Chapter 253 Testing and Negotiation

Inner courtyard and back hill.

In the rolling mountains, the old ghost Zhaixing was covered in black mist and ran hurriedly towards the inner courtyard.

Just as he was about to fly over a valley, the space not far ahead suddenly twisted violently, and strong spatial fluctuations spread out from it.

"Whoever comes, stop!"

A clear voice came from the distorted space.

Afterwards, the silver spatial force was seen interweaving and converging in this twisted space, and the twisted space turned into a silver halo. A man in green and a woman in white slowly walked out of the silver halo.

Seeing this, the speeding old ghost Zhaixing trembled, and appeared in front of the two of them in an instant, as if teleporting.

"Snapped--"

Lin Yuan clapped his hands and praised: "Your Excellency has great body movements, worthy of being a respected elder of the Soul Palace!" He immediately spoke first: "But, I don't know which venerable you are? What is your purpose for coming here?"

Before he finished speaking, his eyes became slightly stern, and a vast soul force surged out, instantly detecting the opponent's precise cultivation level.

"Five-star Dou Zun... can seize the initiative!"

Upon seeing this, the little medical fairy beside him tacitly released his own powerful aura and looked coldly at the old ghost Zhaixing, as if he was ready to start a fight if they disagreed.

"This soul power... is stronger than Mu Gu's. Is this person Lin Yuan?"

The vast soul power made the old ghost Zhaixing confirm in an instant that the young man in front of him was the target person this time, Lin Yuan, who had refined the eighth-grade three-color elixir.

"Also, this girl... is a four-star Dou Zun?"

Sensing Little Medical Fairy's cultivation level, he couldn't help but flash a hint of surprise in his eyes. Such a young four-star Dou Zun was not mentioned in the intelligence. If a conflict occurred, this mission, which was supposed to be foolproof, might run into complications.

He felt a deadly threat from this little medical fairy. He wondered if the other party had something dangerous on him...

"It's not advisable to take direct action. Let's try to negotiate first."

Having made up his mind, the old ghost Zhaixing dispersed the black fog covering his body, revealing his face and figure, and said kindly: "Jie... ahem, my name is Zhaixing, and I am the Heavenly Lord of Zhongzhou Soul Palace. I have come here on the orders of the Palace Master to invite little friend Lin to join the Soul Palace..."

"Oh?" Lin Yuan smiled playfully and said calmly, "Invite me? Aren't you just like the last person who came here to kill me by name?"

As soon as he finished speaking, both he and Xiao Yixian had a bit more murderous intent in their eyes, and the atmosphere at the scene suddenly became cold and solemn...

"Kill you?" The old ghost Zhaixing was stunned.

However, when he saw the two's unfriendly faces and hostile eyes, his heart sank and he asked hurriedly, "You are someone the Palace Master values. How could we do such a thing? There may be a misunderstanding!"

"What do you think about the fact that old man Mu Gu came here specifically to kill me a few days ago?" Lin Yuan said calmly.

"Mu Gu wants to kill you?"

Hearing Lin Yuan's words, Zhaixing Old Ghost was stunned for a moment, and quickly denied, "That guy is clearly in Zhongzhou. After receiving the order from the Palace Master, I rushed here without stopping. It is impossible for him to be here before me..."

"Impossible...?" Lin Yuan interrupted him calmly and said playfully, "Then what do you think this is? As a colleague, you should recognize it..."

As he said this, he flipped his hand and a black ring with a special shape appeared in his palm.

Seeing this storage ring, the old ghost Zhaixing's eyes suddenly narrowed.

After hesitating for a moment, his voice became a little more serious, and he asked in a deep voice: "This is Mu Gu's Yin Bone Ring. Little friend Lin, how did you get it?"

Lin Yuan tossed the Yin Bone Ring in his hand and asked casually, "You've already guessed it, haven't you?"

"Did you kill him?" The old ghost Zhaixing looked at Lin Yuan solemnly.

"I killed him." Lin Yuan smiled indifferently and said calmly: "Ten days ago, he came to find me, saying that he followed the orders of the Soul Palace's high-level officials to kill me and take away the strange fire. In return, I sent him to an end where his body and soul were destroyed..."

After a pause, Lin Yuan raised his eyebrows and asked playfully: "What is your relationship with him? Do you want to avenge him?"

There was a hint of deep meaning in his eyes, and he took the initiative to stir up hatred.

After Elder Mu Gu's death, the Soul Palace would definitely send someone to investigate. If they found the Black Horn Region and discovered the area below the academy, it would be troublesome...

Beneath the magma is a secret that Lin Yuan must keep. In order to avoid risks, he took the initiative to take the blame.

After getting Lin Yuan's definite answer, the old ghost Zhaixing felt a sinking feeling in his heart.

Elder Mu Gu was considered a very special existence in the Soul Palace. Although his strength was average, he was an extremely rare eighth-grade alchemist in the palace. The consequences of losing an eighth-grade alchemist were even greater than the consequences of losing a Heavenly Venerable.

"No, the Palace Master's order was to take Lin Yuan back, but he wanted to kill..."

Thinking back on the whole incident, Zhaixing Old Ghost quickly figured out the whole thing. "Damn it, that guy had some ulterior motives. He intercepted the message and acted on his own... He was such an audacious idiot. How dare he do such a thing..."

After sorting out everything, he hurriedly bowed to Lin Yuan and explained, "It was a misunderstanding. Mu Gu acted on his own, and it was not the Soul Palace's intention."

"Oh? It seems that you have no intention of avenging him?" Lin Yuan asked.

"It depends on your choice." said the old ghost Zhaixing.

Speaking of this, he straightened his face and said solemnly: "If you are willing to follow me back to the Soul Hall to meet the Hall Master and become my colleague, then the matter of Mu Gu will only be an internal matter of our Soul Hall. Otherwise..."

After a pause, a trace of cruelty flashed in his eyes, "Even if the people of the Soul Palace are wrong, outsiders have no right to kill them, so..."

The old ghost Zhaixing didn't finish his words, but his meaning was very clear and strong - if Lin Yuan didn't go to the Soul Palace, he would probably be hunted by the Soul Palace...

"Are you threatening us?"

The Little Medical Fairy's eyes suddenly turned cold and she looked at him murderously, a dark purple flame rising from her fingertips.

"Strange fire? I sensed a dangerous aura before, it turned out to be this!"

A hint of surprise flashed across the old ghost Zhaixing's eyes, but he still said forcefully: "Little girl, the strength of the strange fire and the four-star Dou Zun can't change anything."

“Although you have great talent and strength, you cannot stop what my Soul Palace is going to do. Lin Yuan has received the attention of the Palace Master. Even if you can stop me this time, there are many people in the Palace who are stronger than me. He cannot escape. Don’t make mistakes!”

After saying this, the old ghost Zhaixing’s eyes became fierce, and the majestic aura of a five-star Dou Zun emanated from him, and the space trembled accordingly.

Seeing this, Little Medical Fairy seemed to be enraged. She looked at the old ghost Zhaixing even colder, and the aura on her body became more dangerous, but there was a sly glint in her eyes.

"Pause, there is no need for us to be hostile, let's just talk it out!"

Just when the atmosphere was becoming tense, Lin Yuan stepped forward and stood in front of Xiao Yixiang, ending their confrontation and also blocking the latter's slightly raised mouth corners.

"Star-Picking Lord, are you really taking me back to the Soul Palace instead of killing me?" Lin Yuan asked.

Seeing that Lin Yuan was not like the other high-level alchemists who showed disgust when the Soul Palace was mentioned, Zhaixing Old Ghost was delighted and said earnestly, "I can guarantee this. The Lord Palace Master asked me to bring you back intact. Failure is not allowed!"

"I see. It seems that the Lord of your Palace really values ​​me!" Lin Yuan nodded and chuckled. "Lord Palace Lord, you are always eager to recruit talented people."

The old ghost Zhaixing nodded and said, "Our Soul Palace is the strongest force in Zhongzhou. After you join, you will be able to receive the best training under the watchful eyes of the Lord Palace Master. It won't be long before you can break through to Dou Zun and Dou Sheng and become famous throughout the continent!"

Hearing this, Lin Yuan clapped his hands and smiled, "I have heard of the name of Soul Palace a long time ago, and I am indeed interested in joining. I am willing to go with you..."

The old ghost Zhaixing was delighted when he heard this: "Great..."

However, before he could finish his words, Lin Yuan suddenly changed the subject.

"However, Elder Mu Gu almost killed me that day. Thinking about it now, I still feel scared. I cherish my life. If there is no perfect safety guarantee, I am afraid I can't go to the Soul Palace with you!"

"Are you refusing?" The joy on Zhaixing Old Ghost's face faded away, and he said in a cold voice.

"No!" Lin Yuan shook his head and said meaningfully: "I just need security, so that I can convince myself."

"In any case, Elder Mu Gu from your palace almost put me to death, and this cannot be erased by a few words. Do you think that a few words can dispel my doubts and make me follow you to take risks?"

"Haha, my life is not yet happy enough to believe what others say casually."

Hearing Lin Yuan's words, Zhaixing Old Ghost's face darkened, and his tone became more threatening: "Do you know what your choice means?"

"Haha!" Lin Yuan smiled faintly and said calmly: "Don't try to intimidate me."

"I know a little about the situation on the continent. Danta and many ancient clans are still there, and the Soul Palace cannot cover the sky. And with my alchemy skills, whether I go to Danta to be an elder, or go to the Ancient Clan or the Thunder Clan to be a guest official, it is more than enough..."

At this point, a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes: "But if I really did that, the mission of Star-Picking Heavenly Venerable would probably be a complete failure!"

Hearing this, Zhaixing Old Ghost's heart sank, "Negotiation failed... Trouble!"

In this mission, the Palace Master specifically emphasized that failure was not allowed. If he returned empty-handed, the consequences would be...

Thinking of some of the punishments in the palace, he couldn't help but shudder.

"It seems that we have to use force to solve it..."

The thought of using force came to his mind. The old ghost Zhaixing looked at Lin Yuan with a dangerous look in his eyes. He would never allow this mission to fail...

Sensitively sensing the change in atmosphere, the Little Medical Fairy flashed and protected Lin Yuan behind her, saying calmly: "If you want to fight, I'll accompany you. With me here, you can't take Lin Yuan away by force."

"Little girl, if you want a fight, I will satisfy you!"

The old ghost Zhaixing's eyes flashed, and the aura of the Five-Star Dou Zun pressed down on him. An extremely strong murderous intent emanated from his body.

When Little Medical Fairy saw this, dark flames rose from the two of them, and their aura began to rise rapidly.

"Three Mysterious Transformations of Heavenly Fire: Netherworld Transformation!"

With a delicate cry, the dark purple flame covering the surface of Xiao Yixiang's body churned violently, and then retracted into her body. Her aura began to soar rapidly, and in just a moment, she was promoted from a four-star Dou Zun to a five-star Dou Zun.

The powerful aura caused the surrounding space to tremble, and it seemed as if it was trying to suppress the old ghost Zhaixing.

"The Three Mysterious Transformations of the Heavenly Fire of the Burning Flame Valley?"

When the old ghost Zhaixing saw this, he exclaimed in surprise, a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes, and then a strong sense of fear surged in his heart.

"I was just thinking about testing the power of a Dou Zun. Today, I will test it on you first..."

The Little Medical Fairy smiled sweetly, clenched her jade hands lightly, and dark purple flames lingered between her slender jade fingers. As they moved back and forth, even the surrounding space showed slight fluctuations.

When the old ghost Zhaixing saw this, a fierce look flashed across his eyes, and then he sneered, clenched his fist, and then punched out without any fancy moves.

"boom--"

When the old ghost Zhaixing threw this punch, a vast black mist surged out from his body. The black mist surged and instantly condensed into a black mist palm print that was dozens of feet long. It brought with it an unparalleled strong wind, cut through the void, and blasted towards the little medical fairy.

Little Medical Fairy's mind moved, and dark purple flames surged out from her palms, transforming into a dragon-shaped fire spirit, which roared and collided fiercely with the palm print of the black fog.

"Bam—"

When the two collided, a shocking sound suddenly broke out.

The terrifying air wave swept across the sky like a storm. The cliffs around the valley collapsed in an instant. Huge rocks rolled down and finally landed heavily on the bottom of the valley with a loud noise.

"Humph--"

"Humph--"

As the terrifying air surged, Little Medical Fairy and Star-Picking Old Ghost both took a few steps back in midair, and a low, muffled groan came from their throats...

In the first attack, the two were evenly matched.

The gust of wind raged for a while, and finally dissipated quietly. The originally beautiful valley was now in ruins, and the dense forest seemed to be lifted up, revealing a white land hundreds of feet wide.

The Five-Star Dou Zun was so terrifying that just one collision produced a power that was almost enough to change the terrain.

The old ghost Zhaixing looked at the little medical fairy solemnly. With just one strike, he could be sure that this woman's strength was truly comparable to his own.

"This mission is troublesome! Damn Mu Gu, he made it unnecessary difficult for me..."

Cursing the old man Mu Gu in his heart, the old ghost Zhai Xing once again mobilized the vast fighting spirit in his body. No matter what, he must complete the task of bringing Lin Yuan back to the Soul Palace this time, otherwise...

Thinking of the tone of the palace master's order at that time, his determination became even stronger.

The Little Medical Immortal was even more determined. The Netherworld Poison Fire in her palm almost compressed the dark purple liquid. The terrifying energy caused the space to tremble violently.

After looking at each other coldly, Little Medical Fairy and Star-Picking Old Ghost revealed their determination to win the battle.

"Stop it, both of you. Let's talk about it in a compromise!"

Just as the two were about to start the next round of fighting, Lin Yuan's clear voice suddenly rang in their ears: "I can follow Star-Picking Heavenly Venerable to Zhongzhou Soul Palace, but Star-Picking Heavenly Venerable also needs to agree to some conditions of mine. How about it?"

Hearing that things were turning around, Zhaixing Old Ghost's eyes lit up with joy, and he quickly said, "As long as you are willing to follow me to the Soul Palace, everything will be fine..."

As he spoke, he was on guard against the Little Medical Fairy while being the first to disperse the condensed energy to show his sincerity.

Seeing that the purpose of deterrence and temptation was achieved, Lin Yuan nodded slightly to the Little Medical Fairy, who dispersed the flames in her hands and lifted the Three Mysterious Changes of Heavenly Fire.

As both sides took a step back, space for dialogue was reopened.

The old ghost Zhaixing forced a smile on his face and said, "Little friend Lin, please state your conditions. I will not refuse anything I can do..."

Lin Yuan nodded and said in a deep voice: "I only have one request, to ensure my safety! Therefore, I hope you can let me set up a soul restriction to ensure that I will not be harmed on the road..."

(End of this chapter)