Chapter 44: The Path to Strength

Lin Yun sat cross-legged inside a secluded cave, his wounds aching as he circulated his Qi. The battle against Bai Ziyan had exposed a painful truth—his current strength, though impressive for his realm, was still far from enough.

His mind replayed the fight over and over, analyzing every moment, every flaw. **Speed, reaction time, power—Bai Ziyan surpassed him in all of them.** If it had been a life-and-death battle, Lin Yun would not have survived.

But he had something Bai Ziyan did not expect—**the will to surpass limits.**

He exhaled slowly and refocused his breathing. He needed to break through.

**Body Refining Realm: Ninth Stage.**

He was at the peak, but the next step—**Qi Gathering Realm**—was a bottleneck. It wasn't just about accumulating Qi; he needed a qualitative transformation of his meridians, his body, and his internal circulation.

He reached into his storage pouch and pulled out a small jade bottle. Inside were three **Qi Tempering Pills**, valuable resources meant to aid in breaking into the Qi Gathering Realm. These pills strengthened the meridians, allowing for a smoother breakthrough.

**But he needed more than just pills.**

He clenched his fist. **Techniques.** He had relied on his mastery of martial arts to compensate for his lack of raw strength, but against a true genius, that wasn't enough. He needed to refine his techniques further.

**He needed to evolve.**

---

As the night stretched on, Lin Yun immersed himself in cultivation, his body absorbing the medicinal effects of the pills. His meridians began to shift, refining his Qi further, pushing him closer to the next realm.

Then, just as dawn was breaking, a loud **boom** echoed through the mountains.

Lin Yun's eyes snapped open.

**An explosion?**

He quickly leaped from the cave and dashed toward the source of the disturbance. The closer he got, the heavier the air became. Someone was fighting.

And when he reached the scene, his eyes widened.

Two warriors were engaged in a fierce battle. One was a tall, imposing man dressed in a blood-red robe, his fists coated in fire-like Qi. The other was an elder, his silver hair flowing behind him as he wielded a **strange jade scroll** in his hands.

Lin Yun crouched behind a rock, watching carefully.

The elder's expression was grim as he defended himself. "You are insane! Killing me won't grant you entry into the secret realm!"

The red-robed man smirked. "No, but taking that scroll from you will!"

Lin Yun's heart pounded. **Secret realm?**

The elder suddenly launched a desperate counterattack, sending a wave of Qi toward his opponent. The red-robed man sneered and met the attack head-on. A powerful clash erupted, and dust filled the air.

When the dust settled, the elder had collapsed, and the red-robed man stood victorious, the jade scroll in his hands.

Lin Yun instinctively held his breath. If he made any noise now, he would be killed without hesitation.

But just as the red-robed man turned to leave, he suddenly froze.

Then, without warning, he **threw the jade scroll into the air.**

Lin Yun barely had time to react before the scroll shot toward him, spinning wildly. It landed just a few feet away.

The red-robed man's expression darkened as he turned toward Lin Yun's hiding place.

"You might as well come out," he said coldly. "That scroll belongs to me."

Lin Yun gritted his teeth. **He had been discovered.**

Stepping out from behind the rock, he met the man's piercing gaze. He knew he was no match for this warrior—**a Qi Gathering Realm expert at the very least.** But if he ran now, he would only die tired.

The red-robed man's eyes gleamed with amusement. "You're not even in the Qi Gathering Realm yet? Interesting. Hand over the scroll, and I'll consider letting you live."

Lin Yun glanced at the jade scroll on the ground. If it was related to the **secret realm**, then it was a treasure of unimaginable value. He couldn't just give it up.

But against such an opponent…

He had only one choice.

Lin Yun **grabbed the scroll** and ran.

The red-robed man's face twisted with anger. "Foolish boy!"

A powerful **wave of Qi** blasted toward Lin Yun, shaking the ground as it chased after him. Lin Yun gritted his teeth, using every ounce of his footwork technique to evade. He leaped over boulders, dashed through narrow gaps, and **barely** avoided each strike.

But the gap between their strength was too large.

As Lin Yun tried to escape, the man **suddenly appeared before him**, blocking his path.

"Enough games," he said, raising his hand for a killing blow.

Lin Yun's mind raced. **Think, think, think!**

And then—

A **blinding blue light** erupted from the jade scroll in his hands.

The red-robed man's eyes widened. "What?!"

Before either of them could react, a powerful force engulfed Lin Yun, and in the next instant—

He vanished.