Chapter 224: Killing for the Token

Wang Lin rode on the back of this beast, speeding along like the wind. Any Yao Beast they encountered, as long as it wasn't High Grade Spirit Rank, would have its inner core sucked out by the beast's proboscis.

As he flew, Wang Lin pondered, sifting through all his memories. He finally found a powerful monster called a Mosquito Beast in the Ancient God's memories. Although there was a huge difference in size and strength between the two, there was one striking similarity: their long proboscis.

In the memories of the Ancient God Tu Si, he had only seen the Mosquito Beast once. It was in a desolate galaxy, a star system almost devoid of Cultivators, shrouded in a gray Qi.

Tu Si had traveled across several galaxies to reach that place, searching for Artifact Refining Materials. Even with the Ancient God's power, he nearly lost his life in that desolate galaxy.

The reason was a type of Mosquito Beast with a long proboscis. Initially, there were only a few of these beasts, and their cultivation was merely equivalent to High Grade savage beasts. He easily annihilated them. However, the deeper he went into the galaxy, the more numerous these beasts became, eventually forming a dense, countless swarm.

If these beasts were solitary, it would have been fine, but once they multiplied, there seemed to be a mysterious connection between them, and even their Divine Abilities multiplied. As a result, the Ancient God was quite discomfited in dealing with them. After escaping the galaxy, he hesitated for a long time and did not step in again.

Because the moment he escaped, he noticed an incalculable number of Mosquito Beasts flying out from the countless planets within that galaxy. Just one glance made Tu Si's scalp tingle.

Wang Lin looked at the beast beneath him, paying particular attention to its proboscis. He thought to himself that even if this beast wasn't that Mosquito Beast, it must have some connection, otherwise, how could it possess the same proboscis?

With this thought, Wang Lin rarely made a move along the way. Even when the beast encountered strong enemies several times and almost lost its life, Wang Lin always observed with cold eyes, only helping at the final moment of life-or-death crisis.

As a result, although the journey was somewhat delayed, the Mosquito Beast's aggressiveness continuously improved.

Eight days later, Wang Lin, riding the Mosquito Beast, finally arrived at Lianmo City.

Lianmo City was quite grand in scale, with large and small pavilions and houses spread throughout the city. There were many Cultivators within, especially around the several Teleportation Formations in the city, where Cultivators were constantly coming and going.

One must know that in the current Cultivation Devil Sea, Yao Beasts are extremely numerous. Only those with a certain level of cultivation dared to travel in the wilderness, or small teams of three to five.

Most Cultivators chose to spend a small amount of Spirit Stones to use the Teleportation Formation for entry and exit. This way, at the very least, their safety could be guaranteed.

When Wang Lin flew in from a distance, riding the Mosquito Beast, the few Cultivators guarding the city gate were immediately dumbfounded, staring intently at the terrifying Mosquito Beast, all gasping in cold air.

Wang Lin, riding on the beast, flew directly into the city without any stop. As soon as he entered the city, three Divine Senses immediately appeared from within the city. These three Divine Senses swept towards Wang Lin almost instantly.

Wang Lin frowned, and his body instantly vanished from its original spot, reappearing inside the city. As for the Mosquito Beast, he had already put it into a Storage Pouch specifically for living creatures. As for his cultivation, under Wang Lin's deliberate concealment, it appeared to be Foundation Establishment Middle Stage. With the strength of his Divine Sense, no one below the Soul Transformation Stage could see through it.

As soon as his body disappeared, three figures suddenly appeared in mid-air. These three looked almost identical, differing only in the color of their clothes: black, white, and red.

The black-clothed old man looked solemn. After carefully surveying the surroundings, he said in a deep voice, "This Nascent Soul Stage Fellow Daoist clearly doesn't wish to show himself. So be it. As long as he doesn't cause trouble in Lianmo City, there's no need for us to bother him."

The other two exchanged glances, their bodies flickered, and they vanished from the spot.

They did not know that from beginning to end, Wang Lin's Divine Sense had been locked onto the three of them. Only after they disappeared did Wang Lin retract his Divine Sense and stroll through Lianmo City.

There were many shops in the city. Wang Lin looked around, stopping and starting, but he never saw anyone selling maps of the Cultivation Devil Sea. Not long after, Wang Lin's steps paused, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. Before him was a three-story pavilion with three large characters written on it: Artifact Refining Pavilion.

Wang Lin still vividly remembered the old man riding the Taotie Beast from back then. Many years had passed, and presumably, that old man should have found the small beast to which he had transferred the Restriction.

Wang Lin sneered inwardly and did not enter the pavilion, instead passing it by. He was confident that with his current cultivation, even if he couldn't defeat the old man riding the Taotie Beast, he would at least be more than capable of protecting himself and escaping, unlike back then when he had no chance to flee.

As he walked, Wang Lin's eyes suddenly flashed. He stared at a Jade Slip shop at the corner of an alley ahead. On the signboard outside this shop, there was a faint trace of Spiritual Qi.

This trace of Spiritual Qi was extremely faint; only Cultivators who had reached the Nascent Soul Stage could detect it. Below the Nascent Soul Stage, no abnormalities would be visible.

Based on Wang Lin's experiences in the Cultivation Devil Sea, he had heard that in some major cities, in addition to marketplaces open to all Cultivators, there were also trading locations known as Secret Markets.

These Secret Markets often restricted the cultivation of traders; only those who reached a certain level could enter.

Wang Lin looked a few times, then was about to walk over when his expression suddenly changed. He saw a young boy running quickly towards him. The boy had clear eyes and delicate features, but his expression was quite flustered, looking back as he ran. Behind him, a fierce-looking middle-aged man quickly caught up in a few steps, reaching out to grab the boy's shoulder. The boy hurriedly dodged, almost bumping into Wang Lin.

Wang Lin's body flickered, stepping aside.

The boy stumbled a few steps and fell to the ground. From his embrace, a purple jade block dropped out. This jade block was the size of a fist and appeared crystal clear.

The boy's face showed fright, and he quickly grabbed the purple jade, clutching it tightly in his hand.

By this time, the middle-aged man had arrived. Perhaps Wang Lin's position blocked his way, so the man waved his large hand, pushing towards Wang Lin.

Wang Lin frowned, stepped back, and avoided the man's swinging arm.

The middle-aged man looked surprised but still growled fiercely, "How dare you block your grandpa's way? Get lost!"

Wang Lin's gaze was calm as he looked at the man. This middle-aged man's cultivation had only barely reached Foundation Establishment Late Stage, and the Spiritual Qi in his body was impure and incomplete, clearly having been forcibly raised by consuming medicine.

Seeing Wang Lin remain silent, the middle-aged man snorted lightly, then turned to stare at the boy clutching the purple jade, saying maliciously, "You little brat, you've got guts! How dare you steal your grandpa's jade!"

The boy trembled, and despite the fear in his eyes, he still said, "You're lying, this is a family heirloom."

The middle-aged man laughed loudly, stepped forward, and kicked the boy. With a grab of his right hand, he effortlessly snatched the purple jade, saying disdainfully, "I like it, what are you going to do about it? Let me tell you, I'm not robbing, I'm buying. Here, take it!" As he spoke, he took out a Low-Grade Spirit Stone and threw it on the ground.

Under the middle-aged man's kick, the boy was violently thrown to the ground, spitting out large mouthfuls of blood. His face was pale, and his eyes showed resentment as he glared at the other party.

At this moment, some passersby around them all looked over, but upon seeing the middle-aged man, their expressions changed, and they immediately lowered their heads, pretending not to see, and hurried away.

Wang Lin glanced at them, then ignored them, turning to walk towards the shop with the Nascent Soul mark. Wang Lin recognized the boy's purple jade; it was a type of Artifact Refining Material called Purple Crystal Stone. This stone was like jade but not jade, and its value was considerable. A piece the size of a fist could easily sell for about a hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.

As for the middle-aged man's abusive language just now, if it had been before, with Wang Lin's temperament, he would certainly not have let him off lightly. However, as his cultivation gradually sublimated, Wang Lin truly couldn't be bothered to punish such minor characters.

However, while he disdained to trouble the other party, the middle-aged man was relentless. After snatching the purple jade, perhaps feeling quite pleased with himself, his arrogance grew even more. He looked back at Wang Lin's retreating figure, his eyes darted, and he shouted, "You, stop right there! I told you to get lost, not to walk away!"

With that, he took a large stride and slapped his right hand towards Wang Lin's head.

Wang Lin's steps paused, and he turned to look at the man. Under this gaze, the middle-aged man's heart pounded. His outstretched hand stopped dead in its tracks, and a line of cold sweat immediately beaded on his forehead.

"Scram!" Wang Lin's voice was flat. After speaking, he turned and walked towards the shop.

At this moment, an old man walked out from outside the shop. The old man's face was full of wrinkles, and his dim eyes swept over Wang Lin once, then paid him no further attention, instead taking a rag and wiping the signboard.

The middle-aged man's face turned pale and green. He squinted around and saw many passersby looking in their direction. He gritted his teeth, slapped his Storage Pouch, and a Flying Sword immediately flew out. The man pointed at Wang Lin's back and shouted, "Go!"

The Flying Sword was as fast as lightning, and given its proximity to Wang Lin, it reached him almost instantly. However, before the Flying Sword could even touch Wang Lin, it snapped in half with a 'crack,' strangely breaking into two pieces and falling to the ground.

Wang Lin turned around. This time, he harbored killing intent. With a wave of his right hand, a residual image Restriction immediately shot out and instantly imprinted itself on the middle-aged man's forehead.

The man's body trembled, he let out a miserable shriek, and his entire being immediately turned into a pool of blood, leaving behind only a Storage Pouch in the blood and the purple jade stone he hadn't had time to put inside it.

The boy nearby stared blankly at the purple jade in the pool of blood. Gritting his teeth, he rushed forward, picked up the jade stone, put it in his怀, looked carefully at Wang Lin, and then quickly ran away.

The surrounding pedestrians immediately showed shock on their faces, and without a word, they quickly walked away, distancing themselves from the area. Even the old man inside the shop couldn't help but frown. Seeing Wang Lin calmly walking towards him, the old man quickly stepped forward to block him, saying, "My shop is not open to outsiders, Fellow Daoist, please leave."

Wang Lin's expression darkened. He pointed at the Nascent Soul mark on the plaque and slowly asked, "If this isn't for outsiders, what is this mark for?"

The old man was stunned, and his entire demeanor immediately became respectful. He hurriedly said, "Senior, please don't be offended. Please come in, we can talk inside."

After entering the shop, the old man looked troubled, hesitating to speak. Finally, he sighed and said, "Senior, this place is one of the Nascent Soul Secret Markets in Lianmo City, but it won't open until three days from now. I advise you, Junior, not to wait and to leave as soon as possible."

Wang Lin's expression remained calm. He sat upright on the side and quietly said, "Is it because the person I just killed has a significant background?"

The old man looked troubled, hesitated briefly, nodded, and said nothing more.

Just then, a powerful Divine Sense suddenly swept out from the eastern part of the city. After scanning the city once, it left behind a Divine Thought: "The evil villain who killed my Disciple, get out here!"

The old man in the shop's face changed drastically. He repeatedly looked imploringly at Wang Lin and said with a bitter smile, "Senior, please have mercy on this old man and his family, please leave. If that person blames us, we truly cannot bear the consequences. Furthermore, all the tokens for this Nascent Soul Secret Market have already been handed out. Even if you come back in three days, Senior, you won't be allowed entry."

Wang Lin stood up, his gaze still calm, and asked, "Does the person who just transmitted that Divine Thought have a token?"

The old man was startled and subconsciously nodded, but immediately, his expression changed drastically. When he looked again, Wang Lin had already vanished from the spot.

Above Lianmo City, a bald, burly man stood tall, a thick python wrapped around his body. He had thick eyebrows, large eyes, a fleshy face, and a gloomy gaze.

Hanging on his body were rows of Storage Pouches of varying sizes, each emitting waves of Spiritual Qi pressure.

This person was one of Lianmo City's Nascent Soul Protectors. He was originally in secluded cultivation, but when he sensed that his Disciple's Soul Blood had dissipated—clearly indicating murder—he emerged from his retreat in a rage to seek retribution.

To prevent the target from escaping, he had even sent people to seal off the entire Lianmo City. Coupled with the descriptions from the Cultivators who witnessed the killing of his Disciple, he already knew the killer's appearance. Thus, he began a massive search within the city using his Nascent Soul Stage Divine Sense.

However, the more he searched, the more confused he became. He had already searched the entire Lianmo City several times, but the person seemed to have evaporated, vanishing without a trace.

He even used his Divine Sense to probe the Secret Market shop, but he still couldn't find the person's presence.

It was only then that, in his extreme rage, he transmitted his Divine Thought. He figured the person must have used some Secret Technique to escape, and transmitting the Divine Thought was merely to vent his frustration.

However, what he didn't expect was that almost immediately after the Divine Thought was transmitted, a young man suddenly appeared about ten zhang away in front of him. This person had white hair and an exceptionally severe look, appearing identical to the killer described by the bystanders.

The bald, burly man's pupils suddenly contracted. He retreated a few steps, staring at the opponent, his rage almost instantly receding. Although his appearance was rough, he was quite cautious internally; otherwise, he would not have achieved his current cultivation and status.

The young man in front of him had actually appeared via instantaneous movement (teleportation). Combined with the fact that his Divine Sense searched for a long time without finding the opponent, these two points led to only one explanation: this person was not only a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator but also possessed cultivation far surpassing his own.

After Wang Lin appeared, he didn't say a word. He immediately patted his Storage Pouch, and the Restriction Banner instantly appeared in his hand. A cold light flashed in his eyes, and he shouted, "Scatter!"

Immediately, the Restriction Banner moved instantly, transforming into a black curtain that almost covered the sky and the sun, sweeping wildly in all directions. In the blink of an eye, the entire Lianmo City was enveloped, and the sky suddenly darkened.

The bald, burly man's expression changed, and he secretly cursed his misfortune. Without any hesitation, he rapidly opened the Storage Pouches on his body. Bugs of various shapes and sizes immediately flew out of the Storage Pouches, forming a dense swarm that enveloped the burly man.

At the same time, he hastily said, "Fellow Daoist, this is a misunderstanding…"

Wang Lin didn't wait for him to finish. He coldly snorted, pointed his right hand at the Restriction Banner, and immediately a sizzling sound erupted. Nine streams of Restriction Qi, like black Dragons, suddenly burst out from the banner, roaring as they approached.

Simultaneously, Wang Lin patted his Storage Pouch, and the Bronze Ancient Mirror appeared in his hand. After he activated it, it emitted waves of green light.

The destructive power of the Restriction Qi was extremely strong. Nine black Dragons crashed down from different directions, and almost instantly, all the flying bugs surrounding the burly man dissipated.

The burly man was inwardly terrified. With his Early Stage Nascent Soul cultivation, he actually felt a sense of suffocation under the opponent's strange Magic Treasure. The power of this Magic Treasure made his heart pound with fear.

Without thinking, he immediately bit the tip of his tongue, spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, and transformed into a blood shadow, rapidly retreating. He knew that if he remained under the black curtain created by this Magic Treasure, he would have no chance of winning. His only option now was to rush out of the black curtain and then plan his victory or defeat outside.

Just as he was about to rush out of the black curtain, his eyes flashed with joy. But right then, nine streams of Restriction Qi reappeared from within the Restriction Banner, converging from all directions like a cage.

At the same time, Wang Lin had long anticipated this person's action. The Bronze Ancient Mirror activated above his head flashed, and a green light immediately descended, shining upon the man. The burly man's rapidly fleeing blood shadow instantly paused involuntarily. Due to this pause, the nine streams of Restriction Qi immediately crashed down and struck him.

In this moment of crisis, the burly man opened his mouth and spat out a trident. Gripping it, he savagely swept it around, and the nine streams of Restriction Qi instantly dissipated one by one.

However, his movement was delayed by this action, causing him to slow down. Although he eventually escaped the green light, his entire body continuously emitted green smoke, and he looked extremely dispirited.

The instant he rushed out of the green light, he suddenly spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. His Nascent Soul emerged from the top of his head, looking terrified, and rapidly fled. A strange black Flying Sword flew out from the chest of his Physical Body, trailing a gush of blood.

Wang Lin was in the distance, a cold sneer on his lips. With a summon from his right hand, the black Flying Sword immediately vanished, teleported in front of him, and stopped moving.

All of this happened extremely quickly. Only a few breaths passed from the moment Wang Lin appeared until the burly man's Nascent Soul left his body. At this time, the expressions of the several Nascent Soul Cultivators in Lianmo City who had been watching the battle changed drastically. Three Nascent Soul elders, who were also Protectors, immediately teleported out, not daring to enter the black curtain, but waiting outside, ready to assist the burly man's Nascent Soul.

The burly man's Nascent Soul sped away with a look of panic. He saw his three colleagues and friends; he believed that as long as he reached them, he would have escaped this calamity. He never expected to provoke such an Evil Star, who didn't even speak but immediately went for the kill upon meeting. He had forgotten that his original intention was to kill the opponent to avenge his Disciple. It was only after seeing that the opponent possessed Nascent Soul Stage cultivation that he became cautious. If Wang Lin hadn't been a Nascent Soul, he likely would have been brutally killed by this man long ago.

Seeing that he was about to rush out of the black curtain, the burly man's Nascent Soul showed joy in its eyes. But right then, his three colleagues suddenly showed expressions of shock and rushed toward him.

The burly man was startled, but immediately afterward, he felt a sudden gust of wind around him. He subconsciously looked up, only to see a terrifying Yao Creature the size of a calf suddenly appear above his head, bringing with it gusts of fierce wind. The most conspicuous feature of this creature was its massive and increasingly slender sharp proboscis.

At this moment, ninety-nine streams of Restriction Qi flashed within the Restriction Banner, blocking the path of the three rushing Nascent Soul Cultivators.

The three men's movements involuntarily paused. The crisscrossing black Restriction Qi came quickly and disappeared just as fast. In the blink of an eye, the Restriction Qi vanished, and the scene revealed before the three men was one they would never forget.

They saw the terrifying proboscis of the ferocious creature deeply pierce the top of the burly man's Nascent Soul. Under the illumination of a green light, the burly man's Nascent Soul trembled and grew smaller and smaller, until finally, the entire Nascent Soul was completely devoured by the ferocious Yao Creature.

The creature's originally dark greenish-black body slowly began to show a trace of golden patterns. After its cold eyes glanced at the three men, it flapped its wings and vanished from the spot with the speed of lightning, returning to Wang Lin in the distance.

Wang Lin summoned with his right hand, and the Restriction Banner and the Ancient Mirror were all put away. Simultaneously, the Storage Pouches on the burly man's body and the trident all fell into Wang Lin's hands.

With a sweep of his Divine Sense, Wang Lin took out a token from a Storage Pouch. The character "Secret" (秘) was written on it in black script. After obtaining the token, he looked up at the three men in the distance, then, without a word, his body flashed and he vanished from the spot.

Many people in Lianmo City watched this battle, some of whom were Nascent Soul Cultivators who had specifically rushed there to attend the Secret Market. Wang Lin's clean and decisive killing of the burly man left a profound impression on them, especially the endless stream of Magic Treasures and the Yao Beast that devoured the Nascent Soul at the end. Despite their extensive knowledge, they could not identify what kind of creature it was.

Even the three elders who were Protectors alongside the burly man remained silent for a while and did not step forward to confront Wang Lin. After all, within the Cultivation Devil Sea, strength dictates everything. As for how this matter would ultimately be decided, the three of them still needed to report it to the Lianmo City Lord.

However, the City Lord constantly remains in secluded cultivation, so this matter is highly likely to be shelved. After all, the white-haired youth's cultivation is probably comparable to that of a Middle Stage or Late Stage Nascent Soul Cultivator.

The three men exchanged glances, all sighed inwardly, flashed away, and departed.

When Wang Lin reappeared, he was inside the Secret Market shop. He tossed the token to the old man who was staring blankly at him, and calmly said, "Now, I have a token."

——

The monthly votes came in fiercely. Er Gen successfully blasted someone's chrysanthemum, thank you, brothers and sisters.

Next, please lend me your Divine Power to blast the next chrysanthemum. Let's keep blasting and see where renegade immortal ultimately ranks!