Time flowed like water. In the blink of an eye, more than six months passed. During this period, Lin Zheyu returned to a quiet life. Aside from visiting the immortal market to sell the useless items he had obtained from killing three cultivators and purchasing six powerful demon techniques, he kept an extremely low profile.

Summer gave way to autumn. A gentle breeze swept through as fallen leaves drifted down. Three figures rushed through the forest, their faces carrying the relief of having narrowly escaped death.

"Not bad. You're quite fast." Suddenly, a teasing voice sounded ahead of them, causing their expressions to change drastically.

"It's you! If you let us go, I can tell you a secret that can— Ah—!"

The man who had just spoken let out a scream as his head shot into the air. The other two turned pale in terror, and the thought of making a desperate last stand vanished instantly.

The moment they turned, a blade flashed like lightning. Their heads fell to the ground with a thud. Their headless bodies stumbled forward a short distance before collapsing heavily.

"Don't move!" Lin Zheyu's calm voice rang out.

The lone survivor trembled and collapsed to the ground, their legs giving out.

"D-Don't kill me!" the woman said in terror. She pulled open her clothes, exposing the pale curves of her chest.

"As long as you don't kill me, I'll do anything. I can tell you a secret, one tied to a major event to come!"

Tears streamed down her face as she spoke, trying to seduce Lin Zheyu.

"You're from Demon Sealing Valley?" Lin Zheyu asked coldly, as if he had not noticed her exposed body.

These three were targets of his mission, fugitives he was tasked with capturing. According to the intelligence, they were spies hidden within Demon Sealing Valley who had fled as soon as they were discovered.

"Yes, Sir," the woman replied quickly. Feeling the coldness at her neck, she did not dare move at all.

"Interesting. Do you have any techniques from Demon Sealing Valley on you?" Lin Zheyu asked, a hint of curiosity appearing on his face.

Demon Sealing Valley was one of the four great sects of the Guanghua Region, on par with Wuji Sect, War God Sect, and Azure Rainbow Sect. It was an extremely mysterious sect. Since arriving in Wuling City, Lin Zheyu had only heard of it but never seen its people.

"No. The techniques of Demon Sealing Valley are extremely special. We are bound by a contract and cannot reveal them. Aside from that, I will agree to anything you ask," the woman said quickly.

"Oh." Lin Zheyu showed a trace of disappointment. After a brief thought, he said, "Release your true strength. Let me see it."

"Yes, Sir!" the woman replied.

Her expression was filled with panic as her true origin surged out. In an instant, her face twisted with ferocity, and a brilliant, eerie glow burst from her body.

"Hmph!" Lin Zheyu snorted coldly. With a soft sound, the woman's eyes widened as her head fell to the ground.

Compared to ordinary martial artists, this true strength is indeed unique.

He had always felt that Demon Sealing Valley was different. Even its name was unusual, and it had remained shrouded in mystery, rarely ever appearing. Lin Zheyu crouched down and searched the bodies but found nothing of value. He shook his head slightly, picked up the three heads, and turned toward Wuling City.

"Hm?" Lin Zheyu stopped and let out a soft sound of surprise. He tilted his head slightly and looked toward the front right, a faint smile forming on his lips.

"Interesting. What a coincidence," Lin Zheyu said with a cold smile.

Within his Perception Domain, a familiar aura appeared. His figure shifted and vanished instantly.

Two figures moved swiftly through the forest, their faces carrying a hint of satisfaction.

"Fellow Daoist Qian, are you certain about this information?" Mu Feng asked curiously, seeing Qian Baiyan smiling as if in high spirits.

During the last ruin exploration, he had nearly died. Fortunately, he had paid a price and barely survived.

"Absolutely correct. However, that place is extremely dangerous. It lies in the Southern Barbarian Region. It has already been occupied by the Nine Nether Sect, and several space-time nodes have been opened, causing yaos and demons to run rampant. Therefore, we need to find a few helpers," Qian Baiyan said with a smile.

As long as he obtained that Kui Water Nether Lotus, he would have all the herbs needed to refine the Conversion Origin Pill. Once refined, he could begin his plan to advance to the Golden Core realm.

"Why not invite Fellow Daoist Tu?" Mu Feng asked.

They had always worked well with Fellow Daoist Tu. Coupled with his powerful perception and keen sense of danger, working with him often allowed them to turn danger into safety.

"Fellow Daoist Tu will go as well. This time, the risk is quite high. To avoid accidents, we need to bring a few more powerful allies," Qian Baiyan said with a smile.

"With Fellow Daoist Tu there, I'm relieved," Mu Feng said, letting out a breath.

They moved quickly. Their escape light flashed as they sped into the distance.

Meanwhile, an ordinary-looking middle-aged man was walking slowly through the forest, gripping a long saber and remaining vigilant. Suddenly, two streaks of light flew overhead, approaching from afar.

"Hm, there's actually a martial artist here! Quite bold! A mere martial artist dares to appear in a place like this?" Mu Feng said with a smile, looking at the man below.

With a sweep of his spiritual sense, the man's strength was immediately revealed. The energy within him, distinct from spirit power yet identical to a martial artist's true strength, was easy to identify.

"He does have some strength. Hm, his physique seems rather extraordinary," Qian Baiyan said as his spiritual sense swept over Lin Zheyu, a hint of suspicion flashing across his face.

A martial artist's physique this strong? Before he could investigate further, a sudden rumble echoed through the forest. The seemingly ordinary martial artist erupted with terrifying speed, shooting straight toward Qian Baiyan.

"Not good!" Qian Baiyan exclaimed. With a flick of his hand, three talismans shot out instantly.

One of them exploded and formed an energy barrier around him. Of the remaining two, one burst with dazzling lightning that instantly condensed into a net, sweeping toward Lin Zheyu. The last one gathered into a streak of red light that shot toward his forehead like a sword. With his Perception Domain pushed to its limit, the red streak slowed dramatically in Lin Zheyu's senses.

Lin Zheyu shifted slightly and avoided the red light. The lightning net, however, was impossible to evade. Gritting his teeth, he detonated his true origin and slashed straight into it.

The blade strike hit the lightning net, yet it felt like cutting through air, offering no resistance. Lin Zheyu's expression tightened. The methods of immortal cultivators were indeed strange. The lightning net suddenly contracted and wrapped around him.

A fierce current surged into his body, crackling loudly. Yet the moment the lightning entered him, a faint golden glow burst forth. Golden runes flowed across his skin, resisting the violent lightning energy.

"Hm?" Lin Zheyu murmured in surprise. He had not expected the golden runes to have such an effect. He had thought he would suffer for it.

Wild arcs of lightning danced across his body, yet Lin Zheyu's speed did not slow at all. The Setting Sun saber slashed toward Qian Baiyan's neck. It tore through the energy barrier, though its power was slightly reduced.

A serious look flashed in Qian Baiyan's eyes as he raised his long blade to block. A sharp sound rang out. A tremendous force struck him, sending his spirit power into disarray.

So strong! Who is this guy? A sense of danger rose in Qian Baiyan's heart.

Most cultivators specialized in long-range attacks. Against foes with powerful physiques like barbarians or ancient yao, they had to avoid being overwhelmed at close range. Qian Baiyan was no exception. Compared to other cultivators, he specialized in talismans. Once someone closed the distance, he lost the initiative. Against a strong opponent, he had no time to use his talismans.

At this moment, Mu Feng reacted as well. He had excellent coordination with Qian Baiyan. The instant Qian Baiyan was attacked, he responded immediately.

"Heh..." Lin Zheyu let out a soft chuckle.

Sensing the sword thrust from behind, he shifted slightly, avoiding vital points. His Setting Sun saber continued to fall toward Qian Baiyan. This man's methods were too strange. Even if it meant taking a hit, Lin Zheyu intended to kill him first. He had dared to divert disaster onto him. If Lin Zheyu had not been strong enough before, he would have fallen for it. Now that they had met again, he would show no mercy.

The blade flashed past, followed by a scream. Qian Baiyan's right hand, which had just reached for his storage pouch, was sliced cleanly at the shoulder. His arm separated instantly. From Lin Zheyu's sudden burst to the severing of Qian Baiyan's arm, the entire sequence took less than two breaths.

Lin Zheyu's attack was utterly abrupt. At full power, he erupted to seven times the speed of sound. Qian Baiyan could not react in time and was instantly forced into close combat. In such a situation, as a cultivator who specialized only in talismans, Qian Baiyan could not use his abilities at all.

Thud!

At that moment, Mu Feng's sword also struck Lin Zheyu. The blade pierced his back, entering below the shoulder blade. Yet it sank less than three centimeters before Mu Feng felt a powerful resistance. Lin Zheyu's lips curled into a knowing smile. He had already slain the two barbarian experts who once drove them into retreat. Now his strength had grown even greater, and his defense even stronger.

Killing these two was even less of a challenge. Lin Zheyu let out a cold smile. His muscles bulged and tightened, locking the sword lodged in his back in place. At the same time, his blade swept upward, entering from Qian Baiyan's right waist and exiting through his left shoulder.

"You! Who are you?" Qian Baiyan's eyes widened.

A vicious glint flashed in his eyes. Even in death, he would not let this man off easily. With a thought, Qian Baiyan's sea of consciousness exploded, and a torrent of spiritual sense surged toward Lin Zheyu's forehead like raging waves.

Lin Zheyu's gaze flickered for an instant. The moment the massive spiritual sense entered his mind, forty kinds of true intent formed a vortex under his control, swallowing the incoming spiritual sense. In the next moment, his clarity returned.

Lin Zheyu sneered at Mu Feng. "Trying to run?"

In that brief moment of distraction, Mu Feng sensed danger and immediately fled. But Lin Zheyu would never let him escape. Although this man was not one of the three who had framed him before, Lin Zheyu had no intention of showing mercy and leaving future trouble behind.

A streak of yellow light flashed as Mu Feng pushed his speed to the limit. Even so, he was still far slower than Lin Zheyu. Lin Zheyu realized that his own speed far surpassed the escape techniques of a cultivator. At full speed, he relied on explosive power and ran along the ground. Cultivators, on the other hand, used escape techniques to fly. That was the difference between them.

Although Lin Zheyu could use his spiritual sense to lift himself and fly, his airspeed was extremely slow. Only on the ground could he unleash his true speed.

Thunderous explosions echoed through the forest as Lin Zheyu burst forth at seven times the speed of sound. He ignored all obstacles, smashing through tree trunks in his path. With his enhanced defense, such damage meant nothing to him.

"Damn, what kind of monster is he?" Mu Feng's face filled with shock as he sensed the chaos behind him.

Before long, he realized the other had already reached beneath him. With a thunderous boom, Lin Zheyu kicked off the ground and shot toward him like a cannonball.

A burst of intense combat sounds rang out as Mu Feng crashed to the ground like a meteor. A thunderous roar shook the forest, leaving behind a massive crater. Mu Feng lay inside, barely alive. His head tilted to the side as he lost consciousness.

My defense has improved, but I still lack powerful offensive methods. Next time I approach a space-time node, I'll try cultivating with its energy and see if I can comprehend deeper spatial laws.

After this battle, he gained a clearer understanding of his defense. The two he had slain were not weak even among the Foundation Establishment realm cultivators. Although Mu Feng had pierced his defense, the injury was insignificant. With his terrifying recovery ability, it would fully heal within a few breaths. It was enough to show how formidable his defense had become.

[Heaven Rewards the Diligent]

[Name: Lin Zheyu]

[Origin Force: 245]

[Skills: Primordial Concealment Technique (Perfection), Primordial Thunderfire Pill Technique (Perfection), Soul-Chasing Step (Third Stage: 100%), Seven Fiend Ghost Manual (Fifth Stage: 100%), Seven Fiend Body Refining Technique (Sixth Stage: 100%)]

Lin Zheyu looked at the data in his consciousness. In half a year, he had accumulated over 200 units of Origin Force. It seemed like a lot, but his ambitions were far greater. He wanted to integrate numerous powerful body-refining techniques and create his own formidable Primordial Golden Body, carving out a path no one had walked before!

This was the foundation for him to raise his strength to rival a Golden Core realm cultivator. 200 units of Origin Force were far from enough. He planned to wait another year or so to accumulate more. If a new space-time node appeared nearby during this time, that would be ideal. Compared to the node near Ruyang City within the Nine Nether Sect's territory, a new node would be much safer.