Chapter 108: Powerful Curse Technique

Lin Qian was confident that the contents of the storage ring he had given Mei Yuexia were more than enough to secure the Divine Sword Sect's alliance with him. If the value of those items hadn't impressed her, she wouldn't have warned him earlier. Clearly, she now saw him as one of her own.

"Lin Qian, did you get all these treasures from the ancient relic?" After a long pause, Qin Wushuang finally recovered from his shock and curiously asked Lin Qian.

Lin Qian nodded matter-of-factly. "Of course. Where else would I have gotten so many valuable items?"

Qin Wushuang lovingly caressed the storage ring, completely forgetting his usual dignified demeanor as a sect master. But it was hard to blame him—he had never seen such treasures before. The storage ring contained high-grade manuals, pills, primordial artifacts, and soul tools. The sheer quantity of mid- and low-grade items was overwhelming.

Estimating the value of the items in the storage ring, Qin Wushuang was certain it could buy over twenty Wanxiang Sects.

"The contents of the storage ring I gave to Master Mei are worth more than ten Divine Sword Sects. I'm sure your sect will know whom to ally with if the Shengtian Sect stirs up trouble," Lin Qian said, glancing at the silver-haired Mei Yuexia.

Mei Yuexia clenched the storage ring tightly in her hand and nodded at Lin Qian. "The Divine Sword Sect will stand with the Wanxiang Sect. And with these resources, the Shengtian Sect won't gain anything if a conflict arises."

Satisfied with her response, Lin Qian nodded in approval.

In the eyes of Qin Wushuang, Mei Yuexia, and the now-departed Haixiao Yun, the treasures Lin Qian had given them were priceless, things they had never seen before.

However, compared to the treasure trove of the Dang Yuan Sect, these items were just a drop in the ocean—insignificant.

Using these treasures to secure alliances with the Divine Sword Sect and the Near Sea Sect and strengthen their ties with the Wanxiang Sect was a strategic move with no downsides.

Seeing the delighted expressions on Qin Wushuang and Mei Yuexia's faces, Lin Qian couldn't help but reflect on how small and remote the Linhai Prefecture truly was. Just a tiny portion of the Dang Yuan Sect's treasures had caused such joy among the sect masters of two major sects, highlighting how limited the region's scope and influence were.

Lin Qian had learned from Zhang Juncheng that while the Dang Yuan Sect had been a dominant force in ancient times, it was still considered a lower-tier power in the grand scheme of things.

This made it clear that there were far more powerful forces in the world—forces beyond comprehension.

But Lin Qian felt a sense of anticipation because he knew that as his strength grew, the true power of the Huaxia Empire would gradually reveal itself in this world.

In a world filled with countless powerful factions, strange and diverse races, and constant conflicts, what fun would there be if the Huaxia Empire had no rivals?

"Uncle Qin, you should head back now. I need to continue cultivating for a while longer," Lin Qian said, interrupting Qin Wushuang's happy reverie.

"Hmm?" Qin Wushuang looked at Lin Qian in surprise and asked, "Cultivate? Where do you plan to cultivate?"

"In the relic. Please inform Master of my plans," Lin Qian replied, before calling out to Lei Qian. "Come on, join me in cultivation."

"Uh..." Lei Qian was a bit confused but instinctively followed Lin Qian toward the entrance of the ancient relic.

"Wait, what about Ye Xin? How is she?" Mei Yuexia hurriedly asked as she saw Lin Qian preparing to leave.

"Please give my regards to the Sword Saint and thank her for taking care of Xin'er all these years. From now on, I'll take care of my fiancée myself—there's no need for her to worry anymore." Lin Qian smiled at Mei Yuexia before stepping into the glowing portal.

Lei Qian bowed to Qin Wushuang and quickly followed Lin Qian into the light.

After their figures disappeared, the entrance to the ancient relic closed once again, leaving Qin Wushuang and the others in stunned silence.

"What exactly did that kid encounter in the ancient relic?" Qin Wushuang muttered to himself, staring at the now-quiet portal as he gazed down at the storage ring in his hand, filled with deep emotions.

Standing nearby, Mei Yuexia's expression was complicated. Before she had come here, her senior sister, the Sword Saint, had instructed her that if Zhang Dingyun of the Shengtian Sect made any moves, she should side with the Wanxiang Sect.

It was only because she had followed her senior sister's advice that she had received the storage ring from Lin Qian.

Mei Yuexia also realized that based on what Lin Qian had said to Haixiao Yun earlier, he seemed to have known about the situation outside the relic while still inside.

Otherwise, how could Lin Qian have known what had just happened after emerging from the relic?

The storage ring she held was not just because of Ye Xin—it was also because she had stood by Qin Wushuang's side when Zhang Dingyun questioned them.

"Could it be that Lin Qian has completely taken control of the ancient relic?" Mei Yuexia's mind raced with this shocking possibility as she stared at the portal in disbelief.

Inside the ancient relic, in the first area.

Lin Qian and Lei Qian were walking toward the death zone. Along the way, Lin Qian briefly explained what had happened there.

"Does this mean I'll get to meet the sect master of an ancient sect?" Lei Qian asked excitedly after hearing Lin Qian's explanation.

Lin Qian nodded, patting Lei Qian on the shoulder. "Lei Qian, once you start training with Master Zhang, it will likely be even tougher than the training I put you through."

"Boss, you're joking, right..." Lei Qian's eyes widened in shock as he swallowed nervously.

"Who's joking? I got beaten up pretty badly," Lin Qian replied with a grin.

"Can I opt-out?"

"What do you think?"

"Heh heh..." Lei Qian forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, then turned and started to run.

Moments later, in the second-layer space of the death zone.

"Master Zhang."

Zhang Juncheng looked ahead, bewildered. Before him stood a young man who had been beaten so badly he looked like a pig's head, bowing respectfully.

"Young friend, this is..."

Seeing Zhang Juncheng's puzzled expression, Lin Qian nonchalantly waved his hand. "This is my little brother. When he heard about training with you, he tried to run, but I convinced him to come back."

"Convince? Is that what you call it?" Ye Xin couldn't help but burst into laughter upon hearing this.

"Alright, now that everyone's here, let's start training. Master Zhang only has two years, so let's make the most of it." Lin Qian stretched his limbs and turned to Lei Qian. "After all, you'll be aiming for the rank of true disciple. Don't you want to surprise your grandfather?"

"True disciple!" Lei Qian's eyes filled with longing.

"Hmm, there's a curse technique trying to break through the barrier of this small world!" Suddenly, Zhang Juncheng's expression changed. "The technique is too powerful to be stopped!"

As soon as Zhang Juncheng finished speaking, a blood-red light fell upon Lin Qian.