Take the initiative

Lin Shi then staked out the exits of the ascension passages in each of the smaller worlds. After performing calculations, she knew which smaller world would soon have cultivators ascending to the Yuan Shu Realm. She meticulously set up formations beside the exits of the smaller world's ascension passages in advance, and then waited nearby for the cultivators from the Lower Realm Hunter Alliance to arrive.

On this day, Lin Shi decisively used the technique of possession, possessing a tree near the exit of a small world's ascension passage. She placed her body into the small spiritual realm she had refined, while one of her nascent souls hid on the tree trunk, nervously watching the commotion outside.

At this moment, a blood-soaked female cultivator emerged from the ascension passage of this strange little world. The female cultivator was extremely cautious; the moment she stepped out of the ascension passage, she instantly sensed the presence of the cultivators from the Lower Realm Cultivator Hunting Alliance. She immediately unleashed various special techniques and trump cards, struggling to deal with them. However, the spiritual energy shield in front of her had developed cracks and was on the verge of shattering.

In this critical moment, Lin Shi launched a surprise attack on the cultivators from the Lower Realm Cultivator Hunting Alliance. She activated the formation, trapping ten cultivators inside. With the explosion of seven-colored spiritual energy, the ten Nascent Soul stage cultivators from the Lower Realm Cultivator Hunting Alliance instantly perished on the spot, and their black souls were annihilated by the Demon-Slaying Sword before they could even escape.

Lin Shi killed the cultivators from the Lower Realm Cultivator Hunting Alliance and fled instantly without waiting for the rescued female cultivator to thank him or offer any gifts. The rescued female cultivator also reacted quickly; seeing that the ten cultivators who attacked her were dead, she immediately fled far away as well.

Not long after, at the scene of the conflict outside the ascension passage of the unfamiliar small world, a group of cultivators from the Lower Realm Hunter Alliance arrived, cursing and swearing.

Similar scenes occurred at the exits of the ascension passages in countless small worlds. Sometimes, Lin Shi would take advantage of the moment when the lower realm cultivators who had been killed came to investigate the situation and were cursing, and then set up killing formations for them, and then kill them as well.

For several years, Lin Shi used this method to engage in a cycle of kill and escape with the cultivators of the Lower Realm Cultivator Hunting Alliance. The Lower Realm cultivators whom Lin Shi had rescued could not find their benefactor, but in order to settle their karmic debts, they would sometimes secretly join the counterattack, causing many obstacles for the Lower Realm Cultivator Hunting Alliance and ambushing and killing many members of the Hunting Alliance.

Twenty years passed in this way, and Lin Shi then devised a plan to kill several hundred cultivators from the Lower Realm Cultivator Hunting Alliance. After that, he made them almost afraid to show their faces, let alone ambush and kill lower realm cultivators who had just ascended from small worlds.

Lin Shi could hardly remember how old she was at this point. One day, during a period of leisure, she sat atop an unfamiliar mountain and calculated her own age, only to discover that she was actually 180 years old.

Being alone in the Yuan Shu Realm, Lin Shi thought of her fellow disciples, Ye Ruxue, and the people from the Fu Tian Small World.

Lin Shi excitedly headed to the exit of the ascension passage in the Dream Heaven Minor World. She did some calculations and discovered that none of her fellow disciples, including Xu Xingran and Huo Linglong, had yet ascended to the upper realm. For the next few years, no cultivators would likely ascend through the Dream Heaven Minor World's ascension passage. This was truly disappointing!

Lin Shi then went to the exit of the ascension passage in the Blessed Heaven Small World. After some deduction, she discovered that Ye Ruxue was unlikely to ascend to the Upper Realm in the next few years, and the same was true for the other cultivators in the Blessed Heaven Small World.

Lin Shi later learned about the current situation of the other eight cultivators from the Dream Heaven Minor World who ascended to the Yuan Shu Realm in the same year as her. She discovered that apart from herself and Ye Ruxue, the remaining eight cultivators had all joined major sects in the Yuan Shu Realm. Five of them had already formed Daoist couples with other cultivators in their sects, and the other three were about to form Daoist couples with other cultivators.

If Ye Ruxue is included, of the ten cultivators who ascended to the Upper Realm from the Dream Heaven Small World that year, only Lin Shi remains, and he is still a lone cultivator fighting alone. This is truly a lamentable situation! "Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together, and those who have different ambitions cannot be friends!" This applies not only to mortals but also to cultivators.

Lin Shi wasn't discouraged. Realizing her predicament, she secluded herself for another five years of cultivation. When she emerged, her dantian and sea of ​​consciousness contained eight small nascent souls at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, and one golden core at the peak of the Golden Core stage. Her eight nascent souls and one golden core were all enveloped in a shimmering golden halo of merit. She vaguely sensed that she was almost just one suitable opportunity away from advancing to the Nascent Soul stage. But what that opportunity would be, she didn't yet know.

Lin Shi traveled through the Yuan Shu Realm, resuming her monotonous life as a cultivator. She returned to tasks that earned spirit stones and cultivation resources, such as helping in the alchemy room refine pills, participating in sword duels, and completing escort missions. Occasionally, she would also sabotage the lower realm cultivators' hunting alliance, preventing them from ambushing and killing lower realm cultivators who had ascended from smaller worlds to the Yuan Shu Realm. As a result, the number of lower realm cultivators who successfully ascended and survived multiplied, infuriating some of the native cultivators of the Yuan Shu Realm, who secretly hurl insults and curses at her.

On this day, Lin Shi set up another formation, preparing to use the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, to ambush and kill a group of hunters from the lower realms who were lying in wait to kill cultivators from the small worlds who were ascending.

Lin Shi succeeded again. However, this time she was targeted by another group of cultivators from the lower realms who hunted down the alliance members. They chased her almost from one end of the Yuan Shu Realm to the other, but she still couldn't shake off their pursuit in time.

"Seize that female cultivator!"

"Kill her!"

A large group of cultivators from the lower realms, who were hunting down members of the alliance, were chasing after a female cultivator, shouting and yelling. However, they always kept a certain distance between them, and not only could they not catch up, but they were also constantly being covered in dust and disheveled by the magical artifacts and formations thrown behind them by the female cultivator.

Bored cultivators from the Yuan Shu Realm gathered to watch this spectacle from afar. Some rode in flying boats, others on swords, some soared through the air, and still others rode flying beasts. There were male and female cultivators, high-level cultivators, and lower-level cultivators who had come to watch alongside higher-level ones. Those with connections or influence watched and laughed heartily.

Luo Cheng from Xuantian City also came to watch this chase between cultivators. He stood on the flying boat, with several elders who had already entered the Nascent Soul stage beside him.

Lin Shi keenly sensed the familiar aura of cultivators. During her escape, she glanced at the faces of the onlookers, but as soon as she looked up, she saw Luo Cheng standing on the flying boat, along with his elder, a Nascent Soul stage cultivator. Lin Shi also noticed the distinct family totem on the flying boat.

Luo Cheng's two Nascent Soul stage cultivator elders also recognized Lin Shi. Their eyes sharpened, they exchanged a glance, and immediately one of the Nascent Soul stage cultivators flew out of the flying boat to chase after Lin Shi.

Lin Shi knew that her current cultivation level was not high enough to directly confront a Nascent Soul stage cultivator, let alone win in a fight. Even with the formation, she couldn't kill a Nascent Soul stage cultivator and then contend with the group of Core Formation stage cultivators behind her, as well as the other Nascent Soul stage cultivators standing on the flying boat.

With that thought in mind, Lin Shi quickly headed towards the exit of the ascension passage in the small world. Before the Nascent Soul stage cultivators and the cultivators from the Lower Realm Hunter Alliance could catch up with her, she swiftly jumped into the ascension passage of the small world and descended against the current.

While in the ascension passage of the unfamiliar small world, Lin Shi had a premonition that once she ascended from this strange small world to the Yuan Shu Realm, she would advance to the Nascent Soul stage. At that time, as long as she avoided provoking Nascent Soul stage cultivators from major sects, she could practically roam freely in the Yuan Shu Realm. Thinking of this possible future, Lin Shi couldn't help but laugh in the ascension passage, even feeling no pain when the randomly flying spiritual energy blades cut her skin.