Everyone stared in shock.
In their memories, Lin Ye had always been nothing but a useless leech.
A core disciple who lived off his father's legacy.
He had trained for over a decade, consumed an absurd amount of sect resources… and yet still hadn't even reached the Qi Sea Realm.
If Elder Lin Zhonghai hadn't protected him, Lin Ye would never have become a core disciple.
He wouldn't have been allowed to enjoy those privileges.
And yet now—
one strike from Lin Ye had shaken everyone to the core.
Even Shen Miaoyu's expression was stunned.
"That palm just now… was at least Qi Sea Eighth Layer!"
Qi Sea Eighth Layer.
That was already steward level.
A core disciple who reached that realm could directly apply to become a steward, taking charge of sect affairs and gaining far greater cultivation resources.
And with enough contributions?
A steward could even rise to chief administrator…
or one day, a sect elder.
So when did Lin Ye become this strong?
It felt impossible.
The commotion drew the attention of Thunder River City's branch hall leader, Lei Yongbiao.
He rushed over with his men—
and froze upon seeing core disciples fighting each other.
Lei Yongbiao's heart trembled.
So core disciples really do fight like wolves.
They were all sect prodigies.
Their current strength determined their future standing.
No one would back down.
But Lin Ye didn't stop.
If he didn't teach these people a lesson today—
they'd never stop barking.
His figure flickered.
In the next instant, he had dragged Jiang Fusheng out of the rubble.
Jiang Fusheng had lost an arm and was in agony.
But he was no ordinary person.
Even with one arm, he still tried to strike Lin Ye.
A suicidal move.
Lin Ye raised his hand and seized Jiang Fusheng's throat.
Jiang Fusheng's feet lifted off the ground.
His remaining hand went limp instantly.
"Lin Ye—don't!"
Shen Miaoyu's face changed.
She saw it immediately—
Lin Ye was going to kill.
"Killing fellow disciples is a grave crime!"
Lin Ye's lips curled slightly.
Cold.
Amused.
"Oh?"
"And how do you know those two Wind-Riding Birds weren't poisoned by him?"
Jiang Fusheng's eyes twitched.
His expression became unnatural.
Lin Ye's smile deepened.
"If I'm not mistaken… the toxin used was Gut-Cleaving Poison."
"Just check whether he has Gut-Cleaving Grass on him."
Lin Ye removed Jiang Fusheng's storage ring and tossed it to Shen Miaoyu.
Shen Miaoyu accepted it, probing with her divine sense—
and her eyes widened.
Inside were three stalks of Gut-Cleaving Grass.
"It really is Gut-Cleaving Grass!"
Shen Miaoyu pulled them out in full view of everyone.
In that moment, Jiang Fusheng had no defense.
No explanation.
But he knew—
those herbs weren't his.
"Y-you…"
Jiang Fusheng barely managed a single word—
and Lin Ye's fingers tightened.
CRACK.
Jiang Fusheng's throat was crushed.
His body went limp.
Lin Ye casually tossed the corpse aside.
"This man betrayed the sect."
"He deserved death."
Lin Ye's gaze swept across the others.
"And just now… didn't I see you few staying awfully close to him?"
The disciples Jiang Fusheng usually led turned pale.
"N-no! We—we weren't close!"
"We barely knew him!"
They stumbled backward.
Jiang Fusheng had been the strongest among them.
And he had lasted less than a breath against Lin Ye.
Not only had Lin Ye destroyed him…
he had executed him without hesitation.
Terror flooded the courtyard.
No one dared move.
Even Guo Liangyu—whose arm was still mangled—said nothing.
A stern voice cut through the tension.
"What is going on here?"
The dungeon steward, Gu Qing, walked out.
He had been guarding Yu Baiji.
"Greetings, Steward!"
Shen Miaoyu and the others bowed.
Lei Yongbiao, still confused and overwhelmed, hurried to bow as well.
He had just arrived—
and the situation was already this violent.
But these were core disciples.
His branch hall position meant nothing in comparison.
At best, he was equivalent to a senior inner disciple.
In this world…
strength decided everything.
Lei Yongbiao didn't dare offend anyone.
Gu Qing's eyes fell on the corpse.
"Jiang Fusheng?!"
"Who killed Jiang Fusheng?!"
He froze.
Shen Miaoyu reacted instantly.
"Reporting, Steward."
"Jiang Fusheng was suspected of poisoning the Wind-Riding Birds."
"Junior Brother Lin Ye was forced to act and executed him."
"The evidence is here."
She handed over the herbs.
Shen Miaoyu's thoughts were razor fast.
Defending Jiang Fusheng now was meaningless.
Lin Ye's strength had clearly entered the top ten among core disciples.
Better to earn Lin Ye's favor than stand against him.
The others nodded quickly.
No one wanted to become Lin Ye's next target.
Gu Qing's brows tightened.
"Jiang Fusheng poisoned the birds…?"
Suspicion flashed in his eyes.
He glanced at Lin Ye.
Then at the Gut-Cleaving Grass.
His face darkened.
After a moment, he spoke coldly.
"Jiang Fusheng's case must be investigated before judgment."
"Even if he poisoned the Wind-Riding Birds, the punishment should not be death."
"I, Steward Gu Qing, hereby declare—"
"Lin Ye is temporarily stripped of his core disciple status."
"He will be detained until the truth is confirmed."
"Only then will his status be restored."
He stared at Lin Ye.
"Lin Ye."
"Hand over your core disciple token and your storage ring."
Everyone froze.
No one expected Gu Qing to make that decision.
Perhaps…
he hadn't seen Lin Ye execute Jiang Fusheng with his own eyes.
Otherwise he wouldn't be acting so bold.
Qi Sea Seventh Layer Jiang Fusheng hadn't survived even one exchange.
Lin Ye had hidden his strength far too deeply.
Now it was exposed—and terrifying.
Lin Ye lifted an eyebrow.
His gaze drifted to Gu Qing.
Cold.
Indifferent.
Then he said—
the same sentence he'd used earlier.
"You really think I owe you anything?"
Everyone's hearts clenched.
Jiang Fusheng's corpse wasn't even cold yet.
Was there going to be another body tonight?
Gu Qing's expression turned grim.
Mystic energy began to gather inside his body.
He was about to strike—
when suddenly—
a violent explosion erupted from the direction of the dungeon.
BOOM!
A wave of fire blasted through the prison gates.
The flames burst into the night sky over Thunder River City, illuminating half the heavens.
Heat slammed into the crowd, forcing everyone back.
"What the hell—?!"
Lei Yongbiao was completely stunned.
This kind of disturbance…
was never small.
A deep, amused laugh echoed from the sea of flames.
"Hehehe…"
"You thought you could trap me, Yu Baiji?"
"Wind-Thunder Mystic Sect dogs—"
"Come out and die!"
A violent aura surged from the fire.
A figure slowly emerged.
In his hands…
he held two corpses.
The corpses belonged to the other two Qi Sea Realm stewards.
Everyone's faces turned white.
"Impossible…"
"Yu Baiji!"
"Yu Baiji escaped!"
Shen Miaoyu and the others immediately gathered together, releasing their own auras to resist the crushing pressure.
But Yu Baiji's aura was overwhelming.
With every step forward—
he drove the core disciples backward as if they were being shoved toward a cliff.
Lei Yongbiao was forced into a corner.
He stared at the ragged figure in horror.
Filthy long hair.
Fire behind him like wings.
This was the man who had once slaughtered three sect elders and escaped.
A true Earth Transformation Realm powerhouse.
A sworn enemy of Wind-Thunder Mystic Sect.
And now—
he was free.
Gu Qing's eyes narrowed.
Yet his face showed no surprise.
Instead, he quietly stepped backward.
Avoiding the front.
It was a transaction.
Gu Qing had helped him escape.
And in return…
Yu Baiji had to do one thing.
Yu Baiji's voice thundered through the courtyard.
"You."
"Which one of you is Lin Ye?"
Lin Ye stood calmly in place.
He didn't care about missions.
If Yu Baiji escaped, so be it.
It wasn't his problem.
He had no reason to waste strength on it.
But now…
it seemed Yu Baiji hadn't come just to flee.
His target was clear.
"I am."
Lin Ye answered calmly.
Yu Baiji's laughter deepened.
"Lin Ye…"
"Hah."
"Back then, Lin Zhonghai left a scar on my face."
"Tonight…"
"I'll take it back from you."
Yu Baiji removed his iron mask.
A horrifying face was revealed.
A scar carved across his left cheek, slashing through his nose, stretching to the other side.
Shen Miaoyu's expression changed.
"So that's it…"
"Yu Baiji was wounded by Elder Lin Zhonghai."
"Lin Ye is in danger!"
When the mission was announced, she had already sensed something wrong.
Because Yu Baiji hated Elder Lin Zhonghai more than anyone.
And yet the sect still sent Lin Ye on this mission?
It was deliberate.
Lin Ye looked at Yu Baiji calmly.
Then spoke.
"If you leave now…"
"I won't kill you."