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

Inside the Dark Temple, the moment Lin Langtian put away the Dark Source Pearl, the entire hall fell into a brief, deathly silence.

Those powerful individuals who had initially harbored a sliver of hope and wanted to seize the opportunity amidst the chaos now looked ashen-faced, their eyes filled with helplessness and resentment.

Even An Cang, the second elder of the Dark Spirit Clan, was beaten and forced to flee in a sorry state. What could those of them, whose strength was even inferior to An Cang, possibly do?
Moreover, Lin Langtian was accompanied by Helian Tieshan, a peak Earth Sovereign, so who would dare to make a move?
Hei Yuan sighed and silently retreated to the side with the people of the Blackwater Pavilion. Ying Mei bit her lip, put away her dagger, and retreated into the shadows. Jiao Tu covered the wound on his arm, his face gloomy, but he dared not say another word.

Those powerful rogue cultivators had already hidden at the edge of the main hall, afraid that Lin Langtian would notice them.

However, just when everyone thought the battle was over, a figure in black slowly walked out.

Black Sky Annihilation!
He stood with his hands behind his back, his long, dark hair swaying gently in the dim light, his black robe spotless, like the brightest star in the night sky.

His expression remained indifferent, as if everything that had just happened had nothing to do with him, but in his deep, dark eyes as he looked at Lin Langtian, a barely perceptible hint of solemnity and greed flashed.

However, the fervor in his eyes quickly subsided, for he knew that there were treasures in these ruins that were even more important than the Dark Source Pearl.

"The Dark Source Pearl has already recognized its master; we are not destined to have it." Hei Tianjue spoke, his voice calm yet clearly reaching the ears of everyone present.

"But the legacy of the ancient Black Emperor is not limited to the Dark Source Pearl."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, and said calmly, "Do you all remember what is required to enter the ruins?"

Everyone was taken aback, then someone suddenly realized: "The Black Dzi Bead!"

“Not bad.” Hei Tianjue nodded slightly, raised his right hand, and a jet-black bead slowly appeared in his palm.

The bead was exactly the same as the Black Heavenly Bead that Lin Langtian had seen before. It was completely black, with fine runes flowing across its surface, emitting a faint glow.

"The true core of the Black Emperor's Ruins... the Black Emperor's Secret Realm, is not something anyone can enter," Hei Tianjue said slowly.

"Eight Black Sky Beads are needed to open the gate to the secret realm, and my Black Sky Ancient Clan happens to have two."

As soon as he finished speaking, one of his four followers stepped forward and took out a Black Heavenly Pearl as well.

Two black celestial beads floated in front of Hei Tianjue, emitting a faint light, and seemed to have some invisible connection between them, trembling slightly.

"Two!" someone exclaimed. "The Black Sky Ancient Clan actually has two!"

Hei Tianjue ignored the exclamations, turned his gaze to Yin Ruoshui, a hint of disgust flashing in his eyes, and said indifferently, "As a bastard, you should also have one, right?"

As a legitimate member of the Black Heaven Ancient Clan, Black Heaven Jue naturally held these illegitimate bloodlines in utter contempt. If it weren't for the fact that Yin Ruoshui's mother held some status within the Black Heaven Ancient Clan, the Black Heaven Pearl in Yin Ruoshui's possession would have been taken back by Black Heaven Jue long ago.

Yin Ruoshui was taken aback and subconsciously looked at Lin Langtian, who nodded slightly.

Seeing this, Yin Ruoshui took a deep breath and took out the Black Heavenly Pearl from her bosom.

Three.

“My Blackwater Pavilion also has one.” Hei Yuan stepped forward and took out a Black Heavenly Pearl.

“The Shadow Pavilion also has one.” Shadow Demon took one out from her sleeve.

“The Deep Sea Black Dragon Clan has one.” Jiao Tu, clutching his wound, also took out one.

“The Xuanbing Turtle Clan has one.” The enormous old turtle slowly stretched out its head, and a black celestial pearl floated out of its mouth.

Six black celestial beads floated above the main hall, each emitting a faint glow, echoing each other and slowly rotating.

There seemed to be some invisible attraction between them, drawing them closer and closer together.

"Two more are needed," Hei Tianjue said calmly, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.

"Who else possesses the Black Heavenly Pearl? It is the key to opening the secret realm and the only way to enter the depths of the Black Emperor's Secret Realm and obtain the final inheritance. If no one produces it, the secret realm cannot be opened, and we will have to stop here."

The entire room fell silent.

No one else stepped forward.

Those powerful rogue cultivators looked at each other, their eyes filled with regret.

They knew that even with the Black Heavenly Pearl, entering the secret realm would be suicide for them given their strength.

But at this moment, they wanted to know more about who had the remaining two Black Dzi Beads.

Just as everyone was wondering, a strange and cold aura spread out.

"Jie Jie Jie..."

A hoarse and eerie laugh suddenly echoed through the hall.

The laughter wasn't loud, but it seemed to come from all directions at once, making it impossible to tell which way it came from.

The laughter carried a chilling undertone that seeped into the bones, causing everyone present to involuntarily shiver.

From the darkness at the entrance of the main hall, a black figure slowly emerged.

A black robe, a hood, a face so pale it was almost transparent, and eyes as black as ink with no whites.

It was the strange black-robed man that Lin Langtian had encountered in the passage earlier!
His steps were unhurried, each step seemingly landing on empty air, creating ripples of black light beneath his feet.

There was no fluctuation of spiritual energy around him, but the invisible pressure caused all the powerful figures present to involuntarily take a step back.

Hei Tianjue frowned slightly, his gaze falling on the man in black robes, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes.

Helian Tieshan's pupils suddenly contracted. He stared intently at the man in black robes, and his spiritual power began to surge wildly, radiating intense hostility.

This person's aura... he actually felt a sense of familiarity with it!
That's the aura of an evil race from beyond the realm!
Although it was suppressed with all its might, it could not be hidden from him, a veteran who had fought against the evil race for countless years!

Helian Tieshan was about to make a move when Lin Langtian stopped him.

The strength of this strange black-robed man is unfathomable, and he is very likely a powerful figure disguised as an extraterrestrial evil race. His purpose is unclear, so it is best to wait and see how things unfold.

Lin Langtian had dealt with many alien demons on the Tianxuan Continent and knew their nature of being opportunistic.

The man in black robes seemed to sense Helian Tieshan's gaze, turned his head, and his dark eyes met Helian Tieshan's for a moment.

His lips curled up slightly, revealing a strange smile, before he looked away and swept his gaze over everyone present.

"Eight Black Dzi Beads, two are still missing." He said in a hoarse voice, "Coincidentally, I have one in my possession."

He raised his withered hand, and a jet-black dzi bead slowly appeared in his palm.

That bead was exactly the same as the others, but it exuded a colder aura, carrying a hint of barely perceptible evil.

“The seventh one,” Hei Tianjue said calmly, his gaze falling on the man in black robes as he scrutinized him. “Who are you? Why do you possess the Black Heavenly Pearl?” The man in black robes did not answer, but merely smiled. That smile was eerie and mysterious, sending chills down one’s spine.

"By the way, the eighth one is also in this main hall, wouldn't you agree, Second Elder An Cang?"

As soon as the man in black robes finished speaking, a mysterious smile appeared on An Cang's lips. He strode forward and took out a Black Heavenly Pearl from his robes.

The bead was identical to the others, but upon closer inspection, the runes on its body were slightly different from the others.

"The eighth one!" someone exclaimed. "We've collected them all! All eight are complete!"

An Cang walked to the man in black robes and stood beside him.

Their eyes met in mid-air. An Cang nodded slightly, while the black-robed man's lips curled up into a meaningful smile.

Lin Langtian's heart sank as he watched this scene.

When did An Cang and that man in black robes start colluding together?

Furthermore, is the Black Heavenly Pearl in An Cang's hand truly something that the Dark Spirit Clan originally possessed? Or...?

Thinking of this, Lin Langtian and Helian Tieshan exchanged a glance and both realized that the Black Heavenly Pearl in An Cang's hand probably did not belong to the Dark Spirit Clan, but was given to him by the man in black robes!

In this way, of the eight Black Heavenly Beads, the man in black robes contributed one, and the one in An Cang's hand was also given by the man in black robes.

In other words, the man in black robes alone possessed two Black Heavenly Pearls!

Lin Langtian looked at Helian Tieshan, who was also looking at him. A hint of solemnity flashed in their eyes.

This man in black robes is no ordinary person.

“All eight are complete.” Hei Tianjue seemed unaware of the black-robed man’s unusual behavior, or rather, he was aware but didn’t care.

His gaze fell on the eight black celestial beads floating in mid-air, a fiery glint flashing in his eyes.

"Let's open the Black Emperor's Secret Realm. As for the struggle after the secret realm, that's up to each of us to decide," he said calmly, raising his hand to unleash a jet-black spiritual energy into the eight Black Heavenly Pearls.

As if summoned, the black dzi bead began to tremble violently and emit a low hum.

The buzzing sound grew stronger and more intense, and the eight beads began to slowly rotate, getting closer and closer together.

"Everyone, let's attack together!" Hei Tianjue shouted in a low voice.

Hei Yuan, Ying Mei, Jiao Tu, Lao Gui, Lin Langtian, An Cang, and the black-robed man simultaneously raised their hands, channeling their spiritual power into the Black Heaven Pearl.

Eight different energies converged and poured into the eight beads.

"Buzz!"

The black dzi bead suddenly burst forth with dazzling light!

The light was as black as ink, yet it was not dim; instead, it possessed an eerie luster, as if it could devour all light, and as if it could illuminate all darkness.

The eight beads began to merge, one after another, overlapping each other, and finally transforming into a fist-sized black bead... It was extremely similar to the Dark Source Bead, yet completely different.

The bead floated in the center of the hall, slowly rotating. With each rotation, a vast spiritual energy wave spread outwards.

The fluctuations were ancient and weathered, seemingly originating from countless ages ago, carrying the remnants of the ancient Black Emperor's will and majesty.

"Rumble..."

With a dull, loud thud, the floor in the center of the hall began to crack, and dark cracks spread out like a spider web.

The cracks grew larger and deeper, until finally... a huge black vortex surged out from the ground!

The vortex was tens of feet in diameter, pitch black, like a giant black hole, suspended in the center of the hall.

Within the dark vortex, countless stars could be vaguely seen revolving, as if it were the entrance to another world.

At the edge of the vortex, countless fine runes flowed, radiating a heart-stopping fluctuation.

Deep within the vortex, a vast space can be faintly seen.

There are mountains, rivers, palaces, and pavilions there, as if it were an independent little world.

The Ancient Black Emperor's Secret Realm!

"A secret realm! It's the Black Emperor's Secret Realm!"

"This is the true core of the Black Emperor's ruins! It must contain the Black Emperor's most precious legacy!"

"Charge!"

It's unclear who was the first to lose their composure, but they flashed forward and rushed towards the black vortex!

Immediately afterwards, dozens of figures shot out at the same time, rushing into the vortex one after another!

Hei Tianjue didn't move. He looked at the people rushing in, a slight sneer on his lips.

Hei Yuan, Ying Mei, Jiao Tu, and the others looked at each other in bewilderment and did not move immediately.

They knew that the secret realm was bound to be extremely dangerous, but those who rushed in first were often the first to die.

An Cang and the man in black robes exchanged a glance, a strange smile appearing on their faces. Then, they both stepped forward and walked towards the vortex.

Their pace was unhurried, as if the secret realm were nothing more than an ordinary courtyard.

Helian Tieshan looked at the dark vortex with a respectful and nostalgic expression, then turned to Lin Langtian: "Shall we go in too?"

Lin Langtian stared at the black vortex, remained silent for a moment, and then nodded.

"Walk."

He led Yin Ruoshui and Helian Tieshan, striding towards the vortex.

Having obtained the Dark Source Pearl, Lin Langtian had achieved most of his goals. However, with the Black Emperor's Secret Realm right before him, Lin Langtian could not simply turn back.

After Lin Langtian made his move, Hei Tianjue also moved. He stood with his hands behind his back, his long black hair fluttering in the light of the vortex, and walked step by step towards the vortex as if taking a leisurely stroll.

The secret realm opened by the eight Black Heavenly Beads has finally been revealed to everyone.

An incredibly fierce battle is about to begin... (End of Chapter)