A conflict set up around a wedding banquet ultimately ended with the destruction of the Lei and Xie families. The powers those two families had passed down for over a century ultimately became nourishment for the Lin Family's rise.
The Lin Family was now unquestionably the strongest force in Qingyang Town. Many experts like Payne and Yan Shuangying came to join them, and the Lin Family's strength soared for a time.
Unlike Lin Zhentian and the others, who were busy handling clan affairs and taking over territory, Lin Changqiang and Lin Dong returned to their quiet yet fulfilling cultivation lives. Four months later, relying solely on the third-rate cultivation method Azure Yuan Art, they had forcefully cultivated to the Lesser Yuan Dan Stage and the Late Heavenly Origin Stage.
On a rocky slope within Ironwood Manor, Lin Dong sat cross-legged. The Natal Talisman Seal in his Mud Pill Palace beat powerfully like a heart, continuously releasing and absorbing Spiritual Power. Through this cycle, his Spiritual Power became increasingly refined.
"Phew..."
Lin Dong slowly exhaled a stream of white air and opened his eyes. A brilliant gleam flashed through them.
"Changqiang, are you really not going to condense this Ancient Vortex Talisman Seal?" He stood and looked at Lin Changqiang beside him. "According to the records Gu Yuan left behind, a Natal Spirit Talisman is already quite good."
"Let me think about it."
Lin Changqiang curled his lip. Since he knew about Ancestral Talismans, he naturally looked down on Natal Spirit Talismans somewhat. However, he currently had no chance to encounter an Ancestral Talisman, so he could only place his hopes on the system's lottery draws.
"Display detailed personal information."
With a thought, an interface visible only to Lin Changqiang appeared before him.
Host: Lin Changqiang Gender: Male Cultivation Level: Lesser Yuan Dan Stage (7%) Martial Arts: Mysterious Gate Seal, Fire Dance Whirlwind... Cultivation Method: Azure Yuan Art Spiritual Power Level: Talisman Master Apprentice (99%, Natal Talisman Seal not condensed) Secret Technique: Divine Transformation Needle Spiritual Power Cultivation Method: Divine Movement Chapter Treasures: Gao Lao Village, Dragon Gallbladder Bright Silver Spear... Lottery Draw Count: 16.
"Sixteen draws. There should be a good chance of getting a related ability, right?"
"System, use all Lottery Draw Opportunities!"
"Ding, sixteen Lottery Draw Opportunities successfully used. Congratulations, Host, for obtaining:
Double Experience Card, four;
Double Gold Coin Card, three;
Intimacy Rose, four;
Small Horn, two;
Inner Demon Trial Card, one;
Superior Eighth-grade Martial Art—Peerless Dance;
Second-rate cultivation method—Body Protection Charm."
"Peerless Dance:
First Form—Seven Killings: Consume Yuan Power and attach it to a weapon, extending a blade of light condensed from Yuan Power. The size and hardness of the light blade depend on the amount of Yuan Power output;
Second Form—Greedy Wolf: When an attack launched with the Seven Killings light blade hits a target, it absorbs Yuan Power and returns it to the user. The amount absorbed depends on the size of the contact area between the light blade and the target;
Third Form—Po Jun: Leap into the air and swing the weapon down from above, smashing it into the ground. Upon landing, nearby enemies will lose their footing. Yuan Power is then consumed to draw a massive mark. Within the mark's range, the power of Seven Killings and Greedy Wolf will both be enhanced. The size and duration of the mark depend on the amount of Yuan Power output."
"Body Protection Charm: A second-rate cultivation method. It can open twenty-four meridians. During cultivation, it slowly forms a Body Protection Charm within the body. The Body Protection Charm can block one attack no stronger than one minor realm above the Host."
"??? Who wanted martial arts and cultivation methods? Where's my Ancestral Talisman?"
Lin Changqiang felt rather depressed. Although this martial art was not bad, and he truly wanted a cultivation method, the Body Protection Charm was only second-rate. Wouldn't it be better to just buy one in Flame City?
"Changqiang, have you made up your mind? Do you need me to teach you how to condense the Ancient Vortex Talisman Seal?" Seeing Lin Changqiang looking gloomy one moment and relaxed the next, Lin Dong could not help raising an eyebrow.
"I've decided. Let's do it."
Lin Changqiang nodded helplessly. Fortunately, once he obtained a better Talisman Seal later on, he could turn the original one into Spiritual Power and absorb it. He would make do with the Ancient Vortex Talisman Seal for now.
He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and silently mobilized the Spiritual Power in his Mud Pill Palace. Following Lin Dong's demonstration, he began condensing the Ancient Vortex Talisman Seal.
His Spiritual Power slowly rotated, gradually forming a vortex. A rushing sound like flowing water suddenly echoed in Lin Changqiang's mind.
The vortex alternated between fast and slow, spinning continuously in a strange rhythm. Before long, a faint suction force began radiating from the spiritual vortex.
"Condense!"
Lin Changqiang shouted softly and abruptly opened his eyes, controlling the spiritual vortex as it compressed without end! When the vortex compressed to its limit, a faint buzzing rang throughout his entire Mud Pill Palace.
Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Changqiang once more urged his Spiritual Power to compress fiercely. The spiritual vortex finally could no longer bear the strain and exploded with a bang.
Yet as the spiritual vortex exploded, Lin Changqiang's eyes became exceptionally bright.
Sizzle! Sizzle!
Countless tiny rays of light suddenly burst from the center of the explosion, instantly linking the scattered Spiritual Power together before rapidly drawing inward. In the end, they formed a miraculous rune roughly three fingers wide!
"Phew, so this is the Ancient Vortex Talisman Seal created by imitating the Devouring Ancestral Symbol."
Although the rune was somewhat dim, a closer look revealed that it resembled a mutated vortex. As its light flickered, it also seemed like a Black Hole spinning silently.
"Ding, congratulations to the Host for becoming a One-Seal Talisman Master. Reward: two Lottery Draw Opportunities."
Only after studying it for a long while did Lin Changqiang come back to his senses. He then noticed Lin Dong frowning deeply as he stared at the Cosmic Bag in his hand.
"Still worrying about the Blood-Clothed Sect?"
"Yeah." Lin Dong nodded. "Although Gu Yuan has already been killed by us, the Blood-Clothed Sect still has a sect master at the Lesser Perfection of the Yuan Dan Stage, one Lesser Yuan Dan Stage cultivator, and nearly ten Heavenly Origin Stage cultivators. Our Lin Family, including you and me, only has two Lesser Yuan Dan Stage cultivators and four Heavenly Origin Stage cultivators. What can we use to fight them?"
"What are you afraid of?" Lin Changqiang patted Lin Dong's shoulder without concern. "Although there's usually quite a gap between the Lesser Yuan Dan Stage and the Lesser Perfection of the Yuan Dan Stage, am I, Lin Changqiang, an ordinary person? If I go all out, killing someone at Lesser Perfection won't be too difficult~"
Lin Dong shook his head irritably, clearly not believing him. "Even if you can hold back Wei Chen, so what? You stop Wei Chen, Grandpa stops that Lesser Yuan Dan Stage cultivator, and Father, me, and the others hold back four Heavenly Origin Stage cultivators. But wouldn't there still be several Heavenly Origin Stage cultivators left?"
"When soldiers come, generals block them; when water comes, earth dams it. What good does it do to worry endlessly?" Lin Changqiang was also somewhat helpless. He could not exactly say, I wasn't in the original story, and you still turned out fine.
This time, Lin Dong smiled and nodded, but Lin Changqiang knew that he had not truly taken it to heart.
That night, Lin Changqiang's suddenly accelerating Spiritual Power growth confirmed his guess.
"Little Sable has already been discovered, and he's begun increasing his Talisman Master experience by crushing Spiritual Power..."
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