Chapter 18 Soul Search and Treasure Seizure! 100,000 Demonic Cultivators Rehabilitated and Build Villas on the Spot!

Dead silence.

On the square of the Taixuan Main Peak, it was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

Tens of thousands of Taixuan Dao Sect Disciples and Elders, as well as the remnants of the demonic Sect in the sky who were trembling with fear and didn't even dare to run, all held their breath and stared intently at the extremely bizarre scene at the entrance of the Demon Suppressing Death Prison.

"Gulp..."

Lin Yuan naturally took the purple clay teapot handed over by Jinyue and took a slow, deep swig of the steaming, top-tier spiritual tea from the spout.

"Hmm, the heat was just right. Over these past three years, your tea-brewing skills have indeed improved."

Lin Yuan smacked his lips and gave an extremely casual evaluation.

"To be able to serve Young Master tea is a blessing I have earned over several lifetimes."

Jinyue, who had just crushed a half-step Soul Transformation expert with a single punch like an Asura demon god, was now smiling like a blooming red lotus. Her obedient and fawning appearance made Immortal Master Qingxu, who was kneeling in the crater not far away, swallow hard again.

The Taixuan Sect Head now had only one thought in his mind: The Old Ancestor is awesome! Long live the Old Ancestor!

After finishing his tea, Lin Yuan finally cast his gaze upon the charred heap of "unrecyclable humanoid trash" at his feet.

The Blood Demon Ancestor, burned by the Nine Netherworld Karmic Fire until only a single breath remained and with most of his cultivation crippled, was now like a stray dog. He struggled to lift his head, looking at Lin Yuan with pale green eyes filled with endless fear.

"Old... Old Ancestor, have mercy... I was blind to have offended the Old Ancestor's divine presence... I beg you to just let me go like a fart..."

The Blood Demon Ancestor's teeth were chattering.

How could he not understand by now? This youth in servant's clothes was absolutely an ancient horror who had transcended the Three Realms and was not within the Five Elements! Just by bestowing a single golden speck of light upon Jinyue, he enabled her to cross the chasm of Realms and smash his proud Blood Sea Demonic Art to smithereens with one punch! Such heaven-defying methods were something even those old monsters in the Central State who had lived for ten thousand years probably couldn't achieve!

"Let you go?"

Lin Yuan chuckled softly. "You brought so many people from so far away to smash my front door, terrified the fish I’m raising, and even called my maid a dog."

"If I just let you go like this, wouldn't anyone in this Shenhuang Continent dare to come and act wildly at the entrance of my death prison in the future?"

Lin Yuan squatted down. The moment his seemingly clear eyes looked at the Blood Demon Ancestor, they suddenly turned into a darkness like an endless abyss!

Buzz—!

[Netherworld Demonic Pupil], activate!

"Aaaaaahhhh!!!"

The Blood Demon Ancestor let out a scream ten times more shrill than when he was being burned by the karmic fire earlier!

His half-step Soul Transformation Stage Divine Sense defense was like a thin sheet of window paper before Lin Yuan's [Netherworld Demonic Pupil], violently torn apart in an instant!

Lin Yuan's Mental Energy was like a violent tornado, ruthlessly churning into the Blood Demon Ancestor's Spiritual Platform, performing the most brutal and thorough Soul Searching and Soul Refining!

Image after image and memory after memory flashed through Lin Yuan's mind like a revolving lantern.

"So that's how it is..."

Three breaths later, the darkness in Lin Yuan's eyes dissipated. He stood up and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"No wonder you, old boy, were stuck at the Nascent Soul Peak for three hundred years and suddenly managed to set half a foot into the Soul Transformation Stage. It turns out you hit the jackpot and found a remnant map of an ancient ruin at the edge of the [God-Burying Abyss], the most dangerous place in the Shenhuang Continent."

Lin Yuan's voice wasn't loud, but all the high-level Cultivators present heard him clearly.

Immortal Master Qingxu and Jinyue's expressions changed simultaneously.

The [God-Burying Abyss]! That was a true forbidden zone of the Shenhuang Continent! A place where legends say even Mahayana Stage Cultivators would perish if they fell in!

Through the soul-search, Lin Yuan learned that the Blood Demon Ancestor hadn't just found a remnant map; he also discovered that the ruin was an Immortal Cave left behind by an ancient Mahayana Stage Demon Venerable! It very likely contained supreme treasures that could allow one to achieve immediate Immortal Ascension.

However, the key to opening that cave had to be an extremely pure ancient Demon Race Bloodline that had reached the Soul Transformation Stage level!

The Blood Demon Ancestor's own Bloodline wasn't up to par, which was why he had impatiently mobilized his entire Sect, wanting to devour the Origin Demonic Core of Jinyue—the previous generation's Demonic Sect Head—to break through to Soul Transformation and then open that staggering Treasure Trove!

"Not bad stuff. I'll be confiscating this map. It just so happens that if I ever get tired of staying in the prison, I can go dig a grave for a vacation."

Lin Yuan practicedly held his fingers together like a sword and made a stroke through the air.

With a "shredding" sound, he forcibly sliced open a hidden life-bound space within the Blood Demon Ancestor's body, pulled out a parchment remnant map emitting an ancient and weathered aura, and casually tossed it into his Storage Pouch.

Having his life-bound space forcibly stripped away, the Blood Demon Ancestor violently spat out a large mouthful of black blood. He was now completely at the end of his tether.

He looked at Lin Yuan in despair: "You... since you've already obtained the map... give me a swift end..."

"A swift end? In your dreams. Although your half-step Soul Transformation cultivation is a chaotic mess, you're still barely qualified to be fertilizer."

Lin Yuan snapped his fingers.

A wisp of dark red [Nine Netherworld Karmic Fire] instantly drilled into the Blood Demon Ancestor's seven orifices!

"Boom!"

There was no room for struggle. This demonic hegemon, who had ruled the Heavenly Demon Sect for three hundred years and struck fear into the Righteous Path, didn't even have a speck of ash left under the gaze of tens of thousands of people; he was directly incinerated into nothingness!

The essence of his lifelong cultivation, purified by the karmic fire, turned into a fist-sized, extremely pure dark-golden energy orb.

"Hoo—"

Lin Yuan opened his mouth, and with a slight circulation of the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Art within him, he swallowed this orb of energy in one gulp.

*Burp...*

He let out an extremely unrefined burp. After absorbing this half-step Soul Transformation Origin, the ten thousand Divine Elephant Particles in his body emitted a cheerful hum, and their power solidified a bit more. Although it didn't cause him to Breakthrough directly to the Nascent Soul Middle Stage, his foundation became even more unfathomable.

"Killing and arson bring a golden belt; the ancients did not deceive me."

Lin Yuan patted his stomach in satisfaction.

Having finished all this, Lin Yuan finally looked up slowly, his gaze sweeping over the sky above the Taixuan Square.

There, several thousand elite demonic Cultivators of the Heavenly Demon Sect were still suspended!

These demonic Cultivators had just witnessed the entire process of their own Old Ancestor being crushed with one punch, soul-searched, burned to ash, and finally eaten like a grand tonic pill.

At this moment, every single one of them was scared out of their wits, their legs weak, unable to even muster the spiritual energy to control their flying Magical Artifacts.

"Thud! Thud! Thud!"

When Lin Yuan's gaze swept over them, it was as if dumplings were falling from the sky.

Thousands of Core Formation and Foundation Establishment demonic Cultivators dropped from the air in a kneeling position, forming a dense black mass on the ground, frantically kowtowing and begging for mercy.

"Old Ancestor, have mercy!!! We were all deceived by that old scoundrel Blood Demon!"

"We beg the Old Ancestor for leniency! We are willing to abandon the darkness for the light and serve the Taixuan Dao Sect like cattle and horses!"

"Sect Head! Sagely and supreme Sect Head! For the sake of our common Origins back then, please intercede for us!"

The cries of the thousands of demonic Cultivators were earth-shaking.

They knew very well that running was absolutely impossible. Even their half-step Soul Transformation Old Ancestor had been insta-killed; before this god-like Old Ancestor, they weren't even worth a speck of dust.

Immortal Master Qingxu also crawled over, supporting his heavily injured body, and asked for instructions with extreme respect:

"Old Ancestor! These remnants of the demonic Sect have committed many evils and their hands are covered in blood. If not for the Old Ancestor coming out of seclusion today, my Taixuan lineage would surely have been destroyed by their hands! I implore the Old Ancestor to give the order to execute all these wicked heretics to eliminate future troubles!"

A flash of ruthlessness appeared in Immortal Master Qingxu's eyes. The Taixuan Dao Sect was almost wiped out; this grudge was irreconcilable!

Hearing Immortal Master Qingxu's words, those thousands of demonic Cultivators were so scared they soiled themselves, and their wailing became even more shrill.

Jinyue also frowned slightly. Although she was the previous generation's leader, the Heavenly Demon Sect had long since been purged and replaced by the Blood Demon; they were all just fencesitters who would betray anyone for profit. she didn't have the slightest bit of pity for these people.

She looked at Lin Yuan; with just one word from the Young Master, she would immediately turn into an Asura and slaughter these thousands of people clean.

However.

Lin Yuan let out an extremely rare sigh, putting on a look of compassion.

"Qingxu, as a leader of the Righteous Path, how is your bloodlust even heavier than mine?"

"The Old Ancestor's lesson is correct!" Immortal Master Qingxu shuddered and hurriedly kowtowed.

"Heaven has the virtue of loving life; it would be such a waste to just kill them."

Lin Yuan pointed at the dilapidated gate of the Demon Suppressing Death Prison behind him, as well as the surrounding area of the prison that was now full of pits and hollows because the Formation had been forcibly uprooted.

"Look, my courtyard was already broken to begin with, and today you guys have tossed it around until it looks like a dog kennel. I'm a person who gets picky about my bed; a poor environment affects my comprehension of the Heavenly Dao."

Lin Yuan rubbed his chin, his gaze sweeping over the group of sturdy demonic Cultivators as if he were looking at a bunch of premium labor.

"These demonic Cultivators all have abundant blood and qi, and they know all sorts of Earth Escape, Mountain Moving, and Object Manipulation techniques. It would be a waste of God's gifts to kill them all."

Lin Yuan's voice echoed over the square, directly pronouncing the fate of these thousands:

"From today onwards, the Heavenly Demon Sect is disbanded on the spot!"

"Everyone is to be incorporated into the 'Taixuan Dao Sect First Infrastructure Labor Reform Brigade'! Those at the Core Formation Stage will be foremen, those at the Foundation Establishment Stage will be master workers, and those at the Qi Gathering Stage will carry bricks and mix cement!"

"I give you three months to build an ultra-luxurious villa on the original site of this Demon Suppressing Death Prison, covering a hundred acres, with full Spirit Gathering Formation coverage, mountains, water, and spiritual springs!"

Lin Yuan glanced at the kneeling Jinyue. "Jinyue, you used to be the Sect Head, so you have experience managing them. From now on, you are the Chief Supervisor of this infrastructure brigade! If anyone dares to slack off or escape, use the karmic fire to turn them into a human candle!"

As soon as these words were spoken.

The entire place fell silent.

The Disciples of the Taixuan Dao Sect were dumbfounded.

Immortal Master Qingxu was stunned.

Those thousands of demonic Cultivators, who thought they were certain to die, were even more collectively bewildered.

The fearsome elite of the Demonic Sect, the nightmare of the Shenhuang Continent... were changing professions on the spot to work on a construction site?! To build a villa for this Old Ancestor?!

"What? Unwilling?"

Lin Yuan's brows twitched slightly, and the aura of the ten thousand Divine Elephant Particles in his body faintly leaked a sliver.

"Those who don't want to do civil engineering are also fine; I'll send you to see the Blood Demon right now."

"Willing! We are willing!!!"

The desire to survive conquered all dignity. After the thousands of demonic Cultivators reacted, they were moved to tears and kowtowed like pounding garlic.

"Thank you, Old Ancestor, for the grace of not killing us! Thank you, Old Ancestor, for giving us this glorious Opportunity for labor!"

"Rest assured, Old Ancestor! we will definitely demonstrate the Demonic Path's spirit of enduring hardship. Within three months, we guarantee to build the most luxurious immortal palace in the entire continent for the Old Ancestor! If a single brick is missing, I'll twist my head off and let the Old Ancestor kick it like a ball!"

"Sect Head! No, Chief Supervisor! Please whip us to your heart's content!"

This group of demonic Cultivators instantly turned into the most fanatical infrastructure maniacs. Being able to keep their lives was already good enough; by building a house for such a heaven-defying expert, they might even catch a bit of Immortal Qi! What a huge Opportunity this was!

Looking at this group of demonic Cultivators who were instantly "physically reformed," Lin Yuan nodded in satisfaction.

This is the correct way to be a capitalist—ah, no, an ancient Old Ancestor. Fighting and killing is so tiring; isn't it great to get thousands of Advanced construction workers who know magic for free?

"Alright, everyone disperse. Those who need to heal, heal; those who need to carry bricks, go carry bricks."

Lin Yuan yawned and turned to walk towards the broken gate of the death prison.

"Qingxu, the blueprints and Materials for this villa—like some Thousand-Year-Old Golden Silk Phoebe Wood, Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Spiritual Jade Floor Tiles—will be provided by your Taixuan Dao Sect. I've just come out of seclusion and have nothing but the clothes on my back, understand?"

"Understood! Rest assured, Old Ancestor! Even if I have to empty the entire Sect's treasure vault, I will make sure the Old Ancestor lives comfortably and satisfied!"

Not only did Immortal Master Qingxu not feel the slightest bit of pain, but his face was flushed with excitement. The Old Ancestor was willing to let the Taixuan Dao Sect provide the Materials; what did that mean? It meant the Old Ancestor treated the Taixuan Dao Sect as his own! What an honor! Forget about providing some Materials; even if he, Qingxu, were told to go carry manure and mix cement right now, he wouldn't say a word!

"Mm, a teachable child."

Lin Yuan waved his hand and walked into the darkness of the death prison without looking back.

Jinyue and the Ice Dragon around her neck also followed him in practicedly.

As the Old Ancestor's back disappeared.

The entire Taixuan Main Peak erupted in a burst of post-disaster, fanatical cheering!

"Taixuan shall flourish! The Old Ancestor is invincible!"

"Taixuan shall flourish! The Old Ancestor is invincible!"

And amidst this earth-shaking cheering, there were also the extremely enthusiastic chants of thousands of demonic Cultivators:

"Brothers, grab your tools! First, go level that spiritual Peak in the back mountain to lay the foundation for the Old Ancestor's villa!"

"Earth Escape Hall, go mix cement! Mountain Moving Hall, go transport stones! If anyone dares to slack off, I'll be the first to hack him!"

A grand project of "Demonic Cultivator Labor Reform Villa Construction" officially kicked off in this absurd yet passionate atmosphere.