Chapter 78:Friends, if you want to read chapters in advance, subscribe to my patreon.

Chapter 78: The Black Flame Shatters the Seal

"After days of traveling, we've finally reached the ancient tomb," Lin Dong murmured, his gaze filled with excitement as he looked up toward the mountain peak.

"Yes," Lin Langtian nodded with a slight smile. "But there is still a seal on the mountaintop. Breaking it alone would be difficult, so we'll need to wait for the other three major clans to arrive before we can open it together."

Though Lin Langtian could possibly force his way through the tomb's seal, the delicate alliance among the four major clans made it unwise to act selfishly.

"Then let's go to the base of the mountain first," Elder Tao suggested.

With that, the group quickened their pace, and within minutes, they arrived at the encampment at the mountain's foot. Already, numerous people and tents filled the area, drawn by the tomb's powerful allure. As Lin Langtian's group entered, their presence drew many curious gazes, though most quickly looked away upon recognizing the family crest. The Lin Clan held a formidable reputation in the Great Yan Empire, one that few dared provoke.

"The Wang Clan's already here," Lin Ke'er noted, looking toward a high ridge where a group of people were observing them. Several young members of the Wang Clan were gathered there, and when they noticed Lin Langtian, they couldn't hide the respect in their eyes. Even as a clan equal to the Lin Clan, they clearly regarded Lin Langtian with deference.

Lin Dong, observing this, was surprised. He hadn't expected that even the powerful Wang Clan would show such respect to Lin Langtian. His fame, it seemed, was truly unmatched in the Great Yan Empire.

"Oh, so Wang Pan's here too," Lin Chen said, raising an eyebrow as he noticed a young man in yellow at the center of the Wang Clan's group.

"With Brother Langtian here, we won't be at a disadvantage. Let's set up camp and rest for now," Lin Ke'er said with a dismissive tone, showing little interest in the Wang Clan.

The others nodded and began setting up their tents.

After a short break, a booming laugh echoed from the horizon like a thunderclap, drawing everyone's attention. A golden light cut through the sky, carrying a powerful presence that swept across the area. The golden figure soon took shape—a massive golden spear, over ten meters long, on which stood a man in golden robes, his long hair billowing wildly as he radiated an aura of arrogance.

"Brother Wang Yan is here!" the young Wang Clan members cheered as they looked up, delighted by the sight.

"Still as flashy as ever," Lin Langtian muttered with a faint smile.

"That Wang Yan is likely the Wang Clan's own genius," came Little Mink's voice in Lin Dong's mind. "He's only at the Form Creation stage, far weaker than Lin Langtian. But the golden spear beneath him is an advanced spiritual treasure. With it, he could likely hold his ground against a Qi Creation stage expert."

Lin Dong's eyes narrowed as he murmured, "Being able to match a Qi Creation stage expert is still impressive. Not everyone is a freak like Lin Langtian..."

"Interesting," Little Mink noted lazily. "Looks like your opinion of Lin Langtian has changed a lot lately."

Lin Dong froze, as if wanting to explain, but ultimately said nothing.

Soon after Wang Yan's arrival, another streak of light flashed across the sky and stopped in the air. The crowd turned, drawn by the brilliant green light that heralded the arrival of a massive wind luan, flapping its wings and hovering in the air. On its back stood a blue-robed man with strikingly beautiful, almost otherworldly features.

"That's Qin Shi, the Qin Clan genius," some murmured excitedly.

With Wang Yan and Qin Shi now present, three of the four major clans of the Great Yan Empire had gathered.

After briefly greeting Lin Langtian, Wang Yan shifted his gaze toward the seal covering the mountain's peak. "When are we going to break that seal?"

"No rush; we're waiting for one more," Lin Langtian replied.

"Who?" Qin Shi asked, looking puzzled. "The Huangpu Clan said they weren't sending anyone."

Lin Langtian smiled knowingly. "It's true that the Huangpu Clan isn't coming. Instead, they've hired someone even more skilled."

"Oh? Who could it be?" Wang Yan asked, his curiosity piqued. It wasn't often that someone earned Lin Langtian's admiration. In recent years, Lin Langtian's influence had grown so much that even Wang Yan's older brother, Wang Zhong, the Wang Clan's top talent, would hesitate to challenge him.

A light, elegant voice rang out as Wang Yan spoke, "Brother Langtian flatters me. With such top-tier talents from the Great Yan Empire here, I doubt I'll have much to gain on this trip."

At the sound of that gentle voice, everyone looked up to see a figure surrounded by a gentle blue light approaching from afar, finally settling in the shape of a blue lotus. A slender figure stood atop the lotus, and though her face was partially obscured by a thin veil, her eyes, as clear as crystal, instantly captivated the crowd.

"Greetings, Lady Qingzhu," Qin Shi said with a respectful smile as he recognized her.

Wang Yan's gaze grew fervent as he eyed the graceful figure. "Didn't expect Lady Ling Qingzhu to take an interest in our Great Yan Empire's treasures."

"Just a coincidence," she replied with a gentle smile before looking toward Lin Langtian. "Now that we're all here, shall we break the seal?"

"Of course," Lin Langtian agreed, giving a slight nod. He then looked at the other three and said plainly, "Let's begin."

If not for waiting on these three, he would have broken the seal on his own.

"Sounds good!" Wang Yan was the first to act, stomping down on his massive golden spear. The spear's tip flared, concentrating into a massive, radiant spear tip that shot toward the seal in a blinding golden arc.

At the same time, Qin Shi, standing on his wind luan, raised a deep-blue fan and conjured a rapidly spinning wave of blue energy, pulsing with powerful Yuan Power.

"Go!" he commanded, sending the wave surging forward like a tidal wave across the sky.

Lin Langtian stood calmly, hands clasped behind his back. Without any overt gesture, a massive vortex began to form above his head. A torrent of Yuan Power surged from his body, coalescing into an enormous sword of black flame. It shot forward like a blazing comet, ripping through the sky toward the seal.

Unlike the explosive attacks from the other three, Ling Qingzhu's move was deceptively subtle. With a simple flick of her wrist, a single petal fell from the blue lotus beneath her feet. Wrapped in a vibrant green glow, it glided silently toward the seal atop the mountain.

Together, their powerful strikes reached the mountain summit. As they collided with the sky, a distortion appeared, gradually revealing a shimmering barrier of energy. Strange symbols ran across the surface of this barrier like intricate patterns etched in light.

Each of the four attacks converged on a single spot on the seal, where the energy ripples grew faster and the barrier began to dim, darkening at its edges.

"Shatter," Lin Langtian commanded softly.

Boom!

As he spoke, the black flame sword plunged through the seal. With a thunderous crack, it burst apart, unleashing a storm of power that obliterated the symbols on the barrier.

Crack! Crack!

A sharp cracking sound filled the air as tiny fissures appeared across the seal. The crowd gasped, watching in awe as the barrier began to fracture.

"The seal is breaking!"

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