Chapter 86: Great Will

"Spirit Root... Vassal?"

Old Wal repeated these unfamiliar syllables with a completely blank expression.

Clearly, apart from the second option, he had not understood the meaning of the other two choices.

This was not his fault; the world of Frieren simply did not possess creatures akin to vassals or kin, so the continental common tongue lacked any words related to them.

Lin Yu had directly applied Chinese characters to the concept; it would have been strange if Old Wal could understand that!

"It is very simple."

With a calm expression, Lin Yu explained: "The so-called Spirit Root is a treasure capable of filtering out mana radiation; cultivators implanted with a Spirit Root are unaffected by mana radiation, and their lifespans will continuously extend through cultivation."

"So far, this path has been verified on quite a few people."

"However, their situations were rather special; their bodies had never been exposed to mana, thus they matched extremely well with the Spirit Root."

"But you are different; you have lived your entire life amidst mana radiation, and parts of your body have already shown signs of crystallization. Once a Spirit Root is implanted within you, a violent reaction is inevitable."

"To use terms from another world, this is called 'shedding the hair and washing the marrow, transforming the body and exchanging the bones'."

"Yet such transformation always entails suffering and risk; while the Spirit Root purifies the radiation, it will also remodel your body. This process is extremely perilous; the slightest mistake will cause your body to collapse, killing you instantly..."

The more Old Wal listened, the grimmer his expression became.

After a brief moment of thought, he suddenly dropped to one knee and stated firmly: "My lord, your will is my will!"

"With just a word from you, no matter how great the risk, your subordinate is willing to bear it!"

Lin Yu: "..."

Did this old fellow misunderstand something?

He was merely explaining the pros and cons of the Spirit Root, not insisting that Old Wal must choose this path.

Lin Yu shook his head and said: "Do not rush to make a decision; I have not finished speaking yet."

"There is little to say about the second choice; you have met Lord Lord Longlongyan, Guangzhi, and Guangzhi Guangmou. Once you enter the Bai Ze Myriad Beasts Map, you will become an existence just like them."

Lord Lord Longlongyan?!

Old Wal's eyes widened, and he instantly cast the first choice to the back of his mind.

Although the first option sounded comparatively free and allowed him to continue pursuing the truth, Old Wal was not a mage; as a descendant of a fallen knightly family, his life's pursuit was to dedicate his loyalty to someone!

Now, if he could serve Lin Yu just as Lord Lord Longlongyan did, perhaps in the future he might even appear on the cover of the Holy Canon.

With such glory, what more could one possibly ask for!

—This is the one I choose!

Old Wal hurriedly raised his head, but before he could speak, he heard Lin Yu continue:

"As for the third choice, it is something I developed recently; to become my vassal is to become an extension of my will, dedicating both body and soul to the world beneath your feet."

"From this moment on, if I wish you to live, no one can harm a single hair on your head; if I wish you to die, no one can obstruct my will..."

Gazing directly at Old Wal, who remained kneeling on one knee, Lin Yu stated without any concealment: "This is what a vassal is: my exclusive appendage."

"Now... make your choice!"

Old Wal's eyes shone brightly; without the slightest hesitation, he bowed his head and respectfully declared: "My lord, I choose the third option!"

With a calm expression, Lin Yu asked: "Have you thought it through?"

Old Wal nodded firmly, his heart devoid of any wavering, feeling at most a touch of relief.

Fortunately... fortunately he had not acted impulsively; what good was binding oneself to the Holy Canon compared to binding oneself to my lord!

Although he still found the definition of 'vassal' somewhat puzzling, there was one sentence he had heard crystal clear—

To become a vassal is to become an extension of my lord's will...

How is this any different from being an envoy of a god?!

As for dedicating everything to the Divine Kingdom, for Old Wal, this was no price to pay at all; rather, it was the favor of a deity and supreme glory!

Thinking of this, Old Wal's gaze grew even more fervent.

Lin Yu was not surprised; he had long known this would be the result.

Although deep down he hoped Old Wal would choose the first path, there was nothing to be done; the man's ambitions lay elsewhere.

Lin Yu also did not wish to forcibly turn this fanatical believer into his experimental subject, which was why he had explained everything so clearly...

"In that case..."

"Then dedicate your all to me!"

Lin Yu gazed calmly at Old Wal; without making any visible move, the world around them gradually slowed down.

Until, in an instant, all extraneous sounds vanished completely, the surging waterfall ceased its flow, splashing water droplets froze mid-air, and even the seven-colored ripples spreading across the pool's surface froze into stillness.

It seemed as though the entire world had halted its rotation under some supreme will.

Old Wal stared blankly at the frozen, motionless world before his eyes.

By the time he regained his senses, Lin Yu, who had been beside the Seven-Colored Pool, had already vanished.

Old Wal widened his eyes and was about to shout when he suddenly felt his soul detach from his flesh, soaring upward in an indescribable manner until it broke free from the constraints of the entire world.

The next second, his consciousness drifted into a universe resembling hell itself.

A brilliant sea of light boiled within the cosmos, like a movie played at countless times normal speed, colliding and annihilating in the void.

Old Wal gazed at everything before him in shock.

Suddenly, his perspective involuntarily 'ascended,' looking beyond the firmament into that boundless and majestic void in a way he could not comprehend.

There, a vast consciousness, deep as an ocean and profound as an abyss, was quietly observing him.

It was like an eyeball pressed tight against the outside of a glass sphere, looking down upon the miniature world within, treating the entire universe as a glass sphere rotating in the palm of its hand...

In an instant, an indescribable sense of shock and tremor rose from the depths of Old Wal's soul.

His vision shook as if during an earthquake, and his consciousness began to gradually blur...

……

Early the next morning, more than ten hours had passed since Old Wal's disappearance.

Regarding this matter, Old Wal's wife showed no reaction at all.

In the eyes of this couple, my lord was an omnipotent god; as long as my lord was present, Old Wal could absolutely not come to any harm.

In contrast, Old Wal's son, Dai Meng, appeared somewhat worried.

He had returned to his hometown and integrated into Ridge Peak Territory only a few months ago; his impression of Lin Yu was merely that of a powerful and benevolent lord, not yet possessing such confidence.

After hesitating for a long time, Dai Meng still went to the castle, wishing to request an audience with my lord.

But at this moment, Lin Yu was not in the castle; receiving him was Fu Fu Lamei, who was temporarily residing there.

Seeing the worry on her old comrade's face, Fu Fu Lamei smiled and comforted him: "Rest assured, your father will be fine."

In her estimation, the worst-case scenario would simply be transforming into a monster like Lord Lord Longlongyan...

That's right; as the mastermind behind the emergence of the Demonic God's Sacred Canon, Fu Fu Lamei naturally knew about the Bai Ze Ten Thousand Spirits Chart.

The reason she felt Lin Yu would set a trap for her was precisely because of this.

After all, this person Lin Yu, though outwardly gentle and inclusive, actually held extremely strong personal opinions.

Once he truly made a decision, no one could change it, and Fu Fu Lamei certainly could not either.

Based on her understanding of Lin Yu, if he reached the end of his lifespan without finding another method to extend his life, he would undoubtedly hesitate not to place her upon the Bai Ze Ten Thousand Spirits Chart...

Regarding this matter, Fu Fu Lamei felt some resistance in her heart.

As for Dai Meng, needless to say, he had spent his entire life hunting monsters, and his hostility toward them was even greater.

Therefore, Fu Fu Lamei did not tell Dai Meng about the Bai Ze Ten Thousand Spirits Chart, merely smiling as she said: "Your my lord is the most powerful person I have ever seen in my life; if even he cannot resolve this, then no one in this world can save your father!"

She said this naturally to comfort Dai Meng, but who could have expected that upon hearing it, Dai Meng became even more worried!

—If my lord truly cannot resolve it, wouldn't that be sentencing his father to death?

"Fu Fu Lamei..."

Lin Yu's voice suddenly came from behind the two of them, and he said in an annoyed tone: "If you know how to speak, then speak more!"

"My lord!"

Dai Meng hastily dropped to one knee, then lifted his head and said anxiously: "My father, he..."

Lin Yu smiled and said: "Your father has already returned to Ridge Peak City and is currently at home eating the breakfast your mother prepared."

Already returned?

Hearing this, Dai Meng froze for a moment, then asked anxiously: "Then father's illness..."

"It's cured."

Lin Yu waved his hand and said: "Seeing your face full of worry, I'm afraid you have no mind to work today; how about this, I'll make the call and give you a half-day leave to go back and see your father!"

Overjoyed, Dai Meng quickly bowed his head and said: "Thank you, my lord!"

Having said this, he stood up, bowed respectfully, and then turned to depart with quick steps.

Fu Fu Lamei looked at Lin Yu with a face full of suspicion, then whispered: "Did you really resolve it?"

Lin Yu glanced at her and said: "You don't believe me? If you don't believe me, just follow over and take a look; I'm not stopping you."

Fu Fu Lamei nodded: "Then I'm really going!"

Having said this, she unhesitatingly took steps and followed Dai Meng to Old Wal's home.

Shortly thereafter, Fu Fu Lamei returned in haste, her face filled with disbelief.

"It really was resolved..."

"Lin, what exactly did you discover?"

"Could it be... that thing I missed, which was mentioned yesterday?"

Fu Fu Lamei gazed at Lin Yu with blazing eyes.

Lin Yu no longer concealed anything, smiling as he said: "That thing is called Primordial One Qi; what Huaxia culture refers to as 'hanging on by a single breath' points precisely to this substance!"

(End of Chapter)