Eternal Swordmaster
Chapter 467 - 461 Starting Part 2

Chapter 467: Chapter 461 Starting Part 2

"This is also the case....."

Lin Xin nodded.

"What about the Hua Family? What has been their recent activity?" he asked.

"Hua Shenxi has been in seclusion healing her wounds, but she will definitely attend this time. Otherwise, if anything goes wrong, the Pine Forest might seal its mountains for a hundred years, and it would be extremely difficult to make a move after that," Dugu Lin explained.

"Hua Shenxi... What about the people from the Golden Jade Sect?" Lin Xin inquired further.

"The Golden Jade Sect will certainly send representatives, and not just them. I’m afraid some other characters who have been mysteriously appearing in the Southern Prefecture will also make a move under the big commotion. We must take precautions."

Dugu Lin had been guarding the manor for years because of past attachments, and now he seemed to see himself as a part of the Spirit Heart Villa.

Lin Xin silently noted this kindness in his heart, as well as the constant and devoted help from his teacher-uncle Ji Lu.

This time upon his return, he planned to repay kindness and take revenge where due and to settle all scores once and for all.

"How do you plan to arrange things?" Dugu Lin asked.

The rest looked to Lin Xin as their leader.

Upon hearing the question, they all turned to look at him.

"I will attend the Taikun Birthday Banquet," Lin Xin said succinctly.

"It’s good if you go," Dugu Lin nodded, "When it comes to formations, one more step and you’re at the peak of Grandmaster level. This banquet might provide you with an opportunity to put your skills to good use."

A powerful Third Grade Formation Talisman Master, given enough preparation time and resources, can create formations that threaten even Golden Core cultivators.

"However, you must be extra careful. I’m afraid I won’t be able to accompany you," said Dugu Lin, being a disciple of Mingxin True Monarch, he naturally had his tasks to attend to on his own.

Blending into the team from Spirit Heart Villa would indeed be inconvenient.

"Don’t worry, I’ll make the necessary arrangements."

Lin Xin smiled, a flash of sharpness in his eyes.

If the large group of cultivators from the Central Prefecture intent on seeking the secret treasure really made a move, they would surely reveal themselves at the banquet.

After all, his identity was not difficult to ascertain, and they would certainly trace him back to the Villa.

He had already instructed his subordinates to secretly guard the hidden places around the manor, ready to dispose of any unusual spies directly.

That way, when he left for the banquet, there wouldn’t be much danger here.

After discussing the plan to attend the banquet with his loved ones...

The news of Lin Xin’s Foundation Establishment was officially made public, and the entire manor was immediately filled with joy. Dugu Lin had originally planned to attend the banquet with Lin Xin but ended up being called away by disciples from the Sword Sect to lead a team and escort the birthday gifts, forcing him to leave.

Over the next few days, when Lin Xin wasn’t in the manor instructing his disciples’ martial skills, he was constantly perfecting and checking the various defense formations around.

Using the communication method of the Tianyun path’s Message Talisman, he re-established contact with Porcelain King. However, the man was too far away and busy with important matters; upon learning about the banquet, he did say that he would definitely arrive before the event.

Although Spirit Heart Villa had somewhat separated from the Pine Forest Sword Sect to become an independent force, it still maintained inextricable ties with it.

In the eyes of everyone, Lin Xin, as the Villa Master, may not always have been the strongest, but he was always seen as the real pillar of the group.

Lin Xin had returned, and Lin Xinyuan also heaved a great sigh of relief. After several days of recuperation and taking some medicinal pills brought by Lin Xin, her health had improved significantly, and she appeared much more spirited than before.

To temporarily deceive his opponents, Lin Xin had not even disclosed his true cultivation level to his own family.

Furthermore, now all of his cultivation techniques had been integrated into one, transformed into the Yuan Dou Demonic Technique, appearing as if he was a devil with thousands of years of experience. As a member of an Orthodox Sect, it was naturally even more necessary to keep this under wraps.

Consequently, he refined a large assortment of Talisman Paper and Jade Talismans, including Talisman Swords of various levels and grades.

With his current attribute enhancements, even an extremely ordinary First Grade Talisman Paper, originally holding only the power of an Innate First Level when thrown, could reach the capacity of a Third Grade Foundation Establishment Layer thanks to his boost.

Of course, that was provided he had refined them specially to establish a slight, subtle soul connection with the Talisman Paper. Ordinary Talisman Paper did not have this effect.

With this approach, Lin Xin could perfectly use Spirit Jade to cast Talisman Techniques, achieving exceedingly high levels of strength while perfectly concealing the characteristics of his Demonic Qi.

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

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!

In an instant, four yellow Talisman Papers shot out in all directions.

They were aimed at four Foundation Establishment Guest Elders who were attacking from all sides.

The Talisman Papers tumbled and flashed in mid-air, then quickly ignited, turning into four huge fireballs with dark red centers and the size of human heads.

Boom, boom, boom, boom!!

All four Guest Elders conjured Sword Qi formations, consolidating their Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation, and struck the fireballs with all their might.

The fireballs exploded, and Lin Xin flicked out another Talisman Paper casually, immediately creating flashes of yellow lightning.

With the crack and snap of thunder, four thick arcs of lightning shot out once again.

Without pause, Lin Xin pinched out sixteen Sand Wind Talismans. These were also First Level Formation Talismans, but they had been disguised to look impressive, high-end products at first glance.

"No more fighting, no more fighting!!" The several Guest Elders all shouted with bitter smiles.

"Villa Master, your Talisman Technique is too powerful, the speed of succession too rapid. We have no time to deploy Magic Artifacts or Decrees, and we’re only being suppressed in combat, nothing but enduring hit after hit."

"This is basically bullying."

"Villa Master, with your skill in Talisman Technique, you could probably contend with a Golden Core expert," they said.

All four were Retainers who had remained at the Manor.

During its heyday, the number of Foundation Establishment Retainers was significant, but now only four were still willing to stay in the manor.

"I myself have just broken through not long ago, eager to test my strength, I’m afraid it has been quite hard on you retainers," Lin Xin said with a smile.

"Not at all, Villa Master’s talisman technique is astonishing. We, as guest elders, are more than pleased to serve."

Everyone exchanged polite pleasantries.

After a brief chat with them, Lin Xin found an excuse to leave the training ground, washed his face, and wiped off the sweat from his body.

He directly entered an underground secret chamber previously used for experiments and closed cultivation.

Inside the secret chamber, candlelight flickered, having been arranged by someone in advance.

As he stepped into the underground passage and the stone door shut behind him, the ground suddenly lit up with a large area of dark red patterns, a formation that isolated all sound, scent, and fluctuations.

Lin Xin was also draped in a black robe, his face concealed by a jade mask covering his entire body.

He followed the corridor for some distance, making turns here and there, passing several forks, the further down he went, the deeper it got.

Finally, after roughly the time it takes an incense stick to burn, he arrived in front of a brass door taller than a man.

He pushed the door open.

After a booming, dull sound.

Outside stood two rows of more than ten robed figures, each wearing a silver mask.

Each carried an inscrutable presence, their identities unknown. Naturally, none could evade Lin Xin’s perception.

Among those present, at least two were Golden Core Stage experts, with the weakest among them at the Foundation Establishment Layer.

This was the true backbone intended to counter the Hua Family and the Golden Jade Sect.

And this was only a part of it.

The Radiant Sun Sect, a mysterious entity increasingly spoken of in hushed tones across the Southern Prefecture, had built the colossal assassination platform known as the Shadow’s Light; this fearsome organization now fully unveiled its strength before Lin Xin.

At the forefront stood two envoys, the Shadow Left Envoy, a woman named Zhou Yuan in the Golden Core Stage.

The Shadow Right Envoy was Rou Kui, the elder brother of a private son of the ancestor Yuan Jing, whom Liu Zong Liu Yuan had recruited back then.

Among those present, he was the highest in cultivation.

This man truly knew gratitude; originally, Liu Zong Liu Yuan had rescued his brother in dire straits, provided various cultivation scriptures and resources, and helped him find his grandfather to reclaim his bloodline and identity.

Since then, he joined and regarded the Radiant Sun Sect as his second home. Without his support over the past four years, not only would Shadow’s Light have struggled to persist, but the Radiant Sun Sect itself may have been marginalized and stifled, left with no room to grow.

Aside from the suppression by Nan Shunqing over the years, another factor was his ironclad grip over the big picture, with all traitors dealt with by the Enforcement Hall he had established.

As for Liu Zong Liu Yuan, due to insufficient cultivation, he lacked the qualifications to join the ranks present.

Lin Xin glanced over the people present once more.

A faint Demonic Qi emanated from his body. The Yuan Dou Demonic Technique was now blatantly releasing a fearsome aura without any concealment.

"For these past few years, the Shadow’s Light has relied wholly on the Shadow Right Envoy’s utmost support. This kindness, I naturally keep close to my heart. We shall discuss rewards for merits made later," he said.

He paused, then swept his gaze over the people gathered.

"You all are the elite assassins of the Southern Prefecture. With the Shadow’s Light painstakingly cultivating its forces, those who stand here today are truly the strongest in their fields."

"You may feel that I, as your Sect Leader, am quite enigmatic."

Formations, talisman techniques, superbly powerful equipment, magic artifacts, and a wealth of resources—Radiant Sun Sect could be said to lack for nothing in terms of resources.

This fact also attracted many assassins and cultivators who were not assassins to join the organization.

Naturally, many were also tremendously curious about their Sect Leader.

"It’s more than mysterious; for all these years, we’ve only heard of the Sect Leader’s true form. Your airs are certainly not ordinary..."

A slightly shorter masked person spoke coldly. The voice was shrill and forceful, its gender unclear.

"Do you have a grievance?" Lin Xin’s gaze sharpened as he turned to look at the person.

Whirr...

An invisible, blurry force suddenly descended on the figure.

The robed figure stiffened, their eyes behind the mask slightly dazed. Perspiration rapidly beaded their forehead, unseen by others; their face contorted with bulging blood vessels, and their body muscles twisted and rippled like waves.

This was one of the thousand types of Taoist intent Lin Xin had mastered. Sensory transference—he had simply conveyed half of the pain he felt onto the person.

Though merely leveraging a natural force and not particularly powerful, it was more than enough to deal with a mere Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

After a few brief moments, Lin Xin withdrew the force, and the figure crumpled to the ground with a thud, panting heavily.

"Sect Leader... I had no intention to offend... I beg for... I beg for..."

"Let’s leave it at this for now," Lin Xin replied indifferently, withdrawing his gaze as others looked on, chilled.

Rou Kui’s expression remained unchanged, offering only a faint glance at the punished individual.

"Now that the Sect Leader has returned and summoned us, there must be some important matter at hand, right?"

Lin Xin smiled faintly.

"The Right Envoy is correct. The matter concerns the Taikun Birthday Banquet."