Chapter 87: Seventh-Level Familiar

“Primordial Qi?”

Vlamé spoke the term in Chinese, then fixed Lin Yu with a gaze full of curiosity.

Lin Yu explained the concept of Primordial Qi to Vlamé, then smiled and said, “I’ve made considerable phased progress in this research, but there’s still a long way to go before success.”

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you for a favor regarding this matter.”

Vlamé replied without hesitation, “What kind of favor?”

Lin Yu said casually, “Help me capture some test subjects.”

“…”

Vlamé’s gaze sharpened, and she asked softly, “Humans?”

Lin Yu smiled. “Humans, elves, dwarves—even demons—I don’t care.”

Vlamé paused, then nodded. “Fine. I accept this commission.”

Lin Yu blinked in surprise. “So quickly?”

Vlamé glanced at him. “People change. I’m no longer the naive girl I was ten years ago, who believed every human deserved to live in this world.”

“To be honest, over the past decade, I’ve killed more than a few human criminals…”

She paused, then spoke softly, “Of course, that’s only one reason. Knowing you as I do, once you’ve decided to begin human experimentation, no one can stop you.”

“Even if I refuse, the entire Spine Ridge Domain will still turn at your will.”

“It’s better that I act myself—so at least I can ensure the subjects I bring are all criminals.”

Lin Yu stared at her, then sighed. “You’ve changed so much. You never would’ve said something like that before.”

Vlamé smiled. “This is just the beginning. I’ll change even more. That’s what humans are—fickle creatures.”

“If you want a friend who never changes, try getting to know Fllilien. She’s exactly what you’re looking for!”

Still pushing her disciple?

Lin Yu rolled his eyes. “Your disciple’s a real piece of work. She’s been staying at my place for nearly a week and hasn’t even stepped out of the guest room. In my homeland, we’d call her a total magic hermit.”

“A magic hermit…?”

Vlamé chuckled. “I’d rather call her a mage of the age of peace.”

“Even without battle, she continues to study magic and press forward, just as always.”

“In this regard, neither I nor my master can match her…”

Mentioning Vlamé’s master, Lin Yu raised an eyebrow thoughtfully. “By the way, doesn’t your master possess a magic similar to clairvoyance?”

“Yes.”

Vlamé immediately realized what he meant, her expression turning strange. “Did she use magic to spy on you?”

Lin Yu replied coolly. “I wasn’t sure before, but now that you’ve said that, it must have been her.”

Hearing this, Vlamé’s expression grew even stranger.

After a moment’s hesitation, she confirmed, “Was it three months ago?”

Lin Yu nodded.

Vlamé’s face cleared with understanding. She sighed. “Then it makes sense. Three months ago, I brought Fllilien to visit my master, and for the first time, I mentioned your name…”

Here she paused, then smiled brightly. “Now I finally understand why my master flew into such a rage and threw us out of her magical sanctuary.”

“I thought back then that she was disappointed by Fllilien’s attitude toward magic.”

“Now I recall—her reaction was far too extreme. Lin, what exactly did you do to her?”

Lin Yu said casually, “Nothing much. She wanted to look, so I opened up completely and let her take a good, long look.”

Vlamé’s pupils shrank. “And then?”

Lin Yu recalled the sudden disappearance of the watching sensation. “Probably scared her off?”

“…”

Vlamé fell silent, then spoke softly, “No wonder. My master—she’s a mage who’s lived since the age of myths. Her mastery of magic is something I’ll never reach in this lifetime.”

Lin Yu’s face darkened. “Are you sure you’re praising the right person?”

“Of course I am!”

Vlamé replied without hesitation. “My master’s realm is profound, but still within my understanding. Your existence, however, has long surpassed my comprehension—there’s no point even trying to chase you.”

That was true enough.

Saelia had briefly glimpsed his true nature, yet hadn’t collapsed—instead, she’d panicked and fled with surprising energy. That alone proved how powerful she truly was!

Vlamé smiled. “Since then, has your master tried spying on you again?”

Lin Yu glanced at her coolly. “Dare she?”

She definitely wouldn’t dare.

Vlamé burst into laughter, imagining her mighty master humiliated and flustered before Lin Yu.

As she knew, Saelia sought the ultimate end of magic and equal combat.

That’s why Saelia could never defeat the Demon King—and why she’d never provoke Lin Yu.

The former was the opponent she longed for; the latter was a being beyond human comprehension, terrifying even to a battle-obsessed mage like Saelia.

After a moment of gloating, Vlamé smiled. “Now that I’ve accepted the commission, we should get going.”

Lin Yu frowned. “Now?”

Vlamé shook her head. “No, not yet. We have to wait until Fllilien steps out of her room for the first time.”

Lin Yu’s gaze pierced through the castle, glancing at Fllilien in the guest room, and he chuckled. “You’ve got a long wait ahead.”

“No problem. At most a week—I’ll drag her out by force.”

As she said this, Vlamé sighed inwardly.

The main purpose of her visit to Lin Yu had been ruined by Fllilien.

But judging from Lin Yu’s behavior, he still admired Fllilien—he’d even opened his library to her. That alone was enough. As for the Sacred Scripture, there’d be time later.

…

…

That night, Old Wol came alone to the castle.

Lin Yu had already been waiting in the forest outside the castle, gazing at the spry white-haired elder and saying coolly:

“Don’t pretend in front of me.”

“Yes, Lord!”

Old Wol bowed respectfully, then raised his head again—his body surged upward, reverting to the appearance of a man around forty.

A towering two-meter frame, dense powerful muscles, wild thick black hair, and a face carved with sharp, resolute features—all proved he’d once been a mighty warrior.

But… how much has he shrunk?

Lin Yu studied the towering warrior before him, silently grumbling.

Then again, the world worked this way—later heroes like Sinmel were the same. In youth, they stood over one meter seventy; in old age, they shrank to one meter twenty or so—shorter than dwarves.

“How’s it going? Are you used to this body?”

“Yes, Lord. I’ve mostly adjusted.”

Wol smiled. “If I must say, there’s a feeling of confinement—as if squeezed into a cramped space. Nothing like the freedom I had in your divine realm…”

Do familiars feel this too?

Lin Yu frowned, a sense of foreboding rising within him.

As previously stated, Lin Yu’s familiars were a system derived from the Tongtian Lu.

This familiar system was the complete opposite of the Tongtian Lu, which connected heaven and earth.

Simply put, Lin Yu treated himself as heaven and earth, dividing his authority and lending it to familiars who communicated with him.

In return, those granted permission became utterly bound to his inner universe, their bodies and souls merging into the world, entering a state akin to merging with the primordial Dao.

Of course, merged familiars could not compare to true masters.

How much authority they gained depended entirely on how much power Lin Yu was willing to lend.

So far, Lin Yu had roughly divided familiar authority into nine levels, with vast gaps between each tier.

In Lin Yu’s vision, the highest [First-Level Familiar] would wield authority second only to his own, able to manipulate all matter and energy within his inner universe at will.

Creating matter, solidifying space, halting time—all would be basic operations for them.

If possible, Lin Yu wanted to test First-Level Familiar power on Old Wol, but unfortunately, such authority was beyond what anyone could endure.

With Old Wol’s soul strength, he could reach at most Seventh-Level Familiar.

Higher than that—even if Lin Yu offered it, he couldn’t withstand it.

But for Old Wol, becoming a Seventh-Level Familiar was already more than enough.

Within Lin Yu’s inner universe, a Seventh-Level Familiar was a planetary-level powerhouse.

With a single thought, he could move mountains, fill seas, and tear continents apart—effortlessly.

But authority was still just authority.

Without understanding the principles behind these powers, they could only be used within Lin Yu’s inner universe.

Of course, this didn’t mean familiars lost all power outside it.

Take Old Wol—he had reshaped his body within Lin Yu’s inner universe, every inch of flesh infused with Lin Yu’s core consciousness.

This granted him abilities similar to Lin Yu’s, like a weakened version of Lin Yu’s initial state: passive abilities such as energy absorption and the Face Fruit.

All attacks against him were absorbed into the inner universe—truly invulnerable.

As an extension of Lin Yu’s will, his status soared—he could summon magical forces in nature with mere incantations, his words becoming law.

Lin Yu had already tested all these abilities with Old Wol.

At the time, he hadn’t thought anything was wrong, but now, a sense of foreboding suddenly struck him…

Thinking of this, Lin Yu waved his hand and led Old Wol to the edge of the ten-li territory.

Seeing the familiar forest before him, Old Wol glanced at Lin Yu in confusion.

Lin Yu offered no explanation, only gazed ahead and said, “Do you see that oak tree marked with a symbol? Try walking toward it.”

“Yes, my lord!”

Old Wol bowed respectfully and stepped forward toward the oak tree.

Just as he reached about three feet from the oak tree, his body suddenly froze, as if striking an invisible barrier.

“So it is true…”

Watching Old Wol, frozen before the tree and stunned with shock, Lin Yu sighed.

“Becoming my retainer also binds you to the limits of my inner universe—you cannot roam freely in this world…”

As Lin Yu thought this, he suddenly saw Old Wol reach out curiously to touch the invisible barrier before him.

And when his palm pressed against the barrier, it slowly sank inward, penetrating a full joint’s depth!

(End of Chapter)