.


    Without special opportunities, the probability of such a person bing a cultivator master was less than 50%.


    Even if he became a cultivator master in the end, he would only have a fifth-grade spirit meridian, and his future achievements would be limited. Fortunately, Lin Shen already knew that his aptitude wasn¡¯t outstanding, so he didn¡¯t pay much attention to it.


    After all, he still had his clones.


    Thinking of this, Lin Shen looked up at the two clones in front of him and smiled.


    He had only summoned two clones because he wanted to verify if the requirements and speed of forging a spirit meridian were different for different clones.


    The results of the verification surprised him.


    The Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt clone only used one Cast Spirit Pill to forge the first spirit meridian.


    In the description in the jade tube, such talent was rarely seen. That clone could be considered a genius.


    If nothing went wrong, achieving a second-grade spirit meridian was a sure bet.


    ¡°After all, the effect is cultivation speed+200%,¡± Lin Shen thought to himself. As for the Analogy clone, it wasn¡¯t as talented. It used three Cast Spirit Pills to forge the first spirit meridian.


    ording to the description of the jade tube, that clone woudn very likely be a cultivator master.


    However, there was a high chance that it would only have a fourth-grade spirit meridian. If it wanted to achieve a third-grade spirit meridian, it would need a certain amount of opportunities.


    No matter what, it was still much better than Lin Shen.


    ¡°It turns out that I¡¯m the least talented,¡± Lin Shen said self-deprecatingly.


    During the process of forging the spirit meridian, he had tried to switch his talent.


    Unfortunately, no matter which talent he switched to, it wouldn¡¯t help forge the spirit meridian.


    Lin Shen guessed that these talents weren¡¯t like Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt, which could increase one¡¯s cultivation speed in all aspects, so they were useless.


    As for whether that was really the case, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t verify it.


    Unless he switched to Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt and tried it.


    However, just as this thought of taking a gamble surfaced in his mind, Lin Shen pressed it down.


    He didn¡¯t want to risk his own life.


    If his lifespan ended all of a sudden, that would be a huge joke.


    Unless the spirit meridians cultivated by the clone couldn¡¯t be fused!


    Lin Shen¡¯s expression changed. With a thought, the Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt clone slowly dissipated and fused into his body.


    The next moment, Lin Shen suddenly trembled, and a buzzing sound burst out from his body.


    When he focused on his inner vision again, the number of spirit meridians in his body had increased to two!


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed feasible!¡±


    Lin Shen was overjoyed.


    It turned out that his guess was right.


    The spirit meridians formed by the clones could also be fused into his body!


    This way, he couldpletely rely on his clone to forge spirit meridians and not be restricted by his own aptitude!

 Chapter 245 - 245: Spiritual Meridian Accomplished (3)

    Chapter 245: Spiritual Meridian Aplished (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    For a moment, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but feel excited.


    With seven clones around, it was only a matter of time before he attained a first-grade spirit meridian!


    Moreover, it might even be higher!


    Lin Shen immediately made up his mind. Before his clones¡¯ spirit meridians reached the limit, he wouldn¡¯t fuse with any clone.


    Although doing so would slow down his growth in the future, once he seeded, the benefits he would obtain would definitely be shocking!


    After a while, Lin Shen calmed down and summoned the Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt clone again.


    As expected, when the fused Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt clone was summoned again, the number of spirit meridians in its body had already increased to two.


    Fortunately, the other clones had yet to fuse. Apart from Analogy, which had a spirit meridian, the other five clones had yet to forge one.


    At this moment, Lin Shen still had 21 Cast Spirit Pills, so he simply handed them all to the Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt clone.


    With its aptitude, Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt¡¯s clone digested the medicinal effects extremely quickly. In just a day, it used three Cast Spirit Pills to forge its third spirit meridian.


    Two dayster, it forged the fourth spirit meridian.


    This time, it used four Cast Spirit Pills.


    ¡°There are still 14 Cast Spirit Pills left. It¡¯s enough for the clone to forge two more spirit meridians. 1 have to collect more Cast Spirit Pillster!¡±


    Lin Shen did some calctions. ording to the pattern of needing one more pill for each additional spirit meridian forged, even if the Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt clone only formed a second-grade spirit meridian, it would need more than 600 Cast Spirit Pills!


    If he wanted to form a first-grade spirit meridian, he would need nearly a thousand Cast Spirit Pills!


    Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue.


    No wonder no one in the Nine Suns Sect had attained a first-grade spirit meridian for so many years.


    The aptitude aside, just the amount of resources needed to achieve a first-grade spirit meridian was terrifying!


    Even the disciples of influential families would find it difficult to bear the burden!


    Moreover, this was only the number needed for the Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt clone alone.


    Although the other clones would definitely be able to forge far fewer spirit meridians than the Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt clone, they would probably need a lot of Cast Spirit Pills.


    If Lin Shen wanted him and all his clones to forge their spirit meridians to the limit, the number of Cast Spirit Pills he needed would be astronomical.


    ¡°There¡¯s still a long way to go¡­¡±


    Lin Shen smiled bitterly and shook his head.


    It couldn¡¯t be helped. In order to build a good foundation, he had to endure the hardship.


    After sorting out his emotions, Lin Shen stood up and walked out of the cave.


    Tomorrow was the day when the spirit cave would open again. It was time to meet up with the people from the academy.


    After figuring out the direction, Lin Shen suddenly rose without any wind. A lifelike cloud dragon phantom surrounded him and lifted him off the ground. After a slight pause, he flew into the distance.


    He was several times faster than when using the Riding Wind Technique!


    Just as Lin Shen had guessed, after reaching True Martial, the Cloud Dragon Rhythm already had the power to allow him to fly in the air, and it was even faster than the Riding Wind Technique.


    This was also the reason why he was confident that he could reach the exit of the spirit cave in a day.


    While Lin Shen was rushing to meet up with the people from the academy, on a high slope hundreds of kilometers away, more than ten Blood Sea Sect disciples in ck robes were gathered together, looking at the basin below.


    The entire basin was filled with turbid air and was enveloped by countless grayish-white smoke. Everything was blurry, and one could only vaguely see blood-colored gs rising high.


    Looking at the situation below, a tall and pale Blood Sea Sect discipleughed.


    ¡°Master is indeed powerful. Now that the Nether Corpse Smoke Array has beenpleted, even if the Nine Suns Sect discovers that something is amiss on the day the spirit cave opens, they can forget about breaking the array in an hour. If they miss this opportunity, they can only wait another month to enter the spirit cave!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, another Blood Sea Sect disciple shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that simple!


    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible to change the opening time of the spirit cave. As long as the Nine Suns Sect is willing to pay a certain price, they can also forcefully open the spirit cave!


    ¡°Our only advantage is that we have the geographical advantage in advance. With Master presiding over the Nether Corpse Smoke Array, the Nine Suns Sect won¡¯t be able to forcefully enter the spirit cave!¡±


    ¡°Junior Brother Liu is right.¡±


    The man standing at the front turned around and swept his indifferent gaze across everyone.


    ¡°With Master holding down the Nether Corpse Smoke Array, there¡¯s no need to worry about the Nine Suns Sect being able to enter the spirit cave. The only concern is that once the array formation is activated, Master has to focus on it. He can¡¯t even use his blood souls. Therefore, during this period of time, we¡¯ll do our duty as guards and kill all creatures that dare to approach the Nether Corpse Smoke Array!¡±


    The man obviously had a lot of prestige among the disciples.


    The Blood Sea Sect disciples¡¯ expressions turned solemn when they heard this.


    They all knew what the man was referring to.


    More than half a month ago, they discovered a group of Nine Suns Sect disciples entering the spirit cave, so they immediately sent out more than 20 people led by Jiang Wanying to pursue them.


    More than ten days had passed, but they hadn¡¯t heard from Jiang Wanying and his people yet.


    Shocked, they sent people to investigate again, but in the end, they found the bodies of more than twenty people, and Jiang Wanying was nowhere to be found.


    Jiang Wanying was most likely dead.


    After a moment of silence, a Blood Sea Sect disciple stood up and said in a deep voice,


    ¡°Senior Brother Min, the spirit cave is about to open. Those Nine Suns Sect disciples will most likely rush here. In order to prevent those fellows from disturbing Master, why don¡¯t 1 make a trip personally and deal with those people first?¡±


    Min Shun looked at the person who spoke. When he saw that it was Shen Yan, he nodded slightly.


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll let Junior Brother Shen make the trip. However, since those Nine Suns Sect disciples were able to kill Junior Brother Jiang, their strength must be extraordinary. Just in case, I¡¯ll send in some Junior Brothers with you!¡±


    Min Shun called out several disciples in a row.


    Including Shen Yan, there were a total of five people. All of them were elite disciples who were at the ninth level of Bright Aperture Stage and had already started to forge spirit meridians.


    With the five of them working together, even Jiang Wanying was no match for them.


    They shouldn¡¯t have a problem handling those Nine Suns Sect disciples.


    Chen Yan and the others immediatelyplied.


    Not long after, five streaks of blood light left the high slope and flew into the distance..

 Chapter 246 - 246: Ripping the Heavens Together (1)

    Chapter 246: Ripping the Heavens Together (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Thump!


    A spirit monster fell to the ground. Its body twitched, and in the blink of an eye, it was dead.


    Xie Jingsheng retracted his sword and looked around. He realized that the remaining spiritual monsters had been killed as well.


    ¡°Senior Brother Xie, how far are we from our destination?¡± A disciple from the lower courtyard wiped his sweat and asked.


    Xie Jingsheng had already memorized the map by heart. He answered without thinking, ¡°There¡¯s still more than 15 km. We can reach it in two hours at most.¡± In fact, if not for the fact that there were many spiritual monsters along the way and they needed to stop from time to time to kill them, they would have long arrived at their destination.


    Fortunately, the spirit cave would open tomorrow, so there was still plenty of time.


    Except¡­


    Thinking of Lin Shen, who had still not been heard from, Xie Jingsheng couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    Not far away, Peng Junqin saw Xie Jingsheng¡¯s expression and sneered inwardly.


    To be honest, he didn¡¯t know Lin Shen.


    Although he had met the people from the academy before entering the spirit cave, he had never paid attention to that individual.


    It wasn¡¯t until they met up with the others and found out that Lin Shen had saved them that Peng Junqin became envious of Lin Shen.


    Makingparisons could be the worst thing.


    Lin Shen arrived during a crisis and saved everyone. It was an exceptionally stark contrast to Peng Junqin¡¯s act of fleeing at thest minute.


    While everyone despised Peng Junqin, they also praised Lin Shen.


    Peng Junqin wasn¡¯t an open-minded person. He had long secretly hated Lin Shen.


    The idea of Lin Shen having probably been refined into a blood soul by Jiang Wanying made Peng Junqin especially happy. He also felt that his decision back then was very wise.


    If he hadn¡¯t run away when he saw that the situation was getting worse, he would have been killed just like Lin Shen was. How could he have stayed alive? ¡°Sacrifice your life for justice? Bah, if you don¡¯t even have your life, then what¡¯s the point of seeking justice!¡± Peng Junqin sneered inwardly.


    After resting for a while, they continued their journey toward their destination. In the crowd, Ai Jingting sighed worriedly and clenched the token in her hand. Although she knew very well that Lin Shen had not appeared for so many days and was probably doomed, she still held thest bit of hope that he might still be alive. These days, she had been holding the token close to her body, hoping that it would sense something.


    Unfortunately, she was disappointed in the end.


    Along the way, she sensed nothing from the token.


    Letting out another long sigh, Ai Jingtingposed herself and followed the group.


    However, at this moment, the token in her palm trembled slightly, and she sensed something from it.


    Ai Jingting was stunned for a moment. Then, as if she had just woken up from a dream, she let out a low cry and looked extremely surprised.


    Everyone turned around when they heard the voice.


    Xie Jingsheng thought that something had happened and hurriedly asked, ¡°Junior Sister Ai, did you discover anything unusual?¡±


    ¡°The token is responding!¡± Ai Jingting eximed in surprise.


    Xie Jingsheng was stunned for a moment before he quickly took out the token.


    After sensing with rapt attention, he also looked pleasantly surprised.


    The talisman only absorbed the aura of the academy¡¯s disciples, which were the only people that it could sense.


    As for the fourteen academy disciples who had entered the spirit cave, apart from those present, the rest had already died in battle. The only exception was Lin Shen, whose fate was unknown.


    In other words, the only person who could make the token react was Lin Shen! ¡°Junior Brother Lin is still alive!¡± Xie Jingsheng was overjoyed.


    At this moment, the others also realized what that meant. The disciples of the academy and the inner sect disciple all looked extremely happy.


    Only Peng Junqin¡¯s expression darkened, and he gritted his teeth in secret.


    Why was that kid so lucky?


    He could even survive against Jiang Wanying?


    Peng Junqin had used an extremely precious treasure and his trump card to escape from Jiang Wanying. He was still feeling sorry for it.


    What method could Lin Shen, a disciple of the upper house, have to get rid of Jiang Wanying?


    Peng Junqin couldn¡¯t figure it out no matter how hard he thought about it. He was both surprised and resentful.


    However, at this moment, no one cared about Peng Junqin. After discovering that Lin Shen was still alive, Xie Jingsheng decisively turned around and led everyone toward Lin Shen¡¯s direction.


    About half an hourter, a cloud suddenly appeared in the distant sky and was flying toward them.


    As it got closer, everyone saw that it was a lifelike cloud dragon with its head raised and tail wagging.


    And the person surrounded by the cloud dragon was none other than Lin Shen!


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed Junior Brother Lin!¡±


    Xie Jingsheng heaved a sigh of relief.


    Ai Jingting was also relieved.


    The girl rxed, and a heartfelt smile blossomed on her face.


    A momentter, Lin Shennded leisurely and dispersed the cloud dragon. He nced at everyone and nodded with a smile.


    ¡°Senior Brother Xie, I¡¯m relieved to see that you¡¯re all safe and sound.¡±


    Xie Jingsheng walked forward with a smile on his face. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly paused and sized Lin Shen up a few times. His eyes lit up. ¡°Junior Brother Lin, have you forged a spirit meridian?¡±


    Everyone was stunned. Only then did they carefully size up Lin Shen. Indeed, they realized that thetter¡¯s aura was bing more and more vigorous, and there was a faint hint of spirituality. It was the sign of the spirit meridian when it was just formed!


    Seeing everyone¡¯s shocked gazes, Lin Shen didn¡¯t hide anything. He smiled calmly and said, ¡°I was lucky enough to gain something these few days and was able to forge a spirit meridian. Therefore, 1 dyed for some time and only rushed over to meet up with you guys now.¡±


    Even though they had already guessed it, when they heard Lin Shen admit it himself, everyone couldn¡¯t help but exim in admiration and envy.


    Forging a spirit meridian was the dream of all Bright Aperture Stage cultivators.


    Forging the first spirit meridian meant that one had one foot in the cultivator master stage!

 Chapter 247 - 247: Ripping the Heavens Together (2)

    Chapter 247: Ripping the Heavens Together (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Even though the key was whether or not he could step his other foot in, he was still far ahead of countless Bright Aperture Stage cultivators.


    Moreover, Lin Shen was a genius. He had already achieved so much at such a young age. There was no doubt that he would advance to a cultivator master.


    The next step was only a matter of time!


    Thinking of this, everyone couldn¡¯t help but feel amazed.


    Peng Junqin, who was at the back of the crowd, had an ashen expression, and his eyes flickered with mes of envy.


    He never expected that not only did Lin Shen sessfully survive, but he also had to forge a spirit meridian.


    Even Peng Junqin had yet topletely stabilize his cultivation stage. He was still a distance away from forging a spirit meridian.


    He couldn¡¯t stop feeling jealous of what had happened to Lin Shen.


    After the spirit meridian was formed, Lin Shen¡¯s strength reached a higher level, and his perception had also be sharper. He immediately noticed the malicious gazeing from the back of the crowd. He turned around and met Peng Junqin¡¯s gaze.


    Peng Junqin was shocked and looked away guiltily. However, he immediately came back to his senses. Why was he afraid of Lin Shen?


    Hence, he turned his head back and red at Lin Shen without flinching.


    Seeing this, Lin Shen smiled to himself. He no longer paid attention to this clown and turned to ask Xie Jingsheng about what had happened in the past few days.


    What he heard made him think.


    Judging from Jiang Wanying¡¯s words before he died, the Blood Sea Sect probably still had a backup n in the spirit cave.


    However, neither he nor Xie Jingsheng had met any other Blood Sea Sect disciples in the past few days.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t think that the Blood Sea Sect had retreated. It was more likely that its n had reached a critical point, and they couldn¡¯t spare manpower for the time being.


    Lin Shen thought about it. The Blood Sea Sect had gone through so much trouble and even hunted them down. They could be after the spirit cave itself.


    In other words, the Blood Sea Sect wanted to take the spirit cave.


    To do so, the first step was to seal the entrance to the spirit cave and prevent the Nine Suns Sect from entering.


    If that were the case, the entrance to the spirit cave would have long been surrounded by the Blood Sea Sect.


    If they continued to move forward, they would be likembs entering a tiger¡¯s den.


    Lin Shen¡¯s heart sank slightly.


    Seeing Lin Shen¡¯s serious expression after hearing his words, Xie Jingsheng was puzzled and hurriedly asked what was going on.


    Lin Shen told him what Jiang Wanying had said and his own guess.


    Hearing this, everyone¡¯s expressions changed.


    With what he had run into so far, Lin Shen was probably onto the truth.


    If he were from the Blood Sea Sect and identally discovered a spirit cave with disciples from their sworn enemy¡¯s sect inside, the first thing he would do would undoubtedly be to kill all the enemies, seal the entrance, and upy the spirit cave.


    ¡°In that case, aren¡¯t we trapped like turtles in a jar? We can¡¯t leave the spirit cave¡­¡± A disciple from the lower house said with a pale face.


    The others also looked worried.


    Lin Shen thought for a moment and said in a low voice, ¡°That might not be the case.¡±


    Seeing everyone turn to look at him, Lin Shen deliberated for a moment and said unhurriedly,


    ¡°When we entered the spirit cave, it was very smooth, and we didn¡¯t encounter any obstructions. This means that the Blood Sea Sect hasn¡¯t started sealing the entrance at that time. In other words, it shouldn¡¯t have been long since they discovered this spirit cave!¡±


    Xie Jingsheng¡¯s eyes lit up. He nodded and said happily,


    ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s not easy to seal a spirit cave. In such a short period of time, the Blood Sea Sect definitely won¡¯t be able to mobilize enough manpower and resources topletely seal the cave. I¡¯m guessing that they probably used an array formation to temporarily seal the entrance to prevent outsiders from entering!


    ¡°When the spirit cave opens tomorrow and the sect sees that we haven¡¯t left for a long time, they¡¯ll quickly realize that something is wrong. When that happens, the sect will definitely forcefully open the spirit cave and send people in to investigate. We can take the opportunity to cause trouble and cooperate with the sect. That way, we might have a chance to rush out of the spirit cave!¡± Xie Jingsheng¡¯s words reignited everyone¡¯s hope.


    Everyone knew that the Blood Sea Sect must have set up an inescapable trap at the eye of the cave. It would be courting death if they wanted to break out with just their few people!


    But in the end, there was still a little hope. It was better than having nothing.


    ¡°No matter what, this is only our guess. Maybe the Blood Sea Sect didn¡¯t even have time to seal the cave eye,¡± Lin Shen said with a faint smile.


    Even though they knew that Lin Shen was justforting them, everyone still felt less uneasy.


    No matter what, it was useless to worry now. They would know when they reached the cave eye tomorrow.


    At this moment, Xie Jingsheng suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°Junior Brother Lin, where¡¯s Jiang Wanying? Have you seen him these few days?¡±


    Lin Shen was slightly stunned, then came to a realization. It turned out that Xie Jingsheng thought that he had escaped from Jiang Wanying. He immediatelyughed and shook his head.


    ¡°Jiang Wanying is dead.¡±


    Xie Jingsheng was stunned and asked subconsciously, ¡°How did he die?¡±


    ¡°1 killed him.¡± Lin Shen¡¯s tone was calm as if he was talking about something very ordinary.


    However, those words sounded like a thunderp in everyone else¡¯s ears.


    Lin Shen killed Jiang Wanying?!


    That Jiang Wanying had intimidated nearly twenty people?


    Everyone, including Xie Jingsheng, was filled with disbelief.


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Lin Shen was the one who said this, someone would have jumped out to question him..

 Chapter 248 - 248: Ripping the Heavens Together (3)

    Chapter 248: Ripping the Heavens Together (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    However, one person didn¡¯t believe Lin Shen at all.


    In the dead silence, someone snorted.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of hurting your tongue by boasting?¡±


    Peng Junqin nced at Lin Shen from the corner of his eye and sneered disdainfully.


    ¡°Jiang Wanying is an expert who has forged more than 30 spirit meridians and has profound armaments. He¡¯s almost invincible in the Bright Aperture Stage. How can you, a fellow who has just forged at most one or two spirit meridians, kill him?


    ¡°Even if you want to tter yourself, this is not the way to do it!¡±


    Xie Jingsheng, Ai Jingting, and the others immediately looked at Peng Junqin angrily.


    Although they also had doubts about Lin Shen killing Jiang Wanying, they couldn¡¯t allow this despicable person to nder Lin Shen.


    Xie Jingsheng was furious. Just as he was about to scold Peng Junqin, his expression suddenly changed as he looked into the distance.


    At the same time, the others also noticed the blood light on the horizon.


    Five streaks of blood-red light flew over at an astonishing speed like meteors.


    The familiar cold aura that seemed undoubtedly indicated the identity of who wasing.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Blood Sea Sect¡¯s pursuers!¡± Xie Jingsheng¡¯s expression was extremely ugly.


    They had just been discussing the Blood Sea Sect¡¯s scheme, but they didn¡¯t expect that they would be pursued in the blink of an eye.


    Judging from the speed of the blood light, even if the people weren¡¯t as strong as Jiang Wanying, they wouldn¡¯t be much weaker. They were probably at the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage as well.


    Before everyone could recover from their panic, the five streaks of light had already approached from afar andnded in front of them.


    The blood light dissipated, revealing five figures. The leader was Chen Yan.


    A cold smile appeared on Chen Yan¡¯s face as he swept his gaze across the crowd.


    ¡°Very good. Looks like the rest of the Ninesuns Sky Sect disciples are all here. We can take care of them all at once, saving us the trouble of searching everywhere!¡±


    A Blood Sea Sect disciple chimed in andughed. ¡°Senior Brother Shen, I think quite a few of them look promising. You have to take it easy when you make a moveter. Don¡¯t destroy their primordial spirits. I¡¯ve beencking a few materials to refine blood souls recently!¡±


    The other three also looked tempting.


    Primordial spirits of Bright Aperture Stage cultivators were rare. If they could obtain a few, they could refine a few top-notch blood souls. It would be quite beneficial to their strength.


    Unexpectedly, Chen Yan nced at them and said coldly, ¡°These people could kill Jiang Wanying, so their strength can¡¯t be underestimated. If you still look down on them, don¡¯t me me for not reminding you!¡±


    As soon as he said this, the smiles of the four Blood Sea Sect disciples immediately disappeared, and their expressions turned solemn.


    Although they weren¡¯t used to Jiang Wanying¡¯s usual arrogant attitude, they had to admit that Jiang Wanying¡¯s strength far exceeded any of them.


    They were no match for him in a one-on-one battle.


    Two against one, they could barely hold on for a moment.


    They were only equally matched with Jiang Wanying when three or four of them fought against him together.


    They were only confident in defeating Jiang Wanying when Shen Yan joined them.


    Although they didn¡¯t know how the Nine Suns Sect disciples killed Jiang Wanying, since they could do it, it meant that they weren¡¯t weak and shouldn¡¯t be underestimated.


    Realizing that, the four of them no longer looked down upon their opponents.


    While the Blood Sea Sect disciples were secretly reminding themselves, Xie Jingsheng and the others were confused.


    When they saw the five Blood Sea Sect disciples talking as if no one was around and treating them as prey, they were especially angry. However, what they heard next stunned them on the spot.


    Was Jiang Wanying¡­ was really dead?


    Everyone turned to look at Lin Shen at the same time,pletely shocked.


    Lin Shen really killed Jiang Wanying!


    Peng Junqin was bbergasted.


    He wasn¡¯t lying? Did he really kill Jiang Wanying?


    Their reaction immediately attracted Shen Yan¡¯s attention.


    Thetter followed their gaze and spotted Lin Shen. After sizing up him a few times, Shen Yan narrowed his eyes, and a cold glint shed across them.


    ¡°A Bright Aperture cultivator who has forged a spirit meridian. Interesting. No wonder Jiang Wanying died in your hands!¡±


    The spirit meridian made all the difference even if the two cultivators were both at the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage.


    Even if a Bright Aperture Stage cultivator had only forged a spirit meridian, their spiritual essence would begin to transform and gain a trace of spirituality. As a result, their strength would soar.


    Since this group of Ninesuns Sky Sect disciples had such an expert, it wouldn¡¯t be too surprised if they worked together to kill Jiang Wanying.


    Chen Yan muttered to himself, but he didn¡¯t realize that the truth of the matter was very different from what he had guessed.


    Lin Shen had no intention of correcting their enemies. His gaze swept past the five Blood Sea Sect disciples, and he quickly sensed the aura of spirituality on them.


    These five people were also Bright Aperture Stage cultivators who had forged spirit meridians!


    However, the number of spirit meridians they forged was far inferior to Jiang Wanying. At the very least, Lin Shen didn¡¯t feel as much threat from them.


    ¡°However, since they¡¯ve already started to forge a spirit meridian, they might have Cast Spirit Pills on them¡­¡±


    Shen Yan suddenly realized that the way Lin Shen looked at the five of them seemed to have changed as if he was looking at some prey.


    This gaze made him extremely ufortable. He immediately snorted and said coldly,


    ¡°Attack! Kill all of them!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the five of them took out their enchanted armaments at the same time and charged at the Nine Suns Sect disciples with killing intent.


    Seeing this, Xie Jingsheng and the others¡¯ expressions changed. They raised their weapons and prepared to fight.


    At the same time, Peng Junqin quietly took a few steps back. He once again had the thought of escaping. He was prepared to wait for everyone to start fighting before taking the opportunity to run away.


    ¡°These five people are obviously very powerful. It¡¯s impossible for trash like Xie Jingsheng to be a match for them. After 1 leave this ce, I¡¯ll immediately find a ce to hide. The spirit cave is very important. The sect will never give it up. Reinforcements wille sooner orter, and I¡¯ll be saved. There¡¯s no need to tempt fate with these idiots!¡±


    Peng Junqin thought coldly to himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly saw a figure sh past. He turned his head and looked over. It was none other than Lin Shen.


    Amidst the crowd of people who were either waiting on the spot or secretly waiting for an opportunity to escape, Lin Shen¡¯s action was so conspicuous that it immediately attracted everyone¡¯s attention.


    Facing Shen Yan and his people who were charging over aggressively, Lin Shen calmly took a step forward and suddenly struck out with his sword.


    Vigorous true energy instantly turned into a heat wave that surged out. It was as if a red light shed in the void!


    A scorching red sun suddenly rose up, spraying out golden light that covered the entire space as it crushed down on Shen Yan and his people.


    At that instant, all that was left in everyone¡¯s vision was a blood-red sun that grewrger andrger, as though it wanted to drown and devour the entire world!


    The sun¡¯s brilliance was enough to cover a thousand mountains, and it pulled the sky down!


    This was the first time he had disyed the True Martial Nine Divine Sun Sword in front of other people since his breakthrough!

 Chapter 249 - 249: The Time Has Come (1)

    Chapter 249: The Time Has Come (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    A scorching heat wave spread out, and the coldness in the cave dissipated in the blink of an eye.


    It was as if a sun had lit up in front of everyone¡¯s eyes, and the light was blinding. The steaming hot air rushed into their eyes and nostrils. It was so stuffy that they couldn¡¯t think straight.


    Even though they were far away, Xie Jingsheng and the others still felt that the red light was dazzling. The heat wave hit their faces, and they felt like they were in a magma volcano.


    Shen Yan and his people who faced this attack head-on would only feel worse.


    The five of them felt that the roaring heat wave had almost condensed into a tangible ray of light. It rolled over like a tempestuous wave and almost swallowed them!


    The scorching sun was like a copsing mountain, directly suppressing them and wanting to annihte their flesh and bones into ashes!


    The fear of death instantly enveloped them.


    Under the immense pressure, the five of them shouted with ferocious expressions and used the powerful technique they could think of. Their eyes were filled with determination as they faced the zing sun!


    In the next moment, a deafening roar suddenly erupted!


    The violent and zing mes instantly drowned Shen Yan and the others, turning the ce where they stood into scorched earth!


    The air wave swept five to six hundred meters away with the dust. Along the way, it shattered countless rocks before slowly dissipating.


    The zing red light suddenly dissipated. Xie Jingsheng and the others felt as if a heavy burden of ten thousand kilograms had been lifted off their shoulders, making them sway involuntarily.


    However, they had no time to catch their breath. They hurriedly looked up and saw that the ground half a kilometer in front of them had been reduced to scorched earth. There were even many lumps that flickered with a faint red light.


    It was the crystallization of the sand that had suddenly been melted by the extreme heat!


    Everyone looked at the scene in front of them in a daze. They felt their mouths dry and couldn¡¯t say a word.


    Peng Junqin waspletely stunned on the spot. His mouth was agape for a long time.


    No one expected that the five ferocious enemies would be defeated by Lin Shen with a single strike!


    It wasn¡¯t Shen Yan¡¯s problem.


    Lin Shen was simply too powerful!


    The power of that strike just now made their hearts tremble.


    That was definitely not the power of the Bright Aperture Stage!


    No one would have any objections to the fact that the power of that strike had reached the stage of a cultivator master!


    If they still had a trace of doubt about Lin Shen killing Jiang Wanying previously, they were now convinced!


    Peng Junqin also realized it. His legs instantly turned weak, and he looked at Lin Shen with uncontroble fear.


    Ignoring everyone¡¯s reaction, Lin Shen slowly retracted his sword.


    The Nine Divine Sun Sword, enhanced by his Pure Yang Body talent, was even more powerful than he had expected. It had already surpassed the stage where the nine suns appeared at the same time and reached a new height!


    ¡°Even if the power of this sword can¡¯t reach the stage of a cultivator master, it¡¯s probably not much weaker!¡±


    A smile appeared on Lin Shen¡¯s face.


    After he fused with his clone¡¯s spirit meridians and increased his strength, the power of the Nine Divine Sun Sword still had room for improvement.


    After calming himself down, Lin Shen suddenly appeared on the spot 100 meters away.


    Shen Yany on the ground, charred ck.


    The other four Blood Sea Sect disciples had long been reduced to ashes. Only the strongest, Shen Yan, was still alive, but he was severely injured and wasn¡¯t going to live for much longer.


    Shen Yan¡¯s eyes were wide open. When he saw Lin Shen walking over, he let out a snort and stared at Lin Shen¡¯s face with bloodshot eyes.


    ¡°True¡­ True Martial technique¡­ You¡¯ve killed Jiang Wan alone¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Seeing Lin Shen nod, Shen Yan was resentful and frustrated.


    If he had known that there was such an expert in this group, he wouldn¡¯t have brought so few people over.


    However, who could have expected that there would be a genius who had mastered a True Martial technique among the Nine Suns Sect disciples that had entered the spirit cave?


    He made the wrong decision, and it would cost him his life!


    ¡°What arrangements did the Blood Sea Sect make at the cave eye?¡± Lin Shen asked.


    Shen Yan came back to his senses and stared at Lin Shen for a long time before squeezing out a terrifying smile.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to escape. It won¡¯t be long before Master and Senior Brother Min avenge me. You¡¯ll all die with me!¡±


    As he finished speaking, Chen Yan¡¯s face glowed, and he became more coherent, but it was in fact a sign of dying.


    Lin Shen frowned slightly. If he had known earlier, he would not have hit him so hard. Looking at Shen Yan now, it was obvious that he couldn¡¯t withstand torture and interrogation.


    Even if they left him here, he would die a momentter.


    At this moment, Xie Jingsheng and the others had already recovered from their shock. When they approached and heard Shen Yan¡¯s words, they all paled.


    It was fine if Chen Yan only mentioned Senior Brother Min, but the word ¡°Master¡± made everyone¡¯s hearts skip a beat.


    To be able to teach a disciple at the ninth level of Bright Aperture Stage, that person was definitely a cultivator master!


    There was actually a Blood Sea Sect cultivator master in the spirit cave!


    This information made everyone¡¯s hearts sink to the bottom.


    Seeing everyone¡¯s expressions, Shen Yan couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    Although he didn¡¯t have long to live, it was worth it to drag a group of Nine Suns Sect disciples with him, especially a genius who had grasped a True Martial technique.


    Everyone was angry, but there was nothing they could do.


    At this moment, someone suddenly walked out of the crowd and said in a deep voice,


    ¡°I have an idea!¡±


    Everyone turned to look. It was Fu Weifang.


    On the day they were ambushed by the Blood Sea Sect, Fu Weifang was severely injured by Jiang Wanying. Even though he had been recuperating for a long time, he had yet to fully recover. His face was pale without a trace of blood..

 Chapter 250 - 250: The Time Has Come (2)

    Chapter 250: The Time Has Come (2)


    Trantor Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Seeing that it was Fu Weifang, Xie Jingsheng hurriedly asked, ¡°Junior Brother Fu, do you have any ideas?¡±


    Fu Weifang looked at Shen Yan coldly and said, ¡°1 once killed an unorthodox cultivator and obtained an enchanted armament called the Soul Binding Mirror from him. It can be used to capture the original soul of the deceased and interrogate them. As long as the original soul¡¯s cultivation level didn¡¯t exceed the Bright Aperture Stage when he was alive, he would answer all questions!¡±


    When he heard the words ¡°Soul Binding Mirror¡±, Shen Yan stoppedughing abruptly. Then, his expression changed drastically. Clearly, he recognized this Dharma treasure.


    Seeing his expression, everyone immediately knew that what Fu Weifang said was true and was overjoyed.


    However, they couldn¡¯t help but hesitate.


    Everyone present was from the orthodox sects. Naturally, they weren¡¯t as brazen and unscrupulous as the Blood Sea Sect. Thus, they were naturally repulsed by the idea of a Soul Binding Mirror.


    Fu Weifang had been severely injured by Jiang Wanying. He hated the Blood Sea Sect to the bone, so he naturally didn¡¯t have any ill feelings toward capturing the Blood Sea Sect disciple s primordial spirit. Seeing Xie Jingsheng¡¯s hesitation, he immediately advised,


    ¡°Senior Brother Xie, the Blood Sea Sect killed our fellow sect members first. Why should we be benevolent to such viins?¡±


    Xie Jingsheng also knew that now was not the time to be soft-hearted. He sighed inwardly and nodded. ¡®Til leave it to you, Junior Brother Fu!¡±


    Fu Weifang was overjoyed when he heard this. He looked at Shen Yan with a cold smile. With a flip of his wrist, a dark mirror appeared in his palm.


    Shen Yan¡¯s expression was iparably ugly. He opened his mouth to speak, but Fu Weifang didn¡¯t give him a chance to speak at all. He struck out with his sword, ending Shen Yan¡¯s life.


    While Fu Weifang was capturing the primordial spirit, Lin Shen put away Shen Yan¡¯s storage ring and walked around again. He also found the other four Blood Sea Sect disciples¡¯ storage enchanted armaments.


    Everyone saw this, but they didn¡¯t say anything.


    Lin Shen had defeated the five of them alone, so the items on them were naturally his spoils of war.


    As for Peng Junqin, he didn¡¯t say anything.


    At this point, he was already scared out of his wits by Lin Shen. He hid in a corner, hoping that Lin Shen wouldn¡¯t notice him.


    After sorting through everything, Lin Shen indeed found Cast Spirit Pills in the five people s storage rings.


    Among them, Shen Yan had the most Cast Spirit Pills in his storage ring. There were a total of 15.


    The other four each had from five to nine pills.


    All in all, the five of them provided Lin Shen with 43 Cast Spirit Pills in total. It was quire rewarding.


    ¡°Good. These Cast Spirit Pills are enough for Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt clone to forge another four spirit meridians! ¡±


    Joy shed across Lin Shen s eyes.


    It was indeed faster to get resources from others!


    Unfortunately, such opportunities were rare.


    By the time Lin Shen was done sorting through everything, Fu Weifang had already sessfully captured Shen Yany¡¯s primordial spirit and ced him into the mirror to begin the interrogation.


    After a while, they got the information they needed, but their expressions became very solemn.


    The worst situation still happened!


    The Blood Sea Sect had already used the Nether Corpse Smoke Array to seal the cave eye. There was also a cultivator master presiding over the array.


    With this cultivator master and rhe Nether Corpse Smoke Array around, Nine Suns Sect couldn¡¯t enter the spirit cave at all, at least not for the time being.


    During this period of time, the Blood Sea Sect¡¯s reinforcements would have probably arrived.


    At that time, the Blood Sea Sect would be able topletely seal the eye of the cave and take the spirit cave for themselves.


    As for them, they would bepletely trapped. It would be the best oue if they were killed. It was more likely that their primordial spirits would be captured and refined into blood souls!


    ¡°What should we do, Senior Brother Lin, Senior Brother Xie?¡± A disciple from the lower house looked at Lin Shen and Xie Jingsheng inquiringly.


    The others also looked at the two of them, their eyes filled with panic.


    Lin Shen took a deep breath and said solemnly, ¡°Our only option now is to do as we discussed previously and try to break through the array!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Xie Jingsheng nodded with a solemn expression.


    ¡°The only way to break out of this situation is to attack the Nether Corpse Smoke Array while the sect is trying to break into the spirit cave!


    ¡°ording to Shen Yan, tinder normal circumstances, the Nether Corpse Smoke Array requires many cultivator masters to operate. Their master can barely maintain the array formation alone with his blood souls. As long as we can force them to spare energy to deal with us, the power of the array formation will definitely be greatly affected, and the chances of the sect breaking the array formation will increase greatly!


    ¡°By working from both sides, we have a great chance of breaking the Nether Corpse Smoke Array!¡±


    Everyone knew that this was the only option now, so they suppressed the uneasy feeling and nodded.


    Xie Jingsheng turned to look at Peng Junqin and said solemnly,


    ¡°Peng Junqin, you heard what Shen Yan said. We¡¯re already in the same boat now. If we die, you¡¯ll die sooner orter. What do you think?¡±


    Peng Junqins expression changed several times. He nced at Lin Shen and finally gritted his teeth. ¡°Alright, I have no objections!¡±


    Before interrogating Shen Yan, Peng Junqin still had a trace of hope, but the information they obtained from Shen Yan had undoubtedly crushed thest trace of hope in his heart.


    The next few days were theirst chance.


    Once they failed to break through the array, rhe spirit cave would fall into the hands of the Blood Sea Sect when their reinforcements arrived.


    No one knew if the Nine Suns Sect would be able to take back the spirit cave, but Peng Junqin knew he definitely couldn¡¯t survive until then.


    He was afraid of death, but he wasn¡¯t stupid. He knew that only by working together could he survive this crisis!


    Hearing Peng Junqin s reply, Xie Jingsheng didn¡¯t say anything else and let everyone on their way.


    As for whether they would encounter the Blood Sea Sect¡¯s pursuers, they no longer cared..

 Chapter 251 - 251: The Time Has Come (3)

    Chapter 251: The Time Has Come (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    In fact, he even hoped that the Blood Sea Sect would send more pursuers over.


    In any case, with Lin Shen around, no matter how many pursuers there were, they would only be sending themselves to their deaths.


    The more pursuers Lin Shen could kill, the less resistance they would face when they challenged the array.


    The group was less than 15km away from the eye of the spirit cave.


    They moved as fast as they could, and it only took them less than two hours to get there.


    When they were a couple of kilometers away from the eye of the cave, everyone stopped in unison.


    Even from a distance, they could feel the soaring cold aura in the air. They could even vaguely see that the sky above therge area of the cave was covered in ayer of gray.


    ¡°Nether Corpse Smoke Array¡­¡± A disciple couldn¡¯t help but swallow.


    Xie Jingsheng¡¯s expression was solemn as he said in a deep voice, ¡°Let¡¯s wait here!¡±


    Everyone nodded.


    Now wasn¡¯t the time to challenge the array.


    They had to wait for the spirit cave to open. Once the Nine Suns Sect outside realized that something was wrong, they would gather their men and forcefully open the cave. Only then would they take action.


    If they went over now, they would be doomed if that Blood Sea Sect¡¯s cultivator master attacked them.


    Before that, their mission was to conserve their energy and prepare for the uing battle.


    Lin Shen found an excuse to stay away from the crowd for a while.


    While there was still some time, he nned to use the Cast Spirit Pills in his hand and let himself and his clone forge a few more spirit meridians.


    The battle was imminent, and every increase in strength was worth it!


    On a high slope near the eye of the spirit cave.


    A day had passed since Shen Yan and the others left.


    It was almost time for the spirit cave to open, but those five people had yet to return. Min Shun couldn¡¯t help but frown slightly.


    ording to the n they had discussed, when the spirit cave opened, everyone had to return and protect their Master.


    This matter was of utmost importance. He couldn¡¯t afford any mistakes.


    With Shen Yan¡¯s personality, he wouldn¡¯t have made such mistakes.


    He had yet to return. Could something have happened?


    A Blood Sea Sect disciple who was on good terms with Shen Yan couldn¡¯t stand the waiting. He took a step forward and said, ¡°Senior Brother Min, why don¡¯t 1 bring people to look for Shen Yan?¡±


    Min Shun refused without thinking.


    ¡°No, the spirit cave will open in a while. We have to protect the Master with all our might. We can¡¯t afford any mistakes. Let¡¯s put everything else aside for the time being!¡±


    Seeing that disciple wanted to speak but hesitated, Min Shun softened his tone and said,


    ¡°If Junior Brother Shen is fine, he will return. If something happens to him, it means that the enemy¡¯s strength is beyond our expectations. In that case, we can¡¯t leave this ce to prevent the enemy from taking the opportunity to break through the array!¡±


    The disciple thought about it and felt that it made sense. He didn¡¯t say anything else and went back into the crowd.


    Min Shun¡¯s eyes flickered, and he sighed inwardly.


    In fact, he knew very well that something had probably happened to Shen Yan and the others.


    Now that he thought about it, his decision to let those people chase after the group of Nine Suns Sect disciples wasn¡¯t cautious enough.


    Even Jiang Wanying had died at the hands of those Nine Suns Sky Sect disciples. It was obvious that the opponent was extremely powerful.


    The safest method was to wait for the enemies toe to them.


    As long as that group of Nine Suns Sect disciples wanted to leave the spirit cave, they woulde here sooner orter. When that happened, Min Shun and his people could gather their strength and exterminate their enemies. It would be much easier than painstakingly searching around.


    Unfortunately, it was toote.


    Those disciples who died wouldn¡¯te back to life.


    Min Shun sighed. After all, he had a tenacious personality. He quickly dispelled the weak thoughts in his mind and looked at the gray fog that filled the basin below. His gaze became firm again.


    Fortunately, his Master had brought many disciples into the spirit cave for this important task.


    Although they had lost some men, there were still more than ten people left, and all of them were elite disciples of the sect.


    The weakest one was at the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage.


    There were even more people who had forged spirit meridians.


    No matter how powerful those Ninesuns Sky Sect disciples were, it was impossible for them to be more powerful than the forces they had set up here!


    As long as those Ninesuns Sky Sect disciples dared to challenge the formation, they would definitely not be able to return in one piece!


    Three dayster.


    In the dark cave, Lin Shen opened his eyes and heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°The third spirit meridian is finallypleted!¡±


    Feeling the third spirit meridian in his body, Lin Shen was both happy and emotional.


    In these three days, he used a total of ten Cast Spirit Pills to finally forge the third spirit meridian.


    On the other hand, the Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt clone only used eleven pills to forge two spirit meridians in three days!


    The difference between the two was too obvious!


    Now that the Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt clone had already forged six spirit meridians, the degree of spiritual essence evolution was even higher than himself.


    Excluding the Dharma treasures and talent bonuses, thebat strength of the clone had exceeded Lin Shen himself.


    Apart from that, the Analogy clone also used five Cast Spirit Pills and sessfully forged a second spirit meridian.


    The remaining five clones had also forged their first spirit meridian in the past three days.


    As expected, just like Analogy, all five clones used three Cast Spirit Pills.


    At this point, Lin Shen only had 16 Cast Spirit Pills left.


    However, the increase in strength brought about by this was also extraordinary.


    He now had five one-meridian clones, one two-meridian clone, and one six-meridian clone. In addition, he himself also had three meridians.


    If he went all out, Lin Shen felt that even if he encountered a cultivator master, he could still exchange a few blows!


    After a long while, Lin Shen finally came back to his senses from the surge of emotions brought about by his increase in strength.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time for the sect to prepare to forcefully open the spirit cave!¡±


    Just as Lin Shen finished speaking, he heard a thunderous roar. ears.


    His expression changed, and he immediately put away his clones. With a thought, he instantly appeared outside.


    Looking into the distance, the sky above the originally gray cave was suddenly dyed with ayer of dense green light. The gray fog was boiling and stirring violently like a vortex.


    Seeing this scene, Lin Shen immediately saw light.


    It was time for them to break through the array!

 Chapter 252 - 252: Check Mate (1)

    Chapter 252: Check Mate (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    The ce where Lin Shen cultivated wasn¡¯t far from the members of the Nine Suns Sect.


    In less than 15 minutes, he arrived at where everyone was.


    Xie Jingsheng was looking at the abnormality in the distance. When he heard the noise, he turned around and saw that it was Lin Shen. His face immediately lit up.


    ¡°Junior Brother Lin!¡±


    Lin Shen nodded to show that he understood and said decisively, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Time was of the essence, and no one dared to dy. They all used the Riding Wind Technique and flew toward the cave eye.


    Before long, the basin where the eye of the cave was located appeared in their vision.


    Looking into the distance, the entire basin was shrouded in a gray fog. The fog rolled endlessly, and there seemed to be green lightning shing continuously inside. The rumbling sound was endless!


    Just by looking at it, one could feel how intense the battle between the two sides was!


    However, the Nine Suns Sect disciples couldn¡¯t care less about this.


    As they arrived near the eye of the cave, more than ten blood-colored beams shot over from afar andnded in front of them with a whoosh.


    The light dissipated, revealing more than ten figures.


    The person in the lead was tall and burly. He had an extraordinary aura, and his eyes were bright. His gaze was as sharp as a sword. It was obvious that he was a powerful cultivator.


    The remaining dozen or so people also had an incredible aura.


    Looking at the group of Blood Sea Sect disciples, everyone from the Nine Suns Sect involuntarily gripped the Dharma treasures in their hands tightly, looking greatly rmed.


    Min Shun¡¯s gaze swept over and paused on Lin Shen for a moment. He was puzzled.


    Most of the disciples in front of him were only at the early- or mid-phase of the Bright Aperture Stage.


    There was only one person who had forged spirit meridians, and from the aura, he had three or four meridians at most.


    How did these people kill Jiang Wanying, Shen Yan, and the others?


    Min Shun couldn¡¯t figure it out no matter how hard he thought about it. His eyes shed slightly as he asked in a low voice,


    ¡°Where are Jiang Wanying and Shen Yan? What did you do to them?¡±


    Lin Shen smiled and said, ¡°Stop stalling. Instead of talking nonsense, why don¡¯t we get to the point?¡±


    As soon as he said that, he took the lead and rushed toward the Blood Sea Sect.


    Xie Jingsheng and the others followed closely behind.


    Min Shun sighed inwardly.


    Their mission wasn¡¯t to fight to the death with the Nine Suns Sect. There was no need for that. They just had to stop the Nine Suns Sect and prevent them from interfering with their Master.


    When their reinforcements arrived, they could kill the Nine Suns Sect disciples without breaking a sweat.


    That was why Min Shun wanted to stall for time.


    However, Lin Shen was so shrewd that he immediately saw through Min Shun¡¯s intentions.


    Since he couldn¡¯t stall for time, Min Shun didn¡¯t waste anymore effort. His expression changed as he shouted coldly.


    ¡°Kill them!¡±


    The Blood Sea Sect disciples immediately responded in unison. They took out their enchanted armaments and charged at the Nine Suns Sect disciples.


    An intense battle erupted in the blink of an eye, and the empty wastnd instantly lit up with the brilliance of spells and martial techniques.


    Two Blood Sea Sect disciples immediately spotted Lin Shen and rushed toward him with sinister smiles, preparing to join forces to kill the person with the highest cultivation level within the group.


    One of them swung his saber at Lin Shen¡¯s neck, while the other took the opportunity to secretly throw out a nail-like enchanted armament. Under the cover of hispanions¡¯ attacks, he quietly circled behind Lin Shen and stabbed him in the back.


    ¡°Got it!¡±


    The two Blood Sea Sect disciples thought happily, but in the next moment, their expressions froze.


    Lin Shen¡¯s body lit up with a faint mystic light, blocking the nail outside, and it was unable to move an inch.


    ¡°A profound armament!¡±


    The two Blood Sea Sect disciples were shocked.


    Lin Shen sneered and stabbed out with his sword. As the sword light shed, a head flew into the sky.


    The Blood Sea Sect disciple with the saber turned into a headless corpse in the blink of an eye. He swayed on the spot and fell back with a bang.


    The other disciple was shocked and quickly retreated. However, in the next moment, a red light shed in front of his eyes. He felt a sharp pain in his neck, and his vision suddenly spun.


    Before he could understand what had happened, his consciousness had already fallen into eternal darkness.


    In the blink of an eye, the two Blood Sea Sect disciples were beheaded!


    Everyone from the Blood Sea Sect was shocked when they saw that.


    Min Shun¡¯s expression changed slightly. After killing the Nine Suns Sect¡¯s inner sect disciple in front of him, he turned around and rushed toward Lin Shen without hesitation.


    At this point, how could he not know that he had misjudged Lin Shen?


    This young man clearly had more than three or four meridians. Jiang Wanying, Shen Yan, and the others were very likely to have died at his hands.


    From the corner of his eye, Lin Shen saw Min Shun charging toward him, but he didn¡¯t panic at all. He calmly put his fingers together.


    In an instant, the void behind him distorted. Six streaks of sword-shaped energy suddenly appeared and separated behind him like a peacock spreading its tail.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    Lin Shen stabbed out with his finger, and the energy instantly shot out. They pierced through the void like lightning and attacked the two Blood Sea Sect disciples not far away.


    Min Shun didn¡¯t expect that Lin Shen would still dare to divert his attention to deal with the others when he was charging over. He was instantly furious. Thick blood light surged out of the top of his head and quickly condensed into a huge blood-colored hand that was more than ten meters long. It smashed down fiercely at Lin Shen with an ear-splitting whistle.


    Phew!


    Not far away, two Blood Sea Sect disciples dodged repeatedly, wanting to dodge the Seven Arts Sword Energy. However, they failed in the end. They moved a little too slow for a moment, and three streaks of sword energy pierced their vital points. Their eyes widened, and they dropped dead.


    On the other hand, Lin Shen calmly pped out his hand. A huge scarlet palm that was muchrger than the blood-colored hand immediately attacked with a bang. It shattered thetter effortlessly and crushed toward Min Shun.


    ¡°True Martial technique!¡±

 Chapter 253 - 253: Check Mate (2)

    Chapter 253: Check Mate (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Min Shun gasped.


    In just a short moment, he was already shocked by Lin Shen¡¯s performance several times.


    Right now, he was even more shocked!


    After all, this was a True Martial technique!


    It was rumored to be a terrifying martial technique that could threaten a cultivator master!


    Min Shun was now very sure that Jiang Wanying and Shen Yan were killed by this person!


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Even someone as calm as Min Shun couldn¡¯t help but curse.


    Why would such a powerful figure mix with a group of early- and mid-phase Bright Aperture Stage disciples?


    However, reality didn¡¯t give Min Shun much time to think.


    As the scarlet palm covered the sky and crushed down, an invisible pressure that was like a copsing mountain suddenly descended, imprisoning him on the spot and making him unable to dodge.


    Although Min Shun had the highest cultivation achievement among the Blood Sea Sect disciples here and had long forged 28 spirit meridians, he was still inferior to Jiang Wanying.


    After realizing that Lin Shen was the person who had killed Jiang Wanying, he immediately understood that if he didn¡¯t give it all, he might very well follow in the footsteps of Jiang Wanying and Shen Yan!


    Thinking of that, Min Shun no longer hesitated. A ruthless look shed across his eyes, and he suddenly stabbed his finger at his heart.


    With a dull thud, the tip of his finger sank into his chest.


    When he pulled it out again, it brought out a drop of blood essence.


    The drop sttered in the air, but it didn¡¯t fall. Instead, it ignited out of the blud. The color turned lighter, and in the blink of an eye, it turned into a ball of extremely pale me.


    The pale me burned fiercely, but it didn¡¯t give any warmth. Instead, the temperature within a hundred meters suddenly dropped. The air felt chilly.


    With the light emitted by the fluorescent stones at the top of the cave, one could vaguely see countless twisted patterns in the mes.


    But if one looked closely, they would realize that they weren¡¯t patterns.


    They were translucent images of countless living beings!


    They roughly maintained their appearances when they were alive, struggling and howling in the mes!


    Even though there was no sound, one could feel an evil intent that shook their soul and prated their heart!


    After summoning this pale me, Min Shun was visibly much paler, and he looked a little dispirited.


    He forced himself to stay alert. He stretched out his hand and pped. The pale me floated toward the huge scarlet palm.


    Compared to the huge size of the crimson palm, the fist-sized pale me was extremely small.


    The two were like an elephant and an ant.


    However, after the collision, the huge red palm quickly shrunk and disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    The true essence contained in it was instantly burned away by the pale me.


    The pale me only shrunk by more than half. After a slight pause, it suddenly elerated toward Lin Shen.


    Xie Jingsheng had been paying attention to Lin Shen¡¯s battle. When he saw this, his expression suddenly changed, and he shouted anxiously,


    ¡°Junior Brother Lin, be careful! That¡¯s the White me of the Rotten Soul. It can burn one¡¯s true essence and soul. You mustnjt touch it!¡±


    Min Shun nced at Xie Jingsheng and sneered.


    ¡°You do have some knowledge, but it¡¯s a pity that it¡¯s toote!¡±


    The Rotten Soul White me was an extremely ferocious technique unique to the Blood Sea Sect!


    It was a heretic spell that used ghosts¡¯ energy as its fuel.


    To refine it, apart from collecting arge number of vengeful spirits and ghosts, one also needed to be a cultivator master.


    With Min Shun¡¯s cultivation level, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to cast this spell.


    However, he took another path and used a mystic technique. By infusing his heart¡¯s blood essence into the spell, it allowed him to bypass the restriction of his cultivation level.


    Although this method only had seventy to eighty percent of the original power, it was more than enough to deal with a Bright Aperture Stage cultivator.


    This was also his strongest trump card.


    In the past, every time he used it, no matter how powerful the enemy was, they would die under the Rotten Soul White me.


    However, this method was extremely harmful to his vitality. He would need to recuperate for at least a month or two after this.


    Unless it was absolutely necessary, Min Shun wouldn¡¯t use it.


    If not for the huge pressure Lin Shen had given him, he wouldn¡¯t have used his trump card so early in the battle.


    Looking at the white mes that had shrunk by more than half, Min Shun felt a little shaken.


    ¡°As expected of the legendary True Martial technique. Even the Rotten Soul White me almost couldn¡¯t withstand it. Fortunately, I won in the end!¡±


    Under Min Shun¡¯s ecstatic gaze, the Rotten Soul White me struck Lin Shen at lightning speed!


    Just as he thought that Lin Shen was about to be reduced to ashes, he saw a golden light suddenly burn brightly on thetter¡¯s body. The golden armor suddenly appeared and enveloped Lin Shen.


    The white mended on the brilliant golden armor. After a slight sh, it was obliterated.


    As for the golden armor, its color dimmed significantly, but it still protected Lin Shen well.


    Min Shun was shocked, and his face was filled with disbelief.


    Another True Martial technique?!


    And it was a Physical Enhancement martial technique!


    Min Shun was so depressed that he wanted to scream.


    How many True Martial techniques had this fellow mastered?


    ¡°Soul Rotting White me, huh? That¡¯s quite a powerful spell. Why don¡¯t we keep going?¡±


    Lin Shen looked over with a faint smile.


    As he spoke, he used Meltdown again.


    But before that, he had already switched to the Pure Yang Body talent.


    With the enhancement effect, Meltdown, like the Nine Divine Sun Sword before, had undergone a strange change.


    It was no longer in the shape of a huge palm that was more than a hundred meters long. Instead, it had shrunk to only five to six meters.


    The color also changed from scarlet to golden-red, which was extremely dazzling.


    Although it was no longer as imposing as before, it revealed an extremely restrained but terrifying aura..

 Chapter 254 - 254: Check Mate (3)

    Chapter 254: Check Mate (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    It was like the sun. From afar, it didn¡¯t seem to be a threat, but one would only realize how terrifying it was when they were close enough.


    Min Shun sensed how terrifying the strike was almost immediately and paled. He tried to run away but realized that he had been frozen on the spot.


    At this moment, he experienced the fear of death!


    Shocked, Min Shun shouted and stabbed his heart with his fingers again. He used the Rotten Soul White me for the second time!


    However, this time, the corrosive white me was unable to destroy the golden-red palm. Instead, it was dispersed as soon as the two forces made contact.


    The golden-red palm, which had dimmed a little, hit Min Shun!


    BOOM!


    zing airwaves suddenly erupted and swept in all directions!


    The surrounding people retreated to avoid the heat wave and looked at Min Shun in shock.


    When the airwave dissipated, they were shocked to discover that Min Shun had been thrown hundreds of meters away and was lying in a charred pit.


    It had only been a few minutes since the battle between the two sides began, but the winner had already been decided.


    The group of Blood Sea Sect disciples had never imagined that their Eldest Senior Brother, who was extremely powerful in their eyes, would actually be defeated by the other party so soon!


    For a moment, they all panicked.


    The morale of the Nine Suns Sect disciples soared. They took the opportunity tounch a fierce attack and kill two Blood Sea Sect disciples.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t care about the reactions of the people around him. His gazended on Min Shun, and he rushed out, preparing to give him thest blow.


    But at this moment, a sharp whistle suddenly came from the gray fog in the distant basin. A blood shadow suddenly broke through the gray fog and shot toward Lin Shen.


    Before it arrived, the blood shadow stretched out its hand and pointed in midair. A line of blood tore through the air and pounced toward Lin Shen.


    Lin Shen knew it was a Blood Threadworm.


    However,pared to the Blood Threadworm that Jiang Wanying had once summoned, this one was clearly superior in size and color.


    Seeing that the other party was eager to stop him from killing Min Shun, Lin Shen sneered. He threw out an enchantment artifact to stop the Blood Threadworm. Immediately, a cloud dragon appeared on his body, and he sped up.


    ¡°How dare you!¡±


    A furious shout came from afar.


    Lin Shen was unmoved and rushed up to Min Shun. Under Min Shun¡¯s horrified gaze, a sword light shed and instantly ended his life.


    When Wu Ji, who was charging over, saw this scene, his expression instantly darkened.


    However, at this moment, he suddenly realized that he had lost contact with the Blood Threadworm he had summoned. Shocked, he hurriedly turned around.


    He was instantly enraged by what he saw, and his face darkened with anger.


    The Dharma treasure that Lin Shen had thrown out to exhaust the Blood Threadworm¡¯s life force was actually the Blood Wave Banner that he had obtained from Jiang Wanying!


    ¡°Junior, you¡¯ve gone too far!¡±


    Wu Ji roared and turned into a bloody light as he charged Lin Shen.


    At this moment, apart from the cultivator master holding down the Nether Corpse Smoke Array, there was no one else who coulde out.


    When they heard the Blood Sea Sect disciples around them call this person master, Xie Jingsheng and the others no longer had any doubts. Their expressions changed.


    Cultivator masters were famous. In the eyes of low-level cultivators, they were synonymous with power and invincibility.


    Against a group of elite disciples of the Blood Sea Sect who were at the ninth level of the Bright Aperture realm, they still had the intention to risk their lives.


    However, against a cultivator master, they were only left with deep fear.


    Among everyone, only Lin Shen¡¯s expression remained unchanged.


    He had long noticed that although the person looked just like anyone else, his appearance was erratic like a spirit. It was obvious that he was only a blood soul and not Wu Ji himself.


    It made sense. Wu Ji still needed to preside over the Nether Corpse Smoke Array. Mobilizing a blood soul was already quite difficult, so it was impossible toe here in person.


    Once he left the Nether Corpse Smoke Array, it would instantly copse, and the Nine Suns Sect would break in. All his efforts would be wasted.


    Even so, after letting out a blood soul, the power of the Nether Corpse Smoke Array decreased significantly.


    There was more and more green lightning in the gray fog, and it seemed to be catching up to the gray fog¡¯s force!


    Wu Ji couldn¡¯t do anything about this.


    He had thought that Min Shun and the others were more than enough to protect the array. Who would have thought that in just a few rounds, nearly half of the Blood Sea Sect disciples had died? Min Shun was even seriously injured and on the verge of death.


    Once Min Shun was killed, the remaining Blood Sea Sect disciples would definitely not be able to escape.


    Next, this group of Nine Suns Sect disciples would start attacking the Nether Corpse Smoke Array. At that time, no matter how unwilling Wu Ji was, he had no choice but to make a move.


    Instead of waiting until then, it was better to save his beloved disciple as soon as possible.


    Unexpectedly, that junior actually used the Blood Wave Banner to counterattack him. I low detestable!


    Ever since he became a cultivator master, he had never been teased by a junior like this.


    At the thought of this, Wu Ji couldn¡¯t help but feel a burning killing intent in his heart, and the gaze he looked at Lin Shen with became colder and colder.


    Lin Shen wasn¡¯t afraid at all.


    If Wu Ji were here in person, he might still be a little afraid. However, it was just a blood soul, which didn¡¯t frighten Lin Shen.


    Seeing the blood soul charging over aggressively, Lin Shen chuckled. Instead of retreating, he advanced and charged forward fearlessly!


    Wu Ji hated Lin Shen to the core. He used his full strength the moment he attacked.


    Arge amount of dense and bloody light surged out from behind him. It swept forward like a tsunami, covering the sky with mighty force.


    Not far away, the Nine Suns Sect disciples saw this and couldn¡¯t help but look worried and scared.


    Even though they could already tell that Wu Ji had only sent out a blood soul, they were still as frightened as before.


    After ail, that was the blood soul of a cultivator master!


    In terms of strength, a Blood Sea cultivator master¡¯s blood soul was probably much stronger than people like Jiang Wanying and Min Shun!


    Just this blood soul was enough to kill everyone present except Lin Shen!


    Although Lin Shen was powerful, they weren¡¯t sure if he could defeat this blood soul.


    Under everyone¡¯s gazes, Lin Shen calmly threw out the ck Peak Inkstone. It transformed into a mountain-sized inkstone in the air and crashed into the blood wave.


    BOOM!


    With a deafening explosion, the blood wave copsed, and the inkstone flew back!


    The two sides were evenly matched!


    The surrounding people were already dumbfounded..

 Chapter 255 - 255: All the Trump Cards (1)

    Chapter 255: All the Trump Cards (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    What happened in front of them made all the Blood Sea Sect disciples swallow.


    A Bright Aperture Stage cultivator was actually on par with their Master¡¯s Blood Soul!


    If it hadn¡¯t happened right in front of their eyes, they definitely wouldn¡¯t have believed it.


    It was unbelievable!


    Xie Jingsheng and the others were also shocked. Then, ecstasy appeared on their faces.


    A few disciples from the lower house could not help but shout.


    ¡°Senior Brother Lin, you¡¯re amazing!¡±


    Hearing the voices around him, Wu Ji¡¯s expression darkened as he stared fixedly at Lin Shen.


    The strength disyed by this junior was simply shocking. It shouldn¡¯t belong to someone of his age.


    Wu Ji searched his memories, but he couldn¡¯t remember when the Nine Suns Sect had such a young genius.


    If he had such strength at such a young age, what would happen in the future?


    Wu Ji secretly made up his mind to kill this teenager.


    Otherwise, when he grew up, he would definitely be a huge problem for the Blood Sea Sect in the future!


    Lin Shen acutely sensed the increasingly intense killing intent in Wu Ji¡¯s eyes. He sneered and rushed forward.


    In the blink of an eye, the two sides were in a fierce battle again!


    Before anyone realized it, the Nine Suns Sect and the Blood Sea Sect had tacitly slowed down their attacks. They subconsciously focused most of their attention on the battle between Lin Shen and Wu Ji.


    Both sides knew very well that their battle was the key to determining the final oue.


    No matter who won, the other party would suffer a cmity.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Thunderous booms reverberated in the air above the cave and spread out for miles on end.


    The zing waves and the bloody light intertwined, resisting and annihting each other.


    After exchanging blows for a while, Lin Shen gradually found out his opponent¡¯s strength.


    The blood soul in front of him was several times stronger than the incarnation of Wu Luo that he had encountered in the Great Swamp of the West.


    As for people like Jiang Wanying and Chen Yan, they were far inferior.


    Without summoning his clones, Lin Shen didn¡¯t have full confidence in killing this blood soul.


    Even if he could, he would have to fight for a long while until the blood soul¡¯s spiritual essence was exhausted.


    After some thought, Lin Shen decided not to do that.


    Time wasn¡¯t on their side.


    It had been two days since the spirit cave opened, and the Blood Sea Sect¡¯s reinforcements were most likely on their way here.


    Given the cultivator master¡¯s speed, it was very likely that they weren¡¯t far from here.


    Judging from the situation inside the Nether Corpse Smoke Array, it was obvious that the Nine Suns Sect wouldn¡¯t be able to break the array anytime soon.


    If this continued, they would be doomed when the Blood Sea Sect cultivators arrived.


    He had to end this quickly!


    As his thoughts raced, Lin Shen quickly made up his mind. He suddenly withdrew from the battle and rushed toward a Blood Sea Sect disciple not far away.


    The Blood Sea Sect disciple didn¡¯t expect Lin Shen to suddenly target him. He was so shocked that he didn¡¯t have time to react. With a sh of red light, he was burned to ashes by the sharp and zing sword energy.


    Wu Ji was furious and chased after Lin Shen.


    However, Lin Shen had no intention of fighting him head-on. He would run around for a while before finding an opportunity to attack the other Blood Sea Sect disciples.


    In just a moment, four to five Blood Sea Sect disciples died under his sword.


    Wu Ji was furious, but there was nothing he could do about Lin Shen.


    Under the full cirction of the Cloud Dragon Rhythm, Lin Shen moved faster than lightning. Even the blood soul was slower inparison.


    Just as Wu Ji was about to put down his pride and kill the other Nine Suns Sect disciples to force Lin Shen to fight him head-on, he was stunned to see Lin Shen turn around and flee into the distance, leaving behind a series of loudughter.


    ¡°The cultivators of the Blood Sea Sect are nothing!¡±


    Wu Ji¡¯s face twitched as he chased after him with a dark expression.


    In the blink of an eye, the two of them flew several kilometers away from the ce where they had fought.


    Wu Ji suddenly felt that something was wrong and stopped abruptly. He looked at Lin Shen coldly and turned around to return in the direction he hade from.


    Although he wished he could kill this junior, the most important thing now was to hold down the Nether Corpse Smoke Array.


    As for this junior, he could always deal with Lin Shen after the cave eye was sealed!


    Seeing that Wu Ji didn¡¯t continue to chase after him, Lin Shen clicked his tongue.


    ¡°That¡¯s very clever of him!!¡±


    He also turned around and charged at Wu Ji.


    This inconsistent and strange action made Wu Ji frown.


    Just as he was feeling bewildered, he saw Lin Shen blur and suddenly split into seven.


    In the next moment, seven zing red suns suddenly rose and upied the entire horizon!


    Lin Shen¡¯s sudden action stunned both sides.


    When they came back to their senses, the remaining Blood Sea Sect disciples rejoiced and thought that Lin Shen had fled at thest minute. They were immediately overjoyed.


    The Nine Suns Sect disciples didn¡¯t think so.


    Previously, Lin Shen was willing to sacrifice his life for them. They didn¡¯t think that Lin Shen would abandon his fellow disciples in order to survive.


    Even Peng Junqin, who secretly hated Lin Shen, didn¡¯t think that would happen.


    As if to confirm their guess, a powerful aura suddenly came from afar!


    Everyone looked up in shock and saw that the sky in the distance had been dyed golden red.


    One could vaguely see nine red suns rising in the sky.


    The Blood Sea Sect disciples didn¡¯t understand what it was, but the Nine Suns Sect disciples who had personally seen Lin Shen kill Shen Yan were enlightened.


    Sure enough, not long after.


    A streak of light rushed back from afar.


    The cloud dissipated, revealing Lin Shen.


    Wu Ji¡¯s blood soul, which was chasing after him, was nowhere to be seen.


    When the Nine Suns Sect disciples saw this, they were overjoyed. As for the Blood Sea Sect disciples, their expressions changed drastically, and they were horrified.


    Had this young man killed their master¡¯s blood soul?


    Before they could figure it out, Lin Shen had already turned around..

 Chapter 256 - 256: All the Trump Cards (2)

    Chapter 256: All the Trump Cards (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    The sword light tore through the air, and the Blood Sea Sect disciples were unable to resist at all. In an instant, they turned into corpses and fell to the ground.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t even look at the corpse on the ground. He turned to look at the basin in the distance that was filled with gray fog.


    The others subconsciously looked over as well. They didn¡¯t feel relieved because they had eliminated a group of Blood Sea Sect disciples. Instead, their expressions became even more solemn.


    That was because they knew that the next challenge would be the most dangerous battle.


    ¡°Everyone, if that Blood Sea Sect cultivator masteres out of the Nether Capital Corpse Smoke Arrayter, we¡¯ll split up and escape!¡± Lin Shen suddenly said.


    Everyone was stunned.


    The few upper house disciples immediately understood what he meant and nodded.


    ¡°We¡¯ll do as Junior Brother Lin says!¡±


    With all the Blood Sea Sect disciples wiped out and the cultivators holding down the Nether Corpse Smoke Array losing a blood soul, the Blood Sea Sect¡¯s n to monopolize the spirit cave had failed.


    With Lin Shen around, Wu Ji had to send at least two blood souls to stop the Nine Suns Sect¡¯s disciples.


    However, one could tell from the situation of the Nether Corpse Smoke Array in the distance. Even if Wu Ji only sent out one blood soul, it would break the bnce and allow the attacking party to quickly gain the upper hand.


    However, if Wu Ji ignored Lin Shen and his people and allowed them to break through the array, it would also break the bnce between the offensive and defensive sides.


    It was a foregone conclusion that the Nether Corpse Smoke Array would be broken. It was only a matter of time.


    Under such circumstances, if that Blood Sea Sect cultivator was more decisive and ruthless, he would most likely give up on guarding the formation and leave before Nine Suns Sect broke into the spirit cave.


    However, before that, he probably wouldn¡¯t mind getting rid of the Nine Suns Sect disciples, who had ruined the Blood Sea Sect¡¯s n.


    If such a thing really happened, the only thing Xie Jingsheng and the others could do was pray for the best!


    As long as they could hold on for a moment, the Nine Suns Sect would break in. No matter how much the cultivator master hated them, he would definitely give up and leave the spirit cave.


    Only then would they truly be out of danger!


    Among them, Lin Shen was in the greatest danger.


    After all, Lin Shen was definitely the person that the cultivator master hated the most.


    Therefore, once they split up and escaped, most of the enemy¡¯s attention would definitely be on Lin Shen. The others¡¯ chances of survival would increase significantly.


    After realizing this, everyone was filled with gratitude for Lin Shen, who had taken the initiative to suggest this method.


    They didn¡¯t know that Lin Shen only suggested this because he didn¡¯t want to expose his clones.


    Even if they acted together, the others wouldn¡¯t be able to help. Instead, they would be a burden for Lin Shen. It was better for him to be alone. At the critical moment, he could summon his clones.


    Of course, Lin Shen wouldn¡¯t tell them the truth.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Lin Shen took the lead and flew toward the Nether Corpse Smoke Array.


    Seeing this, the others hurriedly followed.


    In the Nether Corpse Smoke Array.


    At the core of the array formation that was filled with gray fog.


    Wu Ji, who was sitting cross-legged, opened his eyes. He was stunned for a few seconds before letting out a long sigh.


    He had racked his brains and was about to seed, but because of a junior, he was defeated. How could he ept that?


    However, at this point, he could only sigh.


    The Nine Suns Sect¡¯s attack formation outside the spirit cave was quite fierce. If he could focus on guarding the formation, he was confident that he could hold on until his reinforcements arrived.


    However, now that all the disciples outside the array were dead, the enemy was prepared to break through the array.


    The others didn¡¯t matter. However, there was the young man who killed his blood soul.


    With this person around, it was impossible for Wu Ji to block attacks from both inside and outside at the same time.


    No matter what, the n to seal the cave eye was destined to fail.


    After losing so many disciples, all his efforts were in vain!


    Thinking of this, Wu Ji let out another long sigh.


    At this point, dwelling on it wouldn¡¯t change anything. Wu Ji quickly adjusted his emotions and made a prompt decision to abandon the array and leave.


    Although the n to seal the eye of the cave had failed, it was still possible to monopolize the spirit cave.


    After today, the two sects would definitely start a war over the ownership of the spirit cave. He had to go back and make preparations!


    ¡°But before that, let me deal with those people outside first!¡±


    A cold light shed in Wu Ji¡¯s eyes.


    He could sense with his spiritual sense that the group of Nine Suns Sect disciples had arrived outside the formation.


    The junior who killed his blood soul was also among them.


    Wu Ji sneered. He stood up and flew out of the array.


    As Wu Ji left the core of the array formation, the operation of the Nether


    Corpse Smoke Array suddenly slowed down. The gray fog that was constantly produced from the array formation instantly lost its source. Under the bombardment of the green light and lightning,rge patches of it dissipated. It wouldn¡¯t take long for it topletely disappear.


    When that happened, nothing could stop the opening of the cave.


    The change in the Nether Corpse Smoke Array immediately attracted the attention of Lin Shen and the others.


    ¡°As expected, the person inside is going to abandon the array!¡± Lin Shen narrowed his eyes.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of clothes fluttering could be heard. A figure broke through the gray fog and appeared in front of everyone.


    It had the same appearance as the previous blood soul and was clearly the master of Min Shun, Shen Yan, and the others.


    As Wu Ji appeared, a terrifying aura instantly enveloped a radius of five kilometers!


    In an instant, everyone felt a tightness in their chests as if a heavy rock had rolled down, pressing down on them until they could barely breathe.


    Only then did everyone realize how terrifying a true cultivator master was. It wasn¡¯t something that a mere blood soul couldpare to!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Lin Shen was the first to break free from the suppression of the aura and shouted in a deep voice.


    As soon as the words left his mouth, the cloud dragon suddenly appeared, and he dashed off into the distance like lightning..

 Chapter 257 - 257: All the Trump Cards (3)

    Chapter 257: All the Trump Cards (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Meanwhile, Peng Junqin turned to flee as well.


    He was already prepared to escape at any time and deliberately fell behind the crowd.


    When he saw Wu Ji leave the array, he immediately turned around and ran without hesitation. He moved before Lin Shen reminded him.


    The others were slightly slower, but they quickly activated the Riding Wind Technique and scattered to escape.


    When Wu Ji saw this, a trace of disdain shed in his eyes. Blood light shed on his body, and three blood souls left his body to chase after everyone.


    Perhaps Peng Junqin had escaped too quickly, it attracted Wu Ji¡¯s attention. A blood soul chased after him right away.


    When Peng Junqin heard the sound of air being torn aparting from behind him, he turned around and was scared out of his wits. He hurriedly increased his speed.


    After releasing his blood souls, Wu Ji didn¡¯t even look at the others. He turned into a streak of bloody light and chased after Lin Shen.


    Lin Shen wasn¡¯t surprised when he sensed the powerful aura that was rapidly approaching behind him. He circted the Cloud Dragon Rhythm with all his might and almost turned into a cloud dragon. He soared into the sky like a dragon at an astonishing speed.


    Behind him, Wu Ji exerted his full strength, but he was only slightly faster than Lin Shen.


    Seeing this, Wu Ji frowned, and a cold light shone in his eyes.


    The more outstanding Lin Shen was, the more Wu Ji wanted to kill him.


    Two streams of light, one white and one red, tore through the sky. In just a moment, they had traveled more than five kilometers.


    Wu Ji quickly realized that something was wrong. Lin Shen was deliberately leading him in a circle, and the two of them returned to the vicinity of the basin in the blink of an eye.


    After some thought, Wu Ji understood what Lin Shen was up to.


    If they fought near the eye of the cave, once the Nine Suns Sect broke through the array, Lin Shen would be rescued immediately.


    ¡°A futile struggle!¡±


    After understanding Lin Shen¡¯s n, Wu Ji didn¡¯t mind and just snorted coldly.


    Once they were near the eye of the cave, the distance between the two sides finally closed to less than a thousand meters. Wu Ji raised his hand, and five Blood Threadworms immediately flew out, pouncing toward Lin Shen¡¯s back at lightning speed.


    The Blood Threadworm¡¯s short-distance explosive speed was extremely shocking. In the blink of an eye, they were behind Lin Shen.


    Seeing this, Lin Shen had no choice but to stop and throw out more than 20 enchanted armaments without hesitation.


    During this period of time, he obtained the storage rings of arge number of Blood Sea Sect disciples. Now, he had all kinds of inferior-grade enchanted armaments. He had no problem with throwing them away.


    In the blink of an eye, the five Blood Threadworms devoured the spiritual light of more than 20 enchanted armaments, but they also faded and disappeared.


    The corners of Wu Ji¡¯s eyes twitched. He realized that the Blood Threadworms were no threat to Lin Shen, so he stopped wasting the worms that were very hard to refine. Blood light shed on his body, and six blood souls appeared at the same time. Without a word, he charged at Lin Shen.


    ¡°Including the previous four, there are a total of ten blood souls. Looks like this should be the limit of a cultivator master!¡± Lin Shen was a little excited.


    Among the Blood Sea Sect disciples Lin Shen had encountered previously, the one who summoned the most blood souls was Jiang Wanying.


    However, there were only three.


    Inparison, as a cultivator master, the quantity and quality of the blood souls Wu Ji summoned far exceeded Jiang Wanying¡¯s.


    Any one of the blood souls could beat Jiang Wanying and his three blood souls.


    This was the difference between a cultivator master and a Bright Aperture Stage cultivator!


    Strictly speaking, this was the first time Lin Shen had truly faced an enemy at the level of a cultivator master.


    Against an enemy of this level, Lin Shen didn¡¯t dare to hold back at all. His figure blurred, and six clones appeared out of thin air to meet the six blood souls that were charging over.


    Wu Ji¡¯s previous blood soul had died under the joint attack of Lin Shen and his clones. He wasn¡¯t surprised to see his clones appear again. He only scanned the six clones with his spiritual consciousness and was a little surprised.


    He sensed the aura of the six clones was exactly the same as Lin Shen¡¯s. He couldn¡¯t tell the difference at all.


    If that was all, it wouldn¡¯t have been too surprising. A handful of profound clone spells could do this.


    But shockingly, the strengths of these clones were actually not inferior to Lin Shen himself, and the vital energy of one of the clones was even slightly superior. It was simply incredible!


    The clones and the blood souls fought, while Lin Shen faced Wu Ji alone.


    As soon as they met, Lin Shen threw out the ck Peak Inkstone and the tablet, which turned into two behemoths that rumbled toward Wu Ji with astonishing force.


    Wu Ji sneered and spat out a golden fog that hit the inkstone and the tablet like an arrow.


    In an instant, there was a series of crisp ngs. It was as if thousands of des had struck the two objects, causing the two profound armaments to tremble. The spiritual light on their surfaces quickly dimmed!


    Lin Shen frowned slightly and retrieved the two profound armaments. He realized that both were damaged.


    ¡°My golden spiritual essence is the most effective against Dharma treasures.


    No matter how many profound armaments you have, they can¡¯tpare to my power!¡±


    Wu Ji sneered and pointed at Lin Shen. That mouthful of golden spiritual essence went straight for him. Halfway through, it suddenly dissipated, turning into hundreds of swords, sabers, spears, and halberds that enveloped Lin Shen like a storm!


    Lin Shen was unmoved. He activated the Forbidden Golden Armor to block the iing sabers, swords, spears, and halberds.


    These weapons made of golden spiritual essence countered Dharma treasures, but they had little effect on martial techniques. No matter how hard they stabbed, they couldn¡¯t infiltrate the Forbidden Golden Armor.


    Lin Shen took a step forward and broke through the weapons that filled the sky. He held his sword and charged forward, unleashing the Nine Divine Sun Sword.


    Wu Ji naturally had a deep impression of this True Martial Realm martial technique that had killed one of his blood souls. A cold light shed in his eyes as he opened his mouth and spat out more than ten mouthfuls of golden spiritual essence to envelop the area in front of him.


    Dazzling golden and scarlet light instantly filled the entire sky.


    Facing a cultivator master, Lin Shen was quickly at a disadvantage even though he had the enhancement of talent and True Martial techniques.


    Thousands of weapons surrounded him and rushed forward. The nging of metal echoed endlessly.


    Even if they were minced by the sword light and annihted by the mes, they could quickly regenerate. It was as if there was no end to it, and Lin Shen could barely hold them off.


    Wu Ji narrowed his eyes and estimated the time.


    ¡°In another thirty to forty seconds, the Nine Suns Sect¡¯s people will break the formation and enter!


    ¡°Fortunately, this kid shouldn¡¯t be able tost that long!¡±


    Wu Ji watched from the side. He had long noticed that Lin Shen was on the verge of running out of spiritual essence after using True Martial techniques in a row. In at most twenty seconds, he would be drowned in the sea of weapons condensed from golden spiritual essence!


    As for his six clones, they were tied up by blood souls and couldn¡¯t escape at all. They couldn¡¯t save Lin Shen.


    It was a hopeless situation for Lin Shen.


    Even so, for some reason, Wu Ji felt that something was wrong.


    ¡°Wait! The distance!¡±


    Wu Ji suddenly realized that the distance between him and Lin Shen had closed to less than a hundred meters.


    Lin Shen had been moving closer as he blocked the attack of the golden spiritual essence.


    A strong sense of danger instantly emerged in Wu Ji¡¯s mind.


    He subconsciously wanted to retreat and distance himself.


    However, at this moment, Lin Shen suddenly turned around and looked over. A faint smile appeared on his face.


    In the next moment, a phantom quickly escaped from his body. In the blink of an eye, it condensed and pounced at Wu Ji like a fierce eagle soaring in the sky.


    Wu Ji waspletely unprepared. By the time he reacted, the clone had already arrived in front of him and stabbed him!


    Nine Divine Sun Swords!


    Amaze the World!


    Lin Shen had used all his trump cards. It was his most powerful attack to date..

 Chapter 258 - 258: Mystic Essence Liquid (1)

    Chapter 258: Mystic Essence Liquid (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    [Amaze the World: Nurture qi with your body and umte qi with your will. Store your spiritual essence until the next attack. The longer you umte it, the stronger the attack.]


    Ever since he allocated Amaze the World to a clone, Lin Shen had never summoned that clone to battles.


    In the past six months, apart from cultivating, all that clone did was nurture its spiritual essence. Lin Shen had ced high hopes on it as his trump card.


    And now, this trump card was finally put into use!


    As the clone stabbed out, the vast amount of spiritual essence that had been nurtured for nearly half a year instantly surged out, turning into an extremely dazzling sun that carried a domineering aura, burning everything as it crushed toward Wu Ji!


    At this moment, even someone as strong as Wu Ji felt like he was about to suffocate!


    This strike was even more terrifying than the attack that Lin Shen and his clones had used to kill the blood soul!


    It was already toote to summon his golden spiritual essence back to defend himself. In his shock, Wu Ji let out a shrill cry, and a thick bloody light appeared on his face. Without hesitation, he activated a mystic technique and retracted his blood souls.


    The six blood souls that were fighting the clones instantly disappeared from the spot.


    When they reappeared, they were already in front of Wu Ji.


    In the next moment, the scorching sun crashed into the six blood souls!


    Facing this extremely ferocious attack, the six blood souls seemed to have met their nemesis. In an instant, they melted like ice melting heat!


    Fortunately, Wu Ji had used this moment of dy to withdraw in time and retreat far away to avoid this attack!


    ¡°Pfft!¡±


    As soon as he stopped, Wu Ji spat out arge mouthful of blood, his face pale.


    Six blood souls perished at the same time, causing him to be heavily injured.


    After catching his breath, Wu Ji was filled with hatred. He stared fixedly at Lin Shen, his eyes red.


    That was so close¡­


    If he hadn¡¯t activated the mystic technique and retracted his blood souls to defend himself in time, he would have failed miserably and died at the hands of a Bright Aperture Stage brat!


    Even though he dodged in time, he was still seriously injured. It was such a great humiliation!


    Wu Ji was about to explode from anger.


    As an immortal cultivator master, his status was high and mighty. He was the victor on the path to longevity. When had he been forced to such a state by a junior?


    Thinking of this, Wu Ji¡¯s killing intent surged. He made up his mind to disregard everything else and kill this brat today!


    Facing Wu Ji¡¯s murderous gaze, Lin Shen wasn¡¯t afraid at all. Instead, he smiled faintly.


    This was because he could already see the basin where the eye of the cave was. The gray fog had dissipated at some point, and a huge vortex-like halo was floating above the cave. Layers of green light scattered down like rain.


    At the same time, a powerful aura wasing out of the vortex!


    The spirit cave had been opened!


    Wu Ji quickly noticed the abnormality of the cave eye. His expression immediately changed, and the killing intent in his heart dissipated. He couldn¡¯t care about anything else and turned into a beam of blood light to escape into the distance.


    ¡°Fellow Daoist Wu, it¡¯s been a long time since west met. Why are you in such a hurry to leave the moment you see an old friend?¡±


    A deepughter resonated in the air.


    A stream of light broke through the vortex above the basin and chased after Wu Ji. In the blink of an eye, it disappeared into the horizon.


    ¡°A cultivator master of the sect¡­¡±


    Lin Shen looked in the direction where the stream of light disappeared and heaved a sigh of relief.


    The oue was set. He was finally out of danger!


    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Amaze the World!¡±


    As soon as he sensed the abnormality of the cave eye, Lin Shen retracted his clones in advance.


    At this moment, he sensed the Amaze the World clone in his mind and was very impressed.


    This talent didn¡¯t disappoint him. Its power was peerless!


    Even a cultivator master was severely injured by a single strike!


    It was much more powerful than Lin Shen had expected!


    ¡°It¡¯s only been nurtured for less than half a year. If I had a few more months, that strike earlier would probably have killed that cultivator master!¡±


    Lin Shen was full of surprises.


    If it was nurtured for ten or twenty years, how powerful would it be?


    Just thinking about it made Lin Shen excited.


    It was simply too satisfying to use this talent to kill enemies of a higher level!


    Just as he was sighing, he heard the sound of something moving fast in the air. Lin Shen turned around and saw a group of figures flying over from afar. It was Xie Jingsheng and the other disciples.


    Of the dozen or so people who had fled, only seven or eight had returned.


    Fortunately, Xie Jingsheng, Ai Jingting, and Mu Chuanhua were all safe and sound.


    ¡°Junior Brother Lin, I¡¯m so d to see that you¡¯re fine!¡±


    Seeing that Lin Shen was safe and sound, Xie Jingsheng heaved a sigh of relief.


    Ai Jingting was also relieved.


    When they saw Wu Ji rushing toward Lin Shen, they were so worried that Lin Shen wouldn¡¯t be able to hold on until the sect¡¯s reinforcements arrived.


    Fortunately, nothing happened to Lin Shen.


    As they spoke, Lin Shen learned that halfway through their escape, they suddenly realized that the blood souls chasing after them had stopped for some reason. Then, they turned around and left.


    Thanks to this, they managed to survive.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Peng Junqin?¡± Lin Shen suddenly asked.


    Xie Jingsheng and the others looked awkward when they heard the question.


    After a pause, Xie Jingsheng said, ¡°On our way back, we found Peng Junqin¡¯s body. From the looks of it, he was killed by Wu Ji¡¯s blood soul. His storage ring was also taken away.¡±


    No one seemed particrly sad.


    Peng Junqin was such a selfish fellow. They were already being very considerate by not cheering for the asion. Thest thing they would do was to feel sad.


    However, when they thought about how they had almost died in the spirit cave aftering in with so much pride, and how there were less than ten people left in the team of thirty, everyone felt a little depressed..

 Chapter 259 - 259: Mystic Essence Liquid (2)

    Chapter 259: Mystic Essence Liquid (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Lin Shen was about tofort them when his expression suddenly changed. He turned around and realized that a man had appeared beside him.


    The man had a rough face and a stocky build, but he didn¡¯t look fierce. Instead, he gave off a heroic feeling.


    Xie Jingsheng eximed when he saw the person¡¯s face.


    ¡°Elder Ji!¡±


    The remaining two inner sect disciples also recognized the man. They hurriedly bowed and said respectfully, ¡°Greetings, Elder Ji!¡±


    Elder Ji nodded and didn¡¯t even look at them. Instead, he stared at Lin Shen. After sizing him up a few times, he said with a strange expression,


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so capable. You¡¯ve even seriously injured Wu Ji!¡±


    As soon as he said this, everyone fell silent!


    Xie Jingsheng and the others looked at Lin Shen in shock,pletely stunned on the spot.


    Lin Shen seriously injured Wu Ji?


    How was that possible?!


    But then everyone realized that it was Elder Ji who said this.


    How could a dignified cultivator master make things up?


    In that case¡­ it was true!


    Everyone was shocked, and their heads buzzed.


    If someone told them that a Bright Aperture Stage cultivator could severely injure a cultivator master before today, they would definitely scoff.


    But now, such a strange thing had happened!


    At this moment, Elder Ji spoke again.


    ¡°If Wu Ji wasn¡¯t injured, 1 wouldn¡¯t have been able to kill him and take his storage ring. Speaking of which, you¡¯ve made contributions, so 1 won¡¯t take advantage of you. This bottle of Mystic Essence Liquid will be your reward!¡±


    With that, Elder Ji threw Lin Shen a porcin bottle.


    Lin Shen reached out to take it and looked at the porcin bottle curiously. Just as he was about to ask, he suddenly saw Xie Jingsheng¡¯s shocked and envious expression from the corner of his eye. He held back his question.


    After giving it to him, Elder Ji didn¡¯t stay any longer. He turned around and flew toward the cave.


    After watching Elder Ji leave, Lin Shen asked Xie Jingsheng, ¡°Senior Brother Xie, what¡¯s the use of this Mystic Essence Liquid?¡±


    Xie Jingsheng looked at the Mystic Essence Liquid in Lin Shen¡¯s hand enviously and exined,


    ¡°Mystic Essence Liquid is very useful. It works the same as the Cast Spirit Pills. It¡¯s used to forge spirit meridians!


    ¡°However, the effect of the Mystic Essence Liquid is much stronger than the Cast Spirit Pills. One drop of the Mystic Essence Liquid is equivalent to a hundred Cast Spirit Pills. This thing is extremely popr in the sect. Many disciples are eyeing it. To be able to obtain the Mystic Essence Liquid from Elder Ji, Junior Brother Lin¡­¡±


    Xie Jingsheng wanted to say that Lin Shen was so lucky that everyone envied him, but on second thought, he realized the Mystic Essence Liquid was a reward Lin Shen had obtained from severely injuring a Blood Sea Sect cultivator master. Xie Jingsheng didn¡¯t say those words.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t care about Xie Jingsheng¡¯s strange reaction. When he heard that a drop of Mystic Essence Liquid was worth a hundred Cast Spirit Pills, his eyes lit up.


    He immediately uncorked the bottle and took a closer look. There were at least seven to eight drops of Mystic Essence Liquid in the bottle. He was instantly overjoyed.


    This bottle of Mystic Essence Liquid was probably enough for the Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt clone to forge its spirit meridians to the limit!


    ¡°It seems like Elder Ji obtained a lot of benefits from Wu Ji. Otherwise, why would he be willing to give out a bottle of Mystic Essence Liquid?¡± Lin Shen guessed.


    Even so, he had no objections to this.


    Even though he used Amaze the World to severely injure Wu Ji, it was impossible for him to kill thetter.


    Wu Ji died at Elder Ji¡¯s hands, and Lin Shen obtained a bottle of extremely precious Mystic Essence Liquid. It was undoubtedly a happy ending.


    Aftering back to his senses, Lin Shen put away the Mystic Essence Liquid and asked Xie Jingsheng, ¡°Senior Brother Xie, who is this Elder Ji?¡±


    Xie Jingsheng smiled. ¡°Elder Ji Zhiyuan is one of the three Deputy Heads of the sect¡¯s Military Department. He¡¯s ate-phase Spirit Nurturing cultivator master and is extremely powerful!¡±


    Ate-phase Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master!


    No wonder he could kill Wu Ji so quickly!


    Lin Shen was enlightened.


    While they were talking, more and more people entered the cave above the basin.


    Seeing this, Xie Jing heaved a sigh of relief and smiled.


    ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s go back!¡±


    After exiting the cave eye and returning to the cave in the belly of the mountain, everyone looked at their surroundings and felt as if a lifetime had passed.


    They had only stayed in the spirit cave for a little more than a month, but everyone felt like a long time had passed.


    At this moment, a warden walked over. He first cupped his hands at Lin Shen and the others before saying,


    ¡°Greetings, everyone. ording to Elder Ji¡¯s orders, there are many things that I need to ask you about the recent incident in the spirit cave!¡±


    It was only right for them to ask about what had happened. Lin Shen and the others didn¡¯t mind and recounted what had happened in the past month.


    The warden listened attentively and gestured for the disciples beside him to record.


    After he finished recording, he apologized to Lin Shen and the others. He then instructed someone to fetch a flying crane to send everyone back to the sect and the Nine Yang Academy.


    They came here on the Dragon Tooth Flying Ship. However, Xie Jingsheng had yet to recover from his injuries and had consumed a lot of energy. He was unable to control the Dragon Tooth Flying Ship, so they could only make do and ride the flying crane.


    On the way back, Lin Shen suddenly thought of something and asked Ai Jingting, ¡°I heard from Senior Brother Xie that you¡¯re an extraordinary alchemist.¡±


    Ai Jingting was surprised and hurriedly said, ¡°Senior Brother Xie, you tter me. The path of alchemy is broad and profound. My skills are still far from exquisite.¡±


    After a pause, Ai Jingting seemed to have thought of something and asked, ¡°Senior Brother Lin, do you need my help to refine pills?¡±


    Since she had guessed his intention, Lin Shen didn¡¯t beat around the bush and simply nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.. I wonder if Junior Sister Ai has refined Cast Spirit Pills before?¡±

 Chapter 260 - 260: Mystic Essence Liquid (3)

    Chapter 260: Mystic Essence Liquid (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    The trip to the spirit cave had been dangerous, but it had been equally rewarding.


    Aside from the increase in his strength, Lin Shen had collected a lot of the spiritual dust needed to refine the Spirit Pills.


    He filled more than ten porcin bottles.


    Upon hearing Lin Shen¡¯s words, before Ai Jingting could speak, Xie Jingshengughed and said, ¡°Junior Brother Lin, you¡¯ve found the right person. Other pills aside Junior Sister Ai is among the top three in the pill pavilion when ites to Cast Spirit Pills!


    ¡°You probably don¡¯t know yet. Junior Sister Ai¡¯s master is the Deputy Headmaster of the sect¡¯s Alchemy and Tool Division. She¡¯s a well-known Alchemy Grandmaster. Half of the sect¡¯s Cast Spirit Pills were made by her!¡±


    Lin Shen looked at Ai Jingting in surprise.


    As soon as he heard the name of the Alchemy and Tool Division, he knew that it was rted to alchemy and weapon refinement.


    A ce like that was of utmost importance to any sect.


    Although the Deputy Headmaster of the Alchemy and Tool Division sounded simr to Elder Ji¡¯s title, the former¡¯s status in the sect was probably much higher than thetter.


    Ai Jingting usually kept a low profile, but she had such a shocking background.


    With such a master around, no one in the academy would dare offend her.


    ¡°Senior Brother Xie, don¡¯t tter me.¡±


    Ai Jingting smiled. Then, she looked at Lin Shen and said gently,


    ¡°Senior Brother Lin, you saved my life. I¡¯m grateful and have been thinking about how to repay you. I feel I¡¯m taking advantage of you if all you want is some Cast Spirit Pills!¡±


    Lin Shenughed and said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that.¡±


    As he spoke, he reached out and brushed the back of the crane. In an instant, more than ten porcin bottles appeared in front of everyone.


    ¡°These are¡­¡± Xie Jingsheng reacted the fastest. As if he had thought of something, his eyes widened.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Lin Shen nodded calmly. ¡°These are all spirit dust.¡±


    Ai Jingting and the others were also shocked. They looked at the porcin bottles in front of them with their mouths agape.


    If these porcin bottles were filled with spirit dust¡­ How many Earth Essences would he have to kill to gather them?


    Everyone couldn¡¯t help but take a deep breath. They looked at Lin Shen in shock.


    It seemed that while Lin Shen was radio-silent, he actually went to the few ces marked on the map that were filled with spiritual monsters.


    After a while, Ai Jingting slowly came back to her senses, but there was no hesitation on her face as she nodded solemnly.


    ¡°Senior Brother Lin, don¡¯t worry. Leave the refinement of the Cast Spirit Pills to me!¡±


    As soon as Ai Jingting finished speaking, Xie Jingsheng suddenly chuckled.


    ¡°Junior Brother Lin also saved my life. I can¡¯t let Junior Sister Ai do all the work. Apart from the spirit dust, he¡¯ll also need a lot of supplementary herbs to refine the Cast Spirit Pills. I¡¯ll take care of those!¡±


    As soon as he said this, Mu Chuanhua, Fu Weifang, and the others also spoke up.


    ¡°Count me in!¡±


    ¡°Me too!¡±


    Even those disciples from the lower house joined in.


    Cultivators valued karma the most. Lin Shen had saved their lives. If they didn¡¯t repay this kindness, they wouldn¡¯t be able to live with that debt.


    Lin Shen naturally understood this, so he didn¡¯t refuse the offer.


    After all, he could save the time and energy to collect materials this way. Why should he say no?


    By the time they agreed on the time to collect the pills, Dragonside City was already right in front of them.


    After returning to the Nine Yang Academy, everyone went their separate ways.


    Lin Shen went straight back to the upper house. After activating the restriction, he went to the cultivation room. He sat down cross-legged, took out a pile of storage rings, and ced them in front of him.


    These storage rings were all obtained from the Blood Sea Sect disciples. There were a total of twelve of them.


    Lin Shen first picked up Min Shun¡¯s storage ring and examined the contents.


    Naturally, he was most concerned about the Cast Spirit Pills.


    After counting them, Lin Shen had another 35 Cast Spirit Pills.


    ¡°Good. It¡¯s enough for my clones to forge another four to five spirit meridians!¡±


    Lin Shen smiled happily.


    As for the rest of the treasures, talismans, and enchanted armaments, Lin Shen quickly scanned through them and didn¡¯t find anything valuable, so he casually put them aside.


    He continued to count the remaining storage rings. Unfortunately, these Blood Sea Sect disciples were far inferior to Min Shun. In total, they only had more than 50 Cast Spirit Pills.


    After counting the spoils of war, the number of Cast Spirit Pills in Lin Shen¡¯s hands increased to 108!


    ¡°And the Mystic Essence Liquid!¡±


    With a thought from Lin Shen, the Mystic Essence Liquid appeared in his palm.


    Looking at the spiritual liquid that was emitting a faint light in the porcin bottle, a glint shed in his eyes.


    ¡°I hope the effect of this Mystic Essence Liquid is really as powerful as Senior Brother Xie said!¡±


    Without any dy, Lin Shen summoned his Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt clone and let it consume a drop of Mystic Essence Liquid before starting to cultivate.


    Lin Shen also consumed the Cast Spirit Pills and began to forge his spirit meridians.


    Before his clones could reach the limit of their spirit meridians, he had to reach the limit of his own before he could start fusing them.


    Time passed quickly as he immersed himself in cultivation.


    In the blink of an eye, a month had passed.


    In the training room, Lin Shen opened his eyes, and a bitter smile shed across his face.


    ¡°Seven spirit meridians¡­¡±


    In a month, he had consumed 64 Cast Spirit Pills and forged a total of four new spirit meridians, pushing the total number of spirit meridians to seven.


    However, after that, no matter how much he cultivated and how many more pills he consumed, he couldn¡¯t forge a new spirit meridian.


    Clearly, seven spirit meridians were already his limit!


    ¡°I have so little talent!¡±


    Lin Shenughed self-deprecatingly.


    A cultivator had to have at least nine spirit meridians to be a cultivator master. This also meant that if he didn¡¯t have a clone, he would probably never be able to be a cultivator master in his life!


    Unless he took the unorthodox path like Leng Guangting!


    After sighing for a moment, Lin Shen restrained his emotions and looked at the Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt clone opposite him.


    Compared to him, the Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt clone was much better at forging spirit meridians.


    He had to admit that the effect of the Mystic Essence Liquid was indeed much better than the Cast Spirit Pills.


    Just one drop of Mystic Essence Liquid allowed the Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt clone to forge nine spirit meridians, increasing the total number of spirit meridians to fifteen.


    After that, the Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt clone consumed another seven drops of Mystic Flower Liquid and forged 25 spirit meridians.


    It only hit the bottleneck when it had forty spirit meridians in total.


    ¡°Looks like forty spirit meridians are the limit¡­¡±


    Lin Shen shook his head slightly.


    The Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt clone had enough talent and could be considered a peerless genius in the cultivation world.


    Even so, it had only forged forty spirit meridians and was still five spirit meridians away from achieving the first-grade spirit meridian!


    That showed how difficult it was to forge a first-grade spirit meridian!


    No wonder Nine Suns Sect hadn¡¯t had a cultivator who had forged a first-grade spirit meridian for so many years!


    ¡°Fortunately, I still have my clones!¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes shed with excitement.


    He and the Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt clone had both reached the upper limit. If they continued cultivating, the number wouldn¡¯t increase. Then, it was time to fuse!


    Since the Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt clone had already fused with him once, when he summoned it again, it actually already had two spirit meridians.


    In other words, there were only 38 new spirit meridians.


    If the fusion was sessful, the seven spirit meridians in Lin Shen¡¯s body and the 38 extra spirit meridians in the Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt clone would be enough to increase the total number of spirit meridians to 45, fulfilling the requirements for a first-grade spirit meridian in one go!


    Taking a deep breath, Lin Shenposed himself. Then, with a thought, the Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt clone in front of him slowly dissipated.


    The moment the clonepletely disappeared, Lin Shen suddenly trembled, and endless mystic sounds suddenly came from his body!


    It rang out thirty-eight times!


    When the sound stopped, Lin Shen focused on his inner vision and was pleasantly surprised to discover that there were indeed 38 new spirit meridians in his body!


    He now had 45 spirit meridians in total!

 Chapter 261 - 261: Master and Disciple (1)

    Chapter 261: Master and Disciple (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Sensing the 45 spirit meridians in his body, Lin Shen heaved a long sigh of relief and was overjoyed.


    After spending so much effort, he finally satisfied the conditions of a first-grade spirit meridian!


    Once the 45 spirit meridians were formed, as long as Lin Shen wanted to, he could advance to a cultivator master at any time and truly step into the legendary Great Path of cultivation!


    Of course, he didn¡¯t n to do that now.


    A first-grade spirit meridian was only the limit of the legend, but it might not be his limit.


    With his clones around, Lin Shen naturally wouldn¡¯t be willing to stop at the first-grade spirit meridian.


    ¡°There are still the spirit meridians of six clones that I can fuse!¡±


    Lin Shen was very excited.


    If he could fuse more spirit meridians from his clones, he might be able to surpass the first-grade spirit meridian and reach an unprecedented spirit meridian grade!


    Such an opportunity was right in front of him. It was worth a try no matter what!


    ¡°There are still 35 Spirit Pills left.¡±


    Over the past few days, he had used more than 70 Cast Spirit Pills.


    Some of them were used when he continued to consume pills after reaching the bottleneck. Unfortunately, they had all gone to waste.


    After calming himself down, Lin Shen summoned the interface.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Analogy]


    [Stage: Bright Aperture, Level 9,100% (spirit meridian: 45)]


    [Cultivation techniques: Nine Yang Scripture (Perfection), Meltdown (True Martial), Forbidden Golden Armor (True Martial), Cloud Dragon Rhythm (True Martial), Nine Divine Sun Sword (True Martial)¡­]


    [Spells: Seven Arts Sword Energy (Level 7,100%), Lightning Palm (Level 5, 100%), Paper Man Movement Technique (Level 5,100%), Fixed Body Incantation (Level 5,100%), Riding Wind Technique (Level 5,100%), Five Qi Suppression (Level 3, 34%), Shadow-staying Technique (Level 3,18%), Water Mirror Technique (Level 2, 56%)]


    [Number of clones: 7 (33%)]


    After reaching 100% of the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage, one wouldn¡¯t be able to make any improvement until they advanced to a cultivator master.


    Therefore, during this period of time, apart from the Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt clone, Lin Shen¡¯s other clones had all focused on cultivating spells.


    In a month, the Seven Arts Sword Energy, Lightning Palm, Paper Man Movement Technique, Fixed Body Curse, and Riding Wind Technique all reached perfection.


    In addition, he also cultivated two new spells, Five Qi Suppression and Shadow-staying Technique.


    It was quite impressive that his spells had progressed so much in a month.


    However, in fact, at Lin Shen¡¯s level, the increase in his spell stage could only marginal improvement to his overall strength.


    Inparison, the increase in strength brought about by the increase in the number of spirit meridians was more obvious!


    Lin Shen could clearly feel thatpared to when he only had three spirit meridians, his soul was even stronger now!


    The quantity and quality of the spiritual essence in his body far exceeded the past!


    If he faced Wu Ji again, Lin Shen was confident that he could contend with him even without Amaze the World.


    Perhaps he couldn¡¯t hold his ground, but he would be able tost until the sect¡¯s reinforcements arrived.


    In fact, with his cultivation of 45 meridians and the Amaze the World that had been umted for six months, it was very likely that he could kill Wu Ji!


    After a while, Lin Shen suppressed the surging emotions in his chest, got up, and rushed to the lower house.


    After a month, Ai Jingting should have finished the pills.


    In addition, he didn¡¯t know what was going on at the spirit cave. He could ask Ai Jingting about it.


    Lower house, the alchemy pavilion.


    Looking at the ancient-looking building with green tiles and vermilion pirs in front of him, Lin Shen nodded.


    As expected of the alchemy pavilion, it was rich and imposing. This building was much wider than the Internal Affairs Department and the Merit Hall, and theyout was more exquisite.


    Speaking of which, this was the first time Lin Shen hade to the alchemy pavilion.


    Previously, when he wanted pills, he would exchange them in the Merit Hall. He had never asked the alchemists of the Alchemy Division to customize pills.


    After stopping to watch for a while, Lin Shen walked through the door.


    There were disciples guarding behind the door. From the corner of their eyes, they saw a person enter and immediately looked up.


    ¡°What brings you to the pill pavilion¡­ Oh my, Senior Brother Lin!¡±


    The nonchnce on the disciple¡¯s face immediately turned into a bright smile. He hurriedly trotted over and smiled.


    ¡°Senior Brother Lin, why have youe to the alchemy pavilion? Is there anything you need our help with?¡±


    Lin Shen was stunned by the solicitous attitude of the disciple guarding the door. Then, he said what he was here for.


    ¡°Is Junior Sister Ai in?¡±


    ¡°Senior Sister Ai? Yes, yes. She should be in the alchemy room now. I¡¯ll lead the way for you!¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s my honor to serve Senior Brother Lin!¡±


    As soon as he said that, the disciple guarding the door led the way.


    Lin Shen was secretly surprised.


    Even if the academy¡¯s tutor was here, this disciple guarding the door probably wouldn¡¯t be so attentive, right?


    What was going on?


    On the way to the alchemy room, the disciples they met along the way quickly recognized Lin Shen and looked at him in awe.


    When many people met Lin Shen¡¯s gaze, they subconsciously bowed and gave him respectful and fawning smiles.


    Seeing this, Lin Shen became even more puzzled.


    Not long after.


    Under the guidance of the disciple, Lin Shen arrived in front of a courtyard.


    The disciple pointed at the courtyard and said respectfully, ¡°Senior Brother Lin, Senior Sister Ai is inside. ording to the usual routine, she should be refining pills at this time. Look¡­¡±


    Lin Shen smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll wait here. Thank you for leading the way.¡±


    The disciple shook his head. Seeing that Lin Shen didn¡¯t want to say anything, he was very considerate and left Lin Shen alone.


    After that, Lin Shen was the only one at the door.


    Just as he was about to find a ce to sit down and wait, he heard the courtyard door creak open, and Ai Jingting walked out gracefully..

 Chapter 262 - 262: Master and Disciple (2)

    Chapter 262: Master and Disciple (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Ai Jingting¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw Lin Shen.


    ¡°Senior Brother Lin, 1 was wondering why the voice outside was so familiar when I heard it in the pill room. I thought it was you. I was right!¡±


    Lin Shen smiled when he heard this. ¡°1 didn¡¯t disturb your pill refinement, did I?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Ai Jingting smiled. ¡°Senior Brother Lin, you¡¯re here to get the pills, right? I¡¯ve already prepared them. The pills are in the pill room. Pleasee with me.¡±


    Lin Shen smiled and walked into the courtyard. He walked side by side with Ai Jingting toward the pill room and casually asked,


    ¡°Speaking of which, has anything happened recently? On the way here, I felt that there was something wrong with the way those disciples looked at me.¡±


    Ai Jingting nced at him and smiled. ¡°Senior Brother Lin must have been cultivating in seclusion recently.¡±


    Seeing Lin Shen nod, she continued, ¡°No wonder. You still don¡¯t know, right? When the news of you severely injuring the Blood Sea Sect cultivator master spread to the sect, it caused quite a stir. Many Elders expressed their intention to take you in as their disciple, including a few Mystic Light Stage elders!¡±


    After a cultivator forged the spirit meridians and broke through the cage of the mortal world, they would be a Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master.


    Above the Spirit Nurturing Stage was the Mystic Light Stage.


    A Mystic Light Stage cultivator master was one of the top few capable members in the Nine Suns Sect!


    All of them were archimandrites or pavilion masters, and their status was second only to the Sect Master.


    To any academy disciple, such a person was a high and mighty figure who was out of their reach!


    To be epted as a disciple by a Mystic Light Stage cultivator master would be equivalent to reaching the heavens in a single step. One would probably wake upughing in their dreams!


    Toward the end, Ai Jingting¡¯s tone was filled with emotion.


    Although her Master held a high position in the sect, she was still inferior to Mystic Light realm cultivator masters.


    Those were the core members of the sect!


    Such a top-notch cultivator master might not even take in a disciple once in ten to twenty years. It was rare for them to show the intention to take in a disciple this time around!


    However, on second thought, with Lin Shen¡¯s talent and strength, it didn¡¯t seem strange that those Mystic Light Stage cultivator masters showed their interest.


    After all, no one in the thousands of years since Nine Suns Sect was established had been able to severely injure a cultivator master when they were at the Bright Aperture Stage!


    No wonder even Mystic Light Stage cultivator masters were tempted by such a peerless genius!


    After hearing Ai Jingting¡¯s exnation, Lin Shen finally understood.


    That was why those people¡¯s attitudes toward him changed so abruptly. It turned out that they were affected by this news.


    ¡°Taking in a disciple¡­¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes flickered.


    There were many obstacles in the path of cultivation. If one had someone to guide them, they would be able to avoid many detours.


    Although he had a clone and his cultivation speed far exceeded that of ordinary people, it seemed good if someone could lead the way.


    Moreover, with a master, it would be much easier to obtain cultivation techniques and resources.


    After his thoughts wandered for a moment, Lin Shen shook his head and threw this matter to the back of his mind.


    The most important thing now was to forge the spirit meridians and advance to a cultivator master.


    As for getting a Master, it wasn¡¯t up to him. He could think about itter.


    After changing the topic, Lin Shen asked about the spirit cave.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about the spirit cave. I only heard that the sect has sent arge number of people into the spirit cave and ispeting with the Blood Sea Sect for ownership. It has already be a battlefield, and 1 don¡¯t know when it will end.¡± Ai Jingting shook her head slightly.


    Lin Shen nodded and was deep in thought.


    This kind of battle involving two sects was far more serious than when they attacked the Tiger Tribe.


    Facing the weak Tiger Tribe, the sect would even let the academy¡¯s disciples participate in the battle as a form of training.


    However, when their opponent became a colossus like the Blood Sea Sect, they couldn¡¯t do that anymore.


    In the war between the two sects, the disciples of the academy, especially the disciples of the lower house, would only be cannon fodder if they participated.


    Unless the sect leaders had lost their minds, they wouldn¡¯t send the disciples of the academy who had yet to mature to their deaths.


    Furthermore, there were many Enlightening Stage demons in the spirit cave. Cultivators who weren¡¯t at the Bright Aperture Stage couldn¡¯t move inside, and most of the academy disciples didn¡¯t have that cultivation level.


    Therefore, the battle in the spirit cave shouldn¡¯t have much to do with Lin Shen for the time being.


    Before long, the two of them had already arrived at the pill room.


    Ai Jingting took out a token and deactivated the restriction. She opened a drawer from the cab that upied an entire wall. It was filled with more than ten bottles of pills.


    ¡°Senior Brother Lin, there are 15 bottles of Cast Spirit Pills here and a total of 180 pills.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Junior Sister Ai!¡±


    Lin Shen waved his hand and put all the pills into his storage ring.


    180 Cast Spirit Pills didn¡¯t seem like much, but that was rtive to his gains in the spirit cave.


    Such an experience could only be chanced upon by luck.


    Ordinary cultivators at the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage would be considered lucky if they could refine a bottle of Cast Spirit Pills with the spirit dust they collected after a trip to the spirit cave.


    180 Cast Spirit Pills was already an extremely huge number!


    Otherwise, so many cultivators wouldn¡¯t have been stuck at the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage for so many years while forging spirit meridians.


    Poor aptitude was one thing, but Cast Spirit Pills were also one of the main reasons.


    Ai Jingting¡¯s eyes lit up as she watched Lin Shen put away the Cast Spirit Pills.


    The news of Lin Shen starting to condense a spirit meridian had long spread throughout the entire Nine Yang Academy, and even the entire sect.


    Now, many people were guessing what grade of spirit meridian Lin Shen could forge.


    Most people thought that Lin Shen could at least forge a third-grade spirit meridian.


    Don¡¯t underestimate a third-grade spirit meridian.


    Those who could attain a third-grade spirit meridian could almost all advance to the Mystic Light Stage in the future as long as nothing unexpected happened.


    Almost all the Mystic Light Stage cultivator masters of the Nine Suns Sect had third-grade spirit meridians..

 Chapter 263 - 263: Master and Disciple (3)

    Chapter 263: Master and Disciple (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    If he was lucky, it was not impossible for Lin Shen to forge a second-grade spirit meridian!


    However, Ai Jingting didn¡¯t think that way.


    She felt that Lin Shen would have no problem forging a second-grade spirit meridian.


    Even Jiang Wanying, who had forged 38 spirit meridians, had been killed by Lin Shen. Lin Shen couldn¡¯t be worse than Jiang Wanying, right?


    In fact, Lin Shen might even be able to forge the legendary first-grade spirit meridian!


    If that were the case, the entire sect would probably be in an uproar!


    After leaving the pill pavilion, Lin Shen returned to the upper house and prepared to continue working on his spirit meridians.


    On the way, he couldn¡¯t help but think about Cast Spirit Pills.


    Including the 180 Cast Spirit Pills he had just obtained, he now had a total of more than 210 Cast Spirit Pills.


    Lin Shen estimated that this bit of pills was probably not enough for a single clone to forge the spirit meridians to the limit.


    There was still a huge gap in the Cast Spirit Pills.


    ¡°The spirit cave is currently at war. 1 don¡¯t think 1 can go inside to collect spirit dust for the time being. This way, I can only spend merit points to exchange for it in the merit hall.¡±


    Lin Shen secretly frowned.


    It was time-consuming andborious to exchange merit points for Cast Spirit Pills.


    If he wanted to exchange for enough Cast Spirit Pills, it would probably take him a year or two.


    That would take too long.


    But if he didn¡¯t use this method, what else could he do?


    Lin Shen¡¯s expression changed slightly as he thought of the Mystic Essence Liquid.


    However, he immediately shook his head.


    ording to Xie Jingsheng, the Mystic Essence Liquid was extremely precious. Even in the sect, many disciples follow it. It was extremely difficult to obtain even a little.


    It was already very rare for him to get eight drops from Ji Zhixuan. It wouldn¡¯t be easy for him to get more.


    Moreover, he didn¡¯t have any connections.


    While he was thinking, Lin Shen had already returned to his courtyard. He looked up and saw Xie Jingsheng standing at the door.


    ¡°Senior Brother Xie!¡±


    Xie Jingsheng turned around and smiled.


    ¡°Junior Brother Lin, you¡¯re finally back!


    ¡°Master wants to see you.¡±


    Master Si?


    Lin Shen was stunned. ¡°Why does Master Si want to see me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that, but it¡¯s probably rted to what happened before,¡± Xie Jingsheng said.


    Lin Shen was deep in thought when he suddenly thought of the Mystic Essence Liquid. His heart skipped a beat, and he left with Xie Jingsheng.


    When he saw Si Yuanpei again, he was still in the simple tea room.


    When Lin Shen arrived, the house head was tasting tea.


    The fragrance of tea filled the entire room. With a light sniff, he felt refreshed.


    ¡°Have a seat.¡±


    Si Yuanpei pointed to the opposite side. A cup of tea was already ced on the table.


    ¡°Cloud-washing Incense, a spiritual tea produced in the Wood Ancestor City. Drinking it for a long time has the effect of strengthening the soul. Try it.¡± Lin Shen sat down and took a sip of tea.


    As the tea entered his stomach, he suddenly felt a sense of rity. His eyes and ears seemed to have be much sharper.


    A fragrance lingered in his mouth for a long time.


    ¡°How wonderful!¡± Lin Shen praised.


    Si Yuanpei smiled faintly, put down the teacup in his hand, and said unhurriedly,


    ¡°You¡¯ve contributed a lot to expose the Blood Sea Sect¡¯s scheme to invade the spirit cave. Several sect masters of the Military Academy have said that they want to reward you. What do you want?¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes lit up, and he said without hesitation, ¡°Mystic Essence Liquid!¡±


    Si Yuanpei looked at him knowingly as if he wasn¡¯t surprised by this answer at all. Then, he said calmly,


    ¡°Not an option.¡±


    H 11


    Lin Shen was speechless.


    He thought, ¡°Then why did you ask me in the first ce?¡±


    ¡°Dragonside City doesn¡¯t produce Mystic Essence Liquid. It¡¯s traded from otherrge cities every year. There¡¯s a limited number, so there¡¯s even less when it¡¯s distributed to the three major sects.


    ¡°There are many disciples who want the Mystic Essence Liquid. Every year, the Mystic Essence Liquid is very scarce, and this year is even more so.¡±


    At this point, Si Yuanpei nced at Lin Shen.


    ¡°I wonder what Elder Ji got from Wu Ji. He was actually willing to give you eight drops of the Mystic Essence Liquid at once. Many disciples have wanted to trade with him, but now, they¡¯re all greatly disappointed.¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but raise his eyebrows.


    It sounded like he had taken a huge advantage.


    ¡°Master Si, where did Dragonside City get the Mystic Essence Liquid from?¡± Lin Shen asked after some thought.


    Si Yuanpei didn¡¯t hide anything and tapped the teacup in front of Lin Shen.


    ¡°In the entire East Sea Path, there are only three ces that can produce Mystic Essence Liquid. Wood Ancestor City is one of them. It¡¯s also the closest major city to us.¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s gazended on the teacup, and a thoughtful look shed across his eyes.


    As if reading his mind, Si Yuanpei said indifferently, ¡°Don¡¯t think about it. The Mystic Essence Liquid of the Ancestral Wood City is never open to trade with individual cultivators. It only trades withrge cities once a year. This year¡¯s trade has already ended.¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Shen was instantly disappointed.


    In that case, wouldn¡¯t he have to wait until next year to obtain the Mystic Essence Liquid?


    Wait!


    Lin Shen suddenly realized something.


    If there was really no other way, why would Si Yuanpei tell him so many things?


    Lin Shen looked up at Si Yuanpei and said respectfully, ¡°Master Si, do you have any tips for me?¡±


    A look of admiration shed across Si Yuanpei¡¯s eyes as he said, ¡°The Wood Ancestor City holds a Xuandu Meeting every three years. It¡¯s open to all cultivators below the level of cultivator masters. Be it itinerant cultivators or sects, as long as they obtain the corresponding token, they can participate. The venue is on Xuandu Mountain.


    ¡°And Xuandu Mountain is the ce where the Mystic Essence Liquid is produced!


    ¡°During the Xuandu Convention, all participants can enter Xuandu Mountain to look for the Mystic Essence Liquid. Everything obtained in the mountain will belong to the participants!


    ¡°As far as I know, thetest Xuandu Convention will be held in a month!¡±


    Lin Shen was very surprised.


    Since the Ancestral Wood City had specially restricted the transaction target and time of the Mystic Essence Liquid, why did they need to organize a Xuandu Meeting?


    Moreover, Xuandu Mountain was the source of Mystic Essence Liquid. Such a ce should be heavily guarded. Why would they allow cultivators from other factions to enter?


    Even if it was only once every three years, this action was very puzzling.


    Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but ask the question in his mind.


    Upon hearing that, Si Yuanpei said calmly, ¡°This is the ancestral teachings left behind by the Mystic Spirit Sect in the Ancestral Wood City. It¡¯s said that it was set by the first sect master who founded the Mystic Spirit Sect.¡±


    Ancestral teachings?


    Lin Shen was surprised.


    However, he quickly stopped thinking about it.


    No matter what, the uing Xuandu Meeting was good news for him.


    This was also the only way to obtain the Mystic Essence Liquid in a short period of time!


    If everything went smoothly, he might be able to advance to a cultivator master on Xuandu Mountain!


    ¡°The sect has obtained a total of three Xuandu Tokens this time. Although they have already been distributed, if you want them, 1 believe the headmasters of the Military Department have a way to get one for you. How about that?¡± Si Yuanpei looked at Lin Shen steadily.


    Without any hesitation, Lin Shen made up his mind.


    ¡°Thank you, Master Si!¡±

 Chapter 264 - 264: Which One of You Is Lin Shen (1)

    Chapter 264: Which One of You Is Lin Shen (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Fuzhou Ind.


    In a wooden building on the west side of the ind.


    Han Liang opened his eyes from his cultivation and took a deep breath. The refreshing fragrance in his nose still lingered.


    ¡°The effect of the Vermillion Dispersion Power of the Wood Ancestral City is indeed amazing. With its help, it won¡¯t be long before I can break through to the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage!¡±


    Thinking of this, Han Liang couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    At this moment, hurried footsteps came from outside the door. Then, the door was suddenly pushed open, and the person rushed into the room without knocking.


    ¡°Pm so angry!¡±


    Kuang Hai strode to the table in the middle of the room and sat down. He mmed the table heavily, his face full of anger.


    Han Liang frowned slightly, and a look of resignation shed in his eyes. He stood up and walked to the table, sitting down as well.


    ¡°What happened? Why are you so angry?¡±


    ¡°What else could it be?¡± Kuang Hai gritted his teeth and said, ¡°It¡¯s all because of that Lin Shen from rhe Nine Yang Academy. He intercepted the Mystic Essence Liquid from Elder Ji first. Now, he¡¯s trying to snatch my Xuandu Token!¡±


    ¡°The Xuandu Token was taken away?¡± Han Liang looked surprised.


    The corners of Kuang Hal¡¯s eyes twitched as he said angrily, ¡°Elder Ji personally asked for the Xuandu Token that was originally reserved for me and gave it to that Lin Shen from the Nine Yang Academy!¡±


    Han Liang pondered for a moment, and a thoughtful expression appeared on his face.


    ¡°I heard that Lin Shen has already begun to condense a spirit meridian and needs the Mystic Essence Liquid. I think he found out about the Xuandu Meeting from somewhere and asked Elder Ji for the Xuandu Token, He has made a lot of contributions to the spirit cave. Elder Ji will definitely not reject his request! ¡°u


    As soon as he said this, Kuang Hai became even angrier.


    ¡°That Lin Shen has already obtained eight drops of Mystic Essence Liquid from Elder Ji. It¡¯s more than enough to condense a second-grade spirit meridian. He still wants to snatch the Xuandu Token from me. Does he want to condense a first-grade spirit meridian? I think he s clearly targeting me!¡±


    Han Liang was instantly speechless. He thought, ¡°Lin Shen is a disciple of the Nine Yang Academy and has never been to the sect. He probably hasn¡¯t even seen what you look like. Why is he targeting you?¡±


    Kuang Hai nced at Han Liang from rhe corner of his eyes. He seemed to have guessed Han Liang¡¯s thoughts and snorted coldly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that I¡¯m spouting nonsense. You know the Mystic Light Stage Elders in the master-disciple lineage have recently expressed their intention to take Lin Shen in as their disciple. I think they n to nurture Lin Shen as the backbone of the master-disciple lineage so that he can resist our influential families!


    ¡°And Elder Ji is also of that lineage. He probably received a hint, which is why he¡¯s biased toward Lin Shen. Otherwise, why would he give Lin Shen eight drops of Mystic Essence Liquid?¡±


    ¡°But why did I hear that Lin Shen severely injured a Blood Sea Sect cultivator master, which allowed Elder Ji to kill that cultivator master? Those eight drops of Mystic Essence Liquid were Elder Ji¡¯s reward for Lin Shen.¡± Han Liang said hesitantly.


    ¡°Bullshit!¡±


    Kuang Hais tone was full of disdain.


    ¡°You believe that? How can a Bright Aperture Stage cultivator severely injure a dignified cultivator? It¡¯s already impressive that he can survive a cultivator master¡¯s attack!


    ¡°In my opinion, Elder Ji is clearly hyping up Lin Shen so that the Mystic Light Stage elders have a reason to take him in as a disciple!¡±


    Hearing Kuang Hai s words, Han Liang started to waver.


    In fact, when he first heard about this, he didn¡¯t believe it either.


    After all, this kind of thing sounded too good to be true.


    Compared to such a ridiculous thing, although Kuang Hai¡¯s guess was a little far-fetched, it was still more convincing.


    ¡°In that case, is it true that those elders want to take Lin Shen as their disciple?¡± Han Liang frowned.


    Kuang Hai snorted coldly. ¡°1 don¡¯t care if they want to take Lin Shen as their disciple, but Lin Shen shouldn¡¯t have coveted my Xuandu Token. I won¡¯t let this matter rest!¡±


    Han Liang nced at him and knew why he was so angry.


    Kuang Hai had been stuck at the current stage for nearly a year. He had spent a lot of effort to form 26 spirit meridians and was only a step away from forging a third-grade spirit meridian.


    However, he hit a bottleneck after that.


    After consuming more than ten Cast Spirit Pills in a row, he was still unable to condense his 27th spirit meridian and take rhe most crucial step.


    He was so anxious that his heart was burning with anger, and his temperament had be much more irritable.


    Recently, he had heard from somewhere that if he used the Mystic Essence Liquid to condense a spirit meridian, he would definitely be able to break through the bottleneck.


    Therefore, he paid a huge price to get a Xuandu Token.


    Who would have thought that Lin Shen would have taken that opportunity away?


    Anyone else who encountered such a situation would be fuming with anger, let alone Kuang Hai, who had be more and more irritable recently.


    It was already impressive that he didn¡¯t go after Lin Shen right away.


    Han Liang was thinking about that when he heard Kuang Hal¡¯s voice.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t take this lying down. I¡¯ll go to Lin Shen now and have a bet with him!¡±


    The Nine Suns Sect encouraged disciples to spar with each other and set their own bets. It was called a gambling battle.


    Not only could the winner obtain pills and enchanted armaments, but they could also make a name for themselves in the sect.


    Therefore, this kind of sparring method was quite popr among the disciples.


    However, gamblingpetitions had always urred between official disciples. There had never been a precedent of an official disciple going after an academy disciple.


    If word got out, the former¡¯s reputation would be tarnished no matter what the oue of the battle was.


    However, Kuang Hai, who had been blinded by anger, could no longer care about this. He made up his mind and was about to set out.


    Upon seeing this, Han Liang tried to stop him and said anxiously, ¡°Lin Shen is currently in the Nine Yang Academy.. You don¡¯t have the academy¡¯s token, so how can you enter?¡±

 Chapter 265 - 265: Which One of You Is Lin Shen (2)

    Chapter 265: Which One of You Is Lin Shen (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Kuang Hai¡¯s movements paused for a moment before he snorted coldly.


    ¡°The Xuandu Meeting takes ce in two weeks, and we¡¯re at least ten days away from Wood Ancestor City. If Lin Shen wants to make it in time for the Xuandu Meeting, he¡¯ll probably set off in the next two days. I¡¯ll just wait for him at the north gate!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he mmed the door and left without waiting for Han Liang to say anything.


    Han Liang stood rooted to the ground for a long time beforeing back to his senses. He rubbed the space between his eyebrows with a headache.


    To be honest, if possible, he only wanted to cultivate peace and didn¡¯t want to get involved in the sect¡¯s power struggle. He didn¡¯t approve of Kuang Hai¡¯s actions.


    If Lin Shen was really a genius that the master-disciple lineage wanted, then Kuang Hai had taken a reckless action. The oue of the battle didn¡¯t matter, but if Lin Shen was seriously injured, it was very likely that the master-disciple lineage would be dissatisfied. At that time, the consequences would be unpredictable.


    ¡°Kuang Hai has already condensed 26 spirit meridians. Among the inner sect disciples in the sect, his cultivation level is enough to be ranked in the top 10. As for Lin Shen¡­¡±


    Han Liang paused and hesitated.


    ¡°Even if the story about Lin Shen severely injuring a Blood Sea Sect disciple was made up, he should still be quite capable. Even if he¡¯s not as good as Kuang Hai, he shouldn¡¯t lose too miserably¡­¡±


    Han Liang sighed.


    At this point, he could onlyfort himself like this.


    Nine Yang Academy, the upper house.


    In the training room.


    Looking at the clone in front of him, Lin Shen nodded in satisfaction.


    After using up all the Cast Spirit Pills, the number of spirit meridians of the Analogy clone finally increased to 14.


    More importantly, up until now, there were no signs of a bottleneck.


    At this rate, it should not be a problem for Analogy clones to condense 18 spirit meridians.


    If Lin Shen was lucky, the clone might be able to reach more than 20!


    Lin Shen was filled with joy.


    ¡°Next, I¡¯ll head to Wood Ancestor City to participate in the Xuandu Convention and collect the Mystic Essence Liquid!


    ¡°I should set off today.¡±


    Lin Shen wasn¡¯t like Xie Jingsheng, who could borrow the Dragon Tooth Flying Ship from his master.


    If he wanted to go to the Wood Ancestor City, he could only ride a flying spiritual beast.


    For this reason, Lin Shen exchanged for a flying crane in the Merit Hall.


    With the flying crane¡¯s speed, it would take ten days to travel from Dragonside City to Wood Ancestor City.


    There was only half a month left before the Xuandu Meeting. It was time to set off.


    There were all kinds of resources in the storage ring all the time. Lin Shen didn¡¯t need to prepare anything and could leave right away.


    However, before he left, he wanted to go back to the East District.


    After all, he hadn¡¯t seen Ai for three to four months.


    It would probably take a month or two for him to return this time. He had to tell the little guy first.


    After leaving the Nine Yang Academy, Lin Shen returned to his residence in the eastern district.


    Before he walked through the door, he sensed three auras in the house.


    ¡°One is Ai¡¯s aura, and the other two are Sinking Moon¡¯s spirit cat.¡±


    Lin Shen pushed open the door and walked into the living room. As expected, apart from Ai, Tang Yue and Tang Mei were also there.


    ¡°Lin Shen!¡±


    Hearing the sound of the door opening, Ai turned around, and a surprised look appeared in her eyes. She jumped off the sofa and pounced on Lin Shen.


    ¡°You¡¯re back!¡±


    Lin Shen caught Ai with a smile. Just as he was about to speak, his expression suddenly changed. He sized up Ai and said in surprise,


    ¡°Have you reached the Enlightening Stage?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Ai raised her head proudly and said, ¡°1 made a breakthrough half a month ago.¡±


    Lin Shen clicked his tongue in wonder.


    As far as the demons were concerned, this little fellow¡¯s cultivation speed was simply unbelievably fast!


    She was a demon form of Lin Shen!


    At this rate, Ai would probably be able to pass the human tribtion and be a demon cultivator in less than a year or two!


    It seemed that the cat general was right back then. Ai probably had some strange bloodline. Otherwise, it was impossible for ordinary demons to increase their cultivation at such a shocking speed!


    Lin Shen nodded to himself.


    Ai was making rapid progress, which was a good thing for him.


    He might be able to have another helper in the future.


    This thought shed across his mind, but Lin Shen¡¯s expression remained unchanged. He patted Ai¡¯s head andforted her. Then, he looked at Tang Yue and Tang Mei.


    Ever since Lin Shen came in, the two girls had been standing up, but they didn¡¯t say anything. They just stood in the distance and watched him talk to Ai. They were visibly reserved.


    In fact, she shouldn¡¯t be med. It was just that Lin Shen was no longer the same as before.


    Compared to when they met more than half a year ago, his strength and cultivation had increased by more than a few times.


    Not only had he advanced to the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage, but he had also condensed 45 spirit meridians and was only one step away from bing a cultivator master.


    Even though he didn¡¯t deliberately release his pressure and aura, Tang Yue and Tang Mei still felt a heart-palpitating pressure due to the sharp intuition unique to the demons. Subconsciously, they didn¡¯t dare to be impudent.


    Even Tang Mei, who was usually the most lively and active, became reserved.


    Sensing the abnormality of the two girls, Lin Shen didn¡¯t expose them. He smiled and said, ¡°Thank you for taking care of Ai.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Tang Yue quickly waved her hand. She nced at Ai and smiled. ¡°Ai helped us a lot.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Lin Shen looked at Ai in surprise.


    Ai immediately raised her head to show off and said proudly, ¡°I¡¯ve dealt with many bad guys recently!¡±


    Lin Shen immediately understood.


    It turned out that Ai had been following Sinking Moon to save their nsmen.


    Apart from the special situation of the Wild Wolves, most of the people who went after spirit cats didn¡¯t have high cultivation levels. At most, they were only in the Long Breath Stage and weren¡¯t a threat to Ai, who was already in the Enlightenment Stage, Lin Shen didn¡¯t say much and only nodded in understanding..

 Chapter 266 - 266: Which One of You Is Lin Shen (3)

    Chapter 266: Which One of You Is Lin Shen (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    He then nced at Tang Mei, who hadn¡¯t said a word and smiled.


    ¡°You used to be so lively and wouldn¡¯t stop asking me questions. Why are you so demure today?¡±


    Tang Mei blushed.


    After being teased by Lin Shen, she wasn¡¯t so reserved anymore. She simply made a yful face at Lin Shen.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been ady!¡±


    Lin Shenughed. Seeing that Tang Mei¡¯s face was getting redder and redder, he stopped teasing her and changed the topic.


    ¡°I¡¯m going out of the city next. I¡¯m leaving today, and I might not be back in a month or two. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to take care of Ai for a while.¡±


    ¡°What? Are you going out of the city again?¡± Ai grabbed his shirt and looked reluctant.


    ¡°I have something very important to do, but don¡¯t worry, there won¡¯t be any danger.¡±


    Lin Shen patted her head andforted her. Then, he looked at Tang Yue and Tang Mei.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave Ai in your hands.¡±


    Tang Yue immediately nodded.


    To be honest, they couldn¡¯t wait to agree to such a good offer.


    Although Ai was innocent, she was stronger than all the spirit cats in Sinking Moon.


    With Ai around, their rescue mission was much smoother than before.


    If it weren¡¯t for Lin Shen, they would have persuaded Ai to join Sinking Moon.


    Instead of taking care of Ai, it was more like Ai was helping them.


    It was gettingte. Afterforting Ai, Lin Shen didn¡¯t dy any longer. He turned around and left under Ai¡¯s reluctant gaze.


    After watching Lin Shen disappear at the door, Tang Yue turned her head and saw that Ai was still in a daze. She went forward, picked her up, andforted her gently.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lord Lin Shen will definitely be fine. Moreover, he said that he would be back in a month or two.¡±


    Tang Mei nodded and said, ¡°Ai, if you¡¯re worried, you should transcend the human tribtion as soon as possible and transform into a human. Then, you can follow Lord Lin Shen everywhere.¡±


    The speaker was unintentional, but the listener was interested.


    Ai¡¯s eyes immediately lit up.


    That¡¯s right. Lin Shen didn¡¯t bring her along because her cultivation level was too low.


    Then, she just needed to be stronger!


    That¡¯s right! That¡¯s it!


    Ai nodded and decided to cultivate harder in the future and get through the human tribtion as soon as possible!


    After leaving his residence, Lin Shen rushed straight to the north gate.


    Wood Ancestor City was located north of Dragonside City, on the other side of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range.


    If one wanted to go to the Wood Ancestor City, one would have to pass through the depths of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range.


    In order to avoid going too deep and bumping into demon cultivators, one had to avoid the depths of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range and circle around from the outside.


    The Dragon Abyss Mountain Range stretched for tens of thousands of miles. Taking the detour would take three to four more days.


    After arriving at the north gate, Lin Shen took out the token and left the city. Just as he was about to summon the flying crane to set off, he suddenly heard a familiar voice.


    ¡°Junior Brother Lin!¡±


    Lin Shen looked in the direction of the voice and saw two young men walking toward him with smiles on their faces.


    One of them was Shen Zening, whom he had seen when the academy was besieging the Yan family disciples!


    ¡°Senior Brother Shen, why are you here too¡­¡±


    Halfway through his sentence, Lin Shen suddenly realized something.


    ¡°Senior Brother Shen, are you also going to Wood Ancestor City to participate in the Xuandu Meeting?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    Shen Zening smiled warmly.


    ¡°I heard that Junior Brother Lin is going too, so I waited here. Junior Brother Lin, you don¡¯t mind traveling with us, right?¡±


    Lin Shen smiled and said, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m very happy to travel with Senior Brother Shen.¡±


    Shen Zening¡¯s smile widened. He suddenly patted his head and introduced the young man beside him.


    ¡°How ignorant of me. 1 almost forgot to introduce you. This is Senior Brother Qu Ke, an inner sect disciple of the sect. Like us, he¡¯s going to Wood Ancestor City to participate in the Xuandu Meeting.¡±


    Si Yuanpei mentioned that there were a total of three Xuandu Tokens.


    Therefore, when he heard Shen Zening say that he was going to participate in the Xuandu Meeting, Lin Shen had already guessed that the other person was on the same mission. He wasn¡¯t surprised when he heard this and smiled as he cupped his hands at Qu Ke.


    ¡°Senior Brother Qu!¡±


    Qu Ke returned the greeting with a gentle smile.


    ¡°Junior Brother Lin, I¡¯ve heard so much about you. I¡¯ve long wanted to meet the legendary genius of the academy. Thanks to Junior Brother Shen, I can finally meet you today.¡±


    When Lin Shen heard this, he knew that Qu Ke was talking about how he had severely injured Wu Ji in the spirit cave and that many Mystic Light Stage Elders wanted to take him in as a disciple. He said a few words to express his humble attitude.


    ¡°Alright, enough with the pleasantries.¡±


    Shen Zening interrupted them with a smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. We should set off. We still have to stay together for more than ten days. You¡¯ll have plenty of time to chat.¡±


    Lin Shen and Qu Ke looked at each other and nodded.


    As the chief disciple of the top ten disciples of the upper house, although Shen Zening was born amoner, he had nock of support from important figures in the sect. His wealth wasn¡¯t inferior to that of the disciples of influential families.


    With a wave of his sleeve, the void in front of him suddenly darkened, and a Dragon Fang Flying Ship appeared in front of the three of them.


    ¡°With this Dragon Fang Flying Ship, it looks like we can arrive at the Wood Ancestor City a few days in advance.¡± Qu Keughed.


    The Dragon Fang Flying Ship was astonishingly fast and far exceeded ordinary flying spiritual beasts. Moreover, it was safer and could easily withstand the attacks of demons below the demon cultivator stage.


    With the Dragon Tooth Flying Ship, although they still had to take a long detour to avoid the depths of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range, the time spent on the journey could be greatly reduced.


    The ten-day trip would probably be shortened to eight days.


    ¡°After you!¡± Shen Zening gestured with his hand.


    Lin Shen and Qu Ke obeyed and were about to board the Dragon Fang Flying Ship.


    However, at this moment, a loud shout suddenly came from afar.


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    The three of them looked back in surprise and saw a figure flying over. Before long, he arrived andnded in front of the three of them aggressively.


    The person swept his gaze over and paused on Qu Ke first. He seemed to have recognized thetter. After taking a look, he turned to look at Shen Zening and Lin Shen. He raised his chin slightly and asked arrogantly,


    ¡°Which one of you is Lin Shen?¡±

 Chapter 267 - 267: It Won’t Take Long (1)

    Chapter 267: It Won¡¯t Take Long (1)


    Trantor: He nyce Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Lin Shen was puzzled. He sized the person up a few times, but he couldn¡¯t remember where he had seen the man before.


    He didn¡¯t think he knew this person at all.


    It was Qu Ke who took a step forward and frowned. ¡°Kuang Hai, what are you doing?¡±


    Others might not know, but Qu Ke knew that one of the three Xuandu Tokens was originally meant for Kuang Hai.


    Because of the intervention of the Military Department, that Xuandu Token went to Lin Shen instead.


    Kuang Hai had appeared here at this time and specifically asked for Lin Shen. It was obvious that he was here to cause trouble!


    As expected, Kuang Hai looked at Qu Ke condescendingly and said coldly, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business, Qu Ke. Don¡¯t be a busybody!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he ignored the ashen-faced Qu Ke and continued to look at Lin Shen and Shen Zening. He snorted coldly.


    ¡°What, you don¡¯t even dare to admit your name?¡±


    How could Lin Shen not tell that this person had ill intentions? However, he didn¡¯t panic. He calmly took a step forward and smiled faintly.


    ¡°I¡¯m Lin Shen. Why are you looking for me?¡±


    Kuang Hai¡¯s gaze immediately locked onto Lin Shen, and a cold smile appeared on his face.


    ¡°So you¡¯re Lin Shen. You don¡¯t look impressive. Do you dare to have a gambling battle with me? If you lose, give me the Xuandu Token!¡¯<sup>1</sup>


    As soon as he said this, Qu Ke and Shen Zening¡¯s expressions changed.


    One of them was an inner sect disciple, and the other was the chief disciple of the upper house who had many connections with rhe sect. Naturally, they knew what a gambling battle was.


    Shen Zening couldn¡¯t oppose an official disciple, so he couldn¡¯t say anything. However, Qu Ke didn¡¯t have such worries. He immediately reprimanded him.


    ¡°Kuang Hai, don¡¯t be unreasonable. The decision of the Xuandu Token was made by the institute heads of the Military Department. If you¡¯re dissatisfied, just go andin to them. Aren¡¯t you afraid that 1 11 tell the Disciplinary Department that you¡¯reing after Junior Brother Lin in private?¡±


    However, these harsh words didn¡¯t intimidate Kuang Hai. Instead, he only snorted.


    ¡°The sect has a rule that disciples can freely initiate gambling battles. The Nine Yang Academy is also a part of the sect. Why can¡¯t I initiate one with Lin Shen?¡±


    At this point, Kuang Hat¡¯s tone changed, and he looked at Lin Shen disdainfully.


    ¡°Of course, if you don¡¯t dare to ept my challenge, feel free to reject me. I¡¯ll know that the peerless genius that the sect is talking about is just a coward who doesn¡¯t even dare to ept the bet!<sup>11</sup>


    ¡°You!!!¡±


    Qu Ke was furious, but he couldn¡¯t refute it.


    The sect didn¡¯t explicitly mention that gambling battles couldn¡¯t happen between official disciples and disciples of the academy. Technically, Kuang Hai wasn¡¯t viting the sect¡¯s rules.


    Thinking of this, Qu Ke could only say, ¡°As an inner sect disciple, you took the initiative to challenge the academy¡¯s disciples. You actually have the cheek to do such a thing!¡±


    Kuang Hai didn¡¯t care at all. Instead, he pointed at Lin Shen andughed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? He¡¯s a genius who severely injured a cultivator master when he¡¯s only at the Bright Aperture Stage. How many inner sect disciples can do such a thing? Isn¡¯t it natural for me to initiate a gambling battle with him?¡±


    Although she was praising Lin Shen, her tone was filled with mockery.


    Qu Ke¡¯s expression froze when he heard this.


    In fact, although the news of Lin Shen severely injuring a cultivator master spread like wildfire in the sect, most people didn¡¯t believe it.


    Qu Ke included.


    Of course, the incident might be exaggerated, but Lin Shen¡¯s strength was still recognized by many people.


    In the eyes of many, Lin Shen was no longer treated as an ordinary academy disciple.


    They felt he was stronger than Shen Zening.


    Therefore, just as Kuang Hai had said, even if the news of him starting a bet with Lin Shen spread, he would most likely not be criticized too much.


    Lin Shen already realized what was going on.


    Back then, Si Yuanpei had said that the three Xuandu Tokens had already been distributed.


    Since Lin Shen could obtain one, someone must have lost the opportunity.


    And now, this victim hade knocking on his door.


    ¡°It¡¯s Xuandu Token¡¯s fault.¡±


    Lin Shen shook his head.


    Even so, he didn¡¯t feel guilty.


    After all, he had risked his life to obtain the Xuandu Token.


    Even if Kuang Hai was dissatisfied, he shouldin to the heads of the Military Department.


    After all, they were the ones who had intercepted the token, but they hadn¡¯t given Kuang Hai enoughpensation.


    Kuang Hai didn¡¯tin to the heads but came to find trouble with Lin Shen. He was purely bullying the weak and afraid of the strong!


    Thinking of this, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but smile and say, ¡°If you want to gamble, 1 won¡¯t object.¡±


    As soon as he said this, Qu Ke and Shen Zening were shocked.


    Kuang Hai, on the other hand, was overjoyed. His eyes shed with a smile as if his scheme had seeded.


    Qu Ke couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Junior Brother Lin, you actually don¡¯t have to¡­¡±


    Lin Shen waved his hand and cut him off. He smiled and said, ¡°Thankyou for speaking up for me, Senior Brother Qu. However, it¡¯s gettingte. Instead of letting him keep pestering us, it¡¯s better to resolve this issue as soon as possible so that we can get on our way.¡±


    The calmness and confidence in his words stunned Qu Ke


    Kuang Hai¡¯s face became extremely gloomy.


    He wasn¡¯t stupid, so how could he not tell that Lin Shen was looking down on him? He was immediately filled with hatred. He made up his mind to not hold back when they foughtter. He wanted to severely injure Lin Shen. Not only would Lin Shen lose the Xuandu Token, but he would also have to recuperate in bed for a few months!


    Just as Kuang Hai was thinking maliciously about how to deal with Lin Shen, he saw thetter turn to look at him.


    ¡°You said you wanted to use the Xuandu Token as a bet.. I can agree to it, but what do you n to use as a bet?¡±

 Chapter 268 - 268: It Won’t Take Long (2)

    Chapter 268: It Won¡¯t Take Long (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Kuang Hai¡¯s expression froze.


    He was very confident when he came here, feeling that he could definitely defeat Lin Shen and had long treated the Xuandu Token as his own. However, he had never thought of his own bet.


    Fortunately, he was quite wealthy. After a moment of thought, he had an idea. With a flip of his wrist, he took out something from his storage ring.


    ¡°This is a formation disk. There¡¯s a Nine Mystic Metal Array fixed on it that can be used repeatedly. When spiritual essence is injected, the array formation will be activated and defend an area of 300 meters in radius. Even if 30 to 40 cultivators at the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage join forces to attack it, the array formation can withstand for an hour or two!¡±


    Nine Mystic Metal Array?


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes lit up.


    That sounded great!


    That would be equivalent to a defensive array formation that could be activated at any time. If used well at the critical moment, it would almost be a life-saving trump card!


    Tsk tsk, were inner sect disciples all so rich that they could casually take out such a treasure that was almost as powerful as a profound armament?


    Lin Shen looked at Qu Ke and Shen Zening¡¯s expressions. Seeing the surprise on their faces, he knew that his guess was right. This formation disk was indeed a great object. Therefore, he didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately agreed.


    Seeing Lin Shen agree, Kuang Hai was overjoyed. The ecstasy in his heart almost broke out of his chest.


    The formation disk was indeed precious, but from his point of view, it was only temporarily used as a bet. If he won, he would naturally be able to get it back.


    The key was the Xuandu Token!


    As long as he defeated Lin Shen and took back the Xuandu Token, he could go to Wood Ancestor City to participate in the Xuandu Meeting.


    Once he obtained the Mystic Essence Liquid, he had a chance of condensing the 27th spirit meridian and obtaining a third-grade spirit meridian!


    At that time, his status in the sect and family n would definitely soar, and his future would be limitless!


    Thinking of this, Kuang Hai almost couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud!


    As for the possibility of losing the battle?


    What a joke. He was an inner sect disciple with a cultivation base of 26 meridians. How could he lose to a disciple from the academy who had only recently condensed a spirit meridian?


    In the end, rumors were just rumors. A ridiculous rumor of a Bright Aperture Stage disciple severely injuring a cultivator master would only make peopleugh.


    Kuang Hai was full of confidence. He sneered at Lin Shen and said, ¡°Don¡¯t say that I¡¯m bullying you. You can choose the location of the battle!¡±


    Lin Shen nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯m in a hurry. Let¡¯s do it here.¡±


    Then, he cupped his hands at Shen Zening and Qu Ke.


    ¡°Senior Brothers, please wait for me for a while. It won¡¯t take long.¡±


    Kuang Hai was furious, and even Qu Ke and Shen Zening had strange expressions on their faces.


    His opponent was an inner sect disciple with 26 meridians after all. Was it appropriate for him to look down on Kuang Hai like this?


    To be honest, although Qu Ke and Shen Zening knew Lin Shen was quite capable, they had never seen it with their own eyes. They didn¡¯t know exactly what level Lin Shen was at.


    Kuang Hai, on the other hand, was one of the top ten elites among the inner sect disciples.


    The two of them really did not have much confidence in Lin Shen¡¯s victory.


    However, at this point, it was impossible for them to stop Lin Shen. They could only secretly hope that Lin Shen wouldn¡¯t lose to Kuang Hai.


    ¡°I hope you can be as sharp-tongued as you are now when you loseter!¡±


    Kuang Hai red at Lin Shen and threw the formation disk to Qu Ke for safekeeping before walking away.


    Lin Shen smiled nonchntly. He took out the Xuandu Token and handed it to Qu Ke before following Kuang Hai.


    Not long after.


    The two of them arrived at an empty ce and stood 100 meters away from each other.


    Kuang Hai sneered as he took out a Pure Yang Talisman Sword. With a flick of his wrist, mes surged out and spread from the sword¡¯s edge.


    The surrounding air instantly became hot.


    ¡°A Pure Yang Talisman Sword!¡± Qu Ke frowned slightly. ¡°Where did Kuang Hai obtain such a treasured sword?¡±


    Profound armaments were rare, and many inner sect disciples didn¡¯t even have an inferior-grade profound armament.


    Inparison, the Pure Yang Talisman Sword, a supreme-grade enchanted armament that was extremely close to profound armaments, was easier to obtain.


    Therefore, obtaining a Pure Yang Talisman Sword became the goal of many disciples.


    ¡°Senior Brother Qu, don¡¯t worry. Junior Brother Lin has a profound armament on him!¡± Shen Zening suddenly said.


    After killing Yan Jingren, Si Yuanpei gave the tablet to Lin Shen. Few people knew about this, but Shen Zening knew it very well.


    Hearing this, Qu Ke was a little surprised, but he felt less uneasy.


    With the profound armament in hand, Lin Shen should have a better chance of winning.


    On the other side, Kuang Hai, who was an inner sect disciple, originally wanted Lin Shen to make the first move. However, his patience finally ran out after a long while. He snorted heavily and charged Lin Shen with his sword.


    To Qu Ke and Shen Zening¡¯s surprise, Lin Shen didn¡¯t show any signs of taking out his profound armament. Instead, he stood rooted to the ground.


    ¡°Junior Brother Lin, what are you nning?¡±


    They were both shocked and bewildered.


    At this moment, Lin Shen finally moved. He simply struck out with his palm.


    This action stunned Qu Ke and Shen Zening even more.


    Just as they were filled with confusion, they suddenly felt the surrounding temperature soar. The air instantly became exceptionally hot.


    Not far away, in the sky above the ce where the two people were fighting, an enormous scarlet palm had already appeared. Carrying boundless heat waves, it poured down like a fiery waterfall and instantly bombarded Kuang Hai, drowning him!


    BOOM!


    A thunderous explosion suddenly erupted!


    Kuang Hai¡¯s location was instantly submerged by raging mes and violent air waves!


    Qu Ke and Shen Zening took a few steps back in unison and circted their spiritual essence to block the scorching air wave..

 Chapter 269 - 269: It Won’t Take Long (3)

    Chapter 269: It Won¡¯t Take Long (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    When they steadied themselves, they looked up and saw that Kuang Hai was nowhere to be seen.


    All they could see was scorching mes!


    ¡°A True Martial technique!¡±


    ¡°Meltdown!¡±


    Qu Ke looked at the scene in front of him in a daze.


    This was the first time he had seen Lin Shen use Meltdown, but he still recognized it as a True Martial technique right away. He was extremely shocked.


    Shen Zening had seen Lin Shen use this move before.


    However, the power of Lin Shen¡¯s Meltdown was much stronger than before!


    The difference was incredible!


    After a while, Qu Ke was the first toe back to his senses. With a flick of his sleeve, a violent wind suddenly swept up from the ground, blowing away the surrounding airwaves and dust.


    When he took a closer look, the area within a hundred meters of Kuang Hai had already turned into scorched earth. There was even a huge pit in the middle.


    Kuang Hai was lying motionless in the middle of the deep pit. His entire body was charred ck, and he had long fainted!


    With just one look, Qu Ke knew that fire poison had entered Kuang Hai¡¯s system. This injury would probably take a few months to recover.


    When he turned to look at Lin Shen, who was standing with his hands behind his back and a calm expression on his face, Qu Ke was already filled with intense surprise and admiration.


    Shen Zening was equally shocked.


    Previously, when Lin Shen said that it wouldn¡¯t take long, they thought that Lin Shen was just trying to annoy Kuang Hai.


    Unexpectedly, it really only took a moment!


    Even that was an understatement.


    Only seven or eight seconds passed from the start of the confrontation to Kuang Hai¡¯s fall.


    If the time taken for the two of them to confront each other was excluded, it took less than a second for Lin Shen to defeat Kuang Hai!


    It was simply too easy!


    If Qu Ke hadn¡¯t known what had happened or Kuang Hai¡¯s temperament better, he would have suspected that the two of them were putting on an act.


    This was too ridiculous!


    An elite inner sect disciple with 26 meridians was actually defeated by someone like ackey. It was simply tragic!


    It was such a humiliation!


    When he came back to his senses, Qu Ke couldn¡¯t help but look at Kuang Hai with pity.


    It was conceivable that Kuang Hai wouldn¡¯t be able to face the others in the future when the news of today¡¯s incident reached the sect.


    Not only had he taken the initiative to challenge an academy¡¯s disciple, but he had also been defeated in one move.


    On the other hand, with Kuang Hai as a stepping stone, Lin Shen¡¯s reputation would definitely soar!


    Wait!


    Qu Ke suddenly realized that the strength Lin Shen had disyed just now had already far exceeded that of elite inner sect disciples. Even Qu Ke had to admit that he was far inferior.


    Could the rumors be true?


    Did Lin Shen really severely injure a Blood Sea Sect cultivator master in the spirit cave?


    Qu Ke turned his head to look at Shen Zening. Coincidentally, he met Shen Zening¡¯s gaze, which was also filled with surprise.


    It was obvious that Shen Zening thought the same way.


    Just as the two of them were feeling shocked, they heard Lin Shen¡¯s gentle voice.


    ¡°Senior Brothers, sorry about the waiting. Now that the matter is resolved, we can set off.¡±


    Qu Ke and Shen Zening suddenly woke up from their daze. They looked at Lin Shen¡¯s gentle smile, and the corners of their mouths twitched.


    ¡°Junior Brother Lin, you must be joking. We¡­ didn¡¯t wait long. It¡¯s not toote to set off now!¡± Qu Ke smiled bitterly.


    Indeed, they didn¡¯t wait for long.


    Lin Shen smiled and boarded the Dragon Fang Flying Ship.


    Qu Ke nced at Kuang Hai, who was lying on the ground not far away. He hesitated for a moment before taking out a flying letter. He condensed his spiritual essence and wrote something before throwing it into the air.


    The letter paused for a moment, then flew into the city like an arrow leaving the bow.


    Although he didn¡¯t like Kuang Hai¡¯s behavior, they were fellow disciples after all. He couldn¡¯t let Kuang Hai just lie here. At the very least, he could send a letter to get someone from the sect to carry Kuang Hai back.


    Immediately after, Qu Ke scattered some medicinal powder to expel the wild beasts around Kuang Hai.


    After doing all this, he sighed and boarded the flying ship with Shen Zening.


    A momentter, the ship buzzed and rose into the sky. It flew toward the north and soon disappeared into the horizon.


    Not long after they left, a few streams of light flew over from afar andnded on the charred ground with a whoosh.


    The leader was Han Liang, who had just parted with Kuang Hai not long ago.


    His gaze fell on Kuang Hai, who was in the middle of the pit. Han Liang¡¯s expression changed drastically. He quickly walked forward and squatted in front of Kuang Hai to examine him.


    A momentter, his expression rxed slightly.


    Although Kuang Hai was seriously injured, fortunately, his life wasn¡¯t in danger. He would recover after recuperating for a while.


    After the worry passed, Han Liang couldn¡¯t help but feel shocked.


    Previously, when he received Qu Ke¡¯s letter and mentioned that Kuang Hai had suffered a crushing defeat at Lin Shen¡¯s hands and was seriously injured and unconscious, he didn¡¯t believe it.


    After all, Kuang Hai had 26 meridians. Even if he lost to Lin Shen, he wouldn¡¯t be so seriously injured that he would faint, right?


    However, the situation in front of him undoubtedly exined everything.


    Looking at Kuang Hai¡¯s miserable state, Han Liang couldn¡¯t help but look adrift.


    With Kuang Hai¡¯s strength, some inner sect disciples could defeat him, but there was no one who could beat him to such a miserable state.


    Only those true disciples could do this!


    All of them were at the Spirit umtion Stage!


    Was the rumor that Lin Shen had severely injured a Blood Sea Sect cultivator master true?


    Han Liang was adrift for a moment, his heart filled with surprise.


    Fortunately, Qu Ke didn¡¯t tell him in the letter that Lin Shen had defeated Kuang Hai in one move. Otherwise, Han Liang¡¯s eyes would probably have popped out.


    Seeing that Han Liang was in a daze, one of the disciples behind him finally reminded him.


    ¡°Senior Brother Han, let¡¯s bring Senior Brother Kuang back to recuperate!¡±


    Han Liang seemed to have woken up from a dream and hurriedly stood up to make way so that the other two disciples could help Kuang Hai up.


    Seeing this, Han Liang frowned and sighed deeply.


    If Lin Shen were severely injured in the battle, it would definitely cause unpredictable consequences, but so would Kuang Hai¡¯s injury.


    He only hoped that after the news of Kuang Hai¡¯s serious injuries spread, it wouldn¡¯t cause an intense conflict..

 Chapter 270 - 270: Human-Faced Owl (1)

    Chapter 270: Human-Faced Owl (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Dragon Fang Flying Ship.


    In the cabin.


    Qu Ke and Shen Zening had yet to recover from their shock. Their expressions were adrift, and it was hard to tell what they were thinking. From time to time, they would nce at Lin Shen strangely.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t seem to notice it. He looked around the exquisite and elegant decorations in the cabin with interest.


    When he felt that Qu Ke and Shen Zening were about to recover from the astonishment, he sat opposite them and smiled at them across the coffee table.


    ¡°Senior Brothers, I came in a hurry this time. 1 still don¡¯t know much about the Xuandu Meeting. Can you tell me a little bit more about it?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Qu Ke came back to his senses and immediately smiled.


    After witnessing Lin Shen¡¯s strength, he became more and more optimistic about this junior brother¡¯s future and wanted to befriend him even more. With such an opportunity to get closer to Lin Shen, Qu Ke naturally wouldn¡¯t miss it.


    After some deliberation, Qu Ke exined carefully.


    ¡°The Xuandu meeting has been held on Mount Xuandu, which is 50 miles west of Wood Ancestor City. It¡¯s said that this mountain is rich in spiritual essence and is extremely suitable for wood-type natural treasures to grow. There are even many wood spirits living there. The Mystic Essence Liquides from one of the wood spirits called the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit!¡±


    Mystic Essence Wood Spirit!


    Lin Shen¡¯s expression changed slightly.


    Strictly speaking, nt spirits were also a type of demon.


    However,pared to ordinary demons, it was even more difficult for nt spirits to gain enlightenment and transcend human tribtions.


    A spirit herb would usually take hundreds or even thousands of years to have a chance of awakening its intelligence.


    After awakening their intelligence, they often needed to cultivate for hundreds or thousands of years before they could transcend human tribtion and step onto the immortal path.


    That was just the spirit herbs and spirit woods. It was thousands of times more difficult for ordinary nts to awaken their intelligence and transcend human tribtion!


    The only advantage of nt spirits over ordinary demons was that they had a longer lifespan.


    Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that they had enough time to cultivate.


    For cultivators, whether they were human cultivators or demon cultivators, nts that had be spirits were great supplements!


    Therefore, many nt spirits were often captured by cultivators to refine pills and medicine before they could grow up.


    Those who were lucky enough not to be captured spent most of their time dodging and escaping. If they weren¡¯t careful, their cultivation career would end.


    The nt spirit was one of the most miserable races among the many demons!


    ¡°The Xuandu Meeting is held once every three years for a month. Only cultivators with the Xuandu Token can enter.


    ¡°Once the meeting begins, the mountain-protecting array will be closed. Those on Xuandu Mountain, even cultivator masters, won¡¯t be able to leave. During this period, everything that the participants obtain on the mountain will belong to them. The Mystic Spirit Sect won¡¯t interfere.¡±


    After that, Qu Ke told Lin Shen more about the Xuandu Meeting.


    Most of the information came from the senior brothers and sisters who had participated in the Xuandu Meeting in the past.


    Although not all of them were useful, Lin Shen still listened with great interest.


    After chatting for a long time, the three of them returned to their rooms at night.


    The journey was boring. In the following days, the three of them took a few hours each day to chat and spent the rest time cultivating in their rooms.


    Lin Shen¡¯s cultivation level was temporarily frozen, and his martial techniques had already reached the highest stage. Only the Five Qi Suppression, Shadow-staying Technique, and Water Mirror Technique had room for improvement.


    He had already used up all his Cast Spirit Pills and couldn¡¯t condense more spirit meridians.


    Therefore, he cultivated the remaining three spells with his clones.


    ording to his estimation, he should be able to reach perfection in all three spells before they arrived at Wood Ancestor City.


    After that, he could only continue cultivating after obtaining the Mystic Essence Liquid and breaking through the current stage.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t expect to encounter a situation where he couldn¡¯t cultivate.


    In the past, he only felt that there were too few clones to cultivate all his skills.


    In the blink of an eye, five days passed.


    The Dragon Fang Flying Ship was already very close to the depths of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range.


    ording to the original n, the ship didn¡¯t enter this dangerous area. Instead, it took a long detour.


    Along the way, they encountered many flying demons. However, with the protective barrier of the Dragon Fang Flying Ship, these demons couldn¡¯t do anything to the ship. After chasing for a while, they left resentfully.


    Lin Shen and the other two weren¡¯t bothered by them.


    Just like that, two days passed quietly.


    However, just as the ship was about to leave the depths of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range, Lin Shen, who was resting in his room, suddenly felt the floor tremble violently. He couldn¡¯t help but raise his eyebrows in surprise.


    With the stability of the ship, even if it was attacked by demons, such a situation shouldn¡¯t have happened.


    Unless they were attacked by a force that was close to the limit of the protective barrier.


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he immediately stood up and walked out of the cabin.


    On the deck, Qu Ke and Shen Zening had already arrived and were looking outside with furrowed brows.


    Following their gazes, Lin Shen was slightly stunned.


    A group of strange-looking demons had surrounded the ship.


    These demons looked like owls with pheasant bodies and dog tails, but they had human faces.


    They had wings on their backs and sharp ws on their arms.


    ¡°Those are human-faced owls!¡±


    Lin Shen immediately recognized the demons.


    The human-faced owl was an Enlightening Stage spiritual beast that had the power to control the wind. It usually appeared in the depths of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range and rarely left the periphery.


    ¡°Why are the human-faced owls here?¡± Lin Shen muttered to himself in confusion.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Eagle Tribe!¡± Qu Ke suddenly said, ¡°Only the Eagle Tribe can drive the human-faced owls out of the activity area and to the periphery of the mountain range!¡±

 Chapter 271 - 271: Human-faced Owl (2)

    Chapter 271: Human-faced Owl (2)


    Trantor: yce Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Eagle Tribe?


    Lin Shen frowned.


    Among the five great demonic tribes of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range, apart from the Fox Tribe, which kept an extremely low profile, the Eagle Tribe was the most elusive.


    This was because most of the members of the Eagle Tribe were demons who had the ability to fly.


    Even the weakest Spirit Awakening demons could fly freely in the mountains, making it extremely difficult for cultivators to discover and kill them.


    The Tiger Tribe, the Python Tribe, and the Bear Tribe had been exterminated by the three major sects of Dragonside City. The Fox Tribe had been frightened by the experience of the Haoshan Fox n and had be more and more low-key. The Eagle Tribe then became the only king of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range.


    Perhaps that was why the Eagle Tribe lost their usual caution and actually dared to leave the depths of the mountain range and attack the Dragon Fan Flying Ship with the Nine Suns Sect¡¯s mark!


    Looking over, there were at lea st one to two hundred human-faced owls attacking the ship.


    Even though most of them were only at the primary phase of the Enlightening Stage, their numbers were big enough to shake the ship¡¯s defensive barrier.


    At this moment, these human-faced owls kept pping their wings, raising gray winds that hit the ship.


    From the outside, the entire flying ship was surrounded by dense gray winds!


    ¡°Some mere demons with feathers and horns dare to attack us. They¡¯re courting death!¡±


    Qu Ke sneered and took out a white feather from his sleeve bag. lie blew a mouthful of spiritual essence at it.


    After being nourished by the spiritual essence, the white feather seemed to have gained sentience. It suddenly trembled and broke free from Qu Ke¡¯s hand, turning into a streak of white light that flew out.


    The human-faced owls that surrounded the ship attacked for a long time, but there was no counterattack. They became relieved and more arrogant and let out ear-piercing cries.


    Right at this moment, a white ray of light suddenly shot out from the ship, and it flew around the ship like aet.


    In an instant, with the flying ship as the center, a circle of blood suddenly bloomed in the surroundings. Twenty to thirty human-faced owls suddenly froze and fell from the sky like dumplings falling into the water!


    The sudden change shocked the human-faced owls around them. They screamed and retreated, and their attacks immediately stopped.


    However, when they stopped attacking, the white ray of light didn¡¯t. It turned around and continued to attack rhe demons, piercing through the vital points of the human-faced owls!


    in an instant, blood bloomed in the air, and the human-faced owls fell one after another.


    On the deck, Shen Zenings eyes lit up when he saw this.


    ¡°Senior Brother Qu, your White Feather is indeed powerful, but I can¡¯t let you take all the limelight. Let me show off a little!¡±


    With that said, Shen Zoning threw out a green beam of light that shot out of the flying ship like an arrow, instantly piercing through the forehead of a human-faced owl.


    The human-faced owl didn¡¯t even have time to scream before it died instantly. The green light charged toward the next human-faced owl without stopping. It was almost as fast as the feather.


    Previously, when the sect was dealing with Yan Jingren, Lin Shen had seen Shen Zening use this Dharma treasure to block Yan Jingren¡¯s tablet.


    However, his cultivation was limited at that time, and he couldn¡¯t tell what Dharma treasure it was.


    It was only at this moment that he realized that the green light was actually a jade te.


    The jade te seemed to have the effect of destroying vital essence. The gray wind controlled by the human-faced owls couldn¡¯t stop it at all. It passed through the wind and reap the lives of the human-faced owls.


    Qu Ke and Shen Zening were both experts who had condensed spirit meridians.


    Early-phase Enlightening Stage demons were defenseless under their attack.


    In the blink of an eye, arge portion of the human-faced owls around the flying ship were killed. The remaining owls were finally afraid and screamed in fear as they fled into the distance.


    Qu Ke and Shen Zening controlled their Dharma treasures to chase after them for a while and killed dozens of owls before stopping.


    Lin Shen watched from the side the entire time and had no intention of malting a move.


    In the past, he would have lulled some human-faced owls to trigger the effect of Testify by Killing.


    However, be it cultivation, martial techniques, or spells, he had already reached his limit. Even if he triggered the effect of that talent, he wouldn¡¯t gain anything.


    He had experimented with it already.


    As he watched the human-faced owls retreat in panic, Lin Shen suddenly felt a gaze on him. He involuntarily turned his head and saw a ck shadow sh on the distant mountain wall as if something had hidden into the crack in the rock wall.


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes flickered. He looked in that direction for a while before retracting his gaze.


    After driving away the human-faced owls, the Dragon Fang Flying Ship continued on its way.


    After the ship turned into a ck dot on the horizon, on the mountain wall where the ck shadow had shed past, a human-faced owl slowly walked out.


    ¡°That flying ship is already far away. Come out.¡±


    The human-faced owl that spoke was much taller than its kin. Its upper limbs had almost turned into human-like arms, except for a thinyer of silver feathers. Clearly, its human tribtion would take ce soon.


    As soon as it finished speaking, a few human-faced owls walked out of the crack.


    Without exception, they were closer to humans than the nsmen who had besieged the flying ship just now, but the transformation wasn¡¯t as advanced as the first sliver-feathered owl.


    ¡°What did I tell you? The human cultivators who can board that kind of flying ship are definitely powerful, but you wouldn¡¯t listen to me. Great, we¡¯ve lost so many of our nsmen. What are you going to tell Master Miao You?¡±


    Upon hearing the word name, the Silver-feathered owl¡¯s expression froze, but it still stubbornly said,


    ¡°That was because you wouldn¡¯t take action and wouldn¡¯t let me do anything either.. Otherwise, we would have dealt with those two human cultivators long ago!¡±

 Chapter 272 - 272: Human-Faced Owls (3)

    Chapter 272: Human-Faced Owls (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    ¡°Forget it. Those two didn¡¯t even leave the flying ship. They clearly haven¡¯t used their full strength. Moreover, there¡¯s a third person on the flying ship. If we really attacked with you, we would have beenpletely wiped out!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re boosting the morale of others and lowering your own!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t argue with you. When Master Miao Youes back, I¡¯ll let her be the judge!¡±


    The silver-feathered owl¡¯s face twitched. It snorted heavily and said, ¡°Master Miao You were injured because of a human cultivator. I¡¯m avenging her!¡±


    ¡°The human cultivator who injured Master Miao You wasn¡¯t from the Nine Suns Sect!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all human cultivators. What¡¯s the difference?¡±


    ¡°You!!!¡±


    The other human-faced owls almost fainted from anger.


    Did this guy use all its intelligence on cultivation?


    Couldn¡¯t it use its brain for a change?


    The Nine Suns Sect waspletely different from itinerant cultivators!


    Although the Eagle Tribe had be more and more powerful recently and had be the overlord of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range, it was only limited to that region.


    If they really went against the Nine Suns Sect, they would end up just like the Tiger Tribe, Bear Tribe, and Python Tribe.


    They might follow in the footsteps of these three tribes!


    The other human-faced owls were already regretting bringing this brainless fellow along.


    In their anger, they didn¡¯t have the mood to talk to this fellow anymore. They were prepared to wait for Miao You to return from the Wood Ancestral City before reporting to her what this fellow had done.


    The attack by the human-faced owl was just a small interlude. Lin Shen and the other two quickly forgot about it and continued on their way.


    The rest of the journey was uneventful. There were no morerge-scale demon attacks.


    The Dragon Fang Flying Ship left the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range safely that night.


    After flying for another day and a half, the outline of a huge city finally appeared in the distance.


    ¡°We¡¯re here. That¡¯s the Wood Ancestor City!¡±


    Lin Shen looked over. Under the blue and white sky, the tall and majestic city wall stood straight, extending to both sides. There was no end to it.


    From the front, the width of the city was over five kilometers.


    One could vaguely see dense vines wrapped around the city wall as if covering the wall with ayer of armor.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t need to take a closer look to know that it was most likely some kind of spiritual wood.


    Most likely, it was part of the defense array of the Wood Ancestor City.


    Out of courtesy, the Dragon Fang Flying Ship stopped about two to a kilometer away from the Wood Ancestor City. Lin Shen and the other two then used the Riding Wind Technique and flew toward the Wood Ancestor City at a moderate speed.


    Before long, two disciples riding flying cranes came out to wee them.


    ¡°Are fellow Daoists here to participate in the Xuandu Meeting?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The three of them handed over the Xuandu Tokens.


    After checking the tokens, a disciple immediately said, ¡°Our sect has already set up a residence at the foot of Xuandu Mountain. Fellow Daoists, please follow me!¡±


    The three of them weren¡¯t surprised and immediately followed the two cultivators.


    There were many cultivators participating in the Xuandu Meeting, and there were all kinds of people. For safety reasons, Wood Ancestor City wouldn¡¯t let these cultivators enter the city. The best way was to ce them near Xuandu Mountain.


    It happened to be close to the venue of the Xuandu Meeting, which saved them much time and effort.


    Not long after, under the lead of two disciples, Lin Shen and the other two arrived near Xuandu Mountain.


    As far as they could see, the towering and undting mountain range stretched endlessly.


    Among the mountains, one stood out the most.


    Not only was it towering into the clouds, but the dense spiritual essence could also be felt from afar.


    It was Xuandu Mountain!


    Among the mountains, Xuandu Mountain stood out like a crane among chickens.


    Even if someone came here for the first time, they would recognize it at the first nce


    At this moment, on a few mountain ridges near Xuandu Mountain, there were already many stone houses built along the slopes.


    Cultivators from all over the East Sea Path gathered here. At a nce, there were probably more than a thousand people.


    Qu Ke sighed.


    ¡°There are still six days until the Xuandu Meeting, but there are already more than a thousand people. When the meeting begins, there will probably be two to three thousand people.¡±


    Two to three thousand cultivators didn¡¯t sound like a lot.


    However, almost everyone who came to participate in the Xuandu Meeting was here for the Mystic Essence Liquid.


    Those who needed the Mystic Essence Liquid were all cultivators who had reached the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage and had already started to forge spirit meridians.


    Such a person would already be an elite cultivator with a high status in anyrge city.


    Yet, there were two to three thousand such people here. It was a shocking sight.


    After bringing Lin Shen and the other two to a few empty houses, the two Mystic Spirit Sect disciples left.


    The three of them didn¡¯t chat with one another. They each chose a room and entered, preparing to conserve their energy for the Xuandu Meeting in six days.


    Although the houses prepared by the Mystic Spirit Sect weren¡¯t crude, they were just ordinary residences without any protective array formations.


    Lin Shen looked around and took out a few House Protection Talismans from his storage ring and pasted them on the wall. It was better than nothing.


    ¡°Looks like I have to find an opportunity to cultivate array formations. I don¡¯t have to be an expert, but 1 can¡¯t be ignorant. Otherwise, 1 won¡¯t even be able to set up the simplest protective array formation when I¡¯m in the same situation again.¡±


    After making a decision, Lin Shen sat cross-legged on the bed and prepared to meditate for the next few days.


    However, not long after he sat down, he suddenly sensed someone approaching.


    There were a total of two people. Judging from their auras, they weren¡¯t Qu Ke and Shen Zening.


    Not long after, there was a knock on the door.


    Lin Shen could only stand up and open the door.


    I¡¯wo people stood outside the door. They were both in theirte thirties to early forties, one tall and the other thin.


    The tall man had a fierce face, a stocky build, and beady eyes. With one look, one could tell that he wasn¡¯t a kind person.


    The short one was full of smiles. His eyes darted around, revealing his shrewdness.


    ¡°How may 1 help you?¡± Lin Shen sized up the two of them quietly and asked casually.


    The short man cupped his hands at Lin Shen with a smile and said,


    ¡°I¡¯m Lian Xi. This is mypanion, Luo Deng. The two of us have been admiring the Xuandu Meeting for a long time and have long wanted to participate in it. Unfortunately, we don¡¯t have the means to obtain the Xuandu Token and haven¡¯t been able to fulfill our wish. We¡¯re wondering if you can give the Xuandu Token to the two of us.


    ¡°Of course, we won¡¯t take it for free. We¡¯ll definitely give you enough remuneration!


    ¡°What do you think?¡±

 Chapter 273 - 273: Peace before War (1)

    Chapter 273: Peace before War (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Lin Shen was a little surprised and immediately became interested.


    ¡°The Xuandu Token can be traded?¡±


    Lian Xi was stunned, not expecting Lin Shen to ask such a question.


    However, he was immediately overjoyed. It seemed that this young man wasn¡¯t very familiar with the Xuandu Meeting. It was probably his first time participating. It was just right. It would be much easier to control him like this.


    Suppressing the joy in his heart, he smiled and said,


    ¡°Of course. The Xuandu Meeting only recognizes tokens and not the user. The Mystic Spirit Sect didn¡¯t explicitly forbid participants from trading in private. Even if the people from the heretic sectse here, as long as they have the Xuandu Tokens, the Mystic Spirit Sect won¡¯t stop them.¡±


    Lin Shen was enlightened.


    Neither Qu Ke nor Shen Zening mentioned this when they were chatting earlier.


    Lin Shen wondered if they also didn¡¯t know or if they felt that there was no need to mention this.


    ¡°Buddy, how is it? Can you sell us the Xuandu Token?¡± Lian Xi asked again in a hurry.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he asked unhurriedly, ¡°How did you know that I have the Xuandu Token?¡±


    Lian Xi was a little impatient, but for the sake of the Xuandu Token, he still answered Lin Shen.


    ¡°The cultivators who hold the Xuandu Token are personally led here by the Mystic Spirit Sect disciples. I happened to see two Mystic Spirit Sect disciples bringing you and yourpanions over just now, so 1 knew that you must have the Xuandu Token on you.¡±


    After exining, Lian Xi anxiously asked about the deal.


    ¡°What do you n to exchange with me for the Xuandu Token?¡±


    Seeing that Lin Shen was tempted, Lian Xi was overjoyed. His eyes darted around as he raised a finger.


    ¡°How about ten inferior-grade spirit stones?¡±


    Lin Shen rolled his eyes and was about to close the door.


    Actually, he wasn¡¯t deliberately teasing the two people.


    If they could really afford the price, he didn¡¯t mind giving up the Xuandu Token.


    For example, if he could exchange 20 to 30 drops of Mystic Essence Liquid, it would be fine if he didn¡¯t participate in the Xuandu Meeting. He could even save a month.


    However, these two people were clearly insincere.


    Ten inferior-grade spirit stones could be exchanged for two drops of Mystic Essence Liquid at most.


    They wanted these to exchange for the Xuandu Token with Lin Shen. They were clearly treating him as a fool who was easy to trick!


    Seeing that Lin Shen was about to close the door, Lian Xi hurriedly reached out to stop him and said, ¡°Wait a minute. Don¡¯t shut us out. If you think the price is too low, we can bargain. How about fifteen inferior-grade spirit stones?¡±


    Lin Shen shook his head.


    He wasn¡¯t a cultivator master yet, so spirit stones weren¡¯t of much use to him.


    The most important thing now was to let his clone condense more spirit meridians so that he could break through the bottleneck to be a cultivator master.


    Therefore, unless it was the Mystic Essence Liquid, he wouldn¡¯t even bat an eyelid even if dozens of inferior-grade spirit stones were ced in front of him.


    Seeing that Lin Shen wasn¡¯t tempted at all, Lian Xi gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Name a price!¡±


    Lin Shen nced at him and said calmly, ¡°Thirty drops of Mystic Essence Liquid.¡±


    ¡°Thirty drops¡­¡±


    Lian Xi¡¯s expression changed, and he almost cursed aloud.


    If he coulde up with 30 drops of Mystic Essence Liquid, would he need to spend so much effort to covet the Xuandu Token?


    Lian Xi finally understood that this brat clearly didn¡¯t want to sell the Xuandu Token.


    The smile on Lian Xi¡¯s face disappeared, and his expression became a little gloomy.


    He nced at Lin Shen and said with a fake smile,


    ¡°Buddy, judging from your age, you must have just condensed a spirit meridian, right?


    ¡°There are all kinds of people around Xuandu Mountain now. Countless people are secretly coveting the Xuandu Token. Every day, someone is attacked. Not only was the Xuandu Token snatched away, but they were also seriously injured. It¡¯s a tragic sight!


    ¡°With your strength, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be easy to protect the Xuandu Token. In my opinion, you should sell the Xuandu Token to us and exchange it for some essence stones. At least you won¡¯t end up with nothing!¡±


    Toward the end, Lian Xi¡¯s tone carried a trace of coldness.


    Luo Deng, who was beside him, also let out a cold snort and revealed an unfriendly gaze.


    Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help butugh. It turned out that they were being polite before resorting to force.


    He asked with a smile, ¡°If I don¡¯t give you the Xuandu Token, are you going to rob meter?¡±


    Lian Xi and Luo Deng were stunned when they heard this.


    They had thought that Lin Shen would either cower in fear or fly into a rage after hearing what they said. However, not only was he not afraid or angry at all, he would even point out their dark ns with a smile.


    Why didn¡¯t this person y by the rules?


    Lian Xi didn¡¯t know how to react for a moment.


    Even if he had such thoughts, he couldn¡¯t say these things openly. Who would say in front of their target that they wanted to rob them?


    ¡°Brother Xi!¡± Luo Deng saw that Lian Xi was in a daze and couldn¡¯t help but push his shoulder.


    Lian Xi seemed to have woken up from a dream. He cleared his throat and squeezed out a smile.


    ¡°Buddy, you must be joking. We¡¯re decent people. How can we do something that hurts people behind their backs? I¡¯m just reminding you out of kindness.¡±


    Lin Shen gave him a long look and waved his hand. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to worry. Is there anything else? If there¡¯s nothing else, please leave. I¡¯m going to rest.¡±


    Lian Xi¡¯s smile froze, and he was speechless.


    Seeing this, Lin Shen closed the door without another word.


    Lian Xi and Luo Deng were stunned on the spot.


    ¡°Brother¡­¡±


    Luo Deng opened his mouth to speak, but he was stopped by a look from Lian Xi.


    The two of them left the house and walked to a secluded ce. Only then did Lian Xi smash a rock beside him with his palm, his face filled with anger?


    ¡°Damn brat, how dare he toy with me!¡±


    Luo Deng leaned over and whispered fiercely, ¡°Brother Xi, shall we take him out?¡±

 Chapter 274 - 274: Peace before War (2)

    Chapter 274: Peace before War (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Lian Xi hesitated for a moment and shook his head. ¡°That brat still has twopanions. If the three of theme together, it won¡¯t be easy for us to defeat all of them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get someone to keep an eye on that kid. When he¡¯s alone, we¡¯ll immediately kill him so that he knows the consequences of offending me!¡±


    Lian Xi sneered.


    He wasn¡¯t exaggerating earlier.


    There were indeed a lot of things going around Xuandu Mountain.


    Those with Xuandu Tokens, those who wanted the tokens, and those with other intentions had all gathered in this area.


    There were already many conflicts that happened on the surface every day.


    There would only be more in the dark.


    However, the Mystic Spirit Sectpletely ignored them, allowing the cultivators to fight among themselves.


    Over the past few days, it was unknown how many people had died under the struggle or sneak attacks.


    Even the disciples ofrge sects were no different from itinerant cultivators here.


    After killing someone and throwing their corpse into the depths of the forest, who would know how they died?


    After returning to the house, Lin Shen continued to rest.


    As for Lian Xi and Luo Deng, they were just clowns. He didn¡¯t take them to heart at all.


    It was fine if the two of them didn¡¯t attack him, but if they did, he would get rid of them as an exercise.


    In the next few days, Lin Shen stayed in the house most of the time. asionally, he would go sightseeing with Qu Ke and Shen Zening. It was quite leisurely.


    As the date of the Xuandu Convention approached, more and more cultivators came to Xuandu Mountain.


    With more people came more conflicts.


    In the past few days, Lin Shen witnessed more than ten conflicts with his own eyes.


    There were even a few times when he discovered that when the two sides left with injuries, many sneaky people secretly followed them.


    Those injured people would definitely not end well.


    Fortunately, there were always small conflicts but no major ones.


    On the day of the Xuandu Meeting, everyone who held the Xuandu Token gathered at the foot of the mountain and waited for the array to be activated.


    Lin Shen stood on a gentle slope and looked around. The mountains and ins were filled with cultivators with powerful auras. There were no less than 2,000 people.


    The auras of many cultivators gathered together and condensed into an invisible pir of air that shot into the sky, sweeping away the clouds. The sky within a radius of several kilometers was clear.


    Qu Ke and Shen Zening stood beside Lin Shen and were amazed when they saw this scene.


    ¡°The Mystic Spirit Sect is indeed one of the fewrge sects in the East Sea Path. Just the Xuandu Meeting alone has gathered so many cultivators at the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage!¡± Qu Ke sighed.


    Shen Zening smiled and said, ¡°At the end of the day, the Mystic Essence Liquid is too attractive. Not to mention itinerant cultivators, even disciples ofrge sects like you and me, as long as they want to condense a third or fourth-grade spirit meridian, they would want to take a chance at the Xuandu Meeting!¡±


    Qu Ke nodded in agreement.


    Although Cast Spirit Pills could also condense spirit meridians, it only worked well for the first few spirit meridians.


    When the number of spirit meridians exceeded nine, one would need dozens of Cast Spirit Pills to condense a new one!


    Even the disciples of therge sects found it difficult to bear the burden.


    One might as well give it a try at the Xuandu Meeting. If one was lucky enough to obtain three to four drops of Mystic Essence Liquid, it would be more than enough to forge a fourth-grade spirit meridian!


    That was why so many cultivators flocked to the Xuandu Meeting.


    There were even some cultivators who did despicable things to obtain a Xuandu Token.


    Lin Shen was listening to the other two when he suddenly heard the conversation of some other people.


    ¡°There are many more people participating in this year¡¯s Xuandu Meeting than in previous years!¡±


    ¡°Oh no, there are so many people. Even if 1 find the Mysterious Wood Spirit, it probably won¡¯t be my turn to take it!¡±


    ¡°The Xuandu Meeting hasn¡¯t even started yet, why are you already feeling dejected? Since you¡¯re already here, you should try your best!¡±


    ¡°I think Cai is right. There are many experts among the participants this year. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯re far from being their match!¡±


    Lin Shen looked in the direction of the voices and realized that it was an old man and two young ones


    The two younger men were in theirte 20s. From their outfits, they seemed to be itinerant cultivators.


    The old man had white hair, but his face was rosy, and his skin was firm. He looked like a sage.


    Hearing the old man¡¯s words, Lin Shen¡¯s expression changed, and he walked over.


    When they realized that Lin Shen was approaching, the two young men immediately looked wary and subconsciously tensed up.


    However, the old man didn¡¯t panic at all. He gave the two men a look to calm them down. Then, he smiled warmly at Lin Shen.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t mind. He walked straight to the old man, cupped his hands, and smiled.


    ¡°Greetings. I¡¯m Lin Shen. I identally overheard the three of you chatting just now. From what you said, you seem to be quite familiar with the people here?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say that I¡¯m familiar with them. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve been traveling back and forth between the nearbyrge cities. I¡¯ve seen too much, so I naturally know more than others.¡± The old man chuckled.


    ¡°May 1 ask how I should address you?¡±


    ¡°My surname is Luo Wei.¡±


    Without waiting for him to speak, Luo Wei took the initiative to say,


    ¡°If Fellow Daoist Lin is interested in the people here, why don¡¯t I introduce them to you?¡±


    Lin Shen was a little surprised that Luo Wei was so enthusiastic, but he hade to talk to him about this, so he nodded happily.


    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±


    Luo Wei smiled and scanned the crowd. Suddenly, he pointed in a direction.


    ¡°Fellow Daoist Lin, look over there.¡±


    Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but look in the direction he was pointing at, only to see three young cultivator masters standing on a high slope..

 Chapter 275 - 275: Peace before War (3)

    Chapter 275: Peace before War (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    All three of them were dressed in ck robes. Their eyes were sunken, and their faces were so pale that not a single trace of blood could be seen on them. Their entire bodies emitted a cold and gloomy aura.


    The cultivators who passed by the three of them looked wary and subconsciously distanced themselves as though the three of them were some ferocious and terrifying monsters.


    Luo Wei whispered, ¡°Fellow Daoist Lin, did you see that? Those three are disciples of the Corpse Sect!¡±


    Corpse Sect!


    Lin Shen raised his eyebrows.


    Naturally, he knew about this sect.


    Or rather, as long as one had stayed in the East Sea Path for a few years, they would know about that sect.


    Just as the Blood Sea Sect, the Corpse Sect was also an infamous heretic sect of the East Sea Path. They ruled over White Phosphorus City and were famous for their sinister corpse refinement techniques.


    In the East Sea Path, the Flying Yaksha and Immortal Bones of White Phosphorus City could almost stop children from crying at night!


    Countless cultivators had died at the hands of the Corpse Sect¡¯s sinister corpses.


    At this moment, many people were fixing their resentful gazes on the three Corpse Sect members.


    If looks could kill, the three of them would have died long ago.


    However, the three disciples of the Corpse Sect acted as if they didn¡¯t see the hostile gazes. They were calm andposed, clearly very confident in their strength.


    Retracting his gaze from the Corpse Sect, Luo Wei pointed to another ce and said, ¡°Fellow Daoist Lin, look over there. Those are disciples of the Soaring Cloud Sect.¡±


    Lin Shen turned his gaze over again.


    Compared to how the Corpse Sect members were treated, the Flying Cloud Sect disciples were much more popr.


    Over two dozen itinerant cultivators gathered together and surrounded the three extremely well-dressed Flying Cloud Sect disciples like stars surrounding the moon. They were all smiling and fawning.


    Even from afar, one could hear the endless ttery.


    The three Flying Cloud Sect disciples only revealed a faint smile from the beginning to the end, carrying a reserved pride.


    Yuanling City, where the Flying Cloud Sect was located, could only be considered one of the best second-rate cities in the East Sea Path. It was far inferior torge cities like Dragonside City, Seaview City, and White Phosphorus City.


    The Flying Cloud Sect was the only sect in the entire Yuanling City.


    With the power of a city gathered on it, the overall strength of the Flying Cloud Sect wasn¡¯t inferior to any of the Nine Suns Sect, Azure Frost Sect, or Raging Waves Sect.


    Itinerant cultivators had a hard time cultivating and wanted to joinrge city sects at all times.


    The top sects looked down on them, and they felt that they couldn¡¯t match up to them. Hence, sects like the Flying Cloud Sect became their first choice.


    Coincidentally, the Flying Cloud Sect was one of the few sects that were willing to ept itinerant cultivators.


    Therefore, wherever the Flying Cloud Sect disciples went, they were often highly sought after by itinerant cultivators.


    Luo Wei then pointed out a few more sect disciples.


    Among them were people from the Blood Sea Sect.


    ¡°Fellow Daoist Lin, did you see that? There are nearly a hundred disciples from the variousrge sects in this year¡¯s Xuandu Meeting. Be it their cultivation, martial arts techniques, or Dharma treasures and talismans, these disciples are much stronger than disciples of small sects and itinerant cultivators like us. What can we use topete with them for the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit?


    ¡°I can only hope that I¡¯m lucky enough to pick up what the others have missed!¡±


    Luo Wei sighed.


    The two young men beside him could not hide their dejected expressions.


    If they still had some confidence earlier, then as Luo Wei pointed out those disciples of the great sects one by one, their confidence had long since been crushed to nothingness.


    Compared to the disciples of the major sects, the disciples of small sects and itinerant cultivators were indeed iparably weak and couldn¡¯tpete with them.


    Lin Shen pondered for a moment and said, ¡°I heard that there are many powerful figures among the itinerant cultivators. Perhaps there are such figures among the participants here?¡±


    Luo Wei nced at him and chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s indeed as Fellow Daoist Lin said. At least, I recognize three famous and powerful itinerant cultivators here!¡±


    After that, Luo Wei looked at the surrounding crowd and pointed at three people in session.


    Lin Shen¡¯s gaze moved in the direction he was pointing and saw that the three of them were two men and one woman.


    One of them was a man in a gray Daoist robe. He was tall and thin, and his face was fair and beardless. He was about 40 years old and had an expressionless face. He exuded an aura that made him utterly unapproachable.


    The other was a fat man who was also over thirty years old. He was fat and looked like a round ball of meat from afar.


    However, his expression was quite amiable, and he kept smiling.


    Lastly, there was a young woman in her thirties. She had a beautiful face and snow-white skin. She wore a light green flowy dress and had a flirtatious demeanor.


    Such a beautiful person should be quite eye-catching and coveted by others.


    It was true that this young woman had attracted many gazes, but most of them were filled with fear and trepidation. Only a small number of people coveted her.


    From Luo Wei¡¯s introduction, Lin Shen learned that the three names were Yin Xianbin, Guan Zhou, and Yi Sufeng.


    ¡°It¡¯s said that the three of them all have more than ten meridians and aren¡¯t as powerful as disciples of therge sects. However, they are itinerant cultivators who have been training on their own for many years. They all have some powerful life-saving methods up their sleeves. In a real life and death battle, many disciples of therge sects aren¡¯t their match!¡±


    Luo Wei¡¯s tone was filled with fear.


    Lin Shen nodded slightly, deep in thought.


    Itinerant cultivatorscked cultivation resources, so their cultivation progress was far inferior to sect disciples.


    For example, in the Nine Suns Sect, as long as the disciple¡¯s aptitude wasn¡¯t too bad, they would be able to reach the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage before the age of 30 and begin to condense their spirit meridians.


    Someone as talented as Shen Zening was able to take this step before the age of 25.


    As for itinerant cultivators, even if they had outstanding potential, they rarely started to condense spirit meridians before the age of 30.


    For example, Yin Xianbin, Guan Zhou, and Yi Sufeng were considered outstanding among itinerant cultivators, but they had only condensed more than ten spirit meridians.


    Of course, they had been cultivated for many years. Most sect disciples didn¡¯t have the confidence to defeat them.


    After hearing Luo Wei¡¯s introduction, Lin Shen already had an idea of the strength of the cultivators here.


    After thanking Luo Wei sincerely, Lin Shen returned to Qu Ke and Shen Zening.


    After he walked away, one of the two young men couldn¡¯t help but whisper, ¡°Uncle Luo, aren¡¯t you too enthusiastic about that kid?¡±


    Luo Wei nced at him and said with a smile, ¡°I did a small favor to a disciple of arge sect. It¡¯s beneficial to us. Why not?¡±


    The young man was stunned for a moment before he asked in surprise, ¡°That person is a disciple of arge sect? Which sect is he from?¡±


    ¡°Nine Suns Sect.¡± Luo Wei smiled.


    The young man was enlightened and didn¡¯t question Luo Wei¡¯s words.


    He knew that Uncle Luo cultivated a visual technique that allowed him to distinguish the aura of different cultivation techniques. From this, he could determine the sects of cultivators.


    It was precisely because of this, as well as the rich knowledge brought about by traveling everywhere, that Uncle Luo was able to know the backgrounds of many cultivators like the back of his hand..

 Chapter 276 - 276: Are You Looking for Me? (1)

    Chapter 276: Are You Looking for Me? (1)


    Trantor: yce Trantions Editor: yee Trantions


    ¡°Junior Brother Lin, that¡¯s¡­¡±


    Qu Ke and Shen Zening had long noticed Lin Shen and Luo Wei¡¯s conversation. When they saw him return, they couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t keep anything from them and recounted what Luo Wei had said.


    Upon hearing that, Qu Ke and Shen Zening looked at each other in surprise.


    They were amazed by Luo Wei s knowledge and experience.


    They were also amazed that so many powerful cultivators would participate in the Xuandu Meeting.


    ¡°Looks like we have to be careful during the Xuandu Meeting!¡± Qu Ke said with a serious expression.


    Lin Shen and Shen Zening nodded solemnly.


    The meeting had yet to begin, but blood was already shed. One could imagine how many people would fight for the wood spirit after entering Xuandu Mountain!


    The real difficulty of the Xuandu Meeting wasn¡¯t how to find the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit, but how to protect the treasure from the covetous eyes of others after finding it!


    If nothing went wrong, they would probably encounter many fierce battles after entering Xuandu Mountain.


    Because of this, few participants were lone wolves.


    At the very least, they would travel together in groups of two or three to take care of each other and prevent themselves from being ambushed.


    However, that wasn¡¯t Lin Shen¡¯s n.


    His eyes flickered, and he suddenly said, ¡°Senior Brothers, 1 have a suggestion. After entering Xuandu Mountain, why don¡¯t we split into two groups? You two can travel together. This way, 1 believe it¡¯ll be more efficient to find the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit.¡±


    Qu Ke and Shen Zening were stunned when they heard that. However, on second thought, Lin Shen¡¯s suggestion made sense.


    Although it was safe to stay together, it wouldn¡¯t be as efficient as searching separately.


    As for safety, the two of them could stick together. If they encountered the three disciples of the Corpse Sect, even if they couldn¡¯t defeat them, they would have no problem getting away.


    As for Lin Shen, there was even less of a problem!


    No matter which participant met Lin Shen, rhe first thing they had to worry about was their own safety!


    At the thought of this, Qu Ke and Shen Zening agreed to Lin Shen¡¯s suggestion.


    Lin Shen felt much more reassured.


    He could summon his clones to assist in the search. It was undoubtedly the most advantageous for him to act alone.


    With Qu Ke and Shen Zening traveling together, he wouldn¡¯t be able to summon the clones whenever he wanted.


    Just as Lin Shen and the other two were talking, on the slope more than three hundred meters away, three Blood Sea Sect disciples stared at them coldly.


    ¡°Shan Bai, are you sure they¡¯re from the Nine Suns Sect?¡±


    ¡°Definitely. 1 know Qu Ke. He¡¯s an inner-sect disciple of the Nine Suns Sect. I¡¯ve fought him before!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. When we enter Mount Xuandu, we¡¯ll find an opportunity to kill all three of them.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Nine Suns Sect killed so many of our fellow disciples in the spirit cave. Even Elder Wu and Senior Brother Min are dead. We have to take revenge. We ll use these three as sacrifices now. When we get rhe Mystic Essence Liquid and be cultivator masters, we ll return to the spirit cave and kill everyone from the Nine Suns Sect!<sup>1</sup>¡¯


    A ferocious look shed across the eyes of the three Blood Sea Sect disciples.


    As the battle in the spirit cave became more and more intense, many disciples of both sects died in battle.


    The two sects, which were originally enemies, were now holding more grudges against each other.


    The three Blood Sea Sect disciples naturally didn¡¯t want to miss the opportunity to kill the Nine Suns Sect disciples.


    At the same time.


    in the corner of the crowd, Lian Xi stared at Lin Shen with a dark expression, his eyes flickering.


    For the past few days, Lin Shen had been inseparable from hispanions, so he hadn¡¯t been able to find a chance to attack Lin Shen.


    Fortunately, they were lucky enough to get a few Xuandu Tokens from others. They even lost a few people because of this.


    Lian Xi med this loss on Lin Shen.


    If rhe brat had agreed to his request obediently, they wouldn¡¯t have attacked an itinerant cultivator with extraordinary strength for the sake of thest token, causing them to pay rhe price of losing three of theirpanions!


    it was all that kid¡¯s fault!


    ¡°You¡¯d better not let me find you alone in Xuandu Mountain, or you¡¯ll be dead!¡±


    Lian Xi thought viciously.


    At this moment, the sound of a bell suddenly rang on Xuandu Mountain.


    The surroundings instantly fell silent. Everyone looked at Xuandu Mountain in unison.


    Under everyone¡¯s surprised gazes, a green curtain that looked like ripples of light suddenly descended from the sky. From the top of the mountain to rhe foot of the mountain, it slowly enveloped the entire Xuandu Mountain. Then, it suddenly opened a corner.


    In an instant, a mountain scenery that waspletely different from before was revealed, and the view seemed to stretch out endlessly.


    There were streams and valleys that connected to the peaks. From afar, green vines seemed to connect to the clouds in the sky. It was extremely beautiful!


    Exmations rose in the crowd.


    Many cultivators who saw this scene for the first time were shocked.


    Lin Shen was equally amazed.


    It turned our that the scenery of Xuandu Mountain that they had just seen was only an illusion created by the mountain-protecting array. The scene in front of them was rhe true Xuandu Mountain!


    The mountain was even more vast than before!


    At this moment, a low roar suddenly rang out. A strange beast made of white bones suddenly rushed out of the crowd and flew toward Xuandu Mountain.


    It was the three Corpse Sect disciples.


    The three of them rode on the back of the bone beast and flew out. In the blink of an eye, they rushed into the gap and disappeared.


    This action seemed to have triggered a switch. In an instant, countless figures rushed out of rhe crowd. They either flew in the wind or rode strange beasts. They rushed into Xuandu Mountain, afraid that they would be one step behind the others..

 Chapter 277 - 277: Are You Looking for Me? (2)

    Chapter 277: Are You Looking for Me? (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    ¡°Junior Brothers, let¡¯s go too.¡± Qu Ke smiled.


    Lin Shen and Shen Zening nodded. The three of them then used the Riding Wind Technique and suddenly entered the gap like a breeze.


    His vision blurred, and when his vision returned to normal, Lin Shen realized that he was already in a valley.


    Not far away, there was a clear stream covered in pebbles. The surrounding ancient trees were silent, and the cries of apes could be heard from afar.


    Lin Shen took a deep breath and felt as if his entire body had been cleansed.


    ¡°What rich spiritual essence!¡±


    After entering Xuandu Mountain, he realized that the concentration of spiritual energy here was much higher than what he had sensed previously.


    It was almostparable to a Teaching Room-level Cave Abode!


    Although the level of the Teaching Room wasn¡¯t high, Xuandu Mountain was vast. Such a vast Teaching Room-level Cave Abode wasn¡¯t something that the lower-house disciples of the Nine Yang Academy could have ess to.


    There was anding sound behind him. Qu Ke and Shen Zening had caught up.


    The two of them were also surprised by the rich spiritual essence here.


    Qu Ke¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°It¡¯s said that the earth veins of Xuandu Mountain have been circted by array formations for thousands of years. It¡¯s said that the spiritual essence not only didn¡¯t dissipate, but the ce also condensed into a Cave Abode. That seems to be true!¡±


    Shen Zening nodded in agreement. ¡°Judging from the density of spiritual essence, it will probably reach the level of a Teaching Room in another hundred years at most. If such a huge Teaching Room Cave Abode is used to nurture disciples, the Mystic Spirit Sect will probably surpass the Dual Prity Sect in less than ten years!¡±


    The Dual Prity Sect was one of the major sects that ruled Spring Joy City, and its strength was simr to that of the Mystic Spirit Sect.


    The cities where the two sects were located were less than 50 km apart. In the past, there had been many frictions.


    After more than a thousand years, they had umted a lot of grudges.


    After chatting for a while, the three of them separated. Qu Ke and Shen Zening went straight to the west. Lin Shen pondered for a moment and chose a random direction before activating the Cloud Dragon Rhythm.


    More than a hundred meters behind, Lian Xi¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw the three of them separate.


    ¡°That kid is separated from hispanions!


    ¡°Haha, the heavens are really helping me. He can¡¯t escape from my grasp now!¡±


    Lian Xi revealed a sinister smile and immediately made up his mind.


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s catch up with that brat and kill him first!¡±


    Luo Deng had a rough appearance but a meticulous mind. He vaguely felt that something was wrong.


    ¡°Brother Xi, isn¡¯t it a little strange that the kid suddenly separated from hispanions?¡±


    Lian Xi was a little surprised. Then, as if he had thought of something, he sneered.


    ¡°He probably thinks that it¡¯s more efficient to search for the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit separately. I don¡¯t know where he got his confidence from. There are strong people everywhere in Xuandu Mountain now. If he dares to act alone, even if he finds the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit, other people will only take it away!¡±


    Luo Deng hesitated. ¡°Even so, if that person doesn¡¯t have some skills, he wouldn¡¯t dare to act alone, right?¡±


    ¡°So what? That kid is only in his early twenties. To be able to condense spirit meridians at this age is already considered overflowing with talent. He¡¯ll have three to four spirit meridians at most. Both of us have ten meridians. Why should we be afraid of a junior with three to four meridians?¡±


    At this point, Lian Xi frowned and red at Luo Deng.


    ¡°Why are you getting more and more timid? Let me tell you, we paid a lot to get the Xuandu Token this time. If we don¡¯t earn enough, how are we going to exin to the elders when we go back?


    ¡°Besides, I can tell at a nce that the kid is from arge sect. He must have a lot of good stuff on him. If I can get them, even if I can¡¯t find the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit on this trip, 1 can make up for some of my losses!


    ¡°If I can find a couple of supreme-grade enchanted armaments on this kid¡­¡±


    Luo Deng¡¯s eyes lit up as he listened to Lian Xi. It was obvious that he was tempted.


    As disciples of small sects, they generally only had one or two superior-grade enchanted armaments. If they could obtain a supreme-grade enchanted armament, they would wake upughing in their dreams.


    Thinking of this, Luo Deng no longer hesitated. He gritted his teeth and nodded.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it!¡±


    After all, that kid was still young. Even if he had some strength, he couldn¡¯tpare to the three disciples of the Corpse Sect or people like Yin Xianbin and Guan Zhou.


    It wasn¡¯t like they didn¡¯t have any trump cards. It shouldn¡¯t be difficult to take down that kid.


    After reaching an agreement, the two of them immediately chased after Lin Shen.


    After flying for a while, Lin Shen found a quiet ce and summoned all his clones except for Amaze the World. Then, they spread out and began to search for the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit.


    When he was on the Dragon Tooth Flying Ship, he already asked Qu Ke how to capture the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit.


    The Mystic Essence Wood Spirit was of the wood attribute and liked to absorb wood attribute spiritual essence the most. Therefore, it often attached itself to spirit wood spirit herbs.


    Therefore, as long as he found a ce where spirit wood and spirit herbs grew, he would most likely be able to discover traces of the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity. If I had known, I would have brought Ai here!¡±


    Lin Shen thought to himself.


    Ai¡¯s keen perception of natural spiritual essence was perfect for this asion!


    Shaking his head, Lin Shen restrained his distracting thoughts and began to focus on searching.


    Although Mount Xuandu was called a mountain, it was actually a group of mountains that covered thousands of kilometers.


    Two thousand cultivators sounded like a lot, but after they were scattered all over Xuandu Mountain, it was like throwing a stone into the sea. They couldn¡¯t cause any waves.


    Lin Shen searched for a long time, but he didn¡¯t run into anyone..

 Chapter 278 - 278: Are You Looking for Me? (3)

    Chapter 278: Are You Looking for Me? (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    However, he was happy to see that.


    He and the six clones split up and searched at the same time. They were extremely fast. On average, they could search an entire mountain in less than half an hour.


    Although this method was time-consuming and energy-consuming, it was the most practical and effective method for Lin Shen.


    Lin Shen¡¯s expression suddenly changed after more than ten mountains were searched in a row, and he quickly flew in a certain direction.


    A momentter, he arrived at the waist of a mountain andnded on an opening in the woods.


    The Pure Yang Body clone was already waiting here.


    About 500 to 600 meters away, a banyan tree over twenty meters tall and needed over ten people to get their arms around stood majestically.


    Even from afar, he could feel the exuberant vitality emitted by the banyan tree. It was so dense that it was astonishing.


    ¡°It¡¯s at least 600 to 700 years old. It should be able to awaken its intelligence soon!¡±


    Lin Shen clicked his tongue in wonder.


    Along the way, he had long noticed that the nts in Xuandu Mountain were nourished by spiritual essence and were much more vigorous than those in the outside world.


    Under normal circumstances, if a banyan tree wanted to awaken its intelligence, it would grow for at least a thousand years.


    The banyan tree in front of him was bathed in rich spiritual essence all year round. It was only 600 to 700 years old, but it was already showing signs of bing a spirit. It was all thanks to this unique environment.


    There was a high chance that such a spirit wood would be apanied by the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit!


    In fact, as he approached the banyan tree, Lin Shen could already vaguely sense a strange aura in it. It was like an ink spot on a piece of white paper and was extremely conspicuous.


    At the same time, he gradually smelled a strange fragrance.


    All of this indicated the existence of the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit!


    Lin Shen perked up, and his movements became lighter and slower. At the same time, he pasted a concealment talisman and an escape talisman on himself and his Pure Yang Body clone. Then, he carefully approached the banyan tree.


    When he was within a hundred meters of the banyan tree, Lin Shen finally heard a strange sounding from the crown.


    He looked over and saw a palm-sized child with a pigtail standing on his head. He was sitting on a branch and sucking the surrounding spiritual energy with a satisfied expression. From time to time, he would dance andugh.


    ¡°Mystic Essence Wood Spirit!¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes narrowed. Seeing this, he no longer hesitated. He rushed out from behind the tree and pounced at the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit on the banyan tree crown.


    The Mystic Essence Wood Spirit on the treetop sensed themotion immediately. When he turned around, his face immediately turned pale. With a cry, he turned around and rushed down the tree.


    Demons like nt spirits were usually born with the ability to escape by burrowing underground. A cultivator master used their spiritual senses to track it, but ordinary cultivators could forget about finding its traces.


    Of course, Lin Shen wouldn¡¯t let his prey escape so easily. Without thinking, he pointed with his finger and shouted.


    ¡°Freeze!¡±


    At that sound, the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit immediately stopped moving. He was rendered immobile, and only his eyeballs rolled around in fear.


    In terms of strength and cultivation, the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit couldn¡¯t evenpare to a Mystic Stage spiritual beast, but its ability to escape was a little troublesome.


    However, Lin Shen¡¯s fifth-level Immobilizing Spell instantly deprived him of his mobility.


    Lin Shen had already shot over like a bolt of lightning. In the blink of an eye, he was five meters away from the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit.


    At the critical moment, the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit cried out and finally broke free from the shackles of the spell.


    It was toote to escape underground. He simply bumped into the banyan tree trunk beside him and disappeared in an instant.


    When he reappeared, he emerged from the trunk of a tall tree more than thirty meters away.


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    The Mystic Essence Wood Spirit, who had escaped the cmity,ughed loudly and made a face at Lin Shen. Then, he was about to burrow into the ground and escape.


    However, at this moment, a figure suddenly emerged from the shadow of the tree and easily grabbed the wood spirit.


    ¡°All! All!¡±


    Caught off guard, the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit cried out in fear and struggled crazily. Unfortunately, his palm-sized body really didn¡¯t have much strength and was tightly grabbed by that powerful palm.


    The owner of the palm was actually the Pure Yang Body clone.


    While the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit was focused on Lin Shen, he used the Shadow-staying Technique and crawled out from behind the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit, sessfully capturing it in one go.


    Looking at the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit in the clone¡¯s hand, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue.


    With his strength, he almost couldn¡¯t catch the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit in a surprise attack.


    If not for the clone¡¯s help, the little fellow might have really escaped.


    That was how difficult it was to capture the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit!


    ¡°No wonder Wood Ancestor City doesn¡¯t trade much Mystic Essence Liquid every year. Unless a cultivator master takes action, ordinary Bright Aperture Stage cultivators will probably have to spend a lot of energy and time to capture the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit!¡±


    In any sect, cultivator masters were extremely importantbat strength and wouldn¡¯t be mobilized easily.


    Moreover, most of the cultivators were in charge of important positions in the sect and were abnormally busy. They might not even have enough time to cultivate, so how could they waste time searching for and capturing the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit?


    As he was thinking, Lin Shen suddenly heard a whimper.


    He lowered his head and saw that the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit in his clone¡¯s hands was wiping his tears with his tiny fair hands.


    Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    However, he knew very well that this little fellow was very cunning and wouldn¡¯t be deceived by this pitiful appearance. He took the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit from his clone and let it go back to search for wood spirits.


    He was prepared to extract the Mystic Essence Liquid.


    But before he could do anything, he was rmed and looked to the left.


    A conversation came from there.


    ¡°Damn it, where did that brat go?¡±


    ¡°Brother Xi, is there something wrong with yourpass? Why is it spinning randomly?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Thispass was given to me by Elder Liu, and it¡¯s an enchanted armament. How could there be a problem? 1 think that brat most likely has a treasure that prevents someone from locking onto his aura!¡±


    ¡°So what do we do?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. There are traces of aura along the way. When I collect more auras with thispass, I¡¯ll be able to locate him more urately. At that time, I¡¯ll definitely be able to find him¡­¡±


    He stopped mid-sentence.


    This was because Lian Xi suddenly saw a person standing not far ahead. A familiar face was smiling at him.


    ¡°Are you looking for me?¡±

 Chapter 279 - 279: Breaking Through the Limit (1)

    Chapter 279: Breaking Through the Limit (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Lin Shen looked at the two of them with a faint smile.


    These two guys were trying to stalk him. Even in Xuandu Mountain, they were still chasing after him.


    When Luo Deng heard the voice, he looked up and saw that it was Lin Shen. He was shocked and took out his weapon without hesitation.


    The corners of Lian Xi¡¯s eyes twitched when he saw this. He red at Luo Deng, feeling disappointed.


    He had originally wanted to feign civility with Lin Shen and wait for Lin Shen to let down his guard beforeunching a sneak attack. But now, Luo Deng had ruined that n.


    At this point, they could only make a direct attack.


    Lian Xi sneered. Just as he was about to speak, his gazended on Lin Shen¡¯s palm. His eyes suddenly widened.


    ¡°Mystic Essence Wood Spirit!¡±


    After the shock, Lian Xi was overjoyed and couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud.


    ¡°I¡¯ve searched high and low for it, only to find it without any effort!


    ¡°1 was still wondering where to find the Mystic Essence Wood Spiritter, but it hase knocking on my door!¡±


    Afterughing wildly for a moment, Lian Xi stoppedughing and stared at Lin Shen sinisterly.


    ¡°You¡¯re a lucky brat. You caught the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit so quickly. Unfortunately, you can¡¯t guard it. If you know what¡¯s good for you, hand the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit to me, and 1 can let you leave!¡±


    Lian Xi¡¯s eyes flickered.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t really intend to let Lin Shen leave.


    However, the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit was currently in Lin Shen¡¯s hand. If he pushed too hard, Lin Shen might let the wood spirit escape. It would be difficult for him to capture it again.


    Therefore, he nned to calm Lin Shen down first. When he took the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit, from Lin Shen, the brat would be at his mercy.


    Lin Shen nced at Lian Xi and immediately guessed his intentions. He couldn¡¯t help but smile and casually put the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit into the beast trap bag he had prepared.


    Lian Xi¡¯s expression immediately darkened. He said in a cold tone, ¡°Kid, you should take the offer while it¡¯s still on!¡±


    ¡°Or what?¡±


    Lin Shen narrowed his eyes, and there was a cold glint in them.


    He didn¡¯t move much, but seven streaks of sword-shaped energy suddenly condensed in the air and separated behind him like a peacock spreading its tail.


    In the next moment, a sharp and short sound of air being torn apart suddenly burst out!


    Seven streaks of energy shot out like lightning, piercing through the void and shooting toward Lian Xi and Luo Deng!


    Sensing the terrifying power contained in the energy, Lian Xi and Luo Deng were both terrified.


    Lian Xi reacted first. He let out a strange cry and immediately dodged to the side. At the same time, he took out a bone tablet and raised his hand, turning it into arge shield with a green face and fangs.


    ng! ng!


    The two streaks of sword energy hit the bone shield almost at the same time. Sparks flew everywhere, and two obvious dents instantly appeared on the surface of the shield!


    When he saw this from the corner of his eye, Lian Xi was shocked.


    The Ghost Bone Shield was the only superior-grade enchanted armament he had on him. He would have to nurture it with his spiritual essence for two weeks before it could recover from the damage.


    He was also astonished by the power of Lin Shen¡¯s attack.


    Just two streaks of the sword energy could damage his superior-grade enchanted armament. If all seven streaks hit the shield, it might bepletely destroyed.


    At this moment, Lian Xi realized that he had made a big mistake.


    The young man in front of him wasn¡¯t what he had expected and only had three or four meridians.


    Judging by the attack just now, he had at least thirty meridians!


    Lian Xi couldn¡¯t help but feel bitter.


    This kid was clearly very strong. Why didn¡¯t he show it before?


    Even if he had only revealed a little of his strength and made Lian Xi retreat, the situation today wouldn¡¯t have happened.


    Unfortunately, it was toote for regrets!


    At this moment, a miserable scream suddenly rang out.


    Lian Xi immediately recognized Luo Deng¡¯s voice. He turned around and was scared out of his wits.


    Luo Deng didn¡¯t react as fast as Lian Xi. By the time he reacted and wanted to dodge, it was already toote. He could only brace himself and swing the bronze hammers to meet the sword energy.


    With only two dull ngs, the two copper hammers were knocked away by the two streaks of energy, and the remaining three hit him directly.


    Mystic light lit up, and then it onlysted for an instant before suddenly dimming.


    In front of the Seven Arts Sword Energy, Luo Deng¡¯s middle-grade enchantment robe onlysted for an instant before it was destroyed.


    The moment the light dissipated, Luo Deng was sent flying as if he had been struck by lightning. When hended, there were three bloody holes in his chest, one of which happened to be in his heart!


    Seeing this scene, Lian Xi felt a chill run down his spine, and he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave.


    Luo Deng wasn¡¯t much weaker than Lian Xi, but he was killed as soon as Lin Shen made a move. If the fight continued, Lian Xi would undoubtedly follow in Luo Deng¡¯s footsteps.


    At this moment, Lian Xi no longer had any thoughts about the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit. All he had was the thought of escaping!


    With a terrified expression, he took out something from his sleeve and threw it at Lin Shen. Then, without even looking, he turned around and quickly fled into the distance.


    The object was only the size of a longan. It was round like a steel bead, but its surface was covered in dense lightning patterns.


    Halfway through, the bead suddenly emitted a blinding light.


    Apanied by a light explosion that burned the air, a chain of zing white light suddenly tore through the void and hit Lin Shen with a bang!


    In an instant, lightning bolts sshed in all directions and hit the surrounding trees!


    Amidst the explosions, more than ten thick trees were snapped in half. Then, they burned and turned into charcoal in the blink of an eye!


    However, when the dust dissipated, Lin Shen, who was in the center of the lightning strike, wasn¡¯t injured at all.. Ayer of golden armor on his body protected him!

 Chapter 280 - 280: Breaking Through the Limit (2)

    Chapter 280: Breaking Through the Limit (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Lian Xi, who had run hundreds of meters away, turned around and saw this scene. His eyes almost popped out.


    How was this possible?!


    That Thunder Bead was his life-saving move. Once hit head-on, even a Bright Aperture Stage cultivator with more than thirty meridians would be severely injured if not dead. However, that person blocked it without any injuries!


    What was going on?


    Lian Xi¡¯s heart sank.


    Whoosh!


    The sound of clothes fluttering suddenly came from behind him. Lian Xi looked over and saw that Lin Shen had already caught up. His speed was faster than lightning, and in the blink of an eye, he was within a hundred meters of Lian Xi.


    In the next moment, a hundred-meter-long crimson palm appeared out of thin air and pped down at Lin Xi with a domineering aura that crushed everything!


    A mountain-like pressure suddenly descended and enveloped Lian Xi.


    His face turned pale in an instant. He was about to beg for mercy, but before he could make a sound, the scarlet palm had already smashed down heavily.


    With a loud bang, Lian Xi and the trees within a radius of dozens of meters were reduced to ashes!


    Lin Shen floated over leisurely and waved his hand. A sleeve pouch broke through the scorched earth andnded in his palm.


    He opened his pouch and roughly nced at it. Apart from seven or eight Cast Spirit Pills, there was nothing of value.


    Luo Deng¡¯s storage ring was about the same.


    Lin Shen could not help but shake his head.


    The two of them were really poor. Had they used all their wealth to exchange for the Xuandu Tokens?


    Lin Shen casually threw the item into his storage ring and left without looking back. He prepared to find a secluded ce and take the Mystic Essence Liquid to condense his spirit meridians.


    About half an hour after Lin Shen left, a graceful woman in a snow-white dress and a veil suddenly appeared.


    She looked around and couldn¡¯t help but reveal a hint of surprise in her limpid eyes.


    ¡°Such fierce power. The person has at least forty meridians. There¡¯s actually such a powerful cultivator in the Xuandu Meeting?¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyes flickered, and she revealed a thoughtful expression.


    After a while, she came back to her senses and disappeared on the spot.


    There were many caves in the forest.


    Not long after, Lin Shen found a remote cave. He looked around and saw that there were no traces of wild beasts living inside, so he used the Cleansing Talisman to clean the cave. Then, he sat down cross-legged, took out the beast trap bag that imprisoned the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit, and released it.


    As soon as he came out of the beast trap bag, the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit wanted to escape, but Lin Shen easily caught him.


    ¡°Little fellow, 1 advise you not to think about escaping. Otherwise, I¡¯ll have to give you a hard time!¡±


    As if understanding Lin Shen¡¯s words, the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit pressed his palms together and made a begging gesture. He looked at Lin Shen pitifully.


    Lin Shenughed and said, ¡°It¡¯s not easy for you to cultivate, and I don¡¯t want to kill you unless I have to. How about this? Hand over the Mystic Essence Liquid you¡¯ve condensed, and I¡¯ll let you go. How about that?¡±


    The Mystic Essence Wood Spirit lived by absorbing the spiritual essence emitted by the spirit wood and spirit herbs. At the same time, it would feed the condensed Mystic Essence Liquid to the apanying spirit wood and spirit herbs to promote their growth.


    Therefore, losing the Mystic Essence Liquid wouldn¡¯t affect the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit much. At most, it would take a few more years to condense the liquid.


    Hearing Lin Shen¡¯s words, the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit was overjoyed and nodded like a chick pecking at rice.


    Lin Shen nced at him and said with a faint smile, ¡°You¡¯d better not y tricks. If 1 find out, I¡¯ll use you for alchemy!¡±


    Upon hearing the word alchemy, the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit immediately shuddered and shook his head repeatedly.


    Lin Shen saw this andughed inwardly. He took out a porcin bottle and handed it to the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit.


    The Mystic Essence Wood Spirit¡¯s face was bitter. He stretched out his fair hand and used his other hand to cut his palm. He squeezed hard, and something immediately flowed out.


    It wasn¡¯t blood, but drops of milky-white liquid that emitted a faint glow. It was undoubtedly the Mystic Essence Liquid!


    When no more liquid flowed out of the wound, there were already five drops of Mystic Essence Liquid in the porcin bottle.


    The Mystic Essence Wood Spirit frowned and endured the pain as he looked eagerly at Lin Shen.


    Lin Shen looked closely and saw that the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit¡¯s face was pale and dispirited. He knew that the little fellow had indeed tried his best, so he kept his promise and let him go.


    As soon as he was released, the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit still couldn¡¯t believe it. He was stunned for a moment before he woke up from his daze. He bowed repeatedly to Lin Shen before happily burrowing into the ground. His aura soon disappeared.


    Lin Shen smiled and summoned his Analogy clone back.


    He took out a drop of Mystic Essence Liquid and fed it to his clone before starting to condense spirit meridians.


    Immediately after, Lin Shen summoned the clone of Amaze the World and also let it take the Mystic Essence Liquid and start cultivating.


    As for Lin Shen, he stayed in the cave and protected the two clones.


    At the same time, the other clones continued to search for traces of the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit.


    In the blink of an eye, two days had passed.


    After digesting the medicinal power of the two drops of Mystic Essence Liquid, the spirit meridians of the Analogy clone sessfully increased to neen.


    In order not to waste the medicinal power of the Mystic Essence Liquid, Lin Shen didn¡¯t continue to let the Analogy clone consume the Mystic Essence Liquid. Instead, he used the Cast Spirit Pills.


    After five Cast Spirit Pills, another spirit meridian was created, and the total number reached twenty.


    After that, he consumed several Cast Spirit Pills, but there were no signs of condensing a new spirit meridian. Lin Shen immediately understood that twenty spirit meridians were the limit of the Analogy clone.


    ¡°As expected of a fourth-grade spirit meridian¡­¡±


    As he had already guessed before, Lin Shen wasn¡¯t too disappointed. Instead, he prepared to fuse with his clone..

 Chapter 281 - 281: Breaking Through the Limit (3)

    Chapter 281: Breaking Through the Limit (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    ording to his previous n, after his clone¡¯s spirit meridians condensed to the limit, he could fuse with his clone.


    Lin Shen couldn¡¯t wait to see what would happen if he continued to fuse after the spirit meridians reached 45.


    Taking a deep breath, Lin Shen restrained his distracting thoughts and focused his mind. With a thought, he fused the Analogy clone into his body.


    In the next second, he suddenly trembled, and a profound sound burst out from his body.


    It rang ten times before it stopped.


    Lin Shen focused his senses and realized that there were already ten more spirit meridians in his body, and the total number reached 55.


    ¡°As expected, it can continue to increase!¡±


    Lin Shen was overjoyed.


    His previous spection was right!


    45 was the limit of other cultivators, but it was far from his limit!


    The fusion of clones was a method to break this limit!


    However, the only regretful thing was that when he fused with the clones¡¯ spirit meridians again, the increase ratio in quantity was no longer one to one, but two to one.


    The twenty spirit meridians of the Analogy clone shrunk to ten after fusing into his body.


    However, considering that he was breaking through his limit, the difficulty of condensing spirit meridians would undoubtedly increase exponentially. It wasn¡¯t surprising that such a situation would happen.


    ¡°The ratio of two to one is better than five to one, ten to one, or nothing!¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes flickered.


    The other clones had simr aptitudes to the Analogy clone. The limit should be 20 spirit meridians as well.


    Based on this estimation, after fusing them all, his total number of spirit meridians should reach 105!


    No, wait.


    Lin Shen suddenly remembered.


    Back then, all clones used three Cast Spirit Pills to condense the first spirit meridian. The medicinal power of pills wasn¡¯t exhausted with the Pure Yang Body clone.


    From this point of view, the Pure Yang Body clone¡¯s aptitude should be better than the other clones.


    The limit of the spirit meridian should also be higher than the other five clones.


    ¡°No matter what, the number of spirit meridians 1 condensed in the end has far exceeded 45. This spirit meridian grade¡­ should it be called an ultra first-grade spirit meridian?


    ¡°To advance to a cultivator master with this grade of spirit meridian, my foundation should be unprecedentedly solid!¡±


    An iparably happy smile appeared on Lin Shen¡¯s face.


    The spirit meridian grade represented a cultivator master¡¯s growth potential and determined theirbat strength after breaking through the bottleneck.


    Legend had it that first-grade spirit meridian cultivator masters were invincible among their peers of the same cultivation level. What would be of Lin Shen he after advancing to a cultivator master with more than a first-grade spirit meridian?


    Would he be invincible among cultivators of the same cultivation stage?


    The corners of Lin Shen¡¯s lips curled up slightly, and he grew excited.


    After a long while, he calmed down and looked at Amaze the World clone.


    He gave the remaining three drops of Mystic Essence Liquid to that clone, who then sessfully condensed fifteen spirit meridians, pushing the total number of spirit meridians to sixteen.


    ¡°Another drop and a half of Mystic Essence Liquid and the Amaze the World clone should be able to condense twenty spirit meridians and reach its limit!¡±


    Lin Shen estimated that if he wanted the remaining clones to reach their limits, he would need at least 23 to 24 drops of Mystic Essence Liquid.


    He should be able to achieve that after capturing four to five more Mystic Essence Wood Spirits.


    There were still 28 days until the end of the Xuandu Meeting. If he was lucky, he should be able to make it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep searching.¡±


    Lin Shen stood up.


    In the past two days, the other clones had been searching day and night. Unfortunately, they didn¡¯t find any traces of the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit.


    During this period, the Pure Yang Body clone also encountered three itinerant cultivators.


    When those cultivators saw that the clone was alone, they immediately became greedy and brazenly attacked it.


    The result was obvious. The three of them became fertilizer in the soil and contributed more than ten Cast Spirit Pills to Lin Shen.


    After this incident, Lin Shen even began to hope that more ignorant fellows would attack him and his clones.


    After all, those who came to the Xuandu Meet were all cultivators who had condensed spirit meridians. They more or less had Cast Spirit Pills on them.


    The spoils of war from one person might not be much, but when umted, Lin Shen would obtain quite a few Cast Spirit Pills in the end.


    Unfortunately, such people were only a minority.


    Most cultivators¡¯ first reaction was to be wary and stay away when they saw him wandering alone in the forest.


    Most likely, they felt that those who dared to move alone in Xuandu Mountain were either hotheads or fierce fighters.


    Thetter was obviously much more likely than the former.


    This made Lin Shen feel a little regretful.


    After retracting his Amaze the World clone, Lin Shen and his Analogy clone separated at the entrance of the cave and walked in different directions.


    After walking for a while, he was stopped by a clear stream. Lin Shen was about to cross the stream when he suddenly spotted someone moving in the distance. Just as he looked up, he saw a stream of lightnd on the opposite bank.


    The light dissipated, revealing a graceful and voluptuous figure.


    It was a beautiful young woman who looked at him with a pair of flirtatious eyes.


    Lin Shen immediately recognized her.


    It was one of the three itinerant cultivators that Luo Wei had introduced to him. He remembered that her name was Yi Sufeng.


    Lin Shen had no intention of making friends with her. He took a nce before looking away and crossing the river.


    Yi Sufeng, on the other hand, looked surprised.


    Because of her strength and beauty, she was quite famous among cultivators.


    Even many disciples of formal sects knew her.


    When these people saw her, they were either wary or hostile.


    Itinerant cultivators saw her would run away as soon as they spotted her and wouldn¡¯t dare to ignore her so calmly.


    Cultivators who didn¡¯t know her would often approach her when they saw her good looks. At the very least, they would treat her warmly. It was really rare to see someone acting the way Lin Shen did.


    From the looks of it, he clearly didn¡¯t think much of her.


    Ever since she switched to the Art of Desire, she had rarely seen such a person, especially a man.


    Yi Sufeng was confident in her strength and often didn¡¯t even take the sect disciples seriously.


    Although she guessed that Lin Shen must have some strength since he dared to act alone, she still didn¡¯t take it to heart.


    However, Lin Shen¡¯s reaction was very different from ordinary cultivators, which piqued her interest. She couldn¡¯t help but giggle.


    ¡°What an interesting person!¡±


    Her tone was sweet and gentle, but as she spoke, she raised her slender hand. Red silk flew out from her hand and transformed into a blood-red python in the air.. It stuck out its red tongue and pounced ferociously at Lin Shen!

 Chapter 282 - 282: Cultivator Master’s Battle (1)

    Chapter 282: Cultivator Master¡¯s Battle (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Hiss! Hiss!


    Before the blood-red snake got close, Lin Shen already caught its fishy smell.


    Lin Shen¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. He raised his hand slightly, and a zing white lightning bolt instantly shot out. With a crack, it sted the blood-red snake into a bloody mist that filled the sky.


    Seeing this, Yi Sufeng couldn¡¯t help but let out a little cry.


    Although she didn¡¯t use her full strength, this attack wasn¡¯t something that an ordinary Bright Aperture Stage cultivator with seven or eight meridians could withstand.


    Moreover, it was obvious that Lin Shen hadn¡¯t used his full strength!


    Even so, not only wouldn¡¯t Yi Sufeng give up, but she was also excited.


    ¡°Although he isn¡¯t a female cultivator, if I refine him into a Soul Pearl and feed it to my rakshasa demonesses, their cultivation should be able to increase by quite a bit!¡±


    Apart from obtaining the Mystic Essence Liquid, Yi Sufeng had another purpose ining to Xuandu Mountain. She wanted to collect the souls of cultivators and put them into the Rakshasa Mirror to increase its power.


    During the Xuandu Meeting, the mountain-guarding array was activated. The cultivators on Xuandu Mountain couldn¡¯t leave before the end of the month. Therefore, many unorthodox itinerant cultivators or members of the heretic sects took this opportunity to enter the mountain to kill and take souls to refine evil techniques or heretic instruments


    Yi Sufeng was one of them.


    In her early years, she obtained a profound armament called the Rakshasa Mirror.


    This mirror could trap the souls of living people, regardless of their gender.


    If a beautiful female cultivator¡¯s soul was taken in, it could be refined into a rakshasa demoness and used in battles.


    Cultivators with ordinary looks could be thrown into the Soul Transformation Pool in the mirror and refined into soul pearls for the rakshasa demonesses to consume to increase their cultivation.


    With the help of the Rakshasa Mirror, Yi Sufeng became famous as an itinerant cultivator.


    Although she only had over a dozen meridians, she had killed cultivators with more than 20 meridians.


    Because of this, after discovering Lin Shen¡¯s extraordinary strength, she continued to attack without hesitation.


    Whether this person was a sect disciple or an itinerant cultivator, there was no difference in Xuandu Mountain. Even if he was killed, who would know that she was the one who did it?


    As her thoughts raced, Yi Sufeng¡¯s eyes turned cold, but a charming smile appeared on her face.


    ¡°Young man, try my Rakshasa Mirror!¡±


    The moment she finished speaking, a small, antique bronze mirror that emitted waves of ck aura appeared in her hand. Her fair wrist shook gently, and Lin Shen¡¯s vision instantly became blurry. When he came back to his senses, he realized that there was already white fog around him.


    Figures moved in the fog. They were so dense that it was impossible to tell how many people there were.


    ¡°This is¡­ an illusion!¡±


    A simr scene evoked Lin Shen¡¯s memories.


    It was the same situation when he was trapped in the illusion created by Ai.


    Although he was trapped in an illusion, Lin Shen remained unperturbed. He stood calmly with his hands behind his back.


    ¡°Young man, you¡¯re quite bold.¡±


    Yi Sufeng¡¯s sweet voice came from all directions, but he couldn¡¯t locate her.


    ¡°It makes me want to see you cry and beg for mercy. Here are my rakshasa demonesses!¡±


    As Yi Sufeng spoke, the white fog around Lin Shen gradually faded.


    The figure that was originally hidden behind the white fog slowly appeared.


    Lin Shen was surrounded by beautiful female cultivators. They all wore translucent gauze dresses of various colors, revealing their fair and smooth arms and thighs. They all looked abnormally seductive.


    Among them were girls in their twenties, young women in their thirties, and middle-aged women in their forties. They came in all shapes and sizes. Although they each had their own style, without exception, they all emitted a lewd demonic aura.


    They held all kinds of enchanted armaments and weapons in their hands as they surrounded Lin Shen. There were about four to five hundred of them.


    Giggle!


    The rakshasa demonesses suddenlyughed coquettishly.


    As theyughed, they pounced forward with a murderous aura. The enchanted armaments and weapons in their hands rained down on Lin Shen!


    In the blink of an eye, Lin Shen was drowned by hundreds of attacks!


    Yi Sufeng, who was hiding in the white fog, curled her lips when she saw this.


    ¡°That¡¯s it? Such a waste of that handsome face! His good looks are just for show!¡±


    Even so, she wasn¡¯t that surprised.


    The rakshasa demonesses in the Rakshasa Mirror had been refined by her for over a decade, and she had painstakingly collected arge number of living souls. She had put in so much effort.


    Each of these rakshasa demonesses had cultivation at the Bright Aperture Stage, and the highest one had even reached the eighth level of the Bright Aperture Stage!


    Just like when they were alive, they cultivated all kinds of martial techniques.


    They didn¡¯t have spirit supplements and couldn¡¯t cast spells, nor did they have real Dharma treasures. Apart from that, these rakshasa demonesses were no different from Bright Aperture Stage cultivators.


    Surrounded by four to five hundred rakshasa demonesses, even a Bright Aperture Stage cultivator with seven or eight meridians wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand a single blow!


    However, just as Yi Sufeng was thinking this, something unexpected happened.


    A scorching sun suddenly lit up where Lin Shen was submerged, and boundless scorching heat waves instantly swept out. Wherever they passed, the rakshasa demonesses screamed in horror and turned into ashes!


    In the blink of an eye, the densely packed rakshasa demonesses were wiped out!


    Even the white mist melted under the scorching sun, revealing Yi Sufeng in an instant.


    However, at this moment, she could no longer be bothered to conceal herself. The smile on her beautiful face disappeared, and she looked horrified.


    What happened?


    Her rakshasa demoness was instantly annihted!


    Rakshasa demonesses were souls relying on the Rakshasa Mirror. As long as the mirror was still there, no matter how serious their injuries were, they could recover in the mirror. It didn¡¯t matter even if their souls were shattered. They could rely on the souls in the mirror to be reborn..

 Chapter 283 - 283: Cultivator Master’s Battle (2)

    Chapter 283: Cultivator Master¡¯s Battle (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Unless the Rakshasa Mirror was shattered one day, their souls would dissipate then.


    Therefore, the rakshasa demoness¡¯s death didn¡¯t make Yi Suf eng all that sad. What really shocked her was the strength Lin Shen had disyed.


    How strong did he have to be to kill four to five hundred rakshasa demonesses in one strike?


    When she regained her senses, Yi Sufeng immediately drew in her breath. How could she not know that she had messed with the wrong man?


    She couldn¡¯t be more wrong when she guessed that Lin Shen only had ten to twenty meridians!


    Such strength¡­ Even a disciple of arge sect with more than 30 meridians was far inferior to this young man!


    ¡°Where did this persone from?¡±


    Yi Sufeng was astonished.


    At this moment, Lin Shen turned around and looked at her. His sharp eyes, which were enveloped by the Forbidden Golden Armor, were as piercing as sharp swords.


    Yi Sufeng shuddered as if she had just woken up from a dream. Without hesitation, she turned around and fled into the distance.


    The young man was able to kill hundreds of rakshasa demoness experts in one strike. Even at her best, Yi Sufeng wouldn¡¯t be his match.


    Furthermore, now that the rakshasa demoness had been wiped out, she had lost her strongest trump card. It was even more impossible for her to be this person¡¯s match!


    Unfortunately, before she could escape far, Lin Shen had already blocked her way and was looking at her calmly.


    Yi Sufeng suddenly stopped, and her expression changed. She suddenly revealed a charming smile and looked at him in a seductive manner.


    ¡°Sweetheart, 1 was only joking with you just now. Please let me off this time. If you do that, you can do anything to me.¡±


    As she spoke, Yi Sufeng stared at Lin Shen with her soul-stirring eyes.


    Her body slowly twisted imperceptibly, revealing arge area of fair skin on her neck, which was quite an alluring sight.


    Unfortunately, Lin Shen didn¡¯t seem to notice it and only smiled faintly.


    ¡°A joke? Then I¡¯ll joke with you too. If you can withstand one strike from me, I¡¯ll let you go!¡±


    Yi Sufeng¡¯s expression changed drastically.


    However, before she could use her charm technique again, a long sword engraved with fire patterns had already appeared in Lin Shen¡¯s hand out of thin air. He raised the sword and struck down at her.


    Yi Sufeng felt her scalp go numb in an instant. She screamed and retreated in panic. At the same time, she waved her hands repeatedly, and red silk was thrown out of her sleeves, turning into blood-red pythons to meet the attack.


    Unfortunately, these giant pythons that bared their fangs couldn¡¯t even stop the strike for an instant. Before they could touch the Pure Yang Talisman Sword, they were annihted by the zing sword beams that dissipated from the de. The sword aimed straight at Yi Sufeng like a hot knife through butter!


    At the critical moment, a pink mist suddenly surged in front of Yi Sufeng.


    The swordnded on the pink fog and was suddenly shifted to the side, stabbing Yi Sufeng¡¯s shoulder.


    Immediately, there was a miserable cry, and a fair arm flew into the sky.


    Yi Sufeng moved fast, enveloped by the pink mist. She flew into the distance like a bolt of lightning, not even bothering to retrieve her broken arm. In the blink of an eye, she disappeared into the dense forest.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t chase after her. He calmly caught the falling arm and removed a storage bracelet from it.


    Lin Shen had no intention of killing Yi Sufeng. Otherwise, even if Yi Sufeng used her trump card in the end, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape from him.


    Opening the storage bracelet, Lin Shen quickly checked the contents. To his disappointment, there was no Mystic Essence Liquid inside.


    However, he soon discovered many Cast Spirit Pills. He roughly estimated that there were no less than fifty of them.


    They were probably the spoils of war that Yi Sufeng had obtained over the past few days.


    Because she was alone in Xuandu Mountain, she hadn¡¯t had the time to consume the pills. Now, it was his turn.


    ¡°Although there¡¯s no Mystic Essence Liquid, those Cast Spirit Pills aren¡¯t bad either.¡±


    Lin Shen smiled and put away the Cast Spirit Pills. Then, he took out something that looked like apass.


    This thing was obtained from Lian Xi. Thetter had relied on thispass to search and track Lin Shen down.


    In fact, thepass was quite effective. It just didn¡¯t have much effect on Lin Shen, who had a clone.


    Although Yi Sufeng had escaped, there was still arge amount of aura left at the scene. Lin Shen collected all of it into thepass before putting thepass away.


    With thispass, as long as Yi Sufeng was still in Xuandu Mountain, he could find her at any time.


    Of course, not now.


    The injury of a broken arm was nothing to a cultivator like Yi Sufeng. It wouldn¡¯t take long for her to recover.


    After that, Yi Sufeng would definitely continue to search for the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit.


    As for Lin Shen, he only needed to wait for a while before finding Yi Sufeng. He would then be able to take all her gains for himself!


    As the saying goes, the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind!


    Or to put it more simply, he was saving her forter.


    To a fellow who wanted his life, Lin Shen wouldn¡¯t feel burdened no matter what he did!


    It just so happened that it was still a little slow for him and his clones to search for the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit. He was happy to have someone else to share his burden.


    At this moment, Lin Shen¡¯s expression changed.


    One kilometer away, the Superior Martial Arts clone discovered traces of the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit!


    Without any dy, he immediately set off toward that ce.


    He traveled the distance in the blink of an eye and arrived near a mountain wall.


    Superior Martial Arts was hiding behind a tree, staring at the mountain wall 500 meters away.


    Dense green vines fell from the top of the mountain, almost covering the entire mountain wall.


    Everywhere he looked, there was emerald green.


    However, in this dazzling emerald green, there was a trace of faint indigo..

 Chapter 284 - 284: Cultivator Master’s Battle (3)

    Chapter 284: Cultivator Master¡¯s Battle (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Compared to the surrounding bright greenery, this indigo color was especially inconspicuous.


    If one didn¡¯t observe carefully, they wouldn¡¯t notice it at all.


    Looking closely, the faint indigo color came from a strange grass growing in the cracks of the green vines.


    The mutant grass was lustrous and translucent like jade of the highest quality. Just looking at it made one feel refreshed.


    ¡°That¡¯s sunlight jade!¡±


    Lin Shen narrowed his eyes.


    The sunlight jade was a very precious wood-type rare herb. It looked like jade and had the magical effect of dispelling poison and healing wounds.


    A heavily injured cultivator only needed to consume the sunlight jade to recoverpletely in an instant!


    In the words of an ordinary person, this was a treasure that could revive the dead!


    To cultivators, sunlight jade was also an extremely precious life-saving treasure!


    However, the sunlight jade had always grown in the deep mountains where spiritual essence was rich. It was used to mix with ordinary nts. If one didn¡¯t look carefully, they would easily miss it.


    Therefore, sunlight jade was quite rare, and so many cultivators wanted it but couldn¡¯t find it.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t expect to be so lucky to encounter the sunlight jade.


    What surprised him even more was the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit, which was sitting on the sunlight jade and absorbing spiritual essence.


    ¡°The Mystic Essence Wood Spirit and the sunlight jade. 1 found two treasures at once. Looks like it¡¯s my lucky day.¡±


    A smile appeared on Lin Shen¡¯s face, but then he felt a little vexed.


    The sunlight jade grew on the mountain wall, and the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit sitting cross-legged on it also leaned against the mountain wall. As long as there was any movement, he could immediately escape into the mountain wall and flee.


    No matter how fast Lin Shen was, he wouldn¡¯t be able to catch the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit before that happened.


    ¡°I have to think about it!¡±


    Lin Shen stared intently at the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit as he quickly thought of a feasible n.


    Just as he was thinking hard, a deafening explosion came from afar, and a huge wave of spiritual essence rushed into the sky!


    Lin Shen¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he turned around in shock.


    In the distance, spiritual essence surged and swept away the surrounding clouds, forming a cloudless area with a radius of several miles.


    Two streams of light could be vaguely seen colliding in this area!


    Every time they collided, a thunderous explosion would erupt!


    ¡°What a shocking battle!¡±


    Lin Shen was amazed.


    Themotion of the battle could be seen from a couple of kilometers away. That was how shocking the strength of the two sides was!


    Lin Shen knew he would definitely not be able to create such amotion!


    With his current strength, no one below the cultivator master level was his match.


    Only a cultivator master could make him feel inferior!


    ¡°Could it be two cultivator masters fighting?¡±


    Lin Shen secretly frowned.


    However, he immediately felt that it was impossible.


    The most precious thing on Xuandu Mountain was undoubtedly the Mystic Essence Liquid.


    However, such a thing was useless to cultivators.


    Which cultivator master would sacrifice their precious time to participate in the Xuandu Meeting for such a useless thing?


    Let alone two of them!


    ¡°What the hell happened?¡±


    Lin Shen was bewildered. He wanted to go over and investigate, but on second thought, he gave up on the idea.


    The situation was unclear. If he rashly ran over to investigate, he might be implicated. The consequences were unpredictable!


    Even if Lin Shen felt that with his current strength, he could protect himself even against cultivator masters, there was no need to take unnecessary risks.


    If the fighters were twote-phase Spirit Nurturing or even Mystic Light Stage cultivators, even he wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand it.


    Curiosity got people killed. It was better to y it safe!


    Suppressing his curiosity, Lin Shen turned his attention back to the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit. However, he was pleasantly surprised to discover that the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit seemed to have been attracted by themotion in the distance. It involuntarily left the sunlight jade and came to the crown of a tall tree more than ten meters away, looking at the distant scene excitedly.


    This was a good opportunity!


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes lit up. Without hesitation, he used the Shadow-staying Technique and instantly disappeared into the tree shadow under his feet.


    When he reappeared, he was already 500 meters away and happened to crawl out of the shadow under the tree where the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit was.


    At this moment, the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit finally sensed danger approaching. He screamed and rushed toward the mountain wall not far away, but it was toote.


    ¡°Freeze!¡±


    With that, the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit suddenly stopped in midair. He couldn¡¯t move a muscle except for rolling his eyeballs around in fear.


    Before he could break free from the spell, a slender palm had already reached out and grabbed him!


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    The Mystic Essence Wood Spirit struggled crazily, but it was useless. Soon, he was put into the beast trap bag by Lin Shen.


    ¡°How lucky!¡±


    Lin Shen smiled happily and looked into the distance.


    If themotion of the two cultivator masters fighting hadn¡¯t lured the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit away from the mountain wall, Lin Shen wouldn¡¯t have been able to capture this little fellow so easily.


    After calming himself down, Lin Shen looked at the intense battle in the distance and turned to flee in the opposite direction.


    Half an hourter.


    In a secluded cave.


    Lin Shen let go of the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit and let the little fellow disappear into the ground. He stared at the porcin bottle in his hand, his eyes flickering with iparable joy.


    ¡°Six drops of Mystic Essence Liquid is enough for two clones to condense their spirit meridians to the limit!¡±


    Lin Shen took a deep breath and looked at the Amaze the World clone and Superior Martial Arts clone in front of him. He handed the Mystic Essence Liquid over and let the two clones start to condense the spirit meridians.


    Just as he had expected, the Amaze the World clone only used one and a half drops of Mystic Essence Liquid to increase the total number of spirit meridians to 20, reaching the limit.


    The rest of the Mystic Essence Liquid was given to the Superior Martial Arts clone. In addition, there were more than 20 Cast Spirit Pills, which also increased his total number of spirit meridians to 20.


    After that, Lin Shen fused the two clones.. As expected, his spirit meridians increased by twenty, reaching a total of 75!

 Chapter 285 - 285: Demon Cultivator Seeking Mercy (1)

    Chapter 285: Demon Cultivator Seeking Mercy (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    75 spirit meridians!


    Sensing the increasingly powerful spiritual essence in his body, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but feel excited.


    At this rate, perhaps when the number of spirit meridians exceeded a hundred, he would be able to fight a cultivator master head-on even without using his Amaze the World clone!


    ¡°There¡¯s also Well-versed, Testify by Killing, and Pure Yang Body clones. If nothing goes wrong, I can condense at least 105 spirit meridians!


    ¡°If my Pure Yang Body clone¡¯s limit is higher, 1 might be able to have a few more!¡±


    Lin Shen was very excited.


    Three clones to go!


    Once he fused with thest three clones, he would be able to advance to a cultivator master!


    A momentter, Lin Shen came back to his senses and retracted Analogy and Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt clones. Then, he summoned them again.


    Including the Superior Martial Arts clone, all these three clones had reached 75 meridians like him.


    With such strength, even if they didn¡¯t have profound armaments on them, very few people in the entire Xuandu Mountain would be their match!


    Of course, the two people who looked like cultivator masters were an exception.


    ¡°I wonder if those two are still there.¡±


    Lin Shen thought for a moment and decided to stay away from that ce to avoid bumping into those two unknown cultivator masters.


    ¡°There are still 23 days until the end of the Xuandu Meet. I only need to find three more Mystic Essence Wood Spirits. That should be enough.¡±


    Lin Shen thought of the young woman he had just met, but he immediately shook his head.


    He would wait for thest few days before taking care of her. That way, the benefits would be maximized.


    In Xuandu Mountain, after cultivators obtained the Mystic Essence Liquid, for safety reasons, they usually wouldn¡¯t immediately consume it to condense spirit meridians.


    After all, other cultivators weren¡¯t like him. Not only did he have clones to protect him, but even when he condensed the spirit meridian, his clone would continue to search for the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit outside. It wouldn¡¯t waste time.


    The Xuandu Meeting onlysted for a month. Everyone who entered the Xuandu Mountain was racing against time to search for the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit.


    After leaving the cave, Lin Shen and his clones spread out and continued to search.


    As the number of spirit meridians increased, the zero consumption distance of the clone¡¯s physical form also continued to increase. Now, it had increased to almost 2 km.


    The free movement time of a single clone at a distance of about 3 km had also increased to about half an hour.


    Relying on the abundance of pills and the rich spiritual essence in Xuandu Mountain, Lin Shen controlled the range of his clones to within 2 km. He could still barely maintain his consumption.


    However, every half a day, he had to retract all his clones and meditate to recover his spiritual essence.


    Time passed. In the blink of an eye, five days had passed.


    Lin Shen and his clones searched for an area no less than 50 km in radius. Unfortunately, they weren¡¯t as lucky as they had been a few days ago. They couldn¡¯t find the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit, but they discovered many natural treasures. Some of them were as precious as the sunlight jade.


    At this moment, in the dense forest.


    Lin Shen looked at a glossy ganoderma not far away, and a smile appeared on his face.


    Judging from the density of the spiritual essence, the Ganoderma was at least 2,000 years old.


    Although it wasn¡¯t very beneficial to his current cultivation level, it was very effective in healing injuries!


    ¡°Although it can¡¯tpare to the sunlight jade.¡±


    Lin Shen muttered to himself. He looked around and didn¡¯t see any mutated beasts guarding the spiritual herbs. Only then did he walk towards the glossy ganoderma.


    At this moment, a person suddenly walked out of the forest in front of him.


    Lin Shen looked up and saw a beautiful woman standing there.


    The woman¡¯s eyebrows were like fine brushstrokes, and below them was a pair of beautiful eyes. Her figure was exquisite, and she exuded a soul-stirring charm.


    Just as Lin Shen spotted her, the woman also noticed Lin Shen¡¯s existence. Her thin eyebrows raised slightly.


    Right on the heels of that, her gazended on the glossy ganoderma not far away, and a hint of joy shed across her eyes.


    Swoosh!


    Without another word, the woman raised her hand slightly. White silk flew out and headed straight for the glossy ganoderma.


    Seeing this, Lin Shen sneered inwardly. He poked with his fingers from afar, and seven streaks of energy instantly shot out.


    Three of them attacked the white silk, while the other four shot toward the woman.


    Since the woman made a move without saying a word, there was no need for him to hold back.


    Phew!


    The white silk was instantly minced into pieces by the energy.


    The woman¡¯s expression turned cold. She suddenly opened her mouth and spat out a light green mist against the sword energy.


    The sword energy and the green mist collided in the air and were both annihted!


    Seeing this, Lin Shen narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Spiritual essence!¡±


    This wasn¡¯t the first time Lin Shen had fought with a cultivator master. He knew that the mainbat method of a cultivator master at the Spirit Nurturing Stage was using spiritual essence.


    As for the green mist that the woman spat out, it was very simr to the spiritual essence that Wu Luo¡¯s incarnation and Wu Ji had used back then. It was just that the attributes of the Five Elements were different.


    The woman didn¡¯t seem to expect Lin Shen to recognize the method at a nce. Her thin eyebrows raised slightly, and a hint of surprise shed across her eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite knowledgeable!¡±


    Then, she changed the topic, and her tone turned cold.


    ¡°Since you know that I¡¯m a cultivator master, how dare you attack me? Do you have a death wish?¡±


    The woman thought that the young man would be scared out of his wits after hearing this. He would either beg for mercy on the spot or escape immediately. However, he didn¡¯t show any panic and even smiled a little.


    Lin Shen sized up the woman and smiled faintly.


    ¡°You¡¯re badly injured, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Although it was a question, his tone was very firm.


    After discovering that the green mist that the woman spat out was some kind of spiritual essence, Lin Shen acutely sensed that something was wrong..

 Chapter 286 - 286: Demon Cultivator Seeking Mercy (2)

    Chapter 286: Demon Cultivator Seeking Mercy (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    He had fought with Wu Ji before and had a deep understanding of the power of spiritual essence.


    Even an early-phase Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master¡¯s spiritual essence couldn¡¯t be destroyed by only four streaks of Seven Arts Sword Energy.


    The spiritual essence that the woman spat out just now was obviously much weaker than usual.


    Recalling the scene of the two cultivator masters fighting from afar, Lin Shen immediately had a guess.


    Cultivator masters weren¡¯t found everywhere. It was already extremely rare for Xuandu Mountain to have two cultivator masters. The probability of a third cultivator master appearing was extremely low.


    Therefore, the identity of the woman in front of him was obvious.


    She was most likely one of the two cultivator masters who had fought not long ago and had suffered serious injuries in the battle.


    She was probably looking for healing treasures. That was why she tried to snatch the glossy ganoderma without hesitation!


    In fact, any other cultivators would have been shocked and panicked when they realized that the person in front of them was a cultivator master. How could they be in the mood to pay attention to other details?


    Only someone like Lin Shen, who had once severely injured cultivator masters before and no longer feared them, would have the time to observe carefully.


    And the truth was just as Lin Shen had expected. After hearing this, the woman looked a little nervous.


    Although she quickly returned to normal, Lin Shen still caught this change, and the smile on his face widened.


    The woman¡¯s expression turned even colder when she saw this. She snorted and said,


    ¡°Ignorant brat. Even if I¡¯m injured, I¡¯m more than enough to deal with you!¡±


    As soon as she said that, the woman flipped her wrist and a jade ruler that was as thin as a cicada¡¯s wing appeared in her palm.


    She formed a hand seal and shouted, ¡°Go!¡±


    A streak of white light flew out of her hand and circled in the air before shooting straight at Lin Shen.


    Lin Shen knew at a nce that this jade ruler was definitely a profound armament-level Dharma treasure, but he wasn¡¯t afraid. He threw out the t ridge tablet.


    The stone tablet expanded in the wind and turned into a huge stone tablet the size of a house in the blink of an eye. It collided fiercely with the jade ruler that was shooting at him!


    In an instant, there was a crisp sound. The tablet trembled violently and retreated. The jade ruler also flew back at an even faster speed than when it came.


    The woman caught the jade ruler, and a look of astonishment shed in her eyes.


    She didn¡¯t expect that with her strength and cultivation level, she would only be on par with the other party when she used the profound armament.


    Even though the other party had also used profound armament, it was still shocking enough!


    The woman was bewildered, but Lin Shen didn¡¯t stop and took the initiative to fight back.


    Rumble!


    Amidst the deafening sound, the tablet and the inkstone appeared together, turning into two mountains that crushed toward the woman!


    The woman no longer looked down on him. Seeing the two profound armaments attacking at the same time, she immediately became much more serious. She spat out five mouthfuls of spiritual essence in one breath, which turned into a ball of dense green mist that stopped the two objects.


    The tablet and the inkstone were powerful and heavy as they pressed down like mountains.


    The green mist was erratic and rose lightly.


    One side was heavy, and the other was light. It looked like there was a huge disparity, but after the real collision, the green fog suddenly rose and sent the two profound armaments flying.


    However, before the woman could rejoice, she saw a huge golden-red palm appear out of thin air. Like the setting sun, it descended from the sky with an aura that could incinerate everything and smash down on her!


    With his Pure Yang Body talent, Meltdown was extremely powerful. On the other hand, the green fog had already exhausted most of its strength after sending the tablet and the inkstone flying. How could it withstand the attack at this moment? As soon as it came into contact, it melted like ice encountering heat.


    ¡°A True Martial technique!¡±


    The woman¡¯s expression changed drastically. In shock, she released five more mouthfuls of spiritual essence to destroy the golden-red palm.


    However, before she could catch her breath, Lin Shen had already charged over with his sword. The moment he attacked, he used the Nine Divine Sun Sword.


    In an instant, a scorching sun rose in the forest. The trees within a radius of a hundred meters were on fire and turned into charcoal.


    The woman¡¯s heart sank.


    She had yet to recover from her injuries, and there was less than half of the spiritual essence left in her body. Moreover, it was barely condensed and was less than half as powerful as usual.


    Under normal circumstances, this bit of strength was more than enough to deal with a Bright Aperture Stage cultivator.


    Even a Bright Aperture Stage cultivator with ten or twenty meridians wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand a mouthful of her wind-generating spiritual essence!


    Who would have thought that the young man in front of her was simply unbelievably strong? He had already far exceeded her understanding of the Bright Aperture Stage, and she was actually at a disadvantage for a moment. ¡°Where did this persone from?¡±


    The woman was shocked.


    Compared to the woman¡¯s shock, Lin Shen was calm.


    Even if he didn¡¯t summon his clone, he could deal with a severely injured cultivator master by himself!


    75 spirit meridians was no joke!


    Swoosh!


    A sharp and short sword cry filled the entire forest. The zing sword light almost dyed the sky red.


    The heat wave turned the area within 500 meters into scorched earth.


    The more they fought, the more shocked the woman became.


    Four True Martial techniques and three profound armaments. Even the talisman sword in his hand was a supreme-grade enchanted armament!


    It would have been fine if that was all, but the young man¡¯s energy was extremely strange!


    It was pure, wless, and unusually thick. It also exuded an extremely dense spirituality. If the person wasn¡¯t a cultivator master, she would have thought that it was spiritual essence!


    Sensing that the spiritual essence in her body was about to run out and that her injuries were about to worsen, the woman knew that she couldn¡¯t continue like this. After exhaling a mouthful of spiritual essence and forcing Lin Shen to retreat, she shouted anxiously..

 Chapter 287 - 287: Demon Cultivator Seeking Mercy (3)

    Chapter 287: Demon Cultivator Seeking Mercy (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes flickered, but he wasn¡¯t in a hurry to continue attacking. He smiled and said, ¡°Why? Do you want to admit defeat now?¡±


    The woman¡¯s expression froze. When she recalled what she had just said, a trace of embarrassment and anger shed in her eyes.


    However, the situation wasn¡¯t in her favor. She could only suppress the emotions in her heart and say in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t think for one minute that I¡¯m afraid of you. If I really want to fight to the death, I¡¯ll drag you down with me!¡±


    After a pause, she softened her tone slightly and continued,


    ¡°But we¡¯re not archenemies. Why fight to the death? I don¡¯t want this glossy ganoderma anymore. How about we stop here?¡±


    Lin Shenughed and said, ¡°You were the one who attacked first, and you were the one who wanted to stop. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re asking for too much?¡±


    The woman said in a deep voice, ¡°Then what are you going to do?¡±


    Lin Shen smiled, but his words were extremely cold.


    ¡°Just die!¡±


    She was a cultivator master. Since they had formed a grudge, if he didn¡¯t kill her before she recovered from her serious injuries, She would definitely take revengeter.


    Although Lin Shen wasn¡¯t afraid of her, being targeted by a cultivator master was still a troublesome problem!


    Hearing Lin Shen¡¯s words, the woman looked displeased. She said coldly, ¡°Do you really think I don¡¯t dare to fight you to the death?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡±


    Lin Shen had no fear on his face as he smiled faintly.


    ¡°I just feel that you can¡¯t take me down with you.¡±


    As he spoke, more people suddenly walked out of the surrounding forest.


    The woman looked around in shock and was terrified to discover that these people all looked exactly the same as Lin Shen.


    There were six of them!


    Were they clones or something else?


    The woman suppressed her astonishment and said coldly, ¡°Are these clones what you rely on?¡±


    Lin Shen smiled but didn¡¯t say anything. The six clones around him instantly attacked at the same time, charging at the woman with their swords.


    The sword light that filled the sky swept out and enveloped the woman like a storm. In the blink of an eye, she was drowned.


    As they fought, the woman¡¯s forced calmness was quickly reced by intense shock.


    She suddenly realized that each of these clones actually had a cultivation level that wasn¡¯t inferior to Lin Shen¡¯s!


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    The woman couldn¡¯t believe it.


    As far as she knew, clones were mostly used to interfere with the opponent¡¯s perception in battle. They usually had at most 30% to 40% of the cultivator¡¯s strength.


    Only clones condensed from a few cultivation techniques could reach about half the strength of the cultivator.


    Such cultivation techniques were all unique divine powers ofrge sects!


    The strength of these clones was almost equal to that of the cultivator. Apart from the difference in Dharma treasures, be it martial techniques or spells, they were all identical. It was simply unheard of!


    The woman almost thought that she was under an illusion!


    But soon, she had no time to feel shocked.


    She almost couldn¡¯t defeat Lin Shen in a one-on-one battle, let alone six against more clones.


    Under the siege of the six clones, the woman was immediately in danger and almost lost her life several times.


    Even if she wanted to kill Lin Shen at the cost of her own life, she wouldn¡¯t be able to.


    As for perishing together with his clones¡­ What was the point?


    Thinking of this, the woman could no longer hold it in and shouted, ¡°Wait, stop. You won!¡±


    However, Lin Shen remained unmoved and only looked at her indifferently.


    The woman became even more anxious when she saw this. At the critical moment, she finally had a sh of inspiration and said loudly, ¡°I know a ce where a thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit is. If you let me go, I¡¯ll tell you where that ce is!¡±


    A thousand-year Mystic Essence Wood Spirit!


    Lin Shen¡¯s expression finally changed.


    So far, the two Mystic Essence Wood Spirits he had captured were only around two to three hundred years old.


    They were far inferior to a thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit.


    If he could capture the thousand-year-old one, the Mystic Essence Liquid he took out would probably be enough for him to break through to a cultivator master in one go!


    Thinking of this, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but feel tempted. He got his clones to stop, but they still surrounded the woman to prevent her from escaping.


    Once the clones stopped their attacks, the woman finally had a chance to rest. She heaved a sigh of relief and looked at Lin Shen with a look that was hard to describe.


    Who would have thought that a dignified cultivator master like her would be forced to beg for mercy from a Bright Aperture Stage cultivator one day?


    Lin Shen was in no mood to care about the woman¡¯splicated emotions. He said calmly, ¡°How did you discover the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit?¡±


    The woman replied, ¡°I was looking for treasures for my injury when I identally discovered it.¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you catch it yourself?¡±


    ¡°That Mystic Essence Wood Spirit is very vignt and cunning. I couldn¡¯t catch it right away and was in a hurry to heal my wound, so I didn¡¯t attack.¡±


    ¡°How do I know you¡¯re telling the truth?¡±


    ¡°I can swear an oath!¡±


    The woman swore an oath without hesitation.


    Once a cultivator swore, karma would be established. They couldn¡¯t lie. Once they vited that oath, they would have to pay a huge price.


    When Lin Shen heard this, he believed most of the woman¡¯s words.


    However, he still shook his head and said, ¡°Although the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit is precious, it¡¯s not worth me letting you off.¡±


    That was true. Even without the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit, Lin Shen was confident that he could find enough Mystic Essence Liquid in the remaining time.


    Compared to the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit, the potential trouble of a cultivator master was more worthy of attention.


    The woman panicked and hurriedly said, ¡°I can swear that I won¡¯t find trouble with you in the future!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not enough.¡± Lin Shen still shook his head.


    Although the oath had a huge restrictive effect on cultivators, once a cultivator made up their minds, it wasn¡¯t impossible to break it¡ªas long as they could bear the heavy price of breaking the oath.


    ¡°Then what do you want?¡± The woman frowned.


    Lin Shen nced at her and suddenly said, ¡°You¡¯re a demon cultivator, right?¡±


    During the fight just now, he had vaguely sensed that the woman¡¯s spiritual essence was different from Wu Ji¡¯s. It had a hint of wildness and was somewhat simr to Wu Luo¡¯s incarnation. Therefore, he had a vague guess about the woman¡¯s background.


    As expected, the woman¡¯s expression changed slightly when she heard this. He had guessed correctly.


    Seeing this, the woman decided not to hide it anymore. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°So what if I am?¡±


    Lin Shen smiled and said, ¡°In that case, as long as you sign a soul contract with me, I¡¯ll spare your life!¡±

 Chapter 288 - 288: Chaotic Battle on the Mountaintop (1)

    Chapter 288: Chaotic Battle on the Mountaintop (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    ¡°What!¡±


    The woman¡¯s expression immediately changed as she cried out involuntarily.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡±


    Once a soul contract was established, her Primordial Spirit would be tied to the other party.


    Not only was her every move restricted by the other party¡¯s will, but once the other party died, she would also lose her life!


    When she signed the soul contract, she would be at the mercy of the other party for the rest of her life.


    How could she, a dignified demon cultivator master, ce her life in the hands of others, let alone a Bright Aperture Stage cultivator?


    ¡°It¡¯s the only way to reassure me.¡±


    Lin Shen narrowed his eyes, and a cold glint appeared in them.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t agree. Then you can die here!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the six clones in the surroundings took a step forward in unison. The talisman sword in their hands moved closer to the woman, and the fierce sword aura that surged over from all directions made her expression change in shock.


    Seeing Lin Shen¡¯s aggressive gaze, the woman was devastated.


    She wanted to fight Lin Shen to the death, but the probability of her perishing together with Lin Shen was really slim, not to mention that she was surrounded by his clones.


    She still had a huge grudge to avenge. She didn¡¯t want to die here!


    Lin Shen looked at the woman calmly and didn¡¯t rush her.


    After a long silence, the woman gritted her teeth and squeezed out a sentence.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do it!¡±


    She had yet to take revenge, so she didn¡¯t want to die here.


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes flickered slightly.


    The idea of forcing the demon cultivator to establish a soul contract was just a sh of inspiration.


    He didn¡¯t expect it to seed.


    After all, everyone who could be a cultivator master was proud and resilient.


    How could she be willing to be manipted by others?


    She would probably rather throw away her life than submit!


    Unexpectedly, the woman agreed in the end.


    Seeing her expression, Lin Shen seemed to be deep in thought. He nodded and said, ¡°Let¡¯s establish a soul contract.¡±


    The woman bit her lip and silently chanted the soul contract incantation. She pulled out a wisp of soul and floated it toward Lin Shen. Thetter reached out and let it go through his forehead.


    In the next second, Lin Shen suddenly felt as if something was branded in the depths of his mind.


    Looking at the woman in front of him, he suddenly had a feeling that her life and death were in his hands.


    The soul contract wasplete!


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Lin Shen asked.


    ¡°Miao You,¡± the woman said in a low voice.


    Lin Shen nodded slightly and asked, ¡°Who was the cultivator master who fought with you previously?¡±


    Miao You looked at Lin Shen in surprise and vaguely understood why Lin Shen had guessed that she was seriously injured previously.


    ¡°That person is called Lu Wansong. He¡¯s the subordinate of one of my enemies!¡±


    At the mention of the word ¡°enemy¡±, Miao You¡¯s eyes shed with intense hatred.


    Lin Shen saw this and understood. He could vaguely guess the reason why Miao You had submitted to him.


    ¡°Is he also a demon?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s his cultivation level?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s at Level 3 of the Spirit Nurturing Stage!¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s expression became a little solemn.


    There were a total of nine levels in the Spirit Nurturing Stage, so that man was almost at the mid-phase of that stage, and his strength couldn¡¯t be underestimated.


    Wu Ji, who had fought with him back then, was only at the first level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage ording to Shen Zening.


    Seeing that Lin Shen was deep in thought and not saying anything, Miao You thought that he was afraid, and a gloating look appeared on her face.


    ¡°Lu Wansong is currently searching for me everywhere. If he sees you with me, he¡¯ll definitely treat you as my aplice. When that happens, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to deal with him with your strength. You¡¯ll definitely suffer!¡±


    In Miao You¡¯s opinion, although Lin Shen was only at the Bright Aperture Stage, hisbat strength was as good as a first-level Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master.


    Even if he couldn¡¯t defeat Lu Wansong, he was more than capable of protecting himself.


    Of course, he had to suffer a little.


    After being forced to sign a soul contract, it was impossible for Miao You not to have any resentment. She couldn¡¯t wait to see Lin Shen suffer!


    Hearing this, Lin Shen nced at her and smiled.


    ¡°You¡¯ve reminded me. If Lu Wansong really finds me, you and I will escape separately. 1 think he must be more interested in you than me.¡±


    Miao You¡¯s expression froze.


    The restrictions of the soul contract only worked on her.


    If Lin Shen died, she wouldn¡¯t be able to live alone. But if she died, Lin Shen wouldn¡¯t be harmed at all.


    If they really met Lu Wansong, it was indeed a good idea to abandon her as bait and escape alone.


    Miao You felt like she had shot herself in the foot.


    Just as she was feeling depressed, she saw Lin Shen throw something at her.


    Miao You involuntarily reached out to catch it. When she took a closer look, her eyes widened.


    ¡°Sunlight jade!¡±


    As a demon cultivator, Miao You was experienced and knowledgeable.


    Naturally, she knew what it could do.


    ¡°Hurry up and recover from your injuries,¡± Lin Shen said calmly.


    Miao You had been seriously injured. When she had finally recovered some of her spiritual essence, she consumed all of it in the battle with Lin Shen.


    Anyone from Xuandu Mountain would be able to kill her right now.


    It wasn¡¯t easy for him to subdue a powerfulbat power at the cultivator master level. Lin Shen didn¡¯t want her to die so quickly.


    In any case, with the soul contract, even if Miao Youpletely recovered, it was impossible for her to do anything detrimental to him.


    As for Lu Wansong, Lin Shen wasn¡¯t too worried.


    Although cultivators at the third level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage were powerful, he still had trump cards to deal with them.


    The Amaze the World clone had already nurtured its spiritual essence for another three months.


    And he had 75 meridians now¡­ Just the thought of it made one shudder!


    After recovering from her shock, Miao You looked at Lin Shen with aplicated expression, but she didn¡¯t say anything. She raised her head and swallowed the sunlight jade before sitting down to meditate..

 Chapter 289 - 289: Chaotic Battle on the Mountaintop (2)

    Chapter 289: Chaotic Battle on the Mountaintop (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Lin Shen waited patiently at the side.


    About an hourter, Miao You opened her eyes. Her originally pale face now had some color.


    Although she was still far from fully recovering, at least she was no longer in a weak state that anyone could kill her.


    Lin Shen wasn¡¯t surprised. Even the sunlight jade couldn¡¯tpletely improve a severely injured cultivator master in a day.


    He only needed Miao You to recover some strength so that she could bring him to find the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit.


    Miao You naturally understood this. After recovering a little, she turned around and led the way without another word.


    She activated her spiritual essence and flew in the wind while Lin Shen was carried by the cloud dragon. They both moved fast and passed through a few mountains in the blink of an eye.


    On the way, Miao You¡¯s expression was pensive. No one knew what she was thinking, but from time to time, she would nce at Lin Shen with a brooding expression.


    Of course, Lin Shen noticed it. He just ignored her and couldn¡¯t care less.


    With his strength and soul contract, he didn¡¯t have to worry about Miao You causing trouble.


    Before long, he would be able to advance to a cultivator master, and he wouldn¡¯t have to worry anymore.


    The two of them were silent as they hurried along.


    About two hourster, Miao You stopped at the mountainside with Lin Shen and pointed up.


    ¡°That thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit is hiding on the mountaintop. However, it¡¯s abnormally cunning and will escape at the slightest movement. I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be easy to catch!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Lin Shen said calmly. ¡°You just have to lead me to its hiding ce.¡±


    Miao You pursed her lips. She wanted to say that it was easier said than done to capture a thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit with just the two of them.


    However, she suddenly thought of Lin Shen¡¯s six iparably strange clones and swallowed the words that were about toe out of her mouth.


    No matter how cunning the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit was, with seven to eight cultivators working together, they would definitely be able to catch it in half a month.


    As for Lin Shen and the six clones, they would work seamlessly together. Capturing the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit was really only a matter of time.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t know what Miao You was thinking. Just as he was about to signal her to continue leading the way, his expression suddenly changed, and he looked in the direction of the mountaintop.


    Miao You¡¯s reaction was a little slower because she had yet to recover from her serious injuries. She also looked up at the top of the mountain and raised her thin eyebrows slightly.


    ¡°Someone is fighting at the top of the mountain. Judging from themotion, there are probably more than five people!¡±


    A thought immediately shed through Miao You¡¯s mind.


    The thousand-year Mystic Essence Wood Spirit had been discovered!


    Only such a treasure would cause many cultivators to fight for it!


    Lin Shen¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change as he calmly rushed up the mountain.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and take a look.¡±


    Miao You also reacted at this moment and hurriedly followed.


    As they got closer and closer to the top of the mountain, themotion of the battle became louder.


    The sound of fast movements and explosions reverberated in the air.


    When they arrived at the top of the mountain, Lin Shen and Miao You didn¡¯te out immediately. Instead, they found a hidden ce and watched.


    With one look, Lin Shen was surprised.


    Just as he had thought, the battle on the mountaintop was indeed caused by the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit.


    Compared to the palm-sized Mystic Essence Wood Spirits that Lin Shen had seen before, this thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit was undoubtedly much more massive.


    If he stood upright, he would probably be about a meter tall.


    He still looked like a human baby and was very adorable.


    However, at this moment, this thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit was imprisoned in an iron cage.


    The iron cage was golden and was made of unknown metal. The fence was only two fingers wide, and the hook at the top was hanging on a branch. No matter how the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit struggled, apart from making the iron cage sway, he couldn¡¯t escape.


    ¡°That¡¯s an istion golden cage. It has the ability to iste essence and is extremely hard. As long as it¡¯s trapped in this cage, the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit won¡¯t be able to burrow underground no matter what!¡±


    Hearing Miao You¡¯s voice, Lin Shen nodded and continued to look elsewhere.


    The thousand-year Mystic Essence Wood Spirit wasn¡¯t the reason for his surprise. What really surprised him was the people fighting for the thousand-year Mystic Essence Wood Spirit.


    At this moment, there were more than 20 people fighting on the mountaintop!


    Many of them were familiar faces!


    The disciples of Corpse Sect, Flying Cloud Sect, and Blood Sea Sect!


    Yin Xianbin, Guan Zhou, and Yi Sufeng were there as well.


    Almost all the experts that Luo Wei had mentioned to him were gathered here.


    In addition, there were more than ten other cultivators.


    Luo Wei and the two young men beside him were among them!


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s here.¡±


    Lin Shen muttered to himself.


    As expected of a thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit. It was attractive enough to gather almost all the experts in the Xuandu Meeting.


    Yi Sufeng again¡¯s right arm, which had been severed by Lin Shen¡¯s sword, had already grown back. At this moment, she was waving a long strand of red silk and fighting two cultivators alone.


    On the other side, the three disciples of the Corpse Sect and the three from the Flying Cloud Sect were engaged in an intense battle.


    The three from the Corpse Sect didn¡¯t attack their own. They just stood at the side and controlled the six burly and tail puppets with bronze skin to attack their opponents.


    Those were the infamous Corpse Puppets of the Corpse Sect!


    From the looks of it, those should be the Copper Corpse of the Corpse Sect! Lin Shen thought to himself.


    Depending on the cultivation level of the corpse when it was alive and the level of the refinement technique, the Corpse Puppets refined by the Corpse Sect were also divided into different levels.


    The weakest was called a servant corpse and was only at the Qi Transformation Stage.


    Above them was the Iron Corpse. It was extremely strong and invulnerable.


    The weakest of them was at Level 1 of the Long Breath Stage..

 Chapter 290 Chaotic Battle on the Mountaintop (3)

    290 Chaotic Battle on the Mountaintop (3)


    Above that was the bronze corpse. Not only did it have a Bright Aperture Stage cultivation, but its entire body was as hard as ck iron. Ordinary weapons couldn''t injure it at all!


    There were also silver corpses, golden corpses, and the flying yakshas and indestructible bones that the Corpse Sect relied on to deter the East Sea Path!


    However, once they reached the Silver Corpse level, only cultivator masters could refine them.


    The corpse puppets controlled by the three Corpse Sect disciples were only bronze corpses.


    But even so, they were elites carefully selected from the bronze corpses. From the looks of it, their strength was equivalent to an ordinary ninth-level Bright Aperture Stage cultivator.


    The six bronze corpses alone suppressed the three disciples of the Flying Cloud Sect.


    However, upon closer inspection, it could be seen that the three people from the Flying Cloud Sect weren''t using their full strength. Their attention was focused on the golden cage not far away.


    Two hundred meters away, three Blood Sea Sect disciples were fighting with seven or eight cultivators.


    Although they were the side with fewer people, relying on the many blood souls, they surrounded the opponents, and thetter could barely withstand the attack.


    Among these cultivators were Luo Wei and his two friends.


    Further away, Yin Xianbin and Guan Zhou were exchanging blows.


    However, the two of them were clearly not in the mood to fight. Theirmotion was far inferior to the others.


    Looking over, there were people fighting everywhere on the mountaintop. More than 20 cultivators were in a chaotic battle.


    However, anyone with discerning eyes could tell that although these people were fighting, they hadn''t used their full strength. Most of their attention was on the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit, and they were prepared to snatch it at any time.


    However, no one was willing to stand out.


    The current situation was very obvious. Everyone was restraining each other. If anyone dared to take the initiative to snatch the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit, they would definitely be jointly attacked by everyone else. Nothing could change that.


    If that happened, not only would one have to give up on the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit, but one would also lose their life.


    No one was willing to benefit others. Everyone wanted to wait for others to break the bnce, so it created a strange stalemate at the moment.


    Miao You was very experienced and could tell the key to the current situation at a nce. She turned around and nced at Lin Shen.


    The meaning was obvious. "Are you going to attack now?"


    Among the people on the mountaintop, Lin Shen was the only one who could withstand the siege.


    Of course, if Miao You''s injuriespletely healed, it wouldn''t be a problem for her to obtain the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit.


    Lin Shen ignored Miao You''s gaze, and a dark look shed across his eyes.


    If he really attacked, he was indeed confident in snatching the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit.


    However, he might have to pay a considerable price for that.


    After all, everyone here was a capable cultivator.


    The weakest one had five or six meridians.


    For example, the Corpse Sect disciples, the Flying Cloud Sect disciples, Yin Xianbin, and Guan Zhou were all experts. They might even have some trump cards.


    Lin Shen wasn''t afraid of facing five or six people, but facing the siege of more than 20 people, even he couldn''t guarantee that he wouldn''t be injured.


    Inparison, wouldn''t it be better if he could obtain the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit without standing out?


    After thinking for a moment, Lin Shen had an idea.


    ¡­


    Whoosh!


    As Yi Sufeng dealt with her opponent, she kept staring at the golden cage from the corner of her eye. A dark look shed across her face.


    Ever since she escaped that day after her arm was cut off, she found a ce to recuperate. It took her five days to regenerate her broken arm and heal her injuries.


    Unfortunately, although her injuries had healed, she had lost the storage bracelet along with its contents.


    At the thought of this, Yi Sufeng felt awful.


    It contained the natural treasures she had umted for many years, as well as the Cast Spirit Pills she had snatched by killing others after entering Xuandu Mountain.


    Those were all used to condense spirit meridians after the Xuandu Meeting!


    But all of them were gone!


    Yi Sufeng''s heart ached so much that it was about to bleed.


    However, she would never dare to take back the storage bracelet from that person.


    The scene of her severed arm was still vivid in her mind. When she thought of the terrifying strength that person had disyed, Yi Sufeng trembled. She was already traumatized.


    That wasn''t someone she could deal with at all!


    He had already used his only life-saving trump card. If he encountered that person again, it would probably be impossible for him to escape.


    After recovering from her injuries, Yi Sufeng immediately left the area where she had met that person. She ran for hundreds of miles before she was relieved.


    After that, she didn''t know if good luck came after bad one, but she learned about the appearance of the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit from a cultivator. Therefore, she rushed over anxiously and happened to encounter this chaotic battle.


    Under the restraint and fear of each other, no one dared to be the first to attack the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit.


    Yi Sufeng was naturally the same.


    Her rakshasa demonesses had been killed by that person, and she had only recovered less than 40% of her strength. Not to mention the disciples of therge sects, she didn''t think she could even handle people like Yin Xianbin and Guan Zhou.


    She would never dare to be the one to stand out.


    In fact, if it weren''t for the fact that she had the intention of reaping the benefits from the fight, she would have left long ago.


    Just as Yi Sufeng was thinking about what to do next, she suddenly saw a figure moving from the corner of her eye. She subconsciously turned her head, and her eyes widened.


    It was him!


    At the same time, everyone on the mountaintop immediately discovered the figure rushing toward the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit.


    In the blink of an eye, that person had already rushed to the front of the tree hanging in the golden cage.


    Seeing this scene, no one had the time to think about where this person hade from. Without hesitation, they controlled their Dharma treasures or cast spells to attack that person.


    In an instant, an overwhelming attack swept forward like a storm!


    Just as that person was about to be submerged by everyone''s focus fire, he suddenly disappeared.


    Everyone''s attacks missed andnded heavily on the ground.


    The attack that gathered everyone''s strength was extremely terrifying. In an instant, the ground within a radius of 100 meters was reduced to devastation. The trees nearby instantly copsed and shattered, and the golden cage on the treetop was sent flying far away.


    It was actually flying toward the ce where the Corpse Sect disciples and the Flying Cloud Sect disciples were fighting!


    Such a strange scene immediately stunned everyone.


    However, when they regained their senses, the disciples of the Corpse Sect and the Flying Cloud Sect immediately stopped fighting and rushed toward the golden cage at the same time.


    The others seemed to have woken up from a dream. They also stopped fighting and ran for the golden cage.

 Chapter 291 Have the Last Laugh (1)

    291 Have the Last Laugh (1)


    The sudden change broke the bnce on the mountaintop.


    Be it the disciples of the sect or itinerant cultivators, they abandoned their opponents at the same time and rushed toward the golden cage.


    The Corpse Sect disciples were the first to rush forward. The leader stretched out his hand and grabbed the cage.


    With the target in hand, the disciple looked ecstatic and shouted,


    "Let''s go!"


    The three of them turned around and rushed down the mountain without hesitation.


    "Where do you think you''re going?"


    The Flying Cloud Sect disciples had already caught up to them. The three of them took out their swords and stabbed toward the back of the Corpse Sect disciples.


    Sensing the sharp sword energying from behind, the three Corpse Sect disciples were slightly intimidated, and they had no choice but to turn around to block the attack.


    With this dy, the others immediately surrounded them and attacked the three of them ferociously!


    The previous scene happened again, but this time, the target was the Corpse Sect disciples.


    Even with the help of the six bronze corpses, the three Corpse Sect disciples were still far from being a match for everyone. In the blink of an eye, they could barely hold their ground and were in great danger.


    At this moment, a breeze suddenly blew past. The Corpse Sect disciple who was holding the golden cage felt the weight on his hand disappear. He looked down and saw that the golden cage was gone.


    "No! Someone has snatched it away!"


    His expression changed drastically. He looked around and quickly discovered a wisp of wind a hundred meters away. In the wind, he could vaguely see a thin figure.


    "Yin Xianbin!"


    The Corpse Sect disciple hollered and pped out fiercely. In an instant, a blood light shed, and an itinerant cultivator blocking the way in front of him instantly turned into a dried corpse and fell to the ground.


    The disciple didn''t even spare the dead man a nce. He chased after Yin Xianbin like a sharp sword.


    The others also realized what had happened at this moment and turned to charge at Yin Xianbin.


    "Well, I''ll take the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit!"


    Yin Xianbin''s speed was as fast as the wind, leaving behind a series ofcentughter along the way.


    However, reality proved that happiness could easily turn into sorrow. In the next moment, theughter stopped abruptly, and there was a muffled groan.


    Yin Xianbin suddenly stopped, and theyer of glow on his body quickly dimmed at a speed visible to the naked eye. He reached out to his chest and finally grabbed a wisp of blood before the glowpletely disappeared.


    If one took a closer look, they would discover that the streak of light was actually an iparably ferocious poisonous insect!


    Yin Xianbin closed his fingers and instantly crushed the poisonous insect to death.


    When he looked up again, he realized that three pale-faced, expressionless men had already blocked his path and were charging at him.


    "Blood Sea Sect!"


    Yin Xianbin''s pupils constricted as he suddenly realized that the poisonous insect just now should be the famous Blood Threadworm of the Blood Sea Sect.


    No wonder his rob, a superior-grade enchanted armament, was damaged in an instant!


    Yin Xianbin didn''t have time to feel sorry for the damaged robe. He quickly raised his talisman sword to deal with the siege of the three Blood Sea Sect disciples.


    Although he was an itinerant cultivator, he was quite powerful. He had umted many trump cards over the years and wasn''t afraid of facing any of the three people in a one-on-one battle.


    However, he had to fight against all three of them, and that was beyond his power.


    From the corner of his eye, he saw that the others had also caught up. Yin Xianbin''s heart sank. He knew that he had missed the best opportunity to escape.


    He was a lone itinerant cultivator who could survive in the cruel cultivation world, so he had to be a meticulous and shrewd man. Seeing that he couldn''t turn the situation around, he gritted his teeth and threw away the cage.


    He threw it in Guan Zhou''s direction.


    Seeing this, Guan Zhou cursed inwardly and decisively retreated to distance himself from the cage.


    Yin Xianbin was smart, but Guan Zhou wasn''t stupid either. He knew very well that as an itinerant cultivator, he would definitely not be able to snatch the thousand-year-old Mysterious Wood Spirit under siege of everyone. His only hope was to take advantage of the internecine oue.


    With Guan Zhou''s retreat, the golden cage was immediately exposed to a few itinerant cultivators.


    Of course, these people understood the situation, but greed eventually suppressed their rationality.


    Seeing the golden cage flying over, they involuntarily went up to it.


    In the next moment, there was a sharp ng. Several streaks of sword energy attacked like lightning and pierced the itinerant cultivators!


    One of the streaks of sword energy spun in the air, went through the hook on the top of the golden cage, and flew back into the hands of a Flying Cloud Sect disciple.


    With the cage in their hands, the three Flying Cloud Sect disciples revealed looks of joy. They didn''t have the slightest bit of pity after killing those people.


    In the face of tempting benefits, the members of the Flying Cloud Sect, who used to treat itinerant cultivators warmly, tore off their masks and bared their fangs.


    With the death of these itinerant cultivators, this chaotic battle reached its most ferocious stage.


    Disciples fromrge sects, disciples from small sects, and the itinerant cultivators fought one another fiercely.


    Everyone was fighting everyone at the same time.


    The cage changed hands seven or eight times in a short period of time.


    Every time it changed hands, the person who obtained the cage would instantly be the target of everyone''s joint attack!


    The sword energy, spells, and Dharma treasures on the mountaintop whistled endlessly. Multi-colored lights rose and fell, changing the color of the sky.


    In a hidden corner, Miao You looked at the battle in the distance with a strange expression.


    Just now, she watched as Lin Shen summoned a clone, which rushed toward the golden cage, breaking the bnce on the mountaintop in one go and dragging everyone into a chaotic battle!


    She had originally wanted to watch on the side and see how Lin Shen would obtain the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit. She had never thought that he would use such a move.

 Chapter 292 Have the Last Laugh (2)

    292 Have the Last Laugh (2)


    As the saying goes, the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it!


    The people at the top of the mountain were undoubtedly mantises that were catching cicadas.


    As for the oriole¡­


    Miao You couldn''t help but nce at Lin Shen, who sat calmly beside her. She was filled with mixed emotions.


    Not only was he astonishingly powerful at such a young age, but he was also extremely shrewd!


    Such a person would have shocking achievements in the future.


    For some reason, Miao You didn''t feel as resentful toward the fact that she was forced to sign a soul contract.


    Signing a soul contract with a young cultivator with astonishing potential didn''t seem all that uneptable.


    Lin Shen didn''t know what Miao You was thinking. His gaze was fixed on the battle in the distance.


    It had only been twenty to thirty seconds since the bnce was broken, but almost ten people had already died.


    Without exception, they were all disciples of small sects and itinerant cultivators!


    The remaining small sect disciples and itinerant cultivators were scared out of their wits. They left the battlefield in a panic and didn''t dare to get involved again.


    However, they didn''t leave. Instead, they watched the battle from afar. Clearly, they still had some hope left.


    At this moment, only the disciples of the Corpse Sect, the Blood Sea Sect, and the Flying Cloud Sect, as well as Yin Xianbin, Guan Zhou, and Yi Sufeng, were still fighting for the golden cage.


    The twelve of them fought back and forth, sometimes attacking one another, sometimes joining forces to deal with the same opponent.


    As time passed, the Corpse Sect disciples gradually became impatient. The three of them looked at each other and seemed to have reached an agreement. The leader suddenly took out a bone tablet and threw it into the air.


    Immediately, there was a series of sizzling sounds. Arge amount of ck fog spewed out from the bone tablet and quickly spread.


    In the next moment, a burly figure suddenly broke through the ck fog and rushed out.


    It was a corpse puppet. However, not only was it stronger than the bronze corpse from before, but its bronze body was also emitting an extremely faint silver glow. Clearly, it had almost be a silver corpse.


    As the burly corpse puppet appeared, an extremely ferocious aura suddenly descended and enveloped the entire mountaintop!


    Everyone present felt a tightness in their chests. They felt as if they had fallen into a quagmire, and their movements slowed down for a moment.


    Taking advantage of this moment, the burly corpse puppet rushed out like a tiger hunting a rabbit. In the blink of an eye, it arrived in front of a Flying Cloud Sect disciple and punched down at him!


    BOOM!


    Before the fistnded, there was a thunderous roar.


    Feeling the power of this punch, the Flying Cloud Sect disciple paled, but he had no choice but to brace himself and stab out with his sword.


    However, the moment the fist and sword collided, arge amount of ck gas suddenly surged out of the burly corpse puppet''s fist. Its entire arm became more than twice as thick, and a powerful force struck the tip of the sword like a meteorite!


    Immediately, there was a creaking sound. The talisman sword, which had reached the quality of a superior-grade enchanted armament, twisted and shattered!


    The fist that was surrounded by ck gas continued forward and struck the disciple of the Flying Cloud Sect!


    Thump!


    The Flying Cloud Sect disciple flew far away like a kite with a broken string. He grunted in midair, and there was a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth.


    If the talisman sword and the robe hadn''t blocked most of the power, this punch alone would have killed him!


    Seeing this, the spectators all looked astonished.


    They knew their strength and cultivation level weren''t much better than that Flying Cloud Sect disciple.


    That disciple was injured and sent flying after a single strike. If they were to face this corpse puppet, they probably would end up the same as that Flying Cloud Sect disciple.


    "Even if this corpse puppet hasn''t reached the Silver Corpse level, it''s almost there!"


    Yin Xianbin''s eyes flickered. He nced at Guan Zhou and Yi Sufeng from the corner of his eye and found that they also looked uneasy.


    Because they were a little further away, the three of them weren''t immediately targeted by the burly corpse puppet.


    After injuring the Flying Cloud Sect disciple, the burly corpse puppet turned around and attacked the other two Flying Cloud Sect disciples.


    With just two punches, the two Flying Cloud Sect disciples followed in theirpanion''s footsteps and vomited blood as they flew backward.


    Without stopping, the burly corpse puppet turned around and charged at the three Blood Sea Sect disciples.


    The expressions of the three of them changed when they saw this. They hurriedly controlled their blood souls to block the attack.


    However, the blood soul, whose strength wasparable to a seventh or eighth-level Bright Aperture Stage cultivator, was like a child in front of the burly corpse puppet, who easily finished off the blood souls as if it was crushing ants.


    In a moment, the three Blood Sea Sect disciples were also injured and sent flying.


    After dealing with six people in a row, the burly corpse puppet was still as fierce as before. It suddenly turned to look at Yin Xianbin, Guan Zhou, and Yi Sufeng.


    The three of them felt their hearts skip a beat and subconsciously took a step back. Just as they were hesitating if they should escape, they saw the burly corpse puppet''s body tremble violently. It suddenly scattered into ck gas that filled the sky and turned into a bone tablet that flew back into the hands of the Corpse Sect disciple.


    The Corpse Sect disciple''s originally pale face became even paler, and he looked visibly drained of energy.


    Clearly, controlling the burly corpse puppet had exhausted most of his strength.


    Seeing this, Yin Xianbin and the other two were overjoyed. They looked at each other and simultaneously rushed toward the three Corpse Sect disciples.


    Now that the disciples of the Flying Cloud Sect and the Blood Sea Sect were heavily injured and one of the Corpse Sect disciples had exhausted too much energy, there were only two opponents left. It was a good opportunity for them to snatch the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit!


    Yin Xianbin, Guan Zhou, and Yi Sufeng were all itinerant cultivators. Although they weren''t on friendly terms, they were still very familiar with each other.


    The three of them didn''t need tomunicate. They quickly reached a tacit understanding with just their gazes.


    They would kill these two Corpse Yin Sect disciples first and snatch the thousand-year Mystic Essence Wood Spirit!


    As for how to split the war spoils, they could discuss itter!

 Chapter 293 - 293: Have the Last Laugh (3)

    Chapter 293: Have the Last Laugh (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Seeing Yin Xianbin and the other two rushing over, the two Corpse Sect disciples didn¡¯t panic. Instead, a cold smile appeared on their faces.


    Since they dared to use their trump cards to defeat the Flying Cloud Sect and the Blood Sea Sect, how could they not guard against these three fellows?


    With a coldugh, the person on the left flipped his wrist, and another bone tablet appeared in his palm. The style was exactly the same as the previous one!


    Yin Xianbin and the other two stopped in their tracks as they looked at the bone tablet in bewilderment.


    Could it be the same kind of corpse puppet as the previous one?


    Under the three people¡¯s shocked gazes, the bone tablet turned into a ball of ck fog. A burly corpse puppet that was extremely simr to the one from before jumped out and brazenly attacked the three of them!


    Yin Xianbin and the other two were shocked.


    The six powerful disciples of the Blood Sea Sect and the Flying Cloud Sect were all defeated by this burly corpse puppet. How could the three of them be a match for it?


    Without a word, they turned around and fled.


    Seeing this, the disciples of the Corpse Sect didn¡¯t pursue them. Their goal was only the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit. Those itinerant cultivators didn¡¯t matter.


    The situation took a sharp turn. In the blink of an eye, the Corpse Sect had the upper hand. They had alreadypletely controlled the situation by beating the others until they were either seriously injured or fleeing.


    The disciples and itinerant cultivators who were watching the battle at the side looked at each other and sighed inwardly, losing thest bit of hope.


    It seemed that this thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit would go to the Corpse Sect.


    The three Corpse Sect disciples smiled. One of them stretched out his hand and waved. The golden cage that hadnded a few steps away rose from the ground and slowly flew toward him.


    Just as everyone thought that battle had ended, a person jumped out from the shadows under a rock.


    He happened to stand between the Corpse Sect disciples and the golden cage. He stretched out his hand and grabbed it.


    Immediately after that, he leaped down the mountain without hesitation.


    No one expected this to happen. They were all stunned.


    The Corpse Sect disciple¡¯s expressions changed drastically as they shouted,


    ¡°Stop him!¡±


    The burly corpse puppet moved when it heard themand and pounced toward that person. Its fist carried rolling ck gas as it attacked!


    Seeing the aggressive punch, that person also pped out with his palm. In an instant, a golden-red palm that was more than ten meters long appeared in the sky and sent the burly corpse puppet flying with a bang.


    This scene stunned everyone, and their eyes widened.


    Even the enraged disciples of the Corpse Sect were dazed on the spot.


    No one expected that the iparably powerful and burly corpse puppet would actually be repelled by that person in a single move!


    The three Corpse Sect disciples were so astonished that they forgot to chase after that person. When they came back to their senses, they realized that the person had already disappeared into the distance.


    Their faces turned ashen, and their eyes shed with raging anger.


    It wasn¡¯t easy for them to obtain the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit, but someone interfered midway. How could they not be furious?


    However, no matter how angry they were, they didn¡¯t dare to chase after that person.


    A ck-Silver corpse puppet¡¯s cultivation level was close to that of a cultivator master, but that person could defeat it in a head-on confrontation. That was incredible. Chasing after him would be suicidal.


    If they could have perfect control over the ck-Silver Corpse Puppet, they might still have a chance of winning!


    The small sect disciples and itinerant cultivators looked at the ashen-faced Corpse Sect disciples and were all bewildered.


    No one expected a person to suddenly jump out and sessfully snatch the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit from the Corpse Sect disciples.


    Now that they thought about it, the figure who suddenly rushed out and broke the bnce just then was very likely the same person.


    They had all been used as a mantis stalking the cicada!


    The disciples of the Blood Sea Sect and the Flying Cloud Sect caught their breath by then. They looked at the disciples of the Corpse Sect with mocking and gloating grins.


    Since they couldn¡¯t have the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit, they naturally didn¡¯t want the Corpse Sect to seed.


    At this moment, a Blood Sea Sect disciple¡¯s eyes flickered. He suddenly took a step forward and came to the leading Senior Brother¡¯s side.


    ¡°Senior Brother Chai, that person seemed to have used Meltdown!¡±


    Chai Liang hesitated for a moment and said in a low voice, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s very likely.¡±


    As the Nine Suns Sect¡¯s mortal enemies, they naturally recognized the unique martial technique of the Nine Suns Sect, Meltdown.


    However, when Path-stage Meltdown was used, the huge palm was red, while the palm just now was golden-red. The two were slightly different.


    But no matter what, the technique itself looked very simr. It had to be Meltdown.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, wasn¡¯t that person one of the two Nine Suns Sect disciples standing beside Qu Ke previously?¡±


    Another Blood Sea Sect disciple frowned and was a little shocked.


    ¡°But that shouldn¡¯t be the case. That person looks younger than Qu Ke. How can he have such shocking strength?¡±


    Chai Liang and the other person were also a little surprised.


    They remembered all the powerful elite inner sect disciples below the cultivator master level, but they could not remember such a person.


    Were they mistaken? Was it possible that the person wasn¡¯t actually from the Nine Suns Sect?


    ¡°Senior Brother Chai, are we still going to find Qu Ke and the others?¡±


    Chai Liang hesitated.


    Apart from searching for the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit, they had also been searching for traces of the Nine Suns Sect disciples. Unfortunately, Xuandu Mountain was too big, and they had yet to find anything.


    Now that they had finally found a clue, that person just now was extremely terrifying. If that person was really a disciple of the Nine Suns Sect, then going after him would be like sending amb to the tiger¡¯s mouth.


    Chai Liang frowned and pondered for a moment. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly realized that something was wrong. He raised his head and looked to the left. He was shocked to find that someone had appeared there.


    The others quickly realized that something was wrong and looked over warily.


    That person was about 30 to 40 years old and had a rough appearance. The beard under his chin was like needles, and he was a burly man. He didn¡¯t look like an ordinary cultivator master and stood there with an oppressive aura..

 Chapter 294 - 294:108 Spiritual Meridians (1)

    Chapter 294:108 Spiritual Meridians (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Chai Liang frowned and asked harshly.


    Everyone also raised their guard and looked at the person with unfriendly eyes.


    They had just been tricked, so they were wary of anyone who suddenly appeared.


    The Corpse Sect disciples who had just been robbed of their prey were iparably angry. Seeing someone quietly arrive at rhe top of the mountain, the leader, Yu Youquan, immediately snorted coldly. He threw out a bone nail and shot it at the rough man like an arrow.


    His Cursed Bone Nail was a superior-grade enchanted armament. With his cultivation level, ordinary ninth-stage Bright Aperture Stage cultivators wouldn¡¯t dare to take it head-on.


    However, the burly man didn¡¯t dodge at all. He only sneered slightly. Only when the Cursed Bone Nail approached did he suddenly open his mouth and spit out a mouthful of dark red fog.


    The Cursed Bone Nail and the dark red fog suddenly made contact. Unexpectedly, there was a crisp sound of metal colliding. Then, the dark red fog suddenly spun and annihted the Cursed Bone Nail in the blink of an eye!


    Seeing this, everyone felt a chill run down their spines.


    Spiritual essence!


    That person was a cultivator master!


    Yu Youquan was also taken aback. When he saw the burly man looking at him, he felt his scalp go numb, and he groaned inwardly.


    Why was he so muddle headed? He didn¡¯t even know the strength and cultivation of the person and attacked rashly!


    Offending a cultivator master was no joke!


    Just as he was feeling bewildered, he saw a cold smile appear on the burly man¡¯s face. His cold gaze slowly swept across everyone.


    ¡°Corpse Sect, Blood Sea Sect, and Flying Cloud Sect. Heh, three of the most famousrge sects of the East Sea Path have gathered here at once. How lively!¡±


    Yu Youquan suppressed his shock and pretended to be calm. ¡°May 1 know your name?¡±


    The burly man nced at him and said coldly, ¡°You¡¯re not important enough to know that!¡±


    Yu Youquan¡¯s face immediately flushed red. He was furious in his heart, but before he could speak, he saw the rough-looking man raise his hand. A streak of dark light immediately shot over like a bolt of lightning. Before he could react, it suddenly entered his chest and disappeared.


    Yu Youquan¡¯s expression changed drastically as he cried out involuntarily.


    ¡°What did you do to me?¡±


    The burly man ignored him. He raised his arm repeatedly, and in an instant, more than ten streaks of dim light shot out one after another, attacking the others.


    Everyone¡¯s expressions changed as they dodged in panic.


    However, no matter how they dodged, they couldn¡¯t escape the pursuit of the light.


    Neither martial techniques nor Dharma treasures could withstand the dim light.


    Before long, everyone was hit, and the dim light buried into their chests.


    Just as they were bewildered, they heard an iparably miserable scream.


    T hey turned around and saw Yu Youquan lying limp on the ground. His entire body was curled into a ball like a cooked shrimp. Blue veins protruded from his face, neck, and arms. The twisting and trembling as if something was squirming under his skin.


    ¡°You¡¯ve all been hit by my Spirit Erosion Insect!¡±


    T he rough man¡¯s cold voice sounded as if it came from hell, making one¡¯s heart palpitate.


    ¡°With just a thought from me, the insect in your body will begin to act up and eat the spirit meridians. Every time it acts up, not only will you have to endure the pain, but you¡¯ll also lose a spirit meridian. Even if you try to gather it again, you won t be able to recover!¡±


    As soon as he said this, everyone¡¯s faces turned ashen.


    Losing a spirit meridian and never being able to recover was equivalent to reducing the upper limit of their cultivation level.


    Compared to the pain, this was undoubtedly more shocking.


    After all, they hade to the Xuandu Meeting to obtain the Mystic Essence Liquid to condense spirit meridians. How could they stand the fact that the upper limit of the spirit meridians was reduced?


    If rhe insect acred up a few more times, wouldn¡¯t they be unable to be cultivator masters for the rest of their lives?


    As for whether the rough man was lying to them, rhe possibility was very low. After all, after Yu Youquan recovered, they would know if his spirit meridians had really decreased.


    When he came back to his senses, Chai Liang hurriedly said, ¡°Senior, we re not on the same side as the three people from the Corpse Sect!¡±


    He meant, ¡°It was the Corpse Sect that offended you. If you want to punish someone, punish the three of them. It had nothing to do with us.¡±


    However, the burly man nced at him and sneered. ¡°Humans and demons are irreconcble. Even if I kill all of you, I ll feel righteous!¡±


    Everyone was stunned when they heard this. When they realized what that meant, their faces turned even paler.


    It turned out that the person in front of him was actually a demon cultivator!


    Humans and demons had always disliked each other. If they fell into the hands of a demon cultivator, they knew things wouldn¡¯t end well.


    T hinking of this, everyone felt their heart sink.


    At this moment, the burly man suddenly pointed ar Chai Liang and said coldly, ¡°You, tell me what happened here.¡±


    Chai Liang looked at Yu Youquan, who was already unconscious. He swallowed and started to tell rhe story obediently.


    Hearing this, the rough man frowned.


    He had followed the aura left behind by Miao You all the way here. He had thought that Miao You had injured these people, but ording to Chai Liang¡¯s description, that wasn¡¯t rhe case.


    The cultivator who snatched the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit was a young man and not a woman. Moreover, his cultivation had yet to reach the Spirit Nurturing Stage.


    ¡°But there are indeed traces of Miao You¡¯s aura in this area. Could that person be in cahoots with her?¡±


    T he burly man¡¯s eyes flickered.


    Even though he had chased Miao You all the way, he didn¡¯t find any aplices.


    However, that man might be the subordinate she had just subdued these few days.


    After all, he wasn¡¯t the only one who had the means to intimidate and subdue human cultivators..

 Chapter 295 - 295:108 Spiritual Meridians (2)

    Chapter 295:108 Spiritual Meridians (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Either way, he just had to continue chasing.


    Even if he couldn¡¯t catch up to Miao You, he would be content to take down that young man.


    The thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit was a good thing. Although he couldn¡¯t use it, he could give it to the juniors of his descendants. Perhaps they could nurture a cultivator master.


    At the thought of this, the burly man made up his mind. He raised his hand and looked at everyone, sneering.


    He happened to join the Xuandu Meeting, which gave him the chance to capture so many human elites at once.


    It wasn¡¯t easy to nurture the Spirit Erosion Insects. Since he had used them, he had better make the best use of them.


    Miao You was extremely cunning. With the help of these fellows, it should be easier to capture her.


    Just as Liang Chai and the others were restrained by the burly man¡¯s Spirit Erosion Insect, Lin Shen had already left the mountaintop.


    He didn¡¯t stop along the way. He flew for nearly a hundred kilometers beforeing to a stop.


    After finding a quiet cave, Lin Shen picked up the golden cage and looked at the trembling thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit with joy.


    Judging by the size of this wood spirit, it must have condensed a lot of Mystic Essence Liquid which was more than enough to make him advance to a cultivator master.


    Just as he was feeling happy, he heard a noise outside the cave.


    Lin Shen wasn¡¯t surprised. He looked up and saw Miao You walking in gracefully.


    After signing the soul contract, as long as they weren¡¯t too far apart, he could sense Miao You¡¯s location at all times. As soon as thetter approached the cave, he immediately sensed her.


    ¡°Go out and guard the door,¡± Lin Shen suddenly said.


    Miao You was perplexed.


    She had finally caught up with him with her injuries, but he wanted to chase her out as soon as she entered the cave. Seriously?


    However, Miao You soon realized what he meant. She raised her thin eyebrows slightly and stared at Lin Shen¡¯s solemn face.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to forge your spirit meridian?¡±


    She didn¡¯t say ¡°condense spirit meridian¡± but ¡°forge a spirit meridian¡±.


    The former meant to increase the number of spirit meridians, while thetter meant that he had to officially break through the cage and be a cultivator master.


    If it was just condensing more spirit meridians, Lin Shen probably didn¡¯t need to let her out.


    Lin Shen nced at Miao You and didn¡¯t say anything. He just nodded slightly.


    Since the conditions for advancing to a cultivator master had been met, there was no need to dy any longer.


    It wasn¡¯t as if there were no existence in Xuandu Mountain that could threaten his life. The earlier he broke through, the safer he would be.


    Hearing Lin Shen¡¯s words, Miao You¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and a strange glint shed across her eyes.


    When she fought with Lin Shen previously, she was very curious about how many spirit meridians Lin Shen had condensed.


    Among the cultivators she had fought so far, the number of spirit meridians they had was at most a little over thirty.


    And Lin Shen¡¯s strength far exceeded that person¡¯s!


    The two couldn¡¯t bepared to each other.


    ¡°From the looks of it, Lin Shen can¡¯t have fewer than forty spirit meridians!¡±


    ¡°Since he still needs the Mystic Essence Liquid, it means that his spirit meridians haven¡¯t reached their limits!¡±


    The more Miao You thought about it, the more shocked she became.


    In that case, didn¡¯t that mean that Lin Shen was very likely to reach the limit of 45 spirit meridians?


    That was a first-grade spirit meridian!


    In the past 30 to 40 years, no one in the entire East Sea Path had attained a first-grade spirit meridian!


    However, on second thought, it was unheard of for someone at the Bright Aperture Stage to have strengthparable to a cultivator master!


    It didn¡¯t seem strange for someone with such strength to attain a first-grade spirit meridian.


    Miao You was filled with emotions.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Hearing Lin Shen¡¯s voice, Miao You suddenly woke up from her reverie and hurriedly shook her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing!¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, she felt a wave of anger. She was a dignified cultivator master. How could she lose herposure in front of a junior?


    Even if this person had signed a soul contract with her, it shouldn¡¯t have happened!


    In the end, it was because Lin Shen had a high chance of attaining a first-grade spirit meridian that made her waver.


    After all, as long as there were no major changes in the future, a cultivator who became a cultivator master with a first-grade spirit meridian would definitely break through to the Mystic Light Stage.


    All cultivators above the Mystic Light Stage were famous mighty figures of the East Sea Path.


    The entire East Sea Path would tremble if they stomped their feet.


    Suppressing the emotions, Miao You looked at Lin Shen with a brooding gaze and turned to leave the cave.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t care. His attention was on the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit.


    After Miao You left, he used the same trick again and asked the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit to hand over the Mystic Essence Liquid before letting him leave.


    The thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit was smarter than his ordinary nsmen. He knew very well that he was a fish on the chopping board that was at the mercy of others. There was no room to bargain at all, and he obediently handed over the Mystic Essence Liquid.


    Lin Shen also kept his promise and let him go.


    After the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit burrowed into the ground and left, Lin Shen looked at the porcin bottle containing the Mystic Essence Liquid and smiled happily.


    ¡°Seventeen drops of Mystic Essence Liquid is enough for the remaining three clones to condense their spirit meridians to their limits!¡±


    There was no time to lose. Lin Shen didn¡¯t dy and prepared to condense the spirit meridians.


    However, before that, he took out the formation disk and injected spiritual essence into it to activate the Nine Mystic Metal Array.


    Immediately, the formation disk shed as a dazzling golden light suddenly appeared. It swept across the cave and spread out, enveloping the entire area.


    After all, he was advancing to a cultivator master and couldn¡¯t be disturbed at all. Otherwise, all his previous efforts would be wasted.


    In more serious cases, his cultivation foundation would be damaged, and he would be able to be a cultivator master for the rest of his life!


    Therefore, no matter how rigorous the preparation was, it wouldn¡¯t be too much!


    This was also the reason why Lin Shen asked Miao You to leave.


    With the Soul Contract, he didn¡¯t have to worry about Miao You trying to harm him.


    However, out of consideration for safety, Lin Shen still didn¡¯t intend to let Miao You stay by his side.


    Moreover, he couldn¡¯t let Miao You see the process of his clones condensing their spirit meridians..

 Chapter 296 - 296:108 Spiritual Meridians (3)

    Chapter 296:108 Spiritual Meridians (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    He didn¡¯t trust Miao You that much yet.


    ¡°With the Nine Mystic Metal Array and the clones, there should be no need to worry!¡±


    Lin Shen nodded to himself. Then, he summoned his clones and distributed the Mystic Essence Liquid to his Well-versed, Testify by Killing, and Pure Yang Body clones so that they could start cultivating.


    The cave quickly fell silent, leaving only the breathing of Lin Shen and his clones.


    From time to time, a mystic sound would ring out. That was the symbol of the clone sessfully condensing a spirit meridian.


    In the blink of an eye, five days had passed.


    Well-versed and Testify by Killing clones were the first to reach the limit.


    As expected, both clones had twenty spirit meridians.


    After fusing, Lin Shen¡¯s total number of spirit meridians soared to 95!


    As for the Pure Yang Body clone, just as he had expected, its potential was far beyond twenty spirit meridians.


    With the support of sufficient Mystic Essence Liquid and Cast Spirit Pills, the number of spirit meridians in the Pure Yang Body clone was still increasing in an orderly manner.


    21!


    22!


    23!


    After another day, the number of spirit meridians in the Pure Yang Body clone increased to 26. Only then did Lin Shen feel the resistance.


    He took some Cast Spirit Pills, but his spirit meridians showed no signs of continuing to grow.


    At this point, Lin Shen confirmed that the limit of the Pure Yang Body clone was 26 spirit meridians.


    ¡°That¡¯s not bad.¡±


    He was only one spirit meridian away from reaching the number needed for the third-grade spirit meridian. However, Lin Shen didn¡¯t need the Pure Yang Body clone to forge a spirit meridian, so he didn¡¯t mind.


    Without any dy, Lin Shen immediately fused with the Pure Yang Body clone.


    As 13 mystic sounds rang out, another thirteen spirit meridians appeared in his body, and the total number reached 108!


    ¡°108 spirit meridians, more than double the 45 spirit meridians needed for a first-grade spirit meridian!¡±


    Lin Shen heaved a long sigh of relief, his heart filled with ecstasy.


    Those who attained a first-grade spirit meridian were already publicly acknowledged geniuses in the East Sea Path.


    Then what should he be called if he had condensed a total of 108 spirit meridians?


    After a long while, Lin Shen recovered from his joy and focused on sensing the spiritual essence in his body.


    After condensing 108 spirit meridians, the spiritual essence in his body had already transformed into an extremely strange state.


    Although it was still spiritual essence, in terms of quality, it was no longer inferior to the natural essence wandering in the surrounding air.


    It wasn¡¯t spiritual essence, but it was also better than spiritual essence!


    And this was before Lin Shen took thest step. Once he reallypleted the transformation, how powerful would the spiritual essence be?


    Lin Shen was very excited.


    The main power of a Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master came from the spiritual essence in their body.


    The power of spiritual essence depended on the cultivation technique and the quality of the spiritual essence.


    Thetter depended on the number of spirit meridians.


    The more spirit meridians there were, the more spiritual essence would be condensed after the transformation, and the higher the quality.


    With the spiritual essence condensed from his 108 spirit meridians, its quality would probably reach an extremely shocking level!


    Taking a deep breath, Lin Shen calmed the surging emotions in his heart and began thest step of the spiritual essence transformation.


    At the same time.


    Outside the cave, in a dense forest not far away.


    Miao You sat cross-legged on a branch and closed her eyes to meditate.


    After an unknown period of time, she suddenly opened her eyes and let out a mouthful of white mist that shot out for over seven meters.


    There were vague specks of ck and red amidst the white smoke.


    ¡°As expected of the sunlight jade. Its healing effect is obvious. My injuries are almost healed in six days. I should bepletely healed in three to four days at most!¡±


    Joy shed in Miao You¡¯s eyes.


    As long as she fully recovered from her injuries, even if she encountered Lu Wansong again, she would still be able to escape even if she couldn¡¯t defeat him.


    However, just as this thought appeared in her mind, Miao You suddenly froze.


    This was because she suddenly realized that after Lin Shen broke through and became a cultivator master, they would have two cultivators on their side.


    With the two of them working together, they were more than enough to resist Lu Wansong.


    Miao You was filled with emotions again.


    After being forced to sign a soul contract by Lin Shen, her life was in his hands. Logically speaking, she should have hated Lin Shen very much.


    But on second thought, Lin Shen had given her the sunlight jade to help her recover from her injuries. She no longer had to worry about being caught by Lu Wansong. From this point of view, Lin Shen saved her life again.


    On one side was the hatred of being restrained, and on the other side was the life-saving grace. It was really inexplicable.


    After a long while, Miao You sighed and dispelled the distracting thoughts. She turned to look at the cave, and a strange light shed in her eyes.


    She didn¡¯t care much about Lin Shen chasing her out and setting up an array formation to iste the inside and outside of the cave.


    If she were in Lin Shen¡¯s position, she wouldn¡¯t let a foreign race cultivator master stay by her side at such an extremely critical moment like forging a spirit meridian.


    Even if this foreign race cultivator master was shackled by the soul contract.


    Even so, Miao You was still worried about staying too far away, so she simply found a ce near the cave and healed herself while paying attention to the situation inside.


    It wasn¡¯t that she was concerned about Lin Shen, but she wanted to be there just in case.


    If anything really happened to Lin Shen, she wouldn¡¯t be able to survive alone because of the existence of the soul contract.


    Of course, on the other hand, Miao You was also very curious about whether Lin Shen could forge a first-grade spirit meridian.


    ¡°It¡¯s been six days. I wonder if he has started to break through to the cultivator master stage yet.¡±


    Miao You¡¯s eyes shed.


    At this moment, her expression suddenly changed, and she looked into the distance warily.


    She could sense with his spiritual senses that a group of people was approaching.


    Moreover, there was a very familiar and disgusting aura mixed in!


    It was Lu Wansong¡¯s aura!


    Miao You¡¯s expression suddenly changed.


    At this moment, those people had already discovered the existence of the cave.


    ¡°Is this an array formation?¡±


    ¡°Nine Mystic Metal Array! Someone is in the cave!¡±


    ¡°Senior Lu, could that be the person you¡¯re looking for?¡±


    A few people were talking.


    It was Chai Liang, Yu Youquan, and the others.


    At this moment, they all looked at Lu Wansong in front of them with fear in their eyes.


    After being restrained by Lu Wansong¡¯s Spirit Eroding Insects at the top of the mountain, they had to submit to Lu Wansong and search for traces of Miao You and Lin Shen ording to his orders.


    In the past few days, Lu Wansong had used the excuse of ipetence and resentment to awaken the Spirit Eroding insects in their bodies. When the insect ate one¡¯s spirit meridian, they would faint from the pain.


    After it was repeated several times, the cultivators no longer had any doubts about the terror of the insect. They were also intimidated by Lu Wansong¡¯s ruthlessness and ferocity. They could only bury the resentment in their hearts and no longer dared to disobey him.


    Lu Wansong¡¯s eyes shed, and he suddenly stretched out his hand to grab a wisp of aura. After sensing it, his eyes narrowed slightly.


    ¡°There¡¯s a remnant aura of the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit!¡±


    As soon as he said this, Yu Youquan, Chai Liang, and the others perked up.


    Since the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit had appeared here before, it was most likely the person who had snatched it away in the cave!


    At the thought of this, everyone gritted their teeth.


    It wasn¡¯t a pleasant feeling to have one¡¯s prey snatched away, not to mention that many people also med this person for the fear and humiliation brought by Lu Wansong.


    At this moment, they wished they could skin and dismember the person who snatched the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit!


    More importantly, with Lu Wansong around, it would be easy to deal with that person!


    For a moment, everyone looked at Lu Wansong.


    Miao You, who was hiding in the dense forest, immediately felt that something was wrong.


    She had set up a formation in advance to hide her aura. As long as she didn¡¯t move, Lu Wansong wouldn¡¯t discover her.


    However, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t do that.


    He was at the critical moment of breaking through. If he was interrupted, he would be severely injured at least. If he fell into Lu Wansong¡¯s hands, he wouldn¡¯t survive.


    If such a thing really happened, she would lose her life too!


    What should she do?


    Miao You fell into a dilemma..

 Chapter 297 - 297: A Person of the Immortal Path (1)

    Chapter 297: A Person of the Immortal Path (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Lu Wansong narrowed his eyes and stared at the cave enveloped in golden light not far away, his eyes flickering.


    Miao You¡¯s aura wasn¡¯t far from here. He had asked Yu Youquan and the others to carefully search the forest within a 5 km radius, but they couldn¡¯t find any traces of Miao You.


    This cave was the only ce they hadn¡¯t checked.


    If nothing went wrong, Miao You should be inside.


    Even if she wasn¡¯t, the person inside was most likely rted to Miao You. He could just capture him and interrogate him.


    From Yu Youquan and the others, Lu Wansong had learned the strength of the young man who had snatched the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit.


    To be able to defeat the Corpse Sect¡¯s ck-Silver Corpse Puppet in one strike, his strength had to be extraordinary.


    However, he wasn¡¯t a cultivator master after all!


    Everyone below the cultivator master stage was an ant. As long as the person wasn¡¯t a cultivator, Lu Wansong had nothing to fear.


    A cold light shed in his eyes. Just as Lu Wansong was about to attack and break the formation in one go, he suddenly dodged to the side.


    In the next moment, a white cloth brushed past him, tearing through the air and creating an ear-piercing sound!


    Lu Wansong wasn¡¯t surprised by the sudden sneak attack. Instead, he was delighted because he recognized the white silk.


    ¡°Miao You!¡±


    Lu Wansong suddenly turned around. As expected, Miao You was hovering 300m away, her hand wrapped in white silk, her face cold.


    ¡°You¡¯re really here! Wait. Your injuries are mostly recovered.¡±


    Lu Wansong could tell at a nce that Miao You¡¯s injuries were mostly healed, but he didn¡¯t think too much about it. There were many natural treasures in Xuandu Mountain, and many of them could heal injuries quickly. Perhaps Miao You was lucky.


    Even so, it didn¡¯t affect him at all.


    Miao You was no match for him even at her peak, let alone now!


    ¡°Break the array! Take down the person inside!¡±


    After saying this, Lu Wansong rushed towards Miao You without looking back.


    Although he was a little puzzled by Miao You¡¯s decision to appear despite knowing that she was no match for him, he felt that he was strong enough and determined to capture Miao You, so he didn¡¯t hesitate.


    Seeing Lu Wansong rushing over, Miao You also turned around and fled without hesitation.


    The two of them disappeared into the horizon in the blink of an eye, leaving Yu Youquan and the others looking at each other.


    After a long while, someone broke the silence and said hesitantly,


    ¡°What are we going to do?¡±


    ¡°What else can we do?¡±


    Yu Youquan snorted coldly, his eyes shing with hatred and resentment.


    ¡°If we don¡¯t do as that person says, who knows how he¡¯ll torture us when hees back?¡±


    As if triggered by Yu Youquan¡¯s words, many people recalled some unbearable experience. Many of them shuddered fiercely and immediately stopped hesitating. They took out their Dharma treasures and attacked the golden light that enveloped the cave.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The sky above the forest immediately reverberated with endless rumbling!


    The overwhelming attacks of spells, martial techniques, and Dharma treasures struck the golden light one after another, but they were all futile.


    An itinerant cultivator couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue.


    ¡°What array formation is this? It¡¯s still intact after suffering so many attacks!¡±


    ¡°Ignorant!¡±


    A Blood Sea Sect disciple nced at the person who spoke and sneered.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t even seen the Nine Mystic Metal Array?¡±


    The itinerant cultivator didn¡¯t mind. Instead, he smiled obsequiously and said, ¡°I see you¡¯re knowledgeable. Why don¡¯t you tell us about the wonder of this array formation?¡±


    Yin Xianbin, Guan Zhou, and Yi Sufeng also looked over.


    Itinerant cultivators were limited by their background and had never been as knowledgeable as sect disciples in terms of array formations.


    Although the three of them were outstanding itinerant cultivators, they had never heard of an array formation like the Nine Mystic Metal Array. They were all intrigued.


    When the Blood Sea Sect disciple saw that everyone¡¯s gazes were focused on him, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little smug.


    He nced at Yu Youquan. Seeing that his senior brother didn¡¯t object, he raised his head and said,


    ¡°The Nine Mystic Metal Array is a famous defensive array formation. Once it¡¯s activated, it will take an hour or two for thirty to forty cultivators at the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage to break through it. Even if a cultivator master were to attack, the array would be able to withstand more than ten attacks!¡±


    Many people were shocked when they heard this.


    In that case, all of the people here would have to attack with all their might for an hour before they could break the array.


    Yin Xianbin couldn¡¯t help but curse in his heart.


    They wanted to escape when Lu Wansong wasn¡¯t around, but Lu Wansong had said that if they were more than 10km away from him, the Spirit Corrosion Insects in everyone¡¯s bodies would automatically wake up and eat all the spirit meridians in their bodies, making them die in pain!


    Even if they could survive it, their cultivation foundation would be destroyed, and he would never have the chance to be a cultivator master in their life.


    Although no one knew if Lu Wansong¡¯s words were true, no one dared to try.


    Unless they were really on the verge of death, otherwise, who would dare take the risk of destroying their future?


    Wait!


    Yin Xianbin suddenly thought of something.


    That person was in the cave and had specially set up an array formation to protect himself. He was most likely using the Mystic Essence Liquid from the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit to condense his spirit meridians.


    If they attacked the cave and captured that person, wouldn¡¯t they be able to obtain a lot of Mystic Essence Liquid?


    There was definitely a lot of Mystic Essence Liquid condensed by the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit. It had just been a few days, and that person would definitely not use much of it. He probably still had a lot of Mystic Essence Liquid left.


    They should be able to hide a few drops of Mystic Essence Liquid before Lu Wansong returned, right?


    Yin Xianbin was tempted.


    At the same time, Guan Zhou, Yi Sufeng, and the disciples of the sects all had strange expressions on their faces.


    It was obvious that they had the same thoughts as Yin Xianbin.


    Under the temptation of the Mystic Essence Liquid, these people became much more efficient. They stopped talking nonsense and focused on attacking the Nine Mystic Metal Array.


    Themotion outside didn¡¯t affect Lin Shen at all..

 Chapter 298 - 298: A Person of the Immortal Path (2)

    Chapter 298: A Person of the Immortal Path (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    He waspletely absorbed in his cultivation.


    If anyone was in the cave now, they would be surprised to see that Lin Shen was covered by dense spiritual essence. From the outside, he looked like a ball of blue light.


    The dense spiritual essence seeped into his body under the influence of an invisible force, assimting his spiritual essence and forming something new.


    Almost every half an hour, a new mass of spiritual essence would be formed and circte throughout his body along the spirit meridians, imperceptibly tempering his body.


    The entire process had alreadysted for more than two days.


    The process of bing a cultivator master was actually the process ofpletely transforming one¡¯s spiritual essence and at the same time tempering one¡¯s body into an immortal¡¯s body suitable for cultivating superior techniques.


    During this process, the number of spirit meridians would greatly affect the quantity and quality of the spiritual essence condensed.


    With each additional spirit meridian, he would be able to gather another mouthful of spiritual essence.


    The more spiritual essence there was, the more perfect his body would be.


    Lin Shen had a total of 108 spirit meridians, which was enough to condense 108 wisps of spiritual essence.


    With so much spiritual essence, it was hard to imagine how perfect his body would be!


    After more than two days, Lin Shen had already condensed 106 wisps of spiritual essence, and the transformation process was nearing its end.


    Time passed in silence.


    After an unknown period of time, when thest mouthful of spiritual essence was condensed, Lin Shen felt his heart beating like a drum.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    The surging blood in his body flowed quickly and sounded like a tide in his ears.


    Every acupuncture point in his body was moving vigorously as if a hammer was constantly hitting every part of his body. Even his joints and fascia were trembling.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t care about these movements. He just focused his mind and circted the spiritual essence in his body over and over again to wash and temper his body.


    It wasn¡¯t until his body could no longer be tempered that the spiritual essence finally stopped moving and returned to the apertures.


    When all the spiritual essence returned to its aperture and stopped moving, Lin Shen suddenly felt that his surroundings were silent, and the sound of the entire world seemed to have disappeared in an instant.


    This was an extremely quiet feeling as if the world hadn¡¯t been created and nothing had begun. It was a mysterious state formed by nothingness.


    He was adrift and forgot about his own world. His mind and consciousness seemed to be indistinct.


    After an unknown period of time, a spark of inspiration rose in his heart. He asked himself, ¡°Who am I?¡±


    He replied, ¡°1 am me. I am not me. 1 am also me. 1 am still me.¡±


    With this realization, there was the sound of swords colliding. It was also like a rusty lock falling to the ground.


    All of a sudden, as if he had been released from some kind of restraint, Lin Shen felt lighter!


    As soon as the profound sound was heard, the golden lock fell. From then on, he was on the immortal path!


    Lin Shen opened his eyes, and the light that burst out in that instant actually shed across the entire cave.


    He stood up and felt that his body was iparably agile. His every move was like riding a cloud. Everything was different. It was as if he had changed into a new person.


    ¡°I¡¯ve be a cultivator master. From now on, I¡¯ll truly step onto the immortal path!¡±


    Lin Shen was overwhelmed with emotions. He wanted to let out a long cry to vent the ecstasy.


    Cultivator masters belonged to the top ss in this world.


    Being promoted to a cultivator master meant that he was starting to step into the top tier and was no longer a random pawn that could be manipted by others!


    The world he faced in the future would be totally different!


    After a long while, Lin Shen snapped out of his ecstasy and focused on checking the spiritual essence in his body.


    The 108 wisps of spiritual essence were still in their respective orifices.


    After advancing to the Spirit Nurturing Stage and until breaking through to the Mystic Light Stage, the amount of spiritual essence in a cultivator¡¯s body would no longer change.


    That was also the main reason why the number of spirit meridians determined a cultivator master¡¯s potential.


    Spiritual essence was the most importantbat method for cultivator masters.


    One spirit meridian would create one mouthful of spiritual essence.


    If a cultivator who had just reached the threshold of advancement and only had nine mouthfuls of spiritual essence met a genius cultivator master who had a second-grade spirit meridian and thirty-six mouthfuls of spiritual essence, it was obvious who would win.


    As their stages and the quality of their spiritual essence improved, the gap between them would be more and more obvious.


    Furthermore, many cultivation techniques and divine powers in the cultivator master stage had high requirements for the number of spirit meridians.


    The higher the grade of the spirit meridian, the more cultivation techniques and divine powers one could cultivate.


    As cultivators with inferior-grade spirit meridians, it was destined that they had fewer choices in the cultivation techniques and divine powers that they could cultivate. It was undoubtedly very difficult to find a cultivation technique that was suitable for them.


    Because of that, the effect of the spirit meridian grade would be more and more obvious as one¡¯s cultivation level increased.


    It wasn¡¯t just the quantity and strength of spiritual essence, but also the difference in cultivation techniques and skills.


    A cultivator with a fourth-grade spirit meridian and at Level-9 of the Spirit Nurturing Stage would definitely lose against a cultivator with a second-grade spirit meridian of the same cultivation level unless the former had a spirit artifact!


    From this point of view, Lin Shen¡¯s 108 mouthfuls of spiritual essence were unprecedented.


    As he had nothing specific topare to, he didn¡¯t know what level his current strength was at among the Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator masters.


    After calming himself down, Lin Shen summoned the interface.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Analogy, pending]


    [Stage: Level 1 Spirit Nurturing Stage, o%]


    [Cultivation techniques: Nine Yang Scripture (Perfection), Meltdown (True Martial), Forbidden Golden Armor (True Artial), Cloud Dragon Rhythm (True Martial), Nine Divine Sun Sword (True Martial)¡­]


    [Spells: Seven Arts Sword Energy (Perfection, Level 7), Five Qi Suppression (Perfection, Level 5), Lightning Palm (Perfection, Level 5)¡­]


    [Number of clones: 7 (42%)]

 Chapter 299 - 299: A Person of the Immortal Path (3)

    Chapter 299: A Person of the Immortal Path (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s gaze immediatelynded on the talent column, and a look of surprise shed across his face.


    ¡°There¡¯s an additional spot in the bracket.¡±


    Lin Shen immediately added his Pure Yang Body talent. In the next moment, he saw that his talent had indeed be Analogy and Pure Yang Body!


    ¡°It has indeed increased!¡±


    Lin Shen was pleasantly surprised.


    Previously, he had always thought that it would be great if there was an additional slot in the talent column.


    Not only could he increase his strength, but he could also avoid constantly switching talents.


    For example, when he tried to trigger the effect of Testify by Killing, it was especially troublesome to switch talents.


    Now, his wish had finallye true!


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that the talent slot can only increase after advancing to a cultivator master!¡±


    Lin Shen sighed inwardly,posed himself, and began to study the effect of the superposition of talent effects again.


    After a while, he gradually had a rough idea.


    ¡°Looks like the superposition of talent effects is simple addition, not multiplication.¡±


    Take Superior Martial Arts and Analogy as an example.


    Both had the effect of increasing the power of martial techniques.


    One was to increase the power of martial techniques by 100%.


    One was to increase the power of martial techniques by 50%.


    With the two talents enhanced at the same time, the amplification effect was 150%, not 200%!


    Although it was a pity that it wasn¡¯t thetter, Lin Shen was still very happy.


    After all, even if it was just a simple addition, the effect was still shockingly powerful.


    Thebination of two talents could develop many powerfulbined effects!


    Needless to say, Superior Martial Arts and Analogy would be great together.


    For example, thebination of the Pure Yang Body and Analogy was enough to double the power of his Meltdown and Nine Divine Sun Sword.


    When cultivating Yang-attribute martial techniques, the increase in cultivation speed reached an astonishing 500%.


    He couldn¡¯t switch to Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt and Amaze the World whenever he wanted. Otherwise, they could form an even strongerbination.


    Putting everything else aside, thebination of the Pure Yang Body and Amaze the World, coupled with a Yang-attribute martial technique, was simply too shocking.


    ¡°When my talent increases in the future, there will be more and morebinations!¡±


    Lin Shen smiled happily.


    Now that his stage had broken through, he didn¡¯t need to work so hard to collect the Mystic Essence Liquid.


    All he had to do now was to return to Dragonside City, obtain some spells from the sect, and further convert the spiritual essence.


    Advancing to the Spirit Nurturing Stage was only the first step. Strictly speaking, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t be considered aplete cultivator master.


    He also had to cultivate the corresponding techniques to convert all the spiritual essence into the Five Elements spiritual essence.


    For example, Wu Luo¡¯s Sunflower Water spiritual essence, Wu Ji¡¯s Golden Lake spiritual essence, and Miao You¡¯s Westwind spiritual essence were all transformed from the Five Elements spiritual essence.


    Only by taking that step could one be considered a true cultivator master.


    The spiritual essence in Lin Shen¡¯s body still didn¡¯t have any attributes. It was inferior to the real Five Elements spiritual essence.


    ¡°There are still four to five days until the end of the Xuandu Meeting. Once it is over, I¡¯ll immediately return to Dragonside City.


    ¡°I wonder how Senior Brother Shen and Senior Brother Qu are doing.¡±


    Lin Shen thought to himself. From the corner of his eye, he suddenly saw movement on the formation disk.


    Turning his head, he saw that the golden light on the formation disk had be extremely dim at some point in time. It looked like it would extinguish and dissipate at any moment.


    Lin Shen raised his eyebrows in surprise. With a thought, his spiritual consciousness immediately spread out, preparing to check themotion outside.


    However, when he used his spiritual consciousness, Lin Shen was immediately shocked.


    ording to the description in the jade slip given by Si Yuanpei, when ordinary cultivators first advanced, their spiritual senses could only cover a radius of around two kilometers.


    This was only a rough perception. If he wanted to investigate in detail, he could extend it to seven to eight hundred meters at most.


    However, Lin Shen subconsciously spread out his spiritual sense, and it actually spread about four kilometers away. Moreover, he still had some strength left, and it was far from his limit.


    To his surprise, Lin Shen immediately continued to extend his spiritual senses.


    It wasn¡¯t until it had spread about eight kilometers away that his spiritual consciousness seemed to have hit an invisible wall and couldn¡¯t advance any further.


    At this moment, the forest within an eight-kilometer radius appeared in his mind!


    Of course, it was only a rough view.


    He could recognize the terrain and mountains, but he could only sense vague auras from the living beings moving in the forest.


    Lin Shen then tried to retract his spiritual consciousness.


    It was not until the distance was reduced to about three kilometers that the scene in his perception suddenly became vivid.


    Mountain streams, forest meadows, snakes, insects, ck sparrows, falcons, wolverines, everything was reflected in his perception.


    He could clearly see the oriole jumping between the branches a kilometer away, and the drooling viper under the tree.


    He could even see mole crickets poking their heads out of the fallen leaves and ants crawling in and out of the soil.


    Even the cracked bark on pine trees and the delicate texture of the exposed rock was clear.


    This wonderfulprehension of integrating a world into his perception made Lin Shen intoxicated, and he instantly became more open-minded.


    His vision suddenly changed, and Lin Shen quickly ¡°saw¡± the crowd outside the cave who were sparing no effort to attack the Nine Mystic Metal Array.


    ¡°They¡¯re those guys on the mountaintop!¡±


    Lin Shen was surprised.


    How did these people find their way here?


    What about Miao You?


    Why was there no sign of her?


    During the process of expanding his spiritual sense just now, Lin Shen didn¡¯t find Miao You.


    Either she was already over eight kilometers away.


    Or she had deliberately hidden herself.


    As cultivator masters, unless the difference in cultivation was too great, it was not difficult for one of them to hide from the spiritual senses of another cultivator master.


    Judging by the situation outside the cave, Lin Shen was more inclined to the first guess.


    If Miao You was still near the cave, she wouldn¡¯t have allowed these people to attack the Nine Mystic Metal Array.


    ¡°No matter what, I¡¯ll know after I capture a few people and ask them!¡±


    Lin Shen smiled faintly.


    Even before advancing to a cultivator master, he was not afraid of these people.


    Now that he had broken through the cage and stepped onto the immortal path, these people meant even less to him.


    Everyone below the cultivator master level was an ant. That wasn¡¯t a casual remark.


    Apart from a genius like him, cultivators below the level of a cultivator master were no different from ants to cultivator masters!


    Lin Shen sneered inwardly and casually walked out..

 Chapter 300 - 300: Ants (1)

    Chapter 300: Ants (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Outside the cave.


    Under everyone¡¯s continuous attacks, the golden light that enveloped the cave was already on the verge of copsing. It could dissipate at any moment.


    At that moment, the iparably fierce attack suddenly slowed down.


    Many people stole nces at the people around them. A strange look shed in their eyes, and they clearly had ns of their own.


    Even those who hadn¡¯t realized it before now realized that the person in the cave must have a lot of Mystic Essence Liquid.


    If one could get it, one wouldn¡¯t havee to this Xuandu Meeting for nothing.


    However, there were more than ten people here. There was definitely not enough Mystic Essence Liquid to be shared among them, and they didn¡¯t want to share it either.


    Who wouldn¡¯t want to take more Mystic Essence Liquid?


    However, if one took it all, those who didn¡¯t get the Mystic Essence Liquid might report it to Lu Wansong.


    When that happened, not only would they have to hand over what they had obtained, but they would probably also be tortured.


    Thinking of this, a ruthless and cold person like Yu Youquan had already thought of killing everyone else.


    If it really didn¡¯t work, he would kill most of the people here. After that, even if he had to split the liquid equally with the rest, he would be able to obtain more in the end.


    Not only the Corpse Sect, but the Blood Sea Sect and the Flying Cloud Sect disciples also had simr ns.


    As for itinerant cultivators like Yin Xianbin, Guan Zhou, and Yi Sufeng, they acutely sensed that something was wrong with the gazes of those disciples and became vignt.


    For a moment, the surrounding atmosphere became exceptionally treacherous.


    In this strange atmosphere, no one paid attention to Lin Shen in the cave.


    Even though Lin Shen had disyed extraordinary strength, many people thought that it was because he attacked them when they were off guard.


    If they really fought head-on, they believed it would be easy to deal with him when all the people attacked together.


    Therefore, no one paid him any attention. They were only thinking about the Mystic Essence Liquid.


    ¡°Senior Brother Yu!¡±


    A Corpse Sect disciple approached Yu Youquan and lowered his voice.


    ¡°What are we going to doter?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Let¡¯s wait until we kill the person in the cave and get the Mystic Essence Liquid!¡±


    Yu Youquan nced at the three Blood Sea Sect disciples, then at the three Flying Cloud Sect disciples. A cold light shed in his eyes.


    ¡°The Blood Sea Sect and the Flying Cloud Sect must think the same way. Be carefulter. Don¡¯t fall for their tricks!¡±


    If it were up to Yu Youquan, it was best to kill everyone.


    However, the ck-Silver Corpse Puppet was already deposed. Once they revealed their intentions to attack the Blood Sea Sect and the Flying Cloud Sect, the people from these two sects would probably join forces to deal with them without hesitation.


    When they became rmed, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to get rid of the Blood Sea Sect and the Flying Cloud Sect even with the two ck-Silver Corpse Puppets.


    If there was really no other way, he could only split the Mystic Essence Liquid equally with these two parties!


    Although he would obtain less Mystic Essence Liquid, it was better than nothing.


    As for those itinerant cultivators and disciples of the small sects¡­


    Yu Youquan sneered, killing intent shing in his eyes.


    Just as everyone was having different thoughts, the golden light that enveloped the cave in front of them suddenly shed and disappeared.


    Everyone was stunned when they saw this.


    Had they broken the array?


    No, that¡¯s not right. The person inside took the initiative to dispel the array formation!


    He probably decided to show up when he saw the array formation couldn¡¯t hold for much longer.


    Yu Youquan and the others were overjoyed. They looked at the exit of the cave with unfriendly eyes.


    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, a figure slowly walked out of the cave.


    When Yu Youquan saw the person¡¯s face, he couldn¡¯t help but be slightly stunned.


    Previously, when they were fighting at the top of the mountain, he didn¡¯t get a chance to look at the attacker¡¯s face carefully. He did not expect that the guy who could defeat the ck-Silver Corpse Puppet with a single strike was actually so young.


    From the looks of it, he was at most in his twenties.


    Chai Liang¡¯s eyes flickered and he soon recognized that the person in front of him was the Nine Suns Sect disciple who stood beside Qu Ke that day.


    ¡°He¡¯s indeed from the Nine Suns Sect! But when did the Nine Suns Sect have such a powerful inner sect disciple?¡±


    Chai Liang was puzzled and couldn¡¯t help but size up Lin Shen.


    Not far away, Yi Sufeng¡¯s expression changed slightly and she subconsciously took a half-step back.


    The scene of her being easily defeated by Lin Shen that day and losing her arm with one strike was still vivid in her mind. Now that she saw Lin Shen, she immediately felt that her right arm seemed to be aching again.


    However, Yi Sufeng suddenly came to her senses.


    Things were different now. She was no longer alone. There were more than ten experts here who were just as powerful as her.


    On the other hand, Lin Shen was alone, and he was the target for everyone to kill.


    He was outnumbered. He definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to get away today.


    Thinking of this, Yi Sufeng didn¡¯t feel so scared anymore. She red at Lin Shen resentfully and secretly made up her mind. After taking down Lin Shen, she would rather give up the Mystic Essence Liquid and let everyone hand Lin Shen over to her. She would extract his primordial spirit and imprison him for eternity!


    Luo Wei and the two young men apanying him were also shocked.


    The three of them also recognized Lin Shen and were extremely shocked. They never expected that the Nine Suns Sect disciple who had asked them for guidance was actually the expert who had snatched the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit!


    ¡°Uncle Luo!¡± A young man looked at Luo Wei inquisitively.


    Luo Wei understood what he meant and shook his head slightly.


    They couldn¡¯t even protect themselves now, so how could they have the time to worry about others?


    They might as well think about how to get out of this alive.


    Astute as Luo Wei was, he had already figured out what the three great sects were nning. At this moment, he could only think of how to save his own skin.


    After walking out of the cave, Lin Shen nced around with a faint smile on his face..

 Chapter 301 - 301: Ants (2)

    Chapter 301: Ants (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    ¡°It¡¯s quite boisterous.¡±


    Yu Youquan sized Lin Shen up from head to toe. A sharp light shed in his eyes as he stared at Lin Shen¡¯s face and asked, ¡°How bold. You can still remain calm even when you¡¯re surrounded by so many of us. Which sect are you from?¡±


    With the strength that Lin Shen had revealed previously, he had to have at least 30 spirit meridians. It was definitely not a cultivation level that itinerant cultivators or disciples of small sects could have!


    However, before Lin Shen could speak, Chai Liang sneered and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to ask. This guy is from the Nine Suns Sect!¡±


    Apart from Luo Wei and his two friends, everyone was shocked when they heard this.


    Someone from the Nine Suns Sect?


    Yu Youquan nced at Chai Liang and didn¡¯t suspect anything.


    Everyone in the East Sea Path knew that the Blood Sea Sect and the Nine Suns Sect were mutually antagonistic. Since Chai Liang was certain that this person was a disciple of the Nine Suns Sect, he was most likely right.


    However, it was truly surprising that the Nine Suns Sect could train such an outstanding disciple!


    The scale of White Phosphorus City wasn¡¯t much different from that of Dragonside City.


    However, while Corpse Sect monopolized White Phosphorus City, Nine Suns Sect was only one of the three major sects in Dragonside City.


    Although they were bothrge sects, the Corpse Sect surpassed the Nine Suns Sect in terms of strength and resources.


    This was why Yu Youquan had such a thought.


    Everyone was only surprised for a moment before throwing it to the back of their minds.


    In Xuandu Mountain, one¡¯s background wasn¡¯t important.


    The Nine Suns Sect wouldn¡¯t know that they were the culprits after they killed and disposed of this young man¡¯s corpse.


    As for leaking the secret¡­ Everyone here was either an aplice or a dead man, so there was naturally no need to worry.


    Yu Youquan¡¯s eyes shed, and he said coldly, ¡°On ount that we¡¯re both disciples ofrge sects, hand over the Mystic Essence Liquid, and we can consider sparing your life!¡±


    Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help butugh when he heard this. He said, ¡°The Nine Suns Sect is an orthodox sect, while the Corpse Sect is a heretic one. They¡¯re opposing each other. We should consider ourselves lucky if we don¡¯t kill each other as soon as we meet. Isn¡¯t it too fake to pretend to be friends? I¡¯ll probably believe those words if they came from them.¡±


    As he spoke, he pointed at the three Flying Cloud Sect disciples not far away.


    The three of them were stunned, and then they looked at Yu Youquan mockingly.


    Yu Youquan was instantly enraged. He was intimidated by Lin Shen¡¯s strength and wanted to be the first to get the Mystic Essence Liquid. Otherwise, he would have attacked without saying a word.


    Seeing that Lin Shen didn¡¯t care about them at all, the killing intent in Yu Youquan¡¯s eyes burned even more. He didn¡¯t have time to waste on Lin Shen and turned to look at the others.


    ¡°Guys, if we don¡¯t make a move now, when will we? When Lu Wansonges back, we won¡¯t get anything!¡±


    Everyone¡¯s expressions changed, and the way they looked at Lin Shen instantly became threatening.


    No matter what, they had to deal with this person first. As for how to distribute the Mystic Essence Liquid, that was a matter forter.


    Instantly, an intense killing intent spread around the cave.


    Faced with many murderous gazes, Lin Shen remained indifferent. He just stood with his hands behind his back calmly.


    Seeing him like this, Yu Youquan felt an inexplicable sense of unease.


    However, he quickly suppressed it.


    There were more than ten people on his side, and all of them were experts who had condensed spirit meridians. Unless a cultivator master attacked, no Bright Aperture Stage cultivator could withstand such a lineup!


    No matter how powerful this guy was, he would die here today!


    With that in mind, Yu Youquan made up his mind. Without further ado, he summoned the two bronze corpses.


    The two Corpse Sect disciples standing beside him immediately summoned their bronze corpses as well.


    The six bronze corpses instantly charged at Lin Shen with a billowing ck aura.


    At the same time, Chai Liang and the two Blood Sea Sect disciples raised arge wave of blood-colored aura that swept toward Lin Shen.


    The three Flying Cloud Sect disciples also took out their Dharma treasures and attacked Lin Shen.


    Yin Xianbin, Guan Zhou, and Yi Sufeng also made their moves.


    However,pared to Yin Xianbin and Guan Zhou who held back a little, Yi Sufeng attacked with all her might. She gritted her teeth and wanted to kill Lin Shen with one strike!


    On the other side, the itinerant cultivators and disciples of the small sects were stunned on the spot and didn¡¯t move. They were hesitating if they should take the opportunity to leave and return after Lu Wansong came back to avoid being killed by the disciples of therge sects.


    However, as soon as they moved, they felt several auras lock onto them at the same time.


    Yu Youquan and the others had already expected this. How could they let them leave?


    Yu Youquan waved his sleeve, and another bronze corpse appeared. It ruthlessly charged toward the itinerant cultivators and disciples of the small sects.


    At the same time, a blood light shed on Chai Liang¡¯s body, and two Blood Threadworms pounced out, targeting the itinerant cultivators and disciples of the small sects as well.


    Seeing this, the expressions of the itinerant cultivators and disciples of the small sects changed as they faced the attack in panic.


    Lin Shen shook his head slightly.


    ¡°A bunch of rabble!¡±


    As he spoke, his body suddenly lit up with a faint golden glow, which turned into armor that enveloped his entire body.


    Compared to before, the Forbidden Golden Armor¡¯s light was restrained and looked less shy. However, its power was more than ten times stronger than before.


    The attacks that filled the skynded on the golden armor like a storm, but it was like a stone sinking into the sea. There was no effect at all.


    Yu Youquan and the others were bbergasted.


    Wow!


    The golden light dissipated, revealing Lin Shen¡¯s slender figure.


    He nced at everyone and smiled faintly. Without any movement, a ng rang out behind him. Seven streaks of sword energy appeared out of thin air and spread out in the air like a peacock spreading its tail.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    With that, the sword energy instantly shot out like lightning. In the blink of an eye, they flew a hundred meters and attacked the three Flying Cloud Sect disciples..

 Chapter 302 - 302: Ants (3)

    Chapter 302: Ants (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    It was so fast that the three of them had no time to react. They could only watch as the sword energy struck them!


    The Seven Arts Sword Energy with spiritual essence was much more powerful than before.


    The Dharma treasures on the three Flying Cloud Sect disciples couldn¡¯t even stop them for a moment. They were instantly pierced by the energy.


    The energy erupted, and the three of them didn¡¯t even have time to scream before they were minced into a blood mist that filled the sky!


    The surroundings suddenly fell silent.


    Everyone looked at this scene in a daze and felt their heads buzz. Fear suddenly filled their chest.


    If the scene of Lin Shen effortlessly blocking everyone previously only made them suspicious, when the three Flying Cloud Sect disciples were reduced to nothing, the others were now sure that this was undoubtedly a power that only cultivator masters had!


    This young man had already advanced to a cultivator master!


    After realizing this, everyone felt as if they had fallen into an ice cave. Their limbs went dumb!


    There was no doubt about the strength of a cultivator master.


    Lu Wansong was the proof. He easily suppressed them until they didn¡¯t dare to resist and could only submit at his feet.


    Even if the young man was only a cultivator master who had just advanced, he wasn¡¯t someone they could handle!


    While everyone was in a daze, a golden-red palm appeared out of thin air and grabbed Chai Liang and his twopanions.


    The expressions of Chai Liang and the other two changed drastically as they struggled crazily.


    However, no matter how they activated their Dharma treasures and used martial techniques to resist, the golden-red palm suddenly clenched, and everything turned into nothingness!


    By the time the golden-red palm disappeared, the three people had already turned into ashes, leaving only a wisp of green smoke slowly dissipating in the air.


    This scene was like a bucket of cold water poured over everyone¡¯s head.


    The remaining cultivators seemed to have woken up from a dream. They screamed and turned to escape.


    At this moment, they had no intention of snatching the Mystic Essence Liquid. Their hearts were filled with regret and fear.


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±


    Lin Shenughed loudly and poked with his finger. A bolt of white lightning suddenly shot out.


    After bing a cultivator master, he no longer needed spirit supplements to cast spells. In fact, because the condensation of his soul far exceeded that of ordinary cultivators, he even skipped the step of drawing talismans in the air. He could cast spells directly with his soul alone.


    The chain of white light hit a bronze corpse first and instantly annihted it.


    However, the lightning didn¡¯t disappear just like that. Instead, it suddenly exploded, transforming into a sky full of lightning snakes that swept the nearby bronze corpses along with Yu Youquan!


    In the blink of an eye, the five bronze corpses disappeared.


    Yu Youquan and the other two disciplessted a little longer, but they onlysted for half a second before the lightning destroyed their robes. They followed in the copper corpse¡¯s footsteps with unwillingness and despair!


    In less than a breath¡¯s time, the nine powerful disciples of the three major sects had all turned to ashes. They died without any ability to resist!


    This scene made the others¡¯ limbs go limp and their hearts tremble.


    Seeing that even escaping was an impossible hope, Yin Xianbin felt his knees buckle. He knelt on the ground and begged for mercy.


    ¡°Please spare me. Immortal Master. 1 didn¡¯t mean to offend you. You¡¯re a magnanimous person¡­¡±


    ¡°Silence!¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Lin Shen, who opened his mouth and spat out a ball of spiritual essence. In an instant, Yin Xianbin¡¯s entire body disintegrated from top to bottom like sandstone that had been weathered for many years.


    Then, the spiritual essence turned and killed Guan Zhou, who was trying to escape.


    As for Yi Sufeng, her face had already turned pale.


    She had already been traumatized by Lin Shen. Now that she saw everyone being killed like animals, she was even more frightened and couldn¡¯t even think of escaping.


    Seeing Lin Shen¡¯s gaze, she knelt on the ground with a pleading expression, looking rather pitiful.


    ¡°Please spare my life, Immortal Master. I¡¯m willing to sign a contract to serve you for the rest of my life without anyints!¡±


    Lin Shen smiled. ¡°You¡¯re about to die, yet you¡¯re still using your charm technique!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he pointed at Yi Sufeng and took her life.


    Turning around, Lin Shen stabbed his fingers a few times and killed the remaining itinerant cultivators and disciples of the small sect, leaving only Luo Wei and his twopanions.


    Under the terrified gazes of the three of them, Lin Shen stood with his hands behind his back and said calmly,


    ¡°Fellow Cultivator Luo, you gave me useful information earlier, so I won¡¯t kill you. As long as you swear an oath not to leak anything here to others about what happened here, I¡¯ll let you leave!¡±


    Luo Wei and the other two thought that they would die without a doubt and were filled with despair. Who would have thought that there would be a glimmer of hope? They were overjoyed and swore an oath without hesitation.


    ¡°When you came here, did you see a female cultivator?¡± Lin Shen immediately asked.


    Luo Wei didn¡¯t dare to hide anything and told Lin Shen about Lu Wansong chasing after Miao You.


    After hearing this, Lin Shen thought for a moment and understood. Miao You was afraid that Lu Wansong would interrupt his advancement, so she risked her life to lure Lu Wansong away.


    After figuring out Miao You¡¯s situation, Lin Shen didn¡¯t dy. The spiritual essence around him surged, and he turned into a ball of light that rushed in Miao You¡¯s direction.


    It wasn¡¯t until Lin Shen disappeared into the horizon that Luo Wei and the other two heaved a sigh of relief.


    Looking at the messy forest around them, the three of them were still in a daze. They couldn¡¯t believe that Lin Shen had really let them off.


    When he came back to his senses, a young man wiped the cold sweat off his forehead with lingering fears and said with a trembling voice, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Uncle Luo. If not for Uncle Luo¡¯s good karma, the three of us would have lost our lives this time!¡±


    The other young man nodded in agreement.


    In the past, he thought that Luo Wei¡¯s actions were redundant, but now that he thought about it, it was good karma!


    He made up his mind to follow Uncle Luo¡¯s steps in the future!


    Luo Wei ignored the words of relief from the two juniors. Instead, he looked around and sighed.


    ¡°Everyone below the level of a cultivator master is an ant. That¡¯s so true!¡±


    The two young men were stunned by his words, but they nodded subconsciously when they regained their senses.


    Although they had heard this many times in the past, they finally understood the significance of it today.


    More than ten experts who had condensed spirit meridians were killed in the blink of an eye!


    The might of a cultivator master was terrifying!

 Chapter 303 - 303:1 Came at the Right Time (1)

    Chapter 303:1 Came at the Right Time (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Right when Luo Wei was sighing with emotion, the young man at the side suddenly thought of something and hurriedly said, ¡°Uncle Luo, what about the Spirit Corrosion Insects in our bodies?¡±


    The other person also looked panicked when he heard this.


    They didn¡¯t do a good job and almost died. When Lu Wansong came back, he might punish them.


    Luo Wei wanted to say something but hesitated.


    lie had wanted to say that Lin Shen would most likely fight Lu Wansong this time. As long as Lu Wansong died, the insects would die as well.


    However, on second thought, how profound was Lu Wansong¡¯s cultivation? With just Lin Shen, a cultivator master who had just advanced, and another injured female cultivator, it was still uncertain if he could defeat Lu Wansong.


    Thinking of this, Luo Wei couldn¡¯t help but feel worried.


    At the same time.


    Several kilometers away, Lin Shen flew into the air. With himself as the center, his spiritual senses quickly spread in all directions.


    ording to Luo We, the Spirit Eroding insects nted in their bodies would wake up when they were more than ten kilometers away from Lu Wansong.


    If this was true, then Lu Wansong should be no more then ten kilometers away from the cave.


    As expected,


    A momentter, Lin Shen¡¯s spiritual senses suddenly sensed two extremely strong auras.


    Compared to the living beings¡¯ auras that were as small as sand around them, the two auras were as conspicuous as the sun.


    Moreover, the two balls of energy collided at times. From the looks of it, they seemed to be fighting.


    If nothing went wrong, it should be Miao You and Lu Wansong!


    Seeing this, Lin Shen suddenly elerated, flying toward the location he had sensed like a meteor.


    Swoosh!


    After being cut by the dark red mist many times, the white silk in Miao You¡¯s hand finally couldn¡¯t hold on anymore and shattered into pieces!


    The dark red fog followed closely behind, not even sparing the fragments. It instantly engulfed everything!


    Miao You¡¯s expression changed slightly.


    Lu Wansongughed out loud and said, ¡°Your Feather Silk is a good treasure. However, now that all nine of them have been destroyed, you won¡¯t be able to recover without a few months of nurturing. Let¡¯s see how you can resist my deadiron spiritual essence now!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Wansong opened his mouth and spat out another ball of spiritual essence. It rolled toward Miao You with the ng of metal.


    Miao You¡¯s expression became more and more solemn.


    She wasn¡¯t as strong as Lu Wansong to begin with, and she hadn¡¯t fully recovered from her injuries. The little bit of spiritual essence she had recovered over the past few days had been mostly used up in the fierce battle just now. It was all thanks to the Feather Silk that she could barely deal with Lu Wansong.


    However, the deadiron spiritual essence had the ability to wear down Dharma treasures. In the battle more than ten days ago, it wore away five of the nine strands of silk, and the remaining four had followed suit.


    Without the silk, her already precarious situation became even more dangerous!


    ¡°I¡¯m still doomed!¡±


    Miao You was filled with bitterness.


    She lured Lu Wansong away because she didn¡¯t want Lin Shen to lose his life and implicate her.


    In the end, she still had to lose her life.


    ¡°Forget it. The worst that can happen is to die here. It¡¯s a pity that I didn¡¯t get my revenge!¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Miao You plucked up her courage and charged at Lu Wansong expressionlessly.


    Even if she couldn¡¯t kill Lu Wansong today, she had to bite off a piece of his flesh.


    As if sensing Miao You¡¯s thoughts, Lu Wansong sneered.


    ¡°If you want to fight me to the death, you have to see if you have the strength!¡±


    They both had third-grade spirit meridians, but he was two stages higher than Miao You, so it was easy for him to defeat thetter.


    Miao You had yet to recover from his injuries and had lost his Dharma treasure. Her strength had already fallen to the lowest point.


    If Luo Wansong hadn¡¯t wanted to capture Miao You alive, the oue of this battle would have been decided long ago!


    ¡°Surrender obediently. If you go back with me, you can suffer less!¡± Lu Wansong snorted.


    Miao You were unmoved. She gritted her teeth and resisted the spiritual essence while approaching Lu Wansong.


    Seeing this scene, Lu Wansong finally lost his patience. He opened his mouth and spat out eighteen mouthfuls of spiritual essence. They intertwined and quickly condensed into a huge axe that was about ten meters long.


    As soon as the huge axe appeared, a sharp metal aura instantly enveloped the surroundings.


    The ce where Lu Wansong was standing was instantly covered in ayer of rust-like color, and the vegetation around him withered.


    This move was called the Tyrant Meteorite Axe. It was a Dharmic formtion that waspatible with the deadiron spiritual essence and required 18 spirit meridians to cultivate.


    It also required 18 mouthfuls of deadiron spiritual essence.


    Up until now, Lu Wansong had killed manu cultivators with this Tyrant Meteor Axe. Among them, there were both cultivators and demon cultivators.


    Ordinary fourth or fifth-grade spirit meridian cultivators would not dare to take this move head-on even if they were at the same stage as him.


    Rumble!


    Amidst a thunderous roar, the dark red axe smashed down with a domineering aura that could destroy everything!


    Miao You was well aware of how powerful the axe was. Seeing that, she quickly mobilized the remaining spiritual essence in her body. In an instant, the wind around her surged and turned into a tornado to meet the dark red axe.


    The two collided violently in the air, producing a muffled bang!


    After a moment of stalemate, the dark red axe tore through the wind as if it was splitting the sky and earth apart. Then, itnded heavily on Miao You!


    She only had time to grunt before she was smashed down from the sky.


    Finally, Miao You managed to steady herself and avoid falling to the ground in a sorry state. However, the moment she stood up, Miao You felt the blood in her chest surging, and a fishy taste rushed up her throat.


    She immediately knew that the injury she had painstakingly suppressed had rpsed.


    After taking a direct hit from the Tyrant Meteorite Axe, her injuries were probably even more serious than before she took the sunlight jade.


    Looking at Lu Wansong who was slowly descending from the sky, Miao You looked a little sad..

 Chapter 304 - 304:1 Came at the Right Time (2)

    Chapter 304:1 Came at the Right Time (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    It seemed that she was going to die today.


    She suddenly remembered Lin Shen.


    She wondered if he had sessfully advanced to a cultivator master.


    Or had the cultivators left there broken the Nine Mystic Metal Array and interrupted the advancement process?


    Miao You couldn¡¯t help butugh at herself.


    She couldn¡¯t even take care of herself now, yet she was still worried about him.


    Since she hadn¡¯t died yet, it meant that Lin Shen¡¯s life wasn¡¯t in danger.


    Instead of worrying about him, she might as well think about how to hurt Lu Wansong before she died.


    ¡°Don¡¯t waste your time!¡±


    Lu Wansong saw the change in Miao You¡¯s expression, and a mocking look appeared on his face.


    ¡°You¡¯re no match for me at all. If you know what¡¯s good for you, you¡¯d better behave ande with me. Perhaps my lord will be magnanimous and spare your life!¡±


    Miao You¡¯s expression changed drastically as she spat on the ground.


    ¡°Where did you get the face to say such words when you¡¯re disrespecting your superiors?¡±


    Lu Wansong didn¡¯t get angry when he heard this. Instead, he chuckled.


    ¡°The winner takes it all. You don¡¯t even understand this logic. No wonder you guys ended up in this state!¡±


    Miao You¡¯s face was gloomy. She bit her lip and didn¡¯t say anything. She just red at Lu Wansong.


    Seeing Miao You like this, Lu Wansong was no longer in the mood to y games. He was ready to take down Miao You so that he could report back.


    However, right at this moment, his expression suddenly froze, and he swiftly turned around to look into the distance.


    He could feel with his spiritual sense that an iparably dense aura was rapidly approaching him from several kilometers away.


    ¡°There are other cultivator masters on Xuandu Mountain?¡±


    Lu Wansong was shocked.


    At the same time, Miao You also noticed the aura of a cultivator master approaching at high speed. She couldn¡¯t help but be stunned.


    Suddenly, she seemed to have thought of something, and a look of surprise appeared in her eyes.


    Could it be¡­ Lin Shen?


    He had sessfully advanced to a cultivator master?


    Under normal circumstances, cultivator masters wouldn¡¯t attend the Xuandu Meeting at all.


    Miao You were in a special situation. In order to find a hidden ce to recuperate, she snatched a Xuandu Token and infiltrated Xuandu Mountain.


    Lu Wansong also entered Xuandu Mountain to hunt her down.


    Therefore, logically speaking, she and Lu Wansong should be the only cultivator masters in Xuandu Mountain.


    Now that a third cultivator master had appeared, it was no wonder that Miao You thought of Lin Shen immediately.


    Reality proved that she wasn¡¯t wrong. In just a moment, the owner of the aura came into their sight.


    Miao You was pleasantly surprised when she saw who it was.


    ¡°Lin Shen!¡±


    Lu Wansong looked at the person with a solemn expression.


    Judging from Miao You¡¯s reaction, this cultivator master who suddenly appeared was clearly her friend!


    Lu Wansong immediately made a decision and rushed toward Miao You. He wanted to take Miao You down before that person arrived, in case anything happened.


    Miao You noticed Lu Wansong¡¯s movements immediately, and her expression changed slightly. However, she no longer had the strength to resist. She could only watch as Lu Wansong rushed toward her.


    At the critical moment, an invisible force descended from the sky and enveloped Lu Wansong, freezing him on the spot!


    ¡°Immobilizing Spell?¡±


    Lu Wansong¡¯s eyes shed with mockery.


    Trying to use such a low-level spell to restrict his movements was underestimating him!


    He suddenly exerted strength, wanting to break free from the shackles of the spell.


    The strength of a demon cultivator was far greater than that of a human cultivator. A few demon cultivators who cultivated special techniques could even resist profound armaments with their physical strength alone.


    Although Lu Wansong hadn¡¯t reached that level yet, he could still resist enchanted armaments with his sheer force.


    He felt that a low-level spell like the Immobilizing Spell could be forcefully broken with his physical strength.


    However, what happened was beyond his expectations.


    He actually failed to break through the shackles of the spell.


    Lu Wansong was shocked.


    By the time he came back to his senses and mobilized his spiritual essence to break the binding spell, the cultivator master had already arrived beside Miao You.


    ¡°Looks like I came at the right time.¡±


    Lin Shen smiled at Miao You.


    Hearing the ridicule in his words, Miao You couldn¡¯t help but re at him, but she heaved a sigh of relief inwardly.


    On the other side, Lu Wansong frowned and stared at Lin Shen, his eyes filled with surprise.


    Even cultivator masters at the third level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage couldn¡¯t restrain him with a low-level spell and forced him to use spiritual essence to break it.


    Could this young man who looked to be in his early twenties actually be a cultivator master at the fourth or fifth level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage?


    With this thought in mind, Lu Wansong¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    Where did Miao You get to know such a powerful cultivator master?


    After a moment of hesitation, Lu Wansong suddenly sneered and said, ¡°Miao You, as a demon, you actually got involved with a human!¡±


    Miao You looked at Lu Wansong coldly and didn¡¯t say anything.


    Not only was she involved, but she had also signed a soul contract with Lin Shen. Their rtionship was simply too intricate, and it was the kind that went through life and death together.


    Thinking of this, Miao You couldn¡¯t help but sigh and cast a resentful gaze at Lin Shen.


    Lin Shen pretended not to see it. He looked at Lu Wansong and smiled faintly. ¡°The foreign races are not necessarily inferior to their own race. You¡¯re both demons, but you¡¯re hunting Miao You down, while I, a foreign race, am saving her. Isn¡¯t it obvious who¡¯s good and who¡¯s bad?¡±


    Lu Wansong¡¯s expression darkened when he heard this. He snorted coldly and said, ¡°You have a sharp tongue!¡±


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t care at all. He smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s too much talking. We still have to fight to the end. It just so happened that I¡¯ve just advanced to a cultivator master and want to find an opponent to test my strength. I think you¡¯re the right person!¡±


    Miao You and Lu Wansong were both stunned..

 Chapter 305 - 305:1 Came at the Right Time (3)

    Chapter 305:1 Came at the Right Time (3)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Miao You suddenly realized what that meant.


    That¡¯s right, Lin Shen had just be a cultivator master not long ago and had yet topletely convert his spiritual essence into Five Elements spiritual essence. He was even weaker than ordinary cultivator masters, so how could he be a match for a third-level Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master like Lu Wansong?


    Now that she was seriously injured and had lost herbat ability, she had to try her best not to be a burden. She couldn¡¯t help Lin Shen at all!


    They weren¡¯t out of danger!


    at the realization.


    Lu Wansong was also stunned by Lin Shen¡¯s words. When he came back to his senses, he immediately looked at Miao You. Seeing her expression change slightly, he immediately came to a realization and was overjoyed.


    ¡°I thought you were strong. I didn¡¯t expect you to be a junior who has just be a cultivator master!¡±


    Lu Wansong sneered, and the fear in his heart was swept away.


    A cultivator master who had just advanced was nothing to be afraid of.


    He never needed to be so afraid in the first ce. Now that he thought about it, it was most likely not an Immobilizing Spell just now. It was more likely some Dharma treasure or talisman.


    Otherwise, how could a new cultivator master who hadn¡¯t even cultivated the Five Elements spiritual essence be able to imprison him with that spell?


    After thinking this through, Lu Wansong looked at Lin Shen with an even colder gaze.


    He was a third-level Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master, but he was almost tricked by a junior. How humiliating!


    ¡°After 1 kill you, I¡¯ll extract your primordial spirit and put it into the Imprisonment Bead. The primordial spirit of a human cultivator can be considered an expensive treasure!¡±


    The primordial spirits of cultivators, especially those of humans, were highly sought after by countless demons, unorthodox cultivator masters, and heretic sect disciples.


    However, it was difficult to kill a human cultivator master, and it was even more difficult to extract their primordial spirit.


    It was extremely rare to encounter a new cultivator master like Lin Shen.


    If Lu Wansong could obtain Lin Shen¡¯s primordial spirit, although he wouldn¡¯t be able to use it, he might be able to exchange it for a profound armament with other cultivator masters!


    Lu Wansong grew excited, and the killing intent in his eyes became more and more intense.


    He snorted coldly and waved his sleeve. A streak of cold light suddenly flew out and charged at Lin Shen.


    A sharp and short ng suddenly burst out.


    Lin Shen took a closer look and realized that the cold light was actually a flying glinting sword.


    Unlike ordinary talisman swords, this flying sword was only two fingers wide and about 30 cm long. The energy it emitted was peerlessly sharp and fierce.


    Even from a distance, he could feel the biting coldnessing at him!


    The flying sword was extremely fast and arrived in front of him in an instant.


    Lin Shen¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. He opened his eyes and spat out a mouthful of spiritual essence to meet the flying sword.


    Lu Wansong could clearly see that the spiritual essence didn¡¯t contain any of the Five Elements at all. It was indeed a non-elemental spiritual essence that hadn¡¯t been transformed yet.


    Initially, he was still a little uncertain. Now that he saw this, he was instantly relieved. A smile of victory appeared on his face.


    There was a huge difference between elementless spiritual essence and the Five Elements spiritual essence.


    Without the transformation, the elemental spiritual essence was only half as powerful as the spiritual essence of the Five Elements.


    Of course, cultivators with high spirit meridian grades might be able to condense more powerful elementless spiritual essences.


    For example, the elementless spiritual essence condensed by a first-grade spirit meridian was as powerful as the Five Elements spiritual essence of a fifth-grade spirit meridian.


    However, even if this young man had a first-grade spirit meridian, it wouldn¡¯t change anything because Lu Wansong had a third-grade spirit meridian!


    He was also a third-level Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master!


    Even the elementless spiritual essence of a first-grade spirit meridian wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat his deadiron spiritual essence!


    No matter how he looked at it, this young man had no chance of winning!

 Chapter 306 - 306:1 Have Enough Spiritual Essence (1)

    Chapter 306:1 Have Enough Spiritual Essence (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    The flying sword collided with the spiritual essence in the air.


    With a ng, the flying sword paused slightly.


    Before the first mouthful of spiritual essence dissipated, Lin Shen spat out a second mouthful and hit the flying sword again. Finally, the sword tilted and swung to the other side.


    Seeing this, Lu Wansong couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    ¡°He has some powerful spiritual essence. Does he have a second-grade spirit meridian?¡±


    Immediately, the killing intent in Lu Wansong¡¯s heart surged.


    As a demon cultivator, he naturally didn¡¯t have a good impression of humans. One could even say that he hated them. Naturally, he didn¡¯t want to see another human cultivator master rise in the future. He became even more determined to kill Lin Shen here today.


    Lu Wan let go of his finger, and the flying sword that had swung out immediately made a U-turn and attacked Lin Shen again.


    However, halfway through, Lin Shen spat out a mouthful of spiritual essence.


    This time, he nned to settle it once and for all. He spat out nine mouthfuls of spiritual essence in a row, and they hit the flying sword one after another.


    With a ripping sound, the flying sword dimmed and swayed in the air as if it was drunk.


    Lu Wansong¡¯s expression changed, and he immediately recalled his flying sword. He was aggrieved to see its state.


    The flying sword was already damaged, and it wouldn¡¯t be able to recover without a few months of nourishment.


    This was one of his only two profound armaments!


    The demon race¡¯s weapon refinement skills were inferior. They didn¡¯t have arge number of Dharma treasures like the human sects.


    Even for demon cultivator masters, it wasn¡¯t easy to obtain a profound armament.


    Most of the time, they killed and snatched it from human cultivators.


    In terms of Dharma treasures alone, the demon cultivators were much more disadvantageous than some human Bright Aperture Stage cultivators.


    ¡°Damn you! How dare you destroy my flying sword!¡±


    Lu Wansong shouted and spat out a ball of deadiron spiritual essence toward Lin Shen.


    At this moment, the nine mouthfuls of spiritual essence that had repelled the flying sword had returned to Lin Shen¡¯s chest, but only about half of it was left.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t mind. He had enough spiritual essence.


    Seeing the dark red spiritual essenceing at him, he spat out two mouthfuls of spiritual essence without thinking.


    With a swish, the two mouthfuls of spiritual essence disappeared together with the deadiron spiritual essence.


    Not only was Lu Wansong stunned, but even Miao You, who was watching the battle from the side, was dumbfounded.


    Lu Wansong was a third-level Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master with a third-level spirit meridian. The power of the deadiron spiritual essence he cultivated was so strong that even her wind spiritual essence was inferior!


    But now, it had been turned into nothingness by two mouthfuls of elementless spiritual essence. It was unbelievable!


    Could Lin Shen have forged a first-grade spirit meridian?


    That was most likely the case!


    Only a first-grade spirit meridian could produce such a powerful elementless spiritual essence!


    Miao You¡¯s emotions were instantly in turmoil. She stared at Lin Shen, her eyes filled with shock.


    Even though she had vaguely expected this, she was still extremely shocked when she really discovered that Lin Shen had forged a first-grade spirit meridian.


    After all, that was a first-grade spirit meridian!


    The legendary peerless grade!


    Those who had such fortuitous encounters were all famous figures in the East Sea Path and even the East Divine Continent!


    Lu Wansong was also shocked and speechless as he looked at Lin Shen.


    This junior had actually forged a first-grade spirit meridian!


    For a moment, Lu Wansong was both envious and shocked.


    Advancing to a cultivator master with a first-grade spirit meridian could almost ensure that he could reach the Mystic Light Stage. How could he not be extremely envious?


    When he came back to his senses, Lu Wansong was filled with jealousy.


    No matter what, he had to kill this junior!


    Otherwise, when Lin Shen grew stronger and came back with Miao You, not only Lu Wansong but even his master would probably not be able to defend himself.


    Lu Wansong spat out three more mouthfuls of deadiron spiritual essence.


    Lin Shen smiled and responded with six mouthfuls of spiritual essence. In the blink of an eye, all spiritual essence disappeared.


    Lu Wansong¡¯s face darkened. He gritted his teeth and added three more mouthfuls of spiritual essence.


    He didn¡¯t believe that the young man could really withstand all his spiritual essence. He would fight to the end today. Even if he had to exhaust all the spiritual essence in his chest, he would kill this junior!


    Miao You, who was watching the battle from the side, gradually became solemn.


    Apart from using Dharma treasures and cultivation techniques, a battle between cultivator masters was essentially apetition of spiritual essence.


    Under normal circumstances, attacking the enemy with spiritual essence wouldn¡¯t consume all the spiritual essence.


    For example, when Lin Shen damaged the flying sword with nine mouthfuls of spiritual essence, only a portion of the spiritual essence had been consumed. After that, he could absorb the spiritual essence of heaven and earth to replenish it.


    However, the confrontation between Lin Shen and Lu Wansong was different.


    The spiritual essence of both sides annihted each other, turning into nothingness.


    In such a situation, the spiritual essence wouldpletely dissipate. In the future, the spirit meridians would have to condense the spiritual essence again, which would be much more time-consuming than replenishing the spiritual essence.


    Before the spiritual essence was condensed again, the cultivator master¡¯s strength would be greatly affected.


    Therefore, when cultivators fought, they would usually avoid having their spiritual essencepletely annihted. At the very least, some of it would be left behind as a kindling for recovery.


    It was rare for such a dangerous situation to happen!


    In the blink of an eye, eight mouthfuls of deadiron spiritual essence were annihted.


    Lu Wansong had a total of 29 deadiron spiritual essences in his body. He had used twelve of them to severely injure Miao You.


    Although it hadn¡¯tpletely dissipated, only a small part of the spiritual essence of the twelve mouthful was left, and its power was greatly reduced.


    Now that another eight had gone, there were only nine mouthfuls of deadiron spiritual essence left.


    When he saw this, Lu Wansong suddenly realized that something was wrong.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t fight this kid head-on anymore!¡±


    Lu Wansong immediately made up his mind. He gritted his teeth and spat out the remaining eight mouthfuls of deadiron spiritual essence.. Then, he used the axe again and struck down at Lin Shen¡¯s head!

 Chapter 307 - 307:1 Have Enough Spiritual Essence (2)

    Chapter 307:1 Have Enough Spiritual Essence (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    After using the ax twice in a row, Lu Wansong felt a dull pain in his chest. He knew that he had suffered from the backfire, but he couldn¡¯t care less now.


    This young man was much more capable than he had expected. If he didn¡¯t do something now, he might fail miserably.


    At this moment, Lu Wansong was no longer as confident as before. There was only intense fear and seriousness in his heart.


    Facing the dark red ax, Lin Shen continued to deal with it with spiritual essence as usual.


    A total of eighteen mouthfuls of spiritual essence shot out and hit the dark red ax. Although it was quickly crushed, the ax shrunk by more than half.


    The remaining forcended on Lin Shen¡¯s body. Golden light shed, effortlessly blocking the attack.


    The corners of Lu Wansong¡¯s eyes twitched as he became even more envious.


    Other cultivators were meticulous about spiritual essence, but this young man had so much spiritual essence from his first-grade spirit meridian that he didn¡¯t care about the changes in techniques and only used the sheer quantity of spiritual essence to counterattack.


    On second thought, this young man had just advanced and hadn¡¯t even converted the Five Elements spiritual essence, let alone cultivated Dharmic cultivation techniques. It was normal for him to do so.


    Rather than saying that he didn¡¯t want to use the Dharmic techniques with his spiritual essence, it was more urate to say that he couldn¡¯t do it.


    If not for this, Lu Wansong knew it would have been even harder for him to defeat this young man.


    ¡°Fortunately, his spiritual essence is almost exhausted!¡±


    Lu Wansong calcted carefully. From the beginning of the battle, this young man had used at least thirty-six mouthfuls of spiritual essence.


    More than half of the remaining nine mouthfuls of spiritual essence were gone because of the damage to the flying sword.


    No matter how much spiritual essence was condensed from a first-grade spirit meridian, there couldn¡¯t be more than 45 mouthfuls of them.


    The remaining nine mouthfuls of spiritual essence were nothing to be afraid of!


    Although Lu Wansong only had twelve mouthfuls of spiritual essence left in his body, he felt that was enough to handle Lin Shen.


    Thinking of this, Lu Wansong felt relieved, and a cold smile appeared on his face again.


    As a bystander, Miao You had witnessed the entire battle and understood the situation of the two of them. Soon, she realized this, and her expression changed.


    ¡°Oh no, Lin Shen¡¯s spiritual energy is almost used up!¡±


    Miao You were anxious.


    Lin Shen was at a disadvantage because his spiritual essence had yet to be converted and he had yet to cultivate the adequate technique. If Lu Wansong used a mouthful of spiritual essence, Lin Shen would have to use at least two mouthfuls to fight back.


    No matter how much spiritual essence there was in a first-grade spirit meridian, it couldn¡¯t keep up with that speed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how you can fight back not. Brat, you¡¯re dead!¡±


    Amidst hiscentughter, Lu Wansong spat out the deadiron spiritual essence again.


    Miao You eximed involuntarily when she saw this, but Lin Shen¡¯s expression was calm, and a hint of mockery shed across his eyes.


    Under Miao You¡¯s astonished gaze, he spat out five mouthfuls of spiritual essence in a row, annihting all the iing deadiron spiritual essence.


    Seeing this, Lu Wansong opened his eyes widely as if he had seen a ghost.


    ¡°How¡­ how can you still have spiritual essence?!¡±


    He could tell that the five mouthfuls of spiritual essence that Lin Shen had spat out were pure and intact without any depletion.


    But that shouldn¡¯t be the case. The forty-five mouthfuls of spiritual essence were either annihted or used up. How could there be any pure spiritual essence left?


    Lu Wansong was puzzled.


    Suddenly, a shocking thought shed through his mind.


    Was it possible that his young man had far more than 45 mouthfuls of spiritual essence?


    Lu Wansong couldn¡¯t help but be shocked by this thought.


    The maximum number of spirit meridians was 45. This was a fact recognized by all cultivators.


    Until now, no one had ever condensed more spirit meridians than that.


    ¡°Or maybe he¡¯s cultivating some kind of technique that can recover spiritual essence quickly! That¡¯s right! That must be it!¡±


    It was as if Lu Wansong had grasped onto thest hope of survival. He repeatedly confirmed his thoughts.


    However, Miao You didn¡¯t think so.


    Lin Shen had only advanced for less than half a day. How could he have cultivated a cultivation technique that could quickly recover his spiritual essence?


    Even if he did, he wouldn¡¯t be able to recover his spiritual essence in such a short time.


    Even consuming medicinal pills wouldn¡¯t have such an effect.


    If that wasn¡¯t the case, then the answer was obvious.


    The spirit meridian forged by Lin Shen was above grade one. It was an unprecedented grade!


    After thinking this through, Miao You couldn¡¯t help but take a deep breath. The way she looked at Lin Shen was filled with shock.


    She really couldn¡¯t imagine what kind of achievements Lin Shen would have in the future if he had a spirit meridian that exceeded grade one.


    For a moment, Miao You couldn¡¯t help but stand stunned on the spot, feeling adrift.


    While Miao You and Lu Wansong were in shock, Lin Shen had no intention of stopping.


    After annihting the deadiron spiritual essence, he didn¡¯t use any Dharma treasures, martial techniques, or spells. Instead, he continued to spit out spiritual essence to attack Lu Wansong.


    As a matter of fact, there was no need to use anything else. He had 108 mouthfuls of spiritual essence, which was more than enough to crush Lu Wansong.


    Seeing the spiritual essenceing at him again, Lu Wansong paled. He let out a low shout, and a stream of white mist gushed out of his sleeve, mixed with a faint golden-red light.


    This was Lu Wansong¡¯s second andst profound armament, named ck Tortoise Essence. It was refined from the turtle shell of a thousand-year-old turtle and thousand-year-old ck iron.


    Although it was in the form of mist, it had an extremely powerful defense ability.


    Lu Wansong pinched his fingers together and made a hand seal. Golden-red light shed in the mist, forming a shadow that looked like the shell of a turtle.


    The surging spiritual essence hit it, and it rumbled like a bronze hammer hitting a bell. The ck Tortoise Essence trembled slightly, and then it stood still.


    Lu Wansong heaved a sigh of relief.


    He didn¡¯t have much spiritual essence left. If he used it again, Lin Shen might destroy him with his spiritual essence.


    Once he ran out of spiritual essence, he would be at the mercy of his opponent.


    He only had enough spiritual essence to control the Dharma treasure for self-protection.


    ¡°The situation is disadvantageous to me. At this point, I can only retreat and save my life first. Miao You is under his protection. I¡¯m not a match for him alone. I should go back and report my lord, then get reinforcements to kill this brat!¡±


    As a third-level Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master, Lu Wansong was extremely angry and humiliated to be forced into such a sorry state by a junior who had just advanced to a cultivator master.


    However, the situation wasn¡¯t looking good for him. He wasn¡¯t a match for this young man. He could only go back and get reinforcements.


    ¡°The next time we meet, 1 will definitely extract your primordial spirit!¡±


    Lu Wansong looked at Lin Shen coldly, wanting to retreat by using the ck Tortoise Essence.


    Miao You and Lu Wansong had fought many times, so she was familiar with thetter¡¯s tricks. She immediately saw through Lu Wansong¡¯s intention to escape and shouted, ¡°He wants to escape! Stop him!¡±


    She knew very well the power behind Lu Wansong. Once Lu Wansong escaped and went back to get reinforcements, they might have to face ate-phase Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master next time!


    Lin Shen had long seen through Lu Wansong¡¯s little n, and he opened his mouth calmly.


    In an instant, more than 20 balls of spiritual essence gushed out, almost dyeing the entire sky green.


    Miao You froze on the spot.


    Lu Wansong was also in a daze. His mouth was wide open, and he couldn¡¯t speak. There was only one thought lingering in his mind.


    How much spiritual essence did this young man have?


    Whoosh!


    Before Lu Wansong could figure it out, the spiritual essence had already fallen from the sky like a meteor rain!


    The ck Tortoise Essence could easily block a mouthful of spiritual essence and maybe as many as seven or eight mouthfuls. However, more than twenty mouthfuls were far beyond its limit!


    With a rumble, the turtle shell shattered, and the fog dissipated.


    Lu Wansong grunted and took quite a few steps back. When he looked up again, he realized that Lin Shen was less than two meters away from him.


    ¡°Spare¡­¡±


    Lu Wansong¡¯s expression changed drastically. He opened his mouth to beg for mercy, but as soon as he spoke, Lin Shen had already poked his forehead with his finger. The spiritual essence instantly killed Lu Wansong.


    Then, the spiritual essence twisted and crushed Lu Wansong¡¯s primordial spirit.


    At the level of a cultivator master, even if the primordial spirit left one¡¯s body, it could survive for a short period of time.


    As for low-level cultivators, once the physical body died, the primordial spirit would dissipate within a few seconds.


    Because of that, there were mystic techniques for preserving primordial spirits and using them to escape among cultivator masters.


    There were even methods to reincarnate a primordial spirit.


    Although such methods often had all sorts of side effects, there were still many cultivator masters who flocked to them.


    After all, who didn¡¯t want to live another life?


    As Lu Wansong died, the surroundings returned to silence.


    Miao You looked at the empty space in front of her in a daze. She felt like she had fallen into a dream and couldn¡¯te back to her senses for a long time..

 Chapter 308 - 308: Powerful Sword Cultivators (1)

    Chapter 308: Powerful Sword Cultivators (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Lin Shen raised his hand slightly, and the storage ring on Lu Wansong¡¯s corpse immediately fell off and flew into his hand.


    Putting away the ring, he turned around and looked at Miao You.


    ¡°How¡¯s your injury?¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s alright, I¡¯ll be fine after resting for a while.¡±


    Miao You shook her head and looked at Lin Shen with aplicated look in her eyes.


    The more she interacted with him, the more she felt that Lin Shen was unfathomable.


    Before this, she had wanted to wait for an opportunity to ask Lin Shen to break the soul contract.


    But now, she began to waver.


    It didn¡¯t seem uneptable to follow a cultivation genius with a bright future.


    Hearing Miao You¡¯s words, Lin Shen nodded and ignored her. He turned around to leave.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Before the Xuandu Meeting ends, let¡¯s find a ce to rest. You can also recuperate.¡±


    Miao You wanted to say something but hesitated. She was very curious about how many spirit meridians Lin Shen had forged, but she couldn¡¯t ask.


    It concerned the secret of a cultivator master¡¯s cultivation level and wasn¡¯t something that could be asked casually.


    Not to mention that she and Lin Shen were from foreign races.


    After hesitating for a moment, Miao You suppressed her curiosity and followed Lin Shen.


    The two of them found a cave dozens of kilometers away.


    Lin Shen found some rare herbs that were beneficial to healing injuries from his storage ring and gave them to Miao You. He then took out Lu Wansong¡¯s storage ring and began to examine the contents.


    As a third-level Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master, he must have many good things.


    However, the result was a little disappointing.


    There weren¡¯t many valuable items in the storage ring.


    Apart from more than 60 low-grade spirit stones, there were three Dharma treasures and a few cultivation technique manuals.


    After advancing to a cultivator master, Lin Shen could absorb the spiritual essence in the essence stones to increase his cultivation speed.


    Of course, that was a wasteful method.


    Moremonly, essence stones were used to set up array formations, refine Dharma treasures and pills, and replenish spiritual essence in critical situations.


    Using it to assist in cultivation was the least cost-effective method. Moreover, the effect wasn¡¯t as good as staying in the Blessed Land to cultivate.


    Only itinerant cultivators would do this.


    Among the three Dharma treasures, Lin Shen had already seen two. They were the flying sword and the ck Tortoise Essence.


    The other item surprised Lin Shen. It was actually a flying ship.


    ¡°That¡¯s the Cloud Vessel.¡±


    When Miao You saw Lin Shen holding the flying ship token and looking at it carefully, she took the initiative to exin.


    ¡°This flying boat is 50 meters long and more than 20 meters tall. There are protective restrictions. Even an early-stage Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master won¡¯t be able to break through it in a short period of time. It¡¯s almost as good as your Nine Suns Sect¡¯s flying boat!¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes lit up.


    It was clearly much better than the Dragon Fang Flying Ship.


    Not only was it bigger, but the restrictions were also far superior.


    At the very least, the Dragon Fang Flying Ship couldn¡¯t withstand the attacks of cultivator masters.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect a demon cultivator like Lu Wansong to have such a treasure!¡±


    Lin Shen clicked his tongue in wonder. Then, he thought about it and realized that Lu Wansong had most likely snatched this flying ship from some human cultivator.


    If the faction behind Lu Wansong had the ability to refine the Cloud Vessel, he wouldn¡¯t only have two profound armaments.


    Lin Shen put away the Cloud Vessel in satisfaction.


    In the future, he would have transportation tools when he went out again. He no longer needed to ride spiritual beasts.


    For some reason, Lin Shen suddenly thought of the Tianshu Flying Pce that he had seen the sect cultivator masters in when they were conquering the demons in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range.


    If he could have a Tianshu Flying Pce, that would be great!


    However, it was just a thought for now.


    There weren¡¯t many Tianshu Flying Pces in the Nine Suns Sect.


    Most of them were stored in a secret vault and could only be taken out when needed.


    Only a few senior Elders could own one.


    Shaking his head, Lin Shen dispelled all unnecessary thoughts and focused on the Dharma treasure.


    The ck Tortoise Essence looked like an ancient small tortoise shell that was used for divination.


    The surface of the turtle shell was covered in fine patterns. It had been damaged in the battle just now. It would take some time for it to recover with spiritual essence.


    Dharma treasures of profound armaments were extremely difficult to destroy. It was rare for them to bepletely destroyed in battle.


    Enchanted armaments, on the other hand, were oftenpletely destroyed in intense battles!


    As for spirit artifacts, which were of a higher grade than profound armaments, they had already developed their own consciousness. At this level, the Dharma treasure had a trace of intelligence. Even if it was damaged, it could automatically absorb the spiritual essence in Nature and repair itself.


    If they could take another step forward and be True Article, they would be able to transform into a human form. They would have personalities of their own and could also make cultivation achievements like a cultivator master.


    Therefore, Dharma treasures that had gained intelligence would often hide in the mountains and swamps so that they wouldn¡¯t be captured by cultivator masters and be their ves.


    When there was news of a Dharma treasure appearing in a remote corner of the world, causing countless cultivator masters to search for it, it referred to the True Article that had given birth to a Dharma spirit.


    Like the Heavenly Star Robe, the ck Tortoise Essence was only an inferior-grade profound armament.


    However, this profound armament didn¡¯t conflict with the Heavenly Star Robe. Lin Shen wouldn¡¯t mind that there were too many profound armaments. He happily put it away and prepared to nourish and repair it when he had time.


    Then, he looked at the flying sword.


    After injecting a trace of spiritual essence into the flying sword, the word ¡°Shadow sh¡± appeared in his mind.


    What surprised him was that the flying sword was actually a middle-grade profound armament.


    The inkstone, tablet, and Heavenly Star Robe were all inferior-grade profound armaments. He didn¡¯t have a single middle-grade profound armament until now.


    Furthermore, it was a Dharma treasure.


    Lin Shen suddenly recalled the dazzling sword light he had seen from the sky when he first entered the center of Dragonside City..

 Chapter 309 - 309: Powerful Sword Cultivators (2)

    Chapter 309: Powerful Sword Cultivators (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    At that time, he had even thought of bing a sword cultivator.


    When Miao You saw Lin Shen staring at the flying sword in a daze, she couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously, ¡°Do you want to be a sword cultivator?¡±


    Lin Shen came back to his senses and smiled. He casually said, ¡°Sword cultivators have powerfulbat strength. Bing one would be great news, right?¡±


    Everyone knew that although cultivators had countless methods to deal with their enemies, sword cultivators were the strongest in terms of fighting!


    Miao You nodded and said, ¡°Of course. There are many cultivators who want to be sword cultivators, but very few of them will get what they want in the end.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡± Lin Shen was instantly curious.


    He had just be a cultivator master and still didn¡¯t know much about it. Now that he had a cultivator master beside him, he could ask for guidance.


    Seeing that a powerful expert like Lin Shen was asking her for guidance, even though Miao You appeared to be nonchnt, she was very satisfied. She immediately exined softly.


    ¡°If you want to be a sword cultivator, you have to meet two conditions.


    ¡°First of all, I have to have a sword pill!¡±


    A sword pill?


    Lin Shen was slightly surprised as he looked at the flying sword in his hand.


    Noticing his gaze, Miao You smiled and said,


    ¡°Many low-level cultivators who don¡¯t know much about sword cultivators think that sword cultivators¡¯ weapons are flying swords, but they¡¯re actually very wrong!


    ¡°Strictly speaking, flying swords are only a type of ordinary Dharma treasure. Using a flying sword doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯re a sword cultivator. A true sword cultivator¡¯s weapon is a sword pill!¡±


    Under Miao You¡¯s exnation, Lin Shen gradually came to a realization.


    The so-called sword pill was a magic treasure refined from pure metal.


    A sword pill alone didn¡¯t mean much. In the hands of an amateur, the power it could unleash was even inferior to ordinary Dharma treasures.


    However, in the hands of a sword cultivator, it was a killing weapon that could kill enemies thousands of miles away!


    After a sword cultivator obtained the sword pill, he could fuse it with his mind through training. Then, he could inject his spiritual essence into it and use it to kill people from afar.


    It was agile and unpredictable when used. It was far more difficult to defend against than a cultivator master attacking with a flying sword.


    Even if one could block a single attack, they couldn¡¯t block the continuous flying shes that followed.


    Moreover, once the situation was bad in battle, the sword cultivator could use the sword light to escape. When the enemy¡¯s Dharma treasure was put away, he could turn around and continue attacking. He could advance and retreat freely in battles.


    Because of that, sword cultivators were recognized as the most troublesome and ferocious existences in battle!


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy to refine a sword pill. Only a weapon refinement grandmaster can refine it. Moreover, the materials are very hard to find. It¡¯s not easy for ordinary cultivator masters to obtain an ordinary sword pill, let alone an excellent one.¡±


    Miao You continued,


    ¡°Just the sword pill alone has stopped many cultivators from embarking on the path of sword cultivation!¡±


    Lin Shen was deep in thought as he asked, ¡°What¡¯s the second condition?¡±


    Miao You replied without thinking, ¡°Weapons can¡¯t be used without a technique. The sword pill is a weapon. With a weapon, we naturally need a technique to control the sword pill, which is the flying sword technique!¡±


    This flying sword wasn¡¯t the ordinary one that flew in the sky.


    ¡°A good Flying Sword Technique is extremely important to a sword cultivator¡¯sbat strength!


    ¡°I once heard of a sect called the Star Sect. It¡¯s said to be the strongest sword cultivation sect in the East Divine Continent. Its disciples are all sword cultivators without exception. Although there are few of them, theirbat strength is unparalleled. Not many sects in the entire East Divine Continent dare to provoke them!¡±


    At this point, Miao You nced at Lin Shen and smiled.


    ¡°Although the Nine Suns Sect isn¡¯t a sword cultivation sect, there are still many famous sword cultivation experts in the East Sea Path. I believe your sect should also have excellent flying sword techniques!¡±


    Lin Shen nodded slightly and made up his mind to see if he could find a way to get the sword pill and flying sword technique after returning to Dragonside City.


    After putting away the Dharma treasure, Lin Shen looked at the books again.


    There were three books in total. They were the Deadiron Manual, the Golden Wheel Lightning Tome, and the Nether Yin Heavy Water.


    Lin Shen opened the Deadiron Manual and read it for a while. He quickly realized that this was the cultivation technique Lu Wansong used.


    The deadiron spiritual essence was transformed by cultivating this manual.


    Lin Shen closed the secret manual and turned to Miao You to ask for advice on spells and the Five Elements spiritual essence.


    Miao You deliberated for a moment before slowly saying,


    ¡°The Great Dao is inseparable from the Yin and Yang and the Five Elements. It¡¯s the same for all the cultivation techniques that transform spiritual essence. There are five attributes, metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Depending on the cultivation technique, there are also differences in their quality.


    ¡°Cultivators who cultivate metal techniques will naturally convert their spiritual essence into metal. For example, Lu Wansong¡¯s deadiron spiritual essence is metal spiritual essence, while my wind spiritual essence is wood spiritual essence.¡±


    Lin Shen suddenly thought of Wu Luo and Wu Ji.


    The former had water spiritual essence, while thetter had metal spiritual essence.


    Thinking of this, Lin Shen asked again, ¡°Does a person only have one attribute?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the case. There are very few cultivation techniques that can cultivate spiritual essence with two or even three attributes, making it even more powerful. However, such cultivation techniques often have extremely high requirements for the number of spirit meridians. Only people with first or second-grade spirit meridians can cultivate them.¡±


    At this point, Miao You couldn¡¯t help but look at Lin Shen enviously.


    With a third-grade spirit meridian like hers, she was basically destined to only cultivate a single attribute.


    Even though there were a few dual-attribute techniques, they were still extremely inferior. The spiritual essence cultivated was probably not as pure as a single spiritual essence. It was better not to cultivate them after all.


    As for those with first-grade spirit meridians, as long as they wanted to, they could cultivate 99% of the cultivation techniques in the world.


    For someone like Lin Shen, whose spirit meridian grade was above grade one, there was probably no technique in the world that he couldn¡¯t cultivate.


    Miao You was deep in thought when she suddenly heard Lin Shen¡¯s question.


    ¡°Are there any cultivation techniques with all five elements?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    Miao You was stunned and hesitated.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of one. However, there are so many techniques in the world. What I know is only a tiny fraction. I think there should be one. Perhaps your sect has something simr to that.¡±


    Lin Shen nodded slightly, a thoughtful look shing across his eyes.


    He had 108 spirit meridians on him, and most of the cultivation techniques in the world were for him to cultivate. In that case, the more advanced the cultivation technique, the better.


    Aftering back to his senses, Lin Shen looked at the Golden Wheel Lightning Tome and the Nether Yin Heavy Water in his hands.


    ¡°Do you recognize these two secret manuals?¡± Lin Shen nced at Miao You.


    Miao You pursed her lips and nodded, her eyes looking troubled.


    ¡°This is the cultivation technique of our tribe.¡±


    ¡°Your tribe?¡±


    Miao You hesitated for a moment before answering truthfully, ¡°I¡¯m from the Eagle Tribe of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range.¡±


    Lin Shen was really surprised.


    He had guessed that Miao You was definitely from a certain demon tribe, but he didn¡¯t expect her to be an old neighbor.


    However, why would a cultivator master of the Eagle Tribe appear here?


    A thought suddenly shed across Lin Shen¡¯s mind, and he blurted out, ¡°Lu Wansong is also from the Eagle Tribe?¡±


    Miao You sighed and admitted frankly.


    Lin Shen immediately understood.


    Apart from a bloody power struggle, there was no other reason for them to kill each other.


    Speaking of which, the factional strife within the Nine Suns Sect was pretty much the same. It was just that it hadn¡¯t developed to the point where the Eagle Tribe had to face each other head-on.


    Shaking his head, Lin Shen didn¡¯t ask further. Instead, he asked about the Golden Wheel Lightning Tome and the Nether Yin Heavy Water.


    Miao You didn¡¯t keep anything from him. Even if she didn¡¯t tell him, Lin Shen would only spend more time researching it. If he wanted to cultivate, he could still cultivate.


    Moreover, in the current situation, she no longer had the intention to keep the tribe¡¯s cultivation technique a secret.


    ¡°The Golden Wheel Lightning Technique is a Body Tempering cultivation technique. It requires metal and water spiritual essence to cultivate. The metal and water form the power of divine lightning and temper the body. After cultivating it, the body will be integrated into one and as hard as steel. Ordinary enchanted armaments won¡¯t be able to hurt you at all!¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes lit up.


    It was actually a Body Tempering cultivation technique!


    That was perfect!


    After advancing to a cultivator master, the martial techniques and spells he had previously cultivated could no longer keep up with the increase in his strength.


    This was also one of the reasons why Lin Shen hadn¡¯t used any martial arts techniques from the beginning to the end when he fought with Lu Wansong.


    True Martial techniques were fine. They still had some effect on cultivator masters.


    However, the spells, including the Seven Arts Sword Energy, were no longer enough.


    It wasn¡¯t that the spells weren¡¯t as powerful as before, but that they were only created for the Bright Aperture Stage. Although they could be used with spiritual essence, the amount of spiritual essence consumed was far from proportional to the power.


    It was better to use spiritual essence directly against the enemy!


    Therefore, apart from finding a suitable spell to convert the spiritual essence of the Five Elements spiritual essence, what Lin Shen urgently needed to do now was to cultivate new techniques..

 Chapter 310 - 310: What a Father (1)

    Chapter 310: What a Father (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    After a while, Lin Shen calmed down.


    The Golden Wheel Thunder Tome required both metal and water spiritual essence to cultivate.


    In other words, only people with second-grade and above spirit meridians who had cultivated metal and water attributes could cultivate this technique. It couldn¡¯t be rushed.


    ¡°Fortunately, the strict cultivation conditions stopped Lu Wansong from cultivating the technique. If he had cultivated the Golden Wheel Lightning Tome, 1 would have to use my clones to kill him!¡±


    Lin Shen thought to himself and suddenly asked,


    ¡°What about the Nether Yin Heavy Water?¡±


    ¡°The Nether Yin Heavy Water is a water-type cultivation technique. It requires 36 mouthfuls of water spiritual essence to condense one drop. One drop has the power of a thousand strikes, and it¡¯s difficult to withstand. With ten drops of heavy water, few people of the same generation can be your match. If there are a hundred drops, you can fight a thousand people at a time. With a thousand drops, you can make the waterfall reverse and the river change course!¡±


    Miao You¡¯s tone was filled with yearning. It was obvious that she admired the Nether Yin Heavy Water very much.


    However, it was understandable. If what she said was true, the Nether Yin Heavy Water would probably be much stronger than the Golden Wheel Lightning Tome.


    Unfortunately, it required 36 mouthfuls of spiritual essence to condense a drop of Nether Yin Heavy Water. In other words, one had to have at least a second-grade spirit meridian to cultivate it. Miao You only had a third-grade spirit meridian, so there was no hope there for her.


    ¡°Other than that, the Nether Yin Heavy Water is also one of the cultivation techniques of the same lineage. When you reach the Mystic Light Stage, you can switch to the Mystic Swamp Primordial Water. When you reach the Reverse Elixir Stage, you can switch to the North Sea Primordial Water!¡± Miao You continued.


    Lin Shen was even more tempted. In that case, this Nether Yin Heavy Water was indeed a top-notch cultivation technique.


    The only problem was that water-type spiritual essence was needed to cultivate it.


    He had to return to the sect and confirm what cultivation technique he wanted to cultivate before deciding if he wanted to cultivate the Nether Yin Heavy Water.


    Lin Shen then asked a lot of questions about cultivators until Miao You looked exhausted. Only then did he let her treat her injuries.


    After Miao You walked a little further away and began to meditate, Lin Shen summoned the interface and looked at it.


    When he killed Lu Wansong, he specially switched to Testify by Killing. In the end, he was lucky enough to trigger the talent effect, and his cultivation increased by 5%.


    [Stage: Leveli Spirit Nurturing Stage, 5%]


    After advancing to a cultivator master, the Nine Yang Scripture could no longer increase his cultivation level, so Lin Shen had no intention of meditating and cultivating.


    He quickly skimmed through the cultivation techniques and spells and looked at the talents of the clones.


    After the breakthrough in his stage, the effects of his Pure Yang Body and Testify by Killing had already changed.


    [Pure Yang Body: Yang attribute cultivation technique cultivation speed


    + 300%, Yang attribute cultivation technique power +100%]


    [Testify by Killing: Attack-type cultivation technique cultivation speed+50%,bat skillprehension speed+100%. Every time you kill a living being, there is a certain chance of obtaining an epiphany, increasing your cultivation level and cultivation technique progress (The higher the cultivation level of a living being, the higher the probability)!


    The martial techniques and spells from before had all be ¡°cultivation techniques¡±.


    ¡°With my current strength and cultivation level, the probability of triggering the talent effect by killing creatures below the Spirit Nurturing Stage is probably pitifully small.


    ¡°On the way back to Dragonside City, I¡¯ll hunt some spiritual beasts and test them.¡±


    Lin Shen then looked at the other talents.


    Apart from the Pure Yang Body and Testify by Killing, his other talents hadn¡¯t changed.


    [Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt: Cultivation Speed +200%, Lifespan -80%]


    [Amaze the World: Nurture qi with your body and umte qi with your will. Store your spiritual essence until the next attack. The longer you umte it, the stronger the attack.]


    [Analogy: For every additional Perfection-level martial technique and spell, the cultivation speed of martial techniques/spells will increase by 10% (Maximum 200%), and the power of martial techniques/spells will increase by 5% (Maximum 100%)]


    [Well-Versed: After cultivating the same type of martial technique to Perfection, they can fuse together to break through to a higher stage.]


    [Superior Martial Arts: Martial Technique Cultivation Speed+100%, Martial Technique Power+50%, Combat Skills+50%]


    Apart from Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt and Amaze the World, which could still disy extraordinary effects, the other three talents were no longer of much use to Lin Shen.


    After all, he was going to cultivate divine power cultivation techniques like the Golden Wheel Lightning Tome and the Nether Yin Heavy Water.


    Martial arts and spells were no longer of much use to him.


    ¡°Should I change my talent?¡±


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t hesitate for too long and quickly decided to refresh his talent.


    Now, he could use two talents at the same time. If he could obtain good talents, he could pair them into a new powerfulbination.


    A goodbination of talents would greatly increase his strength!


    Taking advantage of the time before returning to Dragonside City, Lin Shen prepared to obtain three good talents.


    Five days passed in the blink of an eye.


    Soon, it was time for the Xuandu Meeting to end.


    Lin Shen and Miao You set off for the entrance of Xuandu Mountain a day ago. They were less than 10 km away from their destination.


    ¡°What are your ns after leaving Xuandu Mountain?¡± Lin Shen asked.


    Miao You hesitated and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m going back to the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t the Eagle Tribe searching for you? If you go back, won¡¯t you be walking into a trap?¡±


    ¡°The Dragon Abyss Mountain Range is vast and boundless. As long as I cover my tracks carefully, I don¡¯t have to worry about those people finding me any time soon. Moreover, 1 still have subordinates in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range. I can¡¯t abandon them!¡±


    There was one more thing that Miao You didn¡¯t say. If she stayed in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range, she could still find an opportunity to contact some of the subordinates of the Eagle Tribe who were loyal to her father to strengthen her own forces and prepare for revenge.


    At the thought of this, Miao You couldn¡¯t help but nce at Lin Shen.


    After seeing Lin Shen easily kill Lu Wansong, she was amazed by his talent.


    Perhaps Lin Shen would be able to break through to the Mystic Light Stage in less than seven years.


    At that time, if Lin Shen could help her deal with her enemies, the hope of revenge would greatly increase!

 Chapter 311 - 311: What a Father (2)

    Chapter 311: What a Father (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t know what Miao You was thinking. Seeing that she had already made up her mind, he didn¡¯t say anything else.


    Back then, he had only signed a soul contract with Miao You because he wanted to obtain the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit. As for Miao You herself, Lin Shen didn¡¯t think much of it.


    After all, the Nine Suns Sect wouldn¡¯t allow him to bring a demon cultivator into Dragonside City.


    ¡°I heard that some powerful cultivator masters can open their own residences and recruit demons for their own use. I wonder if Nine Suns Sect can do the same?¡±


    The two of them fell into deep thought and didn¡¯t speak along the way.


    Not long after.


    Lin Shen and Miao You arrived at the entrance to Xuandu Mountain that day.


    There were already many people gathered here.


    However,pared to the sea of people that entered Xuandu Mountain that day, the number had decreased significantly.


    When they entered Xuandu Mountain a month ago, there were more than 2,000 cultivators.


    However, there were only about a thousand people who could walk out of Xuandu Mountain alive today.


    There were no ferocious beasts in Xuandu Mountain, and all the demons were nt spirits that weren¡¯t all that dangerous.


    Then, it was obvious how over a thousand people disappeared and died.


    At this moment, there was a rumbling noise.


    Lin Shen looked up and saw a crack in the fog that enveloped a radius of thousands of kilometers around Xuandu Mountain.


    A group of cultivators flew out.


    Lin Shen and Miao You were no exception.


    However, the two of them separated tacitly and didn¡¯t stay together anymore. Lin Shen didn¡¯t want to spend time exining Miao You¡¯s existence to Qu Ke and Shen Zening.


    ¡°Junior Brother Lin!¡±


    Just as he returned to the foot of Xuandu Mountain, he suddenly heard a familiar voice. Lin Shen turned around and saw that it was Qu Ke and Shen Zening.


    The two of them walked toward Lin Shen and sized him up. Seeing that he was safe and sound, they heaved a sigh of relief.


    Although they were confident in Lin Shen¡¯s strength, anything could happen in Xuandu Mountain.


    They sighed inwardly when they saw that the number of people who came out had decreased so much.


    ¡°More than 2,000 people went in, but less than half came out. This Xuandu Conference is indeed dangerous!¡± Qu Ke sighed softly.


    After some itinerant cultivators in Xuandu Mountain formed a group, they attacked lone cultivators everywhere, not even sparing the sect disciples.


    Qu Ke and Shen Zening met many cultivators who wanted to snatch the Mystic Essence Liquid and fought a few dangerous battles.


    Fortunately, the two of them were quite capable and had profound armaments on them. Most of the attackers were killed instead.


    On the few asions where they couldn¡¯t defeat their enemies, they were able to use profound armaments to get away.


    After a month, Qu Ke and Shen Zening obtained six drops of Mystic Essence Liquid, so each of them had three.


    This was already quite rewarding.


    Most of the itinerant cultivators moved in groups. Even if they found the Mystic Essence Wood Spirit in the end, there wouldn¡¯t be enough to share among them.


    Under such circumstances, they either had enough Cast Spirit Pills to split up or fight against one another.


    Recovering from their joy, Qu Ke and Shen Zening nced at Lin Shen.


    In their opinion, if even they had gained a lot, then Lin Shen must have gained even more on Xuandu Mountain. He should have at least ten drops of Mystic Essence Liquid.


    They would never have thought that not only had Lin Shen obtained the thousand-year-old Mystic Essence Wood Spirit, but he had also used it to break through the cage and advance to a cultivator master. He had even killed a cultivator master.


    If they knew about this, their eyes would probably pop out.


    At this moment, there was a suddenmotion in the crowd. Many people noticed that the disciples of the Corpse Sect, Blood Sea Sect, and Flying Cloud Sect were nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°Did those people die in Xuandu Mountain?¡±


    ¡°No way. Who could have killed them? Moreover, the disciples of all three sects are gone!¡±


    ¡°Hey, Yin Xianbin, Yi Sufeng, and Guan Zhou haven¡¯te out either!¡±


    ¡°If you ask me, these people probably met at Xuandu Mountain and fought. In the end, they perished together!¡±


    ¡°That makes sense!¡±


    Many people nodded in agreement.


    After all, it was too much of a coincidence that all the sect disciples and three itinerant cultivators with extraordinary strength disappeared at the same time. Someone couldn¡¯t have killed all these people, right?


    How powerful did the attacker have to be? A cultivator master?


    Hearing the discussions around them, Qu Ke and Shen Zening looked at each other and rejoiced.


    Even the people from the three sects were dead. Fortunately, they weren¡¯t implicated.


    Lin Shen¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. He acted as if he didn¡¯t hear the discussion around them and said, ¡°Senior Brothers, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Qu Ke and Shen Zening came back to their senses and immediately agreed.


    Leaving Xuandu Mountain didn¡¯t mean that they could rest easily.


    Those who found nothing on Xuandu Mountain might take the risk and ambush other cultivators who had gained something along the way.


    Even those who had obtained the Mystic Essence Liquid might do so. No one would despise too much Mystic Essence Liquid.


    Without further ado, Qu Ke immediately released the Dragon Fang Flying Ship.


    The appearance of a behemoth that was more than ten meters tall and thirty to forty meters long immediately attracted the attention of many people around it.


    Many people looked envious.


    With the disciples of the Corpse Sect, Blood Sea Sect, and Flying Cloud Sect all dead, only Lin Shen and his senior brothers could take out treasures like a flying ship.


    As soon as the flying ship appeared, the malicious gazes that were originally fixed on the three of them immediately disappeared.


    This was also why Qu Ke took out the Dragon Fang Flying Ship on the spot. It was to dispel some people¡¯s ill intentions.


    From the looks of it, it was quite effective.


    The three of them boarded the Dragon Fang Flying Ship. As Qu Ke activated the token, the flying ship immediately soared into the sky and flew in the direction of Dragonside City.


    As the Dragon Fang Flying Ship disappeared into the horizon, the surrounding discussions gradually calmed down.


    A strange atmosphere gradually spread.


    Some cultivators left the foot of Xuandu Mountain in a hurry.


    However, as soon as they left, many people followed them sneakily.


    Dragonside City.


    Nine Suns Sect.


    In an antique room.


    Kuang Haiy on the bed and let out a soft moan from time to time.


    After more than a month, the heat poison in his body hadn¡¯t beenpletely expelled.


    Although his physical wounds had already healed and he seemed perfectly fine, every noon, the hot poison in his body made him burn. He felt as if his entire body was about to burn up.


    Kuang Zhuo, who was sitting by the bed, felt as if needles were stabbing his heart when he saw his beloved son in pain.


    ¡°Is that kid called Lin Shen not back yet?¡± he asked through gritted teeth.


    Han Liang said, ¡°Uncle, the Xuandu Meeting has just ended. Lin Shen should be on his way back!¡±


    ¡°If that kides back, tell me immediately!¡±


    Hearing this, Han Liang hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Uncle, Kuang Hai, and Lin Shen had a bet. They both agreed to take the consequences. Although Kuang Hai was injured, we shouldn¡¯t find trouble with Lin Shen. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid it will attract criticism, or even¡­¡±


    If Lin Shen were amoner disciple without any background, it wasn¡¯t impossible for Kuang Zhuo to stand up for Kuang Hai.


    However, Lin Shen was now famous in the sect and attracted the attention of many people. There were even elders who expressed their intention to take him in as a disciple. If Kuang Zhuo attacked Lin Shen now, it might attract interference from the higher-ups.


    Kuang Zhuo said hatefully, ¡°So what? That brat beat Hai to this state. If I don¡¯t avenge Hai, what kind of a father would 1 be?!¡±


    Han Liang felt helpless.


    The father and son really had the same explosive temper.


    If Kuang Hai had listened to his advice and not gone to find trouble with Lin Shen, how could he have ended up in this state?


    But speaking of which, Lin Shen was astonishingly powerful.


    From Kuang Hai¡¯s description, Lin Shen had severely injured him in a single move!


    Kuang Hai had more than twenty spiritual meridians!


    To be able to defeat him in one move, Lin Shen had to have at least thirty spiritual meridians!


    Was the Nine Suns Sect going to have another second-grade spiritual meridian cultivator?


    Seeing that Han Liang was silent, Kuang Zhuo thought that he was worried and waved his hand.


    ¡°Just let me know when Lin Shenes back. You don¡¯t have to worry about anything else. This time, even if the sect punishes me for this, I¡¯ll have to avenge Hai!


    ¡°That kid let Hai suffer from the heat poison. I¡¯ll let him feel the same!¡±


    Toward the end, Kuang Zhuo¡¯s eyes were filled with coldness.


    Han Liang wanted to say something but hesitated. In the end, he sighed and didn¡¯t say anything else.


    Since a second-level Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master had made up his mind, there was no point in persuading him..

 Chapter 312 - 312: Sword Spirit Self, Spirit Body Talent (1)

    Chapter 312: Sword Spirit Self, Spirit Body Talent (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Three dayster.


    In the cabin of the Dragon Fang Flying Ship.


    Lin Shen sat cross-legged and looked at the interface in front of him.


    In the past three days, apart from when the flying ship was attacked by spiritual beasts and he went out to kill quite a few spiritual beasts, he spent the rest of his time in the cabin.


    That battle also confirmed his guess.


    He had killed a total of 78 spiritual beasts, many of which were at the Enlightening Stage, but he hadn¡¯t triggered the Testify by Killing talent once.


    ¡°Indeed, I have to hunt Spirit Nurturing Stage creatures to trigger the talent effect.¡±


    It was rare to see living beings at that stage.


    For example, cultivator masters, be they human or demon cultivators, were the topbat strength of their respective sects or tribes and would rarely participate in battles.


    This time, encountering Lu Wansong in Xuandu Mountain was only a special situation.


    Suddenly, Lin Shen had a sh of inspiration and remembered a ce.


    ¡°In the underground spirit cave of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range, our sect is at war with the Blood Sea Sect. If 1 go there, I might be able to encounter many cultivator masters!¡±


    Lin Shen felt that he could give it a try.


    Of course, at this stage, he had to take care of his cultivating manuals and techniques first.


    After calming himself down, Lin Wenxin focused his attention on his talent.


    [Sword Spirit Self: Sword technique cultivation speed +200%. Sword technique power +100%.]


    [Talent Overflow: Cultivation Speed+50%]


    [Li Fire Spirit Body: Fire-type spell/cultivation technique cultivation speed +100%, fire-type spell/cultivation technique power +50%]


    Over the past few days, three clones had refreshed their talents five to seven times respectively.


    Among them, the Sword Spirit Self was the talent obtained on the fifth try.


    Lin Shen decided to keep this talent without hesitation.


    After listening to Miao You¡¯s description, he had the idea of bing a sword cultivator.


    Now that he was lucky enough to obtain a sword-type talent, and it was a very effective one, he definitely couldn¡¯t miss it!


    ¡°The effect of this talent is almostparable to the Pure Yang Body!¡±


    As for the remaining two talents, they had just been refreshed today.


    Needless to say, he would say no to Talent Overflow and continue to refresh.


    The effect of increasing cultivation speed by 50% was too little. Even though it didn¡¯t have side effects like Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt, it was far from Lin Shen¡¯s expectations.


    At the very least, it had to increase his cultivation speed by 100%!


    However, the Li Fire Spirit Body surprised Lin Shen.


    Perhaps because he had advanced to a cultivator master, there were suddenly many talents rting to the Five Elements.


    Over the past few days, apart from the Li Fire Spirit Body, Lin Shen had also seen two simr talents.


    [Geng Metal Spirit Body: Metal spell/cultivation technique speed+100%, Metal spell/cultivation technique power+50%]


    [Kui Water Spirit Body: Water spell/cultivation technique speed+100%, Water spell/cultivation technique power+50%]


    To be honest, the effect of a spirit body cultivation speed +100% and power of + 50% was quite satisfactory.


    However, Lin Shen was still not satisfied.


    ¡°Since there are individual Five-Elements spirit bodies, does that mean there are also multiple ones? Or even a Five-Element spirit body?¡±


    The goal that Lin Shen had set for himself was to cultivate at least three attributes.


    In that case, it would be best if the spirit body talent he drew was also multi-attribute.


    The spiritual talent of a single element was still a little disappointing.


    Of course, this was also because the effect of a spirit body talent wasn¡¯t particrly good enough. If it was like Sword Spirit Self with a cultivation speed of +200% and power of +100%, Lin Shen would have epted it.


    ¡°In any case, 1 have time before choosing a cultivation technique. 1 can keep refreshing it.¡±


    Lin Shen closed the interface, got up, pushed open the cabin door, and went outside.


    The deck was empty.


    Qu Ke and Shen Zening hardly ever came out in the past few days. They stayed in their rooms to refine the Mystic Essence Liquid and condense their spirit meridians.


    Standing on the deck, Lin Shen looked out and saw rolling mountains and forest.


    The Dragon Fang Flying Ship was at the ce where they met the human-faced owls that day.


    With his spiritual senses, Lin Shen quickly discovered the human-faced owls hiding behind the mountain wall several kilometers away.


    There were only four or five of them.


    However, what surprised him was that these human-faced owls were different from the ones he had encountered that day. Their appearances were more human-like. Clearly, they were close to their human tribtion.


    They might have already begun to condense spirit meridians.


    Perhaps because they were afraid of Qu Ke and Shen Zening, these human-faced owls only looked at the Dragon Fang Flying Ship from afar and didn¡¯t move.


    Killing these owls wouldn¡¯t trigger the effect of Testify by Killing, so Lin Shen wasn¡¯t interested in attacking.


    Before long, the Dragon Fang Flying Ship gradually flew away.


    However, just as the human-faced owl was about to leave the range of Lin Shen¡¯s spiritual senses, a familiar aura suddenly rushed in andnded on the mountain wall where the human-faced owls were.


    Miao You?


    Lin Shen was slightly stunned.


    Why was she doing that with those human-faced owls?


    Suddenly, Lin Shen remembered that Miao You had once said that she had a group of subordinates in the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range. It turned out that they were this group of owls!


    ¡°Master Miao You!¡±


    ¡°My lord!¡±


    Miao You¡¯s return surprised all the owls, and they greeted her excitedly.


    Miao You¡¯s gaze swept across the group of subordinates. Seeing that they were all fine, a smile appeared on her face.


    ¡°Did anything happen while 1 was gone?¡±


    It was just a casual question, but Miao You realized that the subordinates immediately looked embarrassed. She frowned and asked in a serious voice, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Miao Qiao nced at the silver-feathered human-faced owl beside her. Seeing that he was silent, he could only step forward and answer,


    ¡°Master Miao You, more than a month ago, a Dragon Fang Flying Ship passed by this area. Miao Li sent arge number of tribe members to attack that ship without permission. As a result, they suffered heavy losses!¡±


    After hearing Miao Qiao¡¯s description, Miao You couldn¡¯t help but feel surprised.


    A Dragon Fang Flying Ship?


    Moreover, it was more than a month ago when the Xuandu Convention was about to begin. Could it be the one Lin Shen was on?


    Miao You was furious.


    These guys actually dared to attack the Dragon Fang Flying Ship. Fortunately,


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t attack them. Otherwise, all of them would have died.


    Miao You had personally experienced how powerful Lin Shen was.


    Even before he became a cultivator master, he already possessed strengthparable to one. Even if all her subordinates were to mobilize, Lin Shen could probably defeat them all with a hand behind his back.


    Miao You¡¯s silence was interpreted as anger in Miao Li¡¯s eyes. He couldn¡¯t help but defend himself.


    ¡°Master Miao You, I just wanted to avenge you and teach those damn human cultivators a lesson!¡±


    Miao You came back to her senses and couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly.


    She was injured by Lu Wansong. In order not to worry her subordinates, she lied and said that it was done by an itinerant cultivator. She didn¡¯t expect such an incident.


    Thinking of this, Miao You no longer had the mood to teach her subordinates a lesson. She waved her hand.


    ¡°Alright, seeing that you only did it for me, 1 won¡¯t punish you this time. However, there won¡¯t be a next time. Remember, our enemies are only those traitors from the Eagle Tribe. The rest have to be put aside for the time being!¡± Hearing this, Miao Li was d and nodded repeatedly.


    ¡°Yes, my lord!¡±


    The other owls also nodded..

 Chapter 313 - 313: Bad Losers (1)

    Chapter 313: Bad Losers (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    [Genius: Cultivation Progress +200%]


    Lin Shen smiled as he looked at the new talent.


    After repeatedly refreshing the talent for more than half a month, he finally obtained another good one!


    Compared to the previous Overflowing Talent, the effect of Genius was simply too powerful. It was four times more powerful than the former!


    Moreover, this wasn¡¯t a talent like the Pure Yang Body, which only worked on Yang attribute cultivation techniques, or a talent like Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt, which had huge side effects.


    Be it spells, cultivation techniques, or divine powers, it was effective to them all without any side effects. It was probably the rarest and strongest talent among all cultivation-type talents!


    Lin Shen nodded in satisfaction. This was going to be his second talent.


    Ever since God¡¯s Jealousy was gone, he couldn¡¯t increase his cultivation speed when cultivating. Fortunately, he had been condensing spirit meridians recently, so the impact wasn¡¯t huge.


    Initially, he was still thinking about what to do when he cultivated techniques in the future. Now, he had obtained Genius, which solved the problem.


    A 200% increase in cultivation speed was enough for his efficiency to far exceed that of ordinary cultivators!


    ¡°It would be even better if I could obtain a good spirit body talent andbine it with Genius!¡±


    After that, Lin Shen looked at the other talent that had just appeared with a strange expression.


    [Lone Star: Combat power +30%, Luck -50%. The probability of family and friends encountering death and disaster increases greatly. The closer the rtionship, the greater the increase.]


    To be honest, an increase of 30% inbat strength was considered a very powerful talent effect.


    When Lin Shen first saw this, he was quite excited.


    However, the subsequent description of the effect dissuaded him.


    As if having his luck decreased by 50% wasn¡¯t enough, the probability of death and disaster for his family and friends would increase greatly.


    Using the lives of his friends and family to exchange for power?


    Lin Shen smiled bitterly.


    Forget about such a talent.


    Although he didn¡¯t have any rtives, he still had a few friends. Moreover, he might have to find a master in the future. With this talent, if anything happened to his master, it would be too big a loss!


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep refreshing it!¡±


    Lin Shen had nned to find a spirit body type talent, so he didn¡¯t hesitate for long and quickly made a decision.


    He closed the interface and was about to get up when he heard a knock on the door.


    ¡°Junior Brother Lin, we¡¯re almost at Dragonside City.¡±


    It was Shen Zening¡¯s voice.


    Lin Shen pushed open the door and walked out.


    It had been a few days since theyst met. The aura around Shen Zening became more and more concentrated, and there was a surging spiritual sensation from the inside out.


    Lin Shen sized him up and smiled.


    ¡°You seem to have gained a lot during this period of time. Congrattions!¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Shen Zening smiled brightly.


    Thanks to the three drops of Mystic Essence Liquid, he had sessfully condensed his 27th spirit meridian.


    Even if he couldn¡¯t improve any further, he would at least be able to forge a third-grade spirit meridian. That would ensure a bright future in Nine Suns Sect.


    Of course, his goal was far more than that.


    A second-grade spirit meridian was his goal.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go up. Senior Brother Qu is already waiting for us on the deck.¡±


    Lin Shen nodded and walked side by side with Shen Zening to the deck.


    At the edge of the ship, Qu Ke was looking into the distance.


    At the end of the horizon, the huge outline of Dragonside City was already in sight.


    With the speed of the Dragon Fang Flying Ship, they would probably arrive in 15 minutes at most.


    Upon hearing their voices, Qu Ke turned around and greeted them with a smile. Then,he asked,


    ¡°What are your ns after returning to Dragonside City?¡±


    Shen Zening thought for a moment and said, ¡°Before leaving Dragonside City, I heard that the sect intends to issue merit missions to summon disciples who have condensed spirit meridians to the spirit cave to participate in the battle. The reward is Cast Spirit Pills. Is that true?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of this too. It should be true!¡± Qu Ke nodded.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll go to the spirit cave,¡± Shen Zening said without hesitation.


    Although he was Si Yuanpei¡¯s disciple, there were only a finite number of Cast Spirit Pills that his master could give him. He still needed to obtain most of them himself.


    And he needed a lot of Cast Spirit Pills. It would take him forever to collect enough if he just relied on the ordinary merit missions in the sect.


    Therefore, he could only focus on the special mission.


    Although it was dangerous to enter the spirit cave and fight the Blood Sea Sect, the rewards would definitely be generous.


    If everything went smoothly, he should be able to forge a second-grade spirit meridian in at most two to three years¡ªthe prerequisite was that he could reach the limit of 36 spirit meridians!


    Qu Ke was in a simr situation. He smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s my n too. We can travel together!¡±


    Of course, Shen Zening wouldn¡¯t refuse. He immediately agreed.


    The two of them then looked at Lin Shen.


    ¡°Junior Brother Lin, what are your ns?¡±


    Lin Shen smiled and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it yet. I¡¯m going back to the East District first.¡±


    This trip to Xuandu took nearly three months. He didn¡¯t know how Ai was doing, so he wanted to go back to the East District to take a look.


    After all, once he reported his advancement to a cultivator master, he would probably not be able to leave for a long time.


    While he still had time, he would settle the matter at hand first.


    Hearing Lin Shen¡¯s words, Qu Ke and Shen Zening nodded and didn¡¯t say anything.


    Lin Shen was much stronger than them. This entire time, the two of them had never hoped to rope Lin Shen in.


    In fact, after the Xuandu Meeting, Qu Ke and Shen Zening vaguely felt that something had changed in Lin Shen, but they couldn¡¯t exin it. They felt that Lin Shen was bing more and more unfathomable..

 Chapter 314 - 314: Bad Losers (2)

    Chapter 314: Bad Losers (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    As they conversed, the Dragon Fang Flying Ship arrived at the north gate of Dragonside City.


    The three of them alighted from the flying ship. Qu Ke put it away and was about to bid farewell when he realized that Lin Shen was looking somewhere. Following his gaze, Qu Ke saw a figure not far away.


    ¡°Han Liang!¡±


    Qu Ke was a little surprised to see him. Soon, he thought of something, and his expression changed.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Han Liang cupped his hands at Qu Ke and smiled bitterly. ¡°Senior Brother Qu, don¡¯t me me. 1 was just following orders.¡±


    The moment he said that Qu Ke looked displeased.


    Shen Zening saw this and asked curiously, ¡°Senior Brother Qu, who is that?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s Han Liang, an inner sect disciple. He¡¯s very close to Kuang Hai who caused trouble for Junior Brother Lin that day!¡± Qu Ke exined softly.


    Hearing this, how could Shen Zening not understand? His expression changed slightly.


    Lin Shen raised his eyebrows, and a dark glint shed across his eyes.


    Looks like trouble wasing for him again!


    With this thought, a streak of light suddenly appeared in the distant sky and flew over. In less than three seconds, it arrived andnded on the ground without exerting any strength.


    The light dissipated, revealing a tall figure.


    The person was about 40 years old. He had a strong face and a burly figure. His entire body exuded an iparably sharp aura, like a volcano that was about to erupt!


    He had no intention of retracting his aura at all. Instead, he deliberately released his aura. A powerful and scorching aura swept toward Lin Shen and the other two like a wave that wanted to drown and crush them!


    A cultivator master!


    Qu Ke and Shen Zening grunted in unison and took a few steps back from the terrifying aura.


    Only Lin Shen remained standing on the spot without changing his expression.


    The overwhelming pressurended on his body like a spring breeze. It waspletely useless.


    Kuang Zhuo¡¯s eyes narrowed as a cold light shed in them.


    ¡°Are you the Lin Shen who injured my son?¡±


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t answer. He only sized the man up a few times, shook his head, andughed.


    ¡°I defeated the son, then there¡¯s the father. Is everyone in your family a bad loser?¡±


    As soon as he said this, Kuang Zhuo¡¯s gaze became even colder.


    At this moment, Qu Ke finally caught his breath. He hurriedly stepped forward and shouted,


    ¡°Wait, Master Kuang!


    ¡°Junior Brother Lin and Kuang Hai¡¯s bet is recognized and protected by the sect. Regardless of whether one wins or loses, the consequences will be up to the two of them. No one is allowed to provoke them in the future!


    ¡°Moreover, you¡¯re a cultivator master. It¡¯s too unreasonable for you to bully a junior personally. If word gets out, the Kuang family¡¯s reputation will probably be affected!¡±


    When Han Liang heard this, he sighed inwardly.


    These words made sense, but since a dignified cultivator master like Kuang Zhuo had already decided to take a huge risk and attack Lin Shen, how could he be swayed by those words?


    As expected, Kuang Zhuo¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. He only nced coldly at Qu Ke.


    ¡°How dare a junior teach me how to do things?¡±


    Qu Ke¡¯s expression froze.


    Kuang Zhuo ignored him and looked at Lin Shen coldly.


    ¡°You made my son suffer from the heat poison for two months. I¡¯ll let you experience the same thing!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, a red light appeared around Kuang Zhuo. A ball of mes that was like a red cloud surged out and targeted Lin Shen¡¯s head!


    As soon as the mes appeared, the temperature of the air within a radius of five hundred meters suddenly soared!


    Qu Ke and Shen Zening couldn¡¯t withstand the scorching aura and fell back again, their faces going pale.


    They never expected that not only would Kuang Zhuo personallye to find trouble with Lin Shen, but he would also take the initiative to attack first. That was so shameless!


    For a moment, Qu Ke and Shen Zening were shocked and furious.


    Especially Qu Ke. He knew that Kuang Zhuo was a second-level Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master. Against a cultivator at the Bright Aperture Stage, he could crush Lin Shenpletely!


    Even though Lin Shen had once severely injured a cultivator master, that person was only a first-level Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master.


    Against an experienced second-level Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master like Kuang Zhuo, the situation wasn¡¯t looking good.


    Both Qu Ke and Shen Zening were extremely anxious, but they couldn¡¯t intervene.


    Kuang Zhuo¡¯s casual attack had already forced them to retreat. They wanted to help, but they were powerless.


    With a whoosh, the mes had already arrived in front of Lin Shen.


    Thetter didn¡¯t dodge, and his expression didn¡¯t change. Golden light shed from his body, and the mes disappeared without a trace.


    Seeing this, Kuang Zhuo frowned and snorted.


    ¡°You have some ability. Looks like the rumors about you severely injuring Wu Ji are true. However, if you think that I¡¯m a piece of trash like Wu Ji, you¡¯re gravely mistaken!¡±


    Seeing that Lin Shen was indeed as strong as the rumors said, so strong that he didn¡¯t seem like a Bright Aperture Stage cultivator at all, Kuang Zhuo stopped holding back. The core aperture in his chest opened, and he opened his mouth and spat out 18 mouthfuls of fire-element spiritual essence that were as red as fire clouds.


    In an instant, the ground where Kuang Zhuo stood was charred ck!


    The nts around him also burned fiercely. In the blink of an eye, the fire surrounded the area around Lin Shen!


    The scorching heat spread, forcing Qu Ke, Shen Zening, and Han Liang to retreat for hundreds of meters before stopping.


    ¡°Scarlet Mist Incense Furnace!¡±


    Qu Ke¡¯s expression was very ugly as he looked at the raging mes and steam in the distance.


    When Shen Zening heard this, he hurriedly asked, ¡°Senior Brother Qu, what is this Scarlet Mist Incense Furnace?¡±


    ¡°Master Kuang¡¯s cultivation technique is called the Scarlet Mist Scroll. It¡¯s a fire-type cultivation technique. It¡¯s said that it could easily melt iron and steel when it reaches a high level. The Scarlet Mist Incense Furnace is one of the cultivation techniques apanying this cultivation technique. It¡¯s said that once it¡¯s used, everything it passes will be scorched!¡± Qu Ke said with a frown.


    Upon hearing this, Shen Zening¡¯s expression immediately became extremely solemn.


    In fact, even if Qu Ke didn¡¯t exin, he had already seen the ferocity of this move.


    The power of a cultivation technique was often rted to the spiritual essence mobilized when it was used. The more spiritual essence it used, the stronger the power.


    Kuang Zhuo took out 18 mouthfuls of spiritual essence at once. One could imagine how powerful this Scarlet Mist Incense Furnace was!


    As the 18 mouthfuls of spiritual essence spread out and took their positions, they sank to the ground, and the scorching heat rose.


    In an instant, the ce where Lin Shen was turned into a raging sea of fire!


    Wrapped in spiritual essence, the mes came at him from all directions as if they were sentient.


    In an instant, the entire world seemed to be filled with mes that wanted to drown Lin Shen!


    Kuang Zhuo sneered.


    He didn¡¯t use the Scarlet Mist Incense Furnace easily because he was a cultivator master who had advanced with a fourth-grade spirit meridian. He only had a total of 18 wisps of spiritual essence in his body. Once he used the Scarlet Mist Incense Furnace, more than half of his spiritual essence would be consumed.


    If the Scarlet Mist Incense Furnace failed to severely injure or defeat the enemy, it would be his turn to be overwrought.


    Therefore, when facing enemies, Kuang Zhuo wouldn¡¯t easily use this move unless it was a critical moment.


    However, facing a junior who wasn¡¯t even a cultivator master, Kuang Zhuo didn¡¯t mind much.


    He was confident that with the power of this attack, Lin Shen wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand it at all.


    However, just as Kuang Zhuo was sneering inwardly, the situation on the battlefield suddenly changed.


    A scorching sun suddenly broke through the raging sea of fire and charged toward him like a meteor!


    Rumbling thunder resounded in the sky along the way, and its aura was peerlessly mighty!


    Kuang Zhuo¡¯s expression changed slightly. Without hesitation, he threw out a shield. It expanded in the wind and turned into a two-meter-tall shield wall in front of him.


    In the next moment, the scorching sun crashed into the shield wall with boundless sword intent!


    BOOM!


    As the fire wave spread, the shield wall shook intensely, causing Kuang Zhuo¡¯s blood to boil.


    However, he could no longer care about this. Instead, he looked at Lin Shen in shock.


    Nine Divine Sun Sword?


    No, that wasn¡¯t right. Even if it was the True Martial Nine Divine Sun Sword, it wouldn¡¯t be able to destroy his Scarlet Mist Incense Furnace!


    There was some different spiritual essence in the sword just now!


    Disbelief appeared on Kuang Zhuo¡¯s face.


    ¡°Y-you¡¯ve be a cultivator master?!¡±


    The dignified cultivator master¡¯s tone was actually trembling. That was how shocked he was!


    When the other three people heard this, it was like a bolt from the blue, and they were all dumbfounded.


    Lin Shen had advanced to a cultivator master?!

 Chapter 315 - 315: First Level-1 Spiritual Meridian Cultivator Master (1)

    Chapter 315: First Level-1 Spiritual Meridian Cultivator Master (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    ¡°How, how is that possible¡­¡±


    Han Liang was so shocked that he stood there with his mouth open.


    Lin Shen had actually be a cultivator master?


    If it wasn¡¯t for Kuang Zhuo, he would have thought that he was hallucinating!


    Qu Ke and Shen Zening were also dumbfounded and couldn¡¯t say anything.


    The scene was beyond their expectations!


    Not only did Lin Shen break Kuang Zhuo¡¯s Scarlet Mist Incense Furnace, but from what Kuang Zhuo said, he had also broken through the cage and be a cultivator master.


    When did this happen?


    On the way back?


    Or had he already broken through when he was at Xuandu Mountain?


    Qu Ke and Shen Zening were shocked. They felt their heads buzzing and almost lost their ability to think.


    However, Kuang Zhuo was still the most shocked.


    Kuang Zhuo¡¯s face was ashen when he came back to his senses,


    He had never expected that Lin Shen had already advanced to a cultivator master.


    What shocked him even more was that Lin Shen, a new cultivator master who had yet to cultivate the technique to transform the spiritual essence of the Five Elements, could actually break his Scarlet ATist Incense Furnace with just martial arts techniques and elementless spiritual essence!


    It was unbelievable!


    ¡°Has he forged a second-grade spirit meridian?¡± Kuang Zhuo was bewildered.


    Lin Shen ignored their astonishmentpletely.


    Most of his attention was on the power of the sword just now.


    ¡°Sword Spirit Self is indeed powerful!¡±


    With the effect of the sword technique, even the Nine Divine Sun Sword could unleash the greatest power.


    Lin Shen only used 18 mouthfuls of spiritual essence in that attack.


    When he was fighting Lu Wansong, he had to use double the amount of elementless spiritual essence to defeat Lu Wansong¡¯s ax.


    With the enhancement of the Sword Spirit Self, things were different!


    ¡°I wonder how powerful the Pure Yang Body and Sword Spirit Self will be when used at the same time?¡±


    Ever since he broke through, Lin Shen had never tried the dual-talent enhancement.


    Even when he fought with Lu Wansong, he never used his talent because he wanted to test the strength of a cultivator master.


    And this was undoubtedly a good opportunity to test the dual talents!


    Lin Shen looked up at Kuang Zhuo, a brooding look shing across his eyes.


    When Kuang Zhuo met Lin Shen¡¯s gaze, for some reason, he felt his chest tighten.


    Without thinking, he threw out another pouch-shaped Dharma treasure, turning it into dazzling spiritual light that protected his entire body.


    With two defensive profound armaments protecting him, Kuang Zhuo was relieved. He gathered the remaining spiritual essence andunched another attack at Lin Shen.


    At this moment, Lin Shen had already struck out with his sword.


    It was also the Nine Divine Sun Sword, but this time, it was the Nine Divine Sun Sword that was boosted by the Pure Yang Body and Sword Spirit Self!


    With the dual effects, the power of the Nine Divine Sun Sword was three times stronger than normal!


    Not to mention that Lin Shen had used 45 mouthfuls of spiritual essence at once!


    Kuang Zhuo¡¯s eyes almost popped out of their sockets when he saw Lin Shen¡¯s body glow, and the endless spiritual essence gushing out.


    There were more than thirty-six mouthfuls of them!


    ¡°Impossible! Could this kid have forged a first-grade spirit meridian?!¡±


    Kuang Zhuo was filled with disbelief.


    A first-grade spirit meridian was rumored to be the highest grade.


    Many peerless geniuses with outstanding talent and deep backgrounds couldn¡¯t forge a first-grade spirit meridian. How could Lin Shen, amoner without any background or sufficient cultivation resources, forge a first-grade spirit meridian?


    If that wasn¡¯t the case, how could he exin the shocking amount of spiritual essence?


    The reality didn¡¯t give Kuang Zhuo much time to think.


    In the blink of an eye, the scorching sun with boundless sword intent shattered the Scarlet Mist Incense Furnace like a hot knife through butter and collided with the shield in front of Kuang Zhuo!


    In an instant, there was a boom. The shield seemed to have been struck by lightning and was sent flying.


    The scorching sun only paused for a moment before continuing to collide with the dazzling spiritual light on Kuang Zhuo¡¯s body!


    Theyer of spiritual light on the surface of Kuang Zhuo¡¯s body was a profound armament called the Crystal Sand Pouch.


    When fighting with the enemy, it could transform into a dazzling spiritual light to protect the cultivator. In terms of defense, it was even higher than the shield.


    However, under the attack of the Nine Divine Sun Sword, the spiritual light onlysted for half a second before dissipating!


    Kuang Zhuo watched in horror as the sword energy that filled the sky drowned him!


    BOOM!


    Instantly, a loud sound rang out, and dust rose in all directions.


    A violent wave of air swept in all directions. Qu Ke, Shen Zening, and Han Liang had no choice but to set up their defensive Dharma treasures to block the shock wave.


    When the dust dissipated, the three of them immediately focused their gazes and discovered that the area around Kuang Zhuo had turned into scorched earth. In the middle was a shocking deep pit.


    Kuang Zhuo was lying motionless in the middle of the deep pit, his entire body already charred ck.


    Silence!


    There wasplete silence.


    Qu Ke and the other two looked at the scene in a daze. They felt like they had fallen into a dream and couldn¡¯t wake up for a long time.


    Kuang Zhuo came aggressively. Be it Qu Ke, Shen Zening, or Han Liang, they all thought that Lin Shen would inevitably suffer.


    Who would have thought that not only had Lin Shen long advanced to a cultivator master, but he had also defeated Kuang Zhuo!


    A new cultivator master who had yet to find the adequate technique had actually defeated a second-level Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master head-on. If they hadn¡¯t seen it with their own eyes, they wouldn¡¯t have believed such a ridiculous thing!


    Even so, the three of them felt like they were dreaming.


    After a long while, Han Liang was the first to react. He rushed into the deep pit in a panic.


    ¡°Uncle!¡±

 Chapter 316 - 316: First Level-1 Spiritual Meridian Cultivator

    Chapter 316: First Level-1 Spiritual Meridian Cultivator


    Master (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Han Liang squatted in front of Kuang Zhuo and quickly checked his injuries. After a while, he heaved a sigh of relief.


    After all, he was a second-level Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master. No matter how weak he was, he couldn¡¯t be killed in one move.


    Kuang Zhuo¡¯s injuries looked terrifying, but they were actually superficial wounds. Cultivator masters could recover from those wounds after meditating for an hour.


    However, the heat poison that the Nine Divine Sun Sword had left in his body was exactly the same as Kuang Hai¡¯s.


    No, the heat poison left in Kuang Zhuo¡¯s body was much more serious than Kuang Hai¡¯s. Even with a cultivator master¡¯s powerful recovery ability, it would probably take at least ten days to half a month to recover!


    n Liang sighed deeply, not knowing what to say.


    Both father and son hade to find trouble with Lin Shen, but in the end, they were both severely injured. How ironic.


    Raising his head, Han Liang looked at Lin Shen with aplicated expression and said, ¡°Lin Shen, Uncle Kuang has already been taught a lesson. The battle will end here. What do you think?¡±


    Lin Shen nced at Han Liang and waved his hand. ¡°Take him away.¡±


    He had no intention of killing Kuang Zhuo.


    Thetter was a cultivator master of the sect after all. Severely injuring him wasn¡¯t that big a deal. After all, Lin Shen was on the right. However, if he killed the Kuang Zhuo, there would be huge trouble in the future.


    After today¡¯s incident, Kuang Zhuo would no longer have the face to find trouble with Lin Shen again.


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Han Liang hurriedly helped Kuang Zhuo up and used the Riding Wind Technique to take him away.


    At this moment, Qu Ke and Shen Zening had yet to recover from their shock.


    The two of them stared at Lin Shen in a daze, their eyes filled with uncontroble amazement and shock.


    Lin Shen had only been in the Nine Yang Academy for about two years. Now that he had advanced to a cultivator master, not only did he set a record for the fastest advancement of a disciple in the academy, but he also set a record for the youngest cultivator master in the Nine Suns Sect!


    That wasn¡¯t all. Lin Shen had even forged a first-grade spirit meridian!


    Ever since Nine Suns Sect was established, no cultivator master had ever forged a first-grade spirit meridian!


    To be more precise, no one in the three major sects of Dragonside City had ever forged a first-grade spirit meridian!


    Lin Shen had undoubtedly set an unprecedented record in Dragonside City!


    He was Nine Suns Sect¡¯s first first-grade spirit meridian cultivator master!


    One could imagine when this news reached the sect, it would cause a hugemotion!


    At the thought of this, Qu Ke and Shen Zening felt conflicted.


    They worked so hard to cultivate and collect resources just to be cultivators masters with second-grade spirit meridians.


    Even so, the hope of achieving that goal wasn¡¯t high.


    However, not only did Lin Shen achieve the goal they were pursuing first, but he also far exceeded it!


    This made them see the difference between people.


    When he came back to his senses, Qu Ke looked at Lin Shen and smiled bitterly. ¡°Junior Brother Lin, you really gave us a big surprise!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you worry,¡± Lin Shen said casually.


    Qu Ke shook his head and didn¡¯t dwell on it.


    Initially, he wanted to remind Lin Shen to be careful of the Kuang family, but on second thought, Lin Shen was an unprecedented first-grade spirit meridian cultivator master!


    As long as the master-disciple lineage wasn¡¯t stupid, they would definitely protect Lin Shen with all their might and would never let the Kuang family touch him.


    Even the influential families might change their previous attitudes and rope Lin Shen in.


    The Kuang family couldn¡¯t do anything even if they wanted to retaliate.


    ¡°From now on, Junior Brother Lin will definitely have a bright future in the sect!¡± Qu Ke sighed.


    Shen Zening also felt the same way.


    If nothing went wrong, there was a 99% chance that a first-grade spirit meridian cultivator would achieve Reverse Elixir in the future!


    In the entire Nine Suns Sect, only the Sect Master was a Reverse Elixir cultivator master.


    Hearing their praise, Lin Shen only smiled faintly and didn¡¯t say anything else. After chatting for a while, he bade farewell and left.


    In the East District.


    After two months or so, nothing had changed here.


    Every part of the house was clean and tidy. It was obvious that someone often cleaned it.


    Most likely, it should be the work of Tang Yue and her friends.


    The entire ce was very quiet.


    Before entering the house, Lin Shen had already spread out his spiritual senses to check. Ai wasn¡¯t in the house, and he didn¡¯t know where she had gone.


    Lin Shen wasn¡¯t in a hurry to leave. He sat down in the living room and continued to study the precise use of spiritual essence. He waited patiently for Ai toe back.


    He waited until night fell.


    When the sky outside turned dark, Lin Shen sensed a familiar aura jumping in from the balcony. It pushed the door open and swiftly entered the house.


    It wasn¡¯t until she walked into the living room that Ai suddenly noticed the other person. She was shocked and subconsciously wanted to activate the illusion, but then she stopped and looked at the person on the sofa with surprise.


    H


    Lin Shen!¡±


    Ai cried out in surprise as she pounced on Lin Shen and rushed into his arms.


    ¡°When did you get back?¡±


    ¡°I just got back today.¡±


    Lin Shen smiled and stroked Ai¡¯s smooth fur.


    ¡°Where have you been?¡±


    The cat changed into a morefortable position and curled up on Lin Shen¡¯s knees, looking like she was enjoying herself.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been cultivating at the cat general¡¯s ce recently. He¡¯s teaching me how to pass the human tribtion as soon as possible!¡±


    The cat general?


    Lin Shen suddenly thought of the God Seeking Token in his storage ring.


    Ever since he broke through to the Bright Aperture Stage, he rarely used the cat general¡¯s God Seeking Token.


    Because the God Seeking Token could no longer keep up with his growth.


    Especially after advancing to a cultivator master!


    Even if all the restrictions on the cat general¡¯s God Seeking Token were removed, the cultivation level of the clone he summoned would at most be at the first level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage. Any one of Lin Shen¡¯s clones was much better than that.


    After cultivating the technique and converting the spiritual essence of the Five Elements, the difference in strength would increase further.


    The God Seeking Token was almost useless to him now.


    Thinking about how this token was one of his strongest trump cards a year ago, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    Even the cat general wouldn¡¯t have expected his strength to increase so quickly.


    He wondered if he could exchange the God Seeking Token for something more powerful if he returned it to the cat general now.


    H


    Lin Shen, why do I feel like something has changed in you?¡±


    Ai suddenly looked up at him, a hint of confusion in her eyes.


    She was very sensitive to spiritual essence fluctuations. She didn¡¯t notice it just now because she was too surprised to see Lin Shen, but now, she could clearly feel that the free spiritual essence in the surrounding air was slowly and continuously flowing into Lin Shen¡¯s body.


    After breaking through the cage, even if cultivator masters didn¡¯t meditate and cultivate, their bodies would automatically absorb the surrounding spiritual essence to improve their cultivation, albeit to a very small extent.


    Lin Shen smiled and didn¡¯t keep anything from her. ¡°1 just advanced to a cultivator master.¡±


    The cat was stunned. After a few seconds, she suddenly jumped up from Lin Shen¡¯s knee.


    ¡°What?


    ¡°You¡¯ve be a cultivator master?!


    ¡öI


    Ai widened her eyes and looked at Lin Shen in surprise. Then, as if she had woken up from a dream, she asked, ¡°What grade is your spirit meridian?¡±


    ¡°First grade.¡±


    108 spirit meridians were too shocking. Lin Shen couldn¡¯t exin the forging process, so he had long decided to go with first grade.


    Even so, these words still shocked Ai.


    As someone who was ignorant of the world, she knew what a first-grade spirit meridian meant. It was almost synonymous with a bright path in cultivation!


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome!¡±


    She looked at Lin Shen with sparkling eyes, her gaze filled with admiration.


    ¡°The general said that he had been in Dragonside City for so many years and had never seen anyone who could forge a first-grade spirit meridian. If he knew about this, he would definitely be shocked!¡±


    Lin Shen smiled without saying anything.


    The cat general had lived for tens of thousands of years. Even if he had never seen a first-grade spirit meridian in Dragonside City, he might have seen one somewhere else in East Sea Path.


    Suddenly, Lin Shen had a thought.


    The cat general should have many cultivation techniques or divine powers. Lin Shen wondered if he could get a few from him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll find a chance to talk to the cat general another day.¡±


    Lin Shen told Ai that he was probably going to be very busy.


    The cat understood, but she was a little reluctant for him to leave so soon.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t be long before I can bring you into the sect,¡± Lin Shenforted her.


    The cultivator masters of the sect could have a mansion of their own. When the time came, he could take Ai in.


    Hearing that, Ai¡¯s resentment turned into joy.


    H


    It¡¯s a deal!


    <li>I</li>


    Just as the man and cat were chatting, the news of Lin Shen returning from the Xuandu Meeting and advancing to a cultivator master with a first-grade spirit meridian had already spread throughout the entire Nine Suns Sect like a hurricane, quickly causing a huge storm..

 Chapter 317 - 317: Choose a Master (1)

    Chapter 317: Choose a Master (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    The Nine Suns Sect was misty and ethereal like a crimson Blessed Land.


    There were thousands of auspicious clouds in the hall, and a clear aura lingered. There were three people sitting on the jade tform.


    Everyone¡¯s appearances were blurry. They were like light and shadow and were real and illusory at the same time. With one look, one could tell that they were all clones.


    Huo Enrong, who was sitting in the middle, swept his gaze across the other two and said in a deep voice, ¡°Fellow Daoist Li, Fellow Daoist Yu, 1 believe the two of you have already heard about Lin Shen.¡±


    Master Li, who was on the left, nodded slightly and said with a smile, ¡°Of course. The Nine Suns Sect¡¯s first cultivator master to attain a first-grade spirit meridian has already spread like wildfire throughout the entire sect. How could 1 not know?¡±


    Master Yu, who was on the right, also nodded slightly.


    Huo Enrong pondered and said, ¡°He became a cultivator master with a first-grade spirit meridian. Even our Sect Master did achieve that back then. More importantly, this child has no background and relied on himself to get where he is now. Be it his aptitude or temperament, it¡¯s really breathtaking!


    ¡°This child has a bright future ahead of him, and he has long established a rtionship with the master-disciple lineage. In my opinion, it¡¯s best to take him in as soon as possible. What do you guys think?¡±


    Master Li stroked his beard and smiled. ¡°Very good. The Three Sect Competition will be held soon. If our lineage can have another genius, we can add another person to the quota.¡±


    ¡°I have no objections either,¡± Master Yu said slowly.


    The voice was unexpectedly melodious, like the sound of a mountain spring. Master Yu was a female cultivator.


    Seeing that neither of them had any objections, Huo Enrong smiled and said unhurriedly,


    ¡°In that case, one of us will take Lin Shen as a disciple.¡±


    Master Li was about to speak when Master Yu said,


    ¡°1¡¯11 take Lin Shen in as my disciple.¡±


    As soon as she said this, Huo Enrong and Master Li looked surprised.


    Although Master Yu was one of the three hall masters of the master-disciple lineage, she was usually engrossed in cultivation and rarely cared about external matters. Even if she came to participate in the meeting like this, she rarely spoke about the sect¡¯s matters. Usually, it was the two of them who discussed and made decisions.


    This was the first time she had taken the initiative to take over a task.


    However, on second thought, Huo Enrong and Master Li were relieved.


    After all, Lin Shen was a cultivation genius with a first-grade spirit meridian and had a bright future. It wasn¡¯t surprising that Master Yu was tempted.


    Both Huo Enrong and Master Li had many disciples. On the other hand, Master Yu only had one core disciple under her.


    It was rare for her to make that offer, so Huo Enrong and Headmaster Li couldn¡¯tpete with her.


    The two of them looked at each other and agreed after some thought.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll leave him to Fellow Daoist Yu!¡±


    After staying in the East District for two days, Lin Shen bade farewell to Ai and returned to the Nine Yang Academy.


    As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, he saw a paper crane flying toward him.


    Lin Shen reached out to take it and unfolded it. It was a letter from Si Yuanpei, asking him to meet him as soon as he returned to the academy.


    ¡°Speaking of which, once a disciple of an academy advances to a cultivator master, they will automatically graduate from the academy.¡±


    Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    He had only been in the academy for about two years. Most of his time was spent outside training or in seclusion. He had spent less than one-fifth of his time in the academy.


    Even he didn¡¯t expect to be a cultivator master so quickly.


    However, Lin Shen quicklyposed himself.


    Looking back in the future, the Nine Yang Academy would only be one of the countless footholds he had climbed in his cultivation journey. There was no need to linger.


    When he arrived at the courtyard where Master Si lived, Xie Jingsheng was already waiting at the door.


    When he saw Lin Shen, he immediately smiled.


    ¡°Se¡­ Jun¡­ Master Lin¡­¡±


    Seeing that Xie Jingsheng didn¡¯t know how to address him, Lin Shen smiled and said, ¡°Senior Brother, just call me as before.¡±


    Xie Jingsheng smiled awkwardly. ¡°Junior Brother Lin!¡±


    As he spoke, Xie Jingsheng sighed inwardly.


    A year ago, he first met Lin Shen when they were conquering the Tiger Tribe. At that time, Lin Shen was only a slightly famous disciple of the lower house.


    Who would have thought that in less than a year, Lin Shen had already be a cultivator master?


    It was so incredible! He almost thought he was dreaming.


    Xie Jingsheng had not even reached the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage, let alone condensing a spirit meridian.


    Thinking of this, Xie Jingsheng couldn¡¯t help but feel conflicted.


    Fortunately, he quicklyposed himself and turned around to lead the way.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Junior Brother Lin. Master is waiting for you inside!¡±


    The two of them walked side by side.


    It was the same ssical and quiet tea room.


    Xie Jingsheng walked Lin Shen to the door of the tea room and turned to leave.


    Lin Shen pushed the door open and entered.


    Theyout of the tea room was still abnormally simple. Apart from a table and two futons, there was nothing else.


    Si Yuanpei sat behind the table opposite the door.


    Unlike before, when he saw Lin Shen this time, he no longer sat down peacefully. Instead, he stood up and bowed.


    ¡°Greetings, Fellow Daoist Lin.¡±


    Lin Shen was slightly stunned and returned the greeting with a strange expression.


    This slight change in expression didn¡¯t escape Si Yuanpei¡¯s eyes. He smiled faintly and said:


    ¡°Bing a cultivator master means that you¡¯re one of us. We¡¯re both Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivators, so we should get along as equals in the future.¡± There was a pause, then he said something else.


    ¡°As for how you and Jingsheng should address each other in private, that¡¯s up to you.¡±


    It was obvious that he had heard Lin Shen and Xie Jingsheng¡¯s conversation outside.


    Lin Shen nodded thoughtfully.


    Cultivator masters were the backbone of a sect.


    Being promoted to cultivator master meant that he had already left the ranks of ordinary disciples and was starting to step into the ranks of the upper echelons..

 Chapter 318 - 318: Choose a Master (2)

    Chapter 318: Choose a Master (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Even Si Yuanpei, the head of the academy, had to treat Lin Shen as an equal now.


    This was the status of a cultivator master!


    Once one got out of the cage, they would have the rights and status that ordinary people could only dream of!


    After Lin Shen sat down, Si Yuanpei waved his sleeve across the coffee table, and there was instantly an exquisite tea set on the table.


    Si Yuanpei then flicked his finger, and a golden bean fell to the side. It turned into a child with red lips and perfect teeth. He knelt obediently at the side and began to make tea.


    Soon, the tea room was filled with the faint fragrance of tea.


    ng.


    A cup of tea was gently ced in front of Lin Shen. The tender leaves in the cup were fragrant and refreshing.


    ¡°This is the best Cloud Dragon Tea. Try it.¡±


    Lin Shen picked up the teacup and took a sip. He felt that the spiritual essence was clear and moisturizing, and the fragrance lingered in his mouth. He nodded involuntarily and thought to himself that it was good tea.


    Once the tea was served, Si Yuanpei finally got down to business.


    ¡°Fellow Daoist Lin, what¡¯s the grade of the spirit meridian you¡¯ve forged?¡±


    ¡°First grade,¡± Lin Shen said as he put down his teacup.


    Si Yuanpei nodded slightly and said in a low voice, ¡°A first-grade spirit meridian is very important, so Fellow Daoist Lin, don¡¯t mind me asking too much.¡±


    Seeing Lin Shen smile and shake his head, he continued,


    ¡°ording to the academy¡¯s rules, disciples who be cultivator masters will automatically graduate from the academy and be bestowed the status of a true disciple. Hence, from today onwards, Fellow Daoist Lin will be a true disciple of the sect!¡±


    Lin Shen took another sip of tea and didn¡¯t reply.


    These were all things that should be done. The truly important things were still toe.


    As expected, Si Yuanpei went on, but this time, his tone was more solemn.


    ¡°ording to the sect¡¯s rules, a true disciple will usually be the direct disciple of an Elder to learn the most important knowledge or join a certain courtyard pavilion to take on the position of a deacon.¡±


    What Si Yuanpei was talking about were the two mostmon career paths for Nine Suns Sect disciples who advanced to cultivator masters.


    The first choice was to find a master.


    Those who could embark on this path were either disciples of influential families or had elders of the same n or those close to the influential families as Elders. As long as they advanced to a cultivator master, they would naturally have channels to acknowledge a master and learn all the important knowledge from that master.


    Either that, or the person was amoner with the outstanding aptitude and was admired and valued by an Elder, who would take that person in as a disciple.


    This was also the origin of the master-disciple faction!


    Only cultivators without background or outstanding aptitude would choose the second path.


    Such people usually had mediocre aptitude and wasted decades in the sect before being lucky enough to advance to a cultivator master. However, their spirit meridians were inferior, and they were already old. Their future was almost cut off. Even if they wanted to acknowledge a master, no one would ept them. They could only take on the position of a deacon in the courtyard pavilion to spend theirter years in peace.


    ¡°No one in the sect has ever forged a first-grade spirit meridian before. Your matter caused quite amotion in the entire sect. Many Elders expressed their intention to take you in as a disciple, but after Elder Zhao and Master Yu took action, they all backed off,¡± Si Yuanpei said slowly.


    ¡°Who are they?¡± Lin Shen looked puzzled.


    In fact, he didn¡¯t know much about many of the higher-ups in the sect.


    Si Yuanpei also knew this and exined patiently.


    ¡°Zhao Quan, the head of the Zhao family, one of the three great sects. He¡¯s a ninth-level Mystic Light Stage cultivator master and one of the most promising cultivators in the sect to reach the Reverse Elixir Stage. Speaking of which, his daughter is in the same year as you. She¡¯s Zhao Xueying. You probably know her.¡±


    Zhao Xueying¡¯s father!


    Lin Shen was slightly surprised. He didn¡¯t expect that the influential families would also extend an olive branch to him, and it was one of the three famous families, the Zhao family.


    Si Yuanpei wasn¡¯t surprised at all.


    The potential disyed by Lin Shen was too shocking!


    No one in the right mind would let go of the opportunity to rope in Lin Shen.


    Moreover, the candidates they rmended were also very particr.


    Not only was Zhao Quan a ninth-level Mystic Light Stage expert but it was also said that his daughter, Zhao Xueying, had a good rtionship with Lin Shen.


    If he epted Lin Shen as his disciple and things went smoothly in the future, he might even turn this disciple into a son-inw one day.


    Using marriage alliances to keep talents in the family had always been the specialty of influential families!


    After taking a sip of tea and waiting for Lin Shen to digest this news, Si Yuanpei continued,


    ¡°Master Yu Siyu is a ninth-level Mystic Light Stage cultivator. She¡¯s also one of the cultivators with the highest chance of reaching the Reverse Elixir Stage in the sect. At the same time, she¡¯s also the head of the Alchemy and Tool Hall.


    ¡°Master Yu rarely takes in disciples. In all these years, she has only taken in two. This time, she took the initiative to make that offer. That¡¯s enough proof of your outstanding talent!¡±


    At this point, even Si Yuanpei, who had an indifferent disposition, couldn¡¯t help but sigh with emotions.


    If an ordinary core disciple wanted to be a master teacher, they had to spend a lot of effort and pull a lot of strings to do that.


    Lin Shen hadn¡¯t made any requests yet, but arge number of Elders had already jumped out to take him in as a disciple.


    Among them were even mighty figures like Elder Zhao and Master Yu!


    Neither of them had taken in direct disciples for years.


    ¡°Elder Zhao and Master Yu are both top experts in the sect. Their cultivation levels are profound. No matter which one you choose, it¡¯ll be very beneficial to your future growth. Why don¡¯t you consider it carefully?¡±


    Although Si Yuanpei belonged to the master-disciple lineage, he remained rtively objective. He didn¡¯t take the opportunity to belittle the power of the influential families and elevate the master-disciple lineage.


    He disdained to do so.


    Lin Shen fell into deep thought.


    Actually, he didn¡¯t mind who his master was.


    To him, acknowledging a master was just to make it easier for him to obtain cultivation techniques.


    Therefore, it didn¡¯t seem to make any difference to him whomever he followed.


    Even though he seemed to be at odds with the influential families, the only ones who had a grudge against him were the Yan and Kuang families.


    The former had already been cleaned up, while thetter was just a preeminent family. They were far from representing the power of the influential families.


    If he really wanted to acknowledge Zhao Quan as his master and be a part of the influential families, the other influential families would probably be the first to object if the Kuang family wanted to take revenge on him!


    Of course, Master Yu sounded like a good idea too.


    ¡°On one side are the influential families, and on the other side is the master-disciple lineage. Rather than calling it discipleship, it¡¯s more like choosing a faction.¡±


    Lin Shen shook his head.


    Unless he didn¡¯t want to obtain a stronger cultivation technique and was willing to slow down his cultivation speed, it was inevitable that he would choose a side.


    After thinking for a moment, Lin Shen had an idea and asked,


    ¡°Master Si, which one of them is good at flying sword techniques?¡±


    Si Yuanpei was stunned. He didn¡¯t expect Lin Shen to ask such a question.


    After regaining his senses, he gave Lin Shen a long look.


    ¡°You want to be a sword cultivator?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m interested.¡±


    Si Yuanpei nodded and didn¡¯t ask further. He said, ¡°Master Yu is famous for her powerful sword techniques. Her two disciples were also famous sword cultivators among the younger generation.¡±


    Lin Shen no longer hesitated and immediately made a decision.


    ¡°I choose Master Yu!¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go. 1¡¯11 bring you to Master Yu now!¡±


    Master Si stood up and walked out of the tea room.


    Although he wouldn¡¯t belittle influential families, he wasn¡¯t a pedantic person. Seeing that Lin Shen had already made his choice, he immediately decided to settle the matter as soon as possible to prevent any unnecessary trouble.


    Just like the Nine Yang Academy, the Nine Suns Sect¡¯s mountain gate was also located in an alternate space, or rather, a Blessed Land.


    The location was somewhere in the sky above the center of Dragonside City.


    When Si Yuanpei used the token to open the entrance and a crack appeared in the sky, Lin Shen immediately felt an abundance of spiritual essence leaking out. The density far exceeded that of Nine Yang Academy and Xuandu Mountain.


    ¡°As expected of a Blessed Land-level Cave Abode!¡± Lin Shen sighed inwardly.


    ¡°A true disciple is already qualified to obtain an exclusive cultivation Cave Abode in the sect. After you acknowledge Master Yu as your master, you can go to the merit courtyard to choose a cultivation Cave Abode,¡± Si Yuanpei said casually.


    Lin Shen¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    The Nine Suns Sect¡¯s mountain gate was a Blessed Land. The Cave Abode that was opened up was at least at the Essence Prefecture level.


    Even if it couldn¡¯t bepared to the ce with the richest spiritual essence in the Nine Yang Academy, it was almost there.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Si Yuanpei flew into the entrance first.


    Lin Shen came back to his senses and followed without hesitation.


    After a sh, Lin Shen looked over again and realized that the scenery in front of him had already changed drastically..

 Chapter 319 - 319: Beautiful Master (1)

    Chapter 319: Beautiful Master (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    What greeted his eyes was a majestic pce suspended in midair.


    It was a cone-shaped pagoda and was extremely majestic. There were a total of nine levels, and each level was like a stage. The surrounding clouds floated around, and it felt like they had entered a paradise.


    ¡°This is the True Crossing Heaven Pce. This is an important ce for our sect. Not only is the sect master cultivating here, but many elders with profound cultivation have also lived in seclusion here!¡±


    Si Yuanpei pointed at the pce and flew into the distance.


    ¡°Come with me. Master Yu¡¯s Fallen Sword Peak isn¡¯t here.¡±


    Lin Shen looked around and realized that there were countless mountains and floating inds hidden in the surrounding clouds. They spread out for an unknown distance and seemed to have no end.


    After calming himself down, he quickly followed Si Yuanpei.


    The two of them soon arrived at a spiritual peak.


    From afar, the spiritual peak looked like a sword de that was half inserted into the clouds and pointed toward the sky. It was clearly a dead object, but it gave off an iparably sharp aura!


    That was probably where the Fallen Sword Peak got its name.


    ¡°This is where Master Yu is cultivating,¡± Si Yuanpei said.


    As a sign of respect for Master Yu, the two of them didn¡¯t fly up to the Fallen Sword Peak. Instead, theynded at the foot of the mountain and walked up.


    The mountain peak was wide, and there were high tforms on both sides of the mountain path. White jade stone steps that were 30m wide were built all the way from the bottom of the mountain to the peak. Spirit birds could be seen pecking at their feathers everywhere on the eaves.


    They walked all the way to the top of the mountain and only stopped when he arrived in front of a hall.


    Lin Shen looked up and saw the horizontal que of the Orchid Pavilion hanging at the front of the hall. The font had an unrestrained feeling to it. At a nce, he felt like he was about to fly.


    The two of them had just stopped in their tracks when a pleasant-looking female cultivator came up to them. She cupped her fists and said, ¡°Greetings. May I know why you¡¯re visiting the Fallen Sword Peak?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Si Yuanpei, the Nine Yang Academy¡¯s lower court¡¯s institute head, and Lin Shen, a true disciple, requests to see Master Yu!¡±


    Although Si Yuanpei didn¡¯t stay in the sect all the time, his reputation was quite resounding. The female cultivator was slightly shocked.


    However, when she heard the name Lin Shen, the surprise in her eyes intensified. She couldn¡¯t help but look at Lin Shen curiously.


    Everyone in the sect knew that the Nine Yang Academy had produced a first-grade spirit meridian cultivator master, and the name Lin Shen was widely known.


    The female cultivator had long heard that Master Yu had epted Lin Shen as his disciple. She knew that the young man was different from ordinary disciples, so she didn¡¯t dare to be negligent at all. She immediately led the two of them into the hall.


    ¡°Please wait here. I¡¯ll report to Master Yu now!¡±


    After saying that, the female cultivator was about to leave. However, just as she turned around, a deep and pleasant voice suddenly rang out in the hall.


    ¡°Show them in.¡±


    Lin Shen and Si Yuanpei also heard it.


    The two of them looked at each other and stood up. Led by the female cultivator, they walked deeper into the pavilion.


    After walking for a while, the sound of flowing water came from somewhere. It sounded as if silk was being peeled from a cocoon.


    Lin Shen looked up and realized that he was already in a hall. Countless clear springs fell from the top of the hall and rolled up in the air a meter above the ground, gathering together.


    The water was like the pattering of spring rain and a small stream hitting a stone. Soon, it gathered into a water mirror with a radius of a hundred meters. White lotus roots and pink lotuses rose from it and bloomed one after another. The white lotus petal at the top opened, revealing a slender female cultivator with thin eyebrows and cherry blossom lips.


    She had the smoothest skin and was as pretty as a picture. However, her eyes were cold and serious, and her aura was awe-inspiring. At a nce, no one dared to approach her.


    Seeing this, Si Yuanpei took a step forward and bowed.


    ¡°Greetings, Master Yu.¡±


    Yu Siyu moved her feet lightly and bowed to Si Yuanpei. ¡°Master Si, d to see you here.¡±


    After that, she pointed downward, and the lotus flower under her feet turned into a lotus tform.


    After sitting down, she looked at Lin Shen and stared at him for a while before nodding.


    ¡°Abundant spiritual opportunity. As expected of a first-grade spirit meridian.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your praise, Master Yu,¡± Lin Shen said calmly.


    Seeing that he was looking at her calmly, Yu Siyu admired his quality.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re here today, you must have already made your decision and are willing to acknowledge me as your master.¡±


    Lin Shen nodded matter-of-factly. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Yu Siyu smiled slightly. This smile was like the blooming of a thousand flowers, and nothing couldpare to that kind of beauty. Then, her smile faded, and she nodded lightly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like formalities and customs. There¡¯s no need for the apprenticeship ceremony. From now on, you¡¯re my third direct disciple.¡±


    Without another word, Lin Shen knelt down and bowed.


    ¡°Greetings, Master!¡±


    Si Yuanpei had been standing at the side without saying a word. It was only now that he smiled and spoke.


    ¡°Congrattions, Master Yu, for taking in such a good disciple!¡±


    If a disciple with a first-grade spirit meridian wasn¡¯t a good disciple, then what was?


    Knowing that the master and disciple had a lot to say, Si Yuanpei left after congratting them, leaving them to their own devices.


    ¡°I won¡¯t say anything else. Since you¡¯ve acknowledged me as your master, I¡¯ll treat you properly.¡±


    Yu Siyu waved her hand, and a bottle of pillsnded in front of Lin Shen.


    ¡°This is the Nine Cauldron Pill. It¡¯s most suitable for new cultivator masters. It has the effect of stabilizing their stage and increasing their cultivation.


    ¡°Also, you haven¡¯t converted your spiritual essence yet, have you? Have you thought of which of the Five Elements you want to pursue?¡±


    Lin Shen had already thought about it and answered without thinking,


    ¡°I want to cultivate a technique that has all five elements!¡±


    As calm as Yu Siyu, she couldn¡¯t help but be stunned when she heard this.


    All these years, she had never heard of anyone cultivating a technique that had all five elements..

 Chapter 320 - 320: Beautiful Master (2)

    Chapter 320: Beautiful Master (2)


    Trantor: yce Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions


    After all, the more elements a technique involved, the more difficult it would be to cultivate.


    There were already very few people who could sessfully cultivate a three-element technique, let alone a five-element one.


    If any other disciple made such a request, they would definitely be evaluated as ignorant.


    However, Lin Shen was the first first-leve spirit meridian disciple in the history of the Nine Suns Sect. His potential was huge, and Yu Siyu couldn¡¯t say for sure that he definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to cultivate all five elements.


    After thinking for a moment, she said carefully, ¡°It¡¯s extremely difficult to cultivate a five-element cultivation technique. Just reaching Beginner will be a huge obstacle. Are you sure you really want to cultivate such a technique?¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes lit up.


    From the sound of it, there was really a cultivation technique with all the Five Elements.


    He immediately said without hesitation, ¡°I¡¯ve already made up my mind!¡±


    Seeing Lin Shen¡¯s determined expression, Yu Siyu nodded and didn¡¯t say anything else.


    In any case, if he couldn¡¯t seed, he would at most waste a few months. If that happened, he would just switch to other cultivation techniques.


    Yu Siyu then waved her hand, and a green light shot our andnded in Lin Shen¡¯s palm. It was a jade slip.


    ¡°In it is a cultivation technique called the Supreme Secret Technique. It¡¯s a cultivation technique 1 obtained in an ancient ruin many years ago when I was traveling. After cultivating it sessfully, you can derive the spiritual essence of all Five Elements at will. It¡¯s extremely powerful and is a great technique that you can use until the Reverse Elixir Stage. It¡¯s unfathomably profound.


    ¡°The only w is that it¡¯s extremely difficult to cultivate. Not only is it difficult to reach Beginner, but it¡¯s even harder to advance!¡±


    Yu Siyu nced at Lin Shen, and her tone became more serious.


    ¡°Since Supreme Secret Technique is an al!-element cultivation technique, cultivating it means that when you break through to the Mystic Light Stage in the future, you<sup>r</sup>ll need to condense a total of five Mystic Light Seeds. The difficulty is at least five times that of ordinary cultivators.¡±¡®


    Lin Shen was unmoved.


    He might be worried about other things, but he would never worry about the difficulty of cultivation techniques.


    With his clones around, no matter how difficult it was, he could make it work.


    Moreover, the power of cultivation techniques had always been rted to the difficulty of cultivating them.


    The more difficult a cultivation technique was, rhe more powerful it would be after cultivating it!


    Compared to the difficulty of cultivating, he was more concerned about whether the cultivation technique was powerful enough!


    Seeing the change in Lin Shen¡¯s expression, Yu Siyu nodded to herself.


    Other things aside, his new disciple was very tenacious. He wasn¡¯t afraid of difficulties at all. Very good!


    ¡°Focus on cultivating rhe Supreme Secret Technique for the time being. When you sessfully reach Beginner and convert all your spiritual essence into Five Elements spiritual essence, I¡¯ll teach you new cultivation techniques.


    ¡°In addition, your Senior Sister is already wailing outside. Later, she¡¯ll bring you to the Merit Hall to choose a cultivation Cave Abode.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, Yu Siyu slowly disappeared into the lotus tform below.


    Lin Shen bowed to the lotus tform before turning to leave.


    On the way, he still felt he was in a daze.


    He suddenly had a master and obtained rhe cultivation technique he wanted. Everything happened so quickly that he almost couldn¡¯t believe it.


    Fortunately, this beautiful master looked quite gentle and treated her disciple well.


    While he was thinking, Lin Shen had already returned to the outside of the hall and saw an attractive woman.


    The woman looked to be in herte 20s. She had gentle eyes and was beautiful. She was wearing a long white dress that fluttered in the wind. Her hair was tied into a top bun, and she had a narrow waist and long legs. Anyone who saw her would secretly praise her as a peerless beauty.


    Sensing Lin Shen¡¯s arrival, the woman turned to look at him. She sized him up and nodded in satisfaction.


    ¡°You must be Master¡¯s new disciple. Although you¡¯re young, you still look mature enough. You¡¯re much better than my useless subordinates!¡±


    The way the woman spoke was in stark contrast to her gentle appearance.


    Lin Shen could nor help but be stunned.


    Lt was almost shocking to hear such words from a gentle beauty.


    However, the woman didn¡¯t notice anything. She walked to Lin Shen¡¯s side and patted his shoulder heavily. She smiled brightly and said,


    ¡°Master should have told you that I¡¯m your Senior Sister, Xia Mengran. I¡¯ll protect you in the future. If anyone dares to bully you, just tell me. I¡¯ll help you beat them up!¡±


    H II


    Lin Shen was stunned by this Senior Sister¡¯s ¡°unconcerned¡± behavior and didn¡¯t know how to react for a moment.


    Suddenly, he came to a realization.


    Why did Xia Mengran s name sound so familiar?


    Soon, Lin Shen thought of something and asked tentatively, ¡°Senior Sister, are you working in the Martial Enforcement Hall?<sup>1</sup>¡®


    Xia Mengran gasped and looked at him in surprise.


    ¡°Junior Brother, you¡¯ve heard of my name? That¡¯s right. I¡¯m now the Hall Master of the Martial Execution Hall, but I¡¯m going to step down soon. If it weren¡¯t for my merits, I wouldn¡¯t have bothered with that trash. They can¡¯t even do small things well. They only know how to talk nonsense! ¡±


    Lin Shen was both surprised and enlightened.


    He didn¡¯t expect his Senior Sister to be the Hall Master of rhe Martial Execution Hall.


    The Hall Master of the Martial Execution Hall was one of the most popr positions in the Three Sect Prefecture!


    If one wanted to be the Hall Master, one had to be very capable!


    It was impossible for anyone other than the leading figures of the younger generation of the three great sects to be the Hall Master of the Martial Enforcement Hall!


    No wonder Si Yuanpei said that Master Yu s two disciples were both famous sword cultivators in the sect. Lt seemed that he wasn¡¯t lying at all.


    Afterining for a while, Xia Mengran finally remembered something important. She reached out and pointed. The surrounding white clouds immediately gathered at her and Lin Shen¡¯s feet.


    The two of them were instantly lifted up into the clouds like they had wings.


    Gathering spiritual essence into clouds and riding the clouds was a flying technique that only cultivator masters at the Spirit Nurturing Stage could use after transforming the spiritual essence to the Five Elements.


    ¡°Junior Brother, let¡¯s go to the Merit Hall first and choose a cultivation Cave Abode for you.¡±


    On the way, Xia Mengran told Lin Shen about the cultivation Cave Abode.


    ording to the rules of the Nine Suns Sect, every core disciple could obtain a cultivation Cave Abode and live inside.


    However, not every core disciple could obtain the cultivation Cave Abode they wanted.


    The Blessed Land where the Nine Suns Sect was located upied a vast area. There were countless spiritual peaks and inds, but most of them had uses. Only a portion of them were opened as cultivation Cave Abodes.


    Most of them were the secluded cultivation ces of many Elders and Deacons.


    Not many could be assigned to true disciples.


    Of course, this referred to an Essence Prefecture-level Cave Abode.


    If one didn¡¯t mind the level of the Cave Abode and could ept a Teaching Room or Profound Cottage. There were many of them in the Blessed Land.


    However, the gap between the Teaching Room, Profound Cottage and the Essence Prefecture was huge. No true disciple was willing to endure it.


    Therefore, every time it was time to choose a cultivation Cave Abode, it was time for the true disciples topete in terms of their connections.


    A true disciple with enough connections could easily obtain the cultivation Cave Abode he wanted.


    Those without any background or connections could only wait in line obediently.


    When a Cave Abode was emptied one day and no one needed it, it would be possible for them to get one.


    ¡°Unless you have the power to suppress the entire sect, no matter where you go, you¡¯ll have to rely on your connections.<sup>11</sup>


    Lin Shen secretly made up his mind. One day, he would definitely grow to a point where he didn¡¯t need to rely on any connections or background. Just his own strength was enough to make others fear him!


    Before long, a wide floating ind came into view.


    Pavilions were everywhere on the ind, and there were rows of peopleing and going. Many disciples rode spiritual beasts back and forth between the buildings. It was very lively.


    ¡°The Merit Hall is a ce where merit points are exchanged for resources. It¡¯s simr to the Merit Hall of the Nine Yang Academy. You¡¯ll be more or less familiar with it aftering here a few times.¡±


    Xia Mengran exined as she controlled the clouds to descend.


    The disciples saw them from afar and respectfully avoided them.


    Riding the clouds was an immortal technique that only cultivator masters had. These disciples consciously maintained respect for high and mighty cultivator masters.


    Xia Mengran didn¡¯t even look at these ordinary disciples as she led Lin Shen straight into a building.


    Seeing that a cultivator master had arrived, the young cultivator on duty bowed and immediately went in to report. Not long after, a thin middle-aged cultivator walked out.


    When he saw Xia Mengran, he was shocked. He quickly walked forward with a fawning smile.


    ¡°Hall Master Xia, what brings you here?¡±

 Chapter 321 - 321: Tricks (1)

    Chapter 321: Tricks (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    The deacons of the Merit Hall actually didn¡¯t have high cultivation levels.


    Because they had to deal with various exchange matters and entertain disciples, there were many daily matters. Therefore, cultivators with profound cultivation levels weren¡¯t interested in this job.


    Those who coulde here to manage things were usually cultivators who no longer had high hopes of advancing in the path of cultivation.


    The middle-aged cultivator was an example.


    Facing ordinary inner sect disciples, he was high and mighty. There was no need for him to show any respect to those people.


    However, not only was Xia Mengran a cultivator whose cultivation level far exceeded his, but she also had a bright future. With her connection with Master Yu, she was far from someone a mere deacon could afford to offend. Therefore, the middle-aged man didn¡¯t dare to be negligent at all.


    Xia Mengran waved her hand impatiently and said, ¡°Stop being so polite. This is my master¡¯s new disciple. I brought him here to choose a cultivation Cave Abode. Hurry up and take out the map!¡±


    The middle-aged man was clearly very familiar with Xia Mengran¡¯s personality. He didn¡¯t mind her attitude and hurriedly called for someone to bring the map over.


    Not long after, a teenager on duty brought the map over.


    Without waiting for the teenager to hand over the map, Xia Mengran snatched it over and unfolded it.


    A momentter, she frowned and said unhappily, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are there only four Essence Prefecture Cave Abodes, and they¡¯re the ones with the worst geographical locations?¡±


    The middle-aged man smiled bitterly and cupped his hands. ¡°Hall Master Xia, the Essence Prefecture-level Cave Abodes has always been in short supply. No matter how bad the geographical location is, many people are fighting for it. Four is already a lot.¡±


    Xia Mengran didn¡¯t buy it at all and sneered.


    ¡°You can use these words to fool ordinary disciples, but you¡¯re still far from fooling me!


    ¡°Chu Jihe, that¡¯s all I have to say. Don¡¯t y any tricks on me. Hurry up and take out all the really good Cave Abodes. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for tearing down your pavilion!¡±


    Chu Jihe¡¯s face was almost scrunched up as he looked at Lin Shen for help.


    Lin Shen looked down and pretended not to see anything.


    Seeing that he really couldn¡¯t fool her, Chu Jihe could only grit his teeth and take out a roll of parchment from his sleeve and handed it to Xia Mengran.


    Xia Mengran took a look at it, and her expression finally eased a little. She then handed the parchment to Lin Shen.


    ¡°Junior Brother, take a look. Although Goldstream Isle is located in a remote area, it¡¯s a wonderful ce to cultivate. The water and metal spiritual essence on the ind are abundant, and it¡¯s suitable for cultivating the two elements. It¡¯s almost as good as the cave abodes where the elders cultivate.¡±


    At this point, Xia Mengran nced sideways at Chu Jihe and snorted.


    ¡°At least you know what¡¯s good for you and don¡¯t use that trash to fool us!¡±


    Chu Jihe smiled bitterly.


    Even if an Essence Prefecture-level Cave Abode had a bad location and a little less spiritual opportunity, it shouldn¡¯t be called trash, right?


    If it was an ordinary cultivator master, they would wake upughing in their dreams if they could obtain such a Cave Abode.


    Indeed, Goldstream Isle was a good Blessed Land for cultivation.


    Among all the Essence Prefecture-level Cave Abodes, Goldstream Isle¡¯s spiritual opportunity was definitely in the top ten. Moreover, the ind was filled with metal and water spiritual essence. It was a Blessed Land for cultivators who cultivated metal and water element techniques.


    However, it was also because of this that many people had their eyes on Goldstream Isle.


    In fact, this Cave Abode had already been reserved. If Chu Jihe didn¡¯t know that Xia Mengran would keep her word and was afraid that she would really tear down the pavilion, he wouldn¡¯t have taken out Goldstream Isle.


    After some hesitation, Chu Jihe couldn¡¯t help but say,


    ¡°Hall Master Xia, Shan Wenqi of the Shan Family already booked Goldstream Isle three days ago. If you take Goldstream Isle away, 1 won¡¯t be able to answer to Fellow Daoist Shan!¡±


    ¡°Shan Wenqi?¡± Xia Mengran frowned slightly and quickly recalled. ¡°Didn¡¯t he advance to a cultivator master two years ago? ording to the time, he should have already chosen a Cave Abode to cultivate. Why did he want Goldstream Isle?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Chu Jihe¡¯s eyes flickered.


    Xia Mengran had seen many simr things in the Martial Enforcement Hall. Seeing this, how could she not understand? A cold smile appeared on her lips.


    ¡°The sect stiptes that every true disciple can only have one Cave Abode. Moreover, once it¡¯s chosen, it¡¯s forbidden to change again without the sect¡¯s permission. Chu Jihe, you dare to collude with Shan Wenqi to a secret scheme. Do you what to have a taste of the punishment in my hall?¡±


    Chu Jihe immediately broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly said, ¡°Hall A/Iaster Xia, 1 had no choice. I can¡¯t afford to offend the Shan Family!¡±


    After the Yan family was exterminated, the Shan family rose to prominence and reced the Yan family to be one of the famous forces. Now, they were in the limelight. How could a small deacon like him dare to provoke them?


    Xia Mengran actually knew this. Chu Jihe didn¡¯t dare to provoke the Shan family, so she wasn¡¯t afraid.


    ¡°In short, Goldstream Isle will be given to my junior brother. If Shan Wenqi is dissatisfied, tell him toe to me. 1¡¯11 convince him personally!¡±


    Was she trying to convince him with her fists?


    Chu Jihe cursed inwardly.


    ¡°Everyone in the Nine Suns Sect knows that you¡¯re not to be trifled with! Shan Wenqi has to be an idiot toe to you. If he does that, not only won¡¯t he have Goldstream Isle, but he¡¯ll also be beaten up for nothing!¡±


    Everyone knew that Xia Mengran was a sword cultivator and had cultivated one of the eight divine powers of the Nine Suns Sect, the Divine Seal Spirit. Herbat strength was extraordinary, and she was known to be invincible below the Mystic Light Stage.


    Shan Wenqi was indeed strong, but against a cultivator master like Xia Mengran, there was no doubt that he could only be beaten up!


    Still¡­


    Chu Jihe nced at Lin Shen.


    ¡°Shan Wenqi won¡¯t dare to find trouble with Hall Master Xia, but this Junior


    Brother is a different story..¡±

 Chapter 322 - 322: Tricks (2)

    Chapter 322: Tricks (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    ¡°As a senior, it wouldn¡¯t be good for you, a hall master, to interfere in the battle between the juniors, right?¡±


    Seeing Chu Jihe¡¯s reaction, Xia Mengran knew what he was thinking. However, she didn¡¯t care at all and only stretched out her hand.


    ¡°Give me the token!¡±


    Chu Jihe reached into his sleeve with a bitter expression and took out a token that was neither metal nor wood. He handed it to her.


    After taking the take, Xia Mengran left the pavilion with Lin Shen without looking back.


    Once out of the pavilion, Xia Mengran handed the token to Lin Shen and told him about the Shan Family¡¯s rise to a famous family. Then, she said,


    ¡°The Shan Family has been in the limelight recently, and even their nsmen have acted arrogantly. You took Goldstream Isle from Shan Wenqi, so he definitely won¡¯t let it drop. You won¡¯t me me for causing trouble for you, right?¡±


    Lin Shen smiled faintly and said, ¡°Only if I¡¯m willing to be mediocre. As long as


    1 want to cultivate, I can¡¯t help but fight for resources against other people. I¡¯ve long realized this!¡±


    ¡°Good! I was right about you!¡±


    Xia Mengran¡¯s gaze on Lin Shen became gentler.


    ¡°On the cultivation path, we can only advance forward and cut through the thorns. If we¡¯re afraid of everything, we should forget about cultivation, go back home, and get married!¡±


    Lin Shen was caught betweenughter and tears.


    His Senior Sister was as straightforward as always.


    Suddenly, Lin Shen thought of something and asked curiously, ¡°Senior Sister, I heard that Master has another disciple. I wonder where she is now?¡±


    Xia Mengran¡¯s expression changed slightly. After a moment of silence, she slowly said, ¡°Have you heard of the name Su Liuying?¡±


    Of course, he had heard of it!


    Lin Shen looked stunned.


    Was the traitor of the sect his senior sister?


    ¡°Master only has you and me as her disciples now!¡±


    Xia Mengran said vaguely and didn¡¯t say anything else. She gathered her energy into a cloud and flew toward Goldstream Isle with Lin Shen.


    The matter of Su Liuying¡¯s betrayal had already be taboo in the sect.


    Seeing that Xia Mengran didn¡¯t want to say anything more, Lin Shen tactfully didn¡¯t ask further.


    Not long after, the two of them arrived above an ind.


    ¡°Junior Brother Lin, that¡¯s Goldstream Isle!¡± Xia Mengran pointed down.


    Before Lin Shen could take a closer look, he felt an extremely dense spiritual essenceing at him, mixed with traces of water and metal energy.


    When he focused his gaze again, he saw ancient trees towering into the sky on the ind. Spiritual birds and beasts chased after one another. It was a scene of exuberant vitality!


    ¡°When I¡¯m in the sect, I usually cultivate in seclusion at the Fallen Sword Peak. If you encounter anything difficult, you cane to the Fallen Sword Peak to see me!¡±


    After exchanging a few words with Lin Shen, Xia Mengran left in a hurry.


    Watching Xia Mengran leave, Lin Shen smiled.


    Although this senior sister was a little rough, she treated him very well.


    It seemed that having fewer disciples had its benefits. At the very least, they had a harmonious rtionship.


    After calming himself down, Lin Shennded on the ind.


    Goldstream Isle had an abundance of water. Two rivers ran through the entire ind, and water vapor filled the air. This was where the abundant water spiritual essence came from.


    As for the metal spiritual essence, Lin Shen guessed that it shoulde from the baleful vein underground.


    The Cave Abode was built in the center of the ind. It was a vast ce. Although the decorations were simple, they had an ancient elegance to them.


    Lin Shen was also happy to make things simpler. This ce was just what he wanted.


    As a true disciple who upied a Cave Abode, ording to the rules, he could request the sect to send maidservants or strongmen to the ind to serve him.


    However, after thinking about it, Lin Shen gave up on this idea.


    With more people, there woulde more trouble. He had a lot of secrets. It was better to be careful.


    Having no servants wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    Taking out the Cave Abode talisman, Lin Shen made a hand seal. In an instant, the restrictions on the ind were activated, isting the entire Goldstream Isle from the outside world. Even if a Mystic Light Stage cultivator master attacked, it would take a few days to break through the restrictions.


    After making preparations, Lin Shen sat down cross-legged and took out the jade slip for the Supreme Secret Technique to read.


    In just a short moment, he had already memorized the incantation of the Supreme Secret Technique. Then, he put away the jade slip and began toprehend it with his seven clones.


    Ten days passed.


    At a certain moment, Lin Shen, who was sitting quietly, suddenly trembled slightly. The spiritual essence around him surged rapidly in an instant and quickly entered his body. It moved back and forth in his meridians, washing away the attributeless spiritual essence floating in his chest aperture.


    After an unknown period of time, Lin Shen¡¯s chest aperture suddenly shook. He focused his mind and looked inside. He saw a mouthful of clear spiritual energy flowing back and forth in his body.


    ¡°It¡¯s done!¡±


    Lin Shen suddenly opened his eyes, a look of surprise on his face.


    The conversion of the first mouthful of Five Elements spiritual essence was the most difficult, but once it was sessful, he would be able to use it to convert more, and it wouldn¡¯t be asplicated as before.


    ¡°All I need to do now is to convert the remaining spiritual essence!¡±


    Lin Shen perked up and continued the process.


    With the help of his clones, things became much easier.


    Two dayster, the 108 spiritual essences in Lin Shen¡¯s body had all been converted into Supreme Mystery spiritual essence!


    ¡°This way, I can be considered a true Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master!¡±


    Sitting cross-legged in the quiet room, Lin Shen was filled with joy. He pondered for a moment and suddenly released a mouthful of spiritual essence.


    The clear Supreme Mystery spiritual essence surrounded his palm, and with a thought, it was covered with a metallic sheen. A sharp aura shot out like a sharp sword, and a nging sound seemed to ring in the air.


    In the next moment, the metallic color faded, and the spiritual essence turned yellow.


    The sharp aura around him was also reced by a heavy aura that felt like a mountain.


    After that, the spiritual essence became as flexible as water, as scorching as fire, and as surging as vitality¡­ The spiritual essence evolved into the Five Elements one after another, and the transformation was extremely smooth!


    ¡°How impressive!¡±


    Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but feel amazed.


    The Five Elementsplemented and countered each other. No matter what individual element one cultivated, they would always encounter opponents that countered their element.


    However, the Supreme Secret Technique wasn¡¯t the same. The spiritual essence of the Five Elements could transform at will, and it was almost equivalent to having no weaknesses.


    When fighting an enemy, he could change his element ording to the enemy¡¯s spiritual essence. It was the most flexible way.


    In his excitement, Lin Shen simply stood up and went outside.


    He took a deep breath and stepped forward.


    Following his movement, countless fog clouds suddenly appeared out of thin air and gathered under his feet, coincidentally supporting the step he took.


    In the next moment, he seemed to have spread his wings and soared into the clouds!


    When he stood still again, he realized that he was standing on a cloud that covered the sky. He could look up at the sky and look down at the ind.


    He was riding clouds!


    After a while, Lin Shen returned to the Cave Abode reluctantly.


    ¡°Now that the Supreme Mystery spiritual essence isplete, I can start practicing my cultivation techniques!¡±


    The Supreme Mysterious spiritual essence could derive the spiritual essence of all Five Elements at will, which meant that Lin Shen could cultivate all cultivation techniques out there.


    ording to Yu Siyu¡¯s previous instructions, after reaching Beginner in the Supreme Secret Technique, Lin Shen could go to her to learn cultivation techniques and divine powers.


    However, after some thought, Lin Shen decided to cultivate the Golden Wheel Lightning Tome and the Nether Yin Heavy Water first.


    Although both techniques came from the demon race, the Nine Suns Sect didn¡¯t explicitly forbid disciples from cultivating such techniques.


    As long as it wasn¡¯t an evil cultivation technique like sacrificing other people¡¯s life, the Nine Suns Sect wouldn¡¯t object.


    ¡°The Golden Wheel Lightning Tome requires both metal and water spiritual essence, while the Nether Yin Heavy Water requires water spiritual essence. The environment of Goldstream Isle is just right. Cultivating on this ind will yield twice the results with half the effort!¡±


    Lin Shen smiled and took out the jade slips of the Golden Wheel Lightning Tome and the Nether Yin Heavy Water. He threw them to his clones for them to startprehending.


    As for himself, he took out the Nine Cauldron Pill and continued cultivating the Supreme Secret Technique.


    Thest clone¡¯s talent had yet to be decided, but Lin Shen wasn¡¯t in a hurry. He made up his mind to obtain a top-notch spirit body talent.


    After taking the Nine Cauldron Pill, Lin Shen calmed down and began to cultivate.


    At the Spirit Nurturing Stage, what cultivator masters needed to do was to continuously condense and refine their spiritual essence to increase its strength.


    When the spiritual essence was strong enough, he could start to condense the seed of Mystic Light and break through to the Mystic Light Stage.


    This process was extremely long and arduous.


    However, with so many clones around, Lin Shen was confident that he would be able to break through to the Mystic Light Stage in a few years at most!

 Chapter 323 - 323: Innate Spirit Body (1)

    Chapter 323: Innate Spirit Body (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    The Blessed Land.


    A corner of it cracked open, and a stream of light flew out and hovered in the air.


    The light dissipated, revealing a tall figure.


    Sensing the rich spiritual essence around him, Shan Wenqi couldn¡¯t help but heave a sigh of relief.


    ¡°There¡¯s so much spiritual essence here. The Great Swamp of the West is so deste that even spiritual essence is scarce!¡±


    Just as he was sighing, a flying ship suddenly flew over from afar.


    More than ten people jumped down from the flying ship and ran up to Shan Wenqi like a swarm of bees.


    ¡°Senior Brother Shan, you¡¯re back!¡±


    ¡°Senior Brother Shan, on this trip to the Great Swamp of the West, did you find the Abyss ck Sand?¡±


    ¡°Is there a need to ask? If Senior Brother Shan takes action, everything will be easy!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right!¡±


    Everyone was talking at once.


    Shan Wenqi only looked on with a reserved smile and didn¡¯t interrupt.


    A momentter, an older young man raised his hand and interrupted everyone.


    ¡°Alright, everyone, behave yourselves. Don¡¯t disturb Senior Brother Shan!¡±


    After everyone fell silent, the young man looked at Shan Wenqi and cupped his hands with a smile.


    ¡°Senior Brother Shan, Senior Brother Li and Senior Brother Tang have already set up a banquet on Flying Eave Ind to wee you!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re very considerate.¡±


    Shan Wenqiughed and cupped his hands.


    ¡°Thank you foring to wee me, Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters. However, I still have to go to the Merit Hall. After I settle the matters there, I¡¯ll immediately go to Flying Eave Ind. I¡¯ll make it up to you to wait!¡±


    As soon as he said this, everyone fell into a strange silence.


    Everyone, including the young man who spoke at the beginning, looked like they wanted to say something but hesitated.


    Seeing this, Shan Wenqi was puzzled.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    The young man coughed slightly and asked, ¡°Senior Brother Shan, are you going to the Merit Hall for Goldstream Isle?¡±


    Shan Wenqi nodded slightly. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve made an appointment with Deacon Chu. We agreed that when I returned from the Great Swamp of the West, he would hand over Goldstream Isle¡¯s token. I¡¯ve nned to invite Brother Li and the others to a banquet on Goldstream Isle, but who would have thought that they would beat me to it?¡±


    The young man smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Senior Brother Shan, I have to tell you something. A month ago, Hall Master Xia brought his Junior Brother Lin Shen to the Merit Hall and forcefully took Goldstream Isle from Deacon Chu. The ind is Lin Shen¡¯s cultivation Cave Abode now!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    Shan Wenqi was shocked and furious.


    He had to pull so many strings and put in so much effort to defeat countless disciples of influential families who coveted Goldstream Isle before finally obtaining it. This cultivation Cave Abode was already in his pocket, but someone actually dared to snatch it from him.


    Shan Wenqi was infuriated, but then he suddenly realized something.


    ¡°Hall Master Xia? As in Xia Mengran from the Martial Enforcement Hall?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s her!¡±


    ¡°Since when did Xia Mengran have a junior brother?¡±


    Shan Wenqi was puzzled. Ever since Su Liuying betrayed the sect, didn¡¯t Master Yu only have Xia Mengran as her direct disciple?


    Where did this new direct disciplee from?


    The young man quickly told Shan Wenqi about what happened in the two months he had been away.


    Hearing this, Shan Wenqi was stunned on the spot and didn¡¯t speak for a long time.


    The first first-grade spirit meridian cultivator master of Nine Suns Sect?


    He had only left the sect for more than a month, but someone had already forged the legendary first-grade spirit meridian?


    Furthermore, the person who forged it was a disciple of the Nine Yang Academy?


    These people didn¡¯t look like they were lying, and Shan Wenqi was certain that they wouldn¡¯t deceive him with such a thing. Otherwise, he would almost think that this was a joke!


    When he came back to his senses, he couldn¡¯t help but take a deep breath. His heart was in turmoil.


    As a disciple of influential families, Shan Wenqi naturally knew what a first-grade spirit meridian represented.


    He had only condensed 33 spirit meridians and was still a distance away from a second-grade spirit meridian. Even so, he was already considered to have a bright future, not to mention a first-grade spirit meridian with 45 spirit meridians!


    That person would definitely reach the Reverse Elixir Stage in the future!


    ¡°I heard that Elder Zhao even extended an olive branch to Lin Shen and wanted to take him in as a disciple, but Lin Shen rejected it and joined Master Yu instead,¡± the young man continued.


    Shan Wenqi frowned when he heard that. His eyes flickered for a moment before he took out a letter and wrote something on it with spiritual essence and handed it to the young man.


    ¡°Junior Brother Sun, please make a trip to Goldstream Isle for me. Ask Lin Shen to move out of Goldstream Isle within three days. If he doesn¡¯t agree, give him this letter of challenge!¡±


    Sun Linmao was shocked.


    A letter of challenge?


    He was going to fall out with Lin Shen!


    It didn¡¯t take a genius to know that it was impossible for Lin Shen to give up on the good cultivation Cave Abode that he had obtained just because of a letter from Shan Wenqi. He would definitely ept the challenge and choose a day for the battle. What was the difference between this and falling out?


    Thinking of this, Sun Linmao couldn¡¯t help but hesitate and whispered,


    ¡°Senior Brother Shan, Lin Shen is the direct disciple of Master Yu. Hall Master Xia is also on his side. It¡¯s not a wise choice to have a conflict with him.¡±


    Shan Wenqi frowned and nced at Sun Linmao. He shook his head and said,


    ¡°Junior Brother Sun, you¡¯re too cautious. This is a battle between Lin Shen and me. How can someone as high and mighty as Master Yu interfere?¡±


    ¡°What about Hall Master Xia¡­¡±


    ¡°No matter how domineering Xia Mengran is, she won¡¯t interfere in thepetition between the juniors. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t she be embarrassing the Fallen Sword Peak?¡±


    If it were really down to their connections, Shan Wenqi wasn¡¯t afraid either.


    He had the support of the Shan Family, one of the five prestigious families. He wasn¡¯t afraid of Master Yu and Xia Mengran!


    In fact, if it were any other time, Shan Wenqi would most likely choose to take a step back and not fall out with Lin Shen.


    After all, that was a first-grade spirit meridian!

 Chapter 324 - 324: Innate Spirit Body (2)

    Chapter 324: Innate Spirit Body (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions


    Editor: Henyee Trantions


    The thought of offending a genius with unlimited potential who would definitely be a Reverse Elixir cultivator in the future made one¡¯s scalp tingle!


    But Lin Shen was different.


    From the moment he became Master Yu¡¯s disciple and joined the master-disciple lineage, he had be the opponent of the influential families.


    Even if there were no conflicts, the influential families wouldn¡¯t let Lin Shen get stronger so easily. They would constantly find opportunities to suppress him.


    Especially when Lin Shen was the one who snatched away Goldstream Isle.


    If Shan Wenqi did nothing and allowed Goldstream Isle to fall into Lin Shen¡¯s hands, his reputation among the disciples of influential families would definitely plummet. He would probably never be able to raise his head again.


    Therefore, he had to show his muscles. Even if he had to directly issue a challenge to Lin Shen, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to shed all pretense of cordiality.


    Sun Linmao wasn¡¯t stupid. He soon realized what it was about, but he was still a little hesitant.


    ¡°Senior Brother Shan, although Lin Shen has just be a cultivator master, his strength cannot be underestimated. Back then, Lin Shen was already able to defeat Kuang Zhuo before he even cultivated any techniques. Now that a month has passed, he has most likely already converted to the spiritual essence of the Five Elements. His strength will only be even more shocking!¡±


    ¡°Kuang Zhuo is only at the second level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage and has a fourth-grade spirit meridian. He¡¯s so weak!¡±


    Shan Wenqi didn¡¯t hide his disdain for Kuang Zhuo at all.


    Kuang Zhuo had cultivated for over seven years and was still stuck at the second level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage. That showed how inferior his aptitude was.


    The Kuang family couldn¡¯t find any outstanding talents, so they had to settle for the next best thing and invest arge amount of resources in Kuang Zhuo. Otherwise, with Kuang Zhuo¡¯s talent, it would probably be difficult for him to even forge a fifth-grade spirit meridian.


    In the past, they could still maintain a morous appearance, but the battle between Kuang Zhuo and Lin Shen hadpletely torn off that cover, revealing the decline of the Kuang family.


    In less than twenty years, the Kuang family would most likely fall out of the ranks of preeminent families!


    ¡°It¡¯s only been a month, even if Lin Shen has converted the spiritual essence of the Five Elements, he definitely won¡¯t have the time to practice cultivation techniques and divine arts. With my strength, defeating him won¡¯t be a problem!¡±


    Shan Wenqi was full of confidence.


    After all, he was a fourth-level Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator. Although he didn¡¯t cultivate one of the eight divine powers of the sect, it was still a powerful cultivation technique that was ranked among the top in the sect. He felt that it would be easy for him to deal with a first-level Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator who didn¡¯t even have a cultivation technique or divine power.


    He thought he knew everything. Since Lin Shen had forged a first-grade spirit meridian, when choosing spells, he would definitely choose spells with dual elements or even three elements.


    Themon feature of such spells was that it was extremely difficult to reach Beginner.


    Perhaps Lin Shen hadn¡¯t even reached Beginner yet and hadn¡¯t been able to transform the Five Elements spiritual essence!


    If that were the case, it would be even easier for him to defeat Lin Shen!


    Thinking of this, Shan Wenqi felt more confident. He patted Sun Linmao¡¯s shoulder and smiled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Lin Shen is no match for me. Go to Goldstream Isle first. When you¡¯re done,e to Flying Eave Ind. Brother Li and 1 will wait for your news there!¡±


    Seeing that Shan Wenqi was full of confidence, Sun Linmao didn¡¯t say anything else. He cupped his hands at Shan Wenqi and rushed to Goldstream Isle.


    After watching him leave, Shan Wenqi looked around andughed loudly. ¡°Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters, let¡¯s go to Flying Eave Ind to attend the banquet first. Don¡¯t let Brother Li and the others wait too long!¡±


    Everyone agreed.


    Goldstream Isle.


    Lin Shen sat cross-legged on the jagged rock beside the river that cut across the ind and slowly exhaled his spiritual essence.


    Thunder rumbled incessantly, and the sound came from his body.


    Every time he breathed in and out spiritual essence, it was as if a giant wheel was rolling through his bones and tendons, producing a low and deafening sound.


    After a long while, Lin Shen slowly opened his eyes and let out a long breath.


    Upon closer inspection, there seemed to be a faint ck-red color in the air he exhaled. It was the impurities expelled from his body.


    With the help of his clones, Lin Shen only used half a month to cultivate the Golden Wheel Lightning Tome to Beginner.


    Then, he spent half a month drawing in the metal and water spiritual essence on the ind to help refine his body with the Supreme Mystery spiritual essence.


    After half a month, more than half of the impurities in his body had been refined, and the effect was obvious!


    Lin Shen stretched out his palm and closed his fingers. As he rubbed them together, there was a faint sh of lightning, making a crisp sound like metal rubbing against metal.


    ¡°As expected of a dual-element Body Tempering divine power. I¡¯ve only cultivated to the first level, but my physical strength is alreadyparable to an inferior-grade profound armament. If 1 reach the ninth level, even superior-grade profound armaments won¡¯t be able to hurt me at all!¡±


    The prerequisite for cultivating the Golden Wheel Lightning Tome was to have both metal and water spiritual essence and at least a second-grade spirit meridian. The cultivation conditions were very demanding.


    However, once it was sessfully cultivated, its power would be extremely shocking!


    Lin Shen was a human. If a demon who was born more suitable for Body Tempering cultivation techniques were to cultivate the Golden Wheel Lightning Tome, its power would undoubtedly be even more shocking.


    Even so, if he cultivated the Golden Wheel Lightning Tome to Perfection, this cultivation technique alone was enough to make him invincible in the Spirit Nurturing Stage.


    In addition, in the past month, he also reached Beginner in Nether Yin Heavy Water.


    Lin Shen focused his gaze and saw a drop of water that looked like ck jade floating in his chest.


    It was the Nether Yin Heavy Water that he had spent more than ten days to condense.


    The condensation of the Nether Yin Heavy Water wasn¡¯t any easier than cultivating the Golden Wheel Lightning Tome.


    Apart from needing 36 mouthfuls of spiritual essence to condense the Nether Yin Heavy Water, it would be best if he could cultivate in a ce with abundant Yin energy. Only then would he be able to achieve twice the results with half the effort.


    Although water on Goldstream Isle was abundant, there was very little Yin energy. Strictly speaking, it wasn¡¯t a good ce to cultivate the Nether Yin Heavy Water.


    However, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t find a suitable ce to cultivate for the time being, so he could only make do.


    Although the condensation speed was a little slow, three clones worked day and night, and it took more than ten days to condense a drop of Nether Yin Heavy Water.


    This drop of water was only the size of a thumb, but ording to the records, this drop alone had tremendous power. Lin Shen had never tried it, so he still didn¡¯t know how powerful it was.


    Calming himself down, Lin Shen looked at the void in front of him.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Pure Yang Body, Sword Spirit Self]


    [Stage: Level 1 Spirit Nurturing Stage, 78%]


    [Cultivation technique: Supreme Secret Technique (Level 1,12% ), Golden


    Wheel Lightning Tome (Level 1, 21%), Nether Yin Heavy Water (Level 1,14%)¡­]


    [Number of clones: 7 (51%)]


    Lin Shen was very satisfied with the effect of the Nine Cauldron Pill.


    One pill could increase his cultivation progress by 5%.


    With a bottle of Nine Cauldrons Pills and a month of cultivation, he was not far from breaking through to the second level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage.


    If news of this cultivation speed spread, it would be enough to shock many cultivator masters to the point that their jaws dropped.


    However, Lin Shen had asked Xia Mengran about it. The Nine Cauldron Pill was a high-level pill. Among the pills below the Spirit Pills, the Nine Cauldron Pill was enough to rank in the top ten.


    Not every cultivator master could enjoy such a precious pill.


    Some cultivators in the sect would fight over a bottle of Nine Cauldron Pills.


    That was how Lin Shen knew how precious the bottle of Nine Cauldron Pills Yu Siyu had given him was.


    The powerful effects of the pillter also proved its quality.


    ¡°It seems like it won¡¯t be easy to obtain the Nine Cauldron Pill.¡±


    Lin Shen shook his head. He put this matter aside for the time being and looked at his talent.


    In the past month, thest clone talent had been refreshed nearly 30 times. Unfortunately, he had never been able to obtain a suitable spirit body talent.


    And now, it was time to draw talents.


    ¡°I hope 1 can get a better talent!¡±


    With a thought, Lin Shen summoned his clone and immediately looked at the talent column.


    [Innate Spirit Body: Five Elements Technique/Cultivation Speed +100%, Five Elements Technique/Cultivation Technique Power +50%]


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes immediately lit up.


    After refreshing so many times, he finally drew a spirit body that could be used in the Five Elements!


    He immediately switched to this talent and tried to cultivate the Supreme Secret Technique. As expected, he realized that his cultivation efficiency had clearly increased.


    It was the same when he cultivated the Golden Wheel Lightning Tome.


    ¡°This way, even without the Nine Cauldron Pill, I can quickly increase my cultivation!¡±


    Lin Shen was filled with joy.


    Together, Natural Spirit Bodies and Geniuse were enough to triple his efficiency in cultivating the Supreme Secret Technique!


    It was the same for the Golden Wheel Lightning Tome and the Nether Yin Heavy Water!


    This cultivation speed was simply shocking!


    Lin Shen¡¯s expression suddenly changed at this moment as he sensed someone approaching from outside the ind.


    Not long after, a sound came from outside.


    ¡°Sun Linmao requests an audience.. Fellow Daoist Lin, pleasee out!¡±

 Chapter 325 - 325: The High-Profile Bet (1)

    Chapter 325: The High-Profile Bet (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Sun Linmao?


    Lin Shen searched his memory and didn¡¯t think he knew such a person.


    After some thought, he opened the ind¡¯s restriction and let the person outside in.


    Not long after, a young man arrived in front of Lin Shen.


    ¡°What can I do for you?¡±


    Lin Shen sized the person up. With a sweep of his spiritual consciousness, he could immediately tell that the Sun Linmao wasn¡¯t a cultivator master and was only at the ninth level of the Bright Aperture Stage. He had yet to condense a spirit meridian.


    Sun Linmao¡¯s was a little tense.


    He didn¡¯t think much of it when discussing Lin Shen in private, but when she really stood in front of Lin Shen and felt his powerful aura, he couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous.


    This was the subconscious reaction of the weak when facing the strong.


    Moreover, Sun Linmao was here on a mission. He felt even more uneasy.


    After a while, Sun Linmao swallowed and cupped his hands.


    ¡°Senior Brother Lin, I¡¯m here on Senior Brother Shan¡¯s orders. ¡®Two months ago, Senior Brother Shan booked Goldstream Isle. It¡¯s against the rules for you to interfere and snatch Goldstream Isle by force. Please return it to him!¡±


    So he was sent by Shan Wenqi.


    Lin Shen sneered inwardly and said with a faint smile, ¡°There¡¯s no need to say unnecessary formalities. We both know the real situation. If we really want to talk about it openly, it¡¯s still Shan Wenqi who vited the sect¡¯s rules first.


    ¡°Goldstream Isle is now my Cultivation Cave Abode. Now that it¡¯s in my hands, it¡¯s my private property. It¡¯s wishful thinking for Shan Wenqi to ask me to give it up. Just tell me how he¡¯s going to snatch Goldstream Isle from me.¡±


    There was nock of open and covert fights between fellow disciples, but no matter how intense the fight was, they would at least be civil on the surface. There was no one as straightforward as Lin Shen. Sun Linmao immediately felt extremely embarrassed.


    After hesitating for a moment, he remembered that he had toplete Senior Brother Shan¡¯s instructions. He braced himself and took out the letter of challenge, handing it to Lin Shen.


    ¡°Senior Brother Lin, this is personally written by Senior Brother Shan. He said that if Senior Brother Lin doesn¡¯t agree to give up Goldstream Isle, I should hand this letter to you.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Lin Shen took it and looked at it. A mocking expression immediately appeared on his face.


    As expected, this letter was a letter of challenge.


    The content was nothing more than asking Lin Shen to choose a ce to fight and decide the ownership of Goldstream Isle based on the oue. If Lin Shen didn¡¯t agree, it was fine. He could hide on the ind like a coward to prevent himself from being ridiculed when he came out in the future.


    ¡°At the end of the day, we still have to fight. Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? Just be straightforward, okay?¡±


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t know if it was because he was infected by Xia Mengran, but he felt that he was starting to be rough and uncouth.


    Heughed inwardly, but he didn¡¯t show it on his face. He put the challenge letter aside and sneered.


    ¡°Shan Wenqi has made things too easy for him. Goldstream Isle is my private property, to begin with. Isn¡¯t it too unrealistic for him to use my things as a bet? Since he wants to gamble, show his sincerity.¡±


    Sun Linmao hesitated and said, ¡°May I know what advice Senior Brother Lin has?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t make the decision on this matter. He could only listen to Lin Shen¡¯s request and report it to Shan Wenqi, who would make the decision.


    ¡°Where is Shan Wenqi¡¯s cultivation Cave Abode?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Gale Ind!¡± Sun Linmao answered without thinking.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s use Gale Ind as a bet.¡± Lin Shen smiled. ¡°Both sides will use the cultivation Cave Abode as a bet. It¡¯s very fair, right?¡±


    Only then did Sun Linmao realize what he was asking, and his expression changed.


    He opened his mouth to speak, but Lin Shen raised his hand and interrupted him.


    ¡°You can¡¯t make the decision for this kind of thing. Go back and tell Shan Wenqi my request. If he¡¯s willing to ept it, we¡¯ll have the battle on Goldstream Isle ten dayster.¡±


    After saying this, Lin Shen didn¡¯t give Sun Linmao a chance to say anything else and directly waved his hand to send the guest off.


    ¡°I¡¯ve finished speaking. I¡¯m going to cultivate. Please leave.¡±


    Sun Linmao was about to say something when he saw Lin Shen wave his hand. A powerful force rushed toward him, and he was instantly pushed back.


    When he came back to his senses, Sun Linmao realized that he had already arrived outside the ind, and the restriction had been activated.


    Helpless, he could only leave dejectedly and prepare to report to Shan Wenqi.


    While Sun Linmao was on his way back, Shan Wenqi had already arrived at Flying Eave Ind.


    Looking over, courtyards and tall buildings were built following the terrain of the ind.


    The most eye-catching thing was the magnificent pce in the center of the ind.


    The jade tiles reflected the sky, and the buildings had gold and silver decorations. They looked like flowing jade from afar, and the embroidered drapes were like rainbows. It was extremely luxurious.


    At this moment, the pce was filled with people. Countless maids walked in and out, constantly serving all kinds of wine and delicacies.


    ¡°Meng Fei is still so good at enjoying himself!¡±


    Shan Wenqiughed andnded in front of the pce, takingrge strides into it.


    There were already more than ten people in the hall. They were all between 25 and 30 years old. They were dressed appropriately and luxuriously. Clearly, they were all disciples of influential families.


    The three people in the lead had thick auras. Clearly, they were cultivator masters like Shan Wenqi.


    Hearing the voice, Li Mengfei turned around and smiled. He weed Shan Wenqi warmly.


    ¡°Wenqi is finally here. We¡¯ve been waiting for you for more than half an hour. You have to drink moreter!¡±


    At the side, Tang Ming and Duan Ziping, also cheered, wanting Shan Wenqi to have some drink first.


    The other disciples of influential families at the Bright Aperture Stage stood at the side with smiles on their faces, not daring to interject.


    The disciples of influential families present were closely connected through their families, so the nsmen usually interacted with one another. From time to time, they would gather together to deepen their rtionship..

 Chapter 326 The High-Profile Bet (2)

    326 The High-Profile Bet (2)


    Furthermore, because their respective Cave Abodes weren''t far apart, they came and went frequently and exchanged information. Over time, they formed a considerable faction in the sect and were called the Hundred Inds.


    Among the Hundred Inds, the Shan family was the leader, followed by the Li, Tang, and Duan influential families.


    Therefore, Shan Wenqi had the highest status among everyone.


    As soon as he arrived, he immediately became the center of attention in the hall.


    After exchanging pleasantries, the banquet quickly began.


    After three rounds of drinking, Shan Wenqi chatted about Lin Shen and told him about how he had sent Sun Linmao to issue a challenge.


    Li Mengfei pondered for a moment and nodded.


    "We have to get Goldstream Isle back. Aside from how precious this Cave Abode is, we can''t let Lin Shen get what he wants because of what he stands for!"


    Tang Ming and Duan Ziping felt the same way.


    Lin Shen was already very popr, and now that he had be the direct disciple of Master Yu, he had almost be a benchmark figure in the younger generation of the master-disciple lineage. Every move he made would attract the attention of countless people.


    If Shan Wenqi''s Goldstream Isle was intercepted by Lin Shen, and he didn''t do anything, wouldn''t people think that the Shan family was afraid of Lin Shen?


    Even the Hundred Inds'' prestige would be damaged!


    "Do you think Lin Shen will agree to give up Goldstream Isle?" Tang Ming touched his chin and asked.


    "If that''s the case, it''ll save us a lot of trouble." Li Mengfeiughed, then shook his head. "However, I don''t think it''ll be that easy. If Lin Shen was really so easy to admit defeat, he wouldn''t have been taken in as a disciple by Master Yu."


    "That''s right!"


    Duan Ziping agreed with Li Mengfei.


    "I''ve investigated Lin Shen. When he was in the Nine Yang Academy, he had conflicts with many influential families. First, it was the Yan family, the Peng family, and now, the Kuang family!


    "Back then, when he had no background, he dared to go against the influential families and factions. Now that he has Master Yu as his backer, I believe he''ll only be worse!"


    "If you ask me, he won''t hand over Goldstream Isle so easily!"


    Shan Wenqi raised his wine cup and took a sip. He said indifferently, "Then let''s fight!"


    Li Mengfei nced at him and said with a smile, "Wenqi looks very confident. Don''t underestimate Lin Shen. After all, he has a first-grade spirit meridian!"


    "So what?" Shan Wenqi sneered. "No matter how outstanding his talent is, he still needs time to transform into strength. Unless Lin Shen is given one or two more years to cultivate, he''s not my match at all!"


    No one was surprised by how arrogant Shan Wenqi was.


    Shan Wenqi was already at the fourth level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage and had extraordinary cultivation techniques. He could even fight against ordinary fifth-level Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivators.


    He would have to try if he wanted to lose against Lin Shen, who had just advanced not long ago!


    After calming down, everyone started drinking and having fun.


    A momentter, Dan Wenqi''s expression changed, and he looked outside the door with a smile.


    "Junior Brother Sun is back."


    Everyone turned to look outside. Sure enough, not long after, Sun Linmao walked in quickly.


    Seeing that Sun Linmao didn''t look too happy, Shan Wenqi frowned and asked.


    "Junior Brother Sun, how did it go?"


    Sun Linmao braced himself and told Shan Wenqi what had happened.


    Hearing this, everyone''s eyelids twitched, and they looked at each other in dismay.


    Shan Wenqi''s face immediately darkened.


    He had thought that Lin Shen might refuse to take the bet. As long as Lin Shen stayed on Goldstream Isle and didn''te out, he wouldn''t be able to do anything to Lin Shen. That was why he used a provocative tone in the letter of challenge.


    However, Lin Shen had epted the challenge, but he wanted Shan Wenqi to use his cultivation Cave Abode as a bet.


    "Lin Shen is too arrogant. Not only did he snatch away Goldstream Isle, but he also wants Gale Ind. He''s looking down on Wenqi. He''s going too far!" Tang Ming snorted


    The others also revealed indignant expressions.


    But Li Mengfei smiled and said,


    "Everyone, calm down.


    "Since Lin Shen wants to bet on Gale Ind, why not agree to it? In any case, he''s not Wenqi''s match. The so-called bet is just a joke!"


    Everyone thought about it and agreed.


    Shan Wenqi''s gloomy expression also eased a lot.


    Although Gale Ind was his Cave Abode, his family had spent a lot of effort to help him obtain it. Strictly speaking, it wasn''t something he could casually dispose of.


    If he lost the bet, he would definitely be severely punished by the family.


    Therefore, when he heard that Lin Shen wanted him to take out Gale Ind as a bet, his first reaction was shock and anger.


    However, after hearing Li Mengfei''s words, he immediately felt relieved.


    Indeed, Lin Shen was no match for him no matter what. Since that was the case, it did not matter what he used as a bet.


    Thinking of this, Shan Wenqi calmed down, and his expression gradually returned to normal. He then revealed a cold smile.


    "Alright, I agree!"


    He turned to Sun Linmao and said, "Go and tell Lin Shen that I''ll fight him on Goldstream Isle in ten days!"


    After Sun Linmao received the order and left, Shan Wenqi sneered again.


    "If Lin Shen doesn''t agree to the bet, I really can''t do anything to him. I didn''t expect him to be blinded by greed and covet my Gale Ind. That''s good. I''ll make him suffer a double loss ten dayster!"


    Li Mengfei and the others looked at each other andughed as they raised their sses.


    "Then let''s congratte Wenqi on his victorious return!"


    "Cheers!"


    ¡­


    The news of Shan Wenqi and Lin Shen''s bet quickly spread throughout the entire Nine Suns Sect!


    Because Lin Shen was an influential figure in the sect, his every move was followed by countless people.


    On the other hand, it was also because the people of the Hundred Inds had deliberately spread the news, wanting Lin Shen to lose to Shan Wenqi in front of everyone so that they could use this opportunity to attack Lin Shen''s reputation.


    In just four to five days, this gamble had attracted countless attention.


    This development wasn''t surprising.


    After all, both sides had powerful backgrounds.


    On one side was a cultivation genius who had been in the limelight recently.


    The other party was also an elite true disciple of the younger generation with extraordinary strength.


    More importantly, the two of them had the master-disciple lineage and influential families behind them.


    In the eyes of those with discerning eyes, this was actually a collision between the two forces!


    Even in the Nine Suns Sect, where disciples were encouraged topete, such a bet was rare. Naturally, it attracted a lot of attention.


    Before the gamblingpetition began, many disciples were already looking forward to it and decided toe and take a look that day.


    Outside Goldstream Isle, a stream of light flew over and stopped above the ind.


    Lin Shen, who was cultivating, immediately sensed this familiar aura and deactivated the restriction.


    The stream of light descended from the sky andnded in front of Lin Shen, revealing Xia Mengran.


    "I heard you''repeting with Shan Wenqi?"


    Xia Mengran went straight to the point.


    "That''s right." Lin Shen nodded calmly.


    Hearing this, Xia Mengran frowned slightly, but she didn''t ask Lin Shen why he agreed. Instead, she asked,


    "Do you think you''ll win?"


    "I do."


    It was a simple answer, but it gave off a calm and powerful feeling, allowing people to clearly feel the confidence contained in it.


    Xia Mengran looked at Lin Shen in surprise.


    She had heard of Shan Wenqi''s strength. Initially, she didn''t think Lin Shen had much hope of defeating Shan Wenqi, and she thought that Lin Shen''s decision to agree to the bet was too rash.


    But now, it seemed that she had underestimated this junior brother.


    After interacting with him a few times, Xia Mengran could tell that Lin Shen was not someone who spoke nonsense.


    Since he said so, he must be quite confident!


    Seeing this, Xia Mengran nodded and didn''t say anything else. She turned around and left without hesitation, as energetic as when she came.


    Watching Xia Mengran leave, Lin Shen couldn''t help but shake his head andugh. This senior sister was still as swift and decisive as ever.


    Lin Shen restrained his distracting thoughts and continued cultivating.


    Although he said that he was confident, he did not underestimate Shan Wenqi.


    He had set the bet in ten days because he wanted to reserve some time to increase her strength.


    With the dual talents of Genius and Innate Spirit Body, ten days were enough for him to break through to the second level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage!


    Furthermore, if he cultivated with all his might, he might be able to condense a second drop of Nether Yin Heavy Water.


    At that time, he could easily defeat Shan Wenqi with just two drops of Nether Yin Heavy Water.


    Not long after.


    The ind returned to silence.


    In ces that couldn''t be seen with the naked eye, arge amount of spiritual essence surged into Lin Shen''s body like a river, constantly turning into a part of the Nether Yin Heavy Water.

 Chapter 327 Is He an Idiot (1)

    327 Is He an Idiot (1)


    Time flew by, and soon, it was the appointed day.


    Early in the morning, hundreds of flying ships gathered around Goldstream Isle.


    Every flying ship was filled with people standing on the deck. They were all disciples of the sect who hade to watch the battle.


    There were quite a few true disciples that were cultivator masters. There were even a few cultivator masters in deacon robes.


    At a nce, it was very lively.


    That was how much attention this gamble had attracted!


    "When will the bet begin?"


    "What''s the hurry? Shan Wenqi isn''t here yet."


    "I wonder who will win this bet? I heard that the stake is a cultivation Cave Abode!"


    "Everyone knows that. Be it Goldstream Isle or Gale Ind, they''re both rare and good Cave Abodes. I can''t believe they''re willing to bet on it. The loser will be so frustrated!"


    The crowd on the boat discussed animatedly. Most of them were excited and envious.


    Even the true disciples were no exception.


    Many of them had yet to own a Cave Abode, and the few who did had far less spiritual essence than Gale Ind, let alone Goldstream Isle.


    However, the Cave Abode that they had dreamed of was used as a bet by Lin Shen and Shan Wenqi. How could they not be envious and jealous?


    At this moment, there was amotion in the distance.


    Everyone turned around and saw a majestic flying ship approaching from a few kilometers away.


    There were more than ten people standing on the deck, and the person in the lead was Shan Wenqi.


    He was neatly dressed and with fine essories, and his sleeves fluttered in the wind. He was in high spirits, and from afar, he had the bearing of an immortal.


    Seeing this scene, the crowd immediately became restless.


    "The people from the Hundred Inds are here!"


    "Is that Shan Wenqi at the bow of the ship? What a dense aura!"


    "That''s for sure. Senior Brother Shan is a fourth -level Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master, and has long mastered Golden Killing Sword. It''s said that it''s almostparable to the Flying Sword Technique!"


    "Then wouldn''t Lin Shen be in trouble?"


    "Heh, unless Lin Shen has also cultivated a cultivation technique or divine power, the chances of winning against Senior Brother Shan are very slim!"


    Hearing the discussions around him, Shan Wenqi smiled a little.


    This time, he was determined to defeat Lin Shen and take back Goldstream Isle.


    To ensure that nothing went wrong, he specially asked the elders in the family for a superior-grade profound armament.


    Together with his middle-grade profound armament robe, he was even more confident in defeating 03:47


    Lin Shen.


    Together with his middle-grade profound armament robe, he was even more confident in defeating Lin Shen.


    "When I take back to Goldstream Isle, with the help of the abundant metal spiritual essence on the ind, I''ll be able to break through to the ninth-level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage in five to six years at most and start to condense the seed of Mystic Light. As long as I can advance to the Mystic Light Stage before the age of 40, I''ll definitely be the future head of the family!"


    Thinking of his bright future, Shan Wenqi grew excited. He looked at the nearby Goldstream Isle with a burning gaze.


    Behind him, Li Mengfei, Tang Ming, and the others looked at the many flying ships around them and couldn''t help but click their tongues.


    Although they had instructed someone to secretly spread the news of the gamblingpetition in order to damage Lin Shen''s reputation as much as possible, they didn''t expect so many people woulde.


    "The first-grade spirit meridian is indeed intriguing." Duan Ziping could not help but sigh.


    Although the others didn''t say it, they had simr thoughts.


    Obviously, most of the people who came to watch the battle were here for Lin Shen.


    "That''s even better. When Lin Shen loses to Wenqi, his reputation will suffer even more!" Li Mengfei said with a smile.


    The others thought about it and nodded with a smile.


    As they spoke, the flying ship had already arrived above Goldstream Isle. Shan Wenqi took a deep breath and said loudly,


    "Lin Shen, I''ve arrived as promised. Hurry up ande out!"


    His voice was as loud as thunder. It spread out and instantly spread for several miles.


    With a swish, all eyes fell on Goldstream Isle.


    Under everyone''s watchful eyes, the restriction on Goldstream Isle was deactivated. A slender figure soared into the sky and stopped five to six hundred meters away from the flying ship.


    Lin Shen''s gaze swept across the surroundings beforending on Shan Wenqi. He calmly said,


    "Let''s begin. Just get it over with."


    "How arrogant!"


    Shan Wenqi sneered and turned around to cup his hands at everyone. He said, "Guys, wait for me here for a while. After I defeat Lin Shen, I''lle back and drink with you all!"


    Li Mengfei and the others returned the greetings with rxed expressions. It was obvious that they believed that Shan Wenqi would definitely win.


    Lin Shen watched this scene with a calm expression. He didn''t seem nervous at all about the impending battle.


    Not long after, Shan Wenqi jumped off the flying ship and flew over until he was above Goldstream Isle. He stood in the air opposite Lin Shen.


    "Lin Shen, don''t think that you can be arrogant just because you''ve forged a first-grade spirit meridian. There are many true disciples who are stronger than you. Today, I''ll let you see what it means to have someone better than you!"


    Lin Shen didn''t intend to argue with Shan Wenqi. He only said calmly,


    "Then I''ll wait and see."


    Sensing the contempt in Lin Shen''s words, Shan Wenqi was displeased. He snorted coldly and took out a goldenpass from his sleeve. He threw it forward and pointed with his finger. Thepass immediately spun.


    In an instant, sharp whooshing sounds rang out in the air. Streaks of golden sword energy flew out from thepass and shed toward Lin Shen.


    Li Mengfei''s eyes lit up when he saw Shan Wenqi take out the goldenpass.


    "The Golden Killing Compass! Wenqi actually brought such a powerful Dharma treasure. Haha, Lin Shen is definitely going to lose this time!"

 Chapter 328 - 328: Is He an Idiot (2)

    Chapter 328 - 328: Is He an Idiot (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    The surrounding people asked him why that was.


    Li Mengfei smiled and exined, ¡°All of you should know that Wen Qi cultivates the Golden Killing Sword, right?¡±


    Everyone nodded. They all knew that the Golden Killing Sword was a famous metal cultivation technique in the sect.


    Although it couldn¡¯tpare to the eight divine powers of the sect, it was still a top-notch cultivation technique!


    ¡°It¡¯s said that the Golden Killing Compass is a Dharma treasure specially refined by a senior expert toplement the Golden Killing Sword. It absorbs metal spiritual essence and stores it. In battle, whenbined with the Golden Killing Sword, thepass can release the energy to injure the enemy. It¡¯s like a hundred swords attacking at the same time. It¡¯s sharp and difficult to block!<div>


    <font <="" div="">


    ¡°With the Golden Killing Compass, the power of Wenqi¡¯s Golden Killing Sword will increase by at least 50%!¡±


    As soon as he said this, the people nearby gasped.


    Many people were shocked.


    The Golden Killing Sword was already extremely powerful. If its power was increased by 50%, how terrifying would it be?


    Dharmic robes below profound armaments would probably not even be able to withstand the attack for a second.


    For a moment, many disciples looked at Lin Shen with pity.


    They never thought Lin Shen could win. Now that they knew that Shan Wenqi had a powerful weapon like the Golden Kill Compass, they immediately felt that Lin Shen¡¯s chances were very slim.


    However, what happened next made everyone¡¯s jaws drop.


    The golden sword energy that filled the sky swept over like a storm andnded on Lin Shen. Immediately, there was a series of dense nging sounds. Sparks shed on Lin Shen¡¯s body, but he was unharmed!


    This scene left Dan Wenqi dumbfounded.


    ¡°How is this possible?!¡±


    Metal sword techniques were good at attacking, and the Golden Killing Sword was one of the best cultivation techniques of this kind. Coupled with the Golden Killing Compass, even if he faced a demon cultivator of the same level, Shan Wenqi was confident that he could cut his opponent into pieces.


    However, Lin Shen had taken his full-strength attack head-on without suffering any damage!


    His physical strength was almostparable to a profound armament!


    Shan Wenqi was filled with disbelief.


    The surrounding people were even more dumbfounded. They didn¡¯t expect that all the golden sword energy couldn¡¯t injure Lin Shen.


    Li Mengfei, who had been boasting about the Golden Kill Compass, immediately blushed when he realized what was going on. He felt his face burning.


    While everyone was shocked beyond words, Lin Shen was pleased.


    The powerful defense of the Golden Wheel Lightning Tome didn¡¯t disappoint him. It raised his physical strength to a level that ordinary cultivator masters couldn¡¯t begin to imagine.


    Shan Wenqi¡¯spass was extraordinarily powerful. It was a middle-grade profound armament, if not a superior-grade one. However, the number of streaks of sword energy it released was too much. It looked powerful and dazzling, but its power was actually scattered. It was easily countered by the Golden Wheel Lightning Tome!


    Even if thousands of streaks of such energy wouldn¡¯t be able to hurt him at all, let alone a few hundreds.


    After recovering from his shock, Shan Wenqi gritted his teeth, shocked and furious.


    He never expected that Lin Shen would actually cultivate a Body Tempering cultivation technique in just a couple of months after advancing to a cultivator master.


    ¡°Is it the Tyrant Whale Technique? Or the Nine Lotus Golden Body?¡±


    Shan Wenqi searched the sect¡¯s Body Tempering cultivation techniques in his mind, but none of them were simr to what Lin Shen had used.


    ¡°Could it be a cultivation technique obtained from outside?¡±


    Seeing Shan Wenqi¡¯s expression, Lin Shen smiled.


    ¡°You¡¯re backing off just like that? Since you¡¯re not going to attack, let me do it.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, a drop of water as ck as ink flew out of the top of his head and rushed toward Shan Wenqi.


    Shan Wenqi sneered.


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll win just because you blocked my attack? You think too highly of yourself!¡±


    He wasn¡¯t like those rookies who were new to fighting and had abnormally richbat experience. After thinking for a moment, he understood that it was because he had dispersed the power of the sword energy.


    Otherwise, with the superior-grade profound armament and the Golden Killing Sword, no matter how powerful Lin Shen was, it was impossible for him to withstand the attack unscathed with his sheer force!


    Since quantity wouldn¡¯t do the trick, he should focus on quality!


    Shan Wenqi pointed with his fingers. The Golden Killing Compass hummed and released golden sword energy again.


    However, this time, there were only five streaks.


    Even though it wasn¡¯t as impressive as the ones that filled the sky earlier, the five strands that shot out were dazzling and golden. At a nce, it was obvious that the strength contained within them far surpassed the ones from before!


    In the blink of an eye, the pitch-ck water droplet and the golden sword energy collided fiercely in the air.


    To Shan Wenqi¡¯s horror, the golden sword energy he¡¯d entrusted his hopes on was instantly crushed and dispersed by that inconspicuous ck water droplet.


    The ck water droplet only paused for a moment before continuing to rush toward him!


    Caught off guard, Shan Wenqi subconsciously raised his arm to block it.


    In the next moment, there was a muffled bang, and an earth-shattering force hit his arm!


    Shan Wenqi¡¯s chest tightened, and he fell to the ground like a meteor!


    Although this drop of Nether Yin Heavy Water seemed small, it felt like a thousand tons. Caught off guard, it was inevitable that Shan Wenqi would suffer a huge loss.


    If not for the profound armament-level robe he was wearing, this strike would have severely injured him!


    Lin Shen took advantage of the victory and continued his attack. With a thought, another drop of Nether Yin Heavy Water flew out from the top of his head.


    This was the second drop of Nether Yin Heavy Water that he had condensed in the past ten days!


    On the ground, Shan Wenqi finally caught his breath. When he saw this, he was immediately frightened out of his wits.


    One drop of Nether Yin Heavy Water had already beaten him to the point where he couldn¡¯t fight back. What would happen if another drop came?


    Shocked, Shan Wenqi hurriedly injected spiritual essence into the Golden Killing Compass.


    In the blink of an eye, thepass lit up with blinding golden light. A streak of iparably sharp golden sword energy immediately rushed out with an ear-piercing sound as it rushed toward the Nether Yin Heavy Water.


    It was thebination of more than twenty mouthfuls of metal spiritual essence, which was the most powerful attack that Shan Wenqi could unleash!


    BOOM!


    The golden sword energy hit the Nether Yin Heavy Water, and both of them froze in the air for a moment.


    Immediately after, the golden sword energy dissipated with a bang, and the color of the Nether Yin Heavy Water quickly dimmed as it flew back into Lin Shen¡¯s body.


    Lin Shen¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. He pointed with his fingers, and the other drop of Nether Yin Heavy Water that shattered the five streaks of sword energy earlier attacked Shan Wenqi again.


    Shan Wenqi didn¡¯t even have the time to celebrate that he had finally repelled a drop of Nether Yin Heavy Water. When he saw this, his expression immediately changed.


    Having no other choice, he could only brace himself and inject his remaining spiritual essence into the Golden Killing Compass. He activated his sword energy again and threw out several enchanted flying swords, finally repelling the droplet.


    Lin Shen looked inside himself. Two drops of Nether Yin Heavy Water were suspending in his chest aperture. They were dim and needed to be nurtured and recovered before they could be used again.


    Even so, Lin Shen was already quite satisfied.


    Although it was enhanced by 50% from Innate Spirit Body, just two drops of Nether Yin Heavy Water was enough to beat a fourth-level Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master into a sorry state. It was enough to show how powerful the Nether Yin Heavy Water was!


    By the time he condensed ten or even a hundred drops, no cultivator master in the Spirit Nurturing Stage would be his match.


    Thinking of this, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but nodded to himself.


    But his silence was interpreted by Shan Wenqi as another meaning.


    ¡°You can¡¯t use that move anymore!¡±


    Shan Wenqi stared at Lin Shen with a cold smile.


    Seeing this, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but secretly roll his eyes. Was this man an idiot?


    Without another word, he took out a bronze hammer and rushed toward Shan Wenqi at lightning speed.


    Shan Wenqi hurriedly released a streak of sword energy, but Lin Shen didn¡¯t even look at it. He let the sword energy hit him, causing sparks to fly. He waved the bronze hammer in his hand and smashed it in Shan Wenqi¡¯s face!


    At this moment, Shan Wenqi suddenly realized that he was facing a monster who had cultivated a Body Tempering cultivation technique and could block the Golden Kill Sword with his physical body!


    Thump!


    Shan Wenqi was sent flying by the hammer. Before hended, Lin Shen had already rushed over and swung the hammer again.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The dull sound of blows reverberated in the sky above Goldstream Isle.


    Everyone around was already dumbfounded. They stared nkly at Shan Wenqi, who was getting beaten up by Lin Shen with a bronze hammer. He had no strength to fight back.


    Li Mengfei, Tang Ming, and the others felt as if they were in a dream. They couldn¡¯t believe their eyes..</font>

 Chapter 329 - 329: True Cultivation Genius (1)

    Chapter 329 - 329: True Cultivation Genius (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Shan Wenqi was going to lose!


    It didn¡¯t take a genius to see that Shan Wenqi¡¯s defeat was a foregone conclusion!


    No one expected Lin Shen, who had just advanced to a cultivator master a few months ago, to be so powerful.


    ¡°A Body Tempering cultivation technique and an offensive one¡­ How is this possible?¡± Li Mengfei¡¯s face was filled with disbelief.


    Duan Ziping, Tang Ming, and the others were also at a loss.<div>


    <font <="" div="">


    Cultivation techniques at the cultivator master stage were far more difficult to cultivate than martial techniques and spells of the three mortal stages.


    Each of them required a lot of time and energy to reach Beginner.


    When they cultivated techniques, they all had to spend months barely reaching Beginner.


    But what about Lin Shen?


    Just over a month ago, when he fought with Kuang Zhuo at the North Gate, he hadn¡¯t even converted the Five Elements spiritual essence.


    It had only been a little more than a month, but Lin Shen had already transformed the Five Elements spiritual essence and cultivated two cultivation techniques!


    Moreover, they both looked extremely powerful!


    They were even more powerful than the Golden Killing Sword!


    It was unbelievable!


    At this moment, a loud bang jolted them out of their daze.


    Looking up, they saw a huge pit in the dense forest of Goldstream Isle. Shan Wenqiy in the middle of the pit in a sorry state, as if his entire body was embedded in the ground.


    He was covered in wounds. It was a shocking sight.


    However, he didn¡¯t feel anything because he had already fainted.


    Seeing this scene, many spectating disciples couldn¡¯t help but wince.


    Most human cultivators focused on the use of spiritual essence. Therefore, they often fought with Dharma treasures and cultivation techniques in battle and rarely fought in closebat.


    Even a sword cultivator, who was famous for his ruthlessness, would use exquisite and borate sword techniques in battles, giving people a dazzling feeling.


    Only demon cultivators relied on their strong physical bodies and often liked to fight in closebat. Their style was extremely barbaric and bloody, and they were abnormally rough.


    Therefore, this was the first time that many disciples had seen such a fierce and rough battle between cultivator masters.


    Shan Wenqi waspletely knocked unconscious by Lin Shen¡¯s hammer strike. Such a loss was simply embarrassing to the extreme.


    They wondered if Shan Wenqi would be so angry that he would faint again when he woke up and remembered how he had lost.


    At the edge of the deep pit, Lin Shen looked at the motionless Shan Wenqi, and a hint of disdain shed across his eyes.


    He put away the bronze hammer and flew into the sky, then cupped his hands at everyone.


    ¡°Thank you for waiting. The battle is over.¡±


    Everyone snapped out of their daze and returned the greeting.


    Lin Shen had defeated Shan Wenqi without breaking a sweat. Be it the core disciples or the deacons, they no longer dared to underestimate him.


    Lin Shen smiled faintly and turned to face the flying ship where Li Mengfei and the others were. His sharp gaze swept across everyone like a sharp sword.


    It made those people rather uneasy. They involuntarily looked away, not daring to meet Lin Shen¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Shan Wenqi has lost. From today onwards, Gale Ind belongs to me. Go back and tell the people of the Shan family to be prepared. In a few days, I will be there and take over the ind. If they dare to stop or disobey, I¡¯ll report it to the sect and punish them ording to the sect rules!¡±


    The rules of gambling battles were absolute. Since Lin Shen won, Gale Ind was his.


    The Shan family members who lived on the ind had to move out immediately. As for everything else, including the buildings, herb gardens, and even the maids and servants, they would all belong to Lin Shen.


    Li Mengfei and the others¡¯ expressions changed slightly when they heard this.


    Previously, they believed that Shan Wenqi wouldn¡¯t lose, so they didn¡¯t think that there was anything wrong with using Gale Ind as the stake.


    However, when Lin Shen won and Gale Ind fell into his hands, they suddenly realized how bad it was.


    Gale Ind only belonged to Shan Wenqi in name, but it was actually the Shan family¡¯s property.


    The Shan family had to pull a lot of strings to obtain Gale Ind. The spirit herb garden on the ind was built by the Shan family after spending a lot of manpower and resources. It was extremely valuable.


    But now, all of this would benefit Lin Shen.


    If the Shan family were to find out about this, Shan Wenqi would definitely not end up well!


    Even they would be implicated!


    Thinking of this, Li Mengfei, Tang Ming, and the others immediately panicked.


    Li Mengfei took a step forward and squeezed out a smile, ¡°Brother Lin, Gale Ind is the Shan family¡¯s¡­¡±


    But before he could finish speaking, Lin Shen had already turned around and left without even looking at him.


    Li Mengfei was stunned for a moment. When he came back to his senses and was about to chase after Lin Shen, something was thrown at him and smashed onto the deck of the flying ship.


    It was Shan Wenqi.


    When they looked at Goldstream Isle again, they saw the restriction had been activated.


    Seeing this, Li Mengfei stopped and sighed.


    The others also looked at each other and were at a loss.


    ¡°Mengfei, what should we do?¡± Tang Ming asked with a frown.


    Li Mengfei sighed and said, ¡°Take Wenqi away and treat his wounds first, then send someone to the Shan family to report the incident. The matter of Gale Ind is beyond us. Let the Shan family send someone to negotiate with Lin Shen.¡±


    Tang Ming opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but hesitated. In the end, he lowered his head dejectedly.


    They came in high spirits but ended up like this. Anyone would be iparably depressed.


    Not long after.


    The flying ship turned around and left Goldstream Isle dejectedly.


    It wasn¡¯t until the flying ship was far away that the crowd, who had been holding back their excitement for a long time, finally erupted into an uproar.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Lin Shen to win!¡±


    ¡°Who would have thought that Lin Shen could master two cultivation techniques? Speaking of which, does anyone know what cultivation technique he used to produce those two ck water droplets? Their power is simply shocking!¡±</font>

 Chapter 330 - 330: True Cultivation Genius (2)

    Chapter 330 - 330: True Cultivation Genius (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be a cultivation technique from our sect!¡±


    ¡°No matter what, Shan Wenqi has lost terribly this time. He even gave up Gale Ind!¡±


    ¡°The Shan family will definitely not give up Gale Ind so easily. This matter is probably not over yet.¡±


    While everyone outside the ind was discussing what had happened, Lin Shen had already returned to the Cave Abode.


    The battle with Shan Wenqi was just a small interlude for him. Getting Gale Ind wasn¡¯t as exciting as verifying the strength of the Golden Wheel Lightning Tome and the Nether Yin Heavy Water.<div>


    <font <="" div="">


    After calming himself down, Lin Shen summoned the interface.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Pure Yang Body, Innate Spirit Body]


    [Stage: Level 2 Spirit Nurturing, 5%]


    [Cultivation technique: Supreme Secret Technique (Level 1,18%), Golden Wheel Lightning Tome (Level 1, 27%), Nether Yin Heavy Water (Level 1, 28%)¡­ ]


    [Spell: Seven Arts Sword Energy (Perfection Level 7), Lightning Palm (Perfection Level 5)¡­]


    [Number of clones: 7 (53%)]


    ¡°The Golden Wheel Lightning Tome and Nether Yin Heavy Water have an extremely obvious increase inbat strength. Next, I have to cultivate these two cultivation techniques to Perfection as soon as possible.


    ¡°I have to keep working on the Supreme Secret Technique as well. Although fighting techniques are important, the most important thing is still my cultivation level!¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Lin Shen quickly came up with a n.


    In the following time, Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt, Genius, and Amaze the World clones would focus on cultivating the Supreme Secret Technique.


    Testify by Killing, Innate Spirit Body, and Lin Shen himself would focus on condensing the Nether Yin Heavy Water.


    Pure Yang Body and Sword Spirit Self clones would focus on cultivating the Golden Wheel Lightning Tome.


    ¡°The eighth clone is halfway through itspletion. It¡¯ll be ready in about eight months!¡±


    Lin Shen nodded to himself.


    With another clone, his strength and speed of improvement would increase again.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to put the collection of flying sword techniques and sword pills on the agenda!¡±


    Sword Spirit Self had to cultivate sword techniques in order to be effective.


    At the thought of this, Lin Shen suddenly realized that he had a lot of things to do.


    Suddenly, he remembered that he had not been to the Fallen Sword Peak since he became a disciple. It was time to go there. At the same time, he could ask his master about the flying sword technique and the sword pill.


    Thinking of this, Lin Shen immediately got up and left Goldstream Isle. He released the Cloud Vessel and boarded the ship to rush to the Fallen Sword Peak.


    As for his clones, he put them away for the time being.


    When he was on Xuandu Mountain, Lin Shen found an opportunity to test the consumption of his clone¡¯s materialization.


    After advancing to a cultivator master, the clone¡¯s moving range had increased significantly.


    First, the zero-consumption distance was extended to about five kilometers.


    Secondly, his 108 mouthfuls of spiritual essence could let a single clone move freely for an hour within 25 km from him.


    When the distance was extended to about 50 kilometers, the duration would be shortened to less than ten minutes.


    Even so, the distance and duration had already far exceeded what he had in the past!


    Ten minutes was more than enough for a battle!


    This meant that even if Lin Shen stayed on Goldstream Isle, he could still control his clones to kill enemies from 50 km away!


    More importantly, at this rage, when he broke through to the Mystic Light Stage, he might be able to extend the distance to 500 km.


    When he reached the Reverse Elixir Stage, it would no longer be a dream to control his clone to kill enemies thousands of kilometers away!


    The idea made Lin Shen very excited.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that Fallen Sword Peak is more than 150 km away from Goldstream Isle. Otherwise, I would be able to let my clones be cultivated on the ind while I¡¯m away.¡±


    Although it was convenient to let the clones cultivate inside him, it wasn¡¯t as efficient as cultivating on the ind. After all, there was abundant spiritual essence on the ind, so cultivating was twice as fast.


    Speaking of which, it was because the Blessed Land was shockingly vast.


    ording to Xia Mengran, the entire Blessed Land spanned tens of thousands of kilometers and was much wider than Dragonside City.


    The mountains and inds were hundreds of kilometers apart. Disciples had to take a flying spirit beast or flying ship to travel.


    Even Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator masters were no exception.


    Only Mystic Light Stage cultivator masters could fly 50 kilometers in an instant and travel freely between the various inds and peaks with their own abilities.


    The Cloud Vessel was extremely fast and arrived at the Fallen Sword Peak in no time.


    Lin Shen alighted from the flying ship. Just as he put away the flying ship, he saw a stream of light rush out of the Fallen Sword Peak andnd in front of him.


    The light dissipated, revealing Xia Mengran.


    ¡°Senior Sister.¡±


    Lin Shen went forward to greet her. He wasn¡¯t surprised by Xia Mengran¡¯s appearance. After all, she had once said that after resigning from the Martial Enforcement Hall, she would cultivate in seclusion on Fallen Sword Peak.


    Xia Mengran nodded and then sized up Lin Shen as if she was looking at some rare existence.


    ¡°Junior Brother, you gave me a huge surprise.¡±


    Lin Shen immediately understood what she was referring to and was a little surprised. He didn¡¯t expect the news to spread so quickly. It had only been less than half a day.


    On second thought, Xia Mengran had probably been paying attention to today¡¯s gamblingpetition. It wasn¡¯t surprising that she received the news immediately.


    ¡°I was just lucky,¡± Lin Shen said with a smile.


    Xia Mengran shook her head and didn¡¯t say anything else. She just felt more and more amazed.


    She had long known that her junior brother was extremely talented, but she didn¡¯t expect that in just a month, not only had he cultivated the Supreme Secret Technique to Beginner, but he had also mastered two cultivation techniques.


    Others might not be able to tell, but Xia Mengran was experienced and knowledgeable. She immediately saw that Lin Shen was using the Golden Wheel Lightning Tome and the Nether Yin Heavy Water.


    Either of the two was almost as powerful as the eight divine powers of the sect.


    Even if she were the one to cultivate them, she would have to spend months before reaching Beginner, let alone mastering them.


    However, Lin Shen had done it in just over a month.


    Such aptitude was simply breathtaking!


    Ever since Xia Mengran stepped onto the path of cultivation, she had always been called a genius and had received praise and amazement. But today, she finally understood what a true cultivation genius was.


    Taking a long look at Lin Shen, Xia Mengran turned around and flew toward the Fallen Sword Peak.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Master already knows you¡¯re here.¡±


    Lin Shen immediately followed.


    Before long, the two of them arrived at the hall in the depths of the Orchid Pavilion.


    White lotuses bloomed on the clear water, and Yu Siyu sat cross-legged in an elegant posture.


    Her gazended on Lin Shen, and a smile appeared on her beautiful face. She nodded and said, ¡°Good. You really didn¡¯t disappoint me. You cultivated the Supreme Secret Technique to Beginner in such a short period of time.¡±


    After a pause, she continued, ¡°I prepared a few cultivation techniques to give to you after you convert the Five Elements spiritual essence, but it seems that there¡¯s no need for that now.


    ¡°The quality of cultivation techniques is more important than their quantity. The Nether Yin Heavy Water and the Golden Wheel Lightning Tome are both rare and powerful cultivation techniques. As long as you cultivate them to Perfection, not many people in the same cultivation stage will be your match.¡± At this moment, Xia Mengran suddenly spoke.


    ¡°Master, ordinary cultivation techniques aren¡¯t very helpful to Junior Brother Lin, but the eight divine powers are exceptions!¡±


    Yu Siyu nced at Xia Mengran and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re quite concerned about your junior brother.¡±


    Xia Mengran said matter-of-factly, ¡°Of course. I only have one junior brother!¡±


    Yu Siyu shook her head andughed. She then looked at Lin Shen and said unhurriedly,


    ¡°Your senior sister is right. The eight divine powers are different from ordinary cultivation techniques. If you can master them, it¡¯ll be very beneficial to your strength.


    ¡°However, the sect has a rule. Apart from the Sect Master and the Cultivation Impartation Elder, everyone else can only cultivate two of the eight divine powers at most to avoid diverting too much energy and dragging down their cultivation. What do you think about this?¡±


    Lin Shen pondered.


    He had the Supreme Secret Technique and could cultivate any cultivation technique or divine power.


    The Innate Spirit Body also had an effect on cultivation techniques and divine powers of all five elements.


    Therefore, the element of the cultivation technique didn¡¯t really matter.


    It would be best if he could cultivate one cultivation technique of every element so that he could be more flexible in battles.


    Five cultivation techniques were a little too much for other cultivators, so it was inevitable that they would divert their attention.


    However, with his clones around, it didn¡¯t matter even if he cultivated five cultivation techniques at the same time.


    ¡°The Golden Wheel Lightning Tome and the Nether Yin Heavy Water already include the two elements of metal and water. All that¡¯s missing are the three elements of wood, fire, and earth.¡±


    Thinking of this, Lin Shen already had a n in mind. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly thought of something, and his question changed.


    ¡°Master, is there a flying sword technique among the eight divine powers?¡±</font>

 Chapter 331 - 331: Star Sword Pill (1)

    Chapter 331 - 331: Star Sword Pill (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Flying sword techniques?


    Yu Siyu and Xia Mengran were both stunned.


    ¡°You want to be a sword cultivator?¡± Yu Siyu asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Lin Shen nodded calmly.


    Yu Siyu paused, deep in thought.<div>


    <font <="" div="">


    She was good at flying swords, and her only two disciples were also sword cultivators with extraordinary strength. Therefore, she wasn¡¯t surprised by Lin Shen¡¯s intention to be a sword cultivator.


    However, it wasn¡¯t easy to be a sword cultivator. He would have to have both the flying sword technique and the sword pill. The key was to have the talent to cultivate the flying sword technique!


    Still¡­


    Yu Siyu nced at Lin Shen and thought to herself that with her disciple¡¯s outstanding talent, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for him to cultivate the flying sword technique.


    ¡°Among the eight divine powers, there is the Dark North Sword Scripture. It¡¯s powerful enough to rank in the top three of the eight. However, the Dark North Sword Scripture has extremely harsh requirements for talent. Among the current cultivator masters in the sect, there are less than five people who have cultivated this technique!¡±


    When Lin Shen heard this, he said without thinking, ¡°Master, please bestow me with that cultivation technique!¡±


    It was extremely difficult for others to reach Beginner, but it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for Lin Shen at all.


    Putting everything else aside, any of the Extreme Intelligence Will Hurt, Genius, Sword God Anatta, and Innate Spirit Body clones would be considered extremely talented among ordinary cultivator masters.


    He could let the four clones cultivate at the same time to speed up the process. There was no way that he couldn¡¯t cultivate the Dark North Sword Scripture.


    If that didn¡¯t work, he could let Genius and Sword Spirit Self clones join in.


    With his cultivation speed tripled, it was only a matter of time before he mastered the Dark North Sword Scripture.


    Seeing that Lin Shen was very confident, Yu Siyu didn¡¯t say anything else. With a wave of her fair hand, a jade slip shot toward Lin Shen like a stream of light, and thetter caught it.


    ¡°Although you¡¯re my direct disciple, ording to the sect rules, 1 can only bestow one of the eight divine powers at most. If you want to obtain other cultivation techniques and divine powers, you have to make meritorious contributions and be rewarded by the sect,¡± Yu Siyu said slowly.


    Lin Shen put away the jade slip and wasn¡¯t surprised when he heard this. He nodded calmly.


    Over the past few days, he had gained a certain understanding of the Nine Suns Sect¡¯s customs.


    The reason why the Nine Suns Sect encouraged disciples topete wasn¡¯t only because of the limited resources, but also to prevent disciples from bing Confucian-type cultivators who spent all their energy in cultivation.


    The restrictions on cultivation techniques and divine powers were also for a simr purpose.


    On one hand, it was to prevent the disciples from biting off more than they could chew. On the other hand, it was to nurture the disciples¡¯ temperament.


    If the path of cultivation was too smooth, it wouldn¡¯t be a good thing for cultivators.


    ¡°As for the sword pill¡­¡±


    Yu Siyu pondered for a moment and suddenly pointed with her finger. A white light appeared and circled around her palm.


    ¡°Although this tinum sword pill is only a superior-grade profound armament, it¡¯s enough for a beginner. If there are other opportunities in the future, I¡¯ll find a more suitable sword pill for you.¡±


    As soon as she said this, Xia Mengran couldn¡¯t help but look at Yu Siyu strangely and thought,


    ¡°Master says 1 care too much about my Junior Brother. Isn¡¯t she the same?¡±


    When Xia Mengran first started cultivating the flying sword technique, she had only obtained a middle-grade profound armament sword pill.


    After that, when the sword pill couldn¡¯t keep up with her strength, her master would tell her to go out to train and collect the materials to refine the new sword pill. But now, she was going to look for a new sword pill for Lin Shen.


    However, Xia Mengran didn¡¯t forget the serious matter and immediately said,


    ¡°Master, there¡¯s a way for Junior Brother Lin to obtain better quality sword pills now.¡±


    As soon as she said that, not only Yu Siyu, but even Lin Shen looked at Xia Mengran in surprise.


    Why didn¡¯t he know that he had such a method?


    ¡°Really?¡± Yu Siyu raised her eyebrows, interested. ¡°Tell me about it.¡±


    Hence, Xia Mengran told him about how Lin Shen had defeated Shan Wenqi in the gamblingpetition and obtained Gale Ind.


    Yu Siyu had a respected status. No one would bother her with a small matter like a bet between two juniors at the Spirit Nurturing Stage. Because of this, this was the first time she had heard of this incident. She couldn¡¯t help but nce at Lin Shen in surprise.


    She had heard of the name Shan Wenqi. He was one of the few elites among the younger generation of the Shan family, and his strength was extraordinary.


    Lin Shen was a cultivator master who had just advanced not long ago. It was really surprising that he could defeat Shan Wenqi in a head-on confrontation.


    However, when she thought about how Lin Shen had already cultivated the Nether Yin Heavy Water and the Golden Wheel Lightning Tome, Yu Siyu felt relieved.


    Lin Shen had a first-grade spirit meridian, and hisbat strength far exceeded that of cultivator masters of the same level. Coupled with the Nether Yin Heavy Water and the Golden Wheel Lightning Tome, he could even fight ate-phase Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator, let alone a mere fourth-stage Spirit Nurturing Stage one.


    After hearing about the gamblingpetition, Yu Siyu immediately understood what Xia Mengran meant. She looked at Lin Shen and smiled.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky. Three months ago, the head of the Shan family personally went to Star Sect and paid a small fortune to obtain a Star Sword Pill.¡±


    Star Sect?


    Lin Shen soon recalled the name.


    Back on Xuandu Mountain, Miao You had mentioned to him about the strongest sword cultivation sect in the Eastern Divine Continent.


    It was said that their disciples were all sword cultivators without exception. Theirbat strength was outstanding, and not many sects in the entire Eastern Divine Continent dared to provoke them!


    Judging from its name, this Star Sword Pill was a sword pill unique to that sect.


    As if sensing Lin Shen¡¯s confusion, Xia Mengran exined,


    ¡°The Star Sword Pill is a sword pill refined by the Star Sect with a unique mystic technique. It¡¯s one of a kind in the entire East Divine Continent. Everyone in the entire Star Sect, from the Sect Master and Elders to the ordinary disciples, uses the Star Sword Pill.¡±


    Lin Shen was at a loss..</font>

 Chapter 332 - 332: Star Sword Pill (2)

    Chapter 332: Star Sword Pill (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Just from the first half of the sentence, the Star Sword Pill seemed to be very precious. After all, even the Sect Master and Elders used it.


    But if it was really precious, why could ordinary disciples use it?


    Fortunately, Xia Mengran then exined,


    ¡°The Star Sword Pill is filled with spiritual essence and contains a trace of spirituality. Only Reverse Elixir Stage experts can refine it. Its quality is superb!


    ¡°What¡¯s even rarer and more precious is that when all the Star Sword Pills are first refined, they are all in a natural state of spiritual purity. They only need to be refined with blood essence and ced in the chest aperture every day to be nourished. As time passes, they can advance to a higher level as the owner¡¯s cultivation level increases. There¡¯s also a considerable chance that they can nurture spirituality and give birth to a sword spirit. When that happens, they¡¯ll be a powerful true weapon!¡±


    That was to say, it was a sword pill with growth potential!


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes lit up.


    No wonder Xia Mengran was so enthusiastic about the Star Sword Pill.


    It was simply a Dharma treasure that all sword cultivators dreamed of!


    The sword pill was extremely important to sword cultivators. It had to be refined to be one with the mind before it could be used to kill enemies.


    The longer it was refined, the deeper the connection between the sword pill and the sword cultivator¡¯s mind, and the stronger the control.


    Therefore, it was taboo for sword cultivators to change their sword pills midway.


    Every time one changed the sword pill, they had to refine it again. Not only did it consume a lot of time and energy, but it also weakened their strength.


    If there was a Dharma treasure like the Star Sword Pill that could apany sword cultivators in the battle for their entire lives, which sword cultivator wouldn¡¯t want it?


    The pill might probably be a little weak in the beginning, but it could continuously grow stronger as the cultivation of a sword cultivator increased. It even had the potential to be a spirit weapon or even a true weapon. That was incredible!


    ¡°The Shan family has been working on Gale Ind for a long time and has spent a lot of manpower and resources to build the spirit herb garden. Those old fellows of the Shan family will definitely not sit back and watch the ind fall into Junior Brother Lin¡¯s hands. It won¡¯t be long before they send people to beg Junior Brother Lin to give back Gale Ind!


    ¡°At that time, you can take the opportunity to ask for the Star Sword Pill!¡± Xia Mengran looked at Lin Shen and smiled.


    Lin Shen was enlightened. That was a good idea.


    Immediately, he became excited.


    He had already obtained the Dark North Sword Scripture. Now, he only needed a sword pill to start cultivating the flying sword technique.


    He wasn¡¯t far from achieving his goal of bing a sword cultivator!


    ¡°In that case, go ahead,¡± Yu Siyu said calmly.


    Unless the Shan Family¡¯s Head or Elders took action, it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for her to interfere in the battle between the juniors.


    However, that rule applied both ways. With her around, the Shan family could forget about bullying the weak.


    Whether he could obtain the Star Sword Pill depended on Lin Shen¡¯s performance.


    With a way to obtain a good sword pill, Lin Shen left the Fallen Sword Peak in satisfaction.


    After he left, Xia Mengran asked Yu Siyu, ¡°Master, the Three Sect Competition is in half a year. Can Junior Brother Lin participate?¡±


    Yu Siyu¡¯s eyes flickered as she shook her head.


    ¡°In thest Three Sect Competition, our sect was rankedst. This time, the quota was reduced to only five people. Based on the experience of the previous years, those who were chosen to participate in the Three Sect Competition were basically cultivators who had condensed the seed of Mystic Light. Although Lin Shen¡¯s talent is outstanding, the hope of reaching this level in half a year is still a little slim.¡±


    At this point, Yu Siyu nced at Xia Mengran.


    ¡°You¡¯re about to break through?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be able to condense Mystic Light in three to four months at most!¡±


    Yu Siyu nodded slightly. There was a hint of relief in her eyes.


    As Xia Mengran¡¯s master, she was naturally very gratified that her disciple could reach the Mystic Light Stage before the age of 30.


    However, the condition for participating in the Three Sect Competition was that one had to be a Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master.


    As a result, Xia Mengran lost the qualifications to participate in thepetition. This meant that the master-disciple lineage had lost a candidate who was qualified to participate in thepetition.


    Perhaps this spot would fall into the hands of influential families.


    ¡°What a pity. If the Three Sect Competition could be postponed for a year or two, Junior Brother Lin would definitely be able to upy a spot. He might even be able to help the sect win!¡± Xia Mengran looked regretful.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t know that his master and Senior Sister were discussing him.


    After returning to Goldstream Isle, he summoned his clones to continue cultivating.


    He had yet to obtain the sword pill and couldn¡¯t cultivate the Dark North Sword Scripture. Currently, his focus was still on the Supreme Secret Technique, the Golden Wheel Lightning Tome, and the Nether Yin Heavy Water.


    After cultivating in seclusion for five days, Lin Shen left Goldstream Isle and rode the Cloud Vessel to Gale Ind.


    Gale Ind was about 400 km away from Goldstream Isle. Although the spiritual essence on the ind wasn¡¯t as abundant as on Goldstream Isle, it was still rather rich.


    Moreover, there were many spiritual sand mines on the ind, which were rich in metal spiritual essence.


    There was also a ten-thousand-year-old spiritual tree in the dense forest on the north side of the ind. It breathed in and out spiritual essence day and night, releasing rich wood-element spiritual essence.


    With the spirit wood as the center, the vitality within a radius of a few kilometers surged. It was a treasurend for the growth of spirit herbs.


    After the Shan family took Gale Ind, they invested arge amount of resources and relied on the spirit wood to build arge spirit herb garden. Every year, they could provide the family with a vast amount of rare herbs.


    The Cloud Vessel quickly arrived at Gale Ind.


    After getting off the boat, Lin Shen looked around and nodded to himself.


    He wouldn¡¯t mind cultivating here if there weren¡¯t metal spiritual essence in Goldstream Isle. Moreover, he didn¡¯t cultivate any wood-type cultivation techniques.


    As the Cloud Vessel appeared, the people on the ind quickly sensed Lin Shen¡¯s arrival.


    In the end, they didn¡¯t dare to vite the sect rules. After a moment of stalemate, they obediently opened the restriction.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t stand on ceremony and directly entered the ind.


    In front of the cave abode in the center of the ind, hundreds of maids and servants had already lined up, waiting for the new owner¡¯s inspection and orders.


    Under such circumstances, the four or five people standing at the side seemed out of ce.


    Their gazes were fixed on Lin Shen, who had descended from the sky, and their eyes were filled with undisguised hostility.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t care at all. Hended in front of everyone and stood with his hands behind his back.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Gale Ind¡¯s token?¡±


    An old man standing at the front stepped forward respectfully and handed over a token with both hands.


    ¡°Everything on the ind is still the same as before. Nothing has been touched, and all the servants are here.¡±


    Lin Shen took the token and scanned the old man with his spiritual consciousness. He quickly saw his true form.


    It was a tree spirit in human form.


    However, his cultivation level wasn¡¯t high. He was only at the Bright Aperture Stage. Clearly, he had taken a manifestation pill and forcefully transformed into a human.


    The other maids and servants were all from demon races too.


    In fact, this was the norm in the three great sects.


    Dragonside City was adjacent to the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range and fought with the demons all year round. Every year, they would capture arge number of demons.


    Apart from some unruly ones, most demons would surrender after falling into the hands of the three sects. In order to survive, they would sign a soul contract, consume a manifestation pill, and be the demon servants of the three sects.


    Those with poor aptitude would be assigned to work in the mines or herb gardens.


    Those with good aptitude would be assigned to various Cave Abodes to be maid and servants.


    Thetter was a better choice.


    If the demons served the cultivators well, they might be rewarded by the owner of the Cave Abode with spirit pills to increase his cultivation level or even get rid of their status as a servant.


    To these demon servants, it didn¡¯t matter who the owner of the Cave Abode was.


    What they needed to do was to serve him with all their heart and do their job well.


    ¡°Everything will remain as before.¡±


    Lin Shen said calmly. As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around and was about to leave without even looking at the people standing on the side


    Seeing this, the few of them finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore. The leader stepped out of the crowd and shouted angrily,


    ¡°Lin Shen, don¡¯t think that you can be smug just because you defeated Shan Wenqi. Our Shan family has many experts who are more powerful than Shan Wenqi!¡±


    Lin Shen paused, turned around, and nced at them indifferently. He sneered.


    ¡°But it certainly doesn¡¯t include you, does it?¡±


    Those people¡¯s faces instantly turned red as they red at Lin Shen, but they couldn¡¯t say anything to refute him.


    Lin Shen sneered and had no intention of talking nonsense with them. He turned around and left.


    These few people were obviously not direct descendants of the Shan family.


    As long as the Shan family wasn¡¯t stupid, they would know that this wasn¡¯t a good time to enrage Lin Shen. Why would they send a few nsmen to threaten him?


    These guys probably came here on their own initiative.


    And things were just as Lin Shen had expected. It wasn¡¯t until three days after he returned to Goldstream Isle that the person sent by the Shan family finally came to seek an audience..

 Chapter 333 - 333: Get Up Where You Fall (1)

    Chapter 333: Get Up Where You Fall (1)


    Trantor: Henyce Trantions Editor: Henyoe Trantions


    ¡°I¡¯m Shan Huachuan. Please forgive me for taking the liberty to visit you!¡±


    The person who spoke was about 30 years old. His appearance was ordinary, and there was nothing outstanding about him.


    However, his thick aura couldn¡¯t be overlooked. His cultivation was clearly higher than Shan Wenqis. He was at least at the fifth or sixth level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage!


    Lin Shen¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change as he calmly led Shan Huachuan into the Cave Abode.


    Shan Huachuan didn¡¯t put on airs just because of his cultivation.


    Firstly, he was here to ask for a favor.


    Secondly, ording to Li Mengfei and the others, Lin Shen defeated Shan Wenqi without breaking a sweat. It was obvious that he didn¡¯t use his full strength.


    If Lin Shen used his full strength, Shan Huachuan felt the two of them might be at the same level.


    Hence, although Shan Huachuan was a senior with a higher cultivation level, he didn¡¯t dare to underestimate Lin Shen. He had long treated Lin Shen as an equal.


    When they arrived at the guest tea room, the two of them sat down. Seeing that Lin Shen remained indifferent and silent, Shan Huachuan could only take the initiative to speak.


    ¡°Brother Lin, I¡¯m here on the orders of the family head. Shan Wenqi is young and insensible. He overestimated himself and offended you. The family has already punished him, and I¡¯m here to apologize to you on behalf of the family. 1 hope you can be magnanimous and not fuss over this matter! ¡®<sup>1</sup>


    Shan Huachuans expression was sincere, and his tone was even subtly humble.


    Given his status as a mid-stage Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master, his attitude was undoubtedly very sincere.


    However, Lin Shen waved his hand and said seriously,


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to go that far. Deacon Shan, Shan Wenqi and 1 had a gamblingpetition. It was a fair game following rhe sect¡¯s rules. It wasn¡¯t an ordinary conflict. There¡¯s no right or wrong. If I had lost, I would have to admit that my skills are inferior. 1 would definitely not have anyints.¡±


    Lin Shen wasn¡¯ t stupid. How could he not understand what Shan Huachuan was getting at?


    He was trying to make the battle an ordinary conflict. This way, the Shan family would have a reason to ask Lin Shen to return Gale Ind to them.


    If Lin Shen didn¡¯t agree, the Shan family might even plot against him in secret.


    Therefore, he couldn¡¯t fall into the trap. He had to gain the upper hand.


    Shan Huachuan s expression was a little stiff.


    He had indeed tried to trick Lin Shen.


    However, although Lin Shen was young, he didn¡¯t get carried away at all. Instead, he was very vignt and didn¡¯t give Shan Huachuan a chance.


    Shan Huachuan couldn¡¯t help bur nod to himself. It wasn¡¯t a surprise that Shan Wenqi would be defeated by Lin Shen.


    Since they were all sensible people, there was no point in continuing the riddle. Therefore, Shan Huachuan cupped his hands and apologized, ¡°It was my fault. Brother Lin, do forgive me.¡±


    After a pause, he seemed to choose his words carefully before continuing,


    ¡°Since Shan Wenqi lost in the gamblingpetition, ording to the sect rules, Gale Ind naturally belongs to you. The Shan family is one of rhe five great families in Dragonside City. We definitely won¡¯t cause trouble for no reason.


    ¡°However, our family has been working on the ind for a long time and spent a lot of manpower and resources to build arge herb garden. Apart from Shan Wenqi, there are more than ten other nsmen who need to use the spiritual essence of Gale Ind to cultivate. Therefore, Brother Lin, please be magnanimous. Our family is willing to offer pills, Dharma treasures, cultivation techniques, and secret manuals to get Gale Ind back. Brother Lin, feel free to ask for anything you need!¡±


    As expected!


    Lin Shen thought to himself.


    His senior sister was right. The Shan family couldn¡¯t bear to abandon Gale Ind. In order to take back this Cave Abode, they even behaved in such a humble way.


    To be honest, with Goldstream Isle in hand, Lin Shen didn¡¯t think much of Gale Ind.


    After all, he couldn¡¯t cultivate in two Cave Abodes at the same time.


    Moreover, Cave Abodes were scarce in the sect, and many core disciples were eager to obtain one.


    Other people wouldn¡¯t like the fact that he upied two Cave Abodes. He might attract trouble sooner orter.


    Although he wasn¡¯t afraid of trouble, it would be annoying if there was too much trouble.


    it would be great if he could exchange Gale Ind for practical cultivation resources.


    Therefore, when Xia Mengran suggested exchanging Gale Ind for the Star Sword Pill, Lin Shen agreed immediately.


    Thoughts raced through his mind, but Lin Shen remained unperturbed. He smiled and said,


    ¡°Alright, 1 agree!¡±


    Shan Huachuan was overjoyed and immediately said, ¡°I wonder if there are any Dharma treasures, pills, or cultivation technique manuals you want.¡±


    ¡°I just want one thing.¡±


    ¡°Do tell!¡±


    ¡°I want the Star Sword Pill.¡±


    Shan Huachuan s smile instantly froze, and he looked dumbfounded.


    When he came back to his senses, his first reaction was to deny that the Shan family had a Star Sword Pill. However, when he saw Lin Shen¡¯s half-smile, he swallowed those words.


    Since Lin Shen had specified that he wanted the Star Sword Pill, it meant that he had learned through reliable channels that the Shan family had asked the Star Sword Sect for the Star Sword Pill. The information might evene from Master Yu. In that case, there was no point in denying it.


    Originally, Shan Huachuan wanted to take advantage of Lin Shen¡¯s young age and wanted to pay for some resources to buy back Gale Ind. He never thought that Lin Shen had his eyes on the Star Sword Pill.


    Thinking of this, Shan Huachuan couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly.


    ¡°Brother Lin, our family head begged for the Star Sword Pill on behalf of a nsman who cultivated the flying sword technique. It already has an owner. How about something else?¡±


    The Star Sword Pill was extremely precious. Shan Huachuan knew that his family would never agree to exchange it for Gale Ind.


    Lin Shen said calmly, ¡°In that case, I have nothing else to say..¡±

 Chapter 334 - 334: Get Up Where You Fall (2)

    Chapter 334: Get Up Where You Fall (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Shan Huachuan¡¯s expression changed, and he said in a displeased voice, ¡°Brother Lin, I¡¯ve been very sincere!¡±


    There was a hint of threat in his tone.


    Use civility before resorting to force?


    Lin Shen sneered inwardly and said bluntly, ¡°I¡¯m going to cultivate. Deacon Shan, please leave. Otherwise, when the restriction is activated, you¡¯ll have to stay on Goldstream Isle!¡±


    Seeing how opinionated Lin Shen was, Shan Huachuan almost lost his temper.


    However, he could not do anything to Lin Shen. He could only grit his teeth and leave, preparing to report this to the family head before making a move.


    Watching Shan Huachuan leave, Lin Shen sneered.


    He knew he wouldn¡¯t get what he wanted right away.


    The Star Sword Pill was extremely precious. Even if the Shan family wanted to take back Gale Ind, they wouldn¡¯t be willing to use the sword pili to exchange for it.


    From Shan Huachuan¡¯s reaction just now, the Shan family was probably trying to use a humble attitude to confuse Lin Shen and exchange some random resources for Gale Ind.


    But Lin Shen wasn¡¯t stupid. How could he fall for such a trick?


    Now that the negotiations had failed, the Shan family would definitely not let the matter rest. They would most likely do some cheap shots and tricks.


    However, Lin Shen wasn¡¯t concerned at all.


    With the sect rules and who Lin Shen¡¯s master was, no matter how indignant the Shan family felt, they could only act within the rules.


    After activating the restriction, Lin Shen continued cultivating.


    In the past few days, he had already restored the two drops of Nether Yin Heavy Water to their full state. Next, he had to continue condensing more Nether Yin Heavy Water.


    Of course, he would keep working on the Supreme Secret Technique and the Golden Wheel Lightning Tome.


    As long as his strength and cultivation continued to increase, no matter what move the Shan family made, he would have enough confidence to deal with it.


    Time flew. In the blink of an eye, more than a month had passed.


    During this period of time, everything was calm and peaceful. The Shan family didn¡¯t make any moves, as if they hadpletely forgotten about the matters on Gale Ind.


    The storm caused by Lin Shen¡¯s defeat of Shan Wenqi gradually subsided.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t care about the outside world. His mind waspletely focused on cultivating.


    After a month, the Nether Yin Heavy Water in his chest aperture had increased to five drops, and his cultivation progress had reached more than half of the first level. In at most two months, he would be able to break through to the second level.


    ¡°Cultivation techniques and divine powers are indeed much harder than spells and martial techniques!¡±


    Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    He and the two clones of Testify by Killing and Innate Spirit Body cultivated the Nether Yin Heavy Water with all their might, but after a month, his progress only increased by about 30%.


    And this was only the first level.


    As he advanced, his cultivation speed would only slow down further.


    If it was a martial technique, he would have through three or four levels with the same amount of time and energy.


    ¡°No wonder many cultivator masters only mastered two or three cultivation techniques!¡±


    With the help of his clones, Lin Shen was still making slow progress. It would only be more difficult for other cultivator masters.


    Those with slightly weaker talents might not even be able to break through even once in two to three years when cultivating a technique like the Nether Yin Heavy Water!


    ¡°I¡¯m only halfway through the first level of the Golden Wheel Lightning Tome.¡±


    With a thought, Lin Shen summoned the interface.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Genius, Innate Spirit Body]


    [Stage: Level 2 Spirit Nurturing Stage, 28%]


    [Cultivation technique: Supreme Secret Technique (Level 1, 45%), Golden Wheel Lightning Tome (Level 1, 58%), Nether Yin Heavy Water (Level 1, 60%)¡­ ]


    [Spell: Seven Arts Sword Energy (Perfection, Level 7), Lightning Palm


    (Perfection, Level 5)¡­]


    [Number of clones: 7 (59%)]


    ¡°Without the Nine Cauldron Pills to help me cultivate, my cultivation speed is indeed a little slow.¡±


    Shaking his head, Lin Shen put away his clones and walked out of the Cave Abode.


    ¡°Speaking of which, it¡¯s time to bring Ai in.¡±


    Lin Shen had originally nned to bring Ai into the sect after obtaining the Cave Abode, but then there was a gamblingpetition. After that, he was busy cultivating. It was only today that he suddenly remembered this matter.


    ¡°I¡¯ll also make a trip back to the Nine Yang Academy to meet my old friends.¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes flickered. He took out his token to open the restriction on the ind and immediately released the Cloud Vessel.


    A momentter, the flying ship left Goldstream Isle.


    After leaving the Blessed Land, Lin Shen put away the flying ship and created a cloud with his spiritual essence. He then flew toward the eastern area.


    Flying was prohibited in Dragonside City, with the exception of cultivator masters.


    Apart fromrge-scale Dharma treasures like flying ships and flying pces, cultivator masters could fly freely in the sky above Dragonside City.


    Recalling the sword cultivator he had seen flying past when he first entered the central area, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but feel emotional.


    Back then, he even made up his mind to be a sword cultivator because of that.


    And now, he had almost achieved that goal.


    Once he obtained the sword pill, he would be able to start cultivating the Dark North Sword Scripture and be a true sword cultivator.


    Flying with the sword was just around the corner!


    As he pondered, Lin Shen had already arrived at the entrance of the Nine Yang Academy.


    The token to enter the Nine Yang Academy was still with him, so he easily passed through the entrance.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t go to Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian directly. Instead, he sent a letter and went to the upper house to visit Si Yuanpei.


    After all, it was Si Yuanpei who led him to see Yu Siyu. Logically speaking, he should thank him.


    Unexpectedly, as soon as Lin Shen arrived at Si Yuanpei¡¯s residence, he saw Xie Jingsheng waiting outside.


    ¡°Brother Lin!


    n


    Upon seeing Lin Shen, Xie Jingsheng immediately weed him respectfully.


    Even though Lin Shen had said that the two of them could still address each other as before, Xie Jingsheng still didn¡¯t dare to address Lin Shen as Junior Brother Lin. He could only address him as Brother Lin.


    Xie Jingsheng had also heard about what had happened in the sect recently.


    Lin Shen became the disciple of Master Yu of the Fallen Sword Peak, and his status instantly surpassed many core disciples.


    After that, he defeated Shan Wenqi, and his reputation soared.


    The current Lin Shen had far surpassed Xie Jingsheng in terms of status and cultivation. He had reached a level that Xie Jingsheng couldn¡¯tpare to.


    In Xie Jingsheng¡¯s eyes, even if Lin Shen wasn¡¯t on par with his master, he was not far off either.


    Xie Jingsheng didn¡¯t dare to be negligent, even though he had some friendship with Lin Shen in the past.


    Lin Shen acutely sensed the change in Xie Jingsheng, but he didn¡¯t say anything. He only smiled and asked,


    ¡°Is Master Si here?¡±


    ¡°Master already knows you¡¯reing and instructed me to wee you.¡±


    Lin Shen nodded and walked into the courtyard.


    Not long after, he met Si Yuanpei in that tea room.


    ¡°Master Si, thank you for looking after me.¡±


    ¡°You and I are both in the master-disciple lineage, so there¡¯s no need to say any pleasantries.¡±


    Si Yuanpei waved his hand and changed the topic.


    ¡°You came at the right time. There¡¯s something 1 need to tell you.¡±


    Seeing Si Yuanpei¡¯s solemn expression, Lin Shen adjusted his expression and was ready to hear what Si Yuanpei had to say.


    ¡°I heard that you want the Shan family to use the Star Sword Pill in exchange for Gale Ind.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Lin Shen nodded calmly, not asking how Si Yuanpei knew.


    ¡°Recently, the Shan family has called back a few disciples who have gone out to train. Those few people are all mid-phase Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator masters with extraordinary strength.¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s expression changed, and he was intrigued.


    No wonder there was no movement from the Shan family for the past month. They were making preparations.


    Lin Shen vaguely understood the Shan family¡¯s n.


    ¡°The Shan family is going to take back Gale Ind through gamblingpetitions, then?¡±


    Si Yuanpei looked at Lin Shen in admiration and nodded. ¡°With Master Yu around, the Shan family wouldn¡¯t dare to disobey the rules and seize Gale Ind by force. If they don¡¯t want to exchange for the Cave Abode ording to your request, they can only gamble.¡±


    At this point, Si Yuanpei¡¯s expression turned solemn.


    ¡°For the Shan family to be one of the five great families, they had to have a great foundation. There are many elites in the family. Among the few nsmen who were urgently recalled this time, the weakest is at the sixth level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage, far stronger than Shan Wenqi. You have to be careful.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Lin Shen nodded calmly.


    He wasn¡¯t too surprised by the Shan family¡¯s ns.


    He had long guessed that there was a high chance that the Shan family would get back at him with the same method.


    Only by beating the Shan family into submission would they give up hope and obediently take out the Star Sword Pill to exchange for Gale Ind.


    As for losing¡­ Lin Shen was never worried about such things!


    Unless the Shan family sent a cultivator master who had condensed the Mystic Light Seed, he wasn¡¯t afraid of anyone else.


    If the Shan family really dared to do this, Lin Shen probably wouldn¡¯t even need to do anything. His Senior Sister Xia would jump out and kill the challenger.


    Suddenly, Lin Shen had a sh of inspiration.


    This seemed to be an opportunity.


    He might be able to get the Nine Cauldrons Pills he needed..

 Chapter 335 - 335: Secret of Su Liuying (1)

    Chapter 335: Secret of Su Liuying (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Aftering out of the upper courtyard, Lin Shen saw a flying crane slowly flying over andnding in his outstretched palm. It spread open and turned into a letter.


    As expected, Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian asked him to meet them at the Night Dream Club.


    After reading the letter, Lin Shen smiled slightly. He pinched his index finger and thumb slightly, and a ball of spiritual me ignited out of thin air, turning the letter into ashes.


    Then, he left the Nine Yang Academy without stopping.


    It was alreadyte at night when he arrived at the Night Dream Club.


    Seeing this familiar building, Lin Shen felt a little dazed. He felt that it had been a long time since hest came here.


    Speaking of which, ever since he entered the upper house, he hadn¡¯t seen Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian much. It had been more than half a year since then, and he didn¡¯t know how the two of them were doing.


    Shaking his head, Lin Shen dispelled the unnecessary thoughts and walked into the guild hall.


    They were still meeting in the private room on the third floor. When Lin Shen pushed the door open and entered, Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian were already waiting inside.


    Hearing the sound, the two of them turned around. When they saw that it was Lin Shen, they involuntarily stood up.


    Lin Shen¡¯s status was no longer the same as before. Even though they were good friends, they couldn¡¯t help but feel a little reserved when facing Lin Shen.


    Lin Shen saw this but didn¡¯t say anything. He just sat down leisurely and smiled.


    ¡°Yang, why don¡¯t you have any catgirl with you today?¡±


    As soon as he said this, Yang Zhongyi rxed a lot and chuckled.


    ¡°A cultivator master with a bright future is around. If I get catgirls here, they probably won¡¯t even care about me!¡±


    After joking around for a while, the atmosphere in the private room rxed. Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian were no longer reserved and became rxed and happy around Lin Shen again.


    ¡°Your cultivation levels have increased a lot.¡±


    With his spiritual senses, Lin Shen could see their cultivation levels.


    Yang Zhongyi had already broken through to the ninth level of the Long Breath Stage, and his stage had already stabilized. It would probably not be long before he advanced to the Bright Aperture Stage.


    Su Nian was slightly inferior. It was obvious that he had just advanced to the ninth level of the Long Breath Stage. However, he should be able to break through in half a year at most.


    In a ce like the Nine Yang Academy, as long as one worked hard enough, talented cultivators would typically make rapid progress.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re doing alright. It¡¯s nothing like what you¡¯ve be, though.¡±


    Yang Zhongyi sighed.


    Su Nian also sighed.


    Although they were in the Nine Yang Academy, they had heard a lot about Lin Shen.


    After all, he was the first disciple in the history of the Nine Yang Academy to be a cultivator master in just two years. Lin Shen had long be a spiritual symbol in the academy. He was worshiped by many academy disciples, and his every move was watched by countless people.


    Anymotion caused by Lin Shen in the sect would immediately spread to the academy.


    Because of this, Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian had long heard about Lin Shen defeating Shan Wenqi.


    To be honest, when they heard about this, they were astonished beyond description.


    It had only been two to three months since he advanced to a cultivator master, but his strength and cultivation had already increased to the point where he could defeat a fourth-level Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master. That progress speed was simply astonishing!


    Even though they had personally witnessed Lin Shen¡¯s miraculous increase in strength many times, they were still inexplicably shocked.


    ¡°The Shan family has been making some moves recently. You have to be careful!¡± Yang Zhongyi suddenly said.


    Lin Shen nced at him and nodded calmly.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Seeing Lin Shen¡¯s expression, Yang Zhongyi immediately realized that Lin Shen had long known about the Shan Family¡¯s actions. He felt relieved.


    In fact, Yang Zhongyi¡¯s current situation was a little awkward.


    The Yang family was one of the five great families, the backbone of the influential families.


    Yang Zhongyi was also a descendant of the Yang family. Although he wasn¡¯t an important member, he was still a member of his force.


    In the past, when Lin Shen was still in the academy, it was fine for Yang Zhongyi to interact with him.


    The Yang family would secretly support him to build a good rtionship with Lin Shen.


    However, after Lin Shen became Yu Siyu¡¯s disciple and joined the master-disciple lineage, the rtionship between Yang Zhongyi and Lin Shen became a little conspicuous.


    However, Yang Zhongyi didn¡¯t care at all.


    He had always been a marginal member of the family and was never noticed. Naturally, he wouldn¡¯t care about the so-called family¡¯s interests.


    On the contrary, he treasured his friendship with Lin Shen even more.


    Inparison, Su Nian was more rxed.


    The Su family had long declined and was excluded from the ranks of the eighteen influential families. They were the most inconspicuous among the influential families.


    Even though Su Nian was a direct descendant of the Su family, he was a nobody in the influential families.


    Therefore, no one cared about his interactions with Lin Shen.


    After exchanging some pleasantries, Lin Shen suddenly looked at Su Nian and asked,


    ¡°Su Liuying is from your family, right?¡±


    Su Nian was stunned when he heard this. Then, he looked perplexed and nodded slowly.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    In fact, when he heard that Lin Shen had be Master Yu¡¯s disciple, Su Nian guessed that Lin Shen woulde to him to ask about Su Liuying, so he wasn¡¯t very surprised.


    ¡°Is it possible to tell me about her?¡± Lin Shen asked.


    Su Nian picked up his wine ss and took a sip. He pondered for a moment as if he was considering his words. Then, he slowly exined.


    Back in the academy, Lin Shen had often heard stories about Su Liuying. Without exception, they were all about how outstanding her aptitude was, how shocking her cultivation level had increased, and what kind of record she had set.


    And that was the truth. Before Lin Shen, all the records of the Nine Yang Academy were left behind by Su Liuying.


    At that time, Su Liuying was almost recognized as the most outstanding genius of the Nine Suns Sect¡¯s younger generation!


    At that time, the Su family had yet to decline. In fact, because of the rise of Su Liuying, they were showing signs of prosperity..

 Chapter 336 - 336: Secret of Su Liuying (2)

    Chapter 336: Secret of Su Liuying (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    The influential families were also overjoyed that they had a genius with great potential like Su Liuying.


    However, what happened next shocked everyone.


    After Su Liuying advanced to be a cultivator master and graduated from the academy, not only did she not be a disciple of an expert from the influential families, but she also joined Yu Siyu and became her chief disciple.


    And the reason made many people feel ridiculous.


    It was because Su Liuying wanted to be a powerful sword cultivator.


    And in the entire Nine Suns Sect, the only sword cultivator that caught her eye was Yu Siyu.


    This incident caused a huge uproar in the Nine Suns Sect.


    Although Yu Siyu¡¯s flying sword technique was famous for being powerful in the sect, there were also many powerful sword cultivators in the influential families. They were almost as good as Yu Siyu.


    Many people from influential families were extremely dissatisfied with Su Liuying for joining theirpetitors just for this reason.


    Even the Su family had someints about Su Liuying.


    However, Su Liuying was stubborn, and no one could stop her.


    As Su Liuying¡¯s cultivation level increased, the influential families became more and more hostile to her. In the end, theypletely saw her as a member of the master-disciple lineage and kept suppressing her in public and in private.


    Facing the influential families that were closing in, Su Liuying didn¡¯t retaliate at all and only focused on cultivating.


    In the eyes of the influential families, such a reaction was naturally interpreted as a concession. As a result, they became even more arrogant.


    This situationsted until the day Su Liuying broke through to the Mystic Light Stage.


    She charged into the Cave Abodes of the cultivators who had provoked her and killed them one by one with her powerful strength!


    By the time the influential families reacted, more than 20 influential family cultivator masters had already died under Su Liuying¡¯s sword.


    Some of them were even Mystic Light Stage, cultivator masters!


    There were even young geniuses nurtured by many influential families!


    After this battle, the influential families suffered heavy losses.


    The influential families were furious and threatened to do house cleaning.


    Killing a fellow disciple was an unforgivable crime in any sect. The master-disciple lineage couldn¡¯t do anything to protect Su Liuying.


    This matter eventually reached the Sect Master, and the punishment for Su Liuying was quickly decided¡ªdeprivation of cultivation and life imprisonment!


    However, when the influential families¡¯ cultivator masters rushed to Su Liuying¡¯s cave abode with the decree, they realized that it was empty.


    After hearing Su Nian¡¯s story, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue.


    This eldest senior sister of his would rather break than bend!


    Facing her opponent¡¯s suppression, she chose tounch a sudden attack and cut their throats.


    More importantly, before Su Liuying killed them, she had clearly expected the consequences. While the sect was still discussing how to punish her, she had already used some method to break the restriction and left Dragonside City.


    After all, this kind of behavior was no different from betraying the sect, and it was even more serious than killing a fellow disciple!


    If the Nine Suns Sect didn¡¯t react to this, they would definitely be aughing stock.


    As expected, Su Nian continued,


    ¡°After that, the sect sent a few batches of people to chase after Su Liuying. They were all from influential families. The weakest was at the early-phase Mystic Light Stage, and the strongest was even at the seventh -level of the Mystic Light Stage. He was an Elder of the sect!


    ¡°But in the end, without exception, those cultivator masters died under Su Liuying¡¯s sword!


    ¡°In the end, the influential families couldn¡¯t take it anymore. They had no choice but to take this loss and give up on chasing after Su Liuying.¡±


    This was also the first time Yang Zhongyi had heard of such a secret. He couldn¡¯t help but exim.


    ¡°That¡¯s incredible!¡±


    It was no wonder that he was so shocked.


    From Su Nian¡¯s description, Su Liuying had just advanced to the Mystic Light Stage before everything happened, but she had killed more than 20 cultivator masters all by herself. Even a seventh-level Mystic Light Stage Elder who was chasing her had died under her sword. Her strength was shocking!


    She was indeed a sword cultivator famous for herbat strength!


    Lin Shen was also extremely amazed. Deep down, he was looking forward to bing a sword cultivator.


    He came back to his senses and asked curiously, ¡°Where is Su Liuying now?¡±


    Su Nian thought about it and said, ¡°Thest time 1 heard from her was a year ago. It¡¯s said that she left the East Sea Path and went to the Star Sect.¡±


    The Star Sect?


    Lin Shen was surprised. Why was the Star Sect involved again?


    Seeing the confusion on Lin Shen¡¯s face, Su Nian exined,


    ¡°The Star Sect is the holynd that all sword cultivators in the East Divine Continent yearn for. It¡¯s understandable for Su Liuying to appear there.¡±


    ¡°I know that!¡±


    Yang Zhongyi suddenly interrupted with a mysterious expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s said that the Star Sect has set up a sword trial outside the mountain gate. As long as a sword cultivator can pass the trial, they can see the Star Sect¡¯s sword scripture and sword technique. If they can even pass all the tests, they can even see the sect¡¯s signature divine power, the Star Sword Technique! Su Liuying most likely appeared there for the trial!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s such a thing?¡± Lin Shen was instantly surprised.


    Any cultivation techniques, even the weakest ones, were the core secret of a sect!


    Even the disciples of the sect couldn¡¯t cultivate them at will.


    Let alone foreign cultivator masters.


    However, the Star Sect was actually willing to take out the sword techniques in their sect. Even if one had to pass the sword trial, it was still incredible.


    ¡°The Star Sect has always advocated training swordsmanship in actualbat to increase their cultivation. Most likely, they set up such a trial to attract sword cultivators from all over the world and use it to train their disciples.¡±


    Su Nian shrugged.


    ¡°Moreover, I heard that until now, no one has been able to pass all the sword trials. Even a Mystic Light Stage sword cultivator can only pass a few of the first trials!¡±


    Only then did Lin Shen understand.


    After all, this was rted to the sect¡¯s sword technique, so it was normal for the test to be difficult.


    However, the Star Sect was even willing to use the sect¡¯s sword technique as bait to provide their disciples with training opportunities. This determination was admirable.


    No wonder the Star Sect could be the strongest sword cultivation sect in the Eastern Divine Continent!


    Lin Shen suddenly had a thought.


    After breaking through to the Mystic Light Stage, he might be able to go to the Star Sect to challenge the sword trial.


    If he could obtain a few powerful sword techniques, it would undoubtedly be very beneficial to his future strength.


    Lin Shen quickly made a decision.


    However, that was a matter for the future. For now, he had to be a sword cultivator first.


    After knowing the origin of Su Liuying¡¯s betrayal, Lin Shen finally got the answer he wanted.


    Late at night, Lin Shen returned to his residence in the Eastern District.


    As soon as he stepped through the door, he heard a thunderous roar. Then, a gust of evil wind blew over. A ferocious tiger demon appeared out of nowhere and pounced on him.


    Facing the sudden attack, Lin Shen remained unperturbed. He still had a calm smile on his face.


    ¡°ROAR!¡±


    The vicious tiger pounced on Lin Shen, but it passed through him.


    Lin Shen smiled, and the spiritual essence around him suddenly surged. In an instant, the ferocious tiger twisted violently and disappeared.


    ¡°Come out, Ai.¡± Lin Shen smiled.


    Ai jumped out from behind the door with a dejected look.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t it work?¡±


    Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help butugh. He walked forward and patted the cat¡¯s head.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done a great job.¡±


    He was telling the truth.


    He was now a second-level Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master with 108 wisps of spiritual essence. Any illusions below the stage of a cultivator master would be destroyed by the spiritual essence fluctuations on his body the moment they approached him.


    To be able to conjure such a tiger, Ai was already quite advanced in her illusions.


    ¡°You¡¯re at thete phase of the Enlightening Stage. Good. Looks like it won¡¯t be long before you get through the Human Tribtion.¡±


    Lin Shen quickly sensed Ai¡¯s cultivation level.


    Ai¡¯s frustration was swept away when she heard thepliment. She raised her head proudly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been cultivating diligently recently. A few days ago, the General said that 1 could already start to condense spirit meridians!¡±


    Lin Shen smiled and nodded. After some thought, he took out the Cast Spirit Pills from his storage ring and handed them to Ai.


    ¡°Take these Cast Spirit Pills and try to condense a few more spirit meridians.¡±


    He still had a lot of Cast Spirit Pills, which were from the enemies he killed in Xuandu Mountain. He could give them all to Ai.


    ¡°So, so many!¡±


    Looking at the five bottles of Cast Spirit Pills in front of her, Ai couldn¡¯t help but widen her eyes.


    Didn¡¯t the General say that Cast Spirit Pills were very rare?


    How could Lin Shen take out so many at once?

 Chapter 337 - 337: Rush Back to Cultivate (1)

    Chapter 337: Rush Back to Cultivate (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    ¡°By the way, Ai, get ready. We¡¯re going back to the sect together,¡± Lin Shen suddenly said.


    Hearing this, Ai paused for a moment, then jumped up happily.


    ¡°Can I stay with you from now on?¡±


    Lin Shen smiled and nodded. Now that he had Goldstream Isle as his Cave Abode, adopting a demon wasn¡¯t a problem.


    Or rather, he had only adopted one demon and didn¡¯t even have a demon servant in his Cave Abode. That was already considered an anomaly among many cultivator masters.


    Ai smiled happily.


    However, she immediately thought of something.


    ¡°Then 1 have to say goodbye to General and Sister Tang Yue first.¡±


    Lin Shen nodded slightly.


    Speaking of which, he hadn¡¯t seen the cat general for a long time. Now was a good time to pay him a visit.


    After all, the cat general had helped him a lot before he became a cultivator master.


    At the same time, he could return the God Seeking Token.


    The God Seeking Token was almost useless to him now.


    As a spirit cat, Ai didn¡¯t have much luggage to pack. Her usual things were ced in the bell around her neck.


    The man and cat packed up a little and left their residence.


    Stepping onto that familiar street again, Lin Shen released his spiritual senses and immediately sensed the abnormality on the street.


    However, in the next moment, arge patch of fog suddenly filled the air.


    ¡°He¡¯s a god after all. Even if he¡¯s only an unofficial god, his cultivation level is much stronger than ordinary cultivator masters!¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s stomach lurched slightly.


    Compared to Ai¡¯s illusion, the illusion created by the cat general was undoubtedly much more terrifying.


    Even with Lin Shen¡¯s current cultivation, he was pulled in without any resistance.


    The strength was at least at the Mystic Light Stage, or even higher!


    Just as this thought shed through Lin Shen¡¯s mind, the tall and burly figure of the cat general had already appeared more than ten meters away.


    ¡°Fellow Daoist Lin, long time no see.¡±


    The cat general sized up Lin Shen a few times, a hint of surprise shing across its eyes.


    It wasn¡¯t difficult for him to tell that Lin Shen had already be a cultivator master and had even reached the second level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage.


    More importantly, he could clearly feel the surging spiritual vigoring from Lin Shen!


    Even if Lin Shen didn¡¯t deliberately release it, the spiritual vigor that was like volcanicva was still astonishing.


    ¡°A first-grade spirit meridian¡­¡±


    Even though the cat general was experienced and knowledgeable, he couldn¡¯t help but be shocked.


    He had watched Lin Shen grow up.


    In just two years, Lin Shen broke through from the Qi Transformation Stage to be a cultivator master and even forged a first-grade spirit meridian!


    Such a speed of growth was simply unheard of!


    Even he, a Divine Lord who had lived for thousands of years, had never seen it!


    After a long while, the cat general came back to his senses and gave Lin Shen a long look.


    ¡°1 really didn¡¯t misjudge you¡­ Your natural talent on the path of cultivation is outstanding!¡±


    The cat general entrusted Ai to Lin Shen and even gave him the God Seeking Token and cultivation technique manual in the name of asking for his help. That was because he thought highly of Lin Shen¡¯s potential and wanted to form a good rtionship with him.


    And now, Lin Shen¡¯s change undoubtedly proved his foresight.


    It had even far exceeded his original expectations.


    ¡°Divine Lord, you tter me.¡±


    Lin Shen said calmly. Then, he mentioned that he wanted to bring Ai into the Nine Suns Sect.


    The cat general wasn¡¯t surprised.


    Most cultivators with outstanding aptitude could obtain their own Cave Abode, and Lin Shen¡¯s potential was obvious to all. It wasn¡¯t surprising that he could obtain a Cave Abode.


    ¡°It¡¯s your fortune to be able to follow Fellow Daoist Lin. Work hard and step onto the Great Path as soon as possible!¡±


    The cat general looked at Ai and spoke gently.


    ¡°I understand!¡± Ai nodded obediently.


    The cat general then looked at Lin Shen, paused, and suddenly said,


    ¡°1 can sense the Nether Yin energy from you. You should have cultivated some demon cultivation techniques. Could it be the Nether Yin Heavy Water?¡±


    Lin Shen was stunned. As expected of a Divine Lord who had lived for thousands of years. His judgment was unparalleled.


    Even his master, Yu Siyu, couldn¡¯t tell, and he was the one who took the initiative to mention it.


    However, there was nothing to hide. Lin Shen admitted it frankly and told the truth about the Golden Wheel Lightning Tome and the Nether Yin Heavy Water.


    ¡°So it¡¯s a cultivation technique obtained from the Eagle Tribe.¡±


    The cat general was enlightened.


    ¡°These are indeed two very powerful cultivation techniques. However, in the past hundreds of years, only a handful of demons in the Eagle Tribe managed to cultivate these two cultivation techniques. I didn¡¯t expect you to seed.


    ¡°The Nether Yin Heavy Water still has subsequent cultivation techniques. If nothing goes wrong, they should be in the hands of the Eagle Tribe¡¯s royal family. If there¡¯s a chance, you can negotiate with the Eagle Tribe. The demons are more practical. When they don¡¯t have the qualifications to cultivate some cultivation techniques, as long as there are enough benefits, they should be willing to exchange them.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your guidance!¡± Lin Shen nodded and said.


    In fact, Miao You had also mentioned it.


    The Nether Yin Heavy Water was only one of the cultivation techniques that came from the same lineage. There were even stronger techniques like Mystic Swamp Primordial Water and North Sea Primordial Water.


    At that time, Lin Shen had guessed that the Eagle Tribe had those two cultivation techniques. Now, the cat general¡¯s words confirmed his spection.


    The power of the Nether Yin Heavy Water had long been thoroughly verified in actualbat. As an advanced version of it, it was obvious how powerful the Mystic Swamp Primordial Water and North Sea Primordial Water would be.


    Lin Shen naturally wouldn¡¯t miss these two cultivation techniques.


    After breaking through to the Mystic Light Stage, he nned to find an opportunity to head to the depths of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range and obtain these two cultivation techniques.


    Suddenly, Lin Shen thought of something else..

 Chapter 338 - 338: Rush Back to Cultivate (2)

    Chapter 338: Rush Back to Cultivate (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    ¡°Divine Lord, there¡¯s something 1 want to ask you.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Divine Lord, do you know of any treasure ground that can speed up the condensation of the Nether Yin Heavy Water?¡±


    Although he had the help of the abundant spiritual essence of Golden River Ind, Lin Shen could only condense a drop of Nether Yin Heavy Water every ten days on average, taking into ount the fact that he had to improve his cultivation level and cultivate other techniques at the same time.


    This speed was already unbelievably fast for ordinary cultivator masters, but in Lin Shen¡¯s opinion, it was still a little slow.


    At this rate, it would take him at least two to three years to condense a hundred drops of Nether Yin Heavy Water.


    This was because he had yet to obtain the Star Sword Pill.


    When he started cultivating the Dark North Sword Scripture, he would have to spend less energy on the Nether Yin Heavy Water. This time would have to be prolonged.


    Therefore, Lin Shen had been thinking about ways to elerate the condensation of the Nether Yin Heavy Water.


    He had originally nned to find an opportunity to ask his master, but since he had seen the cat general, he decided to ask thetter while he was here.


    A Divine Lord who had lived for thousands of years would definitely be much more knowledgeable than a Mystic Light Stage cultivator master.


    As expected, the cat general pondered for a moment before saying,


    ¡°It¡¯s best to find a cold ce with abundant water essence to cultivate the Nether Yin Heavy Water. It¡¯s even better if there¡¯s a ce with a cold water essence lode.¡±


    After a pause, the cat general looked at Lin Shen strangely and slowly said,


    ¡°In fact, there¡¯s such a ce nearby.¡±


    Lin Shen was stunned and subconsciously asked, ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°In an underground spirit cave that Nine Suns Sect discovered in the depths of the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range.¡±


    The underground spirit cave?


    Lin Shen was shocked.


    ¡°The spiritual essence in the spirit cave is usually non-elemental, but the spirit cave underground is an exception. Spirit caves that are buried deep underground usually have underground rivers. Such ces are filled with cold air and abundant water vapor. They are most suitable for cultivating the Nether Yin Heavy Water.¡±


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Initially, he was hesitating whether he should continue cultivating on Goldstream Isle or head to the underground spirit cave to fight the Blood Sea Sect cultivator masters to increase his strength by Testify by Killing. However, after hearing the cat general¡¯s words, he no longer hesitated.


    It seemed like he had to find an opportunity to make a trip to the underground spirit cave!


    After making up his mind, Lin Shen asked,


    ¡°What about the Golden Wheel Thunder Tome?¡±


    The cat general thought for a moment and said,


    ¡°There are very few suitable treasurends for such a Body Tempering cultivation technique. However, the Golden Wheel Lightning Tome is special. If we can find a ce with dense lightning and use lightning to cleanse the marrow, it should be very beneficial to cultivate the technique.¡±


    ¡°Where can I find such a ce?¡± Lin Shen hurriedly asked.


    The cat general smiled and said, ¡°You must be a very lucky person. There happens to be a ce near Dragonside City where the lightning is dense. It¡¯s deep in the Great Swamp of the West.¡±


    The Great Swamp of the West!


    Lin Shen¡¯s expression changed as he suddenly recalled the scene of being chased down by Wu Luo¡¯s incarnation in the Great Swamp of the West.


    The cat general didn¡¯t know what he was thinking and continued,


    ¡°That ce is called Thunder Peak. It¡¯s said that there¡¯s a lightningke at the top of the mountain. Every time it rains, it¡¯ll shake the lightning pool and trigger lightning. Moreover, this lightning is the lightning that promotes growth and has the ability to nourish all things. It has the effect of cleansing the marrow of demons who have yet to manifest and strengthening their inner qi. It¡¯s also quite beneficial to demon cultivators who cultivate lightning techniques!


    ¡°However, because of this, arge number of demons will gather on Thunder Peak every time. If you want to go, you have to be careful.¡±


    Lin Shen nodded solemnly.


    There were countless demons in the Great Swamp of the West. To be able to survive near Dragonside City for so many years without being eliminated, there was no need to mention how dangerous it was.


    Even Mystic Light Stage cultivator masters didn¡¯t dare to enter the Great Swamp of the West openly.


    However, in order to cultivate the Golden Wheel Lightning Tome, he definitely had to make a trip to Thunder Peak.


    Meeting with the cat general was a great decision.


    As long as he knew how to quickly increase the cultivation speed of the Golden Wheel Lightning Tome and the Nether Yin Heavy Water, he would only need to wait for the right time to take action.


    After thanking the cat general and returning the God Seeking Token, Lin Shen brought Ai back to the Nine Suns Sect.


    After returning to Goldstream Isle and looking at the wide ind, Ai was extremely excited. She walked around excitedly.


    Lin Shen let her enjoy herself as he returned to the Cave Abode to continue cultivating.


    He nned to condense five more drops of Nether Yin Heavy Water and increase the number to ten before heading to the spirit cave underground.


    With the ten drops of Nether Yin Heavy Water and his clone, he would be able to fight back even if he encountered a Mystic Light Stage cultivator master.


    However, not long after Lin Shen calmed down, he suddenly heard a loud shout from outside the ind.


    ¡°Shan Jingchun is here to pay his respects!¡±


    A member of the Shan family?


    Lin Shen raised his eyebrows and smiled a little.


    ¡°Finally, you can¡¯t wait any longer. 1 thought you would wait for a few more days.¡±


    A hint of mockery appeared in Lin Shen¡¯s eyes. He let his clones continue to cultivate in the cave abode while he stood up and walked out.


    As soon as he walked out of the Cave Abode, Ai jumped out of nowhere.


    ¡°Lin Shen, what happened?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. 1 just have a few clowns to deal with. It¡¯s fine. Go back to what you were doing.¡±


    Lin Shen casuallyforted her before flying up.


    Ai was deep in thought. Soon, she forgot about this matter.


    In her eyes, Lin Shen was omnipotent. Nothing could stump him, so she didn¡¯t need to worry.


    After deactivating the restriction, Lin Shen came the outside of the ind.


    The person was about 30 years old. He was tall and had a feminine appearance.


    His gazended on Lin Shen, and his eyes narrowed slightly.


    ¡°Are you Lin Shen?¡±


    Lin Shen was unmoved and said calmly, ¡°What do you need?¡±


    Shan Jingchun sneered and raised his voice, ¡°1 want to have a gamblingpetition with you. If you lose, hand over Gale Ind!¡±


    As expected!


    In the end, the Shan family still chose to take back Gale Ind through gambling.


    Lin Shen sneered inwardly and said calmly, ¡°What if you lose?¡±


    ¡°Then my Cave Abode will belong to you!¡±


    Shan Jingchun said without hesitation. His words were filled with confidence.


    Even after knowing that Lin Shen had easily defeated Shan Wenqi, Shan Jingchun was still so confident. He obviously had sufficient confidence in his own strength.


    However, Lin Shen shook his head slightly.


    ¡°I already have two Cave Abodes on Goldstream Isle and Gale Ind. It¡¯s useless to have the third one. If you want topete, you should use other bets.¡±


    Hearing Lin Shen¡¯s confident tone, Shan Jingchun frowned slightly and snorted.


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Nine Cauldron Pills.¡± Lin Shen smiled faintly and added, ¡°Five bottles of Nine Cauldron Pills.¡±


    Shan Jingchun¡¯s face darkened.


    The Nine Cauldron Pills were extremely precious. Even the Shan family didn¡¯t have a lot of them, and most of them were divided among the n¡¯s disciples.


    However, to be honest, in terms of value, Shan Jingchun¡¯s Cave Abode was still higher than five bottles of Nine Cauldron Pills.


    Beforeing to Goldstream Isle, Shan Jingchun had received instructions from his family¡¯s elders. As long as Lin Shen didn¡¯t demand an exorbitant price, he had to agree to whatever bet he proposed. He had to make Lin Shen agree to the bet.


    Thinking of this, Shan Jingchun rolled his eyes and nodded.


    ¡°Alright, five bottles of Nine Cauldron Pills it is. I agree!


    ¡°Also, you can choose the location and time of the bet. It¡¯ll be a fair battle for you!¡±


    Lin Shen said calmly, ¡°There¡¯s no need to go through so much trouble. Let¡¯s do it now. I¡¯m in a hurry to go back and cultivate.¡±


    ¡°How arrogant!¡±


    Shan Jingchun¡¯s face turned livid.


    Lin Shen¡¯s indifference made Shan Jingchun very angry.


    ¡°After you lose, let¡¯s see if you can still maintain your arrogant appearance!¡±


    Since there were no witnesses, the two of them took the cultivation oath.


    After swearing an oath and agreeing to the bet, Shan Jingchun immediately rushed toward Lin Shen.


    He couldn¡¯t wait to teach this arrogant fellow a lesson!


    Just like Shan Wenqi, Shan Jingchun cultivated the Golden Killing Sword and held the Golden Killing Compass in his hand.


    However, his attainments in the technique were clearly far superior to Shan Wenqi¡¯s.


    As soon as he attacked, thousands of strands of golden sword energy swept toward Lin Shen. The momentum was extremely terrifying.


    Facing such a fierce attack, Lin Shen remained unperturbed. With a thought, five drops of ink-ck water jumped out of the top of his head and spun forward to meet the golden sword aura..

 Chapter 339 - 339: It Feels Good (1)

    Chapter 339: It Feels Good (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    ¡°Nether Yin Heavy Water!¡±


    Shan Jingchun¡¯s expression instantly became iparably solemn.


    In order to take back Gale Ind, the Shan family had made sufficient preparations for this gamble. They also investigated Lin Shen¡¯s strengths in detail.


    The Nether Yin Heavy Water wasn¡¯t a rare cultivation technique. On the contrary, it was quite famous in the cultivation world.


    From the descriptions of the few disciples who had watched the battle, one of the elders of the Shan family recognized it as the Nether Yin Heavy Water.


    Shan Jingchun was already mentally prepared for this. In fact, he wasn¡¯t too afraid.


    His Golden Killing Sword had long been cultivated to the fourth level and was only a step away from perfection.


    Not to mention that he had the help of many treasures. He wasn¡¯t afraid of even the Nether Yin Heavy Water.


    He wasn¡¯t a piece of trash like Shan Wenqi!


    However, the scene in front of him was beyond his expectations.


    ording to Li Mengfei and the others, Lin Shen had clearly just cultivated this technique and had only condensed two drops of Nether Yin Heavy Water. But what was going on now?


    There were a total of five drops!


    A single drop of Nether Yin Heavy Water had the power of hundreds of tons, making it difficult to deal with.


    Even one additional drop would be a considerable increase in one¡¯sbat strength. It was no less than having an additional profound armament out of thin air!


    Shan Jingchun¡¯s expression turned extremely ugly.


    In just one month, Lin Shen had condensed three more drops of Nether Yin Heavy Water!


    When did the Nether Yin Heavy Water condense so easily?


    Or was the aptitude of a first-grade spirit meridian that shocking?


    While Shan Jingchun was still in shock, the energy of the Golden Killing Sword had already collided with the Nether Yin Heavy Water!


    Back then, a drop of Nether Yin Heavy Water had crushed hundreds of strands of sword energy from Shan Wenqi. Now that five drops had appeared at the same time, and with the effect of the power from Innate Spirit Body, they were unstoppable.


    In almost an instant, thousands of strands of energy were crushed by the Nether Yin Heavy Water head-on!


    The five drops of Nether Yin Heavy Water only paused for a moment, and their color dimmed a little. Then, they continued to charge in Shan Jingchun¡¯s direction.


    Shan Jingchun¡¯s heart sank, but he didn¡¯t panic. He reached out and threw out a treasure.


    It was a foot-long cloud-patterned red brush with a goldencquered shaft. Once it was in the air, it flew toward the Nether Yin Heavy Water like a sharp sword.


    This brush was filled with spiritual light. It was clearly a powerful profound armament. With a light brush, a drop of Nether Yin Heavy Water instantly seemed to have been struck by lightning. In the blink of an eye, its color dimmed a lot. It flew back to Lin Shen and disappeared into his head.


    As for the red brush, it rushed towards the other four drops of Nether Yin Heavy Water without stopping.


    In just a few seconds, the four drops of Nether Yin Heavy Water followed suit and returned to Lin Shen¡¯s body.


    The red brush seemed to have the ability to break spells. If Lin Shen hadn¡¯t seized the opportunity and retracted the Nether Yin Heavy Water in time, the five drops of Nether Yin Heavy Water would have been annihted by the red brush.


    After repelling the Nether Yin Heavy Water, less than 10% of the thick spiritual light in the red brush remained. Shan Jingchun took it back.


    Looking at the dim spiritual light on the red brush, Shan Jingchun couldn¡¯t help but feel his heartache.


    This brush was so powerful that even cultivation techniques like the eight divine powers were no match for it.


    The only w was that it had to be nurtured with spiritual essence for a long time every time it was used, and it couldn¡¯t be used until the spiritual light recovered.


    From the looks of it, he wouldn¡¯t be able to use it for a few months.


    This was his most powerful trump card. He didn¡¯t expect to have to use it not long after the battle started.


    Shan Jingchun became more and more wary of Lin Shen, but he didn¡¯t show it on his face at all. Instead, he pretended that victory was in his hands.


    ¡°Without the Nether Yin Heavy Water, let¡¯s see what else you have!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Shan Jingchun flipped his wrist and took out another Dharma treasure.


    This time, it was a drawing scroll.


    Shan Jingchun threw the scroll up. It quickly unfolded showing densely packed spiritual beasts. They pounced or jumped, and their auras were extremely ferocious.


    The scroll expanded in the wind, and in the blink of an eye, it turned into a huge drawing that blotted out the sky. The demon beasts on it suddenly jumped up and leaped out of the painting, turning from illusion to reality.


    In the blink of an eye, hundreds of ferocious spiritual beasts appeared in the sky.


    As soon as they appeared, they roared at the sky and pounced at Lin Shen like a gust of wind!


    ¡°Let¡¯s test the power of my Hundred Demons Diagram!¡±


    Shan Jingchunughed proudly.


    This was a Dharma treasure given to him by the elders of the family. There were hundreds of spiritual beast souls refined inside, and every one of them had the strength of a first-level Spirit Nurturing Stage demon.


    Even ate-phase Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master would be overwrought if a hundred spiritual beasts attacked at the same time.


    This Hundred Demons Diagram was extremely powerful and was almost as good as a supreme-grade profound armament. Many disciples of the n were very envious.


    If not for the fact that they had to ensure that Shan Jingchun could defeat Lin Shen, the elders of the n wouldn¡¯t have given him this treasure.


    ¡°The elders have already promised me that as long as I defeat Lin Shen and take back Gale Ind, they¡¯ll give the Hundred Demons Diagram to me for good. With this Dharma treasure, my strength will definitely increase greatly. In the future, I¡¯ll be more confident in collecting natural treasures that can condense the seed of Mystic Light!¡±


    Thinking of this, Shan Jingchun grew excited. He stared fixedly at Lin Shen, wishing he could defeat him now and report back.


    Facing the countless spiritual beasts that were charging over aggressively, Lin Shen remained calm.


    He didn¡¯t seem to have done anything, but a streak of white aura suddenly surged out of his sleeve and enveloped his entire body. There was also a faint golden-red light mixed in the mist.


    It was the ck Tortoise Essence, the defensive Dharma treasure he had obtained from Lu Wansong!


    As Lin Shen made a hand seal, a golden-red light shed in the fog, forming a shadow that looked like a turtle¡¯s back and shielding the attacks from the front.


    The spiritual beast that pounced over collided with the fog, emitting a loud bang like a bronze hammer striking a bell. The ck Tortoise Essense trembled slightly before standing still..

 Chapter 340 - 340: It Feels Good (2)

    Chapter 340: It Feels Good (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Lin Shen¡¯s expression remained unchanged. With a wave of his hand, the tablet and the inkstone flew into the air. In the blink of an eye, they turned into two giant creatures that charged at the beasts with an intimidating momentum.


    With the enhancement of abundant spiritual essence, the spiritual light of the two Dharma treasures was dense. Wherever they passed, the spiritual beast was torn into pieces. They wailed repeatedly and turned into green smoke that dissipated in the air.


    The tablet and the inkstone only circled once before the densely packed beasts closest to Lin Shen were all killed.


    At the same time, sharp sword light suddenly cracked the ground and attacked. It pierced through the vital points of several spiritual beasts like lightning. Those spiritual beasts didn¡¯t even have the time to scream before they were minced into smoke.


    The Shadow ying Flying Sword, which was also obtained from Lu Wansong, also exploded with shocking power with the enhancement of the metal-element Supreme Secret spiritual essence.


    Shan Jingchun was dumbfounded. His eyes were wide open.


    Four profound armaments!


    Where did Lin Shen get so many profound armament Dharma treasures?


    Shan Jingchun was shocked and envious.


    Fortunately, he didn¡¯t know how many profound armaments Lin Shen had in his storage ring. Otherwise, his eyes would have popped out.


    Under the consecutive attacks of the three profound armaments, more than half of the hundred spiritual beasts died in the blink of an eye.


    On the other hand, Lin Shen was unharmed under the protection of the ck Tortoise Essence.


    Seeing this, Shan Jingchun finally realized that something was wrong, and panic appeared in his eyes.


    He had used all his methods, but he still couldn¡¯t gain the slightest advantage.


    On the contrary, Lin Shen had a calm expression from the beginning to the end. It was obvious that he hadn¡¯t used his full strength.


    ¡°Damn it! What¡¯s wrong with this kid? He¡¯s clearly just advanced to a cultivator master not long ago, but his strength is shocking!¡±


    Was a first-grade spirit meridian that powerful?


    Shan Jingchun gritted his teeth and took out the Golden Killing Compass again, releasing thousands of streaks of golden sword energy to attack Lin Shen.


    No matter how powerful the ck Tortoise Essence¡¯s defense was, it couldn¡¯t withstand the repeated attacks of the spiritual beast and the Golden Killing Sword. The turtle shell shadow looked like it was about to copse.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t want his Dharma treasure to be damaged, so he simply put away the ck Tortoise Essence.


    Seeing this, Shan Jingchun was overjoyed. He thought that Lin Shen had already exhausted all his tricks, so he immediately activated the Golden Killing Sword in one go.


    ng! ng!


    The iparably sharp Golden Killing Sword energynded on Lin Shen¡¯s body, but it was blocked by a thinyer of spiritual light and couldn¡¯t advance an inch.


    ¡°Heavenly Star Robe!¡±


    The joy on Shan Jingchun¡¯s face froze.


    The Nine Suns Sect¡¯s Alchemy and Weapon Division refined many profound armaments, including the Heavenly Star Robe.


    Such standard profound armaments were usually bestowed by the sect to disciples who had made contributions.


    Although it was only an inferior-grade profound armament, its defense was extraordinary. It was a Dharma treasure that many disciples dreamed of.


    Shan Jingchun didn¡¯t expect Lin Shen to have a second defensive profound armament and was caught off guard.


    However, he had already used up all his trump cards. Now that he was caught between a rock and a hard ce, he could only brace himself and continue to activate his sword energy to attack.


    In a little over ten seconds, Lin Shen had already killed all the surrounding spiritual beasts. With a point of his finger, the inkstone, the tablet, and the Shadow yer changed directions and charged toward Shan Jingchun.


    Shan Jingchun immediately panicked when he saw this. He hurriedly released his Golden Killing Sword to stop it. However, under the repeated attacks of the three profound armaments, he was losing fast. Not long after, the sword energy was hit by the tablet with a bang, and Shan Jingchun spat out a mouthful of blood.


    By now, Lin Shen had roughly figured out Shan Jingchun¡¯s capability


    His cultivation was indeed much higher than Shan Wenqi¡¯s. At the very least, he was at the sixth level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage and was only a step away from stepping into thete phase of that stage.


    More importantly, Shan Jingchun had many powerful Dharma treasures.


    The Golden Killing Compass, the Breaking Dharma Brush, the Hundred Demons Diagram¡­ Every single one of them was a powerful profound armament that ordinary cultivators couldn¡¯t obtain. They were probably all superior-grade.


    Lin Shen was sure that these Dharma treasures were given to Shan Jingchun at thest minute by the Shan family. Their goal was to ensure that Shan Jingchun could defeat him.


    If Shan Jingchun¡¯s opponent was a cultivator at the seventh or eighth level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage, they would really be overwhelmed by these three Dharma treasures.


    However, Lin Shen wasn¡¯t afraid.


    In terms of trump cards, he had never lost thepetition.


    He didn¡¯t want to expose his clone so quickly because he could get more things from the Shan family. If that hadn¡¯t been the case, Shan Jingchun would probably not even be able tost ten strikes from him!


    However, even without the clones, Shan Jingchun¡¯s defeat was already a foregone conclusion!


    Under Lin Shen¡¯s control, the three profound armaments attacked Shan Jingchun repeatedly.


    With 108 wisps of Supreme Secret spiritual essences, controlling several profound armaments at the same time was a piece of cake for Lin Shen.


    However, it was looking good for Shan Jingchun.


    Under the violent storm of attacks, his spiritual essence was quickly exhausted.


    After being sent flying again, Shan Jingchun finally couldn¡¯t hold on anymore. His face was pale as he shouted,


    ¡°I admit defeat. Brother Lin, please stop!¡±


    With a wave of Lin Shen¡¯s hand, the three profound armaments turned into streams of light and entered his sleeves. Meanwhile, he looked at Shan Jingchun with an unconcealed mocking expression.


    Shan Jingchun¡¯s face almost turned purple. He was filled with frustration and hatred. His lips moved, but he couldn¡¯t say anything.


    A moment ago, he had said that he was going to defeat Lin Shen, but his defeat happened in the blink of an eye. It was extremely embarrassing.


    More importantly, this battle was a total failure for him.


    Not only had he failed to take back Gale Ind, but he had also wasted five bottles of Nine Cauldron Pills. He didn¡¯t know how he would be reprimanded and punished by the elders of his family when he returned.


    Thinking of this, Shan Jingchun suddenly felt a sense of sorrow and depression.


    ¡°The Nine Cauldrons Pill will be delivered soon!¡±


    After saying this, Shan Jingchun turned around and left dejectedly. He couldn¡¯t bear to stay here anymore.


    Lin Shen suddenly said, ¡°If anyone from the Shan family still wants to bet with me, I¡¯m very happy toply. The stake will be the same as today. Five bottles of Nine Cauldron Pills.¡±


    As soon as he said this, Shan Jingchun almost tripped. After steadying himself, he hurriedly sped up and left.


    Lin Shen smiled and returned to Goldstream Isle.


    With five bottles of Nine Cauldron Pills in his hands, he was in a very good mood.


    When he first became Yu Siyu¡¯s disciple, she only gave him one bottle of Nine Cauldron Pills.


    This wasn¡¯t because Yu Siyu was stingy, but because the Nine Cauldron Pill was exceptionally precious.


    Even in the Shan family, it wasn¡¯t easy for the elite disciples to obtain a bottle of Nine Cauldron Pills.


    If the Shan family hadn¡¯t been so eager to take back Gale Ind, Lin Shen wouldn¡¯t have been able to obtain five bottles of Nine Cauldron Pills at once.


    These pills should be enough for him to break through to the third level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage!


    Moreover, there might be even more Nine Cauldron Pills for him soon¡ªas long as the Shan family still didn¡¯t intend to exchange the Star Sword Pill for Gale Ind.


    It feels great to have resources delivered to his door!


    The Shan family kept their word.


    Or rather, they didn¡¯t dare to go against the oath.


    The next day, they sent someone to deliver the Nine Cauldron Pills.


    At the same time, there was a second round of gamblingpetition.


    ¡°I¡¯m Shan Liangshan. I would like to spar with Brother Lin. The stakes will still be Gale Ind and five bottles of Nine Cauldron Pills. What do you think, Brother Lin?¡±


    Shan Liangshan cupped his hands at Lin Shen.


    Even though he was suppressing his spiritual energy, it still exuded a thick and extraordinary aura.


    In fact, this wasn¡¯t a surprise. As long as the Shan family wasn¡¯t stupid, after Shan Jingchun was defeated by Lin Shen, the strength and cultivation of the people they sent again would definitely far surpass Shan Jingchun.


    In fact, when they delivered the Nine Cauldron Pills the next day, they couldn¡¯t wait to propose another bet. Clearly, they didn¡¯t want to give Lin Shen a chance to use the Nine Cauldron Pills to increase his strength.


    That showed how much the Shan family feared Lin Shen!


    As his mind raced, Lin Shen had already figured out what was going on.


    However, he didn¡¯t mind at all and agreed without hesitation.


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    Hearing that, Shan Liangshan secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    What he was most worried about was that Lin Shen would stall for time and dy the bet. This would inevitably increase the variables.


    Although he said that, when he saw the faint smile on Lin Shen¡¯s face, Shan Liangshan felt an inexplicable sense of uneasiness.


    However, he quickly threw this uneasiness to the back of his mind.


    With Shan Jingchun¡¯s failure, the Shan family was fully prepared this time.


    Not only did they send him, an eighth-level Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master, but they also bestowed him with five superior-grade profound armaments.


    Unless it was a cultivator who had condensed the seed of Mystic Light, Shan Liangshan felt that no one in the same stage would be his match.


    Even Lin Shen was no exception!


    Shan Liangshan made up his mind and cupped his hands.


    ¡°Let¡¯s begin!¡±


    Lin Shen smiled.


    In the next moment, his figure suddenly blurred, and he instantly split into seven.


    !!!


    Shan Liangshan turned pale with fright.


    Clones?


    Lin Shen had such a divine power?


    However, he soon had no more time to be surprised.


    In the blink of an eye, Lin Shen and his six clones spread out and surrounded him in a certain formation.


    The Seven-section Array of Unmoving Mountain!


    The next moment, Shan Liangshan was engulfed in a storm of attacks!

 Chapter 341 - 341: Admit Defeat (1)

    Chapter 341: Admit Defeat (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    ¡°Was Shan Liangshan defeated?¡±


    Shan Qingzheng¡¯s hand that was holding the teacup trembled slightly, and a cold light shed in his eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Shan Qixing sighed deeply. There was still a trace of shock on his face as if he hadn¡¯tpletely digested the news he had just received.


    ¡°I heard from Liangshan that Lin Shen used a powerful technique that looks like a clone. He defeated Liangshan in just ten rounds!¡±


    Shan Qingzheng put down his teacup. His expression was so dark that it looked like a stormy night.


    Shan Jingchun¡¯s defeat had already made the family head very dissatisfied. To ensure that Shan Liangshan could defeat Lin Shen, they risked the family¡¯s reputation and secretly gave Shan Liangshan many powerful Dharma treasures.


    Logically speaking, with his cultivation level and all the Dharma treasures, Shan Liangshan shouldn¡¯t have lost to Lin Shen.


    But it just happened!


    How strong was that junior called Lin Shen?


    Shan Qingzheng¡¯s expression was a little ugly.


    They had paid so much but still couldn¡¯t take back Gale Ind. Even as an Elder, he would definitely be reprimanded by the family head.


    More importantly, even Shan Liangshan had lost. Who among the younger generation in the family could defeat Lin Shen?


    They couldn¡¯t possibly send the veteran cultivators in the family who had condensed the Mystic Light Seed to attack, right?


    The Shan family couldn¡¯t afford the humiliation of bullying the weak.


    Even if they were really willing to do this, the Fallen Sword Peak would definitely not stand by as Lin Shen was bullied.


    At this point, it was already wishful thinking to take back Gale Ind from Lin Shen through gamblingpetitions.


    Thinking of this, Shan Qingzheng couldn¡¯t help but feel frustrated.


    Shan Qixing carefully studied his expression and said tentatively, ¡°Why don¡¯t we let Weifeng do it? With his strength, he should have a high chance of defeating Lin Shen!¡±


    Shan Qingzheng rejected it without even thinking.


    ¡°No, the Weifeng is currently in seclusion to cultivate the Dark North Sword Scripture. It¡¯s a critical moment in hisprehension. We can¡¯t disturb him now.¡±


    After a pause, Shan Qingzheng sighed again.


    ¡°Moreover, if the Weifeng makes a move, we¡¯ll probably be criticized for bullying the weak. The Falling Sword Peak will definitely take action.¡±


    Apart from that, Shan Qingzheng actually had another concern.


    Lin Shen¡¯s strength was unfathomable. Even now, he couldn¡¯t see through the young man¡¯s true strength. If even the Shan Weifeng was defeated, the Shan family¡¯s reputation would definitely be damaged.


    On the contrary, Lin Shen¡¯s reputation would definitely far exceed the past.


    Even the master-disciple lineage would be much more famous.


    This was something he would never allow to happen!


    ¡°Then are we really going to exchange the Star Sword Pill for Gale Ind?¡±


    Shan Qixing frowned and looked a little unwilling.


    In order to exchange for the Star Sword Pill, the Shan family had given away ten profound armaments, including a supreme-grade profound armament that had already developed traces of spirituality and was only a step away from bing a spirit weapon!


    They had paid a huge price to obtain the Star Sword Pill. How could they be willing to give it to the master-disciple lineage?


    ¡°The resources we invested on Gale Ind are more valuable than the Star Sword Pill. We can¡¯t let the ind fall into the hands of the master-disciple lineage.¡± Shan Qingzheng shook his head.


    In fact, if it weren¡¯t for the fact that the master-disciple lineage didn¡¯t want topletely fall out with the Shan family, it would be hard to say if they could ever get Gale Ind back.


    ¡°What about Weifeng? The Star Sword Pill was meant for him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll personally exin to him. In three months, the Star Sect will open its doors again. At that time, the family will exchange for another sword pill.¡±


    Although he said that, Shan Qingzheng still felt sorry for their loss.


    Profound armaments weren¡¯t something one could find in a street market. No matter how wealthy the Shan family was, they couldn¡¯t juste up with arge number of profound armaments to exchange for the Star Sword Pill. This time, it really cost them greatly.


    Shan Qixing also realized it and couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    Before this, he couldn¡¯t imagine that the Shan family would be so overwrought by a young man in his early twenties.


    Perhaps part of the reason was that Yu Siyu was behind Lin Shen, but the main reason was because of Lin Shen¡¯s extraordinary aptitude and astonishing strength.


    He had just advanced to a cultivator master and was already able to defeat Shan Jingchun and Shan Liangshan. What would happen in a few years?


    Thinking of this, Shan Qixing couldn¡¯t help but feel a little resentful toward Shan Wenqi.


    If Shan Wenqi hadn¡¯t rashly provoked Lin Shen and even used Gale Ind as a bet, there wouldn¡¯t be so much trouble now.


    ¡°Go, settle this matter as soon as possible and take back the ind to prevent any idents from happening.¡± Shan Qingzheng waved his hand with disinterest.


    Shan Qixing lowered his head slightly and cupped his hands.


    After defeating Shan Liangshan, Lin Shen knew that the Shan Family wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to send someone over to get defeated again.


    He was right.


    Two dayster, the Shan family sent people to Goldstream Isle with the Star Sword Pill and five bottles of Nine Cauldron Pills.


    Looking at the sword pill and the Nine Cauldron Pills in front of him, Lin Shen couldn¡¯t help but feel amazed.


    It was better to gamble andpete. Resources came quickly that way.


    It was a pity that the Shan family was unwilling to continuepeting with him. Otherwise, if he obtained more Nine Cauldron Pills, it might be enough for him to break through to the middle phase of the Spirit Nurturing Stage.


    Gale Ind wasn¡¯t of much use to Lin Shen. It was undoubtedly worth it to exchange for a precious Star Sword Pill and ten bottles of Nine Cauldron Pills.


    Lin Shen was in a good mood. He picked up the Star Sword Pill and examined it carefully.


    The sword pill was the size of a fist and was surrounded by spiritual essence and stardust.


    If one felt it carefully, one could also feel the vitality contained in it. There was a faint sound of breathing.


    Sword pills were also divided into Five Elements and Yin and Yang.


    Only by refining a sword pill of the same element could one maximize their strength.


    However, the Star Sword Pill was different. It didn¡¯t belong to any element..

 Chapter 342 - 342: Admit Defeat (2)

    Chapter 342: Admit Defeat (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Only after being refined by a cultivator master would the spiritual essence evolve into the corresponding element.


    This was also one of the reasons why the Star Sword Pill was sought after by sword cultivators.


    After all, most of the sword pills were extremely precious. It would be a miracle if one could get their hands on one pill. It wasn¡¯t easy to get a sword pill that matched one¡¯s spiritual essence.


    Even if one sessfully obtained a sword pill of the same element, most of them only had one element.


    For those sword cultivators with high spirit meridians and dual-element spiritual essence, a single-element sword pill wasn¡¯t good enough.


    However, the Star Sword Pill could eliminate this w.


    It could perfectly match the refiner¡¯s spiritual essence, even if it was a five-element spiritual essence.


    After scrutinizing it for a moment, Lin Shen smiled in satisfaction.


    The Star Sword Pill was even more spiritual than he had expected.


    With this sword pill and the Dark North Sword Scripture, his strength would quickly rise.


    After a while, Lin Shen calmed down and summoned the Sword Spirit Self clone. He gave the Star Sword Pill and the Dark North Sword Scripture for the clone toprehend.


    Suddenly, Lin Shen thought of something.


    He and his clone could share the Dark North Sword Scripture, but not the Star Sword Pill.


    In the future, if he used the Star Sword Pill against enemies, the other clones would have to fight bare-handed.


    ¡°Looks like I have to collect a few more sword pills.¡±


    Lin Shen felt a headacheing on.


    The sword pill wasn¡¯t like ordinary Dharma treasures. It was very hard toe by.


    His seven clones required a total of seven sword pills. Moreover, as the number of clones increased in the future, the number of sword pills would also increase.


    More importantly, ordinary sword pills couldn¡¯t exert the power of the Supreme Secret spiritual essence or the Dark North Sword Scripture.


    If he wanted to maximize his strength, it would be best if each clone refined a Star Sword Pill.


    However, to obtain seven Star Sword Pills¡­ even the Shan family wouldn¡¯t be able to do such a thing!


    ¡°Looks like I have to find an opportunity to go to the Star Sect after breaking through to the Mystic Light Stage.¡±


    Aftering back to his senses, Lin Shen turned his attention back to the Nine Cauldrons Pills.


    Ten bottles of Nine Cauldron Pills were more than enough for him to break through to the third level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage.


    Without further ado, Lin Shen immediately summoned the remaining clones and began to cultivate them.


    If he could break through to the third level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage before he went to the underground spirit cave, he would have a greater chance of protecting himself from danger.


    Fallen Sword Peak, Orchid Pavilion.


    Yu Siyu sat on the water mirror and calmly listened to Xia Mengran recount the events of the past few days.


    ¡°In that case, the Shan family has already admitted defeat and handed over the Star Sword Pills?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Xia Mengran nodded heavily. ¡°Just this morning, that old Shan Qingzheng sent someone to deliver the Star Sword Pills to Goldstream Isle!


    ¡°The Shan family has really been humiliated this time. They lost to Junior Brother Lin three times in a row. They wouldn¡¯t have the face to be so domineering and arrogant around everyone in the future!¡±


    Xia Mengran¡¯s tone was filled with undisguised gloating.


    Even though the Shan family tried their best to hide it and only let Shan Jingchun and Shan Liangshane alone during the gamblingpetition, unlike Shan Wenqi who had made such a scene. However, words got around. The news that the Shan family had suffered a huge loss at Lin Shen¡¯s hands had long spread.


    Many people knew about this matter. While they were amazed by Lin Shen¡¯s strength, they also mocked the Shan family for what had happened.


    Many people were secretly dissatisfied with the Shan family¡¯s high-profile actions.


    Now that they heard that the Shan family had suffered a huge loss, they naturally took the opportunity to kick the family when they were down.


    Yu Siyu was used to Xia Mengran¡¯s temperament. Seeing that thetter was gloating, she didn¡¯t mind. Instead, she pondered slightly.


    To be honest, Lin Shen¡¯s performance exceeded her expectations.


    Yu Siyu had long known that the Shan family wanted to take back Gale Ind through gambling.


    However, she wanted to see how far her disciple could go, so she had been holding back.


    Unless Lin Shen couldn¡¯t hold on any longer and came to seek help, Yu Siyu wouldn¡¯t make a move.


    However, Lin Shen¡¯s performance surprised her.


    Shan Jingchun and Shan Liangshan were powerful and had many Dharma treasures bestowed by the Shan family. They were undoubtedly extremely troublesome opponents.


    However, Lin Shen easily defeated the two of them, forcing the Shan family to admit defeat.


    It was only today that Yu Siyu suddenly realized that she had underestimated this disciple.


    ¡°Master!¡±


    Xia Mengran¡¯s voice made Yu Siyue back to her senses. She looked at her master with bright eyes.


    ¡°I think Junior Brother should be able to participate in the Three Sect Competition.¡±


    Yu Siyu¡¯s eyes shed.


    Xia Mengran already brought up the same topic not long ago.


    At that time, Yu Siyu rejected it immediately, thinking that Lin Shen had only been promoted to cultivator master for a short period of time and wasn¡¯t qualified to participate in the Three Sect Competition.


    But now she was wavering.


    With Lin Shen¡¯s current growth speed, he might really have enough strength to participate in the Three Sect Competition in five months.


    The Three Sect Competition was a grand event in Dragonside City. If one could obtain a ranking in thepetition, even Mystic Light Stage cultivators would be tempted by generous rewards.


    After a moment of silence, Yu Siyu said gently, ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    If possible, she naturally hoped that Lin Shen could participate in the Three Sect Competition.


    Time flew by.


    In the blink of an eye, more than a month had passed.


    In the cave abode on Goldstream Isle.


    Lin Shen sat cross-legged on the ground and stared fixedly at the void in front of him.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Pure Yang Body, Innate Spirit Body]


    [Stage: Level 3 Spirit Nurturing, 82%]


    [Cultivation techniques: Supreme Secret Technique (Level 1, 78%), Golden Wheel Lightning Tome (Level 1, 89%), Nether Yin Heavy Water (Level 2, 24%), Dark North Sword Scripture (Level 1, 2% ¡­]


    [Spell: Seven Arts Sword Energy (Perfection, Level 7), Lightning Palm


    (Perfection, Level 5)¡­]


    [Number of clones: 7 (69%)]


    With the support of sufficient Nine Cauldron Pills, Lin Shen sessfully advanced to the third level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage.


    Moreover, he wasn¡¯t far from breaking through to the fourth level.


    Even without the Nine Cauldron Pills, he could break through in half a month at most.


    At that time, he would be a mid-phase Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master.


    In addition, ten drops of Nether Yin Heavy Water had sessfully condensed in Lin Shen¡¯s body.


    The cultivation had also allowed the Nether Yin Heavy Water to break through to the second level.


    Because he was focused on cultivating the Nether Yin Heavy Water, the progress of the Golden Wheel Lightning Tome was rtively slow. However, it wasn¡¯t far from breaking through.


    However, what made Lin Shen the happiest was sessfully reaching Beginner in Dark North Sword Scripture.


    ¡°As expected of one of the eight divine powers of the sect. It¡¯s extremely difficult to cultivate. Even the Sword Spirit Self clone took more than a month to reach Beginner.¡±


    Lin Shen sighed.


    The Sword Spirit Self clone had the effect of increasing the cultivation speed of swordsmanship by 200% and he also had a transcendent-grade spirit meridian. Even so, it still took him more than a month to reach Beginner.


    Any other cultivator master probably wouldn¡¯t be able to reach Beginner even after six months.


    No wonder the sect stipted that disciples could only cultivate two of the eight divine powers at most.


    Two divine powers like the sword scripture were enough for ordinary cultivators to cultivate and study for their entire lives.


    Any more techniques would definitely divert one¡¯s attention and drag down their cultivation.


    Only he had so many clones that he could ignore this rule.


    H


    I¡¯veprehended that the sword scripture isplete. Next, I can start refining the sword pill.¡±


    Lin Shen took out the Star Sword Pill and bit the tip of his tongue without hesitation. He spat out a mist of blood essence on the sword pill and silently formed a hand seal. ording to the Dharmic formtion contained in the Dark North Sword Scripture, he swallowed the sword pill into his aperture and slowly refined it with the Supreme secret spiritual essence.


    This process didn¡¯t happen overnight.


    Although Lin Shen had 108 mouthfuls of spiritual essence and could refine them day and night without stopping, he would not be able to refine them without ten days or half a month.


    However, once the refinement was sessful, the Star Sword Pill would be connected to his mind. Even if he was miles away, the sword pill could fly over with a wave of his hand.


    After condensing the seed of Mystic Light, he could use the sword pill to fly. It was much faster than a flying ship.


    Only then would the goal that Lin Shen had set that day be truly achieved.


    ¡°Everything has been prepared. It¡¯s time to set off for the underground spirit cave.¡±


    Lin Shen stood up and walked out of the Cave Abode.


    He quickly found Ai.


    She was absorbing spiritual essence by the stream.


    There was abundant spiritual essence on Goldstream Isle. After arriving on the ind, Ai didn¡¯t need to wait until night to breathe in the moonlight. She could also cultivate during the day.


    Her cultivation progress was much faster than when she was in the East District.


    It wouldn¡¯t be long before she could transcend human tribtion and be a demon cultivator.


    Without disturbing Ai, Lin Shen quietly opened the restriction and left Goldstream Isle..

 Chapter 343 - 343: War Situation (1)

    Chapter 343: War Situation (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    The war between the Nine Suns Sect and the Blood Sea Sect was in full swing.


    Although Lin Shen didn¡¯t pay much attention, he heard that the sect seemed to be at a disadvantage.


    After all, their opponent was a powerful sect that ruled arge city, while the Nine Suns Sect was only one of the three major sects in Dragonside City. Even if the difference in strength wasn¡¯t huge, it was very obvious.


    Because of this, the Nine Suns Sect issued a spirit cave recruitment mission in the Merit Hall. The rewards were abnormally generous, just to attract more disciples to participate in the spirit cave war.


    Lin Shen first went there and epted the recruitment mission. He received the token to enter the underground spirit cave before leaving the mountain gate and rushing to the Dragon Abyss Mountain Range.


    Riding the Cloud Vessel, Lin Shen arrived at the underground spirit cave not long after that.


    The once deste and secluded mountain peak had now be noisy and lively. Clouds and flying ships were everywhere.


    The light emitted by spells and Dharma treasures almost dyed the sky above the entire mountain in a rainbow of colors.


    Lin Shen released his spiritual senses and quickly sensed theyers of restrictions that enveloped the entire mountain peak.


    Even without personally experiencing it, he could clearly sense the power of these restrictions.


    Even if a Reverse Elixir Stage mighty figure came, they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to break through theseyers of restrictions any time soon.


    ¡°Looks like the sect has put in a lot of effort here!¡± Lin Shen thought to himself.


    Most of these restrictions were to stop people froming out. It was obvious who the target was.


    After putting away the flying ship, Lin Shen took out a token, opened the restriction, andnded on the mountainside.


    Immediately, the disciples came forward to check the tokens.


    Although it was a checkup, his expression was very respectful.


    After all, those who could ept the recruitment mission were all cultivator masters.


    The patrolling disciples on the mountain peak were all at the Bright Aperture Stage. Naturally, they didn¡¯t dare to slight these cultivator masters.


    After making sure that everything was in line, the disciple handed the token back to Lin Shen with both hands and said respectfully,


    ¡°Senior Brother Lin, this is the first time you¡¯ve epted a recruitment mission. ording to the rules, you need to go to the Elder guarding the ce, and the Elder will arrange the specific mission.¡±


    Wars between sects were different from ordinary battles. It was impossible for disciples to act on their own. Instead, it was nned by a few guarding Elders. They would issue missions, and disciples whopleted the missions could obtain merit points and use them to exchange for various resources.


    Lin Shen nodded slightly and asked where the guarding Elders were. Then, he thanked the patrolling disciples and turned to walk into the cave.


    The wide cave was filled with array gs. In the center of the white jade fence, the deep eye of the cave was suffused with arge amount of silver light. They intertwined to form a vortex-like ball of light that slowly sank.


    After the war with the Blood Sea Sect broke out, the Sect Master personally set up an array formation to maintain the opening of the spirit cave so that the sect could continue to send disciples in.


    However, this method consumed an astronomical amount of resources. The entire Nine Suns Sect wouldn¡¯t be able to hold on for long.


    If they were unable to defeat the Blood Sea Sect in the next few years andpletely upy the spirit cave, the Nine Suns Sect would undoubtedly fall into a predicament.


    At that time, they would either give up on the spirit cave or take a step back and allow Raging Waves Sect and Azure Frost Sect to participate in the battle with Blood Sea Sect.


    In that case, although they had to share the spirit cave with the other two sects, it was better than losing itpletely.


    While he was thinking, Lin Shen had already jumped into the ball of vortex light.


    When his vision returned to normal, he was already in the spirit cave.


    Looking around, there were densely packed caves in all directions. It was unknown where they led to.


    The stctites hanging overhead were like sharp stakes.


    The scene was exactly the same as when he first entered the spirit cave.


    However, Lin Shen acutely sensed that the spiritual essence in the air was clearly much more restless than before. Perhaps it was because there had been too many battles in the spirit cave recently.


    After calming himself down, Lin Shen took out a map and identified the direction before flying toward the sect camp.


    The sect camp was set about a kilometer away from the entrance of the spirit cave.


    This distance was nothing for Lin Shen. Before long, a series of towers and courtyards came into view, extending horizontally for a few kilometers.


    A faint spiritual light enveloped the entire buildingplex. That was the protective array formation set up by the Elders.


    The token was useless here because they didn¡¯t want a Blood Sea Sect cultivator to steal the token and pretended to be a Nine Suns Sect disciple. Lin Shen stopped in front of the array formation and reported his name and Master to the two cultivators who came forward.


    Upon hearing Lin Shen¡¯s name, the two cultivator masters were immediately shocked. They sized Lin Shen up as if they were looking at some rare beast.


    It was obvious that the battle between Lin Shen and the Shan family had already spread to the spirit cave underground.


    When he returned to his senses, one of the cultivator masters cupped his fists hurriedly. ¡°Brother Lin, please wait a moment. I¡¯ll report to the elders now!¡±


    After saying that, he quickly turned around and flew into the array.


    The other cultivator master seemed to be worried that Lin Shen would be dissatisfied and immediately exined,


    ¡°Cultivators whoe to the spirit cave for the first time need the Elder guarding the spirit cave to collect a trace of aura and integrate it into the array formation. There¡¯s no need to check if they enter or leave in the future.¡±


    Realization dawned on Lin Shen. He waved his hand to indicate that he didn¡¯t mind.


    A momentter, the cultivator master who left returned with a handsome man in his thirties.


    After taking a few quick steps forward, the man came in front of Lin Shen and said with a smile,


    ¡°Uncle-Master, please follow me. The guarding Elders are currently issuing missions.¡±


    Uncle-Master?


    Lin Shen was stunned. What was going on?


    Seeing the puzzled expression on Lin Shen¡¯s face, the man seemed to have thought of something. He patted his forehead and exined..

 Chapter 344 - 344: War Situation (2)

    Chapter 344: War Situation (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    ¡°That was very careless of me. I forgot to mention it. Uncle-Master, my name is Liao Sen. My Master¡¯s name is Ji Yunze.¡±


    Ji Yunze?


    Lin Shen was a little perplexed.


    He had just arrived at the sect and spent most of his time cultivating on Goldstream Isle. He wasn¡¯t familiar with many interpersonal rtionships in the sect.


    However, he found the name Ji Yunze a little familiar. Xia Mengran seemed to have mentioned it to him before.


    He seemed to be a warden of the Military Department.


    Suddenly, a thought shed across Lin Shen¡¯s mind. He asked, ¡°Master Huo is¡­¡±


    Liao Sen smiled and said, ¡°He¡¯s my Grandmaster.¡±


    Lin Shen was instantly enlightened.


    He was referring to Huo Enrong, the head of the Military Department.


    The first time Lin Shen heard this name was when the sect was crusading against the Tiger Tribe.


    At that time, the person in charge of the crusade was Huo Enrong.


    The head of the Military Department was ranked in the top ten in the entire Nine Suns Sect in terms of status and power.


    More importantly, Huo Enrong belonged to the master-disciple lineage and was Yu Siyu¡¯s Senior Brother.


    In other words, in terms of seniority, Lin Shen and Liao Sen¡¯s master, Ji Yunze, belonged to the same generation.


    From this point of view, it made sense that Liao Sen addressed Lin Shen as his Uncle-Master.


    Lin Shen didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry.


    Liao Sen was at least ten years older than him. It felt strange to be addressed as Uncle-Master by such a person.


    Lin Shen simply said, ¡°Brother Liao, why don¡¯t we forget about seniority? You can just call me by my name.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Liao Sen hesitated for a moment, but in the end, he agreed. ¡°Then I¡¯ll ept it respectfully. Brother Lin, after you!¡±


    To be honest, Liao Sen was relieved.


    After all, it felt wrong to address a young man who was more than ten years younger than him as Uncle-Master.


    Of course, he was still very impressed by Lin Shen.


    The matter between Lin Shen and the Shan family had long been known by everyone.


    To be able to defeat people like Dan Jingchun and Dan Liangshan at the age of 20 was truly admirable!


    Liao Sen knew he wouldn¡¯t even have the confidence to defeat Shan Jingchun, let alone Shan Liangshan.


    It was also because of this that when he heard that Lin Shen had arrived, he volunteered to greet him in person.


    After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two of them walked side by side into the camp.


    ¡°The Blood Sea Sect has been very restless recently. They¡¯re probably preparing tounch a new wave of attacks. After some discussion, the guarding Elders decided to strike first and seize a few array points!¡±


    On the way, Liao Sen told Lin Shen about the situation in the spirit cave.


    With his exnation, Lin Shen had a rough understanding of the current situation in the spirit cave.


    The war between the two sects could be divided into two parts.


    The first was a battle between top-notchbatants.


    In other words, it was a battle between Mystic Light Stage cultivator masters.


    To Mystic Light cultivators, Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator masters were just ants that they could kill casually. Even those who had condensed the seed of Mystic Light were only slightlyrger ants.


    Once a Mystic Light stage cultivator master attacked a Spirit Nurturing Stage one, it would definitely be a disaster for thetter.


    Therefore, the two sects gradually formed a tacit understanding that the Mystic Light Stage cultivator masters on both sides wouldn¡¯t attack each other¡¯s Spirit Nurturing Stage juniors and only fought the other Mystic Light Stage ones.


    Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator masters were insignificant in this war.


    In fact, they also had very important responsibilities.


    The Blood Sea Sect and Nine Suns Sect had set up arge number of array points in the spirit cave using array gs. They were connected to each other and formed arge-scale array formation simr to a spirit gathering array.


    With the help of the array formation, cultivators could mobilize the spiritual essence in the spirit cave in battle and greatly increase their strength.


    The more array points there were, the more spiritual essence a cultivator master could mobilize.


    A battle between Mystic Light Stage cultivator masters would also be affected by the array formation.


    However, there were only a limited number of suitable ces to set up array points in the spirit cave. In order topete for these array points, there were many battles between the two sects.


    In the end, the mission of the Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator masters became to upy more array points and provide help to the Mystic Light Stage ones of their sects.


    This was the second part of the war!


    ¡°How many array points have we upied now?¡± Lin Shen asked.


    Liao Sen sighed and said with a solemn expression, ¡°There are 183 array points in the spirit cave now. Our sect only takes up 79, which is less than half of them!


    ¡°Because of this, the elders were repeatedly at a disadvantage against the Mystic Light Stage cultivator masters of the Blood Sea Sect.¡±


    Lin Shen frowned slightly.


    Seventy-nine versus one hundred and four. That was a lot of difference.


    The Nine Suns Sect was not as strong as the Blood Sea Sect, to begin with. If they had the advantage in numbers, how could the Nine Suns Sect have any chance of winning?


    However, judging from the current situation, the Nine Suns Sect was clearly at a disadvantage.


    ¡°There are many more cultivator masters from the Blood Sea Sect who have entered the spirit cave than us. Be it in holding down or attacking the array points, our sect has insufficient manpower. We can barely guard the array points in our hands.¡± Liao Sen shook his head and sighed.


    As they conversed, the two of them arrived in front of the tower at the center of the camp.


    Liao Sen stopped talking and walked in with Lin Shen.


    The space inside the tower was far more spacious than it looked from the outside. Clearly, some kind of array formation was used.


    Many cultivator masters were walking back and forth, all of them in a hurry with solemn expressions.


    Liao Sen gestured to Lin Shen and led the way upstairs.


    He was clearly quite famous here. Along the way, many people looked at him and even noticed Lin Shen beside him.


    Soon, someone recognized Lin Shen.


    ¡°It¡¯s Lin Shen!¡±


    ¡°That Lin Shen who defeated Shan Jingchun and Shan Liangshan?¡±


    ¡°Who else could it be? 1 didn¡¯t expect him toe to the spirit cave.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very normal. The rewards for this recruitment mission are too generous. It¡¯s not surprising that Lin Shen will be tempted!¡±


    In the current Nine Suns Sect, Lin Shen was undoubtedly the most popr cultivator master of the younger generation.


    Especially after the recent conflict between him and the Shan family, many people had heard of his name.


    As more and more people recognized Lin Shen, there was amotion.


    ¡°Quiet! What¡¯s with all the noise!¡±


    A deep voice suddenly came from upstairs, silencing the noisy discussion.


    All the cultivator masters shut up and continued with their work.


    Liao Sen gave Lin Shen a look, and the two of them quickened their pace and walked upstairs.


    In the spacious and bright top-floor hall, seven Elders sat around the room with solemn expressions.


    The auras of these seven people weren¡¯t obvious, and they looked like ordinary people. However, only cultivator masters knew how powerful they were.


    Sitting at the head of the table was a handsome man in his mid-twenties. He had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes.


    At the level of the Mystic Light Stage, appearance became meaningless.


    As long as one wanted to, a cultivator master at this stage could restore their appearance to any age and could even look like a child.


    Moreover, because their bodies were cleansed and nourished by spiritual essence, there were almost no bad-looking Mystic Light Stage cultivator masters. Without exception, they were all handsome men and beautiful women.


    However, quite a few Mystic Light Stage cultivator masters would still maintain their appearances as elderly people.


    For example, among the seven Mystic Light cultivator masters in front of him, three of them had white hair and snow-white long beards. They looked like sage-like old men.


    Beforeing here, Liao Sen had introduced the Elders guarding the camp to Lin Shen.


    With what he had heard previously, Lin Shen quickly recognized the seven Elders here.


    The young man sitting at the head was Elder Qi Dao.


    Although he was only an Elder and wasn¡¯t an institute head, Qi Dao¡¯s status in the sect was only higher than the institute heads, second only to the Sect Master.


    Moreover, it was said that he already reached the ninth level of the Mystic Light Stage ten years ago.


    Many disciples guessed that Elder Qi Dao would advance to the Reverse Elixir Stage soon.


    Among the remaining six, apart from the two Elders, the other four were all institute heads of the various departments.


    What was worth mentioning was that apart from Qi Dao, half of the remaining six Elders were from the master-disciple lineage, and the other half were from influential families.


    As soon as Lin Shen stepped into the hall, the seven Elders looked over.


    After sizing him up for a moment, Qi Dao nodded slightly and smiled.


    ¡°Good. You¡¯re very talented. Master Yu has taken in a good disciple..¡±

 Chapter 345 - 345: Difficult Bone to Chew (1)

    Chapter 345: Difficult Bone to Chew (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    As soon as Qi Dao finished speaking, all the Elders present had different expressions.


    The three Elders of the master-disciple lineage smiled and nodded, casting gentle gazes at Lin Shen.


    The three Elders of the influential families were expressionless as they looked at Lin Shen indifferently.


    ¡°He¡¯s the first genius in the history of our sect to forge a first-grade spirit meridian. His talent is naturally outstanding.¡±


    The person who chimed in was Elder Wen Jintian, the head of the Disciplinary Department, an eighth-level Mystic Light Stage cultivator master.


    The Disciplinary Department was in charge of punishing disciples who vited the sect¡¯s rules. It was a ce that made countless disciples pale.


    However, the head of the Disciplinary Department had a kind face and a warm expression. He looked like a kind old man.


    Lin Shen bowed slightly with a calm expression and said, ¡°Elder Wen, you tter me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not arrogant or impatient. Good,¡± Wen Jintian praised Lin Shen again.


    An influential family Elder cleared his throat. ¡°Let¡¯s get down to business.¡±


    Wen Jintian chuckled and didn¡¯t say anything else.


    Qi Dao stared at Lin Shen with bright eyes and said sternly,


    ¡°Although you¡¯re Master Yu¡¯s disciple, since you¡¯vee to the spirit cave, we have to treat everyone equally. Like the other disciples, we won¡¯t give you any preferential treatment. You¡¯d better have this realization.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Lin Shen immediately said.


    He knew that Qi Dao¡¯s words were meant for the three Elders of the influential families.


    Judging from that, Qi Dao should be leaning toward the master-disciple lineage.


    Hearing this, Qi Dao smiled and nodded. With a wave of his hand, an ink map instantly appeared on the long table in front of him.


    He didn¡¯t make any movements, but the surface of the map immediately emitted a faint light, forming a lifelike three-dimensional map.


    It was the detailed terrain of the spirit cave.


    Lin Shen had seen Xie Jingsheng use a simr Dharma treasure when they were conquering the Tiger Tribe. He wasn¡¯t surprised to see this and only listened.


    ¡°Liao Sen should have told you the details.¡±


    Seeing Lin Shen nod, Qi Dao continued,


    ¡°You¡¯re new here. Logically speaking, I should assign you some simple scouting missions to familiarize you with the situation. However, the current situation is urgent, and there¡¯s no time for you to adapt.¡±


    At this point, Qi Dao paused. Seeing that Lin Shen¡¯s expression was still calm, he couldn¡¯t help but nod inwardly.


    Master Yu¡¯s disciple was indeed outstanding. Not only was he talented and powerful, but his temperament was also extraordinary. He wasn¡¯t shocked by favor or humiliation.


    A look of admiration shed across his eyes. Qi Dao pointed at three ces on the map and continued.


    ¡°There are array points in all three ces, and they are all upied by the Blood Sea Sect. Your next mission is to seize one of the array points and guard it for at least a month.¡±


    Lin Shen focused his attention on those three ces.


    The map phantom was very realistic,pletely replicating the true terrain of the spirit cave.


    The three ces that Qi Dao pointed at were marked with array gs, indicating that there were array points here.


    Besides the pattern, there was also abel in small words indicating the garrison force of the Blood Sea Sect at the array point that the sect disciples had discovered.


    There were five Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator masters at the weakest formation point, including at least one mid-phase one.


    There were as many as ten Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator masters in the strongest garrison, and it was very likely that there werete-stage ones involved.


    Of course, this information might not bepletely urate and could only be used as a reference.


    Lin Shen quickly looked at the three array points, and he instantly understood all the information.


    But in the next second, his gaze suddenly froze.


    This was because he suddenly noticed that one of the three formation points was set beside an underground river.


    ording to the cat general, the underground river in the underground spirit cave was often a natural source of Yin energy. The surrounding air was cold, and the water was abundant. It was most suitable for cultivating the Nether Yin Heavy Water.


    If he could take down this array point, he could use the cold air to condense the Nether Yin Heavy Water whilepleting the mission. It was killing two birds with one stone.


    Lin Shen was overjoyed.


    Arge part of the reason he came to the underground spirit cave was to find the Yin energy vein to cultivate the Nether Yin Heavy Water. He didn¡¯t expect to find his target the moment he arrived at the spirit cave. He felt very lucky.


    Qi Dao didn¡¯t know what Lin Shen was thinking. Seeing that Lin Shen was silent, he thought that the young man was thinking. He waited patiently for a moment before asking,


    ¡°Have you decided which array point to choose?¡±


    Lin Shen had already made up his mind. Hearing this, he said without thinking, ¡°I¡¯ll choose the C-3 array point!¡±


    The formation points on the map were all named after the serial number, and the C-3 formation point was the formation point with the strongest garrison.


    As soon as Lin Shen finished speaking, Qi Dao looked a little stunned. The other six Eiders also had strange expressions.


    The hall fell into a strange silence.


    A momentter, Qi Dao asked with an inexplicable expression, ¡°Are you sure you want to choose the C-3 formation point?¡±


    These three array points were jointly discussed by the seven Elders. They had to be taken down in the near future, not specifically for Lin Shen.


    Even if Lin Shen didn¡¯te here, they would arrange for other people to attack themter.


    Lin Shen was just an idental choice.


    Among the three formation points, Qi Dao originally wanted Lin Shen to choose the D-5 formation point, which was the formation point with the weakest garrison.


    With Lin Shen¡¯s strength and cultivation, if he nned seriously, he could probably take down that formation point.


    However, the C-3 formation point¡­ In the Elders¡¯ original expectations, they had to mobilize many Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator masters to work together to take it down.


    Although Lin Shen was very capable, the chances of him taking down C-3 alone were really slim..

 Chapter 346 - 346: Difficult Bone to Chew (2)

    Chapter 346 - 346: Difficult Bone to Chew (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    However, Lin Shen didn¡¯t think so. He nodded without hesitation.


    Seeing that Lin Shen had made up his mind, Qi Dao gave him a long look and stopped trying to talk him out of it. He raised his hand slightly, and a stream of light rushed out.


    Lin Shen reached out to take it. It was a storage ring.


    ¡°There are the keys to setting up the array formations and the array gs required. After obtaining the C-3 array point, you just have to set up the array formation ording to the key instructions on the jade slip.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Elder Qi!¡±


    Lin Shen cupped his hands and left without any hesitation.


    It wasn¡¯t until Lin Shen left the hall that Wen Jintian frowned slightly and said in a low voice,


    ¡°Elder Qi, isn¡¯t it too risky to let Lin Shen attack the C-3 formation point alone?¡±


    Before Qi Dao could answer, another Elder suddenly spoke.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a good idea. Lin Shen¡¯s strength and cultivation level are the best among the younger generation of cultivators, and he¡¯s also the disciple of Master Yu. He¡¯s different from ordinary Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator masters. Perhaps he can really take down that formation point.¡±


    The person who spoke was Elder An Guanghai, one of the three elders of the influential family.


    Wen Jintian nced at An Guanghai coldly and snorted inwardly.


    Of course, he knew that An Guanghai didn¡¯t mean what he said. This guy couldn¡¯t wait for Lin Shen to take the risk. He probably wished Lin Shen could die in C-3.


    This way, the master-disciple lineage would have one less peerless genius, and the influential families would have one lesspetitor with great potential.


    Another influential family Elder chuckled and said, ¡°The young man is full of fighting spirit. We can¡¯t disappoint him.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s better to y safe,¡± said an Elder from the master-disciple lineage with a frown.


    Seeing that the two sides were about to be at daggers drawn, Qi Dao raised his hand in time to stop everyone and said calmly,


    ii


    Lin Shen isn¡¯t a reckless person. Since he dares to ept the mission to attack the C-3 formation point, it means that he¡¯s confident about his ability. Let¡¯s just wait and see.¡±


    To be honest, Qi Dao also didn¡¯t approve of Lin Shen choosing the C-3 formation point.


    However, as the leader of the guarding Elders, he wouldn¡¯t turn down his disciple¡¯s request for no reason.


    Since Lin Shen had decided to attack the formation point, he wouldn¡¯t reject it.


    Qi Dao also wanted to see if this young man whom the master-disciple lineage had ced high hopes on would really bring them a surprise.


    Qi Dao had a lot of prestige. The moment he spoke, the other six Elders immediately shut up.


    The three influential families¡¯ Elders looked at each other and sneered inwardly.


    The C-3 formation point was a tough nut to crack.


    It wasn¡¯t only because it had a strong garrison but also because this formation point was close to the center of the Blood Sea Sect¡¯s forces. It was surrounded by the Blood Sea Sect¡¯s formation points in three directions.


    Even if Lin Shen was lucky enough to take down the formation point, he would definitely have to face the Blood Sea Sect¡¯s endless counterattack.


    It was easier said than done to hold on for a month!


    This time, even if Lin Shen didn¡¯t die in battle, he would most likely escape in a sorry state.


    At that time, they would let their subordinates spread the news and take the opportunity to suppress Lin Shen¡¯s reputation!


    This junior¡¯s reputation had increased greatly recently. If they didn¡¯t do something now, it would probably be more and more difficult to suppress him in the future.


    As soon as he came out of the hall and walked down to the top floor, Liao Sen, who was waiting outside, greeted him.


    ¡°Brother Lin, how did it go? What mission did the Elders assign you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m to attack the formation point,¡± Lin Shen said.


    Liao Sen thought to himself, ¡°I knew it.¡±


    He knew that with Lin Shen¡¯s strength and cultivation level, he would definitely not be sent to trivial tasks like patrolling and investigating. Otherwise, it would be a waste of his talent.


    ¡°Which formation point is it? D-5 or B-7?¡± Liao Sen asked curiously.


    ¡°C-3.¡± Lin Shen smiled.


    Liao Sen was stunned when he heard that. After a while, he swallowed and said,


    ¡°Brother Lin, the situation at that formation point¡­¡±


    Lin Shen nodded and said, ¡°1 know.¡±


    Liao Sen was speechless. His eyes were filled with astonishment.


    From the looks of it, Lin Shen had taken on the mission to attack the C-3 formation point all by himself.


    There were no less than ten Blood Sea Sect cultivator masters guarding that formation point. Furthermore, there was a high chance that there werete-phase Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator masters there.


    How could Lin Shen attack that formation point alone?


    Even if he took it down, how could he defend it?


    Liao Sen knew much more than ordinary cultivator masters. After hesitating for a moment, he told the truth.


    ¡°Brother Lin, you might not know this, but the C-3 formation point is in a special location. Blood Sea Sect¡¯s formation points exist in its east, west, and north, and they resonate with each other from afar. Even if you take down the formation point, you¡¯ll definitely have to face Blood Sea Sect¡¯s fierce counterattack!¡±


    Lin Shen raised his eyebrows. He didn¡¯t expect the C-3 formation point to contain such danger.


    Even so, he still didn¡¯t n to change his n.


    Without risk, there would be no gains. The formation point had the characteristic of gathering spiritual essence, and the surrounding spiritual essence was much richer than other ces in the spiritual cave. Coupled with the Yin energy, it was very beneficial for cultivating the Nether Yin Heavy Water.


    He couldn¡¯t give up such a rare opportunity.


    As for the danger, Lin Shen didn¡¯t think much of it.


    Others thought that he was attacking the C-3 formation point alone, but only he knew that he had seven members on his side, and that excluding the Amaze the World clone.


    Ever since he used Amaze the Worldst time, Lin Shen had never used this trump card again.


    Until now, the Amaze the World clone had been nurtured for about half a year.


    Back when he was still at the Bright Aperture Stage, he could severely injure a Spirit Nurturing cultivator master with the Amaze the World clone that he had nurtured for half a year.


    Now that he was using it as a cultivator master, he didn¡¯t know how powerful it would be.


    He might be able to kill a cultivator master who had condensed the Mystic Light Seed in one strike!


    ¡°Brother Liao, don¡¯t worry. Do I look like someone who¡¯s courting death?¡± Lin Shen smiled.


    Liao Sen wanted to say something but hesitated.


    Although he had only interacted with Lin Shen for a short while, he could tell that Lin Shen wasn¡¯t a rash person who would make reckless moves.


    On the contrary, Lin Shen¡¯s every move gave people a sense of calmness.


    Naturally, such a person wouldn¡¯t rashly ept a mission that he couldn¡¯tplete.


    However, no matter how hard he racked his brains, he couldn¡¯t think of a way for Lin Shen to deal with the C-3 formation point, which was a hard nut to crack.


    Lin Shen saw this and didn¡¯t exin further. He patted Liao Sen¡¯s shoulder and turned to walk out of the camp.


    There was no time to lose. He wanted to take down the C-3 formation point so that he could cultivate the Nether Yin Heavy Water as soon as possible.


    There was a map of the spirit cave in the storage ring that Qi Dao had given him. Although it wasn¡¯t as detailed and three-dimensional as the ink map Dharma treasure, it still marked the locations of all the formation points, including the one upied by the Blood Sea Sect.


    Following the map, Lin Shen quickly arrived near the C-3 formation point.


    Standing on a jagged rock, Lin Shen looked out. The mountain wall a mile away was shrouded in a hazy fog, and he could vaguely see a cave inside.


    With the cave as the center, array gs were nted all over the mountain walls within a radius of a hundred meters.


    The g fluttered without any wind, and the fog that enveloped the mountain wall came from within the g.


    The surrounding spiritual essence was attracted by some invisible force and kept gathering into the cave, turning it into a Cave Abode that was no weaker than an Essence Prefecture.


    Usually, the spirit cave wasn¡¯t very beneficial to cultivator masters, and for them, cultivating here was no different from cultivating outside.


    But after being modified by the formation point, it waspletely different.


    While guarding the formation points, one could also cultivate at the same time, killing two birds with one stone.


    However, Lin Shen wasn¡¯t very interested in that aspect.


    After all, Goldstream Isle was considered one of the best in the Essence Prefecture Cave Abodes.


    The concentration of spiritual essence far exceeded the formation point in front of him.


    What really interested him was the underground river not far from the mountain wall.


    Even from afar, Lin Shen could feel the cold wind blowing over from there. It was bone-chilling.


    One could also clearly hear the gushing sound of the underground river. From time to time, the sound of water hitting stones could be heard. It was noisy, and it was obvious that the current was very rapid.


    Lin Shen took a deep breath. The ten drops of Nether Yin Heavy Water in his chest aperture seemed to have sensed something and immediately trembled slightly, bing more and more agile.


    11


    It¡¯s indeed a good ce to cultivate the Nether Yin Heavy Water!¡±


    Lin Shen focused his gaze and looked into his body. A happy smile appeared on his face.


    If he could focus on cultivating here for a month, he would be able to condense at least 20 to 30 drops of Nether Yin Heavy Water. At that time, even if he didn¡¯t rely on his talent and Dharma treasures, he would almost be invincible among Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator masters who had yet to condense the seed of Mystic Light!


    With augh, Lin Shen didn¡¯t hide his aura at all and flew openly toward the formation point.


    Almost immediately, the Blood Sea Sect cultivator masters in the cave sensed Lin Shen¡¯s existence..

 Chapter 347 - 347: The Tip of the Iceberg (1)

    Chapter 347 - 347: The Tip of the Iceberg (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    In the cave, Zeng Chengde sensed the person outside and frowned slightly.


    ¡°Just one person?¡±


    He looked at Pan Youcheng, who immediately took a hint. With a flick of his wrist, a palm-sized mirror appeared in his palm.


    As spiritual essence was injected into the mirror, ripples appeared on the surface like the surface of ake. When it calmed down, there was a red dot the size of a grain of rice on it.


    Pan Youcheng touched the mirror lightly and moved his finger left and right.


    A momentter, he looked up at Zeng Chengde and said in a low voice, ¡°There¡¯s indeed only that guy outside. His cultivation level is no more than the fifth level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage!¡±


    A hint of surprise shed in Zeng Chengde¡¯s eyes.


    Pan Youcheng¡¯s Heavenly Eye Mirror was enough to detect everything within a five-kilometer radius. No matter what concealment methods cultivators below the Mystic Light Stage used, they wouldn¡¯t be able to hide.


    It could even roughly detect the other party¡¯s strength and cultivation level.


    Zeng Chengde had no doubt about Pan Youcheng¡¯s judgment, but that was why he was so shocked.


    Why did Nine Suns Sect send only one Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master over?


    Did they think that a Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master could take this formation point?


    What a joke!


    A cultivator master who had condensed the seed of Mystic Light would be more like it. Wasn¡¯t it wishful thinking for a cultivator who was at most at the fifth level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage to want to snatch the formation point?


    The cultivator masters in the cave looked at each other. No one could understand what the Nine Suns Sect was up to.


    After pondering for a moment, Zeng Chengde called three people¡¯s names.


    ¡°Go out and meet that person. It¡¯s best if you can capture him alive and interrogate him about the Nine Suns Sect¡¯s ns!¡±


    The three Blood Sea cultivators who were called out looked at each other and agreed in unison.


    The three of them were all mid-phase Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivators, and the weakest of them had reached the fourth level.


    If the three of them joined forces, it would be easy for them to deal with a cultivator with at most a fifth level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage.


    In fact, if it weren¡¯t for the fact that he was worried about the Nine Suns Sect¡¯s schemes and was afraid of falling into a trap, Zeng Chengde would have wanted everyone to attack together and ensure that the person outside wouldn¡¯t be able to escape even if he had wings.


    However, for the sake of safety, he decided to test it out first.


    The three Blood Sea Sect cultivators quickly left the cave and flew toward Lin Shen.


    Looking at the three approaching cultivator masters, Lin Shen smiled a little.


    There were no less than ten Blood Sea Sect cultivator masters stationed at C-3. Even he would have to spend some effort to deal with them all.


    Hence, Lin Shen thought about it and decided to appear openly.


    He was betting that the Blood Sea Sect cultivators inside the formation point wouldn¡¯te out all at once. They would most likely send out a portion of their people to probe first. That way, he would be able to defeat them one by one.


    And it turned out that he had made the right bet.


    After closing the distance, the three Blood Sea Sect cultivators quickly saw Lin Shen¡¯s face and were stunned. They didn¡¯t expect a cultivator who dared toe alone to be so young.


    Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivators couldn¡¯t change their appearance as Mystic Light Stage cultivators did.


    The person looked to be in his twenties at most, and that should be his real age.


    When they returned to their senses, the three Blood Sea cultivator masters looked down on Lin Shen.


    Although age and cultivation level weren¡¯t necessarily rted, young people usually didn¡¯t have high cultivation levels.


    The young man had be a cultivator master at this age, and his talent could already be considered extraordinary. He would be at the third level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage at most.


    Their guess was right. Lin Shen was indeed at the third level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage.


    However, it was a huge mistake to measure him with themon sense of ordinary cultivators.


    Lin Shen wasn¡¯t interested in talking nonsense with the enemy. As soon as the three Blood Sea Sect cultivators were within 200 meters, he attacked.


    Ten drops of Nether Yin Heavy Water leaped out of his head and spun toward the Blood Sea Sect cultivator master in the lead.


    The cultivator master¡¯s expression darkened when he saw that Lin Shen still dared to make the first move against the three of them. He immediately threw out a flying sword. Under the stimtion of his spiritual essence, the flying sword instantly turned into a cold light that faced the Nether Yin Heavy Water.


    He didn¡¯t know that the seemingly small Nether Yin Heavy Water actually had incredible strength.


    This misjudgment led to his defeat.


    The Nether Yin Heavy Water knocked the flying sword away effortlessly and crashed into the Blood Sea cultivator master with an earth-shattering force.


    In an instant, there was a bang. Before the cultivator master could even grunt, he was sted into a bloody mist by the extremely terrifying force!


    His two fellow cultivator masters at the back were scared out of their wits!


    Their fellow disciple who was killed was at the fifth level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage, but he couldn¡¯t even withstand a single blow and was killed right away.


    This situation far exceeded their imagination, and they couldn¡¯t help but gasp.


    At this point, they realized they had underestimated their opponent.


    This young man was clearly an extremely powerful cultivator!


    ¡°Damn it! What¡¯s wrong with Pan Youcheng? How can this person be at the fifth level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage?¡±


    When they returned to their senses, the two Blood Sea Sect cultivator masters cursed Pan Youcheng in their heads. Without another word, they turned around and rushed back toward the cave.


    Lin Shen sneered and pointed. The Nether Yin Heavy Water that had just killed an enemy changed directions and pierced through the void like a bolt of lightning, rushing toward another Blood Sea Sect cultivator master.


    When he heard the sound of air being torn apart behind him, the cultivator master was terrified and threw out Dharma treasures crazily, wanting to block the Nether Yin Heavy Water.


    However, the power of the Nether Yin Heavy Water was incredible. It emphasized using strength to break through techniques. It was powerful, domineering, and peerlessly violent. No matter how many transformations one had, one would be able to counter it..

 Chapter 348 - 348: The Tip of the Iceberg (2)

    Chapter 348 - 348: The Tip of the Iceberg (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    These Dharma treasures, which were at most inferior-grade profound armaments, couldn¡¯t even stop the drops for a moment. In an instant, they were sent flying by the Nether Yin Heavy Water.


    In less than a second, the Blood Sea Sect¡¯s cultivator master followed in hispanion¡¯s footsteps and exploded into a blood mist that filled the sky.


    Thest one was also stopped by Lin Shen. When he blocked Lin Shen¡¯s attack, he was killed by the Nether Yin Heavy Water that came from behind.


    The battlested for no more than three seconds. Zeng Chengde, who was in the cave, had barely had time to realize that his three fellow disciples were all dead.


    Watching Lin Shen on the Heavenly Eye Mirror, everyone in the cave fell silent.


    After a long while, someone couldn¡¯t help but break the silence. His tone was filled with disbelief.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that man?¡±


    No one answered the question.


    The battle between the Blood Sea Sect and the Nine Suns Sect in the spirit cavested for more than half a year. They had fought countless times and were very familiar with each other¡¯sbat strength.


    Everyone here knew the powerful Spirit Nurturing cultivator master of Nine Suns Sect like the back of their hands, but they had no memory of the person outside.


    When did the Nine Suns Sect have such a powerful member?


    Zeng Chengde looked at Lin Shen in the mirror gloomily.


    No wonder this person dared toe here alone. Zeng Chengde had thought the person outside was foolishly reckless, but now it seemed that he was just confident in his capability.


    ¡°Senior Brother Zeng!¡±


    A cultivator master looked at Zeng Chengde.


    Among everyone here, Zeng Chengde had the highest cultivation level. He had reached the seventh level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage, so everyone took him as their leader.


    Zeng Chengde didn¡¯t hesitate for too long. Since the enemy had invaded, all they could do was kill the enemy and guard the formation point.


    Zeng Chengde was about to give the order when Lin Shen suddenly made a move. He actually rushed straight toward the cave.


    Zeng Chengde was stunned for a moment before he flew into a rage.


    ¡°How dare he!¡±


    This man clearly didn¡¯t think their cultivation level would be a problem for him!


    The other Blood Sea Sect cultivators looked furious as well.


    ¡°Kill him!¡± Zeng Chengde said with a dark expression.


    Upon hearing that, the Blood Sea Sect cultivator masters in the cave no longer hesitated and charged out with their Dharma treasures.


    The Blood Sea Sect upied far more formation points than the Nine Suns Sect, and the spiritual energy they could mobilize in battle far exceeded thetter.


    Therefore, when the cultivators of the two sects fought, those of the Nine Suns Sect were at a disadvantage when recovering their spiritual essence first.


    Not to mention that they were near a formation point now, which made it easier for the Blood Sea cultivators to mobilize their spiritual essence.


    Therefore, although Lin Shen disyed astonishing strength, they were still confident and fearless.


    The two sides met near the entrance of the cave, and an intense battle instantly broke out.


    Apart from the three people who were killed, there were still eight Blood Sea Sect cultivators guarding the formation point.


    Apart from Zeng Chengde who was at the seventh level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage, four of the remaining seven were in the mid-phase, and three were in the early phase.


    The group was several times stronger than the information gathered by the Nine Suns Sect!


    However, it made no difference to Lin Shen.


    He made up his mind to end the battle quickly. As soon as the battle started, he immediately summoned six clones.


    The sudden appearance of the clones made the Blood Sea Sect cultivator masters jump.


    However, what was even more shocking was yet toe.


    After they started exchanging blows, they were shocked to discover that these clones weren¡¯t much weaker than the cultivator himself!


    This was very different from the clone spells they knew!


    Shocked, the Blood Sea Sect was caught off guard.


    In an instant, three people were sted to death by the Nether Yin Heavy Water.


    Initially, Lin Shen was outnumbered. In the blink of an eye, he turned it into a seven-on-five battle, and the Blood Sea Sect was outnumbered instead.


    Zeng Chengde¡¯s face was pale, and he no longer had the calmness he had a moment ago.


    He never imagined that this young man could have such shocking strength. The strength he revealed when he killed the first three people was actually only the tip of the iceberg!


    If Zeng Chengde had known that this person was so powerful, he would have fled without a word instead of facing him head-on.


    However, it was toote for regrets.


    With this person¡¯s strength, they could forget about running away.


    Seeing that there was no hope of escape, Zeng Chengde gritted his teeth andunched a fierce attack on Lin Shen.


    Even if he couldn¡¯t perish together with this person, he could at least injure him and make him unable to defend this formation point.


    That way, when the sect¡¯s reinforcements arrived, they could easily take back the formation point and might even be able to avenge them by killing this person!


    Unfortunately, things didn¡¯t go as Zeng Chengde nned.


    Back then, Shan Liangshan, who was at the eighth level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage and had many powerful Dharma treasures, still wasn¡¯t Lin Shen¡¯s match. Now that Lin Shen¡¯s Nether Yin Heavy Water had improved and his strength had increased greatly, how could he be seriously injured by a mere seventh-level Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master?


    After a while, Zeng Chengde was covered in injuries.


    The blood souls that he had painstakingly refined were reduced to ashes after a few collisions with the Nether Yin Heavy Water. He was no match for it at all.


    In about ten seconds, the remaining Blood Sea Sect cultivators were killed one after another, leaving only Zeng Chengde.


    Under the joint attack of Lin Shen and his six clones, this elite disciple, who could be considered one of the best among the younger generation of the Blood Sea Sect, died unwillingly not long after. Even his primordial spirit couldn¡¯t escape and was scattered by the Nether Yin Heavy Water, turning into ashes.


    Lin Shen waved his hand and took all the storage rings into his hand. He roughly searched them.


    Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t find anything valuable. The only thing of value was a superior-grade profound armament called the Heavenly Eye Mirror and a bottle of Nine Cauldron Pills.


    ¡°Eight Nine Cauldron Pills should be enough for me to break through to the fourth level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage.¡±


    As his cultivation level grew, the effects of the Nine Cauldron Pill also gradually decreased.


    Lin Shen estimated that when he reached the fifth level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage, the effects of the Nine Cauldron Pill would be minimal.


    On the other hand, after the battle just now, the effect of Testify by Killing had been triggered three times. Moreover, it was all concentrated on the Nether Yin Heavy Water, increasing the progress of his cultivation technique by 18%.


    ¡°Testify by Killing is indeed the fastest way to improve my cultivation!¡±


    Lin Shen was overjoyed.


    If he were to cultivate on his own, he and two clones would have to focus on cultivating for at least three to four days before he could obtain such a harvest.


    After putting away the items, Lin Shen took out the storage ring Qi Dao had given him and changed all the array gs in the formation point ording to the instructions in the jade slip.


    After the surging spiritual essence calmed down, this formation point became a part of the Nine Suns Sect¡¯s array formation.


    Lin Shen summoned his clones right away.


    The Sword Spirit Self clone continued to refine the Star Sword Pill, while the other clones began to cultivate the Nether Yin Heavy Water.


    The formation point wasn¡¯t far from the underground river, and it had the ability to mobilize spiritual essence. With the jade token in hand, Lin Shen couldpletely control the formation point.


    With the power of the formation point, he could easily mobilize the spiritual essence within a one-mile radius, including the Yin energy of the river. It was easier than gathering it on his own.


    As arge amount of Yin energy surged into his body, a faint luster quickly appeared in Lin Shen¡¯s chest aperture.


    That was the primary form of the Nether Yin Heavy Water!


    ¡°As expected of the Yin energy meridian. This condensation speed is much faster than when 1 was on Goldstrearn Isle!¡±


    Lin Shen nodded to himself, collected his thoughts, and immersed himself in cultivation.


    Five days passed in the blink of an eye.


    Apart from consuming the Nine Cauldron Pills and breaking through to the fourth level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage, Lin Shen focused all his attention on condensing the Nether Yin Heavy Water.


    With the double augmentation of his clones and the Yin energy meridian, his condensation progress had advanced by leaps and bounds.


    In just five days, Lin Shen had condensed four drops of Nether Yin Heavy Water. It was much faster than in the past!


    ¡°At this rate, I¡¯ll have more than 30 drops of Nether Yin Heavy Water in a month!¡±


    Lin Shen smiled happily.


    The power of the Nether Yin Heavy Water was incredible. If he had more than 30 drops of Nether Yin Heavy Water in his hand, he was confident that he could resist cultivator masters who had condensed the Seed of Mystic Light even without summoning his clones.


    The seed of Mystic Light made all the difference.


    And Lin Shen was only at the fourth level of the Spirit Nurturing Stage.


    From this point of view, the Nether Yin Heavy Water was indeed a powerful divine power that was as famous as the Dark North Sword Scripture.


    ¡°Unfortunately, 1 can¡¯t keep doing this for much longer.


    Lin Shen¡¯s eyes flickered as he looked in the direction of the cave entrance.


    He could sense with his spiritual senses that more than ten cultivator masters were rushing toward the formation point and had surrounded it in a moment.


    After five days, the Blood Sea Sect¡¯s counterattack finally arrived..

 Chapter 349 - 349: Mental Unity (1)

    Chapter 349 - 349: Mental Unity (1)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Looking at the cave shrouded in mist not far away, Ge Shou frowned slightly.


    After discovering that the formation point had fallen, the sect immediately sent people to investigate, but the news they received in the end puzzled many people.


    ording to the intel obtained, the Nine Suns Sect hadn¡¯t sent arge number of people to this formation point in recent days.


    However, five days ago, an aura left the Nine Suns Sect¡¯s camp and stopped nearby.


    Could that person have killed all their fellow disciples and taken down the formation point?


    This guess made many people snort.


    When Mystic Light Stage cultivator masters didn¡¯t participate in the battle for the formation point, cultivators who had condensed the Mystic Light Seed were the topbatants in this battle.


    Because of this, the Blood Sea Sect paid attention to every cultivator in the Nine Suns Sect who had condensed the Seed of Mystic Light.


    The Blood Sea Sect would immediately know if there was any movement from those cultivators.


    As far as they knew, that person wasn¡¯t any of these cultivator masters.


    Apart from cultivators who condensed Mystic Light Seeds, ordinary Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivators, even ninth-stage Spirit Nurturing Stage ones, couldn¡¯t attack a formation point guarded by more than ten Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivators alone.


    Not to mention that Zeng Chengde, an eighth-level Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master, was at the formation point.


    Ge Shou really couldn¡¯t figure out how the Nine Suns Sect had taken down this formation point.


    Was it possible that without their knowledge, a new cultivator who had condensed the seed of Mystic Light from the Nine Suns Sect had joined the war?


    A cultivator who condensed the Mystic Light Seed meant that he was halfway into the Mystic Light Stage.


    Every one of them was the future backbone of the sect!


    No sect would be willing to put such an elite disciple on an intense battlefield.


    They couldn¡¯t afford to lose such valuable assets.


    Many thoughts shed through his mind in an instant, but Ge Shou¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. He instructed his fellow disciples beside him.


    ¡°Junior Brother Cao, I¡¯ll leave it to you!¡±


    Cao Yaoqun responded and took out a Dharma treasure.


    It was another Heavenly Eye Mirror.


    For this war, the Blood Sea Sect specially bestowed more than ten square Heavenly Eye Mirrors to the various disciples to use.


    It was also because of the Heavenly Eye Mirror that the Blood Sea Sect could grasp the Nine Suns Sect¡¯s movements in detail.


    A momentter, Cao Yaoqun looked up with a strange expression.


    Seeing this, Ge Shou asked, ¡°Did you notice that something was wrong?¡±


    Cao Yaoqun hesitated and said, ¡°There¡¯s only one person in the formation point.¡±


    The moment he said that all the other cultivators were stunned and looked at each other.


    Only one person?


    Could the rumors be true, and that the formation point was taken down by a Nine Suns Sect cultivator master alone?


    Ge Shou was getting uneasy as well.


    A momentter, Mei Kun was the first to break the silence. He grinned and said,


    ¡°Everyone, what¡¯s there to worry about? Even if the person inside is a cultivator who condensed the seed of Mystic Light, we don¡¯t have to be scared! We¡¯re quite capable ourselves!¡±


    Everyone came back to their senses and thought about it. It made sense.


    Ge Shou¡¯s expression also rxed slightly.


    The people who came with him this time were allte-phase Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator masters. Everyone was above the fifth level. Cao Yaoqun and Mei Kun were even at the eighth level.


    In addition, he was a ninth-level one. Even if the person in the formation point was a cultivator who had condensed the seed of Mystic Light, they could still fight back.


    In any case, the orders given by the Elders were to investigate the situation of the formation point. As for whether they could take back the formation point, they would do their best, so Ge Shou didn¡¯t have any pressure.


    Thinking of this, Ge Shou made up his mind and said, ¡°No matter what, we¡¯ll know once we capture that person and interrogate him!¡±


    The others nodded in unison and took out their Dharma treasures, charging toward the formation point.


    In the cave, Lin Shen sensed the Blood Sea Sect cultivator masters¡¯ actions and smiled coldly.


    It just so happened that he was still thinking about when he could use Testify by Killing to increase his strength. These people came at the right time.


    Without hesitation, Lin Shen summoned six clones and rushed out of the cave.


    When they saw seven figures rushing out of the cave, Ge Shou and the others were stunned. Then, they looked at Cao Yaoqun in unison.


    Didn¡¯t he say that there was only one person in the formation point?


    However, Cao Yaoqun was also stunned. It was impossible for the Heavenly Eye Mirror to be wrong. What was going on?


    However, they soon discovered that the appearances of the seven people who rushed out were identical. Clearly, they were clones.


    The double was gone, and the expressions of the Blood Sea Sect members turned solemn. Without a word, they charged at Lin Shen and his six clones.


    In the blink of an eye, an intense battle broke out at the formation point!


    Just like Zeng Chengde and the others, Ge Shou and his fellow cultivators were also shocked when they started fighting.


    The strength of these clones wasn¡¯t much inferior to the cultivator himself.


    Thispletely overturned their understanding of the clone spells.


    If all clone spells had such power, cultivator masters wouldn¡¯t hesitate to practice them.


    Ge Shou¡¯s heart sank.


    At this moment, how could he not realize that the rumors were true?


    The person in front of him had taken down this formation point all by himself!


    With these clones around, it was no wonder Zeng Chengde and the others weren¡¯t this person¡¯s match!


    While Ge Shou was shaken, the situation on the field suddenly changed.


    More than ten drops of ck water suddenly flew out of Lin Shen¡¯s head and crashed into a Blood Sea Sect cultivator master.


    That person treated it as an ordinary attack and didn¡¯t take it to heart. Relying on the middle-grade profound armament Dharma robe on him, he prepared to take this attack head-on. He controlled his Dharma treasure to attack Lin Shen, nning to defeat the enemy in one strike.


    However, in the next moment, he felt an iparably powerful force.


    Before he could even react, he suddenly exploded into a blood mist that filled the sky.. He was annihted by the Nether Yin Heavy Water!

 Chapter 350 - 350: Mental Unity (2)

    Chapter 350 - 350: Mental Unity (2)


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    At the same time, the other clones also released the Nether Yin Heavy Water to fight the enemies.


    Caught off guard, four to five cultivators died on the spot.


    The sudden turn of events made the Blood Sea Sect cultivators pale.


    ¡°Be careful, that¡¯s Nether Yin Heavy Water!¡±


    Ge Shou was experienced and knowledgeable. He immediately recognized the divine power Lin Shen used, and his heart instantly sank to the bottom.


    He had only heard of the Nether Yin Heavy Water divine power. It was said that one drop of it had the power of a thousand tons. With ten drops, one would be invincible in the cultivation stage.


    However, this person was controlling a total of 14 drops of Nether Yin Heavy Water!


    What was even more shocking was that the other clones could also control the Nether Yin Heavy Water!


    In other words, they were facing nearly a hundred drops of Nether Yin Heavy Water!


    Even cultivators who had condensed the Mystic Light Seed would be dumbfounded when facing such a situation!


    ¡°Damn it! Where did this persone from? He clearly hasn¡¯t condensed the seed of Mystic Light, but he¡¯s so powerful!¡±


    Ge Shou was inexplicably shocked.


    In just a moment, three more fellow disciples perished, including Mei Kun.


    The eighty-level Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator master, who had previously vowed that there was absolutely no problem, was surrounded by three clones and more than forty drops of Nether Yin Heavy Water, which crashed toward him. No defensive Dharma treasure could withstand that kind of attack, and he was pulverized in the blink of an eye!


    Seeing this, Ge Shou felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, his limbs turning cold.


    ¡°We can¡¯t continue like this. We¡¯re no match for this person at all. We have to escape!¡±


    Ge Shou instantly thought of escaping.


    It wasn¡¯t that he was afraid of death, but if they were all killed here, no one would report the situation to the sect.


    The person had the strength of a cultivator master who had condensed a Mystic Light Seed at such a young age. He was clearly a genius. He must be a core disciple nurtured by the Nine Suns Sect.


    Given time, he would definitely be a huge threat to the Blood Sea Sect in the future. They had to kill him as soon as possible!


    Apart from that, the sudden appearance of a powerful cultivator master on the Nine Suns Sect¡¯s side would definitely cause a huge impact on the war. Ge Shou had to report this to the elders and make a response as soon as possible!


    Thinking of this, Ge Shou no longer hesitated and immediately shouted,


    ¡°Junior Brothers, follow me! Retreat!¡±


    Over a dozen Blood Sea Sect cultivator masters came here, and now there were only seven left including Ge Shou.


    Seeing their fellow disciples die one by one, they had long thought of retreating. When they heard this, they immediately tried to escape.


    How could Lin Shen let his prey escape? Seeing this, he sneered. With a wave of his hand, the three Dharma treasures¡ªthe inkstone, the tablet, and the flying sword¡ªflew out at the same time and attacked a Blood Sea Sect cultivator master.


    These three Dharma treasures were all inferior-grade profound armaments, but under the control of the Supreme Secret spiritual essence, their power was still not to be underestimated. In the blink of an eye, the cultivator master was beaten into a sorry state.


    At the same time, the other six clones each stopped a Blood Sea Sect cultivator master.


    Ge Shou and the others couldn¡¯t break free right away.


    A few secondster, the cultivator fighting Lin Shen let out a scream. He was sent flying by the inkstone while vomiting blood. Before he could catch his breath, the Nether Yin Heavy Water surged forward and crushed him into a bloody mist.


    After dealing with his opponent, Lin Shen didn¡¯t stop. He turned around and attacked another enemy.


    Under the joint attack of Lin Shen and his clone, the Blood Sea Sect cultivator master didn¡¯tst for more than three seconds before he was killed.


    Lin Shen and his clones continued to attack the other cultivators.


    Seeing this, Ge Shou couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of despair.


    Their enemy clearly didn¡¯t intend to let any of them escape!


    In a moment, Ge Shou was the only Blood Sea Sect cultivator master left at the formation point.


    Seeing Lin Shen and his six clones surrounding him, Ge Shou was filled with despair.


    He shouted angrily and took the initiative to pounce on Lin Shen.


    Seeing that there was no hope of escape, he decided to take Lin Shen down with him.


    However, Lin Shen didn¡¯t intend to give him that chance. He pulled away and let his clones attack Ge Shou while he guarded the periphery.


    ¡°Shame on you!¡±


    Ge Shou was so angry that his face turned red.


    Lin Shen sneered. This guy had brought more than ten cultivator masters to besiege him, yet he still had the cheek to say that?


    A momentter, Ge Shou fell under the clone¡¯s Yin Heavy Water, filled with grief and indignation.


    At that point, the dozen or so Blood Sea Sect cultivator masters who hadunched the attack werepletely wiped out.


    Lin Shen waved his hand and grabbed all the storage rings of the Blood Sea Sect cultivators. Then, he turned around and returned to the cave.


    After sorting through everything, Lin Shen was slightly disappointed.


    He had found even fewer valuable things than the previous time. There wasn¡¯t a single Nine Cauldron Pill, but he had obtained another Heavenly Eye Mirror. Fortunately, his Testify by Killing talent didn¡¯t disappoint him.


    The cultivators who attacked this time were much stronger thanst time. Even the probability of triggering the effect had increased.


    Killing those people triggered the effect five times.


    Three of them were on the Nether Yin Heavy Water, which increased by 21%.


    The Golden Wheel Lightning Tome increased by 8%.


    The remaining time increased his cultivation progress by 10%.


    He had gained a lot!


    Lin Shen was pleased.


    If he had such gains every time, he would be more than happy to see the Blood Sea Sect send people to take back the formation points every day.


    However, after this failure, the Blood Sea Sect wouldn¡¯t send anyone to their deaths. If they wanted to send someone, it would at least be a cultivator who had condensed the seed of Mystic Light!


    It wouldn¡¯t be so easy to exterminate them like this time.


    Shaking his head, Lin Shen collected his thoughts and continued to condense the Nether Yin Heavy Water.


    Things were developing as Lin Shen had expected.


    After that day, Blood Sea Sect seemed to have forgotten about this formation point, or they couldn¡¯t spare any manpower for the time being and didn¡¯t send anyone to attack the formation point.


    Although Lin Shen felt a little regretful, he was able to cultivate peace without being disturbed.


    In the blink of an eye, he had been at the formation point for a month.


    [Name: Lin Shen]


    [Talent: Pure Yang Body, Innate Spirit Body]


    [Stage: Level 4 Spirit Nurturing, 18%]


    [Cultivation techniques: Supreme Secret Technique (Level 1, 96%), Golden Wheel Lightning Scripture (Level 2, 3%), Nether Yin Heavy Water (Level 3, 64%), Dark North Sword Scripture (Level 1,15%)¡­]


    [Spell: Seven Arts Sword Energy (Perfection, Level 7), Lightning Palm (Perfection, Level 5)¡­]


    [Number of clones: 7 (75%)]


    In the past two weeks, Lin Shen had spent almost all his energy condensing the Nether Yin Heavy Water.


    As a result, there was not much progress in his cultivation.


    On the other hand, the Golden Wheel Lightning Tome was already on the verge of breaking through. Lin Shen worked on it a little and quickly broke through to the second level.


    Right now, his body wasparable to a middle-grade profound armament!


    As for the Nether Yin Heavy Water, which he had poured most of his energy into, his progress was even faster. He broke through to the third level, and his stage progress had already exceeded 60%.


    The amount of Nether Yin Heavy Water in Lin Shen¡¯s chest aperture increased to 35 drops!


    Even if he didn¡¯t summon his clones now, Lin Shen felt that he had the ability to resist cultivators who had condensed the Seed of Mystic Light.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that the one-month period is up. Otherwise, in another month, 1 would be able to condense another twenty drops of Nether Yin Heavy Water and break through to the fourth level!¡±


    Lin Shen began to think about whether he should apply to Elder Qi to hold down C-3 formation points when he returned.


    The environment here was unique. It was indeed a good ce to cultivate the Nether Yin Heavy Water.


    After thinking for a moment, Lin Shen temporarily put down this thought and focused on his internal aperture.


    In his dantian, there was a sword orb that seemed to be surrounded by stardust. It kept breathing in spiritual essence and exuded an extremely sharp aura.


    After a month of refinement, the Star Sword Pill had long be one with Lin Shen and could be controlled like an arm.


    However, Lin Shen had yet to experience actualbat and didn¡¯t know how powerful the Star Sword Pill was whenbined with the Dark North Sword Scripture.


    However, there was no hurry. There were many Blood Sea Sect cultivator masters in the spirit cave now, and there was bound to be a target for him to test his sword!


    Lin Shen¡¯s expression suddenly changed at that moment.


    He could sense that more than ten cultivator masters were approaching.


    It wasn¡¯t the cold aura unique to Blood Sea Sect cultivators. Judging from the aura, it should be the disciples from the Nine Suns Sect who hade to rece him..


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