Nirvana Intent Regathered

Lin Che landed steadily on the ground. Seeing his former sect reduced to such ruins, he could not help releasing the surging hostility within him.

As that hostility surged forth, an unimaginable pressure filled the skies over the entire Zhao Kingdom. Countless cultivators sensed this energy and immediately rushed toward it.

When Teng Huayuan, the Teng Family's patriarch, saw that it was Lin Che, who had left Zhao Kingdom a century ago, he immediately flew over and knelt before him. "Senior Lin Che, you've finally returned!"

Lin Che gave Teng Huayuan a cold glance and asked grimly, "What exactly happened? Why was the Heng Yue Sect destroyed?"

Drenched in sweat, Teng Huayuan replied, "Reporting to Senior, thirty years after you left Zhao Kingdom, a cultivator at the peak of the Soul Formation Stage suddenly appeared within Zhao Kingdom... It is said that he was an expert from the Vermillion Bird Kingdom and specifically demanded that you show yourself..."

"Go on."

Lin Che picked up the Heng Yue Sect's plaque. Looking at its long-faded surface, the killing intent on his face grew even denser, as though he might destroy every living thing in this place.

Teng Huayuan did not dare delay and immediately continued, "That man specifically demanded to see you... He said that you had already reached the Nascent Soul Transformation stage and had to join the Vermillion Bird Kingdom. Otherwise, Zhao Kingdom would have no reason to continue existing here..."

"The Heng Yue Sect's patriarch told that senior that you had left, but after learning of your departure, that man directly destroyed the Heng Yue Sect. The Heng Yue Sect's patriarch... all of them perished. Only Huang Long Zhenren survived because he was away and had not returned."

"Where is Master now?"

Lin Che was not surprised by Huang Long Zhenren's cultivation. Moreover, Huang Long Zhenren had always been cautious and meticulous. If he discovered that the sect could no longer protect him, he would abandon it without hesitation and find another place to continue living.

Teng Huayuan shook his head fearfully. They did not know where Huang Long Zhenren, the Heng Yue Sect's sect master, had gone. They only knew that the Heng Yue Sect had been destroyed for many years, and no one had dared set foot here since, afraid that Lin Che might one day return to the sect.

Now that Lin Che had returned, the entire Vermillion Bird Kingdom would surely pay a terrible price...

With one hand behind his back, Lin Che looked at the ruined Heng Yue Sect and slowly exhaled a breath of hot air. "The cycle of Karma is ultimately unavoidable."

In the original story, the Heng Yue Sect had been destroyed because of Pu Nanzi from the Xuan Dao Sect. Yet before even a century had passed, the Vermillion Bird Kingdom had actually sent a cultivator at the peak of the Soul Formation Stage here.

It seemed those old men had never intended to make him join the Vermillion Bird Kingdom. They wanted to kill him here.

Whether it was Vermillion Bird Star or other star domains, all were controlled by the Cultivation Alliance. In order to establish its rules, the Cultivation Alliance allocated resources according to the cultivators within each star domain.

If a peak expert appeared within a low-grade star domain, they had to determine whether that person posed a threat. If not, they could continue allocating cultivation resources to the cultivation nations of that star domain.

But if they did, the Cultivation Alliance would arrange for experts to kill them directly. They might even destroy the entire star domain, all to eliminate cultivators who threatened the Cultivation Alliance's position.

Lin Che's talent was simply too high. If he broke through to the Soul Transformation Stage in the future, Zhao Kingdom could directly advance into a Sixth-Grade Cultivation Nation, stand on equal footing with the Vermillion Bird Kingdom, and receive a share of the Vermillion Bird Kingdom's original cultivation resources.

For the Vermillion Bird Kingdom, this was absolutely intolerable. They were even less willing to hand half their nation's cultivation resources over to Zhao Kingdom.

That was why, after learning that Lin Che, who had disappeared all those years ago, had returned, the Vermillion Bird Kingdom immediately dispatched a peak Soul Formation Stage expert to eradicate him completely before he could grow.

Lin Che slowly raised his head. After pondering for a long time, he lightly waved his right hand forward. The ruins of the Heng Yue Sect began piling together wildly, eventually restoring the sect's former magnificent appearance.

"Since the Heng Yue Sect no longer exists, this plaque no longer needs to remain either. From today onward, none of you may take even half a step into this place, nor may you allow any cultivator to enter the Heng Yue Sect."

Teng Huayuan nodded and respectfully bowed to Lin Che. "This junior obeys. I will arrange for disciples to notify the major sects and forbid them from taking even half a step into this place."

"Mm."

With one hand behind his back, Lin Che then looked toward Ye Zizai, the Corpse Yin Sect's sect master, and found his expression exceedingly unpleasant.

As a late-stage Soul Formation Stage expert, Lin Che naturally noticed that Ye Zizai's aura was extremely unstable. It seemed that the Corpse Yin Sect's sect master had already had his body completely seized by the corpse puppet.

However, Lin Che did not interfere in Ye Zizai's affairs. The cultivation world had always been one where the strong devoured the weak. This was true not only in Zhao Kingdom, but in other cultivation nations as well.

After bidding farewell to several Nascent Soul Stage experts within Zhao Kingdom, Lin Che strode forward, only stopping once he reached the bamboo forest behind the mountain.

The bamboo forest before him was protected by a barrier restriction that he and Li Muwan had set up. No one below the Peak Stage could break it, which was why this bamboo forest had escaped disaster.

"Time flies. A hundred years have passed, yet this place remains as full of life as ever."

Standing beside Azure Mountain Lakeside, Lin Che gazed at the shimmering waters, his heart filled with countless emotions.

A hundred years might be an entire lifetime for mortals, but to cultivators, it was no more than the flick of a finger.

Now that he had returned, the Heng Yue Sect was no longer the Heng Yue Sect of old. Perhaps this was the cycle of Karma, ordained by fate.

Lin Che did not dwell on it. He entered the bamboo hut and sat down cross-legged, his fingers moving rapidly as the killing intent within him condensed wildly at a visible speed.

To comprehend the Nirvana Intent once more, he had to condense the hostility and killing intent within his body into special crystals. Each time he used some of them, they would greatly improve his comprehension of the Intent.

The Hurricane Beast King and Xu Liguo had been sent outside to get some air. Having finally been allowed out, Xu Liguo happily lay in the water and began soaking.

"You're a Nascent Soul to begin with. Taking a bath doesn't seem to do you much good."

The Hurricane Beast King walked over, looked at the squinting Xu Liguo, and bluntly exposed him.

Xu Liguo curled his lips and said disdainfully, "I'm enjoying life. I've followed the Fiend Star for so many years, spending every day trapped in that separate space. I was bored to death."

At every moment, Xu Liguo wanted to leave Lin Che's side. But Lin Che had left divine sense within his body. As long as he remained within the range of that divine sense, Lin Che could pull him back in an instant.

Xu Liguo's many escape attempts had all ended in failure, and he had been punished every time. So he no longer thought about running away. Instead, he simply gave up and lazed around. Lying down and eating souls was still a rather carefree way to live.