58: He finally killed Lin Jingxie and left.

The pupil of Lin Jingxie's blood-red lone eye instantly shrank to the size of a needle tip.

An unprecedented, Soul-freezing chill of death instantly seized him. He didn't even have time to react; even his scream was stuck in his throat.

Crack! Pshhh!

A tooth-aching sound of bone shattering and the dull squelch of flesh being sliced by a sharp blade echoed.

The sharp blades at the bottom of that terrifying birdcage-like artifact instantly crossed and closed, snapping shut like the fangs of a vicious beast.

A head, wearing an expression of endless shock, malice, and disbelief, was forcibly twisted and sliced off. Blood erupted from the severed neck like a fountain.

The headless, charred remains stood stiffly for a moment before collapsing like a deboned fish, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The ghostly claw clutching Xiao Hua's throat lost all strength the moment the head was severed, limply letting go.

Thud.

Xiao Hua fell to the ground like a ragdoll, clutching her neck, which was marked with bruised, purple finger imprints.

She coughed violently and retched, tears and snot streaming down her face. Her expression was a mix of blood, dirt, and the daze of a survivor alongside extreme terror, her whole body shaking like a leaf.

The Blood Dripper, carrying Lin Jingxie's still-dripping head with its frozen expression, flew back into Lin Jingyu's hand along the chain with a swish.

Warm blood from the chain trickled down his wrist.

He looked down at the blood-red eye on the head in his palm, still wide open and filled with overwhelming malice and resentment, a cold and mocking curve appearing at the corner of his mouth.

He leaned close to the head that wasn't yet fully dead, his voice soft as a whisper but carrying a bone-chilling coldness that clearly reached Lin Jingxie's final consciousness:

"Are you stupid? Did you really think I'd hand over my own life for the sake of a few lowly Mortal lives?"

"You're dreaming. Why don't you wish the Qinglan Sect Master was your father instead?"

"I was just acting! Idiot. In your next life, remember to use your brain."

At that moment, the lone eye on the head seemed to lose all its remaining light, turning into a dull grey.

This damn bastard is finally dead.

The massive boulder hanging over Lin Jingyu's heart crashed to the ground, followed by a wave of immense exhaustion and an even stronger excitement that almost burst from his chest.

He had used all his trump cards and was badly injured, but it was worth it. So worth it.

That cursed Bone Nail almost killed him...

If not for the trump card of the thunder fiend talisman, he would likely have met a grim end this time!

Black-Robed Old Ghost, this grudge is settled. I'll definitely repay you in the future.

Enduring the intense pain throughout his body and the burning sensation in his Meridians, he walked forward step by step, each one straining his injuries. He first bent down to pick up the Green Turtle Spirit Shield; it was icy cold and covered in a bit of dust.

Then he retrieved his Storage Pouch, carefully brushing off the dust.

From it, he took out a healing Medicinal Pill left by the gift-bearing boy, Chen Biao, the Grand-Uncle, and swallowed it.

The healing Medicinal Pill quickly turned into a faint, gentle warmth that nourished his body.

Finally, he approached Lin Jingxie's headless, charred corpse, the air thick with the smell of burning and heavy blood.

Expressionless, he leaned down and deftly tore a bulging, clearly high-quality Storage Pouch from the charred and tattered waist.

It felt slightly heavy in his hand, as if it carried immense weight, or as if he were holding a smooth path to the future.

It's done!

An indescribable ecstasy instantly washed away all exhaustion and pain.

A Tier-4 Nascent Soul Stage Alchemy Legacy! It's mine!

This risky move wasn't in vain.

All the endurance, calculation, and life-risking efforts had received the richest reward at this moment.

The air was thick with an inseparable smell of burning, pungent blood, and the stench of ruptured organs, blending into a nauseating aura of death.

The surviving villagers were like they had been hit by a freezing spell, huddled on the ground and not daring to breathe. Their bodies shook like leaves in the autumn wind, their eyes filled with nothing but boundless fear and the daze of survivors.

The scene just now, like a battle between gods and demons in the blink of an eye, had completely shattered their understanding of the world.

Clink.

A heavy coarse cloth money bag was tossed beside the unconscious Old Man Shi Three. The bag was open, revealing the gleaming, heavy Silver Ingots inside, shimmering in the dim light.

Then he gave Old Man Shi Three two healing Medicinal Pills:

"Find a place and bury him." Lin Jingyu's voice was flat and emotionless, as if he were ordering a trivial matter.

After all, they were of the same clan; he was "kind-hearted" and couldn't bear to see a corpse left in the wild to feed wild dogs. As for that head with its eyes still open and a gruesome expression?

He casually tossed it into his Storage Pouch; it wouldn't be bad as a "souvenir."

Perhaps it could be useful later.

He quietly left the mess of Little Stone Village. As for what would happen next, it was no longer his concern.

...

In a dim cave on some nameless small mountain.

It was unknown where the cave led; a cool breeze blew in from time to time, bringing with it waves of a foul, musky stench.

The original resident of the cave, a black bear, had been scared witless after Lin Jingyu revealed his Qi Refining Third Layer Spiritual Pressure.

It fled in a flash.

And so, Lin Jingyu became the new master of this cave.

Sitting cross-legged on the ground, he began to regulate his breathing. He held his last two Spirit Stones to absorb spiritual energy and popped the healing Medicinal Pills into his mouth one by one.

After more than two hours, he spat out a mouthful of black blood, feeling much more refreshed.

With the nourishment of spiritual energy, the injuries inside his body were mostly healed.

The Meridians damaged by the Evil Qi of the Soul-Devouring Bone-Chasing Nail still throbbed with a faint pain; it wasn't something that could be cleared away in a short time.

He took a deep breath, a sharp light flashing in his eyes.

From his Storage Pouch, he took out a tallow candle as thick as an arm and lit it, illuminating the entire cave.

Then, he solemnly took out Lin Jingxie's Storage Pouch.

This Storage Pouch felt even smoother and more silky to the touch. It was emerald green all over, with faint striped patterns on it.

Compared to it, Chen Biao's Storage Pouch looked like it was sewn together from scraps of cloth.

Lin Jingyu gently probed inside with a wisp of spiritual energy.

He soon encountered resistance.

A dim halo of light blocked the spiritual energy.

It was a mark left by Lin Jingxie. Since its master was dead, it appeared dull and very fragile.

This Storage Pouch's grade was definitely higher than his own.

Lin Jingyu was not dismayed but delighted, his face showing excitement.

At first, he thought Chen Biao's Storage Pouch was sufficient, but after today's shopping, he realized it couldn't hold much.

At only three feet square, the "flowing cloud kite" already took up a third of the space.

He hoped Lin Jingxie's Storage Pouch would give him a surprise.

Thus, he focused his full attention, guiding the spiritual energy in his body to wash over the already weak spiritual mark on the Storage Pouch wave after wave.

Each time made the mark a bit weaker.