124: Celebration and undercurrent

“We finally made it out of that hellhole!”

As soon as they burst through the thick, suffocating, blood-red boundary of the Blood Sea Domain, everyone, including Lin Xuan, couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief. Although the sky outside wasn't much brighter, at least there wasn't such a strong smell of blood and resentment, and the immortal qi felt much fresher.

“Oh my god, I thought I was going to suffocate!” Mo Sha was the first to collapse on the deck, spread-eagled. “That cursed place, it made me feel so uncomfortable. Outside is much more pleasant!”

“Amitabha, we’ve finally seen the light of day again.” Kong Ming, the young monk, uncharacteristically didn’t recite Buddhist scriptures, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. Maintaining the Buddha's Light barrier earlier had truly exhausted him.

The other disciples were much the same, their faces showing fatigue, but even more so, excitement and lingering fear. This trip was truly too thrilling; they almost lost their lives several times. Fortunately, Master was amazing, and Junior Sister was even more amazing!

Lin Xuan looked at these disciples who had survived the ordeal, feeling quite emotional. Although this trip was dangerous, the benefits were substantial. He himself, needless to say, had directly jumped to Immortal Venerable, which was unimaginable before. His disciples also lived up to expectations, with several breaking through to Immortal Monarch, and the rest almost all reaching the peak of late Golden Immortal, just a step away from breaking through.

Most importantly, they had salvaged so many good things! That small mountain of Blood Sea Soul Crystals was enough for the entire sect to use for several years! And there were those Infernal Nether Lotuses, especially the one with golden edges in his hand, which was definitely a treasure among treasures.

“Alright, everyone, stop lying around. Check your injuries, tally your gains, and let’s go home!” Lin Xuan waved his hand, a hint of ease in his tone.

“We’re going home!” Jin Bao and A Zi, the two lively ones, were the first to cheer, darting around in the sky.

Although the bone boat was tattered, under the tinkering of Chu Xinghe and Su Yuan, it could still manage to fly. With a change of direction, it sped towards the Star Palace’s base.

The journey back was much smoother. Lin Xuan was now a genuine Immortal Venerable expert. With just a slight release of his aura, any Starry Sky Demonic Beasts or wandering Demon Clan members they encountered along the way would be scared senseless and flee far away, not daring to approach.

The disciples weren't idle either; while healing their injuries, they excitedly discussed their gains from this trip, boasting to each other about how many enemies they had killed and how many soul crystals they had snatched. The atmosphere was incredibly lively.

Lin Xuan played with the dark golden nether lotus in his hand, liking it more and more the longer he looked at it. This item could not only heal injuries but also seemed to make the divine soul more transparent, making it easier to comprehend laws. He tried to delve deeper into the trace of Samsara power within it, but as soon as he touched it, his mind buzzed, as if countless incomprehensible garbled codes were crammed in, and he quickly let go.

“Sigh, this Samsara stuff is too high-level; I really can’t handle it right now.” Lin Xuan pouted, not forcing it, and carefully put away the lotus. Perhaps when his cultivation realm was higher in the future, he would be able to understand it.

A few days later, the familiar outline of the Star Palace finally appeared in their sight.

Bai Li, Bi Xiao, Elder of the Void Palace, Liu Ruyan, and the others who had stayed behind had already received the message and were waiting outside the mountain gate with a large group of disciples. Seeing the tattered bone boat flying back from afar, everyone was incredibly excited.

As soon as the bone boat landed, and Lin Xuan led his people down, Bai Li was the first to rush over. Disregarding the many people present, she looked Lin Xuan up and down, her eyes a little red: “Are you alright? I heard you caused a huge commotion in there and even broke through?”

Lin Xuan chuckled, patting his chest: “I’m fine, doing great! Not only am I fine, but I also made a huge fortune!”

Behind them, Bi Xiao, Elder of the Void Palace and Liu Ruyan also walked over. Seeing the disciples behind Lin Xuan, each with terrifyingly strong auras, especially the obvious Immortal Monarch fluctuations around Yun Qingyao and Leng Yuechan, they were both surprised and delighted.

“Good heavens… did you guys raid the Asura Clan’s lair or something? How did all of you…” Bi Xiao, Elder of the Void Palace smacked his lips, feeling a bit defeated. He had painstakingly cultivated to Immortal Venerable, while these young ones had shot up like rockets after a trip to a dangerous place.

Liu Ruyan, on the other hand, looked at the small mountain of soul crystals and nether lotuses, her eyes sparkling. She had already begun to calculate in her mind how these resources should be allocated and used; the DNA of a logistics manager was stirring.

“Come on, come on, let’s talk inside! Let’s talk inside!” Lin Xuan waved his hand grandly, full of vigor.

Back in the main hall of the Star Palace, wow, it was lively! Like New Year’s!

Lin Xuan was not stingy; he directly showered them with money… ah no, resources! All disciples who participated in the battle received ample soul crystals! Ample pills! Those who made great contributions also received additional rewards of nether lotus petals or seeds!

The disciples who didn't go looked at the dazzling array of treasures, their eyes wide, drooling with envy, and all declared that if such a good opportunity arose again, they would follow, even if it killed them!

That night, the Star Palace held a grand celebration banquet. Delicious food and drinks piled high on the tables, and laughter filled the air. Disciples boasted, challenged each other to drinking contests, and exchanged insights; the atmosphere was incredibly lively.

Lin Xuan, holding his daughter Lin Yingluo, sat in the main seat, looking at the vibrant scene below, feeling incredibly content. This was the sect he wanted!

Little Yingluo was also very happy, gnawing on a special spirit fruit, her big eyes narrowed into crescents. She seemed to have completely forgotten about her rampage in the Blood Sea, only remembering the fun parts.

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, Lin Xuan called his core disciples and high-ranking members to the inner hall for a small meeting.

“This time we’ve gotten rich, but we’ve also stirred up a lot of trouble,” Lin Xuan took a sip of wine, his expression a little more serious. “The Nether Skull Ghost King and those other old schemers definitely won’t let this go. And that old dog Xuan Gu, a wisp of his remnant soul actually escaped. Who knows how he’ll try to disgust us in the future.”

“Master, rest assured!” Mo Sha slammed the table, his voice booming. “If they dare to come again, I, Old Mo, will be the first to bash their dog heads! I’m an Immortal Monarch now too!”

“Exactly! Our strength has greatly increased now, we’re not afraid of them!” The other disciples echoed, their morale high.

Lin Xuan nodded: “Confidence is good, but we cannot be careless. Those old fellows have lived for who knows how many years; they have many trump cards. We must seize the time to fully digest the benefits from this trip and turn them into tangible combat power.”

He looked at Su Yuan and Chu Xinghe: “Su Yuan, have you analyzed the energy spectrum of those soul crystals? Quickly find the most effective way to utilize them, whether it’s direct absorption or for alchemy and artifact refining. Xinghe, the sect’s defensive formation, and everyone’s magic artifacts, all need to be upgraded! Use the best materials, don’t skimp!”

“Yes, Master!” The two immediately accepted the order.

“Qing Yao, Yue Chan, you’ve just broken through to Immortal Monarch; your realm needs to be stabilized. Spar more often and get familiar with your new powers as soon as possible.” “Bai Li, Bi Xiao, Elder of the Void Palace, don’t slack on the outer patrols and intelligence gathering. Keep a close eye on the movements of the Asura Clan and Ghost Clan.” “Ruyan, I’ll have to trouble you with resource allocation and disciple cultivation.”

One command after another was arranged in an orderly fashion. The entire Star Palace war machine, after experiencing a major battle and a bountiful harvest, began to operate efficiently again, preparing to meet the next potential challenge.

The celebration banquet lasted for several days before slowly quieting down. The Star Palace once again entered a period of intense cultivation and construction. With the support of massive resources, the disciples’ cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds, changing day by day.

Lin Xuan himself also went into seclusion for a few days, completely stabilizing his early Immortal Venerable realm and almost fully digesting the power of the golden-veined nether lotus. He now felt incredibly good, capable of defeating ten of his former selves with a single punch.

After coming out of seclusion, he would occasionally guide his disciples’ cultivation or go to see Chu Xinghe and the others tinkering with new formations and magic artifacts, leading a fulfilling life.

But he always had a vague feeling that things were too calm. The Nether Skull Ghost King, after suffering such a huge loss, would he really just let it go? And where did that wisp of Xuan Gu Remnant Soul go?

Facts proved that his premonition was correct.

Just as the Star Palace was focused on its development, undercurrents began to stir in some dark corners of the Immortal Realm.

First, several small worlds near the Star Palace’s sphere of influence were inexplicably attacked by unknown forces. The attackers were ruthless, coming and going like the wind, specifically destroying spirit veins and mines, grabbing resources and fleeing without engaging in prolonged battles. Judging by their methods, they didn’t seem like the Asura Clan or the Ghost Clan, but rather… a professional bandit or assassin organization.

Then, in some markets and black markets of the Immortal Realm, rumors about the Star Palace began to circulate. Some said that the Star Palace had indiscriminately killed innocents in the Blood Sea Domain to snatch treasures, not even sparing other Immortal Realm cultivators; some said that Lin Xuan had cultivated demonic arts, his temperament had drastically changed, and he had become a demon who only knew slaughter; there were even more outrageous rumors, saying that the Star Palace had found a way to control Samsara and wanted to monopolize life and death, enslaving all living beings… These rumors spread with vivid details. Although they couldn’t withstand scrutiny, the sheer volume of them led some uninformed small forces and rogue cultivators to develop suspicion and apprehension towards the Star Palace.

“Damn it! It must be that old dog Xuan Gu and the Nether Skull Ghost King pulling strings behind the scenes!” Mo Sha roared in anger, wanting to take people out to find the rumor-mongers and beat them up.

“Calm down.” Lin Xuan waved his hand, his eyes a little cold. “These petty tricks that can’t be put on the table show that they don’t dare to confront us openly for now, so they can only play dirty. Su Yuan, have you found the source of the rumors?”

Su Yuan shook his head: “The other party is very cunning, using multiple layers of disguise, making the source very difficult to trace. But it’s highly likely related to several secretive assassin intelligence organizations, possibly with financial support from the Ghost Clan or Asura Clan behind them.”

“Hmph, mere clowns.” Lin Xuan snorted coldly. “Don’t bother with them. Strengthen our own defenses. At the same time, have Qing Yao send people to actively contact those attacked small worlds, offering some protection and assistance, and let facts speak for themselves. As for rumors, the more you explain, the worse it gets. When our strength is strong enough, no one will believe that nonsense naturally.”

He paused, then added: “However, we also need to give those rats hiding in the gutters a warning. Old Brother Bi Xiao, Elder of the Void Palace, I’ll trouble you to take a few clever disciples and ‘visit’ the black market and a few intelligence strongholds. Clean up what needs to be cleaned up, and make a big commotion, so they know that our Star Palace is not to be trifled with.”

“Understood, leave it to me.” Bi Xiao, Elder of the Void Palace licked his lips, revealing a lazy yet dangerous smile. Playing with space and assassination? He was the patriarch!

Just as the Star Palace began to counter these underhanded tactics, no one expected that the wisp of Xuan Gu Remnant Soul that escaped would actually create a huge sensation!

This old fellow, using some unknown sinister secret technique, or perhaps paying a terrible price, actually managed to successfully infiltrate an extremely ancient, extremely secretive secret realm—the legendary slumbering place of a certain fallen “Calamity Demon Lord” from ancient times!

This guy, truly ruthless even to himself, actually wanted to hook up with such an ancient demon lord who had been dead for who knows how many years?

Meanwhile, deep within Skeleton Demon City. The Nether Skull Ghost King stood before the ancient coffin, respectfully offering a large amount of collected living blood souls and resentment.

Above the ancient coffin, another ghost script slowly lit up, and the will fluctuations emanating from it seemed to be a bit clearer than before…