Yu Yuehai's Objective

This was Chen Lin's first flying sword, and it had become scrap metal on its very first use.

His expression turned grim.

Forgoing any regret over his damaged magic artifact, his body swiftly retreated backward.

This move from his opponent was enough to prove that he was not the feeble old man he had appeared to be, but rather a sinister figure hiding his true strength.

To shatter a magic artifact with such ease—even a low-grade one—required a deep and formidable reserve of spiritual power.

This man was no mere Early Qi Refining Stage cultivator; he was at least at Qi Refining Mid-stage, or even Late Qi Refining!

"Thinking of leaving? Don't say I didn't warn you. The Enlightenment Pill you used wasn't the real thing—it was tampered with. Even if you never take that pill again, the side effects will flare up every so often."

Faced with Chen Lin's retreat, the old man did not give chase. Instead, he spoke in a leisurely tone.

Chen Lin's steps halted, his face shifting through a series of uncertain expressions.

Suddenly, his eyes widened in shock as he stared at the old man. "So it was you! You're the one who sold me the Enlightenment Pill recipe—that Triangular Eyes was you in disguise!"

The other party had revealed the flaw in the Enlightenment Pill and used it as a threat, and in that instant, clarity struck Chen Lin like a thunderbolt, connecting everything.

No wonder it had been such a coincidence—he had barely left Water Moon Pavilion when he ran into someone selling a wild pill recipe, and of all things, it happened to be for the Enlightenment Pill.

He had previously assumed that Triangular Eyes had been tailing him, but even if that were the case, there was no way he could have known what was discussed inside Water Moon Pavilion.

So, that man was Old Yu in disguise, and he was certainly connected to that woman from Water Moon Pavilion!

With these realizations, a chill ran down Chen Lin's spine.

It turned out that every move he had made during this time had been orchestrated by the other party. Worse still, the man had likely been secretly casting mental interference spells on him.

Otherwise, given his cautious nature, he would never have rashly bought the pill recipe, let alone actually attempted to refine it.

This had been long premeditated!

But what did he possess that could be worth all this scheming?

Chen Lin couldn't figure it out.

"Who exactly are you?"

Though a strong sense of crisis weighed on his heart, he forced himself to stay calm.

"Me? We've lived next to each other for over ten years, and you still ask that? Aren't I just your old neighbor, Yu Yuehai—Old Yu?"

Old Yu still wore a faint smile.

Then, his smile vanished, and his voice dropped several degrees. "No, I should be asking you—who exactly are you?"

Before Chen Lin could answer, a surge of overwhelming aura erupted from the old man, pressing down on Chen Lin until his face turned pale and he stumbled back several steps.

"Hmph. In less than half a year, not only have you advanced two levels to Qi Refining Mid-stage, but you've also suddenly mastered Pill Refining. That's not something the Chen Lin I know could have done."

Hearing the old man's words, Chen Lin's heart shook violently.

He had been so careful, yet he had still been noticed. His eagerness to escape had made him move too fast.

"What are you talking about? I don't understand. And I don't have anything valuable on me—why are you targeting me?"

Knowing he was no match for his opponent, Chen Lin could only feign submission for now and wait for a chance to flee.

Old Yu's aura suddenly receded, and he raised an eyebrow. "Nothing much. I just need your help refining pills. Don't worry—as long as you can produce the pill I need, I won't harm you. I'll even tell you how to remove the Enlightenment Pill's side effects."

Chen Lin was stunned.

He never imagined that after all this scheming, the man's goal was this.

Could it be that everything before had been to test whether he could refine pills?

If so, then the man had probably been watching him ever since he successfully refined the First Origin Pill.

Chen Lin had no right to refuse, so he could only agree.

But he didn't believe the man's promises for a second. The moment he found an opening, he would flee—or even strike back.

The two walked one behind the other in silence back to the courtyard.

Chen Lin glanced at his own room, and seeing that the old man said nothing, he lowered his head and followed him into the other's dwelling.

The houses in the courtyard were all similar, and the interior was even more spartan than his own. Chen Lin truly didn't understand why this man lived here, and for ten years at that.

With his strength, he could easily have moved to the Inner City.

Could it be that before he had even crossed over, the man had already determined that the original owner would be taken over by him through Body Snatching?

No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't make sense of it. Finally, he gave up and said calmly, "Fellow Daoist Yu, you've gone to great lengths. Now, can you tell me what you actually want me to do?"

The old man smiled faintly, then patted a small, dusty pouch at his waist. A waist-high, dark red alchemy furnace covered in intricate runes materialized out of thin air and landed on the ground.

Chen Lin raised an eyebrow in surprise. "An Alchemy Furnace?"

This was a true alchemy furnace, not the cheap Iron Cauldron he had used—it was a genuine magic artifact.

And judging by the dense runes covering it, it was likely not the lowest grade.

A magic artifact furnace was priceless, something no Qi Refining Cultivator should be able to possess. This man's identity was probably far from ordinary.

If he had a furnace like this, he could refine many pills, even attempting the legendary Foundation Establishment Pill.

Unlike his Iron Cauldron, which could only refine the lowest-grade pills and relied entirely on his Talent Ability to achieve any semblance of a success rate—otherwise, the pill-forming rate would drive a man mad.

The Old Man was quite pleased with Chen Lin's expression. This Alchemy Furnace was something he had fought tooth and nail to obtain; even with his wealth, it was exceedingly precious.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, as I've said, I invited you here to refine pills. This is the pill formula I wish to produce. You may take a look first."

With that, the Old Man patted the pouch at his waist once more, and a Jade Slip appeared in his hand.

Only then did Chen Lin glance at the other's pouch. This was a Storage Bag, possessing the wondrous function of a Mustard Seed Holding Mount Sumeru—something he had always wanted to acquire but could never afford.

Even one with only a few feet of internal space cost several dozen Mid-grade Spirit Stones!

Reluctantly tearing his gaze away, Chen Lin took the Jade Slip and pressed it to his brow to examine it.

"Blood Demon Pill?"

After a moment, he pulled the Jade Slip away and spoke in confusion.

The information within the Jade Slip was indeed a pill formula, but its name did not sound like anything good.

Moreover, Chen Lin felt that there was some memory of this pill buried in the original owner's mind, though it was very vague.

Just then, the Old Man's voice rang out, "Correct. The Blood Demon Pill is an essential pill for cultivating the Blood Demon Art."

Chen Lin's brow twitched. "I remember now—the one said to be capable of forging a supreme expert with a single pill!"

He hadn't expected the other party to want to refine this pill. In the original owner's memories, the information about the Blood Demon Pill instantly became clear.