The next morning, the golden rooster crowed.
Lin Che, having finished his cultivation, slowly opened his eyes. At that moment, Li Muwan was already awake and refining pills in the next room.
For someone as devoted to alchemy as her, crafting the finest pills meant more than anything else.
Not wanting to disturb her, Lin Che made his way to the inner courtyard of the Heng Yue Sect to see if Wang Lin was still around.
The Heng Yue Sect was divided into five sub-courtyards—Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—each housing disciples based on their attribute. The main courtyard was home to the elders and inner disciples.
Wang Lin resided in the inner courtyard, where disciples capable of practicing techniques lived. But before they could cultivate, they had to complete tasks assigned by the sect each day.
When Lin Che arrived, he didn't see Wang Lin—but instead, saw a corpse being carried out of a room.
"What happened?"
Lin Che descended gracefully and asked the elder of the Law Enforcement Hall with a calm voice.
This elder had met Lin Che before. Hearing his question, he quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said respectfully, "Reporting to Senior, this is Sun Dazhu, a Foundation Establishment cultivator of our Heng Yue Sect."
"Sun Dazhu?"
Lin Che recalled the figure. According to the original plot, Sun Dazhu was an inner sect deacon of the Heng Yue Sect, with an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation.
But he had coveted Wang Lin's Heavenly Defying Bead, and Wang Lin had eventually controlled him with the Three Corpse Nematode Grass. In the end, Sun Dazhu was slapped to death by Wang Lin in his own room.
The elder continued, "Our investigation suggests the suspect is a disciple who claimed to be Wang Lin. We're tracking him and expect news soon."
Upon hearing that Wang Lin had already left the sect, Lin Che furrowed his brows slightly. Even though the Heng Yue Sect still stood in the Country of Zhao, Wang Lin still ended up killing Sun Dazhu. Next, he would likely meet Zhang Hu and go after Teng Li, the grandson of Teng Huayuan.
"It is indeed a cycle of cause and effect."
Lin Che waved his hand and said coldly, "No need to investigate further. Sun Dazhu brought this on himself. Do not go after Wang Lin."
"This…"
The elder hesitated, but after seeing Lin Che's cold expression, he quickly relented.
"Understood. I will obey."
Lin Che placed one hand behind his back, stared at Sun Dazhu's body, and murmured, "So even if the Heng Yue Sect still exists, Wang Lin will kill Sun Dazhu regardless."
At first, Lin Che had assumed that Wang Lin wouldn't leave the sect if it remained intact—thus preventing the Teng family massacre. But clearly, he had been wrong.
With that, he turned back and returned to the bamboo forest to continue his cultivation. After all, Wang Lin would remain nearby and, four years later, head to Teng Jia City where the main storyline would unfold.
---
Two months passed swiftly.
While cultivating deep in the bamboo forest, Lin Che caught the strong fragrance of an elixir.
Nearby, Li Muwan ran over joyfully with a golden pill in hand. "Brother! I successfully refined a third-grade pill!"
Lin Che took the pill and praised, "You're truly a rare alchemy genius. You just became a third-grade alchemist, yet managed to remove all impurities. Your future has no limits."
Li Muwan smiled brightly. "Brother, someday come with me back to Luohe Sect. There's a third-grade Tianli Pill there. If you can help me get it, I can reach the Core Formation stage directly after consuming it."
"Tianli Pill…"
This pill wasn't ordinary. In many eyes, it was more precious than magical artifacts.
It greatly increased the user's chances of entering the Core Formation stage. Many lacked the talent to break through, but with the Tianli Pill, the odds were different.
If only he'd had such a pill back during his Core Formation stage, he wouldn't have been sucked into a space rift and transported to the desolate Land of the Ancient God.
"Wan'er, come with me to Teng Jia City."
"Teng Jia City?" Li Muwan tilted her head. "Why are we going there, Senior Brother?"
"The resources from the major sects have been handed to Teng Huayuan, the ancestor of the Teng Clan. We're going to retrieve them. There's something else too."
Before Li Muwan could ask more, Lin Che grabbed her wrist—and in an instant, they reappeared tens of thousands of miles away.
Once he reached the Ascendant Realm, teleporting a hundred thousand miles would be simple—crossing the entire Zhao Country with ease.
Teng Jia City was a famous cultivation family in the northern region of Zhao Country. Its ancestor, Teng Huayuan, had just reached the Nascent Soul stage.
Because of this, he hadn't joined the Extraterritorial Battlefield and thus remained alive.
To maintain control, Teng Huayuan had ordered that no one in Teng Jia City was allowed to fight.
After this rule, the entire city turned somber. Many cultivators were dissatisfied—but those who protested were killed on the spot by Teng Huayuan. Since then, no one dared to act out.
Li Muwan walked beside Lin Che, curiously admiring the shops along the street. She was amazed that a Nascent Soul cultivator could maintain such strict control over so many.
"Brother, with your cultivation, why are we still walking? Can't we just fly on swords?"
Li Muwan asked with curiosity.
"It's been so long since I walked through a city like this. I haven't felt this kind of liveliness for a hundred years."
Lin Che's tone held a hint of nostalgia.
Looking at the lively scene before him, he sighed deeply. He had lived in this world for over a century, and the only joyful time was before he turned thirteen.
Looking back at the long journey, he had been left with no choice but to kill.
"I see. Then Wan'er will stroll with you in Teng Jia City. I also want to buy some hairpins~"
Li Muwan naturally held Lin Che's hand and walked toward the nearby stalls, picking up everything she liked. She also bought many rare herbs for her next alchemy session.
After walking for a while, a five-story building appeared ahead—one of the tallest structures in Teng Jia City.
Its first impression: elegance.
The design was simplistic but graceful. Three bold words adorned the sign: Xuan Dan Pavilion.
It was clearly a place dedicated to selling pills and alchemical materials to cultivators.