Uninvited Guests

The Five Great Families Assessment was a highly anticipated event in Sacred Pill City. Therefore, shortly after the assessment ended, the astonishing news that occurred within the Pill Martial Hall spread like wildfire throughout Sacred Pill City and continued to spread outwards.

"The Ye Family not only retained their position, but also won first place in the assessment?!"

This news was undoubtedly a bombshell for those forces or individuals who were already prepared to kick the Ye Family when they were down and laugh at them.

Many people had been planning how to divide up the remaining profits after the Ye Family's downfall, but this sudden news was like a resounding slap in the face, leaving them dizzy and filled with disbelief.

As the information spread further and the details became clearer, some people with a keen eye finally figured out the whole story. This reversal was not due to a sudden outburst from the Ye Family, but rather because of a young man Lin Ming!

"Lin Ming? Is that the Lin Ming who clashed with Ice River Valley near Ye City a while ago?"

"That's right! It's him! I heard that he achieved an unprecedentedly terrifying score in the soul test, which scared Cao Ying, the Cao Family Demoness, and Dan Chen, the mysterious girl from the Dan Family, into admitting defeat on the spot on behalf of their families!"

"His soul stats completely overwhelm Cao Ying? My god! Where did this monster come from?"

"It is said that Elder Sheng values him highly, and even personally invited him to the Pill Tower Headquarters, seemingly to introduce him to those three giants!"

Thus, within just a few days, the name "Lin Ming" immediately became the hottest topic in Sacred Pill City, enjoying unparalleled popularity! Clearly, everyone harbored great curiosity and a desire to investigate this mysterious young man who had emerged out of nowhere, crushed Cao Ying with absolute dark horse status, and attracted the attention of the Pill Tower's higher-ups.

However, in stark contrast to the uproar and commotion caused by this shocking news, Lin Ming himself, at the center of the storm, remained extremely low-key.

After the assessment, he went straight back to the Courtyard provided by the Ye Family and hardly ever left the house.

All day long, except for necessary rest, he would lock himself in Quiet Room, immersing his mind completely in the Ancient Soul Cultivation Method he obtained from the Spirit Nurturing Dust -nurturing plant, studying and comprehending it with great eagerness.

Occasionally, Lin Ming would take out the Jade Bottle containing the remaining two grains of Spirit Nurturing Dust and sense the pure Spirituality contained within, but he never used it.

All the turmoil in the outside world seemed irrelevant to him. Like a patient hunter, he maintained absolute calm amidst the noise, silently accumulating strength, waiting for the final stage— the Pill Gathering.

Time slipped away quietly amidst the external commotion and Lin Ming's tranquil inner cultivation...

As the start date of the Pill Gathering drew ever closer, the atmosphere in Sacred Pill City became increasingly heated and tense. An ever-growing influx of people poured into this holy land of Alchemist from all corners of the continent. In the vast Sacred Pill City, almost every street and every square was packed with people, shoulder to shoulder. All the inns and hotels were already fully booked, and it was extremely difficult to find a room.

This region has become the focus of countless eyes across the entire Middle Continent. A fierce battle, bringing together the continent's top young Alchemist, is about to unfold on this ancient and glorious land!

Deep within the Ye Courtyard lies a secluded Courtyard surrounded by a dense bamboo grove. Moonlight, like water, filters through the gaps in the bamboo leaves, casting dappled light.

Lin Ming sat cross-legged on a smooth stone chair, his eyes slightly closed, his breathing long and steady. An invisible Soul Power rippled around him like water, subtly distorting the falling moonlight. He was consolidating his Spirit Realm Grand Perfection Soul Realm while simultaneously studying the Ancient Soul Cultivation Method. The more he delved into it, the more profound and mysterious it seemed.

After a long while, he slowly exhaled a slightly turbid breath. As the breath left his body, it made a faint hissing sound in the air, as if expelling all the impurities absorbed during his cultivation.

Slowly rising, Lin Ming placed his hands behind his back, his posture as upright as a pine tree. However, he didn't look at the courtyard gate or any obvious entrance. Instead, he slowly turned around, his dark eyes, which appeared particularly deep and lively in the moonlight, precisely locking onto a seemingly empty space in the center of the Courtyard. His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable chill:

"Since you're here, why hide? This sneaky behavior isn't the way to be a guest."

Lin Ming's voice echoed clearly in the quiet Courtyard.

"Tsk tsk... No wonder he's a legendary figure in Sacred Pill City, someone even that Demoness from the Cao Family had to bow down to. His Soul Perception is indeed terrifyingly sharp..."

As soon as Lin Ming finished speaking, a subtle yet clear Spatial Fluctuations, like ripples on the surface of water, suddenly emanated from the previously calm void.

Immediately, a figure completely shrouded in a wide black robe, with even his face hidden in the deep shadow of the hood, slowly emerged from the distorted space like a ghost, and silently landed on the ground, as if he had always been standing there.

This person was surrounded by a cold and gloomy aura, completely out of place in this quiet Courtyard, as if he himself possessed a shadowy domain.

Lin Ming's gaze instantly sharpened like a hawk's, locking onto the uninvited guest. The unique, chilling aura emanating from the other person, seemingly capable of corroding the soul, gave him a familiar yet repulsive feeling.

"People from the Soul Hall?"

"Hahahaha..." The man in black robes let out a hoarse and unpleasant laugh, like the hooting of an owl.

He slowly raised his hand, hidden in his sleeve, as if making a gesture of revealing it, but the shadow under the hood remained thick. "Not bad, you have some discernment. Elder Mu Gu. You, a junior, may not have heard of this name, but within the Soul Hall, I am ranked as— Venerable Elder!"

He deliberately emphasized the words "Venerable Elder," his tone carrying an air of condescending arrogance and coldness.

"Lin Ming, is it? Tsk tsk, truly a young hero... However, there's quite a grudge between you and my Soul Hall." The Elder Mu Gu's voice carried a hint of mocking Killing Intent.

"Several of my Soul Hall's Protector, and even a high-ranking deacon, have been killed by you without any explanation. My Soul Hall has always held a grudge against you."

He appeared to be stating a fact, but in reality he was exerting pressure and highlighting the antagonistic relationship between the two sides.

"Oh?" Lin Ming raised an eyebrow, his face showing no fear, but rather a hint of mockery.

"So, Venerable Elder Mu Gu Zun has come here specifically to avenge those good-for-nothings?"

"Revenge? Haha, not at all!" Elder Mu Gu waved his hand, his eyes under his hood seemingly gleaming with a sinister light.

"A few mere Protector are nothing more than insignificant screws in the colossus of my Soul Hall. Their deaths are no big deal."

He First Revolution, his voice carrying a seductive undertone. "I've come tonight because I've seen your potential. Driven by a desire to recognize your talent, I've come to show you a clear path—I invite you to join my Soul Hall!"

"As long as you agree to join the Soul Hall and cooperate with us on some 'minor matters' we'll be handling in the Pill Region and at the Pill Gathering, not only will your previous crimes of killing members of my Soul Hall be wiped clean, but I will also personally petition the Hall Master for you! With your talent and Soul Power, you will surely be highly valued!"

The Elder Mu Gu's voice was full of temptation. "When the time comes, whether you want high-level pill formulas or incredibly powerful Heaven Tier Dou Technique and Cultivation Method, my Soul Hall has a deep foundation and can satisfy you! Power, resources, strength... everything you want, the Soul Hall can give you! It's a thousand times better than you struggling alone outside or relying on a declining family like the Ye Family!"

After listening, Lin Ming wore a thoughtful expression, as if he was seriously considering it.

Stroking his chin, Lin Ming said with an almost naive earnest tone, "Really? It does sound... very tempting!"

A triumphant smile seemed to curl at the corner of the Elder Mu Gu beneath his hood.

However, Lin Ming's next words caused that smile to freeze instantly.

However...

Lin Ming First Revolution, his eyes becoming playful.

"Words alone won't do. How about this: if you can come up with ten or eight Eighth Order, or rather, Ninth Order pill formulas right now, along with five or six Heaven Tier Mid-grade Dou Technique Cultivation Method as a deposit, to show me the Soul Hall's sincerity, then... helping you with something isn't impossible."

"You...!"

Upon hearing this, Elder Mu Gu was first taken aback, then a surge of rage suddenly welled up within him! Even through the hood, one could feel the sudden darkening of his face, and even the veins on his forehead were throbbing!

Ten or eight Ninth Order pill formulas? Five or six Heaven Tier Dou Techniques? And this is just a deposit? This kid is clearly toying with him! With conditions like these, let alone an ordinary Soul Hall Venerable Elder, even the Great Heavenly Venerate in the Soul Hall would never agree! This is simply an impossible request!

"Boy! You're courting death! Don't blame anyone else." The Elder Mu Gu completely tore off his mask of hypocrisy, his voice turning chilling and piercing, his Killing Intent spreading like a tidal wave. "Sharp-tongued! Looks like you're going to have to suffer the consequences!"

He suddenly flicked his sleeve, and a withered, bloodless hand slowly emerged from within.

On that palm, dark gray Dou Qi rapidly condensed, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into a ball of dark gray flame that kept leaping and twisting!

The dark gray flames were not hot; instead, they exuded a chilling and deathly aura that eroded the soul. The surrounding bamboo leaves seemed to lose their vitality in an instant, turning withered and yellow.