Chapter 82: Undercurrents Intensify

Within the Star Burial Valley, there was absolute silence; only the residual chaotic spiritual energy and a faint scent of blood bore witness to the brief yet intense battle that had just occurred. The gray miasma seemed to have thinned slightly due to the breaking of the array, but that ancient, deathly stillness deeply rooted in the earth lingered on.

Every gaze—filled with suspicion, shock, awe, wariness, and curiosity—focused as if tangible upon the figure in green robes at the center of the scene.

Lin Xuan.

This name, accompanied by his earth-shattering performance just now, was deeply branded into the hearts of everyone present. Any pretense of being in the "late Foundation Establishment" stage had long been torn to shreds by his peerless demeanor as he annihilated a Nascent Soul, shattered ancient pillars with his fists, and withstood the blood curse head-on.

"Lin Xuan..." Leng Feng repeated the name, his gaze as sharp as a falcon's sweeping back and forth over him, attempting to reconcile this seemingly ordinary name with such terrifying strength. In his mind, he rapidly flashed through all the famous experts and reclusive old monsters recorded in the imperial secret archives, yet none could match the person before him. "Your Excellency... exactly what kind of sacred being are you?"

The arrogance on the face of the young Imperial Prince had long been replaced by gravity; the elderly servant beside him even subconsciously took a half-step forward, vaguely shielding the Prince behind him, his eyes filled with vigilance as he looked at Lin Xuan.

The scholarly man from the Heavenly Mystery Academy had closed the book in his hand at some point; he stroked his beard in contemplation, the wise light in his eyes flickering as he seemed to be rapidly calculating Lin Xuan's origins and background, but his brows were slightly furrowed—clearly, the heavenly mystery was a chaotic void.

Ye Chen held his long sword, his burning gaze fixed on Lin Xuan; that look was not one of fear, but of excitement and fighting spirit upon encountering an opponent worthy of an all-out battle. He clearly sensed that the person before him was more than ten times stronger than he had been in the secret realm! That unfathomable power, which seemed capable of encompassing and even annihilating all things, caused the thunderous sword intent within his own body to hum spontaneously.

Meanwhile, among the group of rogue cultivators, the sinister old man from the Zhao family and his companions had faces as pale as paper, cold sweat soaking their backs. Recalling how they had previously wanted to find an opportunity to "take care" of him, they now felt a chill shoot from the soles of their feet to their crowns, wishing they could flee immediately and stay far away from this star of misfortune. They finally understood why Uncle Zhong had conceded so readily, and why Yue Qingtian had treated him with such courtesy! This was simply an ancient ferocious beast wearing a sheep's skin!

Lin Xuan took in the reactions of the crowd, his expression remaining calm. Since he could not hide it, there was no need to hide anymore. The Dao of Chaos was upright and righteous; why should it forever remain hidden in the shadows? At the very least, revealing a portion of his strength could save him from many unnecessary troubles, such as... the covetousness of certain petty people.

He looked at Leng Feng and said indifferently, "Commandant Leng, there is no need to guess. I am indeed a mere rogue cultivator who happened to obtain the legacy of a predecessor and has cultivated until now. Hiding my cultivation base previously was merely because I did not wish to invite trouble while traveling abroad."

His words were half-true and half-false; he explained the source of his strength (the predecessor's legacy) and the reason for his concealment. As for whether they believed him, that was up to the individual.

Leng Feng took a deep look at Lin Xuan, knowing that continuing to press would yield no results and might even lead to enmity. The strength the other party displayed was at least late Nascent Soul, perhaps even touching the threshold of Soul Transformation, and that strange attribute of power was unheard of—he was definitely an existence comparable to, or even surpassing, heaven-favored sons like Ye Chen. For such a figure, one could only befriend him, or at the very least, remain neutral.

He cupped his hands and said, "I see. Regardless, I thank Daoist Lin for taking action just now to destroy the Nether Sect's evil array, saving us from danger, and preventing the formation of the Nether Blood Curse. Your contribution is immense! On behalf of the Demon Suppression Division, I thank you, Daoist!" He spoke with great solemnity, both as an expression of gratitude and as an official acknowledgment of Lin Xuan's merit and status.

"Commandant Leng is too kind; it was my duty," Lin Xuan replied with a bow, unperturbed by favor or humiliation.

"Daoist Lin..." the scholar from the Heavenly Mystery Academy spoke up at this moment, his tone carrying a hint of curiosity and inquiry. "Observing your power just now, it seemed to contain the mystery of the birth and destruction of chaos. Could it be the legendary... Dao of Chaos?" He was learned and had vaguely guessed a few things, but it was still hard to believe. The Dao of Chaos was ethereal and difficult to find; since ancient times, very few had been able to enter its gate, let alone cultivate it to such a profound realm.

Lin Xuan glanced at him, neither admitting nor denying it, only saying, "There are ten thousand paths to the Dao, each with its own karmic affinity. You have a discerning eye, Scholar; I admire that."

This vague answer further confirmed everyone's suspicions, and the gazes directed at him became even more complex. The Dao of Chaos! This was one of the supreme paths pointing directly to the origin of the Great Dao! No wonder he was so formidable!

The young Imperial Prince took a deep breath, suppressing the waves in his heart, and also stepped forward, cupping his hands. "I am Huangfu Hao, greetings, Daoist Lin. Your divine abilities are astonishing and truly breathtaking. If there was any negligence earlier, I hope you will forgive me." He kept his posture very low, well aware that in the face of such a powerhouse, his status as an Imperial Prince meant nothing.

"Daoist Huangfu is too polite," Lin Xuan nodded slightly.

Ye Chen also walked over, his gaze fixed directly on Lin Xuan, his voice cold and firm: "Your strength is worthy of being my opponent. When matters here are concluded, you and I shall fight."

This was the second time he had taken the initiative to challenge him, but this time, his tone was more solemn, placing Lin Xuan on a completely equal footing—a position that required him to give his all.

Lin Xuan looked at the pure fighting spirit in his eyes and smiled slightly: "If there is leisure, I shall certainly oblige."

After this brief exchange, the atmosphere eased considerably, but the invisible barriers and vigilance remained. Lin Xuan's sudden "rise" had completely broken the delicate balance within the team.

As the commander, Leng Feng quickly suppressed the distracting thoughts in his heart and began to handle the aftermath: "Clear the battlefield, check for casualties, and tally the losses!"

After a count, no one from the Demon Suppression Division or the Heavenly Mystery Academy had fallen, with only a few suffering minor injuries. The Imperial team had one Golden Core guard who had sustained some internal injuries during the initial attack by the Yin-Sha Corpse Hands. The rogue cultivator group had lost one person—the very one who had been targeted by the Nether Sect cultivators and would have died had Lin Xuan not intervened; he had been caught in the subsequent melee and unfortunately perished. Several others were also injured.

Overall, thanks to Lin Xuan's outburst and the timely reactions of the group, the losses remained within an acceptable range.

"The Ghost Bone True Person has fled, and the Nether Blood Curse has been broken, but this place is not suitable for a long stay." Leng Feng looked toward the deeper part of the basin, where the miasma remained thick. "Our mission is not yet complete; we must continue deep into the Star Burial Valley to reach the observation point ruins."

His gaze swept over the crowd, lingering for a moment on Lin Xuan's face: "Daoist Lin, for what follows, I hope we can work together as one."

This was a formal acknowledgment of Lin Xuan's top-tier status within the team, even carrying a hint of reliance.

"Naturally," Lin Xuan nodded. He had intended to go deep into the Ancient Domain anyway, so traveling with the team was not an issue.

The team rested briefly, taking elixirs to recover their spiritual power before setting off again. This time, everyone's positioning had undergone a subtle change. Lin Xuan naturally walked into the core area of the team, walking almost shoulder-to-shoulder with Leng Feng, Huangfu Hao, the Heavenly Mystery scholar, and Ye Chen. No one dared to view him as an expendable "Foundation Establishment rogue cultivator" ever again.

The sinister old man from the Zhao family and his companions trailed far behind, not even daring to meet Lin Xuan's eyes, their hearts filled only with endless regret and fear, hoping only that this mission would end safely so they could leave this place of trouble as soon as possible.

On the journey that followed, although they still encountered some poisonous insects, fierce beasts, and residual restrictions, they were resolved without danger now that they were prepared and the team's core combat power was intact. Lin Xuan occasionally took action, often resolving troubles with a mere wave of his hand, which gave everyone an even deeper understanding of his strength.

After traveling another hundred miles or so, the surrounding scenery changed once more. The gray rocks were gradually replaced by a type of dark purple crystal, and the air was filled with a faint starlight energy, strangely blended with the deathly stillness. Ahead, a relatively open depression appeared, and in the center of the depression stood several ancient architectural ruins built from dark purple crystals, most of which had already collapsed.

Around the ruins were scattered some huge, regular square stones, carved with star patterns that had long since become blurred.

"We have arrived, the ancient observation point ruins," Leng Feng stopped, his expression solemn.

As for Lin Xuan, the moment he approached these ruins, the Chaos Dao Seed within his dantian began to tremble uncontrollably, transmitting a sense of longing and resonance. The Star Nether Light within his body also became unusually active.

This ruin seemed to have some kind of connection to the power of the stars, or rather, to the Primordial Dao Ancestor from whom he inherited his path!