Chapter Seventy-Five: All Factions of the Sect Emerge!

Rip—
Rip—
...
At the same time, a melodious harmony filled the air.
That was the sound of checks being torn. Lin Yi had already grown familiar with this sound earlier, when he sent Jin Huishan away, promising to protect everyone from the armored specter’s influence.
Now, the sound of checks being ripped apart echoed again.
Lin Yi felt that, aside from the voice imparted to him by the Divine Severance Sutra, this was the most beautiful sound in the world!
All these wealthy neighbors of the Talents’ Court began throwing money at him, insisting that Lin Yi accept it as a token of gratitude.
To them, repaying a favor with mere money seemed almost insulting to a figure of Lin Yi’s stature.
They knew Master Lin Yi didn’t care for such material things, but this was all they had to offer. Besides, cultivation needed money, and this was the only way they could show their appreciation.
Lin Yi was worn down by their persistence, especially that charming widow, who, after tearing her check, promptly stuffed it into Lin Yi’s clothing, leaving him utterly speechless.
This couldn’t go on forever—he had no choice but to accept.
Alas, too much charm brought its own troubles. People were constantly handing him checks worth millions, and honestly, it was rather exasperating.
Lin Yi grumbled inwardly.
Listen to yourself—is that even something a person should say?
If others heard Lin Yi’s complaints, they’d probably get a headache. Seriously, is this some kind of humblebrag?
After quite a bit of commotion, the matter was finally resolved. The coffins were all taken back by the families.
The reason the bodies hadn’t been cremated was due to traditional notions of filial piety—corpses had to be kept for at least seven days.
The residents of Talents’ Court were all wealthy or distinguished, so of course they would abide by this custom.
The seven-day vigil was meant to bring peace to the departed’s soul, giving them time to reconnect with friends and family after death, to compensate for lingering regrets.
Because of the Skin-Changer incident, the bereaved had been too frightened to keep vigil. But now, with everything resolved, their courage returned.
Even so, the Skin-Changer, though terrifying, had not inspired as much dread as the armored specter of the Underworld’s passage.
The artificial lake remained the center of heated discussion, and some people were too scared to even walk down the main road when they went home.
There was another reason for all these checks—they hoped Lin Yi would continue to help, to thoroughly cleanse Talents’ Court, and rid the artificial lake of its filth and the armored ghost’s shadow.
Having accepted their money, Lin Yi understood the principle of cause and effect; he was obliged to protect them. So he nodded, as he had already promised.
Lin Yi had many matters to attend to. After settling everything, he returned to his villa, politely declining all invitations for a late-night meal.
Meanwhile, the staff of Talents’ Court contacted their boss, Zheng Guoqiang. Only then did everyone learn that Zheng Guoqiang was unharmed and safe at home.
This, like Lin Yi, led everyone to believe that the ghost must have been incredibly powerful to impersonate Zheng Guoqiang without anyone noticing.
Compared to this, the evil art of disguise paled in comparison; it was no match at all.
Back at home, Lin Yi first took off his badge and placed it on the coffee table in the living room. Facing the badge, he said, “Respected seniors, leaders, colleagues, and the AI intelligence system, take a look—I’ve made another contribution. So, AI system, all of you, hurry up and upgrade me a little!”
With that said, Lin Yi put the badge back into its metal box to isolate it.
After all, everything about the badge was adjusted by the AI system, so a few kind words surely wouldn’t hurt.

The AI system was surely very humane, intelligent, and impartial. Saying a few nice things probably wouldn’t matter, and might even yield unexpected results.
Lin Yi was interested in studying the ominous energy stones he’d acquired, but cultivation took precedence.
The Grand Cavern Sutra, the Secret of Movement, the Breath-Restraint Technique—these cultivation arts had to be thoroughly understood. The more he comprehended, the stronger he would become.
Rustle, rustle—
The sound of pages turning filled the room.
His focus tonight was on the Breath-Restraint Technique.
It was destined to be a night of study.
Early the next morning, Lin Yi decided to head for the City God Temple, to resolve the artificial lake issue once and for all.
While flipping through his books, Lin Yi tidied away the checks. Considering how lovely his neighbors were to gift him so much money—tens of millions by his estimation—he saw no reason to delay.
It would be best to resolve the City God Temple matter early. At the very least, he thought, he could use the opportunity to permanently seal the entrance to the artificial lake, preventing any more evil spirits from coming to Talents’ Court.
If more monsters appeared and harmed his neighbors, he’d be the one to suffer losses in the end.
Cause and effect: they’d paid, so he must do his part.
“Also, with this token in hand, there may be treasures in the City God Temple—I’d be a fool to let them go to waste. Today, I’ll put you to good use!”
Just as Lin Yi was thinking this, his phone rang.
Seeing the caller ID, he slapped his forehead.
It was none other than his dorm’s eldest, Lin Tianwen.
As soon as he picked up, Lin Tianwen’s anxious voice came through.
“Seventh, what are you up to? You missed class all day yesterday. Our advisor called me because he couldn’t reach you. I tried calling you countless times—why couldn’t I get through? Come back quickly, or it’ll be too late. You can’t take any more absences. Hurry back!”
Though Lin Tianwen was a bit of a rascal in the dorm, he was always the one to step up when something needed doing.
Hearing his urgency, Lin Yi knew something must have happened at school.
“Calm down, big bro. Did something happen at school? Why are they not allowing any more absences?”
Last night, Lin Yi had turned off his phone and set it to silent. Then, engrossed in studying the Breath-Restraint Technique, he’d forgotten all about it.
Only now did he realize his call log was packed with missed calls.
Aside from his advisor, no one had called more than his dorm’s big brother.
“You—stop fooling around with An Miaoyi. You were with her again last night, weren’t you? Don’t deny it! Listen, this is about our futures. Any young person under twenty has the chance to cultivate! Get back here—today’s the day they test for potential. We’re exactly twenty, so this is our last shot. I heard even the juniors and seniors, and the more experienced upperclassmen, are all getting tested, hoping for a miracle!”
“Hahaha... In a prosperous era, talents emerge; in troubled times, heroes rise! It’s our chance to make a name for ourselves in this peaceful age!”
“I’m not bragging, but I feel my potential’s about to explode! I’ll be a cultivator soon!”
...
Hearing his big brother boasting on the phone, Lin Yi was stunned. What was going on?
Lin Tianwen was saying the university was now testing students for cultivation potential?
Last night, Zhang Qiang had brought out a potential testing device, claiming that the Star Sect was recruiting disciples, and anyone under twenty had a chance to join.
At the time, Lin Yi had suspected that the Star Sect dared to recruit openly in the community because they had powerful backing from higher authorities.
But now, things were changing too quickly. In just a few days, all the major sects seemed emboldened, no longer afraid, making no effort to hide themselves.

Could it be that the world order was about to shift?
Would sects and factions soon become dominant?
Lin Yi didn’t ask further. After hanging up, he pondered for a long time.
Although he’d joined the Bureau of Paranormal Investigation and his strength allowed him to get by easily—money was never a problem—he couldn’t just throw away his university identity.
After all, in many novels, only students got to encounter the most extraordinary events. If you wanted to be the protagonist, you had to be a student.
But mainly... Lin Yi’s parents pinned all their hopes on his university education for family honor, expecting his degree to outshine all the relatives’ children.
So, after receiving his big brother’s call, Lin Yi shook his head. It seemed he had to return to school.
As for the Demon Prison, Lin Yi had heard from many that regular staff always had assignments.
But as a new recruit, he had nothing urgent for now, so he wasn’t in a rush to officially report for duty.
If anything important arose, they could always call him.
Once things at school were settled, he’d head to the Bureau’s Demon Prison.
If he was truly indispensable, they’d certainly call. But with such a large organization and so many staff, he was hardly the only key person—no need to hurry.
Hastily, Lin Yi packed up and left his villa.
As soon as he locked the door and stepped out, everyone he met—whether the three middle-aged men from Villa Sixteen across the way or other neighbors—greeted him warmly.
At this moment, Lin Yi was a revered master in their eyes. Every word was “Master, good morning!” “Thank you, Master!”
Lin Yi gained a wave of admiration points.
...
Shengjing Academy was bustling with excitement today. At the main gate, many senior and junior female students were all dressed up, looking exceptionally pretty.
When Lin Yi got out of the car, he saw that these young women were not only attractive but wore stylish, revealing business outfits.
His eyes lit up at the sight.
The vigor of youth, those fresh faces, those lovely features, the business skirts showing off long, fair legs—Lin Yi could almost smell the scent of spring in the air.
Such youthful, vibrant bodies made his heart race.
He also noticed that these senior and junior students wore sashes across their shoulders, emblazoned with “Welcome, Talented Seniors (smiley face).”
Beneath the main gate’s plaque, a massive banner hung:
“A warm welcome to experts from all sects and factions—recruiting talents at our school!”
The grand banner said it all!
Lin Yi realized this was serious.
The school was really recruiting on a large scale?
This was getting more and more interesting. In a lifetime, how many people ever got to witness something like this? Who could have imagined that all the sects and factions would come to the academy to recruit!
Clearly, the balance of power in this world was undergoing a dramatic transformation.