Chapter 275: Time is Running Out

After hanging up the phone, Lin Xuan suddenly said: "There isn't much time left. The Heart Fire is already on the verge of completely spiraling out of control; we must find the Dust of Earth as soon as possible. Xiao Qing, Xiao Bai, you two go with Zhang Chulan to rendezvous with Xu Si and the others. I will go search for the Dust of Earth myself."

"Benefactor!" Xiao Qing and Xiao Bai exclaimed in unison, "That is too dangerous!"

Lin Xuan shook his head: "Rest assured, I have my own judgment. The urgent priority now is to not let others discover the exact location of the Dust of Earth. If you split up, you can also divert the attention of others."

Zhang Chulan also understood the severity of the situation: "Lin Daozhang, please rest assured. I will definitely protect Xiao Qing and Xiao Bai well."

Just like that, the group split up to act. Everyone knew that a world-shaking event was about to unfold in K City. And this might just be the beginning of a much larger conspiracy.

Just at this moment, Wang Zhenqiu walked quickly to Lin Xuan, his eyes filled with undisguised excitement. His body was still covered in a bit of dust, clearly having gone through a thorough search. When he pulled several strangely shaped items from his bosom, his hands were even trembling slightly.

"Lin Daozhang, you must take a look at these." "I searched for an entire day," "and these few things are the most unusual. Look at this Jade Pendant, how peculiar the patterns on it are; and this bronze mirror, it actually emits a faint light when wiped; this bone flute is even more magical, when blown it can summon gusts of Qingfeng..."

He introduced every item as if he were counting his family treasures, his eyes carrying a kind of near-childlike anticipation. In the world of the Outsider, Wang Zhenqiu could be considered a figure of some standing, but at this moment in front of Lin Xuan, he acted like a student seeking praise.

Lin Xuan glanced at them casually, his brows slightly furrowed. In his eyes, these things didn't even have the most basic Spirit Qi preserved completely; at best, they were crude imitations. However, looking at Wang Zhenqiu's expectant eyes, he still said tactfully: "These are all low-grade things, and they don't even have the most basic Spirit Qi preserved completely. However..." He paused, "You were able to find these few items from among so much clutter; your eye for things is not bad."

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhenqiu immediately became like a deflated ball.

Just at this moment, the air suddenly became viscous. A cold, sinister aura surged in like a tide from all directions, giving people a feeling of suffocation. More than a dozen people dressed in black had surrounded them at some unknown point. The faces of these people were hidden behind black masks, revealing only pairs of eyes flickering with eerie light.

"Finally found you." The leader let out a hoarse, cold laugh, his voice carrying a hint of morbid excitement, "Hand over the Divine Fire, and I will spare your lives!"

Lin Xuan turned around slowly, his gaze sweeping over those Black-Clothed Persons. Through the special fluctuations on their bodies, he had already discerned the origin of these people—an evil organization of "Insect Raisers" from Dongying.

"Just by relying on you bug-players, you think you're qualified to negotiate with me?" Lin Xuan's tone carried a hint of mockery.

This sentence clearly enraged those Black-Clothed Persons. They formed seals simultaneously, and countless tiny black dots flew out from their sleeves. Those black dots expanded rapidly in the air, turning into various hideous poisonous insects. Some grew barbs like hooks, some spat foul-smelling poisonous mist, and even more terrifyingly, some actually grew horrific faces resembling human faces.

"Go to hell!" Those poisonous insects shot toward Lin Xuan and Wang Zhenqiu like a rain of arrows.

However, just at the moment the poisonous insects were about to hit their target, a sudden change occurred. A scorching aura suddenly permeated the area; it was the power coming from the Heart Fire. In the face of this supreme Yang and rigid power, those poisonous insects suddenly stalled in mid-air, emitting ear-piercing hisses.

"This is..." The leader's expression changed drastically, as if he had realized something. But it was too late.

"Ah!" They convulsed all over, black blood constantly spitting from their mouths. The poisonous insects they were so proud of not only failed to harm the target but instead began to crazily devour their own masters.

This scene was extremely bloody; those poisonous insects acted as if they had lost control, crazily burrowing into the bodies of the Black-Clothed Persons. In just a few breaths of time, more than a dozen mangled corpses lay on the ground.

"Is this... Heavenly Dao backlash?" He was shocked to the core. Although he was well-informed, this was the first time he had seen such a scene.

Lin Xuan shook his head, his expression calm to the point of being terrifying: "It is not Heavenly Dao backlash, but the backlash of their own poisonous insects. These 'Insect Raisers' let insects parasitize their own bodies to enhance their power. But they didn't expect that in the face of the Heart Fire's supreme Yang and rigid power, these sinister, poisonous things would lose control and turn against their own masters."

After hearing this, Wang Zhenqiu couldn't help but gasp. For the sake of power, these people actually did such insane things. Thinking of the scene where those poisonous insects were crazily devouring their masters just now, he still felt a chill down his spine.

"Let's go." Lin Xuan suddenly said, his eyes becoming profound, "The aura of the Dust of Earth is getting stronger. If we are any later, I'm afraid it will be difficult to handle."

He closed his eyes and began to channel the Heart Fire to sense it. A peculiar power circulated within his body; every heartbeat brought intense pain, but his expression was unusually calm. Soon, a clear direction emerged in his heart.

Passing through several dark, narrow alleys, the two arrived in front of a dilapidated black house. This building looked ancient, its walls covered in moss, and the air was permeated with an indescribable aura. In Lin Xuan's perception, the space here seemed somewhat distorted, clearly influenced by some kind of ancient Array.

After some fumbling, the two discovered a hidden tunnel entrance inside the house. The entrance was carved with ancient Runes, some of which were already blurred, but one could still feel the powerful strength contained within them.

"These Runes..." Wang Zhenqiu observed carefully, a trace of surprise flashing in his eyes, "How come they look a bit like the sealing techniques from the ancient era?"

Lin Xuan nodded: "Indeed. And judging from the remnants of the Runes, this should be a secret treasury from the ancient era. It's just unclear why it would appear in a place like this."

The passageway was deep and bottomless, and the air was filled with a heavy, musty smell, mixed with some kind of indescribable ancient aura. Lin Xuan and Wang Zhenqiu walked down the steps cautiously, every step filled with vigilance.