...

"Hey, are you new here?"

"We need some help over here, come and give us a hand!"

In the square, a middle-aged man walked over and said to Lin Zheyu.

"Yeah, I am new here."

"Just finished cutting down trees all morning, exhausted, need a break."

"Where do you need help, just let me know, I'll head over after resting." Lin Zheyu said in a somewhat weak tone.

His face was smeared with black mud, making him look dirty and shabby, and his clothes looked unkempt, but the man didn't doubt him.

There were a lot of refugees here, most of them in such a state.

"Alright, come as soon as you can."

"About two hundred meters ahead there's an open space. We'll need a lot of hands to turn it into farmland."

"After the work is done, the steward will give each person a meat pie, don't miss out," the middle-aged man said.

"Okay, I'll head over as soon as I rest!" Lin Zheyu promised.

By now, there were not many people left in the square; most had gone to work.

Regardless of Nine Nether Sect's intentions, they had at least brought a glimmer of hope to these refugees.

"So many supplies, it's not easy to get them in here. Nine Nether Sect must be cooperating with a few major families in Songyi City. Wonder which family it is."

"Or perhaps, every family has a hand in it."

Lin Zheyu thought secretly.

Cao Wang and another companion entered the shrine, and even after ten minutes, they hadn't come out.

Lin Zheyu began to suspect he really took the Blood Elixir inside to break through.

The people lingering around were becoming fewer, and to avoid drawing too much attention, Lin Zheyu also stood up, planning to leave.

Just then, Cao Wang and his companion came out.

"Quick, open it for me to see, I've never seen what a Blood Elixir looks like!"

Just after leaving the shrine, the man next to Cao Wang eagerly said.

They had exchanged Blood Elixirs from the priest and came out with a small bottle containing the elixir.

Facing the priest, they couldn't help but feel apprehensive and dared not stay inside for too long.

In the shrine, the two of them always felt an inexplicable sense of oppression, a kind of solemn, sacred feeling.

Just a glance at the idol gave them an urge to prostrate themselves in reverence.

"What's the rush, we'll talk when we get back," Cao Wang said.

"Go back where? Right beside us is the shrine, inside there are the priest and sixteen stewards, is there a safer place in Lion Valley?"

"I say, just break through right here, the priest said that after taking the elixir, the breakthrough is fast, it'll be done in less than a stick of incense time."

The man suggested.

"That's true, it's safer here than at my place."

Cao Wang nodded.

This group of bandits all held reverence for the priest of Nine Nether Sect, and none dared to act recklessly here.

Sitting cross-legged on the ground, they opened the bottle stopper, releasing a rich medicinal scent with a hint of bloody aroma that filled the air.

Just a sniff made Cao Wang feel refreshed, his spirit invigorated.

"Quick, let me smell it too..."

"Damn it!"

The man exclaimed suddenly.

He was just about to take the jade bottle from Cao Wang's hand to smell the Blood Elixir, when suddenly, a swift figure darted by, and the jade bottle in Cao Wang's hand disappeared.

Everything happened so suddenly that before they could react, the figure was already close to diving into the forest.

As fast as a gust of wind, sweeping by, the elixir was snatched away.

"Catch him, someone has broken into Lion Valley, catch that thief!"

The man shouted loudly, while the Cao Wang beside him had already taken the lead in pursuit.

"Stop, put down that jade bottle."

"Why are you still standing there, block him, shoot, all of you shoot!" Cao Wang roared, his voice echoing through the forest.

His heart bled, for that Blood Elixir was something he'd worked hard for, sacrificing twenty brothers and borrowing twenty contribution points from others to exchange for.

He hadn't even smelled it for long before it was snatched away.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—

In the forest, many patrolling teams shot arrows at Lin Zheyu.

The crossbow arrows were quite deadly in open spaces, but in the forest, their threat was greatly diminished.

Lin Zheyu, treading the Golden Swan Skill, agilely maneuvered in the forest, using the trees to shield against the arrows shot at him.

His Golden Swan Skill had reached a profound level, his speed was astonishing, even a Martial Artist in the Qi Blood Three Transformations might not be as fast as him.

In just a few blinks, Lin Zheyu's figure vanished from the sight of the bandits.

"Ahhh!"

Cao Wang looked at the forest where the figure had vanished and let out a roar, startling a flock of birds.

"Phew..."

"What are you still doing, quickly go report to the priest, let the masters capture him."

"This guy's strength is strong, at least a Qi Blood Realm master, such a powerful Martial Artist sneaking into Lion Valley, who knows what unspeakable purpose he has."

"Reporting this to the priest can even earn a lot of contribution points."

The man caught up and spoke to Cao Wang.

"Damn it, go, to the shrine and ask the priest to act!"

Cao Wang cursed, instructing the bandits around: "Search for him, we must catch that thief. Pass it down, guard all the major exits, don't let him escape!"

"Yes!"

The bandits responded and quickly began searching the forest.

...

Swoosh, swoosh

Lin Zheyu swiftly maneuvered through the forest, retrieved the items previously hidden, and dashed out of the valley.

Swoosh, swoosh—

As he rushed out of Lion Valley's entrance, the bandits guarding the entrance raised their crossbows and shot at Lin Zheyu.

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