I established the Eternal Immortal Clan by taming beasts.

"We're almost there, Sparrow. You all go back to the Azure Mystic Realm. We'll call you out again when we need you."

Lin Che stopped, no longer far from the sleeping zone.

A grayish-yellow mist swirled around him, carrying a suffocating aura of malevolence.

With each breath, I could feel that damp, cold, rusty smell seeping into my lungs.

In the distance, the faint roar of the dead could be heard. The sound was deep and distant, like a sigh from the depths of the earth, or the final lament of the monsters that died in battle a thousand years ago.

He has already achieved half of his goal on this trip.

Kill three cultivators to obtain materials for forming the Golden Core.

Those few drops of demonic bone essence are the main ingredients for refining the "Demon-Sealing Golden Pill". Each drop is priceless and has a price but no market.

In the past few days, he has encountered two drops of the essence of the Fiend Bone, while the three cultivators he hunted contributed three drops to him.

Five drops in total.

Five drops of the essence of the Demonic Bone—if the Lin family possesses that pill formula and the refining process goes smoothly, these will amount to five Golden Core pills.

Five of them would be enough to multiply the number of Golden Core cultivators in the Lin family several times over.

Xuan Jing is already in the late stage of Foundation Establishment, just one step away from Core Formation. With the best talent, once he forms a Golden Core, breaking through is almost a certainty.

Xuanqi and Xuanfeng are also making steady progress, with a solid foundation; what they lack is time.

Lin Che took a deep breath and brought his thoughts back to the present moment.

Next up is the Blood Jade Infant Marrow in the deepest part of the secret realm, the Sleeping Zone.

That was a supreme treasure that could increase the probability of a Golden Core cultivator forming a Nascent Soul by 30%. It was his most important goal on this trip, and something that all Golden Core cultivators dreamed of.

Instead of making a big show of barging in, Lin Che directly activated Absolute Void Concealment.

His figure vanished from the mist without leaving a trace, without any spiritual energy fluctuations, and without even a trace of his aura, as if he had never existed.

After all, he couldn't possibly kill all the cultivators gathered deep within the secret realm.

He had already severely damaged the three families by killing so many Golden Core cultivators.

He killed most of the Cheng family members and retainers he sent in, especially the Cheng family.

That was their wealth accumulated over hundreds of years, the source of their confidence to run rampant in Burning Bone City.

Lin Che could already foresee the scene of internal strife among the three families in the future.

Given the severity of the losses, and considering the way those three companies operate, they will inevitably become suspicious and accusatory of each other, and may even come to blows.

Rather than letting the Lin family fight against them, it would be better to let the three families fight each other.

The Lin family still needs to preserve its strength for continued development, and its trump cards need to remain hidden.

It is not advisable to make a big fuss about it when you are out in public.

If nothing unexpected happens, Lin Che will not be sending Que'er and the others into battle next.

Because he had a better plan.

…………

"Let's go, we're not waiting any longer!"

Cheng Wanjun gritted his teeth and issued the order, his voice filled with barely suppressed anger and resentment, as well as a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.

He hadn't seen any more of his clansmen for so long, and even if he didn't want to admit it, he had to accept the reality: most of them were probably not coming back.

He didn't know whether he died at the hands of a vengeful spirit, was devoured by malevolent energy, or was assassinated by some other force.

Or perhaps... by that person from the Lin family.

He banished the thought from his mind.

Impossible, just based on that early stage of the Golden Core realm?

There must be another reason why so many people disappeared.

They must have been intercepted and killed by other forces, or besieged in a place with particularly strong malevolent energy.

It must be.

We can't deal with them anymore.

time does not wait.

Other forces and the alliance of rogue cultivators who have already ventured deeper into the secret realm will not wait for them.

There is only one spirit item for forming an infant; whoever gets it first has a better chance.

He could already see several figures appearing and disappearing in the mist in the distance; they were people from Tingyuxuan and the Iron-Blooded Mercenary Group.

They were also hurrying deeper into the area, their steps hurried, afraid of falling behind.

"Don't let me find out which of you did it!" he muttered through gritted teeth, his gaze sweeping over the forces that had already gone far away, a ruthless glint in his eyes.

If something were to happen to our people, or if they were trapped somewhere, it would be too late to think about them now.

The most important thing right now is to create a spirit object for the infant.

Now, including themselves, there are still twelve people on this side, and they still have the strength to fight against other forces.

"Alright." He Zhenyue sighed and turned his gaze to the depths of the secret realm.

He knew what was important and what was urgent, and he knew that now was not the time to assign blame. Cheng Wanjun was right.

We'll investigate further once we get out.

If it really was those few families who did it, then the He family is not one to be trifled with.

The group descended the hill and began their ascent into the grayish-yellow mist.

They walked quickly, even hastily, their footsteps crunching on the bone meal beneath their feet.

No one noticed that Lin Che had been waiting for them for quite some time not far away.

He remained completely hidden and followed at a leisurely pace.

Walking about a hundred paces behind the three groups, not too far or too close, I could just see their every move clearly.

……

Compared to the Shallow Sleep Zone and the "Wandering Zone" in the middle, there are significantly more remnant souls in the "Deep Sleep Zone".

Beneath each enormous skeleton slumbers at least one soul at the Golden Core stage.

Their souls were more solid and darker in color than those on the periphery, changing from a translucent grayish-white to a dark grayish-black, like solidified smoke.

Within each patch of dark red mist, countless remnants of Foundation Establishment stage souls drifted.

They have no fixed shape; some resemble a blurry mass of light and shadow, while others look like incomplete animal forms, drifting silently in the mist.

From time to time, remnant souls that have been awakened launch fierce attacks on the various squads, sometimes even in groups.

They rose from the skeletons, their crimson eyes fixed on the living, their illusory fangs bared, emitting piercing hiss.

The remnant souls of those in the Foundation Establishment stage swarmed in from all directions like locusts.

The souls of the Golden Core stage act alone, each carrying the most ferocious killing intent from their lifetime. They do not attack easily, but once they do, it is a thunderous strike.

Those who come here are likely all Golden Core cultivators, and they are all in teams. They have also prepared magical artifacts and spiritual objects to suppress the souls of demonic beasts before coming, so dealing with them is no problem.

Someone offered up an evil-repelling bead, and a dark blue light shield kept the remnant souls outside. The remnant souls that touched the light shield turned into wisps of green smoke and emitted sharp screechs.

Someone waved a soul-driving banner, the black banner fluttering in the wind, shaking back the approaching spirits.

Someone threw out a soul-suppressing talisman and stuck it to the ground. The remaining souls within a radius of several feet instantly froze, like butterflies frozen in place.

Each squad was advancing rapidly, and no one wanted to fall behind.

Getting ahead of others gives you a better chance.

"stop!"

Cheng Wanjun gave the order, his voice booming through the mist.

Everyone stopped in their tracks without hesitation, immediately summoning defensive magical artifacts, employing defensive techniques, and throwing out defensive talismans.

Because they have already seen it.

The distant sky began to darken, and the already dim light became even darker, as if an invisible hand was slowly pulling down the curtain of the sky.

The grayish-yellow fog began to grow thick and heavy, no longer drifting lightly, but rather as if some enormous creature was churning deep within it, each breath carrying a heavy sense of oppression.

The tide of malevolent energy has erupted!

Lin Che did not hesitate either, and directly summoned a large cauldron.

This cauldron has been with him for many years. He obtained it from the Chen family and upgraded it to a third-tier superior grade through the system. It is known for its wood elemental energy and has extremely strong defensive capabilities.

He flicked his finger, and a stream of spiritual energy flowed into the cauldron. A green light shield emerged from the cauldron's mouth, enveloping his entire body.

The light shield was solid and thick, with vine-like patterns flowing across its surface, full of vitality, which contrasted sharply with the surrounding deathly fog.

In a short while, the sky turned as dark as night.

The light that had been barely enough to see completely disappeared, replaced by a dark, dull red, like congealed blood.

The fog no longer churned, but instead pressed down as if by an invisible giant hand, clinging tightly to the ground, heavy and suffocating.

Then, the tide came.

Dark, malevolent energy surged forth from the depths of the slumbering area like a burst dam, engulfing everything in its path.

That was no ordinary wind, no ordinary fog, but a tide carrying the resentment of a thousand years and the aura of death, a release of the resentment that had accumulated in this burial ground for a hundred years.

Where the tide passes, bone meal on the ground is swept up and forms grayish-white vortices in the air. These vortices spin and howl like small tornadoes.

The souls that slept among the bones were awakened, letting out mournful cries, surging with the tide like withered leaves swept into a flood.

The dark, malevolent energy surged and hissed as it touched the cultivator's defensive artifact.

The spiritual light emanating from the ritual artifact was fading at a visible rate.

The light of a protective bead went from dazzling to dim in less than ten breaths, and fine cracks appeared on the surface of the bead, making it seem like it could shatter at any moment.

The spiritual patterns on a black jade shield went from clear to blurry, the array patterns on the shield surface began to break, and the spiritual light flickered like a candle in the wind.

Its power is evident.

Without protection, if a Golden Core cultivator is submerged in malevolent energy for more than ten breaths, their protective aura will collapse, and their physical body will be directly exposed to erosion.

If it were a Foundation Establishment cultivator, they might instantly turn into bones, their flesh and blood devoured by the baleful energy, leaving only a pale skeleton.

Cheng Wanjun stood in the center of the group, his hands forming a hand seal. A dark red light screen unfolded from his palms, enveloping the clansmen around him.

He Zhenyue took out an ancient bronze mirror from his storage bag and tossed it into the air. The mirror hung above everyone's heads, casting a golden light that blocked the evil tide.

Each of the three factions had its own methods, and the twelve Golden Core cultivators working together were very well prepared, so resisting them was a piece of cake.

The light curtain intertwined with golden light, and the copper light collided with malevolent energy, creating a small safe area in the dark tide.

Lin Che hid under the cauldron a hundred feet away. The emerald green light shield trembled slightly in the tide, but remained stable.

The ever-renewing vitality of the Wood element perfectly counteracts the erosion of malevolent energy.

When the two collided, the malevolent energy was neutralized by the spiritual energy of the Wood element and vanished into nothingness.

The tide lasted for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and then began to recede.

The dark, malevolent aura, like the receding tide, slowly retreated into the depths of the slumbering zone, revealing the wasteland ravaged by them.

The bone meal on the ground was blown away completely, revealing the hard, grayish-black soil underneath, which was covered with fine cracks, like a riverbed that had been dry for a long time.

Some of the skeletons that were once standing upright were washed away by the tide and scattered all over the ground. The broken bones rolled on the hard soil and made a dull sound.

Some still stand, but their surfaces are covered with fine cracks, like stones that have been weathered for thousands of years, and they would shatter at the slightest touch.

"Let's go!" Cheng Wanjun put away the light screen, disregarding the need for rest, and strode towards the depths of the dormant area.

The others, too caught up in their own breath, followed suit, their footsteps echoing rapidly across the wasteland.

Lin Che waited until they were far away before putting away the large cauldron and following them at a leisurely pace.

…………

At the deepest part of the dormant zone lies a vast basin.

In the center of the basin is a large pool of blood, with a natural stone platform floating in the middle. The platform is not high, only about ten feet high, but it stands out conspicuously in this desolate land.

A fist-sized, dark red crystal lay quietly on the stone platform.

The light emitted by the crystal was not dazzling, but it possessed a captivating allure.

It was as if it wasn't emitting light, but rather "breathing," and with each flicker, the surrounding malevolent energy would tremble slightly.

That is the Blood Jade Infant Marrow.

Several groups of people had already gathered around the stone platform.

On the left are the loose cultivator alliance of Burning Bone Pass and Listening Rain Pavilion.

The Loose Cultivator Alliance sent seven or eight Golden Core cultivators, led by an old man with white hair, a gaunt face, and a somewhat indifferent expression. His cultivation was unfathomable, at least at the late Golden Core stage.

He was wearing a faded gray robe and holding a dragon-patterned staff in his hand.

The Listening Rain Pavilion was led by its owner, Song San Niang, with eight Golden Core cultivators following behind.

Song San Niang wore a long, crimson-purple dress, her hair was styled in a high bun, her face was like a peach blossom, and her peach blossom eyes were smiling and charming.

On the surface, Tingyuxuan operates a teahouse, but in reality, it is the largest underground intelligence exchange in Burning Bone City, selling information on the movements of monsters, bounty missions, and secrets of various forces. It is deeply rooted in Burning Bone City and has a wide network of connections.

On the right is the Iron-Blooded Mercenary Group, led by a middle-aged man with a resolute face, a burly build, and an aura as sharp as a knife.

This person is none other than the regimental commander, "Bloody Hand" Zhao Tie.

The mercenary group, composed of independent cultivators, is based in Burning Bone City and has over a hundred official members. It is the largest mercenary organization in Burning Bone City and specializes in taking on jobs that others dare not take on.

And Cheng Wanjun and his group arrived last.

All parties are watching and waiting, and no one dares to make the first move.

The atmosphere around the stone platform was so heavy it seemed to drip water.

Everyone stared at the Blood Jade Infant Marrow, their eyes practically overflowing with greed, yet everyone waited.

Wait for others to make the first move, wait for others to reveal their weaknesses, and wait for an opportunity to fish in troubled waters.

No one wants to be the first to act, because the first person to act will become everyone's target.

No one was willing to give up, because it was the opportunity to form a nascent soul, a ladder to heaven, and a chance to change one's destiny.

Lin Che stood at a distance, hidden in the mist, watching all of this.

His gaze shifted from the Blood Jade Infant Marrow to the groups of people, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

"Since none of you are in a hurry, I'm even less in a hurry!"

His figure appeared and disappeared in the mist, like a ghost without substance, waiting quietly.