Chapter 2449 Being Schemed Against

Half an hour later—

Bang!

With a wave of his sleeve, Lin Xun wiped out the old man’s primordial spirit.

The man had already answered everything he asked, and Lin Xun was certain that the old man had not concealed anything from him. The truth was simple.

Back in Origin City, several Emperors had already been secretly won over by Wen Shaoheng, who offered them irresistible terms that no one could decline.

If they managed to kill Lin Xun in the Secret Realm of Trial, they would earn the right to become Wen Shaoheng’s guards and accompany him to the Eternal True Realm.

Even if they refused to submit to Wen Shaoheng, as long as they cooperated to kill Lin Xun, they would still be rewarded with ten star sources! Ten star sources! By market value alone, they were worth fifty-five first-grade cosmic origin crystals!

More importantly, possessing them meant they could safely leave Origin City and continue their journey toward the Eternal True Realm.

This revelation surprised Lin Xun. How could Wen Shaoheng possibly afford to be so generous? However, he quickly realized that the reason why Wen Shaoheng dared to make such promises was because he had the backing of Heng Tianshuo!

Everything became clear at once. With City Lord Heng Tianshuo acting as a guarantor, even the proudest Emperor-level figures would find it hard to resist such temptation.

This also explained why Lin Xun, from the moment he entered the Secret Realm of Trial, had been besieged by countless enemies. He also finally understood why those people had been clamoring earlier. On these trial grounds, no matter who encountered him, they would regard him as prey.

“People die for money; birds die for food. Though this is an old saying, it remains an unchanging truth...”

Lin Xun’s dark eyes gleamed coldly. He didn’t fear Wen Shaoheng’s schemes, but he had to take the threat posed by Heng Tianshuo, a true Ancestor of a Path, seriously.

“If you see me as your enemy, then I will not hesitate to destroy you...” In Lin Xun’s heart, he had already sentenced Heng Tianshuo to death.

Next, he began counting the spoils of war. In the previous battle, he had killed more than a dozen Emperors. Among them three were Ninth Realm Ancestors, two supreme Emperors, and several ordinary Emperors.

The treasures he seized were astounding. There were over three million first-grade cosmic origin crystals, five Yellow Spring Beads, and more than twenty Emperor-grade weapons and ancient treasures.

He also had a mountain of divine materials and other rare items. Lin Xun estimated that they were worth at least another million first-grade cosmic origin crystals. In addition, there were miscellaneous items, such as secret manuals, cultivation techniques, and elixirs.

“It’s a good harvest.” Lin Xun smiled in satisfaction.

What he lacked most now was wealth. Only by gathering enough Yellow Spring Beads could he thoroughly refine the nine netherworld runes.

Then, Lin Xun took out the ancient bronze umbrella. It was a magical treasure, imbued with mysterious forbidden dao runes, capable of veiling the heavens and enveloping the eight directions. Its name was the Skyholding Umbrella.

Originally, it had housed the willpower of an Ancestor of a Path, but now, that willpower had already been destroyed by Lin Xun. The reason Lin Xun took special notice of this treasure was because the ancient bronze umbrella faintly exuded traces of an immortal aura, which was an extraordinary characteristic.

Without a doubt, it was a severely damaged immortal-grade weapon. Yet, even in its ruined state, its power was still stronger and more terrifying than most Emperor-grade weapons. However, what Lin Xun truly valued was the immortal matter contained within the umbrella.

From what he knew, immortal matter was incomparably precious and valuable. Even in the Eternal True Realm, it was considered a rare treasure of heaven and earth, capable of tempering immortal-grade weapons!

After examining the umbrella for a while, Lin Xun made up his mind and prepared to set out.

Buzz—

The identity token floated into the air in front of him.

Sensing it carefully, Lin Xun immediately noticed a wisp of aura emanating from the token, guiding him toward a distant direction.

According to the rules of the trial, within one month, only those who entered the district indicated by their identity token could unlock the path leading out of the Trial World.

This Secret Realm of Trial was divided into nine major districts, meaning that only after Lin Xun entered the designated district could he leave this place. However, at this moment, he still did not know exactly which district he would be heading toward.

Shua!

With a flash of movement, Lin Xun followed the guidance of the identity token.

“Each of the nine major districts has different dangers scattered within. The places where star sources are buried tend to be areas of frequent danger,” said the green sparrow, hiding within the sachet. It gave Lin Xun advice along the way.

“Among them, the most terrifying is the ninth district. From ancient times to now, anyone who enters has never returned alive. Fortunately, in this era, the City Lord’s Residence no longer sends trial participants to the ninth district. After all, it would be no different from sending them to their deaths.”

Hearing this, Lin Xun’s heart sank. “You’re saying that...the districts the trial cultivators enter are arranged by the City Lord’s Residence?”

“Of course,” answered the green sparrow without hesitation.

Lin Xun’s face immediately darkened. A strong premonition surged within him. He had most likely already been plotted against by that cunning old fox Heng Tianshuo!

“Are you suspecting...” The green sparrow quickly caught on, its tone changing drastically. “If that’s true, isn’t this basically over for us?”

Lin Xun took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the murderous intent boiling in his heart. He asked grimly, “Green sparrow, do you know what kind of danger lurks in the ninth district?”

“It’s said that the ninth district was once the core land where the gods of the last epoch resided. But after the catastrophe that destroyed that epoch, it became the most bizarre and ominous place in existence.” Realizing how grave Lin Xun’s situation might be, the green sparrow no longer dared to hold anything back and revealed everything it knew.

However, after listening carefully, Lin Xun realized that everything the green sparrow knew was merely hearsay. No one truly understood how terrifying the ninth district was because from ancient times until now, everyone who entered it had perished.

Even beings at the immortal level were no exception! This only deepened the murderous intent surging in Lin Xun's heart, and his expression grew darker and more forbidding.

If he were to speak honestly, he had never once offended Heng Tianshuo. Even so, Heng Tianshuo had still arranged such a ruthless and vicious scheme against him, and all for Wen Shaoheng’s sake. It was clear that they had no intention of letting Lin Xun live!

“The priority now is to seize star sources. When the trial nears its end, it won’t be too late to find a way out...”

Lin Xun did not change direction.

Based on what he knew, to reach the ninth district, one first had to pass through the first to eighth districts. Only then would they reach the deepest part of the trial grounds. Along the way, there would still be plenty of opportunities to gather star sources.

An hour later, Lin Xun abruptly stopped, a look of surprise flashing across his face.

Before him, a vast expanse of gray mist spread out, permeating endless time and space. Even though Lin Xun possessed the All-Seeing Eye, which was capable of seeing through illusions and disguises, he found himself unable to pierce through the mist that filled the surroundings.

However, within that gray mist, he could faintly sense an overwhelming force that was a million times more powerful than the movement of stars and the cosmos. Before this power, even an Ancestor of a Path would be like an ant, crushed with a single breath!

The green sparrow said, “This is the boundary barrier of the trial grounds, which is similar to the spatial crystal wall separating the big world and the small world.”

“So, behind this gray mist is the first district?” Lin Xun asked thoughtfully.

“Yes, with the identity token in your possession, you can safely pass through this barrier. There’s no danger to you.” The green sparrow answered.

“I see.”

Lin Xun quietly exhaled in relief. The power within the gray mist was unimaginably deadly, enough to wipe out an Ancestor. If he had stepped into it blindly without the protection of the badge, he would have been instantly annihilated.

Without any hesitation, he took a step forward and vanished into the mist.

......

The first district.

The mountains stretched endlessly, the land scarred by countless gullies and ravines. This was a world like a desolate ruin. Whether it was the mountains, rocks, or earth, everything exuded a bleak and withered aura of death.

The air was thick with a suffocating murderous intent that weighed heavily on the heart. Fierce winds howled like countless sharp blades, carving terrifying cracks into the mountainsides.

“What a terrifying murderous aura,” Lin Xun murmured.

After stepping through the gray mist, he arrived in this world.

The murderous aura here surged like countless raging knives, wreaking havoc across the land. If an ordinary cultivator entered, they would be shredded into pieces before they even had a chance to react.

The place was utterly barren. After traveling for hundreds of miles, Lin Xun had yet to see another soul. All he could see were only bare mountains, crumbling rocks, and an overwhelming silence.

Gusts of fierce wind swept by like raging swords, sharp and terrifying. Even Lin Xun had to mobilize his cultivation base just to feel somewhat at ease.

“What are the signs that indicate where star sources are buried?” he asked.

Star sources were the origin power of stars, containing profound mysteries of the great dao.

Over countless ages, this Trial World would occasionally swallow stars from the cosmos.

Once fallen, these stars would undergo strange transformations, condensing into star sources infused with various law attributes and become buried throughout the land.

Some star sources were incomplete, while others were fully intact, and the attributes they contained differed greatly.

Some star sources were of such excellent quality that they could even nurture and give birth to incredible great dao secrets.

In the eyes of cultivators, star sources were not only supreme treasure for comprehending the great dao, but also rare and precious materials for tempering Emperor-grade weapons.

Through refining star sources, weapons could not only be strengthened but also inherit the mysteries of the dao laws contained within them. It was a wondrous phenomenon.

This was why star sources were so incomparably valuable.

The green sparrow answered without hesitation, “Life force, wherever there is life, there will be star sources buried. Look around, these trial grounds are a dead land where not even a blade of grass grows. If there’s a sign of life, it will be noticeable right away.”

Lin Xun understood and nodded silently.

Suddenly, a ferocious bird streaked across the sky, its wings spanning over a thousand feet and stirring up a roaring windstorm as it soared over from the distant horizon.

A group of people could be seen riding on its back. At first, they seemed merely curious to see a lone figure traversing this wasteland, their faces flashing with strange expressions.

However, the moment they recognized Lin Xun, their expressions underwent a dramatic change. Shock, excitement, and undisguised greed appeared on their faces. It was as if they had unexpectedly stumbled upon the prey that had been eagerly awaiting!