51: Are you really only at the early stage of Tier 3?

However, facing her action that was full of "showing off," Mysterious Ink immediately found it amusing.

Surpass him?

He saw his enormous python body sway slightly, as if he hadn't stood firm.

An Oppressive Aura, countless times more terrifying than Ye Feiyan's Foundation Establishment Mid Stage, filled with an ancient, savage essence, belonging to... Third Stage Early Phase, "accidentally" leaked out from his body.

"Oh dear," his thought, full of "embarrassment," rang out in Ye Feiyan's mind. "My apologies, my apologies. I just Broke Through recently, and I still can't quite control my aura."

Instantly.

Ye Feiyan was immediately stunned on the spot.

The smile on her face completely froze.

She stared blankly at the Black Giant Python in front of her, which was looking at her with an "innocent" gaze, feeling as if her worldview had been utterly shattered at that moment.

She... she had been in Secluded Cultivation for a full ten days!

She hadn't slept or rested, and only by relying on a Heaven-Defying Cultivation Technique like the Myriad Dao Furnace Scripture was she barely able to raise her cultivation from Foundation Establishment Early Stage to Foundation Establishment Mid Stage!

But this guy... this guy actually... actually went straight from Second Tier Peak to Third Stage Early Phase?!

What kind of monster is this guy's hidden Bloodline, exactly?!

How could his cultivation speed be so ridiculously fast?!

Looking at Ye Feiyan, who had already fallen into a petrified state, Mysterious Ink laughed inwardly, but his thought was filled with a "sincere and earnest" meaning.

"Little girl, that's not bad. Keep up the good work and follow my pace closely."

"..."

Ye Feiyan immediately fell silent.

She glared fiercely at the bastard snake in front of her—the one who benefited yet still acted innocent—and squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth.

"You! Just! Wait! For! Me!"

After speaking, she didn't linger for a moment, turning around angrily and walking towards the outside of the Immortal Cave!

If she stayed any longer, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to stop herself from fighting that snake!

On the road leaving the Beast Taming Sect, the mountains were magnificent, and the sea of clouds churned.

Ye Feiyan flew ahead on her sword, her white robes fluttering, resembling a Banished Immortal.

Mysterious Ink comfortably coiled behind her Flying Sword, silently digesting the power gained after his Breakthrough, while also sinking his consciousness back into the attribute panel that only he could see.

[host: Mysterious Ink]

[Species: Primordial Black Dragon (Pseudo)]

[Realm: Third Tier Mid Stage]

[experience points Required to Break Through to Third Order Late Stage: 0 / 3,000,000]

"Three million..."

Seeing the terrifying number that had doubled again, Mysterious Ink couldn't help but secretly click his tongue.

The growth rate of these experience points was even more outrageous than his own cultivation Breakthrough.

He silently calculated that at the current acquisition rate of two points per second, that was over 170,000 per day. To accumulate these three million experience points, it would take roughly eighteen or nineteen days, nearly twenty days of effort.

"Fortunately, it's still within an acceptable range."

Just as Mysterious Ink was calculating, Ye Feiyan's voice, full of suspicion, drifted over from the front through the Pseudo-Contract.

"Mysterious Ink, I ask you." She paused, seemingly organizing her words. "Back then in the Ye Family, you were clearly already Second Stage Late-Phase, yet you deliberately only displayed First Tier cultivation, deceiving everyone."

"Now... tell me honestly, are you really only Third Stage Early Phase?"

Facing this accusation full of "past offenses," Mysterious Ink's reply was perfectly self-assured.

"Of course. It's the real deal."

...After a day of lightning-fast travel, the person and the snake finally arrived at the destination of their mission—the Yang Family.

The Yang Family residence was situated in a valley abundant with Spiritual Qi, featuring pavilions and towers, intricately carved beams, and painted rafters, looking quite grand.

The mission issued by the Sect was simple yet bloody: observe courtesy first, then use force, collecting all the heavenly star grass that needed to be handed over this time.

Afterward, they could directly issue the Extermination Verdict upon the Yang Family!

Ye Feiyan restrained her entire aura, walking into the Yang Family's main gate with a calm expression, appearing like an ordinary Inner Sect Disciple.

"Hahaha! May I ask which Immortal Sect Envoy has graced us with your presence? Yang Zhen failed to welcome you from afar, please forgive me, forgive me!"

A slightly plump, kind-looking middle-aged man walked out, smiling broadly. This was the Yang Family Head, Yang Zhen.

He enthusiastically invited Ye Feiyan into the Main Hall and immediately ordered servants to present the highest-grade Spiritual Tea and Spiritual Fruit.

"Envoy, you must be tired from the journey. Please have some tea." Yang Zhen personally poured a cup of fragrant Spiritual Tea for Ye Feiyan, his attitude extremely humble.

However, the instant the tea was served, a cold glint flashed in Mysterious Ink's deep snake eyes.

His terrifying perception, which had long stepped into the Third Tier Mid Stage, instantly detected that the seemingly clear tea and fresh Spiritual Fruit contained a colorless, odorless, highly Potent Poison specifically designed to dissolve a Cultivator's Spiritual Power!

"It's poisoned."

He immediately informed Ye Feiyan of this news through the Contract.

"Spirit Dispersing Powder, huh..." Ye Feiyan's thought was full of disdain and calm. "Don't worry, a mere Third Grade Poison cannot harm me."

Having said that, under Yang Zhen's expectant and nervous gaze, she actually picked up the teacup and drank the entire cup of poisoned tea in one gulp!

She even picked up a Spiritual Fruit and slowly ate it.

Only after finishing all that did she slowly open her mouth and ask, "Family Head Yang, I have come here under the Sect's command to collect this season's heavenly star grass. Are the items prepared?"

The Potent Poison that had entered her body was instantly refined completely by the Myriad Dao Furnace Scripture, which she was secretly operating. It even transformed into a trace of pure Spiritual Power and merged into her Dantian.

Seeing Ye Feiyan drink the poisoned tea, a trace of barely noticeable delight flashed in Yang Zhen's eyes, but his expression remained one of difficulty.

"Oh dear! Envoy, about this matter... it's really unfortunate!" He slapped his thigh and said with a face full of apology, "You arrived three full days earlier than the time scheduled by the Sect! So... so we haven't had time to harvest the heavenly star grass yet!"

He pointed toward the back mountain and enthusiastically suggested, "How about the Envoy personally supervises? I will immediately order my clansmen to start harvesting."

"Agreed."

Ye Feiyan nodded and accepted.

A moment later, led by Yang Zhen, the person and the snake arrived at the Medicinal Field where the heavenly star grass was planted.

Looking around, stalks of strange Spiritual Plants shaped like stars swayed in the wind, emitting pure plant Spiritual Qi. Indeed, they were all still growing intact in the Medicinal Field.

Yang Zhen immediately dispatched dozens of Family members to begin carefully harvesting.

However, at this moment, Mysterious Ink, who had been quietly coiled on Ye Feiyan's shoulder, suddenly narrowed his cold snake eyes!

His terrifying Divine Sense, which far surpassed others at the same tier, clearly sensed that deep beneath this Medicinal Field, a terrifying aura, profound as the ocean and far exceeding the Foundation Establishment Realm, was hidden!

—Golden Core Realm!