Only thirty-six men… and they intended to search an entire riverland.
That alone proved how terrifying they were.
Even the weakest among them—
was at least Star River Realm.
In the forest.
Lin Ye held the cold iron sword.
Blood-asura sword energy swirled around him like a storm.
Every shadow in the dark felt lethal.
The Frostmoon Wolf King was far stronger than expected.
Even under the Berserk Blood Curse, Lin Ye could not defeat it.
His Blood Armor was now thin as paper.
One more blow and it would shatter completely.
His eyes narrowed.
If there was no other choice, he would withdraw.
If Lin Ye wanted to leave, the wolf king could not stop him.
But if he withdrew…
the wolf king might immediately devour the Myriad Netherleaf.
And then Lin Ye would lose it forever.
"Then I have only one option."
He activated the Netherlink Mystic Vein.
This Mystic Vein left behind by Lin Zhonghai did more than boost cultivation.
It had another function:
Netherlink State.
Lin Ye suspected it allowed him to borrow power.
Borrow from what?
That depended on luck.
"Netherlink State!"
The vein ignited.
A force began flowing through Lin Ye.
His consciousness was dragged into a voidlike world—silent, unreal.
In the darkness, the Netherlink Mystic Vein formed a bridge.
It began "selecting" powerful hidden existences.
If the bridge connected to one…
Lin Ye could borrow its power.
Lin Ye was stunned.
This was outrageous.
Each hidden existence…
felt stronger than even his past life peak.
Just as Lin Ye was about to lock onto one—
a gigantic blood hand erupted from the Blood Sea.
It seized him.
Dragged him away.
Then—
his mind filled with a single overwhelming silhouette.
Information surged into him.
"Nine Nether Blood Sea."
"Polar Asura."
The Ninefold Asura Art suddenly roared into motion.
It began transforming.
Power flooded into Lin Ye.
BOOM!
Ninefold Asura Art — Third Stage!
Lin Ye's cultivation technique… forcefully broke through.
He could barely see the figure.
A massive tiger.
Its name smashed into Lin Ye's mind:
Nine Netherworld Underking Tiger.
And its power poured into Lin Ye's body like an ocean.
At that very moment—
the Frostmoon Wolf King struck.
It didn't know Lin Ye was in Netherlink State.
It only knew Lin Ye was vulnerable.
One claw shattered Lin Ye's Blood Armor.
It lunged, jaws opening—
and the Blacksteel Panther burst from the shadows, biting for the wolf king's throat.
But the wolf king whipped its tail—
and smashed the panther away, severely injuring it.
The Frostmoon Wolf King's jaws snapped down—
ready to feast.
But suddenly…
it couldn't close its mouth.
Its eyes widened.
Lin Ye was holding its jaws apart with bare hands.
Forcing them open.
Lin Ye's eyes burned with Underking aura.
A terrifying pressure descended.
BOOM!
Lin Ye threw the wolf king over his shoulder—
and slammed it into the ground.
The impact shattered bones.
The wolf king howled in agony.
Lin Ye stepped forward and punched its skull.
BOOM!
Power exploded through its head.
Its beast core was blasted out.
The Frostmoon Wolf King died instantly.
Lin Ye had beaten a fifth-rank beast to death with his bare hands.
The Netherlink State faded.
Lin Ye stood there, stunned by his own strength.
"So strong…"
His Ninefold Asura Art stabilized at the third stage.
The Underking Tiger had clearly been connected to the Blood Sea world.
Which meant…
that world was even more terrifying than he imagined.
He looked into the darkness.
"What exactly is that Underking Tiger?"
"It was hiding within the Blood Sea world this entire time?"
"If not for the Netherlink Vein, I wouldn't even know it existed."
"And it could force my Ninefold Asura Art to break through."
"It's definitely not ordinary."
Lin Ye's breath tightened.
That power…
was absurd.
A single punch to kill a mid-fifth-rank beast—
within Star River Realm, hardly anyone could survive it.
"This possession state is terrifying…"
Lin Ye inhaled coldly.
But if he had it…
others could have it too.
Still, Lin Ye was confident.
Even if others possessed such powers—
he would not fear them.
His experience over two lifetimes made him fearless.
The Blacksteel Panther had tried to protect him.
Even if it failed, that loyalty mattered.
Lin Ye sprinkled healing powder onto the panther's wounds.
"Just surface injuries. You'll recover in a few days."
He entered the cave.
And quickly found what the wolf king had been protecting.
A single perfect Myriad Netherleaf.
Its quality was exceptional.
Its aura was ancient.
"This is nearly ten-thousand-year grade…"
"If the Frostmoon Wolf King had eaten it, it might have advanced to sixth rank."
Lin Ye's eyes flashed.
If he had arrived even slightly later…
it would have been gone.
The Wind-Thunder Riverlands were vast.
The Fenglei Mystic Sect couldn't control everything.
Without the Blacksteel Panther sensing it…
Lin Ye would have missed this entirely.
"Now all three main ingredients are complete."
"Time to refine."
He took out the Red Lotus Tribulation Cauldron.
Hundreds of herbs were inserted one after another.
He poured in his Qi.
The cauldron's flames erupted violently and refined everything.
The panther guarded the cave entrance.
Inside the cauldron, medicinal essence condensed.
At the final phase, Lin Ye inserted the three main ingredients:
Cloud-Gang Grass.
Dreamheart Lotus.
Myriad Netherleaf.
The Blacksteel Panther could barely contain itself.
Its eyes were glued to the cauldron, swallowing nonstop.
Even if it became sludge, it would eat it.
Lin Ye refined three sixth-grade herbs continuously.
Even he struggled.
He swallowed an advanced Qi-restoring pill.
"Time to form the pill!"
His gaze turned sharp.
This was a sixth-grade pill—
the Heaven-Titan Myriad-Gang Pill.
Even with Star River Realm cultivation…
this was a massive challenge.
But Lin Ye's alchemy was ancient and flawless.
His Qi became invisible hands, compressing and merging the essence.
A full hour passed.
Lin Ye had consumed three advanced Qi-restoring pills.
Only then—
a pill fragrance burst from the cauldron.
It flooded the cave.
Lin Ye's heart surged.
The cauldron trembled—
two streaks of light flew out.
Lin Ye caught them.
"It's done!"
"Heaven-Titan Myriad-Gang Pill…"
"Two pills!"
Two jade-clear pills rested in his palm.
One was real.
The second was generated by the cauldron's miracle effect.
A true sixth-grade pill.