Chapter 91: The Royal Beast
"The Seven Fiends Dark Gold Crow?"
Hearing Lin Qingzhu's words, Lin Langtian looked at the small, dark-gold bird on her shoulder, puzzled. But then something clicked. His gaze sharpened. "Could it be… the beast egg from the royal auction?"
Lin Qingzhu wasn't surprised that Lin Langtian had guessed the origin of the Seven Fiends Dark Gold Crow. She simply turned away, her gaze lost in the distant horizon, deep in thought.
A sharp, chilling wind swept the mountaintop, rustling Lin Qingzhu's hair as she stood elegantly on the cliff's edge. The little black-gold bird rested on her shoulder, lending her an ethereal aura, as though she might take flight at any moment.
Lin Langtian studied her silhouette for a moment, his gaze eventually settling on the delicate, newly hatched Seven Fiends Dark Gold Crow nestled on her shoulder. It sparked a thought, and he turned his focus inward, checking on the Golden Spirit Wheel Mirror in his dantian.
"Just as I thought…"
The Yin Sha energy once sealed within the Golden Spirit Wheel Mirror was now completely gone. Lin Langtian recalled a faint detail from when he and Lin Qingzhu had shared the light sphere, losing themselves in the moment. It turned out that the Yin Sha energy had silently drifted toward the beast egg, causing it to hatch into the black-gold bird he now saw.
No wonder Lin Qingzhu had fallen silent; she was likely reminded of their time together in the stone hall.
"Ahem."
Breaking the silence on the mountaintop, Lin Langtian cleared his throat and said lightly, "Miss Qingzhu, shall we continue our duel?"
Given his current strength, he knew he still couldn't best Lin Qingzhu, but he was confident he could hold his own. A single duel might be a good way to settle things.
Just as he finished speaking, however, a cold flash shot his way as Lin Qingzhu turned, her eyes narrowing icily at him.
Her gaze held no warmth, but beneath that cold exterior was a hint of something else. After a moment's silence, she replied, "Your strength is indeed notable, enough to rival talents from middle- or even high-ranking dynasties. But you're still not strong enough—not yet, at least."
Her tone held no disdain, merely a calm statement of fact.
"One's birth may be beyond one's control, but our destinations are ours to choose. The limitations of a low-ranking dynasty will not hold me back," Lin Langtian replied evenly, meeting her gaze without flinching.
"You're different, I'll grant you that. But on the Tianxuan Continent, talent alone is not enough. Becoming a true powerhouse isn't achieved through a few words," Lin Qingzhu replied, her gaze piercing.
Her words didn't sway Lin Langtian's determination; his resolve to walk the path of strength was unshakable. "Time will tell," he said, each word carrying a determined finality.
Lin Qingzhu studied his unyielding gaze, as if searching for the source of his confidence. After a pause, her eyelashes fluttered, and with a wave of her jade-like hand, she summoned another small black-gold bird. It looked much like the first but appeared slightly less exquisite and carried a more savage air.
"There were actually two Seven Fiends Dark Gold Crows that hatched from the black-gold egg—twins. The one on my shoulder is female, and this one is male. I'm willing to let you have him, but you must agree to one condition."
She paused, her voice low and chilling. "You must keep everything that happened in the tomb a secret—speak of it to no one, and even within your own heart, you must pretend it never happened."
Lin Langtian's eyes narrowed as he processed her words. He'd anticipated this. Lin Qingzhu was not the type of woman who would easily give her heart just because her body had been compromised. Her pride and aloofness made it hard to imagine any man truly winning her over.
Even if he someday reached the peak of the continent, Lin Langtian couldn't be sure he'd conquer her heart. If it weren't for the unusual circumstances that had forced them together, their paths likely would've rarely crossed.
Yet, after this experience, Lin Langtian knew there was now an indelible connection between them. She might be difficult to win over, but he'd opened a door to her heart, however small. As his power grew, so too would that connection.
Suppressing his frustration at her indifference, Lin Langtian chuckled lightly. "So these twin Seven Fiends Dark Gold Crows are tokens of our bond?"
Lin Qingzhu's icy glare grew even frostier at his teasing remark. Realizing he'd pushed her patience, Lin Langtian quickly changed his tone, sighing.
"The events in the tomb will remain forever unspoken. You'll continue as a distinguished disciple of a great sect, while I climb my way up, step by step, from the Yan Empire. I'll accept this Seven Fiends Dark Gold Crow, not as a favor, but so that one day I can stand before you as an equal. Who knows, perhaps by then it really will be a symbol of our bond…"
"Do you have a death wish?" Lin Qingzhu's voice was colder than ever as her delicate brows knit together. "One more word like that, and I'll kill you here and now. Don't think I won't."
Her face was set with grim seriousness. "Understand this—if even a hint of what happened between us leaks, the Lin Clan itself will face annihilation. Lin Langtian, you're not a fool. You know what's possible and what's not. No matter your potential or abilities, you're not there yet. Remember that!"
As her last words rang out with a fierce warning, Lin Langtian knew the consequences of their secret becoming known. Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace would indeed retaliate with merciless force, and his entire clan could be destroyed in an instant. He shook his head, then deftly changed the subject.
"What exactly is the Seven Fiends Dark Gold Crow? I've never heard of it."
At this, Lin Qingzhu's frigid demeanor softened slightly. She looked at him intently. "The hierarchy within the world of beasts is like a pyramid, with even stricter levels than those among humans. At the very top of this pyramid stand the four Overlords and eight Royal Beasts."
She paused, her gaze steady. "The Seven Fiends Dark Gold Crow is one of the eight Royal Beasts."
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