Knock, knock, knock.
The crisp knocking sound echoed in the night sky.
One minute.
Two minutes.
Three minutes.
Time trickled away, but the door showed no sign of opening.
Not believing in superstition, Zhuge Ni raised her hand and knocked hard again. This time, the door opened by itself.
Ye Lin never had the habit of locking the door because there was nothing in his house. If a thief came, he would have to leave with tears in his eyes after taking only two hundred yuan.
"Lin Ye? Are you home?"
Startled by the sudden opening of the door, Zhuge Ni quickly lowered her voice and asked. There was no response from the empty room.
"Lin Ye, I'm coming in."
Zhuge Ni gathered her courage and stepped into Ye Lin's house.
The furnishings were simple: a blackened table, a three-legged stool, an iron bed, and a set of washed-out and faded bedding and pillows.
Nothing else was in the house.
Zhuge Ni looked around the environment and at Ye Lin's bare house, and couldn't help but purse her lips, her eyes slightly reddening.
"So Lin Ye grew up in such an environment? No wonder he has that aloof and cold demeanor. He must have suffered a lot during his growth."
"Even so, when I was in danger, he still came to my aid without hesitation. He's in the dark but always has his heart towards the light."
Zhuge Ni couldn't help but feel heartbroken. She became even more convinced that Lin Ye must have had no choice but to kill.
Such a kind person, someone who remained untainted by the mire, how could he possibly kill someone for no reason? ...
Ye Lin had no idea that Zhuge Ni had unknowingly shielded him from a huge disaster. He also had no clue that his true identity as Ling Ye was nearly exposed. Had it not been for the fact that he happened to move into the Ji family's residence, he would have definitely run into Zhuge Ni.
At this moment, Ye Lin was immersed in the joy of having obtained a new set of equipment. With this new gear, his combat power had at least doubled. He couldn't wait to find a place to test out the combat effectiveness of this new equipment, but unfortunately, the city was under lockdown. Whether it was the secret realm or outside the city, Ye Lin couldn't go anywhere.
"Alas! Boss, I know a place where you can test your new equipment!" Ji Lingyu said after hearing Ye Lin's request.
"Where?" Ye Lin asked eagerly.
"The Transcender's Guild! There are special training rooms there that can be used for practical combat training by transcenders!" Ji Lingyu said.
After Ji Lingyu's explanation, Ye Lin finally understood what the Transcender's Guild was. The Transcender's Guild was established by the ancient Xia Dynasty and existed in every human city. It provided a series of services such as material trading, equipment buying and selling, task acceptance, and practical combat training, all for the benefit of transcenders.
Upon learning that the Transcender's Guild offered practical combat training, Ye Lin couldn't sit still anymore. He immediately asked Ji Lingyu to turn around and take him to the Transcender's Guild.
The Transcender's Guild was located at the city gate of Qingcheng. As soon as Ye Lin and Ji Lingyu stepped into the Transcender's Guild, a young lady wearing black stockings came out to greet them.
"Good evening, gentlemen. Are you here for practical combat training?"
"I don't need it. It's mainly for my boss," Ji Lingyu said, waving his hand hurriedly.
"Understood. May I know your level?" the young lady asked Ye Lin.
Ye Lin showed his level. After seeing that he was level 16, the young lady smiled sweetly.
"Alright. I'll arrange a training room suitable for transcenders below level 20 for you. The price is 200,000 yuan per hour."
Ye Lin was taken aback upon hearing this. 200,000 yuan per hour? Being a transcender really cost a lot of money. Fortunately, he had Ji Lingyu.
"Um... Can you arrange a training room suitable for those below level 40?" Ye Lin asked.
The young lady's face showed a moment of surprise, but she quickly nodded.
"Sure, but the training room suitable for those below level 40 costs 800,000 yuan per hour."
"It's fine. I'll take the one for those below level 40," Ye Lin said with a nod.
Although the young lady at the Transcender's Guild didn't know why Ye Lin needed a training room suitable for those below level 40, since he could afford the price, she was responsible for arranging it. She left with a click of her high heels.
"Your training room is ready. Please follow me," the young lady returned after a while, holding a card in her hand.
"Wait for me outside, okay? I'm afraid I might accidentally hurt you," Ye Lin said to Ji Lingyu.
Ji Lingyu shuddered at the memory of Ye Lin using the World-Ending Thunderbolt to strike him.
"Boss, it's fine. You can train by yourself. I'll wait for you outside."
"Alright."
Ye Lin nodded and followed the young lady into the training room.
The training room was spacious, as large as a basketball court, with a row of dummies in the middle.
According to the young lady guiding him, this training room was made of special materials and constructed by an SS-level architect. It could withstand the full force attacks of all those below level 40.
Even the dummies were no exception. It was not easy for those below level 40 to leave any marks on them.
"Would you like a sparring partner?" the young lady asked.
"No, I just want to be alone," Ye Lin didn't want others to see him using his full strength.
"Alright, have a pleasant training session," the young lady closed the door for him as she left, showing her thoughtfulness.
Ye Lin walked up and locked the door from the inside. He then carefully inspected the training room to make sure there were no surveillance cameras or similar devices. Only after confirming this did he breathe a sigh of relief. Then he drew his Starfall Heaven Scar.
"Yangshou Dao Fa, does it consume one year of life for each strike? Let's try a hundred strikes first!"
"Prohibited Spell: Burning Samsara!"
"Prohibited Spell: Yangshou Dao Fa!"
Ye Lin took a deep breath, tightly grasping the Starfall Heaven Scar. Instantly, he entered a mysterious state. His eyes became resolute and profound.
He swung his sword. The first strike rang out with a deafening boom, as if something had been completely torn apart. A brilliant light flickered on the blade of the Starfall Heaven Scar. It was Ye Lin's life force burning!