"Bang!"

A palm struck down.

With eyes filled with unwillingness.

Zhao Xingjin still collapsed to the ground, gradually losing all signs of life.

Watching the floating streaks of light drifting out from the body, Ye Liuyun didn’t hesitate for a moment and collected them right away.

Another gold talent tag!

Zhao Xingjin’s alchemy talent—Ye Liuyun wasn’t about to let it slip by.

Although it couldn’t directly boost his cultivation, having it was definitely better than nothing. Besides, it was free; who wouldn’t take it?

As for a Pill Fire talent like the Nether Bone Fire—

Ye Liuyun lifted his hand and lightly rubbed his fingers together. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

A faint green flame blazed briefly between Ye Liuyun’s fingertips.

Unlike the sensation of being burned, now that the Nether Bone Fire belonged to him, Ye Liuyun realized the flame carried no chill—instead, it felt intimately familiar.

"Not bad!"

Ye Liuyun was more than satisfied with this haul.

Seeing Si Nan and the others gathering nearby, Ye Liuyun snuffed out the Nether Bone Fire, then spoke directly.

"Search this place. See what other treasures the Zhao family has stashed away!"

This was one of Lingdan City’s top pill refining clans—there’s no way the Purple Jade Pill Furnace was their only prize.

"Yes, sir!"

Looting homes was routine now; ever since they’d started following Ye Liuyun, these subordinates had gotten plenty of practice.

So as soon as Ye Liuyun gave the order, all of them got to work, faces familiar with the process, not hesitating for a second as they began scouring the estate.

After all, the Zhao family had no one left.

If they didn’t take these things for themselves and left them here, it’d just be a gift for someone else. So then—why not make it a gift to themselves from the start?

While his subordinates kept themselves busy—

Ye Liuyun glanced sideways, scanning near the courtyard wall.

Several heads that had popped out quickly ducked back the instant Ye Liuyun spotted them.

Ye Liuyun had noticed the spying long ago.

He just hadn’t bothered to care.

It was simple, really.

The Zhao family was one of Lingdan City’s top families, and here he was, raising hell on their own turf.

Say what you will—

The other top pill clans, on the same level as the Zhao family, would definitely send people to investigate.

And that was exactly what Ye Liuyun wanted.

The Zhao family was finished. Another pill refining clan would have to take their place and supply Pills for the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Ye Liuyun had no intention of knocking on every door himself; let them come seeking him instead.

Those scouts probably got scared out of their wits.

After all.

Even a Grandmaster Realm like Zhao Xingjin got slaughtered by Ye Liuyun like it was nothing.

If it were them, they’d be dead before they could even take a punch.

They were probably desperate to bring the news back, unwilling to stay even a moment longer.

"Sir! Sir!"

Right then.

The call from his men snapped Ye Liuyun’s focus back.

Turning his head—

Si Nan was running straight over at speed.

"What is it?"

The urgency looked like they’d uncovered something serious.

"Sir, you’d better come and see this yourself."

Si Nan and the others were briefly at a loss for words.

Maybe they just didn’t know how to explain it to Ye Liuyun.

In the end, they could only have Ye Liuyun come see for himself.

Ye Liuyun offered no objection.

He followed Si Nan and the others to a place in the Zhao estate resembling a dungeon.

He hadn’t expected it.

This elegant Zhao family mansion masking a place so dark underneath.

,,,

Inside the dungeon, frail figures were locked up—men and women both, all of them thin and weak, clearly underfed, looking as if they could barely stand.

In the center—

A massive alchemy furnace sat. Judging by the shape, it was like a giant version of the Purple Jade Pill Furnace, except without any Spiritual Qi. So, not a true Spiritual Artifact.

It was just a furnace carved to look like the Purple Jade, nothing more.

But inside, the flames burned bright green—Ye Liuyun could feel it.

It was definitely the Nether Bone Fire.

Even with Zhao Xingjin dead, the Nether Bone Fire down here kept burning.

The people trapped in the dungeon—

When Ye Liuyun and his group arrived, none had the slightest hope of rescue.

Instead, every one of them curled up tighter,

as if fearing Ye Liuyun’s crew would hurt them. Their eyes brimmed with nothing but terror.

"Sir!"

This time,

Feng Feiyi also came over.

"This is what I saw the other day!"

Feng Feiyi summarized what had happened back then.

She’d wandered into the Zhao family’s dungeon by accident. Maybe she was just too confident, or maybe she really didn’t think anyone would find it.

The Zhao family’s guard down here was so lax it was essentially unguarded, so Feng Feiyi had zero trouble finding it.

And that day—

The Zhao family people were tossing the prisoners into the pill furnace, one after another.

It seemed they were being used as ingredients, to make the Pill Fire burn hotter, for refining Pills.

Feng Feiyi never claimed to be some pure-hearted good person.