Immortal Venerable of the Beast Race
Chapter 981 - 890 Friend or foe?

Chapter 981: 890 Friend or foe?

Shen Long caught the two golden jade boxes, opened them to look, and found that each box contained a golden herb.

"Thank you for your generosity, Taoist Friend Lin."

Shen Long said with a cupped fist salute.

"Hasn’t Taoist Friend Shen succeeded in cultivating to the tenth layer of the Myriad Demons True Scripture? I was hoping to experience the unique divine skill of the Vermilion Bird."

Master Xuanfu asked with curiosity.

"Taoist Friend Lin knows about the Myriad Demons True Scripture as well?"

Shen Long asked with confusion.

He realized that Master Xuanfu’s request for an exchange was false, and his real intention was to inquire about the Myriad Demons True Scripture, but it was unclear whether the other party was friend or foe.

"Of course, I know a fellow Taoist who has successfully cultivated to the tenth layer and can transform into a Vermilion Bird. I thought Taoist Friend Shen could do the same."

Master Xuanfu explained.

"It’s rare to see an Eighth Rank Monster Bird with Vermilion Bird Bloodline, and it’s too difficult to obtain its Essence Blood. If Taoist Friend Lin happens to have the Essence Blood of an Eighth Rank Monster Bird with Vermilion Bird Bloodline, we can make a trade."

Shen Long said.

"No problem, as the green hills last and the clear rivers flow, we’ll meet again if fate allows, Taoist Friend Shen."

After saying this, Master Xuanfu turned into an Escape Light and left.

Shen Long watched Master Xuanfu’s departing figure, his face revealing a contemplative expression.

Returning to Golden Roc Peak, Shen Long recounted the events to Chu Buyu.

"This person’s surname is Lin, could he be related to the Lin Family?"

Chu Buyu speculated.

"I’m not sure, he could be bait from the Super Clans aiming to find the descendants of the Lin Family. However, it’s been over five hundred thousand years since the fall of the Lin Family. It’s not strange for their cultivation techniques to be practiced by others, as long as the Hanwu Black Tortoise’s Dharma Nature is not summoned, it’s hard to prove one is a descendant of the Lin Family. The Divine Skills he wielded were strange; I haven’t seen them in the collection of texts we’ve obtained."

Shen Long spoke slowly.

If Master Xuanfu was just looking for a sparring exchange, there would be no need to inquire about Shen Long’s cultivation of the Myriad Demons True Scripture.

"My husband possesses Xuantian Treasure, and I own a piece of the Xuantian Treasure’s remnant. Even if the Super Clans wish to target us, they should be wary. Nevertheless, we still need to be cautious. For no apparent reason, several Super Clans wouldn’t destroy the Lin Family without a hidden story."

Chu Buyu’s expression turned serious.

Shen Long nodded and said, "We’ve acquired quite a few resources this time. I plan to enter closed-door cultivation for a while and hope Shen Peng can cultivate into a True Spirit."

"My husband, please focus on your cultivation. I will have people keep an eye out for any Miracle Elixirs that could enhance enlightenment. This would make comprehending the Spirit Domain easier."

Chu Buyu said.

Shen Long had successfully cultivated to the tenth layer of the Myriad Beasts Immortal Scripture, and with Xuantian Treasure and True Spirits, his strength had surged, making those Mahayana Cultivators who controlled the Spirit Domain his only significant threat.

After a brief chat, Shen Long entered an Alchemy Room, preparing to refine Seven-Colored Soul Ganoderma Pills.

······

Thunder Continent, Eight Directions Mountain Range.

In a secluded manor, Nangong Ming and Li Mengyun were seated in a Green Stone Pavilion, chatting and sipping tea.

"Has Taoist Friend Shen returned to the Realm of the Spiritual Pivot? Didn’t he find the Eighth Rank Monster Bird?"

Li Mengyun asked curiously.

"According to his disciple, Taoist Friend Shen had not yet reached the Shadow Realm when news of a Human Clan Mahayana’s death in the Shadow Realm spread. He didn’t venture into the Shadow Realm, given how much it rejects the Human Clan."

Nangong Ming said.

"That makes sense. I’ve heard that the small world controlled by the Lin Family has appeared. Many Taoists have entered the small world to hunt for treasures. If Taoist Friend Shen stayed around, he might have had the chance to enter the small world for treasure hunting."

Li Mengyun said.

"Taoist Friend Shen returned to the Realm of the Spiritual Pivot a while back, showing himself publicly on the Green Lotus Continent, and that small world has already closed. By the timeline, it’s impossible for Taoist Friend Shen to return to the Realm of the Spiritual Pivot in such a short time. It’s simply bad luck."

Nangong Ming analyzed.

The Small World had not been closed for half a month when Shen Long appeared in the Green Lotus Continent. In half a month’s time, even a Mahayana Cultivator wouldn’t be able to traverse dozens of realms, unless Shen Long possessed a flying-type Xuantian Treasure.

Such flying-type Xuantian Treasures were extremely rare, Nangong Ming did not believe that Shen Long had such a treasure.

"Speaking of which, why was the Lin Family annihilated?"

Li Mengyun asked out of curiosity.

"I don’t know. Our Eight Directions Tower’s backers and the Lin Family’s backers are not in the same Immortal Domain. The annihilation of the Lin Family should be related to their clan members in the Immortal Realm. Don’t look at the Super Clans, True Spirit Noble Families, and major sects as being very glamorous. If their patrons in the Immortal Realm have troubles, they will be implicated as well, which is why we do not get involved in these power struggles,"

said Nangong Ming with a solemn expression.

When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter; this was normal.

Li Mengyun nodded her head, pulled out a Law Disk shimmering with Spiritual Light, and entered a spell into it. A look of surprise flashed in her eyes.

"Someone is offering a hefty sum for information about Taoist Friend Shen."

Li Mengyun said.

"Sell it to them. We are, after all, in the business of selling information. The details about Taoist Friend Shen are not a secret. If we don’t sell it, there will be other intelligence organizations that will,"

Nangong Ming instructed.

Li Mengyun nodded, made several gestures on the Law Disk, then put the disk away.

"It’s said that the Myriad Demons True Scripture came from the Lin Family. Taoist Friend Shen wouldn’t be a descendant of the Lin Family, would he?"

Li Mengyun said curiously.

"That cultivation technique is widely circulated, and many cultivators practice it. It’s not necessarily the case that Taoist Friend Shen is a descendant of the Lin Family, unless he can summon the Dharma Nature of the Hanwu Black Tortoise. Without evidence, we can’t sell it as intelligence,"

Nangong Ming stated seriously.

Li Mengyun nodded, chatted idly for a few more moments, and then stood up and left.

······

In the Chili Realm, Chili Clan.

Sitting within a fragrant garden teeming with birdsongs, Li Yang, Tao Wu, and Li Xue were in a Green Stone Pavilion, sipping tea and chatting idly.

"What? The Small World controlled by the Lin Family has appeared?"

Tao Wu exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, but it has already closed now. Many treasure hunters were teleported out, and it’s likely that someone found the control nexus of the Small World,"

said Li Yang with a dark expression on his face.

The Chili Clan, in alliance with several major clans, had jointly wiped out the Lin Family, so no one valued the Lin Family more than the Chili Clan did.

"Send people to thoroughly investigate the cultivators who entered the Small World in search of treasure, especially Mahayana Cultivators who were in the nearby realms while the Small World was open. It’s possible that there are descendants of the Lin Family among them. Otherwise, how could the control nexus of the Small World have been found so quickly?"

Tao Wu instructed.

If descendants of the Lin Family got their hands on the resources within the Small World, their strength would greatly increase, and they would definitely seek revenge against the Chili Clan in the future.

"I have already sent people to investigate, and Mahayana Cultivators who showed up in those dozen or so realms are our targets. We hope to find descendants of the Lin Family and absolutely cannot allow the Lin Family to rise again,"

said Li Yang with a murderous look on his face.

Tao Wu nodded: "The worm may be dead but not stiff. The Lin Family once had millions of cultivators, and certainly, some would have slipped through the net. We need to send people to covertly search for any descendants of the Lin Family and try to eradicate them completely."

"I have found some Human Cultivators who may be descendants of the Lin Family, and we are in the process of making contact to see if we can trace them back and net them all,"

said Li Yang with a heavy tone.

"That would be best. Be careful not to let them detect you,"

cautioned Tao Wu.

"Rest assured! This isn’t our first time doing such a thing. We have some Human Cultivators practicing the Lin Family’s cultivation techniques, one of whom has already ascended to the Mahayana Realm. He is responsible for contacting the suspected Mahayana Cultivators who might be descendants of the Lin Family. Once their identity is confirmed, we will take action personally,"

Li Yang said confidently.

Tao Wu nodded, chatted for a while longer, and then stood up and left.