Nirvana Heart

After putting away the mid-grade Talisman Puppet, Lin Mu and the other two continued deeper inside. Along the way, they saw scattered remains of Talisman Puppets, which had likely been smashed by Lin Langtian and the others who had entered before them.

After passing through a great hall, they finally saw a curtain of light. There were no other passages around them, so it was obvious that this light curtain was the only way forward—and that it would be even more dangerous beyond it.

"Beyond this should be the core area of the Ancient Tomb. The owner of this tomb should be buried inside," Lin Mu said.

"Brother Lin Mu, Sister Ziyue and I will wait here. You should go in alone," Qing Tan said. She felt that it would certainly be dangerous inside, and that following him in would only burden Lin Mu.

"That works. There shouldn't be any danger here for now. Take this mid-grade Talisman Puppet as well. If anything happens, inject Pure Yuan Pills into it." Lin Mu nodded. It truly was unsuitable to bring Qing Tan and Ziyue inside.

He took out the mid-grade Talisman Puppet from his Universe Bag, then retrieved one hundred thousand Pure Yuan Pills from the system. With the Talisman Puppet's Form Creation Realm strength, it should be enough to protect Qing Tan and Ziyue.

"Mm." Qing Tan nodded.

Lin Mu stepped through the light curtain, and a crimson wave of fire immediately rushed toward him. Fortunately, Lin Mu had been prepared. He had protected himself with Primal Energy in advance, and all the flames were blocked outside his Primal Energy barrier.

"A mix of truth and illusion—who would dare gamble their life on it?" Lin Mu smiled.

These waves of fire were part of an array. Some were real, while others were illusory. Yet when the flames came rushing at them, whether they were real or not, one had to use Primal Energy to resist them. No one would dare wager their life on distinguishing truth from falsehood.

"Looks like it's the same as in the original story. Only Ling Qingzhu made it inside." Lin Mu looked at the three people trapped in the flaming passageway ahead, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.

The flames in that passageway were all fake. This sea of fire before him was the real path instead. Many arrays were like this—the exit was often placed where others believed to be the most dangerous.

Lin Mu gave a light leap and jumped into the sea of fire. Just as he had expected, there was no scene of raging flames scorching his body. The flames around him were all illusions.

Ahead of the sea of fire stood a half-open Bronze Door. There were signs that it had been disturbed, clearly indicating that someone had entered before him. Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Mu slipped through the Bronze Door.

Once he entered the Bronze Door, the flames vanished completely. Inside was a Stone Hall. At its center stood a stone coffin with its lid already open, and within it was a ball of light brimming with dense life force.

"So this is the Nirvana Heart!"

Just then, an indifferent yet ethereal voice sounded beside Lin Mu's ear.

"This Nirvana Heart is not something you can seize. Leave."

Lin Mu looked up and saw Ling Qingzhu floating in midair, standing atop a Green Lotus. Her crystalline eyes watched him. She had not expected Lin Mu to enter this Stone Hall, considering even Lin Langtian and the others were trapped outside.

"Miss, aren't you being rather overbearing? The treasures of this Ancient Tomb belong to no one. Why can't I seize the Nirvana Heart? Is it simply because you possess Creation Realm strength?" Lin Mu said with a smile.

Ling Qingzhu was far stronger than even Lin Langtian, but if a fight truly broke out, Lin Mu was not afraid.

"I underestimated you. No wonder you were able to enter this place." A hint of surprise flashed through Ling Qingzhu's crystalline eyes. Lin Mu had actually seen through her strength.

"But if you wish to seize this Nirvana Heart, you must first defeat me."

"I don't like fighting women. How about we split this Nirvana Heart equally between us?" Lin Mu proposed.

"No!"

Ling Qingzhu refused outright. If the Nirvana Heart were divided in two, its effects would be greatly weakened.

"After all, Miss and I found this Nirvana Heart together. Since I don't wish to fight you, how about you offer some other items as compensation, and the Nirvana Heart will belong solely to you?" Lin Mu said with a smile.

This time, Ling Qingzhu did not refuse outright. After pondering briefly, she took out a Universe Bag and said, "I'll give you one hundred thousand Nirvana Pills as compensation."

Her goal was only the Nirvana Heart. She did not wish to create unnecessary trouble, and she could not quite see through Lin Mu. Though she believed Lin Mu was no match for her, it would be best if they did not have to fight. In any case, one hundred thousand Nirvana Pills were nothing to her.

"Deal!" Lin Mu said with a smile.

Ling Qingzhu tossed the Universe Bag to Lin Mu. Without even checking it, he put it away directly. Even if there was nothing inside, it did not matter.

"Can you leave now, young master?" Ling Qingzhu asked softly. She appeared approachable, but her heart kept others a thousand miles away. She was warm on the outside, cold within.

"This is my first time seeing a treasure like the Nirvana Heart. Might Miss allow me to watch from the side for a while?" Lin Mu said with a smile. How could he possibly leave?

"I am incapable of forcibly driving someone away. I only hope that you do not harbor any improper thoughts, young master," Ling Qingzhu said, her words carrying a faint warning.

"I have no interest in going back on my word." Lin Mu moved to the side.

Seeing Lin Dong step aside, Ling Qingzhu turned her gaze toward the Nirvana Heart in the stone coffin. A faint ripple appeared in her crystalline eyes, and there was a trace of joy hidden within.

"I never expected to find a Nirvana Heart in a place like this," Ling Qingzhu murmured, a hint of surprise in her voice.

A Nirvana Heart was not so easily formed. Only after a Nirvana Realm expert died and many years passed could one come into being. They were generally very rare.

Otherwise, with so many Nirvana Realm experts in the Eastern Xuan Region, why would Ling Qingzhu have come here to search for one?

She raised her delicate hand, and a streak of green light shot forth, transforming into a gigantic palm that seized the ball of light. The instant it was caught, the ball of light seemed to come alive, trembling violently as it tried to break free.

"Break!"

Ling Qingzhu let out a low cry and gently clenched her hand. The ball of light shattered, revealing an emerald-green heart within, which Ling Qingzhu held in her grasp.

No wonder so many people want to seize the Nirvana Heart. Formed from all the Primal Energy of a Nirvana Realm expert, it truly is extraordinary. Lin Mu thought. The vitality radiating from the Nirvana Heart was far too dense.

However, Lin Mu had no intention of stealing it. He relied entirely on the system to increase his strength, so the Nirvana Heart would not be of much use to him.

Several green rays shot out from the Green Lotus beneath Ling Qingzhu's feet and entered the emerald-green Nirvana Heart. It immediately began to melt, and in just a few minutes, the Nirvana Heart had turned into a mass of liquid.

Her thin lips parted slightly as she gently lifted the veil covering her face. The liquid formed from the Nirvana Heart was then drawn into her body.

"You are indeed a man of your word, young master. Qingzhu must now refine this Nirvana Heart. I hope you will not disturb me," Ling Qingzhu said indifferently. She had been on guard against Lin Mu the entire time, and only after the Nirvana Heart had been swallowed did her vigilance ease slightly.

"Having already witnessed a treasure like the Nirvana Heart, I should be leaving as well." Lin Mu smiled.

However, at that moment, something seemed wrong with Ling Qingzhu. A violent energy erupted from within her body, and the part of her face not covered by the veil had flushed slightly red.

Coldness flowed through Ling Qingzhu's crystalline eyes. She hurriedly mobilized the Primal Energy within her body, trying to suppress that pure yin energy. But the Nirvana Heart was formed from all the vitality of a Nirvana Realm expert; it was not so easily suppressed. Moreover, the more she tried to suppress it, the more violent that energy became.

"Shameless scoundrel!"

Ling Qingzhu's face turned icy. Vast Primal Energy surged from her body and formed a gigantic palm, which struck toward the stone coffin, instantly pulverizing the skeleton within it.

Yet she failed to notice that specks of red light were flickering amid the dust from the stone coffin, quietly gathering together.