"How is it irrelevant?" The thing stared at him. "You carry that scent. It's exactly the same as his."
"Who?"
"The one who set the seal all those years ago." The thing narrowed its eyes. "Are you his successor?"
Lin Chen neither nodded nor shook his head.
The thing suddenly burst into wild laughter. "Good! Good! Good! Heaven has opened its eyes and sent you right to my door! If I eat you, I can break this seal!"
The iron chains rattled violently, and cracks began to spread across the stone pillars.
System: "Host, immediate retreat is recommended. This creature's combat power is assessed to be ten times beyond your current level."
Lin Chen did not retreat.
Instead, he took another step forward.
The thing froze. "You're not afraid of dying?"
Lin Chen said, "You've been chained up for eight hundred years. How much strength do you have left?"
The thing's expression changed.
Lin Chen continued, "You struggled a few times just now, but the chains didn't break and the pillars didn't shatter. Who are you trying to bluff?"
The thing fell silent for several seconds, then bared its teeth in a grin again. "Kid, you've got sharp eyes. How about the two of us make a deal?"
"Let's hear it."
"Help me find something, and I'll tell you the ** method for the second stage of the seal."
Lin Chen stared at it for a long while.
System: "A contract mark has been detected within the target's body. A binding transaction can be made."
Lin Chen said, "Be clear. What am I looking for?"
The thing's eyes glinted in the darkness. "My heart."
"Your heart?"
"Eight hundred years ago, that ** dug out my heart and hid it somewhere. Bring it back to me, and