Lin Tian's consciousness delved into his Sea of Awareness, the shock in his eyes almost frozen in place. Suddenly, by his ear, a voice both ancient and unfathomable echoed:
"Good—break before you stand! Once the Water Elemental Spirit Pearl enters your Minor World, it will be as if the Great Cataclysm of the Primordial Age has descended again. This is the reenactment of the era when myriad ancient beasts rampaged and floods drowned the world!"
Lin Tian was startled. The voice was unfamiliar, yet eerily familiar. Without needing to think, he was certain of its origin—Lingwu.
Lingwu—perhaps the name of the master of the Primordial Lingwu Mansion. But in Lin Tian's heart, it had long become the title of the artifact spirit within the Lingwu Scripture. And now, that shadowy existence had taken the initiative to appear—its power far from restored, yet able to resound clearly within his Sea of Awareness.
"Indeed, it is I. But you have called me by the wrong name," the voice was as calm as a windless lake. "My name is Ling. 'Lingwu' was the name of the scripture's original owner. I also have a twin brother, the artifact spirit of the Martial Dao Volume, called Yuan. Just now, by devouring part of the water-element formation diagram, my spirit has awakened, and I have recalled both my past life and my true self. The path of cultivation is riddled with peril. Without great wisdom to see through life and death, and great perseverance to endure, how could you ever ascend to a higher realm?"
Lin Tian did not let the lecture shake his focus. He simply replied calmly: "You've recovered? You can actually speak directly within my Sea of Awareness."
"I obtained but a wisp of water elemental qi—but it is almost the very essence of the water-element spirit beast Pa Fu. Together with the formation diagram I consumed, I have restored one ten-thousandth of my strength, and my spiritual consciousness is nearly intact. From here on, retrieving the remaining Elemental Spirit Pearls will be far easier."
"One ten-thousandth…" Lin Tian clenched his fist, a chill rising in his chest. Too weak—he was too weak, and even his helper was far from its peak. Forget vengeance—he could not even touch the threshold of the Grandmaster realm. Now was no time to mourn the lives in his Minor World—the road ahead was too perilous for distraction.
His gaze sharpened. "Good. With the purest water-element essence in hand, next—Fire Elemental Spirit Pearl." He thought of Zi Dian, the corner of his lips lifting slightly. "It should be very interested."
Sure enough, as the formation unraveled, Zi Dian's voice exploded in his mind:"Unfair! You, a mere Bone-Refining peak nobody, actually claimed a Water Elemental Spirit Pearl on par with a mid-grade spirit treasure! If word gets out, even Grandmasters and Huizhen-level experts will kill to take it from you!"
Lin Tian remained unmoved. "Once we enter the Trapped Dragon Grand Formation, if there are relics of your ancestors, they will all be yours."
Zi Dian fell silent for a long moment before replying: "The Fire Elemental Spirit Pearl—I must have it."
"Not one can be missing," Lin Tian shook his head. "Without all Five Elemental Pearls, the cycle is incomplete, and their value drops sharply." The words were half a lie—but necessary; his trump cards could not be given up.
Zi Dian's gaze grew cold. "You are too greedy. In my eyes, you are but an ant!"
Lin Tian met its pressure unhurriedly. "I will grant you three promises—aside from harming my core interests, I swear by the Dao of Heaven to fulfill them." He knew Ling would not easily intervene, so now he could only trade future potential for a chance to negotiate.
Zi Dian studied him for a moment before finally nodding. Lin Tian struck while the iron was hot: "You may absorb part of the Fire Elemental Pearl's essence."
The serpent's eyes lit up, and at last it agreed to the slightly uneven deal.
Over the next two hours, man and beast worked together—four Elemental Spirit Pearls were secured! The Fire Pearl lost about a tenth of its essence to Zi Dian, while the other three were safely merged into Lin Tian's Minor World.
As the floods receded, volcanoes erupted, white-gold meteors fell, weeds grew into towering forests, mountains collapsed… The Minor World underwent a transformation akin to ages passing in an instant. Finally, the Five Elemental essences reached balance—seas, mountains, minerals, forests, and storms coexisted. It was no longer a delicate miniature, but a living world.
Having absorbed the Fire elemental qi, Zi Dian's injuries healed completely, and its spell power tripled. Its grievance over Lin Tian's gain had somewhat faded—only the refinement of the Thunder-Serpent egg in its throat remained before it could undergo Lightning Transformation and emerge as a king.
Yet, at the very moment Ling completely devoured the Trapped Dragon formation diagram, the world suddenly dimmed. Ling's voice thundered in Lin Tian's mind:"Not good! This was a separate Minor World less than ten li across! Without the Elemental Pearls, it will collapse!"
The force of collapse was boundless—even a Huizhen Grandmaster might not escape intact. Before Lin Tian could react, darkness engulfed him, and an irresistible power dragged him into the unknown.
When he opened his eyes again, he froze—before him stood a towering palace made entirely of translucent crystal, its floor paved with heavy dark-golden ore. Any knowledgeable onlooker would gasp in terror—walls of Heavenly Crystal, foundation of Earth-Soul Ore! The most extravagant structure in the cultivation world—and one race alone could lay claim to it—the Dragons!
The Crystal Palace—the Dragon King's dwelling. No heavenly dragon, but a Dragon King, whose might could rival that of immortals!
Zi Dian's pupils contracted, its spiritual sense in disarray: "Not a flood dragon… a Dragon King?"
Lin Tian, however, was calm. "Since we are here, we may as well stay." With that, he strode into the grand doors.
Bones littered the way—some of giant beasts, some half-human half-fish, some fully human. Weapons lay scattered, long since corroded, their spiritual energy spent, reduced to rust.
Time—the most terrible killer of all. Even peerless beings who could shatter space could not escape its erosion. And yet, this palace stood silently, as though waiting for the destined intruder.