Leaping up, Li Lin's figure immediately disappeared from the spot. It was a good time to go out for some training, especially since his injuries had almost healed.

In a dense forest, towering trees shrouded the space. In the forest, a giant bear, over three meters tall, was intently watching Li Lin. The bear was pure white, without a single speck of another color, and its eyes were like bronze bells. It emitted a terrifying aura.

"A second-stage late phase demon beast," Li Lin sensed the aura of the giant bear, which had reached the late phase of the second stage. Even a first-grade martial artist would struggle against it. This was an Earth Demon Bear, with thick skin and a lot of flesh, extremely tough in defense and not easy to deal with.

"Roar..."

A terrifying roar echoed from the mouth of the Earth Demon Bear as it charged forward rapidly, its massive front limbs slamming down towards Li Lin.

"Big guy, this young master will take care of you," said Li Lin, not turning to flee. He vibrated the Qi under his feet, swiftly dodging the Earth Demon Bear's attack. The bear was thick-skinned and heavily defended, but somewhat clumsy and not very agile.

"Mountain Splitting Palm." Li Lin shouted softly, dodging and striking with a pale yellow palm imprint towards the giant Earth Demon Bear, speeding up and hitting the bear's back.

"Bang..."

Li Lin felt as if his palm had hit a rock, going numb, while the Earth Demon Bear just staggered forward a few steps.

"Roar..."

The Earth Demon Bear roared again, turning and slamming its left limb towards Li Lin, the powerful force creating a whistling wind.

Li Lin quickly retreated backward. He couldn't afford to fight head-on with this beast, as it would only put him at a disadvantage. Forming a hand seal, the surrounding spiritual energy instantly gathered, the terrifying air pressure distorting space and spreading a strong aura.

In Li Lin's hand, a red broadsword condensed, with spatial ripples oscillating around it and a sharp whistling sound.

"Soul Cutter Slash."

Li Lin's spiritual energy condensed into the red broadsword, instantly breaking through the spatial airflow. The surrounding air swept across like a mountain pressing down, ferociously striking towards the Earth Demon Bear.

"Roar..."

On the giant body of the Earth Demon Bear, a thick pale-yellow light ring condensed, watching Li Lin's attack with fear in its eyes. Low-level demon beasts, not very intelligent, tend to flee when scared, unlike wild beasts which can be more tenacious and dangerous.

However, high-level demon beasts, as intelligent as humans, are much more challenging to deal with.

The red broadsword cut through the void, the blade causing spatial vibrations and producing a sonic boom. The blade's afterimage, carrying a terrifying force, struck the Earth Demon Bear with a blinding light.

"Bang!"

The pale-yellow light ring on the Earth Demon Bear instantly twisted and then cracked, unleashing a violent energy fluctuation. A fierce power spread out, distorting the surrounding space.

The giant body of the Earth Demon Bear was split in two by the blade, which then dissipated into the void.

"Truly worthy of being a Xuan-level spiritual technique." Li Lin marveled at the power of his Soul Cutter technique. At his sixth-grade martial artist level, using this Xuan-level spiritual technique, he could kill a second-stage late phase demon beast. This meant that using this Soul Cutter technique, he could kill an average first-grade martial artist.

Xuan-level spiritual techniques are classified into six levels: Heaven, Earth, Xuan, Huang, Star, and Chen. For a small family clan, possessing an early Yellow Level martial technique is already a treasure. Yellow Level spiritual techniques are even rarer. As for Xuan-level martial techniques and spiritual techniques, they are considered treasures even in large sects and schools. The power of martial and spiritual techniques increases significantly with each level. There is a world of difference between an early Xuan-level spiritual technique and a high-level Huang spiritual technique.

Li Lin practiced the Soul Cutter technique, an early Xuan-level spiritual technique, while the Vermilion Bird Art was a high-level Huang martial technique. As for the Four Gods Art, Li Lin was not sure if it was a martial technique since the Vermilion Bird Art differed greatly from ordinary martial techniques. However, Li Lin knew that his current Vermilion Bird Art should be his strongest technique. Although it was a high-level Huang martial technique, its power was even greater than the Soul Cutter technique. If he could integrate the power of a third party into the Vermilion Bird Art like he did last time, its power would become incredibly formidable.

Li Lin's second technique was undoubtedly the Soul Cutter technique, and the third was the Water-element martial technique, Raging Sea Roar. He still lacked Wood-element and Wind-element martial techniques.

After tidying up, Li Lin made his way back. It was about time to return, especially since he had a Dragon Beard Grass on him. Looking at the small black dot on his palm, Li Lin smiled wryly.

Arriving back at the mountain valley cave, Li Lin saw the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master meditating with a pale face, his aura slightly improved, and the wound on his shoulder had congealed.

"Did you find the Dragon Beard Grass?" Feeling Li Lin's return, the robed elder opened his eyes, asking eagerly, as if the Dragon Beard Grass was of great importance.

"I got it." Li Lin handed over the Dragon Beard Grass he had prepared to the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master.

This Dragon Beard Grass, about half a meter tall, emitted a strong medicinal fragrance. It had nine leaves that resembled whiskers, and its body was curved, hence the name. The Dragon Beard Grass was known for its detoxification properties, enhancing spiritual energy, and stabilizing the mind, making it highly valuable.

"I need to concoct elixirs. Stay quiet and do not disturb me," the robed elder said happily, then looked at Li Lin with a gaze that was a bit less cold.

"Please proceed," Li Lin replied, retreating to a corner of the cave, curious to see how the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master would concoct the elixirs.

"Clang..."

The Soul Ensnaring Poison Master took out a medicinal cauldron from his storage ring. Li Lin had noticed the storage ring on the master's hand before, a sign of high status.

The cauldron, about a meter tall and dark cyan, had intricate patterns and emitted a faint luster. It seemed to be of no lesser quality than Li Lin's Fire Dragon Cauldron.

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At that moment, the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master began forming hand seals, channeling spiritual energy into the cauldron. Immediately, roaring flames filled the cauldron, the intense heat causing the air in the cave to become extremely hot and the temperature to rise sharply.

As the temperature reached a certain level, Li Lin watched the master skillfully control the flames, a level of proficiency far beyond his own.

Then, the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master took out various herbs, one by one, refining them in the cauldron. The fire in the cauldron reached a level of precision that required immense soul power to control.

Li Lin was surprised by the herbs the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master took out, all of them valuable. It seemed that the master was concocting at least fifth-grade elixirs or higher.

Watching the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master refine the herbs, Li Lin grew more and more amazed. The master's control over the soul power and flames was incredibly precise, wasting not a single bit of material and working at a rapid pace.

However, there were numerous herbs to be refined, and it was not a task that could be completed in a short time. Watching the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master concoct, Li Lin learned a lot by analogy. Feeling the aura of the master and considering his title, Li Lin guessed that the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master might have reached the level of a Spiritual Commander, an absolute powerhouse.

At this time, the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master was deeply focused on his concoction, taking meticulous steps in refining the various herbs.

This process continued until the next day when all the herbs were finally refined. The master's hand seals changed again, and he let out a long breath, then began to merge the spiritual liquid extracted from the herbs.

The hand seals of the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master danced continuously, and the flames in the medicinal cauldron roared, emitting a rich medicinal fragrance. Li Lin could neither see nor feel what was happening inside the cauldron, but judging from the aura and scent emanating from it, the spiritual medicine was slowly taking shape, a feat not achievable by ordinary spiritual practitioners.

Time passed slowly again, and the fragrance in the cave became increasingly intense.

...

A whole day passed, and the medicinal fragrance in the cave became so intense and fierce that it shocked Li Lin. What level of elixir was being concocted, carrying such a violent power even in its scent?

"Humming..."

The medicinal cauldron vibrated continuously, buzzing incessantly, as if a violent force was rampaging inside, appearing extremely mystical.

"Gather the elixir," the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master commanded in a light shout, changing the hand seals again, causing the cauldron to shake even more violently. An invisible force suddenly spread out.

"Clang!"

A clear sound emanated from the cauldron, and simultaneously, the lid flew open, releasing a green elixir the size of a baby's fist, which spiraled up into the cave.

The elixir was filled with violent energy, shining brilliantly. As it flew out of the cauldron, a massive energy pressed down on the cave, transforming into a dazzling beam of light shooting out of the cave.

"Boom..."

The entire valley echoed with a loud noise as a beam of light shot up into the sky, causing rocks in the cave to fall and shake before stabilizing after a moment.

In the hands of the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master, there now lay a green elixir. Although the light on the elixir had dimmed, the rich medicinal fragrance and violent energy could not be concealed.

Li Lin's face turned somewhat pale; under this violent energy, he had suffered quite a bit, forced to activate his Qi to resist.

"What grade is this elixir?" Li Lin couldn't help but ask. The emergence of the elixir caused such a commotion, which was somewhat frightening. He guessed that the elixir was likely of the fifth grade, but he dared not determine the exact level. Li Lin had never encountered an elixir of this grade before.

"It's just a middle-grade fifth-level elixir. With my injury, I can only concoct a fifth-grade elixir, which is just enough to help me recover some of my wounds. I need to heal now, which will probably take about ten days. You can either leave or stay in the cave," the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master said.

"I'll stay. What if you leave without giving me the antidote?" Li Lin said.

"Then stay," the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master glanced at Li Lin and then took the elixir in his hand to start healing.

Li Lin sat cross-legged, deciding to use these ten days to cultivate and fully recover from his injuries. He took a third-grade elixir, hoping to enhance his strength by refining it. After using the Qi of a fifth-grade martial artist to execute the Vermilion Bird Art last time, he now relied on refining elixirs to strengthen his Qi. Fortunately, he had a good number of elixirs, although not of high grade, taken from the leader of the Rampaging Wolf Mercenaries.

Li Lin still cared about third-grade elixirs, but he ate second-grade elixirs like snacks. They had little effect on him now. At his current seventh-grade martial artist strength, even three hundred second-grade elixirs might not enhance his strength by a level.

Moments later, Li Lin began to regulate his breathing. The elixir turned into a vast energy, which he slowly refined. In his dantian Qi sea, the Qi slowly increased, but he was still far from breaking through to the eighth-grade martial artist level.

During this refining process, Li Lin lost track of time. After ten days, the robed elder slowly exhaled a turbid breath and woke up.

"Huff huff..."

Li Lin stopped his cultivation and felt the Qi in his dantian Qi sea, now at the middle level of a seventh-grade martial artist. Refining elixirs did not have the same effect as directly absorbing Qi.

"Only ten days, but your strength seems to have improved quite a bit," the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master looked at Li Lin with a hint of surprise. He could easily discern Li Lin's inner Qi without it being concealed.

"How is your injury now?" Li Lin asked, noting that the master's complexion had improved significantly, and his aura had grown stronger, indicating that his injury was likely no longer severe.

"It's not a big deal now, but full recovery is still a long way off," the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master said with a darkened expression, then spoke to Li Lin, "You're quite bold. Most people tremble in fear in my presence."

"Why should I tremble? Although you are powerful, there's no reason to kill me arbitrarily," Li Lin said with a forced laugh, though he was somewhat worried inside. If the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master decided to take his life on a whim, he would have nowhere to seek justice.

"Humph, don't try to provoke me or flatter me. I kill if I wish to kill, and no one can stop or control me. As long as I'm pleased, it's enough. But I promised not to kill you, and I will keep my word. We should go now," the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master said.

"Go? Where are we going?" Li Lin was startled.

"My enemy will never expect that I, having suffered a great loss, would return to the Ancient Realm so soon. I want to do the unexpected and return there. This grudge must be avenged sooner or later," the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master said with coldness in his eyes, making Li Lin shiver. It was evident that the master's grudge was deep.

"Go to the Ancient Realm..." Li Lin was stunned. He had heard of the Ancient Realm, reachable by crossing the entire Misty Mountain Range, but traversing it would take half a year, or two months even by flying beast.

"You're not suggesting that I accompany you, are you?" Li Lin asked gravely. He did not wish to go, especially since there were many high-level demon beasts deep in the Misty Mountain Range. Besides, he needed to visit the Yunyang Sect, and going to the Ancient Realm would make his return difficult.

"Indeed, my injury is not fully healed, and I need someone to serve me," the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master gave his answer.

"Can't I hire a maid or find you a young woman to serve you? I really don't want to go to the Ancient Realm. Can't you spare me?" Li Lin said.

"You can leave anytime, but I will give you the antidote in a year. You can come to the Ancient Realm to get it from me if you can find me," the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master said lightly.

"You're ruthless..." Li Lin said, his life still in the hands of the other party, leaving him no choice but to be at their mercy.

"Let's go. First, let's find a mercenary group heading to the Ancient Realm. We'll blend in with them to get there," the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master told Li Lin.

"Alright," Li Lin replied softly. In the Misty Mountain Range, there were indeed several mercenary groups heading to the Ancient Realm. These groups, apart from gathering spiritual herbs and capturing demon beasts along the way, also escorted merchants or others through the Misty Mountain Range from the Ancient Realm and the Spirit Martial Continent.

Such mercenary groups generally possessed great strength, as crossing the Misty Mountain Range without it was impossible. In the depths of the Misty Mountain Range, third-grade demon beasts were common, fourth-grade ones appeared frequently, and if luck was poor, even fifth-grade demon beasts could be encountered.

However, these mercenary groups also reaped great rewards from each expedition. Generally, spiritual practitioners were among them. Li Lin learned from Lan Ling that the White Wolf Mercenary Group belonged to such large-scale mercenary groups.

But overnight, this White Wolf Mercenary Group was annihilated by an elder of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, reflecting the formidable strength of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect.

Li Lin followed the Soul Ensnaring Poison Master out of the valley. The master looked around for direction and then walked forward, asking Li Lin, "Do you know of any places nearby where mercenaries gather?"