Shen He and Hong Kui waited outside Lin Yu’s pill room.
The two fellow disciples had earned rankings in the Grand Pill Competition and obtained what they each wanted—Hong Kui received a bottle of pills to aid Core Formation, while Shen He gained an opportunity for divination from an elder skilled in divination at the Tribulation Transcendence Realm within the palace. As their Shizun, Lin Yu naturally had to say something.
When disciples brought such honor to their master, Shizun had to show some appreciation, right?
Yet the two waited for a long time without receiving permission to enter.
The fellow disciples exchanged glances.
Just as Hong Kui was about to suggest, “Junior Brother, why don’t we head back first and come again tomorrow,” the tightly shut doors before them finally opened.
Hong Kui immediately composed himself and said softly, “Shizun, this disciple Hong Kui.”
Shen He hurried to follow. “Disciple Shen He.”
“We have come to pay respects to Shizun.”
“Come in.”
Lin Yu’s voice sounded somewhat weak?
Hong Kui and Shen He exchanged puzzled looks inwardly, and the two fellow disciples entered Lin Yu’s pill room with drooping heads, filing in one after another.
Shen He had some impression of the place. He knew that Shizun Lin Yu possessed a Supreme Magic Furnace, which his own Shizun had taken a fancy to. As he followed Hong Kui through the door, his gaze quickly swept over the interior, and sure enough, he spotted that massive-bellied Supreme Magic Furnace his master Xie Linlang coveted so dearly.
At that moment, thick black-purple demonic qi swirled around the magic furnace. It did not look like it was being used for pill refining, yet pill fire burned fiercely within. Was it baking some treasure or material?
Shen He did not dare to look too long and quickly withdrew his gaze, kneeling down beside Hong Kui.
“Your performances were outstanding. As your Shizun, I am deeply gratified.”
Lin Yu said weakly, “I heard you both received rewards from the sect? What did you ask for?”
During the final round of the competition’s conclusion, Lin Yu had been subjected to the frenzied thrusts of the Kill Matt Little Bird and had not paid attention to what rewards they requested.
Hong Kui said he had asked for Core Formation pills, while Shen He said he wanted to search for his family.
Lin Yu paid slightly more attention. “Family?”
What was the most feared thing in the cultivation world? Orphans with no father or mother!
An orphan without parents who could still enter the cultivation world either had heaven-defying fortune or heaven-defying bloodline.
Offending the former was like offending the heavens themselves, while offending the latter meant offending an entire formidable bloodline lineage.
As for those peerless geniuses who attained enlightenment while sitting, such people avenged themselves overnight—or even on the spot, eliminating enemies instantly. There was no opportunity to offend them in the first place—epiphany in battle, leaping realms, naturally allowing them to unleash divine might and slay foes.
“Yes, this disciple was adopted by my grandfather.”
Shen He perked up. He did not dare say outright that his grandfather had received an entrustment and instructions from a cultivator; instead, he only said his grandfather had picked him up in some corner, and the swaddling clothes indicated his extraordinary origins.
“This disciple has already requested a great senior at the Tribulation Transcendence Realm from the sect to divine a direction for the search.”
Normally, such a request would require owing the sect an astronomical sum in lesson points, and it depended on whether the Tribulation Transcendence senior was willing. But with the sect’s Grand Pill Competition, he could save a fortune!
Lin Yu’s expression shifted slightly. “Doesn’t that mean you still owe a debt?”
Shen He felt a bit embarrassed. “So Shizun is concerned about this disciple’s debts as well. Yes, this disciple still owes Senior Brother Xie a debt, but Senior Brother said that he happens to be heading to the True Realm next, and he wants me to assist him there to repay the debt, so…”
Lin Yu’s expression grew even more subtle. He pondered and said, “I see. I heard he originated from the True Realm. He might have you do something dangerous, so take care of your own safety…”
Before he finished speaking, the Supreme Magic Furnace suddenly emitted a piercing roar. In the next second, the furnace lid above was kicked open.
The lid spun toward Lin Yu’s head.
Lin Yu remained unruffled, using a pill collection technique to casually scoop it up and tuck it into his sleeve.
Immediately after, a pitch-black Kill Matt Little Bird—possibly scorched black—burst out from the furnace with murderous intent, extending two enormous claws to grip the furnace edge tightly.
Last time, a single feather from this little bird would have been incinerated to ash by the furnace, but now it not only feared not the high temperature but dared to stand directly on the edge, and it had even napped in the furnace’s core earlier.
Hong Kui and Shen He both drew in sharp breaths.
As the senior brother, Hong Kui spoke first. “Shizun, is this your Night Senior?”
Lin Yu hummed in affirmation, his face growing even paler, almost listless.
He said leisurely, “You heard as well. Hong Kui and Shen He are both heading to the True Realm for this grand event. Shen He still owes Xie Yu a debt, and I’m worried he might be ambushed. Why don’t you go in my stead, stay by Shen He’s side, and protect his safety?”
Lin Yu emphasized “safety.” The Kill Matt Bird, which had been glaring fixedly at him as if ready to charge and pierce him through, was indeed drawn away. Its scarlet gaze fell upon Shen He.
Shen He cried out inwardly in dismay. Leaving aside how he had already offended Night Senior last time, the key point was that for this trip to the True Realm, he wanted to attend to the Jade Pendant Master as much as possible and learn more cultivation techniques.
If he had to bring along the troublesome Night Senior, wouldn’t that mean pretending in front of the Jade Pendant Master while out and about?
He stammered, “But last time, Night Senior seemed quite displeased with this disciple…”
