Chapter 631: Advancing to Minor Symbol Grandmaster
The Celestial Demon Marten clan's crisis was finally eased as the two Otherworldly Demon Kings retreated.
As several days passed, the top Celestial Demon Marten experts who had been in seclusion within the Sky Cave gradually awakened.
After learning of the upheaval within the clan and the trap in the Sky Cave, they were both shocked and deeply shaken.
In retrospect, had it not been for Lin Langtian and Lin Dong, seven or eight out of ten of those secluded experts might not have escaped death.
The Celestial Demon Marten upper echelons were naturally furious at such a turn of events, and Hao Jiuyou clearly would not meet a pleasant end.
In this crisis, Lin Langtian and Lin Dong's contributions were undeniably weighty.
If not for the two of them infiltrating the Sky Cave to rescue the clan leader, defeating Hao Jiuyou, and dismantling the Eternal Illusion Demon Flower formation, the Celestial Demon Marten clan would surely have suffered catastrophic losses.
Because of this, Lin Langtian could clearly feel the gratitude and admiration in the gazes the Celestial Demon Marten clansmen cast his way.
In front of a quiet bamboo hut on a mountain peak, Lin Langtian sat cross‑legged at the edge of a cliff. From here, a single glance could take in the entire Celestial Demon Marten territory.
At this time, the clan‑protecting grand array in the sky was active, and squads of powerful guards swept across the heavens from time to time.
Whenever they saw Lin Langtian seated at the cliff's edge, they would slow down, clasp their fists, and smile in greeting from afar before continuing on.
Lin Langtian watched the patrolling guards depart and smiled, stretching lazily. His gaze drifted to the azure sky as the fierce battle from several days ago still echoed within his mind.
"Otherworldly Demon Kings, huh… With my current strength, can I handle a Samsara Stage expert?" he murmured as he stared into the distance.
Now that he possessed the Dragon Kun Physique and two Ancestral Symbols, his combat strength and methods were likely enough that even a Samsara Stage opponent was no longer out of reach.
"Brother Langtian, what you asked for is here."
As Lin Langtian pondered, a familiar voice sounded behind him. He turned and saw Lin Dong approaching.
With a wave of Lin Dong's sleeve, several jade boxes flew from his hand and landed heavily on the ground. Intricate runes covered their surfaces, sealing everything within.
"These are Eternal Illusion Demon Flowers. After splitting them, you get thirty‑five and I get thirty‑four." Lin Dong said with a smile.
"Then I'll gladly take advantage of you by one flower." Lin Langtian replied with a faint smile, putting the jade boxes away.
"Hehe, Brother Langtian, you captured Hao Jiuyou and rendered a huge service. This is only right." Lin Dong chuckled, then added,
"By the way, Uncle Marten and the others know we plan to use these Eternal Illusion Demon Flowers for seclusion. They want us to cultivate in the Sky Cave. He'll personally lead the elders to sit guard for us, and if anything goes wrong, they'll intervene."
"Oh? Then thank Uncle Marten for me." Lin Langtian was slightly taken aback but did not refuse.
Using something as dangerous as Eternal Illusion Demon Flowers to break through in Mental Energy naturally carried great risk. With the Celestial Demon Marten clan leader guarding them, there would be an extra layer of safety.
"In that case, let's head out." Lin Langtian said with a soft smile, looking at Lin Dong.
"Mm." Lin Dong nodded.
With the decision made, the two did not delay. They went straight toward the depths of the Celestial Demon Marten territory and, after ten or so minutes, appeared before the Sky Cave once again.
This place was under even tighter guard than before. Here, Lin Langtian and Lin Dong met the waiting Celestial Demon Marten clan leader and Great Elder Zhu Li.
"Little friends, the Sky Cave has been thoroughly cleansed. There are absolutely no hidden dangers left. You may cultivate inside with peace of mind." the clan leader said with a smile.
"Many thanks, Clan Leader." Lin Langtian and Lin Dong clasped their fists and smiled.
"It's nothing. Go on in. We'll guard both inside and outside the Sky Cave for you." the clan leader said with a wave of his hand.
Lin Langtian and Lin Dong nodded without further words, exchanged a glance, and flew straight into the Sky Cave.
"These two are truly extraordinary. Lin Dong carries the Ancestral Stone, the second‑ranked treasure on the Ancient Divine Object Ranking, while Lin Langtian carries Dragon Kun essence blood—something that bears both true dragon and Kunpeng might."
Watching their figures vanish into the Sky Cave, Zhu Li could not help but sigh in admiration.
"It seems Ah Diao has indeed made himself some good brothers this time." the clan leader said with a small smile.
…
Within the Sky Cave, in a quiet cavern, Lin Langtian watched the entrance close and the light curtain rise. With a wave of his sleeve, the fifty Eternal Illusion Demon Flowers they had obtained floated out.
Wooo…
A strange hum echoed softly.
Lin Langtian watched as thick, black illusion fragrance surged out like released devils, whirling madly around the cavern.
Because there were so many Eternal Illusion Demon Flowers here, the density of the fragrance was as thick as ink.
The eerie, cloying scent was such that even a Reincarnation Stage expert would die without question if they recklessly entered.
Sinister black light washed over Lin Langtian's body, yet it blocked all that inky illusion fragrance from approaching him.
"These Eternal Illusion Demon Flowers are treasures for breaking through to Symbol Grandmaster, but achieving that breakthrough safely is anything but easy."
Lin Langtian murmured, taking a deep breath to calm his turbulent emotions. Slowly, the black barrier around his body began to thin.
The black, ink‑like illusion fragrance raged forward like devils from the Nine Netherworlds, surging straight toward him.
"Come then—let's see just how powerful you really are."
He slowly closed his eyes, and just before his eyelids shut, a blazing light flashed deep within them.
The black fragrance finally flooded past the barrier and engulfed Lin Langtian's body.
At the same time, with a thought, the Devouring Ancestral Symbol in his Niwan Palace leaped out from the crown of his head.
It writhed and transformed into a black hole that expanded to envelop the swirling illusion fragrance.
Sss sss!
Devouring power spread out like a tide. Wisps of pitch‑black energy were violently ripped from the illusion fragrance and swallowed by the surrounding black hole.
As powerful as the Devouring Ancestral Symbol was, the Eternal Illusion Demon Flowers could affect even Samsara Stage experts. Combined in such a number, Lin Langtian could feel that even the Devouring Ancestral Symbol was beginning to show signs of falling into illusion.
Seeing this, Lin Langtian snorted coldly and moved his mind. The Golden Spirit Wheel Mirror within him turned into a ray of black light and flew into the center of the black hole, sitting there like an immovable demon god.
Even Ling Aunt could not see through the Golden Spirit Wheel Mirror, and though the illusion fragrance was potent, it was far from enough to affect it.
The mirror's surface erupted in blazing black‑gold light, and at once the illusion fragrance trembled wildly as if mice had encountered a cat, utterly unable to resist.
Seeing this, the Devouring Ancestral Symbol intensified its pull, gulping down the illusion fragrance that the Golden Spirit Wheel Mirror suppressed.
At the same time, the purified energy within the fragrance seeped back out, pouring into Lin Langtian's Niwan Palace from the crown of his head in an unending stream.
As this peculiar black energy flowed in, Lin Langtian's Niwan Palace underwent a transformation at shocking speed, like snow melting in a blaze.
Waves of surging Mental Energy spread out, causing his Niwan Palace to expand continuously.
Lin Langtian naturally sensed the upheaval within, and joy flickered in his heart.
He knew that to truly step into Symbol Grandmaster, he needed a vast amount of incomparably pure Mental Energy.
Yet most treasures tied to Mental Energy were rare heaven‑and‑earth wonders. Even the Celestial Demon Marten clan would find them hard to obtain. Now, however, with fifty Eternal Illusion Demon Flowers, Lin Langtian had an excellent chance to break through to Symbol Grandmaster.
Of course, such an advancement could not be accomplished in a single leap. Even with a constant flow of strange, spirit‑rich energy from the flowers, the transformation still proceeded slowly.
Lin Langtian had long been prepared for this. If becoming a Symbol Grandmaster were easy, Symbol Grandmaster experts would not be so rare on the Tianxuan Continent.
This was a task that required patience and meticulous effort.
…
Black illusion fragrance as thick as ink churned throughout the cavern. Beneath its shroud, a lone figure sat quietly on a stone platform.
Above his head, the Devouring black hole spun, and the Golden Spirit Wheel Mirror flickered within, suppressing all demonic energy within the invading fragrance.
Buzz buzz!
Silvery‑white Mental Energy seeped from Lin Langtian's body. After a month of motionless meditation, his entire being seemed to have undergone a transformation from inside out.
Buzz!
The next moment, silver‑white Mental Energy surged from him like a tidal wave, its density far surpassing that of before. Even the clinging illusion fragrance was forcibly pushed back.
At the same time, two ancient runes suddenly shone on the surface of Lin Langtian's body. They circled him briefly before shooting straight into his brow.
Black and silver light converged there, spinning wildly.
A tiny crack split open between his brows, and beneath it seemed to lie a mysterious eye brimming with endless black light and spatial power.
The crack slowly widened, and the silver‑and‑black eye revealed itself fully.
Boom!
An indescribable storm of Mental Energy erupted from Lin Langtian.
The surrounding illusion fragrance shattered and dispersed. The whole cavern shook violently, and even the specially‑crafted stone walls split with jagged cracks.
The Ancestral Symbol Eye had emerged for only an instant before swiftly retreating. The light faded, and Lin Langtian's brow returned to its usual calm.
Bang!
At the exact moment the Ancestral Symbol Eye vanished, a blinding silver‑white column of light blasted from Lin Langtian's body. It bored straight through the cavern roof and rose into the sky.
Buzz!
The thousand‑zhang‑tall silver‑white pillar shot out of the Sky Cave and pierced the clouds. Such a sight immediately drew every Celestial Demon Marten expert's attention.
They stared in astonishment at the radiant pillar, their expressions growing more solemn as they sensed the ocean‑like Mental Energy within it.
That Mental Energy was enough to make even Reincarnation Stage experts feel a chill in their hearts.
"Someone's Mental Energy just broke through to Symbol Grandmaster? Remarkable… To think someone has cultivated Mental Energy to such a level. But none of those in seclusion within the Sky Cave should have Mental Energy this strong…"
Several guardians by the cave entrance stared in shock, muttering in confusion.
"It must be Lin Langtian or Lin Dong. I wonder which of the two…"
The Celestial Demon Marten clan leader spoke slowly at the side, his own face filled with surprise. He had not expected that in only a month, Lin Langtian's Mental Energy would step into the Symbol Grandmaster realm.
"Incredible."
Great Elder Zhu Li, who had been standing watch the whole time, could not help but sigh in admiration. He knew all too well how difficult it was to train Mental Energy to the level of Symbol Grandmaster.
Even he had ultimately given up on cultivating Mental Energy because it was simply too hard.
The silver‑white column spread across the sky, its warm light suffused with Lin Langtian's perception.
Though his physical body remained deep within the Sky Cave, his Mental Energy now served as his sight and touch, gathering every detail of the world above.
He could sense the powerful auras rising from various corners of the Celestial Demon Marten territory. In hidden places, he also detected several equally frightening presences, no weaker than Zhu Li himself.
"Oh?"
As his Mental Energy spread, something stirred in Lin Langtian's heart. His attention turned toward the dark depths of the Sky Cave.
There, he sensed an even more terrifying aura, one stronger even than the Celestial Demon Marten clan leader's.
"The master of space who is in seclusion at the deepest part of the Sky Cave…?" Lin Langtian murmured as a thought crossed his mind.
At that moment, in the deepest reaches of the Sky Cave, a withered, almost corpse‑like figure suddenly opened eyes that seemed to have been shut for a thousand years. Within those pupils shimmered a strange silver brilliance.
"Oh? The Space Ancestral Symbol?"
(END CHAPTER)
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