783: People who should not exist

"It must be that the power of the Ancient Ruins and that Yin Soul was too strong, shaking the secret room open directly."

Lin Yang didn't think much of it and walked straight out of the secret room.

Passing through that passage, he returned to the grounds of the Saint Spirit Sect.

At this time, it was incredibly quiet within the Saint Spirit Sect.

It seemed that Xiao Yichen had already dismissed the few remaining outer disciples.

"I wonder if Fellow Daoist Yu Qing was also swept in this time?" Lin Yang thought to himself as he walked toward the Sect Hall.

A vague sense told him that Xiao Yichen was currently in the hall.

As expected.

When Lin Yang reached the outside of the hall, he saw Xiao Yichen from afar, sitting upright inside, seemingly waiting for something.

He guessed that Xiao Yichen was likely waiting for the arrival of the Foreign race enemies.

He just didn't understand why, since there was time, Xiao Yichen didn't run and instead chose to wait here.

"Senior..." Lin Yang began.

Before he could finish saying "Brother," Xiao Yichen suddenly flickered and appeared in front of him.

"Junior Martial Brother?? You... how did you get out??"

"No, how could you get out?"

Xiao Yichen's face showed obvious bewilderment, even shock.

Clearly, he was incredibly stunned that Lin Yang could break out of the secret room now.

That secret room was sealed using special methods; getting out required mastering at least a High-level Spirit Communication Array.

And to master a High-level Spirit Communication Array, one needed to raise their cultivation to at least the Nie Kong Realm.

This was to ensure that his Junior Martial Brother would stay in the secret room for a certain amount of time to guarantee his safety.

But now, Lin Yang had only been inside for half a day before coming out. Xiao Yichen even wondered if he was hallucinating!

He couldn't help but squeeze Lin Yang's shoulder hard, wanting to confirm if the Junior Martial Brother standing before him was real.

Lin Yang showed a slight smile and said, "Senior Brother, I opened the secret room, so naturally, I came out."

Xiao Yichen froze, silent for a long time before saying in disbelief, "That's impossible! Junior Martial Brother, how did you open the secret room? You shouldn't have been able to open it at all!"

He could confirm that the person standing before him was indeed the Junior Martial Brother he knew, and his cultivation was still at the Dao Above level.

With such strength, it should have been absolutely impossible to open the secret room.

Xiao Yichen was completely unable to understand.

Could his Junior Martial Brother have mastered a High-level Spirit Communication Array in just half a day?

But the cultivation level didn't match either!

Lin Yang continued, "Senior Brother, opening the secret room shouldn't be that difficult, right? Don't you just need to use high-level spirit communication to activate the seal mechanism of the room?"

He spoke nonchalantly, but Xiao Yichen was once again dazed.

While that was the logic, when did Lin Yang master a High-level Spirit Communication Array?

He knew Lin Yang's cultivation progress perfectly; before today, he hadn't even seen the diagrams for a High-level Spirit Communication Array, so how could he have mastered it?

"Junior Martial Brother, you..." Xiao Yichen's mouth moved, wanting to say something, but the words wouldn't come.

Because the situation had completely exceeded the scope of his understanding.

Lin Yang took a deep breath and said slowly, "Senior Brother, I know you wanted to protect me, but you still underestimated my talent for learning Spirit Communication Arrays. After you left the secret room, I looked at the diagrams and learned them without much effort, so I came out."

This was, of course, nonsense.

But he had to find a reason to explain it, otherwise he wouldn't get past this.

Even if the reason sounded far-fetched.

Of course, his explanation wasn't entirely baseless fabrication.

He remembered Xiao Yichen saying last time that this Junior Martial Brother possessed some kind of Spirit Communication Holy Body.

Now he could just pin everything on that constitution.

Xiao Yichen found it incredible, but he truly couldn't find a more reasonable explanation for this absurd fact. After staring blankly for a while, he said:

"Ev... even so, your cultivation shouldn't be able to support you in setting up a High-level Spirit Communication Array. You wouldn't be able to withstand the backlash from forcing the array."

Lin Yang smiled. "Perhaps it's the protection of the sect's ancestors. Setting up a High-level Spirit Communication Array with my current cultivation is indeed taxing, but at the critical moment, a force helped me suppress the backlash, so I succeeded."

This sentence was the truth.

Originally, it wouldn't have succeeded, but the power of the Ancient Ruins suppressed the power of the Yin Soul.

Attributing it to the protection of the sect's ancestors wasn't a problem either.

Xiao Yichen was stunned again and murmured, "A force helped you suppress the backlash at the critical moment? Could it really be the protection of the ancestors?"

As he spoke, he couldn't help but turn to look at the memorial tablets of the Saint Spirit Sect's ancestors enshrined in the hall, then remained silent for a long time.

After the silence, Xiao Yichen suddenly let out a long sigh and said in a low voice:

"Perhaps it truly is heaven's will. Since you have vaguely received the protection of the ancestors, Junior Martial Brother, it means you are indeed the hope for our Saint Spirit Sect to pass on in this chaotic world."

"Perhaps this is the guidance of the ancestors. It's not safe for you to stay in the secret room; I must find a way for you to leave this place!"

Toward the end, Xiao Yichen's expression became more solemn than ever before.

He saw Lin Yang's early exit as a sort of guidance and hint from the Saint Spirit Sect's ancestors, suggesting that the secret room he thought was safe enough was actually not.

He even became somewhat nervous, not knowing how to continue ensuring Lin Yang's safety.

Lin Yang, however, felt a bit between laughter and tears hearing this.

Because the secret room was safe.

Last time, the secret room was never discovered until the very end.

But he couldn't explain much now, so following Xiao Yichen's words, he raised a question that puzzled him:

"Senior Brother, since you know enemies will come and we can't resist, why don't we run?"

He had thought about this question before.

Since Xiao Yichen knew for sure that enemies would come, why didn't he flee instead of staying here to wait for death?

Furthermore, from Xiao Yichen's words just now, it seemed that sending him away wasn't something easily accomplished.

What was the reason behind this?

Hearing this, Xiao Yichen sighed, his eyes complicated as he said, "Junior Martial Brother, some things..."

He hesitated.

But in the end, Xiao Yichen let out another long sigh and spoke:

"Sigh, fine. At this point, some things can no longer be hidden from you."

"Junior Martial Brother, it's not that we won't run, but that we can't, and there's nowhere to run!"

"Why?" Lin Yang was puzzled.

Xiao Yichen said, "Because the entire world has no path of escape. Those Foreign races have used the Dao-Overturning Technique to lock down everything; no matter where you run, the outcome is the same."

"On the Foreign Race Battlefield, we have actually already lost. Only a few great lords are still bitterly struggling, guarding the last sparks of hope."

"But those lords won't be able to hold out much longer and are already powerless to care for ordinary people."

"Foreign race experts have already invaded every corner of the world."

At this point, he glanced at Lin Yang and sighed:

"I used the hidden measure left by Master to keep you in the secret room, which can isolate causal perception. The last thread of karma connecting to you is on me, so I must die. Once I am dead, those Foreign races won't be able to find you and won't look for you anymore."

"And you, according to the plan, were supposed to stay in the secret room for at least hundreds of thousands of years. Master said that after hundreds of thousands of years, the world will change greatly, and perhaps there will be a turning point. It should be safe for you to come out then."

Lin Yang fell silent.

Xiao Yichen wasn't running just to completely protect him?

"Senior Brother..."

Lin Yang wanted to say something, but he also didn't quite know what to say.

After a pause, he asked, "Why must you protect me?"

He didn't know why he asked that, but he did.

"Because you are the only hope for our Saint Spirit Sect's future, and Master said he once glimpsed a fragment of the heavenly secrets—you cannot die. You might be able to change things, so we must all protect you!" Xiao Yichen said softly.

"Just because of one sentence from Master, you would rather sacrifice yourself to protect me?" Lin Yang was somewhat moved.

Xiao Yichen nodded. "Also because you are my Junior Martial Brother. As your Senior Brother, it is only right that I protect you."

"..." Lin Yang was momentarily at a loss for words.

Xiao Yichen rubbed his temples and said with a bit of a headache:

"But now, Junior Martial Brother, you've actually come out of the secret room early. The measure Master left can only take effect once."

"Once the secret room is opened from the inside, that measure also loses its effect. You've really given me a difficult problem. Without Master's measure, I can't ensure that I can sever your threads of karma."

He looked at Lin Yang with quite some helplessness:

"To be honest, Junior Martial Brother, you've given me a great surprise this time by mastering the High-level Spirit Communication Array, but I really can't think of any other way to protect you. If anything happens to you, I will have failed Master's entrustment and trust."

Lin Yang thought for a moment and said:

"Senior Brother, do you mean that even if we enter the secret room again, we will be discovered by the Foreign race?"

Xiao Yichen nodded. "Yes. The secret room originally had a measure placed by Master at a great cost that could isolate any investigation, but it won't work now."

"Then why didn't you hide inside with me before, Senior Brother?" Lin Yang didn't quite understand.

Since it could isolate investigation, wouldn't hiding together earlier mean Xiao Yichen wouldn't have to die either?

Xiao Yichen gave a bitter smile. "Junior Martial Brother, I couldn't hide inside. If I hid inside too, there would be no one to sever my Karma Lines, and we would still be discovered by the Foreign race. That's why I couldn't go in."

Lin Yang raised an eyebrow. "So Master's method requires someone to sacrifice themselves to completely preserve another?"

"Correct." Xiao Yichen nodded.

Lin Yang was speechless again.

"What kind of crappy method was this?"

"Alright, Junior Martial Brother, I've thought about it. Although there's nowhere to escape in the outside world, you can't stay in the sect. Go down the mountain first and run as far as you can. Perhaps after the Karma Lines are severed, they won't be able to find you. I'll stay to stall them."

Xiao Yichen began to urge Lin Yang to flee; this was his only option left.

He could only take a gamble.

Lin Yang wanted to say something more, but his expression suddenly changed.

Streaks of light flashed across the horizon, arriving in an instant.

Xiao Yichen's face also changed drastically. "Oh no, they're here. How could they come so fast? Junior Martial Brother, quick, go back to the secret room! Although it's not as safe as before, I'll do my best to keep them from discovering you!"

However, it was already too late.

Just as Xiao Yichen finished speaking, a figure had already appeared before them.

"The Saint Spirit Sect shall be destroyed!"

A cold voice rang out.

For some reason, Lin Yang could not see the appearance of the figure before him clearly.

Even though they were right in front of him.

"Junior Martial Brother, run!"

Xiao Yichen's voice transmitted into his ears as he shielded Lin Yang, launching an attack at the figure.

"Ant."

The cold voice rang out again. With just a single word and without even making a move, Xiao Yichen was sent flying, instantly collapsing on the ground with heavy injuries.

This sent a shock through Lin Yang's heart.

What kind of strength was this?

Xiao Yichen had a cultivation level equivalent to the Nie Kong Realm!

Yet this guy whose appearance he couldn't see had heavily injured Xiao Yichen with just a single sentence.

What level of existence must this be?

Xiao Yichen's eyes also filled with terror as he spat out a mouthful of blood and said in horror, "You... you are..."

He seemed to want to say something, but he couldn't speak at all, as if some force was preventing him from revealing the visitor's identity.

Clearly, the enemy this time exceeded Xiao Yichen's imagination!

This was not an existence that should have appeared here!

Xiao Yichen was also somewhat dazed.

How could such an existence appear here?

Seeing this, Lin Yang also began to realize some things.

It seemed that some variable had occurred this time.

This person was likely not the enemy Xiao Yichen had anticipated.

Nor was it someone who should have originally appeared at the Saint Spirit Sect.

But rather another, even more terrifying existence.

Suddenly, Lin Yang's scalp tingled.

That figure looked toward him.

Although he couldn't see the other's face at all, Lin Yang could feel that the person was staring at him.

But strangely, the other party didn't immediately attack him.

Instead, after staring at him for a while, the person spoke a strange sentence:

"Interesting. A person who shouldn't exist, a person who is dead, actually appears here."

Lin Yang's heart skipped a beat.

What did that mean?

Before he could think further.

The blurred figure spoke again: "No, that's not right. You don't seem to belong to this era. Truly interesting."

As the words fell, Lin Yang felt an irresistible force surge into his body.

It seemed as if it wanted to peel him open.

Clearly, this figure wanted to inspect all of his secrets.

Lin Yang was horrified and wanted to resist, but it was to no avail.

However, at that moment, the power of the Ancient Ruins suddenly reappeared, surging toward this figure.

"Heh, even more interesting. Power from outside the world? This is getting more and more interesting."

Yet this figure didn't seem to care at all. With a light tap of a finger, the power of the Ancient Ruins was actually suppressed bit by bit.

Lin Yang's scalp crawled.

The power of the Ancient Ruins could previously even suppress that mysterious Yin Soul.

But before this figure, it actually fell into a disadvantage!

Unbelievable!

One must know that he was currently inside the Ancient Ruins.

Logically, the power of the Ancient Ruins should be invincible.

Because this was a world formed by the power of the Ancient Ruins.

The power of the Ancient Ruins should be absolutely supreme.

But now it was being suppressed by this figure.

This somewhat overturned Lin Yang's understanding. (End of Chapter)