Wu Dong: I, Lin Langtian, will not play a supporting role

"Helian Tieshan, commander of the Black Abyss Army under the Black Emperor..."

A hoarse and indistinct voice, carrying an extremely raw and weathered quality, slowly emerged from the mouth of the dark figure.

Upon hearing this, Lin Langtian was taken aback, a look of astonishment appearing on his face, and the sharpness that had been gathering in his eyes dissipated considerably.

A dark figure stood in mid-air, its dark eyes flashing with light.

Lin Langtian could see a strong struggle within it; clearly, it seemed to be fighting against the demonic energy within its body, thus waking itself from that state of only knowing how to kill.

"Help me!" The dark figure, Helian Tieshan, spoke again in a hoarse voice, his tone filled with a deep plea.

Standing in front of him, Lin Langtian felt a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him as he sensed the struggle of the powerful figure before him.

This was a loyal warrior who, even after being corrupted by demonic energy for countless years, was still able to retain a sliver of clarity in the end.

Such a person deserves respect.

However, with his current strength, Lin Langtian is clearly not capable of eliminating the powerful demonic energy that can corrupt even a Grand Perfection Earthly Sovereign.

However, just when Lin Langtian was at his wit's end...

"Buzz!"

A deep hum suddenly resounded from the depths of his body!
The voice wasn't loud, but it seemed to resonate deep within Lin Langtian's soul, giving him a jolt.

His expression changed slightly, and he quickly looked into the Supreme Sea. There he saw the mysterious treasure that had been dormant for a long time, the Golden Spirit Wheel Mirror, slowly rotating. On the surface of the mirror, black patterns appeared, emitting an eerie and mysterious light.

The Golden Spirit Wheel Mirror, a mysterious treasure he obtained by chance after his rebirth, has an unknown origin and extremely mysterious uses.

Putting aside everything else, the ability to copy the eight ancestral symbols alone has greatly benefited Lin Langtian.

The only time the Golden Spirit Wheel Mirror acted abnormally after arriving in the Great Thousand World was in the ruins of the Undying King, when it shot out a mysterious demonic light, transforming the Undying Golden Body into the Undying Heavenly Demon Armor.

And now, this ancient mirror, which has been silent for a long time, has actually started to operate on its own!
"What's going on?" Lin Langtian frowned slightly.

He could sense that the Golden Spirit Wheel Mirror was not aimless; its target was the demonic corpse on the ground... and the swirling demonic energy within Helian Tieshan's body!

"Buzz!"

The buzzing of the Golden Spirit Wheel Mirror grew stronger and stronger, and an invisible suction force emanated from the mirror surface, penetrating through the body and enveloping Helian Tieshan's body!
What happened next surprised Lin Langtian and Yin Ruoshui.

The demonic energy that Helian Tieshan had previously dissipated was now summoned back out from the cracks in his gray-black skin, turning into wisps of black mist that drifted toward Lin Langtian's Supreme Sea!
"This is..." Yin Ruoshui covered her mouth in surprise.

Lin Langtian was also startled.

He could clearly sense that the demonic energy was not simply being devoured by the Golden Spirit Wheel Mirror, but rather being… drawn in and even refined.

The pitch-black demonic energy drifted into Lin Langtian's body and entered the surface of the Golden Spirit Wheel Mirror.

On the mirror, the jet-black patterns grew brighter and denser, and the black demonic energy that entered the mirror began to undergo strange changes.

The darkness gradually faded, replaced by a dark golden light, exactly like the aura of the Undying Demon Armor!
"Oh, the Golden Spirit Wheel Mirror is purifying demonic energy?" Lin Langtian wondered with surprise.

He could sense that the demonic energy processed by the Golden Spirit Wheel Mirror no longer carried the violent, corrosive, and evil characteristics of the extraterrestrial evil races. Instead, it had become a neutral and pure energy, neither biased towards the evil races nor towards the vast world.

Even more strangely, the purified energy began to flow back, surging out from the Golden Spirit Wheel Mirror and returning to Helian Tieshan's body along Lin Langtian's meridians!
"This is... feedback?" Lin Langtian was surprised to find that the purified energy was repairing Helian Tieshan's body that had been eroded by demonic energy!
On Helian Tieshan's skin, the grayish-black parts began to fade gradually, revealing the pale skin underneath.

The cracked skin began to heal under the nourishment of the purified energy, and the cracks disappeared little by little, replaced by new, healthy skin.

"This..." Yin Ruoshui's eyes widened, unable to believe what she was seeing.

"Young Master Lin, what is this...?"

Lin Langtian did not answer; his mind was completely absorbed in the operation of the Golden Spirit Wheel Mirror.

He could sense that the Golden Spirit Wheel Mirror was not simply absorbing and purifying demonic energy, but rather stripping away the evil from the demonic energy in a way he couldn't understand, while retaining its energy.

That power was extremely similar to the power of the alien demon and the Yuan power that Lin Langtian fused with when he was in the Tianxuan Continent.

Time passed by, second by second.

Helian Tieshan's physical body is recovering at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Those skin, muscles, and bones that had been eroded by demonic energy for countless years were reborn under the nourishment of purifying energy.

His complexion changed from grayish-black to pale, then from pale to rosy, gradually returning to the skin color of a normal human being.

And his aura was also changing.

The tyrannical, corrupt, and evil aura belonging to the extraterrestrial evil race gradually disappeared, replaced by a calm and profound aura of a human powerhouse.

Although still weak, he is completely different from before.

Finally, after the last wisp of demonic energy was purified and replenished by the Golden Spirit Wheel Mirror.

"Cough cough..."

Helian Tieshan's fingers twitched slightly, and he let out a soft cough.

Yin Ruoshui was startled and subconsciously took a step back.

Lin Langtian remained calm. He could sense that the demonic energy within Helian Tieshan's body had been completely purified. What lay before him was no longer a demonic corpse corrupted by the evil race, but a real, living human being.

Helian Tieshan slowly opened his eyes.

Those eyes were no longer the dark red will-o'-the-wisps, but had returned to the dark brown color that humans should have, clear and deep, like two deep pools.

His gaze was somewhat blank and confused, as if he had just woken up from a long nightmare.

"Where...where am I?" he murmured, his voice hoarse, but no longer the broken bellows-like roar of before, but the voice of a normal human man.

His gaze slowly moved, landing on Lin Langtian, then on Yin Ruoshui, then sweeping over the surrounding passage, rubble, and cracks in the walls, before finally settling on himself.

Those calloused hands, those broken yet still strong arms.

"I...I'm still alive?" His voice was filled with disbelief.

Lin Langtian looked at him and nodded slightly: "Senior Helian, you've come back to life."

Helian Tieshan stared blankly at Lin Langtian, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly struggled to sit up.

His movements were somewhat stiff, clearly due to being corrupted by demonic energy for too long, but he quickly adapted.

He looked down at his hands, turning them over and over as if to confirm they were real and not an illusion. "I...I remember...I was corrupted by demonic energy...I lost my mind...and then...and then..."

His brows furrowed, as if trying to recall something, but his memory was a jumbled mess, with only scattered fragments flickering in his mind.

Lin Langtian didn't disturb him, but just stood quietly, waiting for him to process everything before him.

After a long while, Helian Tieshan raised his head, his gaze falling on Lin Langtian, looking intently at the young man.

His eyes were filled with gratitude and confusion: "Young man, did you save me?"

Lin Langtian nodded, then shook his head: "Yes and no. I have a treasure within me that absorbed and purified the demonic energy within you, which is why you regained your senses. I am just a vessel."

"A supreme treasure?" Helian Tieshan raised an eyebrow, but he wisely refrained from asking further questions. After all, a supreme treasure capable of purifying extraterrestrial demonic energy was a secret hidden deep within the hearts of any powerful individual.

Helian Tieshan remained silent for a moment, gazing at the dilapidated ruins around him. As if he had thought of something, a sigh appeared on his face, and then he suddenly stood up.

Although his movements are still somewhat slow, he is already able to stand.

He straightened his tattered armor, stared at Lin Langtian for a moment, and then suddenly knelt down on one knee in front of Lin Langtian!

"Senior, what's wrong with you..." Lin Langtian was stunned for a moment and quickly stepped forward to help him up.

Helian Tieshan raised his hand to stop him and solemnly said, "Young friend, you saved my life and freed me from the pain of being corrupted by demonic energy."

This kindness is beyond repayment. Although I, Helian Tieshan, am dull-witted, I still understand the principle of repaying kindness.

With the fall of the Black Emperor, I am now like a lost soul, my only obsession being to slay more extraterrestrial evil beings and avenge the Black Emperor and my many comrades.

Although you are young, I greatly admire your strength and methods. Your future achievements may not be inferior to those of Lord Black Emperor!
From this day forward, my life belongs to you. Whether it's climbing mountains of knives or plunging into seas of fire, I, Helian Tieshan, will not flinch at your command!

Helian Tieshan was a rigid and grateful man. Since Lin Langtian had saved him, he was Lin Langtian's savior.

Moreover, although he was corrupted by demonic energy, Helian Tieshan still retained a certain level of consciousness. Although Lin Langtian in front of him was only a high-level Earthly Sovereign, Helian Tieshan, with his strength at the Great Perfection of Earthly Sovereign, was unable to do anything to him for a while.

It can be said that Helian Tieshan had a keen eye and could tell at a glance that Lin Langtian was no ordinary person and would surely rise to great heights in the future.

While comparing Lin Langtian to the ancient Black Emperor might be an exaggeration by Helian Tieshan, it was not entirely without merit.

Lin Langtian looked at him, sensing the sincerity and determination in his words. After a moment of silence, he slowly said, "Senior, you don't need to do this. I was just doing it as a favor and didn't expect anything in return."

"No!" Helian Tieshan shook his head.

"What might be convenient for you is a rebirth for me."

"If it weren't for your intervention, I would never have regained my senses in this lifetime, and would have been forever trapped in that walking corpse body, becoming a puppet of the evil race."

"This kindness is greater than the heavens!"

He raised his head and looked intently at Lin Langtian: "Young man, I know that your purpose in coming here is the ruins of Lord Black Emperor."

In my previous life, I was the commander of the Black Abyss Army under the Black Emperor. I know this ruin like the back of my hand. With me leading the way, you can avoid many detours and traps. This is a small token of my appreciation; please do not refuse.

Looking into his sincere eyes, Lin Langtian finally nodded: "In that case, thank you very much, senior. Please rise."

He stepped forward and helped Helian Tieshan up with both hands.

Helian Tieshan stood up, grinned, and although the smile was a little stiff from not being active for a long time, it carried a long-lost sense of boldness.

"Don't call me senior anymore, just call me Old He. Although I've lived for countless years, it's fine to treat each other as equals." He patted his chest.

"Don't worry, with me here, none of the traps, restrictions, or those monsters corrupted by the evil race in this ruin will be able to harm you in the slightest!"

Yin Ruoshui watched this scene from the side, her eyes filled with surprise and joy.

She never expected that Lin Langtian would not only save the demonic corpse, but also restore its intelligence, and even gain the following of a powerful Earthly Sovereign at the Great Perfection stage!

"Young Master Lin, you are amazing..." she murmured.

Lin Langtian smiled slightly and didn't say anything more.

He sensed the Golden Spirit Wheel Mirror within the Supreme Sea. The ancient mirror had returned to calm, and the runes on its surface no longer flowed, as if it had fallen into a deep sleep.

But the performance of the Golden Spirit Wheel Mirror undoubtedly gave Lin Langtian another big surprise.

"Let's go." Lin Langtian smiled slightly, then led Helian Tieshan and Yin Ruoshui deeper into the ruins.

Helian Tieshan walked at the front. Although he had just recovered, he was becoming more and more agile.

As he walked, he introduced the structure of the ruins to Lin Langtian: "This ruin was built by Lord Black Emperor himself, and it has three levels."

The first layer is the outer perimeter, which is where we are now. It mainly consists of restrictions and traps used to filter out unqualified intruders.

The second level is the core area, where various treasures and trials left behind by Lord Black Emperor are located.

The third level is a forbidden area; only those who have passed all the tests can enter. There…” He paused, his tone becoming serious.

"There lie the remains of Lord Black Emperor, and his most precious legacy."

As Lin Langtian listened, he gained a general understanding of the layout of the ruins.

However, Helian Tieshan's expression immediately turned solemn, and he slowly said, "After the great battle back then, although Lord Black Emperor repelled the evil army, some powerful evil warriors were not eliminated, but were sealed by him deep in the ruins."

Ten thousand years have passed, and the power of the seal has gradually weakened, allowing those powerful evil beings to begin to awaken.

They were far more powerful than the corrupted zombies from before; the weakest among them possessed the strength of a Great Perfection Earthly Sovereign, and there were even…

He didn't finish his sentence, but Lin Langtian already understood what he meant.

And... the Supreme Being.

Lin Langtian's expression hardened slightly, but there was no fear in his eyes.

His purpose in coming here is for the Dark Source Pearl, for the inheritance of the Black Emperor, and also to become stronger.

No matter what lies ahead, he will never back down.

"Let's go," he said calmly. "No matter what lies ahead, we should at least take a look."

Helian Tieshan looked at him, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes, then nodded and strode into the depths of the passage.

Three figures, one in front and two behind, disappeared into the dark end of the passage... (End of Chapter)