Fire Cauldron Sect collapsed in a single afternoon.
Hou Liang and Sanhuo both surrendered immediately.
Wind-Thunder Mystic Sect's banner was planted directly in Fire Cauldron Sect's central plaza.
From that moment—
Fire Cauldron Sect became a subordinate sect.
Even worse than Azure Thunder Sword Sect.
Because Azure Thunder still had freedom.
They only needed to pay tribute.
But Fire Cauldron Sect?
Everything they owned now belonged to Wind-Thunder Mystic Sect.
Feng Shijin and his elders watched the scene and felt their hearts sink.
They were completely convinced.
Lin Ye's strength wasn't some rumor—
It was absolute reality.
If they had hesitated even slightly…
Azure Thunder Sword Sect would've shared the same fate.
Lin Ye wasted no time.
He stormed straight into Fire Cauldron Sect's storage vault.
The moment he saw their herb warehouse…
his expression darkened.
"These idiots."
"So many high-grade herbs… piled like rotting vegetables?"
Different medicinal plants were thrown together with no humidity control, no separation, no preservation.
If left longer, they'd decay, mold, and lose potency.
An alchemist sect that didn't even know how to store herbs?
It was pathetic.
But Lin Ye's mood improved quickly.
Because the quantity was massive.
Five-grade medicinal herbs:
Over 320 types.
Six-grade herbs:
Seven.
No seven-grade herbs.
Which made sense.
Even if they had them, these fools wouldn't know what to do with them.
Then—
Lin Ye checked their spirit stone reserves.
And even he paused.
Five hundred million spirit stones.
Not bad.
Not bad at all.
He turned and handed the entire stockpile to Xia Wei.
"These spirit stones are yours to manage."
Xia Wei froze.
Half a billion?
Entrusting this to her… meant trust at an unimaginable level.
Her heart tightened.
Then she took it—without hesitation.
And silently swore:
I will never betray him.
Lin Ye then looked at Wen Lang and the others.
"How many spirit stones did you bring?"
Wen Lang stepped forward.
"The sect's stored stones are mostly with me."
"Elder Feng Shijin also brought two hundred million."
"Total: eight hundred million."
"If needed, more can be mobilized from the sect vault."
Lin Ye nodded.
"All of it. Give it to Xia Wei."
Wen Lang didn't object.
Neither did anyone else.
Because Xia Wei wasn't just an outsider.
She represented the Xia Family…
and more importantly—
Lin Ye himself.
And as long as the Xia Family still existed in Thunder River City…
Xia Wei had nowhere to run.
She could be trusted.
Then Lin Ye tossed Wen Lang a porcelain bottle.
"I refined some pills earlier. Distribute them properly."
Wen Lang received it and immediately felt his breathing grow heavy.
The pill aura alone…
was far purer than anything in this entire river domain.
These were true top-tier pills.
Not the garbage they had eaten for decades.
"Sect Master…" Wen Lang hesitated.
"…Are you leaving?"
Lin Ye didn't deny it.
"Yes."
Wind-Thunder River Domain had already been cleaned up.
There simply weren't many people here worth fighting.
If he wanted stronger resources…
he needed to go beyond this river territory.
Fire Cauldron Sect's aftermath would be handled by Wen Lang and the elders.
Lin Ye had already taken what he wanted.
Now he was moving on.
After giving final instructions—
Lin Ye and Xia Wei left together.
The elders lined up and watched them depart.
As Lin Ye disappeared into the distance, the Great Elder muttered bitterly:
"That Xia girl… good tactics."
"She took our sect master."
Wen Lang chuckled.
"The sect master is young."
"And… still a man."
The Great Elder narrowed his eyes at Wen Lang.
"What are you looking at me for?"
Wen Lang instantly became alert.
The Great Elder smiled.
"I saw the sect master rewarded you quite a lot."
"We're both old ministers of the sect… no need to be stingy."
Wen Lang snorted.
"No."
"These pills are allocated by schedule. You want yours? Wait your turn."
The Great Elder immediately began acting shameless.
"I'm at the brink of breakthrough!"
"Give me next month's share early—help a brother out!"
Wen Lang remained stone-faced.
"No means no."
No matter how the Great Elder begged, threatened, bribed…
Wen Lang didn't budge.
Finally, the Great Elder gave up.
He walked away like a man sentenced to death.
"Half a month… how am I supposed to survive…?"
Meanwhile—
The Uugang Panther sprinted through the forests like a shadow.
Soon, the roar of rushing water echoed ahead, deep and thunderous.
Then Lin Ye saw it.
Wind-Thunder River.
A river so vast it seemed endless.
Its flow carried an unstoppable momentum—as if it could suppress the heavens and crush mountains into dust.
Even Lin Ye couldn't help but feel surprised.
"This river's qi… unbroken."
"A true grand river."
Xia Wei pointed ahead.
"Up front is East River Wharf."
"It's controlled by a gang called the East River Brotherhood."
"We only need to pay a small fee to pass."
She glanced at Lin Ye cautiously.
Many powerful cultivators hated being controlled.
They hated paying tolls.
But Lin Ye didn't even blink.
"Pay."
Xia Wei immediately understood his meaning.
For true powerhouses…
time mattered more than pride.
And sometimes spirit stones were simply faster than killing.
East River Wharf was bustling.
Ships came and went constantly.
Most riverbanks were too violent—if you tried to dock randomly, your ship would be smashed or dragged away in seconds.
Only a proper wharf like this could hold stable.
At the wharf entrance, a long fence had been set up.
Only one gate remained open.
Like entering a city.
And the guards shouted harshly:
"Ten spirit stones per person!"
"Line up and pay!"
Inside the wharf…
vendors, stalls, shops, even small markets had formed.
It was practically a mini-city.
As the Uugang Panther walked forward—
people immediately panicked.
"G-Giant panther…"
"A beast—!"
"Don't move! It has an owner!"
"A powerful lord must be here!"
The panther strode through the crowd directly to the front.
Even the gate guards tensed up.
Xia Wei tossed a heavy pouch forward.
It landed with a solid thud.
Inside were one hundred spirit stones.
"We're in a hurry. Let us through first."
She sat atop the panther's back.
Her long legs—wrapped in black boots—were dangerously eye-catching.
And the entire wharf…
fell silent.