Chapter 326: The Ancestral Stone Spirit Appears, Touched the Ancestral Stone!
Swish!
In the vast interior of the tower, a streak of white light suddenly shot past.
Immediately after it came two other figures, chasing swiftly behind it.
Three bursts of wind split the ancient silence within the Desolate Tower.
These three figures were, of course, the mysterious stone talisman, followed closely by Lin Fan and Lin Dong.
From the first floor all the way to the seventh, the talisman didn't stop until it reached this level.
Upon arrival, both Lin Fan and Lin Dong felt a tremendous pressure.
The surrounding Desolate Aura had grown so dense it had practically turned into shimmering golden liquid. Wherever they looked, it was like they were submerged in a golden sea.
Lin Fan felt his body being crushed under the weight of it—it was incredibly hard to move.
As for Lin Dong, he was barely managing to endure. If it weren't for the Devouring Ancestral Symbol helping him, he might've already collapsed into a pile of mush.
Fortunately, the stone talisman finally stopped.
Buzz buzz!
Suspended in the vast seventh level, the talisman began to emit a gentle white light that spiraled around it like a vortex.
Then Lin Fan and Lin Dong watched as the golden, liquid-like Desolate Aura surged toward the talisman in powerful streams, being absorbed continuously.
With such a massive amount of energy pouring in, the surface of the talisman began to glow—faint signs of vitality flickered across its ancient, worn exterior.
"The Desolate Aura here… is it repairing the talisman?" Lin Dong asked in surprise.
"Seems like it. Looks like this is the opportunity the Desolate Stele Spirit once mentioned—the talisman's fated chance," Lin Fan replied calmly.
"But… what are we supposed to do now?" Lin Dong looked around, feeling a little helpless.
The Desolate Aura was simply too overwhelming. Lin Dong didn't even dare try to absorb it.
Even Lin Fan felt it was taxing to endure.
Buzz!
Just then, the stone talisman emitted a soft light that expanded, forming a protective zone around Lin Dong, thinning the Desolate Aura nearby.
After a moment's hesitation, it did the same for Lin Fan—casting a second white glow to shield him as well.
The two exchanged a glance, then began circulating their Devouring Powers to absorb the surrounding energy.
As the Desolate Aura entered their bodies, their physical strength rose rapidly. It also worked to refine their foundations.
After all, they had relied on many pills and spiritual fruits recently—especially the Life Xuanling Fruit and Earthcore Spirit Pulp—which had caused their cultivation bases to become somewhat unstable.
But now, under the polishing power of the Desolate Aura, their foundations solidified.
Time passed as they cultivated in silence.
In the blink of an eye, a month had gone by.
During that time, Lin Dong's Azure Dragon Transformation Art had condensed ten blue dragon marks.
The stone talisman's surface had also begun to reveal faint, mysterious patterns. A faint vitality glimmered through its form, clearly showing it had undergone some restoration within the Desolate Tower.
By comparison, Lin Fan's gains were slightly less impressive.
Aside from further stabilizing his cultivation, he had pushed his physical body strength to a level on par with ferocious beasts of the same stage.
To be honest, Lin Fan wasn't quite satisfied.
Still, considering he'd never focused on body-tempering techniques, the improvement was acceptable.
With their bodies now greatly strengthened, the pressure they felt in the tower had lessened significantly.
Of course, that was also due to the talisman having absorbed a significant portion of the Desolate Aura, thinning it out somewhat.
"Wonder how much longer the talisman's going to keep this up," Lin Dong muttered as he watched it continue absorbing energy.
Lin Fan smiled. "The more it absorbs, the more it recovers—and the more it can help you later."
"Heh, true enough." Lin Dong chuckled, eyes full of expectation.
He then casually looked up toward the passage to the eighth floor, where a golden light membrane shimmered faintly.
"Hm?" Lin Dong suddenly noticed a tiny crack in the membrane.
Just then, a burst of purple-golden light shot through the crack like a beam, thin as a finger, and slammed into Lin Dong's body—racing wildly through his meridians.
Startled, Lin Dong immediately sat down and tried to block it with his Yuan Power.
"Use the Devouring Ancestral Symbol to refine it," Lin Fan quickly advised.
Taking the advice, Lin Dong gritted his teeth and activated the symbol. After a brief struggle, he succeeded in absorbing the purple-golden energy—adding a new trump card to his arsenal.
When it was done, Lin Dong stood up, face pale with lingering fear.
"What on earth is up there? That purple-golden skin was packed with terrifying Desolate Aura!"
"Most likely… the source of the Desolate Aura is in the eighth floor," Lin Fan answered.
"That was the Desolate Lord's Desolate Skin…"
Suddenly, a hoarse voice echoed through the empty chamber.
Lin Dong's body stiffened. He turned to see a new figure—an indistinct projection—emerging from the talisman.
The ghostly image floated gently in the air. Though its features were unclear, it radiated a faint aura of life.
"You're… the spirit of the talisman?" Lin Fan asked, feigning surprise.
"I am… the Spirit of the Ancestral Stone," came the raspy reply.
Lin Dong's shock slowly settled. Curious, he asked, "You've recovered?"
"Only my consciousness has reawakened. My power… not much has returned," the spirit replied with a shake of its head—regret evident in its tone.
The spirit then began to explain the origins of the Desolate Lord, the Eight Disciples of the Symbol Ancestor, and even information about the Yimo.
As the strongest divine artifact forged by the Symbol Ancestor himself, the Ancestral Stone had witnessed it all—and its spirit knew more than most.
Only after a long while did the spirit finish its recounting.
Lin Fan's eyes flickered. He stepped forward and gently held the floating talisman in his palm.
"Besides Desolate Aura, what else can help you recover?" he asked.
The spirit, aware of Lin Fan and Lin Dong's connection, answered openly, "When the time comes, I'll let you know."
"…Alright," Lin Fan nodded without pressing further.
"The Desolate Aura can no longer help you. It's time to leave," the spirit said. "And once you do—avoid using my power. If the Yimo detect me, they will come for you."
"At your current strength, even a Yimo General could kill you easily."
"…Understood." Lin Dong and Lin Fan exchanged looks and nodded solemnly.
Buzz!
A soft light pulsed from the talisman, lifting it from Lin Fan's hand and sending it back into Lin Dong's body.
At that moment, Lin Fan's system rang out again with a familiar chime in his mind—
[Ding!]
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