Obtaining the Space Ring

The entire ground trembled slightly. Watching the snake head he had smashed into the earth with a single punch, Ye Lin leaped into the air and landed in the clearing ahead.

At this moment, the massive serpent body was still twitching, causing the surrounding trees to collapse one after another.

"One sword born, slash."

With a roar, Ye Lin took a running start, yanked his longsword from the ground, leaped high into the air, and drove the blade straight into the giant snake's eye.

The Sword Qi instantly obliterated the giant snake's brain.

The serpent's colossal body slumped onto the ground, motionless.

"This giant snake is enough to slaughter the three tiger demons I killed earlier."

Looking at the serpent's carcass, Ye Lin muttered to himself, then proceeded to hack the entire body in two with one strike after another.

"Found it."

At this moment, Ye Lin's eyes lit up. Deep within the snake's belly, he found a spatial ring. If not for the faint fluctuations of spiritual energy emanating from it, searching for a single ring inside such a massive carcass would have been an incredibly tedious task.

"A low-grade Profound-tier spatial ring. What a haul."

Looking at the ring in his hand, Ye Lin felt a surge of joy. Following the tropes from novels, he wiped his left index finger across the edge of his longsword, and a drop of blood immediately fell onto the ring.

Instantly, Ye Lin felt a vague, ethereal connection form between himself and the ring.

"What a massive space."

Ye Lin probed his divine sense into the spatial ring and couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. The space inside was a vast void measuring ten meters in length, width, and height, capable of holding countless items.

He placed his longsword inside, and once everything was finished, Ye Lin turned around to find that the villagers had gathered behind him at some point.

"Thank you, Immortal Master! Thank you, Immortal Master!"

The villagers of Wang Family Village knelt before Ye Lin one after another.

Ever since a giant python had appeared near their village three days ago, children had been disappearing every day, leaving them in a state of constant terror.

Facing a demonic beast, there was nothing they could do but rush to report it to the Azure Cloud Sect.

Mortals, at times, were truly helpless; without strength, they could only wait for death.

"No need for thanks. I must head out for a while, so I ask that you all keep watch over this snake head. As for the body, you may consume it; it will strengthen your bodies."

As soon as Ye Lin finished speaking, the elder standing at the front immediately patted his chest in assurance.

"Please rest assured, Immortal Master. We will take turns guarding the head."

"Very well. In that case, I shall take my leave."

Seeing this, Ye Lin nodded and began walking toward Tianfeng City.

Demonic beast meat was highly beneficial to cultivators, but meat from a fifth-level Qi Refining beast was useless to him.

He hurried along the road. With his sixth-level Qi Refining cultivation, as long as he didn't venture deep into the mountains and remained cautious in the outer regions, nothing would happen to him.

In the blink of an eye, Ye Lin arrived at Tianfeng City.

"Immortal Master, are you on a mission to our Tianfeng City this time?"

Because Ye Lin had visited before, the soldiers guarding the gate had long since etched his appearance into their minds.

After all, to mortals, cultivators were no different from immortals; they dared not offend one under any circumstances.

"Yes, I've come to the city to purchase some supplies."

"Understood. Please enter, Immortal Master."

The gate guard said respectfully.

"By the way, do you know where the Wind and Flower Pavilion is located in Tianfeng City?"

Ye Lin suddenly asked, a question that left the guard momentarily stunned.

The guard gave Ye Lin a meaningful look before replying.

"Once you enter the city, just head straight forward. You will see it; the Wind and Flower Pavilion is in the very center of the city. You will know it when you arrive, Immortal Master."

Hearing the guard's instructions, Ye Lin nodded and walked into the city.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Cultivators, they really can't escape the mundane after all. Traveling so far just to spend a night of pleasure at the Wind and Flower Pavilion."

Watching Ye Lin's retreating back, the guard remarked with a knowing tone.

Following the guard's directions, Ye Lin walked straight ahead.

Tianfeng City was a small city with a population of about one hundred thousand, and it served as an important foundation for the Azure Cloud Sect.

"Found it. But, where is the beggar?"

Ye Lin stood in front of a flower pavilion. Several gorgeously dressed women stood at the entrance soliciting customers, and the plaque above the door bore the three large characters: Wind and Flower Pavilion.

However, Ye Lin looked to the side and saw no sign of the beggar displayed on his panel.

"Strange. Could this be a fated opportunity meant for Huang Xiao? Impossible. If the panel can display it, it must be something I can plunder."

After some thought, Ye Lin walked into the restaurant across the street and sat down, watching the Wind and Flower Pavilion from across the way.

"Brother, stop looking. The Wind and Flower Pavilion isn't a place people like us can afford to frequent."

At this moment, a young man holding a wine pot stood before Ye Lin, his face etched with sorrow.

Seeing this, Ye Lin paid him no mind at all. Realizing he was being ignored, the man knew he was being a nuisance, so he curled his lip and walked off to the side.

"Why is this stinking beggar here again? Get lost, you filthy beggar! Can you afford the consequences if you ruin our business?"

"Exactly! If it weren't for pitying you, we would have reported you to the authorities long ago."

Just then, Ye Lin's heart gave a sudden jolt. He saw an old beggar holding a long staff sitting in front of the Wind and Flower Pavilion, drawing looks of utter disgust from the young women nearby.

"That old beggar has been appearing here for a month now. He shows up in front of the Wind and Flower Pavilion right on time every noon."

"I suppose it's a unique sight; even beggars have dreams these days."

Without him noticing when, the young man from earlier had returned to Ye Lin's side and spoke softly.

Hearing this, Ye Lin looked up at the young man, and instantly, a transparent panel appeared.

Name: Cheng Huai Cultivation: Fourth Level of Qi Refining Fate: Black (Great Calamity Imminent) Destiny: None Fate Path: Originally a member of the Heavenly Sword Sect, he was framed and subsequently ordered by a Heavenly Sword Sect elder to infiltrate the Azure Cloud Sect as a spy. Three days from now, upon attempting to join the Azure Cloud Sect, he will be exposed by an elder and executed on the spot. Three mid-grade spirit stones will be discovered on his corpse. Recent Opportunity: None

Looking at the panel of the man before him, Ye Lin felt a slight shock. Good heavens, a spy?

The Heavenly Sword Sect was the second-ranked sect within a radius of ten thousand miles, while the Azure Cloud Sect was the undisputed number one.

The Heavenly Sword Sect sent a disciple to infiltrate the Azure Cloud Sect—could it be they intend to overthrow them?

Cold light flickered in Ye Lin's eyes as he recalled the fate of the Azure Cloud Sect disciples: to be drained of all their essence and blood by demons in half a year's time.

Coupled with the fact that the Azure Cloud Sect's secret realm was set to open in half a year, it meant that a major event was bound to occur.

The reason the Azure Cloud Sect stood as the undisputed hegemon for thousands of miles was precisely because of that secret realm.

Suddenly, Ye Lin struck, slamming the young man's head onto the table with a loud thud.

"My good man, what are you doing?"

Pinned to the table, Cheng Huai felt a surge of anger, yet he remained outwardly composed, asking with a calm expression.

"Don't think I don't know who you are. Hand over the mid-grade spirit stones you're carrying, and I might spare your life today."

Hearing this, Cheng Huai was startled. How could this man know he had mid-grade spirit stones?

Ever since he was framed, just before he was expelled from the sect, he had snuck into an elder's residence and stolen three mid-grade spirit stones—the elder's savings of ten years.

"My good man, who do you think I am? I'm just an ordinary person. As for spirit stones, those are for cultivators; I don't have any."

Ye Lin sneered at his words.

"If you continue to play dumb, you might not make it through today. Isn't that right, Cheng Huai?"

Once Ye Lin finished speaking, Cheng Huai realized he had been exposed. He reached into his robes and handed three shimmering crystals to Ye Lin.

"A wise choice. I advise you not to go to the Azure Cloud Sect to throw your life away. Some things are not as simple as they appear on the surface."

After pocketing the spirit stones, Ye Lin spoke to Cheng Huai, then released him and walked toward the Wind and Flower Pavilion.

Since he had handed over the stones, Ye Lin didn't mind offering a word of warning. If he chose to continue seeking his own death, it would have nothing to do with him.

Three mid-grade spirit stones to buy a life—a fair trade, wouldn't you say?