Eternal Swordmaster
Chapter 872 - 867 Handling First

Chapter 872: Chapter 867 Handling First

Lin Xin finally understood that the gap between Heavenly Venerable and Taoist Ancestor, although only one level apart, was as vast as heaven and earth.

"Thus, the Taoist Ancestors seal off their battle areas, entering the deepest parts of the abyss, because they fear that the aftermath of their battles might inadvertently destroy their Taoist Lineage." Fang Yu smiled.

"Now, do you still have the confidence to face Jiu Se?"

Lin Xin remained silent.

The gap was far greater than he had imagined, completely beyond his expectations.

But he only stayed silent for a moment.

"Can you maintain the Primordial Golden Lotus without extinguishing it?" he suddenly asked. "Can it be used as a continuously energy-releasing Burning Furnace?"

"What are you trying to do?" Fang Yu was slightly puzzled. "It’s possible, but the energy released by this thing is far less stable than a Burning Furnace and it will produce great radiation at any time. If you take it..."

"It doesn’t matter." Lin Xin smiled stiffly.

"How many such Golden Lotuses can a newly promoted Taoist Ancestor produce?"

"For a newly promoted ancestor, the power mobilization isn’t very harmonious yet; one lotus per hour might be feasible..." Fang Yu hesitated. "What are you planning to do with it?"

He had considered that Lin Xin might want to absorb it, but there are many divine skills for absorption. If one forcibly absorbs higher-level power, the final result can only be explosion and death, soul annihilation, without exception.

Because those divine skills and cultivation techniques themselves cannot digest the Golden Lotus; on the contrary, they will be counterattacked by it.

Without reaching the level of Taoist Ancestor, the Golden Lotus can only be endured forcefully, no other solution.

So there is fundamentally no possibility of absorbing the Golden Lotus.

Lin Xin remained confident in his attribute abilities.

Attributes abilities had never disappointed him until now.

Fang Yu was silent for a moment, then condensed another Golden Lotus with his fingers, and gently tossed it towards Lin Xin.

"I hope I won’t hear news someday that you perished from an explosion of the Golden Lotus."

"Now, tell me the location of the Dark Gate. About the Evil God King of Xia." Lin Xin caught the Golden Lotus, tucked it into his sleeve, and looked up at Fang Yu.

Fang Yu paused, then, in a soft, low voice, whispered directly into Lin Xin’s ear.

Lin Xin listened closely as the content gradually changed, his eyes widening, revealing a look of surprise on his face.

For a long time.

Fang Yu stopped.

"Dark Gate I’ve told you. Now I shall tell you about the thing I want you to help me with."

"Go ahead." Lin Xin steadied himself, speaking softly.

"If... just if... I fail," Fang Yu said softly.

"Please go to a place called Huanxin Realm and take care of someone with this mark."

He flicked out a cluster of purple flames, which formed a special pattern resembling a plum blossom, layered with a complex pentagram rune in mid-air.

In the center of the pattern was embedded the number seven.

Lin Xin absorbed the mark, memorized it carefully, then dispersed it.

"If I am not dead, then this matter need not trouble you," Fang Yu continued. "Within a thousand years, I will determine victory or defeat with Jiu Se. At that time, it will be the moment to fulfill the promise."

"Alright."

Lin Xin nodded.

"I have one last request."

"Speak," Fang Yu said flatly.

Lin Xin spread his palm wide, revealing a round treasure bead the size of a goose egg, black-red in color.

A few clusters of colorful flames surrounded the treasure bead, with mysterious runes faintly jumping within and burning.

"I want to know the exact gap between me and Taoist Ancestor."

The Earthfire Nine Spirit Beads in his hand suddenly ascended, parallel to his face. The seven-colored spectral light illuminated his face, showing bizarre hues amidst the ever-changing colors.

Fang Yu narrowed his eyes at the bead floating in Lin Xin’s hand.

"Put forth your full power."

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

Boom!!

In the void, a red halo shot into the sea of calamity qi like lightning, instantly disappearing.

Fang Yu stood slowly on the land of the Mortal Realm, a piece of black stone at his feet shattering into several fragments.

He gazed at the distant spot where Lin Xin had vanished, slowly lowering his head.

"Master... over at Nine Souls Mountain..." the two black-robed individuals from before emerged behind him again.

"Rest assured, everything is under my control," Fang Yu said calmly. "You may go ahead, I will follow shortly."

"Yes."

The two black-robed individuals nodded respectfully, stepping back a few steps, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Fang Yu stood alone, motionless for a long time.

Swoosh....

A gust of wind blew past, carrying a large swath of calamity qi drifting here.

"Sherie Divine Monarch...." he lowered his head, looking at his right palm.

In his palm, somehow, a bloodstain several centimeters long had appeared, slowly pooling with silvery blood, as if it would never heal.....

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

Void Calamity Qi Sea, formerly southeast Star Domain.

Several massive gyroscopes built entirely of black stone slowly rotated within the calamity qi.

A strange rotating forcefield repelled the surrounding calamity qi.

Suddenly, a dark figure shot out of one of the gyroscopes.

Floating in the calamity qi, the figure gradually revealed itself.

It was a skeleton man, its whole body made of pitch-black bones, with two fiery red flames burning in its eye sockets.

"Red Soul Skeleton King.... so you’ve awakened too."

In the calamity qi, a man with pale white skin, covered in red floral patterns, slowly emerged.

The man was nude, strangely lacking any reproductive organs or hair.

His entire body was smooth like a mirror, resembling a mannequin.

"What did the boss say?"

The skeleton man flexed his neck, the flames in his eye sockets flickering.

"Hei You is still in his Nine Nether Kingdom, he wants us to go together to Nine Souls Mountain." The pale man said in a deep voice.

"Nine Nether Kingdom.... heh, Emperor Hei You, does he truly think he’s the unrivaled boss?" The Red Soul Skeleton King sneered.

"The Taoist Ancestors’ seals in the abyss have loosened somewhat, we must quickly decide victory with Jiu Se and achieve perfection, otherwise, Tian Yin Dragon King won’t give us more time."

The pale man added.

"Let’s go, solve the Nine Nether Kingdom."

The Red Soul Skeleton King irritably surveyed the calamity qi around them.

"Relying on the boss’s methods to establish the kingdom independently, now wanting independence? Truly courting death."

"So we need to wake him up." The pale man sneered.

As they were about to leave, a golden stream of light suddenly flew towards them from afar in the calamity qi.

The stream of light stopped when it was still a hundred Spirit Miles away.

A colossal phoenix made of dark gold flames swiftly emerged from the light stream.

"Is it the Red Soul Skeleton King and Origin Corpse King up ahead?"

The Fire Phoenix transformed into a beautiful woman, adorned in dark gold jewelry, dressed in a tight-fitting dress made of golden feathers.

"An Lin has come too? Perfect, how are the preparations?"

The Red Soul Skeleton King looked towards the woman.

"Five thousand scaleless soldiers are ready to die for the master!" The woman stated resolutely.

"Our side in Soulless Castle is also prepared." The Origin Corpse King extended his hand, in his palm appeared a cluster of tiny gray-black points, densely forming a clear ring symbol with a large number seven in the center.

If Lin Xin were here, he’d recognize the symbol Fang Yu had given him.

"Tian Yin Dragon King has gone missing." The woman continued.

"Missing?"

The Red Soul Skeleton King was puzzled.

"Should be hiding, waiting for the verdict," the Origin Corpse King replied in a low voice.

"We can’t delay in dealing with Emperor Hei You, the master wants everything resolved within a thousand years."

"Alright, since it’s the master’s will...."

The others could only comply.

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

Nether Realm’s Nether City.

Lin Xin slowly flew into the earthy yellow protective shield, passing through layer after layer of complex and solid defense arrays.

Soon his sight opened up, revealing a sprawling group of black palaces below him.

From a high vantage point, countless small figures moved in and out of the palaces, some were Taoist soldiers, others were invited guests visiting for banquets, along with their families.

Compared to the rampant calamity qi outside, life in the Nether Realm was like paradise, with no worries about food and clothing, and plenty of time to enjoy life.

Lin Xin slowly flew to the central palace, Netherworld Palace, hovering above, descending towards a dedicated skylight.

Several presences had already revealed themselves in the skylight, waiting for some time.

Seeing Lin Xin descend, Lin Wai, Lu Li, Zhao Wumian, and others stepped forward to pay their respects.

"Honored Master!"

"Any changes during my absence?" Lin Xin handed his white robe to Lin Wai, casually asking.

"Yes, after you left, several minor holy lands have crumbled, and they sent messages requesting our rescue." Zhao Wumian said urgently.

"Following your broad directives, I’ve dispatched personnel to swiftly aid selected holy lands.

However, we currently lack the energy reserves for long-distance travel."

He referred to long-distance travel not for Heavenly Venerables but for the large spaceships built with the Core of Melt, which can rapidly glide through the sparse calamity qi with their protective shield, but only just that.

"Without star gates, we cannot traverse long distances, so we can only abandon the faraway holy lands."

"Not necessary." Lin Xin rubbed his temples, recalling the black stones he saw in the Mortal Realm.

"In the Mortal Realm, I discovered black stones that can withstand the corrosion of calamity qi, likely usable for building spaceships."

"Are those dense, hard, extremely heavy black stones?" Lin Wai interjected.

"Exactly."

Lin Xin nodded.

"These stones do exist near large planets and realms that have collapsed around us; many have been released. Yet despite our efforts, we cannot break or crush them." Lin Wai said helplessly.

"Let the research institute handle it, we’re in no rush." Lin Xin walked towards the side hall entrance used for resting.

Several Flower Demon palace maids carefully offered a cup of spirit cloud tea for rinsing mouth and a hot towel.