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

Chapter 22: The Black Swirl Sigil

After leaving the auction house, Lin Langtian and his companions made their way inside to collect all the items he had successfully bid on, including the mysterious ancient bronze fragment.

Inside a quiet, private room, Lin Langtian carefully examined the ancient copper piece in his hand. Its surface felt cool, and covered in intricate, obscure symbols. At first glance, these symbols appeared quite complex and mysterious. However, despite Lin Langtian's attempts to probe the fragment, it remained motionless, leading him to question whether these symbols might just be a deceptive façade. If so, his costly purchase could turn out to be a huge loss.

Clutching the fragment tightly, he decided to return to the Lin family residence within the capital, where he could attempt to decipher its secrets further. This auction had nearly drained his supply of Pure Yuan Dans, though.

"Good thing I kept that 500,000 Pure Yuan Dans for myself; otherwise, I'd be utterly strapped for resources," he thought with relief. Waving for Lin Ke'er and Lin Chen to follow, the three of them exited the palace and headed back to the Lin family estate.

As they passed a corner, a faint, pure fragrance caught Lin Langtian's attention, filling the air with a light, lotus-like scent. He glanced up, spotting the familiar figure of Lin Qingzhu exiting a nearby pavilion, accompanied as always by Huangpu Jing.

Lin Qingzhu noticed him as well. Her eyes flicked briefly to the ancient bronze fragment in his hand, and she smiled lightly. "Brother Langtian, I see you bought the mysterious copper piece. Are you planning to become a sigil master?"

"Hehe, I'm simply interested in ancient artifacts. But as for your beast egg, Miss Qingzhu, I was quite interested in it as well. Alas, you beat me to it. If you ever lose interest, I'd gladly take it off your hands," Lin Langtian replied, steering the conversation away from the copper fragment.

Qingzhu raised an eyebrow at his remark, a bit surprised by his interest in the beast egg.

Just then, Huangpu Jing, who stood by her side, interjected, "Brother Langtian, I apologize for any offense Huangpu Ying may have caused today."

As a member of the Huangpu family, she was well aware of Huangpu Ying's unwarranted hostility towards Lin Langtian. Although she knew the cause, Huangpu Jing preferred not to let it escalate, considering the influence both families wielded as two of the Four Great Clans in the Great Yan Empire.

"Whether I forgive him or not doesn't matter. But if he crosses the line again, I won't care whether his name is Huangpu or not," Lin Langtian responded coolly. Although his tone was even, a chilling edge lingered in his words.

Hearing this, Lin Ke'er and Lin Chen exchanged surprised glances. Given the influence of the Huangpu clan, they'd expected Lin Langtian to overlook minor disputes for the sake of the bigger picture. This unexpected show of resolve, however, was undeniably satisfying.

"Lin—" Huangpu Jing started, surprised by his bluntness, but Lin Langtian simply waved her off, politely took his leave, and continued on his way.

Watching him walk away, Lin Qingzhu's eyes narrowed slightly as she recalled the terrifying image that had flashed in her mind. She leaned toward Huangpu Jing and murmured, "You'd better warn your family to keep Huangpu Ying in check. If they make an enemy of Lin Langtian, your family could suffer considerable consequences."

"Qingzhu…" Huangpu Jing's expression turned incredulous. She hadn't expected Qingzhu to regard Lin Langtian so highly, especially given her family's status as one of the Four Great Clans.

Meanwhile, a hundred meters away, a young man dressed in black glared resentfully at Lin Langtian and Qingzhu, barely containing his jealousy…

…

Back at the Lin clan's residence in the capital, Lin Langtian distributed the gifts he had bought to the elated Lin Ke'er and Lin Chen. Afterward, he informed them that he would be in seclusion for a few days, then quickly locked himself in his room, eager to examine his new acquisition.

Sitting cross-legged on his bed, he took out the ancient bronze fragment, its surface engraved with faded, complex symbols, likely related to sigil magic.

He was especially keen to learn any sigil-related techniques hidden within the fragment. Determined to uncover its secrets, Lin Langtian carefully studied the fragment from every angle, brushing off a layer of dust from the symbols. The markings remained faint and difficult to make out, a likely reason even the royal experts had failed to decipher it.

After a moment's thought, Lin Langtian extended a thin thread of black flame from his hand, allowing it to touch the fragment's surface. The moment the flame met the bronze, the fragment trembled slightly but showed no significant reaction.

"This fragment is definitely sealed by some strange barrier," he realized. He could clearly sense a faint but powerful seal covering its surface, indicating that it had likely been hidden away for an extremely long time.

Assessing the strength of the seal, he breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't beyond his capabilities to break it. With a mental command, the powerful black flames surged forward, wrapping around the fragment and penetrating the seal.

"Buzz!"

As Lin Langtian forced his way through, the fragment emitted a low hum, followed by a faint cracking sound. Moments later, it began to emit a soft glow, forming a small beam of light that shot toward Lin Langtian's forehead.

When the beam struck his forehead, Lin Langtian felt a stream of unusual information flowing directly into his mind.

The Black Swirl Sigil – A Method of Sigil Inscription.