185: Chapter 185 Fighting a Celestial Immortal, Chaos Displays its Power

A Ghost Domain covered the sky, ten thousand ghosts howled in unison; a blood saber tore through the sky, Evil Qi soared to the heavens! One Heavenly Immortal Early Stage Cultivator and one Half-Step Heavenly Immortal Peak Cultivator unleashed their full power, their might shaking the heavens and earth, completely sealing off the hundred-zhang space around Lin Wan, leaving him nowhere to hide!

However, despite being in a desperate situation, there was not a hint of fear on Lin Wan's face; instead, his eyes burned with fierce Battle Intent. A battle against a Heavenly Immortal—this was the perfect Opportunity for him to test his own strength and temper the Chaos Dao Seed!

"Chaos encompasses all things, can derive all things, and even more so... can end all things!" Enlightenment flowed through Lin Wan's heart. Deep within his Dantian, the newly sprouted Chaos Dao Seed, though only one ten-thousandth solidified, vibrated slightly at this moment, emitting a trace of Chaos dao rhyme that was imperceptible, yet possessed an essence so high it defied description.

"Chaos Returns to Ruins, Five Elements Transform and Give Birth!"

Lin Wan let out a low shout, no longer holding back, and poured all of his insights from this period into this single strike! He held his hands in a void embrace, and the Five Elements Law Seed within him shone brilliantly. Gold, cyan, blue, red, and yellow lights soared into the sky, intertwining and merging before him, finally transforming into a hazy stream of Chaos! This stream was no longer purely gray; it contained flowing five-colored brilliance, resembling a miniature, evolving Chaos Universe!

"Go!"

Lin Wan pushed his hands forward, and that hazy stream of Chaos expanded against the wind, instantly growing to ten zhang in size as it slowly collided with the incoming Ghost Domain and the descending blood-colored saber light.

There was no earth-shattering explosion, no blinding brilliance. Wherever the Chaos stream passed, space seemed to be smoothed out by an invisible hand, becoming stable and deathly silent. The hideous ghost shadows that covered the sky, upon touching the Chaos stream, were like ice meeting the scorching sun; they emitted silent screams, rapidly dissolving and annihilating, turning into the most primitive Yin Qi and Death Qi, which were then absorbed and assimilated by the Chaos stream. The Ghost Domain that Elder Guili had condensed with his lifebound ghost qi was as fragile as paper before this Chaos stream.

As for the blood-colored saber light that could sever Divine Souls, it struck into the Chaos stream like a clay ox entering the sea. The terrifying Evil Qi and sharp Saber Intent were rapidly decomposed and devoured by the Chaos stream. The saber light faded and dissipated at a speed visible to the naked eye, finally annihilating completely without even raising a ripple.

The Chaos stream, seemingly slow, actually crossed space in an instant, arriving before Elder Guili and the blood-robed man.

"What the hell is this?!" Elder Guili's expression changed wildly. From that hazy Chaos stream, he felt a great terror! It was not a simple suppression of power, but a crushing of life levels and the very essence of the Dao! It was as if the Xuan Yin Ghost Dao he was so proud of was nothing more than a minor path before this Chaos stream, easily shattered!

"Impossible! Block it for me!" Elder Guili was terrified to the point of madness. He frantically urged the immortal essence within his body, spat out a mouthful of blood essence, and conjured a massive, pitch-black bone shield covered in hideous ghost faces before him, while simultaneously retreating violently, attempting to flee.

The blood-robed man was even more terrified, his Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering. He felt the connection of his Divine Soul to the giant blood-colored saber get severed the instant it touched the Chaos stream! That Chaos stream seemed capable of annihilating everything, including Divine Souls! He let out a strange cry, turned, and fled, not even caring about his Lifebound Treasure.

However, it was already too late.

The Chaos stream, seemingly slow, was actually locking onto their aura, following them like a shadow. It gently "touched" that hideous ghost-faced bone shield.

Silently, the Low Grade Immortal Artifact level ghost-faced bone shield, along with the blood essence and Divine Soul imprint that Elder Guili had attached to it, instantly weathered and annihilated like a sand sculpture, leaving not even a trace of residue. The Chaos stream, its momentum undiminished, gently brushed past the retreating Elder Guili.

"No—!" Elder Guili let out a desperate and unwilling roar. The protective immortal light and defensive Magic Treasures on his body were as if they did not exist before the Chaos stream. His body, starting from the part that touched the Chaos stream, rapidly turned into nothingness, as if he had never existed in this world. Even his Divine Soul could not escape in time; it was swept up by the Chaos stream and completely annihilated, his Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering!

Elder Guili, a Heavenly Immortal Early Stage Cultivator, had fallen! Moreover, he died so cleanly, so... silently! There was no earth-shattering explosion, no desperate struggle or resistance; just like that, brushed gently by a wisp of Chaos stream, he was completely wiped from this world!

The Chaos stream did not stop; it turned gently and caught up with the blood-robed man who had already fled a hundred zhang away.

"Spare..." The blood-robed man only had time to utter one word before the terrified expression on his face froze. His body, along with the giant blood-colored saber that had lost control and fallen to the ground, turned into dust the instant the Chaos stream brushed past, scattering with the wind.

The blood-robed man, a Half-Step Heavenly Immortal Peak Cultivator, had fallen!

The entire process, seemingly slow, had actually occurred in the blink of an eye. From the moment Lin Wan attacked and the Chaos stream appeared, to the death of Elder Guili and the blood-robed man, it had taken only a brief second or two.

In the canyon, there was a deathly silence. There was only the sound of a light breeze brushing over the rubble, and the faint groans of the green-robed Elder from the mountain wall in the distance.

Lin Wan slowly retracted his palm, and the Chaos stream dissipated into the world, as if it had never appeared. His face was slightly pale, and fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead. That strike just now, while seemingly effortless, was actually extremely draining. It had consumed nearly half of the Chaos Immortal Energy in his body, and even the newly sprouted Chaos Dao Seed had dimmed slightly. After all, with Earth Immortal cultivation, forcibly unleashing an attack containing Chaos dao rhyme to kill a Heavenly Immortal across a major Realm was too great a burden.

"Phew... The consumption of Chaos Power is truly terrifying. However, the power is indeed astonishing." Lin Wan took a deep breath, calming the roiling blood and Qi in his body, while his eyes flickered with excitement. The power of the Chaos Dao Seed was even stronger than he had anticipated. Although it was only a sprout and contained a negligible amount of Chaos dao rhyme, the essential power that stood above the Five Elements and Yin and Yang, encompassing all and capable of ending all, was simply too Heaven-Defying. Among those of the same rank, no one could likely block it, and it could even threaten existences of higher Realms.

Of course, the drawbacks were also obvious: the consumption was too great, and given his current cultivation and insights into the Chaos Dao, he could not use it frequently; it could only serve as a trump card.

"It seems I must improve my cultivation as quickly as possible and deepen my insights into the Chaos Dao to let the Chaos Dao Seed truly grow," Lin Wan pondered inwardly. At the same time, his gaze swept across the canyon. Elder Guili and the blood-robed man were gone without a trace, and even their Storage Rings had been annihilated in the Chaos stream, which made Lin Wan feel a bit regretful. The possessions of a Heavenly Immortal and a Half-Step Heavenly Immortal should have been quite valuable.

He walked to the mountain wall where the green-robed Elder had smashed into, reached out, and grabbed the air, pulling the dying green-robed Elder out. The green-robed Elder's arms were shattered, his chest bone collapsed, and his aura was withered to the extreme; his eyes were filled with endless fear and despair. Although he hadn't seen the scene of Lin Wan killing Elder Guili and the blood-robed man clearly, that eerie and terrifying Chaos stream, and the ending where the two vanished instantly, had already scared him out of his wits.

"No... don't kill me... I am willing to submit... I am willing to serve you as my Revered Master..." The green-robed Elder spoke with difficulty, his voice hoarse, filled with intense fear and pleading. He had cultivated to the Half-Step Heavenly Immortal Realm after going through untold hardships, and his Lifespan was still long; he really didn't want to die here so miserably.

"Submit?" Lin Wan's eyes were indifferent, and he shook his head. "I have no need for it, nor do I believe you."

Before the words had faded, he gently tapped a finger on the Elder's forehead.

"Soul Search Technique!"

What Lin Wan wanted was information. Regarding why the Xuan Yin Sect, Tian Sha Sect, and Hehuan Sect were pursuing him so relentlessly, whether they had other arrangements, as well as the internal situation of these three Sects, and even including some Cultivation Techniques and secret news. Since they had already become Mortal enemies, he naturally needed to know himself and his enemy.

The last glimmer of spirit in the green-robed Elder's eyes quickly faded, his body twitched violently, and a moment later, he was completely silent. Lin Wan let go, letting the corpse slump to the ground without any expression on his face. Being kind to the enemy was being cruel to oneself; this was a principle he had long understood.

Through the Soul Search, Lin Wan obtained quite a bit of useful information.

First was regarding this interception. It was indeed a joint effort by the Xuan Yin Sect, Tian Sha Sect, and Hehuan Sect. The cause was naturally that he had killed Disciples of two Sects in the Five Elements Small World, seized the five elements origin bead, and displayed astonishing potential and a suspected heavy treasure. The higher-ups of the three Sects believed he was too great a threat and possessed great secrets, so he had to be strangled in the cradle. It just so happened that Elder Guili, who was responsible for receiving the Disciples returning from the Five Elements Small World, had an old grudge with Lin Wan (his Disciple had once died in the God Fire Sect ruins; although not killed by Lin Wan, Guili took his anger out on everyone related to the God Fire Sect), so he volunteered to lead the operation, uniting with an Elder of the Tian Sha Sect with whom he was on good terms (the blood-robed man) and another green-robed Elder of the Xuan Yin Sect who was skilled in using poison, to set an ambush here. The Hehuan Sect had originally sent people, but they were temporarily delayed by other matters, and they felt that the "profit" to be gained from Lin Wan was not as substantial as the other two Sects believed (as there was no direct conflict), so they did not participate in this operation.

Secondly, there was some intelligence about the three Sects, including part of their Sect layouts, important figures, characteristics of their Cultivation Techniques, etc. Although it did not involve core secrets, it gave Lin Wan a clearer understanding of the strength of these three Sects. These three Sects belonged to the upper-middle tier within the Demonic Path of the Immortal Realm; they all had Old Ancestors at the Heavenly Immortal Peak or even Profound Immortal level sitting in their Sects, so their strength could not be underestimated. In particular, the Xuan Yin Sect seemed to be related to some mysterious ancient ghost dao Legacy, and their actions were the most secretive and sinister.

Finally, from the green-robed Elder's memory, Lin Wan also obtained a decent poison technique, the "Ten Thousand Poisons True Scripture," and some insights on using and neutralizing poisons, as well as a secret technique for concealing one's aura, the "Turtle Breath Hidden Shadow Art," which was an unexpected joy. He didn't have much interest in the "Ten Thousand Poisons True Scripture," but the "Turtle Breath Hidden Shadow Art" was quite exquisite. Once cultivated to Major Achievement, one could completely conceal one's aura and blend into the environment, even deceiving the detection of Cultivators one or two major Realms higher than oneself, which would be of great benefit to him as he walked through the Immortal Realm in the future.

"Elder Guili is dead, so the news shouldn't get out for now. But as time passes, the Xuan Yin Sect and Tian Sha Sect will inevitably notice. This place is not suitable for staying long." Lin Wan waved his hand to store away the green-robed Elder's Storage Ring, then cast a few flames to completely burn away the traces of the three, destroying the bodies and obliterating the evidence. Although he had just used Chaos Power and the aura was special, one could not guarantee that the other party did not have special tracking methods.

After doing all this, Lin Wan did not delay any longer. His figure flickered, and he performed "Void Shift," instantly disappearing from the spot and fleeing in the direction opposite to the Tianshu Immortal Palace. He planned to take a detour first to shake off any potential tracking, then change his identity and quietly return to the Tianshu Immortal Palace.

About half an hour after Lin Wan left, several powerful auras sped over from the distance and descended above the canyon. The person in the lead was a black-robed Elder whose aura was several times stronger than Elder Guili's, his body surrounded by eerie ghost qi; he was clearly at the Heavenly Immortal Middle Stage! Behind him followed several Earth Immortal and Half-Step Heavenly Immortal Disciples from the Xuan Yin Sect and Tian Sha Sect.

"Elder Guili's aura... has disappeared? And the auras of Blood Saber and Poison Old Man are also completely gone?" The black-robed Elder's face was as gloomy as water. His Divine Sense swept over the chaotic canyon below, but apart from the traces of battle and residual chaotic energy fluctuations, he discovered nothing. Not even a trace of a Divine Soul imprint or a single fragment remained, as if the three had evaporated into thin air.

"Grand Elder, there are strong spatial fluctuations remaining here, and... a very peculiar energy residue, which seems... seems to contain a kind of extremely high-level, extremely ancient dao rhyme, but it is very weak, and... is dissipating rapidly." A Disciple at the Half-Step Heavenly Immortal level who was skilled in tracking reported with a solemn expression after careful investigation.

"High-level ancient dao rhyme?" The black-robed Elder's brows locked tightly, and a flicker of suspicion flashed in his eyes. "The three of them, including Elder Guili, joining forces, even if they encountered a Heavenly Immortal Middle Stage Cultivator, would have the power to fight. Even if they couldn't win, they should have been able to escape, at least one or two of them. How could they vanish silently, without leaving a single trace? Could it be... that some old monster made a move? Or could it be that Lin Wan possesses some terrifying trump card we don't know about?"

Thinking of the various incredible feats Lin Wan had displayed in the Five Elements Small World, as well as the rumors about the "God Fire Sect Legacy" and "suspected heavy treasure," the black-robed Elder felt increasingly uneasy. This boy was likely much more troublesome than they had anticipated.

"Pass down the order, send more men, and expand the search range! I want to see him alive or see his corpse! Also, report this matter to the Sect Master and ask the Sect Master to make the decision!" The black-robed Elder ordered in a deep voice. Elder Guili was an important figure of his lineage, and having died so inexplicably, he had to get to the bottom of it. At the same time, this boy Lin Wan absolutely could not be left alive; his growth speed was too fast, and he was too great a threat!

"Yes!" The subordinate Disciples received the order and left.

The black-robed Elder investigated carefully once more, but still gained nothing; he could only leave with a gloomy face, taking his people with him. He had a faint premonition in his heart that the Xuan Yin Sect seemed to have provoked a trouble they shouldn't have.

...

Meanwhile, Lin Wan had fled tens of thousands of miles away. In a remote mountain cave, he changed into a plain green robe and adjusted his appearance again using the "Art of Shape-Shifting," transforming into a Late Stage Earth Immortal Cultivator with an ordinary face and aura. He activated the newly acquired "Turtle Breathing Shadow Hiding Technique," suppressing his aura to the extreme, and then flew unhurriedly toward the Tianshu Immortal Palace.

A few days later, Lin Wan returned safely to the outer perimeter of the Tianshu Immortal Palace. He did not return directly to the Sect, but instead landed in an immortal city named "Qingyuan City" on the outskirts. Qingyuan City was the largest immortal city nearest to the Tianshu Immortal Palace; it was prosperous, bustling, a mix of all kinds of people, and well-informed, making it convenient for him to gather information and see if forces like the Xuan Yin Sect had extended their reach near the Tianshu Immortal Palace.

After paying the entrance fee, Lin Wan walked into Qingyuan City. The streets within the city were wide, lined with shops, and bustling with people. The auras were complex; there were Cultivators with an immortal demeanor, members of the Yao Race with soaring Demonic Qi, and even some strange-looking beings from other races. The sounds of hawking, conversation, and bargaining were endless, filled with a rich atmosphere of Mortal life.

Lin Wan found an inn that looked clean enough, booked a superior room, and set up a Restriction. Then, he released his Divine Sense, covering a small half of Qingyuan City, silently gathering information. With his current cultivation at the Perfection Earth Immortal Realm and his powerful Divine Soul, as long as he did not deliberately pry into places with powerful Restrictions or the residences of those with profound cultivation, he would basically not be detected.

Soon, all kinds of information flooded in.

"Have you heard? The Five Elements Small World was very lively this time! I heard quite a few people died, and even several Half-step Heavenly Immortals fell!"

"That's not all! I heard that people from the Xuan Yin Sect, Tian Sha Sect, and Hehuan Sect suffered a huge loss at the hands of a Disciple from the Tianshu Immortal Palace, and even their Elders were taken down!"

"Really? Which Disciple from the Tianshu Immortal Palace is so fierce? Could it be that 'Ice Fairy,' Su Yuechan? Or some newly risen Prodigy?"

"It seems his name is Lin Wan. I hadn't heard much of him before, but he really stole the show in the Five Elements Small World this time. It's said he obtained the five elements origin bead, climbed to the fifth level of the Five Elements Dao Derivation Platform, and even killed a Heavenly Immortal Elder from the Xuan Yin Sect!"

"Hiss—a Heavenly Immortal Elder? Impossible, right? An Earth Immortal killing a Heavenly Immortal? Are you sure this isn't a rumor?"

"It's absolutely true! I have a relative in the Tian Sha Sect. It's said that the Soul Lamp of one of their Blood Saber Elders went out. He went to intercept and kill that Lin Wan, and ended up never returning!"

"Tsk tsk, the Xuan Yin Sect and Tian Sha Sect have really lost face this time. However, that Lin Wan is probably in danger now. Killing the opponent's Elder is a feud that will never be resolved."

"Isn't that so? I heard the Xuan Yin Sect and Tian Sha Sect have already issued a bounty. Whoever can provide the exact whereabouts of Lin Wan will be rewarded with 100,000 High Grade Immortal Spirit Stones! Anyone who can take his head will be rewarded with one Top Grade Immortal Spirit Stone, plus an Earth Rank High Grade Cultivation Technique!"

"My god! A Top Grade Immortal Spirit Stone! An Earth Rank High Grade Cultivation Technique! This bounty would make even Heavenly Immortals tempted, right?"

"What's the use of being tempted? That Lin Wan is elusive. Since leaving the Five Elements Small World, no one has seen him again; it's like he evaporated into thin air. Some say he has secretly returned to the Tianshu Immortal Palace, others say he died in some Secret Realm. There are many conflicting opinions."

"However, I heard that people from the Xuan Yin Sect and Tian Sha Sect have been active around Qingyuan City recently, as if they are looking for someone..."

"Shh! Keep your voice down, don't bring trouble upon yourself..."

Lin Wan withdrew his Divine Sense, a flash of cold light in his eyes. Sure enough, the Xuan Yin Sect and Tian Sha Sect had not let the matter rest; they had not only issued a bounty but also sent people to search near the Tianshu Immortal Palace. Moreover, the scale of the bounty was so large that even he was somewhat surprised. A Top Grade Immortal Spirit Stone was a resource that even Heavenly Immortals would covet, and an Earth Rank High Grade Cultivation Technique was a Legacy sufficient to found a Sect. It seemed these two Sects were determined to put him to death.

"It seems I cannot return to the Immortal Palace with my true face for the time being, lest I bring trouble to the Sect. Moreover, I also need to find a place to go into seclusion for a period of time to properly digest the harvest from this Five Elements Small World, stabilize my Realm, and comprehend the Chaos Dao." Lin Wan pondered. With his current strength, although he did not fear ordinary Early Stage Heavenly Immortals, if the opponent sent Mid Stage or Late Stage Heavenly Immortals, or even stronger existences, or set up a net, it would be difficult for him to cope. The most urgent task was to improve his strength.

"Let me contact Emissary Shen Lian first, ask about the situation in the Immortal Palace, and then make plans." Lin Wan took out the communication jade talisman he used to contact Emissary Shen Lian and input a message. He had a good relationship with Emissary Shen Lian, and the latter was well-informed, so he should know the latest developments within the Immortal Palace.

Soon, the communication jade talisman lit up, and Emissary Shen Lian's reply came back, his tone filled with surprise and urgency: "Junior Brother Lin?! Is it really you? Where are you now? Are you safe? The Immortal Palace is going crazy with rumors, saying you obtained the five elements origin bead and killed a Heavenly Immortal Elder from the Xuan Yin Sect. Is it true? People from the Xuan Yin Sect and Tian Sha Sect have been active near the outer perimeter of the Immortal Palace recently, seemingly looking for you. You must be careful! It's best not to return to the Immortal Palace for now!"

Lin Wan felt a warmth in his heart and replied: "Senior Brother Shen, I am fine and very safe. I did obtain some opportunities and killed a few blind fools. I am currently in Qingyuan City and do not plan to return to the Immortal Palace for the time being. How is the situation in the Immortal Palace? What is the Sect's attitude toward me?"

A moment later, Emissary Shen Lian's message came: "It's good that you're okay! You scared me to death! The situation in the Immortal Palace is a bit complicated. The higher-ups have different opinions about your matter. Some Elders believe you have won glory for the Immortal Palace and demonstrated amazing talent, so you should be vigorously cultivated and your safety protected. But there are also some conservative Elders who believe you have caused too much trouble, and killing Elders of the Xuan Yin Sect and Tian Sha Sect is equivalent to completely tearing off the mask, which may bring unnecessary trouble to the Immortal Palace. They advocate... handing you over, or letting you solve it yourself."

Lin Wan's eyes turned cold. Sure enough, there were trade-offs everywhere. He continued to listen to Emissary Shen Lian.

"However, you don't need to worry! Elder Bingning, who is Junior Sister Su Yuechan's Revered Master, and Elder Han from the Scripture Pavilion are both strongly protecting you! Elder Bingning says you are a genius rarely seen in ten thousand years and must be protected. Elder Han says your performance in the Five Elements Small World proves your potential and value to the Sect, and the Sect should not chill the hearts of its Disciples. Also, it is said... the Palace Revered Master seems to have paid attention to your matter. Although he has not made a clear statement, he has not agreed to hand you over either. So, for now, the Sect still tends to protect you, only it is inconvenient to come forward openly due to the pressure from the Xuan Yin Sect and Tian Sha Sect."

Lin Wan's expression softened slightly. Elder Bingning and Elder Han both had some friendship with him, so it was reasonable for them to speak up for him. The Palace Revered Master's ambiguous attitude was at least not kicking him while he was down, which was already not bad. After all, the Sect had to consider the overall interest and could not easily go to full-scale war with two major Demonic Path Sects for the sake of one Disciple.

"Junior Brother Lin, what are your plans now? Do you need my help?" Emissary Shen Lian asked with concern.

"Many thanks, Senior Brother Shen, not for now. I need to find a place to go into seclusion for a period of time to stabilize my cultivation. As for the Sect, I'll trouble you to keep an eye on the developments for me. Additionally, if possible, help me collect some detailed intelligence on the internal affairs of the Xuan Yin Sect and Tian Sha Sect, as well as... dangerous places and Secret Realms throughout the Immortal Realm, especially those suitable for seclusion or places that might contain Chaos Qi, Innate Five Elements Qi, and other special energies." Lin Wan replied. He planned to go into seclusion first to digest his gains, then go to some dangerous places to train and seek opportunities to quickly improve his strength. The Immortal Realm was vast with countless opportunities; he possessed the Chaos Dao Seed and needed a large amount of high-level energy and Dao comprehension to nourish it. Sitting idle behind closed doors would not work.

"No problem! Leave it to me! You must be careful yourself! By the way, Junior Sister Su Yuechan also went into seclusion after returning. I heard she also had significant gains at the Five Elements Dao Derivation Platform and should be able to break through to the Heavenly Immortal Realm after coming out. You... can also contact her when you have time." Emissary Shen Lian agreed readily and even teased him at the end.

Lin Wan smiled and ended the communication. Su Yuechan... that cold, fairy-like woman should also have had significant gains at the Five Elements Dao Derivation Platform this time. However, he was not in the mood to think about that now.

"Stay in Qingyuan City for two days first, gather some information, and practice the 'Turtle Breathing Shadow Hiding Technique' by the way, then find a safe place to go into seclusion." Lin Wan made up his mind. Qingyuan City was crowded and mixed, but precisely because of that, it was not easy to be targeted. He could use the information channels here to learn more about the movements of the Xuan Yin Sect and Tian Sha Sect, as well as major events that had happened in the Immortal Realm recently.

Over the next two days, Lin Wan kept a low profile. He spent most of his time in the inn room practicing the "Turtle Breathing Shadow Hiding Technique," and occasionally went out to sit in teahouses and taverns to listen to various rumors. The "Turtle Breathing Shadow Hiding Technique" was indeed the signature skill of the old man in green robes, extremely exquisite. With his Chaos Immortal Energy as a foundation, Lin Wan practiced with half the effort and twice the result. In just two days, he had already mastered the basics and could perfectly suppress his aura, making him like an ordinary Mortal. Unless a powerhouse with cultivation far exceeding his own deliberately investigated, it would be difficult to discover his abnormality.

The information he heard over these two days also gave Lin Wan a clearer understanding of the current situation.

The Xuan Yin Sect and Tian Sha Sect had indeed increased their search efforts, and the bounty had also tempted many desperate people to search for his whereabouts throughout the Immortal Realm. However, because he had "evaporated into thin air" and the Tianshu Immortal Palace's attitude was unclear, the two Sects did not dare to be too presumptuous and were relatively restrained within the core sphere of influence of the Tianshu Immortal Palace. But the secret bounties and searches had never stopped.

In addition, the Immortal Realm did not seem to be very peaceful recently. Besides the major event of the opening of the Five Elements Small World, there were some other rumors. For example, ancient ruins had appeared near the Northern Nether Abyss, attracting many forces to investigate; a great power of the Yao Race was holding a "Ten Thousand Yao Assembly" in the Southern Desolate Demon Domain, inviting all the Yao Race in the world, seemingly plotting something; there were also rumors that in the Western Buddhist Kingdom, a Buddha Son had descended, triggering strange phenomena in heaven and earth...

"Northern Nether Abyss... ancient ruins... Chaos Qi..." Lin Wan's heart stirred. The Northern Nether Abyss was a famous forbidden and dangerous place in the Immortal Realm. It was said to connect to the Nine Netherworlds and was filled with chaotic and cold energy. However, there were also rumors that ancient ruins occasionally appeared in the depths of the abyss, and there was no lack of things left behind from the Chaos period. Perhaps there was something he needed there.

"After the seclusion ends and the Realm is stabilized, I can go to the Northern Nether Abyss to take a look." Lin Wan noted this thought.

On the morning of the third day, Lin Wan checked out and quietly left Qingyuan City. He did not return to the Tianshu Immortal Palace but flew toward a place in the Immortal Realm called the "Chaos Star Sea." The Chaos Star Sea was a dangerous area composed of countless broken stars, spatial fragments, and chaotic energy. The environment was harsh, but because of this, it was sparsely populated. Moreover, due to the chaotic space, it was difficult to track or deduce, making it a good place to hide for seclusion. He planned to find a hidden place there to digest his gains from the Five Elements Small World and shock the Heavenly Immortal Realm!

However, just as Lin Wan left Qingyuan City, flew several thousand miles, and entered a desolate mountain range, a sudden change occurred!

In the void ahead, a crack silently opened. A middle-aged Daoist wearing black and white Daoist robes, with an ordinary face but eyes as deep as the starry sky, stepped out and blocked Lin Wan's path. There was no aura leaking from the Daoist, as if he had merged with the surrounding heaven and earth. However, Lin Wan felt an aura from him that was far more dangerous than Elder Guili!

"Mid Stage Heavenly Immortal... no, at least Late Stage Heavenly Immortal!" Lin Wan's heart tightened, and he was instantly on high alert. This person was definitely not from the Xuan Yin Sect or Tian Sha Sect. His aura was upright and peaceful, yet carried a kind of Transcendent dao rhyme, which was completely different from the Demonic Path Cultivators.

"Fellow Daoist, please stay." The middle-aged Daoist looked at Lin Wan, a gentle smile appearing on his face, and said, "This poor Daoist is Master Tianjizi. I have no malice; I am merely entrusted by someone to invite you, Fellow Daoist, to the Heavenly Secret Pavilion for a chat."

"Heavenly Secret Pavilion? Master Tianjizi?" Lin Wan's pupils constricted. The Heavenly Secret Pavilion was an extremely mysterious organization in the Immortal Realm, famous for deducing heavenly secrets and selling intelligence. It was neither good nor evil and never participated in Sect disputes, but its influence spread throughout the entire Immortal Realm, and no one dared to underestimate it. And Master Tianjizi was the current Pavilion Revered Master of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion. It was rumored that his deduction techniques had reached the Transcendent Realm, capable of peeking into a thread of heavenly secrets, and his cultivation was unfathomable—at least a Late Stage Heavenly Immortal, and possibly even a Peak Heavenly Immortal!

Why would such a figure come to find him? And even come forward to invite him personally?