Chapter 203: Three Thousand Thunderbolts and the Devouring Ancestral Talisman
Inside the cave, everything was a mess. The arrogant disciples of the Dark Puppet Cult had been fighting with Lin Dong and the members of the Great Demon Portal for an advanced spiritual puppet.
But with Lin Yan's sudden appearance, in the blink of an eye, they were all killed.
At that moment, Lin Yan had a calm expression on his face. His body was enveloped in blue flames that burned any trace of blood on his skin.
The members of the Great Demon Portal were astonished by the scene they had just witnessed. They barely dared to breathe deeply, aware that Lin Yan, the man before them, was a capricious god of death.
Lin Yan soon burned all the blood on his body and turned his gaze to Mu Qianqian and the others. The disciples of the Great Demon Portal felt a chill when Lin Yan looked at them, as if a demon were watching them.
Mu Qianqian stepped forward, her eyes shining like a stream in autumn. Although she showed no fear, she cast a smiling glance at Lin Dong.
"Lin Dong, you won't let your brother kill us here too, will you?" she asked with a smile.
Lin Dong smiled and replied, "My brother is not a bad person. He won't kill innocents."
Everyone was perplexed to hear this, even Mu Qianqian showed a strange expression. Wasn't he a bad guy?
Lin Yan asked Lin Dong, "Do you know them?"
Lin Dong nodded, "Yes, we've met before."
Lin Yan relaxed his attitude upon knowing they were friends and not enemies. If they had been enemies, he would not have hesitated to leave more corpses there. But if they were friends, he had no intention of harming them.
He addressed Mu Qianqian, "Miss, if I'm not mistaken, your Great Demon Portal and the Dark Puppet Cult have always been in conflict. This time, by killing so many of the Dark Puppet Cult, in a sense, I've done you a favor. You owe me a favor."
Mu Qianqian was surprised by Lin Yan's frankness, but she acknowledged that it was true. The Great Demon Portal was grateful, as both Hua Gu and Teng Kui, important figures of the Dark Puppet Cult, had been eliminated by Lin Yan. From a practical perspective, Lin Yan had helped them considerably.
Moreover, Lin Yan's ability and cruelty were undeniable, which dissuaded Mu Qianqian from trying to dispute the spiritual puppet with him. Remembering what had happened to the members of the Dark Puppet Cult, she decided not to take the risk.
"Don't worry, Mr. Lin Yan. We're not interested in the items here," Mu Qianqian replied quickly.
Then, she extended her hand and said, "I'm Mu Qianqian from the Great Demon Portal. If you don't mind, you can call me Qianqian."
Lin Yan smiled and shook her hand, "Pleased to meet you, Qianqian. I'm Lin Yan."
Mu Qianqian liked Lin Yan's open attitude. After a brief conversation, she decided not to stay any longer. They had to search for opportunities in the ancient monument, and since the items in this place belonged to Lin Yan, it was better to move on.
"I'm glad to have met you, Mr. Lin Yan. But we have to continue looking for our opportunities. When this adventure is over, we would love to welcome you to the Great Demon Portal. You'll be a very welcome guest," Mu Qianqian said before leaving.
Before leaving, she added, "By the way, Mr. Lin Yan, don't forget about the Martial Fortune Stele. It also has inheritances."
Mu Qianqian left with the others from the Great Demon Portal.
Intrigued, Lin Dong asked Lin Yan:
—Brother Lin Yan, what is that Martial Fortune Stele Mu Qianqian was talking about?
Lin Yan replied:
—If I'm not mistaken, the Martial Fortune Stele is a place where ancient sectarians transmitted their martial arts. Anyone who meditates and trains in front of the stele can obtain martial arts, the level of which depends on individual talent. Legends say that the martial arts acquired in the ancient monument come from this place.
Lin Dong nodded, understanding.
—Then, we'll have to go see it when the time comes.
Lin Yan nodded. He remembered that there were only ten seats in front of the stele, which meant that only ten people could train there at once. With his ability, Lin Yan had no doubts that he could secure one of those seats. Besides, his main goal was to register at that place.
—First, let's collect the treasures from here —suggested Lin Yan to Lin Dong.
They headed towards the advanced spiritual puppet. This object was valuable, although each attack consumed many pure essence pills. But with enough pills, the puppet could unleash attacks almost on the level of creation.
Lin Yan erased the Dark Puppet Cult's spiritual mark on the puppet and tossed it to Lin Dong.
—Here you go.
—Brother Lin Yan, why don't you keep it? —asked Lin Dong, trying to return it.
Lin Yan smiled and shook his head:
—I don't need it. Even though I'm only in the Energy Creation Realm, I can easily take on a creation-level warrior. This puppet would just be an ornament for me. It's better if you use it.
Lin Dong accepted the gift.
—Thank you, I'll take it then.
They continued exploring the cave. As they walked, Lin Yan heard the system's voice again.
[Ding! Congratulations, host! You have completed registration in the ancient monument (Puppet's Nest)!]
[Reward obtained! Low-level movement technique: Three Thousand Thunderbolts.]
Lin Yan was pleasantly surprised. He didn't expect to complete another registration so soon, and moreover, the movement technique he obtained was of earth-level, something he needed.
The most impressive thing about the Three Thousand Thunderbolts is that it is the basis for training in the Three Thousand Thunderbolt Bodies technique, the sacred treasure of the Wind and Thunder Pavilion on the Dou Qi continent.
Lin Yan was happy to have obtained the Three Thousand Thunderbolts. In the future, if he managed to obtain the Three Thousand Thunderbolt Bodies, he could train directly in that technique.
He continued walking, but noticed that Lin Dong had a strange expression on his face. Lin Yan asked him:
—What's wrong?
Lin Dong didn't hide anything and replied:
—Brother Lin Yan, it seems that my Life Spirit Talisman is restless. As you know, my talisman is a copy of the Devouring Ancestral Talisman. This means that there must be something here related to the Devouring Ancestral Talisman.
Lin Yan raised an eyebrow, surprised. The Devouring Ancestral Talisman was a sacred object, as rare in the Tianxuan continent as Exotic Flames in the Dou Qi continent. In the original story, Lin Dong used the talisman to reverse his fate.
—In that case, let's keep investigating —said Lin Yan, nodding.
They moved forward, feeling a wave of intense cold. Even Lin Dong felt uneasy. However, Lin Yan, who controlled the Exotic Flames, wasn't afraid of the cold. With a snap of his fingers, a blue flame emerged, instantly warming the air.
They continued until they reached a dark altar. Lin Dong hurried forward, feeling his Life Spirit Talisman pulsating strongly. But when he arrived, he found the place empty.
—The Devouring Ancestral Talisman has been taken! —exclaimed Lin Dong, clenching his fists. He had come to this county in search of the talisman, only to find out that it was no longer there.
Lin Yan pondered for a moment and said:
—If I'm not mistaken, the leader of the Dark Puppet Cult obtained that talisman three years ago. But as it's difficult to refine, he hasn't succeeded yet.
—Brother Lin Yan, how do you know all this? —asked Lin Dong, surprised.
—I heard about it recently —answered Lin Yan with a smile.
Lin Dong accepted the explanation without further questions. He was preparing to leave when Lin Yan patted him on the shoulder and pointed to a column.
Lin Dong looked at the column and was surprised. He felt a strange resonance with his Life Spirit Talisman. He tried to hit the column, but nothing happened.
—Use your mind, not brute force —advised Lin Yan.
Lin Dong followed the advice, using his spiritual power to investigate. Although he felt a strange vibration, he couldn't decipher it.
—Try with your Life Spirit Talisman —suggested Lin Yan.
Lin Dong summoned it, and the column began to react. With his talisman, a large black vortex appeared in front of them.
The two brothers looked at each other and entered. The space darkened completely as they advanced. When the light returned, they found themselves on a vast plain. In front of them, a huge black column held a figure sitting in a lotus position.
—It's been a long time since someone came here —said an elderly voice.
Lin Dong bowed respectfully:
—Greetings, elder. I'm Lin Dong, and this is my brother Lin Yan. We apologize for entering without permission.
The elder nodded, smiling at Lin Dong:
—Your Life Spirit Talisman looks familiar to me. It must be a copy of the Devouring Ancestral Talisman.
—May I know your name, elder? —asked Lin Dong respectfully.
Lin Yan replied on his behalf:
—He must be the previous possessor of the Devouring Ancestral Talisman. What remains here is just a fragment of his memory.
The elder looked at Lin Yan in surprise:
—I didn't expect a young man like you to have such keen insight.
—The Devouring Ancestral Talisman has been taken. But, even if someone possesses it, they won't be able to refine it without my help. I placed a seal on the talisman before dying. Without the way to break that seal, no one can refine it.
The elder chuckled:
—Now the problem arises. There's only one Devouring Ancestral Talisman, but there are two of you. Who will keep the method to break the seal and obtain the talisman? Which of you two will withdraw?
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