Chapter 186: Exploring the Consciousness.

Chapter 186: 186: Exploring the Consciousness.

"Elder Wei, I have learned quite a lot from our exchange."

Wei Rong was slightly surprised by the word.

Lin Xuan glanced at the spear in Wei Rong’s hand before continuing.

"Your spear technique was impressive. It reminded me that having a high cultivation realm does not mean I can afford to neglect my own control."

He paused briefly.

"I intend to enter seclusion for a while and reflect upon what I have learned today."

Qian Deyu’s eyebrows rose slightly.

"You’re going into seclusion at this hour?"

"Yes."

Lin Xuan nodded.

"There are some matters regarding my cultivation that I need to resolve. I would rather deal with them now than allow them to become a problem later."

He then looked toward the gathered members of his family.

"While I am in seclusion, the family will continue operating as usual. Elder Shuli will oversee the family’s affairs in my absence, and the preparations for the Winter Harvest must continue without interruption."

Lin Xuan then turned toward the children.

"And all of you should continue your cultivation. Do not neglect your daily training simply because I will not be around."

The children nodded obediently.

Lin Xuan’s gaze finally settled on Lin Zhaoyue.

For a moment, he simply looked at her without saying anything.

Then he sent her a telepathic message.

"Zhaoyue, I know I have not been the best father to you, but please look after the clan while I am gone."

Zhaoyue looked toward him and met his eyes, a trace of confusion appearing on her face.

She could not understand why her father had suddenly said something like that.

It sounded almost as though he were saying goodbye.

Still, she did not question him. Instead, she immediately replied through telepathy.

"Don’t worry, Papa. I’ll be sure to look after the clan. And you’re always the best father to me, so don’t be so down."

Lin Xuan’s heart trembled.

Always the best father...

Those simple words were far heavier than she could possibly know.

He forced a faint smile onto his face.

Zhaoyue did not know.

She did not know that the man standing before her was not the father she had originally been born to.

She did not know that the soul who had once belonged to this body might still be somewhere inside him.

And she certainly did not know that Lin Xuan was now considering the possibility of destroying that soul.

If the original Lin Xuan truly remained within him, then what he intended to do was no different from killing her father.

The thought made Lin Xuan’s chest tighten.

He had never thought of himself as a thief yet this body had never truly belonged to him.

Neither had the memories nor the family.

He had simply arrived one day and begun living the life that another man had been forced to leave behind.

Lin Xuan forced himself to return her gaze and sent back a weak telepathic response.

"Thank you."

The two words carried far more emotion than he allowed to show.

He then turned his gaze toward Qian Deyu.

"Elder Qian, I apologize for leaving so soon. You have traveled a long distance, so please consider yourselves guests of the Lin Family for as long as you require."

Qian Deyu nodded.

"Naturally. You have your own matters to attend to."

Lin Xuan nodded.

"Then I will leave the rest to everyone."

He turned around and began walking toward the inner estate, his mind gradually settling into a cold resolve.

There was no point worrying about the problem any longer.

If another soul truly existed within his body, then he had to find it and deal with it before it could become a threat.

After all, this was his second chance at life.

In this new life, he had a family, a home to return to, and people who trusted him.

He had no intention of losing all of that.

Haha, I’m starting to sound like a third-rate villain from one of those novels. Still, if obliterating the original soul is what I must do for me to live on, then I’ll do it.

Behind him, Hai Yun watched his retreating figure until he disappeared into the distance.

Her beautiful smile remained unchanged, but the thoughts hidden behind it were entirely different.

Hmm... this Lin Patriarch is much more calculating than I was told.

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she continued staring in the direction Lin Xuan had gone.

Is what the young lord said really true? Is he actually a dragon?

———————————————————

Lin Xuan soon arrived at his seclusion cave and stepped inside without hesitation, walking deeper into the darkness.

Once he reached the innermost chamber, he turned around and raised his hand.

A faint wave of spiritual energy spread throughout the cave.

The restrictions surrounding the entrance activated one after another, sealing the passage completely. Only after confirming that the entire cave had been isolated did Lin Xuan finally sit down.

He crossed his legs and slowly closed his eyes.

Taking a slow breath, Lin Xuan gradually calmed his mind.

His consciousness slowly sank inward.

The familiar surroundings of the physical world disappeared from his perception as his awareness descended deeper and deeper into his own mind.

At the same time, the Nascent Soul within his consciousness slowly opened its eyes and began descending toward the deepest part of his consciousness, leaving behind the familiar layers of his spiritual awareness.

The deeper he went, the quieter everything became.

Lin Xuan’s expression grew increasingly solemn.

He did not know what he would find at the bottom.

Perhaps there was nothing there.

Perhaps the original Lin Xuan’s soul had truly disappeared long ago.

The deeper Lin Xuan descended, the more unfamiliar his own consciousness became.

He had explored his spiritual sea many times before, especially after breaking through to the Nascent Soul Realm. Yet he had never deliberately ventured this deep.

The surroundings were completely dark.

There was no spiritual energy flowing through this place, nor was there any visible trace of his Nascent Soul.

Only endless darkness surrounded him.