Seven-Colored Spirit Blood Mushroom.
An Eighth-grade herb.
Used correctly… it was divine medicine.
Used wrongly…
it was a poison so vicious it could erase even immortals.
No second chances.
No antidote.
One mistake, and even the heavens couldn't save you.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
More figures rushed in.
But none dared approach too close.
They kept a safe distance from Lin Ye—these were the same people who'd just been trading in Bailing Medicine Sect's private exchange.
The moment they saw the scene…
their faces turned pale with shock.
"An Eighth-grade herb…!"
"It's really an Eighth-grade herb!"
Even if it couldn't be used for pill refinement—
even if someone simply refined and absorbed it raw—
the benefits would still be terrifying.
But Eighth-grade herbs…
usually only showed their full value in Upper Riverlands.
And yet here it was.
Right in front of them.
One of the wandering herb merchants whispered hoarsely, eyes trembling.
"This value can't be measured in spirit stones anymore…"
His eyes were burning with greed…
but his feet stayed rooted.
He was a merchant.
He knew how to weigh profit against death.
Even with guards beside him—
trying to steal an Eighth-grade herb under a tribulation beast?
That was suicide.
Even if you somehow grabbed it…
you'd carry endless trouble afterward.
Elder Tu Jinsong and Hall Master Wang Kun arrived as well.
Their eyes shook violently at the glowing mushroom.
"If that beast completes its breakthrough…"
"Then we'll never get a chance again."
Tu Jinsong licked his lips unconsciously.
An alchemist couldn't resist.
Even if he planted an Eighth-grade herb in his backyard…
it would still be a treasure worth worshipping.
But who dared step into tribulation lightning?
That was guaranteed death.
The crowd hesitated.
No one moved.
No one dared.
Then—
Lin Ye did.
He locked onto the timing and shot forward.
Whoosh!
He charged straight into the tribulation zone.
The entire crowd froze.
"It's Lin Ye!"
"He… he went in?!"
"Is he insane?!"
"Does he want to die?!"
To everyone watching—
this looked like pure madness.
Beast tribulation lightning wasn't a joke.
Human cultivators didn't face tribulation lightning during breakthroughs.
Beasts did.
That's why beasts didn't dominate the continent.
Without tribulation lightning…
this world would already belong to monsters.
Lin Ye's body flashed through the storm.
The Strange-Pattern Blazing Sun Tiger noticed him instantly.
It stood atop the hill, roaring violently, unleashing blazing crimson pressure like molten waves.
It couldn't spare focus for Lin Ye…
but it also knew—
Lin Ye wasn't going to succeed.
The tribulation would shred him into dust.
BOOOOM!
Lightning split the night.
The first bolt came down like divine punishment.
It slammed toward the beast—
and obliterated everything within a hundred meters.
Boulders shattered.
Trees turned to ash.
The resulting electric shockwave swept out for thousands of meters.
Tu Jinsong and the others retreated quickly, barely avoiding being hit.
Even they were shaken.
But Lin Ye—
didn't retreat.
He activated Nine-Turn Asura Art and forced himself to take the shockwave head-on.
Now—
he was less than a hundred meters from the Eighth-grade herb.
He narrowed his eyes.
"Only one chance."
The tiger shook off the ash and stood again.
It could endure.
Which meant—
the tribulation was still ongoing.
And that was why Lin Ye had moved now.
Lightning bought him time.
Not the crowd.
Not Tu Jinsong.
Not Wang Kun.
Lin Ye didn't care about them.
This was the perfect moment.
The second bolt began forming.
Lin Ye launched forward toward the mushroom.
BOOOOM!
The second bolt was several times stronger.
Wang Kun's face changed.
"This bolt is far worse—back away! Anyone caught will be crippled!"
But most people didn't move.
Their eyes were glued to Lin Ye.
Because they weren't just watching—
they were calculating.
If Lin Ye died…
then all the herbs he bought today…
all the pills he traded…
would become loot.
His strength was terrifying…
but death erased all fear.
BOOOOM!
Two bolts descended this time.
One struck the tiger.
The other…
locked directly onto Lin Ye.
"Asura Blood Armor!"
Lin Ye didn't dodge.
He didn't hide.
He didn't rely on secret treasures.
He had only one option:
Bet everything on his Blood Armor.
He was gambling.
Gambling it could block one strike—
just one—
and that would be enough.
BOOOOM!
The tribulation lightning slammed into his armor.
Instantly—
cracks spread across the crimson plates like spiderwebs.
Lin Ye's body shuddered violently.
The lightning drained almost half of his qi in one hit.
But—
he endured.
He blocked it.
The Blood Armor was close to breaking.
But it held.
BANG!
Lin Ye was thrown backward.
But his body had already been forged by pills and tempering.
This impact couldn't truly harm him.
He spun midair, landed, and sprinted.
Before the third bolt could fully form—
he reached the mushroom.
A sickle flashed.
He cut the Seven-Colored Spirit Blood Mushroom cleanly.
Then instantly sealed it inside a prepared clay jar.
The jar had suppressing formations carved onto it.
Otherwise, an Eighth-grade herb's spiritual aura couldn't even be stored in a ring.
Got it.
Lin Ye's expression didn't change.
He wasn't excited.
To him—
Eighth-grade herbs were important now.
But later…
he wouldn't even look twice unless they were over a hundred thousand years old.
This one?
Only thirty thousand years.
Still valuable.
Still rare.
But not enough to move him.
The third bolt came down.
Lin Ye pulled out a Fifth-grade pill.
Spirit Substitute Pill.
It could mimic aura and deceive senses.
He infused a strand of his own qi into it, flicked it forward—
and the tribulation lightning locked onto the pill instead.
BOOOOM!
Lightning struck the pill.
Lin Ye retreated beyond the tribulation zone.
Like stealing a pearl from a dragon's jaw.
Perfect.
Successful.
Tu Jinsong and the others were stunned.
"He… succeeded…"
He not only stole the herb.
He escaped without injury.
That was the most terrifying part.
Tu Jinsong immediately smiled and stepped forward.
"Heh… congratulations, Sect Master Lin, on obtaining such a treasure."
He was smart.
No one was going to fight Lin Ye for this.
It wasn't an Eighth-grade pill.
Just a herb.
And Lin Ye's strength…
was not something they wanted to gamble against.
Too dangerous.
Too stupid.
"Truly impressive."
"Unmatched bravery!"
"Such youthful power—this world is yours to roam!"
Lin Ye waved dismissively.
He didn't care about flattery.
Instead—
his eyes turned cold.
He stared into the dark clouds above.
Six figures appeared.
And a voice drifted down with a smile.
"Thank you, Sect Master Lin."
"For risking your life to harvest this herb for my Fierce Heart Sect."
"Now…"
"Please return it."
"Then we will be deeply grateful."
Fierce Heart Sect.
This was their territory.
They said the herb belonged to them.
As if the heavens had written their name on it.
Ridiculous.
Even if it was theirs—
Lin Ye took it.
So what?
He lifted his head.
His voice was calm.
Cold.
"Do you want to die?"