Three days passed in a blink of an eye.
When the morning light first appeared, Lin Qin had packed up. He carried Black Jade Heavy Blade behind his back, and hung the newly obtained Elder Token around his waist. The token was made of sapphire., the word "Elder" on the front shimmers in the morning light, and on the back is engraved his name "Lin Qin·Baruch" and the Azure Dragon clan emblem.
Baruch was waiting outside the cave early in the morning. When he saw him coming out, he looked him up and down and grinned, "He's all dressed up, like that."
Hogson also came and said solemnly, "Today's Council of Elders meeting, all the elders in the clan will be present. As a newly promoted elder, please read more and speak less, and remember your identity."
"Understood." Lin Qin nodded.
Lei Luo came to greet him in person. He wore a formal blue elder's robe today, with a sword on his waist, and his aura was more calm than usual.
"Let's go, the patriarch is waiting at the Azure Dragon Hall."
The three of them left Azure Rock Valley and walked along Dragon Path toward the highest point of the mountain range. Dragon Path is wide and can accommodate ten riders riding side by side. The road is paved with a whole piece of green steel rock, and there are Dragon-Patterned Stone pillars every ten steps on both sides. The higher you go, the higher it goes., the guards became more and more strict. Every ten miles there was a group of Highgod guards, all wearing Qing Jia and holding long halberds. They only respectfully let them go when they saw Elder Token. Their eyes stayed on Lin Qin for a moment, and then they bowed their heads and backed away.
Half an hour later, the clouds in front suddenly opened, and a majestic palace appeared in front of us.
The entire palace is made of cyan Divine Crystal and is hundreds of feet high. There is a huge Azure Dragon sculpture on the top of the palace, with the dragon's head looking up to the sky and four stars under its claws. The gate of the palace is ten feet high. The door is embossed with the pattern of Azure Dragon coiled columns, and nine guards with deep auras standing on each side are all Highgod. They all combine at least two kinds of mysteries, with electric eyes and stern demeanor.
"Azure Dragon Hall." Lei Luo introduced in a low voice, "Only elders and above can enter the core place of the family. If not summoned on weekdays, even we are not allowed to enter without permission.
The palace door opened slowly and silently.
An ancient and majestic atmosphere came to the face. The light in the hall was soft, and thirty-six huge cyan pillars supported the dome. Each pillar was carved with reliefs of the Azure Dragon Clan strong men from all ages. Some stood with swords, some rode dragons and soared into the sky, with all their expressions. It is majestic. At the end of the hall is a three-step high platform, with a large Azure Dragon throne placed at the top. There are thirty-six smaller stone chairs on the left and right below, arranged in a fan shape. The armrests of each stone chair are carved with different dragon-shaped patterns.
At this moment, most of the people in the hall were already seated.
Lin Qin glanced over. Sitting on the left was a white-haired old man with a thin face and his eyes closed. He was the red-faced elder he had seen in Dragon Transformation Pool, named "Vladimir", who was in charge of family discipline. The first on the right was the black-robed elder "Morris" with a cold breath, who was in charge of intelligence. He tapped his fingertips on the armrest, as if he was thinking about something.
Further down, he saw several familiar faces - an elder Garvey was sitting in the fifth place on the left. Seeing him come in, he nodded slightly. Reynalds Branch's patriarch "Reynalds" was sitting in the third place on the right. He was a middle-aged blond man with an aura like an abyss and an ocean, and his eyes were slightly closed, as if he was integrated with the surrounding space.
There are also several elders with powerful but unfamiliar auras. Some have eyes as sharp as swords, and some have auras as thick as mountains. They are all extraordinary. Lin Qin can feel that the strength of each of the more than thirty people in the hall is unfathomable.
"Sit next to me first." Lei Luo guided Lin Qin to an empty chair at the end on the left.
As soon as I sat down, the sound of neat footsteps came from outside the hall.
Nine members of the guard wearing cyan heavy armor and carrying long knives at their waists filed in and stood on both sides of the hall. They moved in unison and landed silently. They were obviously all elites from hundreds of battles. Immediately afterwards, three figures walked in slowly.
The leader was more than two meters tall, with a majestic face, black hair shawl, and eyes like lightning. He was not wearing a robe, only a simple blue outfit, but the pressure emanating from his body made the air in the entire hall freeze for a while. The most eye-catching thing was the ancient long sword at his waist with a scabbard that was completely blue, with dragon patterns flowing on the surface, vaguely emitting heart-stopping fluctuations.
"Clan leader, Gaiseresen." Lei Luo whispered in Lin Qin's ear.
Lin Qin pupils shrink.
The son of Chief Sovereign, the leader of the Azure Dragon Clan, holds the Gaiseresen, the family's only offensive Sovereign Artifact "Wrath of the Azure Dragon". This legendary figure is standing in front of you at this moment.
Gaiseresen was followed by two people.
On the left is a woman, who looks about thirty years old. Her appearance is similar to Gaiseresen, but her temperament is calmer. She wears a long cyan dress, her long hair is pulled up, and her eyes are as deep as the sea. Although her aura is restrained, Lin Qin can feel the terrifying defensive power contained in that body, as if it is not flesh and blood, but an ancient sacred mountain.
"Great Elder, Gaia." Lei Luo continued to introduce, "The patriarch's sister, the physical strength of the family is second only to the patriarch. She rarely shows up, but her presence today shows that she attaches great importance to this meeting."
On the right is a young man, about 20 years old, with black hair and blue eyes, a handsome face, and a bit of arrogance in his eyes. His aura has also reached the Seven-Star Fiend level, and he walks with the dignity of a dragon and a tiger.
"Fulhan, the son of the patriarch and one of the elders. He is extremely talented, but his temperament is a bit arrogant. Please pay more attention when you come into contact with him in the future."
The three people walked up to the high platform. Gaiseresen sat on the throne of Azure Dragon, and Gaia sat on the vacant stone chair on the left side. The seat originally belonged to Vladimir, but Vladimir had taken the initiative to give up his seat. Fulhan sat on the fourth seat on the right, below Reynalds.
You can hear a needle drop in the hall.
Gaiseresen's eyes swept across the audience, paused briefly on Lin Qin, and then spoke in a steady and powerful voice, "I'm calling you all together today for three things."
"First, celebrate the new elder." He looked at Lin Qin, "Lin Qin, come forward."
Lin Qin stood up, walked to the center of the hall, bowed and saluted. "Lin Qin has met the patriarch and all the elders."
The sound echoed in the empty hall and was clearly audible.
"No gift." Gaiseresen raised his hand, "The strength you showed on Dragon-Patterned Battle Platform has been reported in detail by elder Garvey. The middle god realm, a perfect fusion of the four Xuan Ao, combined with the Dragonblood Warrior bloodline, has a combat power of Seven-Star Fiend level - since the founding of the Azure Dragon Clan clan, you are the seventh person to achieve this feat while still in the middle position."
Low exclamations sounded in the hall. Several elders who had closed their eyes to meditate also opened their eyes, and their eyes fell on Lin Qin, with scrutiny and curiosity.
"According to family rules, those with strength reaching Seven-Star Fiend can be promoted to elders." Gaiseresen took out a blue crystal stone from his arms and threw it in the air. The crystal slowly flew towards Lin Qin," This is Elder Seal", refined with essence and blood, and can resonate with you Identity Token. From now on, you are the seventy-third elder of the Azure Dragon Clan, enjoying the authority of the elder and assuming the responsibilities of the elder."
Lin Qin caught the spar. The spar was warm and moist, and there seemed to be a flow of cyan light swirling inside. He forced out a drop of blood essence and dripped it on the surface of the spar. The blood essence seeped into it instantly, and the spar shined brightly, then turned into a stream of light and disappeared into his palm. The token around his waist shimmered at the same time, and there was a fine dragon-shaped mark on the back.
"Xie Patriarch."
Gaiseresen nodded and continued, "The second thing is the current situation of the family."
His expression turned serious. "The Eight Great Clans siege has lasted for thirty-six thousand years, and the offensive has become more intense in the past century. Blood War Valley killed 372 people last month, including two Seven-Star Fiend and nearly a hundred Six-Star Fiend."
The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became depressing. Several elders' expressions darkened, and some people tightened their grip on the handrails.
"According to information, Eight Great Clans has ten new elders." Gaia took over, his voice as cold as ice, "Barbary Clan has added three new Seven-Star Fiend combat powers, Two from the Edric Clan and one from the Deen Clan - in total, Eight Great Clans will send at least ten more Seven-Star Fiend level experts to station in Azure Prefecture in the next hundred years."
Ten Seven-Star Fiend!
Lin Qin's heart was slightly shaken. Seven-Star Fiend is already Hell's top combat power, and Azure Dragon Clan's existing elders are only thirty-six. The ten newly added Seven-Star Fiend are enough to change the balance of the local battlefield.
"More importantly," Gaiseresen said solemnly, "They have increased their efforts to hunt potential members of our clan."
He raised his hand and waved, and a curtain of light unfolded in the center of the hall.
On the light screen was the copy of <Four Divine Beasts Clan potential member Hunting List>, Azure Dragon Clan volume. Lin Qin saw that his name was still at the 47th place, but There is an additional line of blood-red markings at the back. "Latest information: Lin Qin·Baruch has passed the elder assessment and been promoted to family elder. The threat level has been upgraded from "B" to "B". Recommendation: Prioritize elimination."
There was an uproar in the hall.
"Under A!" A red-haired elder on the right couldn't help but shout, "It's only been a few days, and you jumped from A to A? Eight Great Clans's intelligence network is too fast!"
"They have been watching." Elder Morris said coldly, "There are at least thirty secret sentinels of theirs around the Heaven Sacrifice Mountain Range. Every large-scale movement we make cannot escape their eyes."
Gaiseresen raised his hand to suppress the discussion, and his eyes fell on Lin Qin: "Lin Qin, do you know what this means?"
"I know." Lin Qin said calmly, "Eight Great Clans will kill me at all costs."
"That's right." Gaiseresen said slowly, "If you are just a mid-level god, they will definitely send many experts, and even the patriarch of Eight Great Clans may take action himself."
He paused and his voice became deeper. "So, the family will not let you go to Blood War Valley now."
Lin Qin raised his eyes.
"It's not that I don't trust your strength." Gaia explained with a softer tone, "It's that your realm is too special. The middle god has Seven-Star Fiend combat power, which is extremely rare in all major planes. Once his true realm is revealed on the battlefield, Eight Great Clans will go crazy, and may even send out several Seven-Star Fiend to besiege him. The family cannot afford that risk."
"Then what should I do?" Lin Qin asked.
"Continue to practice." Gaiseresen said, "Although you have integrated the four mysteries, you are only a mid-level god after all. There is still huge room for improvement in the quality of your divine power, soul strength, and physical body potential. If you can break through Highgod, even if you only integrate the four mysteries, your strength will be at least ten times higher, reaching the Seven-Star Fiend peak."
He looked at Gaia.
Gaia took out an object from Space Ring.
It was a cyan jade pendant, the size of a palm, moist throughout, with a lifelike Coiling Dragon carved on the surface. There was a dense airflow flowing inside the jade pendant, vaguely emitting the unique regular fluctuations of Highgod. If you look closely, you can see that the airflow is slowly condensing into a dragon shape, repeating the cycle.
"The name of this object is Hidden Dragon Pendant." Gaia sent the jade pendant to Lin Qin in the air. "It is a special artifact refined by the first generation ancestor Reding. The wearer can disguise his own aura as Highgod. Unless the soul attainment reaches the Paragon level, it will be difficult to see through it."
Lin Qin took the jade pendant. The jade pendant was warm and cool in its tentacles, and the air flow inside slowly circulated, faintly resonating with his Dragonblood Warrior bloodline, as if it was alive.
"With it, when you walk outside in the future, as long as you don't use your full strength, no one will be able to see through the nature of your middle god." Gaia continued, "But remember, this is just a disguise. Your true realm remains unchanged, and your divine power and soul are still at the level of a middle god. So, don't be careless."
"I understand." Lin Qin tied the jade pendant around his waist.
The brilliance of the jade pendant flashed and then disappeared under his robe. The next moment, the aura around him began to change. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, anyone would have thought that he was a Highgod strong man who had been practicing for many years.
The elders in the hall nodded secretly. This disguise is indeed flawless.
"Xie Patriarch." Lin Qin bowed.
"You're welcome." Gaiseresen waved, "This is the family's investment in you. The stronger you are, the more promising the family will be in the future."
"Lin Qin understands."
"Okay." Gaiseresen stood up, "This is the meeting. Lin Qin will stay, and the other elders should disperse."
The elders stood up and left one after another. When Lei Luo passed by Lin Qin, he whispered, "Take good care of it." Elder Garvey also cast an encouraging look.
When Fulhan passed by, he paused and glanced at Lin Qin. His eyes were mixed with envy, jealousy, and a hint of dissatisfaction, but in the end they turned calm and turned around to leave.
Soon, there were only four core elders Gaiseresen, Gaia, Vladimir, Morris, and Lin Qin left in the hall.
"Sit." Gaiseresen motioned Lin Qin to sit down on the stone chair below.
After Lin Qin sat down, Gaia said, "Lin Qin, do you know why the family values you so much?"
"Because of my potential." Lin Qin replied.
"More than that." Gaiseresen shook his head slowly, looking at the Azure Dragon sculpture on the top of the hall, "Moreover, because the family is at a critical stage of survival."
He stood up, walked off the high platform, and came to the huge map of the Heaven Sacrifice Mountain Range in the center of the hall. The map was outlined with divine power, and the mountains and rivers were lifelike. Eight of them were marked with light spots of different colors, which was where Eight Great Clans was stationed.
"Eight Great Clans has besieged for thirty-six thousand years, and nearly half of the family's heritage has been consumed." Gaiseresen said in a low voice, "There are thirty-six elders, half of whom were newly promoted in the past ten thousand years. And Eight Great Clans, the total number of Seven-Star Fiend level experts far exceeds ours."
He pointed at the eight-color mark on the map and placed his finger heavily on the golden dot representing Polin Clan: "And after our four ancestors died, we no longer have Chief Sovereign to protect us. What we can survive today is the heritage left by our ancestors and the line of defense that countless people have filled in with their lives."
There was silence in the hall. Vladimir closed his eyes and his skinny fingers trembled slightly. Morris's face became even colder.
"So, the family needs a miracle." Gaiseresen turned around and looked at Lin Qin with burning eyes, "We need a genius who can break the rules. We need a strong man who can fight his way out of desperate situations."
He walked back to the throne and sat down slowly. "You have integrated four kinds of mysteries. You have achieved this when you were a middle god, which proves that your understanding and perseverance are top-notch. If you can integrate five kinds of things - in the future, you may be able to touch the Paragon "threshold."
Paragon!
Lin Qin was shocked in his heart. That was an existence that surpassed Seven-Star Fiend. There were countless Hell planes, and there were only a handful of Paragon level experts. Each one of them was a legend, enough for Chief Sovereign to treat him equally.
"Of course, that's something for later." Gaiseresen waved his hand, "What you have to do now is to break through Highgod as soon as possible. The family will provide you with all the resources you need - secret cultivation rooms, detailed explanations of the rules, and practical training. If you need it, you can directly ask the elder Gaia."
Gaia nodded slightly. "I will arrange it."
"Yes." Lin Qin responded solemnly.
"One last thing to remind you." Vladimir, who had been silent all this time, suddenly opened his eyes, a sharp light flashed in his old yellow eyes, "Eight Great Clans's hunting will not stop just because you are in the Heaven Sacrifice Mountain Range. You must be careful when practicing and walking in the future."
"I remember."
"Go." Gaiseresen waved his hand, "Practice hard. The future of the family needs young people like you."
Lin Qin stood up, bowed to the four elders one by one, then turned around and walked out of the hall.
Outside the hall, the sun is just right.
He stood on the square in front of the Azure Dragon Hall, looking back at the majestic palace. The Azure Dragon sculpture on the top of the palace shone brightly in the sunlight, and his eyes seemed to be staring at the ancient mountains and this precarious family.