Lin Qin On the third day after the retreat, the order came.
A young man wearing a blue Elder Hall standard robe stood at the entrance of Azure Rock Valley, holding a jade talisman engraved with Azure Dragon patterns. His voice clearly spread throughout the valley. "Master Lin Qin, Elder Garvey invites you."
The valley suddenly became quiet.
All the tribesmen who were practicing and talking stopped and looked in the direction of Lin Qin's cave. The elder summoned him, and it was White-Browed Elder Garvey who summoned him personally. This was a rare thing in Baruch Branch. Elder Garvey was in charge of the family's precepts and was selfless. It was difficult for ordinary tribesmen to meet him, let alone take the initiative to summon him.
Hogson walked out of his stone house quickly, frowning slightly. He first glanced at the young man who had sent the message, and his eyes stayed on the Azure Dragon jade talisman for a moment, confirming the authenticity of the lines and energy fluctuations. Then, he turned to the closed stone cave of Lin Qin and shouted in a deep voice, "Lin Qin!"
There was a hint of solemnity in his voice that was barely noticeable.
The stone cave door opened.
Lin Qin came out, still carrying the heavy Black Jade Heavy Blade. He had been in seclusion for many days, but his breath became more and more calm and restrained. He glanced at the messenger standing solemnly under the steps, nodded slightly to Hogson, and then said to the young man, "Lead the way."
The young man didn't say much, and turned around to lead the way. Lin Qin followed up, one after the other, walking along the Dragon Path winding upward toward the core area of the mountain range, the highest point shrouded in mist.
Behind him, Azure Rock Valley's brief silence was suddenly broken, and heated discussions broke out.
"Elder Garvey! That is one of the most serious and powerful elders in the family!"
"Brother Lin Qin was summoned just after he came out of seclusion. It must be the news about Thunder Cliff. I heard that even Master Lei Luo was alarmed."
"Will it be a reward? Brother Lin Qin has earned a lot of face for us Baruch Branch!"
"It's hard to say----maybe it caused some trouble? The summons of the Elder Hall is a blessing and a disaster----"
Hogson stood at the entrance of the valley, looking at the shrinking backs of the two people. He had lived in the family for a long time and was well aware of the subtleties of high-level movements. At this juncture, it was not easy to summon a middle-level god who showed amazing potential so urgently. He had a vague premonition in his heart, which may mean that the family's expectations for the younger generation will officially fall on Lin Qin's shoulders.
Elder Hall is located on the top of Lone Peak, the highest point of the Heaven Sacrifice Mountain Range. The entire mountain seems to have been flattened by a huge force, exposing the texture of blue rocks, a towering blue The palace stands majestically above it, overlooking the four directions. In front of the palace, ninety-nine wide steps extend straight, each step is polished to a discernible light, and dragon patterns of different shapes are deeply engraved on it. Walking on it, you can feel a vast and heavy historical atmosphere.
Lin Qin followed the young man who gave the order and climbed the steps step by step.
Wherever the footsteps fall, there is no echo, only a solid touch. The further up you go, the more active the surrounding heaven and earth elements become, and the fluctuations of the laws become clearer and more perceptible. This is the heritage accumulated by the family for countless years, and it is also an excellent environment for cultivation.
The palace door is five feet high and is carved from a single piece of jade with Azure Light. It is open at the moment, but the light inside is not dim. The top of the palace is inlaid with countless strange crystal stones that transmit light. The soft and bright light falls like a waterfall, illuminating the spacious and majestic hall. The ground is paved with huge blue stone tiles, as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the dim light from the top of the palace.
At the end of the main hall, there are three stone chairs that are extremely tall and simple in shape. At this moment, there is only one person sitting on the stone chair in the middle.
His white eyebrows are as white as snow, hanging down to his shoulders; he is dressed in a green robe, spotless; his face is solemn, not angry and majestic. It is White-Browed Elder Garvey. He just sits there quietly, as if he is the center of the entire hall, and an invisible majesty permeates the air.
The young man leading the way stopped at the entrance of the tall hall, bowed deeply, and said in a respectful voice, "Elder, Lin Qin, bring it here."
"Back off." Garvey's voice was not loud, but it echoed clearly in the hall.
The young man bowed again and quietly retreated, leaving Lin Qin standing alone inside the palace gate.
Lin Qin stepped into the main hall, stopped about ten feet away from the stone chair, and bowed politely. "Lin Qin has met Elder Garvey."
Garvey raised his eyes and cast his gaze.
At that moment, Lin Qin felt an overwhelming coercion covering his whole body, reaching into the depths of his soul. The surrounding light seemed to solidify, and the air became thicker.
Lin Qin's expression remained unchanged, and he faintly exuded a strong and calm mood, protecting himself. He just stood firmly and endured this scrutiny.
For a moment, the suffocating pressure receded like a tide.
"Not bad." Garvey said, not much emotion could be heard in the deep voice, "The foundation is solid, the will is condensed, and the edge is inherent. It is two points better than what is written in the report."
Lin Qin straightened up and did not reveal anything in response to the compliment. He just waited quietly for the next step.
"Sit." Garvey pointed to a stone bench not far below the side of the stone chair.
Lin Qin walked over and sat down as instructed, his back still straight, his posture relaxed but naturally alert.
"I know you." Garvey's eyes fell on him and he said slowly, "From the Yulan Continent that Material Plane, Azure Dragon Bloodline Awakening, the baptism lasted for seven days, triggering the manifestation of Azure Dragon Shadow, condensing Water Divine Clone. Entering Thunder Cliff for three months, defeating the mid-position god Yan Shan, who is known for his defense, head-on. was evaluated by Lei Luo as "excellent in actual combat and with great potential". In this retreat, in terms of Laws of the Earth, Vitality, strength, Earth Pulsation,
Earth Element The four mysteries have begun to be integrated as a whole - am I right?"
Every time he said something, Lin Qin's eyes became calmer.
"The elder has seen clearly and there are no mistakes or omissions." Lin Qin admitted.
"It's amazing." Garvey nodded slightly, with a deep gaze under his white eyebrows, "There are twenty-seven branches of the family, and there are tens of thousands of registered gods. It is rare to achieve such an achievement at your age. Even if I compare it in my long history, Four Divine Beasts Clan, you are enough to be among the best."
The compliment was heavy, but there was no joy on Lin Qin's face. He knew that this was just the opening remarks.
Sure enough, Garvey changed the topic and his tone became serious.
"But I didn't call you here today to praise you."
He stood up, his tall figure elongated under the light of the crystal. He walked slowly towards the side of the hall, where hung a huge map that almost occupied the entire wall - a detailed map of the Heaven Sacrifice Mountain Range and the surrounding million-mile area. The cyan area representing Four Divine Beasts Clan was tightly surrounded by eight completely different and aggressive color markers.
Cutting and penetrating, like eight ferocious pythons, tightly entwining the green mountains in the center.
"Lin Qin, do you know the current situation of the family?" Garvey turned his back to him, and his voice came through the empty hall.
Lin Qin was silent for two seconds and said, "Besieged by Eight Great Clans and defending Heaven Sacrifice Mountain Range, the situation is difficult."
"Difficult?" Garvey chuckled, with undisguised bitterness and heaviness in his laughter, "That's too easy to describe. It's a desperate situation, kid."
He raised his hand and pointed at the eight dazzling colors on the map.
"Eight Great Clans, from different Higher Plane, god planes, has besieged us for tens of thousands of years. Barbary Clan, Edric Clan come Since Earth Divine Plane, the tribesmen are physically strong and powerful, and are good at frontal attack and defense. Deen Clan and Venner Clan are derived from Netherworld, his methods are treacherous, and his soul attacks are hard to guard against. Saint-Nair Clan comes from the Life Divine Realm, he is very difficult to deal with. Polin Clan comes from the Celestial Realm, Manru Clan are rooted in the Bifu Continent, and Ashcroft Clan is the local local snake of Hell, and their influence is intertwined."
His fingers traced the junction of those colors, marked with countless small skull symbols, representing the battlefields where fierce battles broke out.
"Why do they want to besiege us at all costs?" Lin Qin asked the question that has been lingering in his heart for a long timeO
"Because of the blood feud and the grudges in the past." Garvey turned around, his eyes like lightning, "Four Divine Beasts Clan was once extremely glorious, and the four Chief Sovereign elders The ancestors are in charge, and they are powerful in all major planes, and their scenery is unparalleled. But because of this, it is inevitable to act a little too openly, and forged countless hatreds. When the ancestors were alive, no one dared to challenge them. But now, the ancestors have fallen."
He walked back to the stone chair and sat down, his voice getting deeper and deeper, carrying a heavy sense of history.
"Without their greatest support, the former enemies have turned into evil ghosts seeking their lives. These eight families are the most powerful and have the deepest hatred among them. In the past hundred years, their siege has intensified."
Garvey looked at Lin Qin with sharp eyes. "Blood War Valley, you know, right? That is the front line of our battle with Eight Great Clans, and it is also a meat grinding ground. There are several or even dozens of bloody fights every month, and the death rate of family soldiers has exceeded 30%. The younger generation, with good talents, often cannot wait. When they grow up, they have to go into the battlefield and then fall. The strong men of the older generation are also passing away in the continuous consumption. If this continues, even with the order of Lord Beirut, Eight Great Clans dare not really attack Heaven Sacrifice Mountain Range, and I, Four Divine Beasts Clan, will sooner or later be trapped and die in this ancestral land!"
There was silence in the hall, only Garvey's heavy words echoed.
Lin Qin can feel the mountain-like pressure, which is the sadness and urgency of the decline of a glorious familyO
"So," Garvey's eyes were firmly fixed on Lin Qin, and he said word by word, "Now, more than ever, the family needs the rise of a new generation of strong men! Especially someone like you, who has outstanding talent, perseverance, is willing to work hard, and has already begun to show outstanding practical ability. We need you, and your generation, to grow up at the fastest speed and grow up to be able to stand alone!"
"I understand." Lin Qin met his gaze with a steady and firm voice, "I will try my best."
"I know you will." Garvey nodded, his tone softening slightly, "But Lin Qin, just practicing hard behind closed doors is not enough.
The understanding of the law needs to be tempered on the edge of life and death; the control of power needs to be tempered in actual combat. You need real, bloody, life-threatening battles to hone all of this, catalyze your fusion, and stimulate your potential."
He paused and gave a clear limit.
"But, Blood War Valley, you can't go yet."
"Because you are too important and too conspicuous." Garvey said it bluntly without any euphemism, "Blood War Valley is the meat grinder of the gods. It is common for Seven-Star Fiend and Highgod to fall. Although you are a genius, you are only in the middle after all. God, although the four mysteries have begun to merge, they are far from perfect. With your current strength, the probability of death is much greater than survival. Eight Great Clans's intelligence system is not a decoration. Once they find a seedling like you appearing on the front line, they will definitely kill you at any cost. The family cannot afford to lose a future like yours."
"Then how do I get the actual combat I need?" Lin Qin asked.
"There are other ways." Garvey said, taking out a token from Space Ring. The token was dark green, neither gold nor jade, with cold tentacles, and the two sharp words "Dragon Tooth" were engraved on the front in ancient dragon language. The large characters on the back are extremely complex and precise magic lines, with a faint flow of energy. "This is the access token of Dragon Tooth Trial". Dragon Tooth Valley is located deep in the family hinterland, and is a trial place dedicated to cultivating core members."
He handed the token to Lin Qin.
"In the valley, there are various combat puppets that have been collected and refined by the strong men of the family for generations, ranging from the most basic Lowgod level to powerful existences comparable to Seven-Star Fiend. You can enter with a token and engage in unlimited life-and-death fights with these puppet phantoms. They will It simulates various Laws of Profound Mysteries applications, different fighting styles, and even some common Eight Great Clans tricks. The most important thing is that when fighting there, you will not really die. At most, you will be judged to be out and suffer some soul shock. It is an excellent place to accumulate combat experience and verify your insights.
Lin Qin took the token and carefully felt the ancient atmosphere and space fluctuations contained in it.
"Dragon Tooth Valley is open once a month and lasts for ten days each time." Garvey explained in detail, "You can enter with this token. Combat Phantom in the valley will automatically match your opponents according to the strength you show, from weak to strong, progressively. It is said that if you can defeat all the phantoms at the current level, you can go deeper and challenge stronger opponents. And if someone can miraculously defeat the final guardian phantom at the bottom of the valley----"
Garvey's gaze became a little distant. "There is a reward hidden at the bottom of the valley, which is a drop of Azure Dragon Essence Blood left by our ancestor Reding."
Lin Qin's eyes suddenly condensed!
Azure Dragon Essence Blood! And it is one of the ancestors of Four Divine Beasts, the essence and blood of Azure Dragon himself! If this essence and blood fusion can be obtained, the benefits for the descendants of Azure Dragon Bloodline are simply incomparable It is estimated that it can not only greatly strengthen the physical body, improve strength, defense and recovery, but also potentially further purify the bloodline, and even have unimaginable help in the power and understanding of innate magical powers. This has a fatal attraction for any Four Divine Beasts Clan member.
"This token is extremely precious." Garvey's voice brought him back to reality, "Every year, there are only three places for the entire family. I give you one because I am optimistic about your potential and believe that your future is worthy of this investment. Lin Qin, don't let the family down, and don't let me down."
"You will live up to your trust." Lin Qin solemnly put away the token.
"And this." Garvey took out another palm-sized jade box and opened the lid. Inside, there were neatly arranged crystal clear crystal bottles with stems and branches. The bottles were filled with dark yellow liquid that was rich and viscous and emitted strong earth waves. "High Purity Earth Vein Essence, the concentration and purity are far from comparable to what Lei Luo can give you. Using one bottle every month, combined with the extreme trial of Dragon Tooth Valley, should allow you to make significant progress in law fusion and body strengthening. The family hopes that you can truly grow up as soon as possible."
Lin Qin looked at the jade box. The high-purity Earth Vein Essence is priceless. This box of ten bottles, converted into family contribution points, is probably tens of thousands. For a budding mid-level god like him, this is undoubtedly an unimaginable huge resource.
"Why----give me so much?" Lin Qin asked directly. Such a generous gift will never be without reason.
"Investment." Garvey's answer was equally direct, even a little cold, "The family must invest in the future now. Allocate limited top resources to the seedlings that are most promising to become the pillars of the future. And you, Lin Qin, after evaluation, is worthy of this investment. But you must remember that when you take the family's resources, you must bear the corresponding responsibilities. Today's gift is so that when the family needs you to step forward in the future, you will have enough strength and never look back."
"I understand." Lin Qin took the jade box and received it from Space Ring. This gift was heavy, but he could accept it and was willing to bear the weight that came with it.
"Go." Garvey waved his hand, "Dragon Tooth Valley will be opened on the first day of next month. You can go there on time. During this period, you can take on more peripheral patrols, reconnaissance or clearing sporadic enemy missions issued by the family, become familiar with Eight Great Clans's miscellaneous fighting methods and habits, and accumulate some experience in fighting real people. But remember, stay away from the main battlefields on the front line, and don't die foolishly."
"Yes." Lin Qin stood up, bowed again, then turned around and walked out of the hall.
Sunlight poured in from outside the tall palace door, casting a long shadow behind him.
Just when he was about to step out of the palace door, Garvey's voice came from behind again, with a hint of indescribable meaning than before. "By the way, Lei Luo, that kid, specifically asked me to tell you something."
Lin Qin stopped in his tracks and did not look back.
"He said," there seemed to be a faint smile in Garvey's voice, "The record he set in Dragon Tooth Valley is that he has defeated a total of 730 Combat Phantoms of the same level or higher. The deepest he reached was the preliminary level of Seven-Star Fiend, but failed. He asked you to - work hard and see if you can break his record."
The hall was quiet for a moment.
Lin Qin turned his back to Garvey, and the hand holding the token tightened slightly. Lei Luo, the Gatekeeper, Seven-Star Fiend level strongman who made him suffer a lot in Thunder Cliff and benefited a lot, his record----
"I will."
Three simple words, calm but firm. After saying that, Lin Qin stopped staying and strode out Elder Hall.
Outside the hall, the sun was a little dazzling. The young man leading the way was still standing at the foot of the steps with his hands down, waiting respectfully. When he saw Lin Qin coming out, he immediately stepped forward. "Master Lin Qin, I will take you back."
"No need." Lin Qin refused.
When we returned to Azure Rock Valley, the sun had already turned to the west. The valley had returned to its usual scene, with some people sparring and others meditating, but many eyes were always glancing at the mouth of the valley intentionally or unintentionally. When Lin Qin's figure appeared, these eyes gathered instantly, with curiosity, exploration and faint expectation.
Hogson was standing in front of his stone house, as if he had been waiting.
"How's it going?" Hogson stepped forward and scanned Lin Qin's body, as if he wanted to see some clues.
Lin Qin took out the Dragon Tooth token and the jade box containing Earth Vein Essence from Space Ring, gestured, then took it back, concisely saying, "The elder gave the token and resources. On the first day of the next month, I will go to Dragon Tooth Valley for a trial."
"Dragon Tooth Valley?!" Hogson's eyes suddenly lit up, and his voice rose a little higher. Then he realized that he had lost his composure and lowered his voice, unable to hide his excitement, "Okay! Great! That is a trial place that only the real core disciples are qualified to contact! It seems that Council of Elders, no, at least elder Garvey, has treated you as a key seed to train!"
He patted Lin Qin on the shoulder with great force, and said with relief and encouragement, "Seize this opportunity well! Baruch Branch has been silent for too long, maybe----the hope of the future can really be seen in you."
Lin Qin did not answer this heavy topic and just nodded.
Not far away, on Cultivation Ground, Kano had just finished swinging a set of axe, and was sweating profusely. He saw Lin Qin coming back, and saw Hogson's expression. He hesitated, wiped his sweat, and walked over with the ax in hand.
"Hey, Lin Qin." Kano shouted, his tone a little awkward.
Lin Qin looked at him.
"Um----I heard that you are going to Dragon Tooth Valley?" Kano scratched his messy hair, his eyes wandered for a moment, and finally landed on Lin Qin's face, with a bit of embarrassment and a sincere reminder, "That place----tsk, It's really not a place to be treated. Three years ago, I was lucky enough to get a chance to go in. The Combat Phantom inside were more ruthless than the last, just like real life-and-death enemies, and their fighting methods were all kinds of weird. I tried my best, but only lasted three days before I was beaten out by a phantom that was good at soul attacks. I had a headache for half a month.
You----although you are more powerful than me, please be careful and don't show off your strength."
The stumbling words he spoke were obviously not his way of expressing concern, but the reminder was real.
Lin Qin looked at him for two seconds and nodded. "I understand, thank you."
Kano didn't seem to expect to receive such a "polite" response. He was stunned for a moment, then opened his mouth and showed a somewhat naive smile. The awkwardness disappeared. "Hey, why are you so polite! We are all from the same lineage as Baruch. If you are strong, I am strong! When you come out of Dragon Tooth Valley, you will become more powerful. When you go out to do tasks in the future, remember to protect me, brother! Haha!"
Lin Qin The corner of his mouth seemed to move slightly, but without saying anything, he turned around and walked towards his simple stone cave.