They decided to leave the Pill Refinement Hall and head to the sect’s main building. Lin Tian was usually there, cultivating and recovering his condition.

When they stepped into the front courtyard, they stopped at the sight of Lin Tian already there. He was sitting cross-legged on the ground, both hands forming formation seals.

In front of him was Yun Yun. Luo Mei and Wu Yue had no idea what formation Lin Tian was using, but it seemed to be for Yun Yun’s sake.

Yun Yun wasn’t reacting dramatically, though her face was flushed, her body was sweating, and her breathing was unsteady.

Lin Tian kept channeling his spiritual qi into the formation, making sure he could keep the lust steadily building in Yun Yun’s body under control.

An Yue was there to watch over them. She turned and welcomed Luo Mei as she arrived with Wu Yue.

"Mei’er. Master Wu," An Yue greeted them.

"Did something happen to Senior Sister Yun?" Luo Mei asked.

"I’m not sure, but Yun Yun did mention her body had been feeling strange," An Yue replied, "Master Lin is examining her now. Hopefully he can treat it."

"I see."

They watched as spiritual qi was absorbed into the rune points beneath Yun Yun, then slowly channeled into the girl’s body.

It made Yun Yun start to feel a surge of qi moving through her, though nothing unpleasant. The strange urges she had been feeling also began to fade, and her breathing returned to normal.

Lin Tian spread both hands out to the sides, dissolving the runes and condensing them into a qi orb. He reached out to receive the orb, then sent it forward into Yun Yun’s body.

"From here on, you just need to cultivate normally, Yun’er."

"I’ll check on your condition every three days," Lin Tian added.

Yun Yun was genuinely moved. She could feel that her body was in a much better state, more energized and lighter than before.

She stood up right away, pressed her hands together, and bowed respectfully to Lin Tian.

"Thank you for your help, Master Lin."

"This disciple will return to cultivating," Yun Yun said.

Lin Tian gave a quiet nod, cleared his throat, and began to stand. The warm expression he had been showing Yun Yun gradually shifted into something flat and cold as he turned to the side.

"What is it?" Lin Tian asked.

"We came to speak with you about something, Master Lin. Would you mind if we talked inside the main hall?" Luo Mei asked.

Without a word, just a brief nod. The three of them arrived at the sect’s main hall, where Lin Tian sat cross-legged on the altar while Luo Mei and Wu Yue stood side by side.

"What is it? What do you want to discuss?" Lin Tian asked, his tone cold.

"This disciple would like to explain Master Wu’s situation regarding the Earth Flame incident," Luo Mei replied, pressing her hands together.

"That matter is already settled. Fellow Daoist Wu is your master. She knows your needs better than I do," Lin Tian said.

He closed his eyes and spoke in a firm, even tone, but none of the warmth he usually showed was there. His manner was entirely different from how he had been with An Yue or Yun Yun just moments ago.

Wu Yue clenched her fist hearing that. She stepped forward, dropped to her knees, pressed her hands together, and bowed her head.

"I admit that I went too far. I didn’t know that Master Lin Tian obtained that Earth Flame through a life-or-death fight," Wu Yue said.

"I apologize for my mistake. I deserve to be punished for it. I will accept whatever punishment you see fit," Wu Yue continued.

Lin Tian went quiet for a moment, then let out a short breath. He didn’t accept Wu Yue’s apology. The hurt from what that woman had done was still too fresh.

"Go back to your training, Luo Mei."

"For now, just focus on studying those pill recipes," Lin Tian said quietly.

Wu Yue looked unsatisfied. She tried to crawl closer to Lin Tian while continuing to beg for forgiveness. That only made him more irritated.

With a single forward sweep of his hand, Wu Yue’s body was thrown forcefully out of the Main Sect Hall, which startled everyone around.

An Yue turned and watched Wu Yue get hurled out of the building. Luo Mei’s eyes went wide with panic and worry.

Other disciples even stopped their cultivation when they saw it happen. From a distance, Cao Ying smiled with quiet satisfaction watching Wu Yue face the consequences of her own selfishness.

"M-Master Lin?" Luo Mei asked, shaken.

Lin Tian’s face was blank, but the qi aura around his body was radiating powerfully. His eyes stayed fixed ahead, as though his expression was holding back the anger burning inside him.

"I said leave."

"U-Understood."

Luo Mei hurried out of the main sect hall. The moment she was outside, Lin Tian formed hand seals and activated an array to bar anyone below his cultivation level from entering.

The girl walked over to Wu Yue, who was injured and coughing up blood. An Yue was clearly confused, and so were the other disciples.

None of them understood what had happened to Lin Tian, especially since he had seemed so approachable just moments before.

"What actually happened, Mei’er?" An Yue asked.

Luo Mei turned, and her face was streaked with tears. An Yue panicked and quickly pulled her into a hug, trying to calm her down.

"What happened? Why are you crying?"

"Senior Sister Yue..."

Cao Ying grew more concerned. She flew quickly down from the rocky hill and landed in front of Wu Yue and Luo Mei.

Between the two of them, only Wu Yue wasn’t crying. Luo Mei was sobbing hard.

"I didn’t expect Lin Tian to be that angry," Cao Ying said.

"M-Master Ying? Please tell us how to find that Earth Flame again," Luo Mei said.

"A High-Grade Earth Flame is already gone and very hard to track. But if you want to find it, you’d have to search the area surrounding the sect," Cao Ying said.

"As for replacing it with a new High-Grade Earth Flame, that’s next to impossible."

"At best, you’d only manage to find a Low-Grade Earth Flame," Cao Ying said, "But even then, a Low-Grade Earth Flame is nowhere near as good as what he brought."

Wu Yue closed her eyes and slammed her hand against the ground, consumed by regret over her own selfishness. But she had no idea how to respond now.

For the first time since joining the sect, Wu Yue didn’t know what the right choice was.

She lifted her head and looked at Master Ying’s face, "So what should we do? Give me some guidance, Master Ying."

"I can’t," Cao Ying replied, "Only you and Luo Mei can find the answer to this."