566: Underground Conspiracy (49k words)

Inside the room, Lin Yang sorted out the gains from hunting down those Bone Bloom Raiding Squads outside the city.

Except for the Squad that followed him out of the city, which didn't carry much wealth, the other Squads had a large amount of wealth plundered from others that hadn't yet been transferred into the city.

Therefore, this wave of acquisitions was a windfall for him.

The mirror ruins coins alone amounted to nearly three hundred million.

Other miscellaneous fierce beast materials added up to three or four hundred million.

And the weapons and equipment of those Squad members themselves, after depreciation, could still sell for at least one or two hundred million.

In total, his overall income from hunting those Squads was close to one billion.

"No wonder the guys in the underground forces are all rolling in wealth; it's not that easy to accumulate one billion by genuinely hunting fierce beasts."

After tallying his gains, Lin Yang couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

Killing people and seizing treasures indeed brings quick money!

It's no wonder that anyone with a bit of strength wants to get a foothold in the underground forces.

However, while he felt emotional, Lin Yang had no intention of also plundering others.

Although with his current strength, if he were to truly plunder, hardly anyone in the Yun Que City area could resist him.

But a gentleman loves wealth, and acquires it through proper means.

He himself disliked the plundering underground forces, and if he were to rely on his strength to plunder now, he would become the very person he detested most.

He would not let the story of the dragon slayer becoming an evil dragon happen to him.

Not only would he not, but he was already thinking about eliminating some of Yun Que City's underground forces.

On one hand, it would be eliminating a menace for the people, and on the other hand, there would be no psychological burden in plundering these underground forces.

This way of making money is indeed too fast. He wouldn't plunder ordinary people, but he didn't plan to let the underground forces off the hook.

He could eradicate these scumbags and also enrich his own wealth. It's the best of both worlds, so why not?

"Besides Bone Bloom, there's Ghost Ruins. No rush, let's completely clear out Bone Bloom first."

Lin Yang had a plan in mind.

Everyone knew that his current actions against Bone Bloom were due to He Linchuan and Bone Bloom's coveting of his treasures.

But if he also attacked the Ghost Ruins people, it would cause Ghost Ruins and Bone Bloom to directly unite.

It wouldn't matter if ordinary members united, but if the two leaders joined forces, it would be a bit difficult to deal with.

So, just now outside the city, he only killed the Bone Bloom Raiding Squads and didn't touch the Ghost Ruins people.

"Before acting against the leader of Bone Bloom, I can also take on a bounty along the way."

Lin Yang directly went to the relevant Assassination missions in Three Watches Rain and casually accepted the bounty for the Bone Bloom leader and the Ghost Ruins Leader.

One bounty is five billion, completing both would net ten billion. This is an absolute fortune!

Accepting a bounty would not alert the target.

All bounties published by Three Watches Rain can be accepted by multiple people simultaneously and do not reveal how many people or who has newly accepted the bounty.

Whoever first obtains proof of completion and submits it to Three Watches Rain will naturally receive the reward.

After accepting the two bounties, Lin Yang returned to the Star Divination Tower.

He now had a large amount of mirror ruins coins.

He planned to keep five hundred million for a hundred years of residential fees, and convert the rest into resources that could be used to quickly improve his strength.

He had already mastered Dao rhythm power in advance, so he didn't need to steadily and slowly improve; he could directly advance to the third tier using resources.

Each tier he advanced meant at least a tenfold difference in power.

From the first tier to the third tier, he could gain at least twenty times more power.

Coupled with the amplification from other methods, it would far exceed twenty times.

With power at the same tier and also possessing Dao rhythm power, he also had the amplification of the 'Boundary'.

Even if the Bone Bloom leader had been at the third tier for a long time and accumulated profound strength, Lin Yang was confident he could kill him.

"Deducting the five hundred million mirror ruins coins Xuan Xiao gave me in advance for rent and other expenses, there are still about one billion mirror ruins coins. With the Guest Retainer status discount, ordinary resources can be bought at half price, which is equivalent to two billion in purchasing power. Then, using the Guest Retainer status, I can still get a loan of one billion from the Star Divination Tower..."

"In total, this is equivalent to four billion mirror ruins coins in purchasing power. Piling up resources should allow me to reach the third tier!"

Lin Yang calculated as he walked.

Resources for simply increasing power at the Boundary Realm tier were not expensive.

In fact, resources for simply increasing one's own power at any stage are relatively cheap.

What's truly expensive are the special ones, such as items that can deepen one's understanding of Dao Rhythm.

Those who haven't comprehended Dao Rhythm would have a better chance of sensing its existence after using them.

There are also things that can amplify the comprehension of various Dao Rhythm techniques.

Those are truly expensive.

"However, although ordinary resources are not expensive, they still require four billion mirror ruins coins in purchasing power, plus my far-beyond-ordinary absorption speed, to directly advance to the third tier."

"This amount of money, under normal circumstances, is simply unobtainable for a Boundary Realm cultivator, and they can only improve slowly."

Lin Yang sighed.

Don't look at him being able to buy resources in large quantities and rapidly improve now.

That's because he has enough money.

And this amount of money, for any ordinary Boundary Realm cultivator, is an astronomical figure!

It's basically impossible to quickly accumulate and improve one's strength with ordinary resources.

This method simply does not apply to ordinary people.

"Once I reach the third tier, I'll go kill the Bone Bloom leader."

Lin Yang thought, stepping into the Star Divination Tower.

At the same time, he glanced towards the City Lord's Mansion, also located in the city center.

To be honest, the fact that City Lord Yun Que only sent a Patrol Team to convey a message to him made him a bit puzzled.

Because, reasonably speaking, under normal circumstances, a City Lord would not act so hastily when inviting powerful cultivators from the city.

He and City Lord Yun Que had never had any contact before, so the City Lord Yun Que's behavior was indeed somewhat abnormal.

However, although a bit puzzled, Lin Yang didn't overthink it.

Whatever the reason for City Lord Yun Que's actions, as long as he didn't actively provoke the City Lord's Mansion and the official authority of Kunyu Country, City Lord Yun Que would have no way to deal with him.

This was the confidence that strength brought.

Lin Yang calmly entered the Star Divination Tower, directly utilizing his Guest Retainer status for discounts and loans.

Then, according to his plan, he purchased all the resources.

The Manager of the Star Divination Tower was beaming with joy.

Such a large business was rare in Yun Que City.

However, after confirming that Lin Yang intended to use all his money to buy ordinary resources for Boundary Realm power enhancement, the Manager grinned and said:

"Your Excellency, you require too many resources at once. Our branch's current stock is insufficient. Would you allow us to transfer them for you?"

"Hmm? Transfer goods?" Lin Yang raised an eyebrow. "Even for ordinary resources, the inventory is insufficient?"

"Cough cough, precisely because these are ordinary resources, the inventory is insufficient."

The Manager cleared his throat and explained:

"Yun Que City is, after all, an ordinary city. The Boundary Realm cultivators here don't have much money, and few would spend money on these ordinary resources that simply enhance power."

"Most of the time, they save money to buy truly useful items, spending money where it counts. So, the stock of these ordinary resources is limited, while slightly better resources are constantly replenished."

Lin Yang immediately understood.

Buying a large quantity of resources solely for power enhancement was indeed a luxury for ordinary Boundary Realm cultivators.

Because one could completely rely on absorbing spiritual energy from nature to improve.

Limited money should naturally be spent on things that are more useful to oneself.

"Then, how long will the transfer take?" Lin Yang asked again.

"Very quickly, three days at most!"

The Manager immediately said and explained:

"If it's a large quantity of precious materials, the transfer usually completes within a day, or even half a day. But for ordinary materials, it takes a bit longer."

"Three days, then three days it is." Lin Yang understood. A transaction of several billion was nothing to the Star Divination Tower.

Ordinary materials also weren't worth the Star Divination Tower sending powerful experts to deliver quickly.

Only three days, he could wait.

"Then, Your Excellency, please come to pick up the goods in three days." The Manager said politely.

Of course, it wasn't that there was no home delivery service.

It was because Lin Yang was not here in his true identity; he was wearing a mask.

Although the steward knew it was Lin Yang, since Lin Yang didn't state it clearly, the steward naturally played along, pretending not to know. That's why he let Lin Yang pick up the goods himself instead of having them delivered directly to Lin Yang's Villa.

Lin Yang nodded, then left to go to the Yue Family.

Not long after.

"Brother Yue, thank you for your help during this time. These resources are a small token of my appreciation; you must accept them."

Lin Yang took out a Resource Card and gave it to Yue Duanjiang.

This Resource Card stored Special Resources worth 200 million. They could be withdrawn simply by going to the Star Divination Tower.

Yue Duanjiang had previously paid 16 million for his weapon, and later helped him unconditionally with many other things.

Lin Yang naturally had to repay this favor.

"Little Brother Lin, what are you doing?" Yue Duanjiang immediately declined.

The other young children watched Lin Yang from a distance with curiosity and admiration.

Lin Yang's name now resounded throughout Yun Que City. Their Uncle Lin was now one of the strongest existences within Yun Que City.

Naturally, this filled the children with awe, and they didn't dare approach him easily.

Lin Yang smiled and said, "Brother Yue, don't refuse. This is my sincere gesture. You have been at the Boundary Realm Third Level for a long time. If you were willing to buy materials, you would have reached your limit long ago. I hope these can help Brother Yue reach your limit soon."

"If you refuse, then we can't be friends anymore."

Yue Duanjiang had a large family to support, so he was reluctant to buy resources to improve his strength.

But even so, he was already close to his limit.

These Special Resources, valued at 200 million, were prepared specifically for Yue Duanjiang.

This was something difficult to buy even with money.

If not for the authority granted by his Guest Retainer status, one would need to spend a massive amount at the Star Divination Tower and reach a certain VIP Level to qualify for purchase—something Yue Duanjiang was far from achieving.

These Special Resources should help Yue Duanjiang quickly reach the Limit Level.

When Yue Duanjiang heard this, the words he intended to refuse with caught in his throat, and he couldn't speak them. Finally, he sighed deeply and said:

"Little Brother Lin, then I won't be overly polite. Becoming friends with you, I've really benefited greatly."

He also knew that Lin Yang had previously killed several Bone Bloom Raiding Squads outside the city and was currently wealthy, so he stopped being polite with Lin Yang.

As for why Lin Yang could buy such High-Grade Special Resources, he didn't ask. He just looked at Lin Yang thoughtfully and said:

"Little Brother Lin, judging by your appearance, are you planning to enter Secluded Cultivation to fully enhance your strength?"

"Yes, I bought some resources at the Star Divination Tower and plan to have a massive improvement before anything else." Lin Yang nodded.

"How long do you plan to be in Secluded Cultivation?" Yue Duanjiang asked again.

"It's hard to say right now, but probably several decades, maybe a century."

Lin Yang calculated roughly and replied.

Although there was a direct supply of a large amount of materials, absorbing and converting those resources also required time.

Going directly from the Boundary Realm First Level to the Boundary Realm Third Level in about a century—this was already an extremely monstrous speed.

Even if others had enough resources fully supplied, without his rapid Absorption and Conversion Efficiency, it would be impossible for them to complete such a large leap across two levels in about a century.

"Around a century? Then I wish Little Brother Lin all the best in advance!" Yue Duanjiang offered his blessings.

"Haha, thank you for your auspicious words, Brother Yue. By the way, Brother Yue, while I am in Secluded Cultivation, I'll have to trouble you to look after Linxue and the He Family." Lin Yang added.

He Linxue originally only had a few years left to live, but he had previously treated and healed her several times again.

The special Life Force, combined with He Linxue's Unique Physique, seemed to have undergone subtle changes after merging.

This unexpectedly caused the girl to gain a significant amount of vitality, and she now possessed a lifespan comparable to a normal person's.

Living for another century would not be a problem.

However, she currently still had no opportunity for Cultivation. Lin Yang was a little worried that over time the girl might suffer grievances, so he wanted Yue Duanjiang to help look after her.

Yue Duanjiang immediately patted his chest and said, "Little Brother Lin, leave this matter to me, rest assured. I won't let that girl He Linxue suffer even the slightest grievance."

"Many thanks, Brother Yue." Lin Yang cupped his fist.

Yue Duanjiang was a very reliable person in conduct and character.

Afterwards, he called out to the Yue Family children nearby, "You few, come over here."

Hearing this, the few children were startled, but they immediately ran forward and respectfully bowed and greeted him: "We greet Uncle Lin!"

This was the first time the children had interacted with Lin Yang up close since his name shook Yun Que City, and they were all a little nervous.

However, the admiration in their eyes was even harder to conceal.

One of the slightly younger ones couldn't hold back his excitement and repeatedly said, "Uncle Lin, you are too amazing! You are simply our idol!"

"Idol?" Lin Yang couldn't help but laugh, and then prepared a gift for each of them:

"These are things for you. Choose what suits you best."

"Ah? Uncle Lin, for us?" The children were stunned simultaneously, all feeling overwhelmed by the favor.

Uncle Lin specially prepared gifts for them too?!

"Haha, you've called me 'Uncle' so many times, I naturally can't let that title be called in vain, right?"

Lin Yang smiled, exchanged greetings with Yue Duanjiang, and then walked out of the Yue Family.

Everything that needed to be done was essentially settled.

All that remained was waiting for the Star Divination Tower's transfer of goods to arrive three days later, and then he could begin his Secluded Cultivation.

These three days also happened to conclude He Linchuan's funeral... After the funeral, Lin Yang specifically reminded He Linxue: "Linxue, if anything happens, go straight to Yue Duanjiang. He will help you; I have already spoken to him."

"Thank you, Sir!" He Linxue also knew Lin Yang was preparing to enter Secluded Cultivation, and immediately said seriously, "Linxue wishes Sir a successful breakthrough!"

"Haha, good!"

Lin Yang smiled, concealed himself to retrieve the resources from the Star Divination Tower, and then returned to his Villa to begin Secluded Cultivation.

Meanwhile, just as Lin Yang began his Secluded Cultivation, inside a dark underground room in the City Lord's Mansion.

A burly figure stood in the center, while a ghostly shadow concealed in the darkness spoke faintly to the burly figure:

"City Lord, that kid Lin Yang has started his Secluded Cultivation. If my prediction is correct, his strength will greatly increase after this session."

"Although there is currently no evidence to show that he has mastered Dao rhythm power, we cannot afford to be unguarded!"

"So, City Lord, have you made up your mind?"

"Should we take advantage of his Secluded Cultivation, mobilize the Formation Array power to cooperate with me in an Assassination, or let him successfully emerge and continue killing our people?"

The burly figure was clearly still hesitating upon hearing this and did not answer immediately.

"Heh heh, City Lord, Bone Bloom hasn't given you any less tribute over the years, and you haven't gained any less benefit from us. I'm only asking you to slightly mobilize the Formation Array power. If you refuse even this, then... heh heh!"

The ghostly shadow looked at the burly figure and suddenly sneered twice. Although he didn't finish his sentence, the threat was obvious.

The burly figure finally spoke: "You could definitely find an opportunity to kill him outside the city. Why must you act inside the city?"

"Heh heh... Just tell me if you'll cooperate or not!"

The ghostly shadow did not answer but asked again.

The burly figure immediately fell silent again.

Seeing this, the ghostly shadow scoffed: "Don't say I didn't warn you. If Bone Bloom can't continue raiding in the future and is chased and killed by him, then I can't guarantee what I might do. Also, the portion meant for you will be cut off!"

Hearing this, the burly figure finally sighed deeply and nodded:

"Fine, I can agree. However, I need to make some preparations. Secretly using the Formation Array power against the Residential Area is a huge crime, and I must prepare properly!"

"Furthermore, you must ensure that you resolve the battle within two minutes. Otherwise, the Formation Array's power will inevitably leak out!"

"If that happens, and I am held accountable, you won't escape either!"

The ghostly shadow immediately burst into laughter:

"That's naturally no problem. I'm counting on continuing our cooperation with you, City Lord, in the future, so I naturally won't ruin things for either of us!"

"After all, I haven't lived enough yet..."