The Decaying World

And it didn’t stop there. A terrifying, layered pressure passed right through the walls, bearing down on every member of the Slender Cloud Pavilion who heard the commotion and tried to approach.

Everyone felt as if they were trapped in a mire. They had to circulate their Cultivation, struggling to arch their backs and lean forward just to keep from being forced to the ground.

The invisible pressure seemed unaffected by any physical barriers, acting directly on every living creature within its range. Strangely, it had no effect on inanimate objects.

"Pavilion Master!" "Teacher!?"

Outside the door, the two most powerful women there looked anxious, struggling to get closer to the door.

"It’s fine... I’m fine. You... stay back. I’ll handle this!" Yao Ying’s muffled voice came from inside.

"But..." one of the younger-looking women started to say, but the other grabbed her shoulder and shook her head.

The two used voice transmission to tell the other Disciples to move further away. They also slowly backed up. Strangely, as they retreated, the invisible pressure didn’t gradually decrease. Only when they had retreated past a boundary line two hundred meters away did the pressure abruptly vanish, as if it had never been there.

Such a huge disturbance caused a chain reaction, and news spread rapidly throughout the entire Slender Cloud Pavilion.

Figures began to arrive from all directions.

In less than ten minutes, the Slender Cloud Pavilion’s Pavilion Master, Sun Hanshuang, and Vice Pavilion Master, Tang Shiling, arrived together.

Neither of them used their usual grand motorcades, instead rushing over as fast as they could using their Body Techniques.

Normally, for people of their status in this small country, they would at the very least have a convoy clear the way and be meticulously dressed. They never took any public appearance lightly.

For a sect like the Slender Cloud Pavilion, which relied on appearance, every external projection of their image was a crucial point to be taken seriously.

But right now, they had arrived on the scene after just a quick touch-up.

Sun Hanshuang was now nearly three hundred years old, but her appearance remained that of a thirty-year-old. The youth-preserving effects of her Cultivation, combined with direct cosmetic modifications, allowed her to perfectly present the image of herself she considered most beautiful.

Pure, graceful, with a hint of playful cuteness. Long, straight black hair, combined with a voluptuous figure, created a contrast between her face and body that was key to her ability to navigate among the leaders of various factions.

But at this moment, her eyes were fixed on the reception room where Yao Ying was.

"Have we confirmed who she was meeting with?"

"We have. It’s a mysterious person who has been in contact exclusively with Yao Ying. To keep her resources exclusive, Yao Ying never revealed the other party’s identity. As you know, there have been cases before where, after an identity was leaked, our own clients were seduced and poached by other Disciples. Her actions are understandable. That’s why, until now, all we know is his surname: Lin," Vice Pavilion Master Tang Shiling answered quickly.

"With such strength and such pressure on one’s Heart and Spirit, he can’t be an ordinary person. I can understand Yao Ying’s choice. The key is why he would suddenly make such an intimidating move..." Sun Hanshuang said worriedly.

"Don’t worry. Yao Ying’s aura is still present, just a little weak. As long as nothing has happened to her, we can still stabilize the situation. Have faith in her!" Tang Shiling said softly.

"Mm," Sun Hanshuang nodded. At the same time, she began using voice transmission to instruct her confidants to calm the ordinary civilians who had been alarmed and had gathered nearby.

As the current Slender Cloud Pavilion had partially merged with the Western Witch Council, they had incorporated many of the witches’ various Secret Techniques. In fact, they could also be called the Eastern Witch Council.

When it came to controlling ordinary people, the witches’ methods were more direct and effective.

Soon, in less than ten minutes, the surrounding crowd was quickly dispersed. The authorities even sent police to set up a cordon, maintain order, and prevent more people from approaching.

Before long, the invisible, heavy pressure finally disappeared.

CLICK.

With a soft sound.

Yao Ying, her clothes in tatters, slowly opened the door from the inside. Her bloodshot eyes looked toward Sun Hanshuang and Tang Shiling.

"Sister, Shiling, we have a problem!" She sighed and turned her head to look at the spot where Lin Hui had just been standing.

In the past, she had only maintained contact with him because he could provide a steady supply of high-purity gold. He had always been alone, a lone wolf, which made her think he would be easy to handle. After all, Lin Hui had always been gentle in his words and deeds, and very respectful of her.

But this time...

’Perhaps... this is the side of him he’s been hiding all along...’

「Half an hour later.」

The upper echelon of the Slender Cloud Pavilion gathered together, and detailed information about Lin Hui was quickly circulated.

With everyone’s unanimous agreement, the information was passed on to the Slender Cloud Pavilion’s two Supreme elders of the Heavenly Immortal rank—Fairy Apricot Blossom and the Hai Guang Witch.

To be precise, Fairy Apricot Blossom was a veteran Heavenly Immortal expert, while the Hai Guang Witch was a witch of the Holy Spirit level who had split off from the Witch Council and joined the Slender Cloud Pavilion.

The Holy Spirit level was equivalent to the Heavenly Immortal Realm.

In reality, Heavenly Immortal was the upper limit that could be accommodated when descending from the Upper Realm. Heavenly Immortal, Holy Spirit, Angel, and other such titles were simply different names for the same thing. They all essentially described a class of high-level life forms.

It was just that Eastern cultivation used Magical Treasures to aid one’s training, with the self as the primary focus. Western cultivation, on the other hand, involved merging with a Magical Treasure, making the treasure the primary focus.

The former could, at a cost, switch Magical Treasures and even wield multiple ones. The latter could only have one. Moreover, if the Magical Treasure was damaged, the user would also be severely injured. It was somewhat similar to the Fog People system.

In Psamai City, the capital of Meian, the two Supreme elders directly convened a small discussion to assess Lin Hui’s specific strength.

Originally, the two had not intended to bother with such a trivial matter. However, another piece of news—one from within their own circle of peers—forced them to immediately pay close attention to all information regarding Lin Hui.

At this moment, on the top floor of a luxury hotel in Psamai.

Yao Ying, Tang Shiling, and Pavilion Master Sun Hanshuang waited anxiously for specific instructions from the two Supreme elders before them.

"The one from the Iron Buddha Temple has disappeared..." The other half of the suite was currently blocked by a thick, white gauze curtain, obscuring the two Supreme elders from view.

Only their voices could be heard coming from within.

The one speaking was Fairy Apricot Blossom. This veteran Heavenly Immortal, who had lived for over six hundred years, still looked like a beautiful woman in her twenties. She was casually dressed in a sheer, white gauze skirt that barely covered the essentials, and she held a fresh apricot branch in one hand, her expression worried.

"Can we determine his specific level?" a beautiful woman with long brown hair, sitting opposite her, asked. This was the former vice president of the Witch Council, now the Slender Cloud Pavilion’s Supreme elder, the Hai Guang Witch.

At their level, having lived for so many years, no one knew their real names anymore. They used their titles far more often than their birth names.

Only a very few extremely old and close acquaintances would call them by their birth names.

In fact, at their level, one’s birth name was considered a relatively private little secret.

Hai Guang was gorgeous, her figure like a ripe peach that jiggled with the slightest movement. Although she wore a witch’s gold-trimmed robe that revealed very little skin, the form-fitting garment was still intensely seductive.

Hearing Hai Guang’s question, Fairy Apricot Blossom looked out past the gauze curtain at Yao Ying.

The latter noticed the gaze and hurriedly recounted, in full detail, how she had first met Lin Hui.

"So, you’re saying this man has been buying aphrodisiac Treasure Medicines from you all these years? Have you ever... coupled with him?" Fairy Apricot asked with a frown.

"No... This Disciple tried to seduce him several times, but he remained unmoved. Perhaps... he simply doesn’t like this Disciple’s style." A trace of embarrassment flashed across Yao Ying’s face.

In an environment like the Slender Cloud Pavilion, actively seducing a man only to be rejected was undoubtedly a great humiliation. Normally, she would never have spoken of it, but the one asking now was a Supreme elder...

"He’s trading for large quantities of aphrodisiac Treasure Medicines. Perhaps we can probe him by trying other styles. If we can ease relations this way, it would be worth it to train some Disciples specifically for him each year. After all, judging by the Iron Buddha’s case, this man’s strength is definitely no less than ours," Fairy Apricot said coolly.

As Supreme elders, they were not panicked. The two had formed an alliance precisely because even at this level, they were stronger than the likes of the Iron Buddha.

Heavenly Immortal was just a broad classification; there were many tiers of strength within it.

Against the Iron Buddha, both were confident they could suppress him within a hundred moves. Therefore, they were wary of this Lin Hui, not afraid.

Furthermore, due to the Slender Cloud Pavilion’s special connections, they shared a community of interest with multiple other Heavenly Immortals.

Every ten years, they would send large numbers of specially trained handsome men and beautiful women to certain Heavenly Immortal experts. These people were treated as resources and consumables, generally not surviving more than five years before new ones had to be supplied.

This was because the Heavenly Immortals they partnered with needed these ordinary people for little more than amusement, cultivation, or as rewards for their subordinates.

And to maintain the scale of this population sourcing, the Slender Cloud Pavilion had to maintain close relationships with many high-level officials.

A Slender Cloud Pavilion like this was, without a doubt, an extremely large and complex power.

Thus, when faced with a mere single Lin Hui, they could still remain composed.

"His demand is to contact the Celestial Court. The Celestial Court is now desolate and empty, with only danger remaining. Why is he so obsessed with it? There must be a reason. Do you think it could be because of... that prophecy?" Hai Guang mused.

"The world-ending prophecy?" Fairy Apricot also narrowed her eyes, recalling the final prophecy left behind by the great prophet who died after exploring the Celestial Court.

"In any case, he said he would return in two days. We can just ask him then."

Two days was enough time for them to make all necessary preparations. The Slender Cloud Pavilion was no weak and foolish power like the Iron Buddha Temple.

Back then, even when Zhang Yian came at them with overwhelming force, he could only watch as they calmly withdrew from the country, unable to settle scores later.

’Now, he’s just one Loose Practitioner. So what if he’s strong? The upper limit in this mortal world is the Heavenly Immortal and Holy Spirit Realm. If it comes to a real fight, isn’t he afraid of mutual destruction?’

In their minds, the most likely outcome was that the lone wolf would be seriously injured and forced to flee.

Of course, a peaceful resolution would be for the best.

*

*

*

「Two days later.」

Back in Meian, at the same private clubhouse where Yao Ying had met him.

Numerous Cultivators from the Slender Cloud Pavilion had already formed a grand array. Together with a large contingent of armed soldiers that had been gathered, they stood in grim readiness, awaiting Lin Hui’s scheduled arrival.

Thunder rumbled as a fine rain drizzled down.

Beneath the gloomy clouds, the world was a shade of gray. It was a somewhat old, small city. Most of its buildings had some age to them, their exteriors mottled, some even covered in creeping vines. The tallest building didn’t exceed twenty stories. A glance from on high gave the impression that it was merely on par with an ordinary second-tier city in the New Republic.

CRACK.

A flash of lightning illuminated the entire city for an instant, turning it deathly white.

Fairy Apricot Blossom and Hai Guang sat at the center of the formation. In a circle around them were Sun Hanshuang, Tang Shiling, Yao Ying, and several other high-ranking members who were clearly foreign women.

Further out were circles of faint, silver array patterns glowing on the ground.

Cultivators below the Earth Immortal and Human Immortal realms didn’t even qualify to participate. They had all been sent elsewhere.

The women waited quietly, sensing their surroundings and adjusting their own states.

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