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**
Another half hour passed.
Directly in front of the palace, the ground was now littered with corpses.
Xiao Lin walked out from the shadows, stepping leisurely over the bodies. Once Xiao Lin gained control over the Feathered Serpent Spirit Transformation Formation, there was no suspense.
Every Sky Serpent Imperial Guard, from Dou Huang down to Dou Ling, had perished at his hands. This clearly demonstrated the terrifying power a formation could unleash in the hands of a Spiritual Array Master!
A formation is a dead thing, but a Spiritual Array Master can breathe life into it.
It was no exaggeration to say that if the Sky Serpent Imperial Family had activated the Feathered Serpent Spirit Transformation Formation themselves, it would never have possessed the power it displayed under Xiao Lin's command!
At the same time, this marked the first Rank 4 formation Xiao Lin had mastered since becoming a Rank 4 Spiritual Array Master. At this moment, Xiao Lin could even draw a blueprint for the Feathered Serpent Spirit Transformation Formation himself.
It had to be said that using a blueprint to set up a formation was far more convenient than deducing one from the Nine Foundation Formations. It was no wonder this ancient method had gradually become lost over time.
Deducing formations was simply too troublesome and time-consuming. Take Xiao Lin for example; back at Jia Nan Academy, he had spent two full years just to deduce three Rank 1 Formations and one Rank 2 Formation.
Formations of the Rank 1 or Rank 2 offered almost no boost to Xiao Lin's current combat strength. Only the Rank 3 Void Spirit-Locking Formation was still somewhat useful to him. But now, he finally had a Rank 4 Formation: the Feathered Serpent Spirit Transformation Formation.
Under normal circumstances, if Xiao Lin wanted to deduce a Rank 4 Formation using the Nine Foundation Formations, it would likely take him at least eight to ten years.
Of course, as Xiao Lin's Spiritual Array Master Rank increased, it might not take that long.
"It seems that in the future, besides relying on my own deductions, I should also try to look for some formation diagrams."
This was Xiao Lin's most honest thought at the moment.
Back when he had first become a Spiritual Array Master, he felt that everything had to rely on himself—that only the Formations he deduced personally were the most effective. Now, reality had given him a resounding slap in the face.
Using someone else's formation was much more satisfying!
Case in point: Xiao Lin had just used the Sky Serpent Imperial Family's own formation to wipe out their own palace guards. The feeling was truly exhilarating. Only now did Xiao Lin finally realize his mistake.
His past self-had been far too naive!
With the guards easily dealt with via the palace's own formation, Xiao Lin pushed open the heavy gates of the palace. Naturally, after finishing off the guards, he had directly deactivated and put away the Feathered Serpent Spirit Transformation Formation.
Creak
The heavy doors groaned open.
However, the smile on Xiao Lin's face froze.
What was revealed inside the palace was not the glitter of jewels or the fragrant scent of medicinal herbs; instead, there were only rows of portraits and ancestral tablets.
"Dammit! What kind of 'good person' builds their Ancestral Hall in a place like this and keeps a crowd of people guarding it outside?"
In this moment, even with Xiao Lin's self-restraint, he couldn't help but curse.
Xiao Lin was truly frustrated.
He had originally thought he had found the Sky Serpent Imperial Family's treasure vault, but he had ended up in their Ancestral Hall instead.
To think he had wasted so much effort!
Just as Xiao Lin was feeling speechless, a commotion suddenly drifted in from outside.
"Hmm? Someone's here? That shouldn't be... I used the Feathered Serpent Spirit Transformation Formation to kill those guards. Normally, news shouldn't have leaked out this early..."
Xiao Lin's brows furrowed slightly.
The reason Xiao Lin hadn't acted personally earlier was, firstly, to master a new Formation, and secondly, to avoid exposing himself. After all, if he made a move himself, it would inevitably leave a trail.
But by using the local formation, it was equivalent to "beating the dog behind closed doors"; naturally, no sound would leak out. Yet, the fact that someone had arrived now left Xiao Lin feeling quite perplexed.
However, Xiao Lin didn't overthink it and immediately concealed his figure. So, Xiao Lin hid in the shadows, remaining motionless. Before long, a figure stepped into the Sky Serpent Imperial Ancestral Hall.
The newcomer was cautious, eyes constantly scanning the surroundings.
At the same time, Xiao Lin could feel the other person's Dou Qi sweeping past his location time and time again. Fortunately, the newcomer's strength was not enough to see through Xiao Lin, who was using his Heaven Realm soul power to its full potential to hide.
"Has the person who broke into the Ancestral Hall already left?"
After searching several times and still finding no sign of anyone, the figure suddenly muttered to himself. This person was none other than the final Dou Zong expert of the Sky Serpent Imperial Family—Xuan She!
Xiao Lin had met him once before at the Founding Ceremony, and he was also the one who had gone to Jia Nan Academy to deliver the invitation letters.
Xuan She, who originally only had the cultivation of a Two-Star Dou Zong, had recently broken through to Four-Star Dou Zong after drinking the Red Flame Celestial Liquid.
But for Xiao Lin, as long as one didn't break through to Dou Zun, everyone else looked the same; there was no difference at all.
"Makes sense. This is my Imperial Family's Ancestral Hall, after all. Once others enter and find nothing they want, they would naturally leave."
At this moment, Xuan She rationalized a possibility in his mind.
In his view, this was indeed the most likely scenario. Truth be told, when Xuan She arrived and saw all the guards dead, he had been startled. However, the reason Xuan She had come here wasn't because news had leaked; it was because he had planned to come here all along!
It could only be said that this was a mere coincidence.
As for why Xuan She had come here? The reason was simple: his goal was exactly the same as Xiao Lin's!
That's right, Xuan She had come for certain items within the Ancestral Hall!
Unlike Tu She from the Sky Serpent Mansion, who was an original member of the Imperial Family and thus felt no guilt in his betrayal, Xuan She was different. Although his actions were a betrayal of the Imperial Family, he hadn't been turned by the Sky Serpent Mansion.
He had harbored these thoughts on his own. Otherwise, if he truly had been working for the Sky Serpent Mansion, how could they not have known that Tu She was an Imperial Family member? Xuan She had long since made his plans.
He was simply waiting for the conflict between the Imperial Family and the Sky Serpent Mansion to fully erupt so he could seize a certain secret treasure from the Ancestral Hall and leave the Sky Serpent Empire's sphere of influence forever.
As for the struggle between the Imperial Family and the Sky Serpent Mansion, what did it have to do with him? He only wanted to live happily.
A mere Imperial identity couldn't bind him.
In the days to come, he would live for himself!
It was precisely because of this that Xuan She had taken action.
It could be said that within the entire Sky Serpent Imperial Family, the one who hid the deepest was not the Emperor, Tian She, nor the mole, Tu She, but the unassuming and low-profile Xuan She!
**
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