Chapter 33 Hot-Blooded Vine

Lin Yue listened to her harsh words without the slightest change in expression, as if he were merely listening to the buzzing of a mosquito.

He didn't even give Ren Yanran a second glance, turning his gaze directly toward the Sect deacon, Wang Badan, in the corner of the stands. His voice was calm yet carried an unquestionable power: "Deacon Wang, I have won the fifth match. Should we follow our agreement and have Junior Sister Ren settle the bet?"

Wang Badan was still in shock from the recent turn of events. Snapping back to his senses after being addressed by Lin Yue, he nodded hurriedly. "Yes... yes, Lin Yue wins! According to the pre-match agreement, Ren Yanran must pay one thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones as the wager."

Ren Yanran's expression instantly became even more unsightly. One thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones was no small sum for her, but in front of all the Disciples and the deacon, she couldn't possibly back out. Gritting her teeth, she pulled a heavy storage bag from her own Storage Pouch and threw it fiercely at Lin Yue.

Lin Yue caught the storage bag in one hand. As it landed in his palm, it made a clattering sound, clearly filled to the brim with Spirit Stones.

“The Spirit Stones are yours! Lin Yue, remember my words: in three days, my Senior Brother Ye Yang will surely avenge me!” Ren Yanran didn't even spare a glance for Zhu Gou or Zhou Hao before she left the trial platform.

The corner of Lin Yue's mouth curled into a faint arc. There was no fear in his eyes, only a sense of indifference. “Ye Yang? No matter who it is, if they want to come looking for trouble, let them come.”

As his voice fell, Lin Yue gripped the storage bag and ignored the collective gaze of the crowd, turning to walk away from the trial platform.

The Disciples who had been crowding around to watch the excitement seemed to be pushed by an invisible aura, subconsciously retreating to both sides. The once-crowded exit of the trial platform cleared into a path within a few short breaths. The gazes of the Disciples on both sides were fixed on Lin Yue, everyone filled with a sense of awe, their breathing almost coming to a standstill.

Walking down the "path," Lin Yue felt the looks of respect and fear. He couldn't help but feel emotional—this was the reality of the cultivation world; the strong would always win respect, regardless of right or wrong.

...

After Lin Yue defeated Ren Yanran and back-to-back bested the outer Sect Body Refining expert Zhu Gou and the Sword Cultivator Genius Zhou Hao, the entire outer Sect was thrown into an uproar.

Everyone was speculating whether this Outer Sect Disciple, who had lingered in the Sect for fifty years only to remain at Qi Refining Level 3, had recently come across some great Opportunity or if he had been biding his time, silently waiting for the right moment to explode.

Many guessed that Lin Yue's choice to reveal himself now was related to the upcoming heaven-sent Opportunity.

As it turned out, there was a long-standing Legacy in the Qingyun Sect known as the azure essence dao fruit.

This Opportunity was said to originate from the Sect's Ancestral Master, Qing Yuanzi. Rumor had it that before Qing Yuanzi achieved his Dao, he opened a Secret Realm in the Sect's back mountain and used a strand of his own Origin Dao Rhyme to nourish a Dao Fruit Tree.

This tree bore fruit once every five hundred years, and the fruit took another five hundred years to ripen. Once the fruit matured, the Secret Realm would open on its own.

The azure essence dao fruit was only effective for Disciples in the Qi Refinement Stage. Not only could it cleanse the marrow and transform the Meridians, but it could also directly break through cultivation Bottlenecks and forge a Dao foundation. Disciples of past generations who managed to obtain an azure essence dao fruit were destined for extraordinary achievements.

Moreover, every time the Qingyuan Secret Realm opened, it only allowed a maximum of thirty Outer Sect Disciples in the Qi Refinement Stage to enter. Thus, every time the Dao fruit ripened, the competition was incredibly fierce.

Furthermore, the Secret Realm contained many low-level Yao Beasts and traps. Who the Dao fruit would eventually fall to depended entirely on the Disciples' cultivation methods and their Luck and Opportunity.

In the history of the Sect, there was no lack of Disciples who, in order to obtain the Opportunity of the azure essence dao fruit, would not hesitate to use various means to suppress their cultivation to avoid breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage.

There was once an Outer Sect Disciple who, to wait for the Opportunity of the azure essence dao fruit, forcibly suppressed his cultivation at the first level of Qi Refining for over a hundred years without breaking through. Finally, he made a stunning debut at the Qingyuan Attainment Assembly, charged into the Secret Realm in one go, seized an azure essence dao fruit, forged an immortal Dao foundation, and eventually became a renowned and powerful expert of the Qingyun Sect.

And it just so happened that exactly one thousand years had passed since the last Qingyuan Attainment Assembly.

Everyone speculated whether Lin Yue, who had cultivated in the Sect for over fifty years and was only at Qi Refining Level 3, was intending to follow the example of that Senior expert in the Qingyun Sect's history—deliberately suppressing his cultivation while waiting for the Opportunity of the azure essence dao fruit.

As the discussions spread, the theories became increasingly bizarre. Everyone felt that he either possessed hidden great abilities or had obtained some special Legacy, preparing long ago to fight for the azure essence dao fruit.

But hearing these rumors, Lin Yue could only give a helpless, bitter smile.

He knew perfectly well in his heart that if he hadn't unexpectedly obtained the System, his Lifespan would have long since been exhausted. Even if he had luckily lived until the opening of the Qingyuan Secret Realm, with his previous strength, he wouldn't have been qualified to compete for that Opportunity at all.

However, if the Opportunity for Qingyuan Attainment truly was coming, with his current strength, he might actually be able to go and fight for it.

A He possessed the Azure Vine Mysterious Water Spiritual Root and was born with an affinity for healing, possessing the ability to treat injuries and restore status beyond anyone else—she was absolutely a top-tier 'healer.' Su Qingyuan possessed the peerless Innate Sword Body, her sword path sharp and matchless, sweeping away all who stood in her way; she was the perfect choice for sniping opponents. As for the seemingly delicate and frail Luo Ningshuang, she had directly transformed herself into a poison-meridian constitution; with various toxins used by her hand, they were impossible to trace, leaving enemies dead without knowing how.

As for Lin Yue himself, possessing the Hundred Meridians Unblocked and Ten Thousand Jun Force, his physique was incredibly tough. He could learn through analogy and Cultivate techniques from various schools, making him almost like an unkillable cockroach—an offensive kaleidoscope. Whether it was physical or magical attacks, he could dish out output that could be described as berserk.

If he took one more wife—an expert specialized in sealing techniques—he could definitely create a top-tier, highly competitive team to secure a place in the struggle for the Qingyuan Attainment Secret Realm.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel his blood boil. A certain part of his body also started to stir, causing his desires to sprout as he thought of the always slightly bashful, pure, and cute A He...

“Husband, it’s time for the meal. Sister has refined some more Medicinal Pills for you!” Just then, A He’s sweet voice rang out. She came in carrying a tray of spiritual food and several pills. The spiritual food was cooked by A He to nourish the physique, while the pills were specially refined for him by Luo Ningshuang to warm the body and nourish the Origin.

“Oh!” Hearing this, Lin Yue quickly composed himself and sat upright.

A He carried the jade tray to the table, her slender fingers lightly pinching the rim. Her cheeks were tinged with a faint pink glow, like peach blossoms touched by morning dew.

She placed the jade tray in front of Lin Yue, her voice soft as if soaked in spiritual honey: “Husband, Sister said you’ve been fighting people consecutively these days and have to ponder matters regarding the Qingyuan Secret Realm. You’ve been working day and night, and your energy has been heavily depleted. She specifically had me prepare some warming spiritual food and refined some pills, saying they are suitable for gentle nourishment to lock the yang, stabilize the spirit, and nourish the physique.”

“This is rice steamed with Jade Dew Spirit Rice. I specifically added Snow Lotus Seeds gathered from the back mountain. It’s sweet to the taste and can supplement Qi and blood. Next to it is a bowl of clear-stewed Cloud Mushroom Beast leg. The meat of the Cloud Mushroom Beast is naturally mild. I stewed it for three hours to infuse all the medicinal properties into the soup; it’s not greasy to drink and can nourish the spleen and stomach.”

As she spoke, she took a snowy-white porcelain bottle from the tray and poured out three round pills. The pills glinted with a faint golden light and were wrapped in a lingering medicinal fragrance. “This is the Essence Condensing Yang-Stabilizing Pill refined by Sister. She stayed up for two whole nights to finish it. She said it contains Yang-Locking Grass and Warming Origin Flowers. If Husband takes it, it can stabilize your essence, energy, and spirit, and also nourish your Meridians, perfectly replenishing the strength you exhausted before.”