Betrayal

At the mention of extending lifespan, Chen Lin immediately understood.

Yu Yuehai had used a Blood Demon Pill and had little lifespan left. No wonder he had gone to such painstaking lengths to refine this pill.

If this pill extended his lifespan enough, his path to the Golden Core Realm would be smooth and unobstructed!

As for the inevitable heavenly punishment, Chen Lin believed the man must have a way to deal with it.

A Golden Core cultivator was a Super Expert whose might could cow an entire region. Even if he could only live another ten-odd years, that was enough to tempt anyone.

Without a Longevity Extending Pill, however, he would never dare enter the Golden Core Stage. The moment of his advancement would be the moment of his death!

Even if he had no ambitions of reaching the Golden Core Realm, he could still live freely as a Foundation Establishment master after extending his lifespan.

Chen Lin's expression grew even uglier.

For Yu Yuehai, who had used a Blood Demon Pill, this pill was no different from his life itself. He would never give it up, no matter what.

And judging by their conversation, he actually intended to refine living people directly into pills?

Although Chen Lin knew how ruthless Yu Yuehai was, he still could not believe the man would do something so cruel.

Yu Yuehai reined in his fury and looked at the five Lineage heads, who were already on their last breaths. "Don't you think saying all this now is a waste of breath? Besides, how much better are any of you?"

"I forgot to tell you-the Pill Formula for the Five Elements Immortal Refining Pill was something I released. Don't tell me you weren't fighting over the Different Spirit to refine that pill. It requires even more Five Elements Cultivator Souls. Weren't you planning to refine it yourselves? Why pretend to be upright gentlemen?"

"But that Pill Formula was fake. Hahahaha..."

Yu Yuehai's words made the five Lineage heads' expressions grow increasingly grim.

How could they fail to understand now? Throughout all their years of scheming, this man had been leading them around by the nose. After all their plotting, they had not only sewn another man's wedding robes, but lost their own lives in the bargain.

"Fine, fine, fine! Your cunning truly surpasses others. I, Han Yuhe, admit my inferiority. But if you think you can refine me into a pill, you're dreaming!"

With that, his body began to swell, and the mana within him turned violently unstable.

"Hmph! Trying to blow yourself up? Dream on!"

Yu Yuehai sneered and flicked his hand. Five small talismans attached themselves to the five Lineage heads.

Once the talisman attached itself to him, Han Yuhe's body rapidly shriveled. His mana fluctuations vanished without a trace, and he could no longer move a single part of his body. He became a standing puppet.

The other four suffered the same fate. All they could do was glare daggers at Yu Yuehai.

Unfortunately, looks could not kill.

Yu Yuehai swept his gaze over Chen Lin, then flicked his hand, attaching a talisman to his forehead as well.

Chen Lin instantly felt himself stiffen. He could no longer move so much as an inch.

He inwardly lamented his plight, regretting his indecision. He should have risked his life earlier and used Thunderbolt No. 4. Now, even if he wanted to use it, he could not.

On reflection, though, there really had been no opportunity along the way-unless he turned himself into a human bomb. In that case, he would not have survived either.

Still, Chen Lin had not completely despaired. With a thought, he lightly sensed the strand of Sword Qi in his dantian.

After discovering that he could still control it, he quietly ceased his probing and glared daggers at Yu Yuehai as well.

This Sword Qi certainly posed no threat to Yu Yuehai, but it could knock the talisman off his forehead. That was enough.

As long as he regained control of his body, he could use the Thunderbolt Bead.

And this would make it even more unexpected.

Seeing Yu Yuehai turn his attention elsewhere, Chen Lin moved his eyes, surveying his surroundings for a route of escape after using the Thunderbolt Bead.

At that moment, Yu Yuehai unleashed the full pressure of his Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation. Staring at Ye Jingyun, he said, "Since you knew the truth long ago and still endured until now, you must have prepared something. Let me see what tricks you have!"

Chen Lin also glanced toward Ye Jingyun, his eyes full of anticipation.

By now, he had pieced everything together. She had asked him to craft that talisman to deal with this very situation. He just did not know what it did, or whether it could threaten Yu Yuehai.

The Xia Sisters also looked as though they had been scared witless, retreating behind Ye Jingyun in a panic.

Ye Jingyun remained indifferent, as though she truly possessed a trump card that could turn the tables.

But before she could act, the Xia Sisters behind her suddenly shot two streaks of black light from their hands at the same time, striking her!

They were too close, and Ye Jingyun had not been on guard against them. She had no chance to dodge and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Ye Jingyun fell to the ground with a thud. Shocked and furious, she stared at the Xia Sisters in disbelief.

"Why?"

These sisters had been with her since childhood. Though they were her maids, they were no different from her own sisters. No matter how she tried, she could not understand why they had betrayed her.

A trace of unease appeared on both sisters' faces.

Xia Yunshu spoke. "We're sorry, Sister. We had no choice. Please don't blame us."

"Heh. No choice?"

Ye Jingyun sneered. "Do you know what the Inverted Five Elements Blood Refining Great Art is? It requires two groups of cultivators with complete five elements-one group as the ingredients, the other as the catalyst. There are exactly enough of us here. Do you think he'll spare you?"

"What!"

Both Xia Sisters looked shocked and furious, turning suspicious gazes toward Yu Yuehai.

"Senior Yu, is that true? You told us that as long as we cooperated with you, you would make us official disciples of the sect and help revitalize the Xia Family. And you said you wouldn't take Sister Ye's life!"

Hearing this, Chen Lin was utterly speechless.

They really are sweet, innocent fools. And Ye Jingyun isn't much better-even maids raised by her family from childhood can betray her!

What left him even more speechless was that she had stood there doing nothing all this time. If she had a trump card, what was she waiting for?

How could I have pinned my hopes on someone like this?

I can't wait any longer!

Chen Lin knew the opening he had hoped for would never come. He had thought Ye Jingyun might have something up her sleeve, but he had not expected her to be so weak.

Whether he could escape or not, he had to try.

With that thought, he prepared to activate the Sword Qi and destroy the talisman between his brows.

Just then, a fierce aura appeared from the other side, followed by a streak of red light shooting straight toward the back of Yu Yuehai's neck!

The attack came so suddenly that even Chen Lin froze in surprise and stopped what he was doing.

He saw it-the attacker was actually Zhao Zhengyuan, who had been unconscious all this time!

Yu Yuehai apparently had not expected his sealing technique to fail on a Qi Condensation cultivator either. Shock and anger crossed his face. Without dodging, he reached directly for the streak of red light.

The red light was a flying sword. Though it seemed incomparably sharp, Yu Yuehai caught it in one hand, leaving it humming incessantly in midair.

"Hmph. You do have a few tricks, breaking through my seal. But you're still a little short of being able to ambush me!"

Yu Yuehai snorted coldly and shook his wrist, about to send the flying sword back at Zhao Zhengyuan.

At that very moment, an even greater aura surged skyward. Ye Jingyun suddenly rose from the ground, and her body underwent a startling transformation!

Her body swelled, tearing her clothes to shreds, and dark green scales covered her from head to toe, gleaming in the night.

Seeing this, Chen Lin finally understood what the talisman she had asked him to craft was for. It could actually transform a person into something like this.

No wonder she had been so reluctant to use it. It was far too ugly.

Yet although her appearance was ugly, its effect was astonishing. The aura emanating from Ye Jingyun had now reached the level of a Foundation Establishment expert!