"Song Danhao? The Devil Palace was breached not long ago, and then Shadow Demon Great Saint came knocking. I heard he vanished without a trace ages ago.
That guy had already been seriously wounded, then Shadow Demon Great Saint went looking for him and fought him. He was probably in a miserable state now. Why were you asking about him?"
"Nothing. I was just planning to beat a drowning dog."
Lin Xin smiled, but there was no amusement in his eyes.
If not for Song Danhao, his foolish sister would not have been captured, nor would she now be poisoned and unconscious.
Now that he could infinitely stack individual attributes, together with the monstrous abilities of the Sword of Joy, he intended to simply kill his way through.
In any case, the Devil Domain was already a complete mess.
Lin Xin directly requisitioned a warship from the Soul Sect and led everyone, including the Protectorate Army, back on the return journey.
That very day, they followed the Star Gate and jumped through space back to the Central Star Region.
No one knew what Cloud Light Lord had come for. He simply decided not to leave and remained at Lin Xin's side. He seemed to be protecting him, yet he appeared and disappeared at random, making it seem otherwise.
Lin Xin could not be bothered with him. Cloud Light Lord had talked himself hoarse back then, but he had still saved Lin Xin once. So Lin Xin let him do as he pleased.
When they returned to Star Gate Port aboard the warship, the port governor had already waited for a long time, leading a large group of officials to welcome them.
As they disembarked, their enormous procession even made the Celestial Venerable incarnation guarding the Star Gate open its eyes and nod in courtesy.
However, Lin Xin only stopped here briefly to rest and reorganize. Soon, he would change ships and head for Anduin, the second-largest Star Gate port in the Central Star Region.
Anduin was extremely far away, requiring time for supplies and preparations in every respect. Moreover, they needed a rough understanding of the Devil Domain's specific situation.
So he temporarily stayed at the port, sending messages back and dispatching people to gather information and investigate while awaiting the completion of supplies.
After dinner.
Lin Xin performed another full-body purification on Lin Yaoyang, ensuring that the poison would not spread further.
Then Cloud Light Lord, who could not sit still at all, dragged him out of the guest residence to stroll through the port district.
Neither brought any guards. They simply walked leisurely along the port's main street.
The simulated sun slowly descended, and a faint layer of twilight shrouded the entire port.
Lin Xin watched as Cloud Light Lord enthusiastically grabbed a vendor selling braised pig trotters and carefully questioned him about how they were made.
They clearly had never eaten such a dish where Cloud Light Lord came from. He chatted while gnawing away, and within half an hour, he had eaten every pig trotter from an entire cart.
Lin Xin could only pay silently from behind.
"It would be normal enough to go shopping with a female cultivator or a child. But wandering around with a grown man, and a humanoid Divine Beast at that..."
How boring...
He shook his head. Still, Cloud Light Lord was an old big brother who had saved him before, so Lin Xin could not embarrass him.
"Little brother." Cloud Light Lord smacked his lips. Before long, he held another large handful of grilled meat skewers. He casually shoved one into his mouth without even pulling out the bamboo stick, chewed it to pieces, and swallowed it, wearing an expression of endless savoring.
Only after eating dozens of skewers did he finally settle down a little.
"This time, aside from protecting your personal safety, I came because the Sect Master, Grand Elder, and the others want detailed information on the current extent of your bloodline's growth."
"I don't understand. What benefit can my bloodline's growth bring you?"
Lin Xin had actually never understood why the Star Chant Sect had always supported him so unwaveringly.
From the very beginning, before he had even come into contact with them, the powerful upper echelons of the Star Chant Sect had secretly acted to protect him.
This favor could not be called light.
"This is not a benefit." Cloud Light Lord chuckled twice and transmitted his voice. "It is glory!"
"Glory?" Lin Xin did not quite understand.
"You know how a great tree blooms, right?" Cloud Light Lord directly thrust the large handful of meat skewers into his mouth. With a sharp crack, all the bamboo sticks snapped, and he then stuffed everything into his mouth in a few quick bites and chewed fiercely.
"On a great tree, the most beautiful and radiant flower, after it withers, produces the finest seed.
The bloodline of the Star Chant God is the same. If we do not want the bloodline to degenerate and decline generation after generation, then we can only find that tiny flower with the most brilliant and purest bloodline, and let it pass on its inheritance."
He paused and looked at Lin Xin with a strange expression.
"So, you are that beautiful little flower~~~"
"..."
Lin Xin understood instantly. So this Holy Son business was purely about bloodlines—they saw him as a breeding stallion to pass on the bloodline.
"Don't worry. Before long, the finest and most beautiful young women in the sect will arrive at your side one after another. The Saint Lotus selection is underway now." Cloud Light Lord said gleefully.
"Saint Lotus?"
"It means the lotus favored by the Holy Son. The finest women in the sect under ten thousand years old will be selected as the foundation for you to propagate descendants."
"Can I refuse?"
Lin Xin's face twitched.
"We've helped you this much. Would you really have the nerve to refuse? This karmic debt is not so easily accepted." Cloud Light Lord gave a sly chuckle.
"There are even voices in the sect saying that purity may not necessarily be best. If they select a thousand concubines for you, then as long as one has an even more exceptional mutated bloodline, we will have completely earned our investment back."
"..."
Lin Xin shook his head slightly.
Though his strength had indeed grown tremendously recently, the Star Chant Sect had helped him greatly. No matter what, this debt of gratitude could not be severed.
"If there is only one Saint Lotus, then I can accept it."
In this world, having three wives and four concubines was hardly unusual. Besides, he was not choosing a Dao Companion, merely a concubine.
The sole position of Dao Companion was reserved for Lin Yaoyang.
"It's good that you understand." Cloud Light Lord chuckled.
Lin Xin changed the subject and began asking about the details of the Star Chant Sect again.
The two slowly strolled onward, passing through the central district and unknowingly reaching a small cluster of remote shops near the void at the edge.
"Eh?"
Suddenly, a slightly cool voice came from diagonally ahead of them.
The two looked up and saw a beautiful young woman with long silver-gray hair draped over her shoulders staring at them in mild surprise.
The young woman's figure was curvaceous, her waist so slender it seemed a gust of wind could snap it in two.
Her legs were long and shapely, wrapped in pure white stockings. As the breeze blew, her purple-black long skirt fluttered gently, lending her a faint air of purity and allure.
This girl was none other than Bai Qingjue, the Bai Family's eldest daughter whom Lin Xin had encountered aboard the flying ship.
"Qingqing, what is it?" Two pretty young women, equally pure and charming, emerged from the armor shop behind Bai Qingjue.
Compared with Bai Qingjue, they were slightly less beautiful, but they were still graceful beauties in ordinary people's eyes.
Unlike Bai Qingjue's cool elegance, one of the girls wore silver-and-red women's soft armor, making her look spirited and heroic.
The other carried a silver-white longsword on her back and wore fitted black martial attire that displayed her lovely figure to perfection.
"N... nothing..." Bai Qingjue paused, then shook her head and spoke softly. Seeing Lin Xin again left her somewhat dazed for a moment, unsure how she should react.
She wanted to salute him, but he had only come out casually with one other person. Clearly, he did not wish to reveal his identity.
Such a great figure had reasons behind every word and action. What if she displeased him...
Her heart rose and fell with anxiety, utterly unsettled.
"Bai... Qingjue?"
Lin Xin revealed a faint smile. He had a rather good impression of this Bai Family girl.
When she had not known his identity, she had still spoken up and tried to help him. That goodwill was truly precious.
"Y-yes... it's me..."
Bai Qingjue was slightly stunned, as though she had not expected him to greet her first.
"We met on the ship. Do you remember?" Lin Xin asked gently.
"Ah... it's you..." Bai Qingjue tried hard to maintain her composure, yet she could not help feeling a trace of relief in her heart.
"Did you return from the auction?"
Lin Xin asked casually.
"We didn't make it there..." Bai Qingjue shook her head.
After chatting for a while, Bai Qingjue relaxed slightly. She discovered that Lin Xin was not some terrifying flood beast, and her mood was no longer as tense as it had been at first.
After introducing themselves, she also learned the names of Lin Xin and the other man: Lin Sheri and Dewey.
Only then did Lin Xin learn that White Cloud Whale Emperor was called Dewey. However, this name was clearly not his real name, but an alias he had taken later.
"Introduce these two older brothers, Qingqing. When did you meet them? Why have we never heard you mention them before?"
The girl in soft armor smiled sweetly and introduced herself first.
"Greetings, older brothers. This little sister is Chen Yuruan, and this is Miss Ning Xiang."
"Greetings." Lin Xin nodded faintly and offered a slight smile as courtesy.
Cloud Light Lord responded casually. That alone was already giving Lin Xin considerable face.
After all, his true body was the incomparably enormous White Cloud Whale Emperor. The three little ones before him were not even as thick as one of his leg hairs.
It was like how a person would not waste words on ants. Even breathing out a little too hard could blow them to death.
With such an immense gap in status, being around one another would be exhausting for either side.
Cloud Light Lord's response clearly displeased the two girls somewhat, but out of consideration for Bai Qingjue, they said nothing.
"Since you did not go to the auction, why are you still staying here?"
Lin Xin casually chatted with Bai Qingjue for a few moments.
"There are some matters that haven't been dealt with yet, so I can't return for now." Bai Qingjue took a breath, her voice becoming low and gentle.
Thinking of the trouble her family had encountered, she wanted to ask whether he had any channels to resolve it. But they had merely met by chance, and their relationship had not reached the point where she could ask him for help.
She hesitated several times, yet still could not bring herself to speak.
"What is it? Tell me about it." Her little gestures naturally did not escape Lin Xin's notice, so he simply asked directly.
"I have a few connections at the port. Perhaps I can offer you some advice."
A few connections?
Cloud Light Lord gave Lin Xin a disdainful glance.
At Azure Lake Mountain's port, as the direct disciple of one of the Six Departments' deputy ministers, he called that having a few connections?
Even if he opened his mouth and ordered the entire port garrison to take a tour around the surrounding area, it would be no more than a single sentence.
That was called having a few connections??
As one of Azure Lake Mountain's top geniuses whose fame now spread far and wide, Lin Xin had thoroughly become a target on the kill lists of major powers such as the Void Demon Spirit and Shadow City.
Before you continue