Chapter 743: The Continental Hunt
Silver Mist Palace.
When the struggle over the Universe Spirit Pool concluded, the entire Silver Mist Palace was filled with unrestrained joy.
Every face within the palace was lit with excitement.
For years, the palace's shallow foundations and weak strength had left it subject to the suppression of other factions, forcing its members to swallow their anger and retreat again and again.
At last, their patience had reached its end.
With the newly appointed Commander Lin Langtian displaying both formidable strength and boldness—not only defeating Dong Kui and seizing a Spirit Pool quota, but even refining the once unattainable Sovereign Holy Water—he had shaken every expert in the Universe Sect.
After this, no one in the sect would dare look down on Silver Mist Palace as they once had.
With this battle, Lin Langtian had firmly established his reputation and earned unmatched prestige within Silver Mist Palace.
…
In front of a great hall in the palace, Jiang Yinlan stood with a sword in hand, her beautiful eyes sweeping across the cheering Silver Mist Palace as a gentle smile curved her rosy lips.
Such a scene had not graced Silver Mist Palace in a very long time.
"This time, we really owe you," Jiang Yinlan said, turning her head and smiling faintly at Lin Langtian beside her.
Though she was the Palace Master, sect rules often prevented her from acting in person on important occasions.
Lin Langtian's performance had all but reborn Silver Mist Palace, instilling new confidence in its people.
He had already become the pillar of the palace.
Even Jiang Yinlan herself had never imagined that a newly appointed Commander could bring such profound change.
Otherwise, with her proud and aloof nature, there was no way she would treat any man with such warmth. The "Sword Fairy" of the continent was not known for being approachable.
If the many young geniuses who secretly admired her saw her now, they would be utterly stunned. Normally, she treated men with frosty indifference—nothing like the smiling figure at Lin Langtian's side.
"To serve the Palace Master is only right," Lin Langtian replied with a light smile.
Though he had once been Plane Lord of the Tianxuan Continent, he held no illusions about his current standing in the Great Thousand World.
He knew he had a long way to go before touching the summit. For now, his task was to grow quietly and steadily, raising his strength as fast as possible.
Seeing how calm and measured he remained, with deep black eyes that seemed to hide endless secrets, Jiang Yinlan's curiosity about him only intensified.
Other men either trembled or acted besotted in front of her. Only Lin Langtian carried that unique aura, like a lone flame in the night, impossible to ignore.
"You've drawn a lot of attention this time. Be careful. The Calamity King is narrow-minded and vengeful. He won't dare move in public, but if he acts from the shadows, even I may not be able to protect you in time," she warned, eyes narrowing slightly as she looked away.
Lin Langtian nodded.
"By the way, Palace Master, I already used part of the Sovereign Holy Water in the Spirit Pool. There's still some left. I'd like you to have it, as thanks for shielding me from the Calamity King yesterday," he said suddenly, taking a jade flask from his robes.
A faint, unique fragrance drifted from the flask's mouth. The jade glow within made it clear that it held Sovereign Holy Water of immense value.
Lin Langtian had never forgotten favors or grudges. On the Universe Gold Platform, without Jiang Yinlan's intervention, he might well have suffered seriously at the Calamity King's hands.
Now that the Myriad Aspects Demon Body had advanced, the extra Sovereign Holy Water was far less critical to him, so he chose to repay that debt.
"As Palace Master of Silver Mist, I could hardly stand by while the Calamity King bullied you. You needn't think too much of it.
"And Sovereign Holy Water is too precious. You should keep it," Jiang Yinlan said, a hint of longing flickering in her eyes as she looked at the jade flask before shaking her head.
She had acted for him as his Palace Master; there was no way she would take advantage of him so blatantly.
Hearing this, Lin Langtian's smile deepened. His impression of this cold and proud Palace Master shifted once again.
"Palace Master, even with our victory in the Spirit Pool, Silver Mist Palace is still young and shallow. Compared to the other eight Palaces, we're far behind.
"As one of the Nine Kings, your strength is the key to our foothold and rise. Sovereign Holy Water offers tremendous enhancement for Law Bodies. It would benefit both you and Silver Mist Palace. For the sake of the palace, I hope you'll accept it," he said, offering the flask again.
With his current strength, achieving parity with the Calamity King would not be easy in the short term.
For now, it was wiser to "cling to Jiang Yinlan's thigh" and develop in peace.
In truth, this was as much a protective investment as it was a gift.
Jiang Yinlan seemed to guess his thoughts and did not resent them.
First, Lin Langtian was her subordinate and thus one of her own. Protecting him was part of her duty.
Second, the Sovereign Holy Water was massively valuable. By offering it, he was not only helping her grow stronger but also boosting the entire Silver Mist Palace.
After a brief silence, she glanced at Lin Langtian's faintly smiling face, then extended a jade-like hand and took the flask.
"This Sovereign Holy Water counts as a debt I owe you. I'll repay it someday," she said firmly.
"Very well," Lin Langtian replied with an easy nod, unconcerned with details.
As she studied the liquid within the flask, a rare warmth softened Jiang Yinlan's features. The cold beauty of her eyes brightened with a subtle glow that made her all the more striking.
Lin Langtian found himself briefly stunned. In both looks and bearing, Jiang Yinlan truly was no less than Ling Qingzhu or Tang Xinlian.
Sunlight slanted through the hall, bathing the two slender figures in a layer of gold, like a pair of perfectly matched jade figures.
After the Spirit Pool battle and the gift of Sovereign Holy Water, something between them had undeniably grown closer.
After a while, once Jiang Yinlan had put the flask away, Lin Langtian paused and asked, "That Continental Hunt the Great Elder mentioned today—what exactly is it?"
At the words "Continental Hunt," Jiang Yinlan's eyes tightened and her face turned solemn. After a brief silence, she spoke.
"A very cruel war—one that concerns every power on the Universe Continent."
Lin Langtian was startled.
He knew the Universe Continent spanned an area rivaling several Tianxuan Continents combined.
It held countless forces, large and small, and more than one sect on the level of the Universe Sect, with experts as numerous as the clouds.
For a war that could engulf every faction on such a land…the scale was unimaginable.
"Each Continental Hunt wipes out countless powers. Even top-tier factions can be severely crippled.
"Over the past few thousand years, more than one apex power has fallen in those hunts, only to be devoured and erased by its rivals," Jiang Yinlan said quietly.
Lin Langtian's eyes narrowed. "Why?"
He was asking why such a brutal war would even exist.
"For territory, resources…and ambition," she answered coolly.
"No one remembers exactly when the Continental Hunt began. What we do know is that the Universe Sect became continental overlord by surviving and ultimately winning a hunt that spanned several centuries.
"That victory let us rule the continent for nearly a thousand years.
"But after the sect declined, the land fractured once more. For hundreds of years since, no one has managed to unify the continent again.
"Even so, no one has ever given up on that dream. And the Continental Hunt has only grown fiercer with time.
"In the last hunt, even though the Universe Sect was far from its peak, it was still among the strongest factions. By the time it ended, we had been beaten down so badly we lost the entire Central Region to the traitors of the Desolate Temple and were driven back to the North.
"Even then, we were lucky. The former number-one power in the North, the Shura Palace, was completely crushed and then torn apart by the other top factions. We seized that chance to claim some northern territory and barely carved out a foothold."
Lin Langtian pressed his lips together.
From that brief account alone, he could sense the thick stench of blood behind those words. In a war on that scale, who knew how many Sovereigns had fallen?
"Every Hunt reshuffles the powers of the continent. The winners grow stronger; the losers lose everything.
"No faction can stand apart once it begins. This is the rule of the Universe Continent.
"Only when a true continental overlord appears will it finally end."
Lin Langtian nodded slightly.
The cruelty of the Great Thousand World's law of the jungle was laid bare in her words.
Even mighty sects like the Universe Sect lived under constant threat. The slightest sign of weakness would bring the fangs of the pack to their throats.
The Continental Hunt was nothing less than a brutal culling.
It would continue until a single power truly dominated the land.
Yet despite its cruelty, Lin Langtian's expression remained calm.
Compared to defending the Tianxuan Continent against the invasion of the Yimo, this seemed almost gentle.
Lose the Hunt, and there might still be a chance to surrender and survive.
Lose to the Yimo, and the only "mercy" was to be turned into a husk.
Jiang Yinlan noted his composure with some surprise.
When she had first learned of the Hunt, she had been shaken to the core. It had taken a long time to steady her heart.
Lin Langtian, however, stood there with barely a ripple of emotion.
Had he already lived through something even more terrifying?
Her curiosity about his past only deepened. What had he endured to become so powerful and so unreadable?
"In this world, if you want to survive, you must stand behind a faction. Otherwise, once you're marked, it's only a matter of time before you're erased," she continued, pushing her questions aside.
Lin Langtian nodded.
In a land with so few rules and so much bloodshed, walking alone was asking to die.
Fortunately, he was already part of the Universe Sect. So long as the sect still stood, he had something solid at his back.
All he could do was hope it would not fall in the next Hunt.
"But you don't need to worry too much. There's still some time before the next Hunt, and worrying won't change anything," Jiang Yinlan said.
Lin Langtian's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he nodded.
At that level, all he could do now was watch from afar. Only those at the very top truly decided such battles.
Still, he believed that one day, he would wield enough power to shape the entire continent's fate.
"For now, we should stay focused on what's in front of us."
Her hand tightened on her sword as a hint of frost entered her eyes. "The Calamity King suffered a loss this time. He won't let it go.
"Silver Mist Palace is already rallying its troops under your new rules. If the Continental Hunt starts, we'll be part of it. We have to grow stronger now, or we'll be devoured the moment it begins."
"I'm also curious to see just how capable Calamity Palace really is," Lin Langtian said with a light laugh.
Cultivation lived and died on resources, and Silver Mist Palace had the smallest territory and the least wealth of all the Palaces.
That was unacceptable to him. For his sake and for the palace's, he would have to carve out more land and seize more resources.
Jiang Yinlan fell silent for a moment, then looked at him once more.
Her head dipped slightly, and a faint arc touched her lips as she spoke in a cool, steady voice.
"I believe in you."
(END CHAPTER)