Lin Ye realized that he must have triggered some kind of condition—one that caused the Blood Sea to主动ly reveal the method for forming the Shura Blood Armor.
He immediately memorized the entire technique.
At the same time, he drew in the surrounding earth-vein energy.
A thin layer of crimson armor slowly took shape across his body.
"It worked."
"The Shura Blood Armor has seven levels. This is only the embryonic form—barely enough to count as Level One."
Even at Level One, Lin Ye was confident it could withstand the palm strike Geng Shiqiu had unleashed the night before.
He wouldn't need to rely on a beast skull to block that kind of force again.
In future battles against stronger opponents, he now had a genuine life-saving trump card.
Tonight's harvest had been enormous.
Not only had his cultivation stepped into the Earth Transformation Realm, he had also gained the Shura Blood Armor—an exceptionally powerful defensive art.
"The secrets hidden inside this Blood Sea are beyond estimation."
"It's definitely not just a cultivation technique."
Lin Ye's consciousness looked down into the endless Blood Sea.
It surged like a crimson apocalypse, as if it had swallowed ancient sovereigns and buried countless heaven-defying existences.
The sheer force was so overwhelming that even Lin Ye felt shaken.
Outside the Cave
Several figures were rapidly searching through the area.
"That aura fluctuation was nearby—check for the traitor Lin Ye!"
"Yes!"
The Wind Thunder Sect's Enforcement Hall had begun mobilizing from the previous night.
Some wanted to capture Lin Ye alive. Others wanted his head.
This particular squad had been personally dispatched by the Sixth Elder to silence him.
After all, Geng Shiqiu had once been the head of the Enforcement Hall—he had his own loyal foundation, and after rising to elder status, his influence had only grown.
Doing favors now promised enormous future rewards.
"There's a cave here! Someone's been inside!"
One of them shouted immediately.
The other five raised their guard.
Two shield-bearers moved in front.
Behind them, two men carried heavy crossbows.
The last two held long spears.
A standard tactical formation:
Crossbow volley first—then spears to finish the kill.
The six-man squad advanced carefully.
When they were less than twenty steps away—
A figure walked out of the cave, stretching lazily.
"Early morning, and you insist on making me see blood."
Lin Ye shook his head.
After last night's chaos—refining pills, killing Xu Liang, forging a fifth-grade pill, forming the Shura Blood Armor—he was in no mood for extra annoyance.
"It's Lin Ye!"
"Lin Ye has been found!"
"Take him down!"
The two shield-bearers shouted.
Two heavy bolts fired instantly, streaking toward him.
At thirty steps, these crossbows could seriously wound an Earth Transformation cultivator.
Bang! Bang!
Lin Ye tilted slightly and cleanly avoided both shots.
Then he lifted the Cold Iron Sword and slashed at the two shields.
Boom!
Both shields split apart in a single strike.
"What—he broke the shields!"
While the crossbowmen hurried to reload, the two spear-users lunged forward, thrusting with flawless precision.
Lin Ye swung his sword once.
A wave of sword energy blasted outward.
All six were hurled back.
"You… you… Earth Transformation Realm…"
The speaker died before he even finished the sentence.
Five died on impact.
The sixth collapsed a breath later.
Lin Ye picked up one of the heavy crossbows from the ground.
"This is a useful weapon."
All six bodies bled their essence into the Blood Sea.
The weapon was called the Wind-Piercing Crossbow, a specialized Wind Thunder Sect craft not yet replicated outside the sect.
If hundreds of these fired at once, even a city wall would be shredded within a few volleys.
Moving Toward Ray River City
Lin Ye unfolded a map and confirmed the direction.
"Ray River City should be this way."
He started forward.
Not long after, the squad's corpses were discovered.
The Enforcement Hall's head, Luo Wei, was commanding Lin Ye's capture personally under Geng Shiqiu's instruction.
He had located Lin Ye early in the morning—but reports of casualties also arrived.
Luo Wei didn't care how many died.
He only cared whether Lin Ye could be taken.
"So Lin Ye truly is in the Earth Transformation Realm."
"What heretical method did he cultivate?"
Luo Wei's eyes hardened.
After a moment's thought, he took out a sealed command token.
"Pass my order."
"Mobilize the West Mountain Hunters."
The subordinate executor froze.
The West Mountain division was an extremely special, extremely deadly unit within the Enforcement Hall—essentially the sect's strongest hunting force.
There were thirty-six of them.
Every single one was an Earth Transformation cultivator.
Their mission was not arrest.
It was execution.
They were called "West Mountain" because their targets always fell—like the sun—before the day ended.
The executor didn't understand the deeper reason for such an extreme deployment.
Even if Lin Ye had reached Earth Transformation Realm, ordinary enforcement forces should still be enough.
So why unleash the West Mountain Hunters now?
It felt excessive.
And strangely deliberate.
But orders were orders.
He didn't have the rank to question Luo Wei.
He could only obey.
Blazing Wind Forest — Pursuit
Lin Ye didn't bother hiding his presence.
Soon, the Enforcement Hall's forces caught up again.
This time, eight people arrived.
Two Earth Transformation cultivators led the group.
The remaining six were late-stage Qi Sea Realm—eighth and ninth layers.
"Lin Ye! You murdered a sect official! Your crimes are unforgivable!"
"Submit now and follow us back to the sect for judgment!"
The two Earth Transformation cultivators blocked his path.
Lin Ye's expression remained calm.
"Leave now."
"You still have time."
One of them sneered.
"Why waste words on a traitor who betrays his master and destroys his clan?"
"If he refuses, kill him!"
His eyes burned with greed.
If he returned with Lin Ye's head, the reward would be immense.
Whoosh!
Lin Ye raised the Wind-Piercing Crossbow.
A bolt shot out—wrapped in Blood-evil energy.
It pierced the Earth Transformation cultivator's throat cleanly.
The man staggered, grabbing at the hole—
but blood poured out endlessly.
He couldn't cover both the front and the back.
"Kill him!"
The other leader shouted.
Seven rushed forward.
Lin Ye held the crossbow in his left hand and the sword in his right.
Within the time it took incense to burn—
the last survivor clutched his neck as blood sprayed through his fingers.
His eyes bulged like a dead fish.
He collapsed.
Lin Ye checked all eight storage rings.
Together, the total wasn't even two hundred thousand spirit stones.
Pathetic.
Even Guo Liangyu, the core disciple whose arm Lin Ye had snapped, had managed to hand over one hundred thousand as compensation.
"These eight grown men together can't match one crippled disciple."
"Trash."
He continued toward Ray River City.
The journey was roughly one hundred fifty li.
Now less than a hundred remained.
A New Encounter
As Lin Ye crossed a hill, he heard fighting ahead.
At first he assumed it was another sect squad.
But when he got closer, he saw the truth:
A merchant caravan was being attacked by bandits.
Lin Ye intended to ignore it.
He had no obligation to interfere.
But as he approached, the Blood Sea suddenly stirred inside him.
It reacted.
There was something within that caravan—
something the Blood Sea wanted.
Something valuable.
Something connected to blood-evil power.
And that changed everything.