Chapter 865: Alliance Secrets, Returning Home

Evidently, for Immortal Emperor Qing Lin, the art of Immortal Guard Puppets came later than the Seal Divine Abilities. The Immortal Guard art was derived from imitating Ancient Gods, while Seal Divine Abilities were a method for Immortals to strictly control their subordinates.

There is a distinction between the two: Immortal Guards prioritize Physical Body strength, with Divine Abilities being secondary. Once successfully refined, they will never betray their master, unless the caster wills it, only then can they be freed.

However, Seal Divine Abilities are not perfect in this regard. Any Divine Ability is not eternal; with time and other various reasons, there will eventually be a moment when they can be broken.

Wang Lin was very clear about this. As the Seal landed between Big Head's eyebrows, Big Head immediately trembled, his entire body's Immortal essence instantly circulated within him, and an identical Seal even appeared on his Primordial Spirit. He took a deep breath, and with a bitter smile, he got up, respectfully stood to the side, and whispered, "Greetings, Master."

Wang Lin glanced at Big Head, and calmly said, "Go outside this star and arrange for those Luotian Cultivators to leave. As for you, stay here."

Big Head hastily assented, and with a sigh, he leaped up and shot towards the sky.

Wang Lin looked at the familiar land around him, his eyes filled with reminiscence. This was the place of his birth, his hometown where he took his first step into cultivation. Many, many memories were left here.

Having left here for several hundred years, returning this time, Wang Lin felt a sense of melancholy in his heart, a very complex emotion that was hard to describe or articulate.

"I wonder how many old acquaintances I can still see…" Wang Lin's expression showed a hint of desolation. Behind him, a phantom flickered, and Tasan stepped out, standing silently behind Wang Lin.

Wang Lin thus gazed at his familiar hometown, the melancholy in his heart growing stronger.

Not long after, Big Head descended from the sky, also standing behind Wang Lin with a calm expression.

In the sky, several long rainbows whistled. From a distance, two of them were the fastest, almost instantly approaching. These two long rainbows contained Zhou Wutai and Yun Quezi.

With a sense of melancholy, Wang Lin stepped forward, and his entire being vanished from the spot, leaving only a trace of Divine Thought that echoed in the ears and minds of Zhou Wutai and Yun Quezi.

"I need some quiet…"

Zhou Wutai, in mid-air, was suddenly shaken the moment this Divine Thought entered his mind. This Divine Thought was very light, yet it made his mind tremble violently, as if he was facing heavenly might. In his shock, his heart immediately became respectful, and at the same time, there was more complexity.

"I never thought that after several hundred years, he would become so terrifyingly powerful…" Zhou Wutai, being the Vermilion Bird Son, quickly suppressed the shock in his heart. He sighed inwardly, cupped his fist towards Yun Quezi from afar, then turned and led his people away.

Yun Quezi's eyes showed even deeper complexity. Wang Lin's Divine Thought also caused his mind to tremble violently. Recalling the little child from back then, he had now reached such an unimaginable height. He sighed deeply, and in a trance, it was as if he saw again the young figure who had paid for his wine in the tavern that year.

Recalling the contention with the Vermilion Bird Son and the war between the Immortal Remnant Race and the Vermilion Bird Country, it all seemed insignificant now, like fleeting clouds. Unanimously, Zhou Wutai and Yun Quezi both blocked the news of Wang Lin's return. Except for the limited number of Cultivators who had awakened early, most people did not know that the former Wang Lin had returned to this Vermilion Bird Star… The reason they did this was because Wang Lin's Divine Thought revealed a hint of melancholy; he needed quiet and did not want to be disturbed.

Several days later, on a winding official road, Wang Lin slowly walked forward, gazing at the familiar scenes around him. His steps were not fast, and his entire being exuded a strong sense of loneliness. The setting sun enveloped the sky, casting his shadow long, and illuminating him with a lonely glow.

From a distance, Wang Lin at this moment did not look like a young man, but rather a weathered old man, a wanderer who had left his hometown many years ago.

Behind him, Tasan and Big Head silently followed. Tasan's expression remained unchanged; his duty was to protect Wang Lin, and if anyone dared to show hostility towards Wang Lin, he would be the first to act.

Big Head, on the other hand, was even more silent, his heart complex and unclear.

Wang Lin walked slowly forward. Everything around him felt vaguely familiar amidst its strangeness. This official road, in his memory, was originally a not-so-wide country path, but now, it was a completely different world, with things and people changed.

As he walked, the melancholy in Wang Lin's heart grew stronger. Vaguely, he saw the end of the official road ahead.

There, a massive city stood, bustling with people. Above the city gate, a gold-bordered, purple-backed plaque stood, bearing three large characters!

Imperial Ancestor City!

Gazing at the city from afar, Wang Lin stopped, staring blankly. Scenes from his hometown years ago appeared in his eyes, his parents' faces and smiles occupying his entire vision.

"It's changed…" A hint of sorrow appeared on Wang Lin's face. This city before him had dispelled everything in his memory.

The sounds of hooves and carriage wheels reverberated behind Wang Lin as he stood in silence. The ground trembled slightly, and before long, a caravan of carriages slowly approached.

This caravan was quite ordinary. Several riders led the way, galloping ahead. Behind them were several carriages. On the leading carriage, an old man with white hair sat in front of the carriage compartment. The old man's temples bulged high, and his eyes were like lightning, clearly indicating he was a master of the Martial Forest.

The old man occasionally raised his whip, cracking it to make the carriage go faster.

As he passed Wang Lin, the old man casually turned his head to glance at Wang Lin and his two companions, then withdrew his gaze and rode away.

Wang Lin, with a complex expression, slowly walked forward behind the carriages. There were guards at the city gate, responsible for checking travel permits; without one, entry would be denied.

This matter naturally went unnoticed by Wang Lin. As he walked past the guards, not a single person detected him. After entering the city, there were many pedestrians, and various shops lined both sides of the street, appearing bustling and vibrant.

With a sense of loneliness, Wang Lin slowly walked. The scenes before him felt very, very strange.

"Everything has changed…" Wang Lin stood in front of a shop, gazing at it, a trance in his eyes.

He remembered that here, there used to be an old locust tree, and beneath the tree was a bluestone. In his youth, he often sat here, reviewing his books.

He also remembered that his Fourth Uncle, who changed his life, gave him hope of cultivating Immortality. On that day, he was sitting on this bluestone, staring blankly at the blue sky.

At that time, he really wanted to know what the outside world was like… Gazing at this shop, Wang Lin fell silent. Several hundred years, a flick of a finger, might not be long for a Cultivator, but for Mortals, it was a complete transformation.

Perhaps he had been standing for too long, as the shop assistant emerged with a frown, about to reprimand him, but then caught sight of the burly Tasan behind Wang Lin, and was startled. Such big men like Tasan were rare here. His gaze swept over, and his second glance fell upon Big Head.

Big Head's appearance was strange and terrifying. Just one look made the assistant's face turn pale, causing him to retreat two steps. He looked at Wang Lin and, trying to compose himself, said, "I say, young man, our shop sells jade articles. If you want to buy, come in. If not, please leave. What do you mean by standing here?"

Wang Lin sighed softly and said, "Young man, was there an old locust tree here before?"

The assistant originally didn't want to answer, but seeing Tasan and Big Head behind Wang Lin, he still replied, "What old locust tree? I grew up in Imperial Ancestor City and have never seen any old locust tree."

The melancholy in Wang Lin's eyes deepened, tinged with bitterness. He turned and walked along the street into the city, with Tasan and Big Head following behind him.

Seeing Wang Lin leave, the young assistant snorted and returned to the shop. At this moment, an old man emerged from the back room. The old man was clearly aged, holding a dragon-head cane, accompanied by a young attendant supporting him. After coming out, he said in a hoarse voice, "What happened outside?"

The assistant quickly stepped forward, smiling, "Shopkeeper, nothing much. Just a few strange people asked me if there used to be an old locust tree here. I grew up here and have never seen any old locust tree. I guess those people mistook the place."

The old man was startled, and his dim eyes showed reminiscence. After a long while, he softly said, "I remember, when I was a child, I heard the older generation say that there was indeed an old locust tree here, a very, very long time ago."

The assistant was momentarily stunned but didn't take it to heart.

Wang Lin walked on, and the surrounding scenery held no familiarity at all; there was only endless strangeness. In his heart, there was an indescribable feeling, as if something was blocked, making him very uncomfortable.

As he walked, Wang Lin suddenly trembled. Over a thousand years of cultivation, at this moment, seemed fragile and不堪一击, crumbling layer by layer on his body, collapsing with a roar.

He was like an old man who had left his hometown many years ago, and after repeated moments of desolation, finally saw a familiar scene, experiencing that ineffable excitement.

Wang Lin looked ahead. At a distance of several hundred zhang, the area was surrounded by stone walls, and teams of numerous soldiers patrolled and guarded it strictly. Clearly, this was a protected area, allowing no one to enter.

In addition, dozens of Cultivator auras circulated within this several hundred zhang radius.

One could imagine that this was the most important place within Imperial Ancestor City!

Within these stone walls was a scene entirely different from the outside world. There were several houses that retained an ancient charm familiar to Wang Lin, and in front of the houses, there was a newly built grave mound.

The soldiers patrolling outside the surrounding city walls occasionally cast their gazes inside the walls, their eyes revealing heartfelt respect.