After waiting for about a minute, the massive iron gate slowly opened, emitting a series of ear-piercing sounds.
A bare-chested man, wielding a large iron hammer, strode to the gate and looked up.
"You claim to be a Personal Disciple of Qingyun Sect; do you have proof?"
The man shouted at Ye Lin.
"Of course, I do."
Ye Lin slowly descended on his Flying Sword, stood before the man, then took out a token from his Pregnant and handed it to him.
The man took it, examined it carefully, and then returned the token to Ye Lin.
"I am Hu Han San, a Personal Disciple of the Giant Hammer Sect Leader. Senior Brother Ye, please come in."
Hu Han San bowed to Ye Lin, then gestured towards the inside of the iron gate.
"Junior Brother Hu, let's go together."
The two walked side by side into the iron gate.
"Senior Brother Ye, what do you think? How is my Giant Hammer Sect?"
Hu Han San suddenly asked. Ye Lin pondered for a moment before slowly replying.
"Not bad. The Giant Hammer Sect is surrounded by mountains, and its exterior is protected by such thick iron gates and walls. Even a Foundation Establishment Initial Stage Cultivator would be helpless if they tried to force their way in."
"Hahaha, Senior Brother Ye truly has a Wisdom Eye. The city walls and iron gates of Golden City were all forged by my Giant Hammer Sect. Because of this, those evil Cultivators dare not invade my Giant Hammer Sect in the slightest."
Hu Han San laughed heartily, seemingly very satisfied with Ye Lin's answer.
"Senior Brother Ye, we're here."
At this moment, Hu Han San led Ye Lin into a small house. Inside the house, a burly, muscular old man was pouring tea.
"Senior."
Ye Lin bowed to the old man before him.
"Hmm, Little Hu, you can go out first. I'll catch up with the Qingyun Sect Personal Disciple."
The old man looked up at Hu Han San and said.
"Yes, Master."
Hu Han San bowed to the old man, then patted Ye Lin's shoulder and walked out.
"Sit down."
The old man gestured, and Ye Lin sat on a wooden stool, taking the teacup offered to him.
"Thank you, Senior."
Ye Lin slowly took the teacup.
Ye Lin held the teacup and kept observing the old man before him. Why did this old man look more and more familiar?
"Fellow Daoist, from the moment you entered until now, you've been staring at me. What? Is there something on my face?"
Zhang Yi asked Ye Lin, his aged face full of displeasure.
From the moment this person entered, he had been staring at his face. If it were a woman, he might have been in a good mood, but this person was a man.
This couldn't help but make him wonder, could this Personal Disciple of Qingyun Sect have some special habit?
"No, no, Senior, you've misunderstood. I find your face vaguely familiar, as if I've seen it somewhere before."
Upon hearing this, Ye Lin immediately came back to his senses, shaking his head and saying.
"Hmm? You've seen me? I've been in this Giant Hammer Sect for over twenty years; it's impossible for us to have met."
"By the way, Senior, may I ask your name?"
"This old man is Zhang Yi."
Zhang Yi stroked his beard and slowly said.
Upon hearing the name, Ye Lin finally came to his senses.
He had previously gone to Sun Moon City to forge a long sword and coincidentally met a first or second-grade Artifact Refiner named Zhang Si. Could these two be related?
A Cultivator's memory is incredibly powerful. Even if it's just a fleeting encounter, they can easily recall it years later if they wish.
"Senior, do you know Zhang Si?"
After Ye Lin spoke, Zhang Yi's expression changed drastically. He suddenly pulled off his beard, the pain bringing tears to his eyes.
But he ignored the pain and immediately looked at Ye Lin.
"You've seen my younger brother?"
Zhang Yi grabbed Ye Lin, his expression extremely agitated.
"Senior, Senior, calm down, calm down."
Ye Lin hurriedly pressed Zhang Yi, making him sit back in his original spot.
"I once saw a first or second-grade Artifact Refiner in Sun Moon City. His name was Zhang Si, and his face bears some resemblance to yours."
After Ye Lin spoke, Zhang Yi's expression grew even more agitated.
"That's my younger brother! Sun Moon City? Good, tomorrow I'll go to Sun Moon City to find my younger brother."
Seeing Zhang Yi's excitement, Ye Lin felt helpless and sat to the side.
"This old man already knows the purpose of your visit. I just want to ask one question: in this Saint competition, how confident are you?"
Zhang Yi, who had forced himself to calm down, asked Ye Lin with a calm expression.
The Saint competition requires winning people's hearts. If these smaller forces pledge allegiance to a Personal Disciple, they must assist with all their might.
However, if the Personal Disciple they support fails, although they won't be purged, all their previous efforts will be in vain.
No small force can bear this huge cost. Small forces already lack resources, and with a large loss of resources, they might even face the destruction of their Sect.
"Destruction of their Sect" here doesn't mean being killed, but rather the Sect running out of money and going bankrupt.
Hearing Zhang Yi's words, Ye Lin nodded. The reason the previous Sects unhesitatingly pledged allegiance to him was entirely because he had repelled the evil demons and saved their Sects.
As for Bamboo Sect, it was because he had connections.
This Giant Hammer Sect is different. They don't need to fear evil Cultivators at all; evil Cultivators simply don't dare to touch them. At this point, they start talking about benefits.
"Senior, in the Saint competition, I am 100% confident."
Ye Lin said with absolute certainty.
"I'm sure you'd say that. Who among those who can participate in the Saint competition isn't 100% confident in themselves? This old man is at the Foundation Establishment Peak, and you are at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage."
"If you can withstand one strike from this old man, I will fully support you."
"My Giant Hammer Sect may not have strong combat power, but its Sect resources are enough to rival the Four Great Sects and Four Great Families."
Ye Lin firmly believed this point. A third-grade Artifact Refiner, within a radius of thousands of miles, only the person before him existed.
All major forces who wanted to provide weapons for their Disciples needed to seek Zhang Yi's help. Over the years, the wealth accumulated by the Giant Hammer Sect would be an astonishing figure.
"Alright, I accept, Senior."
Ye Lin slowly stood up, looking at Zhang Yi before him.
"You have guts. Let's do it right here; no need for such a grand setup. Be careful."
Suddenly, Zhang Yi's eyes narrowed, his spiritual energy surged wildly, and his clothes ripped apart, revealing his bronze-like skin, covered in muscles, exuding an overwhelming sense of pressure.
Boom!
Zhang Yi raised his palm, as large as a cattail leaf fan, and struck towards Ye Lin's chest.
Facing a strike from a Foundation Establishment Peak Cultivator, Ye Lin dared not be careless in the slightest.
"Tiger's Roar in the Mountains and Forests."
Accompanied by a fierce tiger's roar, a fist and a palm collided.
A violent shockwave spread in all directions, and the nearby tables and chairs shattered into powder.
Thump, thump, thump.
Ye Lin's expression changed, and he hurriedly retreated seven or eight steps backward before he could barely stabilize himself, while Zhang Yi remained motionless.
"Without my Dao Platform, Spiritual Root, and Phoenix Fire, I am completely helpless against a Foundation Establishment Peak Cultivator."
With one palm strike, Ye Lin quickly analyzed his current combat power.
If he went all out, he could fight a Foundation Establishment Peak Cultivator and easily slaughter a Foundation Establishment Stage Late Phase Cultivator.
As for those in the same Realm, they were no longer within his consideration.
Phoenix Fire, a five-grade dao platform, and Five Elements Spiritual Root—with these three Heaven-Defying enhancements, those in the same Realm were not even a consideration.
"Good kid, to be able to withstand a strike from this old man without changing your expression! No wonder you could confidently say you were 100% confident."