A surging power thundered again and again in Evan Lin's dantian.
The force released by that intensely green energy orb was downright astonishing.
The green mist flooding back into his body merged with the true qi inside Evan, transforming into swirling tornadoes that rampaged through his dantian.
Bean-sized beads of sweat appeared on Evan's forehead.
The wild gales raging within brought a pain like being cut by a thousand blades, but no matter how intense the agony, Evan didn’t open his eyes.
A long time passed.
The storm inside his body gradually calmed down.
Evan slowly opened his eyes and let out a long breath of turbid air. His gaze was bright, his face cool and composed. The true qi that used to fill his body had completely vanished, replaced by a faint but utterly different spiritual qi.
This spiritual qi was now gathered in Evan's dantian.
Within his dantian, there was a half-buried mountain peak. Atop the mountain stood a Dao platform, and on the platform, a flawless, transparent well—the immaculate well—containing a small amount of spiritual qi.
"After Qi-Refining comes Foundation Establishment. I can’t believe this Drunken Cloud Plum, combined with the Soul-Guarding Dragon Mark in my left hand, actually helped me break through!"
Evan’s eyes sparkled with a sharp, radiant light.
At this moment, Evan Lin’s entire body radiated an unstoppable edge.
He simply clenched his fist, making no other move.
In an instant, the entire floor of the room turned to dust!
...
The next day.
Leighton City, Ding family main hall.
"Elder Mu, your Valley’s Guardian Victor Frost still hasn’t returned?" The Ding Matriarch looked at Elder Mark Mu sitting across from her and asked softly.
This time, Medicine King Valley had sent three people in total.
Aside from Elder Mark Mu and the young prodigy Zane Zhen, the third was Valley Guardian Victor Frost.
The Ding Matriarch met Victor Frost the day the three arrived and was amazed by his strength, but he left soon after, which made her a bit concerned.
"When we arrived, I heard there was a two-hundred-year-old Drunken Cloud Plum at the Beast Arena in Harmony County, so I sent him to retrieve it. By all rights, he should have returned by now." Elder Mark Mu frowned, puzzled.
"Zane, go contact him."
Elder Mark Mu spoke to Zane Zhen beside him. Zane nodded and walked out.
But before he could leave the hall, Eric Ding rushed in from outside.
"Great-Grandma! Something huge just happened!"
Eric Ding was in a hurry, his face tense.
"What could be so urgent that you have to rush in like this?"
The Ding Matriarch frowned, a bit displeased.
Eric Ding quickly stopped, glancing at Elder Mark Mu on the other side, hesitating to speak.
"If you have something to say, just say it."
Elder Mark Mu’s expression was calm as he picked up his tea, blew on it, and took a sip.
"Um... I just got word from Harmony County. A Medicine King Valley Guardian was killed in the Beast Arena."
Eric Ding spoke with difficulty: "That person’s name was... Victor Frost."
"What did you say?!"
Elder Mark Mu and the Ding Matriarch were both stunned.
Zane Zhen’s face changed slightly. "Eric, where did you hear that? Victor Frost is Medicine King Valley’s Guardian, and his power is already at the pseudo-Vajra level! He’s trained in our Valley for years and mastered countless elite techniques. How could anyone kill him in the Beast Arena at Harmony County?"
"Exactly! Victor Frost has guarded our Valley for over ten years. Even if he faced a fifth-grade Vajra master head-on, he might not be able to win, but escaping would be no problem at all!"
"What, is there someone in Leighton City stronger than a fifth-grade Vajra?!"
Elder Mark Mu’s tone was steady, but there was a faint authority in his words that made Eric Ding instinctively bow his head and force a bitter smile. "Elder Mu, this news is all over the city now. Apparently, your Valley’s Victor Frost personally fought a beast in the arena and was gravely wounded…"
"What kind of beast could possibly injure him? What, did a wild animal become a monster or something?!" Elder Mark Mu slammed the armrest, shattering it instantly.
Elder Mark Mu took a deep breath to steady himself and asked coldly, "Who killed him? Was it Luke Lu from the Beast Arena?"
Hearing that Victor Frost had been killed, Elder Mark Mu could only think of one possibility: Luke Lu, the boss of the Beast Arena.
"I heard years ago that Luke Lu broke into the Vajra Realm and even mastered the Berserker Martial Canon. I once thought he could be an asset for Medicine King Valley, but now it seems I’ll have to pay him a personal visit and show him what it means to challenge Medicine King Valley’s authority!"
Elder Mark Mu snorted coldly, and the temperature in the hall seemed to drop. The atmosphere grew heavy as Eric Ding broke into a cold sweat and stammered, "Elder Mu, please calm your anger! Actually..."
"Actually what, Eric? If you have something to say, spit it out!"
The Ding Matriarch’s face was anxious too—having trouble with Medicine King Valley on their turf was never a good thing for the Ding family.
"Luke Lu from the Beast Arena was also killed!"
Eric Ding took a deep breath. "The one who killed both Luke Lu and Victor Frost was the same person."
"What?!"
Elder Mark Mu’s expression was stunned. "One person killed two Vajra experts?"
"Rumor is, he called himself Evan ‘Nine Mysteries’ Lin, and did it all for the Drunken Cloud Plum…"
After speaking, Eric Ding lowered his head. "I’ve already sent people to track down this Evan ‘Nine Mysteries’ Lin. We should have news soon."
"Evan ‘Nine Mysteries’ Lin?"
Elder Mark Mu muttered to himself, lost in thought. The heavy atmosphere in the hall suddenly eased.
"Elder Mu, do you know this Evan ‘Nine Mysteries’ Lin?"
The Ding Matriarch saw Elder Mark Mu fall silent and asked.
Before Elder Mark Mu could reply, Zane Zhen suddenly remembered something and his face changed. "Evan ‘Nine Mysteries’ Lin! When Senior Sister Lena returned to the Valley, she said the one who killed Sean Shao was called Evan ‘Nine Mysteries’ Lin!"
"And not only that. Just a few days ago, River City’s number one, Drake Huang, was also killed by this Evan ‘Nine Mysteries’ Lin." Elder Mark Mu’s face grew grim, his brow deeply furrowed.
"He’s killed four Vajra masters in a row. Who on earth is this Evan ‘Nine Mysteries’ Lin?"
As Elder Mark Mu finished speaking, the whole room was so silent you could hear a pin drop.
Eric Ding was even more shocked by Elder Mark Mu’s words.
Even a single Vajra master is enough to dominate a region. Drake Huang, for example, ruled all of River City for over a decade with his peak Inner Strength.
But now, this Evan ‘Nine Mysteries’ Lin has appeared out of nowhere, and in less than half a month, he’s slain four Vajras!
Is this guy insane or what?!
"No matter what, he killed people from Medicine King Valley. This blood debt must be repaid! If he dares show himself again, I’ll personally tear him to pieces and have his flesh and blood nourish Medicine King Valley’s soil—let him suffer a thousand stabs for all eternity, never to reincarnate!"