His plan to leave the Yulan Continent for a High Plane was now on the agenda. Before that, however, Lin Yinuo needed to ensure that all his arrangements on the Yulan Continent were running smoothly, paving the way for his younger brother Linley and the Baruch Clan for decades, even centuries, to come.
He first sought out Linley for an in-depth talk between brothers.
In the dormitory, Linley had finished a day of arduous training. The pale green Dragonblood Battle Qi around him slowly receded, his aura growing ever steadier. Bebe lay on his lap, his eyes comfortably narrowed.
"Brother." Seeing Lin Yinuo enter, Linley immediately stood up.
Lin Yinuo waved for him to sit down and took a seat opposite him. His gaze was gentle as he looked at his younger brother's sharply defined face, which had already shed its childishness.
"Linley, you've grown faster than I expected," Lin Yinuo began. "Your Dragonblood Warrior bloodline has awakened, and your magic and Battle Qi are advancing side by side. Your strength now places you among the very best of the Yulan Continent's younger generation."
Linley scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed, but his eyes were bright. "It's all thanks to your teaching, Brother."
"In the end, you have to walk your own path." Lin Yinuo's tone grew solemn. "I may leave the institute soon to travel and train for an extended period."
At this, reluctance and astonishment immediately appeared on Linley's face. "You're leaving, Brother? Where are you going? For how long?"
"To some dangerous places, but ones full of opportunities." Lin Yinuo did not explicitly mention the High Planes; they were still too far removed from Linley's present circumstances. "I can't say how long. A few years at the shortest, several decades at the longest."
Linley fell silent. He knew that his brother must have his reasons for anything he decided. He clenched his fists tightly. "Don't worry, Brother. I'll train hard. I'll never disgrace you or Father! I'll protect the clan!"
"I believe in you." Lin Yinuo nodded with gratification, then took out two items and handed them to Linley.
The first was an Inheritance Crystal that radiated gentle soul fluctuations. "This records some of my insights into earth and wind magic, as well as cultivating Dragonblood Battle Qi, along with some basic insights into beginning to comprehend the laws. Once you reach the Saint level, you can try studying them. Remember, proceed step by step. Don't rush."
The second was a seemingly ordinary black jade pendant, engraved with exceedingly fine spatial patterns. "This is a single-use teleportation token. If you ever face a life-threatening crisis that neither the clan nor the institute can resolve, crush it. It may offer you a slim chance of survival." Within the pendant, he had sealed a trace of his power of the Laws of Space and a faint projection of the [Plane Beacon]. At a critical moment, it could distort space to produce a brief teleportation or interference; the exact effect would depend on the circumstances.
Linley solemnly accepted the two items, as though accepting the heavy weight of expectations and responsibility. "Brother, I'll remember!"
Grandpa Doehring will awaken soon, and Linley's growth is already on the right track, Lin Yinuo thought. Leaving these with him should be enough to ensure that he grows smoothly to the Deity level on the Yulan Continent. He'll have to forge the rest of his path himself.
Having made arrangements for Linley, Lin Yinuo secretly met with Ailina.
It was the same secluded stone pavilion. Ailina carried herself with increasing competence, and there was a little more of the composure of someone who wielded authority in her expression. Yet when she saw Lin Yinuo, the distinctive light in her eyes remained unchanged.
"You're leaving, aren't you?" Clever as she was, Ailina had already guessed something from Lin Yinuo's recent arrangements. Her voice held a barely perceptible trace of disappointment.
"Yes." Lin Yinuo did not conceal it. "For me, the Yulan Continent has become shallow waters. I need a wider world."
He took out a thick stack of scrolls and a special core component for a communication magic array and handed them to Ailina. "These are plans for our subsequent commercial expansion, several more efficient methods of transmitting and encrypting intelligence, and... some non-core design drawings for the simplified Type II Magic Cannon. You can cooperate selectively with the Empire's military in exchange for resources and political protection, but we must retain control of the core technology and energy magic arrays."
He pointed to the communication array core. "This is a basic component of the Cross-World Communication Magic Array. After I leave, I'll try to establish a receiving point at the other end. If I succeed, we may be able to maintain limited contact across planes. When that happens, everything on the Yulan Continent will be in your hands."
Ailina accepted the scrolls and array core, feeling their weight in her hands. She knew that this was not merely trust, but the blueprint for a vast commercial and intelligence empire spanning planes!
She took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in her heart. Her azure eyes met Lin Yinuo's directly, firm and clear. "Rest assured. Before you return, I'll make the name of the Shadow Commerce Guild resound in every corner of the Yulan Continent. This place will be your most secure rear base."
There was no excess of romantic sentiment, only responsibilities entrusted and promises made in mutual trust.
Ailina... With her here, the foundations on the Yulan Continent will be secure, Lin Yinuo thought.
Finally, Lin Yinuo went to see his father, Hogg, and once again explained in detail the direction of the clan's future development, its partnership with Ailina, and his expectations for Linley. Though Hogg was reluctant to part with him, he felt still greater support and pride for his eldest son's lofty ambitions.
Everything was in place.
On the night before his departure, Lin Yinuo went alone once more to the outside of the Radiant Church's cathedral in Fenlai City. This time, however, he had not come to enter. Instead, he stood at a distance, using [Aura-Concealing Secret Art: Merging with Heaven and Earth] to blend his aura completely into the night. His gaze seemed to pierce the thick walls and look into its depths.
He wanted to check in one last time and see what hints the system would give him at this crossroads of fate.
"Check in."
[Ding! Check-in successful! Congratulations to the host for checking in at [Fateful Turning Point: Eve of the Long Journey], triggering a special opportunity and receiving the rewards: [Sovereign's Might Clue (Incomplete)] and [Sovereign of Death's Gaze (Mark)]!]
The [Sovereign's Might Clue (Incomplete)] pointed toward a vague direction, seemingly related to a possible future acquisition of Sovereign's Might. The information was incomplete, but its value was immeasurable.
The [Sovereign of Death's Gaze (Mark)], meanwhile, was an exceedingly subtle soul brand that seemed to carry the deepest chill and majesty of the Netherworld. It quietly merged into the depths of his soul, causing no discomfort. Instead, it seemed like a... mark, or perhaps a "permission"?
The Sovereign of Death... She really has known about my existence all along! What does this mark mean? A warning? Or... approval? Or is it laying the groundwork for a future meeting in the Netherworld?
Just as uncertainty and suspicion stirred within him, an icy, noble thought, seemingly originating from the deepest underworld, sounded in his sea of consciousness without warning, clear as could be, like a gently flowing stream:
"Little fellow, your journey has only just begun. I'll be waiting for you... in the Netherworld."
The voice was indifferent, devoid of emotion, yet seemed to contain endless rules and the true essence of death. Once it finished speaking, it receded like the tide, leaving no trace.
Lin Yinuo was shaken to his core! It really was the Sovereign of Death! She had contacted him of her own accord! Though it was only a seemingly casual remark, the information it contained invited deeper consideration.
She's watching me, and even... looking forward to meeting me in the Netherworld? Is this mark both protection and a guiding pull?
He gave the solemn cathedral one long look, then lingered no more. Turning, he melted into the night and vanished.
All the hidden pieces were in place. Guidance and protection for his younger brother, arrangements for the clan, the entrusting of his commercial and intelligence network, his connection with Bluefire, and even this unexpected "appointment" with the Sovereign of Death...
For him, the chapter of the Yulan Continent could now be closed for a time.
The next day, the morning sun was just rising.
Without alerting anyone, Lin Yinuo left the Ernst Institute and Fenlai City alone. His destination was deep within the Magical Beast Mountain Range, near the weak point leading to Gebados Prison. There, relying on the [Plane Beacon] and his insights into the Laws of Space, he would attempt to sense and draw forth the summons of the High Plane known as the "Infernal Realm," embarking on a new journey.
His departure was silent, yet in the future, he would leave countless legends on the Yulan Continent, along with a Baruch Clan destined, under his hidden influence, for even greater glory.
A new storm was already brewing in the Infernal Realm. And Lin Yinuo was riding the wind toward it.
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