One hundred miles away from Lin Ye's cave.
Twelve figures descended.
Their leader held a transparent vial.
Inside was a single drop of blood.
When the Netherlink Mystic Vein activated nearby…
the blood glowed.
This was how they had narrowed the target to within a hundred-mile radius.
"The target is within a hundred miles."
"Search everything."
"Carpet-search. Not a single corner missed."
"Yes!"
The squad split.
The leader's eyes sharpened like a blade.
Inside the cave.
Lin Ye steadied his breathing and stored the cauldron.
Then he swallowed one Heaven-Titan Myriad-Gang Pill.
His Ninefold Asura Art roared.
A sound like a heaven-shaking bell rang through his body.
The pill's power slammed into him like a river.
Blood Sea energy surged toward him.
The Star-Bridge flared, pulling stellar power down in torrents.
Lin Ye felt the unstoppable flood of strength filling him.
This…
was what true high-grade pills felt like.
His cultivation rose.
BOOM!
Star River Realm, second stage.
Easily broken through.
And it didn't stop.
It surged toward third stage.
In the Blood Sea, the Blood Peak rose higher.
Lin Ye saw the beginning of the third-stage manual.
Earlier, under possession…
the Underking Tiger had forced him into third stage.
Now, if he completed it fully, his cultivation speed would skyrocket.
BOOM!
Star River third stage.
Two stages gained—already satisfying.
But Lin Ye saw the manual was halfway complete.
He wouldn't stop.
He swallowed the second pill.
A violent surge poured in.
BOOM!
He activated even the Netherlink Mystic Vein.
The Blood Sea power erupted, pulled violently into his body.
BOOM!
Star River fourth stage!
At the same time—
he finally saw the full third-stage manual.
"Third stage!"
Lin Ye was ecstatic.
And beside the manual, another reef rose out of the Blood Sea.
A martial technique.
Cataclysm-Shattering Claw.
Starbreaker-grade technique.
Even in his past life, Starbreaker techniques were priceless.
But now…
Lin Ye was no longer shocked.
The Blood Sea's treasures were bottomless.
His cultivation finally stabilized at—
Star River Realm, fifth stage.
"Four minor realms in one go…"
Lin Ye was deeply satisfied.
All thanks to the Red Lotus Tribulation Cauldron.
He was just about to refine his Blood Armor into third stage—
when the Blacksteel Panther outside began growling intensely.
Lin Ye frowned.
There were unfamiliar presences outside the cave.
Someone had disrupted his cultivation.
He stepped out.
Three auras locked onto him instantly.
Lin Ye's eyes narrowed.
"Whatever you are…"
"you still have one chance to leave before you strike."
"Once you strike…"
"you won't have a second chance."
Three figures emerged.
Each carried violent blood-killing aura.
These were not people from the Wind-Thunder Riverlands.
They were hardened killers.
One of them raised the vial.
The blood drop inside shone blindingly.
"The Mystic Vein is on him."
"Kill him!"
A signal flare shot into the sky.
Within a hundred miles, it could be seen.
Once the target was confirmed, signal immediately—this was their rule.
From the forest in every direction, other auras began converging.
Lin Ye looked up.
They came for his Mystic Vein.
So these were the enemies mentioned in Lin Zhonghai's letter.
If this Mystic Vein had been in Geng Shiqiu's hands—
the Fenglei Mystic Sect would have been slaughtered clean.
But now…
it belonged to Lin Ye.
You want it?
One day earlier, he might have hesitated.
Now?
He felt nothing but contempt.
Three figures charged.
Like three blood blades.
All Star River Realm.
Two were Star River second stage.
One was Star River fifth stage.
"Bloodshadow Thrust!"
The two second-stage assassins held short daggers and vanished into afterimages.
Two streaks of blood shadow stabbed toward Lin Ye.
Lin Ye tapped his sword twice.
Both assassins were blasted away.
The fifth-stage attacker looped behind Lin Ye and struck with a palm.
Lin Ye turned and struck back.
Luo-Sheng Palm.
BOOM!
The man staggered back, face changing violently.
His palm now bore a blood mark.
And hidden force drilled into his body.
"No—!"
He frantically sealed acupoints.
Too late.
BOOM!
His right arm exploded off.
At least he survived.
But Lin Ye didn't pause.
He thrust his sword toward the man's throat.
The Blood-Stele man slammed a stone stele in front.
Lin Ye's sword split the stele.
But the man vanished.
THUD!
THUD!
The other two slammed their steles into the ground.
The surrounding spiritual energy instantly became chaotic.
Lin Ye's eyes turned cold.
He laughed.
"You want to use formations…"
"…in front of me?"
Lin Ye wasn't just an alchemist.
In his past life, he was also a near-legendary formation master.
He saw the formation's flaw immediately.
A sword strike slammed into the weakness.
BOOM!
The sword force shattered the three steles.
"Impossible!"
"How does he know the flaw?!"
Their Soul-Locking Blood Formation was high-tier even in Centrallands.
Yet here, in a lower riverland…
someone broke it instantly.
Was it luck?
No.
It was absolute mastery.
Lin Ye stepped forward.
He appeared before one assassin.
The man drew a dagger in panic.
Lin Ye's sword dropped.
SPLIT!
The assassin was cut in half.
Another tried to flee.
Lin Ye raised the windbreaker crossbow.
A bolt shot out.
It pierced straight through.
Blood-asura force ripped him apart.
Only one remained.
The one-armed Star River fifth-stage leader.
His face was pale.
Just then—
nine more air-tearing sounds came from above.
Reinforcements.
His face lit with relief.
But at that exact moment…
he felt sudden pain in his chest.
Lin Ye had appeared behind him.
A sword pierced his heart.
Lin Ye whispered coldly:
"Reinforcements arriving…"
"…has nothing to do with you."