Ancient Whirlpool Rune

Lin Yiqing closed his eyes and sensed the spiritual power within his Mud Pill Palace. He knew that such immense spiritual power must have come from his transmigration.

Still, to wield this power with complete ease, he would need to temper himself further.

As for inscribing runes or forging weapons like the high-ranking Talisman Masters in the original story, he still had a long road ahead before he could accomplish either.

"With spiritual power this powerful, I should be able to become a Talisman Master, right?"

At the thought, Lin Yiqing's heart burned with excitement. He opened his Universe Bag and took out a withered piece of ancient wood covered in moss.

"Ancient Whirlpool Rune."

As he vaguely remembered, this moss-covered piece of ancient wood would eventually end up in Lin Dong's hands. It had greatly helped Lin Dong before he obtained the Ancestral Rune, but now, by chance, Lin Yiqing had gotten to it first.

"According to the original story, some expert comprehended this from an Ancestral Rune. Perhaps I'll have a chance to compete for the Devouring Ancestral Rune."

Looking at the ancient wood, Lin Yiqing's eyes blazed with excitement. This would be one of the stepping stones on his path to becoming a Talisman Master.

Between heaven and earth, Talisman Masters condensed their Life Spirit Runes from spiritual power. There were countless kinds, each divided into different ranks.

But the most powerful were the eight Ancestral Runes condensed by the laws of heaven and earth. Each one possessed power that could reach the heavens, and their holders were the most powerful beings in the world.

The Ancient Whirlpool Rune was a Life Spirit Rune once comprehended by an expert who had studied the Devouring Ancestral Rune. It held a trace of the Ancestral Rune's devouring intent and was an exceptionally rare treasure.

After examining the indistinct runes on the ancient wood, Lin Yiqing sent a wisp of spiritual power from his Mud Pill Palace to touch it.

The moment they made contact, Lin Yiqing sensed a barrier on the wood, sealing away what lay within. But after so much time, the barrier had grown exceedingly fragile.

"Break!"

With a sharp cry, spiritual power surged from Lin Yiqing's Mud Pill Palace and slammed hard into the barrier on the ancient wood.

"Buzz."

As Lin Yiqing's spiritual power broke through, the ancient wood gave off a cracking sound.

Immediately afterward, a ray of light gathered above the wood and shot into Lin Yiqing's mind. At the same time, information surfaced in his thoughts.

"Ancient Whirlpool Rune, Seal Condensation Method."

Just a few brief words, yet they filled Lin Yiqing with excitement. Hadn't he been cultivating painstakingly for days, waiting for this very moment?

The Seal Condensation Method was the most important path to becoming a Talisman Master. Only when his spiritual power was strong enough to condense a Life Spirit Rune could he be called a Talisman Master. It was also what divided Talisman Masters into different ranks.

The initial stage ranged from One-Seal Talisman Masters to Five-Seal Talisman Masters. Beyond that came Spirit Rune Masters, Immortal Rune Masters, and others. These runes were the very mark of a Talisman Master.

Successfully condensing a Life Spirit Rune not only improved one's control over spiritual power, but also tempered it, making it denser and more solid.

However, Life Spirit Runes differed from one another. Their ranks, abilities, and other qualities varied after they were condensed. Unless they belonged to the same sect, few were willing to pass on their Seal Condensation Methods.

As Lin Yiqing carefully read the Seal Condensation Method in his mind, the complete Talisman Master inheritance proved immensely helpful. Many questions he'd had about cultivating spiritual power were answered.

After adjusting himself, Lin Yiqing shut his eyes tight. The spiritual power within his Mud Pill Palace surged in an instant.

"Splash, splash."

The roiling spiritual power seemed to carry the sound of waves crashing. This strange phenomenon alone showed just how immense his spiritual power was.

Lin Yiqing focused his mind and made the spiritual power in his Mud Pill Palace swirl and churn according to the Seal Condensation Method, speeding up and slowing down in turn. At the same time, he pictured a whirlpool in the sea and drew out a trace of its true essence.

As the tide of spiritual power swirled and rolled within his Mud Pill Palace, a strange fluctuation gradually emerged. Lin Yiqing could even sense the faint suction force within the spiritual vortex.

Silently reciting the Seal Condensation incantation, Lin Yiqing controlled the tide of spiritual power and abruptly compressed it toward the vortex.

"Condense!"

Lin Yiqing gave a sharp cry. The spiritual power in his Mud Pill Palace compressed together. When it reached its limit, the spiritual vortex suddenly shattered.

At that moment, bright threads of spiritual power extended from the scattered fragments, linking them together one by one. The spiritual power in his entire Mud Pill Palace rapidly collapsed inward, ultimately condensing into two mysterious runes, each about the size of two fingers.

Mysterious patterns covered both runes, making them look quite chaotic. But on closer inspection, the patterns seemed to form two tiny black holes, giving them an extraordinary air.

"A Two-Seal Talisman Master! That's better than I expected."

Condensing two Life Spirit Runes at once filled Lin Yiqing with delight. At last, he had at least some ability to protect himself.

"Next, it's time to settle some old scores."

At the thought, Lin Yiqing looked coldly toward Qingyang Town. The strong preyed on the weak, and power bred conflict. He hadn't forgotten how he'd spent this time evading one wave of pursuers after another.

In the end, it all came down to strength! If he were an expert at the Heaven Origin Realm, or even stronger, how would the Lin Shan brothers have dared to pressure him again and again?

And that was without even mentioning everything that had happened afterward.

The Blade God Gang's headquarters lay west of Qingyang Town. The buildings there were rather dilapidated, and most of the residents were drifters from other places. As a result, the area was extremely chaotic.

The gang's leader, He Jun, and his younger brother, He Ying, were famous experts in the area. As Earth Origin Realm experts, the two of them could practically do as they pleased, as long as they didn't cross one of the major powers.

With a Refined Iron Dagger in hand, Lin Yiqing walked down the street without the slightest attempt to hide himself. Chaos and poverty were what struck him about the place. In just a few hundred meters, he had already seen several fights break out.

The pedestrians on either side stared at him in surprise. A boy as handsome as he was truly rare.

"Child, don't go any farther. There are nothing but bad people up ahead. This is no place for a good person. Hurry and leave."

Just then, a ragged old man stopped Lin Yiqing and warned him.

This world was cruel, but there was still warmth between people.

There were good people in this world, after all. Lin Yiqing couldn't help smiling broadly.

He clasped his sword and bowed to the old man. "Thank you for your concern, Grandpa. But I came here to get rid of these pests."

With that, he walked around the old man and continued on. Along the way, several local thugs had picked a fight with him over his striking looks, but he knocked them all to the ground, leaving the onlookers in an uproar.

"Out of the way! Move!"

Suddenly, shouts and curses rang out. A group of men wielding broadswords came rushing from not far away, knocking down several pedestrians as they went. At their head was a tall, sinister-looking man—He Jun. His younger brother He Ying and a crowd of gang members followed close behind.

He Jun had been sending men to search for Lin Yiqing. As soon as he learned that Lin Yiqing had appeared in Qingyang Town, he hurried over.

He Jun's sinister face flushed with excitement. He had never imagined Lin Yiqing would come straight to him.

When He Jun got a good look at the boy before him, he couldn't help but freeze. The boy was simply too extraordinary.

Though young, his striking looks and imposing bearing stood out like a lamp in the darkness.

Meanwhile, at the Lin Family

"Third-rate cultivation method?!"

A voice brimming with excitement rang out from the Lin Family's inner hall. A lean, middle-aged man suddenly rushed forward and gripped Lin Yun by the shoulders. His face lit up as he stared at Lin Yun and asked loudly.

"Yes, Second Master. Besides the third-rate cultivation method, we also obtained several hundred Yang Origin Pills and a third-grade martial art."

The lean middle-aged man gripping Lin Yun's shoulders was Lin Zhentian's second son and Lin Shan's father, Lin Mang.

He was one of the Lin Family's three Heaven Origin Realm experts and held real power in the clan, overseeing many of its businesses. Aside from Lin Zhentian's direct descendants, everyone else had to address him respectfully as "Second Master."

Lin Yun's shoulders hurt where he was being gripped, but he didn't dare pull away or cry out. He could only hurry to answer.

"Good! Good! Good! Quickly hand over everything you gained. You'll be rewarded handsomely for this!"

Hearing Lin Yun's report, Lin Mang could barely contain his excitement. The entire Lin Family had only one third-rate cultivation method, and the Yang Origin Pills would certainly never reach his hands.

"No wonder, no wonder that boy cultivated so quickly! He must have been relying on the rare treasures in that cave!"

At the thought, Lin Mang's usually gloomy face lit up with excitement. As soon as he captured the boy, he would get an even better cultivation method, along with several hundred Yang Origin Pills.

"Second Master, all of these things are currently with my cousin Lin Yiqing. Have you received any news about him?" Lin Yun asked respectfully after a moment's thought.

"Father, He Jun of the Blade God Gang sent word. That brat Lin Yiqing has appeared in Qingyang Town!"

Just then, an excited voice carried in from outside the hall. As the speaker approached, it became clear that it was Lin Hong.

"Good! Heaven truly favors me! Take me there at once!"

At Lin Hong's words, Lin Mang's face broke into unrestrained delight. He strode out with Lin Hong, while Lin Yun's expression shifted. Then he hurried after them.