Chapter 417: The Plan Against Thunder Abyss Mountain!
"If you stay there, that Xu Zhong will keep coveting the legacy blood you obtained… and your army too, right?"
Lin Dong's eyes flickered thoughtfully as he spoke.
"Leave? Why would I leave?" Xiao Yan grinned slyly at Lin Dong, a glint of cunning in his expression.
Lin Fan smiled as well. "So, you've set your sights on getting back the other half of the legacy blood Xu Zhong took from you?"
"That blood was mine to begin with. Of course I'm going to take it back! I've spent the past year enduring him, fighting his battles, waiting for the day I could reclaim what's mine. Once I get the rest of that legacy blood, I'll reach Full Completion of the Death Profound Realm!"
A fierce gleam flashed in Xiao Yan's crimson tiger eyes. "Back in the Demon City of East Xuan Region, you were the one holding the line against Yuan Gate's three old dogs. I could do nothing… I was nothing but a burden."
"You made a three-year pact with Yuan Gate, and I don't want to be a burden again. That's why I need power. That blood—I must take it back!"
Lin Dong's expression turned slightly heavy. He too had done little in that battle.
Lin Fan reached over and clapped Xiao Yan on the shoulder with a smile. "What's with the 'burden' talk? We're brothers. That's all that matters. But now that your second and third brothers are here, we'll help you get that blood back."
"Exactly. With the three of us together, Xu Zhong and his seven lieutenants are nothing to fear," Lin Dong said with a firm nod.
Xiao Yan grinned. "Those seven lieutenants? You don't need to worry about them. They might just end up fighting on our side."
"Oh?" Lin Dong blinked, intrigued.
Xiao Yan pulled up his sleeve, revealing his bronze-toned arm. On it, a black rune pulsed faintly, embedded deep into his flesh, squirming like something alive.
Lin Fan's gaze sharpened. "Xu Zhong put that on you?"
"Yeah. It's called the Dark Abyss Ghost Rune," Xiao Yan said coldly. "Xu Zhong's a cautious one. All nine of his generals, including me, were branded with this rune to keep us under control."
"But that's exactly why five of them are already resentful. I've been quietly winning them over this past year. Once the time is right, we'll all strike together and take his head."
"What level is Xu Zhong at now? Has he reached the Reincarnation Stage?" Lin Dong asked.
Xiao Yan shook his head. "Not yet. He's at the absolute peak of Full Completion Death Profound Realm—just one step away from the Reincarnation Stage, but he hasn't taken it yet."
"Anyone who dares mark you with something like that has to die, no matter how strong he is," Lin Fan said calmly. "I've killed Reincarnation Stage experts before. One more Full Completion opponent is nothing."
"You've killed someone at the Reincarnation Stage?!" Xiao Yan was stunned.
Lin Fan smiled. "With external help. It wasn't all me."
"Still impressive," Xiao Yan laughed. "Originally, I was planning to act during Thunder Abyss Mountain's annual 'Mountain Gathering' in half a month. But now that you two are here, we're guaranteed to win!"
Lin Fan nodded. "Let's deal with that Ghost Rune on you first."
"Let me take a look," Lin Dong said, placing his palm over the rune. Threads of dark light emerged from his fingertips, slipping into Xiao Yan's body.
After a moment, Lin Dong withdrew his hand and smiled. "I can break it."
"You can?!" Xiao Yan's face lit up with joy.
Lin Dong nodded. With the Devouring Ancestral Symbol in his body, he could deal with tricky embedded runes like this—even ones buried deep within the soul.
"That makes everything easier. Once we remove the Ghost Runes from the other five generals, they'll definitely help us against Xu Zhong. They've had enough of him," Xiao Yan laughed.
Lin Fan chuckled. "Even if they didn't help, the three of us alone could take Xu Zhong and his closest men. We could storm Thunder Abyss Mountain right now if we wanted."
Xiao Yan shook his head. "I want to wait for the Mountain Gathering. Everyone important in Thunder Abyss Mountain will be there. Killing Xu Zhong in front of all of them lets us seize control in one swift move."
"If we kill him too early, the rest might scatter. It'll be harder to consolidate power."
"Hah, looks like you're getting smarter," Lin Fan said with a grin. "Fine. We'll go with your plan. Half a month from now, we'll kill Xu Zhong and take Thunder Abyss Mountain."
"Heheh," Xiao Yan scratched his head awkwardly. "Yuan Gate has strength in numbers. When the time comes to face them again, having more allies will be a huge help."
"Well done," Lin Dong nodded in approval. He was clearly proud of Xiao Yan's growth. Then he asked, "You've been in the Demon Domain for so long. Have you contacted Xiao Diao?"
"Third Brother… I haven't had time to go to the Heavenly Demon Marten Clan. Honestly, with his personality, if he was safe, he'd be making waves looking for me. But it's been so quiet… I think he may be in trouble too," Xiao Yan said, brows furrowed in thought.
But deep down, he also wanted to become strong on his own. He didn't want to rely on Lin Fan, Lin Dong, or Xiao Diao forever.
"Do either of you have a way to contact him?" Xiao Yan asked.
Lin Fan shook his head. "I don't."
Lin Dong rubbed his chin, thinking for a moment. Then he raised his hand, summoning a faint wisp of light.
"This is a Soul Transmission left behind by Xiao Diao back in Dao Sect, when he took you away. It's nearly degraded after all this time. I don't know if the message will even go through… but it's worth a shot."
He flicked his finger, sending a strand of black light into the fading wisp. It shuddered violently for a moment—
Crack!
The light shattered, but not before releasing a subtle spatial ripple—something had been sent out.
"That's all it had left… Whether Xiao Diao receives it is up to luck now," Lin Dong shrugged.
Lin Fan smiled. "It's fine. Once we deal with Thunder Abyss Mountain, we'll head directly to the Heavenly Demon Marten Clan. The three of us are more than enough to handle what's coming."
After chatting for a while longer, Xiao Yan stood up. "Big Bro, Second Bro—shall we head for Thunder Abyss Mountain now?"
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