Volume One, Chapter 45: Forcing the Divine Mantle Inheritance?

After leaving the blacksmith’s shop, Lin Yu headed straight to the teleportation array of Newbie Village.

Now, he intended to first deliver the letter he had received to the village chief of Newbie Village No. 332.

Perhaps this would ease the chief’s mind and prevent him from worrying as he had before.

With this letter in hand, at least it could be declared that Cui Jie had been wrongfully accused.

As for the next steps to rescue him in Willowwind City, that would be considerably easier by comparison.

After all, once there was evidence to overturn the conviction, saving Cui Jie was only a matter of time.

Even if the mastermind behind the scenes wielded great power, they would not be able to make waves before the Sanctuary Alliance.

***

Newbie Village No. 332,

At the old village chief’s home.

The first thing Lin Yu did upon returning was to find the old village chief and hand over the letter.

“I knew all along that A-Jie was innocent.”

Sitting upright at his desk, the old chief carefully read the letter from beginning to end, his eyes quietly reddening with emotion.

Previously, his unconditional trust in Cui Jie stemmed from faith in his character and the blood ties of father and son.

But now, with this letter, he had sufficient proof to show that Cui Jie was truly wronged.

“Dear adventurer, thank you. With your letter, A-Jie can finally clear his name.”

The old chief carefully put away the letter, then turned to look at Lin Yu behind him, gratitude evident in his voice.

As Cui Jie was his only child, seeing even a glimmer of hope now stirred his emotions deeply.

“Chief, you flatter me. This is merely what I should do. When I am strong enough to go to Willowwind City, I will definitely help clear Brother Cui’s name,” Lin Yu said with a faint smile and resolute tone.

If it weren’t for the old chief’s divine skill enhancement book, his “Absolute Defense” would not have evolved to its current semi-godlike level.

Moreover, he always kept his promises.

Once he made a commitment, he would see it through, no matter the cost.

“In that case, I thank you immensely, Brother Yu. If you ever need any assistance, come to me without hesitation. I will do everything in my power to help,” the old chief said gratefully upon hearing Lin Yu’s promise.

He even changed how he addressed him—from adventurer to Brother Lin Yu.

He had not been mistaken in his judgment of this young man.

“Chief, you’re too kind,” Lin Yu replied with an indifferent smile.

Then, as if recalling something, he looked at the chief and said, “Chief, there is actually something I would like to ask you.”

“Oh?”

The chief was momentarily taken aback, then smiled and said, “I don’t know what you wish to ask, but I will answer everything truthfully.”

Now that Lin Yu had become key to saving Cui Jie, naturally, he wanted to foster good relations.

“Chief, how much do you know about the Resurrection Altar?”

***

Lin Yu’s question concerned the Resurrection Altar.

Though his power had grown significantly and he was confident in destroying Newbie Village, unexpected events could still happen.

Knowing more about the Resurrection Altar would be a prudent precaution.

As village chief, the old man was presumably more knowledgeable about the altar than others.

“The Resurrection Altar?”

Hearing the words, the old chief looked somewhat surprised.

After all, the Resurrection Altar shouldn’t be something an adventurer like Lin Yu would normally concern himself with.

Though puzzled, he pondered for a moment, then awkwardly said, “Haha, Brother, I’m afraid I don’t know much about the Resurrection Altar myself.”

“All I know is that it was created by the Sanctuary Alliance, seemingly for adventurers like you. It was built not long before you arrived.”

Though he was chief of Newbie Village, his knowledge of the Resurrection Altar was limited.

Lin Yu frowned; clearly, this was not the answer he sought.

As a reincarnator, he knew something about the altar’s origin.

After a brief hesitation, he pressed further, “Chief, do you know any other details about the Resurrection Altar? For example, does it have any weaknesses?”

To be honest, Lin Yu’s question revealed quite a bit.

But he had no choice; to destroy the altar with certainty, he needed to know more.

If he could uncover its vulnerabilities, the task would be far easier.

“Weaknesses?”

The chief furrowed his brow at the question.

It was somewhat easy to misinterpret.

Could Lin Yu be harboring some ulterior motive regarding the altar?

But considering his identity, the chief quickly dismissed the thought.

After all, the altar’s purpose was to resurrect adventurers.

And Lin Yu, as an adventurer, had no reason to scheme against it.

“Though I don’t know of any specific weaknesses, I do know that if the Resurrection Altar is destroyed, not only will adventurers lose the ability to resurrect, but the entire Newbie Village will perish because of it.”

Though unsure of Lin Yu’s intent, the chief felt compelled to warn him of the consequences.

“At the same time, anyone who destroys the Resurrection Altar will be cursed by the Sanctuary Alliance, losing the ability to undergo the Sanctuary Baptism for the rest of their life,” he added thoughtfully.

“What? Destroyers of the Resurrection Altar will lose the ability to receive the Sanctuary Baptism?”

Lin Yu’s expression remained calm, but inside, a storm was raging; a chill crept down his spine.

On the Divine Demon Continent, advancement required undergoing the so-called Sanctuary Baptism in the cities’ sanctuaries.

Without it, one could not continue leveling up.

According to the old chief, those who destroyed the Resurrection Altar would lose the ability to receive this baptism.

***

In other words, if he destroyed the Resurrection Altar, he would no longer be able to advance.

At that thought, a thousand wild curses surged through Lin Yu’s mind.

He realized that from the very start, Mordecai had set a trap for him.

No matter whether he completed the mission or not, surviving within the Sanctuary Alliance was impossible.

If he refused the task, death was certain.

Even if he did destroy Newbie Village and complete the mission, he would lose the ability to advance through the Sanctuary Baptism, rendering him essentially useless.

As for seeking other paths to advancement?

That was clearly unlikely.

Setting aside whether he could find an alternative, even if he did, whether he could use it now was another matter.

After all, the Great Catastrophe had yet to come; this was still just a game.

In other words, if he wanted to continue leveling up, he had to follow the undead path set by the undead plague Mordecai had placed before him.

“This bastard!”

Lin Yu cursed inwardly.

He hadn’t expected Mordecai to be so devious, patiently waiting here for him.

He had originally thought that after destroying Newbie Village and confronting Mordecai about how he knew his identity, he could then break free.

He hadn’t realized he was being naive.

It seemed this fellow was determined for him to inherit his legacy.

“Brother, what’s wrong?”

Seeing Lin Yu’s sudden change in expression, the chief furrowed his brow, unease welling up inside.

Having lived for decades and being quite perceptive, the chief seemed to have guessed something.

If nothing went wrong, Lin Yu was probably planning something regarding the Resurrection Altar.

“Nothing, chief. I have some matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave and not disturb you further.”

Lin Yu forced a smile, then bowed slightly to the chief before turning and leaving without looking back.

He needed to find Mordecai and get the truth out of him.

“I hope he doesn’t do anything foolish,” the old chief murmured with a complicated expression as he watched Lin Yu’s retreating figure.