That's It? A Familiar Scene!

"What's this? Buddhist Lion's Roar Skill?"

"No, it's not Lion's Roar Skill. That was Dragon's Roar Sound!"

Master Yi Jie and the other two came back to their senses, their eyes filled with shock. The Dragon's Roar Sound had just left them momentarily dazed. It was clearly a technique similar to a mental attack.

Lin Chen actually knew a technique like that?

How could they have known that it was merely an added effect of Iron Shirt after it had been enhanced and upgraded!

"How is this possible?!"

The gray-robed old man cried out in shock. The Corpse Puppet was a Fifth Order creature, yet Lin Chen had sent it flying with a single punch. It hadn't even been able to fight back?

He'd planned to rely on the Corpse Puppet to kill Lin Chen, but now even the Corpse Puppet was no match for him. What was he supposed to do?

"You little bastard, you stole my essence again. Tell me, what are you going to do about it?" Lin Chen looked at the gray-robed old man, making no effort to hide the killing intent in his eyes.

Whoosh~

Just then, the Corpse Puppet, its Blood Qi True Flame extinguished, attacked again, charging at Lin Chen. Facing the oncoming Corpse Puppet, Lin Chen held nothing back. He drove the Blood Qi True Flame to its full power and punched at its head.

Bang~

Empowered by the Blood Qi True Flame, the terrifying force came crashing down. One punch shattered the Corpse Puppet's head, and the rest of it turned to ash and scattered.

"Seventh Order Strange Creature slain. Essence +8,000."

Strange Creature?

Lin Chen was slightly taken aback. The Corpse Puppet was no longer simply a ghost, nor was it simply a Corpse Puppet. So it had become a Strange Creature?

Ghost or Strange Creature, who cared? As long as it gave him essence, there was no difference to Lin Chen!

With that thought, Lin Chen looked at the gray-robed old man before him. "Looks like your Corpse Puppet still wasn't up to the task! How are you going to compensate me?"

"What essence? I don't know anything about that!" The gray-robed old man looked aggrieved.

Lin Chen ignored his protests and said calmly, "Got any more ghosts? Call out a few more and let me have some fun!"

"I'm out, really!" The gray-robed old man shook his head repeatedly. The Corpse Puppet had been his last resort, and his greatest trump card. He'd even brought it into the world early to deal with Lin Chen. Where would he get any other ghosts?

"That's it?"

Lin Chen looked disappointed, then said coldly, "In that case, I'll have to take you as payment!"

Huh?

The gray-robed old man froze. The next moment, a fist wreathed in Blood Qi True Flame rapidly grew in his vision. "No!"

Bang~

The punch landed, and the gray-robed old man's head exploded, turning to ash and vanishing.

Gulp~

At the sight, Masters Huiming and Huitong couldn't help swallowing. They looked toward Master Yi Jie. "I understand now what you meant when you said Benefactor Lin was hot-tempered and hated evil!"

Every enemy either turned to ash or lost their head. Not one of them had been left with an intact corpse. Even a wrathful Vajra subduing demons wouldn't use methods this brutal.

"You haven't seen Benefactor Lin at his most violent yet!"

Master Yi Jie recalled the time Lin Chen had faced a Corpse Puppet. He'd pummeled it with punch after punch, cursing as he smashed its head apart.

By comparison, Lin Chen was much more restrained and gentle now!

"Bah, what a pauper!"

Lin Chen looked at the fallen corpse and spat. The gray-robed old man had died, but had only given him four thousand essence. Couldn't he have tried harder and reached the Fifth Order, so he'd yield a little more?

"I lost out!"

After calculating it carefully, Lin Chen still felt cheated. He should've gotten several thousand more essence, but the gray-robed old man's actions had caused him to lose quite a bit.

"Essence:"

"Martial arts available for enhancement: Phoenix Undying Body, First Layer (5/9); Dragon Roar Iron Shirt, First Layer (3/9)."

Only after looking at the system panel did Lin Chen finally smile. Without hesitation, he chose to enhance: Phoenix Undying Body once, and Dragon Roar Iron Shirt twice.

Lin Chen could feel his physical attributes climbing rapidly. His bodily defenses and strength were steadily growing, and the Blood Qi True Flame and Blood Qi True Dragon in his dantian were growing stronger too. In a very short time, his strength had improved considerably.

"Sixth Order, or Seventh Order?"

A sharp glint flashed in Lin Chen's eyes. He couldn't be sure of his own level, but he was certain he'd surpassed the ranks of Fifth Order cultivators. He was at least Sixth Order.

As for whether he'd reached the Seventh Order, Lin Chen couldn't judge accurately without a point of reference.

"My essence is almost gone again!"

Looking at the thousand essence left on the panel, Lin Chen's face took on a trace of helplessness. Getting stronger felt great, but he never had enough essence!

Master Huiming watched Lin Chen walk over, his expression tightening. "He seems to have gotten stronger!"

"Benefactor Lin seems to grow stronger as he fights. It may be because of his physique, or perhaps his martial arts." Master Yi Jie's expression was grave.

When Lin Chen had slain the Mummy earlier, he'd thought it was his imagination. But as Lin Chen continued to fight, Master Yi Jie had clearly seen him growing stronger at an astonishing speed, as if he kept breaking through his own limits in battle!

Lin Chen looked at Master Yi Jie and the other two and smiled. "Masters, the enemy's been dealt with. Are your injuries all right?"

"Oh, no!"

Master Yi Jie cried out inwardly. Having spent some time with Lin Chen, he knew perfectly well that when Lin Chen was this polite, nothing good was coming.

"This time, we owe it all to Benefactor Lin. If not for your formidable strength, we would've become food for the Corpse Puppet!" Master Huiming said with a heartfelt sigh.

"In that case, I've done the masters a life-saving favor." Lin Chen looked at Master Huiming.

"That's right!" Master Huiming and Master Huitong nodded.

"Here it comes, here it comes!"

Master Yi Jie cried out inwardly. Sure enough, whenever Lin Chen was this polite, nothing good followed. This scene was far too familiar!

"As the saying goes, a life-saving favor should be repaid tenfold..." Lin Chen looked at Master Huiming.

"Could you use a different line?"

Master Yi Jie's mouth twitched. Damn it, Lin Chen was using the exact same lines as when he'd said them to him before. Next came the main event: martial arts manuals!

Sure enough, Lin Chen eventually asked them for martial arts manuals. This time, though, he didn't ask for eight or ten. He only asked for two or three.

Seeing Masters Huiming and Huitong frozen in surprise, Master Yi Jie hurriedly spoke up. "Benefactor Lin saved our lives. We're willing to offer Lesser Returning Pills as a token of our gratitude."

"Choosing martial arts manuals isn't within our authority. If Benefactor Lin doesn't mind, we're willing to offer Lesser Returning Pills as thanks."

Master Huiming came back to his senses and quickly echoed Master Yi Jie. The manuals weren't theirs to give—not even the abbot had that authority. They were the accumulated inheritance of countless generations at Vajra Temple. Lesser Returning Pills, though precious, were at least something they could obtain.

"Masters, aren't monks supposed to abstain from lying?" Lin Chen looked at Master Yi Jie and the other two with exasperation.

Still, from their attitude, he could tell Master Yi Jie and the others were unlikely to get him any martial arts manuals. He could only accept Lesser Returning Pills as thanks.

"I don't need the Lesser Returning Pills. Just pay me their cash equivalent!" Lin Chen pursed his lips. He had no interest in Lesser Returning Pills.

As long as he had enough essence, he could keep enhancing himself. What use were Lesser Returning Pills? Could they possibly be as direct and effective as essence?