I am a third-grade alchemist, and I'm coming clean.

The Ink Jade Flying Boat tore through the sky, and the weather-beaten silhouette of Black Stone City finally reappeared at the edge of the horizon.

The once-lofty city walls were now crumbling ruins; the massive breaches were hideous scars left by the war, and charred boulders and broken Formation bases lay scattered everywhere, silently recounting the cruelty of the bloodbath that had occurred not long ago.

Inside the city, there was devastation everywhere.

Countless buildings had been reduced to ruins, and the ground was riddled with deep craters left by Spell bombardments, with some craters still filled with dark red blood.

The air was thick with a nauseating, lingering stench of blood, scorched earth, and decaying corpses.

The Disciples of the Yin Corpse Sect moved through the ruins with numb expressions; some were carrying the corpses of their fellow Sect members, while others were repairing the damaged Formation. The sounds of suppressed sobbing and commanding shouts intertwined, shrouding the entire city in a heavy, deathly silence.

"War... is truly cruel!"

Lin Yuan stood at the prow of the boat, whispering to himself. This was the true face of the Cultivation World: the weak are prey to the strong, cruel and heartless.

Gu Zheng gazed at all of this, her phoenix eyes flashing with deep-seated pain and hatred. She did not linger, instead directly steering the Flying Boat, which transformed into a streak of ink-colored light, and flew toward the only black palace in the center of the city that remained relatively intact.

Inside the palace, Old Ancestor Xuan Yin wore a black robe. He looked even older than before; his face was covered in wrinkles as if carved by a knife and axe, his graying hair was disheveled, and his entire being exuded the Aura of someone nearing the end of their life.

Lin Yuan's gaze landed on his face, and his brows twitched imperceptibly.

Old Ancestor Xuan Yin's Aura was extremely unstable, like a candle in the wind. Despite being a Nascent Soul Cultivator, he gave the illusion that he could go out at any moment, and his cheeks were flushed with a sickly red, clearly indicating he had suffered severe internal injuries.

Su Meiniang stood to the side. Her face, which usually captivated all, had cast aside all coquettishness, leaving only gravity and deep worry.

"Grandfather!"

As soon as the Flying Boat landed, Gu Zheng turned into a streak of light and rushed into the palace.

"Cough, cough... It's good that you've returned, good that you've returned..."

Seeing that his granddaughter was safe and sound, strong relief appeared in Old Ancestor Xuan Yin's murky eyes. He struggled to stand up, but this triggered a violent coughing fit, and Gu Zheng hurriedly held him down.

"Grandfather... your injuries..." Gu Zheng looked at his withered appearance, her voice thick with tears.

Old Ancestor Xuan Yin waved his hand and squeezed out a smile that was uglier than crying: "My Lifespan was already limited, and this time, that woman Situ Piaomiao fought me to a mutual destruction, severely damaging my Nascent Soul. I'm afraid... I won't last twenty more years."

When these words were spoken, the air in the palace seemed to freeze, and even Su Meiniang's delicate body trembled slightly.

"Before I pass away, we must exhaust all the Sect's resources and spare no cost to help Zheng'er step into the Nascent Soul Stage and take over the Sect." Old Ancestor Xuan Yin's gaze fell upon Gu Zheng, filled with reluctance and unwilling determination.

His hand trembled as he flipped it over, and an ancient Jade Slip appeared in his palm.

"This is an ancient Pill Formula I obtained by chance in my early years, called the 'breaking nascent soul returning origin pill'."

"This pill can help a Cultivator at the Perfection of the Core Formation Stage to forcibly condense a Nascent Soul, breaking and then establishing. However... the conditions for refining this pill are too harsh."

His voice grew lower, filled with a deep sense of powerlessness, "Not only does it require several kinds of precious Heaven And Earth Treasure, the Spirit Stone required just for the main Materials alone is a full three million! Most crucially, this pill is extremely difficult to refine; it is absolutely impossible to succeed unless one is a Grandmaster of Alchemy of the Third-Rank or higher."

"After some time passes, I will take you to the Medicine King Valley to ask the Old Medicine King to help refine this pill!" In the entire Eastern Region, there was only one Third-Rank Alchemist, and that was the Old Medicine King of Medicine King Valley.

However, the cost of asking him to act was immense.

As he spoke, he sighed and looked at Lin Yuan. In those murky eyes, there was a final, faint glimmer of hope: "You were able to refine the soul nurturing pill before, and your Alchemy attainments are already near the Fourth-Grade. If you could advance to a Third-Rank Alchemist..."

The Pill Hall Master of the Yin Corpse Sect was a Fourth-Grade Alchemist, but he was advanced in years and had no hope of reaching the Third-Rank in this lifetime.

If Lin Yuan could advance to the Third-Rank, then the Yin Corpse Sect would surely soar to the skies.

Lin Yuan remained calm on the surface, but he was calculating rapidly in his heart.

It was a fact that Old Ancestor Xuan Yin's Lifespan was coming to an end. Once he died, the Yin Corpse Sect would surely fall apart, and he would also suffer greatly. Conversely, if Gu Zheng could step into the Nascent Soul Stage, the benefits for him would be immeasurable. A Dao Companion at the Early Nascent Soul Stage could provide one thousand attribute points in one go—what kind of concept was that?

As for exposing his alchemist level now... Old Monster Xuanyin was already like a candle in the wind; he needed a savior, not a tool for Alchemy that could be manipulated at will.

He would only treat him like an ancestor and worship him, never harboring any crooked thoughts.

This deal was a guaranteed profit!

Having thought through all the connections, Lin Yuan's expression became unprecedentedly serious.

"What this Junior is about to say is of great importance, and I hope both Seniors can keep it a secret for me." His gaze swept over Old Ancestor Xuan Yin and Su Meiniang.

"Speak freely! Meiniang is not an outsider; what is said today will never be leaked by half a word!" Old Ancestor Xuan Yin said immediately, his voice urgent.

Lin Yuan nodded and stopped beating around the bush, calmly dropping a bombshell that would shake the entire Sect.

"Some time ago, this Junior was fortunate enough to have my Alchemy enter the Third-Rank." He paused, and meeting the incredulous gazes of the crowd, he said word by word: "This pill, this Junior can refine!"

When his voice fell, there was a deathly silence in the palace.

"Boom!"

From within Old Ancestor Xuan Yin's decrepit body, a heaven-shaking Aura erupted. He stood up abruptly from his seat, but due to being overly excited, his figure staggered, and he was quickly steadied by Gu Zheng.

"Really?!"

He stared fixedly at Lin Yuan, a terrifying gleam erupting from his murky old eyes. He was like a drowning person clutching the only straw for survival, his gaze so scorching it almost melted Lin Yuan.

Su Meiniang, who was on the side, trembled violently, completely losing her composure.

She had been stuck at the Late Core Formation Stage for five hundred years!

Five hundred years of despair, five hundred years of bitter struggle—she had thought that her life would stop here, and she would turn into a handful of yellow earth after her Lifespan was exhausted.

But now, hope had smashed right in front of her without any warning! She could feel her body trembling uncontrollably due to extreme excitement, and in those soul-captivating peach-blossom eyes, only unbelievable ecstasy and tears remained.

Compared to the two's loss of composure, after a brief moment of shock, all that remained in Gu Zheng's phoenix eyes was overflowing pride and triumph.

She looked at Lin Yuan, her gaze seemingly declaring to the whole world: "Look, this is the man I chose."

"It is absolutely true." Lin Yuan met Old Ancestor Xuan Yin's scorching gaze and nodded calmly, fully displaying the demeanor of an expert.

"Good, good, good! Heaven does not destroy my Yin Corpse Sect! Heaven does not destroy me!"

Old Ancestor Xuan Yin laughed up at the sky, his laughter filled with madness and endless joy, causing the entire palace to hum and vibrate.

"I have already prepared the Materials; you... when can you start the furnace?" He could no longer maintain the composure of a Nascent Soul Old Ancestor, as if he could already see that, with Lin Yuan's help, the Yin Corpse Sect would not only have one more Nascent Soul, but perhaps two... three! At that time, whatever Misty Immortal Sect, whatever Blood River Spirit Mine, would all be in his Yin Corpse Sect's pocket!

"This Junior has indeed been quite tired lately, and my mental energy has been severely depleted. I need a few days of rest before I can start the furnace." Lin Yuan looked weak; the previous one hundred times had indeed not been recovered from yet.

"Right, right, right! Look at this old fool!" Old Ancestor Xuan Yin slapped his forehead, and his form of address for Lin Yuan changed, "Meiniang, immediately arrange accommodation for Little Friend Lin... No, clean out the courtyard next to mine and give it to him! The Spiritual Qi there is the most abundant! Zheng'er, you should also live nearby; in case the Misty Immortal Sect attacks, we can provide support immediately!"

A Third-Rank Alchemist, regardless of their Cultivation, was enough to be treated as an equal by any Nascent Soul Old Monster in the Cultivation World; addressing him as "Little Friend" was not an overstatement at all.

"Yes!"

Su Meiniang replied respectfully, and the gaze she directed at Lin Yuan already held a bit of indescribable heat and... ingratiation.

Afterward, Su Meiniang led the way, her figure swaying. The charm that had once been natural and innate was replaced by a deliberately suppressed respect.

She walked in front, but always stayed half a step behind, ensuring that Lin Yuan behind her could walk in the center.

This silent ingratiation made Lin Yuan feel secretly pleased.

The status of a Third-Rank Alchemist actually carried such weight?

Even Su Meiniang at the Late Core Formation Stage had to be so cautious, fearing the slightest neglect.

Gu Zheng followed by Lin Yuan's side, her cold and sharp pretty face showing undisguised pride and triumph. She reached out to hook her arm into Lin Yuan's, her movements intimate and natural, as if declaring ownership to everyone.