Eternal Swordmaster
Chapter 564 - 558 Seed One

Chapter 564: Chapter 558 Seed One

It seems I have to go out and seek a Sect that has a rich heritage in this area.

Thinking of Shen Luo Mansion, Lin Xin vaguely guessed something.

If the Sect of the Underworld really has connections with the Mortal Realm, then what about Yuan Dou Demon Sect and the Sword Sect?

As he pondered, his thoughts began to diverge.

Heroes Yuan Qiuque and Huang Yuerong had broken through the realm and must have arrived in the Mortal Realm, but despite his secret investigations over the years, he still hadn’t found a trace of them.

Either the Human World was too vast, and they were too far away, or they had changed their identities and remained unrecognized.

"If I could find Hero Yuan, perhaps many of my questions could be answered. Like about Shen Luo Mansion, like the Sagura Evil God...."

Suddenly, he felt something was amiss.

He looked up, and somehow the study had become eerily quiet.

The sun, redder and more radiant than usual, shone through the window, casting the entire study in a red hue.

The usual patrol team that passed by outside was also gone.

Not just that, even the chirping of birds from beyond the Barrier had silenced.

He thought of the aura of death that had enveloped the maid’s head earlier.

Lin Xin’s expression remained calm as he slowly set down the book and stood up.

He pushed open the door of the study. The wooden corridor outside was empty; normally, there should always be maids waiting on him here.

But now there was no one.

He quietly stepped out into the corridor and walked into the living room; the second-floor living room was also empty.

It was normal for Yuan Wanqing to be out on an outing, but normally there were guards posted here at all times, and now there was none.

Lin Xin narrowed his eyes and casually made a hand gesture.

This was the signal to summon the Hidden Guards.

The main family of the Lin Family had also covertly used various methods to cultivate a group of top-tier Dead Soldiers, called Hidden Guards, all above the fiftieth level of the Rushing Thunder Sword.

These people were created using Evil Qi, drugs and Secret Techniques, and they lived only half as long as ordinary people. After breaking through the fiftieth level, they exhausted their potential and could advance no further.

Even so, they represented an extremely terrifying and formidable force.

After Lin Yaoyang took the position, he also arranged two of them for Lin Xin, who were always with him for protection.

As the signal was made, still, there was no response.

The Hidden Guards were nowhere to be seen.

Lin Xin looked around, and suddenly his pupils constricted as he noticed a detail.

In the living room, the garish sunset outside seemed suddenly within arm’s reach, growing from the size of a washbasin to a massive disc over ten meters wide.

It felt as if one could just reach out at the window and touch the sunset.

The red light almost enveloped the entire living room, eerily silent, with not a trace of life.

"Is there anyone here?"

Lin Xin called out softly.

No one responded.

"Duan Bo?" he called again.

Still, no one answered. Even the maid who just left the room had disappeared without a trace.

The salacious red light lay on the floor, striking the back of his foot, yet it was utterly cold.

Lin Xin narrowed his eyes and walked towards the stairs.

Dong dong dong...

The crisp sound of his footsteps echoed through the entire attic, the echoes vibrating continuously as if he was the only person in the entire building.

Downstairs in the living room, there was still no one; maids, guards, and Hidden Guards were all missing.

Lin Xin stood in the middle, looking left and right.

"Xia Sa..."

Suddenly, a faint voice came from deep within a room on the first floor.

The voice was very light and subtle, like someone whispering secrets. Yet strangely, despite the tone suggesting it wasn’t meant to be heard, the sound was exceptionally clear to Lin Xin’s ears.

"Who?"

Lin Xin asked softly.

No one answered.

He gently raised his right hand, his gaze growing sharp.

"Xia Sa... Nisi..."

The voice came again.

This time Lin Xin heard clearly; it was coming from a room next to the bedroom on the first floor.

There was always a strange room in the attic.

Lin Yaoyang had told him about this.

The room could only be found at a specific time, right next to the main bedroom on the right.

But Lin Xin distinctly remembered that on the first floor, the right side of the main bedroom was a garden space with nothing there; a room was impossible.

"Everyone knows there are eleven rooms in the entire attic. But aside from me, no other person knows there are actually twelve rooms."

Lin Yaoyang had once told Lin Xin, but after searching a while and not finding it, he had just considered it a story.

"The twelfth room..."

Lin Xin walked down the first-floor corridor leading to the bedroom; the end was the main bedroom once occupied by Yuan Wanqing and Lin Hao.

This should have been a straight corridor without any turns.

But now, as Lin Xin stood at the door and looked right,

the right side of the bedroom had somehow acquired a shabby, dusty corridor.

This was a corridor he had never seen before.

In this life, when he was a child, he often came to visit Yuan Wanqing but had never seen a corridor on the right side of the main bedroom.

This had always been a closed wall, with a small garden outside, completely empty, with no possibility of a corridor.

But the scene before him now sent a shock through his heart.

The corridor before him was bathed in the red light of the setting sun coming from the side, making everything appear old and serene.

He paused, then Lin Xin turned gently and took a step into the corridor.

His boots creaked on the floor, leaving a clear footprint behind.

"Maybe I’ve been wrong all along..."

Lin Xin suddenly muttered in a low, inexplicable voice.

He strode into the corridor.

Click... click... click...

The distinct sound of footsteps paired with the creaking of the wooden boards in the corridor completely exposed Lin Xin’s location.

It also emphasized how utterly deserted the surroundings were.

Slowly moving through the corridor, he approached a room with a wooden door, on which hung a blank wooden plaque.

The plaque was made of fine white oak, the clear and fresh tree rings were still visible.

Lin Xin reached out and gently pushed the door open to reveal a modestly-sized hall.

Upon entering the hall, Lin Xin looked around and his gaze quickly settled on a spot against the right wall.

There stood a Retainer statue.

A very strange Retainer statue.

Dark gold in color, with its body sewn up with threads, the baby statue had a fierce expression, with blood flowing from both its eyes and mouth.

From a distance, it looked like a baby that had been torn apart and then sewn back together. Furthermore, its body was somewhat swollen, and its eyes were wide open, making it look alive.

"As I thought," Lin Xin said calmly as he looked at the baby statue. "I was indeed wrong."

The so-called Secret Blood was not sealed within a body. What Lin Family had passed down through generations was not something that sealed an Evil God.

The real Evil God had always been sealed in the land of Qiushi.

"Xia resa..." that voice once again echoed beside his ear.

Lin Xin frowned, his gaze fixed intently on the statue.

"Are you looking for me?"

The baby statue suddenly spoke.

Its blood-stained eyes moved, then its pupils fixed on Lin Xin, giving an impression of a sinister smile despite its expressionless face.

"It’s not me looking for you; you wanted me to come."

Lin Xin responded softly.

"Who are you?"

This time he asked in Ghost Pidgin Language.

Even during the Ancient Era, Ghost Pidgin Language was a relatively common tongue.

"I am Xia resa, Nisi, Kongu Cilan, Thunder Dragon, Aixiudiya..." the infant stated its own names in a loud voice, and as it did, the space around them gradually began to vibrate.

It listed dozens of syllables before slowly stopping.

"These are my abbreviations; you may also simplify further and call me Xia," the baby statue finally said softly.

"Xia... why have you drawn me here?" Lin Xin remained seemingly unfazed, though he was tense within.

The entity had likely spoken some of its divine names, which are etched in the universe, aligning with certain natural laws.

Merely pronouncing them would cause corresponding rules to resonate.

Even though he had achieved the title of Southern Emperor, he hadn’t reached such a level, clearly indicating that this being was far more powerful.

"My kin was calling me." Xia revealed a fierce smile. "So, I responded. And then..."

He paused.

"You came..."

"Your kin? Forgive my bluntness, but I don’t recognize your kin," Lin Xin said with a frown.

"No, no, no..." the baby statue gently shook its head, stumbling out of the shrine.

With a thud, it landed on the ground, splattering dark red blood all around.

Yet, it didn’t care and continued crawling toward Lin Xin.

Step by step, slowly but with clear intent.

Its body was only the size of a small dog; as it crawled, it left a long trail of blood behind it.

"The universe is impartial," Xia crawled up to Lin Xin’s feet, looking up at him. "I responded, so you came..."

"I don’t understand your meaning," Lin Xin narrowed his eyes, not avoiding the other’s gaze.

If it were anyone else here, they might have already been driven mad with fear, desperately trying to escape.

But he was different. Even if he was facing a mysterious Evil God that might have survived since ancient times, an entity possibly powerful among Evil Gods.

Yet, Lin Xin had his own pride.

He had struggled ferociously for so long on the brink of life and death, enduring untold torments, and finally earned the title of Southern Emperor—certainly not something mere fear could overthrow.

The baby statue bared a grin.

"Are you looking for an opportunity for ascension? Have my kin not gifted you enough?"

"What are you talking about? Who are your kin?" Lin Xin asked directly, disliking the cryptic nature of the conversation.

"I cannot tell you his name, because merely thinking about it upon mentioning it would alert him to both of our presences..." Xia whispered. "I can only tell you that what you seek, what you want to escape from, is my kin."

"Are you referring to the Underworld?" Lin Xin’s eyes narrowed.

"The Underworld?" Xia appeared startled, then rapidly began to laugh. "Are you referring to that vortex that thrives by binding souls to harvest life from the world?"

"Isn’t it?" Lin Xin looked directly at the other.

"No, no, no..." Xia shook its head. "That’s just a vortex, a mere tool, and nothing more."

It grabbed Lin Xin’s trouser leg and slowly began to climb up.

It left streaks of dark red blood on his trousers, emitting a strange and foul odor, like that of rotting flesh.

"What you’ve seen as the Underworld is but a living vortex... It represents a rule. A primal rule that devours everything," Xia climbed up to Lin Xin’s chest and stopped, bringing its stitched head close to Lin Xin’s face, nearly nose to nose.

"You have the scent of Soul Power on you; perhaps I can guide you, give you what you need, a guide to break free..."

"What would I need to give?" Lin Xin asked coolly.