Amidst the silence, Jintian Xuanyue ignored the various gazes around her and softly asked, "Young Master, what should we do with him?"

Lin Xun answered, "I’ll leave it to you. Don't worry, the Great Everlasting Sword Hall is not even worth mentioning. No need to worry about causing trouble for me."

Jintian Xuanyue nodded.

Omm!

The dao sword pressing down on Fang Xiaoyun suddenly shuddered, releasing sword intent that shattered his body along with his primordial spirit. The death of an Immortal-level expert made the Jintian Clan higher-ups stiffen in shock.

Thud! Thud!

As dread slowly began to seep in, Jintian Wuhong and the others fell to their knees and begged for mercy. "Xuanyue, we only did it for the sake of the other clansmen and wouldn’t truly have submitted to the Great Everlasting Sword Hall. Your uncles know that we have done wrong. We don't ask for your forgiveness, but hope that you can give us an option to live."

"Xuanyue, do you remember? I watched you grow up and even taught you cultivation methods when you were a child."

Various pleas were made one after another.

The scenes left Lin Xun shaking his head as he turned around to walk out of the hall. "Xuanyue, I’ll leave it to you."

Xia Zhi and Xuan Jiuyin followed him out.

"Miss Xuanyue is so pitiful to have clansmen like them." Xuan Jiuyin let out a small sigh.

Lin Xun couldn't help but sigh deeply. After all, he had experienced similar events before.

For instance, when he first entered the Forbidden City to settle the Lin Clan’s internal affairs. And again, when he traveled to the Eternal True Realm to settle his grudge with the Luo Clan. In fact, there had been several hidden dangers and persistent problems even in the Origin Sect. Such matters were simply commonplace in the world.

A few minutes later, Jintian Xuanyue emerged from the hall.

Xuan Jiuyin couldn't help but ask, "Done?"

Jintian Xuanyue acknowledged with a soft grunt before she looked at Lin Xun and said, "Young Master, my father and the others wish to personally apologize to you, but they’re worried you’ll be angry and refuse to forgive them for what happened back then."

Lin Xun chuckled. "There's no need for that because I don't hold anything against them. It’s enough as long as you feel you can forgive them."

Jintian Xuanyue nodded. "I understand."

Lin Xun gently said, "Don't overthink it. I don't care about what they did, but I do feel guilty toward you. If you’re worried about them, bring them along when we return to the Eternal True Realm."

Back then, Jintian Xuanyue had resolutely cut ties with her clan for his sake. Since then, she had accompanied him through thick and thin without any complaints, not even making a single request of him.

How could he possibly remain impassive in the face of such devotion? The truth was that he often felt guilty towards her.

"Really?"

Jintian Xuanyue's eyes brightened in elation and surprise. She hadn’t dared to make this request earlier, fearing he would be reluctant to fulfil it. Hence, she never imagined that he would voluntarily bring it up instead.

Lin Xun smiled and patted her shoulder. "Xuanyue, you should stop being overly concerned about what I would think. As long as it is within my ability, I will help you with whatever you wish to do."

An enchanting and genuine smile blossomed on her peerlessly beautiful face as she nodded. "I understand."

On the side, Xuan Jiuyin grew increasingly anxious for her. What do you mean you understand? Do you even dare to tell him what you wish for the most?

Regretfully, Jintian Xuanyue didn’t do so. It was as if Lin Xun's promise to take along the Jintian clansmen had already made her more than content and immensely happy.

Two hours later, all the Jintian clansmen were gathered and settled into Jintian Xuanyue’s Immortal treasure. An Immortal-level treasure could easily contain a small world, so it was naturally more than enough to store all of her clansmen.

Of course, this also meant that they had to leave behind their properties and territories in the White Emperor Star Field. However, an opportunity to travel to the Eternal True Realm was considered a huge blessing that could change the entire fate of their clan.

It was worth mentioning that Jintian Wuhong and his group of higher-ups were executed for the crime of treason. After settling everything, Lin Xun and the others didn't delay further and continued on their way.

......

Spirit Burial Sea.

Waves extended as far as the eye could see under the high and vast skies.

Omm~

Space began to ripple as Lin Xun and his group emerged. It was his third visit here after a long gap of many years.

"Everything has changed..."

Almost immediately, he sensed the boundless Heavenly Principles surging around them, exuding astonishing ancient and primal life energy. The last time he was here, his cultivation had been forcibly suppressed to the perfect Quasi-Emperor Stage to accommodate the Heavenly Principles of the land.

The reason being that Spirit Burial Sea simply couldn't withstand power above the Emperor Stage, otherwise, terrible consequences would follow.

Now, however, Lin Xun, who was at the perfect Transcendence Stage, couldn’t feel even the slightest trace of discomfort. Undoubtedly, the Heavenly Principles of Spirit Burial Sea could now withstand the pinnacle power of the Immortal Stage. It was astonishing, to say the least.

"In just ten years, the dao aura concentration of this land is now hot on the heels of the Eternal True Realm's Sixth Heaven Domain. What a tremendous change..." Lin Xun couldn't help but gasp.

When they first arrived at the outskirts of the Ancient Nebula Road, the changes they observed in the Heavenly Principles there were already considered astonishing. However, even that was incomparable to the Heavenly Principles here at Spirit Burial Sea. In fact, it felt so drastically different that he would have believed he was at the Eternal True Realm instead.

"It is indeed very inconceivable."

Xuan Jiuyin and Jintian Xuanyue couldn’t stop their expressions from changing either. Only Xia Zhi remained silent as usual, completely unconcerned about everything.

"One’s cultivation will most certainly progress rapidly in a place like this, not to mention that rare spiritual veins, divine materials, and divine medicines will continuously be born from such a blessed land. While the changes might have only begun ten years ago, cultivators who have been stuck at their cultivation realm will benefit tremendously from the blessed environment and experience repeated breakthroughs." Lin Xun said, "It makes me wonder about what has become of Return Dominion..."

"Brother Lin, the entire Lin Clan relocated to the Return Dominion and settled in the Fangchun Ruins as early as seventy years ago. Hence, they would have been the first to benefit the moment these shocking changes occurred."

Xuan Jiuyin grinned as he continued, "What's more, you've been gone for more than a hundred years. In that time, the Lin Clan’s strength has probably become unrecognizable from before, so any foreign faction that tried to invade likely wouldn’t have found much success."

"I hope so," said Lin Xun as he walked forward.

As someone all too familiar with Spirit Burial Sea, he knew exactly where the Return Dominion was located. Soon after, his spirit sense picked up the presences of many cultivators scattered across various sea zones.

These cultivators were clearly from different factions and had occupied islands as if preparing to stay for the long term. The islands were covered in arrays, and constructed to resemble the typical blessed cultivation dwellings.

Lin Xun thought to himself. Since Spirit Burial Sea was the first to benefit from the changes, establishing a sect with proper cultivation dwellings here would indeed be very advantageous."

As the group neared their destination, the auras of the cultivators became stronger and stronger. Evidently, only powerful factions and those with high cultivation could occupy positions closer to the Return Dominion.

Rumble!

The sounds of battle suddenly erupted in the distance. Lin Xun raised his eyes and looked. Two factions were clashing, likely fighting over the rights to a stretch of sea and islands nearby.

Both sides fought until the sea was dyed red, embodying a picture of bitter desperation. Quite a number of experts were also watching from afar as if it were a common occurrence.

"This sea zone will likely soon fall under the territory of the Mystical Cavern World's Water Cloud Sword Pavilion."

"This should be the forty-ninth faction battle since last month, right?"

"Yeah, with the news of the Return Dominion’s transformation spreading, the top factions from various major star fields of the Great Thousand Worlds have all been drawn here."

"Just wait and see, as time passes, the sea zones in the vicinity of the Return Dominion are destined to undergo round after round of reshuffling. While someone might occupy an island now, there's no guarantee that it won’t be snatched away tomorrow."

......

These comments gave Lin Xun and the others new insights into the situation. Spirit Burial Sea had become a piece of prime meat that numerous powerhouse factions were fighting over. Whoever won would become king of the island and control the surrounding sea zone, resulting in frequent fighting and killing.

However, the bloody and turbulent situation only made him increasingly worried about his friends and family in the Lin Clan.

"Brother, may I inquire about a few matters?" Xuan Jiuyin grabbed one of the onlookers to question.

Dressed in silver robes, the man was a supreme Emperor Ancestor, making him one of the most powerful experts below the Immortal Stage. Hence, he was initially startled and furious to be grabbed by Xuan Jiuyin.

However, he shivered all over the moment he met Xuan Jiuyin's eyes, and immediately changed his expression. With a submissive attitude, he nervously asked, "Dare I ask what Elder wishes to know?"

"What's the situation in the Return Dominion?" Xuan Jiuyin cut straight to the heart of the matter.

The silver-robed man hurriedly answered, "Reporting to Elder, the entrance to the Return Dominion is still being occupied by the Seven Great Factions. It’s been almost a year now, but no one has been able to break through their defensive line. Instead, everyone who tried has been slaughtered. It’s gotten so bad that no one has tried to approach for quite some time."

"Seven Great Factions? Which seven?" Xuan Jiuyin raised an eyebrow.

Before the silver-robed man could reply, he was interrupted by Lin Xun, "None of that matters. Let me ask you this, has anyone managed to invade the Fangchun Secret Realm in the Return Dominion?"

The silver-robed man's pupils shrunk in surprise. "Are you referring to the New Genesis Sect’s territory?"

Lin Xun and Xuan Jiuyin exchanged a glance and nodded. "Exactly."

The silver-robed man said, "The New Genesis Sect is a tough bone to chew. As early as a few years ago, the Seven Great Factions joined forces and launched attacks many times, only to be stopped outside the Fangchun Secret Realm. Rumor says that it once used to be the nest of the Fangchun Mountain Sect and is extremely difficult to invade. To present, all the Seven Great Factions can do is watch them from afar..."

After determining that the Fangchun Secret Realm had yet to be conquered, Lin Xun was no longer in the mood to listen any further, feeling his worries fade away significantly. Only now did he finally feel a sense of relief as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.