Chapter 311: Emerging from Seclusion, Gu Yan's Request!
"Brother Yuntian was gravely injured…" Gu Yan's usually cold voice now carried an undeniable edge of anger.
"What?!"
"Brother Yuntian was injured? But he's already at the level of challenging the Great Mastery Life Xuan Stage!"
"Who did this?!"
"…"
As soon as her words fell, the Gu Clan disciples around her erupted in shock and dismay.
"It must've been the Wei Clan," Gu Yan said, clenching her jade-like fist, her voice icy with suspicion.
Of the Five Great Clans, the Gu and Wei Clans had always been the most hostile toward one another.
"Those bastards! With Brother Yuntian severely injured, we'll lose a key fighter at the Martial Meet. This has to be deliberate!"
The Gu disciples were all seething with fury.
Gu Yan furrowed her brows tightly and murmured, "If Brother Yuntian can't fight, the Gu Clan's performance at the Martial Meet will surely suffer…"
"Big Sister Gu Yan, each clan is allowed to bring in one external ally. We haven't used ours yet…" one disciple said hesitantly.
"But with less than a month before the Martial Meet begins, it's too late to find someone trustworthy and powerful enough," Gu Yan replied, shaking her head. Then she paused mid-sentence, her gaze drifting toward the calm lake.
The other Gu Clan members followed her line of sight, thoughts unspoken but clear in their eyes.
"Lin Fan is an excellent candidate. It might be worth a try… but will he agree?" Gu Yan thought silently, watching the still lake surface.
All the Gu disciples turned to face the lake as well, quietly waiting for Lin Fan and Lin Dong to emerge.
And just like that, another half-month passed.
It had now been a month and a half since Lin Fan and Lin Dong had entered the lake's depths.
And during all that time, not a single ripple or disturbance had come from below.
"Sister Gu Yan, it's been a month and a half now. If we wait any longer, we won't make it to Martial Meet Island in time!" one disciple said anxiously as he stared at the still lake.
Martial Meet Island was the venue for the Martial Meet between the Five Great Clans of the Tianfeng Sea Region. With only half a month left until the event, time was running out.
"I'll go check," Gu Yan said after a moment of thought. Gritting her teeth, she made her decision.
Whoosh!
Without hesitation, she moved, flying straight toward the lake's center.
But just as she was about to dive in, her eyes narrowed, and she instinctively leapt back.
Boom!
The surface of the tranquil lake suddenly erupted with a towering water column. Water rained down like a curtain, and within it, two figures shot upward, landing gracefully at the lake's edge.
"Young Master Lin Fan, Young Master Lin Dong—you've returned!" Gu Yan's tense expression finally eased.
Lin Fan nodded slightly and smiled. "Seems like you were getting a little anxious?"
Gu Yan gave a wry smile. "That's true. The situation is like this…"
She then explained the details of the Martial Meet between the Five Great Clans.
Lin Fan nodded in understanding. "I see. Well then, let's set off. I wouldn't mind seeing what Tianfeng's so-called young elites are like."
Gu Yan hesitated slightly, then looked directly at Lin Fan. "Young Master Lin Fan, I have a request."
"What is it? Let's hear it," Lin Fan replied casually.
"As I mentioned, the Martial Meet allows each clan to bring in one external ally. With Brother Yuntian seriously injured, I'd like to ask you to represent the Gu Clan—as our external aid—to win the championship."
Lin Fan raised a brow and smiled faintly. "I don't do things for free, you know."
Gu Yan gave a small, helpless smile. "Then… what kind of reward would you consider acceptable?"
Lin Fan shrugged. "You tell me. I don't know what your Gu Clan has that might interest me."
Gu Yan hesitated briefly, then asked, "Have you ever heard of the Desolate Tower?"
Lin Fan shook his head. "Not from anyone here, no."
What he said wasn't exactly a lie. Though he knew of it, no one in this world had mentioned it to him until now.
"The Desolate Tower is an ancient cultivation ground passed down from the distant past. It's said that within it, one can absorb a mysterious energy called Desolate Aura…"
Gu Yan then gave Lin Fan and Lin Dong a detailed explanation of the Desolate Tower.
Afterward, she extended her jade-like hand and presented a dark yellow stone bead to Lin Fan.
"This is a Desolate Pearl, infused with a trace of Desolate Aura from within the Desolate Tower."
Lin Fan accepted the stone bead. It felt cool in his hand, and faintly emitted a wild, primal aura.
Aside from that, it didn't seem all that special.
"You try it," he said, casually tossing the bead to Lin Dong.
Lin Dong caught it, sensed it briefly, then released a wisp of Devouring Power from his palm.
Buzz!
As the Devouring Power activated, the bead crumbled instantly into dust.
Lin Dong's body was immediately flooded with an ancient, refined energy. Then, his Azure Dragon Transformation Art started running on its own, attempting to absorb it.
Even the mysterious stone talisman joined in, forcefully pulling the energy in and still seeming unsatisfied.
Feeling the strange activity in his body, Lin Dong's expression grew a bit odd.
After a long pause, he scratched his head and said awkwardly, "Sorry… I accidentally destroyed it."
Gu Yan smiled faintly. "It's alright. That one didn't contain much Desolate Aura anyway."
Lin Dong's eyes glinted slightly. "Brother Lin Fan, why don't we go take a look at this Desolate Tower?"
Lin Fan looked at him and smiled. "You think we can just waltz into the Desolate Tower? Isn't that right, Miss Gu Yan?"
This last part was clearly aimed at Gu Yan.
She replied, "The Desolate Tower is guarded by the Five Great Clans and only opens once a year. Entry is limited to three slots. The champion of the Martial Meet earns those three slots."
"Only three?" Lin Dong frowned.
Lin Fan, however, remained calm—it was about what he expected.
"If Young Master Lin Fan helps the Gu Clan win the championship, I'll persuade the clan to give you one of the three slots. How about that?" Gu Yan asked earnestly.
Lin Fan chuckled. "And what if I want two?"
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