Eternal Swordmaster
Chapter 216 - 209 Absorption and Trade - Part 1

Chapter 216: Chapter 209 Absorption and Trade - Part 1

"The Bell Sound Method boasts an unparalleled ability to neutralize and harmonize the power of various cultivation techniques, enabling the coordination of different energy frequencies for fusion. It truly deserves to be the unique Decree... Although it seems to lack formidable power, its critical function is indeed extremely terrifying..."

Lin Xin realized that the core of all this stemmed from the Yin God Pearl’s Bell Sound Method. Without its fusion effect, there would be no Qilin of his own.

And the Yin God Pearl that recorded the Bell Sound Method came from the Mystic Realm.

"It looks like I need to properly sort through and integrate the cultivation techniques I acquired from the Mystic Realm. I must find a set of techniques that are the perfect fit for my own path to Foundation Establishment."

At his current level, he was about to face Foundation Establishment.

After practicing his Internal Cultivation Decree in a seated position for a while, he felt the massive amount of Essence Qi that had been accumulating inside his body rapidly dissolving, turning into nutrients that healed his internal injuries. His body was swiftly recovering, and at the same time, he began to feed the Essence Qi in reverse into the Red Flower Sword, nourishing the languid Yin Mantuo.

But Yin Mantuo’s appetite was much greater than he anticipated; it devoured the Essence Qi he fed it in just a few mouthfuls and continued to languish...

The speed at which Lin Xin fed Essence Qi couldn’t keep up with Yin Mantuo’s absorption rate. He estimated that even if he gave all the Essence Qi within his body to Yin Mantuo, it wouldn’t be enough for a significant recovery.

"Right, the giant fruits here seem to greatly help Yin Mantuo."

He suddenly remembered the surge of immense essence strength that had entered his body previously; it had to have come from the giant fruit. After all, he heard the next day that the giant fruits outside had withered, evidently due to Yin Mantuo.

Now that it had shrunk so drastically, perhaps the giant fruit could help it recover quickly.

Thinking thus, Lin Xin took his sword and left his room.

Outside in the camp, a portion of the cultivators had already returned early, many were being questioned by those guarding the camp about their outings.

In the area overseen by the manor, Lin Luo and Ouyang Fei seemed to have just returned. Ouyang Fei had faint scars visible on her body, and her clothing was somewhat disheveled. The fluctuation in their breath indicated they had just been in a fight not long ago.

"Master, I’ve dealt with the matter involving Xiao Yi along with Retainer Ouyang," Lin Luo communicated telepathically.

"Good, go back and rest. If there are any lingering effects, we’ll address them when I return," Lin Xin said curtly before hurrying away.

"Okay," Lin Luo nodded. A few of the manor’s disciples grabbed two people and threw them onto the ground. They were the two experts who had previously left the manor with their fans.

"We’ve nurtured you for so long, and you left—that’s one thing. But to take away the precious materials and equipment we distributed, did you really think Spirit Heart Villa had no means of bringing you back?"

Looking at the two, Lin Luo’s face showed a hint of sternness.

The two pleaded for mercy non-stop, but the surrounding people showed no sympathy whatsoever.

"What does the rule say we should do?" Ouyang Fei, frustrated that the two caused her injuries, had been forced to go out and capture them. She was wounded in the conflict and her arm was still in pain.

"The rule says to take back the materials, sever one arm, and expel them," one of the manor’s disciples said coldly.

"Who will do it?" Lin Luo asked indifferently.

Immediately, several disciples volunteered, eager to carry out the punishment, while the two bound men showed a look of desolate regret.

****************

Having left the camp alone, Lin Xin found a few more giant fruits and taking the opportunity when no one was around, summoned Yin Mantuo in a secluded spot and held it in his hand.

At that moment, Yin Mantuo was so small that he could lift it with just one hand. It had shrunk to an extreme degree.

Like a potted plant, Yin Mantuo was gently placed against the surface of a black giant fruit. Its once listless roots suddenly sprang into action, clinging to the fruit and burrowing in continuously. Within moments, it had burrowed a hole in the surface of the fruit and crawled inside.

Lin Xin was somewhat astonished; he had personally deciphered the natural formation patterns on the surface of the giant fruit once and was well aware of its formidable defense and the thickness of its surface. Furthermore, it was connected to the mighty energy of the entire Blackwind Giant Tree, forming a single entity; without undoing this connection, there would be no breaking through the skin.

But now, Yin Mantuo’s performance forced him to completely overturn that conclusion.

"Perhaps this is the natural cycle, the way one being is subdued by another," he pondered, connecting to the state of his own illusion, he seemed to grasp something but couldn’t quite catch it.

Gurgle...

Suddenly, an extremely subtle sound emerged from the interior of the giant fruit.

As soon as Lin Xin heard the sound, he felt a sudden swell inside his body.

A tremendous surge of heat gushed out from the Return to Origin Core linked to the Red Flower Sword, frantically burrowing through his meridians and blood vessels.

"It’s starting again!"

Lin Xin’s heart grew tense, and he urgently swallowed an expensive elixir to protect his meridians.

Upon entering his mouth, the elixir dissolved instantly, the potent medicinal power spreading from the oral cavity down the throat to the entire body, wrapping all meridians and blood vessels in a layer of faint, transparent spiritual light.

Gurgle... gurgle... gurgle...

Amidst the sucking sounds, the black giant fruit began to shrink rapidly. It was visible to the naked eye, and it was getting faster, continually accelerating.

Lin Xin’s body had slightly swollen, making his whole figure seem bloated, with dense blood threads emerging on his skin. Back of the hands, neck, face, all of them were swelling.

Wisps of faint red spiritual energy diffused from his pores, dispersing into the surroundings like a red fog, beginning to attract some nameless little insects to fly this way.

A few palm-sized mantises slowly crawled over from the ground, greedily moving toward the red mist. As soon as their heads touched the red mist, their bodies flipped over, then slowly softened and in a short while, they actually dissolved into a red liquid, continuously vaporizing and merging into the red mist around Lin Xin.

"Demon... demon path!!"

In a gap hidden by a bunch of branches and leaves in the distance, a somewhat skinny middle-aged cultivator dressed in white clothes—with only a small crimson bird emblem on his shoulder—was hiding. With thick brows and large eyes and a hint of a gloomy look in his eyes, it was none other than Xiao Yi, who had previously betrayed them.

"Sure enough... I knew there was something wrong with this Lin Xin." He swallowed hard, "Earlier when I tracked this guy, I found him colluding with insect handlers, and now, he himself poses a big problem!"

He looked somewhat anxious, slowly lowering the branches and leaves he was propping up, bent over, and quietly retreated backwards.

"This matter must be reported to Brother Hua as soon as possible. A demonic cultivator has actually infiltrated our sect, and no one knows yet. If it’s reported, this would be a great contribution!" Xiao Yi remembered how a minor leader of the Spirit Heart Villa had dared to confront him directly, demanding he summon someone. When a fight broke out, he couldn’t even beat a subordinate of the villa, which left him utterly humiliated.

And now, having discovered such a huge secret, Xiao Yi’s heart was tumultuous and agitated.

"No... if I only tell Hua Yunu, it might not succeed. I should bide my time and wait until I return to the sect; report to the various Daoist Masters... the merit could then be maximized to the greatest extent! By then, the position of a large district leader will surely be mine!"

He carefully retreated backward, afraid of being discovered by Lin Xin. His movements were silent, and even his footprints were eerily absent, as if he had never touched the ground.

The Thousand Delicate Ingenious Footwork that he had accidentally obtained was exceptionally outstanding in stealth within the entire sect. Among his peers, he was confident that he could compare with the very top few, and at least in terms of movement technique, no one could be stronger than him.

After slowly retreating a few meters, he then turned around and gradually increased his pace, running toward the camp.

"Eh, isn’t that Xiao Yi from Chen Yangjing, whom I just met not long ago?"

Suddenly, a calm male voice came from behind him.

Xiao Yi’s body stiffened instantly, and he looked somewhat uneasy.

He slowly turned around and saw Lin Xin, not knowing when he had appeared behind him. Although his body seemed slightly swollen as if it might explode at any moment, his eyes remained calm, as if the abnormalities in his body had no effect on him.

"Lin... Villa Master Lin... What a coincidence to encounter you here, right?" Xiao Yi managed to squeeze out a smile, chuckling.

"Yes... quite a coincidence... running into you wherever I go." Lin Xin also revealed a slight smile.

"You... coming out alone, are you just taking a walk, or...?" Cold sweat was about to break out on Xiao Yi; he couldn’t even beat Lin Xin’s disciples, now facing the main man himself, who also happened to be a demonic cultivator. If a conflict arose, then the consequences...

"Taking a walk?" Lin Xin’s mouth curled up. "I was in a very bad mood, but running into Brother Xiao has made me feel somewhat better."

"What do you mean?" Xiao Yi had a bad feeling.

Swoosh!

"This is what I mean." Lin Xin flashed to Xiao Yi’s back, and with a reverse grip, thrust his sword into him.

The blade pierced through Xiao Yi’s chest, creating a large hole right through his heart.

Xiao Yi’s eyes widened, his right hand had just gripped the hilt of the magic sword at his waist and hadn’t managed to draw it before he felt a sharp pain in his chest.

He slowly looked down at his chest, where, unbeknownst to him, a fist-sized hole had appeared, from which blood was spurting out like a fountain.

"I... you..." He couldn’t fathom being so outclassed by his opponent, so much that he didn’t even have time to react.

"Don’t blame me." Lin Xin watched as he fell to the ground, his pupils dilating, "Blame yourself for knowing too much."

He then shook his head.

"That phrase truly is a classic; no wonder those villains always liked to say it in the end." He stroked his chin, and with a flick of his right hand, a green flame ignited, which he threw onto the body.

The flame engulfed the body immediately, growing rapidly and completely enveloping it within moments, burning furiously.

"Corpse-Decomposing Fire, really convenient in times like this."

He turned around and walked back toward the giant fruit. His body was swelling unbearably by this point, and even with the prepared elixirs, there was a sensation as though he could explode at any moment.

The Guiyuan Crystal Core was frantically absorbing a vast amount of essence, continuously transforming it into spiritual energy, and compressing it inside the crystal core, with his cultivation soaring wildly. Like a rocket, at his level, an ordinary cultivator would need to measure their progress by decades to achieve such improvement. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com to read.)