### Chapter 24: Save Me Over the next two months, a blue-robed youth with a sharp, handsome face became a ghost in the outer reaches of Yunmeng Marsh. By day, he wandered as if searching for something, his movements growing more erratic with time. At first, his grin held a boyish, playful charm, but slowly, a cold edge seeped into it—a flicker of ruthlessness, the mark of someone who'd learned to kill without hesitation. This was Lin Yi. Every battle with raiders let him absorb pure spiritual energy, fueling his Five Elements Body Tempering Nine Transformations Technique. A month prior, he'd mastered the second stage, Flesh Transformation. Now, he'd moved to the third: Meridian Transformation. It demanded far more energy than Flesh Transformation—even after a month, he'd only completed 30%. In terms of immortal cultivation, he'd hit Level 3 of Qi Refinement, stabilized for ten days, then used Big Supplement Pills to burst through to Level 4. The cost made him wince: 136 pills for Level 3, but a staggering 515 for Level 4. "Five hundred and fifteen pills…" he'd muttered, staring at the empty vials. For someone who'd scraped by for years, it felt like a knife to the soul. If he hadn't succeeded, he might've genuinely smashed his head against a wall. Thankfully, the raiders he'd killed in two months had yielded more Big Supplement Pills—enough to leave him with over 400. Still, it was a drop in the bucket for Level 5. "Level 4 needs this many… Level 5 must be astronomical," he mused, but quickly shook it off. More raiders meant more pills. Besides, the "Bounty Token" in his storage bag, earned from all those kills, could be exchanged for spirit stones at the Alliance Hall. Combined with his pills, it might just be enough. Reaching Level 5 would let him compete in the sect tournament: first, win the outer disciple division, then challenge a core disciple. Dianxuan Sect rules stated: any outer disciple in the top 10 could duel a core disciple—victory earned equal status. Core disciples normally needed Level 7, but exceptions existed, like Xiao Liang, who'd challenged his way up. At Level 4 with 30% Meridian Transformation, Lin Yi could now barely hold his own against Level 7 or 8 cultivators, thanks to his toughened body. Victory, though, was another matter. "Who cares? I'll cross that bridge when I get to it," he'd decided. Inside a cave, Lin Yi sat cross-legged, hands forming seals as he practiced the Longevity Technique. His routine: half his time on Five Elements Tempering, half on Longevity. Meridian Transformation had subtly boosted his speed—even with five spirit roots, he now cultivated faster than most three-root practitioners. "Wonder if reaching the ninth transformation will make me faster than single-root cultivators?" he often wondered. He frowned, focusing inward. "Since mastering Flesh Transformation and starting Meridians… there's a change in my internal energy and spiritual power. Hard to put into words… like they're 'purer' somehow. More… noble." "Why noble?" He puzzled over it, then shrugged. "If it's not bad, who cares?" He checked the date. "Twenty days till the tournament. Time to head back. Those who looked down on me? Their jaws will hit the floor when they see my level." A cold smile tugged at his lips. Lifting the vines covering the cave entrance, he stepped out. Dawn painted the sky, mist clinging to trees and grass, frosty dew glistening. It would've been idyllic, if not for the distant roars of beasts from the marsh's depths. Lin Yi breathed in the crisp air, savoring the calm. After two months, he knew the outer marsh like the back of his hand. He oriented himself and strode toward the market town, moving silently—no rustle of leaves, no crunch of twigs. "Hm?" His brow furrowed. "Eight people. Seven chasing one." Two months of combat had sharpened his senses; stronger修为 let his divine sense reach farther—by a few extra yards, enough to spell life or death. Soon, figures emerged from the mist: seven men in pursuit of a woman with a round, apple-like face. All were Level 6 Qi Refinement. Odd, Lin Yi thought. Seven Level 6s should've caught one easily. But as they drew near, he saw why: the woman, though exhausted, moved with a desperate agility, narrowly dodging their spells. Lin Yi didn't hide. He felt no threat from them. The woman spotted him, her large, tearful eyes widening. "Save me!" Her voice cracked, a plea so raw it could melt stone—especially for someone who'd spent two years leering at pretty disciples in the market, a self-proclaimed connoisseur of beauty. Lin Yi's lips curled into a familiar, lazy smirk. Well, this was a detour he hadn't expected.
