39: Black Skull Secret Meeting, Shadow Choice

The Misty Forest before dawn was silent. Lin Chen sat cross-legged under an ancient tree, his fingertips gently caressing the silver Jade Slip.

Having been awake all night, his eyes were bloodshot, but his mind was exceptionally clear.

"Shadow Enchantment..." Lin Chen silently repeated the name in his heart.

The Silver Masked Man's codename in the Hall of Souls, an Earth-Grade Protector, his strength was around a three-star Dou Zong.

Logically, such a figure had no reason to help a defector, unless...

"Unless he has other motives."

Lin Chen put the Jade Slip into his storage ring and looked at Xiao Yan not far away.

In the morning light, this Son of Destiny was still asleep, with two different flames, one green and one white, slowly circulating around his body, clearly Cultivating unconsciously.

"Awake?" Mang Tianchi's voice suddenly rang in his ear.

The Dou Zun expert had appeared beside Lin Chen at some point, and his cloudy old eyes gleamed with an all-knowing light.

Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat, but he remained calm: "Good morning, Senior."

"The thing that kid gave you, this old man saw it," Mang Tianchi said directly. "Dogs biting dogs in the Hall of Souls, this old man originally didn't want to meddle.

But since it involves Xiao Yan..."

Lin Chen was silent for a moment, then decided to tell the truth: "The Silver Masked Man asked me to meet him at the old Black Skull Tomb site at noon today, saying he had information about the Hall of Souls's Kill Order."

"A trap," Mang Tianchi said decisively. "The Hall of Souls has always acted ruthlessly, especially towards traitors."

"I know," Lin Chen said with a bitter smile. "But I have no other choice. Senior should know what the Hall of Souls's Kill Order means."

Mang Tianchi looked deeply at Lin Chen: "Are you planning to hide it from Xiao Yan?"

"He doesn't need to get involved," Lin Chen stood up, stretching his stiff body. "After clearing the imprint, we're even."

The old Headmaster shook his head: "Young people... Fine, this old man won't stop you, but I also won't provide help.

Life and death are fated; take care of yourself."

With that, Mang Tianchi turned and walked towards Xiao Yan, who was still sound asleep, seemingly truly intending to stay out of it.

Lin Chen breathed a sigh of relief.

He took one last look at Xiao Yan and quietly disappeared into the morning mist.

This journey was extremely dangerous, but he had to go—not just to survive, but also for the secret message hidden deep within the Jade Slip.

The second part of the content, which could only be deciphered with a specific Hall of Souls secret technique, read:

"The Net of Lotus Demonic Flame remnant map is with the Black Skull Tomb Master; the Hall of Souls will retrieve it in three days. — Shadow Enchantment."

......

At noon, Lin Chen stood at the entrance of the old Black Skull Tomb site.

This was a half-collapsed underground mausoleum, with grotesque skull patterns carved at the entrance, exuding an eerie aura even in broad daylight.

"Shadow Enchantment, I'm here," Lin Chen didn't go in, but stood in the open space and shouted loudly.

Responding to him was a chilling laugh.

The Silver Masked Man walked out from the shadows of the tomb, his eyes under the mask glinting with a strange light: "You're quite brave, to actually dare to come alone."

"Enough talk," Lin Chen's left hand formed a fist, and a wisp of black flame danced in his palm—it was that wisp of Void Swallowing Flame's sub-flame. "You want this, right?"

The Silver Masked Man's body visibly stiffened: "You can control it? Impossible!"

"Nothing is impossible," Lin Chen sneered. "Now, tell me the details of the Kill Order, and... why are you interested in the Net of Lotus Demonic Flame remnant map?"

The air instantly solidified.

The Silver Masked Man stared intently at Lin Chen, and after a long while, he said hoarsely: "You actually deciphered the second message... It seems I underestimated you."

He slowly removed his mask, revealing a face covered in strange patterns.

Those patterns wriggled like living things, occasionally flashing with blood-red light.

"Soul Devouring Seal?" Lin Chen's pupils contracted slightly. "You were controlled by the Hall of Souls?"

"As expected of 'Shadow Blade', your eyesight is good," Shadow Enchantment—now he should be called by his real name, Mo Cheng—said with a bitter smile. "After a failed mission three years ago, they planted this on me.

For these years, I've ostensibly served the Hall of Souls, but in reality, I've been looking for a way to remove it."

Lin Chen did not relax his guard: "So?"

"The Void Swallowing Flame's sub-flame can temporarily suppress the Soul Devouring Seal," Mo Cheng pointed to the black flame in Lin Chen's hand. "And the clue to the Net of Lotus Demonic Flame can earn me the trust of the Hall of Souls's high-ranking members, allowing me to get closer to the method of removing the Soul Devouring Seal."

This explanation was reasonable, but Lin Chen remained suspicious: "Why seek my cooperation?"

"Because you are the only one who successfully broke free from the Hall of Souls's control!" Mo Cheng's eyes flashed with fanaticism. "I personally saw you clear the Blood Soul Imprint! Tell me the method, and I can exchange it for information on the Kill Order!"

Lin Chen pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked: "Who was sent for the Kill Order?"

"An Human-Grade Protector, Iron Protector," Mo Cheng answered without hesitation. "A five-star Dou Zong, skilled in Soul attacks.

He will arrive in the Black-Corner Region in three days, with his primary target being you, and secondarily, Yao Chen's Soul within Xiao Yan's body."

Lin Chen's heart tightened.

A five-star Dou Zong was far beyond what he could contend with now.

But what concerned him more was that Mo Cheng's tone when mentioning Yao Chen was too calm, as if...

"You're lying," Lin Chen suddenly retreated. "Iron Protector doesn't even know Yao Chen is inside Xiao Yan!"

Mo Cheng's face changed drastically: "You...!"

"Furthermore, the Soul Devouring Seal's activation cycle is seven days, but the patterns on your face indicate it hasn't activated for at least half a month," Lin Chen continued to expose. "You aren't controlled at all, but willingly serve the Hall of Souls!"

"Clever," Mo Cheng's expression suddenly turned sinister. "Too bad it's too late!"

He clapped his hands, and blood-colored patterns suddenly lit up on the surrounding ground, instantly activating a massive Formation!

Countless blood-colored chains shot out from the Void Realm, encircling Lin Chen.

"Soul Devouring Grand Formation!" Lin Chen recognized this secret Formation of the Hall of Souls. "You set it up long ago?"

Mo Cheng sneered as he put his mask back on: "The Hall Master was right, you are indeed a troublesome character.

Unfortunately, in the face of absolute strength, any scheme is futile!"

He formed hand Seals, and the blood-colored chains lunged at Lin Chen like venomous snakes.

These chains specialized in countering Souls; once entangled, even a Dou Zong would find it difficult to break free.

In this critical moment, Lin Chen instead calmed down.

He flipped his left hand, and the wisp of black flame suddenly surged, transforming into a shield of fire in front of him.

The chains collided with the black fire, emitting a piercing "sizzle" sound.

"Useless!" Mo Cheng roared. "The Void Swallowing Flame's sub-flame is too weak to block the Soul Devouring Chains!"

Indeed, although the black flame could temporarily block the chains, it was being consumed at a visible rate.

Lin Chen estimated it could last at most ten more breaths.

"That's enough," he muttered, and his right hand suddenly took something out of his storage ring—it was the black crystal that sealed the pure Void Swallowing Flame's sub-flame!

"What?!" Mo Cheng exclaimed in shock. "You still have more?!"

Lin Chen ignored him, crushing the crystal without hesitation.

Black flames surged out like a tide, instantly enveloping his entire body.

The blood-colored chains, upon contact with this more powerful black fire, immediately melted like ice and snow.

"Impossible!" Mo Cheng was furious and shocked. "How can you withstand such a powerful Void Swallowing Flame?!"

"Because... this is my true trump card," Lin Chen's voice came from within the black fire, with a strange echo.

The black flames slowly contracted, finally forming a ferocious black armor on Lin Chen's body.

The helmet resembled a demon's mask, the chest bore a roaring skull pattern, and sharp spikes extended from the joints.

This was a new ability Lin Chen had comprehended from the Dark Shadow Soul Binding Art—"Shadow Demon Armor"!

Using the Void Swallowing Flame as an lead and Shadow Erosion Dou Qi as the foundation, he temporarily gained strength beyond his own Rank!

"Now, it's my turn," Lin Chen raised his hand, and a pitch-black long spear appeared out of thin air, its tip pulsating with a terrifying black glow.

Mo Cheng's face changed drastically, and he quickly formed Seals to defend.

But Lin Chen's speed was even faster than he imagined!

The black long spear shot out like lightning, easily piercing through his protective Dou Qi and heading straight for his throat!

"Pfft!"

In the nick of time, Mo Cheng barely managed to turn his body, and the long spear pierced through his shoulder.

Even more terrifying, the wound immediately began to blacken, and a strange devouring force began to spread.

"Ah!" Mo Cheng screamed, retreating frantically. "What kind of Dou Skill is this?!"

Lin Chen didn't answer, sweeping the long spear, forcing Mo Cheng to dodge clumsily.

In his Shadow Demon Armor state, every one of his attacks carried the devouring characteristic of the Void Swallowing Flame, which even a Dou Zong dared not confront directly.

"Damn it!" Mo Cheng gritted his teeth and crushed a Jade Talisman, his figure instantly blurring. "Lin Chen, you can't escape! Iron Protector will personally finish you off!"

Amidst the spatial distortion, Mo Cheng vanished without a trace, leaving behind only a few drops of black blood.

Lin Chen did not pursue, but immediately disengaged the Shadow Demon Armor.

The black armor receded like a tide, revealing his pale face.

This move consumed too much; it had only lasted less than three minutes, yet it had almost drained all of his Dou Qi.

"Must leave quickly..." Lin Chen forced himself to stand up, and just as he was about to withdraw, he suddenly heard a faint groan from deep within the tomb.

After a moment of hesitation, he decided to investigate.

Following the dark passage, he finally discovered a shocking scene in a stone chamber:

Five people were chained with iron chains, each with a blood-colored crystal pillar inserted into their chest, slowly having their Soul Power extracted.

One of them was none other than the true Black Skull Tomb Master!

"Save... save me..." The Black Skull Tomb Master saw Lin Chen and weakly reached out. "Net of Lotus... remnant map... for you..."

Lin Chen cautiously checked his surroundings, and only after confirming there were no traps did he step forward and cut the chains.

The Black Skull Tomb Master collapsed to the ground, trembling as he took out a tattered, ancient parchment from his embrace.

"The Hall of Souls... wants this... I'd rather die... than give it..." He stuffed the parchment into Lin Chen's hand. "Just ask you... to give me a quick end..."

Lin Chen took the parchment; it was cold to the touch, with a complex route map drawn on it, and a small lotus symbol at the edge.

This was indeed the remnant map of the Net of Lotus Demonic Flame!

"Why trust me?" Lin Chen asked, puzzled.

The Black Skull Tomb Master gave a tragic smile: "The aura on you... is different from the Hall of Souls... darker... purer..."

After saying this, his eyes began to lose focus.

Lin Chen sighed, raised his hand and brought it down, giving the other party a quick end.

The other four had long since died, their Souls similarly drained.

"Mo Cheng... you are even more vicious than I imagined," Lin Chen put away the remnant map and quickly left this eerie place.

......

At sunset, Lin Chen returned to the edge of the Misty Forest.

He did not go directly to Xiao Yan and Mang Tianchi, but hid in a secluded cave, studying the remnant map.

"Strange..." Lin Chen frowned deeply.

He had never seen the route on this remnant map; it was neither the Central Plains nor the Northwest Continent's terrain.

Even more bizarre, when he tried to probe it with Soul Power, the lines on the map actually began to wriggle, combining into a strange text:

"Demonic flame appears, nine stars align.

At the bottom of the Yellow Springs, the Net of Lotus is Reborn."

"This is... a prophecy?" Lin Chen was completely baffled.

In the original work, the Net of Lotus Demonic Flame appeared in the Demonic Flame Space, completely unrelated to anything like the "bottom of the Yellow Springs."

Could it be that due to his intervention, the plot had undergone unpredictable changes?

Just as he was deep in thought, footsteps suddenly came from outside the cave.

Lin Chen immediately became alert, Shadow Erosion Dou Qi condensing in his palm.

"It's me," Xiao Yan's voice rang out, and then his figure appeared at the cave entrance. "I've been looking for you for a long time."

Lin Chen breathed a sigh of relief, but remained vigilant: "How did you find this place?"

"Yao Lao taught me tracking techniques," Xiao Yan walked into the cave, his gaze falling on the remnant map in Lin Chen's hand. "That is..."

"A clue to the Net of Lotus Demonic Flame," Lin Chen did not hide it. "The Hall of Souls is currently collecting this."

Xiao Yan's eyes lit up, but then quickly dimmed: "We need to hurry back to the Academy.

The Hall of Souls has sent a Dou Zong expert to hunt you down, and Headmaster Mang said only the Academy's grand Formation can temporarily resist."

Lin Chen shook his head: "It's useless.

A five-star Dou Zong, plus Mo Cheng as an insider, Jia Nan Academy's grand Formation won't last long."

"Then what should we do?" Xiao Yan frowned. "We can't just sit and wait for death."

Lin Chen pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked: "Xiao Yan, do you trust me?"

"What do you mean?"

"I have a plan, but it requires your cooperation," Lin Chen looked directly into Xiao Yan's eyes. "However, the risk is very high, and it might put you in danger."

Xiao Yan did not hesitate: "Tell me, what's the plan?"

Lin Chen took out the remnant map: "Iron Protector's primary targets are me and Yao Lao.

If we act separately, you take this map to the Central Plains, attracting the Hall of Souls's attention, while I secretly go to another place..."

"Feint?" Xiao Yan immediately understood Lin Chen's intention. "But Yao Lao said that the Net of Lotus Demonic Flame won't appear for at least another three years."

"I'm not talking about the Net of Lotus Demonic Flame," Lin Chen revealed a mysterious smile. "But... a clue to another type of different flame."

"What different flame?"

"Three Thousand Burning Flame."

Xiao Yan gasped: "The one sealed by the Pill Tower?"

Lin Chen nodded: "According to my information, the Hall of Souls will make a move against the Pill Tower soon.

If we can get there first..."

He didn't finish, but Xiao Yan already understood.

This plan was extremely risky, but the rewards were equally immense.

The Three Thousand Burning Flame, as the ninth-ranked different flame, its value was self-evident.

"I need to think about it," Xiao Yan said in a deep voice.

A moment later, Yao Chen's voice came from the ring: "Kid, you're bolder than this old man imagined.

However... this plan is indeed feasible."

Xiao Yan took a deep breath and extended his hand: "Deal."

Lin Chen grasped that hand, and the two smiled at each other.

At this moment, they were no longer strangers who suspected each other, but true... allies.

"We'll split up in three days," Lin Chen put away the remnant map. "Before that, we need to make some preparations."

The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the cave entrance, casting a golden edge on the figures of the two young men.

The road ahead was full of unknown dangers, but also contained infinite opportunities.

And Lin Chen knew that from this moment on, he would completely change the trajectory of the original work, writing his own legend!