The Prodigies War-Chapter 2634 A Test from Mister Lu
Xu Ruogu cut straight to the chase and exposed Lin Xun's identity!
The latter paused in astonishment before replying with a smile, “I am.”
Xu Ruogu smiled broadly and sighed with emotion, “Many years ago, Master said that Young Master Lin Xun would come find us one day and told me to keep an eye out. To think that we are finally meeting today. Please come in!”
He then invited Lin Xun to take a seat, personally brewed a pot of tea, poured a cup for the latter, and topped it off with some exquisite pastries. “These are specialties from the Rowdy Demon Sea that are unavailable anywhere else. Please try them.”
Lin Xun was somewhat overwhelmed by his kindness, “You are too polite, Senior.”
Xu Ruogu laughed heartily, “My master is the Mister Lu you spoke of. We are peers. You may call me dao brother, as I’d like to address you as well.”
Lin Xun complied readily. After some small talk, he couldn't help but ask, “Dao Brother, is Mister Lu really not here?”
Xu Ruogu said, “About sixty years ago, Master left for Mystic Forbidden Realm, one of the great three forbidden zones here, and has not returned to this day.”
The Mystic Forbidden Realm!
Lin Xun inwardly shuddered. It was a place as dangerous as Magnetic Wind Belt and Aurora Cave.
Rumors said that Mystic Forbidden Realm had existed in the Rowdy Demon Sea since time immemorial, seemingly a secret realm not belonging to this epoch. It was perpetually covered in raging law currents that, most astonishingly, followed a mysterious trajectory along which they evolved into countless natural arrays.
Filled with arrays derived from law power... One could imagine just how treacherous the Mystic Forbidden Realm must be!
Before coming to Dark South Island, Lin Xun had actually considered venturing into Mystic Forbidden Realm should he still fail to find any leads afterward. Despite the terror it hid, he had no doubt how alluring such a place was for a rune master of Mister Lu’s level.
After all, Lin Xun himself felt a strong curiosity when he first heard about arrays formed of law power currents.
He asked, “Did Mister Lu say when he would come back?”
Xu Ruogu revealed a subtle smile as though he had expected this question, “Before Master departed, he instructed that if you came to find him, you must first pass some tests.”
“Tests?” Lin Xun was stunned. When had Mister Lu become fond of acting all mysterious?
“That's right. I too am curious why Master would do so, but he said that it would become clear once you pass the tests,” chuckled Xu Ruogu, who then took out a talisman carved from a beast bone and handed it to Lin Xun, “There are a total of two tests. This is the first one.”
Lin Xun read with his spirit sense and immediately understood. The first test was to travel to Magnetic Wind Belt, one of the great three forbidden zones of Rowdy Demon Sea, and collect a hundred thousand pounds of Divine Magnetic Iron.
It sounded simple, except for the fact that the Magnetic Wind Belt was a place of great perils due to its bizarre spatial law. Rumor had it that even Immortals would be instantly shredded by the cyclones of spatial law power in there!
It went without saying that attempting to collect Divine Magnetic Iron directly in that zone was an extremely risky endeavor.
Of course, Lin Xun could choose not to go in there because every so often, there would be an eruption of magnetic waves that swept Divine Magnetic Iron to the outside world. If he chose that route of waiting outside, however, no one knew how many centuries it would take to collect a hundred thousand pounds.
“To be honest, I was utterly shocked when I knew what the first test entailed. The Magnetic Wind Belt is so dangerous that even Immortal experts risk death by going in there unprepared. Master is truly...” Xu Ruogu then cleared his throat. He dared not question or judge the way his master operated.
“It’s indeed challenging, but since Mister Lu made it into a test, there must be a deeper meaning behind it.” Lin Xun mused, then asked, “What is the second test, Dao Brother?”
Xu Ruogu replied, “It’s hidden in Master’s seclusion place. Once you return after completing the first one, I will take you there.”
Lin Xun nodded and stood up. “Then I won’t delay. Time for me to head to Magnetic Wind Belt.”
Xu Ruogu was caught off guard, “You've just come here. Why not stay for a few days before setting off?”
Lin Xun declined his offer with a polite smile.
Seeing this, Xu Ruogu didn’t keep him. “Rowdy Demon Sea is a turbulent place, Dao Brother. If you need any help, just tell us. While Miluo Grotto Heaven has been isolating itself in the recent decades, and we rarely concern ourselves with worldly affairs, we are strong enough to be fearless of conflicts.”
Those words were spoken with confidence and authority, which was only right for a member of Miluo Grotto Heaven that was home to the most outstanding rune masters. The arrays they set up alone were capable of putting a strain on big factions!
Lin Xun laughed, “If I need anything, I will make sure to ask.”
Chatting, the two walked out of the hall to see the crimson-clad, expressionless Xuanfu standing there. He clearly had been waiting for some time. Upon seeing Lin Xun come out, he took a deep breath and asked, “You...are Lin Xun?”
Lin Xun found the guy’s behavior somewhat strange, but he nodded nonetheless, “I am.”
Xuanfu's eyes flickered with complicated emotions. “I hope you won't disappoint me,” he said and straight up left.
Lin Xun was confused. What did he mean by that?
“Xuanfu is surnamed Luo,” Xu Ruogu quietly explained.
Lin Xun squinted. A descendant of the Luo Clan? Why would he be here?
Xu Ruogu elaborated, “Master said that Xuanfu comes from the main lineage of the Luo Clan, and that he had a childhood of hardship and suffering there. Many years ago, Master brought him back to Miluo Grotto Heaven and personally taught him the art of runes. This child is exceptionally talented, especially in the subject of runes. He has become unmatched among his peers and is now a true dao rune founder.”
Lin Xun finally understood. The Luo Clan was divided into two major groups: the main lineage and the branch lineage. His mother, Luo Qingxun, was a direct descendant of the main line.
However, when her father Luo Xiao was about to inherit the position of clan head after Luo Tongtian's mysterious disappearance, there had been a sudden upheaval that resulted in the leader of the branch line, Luo Chong, seizing that position in one fell swoop. From then on, the elders of the main lineage had been subjected to suppression and imprisonment.
Under those circumstances, it wasn’t hard to imagine how harsh the living conditions of the main line’s descendants would become in the Luo Clan. Luo Xuanfu was such an example.
All the members of the Luo Clan that Lin Xun had executed, such as Luo Yunshan and Luo Yunyi, were prominent figures from the branch line.
“He hopes I won’t disappoint him...?” Lin Xun was astounded when he recalled what Luo Xuanfu had just said. Does he want me to take revenge on the Luo Clan in his stead?
He asked, “Besides him, are there any other Luo Clan members in Miluo Grotto Heaven?”
Xu Ruogu said, “No, this is the lawless Rowdy Demon Sea after all. Given Master's special identity, if word about our sect got out, the enemies might come knocking.”
Lin Xun wondered, “Enemies? The people of the Luo Clan’s branch line?”
“Not just them.” Xu Ruogu sighed deeply, “I know little about these matters, and Master never speaks of them. Perhaps you can ask him when you see him.”
Lin Xun nodded. “Dao Brother, please keep my identity a secret for now. I have even more enemies than Mister Lu.”
Xu Ruogu was speechless for a second, then seriously promised, “Don’t you worry.”
That day, Lin Xun left Miluo Grotto Heaven and vanished from Dark South Island.
......
Seven days later, in the outer region of the Magnetic Wind Belt...
Woo woo woo~~
Terrifying magnetic windstorms raged with ear-piercing whistles, completely tearing the space apart. The entire landscape was a scene of chaos and desolation, and this was merely the outer region.
In the distant horizon, the Magnetic Wind Belt resembled a colossal coiling dragon with its head pointing at the sky. Formed of black magnetic energy, it was suspended there as one of the three most dreaded zones throughout the history of Rowdy Demon Sea.
Rumors said that the mysterious Divine Magnetic Mountain was located at the deepest part of Magnetic Wind Belt!
Upon arrival, Lin Xun happened to encounter the magnetic tide that erupted at regular intervals.
From afar, the Magnetic Wind Belt seemed to breathe in and out an eerie suction force. When it inhaled, shattered spatial currents would be dragged into the belt, leaving the void in a state of collapse. When it exhaled, it resembled a volcano eruption with an endless surge of black magnetic energy bursting out in every direction, wreaking complete havoc!
Such was the magnetic tide, an utterly mystifying natural disaster said to be triggered by a kind of mysterious spatial law power.
Even watching from a distance sent shivers down Lin Xun’s spine. His expression became solemn. However, he also noticed the occasional dazzling, icy-cold black beams shooting out from the belt with the movements of the tide, slicing the sky as they did.
Upon closer inspection, those were irregularly shaped black stones that shimmered with a metallic sheen: magnetic stones. Each magnetic stone contained Divine Magnetic Iron, a treasure so rare and precious that it could be used as a material in forging immortal-grade tools!
Whenever magnetic stones were washed to the outside world, the cultivators lurking in the vicinity would rush out and fight over them. Bloody fights were often inevitable when this happened. The moment Lin Xun arrived, he aroused the vigilance of many cultivators in the surroundings who made no effort to hide their killing intent. Clearly, they viewed him as a competitor.
He paid no heed to them and stood alone in a corner. The magnetic stones washed out by the tide were merely a drop in the bucket compared to the a hundred thousand pounds he needed. He had no interest in competing over them. Gazing into the erupting tide in the distance, he already planned in his mind how he would enter the Magnetic Wind Belt...
