Northwind City, Mo Clan.
The Blacksteel Panther lay in the courtyard.
A small bird landed on its nose.
The panther stared at it.
Blink.
Then snapped its jaws and swallowed the bird whole.
Inside the hall, Mo Xingyun treated Lin Ye as an honored guest.
He had Mo Ziqi sit at the side.
Xiao Cui behind her was trembling like a leaf.
She still couldn't believe it:
That black-haired youth…
was a Star River Realm powerhouse.
The entire Wind-Thunder River region might not have one such person—
and here was one…
young enough to be her brother.
Mo Xingyun sighed.
"To be honest…"
"Our Mo Clan does possess a Dreamheart Lotus."
"But it is vital to our survival."
"I am not refusing because of greed."
Mo Ziqi stiffened.
So Lin Ye came…
for their Dreamheart Lotus.
Lin Ye spoke evenly:
"The Dreamheart Lotus is used to prolong life."
"One of your clan is dying, caught between life and death."
Mo Xingyun and the others stared in shock.
No one understood Dreamheart Lotus better than Lin Ye.
Mo Xingyun swallowed.
"Does Sir Lin Ye also understand medical arts?"
"It is my wife."
"A year ago she fell into a strange illness."
"From that day she never woke again."
"Only Dreamheart Lotus has kept her alive."
"Without it… her life force could sever at any time."
Lin Ye nodded.
People who were gravely damaged in spirit sometimes believed they had already died.
Once the consciousness accepted death…
it faded away.
Dreamheart Lotus was special.
It kept the consciousness in a warm, stable dream-state.
Preventing death—
but not waking.
A thin thread of life.
Mo Xingyun refused to give up that hope.
Even facing Lin Ye, he didn't want to surrender it.
Lin Ye frowned.
"Take me to her."
Mo Xingyun hurried to lead him.
They entered a quiet room.
A middle-aged woman lay on the bed.
Her expression was gentle and peaceful.
Even without makeup—
her beauty was evident.
She lay with her hands wrapped around a white lotus.
Soft light radiated from the flower.
That light was what preserved her life.
Mo Ziqi stepped forward and replaced the flowers in a vase.
Clearly she did this often.
Mo Xingyun's voice trembled.
"Sir Lin Ye… if you can cure my wife…"
"I will give you anything."
"I swear it."
Lin Ye examined her briefly.
Then spoke coldly:
"She is not ill."
"She was cursed."
Cursed?!
Everyone froze.
That word belonged to ancient texts and myths.
Yet now it was real.
Mo Xingyun's wife…
was cursed.
Lin Ye said calmly:
"Kill the one who cast the curse."
"The curse will end."
It sounded simple.
But the difficulty was finding the culprit.
Lin Ye continued casually:
"Think carefully. Who did you offend?"
"List them."
"Kill them all."
To Lin Ye…
this was simply practical.
Mo Xingyun's rage surged.
"No matter who it is…"
"I will find them."
Mo Ziqi suddenly spoke:
"Father."
"A year ago…"
"The Grand Guardian of the Wild Lion Sect visited us."
"He wanted an alliance."
"We refused."
Mo Xingyun's pupils narrowed.
Wild Lion Sect…
It was plausible.
They had motive.
And the power.
Mo Xingyun's voice turned deadly.
"Wild Lion Sect."
He immediately shouted:
"Summon the clan council!"
But Mo Ziqi stopped him.
"Father."
"Even if Wild Lion Sect did it…"
"The elders will never approve war."
"Not just for mother's sake."
She was right.
War with Wild Lion Sect would cripple Mo Clan.
Only a desperate honor war would be approved.
This was Mo Xingyun's personal rage.
Not the clan's collective decision.
Mo Xingyun clenched his fists, furious and helpless.
Mo Ziqi's eyes turned toward Lin Ye.
A Star River Realm powerhouse—
who had just killed Wild Lion Sect's elder—
and now had reason to clash again.
If Mo Clan allied with Lin Ye…
the Wild Lion Sect could be crushed.
Lin Ye read her mind instantly.
Then sighed.
"Fine."
"Prepare the Dreamheart Lotus."
"I'll destroy Wild Lion Sect tonight."
Mo Xingyun's eyes widened.
"Tonight?!"
Even he thought this was too fast.
Wild Lion Sect was a dominator-level sect.
They could have unknown trump cards.
Rushing in blindly could lead to catastrophe.
Mo Ziqi stepped forward immediately.
"I will go with you."
"The one who cast the curse was their Grand Guardian."
"I fear he will escape in chaos."
She wasn't afraid.
She believed Lin Ye could protect her.
But Lin Ye shook his head.
"You'll only be a burden."
He said it bluntly.
Mo Ziqi trembled in anger.
He was saying she was useless.
How infuriating.
Lin Ye turned to Mo Xingyun.
"You come instead."
"You can identify the Grand Guardian."
Mo Xingyun hesitated briefly.
His presence could provoke terrible consequences.
If Lin Ye failed…
then Mo Clan would face full-scale war.
But if he wanted to save his wife…
he had no choice.
He nodded.
"I will go with you."
Xiao Cui stomped her foot, furious.
"That brat!"
"He dares call our lady a burden!"
"If my lady wanted, she wouldn't even bother going!"
Only after Lin Ye had left did she dare speak.
Mo Ziqi stared toward the Wild Lion Sect's direction.
A mountain range of steep peaks.
Beast roars below.
And atop—
a powerful sect stood.
Lion King Mountain.
The Wild Lion Sect's home.
Meanwhile…
Fang Zhan's death had already reached the sect.
Inside the great hall, the Wild Lion Sect master, three guardians, and more than ten elders were all present.
Five disciples knelt below, reporting everything.
"You're telling me…"
"The Mo Clan allied with a Star River Realm teenager…"
"Who killed Elder Fang Zhan with a single arrow?"
The elders erupted in disbelief.
Star River Realm?
A teenager?
Absurd.
But the disciples nodded desperately.
"Yes!"
"And he said…"
"We must compensate him with one billion spirit stones…"
"Then he might forgive us."
Silence.
Then—
rage.
"He kills our elder…"
"And demands money for forgiveness?!"
"A brazen lunatic!"
The council hall of the Wild Lion Sect was filled with murderous tension.
The sect master, Shi Meng, sat upon the grand throne-like chair, fists clenched so tightly that the wooden armrest creaked.
When he heard the exact message relayed by his disciples—Lin Ye's words—his killing intent erupted like a volcanic blast.
"So it's the Mo Clan of Northwind City…"
"One year ago, I personally went to them seeking alliance, and they slammed the gates in my face."
"And now they even dare to kill my Third Elder!"
Shi Meng's voice lowered into a growl.
"Where is the Grand Guardian?"
At his side stood a tall, grim figure—Huangfu Xu, the sect's Grand Guardian.
He immediately stepped forward.
"This subordinate is here."
Shi Meng's eyes flashed.
"Why has your plan still not succeeded?"
By all logic, Huangfu Xu's scheme should have been mostly complete by now.
And yet the Mo Clan was still standing, seemingly intact.
Huangfu Xu bowed and spoke in a calm, controlled tone:
"Reporting to Sect Master—within the Mo Clan, there exists a Dreamheart Lotus. It has temporarily preserved that woman's life."
"But rest assured."
"In seven days, the Dreamheart Lotus will lose its effectiveness completely."
"At that moment, the entire Mo Clan will fall into the curse."
His lips curled faintly.
"The longer the curse is allowed to accumulate…"
"the more terrifying its final power will become."
As he spoke, a subtle gleam flickered in his eyes—so faint it would have been impossible to notice unless one knew what to look for.
When that day comes, the strongest person in the Wild Lion Sect won't be you anymore.
Once the curse detonates and the chain of curses forms…
the Mo Clan's power will be devoured and refined into my own.
That was Huangfu Xu's true objective.
He, a genius curse-weaver from the Huangfu Clan of the Hundred-Fury Riverlands, had been forced into this humiliating existence in the wilderness.
He despised it.
Once he recovered his cultivation…
he would return to his clan and reclaim everything that had once been taken from him.
That was his destiny.
Shi Meng leaned back slightly and then slammed his palm down.
"So it still takes seven days…"
"Fine."
"Then I'll grant the Mo Clan seven more days of life."
He raised his voice.
"Pass down my decree!"
"All combat personnel of the Wild Lion Sect will remain on the mountain!"
"In seven days, we will wipe out the Mo Clan!"
"And as for that arrogant boy…"
"I want him impaled and hung at the gates of Northwind City!"
"Public execution. A warning to all."
"This is the price of offending the Wild Lion Sect!"
The elders below immediately roared in unison.
"Sect Master is wise!"
"Sect Master is wise!"
Their eyes were lit with greed.
If Northwind City fell into their hands…
their pockets would grow even fatter.
Why wouldn't they cheer?
Even if they had to wait a few more days—
this past year had already brought the Wild Lion Sect tremendous growth.
But before their cheers could fully settle—
a streak of darkness shot in like a storm of arrows.
A black beam.
A single flash.
Then—
BOOM!
"Watch out!"
Most of those present were Earth-Transformation Realm experts.
Even so, they were startled by the sudden violent fluctuation.
But by the time their instincts kicked in—
the dark force had already detonated.
The entire council hall exploded.
In a deafening blast, the entire structure collapsed into rubble.
Dust and shattered stone rained down like a landslide.
Several weaker elders were buried beneath the ruins before they could even scream.
Shi Meng roared and punched forward.
His fist shattered the boulders in front of him, clearing a path.
He burst through the collapsed roof and landed outside in a rage.
On the wide plaza before the hall stood two figures.
Shi Meng's voice thundered.
"Who dares cause trouble in the Wild Lion Sect?!"
One by one, surviving experts escaped the wreckage and gathered behind him, staring ahead with fury.
Shi Meng's eyes narrowed.
"Mo Xingyun?!"
He was genuinely stunned.
He had never expected the Mo Clan master to storm Lion King Mountain in such a way.
And judging by his demeanor…
Mo Xingyun didn't look like someone who intended to leave alive.
Did he think that simply because he was the Mo Clan master, he could act recklessly in Wild Lion territory?
Mo Xingyun stood calmly.
"Shi Meng."
"You know exactly why I came."
"Hand Huangfu Xu over to me, and I will leave immediately."
"Otherwise—bear the consequences."
His voice was quiet, but filled with deadly certainty.
He had already chosen this road.
There was no retreat.
Shi Meng sneered.
"Enough nonsense."
"You came to my sect and started trouble?"
"Then I'll send you on your way!"
Killing Mo Xingyun here would be righteous and justified.
He had stormed in first.
Shi Meng would simply be "defending his sect."
And with Mo Xingyun dead…
the Mo Clan would be severely weakened.
In an instant—
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The auras of more than ten Earth-Transformation Realm experts erupted at once.
Then—
Six separate surges of heavenly essence burst upward.
Shi Meng included, there were six Heavenly Phenomenon Realm experts present.
Compared to that…
the Fenglei Mystic Sect's earlier strength was indeed pitiful.
Even with a hidden elder, they'd had only four Heavenly Phenomenon Realm cultivators.
Whether it was the Azure Thunder Sword Sect…
or the Wild Lion Sect…
their Heavenly Phenomenon Realm numbers were superior—and stronger in quality.
If Pei Tianzhuo had still lived, Fenglei might have been a real threat.
But he had died by Lin Ye's hand.
A faint motion passed through the darkness.
Silent.
Like a shadow slipping through moonlight.
And then—
one of the Earth-Transformation Realm elders vanished from where he stood.
A heartbeat later…
a horrific scream echoed from somewhere far away.
"AHHH—NO! NO! DON'T—AHHH!!"
Moments later, the screams abruptly cut off.
Only the lingering echoes remained.
A metallic ring sounded.
Lin Ye stepped forward.
Cold iron sword in hand.
He had no interest in conversation.
These people were obstructing him.
They stood between him and the Dreamheart Lotus.
His gaze locked onto Huangfu Xu.
Huangfu Xu's heart jolted.
That look—
It wasn't random.
It was directed.
He's here for me?
Impossible.
His curse was hidden so perfectly.
No one should have been able to trace it.
But…
none of that mattered anymore.
To Lin Ye, it was all irrelevant.
The cold iron sword trembled.
Then—
Lin Ye's Star River Realm aura erupted.
The Star-Bridge shot upward like a divine pillar, absorbing stellar force from the sky itself.
In the night, the Star-Bridge's radiance was so violent it looked unreal.
The moment Shi Meng and the others sensed that pressure—
their faces turned pale.
"Star… Star River Realm?!"
Shi Meng inhaled sharply.
"It really is Star River Realm!"
Lin Ye raised his blade.
"Blood Slaughter: Ninefold Execution!"
Nine blood-red sword lights erupted around him, as if connecting the heavens to the star river itself.
Then—
they crashed down into the Wild Lion Sect's formation like divine punishment.
BOOM!
Shi Meng and the remaining high-level cultivators desperately joined forces to defend.
But Star River power…
was not something that could be "blocked" by mere desperation.
If it could…
no one would bother cultivating.
Blood spurted.
One after another, cultivators with insufficient defense were pierced through by the remaining sword force.
They died on the spot.
The plaza cracked.
The ground shattered.
Dust exploded outward.
Far below, disciples of the Wild Lion Sect looked up at their peak in confusion.
"What's happening on the main mountain?"
"Did Sect Master break through?"
"Sect Master has entered the Star River Realm!"
"That's great! The Wild Lion Sect will dominate the Wind-Thunder Riverlands!"
"We're rising!"
Some of them—completely unaware—were actually cheering with excitement.
Lin Ye flicked his hand.
The dust was swept away in a windburst.
Shi Meng was kneeling.
In front of him stood a massive shield—once taller than a man.
Now, only half of it remained.
The rest had been obliterated.
Huangfu Xu stood with a delicate skull-headed staff planted into the ground.
He was bleeding heavily.
He hastily tapped several acupoints and sealed the flow.
Nearby, the Second Guardian had become a mangled mess of flesh.
The Great Elder struggled to rise.
His left arm was gone.
A bloody stump remained, dripping.
One sword beam had cleanly severed it.
As for everyone else…
they were dead.
Reduced to corpses scattered across the shattered plaza.
The Great Elder's voice broke, filled with despair.
"The Wild Lion Sect…"
"…is finished…"
At that moment—
a black shadow flashed through the darkness.
The Great Elder's body was grabbed and dragged away instantly.
The sound of bones being crushed and flesh being torn echoed from the night.
The Blacksteel Panther did not look overly savage at first glance—
but once its beast nature was unleashed…
it became the perfect killer under the cover of darkness.
Shi Meng trembled, still clutching his shattered shield.
"You…"
"Who are you?"
"The Wild Lion Sect… what have we ever done to offend you?!"
He had known Star River Realm power was terrifying…
but he never imagined someone could be this strong.
One strike…
and the Wild Lion Sect's core combat power was erased.
Those who survived were barely breathing.
Lin Ye did not answer.
He simply raised his sword—
and killed Shi Meng with one clean slash.
Then Lin Ye turned his gaze toward Huangfu Xu.
"You're the one who cast the curse, right?"
The moment Lin Ye saw him…
he had already identified him.
That aura…
That subtle, sinister vibration…
It belonged to a curse-weaver.
In his past life, Lin Ye had dealt with far too many such people.
He could recognize it instantly.
Huangfu Xu laughed coldly.
"Yes."
"It was me."
"I am a direct descendant of the Huangfu Clan of the Hundred-Fury Riverlands."
"If you dare kill me…"
"The Huangfu Clan will hunt you down."
"To the ends of the world."
"Until death."
SLASH!
Lin Ye's sword came down.
Huangfu Xu's head flew.
His eyes were still wide in disbelief as it rolled across the ground.
He could not understand it.
How could Lin Ye strike without hesitation?
He had planned to return to his clan—
to reclaim his former glory—
Yet he would die here…
in this remote wasteland.
Forever.
Mo Xingyun stood frozen, overwhelmed.
His heart pounded violently.
Lin Ye's decisive slaughter—
his terrifying strength—
left Mo Xingyun shaken beyond words.
He realized something:
If he had stubbornly refused to hand over the Dreamheart Lotus…
Lin Ye might have killed him too.
Thank goodness… I listened.
He took a long breath, cold sweat running down his back.
Because now…
he had seen the Wild Lion Sect's fate.
And he knew—
that could have been the Mo Clan.