"Whoa! What's with the tears?"
Ye Junlin blinked in confusion before reaching out to pat Hong Qianye's shoulder. "It's fine. If it tastes good, eat as much as you want."
Poor guy... how long has it been since he last had meat?
Hong Qianye's emotions surged. Born into poverty, he'd often gone hungry as a child, dreaming of even a bite of meat. Later, he stepped onto the brutal path of cultivation—fighting, clawing, doing whatever it took to steal resources—eventually becoming a ruthless force within the Demonic Path.
And now, with one bite of a simple yet savory skewer, old memories came flooding back. His journey—the blood, the sacrifice, the hunger—rose up in his chest.
Yeah...
If cultivation means becoming some lifeless statue who can't even enjoy the simplest pleasures of mortal life, then what's the point?
The thought struck like a bolt of lightning.
Boom!
His cultivation stirred violently—Nascent Soul initial stage, mid-stage, late-stage, peak... and then perfection.
And still it didn't stop.
He broke through!
A terrifying aura burst from him in an instant.
Early Transformation stage—achieved!
Fortunately, the Mysterious Peak's protective formation kicked in just in time, concealing the energy fluctuation and preventing a panic in the Xuantian Sect.
"Damn… is that even possible?" Ye Junlin muttered, stunned. But thinking about it, it made sense. This guy had once been a True Immortal. Now that he was retracing his path and fixing old flaws, such a leap wasn't unreasonable.
Hong Qianye had officially stepped into the Transformation stage.
His gaze flickered with emotion, but he quickly reined it in. After everything he'd been through, he wouldn't let one breakthrough make him arrogant.
He still had a long road ahead.
Ye Junlin grinned and slapped him on the back. "Little Hong, congrats on the breakthrough. I'm genuinely happy for you. At this rate, you're almost catching up to your master."
Hong Qianye's Danfeng eyes narrowed slightly, a cold light flickering within.
With his newfound cultivation and the devastating Three Thousand Flame Sutra, his strength was no joke.
He was confident. Even if he wasn't invincible, he could now stand toe-to-toe with the top experts of his generation.
Maybe it's time to act...
Just as the thought formed, Ye Junlin's voice cut in.
"What are you spacing out for? Eat."
Ye Junlin handed him another skewer.
Hong Qianye paused, then silently took it. He lowered his head and ate, while his mind ran in circles.
---
After the meal—
Ye Junlin pulled out a toothpick and popped it between his lips. "Little Hong, come give your master a shoulder massage."
Hong Qianye smirked faintly, then stepped behind him. His pale hands reached out and began kneading Ye Junlin's shoulders.
"C'mon, put some effort into it. Yeah, right there… that's the spot."
Ye Junlin let out a satisfied sigh and leaned back, completely relaxed.
Meanwhile, Hong Qianye's expression twisted ever so slightly. His hands hovered at times—tense, hesitant... as if he might suddenly go for Ye Junlin's throat.
He hated being bound to others. The only reason he agreed to become Ye Junlin's disciple was necessity. What he truly wanted was to uncover the secrets behind Ye Junlin's strange techniques and rare pills.
If I take him down, I'll get my answers. Then I can walk away from this whole master-disciple farce.
But even so...
Hong Qianye couldn't kill him.
Even as a demonic cultivator, he couldn't forget that Ye Junlin had saved his life. At most, he'd erase the man's memories and leave the sect for good.
Behind him, Ye Junlin remained relaxed, seemingly unaware of the danger.
"Ye! Just because you're in the Transformation stage doesn't mean you can control me!"
"This master-disciple act ends here!"
Hong Qianye's expression hardened. His tone turned cold, and he braced to strike.
But before he could act—
Whoosh!
A sword light streaked through the air, carrying a glowing sound transmission.
The light landed beside the Mysterious Peak, and the voice of Xuyonian, the sect master, echoed from it:
"Ye, come to the Discussion Hall immediately. A situation has come up."
"Huh?"
Ye Junlin opened his eyes, stretched, and cracked his neck. "Guess I've got business to handle."
His sudden departure threw off Hong Qianye's momentum.
He still had time to strike—but something inside screamed at him not to.
Years of experience walking the edge between life and death warned him: Act now, and you'll regret it.
Ye Junlin looked wide open, but a deep sense of danger gripped Hong Qianye's heart.
Does he have a hidden trump card?
He hesitated.
"Little Hong, I'm heading out."
"That massage was great—give my legs a go when I'm back."
Ye Junlin waved lazily and soared into the sky, vanishing into the distance.
Hong Qianye's expression twisted.
That bastard really thinks I'm his servant?!
He clenched his fists, fuming.
I should've just strangled him earlier!
Midair, Ye Junlin's silver hair danced in the wind. A teasing smile curled on his lips.
Of course I knew he was planning something.
Everything was under control from the start.
His Great Void Technique had long since reached mastery. If danger had struck, he could've escaped instantly—and returned with overwhelming force.
That's why he'd stayed calm the entire time.
---
At the Discussion Hall, Xuyonian and several Peak Masters were already deep in conversation.
When the silver-haired youth entered, Xuyonian greeted him warmly. "Ye, you're here."
Xuyonian now stood at the Nascent Soul stage, his aura refined, with arcs of lightning occasionally flashing in his eyes.
He owed Ye Junlin a great deal—not only had he reshaped the fate of the Xuantian Sect, but he'd also gifted him a rare heavenly-level lightning technique, massively improving his mastery of the lightning arts.
"Ye!"
The Cangjian Peak Master and others smiled at him.
Their cultivations had also advanced rapidly and now hovered on the edge of the Nascent Soul stage. With better techniques and guidance, their strength had grown, and their respect for Ye Junlin had deepened.
"Did something happen to the sect?" Ye Junlin asked.
Xuyonian's tone darkened.
"A few years ago, we received a distress call from the Wei Kingdom—a nation under our protection. Strange things are happening. Civilians are turning up dead, their bodies completely drained of blood. At first, we suspected monsters."
"I sent disciples to investigate. None returned. And since then, the incidents have worsened—entire cities of over a hundred thousand people have become ghost towns."
"Now, neighboring nations are suffering the same fate. It's spreading toward the Arid Province. Every victim dies the same way."
"If this continues, the entire province will fall into chaos. Worse still, our recruitment grounds will vanish. Without fresh blood, the sect's future is doomed."
Ye Junlin frowned. "Sounds… unnatural. No clues?"
Xuyonian shook his head grimly. "If anyone saw anything… they're all dead now—left as dried husks."
For any cultivation sect, mortal kingdoms were the foundation. Without new talent each year, decline was inevitable.
Xuyonian knew this better than anyone.
Two hundred years ago, he'd been just a village boy. One encounter with a passing elder from the Xuantian Sect had changed his fate forever.
Ye Junlin thought for a moment. "Since it started in the Wei Kingdom and is worst there, that's our starting point."
From what he remembered, the Wei Kingdom, also known as the Great Wei Dynasty, had a population of over 80 million. It was one of hundreds of similar kingdoms across the Arid Province.
If this mysterious plague kept spreading, the entire province could become a graveyard.
Just then, a mechanical chime rang out in Ye Junlin's mind.
[Ding! Mission triggered: Travel to the Wei Kingdom and uncover the source of the crisis. Completion will yield unimaginable rewards!]
---