Lin Kai and his group left the temporary cave before sunrise.
They moved carefully through the dense forest, avoiding main roads and any possible patrols from the Li Clan.
Su Mei led the way.
After walking for nearly four hours, they reached a quiet mountain valley.
Hidden between tall cliffs was an old stone gate covered with vines and moss.
“This is the place,” Su Mei said.
“It used to belong to a small sect called the Azure Cloud Sword Sect. They disappeared more than thirty years ago. Almost no one comes here anymore.”
Lin Kai looked around.
The area was quiet and well hidden.
There were several old buildings that could still be used after some cleaning.
A small stream of clear water ran through the valley.
“This will be our base for now,” he said.
Wang Bo put Li Tian down on the ground.
The young master of the Li Clan was still tied up and looked exhausted.
Ye Chen checked the surroundings carefully.
“The defensive formations here are broken, but the location is good. We can set up some simple warning arrays.”
Lin Kai nodded.
“Wang Bo, Ye Chen, clean two of the buildings. Su Mei, take care of the food and water. I will handle Li Tian.”
He dragged Li Tian into one of the old rooms and sat in front of him.
“You will send a message to your father,” Lin Kai said coldly.
“Tell him my demands again. Fifty thousand gold coins, ten high-grade spirit stones, and three months of peace. If he agrees, I will return you alive. If he refuses or tries to attack, you will die.”
Li Tian’s face was pale.
“My father will never give you that much. He would rather start a full war.”
Lin Kai looked at him without emotion.
“Then he will lose a son. I will give him two days to decide.”
He took out a communication jade slip from Li Tian’s storage ring and forced the young man to record the message.
After that, Lin Kai sent the message through a secret channel that Han Wei had provided earlier.
While waiting for the reply, the group started cleaning the abandoned buildings.
Wang Bo used his strength to clear broken walls and fallen trees.
Ye Chen set up simple warning arrays using low-grade spirit stones.
Su Mei cleaned two rooms and prepared a simple cooking area near the stream.
By afternoon, the place already looked livable.
In the evening, a reply finally came through the jade slip.
Li Zhen’s cold voice sounded from the slip:
“Black flame boy, you have guts. I will give you thirty thousand gold coins and five high-grade spirit stones. Return my son immediately. If you refuse, I will send every expert in my clan to hunt you down. There will be no place for you to hide in this city.”
Lin Kai listened and smiled coldly.
He recorded a new message:
“Fifty thousand gold coins and ten high-grade spirit stones. No negotiation. You have until tomorrow night. If the items are not delivered to the location I choose, your son’s head will be sent back to the Li Clan.”
He sent the message and then looked at Li Tian.
“Your father still thinks he can threaten me. Let’s see how long his pride lasts.”
That night, while everyone was resting, Lin Kai sat alone under the moonlight and cultivated.
The energy from the Stage 8 core he had absorbed earlier was still being refined.
His cultivation slowly moved from Early Stage 6 toward Mid Stage 6.
[Current Stage: Early Stage 6] [Progress to Mid Stage 6: 34%] [Void Energy: 3,870 units]
Suddenly, the mechanical voice spoke again.
[Side Quest Updated: Cause serious damage to one of the three big clans] [Progress: 40%] [New Optional Quest: Establish a personal force of at least ten people]
Lin Kai opened his eyes.
A personal force… that was a good idea.
Right now he only had three reliable people with him.
He needed more subordinates if he wanted to fight bigger powers.
The next morning, Su Mei came to him with new information.
“Han Wei sent another message. The Li Clan is divided. Some elders want to pay the ransom to save Li Tian. Others want to attack immediately. Also… there is a new person who arrived in the city yesterday.”
Lin Kai looked at her.
“Who?”
“A young man named Zhao Rong. He is from the Zhao Clan of the neighboring city. People say he is a genius at Stage 7 even though he is only nineteen. He came to Azure Cloud City to participate in the Cloud Mountain Sect’s entrance test, but he seems interested in the recent events involving you.”
Lin Kai thought for a moment.
Another genius appearing at this time was not a coincidence.
While they were talking, Wang Bo suddenly ran over.
“Brother Kai, someone is approaching the valley! There are five people. Their leader feels strong.”
Lin Kai stood up immediately.
“Everyone, get ready.”
They moved to the entrance of the valley.
A few moments later, five figures appeared.
The leader was a tall young man with sharp eyes and a long spear on his back.
Behind him were four Stage 6 experts.
The young man looked at Lin Kai and smiled politely.
“You must be Lin Kai, the black flame cultivator. My name is Zhao Rong. I came here because I am interested in your power. I heard you defeated a Stage 8 expert while you were only at Stage 5. That is very rare.”
Lin Kai’s eyes stayed cold.
“What do you want?”
Zhao Rong raised his hands to show he had no hostility.
“I don’t want to fight. I only want to make a deal. I can help you with information and resources. In return, I want to see your devouring power with my own eyes one day. I am a collector of rare techniques.”
Wang Bo whispered, “This guy is strange.”
Ye Chen stayed silent but kept his hand near his sword.
Lin Kai studied Zhao Rong for a few seconds.
The young man did not seem to be lying, but he was also not completely trustworthy.
“I will think about it,” Lin Kai said.
“For now, leave this place.”
Zhao Rong smiled and nodded.
“As you wish. I will wait for your answer in the city.”
He turned around and left with his followers without any further trouble.
After they disappeared, Su Mei asked, “Can we trust him?”
“No,” Lin Kai answered.
“But he might be useful later.”
As the day continued, the tension in the valley grew.
Everyone was waiting for the Li Clan’s final decision.
Near sunset, another message arrived.
This time, Li Zhen’s voice was colder than before.
“Black flame boy… I will send the items. Fifty thousand gold coins and ten high-grade spirit stones. The delivery will be made at the old stone bridge outside the southern gate at midnight. Return my son there. If you try any tricks, I will destroy everything you care about.”
Lin Kai listened and then looked at his team.
“Prepare. Tonight we will finish this matter with the Li Clan… at least for now.”
He turned his eyes toward the direction of Azure Cloud City.
The first real step of his revenge had begun, and it would not stop with the Li Clan.
Far away, in the Lin Clan mansion, Lin Feng received the same news.
He poured himself a cup of wine and smiled.
“Interesting. Very interesting. Lin Kai, keep growing. The higher you climb, the harder you will fall.”
End of Chapter 11