In the chaotic courtyard,
Gou Donglai was tidying up with a few people.
Meanwhile, Lin Sheng and Yuan Fang sat opposite each other in another side courtyard.
“Brother Yuan, please have some tea.”
Lin Sheng, smiling, raised his teacup in the evening, gesturing to Yuan Fang opposite him.
He hadn’t expected that before he could visit Lord Luo Yin, Yuan Fang had already arrived.
Yi Ye Qing had just taken Gong Wei away when the other party came to visit, so he must have arrived much earlier, perhaps even witnessing his fight with Gong Wei.
“This incident can be considered a lesson for Junior Brother, hopefully it will help him change his impulsive nature.”
Yuan Fang spoke softly, taking a sip from the teacup on the table, his eyes fixed on Lin Sheng, with a hint of surprise.
He had indeed arrived much earlier, and his presence here was naturally by Lord Luo Yin’s command.
Having been stationed in Fulong City for many years, almost all major and minor events in the city could not escape Dark Star’s intelligence network.
His purpose in coming here was naturally to prevent any major conflicts between the two sides.
Mainly, he was worried that after his Junior Brother’s cultivation advanced significantly, he might act recklessly and seriously injure Lin Sheng.
Although he knew Lin Sheng’s talent was extremely strong, even surpassing his own Junior Brother, Lin Sheng had scattered his cultivation after practicing the Supreme Heavenly Demon Scripture, and his combat power was greatly reduced. Even after consuming the Dragon Elephant Great Bone Pill, he might not be comparable to his Peak.
Especially since Gong Wei had also successfully refined the Dragon Elephant Great Bone Pill.
With one rising and the other falling, he was truly unsure if Lin Sheng could withstand the greatly strengthened Gong Wei.
However, the final result greatly exceeded his expectations.
Unexpectedly, the Lin Sheng he had worried about showed no signs of injury, while his Junior Brother’s situation was quite miserable.
Especially after seeing Lin Sheng force Yi Ye Qing to retreat, he was quite shocked. Yi Ye Qing’s strength was considered strong among Divine Transformation Realm cultivators.
With five transformations of Divine Transformation Realm and guidance from Lord Luo Yin, his combat power surpassed that of ordinary Divine Transformation Realm five-transformation experts. Otherwise, how could he serve as Gong Wei’s Protector?
He asked himself if he could defeat Yi Ye Qing, but it wouldn’t be an easy task.
Although the other party and Yi Ye Qing only exchanged one brief move, it was clear that his actual combat power was probably not weaker than Yi Ye Qing’s.
But don’t forget that Lin Sheng was still in the stage of scattered cultivation.
This was the reason for his inner shock.
“Indeed, comparing people only leads to frustration…”
An inexplicable thought flashed through Yuan Fang’s mind, and his gaze towards Lin Sheng held a hint of resentment.
“Does Lord Luo Yin know?”
Hearing Yuan Fang’s words, Lin Sheng put down his teacup and asked with a smile.
“Naturally, he knows, otherwise I wouldn’t be here. I just didn’t expect Brother Lin to hide his strength so well. This is good; with such strength, he should be much more at ease with the disappearance of this mission.”
Yuan Fang finished his tea and replied softly.
“When will this mission begin?”
Lin Sheng suddenly asked.
Although he knew his mission, he didn’t know when it would start.
“Different locations are responsible, so the times are naturally different. The Yu Hai Pass you are responsible for is not close, so you should depart in about ten days. After all, the war on South Qi’s side is tight, and the consumption of that red crystal Ore is enormous.”
Yuan Fang thought for a moment and replied indifferently.
“What is this red crystal Ore? Doesn’t South Qi have any? Does it have to be transported from within Northern Yan?”
Ever since he learned about this mission, he had been quite curious about the so-called red crystal Ore.
After all, if it could be used in frontline warfare, this Ore was clearly quite extraordinary.
“Red crystal is an Ore containing a special violent energy, similar in nature to the Ore patterns in beast mines, but not as chaotic. However, red crystal Ore is a real Ore, unlike Ore patterns which are sparsely distributed. Although the energy it contains is not as potent as Ore patterns, its volume is large, mining difficulty is not low, and it’s difficult to apply practically.”
“The Imperial Court does possess divine fire bombs made primarily from red crystal Ore, which are quite powerful. As for why South Qi has such a demand for red crystal Ore, I heard Master mention that they seem to have made a significant Breakthrough in the application technology of red crystal Ore, enabling them to produce some weapons of considerable power from it.”
“This is also why South Qi, which had been steadily retreating, was suddenly able to temporarily resist Northern Yan’s Beast Suppression Army.”
Yuan Fang had no intention of concealing anything and directly revealed all the information he knew.
“As for why red crystal Ore is being transported from South Qi, it’s understandable. This Ore is difficult to mine, hence this trip.”
“I see, thank you, Brother Yuan, for clarifying.”
After hearing what he said, Lin Sheng nodded, then cupped his hands.
“No need to be polite. Well, since nothing went wrong, I’ll go back and report.”
The two chatted for a few more sentences, then Yuan Fang stood up to take his leave.
Watching the other person’s figure disappear into the distance, Lin Sheng retracted his gaze.
“Ten days, if I’m lucky, it should be enough to condense another demon pattern.”
With that thought, he returned to his cultivation chamber and began to Cultivate with a calm mind.
*
*
Guiyuan Pavilion.
“How is it? Did Wei’er cause any trouble?”
In the courtyard, Lord Luo Yin looked at the newly returned Yuan Fang and asked indifferently.
“No, Lin Sheng’s strength is much stronger than I imagined, he should be no less than Yi Ye Qing. If his cultivation recovers, he should be even clearer.”
Yuan Fang replied respectfully.
“Hmm, being able to directly consume the Dragon Elephant Great Bone Pill, successfully refine and activate the Dragon Elephant Power, and also Cultivate Heavenly Serpent Bone Exchange, it’s reasonable that he could achieve this.”
To Yuan Fang’s surprise, Lord Luo Yin seemed unfazed by this situation, as if he had already anticipated this outcome.
“Master, is that Heavenly Serpent Bone Exchange secret art truly that powerful?”
Seeing this, Yuan Fang immediately felt a little restless.
He had naturally heard of this once-renowned secret art within the organization.
He hadn’t paid much attention to it before, but seeing the formidable talent Lin Sheng displayed, he couldn’t help but have a few more thoughts now.
“Very strong. If one can successfully Cultivate this secret method completely, it can elevate one’s Bloodline to an unimaginable level. Entering the Grandmaster Realm is by no means difficult, and there’s even a possibility of further Breakthrough.”
Lord Luo Yin said indifferently.
Upon hearing this, Yuan Fang’s mouth involuntarily dropped open.
But soon, Lord Luo Yin’s subsequent words disheartened him.
“However, you don’t need to think about this secret method, nor should you have any thoughts about it. You should have heard of the danger level of this secret method.”
“I have indeed heard of it.” Yuan Fang nodded.
“Then let me tell you now, the danger level of this secret method is actually much higher than rumored. Do you know why Divine Lord became like this?”
Lord Luo Yin’s voice now carried a hint of emotion and melancholy.
“Isn’t it because he suffered mental damage when he tried to Breakthrough the Bottleneck of the Supreme Heavenly Demon Scripture?” Yuan Fang subconsciously replied, as this was not a secret among Dark Star’s high-ranking members.
But soon, he realized something and his eyes widened.
“Master, do you mean it’s because of this secret method…”
“That’s right, Divine Lord had already reached Great Perfection in the third stage of the Grandmaster Realm two hundred years ago. With Divine Lord’s talent, he could have long ago crossed that threshold of the Supreme Heavenly Demon Scripture. It was precisely because of the restrictions of this secret method that he was unable to Breakthrough that step for so long, and only then did his mind begin to suffer problems, which became increasingly severe.”
“So, this secret method is much more troublesome than you imagine. Otherwise, why would none of the Dark Star Envoys and the two Pavilion Masters in the organization, besides Divine Lord, Cultivate it?”
Lord Luo Yin’s gaze fell on Yuan Fang as he spoke softly.
“Do you think you can compare to the two Pavilion Masters or Divine Lord?”
“This Disciple understands.” Hearing this, Yuan Fang’s heart tightened, and he dispelled that fleeting thought in his mind.
“How is Wei’er?”
“Reporting to Master, this time, Junior Brother’s situation is quite miserable…”
Yuan Fang immediately recounted everything he had seen, then asked again.
“Junior Brother is seriously injured. Should I go and give him two Blood Fusion Bone Regeneration Pills first?”
“No need, let him suffer. If he doesn’t know pain, how will he change?”
Lord Luo Yin shook his head slightly, directly refusing, and snorted coldly.
“The Mad Tiger Devours Elephant Skill is extremely powerful. Although it focuses on physique and strength, what’s more important is the mind. Wei’er, with his Four-Winged Red Tiger Bloodline, is extremely compatible with this skill, but it’s also extremely dangerous. If he can’t suppress the Tiger Demon’s bloodthirsty killing intent, even if he achieves extraordinary success in the future, he will ultimately be unable to escape the fate of completely succumbing and becoming a Human Demon.”
“Go to my study and fetch eleven scrolls of Daoist and Buddhist scriptures for him. Tell him that he can come and get the pills when he can recite these scriptures from memory.”
“But Master, if that’s the case, then this mission, Junior Brother…” Yuan Fang hesitated to speak.
“If he hasn’t recited these scriptures by the time we depart, then let him go as he is.”
Lord Luo Yin coldly left this sentence, and his figure disappeared from the courtyard, leaving a somewhat stunned Yuan Fang behind.
He hadn’t expected Master, who always valued Junior Brother so much, to react in such a way.
“It seems Master is truly angry this time, Junior Brother, you’re on your own.”
He pinched his brow, sighed, and headed towards the study.
*
*
Time flew by, and ten days passed in the blink of an eye.
The cultivation chamber was filled with a strange, chilling aura.
Outside, the scorching sun hung high, yet the room felt colder than the dead of winter.
Lin Sheng sat cross-legged in the center, enveloped by dense calming incense, his strong body outline vaguely visible.
And now, on his back, three black rhomboid patterns were clearly visible. Right next to the third pattern, a thin black line emerged, expanding and growing at a visible speed until a fourth rhomboid pattern finally condensed.
At the same time, Lin Sheng opened his eyes, a black gleam flashing through them, and the strange chill in the room immediately vanished.
“Whew… the fourth demon pattern has finally condensed.”
A smile appeared on Lin Sheng’s face.
He stretched his body, and the aura of the Blood Transportation Realm emanated.
“Half a month, Early Stage Blood Transportation Realm.”
He was extremely satisfied with this speed.
One must know that what he cultivated was not an ordinary true skill, but a genuine profound skill, especially one that was extremely difficult among profound skills.
Such efficiency would probably be unimaginable for others.
“It’s just a pity that the Blood Qi energy after scattering my cultivation is now running low after this Breakthrough. Even condensing another demon pattern and breaking through to the Middle Stage of Blood Transportation Realm is an unknown.”
His cultivation efficiency was so high not only due to his powerful mental and perception attributes, but also greatly aided by this Blood Qi energy. Once it was depleted, his cultivation speed would definitely be significantly affected.
“I originally thought it would be enough for me to Cultivate to the Peak of Blood Transportation Realm, but now it seems I was too optimistic.”
He chuckled to himself, then rose, put on his clothes, and pushed the door open. The once chaotic courtyard had now been restored to its original state.
Ten days had passed, but he still hadn’t received the news to depart. However, according to Yuan Fang, it should be soon, probably within the next day or two.
The journey ahead was quite long, so Lin Sheng chose not to Cultivate further. Instead, he went to another residence in the city.
This residence was much smaller than the one he lived in, and its interior decoration was quite simple, yet it was very clean and tidy.
Lin Hong, Xie Guilan, and others lived here.
Compared to other places, Fulong City was undoubtedly safer.
Moreover, he didn’t use Dark Star’s channels but directly rented this residence at a high price himself. It was usually looked after by Seven Forms Sect Disciples.
Even if something went wrong with Dark Star, this place wouldn’t be affected.
The journey was long, so he still set aside half a day to spend with Lin Hong and the other two.
After all, these two were his only relatives in this world, and of course, there was his cheap elder brother, Lin Miao.
He had also inquired about Lin Miao’s whereabouts, but unfortunately, there was no definite location. He only knew that he had left with the Pavilion Master and didn’t know when he would return.
Besides Lin Hong and Xie Guilan, Cao Ying and Cao Luan were also here.
After the changes in the Seven Forms Sect, the two had been staying with Lin Hong and Xie Guilan to take care of them, and after so much time, they had all become very familiar with each other.
So they had always stayed by Lin Hong and Xie Guilan’s side.
Seeing Lin Sheng, Lin Hong and Xie Guilan were naturally overjoyed, and Cao Ying, following behind, also had a smile on her face.
But for some reason, after meeting Lin Sheng’s gaze, her face immediately flushed, and she quickly averted her eyes in a flustered manner.
Lin Sheng was somewhat puzzled until dinner time.
At the dinner table, Cao Ying hastily ate a few bites and then stood up and left.
Cao Luan, with a somewhat strange expression, also followed and left.
Only Lin Sheng, Lin Hong, and Xie Guilan remained. It was then that Xie Guilan casually remarked,
“Cao Ying is truly a good girl. Whoever marries a girl like her is truly blessed. Don’t you think so, Sheng’er?”
“Indeed, she’s good.” Lin Sheng’s face showed no abnormality, but he already understood in his heart. He put down his rice bowl and smiled.
“Sheng’er, you also think she’s good? That’s great, that’s great…”
Hearing Lin Sheng’s words, Xie Guilan and Lin Hong both showed joyful expressions.
“Don’t let good things go to outsiders. Sheng’er, you’re not young anymore, it’s time to consider your lifelong affairs. I think Miss Cao is good, and I’ve asked Miss Cao’s opinion before, and she didn’t object. Since both of you think she’s good, I think we should settle this matter.”
Xie Guilan leaned closer to Lin Sheng, saying with a chuckle.
“There’s no rush for this matter. Let’s talk about it later. I’ll be leaving for a trip in the next two days. Father, Mother, please take good care of yourselves.”
Lin Sheng picked up a glass of fruit wine, drank it all, and said indifferently.
He didn’t dislike Cao Ying; on the contrary, he admired her quite a bit.
However, now was not the time to consider such matters.