Eternal Swordmaster
Chapter 219 - 212: The Lion Plains - Part 2

Chapter 219: Chapter 212: The Lion Plains - Part 2

The cultivation techniques obtained from the Underworld were vast, numbering at least in the hundreds. Many of these were in the native Two-Faced language, involving different bodily meridians, so Lin Xin couldn’t directly start practicing them without continuous adjustments.

He only needed the key principles and creative ideas, along with many detailed descriptions inside. Especially the extremely detailed descriptions of the stages after Foundation Establishment Stage, even the Golden Core Stage, Nascent Soul Stage, and the final indescribable realm.

By reading extensively, Lin Xin gradually also had a complete division of the entire cultivation realms, as well as an understanding of higher-level cultivators.

Having read too many books, especially ones that ordinary people and cultivators could not amass, Lin Xin, despite lacking practical cultivation experience, had knowledge comparable to many Taoist Master level cultivators.

Tome after tome, secret technique after secret technique, all sorts of creativity, cultivation methods, various ways of gathering the essence of heaven and earth, even dozens of completely different methods of utilizing the energy of heaven and earth—some used spiritual power, some the power of the sun, some the power of the earth, some toxins, some absorbed resentment, and others harnessed the seven emotions and six desires—completely broadened his horizons and thoughts.

As for Hua Yunu, he had Dugu Lin inquire about her.

From time to time, they would send a letter this way. Hua Yunu had already returned. It was said she was recuperating, and there was no news of any significant movements from her.

Once things quieted down here, Dugu Lin started actively asking around to help Lin Xin find An Ying’s whereabouts. She also set off personally to the central part of the Underworld to seek help from her Daoist friends in the Cloud Dao to prepare for a rescue.

When Lin Xin received the news, she had already departed several days ago. He felt mixed emotions, as she had rushed out to find helpers before even locating the person.

Since there was no exposure, he fully devoted himself to preparing for the foundation construction of his cultivation base.

Now, after absorbing most of the stored essence qi, his cultivation had, as he wished, reached 99% of the Ninth Layer of Qi Cultivation.

Yet, he always harbored some worries. It worried him that he had only been out for such a short time and yet moved up several realms rapidly. Even the most talented prodigy could not possibly improve so quickly in just these few days at this level.

Initially, even Dugu Lin spent several years to reach the Ninth Layer of Qi Cultivation. Not only did she possess a Spirit Gathering Physique, she also had excellent comprehension and had improved astonishingly fast after being stimulated by her brother’s death. However, even she couldn’t match this speed, let alone him.

Lin Xin knew clearly that his accumulation of spiritual energy was completely dependent on Yin Mantuo’s Demon Path method of extracting huge fruit essence qi, definitely not the gradual manner of breathing and refining heaven and earth’s elemental energy.

Such rapid progress was unsettlingly fast.

The remaining essence qi was still plentiful enough to continually nourish his body as a resource.

But the smoother his progress, the more a hint of gloom lingered on his mind.

It was at this time, during his occasional visits to the Underworld, that he received a message.

Pudu Sheng had found the method to enter Lion’s Plain.....

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

Underworld

In a courtyard with red lacquered sharp points in the Two-Faced Kingdom.

The courtyard was bisected by a dark green river, with white-edged red cloisters on either side. A trail of gilded floral patterns carved on the columns nothing but dragons, phoenixes, and giant eagles of varying sizes, completely devoid of vines or flowers.

What was eerie was that all these dragons, phoenixes, and giant eagles bore two faces—one smiling, one crying.

On the right side of the river, in the cloister, a few people wrapped in headscarves, dressed in elegant black attires, slowly paced, seemingly taking a walk, followed by maids carrying fruit platters, with others gently fanning air with fans.

On a blazing summer day, the piercing sunlight slanted through the cloister, reflecting off people’s clothes and boots onto the stark white walls, creating a spectrum of light halos.

Pudu Sheng walked at the forefront, wrapped tightly in a white fox fur cloak, accompanied by Lin Xin, who was wrapped in a black scarf with white edges.

"This time, I only learned of this secretive news because I was preparing a birthday gift for the emperor," Pudu Sheng said with a lively spirit, radiating a sense of exuberance.

"I think it’s more because you were officially designated Crown Prince, finally included in that circle, and privy to more secrets," Lin Xin communicated with a chuckle.

"Being the Crown Prince is just one aspect. It does feel exhilarating to be above millions, but how can you understand the pressure and expectations that come with my position?" Pudu Sheng shook his head, his previous stern demeanor now always accompanied by a smile, giving a spring-like warmth, as if both his yin and yang faces had turned into ever-smiling faces.

"What exactly is the method to get there?" Lin Xin asked, focusing on the critical point.

"How to get there?" Crown Prince Pudu Sheng laughed. "Actually, the method is quite simple."

"Simple?" Lin Xin was also somewhat surprised.

"Have you ever heard of the ’Brief Space Flower’?" Pudu Sheng spoke seriously.

"Brief Space Flower?" Lin Xin shook his head. "I haven’t heard of it."

"It is a miraculous flower that can temporarily link two spaces. You just need to tell it where you want to go, and it can directly take you there and back once, but the price is its own complete withering and disappearance," Pudu Sheng explained through transmitted voice.

"Can it take you anywhere?" Lin Xin’s expression shifted.

"Of course, only within the Underworld. It’s impossible to go to the worlds where you and others like you come from," Pudu Sheng explained with a chuckle.

"I see."

Lin Xin nodded. "Then from where should I find this Brief Space Flower?"

"You don’t need to look for it. I have already prepared one for you, sacrificing ninety-three experts from Myriad Green Hall to obtain this last one," Pudu Sheng said, implying the value of the sacrifice.

Lin Xin clearly understood his implication.

"So, what do you want?"

"Collaborating with you has always been smooth. To put it frankly, I want you to inscribe a set of complex three-dimensional formations for me," Pudu Sheng spoke lightly.

"What formation?"

"The Thousand Corpses and Myriad Poisons Formation."

Lin Xin pondered for a moment.

"If the materials are complete, it’s possible," he responded.

He didn’t ask what the other party was going to use them for as it didn’t concern him. What he needed to do was to exchange them, acquire the Rift Blossom, and see if it was truly as magical as claimed, allowing entry into the Lion Plains.

"The materials have been prepared for a while now, just waiting for you to begin," Budosheng said with a smile.

Since Lin Xin’s cultivation wasn’t high, he could only inscribe a formation of up to third grade complexity, which meant the formation wasn’t likely intended for combat damage but probably for some other purpose.

The Thousand Corpse Poisonous Formation was generally used to gather Earth Fiend Corpse Poison, a fierce poison that could momentarily strip even an Alchemical Taoist Master of their ability to resist.

This poison was an absolute killer both in the Two-Faced Kingdom and on the surface.

Without a doubt, Budosheng’s targets must be individuals above the Foundation Establishment stage.

"Is it really that simple?" Lin Xin expressed his disbelief at the other’s generosity.

"Of course, consider it a gift from me, given that we have cooperated for so long," Budosheng laughed.

"By the way, recently some of your kind have frequently visited our capital. I don’t know why, but they continuously launch suicide attacks against the guards of The Capital, targeting the stationed masters."

"What’s going on?" Lin Xin asked casually.

"Not sure, if your own people don’t know, how would I know? Maybe it’s also for the Demon Talisman Seed?"

"Perhaps," Lin Xin mused.

In the Underworld, time was much slower than on the surface, and Lin Xin spent over ten days setting up the Thousand Corpse Poisonous Formation for him and finally received the Rift Blossom as Budosheng had described.

This Rift Blossom was planted in Budosheng’s own inner courtyard garden, indistinguishable from the surrounding sunflowers and common wildflowers, looking just like any other ordinary wildflower.

If not for Budosheng leading him personally to identify it, he might truly believe it was just an ordinary flower.

Carrying all the prepared items, medicine, equipment, longsword, dry food, water, storage bag, various practical array plates and talisman paper,

Lin Xin finally stood in front of the Rift Blossom.

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

Inside the courtyard.

Budosheng held a folding fan, waving it to and fro as he watched Lin Xin circle around the Rift Blossom.

"Stop circling, if you don’t use special materials to make a wish, you won’t see any difference between it and the common wildflowers," he said helplessly.

"Special materials are needed too?" Lin Xin turned around to look at him. "And, are you sure this counts as a ’small, yellow flower’?" He emphasized the word "small."

What stood before him was a three-meter tall yellow flower, its green stalk bent under the weight of the flower, its yellow petals slightly darkened at the center, and its bloom the size of a bathtub, exactly facing Lin Xin below.

Lin Xin wore black clothes and trousers, with close-fitting inner garments, his Smoke River Treasure Clothes were damaged, so he had put on a slightly inferior set of Gold Thread Treasure Clothes, which couldn’t fend off attacks from those at the Foundation Establishment stage, but could resist attacks from the pinnacle of Qi Cultivators. It was fairly decent.

It was now evening, and just the two of them were in the garden courtyard, which was more like a sparse copse, with barely any other flowers visible apart from the three-meter-tall sunflower-like yellow flower standing solitary among the trees.

"I’ve sent everyone else away, wait here while I get you the materials," Budosheng said.

He also mimed at his waist, taking out a small bottle of deep blue oily liquid from his storage bag, stored in a transparent colorless crystal bottle.

"Here," he tossed it to Lin Xin, "open it and then make a wish toward the blossom. Just state the place you want to go. Remember, only mention the place name, do not add any other adjectives."

"For example, if I want to go to the Lion Plains, I just open it and say three words, Lion Plains, right?" Lin Xin caught the bottle and asked.

"Exactly, just like that," Budosheng nodded, curiosity evident in his eyes, "Honestly, I’ve never seen the Rift Blossom activate. This will be a good learning experience."

Lin Xin glared at him annoyedly; so this guy was also unsure and was using him as a test subject.

He examined the blue liquid bottle and then stood under the bathtub-sized bloom.

Just as he pulled out the crystal stopper—

Puff!

A burst of deep blue smoke shot out from the bottle aggressively towards the center of the bloom and like a sponge absorbing water, the blossom quickly sucked in all the blue smoke.

Hisss... Like the sound of a creature drinking water, the Rift Blossom suddenly stirred to life, inhaling deeply like a person, then abruptly bending down.

Achoo!

The dark yellow pollen in the center of the bloom sprayed all over Lin Xin like saliva. Meanwhile, where the stamen had been, the petals formed a pitch-dark tunnel entrance.

"Lion Plains!" Lin Xin didn’t care about being sprayed, and loudly stated his destination in the language of the Two-Faced Kingdom.

The Rift Blossom bent down again, sucking in sharply.

Hisss...!

Hiss!

Lin Xin was sucked into the black tunnel within the petals like a noodle.

The Rift Blossom seemed to belch contentedly, then quickly wilted down in exhaustion. (To be continued. If you like this novel, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)