174: Chapter 174 The Hall of Merit and the Mission

The Mission Hall was located in the center of the Tianshu World, a grand hall that occupied a vast area. People bustled about inside, making it quite lively. Most of them were Disciples of the Immortal Palace with Earth Immortal or Human Immortal cultivation bases. Some stopped to check the mission board, while others were handing in missions to receive Karma Points.

Lin Wan's arrival caused a small commotion. His "Core True Disciple" token, along with the illustrious reputation he had recently built up in the Donghua Secret Realm, had already made him a prominent figure within the Tianshu Immortal Palace. Upon seeing him, many Disciples cast curious, reverent, envious, and even slightly jealous looks his way, whispering among themselves.

"Look, that's Senior Brother Lin Wan! The newly promoted Core True Disciple!"

"I heard that at the Middle Stage of Earth Immortal, he was able to kill three Earth Immortals of the Late Stage in a counterattack. Is that true?"

"It's likely true. Elder Shen brought him back personally, and even the Palace Master received him in person."

"It's truly infuriating to compare oneself to others. I've been in the Sect for fifty years and am still stuck at the Late Stage of Human Immortal, while he only ascended not long ago and has already become a Core True Disciple..."

"Well, he is a Prodigy who cleared the ninth floor of the Ascension Tower. I heard the rewards from the Ascension Tower can completely transform a person..."

Lin Wan turned a deaf ear to the discussions and gazes around him, walking straight to the massive mission board.

The mission board was made of a massive white jade wall, densely displaying all kinds of mission information. According to difficulty and rewards, they were divided into four Ranks: "Heaven, Earth, Mystic, and Yellow." Yellow-Grade missions were the simplest, usually at the Human Immortal level, rewarding anywhere from tens to hundreds of Karma Points. Mystic-Grade missions were suitable for the Early and Middle Stages of Earth Immortal, rewarding hundreds to thousands of Karma Points. Earth-Grade missions were suitable for the Late Stage and even Peak of Earth Immortal, rewarding thousands to tens of thousands of Karma Points. As for Heaven-Grade missions, they usually involved the Heavenly Immortal level or were extremely dangerous and complex, with rewards easily reaching tens of thousands or even over a hundred thousand Karma Points, but there were also restrictions on accepting them, often requiring a Core True Disciple or several Peak Earth Immortals to team up.

Lin Wan's gaze quickly swept across the board.

"Yellow-Grade Mission: Collect ten catties of 'Earth Fire Essence Gold', reward: one hundred Karma Points." (Location: Outskirts of the Earth Fire Abyss)

"Yellow-Grade Mission: Hunt 'Human-Faced Demon Spider' to obtain its poison sac, reward: eighty Karma Points." (Location: Edge of the Ten Thousand Yao Mountains)

"Mystic-Grade Mission: Explore an 'Ancient Cultivator's Cave' and retrieve the Jade Slip inside, reward: two thousand Karma Points." (Location: Northwest of the Donghua Immortal Domain, dangerous, recommended for teams of Earth Immortals at the Middle Stage or above)

"Mystic-Grade Mission: Escort the 'Tianbao Trading Company' caravan to 'Liuyun Immortal City', reward: one thousand five hundred Karma Points." (Location: Donghua Immortal City to Liuyun Immortal City, duration: one month)

"Earth-Grade Mission: Eradicate the 'Black Wind Bandits'. The bandit leader 'Old Demon Black Wind' is at the Late Stage of Earth Immortal, with hundreds of bandits under his command. Reward: eight thousand Karma Points." (Location: Black Wind Mountains, dangerous, recommended for Earth Immortals of the Late Stage or above)

"Earth-Grade Mission: Gather one stalk of 'Star Grass', which is guarded by the Peak Earth Immortal Yao Beast 'Silver-Backed Raging Ape', reward: ten thousand Karma Points." (Location: Depths of the Meteor Gorge, extremely dangerous!)

...

Lin Wan watched for a while and got a general idea. The purchasing power of Karma Points was not low. In the Merit Hall, one Karma Point was roughly equivalent to ten Low Grade Immortal Crystals, but many rare resources could only be exchanged with Karma Points and could not be bought with Immortal Crystals. For example, a bottle of ten "earth origin pills" cost one hundred Karma Points; one "Nourishing Spirit Pill" cost fifty Karma Points; an ordinary Low Grade Immortal Artifact cost anywhere from hundreds to a thousand Karma Points; and some precious treasures that aided in comprehending dao rhyme or tempering the Dao Seed required thousands or even tens of thousands of Karma Points.

"With my current net worth, one hundred thousand Low Grade Immortal Crystals plus the over three hundred thousand I looted before makes a total of over four hundred thousand Low Grade Immortal Crystals. It sounds like a lot, but exchanging it for Karma Points only yields a bit over forty thousand. To exchange for those treasures that help condense the Dao Seed, such as the 'Grand Dao Stone', 'enlightenment tea', or 'Nine-Apertures Exquisite Fruit', it easily costs tens of thousands or over a hundred thousand Karma Points, which is far from enough. Not to mention, I also need cultivation resources to raise my cultivation base and temper my immortal body." Lin Wan frowned slightly, feeling the pressure. Although the benefits of a Core True Disciple were good, the consumption of resources to improve rapidly was also immense.

"It seems I need to take on more missions to earn Karma Points. With my current strength, I should be able to attempt Earth-Grade missions. However, it's best to take on one or two Mystic-Grade missions first to practice, familiarize myself with the process, and also learn more about the situation in the Donghua Immortal Domain." Lin Wan pondered.

His gaze swept across the Mystic-Grade mission board, finally stopping on one of the missions.

"Mystic-Grade Mission: Investigate the missing persons incident in 'Luoxia Town'. Luoxia Town is located three thousand li southeast of Donghua Immortal City. For the past three months, townspeople and low-level Cultivators have been disappearing one after another, suspected to be the work of evil Cultivators or demons. Requirements: Investigate the cause of the incident and eliminate them if they are evil Cultivators or demons. Reward: one thousand five hundred Karma Points. Requirements for accepting: Earth Immortal at the Middle Stage or above, or accepted by a squad."

"An investigation mission, not too far away, with decent rewards, and since it's just an investigation, it's relatively flexible, allowing me to act according to the circumstances." Lin Wan felt this mission was quite suitable for his current situation. Firstly, he could familiarize himself with the mission process; secondly, he could go out for experience; and thirdly, he could earn Karma Points.

"This is the one." Lin Wan walked to the mission registration counter and handed over his identity token.

The person in charge of handing over missions was a solemn-faced middle-aged deacon with an Early Stage Earth Immortal cultivation base. He took the token, verified it, and upon seeing the words "Core True Disciple," a flash of surprise crossed his eyes, and his attitude became a bit more respectful. "True Disciple Lin, you want to accept the 'Luoxia Town Missing Persons' mission?"

"Yes," Lin Wan nodded.

"This mission is of the medium Mystic-Grade. It is recommended for a single Earth Immortal at the Middle Stage or above, or an Early Stage Earth Immortal squad. True Disciple Lin's cultivation base..." The deacon looked at Lin Wan, sensing his Middle Stage Peak Earth Immortal aura, and nodded. "You meet the requirements. The mission time limit is one month. If it is overdue and uncompleted or failed, there is no punishment, but you cannot accept the same type of mission within a year. This is the mission dossier containing some known information. Please keep it safe, True Disciple."

The deacon swiped Lin Wan's identity token over a certain Formation to record the mission acceptance information, then handed the token and a Jade Slip to Lin Wan.

Lin Wan took them and swept his Divine Sense into the Jade Slip. Inside was some basic information about Luoxia Town and a brief description of the missing persons incident, though there wasn't much information.

"Does the True Disciple need companions? The Mission Hall has a place to post team-up information where you can look for teammates," the deacon kindly reminded him. After all, for an investigation mission, having one more person meant more strength and safety.

"No need for now, I'll go take a look first." Lin Wan shook his head. He was used to being alone and was confident in his own strength. As long as he didn't encounter a Heavenly Immortal-level evil Cultivator or a great demon, he would be safe.

"Then I wish the True Disciple a smooth mission," the deacon cupped his hands.

Lin Wan put away the Jade Slip and turned to leave the Mission Hall. He did not set off immediately, but first went to the Merit Hall to exchange his Immortal Crystals for some commonly used Medicinal Pills and Talismans, and also bought a more detailed map of the Donghua Immortal Domain before returning to his Immortal Cave to make some preparations.

Early the next morning, Lin Wan steered the silver flying boat that Emissary Shen Lian had given him, transforming into a streak of silver light as he left the Tianshu World and flew toward the southeast of Donghua Immortal City.

Donghua Immortal City occupied an extremely vast area of several thousand li. Flying was forbidden inside the city, but once outside the city limits, there was no such restriction. Lin Wan steered the flying boat at an extremely fast speed, arriving at his destination three thousand li away in just half an hour.

Following the map, Lin Wan quickly found Luoxia Town.

This was a small town nestled in the mountains, not very large, with about several thousand households, mostly a mix of low-level Cultivators and Mortals. The town's architecture was simple and ancient, and the streets were bustling with people, looking quite lively. However, Lin Wan keenly sensed that the atmosphere in the town was somewhat oppressive, and there was a subtle hint of panic and anxiety on the people's faces.

Lin Wan put away his flying boat, landed outside the town, and walked in. He restrained his aura, looking like an ordinary traveling Cultivator.

He first walked around the town and investigated with his Divine Sense, but found no obvious evil or Demonic Qi. He also secretly visited the homes of the missing people, but they had left behind no valuable clues, as if those people had simply vanished into thin air.

"It seems I need to ask the locals." Lin Wan walked toward the largest tavern in the town. Taverns and teahouses had always been great places to gather information.

It was currently noon at the "Xiankelai" Tavern, and the main hall was filled with people eating, drinking, and chatting. Lin Wan found a quiet spot by the window, ordered a few side dishes and a flask of spiritual wine, and drank by himself while listening to the conversations around him.

"Sigh, these days are getting less and less peaceful. Old Wang's son was perfectly fine the night before last, but yesterday morning he was gone. Nothing was missing from the house; the person just vanished."

"Tell me about it! How many has it been now? If this keeps up, who would dare to live in Luoxia Town?"

"Hasn't the town mayor already reported this to the Immortal City? Why hasn't anyone come to handle it?"

"I heard they hired a few Loose Cultivators to investigate, but they ended up disappearing too! I think this whole thing is bizarre!"

"I heard that someone saw ghost fires and heard a woman crying in the Black Wind Forest to the west of the town at night..."

"Don't talk nonsense! What ghost fires? It's probably the work of some evil Cultivator!"

"Shh! Keep your voice down, watch out for eavesdroppers..."

As the crowd conversed, their faces were filled with fear. Lin Wan listened for a while and gained a general understanding. The disappearances had started three months ago. At first, one person would go missing every ten days or half a month, but then the frequency increased. In the past half month, five people had already disappeared! There was no pattern to the missing persons; there were Mortals as well as low-level Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators. The disappearances all occurred at night, with no signs of struggle or clues left behind. The town mayor had sent people to investigate and even invited passing Loose Cultivators, but in the end, even the investigators vanished. Now, panic gripped the town, and as soon as night fell, every household locked their doors and windows, not daring to venture out.

"Black Wind Forest? A woman's crying?" Lin Wan was lost in thought. This sounded like the typical methods of some ghostly entities or Cultivators practicing evil techniques.

"Fellow Daoist, is this your first time in Luoxia Town?" Just then, a slightly hoarse voice sounded from beside him.

Lin Wan looked up to see a short, plump middle-aged Cultivator with a friendly face and a small mustache, holding a wine cup and walking over with a smile. This person's cultivation base was not high, only at the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment, but his eyes were quite sharp.

"Yes, I'm just passing through to rest," Lin Wan nodded noncommittally.

"I am Liu San, the manager of this 'Xiankelai', and also a local." The short, plump Cultivator familiarly sat across from Lin Wan and lowered his voice. "Fellow Daoist, take my advice. Once you're done resting, leave this troublesome place as soon as possible. The town hasn't been peaceful lately, with people disappearing constantly. It's incredibly bizarre!"

"Oh? What does Manager Liu know?" Lin Wan asked calmly, secretly handing over a Low Grade Immortal Crystal.

"To be honest, Fellow Daoist, I've run this tavern in Luoxia Town for decades and know people from all walks of life. From what I've observed, this matter is likely not the work of ordinary evil Cultivators."

"How so?"

"The people who disappeared have no pattern—men, women, young, old, Mortals, and Cultivators alike. Furthermore, there were no traces left at the scene, as if they had just vanished into thin air. Ordinary evil Cultivators who kill for treasure or practice evil techniques should at least leave some clues, right? But this group of people, or rather this 'thing', is frighteningly clean!" A trace of fear flashed in Liu San's eyes. "Moreover, I have a distant nephew who works in the mayor's office. He secretly told me that a few days ago, the mayor privately invited a passing expert, supposedly an Earth Immortal Senior! But after that Earth Immortal Senior took a turn around the Black Wind Forest, he came back with a terrible expression, said nothing, and left in a hurry that very night!"

"An Earth Immortal Senior came and left?" Lin Wan's eyes narrowed slightly. If even an Earth Immortal found it troublesome and was unwilling to get involved, then this matter was likely not simple. A Mystic-Grade mission to investigate missing persons with a reward of one thousand five hundred Karma Points—now it seemed the difficulty of this mission might have been underestimated.

"Indeed! Even an Earth Immortal Senior left, so wouldn't you say this is bizarre?" Liu San sighed. "Right now, anyone in town with any connections is trying to move away. I see that you have an extraordinary bearing, Fellow Daoist, so it's best for you to leave early."

"Thank you for telling me, Manager Liu." Lin Wan cupped his hands and asked, "Where is that Black Wind Forest?"

"Fellow Daoist, you don't actually want to go to the Black Wind Forest, do you?" Liu San was startled and waved his hands repeatedly. "You mustn't go there, you mustn't! In the past, there were only some low-tier Yao Beasts, so it was relatively safe. But in the last three months, it has become incredibly eerie. At night, there are ghostly wails and wolf howls, and green ghost fires float around. Even the town's hunters don't dare to go near it! The Loose Cultivators who went missing earlier went to the Black Wind Forest and never returned!"

"I was just asking out of curiosity," Lin Wan smiled and stopped asking. He stood up, paid the bill, and left the restaurant.

Walking down the street after leaving the restaurant, Lin Wan frowned slightly. If what Liu San said was true, then the disappearances in Luoxia Town might not be as simple as evil Cultivators. The fact that even Earth Immortals left in a hurry indicated that there might be a Late Stage Earth Immortal or even stronger existence in the Black Wind Forest, or perhaps something bizarre.

"It seems I'll have to make a trip to the Black Wind Forest." Lin Wan looked toward the west of the town, where a continuous stretch of mountain forests appeared somewhat gloomy under the evening sun. Since he had accepted the mission, he had to get to the bottom of it. Besides, he also wanted to see what exactly was causing trouble.

He did not head there immediately. Instead, he found an inn in the town to stay, meditating and adjusting his breathing to bring himself to Peak condition. At the same time, he released his Divine Sense, covering the entirety of Luoxia Town, especially in the direction of the Black Wind Forest, searching carefully.

As night fell, Luoxia Town quickly fell into silence. Every household turned off their lights early, leaving the streets completely empty, with only the night wind howling, bringing a trace of coldness.

Just after midnight, Lin Wan suddenly opened his tightly closed eyes, a sharp light flashing within them.

"There's movement!"

His Divine Sense detected an extremely subtle and cold energy fluctuation in the direction of the Black Wind Forest, which flashed and vanished. This fluctuation was neither Demonic Qi nor Devilish Qi, but rather an energy... carrying dense Death Qi and resentment. It was somewhat like a ghostly entity, yet different.

"There really is a problem." With a movement of his body, Lin Wan vanished from the room like a ghost, appearing on the roof of the inn the next moment. Concealing all his aura as if blending into the night, he silently sneaked toward the Black Wind Forest.

The Black Wind Forest, located ten miles west of Luoxia Town, was a primeval mountain forest spanning a hundred miles. The trees in the forest were tall with dense foliage, blotting out the sky, making it look dim even during the day. At night, it was pitch black, with gusts of cold wind blowing and occasional cries of night owls, adding a touch of eeriness.

Restraining his aura, Lin Wan moved through the forest like a ghost. His Divine Sense spread out like mercury spilling on the ground, covering several miles around, carefully examining every inch of soil and every single tree.

Soon, he discovered some abnormalities deep in the forest.

It was a mass grave, with numerous mounds and broken tombstones, looking exceptionally creepy under the pale moonlight. In the center of the mass grave was a solitary tomb that was clearly newly built but already in ruins. The tombstone in front of it lay tilted to the side, and the grave mound had been dug up, revealing a pitch-black coffin inside. Its lid had been pried open, and the inside was completely empty.

And that cold energy fluctuation, carrying Death Qi and resentment, was precisely emanating from this solitary tomb—or rather, from the coffin.

"It's not a ghostly entity, it's... corpse qi? But it doesn't quite seem like it." Lin Wan frowned slightly. He sensed that within that energy, besides corpse qi, there was also a trace of extremely weak but incomparably pure... yin-attribute Spiritual Qi? This combination was rather bizarre.

He carefully approached the solitary tomb and investigated closely. The coffin was an ordinary locust wood coffin, but on its inner walls, some distorted and bizarre runes were carved, currently emitting a faint black light. Lin Wan had never seen these runes before, but they gave him a faint feeling of evil and misfortune.

"Is this an artificially arranged... corpse-raising ground? Or some kind of evil technique?" Lin Wan grew vigilant. These runes were clearly carved intentionally by someone to gather Yin Qi and Death Qi to nourish the thing inside the coffin. However, the "thing" inside the coffin seemed to have already escaped.

"Hmm?" With a stir of his Divine Sense, Lin Wan discovered some fine powder at the bottom of the coffin. He drew a bit of it through the air and sniffed it. It had a faint, fishy-sweet scent, mixed with a trace of... a charming aura?

"Is this... Hehuan Powder? No, that's not right. It's purer than Hehuan Powder, and mixed with other things..." Lin Wan's eyes narrowed. Hehuan Powder was an aphrodisiac, typically used by low-life flower-pluckers. But the ingredients in this powder were much more complex, seemingly mixed with some kind of evil power capable of confusing the mind and inducing desire.

"The missing people vanished at night, with no signs of struggle, and there are traces of aphrodisiac and hallucinogenic drugs left at the scene... Black Wind Forest, the sound of a woman crying..." In Lin Wan's mind, the clues gradually connected.

"Could it be that the culprit is neither an evil Cultivator nor a ghostly entity, but... a Yao? Or rather, a Essence Spirit skilled in charm and illusion? And it is related to this coffin and these runes?"

Just then, the edge of Lin Wan's Divine Sense suddenly caught an extremely slight movement coming from the dense forest deeper within the mass grave.

"Someone is coming!"

With a flash of his body, Lin Wan leaped onto a densely leafed tree like a civet cat, completely concealing his aura and figure, merging into the darkness as he watched quietly.

A moment later, a dark figure silently appeared at the edge of the mass grave. The figure was slender, seemingly a woman, wearing a black tight-fitting outfit with a black veil covering her face, revealing only her eyes. However, those eyes gleamed with an eerie green light in the darkness, looking exceptionally bizarre.

The woman's cultivation was not weak, surprisingly reaching the Early Stage Earth Immortal! She warily scanned her surroundings, then walked straight to the dug-up solitary tomb, squatted down, and carefully inspected the runes on the inner walls of the coffin.

"Escaped again..." the woman muttered in a low voice, her voice hoarse and unpleasant, not sounding human. "This 'Meiying' is becoming more and more disobedient. Having absorbed too many living souls and Yang Qi, its intelligence is gradually awakening. Is it starting to backlash against its master?"

"Meiying?" Lin Wan's heart stirred. As expected, it was a "thing" raised by someone.

After inspecting it, the woman seemed somewhat irritated. She pulled out a palm-sized black clay jar from her bosom and opened it. A few wisps of pale pink smoke drifted out, carrying a rich sweet fragrance and a charming aura, with a scent identical to the powder found at the bottom of the coffin.

The woman pinched a hand seal and chanted incantations. As if guided, the pale pink smoke drifted and floated toward the depths of the dense forest.

"Go, bring 'Meiying' back to me. If you can't bring it back, dispose of all those disobedient 'food' and leave no trace," the woman instructed the pink smoke. She then turned and quickly departed in the direction opposite to Luoxia Town, soon vanishing into the night.

Meanwhile, the pale pink smoke drifted lazily toward the depths of the dense forest.

"Food? Does she mean the missing people? Dispose of them? It seems those missing people are probably doomed." Lin Wan's eyes were icy. This woman was clearly one of the masterminds behind the scenes, or rather, the person controlling that so-called "Meiying." From what she said, that "Meiying" seemed to have lost control, and they had abducted the townspeople and low-tier Cultivators seemingly to provide "food" for it?

"I'll follow and see what exactly this 'Meiying' is. And what the background of that woman is." Lin Wan leaped down from the tree and, like a ghost, trailed far behind the pale pink smoke, quietly following it.

The pale pink smoke did not drift very fast, seemingly sensing something. Lin Wan followed it, traversing through the dense forest for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, arriving at an even more secluded valley.

The valley was filled with dense mist and a gloomy Yin Qi. Inside the valley, a crude wooden cabin was faintly visible, with some bones scattered around it, both human and beast. A faint scent of blood and debauchery permeated the air.

The pink smoke drifted to the front of the wooden cabin and stopped, as if hesitating.

Hiding behind a huge boulder at the valley entrance, Lin Wan carefully extended his Divine Sense into the wooden cabin.

Inside the wooden cabin, the scene was sickening.

Several corpses lay scattered on the ground—men, women, old, and young—precisely the missing people from Luoxia Town! They were all skin and bones, their faces ash-gray and their eyes deeply sunken, as if they had been completely drained of their essence blood and Yang Qi, dying miserable deaths. Judging from the lingering aura on their bodies, they seemed to have experienced extreme pleasure and terror before dying, their expressions twisted and bizarre.

And in the corner of the wooden cabin, a "thing" was curled up.

It was an almost transparent, slender, and completely naked phantom of a woman. She possessed an incredibly beautiful face, but her eyes were hollow and her expression numb. Her entire body emitted dense Yin Qi, Death Qi, and that bizarre aura mixed with aphrodisiac and charming power. Her body seemed to exist between illusion and reality, sometimes solidifying and sometimes turning illusory, with pale pink aura constantly emanating from her body and being absorbed back.

"Is this the 'Meiying'?" Lin Wan's brow furrowed. This thing looked like a ghostly entity, but not entirely. The aura on her was very strange: Yin Qi, Death Qi, and resentment, mixed with a pure yin-attribute Spiritual Qi, as well as that aphrodisiac and charming power, as if it were a monster forcibly blending a ghostly entity, a Essence Spirit, and some kind of evil method together.

At this moment, the "Meiying" seemed to sense the arrival of the pink smoke. Her hollow eyes turned toward the valley entrance, her face showing a trace of struggle and longing, but even more of greed and violence. She opened her mouth and let out a silent shriek, and an invisible mental fluctuation, mixed with aphrodisiac and charming power, surged toward the valley entrance like a tide!

Lin Wan was already prepared. Operating his Chaos Immortal Energy, the four embryonic forms of dao rhyme in his Sea of Consciousness stirred slightly. The moment that mental fluctuation and charming power touched his body, they were melted and dissolved by the Chaos Qi, failing to affect him in the slightest.

"This 'Meiying' is not weak, roughly equivalent to a Middle Stage Earth Immortal, and she is skilled in mental attacks and charms, making her hard to guard against. Those missing people were probably lured here by her charming power and then drained of their essence blood and Yang Qi until they died." Lin Wan understood clearly. This "Meiying" was likely some kind of evil creature refined and controlled by that black-clothed woman using evil techniques, specifically used to absorb the essence blood and Yang Qi of living beings for her cultivation or other purposes. But now, because this "Meiying" had absorbed too many living souls and Yang Qi, her intelligence was gradually awakening, causing her to backlash and lose control.

"Perfect, I'll use you to test my skills." A cold light flashed in Lin Wan's eyes. Such evil creatures that fed on living beings could not be allowed to remain. Furthermore, by capturing this "Meiying," he might be able to follow the clues to find that black-clothed woman and the power behind her.

No longer hiding, he took a step forward and appeared inside the valley. His Chaos Reincarnation Domain silently unfolded, instantly enveloping the entire valley, covering both the wooden cabin and the "Meiying."

"Who is it?!" The "Meiying" seemed to sense a threat. She suddenly turned her head, her hollow eyes staring intently at Lin Wan, and let out a sharp shriek. Her body abruptly became solid, her nails growing wildly like a malicious ghost as she pounced toward Lin Wan with ghostly speed. At the same time, an even stronger mental charm shock, mixed with the aphrodisiac pink mist, swept toward Lin Wan.

If it were an ordinary Middle Stage Earth Immortal facing this dual shock of mental charm and pink mist, they would probably lose their mind instantly, allowing her to take advantage of the opening. But Lin Wan was prepared. Operating his Chaos Reincarnation Domain to its full capacity, Chaos Qi permeated, completely melting and devouring the mental shock and pink mist. The moment the "Meiying" pounced into the Domain, she also felt as if she had stepped into a quagmire, her speed greatly reduced.

"Samsara Tribulation Finger!"

Lin Wan flicked his finger, and a grey finger force shot out silently, instantly piercing through the "Meiying's" forehead.

"Ah—!!!"

The "Meiying" let out an incomparably shrill scream, her body trembling violently as if enduring immense pain. Her body began to turn illusory and transparent at a speed visible to the naked eye, and that Yin Qi, Death Qi, and the aphrodisiac charm power on her quickly dissipated like melting ice and snow.

The Samsara Tribulation Finger, containing the power of Reincarnation, had an extremely strong restraining effect on existences such as ghostly entities, soul bodies, and evil spirits. Although this "Meiying" was not a pure ghostly entity, she was still of an evil and yin nature in essence, making her completely vulnerable under the power of Reincarnation.

Within just a few breaths, the figure of the "Meiying" completely dissipated, leaving behind only a pigeon-egg-sized, dull-colored bead with what seemed to be pink mist circulating inside, along with a few wisps of pure yin-attribute Spiritual Qi.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

"Is this… a Yin-Sha Bead? Or an Origin of Charm?" Lin Wan used telekinesis to retrieve the bead and those few wisps of Yin-attribute Spiritual Qi.

The bead felt ice-cold in his hand. It contained dense Yin-Sha Qi and power of charm. Its quality was not low; if a Cultivator who practiced a Yin-attribute Cultivation Technique obtained it, it might be somewhat useful, but it was useless to Lin Wan.

He casually put the bead away and cast his gaze upon those few wisps of pure Yin-attribute Spiritual Qi.

"This Spiritual Qi is indeed pure. It seems to share the same source as the Yin Qi and Death Qi on that 'Phantom,' but it is much purer and does not contain any evil nature…" Lin Wan thought thoughtfully. Could it be that this "Phantom" was refined from some kind of Yin-attribute Heaven And Earth Treasure combined with an evil technique?

"Forget it. I'll find that woman in black first." Lin Wan put away the few wisps of Yin-attribute Spiritual Qi and looked in the direction where the woman in black had left.

That woman only had an Earth Immortal Early Stage cultivation base; at Lin Wan's speed, he should be able to catch up.

However, just as Lin Wan was about to set off, his expression suddenly changed. He abruptly turned his head and looked deep into the valley, behind that simple wooden hut.

An aura of coldness, violence, and boundless resentment, more than ten times stronger than the previous "Phantom," erupted from the ground behind the wooden hut, like a sleeping Vicious Beast awakening!

"Not good! There is something else!" Lin Wan's pupils shrank, and his figure retreated violently!

"Boom!"

The ground behind the wooden hut suddenly exploded, mud and gravel flying everywhere. A massive black shadow shot up into the sky from underground and hovered in mid-air.

It was a hideous monster standing three zhang tall! It was generally humanoid, but its skin was blue-black and covered in strange runes. It had two curved horns on its head, exposed fangs, and blood-red eyes. Its body was wrapped in dense black Corpse Qi, Death Qi, resentment, and an aphrodisiac, charming aura a hundred times stronger than the previous "Phantom"! Its aura had clearly reached the Earth Immortal Late Stage Peak, only one step away from the Heavenly Immortal stage!

"Is this… the true body of that 'Phantom'? Or is that 'Phantom' just a Clone it separated?" Lin Wan's expression was solemn. The monster's aura was extremely evil and powerful, and it gave him a feeling of extreme danger. In particular, the strange aura on its body, which mixed Corpse Qi, Death Qi, resentment, and the power of charm, made the Chaos Immortal Energy within his body vaguely restless, as if he had encountered a natural enemy.

"Roar—!!!"

The monster let out a deafening roar. Its blood-red eyes locked onto Lin Wan, filled with tyranny, greed, and a kind of hunger. It seemed to be able to feel that the majestic blood energy and pure immortal essence within Lin Wan's body had a fatal attraction to it.

"Human… Earth Immortal… delicious blood food… eat you… I can break through to… Heavenly Immortal…" The monster's mouth emitted an intermittent, hoarse, and unpleasant voice, like a broken bellows being pulled.

Before the words died away, the monster suddenly opened its bloody maw. A stream of thick, impenetrable black Corpse Qi, mixed with pink aphrodisiac mist, spurted towards Lin Wan like an angry dragon! Wherever it passed, vegetation withered, rocks corroded, and the air was filled with a nauseating stench and sweet, cloying fragrance.

"Chaos Return to Void!"

Lin Wan did not dare to be careless. He circulated his Chaos Immortal Energy with full force and threw a punch! The grayish fist imprint, containing the Concept of returning everything to the void and turning all things into Chaos, collided fiercely with the black and red torrent of mist!

"Chi chi chi!"

The Chaos fist imprint collided with the black and red mist, making a sound like cold water dripping into hot oil. The Chaos Qi continuously dissolved and devoured the Corpse Qi and aphrodisiac mist, but that mist was too dense and evil, and it contained a strange corrosive and charming power that was actually slowly eroding the Chaos fist imprint.

"Interesting." Lin Wan's eyes narrowed. This monster's strength was stronger than he had expected, especially the attacks mixed with various negative forces, which were extremely difficult to deal with.

"Samsara Tribulation Finger!"

Lin Wan joined his fingers like a sword and pointed out again. The grayish finger force, silent and soundless, went straight for the monster's glabella. When dealing with such evil things, the power of Samsara was most effective.

However, the monster seemed to have a very strong perception of danger. The moment the Samsara Tribulation Finger reached its body, it suddenly tilted its head. The finger force flew past its horn, shattering the tip of one of its horns!

"Roar!" The monster felt pain and became even more furious. Its massive body, carrying a foul wind, lunged at Lin Wan, its sharp claws waving, tearing through the air, and clawing toward Lin Wan's head!

"Such fast speed!" Lin Wan retreated rapidly. At the same time, his mind moved, and the Medium Grade defensive Immortal Artifact "Purple Ribbon Immortal Robe" was activated, covering his whole body with a faint purple light shield.

"Chi la!"

The monster's sharp claws grabbed fiercely onto the purple light shield, making a harsh, grating sound. The light shield vibrated violently, its light dimming significantly, but it did not break.

"Good defense." Lin Wan felt slightly relieved. This Purple Ribbon Immortal Robe was worthy of being a Medium Grade defensive Immortal Artifact, blocking a blow from an Earth Immortal Late Stage Peak monster.

"I cannot fight it head-on. This monster has extremely strong strength, defense, and speed, and its attacks contain strange corrosive and charming powers. A long battle is not favorable." Lin Wan quickly analyzed the battle situation. "It seems to have low intelligence, driven entirely by instinct and violence. Let me try the 'Universe Birth and Death Finger'!"

A fierce look flashed in Lin Wan's eyes. His internal immortal essence circulated frantically, and a trace of the four supreme dao rhyme prototypes was triggered again.

"Universe Birth and Death, Finger!"

A grayish finger force, which seemed to contain the entire process of a miniature Universe from birth to destruction, condensed at Lin Wan's fingertip again. This time, he deliberately suppressed the fluctuations of the finger force, making it more restrained, but the aura of destruction and termination it contained was even more terrifying.

The monster seemed to feel a fatal threat. A flash of fear passed through its blood-red eyes, and it let out an uneasy roar. It opened its mouth to spray even denser black and red mist again, while its massive body retreated rapidly, trying to dodge.

"Too late!"

Lin Wan pointed out. That grayish finger force seemed to cross space, appearing instantly in front of the monster, ignoring the thick black and red mist, and landing on the monster's chest.

"Puff!"

There was no earth-shattering roar. The finger force was like a red-hot iron rod piercing into butter, easily sinking into the monster's chest. The monster's forward-rushing movement stiffened abruptly, and its blood-red eyes were filled with disbelief and extreme fear.

"Roar… no…"

It lowered its head, looking at the bowl-sized, transparent hole in its chest. At the edge of the hole, no blood flowed out; only a dead, gray color was spreading rapidly. Wherever that gray color passed, the monster's body, like a weathered sand sculpture, quickly lost all vitality and vigor. Flesh withered, bones decayed, and even the massive Yin Qi, Corpse Qi, resentment, and power of charm within its body were silently annihilated and dissipated in that gray light.

In just two breaths, the three-zhang-tall, terrifying monster completely turned into a pile of fly ash and drifted away with the wind, leaving only a fist-sized, jet-black bead with pink mist swirling inside, and a mass of pure Yin-attribute Spiritual Qi, dozens of times denser than before, hovering in mid-air.

"Hu…" Lin Wan breathed a sigh of relief, his face slightly pale. Casting the "Universe Birth and Death Finger" twice in a row, and this time with full force, was quite taxing for him. However, the effect was significant: an Earth Immortal Late Stage Peak monster was killed in one hit.

He retrieved the black bead and the mass of pure Yin-attribute Spiritual Qi. The black bead felt bone-chillingly cold in his hand, containing majestic Yin-Sha Qi and the Origin of Charm. Its quality was extremely high; if it fell into the hands of a Cultivator who practiced evil arts, it would definitely be a supreme treasure. As for that mass of Yin-attribute Spiritual Qi, it was incomparably pure, without a trace of Impurities or evil nature, as if it were the most primordial Yin-attribute energy.

"This Spiritual Qi…" Lin Wan carefully sensed the mass of Yin-attribute Spiritual Qi. Suddenly, the Chaos Immortal Energy in his Dantian vibrated slightly, seemingly developing a craving for this mass of Spiritual Qi.

"Hmm? Chaos Immortal Energy actually reacts to Yin-attribute Spiritual Qi?" Lin Wan's heart stirred. Chaos encompasses all things and can evolve Yin and Yang. Could it be that this pure Yin-attribute Spiritual Qi could be absorbed and refined by the Chaos Immortal Energy, thereby strengthening himself?

He tried to guide a wisp of Yin-attribute Spiritual Qi into his body. As soon as the Spiritual Qi entered his body, it was wrapped and devoured by the Chaos Immortal Energy, quickly refined, converted into pure Chaos Immortal Energy, and merged into his Dantian. The immortal essence he had previously consumed also recovered a little.

"It really works!" Lin Wan's eyes lit up. This pure Yin-attribute Spiritual Qi could actually be directly absorbed and refined by the Chaos Immortal Energy, supplementing consumption and even slightly strengthening his immortal essence! This was much faster than absorbing Immortal Crystals, and even purer!

"What exactly is this monster? How could it have such pure Yin-attribute Spiritual Qi in its body? And what is the relationship between that woman in black and this monster?" Lin Wan's doubts deepened. He put away the black bead and the Yin-attribute Spiritual Qi and searched the cave that the monster had broken open.

The cave was not deep, and inside was a simple stone room. In the stone room, there were some bottles and jars containing powders and liquids of various colors, emitting strange odors. In the center of the stone room, there was also an altar engraved with complex runes. On the altar, a heavy smell of blood and resentment remained. Obviously, this was the place where the woman in black refined and controlled the monster.

Lin Wan searched the stone room carefully. In a hidden compartment, he discovered a black Jade Slip and several identity tokens. The Jade Slip recorded an evil technique called "Yin-Yang Hehuan Refining Sha Technique," which was the method for refining and controlling the monster. The identity tokens belonged to different forces, including Loose Cultivators and Disciples of small Sects. One of them was clearly an Outer Sect Disciple token of the "Hehuan Sect"!

"Hehuan Sect?" Lin Wan raised an eyebrow. The Hehuan Sect was a second-rate Sect in the Donghua Immortal Domain that was both righteous and evil. Its reputation was not good, and it was adept at plucking yin to replenish yang, Dual Cultivation, and charming techniques. Could it be that this woman in black was from the Hehuan Sect? Or was the Hehuan Sect secretly engaged in such evil activities?

"Things are getting more and more complicated." Lin Wan put away the Jade Slip and tokens. If it involved the Hehuan Sect, it was not just a simple case of evil Cultivators causing trouble; there might be a larger conspiracy behind it.

"I will return to the Immortal Palace first and report this matter. Hehuan Sect… it seems the waters of this Donghua Immortal Domain are deeper than I imagined." Lin Wan cleaned up the scene, destroyed the altar and the bottles and jars, then rose on his sword and flew towards the Tianshu Immortal Palace.

The population disappearance incident in Luoxia Town was considered resolved. The "Phantom" and its true monster body had both been killed by Lin Wan. However, the woman in black had escaped, and it might involve the Hehuan Sect. This mission had clearly exceeded the scope of a Xuan-grade mission.

However, for Lin Wan, the harvest from this trip was not small. Not only did he verify his strength and earn 1,500 Karma points, but he also obtained that mass of pure Yin-attribute Spiritual Qi, as well as the Jade Slip recording the "Yin-Yang Hehuan Refining Sha Technique" and the Hehuan Sect Disciple token. These might become clues to track down the woman in black and the Hehuan Sect.

"Strength, it is still not enough. To quickly deal with an Earth Immortal Late Stage Peak monster, I needed to use the 'Universe Birth and Death Finger.' If I encounter a Heavenly Immortal, or an even stronger enemy…" The sense of urgency in Lin Wan's heart deepened. He must improve his strength as soon as possible, condense the Dao Seed, and charge towards the Heavenly Immortal stage!

He piloted his flying boat, turning into a silver light, and disappeared into the horizon.

Shortly after he left, a black shadow appeared silently in the valley; it was the woman in black who had left earlier. Looking at the dilapidated valley, where the aura of the monster and the "Phantom" was completely gone, her expression became extremely ugly.

"Who is it?! How dare you destroy my 'Yin-Yang Sha Puppet'!" The woman in black gritted her teeth, her eyes filled with resentment and murderous intent. "No matter who you are, if you dare to ruin the Hehuan Sect's great cause, I will definitely make you die without a burial ground!"

She quickly checked the scene, picked up a residual stone with the aura of Chaos, and carefully put it away.

"This kind of aura… I have never seen it before. But to be able to kill a Sha Puppet at the Earth Immortal Late Stage Peak, this person's strength is at least Earth Immortal Late Stage, or even stronger… I must report to the Sect immediately!" The woman in black did not dare to linger. Her figure turned into a black smoke and fled in the opposite direction of the Hehuan Sect's mountain gate, apparently to report the news.

The crisis in Luoxia Town was temporarily lifted, but a larger storm seemed to be brewing. And Lin Wan, unknowingly, had already been drawn into this storm.