### Chapter 49: The Burning Void Pill
Mu Rongfeng's voice dripped with venom as he finished speaking. In full view of the crowd, he slapped his storage bag, and a jade box materialized in his hand—small, cold, etched with faint spiritual patterns. His fingers trembled as he clutched it, not from fear, but from a狂热 anticipation that扭曲 his features.
Every eye in the clearing locked onto that box. What could possibly make Mu Rongfeng—outmatched by Lin Yi's Fifth Level—dare propose a life-and-death duel?
Lin Yi's gaze sharpened. He'd spent two years manning a stall in the market,见过 his share of rare treasures. The moment the box appeared, a prickle of unease ran down his spine. He'd recognized the aura of something potent—something dangerous.
Mu Rongfeng lifted his head, a狰狞 smile splitting his face. "Lin Yi, let me show you who's really begging for death."
With a flick of his wrist, he opened the jade box.
A rich, earthy aroma burst forth—sweet, with a hint of iron. It curled through the air, carrying a wave of spiritual energy so dense, disciples on the edge of the crowd gasped, feeling their own cultivation stir in response. Inside the box lay a pill: thumb-sized, glowing amber, like a shard of liquid sunlight.
Gasps rippled through the clearing.
Lin Yi's expression hardened. *No.* It couldn't be…
"Burning Void Pill!"
The words exploded from Elder Guan, his voice cracking with disbelief. He shot to his feet, chair scraping loudly against the stone ground. His eyes were wide, fixed on the pill as if it were a venomous snake.
A murmur swept the crowd. "Burning Void Pill? What's that?" someone asked, but others paled—they'd heard the legends.
Steward Zhang and Steward Qiao exchanged horror-stricken glances. They knew what this meant. The Burning Void Pill was a forbidden treasure, whispered about in sect archives: a pill that *burned a cultivator's life force* to skyrocket their power, if only temporarily. It could turn a Fourth Level into a Seventh Level in hours—but at a cost. Afterward, their cultivation would stagnate, or even collapse. Only a desperate man would use it.
Mu Rongfeng's smile widened as he drank in their terror. "Surprised? This is what happens when you cross forces you don't understand, Lin Yi."
Lin Yi's fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword. He'd hoped to avoid using the *Five Spirits Body Tempering Technique* here, but if Mu Rongfeng hit Seventh Level… He met Mu Rongfeng's gaze, calm now. "You think a pill makes you unbeatable?"
The crowd erupted. "Attack him, Senior Brother Lin! Before he uses it!"
"Don't let him absorb it!"
Mu Rongfeng laughed. "Cowards. He won't strike. He's too busy playing the 'honorable cultivator.'"
Lin Yi said nothing. He *could* attack—sneak in a strike while Mu Rongfeng was vulnerable. But he'd seen enough cheap tricks. If Mu Rongfeng wanted a fair fight to the death, he'd give him one. Besides, he needed to test the full extent of his *Five Spirits* power. What better stage than here?
Steward Zhang groaned, slapping his forehead. "Idiot! Honor gets you killed in a life-and-death duel!"
Even the elders shook their heads. "Foolish," Elder Huo muttered. "Talent means nothing if you throw your life away."
Mu Rongfeng didn't waste more words. He tilted his head back and swallowed the pill.
For a heartbeat, nothing happened. Then—*boom*.
A shockwave of spiritual energy exploded from him, sending dust billowing across the clearing. His veins bulged, glowing red as the pill's power rampaged through his meridians, incinerating his life force to fuel a surge in cultivation.
"AAAAGH!" He screamed, falling to his knees, body convulsing. The pain was unimaginable—like being skinned alive, then set on fire. But through the agony, he grinned. He could feel it: his power climbing, Fourth Level to Fifth, Fifth to Sixth…
Lin Yi watched, his expression neutral. He'd faced worse pain training the *Five Spirits Technique*; this was nothing new.
An hour passed. Then another. The crowd grew restless, but Lin Yi stood firm, his posture unyielding.
Finally, Mu Rongfeng's screams cut off. He rose slowly, his aura thrumming with power. His skin was flushed, his eyes blazing with a狂热 light. The spiritual energy rolling off him was undeniable—*Seventh Level of Qi Refinement*.
The crowd went silent.
Mu Rongfeng flexed his fingers, staring at Lin Yi like a predator eyeing its prey. "Ready to die, Lin Yi?"
Lin Yi drew his sword, the blade singing as it sliced through the air. "Come find out."
The stage was set. A Fifth Level, armed with forbidden techniques, against a Seventh Level, fueled by a pill's stolen power.
And neither planned to survive the other.