Wu dong Qian Kun: I, Lin Langtian, Refuse to be a Supporting Character

While the world outside the Symbol Master Tower buzzed with excitement over the tower duel, the ninth floor within remained quiet and still. Lin Langtian sat motionless in front of the stone monument, as if carved from stone himself.

As time passed, the figure in meditation before the monument suddenly shuddered slightly. Lin Langtian’s tightly closed eyes opened slowly, a glint flashing from deep within his gaze. After a brief pause, he raised his hand, releasing a surge of spirit energy from his mental palace.

The energy condensed in mid-air, forming intricate lines that slowly merged to create a rune array over thirty feet wide. Lin Langtian’s attention was fixed on this array as he delicately traced each line, determined to master it. Over the past ten days, he had failed countless times trying to form this complicated array. Not only did it demand incredible control, but even the smallest distraction would ruin his progress.

But his efforts had paid off. Through endless attempts, Lin Langtian grew increasingly skilled with each line, his movements becoming smooth and precise. Under his intense concentration, the ethereal rune array finally took shape mid-air. With one final connection, it completed seamlessly.

”Buzz!”

The moment the rune array was complete, a strange humming sound resonated throughout the ninth floor, accompanied by a strong surge of spirit energy that spread outward from the array. Lin Langtian’s eyes lit up as he focused on the newly formed array, and he casually tossed a Pure Yuan Pill into its center.

”Stasis!”

As soon as he spoke the word, an invisible, almost mystical wave of energy shot out from the array. Instantly, the Pure Yuan Pill froze in mid-air, as if wedged into an immobile gap in space and time. The pill hovered there, motionless—a strangely eerie sight.

The surreal scene only lasted a few moments before it shattered, and the Pure Yuan Pill resumed its descent, dropping quickly toward the ground.

”This Stasis Rune Array is quite remarkable,” Lin Langtian murmured with a chuckle, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Although the array didn’t have any direct offensive power, its brief ability to halt movement was surprisingly effective. Even though it could only freeze something for an instant, that single moment could make all the difference in a life-or-death struggle.

”The only downside is its massive consumption of spirit energy,” Lin Langtian noted with some regret. Just maintaining the array for a few seconds had already taken a noticeable toll on his energy reserves.

”Nothing in this world is perfect,” he mused. ”For an ability this powerful, the cost is only natural.” Having confirmed the array’s power, Lin Langtian waved his hand, and the enormous rune array shrank rapidly into a small, invisible mark that settled into his mental palace. This first successful creation allowed him to store the array’s ”seed.” Now, whenever he needed it in battle, he could simply summon this seed and channel his spirit energy into it, forming the array quickly.

The only drawback was that if this seed array were forcibly dispersed, it could also deal some backlash damage to him, as it was still connected to his mind. After storing the array, Lin Langtian breathed a sigh of relief. He had finally achieved a preliminary mastery of the Stasis Rune Array, which would now be a powerful weapon in his arsenal.

Slowly standing, Lin Langtian stretched after his ten days of intense practice. As he looked around, he noticed something surprising: numerous lines and markings had appeared on the tower’s walls. Although they were complex and difficult to understand at first glance, he soon realized they formed an ancient and intricate map.

”These markings... When did they appear?”

The walls had been blank when he first arrived on the ninth floor. The timing seemed too precise to be a coincidence. ”Could it be related to mastering the Stasis Rune Array?” Lin Langtian wondered. ”Or is this… a Spirit Map, perhaps even one connected to the Stasis Divine Token?”

Realizing this, Lin Langtian felt a surge of excitement. If this map was indeed tied to the Stasis Divine Token—a powerful artifact in legend—then he had truly struck gold.

Summoning a vortex of spirit energy from his mental palace, he directed his spirit energy at the wall. As it connected with the ancient markings, the lines began to emit a faint glow. Suddenly, beams of light shot out, tracing the outline of a map in the air before him.

”What place is this?”

The map glowed with a bright red dot in one corner, marking a specific location. However, upon closer inspection, he realized that he didn’t recognize the terrain—it appeared to be somewhere far beyond the borders of the Great Yan Empire.

Before he could study it further, the Spirit Map faded, its details and markings dissolving back into his mental palace as the vortex returned to its regular state.

”Not in the Great Yan Empire…” Lin Langtian murmured, feeling a pang of disappointment. However, he quickly brushed it off. He knew he would leave the empire sooner or later; this discovery simply gave him something to pursue in the future.

The Stasis Divine Token, after all, was no ordinary artifact.

”It’s time to go,” he said, refocusing his thoughts. He turned, stepping out of the ninth floor.

The moment he disappeared from view, the markings on the wall began to crack. Within moments, the map, along with all traces of spirit energy, crumbled into dust.

(End of Chapter)