Chapter 545 - 543: The Patriarch’s Crisis

The familiar Bloodline Power quickly calmed their urge to attack. Only the most direct descendants of the Lin Family could possess such a pure Bloodline Power.

Without needing any explanation, they immediately determined that the Lin Xuan before them had to be a direct disciple of the Lin Family. And now, his claim to be the Young Master carried an entirely different weight.

"Now that I look closely, he really does resemble the Patriarch. Could he truly be the Young Master who was rescued!?" Lin Le stared blankly at Lin Xuan. He hadn’t examined him carefully before, preoccupied with whether or not to kill him. Now, upon closer inspection, the resemblance was uncanny.

"Whether he is or not, he’s undoubtedly a disciple of the Lin Family. We need to use the Teleportation Array and get down there right now. It’s not safe out here," the other Steward said.

"Come with us!" The Steward wasted no more words and led Lin Xuan into the forest. Arriving before the Teleportation Array, he retrieved a Crystal Stone from his Storage Ring. After crushing it gently, it turned into countless specks of dust that merged with the ground.

Instantly, the Teleportation Array on the ground began to glow. The Steward quickly poured Spiritual Power into it, and the entire array lit up completely, releasing a surge of Energy.

The Teleportation Array was well-hidden; nothing but this specific Crystal Stone could activate it. Even digging three feet into the ground would be useless.

"Get ready, we’re about to teleport down," Lin Le reminded them.

They all relaxed their bodies. A moment later, the Teleportation Array lit up, enveloping everyone within it. In the blink of an eye, they all vanished from the spot, as if they had never been there at all.

In the blink of an eye, Lin Xuan found himself in a space suffused with incredibly rich Spiritual Power. The concentration was astounding! Looking around, he realized he wasn’t in a palace of any sort, but an enormous cave.

’The Spiritual Power here is so incredibly rich,’ Lin Xuan thought as he scanned his surroundings. ’Is this the Lin Family’s secret hideout?’ He spotted a few unmined Spirit Crystals scattered about, but only a scant few remained.

Beyond that, there wasn’t a single blade of grass—no vegetation at all, making the place feel utterly desolate. However, the concentration of Spiritual Power was immense, at least ten times richer than the outside world! It was even several times more potent than the Cultivation Chamber, which was truly astonishing.

’I thought the Bu Family’s hideout was rich enough, but this place is even more so. Each location is more impressive than the last. This is a perfect Cultivation Site.’

From the soul he had absorbed, he knew the general location, but he had no idea what it was like inside. This place was a secret known only to the highest echelons of the family. In fact, it was likely that only the Patriarch and a few Elders knew about it at first, with everyone else kept in the dark.

It was a secret location unknown to even most members of the Lin Family, making it an incredibly safe place, impervious to traitors.

"Yes, this is the Lin Family’s secret hideout. It has a Spirit Vein, which is why the Spiritual Power is so abundant," Lin Le explained briefly.

’With such a pure Lin Family Bloodline Power, he can’t be a traitor,’ he thought. ’And even if he were, at the Fourth Layer of the Spirit Pill Stage, I could kill him with a single slap.’

’So that’s how it is,’ Lin Xuan realized. ’It simply teleported us underground, not to some distant location.’

As they ventured deeper, the concentration of Spiritual Power grew ever stronger. They passed through a long, narrow tunnel, and as they took the final step out, the space suddenly opened up before them. What greeted their eyes was an enormous palace. The shocking thing wasn’t its luxury, but the fact that it was built entirely out of Spirit Crystals!

It was constructed entirely from colorless Spirit Crystals, giving it a translucent appearance. It looked just like a Crystal Palace, exquisitely beautiful, and the dense Spiritual Power emanated from it. ’Cultivating here for a single day must be equal to a week or two outside,’ Lin Xuan thought. ’This concentration is just incredible.’

"I never thought there’d be a palace built from Spirit Crystals deep underground. This is just absurdly extravagant..." Lin Xuan clicked his tongue. ’Is this the Lin Family’s wealth? How long must it have taken to build this?’

The area was vast, large enough for many people to live in, with passages extending in all directions. It could be called an underground Imperial Palace. Just then, he saw people walking toward them. It seemed that whenever the Teleporter was used, someone was dispatched to investigate and see if it was their own people returning.

The Lin Family’s situation was extremely perilous, so they had to proceed with the utmost caution. There was no room for carelessness.

"Who is this?" an Elder at the Void Spirit Level asked as he approached. When he saw Lin Xuan’s unfamiliar face, he was taken aback, wondering why Lin Le would bring back a strange disciple.

"Fourth Elder, he claims to be the Lin Family’s Young Master..." Lin Le explained.

Lin Xuan recognized this Fourth Elder. Not because he had met him before, but because his appearance was in the memories he possessed. The expert before him was none other than the Lin Family’s Fourth Elder, Lin Yue!

"The Lin Family’s Young Master?!" Lin Yue was stunned for a moment, then asked in a grave voice, "What proof do you have?"

Lin Xuan immediately circulated the Cloud Return Technique. The Bloodline Power within him churned violently, and a surging power erupted forth, proving he possessed the purest bloodline of the Lin Family!

"It... it really is..." Lin Yue rushed forward, grabbing Lin Xuan by the shoulders and looking him up and down. He muttered, "You’re the Young Master that Lin Hua saved? You really do look just like the Patriarch!"

The others who had followed behind crowded around, sizing up Lin Xuan and bursting into discussion. They had all heard the story of how the Young Master was rescued, but they never imagined that after twenty years, the legendary Young Master would reappear before them!

It was unbelievable. They had all assumed the Young Master was dead and had long since put him out of their minds. Words could lie, but Bloodline Power was an absolute truth. They didn’t need any more explanation from Lin Xuan; they knew he had to be from the Lin Family, and a direct descendant at that.

There were very few with a truly direct bloodline, and the number was well-known. The only one who had been lost to the outside world was Lin Xuan. Therefore, there was no doubt that the young man before them had to be the son of the Lin Family Patriarch—Lin Xuan!

"Where are my father and mother?" Lin Xuan asked urgently.

"The Patriarch..." Lin Yue sighed, his face etched with sorrow. Lin Xuan’s heart sank, a cold feeling spreading through him.

"Could it be... Father..." Lin Xuan’s voice trembled. ’Did he die in battle back then, all to protect me and the Lin Family?’

"The Patriarch is not dead, but his condition is critical!" Lin Yue said grimly.

"Then take me to him!"

Lin Yue nodded and led Lin Xuan toward the Crystal Palace. After navigating a few turns, they went deep inside and entered a room. There, Lin Xuan immediately saw a middle-aged man lying in a Crystal Coffin. Through the transparent coffin, he could see the man’s face was deathly pale, looking no different from a corpse.

Lin Xuan froze. He recognized him at once. The man lying in the Crystal Coffin was his father, Lin Chenyun!