Chapter 172: The Mystical Arts Council

Lin Le had felt from the very beginning that Zhang Meng's strength was somewhat bizarre.

Before Zhang Meng made his move, Lin Le had already observed his capability. He was merely a junior martial artist at the threshold of internal force, completely an ordinary and unremarkable minor character.

However, later on, that same Zhang Meng suddenly erupted with such astonishing power, comparable to that of a master with perfected internal force. This struck Lin Le as utterly incredible.

Yet, upon closer observation, Lin Le noticed that while Zhang Meng's explosive power was startling, it was clearly all show and no substance. His foundational cultivation was far too poor, and his movements were visibly unstable. It was much like an inexperienced rider forcibly mounting a fierce, untamed steed; though it appeared to be charging wildly ahead, in reality, it was simply running loose without true control.

Eventually, Lin Le figured it out. It seemed that Zhang Meng's own martial arts cultivation was not particularly strong. The reason he was able to unleash such astounding strength was entirely due to the stimulation of some external force, temporarily pushing him to that level.

As for what that external force might be, Lin Le quickly connected the dots, considering Zhang Meng's background and what Liang Qiuyang had previously mentioned.

Liang Qiuyang had stated earlier that the medicinal pills refined by the Divine Pill Sect were of immense help in elevating a martial artist's cultivation, which was why they attracted so many followers. Lin Le had also previously doubted the authenticity of the so-called Adept Lingji’s membership in the inner sect of Daoism; in fact, Lin Le believed that this Adept Lingji simply possessed the genuine capability to refine such high-grade pills.

Now, having witnessed Zhang Meng's methods, Lin Le immediately linked the two together.

He became convinced that the reason Zhang Meng possessed such astonishing explosive power was entirely due to the effect of the Divine Pill Sect's medicinal pills!

"You mean that fellow achieved such incredible strength through the stimulation of pills?!" Liang Qiuyang said in disbelief.

Liang Qiuyang had not expected the pills of the Divine Pill Sect to have such astonishing effects. They were practically more potent than performance-enhancing drugs!

"If the pills of the Divine Pill Sect truly have such an effect, then that is quite formidable indeed," Ji Xiaorui exclaimed in wonder. However, a puzzled expression immediately crossed her face as she turned to Lin Le, "Still, Master, why did you say that person was merely a glittering exterior with a rotten core? Even if his strength was boosted to that level through the effect of pills, isn't that still acceptable? Didn't you also say, Master, that you would refine pills to help me elevate my martial arts cultivation?"

Lin Le gave a bitter smile. "I am quite different from the Divine Pill Sect."

"The pills I refine will genuinely elevate your martial arts cultivation, bringing about a true advancement from the inside out. But the Divine Pill Sect's pills merely force a martial artist's combat power upward, while their actual martial cultivation remains completely unimproved. It merely creates the illusion that their cultivation has advanced simply because their combat strength has become formidable. It is no different from pulling up shoots to help them grow," Lin Le explained.

"So that's how it is," Ji Xiaorui nodded, looking thoughtful.

"Not only that, the pills of the Divine Pill Sect function much like stimulants. If taken over a long period, they will cause severe damage to a martial artist's body. To put it more bluntly, those martial artists who consume the Divine Pill Sect's pills are simply overdrawing their lifespans!" Lin Le's voice turned gloomy.

"What?!" Hearing Lin Le say this, both Ji Xiaorui and Liang Qiuyang could not help crying out in shock.

They had previously thought that the Divine Pill Sect's pills had marvelous effects, never imagining that the truth would be so severe.

"I never expected the so-called miraculous pills of the Divine Pill Sect to be such things!" Liang Qiuyang sighed.

"Therefore, Grandmaster Liang, you should feel fortunate that you did not let that so-called Adept Lingji reopen your spiritual roots back then. Based on my judgment, that so-called Adept Lingji is not a true member of the inner Daoist sect either. Had you let him reopen your spiritual roots, I fear you would have met with disaster as well," Lin Le warned, snapping him back to reality.

"Hisss..." Liang Qiuyang drew a sharp breath, a lingering fear gripping his heart.

"Master, this Divine Pill Sect is truly harming people endlessly. Shouldn't we do something about them to prevent them from hurting anyone else?" Ji Xiaorui said with a sense of righteous indignation.

Ji Xiaorui was naturally warm-hearted and loved to champion the cause of justice. Seeing the Divine Pill Sect commit such malicious acts, she found it difficult to stand by and watch.

"Heretical paths like the Divine Pill Sect will naturally be dealt with by the relevant organizations. I will find a way to contact them later and let them handle it," Lin Le said.

For a messy existence like the Divine Pill Sect, there was not even any need to mobilize the Nine Provinces Bureau, because the Divine Pill Sect was simply not qualified to warrant their direct intervention.

"Mr. Lin, could the organization you are referring to be the Mysterious Gate Council?" Liang Qiuyang asked.

"Precisely, it is them," Lin Le replied.

"Master, what does this Mysterious Gate Council actually do?" Ji Xiaorui asked out of curiosity.

"The Mysterious Gate Council is a religious organization specifically established to manage Daoist affairs. It holds a very important position throughout the entire Daoist realm, responsible for handling all sorts of matters related to Daoism. However, this only applies to the outer Daoist sects; those in the inner Daoist sects naturally do not hold the Mysterious Gate Council in their eyes," Lin Le explained.

"I see. Then the affairs of the Divine Pill Sect happen to fall right within the jurisdiction of the Mysterious Gate Council. With them stepping in, it is indeed most appropriate," Ji Xiaorui agreed.

"Mhm," Lin Le nodded, though a trace of doubt flashed across his face.

For an irregular sect like the Divine Pill Sect to cause such a massive stir right here in the capital city—and to have done so for two whole years—logic dictated that the people of the Mysterious Gate Council should have noticed. Why, then, had there been no sign of the Mysterious Gate Council stepping in to regulate them until now?

Could it be that they were entirely unaware of the situation?

Lin Le did not dwell on it too much. He simply decided that after returning, he would first report the matter regarding the Divine Pill Sect to the Mysterious Gate Council and let them handle it.

The headquarters of the Mysterious Gate Council was located at Mount Longhu in Yintan City, with a branch established here in the capital. Lin Le only needed to contact the person in charge of the capital branch, which was no difficult task for someone who had once served in the Nine Provinces Bureau.

Shortly after, Lin Le seemed to recall something and asked, "By the way, Grandmaster Liang, you mentioned earlier that you had made some headway regarding the medicinal herbs. What exactly have you discovered?"

Back in the parking lot, they had already touched upon this topic before being interrupted by Qi Sheng's phone call and the people from the Divine Pill Sect. At this moment, Lin Le suddenly remembered it again.

"Ah, yes. I heard that there will be an underground auction held here in the capital tomorrow morning," Liang Qiuyang said.

"An underground auction?" Lin Le looked slightly surprised, not quite understanding why an auction would not be held openly and above board instead of resorting to such a secretive underground method.

"That's right. Because the items put up for sale at such underground auctions are mostly illicit goods whose origins are unknown—such as items obtained from grave robbing, raids, and the like—transactions are always conducted behind closed doors," Liang Qiuyang explained.

"I see," Lin Le nodded.

"Still, what does this underground auction have to do with us? Could there actually be people trading medicinal herbs there?" Lin Le felt that items like medicinal herbs hardly needed to be handled through underground channels.

"There are no herbs as such, but I heard that there is a lot being auctioned off at this underground auction that is related to medicinal herbs, which might prove useful to you, Mr. Lin," Liang Qiuyang said somewhat mysteriously. Nôv(el)B1n.