Lin Kai sat in the training room of his new courtyard.
The place was bigger than before.
There were two rooms, a small garden, and a solid training ground.
He had bought it using the money from the Shadow Exchange.
Black energy slowly moved around his body.
The Void Core inside him spun quietly, absorbing the surrounding energy.
[Current Stage: Peak Stage 5] [Progress to Stage 6: 68%] [Void Energy: 2,140 units]
He opened his eyes after a long session.
His body felt heavier, denser, and much stronger than before.
Every muscle seemed ready for battle.
Outside the room, Wang Bo was swinging his heavy sword.
Sweat covered his muscular body.
Ye Chen sat under a tree with his eyes closed, polishing his long sword carefully.
Su Mei was teaching Xiao Ling some basic footwork in the garden.
The small group had started to feel like a real team.
Lin Kai walked out.
Everyone stopped and looked at him.
“How is the training?” he asked.
Wang Bo wiped his sweat and grinned.
“Better than before. Your energy is getting stronger every day, Brother Kai. I can feel it even from here.”
Ye Chen opened his eyes slowly.
“Your cultivation speed is not normal. Even geniuses from big clans don’t grow this fast.”
Su Mei walked over with Xiao Ling.
“The Li Clan is still searching for you. They increased the reward again. Now it’s 3,000 gold coins. Many rogue cultivators are looking for information.”
Lin Kai’s expression stayed calm.
“Let them search. I will deal with them when the time is right.”
Xiao Ling pulled his sleeve.
“Big Brother, are we going to fight the bad people again?”
Lin Kai looked at the little girl’s serious face and gently patted her head.
“Not today. Today we will prepare.”
He turned to the others.
“We need more resources. Wang Bo, take Ye Chen and go to the Hunter Guild. Collect missions for Level 5 and Level 6 beasts. We will hunt later.”
Wang Bo nodded.
“Understood.”
“Su Mei, go to Han Wei and ask for the latest information about the Li Clan and the Lin Clan. Especially anything related to Lin Feng.”
Su Mei hesitated for a second.
“Are you planning to move against them soon?”
“Not yet,” Lin Kai answered.
“But I need to know their movements.”
After giving the orders, Lin Kai went back inside.
He took out the storage ring and checked the items he had collected.
There were many beast cores, some low-grade weapons, and a few cultivation manuals.
One of the manuals was special.
It was called Shadow Severing Blade.
It was a mid-grade technique that focused on speed and sudden attacks.
Lin Kai started reading it carefully.
Hours passed. This story is hosted at g.com.
In the afternoon, Wang Bo and Ye Chen returned with several mission scrolls.
Su Mei also came back with new information from Han Wei.
“The Li Clan is preparing something big,” Su Mei said.
“Their Third Elder is gathering all the Stage 7 and Stage 8 experts. They plan to surround this western district in three days.”
Lin Kai’s eyes turned cold.
“Three days… good. That means they are still underestimating me.”
Ye Chen frowned.
“Even if you are strong, fighting an entire clan is dangerous.”
Lin Kai stood up.
“I don’t plan to fight them head-on yet. I will make them suffer first.”
He looked at everyone.
“Tonight, we will move. There is a Li Clan warehouse outside the city that stores cultivation resources. We will take everything.”
Wang Bo’s eyes lit up.
“Robbery? I’m in!”
Ye Chen simply nodded.
Su Mei looked worried but didn’t object.
As night fell, the four of them left the city through a small side gate.
Xiao Ling stayed behind with her mother in a safer house Lin Kai had arranged.
They moved quietly through the forest.
After two hours, they reached the Li Clan warehouse.
It was a large building guarded by twelve cultivators.
The strongest among them was only Stage 6.
Lin Kai used Void Eye.
He could clearly see the energy flow of every guard.
“There are twelve of them,” he said in a low voice.
“I will take the strongest one. Wang Bo and Ye Chen, handle the others. Su Mei, stay at the back and support.”
Everyone nodded.
Lin Kai activated Lightning Flash Step.
His body disappeared in a flash of dark light mixed with faint lightning.
He appeared right behind the Stage 6 leader.
Dark Flame Palm!
The black flame hit the man’s back before he could react.
The man only managed to scream once before his Soul Core was pulled out.
[Devoured Stage 6 Human Core] [Progress to Stage 6: 89%]
Chaos broke out immediately.
Wang Bo charged like a mad bull, swinging his heavy sword and crushing two guards at once.
Ye Chen moved like a ghost, his sword cutting throats with perfect precision.
Su Mei used her speed to attack the weaker ones from the sides.
In less than five minutes, all twelve guards were dead.
Lin Kai walked into the warehouse.
Inside, there were shelves filled with spirit stones, pills, weapons, and rare materials.
“Take everything,” he ordered.
They emptied the entire warehouse into their storage rings.
The total value was more than 20,000 gold coins.
Just as they were about to leave, a powerful aura suddenly appeared outside.
His cultivation was at Early Stage 8.
“So you are the black flame boy,” the man said coldly.
“You dared to rob our warehouse. Today you will die here.”
Lin Kai’s eyes narrowed.
This was the strongest enemy he had faced so far.
The Stage 8 expert attacked without wasting time.
His palm created a huge yellow energy wave that crashed toward Lin Kai.
Lin Kai used Shadow Step to dodge, but the attack still forced him back several meters.
The ground cracked under his feet.
“Strong,” Lin Kai muttered.
He didn’t retreat.
Instead, he charged forward.
Black tentacles shot out from his body and tried to wrap around the Stage 8 expert.
The man cut them with sharp energy blades, but Lin Kai kept attacking without stopping.
Wang Bo and Ye Chen tried to help, but the Stage 8 expert was too strong.
One wave of energy sent both of them flying.
Su Mei’s face turned pale.
“Lin Kai, be careful!”
Lin Kai’s Void Core spun violently.
He poured all his energy into one attack.
Dark Flame Palm mixed with Lightning Flash Step!
His body became a black shadow covered in flames as he appeared in front of the enemy.
The Stage 8 expert was surprised by the sudden speed and could only raise his arms to block.
Boom!
The explosion of black flame and force pushed the Stage 8 expert back.
Blood came out from the corner of his mouth.
Lin Kai didn’t give him time to recover.
He jumped forward again and grabbed the man’s arm.
The devouring power activated at full strength.
The Stage 8 expert’s face twisted in pain and fear.
“What… what kind of power is this?!”
Lin Kai’s eyes glowed purple-black.
“The power that will destroy your entire clan.”
After a long and painful struggle, the Stage 8 expert’s body dried up.
His core was completely absorbed.
[Devoured Early Stage 8 Human Core] [Breakthrough!] [Current Stage: Early Stage 6]
Lin Kai’s body released a strong wave of energy.
His cultivation had finally broken through.
Wang Bo and Ye Chen looked at him with shock.
Su Mei covered her mouth.
Lin Kai stood in the middle of the destroyed warehouse area, breathing heavily.
His power had increased once again.
“From today,” he said in a cold voice, “the Li Clan will start to fear the name Lin Kai.”
In the far distance, the main Li Clan mansion was still peaceful.
They had no idea that one of their Stage 8 elders had just died.
The storm was getting closer.
End of Chapter 9