Chapter 138: The Ancestral Symbol's Bonding
As Lin Langtian gazed upon the newly-duplicated Devouring Ancestral Symbol floating in the room, a look of pure delight crossed his typically calm face. Who could have guessed that the rarest, most mysterious of the Tianxuan Continent's eight Ancestral Symbols, the Devouring Symbol, could actually be copied? And to top it off, this second symbol was every bit as potent as the original.
"The Golden Spirit Mirror truly lives up to its reputation," murmured Lady Ling's elegant, refined voice, cutting through the silence. "It can replicate some of the rarest treasures perfectly—a feat that's undoubtedly led to countless battles for its possession. However, this duplication must have drained the mirror's power significantly. Who knows how long it will be before it can copy another?"
Lin Langtian shifted his gaze to the mirror in his left hand, now dull and dim. Clearly, producing a flawless duplicate of the Devouring Symbol hadn't come without a cost. "So be it," he muttered, rubbing the mirror gently. "Being able to replicate the Devouring Ancestral Symbol was already more than I'd hoped for. Now the mirror can gradually regain its strength." He placed it back in his dantian, where it would rest and recuperate.
Lin Langtian's eyes then drifted to his right hand, where the newly-formed second Devouring Ancestral Symbol hovered. Unlike the original, this duplicate resonated with a natural affinity toward him. He sensed a bond forming, much like what Lin Dong experienced with the original Devouring Symbol.
"Buzz, buzz…" As he pondered, a soft, strange hum emerged from the symbol. The symbol's form rippled, almost as if it were reaching out to him. Since Lin Langtian was the master of the Golden Spirit Mirror that created this symbol, it inherently recognized him as its master as well. The outstretched gesture signaled it was ready to complete the final steps of their bond.
Lin Langtian took a deep breath, calming the excitement within him as he prepared himself. This symbol had a spirit, a consciousness—but it was young, still weak and underdeveloped, like the Golden Crow Spirit in its infancy. Such powerful artifacts rarely possessed human-like intelligence, but they bore a spiritual awareness, primal yet potent.
Extending his hand, he touched the symbol's spectral hand. Instantly, the spirit's form shifted, morphing into an identical image of Lin Langtian. Yet the spirit's eyes remained a deep, unsettling black, much like the Black-Eyed Elder's. It was a striking, eerie resemblance.
As the spirit took on his form, the ancient symbol drifted up, floating above Lin Langtian's head before merging into his crown.
"Boom!"
The moment the symbol fused with him, Lin Langtian's entire body erupted with waves of devouring energy. Within this power, a vast starry space emerged, where immense black holes blinked into existence, swallowing stardust and tearing the heavens asunder. Lin Langtian sat unmoved among the churning black holes, his calm, steady presence unaffected by the collapsing stars around him.
Then, as if completing its duty, the symbol's spirit dissipated, flowing back into him in a final, brilliant streak of light.
In that instant, Lin Langtian's mind palace underwent a radical transformation. The five natal spirit symbols originally floating there shattered, breaking down into raw energy that flooded the palace. As they dissolved, a black hole slowly emerged in their place, radiating an intense devouring force.
The black hole drew in the spirit energy surrounding it at an astonishing speed, far faster than anything Lin Langtian had ever experienced. It consumed the vast energy in moments, growing in strength with every bit it absorbed, and releasing a stronger devouring force in return. This process accelerated as even more energy poured in from the boundless void around him, feeding the black hole as Lin Langtian's own mental strength surged at an incredible rate.
Typically, such a rapid influx of power could overwhelm a practitioner, risking severe injury or even death. Many symbol masters before him had succumbed to the violent expansion of mental energy. But Lin Langtian was unperturbed, his foundation solid and well-prepared. His newfound Devouring Ancestral Symbol sat firmly within his mind palace, rendering such concerns moot.
Anchored by his symbol, Lin Langtian simply sat in quiet meditation, devouring the vast flow of energy. With each breath, his mental power swelled, filling the void with his presence. Yet, even as he lost himself in this state, time passed faster than he could measure.
Days passed, then weeks, until three full months slipped away unnoticed...
(End of Chapter)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.