Promotion to the Inner Sect
Lin Xu sensed a faint trace of submission. Without resisting, he let the remnant consciousness merge into the lamp flame.
The Bright Lamp Spirit Kindling Art had a special effect on spirit bodies, but that didn't mean guardian spirits could only be chosen from among them. This golden technique was like half a hero template, with the same ability to "recruit" troop types—and in some respects, it had even greater advantages~
In the chaotic sea of consciousness, fragments of awareness quietly coalesced around the candlelight, gradually reconstructing a new core of consciousness. In the end, they formed a dark blue ring like the rim of an iris, hovering like a crescent moon in the center of the sea of consciousness.
Sensing the Evil Eye's submission through his consciousness, Lin Xu withdrew the candlelight and looked at its battered body.
The Bright Light Lamp's flame flickered again, casting a pure green light over the Evil Eye's damaged body. The blood and mucus that had been seeping out steadily coagulated at once.
The demonic power lingering in its wounds was washed over by the green light and gradually purified. Fine white threads began to grow across the severed ends of its tentacles, repairing the flesh like entwining vines.
The Clear Dew Spirit Light Mantra was a spell passed down in Xuanwei Monastery for healing and purification. It could gently replenish vitality and mend injuries.
Its drawbacks were its slow rate of recovery and the heavy drain on the caster's mana.
After a while, Lin Xu stopped. The wounds on the Evil Eye's body had mostly healed. Of course, this had only stabilized its injuries for the time being; a full recovery would still take some time.
Seeing its condition change from near death to severely injured, Lin Xu withdrew his mana.
"The dungeon..." He looked into the depths of the mist, as though he could see the city slumbering beneath the earth.
When he had entered the Evil Eye's sea of consciousness and reconstructed its awareness, Lin Xu had already glimpsed some information about the dungeon from its memories.
Dark passageways, winding stone steps, flickering braziers set into cold stone walls-among the monsters moving through the underground tunnels, there was no shortage of heavily armored elites.
Buildings flickering with magical runes formed a whole with stone floors engraved with strange runes. The vast dungeon was like a self-sufficient demonic realm, with a complete system of operation and a powerful army of monsters.
"Judging from the missions issued by the Demon Subduing Hall, Xuanwei Monastery is already aware of the threat to the east, but it hasn't obtained any information about the dungeon..." A thought occurred to him, and he prepared to pass the information he had gathered to the Demon Subduing Hall.
On the one hand, it was for merit points, so he could obtain more resources. On the other, it was to bring about a direct clash between Xuanwei Monastery and the dungeon as soon as possible.
"If I cultivate step by step, just getting promoted to a true disciple in a single month will exhaust me. Taking control of the monastery will be even further out of reach. But if I make use of this upheaval, there might still be a chance..."
After one last look in the dungeon's direction, Lin Xu led the patrol back toward the outpost.
The severely injured Evil Eye rose into the air and followed the group at a leisurely pace.
In the blink of an eye, it was early the next morning. After breakfast, an outer disciple led a team over to take their shift, and Lin Xu returned alongside another outer disciple.
Under the Demon Subduing Hall's rules, a garrison mission like this could be carried out continuously. If there was no risk of war, it was actually more profitable than ordinary missions.
But it wasn't worthwhile for Lin Xu, who was short on time. He returned to Peach Tree Village and handed back his mission token, then used a brush to record everything the Evil Eye had seen of the dungeon on paper. He handed it to Chen Yuanfu, the inner disciple responsible for Peach Tree Village's missions.
Chen Yuanfu took the report and skimmed it. His expression abruptly turned grave, and he immediately rose and returned to the secret chamber to send a message.
Less than two hours later, Lin Xu saw a true disciple outside Peach Tree Village, approaching on a cloud. He wore a bright red Daoist robe embroidered with gold patterns across the chest.
Name: Li Xuanfeng (Elite) Race: Human Identity: True disciple of Xuanwei Monastery Class: Daoist Level: 6 Strength: 10 Agility: 12 Constitution: 11 Spirit: 18 Intelligence: 15 Charisma: 13 Health: 1250/1250 Mana: 2330/2330 Talent: ... Skills: Bright Lamp Spirit-Kindling Formula · Gold (Advanced)... Equipment: Dao Rhyme Bright Light Lamp, Profound Light Eight Trigrams Robe, Yin Soldier Command Flag, Cloud-Treading Shoes, Azure Blade Soul-Pacifying Sword... Evaluation: A true disciple of Xuanwei Monastery, skilled at commanding Yin soldiers and proficient in methods of exorcising evil and binding spirits
"Welcome, senior brother!"
Throughout Peach Tree Village, the outer disciples bowed in greeting.
The villagers also hurriedly stopped their work and knelt with their faces to the ground.
Li Xuanfeng's gaze fell on Lin Xu, and he spoke in an indifferent tone: "I convey the sect master's decree: Lin Xu is promoted to inner disciple and assigned to guard Peach Tree Village. He is granted one wondrous technique and one magical artifact, and is to assume his post immediately!"
Lin Xu bowed and knocked his head to the ground. "This disciple thanks the sect master for his grace," he said in a low voice.
Li Xuanfeng paused, then urged him on. "Choose your wondrous technique and magical artifact quickly."
At that moment, Lin Xu's mission panel popped up automatically:
[Hidden mission: Investigate the unknown enemy (completed) Rewards: Inner disciple status, advanced chapter of the Bright Lamp Spirit Kindling Art, 5,000 merit points, one random cultivation technique (your choice), one random magical artifact (your choice)]
Lin Xu's gaze fell on the random cultivation technique. With a thought, densely packed phantoms of technique manuals appeared in his mind-projections of the many techniques in the Scripture Pavilion.
He didn't need to specifically choose the Bright Lamp Spirit Kindling Art. Upon promotion to inner disciple, he automatically obtained its advanced chapter.
His gaze roamed among the many phantom manuals. As in the Scripture Pavilion, the techniques were arranged in no particular order, but these were cultivation techniques, and there were far fewer of them than the cultivation texts in the Scripture Pavilion.
His gaze soon settled on one called the "Mystic Art God-Descending Technique."
Name: Mystic Art God-Descending Technique [Basic Chapter] Grade: Golden legendary Effect: Body cultivation +30%, Qi Refining cultivation +30%. Spirit gods can be condensed within the body's acupoints to circulate the technique of their own accord, drawing Spiritual Qi into the body to temper the flesh. Requirements: Strength 12, Agility 12, Constitution 12, Intelligence 10, Spirit 10 Description: The flesh becomes the furnace, the soul its fuel. Burn essence and Qi to forge spirit gods; with a single thought, ten thousand arts follow.
The Mystic Art God-Descending Technique was a martial cultivation technique that relied on faith. It could consume the power of faith to accelerate martial cultivation, and its god-descending state could draw out the body's potential to greatly increase combat strength. When its duration ended, the user would fall into a weakened state.
Most importantly, this was the second golden-grade cultivation technique Lin Xu had seen in the Scripture Pavilion. Judging from its description, it was a secret art the monastery used to train guardian divine generals.
The instant he selected the Mystic Art God-Descending Technique, Lin Xu's sea of consciousness shook with a boom, and golden scriptures surged into its depths like a tide.
A vast, ancient presence welled up from his soul, as though a deity were whispering and imparting profound truths.
He naturally entered the Thought Overclocking state. At that moment, his thoughts and consciousness seemed to be empowered by some ancient force. His mind flashed like lightning, working through the cultivation path hundreds upon thousands of times in an instant.
Lin Xu opened his eyes. Golden flames seemed to flicker in them, and the presence around him was restrained, yet concealed thunder within.
Li Xuanfeng was still waiting, so he didn't dare delay. He immediately selected "random magical artifact."