The Fat Fiend God had fled dozens of zhang (1 zhang ≈ 3.3m) when a sudden chill struck his heart.
A flying sword arced into view, blocking his path with a cyan-glowing blade. Looking down, he saw his heart pierced, blood gushing.
He turned to Lin Yu in disbelief, stammering, "F-flying sword..."
A Sword Cultivator who grasped Sword Intent was terrifying; one who could wield a flying sword was invincible!
Watching Lin Yu approach, the Fat Fiend God realized: "It was you! You tampered with the seal to let us escape, didn't you? Why?"
"You guessed right. I did it to put you Demonic Cultivators to good use." Lin Yu nodded as a golden light burst from his forehead. The God-Eating Cauldron flew out of his sea of consciousness, hovering before him.
"Put to good use?" The Fat Fiend God was confused.
"Can't figure it out? Then don't." Lin Yu chuckled as starlight ripples surged from the cauldron, spreading from the Fat Fiend God's feet and pulling him into the cauldron.
"Excellent! Time to start business, young master!" Cauldron Lord purred, satisfied with the Myriad Manifestations Demonic Being. "This one alone can push you to Purple Mansion Ninth Grade!"
Lin Yu erased all traces around the tower before returning to the imperial mausoleum.
In the stone house, Lin Yu sat cross-legged as the cauldron's star sea boiled, Cauldron Lord slowly refining the Fat Fiend God. Spiritual energy surged into Lin Yu like waves. He circulated the Saint Emperor Art to refine it,冲击 (assaulting) higher realms.
Where refining Purple Mansion Demonic Beings had felt like a mountain torrent, refining a Myriad Manifestations expert was a surging tide. As spiritual energy poured in, Lin Yu's cultivation rose. When the Fat Fiend God was fully refined, he indeed advanced two realms to Purple Mansion Ninth Grade—one step from Myriad Manifestations.
Cauldron Lord needed to devour one more Demonic Being to push Lin Yu into Myriad Manifestations. With his Saint Emperor Sword Body, he had no bottlenecks—only spiritual energy limited his speed.
Lin Yu willed it, and the Wind Controlling Sword flew out, circled him, then vanished into the night. After his advancement, activating the Nine Heavens Sword Flight Art allowed the sword to traverse 5,000 li in a thought—even a Myriad Manifestations Second Grade couldn't withstand one strike.
He stored the sword and continued cultivating to stabilize his foundation.
"Third Brother, I've come to see you..."
"Third Uncle, are you awake?"
Voices of the Second Prince and Chu Chu sounded outside the mausoleum.
Lin Yu opened his eyes, went out, and saw Prince Lin Shuo and Chu Chu leading servants with daily supplies and delicacies. The servants placed them in the stone house and left.
Chu Chu had grown into a graceful young woman, her cultivation reaching Xiantian Third Grade, on par with Princess Lin Yue at Lingtian Sect. Soon, she would surpass Lin Yue to become the crown jewel of the Great Han's younger generation.
"Third Brother, Chu Chu and I came to say goodbye." Once inside, Lin Shuo explained.
"Goodbye?" Lin Yu looked at him in confusion.
Lin Shuo smiled bitterly: "The Southern Wasteland mission vanished in our territory. They suspect we killed them and threaten war if we don't explain."
Lin Yu glanced at Chu Chu. He had slain the mission, and the trouble stemmed from her.
"With the First Prince guarding the border against Great Zhou, Father ordered me to pacify the Southern Wasteland. I don't know when I'll return." Lin Shuo looked up. "Third Brother, if I achieve merit there, I'll ask Father to revoke your ban and bring you back to the capital."
"Second Brother, the Southern Wasteland barbarians respect might, not virtue. Use雷霆手段 (thunderous measures) when needed—no mercy." Lin Yu warned, knowing more about the barbarians than anyone at court.
"Third Uncle, I'm leaving the capital too. I can't visit often anymore." Chu Chu pouted. "Grandfather wants me to join Lingtian Sect where Seventh Aunt trains. I leave in a few days."
Lingtian Sect, slightly weaker than Taishang Sword Sect, had likely aligned with the Great Han to recruit Chu Chu, a prodigy. Otherwise, the Han Emperor wouldn't agree.
"Lingtian Sect has deep底蕴 (heritage). Study hard there, Chu Chu." Lin Yu smiled, patting her head. He fetched three inch-long wooden swords from his room.
"Second Brother, the Southern Wasteland is dangerous. Take this wooden sword for protection." He gave one to Lin Shuo, then handed two to Chu Chu: "This brings good luck—keep it close. Give the other to Seventh Princess at Lingtian Sect as my gift."
"Don't worry, Third Uncle! I'll deliver it!" Chu Chu nodded, taking the swords.
Lin Shuo gaped at the wooden sword, pulling Lin Yu aside: "Third Brother, be honest— is Prince Su in the imperial mausoleum?"
The wooden sword was identical to the one that had saved him with Sword Intent of Wind. Everyone knew Lin Yu's dantian was crippled. His possession of three such swords meant only one thing: Prince Su was here and close to Lin Yu.
"I can't say where the swords came from. Just keep it, Second Brother." Lin Yu smiled enigmatically, unsure why Lin Shuo linked the swords to Prince Su.
"You... If you tell Father Prince Su favors you, returning to the capital would be easy! Why stay in this barren place?" Lin Shuo lamented, tempted to report this to the emperor.
"Not yet, Second Brother. I will return." Lin Yu shook his head. The mastermind behind his betrayal remained unknown, and he hadn't forgotten the blood debt of 100,000 soldiers. When his cultivation peaked, he would return to the capital for vengeance.