172: They secretly switched the beams and pillars, and infiltrated the Lin family!

The remaining staying Elders and managers were arguing amongst themselves in a chaotic mess.

Some advocated for activating the Family protection Formation to hold their ground, others suggested quickly transferring assets to flee for their lives, and some were already secretly contacting external enemies, preparing to betray their master for personal gain.

That useless young master, Lin Tianci, was currently slumped in a chair, his eyes vacant and his face the color of ash.

Having lost the great tree that was his father... this playboy who only knew how to eat, drink, and have fun felt as if the sky had collapsed in an instant.

“All of you, shut up!”

One of the staying Grand Elders slammed the table and roared, “What’s the panic! The Old Ancestor hasn't emerged from seclusion yet; our Lin Family hasn't fallen!”

“But... but the Family Head is dead. If that mysterious person comes knocking on our door, who among us can stop him?”

A manager said, trembling.

The Grand Elder's face turned livid, yet he was speechless.

Just then, a sudden commotion came from outside the door.

“Fa... Family Head?!”

“Heavens! The Family Head is back!”

“The Family Head isn't dead! The Family Head isn't dead!”

Shouts of pleasant surprise traveled all the way from the main gate.

Everyone in the hall shuddered.

They all looked toward the door in unison.

They saw a figure stumbling in, supported by two guards.

The man was covered in blood, his clothes were tattered, and his Aura was withered to the extreme, as if he might collapse at any moment.

But those eyes of his still glinted with a chilling, fierce light.

It was precisely “Lin Overlord”!

“Dad!”

Lin Tianci was the first to react, scrambling forward and grabbing “Lin Overlord’s” leg while wailing loudly, “Dad! You scared me to death! They all said you were dead... waahhh...”

Chen Xu looked at this cheap son in front of him, who was covered in snot and tears, and suppressed the urge to kick him away.

He took a deep breath, pushed Lin Tianci aside, and swept his cold gaze across the room.

“What are you mourning for! I'm not dead yet!”

This angry shout, though lacking in strength, carried an unquestionable authority.

The hall, which had been in a state of chaos, instantly fell silent.

Everyone felt as if they had found their pillar of support.

The sense of panic that had been on the verge of collapse miraculously dissipated by more than half at this moment.

“Family Head, this... what exactly happened? Your Soul Lamp clearly...”

The Grand Elder stepped forward and asked cautiously.

“Hmph!”

Chen Xu snorted coldly, found a chair to sit in, and panted for a few breaths as if weak before slowly saying, “That thief indeed had some tricks, actually setting a trap to ambush me. The accompanying Elders and Disciples... were completely wiped out.”

Hearing this, everyone gasped.

“However, that thief didn't get off easy either!”

A sharp glint flashed in Chen Xu's eyes as he gritted his teeth and said, “I risked burning thirty years of my Lifespan and used the life-saving secret technique bestowed by the Old Ancestor to finally kill him in return!”

“As for the Soul Lamp extinguishing, it was because my Divine Soul briefly left my body while I was performing the secret technique, which created a false impression!”

Although this explanation was a bit forced, combined with “Lin Overlord’s” miserable appearance...

And the fact that he had returned alive, everyone didn't dare not to believe it.

“It's good that he's dead! It's good that he's dead!”

The Grand Elder breathed a sigh of relief, a hint of greed flashing in his eyes, “Then, Family Head, the tai xu realm stone...”

Chen Xu patted his chest and revealed a sinister smile: “Naturally, it is in my hands. Not only that, but all the treasures on that thief also belong to my Lin Family!”

“Pass down the order!”

Chen Xu stood up abruptly; though his body swayed, his Aura was imposing. “Initiate a city-wide martial law! Announce to the outside world that I only suffered minor injuries and the thief has been executed! If anyone dares to cause trouble at this time, don't blame me for exterminating their entire clan!”

“Also, if any blind fools come to probe for information, say that I am in closed-door cultivation to heal my injuries and will see no one!”

“Yes!”

Everyone responded in unison, their voices shaking the heavens.

With the Family Head presiding, the spines of the Lin Family members instantly straightened again.

Watching the busy figures of everyone leaving, Chen Xu slumped back into the chair and raised a hand to rub his brow.

The corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

This act, up to now, could be considered a success.

But in everything, one had to play the part convincingly.

Chen Xu sat there in the main seat of the hall, his face devoid of color, clutching his chest and coughing violently several times.

Every cough seemed as if it would hack up his lungs; that appearance of being severely drained of Origin Qi...

Made the group of managers below feel their hearts skip a beat in fear.

“Family Head, your... your injuries...”

The Grand Elder's face was full of worry, and he hesitated to speak.

Chen Xu waved his hand: “Although that thief is dead, his final counterattack before death also damaged my Foundation. I need to immediately enter closed-door cultivation to heal my injuries and stabilize my Realm, otherwise, I fear it might drop.”

Upon hearing this, how could anyone dare to say more? They all nodded in agreement.

“Open the treasury.”

Chen Xu suddenly spoke, his gaze sweeping over the Grand Elder, “I want to take some high-grade Medicinal Pills and spiritual materials to assist in my healing.”

The Grand Elder was stunned upon hearing this. The Lin Family treasury had always required the Family Head and several core Elders to jointly hold their tokens to be opened, and the procedure was cumbersome.

But now that the Family Head was heavily injured and it was for the sake of healing, this request was quite reasonable.

“Yes! I will go and arrange it immediately.”

The Grand Elder did not dare to delay and quickly took out that half-piece of the spare token, respectfully handing it over.

Chen Xu took the token, a hint of mockery flashing in the depths of his eyes.

He forced himself to stand up and, supported by that “filial son” Lin Tianci...

Walked unsteadily toward the important grounds of the backyard.

Arriving before the treasury door, Chen Xu stopped.

He turned to look at the group of followers behind him.

“Fine, all of you withdraw.”

Chen Xu's voice was cold, “When I am healing, I most dislike being disturbed. Unless the sky falls, no one is allowed to come within half a step of this place. Violators will be dealt with by Family law!”

Lin Tianci still wanted to show some filial piety: “Dad, let me act as a Protector for you at the door...”

“Scram.”

Chen Xu glanced at him and spat out only one word.

Though this word was light, it carried that familiar tyrannical air, scaring Lin Tianci into shrinking his neck and quickly leading the crowd to scatter like birds and beasts, retreating a hundred yards away.

After confirming no one was around, Chen Xu's originally hunched back instantly straightened.

The look of weakness on his face vanished without a trace.

He took out the token and performed several complex hand seals according to the methods he had obtained from the soul search.

“Rumble—”

Accompanied by a heavy mechanical sound, the long-sealed heavy doors slowly opened to both sides.

A scent mixed with medicinal fragrance, treasure Aura, and the musty smell of accumulated years rushed toward him.

“Let's go, Little Black, it's time to eat.”

Chen Xu called out and strode inside.

Little Black, following closely behind him, had long been unable to restrain himself, his drool covering the floor.

He lunged in like a bolt of black lightning.

As the local tyrant of Zhenyuan City, the Lin Family had been entrenched for hundreds of years.

The wealth they had plundered could simply be described as appalling.

Before his eyes were rows of shelves made of ten-thousand-year-old agarwood, neatly lined with all sorts of jade boxes and silk pouches.

On the left were mountains of Spirit Stones; Low-Grade Spirit Stones weren't even qualified to enter this place, the worst were Medium Grade, and High-Grade Spirit Stones were countless. There were even on a separate small jade platform...

Several hundred pieces of Immortal Jade emitting a dense Immortal Qi!

On the right was a dazzling array of Magic Treasures and weapons—sabers, spears, swords, halberds, axes, battle-axes, hooks, and forks—each one shimmering with spiritual light.

The lowest were top-tier Magic Treasures, and among them were quite a few Spirit Treasures of excellent quality.

“Tsk tsk, this Lin Family really is like a Pixiu, only taking in and never letting out.”

Chen Xu casually picked up a fist-sized piece of Blue Essence Gold.

He tossed it, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.

Even he couldn't help but feel a bit moved seeing this level of wealth.

But now, all these things were surnamed Chen.

“Collect!”

Chen Xu waved his hand, his sleeves billowing.

The Universe in the Palm Divine Ability was activated, and the treasures on those shelves were like swallows returning to their nest...

Continuously flying into his storage space.

He didn't even bother to look closely; whether it was for Artifact Refining, Alchemy, or Formation setting, he took them all without exception.

This was a most pure form of plunder.

On the other side, Little Black appeared even more simple and crude.

He rushed to that mountain of Spirit Stones and opened his bloody maw... directly activating his devouring talent.

“Crunch, crunch!”

The incredibly hard High-Grade Spirit Stones were like crispy fried beans in his mouth; with a few bites, a large chunk of that small mountain was missing.

Not satisfied after eating the Spirit Stones, he then set his sights on a row of high-grade monster cores on a nearby shelf.

Those were the Family assets accumulated by several generations of the Lin Family from hunting Yao Beasts, originally meant for the younger generations of the Family to use for breaking through Bottlenecks, but now they had all become Little Black's snacks.

“Woof-hoo!”

Little Black swallowed a jade box in one gulp, chewing up and swallowing the box along with the Fifth-Rank Monster Core inside, letting out a satisfied grunt.

“Don't just focus on eating, swallow those heavy items that can't be moved as well.”

Chen Xu commanded while frantically sweeping up goods.

Some massive Refining Cauldrons, or whole blocks of raw stones that hadn't been cut yet, couldn't fit in the storage ring, so they were perfect for Little Black's stomach, which came with its own extradimensional space.

One man and one dog, like a swarm of locusts passing through.

In just half a stick of incense's time, this treasury, which symbolized several hundred years of the Lin Family's heritage, became cleaner than a plate licked by a dog.

Even a few floor tiles containing fine gold components were pried up by Chen Xu with a Flying Sword and thrown into his storage ring.

A true “scraping the ground three feet deep.”

“That’s about it.”

Chen Xu looked at the empty surroundings and nodded with satisfaction.

This wave was not just breaking even, it was simply striking it rich.

With these resources, plus the tai xu realm stone, this trip to Zhenyuan was already more than half complete!

“Next, it's time to go see that Old Ancestor.”

Chen Xu walked out of the treasury, closed the main door again, and casually set up an Illusion Formation to make the people outside think the inside was still overflowing with treasure light.

Afterward, he adjusted his Aura, once again becoming that appearance of being heavily injured and on the verge of death.

Following a secret path that only successive Family Heads knew, he walked toward the Forbidden Ground in the back mountain of the Lin Manor.

The back mountain Forbidden Ground was shrouded in thick mist year-round.

This was the absolute restricted zone of the Lin Family.

Except for the Family Head, even an Elder would be killed without question if they trespassed.

Passing through a gloomy Purple Bamboo Forest, a massive black stone wall appeared in front of him.

The stone wall was smooth, covered with densely packed Formation patterns.

It emitted heart-palpitating spatial fluctuations.

This was the entrance to that “Starfall Secret Realm” attached to the Spirit Realm.

Chen Xu took a deep breath, pulled out the Star Token representing the Family Head's identity from his robe, and pressed it into a groove in the center of the stone wall.

“Buzz!”

The stone wall vibrated slightly, and the Formation patterns lit up one by one.

Before Chen Xu could even speak, a voice carrying terrifying pressure seemed to emerge from the deep underground abyss.

It exploded directly in Chen Xu's mind.

"Overlord? You're back?"

"Did you get the tai xu realm stone?"

"Why is there only your Aura? Where are the other Elders?"

There was a hint of urgency in the voice; clearly, this Old Ancestor was nearing the end of his Lifespan.

He had long been yearning for that life-saving treasure.

Chen Xu immediately went into Oscar-worthy acting mode.

With a "thud" sound.

He knelt directly in front of the stone wall, his hands clawing deep into the soil, his shoulders trembling violently as he let out a heart-wrenching cry.

"Old Ancestor! Overlord... Overlord is incompetent!"

"The tai xu realm stone... although we got it, our Lin Family suffered heavy losses, boohoo..."

This cry was filled with extreme grief, as if he had suffered a massive grievance.

The Aura behind the stone wall suddenly stalled... then became violent.

"What?!"

"What did you say?! Heavy losses? Who did it?! Who else in Zhenyuan City dares to touch my Lin Family's people?!"

The voice was like rolling thunder, making the surrounding Purple Bamboo Forest rustle loudly and countless fallen leaves fly.

A terrifying pressure of a Half-step Body Integration Stage leaked through the cracks in the stone wall, pressing down so hard that the protective spiritual light on Chen Xu's body flickered.

Chen Xu endured the pressure, gritting his teeth, his tone filled with resentment: "It's Tianbao Pavilion! All of this is a conspiracy by Tianbao Pavilion!"

"That Tianbao Pavilion Master, Liu Yunsheng, has long been secretly colluding with experts from the Outer Domain!"

"They deliberately raised the price at the auction to humiliate me. After I bid for the tai xu realm stone, I had to set up a Killing Formation outside the city to intercept and kill them!"

"If... if I hadn't desperately burned my Lifespan and used the Blood Escape Secret Technique granted by the Old Ancestor, I'm afraid... I'm afraid I wouldn't have even been able to bring back this tai xu realm stone, and the Lin Family would be facing a great disaster!"

Chen Xu's words were a mix of truth and lies, with seamless logic.

The Lin Family and Tianbao Pavilion already had some friction due to interests, and with the conflict at the auction, shifting the blame to Tianbao Pavilion was simply perfect.

"Tianbao Pavilion... Liu Yunsheng... Good! Very good!"

The roar behind the stone wall sounded like a wounded beast, full of killing intent: "This is too much! Do they really think I, Lin Canghai, am dead?!"

"Once I leave seclusion, I will surely wash Tianbao Pavilion in blood!"

"I will extract Liu Yunsheng's soul and refine his spirit, lighting him like a sky lantern for a hundred years!!"

The angry roars were deafening.

Chen Xu lowered his head, a cold smile appearing at the corner of his mouth, but his voice remained mournful: "Old Ancestor, please calm your anger! Tianbao Pavilion is powerful and has outside help; it would be unwise to fight them head-on right now."

"The priority is for the Old Ancestor to open the Secret Realm and take out that Star Core to help the Old Ancestor break through the Void Refining Bottleneck and step into the Great Dao of Body Integration! As long as the Old Ancestor achieves Major Achievement in his divine power, the mere Tianbao Pavilion will be nothing more than ants that can be crushed with a flip of a hand!"

Hearing the words "Star Core," the raging Lin Canghai finally calmed down a bit.

After a moment of silence, that decaying voice rang out again, with a hint of urgency: "You are right. As long as I can live a second life, I will return these grudges a hundredfold!"

"Overlord, you have done well. Since the tai xu realm stone has been brought back, then come in with me."

As the voice fell.

"Rumble—"

The originally seamless black stone wall slowly parted to both sides, revealing a pitch-black, deep passage.

A violent and chaotic spiritual power... instantly surged out from the passage, making Chen Xu's clothes rustle loudly.

"Yes, Old Ancestor."

Chen Xu wiped the tears from his face and slowly stood up.

His lowered eyelids hid the cold light in his eyes, and his right hand was tucked into his sleeve.

Stepping inside, the world spun.

The scene before him changed instantly. This was no longer the back mountain of Zhenyuan City, but a broken and desolate unique space.

The sky was a strange dark purple, with no sun and no moon.

Only countless giant meteorites floated quietly overhead, as if they could fall at any moment.

The ground was pitted and full of cracks, with dark red magma flowing deep within the fissures.

Most terrifying were the omnipresent spatial cracks.

They were like invisible blades in the air, occasionally slicing through the void without warning, revealing the pitch-black void behind them. If one accidentally ran into them, even the Physical Body of a Soul Transformation Cultivator would be instantly sliced in two.

"Is this the Starfall Secret Realm... It truly is a place of death."

Chen Xu thought to himself.

Compared to the rumors outside, the environment here was even harsher.

The gravity was more than ten times that of the outside world, and every step consumed more spiritual power.

Not far ahead, on a huge floating rock.

A figure as thin as a skeleton sat cross-legged.

The person wore a gray robe that had already turned white, sparse white hair clung to the scalp, and the skin was shriveled like old tree bark, with a thick Aura of death emanating from his entire body.

This was the Lin Family's pillar of support... an old monster who had lived for nearly ten thousand years, Lin Canghai.

Hearing the footsteps... Lin Canghai slowly opened his eyes.

"Overlord, where is the tai xu realm stone?"

Lin Canghai didn't waste words and directly reached out with a hand shaped like a chicken claw.

He couldn't wait any longer.

Chen Xu stepped forward quickly, acting respectfully. He took out the brocade box containing the tai xu realm stone from his chest and presented it with both hands.

"Old Ancestor, I have fortunately fulfilled the mission."

Lin Canghai grabbed the box and opened it impatiently.

Seeing the stone inside with silver-gray light flowing, his dead-man-like face finally showed a look of wild joy, even becoming somewhat distorted from excitement.

"Good! Good! It really is the tai xu realm stone!"

"This quality is even better than I expected!"

Lin Canghai laughed towards the sky, his laughter filled with a kind of madness after surviving a disaster: "With this item, plus the Star-Fixing Plate, I can stabilize the spatial passage leading to the Star Core Land! Heaven does not want my Lin Family to perish!"

He did not suspect the "Lin Overlord" before him.

Firstly, because Chen Xu's disguise was too perfect, even his Divine Soul Aura was identical.

Secondly, a supreme treasure like the tai xu realm stone had been brought out.

Who would pay such a price just to deceive someone?

"Old Ancestor, there's no time to lose. Let's go and open the passage now."

Chen Xu reminded him "thoughtfully" from the side.

"Hmm, quite right."

Lin Canghai put away the box and slowly stood up.

With just the movement of standing up... the bones in his body made a series of tooth-aching cracking sounds.

"The spatial storms here are a bit unusual today. Follow me closely, and make sure you don't go in the wrong direction."

Lin Canghai instructed and then turned to fly toward the depths of the Secret Realm.

He was extremely familiar with this place, avoiding those invisible spatial cracks with every step.

Chen Xu followed behind with his head lowered, his eyes flickering.

Of course he knew how to go.

The broken jade pendant Xu Linger gave him was currently lying quietly in his sleeve, slightly heating up, guiding him along a shortcut even safer than the one Lin Canghai knew.

The two of them, one after the other, traveled through this unique space for about half an hour.

The deeper they went, the more unstable the surrounding space became, with spatial cracks as dense as swimming fish.

Terrifying suction forces erupted from time to time.

Finally, a huge vortex appeared ahead.

The vortex was a deep ghostly blue, and at the very center of the vortex.

One could faintly see a core emitting brilliant starlight, just like a beating heart, releasing astonishing energy with every pulse.

That was the Star Core Land!

It was also where the most precious treasure at the core of this Secret Realm was located.

"We're here..."

Lin Canghai stopped, staring greedily at the vortex with a feverish gaze: "The Star Spiritual Liquid is inside! As long as I get in... as long as I get in..."

He took out a huge Star-Fixing Plate from his storage ring and carefully embedded the newly acquired tai xu realm stone into the center of the Formation Plate.

"Overlord, protect me! I need to activate the Star-Fixing Plate to forcibly stabilize this spatial vortex!"

With his back to Chen Xu, Lin Canghai sat cross-legged and began to frantically perform hand seals.

Following his actions, the tai xu realm stone burst forth with dazzling silver light.

It turned into a pillar of light that shot into the vortex ahead.

The originally violent and distorted passage actually began to stabilize little by little.

That's it!

Chen Xu looked at Lin Canghai, who was defenseless and fully focused on controlling the Formation.

Killing intent instantly appeared in his eyes.

To extend his life, this old thing had consumed the blood of countless clansmen and harmed many innocent Cultivators.

Sending him on his way today could be considered acting on behalf of heaven.

"Buzz!"

Without any warning.

Chen Xu's right hand suddenly shot out from his sleeve.

immortal slaying sword tip!

"Go!"

The sword tip turned into a streak of light, heading straight for the back of Lin Canghai's heart!

This strike was something Chen Xu had planned for a long time... pouring in all of his Void Refining Stage cultivation without any reservation.

Fast! Accurate! Ruthless!

Lin Canghai, who was fully controlling the Formation, was after all an old monster who had lived for nearly ten thousand years.

Combat instincts were already etched into his bones.

At the moment the killing intent erupted, the pupils in his cloudy old eyes suddenly shrank.

A chill instantly rose through his body... "Who?!"

He didn't have time to turn around, or even to withdraw the magic power controlling the Formation.

In that split second, he forcefully twisted his withered body.

At the same time, a Top Grade protective Spirit Treasure inside his body instantly self-detonated.

It turned into a light shield blocking his back.

"Puchi!"

With a soft sound, that powerful light shield was as fragile as tofu before the immortal slaying sword tip.

It was instantly pierced through.

Then, the sword tip pierced into Lin Canghai's back without any obstruction!

"Ah—!!!"

A scream pierced the void.

Blood splattered!

Although he avoided the vital heart due to his instinctive twist, the sword still pierced through his left shoulder, and the terrifying destructive Sword Qi raged wildly inside his body.

It instantly shredded the Meridians in half of his body!

"Boom!"

Lin Canghai was sent flying by the massive impact, crashing heavily onto a meteorite.

Smashing that incredibly hard meteorite to pieces.

The Formation Plate in his hand also flew out... and the spatial passage that had just stabilized became violent once again.