Calm Before the Struggle

As they entered the vast and awe-inspiring main hall, the Five Elements Sect members, after their gazes swept past the ten dazzling orbs of light and the jade-white skeletons, noticed more clearly that around the towering stone throne, there were actually more than a dozen figures sitting cross-legged like sculptures.

These figures were entirely the color of deathly limestone, almost blending into the color of the hall floor, and were easily overlooked if not carefully observed.

They remain seated, motionless, and from a distance, they resemble stone statues sculpted by the most skilled craftsmen, exuding antiquity and vicissitude.

Their eyes were closed, their faces expressionless, and they emanated no life whatsoever. This posture seemed to have existed here since ancient times, storing up countless years.

However, what was chilling was that even though they were like inanimate objects, all the forces present, whether it was the arrogant and domineering Nether Python, the mysterious and cold Soul Hall, or the other major sects, tacitly remained within ten feet of the stone seat, and no one dared to easily set foot in that area.

It was as if there was an invisible boundary there, and crossing it would bring utter destruction.

"Puppet?"

Upon seeing these stone-carved figures devoid of any Life Aura, Qing Lin asked in surprise in a low voice, her emerald eyes filled with curiosity and a hint of barely perceptible wariness.

The Pill Beast in her arms seemed to sense something, raising its head slightly to look at the stone shadows, letting out a very soft whimper.

"Um..."

Lin Ming nodded slowly, a serious look flashing in his eyes, and said in a deep voice:

"Moreover, they are probably quite high-level Puppet. The cold, purely combat-driven energy fluctuations within them remind me of the Frost Puppet, or even... perhaps stronger. If I'm not mistaken, these dozen or so Puppet should all possess the strength of Dou Venerate."

Although Lin Ming's voice was calm, it was no less than a thunderclap to the ears of the Five Elements Sect members!

More than a dozen Dou Zun expert!

What does this mean? Looking across the entire Middle Continent, apart from transcendent forces like the Soul Hall and the Pill Tower, any sect with more than a dozen Dou Venerate is definitely a giant, enough to awe all around!

At this moment, here, there are more than a dozen Puppet comparable to Dou Venerate, like the most loyal guards, silently protecting the stone seat and the Dou Saint remains on it!

Upon hearing this, everyone from the Five Elements Sect couldn't help but gasp, their faces showing shock and a slight change in expression.

Even with so many powerful figures from the Middle Continent gathered here, and the forces involved so complexly, if a real fight were to break out and deal with these dozen or so Dou Venerate Puppet who felt no pain and knew no fear, the price to pay would be extremely heavy, and countless powerful figures would perish here.

"As expected of the ruins of Dou Sheng Expert... If a fight were to break out here..."

Even Zi Yan, who is usually fearless, had her playful smile replaced by a serious expression.

Qing Lin unconsciously clenched her jade-like hands; even she felt a shiver run down her spine at the sight of such a lineup.

"Be careful later, and remember not to separate. Look out for each other," Lin Ming reminded them again with a serious expression.

"Hehe, Lin Ming, timing is everything." Just as Lin Ming was reminding everyone, a voice suddenly rang out from the side.

Upon hearing this, Lin Ming, who had just reminded everyone, turned his head when he heard that familiar voice. The seriousness on his face quickly disappeared, replaced by a sincere and gentle smile. He cupped his hands in a certain direction of the main hall and said loudly, "Uncle Tang, how have you been?"

Following Lin Ming's gaze, the Five Elements Sect members saw a group of people dressed in flame-patterned clothing, who belonged to the Blazing Flame Valley. Leading them was none other than Valley Master Tang Zhen.

Upon seeing Lin Ming, Tang Zhen smiled, his previously serious face breaking into a smile. He led the group from Blazing Flame Valley over, smiling at Lin Ming.

Upon the arrival of the people from Blazing Flame Valley, Tang Zhen immediately said to Lin Ming, "Lin Ming, your group has come at just the right time! The energy fluctuations of the sealed light cluster here are getting weaker and weaker, and it will probably dissipate completely soon. At that time, the real show will begin."

As the Valley Master Blazing Flame Valley, Tang Zhen possessed the strength of Five-Star Dou Venerate, exuding a powerful aura and piercing gaze. His words were both a pleasantry and a clarification of the current situation.

In response, Lin Ming smiled and said, "Uncle Tang, judging from your calm and composed demeanor, you must have been here for quite some time and are already familiar with the situation."

As Guest Elder of Blazing Flame Valley, Lin Ming had a very close relationship with Tang Zhen, addressing him as uncle and nephew. Their relationship was naturally excellent.

"Big Brother Lin!" As the group from Blazing Flame Valley approached, Tang Huo'er called out sweetly.

She remained as fiery and energetic as ever, her beautiful eyes fixed on Lin Ming, filled with obvious affection and joy.

"Huo'er!" Lin Ming looked at her, sensed the faint fluctuations of Dou Qi around her, and said with a smile:

"Judging from your aura, it's become much more refined and powerful since the last time we met. It seems you've gained quite a bit from these ruins, Huo'er! You've had some good fortune."

"Hehe! It's alright, I definitely can't compare to Big Brother Lin." Hearing this, Tang Huo'er Yan Ran and was quite happy, clearly satisfied with her progress.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Tang Zhen's expression turned serious. He turned his gaze to the ten dazzling orbs of light in the center of the hall, and spoke with a hint of inquiry in his tone:

"Lin Ming, your Soul Power far surpasses that of ordinary people. Could you possibly discern which of the scrolls within these ten orbs of light are Heaven Tier Dou Technique?"

Upon hearing Tang Zhen's words, Lin Ming's eyes narrowed slightly, and the vast Soul Power between his brows spread out like invisible tendrils, carefully sensing the ten orbs of light.

However, after a moment, Lin Ming shook his head, a hint of helplessness on his face, and said:

"No. The seal outside this ball of light is extremely profound and powerful, completely blocking all detection, not even the slightest trace of its aura can be leaked out. How can I easily see through the trap set by Dou Sheng Expert? Now, we can only wait for the seal to dissipate, and then we'll each rely on our own abilities and eyesight, or... see who has better luck."

Lin Ming's words were half true and half false. It was true that the seal blocked the detection, but with his precognitive abilities, he naturally knew that none of the ten orbs of light were Heaven Tier Dou Technique. However, it was inconvenient to say so at the moment.

"Hehe, I thought so too."

Tang Zhen had no doubt about Lin Ming's answer, nodded, and said in a deep voice:

"In my opinion, of those ten orbs of light, only one is probably a genuine Heaven Tier Dou Technique. The other nine are either extremely realistic imitations or contain other less valuable treasures to mislead people. As for who will obtain that one true Heaven Tier Dou Technique, that depends entirely on their luck and... strength."

As Tang Zhen finished speaking, his gaze swept meaningfully across the entire audience of menacing forces, especially towards the Soul Hall and the Nether Python.

"Oh? Nine fakes and one real..."

Upon hearing this, Lin Ming, who already knew the truth, understood perfectly, but said nothing on the surface. However, the people from the Five Elements Sect and Blazing Flame Valley behind him were all taken aback, their gazes becoming strange as they repeatedly scanned the ten orbs of light radiating the same dazzling brilliance, secretly feeling a chill run down their spines.

"There are indeed many tricks up their sleeves in this Ancient Ruins. Even at this final moment, they're still pulling this charade that's hard to tell from the real thing. It won't be easy to accurately obtain the one true Heaven Tier Dou Technique from ten almost identical orbs of light. Luck, sharp eyes, and strength are all indispensable."

Upon hearing this, Tang Zhen smiled slightly, but there was a hint of solemnity in his smile.

His gaze returned to the ten orbs of light in the center of the hall. At this moment, everyone could feel that the light around the orbs was weakening at a slow but clearly perceptible rate, and the sealing energy enveloping the scrolls was gradually thinning, just like melting ice and snow. Clearly, the seal was not far from completely failing.

"Hehe, once this seal is broken, things will definitely get extremely chaotic. Everyone will be bloodthirsty over the Heaven Tier Dou Technique."

Tang Zhen stroked his beard, lowered his voice, and said to Lin Ming, "If any unexpected situation arises, our two sides can perhaps join forces to deal with it, so that we can support each other."

After he finished speaking, his gaze swept once more over the limestone Puppet sitting cross-legged around the stone seat, as if they had entered the deepest level of hibernation, and his meaning was self-evident.

Lin Ming smiled and nodded, readily accepting the suggestion.

The Blazing Flame Valley is quite powerful. Its Valley Master, Tang Zhen, is Five-Star Dou Venerate Zun, making him one of the top figures present. He is comparable to the Old Ghost Xing from the Soul Hall, who, although not yet revealed, is expected to appear soon. Moreover, the Blazing Flame Valley's Cultivation Method and Dou Qi Attribute are fierce and domineering, making them extremely powerful in combat.

Moreover, given Lin Ming's relationship with Blazing Flame Valley, even if Tang Zhen and the others didn't have such strength, or were even a burden, as long as they asked, Lin Ming would definitely not stand idly by and would definitely take action to protect them.

Moreover, the Blazing Flame Valley is by no means weak and would be a powerful ally. For both public and private reasons, Lin Ming would certainly not object to the proposal to join forces.

"Uncle Tang is absolutely right. Joining forces is the best course of action," Lin Ming said with a smile.

Seeing Lin Ming agree, Tang Zhen's smile widened. The two groups naturally merged together, their auras subtly connecting, forming a powerful united force that drew the attention of some surrounding forces.

Tang Zhen stroked his beard, his gaze still warily fixed on the limestone Puppet, and said softly:

"Working together will greatly increase our chances of seizing the Dou Technique. However, we must be extremely careful with these Puppet. If I'm not mistaken, once the seal on the light orb is broken, and someone tries to approach the stone seat or touch the Dou Saint remains, these Puppet, dormant for ten thousand years, will immediately awaken. At that time, they won't distinguish friend from foe, and it will inevitably be an extremely chaotic bloody battle..."

Lin Ming squinted slightly and nodded gently.

The current situation on the field is a mixed bag, with undercurrents swirling within.

When the time comes to fight for it, with the lure of true Heaven Tier Dou Technique, no one will care whether you're an ally or not; backstabbing is inevitable.

Therefore, we must not only guard against these overt adversaries, but also be constantly wary of these mysterious and powerful Puppet who are incapable of feeling pain or fear.

If one is not careful and falls into a trap, being severely injured by Puppet or ambushed by someone else, then one will truly have no way to express one's suffering, and may even lose one's life here.

"But now..."

Tang Zhen exhaled softly, his gaze sharpening as he looked at the fading light and sighed:

"Then we can only wait patiently for the seal to disappear. There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world. How can one obtain Heaven Tier Dou Technique without going through a bloody and fierce struggle?"

Hearing Tang Zhen's soft sigh, Lin Ming smiled slightly. Undeniably, his gaze once again pierced through the orbs of light in the arena that were about to ignite a frenzied struggle, and landed directly on the jade-white skeleton sitting Cross-legged on the stone seat, its hands forming a hand seal.

At this moment, a subtle, profound light flashed deep within Lin Ming's eyes.