40: Parting ways, undercurrents surge

Three days later, in a secret chamber in the Outer Court of Jia Nan Academy.

"This is a 'Phantom Breath Pill'. After consuming it, it can change one's aura for twelve hours." Yao Chen's Soul phantom floated in mid-air, pointing to a row of Jade Vials on the table and introducing, "This is a 'Void Escape Talisman'. In critical moments, it can instantly teleport you a hundred miles. And this one..."

Lin Chen listened carefully to Yao Chen's explanation, committing the purpose of each item to memory. Since deciding to act separately, this former Pill Elder Zun had shown astonishing generosity, practically emptying his entire collection.

"Thank you, Senior," Lin Chen sincerely thanked him. These life-saving items were priceless treasures, unobtainable on the black market.

Yao Chen waved his hand, "No need to be polite. You've saved Xiao Yan multiple times; this small repayment is nothing."

Xiao Yan, who was checking his xuan heavy ruler nearby, looked up and smiled, "My teacher is rarely so generous; don't let him down."

The atmosphere in the secret chamber was relaxed and harmonious, as if they weren't about to face a life-and-death crisis, but merely an ordinary long journey. But all three knew that once they stepped out of Jia Nan Academy, an overwhelming pursuit from the Hall of Souls awaited them.

"Time's up," Yao Chen suddenly said with a serious expression. "Mang Tianchi has already prepared the spatial aisle."

Lin Chen stood up and put the items on the table into his storage ring. He had changed into a gray combat suit and wore a human-skin mask, making him look like an ordinary mercenary. This was a special mask made by Yao Chen, capable of interfering with Soul detection at the Dou Zong level.

"Remember the plan," Lin Chen confirmed one last time. "Xiao Yan will take the open route, heading to the Central Plains with great fanfare to attract the Hall of Souls's attention. I'll take the covert route, first going to the Black-Corner Region to gather intelligence, then seizing an opportunity to head to the Pill Tower."

Xiao Yan nodded and took out a cyan Jade Slip from his Pregnant. "Take this. If you encounter a life-and-death crisis, crush it, and Elder Zun Yao will sense it."

Lin Chen took the Jade Slip, feeling a trace of Bone Chilling Flame aura within it. This was equivalent to an extra life-saving talisman, of inestimable value.

"Take care," he said a simple farewell, then turned and walked towards the secret chamber's hidden door.

"Wait!" Xiao Yan suddenly called out to him. "There's one more thing..."

Lin Chen turned back, only to see Xiao Yan's complex expression: "Regarding the prophecy on the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame's remnant map, Elder Zun Yao said it might refer to the 'yellow springs stele'."

"yellow springs stele?" Lin Chen frowned slightly. He had some impression of this name; it seemed to be a treasure that Xiao Yan later obtained in the Central Plains in the original work.

"It's a Legacy left by the Yellow Springs Demon Saint in ancient times," Yao Chen explained. "The tablet contains the Heaven Rank Advanced Dou Skill 'Yellow Springs Heavenly Wrath', and it's said to have some connection with the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame."

A glint flashed in Lin Chen's eyes. This information was too important! If it was truly as Yao Chen said, then the prophecy "At the bottom of the Yellow Springs, the Purifying Lotus Rebirths" would have an explanation.

"I will keep an eye out for relevant clues," he solemnly promised. "You two be careful as well; the Hall of Souls won't be easily fooled."

After leaving the secret chamber, Lin Chen followed a hidden passage to the back mountain of the academy. There was an inconspicuous cave here, at the entrance of which stood Mang Tianchi and Gu Xun'er.

"Made up your mind?" Mang Tianchi asked directly. "The other end of the spatial aisle is the Blood Sect's territory in the Black-Corner Region; it's not peaceful."

Lin Chen nodded, "The more chaotic a place, the easier it is to hide."

Gu Xun'er stepped forward, her golden eyes looking directly at Lin Chen: "I don't know what you're planning, but if Brother Xiao Yan gets hurt because of this..."

"Young Miss Xun'er," Lin Chen interrupted her. "Xiao Yan and I are allies now; harming him would do me no good."

Xun'er snorted softly, saying no more. Mang Tianchi, on the other hand, patted Lin Chen's shoulder: "Kid, come back alive. This old man is very interested in your Shadow Erosion Dou Qi and wants to study it properly."

Lin Chen's heart slightly tightened. Mang Tianchi's seemingly casual words were actually a warning — his every move was under the other party's surveillance.

"Let's go," Mang Tianchi stopped with the pleasantries, waving his sleeve. Silver light shone deep within the cave, and space rippled like water, forming an unstable passage.

Lin Chen took a deep breath and stepped into it. A dizzying sensation swept over him, and when his feet touched solid ground again, he was standing inside a dilapidated temple.

"The Blood Sect's teleportation point..." Lin Chen looked around. After confirming it was safe, he quickly left the temple.

The sky of the Black-Corner Region was always gray, and the air was filled with the smell of blood and rust. Lin Chen expertly navigated through the dark alleys, soon arriving at a tavern called "Drunken Life, Dreamy Death."

This was one of his intelligence strongholds in the Black-Corner Region.

"A glass of 'Blood Wolf Howl', with ice," Lin Chen sat at the counter and spoke the code.

The bartender, a one-eyed old man, looked up and scrutinized Lin Chen: "No ice left, only 'Bone-Corroding Cold'."

The code matched, and the old man made a gesture, signaling Lin Chen to follow. The two passed through the noisy hall and arrived at a hidden cellar in the back kitchen.

"Shadow Lord, you're finally here!" Inside the cellar, a man as thin as a monkey excitedly greeted him. "'Night Owl' and the others have been waiting for you for three days!"

Lin Chen nodded, "How's the situation?"

"Very bad," the thin monkey whispered. "The Hall of Souls's bounty has spread throughout the Black-Corner Region. Capturing you alive rewards an Earth Rank Cultivation Technique, and killing you rewards a Tier 7 Medicinal Pill. Now, all the desperadoes in the entire Black-Corner Region are looking for you!"

Lin Chen sneered. The Hall of Souls was really going all out!

"Has Iron Protector arrived?"

"Just arrived yesterday, and is now stationed at Demon Flame Valley," the thin monkey wiped his sweat. "It's said that Earth Demon Old Ghost personally received him, and the two sides reached some kind of agreement."

This was not good news. Demon Flame Valley was an old force in the Black-Corner Region, and Earth Demon Old Ghost was a Seven-Star Dou Zong expert. If he allied with the Hall of Souls, Lin Chen would find it difficult to move an inch in the Black-Corner Region.

"What about Night Owl and the others?"

"As you instructed, they've already infiltrated Demon Flame Valley and the Blood Sect," the thin monkey handed over a Jade Slip. "This is the intelligence they've gathered."

Lin Chen took the Jade Slip and his Soul Power probed into it. A large amount of information flooded his mind, and he quickly grasped the key points:

Three days later, Demon Flame Valley would hold a secret auction, with an "Ancient Remnant Jade" as the main item;

The Blood Sect had recently been acquiring a large amount of spatial-type medicinal ingredients, seemingly preparing some kind of spatial Formation;

The Sect Leader of the Eight Gates, Yuan Yi, had been acting suspiciously; someone saw him with a black-robed man near the Black Skull Tomb...

"Interesting," Lin Chen narrowed his eyes. These seemingly unrelated pieces of information gradually pieced together a vague picture in his mind — the Hall of Souls was making big moves in the Black-Corner Region!

"Notify Night Owl to focus on investigating the origin of that 'Ancient Remnant Jade'," Lin Chen instructed. "Also, prepare a detailed map of Demon Flame Valley."

The thin monkey took the order and left. Lin Chen remained in the cellar, beginning to plan his next course of action. According to the original plan, he should have gone to the Pill Tower as soon as possible, but the current intelligence indicated that the Black-Corner Region seemed to hide an even greater secret.

"Ancient Remnant Jade... Could it be related to the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame?" Lin Chen pondered. There was no such plot in the original work, but since he intervened, many things had changed.

After much deliberation, Lin Chen decided to risk staying. The Demon Flame Valley auction was in three days; he had to find out the truth about that Remnant Jade!

...

As night fell, Lin Chen changed into a black night suit and quietly left the tavern. His target tonight was the Blood Sect headquarters — according to intelligence, clues about the spatial Formation might be hidden there.

The Blood Sect headquarters was located on Blood Mountain in the center of the Black-Corner Region, heavily guarded. But for Lin Chen, who was skilled in stealth, these defenses were like nothing. Under the cover of night, he easily infiltrated the core area.

"Strange..." Lin Chen hid in a shadow, frowning as he observed the distant plaza. Dozens of Blood Sect Disciples were gathered there, under the command of a black-robed man, throwing various rare medicinal ingredients into a giant bronze cauldron.

Even more bizarrely, the ground of the plaza was covered with complex spatial runes, vaguely forming the outline of a massive Formation.

"This is... a spatial teleportation array?" Lin Chen was startled. A teleportation array of this scale could transport at least a hundred people simultaneously! What was the Blood Sect trying to do?

Just as he was about to approach to investigate, a sharp pain suddenly came from his left wrist — this was the scar left after the brand was removed, but at this moment, it was reacting to some kind of energy.

"People from the Hall of Souls!" Lin Chen immediately restrained his aura. He saw a familiar figure slowly approaching the edge of the plaza — the Silver Masked Man Mo Cheng!

His injuries seemed to have fully recovered, with not even a scar left on his shoulder. At this moment, he was whispering to the Blood Sect Sect Master Fan Lao, but unfortunately, the distance was too far to hear the content.

Lin Chen hesitated for a moment, then took out a transparent bead from his storage ring. This was the "Wind Listening Bead" given by Yao Chen, capable of capturing sounds from a distance.

"...Must be completed in three days..." Fan Lao's voice came intermittently. "...The Elder Zun can't wait any longer..."

"...Don't worry... Once the Remnant Jade is in hand... the grand Formation can be activated..." Mo Cheng responded. "...At that time, the entire Black-Corner Region will become a sacrifice..."

Sacrifice?! Lin Chen's heart trembled. Was the Hall of Souls going to blood-sacrifice the entire Black-Corner Region? For what?

Before he could think further, Mo Cheng suddenly turned his head, his eyes beneath the mask looking directly in the direction Lin Chen was hiding!

"Who's there?!"

Lin Chen cursed inwardly, immediately activating Limitless Steps to retreat. Almost at the same instant, the spot where he had just been was struck by a silver lightning bolt, leaving a crater a zhang deep in the ground.

"Stop him!" Fan Lao shouted sharply.

Dozens of Blood Sect Disciples swarmed forward, various Dou Skills raining down. Lin Chen dared not linger, his Shadow Erosion Dou Qi operating at full power, his figure weaving like a ghost through the gaps in the attacks.

"Traitor, you can't escape!" Mo Cheng's voice came from behind, getting closer and closer.

Lin Chen gritted his teeth, took out the "Void Escape Talisman" and crushed it. Spatial power instantly enveloped his entire body, and his figure began to blur.

"Trying to leave?" Mo Cheng sneered, throwing a silver dart. The dart was covered with strange runes, and it actually interfered with the spatial teleportation!

Lin Chen felt a dizzying sensation, and the expected teleportation didn't fully take effect. When he reappeared, he was on a cliff at the edge of Blood Mountain, with Mo Cheng and several Blood Sect Elders closing in from three directions.

"Surrender," Mo Cheng said grimly. "The Hall Master is very interested in your Shadow Erosion Dou Qi; perhaps he'll spare your life."

Lin Chen scanned his surroundings; the situation was critical. In front was a cliff, behind were pursuers, and the Void Escape Talisman was used up...

"It seems I can only use that move," he took a deep breath, his right hand quietly reaching into his storage ring.

"Kill him!" Fan Lao commanded, and several blood-colored Dou Qi blasts whistled towards him.

At the critical moment, Lin Chen took something out of his storage ring — it was that wisp of Void Swallowing Flame's sub-flame! Black flames danced in his palm, emitting a terrifying devouring aura.

"Not good! Retreat quickly!" Mo Cheng seemed to recognize what it was and shouted urgently.

But it was too late. Lin Chen pressed the black flame to his chest, and Shadow Erosion Dou Qi surged in frantically. In an instant, the black flames surged, forming that ferocious "Shadow Demon Armor" on his body!

"Now, it's my turn," Lin Chen's voice came through the ghastly helmet, carrying cold killing intent.

He lunged at the nearest Blood Sect Elder, his dark claws easily tearing through the opponent's protective Dou Qi, directly piercing through his chest. Blood gushed out, but was instantly vaporized into a bloody mist upon contact with the armor.

"First one," Lin Chen's figure flickered, reappearing behind another Elder. This time he didn't use his claws, but instead shot several black spikes from the armor's joints, impaling the man like a sieve.

Seeing this, Mo Cheng turned and fled without hesitation. How could Lin Chen let him go? The Shadow Demon Armor granted him the ability to briefly hover, and in a few leaps, he caught up to Mo Cheng.

"Traitor! The Hall Master won't spare you!" Mo Cheng shrieked hysterically, simultaneously throwing various hidden weapons.

Lin Chen didn't dodge, the black flame armor swallowed all the hidden weapons. He grabbed Mo Cheng by the neck, lifting him to the edge of the cliff.

"Tell me, what is the Hall of Souls's plan? And what is the origin of that Remnant Jade?" Lin Chen demanded coldly.

Mo Cheng sneered, "You'll never know... Ah!"

Amidst a scream, Lin Chen directly crushed his shoulder. The Shadow Demon Armor's devouring characteristic began to erode Mo Cheng's body; the pain was comparable to slow slicing.

"Speak!"

"...It's... it's the Yellow Springs Demon Saint's relic..." Mo Cheng finally broke down. "The Remnant Jade can... can activate the yellow springs stele... The Hall of Souls wants... wants to open the Demonic Flame Space..."

It was indeed related to the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame! Lin Chen's heart trembled. Just as he was momentarily distracted, Mo Cheng suddenly erupted, tearing off his own mask!

Beneath the mask was a face covered in blood-colored runes, which were lighting up at a visible rate.

"Let's die together!" Mo Cheng laughed madly.

"Blood Soul Self-detonation?!" Lin Chen was greatly alarmed, immediately releasing Mo Cheng and leaping backward with all his might.

"Boom—!"

Amidst an earth-shattering explosion, Mo Cheng's body turned into a cloud of blood mist. The terrifying shockwave sent Lin Chen flying, slamming heavily into the cliff face. Although the Shadow Demon Armor blocked most of the damage, cracks still appeared.

Even worse, the explosion attracted more Blood Sect experts. In the distance, dozens of auras were rapidly approaching, including many at the Dou Huang level!

"Must retreat..." Lin Chen endured the pain, looking at the bottomless cliff. Now there was only one way to go...

He took a deep breath and leaped into the mist below the cliff. During the descent, the Shadow Demon Armor slowly dissipated, and the black flame re-transformed into that small wisp of sub-flame, which he carefully put away.

"Hall of Souls... yellow springs stele... Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame..." Lin Chen pondered the newly acquired intelligence amidst the howling wind. Behind all of this, a conspiracy even grander than in the original work seemed to be hidden!

And now, he was step by step approaching the core of the truth...