My skills have mutated again!

Chapter 303 The Primal Secret Realm, A Family of Three

"It seems that I am the one destined for this calamity."

Xia Lin spoke in this way.

Lin Xiantian remained silent, but his face twitched as he cursed Xia Lin in his heart for being shameless!

You're not the one destined for this calamity, you're the one who created it!

However, Lin Xiantian understood this matter but couldn't say it.

Because he had already seen through the current situation.

Xia Lin is trying to steal his protagonist identity and skin him alive!
……

With the protagonist's aura activated, Lin Xiantian's mind became clearer than ever before.

After reviewing the game, Lin Xiantian quickly grasped the full picture after a little thought.

"It started a long time ago."

It started when Wang Xiaorou became pregnant.

The child is not my own.

It was Xia Lin's method.

Lin Xiantian had previously thought that Xia Lin was doing this to annoy him and ruin the plot.

Looking at it now, Lin Xiantian realized that Xia Lin's purpose was not simply to disgust him, but rather to have a deeper and greater scheme!

"Substituting a plum for a peach."

As a Human Race Sequence 10 and a key member of the Ember Zone being cultivated by the Creator of Heaven, Lin Xiantian's understanding of the Ember Zone far surpasses that of Xia Lin.

Xia Lin was seeing something like an identity substitute card for the first time, but Lin Xiantian was quite familiar with it.

As a high-level access card, the identity replacement card naturally offers numerous benefits and advantages.

Leaving aside the opportunities and insights gained after taking on a different identity, just considering the protagonist's identity, as long as there are no major mistakes, it's only natural that he would thrive in the Ashes Zone.

However, this leaves no way out for other Ember Walkers—therefore, under the balance of the Ember Zone, countermeasures have emerged.

This means that other players can activate missions that aim to replace the main character in order to complete the game.

This is the type of quest that Xia Lin triggered.

Lin Xiantian was unaware that the mission Xia Lin triggered was called "Deceiving the Heavens and Crossing the Sea," but his use of the phrase "Substituting a Plum for a Peach" to describe it was quite apt.

The form of address is not important.

Importantly, in this confrontation between the real and fake protagonists, the identity substitution card will provide the user with certain advantages, ensuring that the identity substitution card lives up to its reputation as a high-level access card.

For some reason, it reminded me of my own reaction during the Wang family turmoil.

Lin Xiantian suddenly realized.

It was the protagonist's halo brought by the identity substitution card that saved his life.

This leads to another question.

Xia Lin's mission progress has reached a certain threshold, triggering the hidden function of the identity substitution card. The clash between the real and fake protagonists has thus entered a fierce, heated, and direct confrontation phase!
During this stage, both the real protagonist and the fake protagonist must be extremely careful, for one wrong step will lead to utter ruin!
This is precisely why Lin Xiantian dared not tell Bai Wudao and Xuan Ye that Xia Lin was an extraterrestrial demon and the one who caused the calamity.

If Xia Lin was prepared for this, then his actions would be tantamount to smearing someone, leaving a bad impression on the two powerful figures who were natives of the storyline, thus affecting all aspects of the future.

He remained silent, only listening to Xia Lin continue, "I don't know the cause of the rust disease, but after I was infected with the rust disease, my spiritual energy mutated, and I unexpectedly gained the ability to cure the rust disease."

Xia Lin recited his pre-prepared speech, which caused Bai Wudao and Xuan Ye to exchange a glance.

Bai Wudao raised his hand and reached out to Xia Lin.

"May I take a look at your mutated spiritual energy, young friend?"

Commonly known as a physical examination...

Xia Lin nodded without hesitation and walked up to Bai Wudao.

He took the initiative to extend his hand, and Bai Wudao also extended his right hand and placed it on his wrist.

A subtle fluctuation of immortal power flashed from Bai Wudao's hand and instantly flowed into Xia Lin's body.

The immortal power circulated within Xia Lin's body before returning to Bai Wudao's hand.

Bai Wudao frowned: "Strange... From what I can see, your spiritual energy doesn't seem to have mutated..."

Xia Lin looked at Bai Wudao blankly, looking like an innocent little flower.

He was neither afraid nor worried.

After all, with the 10% progress reward for the "Deceive the Heavens and Cross the Sea" mission in hand, he had no fear of the natives' inspection!
[Deception: None of the local characters, regardless of their strength, can see through your identity as an "extraterrestrial demon."]

The effect of deception is actually far more comprehensive than the written description suggests.

Because this effect is an absolute concept.

It was invisible to the naked eye, and a physical examination revealed nothing. At this moment, Bai Wudao used the power of a Celestial King to probe Xia Lin's background, but under the influence of the Ash Zone System, Xia Lin in front of him was just a normal junior cultivator, without any special characteristics.

That's the good thing about the virtual Ember Zone.

The rules set by the Ashes are absolute rules.

No matter how powerful the original characters in the story are, they are all fictional characters created by the Ember Zone. No matter how absurd the rules set by the Ember Zone are, the characters in the story must abide by them.

The atmosphere fell silent for a moment. Bai Wudao stroked his beard in thought, while Lin Xiantian glanced at Xia Lin and thought to himself, "Just as I thought."

Xia Lin did indeed have the means to conceal his abnormality from the natives.

Therefore, simply flipping the table won't work... He needs to come up with another solution.

Just as Lin Xiantian was pondering, Xuan Ye, the sect leader of Xuantian Sect, laughed.

“Brother Wudao, there’s no need to worry about such a trivial matter. Since we can’t even deduce the cause of the rust disease or find the abnormality in the spiritual energy of my disciple, it’s only natural that you and I can’t see any clues.”

Upon hearing this, Bai Wudao laughed heartily.

"That makes sense, that makes sense."

After speaking, he looked at Xia Lin and Lin Fan.

"According to my deduction, I have a vague premonition that both of you are related to the calamity of rust."

"With the threat of Black Star still unresolved and the threat of Rust Syndrome emerging, my junior brother Xuan Ye and I simply cannot spare the time to do two things at once, which is why we came to you two today."

Xia Lin and Lin Fan remained silent, while Bai Wudao continued, "Junior Nephew Xia Lin seems to be the one destined for tribulation, but the mutated spiritual energy is only a temporary solution."

"I have a plan that has a certain probability of finding the source of this rust disease, but it will require the two of you to take the trip."

Xia Lin and Lin Fan bowed to each other.

"Disciple will respectfully obey the Dharma's instructions."

Bai Wudao slowly uttered four words.

"A pristine, hidden realm".

……

The moment the words "Primal Secret Realm" came out of Bai Wudao's mouth, Lin Xiantian felt a sense of relief.

He was just thinking about how to deal with Xia Lin when he didn't expect the protagonist's halo to kick in and deliver the solution right to his doorstep!

This primeval secret realm is a key plot point in the later part of the original story.

Because Lin Fan gained tremendous benefits in this secret realm, he was able to gain a slight advantage in the subsequent decisive battle with Zheng Li, thus achieving the twelfth-level Immortal Venerable status with Zheng Li's soul!
This immense benefit is the most precious treasure in the Primal Secret Realm: the Primal Heavenly Heart!
"There is a supreme treasure in the Primordial Secret Realm, called the Primordial Heavenly Heart."

"This thing is born and nurtured by nature, and is closely connected with the Heavenly Dao. At present, because of my weak strength, my connection with the Heavenly Dao is not deep, and it is really difficult for me to find the root cause of the rust disease. Therefore, I place my hopes on the Primordial Heavenly Heart."

With this item, Bai Wudao's connection with the Heavenly Dao can be deepened, thereby breaking the calamity of rust.

He then looked at Xia Lin and Lin Fan and said, "Since you two are destined to face this calamity, then you two should go and retrieve the Primordial Heavenly Heart. What do you two think?"

With Bai Wudao speaking, how could Xia Lin and the other two possibly refuse?

Just as the two nodded in unison, the system notification sound from the Ash Zone instantly rang in Xia Lin's ears.

[Side Quest: Rust Plague, the Primal Realm is now activated!]

[Mission Objective: Enter the Primal Realm and obtain the Primal Celestial Heart.]

[Note: This is a side quest of the Deception mission.]

[Mission Success Reward: The progress of the "Deceive the Heavens and Cross the Sea" mission has increased significantly.]

[Mission Failure Penalty: The progress of the "Deception" mission will be significantly reduced, and unpredictable consequences may occur.]

Xia Lin's expression remained unchanged, but he sighed inwardly.

This is a combination of the world's backlash, Lin Fan's troublesome nature, and his protagonist's halo all colliding together.

Xia Lin originally planned that as long as things went smoothly, he would be able to control everything over time.

But I never expected the world to turn against me like this...

But now, Lin Xiantian has been given a chance to turn the tide.

Thinking of this, Xia Lin glanced at Lin Xiantian, only to find that Lin Xiantian was also staring at him, his eyes gleaming with a faint cold light.

Until a flash of light appeared ahead, Bai Wudao and Xuan Ye vanished without a trace.

Lin Xiantian finally stopped suppressing his anger and said coldly to Xia Lin, "You spend all day hunting geese, only to have your eyes pecked by one."

“I admit you have some tricks up your sleeve, but that’s all based on your shady dealings… This time, I won’t give you any more chances.”

From Xu Haonan's pregnancy and unusual behavior to the current confrontation between the real and fake protagonists.

At this moment, Lin Xiantian reviewed the situation again and was shocked to find that the biggest threat in this ash zone was not Xiao Feng and Bao Bowen as he had expected, but Xia Lin, who should have been the bait!

Xia Lin simply smiled at this.

"I'll give you the same words."

"This time, I will completely crush you into the abyss."

Without much thought, it's clear that this trip to the Primordial Secret Realm will inevitably determine the victor between the real and fake protagonists.

Xia Lin will not allow the identity substitute card and the protagonist's destiny to block her path a second time.

Lin Xiantian would no longer tolerate Xia Lin's antics—after all, Xia Lin had now become the biggest threat to this Ash District.

There was no point in saying more, so I turned and left.

……

After leaving the cave, Lin Xiantian returned to the Seeking Dao Sect.

Open the task list and look at the newly triggered side quest.

Like Xia Lin, Lin Xiantian also obtained the side quest "[Rust Plague, Primal Secret Realm]".

This undoubtedly means that he will face off against Xia Lin head-on.

Lin Xiantian is not afraid of a head-on confrontation.

But the prerequisite is that he has people he can use.

After pondering with his eyes closed for a long time, Lin Xiantian finally opened them, his eyes flashing.

"We have to take a gamble; we have no choice."

As he spoke, he took out his communication jade and sent a message to all his teammates except for NO.259 and Xu Haonan.

"Come see me quickly."

Xu Haonan's condition is strange, and he seems to have had his soul swapped. Not only can he no longer provide help, but Lin Xiantian also has to avoid Xu Haonan.

But other teammates may not have been affected.

Lin Xiantian is currently betting that his other teammates are in good form and can help him in this game.

Without a doubt, he made the right bet.

……

While Lin Xiantian was deploying troops, Xia Lin wasn't idle either.

After returning to the Xuantian Sect, Xia Lin continued to practice medicine to build up his reputation.

This action does indeed allow the progress of the clearance task to continue to increase.

Judging from the rate of progress, if there are no messy or trivial matters, Xia Lin can definitely push the progress of the deception to 100% within five years.

Unfortunately, I have a knack for getting into trouble, and things just keep happening one after another.

The first thing to do is to go to this primitive and secret place.

That same afternoon, a sword light flew from afar and landed in front of Xia Lin. The sword light carried Xuan Ye's message: We will depart tonight for the Primal Secret Realm.

But just after Xia Lin had finished preparing, something troublesome happened again...

And they brought two items at once!
First, there's news about the Joker.

“Bao Bowen contacted me, wanting to talk to you in person about Xu Haonan.”

Xia Lin frowned.

How did Bao Bowen get involved with Xu Haonan again?
A grand entrance, and then... this skill gave Xu Haonan the "funny guy" debuff.

The downside is that while the debuff has been applied, Xia Lin cannot predict its effects or subsequent consequences.

Although I'm also curious about what kind of tricks Tsui Ho-nam, the entertainer, has come up with, now is not the right time to get to the bottom of it.

I replied decisively: "I don't have time right now."

He was about to head to the primeval secret realm, so he didn't have time to chat with Lao Bao.

However, before the clown could hang up, Xia Lin suddenly had a flash of inspiration and was struck by another idea.

“If he really wants to talk to me, let him come to the Primal Secret Realm to see me... Oh, and tell him that Lin Xiantian will also be going to the Primal Secret Realm.”

The clown paused for a moment, then his voice came from the other end of the communicator.

"I see."

……

The Wang family ancestral home.

The great battle finally came to an end.

Lin Fan's father-in-law, Wang Liting, had his immortal soul destroyed and his body and soul vanished. Those who came to attend the banquet also scattered like birds and beasts.

Xing Jie sat in the banquet hall, ignoring his numerous wounds, savoring the Dragon and Phoenix Harmony.

Devouring food ravenously gives one a fierce and barbaric impression.

Xiao Feng and NO.259 also stood aside until two figures in the distance appeared, transforming into Bao Bowen and Xu Haonan.

Unlike before when he was empty-handed, Xu Haonan was now holding a swaddled baby, from which the faint sound of an infant crying could be heard.

This is Lin Fan's nominal son!
"Look, this is the little guy..."

Xu Haonan handed the child to Xing Jie with a smile.

The Black Martial Alliance leader, who was wolfing down his food, immediately wiped his mouth and took the baby.

Be careful and cautious, as if handling a fragile treasure.

It's not that Xing Jie is particularly kind.

The warriors in this Ash Zone are all vicious and ruthless; there is no such thing as kindness in them.

This child is involved with the Black Star Order and is key to the astonishing plan (Lezi) described by Tsui Ho-nam.

"Why didn't they catch Lin Fan?"

After playing with the baby for a while, Xing Jie handed the baby to Xiao Feng and then asked Xu Haonan.

Xu Haonan then spread his hands, chuckled strangely, and said, "He's fast enough, what can I do?"

Before Xing Jie could get angry, Xu Haonan said again, "But it doesn't matter, we have plenty of opportunities. Right now there is a great opportunity."

Bao Bowen chimed in, "Lin Fan is about to head to the Primal Secret Realm, and in this round, it seems we'll need Alliance Leader Xing to intervene once more."

Xing Jie's face twitched, and he was about to say something when suddenly his eyes rolled back, as if he had been possessed.

When he opened his eyes again, they were completely black, filled with a sinister, eerie, and evil aura, and immense power!

The four Ember Walkers present all lowered their heads.

"Xingjie" then slowly lowered his head to look at the baby in his arms.

The exquisitely beautiful baby seemed to sense some unknown danger and started wailing loudly, but the "criminal" remained unmoved.

He quickly turned his gaze to the baby's neck.

Around the baby's neck hung a pendant resembling number 259, but with a ferocious and terrifying expression.

"This item is ominous."

A cacophony of noises emanated from "Xing Jie's" mouth, prompting Xu Haonan to chuckle.

"But it is an indispensable part of the plan."

"Xing Jie" nodded knowingly and responded calmly.

"I have agreed to the matter of the Primal Secret Realm on behalf of Xing Jie."

Xu Haonan and his three companions immediately bowed their heads: "Thank you for your kindness, Lord Black Star."

The person who possessed Xingjie was none other than the ultimate villain of this Ash District, a level twelve martial artist named Black Star!
Consciousness began to detach, gradually returning to the heavens.

Xingjie's body trembled violently, as if he were enduring immense pain.

This also demonstrates the difficulty of Black Star's descent into this world—even a projection of consciousness would suffer immense interference and incur a huge cost.

Only when Black Star was about to leave did a few voices emerge from "Xing Jie's" mouth.

"I hope you will not disappoint me."

Bao Bowen, Xiao Feng, and even Xin Zhan all twitched their faces, while Xu Haonan laughed heartily.

"It is impossible for me to fail your expectations."

"Since you trust me, I will certainly fulfill my promise... to take you to a wider world and let you witness the true martial arts!"

Bao Bowen could barely control his expression.

Only when Xing Jie fully regained his senses and was panting heavily did Lao Bao turn to look at Xu Haonan.

After a long while, he finally spoke in a murmur.

"You're really crazy..."

Xu Haonan raised his hand and shook his finger.

"No, I was just having some fun."

……

Xia Lin was unaware that, unbeknownst to him, the Leziren debuff had intensified, and its effects were no longer limited to the Ashes area.

Just after he finished his conversation with the clown, a strong sense of drowsiness suddenly overwhelmed him.

This made Xia Lin's expression change, but she did not resist. Following the inexplicable drowsiness, Xia Lin slowly closed her eyes.

The goddess reappeared in my dream.

It was still that familiar boudoir, and Qu Yiyi was still there.

The only difference was that there was a crib in the boudoir, and a delicate little girl was fast asleep, sucking her fingers.

"My dear husband, how is our baby?"

Here she comes again...

Xia Lin turned around helplessly and looked at the source of the sound behind him.

However, Xia Lin frowned suddenly at just one glance.

"You are hurt?"

Qu Yiyi, an eleventh-level celestial being and one of the female protagonists of the story, is dressed in red and is stunningly beautiful, but her face is deathly pale.

Dreams, to a certain extent, reflect reality.

This means that Qu Yiyi's condition in reality is also not good.

Qu Yiyi did not deny this, but simply nodded.

"I'm in trouble."

She began to speak slowly and gently.

Xia Lin then understood the trouble Qu Yiyi had mentioned.

Originating from the Ancient Demon Sect, an eleventh-level Immortal King, Zheng Li!

……

In the original storyline, the Ancient Demon Sect and the Charming Maiden Demon Sect were at odds with each other.

Later in the story, the plot even depicts Qu Yiyi joining forces with Lin Fan to kill Zheng Li.

However, due to Xia Lin's meddling, the timeline for the outbreak of conflict between the two major demonic sects has actually been brought forward.

The root of the problem is this child...

Because of her natural birth, she indeed met the cultivation requirements of the Yin-Yang Classic of the Maiden.

For the sake of this successor, Qu Yiyi spared no effort in nourishing the embryo with her own immortal power during her pregnancy, thus enhancing the baby's aptitude.

On the one hand, this indeed made the baby extraordinary from birth, even far surpassing the royal family's prodigy.

However, this also weakened Qu Yiyi's combat power.

Qu Yiyi did not go into the details of the process.

Xia Lin didn't know whether it was an internal mole or not.

In short, Zheng Li seized the opportunity to attack Qu Yiyi, severely damaging her.

Even without anyone knowing, the gates of the Demonic Maiden Sect have been breached by Zheng Li!
The power of the Immortal King is terrifying; no wonder he became the final stepping stone for the protagonist, Lin Fan!

Xia Lin didn't seem to feel any pity or tenderness towards the woman.

Just looking at Qu Yiyi, he knew that his "forced" constitution was acting up again.

He calmly asked, "What do you want me to do?"

Then Qu Yiyi slowly said, "Protect our child for a while... and I will distract Zheng Li."

Xia Lin's face twitched...

Our children...

You are her mother, that's for sure, but whether I am her father is a matter of logic and ethics, enough to fill several academic papers.

Unfortunately, Xia Linzhen couldn't refuse this request.

This incident, caused by my troublesome nature, is similar to the one in the Primal Secret Realm, and has triggered a quest.

[Side Quest: Qu Yiyi's Request, now activated!]

[Mission Objective: During the remaining time in this burnt-out area, protect Qu Tianhe or help Qu Yiyi and Qu Tianhe deal with the pursuit originating from Zheng Li.]

[Note: This is a side quest of the Deception mission.]

[Mission Success Reward: The progress of the "Deceive the Heavens and Cross the Sea" mission has increased significantly.]

[Mission Failure Penalty: The progress of the "Deception" mission will be significantly reduced, and unpredictable consequences may occur.]

When she saw Xia Lin nod, Qu Yiyi gave Xia Lin a beautiful yet heartbreaking smile.

The dream collapsed in an instant, and in reality, Xia Lin suddenly opened her eyes.

Beside him, the crib from his dream had appeared without him noticing, and a baby girl named Qu Tianhe was facing Xia Lin with a big smile.

This made Xia Lin sigh, but he still got up and went to Qu Tianhe, embracing her in his arms.

The light from the hidden troop cave flashed and disappeared in his hand.

Xia Lin has taken Qu Tianhe into the hidden cave and entrusted her to the care of the Scarlett and Eileen sisters.

However, it is known that this does not solve the problem at its source, and may even fail to isolate the baby from the baby's senses.

……

That night.

The sword light flashed through the Xuantian Sect, covering a thousand miles in an instant.

I don't know how long, I don't know how far...

As the sword light dissipated, Xuan Ye, Xia Lin, and a dozen or so other Xuan Tian Sect disciples appeared before the Primal Secret Realm.

Tonight, heroes gather, and the primeval realm is about to open.

(End of this chapter)