"The Blood Wolf Gang has a grudge against my Lin Family. In principle, helping you deal with them is only right, Sister Su, but I've been busy cultivating lately."
Lin Dong was indeed tempted. It wasn't just because the Pill Immortal Pool could help him break through to the Primal Core Realm; it might also help Senior Cang Wu condense a physical body.
And so, Lin Dong began eyeing the Pill Immortal Pool.
"Besides, my Lin Family isn't as powerful or wealthy as your Wanjin Merchant Association. If we rashly get involved, the Blood Wolf Gang might settle the score afterward, and my family could be in trouble."
Xuan Su couldn't help laughing softly at his words, her charm utterly captivating.
How could Xuan Su fail to understand what Lin Dong was implying? It came down to two words: pay more!
"Don't worry, little brother Lin Dong. My Wanjin Merchant Association has a good reputation in Yan City. If you're willing to help, we can form a partnership with your Lin Family. From now on, we'll buy all the Yang Yuan Stones produced by your family's mine at above-market prices!"
Xuan Su spoke softly. When she mentioned the Yang Yuan Stone Mine, Lin Zhentian and his grandson both narrowed their eyes.
But the next moment, Lin Dong and Lin Zhentian realized that since she'd come to see Lin Dong the very next day, she must have learned what had happened yesterday.
And with the Wanjin Merchant Association's resources, it was hardly surprising that they'd traced the matter back to what had happened before.
"As for you, little brother Lin Dong..."
Lin Dong looked up at Xuan Su. The mature beauty, radiating charm, smiled broadly and continued,
"If you're willing to help, I can guarantee you a place in the Pill Immortal Pool. How does that sound?"
"Really?"
Lin Dong was instantly tempted. The place in the Pill Immortal Pool was what he wanted; he didn't care all that much about anything else.
It wasn't that Lin Dong didn't care about his family. But if he could obtain the Yin and Yang energies in the Pill Immortal Pool and bring Senior Cang Wu back to life, what was one mere Blood Wolf Gang?
In fact, Lin Dong was confident that once he entered the Primal Core Realm and then broke through to become a Two-Seal Symbol Master, he could face Yue Shan, the Blood Wolf Gang's leader at Primal Core Realm Great Perfection, without needing Senior Cang Wu to step in.
"Of course I wouldn't lie to you, little brother Lin Dong. Wei Tong's fate is still fresh in everyone's mind. Besides, you're a far more valuable investment than a place in the Pill Immortal Pool."
Xuan Su chuckled. Lin Dong smiled and asked softly,
"When does the contest begin?"
"In three days. So I'll need you to come back to the Wanjin Merchant Association with me first. Then we'll head together to the mountains east of Yan City."
Lin Dong had no objections. He'd already planned to visit the Wanjin Merchant Association.
Suddenly, something occurred to Lin Dong, and he spoke again.
"By the way, sorry for the trouble, Sister Su, but could you keep an eye out for medicinal herbs containing pure Yin Fiend energy?"
"Medicinal herbs containing pure Yin Fiend energy? I'll keep an eye out for you."
Xuan Su nodded gently in agreement.
After returning home to pack and saying goodbye to Lin Qingtan, Lin Dong went with Xuan Su to Yan City.
With the Wanjin Merchant Association behind him, Lin Dong didn't need to find an inn himself. He went straight to one of its VIP guest rooms.
On the day he arrived, Lin Dong spent a hefty sum of Yang Yuan Pills at an auction to buy a number of medicinal herbs that nourished Spiritual Power. Then he shut himself away in his room to cultivate.
Three days passed in a flash.
On the morning of the fourth day,
Lin Dong sat cross-legged on the bed in a VIP guest room at the Wanjin Merchant Association, his hands forming a seal.
Inside Lin Dong's Numinous Palace, the talisman seal engraved with mysterious runes had developed a very distinct crack, as if it might break apart at any moment.
A stream of gentle medicinal energy flowed through Lin Dong's body and into his Numinous Palace. As the waves of pure medicinal energy entered the strange talisman seal, it finally began to tremble.
"Crack!"
After trembling for a while, the seal split in two with a crisp sound, becoming two smaller talisman seals.
As the seal split in two, a Spiritual Power storm swept through Lin Dong's Numinous Palace, and his Spiritual Power surged.
He had broken through to Two-Seal Symbol Master!
After a long while, once the Spiritual Power in his Numinous Palace had settled, Lin Dong finally opened his eyes. His pupils had become two tiny vortices, and a faint Devouring Power emanated from within him.
"Phew!"
Lin Dong let out a long breath and smiled faintly. He murmured,
"I finally broke through. If I'd waited any longer, I'd have run out of medicinal herbs to feed it."
It might have seemed like only three short days, but Lin Dong's Spiritual Power was already formidable, and he'd been close to a breakthrough. On top of that, he'd used up every one of the medicinal herbs he'd bought to nourish his Spiritual Power.
Only after all those efforts had he finally taken this step today.
Lin Dong raised a hand and beckoned. A talisman seal appeared in his palm, giving off a faint Devouring Power.
"So this is Devouring Power? It really is overbearing!"
Looking at the tiny black vortex in his hand, Lin Dong murmured to himself.
The reason Lin Dong had been able to absorb so many medicinal herbs over these three days was partly that the Ancestral Stone had extracted their medicinal energy perfectly. The other key factor was this Devouring Spirit Talisman.
Lin Dong called his Life Spirit Talisman the Devouring Spirit Talisman. After all, Lord of Devourment had condensed it himself, and it possessed tremendous Devouring Power.
It was precisely the power of this Devouring Spirit Talisman that had made Lin Dong even more curious about the legendary Ancestor Symbols.
After all, even a copied talisman was this overbearing. Wouldn't the real Ancestor Symbols possess earth-shaking power?
If Little Marten knew what Lin Dong was thinking, he'd probably curse him for being blessed without realizing it.
This Life Spirit Talisman was already nearly as powerful as a true Ancestor Symbol. It could even be called the greatest talisman beneath the Eight Great Ancestral Talismans.
Just think about who had condensed it! Every one of the Eight Ancient Lords was said to be a walking Ancestor Symbol.
It was only natural that the talisman condensed by Cang Wu himself couldn't match the Devouring Ancestral Talisman, but it still had at least a third of its power.
Lin Dong's earlier Ancient Vortex Talisman Seal, on the other hand, had possessed at most one-thousandth of the Devouring Ancestral Talisman's power.
"It's about time to set out!"
Lin Dong glanced up at the sky and stretched his limbs. Then he opened the door and walked out.
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