In the narrow alley, Lin Dong and Mu Zi stared at each other, and an awkward silence hung in the air.
Lin Dong's eyelid twitched. Hadn't they agreed to share? Why did she take everything for herself?
Did he spend ten Yang Yuan pills just to buy her this opportunity?
If it weren't for the fact that she was a girl, Lin Dong probably would have already started throwing punches.
Mu Zi cautiously asked:
"Maybe I can compensate you with a few Yang Yuan stones?"
Noticing that Lin Dong was about to explode, she hastily added:
"Just kidding, just kidding!"
"Don't panic, I have an idea."
Lin Dong raised an eyebrow:
"What idea?"
"Wait!"
Mu Zi lowered her head and rummaged through her Qian Kun Bag before pulling out an item.
"A jade plate?" Lin Dong recognized the item in her hands but remained completely bewildered.
Mu Zi carefully channeled her spiritual power into the jade plate, trying to imprint the information from the ray of light into it.
This required exceptional control over spiritual power, and Mu Zi could only attempt it.
Fortunately, after a few minutes, she succeeded.
"Here, take it!" she said, carefully handing the recorded jade plate to Lin Dong.
Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Mu Zi secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Her spiritual power was still too weak, and she had barely managed the recording.
Lin Dong took the plate and asked with curiosity:
"What is this?"
Mu Zi replied:
"I've copied the contents of the ancient piece of wood for you. Check if everything is in order."
Lin Dong channeled his spiritual power into the jade plate to read the recorded information.
"...?"
He was confused. As soon as his spiritual power entered, he felt a strange vortex of spiritual power that rotated in an unusual and intricate rhythm.
What was this? And not a single word of explanation! Lin Dong looked at Mu Zi with bewilderment.
"Idiot!" she retorted, feigning a sense of control, though secretly feeling a little guilty.
Her spiritual power was too weak, so to successfully record the information, she had to "cut corners," removing some "not-so-important" explanations and leaving only the essence of the method for condensing the Ancient Vortex Seal.
But Mu Zi was an honest person, after all, and patiently began to explain to Lin Dong:
"The Ancient Vortex Seal is a method for condensing a natal spiritual seal. If you rotate your spiritual power in this rhythm, you'll be able to create such a seal."
"A natal spiritual seal?" Lin Dong asked with curiosity.
"A natal spiritual seal is a type of natal rune seal. Do you know what a natal rune seal is?"
Lin Dong shook his head.
Mu Zi took a deep breath and looked at him with a hint of disappointment. How could this guy know nothing?
Little Diao (Heavenly Demon-Marten), hurry up and wake up! Nanny duty is yours! she pleaded mentally.
Somewhere in the depths.
Heavenly Demon-Marten: "..."
"Based on your spiritual power level, you've already opened your Nirvana Palace, right?" she asked.
Lin Dong nodded.
"Your spiritual power is quite strong now, but you're not yet a Rune Master. Without a natal rune seal, your ability to control spiritual power is too weak."
"If you successfully create a natal rune seal, it will not only significantly strengthen your control over spiritual power but also allow you to temper it, making it denser and more powerful."
Lin Dong nodded, remembering how masterfully Mu Zi had controlled her spiritual power earlier. An understanding began to form in his heart.
"Madam, you have such masterful control over spiritual power. You must have already created your natal rune seal, right?" he asked.
Mu Zi hesitated:
"I was talking about a typical situation. In reality, there are exceptions."
"Some people have such a great gift for spiritual power control that they can use it like an extension of their own arm, even without a rune seal," Mu Zi began.
"But such people are one in ten thousand. Most have to honestly create a rune seal."
Lin Dong was immediately filled with respect, looking at Mu Zi with admiration.
"You must be such a genius, madam? My deepest respects!" he exclaimed.
At the same time, he mentally reproached himself: before this, his progress in cultivating the Shen Dong Pian (Chapter of Spirit Movement) had been rapid, and he believed he had decent talent for spiritual power.
But after seeing a true genius, Lin Dong realized he was still far from that level.
His talent for spiritual power was probably the most ordinary, and he shouldn't allow himself to become arrogant.
If Master Yan knew about such thoughts, he would probably spit up blood in outrage.
"Your talent for spiritual power is ordinary? Then what does that make the rest of us?"
Somewhere far away: The Seven Ancient Sovereigns (who failed to create a Spirit Palace): "Exactly, exactly!"
Ignoring the pensive Lin Dong, Mu Zi continued to explain:
"Natal rune seals are divided into different levels. From lowest to highest: natal rune seal, natal spiritual seal, and natal celestial seal."
"Among them, the natal celestial seal is only accessible after reaching the Heavenly Rune Master level. The natal spiritual seal is already the strongest seal you can typically see."
Mu Zi had obtained this information by studying the ordinary methods for creating rune seals that she had purchased earlier.
Although this basic rune seal wasn't of high value, its organized content made it an excellent teaching material for beginner Rune Masters.
Some of this knowledge was new even to Mu Zi, despite her having read the original story.
Mu Zi explained the value of the natal spiritual seal to let him know:
"Lad, you hit the jackpot! Just don't think about blackmailing me!"
Hearing her explanation, Lin Dong felt a surge of joy.
The harvest this time was truly significant!
Regardless of whether this mysterious girl was hiding something from him, obtaining such a valuable natal spiritual seal was already completely satisfying.
Mu Zi said:
"Don't worry, I won't spread this natal spiritual seal. This secret will remain only between us."
Spread the Ancient Vortex Seal everywhere?
Mu Zi imagined three thousand Rune Masters, at her command, summoning the Ancient Vortex Seal, surrounding the Ancestor of Devouring in a dense ring.
This picture was too beautiful to imagine.
After a brief exchange of words, they prepared to go their separate ways.
This haul made Mu Zi very happy. Without spending a single Yang Yuan stone, she had obtained a natal spiritual seal—a true jackpot.
Others, to find such luck, at least spend money, but she had literally swindled a treasure with her bare hands!
Though, Lin Dong had a tough time of it. The price was twice as high as in the original story, and he only got a copy.
Mu Zi, as if feeling a slight guilt, warned him:
"Up ahead, in that area, I sensed someone lurking, as if in ambush. Be careful when you pass through."
"It must be the people from the Lei clan?" she thought. Staging an ambush for Lin Dong in such heat was not an easy task for them.
Hearing her words, Lin Dong became alert. He spread his spiritual power and indeed discovered more than a dozen auras, among which two were especially powerful.
"Two at the mid-stage of Heavenly Yuan!" he said with some seriousness.
"Need a hand?" Mu Zi asked.
Lin Dong shook his head and, cupping his fist in his palm as a sign of respect, replied:
"No need to trouble yourself."
"Thank you for the warning, madam. I will remember this debt."
Lin Dong had thought it all through. He was capable of dealing with these people, and there was no need to introduce additional variables.
He was still wary of this mysterious girl. If she were to team up with the people of the Lei clan against him, it would create big problems.
Seeing his refusal, Mu Zi didn't press the matter. Her offer was just out of politeness.
After saying goodbye to Lin Dong, Mu Zi headed for a cave on the outskirts of Qingyang, which served as her temporary base during her travels.
Aside from rare trips to an inn in the city for bathing, she spent all her other time here, cultivating.
Two months had passed since her last breakthrough, and now it was time to reach the late stage of Earth Yuan.
Mu Zi sat down on the stone bed, entering a state of cultivation. The energy of Heaven and Earth began to fiercely converge on her body.