Decaying World

Chapter 218 Invitation (Part 218)

"Teacher, this isn't just a simple operation by the Xuan Ying Sect. We alone are far from enough. This time, it's a coordinated attack from multiple forces. We've discovered an excellent opportunity, a once-in-a-lifetime chance. So this time, it will be very fierce. Please don't get involved," Tao Xuehai said solemnly.

"I have no connection with the Chen family, so you can rest assured." Lin Hui nodded, accepting his apprentice's kindness.

"That's good. Here are the precious medicines we collected this time. Please accept them, teacher." Tao Xuehai wiped his hand, and a long, black stone box appeared on the ground.

"Thanks. Now that this is done, let's stop. You've gone too far. How will you clean up the mess later?" Lin Hui sighed. "I've prepared a secret medicine for you that can restore your lost lifespan. There's still hope for redemption."

"!A secret medicine!?" Tao Xuehai's eyes widened.

He knew very well how precious the elixir of longevity was, but he never expected that his teacher would actually prepare such an incredibly valuable top-tier medicine for him.
But then he shook his head.

"Master, my biggest problem isn't actually the depletion of my lifespan, but rather the alienation that comes with it."

He gently removed his mask, revealing his face at that moment.

That once handsome face is now covered with scars, cuts, and pits.

What made Lin Hui feel uneasy the most was the faint, familiar aura that naturally emanated from Tao Xuehai after he removed his mask.

That is
"Rotten!?" he blurted out, his expression changing drastically.

"Yes, teacher. Even if the loss of lifespan can be resolved, I've used secret techniques for too long, and I've been eroded for too long. There's no going back."

He was dying.

He could feel his body rapidly decaying and mutating, transforming into the monsters of the fog zone.

The more decayed he became, the more his strength increased.

The surrounding fog used to be his greatest fear, but now, as long as there is fog nearby, he has almost limitless physical strength, mental energy, and regenerative abilities.

Lin Hui sensed this aura and was speechless.

Decay was the only thing he was powerless to change.

During this time, he also tried to use the power of the wind disaster to clear away the decay.

However, the corrupt and mutated experimental subjects that were brought in exploded like bubbles the moment they were invaded by the power of the wind disaster.

When the forces of decay and the forces of wind disaster came into contact, an extremely strong chemical reaction occurred.

The two directly cancel each other out.

It's hedged.

Lin Hui originally thought that after the corrupting forces were countered, those who remained would recover.

Unfortunately, in many of the experiments, the decaying people he brought in decomposed along with the decayed bodies the instant the decay was counteracted.

The power of wind disasters is indeed extremely strong.

The fusion and disgusting nature of the corrupting forces also left a deep impression on Lin Hui.

"Teacher, may I ask you for a favor?" Tao Xuehai spoke up again at this moment.

"Go ahead," Lin Hui said in a deep voice.

“In my branch of the Tao family, I am the only one left. Therefore, I arranged everything long before the operation began.” He paused, then continued, “I have a son named Tao Changsheng. If anything happens to me, I hope you can raise him. Just let him live a peaceful life as an ordinary person.”

“Okay.” Lin Hui nodded. “Just bring him here when the time comes.”

"I have no way to repay your kindness, teacher." Tao Xuehai knelt down gently and kowtowed to Lin Hui again.

A gentle breeze blew by.

The next moment, he too vanished with the wind.

Lin Hui was left alone, feeling depressed, staring at the spot where the other person had left, and remained motionless for a long time.

Is there really no way out of this rotten ending?

Back at Qingfeng Temple, Lin Hui awaited the unexpected turn of events that Tao had mentioned.

He didn't have to wait long; after only a few days of cultivation, he felt the ground tremble during breakfast one day.

He and the others rushed to the open space and looked in the direction from which the tremor came from.

Atop the tall white walls of the inner city, a huge, charred hole had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere.

Large amounts of debris continued to fall from the edge of the hole.

Thick black smoke was billowing out of the cave, mingling with the surrounding mist.

"Dao Master! What do we do now!?" Wang Hongshi and the other top ten core members rushed over and gathered around Lin Hui.

"Pack your belongings. Everyone be ready to dismiss the disciples at any time. Inform them of a three-day leave," Lin Hui said quickly. Based on Tao Xuehai's earlier reminder, he guessed that the Xuan Ying Sect's plan against the Chen family had begun.

He just didn't expect the Xuan Ying Sect to cause such a big commotion.

'The outer city seems increasingly unsafe; this is a good opportunity to relocate together.'

A thought flashed through Lin Hui's mind.

"But not all disciples are suitable to relocate to the labyrinth base with me. I can escort them there, but returning and coming back is impossible without sufficient strength. Therefore, the labyrinth base is destined to exist only as a secret internal base for Qingfeng Sect, accessible only to a very few of the strongest disciples. For example, Xia Si and Tao Xuehai."

Upon receiving the order, the group did not understand why they were told to evacuate and go home to pack their belongings simply because they saw a large hole.

But because of their long-standing trust in Lin Hui, everyone believed him unconditionally and acted swiftly.

Lin Hui also rushed back to the Lin residence and saw his father, Lin Shunhe, and others who were also tidying up.

"I'm sending someone to inform you! It's perfect that you're here, let's go together!" Lin Shunhe was accompanied by a large group of people, mostly guards and bodyguards, among whom were two with extremely strong auras, even reaching the level of priests.

Lin Hui's eyelids twitched, but he didn't point out how his father had gotten the news so quickly. Instead, he joined everyone in directing the Lin family to evacuate.

Boom!!
At that moment, a series of massive explosions echoed from the edge of the huge hole on the white wall in the distance.

Tiny figures, like birds, flitted about and collided with each other near the cave entrance. Clearly, it was the inner city's experts engaging the intruders.

Lin Hui carefully sensed the surroundings, trying to assess the battle situation, but the distance was too great; his perception couldn't cover such a far area, so he had to give up.

Aside from the battle at the cave entrance, Lin Hui also sensed familiar auras spreading subtly around the South Nine Gates.

"Purgatory?! How could this place be?!" He paused, his expression blank. He had clearly cleared away all the aura of purgatory. How could this be?!

'No! This aura is completely different from the one I released before. Although it's also an aura of purgatory, this one is far more violent and chaotic than mine!'

Sensing the unfamiliarity of that aura, a doubt suddenly arose in Lin Hui's mind.

Could it be!?

He flashed and flew to the top of the tallest tower in the Lin family mansion.

Then he looked around.

As expected, most of the local people were still unaware of what had happened and looked bewildered. A small number of wealthy families were also packing their belongings, but they were moving much slower.

At this time, many prominent families who were on good terms with the Lin family were gathered at the entrance of the Lin family mansion, discussing how to evacuate with the Lin family's convoy.

As for where to evacuate, there is no consensus yet.

boom!
Another loud crash echoed from the white walls of the inner city in the distance.

This time, the large hole was not visible; only sounds and slight vibrations in the ground could be felt.

It is estimated that a similar hole was also blown into the white wall further away.

Lin Hui immediately realized that the battle in Xinyu Town was probably only a small part of the whole, and that this attack was on an unprecedented scale.

It's certainly impossible that only the Xuanying Sect could do that.

"Teacher, please evacuate as soon as possible. The allied forces have also made moves on the outer perimeter. I will take charge of the defense here and will send people to secretly let the enemy pass." Tao Xuehai's voice came quietly at this moment.

This is a secret technique for transmitting sound through internal force, achieving a connection across vast distances.

The sound is so faint that it is almost inaudible, yet it can travel extremely far.

“Okay!” Lin Hui replied.

Given the current chaotic situation, the fact that the attacking side dared to act so ostentatiously meant that their fighting strength far exceeded his expectations.

Even if he had hidden great strength, he was unwilling to shield those disgusting original blood nobles in the inner city from disaster.

He immediately jumped off the tower and led the Lin family members towards the outside of the city.

Soon, in the suburbs of Xinyu Town, the teams from Qingfeng Road and the Lin family met up.

Liu Shenglan also encountered the Amamiya experts sent by Liu Wujun from the inner city, who protected everyone.

Everyone, along with the surrounding powerful families and influential clans who had followed, formed an even larger group.

This quickly swelled to four or five hundred people. They formed a vast, swarming mass, like ants, rushing out of the town and heading towards the fog-shrouded area and fog walls.

This is at the top of a teahouse in Xinyu Town.

Wearing a black eagle mask, Tao Xuehai watched from afar as the Lin family's Qingfeng Temple group successfully withdrew before turning his gaze to a man in a pure white mask beside him.

The man was burly and imposing, his mask revealing only pale skin. Standing on the rooftop, he exuded an aura of unyielding confidence and dominance. His presence was extremely striking.

"My men have all evacuated safely. The envoy may proceed with the arrangements," Tao Xuehai said in a deep voice.

"The Xuan Ying Sect truly lives up to its reputation. It's said that among the Six Heroes, the sixth one is the strongest and has the best reputation. Now it seems that the rumors are indeed true," the white-masked man said with a smile. "Don't forget the favor we did this time."

"We won't forget," Tao Xuehai said in a deep voice. "Our initial mission is complete. What about your backup plan?"

"Don't rush. The Gate of Purgatory has been successfully breached. The Gate of Extreme Cold is still a tug-of-war. This time, with the main force of Hongyin taking action, we are merely providing support and reinforcements. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us. The success rate is extremely high," the white-masked man laughed.

He glanced at Tao Xuehai.

Actually, he didn't want to give the other party that face. With so many people being evacuated and so much time being wasted, if something serious happened, he would have to share the responsibility.

But after a brief sparring session, he realized he really couldn't beat his opponent.

Yes, even as the High Priest of the Wanhua Cult, I am no match for this so-called one of the Six Heroes of the Xuanying Sect, who has only risen to prominence in the last few years.

The opponent's speed was too fast and their power was too strong, so my feints could not hit them, and I could only passively take the hits.

In less than thirty moves, he was at a complete disadvantage, unable to even catch a glimpse of the opponent. He had no choice but to admit defeat.

"Huh? Someone from my sect is chasing after the group you were retreating from." Suddenly, the man seemed to have discovered something.

Tao Xuehai also sensed it.

The Wanhua Sect is a powerful force with numerous factions and strongholds. It also boasts a large number of highly skilled individuals, as the sect is not confined to Tuyue.

This time, Tu Yue's side was also angered by the fact that the local Wanhua Sect had been ruthlessly suppressed.

Therefore, they mobilized experts and united several forces to attack the inner city of Tu Yue. This time, the operation was extremely large, and even the top experts from the front ranks of the Hong Yin Empire participated, in order to deal with the Blood Ancestors of the Moon Tower in the inner city.

'Why chase after the teacher's group?' Tao Xuehai sneered, ignoring those few who were courting death.

Because of Liu Wujun's affair, many members of the Wanhua Sect harbor resentment towards Lin Hui and the Qingfeng Temple. It's understandable that they would pursue him.

Ugh!

At this moment, it is in mid-air.

One after another, moths flapped their wings and glided, densely packed, bursting out of the misty clouds from high above and flying down, passing over the heads of Tao Xuehai and his companion.

On one of the moth-drawn carts, a burly man stood upright, clad in animal skins, his face painted red, holding a horn as thick as a water bucket, and forcefully blowing out a charge.

(End of this chapter)