Chapter 65: Who Is Stronger?

Qin Wushuang turned to Lin Qian and asked eagerly, "What suggestion do you have?"

Lin Qian grinned at Qin Wushuang and said confidently, "Tell Sheng Tian Sect to give up all six of their slots, or else their disciples won't be leaving the Ancient Relic alive. It's called an eye for an eye."

Hearing Lin Qian's bold words, Qin Wushuang couldn't help but laugh and shake his head. "You little rascal, as if you could really say that."

Lin Qian shrugged and responded with conviction, "Don't worry, Uncle. With me around, the Ancient Relic won't be a problem."

"Alright, I'll hold you to that," Qin Wushuang said with a smile, pointing at Lin Qian. "All our hopes are on you."

After a while, Ding Zhirong and the other three slowly recovered enough strength to stand up. These four top talents of the Inner Sect now looked at Lin Qian with a newfound respect and awe.

They never imagined that Lin Qian, facing all four of them at once, would be able to completely overpower them. At first, they thought that teaming up against Lin Qian might be unfair. Now, they realized that the one being bullied had been them all along.

Once Qin Wushuang had entrusted Ding Zhirong and the others to Lin Qian, he left Maoqing Mountain, and Lei Heng, after giving Lei Qian a few words of advice, followed suit.

"Gather at the forty-seventh Spirit Gathering Hall on the southern peak of the Spirit Gathering Mountains in half an hour," Lin Qian instructed Lei Qian, Ding Zhirong, Zhao Haiming, Li Letian, and Wang Lanxin, showing them the jade token Qin Wushuang had given him. "Go prepare yourselves."

With that, Lin Qian set off first, heading towards the Spirit Gathering Mountains. The others, not wanting to waste time, hurriedly left Maoqing Mountain to make their own preparations.

The Spirit Gathering Mountains were located in the rear of Wanxiang Sect. The smaller the hall number, the more concentrated the spiritual energy. Conversely, the larger the number, the weaker the energy. The forty-seventh hall's spiritual energy was just barely manageable for them, but cultivating normally within it would still be challenging.

As Lin Qian approached the area, he walked along a suspended stone pathway and saw the five towering peaks of the Spirit Gathering Mountains ahead. His sharp eyes caught sight of numerous grand black halls scattered across the mountain paths.

Following the directions along the road, Lin Qian made his way to the southern peak of the Spirit Gathering Mountains and descended to the mountainside, eventually arriving in front of a grand hall. The simple, black hall bore a plaque above the door with the number "Forty-Seven" inscribed on it.

Lin Qian took out the jade token Qin Wushuang had given him and infused it with soul power before tossing it toward the hall's entrance. The token, infused with Lin Qian's soul power, emitted a brilliant golden light that flowed over the entire door.

Creak!

After a moment, the heavy door slowly opened with a grinding sound. Lin Qian retrieved the token with a gesture and stepped inside.

The interior of the Spirit Gathering Hall was vast, with an enormous training area in the center. The floor of the training area was made of reinforced steel stone, capable of withstanding the movements of thousands of people without feeling cramped.

The hall was also quite tall, reaching a height of about four or five stories. Large windows lined the upper half of the walls, allowing sunlight to stream through the soul-powered barriers, illuminating the hall brightly. The lower half of the walls contained individual rooms, separated from one another.

According to the sect's records, Lin Qian knew that these rooms were for resting. The Spirit Gathering Hall wasn't free to use, as maintaining such high concentrations of spiritual energy required substantial resources. To use the hall, disciples had to exchange sect contribution points for time, encouraging them to complete sect missions and hone their skills.

True disciples often saved up enough contribution points to spend extended periods in the Spirit Gathering Hall, where they could cultivate in peace. The rooms were equipped with formations to ensure that cultivation within them wouldn't be disturbed by others.

For the next five days, the forty-seventh Spirit Gathering Hall belonged solely to Lin Qian, free of charge. Qin Wushuang had even promised that if Lin Qian could ensure that all the disciples returned from the Ancient Relic alive and defeated Sheng Tian Sect, he would have permanent access to any Spirit Gathering Hall of his choosing, with no one else allowed entry without his permission.

As Lin Qian surveyed the hall, he heard footsteps behind him. Turning around, he saw Lei Qian entering, followed shortly by Ding Zhirong, Zhao Haiming, Li Letian, and Wang Lanxin.

Once everyone had arrived, Lin Qian infused his token with soul power once more and threw it towards the door. The massive door closed with a thunderous boom, and intricate formation patterns lit up across its surface.

Buzz!

A faint hum reverberated through the hall as the spiritual energy density increased rapidly, like an invisible weight pressing down on everyone.

Lin Qian stood calmly in place, unaffected by the pressure. Lei Qian, however, trembled slightly before regaining his composure.

But Ding Zhirong and Zhao Haiming were forced to one knee, their muscles straining under the weight. Li Letian and Wang Lanxin fared even worse, collapsing to the floor with their hands braced against the ground.

"There's only five days. In this short time, transforming you is possible, but it won't be easy. Be prepared to suffer," Lin Qian said with a smile as he looked at the four of them. "You'd better be ready to give it your all because, in the Ancient Relic, Sheng Tian Sect won't be your only enemy. Ba Dao Sect might team up with them. You need to be able to defend yourselves—I can't afford to babysit you."

Gritting his teeth, Ding Zhirong forced himself to stand and looked at Lin Qian. "Sheng Tian Sect's disciples can kill those at the Void Shattering Stage while still in the Nirvana Stage. Do you know what that means? Are you really confident you can handle them?"

Lin Qian simply chuckled and said nothing. Instead, he unleashed his full power, letting crimson lightning soul energy surge around him. The layers of soul halos above him continued to increase in number.

Ding Zhirong and the others, who had just managed to stand, were so shocked by what they saw that they fell back onto the ground, their mouths hanging open in disbelief.

"Now, do you think I'm weaker than them?"