After returning from the Radiant Church, Lin Yinuo's life seemed to settle back into peace. He politely declined all subsequent invitations from other factions and rarely ventured out, growing ever more proficient with the [Soul Concealment Technique]. In the eyes of others, he was still the same genius, but he had lost some of that unsettling air of mystery.
Behind the scenes, however, his preparations never stopped.
Through the increasingly well-informed intelligence network he had established with Ailina, he confirmed two things: first, the Radiant Church's interest in him had not diminished; its surveillance had merely become more covert. Second, word that the Necropolis of the Gods would open within the next few years had begun to circulate quietly among the true uppermost circles of the Yulan Continent.
That day, Lin Yinuo was in his dormitory, repeatedly examining and analyzing the [Dimensional Beacon (Fragment) · Gebados] deep within his soul with his spiritual power. This beacon was more than a set of coordinates; it also contained profoundly abstruse mysteries of the Laws of Space. He tried attaching a thread of spiritual power to it and extending it along that faint connection toward the elusive planar barrier.
The "weak point" the beacon points to is becoming clearer and clearer... It's somewhere deep in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, matching the location of the entrance to the Necropolis of the Gods in the original story. It seems entering the Necropolis of the Gods is a crucial step toward accessing, or even obtaining, some authority over the Gebados Planar Prison.
Just as he became immersed in his insights, the dormitory door swung open, and Linley rushed in like a gust of wind, his little face filled with excitement and a trace of nervousness.
"Brother! I heard Instructor Elvin say the institute seems to be selecting its best students to explore some... really important 'secret realm'?" Linley's dark eyes brimmed with anticipation. "He said it's called the 'Necropolis of the Gods,' and there are countless dangers inside, but lots of opportunities and treasures too! Is that true?"
Lin Yinuo emerged from his contemplation. Seeing his younger brother's excitement, he understood. News of the Necropolis of the Gods had begun filtering down to the lower ranks.
"It's true." Lin Yinuo nodded, his tone calm but carrying a hint of gravity. "The Necropolis of the Gods is one of the most dangerous secret realms on the Yulan Continent, and a cradle for the rise of the powerful. Countless Deity-level powerhouses have fallen there, leaving behind their divine sparks, divine artifacts, and even their lifetime collections."
Linley's eyes shone as he listened, and his breathing quickened. "Divine sparks! Divine artifacts! Brother, can we... can we go?"
"You want to go?" Lin Yinuo looked at his younger brother.
"Yes!" Linley nodded without hesitation, clenching his little fists tightly. "I want to get stronger! Only then can I help Father and you, and restore our clan's glory!"
That's Linley for you-a born warrior at heart. The Necropolis of the Gods is a path he must take. Bebe's growth and Grandpa Doehring's full awakening will both happen there.
"If you want to go, you need enough strength," Lin Yinuo guided him. "Danger lurks everywhere in the Necropolis of the Gods. For anyone below Saint level, entering means almost certain death. Your current strength is still nowhere near enough."
Linley's little face immediately fell, and he looked somewhat dejected. "Then... how long do I have to wait?"
"Train hard, and it won't be too long." Lin Yinuo patted his shoulder. "Besides, entering the Necropolis of the Gods requires a slot. Those slots are controlled by the very strongest factions on the Yulan Continent: the Empire, the Church, the Dark Alliance, and... the Saint-level powerhouse behind our Ernst Institute."
He paused, looking at Linley, then changed tack. "But we can make some preparations in advance."
"Preparations?" Linley looked up curiously.
Rather than answer directly, Lin Yinuo asked, "Linley, when you've been training lately, have you still felt... that warm power in your blood that sometimes gets a little restless?"
He meant the Dragonblood Warrior bloodline. Ever since that disturbance had been soothed, the Dragonblood Factor within Linley had also been slowly growing stronger under Lin Yinuo's deliberate guidance and the subtle influence of Hogg's successful bloodline awakening.
Linley froze for a moment, carefully sensed his body, and nodded. "Sometimes, especially when I meditate or practice Battle Qi. It feels like there's a stream of warmth flowing through my body, and I've gotten a little stronger too."
"That's the power of our Baruch Clan's bloodline," Lin Yinuo said with certainty. "There may be an opportunity in the Necropolis of the Gods to awaken that power further. Before then, you need to gain better control over it, rather than letting it affect you."
He began teaching Linley, bit by bit and in terms he could understand, the portions of the incomplete Dragonblood Secret Canon dealing with basic bloodline guidance and physical tempering. These methods were nowhere near as complicated or dangerous as awakening the bloodline, but they could build a firm foundation, allowing Linley to better adapt to and control his steadily increasing strength.
Linley listened with the utmost attention. He knew that everything his brother taught him was truly valuable.
If he builds his foundation ahead of time, when he absorbs living dragon blood to awaken his bloodline in the Necropolis of the Gods, the risks will be lower and the gains greater. Grandpa Doehring's awakening also requires his spiritual power to be strong enough...
With Linley's training arranged, Lin Yinuo's own plans proceeded in tandem.
Through Ailina's channels, he began gathering specific historical records about the Necropolis of the Gods, accounts of previous explorers' experiences-scarce and incomplete though they were-and books on spatial fluctuations and sealing techniques. At the same time, he began using the [Plane Beacon] more frequently to sense the spatial conditions in the direction of the Necropolis of the Gods.
As the opening of the Necropolis of the Gods drew closer, he could sense through the beacon that the spatial barrier in that region was growing increasingly unstable. Traces of auras from other planes were faintly seeping through the passage that had yet to open fully. Among them, one chaotic, savage aura, mingled with the resentment and yearning of countless powerhouses, stood out especially clearly-it came from the Gebados Planar Prison!
The passage is forming... The beacon's connection to that place is becoming clearer too. Once the necropolis officially opens, this beacon may let me detect how stable the passage is before anyone else, and perhaps... even vaguely sense some of the general conditions inside the prison. That will be an enormous head start!
He knew that when the Necropolis of the Gods opened, every powerhouse at Saint level and above on the Yulan Continent would be stirred into action. It would be a grand gathering of powerful figures. And he would not only have to ensure that Linley obtained the opportunities that were rightfully his, but also seize this chance to lay plans for the Gebados Planar Prison, his future "barracks of deities" and "backyard of resources"!
Time slipped quietly by amid intense preparations and training.
The sense of an approaching storm hung not only over Lin Yinuo, but over the entire upper echelon of the Yulan Continent. Countless undercurrents surged, all for the gates of the necropolis that would swing open in a few years, leading to danger and opportunity.
Lin Yinuo stood by the window, his gaze turning once more toward the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
The Necropolis of the Gods... Gebados... the clone of the Sovereign of Death... More and more threads are beginning to intertwine. For my next check-in, perhaps I should try somewhere near the necropolis entrance.
At some point, a seemingly ordinary black pebble had appeared in his hand. It was the product of his attempt to guide an extremely faint spatial fluctuation into solid form through the beacon's perception. Though it possessed no power whatsoever, it signified that he was no longer entirely at a loss when it came to space.
The pieces were ready. All that remained was for the game to begin.
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