Lin Yun was long gone, but the Monk and Daoist were still being pursued by the Blood Refining Ancestor. Judging by his demeanor, he wouldn’t give up until he obtained their Dharma Artifacts and Cultivation Techniques.

"You old bastard, how long are you going to chase us? Enough is enough!" After being pursued for dozens of miles, the Daoist had lost all semblance of a proper cultivator and began cursing at the Blood Refining Ancestor. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Hearing the Daoist’s furious curses, the Blood Refining Ancestor didn’t get angry. He replied with a cold expression, "Hand over your Dharma Artifacts and Cultivation Techniques, and I will naturally let you go. Otherwise, even if I have to chase you to the ends of the earth, I will kill you both today."

Hearing the Blood Refining Ancestor’s words, the Monk and Daoist knew that the old bastard was dead set on robbing them today.

They exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with determination, but also a hint of reluctance.

’Damn it! Just you wait, kid. Sooner or later, I’ll settle this score.’ Vowing silently, the Monk and Daoist blamed the day’s events entirely on Lin Yun. It was all because of him that they were being hunted by the Blood Refining Ancestor.

"You old bastard, I’ll ask you one more time: are you going to back off or not?" the Monk asked the Blood Refining Ancestor.

"Hand over the Dharma Artifacts and Cultivation Techniques, or I will absolutely not spare you," the Blood Refining Ancestor replied firmly. Things like Dharma Artifacts were simply too tempting.

"Fine. You forced my hand." As he spoke, the Monk pulled a Buddha Bead from his sleeve. The moment it appeared, the Blood Refining Ancestor’s figure trembled slightly.

From the Buddha Bead, the Blood Refining Ancestor sensed a danger—one that could threaten his very life.

With a look of reluctance, the Monk suddenly threw the Buddha Bead toward the Blood Refining Ancestor.

When it was still five meters away from the Blood Refining Ancestor, the Buddha Bead instantly shattered. Beams of golden light illuminated the surrounding space, and at the same time, the sound of chanting scriptures echoed out.

"Buddhist Scriptures..." The golden light enveloped the Blood Refining Ancestor, and the sound of the chanting forced him to retreat again and again.

’Damn it! I can’t believe I had to use the Life-saving Talisman my master gave me. Kid, you better hope I never see you again.’ Seeing that the Blood Refining Ancestor was trapped, the Monk cursed under his breath. Then, without pausing, the two of them fled into the distance.

The golden light continued to envelop the Blood Refining Ancestor. It took several hundred breaths’ worth of time before he managed to break free, which showed just how powerful that small Buddha Bead was.

"Damn it, they got away. I didn’t expect them to have a Forbidden Artifact refined by a Primordial Ocean Realm expert," the Blood Refining Ancestor said, his face dark as he stared at the empty surroundings.

Forbidden Artifacts and Dharma Artifacts might look similar, but a Forbidden Artifact is created by a powerful expert, whereas a Dharma Artifact can only be made by an Artifact Refiner.

The difference between the two is fundamental. A Forbidden Artifact is made when a powerful expert injects their own Elemental Power into an object, allowing the artifact to unleash a single strike equivalent to its creator’s full strength.

Many Core Disciples of major Sects or the children of great families possess Forbidden Artifacts. These are Life-saving Talismans given to them by the elders of their family or Sect.

The Blood Refining Ancestor was quite surprised that the Monk possessed a Forbidden Artifact. This meant that behind the Monk and Daoist, there was definitely a Primordial Ocean Realm expert.

Furthermore, judging from the Forbidden Artifact’s attack, their backer had to be an expert at the Seventh Layer of Primordial Ocean Realm or higher, because the Blood Refining Ancestor had actually suffered internal injuries.

The Blood Refining Ancestor gave up on pursuing the Monk and Daoist and turned back in the direction of his disciple. He had miscalculated today. Not only had he failed to obtain the Dharma Artifacts and lost the Essence-Raising Fruit, but he had even been injured by a Forbidden Artifact.

Things quieted down on the Blood Refining Ancestor’s end. Meanwhile, Lin Yun had already fled a great distance. After deliberately taking a long, roundabout path, he finally returned to the Mysterious City.

The first thing Lin Yun did upon returning to the city was go into seclusion. With the Essence-Raising Fruit in hand, it would be a terrible waste not to use it for a breakthrough. Besides, a treasure like this was never safe to carry around. If word got out, it would undoubtedly attract the covetous eyes of many.

Instead of returning to his inn, Lin Yun went to an establishment owned by the Iron Blood Gang called the Cultivation Institute. It was a very special place, designed for Martial Artists who needed to enter seclusion without any disturbances.

The Iron Blood Gang had established this Cultivation Institute to offer protection for a price. As long as you had Primordial Stones, the Iron Blood Gang would guard you for the duration of your seclusion.

It was the safest place in the entire Mysterious City, but the fees were exorbitant. There were several dozen rooms, all built from hard bluestone, and the daily rate started at a shocking one Low Grade Primordial Stone.

’What a money-making machine,’ Lin Yun mused. He paid three Low Grade Primordial Stones for a room, inwardly envious of the Cultivation Institute’s profitability.

If he hadn’t taken the Space Rings from the Monk and his companion, Lin Yun wouldn’t have been able to afford to go into seclusion here at all.

He followed behind a Martial Artist from the Iron Blood Gang. From the man’s aura, Lin Yun could tell that he had already reached the Qi Sea Realm.

"We’re here. You have three days. After that, it’s an extra Low Grade Primordial Stone for each additional day." The man brought Lin Yun to the door of his room, stated the terms coldly, and then walked away without another word.

Looking at the cultivation chamber, it was small and simple, containing only a single meditation cushion and nothing else.

He didn’t mind. He was only here to achieve a breakthrough; as long as his safety was guaranteed, that was all that mattered. Lin Yun firmly believed in one principle: only what you’ve consumed is truly yours.

That was why, with the Essence-Raising Fruit in his possession, Lin Yun chose to break through at the first possible opportunity.

’It’s all up to you now.’ Holding the Essence-Raising Fruit, Lin Yun sighed to himself before swallowing it in one gulp.

The Essence-Raising Fruit dissolved the moment it entered his stomach, and streams of pure Elemental Power began to well up in his Dantian.

His cultivation skyrocketed. Lin Yun, who had already been at the Second Layer of Opening Realm, reached the peak of the Second Layer in just one hour, putting him on the very cusp of a breakthrough.

At this point, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Primordial Power began to surge madly into Lin Yun’s body. He was like a bottomless pit, absorbing it all without any fear that his body would burst.

The War God Technique and Demon Emperor Technique circulated, sending blood-red and golden streams of Elemental Power coursing through his body. The two powers grew continuously, and the Elemental Power within his Dantian became incredibly dense and vigorous.

While Lin Yun was breaking through, the Monk and Daoist also managed to escape back to the city in a sorry state. From the looks on their faces, it was clear they were furious, as if someone owed them a massive debt.

"Damn it! That kid is infuriating! He secretly took the Essence-Raising Fruit for himself and even made me waste a Forbidden Artifact," the Monk cursed angrily as they walked.

"We can’t let him get away with this. We have to make him compensate us for our losses. At the very least, he needs to spit that Essence-Raising Fruit back out," the Daoist chimed in.

A monk and a Daoist, walking down the street cursing up a storm—the scene made the pedestrians on the street stare in astonishment. These two didn’t look like a monk and a Daoist at all; they looked more like a pair of common thugs.