I am cautiously cultivating immortals in a strange world

"My lord... you're so domineering!"

Looking at the stone door that had been blasted open by a spear, Awen swallowed hard, his eyes filled with shock.

"It's alright."

Chen Lin replied calmly, then used his soul sense to probe the area before flying into the shattered stone gate.

Awen hurriedly followed.

His figure flashed.

The two landed in a hazy space, the entire space was dark, with only a small tree about a foot tall not far from them emitting a purple light.

It illuminates the area within a hundred feet.

Beside the sapling sat a young man in purple robes, his brow shimmering with purple light, his appearance quite different from that of a human.

It was exactly the same image of the young chieftain of the Purple Wood Clan that the young man had shown him.

"You're Herta?"

Chen Lin asked calmly.

The young man slowly raised his head, his eyes vacant.

The voice is dry.

"Are you here to kill me, or to save me?"

"I'd say it was a rescue."

Chen Lin replied, then walked to the small tree and focused his attention on sensing it.

Then his eyes flashed.

This thing is indeed quite something; the aura it emits alone makes his natal runes operate faster and become more active.

Do you want it too?

The young man turned his gaze to the sapling, his expression a complex mix of emotions.

"What, you don't want to keep it anymore? Isn't this the sacred tree of your Purple Wood Clan? Are you willing to give it up?"

Chen Lin raised an eyebrow.

"It is not a sacred tree, but a source of disaster."

The youth stood up from the ground.

Looking at Chen Lin, he said, "The Purple Wood Clan is gone, and I can't protect it. If you want it, you only need to do one thing for me, and it and Horseshoe Mountain will both be yours."

"what's up?"

Chen Lin was still thinking about what excuse he needed to take over Horseshoe Mountain, but the other party took the initiative to offer it, which saved him a lot of trouble.

"Kill the Netherworld Demon Ancestor!"

The young man emphasized his words.

Chen Lin immediately shook his head, "You mean Wan Shengming of the Ten Thousand Demon Cave, right? He's a Sovereign Realm expert. I don't have the ability to kill him."

In recent years, he has been cramming on information about the forces in the Star Ruins and has learned a lot about the names of the Sovereign Realm experts. This Netherworld Demon Ancestor is a veteran Demonic Sovereign. Although he is only at the first level, he is still someone that he cannot deal with.

"Then let's change the terms."

To Chen Lin's surprise.

Upon hearing his refusal, the young man immediately changed his request.

"Please cultivate this purple light wood to maturity, and give me one fruit after it bears fruit. In that way, I can hand over everything here to you."

"in addition."

He paused.

Then, he said seriously, "I will announce this to the public and write out the transaction documents to confirm that you did not plunder. As for whether you can keep this excellent place, that depends on your strength."

"But if we can't protect it, the sacred tree will be taken away."

The young man glanced at Chen Lin again.

"When you have the strength to kill the Netherworld Demon Ancestor, you must kill him as agreed."

"can."

After a moment's thought, Chen Lin agreed to the other party's request.

What he wanted was to have a 'legitimate' status.

Although there are no laws in the Star Ruins and plundering is commonplace, with this legitimate identity, he can use Bai Yujing's name to deter other powerful individuals from coveting his position.

This is very important.

If the name of Baiyujing is truly useful, then he will have a territory that is entirely his own. After the grand pilgrimage to the strange kingdom ends, he can manage it well and use it as the residence of the Kaiyuan Sect.

"Words alone are not enough; a contract is required."

The young man took out a contract scroll and wrote the contract contents on it with his own blood essence.

Then it was handed over to Chen Lin.

Chen Lin didn't waste any time; he glanced at it briefly and then branded it.

This level of contractual obligation actually has little binding effect on him; under the influence of that characteristic, it can be eliminated in an instant.

"Thank you, sir."

The young man's expression softened, and he bowed to Chen Linshen.

"In that case, I will not linger here. If I survive, I will naturally come to visit in the future. If I have not come after ten thousand years, then let's forget about the agreement on the Sacred Fruit."

After saying that, he flew away.

"Congratulations, sir, on obtaining this priceless treasure!"

Upon seeing this, Lao Xiu Awen immediately began to flatter and fawn.

Chen Lin shook his head.

“The young clan leader is right. This thing is a jinx, and it is beyond the protection of cultivators like you and me. So we should not be blinded and hand it over to the Heavenly Palace is the best choice.”

"All right."

No further explanation needed.

Chen Lin looked at Lao Xiu Awen.

"Our mission is complete. I will now activate the token handover. You may proceed as you see fit. All of our actions have been recorded by the Azure Profound Token, and our contributions will be evaluated accordingly."

Awen grinned.

He gave a dry laugh.

"This mission was completed by you alone, sir. I have made no contribution whatsoever. Moreover, the fate of so many of my comrades is unknown. I should be grateful if I am not punished."

Are there any penalties for missions to the Heavenly Palace?

Chen Lin immediately inquired.

"Of course."

Awen sighed.

He immediately explained, "But as long as it's not intentional inaction that leads to mission failure, there's no problem. I'm just... hehe."

Chen Lin suddenly realized.

Although the other party did not intentionally fail to act, they did not take any initiative either, so it is normal to have such concerns.

But there shouldn't be any punishment.

After all, Bai Lingyu specifically asked him to take care of this person, so as long as he doesn't go too far, there shouldn't be any problems.

"Alright, you can go out now."

Chen Lin sent Awen away.

He continued to observe the saplings before him and investigate the situation in this secret place.

It was quickly determined that the secret realm was not large, but it contained a special energy. It was this energy that caused poor visibility, making the place appear very dark.

Purplewood grows by absorbing this energy.

"No wonder it couldn't be transplanted."

Chen Lin muttered to himself.

He was also thinking that if he could take the sapling into his cave, he could cultivate it slowly on his own, but if he couldn't transplant it, it wouldn't work. It would be safer to hand it over to the Qingding Heavenly Palace.

Thinking about this...

He immediately activated the Azure Profound Token, entered the mission interface, and selected mission completion.

immediately.

The Azure Token lit up.

Chen Lin appeared in the familiar, cramped room.

But the person he dealt with was not Bai Lingyu, but an old man dressed in dark green robes.

"Well done."

The old man took Chen Lin's Azure Profound Token, examined it, and nodded slightly.

Then his tone turned somber.

"This mission was actually not difficult. With your skills, if you had cooperated well, such a big mistake would not have happened. Therefore, the evaluation is not high, and you can only get the most basic contribution."

"But you did a good job."

"Therefore, your status has been upgraded by one level, and you have been promoted to Yellow-level Elder. The specific information is contained in the Azure Profound Token. You can find out about it yourself later."

"Is there anything else you want to say?"

"Nothing."

Chen Lin shook his head.

He didn't know this person and didn't plan to discuss handing over the Purple Light Wood. He would wait until he met Bai Lingyu before bringing it up. He also needed Bai Lingyu's help with the matter of Horse Hoof Mountain.

"Then let's go back."

The old man didn't waste any words and simply waved his hand.

A flash of light. Chen Lin returned to Horseshoe Mountain.

He was somewhat disappointed.

Since they couldn't meet Bai Lingyu, many questions remained unanswered. The old man was clearly a high-level being difficult to approach, so asking him was pointless.

Now, in this case...

He either has to wait for Bai Lingyu to contact him, or he has to wait for the trade fair to start.

It's useless to be anxious.

In the blink of an eye.

Chen Lin suppressed his frustration and enthusiastically activated the Azure Profound Token.

really.

The task has been completed, and all 5,000 contribution points belong to him.

There's also the upgrade in status.

When promoted from ordinary offering to yellow level, the basic contribution points increase to five per year, and one is exempted from the penalty of refusing a task. At the same time, one has the authority to offset the penalty with contribution points.

The ability to redeem treasures has been increased.

When encountering danger, you can request help from powerful figures in the Heavenly Palace, but of course, this requires payment.

Upon seeing this, Chen Lin's eyes lit up.

Check the details immediately.

Then his lips twitched.

A sovereign-level worshipper earns at least a thousand contribution points for each action, while a slightly more powerful one earns three to five thousand, or even tens of thousands. With such a small contribution, he can't accomplish much.

Moreover, there was no information indicating the offerings.

We don't know who will be invited, and if the person who comes is not capable enough, the contribution points will be wasted.

There is no such thing as a refund.

However, regardless of the circumstances, this permission is a life-saving trump card and is still somewhat useful.

These are basically all the permissions.

Chen Lin then turned his attention to the treasure vault.

With 5,000 contribution points free of hidden dangers, it was time to buy some items. Over the years, he had read the treasure catalog countless times, and there were some things he really coveted.

Also.

To occupy Horseshoe Mountain, a powerful formation is indispensable.

We cannot rely entirely on the name of Bai Yujing.

Moreover, he cannot stay here indefinitely; he can only rely on the formation for protection.

I flipped through it for a while.

Chen Lin couldn't help but smack his lips.

Low-level formations are useless to him; they must be at the Dominator level, and they must be able to defend against mid-level Dominators, and even against strange creatures.

Besides.

It also requires well-crafted array plates and array flags.

Because he neither had the time nor the ability to set up the formation, even if he brought Wen Xinzhao over, it would be useless; the other party's level was too low to create such a high-level formation.
However, with such demands, there are not many options left, and each one involves a massive amount of contribution.

The more I look at it...

Chen Linyue had a headache.
They even considered abandoning the place for now.

He has a lot to do, and Luo Qinglan and the others won't be coming out for the time being, so there's no need to build a base in the short term.

If all else fails, there's always the Shattered Star Ring area where you can find shelter.

But then I thought about it again.

If we abandon this place now and it is occupied by others, it will be difficult to get it back. Even with the recognition of the Purple Wood Clan, it won't work, since the Purple Light Wood is a sacred tree.

When faced with the allure of great treasures, all rules seem insignificant.

no way.

In the end, Chen Lin gritted his teeth and spent 2,600 contribution points to purchase a formation called the Thousand Locks Formation.

That's it.

He could only purchase it after being promoted to Yellow-level Venerable. If he hadn't been promoted, he wouldn't even have the right to purchase it, let alone see it on the list.

After selecting to purchase.

Several more items appeared in the space of the Azure Profound Token.

There is also a jade slip.

Chen Lin took out the jade slip and examined its contents.

It contains a very detailed introduction to the formation and how to set it up.

This formation does not have the effect of killing or trapping enemies; its only function is to prevent any object from passing through it, much like a door with a thousand locks.

The area it covers is not large.

no way.

His formation level requirement is too high, so he can only choose this kind with a single effect, otherwise the contribution is not enough.

of course.

It has obvious disadvantages, but also obvious advantages.

It can not only defend against mid-level rulers, but also has a defensive effect against some strange creatures and even bizarre creatures.

It can even block inanimate objects like magical artifacts.

It has a very wide defensive range.

It's perfect for this context.

Horseshoe Mountain is surrounded by strange mountain ranges on three sides, which have the effect of resisting mid-level rulers. Only the entrance and exit need to be blocked, and the range of this Thousand Lock Array is barely enough.

Next.

Chen Lin then began refining the array-setting equipment.

Such a high-level formation cannot be set up with just formation plates and flags; it also requires many key elements and a sufficient energy source.

Fortunately, he also had a deep understanding of formations; otherwise, even if he had this knowledge, he wouldn't have been able to set it up.

Shake.

Six months have passed.

Chen Lin finally finished refining the array plate and other items, and began to set up the array, while Su Er assisted him from the side.

With the help of a large amount of iridescent crystal marrow, her body finally recovered and did not revert to its bird form.

Unfortunately.

The ancestral spirit's remnant soul was exhausted and could no longer be summoned, so naturally it could not help the little white snake and others resolve the abnormality.

Even their own strength has declined significantly.

But Chen Lin was very grateful to the other party.

I also feel a little guilty.

The reason why the ancestral spirit went silent was because it helped him improve the Xuanjin Spear and infused its own essence into the spear.

He has already agreed to it.

When I am strong enough one day, I will definitely help the Golden Warrior Clan restore its glory and recreate its former splendor.

Another six months have passed.

With the basic formation set up, Chen Lin began conducting various experiments.

He was very satisfied with the result.

Even the anchor point effect of the Zodiac Secret Realm will be cut off without using a pass token.

It can easily block ordinary Overlords.

As for whether he could stop a mid-level ruler, he couldn't find a strong person at that level to test it, but he felt it shouldn't be a big problem.

Would you like to stay here?

With the formation set up, Chen Lin prepared to depart and asked Su Er for his opinion.

"It's entirely up to you, sir."

Suer answered respectfully.

Chen Lin thought for a moment and said, "Then let's stay here for now. You can use the purple light wood to cultivate. As long as no high-level ruler appears, this place is still safe. I'll replace you when I find a suitable person."

He really had no one else available.

Only beings with extremely high life levels can follow him into the Zodiac Secret Realm; bringing people here is not easy.

"Yes!"

Suer readily agreed.

Chen Lin nodded, "Then I'll have to trouble you."

The other party was not his subordinate, and although they were respectful to him, he could not order them around at will.

He then gave another explanation.

He placed the anchor point for the last Zodiac Secret Realm here.

This place is deep in the Northern Region, which is worthy of being an anchor point in itself, not to mention that such a great price has been paid, so we cannot give up easily.

Processing complete.

Chen Lin first went back to Dream City.

After gathering some information, they made arrangements for Shen Xiaoyu and her father, then went to check on the Shattered Star Ring. Finding nothing had changed, they returned to Horseshoe Mountain.

Then they headed straight for the Black Stone Forest. (End of Chapter)