Eternal Supreme

Chapter 56: Manifesting Rune Power

"The Secret of the Xuan-Yu Mountains is likely to open soon, and when it does, Linzhou City will surely be thrown into chaos," Chi Honglian said, casting a deep look at Lin Mo. "You'd better keep your distance from Nan Mingwu; it would be better for you."

"Why?" Lin Mo asked in return.

"Are you really unaware or just pretending not to know? If you're so familiar with her, hasn't she told you?" Chi Honglian looked at Lin Mo with some surprise. Seeing that he genuinely did not understand, she continued, "You know about Canghai Prefecture, right?"

"Of course. Linzhou City is governed by Canghai Prefecture. I heard that Canghai Prefecture is five times larger than Linzhou City and is far more prosperous," Lin Mo replied.

"Nan Mingwu is from Canghai Prefecture. I'm not very clear on her exact background, but given that she knows Qian Ye Hui from the Qian Ye family, her status is not ordinary," Chi Honglian said. "This time, Qian Ye Hui has brought six Bronze-armored Guards and even taken Feng Xian to secure the treasures from the Secret of the Xuan-Yu Mountains. Some of the powerful families, including the Liao family and certain individuals from the Rakshasa Branch and the Three Absolutes Branch, have already joined Qian Ye Hui's faction. You could say Qian Ye Hui's chances of obtaining the treasure are very high."

"Qian Ye Hui has such great power? Even the Liao family has been gathered..." Lin Mo said, surprised.

"It's not Qian Ye Hui's power; it's the influence of the Qian Ye family from Canghai Prefecture. The Qian Ye family has a history of a thousand years and has been operating in Canghai Prefecture for many years. Their background is beyond ordinary imagination," Chi Honglian explained. She then looked at Lin Mo with a hint of suspicion and said, "I heard from Nan Mingwu that you understand the ancient runes?"

"A little," Lin Mo nodded.

"It's rare to see you being modest," Chi Honglian commented.

"Have I always been immodest before?" Lin Mo scratched his nose.

"Not just immodest, but downright arrogant."

Chi Honglian's expression turned serious. "Lin Mo, even though you know a bit about ancient runes, I still suggest you avoid going on adventures with Nan Mingwu. When the Secret of the Xuan-Yu Mountains opens, there might be another beast tide in the mountains. Moreover, many powerful individuals will enter. It's not like Tianxing Academy; a slight mistake could cost you your life."

"Are you worried about me?" Lin Mo smiled.

"Who's worried about you?"

Chi Honglian's face reddened again, and she glared at Lin Mo. "You're now the most outstanding student of Tianxing Branch. If something happens to you, Tianxing Branch might become a complete waste."

"Don't worry, I won't gamble with my life. If there's nothing else, I'll be going now." Lin Mo waved his hand and walked away with Leng Wuyan before Chi Honglian could say anything more.

"Not even finished talking... This guy..." Chi Honglian stamped her foot in frustration.

"She's right. The opening of the Secret of the Xuan-Yu Mountains will definitely attract many powerful figures. Nan Mingwu's origins are unclear, and that guy named Long Bo we met earlier has terrifying strength. If we enter the depths of the Xuan-Yu Mountains with them, there could be unexpected dangers," Leng Wuyan said.

"Rarely do you speak up," Lin Mo said with a smile. He then became serious and said, "I understand what you're saying. If I had enough cultivation resources, I wouldn't risk my life to participate in the Secret of the Xuan-Yu Mountains."

Lin Mo had always been disinterested in competition. Even when he was selected to Tianxing Branch, he did not strive for anything due to his nature.

However, after encountering the Rakshasa Branch and the competition between the four branches, Lin Mo realized that even if he did not want to compete, he would still be inevitably dragged into conflicts.

After meeting Qian Ye Hui and others, Lin Mo understood that his strength was still far from sufficient. Qian Ye Hui, barely over twenty, already had the cultivation level of Foundation Establishment, and the mysterious Nan Mingwu's true strength remained unclear. Additionally, she possessed two rare Spirit Soul Artifacts.

Seeing such figures emerge among his peers, all from Canghai Prefecture, it was clear that the younger generation from Canghai Prefecture had far superior talent compared to those from Linzhou City.

The cultivation resources at Tianxing Branch were no longer sufficient for Lin Mo. Moreover, it wasn't just him; Leng Wuyan's cultivation had also reached the mid-stage of Qi Condensation after awakening his special bloodline, requiring a lot of spiritual energy as well.

Most importantly, the Liao family had begun seeking opportunities to retaliate against Lin Mo.

Lin Mo could no longer rely on the Lin family. He was only an adopted son, not a direct descendant. Even if he were, the Lin family could offer no protection.

Therefore, Lin Mo had to rely on himself. He needed to seize every opportunity to gain resources, whether treasures or other things, and turn them into his own power.

Only with sufficient strength could he ensure his safety.

Leng Wuyan did not speak further. He understood Lin Mo's thoughts well because, as an orphan, he knew the feeling of having no support. No matter what choices Lin Mo made, he would silently support him from behind.

"I know what you're worried about. When treasures appear, everyone will be tempted, especially when following Nan Mingwu. Honestly, I don't want to enter the Xuan-Yu Mountains with them either, but our strength is too weak. Without someone like Long Bo, we might not even get close to the edge of the Xuan-Yu Mountains," Lin Mo said, patting Leng Wuyan on the shoulder before turning and walking into his residence.

Once back in his quarters, Lin Mo took out the rune crystal and injected a strand of True Essence.

Sizzle...

The rivers and mountains inside the rune crystal gently shook. He saw tiny cracks appearing on the mountain, and the rune power contained within began to manifest. These powers interwove to form various unique ancient runes. It was these runes overlapping that created the appearance of the mountain. The rune power emanating from the mountain was extremely dense and could potentially break out of the rune crystal at any moment.

Feeling the immense rune power, Lin Mo's expression grew serious. The True Essence he injected became cautious. Although the rune crystal was only palm-sized, the rune power within was formidable. If mishandled, it could destroy half of the courtyard.

After carefully extracting the power for about three hours, Lin Mo finally managed to manifest all the rune power of a mountain. He retracted his True Essence and looked at the remaining rivers and mountains.

"It will take at least half a month to fully manifest the rune power within the rune crystal," Lin Mo estimated.

Manifesting the rune power from the rune crystal was an idea that Lin Mo had recently come up with. The rune power within was so strong that if fully manifested, it could destroy everything within a ten-zhang radius.

However, manifesting the rune power required a deep understanding of ancient runes and complete control over the rune crystal. Only with sufficient assurance could one attempt this, or else any mistake could turn the rune power into dust.