Upon hearing the three words "Martial Deity Temple," Li Yi's face involuntarily changed, and even the Serpent Venerable within the Yunhuang Ring let out a cold laugh. The Martial Deity Temple is renowned throughout the Tianfeng Empire, akin to the religious organizations from Li Yi's past life, wielding immense power. While the royal family controls the secular power of the empire, the Martial Deity Temple holds sway over religious authority. The temple venerates deities who were famed martial gods in the history of the Martial Deity Continent, and its clerics are exceptionally powerful. The secret techniques and combat skills within the temple are no less prestigious than the royal heritage, leading to a bifurcation of power within the empire, significantly influenced by the temple. The fervor of its followers even impacts the stability of the imperial power. Given the numerous powerful individuals and countless devotees within the Martial Deity Temple, even the royal family, despite their discontent, dares not openly oppose it. In Tianfeng Empire, even centuries-old noble families wouldn't dare offend the people of the Martial Deity Temple, let alone someone like Li Yi.
Seeing Li Yi's expression, Ruo Lin hummed softly and said, "What's wrong? Scared?" Li Yi gave a wry smile, touched his nose, and whispered, "I think there are few in the empire who wouldn't fear the Martial Deity Temple." Ruo Lin frowned slightly and said quietly, "In that case, it seems our deal cannot be concluded. But it's understandable. Even if you are capable, the person chasing me is a Martial King, and you probably aren't even qualified to be a gap filler for him." "Martial King!?" Li Yi inhaled sharply. He was already somewhat fearful of Martial Master-level experts, let alone a Martial King. Although he was very interested in Ruo Lin's combat skills, to confront a Martial King for them seemed foolhardy.
The one pursuing this girl was a Martial King, yet she managed to escape, which made Li Yi think about Ruo Lin's own capabilities. Noticing the peculiar change in Li Yi's eyes, Ruo Lin asked, "What's wrong?" Li Yi hesitated before asking, "Miss Ruo Lin, if you don't mind, can you tell me what level you are?" Seeing the sudden respect in Li Yi's usually arrogant demeanor, even the icy Ruo Lin felt a bit pleased and said casually, "Nothing much, just a five-crystal Martial Master." "Five-crystal Martial Master!" Li Yi felt a surge of darkness before his eyes. He had suspected the girl he captured was extraordinarily powerful, but he hadn't expected her to be a five-crystal Martial Master. If Ruo Lin had been at her full strength at the time, it wouldn't have been easy for Li Yi to take advantage of her. Moreover, for a girl who looked eighteen or nineteen to achieve such a level indicated extraordinary talent and high-level techniques. It was no wonder the Serpent Venerable had previously remarked that Ruo Lin's background was anything but ordinary.
Taking a deep breath to calm the shock in his mind, Li Yi managed a smile and said, "Alright, Miss Ruo Lin, if you don't mind, could you tell me how you offended the Martial Deity Temple?" Ruo Lin looked at Li Yi for a moment before replying indifferently, "Nothing much, I just broke into the Martial Deity Temple's Treasure Pavilion and stole something. That's how they discovered me." Her words, though spoken lightly, made Li Yi twitch. He had heard of the Treasure Pavilion of the Martial Deity Temple, rumored to hold items offered by the empire's strong and various noble families over the years. It was surprising that she dared to steal from there. As for what she stole, Li Yi had his guesses – likely the Yunhuang Ring. Thinking about how this ring, obtained at great risk by her, was now bringing him countless benefits, Li Yi didn't know whether to sigh in relief or despair. But even now, returning the ring to Ruo Lin was out of the question.
Li Yi subtly hid his hand wearing the Yunhuang Ring in the shadows and said with a helpless smile, "In that case, I'm afraid I can't help. Miss Ruo Lin, our deal can't be completed, and I don't have the courage to keep you here any longer. After all, we small folk can't afford to offend the people of the Martial Deity Temple. So, if there's nothing else, may I ask you to leave?" Ruo Lin was slightly taken aback, not expecting Li Yi to let her go so easily. But she didn't dwell on it and, bowing slightly, said, "In that case, let it be. Although you captured me, it was thanks to you that I escaped a disaster. I'll return the favor if fate allows, and I'll surely reclaim what I lost today." With that, she waved her hand and disappeared into the forest like a ghost.
Watching the direction she left, Li Yi exhaled softly and murmured, "Old Coot, is what she said true?" "Well, more or less. Does it matter if it's true or not?" the Serpent Venerable's voice slowly emerged. "Or did you really take a fancy to her and want to help her against that Martial King?" "A Martial King," Li Yi's mouth twitched, "I may be arrogant, but I'm not looking for death. Even if I did fancy her, I wouldn't offend the Martial Deity Temple for her..." "Is that so? Kid," the Serpent Venerable chuckled coldly, "now that you know the origin of the Yunhuang Ring, you must understand that if it becomes known that you possess it, you'll never have peace. Remember, in the Martial Deity Temple's Treasure Pavilion, it's considered a rare top-grade item."
Li Yi scoffed and said, "Old Coot, do you think Ruo Lin doesn't know the ring is in my hands now? She's well aware. Her words earlier were just to hint at the origin of the Yunhuang Ring. Although she might want it, given her shrewdness and inability to gauge my strength, she wouldn't rashly act. Besides, if the Martial King pursuing her was after the ring, leaving this trouble with me would seem to be the best choice for her…" The Serpent Venerable laughed subtly, "It's good that you think this way. Even if the little girl doesn't know the ring is in your possession now, she'll guess it soon enough. But don't worry about her coming back to steal it. From my point of view, her raiding the Treasure Pavilion wasn't really about coveting the items inside; it was more about venting her anger. As for the Martial King she angered, well, that's just bad luck."
Li Yi shook his head, "Old Coot, now's not the time to worry about these things. Even if I really get in trouble with the Martial Deity Temple, returning the Yunhuang Ring won't settle everything, will it? Even if I return it, the people of the Martial Deity Temple won't let me off. What I need to consider now is how to improve my strength. As for this huge trouble, I'll think about it when it really erupts." The Serpent Venerable smiled lightly, "Then, would you consider my suggestion – to refine others' Martial Qi seeds? That girl might have left, but there are still a few usable characters in Wanchao City. If you need, I can kill them and let you refine their Martial Qi seeds." "Let's wait and see," Li Yi shook his head slightly, the appearance of the Martial Deity Temple giving him a sense of grave crisis, and he no longer outright rejected the Serpent Venerable's suggestion. "First, let's try your Blood Demon Array. If it can't help me break through the Martial Fighter realm... then I might have no choice but to refine others' Martial Qi seeds." "Is that so? Then I look forward to that moment..." The Serpent Venerable's laughter sounded faintly, but there was an unmistakable hint of a successful plot in it. Li Yi, not bothering with him, returned to the pool and glanced at the Blood Demon Array, which was still gathering blood evil energy. He exhaled softly, sat down cross-legged, formed a strange hand seal, and began to cultivate slowly.
"Hiss—" Streams of heaven and earth Qi flowed with Li Yi's breath, tinged with traces of blood evil energy due to their proximity to the pond. This invigorated Li Yi's spirit, and the Qi inside his body surged rapidly. Feeling this, he suppressed his excitement and slowly closed his eyes... The surroundings became peaceful, and even the insects and birds seemed to sense the solemn aura here, keeping their distance.