I established the Eternal Immortal Clan by taming beasts.

Deep within the Black Tooth Swamp, beside the enormous, pitch-black pool of water, a bustling crowd had gathered.

The miasma flowed slowly through the forest, but it did nothing to dampen the cultivators' enthusiasm.

At the edge of the pool, groups of cultivators of all kinds gathered.

There were wandering cultivators, covered in dust and equipped with various gears, whose eyes held both a yearning for opportunity and a hint of the wariness typical of lone warriors.

There were also cultivators from smaller families who dressed relatively uniformly and looked out for each other. Their expressions were shrewd, hoping to get a share of the spoils from the Zhao family.

According to the information released by the Zhao family, the ancient ruins are hidden in this pool of water, which is even larger than an ordinary lake.

At this moment, through the slightly rippling dark water, a faint halo can be seen flowing underwater, which is the ancient formation guarding the ruins.

However, with the erosion of time, this formation has become dilapidated, and its ability to conceal itself has been greatly reduced. Occasionally, when the light fluctuates, one can glimpse the broken walls and ruins that are faintly visible beneath it, stirring the hearts of every cultivator present.

"Why haven't you started yet?" A man with a large knife hanging at his waist and a weathered face rubbed his hands together.

He couldn't help but mutter under his breath, his eyes fixed on the water: "I'm not greedy. I'll go straight to the spirit herb garden later. As long as I collect the three kinds of rare second-tier spirit herbs hanging in the mission hall of Chuyang City, my battle merits will be enough to exchange for Foundation Establishment Pills!"

Upon hearing this, a cold-looking cultivator in blue robes, holding a long sword, curled his lips into a disdainful smile and snorted, "Short-sighted! A few spiritual herbs are enough to satisfy you?"

The cultivation lineage is the key! With the ancient Daoist tradition, how can we worry about resources in the future?

"Those mere elixirs will be readily available then!"

Not far away, a middle-aged man dressed in a simple Taoist robe with a resolute expression was solemnly instructing several young disciples beside him: "This opportunity is once in a thousand years. Our clan lacks high-level cultivation techniques, which has limited us for generations."

In any case, we must find a complete cultivation technique that allows us to cultivate to the Foundation Establishment stage or above!

This is the foundation of our family's rise; no matter the dangers, we cannot retreat!

Discussions, expectations, and debates rose and fell.

Every face was filled with a burning desire for opportunity, their eyes blazing, as if they could already see their future where their wishes would be fulfilled and the path to success was within reach.

As for danger? Fear? Or what kind of trap is there?

For these cultivators who spend their lives risking their lives and fighting against fate, it's not a problem at all.

The path of cultivation is like rowing against the current. If you are timid and afraid of danger, you might as well go home and farm. What's the point of cultivating immortality or asking about the Dao?

……

Inside the makeshift tents, the atmosphere was completely different from the hustle and bustle outside.

Zhou Wanhong, the current patriarch of the Zhou family, sat upright in a sandalwood chair, a perfectly measured smile always on his round face.

Her already small eyes narrowed even further, her gaze settling on Zhao Wenxuan, who sat upright opposite her, her tone as gentle as if she were having a casual chat:

"Brother Wenxuan, how is your observation? Has Lin Che... shown up?" He gently stroked the warm teacup with his fingertips, his posture relaxed.

Zhao Wenxuan maintained a solemn expression, preserving the dignity and composure befitting the head of the family. He didn't even lift his eyelids upon hearing this, and his voice remained calm and even: "No findings so far."

He paused, then his tone became firm, with a hint of cold sarcasm: "However, how could a rogue cultivator with no foundation dare to establish a family and spread his influence here? He must be someone who is content with mediocrity and shrinks back in fear."

He will surely come to this opportunity regarding the art of beast taming.

He slowly raised his eyes, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth: "As long as he dares to step into the ruins and seek opportunities, no matter what trump cards he has hidden, it will be in vain."

Even with the utmost caution, they will still fall victim to his schemes. At that point, Lin Che will be no threat! Without him, the destruction of the Lin family is only a matter of time.

"Hehe, Brother Wenxuan's plan is thorough and excellent."

Zhou Wanhong's smile deepened, making him appear even more kind and honest. He leaned forward slightly, his tone carrying a hint of earnest advice.

"However, brother, I still have to add a word: it's better to resolve conflicts than to let them fester."

In the cultivation world, ultimately, cooperation is the only way to achieve a win-win situation.

Such relentless pressure may escalate the conflict, which is not a wise strategy for either family in the long run.

Zhao Wenxuan sneered inwardly. This week, Fatty Zhou was just putting on airs. His words were ostensibly meant to dissuade him, but in reality, they were just stirring up trouble.

He simply wanted to use the Zhao family to eliminate a major threat, while he himself wanted to hide behind the scenes and reap the benefits.

"Hmph!" Zhao Wenxuan twitched his nostrils slightly and let out a cold snort, his gaze piercing Zhou Wanhong like a knife.

"Fatty Zhou, it's just the two of us here, why bother with this pretense?"

The family most afraid of the Lin family becoming too powerful is probably your Zhou family!

What happened when they tried to suppress others in the spiritual food business?

They immediately came up with a new formula, leaving you completely humiliated!

If this continues, it's likely that not only spiritual food, but all businesses related to spirit beasts will be largely taken over by the Lin family!

"What, now that things have come to this, you still want to hide in the back and watch from the sidelines, waiting for my Zhao family to clear the obstacles for you?"

This ruthless revelation caused Zhou Wanhong's smile to freeze for a moment, and a barely perceptible shadow flashed in his eyes.

But he quickly regained his composure, chuckled, and waved his hand, saying:

"Brother Wenxuan, you flatter me. You're joking, you're joking."

Normal competition in business is inevitable; there's no question of suppression.

His tone remained calm, but his attitude was clear.

The Zhou family would never easily engage in a direct confrontation with the Lin family.

Even though Lin Che is the only one supporting the Lin family on the surface, the exact number of spirit beasts under his command remains a mystery.

Leaving aside Lin Che's own potential hidden strength, those armored crocodile turtles with their astonishing defenses alone were no pushovers.

They've been here for so many years, they know all too well what these armored alligator snapping turtles are like.

He was absolutely unwilling to face a possible desperate counterattack from the Lin family before he had absolute certainty; the price would be too high.

"Heh..." Zhao Wenxuan was somewhat disdainful, but ultimately said nothing more.

……

Within the Azure Mystery Realm, spiritual energy abounds, and the scenery is breathtaking, a world apart from the polluted environment outside.

Lin Che was asking the Cangming Spirit Serpent about his knowledge of the ruins.

Compared to its offspring, which are less than a hundred years old, this old creature, which has lived in the pool for over four hundred years, knows much more about the place where it was born.

According to its description, the ruins are also filled with poisonous miasma and teeming with monsters, making it a veritable lair for them.

The massive array protecting the ruins had long been in disrepair and was riddled with holes, with many places damaged.

At the bottom of the pool where they were, there was a hidden cave that connected to a complex underground waterway, allowing them to bypass the array barrier and enter the ruins.

In fact, beneath the pools of water deep within the Black Tooth Swamp, there are many similar secret passages, interconnected in all directions, like a maze, many of which lead to the core area shrouded in the light of the array.

"So, there's more than one entrance to the ruins that allows one to bypass the formation and enter silently?" Lin Che stroked his chin, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes.

He instantly grasped the key point.

It is certain that some cultivator discovered the loopholes in these formations, infiltrated them, and found this ruin. The Zhao family learned of this and then chose to develop this place.

However, after that, they may encounter some intractable trouble internally, or discover a situation that they cannot handle on their own.

Only then did they "generously" reveal the news of the ruins to the public, intending to achieve some purpose through the hands of many independent cultivators.

After confirming with the Cangming Spirit Serpent that there were no special restrictions on entering or leaving the ruins, Lin Che made a decisive decision to sneak in before the Zhao family officially broke the formation at noon and learn about the secrets he did not know!

Leaving the safe Qingxuan Secret Realm, Lin Che once again plunged into the icy black water.

Led by the late-stage Foundation Establishment Cangming Spirit Serpent, he followed closely behind, burrowing into the underwater cave and traveling forward along the winding, dark underground waterway.

After an unknown amount of time, they sensed a faint fluctuation of an array coming from the water ahead. They quietly slipped into the ruins through an inconspicuous broken section.

The water inside the ruins was also pitch black, and the pungent, fishy stench, a mixture of decay and poison, was several times stronger than that outside.

A cold, foul aura permeated the water, seemingly capable of eroding one's soul, causing Lin Che to involuntarily furrow his brow.

He quickly retrieved the Azure Serpent back into the secret realm, and at the same time, he fully circulated his true essence, transforming his figure into a dazzling golden light as he rapidly rushed upwards.

The moment he broke through the water, the Heart of All Beasts, granting him a special perception of living beings, suddenly issued a warning.

Something is watching him!

Lin Che's expression hardened, and he leaped onto the shore without hesitation.

However, even with my feet firmly on the ground, the eerie feeling of being watched did not disappear and still lingered in my mind.

However, his divine sense repeatedly swept across the dark water behind him, but he did not find any demonic beasts following him.

He dared not be careless and continued to circulate his true energy, causing the golden scales on his body to shimmer and form a protective shield.

Only then did he begin to cautiously survey his surroundings.

What I saw was a scene of extreme desolation.

Amidst the ruins, one can still vaguely discern the sturdy enclosures once built for the spirit beasts, as well as the simple stone houses where the disciples lived.

A huge feeding trough, carved from spirit wood, was mostly buried in filthy mud, with only a decaying corner showing.

Lin Che immediately used the Absolute Concealment Divine Power, and his figure and aura instantly vanished without a trace.

He wielded the large black sword on his back, silently ascending into the air, passing over the once neatly planned spirit beast gardens, whose boundaries had now become blurred.

Looking down, all that could be seen was desolation.

The once carefully tended spiritual plants have grown wildly and mutated, turning into strange plants with dark colors and distorted shapes, wantonly invading every inch of space.

Most of the fences and walls that originally divided the area have collapsed, and the protective magic arrays have all failed, allowing different kinds of monsters to mingle and roam freely.

Whether it's these spirit beast gardens or other architectural ruins further away, traces of demonic beast activity are everywhere.

Under the protection of Absolute Emptiness, Lin Che moved like a ghost, passing over the heads of the ferocious-looking monsters without arousing the slightest alarm.

He took the opportunity to observe closely, but the information from the system made him frown.

The bloodlines of these monsters are mostly contaminated by a strange neurotoxin!

This force is rooted in their very being, causing them to descend into frenzy and savagery, completely robbing them of the possibility of communication and taming.

Lin Che finally learned the reason after communicating with the Azure Serpent in the secret realm again.

If it weren't for the fact that their clan possessed the bloodline of the Azure Dragon, giving them the innate ability to purify impurities and expel toxins from their bodies, they would probably not have escaped the fate of being corrupted.

Looking across the entire ruins, it seems that only the venomous pythons, which have extremely strong resistance to toxins, can barely maintain the purity of their bloodline; almost all the other monsters have fallen into this state.

"How could a sect specializing in beast taming possibly establish itself in such a perilous place?" Lin Che's doubts deepened; this was completely illogical.

Maintaining absolute emptiness consumes a huge amount of true essence, so Lin Che didn't stay put to think. He wanted to delve deeper and find out the reason.

He wielded the sword-shaped magical weapon, silently passing over the frenzied beasts below, and flew straight towards the most magnificent and dilapidated main hall complex at the very center of the ruins.

Whatever the Zhao and Zhou families were secretly plotting, they could never have imagined that Lin Che had already gotten there first and arrived at the heart of their scheme.

……