Chapter 208: The Struggle for the Token, the Mystery of Origins

"This way!" Wang Jiu led Lin Yu and Xuanyuan Qing through the dense jungle, with the pursuers from Tongtian Pavilion hot on their heels.

The four Jade Pendants in Lin Yu's bosom resonated incessantly, emitting a faint light that guided their path forward.

"Lin Shu, how are you feeling?" Xuanyuan Qing asked worriedly, noticing Lin Yu's pale complexion.

"I'm fine." Lin Yu gritted his teeth and persisted; the meridians in his body were in unbearable pain from the resonance of the Jade Pendants, but he dared not stop.

The three of them crested a ridge, and the view before them suddenly opened up—an ancient complex of buildings covered in vegetation was hidden in the valley, vines entwining the broken walls and ruins, the marks of time carved into every stone.

"What is this place?" Xuanyuan Qing asked in surprise.

Wang Jiu looked around: "A base for a branch of the ancient Heavenly Mandate, abandoned for hundreds of years."

Lin Yu felt the vibration of the Jade Pendants intensify: "The token is here."

The three entered the ruins cautiously. The broken stone pillars were covered in ancient runes, the ground was paved with shattered stone slabs, and the murals on the walls told a story long forgotten.

"Split up and search." Wang Jiu commanded, "There isn't much time; Tongtian Pavilion will be here soon."

Following the guidance of the Jade Pendants, Lin Yu arrived before a dilapidated temple. In the center of the temple stood a tall stone statue with a blurred face and hands pressed together, as if guarding something.

"Here." Lin Yu walked toward the stone statue, and the light of the Jade Pendants suddenly intensified.

The moment he reached out to touch the statue, a cold light pierced through the air!

Lin Yu instinctively dodged to the side, his Silver Needle already out to counterattack. A muffled grunt was heard as five Black-Clad Men appeared from the shadows, the leader being none other than Yan Xiao.

"You really did follow," Lin Yu said coldly.

Yan Xiao sneered: "Hand over the token, and I will spare your life."

"In your dreams!" Lin Yu roared, his True Qi surging within him as he unleashed an Ao Fist, striking directly at Yan Xiao's face.

Yan Xiao dodged to the side and struck back with a blade. Lin Yu barely avoided a fatal blow, but his shoulder was still slashed open, and blood instantly soaked his clothes.

"Lin Shu!" Xuanyuan Qing cried out, hurriedly shaking her Silver Bell.

The crisp ringing echoed through the temple, and the movements of the Black-Clad Men noticeably slowed. Lin Yu seized the opportunity and unleashed three consecutive strikes, forcing back two of the Black-Clad Men.

"Little girl, you're courting death!" Yan Xiao roared, striking a palm toward Xuanyuan Qing.

Lin Yu was frantic with worry, but he was entangled by the other two Black-Clad Men. At the critical moment, Wang Jiu descended from above and kicked Yan Xiao away.

"Protect yourself!" Wang Jiu shouted to Xuanyuan Qing, then engaged in a fierce struggle with Yan Xiao.

Lin Yu took the opportunity to knock down the two Black-Clad Men and rushed to the stone statue. The light of the Jade Pendants guided him to the base of the statue, where there was an inconspicuous groove.

"This is it!" Lin Yu placed the four Jade Pendants into the groove.

The base of the stone statue slowly rotated, revealing a hidden compartment inside which the fifth Jade Pendant lay quietly.

The moment Lin Yu reached out to take it, the entire temple suddenly shook violently!

"Not good, a mechanism has been triggered!" Wang Jiu shouted.

Xuanyuan Qing was panicked: "It's me! I accidentally touched a mechanism on the wall!"

The temple began to collapse, giant stones fell from the ceiling, and dust filled the air.

"Run!" Lin Yu grabbed the fifth Jade Pendant and pulled Xuanyuan Qing toward the exit.

Seeing this, Yan Xiao blocked them frantically: "Don't even think about taking the token!"

Wang Jiu stood in front: "You go first, I'll hold him off!"

Lin Yu hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded and rushed out of the temple with Xuanyuan Qing. Behind them came the sounds of intense fighting and the roar of the building collapsing.

"Will Wang Jiu be okay?" Xuanyuan Qing asked worriedly.

Lin Yu looked back at the collapsing temple: "He is the previous generation's Chosen One; he should be able to handle it."

The two had only run a few dozen meters when a figure suddenly appeared in front, blocking their path.

The man was dressed in a gray robe, his face aged but his spirit vigorous, his eyes as sharp as a hawk's.

"Tongtian Pavilion Master!" Lin Yu gasped, recognizing the man.

Qin Tianluo looked at Lin Yu expressionlessly: "We finally meet, Chosen One."

Lin Yu shielded Xuanyuan Qing behind him: "What do you want?"

"Hand over the token, and I can tell you the truth." Qin Tianluo extended his hand.

Lin Yu sneered: "What truth?"

"The truth about your origins."

"What?!"

"You are the descendant of the founder of Tongtian Pavilion, destined to inherit the power of Tongtian Pavilion."

The Pavilion Master's voice echoed in the mountain cave; Lin Yu felt as if he had been struck by lightning, standing frozen in place.

"Absurd!" Lin Yu retorted sternly, but his heart was already in turmoil. Those broken Memory Fragments, his vague childhood at the orphanage, the inexplicable True Qi in his body, and that mysterious birthmark—could they really be connected?

The Pavilion Master held the incomplete Jade Pendant and sneered: "Bloodlines do not lie. Why can you wield the Nine Cauldrons Order? Why does the True Qi in your body resonate with our clan's techniques? It is all because you have the Tongtian Bloodline flowing through you!"

Lin Yu clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms: "Even if there is a blood connection, it doesn't change the fact that you are a villain!"

"Fool!" The Pavilion Master's voice rose sharply, "The gate to Tianyuan is about to open, and Otherworldly Creatures may invade at any time; only my Tongtian Pavilion can control this power and save humanity!"

The atmosphere in the cave was heavy; Xuanyuan Qing moved quietly to Lin Yu's side: "Don't listen to his nonsense. Lin Shu is Lin Shu; no matter your background, you will always be the righteous Lin Shu I know."

A simple sentence, yet it was like a beacon, illuminating Lin Yu's chaotic mind.

"Thank you, Qing girl." Lin Yu took a deep breath, his eyes gradually becoming clear, "Pavilion Master, no matter whose descendant I am, today I will stop you from opening Tianyuan!"

Seeing Lin Yu unmoved, the Pavilion Master snorted coldly: "Stubborn! In that case, I will let you witness the true power of Tongtian Pavilion!"

Before the words had faded, the Pavilion Master formed seals with his hands, eerie patterns appeared on his skin, and his entire body emitted a cold aura. He swung his right hand violently, and a black mist lashed out at Lin Yu like a long whip.

Lin Yu dodged to the side, his sleeve torn by the force, and his skin was instantly covered in bloody gashes.

"So strong!" Lin Yu thought to himself. The Pavilion Master's strength was far beyond his imagination; it would be difficult to withstand him with his physical body alone.

At this critical moment, the Jade Pendants in Lin Yu's bosom suddenly emitted a dazzling light. A warm current surged from his dantian and flowed rapidly through all the meridians in his body. The pain vanished, replaced by an unprecedented sense of power.

"This is..." Lin Yu shook his arms, and countless tiny golden lights seeped out from his pores, surrounding his body like golden armor.

The Pavilion Master's eyes narrowed slightly: "Nine Cauldrons True Qi? Impossible, without the complete Nine Cauldrons Order, how can you mobilize such power?"

Lin Yu did not understand what was happening either, but his body seemed to have a consciousness of its own; his hands involuntarily formed a peculiar seal, and his mouth chanted a spell he had never learned.

"Nine Cauldrons Sealing Art!"

Following a violent shout, Lin Yu pushed his palms out, the golden light in his palms condensing into a blinding beam of light, heading straight for the Pavilion Master's chest.

The Pavilion Master hastily set up a defense, but was pushed back several steps by the powerful force, the protective True Qi in front of his chest fluctuating violently, nearly collapsing.

"Go Lin Shu!" Xuanyuan Qing took the opportunity to shake the Silver Bell, the crisp bell sound echoing in the cave. The sound of the Soul-Absorbing Bell disturbed the Pavilion Master's mind, causing his movements to slow by a few degrees.

The Pavilion Master was furious: "Little girl, you are courting death!" He struck out with one palm, and a streak of black Qi headed straight for Xuanyuan Qing.

"Want to hurt her? Get past me first!" Lin Yu's figure moved like lightning, blocking in front of Xuanyuan Qing to face the black Qi impact head-on. The golden light and black Qi collided, emitting a deafening explosion.

The cave shook violently, and gravel fell from the ceiling with a rustling sound.

"The Nine Cauldrons True Qi is indeed powerful, but it is a pity you have only just caught a glimpse of the path." The Pavilion Master sneered, "Do you really think you can block my century of cultivation?"

As soon as he finished speaking, another, stronger streak of black Qi attacked. Lin Yu barely managed to resist, but was shaken back several steps, blood spilling from his mouth.

Xuanyuan Qing shouted anxiously: "Lin Shu!"

Lin Yu waved his hand to indicate he was fine, but his complexion already showed fatigue. The newly awakened power was difficult to sustain, while the Pavilion Master was still at ease.

The Pavilion Master pressed on step by step: "Give up, join my Tongtian Pavilion, and inherit the power and status you deserve."

Lin Yu suddenly remembered what Yan Nanshan had once taught him: "True power comes from having no fear in your heart."

In an instant, Lin Yu's heart was as clear as a mirror.

"My power has never relied on bloodline!"

Lin Yu closed his eyes to feel the flow of True Qi within his body, perfectly fusing the Nine Cauldrons True Qi with the Rong Sect martial arts.

The Pavilion Master felt threatened and stopped wasting words, forming a killing seal with his hands: "Since you are obsessed and refuse to repent, then stay here forever!"

Pitch-black True Qi condensed in his palms, forming a jet-black ball of light that exuded an aura of destruction.

At this life-or-death moment, the circulation route of the True Qi in Lin Yu's body suddenly changed, as if a certain lock had been opened. A peculiar pattern appeared before his eyes; it was the perfect combination route of the Rong Sect Eight Techniques and the Nine Cauldrons True Qi!

"Rong Sect Ultimate Technique—Nine Cauldrons Ao Fist!"

Lin Yu threw a punch, golden light and silver radiance intertwining to form a brilliant light fist, meeting the Pavilion Master's black ball head-on.

The two forces collided, and in an instant, the light inside the cave became blinding, and the air waves rolled.

A look of disbelief flashed across the Pavilion Master's face: "This is impossible… How can Rong Sect martial arts fuse with Nine Cauldrons True Qi?"

But the fact was happening—Lin Yu's punch momentum did not decrease but increased, the light fist gradually suppressing the black ball, and finally shattering it!

The black ball burst, and the Pavilion Master was caught off guard, struck in the chest by the powerful Anti-Backlash, flying backward and crashing heavily into the cave wall, vomiting blood.

Lin Yu pressed his advantage, sweeping a whip kick toward the Pavilion Master's lower stance. The Pavilion Master rolled to avoid it, backhanding a palm toward Lin Yu's face. Lin Yu dodged to the side, simultaneously sending out a Silver Needle straight toward the Pavilion Master's vital points.

The two exchanged over a hundred moves, and the Pavilion Master finally fell into a disadvantage due to his heavy injuries.

"As expected of the Tongtian Bloodline…" the Pavilion Master panted, "but you are too naive!"