Moonlight filtered through the narrow window of the abandoned residence.
The room remained silent.
Gu Qing lay unconscious upon the floor.
Her breathing was steady.
Her expression appeared peaceful.
Almost as if she had merely fallen asleep.
Lin Sheng stood quietly beside her.
His gaze remained fixed upon the woman before him.
Several moments passed.
Then he slowly extended his hand toward her forehead.
A faint ripple spread through the air.
The Chip continued analyzing the condition of her spiritual sea.
---
[Target Consciousness Stabilized]
[Memory Extraction Completed]
[Risk Assessment Ongoing]
---
Lin Sheng remained thoughtful.
Killing her would certainly solve many problems.
After all, dead people kept secrets better than anyone else.
Unfortunately—
The cultivation world rarely worked so simply.
Gu Qing wasn't some wandering rogue cultivator.
She was a disciple of the Seven Star Palace.
One of the three Upper Sects that ruled the Eastern Region.
A true Nascent Soul power.
The difference between the Seven Star Palace and the Lin Family was greater than the difference between the Lin Family and a mortal kingdom.
Such a force naturally possessed methods ordinary cultivators couldn't even imagine.
Life lamps.
Soul imprints.
Bloodline tracking.
Karmic deduction.
There were countless mysterious techniques recorded throughout cultivation history.
Although many had become rare, Lin Sheng wasn't arrogant enough to assume such powers no longer existed.
Especially within a Nascent Soul sect.
If Gu Qing died here...
Would they immediately discover her killer?
Perhaps not.
But could they eventually investigate?
Very possible.
And even if the probability was low—
The consequences would be catastrophic.
As for her master...
Lin Sheng's eyes narrowed slightly.
That man was even more troublesome.
A genuine Purple Palace cultivator.
Someone who had survived hundreds of years within the cultivation world.
Someone who undoubtedly possessed methods far beyond ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Unfortunately, the memories he managed to obtain remained limited.
The illusion technique had been successful.
Extremely successful.
But not perfect.
If he pushed too deeply into a cultivator's soul, the resulting backlash could easily destroy their consciousness.
And if Gu Qing died...
The consequences returned to the same problem.
Thus Lin Sheng had been forced to stop after obtaining what he wanted.
The location clues.
Information about her master.
Information regarding the Seven Star Palace.
Information regarding the Southern Archipelagos.
And most importantly—
The records regarding the Qian Family ancestor.
That alone was already an enormous harvest.
Looking down at her unconscious form, Lin Sheng slowly withdrew his hand.
Then a faint smile appeared.
"Keeping you alive is currently more useful."
After all...
Dead enemies stopped moving.
Living enemies could unknowingly become tools.
A faint strand of spiritual force quietly entered Gu Qing's spiritual sea.
The process was extremely delicate.
The Chip assisted throughout every step.
Several minutes later, the process finally ended.
---
[Suggestion Implant Completed]
[Concealment Status: Stable]
[Detection Probability: Extremely Low]
---
Lin Sheng nodded slightly.
Good.
Very good.
This wasn't mind control.
Nor was it some legendary slave technique.
Such things were far beyond his current abilities.
Instead—
It was merely a subtle suggestion.
A seed.
A thought.
A tiny instinct buried deep within the subconscious.
The kind that most people would never notice.
Even if she eventually discovered it, the effect would likely have already accomplished its purpose.
With that completed, Lin Sheng turned and left.
The night quickly swallowed his figure.
Gu Qing remained where she was.
Still unconscious.
Still unaware that the greatest secret she possessed was no longer hers alone.
---
Several weeks passed.
The entire Dragon Yuan Province gradually entered a state of unprecedented tension.
The secret realm.
Every conversation revolved around the secret realm.
Every force discussed the secret realm.
Every cultivator dreamed about the secret realm.
By now, news had spread far beyond the province itself.
Neighboring provinces.
Cultivation families.
Rogue cultivators.
Merchant alliances.
Even disciples from distant sects had begun arriving.
Countless people traveled thousands of miles for a single opportunity.
Naturally—
Most arrived too late.
The Lin Family's tickets had already become legendary.
What initially cost resources equivalent to several thousand spirit stones had skyrocketed repeatedly.
Each transaction pushed the price higher.
By now, many ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators couldn't even afford one.
Yet demand continued increasing.
The Lin Family's profits had become astronomical.
And despite countless complaints—
No one could do anything.
The secret realm lay within Lin Family territory.
The formation belonged to the Lin Family.
The tickets belonged to the Lin Family.
Strength created rules.
The cultivation world had always worked this way.
Meanwhile, within Dragon Yuan Mountain itself, the younger generation had already assembled.
Numerous Foundation Establishment geniuses gathered together.
Several Xuan Gang martial artists stood among them.
The atmosphere was solemn.
Excited.
Anticipatory.
Leading them all stood a familiar figure.
Lin Yan.
The undisputed genius of the younger generation. As for her cultivation, from the pressure she might already be at late stage, such cultivation speed is even better than Earth Grade Spiritual roots.
Even standing silently, she naturally attracted everyone's attention.
No one questioned her position.
No one challenged her authority.
Strength spoke louder than reputation.
And Lin Yan possessed both.
Behind her stood several elders and stewards.
All Foundation Establishment.
Some at the peak.
Some nearing Purple Palace.
The lineup alone demonstrated how seriously the family treated this opportunity.
Yet compared to the true force stationed elsewhere...
This group was only a fraction.
---
Far south of the province.
The atmosphere became significantly more chaotic.
A gigantic barrier stretched across the horizon.
From a distance, it resembled a translucent wall separating heaven and earth.
Countless formation runes drifted across its surface.
The pressure it emitted caused ordinary cultivators to instinctively retreat.
This was the outer blockade.
The first line of defense established by the Lin Family.
Beyond it lay the secret realm.
And before it...
Thousands of cultivators had gathered.
Some sat cross-legged cultivating.
Some discussed quietly among themselves.
Others simply stared toward the barrier with unwilling expressions.
Not everyone present possessed a ticket.
In fact—
Most didn't.
Many had arrived hoping for miracles.
Some had failed to purchase tickets.
Others had lost bidding wars.
A few had been robbed.
Several groups had their tickets stolen outright during their journey.
Countless stories existed.
Yet all of them ended similarly.
They stood outside.
Watching.
Waiting.
Hoping.
Perhaps when the realm opened, chaos would erupt.
Perhaps the barrier would fail.
Perhaps an opportunity would appear.
Cultivators often survived through hope.
Even irrational hope.
One scar-faced rogue cultivator stared toward the barrier.
"They can't possibly stop everyone."
Beside him, another man nodded.
"Exactly."
"Once the realm opens, thousands will rush forward."
"What can the Lin Family do?"
"They can't kill everyone."
Several nearby cultivators immediately agreed.
Their expressions brightened slightly.
After all—
The alternative was accepting reality.
And most people disliked reality.
Unfortunately, reality rarely cared about personal feelings.
The sky suddenly darkened.
A shadow appeared overhead.
Then another.
Then another.
Countless flying artifacts emerged from the horizon.
Spirit ships.
Flying boats.
Flying palaces.
Flying swords.
Every major force had arrived.
Every ticket holder had begun gathering.
The sight immediately drew countless gazes upward.
Many people revealed envy.
Others revealed greed.
A few revealed hatred.
Those above possessed opportunities.
Those below possessed nothing.
Naturally resentment emerged.
One cultivator couldn't help shouting.
"This isn't fair!"
Several people immediately agreed.
"Why should they enter while we're blocked?"
"We all came here!"
"The secret realm doesn't belong solely to the Lin Family!"
The complaints spread rapidly.
The atmosphere grew increasingly agitated.
Several rogue cultivators began shouting louder.
The crowd became restless.
For a brief moment—
It seemed possible that chaos might erupt.
Then...
A pressure descended.
Boom.
The heavens seemed to collapse.
Thousands of cultivators froze simultaneously.
The air became heavy.
Breathing became difficult.
Several Qi Refining cultivators immediately fell to their knees.
Foundation Establishment cultivators turned pale.
Even Xuan Gang martial artists felt their hearts tremble.
An old man appeared in the sky.
Simple robes.
White hair.
Calm expression.
Nothing about him appeared extraordinary.
Yet the pressure emanating from his body caused everyone to lower their heads instinctively.
Purple Palace.
A genuine Purple Palace expert.
A Lin Family elder.
His gaze swept across the crowd.
The previously noisy atmosphere instantly became silent.
No one dared speak.
No one dared complain.
No one dared protest.
The old man spoke calmly.
Yet his voice echoed across the entire region.
"Order."
One word.
Only one.
Yet countless people felt their souls trembling.
The elder continued.
"Those possessing tickets may enter."
"Those without tickets may remain."
"No fighting."
"No theft."
"No disturbances."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"And no one attempts to force their way through the formation."
The final sentence caused many people's expressions to change.
Clearly—
Several individuals had considered exactly that.
The elder remained expressionless.
"Anyone attempting such actions will be treated as enemies of the Lin Family."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
No one doubted the threat.
Not after feeling that pressure.
Not after seeing a Purple Palace cultivator personally standing guard.
The crowd gradually calmed.
Many revealed unwilling expressions.
Others sighed.
Several people simply sat down once more.
The final trace of hope disappeared.
The Lin Family had anticipated everything.
Even the possibility of desperate cultivators rushing the barrier.
Thus they sent a Purple Palace elder.
A single person.
Yet more than enough.
Above the crowd, the various flying artifacts slowly approached the formation.
One after another.
The holders of tickets began preparing themselves.
The secret realm was finally about to open.
---
[Southern Archipelagos Data Compilation: Ongoing]
[Historical Route Reconstruction: Ongoing]
[Possible Island Locations: 97,412]
[Further Data Required]
---
Lin Sheng smiled faintly.
Ninety-seven thousand possibilities.
For ordinary people, that would be impossible.
For him...
It was merely a starting point.