What does my ancestor's pregnancy have to do with me, a mere servant?

There was a deathly silence in the stands for three breaths, then a deafening roar erupted.

"She won? Senior Sister Lin won!" Several disciples who had bet on Lin Feilu, an underdog, were flushed with excitement, waving their arms and legs. But many more looked utterly devastated, their faces ashen. All the spirit stones they had bet on Jiang Huaiyue had gone down the drain; they were left with nothing.

Behind the arena formation, the faces of the inner disciples who had set up the trap were extremely grim.

Lin Yuan ignored Lin Feilu on the platform, turned around, squeezed through the crowd, and walked to the table.

"Check, please." Lin Yuan said calmly, tossing a jade talisman onto the table.

With a principal of 5,000 low-grade spirit stones, and odds of 1 to 2, the principal plus interest amounts to 15,000 spirit stones. This is an absolute fortune, enough to buy a top-grade magic artifact.

Zhao Qi, the inner disciple in charge of opening the betting, held the jade talisman, his eyes gleaming. He glanced at Lin Yuan's black robe and the wooden mask without facial features, and then probed with his divine sense, only sensing a faint Qi Refining stage fluctuation.

A fat sheep, and a fat sheep with no background.

Zhao Qi glanced greedily at the jade talisman, then pressed it down firmly with his hand, a sinister smile twisting his face: "Where did this country bumpkin come from? Didn't you see Elder Sima interfere just now? According to the rules, this is a lost game, the dealer wins everything. Get lost, or I'll cripple you!"

Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly beneath his mask.

He's trying to cheat on me.

"The referee elder has declared Xuan Yin Peak the winner." Lin Yuan's tone remained flat.

"The elder was just looking out for the bigger picture! Our establishment has its own rules." Several inner disciples immediately surrounded Lin Yuan, subtly blocking his escape route. Their early Foundation Establishment stage spiritual pressure relentlessly pressed down on him. "A mere Qi Refining servant who doesn't even dare show his face dares to come here to swindle money? Get lost!"

Lin Yuan didn't move; his right hand, hidden in his sleeve, gripped two Yin Sha Nine Nether Thunder Pearls.

Just then, a terrifying pressure as vast as the ocean descended from the sky.

The inner disciples surrounding Lin Yuan groaned, their knees buckling as they were forced to kneel on the bluestone slab by the pressure of the Core Formation stage spiritual pressure.

Accompanied by a captivatingly alluring fragrance, Li Yang parted the crowd in her dark purple and gold high-top boots.

Her deep purple, tight-fitting brocade robe accentuated her mature, voluptuous figure with striking impact, swaying gracefully as she moved. However, her beautiful, alluring eyes now held a chilling coldness, and the pressure of her Core Formation stage cultivation made the surrounding air seem to freeze.

"Do you think you bunch of good-for-nothings can renege on the debts of my Danbao Pavilion?" Li Yang stood in front of the desk, looking down at Zhao Qi.

Zhao Qi was terrified and kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "Manager Li, please forgive me! This disciple did not know this person was from the Danbao Pavilion!"

As he spoke, he quickly took out 15,000 spirit stones and presented them with both hands.

Li Yang glanced at him, then turned and walked towards the purple bamboo grove at the edge of the training ground.

Lin Yuan carefully put away his storage bag and obediently followed.

Reaching a secluded spot deep within a bamboo forest, Li Yang stopped and cast a soundproof barrier.

Li Yang's red lips curved slightly, and her voluptuous figure, exuding a delicate fragrance, deliberately leaned forward, almost touching Lin Yuan's body. She lowered her voice and breathed softly, "Those few thunder pearls that almost injured Old Ghost Sima, and that amazing thunder talisman... Little guy, you've really kept them well hidden. These two skills are even more ruthless than alchemy."

Lin Yuan deftly shifted his gaze from the almost exposed snow-white skin, subtly taking a half-step back, his tone impeccable: "Manager Li is joking. I'm just here to collect the money and run errands. The person behind me has a bad temper and has never liked having their background investigated."

"Whether he's a middleman or not, I know in my heart." Li Yang didn't expose him, and her tone became more serious. "I want to ask you to help me craft a few treasures tailored to my needs."

Lin Yuan nodded: "Okay, but we can't take advantage of you for free. We need to settle accounts clearly."

Li Yang rolled her eyes at him: "You want to enter the Crimson Forbidden Zone, right?"

Lin Yuan did not deny it.

Li Yang sneered: "Old Ghost Sima is notoriously protective of his own, he won't let this go easily. Although Jiang Huaiyue lost the position of Holy Maiden, with her status as a prodigy, she can still get a spot to enter the forbidden area. Not only that, you'd better go and watch the competition for the Holy Son tomorrow."

"Cang Lei Peak, Chu Tianhan. He is a hot favorite for this year's Holy Son, with a half-step Core Formation cultivation. Most importantly, he is engaged to Jiang Huaiyue."

Lin Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly.

"If these two enter the Crimson Forbidden Zone, they will definitely try to kill you. You can't use the power of those above the Core Formation stage inside the forbidden zone, but a half-step Core Formation cultivator is enough to sweep the entire area."

"I'll find you again when you come out alive from inside."

After saying that, she transformed into a streak of purple light and soared into the sky.

Lin Yuan stood there, stroking his chin. Half-step Core Formation? It seems the preparations weren't quite enough.

Night fell, and all was quiet.

Lin Yuan sat cross-legged in his cave, counting the spirit stones that had just arrived that day. Including what he had left over, he had a total of thirty thousand spirit stones on hand.

A slight ripple came from the defensive formation outside the cave.

Lin Yuan withdrew the light curtain, and the stone door slid open.

Lin Feilu walked in. Tonight, she wasn't wearing that eye-catching floral silk dress, but instead a very soft blue inner garment. Her hair wasn't tied up; her long, flowing black hair cascaded over her shoulders. The ruthless sharpness she displayed on the stage was gone from her face; instead, it revealed a hint of languid weariness.

"Here it is!" Lin Yuan poured a cup of tea and handed it over.

Lin Feilu took the teacup and looked directly at Lin Yuan: "I came here specifically to thank you."

Her tone was calm, without her usual bravado and resistance: "Thank you very much. If it weren't for your Thunder Pearl and Ice Silk Skirt, I might not have survived today."

Lin Yuan leaned casually against the stone chair: "It's just a matter of mutual benefit, Senior Sister, please don't be shy."

Lin Feilu's lips twitched slightly as she looked at his nonchalant demeanor.

A mutually beneficial arrangement? She knew perfectly well what was going on. Who would exchange a top-grade magic robe, a Yin Sha Thunder Pearl, and a bunch of top-grade pills for a few rounds of dual cultivation?

In the Xuan Yin Sect, a place where the strong prey on the weak and even close disciples can scheme against each other, Lin Yuan's tangible resource allocation is more reassuring than any sweet talk.

At first, she did feel humiliated, but now, her resolve has fundamentally shifted. So what if she's controlled by someone? Following someone with such extraordinary abilities who is so generous to her, her path to immortality will definitely be smooth sailing.

Thinking of this, Lin Feilu put down her teacup and walked up to Lin Yuan.

Instead of coldly uttering "Let's begin" as usual, she reached out and wrapped her arms around Lin Yuan's neck.

A faint, pleasant fragrance wafted over.

……

Two hours later.

The night was cool and still.

Moonlight shone through the cave window onto Lin Feilu's face; her eyes were slightly closed, and her breathing was even.

Lin Yuan then looked at the small golden characters at the bottom of his eyes.

Name: Lin Yuan

[Cultivation Level: Qi Refining Level 9]

【六品丹师：0/100000（可加点）；八品灵植师：0/1000（可加点）；七品符师：0/10000（可加点）；七品器师：0/10000（可加点）】

【Formless Transformation Technique: Perfected (No points can be added)】

[Remaining attribute points: 2078 + 200]

Lin Feilu advanced to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, and his attribute points also increased accordingly.

"By the way, Senior Sister, the Crimson Forbidden Land is so dangerous. Do you know of any unorthodox methods, inside or outside the sect, that can quickly enhance one's spiritual sense?" Lin Yuan asked.