92: Cave Clues

Lingnan County, Nanling Mountain, also known as Seven Fiends Mountain.

As its name suggested, the entire mountain was situated in the shade, shrouded in black mist, appearing somewhat eerie and sinister.

As soon as Lin Houyong led his team into Nanling Mountain, the spirit boat was activated at full power.

As for the black mist before them, it could only bluff ordinary people and some Loose Cultivators, but it couldn't stop the Lin Family Cultivators.

Lin Houyong hadn't even made a move yet when Lin Houshou, the second eldest of the Hou Generation, stepped forward solemnly, releasing several spirit Spells.

A spirit flag flew out, instantly transforming into a continuous blaze in the air. Beneath the flames, the black mist hissed and crackled.

Amidst the flickering and changing Spirit Light, it was as if he had opened a Dharma Eye, pinpointing the core of the black mist Formation.

With another spirit Spell, the flames descended, destroying the core of the Formation.

“No high-level Cultivators?” Lin Houshou himself hadn’t expected the Formation to be so easy to break, and that no one was controlling it to change the Spirit Light of its foundation.

The next moment, most of the black mist vanished, revealing the peak of Nanling Mountain.

From the cluster of buildings on the mountain peak, several Cultivators immediately flew up. These Cultivators also had some tattoos, but compared to the Lingnan Seven Fiends, their tattoos were much smaller and extremely faint.

Most of these Cultivators were at the Early Stage of Qi Refining, and the few in the Middle Stage were quite old, seemingly having stayed on Nanling Mountain for a long time.

“Which Cultivators dare to disturb our Seven Fiends Mountain?”

Several Cultivators stared at Lin Houyuan and the others, their hearts filled with apprehension, yet they had to feign composure.

The Lingnan Seven Fiends were notoriously infamous in Yunzhou, with countless enemies. If it weren't for their Poison Flood Dragon master, who was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, Nanling Mountain would have been razed countless times.

“Someone is starting to run! Attack!” Lin Houyong, facing a few Qi Refining juniors, wouldn't bother to respond. He immediately unleashed his Third-Tier Flying Sword.

Normally, he might pride himself on his Foundation Establishment status and wouldn't attack Qi Refining Cultivators, but now it was a matter of exterminating a Sect and clan, so he naturally wouldn't show any mercy.

Almost simultaneously with Lin Houyong's move, the other Cultivators of the Lin Family also conjured their Flying Swords, and the entire sky erupted in brilliant Spirit Light.

The tattooed Cultivators were instantly shocked, and then, the next moment, almost all of them transformed into half-beasts, scattering like birds and beasts.

But even in their half-beast forms, under the hands of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, they fell one after another before even running a hundred meters.

The white-haired Cultivator leading them was even picked up by Lin Houyong, who then found a secluded room on Nanling Mountain and began to search his soul to uncover the treasures of the Lingnan Cultivators.

Soul-searching is a secret technique that only Foundation Establishment Cultivators can master, and it is also why murder and treasure-snatching frequently occur in the cultivation world. After all, if you have a treasure, even if you don't speak, as long as there is a difference of a major Realm, it can be found through soul-searching.

Moreover, this soul-searching Spell has obvious drawbacks and side effects. After being soul-searched, the subject's Divine Sense will be severely damaged in minor cases, and in severe cases, they will directly become an imbecile.

Only Sect Cultivators, with the help of their elders, can seal their Divine Sense to prevent Cultivators from soul-searching.

While Lin Houyong was soul-searching, the Lin Family members also spread out to integrate the resources on Nanling Mountain.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to anyone, Lin Shiming arrived at Lin Houyong's room from a corner.

“Fifth Uncle!” Lin Shiming greeted respectfully.

“Shiming, sit!” Lin Houyuan smiled slightly, completely without the airs of an elder.

“Tell me, why did you come to Nanling Mountain? I just soul-searched the chief manager under the Seven Fiends!” Lin Houyong saw Lin Shiming seated, his expression seeming somewhat eager, and couldn't help but chuckle as he continued to ask.

“Fifth Uncle's insight is sharp; Shiming's little thoughts cannot escape Fifth Uncle's Dharma Eye. There is indeed something I wish to ask!” Lin Shiming saw Lin Houyong's demeanor and understood that his purpose had already been known by Fifth Uncle.

But for him, it was fine that he knew; he indeed needed Lin Houyong's help.

This was also the advantage of a Family. For your own Opportunity, as long as it wasn't something foundational or a spiritual fruit that numbered in the hundreds of Spiritual Veins, the Family would generally not interfere. On the contrary, when you needed help, you could confidently seek the Family's assistance.

“Shiming wants to understand the relationship between Cultivator Wu and the Lingnan Seven Fiends, and ideally, to know the Immortal Cave of Cultivator Wu.”

Lin Houyong frowned upon hearing this, pondered for a moment, then spoke:

“It's strange to say, this Cultivator Wu only found the Lingnan Seven Fiends half a year ago, and has been refining a large number of Beast-Taming Pills for them. He even joined the Seven Fiends a few days ago, becoming the Eighth Fiend! But there's no clue about the location of his Immortal Cave!”

Lin Shiming was somewhat disappointed to hear this news, but after thinking about it, if he had a supreme treasure like the Little Divine Tree, he wouldn't choose Nanling Mountain for his Immortal Cave. Otherwise, if the Seven Fiends harbored ill intentions, Cultivator Wu, no matter how capable, would have no chance of survival.

Lin Shiming had to abandon the idea of searching on Nanling Mountain, but thinking of the System's prompt, he felt another headache. Such information was too broad, just like the first time he looked for the peach tree.

Without any clues, Lin Shiming could only give up for now and search the entire Lingnan County later.

Fortunately, the training period he told his Family had no deadline, so he could stay in Lingnan County indefinitely.

Putting aside the thoughts in his heart, Lin Shiming then turned to congratulate Lin Houyong.

“Thank you, Fifth Uncle, for clarifying my doubts. And congratulations, Fifth Uncle, on taking Nanling Mountain, acquiring another Third-Tier Spiritual Vein for the Family, as well as the entire territory of Lingnan County.”

“Haha, I wouldn't dare take credit for this. Your father and Seventh Grand Uncle deserve the most credit!” Lin Houyong quickly waved his hand, then raised an eyebrow and smiled, saying:

“Perhaps my contribution isn't even as great as yours!”

Lin Shiming repeatedly waved his hands after hearing this. He knew how much credit he deserved. Of course, he also knew that Lin Houyong was referring to him killing three of the Five Fiends and helping Lin Houyuan kill the Fiend Master, the Poison Flood Dragon.

“However, the Family taking over Lingnan County will indeed bring a significant improvement to the Family's finances, and the number of Mortals in the Family can also increase on a large scale...”

Lin Houyong then recounted what he had learned through soul-searching.

When the Lingnan Seven Fiends left, they took a large number of subordinates and almost all their Spirit Stones and valuables. Therefore, there weren't many Spirit Stones in Lingnan County. Moreover, the Lingnan Seven Fiends were a newly risen Family formed by Loose Cultivators, with no Legacy in alchemy or Spiritual Plants. The entire Third-Tier Spiritual Vein was planted entirely with ordinary spiritual rice, and the few spiritual flowers and Spiritual Plants were actually plundered by the Seven Fiends.

Only the Fiend Mark Legacy technique was of immense value, originating from an Immortal Cave of an ancient Cultivator.

But for the Lin Family to take over, it was different. Nanling Mountain could at least add two Spiritual Plant gardens, and Lingnan County originally had forty to fifty thousand Mortals. As long as the Family migrated one or two tens of thousands of Mortals and assimilated them, it could provide several cultivation seeds for the Lin Family every ten years.

Most importantly, Lingnan County's location was excellent, quite close to Qingzhou, which would facilitate trade for the Lin Family.

The Li Family controlled Qingyun Market, the largest market in Yunzhou, but they couldn't control the Lin Family's trade in Qingzhou.

Besides commerce, Lingnan County also had a small area near the Qingyun Mountain Range. Although it was only the periphery, it could still allow the Lin Family's demon-hunting team to go in for training. For Cultivators, cultivation level is important, but combat is equally indispensable.

Upon hearing Lin Houyong mention the periphery of the Qingyun Mountain Range, Lin Shiming's mind suddenly recalled the “Beginner's Guide to Beast Taming” and also thought of Cultivator Wu.

The excitement in his heart reappeared.

If he wasn't mistaken, Cultivator Wu's Immortal Cave must be in Lingnan County, near the Qingyun Mountain Range.

After all, the Spirit Beast Sect is best at dealing with Yao Beasts, and only in such a Yao Beast Mountain Range could Cultivator Wu maximize his advantages.