Chapter 1001: Gray Lin Chen
In the endless darkness, Lin Chen’s body shuttled under the control of the black smoke, and from time to time, flames and thunder would strike, but each time they fell on Lin Chen, they were devoured by the black smoke.
And Lin Chen’s entire body, guided by the black smoke, kept heading in one direction.
…
At the end of the darkness, a golden lamp of ancient design was suspended.
The body of the lamp glowed with a dark golden luster, its surface engraved with numerous runes, resonating and coexisting with the pure white flame dancing at the wick.
The base of the lamp was inlaid with nine entwined dragon-patterned reliefs, with faint golden threads of energy held in the dragons’ mouths.
Yan Feng looked at the ancient lamp in front of him, his face filled with excitement.
His purpose for coming was to prevent anyone from taking the treasure, but if the opportunity arose, he also wanted to take the treasure himself.
The treasure was this very lamp in front of him!
The origins of this lamp were extraordinary!
In those years, when demons caused chaos, there was no way to eradicate them. Finally, the sect leader of the Thousand Mechanism Sect personally crafted it, imbued by the Royal Family’s Divine Seal with fortune, and finally refined by the ancestor of the Ten Thousand Flames Sect using the Innate Fire, to condense this lamp.
It can be said there is only this one in the world, and no more could ever appear.
If it weren’t for the demon wreaking havoc on the Flame Dynasty, seeing the dynasty on the brink of doom, the Royal Family wouldn’t have used the Divine Seal’s fortune unless absolutely necessary.
If it weren’t for the critical situation, the sect leader of the Thousand Mechanism Sect wouldn’t have expended countless priceless materials to forge it.
If it weren’t for the ancestor of the Ten Thousand Flames Sect, who had an unparalleled talent in Refining Fire, it would be difficult to successfully condense it.
This is also why this lamp exists within the Holy Fire Hall.
And this matter is a taboo in the Flame Dynasty, known by few. Besides the possibility of unrest due to the demon affair, there is also one reason it is an embarrassment for the Royal Family.
As rulers of the Flame Dynasty, the Royal Family was helpless against the demon, ultimately relying on the sect leader of the Thousand Mechanism Sect and the ancestor of the Ten Thousand Flames Sect to subdue it. If this were to spread, it would damage the Royal Family’s reputation.
Even within the Ten Thousand Flames Sect and the Thousand Mechanism Sect, only each generation’s Supreme Elder and Sect Leader know the details, not even the Elders are aware of the inside story, the same is true for the Thousand Mechanism Sect.
Yan Feng once again grasped a jade pendant in his hand, which emitted a brilliant golden light, enveloping the ancient lamp.
As the golden light fell on the ancient lamp, the lamp too began to emit a golden glow, resonating with the jade pendant from afar.
Seeing this scene, Yan Feng’s face showed delight, just waiting for the next step to lead the ancient lamp into his hands.
However, before Yan Feng’s smile could solidify, a thread of black silk suddenly danced in the pure white flame on the ancient lamp. At the moment of the black silk’s appearance, the white flame seemed to sense something, and the flame surged violently, devouring the golden light released by the jade pendant.
Boom!
Yan Feng quickly grabbed the jade pendant and retreated, only stopping with lingering fear after retreating dozens of feet away.
At this moment, in front of him, the white flames were wildly burning that thread of black silk, but the black silk persisted tenaciously, like a bone-attached tick, despite the frenzied burning of the white flames.
“After so many years, has this demon not completely died out?”
Yan Feng’s eyes were incredulous. Tens of thousands of years had passed, by rights this demon should have been suppressed and annihilated long ago, which was also the elders’ prediction.
The reason Dongfang Canglang sent people in must have been anticipating the demon was already thoroughly annihilated.
However, the appearance of this black silk indicated the demon had not been completely eradicated. He could neither take the lamp nor take it away.
“Forget it, I couldn’t take it, and neither could Dongfang Canglang, which means I’ve completed the task assigned by the elders.”
After a long while, Yan Feng took a deep look at the surging white flames. The demon was no ordinary matter, since it was confirmed the demon had not been annihilated, this place was no longer suitable to stay.
Yan Feng turned and left, and just one two-hour period after Yan Feng left, a figure was swiftly approaching from the darkness opposite.
Lin Chen’s figure, under the control of the black smoke, floated to a point a hundred feet away from the ancient lamp.
Three breaths later, Lin Chen’s body, under the control of the black smoke, stood up, looking at the ancient lamp ahead, with a peculiarly sinister smile on his lips.
“It hasn’t died after so many years. Good… that works to my advantage.”
Lin Chen murmured, his voice cold as if it came from the depths of the Nine Netherworld, his skin also turning gray, reaching a palm towards the ancient lamp.
The ancient lamp seemed to sense the threat, and the flames surged once more, transforming into a silver-bodied, gold-clawed fire dragon, its enormous dragon eyes revealing an absolute majesty.
Boom!
The fire dragon collided with the descending gray giant hand in the air, the formless energy waves causing the entire black space to collapse at a speed visible to the naked eye.
“If the ancestor of the Ten Thousand Flames Sect were alive, I might not be able to handle you, but now you’re not worthy.”
Gray Lin Chen’s face bore a look of disdain, with gray light flashing at his brow.
“Connecting above to the Celestial Ruins, reflecting All Heavens Stars as Canglan’s Eyes, reaching below to the Nine Netherworld, concealing the ancient tribulation as the Key of Reincarnation, this is the true Canglan’s Eyes.”
Gray Lin Chen’s words seemed like self-talk, yet also as if spoken to someone.
The gray light shot out, creating vortices in the black space wherever it passed, as if a slender vortex, rushing straight towards the ancient lamp.
The ancient lamp swayed frantically, this time forming three fire dragons, yet under this gray vortex, all the fire dragons were sucked in.
Under the influence of this gray vortex, the flame of the ancient lamp began to weaken, while at the same time, several strands of black silk in the flames seized the opportunity to rush out of the fire, perfectly merging and disappearing into the darkness.
“Do you think you can escape?”
Gray Lin Chen’s figure flickered in place, and when he appeared, he was already a thousand feet away, and there were several strands of swirling black silk in the palm of his hand.
Looking at these few strands of black threads, Lin Chen’s grey eyes also revealed a fiery gleam. Under his gaze, the strands of black threads seemed to melt slowly into his palm.
However, just at this moment, the ancient lamp, whose glow was almost imperceptibly faint, suddenly emitted a crisp sound.
It was as if an invisible presence was tapping on the body of the lamp.
The moment the crisp sound appeared, Lin Chen’s grey face changed slightly as he felt flames bursting from his pores. He sneered repeatedly: “Even if you awaken the Innate Fire within me, what can such flames do to me?”
A wave of grey energy cleansed, and the flames on Lin Chen’s body surface instantly dissipated, revealing grey skin once again.
But the crisp sound did not stop there; it was even more urgent than before, as if summoning something?
Innate Fire Square!
Meng Bing, who was trying to condense the Innate Fire, was suddenly stupefied. The Innate Fire over the entire altar strangely disappeared.
Meng Bing looked around in bewilderment and realized that not only he, but the situation of the others was the same as his own.
Meanwhile, many fire pillars on the square were disappearing one after another.
“Brother Meng, what’s happening? Could it be that someone has already obtained the legacy?”
“Only a few of us are undergoing the trial; if someone obtained the legacy, how could we not know about it?”
Another man chuckled lightly, but Meng Bing shook his head: “I too am unaware of what’s happening. How the ancestor chooses the inheritor is beyond me. After entering here, there’s no difference between me and the others.”
Seeing Meng Bing’s expression, everyone present believed in Meng Bing’s words. The changes in the Innate Fire Square indeed were unknown to Meng Bing.
But precisely this made them feel even more frustrated. The trial was going well and suddenly ended out of nowhere.
Does this mean that the trial has been passed, or not?
…
…
Rumble!
In the darkness, countless fire pillars descended from the heavens, resembling an apocalypse.
Bang!
The first fire pillar fell, Lin Chen’s grey eyes squinted, for the first time showing a sense of gravity. His whole body was shrouded in black smoke; the flames could not come close and were devoured by the black smoke.
However, this was just the beginning…
One, two, three…
After hundreds, a look of unwillingness flashed in Lin Chen’s grey eyes. If it was his true form here, he naturally wouldn’t fear these Innate Fires, but now controlling Lin Chen’s body was merely a black imprint he left behind.
“Fine, let this body bear it. I have already achieved my purpose.”
A look of decision flashed in Lin Chen’s grey eyes. Although finding such a suitable body to plant a black imprint on was not easy, it was better than getting injured here.
Black smoke drifted from Lin Chen’s body surface, forming a black shadow in the air, and in the next moment, along with a few strands of black threads, dissipated in this black space.
…
Canglan Island.
Deep in the Extreme West Abyss, black fog raged.
Sitting at the lowest point, Lin Chen with black eyes opened them, seeing six strands of black threads in the palm of his hand.
“I hope this kid can survive; such a good body is rare.”
Lin Chen with black eyes whispered, for Lin Chen’s flesh body was rare in being able to bear his black imprint.
…
…
In the black space, Lin Chen’s skin tone had returned to normal at this moment; upon waking, he only felt immense pain all over his body, and when he saw the hundreds of Innate Fires above him, his scalp tingled.
He did not know what had happened, but instinct told him that if he waited for these Innate Fires to descend, he might be burnt to ashes.
Bang!
Just as Lin Chen was worried, another flame split downward.
Puh!
Lin Chen spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, his whole appearance became listless, and he couldn’t dodge this flame at all.
Could it be that I’m going to die here this time?
Just when Lin Chen was in despair, suddenly a cold voice came from the darkness.
“Three hundred Innate Fires have been endured, meeting the trial requirements, the legacy can be obtained!”
The moment the voice appeared, all the Innate Fires above disappeared, and Lin Chen was also stunned. What did it mean, bearing three hundred Innate Fires?
Was it referring to him?
And just as Lin Chen was dazed, a massive amount of information suddenly appeared in his mind.