Eternal Swordmaster
Chapter 206 - 199 Traces (Part 1)

Chapter 206: Chapter 199 Traces (Part 1)

The other Array Masters used the same methods, but none were as fast as Lin Xin. With his formidable Formation Path accumulations nearing the level of a Master, he quickly identified the key hub of the formation, which was also its only weak point—a spot that could cause the entire formation to collapse instantly.

Once he confirmed the crux of the problem, he immediately began discussing with the other Formation Talisman Masters, while also starting to divide and cooperate on tasks. Once everyone had agreed to his plan, he then began to assign tasks to each person.

Before long, one after another, the Formation Talisman Masters engraved formation patterns or imprinted their own array plates onto the target. A phase of transparent, water-like substance that had covered the giant fruit finally began to dissipate slowly, and the previously faintly impenetrable aura vanished in an instant.

"It’s done," Lin Xin nodded to Hua Yunu.

"Many thanks, Master Lin, and thanks to all," Hua Yunu, with her discerning eyes, recognized Lin Xin’s significant role and simply addressed him as Master directly.

"I dare not take the title ’Master’," Lin Xin said with a smile. "Brother Hua, you better hurry in and catch the insect master before they escape and it becomes troublesome."

"Then we must not delay," Hua Yunu smiled and said, "Please, everyone, follow me."

He called out loudly to the group of Foundation Establishment Cultivators and then was the first to fly toward the giant fruit.

With a flash of sword light, a neat square incision appeared on the surface of the giant fruit. The black flesh of the fruit fell inward, revealing a dark space inside.

Holding the Swim Fish Sword, Hua Yunu, fearless, radiated golden light and flew into it.

The remaining Foundation Establishment Cultivators followed one after another.

After a short wait, transmission sounds from the leading Foundation Establishment Cultivators came from inside.

"You can come in now," Hua Lin directly transmitted to Lin Xin and the others.

Lin Xin nodded and followed the others into the giant fruit.

As he entered, torches stuck into the walls lit up the space before him.

The entire interior of the giant fruit was furnished with black tables, chairs, and beds, along with furniture and dressing tables, wardrobes, and eight-trigram decorations hanging on the walls, no different from a typical female Taoist cultivator’s bedroom.

If not for the triangular pool in the corner, which resembled a water pond filled with a large number of white bones, it would have been impossible to find any signs that this room belonged to the insect master.

Hiss...

Someone standing by the pool hissed sharply, covering their nose and hastily retreating.

"This is... this is..." Those who saw it all furrowed their brows and couldn’t stop shaking their heads.

Lin Xin saw Lin Luo, who had gone to take a look at some point, come back to stand behind him.

"How is it?"

"It’s the corpses of children, piled high, used to cultivate swarms of maggot-like bugs. Some of the children’s eyes are still open, but their faces are chewed up, with bugs crawling in and out through the holes. It’s quite disgusting," Lin Luo spoke solemnly.

Lin Xin did not go to look himself but briefly scanned the area where the Foundation Establishment Cultivators were gathering and noticed that the expressions on Hua Yunu and the others were not good, obviously, there was no significant discovery.

At this moment, he didn’t know what to feel—on one hand, the insect master’s deep feelings for Dongyue made him reluctant to separate them, but on the other hand, the insect master’s cruel methods were condemned.

Though he was not a particularly good person, he also disdained the cultivation method of harming children.

"No, there are two insect masters here!" Su Wan suddenly exclaimed.

"What? Two?"

Hearing this, Hua Yunu immediately flew over. "How can you tell?"

Standing next to Su Wan was another female cultivator who stepped forward, her lips barely moving as she transmitted her message. After listening, Hua Yunu’s expression changed slightly, and then quickly darkened.

"Is this true?!"

"I can guarantee it with my life," the female cultivator said earnestly.

Hua Yunu pondered for a moment.

"If there are indeed two insect masters, then why haven’t we found any trace of them?"

"Perhaps they are afraid of us?" Dugu Lin said nonchalantly.

"Little Sister is really humorous," Su Wan covered her mouth and laughed.

"Was I talking to you?" Dugu Lin turned and stared at her sharply.

Su Wan was taken aback. Her chest heaved slightly, obviously angered, but for some reason, she refrained from reacting.

"If it’s true that there are two insect masters, then we’ll need Sister Su to lend a hand," Hua Yunu said with a smile.

"I wouldn’t dare presume. With Sister Dugu here, whether I, Su Wan, am here or not, it shouldn’t make any difference, right?" Su Wan finally retorted sharply.

"Right, Brother Hua, there’s something I need to discuss, but I’m not sure if it’s appropriate to mention it," Hua Lin said, frowning.

"We are clan brothers; what can’t you say?" Hua Yunu gestured for him to speak freely.

Hua Lin pulled someone along from behind him, revealing Xiao Yi.

"One of our junior brothers claims to have found a clue, but it pertains to the harmony among our fellow cultivators, so I was unsure if it should be mentioned," Hua Lin whispered.

Their actions attracted the attention of the other cultivators around them. Though they spoke softly, to the cultivators present, who were adept and perceptive, it was as if the conversation was happening just in front of them, making the whispering utterly ineffective as a means of privacy.

Hua Yunu frowned and glanced at Xiao Yi, who was just a disciple in the Qi Refinement Realm, unsure of what problem he might be able to uncover. Nevertheless, he had met many individuals with low cultivation but considerable talent before. Now was not the time to be concerned about cultivation levels, so he put on a look of earnest concern.

"Junior Brother, if you have discovered something, please inform us immediately so as to prevent the insect master from fleeing in advance and becoming a significant source of trouble."

"Brother Hua...." Xiao Yi’s face showed a look of embarrassment. "This matter relates to a crucial Brother in our team, so I dare not confirm whether speaking out would have a negative impact..."

The more he acted like this, the more people like Hua Yunu shook their heads inwardly. Clearly having decided to speak out, yet still trying to save face by obscuring the truth and pushing the responsibility onto others, they were inwardly disdainful, but they still urged him on with kind words.

Under the comforting persuasion of the crowd, Xiao Yi hesitated for a while before reluctantly beginning to speak.

"Just a few days ago... I inadvertently noticed that, in our team, someone inexplicably appeared, and then someone else inexplicably disappeared...."

"When and where did you notice this? Do you know how that person managed to infiltrate our group?" Hua Yunu quickly inquired.

Xiao Yi shook his head.

"I’m not very certain, but I followed that person once, discreetly, and found a wooden hut. There seemed to be something strange about it, as if someone was living there!"

"Someone living there? Where?"

Dugu Lin also realized the problem.

In this Giant Tree Forest, controlled by the insect master, where insects could infest every tree, living here safely, without question, was no doubt someone with immense strength or someone related to the insect master.

Xiao Yi paused for a moment.

"I don’t remember the exact location, but I can assure you it is inside this Giant Tree Forest, and I can find the way back! Because I left marks along the path," he said confidently.

"Then... tell us, how did that person infiltrate our team? Without help from someone inside, it would be impossible for him to come in without alarming anyone," Hua Yunu continued to press.

Xiao Yi hesitated, then looked towards Lin Xin inadvertently.

The gaze of Hua Yunu, Dugu Lin, and others immediately fell on Lin Xin.

Lin Xin was taken aback for a moment, and then thought of Dongyue. It seemed that Xiao Yi had detected Dongyue when he sneaked in, but he didn’t know why he had been detected by Xiao Yi. Could it be that he had been under surveillance all this time?

"Master Lin, do you acknowledge what this Junior Brother has said?" Hua Yunu asked Lin Xin, still with a calm and gentle demeanor.

Lin Xin fell silent for a moment.

"It’s true. I have a Junior Brother who caught up with us halfway and came to warn me proactively that there was danger here and that I should not bring people, which I declined."

Upon hearing Lin Xin’s admission, Hua Yunu’s eyes remained unchanged, still exceptionally gentle.

"I believe that Master Lin would have nothing to do with the insect master or such, but I wonder why your Junior Brother would suddenly appear in this forest. Did you not find that suspicious?"

Lin Xin responded candidly.

"I did find it suspicious, but that Junior Brother has always been unpredictable and elusive, so I couldn’t be certain."

In a moment of silence, Hua Yunu, Dugu Lin, and Su Wan exchanged sound transmissions, seemingly discussing something.

At this time, everyone’s eyes were on Lin Xin.

"Master Lin... are you certain that what you’ve said is true?" Hua Yunu suddenly remarked indifferently. Although his eyes were still soft, his tone had become somewhat blunt.

"What? You doubt me?" Lin Xin said calmly, locking eyes without showing any sign of shrinking from the disparity in their cultivation levels.

Hua Yunu stared at him calmly for a while, then suddenly began to smile.

"How could I? Of course, I believe what Master Lin says, but this insect master issue involves more than common interests; it is of great importance. If due to some oversight it leads to the escape of the insect master, resulting in catastrophic consequences, that responsibility..."

Lin Xin’s gaze flickered a few times.

By now, he had realized that though Hua Yunu outwardly showed no suspicion, he had publicized the issue in the presence of everyone, and the others’ gazes at Lin Xin subtly changed.

"I think, Master Lin, that you must be somewhat fatigued from deciphering the formations these past few days; it might be best not to venture outside, to avoid any trouble that we’d be worried about. After all, you are one of our Sect’s most talented Formation Talisman Masters... If something regrettable were to happen while you’re out, that would truly be a shame...." Hua Yunu said gently. "Don’t you agree?"

Hua Yunu, while gentle and amiable on the surface, was deviously cunning, with a facade of humility but actually displaying a domineering insistence on having his way.

Lin Xin kept his composure.

"Are you trying to restrict my freedom...?"

"No, this is for your safety. Let’s leave it at that," Hua Yunu interjected. His use of the term ’Master’ was gentle and respectful, but his words unmistakably conveyed a superior and condescending tone, leaving no room for doubt, refusal, or opposition. Clearly, in the end, he did not truly take Lin Xin’s surface cultivation level seriously.

"Also, this Junior Brother needs to be isolated temporarily, do you have any objections?" he suddenly looked toward Xiao Yi, who was showing a hint of schadenfreude.

The latter’s complexion changed immediately upon hearing this. As he was about to speak, he saw a veiled threat flitting across Hua Yunu’s eyes.

He felt a chill in his heart. Unlike in the Sect, being a Suppressor out here meant that any random encounter with danger or attack by demons on the Demon Path could lead to death. There were just too many opportunities to stage an ’accident.’

"I have no objections..." he finally lowered his head and replied.

"Good."

Hua Yunu nodded and smiled with satisfaction. "I’m satisfied with this arrangement. Now, please lead us to that wooden hut."

Xiao Yi quickly nodded. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)