The fact that he was on equal footing with a Nascent Soul cultivator astonished everyone present.

Inside the quiet room of the Tingfeng Courtyard, it was dark and lightless.

Lin Yuan sat cross-legged, his fingertips tracing a Jade Slip as black as ink.

This was the Evil Path Body Cultivation Technique gifted by Xuan Yin Old Ancestor. The Jade Slip felt icy to the touch, faintly wrapped in blood Qi, and emitted an ominous aura.

This method shared the same origin as ordinary Body Cultivation Techniques. The three initial Realms were Copper Skin, Iron Bone, and Blood Moving Realm. Upon reaching Major Achievement, the Physical Body would be as tough as a Magical Artifact, and the blood Qi as vigorous as a raging furnace.

Following these were the Golden Body Realm, corresponding to Foundation Establishment, and the “Dharma Aspect Realm,” corresponding to the Golden Core.

The Cultivation Technique given by Xuan Yin Old Ancestor was incomplete, only allowing Cultivation up to Dharma Aspect Realm Perfection, but for the current Lin Yuan, it was more than enough.

He closed his eyes, sinking his Divine Thought into the Jade Slip.

With his current insight, the obscure technique was rapidly dismantled and understood in his mind.

In less than an hour, the Cultivation method for the Copper Skin Realm was completely clear to him.

Lin Yuan immediately activated the Cultivation Technique. Strands of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi were drawn in, but instead of converging in his Dantian, they transformed into scorching blood Qi, merging into his limbs and bones, searing his skin.

A day and a night passed in the blink of an eye.

Lin Yuan opened his eyes, feeling the minuscule increase in toughness on the surface of his skin, and frowned deeply.

“Too slow.”

At this rate, reaching Copper Skin Perfection alone might take a year or two.

The Cultivation Technique did record a quick method of the Evil Path: absorbing the blood Qi of others, which could achieve Copper Skin Perfection within half a year.

Lin Yuan naturally disdained this path, and besides, this speed was still a snail's pace to him.

It was at this moment that the small golden characters at the bottom of his eyes quietly refreshed.

[Cultivation: Late Foundation Establishment Stage: 0/500000 (addable points); Copper Skin: 0/1000 (addable points)]

[First-Grade Alchemist: 900/900 (Perfection); Sixth-Grade Artifact Refiner: 1/400 (addable points); Third-Grade Array Master: 0/700 (addable points)]

[Fifth-Level Fire Control Art: 0/500; Illusion Transformation Art (Perfection)]

[Available attribute points: 23468]

[special attribute points: 101]

In the Cultivation column, the Body Cultivator Realm was prominently listed.

“Now this is more like it.”

A slight curve appeared at the corner of Lin Yuan's mouth.

Without hesitation, he moved his intent.

“Add points!”

One thousand available attribute points instantly vanished.

A savage and domineering blast of scorching blood Qi exploded from within his body, sweeping through him instantly! Beneath his skin, it felt as if countless blood-colored ants were gnawing, causing unbearable pain. But following this, his skin visibly developed a layer of tough, bronze-colored precious light!

The small golden characters before his eyes refreshed again.

[Iron Bone: 0/2000 (addable points)]

“Continue, fill it up for me!”

“Boom!”

Two thousand attribute points vanished!

Lin Yuan felt intense, firecracker-like popping sounds deep within his bones, as if invisible giant hammers were repeatedly forging them, or as if they were being filled and reforged with molten core lava! Every inch of bone became heavy as iron and harder than rock amidst the severe pain, eventually emitting a jade-like luster!

[Blood Moving Realm: 0/3000 (addable points)]

“Add!”

“Rumble—!”

This time, the change was even more intense!

As three thousand attribute points were spent, lines of mysterious dark red demonic patterns actually appeared out of thin air on Lin Yuan's body surface!

These demonic patterns moved across his body like living things, finally sinking beneath his skin. All the blood in his body completely boiled at this moment, rushing like rivers. His heart pounded like a war drum of a Demon God, and every beat pumped out power like a mountain torrent or a tsunami!

The soreness, back pain, and Divine Soul exhaustion accumulated from previous continuous arduous Cultivation were completely washed away by the extremely vigorous blood Qi at this moment!

Lin Yuan slowly stood up and clenched his fist.

Explosive power condensed between his fingers, and the air crackled with a dull sound as he squeezed. He felt that a single punch from him now would be enough to crack a supreme grade Magical Artifact!

He felt more energetic than ever before.

“Six thousand points, Body Cultivator Early Stage Perfection.”

His mind was settled. He stood ramrod straight, without any lingering feeling of weakness or soreness.

When he tried to add points again, the Blood Moving Realm stage was followed by the word “Perfection.”

Sure enough, major Realm Bottlenecks could not be overcome solely by adding points.

“What a pity I gave all the yang returning lotus roots to Shuanger back then... Otherwise, by utilizing the Xuan Sha Qi within the yang returning lotus roots, I could definitely enter the Golden Body Realm!”

“Fortunately, taking a Golden Body Pill works just as well. Only by drawing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi to temper the body can I break through and establish myself.”

“Acquiring the Pill Formula and Materials for this Medicinal Pill would have been incredibly difficult before, but now...”

He was now the Supreme Guest Elder of the Yin Corpse Sect; it was just a matter of saying the word.

Just as he was preparing to go out and “beg” the Xuan Yin Old Ancestor for resources, a streak of spiritual light arrived, breaking through the air.

Lin Yuan reached out, and a delicate Paper Crane landed in his palm, transmitting Gu Zheng's clear voice.

“Sect meeting. Come quickly to Xuan Yin Hall!”

Lin Yuan's eyes flashed. This meeting was highly likely related to the Blood River Spirit Mine.

His figure moved, transforming into an afterimage as he headed toward Xuan Yin Hall.

The atmosphere inside the hall was solemn and chilling. Xuan Yin Old Ancestor, Gu Zheng, Su Meiniang, and over thirty Core Formation Stage Cultivators with profound auras were gathered together.

These people were all the high-level combat forces of the Yin Corpse Sect in Black Stone City.

Inside the main hall, dozens of seats were arranged according to seniority.

Xuan Yin Old Ancestor sat high in the main seat. To his left was Gu Zheng, who had newly advanced to the Nascent Soul Realm. But the honored seat to his right, which was equal in status to Gu Zheng's, was empty.

The gazes of all the Core Formation Elders present involuntarily drifted toward that empty seat, their eyes filled with awe and speculation.

The moment Lin Yuan stepped into the hall, all eyes fell upon him like sharp swords.

Xuan Yin Old Ancestor stroked his beard and smiled, pointing toward the empty seat beside him from afar.

“Elder Lin, please take the seat of honor!”

As soon as he spoke, the entire hall fell into a deadly silence, so quiet you could hear a pin drop!

Expressions of disbelief froze on the faces of all the Core Formation Elders. The eyes of those who knew the inside story instantly turned fervent when looking at Lin Yuan, while the majority of the uninformed were filled with shock and confusion.

The fiery-tempered One-Eyed Elder nearly crushed the armrest of his chair, his single eye filled with astonishment and suspicion.

Lin Yuan laughed inwardly, but his expression remained composed. He ignored the gazes—whether astonished, scrutinizing, or awed—and walked straight to Xuan Yin Old Ancestor's side, sitting down calmly.

“Everyone.”

Xuan Yin Old Ancestor's majestic gaze swept across the room, his voice ringing like a bell.

“This person is the newly appointed Supreme Guest Elder of my Yin Corpse Sect, Lin Yuan, Elder Lin! His status is equal to mine!”

He did not explain Lin Yuan's identity as an Alchemist, but his undeniable tone instantly suppressed all impending discussion.

After the crowd barely managed to digest this shocking news, Su Meiniang stepped forward, scanned the group, and her clear voice echoed through the hall.

“The reason we have gathered everyone today is to discuss our Sect's countermeasures.”

Her expression turned solemn.

“A while ago, our Sect and the Misty Immortal Sect agreed to a ceasefire because the Hundred Beasts Mountain and the Xuan Fu Gate suddenly formed an alliance, eyeing both of our factions covetously.”

“Currently, in the Eastern Region, a three-way standoff has formed between the Misty Immortal Sect and the Yan Yang Kingdom, us and the Five Poisons Sect, and the Hundred Beasts Mountain and the Xuan Fu Gate!”

“If we continue to fight the Misty Immortal Sect to the death, we fear those two factions will reap the benefits, and at that time, we will all be doomed beyond redemption!”

As soon as Su Meiniang finished speaking, the floor immediately erupted in chaos.

A gaunt-faced Elder stated in a deep voice, “In my opinion, we should temporarily join forces with the Misty Immortal Sect and first cripple those beasts from Hundred Beasts Mountain! They are closest to us and pose the greatest threat!”

“That's asking a tiger for its hide!” The One-Eyed Elder suddenly stood up and roared, “That woman Situ Piaomiao changes her mind faster than turning a page! She could join hands with us one moment and sell us out for Spirit Stones the next, do you believe that?”

“Then what do you propose? Are we just supposed to watch as the Blood River Spirit Mine, that piece of fat meat, is snatched away by others?”

The hall instantly descended into a mess of continuous arguments.

Lin Yuan sat steady as a mountain, finding the arguments of this group of Core Formation Elders amusing. These people's vision was too narrow; they only focused on the immediate vicinity and failed to see the true chessboard.

Xuan Yin Old Ancestor frowned deeply, his expression growing darker as he listened to the arguments below.

Suddenly, he slammed the armrest, and a terrifying pressure instantly suppressed the entire hall!

“Enough!”

The main hall instantly became silent.

Xuan Yin Old Ancestor's cold gaze swept over everyone, finally landing on Lin Yuan, who had remained silent beside him.

His tone softened, carrying a hint of serious inquiry: “Elder Lin, in your opinion, where should our Sect... go from here?”