Chapter 276: Recruitment
The violent energy waves that had filled the sky now gradually dissipated, leaving the arena in an eerie silence. Even among the elite dynasties, no one made a sound; they were still stunned by what they had witnessed.
"The world is truly changing…" Mu Lin from the Lonely Moon Dynasty murmured, his eyes lingering on the field strewn with bodies below. He tried to lighten his shaken mood with a touch of humor.
"But this Lin Langtian and his group… they're all from a lower-tier dynasty," he added under his breath, his voice barely audible and carrying a note of bitterness. Their sense of superiority as a super dynasty had been forcibly shattered, and the wide gulf between lower and super dynasties was no longer insurmountable, thanks to Lin Langtian.
Lin Langtian, however, paid no attention to the many awed gazes fixed upon him. He clenched his hand, and a shimmering purple-gold Nirvana Seal appeared, the heavenly-grade seal that had belonged to Zhao Wuji. According to ancient battlefield rules, these Nirvana Seals could be absorbed by others, ultimately contributing to one's rank in the upcoming Nirvana Golden Ranking Battle.
Nevertheless, since they were not yet within the core area where fierce competition would begin, Lin Langtian decided not to absorb Zhao Wuji's Nirvana Seal publicly. For now, he would keep it. He did, however, instruct his allies to collect all the Nirvana Seals from the fallen warriors of the Great Zhao and Fengyun Dynasties. Both were super dynasties, and the Great Zhao Dynasty in particular was ranked in the top three on the battlefield. Their warriors carried high-ranking Nirvana Seals—more than ten of them were even heavenly-grade.
Since Flame Alliance had only just arrived in Wanxiang City, its members had yet to undergo the Nirvana Testing. Once they were tested and entered the core area, they would be able to absorb these valuable Nirvana Seals to boost their ranking immediately.
"Congratulations, Brother Lin. The Great Zhao Dynasty is practically extinct now, and soon your reputation will spread across the entire core region. Who knows, you might even draw the attention of the super sects," Qian Jin said with a smile, stepping forward with his entourage after helping Flame Alliance eliminate the remaining Great Zhao and Fengyun warriors.
Standing beside Qian Jin were the warriors of the Great Qian Dynasty, as well as Lin Dong, Xiao Diao, Xiao Yan, and Jin Wu, who had managed to defeat the three generals of the Great Zhao Dynasty with the help of Qian Jin and his allies.
Lin Langtian smiled back at Qian Jin and replied, "Reputation alone means little; the super sects don't value that." Qian Jin had shown his tactfulness, throwing in his support the moment Zhao Wuji fell. While some might call this opportunism, on this harsh battlefield, Qian Jin's adaptability was a rare asset.
Lin Langtian then turned his gaze toward Lin Dong and the others. Xiao Diao still had his usual relaxed smile, clearly unaffected by the recent battle. Although Lin Dong looked a bit pale and his energy seemed unsettled, he hadn't sustained any serious injuries and had even managed to defeat Zhao Zhan with Luoyan Tian's help. Jin Wu and Xiao Yan were both visibly bruised, but as beasts in human form, they weren't bothered by their injuries. Noticing Lin Langtian's concerned gaze, the four nodded in return, signaling that they were fine.
"With your abilities, Brother Lin, I imagine only the Tianyuan Dynasty, the top super dynasty, could stand a chance against you now. It looks like you'll have a place in the Nirvana Golden Ranking Battle in the Hundred Dynasties War," Qian Jin continued warmly, clearly impressed. The strength shown by Lin Langtian and his team was simply astonishing, and Qian Jin couldn't help but respect them.
Lin Langtian merely gave a polite smile. "The world is vast," he thought. "This minor victory here is nothing in comparison to the true powers that exist out there." Qian Jin seemed to pick up on Lin Langtian's reserved response, and, realizing that his last-minute aid might not earn him much favor, he decided not to linger.
"Brother Lin, the Hundred Dynasties War will soon bring us all to the core area. Should we cross paths again, I hope you'll go easy on us," Qian Jin chuckled with a touch of playfulness. He knew that Lin Langtian hadn't had any real help from him in dealing with the Great Zhao Dynasty; his contribution had come only at the last moment. As they would ultimately be competing against each other on the battlefield, Qian Jin understood the connection between them was thin at best.
Lin Langtian nodded. "You're too modest, Qian. So long as no one provokes me, I won't go looking for trouble. If the Great Zhao Dynasty hadn't singled me out, we wouldn't have had to cross swords." With that, Qian Jin clasped his hands in respect, turned with a wave, and led the Great Qian Dynasty away.
Once they had gone, representatives from the other three super dynasties in Wanxiang City, as well as various high-ranking dynasties, approached to exchange greetings with Lin Langtian. Even if they couldn't form a close alliance, they at least wanted to make themselves known. Lin Langtian gave only brief, polite responses to these onlookers, who had merely watched without offering any aid, and then dismissed them.
After speaking briefly with Lin Dong and the others, Lin Langtian saw that the battlefield had been cleared. Just as he was about to lead the members of Flame Alliance back, an unexpected guest approached him.
"Master Song, what brings you here?" Lin Langtian asked, surprised, as he looked at the gray-robed middle-aged man standing before him.
Song Tai's eyes swept over Lin Langtian and his four allies before nodding in approval. He then gave a slight smile and said, "I wonder if you all might be interested in joining the super sect I represent?"
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