Flower of Dreams

Wang Lin calmly sheathed his sword.

By now, half of Tuìyún Valley had collapsed, and silence once again settled over the land.

He had said it—opportunity would be given only once. For demonic cultivators, reasoning with them was the greatest unreasonableness in the world.

If not for the Tianyan Sect's strict requirements, he might not have even uttered that single sentence.

The demonic cultivators who had resisted earlier were now all dead. Though some had attempted to surrender midway, Wang Lin had granted them no further chances.

Still, he hadn’t killed every last one.

At the beginning, one Nascent Soul demonic cultivator—struck by a long-range Yǎnshén Tàiqīng Sword—had survived, though grievously wounded. Through his spiritual sense, Wang Lin could still detect the man’s ragged breathing.

Wang Lin retracted his sword and raised a hand, using his spiritual power to drag the barely-alive demonic cultivator toward him before driving his blade straight through the man’s dantian.

The demonic cultivator’s chest had already been cleaved open, and the lingering power of the Yǎnshén Tàiqīng Sword continued to ravage his body, preventing any attempt at regeneration.

Wang Lin’s tone was indifferent, as if this had nothing to do with him. "You get one chance. I ask, you answer."

The demonic cultivator lifted his gaze slightly, meeting Wang Lin’s eyes. Feeling his dantian being ruthlessly churned and destroyed, he didn’t speak—only let out a scornful laugh.

The victor was king, the loser a bandit. What was the point of groveling for mercy, only to die anyway? Even if he survived and was taken back to the Tianyan Sect, what kind of life awaited him?

Better to end it cleanly.

Wang Lin obliged, raising his spiritual sword to fulfill the man’s wish.

"Wait!"

Li Yingling had been watching, expecting some unique interrogation technique from a Tianyan Sect disciple. Instead, it seemed Wang Lin had no intention of questioning the man at all—as if this were merely a formality.

Wang Lin paused, turning to Li Yingling with a questioning look. "Something wrong?"

Li Yingling stepped forward. "Aren’t you going to interrogate him? What if he has crucial information? Meng Jun still hasn’t been found."

Wang Lin explained, "I never learned interrogation techniques, nor can I tell if his words are true or false. It’s not like I can drag him back to the Tianyan Sect for questioning."

"Did you even consider whether my junior brother or I might know how?"

Li Yingling was exasperated. Who would’ve thought a Tianyan Sect disciple could be this dense?

Wang Lin’s expression cleared in realization, and his gaze shifted to Li Xingtian, who was busy looting corpses nearby.

If nothing else, this quasi-demonic cultivator ought to know something about interrogation—or at least torture techniques.

Li Xingtian, who had just pocketed an unclaimed spatial ring, noticed the stare and sighed. "I’m really not a demonic cultivator, and I don’t know interrogation techniques either."

Wang Lin’s eyes returned to Li Yingling—your junior brother isn’t cooperating, so can I finish this now?

But soon, his expression changed.

Because Li Yingling had pulled out a pill from her spatial ring… one that looked disturbingly familiar.

Wang Lin’s lips pressed together, his composure slipping slightly. He hadn’t expected to see this thing here.

"Is that… a Tenfold Replenishment Pill?!" he asked, disbelief coloring his voice.

Li Yingling blinked. "Huh? You recognize it?"

Wang Lin rephrased, his tone grave. "Is this Elder Bai’s version of the Tenfold Replenishment Pill?"

The unusual reaction made even Li Xingtian pause his looting, turning a curious gaze their way.

Li Yingling didn’t hesitate, nodding firmly.

Her master had indeed sold Tenfold Replenishment Pills to Bai Xuanling. If a Tianyan Sect disciple recognized it, then calling it Bai Xuanling’s version wasn’t wrong.

Wang Lin glanced at Li Xingtian, who had nearly claimed all the spoils. Someone who could casually use a Tenfold Replenishment Pill to interrogate a demonic cultivator shouldn’t look this destitute.

Still, he felt compelled to advise, "These pills are priceless in the Tianyan Sect—extremely rare. Isn’t it a waste to use one on a demonic cultivator?"

"Priceless?"

Li Yingling thought about the dozen or so bottles still sitting in her spatial ring…

The ones she’d eaten when her master was refining them, or Yuankong’s two-a-day regimen…

Given her master’s current cultivation, she probably made these things by the bucketful. Li Yingling hadn’t dared touch a single one of the pills she’d been given.

Well… to be fair, anyone who dared eat them was indeed "priceless."

So, under Wang Lin’s bewildered and slightly pitying gaze, Li Yingling unceremoniously shoved the Tenfold Replenishment Pill into the demonic cultivator’s mouth.

"It’s just one pill. If it gets us the intel we need to resolve this safely, it’s worth it."

Wang Lin didn’t argue. It was her choice. For the first time, he looked at the demonic cultivator with something resembling sympathy.

After all, as someone who had personally experienced Elder Bai’s Tenfold Replenishment Pill, Wang Lin remembered it vividly.

Back then, he’d never bothered with things like "surrender your weapons" before striking.

But after scoffing at the pill in the Punishment Hall and taking one…

Now, when traveling outside, the Tianyan Sect’s rules were his commandments.

The Tianyan Sect’s demands were absolute law!

Soon, just as Wang Lin expected, agonized screams echoed through Tuìyún Valley.

Just hearing those cries was enough to make Wang Lin’s skin crawl.

That pill really left an impression…

The demonic cultivator’s eyes bulged as he roared, "What kind of technique is this?! What is this?! You’re the real demons! YOU’RE THE DEMONS!"

Li Yingling calmly took out another pill, her expression icy. "You’re right. We are demons. I have plenty more pills to play with—let’s see how long you last."

Wang Lin shook his head slightly—no way a mere demonic cultivator could endure this. Even the Tianyan Sect’s own sect leader hadn’t been able to withstand it.

Li Xingtian, witnessing this, also shook his head silently—he’d taken his master’s pills three times.

Once, it had even been a flour pill.

No one understood the horror of his master’s concoctions better than he did.

But just as Wang Lin and Li Xingtian assumed they’d need more time, two surges of Yǎnshén Tàiqīng Sword energy erupted from deep within Tuìyún Valley.

Ignoring the screaming demonic cultivator, everyone turned toward the commotion.

A massive, eerie purple flower bud materialized in the sky, its shadow rapidly expanding to blot out the heavens.

Li Xingtian recognized it instantly. "The Dream Blossom!"

As he spoke, the bud slowly unfurled, releasing faint violet energy ripples in all directions.

Wang Lin didn’t hesitate—with a backhanded strike, he ended the demonic cultivator’s suffering.

Now that the Dream Blossom had bloomed, interrogation was pointless. Keeping a half-dead enemy around would only invite complications.

He turned to the Tianyan Sect disciples. "Stay here and protect them. Contact the sect for reinforcements. If the situation escalates beyond your control, retreat immediately—don’t wait for me."

"Captain, I—"

"Obey orders. Unless you’d like to try a Tenfold Replenishment Pill yourself?"

"...Understood."

Li Xingtian grabbed Wang Lin’s arm before he could leave. "I’m coming too."

"Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re only at the Golden Core stage. You won’t be of much help. I’ve memorized your dream-breaking method. Time is—"

Li Xingtian cut in, "Taking me along will be far more useful than you think. When it comes to these sinister things, raw cultivation strength isn't always the answer."

Wang Lin took a deep breath and said, "The situation isn't right. I might not be able to protect you."

"Who knows? I might end up saving you instead," Li Xingtian retorted, summoning his spiritual treasure before turning to his senior sister. "Senior Sister, this time, you really should listen to me."

Li Yingling exhaled deeply, fully aware of the circumstances. At critical moments, sometimes the best thing to do was not to hold others back.

She reached out and patted her junior brother's shoulder, earnestly advising, "Don't get too cocky. Stay safe, and remember what Master gave you."

Li Xingtian nodded lightly, then stood up and set off with Wang Lin toward the Dream Blossom.

Li Yingling watched the two depart in silence before retrieving a talisman from her spatial ring—the Master Summoning Talisman.