Lin Ye had finally stepped into the Star River Realm.
To outsiders, his speed of cultivation was absurd—like a roc spreading its wings, soaring beyond all comprehension.
Even geniuses who appeared once in ten thousand years couldn't compare.
But to Lin Ye himself…
this pace was merely average.
Not impressive.
Now that he had truly entered the Star River Realm, the Star-Bridge inside him had fully connected to the crimson star within the Shura Blood Sea.
Even if Lin Ye didn't actively cultivate the Nine-Turn Shura Art…
the Star-Bridge would continue refining on its own—without pause.
It absorbed the power of the blood-colored star and merged it into the star river within his Qi Sea.
And with the assistance of his Nether-Passage Mystic Vein…
his cultivation speed became even faster.
But Star River Realm breakthroughs required enormous energy.
Each stage demanded a terrifying amount of power.
Wen Lang did not refine his pill immediately.
Instead, he focused first on gathering the needed herbs for Lin Ye.
After extensive searching, he managed to collect most of the supporting ingredients—
but gained important information:
One of the three main ingredients—the Dreamheart Lotus—was in the possession of a major clan.
However, that clan treated it as an ancestral treasure.
If Lin Ye wanted it…
negotiation would be difficult.
Wen Lang reported this to Lin Ye.
Northern River Region — the Mo Clan.
The local regions were divided according to the orientation of the Wind-Thunder River.
The Mo Clan's territory lay in the north.
"I'll send people at once," Wen Lang said. "We'll see what they want in exchange."
Lin Ye shook his head.
"Too slow. I'll go myself."
If it really was their ancestral treasure, they wouldn't give it up easily.
Lin Ye didn't want accidents.
Dreamheart Lotus was a sixth-grade medicinal herb—
if this opportunity was lost, finding it again would be difficult.
So he had to secure it immediately.
"I'll assign someone to guide you," Wen Lang said.
"No need. Give me a map. Bringing people only slows me down."
Wen Lang nodded.
Even the Wind-Thunder Eagles felt slow to Lin Ye now.
They were only second-tier beasts.
Meanwhile, his newly tamed Blacksteel Panther, though ground-bound, could chase them at full speed.
If needed, the panther could even kill a Wind-Thunder Eagle.
Their stamina and endurance were not comparable.
Lin Ye hesitated briefly, then handed Wen Lang a pill.
"Deliver this to Chu Mengxi."
It was a Five Directions Shatter-Profound Pill.
Regardless of Lin Ye's past relationship with her predecessor…
Chu Mengxi's talent alone was worth investing in.
She was unquestionably the most gifted cultivator in the entire sect.
If possible, Lin Ye also wanted to speak with her.
She was young, with enormous potential.
If she could be trained into a subordinate, it would only benefit him.
Wen Lang nodded.
"I understand."
He handed Lin Ye a map and marked the Mo Clan's location.
He also gave Lin Ye a token bearing the authority of the Fenglei Mystic Sect.
Lin Ye accepted it.
Sometimes, a token was sharper than a blade.
One flash of it…
and everyone would step aside.
Wen Lang muttered quietly:
"The dominant sect in the Northern River Region is the Wild Lion Sect… but he probably won't run into them."
Then he paused.
Actually, there was no need to warn Lin Ye.
If anything, he should warn the Wild Lion Sect not to meet Lin Ye at all.
Lin Ye summoned the Blacksteel Panther and rode northward.
The panther itself was thrilled.
It had been bored out of its mind staying within the sect.
It was a predator, after all.
Being locked in a pen with birds it wasn't even allowed to eat…
was torture.
Meanwhile, Wen Lang delivered the pill to Chu Mengxi.
Thanks to Lin Ye's detoxification pills, Chu Mengxi had fully recovered.
She stared at the fifth-grade pill with shock.
"Vice Sect Master… why does Lin Ye have such a pill?"
"This should be for him, not me."
She refused to accept it.
A fifth-grade pill was worth at least tens of millions of spirit stones.
How could she waste it?
Wen Lang sighed.
"Take it."
"Lin Ye is no longer the person you remember."
"Mengxi… I watched you grow up."
"If you truly want to stay by Lin Ye's side…"
"You'll need to work twice as hard."
Chu Mengxi's eyes brightened with pure joy.
All her life, she had poured her cultivation resources into Lin Ye.
She wanted him to grow.
And now…
he had.
To her, nothing could be happier.
"If that's true… then I'll work harder!"
She finally accepted the pill.
Wen Lang nodded.
"The future belongs to you young ones now."
Seven Hundred Miles of Forest
The Blacksteel Panther raced through the dense forest like a black streak.
This was untamed wilderness—unnamed beast forests stretching endlessly.
Only locals knew what they were called.
The panther smashed through everything in its path.
When lesser beasts dared to appear…
it simply bit them and tore them apart in a breath.
With Lin Ye on its back, it killed effortlessly.
The Fenglei Mystic Sect was nearly seven hundred miles from Northwind City, where the Mo Clan resided.
In one morning…
the panther covered more than six hundred miles.
If they'd used Wind-Thunder Eagles, they would have needed rest stops.
That was why Lin Ye didn't bring anyone.
Ahead, a battle broke out.
Six young cultivators were surrounding a third-tier ferocious beast—
a Gale-Rending Wolf.
They had been fighting hard and were nearly exhausted.
When Lin Ye and the panther stepped out…
the panther roared.
"ROAR!"
The Gale-Rending Wolf immediately panicked.
It broke through the encirclement and fled into the forest.
Before a fourth-tier beast, it didn't even dare breathe loudly.
The six cultivators relaxed in sudden relief.
The panther's dark, brutal gaze swept across them—
then dismissed them as unworthy prey.
The six turned around and saw Lin Ye and the panther.
All of them were startled.
But the leading young man—cold and sharp-eyed—stared at Lin Ye with hostility.
Lin Ye had no intention of helping them.
The wolf had simply blocked his path.
He moved on.
"Stop!"
The cold young man suddenly spoke.
"You scared off our prey."
"We tracked that Gale-Rending Wolf for three days."
"We finally trapped it here, and you ruined everything."
"And now you think you can just leave?"
The young man's tone was icy.
His companions exchanged glances and subtly began closing in.
Lin Ye found it almost amusing.
They were actually trying to cause trouble.
"You want compensation?" Lin Ye asked.
The young man sneered.
"Leave your black panther behind."
The moment those words fell—
a sharp sound cut through the air.
WHIST!
THUD!
An arrow pierced straight through the young man's skull.
His eyes widened, frozen in disbelief.
Then he collapsed face-first onto the ground.
Lin Ye calmly raised his Windbreaker Crossbow.
"Anyone else want my panther?"
He scanned them, waiting for an answer.