Chapter 36: Everything Is Under Control; Lin Tian’s Curse Secret Technique

Lin Qiuhan turned back, intending to question Lin Tian immediately.

Gu Changge’s casual remark earlier had planted a seed of doubt in her mind. After ruminating on it, she realized the situation was indeed riddled with anomalies.

Not long ago, Lin Tian had possessed zero interest in cultivation. He wouldn’t lift a finger to train, even when begged or scolded.

So, what exactly had happened?

What could cause such a drastic shift in temperament? He had become eccentric, arrogant, and suddenly proficient in alchemy. He could even correct the Elders on their own techniques.

Was there a hidden master guiding him from the shadows? Or perhaps…

Lin Qiuhan shuddered as a darker possibility crossed her mind. She didn’t dare to dwell on it.

However, when she returned to the path, Lin Tian was gone.

She stood there for a moment, stunned, before letting out a soft sigh. “Forget it. I scolded him again; he must be angry and went back to his courtyard.”

“I’ll ask him about it tomorrow.”

“What exactly has happened to you, Little Tian?”

Shaking her head, Lin Qiuhan decided to let the matter rest for the night. She returned to her own quarters to complete her daily cultivation regimen.

But as she sat down, the thought of seeing Young Master Gu again tomorrow made her heart flutter with anticipation. Her beautiful eyes sparkled as if starlight had been sprinkled within them.

If only time would pass faster… let tomorrow come quickly.

…

At the exact moment the siblings parted ways, Gu Changge received the notification he had been waiting for.

[Ding! Lin Qiuhan has become suspicious of Lin Tian’s sudden change in temperament.] [Lin Tian loses 50 Luck Points.] [Destiny Points increased by 250.]

The narrative is proceeding exactly as scripted.

Gu Changge smiled. In his previous life, he had consumed countless webnovels and was intimately familiar with the tropes of the genre—especially the villain ones.

He knew exactly how to dismantle a “Possessed by a Powerful Soul” protagonist.

First, alienate his closest kin. Next, turn the clan against him. Finally, expose the body-snatching truth to the public…

Everything was under Gu Changge’s control. Lin Tian was a bug in a jar; he couldn’t stir up a storm even if he wanted to.

However, if Gu Changge’s prediction was correct, Lin Tian wouldn’t sit idly by and wait for death. He would strike back.

I am actually quite curious, Gu Changge mused. What methods can this former God King employ?

Assassination? A dead end. Poisoning? Useless against me.

That leaves only one option.

A Curse Secret Technique.

…

Lin Tian returned to his courtyard, his face a mask of gloom.

Lin Qiuhan’s words burned in his mind, igniting a nameless fire of rage.

As the Slaughter God King, he had once dominated the realms, his name striking fear into the hearts of millions. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine suffering such humiliation.

To be looked down upon by a mere woman?

“If you could be even one percent as outstanding as that man named Gu…”

The sentence echoed in his head, mocking him.

Lin Tian was displeased. And when a God King was displeased, blood had to flow.

“It is fortunate I gathered all the necessary materials this afternoon…”

“Although the power is less than one ten-thousandth of its true potential, dealing with a mere youngster will be child’s play.”

“Heh. Gu Changge… you brought this upon yourself.”

A cold sneer twisted Lin Tian’s lips.

Gu Changge was from the Upper Realm and protected by the Lin Family Ancestor. Conventional methods were useless; Lin Tian’s current cultivation was too weak to touch him physically.

Therefore, his only recourse was the Curse Secret Technique.

His confidence stemmed from the fact that this was no ordinary spell. It was an ancient, forbidden art involving Outer Realm Demons—bizarre, insidious entities capable of killing without leaving a trace.

In his past life, he had used this very technique to ambush and severely injure a fellow God King!

Even in his weakened state, summoning enough power to crush a young junior was more than possible.

Of course, the price was steep. The technique required burning one’s own lifespan as a sacrificial offering to the demons.

But Lin Tian didn’t care.

Once he regained his strength, replenishing lost lifespan would be a trivial matter.

“Soak the Nine-Nine Soul Extinguishing Incense in the essence blood of eight poisonous creatures… Light three types of Ferocious Beast Bone Wax… Utilize the momentum of Heaven and Earth to summon the power of the Outer Realm… And finally, build the bridge using Human-Skin Incense Paper Money…”

Lin Tian had prepared everything during his disappearance that afternoon. That was why Lin Qiuhan couldn’t find him. As a Lin Family disciple, acquiring such materials from the underground markets was effortless.

Methodically, Lin Tian arranged the items around the courtyard according to the ancient positions. He then sat cross-legged in the center, closed his eyes, and began to chant.

The air grew heavy.

Hum!

Runes flickered into existence, and a sinister, terrifying atmosphere instantly flooded the courtyard. If anyone were to barge in now, the sheer malice in the air would likely scare them out of their wits.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

As Lin Tian’s chanting intensified, a crimson wind whipped up from nowhere. Red hairs drifted down from the sky like cursed snow, carrying a dark, chilling aura.

Strangely, this phenomenon was contained entirely within the small courtyard. Outside the walls, the night remained pitch black and silent. The moonlight seemed to be severed, unable to penetrate the barrier of the curse.

“Performing this with my current body… is indeed a strain.”

Beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down Lin Tian’s face. Despite his resolute expression, the toll was evident.

A moment later, a bizarre, bone-chilling cold descended. Pitch-black runes crawled across the ground like living shadows, intertwining to form a grotesque formation.

From the void above, faint, smoke-like shadows began to drift down.

“Take his life. Extinguish his true soul.”

Lin Tian commanded the empty air, visualizing Gu Changge’s face with crystal clarity.

“The price is fifteen years of my lifespan.”

A visceral sensation of being drained washed over him, as if a chunk of his very soul was being ripped away. A faint, psychic connection formed between him and the entities he had summoned.

Lin Tian swayed, feeling a sudden wave of weakness. He shook his head to clear the dizziness. This was his life source being consumed.

But soon, a confident, cruel sneer returned to his face.

“Even if you manage to survive the initial strike, you won’t be unscathed.”

Outer Realm Demons were the most insidious creatures in existence. A victim typically suffered a shattered soul and immediate death. Even if they were lucky enough to survive, they would be left a mindless, drooling idiot for the rest of their lives.

The sinister wind swirled violently, then vanished in the blink of an eye, carrying death toward its target.