Chapter 5：Core disciple Zhang Wenxu

Seeing Lin Ye charging in, the Blood Ape let out a low roar, spewing out a wave of bloody mist from its mouth. It stomped its legs and lunged straight at Lin Ye.

To its surprise, Lin Ye's figure suddenly blurred as he darted to the side, clearly baiting the Blood Ape into making a move.

The Blood Ape swiped with its sharp claws, smashing a tree trunk to pieces, then continued attacking Lin Ye relentlessly. Yet Lin Ye did not counterattack—instead, he kept dodging.

Finally, the Blood Ape slashed at Lin Ye again, but as Lin Ye dodged, a large rock was revealed behind him.

Bang!

The Blood Ape's claw slammed into the rock.

Due to the immense force, it couldn't pull its claw out for a moment. Right then, Lin Ye struck.

"Bloodslaughter Nine Slashes!"

A Starbreaking-level sword technique!

A level surpassing even Heaven-grade.

Although Lin Ye couldn't yet unleash the full power of the move, it was more than enough to handle the current situation.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Nine sword auras blasted continuously into the Blood Ape's body.

Its arms were severed, and it was sent flying, but unlike the Frenzied Alligator from the cold pool earlier, it didn't explode. Instead, several deep, shocking wounds were carved into its flesh by the sword aura.

Though still intact, the beast was now heavily wounded and immobilized.

Lin Ye rushed forward, and while the Blood Ape was gravely injured, he struck again—one sword slash severed its neck.

A head rolled to the ground.

At the same time, a trace of blood energy was drawn in by Lin Ye's spiritual sense and absorbed into the Blood Sea.

Standing within the Blood Sea, Lin Ye calmly picked up the blood gem attached to a bone necklace.

"Such a strong scent of blood…"

Lin Ye wasn't sure where this blood gem came from, but the endless Blood Sea responded with great urgency. He sent the gem into the Blood Sea through his spiritual sense.

As soon as the blood gem dropped into the sea—

The Blood Sea surged violently. Soon, several strands of blood energy flowed into Lin Ye's body.

"This Blood Sea… can actually increase my cultivation like this!?"

As the Blood Sea's power surged into him, Lin Ye felt his own Qi Sea expand—

It grew fourfold instantly!

Qi Sea Stage Four.

Lin Ye realized he had found another way to cultivate the Nine Revolutions Asura Technique. Besides training step by step, there was now a method to accelerate absorption of the Blood Sea's power.

He was secretly delighted.

"With this method, I can avenge myself even faster!"

In the distance, Liu Qingyu stared wide-eyed at Lin Ye and the dead Blood Ape lying at his feet.

The Blood Ape's strength, speed, and terrifying defenses were unmatched. Normal blades couldn't even scratch it.

But now, Senior Brother Lin Ye had killed it with ease and emerged unscathed. Liu Qingyu felt like she was in a dream—was this even real? When had Senior Brother Lin Ye become this strong?

Yet the pungent smell of blood in the air reminded her: it was real.

Senior Brother Lin Ye really was this powerful.

"Lin… Lin Ye senior brother… are you alright?"

Liu Qingyu stepped out from the bushes. Earlier, Lin Ye had kicked her away to save her life, but it still hurt.

"I'm fine. Let's go."

Lin Ye sheathed his Coldiron Sword and spoke. The sword's material was extraordinary—it could withstand a Starbreaking-level technique and pierce a fifth-rank beast's skull. It was definitely a treasure.

Just… leave?

Slaying the Blood Ape was an unprecedented feat. And all he said was "let's go"?

Liu Qingyu hurried after him. As they passed through the forest ahead, she suddenly spotted over twenty mangled corpses—broken limbs scattered about, blood flowing everywhere. Pieces of shattered blades soaked in pools of blood.

Clearly, these people had all fallen to the Blood Ape.

The sight made Liu Qingyu's face go pale. Her legs trembled, but Lin Ye walked past the grisly scene with calm composure, as if it were nothing.

The way to the exit took time; the path twisted and turned, and Liu Qingyu led them the wrong way a few times, her face blushing with embarrassment.

On the way, Lin Ye also discovered many herbs. Since many died here each year and few disturbed the area, Dragon Void Cave had rich spiritual energy and nurtured numerous medicinal plants.

Most were grade one or two, with very few grade three.

As night fell, the two found a cave to rest. By now, they had reached the outer regions of Dragon Void Cave, where the dangers were much fewer.

Liu Qingyu, already used to standing guard outside, dutifully kept watch.

As Lin Ye ran the Nine Revolutions Asura Technique, power from the endless Blood Sea continuously flowed into his body.

After a night of cultivation, Lin Ye's insights deepened.

Morning.

Lin Ye and Liu Qingyu arrived at an open space in front of a cliff. A stone gate was embedded in the mountain wall.

At noon, elders from Wind and Thunder Mystic Sect would open this stone gate together. Each sect had its own entrance, leading to different routes.

"We'll have to wait until noon for the gate to open. This time, our Wind and Thunder Sect sent 500 inner disciples and over 20 core disciples. Who knows how many will survive…"

Liu Qingyu sighed. Had it not been for Lin Ye, her fate might have been tragic. He had saved her life and even brought her a great opportunity.

"Don't worry, senior brother. I'll never reveal what happened. I know you're a low-key person."

Liu Qingyu said smartly. She was the only one who knew the truth about Lin Ye's power. His reputation in the sect was one thing, but here in Dragon Void Cave, he had no reason to hide anymore.

"Mm."

Lin Ye nodded.

He sat down and started meditating.

As noon approached, more and more disciples arrived. Seeing Lin Ye and Liu Qingyu, many greeted them respectfully.

But all remained vigilant. The Wind and Thunder Sect was a world of its own—full of open rivalries and hidden schemes. If someone gained a great treasure, they'd keep it secret; otherwise, even if they survived the trial, they might not survive what came after.

Even the best of friends wouldn't share such secrets.

Lin Ye, wearing the core disciple's robe, was particularly eye-catching—among the trial participants, there were only around twenty core disciples.

The sect had nearly a thousand inner disciples, but only just over a hundred core disciples.

This time, sending over twenty was a major force.

"Did you hear? Chen Jun and Wang Tie, the top two core disciples from Earthfire Sect, are dead."

"Seriously? That's amazing! Those two killed so many of our brothers."

"Someone said their bodies were found at Frenzied Alligator Pool. Earthfire Sect must be going crazy."

"Of course they are…"

As more people arrived, chatter broke out.

Only eight core disciples returned—more than half had died. Four out of every ten inner disciples had perished. Around 300 returned, many wounded.

Survival itself was a feat.

Lin Ye's gaze swept across the other seven core disciples.

He quickly assessed their strength and cultivation—and found them all lacking.

"Interesting…"

He then looked toward the crowd of inner disciples.

No doubt, the one who ambushed and shot Xu Ming must be hidden among them.

Boom!

A loud rumble echoed from the stone gate behind them.

The mountain shook as the stone gate slowly opened.

"The gate's open!"

As the outside air rushed in, all faces showed excitement. After seven days of life-and-death trials, many had gone through experiences they would never forget.

Amidst the surging crowd, a pair of eyes locked onto Lin Ye.

His footwork was exceptionally clever—he effortlessly dodged through the crowd without drawing any attention.

Just as he was about to approach Lin Ye, he suddenly gave a push to someone behind Lin Ye.

"Hey, who pushed me?!"

That person staggered forward and collided with another.

Liu Qingyu, walking beside Lin Ye, suddenly felt her slender hand being grasped by him. Her face instantly turned red with embarrassment!

Though she had many suitors since joining the sect, she had always focused on cultivation and had high standards. This was the first time she had such physical contact—wasn't it a bit too fast?

"Senior Brother Lin Ye…"

She wanted to maintain her composure, but before she could finish, she felt a strong force pull her. Lin Ye yanked her behind him.

And she bumped into another person.

Thud!

"Ouch!"

Liu Qingyu cried out, drawing the attention of many nearby.

"Sorry, Senior Sister! Someone behind me pushed me!"

That disciple immediately apologized with a wronged look.

Someone nearby recognized her.

"Are you crazy?! You bumped into Senior Sister Liu!"

"Trying to get yourself killed? Hurry and apologize!"

Liu Qingyu ignored them. Her eyes searched for Lin Ye, showing a trace of anger. He used her as a shield!

That treatment made her feel deeply wronged. She wanted to confront him—but Lin Ye was already gone.

He had blended into the crowd and exited through the stone gate. Awaiting them were inner sect supervisors, stewards, and several elders. Without the elders present, this gate wouldn't open—the seal on it wasn't weak.

"After signing your names on the registry, you may return to the sect."

A table stood ahead with a registry book. All survivors had to sign, so the sect could tally who had died inside.

Lin Ye signed his name and, recalling the route, headed back toward the sect.

He'd had a chance to capture the one who tried to ambush him earlier, but he let it go—for now. He planned to cast a long line to catch a big fish.

He wouldn't let any of them off.

After Lin Ye left, a rugged, middle-aged man with a scar near his eye stared after him. He slowly lowered his raised arm, his eyes filled with cold malice.

"You got lucky this time!"

Suddenly, someone smacked him on the head.

"Big Dummy! Can't believe you're still alive!"

The man, called "Big Dummy," instantly lost his cold demeanor and smiled sheepishly.

"Heh, yeah. I just strolled around the edge a bit, got to witness the action."

"Big Dummy, twenty years in the sect and still just an inner disciple. Not kicked out yet—that's some luck. And you even made it out of the Dragon Void Cave alive. Impressive."

"Thanks for the praise, Senior Brother! Hehe."

He grinned.

"I'm in a good mood today. Come drink with us!"

"Sure thing!"

He nodded eagerly.

Thunderwind Profound Sect.

Though Lin Ye wasn't fond of this place, he had nowhere else to go. Since he was here, he'd make the best of it—using the sect's resources to boost his cultivation speed.

The sect gate lay five miles ahead. After passing through an ancient forest trail, he saw the entrance: a steep, winding stone staircase with no guardrails. A single misstep could mean death or serious injury.

Thunderwind Profound Sect had one main peak and seven side peaks.

The side peaks surrounded the central Xuanlei Peak.

Lin Ye belonged to Tingxuan Peak and was one of its core disciples.

Core disciples were ranked together, but each belonged to a specific peak. Tingxuan Peak was ranked near the bottom of the seven cultivation peaks, and its disciples mostly handled intelligence gathering around the Wind and Thunder Rivers.

There were thirteen core disciples on Tingxuan Peak. Lin Ye ranked last.

The peak also had 160 inner disciples. Previously, Zhou Taian was the top inner disciple—but he never made it back.

Each core disciple had their own courtyard.

When Lin Ye found his according to memory, he saw several people inside, seemingly moving things out.

"What are you doing?"

He stepped in. The packing disciples were startled upon seeing him.

Wasn't he supposed to have died? How was he back?!

"Oh? Senior Brother Lin Ye, you're back. Senior Brother Wenxu said he's long liked this place and wanted to trade with you. Since you were expected to lose your core disciple status soon anyway, I figured I'd help you vacate early—save you the trouble later."

A burly young man with a brutish face stepped out, holding a bowl of noodles, eating as he supervised.

Several strong inner disciples who were close to Wenxu stepped forward and blocked Lin Ye's path. Clearly, they weren't letting him through.

Zhang Wenxu—Tingxuan Peak's core disciple—ranked 13th, second only to the senior sister.

"Senior Brother Lin Ye, I'll still call you that for now. A real man knows when to yield. You know how things are now. No need to make this harder than it is. If you rise again one day, you're always welcome back."

"Oh, and the inner disciple courtyards are full. You'll have to stay in the servant quarters for now."

The man slurping noodles walked up arrogantly, eyes full of mockery.

"And you are?"

Lin Ye raised an eyebrow.

"Name's Tao Lang."

The moment he finished, a gust of wind rushed toward him.

BAM!

His mind went blank.

His nose broke from Lin Ye's punch. Two teeth flew out as he crashed to the ground.

"You bastard! You dare hit me?! Get him! Kill him!"

Tao Lang yelled through his bloody nose. Lin Ye struck again.

Luo Sheng Palm!

With one strike, five strong-looking inner disciples were thrown to the ground—some with broken ribs.

Tao Lang couldn't believe Lin Ye's strength. Eyes wide, he saw Lin Ye approaching step by step.

Terrified, he cried out, "Spare me, Senior Brother Lin Ye… I—I was just following orders…"

"Take me to that… what's his name again?"

Lin Ye asked casually.

"Senior Brother Zhang Wenxu?"

Tao Lang gulped. If Lin Ye wanted to dig his own grave, so be it.

"Yeah."

Tao Lang picked up his teeth, wiped the blood off his face, and led the way. The rest of the disciples exchanged glances.

"Come on—this is gonna be good."

Yawen Residence—Zhang Wenxu's courtyard.

Among the Tingxuan Peak residences, Lin Ye's courtyard had the richest spiritual energy. Many had coveted it, but no one dared touch it—it was personally given to Lin Ye by the senior sister.

To take it was to go against her.

In front of the residence, Tao Lang moved to knock, but Lin Ye raised a finger.

Boom!

The courtyard gates exploded.

Inside, Zhang Wenxu was practicing swordsmanship. His face turned icy cold.

"Who dares cause trouble in my Yawen Residence?!"

His profound energy surged, robes fluttering without wind.

Qi Sea Realm, Tier 3!

"It's me."

Lin Ye stepped forward and suddenly dashed right up to Zhang Wenxu.

"Oh, it's you—the useless trash. You must have a death wish."

Before he could react, Lin Ye raised a hand and slapped him hard.

SMACK!

Zhang Wenxu's energy shattered. Blood sprayed from his mouth along with three teeth.

Lin Ye didn't stop. He grabbed Zhang Wenxu by the hair and smashed his head onto a stone table.

BANG!

The table remained intact, but a bloody mark was left.

And again!

BANG BANG BANG!

After over ten strikes, crack!—the table split, and Zhang Wenxu lay on the ground, battered and unconscious.

Lin Ye casually tossed him aside.

He pointed at Tao Lang.

"You—get me a new bed, new furniture. You've got half an hour."

Time to redecorate.

4o