Chapter 1198: Extraordinary Innate Talent

Father was right—he was too weak, never having the bearing of a true man. He Lingchuan splashed him with a basin of cold water: "Even with the Luo Sheng armor, you still can't defeat the Yao state."

"The Flashing Gold Plains need a remarkable hero—too bad I'm not." A Xun sighed wistfully, and when the wind blew, black ash rose from his body, "Too bad I'm not."

"You sealed the Luo Sheng armor by your own power for one hundred and sixty-five years—who knows how many calamities you averted, how many lives you saved." He Lingchuan crouched down to meet his eyes: "Heroes are judged by deeds, not hearts. You've done well enough—no shame to the Flashing Gold Plains."

The Flashing Gold Plains once produced so many heroes and warriors, but they were merely passersby. After they left, the Flashing Gold Plains remained the Flashing Gold Plains, almost unchanged.

But A Xun was different. This man who looked insufficiently strong and somewhat indecisive silently guarded it in his own way for over one hundred and sixty years.

Fu Liushan also said: "When the Ying people first arrived in this new world, they erected a spirit tablet for you. From then on, generation after generation have worshipped you, until today. The spirit you passed on is what drives them to battle wind and waves, to forge ahead."

"Is that so? My fellow countrymen are indeed admirable." A Xun smiled at He Lingchuan: "You're stronger than me—much stronger—so you must bear more. You are the bane of Luo Sheng armor; it fears you, yet you possess what it craves."

He still retained a fragment of battle memory, knowing the Luo Sheng armor's yearning.

Fu Liushan, hearing this, looked at He Lingchuan with a strange gaze.

Bane?

Does Luo Sheng armor even have a bane? He Lingchuan nodded, knowing he referred to the heart scale: "I want to know—how exactly does Luo Sheng armor control you?"

This secret—aside from A Xun, no one in the present age could likely answer it accurately.

"Fear!" A Xun spoke from personal experience: "It finds your deepest, most hidden fear, then strikes you down with it!"

Indeed, it is fear, He Lingchuan mused.

"I can no longer seal Luo Sheng armor—from now on, it's up to you; I don't know how you'll do it, but I hope you can, for the Flashing Gold Plains should not suffer more." A Xun sighed long and low, his body fully carbonized: "Take the Zhe Liao dagger too—find it a worthy master."

His smile finally froze into an expression of relieved release. A gust of wind—he turned to ash.

A sigh came from all around, faint and fleeting: "If only I could see Mengmeng once more..."

Opening his eyes, he was a centenarian—his lovely wife and young children had turned to clouds and smoke.

In the end, he missed his chance—this life, they would never meet again.

This is the hero's price.

A Xun finally let go of the Ying people's past, drifting away with the wind.

The three stood in place, silent for a long while.

Fu Liushan was the first to sigh: "He's finally free."

His eyes were slightly red.

"Thank you for telling us those stories at the tavern." He Lingchuan smiled at him: "They were very helpful to us."

A few nights ago, on a rainy night, the three sat around a table. Fu Liushan drank the wine He Lingchuan had bought, recounting the series of events surrounding Luo Sheng armor.

The most heartbreaking was Baoning.

The most moving—and also the last—story was that of the Ying people, father and son: one hundred and seventy years ago, to free the Ying people from their plight, clan chief Fu Xiong successfully obtained Luo Sheng armor from Jing Mountain, but was unexpectedly controlled by the evil armor, becoming the source of greater disasters.

As the story reached this point, it seemed to fall back into the old cycle—after all, every appearance of Luo Sheng armor brings such calamity.

But this time was different: at the critical moment, Fu Tianlin, son of the clan chief, stepped forward, took the evil armor from his father's body, and sealed himself within Mai Ling.

Thus the Ying people avoided a great catastrophe.

Clan chief Fu Xiong regained clarity, regretting deeply. He followed his son's last wishes, sold the clan's property, led the Ying people out from Ju Lu port to sea, migrating into the new world—today's Jing State territory—henceforth departing the godforsaken land.

For over a hundred years since, many have come to desperation, trying their luck at Mai Mountain. But no matter how they summoned or performed rites, Luo Sheng armor gave no response.

Besides the seal formation maintained by generations of the Fu family, the most important factor was the imperial bloodline—namely, Fu Tianlin's forcible suppression, a great merit.

Thus Luo Sheng armor slept for over one hundred and sixty years, until—

Until He Lingchuan arrived! Black ash vanished, leaving only a pitch-black suit of armor on the ground, and that Zhe Liao dagger.

He Lingchuan first picked up the Zhe Liao dagger. The right blade was broken in half, but Songyang Prefecture should be able to repair it.

He glanced at Fu Liushan, waved his hand dismissively, and said bluntly: "Yours."

He respected Fu Tianlin's last wish.

Besides, he couldn't wield such a strange weapon.

"Even without Luo Sheng armor, A Xun is a formidable martial artist." He Lingchuan stroked the blade: "I will find you a worthy master."

Fu Xiong and Fu Tianlin, father and son, both possessed fearsome combat power—thus Yao State insisted on subduing them for its own use.

Such power, in a certain sense, is also the root of the Ying people's sorrow.

Dong Rui stroked his chin: "I wonder—did you handle the Zhe Liao dagger with ease from the very start of battle?"

Wouldn't anyone encountering this strange blade for the first time be caught off guard?

How could this kid fight so calmly? Had he seen it before? Fu Liushan hadn't witnessed the exact combat process, but he nodded along anyway.

Whoever could defeat Luo Sheng armor and the Zhe Liao dagger certainly wouldn't be an ordinary person.

He Lingchuan stood with hands behind his back, smiling faintly: "This is what is called extraordinary innate talent."

He had encountered A Xun in the Panlong World before and had seen the Zhe Liao dagger.

Back then, he went to Bai Mao Mountain to take the Ming Deng lantern, and A Xun, using the alias Fu Tianlin, fought him—but lost.

This was naturally the deduction of the Da Fang hu, but he thus came to understand A Xun's combat style, so the Mai Ling covert operation wouldn't leave him flustered.

On that rainy night at the tavern, when Fu Liushan mentioned Fu Tianlin, He Lingchuan knew it was him.

But He Lingchuan wondered: in real history, who actually took the Ming Deng lantern?

Of course not himself—he did not exist in the real world one hundred and sixty-five years ago.

Who did Panlong City send then? This question is probably destined to have no answer.

He only knew one thing: whether in the Panlong World or real history, A Xun never obtained the Ming Deng lantern.

Now, the three stood in a row, looking down at the black armor on the ground: this is the renowned Luo Sheng armor.

Even after spending a century underground, it has not a trace of rust.

In the dark night, it seems as if some force flows across the armor plates, inspiring awe.

The wounds A Xun sustained while wearing it in battle against the Yao army and He Lingchuan—whether deep or shallow—have all faded or disappeared.

This armor has a powerful self-repairing ability.

"The bane of the Luo Sheng Armor?" Fu Liushan is now torn. As the guardian of the Miling Seal, he shouldn't just stand by and watch someone take this evil armor. But Fu Tianlin just personally confirmed that He Lingchuan is the bane of the Luo Sheng Armor.

A Xun is the one who has fought against the Luo Sheng Armor for over a hundred and sixty years, knows it best, and has the most authority to speak.

So, what should he do? "You came all this way just for it, didn't you?"

"Of course." Can He Lingchuan deny it? "You take this armor, I can't stop you." Given He Lingchuan's previously displayed combat strength, Fu Liushan knows he couldn't possibly win. He looks at He Lingchuan, then at the Luo Sheng Armor on the ground, "But you also heard what Fu Tianlin said—people have fear, and the Luo Sheng Armor preys on it. How are you going to control it?"

Dong Rui refuses to accept this: "In the past, someone could do it—didn't the founding Gao Zu of the Shanjin Empire just enjoy a long life?"

"That was over a thousand years ago. The more fear and suffering the Luo Sheng Armor absorbs, the stronger it becomes. You also know the Shanjin Plains lack everything except these two." Does the evil armor also grow on its own? "Even if this founding Gao Zu came now, he might not be able to suppress it."

Dong Rui immediately turns to He Lingchuan, still unspoken, but He Lingchuan asks him first: "You want to give it a try?"

"No, no." A person should know their limits—he can't resist temptation, and likely can't resist fear either.

He Lingchuan steps closer to the evil armor, and it suddenly clangs loudly, especially agitated. If it couldn't stand on its own, it would have already lunged at He Lingchuan.

The other two immediately understand—Fu Tianlin was right, He Lingchuan has what it craves.

Dong Rui exclaims: "What treasure are you hiding?"

He Lingchuan already has a guess, but shakes his head: "I can't give it to it."

"Then what do you want to do with it?" Dong Rui lightly coughs, "You wouldn't actually want to wear it, would you?"

"No." He Lingchuan answers bluntly, wipes his hand across his chest, and leans forward to press onto the Luo Sheng Armor.

His expression is casual, his movement too fast—Fu Liushan hasn't even reacted before the Luo Sheng Armor shoots forward with a sheng.

Treasure, it craves treasure! "Don't——" Fu Liushan hasn't finished speaking when he hears a chala sound of metal cracking—the Luo Sheng Armor on the ground suddenly disintegrates on its own, breaking into countless armor pieces! Each piece frantically burrows into the earth.

This sudden change leaves the two people and two monkeys staring dumbfounded.

Just a second ago, this evil armor was desperate to lunge at He Lingchuan—now it's desperately trying to escape?

And its posture is just like a field mouse trying to flee the claws of a raptor—each piece exudes effort.

He Lingchuan's palm is like a wind tunnel, actually emitting a Xu Xu sound, trying to suck the evil armor in.

Strangely, Dong Rui and Fu Liushan standing nearby don't even have a hair stirred.

Yet the two clearly heard the sound of a great wind scraping over the Luo Sheng Armor—like unwillingness and a shrill roar.

The first armor piece couldn't withstand it, sucked into He Lingchuan's palm, then the second, the third...

Fu Liushan can't hold back, wants to lie down to see what's going on with He Lingchuan's hand—but suddenly the wind force increases, and the remaining armor pieces all hula-la get sucked in.

Without him needing to look up, He Lingchuan spreads his palm toward him—

Palm empty and bare, nothing at all.

Where's the wind tunnel? Where's the magical artifact? His fingers are bald and bare—he isn't even wearing a storage ring.

Fu Liushan's jaw nearly drops to the ground, even forgetting to get up: "You... what did you do?"

(End of chapter)