Chapter 363: Return
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Lin Baizhan felt the terrifying aura emanating from the Legendary Ghoul. It was way more horrifying than Lin Xuanyao’s mutated form.
He glanced around at the dozen or so lord-level and hundreds of top-tier demonic creatures surrounding him.
He opened his mouth, wanting to oppose Li Pin's plan. Yet, he ultimately forced down the fierce longing for freedom that surged within him.
Lin Baizhan knew that it would be nearly impossible for them to escape the imperial tomb alive without Li Pin’s help.
Even if they managed to slip past the Legendary Ghoul, they would succumb to the countless demonic creatures lurking within the tomb. A single Master and four Top-Tier Astral Cultivators wouldn't survive the onslaught; they'd be surrounded and defeated.
Unwillingly, Lin Baizhan let out a shout, "Hall Master Li, the thousand in the Peach Blossom Secret Domain await your word!"
Then, with a low command to the four Top-Tier Astral Cultivators at his side, he ordered, "Retreat!"
The five of them quickly withdrew into the spatial passage.
Bang!
Almost simultaneously, Li Pin collided with the Legendary Ghoul, and brilliant electric arcs visible to the eyes erupted from him.
With the Heavenly Demon Divine Armor's formidable defense, he absorbed the thunderous force of the Ghoul's strike and used the recoil to spring back like a rubber ball. In one fluid turn, he launched himself toward the tomb's exit.
The Legendary Ghoul let out a furious howl. "Raaaaar!"
Six Pale Boarmen acted as though they had received some sort of command and led a swarm of top-tier demonic creatures in pursuit of Li Pin.
Things took an unfortunate turn for the demonic creatures. With electricity crackling around him, Li Pin managed to quickly outpace the creatures and shot out of the area like a fired electromagnetic cannonball.
As Li Pin distanced himself from the monsters, he glanced back.
He saw that King Liang kept roaring, repeatedly commanding the Pale Boarmen to give chase. However, King Liang didn’t take a step out of its territory.
Li Pin couldn’t help but find its behavior strange. It was as if... it was guarding the tomb.
A shocking realization flashed through Li Pin’s mind. No, wait! It's not guarding the tomb! It’s guarding the entrance to the Peach Blossom Secret Domain, refusing to let anyone enter!
What’s going on here? Does it see itself as the guardian of the Peach Blossom Secret Domain, so it's ensuring that no harm befalls the secret domain's inhabitants?
Even if King Liang exhibited some degree of intelligence, it was still a Ghoul. The only way the Ghoul knew how to guard the secret domain was by keeping any intruders at bay. It attacked anyone who came near the area, including Lin Clan members emerging from the Peach Blossom Secret Domain.
This explained why the Legendary Ghoul had never ventured into the secret domain despite the entrance’s placement.
That was also why even the Pale Boarmen dared not enter. The Legendary Ghoul would instantly tear apart any creature approaching the entrance.
King Liang, as the first Great Moon's Master Astral Cultivator, was buried in the imperial tomb despite not being an emperor... His death left the Great Moon defenseless against rebellious Astral Cultivators, leading to its collapse a year later...
Li Pin recalled the bits and pieces Lin Baizhan had shared about the original form of this Legendary Ghoul. Despite being dead for over a decade, King Liang, the last pillar of Great Moon, became a Ghoul and continues to protect the Peach Blossom Secret Domain. He's safeguarding the Lin clan's final trump card in his own way.
Li Pin took another look inside the imperial tomb.
The Legendary Ghoul... had indeed not chased him out.
This defied logic.
The actions of the mutated Lin Xuanyao could be understood by its aversion to sunlight. After just a brief exposure, it would instinctively return to the mountain.
This Legendary Ghoul, however....
The various areas of the tomb were shrouded in darkness.
Li Pin couldn't help but think of the beast tamers among the Astral Cultivators. This faction tamed powerful ferocious beasts using their impressive spiritual attributes, guiding their evolution by infusing them with astral energy and then transforming them into mighty divine beasts. Together, they fought against demonic creatures.
If ferocious beasts could be tamed and evolved into divine beasts, then what if this intelligent Legendary Ghoul could also be tamed?
That would make a top-tier legendary combat force. Endowing this Legendary Ghoul with human-like tactical intelligence, combined with its qi and blood of a staggering 5000, would make even the strongest among the legendary experts wary of its power!
Despite the thoughts, Li Pin's movements didn't slow. In just a few moments, he had escaped that area, leaving the pursuing demonic creatures behind.
While more creatures blocked his path ahead, the Dark and Crimson Boarmen posed no challenge for Li Pin, clad in the Heavenly Demon Divine Armor. They died upon contact. Just approaching him left them injured. Not a single creature could stand against him.
He bulldozed his way through the Great Moon Imperial Tomb, and before long, sunlight broke through the gloom.
As the first rays of sunlight illuminated Li Pin, he felt a sense of disorientation. It was as if he had emerged from a long slumber even though he had only spent a little more than a month inside.
This feeling was not solely due to the passage of time; it was also a result of the bizarre encounters he had experienced during that month.
With the manifestation of alternate dimensions, Gaia would surely no longer be the same. Now, the difference between Blue Planet and Gaia extended far beyond the emergence of Astral Cultivators, ferocious beasts, and demonic creatures—all birthed from the influence of the Astral Gods.
Basking in the sunlight, Li Pin quickly turned his focus to Gaia's Celestial Force Field. He murmured, "Gaia's Celestial Force Field...."
With the cultivation of a Top-Tier Martial God, his own Celestial Magnetic Field could attract and harness even more of Gaia's Celestial Force Field.
In fact, it could be said that the title Top-Tier Martial God signified the pinnacle of Martial Gods standing atop Gaia.
If the mutated Lin Xuanyao were to fight Li Pin here instead of in the confined, narrow space underground, Li Pin would be able to defeat him even without the Heavenly Demon Divine Armor.
At worst, he wouldn't be able to confront the monster head-on like he could while wearing the armor.
It won't be long now... I'll study the genetic information thoroughly and then proceed with gene optimization. I don't expect to boost my qi and blood to 1000 immediately, but reaching the limit of 700—the threshold for a Master Astral Cultivator—should not cause any mutations.
With this thought, Li Pin soared into the air.
The collision and friction between the Celestial Magnetic Field within him and that of Gaia created a powerful repelling force, achieving magnetic levitation.
He generated an explosive thrust in this state resembling magnetic suspension. In the next moment, he shot toward the Celestial Martial God Hall like a supersonic fighter jet, shattering the sound barrier.
Compared to the burdens he had to bear during his inbound journey, flying at supersonic speeds had become noticeably more sustainable.
In less than an hour, the Celestial Martial God Hall was already within sight.
Rumble, rumble!
Li Pin descended steadily into the courtyard atop Hualong Mountain like a streak of lightning, accompanied by the rumble of approaching thunder.
The moment he landed, Xing Ying, who had been staying in the courtyard in the name of being a maid, rushed out.
Seeing that the person who had arrived was Li Pin—the one she had longed for—her face brightened with joy. "Hall Master, you're finally back!"
"Yeah, I encountered some unexpected delays," Li Pin replied. He asked, "Did anything happen here?"
"Yes," answered Xing Ying, her expression grave. "The Royal Empire has sent Master Astral Cultivator Zhang Dongwang, hoping to discuss cooperation with us. They didn't specify the type of cooperation, but it's likely related to the Black Gold Mine."
Li Pin nodded. He had expected this. "Have they been here for a while?"
"They arrived about a month ago," Xing Ying replied. She paused for a moment, then added, "Moreover, there have been reports of Ghoul riots inside the Black Gold Mine. Yue Ying led an investigation team and eliminated quite a few of them. It seems the Royal Empire has indeed sent people into the mine."
"What about the Ghoul King Palace?"
Xing Ying said, "Ri Chi is currently stationed at the Ghoul King Palace. It seems the Royal Empire doesn't want to completely sever ties with us, so they haven't made a move against him.
"However, that Master Astral Cultivator, Zhang Dongwang, has been getting increasingly insistent about wanting to meet you, and his tone has grown more aggressive."
She glanced at Li Pin and added, "It's mainly because you haven't appeared for over a month, which has raised suspicions."
"Then let's meet him."
Li Pin needed to settle matters with the Royal Empire.
Additionally, if the Celestial Martial God Hall wanted to develop, it had to possess its unique allure, so he had no intention of keeping the Skill Crystals a secret any longer.
As more people began using Skill Crystals, other factions would inevitably speculate, making it impossible to hide.
At the right moment, he would announce this news.
If the Royal Empire were willing to pay handsomely or offer treasures similar but even more valuable than the Primordial Electric Crystals, a trade could be feasible.
The emergence of dark magic had made Li Pin realize that the hidden threats posed by ferocious beasts and demonic creatures were likely much greater than what people currently perceived.
"Besides the Royal Empire, the secretary-general of the Human Alliance wishes to lead a delegation to visit. We haven't given a definitive answer since you weren't here," Xing Ying said. "They likely want to invite you to join the Human Alliance and discuss your position."
"Let them come. You guys decide on the timing."
"Yes," Xing Ying responded respectfully.
"Is there anything else?"
"The rest are trivial matters. Various Martial Saints have been visiting. Currently, the number of Saints at the Hall has exceeded 30,000, with more than 8000 willing to join us. Many of them have been working hard to accumulate contributions for the chance to exchange for the Celestial Martial God Manual...."
Li Pin instructed, "Then announce this to them."
He had no intention of hiding the Celestial Martial God Manual. Otherwise, he wouldn't have disclosed the secrets of the Martial God path on Crimson Flame Island a year ago.
He provided a definitive response for Xing Ying to pass along. "Follow the previously established plan, as long as the contribution value is met, the Martial God, High-Class, Top-Tier, and even the Supreme Martial God Chapters of the manual can all be passed down."
"Understood," Xing Ying said.
She continued recounting details, including the Celestial Martial God Hall's income and the output of Thunder Stones.
By the time Shi Shihu and others arrived, she had also revealed a critical piece of information. "Vice Hall Master Li Yunyao of the Divine Martial Sect has come to visit.”