Lei Yongbiao felt his head was about to explode.
The one staying at Six Fortune Tower was none other than the young lord of the Murong Clan—Murong Xuan'ang. Although the relationship between Wind Thunder Profound Sect and Golden Dragon City wasn't particularly close, it wasn't hostile either.
But now?
Murong Xuan'ang had been killed on Wind Thunder Profound Sect territory—and worse, there were no clues at all.
Lei Yongbiao nearly lost his mind.
Yes, there had been intelligence that Murong Xuan'ang had clashed with Lin Ye… but that didn't mean Lin Ye was the culprit. Still, the Murong Clan would surely follow every thread straight to Lin Ye.
The only blessing was that Lin Ye was no longer a disciple of Wind Thunder Profound Sect.
Lei Yongbiao thought bitterly: Let the Murong Clan deal with him. That mess has nothing to do with me.
The major families were equally shaken—Zhang Clan, Xia Clan, and the smaller houses all erupted in disbelief. But most of them wore expressions of twisted satisfaction.
Not our problem. Just sit back and watch the show.
Grand Fortune Auction House
When Xia Wei heard the news, she froze.
"That's impossible," she said coldly. "If Lin Ye wanted him dead, Murong Xuan'ang wouldn't have made it out of the auction house alive."
She knew Lin Ye's temperament well enough. This murder didn't match his style at all.
Someone was framing him.
"Bring me the herbs we gathered yesterday," Xia Wei ordered. "I'm going to see Lin Ye."
A maid hesitated. "Miss… this is a sensitive moment. If we contact Lin Ye now and the Murong Clan finds out—"
"I don't have a choice." Xia Wei's eyes sharpened. "I'll be careful."
She took a storage ring from the maid—filled with all the medicinal ingredients Lin Ye had requested—and left immediately.
Finding Lin Ye wasn't difficult. He hadn't hidden his location at all.
To Lin Ye, needing to hide from enemies like these would be laughable.
Back in his past life, his true enemies were the Heaven-blessed Imperial Bloodline of Divine River Continent—those self-righteous "chosen rulers" who stood above all.
The current threats?
Just weeds in the road.
Lin Ye's Residence
Xia Wei knocked.
From inside came Lin Ye's calm voice.
"Come in."
She entered, bowing slightly.
"Master Lin."
"So early?" Lin Ye glanced at the sky. Dawn had only just broken.
"These are the herbs you requested," she said, handing over the storage ring. "Also—the seller has replied. He wants to meet you tonight at the East City Gate, when the moon reaches its zenith."
"Good." Lin Ye accepted the ring. "Thank you."
Since blood-attribute treasures boosted his cultivation tremendously, Lin Ye had no intention of sitting around cultivating like a monk every day.
It was too slow.
Xia Wei hesitated a moment. "That group… their identities are unknown. Even we can't trace them. Please be cautious."
Lin Ye nodded. "Understood."
Then Xia Wei lowered her voice. "And… Murong Xuan'ang was assassinated at Six Fortune Tower this morning."
She studied Lin Ye carefully, watching for a reaction.
But Lin Ye was busy sorting the herbs, setting them into piles with casual precision.
"A person died. What's so special about that?" he said indifferently.
Xia Wei felt her heart steady.
That calmness wasn't fake.
This wasn't Lin Ye.
Still, his composure was terrifying. How many storms had this man weathered… to treat death like trivial dust?
"I know it wasn't you," Xia Wei said. "But I'm worried someone is deliberately framing you."
"That's obvious," Lin Ye replied without looking up. "Doesn't matter. I only hope the Murong Clan has a brain. If they don't… even if I don't wipe them out, someone else will sooner or later."
Xia Wei's breath caught.
Was he saying he could destroy the entire Murong Clan?
Golden Dragon City was controlled by Murong Clan alone—a single family that equaled a major sect.
And Lin Ye was already wanted by Wind Thunder Profound Sect.
How could he talk like that… so casually?
But she didn't dare push further.
"Master Lin… please be careful. I won't disturb you further."
She left quickly.
Lin Ye's eyes flickered briefly.
A woman who knew when to speak—and when to shut up—was rare.
If the opportunity came, she would be worth cultivating.
Alchemy Begins
Xia Clan's resources were impressive.
Many of the herbs Lin Ye had listed were things he couldn't find when searching alone. But Xia Clan had deep channels—things ordinary cultivators could only dream of.
Lin Ye murmured, "Time to refine another batch."
He'd had hopes that Murong Xuan'ang's storage ring would contain rare treasures…
But it was trash.
Other than the Heavenfall Flame镇鼎 and barely one million spirit stones, there was nothing worth mentioning.
One million.
Not even as rich as a Wind Thunder sect official.
What a joke—"Murong Clan young lord."
Still, the Heavenfall Suppressing Flame鼎 was indeed superior to the Five Tiger Cloud镇鼎, even if only slightly. It burned hotter, fiercer—meaning inexperienced alchemists would turn precious herbs into ash within moments.
For Lin Ye, that strength was exactly what he needed.
This time, he intended to refine an entire fifth-grade beast skull using the Heavenfall鼎.
That skull was the one that had once blocked Elder Geng's massive palm strike.
If its essence could be fully extracted…
The result would be monstrous.
Refining the Beast Skull
Boom!
Violent flames erupted beneath the Heavenfall鼎. With his current power, Lin Ye could channel far more profound energy, making his refinement far smoother than before.
He began with ordinary herbs, refining them under gentle heat.
Then he placed the fifth-grade skull in the courtyard.
With Cold Iron Sword in hand, Lin Ye poured profound energy into his blade and struck down.
Crack!
The sword cleaved cleanly through the skull like dry wood.
Even after years, the Cold Iron Sword remained terrifyingly sharp—clearly forged from superior material.
The shattered fragments of the skull were tossed into the鼎 in batches.
Last time, Lin Ye had used the Gold Origin Pill as a base and forced it into the Gold Spirit Pill—but that wasn't truly a fifth-grade pill.
That was "almost fifth-grade," a hybrid creation.
Now?
His core ingredient was a true fifth-grade beast skull.
If its essence could be fully condensed…
This would be a genuine fifth-grade pill.
Flames raged.
Night fell.
Lin Ye swallowed two Instant Breath Pills just to maintain the refinement.
He had been forging nonstop for an entire day.
Finally—
A rich, overwhelming medicinal fragrance burst out of the鼎.
Lin Ye immediately sealed the鼎 with profound energy.
A smile rose slowly onto his face.
Because he knew—
This was real.
This was authentic.
A true fifth-grade pill.
He lifted the lid.
Inside, a glowing pill shimmered like molten starlight.
Lin Ye's eyes gleamed.
"Fifth-grade pill."
"Candlebone Starforging Pill!"