The moment Lin Ye revealed the pressure of the Star River Realm, Shen Jiuliang's expression instantly changed.
He had only barely reached a level comparable to the Star River Realm by refining himself through the grotesque corpse-refining technique.
Yet Lin Ye's secret art elevated him in an instant—
to the second stage of the Star River Realm.
And not just that…
It was the peak of Star River Stage Two.
The gap was so vast it was laughable.
Fear sprouted in Shen Jiuliang's heart.
He immediately understood that continuing this battle would bring him nothing but death.
So—
he ran.
Whoosh!
Shen Jiuliang turned and fled without hesitation.
Even with hatred boiling in his veins… even with killing intent strong enough to drown the heavens…
revenge still required strength.
Charging forward blindly, without knowing who Lin Ye truly was?
That was suicide.
It would be humiliating to flee in front of so many witnesses—
but as long as he still drew breath, he remained the sect master of the Azure Thunder Sword Sect…
and the future master of the Azure Thunder Sword Alliance.
His body shot into the forest like a streak of black lightning.
The disciples and elders of the Azure Thunder Sword Sect stared in shock.
Their sect master… ran?
At a time like this?
No martyrdom, no final stand, just turning his back and escaping?
It was disgraceful.
Lin Ye immediately pursued.
Letting a tiger return to the mountains was foolish—
and though Shen Jiuliang might not be a tiger, he was certainly a venomous snake.
After activating the corpse-refining technique, Shen Jiuliang's speed and strength had increased drastically.
But Lin Ye was now a true Star River cultivator.
BOOM!
After several kilometers, Lin Ye caught up.
He swung his sword and cleaved Shen Jiuliang across the back.
BANG!
Shen Jiuliang was blasted forward like a cannonball, smashing through trees.
He slammed his head into a boulder—
and the boulder exploded into dust.
Any normal man, even armored, would have been crippled.
Yet Shen Jiuliang did not even slow down.
He rose instantly and continued fleeing.
His survival instinct was terrifying.
Lin Ye narrowed his eyes.
"So the Cold-Iron Sword can't break that body…"
Shen Jiuliang was resisting the blade with pure flesh.
This corpse-refining technique was indeed brutal.
Lin Ye could have crushed him with raw mystic power—
but then he remembered something.
The cauldron.
The Red Lotus Tribulation Cauldron he had just acquired.
A pill cauldron was not only for refining pills.
It could kill.
Lin Ye put away the Cold-Iron Sword.
His hand reached out—
and the Red Lotus Tribulation Cauldron appeared in his grasp.
He hurled it forward with full force.
CLANG!
A deafening metallic boom shook the forest.
Shen Jiuliang was swallowed whole—trapped inside the cauldron.
He began pounding and striking the cauldron walls, trying to flip it.
But Lin Ye landed on top of the cauldron like a mountain.
He circulated his mystic energy and activated the internal formations.
Inside—
flames ignited.
The Red Lotus Karma Flame.
It had not yet been refined by Lin Ye, but as the cauldron's master, he could still invoke its power.
A scream erupted instantly.
"AHHH! WHAT KIND OF FIRE IS THIS?!"
"My… my hundred-refined corpse body—!"
"AAAHHHH—!!"
The pain in Shen Jiuliang's voice was so intense it seemed to pierce through the cauldron itself.
Lin Ye's eyes narrowed in surprise.
"This Red Lotus Karma Flame… is terrifying."
Even in his past life, he had seen countless pill cauldrons—
but none this savage.
The flame could refine nearly anything.
As long as Lin Ye's spiritual force was strong enough, and his mystic energy deep enough…
he could even refine ninth-grade pills.
Because this flame was powerful beyond measure.
But with his current strength, even at the Star River Realm…
he could only attempt seventh-grade pills, and even then he would have to swallow pills nonstop just to support the consumption.
The spiritual force requirement was even worse.
Refining a seventh-grade pill could require more than seven hundred ingredients refined simultaneously.
That level of control would drain him dry in moments.
Still…
Lin Ye frowned.
"Damn it. His storage ring got refined too."
He lifted the cauldron.
Shen Jiuliang was gone.
Not even ash remained.
Nothing.
The Red Lotus Tribulation Cauldron was too strong.
It had erased him completely.
Lin Ye shook his head.
"Next time I use this… I should cut off the ring first."
With a flash, he stored the cauldron away.
The battlefield was only a few kilometers from the Azure Thunder Sword Sect.
Lin Ye wrapped himself in heaven-vein energy and streaked back like lightning.
Whoosh!
He returned above Azure Thunder Mountain.
Only then did Leng Ruo and the others finally breathe out.
If Shen Jiuliang had returned instead…
they would have died here today.
They had faith in Lin Ye—
but schemes, ambushes, hidden preparations…
were always possible.
Even the strongest could fall if careless.
Now they knew—
they had worried too much.
Lin Ye's calm voice echoed across the mountain.
"Your sect master is dead."
"If anyone wishes to avenge him…"
"Take one step forward."
His gaze swept over the five Heavenly Phenomenon elders.
There was no need to hide the threat.
He was daring them.
Inviting them to die.
No one moved.
A Star River Realm powerhouse stood before them—
what idiot would step forward?
Lin Ye continued.
"In three days, choose a new leader and send him to report to the Fenglei Mystic Sect."
"If no one shows up, I will return."
"And I will start by killing the five of you."
"Do not waste my time."
Leng Ruo and the others shuddered.
This was too tyrannical.
In front of the entire Azure Thunder Sword Sect…
he demanded their future sect master surrender and report.
If not, he would wipe them out.
And this was not an empty threat.
Everyone believed it.
Because Lin Ye was the kind of man who did exactly what he said.
Then Lin Ye glanced around, curiosity flashing briefly in his eyes.
"Does your sect not have any Supreme Elders? Hidden Ancestors?"
He had half-expected one old monster to jump out after Shen Jiuliang died.
But nothing.
After an awkward pause, one Heavenly Phenomenon elder answered quietly:
"We… do not have a Supreme Elder seat."
"Oh."
Lin Ye nodded.
"That saves me effort."
He turned.
"You may continue eating."
"Let's go."
That sentence alone nearly made the Azure Thunder Sword Sect disciples' hearts stop.
Continue eating?
After their sect master died?
The Wind-Thunder Eagles returned.
Lin Ye and the others mounted and departed like they had merely visited for tea.
Whoosh!
A violent gust of wind shook the mountain.
In moments, they vanished into the horizon.
The Azure Thunder Sword Sect was left behind—
a hundred stunned people staring into empty sky.
One moment they were celebrating victory…
the next moment their sect master was gone.
And now they had an ultimatum:
Three days.
Surrender.
Or extinction.
No one dared call it bluff.
Even their strongest leader was killed in moments.
Lin Ye simply didn't even consider them worth killing.
If anyone truly wished to die…
they could try.
But nobody wanted to.
The Wind-Thunder Eagles flew onward.
Behind them, Zhang Jichun and the others were practically shaking with excitement.
Too satisfying.
Too exhilarating.
This was the most cathartic day of their lives.
In the past, they had always feared the Azure Thunder Sword Sect.
Always held back.
But now?
Azure Thunder had finally learned the truth.
In front of Fenglei Mystic Sect—
they were ants.
Normally, Fenglei wouldn't bother stepping on ants.
But if the ants crawled into their home…
then don't blame the boot.
Yet Lin Ye looked completely calm.
He had already resumed cultivation on the eagle's back.
His composure made the others feel ashamed.
Their sect master…
was on a higher level.
Not just in strength.
In mind.
Soon, Lin Ye felt the speed of the Wind-Thunder Eagles slow.
They were exhausted.
They had flown too far.
"Find a place for them to rest," Lin Ye said calmly.
Leng Ruo nodded.
"Ten li ahead is Red Rock Town. We can rest there."
"Good."
The four Wind-Thunder Eagles descended toward the town.
But at the mention of Red Rock Town—
Hong Ying's expression changed slightly.
"Peak Master… I heard a vicious beast has appeared near Red Rock Town…"
"More than ten people have already died…"