Chapter 155: Retainer

"So that's how it is."

Lin Fan's expression turned grim, his gaze flickering as he wondered what to make of it.

At that moment, he felt his body being pulled by a powerful force. With Moye's deterrent presence gone, the black hole space could no longer contain Lin Fan and was about to teleport him away.

The black hole space existed beyond the major and minor worlds, an unknown dimension accessible only to Ancestral-realm supreme experts.

With a flash before his eyes, Lin Fan found himself back in the grand hall. However, neither Yi Ming nor the ancestor of the Mo family was in sight; it was unclear whether they were still searching for fortunes elsewhere.

Unwilling to linger in this place any longer, Lin Fan directly employed a Bodhi seed to bypass the grand array. Behind the main hall lay a medicine garden, where various precious herbs were cultivated.

"It seems those two haven't left the space behind the passage yet, or else they would have arrived at this medicine garden long ago."

Lin Fan glanced around, finding no trace of any outsiders having visited, which confirmed that Yi Ming and his companion were still trapped in the space beyond the passage.

"Pity, the medicine garden has withered, and not a single precious herb remains."

A cold smile touched the corners of Lin Fan's mouth. He strode out of the medicine garden without looking back. In truth, there were still a few precious herbs left in the garden, and of great age at that, but Lin Fan had no need for them at the moment. To be precise, he had other plans in mind and refused to be weighed down by somewhat insignificant treasures.

Passing through the medicine garden led to a massive chamber displaying various weapons. Lin Fan merely glanced at them before dismissing them entirely, for none of these armaments were Ancestral weapons. Apart from Ancestral weapons, any arms surviving from the ancient era would have long since lost their vital essence, retaining only their outer forms while rotting away from within.

"They call it a mausoleum, but to me, this looks more like the ancient summer palace of the Yi family's ancestors."

Muting to himself, Lin Fan walked through the chamber, his eyes instantly brightening.

A colossal sacrificial altar appeared before him, causing Lin Fan's vital energy to fluctuate slightly. This altar was none other than the legendary teleportation array; he had not expected a genuine teleportation array to exist here.

Yet Lin Fan made no sudden moves. Beyond the teleportation array lay a smaller palace, the true core of this summer palace—the dwelling place of the Yi family's ancestor back in ancient times.

Suddenly, a brilliant multicolored radiance erupted, and streams of colorful ribbons manifested. Viewed from afar, it resembled a realm of immortals, but Lin Fan's expression shifted instantly, a flicker of deep apprehension flashing through his eyes.

Every single ribbon of light possessed an attacking force equivalent to a full strike from an early Void-Breaking realm expert. It was utterly mind-boggling; even a late Void-Breaking realm practitioner stepping into this would inevitably perish in body and soul.

"What are you waiting for?"

Softly uttering these words, Lin Fan stepped forward, striding with a calm demeanor as if walking on flat ground, completely ignoring the ribbons of light.

"The young friend possesses remarkable abilities."

At that moment, an old voice echoed. Rays of colorful light flickered, and the numerous ribbons surged toward both sides, leaving behind a pathway just wide enough for a single person to pass through.

Lin Fan smiled. Without hesitation, he walked straight through the passageway and entered the palace.

"You must be the ancestor of the Yi family."

Upon entering the palace, Lin Fan casually took a seat in a grand and domineering manner. Before him sat an extremely aged elder, his flesh withered and his entire body exuding an aura of decay.

"Indeed, I am."

The Yi family's ancestor coughed, his withered body trembling with the motion. He was truly ancient, perhaps with his days numbered and death imminent.

"You possess extraordinary means, Senior. To have survived until now without reaching the Ancestral realm—I must confess, I am curious as to what method you employed."

Lin Fan glanced indifferently at the Yi family's ancestor, speaking in a seemingly absent-minded tone.

"Such methods are not worth mentioning. It is a pity that I ultimately failed to take that final step; otherwise, I could have truly attained longevity alongside heaven and earth. Alas, short of the Ancestral realm, one must ultimately yield to time."

Unfazed by Lin Fan's words, the ancestor of the Yi family spoke softly. He was at the peak of the Emperor realm; though not yet in the Ancestral realm, he was not far from it.

"Even the Ancestral realm has its time of decay, and the same holds true for the Great Emperors. Perhaps only immortals can endure as long as heaven and earth and shine as brilliantly as the sun and moon."

Lin Fan let out a long sigh. Initially, he had assumed the Yi family's ancestor had long since perished, considering the latter was not a Great Emperor and could not achieve astonishing feats in prolonging his life. However, before departing, Moye had specifically transmitted this news to him through a voice transmission and even laid down a contingency plan.

"The Ancestral realm is already an extravagant hope for me, let alone Great Emperors and immortals. Those are merely matters of myth and legend."

The Yi family's ancestor shook his head, his frail body appearing even older.

"Very well, you can drop the hypocritical act. Senior Brother Moye told me everything before he left. I never imagined you would harbor such intentions from the beginning, attempting to seize my body through奪舍 (possess me)."

Lin Fan suddenly sneered, the atmosphere within the palace instantly turning tense and ready to snap.

The Yi family's ancestor gazed at Lin Fan, his expression unchanged. Though he remained silent, his underlying dominance was unmistakable.

"If we were to exchange places, you would undoubtedly have made the exact same choice. Unfortunately, we belong to two different eras after all."

Ultimately, the Yi family's ancestor conceded. A bitter smile crept onto his face because Moye had already arranged everything, vesting Lin Fan with absolute power over his life and death. In front of an immortal, the ancestor of the Yi family was nothing more than an ant, forced to submit to whatever fate awaited him.

"I won't deny that. Since Senior Brother has arranged everything, we shall proceed accordingly. From this moment on, you are my follower."

Lin Fan's expression remained calm, though a hint of lingering joy stirred within his heart. He had not anticipated encountering such a fortuitous opportunity before returning to the Tianwu Domain. Although the Yi family's ancestor had lost his peak Emperor-realm battle prowess, he remained a formidable entity of the Void-Breaking realm, and the benefits to Lin Fan were self-evident.

"No problem. I know this is the Master's will, and naturally I shall obey. As long as you remain in this world, I shall serve as your guardian protector."

Seemingly resigned to his fate, the Yi family's ancestor agreed without the slightest hesitation.

"Spare me the aggrieved act as though you've suffered a massive loss. Do you think I am unaware? Senior Brother granted you a method to extend your life and even bestowed upon you the path to breakthrough into the Ancestral realm. The benefits you reap far outweigh the cost of becoming my guardian."

Lin Fan sneered, unfooled by the elder's act. Yet, deep down, a sliver of apprehension rose within him; ancient monsters who had lived as long as the Yi family's ancestor were terrifyingly unfathomable, harboring deep schemes and heavy motives. He had no way of knowing what hidden designs the old man might still hold against him.

"Heh."

The Yi family's ancestor simply offered a faint smile and kept silent, his thick-skinned nature reaching its absolute peak.

"Where does this teleportation array lead?"

Ignoring the Yi family's ancestor, Lin Fan turned his gaze toward the array outside the palace and asked.

"The teleportation array has numerous destinations, which can be selected at will. I set this up years ago to maintain contact with certain individuals. You may examine the navigation map first."

The Yi family's ancestor replied. With a wave of his large hand, points of light gathered to form a projection, upon which various landmark structures were marked.

"This is indeed a map of the Poluo Prefecture, even though many places have undergone changes."

Studying the navigation map closely, Lin Fan wore a faint smile as he recognized several locations, among which was the Tianwu Domain.