I Won't Hand It Over Even If You Beat Me to Death

"So the essence of this mental pressure was actually the pure Mental Energy left behind by Yan City's Talisman Master predecessors? If I could cultivate in seclusion here for a while, my Mental Energy cultivation would surely improve greatly."

Lin Dong opened his tightly shut eyes and thoughtfully surveyed his surroundings.

Ever since he had stepped into the Four Seal Talisman Master realm, the speed of his Mental Energy cultivation had slowed considerably. The next step was a Spirit Talisman Master comparable to a Creation Three Realms expert. Perhaps he could glimpse that threshold here.

The First Floor, roughly the size of a plaza, already had quite a few Talisman Masters who felt unable to advance further sitting cross-legged here, closing their eyes to cultivate with the help of the peculiar mental pressure. This was a rare opportunity.

However, those who stopped on the First Floor of the nine-story Symbol Master Tower were mostly Talisman Masters still practicing basic cultivation methods or those who had only just entered the One Seal realm.

"The mental pressure here is too weak. It is of negligible use to me. But before heading to the next floor, I should discuss a business deal with my friends from Skyfire City. No matter how small a mosquito is, it is still meat."

Lin Dong glanced at the dozen or so Skyfire City Talisman Masters in the corner, then walked over with a mysterious smile on his lips.

Under the shocked gazes of both groups of Talisman Masters, Lin Dong abruptly unleashed the power of a Three Seal Talisman Master and smiled at the trembling weaklings. "I, Lin Dong, want your money."

Ten minutes later, Lin Dong left the wrecked First Floor and headed contentedly toward the Second Floor.

A new round of negotiations began~

The Fourth Floor of the Symbol Master Tower.

"Those on the Fourth Floor are all late-stage One Seal Talisman Masters or Early-stage Two-Seal Talisman Masters. Then the Fifth Floor probably requires veteran Two-Seal Talisman Masters to enter. Hmm, I seem to remember that I will encounter two interesting fellows on the Fifth Floor?"

Ignoring the seven or eight figures sprawled across the ground and groaning in pain, Lin Dong stepped into the mental barrier leading to the next floor.

In the depths of the empty Fifth Floor, two figures sat silently in meditation.

"Buzz~"

The mental barrier suddenly began to squirm faster. Cao Zhu and Liu Long slowly raised their heads. Seeing the figure emerge from the barrier, they sneered. "Lin Dong, let's see where you can run now."

"Run? Why would I run? Didn't I tell you both outside just now? I have a billion-yuan project to discuss with you."

Lin Dong gave the pair a baffled look.

"Discuss? Discuss my ass. Cao Zhu, attack together!"

Liu Long sneered coldly. A streak of red light suddenly shot from his sleeve, tearing through the air as it flew straight at Lin Dong.

At the center of that red glow was a fiery-red longsword covered in dense, mysterious runes. A scorching aura radiated from its blade.

Crimson Flame Iron was a rare metal found in extremely hot regions. Like Ice Profound Iron, it could carry a Talisman Master's Mental Energy. It naturally contained dense scorching energy capable of burning one's Mental Energy.

"A longsword forged from Crimson Flame Iron? You Skyfire City Talisman Masters really are loaded. I'm going to get rich this time."

Lin Dong was overjoyed at the sight. With a sweep of his sleeve, three white streaks shot out at high speed, forming a triangular formation that firmly restrained the Leaving Fire Sword.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The instant Lin Dong moved to meet Liu Long's attack, Cao Zhu seized the opportunity. Clenching both hands, he sent two rapidly spinning mental wheels hurtling toward Lin Dong's chest with a mournful wind-breaking sound.

"Hmm, this Elite-grade Mental Secret Technique is completely wasted in your hands."

Lin Dong smiled slightly and beckoned. The air began to churn violently as twenty mental wheels condensed before him, transforming into twenty streaks of ghostly glow that shot toward Cao Zhu and Liu Long.

"The Soul Destruction Wheel? Cao Zhu, isn't that your mental attack secret technique?"

Liu Long froze briefly, then immediately cursed.

"Didn't he steal my Cosmic Bag?"

Cao Zhu gave a bitter smile. Looking at the greater number of larger mental wheels, he was completely dumbfounded.

"Damn it, there's no time. Let's attack together!"

Seeing the twenty cold flashes about to arrive, while his Leaving Fire Sword was entangled by three Ice Profound Swords, Liu Long could only grit his teeth and take the attack head-on.

"Hah, Spirit Fusion!"

As the two formed the same hand seal in unison, two streams of equally robust Mental Energy quickly left their bodies and merged in midair into a transparent giant hand that swept outward.

As two veteran Two-Seal Talisman Masters, they were confident that joining forces would make them no weaker than an Early Three Seal Talisman Master.

Just as the two barely managed to fend off the twenty Elite-grade Mental Secret Technique attacks, Lin Dong beckoned again. The three Ice Profound Swords immediately suppressed the restless Leaving Fire Sword and flew back.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Even under the firm suppression of the three Ice Profound Swords, the Leaving Fire Sword, naturally imbued with dense scorching energy, continued to tremble wildly as it tried to break free.

Clearly, Liu Long's cultivation was far stronger than Cao Zhu's.

"You really aren't obedient."

Lin Dong casually brushed a hand across the Leaving Fire Sword. The restless sword instantly quieted down and obediently hovered in the air alongside the three Ice Profound Swords.

Pfft!

At the same time, Liu Long sensed the Mental Energy imprint he had placed on the Leaving Fire Sword being erased. His body shook violently, and he suddenly spat out a large mouthful of blood.

The chain reaction was that Cao Zhu, who had been joining him in suppressing the Soul Destruction Wheels, could no longer hold out alone. Their defense had been broken!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The six remaining Mental Grinding Wheels in midair suddenly accelerated and crashed into the unprepared pair.

"No!!!"

Amid two shrill cries full of despair, Cao Zhu and Liu Long were instantly engulfed by the six attacks raining down on them.

"Now it's time to loot the bags."

Lin Dong put away the four longswords and walked toward the bruised and battered pair with a smile. He extended a slender, fair hand. "Come on, hand over your Cosmic Bags yourselves, and you'll suffer a little less."

"Hmph. The winner is king and the loser is bandit. I, Liu Long, accept it."

Liu Long forced himself upright and, with considerable backbone, removed the Cosmic Bag from his waist and handed it to Lin Dong.

"Cao Zhu, where's yours?"

Seeing Liu Long cooperate so readily, Lin Dong's mood improved even further.

"I-I don't need to, right? Didn't you just rob... take one from me yesterday?" Cao Zhu clutched his Cosmic Bag tightly and gathered immense courage in an attempt to refuse.

Heaven knew how pitiful he was. After yesterday's duel in the plaza, Lin Dong had brutally taken Cao Zhu's three Ice Profound Swords, forty thousand Yang Yuan Stones, and that High-grade Cosmic Bag, leaving him with nothing.

After returning to his residence that night, he had no choice but to privately borrow twenty thousand Yang Yuan Stones from Teacher Han Yun to use for now, intending to find a way to repay them later.

Yet before those twenty thousand Yang Yuan Stones had even warmed in his hands, he was being forced to hand them over to this devil again. Why?!!

He swore that he would never hand it over this time, not even if beaten to death!

"Hmm?"

Lin Dong let out a soft, displeased hum.

"Hehe, just kidding, just kidding."

Cao Zhu gave a bitter smile and tremblingly handed over his Cosmic Bag. Then, with tears in his voice, he said, "Could you leave me a little?"