With his identity exposed, Chen Lin stopped concealing it.
He nodded at the young female cultivator. "That's right, I came in as a projection. It seems you know this place very well, and you've come fully prepared."
After speaking, he glanced at the Spirit-Receiving Talisman in her hand.
Such an item was far from cheap, especially one capable of containing a spiritual body of such a high rank. It was simply beyond what a Foundation Establishment Cultivator could afford.
Nervousness appeared on the young cultivator's face. She looked at Chen Lin and said, "Senior, this fire spirit is very important to me. Could you let me have this one first? Any others we catch later will all be yours!"
Seeing Chen Lin remain noncommittal, the young cultivator grew anxious, and tears began welling in her eyes again.
She pleaded, "Senior, this fire essence really is important to me. Please let me have it. I can sign a soul pact with you and become your servant from now on. Would that be all right?"
A flicker of surprise crossed Chen Lin's eyes.
He had not expected her to go so far to cure her father, and he could not help being moved.
"All right, you can have it. There's no need for a soul pact, either. I don't need a servant."
Truthfully, he had indeed been tempted by this fire essence. If refined with high-grade fire-attribute materials, it could become a spiritual body.
Then he would have the primary material for a Shadow Puppet.
Although condensing fire essence into a spiritual body was difficult, a Shadow Puppet refined from such a body would be much better than one made from a zombie or another ghostly creature. It inherently possessed fire-attribute rule intent, giving it an exceptionally high starting point.
But the