The grand reception hall was ablaze with light.
Thirty-six elegant dancers, their figures graceful, pulled down their veils and began to dance. Lin Yuan stared intently. In his previous life, he had only seen such scenes in videos—this was his first time experiencing it in person.
No wonder ancient people loved this kind of thing—it really was beautiful.
He Jiaye noticed his fascination and raised his brows slightly, whispering, “Rest assured, sir. I’ll personally pick a few fine ones later and send them to your room.”
“Alright… Ah, no need. I’m not that kind of person.” Lin Yuan nearly agreed, but quickly refused. This wasn’t the time to enjoy pleasures.
His expression turned stern as he asked, “So there really isn’t any Azurefall Flower left?”
With a troubled expression, He Jiaye nodded, his face full of sorrow. “You may not know, sir, but the weather’s been strange this year, with frequent violent winds. We only know minor spells like summoning rain or pest control. Against those gales, we were simply powerless.”
His performance was flawless. Lin Yuan couldn’t spot anything suspicious.
“If there’s none, then forget it. I’ll stay the night and leave tomorrow,” Lin Yuan said as if unintentionally.
Sure enough, hearing that he’d leave the next day, a hint of joy flashed across He Jiaye’s face before quickly vanishing. There was definitely something wrong with the He family, though it wasn’t clear what exactly.
“That won’t do. I should at least visit the place where the Azurefall Flower grows. That way, I’ll have something to report when I return. What do you think?” Lin Yuan changed the subject suddenly, his gaze sharp as it landed on He Jiaye.
He Jiaye’s face remained calm, but inside he was already cursing. Damn it. Wouldn’t it be easier if you just left? Why insist on going to see it?
Though thinking that, he didn’t dare show it. He forced a smile and said, “Since you want to see it, we’ll go tomorrow.”
Noticing his reaction, Lin Yuan decided to add another layer of safety. If the He family really was up to something and tried to harm him, it could be disastrous.
“You might not know, but I really didn’t want to make this a big deal either. But this order came directly from Elder Sangmu, so I have to take it seriously,” Lin Yuan said with a frown, pretending to be helpless.
“Elder Sangmu?” He Jiaye’s heart trembled.
He’d thought it was just a routine inquiry. He hadn’t expected a Golden Core Realm elder to be involved. The news made him panic for a moment.
But soon, he noticed a gap in the story and asked cautiously, “The Azurefall Flower isn’t very high grade. Is it really worth Elder Sangmu’s attention?”
Lin Yuan glanced at him, clearly seeing through his thoughts.
“Of course, Elder Sangmu wouldn’t care personally. But his granddaughter has recently become obsessed with alchemy. Since he adores her, well… you understand.” New chapters come out on novelping dot com first.
He Jiaye suddenly understood. He did know that Elder Sangmu had a beloved granddaughter. If that were the case, then it made sense.
Seeing that He Jiaye no longer pressed the issue, Lin Yuan unbound a previous target and selected him instead.
[New side effect bearer selected: He Jiaye (He family member, 8th stage Qi Refining Realm).]
“It can even display cultivation levels now?” Lin Yuan was surprised. This was quite a handy feature. With this, he could avoid many dangers in the future.
But soon, he fell into thought. He had suspected before that the He family had cut ties with the Immortal Gate Sect and found another backer, which was why they delayed turning in the spiritual herbs. But now, it seemed the truth was different.
Soon, the dancers withdrew, and the feast began.
Lin Yuan had expected the He family to poison the food or wine, but everything was normal. That puzzled him slightly.
Late at night, Lin Yuan returned to his room and immediately took out the defensive array he had received from Liu Songde, setting it up inside. Though the array’s coverage wasn’t large, it was enough to shield the entire room.
After confirming the array was working, he took out the brocade box He Jiaye had given him. Upon opening it, he found a round, pale yellow second-grade pill. One sniff, and Lin Yuan’s heart stirred.
The scent of Azurefall Flower.
The Strength-Boosting Pills refined by Sang Xiaoya all contained Azurefall Flower. That was why he was familiar with its scent. Unexpectedly, this pill had it too, which surprised him.
“Though I’m not sure about the exact effects, it contains so much spiritual Qi that it should help raise my cultivation.”
After some thought, Lin Yuan swallowed the pill and activated the Bloodburn Technique.
[Consumed Life-Burning Pill. Side effect acquired: shortened lifespan.]
Seeing the text floating before his eyes, and recalling everything from earlier, Lin Yuan finally understood the strange feeling he’d had.
The He family was just a cultivation family, and even its head was only at the Foundation Establishment Realm. Yet now, they seemed abnormally powerful. There were many at the 5th and 6th stage Qi Refining Realm, and even He Jiaye was at the 8th stage. That was impressive even among inner sect disciples.
“Trading lifespan for power… it’s just like the Bloodburn Technique.”
“Looks like they didn’t find a new backer—they’re using Life-Burning Pills to quickly strengthen the family.”
“And since the pills contain Azurefall Flower, they must have picked them all.”
The Life-Burning Pill’s medicinal power was incredible. Not long after taking it, surging spiritual Qi flooded his body, making him feel lazy and sleepy. His body was brimming with spiritual Qi, and more was still pouring in from outside.
Using the Bloodburn Technique, Lin Yuan quickly refined it into spiritual power and stored it within. In the blink of an eye, his spiritual power was nearly full.
“If you’re so eager to die, let me help you.”
Still unsatisfied, he kept absorbing wildly. The excess spiritual power began pounding at his realm’s barrier. The Qi Refining Realm was all about accumulating spiritual power—the faster it accumulated, the faster one’s strength improved. With good talent and enough pills, even breaking several levels in a day was possible.
It had been a month since Lin Yuan reached the 8th stage Qi Refining Realm. His spiritual power was already at the brink of breakthrough, and this Heavenly Origin Pill had arrived just in time.
After several waves of impact, the realm’s barrier crumbled.
In an instant, Lin Yuan felt all his meridians expand significantly. The widened meridians could now store far more spiritual power.
Spiritual power was a cultivator’s foundation—like mana in a game. The more spiritual power one had, the stronger their techniques. The higher the limit, the more powerful techniques and spells they could unleash.
“9th stage Qi Refining Realm. Even among inner sect disciples, this puts me near the top.”
He steadied his breath and calmed his spiritual power. Then, Lin Yuan took out a handful of iron balls and swallowed them one by one like beans. To make progress in the Iron Bone Realm, one had to consume black iron, but since he didn’t have that, he substituted with regular metal. The progress was slow, but it was still improvement.
A night passed.
At early dawn, the sound of birds echoed outside.
Lin Yuan stepped out of his room and, under the attentive service of four stunning maids, finished washing up. Such an indulgent life was completely different from the Immortal Gate Sect.
“Life may be sweet, but it’s as fleeting as an illusion. It won’t last.”
The He family might seem powerful now, but if the Immortal Gate Sect sent just one slightly stronger Foundation Establishment Realm elder, the whole family could be wiped out—let alone if a Golden Core elder took action.
That’s why, though Lin Yuan admired it, he wasn’t addicted.
The place where the Azurefall Flower grew was half a day’s journey away. They needed to set out early.
And the one leading him… was still He Jiaye.