Teng Huayuan never imagined that his grandson would offend Lin Che. This was completely beyond his expectations.
Teng Li stared at his grandfather, who was kneeling before Lin Che, utterly confused. Yet, he still shouted viciously, "Grandpa, why are you kneeling to this guy? You're a Nascent Soul stage cultivator! Just slap him to death!"
"Shut up!"
Teng Huayuan was furious. He slapped Teng Li hard across the face, then kowtowed repeatedly to Lin Che and begged bitterly, "Senior, I beg you to spare Li'er for the sake of the Teng family's loyalty to you."
But Lin Che remained unmoved. He only gave Teng Huayuan a choice.
"Teng Huayuan, there are many cultivation sects in the Country of Zhao—around thirty. Of them, at least ten have Nascent Soul cultivators. Your Teng family is not the only one that had gained a foothold here in Zhao. You should understand what I mean by this."
Teng Huayuan suddenly looked up, his heart filled with dread. He had clearly understood the hidden meaning in Senior Lin Che's words.
Either he kills his own grandson now, or the entire Teng family would be wiped out from Zhao Country.
Trembling, Teng Huayuan clenched his fists, his eyes red with grief. Still, he begged again, "Senior, Li'er is a rare genius in my Teng family. Could you spare him in exchange for the lives of others in the clan?"
Lin Che frowned, glanced at Teng Huayuan, and said coldly, "You talk too much."
Teng Huayuan stood up slowly and walked toward Teng Li. His voice was hollow. "I'm sorry, Li'er. For the Teng family's future, I have no choice but to sacrifice you."
"Grandpa, why?! Who is this guy? Why are you listening to him?! I'm your most beloved grandson!"
"He is a cultivator from Heng Yue Sect. A hundred years ago, he was hailed as the most gifted prodigy on Planet Suzaku. In just a hundred years, he broke through to the Soul Transformation stage. Even if every disciple in the Teng family fought together, none of them could match him."
"Soul Transformation stage?!"
Teng Li's eyes widened in disbelief. His fingers trembled as he pointed toward Lin Che. "No... that's impossible. He's only a hundred years old! How could he reach the Soul Transformation stage?! That's impossible!"
"Don't blame me, Li'er. There is no age on the road to the underworld. Your grandfather will personally send you off—it's a worthy end to your cultivation."
Teng Huayuan appeared in front of Teng Li in an instant. With his Nascent Soul cultivation, he struck down with his palm, pinning Teng Li's limbs. With a dull thud, Teng Li fell to the ground—lifeless.
Though his heart bled at his grandson's death, Teng Huayuan knew this sacrifice was necessary. Only by doing this could the Teng family's legacy survive the coming century.
Lin Che turned away without emotion, flicking his fingers. Teng Huayuan's storage ring opened, and all treasures offered by major sects were drawn into it. Then, holding Li Muwan's hand, he vanished on the spot.
Teng Huayuan stared at the direction Lin Che left, exhaling a heavy breath. Covered in sweat, he ordered men to collect Li'er's corpse. Perhaps this was their fate.
"Ancestor, what do we do now?"
A Teng family cultivator walked up carefully. Everyone had seen what happened. Had Teng Li not been killed, their entire clan would have been slaughtered.
"Gather all the Nascent Soul artifacts... offer them to Heng Yue Sect."
Teng Huayuan smiled bitterly and ordered the clan to bring out every high-level item they owned, hoping to win Lin Che's favor.
He understood—breaking through to the Diety Transformation stage was extraordinarily difficult. Without guidance from someone powerful, it could take a lifetime. This opportunity could not be missed.
Even his beloved grandson couldn't stop his pursuit to reach Diety Transformation realm.
Teng Huayuan looked at Teng Li's body and murmured, "Li'er, don't hate your grandfather. If you must blame something, blame this cruel world. This... is how the world of cultivation works."
"In your next life, I hope you are born into a good family."
---
After leaving Teng Jia City, Lin Che and didn't linger and returned directly to Heng Yue Sect.
Li Muwan wasn't surprised by Teng Li's death. In the cultivation world, power ruled all. Intrigue and betrayal were everyday matters.
Only those with great strength could survive. The weak could only become ants.
Lin Che sat quietly in his chair. He moved his fingers, and two orbs of blood essence flew into his forehead, merging into his Nascent Soul.
Though Core Formation cultivators could no longer affect his strength much, as the saying goes—even a small fly is still meat. Every bit adds up.
"The energy of Core Formation cultivators are too weak. To truly break through, I'll need to kill those above the Nascent Soul stage."
Clenching his fists, Lin Che felt the energy surging in his body, deep in thought.
It had been over a decade since his last breakthrough. For most, that was normal.
Each stage of cultivation was a major hurdle. Many were stuck at the same level for decades.
Especially after reaching the Soul Transformation stage, even advancing one sub-stage could take dozens of years. This was normal.
Thinking this, Lin Che slowly withdrew his hand and turned to look at Li Muwan, who was washing her jade feet beside the boat.
Her feet shimmered faintly beneath her silk robe, like dancing elves in the moonlight. Every movement was a delicate temptation.
The graceful lines of her soles were like a melody on flawless skin—utterly intoxicating.
Sensing his gaze, Li Muwan turned her head and met his eyes. Her pretty face turned bright red.
Lin Che moved his fingers slightly. A golden beam shot from his fingertip, scattering into light and lightning that wove into a formation, perfectly sealing the bamboo grove around them.
Unless one had a Soul Transformation-level cultivation, the barrier could not be broken by any external force.
"Brother, you know formations too?"
Li Muwan dried her feet, slipped on her shoes, and came over. Looking up at the powerful formation, she asked curiously.
"I know a little."
Lin Che replied, "Formations, alchemy... I studied them casually in my free time. Compared to true formation masters, I'm still lacking."