Chapter 289: Old Hu Is Coming
Bihai Palace.
“Sinister Soul Sect — those rats who once hid in the shadows manipulating sinister spirits and puppets. I never expected they would see the light of day again.”
Inside the palace hall, a figure stood atop a high platform, while on both sides young Foundation Establishment female cultivators respectfully arranged his robes.
Below stood three people who had come to report, and among them was a Core Formation cultivator — Hu Jin.
“Reporting to the Chief Elder, this subordinate would not dare conceal anything. The appearance of this Secret Realm has already begun affecting the stability of the Five Dragon Island Sea Region and the Star Pole Sea…”
“Enough. I didn’t expect that just after coming out of seclusion there would be so many matters. That Old Six really only stares at these petty profits.”
The one who had just emerged from seclusion was the Chief Elder of Bihai Palace, as well as the authority in charge of the Enforcement Hall.
“The two Palace Masters have only been in seclusion for such a short time, yet all kinds of demons and monsters have already begun to emerge.”
As his wide sleeves were arranged, the burly Chief Elder revealed a cold expression. It was clear that he did not attach the slightest importance to the so-called Secret Realm.
“You three simply follow Old Six’s plan. I still need to remain here to oversee Bihai Palace. After all, quite a few people have already begun to become restless.”
“Yes!”
The three respectfully cupped their hands and slowly withdrew.
As the attendants also retreated, the Chief Elder who had appeared so domineering just moments ago revealed a trace of complicated emotion in his expression before letting out a soft sigh.
“Great Jin… the Imperial Clan… Our lineage has been exiled to the Beast Sea Region for far too long because of our bloodline shackles. The hopes of ten thousand years now rest upon the two Palace Masters.”
Their lineage had originally been part of the Imperial Clan of Great Jin, but because of problems with their bloodline they had been banished to this desolate Beast Sea Region.
Generation after generation passed. They had already grown accustomed to this place and long since lost any interest in returning to the so-called Great Jin imperial dynasty.
But the shackles within their bloodline had always remained.
The two Palace Masters of Bihai Palace — Mingyue and Xingyue — were the most astonishingly talented and insightful geniuses their clan had produced throughout countless generations.
If even they could not break the bloodline restriction preventing their lineage from reaching the Deity Transformation Realm, then their clan truly did not know what path lay ahead.
……
Sea Abyss City.
“The Boss has come out of seclusion.”
When the news arrived that the Chief Elder had left seclusion, the usually lofty Sixth Elder showed rare hesitation in his eyes.
“Sixth Elder, this is the latest intelligence.”
Three people below respectfully reported, and the Sixth Elder came back to his senses as he looked at the jade slips handed over by them.
Under the illumination of the jade slip, the vast palace projected images of the Five Dragon Island Sea Region, the Star Pole Island Sea Region, and the latest intelligence regarding the Fog Sea of Tongtian.
“That’s enough. Once the news of the Boss coming out of seclusion spreads, those restless old ghosts will have to weigh their actions carefully. After all, the Boss is not like me.”
As he spoke, the Nascent Soul Sixth Elder revealed a schadenfreude-filled cold smile.
When the Boss went mad, even Bihai Palace felt tense — let alone those old ghosts.
Several hundred years ago, after the Boss returned wounded from being besieged, everyone thought the Chief Elder of Bihai Palace would certainly enter seclusion to heal.
But instead, he immediately launched attacks on his enemies.
Driven by reckless desperation, he directly killed one Nascent Soul cultivator and destroyed the physical bodies of two others.
The position of Chief Elder of Bihai Palace had never been determined by age or steadiness.
……
Celestial Spring Peak.
“The outside world has been far too dangerous lately. Fortunately, Daoist Lin repaired this formation. Otherwise…”
A False Core cultivator spoke while patting his chest in lingering fear.
Lin Chang’an nodded with shared understanding.
“Daoist Miao, your formation has already been repaired. The damage was not severe.”
“Good, good. It truly had to be Daoist Lin. These are the fees for repairing the formation — I will pay using these materials.”
After retrieving his formation, the cultivator finally regained a sense of security and could not help but show joy.
Lin Chang’an also wore a smile.
Another profitable deal.
Soon afterward the man cupped his hands and took his leave, while Lin Chang’an returned the courtesy with a light smile.
“The situation may be turbulent recently. For ordinary cultivators it may be frightening, but for me — as long as I remain within the Five Dragon Island Sea Region, it is still quite safe.”
In the cultivation world, strength always spoke the loudest.
When Nascent Soul cultivators did not appear, Core Formation cultivators stood among the very peak of the hierarchy.
“Moo!”
At that moment, the Azure-Horned Ox swayed its head and appeared behind him, wearing a flattering expression.
Ever since it had broken through to the third rank, its intelligence had increased greatly and it had learned to judge its master’s mood.
When its master was in a good mood, it would wander forward to curry favor.
When its master was in a bad mood, it would hide at the bottom of the pond, afraid of provoking him.
“You silly ox, all you think about is eating.”
Lin Chang’an shook his head speechlessly.
Yet perhaps it was precisely this simple behavior that allowed him to relax somewhat in daily life.
“Although you have broken through to the third rank, you must not slack off. In terms of cultivation, you are already behind by quite a margin.”
He casually took out two Spirit Fruits while reminding it.
With the Azure-Horned Ox’s intelligence, he believed it could understand his words.
As for its gluttony, the yearly stipend from Xuanyin Pavilion alone was enough to feed the ox.
After all, it was not picky.
Unlike the Wind-Chirp Bird, which was proud and extremely selective.
“Petrification Divine Ability… although the Azure-Horned Ox has only just entered the third rank, its actual combat strength far surpasses those of the same level.”
Lin Chang’an’s eyes flickered.
Mutation among demon beasts had both benefits and drawbacks.
Bad mutations could cause their strength to plummet or even lead to fatal backlash.
Good mutations, however, were like the Azure-Horned Ox’s case — comprehensive strengthening and greatly increased combat power.
On the surface, with Lin Chang’an and the third-rank Azure-Horned Ox together, their strength was already comparable to an ordinary mid Core Formation cultivator.
A Core Formation cultivator plus a third-rank spirit pet meant that one plus one was far greater than two.
And outsiders did not even know that the Azure-Horned Ox had mutated.
Because of this, the Wind-Chirp Bird could remain hidden more easily.
Standing outside his cave abode and looking down from above, Lin Chang’an saw the Sword Attendant instructing the cultivators of Celestial Spring Peak.
“Two years from now the Sect Grand Competition will be held. As cultivators of Celestial Spring Peak, you must not disgrace the Master’s reputation.
And you all surely understand the rewards awaiting the victors.
However, before the Grand Competition, Celestial Spring Peak will also hold its own contest. Only the top ten may participate…”
As the Sword Attendant’s cold voice echoed, the surrounding cultivators’ eyes burned with enthusiasm.
Even Shen Zhuang, Li Tianmo, and Zhou Bingxuan — whose families had already prepared Foundation Establishment resources for them — could not suppress their excitement.
The value of the Foundation Establishment Pill was obvious.
But more importantly, this was an opportunity to stand out.
Normally they were just ordinary cultivators with some connections — merely one among the masses.
But if they won in the competition, everything would change.
They would represent Celestial Spring Peak.
“In this Sect Grand Competition, aside from the Foundation Establishment Pill awarded to the winner, certain outstanding cultivators may also have the opportunity to become disciples under a Core Formation cultivator after reaching Foundation Establishment…”
Seeing everyone’s fighting spirit, the Sword Attendant also felt pleased.
She hoped these people could bring honor to her master.
But at that moment, a familiar voice sounded in her ear.
Her heart warmed.
Her master was reminding her not to delay her own cultivation.
She immediately turned toward the crowd, left a brief instruction, and flew away on her sword.
……
Time passed.
The Five Dragon Island Marketplace began to see many unfamiliar cultivator faces.
Although this brought some chaos, it also created tremendous business opportunities.
But whether it was the turmoil of the Secret Realm or the sect competition —
For Lin Chang’an, these were merely minor interludes along the path of cultivation.
Inside the Celestial Spring Peak Cave Abode.
The Sword Attendant wore a solemn expression as she and Lin Chang’an pressed their palms together, circulating a dual cultivation secret technique.
Although their realms differed greatly, the faint aura of the Heavenly Spirit Sword Body still provided assistance to Lin Chang’an.
At the very least, his cultivation speed in Sword Path divine abilities had clearly increased compared to the past.
【Sword Shadow at Will +2 (Grandmaster 1/5000)】
The insight gained from this breakthrough allowed Lin Chang’an to finally advance in this divine ability.
“Grandmaster-level Sword Shadow at Will!”
Lin Chang’an slowly finished his cultivation and opened his eyes, sensing the changes within his body.
With a movement of thought, a golden sword gleam appeared before him.
“The sword gleam is more solid than before, and it responds to my will more easily. Its power has also increased by roughly twenty percent.”
The next moment, Lin Chang’an extended his hand and grasped the sword gleam formed from condensed mana.
Feeling its tangible texture brought a smile to his face.
“Back then, that Blood Fiend True Lord had only just touched this level before he fell.”
In other words, the sword gleam he condensed could temporarily serve as a magical artifact.
“Sword Shadow at Will truly deserves its reputation. That Blood Fiend True Lord risked his life countless times to obtain it from a Secret Realm.”
With this divine ability alone, Lin Chang’an could unleash combat power comparable to a mid Core Formation cultivator.
It was powerful — but its drawbacks were equally obvious.
Aside from the difficulty of cultivation and the risk of backlash, the mana consumption was enormous.
The stronger each sword gleam was, the more mana it consumed.
An ordinary early Core Formation cultivator could likely use it only once before exhausting most of their mana.
Thus, while it granted tremendous offensive power, it was also somewhat impractical.
But Lin Chang’an’s mana far exceeded cultivators of the same realm, and more importantly he possessed extraordinary recovery ability.
The longer a battle dragged on, the more advantageous it became for him.
“A Heavenly Spirit Sword Body at mid Foundation Establishment already helps me this much. I wonder how powerful it will be after the Sword Attendant reaches Core Formation.”
Lin Chang’an looked thoughtfully at the Sword Attendant before him.
The Sword Attendant seemed to sense something. She withdrew her mana into her dantian and slowly opened her eyes.
Just as she was about to stand, Lin Chang’an rose first and waved his hand.
“Take advantage of this opportunity to cultivate properly. This chamber connects to the spirit vein of the mountain — the spiritual energy here is far denser.”
“Thank you, Master!”
The Sword Attendant nodded gratefully.
This place was sufficient for Core Formation cultivators to cultivate, yet she — a Foundation Establishment cultivator — was allowed to use it.
How could she not be delighted?
But Lin Chang’an’s eyes flickered.
Although this chamber truly could accommodate Core Formation cultivation, it also served as a cover.
He secretly released purified Demonic Energy into the chamber to assist the Sword Attendant’s cultivation.
A stronger body would also enhance the chances of Core Formation.
Even though that day was still far away, Lin Chang’an had already begun planning for it.
“Fortunately I have the Alchemist Wen avatar.”
After leaving the cultivation chamber, Lin Chang’an nodded inwardly.
The Foundation Establishment cultivators of Celestial Spring Peak did not affect anything, but now there were already three Core Formation existences cultivating here — himself, the Azure-Horned Ox, and the Wind-Chirp Bird.
If all three cultivated here simultaneously, it would inevitably cause problems.
Fortunately, there was also Blazing Fire Peak.
Otherwise, he would have needed to devise another plan.
Inside Blazing Fire Peak.
Lin Chang’an’s avatar, Alchemist Wen, guarded an alchemy furnace inside the cave abode.
Amid scorching heat, spirit herbs continuously entered the furnace as pills were refined.
Xuanyin Pavilion disciples frequently delivered spirit herbs.
This rhythm of alchemy had clearly begun affecting his cultivation.
Therefore Xuanyin Pavilion also provided compensation.
Meanwhile inside the Earthfire Cavern, besides the Wind-Chirp Bird resting atop the Fusang Divine Tree, there was another avatar of Lin Chang’an.
With a serious expression, it forged various magical artifacts and formation plates.
……
Meanwhile the main body leisurely walked out of the cave abode.
He came alone to the pavilion and looked at the chessboard on the stone table, then frowned before glancing at the chess manual.
The avatars cultivated various skills.
But the main body had not been idle either.
His cultivation had never slackened for even a moment, and he had even begun tempering his mental state.
“Moo!”
The Azure-Horned Ox lying in the pond looked at its master in confusion.
Was this broken chessboard really that profound?
Even it could see that its master’s chess skills were terrible — he could not even defeat Foundation Establishment cultivators.
But the ox’s eye-rolling expression could not escape Lin Chang’an’s powerful perception.
Lin Chang’an’s face darkened as he snorted.
“You foolish ox. The spirit fruits for the next three days will be confiscated and given to the Wind-Chirp Bird.”
The ox had been soaking peacefully in the pond when disaster suddenly fell from the sky.
Its eyes widened as it mooed in protest.
“If you dare complain again, I’ll punish you further.”
Lin Chang’an reprimanded without even turning around.
The Azure-Horned Ox immediately became so aggrieved it dared not make another sound, sinking its head beneath the water.
Only bubbles rose from the pond.
Inside the pavilion, after disciplining the ox, Lin Chang’an’s mood seemed to improve.
“Indeed, sometimes one needs to vent a little.”
Just as he continued tempering his mental state, a streak of light flashed outside the cave abode.
It was Zhou Bingxuan flying on her sword.
“Zhou Bingxuan requests an audience!”
Lin Chang’an did not speak. With a wave of his sleeve, the formation barrier opened a gap.
Zhou Bingxuan respectfully entered and walked to the pavilion.
There she saw Lin Chang’an — wearing a moon-white robe, elegant and refined, holding a chess manual while focusing on the chessboard.
“Reporting to Elder, a letter has arrived from Sea Abyss City.”
Upon hearing the words Sea Abyss City, Lin Chang’an raised his head in curiosity.
With a flick of his hand, the letter flew into his grasp.
As expected, it was from Old Hu.
After all, Old Hu was his only acquaintance in Sea Abyss City.
“You may leave. Cultivate diligently. The Sect Grand Competition is an opportunity.”
“Yes!”
Zhou Bingxuan bowed respectfully and withdrew.
Only Lin Chang’an remained in the pavilion reading the letter.
“Old Hu is coming.”
Or rather, the Enforcement Hall cultivators of Bihai Palace would soon arrive to oversee the Five Dragon Island Sea Region and the Star Pole Sea.
“Truly a troubled time.”
Lin Chang’an shook his head calmly.
He had no interest in the Secret Realm — he would not risk himself there.
Instead, what caught his attention was what Old Hu mentioned about the cargo aboard the Bihai Palace merchant ships.
If they could see business opportunities, how could a power like Bihai Palace fail to notice?
“Cultivation methods, divine abilities, magical artifacts… especially items specialized in restraining sinister spirits…”
Seeing this, Lin Chang’an could not help but feel astonished.
As expected of the strongest force in the Beast Sea Region.
Such foundations were far beyond ordinary factions.
“Quite a number of good things.”
It seemed his third-rank inheritance might finally have a lead.
At that thought, Lin Chang’an’s eyes flickered with anticipation.