Shuiguang Town.
In the courtyard, the rain gradually subsided.
Although the battle just now ended in a flash, the commotion it caused was still heard by the other Disciples stationed in the courtyard.
Huang Feng and several inner Disciples quickly walked out of their rooms and immediately saw the two half-bodies in front of the main courtyard gate and a layer of blood foam on the ground, or rather, finely fragmented flesh and blood.
“Senior Brother Lin, what… what happened?”
Seeing this scene, Huang Feng and the others were first stunned, then stammered as they asked.
It was no wonder they reacted this way. After all, the scene before them was too bloody. As inner Disciples and Blood Transportation Realm Martial Artists, which of them didn't have a few, or even dozens, of lives on their hands?
But they rarely, or rather, had never seen such a tragic sight.
“These people tried to attack me secretly, but I've already dealt with them. Clean this place up, and from now on, arrange for people to be on duty every day. You can all leave.”
After saying this, Lin Sheng looked at the remains on the ground, gave up the idea of searching the bodies, and shook his head as he returned to his room without waiting for their response.
“Yes…”
Looking at the tightly shut door in front of them, Huang Feng and the others first stared at each other for a while, then suddenly reacted and quickly responded.
The few of them hurried forward and picked up the fragmented bodies and flesh from the ground.
As soon as they touched these remains, Huang Feng and the others were startled. Although these people had become chunks of flesh, from the toughness and strength of these chunks, they could roughly discern that these black-clothed individuals were clearly Blood Transportation Realm experts, and definitely not just in the Early Stage of Blood Transportation. They were likely in the middle or Late Stages of Blood Transportation, or even entirely in the Late Stage.
They didn't know how many black-clothed individuals came in total, but judging from the fragmented flesh and blood at the scene, there should have been no fewer than three or four.
“Gulp…”
Thinking of this, the few of them couldn't help but swallow in unison, seeing similar astonishment on each other's faces.
At least three or four Late Stage Blood Transportation experts attacked stealthily, but not only did they fail, they didn't even leave a complete body behind.
Especially since they didn't even cause much of a disturbance. As inner Disciples of the Qingniao Yard, they considered their reactions to be extremely fast. They rushed out immediately upon hearing the commotion, yet even so, they saw such a scene as soon as they came out. This meant the battle ended in a very short time.
The more they thought about it, the more shocked they became, as if they were meeting this newly joined core Disciple for the first time.
In their hearts, they couldn't help but feel both respect and fear for this Senior Brother who was much younger than them.
“If… if I'm not mistaken, Senior Brother Lin seems to have entered the Blood Transportation Realm less than a year ago…”
Huang Feng spoke in a low voice, looking at the tightly shut door with an indescribable expression.
“Less than a year? To have such formidable strength, it's truly terrifying…”
“It's just that Senior Brother Lin's methods are a bit too ruthless. He didn't even leave a single person alive, just crippled them…”
Thoughts flickered in the minds of the inner Disciples, and a single thought simultaneously emerged: they must never provoke this Senior Brother Lin, not even to death.
Before this, they hadn't felt anything specific about Lin Sheng's arrival. They neither looked down on him nor placed much importance on him.
After all, they were all veterans of the Seven Forms Sect, each of them an expert who had entered the Blood Transportation Realm many years ago. Although their status was not as high as that of a core Disciple, because they were a few years older, they believed that although their Aptitude might not be as good as his, their strength should not be much different.
Even though they knew he had once killed Fei Long of the White Dragon Gang, their view was the same as most people in the sect: they considered the main force in that battle to be the escort leader of the Blade Breaking Escort Agency, because Lin Sheng relied more on luck.
Now it seemed how ridiculous they were before.
...
Inside the room.
Lin Sheng had already picked up a piece of wood and started carving again. Regarding these sudden black-clothed individuals, he really wanted to know who was behind them?
And why they attacked him, but unfortunately, he accidentally killed them all.
“Next time, be more careful, leave a few alive, and interrogate them thoroughly.”
He thought to himself, already focusing his mind on the wood carving.
In Wanhua City, Lin Sheng believed he had not acted high-profilely and had no enemies.
Moreover, with his current strength, only Martial Artists in the Bone Transformation Realm could pose a threat to him.
During this time in Shuiguang Town, the practice of the Qingniao Chasing Star Finger had become increasingly refined. He had already felt the Bottleneck of breaking through the sixth layer.
It wouldn't be long before he could cross this Bottleneck and enter the Middle Stage of the Blood Transportation Realm.
It was just a pity that there had been no news from the Ten Thousand Beasts Hall so far.
As for mental condensation, there had also been results during this period.
During the wood carving process, he could clearly feel the fluctuations of his own mind, and the carved wood pieces also became increasingly imbued with a mysterious charm. This was the effect of mental condensation on the wood carving. Of course, this charm could not last for too long; it would dissipate significantly after only about an hour.
After spending another two hours completing the wood carving, he had just put down the carving knife and opened the vermilion wooden box placed beside him.
The wooden box was about the size of two or three human heads, cold to the touch, and even its surface was covered with a thin layer of frost, emitting a biting chill.
He opened the wooden box. The coldness surged out like a tide, and inside were stacks of deep blue plants.
These deep blue plants were the Star Dew Grass he had asked Zhao Kongfang to purchase.
Unlike his previous Star Dew Grass, these Star Dew Grass were noticeably larger and darker in color. These were high-year Star Dew Grass that he had specifically requested; most of the ones in the box were over a hundred years old.
Their effect was significantly stronger than the ones he had previously consumed, and of course, the cold poison they carried was also more potent. Ordinary people wouldn't even need to swallow them; merely touching Star Dew Grass of this age would result in cold poison entering the body, causing instant death. Even Body Tempering and Forging Tendons Martial Artists wouldn't last long.
Picking up a stalk of Star Dew Grass, Lin Sheng didn't hesitate and directly put it into his mouth.
Immediately, he felt a surge of coldness fill his mouth, quickly entering his internal organs and spreading throughout his body along with his blood, finally gathering in his brain.
This feeling was like having a piece of ice lodged in his brain.
Lin Sheng frowned slightly. He had expected the effect of this Star Dew Grass to be much stronger, but he didn't expect it to be even more intense than he had imagined.
He immediately activated his Heart Monkey Talent. A slit opened between his eyebrows, and a vertical pupil grew out.
A chaotic torrent of pain surged into his consciousness, but it was quickly offset by the icy cold.
After a while.
“After three points of mental attribute, the tempering effect brought by the Heart Monkey Talent is indeed much weaker. However, the effect of this high-year Star Dew Grass is surprisingly good. With the two combined, the tempering of the mind is also quite effective, possibly even faster than before.”
Carefully sensing the feedback from his mind just now, Lin Sheng muttered to himself.
If he was lucky, using these Star Dew Grass and the Heart Monkey Talent, he might actually be able to increase his mental strength by another point.
The next day.
In the main hall of the station.
Lin Sheng looked at the message in his hand, a look of realization on his face.
“So I wasn't the only one who was attacked. These thieves are targeting the Seven Forms Sect's businesses, or perhaps they are simply after money.”
With a burst of force from his hand, the letter in his hand turned into dust.
“I didn't expect there would still be thieves causing trouble at this time.”
This was a message from Xie Qingyun, warning him to be careful of potential thieves.
These thieves came suddenly, and they were clearly not ordinary bandits.
However, these were not things he needed to worry about; the people above would naturally handle them. It was enough for him to manage this Shuiguang Town.
In the afternoon.
Bai Qing arrived in a hurry with a few Qingniao Yard Disciples.
Lin Sheng straightforwardly handed over the management of the place to Bai Qing and the others, while he was happy to be idle, spending most of his days in seclusion for cultivation in his room.
He either practiced the Qingniao Chasing Star Finger or was engrossed in wood carving. At the same time, he also spent an hour every day consuming Star Dew Grass and tempering his mind through the Heart Monkey Talent.
Every day, he could feel his strength improving little by little.
Unfortunately, there had been no news from the Ten Thousand Beasts Hall.
It wasn't until two days later that he received a message from Yang Niu, learning that there had been some unexpected issues, delaying the original progress. He would have to wait for at least another month.
This situation undoubtedly disrupted his plans.
According to his original plan, even if flying Spirit Beasts hadn't been delivered in the past two days, physical-type Spirit Beasts should have been no problem. However, he didn't expect such a thing to happen.
Although somewhat helpless, he could only accept it.
He was also considering whether to start from the Fu City.
After all, the Fu City was the most prosperous and wealthy place in Linjiang Prefecture.
“Forget it, let's put it aside for now and talk about it after the mental condensation is almost complete.”
Shaking his head slightly, Lin Sheng still decided to put it aside for the time being.
Although he had made some progress in mental condensation, he was not confident that he could complete it in a month, so he was not in a hurry.
However, if he could integrate another flying Spirit Beast, he might be able to break through to the Late Stage of the Blood Transportation Realm in a month.
This would undoubtedly greatly improve his strength.
Unfortunately, flying Spirit Beasts were hard to find. Even if there were no accidents with Yang Niu's side, the ones delivered would most likely be physical-type Spirit Beasts.
Even in the Fu City, buying flying Spirit Beasts was not an easy task.
After all, with the Yuanyang Beast Sect present, almost eighty percent of the Spirit Beasts in the city came from them.
Most flying Spirit Beasts were either consumed internally or sold at a high price after being successfully tamed. It could be said that supply was short of demand.
For someone like him with no background or status, even if he wanted to buy from the Yuanyang Beast Sect, they might not necessarily sell to him.
Therefore, the possibility of obtaining flying Spirit Beasts through Yang Niu's channel was small, and even if it was possible, it would definitely take a considerable amount of time.
“Perhaps I really need to find some time to explore the Congyun Mountains.”
He was quite interested in this vast mountain range that spanned two prefectures.
There were quite a few Spirit Beasts inside, which had always been very attractive to him.
Before, it was because his strength was insufficient. Now, he believed that although he was not confident against Advanced Spirit Beasts, Elementary Level Spirit Beasts posed no threat to him.
Thoughts flickered in his mind, and he quickly calmed his mind, immersing himself in cultivation once again.
...
Year 57 of Jing Emperor, the fifth day of the eighth month.
Northern Yan, Prince Yan Zhao Hongzhang, and South Qi Great General Tang Zhong fought on the border between the two countries. The fierce battle lasted for three days, with no clear victor, ending with both sides severely wounded.
From then on, the nearly hundred years of peace between the two countries were shattered once again. Both sides deployed troops to the border, facing each other across the mountains. For a time, undercurrents surged within both countries, and conflicts began.
Linjiang Prefecture, Wanhua City, Shuiguang Town.
In the dense bamboo forest.
A figure in green stood on the surface of the lake. The lake was as calm as a mirror, without the slightest ripple.
The figure in green was tall and upright, yet at this moment, he seemed as light as a feather, almost weightless, floating on the water. His steps were sometimes light and sometimes heavy, his movements fluid, and a green glow flickered on his body.
However, the water surface remained calm, without causing the slightest ripple.
As he moved, wisps of thick white smoke appeared on his body, almost completely obscuring his figure. This was a reaction caused by the frantic mobilization of his blood and the compression and condensation of his internal energy.
Not long after, Lin Sheng's eyes gleamed, and he gently tapped the surface of the lake. The next moment, he appeared on the ground.
The green glow on his body retracted, and the sharp aura he emitted quickly subsided.
“Middle Blood Transportation Realm is not bad. The sixth layer of Chasing Star Finger's internal energy has become more solid, and its power is two to three tenths stronger.”
A smile appeared on his face, and then he spoke lightly without looking back.
“What are you doing here looking for me?”
“Senior… Senior Brother Lin, I'm here to give you the dividend from the shuiguang grass.”
Huang Feng stammered out.
Although he already knew that Lin Sheng's strength was very strong, the scene he had just witnessed still shook him greatly.
Just that technique of walking on water like a light goose was something he had only seen the Senior Brother in the yard do, but even he was far from being this effortless.
And the scene of him condensing his internal energy just now was even more shocking to him.
Condensing internal energy to their level was already commonplace. The stronger the condensed internal energy, the more mist would be produced by the compressed blood within the body.
He had been condensing internal energy yesterday, and the mist produced was only three or four wisps, which was already considered quite good among his fellow Disciples.
But the scene just now was a huge blow to him. Compared to the other party, he felt like he was just playing around.
“Dividend?”
Lin Sheng raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, the dividend. This is your share, Senior Brother Lin.”
Huang Feng took out a brocade box from his 懷.
“Put it to the side.”
“Okay, Senior Brother Lin.” Huang Feng placed the brocade box on a bluestone nearby.
“Then I won't disturb your cultivation, Senior Brother Lin.”
After saying that, he bowed respectfully and quickly retreated.
Watching the other party's figure disappear into the distance, Lin Sheng opened his palm, and the brocade box had already landed in his hand. Inside were several thousand-tael banknotes, totaling five thousand taels.
Gently rubbing the banknotes, Lin Sheng showed a hint of surprise on his face.
He was a clever person.
Managing the property indeed offered some benefits, but these five thousand taels accounted for a significant portion.
He didn't dwell on this small interlude and continued to refine his internal energy.
After breaking through to the sixth layer of Chasing Star Finger yesterday, the upper limit for condensing internal energy was higher. He needed to condense it as quickly as possible to proceed with the cultivation of the seventh layer.