Chapter 518: Trapped Sheep

Lin Chao felt some apprehension, but he said nothing.

After a while, the excitement in Qian Xiantai's eyes finally dissipated.

"Are you very confused as to why I can discern your Literary Arts cultivation?" Qian Xiantai asked.

Lin Chao nodded.

A look of nostalgia appeared on Qian Xiantai's face, as if he were recalling something: "If the Sect Master had your talent, how wonderful that would be."

Of course, he only reminisced for a moment, then continued: "The Sect Master of the Gongshu School was a person of truly exceptional talent.

His natural gifts and brilliance made one feel admiration.

In the world today, the northern aristocratic families and clans control the government, while the southern princes and others... their channels for advancement have been severed."

Lin Chao had also heard of these matters.

In this world, the most powerful force is the Dao Soldier.

And the number of Dao Soldiers is limited, almost entirely controlled by the northern aristocratic families.

As long as one meets the conditions, one can grasp a Dao Soldier.

The world is vast, and there is no shortage of geniuses.

Therefore, the northern aristocratic families have been able to stand firm and never fall.

This is not something that can be achieved through effort alone.

"The Sect Master created the Dao Soldier Embryo, giving people of the world a chance to strengthen themselves, but unfortunately, he never imagined..." Qian Xiantai's eyes were filled with desolation.

"Nowadays, the manufacturing method for Dao Soldier Embryos has been severed, and there are very few Dao Soldier Embryos left in the world.

Among them, there are three Dao Soldier Embryos that were personally created by the Sect Master.

These three Dao Soldier Embryos are extremely powerful, even comparable to Dragon Grade Dao Soldiers."

Upon hearing this, Lin Chao felt a shock in his heart.

Dao Soldiers also have grades; for instance, the Dao Soldiers of the Qingxu Sect are the lowest, the Mysterious Grade.

Above the Mysterious Grade is the Earth Grade.

Above the Earth Grade is the Heaven Grade.

As far as Lin Chao knows, the Dao Soldier currently mastered by the head of the Tailin Academy is of the Heaven Grade.

And the Dragon Grade is a Dao Soldier even higher than the Heaven Grade.

"The world believes that those three Dao Soldier Embryos were destroyed along with the death of the Sect Master.

No one knows that one of the Dragon Grade Dao Soldier Embryos is with this old man."

This secret had clearly been hidden by Qian Xiantai all along and never revealed to anyone else.

"This Dragon Grade Dao Soldier is named Kunyang.

If someone with insufficient talent tries to control it rashly, *cough cough*... I fear they will end up like me." Qian Xiantai's voice was desolate.

He possesses the Literary Arts cultivation of Spirit Severing, yet he still finds it difficult to master this Dao Soldier Embryo.

"Is it by relying on this Dao Soldier Embryo that you knew my Literary Arts cultivation?" Lin Chao said calmly.

Qian Xiantai nodded: "The power of Kunyang is mysterious and unfathomable, but unfortunately, I can only master some of its superficial abilities."

There was a sense of lament in Qian Xiantai's words.

After all, being able to cultivate to the Spirit Severing stage can be considered that of a top-tier genius.

But now, looking at his appearance, he was full of twilight, with not many days left to live.

"Xia Yang, since you are a member of the Gongshu School, and your talent... can also be called unprecedented.

Kunyang has no successor, and I fear it will be a pearl covered in dust.

Your master asked me to gift you the Dao Soldier Embryo Kunyang; do you dare to accept it?"

Hearing this, Lin Chao pondered the gains and losses in his heart.

To be honest, he was very interested in a Dragon Grade Dao Soldier Embryo.

He also wanted to witness the high-level power of this world.

A Dragon Grade Dao Soldier would be considered a priceless treasure throughout the entire Zhenyuan Kingdom.

After all, the three great sect-protecting artifacts that the Flower Demon Sect plotted to obtain during their infiltration of Tai Ling Prefecture were only a single Heaven Grade Dao Soldier.

Dragon Grade is one level higher than Heaven Grade.

Of course, if it were anyone else, they would certainly feel it was a hot potato to suddenly obtain a Dragon Grade Dao Soldier.

But Lin Chao was not afraid.

"Why would I not dare?" he answered confidently.

Qian Xiantai let out a hearty laugh: "As expected of Jiang Boye's disciple, you have courage!"

After all, if the matter of Kunyang were to leak out, Xia Yang would definitely be hunted down by the Royal Court of the Zhenyuan Kingdom.

"However, there is one thing I must warn you: do not fuse with Kunyang until you reach Spirit Severing.

Otherwise... you will surely die!" Qian Xiantai said solemnly.

Lin Chao nodded.

Qian Xiantai continued: "Even at Spirit Severing, one can only unleash a portion of Kunyang's power.

And Kunyang... will ravage your body.

Therefore, my advice is to fuse with it only when you reach the perfection of Spirit Severing.

Otherwise, if you have fused with it for thirty years and still have not stepped into Void Refinement... you will also surely die."

Dao Soldiers are powerful; to control a Dao Soldier and become a Dao Soldier User, one's Literary Arts cultivation must meet the requirements, otherwise, there is only a path to death.

Hearing this, Lin Chao nodded: "I have noted it."

A trace of a smile appeared on Qian Xiantai's face, and he extended his palm.

In the center of his palm, he was holding a short ruler.

The short ruler was ordinary, and if placed in a corner, no one would notice it.

"This is the Sheep-Trapping, and today I shall entrust it to you."

As the Sheep-Trapping was handed to Lin Chao, Qian Xiantai's spirit and vitality seemed to improve significantly.

However, Lin Chao knew that this was Qian Xiantai's final flash of vitality.

With his own discernment, he had known the moment he first met Qian Xiantai that he only had a few days left to live.

Now, without the Sheep-Trapping, those few days had even been extended by a few more.

Lin Chao took the Sheep-Trapping, a look of respect appearing on his face: "Many thanks to Elder Qian for the gift."

The favor of a Dragon Grade Dao Soldier Embryo was immense.

As for Elder Qian's physical condition, even he had no way to repay it.

"If Elder has any regrets, you may entrust them to this junior, and this junior will certainly do his utmost to fulfill them." Lin Chao rarely made promises, but the promises he did make, he strove to keep.

Of course, in his own life, he too had had regrets, and promises he had failed to complete.

"I have lived my whole life, and I have no regrets left.

If I must have one, I hope that one day, should you meet the descendants of the Sect Master, you will look after them a little."

"This junior will obey," Lin Chao said.

At this moment, Qian Xiantai continued: "The Grand Commander of the Prefecture Governor's Mansion is currently in the mansion; in a moment, you will leave together with him."

After Qian Xiantai finished speaking, he turned over and continued.

His seemingly casual remark would appear to an ordinary person as an act of helping a junior.

But Lin Chao thought of much more.

After all, upon arriving at the Qian Mansion, he had sensed many gazes sizing him up.

This Qian Mansion was likely not very peaceful.

A quarter of an hour later, Lin Chao met the Grand Commander of the Prefecture Governor's Mansion.

That was a middle-aged man with a stern countenance, carrying a dense aura of slaughter about him.

Upon seeing Lin Chao, he merely nodded slightly.

Clearly, he also understood that Lin Chao was a junior of Elder Qian Xiantai.

Coming to the Qian Mansion at this time and wanting to leave would likely be troublesome, so he was using his power to depart.

Along the way, both men remained silent.

Lin Chao thought of something and could not help but ask: "Grand Commander, I do not know why, but I keep feeling that someone is spying on us along the way. Could it be... that the Qian Mansion has encountered some trouble?"

The Grand Commander glanced at Lin Chao, a flash of surprise appearing in his eyes before it vanished: "Elder Qian gave you a Dao Soldier Embryo?"

"Yes," Lin Chao nodded.

The Grand Commander knew his guess was correct.

The other party was a student of Tailin Academy and should possess a Golden Core Literary Arts.

It was normal for him to be able to use a low-grade Dao Soldier Embryo and to detect a trace of surveillance.

"Do not ask about this matter; just pretend you never came to the Qian Mansion. I am doing this for your own good," the Grand Commander said, then closed his eyes to rest, ignoring him further.

To ordinary people, a student of Tailin Academy was an extraordinary figure.

But to the Grand Commander, he was just so-so.

If not for Elder Qian speaking up, this Lin Chao would not have been qualified to sit in the same carriage as him.

At the same time, above a restaurant, a gaze full of resentment fell upon the carriage.

"Captain Ji, I suspect that the Qian Mansion is playing a double game, and the divine artifact is on that student from Tailin Academy!"

(End of this chapter)