Chapter 79

In the following few days, Black Rock City appeared to have returned to its usual noise and chaos on the surface, but the undercurrents in the dark had not subsided. The mysterious disappearance of the four Youming Sect dark stakes was like a stone sinking into the sea, not causing much of a splash, but it also aroused the suspicion and vigilance of some interested people. The Zhao family side also seemed to have temporarily stopped, not knowing whether they were brewing a bigger conspiracy or had restrained themselves after being warned by the City Lord's Mansion.

Lin Lin Xuan was happy to be quiet, spending most of his time in the small courtyard arranged by the City Lord's Mansion, not stepping out.

He was not in a hurry to improve his cultivation base, the mid-stage Nascent Soul was already stable, and being greedy for progress would damage his Dao foundation. He put all his energy into consolidating and digging into his existing means.

The Chaos Dao Seed is the foundation of everything he has. He repeatedly introspected, nourished it with spiritual sense, and realized the profoundness of its inhaling and exhaling spiritual energy and evolving law fragments. He tried to control Chaos spiritual power more finely, making the spatial ripples smaller when performing "Shrinking Ground to an Inch", the destructive power more condensed when activating "Annihilation Finger", and the tempering of his physical body deeper into the bone marrow when operating "Nine Turns Thunder Body".

The biggest harvest came from the further refining and understanding of Star Netherlight. This light contains the vastness of the stars and the deathly silence of the Youming, and also carries a characteristic of sealing all things. He no longer just regarded it as a means of attack, but began to explore more of its applications.

He discovered that by integrating a trace of imperceptible Star Netherlight into "Shadow Concealment Technique", its concealment effect increased greatly, as if it could temporarily "seal" or "isolate" his own existence from the perception of this heaven and earth, and it would be extremely difficult to discover unless someone was a major realm higher than him and deliberately probed.

He also tried to integrate the "annihilation" characteristic of Star Netherlight into "Annihilation Finger". Once the finger was pointed, it not only contained annihilation at the material level, but also carried a trace of annihilation Dao rhyme that pointed directly to the soul and froze vitality, and the power was more than doubled? He faintly felt that this might be the correct direction for the future of "Annihilation Finger"—under one finger, all things return to the ruins, and the soul is eternally silent.

At the same time, he also began to study the Five Elements Demon-Sealing Monument (imitation) obtained from the inheritance of the Five Elements Rogue Cultivator. Although this monument is only an imitation, the Five Elements sealing power contained within is quite profound. He used Chaos spiritual power to simulate the flow of the Five Elements, trying to stimulate its power, although it was far from as vast as borrowing the power of the earth veins in the Mystical Realm, he had initially mastered a few wonderful uses of sealing and trapping enemies, which might play a miraculous effect at a critical moment.

In addition to cultivation, he also read some public information about the Southern Wilderness Ancient Domain through the channels provided by the City Lord's Mansion, and had a deeper understanding of that land of death. Miasma, poisonous insects, fierce beasts, bizarre and changeable terrain, residual ancient restrictions... each one was enough to be fatal. And the most daunting thing was the "space-time distortion" phenomenon that occasionally appeared in the Ancient Domain, those who fell into it often didn't know where they were, or appeared in another area hundreds of years later, aged and decrepit, or disappeared completely.

Ten days, in this fulfilling and tense cultivation and preparation, passed quietly.

On the morning of the tenth day, the morning sun rose, casting the huge shadow of Black Rock City on the vast earth.

Lin Lin Xuan said goodbye to Yue Yue Qingtian, did not disturb anyone, and left Black Rock City silently. He still maintained the appearance of that ordinary Golden Core rogue cultivator, performed "Shrinking Ground to an Inch", took a step, and his figure was already several miles away, heading toward Broken Blade Canyon in the southwest.

Deep in the Cangmang Mountain Range, the further in, the denser and more ancient the vegetation, the towering ancient trees blocking the sky and the sun, and the demonic energy permeating the air became more intense. Lin Lin Xuan did not fly at high altitude, as the target was too large, and it was easy to attract the attention of powerful demon birds or some people with bad intentions. He wove through the forest like a ghost, but his spiritual sense had already spread out, covering hundreds of miles, avoiding the nests of some demon beasts with powerful auras, and also detecting several teams of cultivators heading to Broken Blade Canyon in advance.

The three-thousand-mile journey, for mortals, is unreachable, but for the current Lin Lin Xuan, it took no more than half a day.

In the afternoon, the outline of a huge, ferocious canyon appeared on the horizon.

Broken Blade Canyon, true to its name. The cliffs on both sides were like being split by a giant axe by a god, steep as if cut, reaching a thousand feet high, the rocks presenting a dark red color, as if stained with the blood of countless years. At the entrance of the canyon, the rocks were jagged, the wind was howling, making a shrill sound like a ghost crying. The spiritual energy here was chaotic, carrying a tragic murderous aura, said to be an important battlefield for the war between the human race and the Southern Wilderness demon race in the ancient times, and still retains the unscattered fighting intent and resentment.

Lin Lin Xuan stopped in a dense forest more than ten miles away from the canyon entrance, and did not rush to appear. "Eye of Breaking Delusion" was quietly opened, Chaos brilliance flowed in his eyes, looking at a relatively flat open space at the canyon entrance.

There, dozens of figures had already gathered.

These people were clearly divided into several small groups, keeping a vigilant distance from each other.

The most conspicuous was a group of cultivators wearing uniform dark red spiritual armor and a murderous and fierce aura, about seven or eight people, the leader was a middle-aged man with a cold face and eyes like a hawk, his spiritual power fluctuation had actually reached the mid-stage Nascent Soul, and a dark iron token engraved with the two characters "Demon Suppression" hung at his waist. It was exactly the people from the Imperial Dynasty's Demon Suppression Division.

Another group of people wore brocade robes embroidered with flame cloud patterns, few in number, only four or five people, but each of them had an extraordinary bearing, and the lowest cultivation base was also the peak of Golden Core, the leader was a young master with a handsome face and a trace of imperceptible arrogance between his eyebrows, his cultivation base had actually reached the early Nascent Soul! Beside him stood an old man with a deep aura, seemingly a servant, whose cultivation base had reached the mid-stage Nascent Soul. Looking at his clothing logo, he should be a member of the Imperial family, but not of the Third Imperial Prince's line.

The third group of people wore uniform green Confucian shirts, their aura gentle and upright, carrying a scholarly atmosphere, but their eyes were wise, and their spiritual power was pure and condensed. This is the cultivator of Huangfu Tianji Academy, about five or six people, the leader is a middle-aged scholar holding a book, with a scholarly temperament, and his cultivation base is also the mid-stage Nascent Soul.

Besides these three teams obviously from major forces, there were more than a dozen cultivators standing scattered on the open space, with different attire, men and women, with cultivation bases ranging from late Golden Core to early Nascent Soul, obviously all rogue cultivators or representatives of other small forces recruited or coming on their own like Lin Lin Xuan. These people looked at each other, their eyes full of vigilance, scrutiny, and occasionally a trace of greed flashed.

Lin Lin Xuan's gaze swept over the crowd, and soon noticed two acquaintances.

One of them was Ye Chen! He stood alone not far from the Demon Suppression Division team, holding a long sword, closing his eyes to rest. Compared with the Mystical Realm, his aura was more restrained, but his sword intent was more pure and sharp, obviously his cultivation base had improved again, and he had reached the peak of the early Nascent Soul, only one step away from the mid-stage.

Another one was the Third Grandfather of that Zhao family young master Zhao Kun, whom he had met once in the Hundred Know Tower, that gloomy old man at the late Nascent Soul stage! He was standing with two other early Nascent Soul cultivators at the moment, seemingly belonging to the rogue cultivator group, but their eyes occasionally swept across the audience, especially when lingering on the Demon Suppression Division and the Imperial family team, carrying a trace of imperceptible coldness.

"The Zhao family really sent someone, and it's a late Nascent Soul..." Lin Lin Xuan sneered inwardly, this was within his expectations. He firmly remembered this person's aura.

Just as Lin Lin Xuan was observing, a powerful spiritual sense swept over this mountain forest unceremoniously, carrying a sense of scrutiny and warning, it was exactly that mid-stage Nascent Soul leader of the Demon Suppression Division.

Lin Lin Xuan knew he couldn't hide anymore, so he removed his disguise, revealed his "late Golden Core" cultivation base, walked out of the forest calmly, and headed toward that open space.

His appearance did not cause much commotion. A late Golden Core rogue cultivator, in this elite team, could only be considered the bottom existence. Many rogue cultivators glanced at him and lost interest. Only a few people, like Ye Chen, opened their eyes to look when he appeared, his gaze lingered on him for a moment, seemingly detecting something unusual, but then closed his eyes again. That gloomy old man of the Zhao family also just glanced at him coldly, and did not associate this "Golden Core junior" with the mysterious expert who killed the Youming Sect dark stakes that night.

Lin Lin Xuan was happy to be ignored, walked silently to the edge of the rogue cultivator gathering area, found a stone and sat down, closed his eyes to adjust his breath, waiting for the gathering time to arrive.

Time passed bit by bit, and a few more people arrived one after another. When the sunset was about to sink into the distant mountains, dyeing Broken Blade Canyon into a piece of tragic blood color, that leader of the Demon Suppression Division, the cold middle-aged man, finally took a step forward, his eyes like electricity, sweeping across the audience.

"Everyone has arrived." His voice was like the clashing of gold and iron, carrying an unquestionable majesty, "This official, Deputy Commander of the Demon Suppression Division, Leng Feng."

He paused and continued: "This investigation of the Southern Wilderness Ancient Domain is fully responsible by me. Ugly words first, the Ancient Domain is dangerous, nine deaths and one life. Since you are here, you must follow the rules! During the action, everything follows the command, if anyone acts in defiance, flees before the battle, or even stabs in the back—"

Before he finished speaking, a cold murderous intent like midwinter instantly shrouded the audience, making many Golden Core cultivators' faces pale, and even some early Nascent Soul rogue cultivators felt their breathing suffocate.

"—do not blame Leng's 'Demon Suppression Blade' for being ruthless!"

The ancient-looking sheathed long sword at his waist seemed to sense its master's murderous intent and made a low humming sound.

"Now, distribute the 'One Heart Talisman'." Leng Feng waved his hand, and dozens of streams of light flew accurately to everyone present.

Lin Lin Xuan reached out to catch it, it was a white jade talisman engraved with complex runes and containing a trace of strange connection.

"This talisman can sense each other's position within a hundred miles, and can activate a shield at a critical moment, but its main function is positioning. If anyone leaves the team privately for more than a hundred miles, or damages this talisman, it will be regarded as defection!" Leng Feng said coldly, "Drop blood to refine!"

The crowd heard this, and followed suit to drop blood to refine. Lin Lin Xuan also followed suit, he could feel that this talisman had no effect of monitoring the soul, and its main function was indeed positioning and simple contact, so he also refined it with the crowd.

"Target, periphery of the Southern Wilderness Ancient Domain, direction of 'Burial Star Valley'. Set off!"

Leng Feng did not drag his feet, gave an order, and was the first to turn into a dark red stream of light, rushing into the depths of the canyon. The Demon Suppression Division team followed closely behind.

The Imperial family team and the Huangfu Tianji Academy team also set off one after another.

Ye Chen said nothing, turned into sword light, and swept away.

The rogue cultivators and other small force cultivators looked at each other, and each showed their means, following behind.

Lin Lin Xuan mixed in the rogue cultivator team, performed his body technique unhurriedly, his gaze looking calmly at the dark area shrouded in thick miasma to the south, as if a giant beast was crouching.

Southern Wilderness Ancient Domain, he finally came.

And behind him, the gloomy old man of the Zhao family looked at Lin Lin Xuan's back as he "struggled" to follow, the corner of his mouth curled into a cold arc, and he transmitted to the two people beside him: "Watch that late Golden Core kid closely, once you enter the Ancient Domain, find an opportunity to 'take care of' him."

Murderous intent, with the team's departure, quietly permeated.