C5 System Upgrade

As Lin Yun covertly exchanged his points for psychic force, Jiang Mang astonishingly downed ten Marrow Cleansing Pills in a single breath!

His muscular frame contorted eerily, and with a thunderous roar, the ground within a five-meter radius of him shattered under the force of his aura. A searing white light enveloped him, converging into his palm.

"Did he just advance to the Essence Building Stage?"

An onlooker gasped in awe, "Incredible! I've never seen anyone brave enough to consume ten Marrow Cleansing Pills at once!"

"Thanks." Having ascended to the Essence Building Stage, Jiang Mang cast a meaningful glance at Lin Yun before departing on his own.

"What an intriguing fellow," Lin Yun mused.

Watching Jiang Mang's retreating figure, Lin Yun made a mental note of him.

Soon after, a throng of Mystic Moon Sect disciples swarmed Lin Yun, buzzing with excitement. "Got any more Marrow Cleansing Pills?" they clamored.

Lin Yun grinned at the eager faces and announced, "Forty taels of silver for each Marrow Cleansing Pill!"

Over the next while, Lin Yun's fortune soared. His points skyrocketed at an alarming rate as he continued his alchemy, never forgetting to replenish his psychic force with points before crafting more pills.

He had established a profitable cycle, rapidly accumulating points.

"The system has detected that the host's points have reached 1000! Initiating automatic upgrade!"

"Upgrade successful!"

"Access granted: Grade Two pills at Pillheart Hall!"

"Upgrade reward: Demonic Heavenly Profound Scripture!"

"Host, your soul strength has improved. Your maximum psychic force is now 10 points."

System notifications chimed incessantly in Lin Yun's mind for the next half-hour. He eagerly opened his updated attribute panel.

Host: Lin Yun

Title: Grade One Spirit Alchemist

Psychic Force: 4.3

Refinable Pills: Green Spirit Pill, Marrow Cleansing Pill, Bone Forging Pill, Essence Cultivating Pill, Divine Power Pill.

Upgrade Reward: Demonic Heavenly Profound Scripture.

Points: 1430

Authority: Pillheart Hall (Fasting Pill, Profound Yin Pill, Illusionary Divine Pill)

"I've even earned an upgrade reward! It appears to be a cultivation technique." Lin Yun's eyes sparkled as he glanced at the Demonic Heavenly Profound Scripture, a gift from the system. Yet, to master just the first section of the technique would cost him 500 points!

Despite receiving the Demonic Heavenly Profound Scripture, Lin Yun faced the steep price of learning it.

And with ten parts in total, Lin Yun surmised that the cost to learn the remaining sections would likely escalate.

"Steward Wang from the pill room has arrived!"

Just then, a jarring voice cut through the crowd.

The Mystic Moon Sect disciples quickly scattered from Lin Yun's stall, feigning ignorance of him. Their demeanor turned cold, a stark contrast to their earlier excitement.

"Who dares to disrupt the pill room?"

A portly figure approached, his beady eyes brimming with conceit.

A chill flickered in Lin Yun's gaze as he thought, "Some troubles are simply inescapable."

The corpulent man was none other than Wang Dana, the petty tyrant in charge of the pill room's affairs. Notoriously corrupt, he demanded under-the-table payments from disciples seeking pills.

Many disciples would mutter curses under their breath at him.

Yet, Lin Yun wasn't bothered by their whispers; his concern lay elsewhere. He pondered why Wang Dana would offer Meng ingredients laced with the toxic Bone Corrosion Grass. Was Wang Dana plotting to poison Lin Yun to death?

Or perhaps, was he acting under someone else's orders?

"Ah, Young Master Lin Yun, what brings you here?"

Surprise flickered in Wang Dana's eyes upon seeing Lin Yun. "This is the pill room, not a charity hall. Young Master, perhaps it's time for you to leave?"

"Wang Dana, are you looking for troublemakers?" Lin Yun asked, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Just a heads-up, I'm not here to stir up trouble. I'm simply here to conduct a little business."

Lin Yun's glance casually swept over several Mystic Moon Sect disciples standing behind Wang Dana. These were the very individuals Lin Yun had disciplined earlier. Bearing grudges, they had sought out Wang Dana to lodge their complaints.

"Young Master, this is disrupting the peace. Aren't you worried I'll report you to the Law Enforcement Hall disciples, so they can take you away for proper punishment?"

Wang Dana's eyes narrowed, taking in the array of pills and banknotes on Lin Yun's stall, his expression shifting to one of surprise and avarice.

The next instant, Lin Yun's voice boomed, "Wang Dana, remember who you are. You're just a lowly steward. I could end you anytime I wish."

His formidable presence was on full display.

Today, Lin Yun was intent on asserting his dominance and audacity. If he didn't, those who scorned him would never regard him with any seriousness.

"Have you lost your mind, Young Master Lin Yun?"

Wang Dana was initially taken aback by Lin Yun's declaration, then burst into laughter as if he'd heard the funniest joke. "I was reluctant to be so forthright, to spare you the embarrassment," he said.

It wasn't just Wang Dana; even the disciples who had purchased pills from Lin Yun couldn't suppress their knowing smirks.

Lin Yun's standing within the Mystic Moon Sect was negligible, a fact well-known to all.

Despite Wang Dana's modest cultivation level, he was fortunate enough to manage the pill room, making him a target for flattery from many within the sect.

The gap in their statuses was vast.

Lin Yun watched their undisguised mockery without anger. He simply stared at Wang Dana and coolly uttered, "Scum."

"How dare you address me in such a manner?"

Wang Dana was instantly enraged. Even Inner Sect disciples typically treated him with great respect, and he had grown accustomed to such adulation. The sudden insult was something Wang Dana was not prepared to overlook.

His rage quickly eclipsed his reason. He bellowed, his aura erupting around him as Genuine Force materialized. His fist, charged with a wild energy, flew straight at Lin Yun!

Indeed, he was a martial cultivator of Power Refinement Grade Five!

Though Wang Dana's talent for cultivation was lacking, his long tenure in the pill room meant he was never short on pills to aid his practice!

"I fear not your assault!" declared Lin Yun.

Against all expectations, Lin Yun showed no hint of fear in the face of the ferocious Wang Dana. Swiftly, he produced a pill and swallowed it.

A searing medicinal power immediately coursed through his body, his skin sprouting alarming blue veins as an immense, unprecedented strength filled him.

He had tapped into a force that far exceeded his own cultivation level!

The pill Lin Yun had ingested was the Divine Power Pill, a gift from Qin Yutong long ago. A Grade Two pill, it granted a martial cultivator immense strength beyond their natural abilities for a brief time, though not without certain side effects.

Under the astonished stares of the onlookers, Lin Yun too unleashed a punch. With the force of his blow, Wang Dana, who possessed Power Refinement Grade Five, was swiftly forced to retreat.

Lin Yun's fist carried the formidable strength of Power Refinement Grade Seven!

"How can this be?" Wang Dana exclaimed, utterly shocked.

With a sharp, resounding crack, Wang Dana's plump face, marked by terror, was struck squarely by Lin Yun's fist. The sheer power behind the punch sent Wang Dana hurtling through the air for several meters.

A single punch was all it took for Wang Dana to lose consciousness completely.

In that moment, Lin Yun appeared to grow significantly taller. His once frail frame now took on a more imposing stature.

Lin Yun declared mercilessly, "Wang Dana dared to bully me. He deserves death!"

"Let this be a warning: anyone who disrespects me in the future will share Wang Dana's fate!" Lin Yun's icy gaze drifted slowly over the crowd.

Those who met his frosty stare, even those of higher cultivation levels than Lin Yun, felt a wave of coldness envelop them.

Could this be the same Lin Yun who was once so easily pushed around?