Chapter 30 - Breaking the Seal

“This symbol is a rune of transformation restriction, so the next one definitely won’t be an attack restriction, because these two can’t coexist. Once linked, when the restriction undergoes a change, it would trigger the attack restriction, affecting the entire change of the restriction chain. So, what could it be?” Leng Yan was now surrounded by restrictions, about a million in number. He examined Yi Xuan’s restrictions with a slight frown, suddenly struck by an idea.

“A concealment restriction! It’s a concealment restriction! But just knowing it’s a concealment restriction isn’t enough. Could there be other restrictions hidden within it?”

“Continuing this way isn’t a solution either. Perhaps observing the changes in the formation could reveal some flaws! Or maybe try integrating my own restriction into it!” Leng Yan finally decided to make a move, hoping to provoke a change in the restrictions and find a breakthrough.

For the first time in a month, Leng Yan stood up and stepped back. He moved to the entrance of the cave, directing his million restrictions towards Yi Xuan’s.

The first task was to try and merge the two restriction chains. If even one link of his restrictions could integrate, Leng Yan would be able to blend into Yi Xuan’s restrictions, and many things would become clear. Even if not fully integrated, it would still trigger a change in the restrictions.

But for the two sets of restrictions to merge, a segment of the restriction chain had to be exactly the same, otherwise, it would trigger the seal’s counterattack.

“Success or failure hinges on this moment! Restrictions! Merge!”

Driven by Leng Yan’s force of will, the two sets of restrictions finally collided. Suddenly! Around the purple blood, a black mist exploded, the attack restriction within the restrictions.

“Not good! The restrictions have been triggered!” Leng Yan was shocked, waving his hand as a water dragon, tens of meters long, formed in the air, exuding a powerful aura.

The black mist also transformed into a ferocious black dragon, roaring as it charged at Leng Yan.

“Break!” Leng Yan stepped back, and the water dragon, as if unleashed, roared and soared towards the sky. The two dragons danced spectacularly in the air, their heads colliding with a thunderous impact.

“Boom!”

Leng Yan’s water dragon was instantly dispersed by the black dragon, scattering into droplets in all directions. The fierce black dragon still charged forward imposingly.

Faced with a critical situation, Leng Yan had not anticipated such a sharp counterattack from the seal.

“Fiend Thunder, explode!” Leng Yan quickly threw three Fiend Thunders and hurriedly retreated into the cave’s passage.

As rocks scattered around, the entire cave trembled and shook. When the three Fiend Thunders exploded simultaneously, even a master of the Innate Realm could be injured.

After the explosion subsided, calm returned to the stone chamber. Leng Yan still held two Fiend Thunders in his hand, cautiously stepping forward into the stone chamber, which now looked as though it had just been drenched by a heavy rain.

Around the stone platform, many fragments of rock were scattered, and the black dragon had dissipated into smoke and clouds. Only then did Leng Yan breathe a sigh of relief.

If the seal were at its peak, even a cultivator facing the void tribulation might not dare to break it rashly.

Just as Leng Yan was shocked by the strength of the seal, he suddenly sensed something. It was a faint sensation emanating from the restriction surrounding the purple blood.

“Could it be? Could it be that the restrictions have merged?” Leng Yan chuckled.

Sitting cross-legged, he spread out his mental power, encircling Yi Xuan’s restriction chain.

Indeed! Within the million restrictions, Leng Yan found a chain made up of five hundred restrictions which already bore his mental imprint.

“Good! Now that it has merged with Yi Xuan’s restrictions, I shall invade from within and imprint all these restrictions with my mark!” Leng Yan controlled his mental power, cautiously invading the other runes.

To change these runes into his own mental imprints, he first needed to erase Yi Xuan’s mental imprints.

However, fortunately, due to the age and damage of the seal, the mental imprints on these restriction runes were quite weak.

Moreover, since Leng Yan had already merged some runes, erasing Yi Xuan’s mental imprints was not too difficult. He still needed to deduce some hidden restrictions, but breaking through from the inside was much easier than from the outside.

During the process of his occupation, Leng Yan also continuously learned. Yi Xuan was a renowned figure on the Immortal Firmament Continent, and his mastery in spell restrictions was unparalleled by ordinary people. This broken restriction provided Leng Yan with an excellent learning opportunity.

The ingenious combination of various restrictions-concealment, transformation, illusion, and morphing-proved immensely beneficial to Leng Yan.

Gradually, Leng Yan became immersed in this state of learning and occupying, and his own perception of spell restrictions deepened!

Another half-month quietly passed, and Leng Yan had converted most of the restrictions into his own mental imprints, with tens of thousands of restrictions yet to be transformed.

However, Leng Yan no longer needed to continue, as he was now capable of breaking the restrictions.

Standing up, he walked to the tunnel within the cave and laid down hundreds of thousands of defensive spell restrictions at the entrance.

“Explode!”

With the utterance of the word, a booming explosion immediately resonated within the stone chamber. The defensive spell restrictions Leng Yan had laid down were mostly destroyed by the blast in an instant.

The explosion lasted for over ten minutes before gradually subsiding. Returning to the stone chamber, he saw rubble everywhere except for a half-yard radius around the stone platform which remained intact. The drop of purple blood was also unharmed, still floating in mid-air and emitting a strange purple glow.

The tens of thousands of restrictions that had not been imprinted by Leng Yan were also shattered in the explosion and ceased to exist!

“Ha ha! Excellent! I did not expect that in such a short time, you would be able to break this restriction!” The drop of purple blood once again manifested Long Tian’s apparition.

“Senior, you flatter me! The restriction was already heavily damaged, and I merely happened to integrate a segment of the restriction chain correctly, which allowed me to break it!” Leng Yan said with a smile.

“Thinking to integrate it was already commendable, showing your courage. In any case, you’ve broken the restriction and passed my test. Bring out your Netherworld Ghost Banner!” Long Tian’s apparition said with a laugh.

Although Leng Yan was puzzled as to why Long Tian wanted him to produce this magical treasure, he did not ask and instead summoned the Netherworld Ghost Banner. It fluttered in the air, the banner flying, with a character for “ghost” on it, emitting a sinister aura and the genuine screams of agony echoing throughout the stone chamber.

“Since you are my only disciple, Long Tian, it is customary to offer a gift when taking on a student. However, since I am only present in spirit and cannot give a physical gift, I have decided to modify this Netherworld Ghost Banner and bestow it upon you!” Long Tian’s dignified smile accompanied his seemingly casual gesture, yet countless defensive spell restrictions soared and attached themselves to the Netherworld Ghost Banner. Some special restrictions even merged into the magical treasure itself, altering its original formation and, consequently, its effects.

The transformation of the magical treasure was completed in an instant. The new Netherworld Ghost Banner not only carried a chilling aura but also possessed a dragon’s might, which did not disperse but instead suppressed the ghost souls within the banner.

Inside the Netherworld Ghost Banner, the restrictions imposed by Long Tian caused tens of thousands of ghost souls to devour each other. Only a few hundred of the strongest survived this brutal process, their power continuously growing. In just a few minutes, what were once ordinary ghost souls now exuded terrifying demonic energy, possessing the strength of disciples from the demon sect at the magical power realm.

However, the devouring did not cease. These few hundred ghost souls, each ferociously fierce, continued their wild battle, relentlessly consuming one another.

“I have set restrictions within this banner, allowing only ten ghost souls to survive. From now on, as you capture ghost souls to feed them, their strength will continue to increase. Even if they attain the power of the Profound Calamity, as long as I live and my dragon’s might remains, they will serve you. Moreover, I have placed millions of defensive spell restrictions on this banner, which can protect you from three attacks by cultivators of profound difficulties. Do not use it lightly unless absolutely necessary!” Long Tian’s voice echoed throughout the stone chamber.

“Thank you, Master!” Leng Yan sincerely called out to his master. Regardless of Long Tian’s intentions, Leng Yan would remember this favor. Such was Leng Yan’s nature: to repay kindness and return vengeance manifold.

“Since you’ve called me Master, how could I not pass on a cultivation technique to you? This drop of essence blood contains the inheritance of top mental and cultivation techniques from the Dragon Realm.”

“I will infuse this drop of essence blood into your sea of consciousness. Refine it daily, and once you have completely assimilated the essence blood, you will inherit the mental cultivation technique. Remember, do not rush the process of refining the essence blood; even someone at the Golden Core Realm would burst if they tried to refine it all at once!

Well, it is time for me to leave. Cultivate diligently, and I will await your tea ceremony in the Dragon Realm.” Long Tian concluded, his apparition dissipating into stardust, and the drop of purple essence blood transformed into a purple glow, merging into his brow. Subsequently, Leng Yan was enveloped by a Pentagram Array and vanished from the stone chamber.