After arriving at the Azure Cloud Sect, Ye Lin began taking stock of what he had gained this time.
The Geng Metal Essence was the most precious, followed by the three Mid-grade Spirit Stones.
Those three Mid-grade Spirit Stones were equivalent to several years' worth of resources for an ordinary Inner Sect disciple.
"Whew. If I refine this Geng Metal Essence, even without using any special techniques, I'll be a match for a Qi Refining Level 8 cultivator in a pure contest of strength."
Ye Lin pondered. His body had already been strengthened twice, and refining the Geng Metal Essence now would make him absurdly powerful.
"Then I'll start refining it."
Having made up his mind, Ye Lin swallowed the Geng Metal Essence. It was incredibly hard; even a full-power strike from a Qi Refining Level 9 cultivator couldn't affect it in the slightest.
But the moment the Geng Metal Essence entered Ye Lin's body, Phoenix Fire immediately engulfed it. Under the flames, the incredibly hard essence melted into liquid.
The liquid spread, flowing throughout Ye Lin's body.
A close look would have revealed the Geng Metal Essence merging into Ye Lin's shinbones, strengthening his body bit by bit.
Time always flew by when one was cultivating. In the blink of an eye, eight days passed.
That day, Ye Lin slowly opened his eyes.
"Tsk. It really is a treasure among body cultivators. My physical strength has increased several times over."
"With my body alone, I could beat a Qi Refining Level 8 cultivator to death now."
Ye Lin muttered to himself. Since he began cultivating, he had consumed countless resources and built up an incredibly solid foundation.
"If I break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm and forge a Fifth-Grade Dao Platform, I'll be able to beat up ordinary cultivators in the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage."
His foundation had already surpassed that of ninety-nine percent of Azure Cloud Sect disciples. Once he broke through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, he would be among the strongest cultivators at that level.
"My most urgent task now is to hatch Little Phoenix."
"But I don't know what my fate is like now, after our last parting."
Cultivation: Qi Refining Level 9
Fate Rank: Black (Calamitous)
Fate Traits: [Cursed with Bad Luck] [Divine Comprehension]
Destiny: In twenty days, during the Inner Sect Grand Competition, Lin Zisheng will challenge me by name and defeat me. All the Inner Sect disciples will mock me, shattering my Dao Heart. From then on, I'll never recover.
Recent Opportunity: None
[Cursed with Bad Luck]: You have terrible luck. For example, you're bound to trip while walking, and your spouse is bound to cheat on you.
[Divine Comprehension]: Your comprehension is extraordinary, and you can grasp all kinds of cultivation techniques at incredible speed. A technique that takes others three months to master will take you only a few days.
Looking at his Destiny, Ye Lin's expression darkened. What a vicious scheme.
At the Azure Cloud Sect, no matter what kind of Grand Competition it was, anyone challenged by another disciple was forbidden to refuse. Even if they had to grit their teeth and face their opponent, they had to go.
Lin Zisheng was aiming to shatter his Dao Heart. What did cultivation rely on? The Dao Heart. And the Dao Heart was perseverance—the unyielding will to press forward and never give up.
Once his Dao Heart shattered, all his efforts would go to waste. This was an attack on his mind. Lin Zisheng intended to ruin him utterly.
In a head-on fight, Ye Lin was no match for Lin Zisheng right now. And during the Grand Competition, anything was allowed as long as no one died.
But if his dantian was crippled on top of his Dao Heart being shattered, he could forget about cultivating immortality for the rest of his life.
"What a vicious mind."
Ye Lin's expression darkened. Lin Zisheng's scheme was truly ruthless. If the panel's prediction came true, Ye Lin's life would be ruined.
"Damn it. The key to turning this around is breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm. No matter how extraordinary a Qi Refining Level 9 cultivator is, they can't defy the heavens and defeat someone in the Foundation Establishment Realm."
Every time a cultivator broke through a realm, their very life level evolved, resulting in a qualitative transformation. It was simply impossible to fight across major realms.
"I have to hatch Little Phoenix within ten days."
"You think you'll shatter my Dao Heart in twenty days? Just wait. It's still anyone's game."
Ye Lin sneered, then rose and headed outside.
Little Phoenix's life force was growing stronger by the day. He could get Phoenix blood by breaking the egg open now, but he wasn't stupid enough to do that.
"I only need to obtain three Mysterious-Grade Treasures to hatch Little Phoenix."
Feeling the life force within the Phoenix Egg, Ye Lin estimated.
"The Fire Cloud Mountain Range, and Earth Vein Fire Qi? But in my current state, absorbing Earth Vein Fire Qi would definitely make it impossible to suppress my cultivation."
Ye Lin pondered as he walked.
He had already refined his Qi Refining cultivation to its limit. If he absorbed the treasure that had helped Lin Zisheng break through from the Foundation Establishment Early Stage to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, he definitely wouldn't be able to suppress his cultivation.
If he accidentally broke through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, he'd have nowhere to cry.
Just then, Lin Zisheng came walking toward Ye Lin.
"Make the most of your last days."
Looking at Ye Lin, Lin Zisheng sneered. If not for the Sect's damnable rules, he would have killed Ye Lin long ago.
The fact that a mere Qi Refining cultivator had forced him to expend so much effort infuriated him.
With that, Lin Zisheng headed to the Mission Pavilion. His cultivation was unstable, so he needed to take on a couple of missions to consolidate it.
As Lin Zisheng walked away, a panel appeared before Ye Lin. Well, wasn't this a coincidence?
Name: Lin Zisheng
Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Early Stage
Fate Rank: Yellow (Impaired)
Fate Traits: [Transcendental Luck] [Sword Dao Leader] [Divine Comprehension] [Child of Heaven's Favor] [Reincarnated Great Being]
Destiny: After overcoming countless hardships, he will successfully reach the Tribulation Transcendence Realm. After ten years of tempering himself, he will reach the full power of the Tribulation Transcendence Realm. Then, three Tribulation Transcendence Late Stage cultivators will ambush him, damaging his dantian and crippling his cultivation. From then on, he will become a cripple.
Recent Opportunity 1: He will accept a Grade Four mission at the Mission Pavilion to kill ten Demon Scorpions at Qi Refining Level 9 in Demon Scorpion Valley. There, he will discover a Mystic-Grade Mid-Tier Spirit Fruit, the Demon Cloud Fruit. After absorbing it, his Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivation will be greatly consolidated.
Recent Opportunity 3: He will accept a Grade Four mission at the Mission Pavilion and discover a Mysterious Grade Low Tier spirit herb deep in Demon Scorpion Valley. After absorbing it, he will break through to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage in one go.
Recent Opportunity 2: In three days, he will accept a Grade Five mission at the Mission Pavilion to kill Foundation Establishment Realm Fire Apes in the Fire Cloud Mountain Range, deep in the Hundred Thousand Mountains, and obtain their Demon Cores. By a stroke of luck, he will discover Earth Vein Fire Qi beneath the Fire Cloud Mountain Range. After absorbing it, his cultivation will surge, and he will break through to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.
Recent Opportunity 4: During the Inner Sect Grand Competition a month from now, he will perform exceptionally well and display powerful cultivation, earning the favor of the mysterious Tenth Elder. The Tenth Elder will take him on as a personal disciple and grant him many treasures. After absorbing and refining them, his cultivation will surge.
[Transcendental Luck]: You have incredible luck. You always stumble upon opportunities along the way, and even when faced with mortal danger, you can turn peril into safety.
[Sword Dao Leader]: You were born to wield a sword. Your understanding of the Sword Dao surpasses that of ordinary people, and you advance at incredible speed.
[Divine Comprehension]: Your comprehension is extraordinary, and you can grasp all kinds of cultivation techniques at incredible speed. A technique that takes others three months to master will take you only a few days.
[Child of Heaven's Favor]: You are favored by the Heavenly Dao. Your path of cultivation has no bottlenecks, and breakthroughs come as easily as eating or drinking.
[Reincarnated Great Being]: You are a great being reincarnated from the Immortal World. However, your soul was damaged along the way, and your memories were sealed. Once you reach the Nascent Soul Realm, your memories will be unsealed, and from then on, you will leap over the dragon gate like a carp, with everything going smoothly.
Looking at Lin Zisheng's panel, Ye Lin set off for the Mission Pavilion. Lin Zisheng was already inside, choosing a mission.
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