Chapter 63: The Stasis Rune Array
Outside the Symbol Master Tower, when one of the two lights on the eighth floor vanished, the previously lively square instantly fell silent. This eerie stillness lasted only a moment before erupting into a wave of wild chatter.
"The light disappeared!"
"Someone entered the ninth floor!"
"Impossible! Only an Intermediate Spirit Symbol Master can even attempt that—who could have done it?"
"Was it Lin Langtian or Ling Quan?"
"I'm betting it's Ling Quan…"
"Ridiculous! Lin Langtian is a top genius of the Great Flame Dynasty."
In the face of the crowd's uproar, Lin Mo's gaze fixed firmly on the ninth floor of the Symbol Master Tower. A place that hadn't seen anyone step into it for years now had a new light.
"Could it really be Langtian?" Even Lin Mo, known for his composed temperament, couldn't hold back his anxious excitement.
It had initially been expected that determining the winner might take some time, as both contestants were in the eighth floor and it was assumed the outcome would depend on who could endure the longest. Yet this sudden turn of events shattered that waiting game.
While Lin Mo felt tense, Huangpu Nuo's clenched fists betrayed his own anxiety. Although Ling Quan was the prized disciple of the esteemed He Gu, he didn't feel confident that Ling Quan could actually make it into the ninth floor. That left the unsettling possibility that the one who had succeeded was indeed Lin Langtian. The very thought made Huangpu Nuo's eye twitch with irritation; what had seemed like a secure victory was now thrown into question by Lin Langtian.
"Could it really be Lin Langtian who made it to the ninth floor?" Huangpu Jing's eyes widened in astonishment. For someone she had known for over ten years, Lin Langtian suddenly seemed like a stranger. They were both top talents in the Great Flame Dynasty, both in the circle of elite prodigies, yet somehow, he had emerged so distinctly from the rest.
Watching the scene unfold, even Ling Qingzhu wore a thoughtful expression.
…
While the crowd outside the Symbol Master Tower buzzed with speculation, Lin Langtian, at the center of attention, was examining his surroundings. Though Yuan Power couldn't be used inside the tower, he'd come prepared by fusing Primal Essence, just in case. Unexpectedly, this Primal Essence turned out to be immensely helpful. A fusion of Yuan Power and spirit power, Primal Essence wasn't a simple force, but it proved extremely effective in countering the barrier's spiritual pressure.
"Sometimes, it pays to have so many hidden cards," Lin Langtian reflected. His ability to overcome the half-step Intermediate Spirit Symbol Master, Ling Quan, and reach the ninth floor was thanks to his arsenal of unique advantages: the durability of the Black Flame Body and the versatility of Primal Essence.
After taking in the surroundings on the ninth floor, he noticed that it was smaller than the previous floors, with no trace of the spiritual pressure or refining energies from before.
"It looks like the ninth floor is different from the others—this must be the area where the rewards are kept." Lin Langtian wasn't disappointed; now that he had advanced to a Spirit Symbol Master, the refining power of the tower wasn't of much use to him. His curiosity was now piqued by what reward might be awaiting him on this level.
Lin Langtian's gaze swept around the sparse ninth floor, coming to rest on a stone monument standing not far away. Walking forward, he soon arrived at the stone's base. The monument was about a meter tall, unassuming at first glance, but a faint spiritual energy pulsed from its surface.
Focusing on the monument, he reached out with his mind and then gently pressed his fingertip against it.
"Buzz!"
The moment his finger touched it, the spiritual energy surged and condensed into intricate patterns. In midair, mystical markings formed, with floating symbols scattered throughout—an array pattern.
"A Divine-level spirit technique: the Stasis Rune Array…" Lin Langtian's eyes gleamed with excitement as he read the symbols. Just as Jin Xing had suggested, the ninth floor did indeed hold a substantial reward—a Divine-level spiritual technique.
Spirit techniques are ranked into three levels: 'Essence,' 'Energy,' and 'Divine.' Divine-level techniques were exceedingly rare, even beyond the Great Flame Dynasty. That in itself made this technique infinitely more valuable than any lower-level techniques he had learned before.
Lin Langtian carefully committed the entire sequence of symbols to memory, feeling a growing sense of joy. He finally grasped the true power of the Stasis Rune Array.
"When this array is fully formed, it can halt an opponent for an instant!" Lin Langtian was thrilled by the immense potential of the Stasis Rune Array, realizing its effect was similar to a fabled artifact: the Stasis Divine Token.
With newfound clarity, he was ready to return and test this powerful new skill.