Chapter 357: Magic

Lin Baizhan exchanged glances with the clan elders, who were all Top-Tier Astral Cultivators.

They could all see the bitterness in each other's eyes.

They had hoped to easily obtain the information they sought, but it was clear they had underestimated the situation.

The man before them was no pawn they could manipulate.

Lin Baizhan forced a smile. "It's a misunderstanding, sir. We were disrespectful earlier...."

"Whether it's a misunderstanding or not doesn't matter. You only need to answer my questions," Li Pin replied.

He scanned the surroundings. Earlier, when he had leaped into the air, he had noticed that the area was relatively small, spanning less than ten thousand square kilometers.

The ecological balance seemed off; while life could probably thrive for a short period, it was unlikely that a large population would settle here for the long term. There would inevitably be resource shortages and other issues.

"This is the alternate space the Lin Clan discovered back in the day, isn't it?"

"Yes," Lin Baizhan promptly answered. "This alternate space was discovered shortly after the Astral God descended. We've kept it sealed and even moved it deep into the imperial tombs, intending to suppress it for eternity."

He let out a wry smile. "Who would have thought that this place, which we once feared as you would a tiger, would become the only refuge allowing our Lin Royal Family to survive."

"A place you feared like a tiger?" Li Pin quickly recalled something. "What else was in this space besides the materials for forging divine armor?"

"A type of dark magic that causes living beings to mutate," Lin Baizhan shared solemnly. "It could turn ordinary animals into ferocious beasts, transform corpses into demonic creatures, and even infect living humans, turning them into abominations."

"Dark magic?" Li Pin glanced around. "I don't sense any here."

"That's because Lin Xuanyao, our most outstanding clan elder, sacrificed his life to absorb all that dark magic. It's thanks to him that we found a space to survive. He transformed this once barren alternate realm into the Peach Blossom Secret Domain where my family has thrived for the past 66 years."

A hint of sorrow crossed Lin Baizhan's face as he looked at Li Pin. "When the Astral God descended and we first began to interact with astral energy, we discovered that the dark magic was absorbing the astral energy and growing stronger.

𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"We mistakenly believed that astral energy and dark magic belonged to the same power source. To prevent Astral Cultivators from succumbing to mutation, we resolutely halted their rise and suppressed them with all our might. In the end, this misguided decision led to the turmoil in Great Moon..."

Li Pin was somewhat surprised. "Dark magic absorbs astral energy?"

So this is the hidden truth behind why the Great Moon Royal Family had suppressed Astral Cultivators back then?

"During the Great Moon's chaotic, final days, we discovered that while dark magic was fearsome and could cause mutations, it could never compare to the vast power of the Astral God," Lin Baizhan lamented. "Unfortunately, by the time we realized this, it was already too late. Great Moon had crumbled to the brink of collapse—"

"So you used dark magic to forge divine armor, hoping to turn the tide?" Li Pin interjected suddenly.

Lin Baizhan was taken aback by Li Pin's apparent knowledge of such information. He hesitated for a moment. He contemplated for a while, falling into silence.

In the end, understanding Li Pin's power and knowing the situation of the divine armor, Lin Baizhan replied, "That's true."

His expression turned heavy. "The power of the Astral God is vast and boundless, yet it ultimately falls short of the dark magic in terms of accessibility. We gathered the dark energy from this alternate world and used special materials and advanced astral equipment forging techniques to create an unparalleled piece of battle armor. We call it..."

He took a deep breath, his voice layered with pride. "The Heavenly Demon Divine Armor."

Heavenly signified the highest order, while Demon pointed to the dark magic infused within. The name fits, reflecting the Lin Clan's high hopes for this armor.

"It's been a productive exchange." Li Pin said, "In return for your answers, I'll share some information with you. First, there's a powerful Legendary Ghoul blocking the exit."

Li Pin cast a glance at Lin Baizhan.

He had defeated Lin Baizhan, yet no one more powerful had appeared to intervene, likely pointing to the fact that he was the Lin Clan's strongest already.

If this was indeed the case, then the prospects weren't looking too good for them. Could a Master Astral Cultivator lead a bunch of Top-Tier, High-Class, and Ordinary Astral Cultivators past the blockage of a Legendary Ghoul?

"If you wish to leave... it would be extremely difficult," Li Pin noted.

The Lin Clan members had been hopeful of their chances at escaping, but a glimmer of despair flashed in their eyes when they heard Li Pin's words.

"So it's still impossible to leave?"

They had been confined in this realm for 60 whole years! All they had known for 66 years was this plot of only 10,000 square kilometers!

It was no different from a prison!

"The second piece of information I can tell you is that the Lin Clan is struggling. Over these 66 years, they've attempted three campaigns for restoration, but all failed. They made their third attempt this year. Before it was crushed, the Lin Clan sought refuge under my protection, offering numerous resources in exchange," Li Pin continued.

Lin Baizhan studied Li Pin. Their earlier confrontation revealed to him that, while Li Pin was formidable, he was likely on par with them. Lin Clan had to have truly fallen if they had sought his protection.

"Is Legendary what you call the realm above Master Astral Cultivators?" Lin Baizhan asked. "So now, the outside world is ruled by Legendary Astral Cultivators?"

Li Pin nodded.

The Legendary realm was pioneered about forty years ago. Before that, Master Astral Cultivators were the pinnacle of power. This was why the Lin Clan had once believed that the Heavenly Demon Divine Armor could turn the tide.

Back then, there were no Legends.

"It appears the Heavenly Demon Divine Armor has issues. Does it lack the power once anticipated, or has it already suffered damage?" Li Pin looked over at Lin Baizhan and his group. "If it truly had the power as rumored, you'd have already used it to break through the blockade of that Legendary Ghoul outside and return to the surface."

"You have keen insight," Lin Baizhan replied, a bitter smile crossing his face. "The Heavenly Demon Divine Armor's power is unquestionable. But the problem is... it's no longer in our possession."

"Where is it?" Li Pin asked.

Lin Baizhan's gaze settled on a hill at the edge of his view.

This secret domain, spanning only a hundred kilometers, had no deep mountains or vast waters; the hill stood less than a thousand meters high.

"This goes back to when we first entered this alternate space, which we now call the Peach Blossom Secret Domain."

"I'm listening," Li Pin replied.

Lin Baizhan could clearly tell from Li Pin's attitude they had neither the leverage nor the strength to refuse him.

"Initially, we used the dark magic here to forge the Heavenly Demon Divine Armor, thinking we'd only stay for a short time before leaving.

"After all, the dark magic’s corruption would be neutralized and purified by astral energy once they returned to the outside world. However, when we first retreated to the Peach Blossom Secret Domain, the dark magic had not yet fully dissipated.

"With the path ahead blocked and staying here meaning certain death, we spent half a month losing dozens of elite Astral Cultivators in futile attempts to break through the barricade formed by the Ghoul born from King Liang’s corpse. It was then that Elder Lin Xuanyao stepped forward..."

Lin Baizhan paused, his tone somber. "At that point, ordinary people who weren't Astral Cultivators had already begun to mutate. Elder Lin Xuanyao had no choice. He decided to use the unique materials of the Heavenly Demon Divine Armor to forge a vessel that could contain the dark magic, absorbing and sealing all the dark energy in the Peach Blossom Secret Domain."

Li Pin glanced around. "Did he succeed?"

"He did." Lin Baizhan's expression turned grim. "But the cost... was that he was completely consumed by the dark magic, transforming into a monster—one just slightly weaker than the Legendary Ghoul, King Liang."

Li Pin was surprised. "Slightly weaker than the Legendary Ghoul?"

Even among Legends, King Liang was a standout, able to rival the most powerful beings. For Lin Xuanyao's mutated form to be only a shade weaker than King Liang, he had to be one of the best among lord-level beasts.

"Yes," Lin Baizhan said, nodding with a touch of sorrow. "He became a six-meter-tall creature with two heads. His skin turned red all over and he's driven mad by an insatiable thirst for blood!"

He cast a look toward the distant hills. "Fortunately, he lost his sanity and despised the sunlight, which allowed us to seal him inside by collapsing the hills. Otherwise, if he broke free, all 1,084 of us who survived in the Peach Blossom Secret Domain would be doomed."

Li Pin surveyed the mountains, then looked back at the mirror-like portal to the secret domain, not far behind.

They had truly been very unfortunate.

The only exit was blocked, and they were forced to share this 10,000-square-meter plot with a legendary-level monster.

Whether it was the creature breaking free from the hills or King Liang charging in from the tomb, either scenario would bring them to the brink of annihilation.

The mental strain they endured was unimaginable. It was no exaggeration to say they lived in constant fear.

Lin Baizhan said earnestly, "If you came here for the Heavenly Demon Divine Armor, we are all willing to lend you our strength."

"

Oh?

" Li Pin glanced at him. "If that two-headed monster possesses legendary-level combat power, even I can't fight it. If we were to unearth the hills and let that monster escape... all of you would be in grave danger."

"We understand," Lin Baizhan replied with a wry smile. "But many of our people can't hold on any longer."

Li Pin grasped his meaning, and he glanced at those nearby. He realized why many Astral Cultivators were volatile, ready to lash out at him. Initially, he thought it stemmed from noble arrogance, but now it was clear that their minds become unbalanced after prolonged confinement.

"You wish to pin your hope on the Heavenly Demon Divine Armor? You want to use its power to slay that monster and escape the Peach Blossom Secret Domain?"

"Yes." Lin Baizhan nodded. "I wouldn't have dared to make that gamble if I was alone, but if you're willing to help us, our chances would improve significantly. Once we succeed, the Heavenly Demon Divine Armor will belong to you, and we..."

His voice faltered, choked with emotion. "We... just want to leave this place."