From Fanwu to Xinghai

Chapter 54 Deep within the Sacred Mountain, Crystal Acquired

Inside the sacred mountain, a deathly silence mingled with the smell of sulfur.

Lin Chen and Lin Yuan moved silently through the dark passage like two ghosts blending into the shadows. The luminous pearls embedded in the walls emitted a dim light, barely illuminating the small area beneath their feet. The pervasive smell of sulfur grew stronger, indicating that they were venturing deep into the scorching heart of this ancient earth.

Lin Yuan led the way, his figure steady, but his back revealed an undeniable weariness. "The Time Crystal is in the deepest part," he said softly, his voice echoing in the empty tunnel, "It was once a sacred site for barbarian sacrifices, where a pact with the ancient guardians of time was enshrined."

"Unfortunately... the barbarians are gone, and this place has become a forgotten graveyard." A hint of regret for the lost civilization was subtly revealed in his words.

Lin Chen followed silently, but his mind was highly focused, and his precognitive abilities were fully activated, like an invisible radar scanning every inch of the surrounding space.

He could sense subtle fluctuations in spiritual energy in the air, a sign that the trap was about to be triggered.

Sure enough, less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before the silence was shattered! The rock walls on both sides suddenly burst open, and countless poisoned crossbow bolts shot out with a piercing sound as they pierced the air!

If Lin Chen hadn't anticipated this and slowed down the attack, these deadly hidden weapons would have already pinned the two men to the wall.

"A series of traps!" Lin Chen's eyes sharpened, and his longsword shot out like a serpent, precisely striking several seemingly inconspicuous stalagmites.

However, as soon as the crossbow bolts stopped, a dense barrage of sharp blades shot out from the inside of the rock wall, sweeping across with a teeth-grinding whistling sound, creating a deadly attack from every angle.

Lin Yuan grunted, advancing instead of retreating, his body rippling with faint ripples of time—the manifestation of the power of the River of Time's imprint—which forcefully withstood most of the blades, creating an opportunity for Lin Chen to break the deadlock.

The two worked together seamlessly, and after overcoming several dangers, they finally managed to temporarily break the trap and continue their descent deeper into the earth.

As you descend, the temperature rises exponentially, the air becomes distorted, and breathing becomes scorching and difficult.

The fire poison in Lin Chen's body was stirring again, and the old wound on his shoulder blade was burning painfully. He had to frequently take Rejuvenation Pills to maintain his condition.

Sweat soaked through his clothes, clinging to his body and causing a sticky, uncomfortable feeling, but he didn't falter, his gaze remaining fixed ahead.

Finally, the passage opened up into a huge natural cave.

Countless glowing stalactites hung from the cave ceiling, and in the central area, a pale golden light floated silently—that was the target, the Time Crystal!

It was only the size of a fist, yet it contained immense spiritual power and fragments of the laws of time that could change the very fabric of the world. As the light swirled, the surrounding spacetime seemed to distort slightly.

However, beside the crystal, a figure in black robes stood silently, his face covered by a cold silver mask. The pressure emanating from his body made Lin Chen feel breathless.

Nascent Soul stage! Moreover, he is a Nascent Soul cultivator with the ability to control time. His aura is so condensed and terrifying that it far surpasses any enemy he has encountered before, including Xiao Yan.

"I've been waiting for you for a long time." The man in black robes spoke, his voice hoarse, like metal scraping against rock, making people extremely uncomfortable. "The Executor anticipated that you would come to collect the crystal, and specially ordered me to wait here."

"The Executor's dog?" Lin Chen said coldly, his longsword humming slightly, and the mysterious mark on his forehead glowing faintly.

"Seventh Protector Mo Chen." The man in black robes, Mo Chen, nodded slightly, then raised his hand and summoned the Time Crystal, which transformed into a stream of light and entered his storage ring. "You can take the crystal. The condition is that you can survive my attack."

Before he finished speaking, he raised his hand and unleashed a jet-black time blade! The blade was wreathed in eerie gray energy, and wherever it passed, even light seemed to be eroded and swallowed up.

Lin Chen's pupils contracted, and he activated the time deceleration to the limit, narrowly avoiding the attack by sliding to the side. However, Mo Chen's attacks were relentless and unstoppable. The second and third time blades had already blocked all his escape routes. The speed was so fast that it almost exceeded his thought process!

"His time laws have reached perfection; you are no match for him!" Lin Yuan shouted urgently, ignoring his own injuries, and fully activated the Time River Imprint, attempting to disrupt Mo Chen's rhythm. The two time forces collided, unleashing a silent shockwave that cracked the surrounding ground, causing both of them to stagger backward.

Lin Chen, however, seized an opportunity in that split second! Taking advantage of the moment Lin Yuan had gained, the power of the dimensional seed within him surged into his arm, and a strange grayish luster appeared on his longsword. He transformed into a phantom and thrust it straight at Mo Chen's heart!

Mo Chen never expected that Lin Chen could still unleash such speed under such high pressure. Just as he was about to dodge, he felt the space-time around him suddenly freeze - Lin Chen's premonition and time deceleration combined to create this fatal half-second stiffness!

puff!

The longsword pierced through Mo Chen's protective aura and black robe with perfect precision, embedding itself deeply in his shoulder! Blood splattered!

"How is this possible... You actually managed to hurt me?" Mo Chen was both shocked and furious, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Just as he was about to unleash his secret technique to counterattack, his expression suddenly changed drastically—the Time Crystal in his storage ring suddenly burst forth with an unprecedentedly strong golden light, forcibly breaking free from its restraints and transforming into a stream of light that flew straight toward Lin Chen, actively merging into the Time River imprint in his palm!

"The Time Crystal... actually took the initiative to recognize you as its master?" Mo Chen clutched his bleeding shoulder, his shock evident in his expression. "No wonder the Agent saw you as the biggest variable... So that's how it is!" Realizing that his plan had failed and that staying any longer might cost him his life, he grinned maliciously and crushed a precious teleportation talisman.

"Three days from now, the main force of the agents will launch a full-scale attack on Yanhuang Pass, and you will all be reduced to dust!" As the light of the talisman flashed, Mo Chen's figure and words disappeared in the spatial ripples.

Lin Chen had no time to pursue. He immediately sat down cross-legged and, following the ancient array diagram that appeared deep in his mind, carefully placed the newly acquired Time Crystal, which perfectly matched his aura, into the core array eye of the Dimensional Bridge.

Om-!

A dazzling golden light shot into the sky, and the previously blurry dimensional bridge instantly solidified. The mysterious patterns engraved on the bridge gradually lit up, and a stable and vast spatial fluctuation spread out, marking the complete activation of this strategically important passage connecting the two places!

"Good...that's great..." Lin Yuan leaned on his longsword and let out a long sigh of relief, but his face was as pale as paper and his aura was weak. He had just fought Mo Chen head-on, forcibly overdrawing his own source, which greatly depleted his lifespan, and he was already at his limit.

Lin Chen quickly supported him, using some of the crystal's power to gently nourish his meridians, and Lin Yuan's complexion improved slightly. However, the crisis was far from over; instead, it was about to unfold again!

First, Chen Bo's distress signal lit up urgently, and the old steward's anxious, even desperate voice came through: "Young Master! The main force of the Dark Blade Pavilion has reached Yanhuang Pass. Hundreds of psionic mechs are attacking the city, and the defensive formation is about to collapse. We... can't hold on much longer!"

Almost simultaneously, another unfamiliar yet deeply entangled communication talisman activated on its own, carrying the weak but urgent cry of his mother, Su Wan: "Chen'er... I'm in the forbidden area of ​​the Qingyun Sect... The proxy has found me... Come save me quickly, it's too late..."

Two pieces of information struck Lin Chen's heart like two heavy hammers! On one side was Uncle Chen, whom he had sworn to follow to the death, and the soldiers and civilians of Yanhuang Pass who were responsible for guarding the area, concerning the safety of the region; on the other side was his birth mother, whom he had been separated from for many years and had just made contact with, whose life hung by a thread!

Saving Yanhuang Pass could turn the tide and protect countless lives; saving one's mother is an urgent matter of filial piety and a matter of conscience for a son. Neither can be abandoned, yet both are difficult to balance!

Standing before the radiant dimensional bridge, Lin Chen gazed at the embers of the two communication talismans dissipating, his clenched fists turning white at the knuckles, his heart gripped by an unprecedented struggle and torment. The Time Crystal pulsed faintly in his palms, as if urging him to make a choice. The road ahead was shrouded in mist, each step leading to drastically different destinies.