The withdrawal of the Shanhe Seal caused Zilin Ling to freeze for a moment.
She silently asked herself, "What is going on?"
However, her steps did not falter. Like lotuses blooming with each stride, she swiftly entered the Yin Zun Shrine.
After Zilin Ling passed, the others tried to seize the opportunity to rush into the shrine.
But would the Shanhe Seal give them that chance?
Of course not!
Thus, those who harbored vain hopes met their doom.
The Shanhe Seal instantly returned to its original position, crushing the opportunists to the ground.
Painful wails erupted in succession, and over ten figures were sent flying.
The spectacular scene made Xuanyuan Xun and the others unable to bear watching.
Seeing that all eight of Zilin Ling's group had entered the shrine, Ji Hui quickly activated his bloodline power.
Ji Hui was a descendant of Yin Zun Ji Zhihao and possessed a faint Yin Zun bloodline.
It was this faint Yin Zun bloodline that allowed Ji Hui to be unaffected by the suppression of the Shanhe Seal.
Therefore, Ji Hui also quickly entered the shrine.
He looked at Zilin Ling curiously and asked, "Miss Zi, could you tell me why the Shanhe Seal..."
"Don't ask me, I don't know either!" Zilin Ling interrupted him with a smile.
In reality, Zilin Ling had already guessed the reason but did not wish to tell others.
Ji Hui gave an awkward smile and said, "Then... honored guests, please proceed with the worship!"
As he spoke, he quietly retreated to the side.
Soon, Zilin Ling and the others finished their worship.
"Miss Zi, I have prepared a banquet. Please grace us with your presence!" Ji Hui invited with a smile.
Zilin Ling smiled and shook her head, "Thank you for your kind offer, Master Ji. However, we have pressing matters to attend to and cannot linger. Farewell!"
With that, she led the way out of the shrine.
However, as soon as she stepped out, the Shanhe Seal rapidly shrank and began to circle her, as if reluctant to let her go.
Zilin Ling blinked, "You want to follow me?"
The Shanhe Seal stopped in front of Zilin Ling and bobbed up and down three times, as if answering "yes."
"This isn't quite right, is it? You are the Yin Zun's personal weapon, how can you go with me?" Zilin Ling asked.
The Shanhe Seal leaped and twirled about.
The others did not understand its meaning, but Zilin Ling seemed to grasp it.
She asked uncertainly, "You want to go with me to find your master?"
The Shanhe Seal stopped before Zilin Ling and bobbed up and down three times again.
"Do you know where your master is?" Zilin Ling probed.
The Shanhe Seal swayed left and right a few times, seemingly indicating "no."
Zilin Ling laughed, "If you don't know where he is, how can I take you to find him?"
The Shanhe Seal leaped and twirled again, and Zilin Ling quickly understood its meaning.
It was saying, "Follow the lady, and you will surely find the master!"
Zilin Ling found the Shanhe Seal quite amusing and continued to tease it, "Are you so sure?"
The Shanhe Seal bobbed up and down three times, giving a positive affirmation.
"Why?" Zilin Ling asked.
The Shanhe Seal once again danced in the air.
Zilin Ling subtly raised an eyebrow, for she once again understood the Shanhe Seal's message: "Because you are the Chosen One!"
The words "Chosen One" made Zilin Ling pause again, and she asked, "But if you leave with me, what about the trials here?"
The Shanhe Seal then spun three times in the air before stopping and suddenly growing larger.
A phantom image of the Shanhe Seal flew out from within and hovered where the real Shanhe Seal had been.
Then, the true Shanhe Seal circled Zilin Ling joyfully three times, conveying its intention.
Zilin Ling smiled, "Alright then!"
The true Shanhe Seal happily somersaulted a few times, shrunk to the size of her palm, and landed in Zilin Ling's hand.
Zilin Ling smiled and said to Ji Hui, "Master Ji, the Shanhe Seal wishes to go with me to find its master. This phantom image of the Shanhe Seal possesses the same effects as the original and can last for at least a hundred years!"
"This... Miss Zi... this..."
Ji Hui hesitated.
For nearly a hundred thousand years, the Shanhe Seal had guarded the Yin Zun Shrine, and the people of Yin Zun City were accustomed to its presence.
Therefore, if the Shanhe Seal were to be taken away by Zilin Ling, it would be difficult to explain to the people of Yin Zun City.
Seeing Ji Hui's hesitant and fumbling demeanor, the Shanhe Seal immediately leaped from Zilin Ling's palm and rammed towards Ji Hui's forehead, as if saying, "You scoundrel, I finally got the Chosen One's agreement, and you dare to hesitate here? I'll beat you to death!"
Although Ji Hui reacted quickly, he could not avoid the Shanhe Seal's impact. Su Dan Novel Network
Of course, the Shanhe Seal only used a fraction of its power; otherwise, Ji Hui would have been reduced to a pulp.
"Hiss~"
Ji Hui gasped and a trickle of blood flowed from his forehead.
However, the Shanhe Seal showed no intention of letting Ji Hui off and lunged towards his chest again.
"Ancestor Shanhe Seal, why are you hitting me?" Ji Hui asked with a distressed face.
The Shanhe Seal ignored Ji Hui, acting like a stern parent disciplining a wayward descendant.
Ji Hui quickly turned to Zilin Ling, "Miss Zi, what exactly is going on?"
Zilin Ling smiled faintly, "As I said, the Shanhe Seal wants to go with me, and your hesitation angered it."
Ji Hui was miserable and quickly pleaded with the Shanhe Seal, "Ancestor Shanhe Seal, I won't hesitate anymore. I agree to you following Miss Zi, is that not enough?"
"Slap!"
The Shanhe Seal landed a heavy imprint on Ji Hui's backside before returning to Zilin Ling's palm.
"Pfft!"
Zilin Ling couldn't help but laugh. She heard the Shanhe Seal's haughty words: "You scoundrel, if you dare question me again, I'll smash you into pulp and remold you!"
Ji Hui naturally couldn't hear these words; otherwise, he would likely have been so angry he'd suffer internal injuries.
Zilin Ling put away the Shanhe Seal and said, "Master Ji, we are leaving. Until we meet again!"
With that, she led Xuanyuan Xun and the other seven out of the Yin Zun Shrine and headed towards the teleportation array.
Ji Hui naturally did not dare to stop them, fearing that their Ji family's Ancestor Shanhe Seal would erupt in anger again.
Watching Zilin Ling's retreating figure, Ji Hui fell into deep thought.
"Who exactly is this Miss Zi? She managed to escape unscathed after damaging the statues of Tian Zun, Zhen Zun, and Hai Zun, and now she has taken our Ji family's Shanhe Seal. What is going on?"
"What's strange is that the Shanhe Seal has been here for nearly a hundred thousand years, yet it willingly followed this Miss Xi. Why?"
Just as Ji Hui was pondering this, a voice suddenly boomed, "Not good! The Yin Zun statue is broken!"