After finishing everything, Ye Lin looked around, then returned to the Azure Cloud Sect.
Once he reached his lodgings, Ye Lin took out the Demon Core and three Mid-grade Spirit Stones.
He carefully opened the box. At once, a fragrant scent wafted into his nostrils. He took a closer sniff; it was like the natural fragrance of a young woman, making him feel twice as alert.
Without hesitation, Ye Lin swallowed the Demon Core in one gulp and immediately circulated the Star Art with all his might.
In an instant, a searing pain tore through his organs. Cultivators absorbed spiritual energy when they trained. It was incredibly mild, and once inside the body, it obediently followed the route dictated by their technique.
But a Demon Core contained the essence of a Demon Beast's entire body. Its violent power was utterly uncontrollable, charging wildly through his body like a beast.
"Stop right there!"
Ye Lin's face flushed red as he did everything he could to suppress the Demon Core.
He knew that absorbing a Demon Core brought immense benefits, but he had no idea they were so violent.
"No! If this keeps up, this power will destroy me!"
Ye Lin's expression changed. The power contained in a Foundation Establishment Realm Demon Beast's core was terrifyingly violent. There was no way he could suppress it.
As the spiritual energy he was using to suppress the Demon Core's power gradually dwindled, Ye Lin grew frantic.
"Damn it, I'm going for broke!"
Gritting his teeth, Ye Lin began absorbing the Spirit Stones in his hand without regard for the consequences. The two forces started surging through his body.
Three whole hours passed before Ye Lin stopped cultivating, drenched in sweat.
Still shaken, Ye Lin thought, It took me a full three hours to refine the Demon Core. Its power is now flowing through every meridian in my body.
Then Ye Lin absorbed the Spirit Stones with all his might, rapidly refining and absorbing both forces.
Cultivation knew no seasons. In the blink of an eye, a month had passed.
"As expected of Mid-grade Spirit Stones. I've been absorbing this one for an entire month, and I've only taken in half its spiritual energy."
Ye Lin gazed at the Mid-grade Spirit Stone in his hand, full of admiration.
Mid-grade Spirit Stones not only held purer spiritual energy, but also contained a greater quantity of it.
"My strength is far greater than before. If I use the Seven Kill Fist, I could defeat my former self in three moves."
Sensing the power within him, Ye Lin murmured, "In Qi Refining, every level is a whole new world. Even a small one-level gap is beyond the reach of countless people."
"Zhang Xiao should be out of seclusion by now, right?"
Ye Lin murmured to himself. He had cultivated for a month, so Zhang Xiao should have emerged long ago.
"Time to see how my Destiny has changed."
Suppressing his brief excitement, Ye Lin opened his Life Panel.
Name: Ye Lin
Cultivation: Qi Refining Level 7
Fate Rank: Black (Calamitous)
Fate Traits: [Cursed with Bad Luck] [Divine Comprehension]
Destiny: After Zhang Xiao emerges from seclusion, he will decisively defeat an Inner Sect disciple today and become a new Inner Sect disciple. Upon learning that you have become an Outer Sect disciple, he will ambush you at the foot of the mountain in three days. You will be gravely wounded in the attack, but at the critical moment, you will use a talisman to kill him.
Recent Opportunity: None
[Cursed with Bad Luck]: You have poor luck. For example, you are guaranteed to trip while walking and get cheated on after getting married.
[Divine Comprehension]: Your comprehension is extraordinary, allowing you to grasp all kinds of techniques at incredible speed. Where others need three months to master a technique, you need only a few days.
Looking at his opportunities, Ye Lin fell into thought.
Zhang Xiao really was a sneaky bastard. Ye Lin had only let on that he was at Qi Refining Level 4, yet that bastard was still planning to use an ambush.
"In three days, huh? Good. Only after killing you can I cultivate in peace and prepare for everything I need to become an Inner Sect disciple."
After thinking it through, Ye Lin stood up, brushed the dust off himself, and walked outside. He had cultivated for a month and needed to stretch his legs.
As soon as he stepped outside, he saw several Chore Disciples chatting about something.
Although he was an Outer Sect disciple, he still lived in the area reserved for chores, making him a rare oddity.
"Have you heard? Senior Brother Zhang Xiao officially challenged Inner Sect disciple Niu Bo. They're fighting at the Outer Sect Plaza. Hurry up and go take a look!"
"Take a look at what? Damn it, that new Chore Overseer is like a dog, bullying us all day long without doing a thing himself. He squeezes the last bit of strength out of us."
"Exactly! I'm still sore from it."
Listening to the disciples whisper among themselves, Ye Lin's lips curled upward. Then he headed toward the Outer Sect Plaza.
This was his first chance to get a close look at an Inner Sect disciple. He couldn't let it pass him by.
By the time he arrived at the Outer Sect Plaza, it was already packed with Outer Sect disciples.
This was the first time in ten years that an Outer Sect disciple had challenged an Inner Sect disciple. The spectacle had drawn them out of seclusion to watch.
The resources Inner Sect disciples received were in a completely different league from those of Outer Sect disciples. Their daily Attendant resources were ten times greater.
On top of that, Inner Sect disciples were granted a medicinal bath and a free Yellow Grade high-tier martial skill. Those who performed exceptionally well could even obtain the Azure Cloud Sect's Sect-Suppressing Technique.
If Outer Sect disciples were adopted children, then Inner Sect disciples were the trueborn ones. The difference between them was as vast as heaven and earth.
On the Arena, a man dressed in black glared at the man standing before him, who carried two Long Swords on his back. The two stood facing each other, the air thick with killing intent.
"Junior Brother, who do you think will win?"
An Outer Sect disciple sidled up beside Ye Lin and asked with a greasy grin.
"The fight hasn't started yet. We don't know who'll win."
Though he already knew the outcome, Ye Lin still shook his head.
"Get down on your knees, kowtow three times, and get lost. Then I'll forgive you for this offense."
The man carrying the swords spoke. He was Niu Bo, the Inner Sect disciple who had been challenged.
When an Outer Sect disciple challenged an Inner Sect disciple, the Inner Sect disciple not only lost his status if defeated, but also had his resources stripped away. He wouldn't receive a single resource for five years.
In other words, if he lost, he would be knocked from his pedestal. This filled him with murderous intent toward the man before him. No matter how the fight ended, he would become a laughingstock.
The first Inner Sect disciple to be challenged in ten years. Heh...
"Of course. I've spent eight years preparing for this day. Do you know what those eight years were like for me? Enough talk. Let's begin."
Zhang Xiao had no interest in wasting words with the man before him. He had worked hard for eight whole years for the Inner Sect Secret Realm, all so he could enter it and obtain the Sect-Suppressing Technique.
He had made countless preparations over those eight years. The disciple before him was the weakest among the Inner Sect disciples, with a cultivation level of only Qi Refining Level 8.
In the past, Outer Sect disciples at Qi Refining Level 8 had appeared, but none had dared challenge this man. Others might not dare, but he did.
"Seems like you're tired of living."
After speaking, Niu Bo drew the two swords from his back and slashed at Zhang Xiao. He went straight for the kill. Even if he killed Zhang Xiao, the sect wouldn't hold him accountable.
"You want to become an Inner Sect disciple? Fine. But you have to face the consequences."
Let's take a look at Zhang Xiao's panel first.
Ye Lin stood among the crowd and turned his gaze toward Zhang Xiao. A transparent panel appeared at once.
Name: Zhang Xiao
Cultivation: Qi Refining Level 8
Fate Rank: White (There's Something to Him)
Fate Traits: [Hidden Spiritual Root]
Destiny: He will smoothly become an Inner Sect disciple, but after enjoying only a few days of glory, he will be killed by Ye Lin using a talisman in three days.
Recent Opportunity: After becoming an Inner Sect disciple, he will enter the "Inner" Mission Pavilion for the first time and accept a mission. Tomorrow, while heading down the mountain to Tianfeng City to carry it out, he will find a piece of Mystic Gold beneath a workbench in a famous blacksmith shop in Sun-Moon City, where it is being used to prop up the table.
[Hidden Spiritual Root]: On the surface, you have a Low-Tier Spirit Root, but in reality, you have a Mid-Tier Spirit Root. For various reasons, your Spirit Root is suppressed and remains hidden.
Looking at Zhang Xiao's panel, Ye Lin sneered inwardly.
But he had no idea what Mystic Gold was.
Then Ye Lin turned to the Outer Sect disciple beside him.
"Senior Brother, what exactly is Mystic Gold?"
Before you continue