"Golden core..."
Hisoka rolled the unfamiliar term around in his mouth, his narrow eyes fixed on Lin Yan as though he meant to see straight through him.
He could tell that Lin Yan wasn't lying.
There really was an energy core inside the boy, something he had never seen before, slowly circulating.
That core was the source of the strange white light from earlier.
It was completely different from an ordinary Nen user's "aura nodes."
Aura nodes were valves, channels through which life energy flowed in and out, while the thing he called a "dantian embryo" was more like a... furnace.
A furnace that could refine, compress, and transform the life energy it absorbed into a higher form of energy!
This was an entirely new, independent, and internally consistent system of power!
For a deviant like Hisoka, whose creed in life was to pursue ultimate pleasure and challenge powerful opponents, this was nothing less than Columbus discovering the New World!
Kill Lin Yan?
He had already cast that thought aside the moment he saw the white sword energy slice through the stone.
How could crushing a newly sprouted seed compare to the pleasure of watering and pruning it himself, watching it grow into a unique, towering tree laden with forbidden fruit, and then tearing it out by the roots?!
"Heh... hehehehe..."
That signature, spine-chilling laugh rose from Hisoka's throat once again.
The expressions on his face shifted unpredictably, from fascination to fervor, then to a hint of childlike curiosity.
"Dantian embryo... golden core... interesting. Very interesting..."
He took two steps forward, stopping less than three meters from Lin Yan.
Thick, almost tangible Nen pressure washed over Lin Yan, like countless invisible little hands stroking his neck and arteries.
Lin Yan's heart began racing again, but he stayed where he was without moving.
He knew his gamble had paid off.
"Well then, little mouse..."
Hisoka tilted his head. On his face, painted with a star and a teardrop, his narrow eyes curved into two crescents. "What is this deal you mentioned?"
"It's simple."
Fighting the weakness in his body, Lin Yan spoke slowly. "I can't give you this number 44 badge. I need it to pass the exam."
"In exchange, I'll give you my number 81 badge. Besides that..."
Lin Yan paused, raised his head, and met Hisoka's playful yet dangerous gaze as he spoke each word distinctly:
"I'll give you a future."
"A future?" Hisoka raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. A future where you can challenge me with my golden core fully perfected, where you can savor the ultimate delicacy."
Lin Yan's voice brimmed with confidence, an absolute faith in the Way he followed. "As I am now, I'm not worthy of being your opponent. But in the future, I will be."
"This is a wager, Hisoka."
Lin Yan leaned forward slightly. Though his body trembled uncontrollably, his presence continued to rise.
"You bet that my golden core great way really can bring you pleasure unlike anything you've ever experienced. And I bet that you'll keep your promise and won't attack me before I've grown."
A deathly silence fell over the riverbank.
Only the rushing water and the rustle of wind through the grass could be heard.
Hisoka said nothing, simply studying Lin Yan in silence with those probing eyes. Lin Yan met his gaze without fear.
He knew this was the critical moment.
His words and the power he had displayed were merely groundwork. What would ultimately decide whether he lived or died was Hisoka's own judgment.
After a long time, so long that Lin Yan felt his legs were about to give out, Hisoka finally smiled.
It was a smile of genuine, heartfelt delight.
"All right. I accept your deal."
Before his words had faded, he gave a light flick of his slender fingers.
Whoosh!
The playing card in his hand became a streak of light, precisely severing the cord that held the number badge against Lin Yan's chest.
The number 81 badge flew into the air, turning over in the moonlight before Hisoka caught it securely between two fingers.
"I'll take this badge as a token of our contract..."
Then, as though throwing away trash, he pulled three bloodstained number badges from inside his clothes and casually tossed them over.
Clack.
Lin Yan caught them instinctively.
They were the badges of the other three unlucky applicants Hisoka had killed, and the final three points Lin Yan needed to pass this exam.
"My prey is number 99. These badges are useless to me."
Hisoka's voice returned to its languid drawl. "Consider them... a little investment in this interesting fruit of mine~"
He gave Lin Yan a long look, his eyes holding an exceedingly complicated meaning.
"Do your best to grow, my one-of-a-kind little fruit..."
"Don't disappoint me."
"If some other bug happens to nibble you away before you ripen..."
His lips stretched into a cruel smile.
"I'll be very angry."
With that, he turned away, and after a few flickers, his figure vanished once more into the dark forest.
The terrifying presence that had weighed on Lin Yan's heart like a mountain vanished with him.
"Phew..."
Lin Yan let out a long, stale breath, as though trying to empty every last bit of air from his lungs.
Once that taut string relaxed, he could no longer hold himself up. His legs buckled, and he collapsed onto the cold riverbank.
Cold sweat had long since soaked his clothes through, and the evening breeze sent a bone-chilling cold through him.
He looked down at his still-trembling hands, then at the number 44 badge and the three one-point badges Hisoka had tossed him.
I survived.
I actually survived an encounter with that man.
And I even managed to get his own badge.
The experience had left him more exhausted than running a hundred kilometers nonstop. It wasn't merely physical fatigue, but the utter depletion that came from being pushed to his mental limits.
At the same time, an indescribable excitement and joy welled up from the depths of his heart like spring water.
I did it!
With his wits and his understanding of the Way, he had won himself a chance at survival in an impossible deathtrap!
More importantly, he had secured the most precious thing for his future cultivation-time, along with a top-tier "guardian of the Way."
Even if that "guardian" could become his deadliest death warrant at any moment.
"Heh..."
Lin Yan couldn't help laughing. As he laughed, he began coughing violently, feeling as though all his internal organs had shifted out of place.
He knew he had won this gamble. On the boundary between life and death, his resolve in the Way had undergone a tremendous tempering and sublimation.
From now on, the inner demon of "fear" would no longer haunt his path of cultivation.
If he dared face a monster of Hisoka's caliber head-on, what else in this world could frighten him?
He struggled into a cross-legged position, tucked the four number badges into his pocket, and began circulating his cultivation method to regulate the nearly depleted true qi in his body.
He had to recover his strength as quickly as possible.
Dangerous though this experience had been, it had also been a once-in-a-lifetime tribulation for him.
Taoist cultivation placed the greatest emphasis on enduring tribulations. Without their tempering, one's resolve in the Way remained unstable, and one's cultivation could hardly advance.
He had a feeling that once he recovered, his cultivation would undergo a considerable breakthrough.
What changes would my newly formed dantian embryo undergo after this trial of life and death?
Lin Yan's heart brimmed with anticipation.
He slowly closed his eyes and immersed himself completely in cultivation.
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