"Father?" Upon hearing those two words, Lin Tian was utterly dumbfounded. Though the essence before him had grown powerful step by step through his own efforts, the sheer intimacy implied by the word "father" was almost too much for him to process.
"Father, I was wrong," the essence whimpered, its voice soft and plaintive, like a child caught in mischief. Lin Tian could only stare, completely stunned, unsure how to respond.
Though the essence now possessed intelligence, uttering such words far exceeded Lin Tian's expectations. Yet, despite the unexpected display, he had no intention of showing mercy.
Rapidly forming hand seals, Lin Tian sent forth a sigil toward the essence. Simultaneously, the array restraining the spirit flared with latent power.
"If you do not wish for me to destroy you, accept this seal," Lin Tian commanded, his tone unwavering.
Faced with such unyielding authority, the essence could only receive the sigil, its demeanor drenched in helpless grievance. The moment the seal imprinted upon it, a profound and mysterious bond surged into existence between them.
Now, with but a single thought, Lin Tian could annihilate the essence completely. Only then did he withdraw the array.
"Lin Tian, are you alright?" At that moment, Zhao Xufeng rushed over, his concern evident in his hurried voice.
"Senior Brother, could it be that the Bounty Match is about to begin?" Lin Tian asked, hurrying outside.
"That brat Gao Zhenhao seems eager to see you expelled from the sect. He's been waiting in the trial area since early morning," Zhao Xufeng replied with a mix of exasperation and warning.
"Oh? Really?" Lin Tian's brow arched in mild surprise. He had little prior conflict with Gao Zhenhao, yet the man clung relentlessly. Such behavior struck Lin Tian as curious, but if Gao intended to leave him no retreat, he would show no restraint in response.
Casting a glance at the peculiar metals and rare ores still at his side, Lin Tian's lips curved into a faint, bitter smile. He had planned to forge a spiritual weapon to counter Gao, but time was now running short. Thankfully, he still had another ace up his sleeve.
Upon arriving at the trial grounds, Lin Tian found the area already cordoned off and packed to capacity. Almost all the outer disciples from the Artifact Peak were present, with even several inner disciples drawn by curiosity.
Lin Tian and Gao Zhenhao were both prominent figures within the Artifact Peak. Although Gao's name had been overshadowed by Wu Xuan, his abilities had skyrocketed since apprenticing, making even inner disciples wary. Lin Tian, holding the title of first place in the outer trials, naturally drew considerable attention. Their confrontation was nothing less than a major event for the Artifact Peak, and any absence of either would have been a notable loss.
"So you actually dared to show up," Gao Zhenhao sneered as he caught sight of Lin Tian.
"And why wouldn't I?" Lin Tian replied dryly. If a mere Gao Zhenhao could intimidate him, he wouldn't have continued cultivating at all.
"Just hope your points are sufficient. Otherwise, your disciple token will be forfeit," Gao Zhenhao added, a cold smirk playing across his lips.
He inserted his token into the trial platform. Immediately, the point tally shot upward, settling at 130,000.
The outer disciples gasped. None had expected Gao to possess such a staggering amount. The average outer disciple had barely 20,000 points, meaning Gao alone equaled the combined points of six disciples.
"Your turn," Gao Zhenhao said, eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
Lin Tian smiled faintly and inserted his own token. Almost instantly, his points climbed, mirroring Gao's tally: 130,000.
"Impossible! How could Lin Tian possibly have so many points?" The outer disciples were dumbfounded. Gao's accumulation had already been extraordinary; Lin Tian matching him was beyond belief.
"Fellow disciples, could I borrow some of your points?" Gao's brow furrowed as he addressed the assembled outer disciples. Several handed over their tokens, which he swiftly inserted, raising his tally to an astonishing 250,000—a sum nearly unparalleled among the outer disciples. Gao's pride swelled as he glanced at Lin Tian.
But when he turned, he froze. Lin Tian's point tally had also risen to 250,000. Utterly stunned, Gao could not fathom how Lin Tian had amassed such an enormous sum.
"Junior Brother, let me lend you some support," Zhao Zhenjie stepped forward, offering his inner disciple token.
Gao's lips curled into a self-satisfied smirk. Inner disciples naturally had far more means to accumulate points, and Zhao Zhenjie's efforts over the years had added significant value to his token. Without hesitation, Gao inserted it, confident in further augmenting his already formidable points.