The caravan was not just any merchant group—it belonged to the Xia Clan of Ray River City.
On the surface, the Xia Clan seemed unremarkable. That was only because they operated from the shadows.
The true power everyone recognized was what stood in the open:
Da Fu Auction House.
This time the Xia Clan had dispatched multiple experts, which meant the cargo being escorted was anything but ordinary.
Why use a caravan at all, instead of storage rings?
Because storage rings were not limited by physical volume—they were limited by spiritual pressure.
A basic storage pouch might be unable to hold more than a few ordinary herbs before reaching capacity.
Anything that emitted strong spiritual energy could not be contained unless the storage ring was of extremely high grade.
There were also treasures that carried almost no spiritual fluctuation until activated—those were easy to store.
But this shipment clearly contained items that could not be sealed away.
The Ambush
Lin Ye stepped openly onto the road with the Wind-Piercing Crossbow in his hands.
Two Earth Transformation experts from the Xia Clan were being pinned down by three Earth Transformation cultivators among the attackers.
Most of the Qi Sea guards were already dead.
This was an organized strike.
A planned kill.
"Hmm? Another one who isn't afraid to die?"
All the attackers wore masks.
Two black-clad bandits had just cut down a Xia Clan Qi Sea guard when they noticed Lin Ye approaching.
They exchanged a glance.
Then both raised their blades and charged straight for his head.
Their blade aura surged.
When they were less than ten steps away—
Lin Ye lifted his crossbow calmly and fired.
BOOM.
A head exploded in midair.
The second bandit froze—blood splashed across his face, and for half a breath his mind went blank.
"I'll kill you!"
BOOM.
Another bolt.
Another head burst apart.
Lin Ye had collected plenty of bolts.
This weapon was perfect:
Efficient.
Clean.
He had no desire to waste effort on these people.
If a tool could do the job, then the sword could stay sheathed.
He loaded another bolt.
Another masked bandit rushed forward.
Lin Ye fired again.
BOOM.
A perfect kill.
A fifth attacker tried to close in—
BOOM.
Another head shattered.
His crossbow string vibrated repeatedly.
Five deaths, rapid and absolute.
A Reaction From the Earth Transformation Cultivators
Finally, one of the Earth Transformation cultivators could no longer tolerate it.
Lin Ye's crossbow wasn't combat anymore.
It was a slaughterhouse.
"You killed my men—die!"
A torrent of earth-vein energy gathered around him.
He swung his saber downward.
The saber aura tore a trench into the ground.
BOOM!
Lin Ye shifted slightly, unhurried.
The strike missed.
Then he raised the crossbow.
And fired.
BOOM.
The Earth Transformation cultivator dropped dead on the spot.
The remaining fighters felt their scalps go cold.
"Who are you?!"
Lin Ye didn't answer.
He aimed again—toward another Earth Transformation cultivator.
BOOM!
The bolt punched through the man's body.
He didn't die instantly.
The bolt was still lodged inside him.
He lowered his head, saw the shaft, then his pupils tightened.
"That's a Wind Thunder Sect Wind-Piercing Crossbow!"
"Retreat!"
The remaining dozen masked attackers immediately fled into the nearby forest.
Their withdrawal was disciplined and coordinated.
They weren't ordinary bandits.
Real bandits screamed their names and wanted fear.
These people hid their faces and executed a mission.
The Xia Clan's Gratitude
The Xia Clan escort team had been reduced to less than a third.
One Earth Transformation cultivator among them had been seriously injured.
The other remained barely functional.
Both looked as if they had survived only by luck.
"Friend, thank you for your help."
"I, Xia Wanshan, speak for the entire Xia Clan when I say we owe you a life-debt."
Lin Ye's expression did not change.
"Keep your thanks."
"I'm taking one item from your caravan."
His tone was flat.
He slung the crossbow behind him and walked straight toward the overturned wagons, searching through the scattered crates.
He wasn't here to play hero.
If the Xia Clan dared to stop him, he would kill them too.
When Lin Ye approached one specific box—
the Blood Sea inside him surged with waves.
He struck the crate open with a palm.
Inside, wrapped in straw, was a ceramic object.
The piece looked faintly sinister.
Xia Wanshan initially assumed Lin Ye was reaching for their true prize:
A shipment of Sky-Star Ore, extremely valuable material capable of forging weapons that could withstand even Star River Realm power.
But Lin Ye ignored the ore.
Instead, he focused on this burial artifact—
a coffin-sealing object taken from an ancient tomb.
It appeared to be crafted by ancient artisans using the blood of countless beasts.
It belonged to a broad category of relics known as:
Ten Thousand Beast Blood Effigies.
Such items were often kept in mansions as warding talismans.
They looked ordinary.
They had no obvious power.
But they carried a risk: if someone lacked enough fortune or strength, the effigy could backfire and devour its owner instead.
The resale value was unstable—many feared it as a cursed object.
Feeding the Blood Sea
Lin Ye did not hesitate.
He threw the Ten Thousand Beast Blood Effigy directly into the Blood Sea.
The Blood Sea exploded into motion.
A flood of blood-evil energy poured into Lin Ye's body.
His cultivation surged.
Straight toward Earth Transformation Second Realm.
Lin Ye's eyes flashed with genuine satisfaction.
With normal cultivation, reaching that level would take two or three months.
Now he had reached the edge of it in moments, simply by consuming one relic.
A few more days of cultivation and he would break through completely.
"Do you have more of these?" Lin Ye asked calmly.
He wasn't unreasonable.
He had saved their lives.
So taking one item was fair payment.
If they had more, he would buy them.
Xia Wanshan blinked, momentarily stunned.
Was Lin Ye… actually interested in these strange artifacts?
"Yes."
"But they're in Ray River City."
"If you're willing, come with us."
"When we reach the city, I'll personally deliver every similar item we have to you."
Xia Wanshan's eyes lit up.
If Lin Ye traveled with them, the remaining distance would become far safer.
"Of course, traveling with us will inconvenience you."
"When we arrive, we'll offer ten thousand spirit stones as a token of gratitude."
"Ten thousand?" Lin Ye replied.
"Make it one hundred thousand."
Xia Wanshan immediately nodded.
"Agreed."
Lin Ye didn't care about the money—but free money was free.
More importantly, his goal was clear:
He wanted blood-evil relics.
And this caravan was headed to Ray River City anyway.
They knew the road.
There was no reason for Lin Ye to wander blindly.
As for the Wind Thunder Sect's pursuit?
Lin Ye had never cared.
He was already thinking about improving the Wind-Piercing Crossbow.
One bolt at a time was powerful, but slow.
In real combat, it was inconvenient.
A Private Concern
The remaining guards reorganized the wagons and loaded their fallen comrades.
Several came to thank Lin Ye personally.
Meanwhile, the other Earth Transformation commander, Xia Zhan, pulled Xia Wanshan aside.
"Elder… this man's background is unknown."
"He's too strong."
"What if—"
Xia Wanshan cut him off, calm and firm.
"You're overthinking it."
"This man is powerful, steady, and completely unaffected by pressure."
"He's clearly seen far greater storms than this."
"This time, we were simply lucky that our caravan carried something he wanted."
"Otherwise…"
"Even if we dumped all of our Sky-Star Ore at his feet…"
"He wouldn't even glance at us."