The news that Yu Yin refined Supreme Grade Qi Recovery Pills at the Minor Alchemy Gathering spread throughout every corner of Qingyang City overnight, as if it had grown wings.
"Supreme Grade Qi Recovery Pills! Three of them! Using the most common Medicinal Herbs?"
"I heard it was an unfamiliar young girl using a strange green spiritual fire!"
"Is her name Yu Yin? Why haven't we heard of this person before?"
"It is said that she and another cold-looking girl come from a force called the 'Reincarnation Sect'..."
Discussions buzzed—astonishment, curiosity, doubt—a cacophony of voices intertwined. The unfamiliar name, Reincarnation Sect, entered the ears of all factions in Qingyang City with unprecedented clarity for the first time.
In the study of the City Lord's Mansion.
Murong Bai toyed with a Supreme Grade Qi Recovery Pill in his hand, which was dripping with emerald green luster. The pill body was perfectly round, faintly showing spiritual patterns, and its medicinal fragrance was pure. A playful smile touched his pale face.
"Reincarnation Sect... Have you found anything?" His voice was gentle, betraying no emotion.
From the shadows behind him, a deep voice replied, "Reporting to the Young Master, we found nothing. This Sect seems to have appeared out of thin air, without roots or foundation. Those two women appeared in the West Market Town a few days ago and had a conflict with the Black Wind Mercenary Group, revealing extraordinary abilities. After that, there was no trace of them until the Minor Alchemy Gathering. Their base... is suspected to be deep within the Demonic Beast Mountain Range outside the city, but the exact location cannot be confirmed; that area seems to be obscured by some kind of advanced Formation Array."
"Obscured by a Formation Array? Even you couldn't detect it?" A hint of surprise flashed in Murong Bai's eyes, and then his smile deepened. "Interesting. It seems this Reincarnation Sect holds many secrets. That Yu Yin, cultivating both wood and fire, possesses peerless talent. If we could recruit her..."
He paused, then shook his head, "Never mind, let's observe the situation first. The Lin Family, I fear, won't be able to sit still."
Just as Murong Bai predicted, the Lin Family was in an uproar.
In the assembly hall, the atmosphere was heavy. The Family Head, Lin Xiao （ Lin Wan'er's father ）, sat upright in the main seat, his expression gloomy. Below him sat several core Elders of the Lin Family, including that Alchemist whose face was ashen at the Minor Alchemy Gathering—Lin Yuan.
"Waste! A bunch of waste!" Lin Xiao slammed the table fiercely, enraged. "A seedling with such Pill Dao talent was buried in my Lin Family for over a decade! And you treated her as a Sacrificial Piece, forcing her to join another faction! Now she is famous throughout the city, where am I supposed to put the Lin Family's face?!"
The Elders remained silent, fearful of speaking. Lin Yuan forced himself to speak, "Family Head, please calm your anger! Who... who expected Yu Yin to possess such talent? She couldn't even cast the most basic Fireball Spell, and no Spirit Root manifested during the detection..."
"That is your incompetence!" Lin Xiao interrupted him, his gaze sharp. "What use is saying this now? The urgent matter is how to salvage this! She carries the blood of my Lin Family! This talent must return to the Lin Family!"
He looked at Lin Yuan, "Elder Lin Yuan, you will lead a team personally, bring generous gifts, and go... go invite Yu Yin back! Be extremely respectful in your attitude! Tell her that the family neglected her in the past, but we will certainly compensate her in the future, provide resources, and elevate her status. As long as she is willing to return, she can name her price!"
He deliberately emphasized the word "invite." In the face of absolute talent, the so-called family honor could be set aside for the moment.
Lin Yuan felt bitter inside but dared not disobey. He could only bow and accept the order, "Yes, Family Head."
...
Inside the valley of the Reincarnation Sect.
Yu Yin was excitedly showing Qing Xue and Leng Wei the Supreme Grade Qi Recovery Pills she had refined. Although it was only the lowest-tier Pill, it was the first step on her Pill Dao path, making it extraordinarily significant.
A faint smile also appeared on Qing Xue's stern face. "Congratulations, Junior Sister."
Leng Wei nodded slightly, "The foundation is acceptable. Do not become arrogant or impatient."
Just then, Leng Wei's Phoenix Eyes suddenly lifted, gazing outside the valley. Her voice was cold, "Someone is coming. It's people from the Lin Family. The leader is Mid Foundation Establishment Stage, bringing many gifts. It seems they are 'coming to seek a disciple'."
Outside the valley, Lin Yuan, leading several Lin Family disciples and carrying several heavy gift boxes, stood before the ordinary mountain wall illusory projection created by the Formation Array. He forced what he thought was the kindest smile onto his face and projected his Spiritual Power, speaking loudly:
"Lin Yuan of the Lin Family has come to pay respects to the Daoist friends of the Reincarnation Sect! Please show yourselves!"
The voice carried into the valley.
Qing Xue's eyes instantly turned cold, and she instinctively gripped the ice-edged short blade at her waist.
The smile on Yu Yin's face also froze. A complex look flashed in her eyes—disgust, but also a trace of undetectable nervousness. After all, she had lived in the oppressive environment of the Lin Family for over a decade.
"Elder Leng Wei..." Yu Yin looked toward Leng Wei.
Leng Wei's expression was blank: "The Sect Master is not here. You two may decide this matter yourselves. The Sect is your backing."
Hearing this, Qing Xue took a deep breath, looked at Yu Yin, and said firmly, "Junior Sister, what do you think? If you don't want to see them, I will go and send them away immediately."
Yu Yin looked at the support in her Senior Sister's eyes and felt the silent yet powerful protection from Elder Leng Wei. The nervousness in her heart instantly dissipated, replaced by an unprecedented sense of confidence and resolve.
She shook her head, her gaze clear and firm. "Senior Sister, Elder Leng Wei, I want to meet them personally. Some things must be made clear face-to-face."
"Good." Qing Xue nodded. "I will accompany you."
Leng Wei waved her hand, and the Formation Array at the valley entrance temporarily opened a gap.
Lin Yuan and the others watched as the mountain wall ahead rippled like water, and then two young women dressed in moon-white disciple robes walked out slowly. They were Qing Xue and Yu Yin.
Upon seeing Yu Yin, Lin Yuan's face immediately broke into an enthusiastic smile. He stepped forward a few paces, "Yin girl! You finally came out! I am your Uncle-Grandpa Lin Yuan! I heard you shone brilliantly at the Minor Alchemy Gathering, refining Supreme Grade Pills—you truly brought glory to our Lin Family! The family was extremely pleased to hear the news!"
His tone was intimate, as if all previous humiliations had never happened.
Yu Yin's expression was calm, and she slightly bowed. "Elder Lin Yuan, I have already joined the Reincarnation Sect and have no further connection with the Lin Family. I cannot accept such an address from you."
Lin Yuan's smile stiffened, but he quickly laughed again, "Ah, childish words! Can blood ties be severed just like that? The family was indeed neglectful toward you before, but knowing one's mistakes and correcting them is the greatest virtue! Look, the Family Head specifically ordered me to bring generous gifts to sincerely invite you back to the family! In the future, family resources are yours to use, and the position of Chief of the Pill Room can be kept vacant for you! If your mother were aware in the afterlife, she would surely hope you return to your ancestors and bring glory to the lineage!"
He appealed to her emotions, reason, and offered incentives, even invoking the name of Yu Yin's deceased mother.
In the past, Yu Yin might have wavered. But now, the cold stares of the Lin Family members flashed in her mind, Lin Yu's bullying, the despair when her mother's belongings were nearly seized, and the new life and warmth given to her by Master Chu Yang and the Reincarnation Sect.
She slowly raised her head, her gaze clear and firm, looking directly at Lin Yuan:
"Elder Lin Yuan, I appreciate your kind intentions. But our paths diverge; we cannot work together."
"The Reincarnation Sect is my true home."
"Please take these gifts back. From the moment I was driven out of that small courtyard, from the moment you regarded me as Waste Material, and from the moment my mother's belongings were almost lost, I, Yu Yin, have severed all ties with the Lin Family of Qingyang City!"
"Please leave. I will not see you off."
Every word was clear and resounding!
Lin Yuan's face darkened completely, and the Lin Family disciples behind him also showed anger.
"Yu Yin! Don't refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit!" Lin Yuan tore off his hypocritical mask, his tone turning cold. "Don't forget, you carry the Lin Family's blood! Without the Lin Family, where would you be? Do you really think this Reincarnation Sect, which appeared from nowhere, can protect you? There is no good end for those who oppose the Lin Family!"
It was a naked threat!
Qing Xue stepped forward, shielding Yu Yin behind her. Profound Yin Qi erupted around her, spreading a chilling aura. Her voice was colder than ten-thousand-year Profound Ice:
"Threatening my Reincarnation Sect disciple?"
"It seems the lesson we taught you last time was not enough."
Her gaze was like a knife as she swept over Lin Yuan and the others. Her peak Qi Refining Third Layer aura was unleashed without reservation, causing even the Mid Foundation Establishment Stage Lin Yuan to feel a tremor of fear!
Lin Yuan was shocked and angry. He hadn't expected these two juniors to be so uncompromising! Nor had he expected the Reincarnation Sect to be far more troublesome than they had imagined!
Just as the two sides were at a breaking point, a terrifying pressure, Vastness like an abyss and cold Annihilation, descended like an invisible mountain, pressing precisely onto Lin Yuan and the others!
Thud! Thud!
Except for Lin Yuan, who barely managed to hold on, all the Qi Refining Stage disciples he brought collapsed onto the ground with weak legs, their faces pale, trembling, unable to even speak!
Lin Yuan was also drenched in cold sweat, feeling like a small boat in a raging storm, ready to capsize at any moment! He looked fearfully toward the depths of the valley, where it seemed an ancient Ice God lay dormant!
What realm of expert was this?! Nascent Soul? Or... higher?
Leng Wei did not show herself. Only a cold and ethereal voice, as if coming from the Nine Hells, reached Lin Yuan's ears:
"Scram."
"Disturb the peace of the Reincarnation Sect again, and die."
A single word exploded like thunder in the depth of Lin Yuan's Divine Soul!
He could no longer hold on. He spat out a mouthful of blood with a "wah," grabbed the gifts while scrambling and crawling, and fled the mountain range that had terrified him to the point of soul scattering, along with his limp subordinates.
They came seeking a disciple but were thoroughly humiliated, and they witnessed just a glimpse of the unfathomable depth of the Reincarnation Sect!
The Lin Family had truly kicked an iron plate this time.
And after this incident, the name of the Reincarnation Sect would no longer be associated only with "Alchemy Genius," but would also be shrouded in a mysterious and powerful aura!
（Chapter Eighteen End）