Sect War

Lu Lin focused inward and saw that the panel above the Martial Dao Melting Furnace had already updated:

Martial Dao Melting Furnace, Level Two

Owner: Lu Lin

Cultivation: Body Tempering Tenth Layer

Cultivation Time: One hundred and four years and two months

Martial Dao Techniques: Demonic Ape Blood Qi Art (Tenth Layer), Iron Elephant Body (Eighth Layer), Spirit Cat Art (Ninth Layer), Diamond Art (Sixth Layer)

Killing Moves:

Savage Elephant Charge (Perfection), Mountain-Splitting Elephant Stomp (Not Yet Initiated)

Spirit Cat Step (Perfection), Spirit Flower Shadow-Flitting Step (Not Yet Initiated)

Demonic Ape Palm (Perfection), Demonic Ape Dragon-Capturing Hand (Not Yet Initiated)

Diamond Finger (Not Yet Initiated)

Mining Essentials: Perfection

Breath Concealment Art: Perfection

Inner Space: Three feet

Looking at that row of "Not Yet Initiated" killing moves, Lu Lin could not help feeling a headache coming on.

Cultivation time simply wasn't enough.

Most of these belonged to the category of "second killing moves."

Unlike first killing moves, second killing moves could mobilize qi and blood, the physical body, and the power of the bones all at once, erupting with might far beyond the former, not something first killing moves could compare to at all.

With Lu Lin's current cultivation, first killing moves were already no longer enough to fully unleash his strength.

It could be said he had a body full of tremendous power, yet lacked a matching method to burst it forth.

However, there were no shortcuts in cultivating killing moves; it all depended on comprehension. If comprehension was lacking, one could only rely on long, grinding time.

First killing moves easily required decades, so the time second killing moves took could well be imagined.

"With only a little over a hundred years of cultivation time left, it's only enough to focus on one killing move... Then I'll choose Demonic Ape Dragon-Capturing Hand."

Almost without hesitation, Lu Lin made his decision.

With a stir of his thoughts, his cultivation time poured toward Demonic Ape Dragon-Capturing Hand like a rising tide.

[After half a year of bitter cultivation, "Demonic Ape Dragon-Capturing Hand" was successfully initiated.]

"Just getting initiated took half a year!"

Lu Lin's expression darkened slightly.

He clearly remembered that his previous first killing move had taken only three months to initiate.

This second killing move had actually taken twice as long.

[After another four years of bitter cultivation, "Demonic Ape Dragon-Capturing Hand" reached minor accomplishment.]

[After another twenty years of bitter cultivation, "Demonic Ape Dragon-Capturing Hand" stepped into the realm of major accomplishment.]

[After another sixty years of bitter cultivation, comprehending and pondering day and night, there finally came a day when a flash of insight struck you and you seized the opportunity to break through. "Demonic Ape Dragon-Capturing Hand" finally reached perfection!]

[Remaining cultivation time: Nineteen years and eight months]

In an instant, countless cultivation experiences and insights related to Demonic Ape Dragon-Capturing Hand flooded into his mind, as if he had personally endured more than eighty years of bitter cultivation through heat and cold, finally pushing this skill to its peak.

Lu Lin casually reached forward, his five fingers curling slightly into claws. The qi and blood throughout his body surged and gathered at his fingertips, resonating with his muscles, tendons, and bones as they exerted force together.

Rip!

With one claw swipe, the air actually gave off a terrifying howl like it was being torn apart.

"Exhilarating!"

Lu Lin's eyes shone clear and bright.

Though that had only been a casual strike just now, not his full strength, he already felt as though all the power in his body had found an outlet to vent through, utterly satisfying. If he used it with full force, its might would simply be hard to imagine.

"Everyone, gather at the Martial Arts Arena at once!"

Just then, a clear voice tinged with coldness entered his ears.

It was Luo Siqing!

Lu Lin quickly circulated the Spirit Concealment Art to confirm there was nothing abnormal about him, then immediately strode out the door.

He saw people walking out one after another from the other courtyards as well, all of them wearing grave expressions as they hurried toward the Martial Arts Arena at the center of the mountaintop.

By the time Lu Lin arrived, Luo Siqing was already standing quietly in the arena, with Fang Hong and Lan Zhu stationed separately on either side.

"This subordinate greets the immortal master," everyone saluted in unison.

Lu Lin swept his gaze over them in secret and saw that all twelve personal guards had already arrived.

Luo Siqing's gaze swept over everyone, and her cool, clear voice rang out once more. "There is a mission. Everyone, prepare to travel with me."

Everyone's heart sank.

For exclusive guards, every mission was a trial of life and death, often accompanied by an extremely high risk of casualties.

But this was the meaning of their existence. No one dared raise an objection.

"Yes!" everyone answered in unison.

"Lan Zhu, you will explain the details of this mission," Luo Siqing instructed.

"Yes, Immortal Master."

Lan Zhu stepped forward, her gaze sweeping over the crowd as she said in a grave voice, "Several months ago, disciples of our sect discovered a Red Gold Mine in the Floating Splendor Mountain Range. After surveying it, we found the mine's reserves to be quite abundant, and the sect immediately sent people to occupy and excavate it. However, the matter was soon learned by the Green Duckweed Sword Sect. They publicly declared that the Floating Splendor Mountain Range lay within their territory and that the mine should belong to them, then sent a large number of experts to seize it."

"The two sects have fought several fierce battles at the mine, and even major Foundation Establishment cultivators have participated. After several rounds of slaughter, both sides suffered disastrous losses, and even Foundation Establishment cultivators fell. After that, the Golden Core True Persons of both sides came forward to negotiate. In the end, they agreed that cultivators above Foundation Establishment would no longer be allowed to participate in the struggle for the mine, and that Qi Refining cultivators would decide the outcome instead. The victor would occupy the mine."

"Our mission this time is to go and provide support, and hold the Red Gold Mine."

When Lan Zhu finished speaking, she stepped back, leaving everyone to digest the information.

"Floating Splendor Mountain Range? Red Gold Mine?"

Lu Lin's heart stirred.

He had heard of this place before. It lay right on the border between the Blood Baleful Demon Sect and the Green Duckweed Sword Sect. Its ownership had always been unclear, and it was a region the two sects had long fought over.

And the value of red gold surpassed black iron by a hundredfold. It was an important main material for refining magic artifacts.

"A war between sects..."

Everyone's mood grew heavier and heavier.

The Green Duckweed Sword Sect was a great sect on par with the Blood Baleful Demon Sect, and both were among the five great sects of the Yan Kingdom.

In slaughter on such a scale, human lives were often like blades of grass. Even immortal cultivators could fall at any moment, let alone martial men like them.

Every clash was bound to send blood flowing like rivers, with countless martial men dead and wounded.

"I will give you the time it takes for one incense stick to burn to prepare. After that, assemble here," Luo Siqing ordered.

"Yes!"

After saluting, everyone hurried away separately, each weighed down with worry.

Lu Lin returned to the side courtyard and immediately put on the Blood Demon Battle Armor. The Blood Demon Blade hung at his waist, and the Spirit-Breaking Arrow was strapped behind his shoulder.

By the time he returned to the Martial Arts Arena, everyone else had also fully armored themselves and taken up their weapons, standing solemnly at attention.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Luo Siqing patted her storage pouch. A dark-red, boat-shaped magic artifact flew out, swelling as soon as it met the wind. In an instant, it transformed into a flying boat ten meters long and three meters wide, hovering quietly in the low air.

"Flying boat!"

This term surfaced in Lu Lin's mind at once.

Luo Siqing lightly tapped the tip of her delicate foot, and her body drifted like willow catkins before landing at the bow.

"Board."

Her voice was not loud, yet it entered everyone's ears clearly.

Bang, bang, bang...

Everyone erupted with qi and blood, leaping more than ten meters into the air and landing steadily on the deck of the flying boat.

Discovered a large amount of medium-grade spiritual energy. Can be exchanged for two hundred years of bitter cultivation. Exchange?

The moment Lu Lin stepped onto the flying boat, a prompt came from the Martial Dao Melting Furnace.

"No!"

He rejected it with his thoughts without the slightest hesitation.

What a joke.

Although two hundred years of bitter cultivation was extremely tempting, this spiritual energy clearly came from the flying boat itself. If he chose to exchange it, it would be no different from seeking his own death.

Inside the Blood Baleful Demon Sect, experts who could swat him to death with a casual hand were everywhere.

"Rise!"

Luo Siqing gave a soft shout, urging her spiritual power. Radiance immediately flowed over the flying boat, and with a whoosh, it tore through the air, its speed far surpassing a Flame Horse.

A layer of light rose over the hull, enveloping everyone within it, and not the slightest bit of the fierce wind outside could intrude.

The flying boat shuttled through the sea of clouds, while endless mountains, rivers, and valleys flashed past below.

"To enter and leave the blue heavens, to ride the whirlwind nine skies up... This feeling is truly exhilarating. I wonder if, when a martial man cultivates to the extreme, there will also be a day like this?" Gazing at the vast mountains and rivers beneath his feet, Lu Lin could not help falling into a daze.

Not long after Luo Siqing and the others departed.

In the Blood Baleful Demon Sect, on another majestic mountain peak, two young immortal cultivators were holding a discussion.

"I just received news. Luo Siqing has already left Jiuqing Peak and gone to support the Red Gold Mine."

One of them spoke. He was dressed in purple, with a jade belt wrapped around his waist, his bearing elegant and noble. His name was Dong Chuan, and he was a core disciple of the Blood Baleful Demon Sect.

"He finally left. Good. This person's talent is too high. I fear it won't be long before she can charge into the Foundation Establishment realm and become Martial Uncle Ye's rival. She must be eliminated as soon as possible."

The second person spoke. He was a tall, powerful-looking young man.

"Senior Brother, don't worry. I'm also about to set out for the Red Gold Mine. As long as there's a chance, I'll kill her and remove this future trouble forever."

Dong Chuan smiled, dense killing intent flashing through his eyes.

"Good. Then I'll leave it to Junior Brother Dong."

The powerful-looking young man said.

The flying boat was far steadier than the planes of his previous life; he could not feel the slightest bump. In just half a day, they had already crossed ten thousand li of mountains and rivers.

"Before heading to the Floating Splendor Mountain Range, I need to make a trip to Earth Flame Mountain first. I want to borrow the earthfire power there to break through to the ninth level of Qi Refining and cultivate an enormously powerful spell."

Luo Siqing's voice suddenly rang out, explaining the change in itinerary to everyone.

Naturally, everyone accepted the order.

Not long after, the flying boat arrived above a stretch of mountains.

Looking down from high above, they could see seven great mountains encircling a mountain hollow. Within the hollow was a field of scarlet red; raging earthfire was continuously surging out from the earth veins, yet it was strangely confined within a certain range, showing no sign of erupting. Lu Lin secretly marveled at the sight.

"This place is Earth Flame Mountain. A pack of Red Flame Wolf demonic beasts dwells in the mountains. In a moment, you will need to cooperate with me and clear out all the Red Flame Wolves here."

As she spoke, Luo Siqing guided a hand incantation, and the flying boat slowly descended.

When they were a little over ten meters from the ground, everyone circulated their qi and blood, leaped down one after another, and landed steadily.

Awooo!

Lu Lin and the others had only just steadied themselves when a fierce, vicious howl rang out from the mountain forest ahead.

Immediately afterward, a giant wolf, crimson from head to tail, burst out of the forest and charged straight at them!