Decaying World

Chapter 245, Combination 245
The waves were quickly calmed down under Gongsun Xinlian's control.

Despite her swift actions, some merchant ships arriving from the outside were still damaged by the rapidly expanding aftershocks of the battle, resulting in the sinking of a total of twelve merchant ships.

Gongsun Xinlian instructed her subordinates to handle the aftermath, while she and her elder brother invited Lin Hui to their private inner city palace.

"This palace is called Jade Palace, a place where my two siblings and I usually receive guests. It has everything you could want for eating, drinking, and entertainment. Brother Lin, if you have some free time, you are welcome to come and experience it. I have captured quite a few slaves from various tribes to keep here for my own use." The Great City Lord Xie Chang'an sat in the main seat of the palace's small hall, smiling as he looked at Lin Hui, who was seated below.

Lin Hui was standing opposite his younger sister, Gongsun Xinlian.

When she learned that Tu Yue, that bitch, had been driven away by her elder brother, she felt much better, and her expression was no longer as serious and stiff as before.

"Thank you very much, brother. I rarely relax, and I've never had a chance to enjoy myself. This world is too dangerous, so I can't afford to slack off," Lin Hui said with emotion.

"Sigh, that's true. We Fog People are just a bit lucky. In reality, I couldn't do the kind of arduous cultivation you've done for so many years." Xie Chang'an sighed.

"Brother Xie, what are you saying? If becoming a Fogman were as easy as you say, then everyone could become a Fogman." Lin Hui didn't believe the other party's nonsense about it being all about luck.

As long as Xie Chang'an is not the first to become a Fogman, all subsequent opportunities to become Fogmen will be fiercely contested, resulting in countless deaths and bloodshed.

Those who manage to survive such harsh conditions and successfully become Fog People are actually quite extraordinary in nature.

Their strength, or rather, their strength in a particular aspect, was absolutely top-tier in that era.

"Speaking of which, it's true that countless people died in the struggle for that opportunity. My family, relatives, and even strangers who spoke a few words to me died because of it," Xie Chang'an said, a hint of reminiscence flashing in his eyes.

"Alright, let's not dwell on the past. Let's drink!" Gongsun Xinlian interrupted, raising her glass. A hint of heartache flashed in her eyes.

She knew everything that had happened to her older brother back then.

"Let's drink." Lin Hui realized he had misspoke and quickly raised his glass.

The three raised their glasses in a perfunctory gesture from afar, then drank them down in one gulp.

Lin Hui used the power of the wind to filter the wine in his mouth, and the wine was immediately broken down and gone, as if he had just drunk air.

This was somewhat hypocritical, but he dared not gamble. He and Hei Yun had only met for the first time and didn't know each other well. If he wasn't careful, he wouldn't even know how he died.

Soft, clear music echoed in the small hall. After the three of them had drunk their wine, Gongsun Xinlian took the initiative to speak.

"Brother Lin, since you've acknowledged me as your elder brother, we'll address you that way from now on. I've checked on your sister; she's fine. Her mind was just affected by Tu Yue's charm, but I've helped her recover. Don't worry. As long as you're in Black Cloud, we'll naturally protect you and your family and friends from any trouble."

"Thank you, Lord Gongsun!" Lin Hui stood up and bowed solemnly.

"You can just call me Sister Gongsun from now on, no need to be so polite. There will be plenty of opportunities for you to help me in Black Cloud City in the future," Gongsun Xinlian said with a smile.

At this moment, she was no longer as rigid and cold as before; it was clear that she had returned to normal after Tu Yue left.

"Understood, then thank you very much, Sister Gongsun." Lin Hui readily accepted the address.

"Excellent, very good! Today, my Black Cloud City has gained another great general to join us. It is truly a joyous day!" Xie Chang'an smiled and raised his glass again. "It is worth a toast!"

A maid quickly stepped forward to pour the drinks, and the three of them drank together again.

After drinking for a while and chatting for a bit, Gongsun Xinlian finally got to the point.

"Speaking of which, there's something else, the Qingfeng Dao inheritance you mentioned to me before."

“I am willing to hand over the inheritance, but this inheritance has extremely special characteristics.” Lin Hui looked troubled.

"Oh? Tell me about it?" Xie Chang'an had obviously heard about this from his younger sister, and asked with curiosity.

In the past, he might not have cared about the so-called Qingfeng Dao inheritance, but after watching Lin Hui and Tu Yue fight, his thoughts changed.

Although the two are not on the same level as him, they can still be considered as having an extra regular Mistman combatant in a short period of time on the battlefield.

A powerhouse of this caliber cannot be ignored by the opposing Mistman-level experts. Although their strength is inferior to that of the Mistmen, they are far superior to those below them. If a Mistman-level expert is not deployed to deal with the situation, trouble is inevitable on the battlefield. However, deploying one would be a significant loss.

Therefore, it can already be considered to be at a strategic level.

At that moment, Lin Hui reiterated the key restrictions of Qingfeng Dao.

When they heard that they had to acknowledge themselves as members of the Qingfeng Dao from the bottom of their hearts, Xie Chang'an and Gongsun Xinlian's expressions remained normal.

However, upon hearing that Lin Hui, the Dao Lord, could not resign and that he held the authority to bestow seals, the two fog-like figures frowned.

If the Dharma Seal is truly effective, then it would be perfectly acceptable for them to join the Qingfeng Sect in order to improve their strength.

But joining is one thing, but the Dao Master isn't oneself, which is a bit frustrating.

This might mean that Lin Hui will indirectly influence their decisions in the future through Qingfeng Dao.

"We need to think about it." Xie Chang'an didn't refuse outright, but delayed for a moment.

“Alright, Brother Xie, you could ask around and observe the current situation of the other members of Qingfeng Dao. You can then make your own judgment,” Lin Hui reminded him with a smile.

He had no intention of controlling others, as long as they didn't pose a danger to him or his family and friends. He didn't really care about anything else.

Xie Chang'an then introduced the situation of the hostile forces outside the Black Cloud. The greatest enemy was the Sea Mist God Group called Minglan. This force was almost entirely composed of Sea Mist Gods from the ocean.

“Speaking of this Mist God, it might be different from what you’ve heard before. Mist Gods are powerful beings that are naturally born from this world. They are born with the power to control a portion of nature, possessing astonishing power and terrifying destructive force. They are even stronger than us. But the reason why the Mist Gods are currently at a disadvantage and cannot defeat us is because their recovery speed is far slower than ours,” Xie Chang’an explained.

"Our bodies of evil mist are immortal and indestructible. Although they can wear down the real evil mist, it is extremely slow. If they are accidentally injured by us, the injury will spread rapidly and eventually cause their bodies to collapse. It is precisely because of this that the gods usually have to fight us in at least two against one or three against one. Offense, control, and healing are all indispensable. In a one-on-one fight, they can only last for the early stages. If it goes on for a little longer, they will surely die."

"I see." Lin Hui understood, now having gained some understanding of the existence of the Mist God.

"Moreover, because most of the Mist Gods are extremely chaotic, barbaric, and disorderly, the territories and creatures under their rule suffer terribly. And many Mist Gods need a large number of creatures to help them find resources, maintain their territory, and patrol its security. So when they have no one to use, they often come to our major cities to plunder people. This is one of the sources of our war with them," Xie Chang'an continued.

Lin Hui nodded and took the opportunity to ask about some of the questions that had been lingering in his mind.

For example, how large is the outer fog zone, and what lies beyond the Federation?

"I don't know how big it is beyond the outer fog zone's boundary wall. I tried to explore it before, crossing the Federation and several surrounding countries. It's a vast wilderness. It's called the Fallen Wasteland. There's nothing there, just desolate yellow rocks. The sky is yellow, the earth is yellow, the air is unbreathable, and no living things can survive. The temperature is always above 1,000 rings. Apart from that special kind of rock, 99% of everything else would melt quickly in the past," Xie Chang'an recalled.

One thousand rings!?
Lin Hui was shocked. Converted, that's over four thousand degrees Celsius!? What kind of hellish environment is this?!

The fact that the Fogman could survive for such a long time in this environment was something he had never imagined; it truly demonstrated terrifying vitality!
"The place where Big Brother went was once explored to the extreme by a senior Fogman," Gongsun Xinlian continued the conversation. "The Desolate Wasteland is boundless, with no end in sight. The high temperature, the suffocating air, the barren land, the lack of water, only rocks—no life can survive there. That senior flew there for over a hundred years, but in the end, he couldn't find a way out. So, he left a mark at what appears to be the ruins of a huge, dried-up waterfall, and then returned. This is the famous Yan Chongwei Mark."

"The ruins of a giant waterfall?" Lin Hui repeated softly.

"Yes, that waterfall is enormous, probably tens of thousands of kilometers wide, and its length is immeasurable, because its end extends all the way to a bottomless abyss underground," Gongsun Xinlian explained.

Lin Hui could not imagine such an exaggerated scene.

Having not encountered any living creatures for over a hundred years, enduring a lonely journey and solitary flight, if he were an explorer, he would probably have suffered mental breakdowns within ten years. Only these fog people, whose minds are already compromised, would persist in flying like this.

"In that kind of place, there isn't even a mist god; there's nothing but a desolate wasteland shrouded in mist."

After finishing their conversation, the three of them started talking about the Qingfeng Dao's inherited sword techniques. Lin Hui didn't hold back and immediately got up to demonstrate. His perfect version of the Qingfeng Sword Technique was still presentable in front of the two Mistmen.

This immediately piqued the interest of the two of them, and they got up to practice along with them.

结果
Lin Hui's eyelids trembled as he looked at the two stiff, twisting figures. He had a lot to say, but he was afraid that if he spoke, the other party would get angry, so he could only hold back.

Perhaps it's because the people he's been given the opportunity to see are all geniuses, but now his standards are much higher than before.

Like these two guys in front of me, who couldn't even sense the slightest bit of the perfect essence of the Qingfeng Sword Technique. Even if this kind of template-based move replication is perfect, it's meaningless.

Even if you practiced for a hundred years, you could never get close to the perfect version.

This requires understanding.

Seeing that Lin Hui remained silent, Xie Chang'an and Gongsun Xinlian realized that they truly had no talent and could only give up.

After an awkward laugh, the three returned to their seats and chatted briefly about some amusing anecdotes about Hei Yun and their plans for the Lin family's future. The party then ended.

At this moment, inside Qingfeng Taoist Temple.

Many disciples gathered together, having been waiting for Lin Hui for quite some time.

hiss.

The courtyard gate was pushed open silently, and Lin Hui appeared in the courtyard in a flash, looking at the more than sixty disciples present.

"Daoist!"

"Dao Master!? Are you alright!?"

"Lord Dao, what exactly happened?! Just now..."

The voices of the crowd came through the wind chimes.

"It's alright. The three city lords of Black Cloud helped deal with City Lord Tu Yue's accusations and promised that our Qingfeng Sect can settle down in Black Cloud and live a peaceful life." Lin Hui stated the result directly.

The crowd immediately fell silent.

City Lord! ?
Everyone present understood what this level represented.

They are the pinnacle of existence in this world, the strongest group known as the Mist People.

And now, the Dao Lord has actually persuaded the three city lords of Black Cloud to block Tu Yue and agreed to protect Qingfeng Dao!
This means that Qingfengdao will be able to rapidly develop and grow in Heiyun, which is more prosperous than Tuyue!

This is an enormous boon for any member of the Qingfeng Dao sect.

After all, compared to Tu Yue, Hei Yun's conditions are much better in every aspect.

After Su Yaping was happy, she also quietly whispered a few words to him.

Lin Hui was taken aback. He calmed the excited crowd down, turned around, and slipped through the corridor into the backyard.

(End of this chapter)