Prepared—Because He's an Alchemist
The sedative powder kept drifting outward, spreading layer by layer.
Lin Ye had known from the start: the deeper he went, the more brutal the beasts would become.
So of course—he came prepared.
That was one advantage of being a well-rounded alchemist.
Not just refining pills for humans… but crafting agents that turned savage beasts into manageable prey.
Bloodstones Weren't Scattered
The Thousand Luo Bloodstones weren't scattered too widely.
Lin Ye quickly found three.
He threw them into the Nine Nether Blood Sea—
and in an instant, his aura surged violently.
BOOM!
His cultivation broke through.
Star River Eighth Realm.
"Still not enough."
He continued deeper.
More powder dispersed.
This sedative formula was Lin Ye's own creation—designed specifically for high-grade beasts.
Even stronger beasts would feel its effects.
Another Leap
He pressed down again.
Soon, he obtained another three Bloodstones—and even casually harvested a Seventh-grade spiritual herb along the way.
He tossed the stones into the Blood Sea once more.
His qi expanded crazily.
BOOM!
Star River Ninth Realm!
His aura nearly doubled compared to before.
Each breakthrough expanded the sea of qi.
More space.
More power.
More foundation.
"I'm not far from Moonwheel now."
Lin Ye's eyes sharpened.
"I need to prepare to refine the Blood Star."
His plan had always been clear:
Instead of forming an ordinary Moonwheel…
he would refine that Blood Star and turn it into his own Moonwheel power.
Normal cultivators were limited by their cultivation arts.
They couldn't bear that kind of terrifying energy.
But Lin Ye could.
The Nine-Turn Asura Art was built for exactly this kind of insanity.
Ambushed on the Cliff Wall
He continued hunting Bloodstones.
Then—
A huge spider suddenly appeared on the cliff wall above.
It fired a thick white web.
The silk wrapped his sleeve, trying to drag him into a cave.
The gorge walls weren't smooth—they were jagged and full of hollow openings.
And that thing was stronger than him.
Lin Ye didn't hesitate.
He stripped off his outer shirt instantly.
That single ruthless decision let him break free.
Then, from below, more threats surfaced—
Over a dozen Blade Mantis—each nearly three meters long—scuttled out.
They were only Fifth-rank, but their bodies were built for climbing the gorge walls.
That mobility made them deadly.
"Shatter Calamity Claw!"
Lin Ye struck.
One after another, the mantises were shredded.
The cliff shook.
Several mantises were blasted loose—
tumbling down into the abyss.
The Qi Storm
Then—
A violent Qi Storm surged upward from the bottom of the gorge.
BOOM!
It felt like an unmatched swordsman had swung once—
a single slash sweeping across the heavens.
"Asura Blood Armor!"
Lin Ye pressed against the cliff wall and formed blood armor.
He blocked the storm—
and watched as the mantises he had knocked down were instantly torn into fragments.
"This storm… it's strange, and it's absurdly strong."
Lin Ye's eyes narrowed.
"What exactly is down there?"
Even he couldn't guess.
But the possibilities were obvious:
A powerful treasure.
A tenth-grade spiritual plant.
A high-tier divine weapon.
Or worse—
a sealed monster of terrifying rank.
The Smart Call
"It's too deep."
Lin Ye assessed quickly.
"I'm only about a hundred zhang down, and the pressure is already this heavy."
"If I keep going… it might be suicide."
This wasn't cowardice.
This was accuracy.
Charging into certain death wasn't "bravery."
It was stupidity.
He collected three more Bloodstones and prepared to leave.
In just ten-plus minutes, he had crossed two minor realms.
No normal person could do that.
But then—
the Nine Nether Blood Sea suddenly surged like a furious ocean.
A huge bloody wave rose.
Meaning:
Down below, there was something the Blood Sea wanted.
Wanted badly.
"Really?"
Lin Ye cursed under his breath.
"Now you want to throw a tantrum?"
The Blood Sea's demand this time was stronger than ever—unprecedented.
Like a colossal beast throwing a rage fit, it kept roaring one message into his mind:
Go deeper.
Lin Ye's expression darkened.
He wasn't helpless.
But he knew: if the Blood Sea truly craved something, it meant danger… and opportunity.
And honestly?
He was curious too.
Bait
"Fine."
"If you want to play…"
"Then I'll use you as bait."
His consciousness entered the Blood Sea's Blood Peak.
There, the Nine-Lives Blood Lotus swayed violently, resisting.
Lin Ye ignored it.
He cut off a tiny portion from one lotus leaf.
The lotus struggled, furious—
but it wasn't a Tenth-grade plant yet.
And this was Lin Ye's world.
A spiritual herb didn't get to argue here.
The loss of spirit energy was minor.
Given time, the lotus could replenish it.
He sealed the lotus leaf's aura briefly—
then attached it onto a crossbow bolt.
He aimed at the opposite cliff wall—nearly two hundred zhang away.
WHOOSH!
The bolt struck.
DING!
It embedded into the rock.
His sealing qi shattered.
And in that instant—
the scent of a Ninth-grade spiritual herb burst outward.
It was like tossing a stone into a calm lake.
One stone—
a thousand waves.
The entire Thousand Luo Gorge erupted.
Beasts surged out in madness.
Even sleeping Seventh-rank monsters stirred.
A Ninth-grade herb.
That was the kind of treasure beasts would slaughter each other for.
Usually such herbs were guarded by apex guardians.
No one could approach.
But now the scent hung openly in the air—
and the gorge went insane.
The Drop
Lin Ye's eyes sharpened.
This opportunity could not be missed.
WHOOSH!
His legs snapped downward.
Blood armor fused tightly over his body.
He plunged deeper.
The armor wasn't just defense—
it was insurance.
If some beast smashed into him midair, it would be catastrophic.
This was a gamble.
A big one.
Luo Gui's Horror Above
At the gorge's edge, Luo Gui opened his eyes, frowning.
Why hadn't Lin Ye returned?
Did something happen down there?
Then—
the ground began shaking violently.
Luo Gui stumbled back.
"What the hell—this place isn't collapsing, is it?!"
He retreated to what looked like a safer spot.
And then—
Hundreds of grotesque birds fell from the sky, diving without hesitation straight into the gorge.
SWISH SWISH SWISH!
It looked like a massive curtain of wings, blocking Luo Gui's sight.
Luo Gui's face turned pale.
"What's going on?!"
He immediately curled into the corner, suppressing every trace of aura.
The beasts didn't care about him.
They were obsessed with the gorge's depths.
Even land beasts began hurling themselves off the cliff.
Some of the auras among them were terrifying.
Luo Gui didn't dare leak a breath.
If he got targeted, even one claw from these things would erase him.
"What… happened down there?"
"To drive the entire gorge into a frenzy like this?"
Five Hundred Zhang Down
THUD!
Lin Ye landed.
He pulled out a firestarter.
A faint light bloomed, illuminating the surroundings.
Below five hundred zhang…
there were no beasts.
Not one.
That was abnormal.
And unsettling.
"The thing is ahead."
He flicked the firestarter forward.
It spun into the darkness.
And then—
a powerful Qi Storm suddenly formed.
At first it was only a weak thread of energy.
But after circling through the gorge walls—like wind gaining speed—it multiplied into a storm capable of shredding Sixth-rank beasts.
It shot upward toward the gorge mouth.
Lin Ye's gaze snapped toward its origin.
His pupils shrank.
"That is…"
"…a sword."