Lin Yun nodded, but for now, he didn’t need to think too much about it, as he was still quite far from reaching the Tongtian Realm.
After asking Old Black about the location for registering with the Demon Hunting Team, Lin Yun hurriedly left.
In the northwest corner of Dizi Square, there stood an unremarkable hall, which was the registration point for the Demon Hunting Team.
When Lin Yun entered this somewhat secluded hall, he found it very quiet. The registration point for the Demon Hunting Team was empty, with only a middle-aged man sitting nearby, dozing off.
“Ahem.”
Lin Yun arrived at the registration point and cleared his throat.
The dozing middle-aged man woke up with a start.
“What do you want?” the middle-aged man asked, sitting up straight, his eyes still bleary with sleep.
“I’m here to register for the Demon Hunting Team,” Lin Yun said directly.
The middle-aged man looked Lin Yun up and down. “Another one not afraid of death. Are you fully aware of the dangers of demon hunting?”
“I’m aware,” Lin Yun replied.
“Alright then, show me your token and state your name and position,” the middle-aged man said, extending his hand.
“Name: Lin Yun, Tianhuo Lieutenant of the Fifth Battalion of the Hansha Army.”
As Lin Yun spoke, he handed over his Tianhuo Temple token.
“From the Hansha Army, so you’re a Death Servant?” the middle-aged man said, surprised.
“That’s right, a Death Servant,” Lin Yun nodded in confirmation.
“Every thousand years, Tianhuo Temple sends some Death Servants to hunt demons. Other Death Servants are unwilling, yet you’ve come forward voluntarily. How strange,” the middle-aged man remarked.
“Death Servants are forced to go demon hunting?” Lin Yun was shocked, as he hadn’t known this before.
“Of course! To Tianhuo Temple, high-realm Death Servants are the valuable ones. Demon hunting may involve great sacrifices, but it also trains high-realm Death Servants,” the middle-aged man explained.
For Tianhuo Temple, recruiting Death Servants wasn’t easy, as forming a Death Servant contract required the person’s willing consent. Thus, the loss of a Death Servant was a loss for the temple.
But for a powerful force like Tianhuo Temple, having many Saint Realm fighters was not enough; they wanted top-tier powerhouses.
They recruited so many people to cultivate a few exceptional powerhouses from among them.
Since Death Servants had to obey Tianhuo Temple absolutely, the temple could order them to go demon hunting, thereby increasing the number of powerhouses.
“Even if a thousand or ten thousand Death Servants are sacrificed, it’s worth it if a single top-tier powerhouse is forged,” the middle-aged man said.
“But don’t worry, when Death Servants go demon hunting, Tianhuo Temple provides some support to increase your survival rate,” he added.
“So, if I register voluntarily, can I go this time?” Lin Yun asked.
Hearing this, the middle-aged man was puzzled. Other Death Servants were usually unwilling and only went because they were ordered to, but this guy seemed eager.
“Of course!” the middle-aged man replied.
“When do we set off?” Lin Yun pressed.
“Once the team is arranged, you’ll be notified. Go back and wait for news. A group should be leaving soon,” the middle-aged man said, handing the token back to Lin Yun.
“Alright.” Lin Yun took the Tianhuo Temple token and left.
After returning from the registration point, Lin Yun went back to his barracks.
In the courtyard of the Fifth Battalion’s barracks, Lin Yun heard a commotion before even entering.
Upon entering, he saw the Tianhuo Guards of the Fifth Battalion gathered in a circle.
“What’s everyone doing?” Lin Yun asked, stepping forward.
At the sound of Lin Yun’s voice, the group immediately parted.
A familiar figure came into view.
“Mo… Palace Master Mo!”
Lin Yun froze when he saw the figure.
He quickly rubbed his eyes, afraid he’d seen wrongly.
No mistake!
The person standing before Lin Yun was none other than Mo Bai, the Palace Master of the Heavenly God Palace.
“Lin Yun, I’ve finally found you,” Mo Bai said with a smile.
“Palace Master Mo, why… why are you here?” Lin Yun’s voice sharpened with shock.
Was he dreaming? Seeing Mo Bai in the Ancestral Land?
“In the three hundred years since you left, I reached the Saint Realm. So, I accepted Tianhuo Temple’s invitation and came here,” Mo Bai said, smiling.
Without Lin Yun, Mo Bai had been the strongest human on the cultivation continent and the most likely to reach the Saint Realm.
Having been stuck at a bottleneck for so long, it wasn’t surprising that he’d finally broken through.
“Haha, Palace Master Mo, congratulations on reaching the Saint Realm!” Lin Yun rushed forward to Mo Bai.
In this unfamiliar Ancestral Land, seeing an old friend filled Lin Yun with indescribable joy.
In his three hundred years here, apart from talking with Old Black, Lin Yun had struggled to find someone he could confide in or talk freely with.
“Lin Yun, I’m thrilled to see you too. With you in the Ancestral Land, I have a companion. Let’s support each other and progress together, sharing both blessings and hardships!” Mo Bai said, beaming.
After a pause, Mo Bai continued, “Also, Lin Yun, don’t call me Palace Master anymore. In the Ancestral Land, I’m now a Tianhuo Lieutenant too. I’m older than you, so if you don’t mind, you can call me Brother Mo Bai.”
“Alright, Brother Mo Bai!” Lin Yun nodded with a smile.
“Also, Lin Yun, I’ve made an important decision. I’ve chosen to become a Death Servant of Tianhuo Temple. When I met with the elder, he made an offer with tempting conditions. After weighing the pros and cons, I agreed,” Mo Bai said.
Lin Yun was stunned by this news.
“Become… a Death Servant? Brother Mo Bai, you can’t do that!” Lin Yun said urgently.
“Haha, why not? I’ve looked into it. Being a Death Servant means losing some things, but it also grants better resources and attention,” Mo Bai said, laughing.
Mo Bai continued, “For people like us, outsiders who’ve come to the Ancestral Land with no backing, if we want more, we have to pay a price and make sacrifices.”
Lin Yun knew that becoming a Death Servant had benefits.
For example, after signing the contract, one could receive a substantial amount of Haoyue Crystals, a token to exchange for a Saint-level secret manual, and access to the inner circle of the Rule House, among other perks.
But the cost was steep.
“Brother Mo Bai, have you… already finalized it?” Lin Yun asked.
“Yes, I’ve signed the Death Servant contract. Based on the elder’s offer, besides the standard rewards for becoming a Death Servant, Tianhuo Temple will provide me with an additional ten million Haoyue Crystals,” Mo Bai said.
