The Ritual Begins

"I could crush an early True Essence Realm Martial Artist and defeat one at the middle stage. As for who'd come out on top against someone at the late stage, that was harder to say," Lin Qing mused.

Lin Qing had won his duel with Lei Tong easily, but Ao Xiong had kept him tangled up for quite a while.

He had heard that Ao Xiong was at the late stage of the True Essence Realm, but nearing the end of his life, so he could be treated as someone at the middle stage.

Lin Qing had misjudged that point at the time. He had thought Ao Xiong was among the weakest True Essence Realm Martial Artists, but that was not the case. Ao Xiong was clearly much stronger than someone like Lei Tong, who had only just entered the realm.

"I see. It's true—if someone had the strength of a million pounds and speed no one could match, he could crush every True Qi Realm Martial Artist even without true qi." Li Ping nodded.

"That's easy to say, but far too hard to do. You'd have to bring a great many low-realm training methods to Perfect Mastery, and only someone with extraordinary martial talent could manage it. Only a monster like Brother Lin could pull it off," Wei Dong said with a sigh.

"Yes, yes! Brother Lin Qing really is amazing." Lin Shurou looked at him with open admiration.

"Enough about that. Come on, let's drink!" Lin Qing laughed, rising to fill everyone's cup.

The next day, Lin Qing met with the Netherworld Pacification Bureau's twelve Constable Chiefs and carefully reviewed the intelligence the bureau had gathered. A powerful sense of danger seized him.

Report after report showed that the Yinyuan Sect had finished gathering the offerings needed for