Chapter 423 Return Crystal

Wang Yi nodded, the politeness dissolving instantly as he got straight to the point. "Lin Lee, I told you yesterday to blend in and lie low. Why didn’t you leave this town? Staying here is foolish and dangerous."

He leaned forward, his voice dropping slightly. "I forgot to give you a final piece of advice, a crucial one. If you truly cannot recover your memory, if your mission is inaccessible to you, then you must leave this realm and return to the main world. You can find countless ways to recover and start over there."

After seeing his calm expression, Wang Yi then sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It’s just that your current mission will fail, and you will have to pay the penalty. It’s ten thousand Origin Points. The realm will deduct it automatically when you choose to leave."

Lin Lee’s brow furrowed slightly, the mention of the Origin Point penalty confirming the harsh, unforgiving nature of this system. He shook his head slowly.

"I don’t know how to recover my memory," Lin Lee said, his voice earnest. "I don’t even have ten thousand Origin Points, Brother. More importantly, I have forgotten the way to leave this realm entirely."

Wang Yi blinked, then slapped his hand against his forehead in a gesture of sudden realization. "Right! Of course! You lost your memory, so you must have forgotten everything related to the transit portal."

He settled back, the instruction becoming more serious. "There is only one way to enter a realm, and that is through the transit portal. It sends Source Walkers randomly across the area of the realm with their mission embedded in their memory. But there are three ways to leave a realm."

Wang Yi counted the methods on his fingers. "One is to automatically leave after completing your mission. If you succeed, the portal will automatically send you out with all your Origin Points and rewards. The second way is to give up your mission and return by paying ten thousand Origin Point penalty, the final third way is for those who want to avoid the penalty, just use a Return Crystal."

’This whole situation is almost similar to the one in the U organization before, just the difference in scale... one allows you to travel to other whole chaos realms, while other only allows you to travel inside the realms.’ Lin Lee thought and then he nodded and asked, looking at Wang Yi, "Brother Wang Yi, how can I get the return crystal?’

Wang Yi glanced at him silently for a while and then sighed. "Why am I so kind-hearted?" he muttered, shaking his head. "Fine, I will give you my Return Crystal. Anyway, I am already on the verge of completing my mission."

He raised his hand. A crystal-clear artifact, shining with a colorful, reflective light, materialized in his palm. He held it out toward Lin Lee.

"Here, take it," Wang Yi said. "After breaking it forcefully, it will teleport you outside this realm to the main world."

A flicker of surprise flashed through Lin Lee’s eyes, and he glanced at Wang Yi’s face. He reached out and grabbed the crystal, feeling the cold, smooth surface with his fingers. He spoke hesitantly. "Brother Wang Yi, I don’t have anything to repay against it."

Wang Yi shook his head, reclining back onto the recliner. "Take it and go," he replied, waving a dismissive hand. "There is no need to repay anything. Just consider it a help from a fellow countryman."

Lin Lee took a deep breath and nodded solemnly. "Thank you," he said.

After that, he stood up, gave a final calm nod, and walked toward the exit. Outside, he glanced back at the well-built courtyard house, then looked at the crystal in his hand.

A slight smile touched his lips. ’There are really people like him in every civilization... idiotic, stupid, and acting without thought,’ he mused internally. ’But these people are always the ones who preserve a civilization’s vitality. Their reduction in any civilization indicates that it’s moving toward demise.’

He then dismissed the thought. He held the Return Crystal, an immensely useful item that he could now study, analyze, and, most importantly, use to travel to the main world.

Just as Lin Lee’s figure vanished around the corner, a furious whoosh of air displacement split the quiet morning.

Three figures, clad in the simple, white and green robes of an immortal sect, descended abruptly from the sky, landing heavily in front of the Wang courtyard. They were riding on gleaming spirit swords, which they immediately dismissed with a wave of their hands.

The two guards, low-level Qi Gathering cultivators, barely had time to turn. Before they could open their mouths or raise their spears, a silent, invisible wave of spiritual pressure slammed into them.

Slam!

Their bodies were blasted backward, hitting the clean, solid stone walls with a sickening thud before slumping into an unconscious heap of broken limbs.

The three sect disciples, two in the Early Foundation Building Realm and one in the Mid Foundation Realm, ignored the two incapacitated mortals. They moved with a chilling, practiced efficiency, their steps carrying them swiftly across the courtyard toward the main hall.

Inside the courtyard, Wang Yi, who had been in the middle of a leisurely conversation with his subordinates, was instantly startled by the sudden, violent commotion. His head snapped toward the entrance, and his easygoing expression swiftly morphed into a mask of sudden recognition and deep worry.

’It’s here. What I feared the most,’ Wang Yi thought internally, his composure momentarily fractured as he saw the sect robes.

He immediately stood up, waving his maids and remaining lackeys back with a sharp, silent gesture. He composed his face into a facade of calm as the three figures entered the hall.

The leading disciple, a handsome young man in the Mid Foundation Realm, stopped five feet from Wang Yi, his eyes sweeping over the lavish hall with a look of condescending disdain.

"You are that Wang Yi, the owner of Wang Pavilian," the disciple stated, his voice ringing with the casual, absolute authority of a powerful cultivator speaking to a lesser being.

Wang Yi stood perfectly still, his hands clasped in front of his chest, projecting an image of calm and respectful individual that belied the tremor of anxiety running through him. He gestured politely toward the empty seats around him.

"Please sit down," Wang Yi said, his voice even and respectful. "I am indeed Wang Yi, the one you are looking for. May I ask the purpose of your visit?"

The middle disciple smirked, the corners of his lips twisting in amusement. "We are not here to sit down, Young Master Wang. Brother Luo wants us to bring you to him. He has some questions regarding your business."

Wang Yi’s expression tightened imperceptibly, hearing the familiar surname Luo. Brother Luo... a Core Disciple of the Xiang Sect... Rumors are that every core disciple in the Xiang Sect possess the strength of Early and Mid Jindan realm. ’What is such figure doing here? Did the sect found out my identity as an outsider?’

After a little thought, suppressing his surging worry... Wang Yi nodded calmly, accepting the inevitable. "Lead the way. I will accompany you."

A flicker of contempt crossed the disciples’ faces. They had expected a resistance, or at least a negotiation, not a swift capitulation. They merely turned and walked toward the entrance.

Wang Yi gave a final, unreadable glance at his luxurious hall, a testament to his success and wealth, but without strength these these things are just illusory. He suppressed the sigh that threatened to escape his lips and followed the disciples out.

Moments later, the three sect disciples and Wang Yi, now flying on stablized spirit sword, were streaks of light cutting through the northern sky, flying relentlessly toward the mountains where the great immortal sect was rumored to reside.

Meanwhile, Wang Yi glanced at the mountain range ahead, which was dominated by a large, fortified city carved into the stone face. The leading disciple, noticing his attention, spoke up with playful expression on his face.

"Young Master Wang, you won’t be visiting the sect mountain today. Brother Luo has recently descended and is staying at your establishment in Jin Peak City," the disciple stated, his voice laced with mocking amusement as he indicated the mountain city. "He has, shall we say, decided to check the quality of the famous ’Wang Inn’. We heard complains about this restaurant that’s why brother Luo is sent for inspection."

Wang Yi’s face remained composed, but a flicker of relief flashed through his heart, ’So they are here for my business... anyway, i will find out their intentions after meeting this young master Luo. Probably, he is here for the leverage, the inspection is just an excuse.’

They soon landed beside a huge, exquisitely decorated building situated on the highest, most affluent tier of Jin Peak City. The building was carved entirely from white jade stone and was easily the most opulent structure in the city... a clear sign of the wealth Wang Yi had amassed.

Wang Yi glanced at the newly decorated building in front of him, the sign above the entrance proudly proclaiming ’WANG INN’ in local script.

... Chapter End ...