I established the Eternal Immortal Clan by taming beasts.

On this day, Lin Che was cultivating peacefully in the Qingxuan Secret Realm when he suddenly felt the communication jade talisman at his waist getting slightly hot.

He slowly finished his practice, opened his eyes, took the jade talisman, and probed it with his divine sense—it was a message from Liu Qingxue.

The divine sense probed the contents: a strange rogue cultivator had visited the edge of the clan's territory and asked if he would be willing to meet him.

Lin Che frowned slightly, a hint of doubt rising in his heart.

There have been no notices recently issued to recruit guest elders, and most of the family's transactions with the outside world are conducted in the market. Why would a rogue cultivator come to our door for no reason?

The message was relayed through Liu Qingxue's spirit beast, and she herself seemed unaware of the sender's specific purpose.

Remembering his promise to handle all external matters during her pregnancy, Lin Che decided to go in person.

After leaving the secret realm, he waved his hand to deactivate the do-not-disturb formation in the room, then mounted his sword and flew straight towards the western edge of the family territory, transforming into a streak of light.

To the west of the Lin family territory, nestled against two low but rather charming green hills, a simple yet grand stone gatehouse was built, serving as the official entrance and visitor reception point.

This place happened to be not far from the cave dwelling where Liu Qingxue had stayed temporarily in the early days, so Lin Che asked Liu Yunzhou to renovate the cave dwelling and transform it into a small reception room for receiving independent cultivators and ordinary guests.

The sword light flew to the sky above the gate tower. Lin Che glanced down and when he saw the figure of the person waiting below, his brows furrowed slightly again.

But this unusual expression lasted only a very brief moment before his face returned to its usual composure.

Lin Che slowly landed on his sword outside the gatehouse. He didn't immediately invite the other person in, but instead stood at the edge of his own property, looking at the newcomer with a serious expression, and asked, "Who are you? What brings you to my Lin family?"

Below, the female cultivator, dressed in a sleek dark red leather armor and with her ponytail tied high, looked up upon hearing the voice. When she saw that the person who came was none other than Lin Che, the patriarch of the Lin family, she was also suddenly startled.

Her once sharp, hawk-like eyes instantly lowered, and she dared not look directly at him.

She lowered her body even further, adopting an extremely respectful posture, but her voice was clear and steady, without the slightest timidity or hesitation: "Junior Yan Hongling, captain of the Red Fox Squad, greets Senior Lin."

My visit is unintentional, but I have no other choice but to do so.

"We, the younger generation, are afflicted by a strange curse from the ruins of the Black Tooth Swamp, and we would like to ask you to help us remove this curse."

The person who arrived was none other than the female cultivator captain who had invited Lin Che to team up with her at the entrance when he disguised himself and infiltrated the Black Tooth Swamp!

They met under disguises back then, and now the other party has "coincidentally" appeared in front of his door again. This is why Lin Che had doubts and frowned just now.

What a coincidence!

Lin Che remained outwardly calm, but his mind was already on high alert.

He did not immediately respond to the other party's request, but quietly released his divine sense to surround Yan Hongling. At the same time, the system's detection function was silently activated, and began to deeply analyze the other party's state and background.

Feeling the gentle yet irresistible probing power of divine sense fall upon her, Yan Hongling's body stiffened slightly, but she did not show any resistance or dissatisfaction, allowing the probing to take place, her posture becoming increasingly frank.

Soon, the system's feedback became clear in Lin Che's perception.

This woman was indeed enveloped in a cold and sinister power, which shared the same origin as the curse aura sensed in the Black Tooth Swamp ruins, and its intensity was not insignificant.

Importantly, the system's analysis of the cultivation techniques and spiritual energy properties showed that they were not related to the cultivation methods of the Rebellious Demon Palace and its subordinate Shadow Hall and Blood Shadow Hall.

Its spiritual energy is biased towards fire and metal, and its operation method is the common fighting style of rogue cultivators, without the strange, hidden or bloody characteristics unique to those demonic organizations.

Based on initial assessment, this person is unlikely to be a spy sent by the Demon Palace of Rebellion, and the request for help may indeed be a coincidence.

"I have indeed heard about the strange curse that has appeared in the Black Tooth Swamp ruins recently."

Lin Che looked calmly at Yan Hongling: "But why do you think I can help you resolve this matter?"

During this period, as more and more cultivators who had entered the ruins found that they were restless and unable to enter a meditative state during their cultivation, and even occasionally showed signs of being disturbed by inner demons, they went to various medical clinics and alchemy pavilions for treatment.

As a result, the similar symptoms and the same experiences made everyone realize that they were likely all under the same insidious curse from the ruins.

Although the matter spread within a small circle of independent practitioners, causing considerable panic and discussion, it did not cause a major upheaval.

Exploring ruins and hidden realms is inherently accompanied by various unknown risks; injuries, poisoning, and even death are common occurrences.

Most people attributed it to their own bad luck or lack of preparation, at most cursing the perilous nature of the ruins.

Almost no one investigated further, and even fewer suspected that all of this might be a premeditated "borrowing a knife to kill" scheme by the Zhao family.

Lin Che could certainly use this incident to further solidify the Zhao family's conspiracy and influence public opinion.

But on second thought, the Zhao and Zhou families are now mortal enemies, and the situation is already in line with expectations. If we were to deliberately try to guide it further, it might be counterproductive.

Maintaining the status quo and observing the situation is the best course of action.

But why would Yan Hongling come to him? That was what puzzled him.

Upon hearing this, Yan Hongling immediately began to explain in a deep voice, her tone filled with helplessness and urgency: "Senior, please understand that after we were afflicted by the curse, we inquired about ways to cure it."

It was later discovered that among the cultivators who entered the ruins, only the Zhou family seemed to be completely devoid of these symptoms!

She paused, a hint of resentment flashing in her eyes: "Many rogue cultivators have speculated that the Zhou family, as a major beast-taming clan, may possess some special method to resist or resolve such curses."

So some people came to the Zhou family pleading for their help, even offering to pay a price for the solution... However, the Zhou family refused them all, remaining indifferent and even refusing to see them.

"I am desperate and have heard that you, senior, are also skilled in the art of beast taming..."

Yan Hongling raised her head, her eyes filled with earnestness: "I thought that since we are both beast-taming families, perhaps the Lin family might have some related heritage or knowledge? Even if it's just a sliver of hope, I'm willing to give it a try."

After hearing her explanation, Lin Che's lips twitched slightly.

That's quite an unusual way of thinking.

Since the Zhou family was not affected, it is assumed that the Lin family, which is also a beast-taming family, might have a way to break the curse?

However, things just happened to be so coincidental.

Lin Che really does have a way!

The Thousand Water Beast Taming Sect did not conduct in-depth research on the "Vicious Poison Dragon" back then, and the records left behind are limited.

However, the complete beast-taming inheritance that Lin Che possessed contained a rather detailed description of the innate supernatural abilities of such top-tier poisonous dragon-type demonic beasts.

It mentions that after successfully transforming into a dragon, the Fiend Dragon will awaken a supreme innate divine power called "Ten Thousand Plague Poison Curse".

This curse is extremely insidious, capable of eroding the souls of living beings, disturbing their Daoist minds, and triggering inner demons. The symptoms of the curse currently afflicting the rogue cultivators are highly consistent with those of the curse.

Although the venomous dragon in the ruins imbued the curse with its resentment before its death, causing a certain mutation in the curse, its root cause and core mechanism, as well as the solution, should be the same as the antidote for the "Ten Thousand Plagues Curse".

The transmission clearly records the righteous methods to dispel the "curse of ten thousand plagues".

It requires extremely strong and yang spiritual objects from heaven and earth, such as ten-thousand-year-old lightning-struck wood of the third rank or above, or Buddhist and Taoist treasures containing pure Buddhist power and righteous energy, to burn and purify the curse power that has invaded the body little by little with the pure yang righteous energy or the power to dispel evil contained therein.

If you wish to temporarily relieve the symptoms, you can also take high-level calming and concentration pills, or practice spirit-refining techniques to stabilize your soul.

A primordial and yang spiritual object? Lin Che didn't have one at the moment.

but……

With a slight thought, a wisp of delicate yet pure crimson-gold flame, imbued with the aura of holiness and nirvana, quietly flickered deep within his dantian.

That's right, it's the Phoenix Blood True Fire!

This fire has a natural purifying and restraining effect on evil spirits, ghosts, and demonic energy.

It's a perfect match for my major!

Lin Che pondered for a moment, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the jade pendant at his waist, before he smiled.

"Even if I truly had a way to break this curse for you, why should my Lin family do it for you?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Hongling suddenly raised her head, and the flame of hope that had almost been extinguished in her eyes was suddenly rekindled.

She came here with a desperate "nothing to lose" mentality, hoping for a slim chance of an answer or to give up completely.

Judging from the other party's tone, could there really be a solution?

During this period, whenever she tried to enter a meditative state, she would become restless and have many distracting thoughts. That nameless gloom and mania followed her like a shadow, tormenting her to the point of almost going crazy.

But this mental torment can be endured with gritted teeth.

What truly terrified her was witnessing a fellow cultivator near her cave, also cursed, unwittingly trigger his inner demons while attempting to break through a minor Qi Refining stage!

Not only did he fail to break through, but he also suffered damage to his meridians and a decline in his cultivation level.

Since then, she has become extremely cautious and uneasy even when meditating, and her cultivation has stagnated.

At this moment, a glimmer of hope seemed to be right in front of her, so how could she hesitate for even a second?

"Please save me, senior!" Yan Hongling's voice trembled slightly with excitement, but her actions were exceptionally decisive.

She quickly and carefully took out a spirit beast egg from her personal storage bag. The egg was a warm, jade-colored color, and its shell was naturally engraved with cloud-like patterns.

"This item... might be a spirit beast egg of a Azure-Eyed Eagle! It's what I obtained during my adventures, and it's the most valuable reward I can offer right now!"

Lin Che's gaze fell on the jade egg, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, and his brows furrowed slightly.

He did not take it immediately, but instead raised his hand and pressed it down. With his palm about an inch apart, a wisp of pure and gentle divine sense quietly enveloped the egg.

At the same time, the system's detection function is activated.

The feedback information is clearly emerging.

This is indeed an egg of a second-tier high-grade spirit beast, the Azure-eyed Eagle. The embryo is developing well, has strong vitality, and is close to hatching. The eggshell itself is also free of any flaws or hidden injuries.

This only deepened Lin Che's doubts.

The Azure-Eyed Eagle is a well-known raptor-like spirit beast in the territory of Chuyang City, renowned for its sharp emerald green eyes, excellent flying ability, and formidable combat power.

As far as he knew, only in the precipitous, rarely visited cliff area deep within the Spirit Grass Valley within the territory of Chuyang City did a sizable group of Azure-Eyed Eagles reside.

The area is dotted with eagle nests, and several Foundation Establishment stage Azure-eyed Eagles guard it with extreme vigilance.

The Yan Hongling before me clearly only has the cultivation level of the ninth level of Qi Refining. How could she steal this egg that is about to hatch from under the noses of a group of green-eyed eagles who are at least at the Foundation Establishment stage?

Faced with Lin Che's scrutinizing and clearly questioning gaze, Yan Hongling knew that hiding the truth would be futile. If she wanted to gain his trust and help, she had to be honest.

She took a deep breath, no longer hesitating, and told the truth: "Senior is wise. This egg did not come from the legendary Azure-eyed Eagle's Nest in the Spirit Herb Valley."

Several months ago, when my juniors were leading an expedition to explore a remote rift valley in the north of Lingcao Valley, they accidentally discovered a group of birds of prey that looked very similar to the Azure-eyed Eagle and were nesting and roosting there.

Their population is small, and the strength of the adult individuals seems far inferior to that of the legendary Azure-Eyed Eagles of Spirit Herb Valley; only one is hovering around the late stage of Qi Refining.

She pointed to the egg in her hand: "Among the many eggs in that nest, this egg is the largest, contains spiritual light, and has the purest and strongest aura, unlike the others."

Only then did the younger generation dare to guess that it might have undergone some kind of benign bloodline mutation, making it closer to the real Azure-Eyed Eagle, or even with greater potential, which is why they risked taking it.

I intended to incubate and cultivate them myself as a foundation for my future livelihood, but who would have thought...

Who would have thought that they would soon be cursed by the Black Tooth Swamp, making their own cultivation a problem and their future uncertain, so where would they have the spare energy and mind to nurture this spirit beast that would require an unknown amount of resources?

This egg, which carried so much hope, has now become a hot potato; it would be better to use it to exchange for a more pressing chance of survival.

Lin Che reached out and gently stroked the warm eggshell, feeling the vibrant life force within. His gaze, however, shifted from the egg back to Yan Hongling.

At this moment, what he was considering had already exceeded the value of a single Azure-eyed Eagle Egg, and even went beyond the "exorcism" transaction before him.

The small raptor group that Yan Hongling mentioned, which "looks a lot like a blue-eyed eagle," piqued his interest.

The core of the Lin family's development lies in beast taming, and now their industry relies too much on Baiweizhai's braised dishes, resulting in a single-structure business.

To break the deadlock, developing a business for selling and breeding spirit beasts is undoubtedly the most direct and effective way.

Spirit beasts like the Azure-Eyed Eagle, which combine manned flight, reconnaissance, and a certain level of combat capability, are always in high demand in the market, especially favored by small and medium-sized families and wealthy independent cultivators.

If what Yan Hongling said is true, it is a small clan with weak overall strength and easy to control.

With his current strength, he is fully capable of capturing the entire beast, adding a stable and valuable source of spirit beasts to the Lin family.

At the same time, another thing came to mind—intelligence.

Nowadays, the Lin family's intelligence sources mainly rely on Lin Che's own investigations outside the city, or on Liu Yunzhou and others hearing about it in the market, which is scattered and delayed.

When it comes to being well-informed and having a wide reach, nothing beats the ubiquitous group of independent cultivators.

In order to survive, they frequently exchanged information with each other and spent years mingling in places where all sorts of people gathered, such as markets, taverns, and mission halls, so they could often catch up on various rumors and developments at the first opportunity.

Isn't Yan Hongling right in front of us a ready-made "entry point"?

She is the captain of the Red Fox Squad, with a group of trustworthy companions under her command, and she herself is a seasoned independent cultivator who is like a local strongman.

Perhaps we could try hiring them.

It's not about asking them to renounce their status as independent cultivators and become vassals of the Lin family; that would be too conspicuous and easily arouse suspicion.

Instead, they cooperate in a more loose and covert way.

Let them continue their independent cultivation, only that they pass on any valuable information they discover or learn to the Lin family immediately.

In this way, the Lin family was able to initially build a secretive and efficient intelligence network covering Chuyang City and the surrounding areas at a very low cost.