Chapter 498: Chapter 498

Inside Lin Fan’s body.

He was conscious, but his consciousness was sealed within his body.

At this moment, he was grappling with that mysterious substance inside him.

"Hey, buddy, is there really a need to fight me this long? Listen to me, just get out of my body quickly, and I’ll pretend this never happened. I can even open a Hell portal for you to reincarnate," Lin Fan said.

The mysterious substance was intelligent and capable of speech.

"Your Divine Soul, flesh, and mana will become my nourishment," the substance said in an eerie and unsettling voice.

Lin Fan responded, "Come on, there’s no need for this. Sure, I may not be able to deal with you for now, but you can’t do much against me either. Why not leave peacefully and spare us both the trouble?"

"Your Divine Soul, flesh, and mana..." The substance stubbornly repeated the same sentence.

"You son of a—" Lin Fan cursed inwardly. It felt like he was trying to reason with a brick wall. He had said so much, and yet the other party simply couldn’t or wouldn’t understand. What could he possibly do about that?

He was utterly resigned to the situation.

He had already been cautious, yet he still fell for the trap. This power was incredibly strong, and no matter what he tried, he couldn’t expel it from his body. He didn’t know what Qin Yang and Xiang Fei could do to save him.

But thinking about it—

He felt that his survival ultimately depended on himself.

If he still had that Supreme God Talisman, a rare treasure of the universe, he would definitely have a way to crush this so-called mysterious substance.

He was out of options.

The substance launched another onslaught in an attempt to clash with Lin Fan, forcing him to fight back. Under the current circumstances, neither side could ultimately overcome the other. What would happen in the future?

Only time would tell.

With Lin Fan on his back, Xiang Fei found a concealed spot to hide. They had offended too many enemies, and if they were discovered now, it would be a major headache.

He wasn’t sure what Qin Yang had in mind.

At least, based on the time they had spent together—

Qin Yang didn’t seem like the kind of guy who could get things done.

Too many enemies and nowhere to turn for help—now what?

The news of Qin Yang’s return quickly spread throughout the family. The little troublemaker of his youth had come back, and there were few people unaware of his escapades while he was out in the wider world.

At first, no one believed it—

That Qin Yang, without any support from the family, could suppress the War King?

They would rather believe pigs could fly.

But when confirmation came that the news was real, they were utterly dumbfounded.

What on earth did he go through out there?

How did he become so powerful?

"Xiao Yang, after all this time out playing around, what made you decide to come back home?" Second Uncle Qin Xiangtian asked, visibly curious.

Qin Yang replied, "I’ve been out for too long; naturally, I missed home. Second Uncle, you’ve heard about what I’ve done out there, right? And? What do you think? Didn’t I bring glory to the Qin Family?"

"Glory? Glory indeed. You’ve done us proud," Qin Xiangtian said with a laugh.

Seeing the smugness painted all over Qin Yang’s face, he more or less figured that the kid had been having a carefree and successful time out there.

"Go visit your father," Qin Xiangtian suggested.

Qin Yang waved his hand dismissively. "No thanks. What’s the point? Just another scolding waiting for me. I’m better off in my own den, lying low. I need to head out again after a while anyway."

Qin Xiangtian sighed helplessly. He wasn’t even sure how to mend the rift between father and son. After all, how many fathers in the world don’t love their children? One wanted his son to excel, while the other insisted on rebelling, leading to endless misunderstandings.

Qin Yang said, "Second Uncle, don’t worry about me. With how things are now, my future achievements will definitely shock him."

"Fine, fine. Second Uncle will eagerly await that day," Qin Xiangtian said with a laugh.

Qin Yang returned to his residence alone, locking himself in his room.

He sat there in deep thought.

This time, his main goal in coming back was to steal the Immortal Venerable Essence from the family.

The treasure enshrined in the ancestral hall.

He knew full well that his actions were far from honorable, but he couldn’t sit back and watch Brother Lin die. Bonds of camaraderie are built slowly over time.

Qin Yang had a peculiar personality.

When dealing with outsiders, he was brash and arrogant, acting like he was untouchable, as if the whole world should fear him—after all, he was a direct descendant of an Immortal Venerable.

But when it came to friends, he was careful and even willing to butter them up to make them happy.

Qin Yang’s head was spinning from thinking about how to steal the Immortal Venerable Essence from the Qin Family Ancestral Hall.

The place was guarded by the elders.

Stealing it without alerting anyone? Basically impossible.

Rely on someone else?

No, that wouldn’t work either.

This was too critical. There wasn’t a single person in the entire Qin Family who would dare attempt it. If it was going to happen, he had to do it himself.

Having grown up in the Qin Family, he was intimately familiar with the place—more so than anyone else, especially the ancestral hall.

Qin Yang didn’t close his eyes even once, constantly wracking his brain.

His head was pounding from overthinking, and he still hadn’t come up with any ideas. He wasn’t even concerned about getting caught after the fact. All he cared about was successfully stealing the Immortal Venerable Essence. Even if everyone knew it was him later, it didn’t matter.

If only he had asked Xiang Fei for advice earlier.

Not that it would have helped—

That guy’s brain wasn’t nearly as sharp as his.

Maybe he could tell the elders that his dad had passed away and get them all to leave and check it out?

No, that’s too far-fetched.

How about saying his dad was looking for them and wanted them to go over?

Nope, that’s too easy to see through. Plus, it’s not feasible.

Qin Yang wandered around the Qin Family grounds, eventually arriving at the treasure exchange area.

The elder there said, "Little Immortal Venerable, the family head has instructed that you are not allowed to take any Immortal Treasures from here."

"Take treasures? Do I look like someone who needs treasures? Let me tell you—I’ve already subdued the War King. My power is beyond what you can imagine," Qin Yang scoffed.

The elder chuckled. "Yes, I’ve heard the stories. Little Immortal Venerable is indeed extraordinary. The War King is a formidable prodigy, especially with his Fighting Immortal Body—it’s astonishing. But who would have thought he’d still fall to Little Immortal Venerable?"

"Of course." Qin Yang grinned. Then he added, "Give me some sedatives strong enough to knock out an Immortal King. I’ll be heading out soon, and we’ve got an Immortal King to take down who’s been pushing us around."

The elder stared at Qin Yang in shock, completely baffled.

What cultivation level are you at? And you’re going to fight an Immortal King? Isn’t that way too arrogant? Sure, you managed to suppress the War King, but he’s just a prodigy—nothing like an Immortal King.

"I’m seeing some disbelief in your eyes," Qin Yang said, staring at him. Then, pressing the elder further, he continued, "Hurry up. Once I suppress the Immortal King, my name will echo throughout the Immortal Realm."

The elder had no choice but to hand over the sedatives. "This sedative isn’t very potent, but it can indeed knock out an Immortal King."

"Good." Qin Yang took the sedatives, stowed them away, waved a hand, and left.

The first step was complete. Next was step two.

The elders guarding the ancestral hall were incredibly powerful. He had to be careful—if they caught on to his plan, it would all be for nothing.

Qin Yang prepared a meal and carried it toward the ancestral hall.

He had already laced the food with the sedatives—colorless, odorless, and undetectable, even to an Immortal King. Besides, as the Qin Family’s Little Immortal Venerable, the elders naturally trusted him completely.

They wouldn’t suspect a thing.

In front of the ancestral hall—

"I’m back! I’ve made some delicious food for you all. Come out and have a taste!" Qin Yang called out.

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Suddenly, three figures appeared—elderly men with white hair. They had been stationed at the ancestral hall for a long time, even back when Qin Yang was just a child.

"Oh, it’s Xiao Yangzi. Ever since you grew up, you’ve rarely come to chat with us old fogeys," one of the elders said.

Qin Yang replied, "What are you saying? I’ve been busy cultivating. Just recently, I managed to subdue the War King—my efforts have paid off! Since I’m back for a short while this time, I wanted to visit you all."

One elder sniffed the air and said, "Not bad, not bad. Smells delicious. Looks like you’ve got a good conscience after all."

Qin Yang grinned. "Of course, I’ve got a great conscience. I made this meal especially to show my filial respect to you all."

The elders trusted him fully—

And didn’t think anything was amiss.

Qin Yang poured the elders some wine, attended to them, and shared stories about his adventures outside, serving them well.

"That War King wasn’t much. I thought he’d be stronger, but it only took a few punches and kicks to knock him flat."

"He even begged for mercy in the end, so I, the magnanimous Little Immortal Venerable, spared him."

The three elders listened to Qin Yang’s exaggerated boasting and couldn’t help but laugh.

"Xiao Yangzi, you ought to stay humble. The War King’s Fighting Immortal Body is extraordinary. He just hasn’t fully mastered it yet, and his current strength is lacking. Once he grows strong enough to activate that body, his power won’t be trivial."

"There was once an Immortal Venerable with a Fighting Immortal Body. His power was unparalleled, sweeping across the realms. Regular Immortal Venerables wouldn’t even dare to meet his gaze."

They were advising Qin Yang—

Not to underestimate any prodigies.

The sedatives started to take effect.

"Huh? My head feels a bit dizzy..."

"You... Xiao Yangzi..."

All three elders collapsed on the floor, completely unconscious.

"Elders, don’t blame me—I really had no other choice. If you were in my shoes, you’d understand," Qin Yang muttered as he rushed toward the ancestral hall.

Inside the ancestral hall—

He looked up at the tablets of his ancestors and prayed silently.

"Dear ancestors and grandfathers, I’m acting out of desperation here. This is about saving my brother’s life. You were all heroes of the Immortal Realm—you must understand my actions, right?"

"I knew you would. I only need the Immortal Venerable Essence. I won’t touch anything else."

Raising his head, Qin Yang gazed at the golden orb enshrined at the highest point. He swiftly took it and placed it into his storage ring.

Without wasting another second—

He bolted toward the distance at breakneck speed.

With the Immortal Venerable Essence in hand, he had to leave immediately. The sedatives might not last long, and he dreaded being discovered.

Brother Lin, wait for me.

The mission was a success.