The Entry-plundering Demon Hunter

The sky had not yet brightened.

Everything was hazy and dim.

Chu Zhengxiong and Mo Yanfeng drove two jeeps toward the highway.

The Demon Hunting Institute had also returned to its normal operations.

As for the few corpses, personnel from the Public Security Bureau came and carried them away.

The entire process was handled quietly, without causing much of a stir.

This was mainly to avoid causing unnecessary panic.

If the citizens of Songshan City were to find out that even the Demon Hunting Institute had been attacked by demon beasts...

...it would surely fill them with an indescribable fear.

"Where are we off to?"

After the others had left, Wei Nan asked with a smile.

Lin Yi glanced at him. "I’m tired. Going back to the school to sleep!"

"Then let’s go!"

The two exchanged a smile, walked to the side of the road, and each found a shared bicycle.

They began to ride back toward the school at a leisurely pace.

...

「Southeast Battlefield.」

Combat Command Center.

Yi Nanshan and the Elder Celestial Master sat there, their faces grave.

They watched the technicians busy at their computers.

However, their own faces were devoid of any superfluous expression.

After a long while, Yi Nanshan turned his head and said, "There are no issues in any of the other war zones!"

"Then where exactly did the problem originate?"

"How did the demon beasts infiltrate the city? And those men in black..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Elder Celestial Master shook his head.

He already knew what had happened at Dragon Tiger Mountain.

He had also received the news that his eldest disciple had betrayed the sect and been executed by Lin Yi.

The Elder Celestial Master had never imagined that his longest-serving disciple would harbor thoughts of betrayal.

Most importantly, before this, the man had shown no signs of dissatisfaction toward him or Dragon Tiger Mountain.

If he had truly been treasonous and had let it show...

...the Elder Celestial Master might have felt a little better about it.

He let out a soft sigh, a grim light flashing in his eyes.

"These people have been planning for a long time, and they’ve been slowly infiltrating from the very beginning!"

"It’s clear that none of these people are simple-minded!"

"Old Yi, what are your thoughts on this?"

"Me?"

Yi Nanshan paused, then shook his head with a smile. "What thoughts could I have?"

"However, their appearance is by no means a coincidence. I suspect that behind them might be people we are familiar with, perhaps even lurking right beside us!"

"They are more cautious than Blood Drop was, and their objective is clear: to destroy the various departments in the New District. First, it was the Demon Hunting Bureau, then the Town Martial Department. They even have ties to the demon beasts in the Restricted Area!"

"The goal of these people is to throw the entire New District into chaos!"

"But... I always feel that things are far from being that simple!"

"Could their ultimate target be... Lin Yi?"

When Yi Nanshan voiced this possibility...

...the Elder Celestial Master showed no surprise. Instead, his gaze flickered as he glanced at Yi Nanshan.

This meant their thoughts had aligned.

These people had done so much and planned for so long.

With all this groundwork laid, it was possible their final target was indeed Lin Yi.

And all the previous attacks and preparations were just to mislead them.

To make them think these people wanted to control the New District, when in reality, they had another objective.

This was evident from the fact that the men in black had attacked Dragon Tiger Mountain at all costs.

They hadn’t targeted any of the other key universities in the New District.

They only struck at Dragon Tiger Mountain.

And they did it while the Elder Celestial Master was away.

"If that’s the case, are they targeting Lin Yi just to stop him from becoming a Martial God?"

"But what’s the purpose of doing that? Have they reached some sort of agreement with the demon beasts in the Restricted Area?"

the Elder Celestial Master said, finding it strange.

Yi Nanshan shook his head. "Collaborate with demon beasts? What good would that do them?"

"Those demon beasts are, after all, beasts, not humans!"

"Can you guarantee they’ll keep their promises? Isn’t that just a fool’s dream?"

"Mu Ru, do you think it’s possible... that this is a foreign invasion?"

"A foreign invasion? You mean... people from other countries?"

Yi Nanshan didn’t speak.

But the flicker in his eyes said it all.

The Elder Celestial Master also took a deep breath.

Since ancient times, there have always been foreign powers wanting to invade this land.

They have used all sorts of methods, sparing no expense.

Even now, in an era of demon beast invasions where the entire populace practices Martial Arts...

...there are still some foreign powers with ill intentions, scheming to devour this place.

If these men in black truly have the backing of a foreign power...

...then this isn’t just an internal conflict. It could easily trigger a global war.

When that time comes, I’m afraid the entire world will be dragged into war.

The Elder Celestial Master sucked in a sharp breath of cold air.

"Old Yi, have you mentioned this idea to anyone? Like Old Yao and the others at your Martial Arts Alliance?"

Hearing this, Yi Nanshan shook his head. "Hah, tell Old Yao and the others? They’d have to believe me first!"

"Those old fools have lived for so long, yet their thinking is still so naive!"

"They always think every country is too busy dealing with its own affairs and fending off demon beasts from the Restricted Areas to have time for these conspiracies."

"I’ve argued with them countless times because we can’t unify our thinking!"

"But everything I’ve said is just speculation. There’s no evidence to prove it yet!"

"Otherwise, I really can’t think of anyone in the New District who would want to prevent a Martial God from taking their place!"

"The existence of a Martial God can deter the demon beasts in the Restricted Areas!"

"It would also bring peace to the nation and allow the people to live stable lives!"

"Without the deterrence of a Martial God, those demon beasts will grow restless. Sooner or later, they will break through the seals of the Restricted Areas and pour out to kill!"

"But for those foreign powers, that’s exactly what they’re hoping for!"

"They wouldn’t even have to lift a finger to watch us descend into chaos!"

"Isn’t that precisely what they want to see?"

"Therefore, from a long-term perspective, preventing a Martial God from rising is most beneficial to those foreign powers!"

The Elder Celestial Master nodded.

Although Yi Nanshan’s speculation lacked evidence...

...from a logical standpoint, it was indeed the case.

As long as Lin Yi was prevented from becoming a Martial God, the deterrence against the Restricted Areas would be lacking.

They are using this opportunity to infiltrate the Martial Arts Alliance, the Demon Hunting Bureau, and the Town Martial Department.

To dismantle them bit by bit from within.

By the time the demon beasts break out from their containment, the foreign powers wouldn’t need to do anything.

The entire New District would be swallowed by those demon beasts.

At that point, no one would be able to stop the demon beasts anymore.

The Elder Celestial Master’s expression became incredibly grave.

He glanced back at Yi Nanshan and said, "Then in your opinion, what should we do?"

Yi Nanshan gazed into the distance, his eyes profound.

After a long moment, he murmured, "If they’re going to make a move, then we’ll break their game!"

"We’ll dig out every single one of their pawns that have infiltrated our ranks!"

"We’ll start with the Martial Arts Alliance and the army defending this place!"

"At the same time, have Old He and the Demon Hunting Bureau conduct internal investigations and root out everyone they’ve planted!"

"For the rest, we’ll wait and see what their next move is!"

Hearing this, the Elder Celestial Master nodded.

He agreed with Yi Nanshan’s ideas.

Given the current situation, to break their game, they had to eliminate those pawns first.

Dig them all out and remove the potential threats.

All that remained was to wait for their next move.

Then, the two men exchanged a smile.

They stood up and walked out of the command center.

...

[Current Realm: Star Tempering Realm]

[Current Source Qi: 38.16%]

Ever since stepping into the Star Tempering Realm, his Qi and Blood had been converted into Source Qi.

This meant that if he wanted to advance to the next realm in the future...

...he could only attempt a breakthrough after his Source Qi reached 100%.

And right now, his Source Qi had only just passed one-third.

There was no telling how long it would take to break through to the next realm.

After all, increasing one’s Qi and Blood value was completely different from acquiring Source Qi.

To obtain Source Qi, he had to purify his Qi and Blood.

For example, if he wanted to convert 10% of his Qi and Blood into Source Qi...

...the purified Source Qi might only amount to 3% or 5%.

It could even be lower than that.

If it weren’t for Lin Yi’s [Star River Qi Transformation Technique], he feared that breaking through to the next realm...

...would take him several years, or even decades.

After all, acquiring Source Qi was far more complex.

It required continuous purification to advance one’s realm.

This was also why Lin Yi’s grandfather, Yi Nanshan, had been stuck in the Star Tempering Realm for decades, unable to break through to the next realm.

It was also the reason the Elder Celestial Master had been stalled at his current realm for so long without making progress.

The higher the realm, the more difficult the purification.

Many people could spend their entire lives without ever managing to step into the next realm.

In this way, the path from 1-Star to 7-Star was actually easier.

He was finally beginning to understand why the Elder Celestial Master had said before...

...that true cultivation actually begins at the Star Tempering Realm.

If the stages from 1-Star to 7-Star were about tempering the physical body...

...then stepping into the Star Tempering Realm marked the beginning of practicing Qi.

Only by reaching the Star Tempering Realm could one be considered to have truly stepped onto the path of Martial Arts.

A morning of rest...

...left Lin Yi feeling refreshed. He first took out some Demon Beast Meat for Xiaoqi to eat for lunch.

Then, he came out of his room.

He extended his divine sense to scan Wei Nan’s room.

He found that the guy was still asleep.

Sprawled out on his bed...

Lin Yi smiled and sat down on the sofa.

He picked up the remote and turned on the TV, planning to catch up on the latest news.

But he had only been watching for a few moments...

...when a phone began to ring urgently.

The caller ID displayed two words: ’Wei Shang’.

"Hello? Old Wei, how long have you guys been gone? Finally decided to give me a call?"

As soon as Lin Yi’s words fell...

...a girl’s voice came from the phone.

"You’re... Lin Yi, right?"

"Hm? Who are you?" Lin Yi paused, asking back with some confusion.

The girl chuckled and said, "My name is Meng Die. I’m colleagues with Wei Shang and the others. We’re all from the Town Martial Department!"

"Are you free? Let’s meet up!"

’Meng Die?’

The name was unfamiliar to Lin Yi.

But she was able to call him from Wei Shang’s phone.

And she claimed to be from the Town Martial Department, so Lin Yi lowered his guard a little.

He nodded and said, "Alright. Where are you? I’ll come find you!"

"I’m in the cafeteria in your dorm’s Zone 1. It’s lunchtime, so we can talk while we eat!"

"Okay!"

Lin Yi readily agreed.

After hanging up, he was just about to go back to his room to change clothes...

...when a sleepy-eyed Wei Nan walked out. "Who was that?"

"You’re awake? Want to change and go downstairs for a meal?" Lin Yi said with a smile.

But Wei Nan shook his head. "I’m not going. I want to sleep a little longer. I’m going to fight another three hundred rounds with my bed. You go on your own..."

After saying his piece, Wei Nan went back to his room to continue sleeping.

Lin Yi just smiled and didn’t bother him.

He changed his clothes and left the dormitory.

When he arrived at the Zone 1 cafeteria...

...it was crowded with students. It was noisy, with many people getting food and eating.

Lin Yi’s gaze swept across the cafeteria.

When he saw two familiar faces...

...the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

At a table inside sat three people.

Besides Wei Shang and Feng Lei, there was also a young woman.

She looked to be in her early twenties. He guessed she was the one who had just called him.

Moreover, Lin Yi could tell that Wei Shang and Feng Lei seemed a bit reserved in front of her.

’Maybe their leader is here?’

Lin Yi didn’t overthink it. He grabbed a tray and went to the counter to get some food first.