Eternal Swordmaster
Chapter 375 - 369 Halfway 2

Chapter 375: Chapter 369 Halfway 2

Yuan Dou Demon Sect headquarters.

Lin Xin entered with a calm expression on his face. Lou Xiaofei was already waiting inside.

"Crown Prince, everything has been arranged properly,"

he said respectfully.

"Understood. You may leave now. I’ll handle the rest myself,"

Lin Xin waved his hand, scattering a spray of bright, glittering powder that extinguished upon touching the ground, spreading evenly across the floor of the entire hall without any wind.

Lou Xiaofei quickly left, leaving the door ajar.

Soon there was a soft sound, and two figures wearing hooded masks and hidden under long robes quietly came in, closing the door behind them.

Upon seeing Lin Xin, these two scrutinized him from head to toe, almost to the point of impoliteness.

Finally, exchanging looks, they saw a hint of surprise in each other’s eyes.

"Villa Master Lin?"

one of them asked in a low voice.

"Ming Qing, it’s been a while. You seem to have lost your usual sharp decisiveness," Lin Xin replied with a smile.

"Is it really Villa Master Lin? Lin Xin?!!" the other exclaimed in astonishment.

"If not me, who else would dare to impersonate me?" Lin Xin shook his head and pointed to the floor.

Suddenly, the entire hall’s floor lit up with dots of white luminescence. It was a special Formation capable of isolating all internal sounds and auras for one use only, and it worked here because it had to be combined with the special Formation Patterns inscribed on the ground of the Yuan Dou Demon Sect headquarters.

Only then did the two remove their hoods, revealing two familiar faces.

It was the brothers Ming Qing and Ming Yi who had persuaded Lin Xin to join the Radiance Society.

"Brother Lin, you actually... jumped from the Southern Prefecture to the Central Prefecture in one go, and even became the Crown Prince of the Yuan Dou Demon Sect!!" Ming Qing said with wide eyes, in disbelief.

"The first time I saw you, I thought I had seen wrong."

"I thought I had met someone who looked similar. I even explained it to my brother," Ming Yi shook his head speechlessly, "I didn’t expect it to be Villa Master Lin we know!"

Lin Xin gestured for the two to sit down.

The three of them took their seats.

"I only arrived at this branch recently. It was by chance that I encountered a True Monarch of the Yuan Dou Demon Sect, and what followed were the tests, becoming a disciple, joining. You should both be aware of this," Lin Xin explained softly.

"We have indeed heard about Brother Lin’s affairs. We just didn’t expect it to be the person we knew," Ming Qing nodded.

"Not to hide from you, our Radiance Society may appear to be just an ordinary mercenary organization on the surface, but in fact, core members are scattered throughout various Sects and places, and there are others like Brother Lin who hold high positions elsewhere,"

"I’m aware of that," Lin Xin nodded.

Ming Qing nodded back. "Nowadays, in the vast Underworld, continuous conflicts among the Sects bring relentless suffering to the common people, who are overlooked. Our Radiance Society emerged just in time to rise up for the cause of justice. That’s why we’ve come. Firstly, to connect with Brother Lin and see if you still wish to uphold your initial pledge when joining the Society."

At this mention, Lin Xin’s heart grew solemn, and he spoke earnestly,

"Regardless of anything, being able to contribute to the suffering people of the world gives me peace of mind. Don’t you understand my thoughts on this, brothers?"

"That’s great!" Ming Yi took over the conversation. "Brother Lin might also be aware of the situation with the Sand Time Divine Palace."

"Indeed, I’m aware," Lin Xin nodded.

"We don’t involve ourselves with the Divine Palace, but the situation has drawn in great powers, and it is precisely the opportunity our Society Leader is focusing on," Ming Yi said gravely.

"The best opportunity?"

"Indeed. With all the Sects and forces drawing away their strength to enter the Divine Palace, a place of no return, our Radiance Society, upholding the justice of heaven and earth, makes this the very day to rise and call out!" Ming Qing spoke passionately.

"Does your purpose here involve getting me to join in this momentum?" Lin Xin asked, frowning slightly.

"Of course not. But it’s not far off. The best opportunity for us to rise hasn’t come yet, but this is the critical moment for us to bolster our control and influence within the various Sects,"

Ming Qing explained.

"We plan to start with the Eastern Prefecture, followed by the Southern, the Western, and lastly the Central and Northern Prefectures."

"Taking action..." Lin Xin quickly weighed the pros and cons in his mind. "How much power does the Society have?"

"Our people occupy key positions. How much power do you think we have?" Ming Qing replied with a smile.

"That fast!"

"What we really lack is top-tier strength," Ming Yi spoke regretfully. "Our penetration of the upper echelons is too limited. Those old monsters, often a thousand years old, are not easy to fool. They have been suppressing us from the very beginning. The only ones able to deal with them are the Society Leader and Ouyang Fuchang and a few others."

"But time will ultimately be on our side. Eventually, those old fellows will have to step down, and we will step by step reach the true pinnacle. When that time comes, it will be the day for our Society to sweep across the land!"

Ming Yi was clearly showing a brainwashed zealot’s demeanor.

Lin Xin saw someone as fooled by a pyramid scheme as any gullible fool.

Talking about sweeping across the world, without considering how long those old creatures have lived—some, like Yuan Jing, have even been alive for thousands of years!

Waiting for them to leave the stage, who knows how long it would take.

"Now that the meeting place is forbidden, the Wei Family alone is dealing with both Jade Pure Path and our Yuan Dou Demon Sect. You’re here to see me now—do you have some plan in mind?" After nodding as if in agreement, Lin Xin directly inquired about the purpose of their visit.

Ming Qing and Ming Yi looked at each other, then both stood up and gave Lin Xin a long bow.

"Why are you doing this?!"

"We have a favor to ask and hope the Crown Prince can lend us a hand!" Ming Qing’s tone carried a hint of pleading.

"If this endeavor succeeds, we brothers are willing to pay the price with Demon Talisman Seeds, seventy-two black ones, one pale gold, and two dark gold!"

Over seventy Demon Talisman Seeds? And pale gold and dark gold ones???!

Hearing this, Lin Xin, who had been smiling gently, suddenly stood up with a look of righteous indignation on his face.

"Why do you say this? We are brothers in the Radiance Society! We face difficulties together and share blessings alike! Aren’t these words too alienating?"

He walked over, helped them up, and straightened them.

Then he said earnestly and sincerely,

"Brothers, if there are any difficulties, please speak frankly!"

"The matter is difficult yet not difficult, easy yet not easy," Ming Qing spoke softly, then switched to spiritual power-based voice transmission.

"Originally, we also had no way out. The Society also sought out quite a few members but to no avail. Luckily, as one of the event’s organizers, the Crown Prince, Lin Brother, should be able to facilitate things much more easily."

"You mean... it has something to do with this convention?" Lin Xin whispered.

"Indeed. A senior member of the Society wishes to secure a spot to enter the Nether River during this competition. He was originally almost certain to succeed, but then an unexpected change..." Ming Yi transmitted in a low voice.

"A senior member of the Society?" Lin Xin asked with confusion. "Could it be...?"

The two brothers nodded almost simultaneously.

"Exactly, it is Senior Ouyang Fuchang!"

Slap.

Lin Xin slapped his thigh.

"This matter is only on hold for now, but we, the three main organizers, are well aware of Brother Ouyang Fuchang’s strength. You might be anxious because you haven’t heard an official announcement, but I’ll exert some effort on my end, and it shouldn’t be a problem. You can tell Brother Ouyang that I will give him a reassuring answer by tomorrow at the latest."

Ouyang Fuchang was under investigation, but no one believed he had killed the other competitors inside the lantern artifact, so releasing him shouldn’t be a major issue. However, due to the subsequent competition being unable to continue, the entry spots had been put on hold.

But as the Crown Prince of the Yuan Dou Demon Sect, Lin Xin himself had three spots to enter the Nether River and condense a Primordial Embryo.

He could easily allow Ouyang Fuchang to join the Demon Sect first, then use the Sect’s spots to enter the Nether River and form the Primordial Embryo. Presumably, Ming Qing, Ming Yi, and Ouyang Fuchang had seen this possibility and had proactively approached to establish contact.

After all, it was clear that the Tianyun Path supported Zhu Chihuai. With deep conflicts between them, it was highly unlikely that they would join the same camp.

But for Lin Xin, this was a massive stroke of luck, akin to a pie falling from the sky. If he could help Ouyang Fuchang form a Primordial Embryo, then Ouyang would undoubtedly become the closest True Monarch-level expert Lin Xin had, considering that Guan Mingyue and others were merely sent by the Sect to support him and were not his own close forces.

After sending off brothers Ming Qing and Ming Yi,

Lin Xin decided not to concern himself with the Underground Palace for now, as his first task was to sort through the loot he had acquired from his recent adventure.

"I consumed the two women’s Evil God Primordial Embryos on the spot that were stored in their palms, and then there was this in their Storage Bags, but its purpose is unknown to me."

He took out a red sachet embroidered with lotus gold threads and emptied it onto the table.

Immediately, a black semi-transparent bead rolled out, only the size of a thumbnail.

He picked it up and squeezed it, finding the bead cool to the touch, smooth, and round. It seemed to contain some kind of dark liquid inside.

"Could this indeed be the legendary Nether River water?"

At this point, the struggle in the Underground Palace no longer related to him, as the outcome would not be a matter of life and death between the True Monarchs, merely victory and defeat.

If a True Monarch wanted to flee, nobody could stop them.

Hence, the Wei Family was simply showing its strength while providing cover for one final transaction. They never anticipated Lin Xin intercepting them halfway, resulting in all their efforts being in vain.

"The scripture was interrupted halfway through. Only after the outcome of the Underground Palace is decided will we, the organizers, determine whether or not to recommence the competition."

"No, there aren’t enough participants left to continue the competition, so it’s unlikely. Perhaps they will simply let the final two people enter the Nether River."

Lin Xin contemplated briefly, deciding that allowing Ouyang Fuchang to enter the Nether River wouldn’t be an issue. Then he gave further thought to the matters concerning the Radiance Society.

"The members of the Radiance Society are diverse, some are fanatics, others are schemers using its power to climb the ranks. If I utilize them correctly, they could also help me achieve greater heights."

With a conviction in mind, he began to seriously consider the Free Attributes of the Evil God Primordial Embryo he had absorbed earlier.

He closed his eyes, and immediately below his line of sight, an attribute bar appeared.

Offense — 82, Defense — 82, Evasion — 81, Constitution — 82, Free Attributes 100.

"Another hundred points... tsk tsk, truly befitting a top-tier treasure coveted even by True Monarch old monsters! Let’s evenly distribute the attributes first!" Lin Xin marveled with a tsk tsk.

This success was mainly thanks to his newly improved terrifying predictive ability.

He never expected that the Evasion Attribute, which he had always underestimated, could play such a potent role, with the foreboding sense avoiding danger, threats, and even assisting in the Concealment of his own presence. Even True Monarchs couldn’t see through it.

This was practically the ultimate secret technique for concealment.

"So, just a bit more to completely balance the attributes... I want to see just what happens after the attributes are perfectly balanced!"

His gaze flickered as he stared fixedly at his attribute bar.