Eternal Swordmaster
Chapter 704 - 699: Wanton Five

Chapter 704: Chapter 699: Wanton Five

Throughout the entire day, she felt like a stranger within her own body, unable to do anything but watch herself smile and talk to others, pay respects to her royal brother, and deal with her suitors.

Even for bathing, using the restroom, or changing clothes—such private affairs—she couldn’t control her own body.

She could only watch as she, like an outsider, lived her life for her.

She felt like a canary trapped in a birdcage, where no amount of shouting or frantic struggling was of any use.

After that day, she felt as though she completely lacked any privacy, and her entire being became numb; she had finally gained a direct and terrifying understanding of the Taoist’s methods.

The others were fine, not experiencing such situations. That was because they were all quite honest.

Only Huai Yang, after being disciplined, had virtually no spirit of resistance left in Lin Xin’s presence.

Even his sense of shame had been thoroughly breached on that day.

All that remained was a deep fear and reverence, along with a hint of shame that even he was somewhat unaware of.

The four handed over a list of the items they brought for Lin Xin to inspect.

Taking the list, Lin Xin scanned it from top to bottom, feeling slightly disappointed.

There were many good items, but they were all of low rank, nowhere near comparable to the haul from Yao Yuanhui’s previous venture.

"Such a pity... We’ll have to wait for the next time," he said.

He felt that the time of the Qira mask was almost up. It was time to go back and summarize the teleportation process and some related experiences.

"This manual is specifically summarized for you few; you may take it and study it carefully. Remember, this thing must not be disclosed lightly. If it leaks out, do not blame me for cleaning house when I return," Lin Xin directly handed over a small booklet to the four, which contained a set of hidden weapon techniques that he had especially selected.

The name was appealing—Starry Fall Seven Extinguishes.

It was actually one of the countless skills he had scavenged from secret manuals around the world during his time at the Underworld Demon Sect and had remembered.

It involved no manipulation of Elemental Energy, merely pure Vigor training, making it particularly suitable for this world. Handing it over to them was quite fitting.

"Thank you, Honored Master," they said.

All four were visibly excited, having finally received some benefits for the first time since they became disciples.

Lin Xin didn’t care how the four shared the manual amongst themselves after receiving it as he took the list and visited the convoy they had brought, then quietly slipped out of the royal residence.

He found an empty and deserted place, took out the Qira mask, and put it on his face.

He then took out all the loot he had gathered on this trip for inspection.

"These three pieces of Spirit Jade Marrow King are definitely the biggest gain this time, followed by this seven-colored silk ribbon, the ’Door of Bewilderment,’" he said.

Lin Xin picked up a section of the multicolored silk ribbon.

"If I’m not mistaken, this material should be an artifact of an Earth Immortal," he speculated.

As for the Door of Bewilderment, it still had two uses left; as long as the channel was not fixed, it could be used indefinitely. Perhaps it would be able to open up more worlds for him.

"The sect is indeed being established by the power of Realm Master Qingjing Wang; however, whether it succeeds or fails still depends on the specific situation," he thought.

He had merely started the initiative; true disciples could not be coerced into participation but needed to be nurtured from a young age.

All this would have to be dealt with during future visits.

With a thought, he infused a little Spiritual Power into the mask.

Lin Xin instantly felt his field of vision begin to distort as the surroundings turned blood red and blurred, as if all colors were mixed together and spinning rapidly.

Whooo...

He heard a series of noises like horns in his ears.

He quietly maintained his standing position, waiting serenely for the teleportation to end.

Before long, his field of vision gradually began to separate into clear, distinct colors, re-forming into familiar items one by one.

Once the spinning completely stopped, Lin Xin came to his senses.

"I really am back," he said.

He was still standing at the exact spot, right in the middle of the small courtyard within his own territory where he had departed from earlier.

Taking off the mask from his face, he suddenly noticed that only half of the mask remained.

The other half seemed to have disappeared transparently, but his spiritual sense told him that it was still there, only extending to the previous small world as a coordinate imprinted on the world’s membrane.

The Qira mask, in this way, could temporarily construct a connection bridge between two worlds.

"A connecting mask half in one world is indeed extraordinary," Lin Xin admiringly murmured.

He put down a large bundle he had been carrying, which contained all the loot from the small world.

Included in it was the Spirit Jade Marrow King.

Now, in the relatively abundant Spiritual Energy of the Void Territory, it immediately emitted exceptional Spiritual Light.

The bundle continuously emitted circles of transparent ripples like waterwaves, naturally vibrating the Elemental Energy around it.

"Worthy of being the legendary top-tier Spirit Jade," he said.

Lin Xin took out a piece to examine closely.

The Spirit Jade Marrow King was black, as light as coal, cold and smooth in his hand, with a hint of natural special patterns on its surface that looked like talismans, giving off a deceptive sense that they contained profound truths.

Carrying the item, Lin Xin came out of the secret chamber to find Lin Yi and Lin Wai already waiting outside.

"Master!" As a true name summoner, Lin Yi was dressed completely like an elder of the snow monsters, leaning on a Purple Jade walking stick. Standing before Lin Xin, he looked tall and imposing, like an adult compared to a child.

Lin Wai, on the other hand, was an evolved star demon and about half as tall as a normal person, but he too was covered in gray-white rock armor. There was no fabric in this netherworld, so he had to rely on dwarves to forge simple armor to cover his body, to prevent others from recognizing his identity as a star demon at a glance.

"Master, during your retreat, two unexpected visitors came to visit the netherworld and are still waiting outside," Lin Wai reported in a deep voice.

"Unexpected visitors?"

"Yes, they are not on any list you had mentioned before. They claim to be from the Purification Holy Temple."

"Purification Holy Temple?" Lin Xin recalled in his mind, confirming he had never heard of such a powerful name.

"Shall we turn them away? They’ve been waiting for three days now."

Lin Yi asked cautiously.

Lin Xin pondered for a moment. Since the other party could find him, they clearly had an extremely well-developed and formidable intelligence network. To know, in the whole Green Lake Mountain and even the entire Qing Shan Realm, fewer than ten people knew he had opened a Land for God Worship here.

"Let’s meet them. Since they’ve come from afar and waited for so long, they must be quite sincere," he said lightly. "By the way, how long was I in retreat this time?"

After coming out, the Spiritual Power clock on his body was confused in time and had failed to keep track of time.

The two of them were somewhat taken aback.

"You were only in retreat for five days..."

Lin Yi said cautiously.

"Only five days?"

Lin Xin was stunned.

He had stayed in that small world for a full month.

Thirty compared to five... a time flow speed of six to one.

He suddenly felt reassured.

Walking out of the Taoist Palace, he took the lead, heading towards the netherworld’s hall designated for receiving guests.

After the expansion by his Honored Master, the entire netherworld was temporarily spacious enough.

Lin Xin simply remodeled a small defense tower on the edge of the territory, decorated it a bit, and also made it into a special isolation area for receiving guests.

He called this place the bright hall, in contrast to the netherworld.

There were no Formations covering this area, it was simply exposed to the rays of the Void.

Along the way, the netherworld had already begun to take shape, with each path guarded by Second Rank Soul Reapers.

These floating creatures, each emanating a chilling presence, were semi-transparent, with several meters between each squad of guards stationed along the road, creating a detection grid that was extremely fortified and clear.

Lin Xin led Lin Yi and Lin Wai together into the bright hall.

Inside the hall, a Flower Demon was flapping its wings, pouring tea for two old men dressed in white robes.

"Thank you for waiting so long!" Lin Xin put on an apologetic smile, walked briskly into the threshold of the bright hall, and looked towards the two men.

"Not at all, not at all, Daoist Lieshan has just been worshipping the gods, and has many affairs to manage, it is we who have disturbed too much," one white-haired and amiable old man stood up, continuously smiling and waving his hand.

"Alright, since everyone is here, let’s get down to business." The other long-bearded elder looked already impatient, not even glancing at Lin Xin as he spoke in a curt tone.

Being continuously delayed for two days, it was understandable that anyone would be irritated.

"Business?" Lin Xin narrowed his eyes and sat down in the main seat.

"I don’t know which place the Purification Holy Temple you represent is located in... excuse my ignorance, but I seem to have never heard of it in the nearby small worlds..."

He was somewhat puzzled, but he did not sense any malice from them.

However, both of them also possessed Fifth Rank cultivation levels, so even if they had any malicious intentions, he was not afraid.

The plump elder smiled wryly, somewhat helplessly.

"It’s normal you haven’t heard of it, Daoist. Our Purification Holy Temple is actually a subgroup under the Chanting Star Cult. You might have heard the name of our God of Purification..."

His last sentence carried a profound meaning.

"Chanting Star Cult..." Lin Xin immediately grew cautious. He himself, being a Bloodline Bearer of the Purifying Force, had of course heard about this sect from his Honored Master and elder brother.

This sect, possessing massive influence across countless worlds, was also well-known within Green Lake Mountain.

His Honored Master had mentioned that one of the six supreme leaders, in his youth, had a conflict with a high-ranking member of the Chanting Star Cult and was severely injured in return, with the opponent also nearly losing his life.

This issue was neither big nor small and amounted to a feud. However, neither side had brought it up again.

Considering that a force as domineering as Green Lake Mountain would not continue to hold a grudge, one could imagine the power and influence of the Chanting Star Cult.

His thoughts flashed rapidly, and in an instant, Lin Xin linked many things together.

The Chanting Star Cult, seeking him out for unknown reasons, unlikely to stoop so low and wait three days for someone with his rare bloodline.

Although that was his thought, he asked outright.

"May I know the purpose of your visit on behalf of your sect?"