Chapter 89: The Road East

Lin Yun didn't believe the mysterious figure could have been human. Even if he looked the part, Jiang Zhengqing had been very clear: the Ancient Forbidden Land hadn't been opened for a very, very long time. In that case, how could a living person possibly exist in a place like this? Especially in the world outside the Meta-Realm. This was the territory of exotic beasts, each one stronger than the last. Lin Yun was confident that even a Myriad Law Realm expert would gain no advantage here.

This only served to illustrate what a true monster of a cultivator the Beast Taming Sect's senior who originally controlled this place must have been. A situation that was completely overwhelming for them was something he likely never even gave a second thought.

The dense forest was silent. The only sound was that of his own footsteps. He had initially thought survival here would be incredibly difficult, but thanks to the knowledge from the Compendium of Mountains and Seas, he knew a great deal about exotic beasts. This allowed him to turn danger into safety time and time again whenever he encountered one.

Of course, this didn't mean he could rest on his laurels. The real challenge had only just begun…

With Lin Yun cut off in the Ancient Forbidden Land, Jiang Zhengqing immediately tried every possible remedy. But it seemed he was too late. When the elders had opened the passage, they failed to bring Lin Yun back and were instead hit by a terrifying backlash of power from within. Several of them sustained minor injuries, and for the time being, they were unable to open the portal again.

When this news reached Jiang Zhengqing, his fury intensified. Lin Yun had been on the verge of returning. To have such a catastrophe occur at this critical juncture—who could possibly tolerate it?

"Junior Brothers," he said, his voice heavy, "this matter concerns the entire future of our Beast Taming Sect. Do any of you have a good solution?" At this point, all Jiang Zhengqing could do was pool their collective wisdom, hoping one of his junior brothers could come up with an effective plan. His options were limited.

Hearing his question, everyone in the Great Hall could only look at each other in dismay. A solution? If it were that easy to solve, they wouldn't be in this mess.

"Sect Master, I believe the most pressing matter is to figure out what is preventing us from opening the passage to the Forbidden Land," Ning Changkong was the first to speak. "This doesn't just concern Lin Yun; it affects the future of our entire sect."

No matter how one looked at it, the Ancient Forbidden Land was the property of the Beast Taming Sect. Even if they hadn't used it for many years, it was an undeniable fact that the disciples who emerged from it in the past were all incredibly powerful. The place was a true crucible for forging cultivators. Thus, regardless of their other considerations, the sect could not allow such a change to happen to it.

Jiang Zhengqing nodded in agreement. Looking at the elders below, his expression grew increasingly grim.

"I have known for a long time that some within our sect have begun cooperating with the Flowing Cloud Sect," he said, his voice cold. "But you are all my junior brothers, so I did not say much. After Junior Brother Wu was apprehended, I had thought the matter was settled. I never imagined you people could be so utterly insensible."

Jiang Zhengqing was furious. Both the Ancient Forbidden Land and Lin Yun were of paramount importance to him. How could he tolerate being schemed against like this?

"So what if Lin Yun is trapped inside?" he declared loudly. "You may want him dead, but I am telling you, that is impossible!"

The Great Hall remained silent. Jiang Zhengqing's words sounded nice, but none of them believed Lin Yun could make it out alive. The passage was closed. Inside, Lin Yun would have to face exotic beasts far stronger than the Origin Sea Realm. And he was supposed to rely on his own strength?

Jiang Zhengqing had hoped to brainstorm a solution, but even with so many of them, no viable plan emerged. What followed was a long investigation to uncover who was secretly trying to kill Lin Yun and what their motive was. But even after more than a month, the investigation yielded no results.

During this time, Jiang Zhengqing tried countless times to force the Ancient Forbidden Land open. At first, he could still establish a faint connection, but later, he found that the connection had vanished completely, as if the place had gone off the grid. Even using his own secret arts, he could no longer sense its existence.

The stress and failure took their toll. Jiang Zhengqing fell gravely ill. The one glimmer of hope he had seen was so easily extinguished.

Cloud Pavilion

"Congratulations, Sect Master! A joyous occasion!"

Xiao Pingtian shot a cold glare at the elder who was busy flattering his master.

"Master, was it really necessary to go to such trouble?" he asked, a hint of resentment in his voice. "To deal with Lin Yun, you nearly played your trump card."

The news of Lin Yun's disappearance in the Ancient Forbidden Land had already spread throughout the cultivation world. The Flowing Cloud Sect, naturally, spun it as a case of karma—good deeds are rewarded, and evil deeds are punished. But only Xiao Pingtian and a few others knew that this was one of Gu Xiande's schemes. He didn't know how his master had managed it, but he had somehow eliminated Lin Yun right under Jiang Zhengqing's nose.

"Of course, it might not have been necessary," Gu Xiande replied coolly. "But could you truly guarantee that you could defeat Lin Yun? The Grand Tournament of the Spirit Realm is our most critical objective."

After all that, Gu Xiande still didn't trust him.

Xiao Pingtian could only clench his fists, not daring to say more. He was confident in his own abilities, but what did that matter? To the man before him, it was better to believe the situation was hopeless. Their enemy was far stronger than they had imagined.

"Lin Yun has been trapped in the Ancient Forbidden Land for over a month now," Gu Xiande continued. "No matter how skilled he is in the Origin Sea Realm, after so long, he is undoubtedly dead. You should go back and prepare for the Grand Tournament. And this time, do not forget our objective."

Xiao Pingtian wanted to say something more, but he opened his mouth, saw the expression on Gu Xiande's face, and in the end, obediently took his leave.

Watching his disciple's retreating back, Gu Xiande let out a cold laugh. Rather than relying on him, it was better to take matters into my own hands and eliminate that nuisance, Lin Yun, myself. After all, the boy did give me quite a few surprises.

News of Lin Yun's disappearance spread.

He himself, however, had not given up. The Ghostly Shadowwood was dangerous. The level of terror here was on a completely different scale from what he had imagined. By now, Lin Yun was in a wretched state. The beasts here were stronger, and their methods of attack were far more bizarre. He had even encountered aberrant breeds that he had never seen before.

This was what truly shocked him. There were creatures here that had no record even in the Compendium of Mountains and Seas.