(1) Celestial Demon Marten: This type of marten is a large rodent, similar to an otter, with a thick, bushy tail over an inch long. Its fur is yellow and black, and it lives in cold regions. Its fur is highly prized for making warm clothing.
(2) Marten: A marten, a weasel-like animal, not the bird called "Diao." You are reading a story copied from Quan Ben Xiao Shuo.
"A rat?!"
Lin Dong stared in astonishment at the black rat, which was only the size of his palm. He gasped, unable to believe that what was hidden within the Stone Talisman was actually a rat.
"You scoundrel, you're the rat!"
Upon hearing Lin Dong utter such a remark, the black fur of the black rat bristled. Its eyes, filled with indignation, glared at Lin Dong. It could speak human language!
"A rat can talk?"
Lin Dong was also startled by this black rat. He looked at it with a strange expression; this was the first time he had ever seen a talking rat.
"You ignorant brat, this lord is a Celestial Demon Marten, not a rat!"
Hearing Lin Dong repeatedly call it a rat, the "black rat" let out a piercing shriek.
"...Celestial Demon Marten..."
Seeing the rat's annoyed reply, Lin Dong was amused. He then silently nodded. The name sounded impressive, but it turned out to be just a black rat.
"Alright, I don't care if you're a Celestial Demon Marten or a Human Demon Marten, just tell me, why are you here!"
He had been quite nervous before, but now Lin Dong had calmed down. He realized that this Celestial Demon Marten didn't seem to possess much strength; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to catch it.
"Brat, what do you mean, 'why am I here'? I am the master of this Stone Talisman. If I'm not here, where else would I be?"
The black Little Marten's eyes flashed. It clasped its two sharp claws in front of its chest and spoke.
"You are the master of the Stone Talisman?"
Lin Dong was stunned. He then lowered his head and stared intently at the black Little Marten. Under his scrutinizing gaze, the Little Marten immediately scurried back a few steps, ready to turn and flee at any moment.
"You are not the master of the Stone Talisman."
After staring at the Little Marten for a moment, Lin Dong shook his head. Although the Little Marten didn't resemble an ordinary marten, his intuition told Lin Dong that it was lying.
"If you don't believe me, then so be it, brat. The Stone Talisman is in your hands now. You can enter if you wish, but we'll keep to our own business. This Marten Lord won't bother you, and you shouldn't bother this Marten Lord!..."
The Little Marten pouted and said.
Lin Dong tilted his head, staring at the Little Marten, and suddenly said:
"You seem very afraid of me?"
"Haha, haha..."
Hearing this, the Little Marten's two claws immediately retracted behind its back. It threw its head back and laughed loudly, as if it had just heard something utterly hilarious.
Seeing this, Lin Dong smiled. Another Soul Transformation Needle condensed.
"Whoosh!"
When the Soul Transformation Needle successfully condensed, the loudly laughing Little Marten suddenly shot far away. Its eyes, a little nervous, stared at Lin Dong, and it said in a shrill voice:
"What do you want to do?"
After speaking, it saw Lin Dong's half-smile and suddenly understood. It immediately let out a disdainful "hiss," then slowly walked over, but still maintained a relatively safe distance from Lin Dong. It sat down on its rump and said:
"Brat, what exactly do you want to do? Although this Marten Lord is only a Demonic Spirit now, don't even think about 'plucking' this Marten Lord. This Marten Lord isn't that easy to deal with."
"Demonic Spirit."
Hearing it say that, Lin Dong's eyes grew serious. Some say that only extremely powerful demonic beasts can condense a Demonic Spirit. Could it be that this little rat, which calls itself a Heavenly Demonic Sable, has an incredibly terrifying background?
"Are you sure you're sober?"
Lin Dong suddenly asked.
"Pah, you're the one who's not sober! If it weren't for that 'Fire Ancestor Demonic Flower,' you wouldn't have seen this Sable Lord for another hundred years. And if this Sable Lord hadn't helped you absorb most of the medicinal power of the Fire Ancestor Demonic Flower, you'd have been dead long ago."
Xiao Diao said disdainfully.
"Alright, I really do owe you thanks for that time."
Lin Dong was startled, then chuckled softly.
Seeing Lin Dong admit it so readily, Xiao Diao was a little surprised. It then stared at Lin Dong with suspicious eyes and said,
"Kid, don't tell me you want to charm this Sable Lord, and then take the opportunity to devour this Sable Lord's Demonic Spirit?"
"What good would devouring your Demonic Spirit do me?"
Hearing this, Lin Dong couldn't help but ask curiously.
"Uh, no good, no good at all."
Xiao Diao waved its paw. It seemed Lin Dong didn't know about this, so it secretly sighed in relief. It had only recently awakened, and its strength was relatively weak. Even Lin Dong could easily devour its Demonic Spirit, which was why it was so cautious and dared not reveal itself.
"Then can you tell me why you're here? Don't lie to me, or else..."
Lin Dong's expression hardened. He felt uncomfortable having someone hiding in the Stone Talisman.
"I told you, I am the master of the Stone Talisman. Alright, I was just one of its former masters."
Seeing Lin Dong's suspicious look, Xiao Diao had to change its tone and said,
"Not long after I obtained this thing, I was hunted down. In the end, I had to self-detonate, and my Demonic Spirit hid in the Stone Talisman."
"You were very strong before?"
Lin Dong asked with a smile.
"Of course! Someone like you, back then, I could kill you with just a fart."
Xiao Diao waved its paw, seemingly speaking very casually, but this statement made Lin Dong roll his eyes, not believing it much.
"Heh heh, kid, you got this Stone Talisman, but you don't know if it's good luck or bad luck..."
Xiao Diao saw Lin Dong's expression, then suddenly stared at him and said with a strange laugh.
"What do you mean?"
Lin Dong asked, extremely surprised.
"Nothing, you'll know later. Although your death wouldn't affect me, seeing that you don't have any ill intentions, I'll remind you of one thing: don't let anyone know about this thing, otherwise, heh heh."
Lin Dong frowned, nodding repeatedly, and said,
"Thank you for the reminder."
Xiao Diao pretended to wave its paw. Of course, it was still hiding quite a bit. If Lin Dong died, it wouldn't directly affect it, but if the Stone Talisman fell into someone else's hands, who knew what the new owner would think about its Demonic Spirit.
"Alright, talking won't change much. Do whatever you're doing. Just pretend this Sable Lord doesn't exist, like before. Also, don't think you can ask me for help. This Sable Lord won't help you with anything, and besides, I can't."
Xiao Diao patted its rear, then prepared to rush into the darkness.
"Wait a moment."
Seeing this cunning Xiao Diao wanting to leave, Lin Dong quickly called out.
"What is it?"
Hearing this, Xiao Diao immediately retreated a little, on guard, and said.
"If you were once the owner of the Stone Talisman, then you must know a little about its functions, right?"
Lin Dong asked. If he had this person's guidance, he wouldn't have to waste time figuring things out.
"I know, but why should Lord Diao tell you?"
Little Diao rolled its eyes and said.
"It seems I can deal with you quite easily."
Lin Dong smiled. Seeing him smile like that, Little Diao immediately became nervous. Lin Dong continued:
"Secondly, our cooperation benefits both of us. You are extremely weak right now. If you guide me on the functions of the Stone Talisman, I can find a way to help you recover faster. How about it?"
Hearing this, Little Diao's eyes lit up. It licked its mouth and said:
"I need some spiritual herbs that can nourish demon spirits, like the Fire Ancestor Demon Flower from last time."
"Those are too rare, but I will do my best."
Lin Dong pondered for a moment, then said:
"Don't put too much hope in me. You don't have many choices right now. Only if I have strong enough power can I find spiritual herbs to help you nourish your demon spirit."
Little Diao was silent for a moment. It was much more straightforward now. It said:
"Speak, what do you want to know?"
"Can this Stone Talisman temper Mental Energy?"
Lin Dong was delighted and quickly asked. As long as his Mental Energy could reach the second seal, he would have the confidence to fight Wei Tong.
"Yes!"
Little Diao thought for a moment, then nodded.
"However, you must be able to endure pain, otherwise, it's useless."
"Take me there!"
Lin Dong's heart beat a little faster. He chose without hesitation. Now, he had to do everything to protect the Lin family!
"Follow me. The space within this Stone Talisman is very complex. Most of it is sealed, but fortunately, what you need is still accessible."
Little Diao nodded, then turned and walked into the darkness. Lin Dong hesitated slightly, then gritted his teeth and followed.
In the darkness, Lin Dong followed closely behind Little Diao. The path was extremely winding. After a long while, Little Diao suddenly disappeared ahead. Lin Dong was instantly startled. Just as he was about to retreat, a light flashed ahead.
In the light, Lin Dong saw two enormous Crystal Grinding Discs slowly rotating. As these grinding discs rotated, they emitted a strange fluctuation.
"What is this?"
Looking at the two massive Crystal Grinding Discs, Lin Dong couldn't help but murmur.
"These are mental grinding discs."
Little Diao had climbed onto Lin Dong's shoulder at some point. It pointed with its claw at the intersection of the two Crystal Grinding Discs, where light converged, and even space became distorted.
"If you want to cultivate Mental Energy, sit in that spot. The grinding discs will crush your spirit, then restore it, continuously cycling like that. If you can endure it, it will be of great benefit, but if you can't, it might damage your spirit, leaving severe sequelae."
Little Diao patted Lin Dong with its claw and said:
"If you hadn't asked, I wouldn't have brought you here. I don't know what kind of pervert came up with this cultivation method. Lord Diao tried it once back then, and then wouldn't try it again even if beaten to death. Not everyone can endure this kind of pain."
Lin Dong silently nodded, looking at the Crystal Grinding Discs. He weighed his options in his heart, then took a deep breath, turned to Little Diao, and thanked it.
"You're not actually going in there to cultivate, are you?"
Seeing this scene, Little Diao's eyes flashed with horror as he spoke.
Lin Dong didn't answer, but smiled, then leaped into the intersection of the two grinding mills, disappearing into the light.
"This kid is crazy too. I hope you can endure it. Grandpa Diao has no intention of harming you..."
Seeing Lin Dong do this, Little Diao couldn't help but shake his head and sigh.