Chapter 4: Blood Ape

Lin Ye's divine sense entered the boundless sea of blood.

Inside his body, the Nine Revolutions Asura Technique began to circulate. With each cycle, a wisp of blood energy from the sea was drawn into him.

"Only by refining this endless blood sea can I reveal what's recorded beneath the Blood Peak. To do that, my cultivation realm must keep rising."

Even with the power he possessed at the Void Ruins Realm in his previous life, it paled in comparison to the sheer might of this blood sea.

It was clear—though Lin Ye had once stood at the pinnacle of cultivation, it was still far from the end.

For now, he buried the hatred for Lu Jue deep within his heart. Vengeance would come one day, but at this moment, Lin Ye was more intrigued by the mysteries of the Blood Peak.

He swallowed two Wind Spirit Heart-Refining Pills, and his qi sea surged violently!

The potent medicinal power spread rapidly.

In an instant, his qi sea expanded twofold.

Qi Sea Stage Two!

Just one day after breaking through, Lin Ye's strength rose once again.

As his cultivation advanced, the Blood Peak within his divine sense began to rise slightly—by about an inch!

"Keep going!"

Seeing movement in the Blood Peak spurred Lin Ye to cultivate even harder. He drew the blood fiend energy from the vast blood sea and integrated it into his qi sea.

After a night of focused cultivation, he had stabilized at the peak of Qi Sea Stage Two.

"Too slow. I need more pills!"

Lin Ye stepped out of the cave.

Nearby, Liu Qingyu was in the midst of a critical breakthrough. She had also taken the Wind Spirit Heart-Refining Pill, and the effects were impressive. Her aura had already reached the peak of Spirit Spring Stage Eight, and she was charging toward Stage Nine.

Lin Ye gave her a glance and then turned to leave—he wasn't her bodyguard, and he certainly wasn't going to stand watch while she broke through.

If Liu Qingyu got eaten by a beast during her advancement, he'd at most feel a little regret. His own cultivation came first.

Focused and unwavering, Lin Ye arrived at the Frenzied Crocodile Pool.

Chilly winds howled around him.

Traces of blood from yesterday still stained the ground.

Just as he stopped, two figures stepped into his path—they had clearly arrived before him.

"Earthcrack Sect business. Scram."

One of them, a cold-looking youth clutching a curved saber, cast a disdainful look at Lin Ye, noting the core disciple robes of the Wind Thunder Profound Sect.

He itched to test himself against Lin Ye, but for now, he had business to take care of.

From memory, Lin Ye recognized them as core disciples of the Earthcrack Sect.

After sensing their auras, he confirmed they weren't the ones who had ambushed him yesterday.

But telling him to scram?

Heh.

Lin Ye reached out—his hand grasped the Coldiron Sword. Instantly, a chill radiated out, biting to the bone.

The other disciple, a burly man built like a small mountain, saw the sword drawn and immediately took off the heavy shield strapped to his back.

In his left hand, he wielded a Mountain-Breaking Axe. With a roar, he charged at Lin Ye, shield in front, exuding a fierce sense of pressure.

The cold-eyed youth followed right behind him, stepping in sync.

A coordinated attack. These two clearly weren't like the brainless Earthcrack disciples from before—they knew how to work together.

Lin Ye responded by slashing forward with his sword.

Clang!

The sword clashed against the heavy shield. The burly man's cultivation erupted with force, and the shield's quality proved strong enough to block the blow.

Qi Sea Stage Seven!

This guy was at Qi Sea Stage Seven.

Just as their weapons clashed, the cold-eyed youth leapt into the air, using his partner's shoulder as a springboard. Mid-air, he unsheathed his saber.

"Falling Wild Goose Strike!"

His momentum surged like a wild goose diving through the sky. His force was overwhelming.

His qi burst forth.

Qi Sea Stage Eight!

Boom!

His saber slammed into the ground, tearing a trench ten meters long.

"He dodged?!"

The cold-eyed youth was stunned. There was no way that attack should have missed—Lin Ye's cultivation shouldn't have allowed him to dodge.

Suddenly, a surge of aura exploded behind him.

His body froze—he felt like he was shackled in place.

Heaven-Piercing Finger!

Lin Ye's finger jabbed into the youth's back.

Boom!

His chest exploded.

The youth spat a mouthful of blood and fragments of his internal organs.

"A profound-rank martial skill..."

A trace of unwillingness flashed in his eyes before he collapsed to the ground.

His talent had been good—but he shouldn't have acted arrogant in front of Lin Ye.

Seeing his companion fall, the burly disciple was shocked—but fury quickly overwhelmed his fear.

"Shield Slam!"

He charged with his shield like a rampaging beast, trying to flatten Lin Ye.

But Lin Ye wasn't dumb enough to face him head-on.

His footwork activated, and his form blurred like a ghost. The big man tried to keep up, changing positions rapidly—but he was slowing down.

That massive shield was custom-made and incredibly heavy.

All Lin Ye needed was a single opening.

Whoosh!

No fancy moves—just a direct stab.

Straight through the throat!

Thud!

The man dropped to his knees. His shield slammed into the ground. Clutching the gaping hole in his neck, he collapsed in a pool of blood.

Lin Ye took both their storage rings. At this stage, resources were absolutely crucial. Scanning them with his divine sense, he found that both men were quite wealthy—likely high-status disciples within the Earthcrack Sect.

Boom!

The stench of blood attracted the Frenzied Cold Pool Crocodile.

After yesterday's feast, it seemed it was ready for another round.

"Two groups already came for you... Seems you're hiding quite the secret."

The Coldiron Sword trembled, letting out a piercing hum.

In his previous life, Lin Ye had studied many martial arts—but very few paired well with his Blood Fiend Profound Qi.

Martial skills were ranked Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Mortal—each divided into upper, middle, and lower grades.

The Wind Thunder Profound Sect had two high-grade Profound-rank skills.

Above Heaven rank was the Starbreaker level.

Lin Ye searched his memories and recalled a Starbreaker martial skill.

"Blood Massacre: Nine Slaughters!"

Gripping the sword's blade with his left hand, he made a shallow cut—blood streamed from his palm.

His Blood Fiend Profound Qi flowed along a precise path, connecting various meridian points, as a terrifying blood-red wave rose behind him.

The Frenzied Cold Pool Crocodile lunged at Lin Ye, jaws wide.

But Lin Ye unleashed his sword skill.

Nine blood-infused sword waves surged forward like a crimson tide, crashing against the beast.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The nine strikes struck down the beast, burying it under a barrage of blood energy.

The crocodile was torn to pieces by Lin Ye's sword.

Splurt!

Chunks of flesh flew in all directions.

Then—

Ding!

A crisp sound rang out—something had hit the ground.

Lin Ye quickly stepped forward to investigate.

Among the pile of gore, a simple-looking ring lay quietly.

"So this is what it was… No wonder so many people came to kill you."

He picked up the old ring. Though it looked plain, focusing on it revealed carved formations.

"Spirit-Gathering Ring."

It bore a spirit-gathering array, capable of tripling one's cultivation speed and greatly increasing spiritual energy concentration.

However, it could only sustain the effect for one hour per day, as activating the array consumed energy.

"All this bloodshed… for a broken little thing like this? Haven't they ever seen a ring before?"

Lin Ye shook his head.

Still, this Spirit-Gathering Ring would be useful in the early stages.

Channeling his qi, he cleansed the grime off the ring and slipped it onto his finger.

Instantly, spiritual energy began to gather around him.

He had just emptied his qi reserves with that sword strike—this was a perfect time to recover.

Before leaving, Lin Ye also took the beast crystal core from the creature's body. It was a high-grade Tier-2 core—quite useful for refining Tier-2 pills in the early stages. 

After Lin Ye left… 

Another team emerged from a distance, cautiously surveying the surroundings. 

"I heard the Frostlake Crocodile once swallowed a Spirit-Gathering Ring. If someone slays it, they might retrieve the ring. I wonder if anyone's beaten us to it." 

"That beast was at the peak of Tier-2. Among the disciples entering this time, none have reached the Earth Transformation Realm. But it's possible that elite disciples from other sects have teamed up." 

As they talked, the group continued moving forward. 

Judging by their attire, they were from another major sect within the Wind, Thunder, and Riverlands—the Heaven Axe Sect. 

Each of them carried three axes: a heavy battle axe slung over one shoulder and two smaller axes on their backs. Dressed in vine armor that resembled military gear, it didn't look flashy, but it offered excellent protection. 

"I heard Wang Tie, ranked second among the core disciples of the Earthflame Sect, and Chen Jun, who ranks first, can fight Earth Transformation experts when they team up. They've also entered the Dragonvoid Cave and likely reaped great rewards." 

"Wang Tie's heavy shield and Chen Jun's quick blade—both are top-tier fighters. Together, they're practically unstoppable." 

"Xu Ming from the Wind Thunder Profound Sect is no weakling either. His sword strikes are lightning-fast and treacherous. But even he wouldn't dare approach us head-on." 

All five were core disciples of the Heaven Axe Sect, each at the Qi Sea Realm. Working together, they could crush most opponents—even Wang Tie and Chen Jun would have to back off. 

"Senior Brother, there's a strong scent of blood up ahead." 

One of them spoke up, and the group immediately entered battle formation. 

"Hmm? What's that..." 

As the five approached, they spotted two corpses on the ground—one lay next to a heavy shield, the other still clutching a curved long blade. 

Their robes clearly identified them as members of the Earthflame Sect. 

"Hiss—what the hell... it's Wang Tie and Chen Jun!" 

"The top two core disciples of Earthflame Sect?!" 

"Both died in a single strike—no extra wounds. Whoever did this has terrifying strength!" 

After checking the bodies, the five felt chills down their spines. 

Could someone at the Earth Transformation Realm have snuck in? 

But the seal on the Dragonvoid Cave should prevent anyone at that level from entering, no matter how well disguised—unless someone broke through inside the cave. 

But very few core disciples from any sect were close to such a breakthrough. 

"Senior Brother... the Frostlake Crocodile..." 

The scout's voice trembled. 

"What? Is it attacking?" 

"No… it's been chopped to pieces..." 

"WHAT?!" 

Everyone rushed forward—and when they saw the mangled corpse of the Frostlake Crocodile, they were utterly shocked. 

"Who… who could've done this…" 

It was clear now: the two Earthflame elites and the Frostlake Crocodile had all been killed by the same person—and the crocodile had been slain cleanly, likely in a single blow! 

"If any of us encounter this person, do not provoke them." 

The lead disciple didn't doubt it for a second—even with all five of them combined, they wouldn't stand a chance. 

Too terrifying. 

—Outside the cave— 

Liu Qingyu's internal qi was surging wildly. After taking the pill Lin Ye had given her, the effect was even better than consuming ten Wind Spirit Fruits! 

She had directly broken through to the peak of the Spirit Spring Ninth Realm. 

Just one step away from the Qi Sea Realm! 

Reaching that would make her a core disciple. 

Her monthly cultivation resources, status within the sect, and access to restricted areas would all be drastically upgraded. Originally, with her talent, reaching this level would've taken a year. 

Yet Lin Ye's pill solved it in one go! 

Liu Qingyu opened her eyes, deeply shaken by the sudden boost in her cultivation. 

"Senior Brother Lin Ye is like a god!" 

Not even a Yuhua Pill could have delivered such a dramatic breakthrough. 

"…Wait, where is Senior Brother Lin Ye?" 

She looked around and realized he wasn't in the cave, looking confused. 

Just then, Lin Ye was walking back from the distance. 

"Senior Brother Lin Ye, where did you go?" 

Liu Qingyu quickly ran up to ask. 

"None of your business," Lin Ye replied flatly. 

Liu Qingyu had wanted to share the news of her breakthrough, but was met with his cold and distant demeanor. 

"Where's the exit?" Lin Ye asked. His memory was hazy, and he didn't want to waste time looking. Since someone was here to guide him, he'd use them. If not for that, he wouldn't have kept this burden around. 

"This way, Senior Brother Lin Ye," Liu Qingyu answered obediently. 

She already knew Lin Ye's aloof nature. He always had the air of a reclusive master. Of course, she'd forgotten how just yesterday she thought he was a madman who wasted resources. 

Lin Ye had taken a stroll earlier and found nothing too valuable inside the Dragonvoid Cave. Maybe there were treasures hidden deeper, but there wasn't time to search. 

Once he got out, he'd focus on refining pills and boosting his strength. He was especially curious about the belongings his original body's father had left behind. 

So many people wanted Lin Ye dead—it was clear those relics must be extraordinary. 

Liu Qingyu led the way ahead. Her newfound cultivation made her steps lighter. If she met those three Earthflame bastards again, she was confident she could kill them all. 

As they passed by a cave, Liu Qingyu shivered. 

"So cold…" 

"Stop!" Lin Ye barked. Liu Qingyu immediately froze. 

From within the trees ahead, a heavy stench of blood filled the air—along with a powerful, hidden presence. 

Lin Ye's eyes locked onto a tombstone nearby. It bore no inscription, only a bloody handprint. The grave behind it had been dug up—whatever was inside had escaped. 

"What thick killing qi... Looks like there's a blood-evil treasure nearby!" 

Lin Ye could feel his Sea of Blood in his divine sense ripple faintly—it was reacting to something. 

Whoosh! 

Suddenly, a figure lunged out from the shadows—charging like a beast in ambush. 

Lin Ye kicked Liu Qingyu to the ground. She yelped and hit the dirt. 

Clang! 

Lin Ye raised his Coldiron Sword just in time. The attacker's claws clashed with the blade, sending sparks flying from the impact. 

The creature twisted midair, aiming a powerful double kick at Lin Ye. But Lin Ye's battle instinct was razor sharp—he stepped forward mid-flip and launched a palm strike. 

"Luosheng Palm!" 

A mysterious force gathered in his hand. Before the opponent's kick connected, Lin Ye's palm landed with crushing force, sending the creature flying. 

Still, the blow had left Lin Ye slightly shaken too. 

"Earth Transformation Realm?" he muttered. 

The creature, unharmed, wrapped itself around a tree, its crimson eyes locked on Lin Ye. Fangs bared, its killing intent surged. 

Only then did Lin Ye notice the red gemstone bone necklace on the creature's neck—that was what had stirred the Sea of Blood! 

"Ah… it—it's the Blood Ape!" Liu Qingyu gasped, looking up from the ground at the feral creature. 

It was the Blood Ape—one of the most feared killers in the Dragonvoid Cave. 

Tier-3. Earth Transformation Realm. 

No one had ever survived an encounter with it—except for one senior who escaped, only to become a mentally broken cripple afterward. 

Liu Qingyu felt a crushing pressure from the creature—an overwhelming sense of death blanketed her. Her face went pale. 

But the next second— 

Lin Ye lunged forward like a bolt of lightning, charging straight at the Blood Ape.