Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 3255: Making A New Torch

The manifestation ended, leaving behind only a faint shimmer of Yin and Yang light that soon faded as well.

Lin Mu stepped forward and crouched beside the twins.

Their faces were pale, and their breathing shallow, but their expressions carried faint smiles of satisfaction. They looked utterly drained. He could feel the immense strain they had endured.

Using their Dao Embryos for the first time had clearly taken a toll on their bodies and minds.

He placed his hands on their heads, channeling a bit of his energy into them. ”You did well,” he said softly. ”Rest now.”

The twins nodded weakly before closing their eyes. Lin Mu then opened a link to his Sleepscape and sent them inside to recover, ensuring they would have a peaceful environment to regain their strength.

Once they had vanished, Lin Mu turned back toward the still-smoking tar.

He carefully drew a porcelain jar from his spatial ring and used his Spatial Skill Meld to lift the viscous black substance into it. As the last drop slid inside, he sealed the jar with a layer of protective talisman paper and stored it away safely.

The hardest part of his preparation was finally complete.

Drawing a deep breath, Lin Mu began assembling the new torch.

’Now the moment of truth...’

He picked up a piece of the withered dark wood he had collected from the marshes, feeling the faint pulse of baleful energy within its fibers. He broke it to a suitable length, then wrapped a strip of death-tainted cloth around its top.

The cloth crackled faintly as it touched the wood, reacting to the lingering energies of death.

Lin Mu then took out a set of formation tools and inscribed delicate runes along the shaft. He didn’t dare use his Rune Shaping Brush, having no idea what kind of effect it could have on the Embryo on himself.

As such, he resorted to the more mundane methods of using Formation Tools instead.

Each line was precise and deliberate, copied from the original Death Obscuring Torch he had studied. Once the inscriptions were complete, he dipped a brush into the jar and carefully coated the top of the torch with the freshly made Baleful Corpse Tar.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, as the tar settled into the wood, a faint vibration ran through it.

Hummm

The air trembled.

SPARK

A dull gray flame erupted at the torch’s head, flickering with eerie light. The same color as the original, the same subtle hum that carried the unsettling aura, the new Death Obscuring Torch was complete.

Lin Mu held it aloft, watching the glow ripple outward in soft waves. Around him, the others felt a spark of hope ignite in their hearts. After days of uncertainty and danger, they finally had a tangible path forward.

The light of the gray flame reflected in Lin Mu’s eyes as he smiled faintly. ”Now,” he said quietly, ”we can begin.”

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A few days later, the chill of early morning air filled the vast expanse of the reinforced structure that stood isolated in the outskirts of Pale Dusk City.

The building, once an abandoned alchemy hall, now served a far greater purpose. Its walls had been strengthened with layers of protective formations and inscribed talismans that flickered faintly with runic light, keeping the residual Baleful Energies from escaping into the surrounding lands.

The Imperial Court had declared the entire area restricted, forbidding anyone from approaching within several hundred meters.

Inside the hall, silence reigned, disturbed only by the faint hum of arrays and the rhythmic pulse of spiritual light.

Three figures occupied the great chamber: Lin Mu, seated cross-legged at the center of the room, and the twin snakes, Xiao Yin and Xiao Yang, who floated not far away, surrounded by an aura of shifting gray mist.

The two were hard at work, their small bodies glowing with alternating pulses of black and white radiance.

The air near them rippled with Yin and Yang energy, coiling together and condensing into liquid form. On a table beside them, rows upon rows of porcelain jars gleamed under the flickering torchlight, each one filled with thick, inky Baleful Corpse Tar.

Even though hundreds of jars already lined the floor, the twins were not done.

They continued refining, their movements perfectly synchronized as if they shared one mind. Xiao Yin exhaled a cool mist of Yin Qi, her breath dark and heavy like the night before a blizzard.

Xiao Yang followed, releasing radiant strands of Yang Qi that shimmered like dawn’s light. The two forces collided and blended seamlessly, their union forming a bubbling mass of dense liquid tar that slowly thickened with every cycle.

Lin Mu observed them carefully from where he sat, his eyes steady but filled with quiet concern.

He knew that the twins had been working for three days straight without rest. Even though their bodies were highly resilient, made to sustain extreme conditions of energy, he could feel the faint tremors in their Qi signatures, a sure sign of exhaustion beginning to take root.

”You two should rest,” Lin Mu said finally, his tone calm but firm. ”You’ve been working without pause. Another few jars will not make a difference now if you exhaust yourself to death.”

Xiao Yang turned his head, his black eyes glowing faintly. ”Just one more batch, Master,” he replied, his tone stubborn but polite.

Xiao Yin nodded beside him, her voice softer. ”We’re almost finished with this cycle. We can rest afterward.”

Lin Mu could only sigh quietly, his lips curling into a faint smile.

He knew well enough that arguing with the twins when they were this determined was pointless. They were too proud to stop before completing a set. He gave them a nod and returned his attention to his own task, knowing they would keep their word.

In front of him rested a massive structure; a chandelier, though to call it that would not quite do it justice. It was a creation born of both craftsmanship and formation knowledge, a grand artifact that combined metallurgy, forging techniques, formation theory, and the essence of the Death Obscuring Torches.